FanFiction.Net - unleash your imagination 
mobile edition
knightkitten
Author of 8 Stories |
Title: Exchanging Hearts
Author: knightkitten
Rating: T?
Chapter: 4/?
Warnings: AU, slash, Johnny's potty mouth
Summary: In an alternate universe the Bladebreakers never won the World Championships in Moscow. Russia is a very different place and it's a race against time for the remaining BBA bladers to stop the Biovolt Corporation, The Demolition Boys and Kai.
'I'm not going to let this opportunity go to waste!' Rei thought to himself viciously, swinging his leg over the horse and tugging himself up smoothly.
'Where are you going Rei?' The neko-jin jerked around spotting Kenny next to the door to the ranch.
'Going for a ride. Go back inside Kenny,' Rei reassured, a fake smile plastered over his face.
'We all heard you and Robert earlier,' Rei shot him a puzzled look.
'It was hard not to,' Kenny looked sheepish and Rei had to smile fondly.
'I'm fine. Everything's going to be fine,' Kenny just stared at him and Rei sighed, knowing the chief wouldn't tell on him. Rei swung the horse around gently, beginning to trot off in the direction of the road.
'Here,' Rei heard Kenny call softly and he stopped to receive the small bundle Kenny was holding out. Opening the wad of cotton, the first thing Rei fished out was a small metallic object, just smaller than a finger nail.
'What is it?' Rei asked, cocking his head to the side. Kenny laughed flipping the object over in Rei's hand a showing him the catches on the other side.
'It's a mini microphone and speaker in one. You hook it over your back tooth,' Rei raised an eyebrow.
'This has to run on satellite. If they get their hands on it, they could track it back to here,' Rei muttered, a frown appearing on his face.
'Just smash it then. I trust that you'll keep us safe,'
'Wow, that's a bit of a risk coming from you Chief,' Rei grinned, hooking the bit over his back tooth, closest to his ear. Kenny smiled, nodding to the cotton wad. Rei stuck his hand in fishing out the small blue item swimming in the fabric.
'This is…?' Kenny nodded 'I thought Tyson had it,' Rei muttered flipping the bit chip over in his palm.
'He did,' was all the explanation Kenny offered as he trudged back to the ranch. Rei smiled kicking the horse into a gallop and heading in the opposite direction.
'Cool it Kenny. Or the gig will be up before it even starts,' Lee warned, up righting the chief and turning back to his own dinner. Glancing around Lee was alarmed to see Johnny eyeing him suspiciously. Oliver laughed and grabbed his attention quickly and Lee had the distinct feeling that the French man probably knew more than he was letting on.
His suspicions were confirmed when the green-haired boy got up and followed him and Kenny after dinner.
'I'm assuming Rei 'as gone after Kai,' Oliver spoke, grinning at Lee.
'Got it in one,' he muttered, shooting a glare at Kenny who blushed.
'Oh it wasn't Kenny's fault. Rei is very predictable when eet comes to Kai,'
'What do you mean, Oliver?' Kenny asked, opening the door to the computer lab.
'Well, Rei 'as a certain, 'ow you say, bone to pick,' Oliver winked, plopping into a chair casually.
'Why do I get the feeling you don't mean that in the sense that Rei wants to kick Kai's butt?' Lee asked, glaring suspiciously.
''Ow should I know?' Oliver beamed cheekily and Lee just rolled his eyes, turning to where Kenny was now tapping in passwords and opening files.
'What are you doing now chief?' Lee flopped onto one of the computer chairs and glancing back to the door, making sure it was closed and locked.
'Tapping into the frequency of Rei's microphone. At least this way, he can relay any information to us even if he does get caught.' The room instantly sobered at the idea. Rei had completed infiltration missions before, but they'd all been planned months in advance and they were rarely as close to the Russian's main base as this one was. Mainly on the American coast and in Japan, where they still had a fairly strong hold on the politics and Biovolt were still trying to get a good foothold.
There was an electronic buzzing and crackling and then a metallic 'clack!' and all of a sudden they could hear the clocking sound of horse shoes against cobbles.
'Rei?' Kenny asked tentively, the small microphone poised above his mouth.
'I hear ya chief. What can you get for me on a club called Emerald?' Kenny began typing away at Dizzy, pulling up a mixture of internet sites and connection bridges, and setting decoders onto the locations.
