The Trials Of Love And Life

I do not own Beyblade of any of it’s characters. Any side character belongs solely to me and will not be touched or used by another.

Summary: Review to chapter 1.

Writing Style: Review to chapter1.

A/N: It’s Friday people ... you know what that means ... UPDATE! Could you tell I was in a down mood during the last chapter?


**~**~**~**~**~**


Chapter 17.


*~*~*(Memory)*~*~*

“I want you to stay here, Kai.”

“But I can – ”

“No ‘buts’.”

“I’m part of this team.”

He was shoved back into the thick leather chair, a long swish of deep blue hair and silver bangs disappearing into the bathroom and returning again. Crimson locked with crimson as Kai stared into the serious gaze of his older sister. He tired to make his eyes enlarge and look sad and puppyish, but it didn’t work. She merely snuffed him off and went her way around their shared suit. The rest of the team had already assembled and was waiting for her.

“Why?” he finally asked after a long silence.

“Because you’re the target.”

“What? But ... Mavra – ”

“I said no ‘buts’, Kai,” Mavra warned.

“If I’m the target couldn’t I be used as a lure,” said Kai in a fierce voice.

“Yea, and get yourself killed,” Mavra said sarcastically. “I don’t think so.”

“You’ve always been there for me sister,” Kai whispered, staring at his hands. “For once ... I want to be their for you.”

She knelt before him, arms encircling him, and hugged him close. He returned her embrace, closing his clear red eyes. Her loving face shone at him when they parted, eyes locked together. His young face didn’t bear the memories of loss yet. His crimson eyes were not tainted with the grey streaks of his partial blindness.

“Stay here,” she whispered. “We’ll be back soon. Stay, and don’t leave for anything.”

“But – ”

She gave him a warning look about his ‘but’ word.

“What about what I said?”

“You’ll get your chance, Kai,” sighed Mavra, checking her sniper rifles cartridge before hooking it to her belt. “You think you haven’t been their for me but in all honesty, you have.”

He looked at her, confused.

“You’re the reason I’m still alive today, Kai,” Mavra said, turning to smile at him. “You’re my will, my spirit. In you, I see not the past, but what will become our future.”

“Mavra ... ”

“Stay here, Kai.”

He nodded.

The suit door opened and clicked shut, his sisters long white scarf flapping through the door as she left. With a heavy sigh, he fell back onto the bed, crimson eyes closing tiredly. He rolled onto his side, smiling softly, and began to doze.

*~*~*

“How many?”

“Four. It’s probably a trap.”

“Pathetic.”

“How should we attack?”

“The way we usually do in situations like this. Shinn, I want you and Sergei on the left side. Make sure to stay quiet. Garland, take Mystel and Aubrey with you to the right. Brooklyn, you’re with me. Let’s do this quick guys. In and out ... don’t get killed.”

“Don’t worry boss,” Garland said, draping his arm over Mystel’s shoulder (to a disgruntled Mystel’s disapproval). “I’ll keep my boys safe.”

Mavra gave her teammate a wary look.

“We’ll scale, make sure no ones gets in or out,” Shinn said, Sergei nodding behind him.

“Good. Let’s go ... ”

They retreated from one another, linking through the darkness. Mavra’s white scarf was the only thing noticeable in the darkness as it bobbed along behind her. Brooklyn reached the warehouse service entrance first. He slid up against the wall, peering one eyes around the side of the doorway into the darkness.

“Clear,” he whispered.

Mavra slid up beside him, peering around his tall body to look inside.

“Good. Let’s move.”

They slunk through the opening, moving across the receptionists desk and out into the darkness of the open factory beyond. It was nothing but shadows and darkness within, the electricity having been cut off years ago when the place had shut down. Mavra’s eyes dilated to the darkness, her peripheral vision becoming greater than that of any normal human being.

Brooklyn stood close to her side, squinting into the darkness. He knew she could see through the veil clouded his own eyes, and knew to stay very close to her side in case anything went wrong. She moved, brushing his arm with her hand for notification, and stopped in front of the metal staircase leading into the catwalks and back halls of the warehouses mechanics.

