(A/N: Well, here it is - the last chapter. Thanks for all your reviews and I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it.
Neko-jin: Yeah...my enthusiasm for Beyblade has really waned, plus I've got a lot going on in my life right now, so it's best to end a good thing before it becomes a bad thing. ^^;;; And Kai has a reason for wanting his money! Do not fear!
Desi: Unfortunately, Beyblade's been kinda a dead love for almost a year now, which means it's high time I stopped writing it. I've also been insanely busy and it's starting to show. _ I'm gonna end this fic here and now, on what I feel is probably a better note than some of the last chapters. I really feel I lost the original intent of "Dawn of Terror", which was dealing with the tragedy that is racism. I'm glad you enjoyed reading the story. ^^
So, here's the end of the fic! Enjoy!)
And No Birds Sang
Chapter 13 - The Long Road Home
Kai found himself at the wrong end of a gun. The barrel was aimed straight at his head. The holder of the gun had his fingers held tightly about the trigger. His eyes were narrowed dangerously. "Where's the money, Hiwatari?"
The voice was dangerous and low. Kai stumbled for words, stumbling backwards in his desperate search. He couldn't do anything; he was stupefied by terror. The gun followed him backwards and he didn't doubt it would be the last thing he ever saw. "I don't have it," he said, hating how his voice choked up, belaying his mortification.
Jose frowned, taking another step forward. "Wrong answer, Hiwatari."
Kai closed his eyes, knowing the end was close at hand.
~*~*~*
"Jin, where are you going?" Kevin asked, pulling the dark mask over his face.
He glanced at the older neko-jin, who was garbed all in black too. Jin said nothing, his steely blue gaze focussed on the floor.
The door of the room opened, revealing Mari, who was only identifiable by the green of her eyes. "We're ready," she said, her voice muffled by the cloth about her face.
Jin nodded.The doorway was cleared as Mari stepped aside, allowing Jin to walk into the next room. Kevin followed him, somewhat nervously. The other room was filled with neko-jins, or at least, he presumed they were neko-jins, all garbed in black. They looked like an army of ninjas. All one could see was their eyes - blue, brown, green, gold, purple - all the colours of the rainbow.
He caught the gaze of a familiar pair of gold eyes. The eyes tried to tell him something, but he looked away before he could receive their message. They were Rei's eyes. He didn't care if Rei thought this whole operation was wrong. They were fighting for a just cause and they both knew it. If they didn't do something, generations of neko-jins would suffer the same fate, the same persecution, and the same hatred they faced.
Jin was addressing the crowd then, so he tuned out his thoughts and tuned in his idol. "Today, we're gonna take out the ones that are stopping that equality act from being passed. If we take them out, the act will be approved - meaning equal treatment for us all! We'll show them that we demand respect - we feel too! Koneko will be legendary. Future generations of neko-jins will play pretend in your likeness, pretending to take out the wrong-doers and win freedom for us all, without being stopped by a cop, or being ridiculed by humans! Don't you want that for your children? For your grandchildren and your great-grandchildren?!"
The room erupted into loud cheers, the neko-jins stoked to action by Jin's impassioned words.
"Then let's go get that freedom!" he cried over the frenzied crowd, who broke apart immediately, jumping out the windows, dashing out the door.
Kevin ran alongside Jin, trying to keep pace as best he could. "Jin - Jin, where are we going?" he asked, nearly yelling over the noise they were making as they stampeded down the street.
Jin glanced at him, but said nothing. He sped up, dashing away from Kevin. Kevin slowed down and nearly stopped, feeling his heart sink. Why wasn't Jin talking to him? Why wouldn't Jin tell him where they were going? Why did Jin just run away from him, why did Jin just leave him? Was this idol just as faulted as his other exaulteds?
Somebody shoved him out of the way, screaming, "Outta the way, kid!"
He was then kicked and shoved and screamed at. "Move it, brat!"
"Jerk, watch where you're going!"
"Get moving! We've got a revolution going on here!"
Just as he felt the blood upon his lips and tears burning at his eyes, somebody ran by him, plucking him off the ground, into their arms. "For goodness' sakes, be careful!" he heard this someone say and realized it was Mari.
He glanced about, trying to find Rei, but he couldn't spot the golden-eyed boy anywhere. He would have thought that he'd have been with his sister, but he was no where to be found. Kevin found himself worried, although he denied it to himself. He wasn't worried about that...that slut!
~*~*~*~*
Rei glanced at Jin, worry and distrust evident in his eyes. "Where are we going, Jin."
He watched the older man carefully, but as before, he didn't answer the question. "Answer me Jin. Where are we going?"