'Okay, it's a two story complex renovated from a warehouse-'
'When isn't eet?' Oliver muttered under his breath. Lee smirked
'All employees are identified by the color and length of their uniforms. The higher up you are, the more dignity you have. The lower floor is a normal dance floor with a DJ and a bar. Your lowest rank are allowed a pair of leather shorts and are generally people with good looks who dance in cages that are littered all over the dance floor. In fact, it's a stipulation of employment that you have to be attractive in order too gain work-'
'Good thing Rei's doing the infiltration and not Michael then,' Lee remarked lightly and Oliver snickered along with Dizzy, despite Kenny's disapproving frown.
'Then there are the bar workers. They wear the shorts and emerald shirts. For girls it's a fluttery backless top and for guys it's a muscle shirt,'
'For 'eavens sake! This ees Russia we are talking about. The poor employeez will freeze!' Oliver scowled and Lee heard Rei laughing through the microphone. Kenny continued, ignoring the side on commentary.
'Then you have the employees who work on the top floor. It's like a balcony that looks down on the dance floor. VIP lounge. The only way up is an elevator with heavy security. You can only get up there with clearance from the club owner, or an upper employee uniform. Long black pants and a silk emerald top. Rather elegant from the look of them. And the VIP workers have to be incredibly attractive,' Kenny pulled up pictures of the three outfits, and Oliver scowled at the scanty uniforms before beginning to mutter angrily in French. Lee contained his laughter, knowing how volatile the younger man could be.
'So you're saying I need to get a VIP uniform otherwise I have no chance of getting upstairs? There's no way Hiwatari, junior or senior, is going to be caught doing anything as plebian as mingling with the commoners,' Rei's voice was slightly faint with distance, but Lee still detected the slightest hint of a sneer in Rei's voice.
'We have an outfitter who should be able to set you up,' Kenny replied, bringing up a suburban map of the outskirts of Russia. A small flashing red light appeared, steadily moving into the city. Kenny clicked somewhere else, and a blue dot appeared on the building. 'Head down the first street on your left and then you'll come to a dumpster. There should be a trap door underneath it, but the dumpsters bolted down. Just slide underneath, you should be slim enough,'
'I reckon. Rei manages to make keeping slim look easy. I take one look at the chocolate Mr. D sends every month and it goes straight to my heeps,' Lee snorted at the thought of anything going to Oliver's hips, let alone Rei's. They were both slim enough they could probably make it as female models easily. He was suddenly hit with an idea. He took the microphone from Kenny's head, much to the shorter boy's indignation, and placed the head band over his own hair.
'Rei? I've got an idea. Kai knows you. From what I've heard, they're all on the lookout for you, so why not hide in plain sight,' Lee proceeded to tell Rei of his plan, ignoring Kenny's splutters and Oliver's giggling.
'I'm getting really sick of this whole dressing up as a girl thing,' Rei muttered, taking the hair brush Jonathon, their outfitter, handed him. The older man smiled sympathetically.
'Well, it is the safest course of action. And I can't see them recognizing you,' Rei secretly agreed. Jonathon's wife had attacked him with a viciousness that rivaled Mariah's obsession with his hair. Kohl lined the bottom of his eyes thickly, bringing out the black in them and making the gold stand out vividly. Rei worried that the color would give him away, but there wasn't much to be done; he'd left his contacts at the ranch, and there weren't any to be found out here. He sighed, resigned. His hair had finally been freed from its braids and stood in a stylishly frizzy mass down his back, falling over his shoulders and slightly obscuring his face. There was a shiny sticky gloss on his lips (much to his dismay) which tasted horrible after he had licked the first one off due to its fruity flavour.
It was the outfit that really bugged him. He looked like a flat chest-ed female. Which was the idea really, but Rei had hoped they'd put him in the outfit and instantly declare him too manly for it. No such luck. The top was a silky emerald green that was secured at the base of his neck in a bow and at the nape of his back. It flared out from underneath where a girls breasts would normally sit and swirled around Rei to about mid thigh. Rei glared at the way it framed his thin, elegant shoulders. If he had shoulders like Lee's or Michaels or even Robert's, he would never be stuck dressing like a girl. The thought of Robert made him scowl more deeply though and he was more determined than ever to get the information, no matter the costs. Sighing, he shifted, trying to get used to the leather of the pants clinging to his legs. They were an elegant ebony color that clung to him until it reached his knees, where they flared out. Jonathon had originally handed him a pair of strappy stilettos (as his wife had called them), but one withering look had made them change there mind and hand him a pair of flats that wound up his legs and tied at his knees.
