Web of feelings

Have you ever hurt someone and nonetheless have always been called a friend?
Did you ever betray someone’s trust and were welcomed back with open arms?
Have you ever shoved someone away, not realizing how precious his presence was for your soul?
I have. I am ashamed to confess I have done everything of that.
Some of it even repeatedly.

I didn’t understand the gift I had so willingly been given. A gift so precious and sacred I should have cradled it in both my hands to protect it from any harm – instead of throwing it away without a second glance.
I was gifted and didn’t realize it.

I am gifted even after all the time which I stupidly allowed to slip through my fingers without cherishing that gift – but now I finally see it for what it truly is…wonderful. Fragile but unbreakable at the same time.
Easy to get, but hard to fight for to not let it slip out of my grasp again.
It showers me with warmth on a cold day, lightens my mood when all I could feel was loneliness, makes me smile in happiness when I thought I could never laugh again. The gift I speak about is an emotion. An emotion which can help you do things you never thought possible. A belief in something that gives you inner strength to finally do what you feel is right.

Friendship.

One word…so little and seemingly without real meaning.
But that one little word holds a power which is truly remarkable.
Did you ever feel flooded with gratitude, when someone said to you “You are my friend” and took you into his arms? I did.
And I know I’ll never forget that feeling…warmth beyond anything I had ever felt before. Like a blanket covering me from the cold. An embrace full of silent promises to show you the sunny side of life. A sense of belonging…of knowing to have somebody at your side who will fight for you when you won’t be able to do it on your own.

All this is friendship…a feeling often neglected by somebody like me – until the fool realizes it’s importance. Then you will be glad to discover it’s true meaning when the one you always shoved away will smile at you and say “I waited for you to understand…my friend.”

Take my advice: Cherish each day you are given that precious gift, cradle it near to your heart and return it with every fiber of your being, because without friendship you will be truly alone.

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The silence between the three boys crackled with uneasiness as they brooded over the news Kai had told Tala and Bryan about. They didn't realize the minutes ticking by, each of them lost in their own thoughts and hidden fears.

Suddenly the silence was shattered by the sound of the doorbell. Bryan jumped and even Tala and Kai couldn't help wincing slightly in a moment's fright. But then the bell rang again and the three former members of the Demolition Boys calmed down considerably. They didn't think he of all people would ring the bell.

Tala sighed a bit and moved to the door. Opening it he came face to face with a slightly annoyed Tyson, who tapped his foot and said: "And here I've always been told to be the forgetful one, Tala. Don't you look at your watch? I have waited for over…", Tyson suddenly stopped in mid-rant when he got a closer look at his older friend.

Tala seemed slightly shaken and Tyson knew it wasn't about his annoyed greeting. Immediately concerned he stepped up to his friend and laid a warm hand on the redhead's shoulder to show him his support. "What's going on? Are you ok, Tala?", the bluenette asked. "You look troubled." Then the worry in the midnight-blue eyes deepened, when a thought struck Tyson. "Has something happened to Bry?"

Tala blinked a moment at the anxious questions, but then shook his head and opened the door further to let Tyson in. The younger blader crossed the treshold and stepped into the living-room where Kai and Bryan still sat in grave silence. Tyson’s gaze shortly swept over Bryan to confirm that his lavender-haired friend was not harmed, then settled on Kai. A little bit surprised at his teamcaptain’s presence in Tala's and Bryan's shared appartement, Tyson asked: "Kai? What are you doing here?"

Over the last weeks Tyson had been glad to see Kai really trying to be more friendly towards Tala and Bryan. The three of them shared a troubling past, but it seemed that each of them was willing to leave the horrible memories of the happenings in the Abby in the past and move on. Tala had told Tyson, that Bryan, Kai and him often skirted around the edges of that topic but that neither of them really wanted to discuss it in detail. It still hurt too much for each of them.

Tyson agreed, because he still remembered the haunted look in Kai’s eyes after the Bladebreaker’s had brought him back into their midst. The happenings at Lake Baikal, when Kai had almost drowned in the icy waters still gave the blue-haired teen nightmares on occasion. In those nightmares Kai didn’t reach out to clasp his helping hand. Didn’t finally accept his friendship and return it.

