They look a lot better and cuter in zeh movie! Oh yeah, zis stowwie takes place a year after zeh World Championships - an' even though they're in their movie form... that doesn't mean I'm gonna write about little tidbits of zeh movie plot. ^^; Ye'll hafta find zat out fer yerself - an' I already know. Although I do believe zat t'would take quite a while fer zeh movie to get 'ere - but whatever, a friend o' mine gave me a pretty reliable source fer buyin' Bakuten Shoot 2002. Whee! XD
Hehehe, 'ere's zeh ficcie - enjoy! Whee! Oh wait! Ye'll 'ear zeh phrase "just a toy" quite a lot in zis stowwie - so iff'n gets annoyin'... tell me, a'ight? 'nyways... 'ere's zeh stowwie - enjoy! Whee! I feel like an ol' broken record... --'
Disclaimer: The characters, items, etc. of Beyblade are not mine. These things were used without permission, but…I'm just borrowing them for a little while for my own twisted and demented purposes. So don't you dare sue me, just sue my evil twin. oO' I made this fic for entertainment only, and not for making money.
Blurred
By Shinzui
The rain pounded on the streets like needles, falling rapidly from the darkened sky. Cold harsh wind blew across the buildings, sending them cascading into each other - as if the spirits were talking about some unknown secret. Since the flaming mortal orange orb was now slowly sinking on the western horizon - everlasting darkness began to take over the land. Almost everybody was heading towards their home... except for a teenager lying down on the ground in the middle of a dark alley.
The teenager's face was scraped and bleeding by the deep cuts ripping across his face. His right shoulder was bleeding from the nasty gash on it, and his usual red bandana was gone... lying down a few ways away from him. Dyed in crimson, the spot on where he was settled was stained with his blood. As the chilling rain continued to fall, the blood on the concrete was slowly being washed away. He looked pale. His complexion was as white as a ghost. He was unconscious; no sounds... no life. As if he was dead.
"...Ungh..."
His eyes twitched before he opened them ever so slightly - yet one could still see the confusion and sadness in those faded amber orbs. His vision was blurry for a while then it started to get clearer, although he had to close his eyes again due to the fact that it was raining. His silky raven was loose, but it didn't seem to matter. He shifted his weight and was about to roll over when he felt the pain that rushed through him. He winced and he cried out silently, trying to curl up into a small ball but was stopped immediately by his brain - telling him that it would only give him more pain.
I'm just a toy... for them... for everybody...
A wistful sigh escaped the young teenager's lips, his salted tears mixing in with the droplets of rain and his own blood. The memories of today's events were still fresh, always there in the black-haired boy's mind - lingering and haunting, and it taunted the boy endlessly. Oh, how he wished that he could forget... that he could walk away as if nothing ever happened. But no, he could never forget... he could never forget what happened to him just a while back... his mind would never let him forget.
His futile screams for help, his moans of pain and agony... they were still bugging him, repeating that horrid scene that he wanted so much to consign to oblivion. Tears continued to make their way down the boy's face, and then he struggled to get up. He flinched, but he kept on going... trying his best to ignore his own pain. He was able to stand up, but he suddenly fell down on his knees... breathing shallowly. He leaned against the brick wall, taking in deep shallow gasps.
Why? Why me? What have I done to deserve all of this?
He guessed that he was like this because his whole body was exhausted from the torture it underwent. The rain took its toll on him and he was cold from the weather. He could already feel the loss of blood from his body, although it wasn't that bad - the thing that bothered him was the fact that he could feel no pain. Just the thoughts of the past - his memories were enough to make him feel numb, cold and bland. Although these memories weren't making him feel any better... He knew that nobody could - would help him, nobody will be able to make the large scar embedded on his mind fade away. But maybe...
What am I thinking? He would never help someone like me...
Sighing, his thoughts wandered over to a certain slate blue-haired boy - well-built frame, pale skin with a pair of twin blue triangles on his cheeks... And his eyes, oh his eyes... those deep orbs of mahogany are just like bottomless pools. What... where? The raven-haired teen cursed softly under his breath, his mind just had to think about him! Grr... yelling at himself inwardly, he swore not to let his thoughts drift over to that hot and sexy boy...
Damn it, Rei! Stop thinking about him! You're a fucking nobody and you know to well that he doesn't want to hang out with the likes of you!
Oh well, what else was there to do? Other than thinking about him... Sigh. Surely he could go back to the hotel and tell his friends what happened to him, so they could help... but no, that was too much to ask for. He figured that Tyson and the others would be disgusted to see him in this state - used, dirty and broken. He grimaced at the thought of his friends with a look of disapproval on their faces, making him shiver in fear. He wondered what they're doing right now... Are they actually worried that he hasn't come back and are now looking for him? Or are they sitting on the couch, having a laissez faire attitude? He sighed yet again, thinking that they're probably doing the latter...
Who cares about me anyways? Certainly not Tyson... nor Kenny and Max... especially not him. He never cared for anything else other than Dranzer, his reputation and his team... or does he care? Tch, it probably wouldn't be me... I'm fucked up, screwed... a bloody freak... a useless toy...