“Take a flare out,” whispered Mavra.

“Huh? Why?”

“Footsteps.”

Brooklyn looked up, listening carefully. He heard nothing, but knew there was something. He could sense it. It was making his hairs bristle and stand on end. With a shudder, he removed a flare from one of his belt hoops and held it out.

“Don’t light it until I say so,” whispered Mavra.

She advanced on the stairs, each one creaking quietly under her feet. The orange haired man slunk behind her, creeping up along in the shadows. They rounded the narrow breech and crossed onto the back catwalk, toeing across the metal hanger and over tot he next level bend.

Mavra slid along the wall, sidling over to the hallway and looked around the corner. Shadows moved beyond, the light of a lantern burning in the distance. She signaled to Brooklyn with her hands. He saw through the haze of darkness, and sparked the flare, the blue luminescent light fizzling into light.

“Drop it,” Mavra whispered.

It fell to the floor with a clatter. Feet scraped across the ground, clanking loudly over metal and cement. A door below slammed open, and fire burst around them. It soared upward, sparking across wire plugs and pipeline up into the rafters.

Mavra cocked back the hammer on her sniper, a bullet clanking into place, and rolled across the ground. Bullets soared and cracked the walls, the fire spreading to the far reaches of the factories corners. Yells and calls were drown by it’s thundering roar, the flame moving up and up and up until it finally breached oxygen. It breathed with glory, becoming stronger and more powerful then ever.

*~*~*

RING RING ... RING RING ...

His eyebrow twitched, the annoying chirping of the bedside phone waking him slowly. Tiredly and sorely, Kai sat up in bed, a figure rolling beside him onto their side. He looked down at the mass of red hair beside him and smiled, brushing his fingers over warm flesh before reaching out and slamming his hand down on the phone.

He picked the receiver up, grumbling, and placed it to his ear.

“What?”

“Kai ... Kai, help me ... help me Kai, please ... the warehouse ... ”

He froze, dead panned, and listened to the pleading sound of his sisters voice over the other end. He tossed the sheets away from his body, pulled on his discarded boxers, and slammed the receiver down when he heard the sudden dial tone. On the bed he heard the redhead rousing with a heafty groan and turned to him.

“Kai?” he asked groggily.

“I need to go,” said Kai suddenly.

Blue eyes stared at him with confusion and hurt.

“You’re leaving?”

“Mavra ... something’s wrong ... just called,” Kai said, unable to make a proper sentence.

“Just now?”

“Yes, baby, just now,” Kai snapped, his annoyance flaring.

“I’m coming with you – ”

“No, I don’t want you to get hurt,” whispered Kai, sliding onto the bed and touching a pale cheek. “Stay here and wait for me.”

“Like hell I’m staying,” the redhead snapped. “Please, let me go with you.”

“Tala – ”

“No, I’m going,” Tala retorted.

Kai sighed. “Fine.”

He left the bed, Tala pulling the sheet around him and walking halfway across the room for his own boxers. They were dressed within minutes and racing down the stairs to Kai’s motorbike. He kick started the engine and wrapped his legs around the heavily vibrating machine. Tala slunk in behind him, wrapping his arms securely around the slate haired mans waist, and felt the familiar pull and rush of wind around him.

“You sure it was her?” Tala yelled over the roar of wind and engine.

“Positive,” Kai said.

Tala pressed his head into Kai’s shoulder. He’d never liked the insane rush of Kai’s motor skills. It was always so suicidal and fast. He pressed his head even harder into the mans shoulder when they took a sharp turn and exploded onto the highway, the engine roaring under them, the bike sailing across the sea of highway below.

‘Mavra ... I’m coming ... ’

*~*~*

“EVERYONE OUT. NOW,” ordered Mavra, the flame spiting and snarling at her angrily. “Where’s Mystel?”

Garland turned to her.

“He was behind me a minute ago,” he panted.

