Hunting in the Dark

Disclaimer: Once again, don\'t own Beyblade. Totally not canon. Wish it was though. ;__;

Chapter 3: Snared

Richter Scale was a club that had recently become the hottest place to be. The saying was that if you were young and hadn\'t been to Richter Scale...well, you just flat out sucked. The pulsating lights, smoky dance floor, hypnotising music and tantalizing smells all made it the perfect place to be on any night. This night was no exception; the club was full of people. Kai, of course, merely needed to slip 10000 yen to the bouncer to get himself in. He took up a perch at the bar, nursing a vodka and tonic while he observed the crowd of people. Tonight he wasn\'t looking for anyone special to feed on, but every time he looked at an attractive young man his gag reflex kicked in and caused him to turn back to his drink. Blood. He hated the taste of it so much, yet he needed it oh so badly to survive. Being a vampire was more a curse than a blessing, especially for someone like himself. He sighed loudly and mumbled, \"I think tomorrow I\'ll watch the sun rise...\"

\"Why do that, buddy? It\'s not like you can\'t watch the sun rise everyday.\" The bartender slid another vodka and tonic over to Kai and winked. \"This one\'s on the house, boss.\"

\"Thank you.\" Kai picked up the glass and looked at it thoughtfully. \'Little do you know, mortal. Only you can watch the sun rise.\' He turned once again to the dance floor and watched the moving bodies. Still not a single morsel of value. He almost resigned himself to the fact that he wouldn\'t get a last meal before he killed himself. Then, there he was: Long midnight-blue hair pulled back in a taut ponytail, chiseled muscles visible through a tight leather vest, leather pants squeezing his perfect buttocks, and leather boots! An angel of pure darkness. Kai smiled sadistically. \"Dinner is served...\"

He stood up and meandered through the crowd towards that beautiful boy, feeling his mouth water in anticipation. \'Maybe I should toy with him first...have sex with him? Or maybe I should be rough and snap his neck... No, he\'s too pretty for that.\' The thoughts ran through his head one after the other as he approached the young man. Then he was up close and personal with him. Gods, that scent was amazing! Gardenia flowers? Yes! It was! \"Hello there. I...saw you from across the room and haven\'t been able to take my eyes off you.\"

The young man turned his head and smiled, blue pools of power looking into steely-red orbs. \"I don\'t doubt it. I\'ve been waiting for you, you know.\"

Kai\'s heart did a backflip. \"R...really? Well...should we go somewhere quieter?\"

\"That\'d be a good idea. We could...get to know each other.\" The blue-haired man took Kai\'s hand in his and led him towards a secluded area of the club, one much quieter than where they had been sitting. Once they were there, he smiled seductively. \"My name is Takao...what\'s yours?\"

\"My name?\" Kai pushed the young man against the wall and ran his tongue along that pulsating neck glistening with sweat. \"My name is Kai.\"

There was a loud click and the vampire felt something being pushed against his chest. He looked up and saw Takao smiling again, but this time with a look of victory on his face. \"Kai Hiwatari, you\'re under arrest for the assaults on Daichi Sumeragi and Giancarlo Tornatore. You have no rights but I ask that you remain silent. This gun is loaded with irradiated silver nitrate and I would HATE to have to kill you before we get to interrogate you.\"

Kai snarled and slumped down on the ground. \"Well fuck. That didn\'t go like I planned...\"

***

Max and Takao stood in the observation room watching the psychologist question Kai. Max sighed and sipped his cold coffee, grimacing at the taste of the concentrated beverage. \"He\'s a complicated one, this Kai. Most vampires feed because they\'re hungry. I can\'t even understand WHY he feeds! Hates the taste of blood, hates hurting living beings, dislikes fighting...it\'s as if he\'s a retarded blood-sucker!\"

\"Sorry to say this, buddy, but I think his problem runs deeper than we think.\" Takao had been listening to the answers the vampire had given the psychologist and had already started piecing together the puzzle known as Kai Hiwatari. Something was different about him for sure, but he\'d need to talk to him on his own time. He watched the psychologist knock on the door, his tail waving slowly back and forth. \"He\'s done. Let\'s go talk to him.\"