The White Tiger clutched his heart, feeling it's pain - but he didn't cry, he has no more tears to cry. He closed his eyes and murmured something inaudible, silently hoping for sleep to take over. Suddenly, his hand fell to the ground like a rag doll, and then his head lowered slightly. Fortunately, he was still alive... he just passed out. He lied there, waiting for death to strike.
Just a few blocks away from the alley, a lone figure walked under the rain, grumbling and mumbling to himself. He shoved his hands in his pockets while his auburn-colored eyes stared straight ahead. He was currently looking around for his lost comrade, and he really wasn't in a mood to do so. He woke up at the wrong side of the bed, Tyson's whining about a search party got the best of him, and worse of all - he was out here in the cold weather, looking for a raven-haired teenager.
Why do I even bother? Sure, Rei is my friend and all... but he's perfectly capable of going back to the hotel! Hmm... I should probably stop listening to Tyson for a while... Gah, all this thinking is getting me nowhere...
He sighed heavily and he continued on with his little 'journey'. Subconsciously, his mind started to show some images of Rei. The White Tiger's laugh, his smile... his silky raven hair - how Kai wished he could run his fingers along those smooth strands. And then, there's his pair of lovely amber gems - they always seem to glint with the tiger's power, vigor and intensity. Wait, he thought to himself. Why am I thinking about him this way?
I'm not a freak... I'm just worried about Rei... yes, that's right. I'm just worried...
He got lost in his thoughts, agreeing and disagreeing with some of the facts. His footsteps soon took him to a waiting shed and he sat down on the bench. The White Tiger was nowhere to be found... and worry started to build up inside him. No, maybe Tyson and the others found him and they were all waiting for their leader to come back. He smiled, picturing his team drinking hot chocolates with Tyson stuffing himself with cookies. He shook his head as he laughed softly, and then he saw something red across the street.
He stood up, fear overwhelming him. It was a bandana - Rei's bandana. He looked from left to right before he quickly crossed the street. He kneeled down beside the bandana, picking it up. What was Rei's bandana doing here? What if... He shook his head violently, and then he finally saw a trail of blood beside him. His eyes slowly followed the trail, dreading what he might find. His eyes widened in surprise and a small gasp escaped his lips, murmuring the unconscious figure's name. "Rei..."
He rushed towards his fallen comrade's side, lifting the White Tiger up slightly. He reached other to grasp Rei's hand, shaking him gingerly... urging him to wake up. "Rei! Open your eyes! Please don't be dead..." He added the last part in a whisper, hoping that his friend was still alive.
"...Ungh... K-K-Kai?" The White Tiger stirred in the Red Phoenix's arms, opening his eyes. His amber orbs - Kai noted - were dull... no longer the lively golden color they used to be. He shivered and was about to pass out, but he fought to stay awake. "W-what... a... re... y-you... doing h... ere?"
Kai smiled warmly, sighing in relief. "Baka, I'm here to help you."
"H... elp me? Naze? Am I... in... t-trou..." Rei wasn't able to finish his sentence as he slipped out of reality, letting the darkness conquer him once again.
"Rei? Rei?!" The Red Phoenix cursed at his bad luck before he carried the White Tiger in his arms. When the other boy's weight was evenly distributed, he took off and headed straight for the hospital. "Pleas hang on, Rei... for everybody's sake..." He whispered.
. . . . . . . . .
The night had been young when the Red Phoenix brought the White Tiger to the hospital. The raven-haired boy was a dead weight in his arms, still and only garbed with his torn and bloody clothes. The people around stared as he carried his friend all the way to the emergency room with a questioning look on their faces.
Kai wanted Rei checked in, no questions asked. He didn't care how much he'd have to pay. He wanted Rei to have the very best medical treatment - considering the fact that his fallen comrade was a vital member of the BladeBreakers. He had to reassure himself over and over again that he was doing this because Rei is his friend, not someone he likes.
Inserting his hands into his pockets, the Red Phoenix stared out the window, observing the rainy night sky, then the various neon signs and bright lights of the city of Tokyo. Turning his gaze away from the cityscape outside the window of the top floor suite, Kai's burgundy eyes settled on the motionless boy on the hospital bed. Aside from the oxygen mask, Rei's pale face was still a vision of serenity. A long tube joined his arm to an intraveinus bottle that hung above the bed.
The doctors had said that due to Rei's condition, he needed to be brought to the intensive care unit. Kai had said that it wasn't necessary, however. The White Tiger's spirit and determination were sufficient enough to help him survive. Hopefully.
The moment the White Tiger had lost consciousness at the alley, the Red Phoenix had lost the smile on his face as well. He had thought his heart would stop beating all together. When Rei was in the emergency room, a nurse came to reassure Kai and asked him if he was worried about the White Tiger; he replied that he was. But now... he was also scared. On the surface, he was his usual calm, cool and composed self. Truthfully, however, anxiety was overflowing deep within him. He felt extremely helpless and vulnerable; all he could do was gaze at his friend's sleeping form.