“Fuck. Garland, get the others out. Brooklyn, seal the fire as best you can. I need to find Mystel. Remember ... ”

“No one dies,” Garland said, saluting.

“Go,” Mavra ordered loudly.

She took the back way under the stairs, dodging a falling piece of wooden from and sliding along the narrow hallway. Heat licked her back, flames and oil spilt everywhere. Her face was hot, sweat dripping over her brow and down her neck. Licking her lips – which were uncannily dry – she sidled through the tight space and emerged into the stocking room.

“MYSTEL?”

No answer.

She shimmied over a stack of large crates, the flame now roaring through the crease to which she came through. It matched a loose piece of wood and sparked into the room, sreading like rapid fire. Glaring, she hoped from the box and swerved behind another, watching as the homicidal flame crackled passed.

“MYSTEL, WHERE ARE YOU?”

“M – Mav – ra,” came the croaking voice.

She ran to his voice, following her instincts, and rounded another large crate. There he lay, blood pooled around him, lying face down, one arm stretched above his head, the other lying limply beside him. Another man, his greying hair streaked red with his own blood, lay dead just behind Mystel’s twitching body.

“Hold still,” said Mavra, stepping over the body to her teammate.

“Fucker shot me,” he said, chuckling.

“Least you’re not dead,” warned Mavra.

“Where the others?”

“I told them to get out. Come on, let’s get you outside.”

“What about the mission?”

“Aborted.”

“But – ”

“No ‘buts’ dammit,” she sanpped.

Mystel gave her a quirky smile and allowed her to help him up. They moved along the furthest wall, Mystel hanging limply from her should, using what strength he had to push himself. The thick smoke now draped heavily above them, and was descending fast. Mavra unwound her white scarf and draped it over Mystel’s wheezing mouth. He gasped a sigh of relief and thanked her with his eyes.

*~*~*

Brooklyn watched as the flames rose higher and higher, reaching to the sky, spreading wide above the treetops. He stared into the flame, watching as it flickered dark and light and dark again.

“Come on,” he whispered.

An engine roared behind him and he turned. The others stared as Kai and Tala – whom they were inquiring worriedly – dismounted from the black motorcycle and walked swiftly towards Brooklyn. Kai stood shorter than the orange haired man, but his voice was strong and snappy as he addressed him.

“Where is she?” he snarled.

“Still inside. Garland lost sight of Mystel so she orders us out while she went and found him,” informed Brooklyn.

“And you didn’t go after her,” Kai growled.

“She gave us direct orders, Kai,” Brooklyn said daringly. “I am not about to break the captains orders.”

“Well I am,” he said, stalking toward the fire.

“Kai no ... ” it was Tala this time. “Please ... don’t go. It’s – it’s to dangerous.”

“I’m sorry, love,” Kai whispered, turning to the redhead. “I owe her this. I promise you ... I’ll be back.”

“I’ll wait,” whispered Tala, hugging himself. “Promise.”

“And I never break a promise.”

They stared at each other a while, Tala’s worried sad eyes boring into Kai’s strong stealthy crimson ones. Finally, with a brief nod and warm smile to his lover, and a simple cold nod to Brooklyn, Kai took of towards the flame at a dead run. They separated as he entered, and slammed back shut like a doorway leading him to death.

It was like an over heated furnace. Flames roared higher than the ceiling. Kai narrowed his already stinging eyes as the flames licked upwards. Footsteps treaded above him, clattering loudly over the metal ceiling. Panting, the slate haired Hiwatari ran for the fiery entrance and bounded up the stairs three at a time.

He rounded the corner into the back and down the corridor, sliding passed flames and overheated wall units. The clattering came within one of the many rooms above, and he waited, listening. Silently, like a predator, Kai leaned down ans unlatched his gun from his hip holster. He clicked off the safety and cocked back the heavy hammer, gun ready.

*~*~*

“Mavra ... ”

“Tala, what are you doing here?” the elder Hiwatari asked, staring confused at the sight of the redhead.