Sighing one last time and trying to get used to the constrictiveness of the outfit, Rei was slightly heartened by Lee and Oliver's smiling encouragement over the tooth piece. He turned to Jonathon, who escorted him up a stairway on the opposite end of the underground building at the disposal trapdoor. There was another trapdoor and Jonathon gave Rei a leg up so he could pull himself through. The leather didn't allow him to bend at the knee enough for the steep ladder. Jonathon scrambled up after him and Rei could see they were in a garage of sorts. Jonathon swung the trapdoor shut and led him over to a slim black and silver motorbike. Handing the keys to him, he smiled encouragingly.
'If you get into any trouble tonight, don't hesitate in coming back here. Just be careful not to lead anyone straight to us,' He winked and squeezed Rei's elbow reassuringly. Rei smiled and swung a leg over the bike, feeling some satisfaction as movement slowly become easier once the leather loosened up a bit. He scooped his hair over his shoulder, twisting it into a knot so he could slide the helmet Jonathon handed him over his head.
'If I do run into trouble, the last place I'll be coming is here. I have no intention of giving you guys away,' Rei held up a hand as Jonathon looked like he was about to protest. Pushing the key into the ignition, he smiled one last time.
'Thanks for everything,' Rei started up the engine, maneuvering out towards the street and taking a corner sharply, heading towards the centre of town and steadily closer too Biovolts main base.
'I'm following him,' Tyson declared finally after another tense moment. Max made a noise of protest, but followed reluctantly as Tyson darted out from their hiding place and moved swiftly across the alley, tripping on a can as he went and landing flat on his face. Tyson slid himself under the dumpster, eying the ring bolted to the floor ahead of him with determination. A hook had been welded to the underside of the dumpster and Tyson heaved the ring up and onto the hook. It held the door open enough that he might be able to push himself through. Scooting around so that he'd be going down feet first, he gave Max a quick reassuring smile and pushed himself down the hole.
Tyson felt around with his feet for a ladder and, not finding anything, came to the decision that he'd just drop down. The floor probably wasn't too far down if there wasn't a ladder. He pushed himself along the grimy floor the last meter, sucking his stomach in, much to Max's amusement, and dropping down into empty air. He landed on his feet, but stumbled when his knees gave out falling to the floor with an 'oof' of breath. Max followed a few moments later and then dropped down, landing on top of his taller friend. Tyson gave Max a pained smile as the blonde grinned apologetically.
'You just missed him,' Tyson and Max looked up to see a broad shouldered man, with a trimmed beard and neat short hair. He wore nothing but a t-shirt and jeans against the cold, and Tyson shivered just at the thought of it. It was pushing on 9 o'clock and rather cold. Max and himself were in thick parkas, scarves and beanies.
The roar of a motorbike cut of his train of thought and the tall man looked up, listening to the sound with a small sad smile.
'I'm assuming you're here to back young Rei up. He didn't mention you, but I recognize you from the pictures of the teams. Max and Tyson is it?' They both nodded and the man helped them up carefully, 'I'm Jonathon and this is one of the rebel factions set up by Mr. Dickenson,' he gestured to the room, where people were moving around, carrying boxes and typing away at computers, listening intently to headphones over their ears. 'Let's get stuck into it. I don't want Rei alone in there any longer than he has to be. Now, your friend will be wearing an employee outfit and I don't think I have to tell you how important it is to act like you don't know him. You'll be stationed on the bottom floor and I'll give you a pass that will get you through the front door as prepaid customers. Just mingle with the crowd, act like you're trying to pick up dates, or maybe that you're dating each other. I'll hand you over to Macy and she'll set you up like a set of regular Russian teenagers going out for a night of clubbing,' Tyson nodded, glancing over to see that Max looked quite as baffled as he did. He decided to go with it though, and nodded at Max to do the same. It was time they started helping Rei out a lot more than they had been. He deserved that much at the least.
'Mr. Hiwatari?' A voice asked almost timidly. Kai turned to the driver with a light sneer.
'You know what to do,' the driver nodded, moving to the other side of the car and opening the door. The sleek limousine pulled away and down a side street to wait for when they were ready to leave. Kai watched it go, having no desire to move into the club just yet. It wasn't open yet, but they were allowed entrance to get comfortable before the commoners moved in.
