Beyblade Fan Fiction ❯ Running Scared ❯ Double Agent ( Chapter 14 )

Authoress' Notes: This will be the second last full chapter of this fic. It's always sad to say goodbye to a fic, but try not to get too emotional. *sniffles* However! You'll soon get one last plot twist, though not in this chapter…and I KNOW that no one saw it coming. Stay tuned…

Warnings: Same as Chapter 1. See chapter 1 if you're that concerned about it.

Disclaimers: I still don't own anything, and that includes Double Agent, by Amanda Marshall. She owns it.

Reviews: I don't know where everyone disappeared to lately, but to everyone who still managed to review…THANKS! *huggleglomps* @ Mediaminer: Flamable_Devil (Jen!), & Kailovr; @ AFF.Net: Ryo, XZanyu; & @ my group: Weeping Sweeti.

blah - normal speech, blah - thoughts, {blah} - telepathy, //blah// - electronic speech (com-links, computers, etc.)

Chapter 14: Double Agent

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I really didn't want to, but we ended up all trooping back to the base to find out just what exactly was going on.

Tyson kept yawning and it only served to make me even more sleepy and worn out than I already was. I think the jet lag was starting to catch up with us, too.

After once again spending and annoying amount of wasted time sitting around Mr. Dickenson's conference table doing next to nothing for several hours while all the recent data was being verified, compiled, and analyzed, we finally got the gist of the threat.

"This is how we stand." Mr. Dickenson. "Judy?"

"Yes." She stood and turned on the computer monitor for all of us to see. "These are the detailed files that Wolf managed to send us. From what I can determine from these, the files outline the necessary materials and steps to be taken in order to create a virus. This virus is for Sacred Spirits, and in short, uses the special abilities of each bit-beast against themselves in order to destroy them completely."

"Special abilities?" Olive inquired.

"Each Sacred Spirit is, in some way, connected to an element - earth, air, fire, water, etc." Mr. Granger spoke up. "It was these elemental powers that the ancients lost control of and why many Spirits were sealed away."

"But why does Boris need those DNA samples he got from our Sacred Spirits six years ago?" Rei wanted to know. "He's not creating a new Black Dranzer, so…why?"

I closed my eyes. I had a pretty good idea, now. "Because there are four Sacred Spirits - at least - who control the most pure power of their elements. If he uses the virus on them and it works, Boris will be certain it will work on every other Sacred Spirit also."

Everyone stared at me and Judy broke the stunned silence. "Very, very good, Kai. You've gotten it."

"So…" Max said, slowly, thinking it through. "I'm assuming, then, that Dranzer is Fire…"

"Dragoon is Air…" Tyson continued, looking over at the blonde and Rei. "Which leaves Draciel as…?"

"Water." I provided. "And Driger is Earth. Boris took samples of our bit-beast's DNA a long, long time ago - Driger's and Draciel's from various tournaments where you battled bladers from the Abbey and without your knowledge. Dranzer's he could get nearly anytime he wanted off of me." I looked back at Tyson and sighed. "But Dragoon was a different story. He had an extremely hard time trying to get a good sample from you. You were too good for his regular bladers and it was lucky that you just never happened to ever wind up battling one of the Demolition Boys."

Tyson's eyes went wide. "Is that what you had been ordered to do at the Worlds?" He asked, beginning to put a few things from our past into place. "That's it, isn't it? At the championships, when you battled me in the finals, you were supposed to take Dragoon from me when I lost…but you didn't! And then later…when I came to congratulate you and…"

"Yeah." I cut him off quietly, feeling a pang in my chest at the memory of what I had done, what I had said, in order to push him away in my attempt to protect him. "That's exactly what I was supposed to have done." I stared into his glistening storm blue eyes, filled with sudden clarity and…relief. "I couldn't do it. It was the last straw for me. But then you came and…for a moment I forgot about it all." I said softly, staring down at the table now, really uncomfortable under everyone's scrutiny when I was talking about myself - a particularly private part of myself, too. "And when I remembered…I knew I had to push you away, get you out of my life and away from me so that you'd be safe. So Dragoon would be safe."

Tyson sniffled and was out of his chair in a flash, crawling into my lap and wrapping both arms around my neck and shoulders securely and tightly as he buried his face in the crook of my neck. I held him close and felt a shiver run through his body.

And then I heard a ragged whisper of, "So you didn't mean any of it?"