Still, Jin said nothing. Gritting his teeth, Rei dashed in front of Jin, forcing the neko-jin to stop. "Where the hell are we going?!" he cried, glaring at the silver-haired one.
"Get out of my way!" Jin yelled, throwing Rei aside.
Rei sat up and glared at Jin's back. "We're going to kill whoever wanted that money, aren't we?"
He'd seen it in Jin's eyes. For the split second their eyes had met, he'd read Jin's expression and he'd found that this wasn't for Koneko, this wasn't for neko-jins everywhere. This was for Jin's own greedy purposes, for the sole sake of keeping the money.
Jin turned back to him and glared. "It's none of your business, brat," he growled acidly.
Rei closed his eyes and smiled bitterly. "Alright, then."
He opened his eyes and glared at Jin. "Though, just so you know, you're a selfish bastard for putting their lives at risk for the sake of money."
"It's not about the money, Rei!" Jin cried and he looked as though he really, really wished he could believe what he said was true.
Rei said nothing.
Guilt weighing heavily on his mind, Jin took off. He tore off down an alley, running as fast as he could. He had to get away from those accusing eyes, he had to get away from Rei's words. They weren't true! They weren't true! If he killed this guy, he could...keep the money...And use it to maybe buy a couple of politicians' votes on the act. It wasn't about him, it wasn't about the money -
Or was it? Imagine what he could do with that kind of money! He could finally get away from the city, away from the hatred and...
He opened his eyes, forcing the thoughts from his head and just ran, as fast as he could, as far as he could. And when his footfalls finally slowed, he was met with an odd sight.
He'd never pictured Kai to be a weak person, never thought he'd find the Hiwatari heir at the wrong end of a gun, needing a hero to save him. Plan formulating in his mind then and there, Jin charged forward, dashing headlong, crashing into Jose, who wasn't expecting to be tackled.
They tumbled through the air, Jin wresting the pistol away from the red-haired goon. When they came up, Jin had Jose at gunpoint, finger wound tightly about the trigger. He closed his eyes and let the shot go off. He heard Jose's body hit the ground with a siickening thud and then, the gun fell from his nerveless hand, clattering to the ground. His eyes widened in shock, in pain, in horror. He'd just been shot in the back - literally.
Blood seeped out of the wound. Kai held the smoking revolver, sneering in contempt at Jin's lifeless corpse. "Bastard," he sneered, then promptly started to run.
He knew where he was going - he had no doubt in his mind as to what Jin was doing. He'd found the money - why else would he have bothered to save him? He didn't doubt for one second that the whole of Koneko was on their way to Pedro's office then.
His feet slapped at the cobblestone. He had to find that bloody money and beat them there! He had to get that money to Pedro! His life - Rei's life - depended on it!
~*~*~*~*
They crawled all through the building, like the plague, winding their way through the offices and halls, killing anything in their way. They were silent, like shadows, and they swept through the building, rising like the bile in Mari's throat, like the level of adrenaline in her body.
Where was Jin?! She was at the head of the pack now, having left Kevin behind with a rather severe wound, but she had yet to see their leader. As they wound their way around to the top, time was running out for their leader to show up and she was getting extremely nervous.
The elevator chime rung out, signalling her doom as loudly as a death knell. She pulled the revolver out of its holster and charged full-on into the only room on the floor.
Pedro, with his suticase stuffed full of important papers, paused and turned about to stare at her. She held the gun at ready, her fingers wrapping tightly about the trigger, choking it. Pedro raised his hands into the air, as if to surrender. He opened his mouth to say something, probably to plead for his life, but Mari was spared the sound by someone making a flashy entrance through the window.
She stared into gold eyes, which didn't waver as their owner held her at gunpoint.
"I'm sorry, Mari," Rei said, wincing as the shards of glass that had stuck in him bit into his skin and sunk deeper, resulting in blood. "But this is wrong."
Mari could say nothing and that was when Kai dashed into the room. "Don't shoot," he growled to her, as he surveyed the scene laid before him.
Mari narrowed her eyes when she saw him and remained defiant. "As if I'd listen to a human," she snarled.
She pulled the trigger.
"You fool!" Rei howled as Pedro hit the floor, dead.
Kai shot, killing the girl in front of him instantaneously. Kai looked at Rei, who looked at him, bewildered.
"You...just..."
"Where's the money?" Kai demanded.
"Under the bed in Jin's apartment."
Kai sighed, as if in relief. There was a terse silence, before Rei broke it by saying, "Kai? Why were you paying Pedro?"