He pulled a cigarette from his vest pocket and a lighter from the other. Taking a drag, his eyes were pulled to another bike pulling onto the dark street. From the florescent lights of the club sign, Kai saw the motorbike pull up and park. There were two people and as the one on the back stepped down, the first one pushed down the kickstand with his foot. Kai was quick to notice that the bike was identical to the one that had pulled up with the worker earlier. His slowly rising suspicions were helped along as the shorter figure pulled there helmet off to reveal a shock of blond hair, a pale face with a small smattering of freckles on the bridge of their nose and thick kohl lining bright blue eyes. He easily recognized his former team mate, even in the leather shorts and the off-the-shoulder blue top. Turning his attention to the second figure, it was a little harder to recognize the wielder of Dragoon, but he could still see the brash teen underneath the make-over. His shock of navy hair had been tamed into a French braid by some brave individual. His bangs were brushed to the side of his face, revealing the kohl trend surrounding his navy eyes. His normal jeans were replaced by long black pants and a button up navy shirt.
Kai smirked, flicking his cigarette onto the sidewalk and turning to enter the club. Things had just gotten a little more interesting, he decided.
'I'm new,' he purred, inwardly flinching as the bouncer looped an arm around him and grasped his leather clad backside.
'I figured. I would have remembered a pretty face like yours,' Rei forced a blush into his face and ducked his head to hide the gag reflex he felt coming on. He could hear Oliver and Dizzy laughing through his mouthpiece and heard Lee muttering something along the lines of a rusty spoon and family jewels. This made it easier to bring the smile back to his face.
'Cheval! You know the rules. Hands off the VIP's!' The bouncer scowled, but stepped back. Rei took in a deep breath, forcing a smile on his face for the approaching woman. She was dressed in a sleek pinstripe business suit, her paired pulled into a smooth knot at the back of her head and a pair of ankle boots clacking along the floor as she strode to them purposefully. She stopped in front of Rei, holding out a hand to shake. Rei inwardly pouted noting the woman was a good couple of inches taller than him. He took her hand though and shook it, smiling nervously for show.
'You must be London. I'm Bethany. I must say, I like what you've done with your hair. It's very pretty,' Bethany showed him a clipboard with the fake resume Jonathon had sent in ahead of him. The name at the top in bold letters read: LONDON BENNET and a picture was pinned in the corner of the leaflet. Rei noted with some relief that the picture of him had been edited copiously so that it still looked like him, only a female him, with a sleek high ponytail, eyeliner and a saucy grin.
'It's quite a relief you turned up like you did. We get a lot of sick workers-'
'I wonder why?' Oliver muttered under his breath and Rei stifled a smile hastily.
'So having you turn up last minute was a god send. We have some really important clients tonight and you meet standards nicely. I'm glad you're already dressed and ready to go. A lot of our VIP girls aren't. They tend to let the rich customers get to their heads,' Bethany sneered slightly and Rei felt a hint of respect for the fast-talking manager.
She led him through the back rooms and into the club. The lights were all on and a lot of employees were mulling around waiting for the club to dim, the music to start and the people to be let in. Topless men and women were being helped into cages all over the room and locked in. They stood steady in heels that Rei was sure he would probably break his neck in, just trying to put them on. The bartenders were cleaning glasses along a semi-circular bar that ran the whole length of the rather large club. And at the other end of the room in a crowd next to a high tech looking elevator were what looked like the other VIP employees. There were about 8 of them, half female and half male. Bethany strode up to them and smiled.
'OK guys, this is London and she'll be taking the ambassador and the Hiwatari's tonight,' Rei's heart skipped a beat at this, half relieved he'd be able to collect the information so easily, but half nervous about being so close to the Hiwatari's and Tala. He also noted that many of the workers were sending him half-sympathetic, half-relieved expressions.
They all hustled past the bouncer for the elevator and traveled up the one level quickly. Stepping out the other side, Rei quickly took note of the 10 leather booths evenly spaced along the sides of the level. Looking to the corner, he saw a booth raised, slightly bigger than the others and a little more luxurious with curtains for privacy and even easier sight to the lower level. The whole VIP level was like a balcony looking down on the dance floor. The booths were round with a gap in them to allow one person through at a time. Bethany took his hand and pulled him towards the larger booth and up a small set of stairs to the entrance. It was shadowed and Rei stood next to the entrance, waiting for instructions. Bethany smiled reassuringly and flipped her clipboard over, sliding a strip of leather with buckles in either end and a stylized 'L' charm dangling from the front.
'This will vibrate against your throat when they want anything. You just go in there and take their order on this,' Bethany handed him a small leather bound pad and a green fountain pen, 'Just go over and get the order from Ivan and take it back in, then wait for the next call,' She nodded to a handsome bald man standing behind a bar looking bored, 'the Senior Mr Hiwatari, Mr Ivanov and the Ambassador are already in there. The younger Mr. Hiwatari should come up any moment now. Keep your eyes down and when any of them walk past or talk to you, bow. Only speak when they ask you a question. Ignore any stray hands. They'll rarely do anything more than touch,' Rei inwardly scowled, but offered a nervous smile to Bethany who smiled back and walked away. He could hear Oliver and Lee muttering angrily about what they'd do to any stray hands and Rei felt a rush of warmth for his older friends.