I shook my head and hugged him hard "Hell no, my love." I whispered back in his ear. "Not one word of it." I heard a ragged sob and he clutched me tighter. "Forgive me?"

"I already have…"

Rei cleared his throat and got everyone's attention, for which I was thankful because it wasn't on Tyson and I and our emotional little scene any longer. While my dragon and I got a hold of ourselves, my closest friend continued the briefing for me.

"Okay. We know what Boris has planned, and we know where he's going…so what do we do? He's going to come after Tyson eventually because he needs Dragoon if he wants to be positive his little science project will work on all the Sacred Spirits, right?" Rei wondered.

"Probably. However, we can't afford to assume he's sane enough to not just go ahead and unleash the virus anyway. It's to great a risk." Max's father pointed out.

"We have to get him before he can even finish developing the virus." Judy stated. "The schematics Tala sent us for Boris' new lab is a good place to start."

"What would you suggest, then?" Mr. Dickenson wanted to know. "I'd hesitate to send in a full squad and raid the place."

"I wouldn't." Gramps shook his head. "It's the wrong strategy for this, Stan-my-man. The creep would just run off and disappear back into the hole he crawled out of in the first place all over again. We'd never find him."

Bryan, who is usually extremely quiet, suddenly spoke up. "Boris - whether he's sane or not - is arrogant and prideful. If the thinks he's winning, we can get to him much easier. He will grow careless when he begins to believe he's ahead."

Tyson settled back comfortably in my arms and I had to agree with Bryan. "He's right." And I didn't like it.

The Founding Five exchanged glances.

"Alright." Judy said slowly. "And how do you propose we go about this, then?"

"Somehow he has to get what he wants - or at least think he's getting what he wants." I told her, a plan I really didn't like forming in my mind. "A challenge."

Bryan's smile came instantly - and a touch wickedly. "He won't be able to resist."

Enrique tapped his fingers on the table, mulling that suggestion over. "So…you're saying the Squad should offer a challenge to Boris' best blader. But the only person he'll want to battle is…"

"Me." Tyson nodded. He sounded calm about it, but from the way he gripped my hand I was fairly sure he wasn't calm. "There's only one problem."

"What's that?" Max asked. "You're one of the best bladers I've ever seen. Anyone you take on shouldn't be a very big challenge."

"No…that's not it. I have the best possible coach right here." Tyson patted my arm around his waist. "It's who Boris' best blader is."

Bryan paled, more than he already was if that was possible. "Tala."

"Right."

"That could definitely be a problem." Rei slouched in his chair.

"It could be to our advantage." Mr. Dickenson mused, playing with his moustache as he considered it. "Falcon has complete faith that Wolf hasn't turned rogue on the Squad. I, for one, am leaning toward that direction myself - even if I don't agree with how Wolf has gone about things."

"But we don't know." I protested. "I don't like sending Tyson in there without knowing that Tala is still on our side - no offence, Bryan."

"None taken. I'd want to know for sure to… and I do." Bryan gave me a short nod. "I don't believe Tala would join up with Boris again for real willingly and on his own. But we all know that when it comes to that demon's spawn…well, let's just say he has a way of making people do things they don't necessarily want to do."

Tyson shivered and I hugged him tightly.

"Oh my…" Mr. Dickenson drew a handkerchief from his pocket and mopped at his forehead. "I'm afraid I'm at a loss on this one." He looked at Tyson and I gravely. "This decision is yours to make, Kai. And yours, too, Tyson. We can't force you to do any of this."

"If you don't want to do it, love, then we will find another way." I told him quietly, and I felt his hand on my arm move up and own slowly, comfortingly.

"I'll do it." He finally said, turning in my arms so he could look me in the eye. "I can do it."

I took his face between my hands and promised, "I will be right there with you. Dranzer and I will keep you and Dragoon safe, I swear."

"I know, Kai."

And that was that.

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While the Squad's communications and security teams went about devising ways to contact Boris without letting him know how we figured out how to contact him, let alone how we knew he was alive and lurking, the rest of us went back to Enrique's villa for much needed sleep.

Tyson was already in our room and I assume getting ready for bed as I made my way there through the halls of the villa from the library, where I'd been on the phone with Kenny. He'd volunteered to stay behind and keep an eye on the planning and whatnot for us, something I gladly let him do.

