AN: itz strange. I never saw myself writing a Beyblade fic. Oh well, point is, I wrote it and this is done. Now I must force myself to finish! Either that or animeobsessed:P will kill me, won't you, AO?

AO: (nods)

SO: well there you go. A strange fic if I do say so on my part. I really don't know how I came up with this! And I don't read to many beyblade fics for some reason, so I don't know how it compares to the rest of em. Anyhow, I guess I'll see wont I? Alright, I think I'll just let you read now o ya. And I really appreciate if you guy R&R. even if it's something small, I just like to know how u feel about this!

Summary: AU. One night, a terrible incident, and it pulled the two apart, possibly forever. Now, five years later, fate brings them together again. However, when one can't remember the past, it makes things difficult of them all. So now there are two problems on their hands. Regaining ties with friends, and stop a group of so called scientists with human mutations, in their own unique ways. Even if someone gets hurt in the process. (TalaOC)

Disclaimer: Me no own Beyblade…really just the stuff I make up. which is like the plot and some random names here and there…

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Memories Are Worth Keeping

Prologue:

The Stage is Set

The sky was a gloomy gray color. Water drops began to sprinkle lightly against the battered sidewalk cement. There was not a sound other than the occasional quiet thump of the drops hitting the cold ground. The air was cool and crisp, causing the red-haired boy to button up the neck of his jacket. He was hidden by several trees, and in one hand, was limply holding a pocket revolver. In his other hand, held a thin girl by the shoulder, only a year younger then he.

The two stared from their hidden position. It was an old, abandoned warehouse; or it was supposedly abandoned; they knew otherwise. The faded dull green paint was peeling away in more then one place. It gave off a 'come-near-and-die' vibe. Well, that wasn't about to scare them. It was their job after all. Death was just one of the risks they were forced to take.

The seventeen year-old girl shivered under her long white trench coat and brushed a few loose strands of her jet-black hair from her golden eyes. "I don't like this," she told her partner, her jaw clenched, "I bet the whole lot of 'em are in there. There's only two of us…" she reached inside her coat pocket and twirled the black mechanism around.

"Heh, don't tell me you're scared of those creeps," the grip on the girl's shoulder tightened in a comforting way. "Those damn bastards, thinking they can take that substance just like that." His violet eyes stared at the back of her braided hair, waiting for a reply.

"I wouldn't be here if I was scared," she answered, her vision still set on the slightly ajar door of the building, "and besides, I'd rather not think of what they could do with that…" she trailed off.

"Ya," the other agreed, "filthy cowards, luring us to their hideout where they have strength in numbers. They knew we wouldn't have time to get Kai and the others. This would be so much simpler if the police were here. But they wouldn't be in the abandoned part of this city…"

"True, getting the cops would be easier, but then again, they aren't exactly friendly among us. Assassins, that is…" her lips curled into a small smile. "And the other group should know too, not to randomly steal valued property. Not that they can open the vile anyway." Her hand clutched a small silver ring-looking pendant that hung around her neck.

"Well then if that's so important, why not leave it somewhere safe?" the redhead questioned the brunette's logic.

"You see, when I get that substance back, I plan to test it on one of them. Doesn't the sound of a blood-filled scream thrill you?" she mused, finally tearing her gaze from the old building and fixed then upon her partner's pale face.

"Indeed," he stroked her cheek without so much as a glance. The shadows covered the faint blush creeping up to her face. It wasn't as if it was the first time he'd done that and all…but still. The wind began to pick up, sending several leaves to be cast into the darkened sky. "Promise me one thing," he broke the silence a minute later, "don't get yourself killed…before me anyway." He gazed into her eyes for the first time that night; his were set in a determined look, and he carried a small, yet confident smile.

Her face immediately set to the same expression. "It'll take more then them to dispose of me." With that said, they quietly stepped around to the small back door. Inside, the lights were on, but no sound was emitted. "They're inviting us…" the two looked at one another and nodded. Revolvers clung tightly to their bodies; they synchronized their motions and ran in quickly.

They stood back-to-back, firearms now raised. Still there was no noise from the 'what-seemed-to-be' abandoned warehouse. After a few tense moments, the girl lowered her gun slightly. It was a mistake on her part, as she heard the sound of a trigger being wound a split second to late. It all happened in the blink of an eye; the small metal weapon missed the target, but not by much. It ripped through her white coat and severed the outer layer of skin on her upper-arm.

Without a second thought, they both ran to a large stack of crates, their footsteps pounding against the concrete flooring. Once hidden from the middle of view, the redhead spoke softly, "Close…" no sooner had he started, his associate pressed her index finger to his lips, and listened carefully around her. That's when she heard the sound she wanted, that of a gun being loaded. Her golden eyes instantly darted to the left, and the other wasted no time at firing in that direction. No sooner had he pulled the trigger, a groan of pain was omitted, as well as the sound of blood hitting the cold floor.

"Aim is as good as always," she flashed him a soft smile.

"Well you're hearing is the key," he shrugged her compliment off and focused back on the mission.

So they were hiding among the crates, huh? Well two could play at that game. "Cover me," she whispered, and climbed over the wooden boxes without a sound, and revolver ready. The boy gave a quick nod and shot in a random direction. On the other side of the crate where she resided, the weight shifted slightly upon hearing the gunfire. 'So that's where you're hiding,' she smirked and in a second, fired through the wood. A loud moan meant she'd hit her target and pushed away the crate as it shattered on the floor below. The man on the other side clutched his side and he had no time to make a move as a powerful kick sent him toppling over the edge of the current platform.