Waiting patiently, it wasn't long before the elevator slid open to reveal a lone figure. Rei refrained from sucking in a startled breath and instead turned his eyes to the ground. Not before catching a glimpse of Kai Hiwatari in all his glory though. Rei felt as if the image was permanently burned into his brain. Rei had only ever seen Kai in his trademark baggy jeans and muscle top, so seeing him now was a new experience. He wore tailored black pants and shiny dress shoes, a white dress shirt with a black button up vest over the top. The dress shirt wasn't tucked in, the tails sticking out from beneath the ebony vest at the front and back. A silver chain was visible where the first couple of buttons on the shirt were undone and Rei felt breathless for a few startling moments. He was startled when Kai stopped in front of him at the top of the stairs and handed him a long black jacket that would probably go to Kai's knee's with red straps and buckles down the front and a large collar. Rei took it quickly, moving to where a rack stood out of sight with a few hangers.
'Rei?' He jumped, and for a startling moment, Rei thought it was Kai behind him, that the older boy had discovered him. But he recognized Kenny's voice after a panicked moment and relaxed.
'Yeah Chief?' He replied shakily, but was careful to keep quiet.
'You need to get closer,' Rei smiled, nodding even though Kenny couldn't see him. Just as he reached the top of the stairs, the buzzer on his throat went off and he almost jumped, so startling was the cold vibration.
Taking a deep breath he moved towards the entrance and entered. His leg brushed up against something and he looked down to see Tala looking up at him. The redhead was lying back on the seat, looking up at him with dazzling blue eyes. Rei blushed without knowing why, and then remembered that he wasn't supposed to make eye contact and looked away. Knowing he wasn't to talk either, Rei just stood, head down trying to shield his face from Kai and Tala, who sat on the right of the booth. The ambassador was the first to acknowledge him, pausing in his conversation with Voltaire. He was younger than Rei expected, in his late thirties and probably the most handsome politician he's ever seen (which wasn't really saying much). For a brief moment he wondered if Kai counted as a politician though, but quickly brushed that thought aside as frivolous. The ambassador was eyeing him with a peculiar expression and seemed to be waiting for something. Rei blinked, not quite understanding. Then it occurred to him that the ambassador probably wasn't used to Russia's more subdued servers. He was sure to make his voice lighter before asking:
'Was there anything you'd be wanting ambassador?' Rei blinked as the man closed his eyes and seemed to shudder. When he opened them, his eyes were smoldering with something Rei was not quite familiar with.
'I'd like a Black Russian please,' Rei nodded and scribbled the order down, writing an A next to the drink to make sure he'd remember who's it was.
'Brandy Sidecar, no ice,' Voltaire grunted. Rei scribbled this one down quickly and turned to take the last two orders, making sure his face was in shadow.
Kai was smiling that strange smirk Rei had learned to become weary of when they were still on the same team. It usually meant he was going to double training or spring something unpleasant on them. He waited patiently though and finally Kai stopped staring at him and, sweeping his gaze down Rei's body, ordered.
'A greyhound,' Rei almost sighed his relief, but turned to Tala instead. The redhead was looking supremely amused about something, and Rei instantly found the expression disconcerting. Whatever had Tala Ivanov looking almost gleeful, could not mean good things for him.
'A Corpse Reviver, if you will,' Rei nodded and then scampered from the booth as quickly as he could, the very name 'corpse reviver' sending a chill down his spine.
Smiling at Ivan, Rei handed him the note pad and the older boy got to work on the drinks quickly.
'So, first time huh?' Rei blinked, but nodded after a moment, 'They not giving you any trouble?' Rei smiled and shook his head. Ivan was a gruff fellow, but he was obviously caring.
'Not yet anyway. The Ambassador seemed to be acting peculiarly though,' Ivan paused in what he was doing for a moment, and eyed Rei speculatively.
'Peculiarly? How?' Rei shrugged, pulling a face.
'I don't know. He stared at me funnily and kind of shuddered when I spoke,' Ivan blinked a few times, copying Rei's earlier actions.
'How someone as pretty as you could have gotten this far in life not knowing what a man means when he stares and shudders I'll never know,' Ivan muttered and went back to making the drinks. Rei could hear Dizzy giggling and Lee growling over the microphone, but ignored them for the moment.