With a mental shake of his head Tyson snapped himself out of his musings, when he realized that Kai hadn’t answered him. The crimson eyes just gazed at him with a solemn look. Tyson felt a shiver run down his spine when his empathy caught the doom hanging over his friends. All three of them made the impression of having heard something terrible.

"What are the news you three are brooding about?", the bluenette demanded to know.

Startled gazes centered on him in reply and Tyson had to vent a slow breath to prevent himself from rolling his eyes in exasperation. As if he wouldn't realize that something must have happened! Crossing his arms in front of his chest, he pointedly returned the looks he was receiving.

Knowing Kai wouldn't tell him what had happened, the blue-haired teen switched his gaze towards Bryan whom he had become firm friends with over the last weeks. But before he could even open his mouth to voice a question, Tala spoke.

"Boris has escaped."

Tyson's reaction was instantious. He whirled around to look at his red-haired friend, eyes darkening in rememberance of the cold-hearted man. His fists clenching at his sides, Tyson felt his whole body tremble with silent rage. But seeing the carefully guarded faces of Kai, Tala and Bryan the bluenette managed to get a grip on his temper and forced himself to relax.

Only his eyes betrayed him. The depths of oceanblue had darkened to shades of almost black colour, flashing an eerie light of protectivness. The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees when Tyson asked in a dangerously calm voice: "He did?" The other three teens nodded silently. For Tyson they made the impression of reliving a nightmare and his heart clenched in sympathy. He knew how hard these news must be for them after living the last months without Boris' shadow looming over them all the time.

Calming himself down from his fit of fierce protectiveness for his three friends, Tyson realized that he had to do something to help all of them to regain their equilibrium. Hence he surprised the older teens by quietly saying: "I will make us some tea", moving towards the small kitchen. Kai blinked and Tala and Bryan shared a look of irritation. Neither of the three ex-teammates could understand Tyson's calmth after his first show of angered surprise.

Ten minutes went by and then Tyson came back, carrying a tray with four cups of steaming tea. The wonderful smell of herbs soothed the frayed nerves of each of the teens. Setting the tray on the table and grabbing one cup of tea for himself, Tyson settled his slender body comfortably into one of the armchairs. He watched his three friends as they leaned forwards and each took a teacup, too.

Then he asked: "So, what's the plan?"

Once more slightly surprised looks of ice-blue, green and crimson eyes centered on him and this time Tyson did nothing to hide his exasperation at that behaviour. Shaking his head and rolling his eyes heavenwards in annoyance, he said: "Oh, c’mon. Don't look so surprised. Do you really expect me to believe that you didn’t come up with a way to protect yourselves from that bastard?"

Silence answered his words and now Tyson blinked in surprise. It seemed as if Kai, Tala and Bryan hadn't thought about that. That was quite astonishing, but Tyson clammed down on his surprise before it showed too clearly on his face. "You know that he will come after you", the bluenette slowly continued, his body stiffening even at the mere thought of that heartless bastard searching for his friends to hurt them. Again.

"We do." Bryan's voice was strained and his hands held the cup of tea almost as if it was the only thing which prevented him from breaking. Tala nodded gravely and radiated control, but Tyson felt his inner turmoil. Kai remained silent but even he couldn't hide the glimmer of anxiety in his eyes.

Suddenly a thought struck the blue-haired teen and he asked: "Does Mr. Dickensen know about this whole mess?"

"He was the one who told me", Kai now spoke for the first time since Tyson's arrival. The leader of the Bladebreakers raised his gaze at Tyson and added: "He asked me to warn Tala and Bryan, too. He said that he will keep us on track about news on Boris."

"It's a good thing that he knows", Tyson sighed and cradled his teacup thoughtfully.

Tala had watched him silently over the last minutes and felt a little bit better in the bluenette's presence. Tyson always seemed to have that calming effect on him with his palpable aura of strength and warmth. The Russian could feel the knot in his stomach loosen when he looked at his friend. His little brother. He had always wished for a sibling and in Tyson he had found an eager recipient of his feelings of brotherly love and affection. The blue-haired teen was like a part of his soul now and deeply embedded in his heart.

Tala's face had softened as he watched Tyson silently thinking. But then he suddenly flinched and his ice-blue eyes widened in shock. His unexpected move made the other three teens jump a bit and look at him in question. But the red-head's gaze solely centered on Kai now and he gravely remarked: "Boris will be after them, too. He makes them responsible for your 'betrayal'."

