Welcome ladies and gentlemen, young and old, tall and short, to the sequel of Hostage! I should hope that between that story and this one, my writing talents have improved to the point where there isn't a screaming error every few paragraphs…

If you haven't met me via a PM or e-mail or elsewhere on the internet, then hello! I'm xChewy, but please, drop the 'x'. Formalities are so last century. Hostage was a long and tedious story to write, but now that I've cooled down from it, I have decided to start a sequel. The name is nothing special, just a synonym, really. But it is a glorious and anticipated Part Two!

Description: Old scars have begun to heal for the Bladers of the BBA, after several particularly nasty situations. But as it becomes apparent that someone has returned to do them in, things spiral once again out of control. Racing against time, will those involved be able to save each other? Or will this challenge prove too much?

…

That's a really lame description. =/ But give me a break, I'm trying to be vague. I'm going to try and avoid pairings as of now, but I promise (knowing me,) they'll show up sometime. So please, read on and enjoy!

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Chapter 1 – Final Destination

Like all good stories, this one begins with an ending. It begins with clouds, black attire, and swollen eyes. This story begins with a funeral.

And to anyone near him, it was obvious that Kai Hiwatari did not want to be at that funeral. From the wake, to the burial, to the reception, he did nothing but stare straight ahead with irritation evident in his eyes. Even when several old women approached him with their condolences, Kai hardly returned a smile, let alone a somber 'thank you'. To him, the entire function was unnecessary.

Growing tired of standing in the parlor and ignoring people, Kai moved quietly through the crowded hallways of the sea-side manor. While the adults – mostly business associates – wore black suits and dresses, Kai had carefully selected his white suit for the occasion. Several glanced his way as he passed, but his crimson eyes never once looked back. The longer he moved, the more dispersed people grew, until finally he was in a thin, silent hallway behind what he assumed to be the kitchen. The old house had grown weary with age, and beneath his polished shoes the floor boards gave a gentle creek with each step.

Kai leaned against the wall and sighed, adjusting his red silk tie. The muffled murmurs of people echoed slightly between the tight walls, and the smell of caviar and aged wine filled the air around him. It reminded him of those days as a child that he spent at similar gatherings, the adults all either ignoring him or ruffling his hair. He remembered hating it. At the memory, the corner of his mouth twitched and he lifted his gaze to the ceiling, noting that it had recently been re-painted.

"Too crowded for you?" A voice asked from the end of the hall. Kai closed his eyes a minute and took a deep breath. How had someone found him here?

Looking toward the voice, Kai blinked at the sight of him. He was a tall, young man, easily over six feet, with a black suit and a light blue tie. He looked as though he hadn't combed his hair in years.

"Valentin?"

The man smiled genuinely. "Kai."

Remaining silent for a moment, Kai allowed the newcomer to move forward and lean against the old wall beside him. As they both looked directly ahead of themselves, Kai's eyebrows lowered in curiosity.

"So what's a boy from a good family doing at the funeral of a crime boss, I wonder?"

Valentin chuckled beneath his breath. They both continued to stair at the wall rather then each other.

"I came for the wine, actually. He left his cellar stock to my father."

"Bullshit." Kai said immediately. That was one of the few things he had wanted.

"Well, half of it. Probably to spite you, but I suppose he couldn't bring himself to give it all away."

Relaxing somewhat, Kai moved a hand into his pocket and took out a small package. Without looking, he picked the cellophane wrapper off of the cardboard package and let it fall to the well-swept floor.

"He loved his wine." Kai muttered, sighing. Valentin nodded to himself and looked down at his feet before spotting the small package in Kai's hand. Studying it, he smiled somewhat.

"When did you quit?"

"A few years ago." Kai said with little interest. Using the same hand, he opened the package and pulled out a strip of the nicotine gum, put the package back in his pocket, and lifted the small white square to his mouth.

"And you're still chewing that stuff?"

Lifting his eyes up toward the ceiling, Kai nodded to himself.

"I've gotten a bit addicted, I suppose."

Valentin laughed twice through his nose. "Isn't that completely against the idea of that gum?"

Kai didn't answer. The reality was that he had seen the gum as a symbol of freedom, and it had become habit for him to chew it when he felt trapped. And in his current situation, he most certainly felt that way. After a few moments of oddly comfortable silence, Valentin sighed.

"So I've been meaning to call you,"

"Of course,"

"And I really wanted to ask about what happened two years ago,"

"I'm not surprised,"

"So my main inquiery is thus;"

"Go on."