I got half way down the hall to my room when another door opened and out slipped a barely clad neko-jin. He was obviously trying to be stealthy - though it wasn't working so well for him this time as it usually does. Grinning wickedly to myself and folding my arms over my chest, I decided to scare the boxers off of him.

"You really are a tom-cat aren't you?" I observed loudly, making Rei jump two inches off the floor and let out a startled yowl. I grinned even more as he gasped and whirled around to face me, clutching his chest with both hands.

"Fuck!" He swore - something he rarely does, I might add. I laughed and he snarled at me in annoyance. "Damn it, Hiwatari! Where did you come from, anyway? You scared the hell out of me!!"

"Poor you." I drawled, completely unsympathetic. "Is there a reason you're sneaking out of your own room in your underwear?"

Rei immediately blushed bright red and his tail lashed in agitation. "Ah…I was just…uh…"

"Never mind. I don't need a full news bulletin." I rolled my eyes and waved him away. "Get going before Max gets lonely and comes looking for you. One of you running around the place nearly naked is bad enough."

Trying to hide his embarrassment and keep some of his dignity, Rei stuck his nose in the air and gave me a snort of indifference. "Fine. I will. Not because you told me to, but because very shortly I hope to be completely naked." I groaned as he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at me. I so didn't need to hear that! Too much info…

"Oh, ugh. Bad mental images! Go away, Cat." I winced and walked up to my door, opening it and quickly going in, the sound of Rei's vastly amused chuckles following me.

Tyson was sitting on the bed looking very delectable, with his knees drawn up to his chest, the sheet on the bed draped over them and one arm slung around his knees. He looked up as I came in and raised an eyebrow at Rei's laughter before I firmly closed and locked the door.

"What was Rei snickering about?"

"Oh…nothing. He just gave me a few bad mental pictures I really didn't need and thought it was amusing." I started pulling off my clothes, taking my time about it for once. "I was torturing him because I caught him sneaking off to Max's room in his boxers so I guess I deserved it."

Tyson laughed. "Way to go Rei and Max! Finally…"

"Maybe they'll quit making cow-eyes at each other now." I hoped, agreeing with him.

My lover's look was reproachful. "Not one romantic bone in you, is there?"

Done undressing, I padded over and crawled into the bed with hi. "I guess not…" I lay on my back and looked up at him and a bit sideways, since he was still sitting up. "Does it bother you that much, love?"

Tyson sighed and reached over to flick off the lamp next to his side of the bed, throwing the room into darkness, before sliding down under the sheet and moving up closer to me. He propped his head up with a hand, lying on his side facing me, and started drawing random patterns on my chest with the fingertips of his free hand. "No…because if you were all gushy and sappy you wouldn't be you." He smiled at me and let his hand rest over my heart. "And I love you just as you are, Kai."

I covered his hand with one of mine and with the other I drew him down to kiss him seriously, trying to convey everything I felt for him in that gesture. It became a long, slow, thorough exploration of each other. I guess he understood what I was trying to tell him without words because he responded by making love to me in a way that was reverent, passionate, and almost tender at times - and at others rough, demanding, and insistent. He filled me completely - body, mind, and even spirit - and I hoped he understood how much it meant for me to give him everything I had to give.

When we finally collapsed in a tangle of exhaustion, sweat, and satisfaction, purely satiated and blissfully content, Tyson gave me a soft smile, staring into my eyes from mere centimetres away, and said in a husky, sleepy voice, "My everything." He said it quite possessively, too.

I fell asleep curled into him with a peaceful smile on my face.

I guess he does understand.

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The next day dawned dark, gloomy, and raining. The Founding Five arrived with Kenny in tow, even before Tyson and I had gotten breakfast. By the time the Five had left again, we not only had been in contact with Boris via email, but also had a scheduled beybattle in Sydney in one week between Tyson and Boris' best blader - Tala.

There were conditions, however, and I can't say I didn't expect them. No one was to be wired, for one thing. I suppose surveillance made Boris nervous. I wasn't really worried about that because even if we weren't wired directly, there were always the satellites orbiting the planet…which Kenny assured me (out of ear shot of the Five) he could use his laptop to hack into and keep an eye on everything.

Another condition was that neither side was allowed to bring more than four other people with them. Now this is one I protested - loudly.

"Say what?! You're not serious!"