Ivan placed the drinks on a tray and pushed it across the counter so Rei could shift the curve cut into it to sit on his hip. Careful to balance the drinks properly and not spill anything, he moved back to the stairs leading up to the booth. He turned sideways to get into the booth and was careful to lift the tray above Tala's head this time. His days as a waiter before the world championships came back to him and he placed the tray in the table and then passed the drinks out so that they sat in front of their owners. He bopped a quick bow and moved to exit again. A hand snaked out and around his waist though and Rei felt himself being pulled to the left of the entrance. He landed in the ambassador's lap and was startled by how dwarfed he felt by the tall, slim man. He continued speaking to Voltaire as if he hadn't just pulled the helpless waitress onto his lap, running a hand through Rei's kinked hair, the other hand on the flat part of his stomach, fingering the silky top.
Rei stayed still, knowing he wouldn't get out of the club alive if he laid a finger on the older man. Besides, it looked as if they weren't minding his presence and it seemed to him like the perfect opportunity to find out what Biovolt and Scandinavia were plotting.
'Well, it seems a go ahead. We're more than willing to join this new alliance if it means that wealth will be given to our country. A seat in this prestigious group could only bring positive effects on our country, so you have our undivided loyalty until such a time where we are no longer benefited,' Voltaire was smirking, Rei saw out of the corner of his eye, and the expression did not bode well coupled with this new knowledge.
'The Alliance will crush the Commonwealth and we will rid the world of its idiot governments and replace them with people who are better equipped for such positions of power,' The ambassador's hand strayed downwards then, gliding over his hair and then down to the small of his back and down again. Rei bit his lip to stop himself from snapping something vulgar, and instead placed his forehead against the older man's shoulder, acting as if the touch was soothing, when really tremors of disgust and, he refused to admit, fear ran across his whole figure.
'The Alliance will crush the Commonwealth and we will rid the world of its idiot governments and replace them with people who are better equipped for such positions of power,' he vaguely heard what Voltaire was saying, acknowledging the truth in the words dismissively. His eyes were on Rei, however, and the smooth curve of his golden back, the one mole that graced the elegant dip of it and the way it curved down to his ass. Tala smirked, but the expression quickly evened out as the Scandinavian ambassador's hand strayed from where it had been playing with the frizz of Rei's hair and down his silky back to the curve of his backside. Tala bit his lip, glancing at Kai's expression. He looked as emotionless as ever, but Tala could tell from the tightening of Kai's mouth and the crushing grip on his glass, that he was pissed. Obviously Voltaire could tell also, because he shot Kai an almost questioning glance. Tala glanced back to Rei in time to see him lowering his forehead to the ambassador's shoulder. The curve this instigated in his whole figure illustrated the way he trembled and Tala knew it wasn't from any pleasurable emotion. A white hot flash of anger filtered through him at Rei's terror and disgust, but he was soon distracted by the shatter of glass. Glancing over, Tala saw Kai glaring at his hand, which was bloody and covered in the remains of his drink. The glass had finally shattered under Kai's fist.
Voltaire, keenly astute to his grandson's emotions, even if he couldn't pin point exactly why, clicked at Rei.
'You! Go get a towel and some antiseptic and then tend to my grandson's hand,' Rei nodded, pulling himself from the ambassador hastily and moving out of the booth quickly. Kai seemed to calm finally, as Rei moved away from lecherous hands and he relaxed slightly into the cushions. Kai glanced up after a moment and the two of them made eye contact, ignoring the older men as they started signing contracts and paperwork. Tala quickly read his friends eyes, knowing how furious he was. Tala could practically see Kai's hand itching to snatch up his mobile and call the best assassin he knew to dispose of the perverted ambassador. But they needed him until after he signed the agreements.
Five minutes later, Rei returned with tweezers, bandages, antiseptic cream and a damp cloth. He kneeled down in front of Kai avoiding eye contact. Tala resisted the urge to growl as the ambassadors eyes strayed to Rei's kneeling backside. Glancing up, Kai made eye contact again, the glimmer of anger in his eyes starting afresh. He nodded towards the exit and Tala stood and passed between the couches, pulling his cell phone from his pocket as he went and pulling up the speed dial for one of his more dangerous friends.