“Kai’s inside.” Mavra turned to Brooklyn. “He went in searching for you. I’m sorry.”

“Take Mystel – ” Garland grabbed the fainting blonde. “Why didn’t you stop him? Why is he even here?”

“You called,” Tala said.

“No, I didn’t.”

“But ... then ... ” Tala said, confused. “Who called tonight. Kai said it was you, and that you sounded scared and hurt.”

“Me, scared?”

Tala blushed.

“Do you want me to go look for him?” Brooklyn asked.

“No, he’s my brother, I’ll go,” Mavra said, staring at the flames. “Take care of Mystel, make sure he stays awake. If anything happens while I’m gone ... don’t come searching for us.”

Her voice was shallow and wispy, almost like she was speaking to herself. She wrapped her scarf back around her neck, throwing the two pieces of long white sash behind her and stared and the flames before her. She turned, smiling at the welcoming flames ... and marched toward them ... to her death.

*~*~*

Kai stared at the three before him. Two large, beefy looking guards and one, lanky little boy about twelve or thirteen. He aimed at the boy’s back – as it was turned to him – and slowly pulled the trigger back. It startled him ... when the boy turned. His insane gleaming eyes and twisted smirk made him jolt. He stepped back, confused, as the first bullet ricocheted off the wall.

Slipping, Kai turned, hands burning as he grabbed the door jam to stay afoot. The second bullet pierced his shoulder blade. He groaned, feeling the hot metal break his skin and implant itself heavily into his shoulder. Another round was shot off, and embedded itself into the back of his thigh. The third ... made him gasp.

The gun sounded, the hammer clicking back into place as the bullet soared. He felt his skin melting around the rounded metal, sliding deep into his neck, breaking through his spine, and stopping beside his wind pipe. Choking, Kai slammed into the next wall. Melted glass and metal exploded in his face, shooting into his eyes. Like hells pain, he was blind, eyes bleeding madly as bits of glass and metal scratched his corneas. He screamed, pure and unimaginable pain coursing through him.

Feet thundered passed him, a high-pitched, maniacal laugh echoing around him. He covered his face, hands squeezed against his eyes as blood seeped through his fingers. With a shuddering gasp, he slumped against the wall, trembling and rocking back and forth, praying for death ... for his sister.

*~*~*

Mavra clattered up the stairs just as another three bodies came down. One-handed, she fired of her rifle, the two larger bodies collapsing over the railings and falling into the fire. The third stopped, stumbling on the stairs, and slid into her chest. She grabbed the boy around the neck, lifting him from the ground, and slammed him against the wall. He screeched in pain, a scalding hot peg digging into his back.

“Where is he?”

“He’s dead.”

His words were breathy and weak, coming out in gasping pain.

“Don’t fuck with me, Parker. Now – WHERE’S MY FUCKING BROTHER.”

“I shot him. You’ll never save him. He’ll die in this factory.”

Mavra leaned forward, her tall lean form pulsing with rage and anger for the young boy she held. Her icy crimson orbs flashed dangerously, the beast within stirring rapidly. Michael glared back, yet his fear was showing. He leaned heavily into the scalding wall, fidgeting hopelessly.

“When I come out I’ll kill you,” she whispered.

She threw him down the stairs, caring not to see where he landed, and made her way through the fiery labyrinth.

Tracing her last route, Mavra turned the next corner into the old corridor beyond. She stopped, staring. Her brother, his arms covering his eyes, shoulders quaking as soft tears rolled down his cheeks, leaned back into a wall, blood running between his fingers. Narrowing her eyes, Mavra stalked forward, reaching him in little strides, and knelt before him.

“Come on,” she whispered.

She pulled him to his feet, his arms immediately wrapping around her waist. She held him close, like she had when they were younger, and stroked his hair softly. Her eyes softened, knowing he was scared. He was trembling against her, crying hard into her chest. Slowly, she tilted his head up, and looked into his eyes.