"Now, Kai…" Mr. Dickenson held up a hand and hastily tried to explain himself. "We had to argue extensively to get him to agree to that many. He only wanted two others."

"It won't matter what deal was made." Bryan interrupted. "Kai knows as well as I do that Boris will have backup either surrounding the area or very close by. He never leaves home without an entourage."

"Exactly! If I only get three other people besides myself and Tyson then other plans had best be made to back us up." I ground out, reigning in my temper.

"And me." Bryan looked solidly at me. "I'm one of your four, Kai. You're not leaving me out of it."

"Max and I are with you, too." Rei put in, and Max nodded in agreement.

"What about me?" Kenny wanted to know, looking vaguely disappointed to be out of the action.

"You, Chief, will coordinate our backup and whatnot." I informed him. "Be our 'eye in the sky'?" I reminded him meaningfully. He gave me a quick nod of acceptance. Luckily, the Five didn't catch the hidden meaning of my suggestion.

"Say, Enrique?" Oliver inquired suddenly. The Italian glanced over at him. "What do you suppose Robert and Johnny are up to?"

Enrique's answering grin was evil. "Bored. Oh, I'm sure they'd love to take a small working vacation to Australia. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Certainly." Oliver grinned back.

"Gryphon and Gladiator?" Max asked, eyes widening. "I thought they weren't active agents anymore."

"They aren't." Judy agreed. "But they still help out from time to time in their own ways."

I groaned and Tyson gave me a strange look. "What's the matter?"

"You just had to suggest the MacGregor to help you be backup, didn't you?" I accused Oliver and Enrique. Rei began snickering and I gave him a glare.

"Hey! You have to admit he's good, Kai, whether you like him or not." Rei felt obliged to point out to me. I just continued glaring.

"Besides, mon ami, you need people you can trust to keep secrets. Short of everyone in this room, you must know that if you demand silence from either Robert or Johnny they will agree and keep to their oaths." Oliver sounded pretty damned sure of that.

"I don't trust that many people, Oliver." I reminded him. "Least of all that hot-headed, aggressive, Scot."

"Then we will take responsibility for him." Enrique offered. "If he goes back on his word, then it'll be on our heads, too."

I muttered a few unkind things about the Scottish blader in question under my breath in Russian. But I needed strong, reliable backup and the former European team - all four of them - would be the best I could get on short notice like this, and I knew it.

"Alright, fine. Whatever." I gave in. "Just keep him away from me, got it?"

"We will." Oliver promised.

After that was settled, all we did was finalize our plans and make sure everything was set. Enrique and Oliver went off to contact their former teammates, who were apparently as bored as they'd said in their retirement, and who quickly agreed to join up.

The Founding Five, satisfied that we had things under control for now, left us at that point, one by one.

Tyson said goodbye to his father, Gramps, and Hilary - who would go with them for now until it was all over. Max had a somewhat emotional and stiff goodbye with his parents. I guess they hadn't had a chance to work things out with each other yet and I felt a little badly for Max.

Just before Mr. Dickenson walked out, he laid a hand on my shoulder and gave me a smile that said he was very proud. Of me.

I blinked at him, not used to this at all. "Sir?"

"You've come a long way, Kai. I've watched you grow into the man you are and I couldn't be more pleased than if you were my own grandson." He gave me a fond pat and I just stared at him, not sure what to say. "You will do just fine in this whole saga. I have faith in you. Now…" Mr. Dickenson dropped his hand and straightened. "You have one week to train and prepare Tyson for his battle. Will it be enough?"

Tyson slipped his hand into mine and I gripped it. He looked at Mr. Dickenson with smoky blue eyes that were filled with determination.

"More than enough." My lover stated.

The old man laughed, delighted. "Excellent. Then I will just leave you two boys to get started. Oh! And there's one more thing I nearly forgot to tell you…"

"What?" I asked suspiciously. He had a familiar gleam in his eyes that told me he was being wily again.

"I realize neither of you wants Tyson to become an agent for the Squad. And I want you to know, Tyson, that if you should ever change your mind, you will be welcomed with open arms." Tyson nodded. "However, because you are putting yourself on the line to help us in this endeavour, I'm making you a temporary agent."

Both of us stared at him and he grinned at us.

"That's not all." Mr. Dickenson motioned Rei, Max, and Kenny over. "You five have earned the respect and loyalty of not only your fellow agents and the Five, but of all the bladers and Spirits you've helped over the years. And because of this, each of you are now the Spirit Squad's elite - with Alpha and Omega clearance."