His expression was dark and he wore a subtle frown. He grabbed a nearby chair and moved towards Rei's side. He sat down and listened quietly to the White Tiger's erratic breathing. He watched as the other boy's chest go up and down, and then he involuntarily leaned forward - closer. He didn't know why, but he felt as if he was in a trance - like he was being pulled closer by some unknown force. His lips were inches apart from Rei's face and was about to kiss his forehead when the Red Phoenix stopped himself.
What am I doing?
A soft knock was heard and soon enough, his whole team was inside. He turned his head around and came face to face with a worried Tyson. Kai blinked stupidly, sweatdropping as he fell off his chair. "Tyson! Don't do that!" He said, keeping his voice down.
"Whoops, sorry. Didn't mean to..." The Blue Dragon bowed apologetically, grinning as usual.
The Red Phoenix gave him an odd look before shrugging. "Doesn't matter..." He then returned his gaze back to the White Tiger, sighing sadly. This was the first time he actually noticed how badly injured his friend was - white bandages stained with crimson blood were seen on almost every part of Rei's body. "Makes you wonder what Rei got himself into, right?" He asked quietly.
"Oh god... did Rei get into a fight or something?" Max asked, his azure blue eyes shining with concern.
"I don't know, Max. The doctors told me that Rei got attacked..." Kai paused for a moment. "Yet, something tells me that they only told me half of the story."
"Any ideas on what the other half is?" Tyson asked, and Kai just shook his head 'no'. "Thought so..."
"It's quite lucky that this happened while we're on vacation..." Dizzi said.
The Chief looked at his laptop before asking, "What are you talking about? This is NOT what I call lucky!"
"Take it easy, Kenny... I said that because... can you imagine what Rei would do to himself if this ever happened to him before or during a tournament?" Dizzi asked, making the whole team fall silent.
The Red Phoenix spoke first, "He would blame himself..."
"He would put himself down..." The Tortoise added, sighing.
"He would yell at himself for letting us down, he would tell himself over and over again that he's a failure and..." The Blue Dragon trailed off. "The possibilities are endless..."
"My point exactly," said Dizzi.
The whole team fell silent yet again, and all of them were either staring at the floor, at the ceiling - anywhere, but at Rei. They just can't bare the fact that their friend was like this, that he was suffering. They just can't stand it.
Finally, after a moment of silence, the Blue Dragon spoke up. "We should probably head back, you guys..."
"Yeah, sure."
"Okay."
Tyson glanced at Kai, "Are you staying here?"
The Red Phoenix nodded, his gaze finding it's way back to the White Tiger. "Yeah..."
"...'Kay, dude." Tyson watched him for a few moments, then turned to go - with Max and Kenny tailing behind him.
The Red Phoenix watched the White Tiger; the few seconds he sat there after his team left felt like hours to him. Then suddenly, he felt tears well up in his eyes but he immediately brushed them away. He didn't really know why, but... he just wanted to cry right now.
No! I'm not going to... not now, not ever.
He sighed heavily, and then he bowed his head. He ran his fingers over the White Tiger's pale cheek delicately, as if his hands were feathery light. He picked up Rei's limp fingers, sliding his fingers through the space in between. "Hang on, Rei..."
"Sir?" Kai turned away from the oblivious boy on the bed and looked at the source of the voice. A nurse was eyeing him with a concerned expression. "I'm sorry, but I have to ask you to leave. I know that you want to stay a bit longer and--"
The Red Phoenix cut her off, "It's fine. Don't worry - I'll just come back tomorrow." He stood up and took one last look at the White Tiger's face before he walked towards the door and went outside the hospital. He sighed yet again, and then he was greeted by the Blue Dragon's concerned face. "I got kicked out..." He answered solemnly.
"Oh. Well... we could all visit him again tomorrow, right?" The Blue Dragon said in a soft voice, smiling faintly to at least reassure his team captain.
"I know. Hey Tyson? What are you still doing here?"
"Well... I just wanted to wait for you, that's all. Besides, we ordered pizza for dinner!"
Kai smiled weakly in reply. "Arigatou, Tyson. But... I'm not really hungry."
Tyson's smile faded slightly. "I see," He forced a bright smile. "Well then, I guess I'll eat it all up myself! Ahahahaha---ahem..." Now he looked terribly uncomfortable. He didn't know what to say to the Red Phoenix. Kai looked extremely sober, and it seemed that nothing could cheer him up. He decided to change the topic. He was about to speak when Kai beat him to it.
"It's all right," Kai stated. He turned his attention back towards the road. "Let's just go."
Tyson knew it was useless. With his shoulder slumped, he proceeded to follow Kai back to the hotel.
Shinzui's Rolling Rant: Phew! I'm done! Well? What do you think? Is it another fic that's worth continuing? Or should I just shut up and continue working on "Nothing More Than A Puppet"? Or should I just stop writing all together? -sighs heavily- Tell me what you think, kay? Ja!