The taller of the two felt his eyebrow twitch. Kai certainly could peeve him. Taking a breath to regain composure, he continued with uncertain footing.

"Which one of you shot Dickenson?"

Ah, silence. Perhaps the more appropriate thing to find at a funeral, but unwanted all the same. Kai chewed on the gum gently and considered the question. After a few moments, he straightened his back against the wall before slumping again.

"I'm assuming that you guessed about Tala's involvement?"

"Tala or Bryan." Came the retort. Kai smiled at this and continued.

"It was me. We both figured that it was more fitting that way."

The tall blond nodded. For the first time, he glanced towards Kai's face before looking away just as quickly.

"And who got shot where?"

Kai rolled his eyes. Valentin had always been a sucker for dirty details. Swallowing, Kai bit the gum hard between his molars and closed his eyes tightly, raising his eyebrows as high as he could while he thought.

"I got shot in the arm. Tala scraped by unharmed, much to my disappointment."

Valentin frowned. "That's all?"

"No. A friend of mine took one in the gut, if I recall, and…"

Struggling to hide the fact that he was hanging on every word, Valentin leaned forward and motioned for him to continue.

"A kid got shot in the leg."

"Yeah, I know about that. That much was in the news. But that's not all of it, is it?"

Kai looked at him, finally making direct eye contact. The crimson iris of each eye seemed to quiver as he debated on whether or not he should continue.

"He died."

Valentin jumped. "Really?!"

"Yeah. He walked right out of the hospital and got hit by a train."

The excited look on the blonde's face vanished, and was replaced with a look of total annoyance. Not caring, Kai continued in a faux voice.

"Oh yeah, there were guts everywhere. Just like it Planet Terror – have you seen that movie? – Well it was a mess. The whole train derailed and it killed thousands of people. Didn't you hear?"

"Kai, I'm warning you."

"Of course you are."

They both took a deep breath and sighed bitterly, falling back up against the wall.

"So… What happened, then?"

"He got really sick. He's better now."

Valentin sighed, almost dejectedly. Kai rolled his eyes and looked down the hallway, noticing that the muffled voices had grown dimmer. Checking his watch, he smiled thankfully. The blonde spotted the silver band in the nick of time and bit his lip.

"You bought a Brequet?" He asked, almost regrettably. Kai pushed himself off the wall and started to walk down the hallway.

"I left the Pamigiani Bugatti at home."

A look of hostility flashed across Valentin's face, but Kai didn't notice.

"You know you should really try-"

"I'm not going to buy a watch just because your family makes them."

"But they're nice! Look at mine!" The blond whined, holding up his wrist and tugging at his sleeve. "Its better then some stupid Italian watch!"

Sweeping briskly through the spacious rooms of the house, Kai ignored his companion as well as he did everyone else who attempted to stop him. Out the front door, down the steps, across the large cobblestone drive, and toward his red Ferrari, Kai moved with purpose greater then he ever had. Before him, across the road and down a slope scattered with grass and rocks, the ocean stretched into the horizon and vanished against the pale sky. It was a sunny afternoon, and seagulls circled over the surf looking for some means of food. Reaching his car, Kai stopped to fish his keys from his pocket when he hear Valentin call him.

Growling, Kai looked down at the car door. The keys were already inside the lock, but instead of turning it, he turned slowly and spotted the young man on the steps of the house. He was holding something in his hand. Squinting for a moment, Kai recognized the manila folder to be part of the will hearings.

I can't believe I almost forgot about the best part of this damn thing, he thought. Forgetting momentarily about the keys, Kai jogged back across the property toward Valentin, who shook his head and smiled.

As Kai's Italian shoes brushed through the grass, the keys in the car door began to sway in the wind, and as the gust picked up, they turned just slightly on their own. It was enough, however, to set off something from inside the car, and as Kai's hand grasped the package back on the front steps of the house, the expensive car exploded in a fantastic eruption of fire and scrap metal.

Everyone around provided a human reaction. At the sound of the blast, they all froze and pulled a stupid face, too startled to move. Kai was the only one to act differently, by means of a startled blink followed by him whipping around to look in the direction of the blast.

Sedan, Mercedes Benz, Range Rover… No Ferrari. Kai stared at the smoking heap of his three hundred and forty thousand dollar car. Behind him, Valentin leaned forward and blinked curiously, overcoming the surprise.

"That's probably bad…" He muttered, not looking at Kai as the shorter male turned to glare venomously at him.

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Oooooh…. Car went boom. ):

I will be starting up little comments between characters next chapter. The main thing I was to stress right now is to PLEASE REVIEW! Thank you!