I swear Kenny started to vibrate he was so elated. "You mean…I can access any information anywhere in the world that I want? And I don't have to do it illegally?"

Max grinned his thousand-Watt smile and clapped the Chief on the back. "It's a dream come true for you isn't, Chief?"

Mr. Dickenson wished us all luck a final time and left us stunned and a little flustered. It's not everyday one gets promoted at the Squad - especially to that level.

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One week.

Seven days of training, exercises, practice matches, and physical conditioning.

Tyson already had the skill, the raw talent. Now it was about fine-tuning and polishing his abilities, as well as building up his endurance and adaptability again. I will admit that I put him through training hell that week. But it was necessary.

And to make it up to him, every night he got a full-body massage from me to ease away the aches, pains, and tension in his muscles and the rest of him, too. I would work him to death in our training sessions, but then I'd work him over until he was putty in my hands.

But he surprised me a little because not once did he complain about anything. I was so proud of him I swear I wanted to burst.

Tyson wasn't the only one who got in to my regiment. I made the whole team train, with Kenny and I supervising their every move.

Rei wasn't above voicing his opinion about his own aches and pains on occasion - which I summarily ignored. Bryan was used to the intensity of the workouts I was putting them through so he didn't complain, either. Max continued to astound me because he did anything and everything I asked with a smile and without question.

That boy is inhumanly genki.

Even Oliver and Enrique got into things, saying they could always use the extra practice anyway.

By the end of the week we had done as much as we could and my beloved dragon had vastly improved in such a short time.

"Well?" He asked, hands on hips after his practice battle with me. "Have I gotten any better? What's the verdict?"

"There're definitely significant improvements in his power levels and his other stats, Kai." Kenny called out from the sidelines.

"You're ready." I decided, putting my blade and launcher away. "There's always plenty more I could teach you, love, but you have everything you need now to go up against Tala and win." I smiled faintly. "Not that you couldn't before, but now you're going to have an advantage of surprise over both Tala and Boris - most especially Boris."

"How do you mean?"

"Boris will believe you have let your skills and abilities slide since I'm sure he knows you've been out of the game for some long." I explained. "He'll be expecting little of a challenge from you."

"Ah. I see." Tyson's smile was a tad scary. "Isn't he in for a surprise, then?"

"That's the idea."

Rei and Max came over, shaking Tyson's hand in congratulations.

"Now there's just one more thing you need, Tyson." Max declared.

Tyson looked at him in confusion. So did I. "What?" He asked before I could.

"You're an agent. Temporary or not - you need a code name." Rei explained, smiling triumphantly for some reason. "So…any ideas?"

"Well…"

Kenny piped up. "Dragon!"

I nixed that in a hurry. No one but me would call him that as long as I lived. "No."

They all looked at me and I just returned their looks stubbornly. Except Tyson. My lover flushed slightly and agreed with me.

"No. Not that."

"Well…what then?" Max demanded in exasperation.

"Storm." I suggested. Tyson's gaze met mine and he smiled slowly.

"Works for me."

"Put it in his data, Chief." I held out my hand to my beloved dragon and he took it, squeezing lightly. "Make it official."

"Done." Kenny declared.

"I don't get it." Max shook his head. "Why 'Storm'?"

"Someday, Max, you'll understand." I said mysteriously.

Rei gave us suspicious glances but didn't say anything.

"Alright, people!" I spoke up, gaining everyone's attention. "Let's grab showers, food, equipment, and pack up. And get some rest. We have a long flight tomorrow and then we have a mission to complete. So let's get moving!" I shooed my team away.

As we trooped back indoors, Enrique pulled me aside and informed me of Robert and Johnny's arrival in the morning.

"They promised to be here before we leave tomorrow."

"Good. Because if they aren't, I'm not waiting around for them."

"Of course not."

I tried taking my own advice and attempted to sleep peacefully but I was just a little too wound up for it.

In less than 48 hours I would be face to face with the demon of my past and an end to all of this would be met once and for all - including find out if Tala really had turned or whether he'd become a double agent for the Squad on his own.

It was time to end this.

Watch out Boris. The Phoenix has risen and I'm coming after you.

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Authoress' Notes: On that ominous promise, I hope you're all sitting on the edge of your seats for the big finale! Please R/R!