Kai immediately knew what Tala meant with 'them'.

His team.

His friends.

His family.

Eyes blazing in instantious protectivness of his friends, Kai growled dangerously: "I won't let him. Nobody hurts Tyson…" "Or Ray", Tala agreed in an equally determined voice. And Bryan added: "Or Max and Kenny. We won't allow it." The three former teammates nodded at each other in absolute agreement.

Tyson felt warm inside at hearing that declaration of friendship and protection, but quietly stated: "Perhaps you should let him."

"WHAT?"

The exclamation hung in the room and three incredious pairs of eyes settled on their blue-haired friend. Kai recovered at first and added, scowling: "Are you insane, Tyson? How can you think of saying something so stupid? I won't allow him to hurt my friends!" Kai's eyes hardened into a ruby red color and his fists clenched in his lap. "If he ever so much as dare to lay a hand on either of you…"

"He can try to", Tyson slowly said.

His tone of voice alerted his three friends to more careful attention and they looked at the bluenette, trying to discover the underlying meaning in his at first so seemingly stupid words.

Tala narrowed his eyes in contemplation when he saw the thoughtful look in Tyson's midnight-blue eyes as the younger teen frowned slightly. He knew that look. And now he was sure that Tyson hadn't meant his words the way they had sounded. But what was going on in the head of his friend?

Tala looked at Kai who watched Tyson with an unreadable expression on his face but had realized like the redhead that Tyson was thinking about something important. Even Bryan had relaxed after the first shock about the bluenette's words. The silence was broken when Tala couldn't hold his curiosity in check any longer.

"What are you scheming?", the Russian blader asked, eyes openly curious.

"Huh?", Tyson answered distractedly. "What do you mean by that?"

The redhead sighed and explained to his friend: "You have that look again, Ty."

The younger teen blinked, snapping out of his internal musings. Raising his eyebrow in silent questioning, he urged Tala to explain further.

"Don't play dumb, Tyson", Bryan's voice made itself known. "What Tala means is that you have that look you always get in a beyblade-match before turning the tables on your unsuspecting victim. So what are you thinking about to get that devious glint in your innocent eyes, man?"

Tyson grinned at the explanation and said: "Talk about contradictions, Bry. Devils are not really innocent, you know? But you are right, I was thinking and now I believe I have the rough outlines of a plan that will allow us to get rid of that madman for good. I really don't like him lurking in the shadows and with that hanging threat of him coming back when he wants to robbing you three of a happy life."

"You have a plan to get rid of Boris?", Kai wanted to know. "How?"

"Hey, that was not very nice of you, mister!", Tyson huffed. "I may not be a genius like Kenny, but I do know how to 'turn-the-table-on-my-victims' as Bryan so wonderfully said a while ago. So don't look so surprised that I came up with a plan!"

"Calm down, will you?", Tala soothed before Tyson would get really annoyed with Kai. "I am sure Kai didn't mean it like that…and you know that, too. Explain that plan of yours, Ty."

Tyson glared at Kai for another moment, then hmmphed under his breath and started searching in his pocket. Under the surveillence of the older teens he brought a small blue handy to light and dialed a number. Tala, Kai and Bryan shared a curious look.

"Hey, Mr. Dickensen!", Tyson's voice made them turn to him again. Kai frowned and Tala and Bryan seemed a bit puzzled. What did Tyson want from the head of the BBA? The bluenette answered the silent question by asking Mr. Dickensen politely: "May we meet you at your office, Mr. D? I'd like to make a suggestion about the news about Boris." Tyson trailed off and listened to the voice of Mr. Dickensen, a grateful smile slowly gracing his features.

"Thank you, Mr. D! We will be there." Tyson seemed satisfied with the answer he had received from the head of the BBA and went on in his little plan. Dialing once more he missed the gazes his companions were bestowing on him. Kai, Tala and Bryan were really curious now about that plan of Tyson, but they realized they wouldn't get details until the meeting with Mr. Dickensen.

"Chief", Tyson's voice broke the silence a minute later again. "Do you have anything important to do right now? No? That's good. I'd like you to gather Max and Ray and come to Mr. Dickensen's office, ok? We will meet there in half an hour." Tyson listened shortly, then said: "I will explain everything when we are there. But please hurry and get Ray and Max…it's really important, Kenny."