Kai looked at the floor. "I was paying Pedro to sign the equality bill. There's nothing I want more than your freedom, Rei."
Rei looked at the floor, at his dead sister and bit his quivering lip. They both looked toward the staircase as the sound of many feet reached them. Hastily, Kai grabbed Rei's hand and led him to the window. "Let's get out of here," he said.
Rei nodded. And together, they leapt out the window.
The first neko-jin to dash into the room only found smashed glass and two dead bodies, each with a gun in hand.
~*~*~*~*
Kevin watched the two tiny figures slowly become bigger as they approached the ground. He held his corner of the tarp tight. He glanced nervously at the other three holding the other corners of the tarp. He glanced up again. They were so close...
Now was the moment of truth. He closed his eyes and waited for impact.
As predicted, they landly on the tarp, bouncing on it as they hit it. Rei clung shakily to Kai, who was laughing nervously. Slowly, Kevin and his companions set the tarp on the ground. Still shaking badly, Rei got up, laughing, trying to shake off the anxiety that had found him in the air.
"Good job, guys."
Kevin glanced over at the other three, who had removed their masks. Max smiled broadly at him and Tyson waved a bit. The third person was a purple-haired boy he didn't know. He felt like laughing - it was so good to see familiar faces!
~*~*~*~*~*
Judy stepped out of the car the second it she felt the brakes being applied. There was a big scene in front of the building, which rose up, biting at the sky. Police, firemen, paramedics and countless spectators littered the area. There were reporters, and cameras, and video cameras everywhere. There were neko-jins being arrested, being treated, along with office workers. Bodies were being removed from the building.
Judy felt hr heart leap into her throat.
"Look!" she heard Emily cry and glanced at the red-head.
"Over there, Missus!" Grandpa cried and she looked, the flash of blond hair catching her eye.
"Max!" she cried and dashed forward.
The blond boy glanced back in her direction, then recognized her. "Mom!"
He dashed over,Tyson, Rei, Kai and Kevin following in his wake.
And when the happy reunion was over, the general consensus was to go home as fast as they could. So, they all piled into the car. Fernando watched from afar as they pulled away, a slight smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
And when at last, he could no longer see them, he turned away, walking toward Jin and Mari's old apartment. He knew the money was still there. The nighttime city buzzed around him endlessly.
The fight for equality would continue - he'd make sure of it.
~*OWARII*~
Neko-jin: Yeah...my enthusiasm for Beyblade has really waned, plus I've got a lot going on in my life right now, so it's best to end a good thing before it becomes a bad thing. ^^;;; And Kai has a reason for wanting his money! Do not fear!
Desi: Unfortunately, Beyblade's been kinda a dead love for almost a year now, which means it's high time I stopped writing it. I've also been insanely busy and it's starting to show. _ I'm gonna end this fic here and now, on what I feel is probably a better note than some of the last chapters. I really feel I lost the original intent of "Dawn of Terror", which was dealing with the tragedy that is racism. I'm glad you enjoyed reading the story. ^^
So, here's the end of the fic! Enjoy!)
And No Birds Sang
Chapter 13 - The Long Road Home
Kai found himself at the wrong end of a gun. The barrel was aimed straight at his head. The holder of the gun had his fingers held tightly about the trigger. His eyes were narrowed dangerously. "Where's the money, Hiwatari?"
The voice was dangerous and low. Kai stumbled for words, stumbling backwards in his desperate search. He couldn't do anything; he was stupefied by terror. The gun followed him backwards and he didn't doubt it would be the last thing he ever saw. "I don't have it," he said, hating how his voice choked up, belaying his mortification.
Jose frowned, taking another step forward. "Wrong answer, Hiwatari."
Kai closed his eyes, knowing the end was close at hand.
~*~*~*
"Jin, where are you going?" Kevin asked, pulling the dark mask over his face.
He glanced at the older neko-jin, who was garbed all in black too. Jin said nothing, his steely blue gaze focussed on the floor.
The door of the room opened, revealing Mari, who was only identifiable by the green of her eyes. "We're ready," she said, her voice muffled by the cloth about her face.
Jin nodded.The doorway was cleared as Mari stepped aside, allowing Jin to walk into the next room. Kevin followed him, somewhat nervously. The other room was filled with neko-jins, or at least, he presumed they were neko-jins, all garbed in black. They looked like an army of ninjas. All one could see was their eyes - blue, brown, green, gold, purple - all the colours of the rainbow.
