Bleached Emotions

Chapter III: Past Words

Kai was at a loss for words. Kasumi was beautiful. Her paleish-tan skin. Her icy blue eyes. Her red, yet slightly chapped lips. Her black hair with its sapphire highlighting that reached her upper back. She leaned heavily on the door, but managed to stay upright as she looked up at Kai. Had she always been this small?

Kai remembered meeting the Original back at the Abbey before everything started. Granted, they were both younger back then, but had the Original always been this much smaller than he? Plus, he thought the Original was a boy…

Wait.

That's why…! Why they were never allowed to visit the Original after hours! The only reason he'd met the Original was because he had snuck out and caught the Original practicing with his beyblade. And they'd both been caught; Kai was punished, and the Original was led away. His fate, Kai knew not at the time. Later that week, he saw the Original again at a meal and saw a newly formed bruise under his jaw.

If this Kasumi was the Original, then what happened?

Thinking back to what Mr Adams said, the Original vanished with her father after a while… Kai couldn't remember quite when, but he did remember sneaking out and not finding the Original where he usually was practicing. Nothing seemed different; the Original was probably sleeping.

Then Kai forgot about the Original as his life became more hectic.

Kasumi nearly toppling over called Kai's attention to the present. She placed a hand against Kai's arm for support, steadied herself and then her hand fell away. Her hand had been cold against Kai's skin, yet warmth remained there.

"How may I help you?" Kasumi repeated, looking up at Kai with slightly clearer eyes.

"What do you know about this?" Kai asked after a moment of trying to remember what the hell he'd barged in here for. "This war between BIOVOLT and Inali-Darrier?"

Kasumi's eyes flickered to the wall behind Kai, then back to his face. She seemed to be judging what to tell him. "It's been inevitable since my father left the company," she answered after a long silence.

"And what about you?" Kai asked.

Kasumi raised an eyebrow, and Kai pushed his way into the room. Once he was inside, he sat down on the bench and stared at Kasumi. The girl bit her lower lip in confusion. Then, she wavered a bit and her teammates rushed to her side.

"We told you not to move!" the other girl whispered to her in a furious voice. "Not in your condition!"

On her other side, a boy held her upper arm and whispered in her ear. Kasumi's eyes went wide and she slouched in the grip her friends' had on her upper arms.

That's when Kai realized what Kasumi was wearing. Something had seemed off since she opened the door, but NOW he put his finger on it. She was wearing a bandage over her sports bra and pants on her legs. Her cloak, boots, shirt and hood were all gone off her person. However, what was a bit more concerning were the henna-like designs across her face, arms and torso. Were they scars? Or symbols of some kind?

"Stop staring," the girl teammate said as they walked Kasumi over to a couch and sat her down. "It's unbecoming of you."

"Who are you?" Kai asked to the vicinity of people. None of them – other than Kasumi – had taken their hoods off.

"I'm Esen," the girl said, removing her hood and revealing a beautiful head of golden blonde hair to her shoulders and turquoise eyes that swelled like the sea.

"Aiden," the boy who still tended to Kasumi said, nodding at Kai and returning to his duty. He didn't remove his hood.

"Foul sport," a second boy said and removed his hood. "I'm Glyn and this is Erion." Glyn was sporting a head of wavy medium brown hair to his ears and had honey eyes. Erion's hair was closer to pale blonde that reached his upper neck. His eyes were a stark blue and stuck out against his tanner skin.

"What's wrong with her?" Kai asked, directing his question towards more to Aiden.

The group fell silent, listening to the labored breathing Kasumi was producing. She had closed her eyes and was shivering, beads of sweat forming across her brow and body. Esen covered the other girls' body in a blanket and tucked the ends around Kasumi's shoulders.

"She's psychic… in a way," Erion said after several long moments where Kai thought he would implode on waiting so long.

"Her father's research hit a dead end. To pull himself and his family out of poverty, Kasumi's father accepted a position at BIOVOLT Corporation as a scientist. There, he created a serum that only Kasumi could handle. After much debate, he created one that anyone could use. Then, he research was compromised and Dr Inali left the Corporation, taking the only successful experiment with him; his young daughter Kasumi." Aiden sighed and removed his fingers that were checking Kasumi's pulse. "The experiments Kasumi went through were because she wanted to carry on her father's wish. Some of the abilities she received as a result of those treatments were a psychic connection to those she considers close to family, an extremely high tolerance for pain, high endurance and toughness as well as enhanced cells that can regenerate."

"Aiden," Glyn hissed, but the older boy shot him a look that silenced him.

Aiden continued. "The Inali-Darrier Industries is a company that seeks to better the medical field with advancements in modern medical sciences. However, from what I understand, since Dr Inali left BIOVOLT, the two companies haven't been on good terms. It seems as though BIOVOLT attacked IDI while their best 'bladers were away." Aiden clicked his tongue and scowled, looking back to Kasumi.

Kasumi's breathing had lengthened and she appeared to be sleeping. Then, without warning, her eyes shot open and she began to struggle against Aiden, Erion and Esen's grips on her shoulders and knees. Her eyes were glazed over with tears and she looked like she was going to scream, but a sound never left her mouth.

Through her struggles, Kai heard her mutter a word over and over again. Father.

"He's fine," Esen soothed and Kasumi began to calm down again. "You're father's going to be alright."

"You sure?" Kasumi asked, tears welling in her icy blue eyes.

Esen smiled, though Kai could see the sadness that she was hiding behind that smile. "Yeah. He's fine."

Kasumi shuddered and fell to the couch cushions, falling back into the depths of sleep.

"Well, Mr Hiwatari. I think you have your answers," Esen said.

"I'm not leaving," Kai muttered, staying in his seat. He wanted to know of Kasumi remembered him. And, if so, why she didn't say anything!