The blood was coming from his eyes, dripping over his eyelids and falling across his cheeks. She looked at them calmly, examining their worth. Noting the obvious, she pulled him close and pressed a warm, loving kiss to his forehead. He relaxed into her, arms relaxing around her waist, and sniffed back his tears.

She pulled her scarf from her neck and wrapped it around his lovingly. He stared at it through his dripping red fingers, watching as she tied it gently around him and pulled him close for another hug. Her lips were pressed against his forehead again, leaving him a lingering ... trembling kiss. She leaned backwards inches, her lips still touching his forehead, and whispered to him.

“Run, Kai,” she whispered.

He was falling backwards, eyes wide with fright. He hit the wall behind him, head cracking painfully on the cement. Stars burst behind his eyes, a haze falling across his bloody crimson pools. He looked up slowly, focusing on his older sister before him. She smiled down at him, the crack and clanging of metal growing louder and louder.

Suddenly, it was fire and sparks invading his eyes. Silver hair flicked and flowed around, blood splattering against his cheek. He wiped at it, looking down at his fingers. His eyes traveled across the ground, moving over hot spots and blood splatters. A tangle of silver and blue hair was what he saw, his sisters face looking pale and serene in the hot fire.

“M – Mavra – ” he stuttered.

She lay unmoving.

“No – Mavra – please, be okay,” he whispered through tears.

Her head lolled to the side, the factory roof shifting above them, the last of it becoming loose and weak in the flame. Reaching out, a young, twenty-year-old Kai held his older sisters dead hand in his own. He touched her knuckles to his cheek lovingly, kissing the back of them, and let out a shuddering breath.

“It’s all my fault,” he cried.

*~*~*(End Memory)*~*~*

“Bring that hose over here ... ” the fire captain yelled to his team.

“Johnson, you and Caleb take the left side. Amereta, you and Jacobi take the right,” he yelled, barking orders over the sirens, frantic yelling and crying. “Come on people let’s get moving.”

“Get that road blocked men, we don’t want anyone getting to close,” the chief of the RPD yelled. “This fire hasn’t been stabilized yet. Move it.”

“Alright men ... women, let’s get this rubble moved. There’s some people trapped under here ... ”


“Take care of the ones who got out. Make sure they are okay ... ”

“Let’s go men, help out as best you can. Push that boulder out of the way, see if we can find a passage inside this burning heap of metal.”

“How you feeling?”

Max looked up slowly, squinting through haze blue eyes at the lean figure of the femal paramedic before him. She was smiling down on him, a long strip of bandage in her right hand and a bottle of ointment in the other. Max stared at the ointment, remembering how Ray had cleaned a deep cut he had received when he and Tyson had decided to play some midnight football.

The memory brought tears to his eyes again.

“I’m fine,” he whispered.

“My partner’s going to be coming over to check up on you in a few minutes. If you need anything, I don’t want you to hesitate to ask me. Okay?” she said.

“Okay,” sighed Max.

She smiled at him, patting his shoulder a little to friendly, and walked away to the next ambulance. Turning his head to look where she had gone, Max was just able to make out Tyson’s feet within the ambulance, Claud sitting on the back bumper and staring out into the fire in a trance-like state. Tyson had passed out or fallen unconscious a short while after, having had the worst smoke inhalation. A couple of paramedics were working on him, one trying to ask a not-to-into-it Claud some questions about what and how it all started.

“Hey baby.”

Max looked up at the tall figure of his boyfriend. A blanket was wrapped around his muscled shoulders, face littered with black ash and pieces of cooled metal. He shuffled to the side, Miguel taking an unceremoniously seat beside him. Max rubbed at his arms, the cold chill of the air nipping at his exposed flesh.

Warmth encircled him, Miguel draping the blanket over his shoulders. He leaned into his lover, breathing in his smoky scent. He fisted his hands into the front of Miguel’s shirt, tears forming in his eyes again. It was too much to handle. He wanted his friend back. He just wanted to see him smiling shyly up at them.