He caught the gaze of a familiar pair of gold eyes. The eyes tried to tell him something, but he looked away before he could receive their message. They were Rei's eyes. He didn't care if Rei thought this whole operation was wrong. They were fighting for a just cause and they both knew it. If they didn't do something, generations of neko-jins would suffer the same fate, the same persecution, and the same hatred they faced.
Jin was addressing the crowd then, so he tuned out his thoughts and tuned in his idol. "Today, we're gonna take out the ones that are stopping that equality act from being passed. If we take them out, the act will be approved - meaning equal treatment for us all! We'll show them that we demand respect - we feel too! Koneko will be legendary. Future generations of neko-jins will play pretend in your likeness, pretending to take out the wrong-doers and win freedom for us all, without being stopped by a cop, or being ridiculed by humans! Don't you want that for your children? For your grandchildren and your great-grandchildren?!"
The room erupted into loud cheers, the neko-jins stoked to action by Jin's impassioned words.
"Then let's go get that freedom!" he cried over the frenzied crowd, who broke apart immediately, jumping out the windows, dashing out the door.
Kevin ran alongside Jin, trying to keep pace as best he could. "Jin - Jin, where are we going?" he asked, nearly yelling over the noise they were making as they stampeded down the street.
Jin glanced at him, but said nothing. He sped up, dashing away from Kevin. Kevin slowed down and nearly stopped, feeling his heart sink. Why wasn't Jin talking to him? Why wouldn't Jin tell him where they were going? Why did Jin just run away from him, why did Jin just leave him? Was this idol just as faulted as his other exaulteds?
Somebody shoved him out of the way, screaming, "Outta the way, kid!"
He was then kicked and shoved and screamed at. "Move it, brat!"
"Jerk, watch where you're going!"
"Get moving! We've got a revolution going on here!"
Just as he felt the blood upon his lips and tears burning at his eyes, somebody ran by him, plucking him off the ground, into their arms. "For goodness' sakes, be careful!" he heard this someone say and realized it was Mari.
He glanced about, trying to find Rei, but he couldn't spot the golden-eyed boy anywhere. He would have thought that he'd have been with his sister, but he was no where to be found. Kevin found himself worried, although he denied it to himself. He wasn't worried about that...that slut!
~*~*~*~*
Rei glanced at Jin, worry and distrust evident in his eyes. "Where are we going, Jin."
He watched the older man carefully, but as before, he didn't answer the question. "Answer me Jin. Where are we going?"
Still, Jin said nothing. Gritting his teeth, Rei dashed in front of Jin, forcing the neko-jin to stop. "Where the hell are we going?!" he cried, glaring at the silver-haired one.
"Get out of my way!" Jin yelled, throwing Rei aside.
Rei sat up and glared at Jin's back. "We're going to kill whoever wanted that money, aren't we?"
He'd seen it in Jin's eyes. For the split second their eyes had met, he'd read Jin's expression and he'd found that this wasn't for Koneko, this wasn't for neko-jins everywhere. This was for Jin's own greedy purposes, for the sole sake of keeping the money.
Jin turned back to him and glared. "It's none of your business, brat," he growled acidly.
Rei closed his eyes and smiled bitterly. "Alright, then."
He opened his eyes and glared at Jin. "Though, just so you know, you're a selfish bastard for putting their lives at risk for the sake of money."
"It's not about the money, Rei!" Jin cried and he looked as though he really, really wished he could believe what he said was true.
Rei said nothing.
Guilt weighing heavily on his mind, Jin took off. He tore off down an alley, running as fast as he could. He had to get away from those accusing eyes, he had to get away from Rei's words. They weren't true! They weren't true! If he killed this guy, he could...keep the money...And use it to maybe buy a couple of politicians' votes on the act. It wasn't about him, it wasn't about the money -
Or was it? Imagine what he could do with that kind of money! He could finally get away from the city, away from the hatred and...
He opened his eyes, forcing the thoughts from his head and just ran, as fast as he could, as far as he could. And when his footfalls finally slowed, he was met with an odd sight.
He'd never pictured Kai to be a weak person, never thought he'd find the Hiwatari heir at the wrong end of a gun, needing a hero to save him. Plan formulating in his mind then and there, Jin charged forward, dashing headlong, crashing into Jose, who wasn't expecting to be tackled.
They tumbled through the air, Jin wresting the pistol away from the red-haired goon. When they came up, Jin had Jose at gunpoint, finger wound tightly about the trigger. He closed his eyes and let the shot go off. He heard Jose's body hit the ground with a siickening thud and then, the gun fell from his nerveless hand, clattering to the ground. His eyes widened in shock, in pain, in horror. He'd just been shot in the back - literally.