Taking up the damp cloth, Rei began washing the wounds, sure to wash outwards to stop brushing anything into the open flesh. Kai was impressed with the self control Rei was exhibiting. He'd obviously gotten a stronger grip on his temper since the world championships, because Kai was sure the Rei of old would have launched Drigger at his throat by now. The sting of the cream almost startled Kai, as Rei smoothed it over his skin with a small cotton bud. Then he bandaged Kai's hand, before swiftly sweeping the glass shards from the couch into the damp cloth and exiting the booth. Voltaire and the Ambassador were shaking hands now and then the younger of the two left. Kai shared a smirk with his grandfather, before pulling out his mobile and typing rapidly before sending the message to two different numbers. Passing through the exit after his grandfather, Kai stopped next to Tala, who was waiting.
'The contracts are signed. We're clear to dispose of him now,' Kai murmured, careful that no one but Tala heard. The blue-eyed Russian smiled, flipping his phone open to place another call, but not before nodding to the left of him, around the corner. Kai smirked in thanks, and then followed the direction the redhead indicated. Rei was there, gathering up his and Tala's coats and quietly muttering to himself. Kai edged a little closer, hoping to catch what he was saying.
'Did you guys get all that?' Rei was asking, keeping his voice down low. Kai smirked, realizing he had a microphone on him. He must have received an answer because he nodded, and took down Voltaire's coat.
'Good. I'm going to finish up here and then head back. Could you-' he stopped talking for a moment and then winced, clutching at his left ear.
'What's going on Chief?' Rei whispered furiously. He paused another moment, then cursed.
'Where the fuck are they?' Kai smirked, knowing it was his time to move. He slid a hand around Rei's waist caressing the front of his shirt and pulling the smaller boy flush against him. Rei grunted, struggling against his arms, bringing his arm up to elbow Kai in the face. Kai caught the appendage, bringing his mouth down to Rei's ear.
'Now, now, you want to know where Kinamoya and Tate are, don't you?' Rei stilled and stiffened further.
'Where are they?' he hissed and Kai smirked, straightening and pulling Rei's waist with him so that he was on his tip toes. Rei spun around so that Kai's arms now rested at the small of his back. 'Where are they?' he hissed again, and Kai smiled, delighted at the way Rei's eyes were absolutely on fire with fury and his whole body was taut with anger. Kai advanced until Rei's upper back was pushed into the railing that separated the upper level from downstairs. Spinning the Neko-jin around, he scanned the crowd, spotting Kinamoya towards the front, talking with the DJ and Tate at the back with a male bartender. Kai pointed at the two of them, and watched as Rei's eye followed the direction of his arm and pinpointed his team mates. Kai allowed him a moment to assure that the two were uninjured as he was sure to be doing before pinpointing a shock of lilac and another of blonde. He pointed at the blonde one advancing on Kinamoya and then at the lilac one moving in on Tate. Rei gasped.
'Bryan and Spencer are moving in on them like cats on mice. Now I know you could probably flip me over this railing and then make a run for it, but do you think those two could do the same with Bryan and Spencer. They're both big guys and Kinamoya and Tate are still only kids really. Do they even have their beyblades on them, I wonder?' Rei let out a little distressed noise and being so close to the younger boys face, Kai could hear Kenny frantically asking questions through the speaker, 'What's it going to be? We'll let them walk away if you stay put. The instant you make a run for it, however, Bryan and Spencer move in. Understand?' Rei nodded frantically and Kai felt it under his chin. Pulling the neko-jin to his side, Kai began to lead him to Tala.
'Wait,' Rei cried 'They won't leave. Not without me. Let me talk to them,'
'Affirmative Rei. It's all on file. I send it to Mr. Dickenson a.s.a.p,' He could hear Oliver and Lee sharing a high-five in the back ground, but Kenny knew they weren't out of the hot water just yet.
'Good. I'm going to finish up here and then head back. Could you-' the door flew open and Johnny and Robert appeared looking a little frantic.
'Have any of you seen Rei, Tyson and Max. We can't find them anywhere!' Johnny yelled, looking around the room frantically
'I haven't seen them since before dinner,' Lee answered frowning.
'Tyson skipped a meal. Are you sure?' Oliver asked, looking slightly disbelieving.
'What's going on Chief?' Rei's voice asked. Robert and Johnny froze.
'Is that Rei over that speaker? Where is he?' Robert cried, storming into the room fully. Kenny ignored him for the moment and turned back to the computer.
'Tyson and Max are missing,' Kenny answered Rei first, waiting for the explosion.
'Where the fuck are they?' Everyone winced. Rei rarely cussed. Preparing himself for a rant, Kenny waited. But Rei was silent, until he grunted slightly and they could hear a slight scuffle. And then the unmistakably smooth voice of Kai Hiwatari.
'Now, now, you want to know where Kinamoya and Tate are, don't you?' All eyes in the room widened in horror.
