Wildfox: Hey there reviewers! Welcome to the third chappie of January Friend. Sorry I took so long to update. Nee way, enjoy!

Chapter 3: Victorious

When Kai awoke he was on his stomach in the darkness of the night surrounded by his quiet solitude. Moving to a kneeling position he felt the side of his head. Sure enough it was bloody and bumped but after only a few seconds of running his fingers along its surface he lost interest and got to his feet. He was dizzy at first and needed the help of the wall for support. He leaned close to it as the bare concrete touched his clammy skin. He breathed hard now as the dizziness passed and he could yet again see clearly. Kai stood to his full height as he collapsed on his bed lying on his back. What would he do now? Luckily the crash had gone unnoticed by the remainder of the household but this didn't mean he was out of the woods just yet. Kai rolled onto his side placing one of his injured hands behind his head. His slate hair felt greasy as small beads of sweat trickled down his neck and onto his blanket. With his other hand the phoenix felt the hard wood of his bedpost. It was soft and unmarked but before he knew what was happening, Kai had dug deep trenches onto its surface. He turned quickly now back onto his back holding his hands together upon his chest.

Kai narrowed down all the possibilities of what he could do next and came to only one conclusion; he needed to leave. He had no money and he didn't have a job but this didn't discourage him. Many years ago when he'd lived in the abbey, he'd seen where his Grandfather had kept a private stash of money. He'd heard from his parents that it was due to a constant fear that he had of going completely bankrupt so he kept more than half of his riches deep beneath the floors. Kai just needed to remember where this was.

The blader got to his feet slowly since he was still slightly recovering from the fall and he walked uneasily to the hall. All was quiet meaning that everyone was fast asleep so looking to his left, Kai squinted trying to see where he was. Jogging now he went to the end of the hall and knelt down on his good knee. He felt along the carpet until he found a weak spot where he pulled causing the carpet to flip over revealing a small door.

"Got ya!" Kai exclaimed, pulling on the door.

He couldn't believe his eyes! There below him sat riches upon riches all piled on top of one another going deep underground. There was so much in fact, that if Kai only took a few bundles he could afford to go around the world and back on the most expensive airline and still have cash to spare! Leaning down he picked up three of them and stood up only to meet eyes with non other than . . .

"Grandfather." Kai proclaimed, stepping forward.

"Somehow I knew one day you would desert me Kai. But now you must pay for what you've done!" Voltaire spat, flicking a whip at his side.

Several times Kai had felt this weapon dig into his skin but never when his flesh and blood had been this angry. He made his way closer to the wall hoping that he could somehow bypass his Grandfather's massage corpse. However, as Kai made a run for it he was licked by the tail end of the whip as his now wounded leg gave away and he fell.

"May you feel pain!" the monster screamed, flicking Kai again this time in the back.

Kai refused to show weakness and got to his feet staring the old man down, his eyes burning with a rare flame. When this was seen, Kai never lost what he was fighting for. Crying out, the slate haired boy dove at his target knocking him hard onto the floor as he hit his head. Lucky for Kai it was hard causing the enemy to be dazed for a few seconds, just enough time for him to make his great escape.

He got up quickly from the floor slipping slightly but quite easily regaining his footing. His room was his only way of escape for surely someone else had heard the commotion meaning that downstairs was an off limit area. Taking them down would have been simple had Kai been in better shape but in his mind, every bone in his body felt like it would just snap with any physical contact.

Kai closed his door sharply now turning to the window. It was the only way out; he'd have to jump. His mind raced as he made his way to the shattered glass but when he looked down he suddenly didn't feel so brave anymore. It hadn't seemed this high from the ground when he climbed up but back then he hadn't had as many wounds or his worst enemy trying to kill him. Holding his breath he closed his eyes as he tried to calm down.

"You can do this Kai," he told himself. "No big deal, and the good news is that no matter what happens, it won't make a difference. If you die, so what? It'll be quick and painless and if you live then you'll just get back up again and get the hell out of here."

Unfortunately this did little to convince him as he gulped at the ground and nearly jumped out of his skin as his bedroom door was knocked in and Voltaire appeared. His forehead was smeared with blood as he held a large wooden plank rather than a whip. Kai had to jump or face this man. Jumping would prove that he'd tried to live and that he'd cared for his survival but remaining in his room would only cause a slow painful death. Turning again to the window, a look of pure determination flooded his features. He would do it and no matter how he landed he would run away and only stop when he was no longer being chased. No matter what the conflict or the consequences; Kai would live just a little bit longer.