Doctor Rei Kon was somewhat of an enigma in his field. He came from the overly suspicious and severely tempered Nekojin in the high mountains of China, a fact made apparent thanks to his feline-like eyes, sharp fangs and swishing black tail, yet unlike his people he was even-tempered and much more intelligent than the normal Nekojin Hence the Doctor and the enigma. Rei approached Max and Takao, his clipboard dangling precariously on his index finger\'s claw. \"Well, in a nutshell your friend in there is severely depressed and even suicidal.\"

\"...huh. Never would have guessed.\" Max facepalmed and slumped against the wall, a loud sigh escaping his lips yet again. \"So what\'s his deal, then?\"

\"Well, it doesn\'t take much to conclude that he\'s had a traumatizing life. Probably has been depressed since he lost his companion about a century ago.\" Rei flexed his fingers, his sharp nails extending a bit and retracting. \"If I were to prescribe treatment...it would be companionship. All he wants is someone to be with him.\"

Takao laughed and mussed Rei\'s hair, receiving a threatening growl in return. \"Well, I guess we\'ll have to keep him here for the time being. Max, have him moved to the inner facility. Give the poor guy a nice room, would ya?\"

\"Takao, don\'t tell me you feel sorry for the fucking bloodsucker!\"

\"You know what? Yeah...yeah I do.\" He glared at Max and pointed towards the interrogation room. \"Move him. NOW.\"

\"...right. Aye aye, cap\'n.\" The blond rolled his eyes and went to take care of his business.

Takao watched his partner head off then turned to Rei. \"So he wants companionship? Then why the attacks?\"

\"Like I said, he\'s suicidal. What better way to die than go out if a blaze of glory? Or go and sit in the sun. He liked that one the best, apparently.\" Rei\'s eyes twitched about as a fly flew by his head repeatedly. \"Just spend some time with him, Takao...it couldn\'t hurt.\"

\"Riiiight...\" Takao chuckled and punched Rei gently on the arm before walking away. \"You know Rei, Max would love it if you spent time with him!\"

The nekojin sputtered and watched the bluenette disappear around a corner. His eyes narrowed into slits and his mouth snapped down viciously onto the fly, chewing thoughtfully. \"Fucking Kinomiya...\"

***

Kai sat in the corner of the room, a blanket wrapped around him. He didn\'t hear the door to his room open, nor did he hear the person sit down next to him. However he knew the person was there and growled, a low rumble coming from his throat. \"Back off, mortal...\"

\"Hey hey...I don\'t want to upset you or anything. I just came to talk.\" Takao\'s hand rested on his gun just in case he needed it, but his eyes stayed on the pale body wrapped in the comforter. \"Please talk to me...\"

\"And why should I? You\'ve imprisoned me, interrogated me and have pretty much ensured that I\'ll be dead in a week...maybe less if you\'re feeling benevolent.\" Kai snarled and pulled the blanket around him tighter. \"Just go away. You couldn\'t possibly understand what I\'m going through.\"

\"No, probably not. But it doesn\'t help you\'re being an asshole and not telling me, because THEN I\'d understand! An amazing concept!\" The detective grumbled and got up off the floor, his attention turning to the liquor cabinet. He wandered over to it and pulled out a bottle of whiskey. \"I\'m going to have a drink. Would you like one?\"

There were a few moments of silence before the form in the corner nodded.

\"Ok. One second...\" Takao poured out the sinus-wrenching liquid into two small glasses and went back to Kai, handing one of the glasses to him. \"Here. It\'s a 15 year old whiskey, so it should be pretty good.\"

Kai nodded and sipped the amber liquid, his face wrenching up as the alcohol burned its way into his stomach. \"Thanks...\"

\"No problem. So...can I stay?\"

\"...sure.\"
***


Authors Notes: Sorry this took so long to get out folks, but I went back to school...and all hell broke loose! Hooray! Expect another chapter soon from your crazed, despotic author. :D