The sudden ringing on the other end of the line stated that Kenny had closed the call immediately after hearing the last sentence. But Kai knew why the brunette had reacted like that. Tyson only called the team genius 'Kenny' when something bothered him greatly. Therefore the Chief had realized that something big - and bad - had happened.

Tyson stowed his handy away and gracefully rose from the armchair. Making shooing motions with his hands he urged his friends to stand up. Kai sighed, but complied. He walked towards the door, followed by the others. They grabbed their jackets and left the appartment to go to the BBA-Headquarters where Mr. Dickensen had his office.

Nearly twenty minutes later they arrived in front of the big building. As they walked up to the doors a voice suddenly called out to them. Turning around they could see Max, Ray and Kenny running at a fast pace towards them. Stopping in front of Tyson, Max looked up at him with obvious concern and panted: "We came as fast as we could. What's the emergency, Ty?"

Ray's gaze settled on the bluenette's face, too. The older teen seemed equally worried and added to Max' words: "The Chief said you called a meeting with Mr. Dickensen because of something important…is everything all right?"

"No, it isn't", Tyson answered grimly. "But I intend to make it right."

That said he turned around and strode towards the door to go to Mr. Dickensen's office. His friends blinked at each other before hurrying to catch up with him. The group of teens boarded the elevator which brought them to the third floor. There they excited the lift and went to the office of the head of BBA.

Mr. Dickensen awaited them and curiously looked at the somewhat large group of teens. Waving his hand at the assembly of seats in the corner of his huge office, the old man led the friends over there. After each of the teens had taken a seat, Mr. Dickensen spoke. "Tyson, you wanted to talk with me about Boris", he started but stopped short when Max, Ray and Kenny simultaneously flinched and looked at the other four teens.

Max opened his mouth to say something, but Ray beat him to it. "Boris?", the young Chinese demanded to know. "What do any of us has to do with that…that bastard? I thought he has been imprisoned for his crimes!", the black-haired teen exclaimed. Max nodded in emphatic agreement to those words.

"You are right, Ray. Boris had been put into prison because of his crimes while working for Biovolt", Mr. Dickensen explained, seeing Kai's eyes dim at the hidden mention of his grandfather. Tyson felt his captain's mood darken and leaned a bit nearer to him, both teens sharing a couch with Tala and Ray. Kai straightened imperceptibly at that supporting gesture and calmly nodded to Mr. Dickensen to continue.

"Past tense, Sir?", Kenny's voice could be heard. The computer genius clutched his laptop as if to steady himself at the implications his intelligence got from the few words of Mr. Dickensen. Tyson smiled slightly at his friend, impressed that Kenny had understood immediately what that meant.

Mr. Dickensen kindly looked at the shy, studious teen and nodded.

"Yes, Kenny. Past tense. Boris has escaped from prison with the help of his minions."

The silence was deafening, but the Bladebreakers reacted spontaneously. Ray had grabbed Tala's hand in support while Max looked at Bryan with compassionate eyes. Tyson instead had concentrated on Kai who exhuded calm control. But in his eyes a world of emotions showed and Tyson laid his arm around the broad shoulders of his teamcaptain and hugged him shortly. Kai didn't react but let himself be cuddled for a moment.

"And Voltaire?", Ray suddenly wanted to know. "Has he escaped either?"

Now Kai flinched and Tyson tightened his hold on him to soothe the pain. The dual-haired teen shook his head and then stated: "He is dead." Gasps of surprise could be heard, because even Tala and Bryan hadn't known that before.

Eyes full of compassion and warmth, Tyson changed his grip on Kai and embraced him fully. The older teen didn't fight the embrace but instead relaxed slightly into the hold of his younger teammate. It was relieving to be showered with warmth like Tyson did at the moment, silently offering him his strength to rely on. Kai breathed deeply for some moments, Tyson's presence calming his raging emotions.

Then he heard the bluenette whisper: "I am sorry, Kai."

Face hardening slightly, Kai moved a little bit away from Tyson to be able to look at him before replying: "I am not. He deserved his fate."

Tyson's eyes softened. "I won't deny that, Kai. But it hurts nonetheless, am I right?"
Kai struggled fervently not to break down in front of all the others, but couldn't help but nod. Yes, it hurt to have ultimativly lost the last remaining member of his family. Even if the man hadn't been anything but a heartless, powerhungry bastard, he had been his grandfather, too.