“Remember when you walked up behind ray and scared him ... and you didn’t even mean too,” whispered Max, smiling.

“Yea, I do,” Miguel said, hearing his lovers soft spoken words and smiling. “I have never seen anyone jump so high off a couch in my life.”

“I’ve never seen you laugh so hard in my life,” Max said, laughing gently. “It was the funniest thing I had ever seen.”

“Yea, it was,” Miguel sighed.

“Memories ... only memories,” Max whispered, tears sliding across his cheeks again.

*~*~*

A piece of smouldering pipe fell, clanking loudly in the dusty, smoke filled crumble of building. Electrical circuitry fizzled and crackled, sparks flickering and shooting from the broken mesh of wire. The smog rose, swirling around aimlessly. It began to swirl faster, particles of dust and ash being disturbed as a heavy sheet of roof went clanging to the ground.

Black hair, tangled messily with blood, glass and thick shards of metal, went slinking through the rubble. It’s owner, his hands marred, shredded and scarred, moved twitchily and shakily through the sharp and deadly objects that lay and hung hazardously around.

He groaned, chest heaving with every breath he took. He reached out a trembling hand, feeling for something, and found it. His fingers pushed against another hand that lay unmoving and cold before him. He grunted, crawling forward on his belly, and laced his fingers painfully into the unresponsive ones before him.

“K – Kai?”

His voice was croaky and weak, cuts and bruises adorning his neck and cracking his voice. He coughed dryly, licking his cracked, swollen and bleeding lips. He blinked heavily, eyes red rimmed and dry. Sniffing loudly, and then sneezing because of the dust, the trembling neko slid even closer, wanting to see his Professor’s face.

“K – Kai?” he croaked again.

“Ray?”

His heart jumped.

“I – I thought – you were dead,” whimpered Ray weakly.

“I’m so glad – you’re – okay,” Kai whispered, eyes sliding shut and then open again.

(A/N: A little explicit gore here, so don’t read if it sickens you)

Ray finally got a good look at his Professor, and gasp _coughing once again). It was a horrid site to behold, and the ebony haired neko had to cover his mouth so as not to gag. Kai, thought smiling painfully at Ray, was probably in more pain than he was letting on. His right shoulder was crushed beneath a thick slab of spiked metal, each little sharp spike embedded deep into the slate haired mans arm and up across his neck and onto his forehead. His left leg, thought moving, was bent slightly adjacent, a thin, springy rod sticking up from the flesh.

But ... worst of all, was the older mans chest. Four long, hollow pipes, stuck straight up from within Kai’s chest, each one positioned perfectly to keep him in place, sticking straight through and coming out the other side to drip blood onto the next floor a few feet down. Skin lay splattered beneath, pieces of bone and flesh hanging limly from the through-and-through hollow pipes.

“Kai,” Ray whimpered, trembling. “Oh, God ... Kai, no.”

“You – okay?” asked Kai, each word coming out as a gasp.

“Fuck if I’m okay,” Ray yelled, tears spilling from his eyes. “Look – look at you.”

“I’m glad – you’re okay,” Kai whispered.

“Wait ... no, Kai, listen to me ... Kai, open you’re eyes,” Ray said, pleading loudly as his Professor’s eyes slid shut and didn’t reopen. “Come on, stay with me.”

“Little painful,” Kai grunted, smirking.

Ray let out a shuddering breath, crawling forward still, and touched one of the long pipes. His fingers ran along the hot metal, down to where it punctured Kai’s stomach. He pulled his hand away fast, like it had burned him, and held it to his chest. His heart raced, blood pounding in his ears. Shuffling awkwardly while trying not to bump his Professor, Ray sat up. He slid over to where the sheet of metal lay spiked into Kai’s forehead and shoulder.

“Tired,” Kai said.

“Don’t close your eyes,” warned Ray.

“Just for a minute,” hummed Kai.

“No, open your eyes. Professor, open your eyes,” Ray said, speaking loudly and clearly though to his throats disapproval.