'Asshole!' Johnny yelled, kicking at one of the computer desks.
'Where are they?' they heard Rei hiss and than another shift and struggle, 'Where are they?' Waiting tensely for a moment, they could hear footsteps and then Rei gasped almost silently. A few more tense moments of silence and then Rei gasped again, this time louder and considerably louder.
'What the fuck is going on?' Johnny kicked at another chair, but Robert lay a calming hand on the shorter mans arm.
'Bryan and Spencer are moving in on them like cats on mice. Now I know you could probably flip me over this railing and then make a run for it, but do you think those two could do the same with Bryan and Spencer. They're both big guys and Kinamoya and Tate are still only kids really. Do they even have there beyblades on them, I wonder?' Rei whimpered, sounding distressed, 'What's it going to be? We'll let them walk away if you stay put. The instant you make a run for it, however, Bryan and Spencer move in. Understand?'
'Shit,' Lee muttered, listening intently for Rei's answer. There was silence again and then footsteps.
'Wait,' Rei cried 'They won't leave. Not without me. Let me talk to them,'
'And why would I let you do that. You could try something,' Hiwatari growled, and there was more cursing of his name around the room.
'Please. I'll get them to leave. Just let me talk to them,' Rei sounded almost teary and after a tense silence Hiwatari answered.
'Fine,' they could hear Rei pushing away and running, the bing of an elevator and then Rei's heavy panicked breathing.
'Rei! Rei get out of there. Try and take Max or Tyson with you, but get out of there!' Robert ordered, snatching the microphone from Kenny.
'He won't listen to you,' Kenny sighed, putting his head in his hands.
'Dammit Rei!' Robert slammed a fist on the desk and breathed in deeply, 'Send someone in. I want people waiting on the outside for when those three get out. They'll have to take Rei out of the building at some point. We'll move in on Hiwatari then. Make sure Max and Tyson are out of the way first though,' Johnny, Oliver and Lee nodded, heading out of the room to gather the bladers.
Kenny sighed, 'There's no way you're going to get Rei away from those assholes. Now they've finally got him, there's no chance in hell they're letting go,'
'I'm not going to let him slip through my fingers. We're going to try,' Robert insisted moving from the room swiftly. (1)
'Tate, Kinamoya!' The two of them whipped around and Rei sauntered over, keeping the fake smirk on his face, 'It's time for you two to scurry on home,' Max frowned slightly, cocking his head to the side. Tyson opened his mouth, ready fire back already. Rei inwardly smiled fondly at his team mate's predictability.
'I've decided that I'm sick of hiding out like sewer trash. You can go run back to the other rats and I'll go back to getting the better pickings,' Rei sneered at the two of them, mentally applauding his acting, somewhat remorsefully.
'Wha-what are you talking about Rei?' Max's eyes were doing that cute little widening thing and Rei felt like hugging him, but he squashed the urge, lest it show on his face.
'I'm saying that I want in on Biovolt. And Kai's just offered me the most enticing offer,' Rei could see the suspicion in Tyson's eyes. He above all others knew how much Rei hated Kai Hiwatari. Mentally, he began thinking up another plan.
A presence suddenly appeared at his shoulder and Rei turned slightly to see who it was. Bryan stood there, a good head taller than Rei and looking as empty as ever. Rei sighed, knowing he needed to shock Max and Tyson into running. Spinning on his heel, he threw his arms around Bryan's neck, pulling him down so Rei had a chance of reaching his lips. Plastering his own lips over the older boys, he sighed mentally. This whole spontaneous kissing thing was getting really frustrating. Bryan appeared to catch on immediately though, because he wrapped an arm around Rei's waist and pulled him up a bit, making it a little easier for their lips to stay in contact. He listened carefully for the other two and was grimly satisfied when he heard twin gasps and then the sound of the two shoving there way through the crowd. Rei tore away, watching them leave the club with a heavy heart.
'Was that really necessary?' Rei shuddered as hands wound around his waist and Kai's voice purred into his ear.
'Just take me away,' Rei muttered, wishing he were anywhere but there.
A/N: Wow, it's been three months...But I think I more than make up for my absence with this chapter. It's a lot longer than usual. As you can most plainly see. Well I'm sure a lot of you are going to be happy to see that Rei is finally in Kai's clutches...What does everyone think of Kai by the way? Evil, Good?...or inbetween? And what's with Tala's little mean streak? And Bryan and Rei's kiss? You'll just have to review to encourage me to tell you. Reviews equals brain food equals update
And did anyone else feel sorry for the poor chueffer Kai kept snarling at?