Now he was really alone. And that hurt to the core.

As if hearing that silent thought, Tyson took Kai into a crushing embrace and hugged him tightly. "You are NOT alone, Kai. You will NEVER be alone anymore. Never again, because you have me…", the bluenette whispered fiercely.

Then another voice could be heard: "And me." Ray.

"Me, too." Max.

"Don't forget me." And Kenny.

"Family can not only be founded by blood", Tala suddenly said in a quiet voice. "It can be formed by choice, too. You have a family, Kai. Your friends are your family and I don't deny that I envy you. Greatly. Your family is one nobody should dare to threaten. They would have to deal with frightening consequences when doing that."

Ray, Max and Kenny nodded empathically to the words of the redhead, determination clear in their eyes. Tyson still hugged Kai, feeling the small tremors shaking Kai’s broad frame. The older teen hadn’t reacted verbally to their words, but made no move to back out of Tyson’s embrace. “You won’t be alone again, Kai”, Tyson whispered to him, “I promise. Trust me.”

‘I do. If I ever trusted someone it’s you.’, Kai thought. He would have liked to say those words aloud to Tyson, but couldn’t. Not yet. But he was determined to someday say those things to his friend. Tell him, how much his friendship and support meant to Kai. One day he would.

Breathing in Tyson’s unique smell, Kai took the comfort Tyson offered and used it to build back his composure. Several seconds later he slowly moved back out of Tyson’s embrace, gracing the blue-haired teen with a faint, grateful smile. Tyson smiled back at him with warm blue eyes, compassion and determination equally dominant in the soulful depths. Kai felt glad for the sensitivity Tyson and the rest of his teammates showed him, even Tala and Bryan made no move to hide their support of him. ‘That’s what friends are for’, a voice suddenly said in his mind. Tyson’s voice.

Mr. Dickenson cleared his throat, instantly gaining the attention of all the teens. “Tyson, you had an idea in regard to Boris?”, he repeated his earlier words, looking expectantly at the blue-haired World Champion.

Ray, Max and Kenny raised their eyebrows at their teammate, but made no move to interrupt. They knew, that when Tyson had a plan it was best to let him explain it at first. Usually the bluenette’s plans seemed to be a bit crazy at first, but more often than not they worked well in the end.

Kai, Tala and Bryan also looked at Tyson with curiousity. They had waited longer than the rest of those present to hear about the bluenette’s plan to get rid of Boris for good. And they were the only ones who knew that whatever strategy Tyson would now outline to them, was one in the liga of his equally admired and feared Beyblade-attacks.

Tyson instead focused on Mr. Dickensen. “Sir, I think we shouldn’t just sit around until Boris pops up whenever he wants to and goes after Kai, Tala and Bryan.” Tyson bit his lip in thought and added: “Tala thinks that Boris will come after the rest of us, too. And I agree with him. Boris wasn’t real happy about the way the Champion Ships ended – there’s no leap to believe he’s more than a bit miffed at me about defeating Tala, for example.”

Mr. Dickensen nodded gravely. He had thought about that, too. Tyson had ruined Voltaire’s and Boris’ plans with his victory at the Champion Ships and Boris wasn’t of the forgiving sort. Tyson saw the elderly man’s agreement and continued: “Taking that into account, then each of us is in danger as long as Boris is free. We don’t really know, what he wants or when he will pop up. And we don’t know whom of us he will go after first. All we can be quite sure of is the fact, THAT he will come after us.”

Once more Mr. Dickensen nodded silently. Tyson had summed up the situation quite well. The bluenette smiled briefly, but without his usual cheer. There was a hard, determined glint in his oceanblue eyes. “Since the police can’t be sure of his whereabouts until someone sees Boris and reports him, let’s go with the worst possibility. Which would be, that Boris comes here without anybody knowing it. For all we know he could be in the city somewhere already, searching for us.”

Kenny blanched and even Max looked decidedly uneasy at that prospect. Ray looked grim. And Kai, Tala and Bryan exchanged another silent vow of protection of the other teens.

Tyson shook his head slightly. “Well, we have no means to be sure when or where he will drop in on us. We could hide, but I don’t intend to cower in fright of that madman”, the bluenette scowled. “That means we have to protect ourselves, or better, some of us. That is what I think we should do…”