“Don’t – call me – Professor,” Kai gasped/whispered.

“Then don’t close your eyes.”

“Michael?” Kai whispered, looking at Ray with drooping lids.

“What about him?” Ray asked quietly.

“Is he ...?”

“Dead ... no, I don’t think so,” Ray said, looking through the many pieces of shrapnel, wire and broken catwalks.

Kai groaned, closing his eyes. His fingers twitched in Ray’s hand and the neko smiled, glad his Professor was still able to move his arms. Means he’s not paralyzed from the neck down, Ray thought happily, yet his worry was growing. Blood was seeping non-stop down through the hole leading onto the main level below that Kai was laying on. His blood had already begun to pool below, and it looked to be nearing almost a pint.

“Can you move your toes?” Ray asked.

“Feel em’,” Kai whispered.

Ray nodded. So, not paralyzed at all.

“Kai, I’m going to be moving this slab of roofing from your should so you can move more freely,” Ray instructed. “I want you to do nothing but lie there.”

“Don’t have much choice,” Kai grumbled, wincing.

Ray slapped himself mentally for his stupidity and grabbed the slab with both hands. The sharp points dug into his hand as he heaved, pulling it away. Clanging and shuffling scapred across the thick backside, pipes, wires and rods falling away from the resting piece of shrapnel. Ray could hear the skin sucking and squelching as he lifted the heavy roofing from Kai’s body. He heaved, pushing it onto the ground with an enormous CRASH.

The pipes and wiring around shifted, groaning under the full weight of the roof that hadn’t been able to collapse on them. It creaked loudly, trembling under the strain, and finally stopped with a loud creaking.

Ray’s attention was pulled back to Kai when he heard a definite moan.

“What, did I hurt you?” Ray gasped frantically.

“Feels – better,” Kai whispered.

Ray smiled, brushing a sweaty, bloody, very dusty strand of silver bang from Kai’s cut and bleeding face.

“Ray ... ”

He looked at his cloudy-eyed Professor.

“Yea?” Ray asked timidly.

Kai smiled, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.

“Kiss me.”

Teary eyed and shuddering, Ray leaned down and pressed his lips shakily upon the man below. His hand ghosted across Kai’s chest and cupped the backside of the slate haired mans hand. His thumb brushed unconsciously over the dusty flesh, eyes sliding shut as Kai’s tongue swam across his lips. He opened up to him, the playful tongue wiggling inside and coaxing Ray’s own into a game of dominance.

Kai watched as Ray’s eyes closed, the tears dangling on the neko’s lashes falling onto Kai’s cheeks. He closed his own eyes, and tightened his hand around the ebony haired boys hand, his body trembling and groaning in fiery pain. Something above clanged, dust and soot falling ashen around them. Light sparked across the far drop of rubble, expanding as the heavy cement roof above was lifted away.

Ray looked up, his and Kai’s lips coming apart, as the roof was pulled aside, the pressure on the tubes embedded in his Professor’s chest relaxing. He heard Kai groan in agony and watched, with watery eyes, as faces of men appeared before him. They stared at Ray and Kai, before one finally spoke.

“It’s alright, we’ll get you out of here.”

“We’ve got two,” one of the firemen yelled out.

Smiling, Ray looked down at Kai.

“Were getting out ... ”

His words died, his eyes fixated upon the still, pale person below him. He clutched Kai’s hand, his heart pounding hard, lips and throat drying. He squeezed again, hoping to feel a squeeze back, but got no reassurance. Lips trembling, Ray felt the tears spill like rain from his eyes, Kai’s cloudy eyes closed and unresponsive.

“Kai ... please, no,” whispered Ray.

**~**~**~**~**~**

A/N: And ... BAM! Chapter complete. So, they didn’t die, but it seems as though Kai did. Hmm, did he ... or didn’t he? And ... now you know ... how Mavra Hiwatari came to die. Fucking Michael, eh. Don’t you just hate that damn American bastard (I like American’s people, so don’t think I’m prejudice or nothing).