Snow was falling in heaps by now as he turned back to his Grandfather advancing slowly upon his broken and torn body. Smirking Kai chuckled a little and waved a short goodbye.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Voltaire spat, now running towards Kai.

As if he were going to pull him into a lock, Voltaire dove at Kai missing him by a mire inch. The teen had already jumped and by the time this was realized it was too late.

The phoenix had sailed through the air like a bird, the wind rustling wildly through his hair and the icy cold breath of winter attacking his visible skin. He could have sworn he had been flying upon his way down had it not been the sharp pain that he felt when he'd finally met the ground face first. He'd been knocked back into reality as he struggled to roll over. Kai winced staring back up into his bedroom window. All that now moved were his blood red curtains as they knocked tiny shards of glass into the snow. This however, meant only one thing; Voltaire was already gathering forces to take down Kai as one before it was too late. Pushing himself from the snowy ground, Kai struggled to find the iron gates, which would release him back into the normal world.

It was difficult for the boy had been seriously injured by the sudden stop of his flight but with the utmost of effort, he managed to stand, rather wobbly and crooked but he managed. The gates were to his left and he would have to climb them again. Just as he began to move though, the sound of echoed barking reached his ears. Turning on his heel, Kai saw about ten massive dogs heading for him, their jaws baring and spit flying from their gums.

"Oh crap!" Kai yelled, running now to the gates despite his wounds.

He had only reached their base when a dog collided with his leg. Kai lurched but refused to show weakness. Kicking one of them hard in the head he managed to begin the climb but not before one rather ferocious dog attached itself to his left knee. Kai gave a cry but only kicked this dog in the same way. He climbed faster now reaching the barbed wire and rolling over it and landing on the sidewalk. The phoenix felt the blood flowing from his flesh but he had no time to rest. Already he could hear the Hiwatari guards advancing and he still hadn't gotten up. The ground seemed unusually comfortable as if it were his bed. The soft blanket of snow was like a cloud and the ever-piling snow upon his back was like a protective barrier hiding him from evil. He closed his eyes soaking in the moment when he felt a strong hand grasp his jacket. Kai struggled to move but could not as he was lifted with ease from his position and to his feet.

"Thought you'd get away did you boy?" the cold voice of his Grandfather spoke into his Grandson's ear. "Thought that you were home free and that you could just leave me? Well, think again!"

Kai met the ground again slamming the side of his head into the concrete below. Opening his eyes slowly he saw the fuzzy image of the board collide with his chest. Kai jolted from the impact but felt neither defeat nor fear. In fact, he felt new strength for a reason beyond his memory. He felt a need to fight back and to win. This was the Kai he remembered. Not the one that he was now that would only lie down and let whatever was happening happen. The old Kai didn't take anything from anyone and was his own human being. This was the one that Kai was choosing to be now. This was Kai Hiwatari.

Jumping to his feet with ease Kai attacked Voltaire punching at anything in his way. The old man screamed shielding his face from the constant impact of his Grandson's angry fists. Suddenly, a new sound reached the teen's ears as he stood up looking around. The guards were coming for him and in his present condition he did not want anything to do with hundreds of perfectly healthy men. Looking for one last time into the cold pits that were his Grandfather's eyes, Kai slammed his boot deep into his throat causing breathing to become impossible.

"This is all that you deserve old man, for all the years of suffering you've caused me." Kai spoke calmly, jamming his foot harder into the man with every word he spoke. "Don't you ever touch me or come near me again or I'll make your life a living hell just like what you did to mine. Understand?"

Voltaire only squirmed harder as he turned slowly purple. The guards could only watch in horror for now they felt small and helpless at the wrath of Kai.

"I said do you understand?!" he shouted, grabbing his Grandfather by the shoulders and strangely lifting him into the air. "Answer me!"

However, no words escaped his lips as he fell unconscious and Kai dropped him. He'd never felt so angry at the world and all he wanted to do now was kill the man who had killed him. The man who forced him to live alone and in misery and the one who had taken Alex away from him in the first place. His breath came in gasps now as it caressed the wind and he looked at his hands. They were covered in blood from both himself and the man before him. Despite his hate for him Kai refused to be a killer and returned to his original plan of escape. Clenching his fists he glared at the men before him who backed up in fear. This time it was the other way around and they were scared and Kai was feeling triumphant. Then with one final look at his foe lying helpless and dead to the world he ran in the opposite direction and away from the place, which ruined him no longer.