Blood seeped out of the wound. Kai held the smoking revolver, sneering in contempt at Jin's lifeless corpse. "Bastard," he sneered, then promptly started to run.
He knew where he was going - he had no doubt in his mind as to what Jin was doing. He'd found the money - why else would he have bothered to save him? He didn't doubt for one second that the whole of Koneko was on their way to Pedro's office then.
His feet slapped at the cobblestone. He had to find that bloody money and beat them there! He had to get that money to Pedro! His life - Rei's life - depended on it!
~*~*~*~*
They crawled all through the building, like the plague, winding their way through the offices and halls, killing anything in their way. They were silent, like shadows, and they swept through the building, rising like the bile in Mari's throat, like the level of adrenaline in her body.
Where was Jin?! She was at the head of the pack now, having left Kevin behind with a rather severe wound, but she had yet to see their leader. As they wound their way around to the top, time was running out for their leader to show up and she was getting extremely nervous.
The elevator chime rung out, signalling her doom as loudly as a death knell. She pulled the revolver out of its holster and charged full-on into the only room on the floor.
Pedro, with his suticase stuffed full of important papers, paused and turned about to stare at her. She held the gun at ready, her fingers wrapping tightly about the trigger, choking it. Pedro raised his hands into the air, as if to surrender. He opened his mouth to say something, probably to plead for his life, but Mari was spared the sound by someone making a flashy entrance through the window.
She stared into gold eyes, which didn't waver as their owner held her at gunpoint.
"I'm sorry, Mari," Rei said, wincing as the shards of glass that had stuck in him bit into his skin and sunk deeper, resulting in blood. "But this is wrong."
Mari could say nothing and that was when Kai dashed into the room. "Don't shoot," he growled to her, as he surveyed the scene laid before him.
Mari narrowed her eyes when she saw him and remained defiant. "As if I'd listen to a human," she snarled.
She pulled the trigger.
"You fool!" Rei howled as Pedro hit the floor, dead.
Kai shot, killing the girl in front of him instantaneously. Kai looked at Rei, who looked at him, bewildered.
"You...just..."
"Where's the money?" Kai demanded.
"Under the bed in Jin's apartment."
Kai sighed, as if in relief. There was a terse silence, before Rei broke it by saying, "Kai? Why were you paying Pedro?"
Kai looked at the floor. "I was paying Pedro to sign the equality bill. There's nothing I want more than your freedom, Rei."
Rei looked at the floor, at his dead sister and bit his quivering lip. They both looked toward the staircase as the sound of many feet reached them. Hastily, Kai grabbed Rei's hand and led him to the window. "Let's get out of here," he said.
Rei nodded. And together, they leapt out the window.
The first neko-jin to dash into the room only found smashed glass and two dead bodies, each with a gun in hand.
~*~*~*~*
Kevin watched the two tiny figures slowly become bigger as they approached the ground. He held his corner of the tarp tight. He glanced nervously at the other three holding the other corners of the tarp. He glanced up again. They were so close...
Now was the moment of truth. He closed his eyes and waited for impact.
As predicted, they landly on the tarp, bouncing on it as they hit it. Rei clung shakily to Kai, who was laughing nervously. Slowly, Kevin and his companions set the tarp on the ground. Still shaking badly, Rei got up, laughing, trying to shake off the anxiety that had found him in the air.
"Good job, guys."
Kevin glanced over at the other three, who had removed their masks. Max smiled broadly at him and Tyson waved a bit. The third person was a purple-haired boy he didn't know. He felt like laughing - it was so good to see familiar faces!
~*~*~*~*~*
Judy stepped out of the car the second it she felt the brakes being applied. There was a big scene in front of the building, which rose up, biting at the sky. Police, firemen, paramedics and countless spectators littered the area. There were reporters, and cameras, and video cameras everywhere. There were neko-jins being arrested, being treated, along with office workers. Bodies were being removed from the building.
Judy felt hr heart leap into her throat.
"Look!" she heard Emily cry and glanced at the red-head.
"Over there, Missus!" Grandpa cried and she looked, the flash of blond hair catching her eye.
"Max!" she cried and dashed forward.
The blond boy glanced back in her direction, then recognized her. "Mom!"
He dashed over,Tyson, Rei, Kai and Kevin following in his wake.
And when the happy reunion was over, the general consensus was to go home as fast as they could. So, they all piled into the car. Fernando watched from afar as they pulled away, a slight smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
And when at last, he could no longer see them, he turned away, walking toward Jin and Mari's old apartment. He knew the money was still there. The nighttime city buzzed around him endlessly.
The fight for equality would continue - he'd make sure of it.
~*OWARII*~