"Prairie!" her partner called out a bit too late as an enemy shot through the box where she stood, shattering it to pieces and sending the girl named Prairie tumbling down a good twenty feet. He immediately ran from his 'hiding spot' and caught her before the hard ground could. Upon doing so, his legs gave way and sent him to his knees. "Jeez! Are you ever heavy falling from that high!"

Prairie would have made a comeback at this, but was unable to, as an enemy appeared in front of them, firearm raised. She instantly shot up out of his protective arms, and swiftly picked up her dropped weapon. The two partners, now both on their feet and pointed their guns at the enemy. That is, until another one immerged from his position. It was two against two, and none would back down. It was basically a stare-off…that is, until another two came from their spots.

No good, they couldn't possibly take four on at once. The two narrowed their eyes. And as they were trained to do, backed away slowly, but kept focus on the enemy men. All they did was smirk.

The duo couldn't help but wonder what was so amusing about this. That question didn't go unanswered for long, as Prairie was caught by an at least six-foot tall man, making her arms immobile. Her gaze wandered to her partner. He was in a similar situation, also bound by his arms by a man of similar height. "Damnit!" she heard him say.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Wipe that smile off your face and get the boss!" the one holding Prairie commanded, as the four scurried off in the same direction with a, "Sir!"

That only left the two men, not including the injured ones that lay sprawled across the floor. They were unarmed, making them easy targets; obviously these guys weren't too smart. "Tala! Don't you dare move!" Prairie commanded after setting the trigger with one hand.

Tala didn't need to nod and his partner fired the weapon still clutched tightly in her hand. It hit his captor right in the lower leg. The opening gave Tala some time to run behind a cluster of crate stacks before more armed reinforcements came. No good, his stupid trigger was jammed, just his luck. 'Hang on just a bit longer,' he mentally spoke to his comrade, and somehow, he knew that she'd heard, when another mental voice whispered an, "okay".

"That bitch! I'll kill her!" an armed man pointed his tiny handgun at her head. Her façade remained calm, but on the inside she was scared stiff.

"No! We're on orders not to touch 'em. Just take 'er gun away!" the captor spat. One of the men rushed forward and wrenched the machine from her hand.

"Damn…you…" Prairie growled not knowing what else to do.

The man who'd just threatened her earlier calmly made his way in front of her. "Eh, well, if I can't kill this bitch, I may as well have some fun. She's not bad looking anyway," he laughed amongst his allies. His wrinkling hand reached down and caressed her chest lightly. Prairie's fists were clenched, knuckles white as the older man made comments about, "how soft they were".

"Hey," she finally managed to say, and looked her enemies with firey eyes, "don't screw around with me." She brought her left leg up to knee the man in front of her in the groin. As he doubled over, Prairie's opposite foot made contact with his head, knocking him unconscious.

"That's the last straw bi— " another man raised his gun, but dropped it just as fast when a bullet sunk into his thigh. Apparently Tala had gotten his gadget unstuck. He'd run out of ammo, and threw the revolver away.

The last armed man raised his weapon towards Tala. "Stop! We're on orders not to ki—" and he was cut short by two sharp pains in his shins, courtesy of the brunette's se of her lower body. The last gunman was torn between who to shoot, as they both came from different angles, but were each unarmed. Prairie being the slightly closer target, he directed it at her. But the enemy waited too long. In one swift motion, the teenage boy had done a sort-of slide tackle, knocking him off his feet.

Tala crouched down beside the fallen man and said, "Touch her again, and I'll personally hunt you down in hell." He picked up the small handgun on the floor, "but we won't have to worry about that again, will we?" In a single shot, the body went limp, blood oozing from his head.

Prairie came over and rested her hand on his shoulder. "A good fighter knows when to regroup. I say we come back later with the others." He took her offered hand and rose to his feet.

The warehouse fans began to rotate, making it harder to hear. "Sounds good to me," her partner shrugged and looked back at the damage. At lest two were dead and the rest were injured. They could now take their time; it would be awhile before one of them were to get up.

"Oh yeah, about earlier, you said I was heavy falling from that high. Should I take that offensively as in I'm fat or as a compliment meaning I'm not a fragile twig?"

He gave a small laugh, "Whatever appeals to you most, I guess."

"Compliment then," she finalized the topic as they reached the exit. That's when an unknown arm wrapped itself around Prairie's neck, causing her first reaction to choke.

"Where do you think you're going?" an eerie voice cooed, sending a shiver down her spine. Tala was trying to fend off four middle-aged men, which wasn't going too well. Even if they weren't armed.

"So you're the leader," she reasoned through his tight grip, "Boris…is it not?"

"Heh, I'm flattered you know of me. And I must thank you, bringing the key to me. It makes things so much simpler…" his gloved hand reached and tore the ring from around her neck. "Didn't think anyone else could use it, did you? You were going to use this to silence your victims, correct?"

Prairie chuckled slightly and told her captor what was so funny, as his grip around her neck tightened. "You don't even know what it does. For all you know, it's nitroglycerin and it'll blow up right in your face." Tala was now being held limply by two of the men. There was a trail of blood from his mouth to the floor.

Boris's ice cold glare hardened. "That is true. But nothing's stopping me from testing it on you right now."

The comment made her blood run cold. She'd die from a gun, but certainly not from a test run of the enemy. A short man dressed in a white lab coat and little round glasses came out holding the stolen vile. Its contents was clear like water, but it was far from it. The tiny man took the key from his master, and twisted the lid open, and let the cork drop to the floor. He pulled a small pointed object from deep pocket and absorbed half of the tiny vile's contents. 'Ah, I've always hated needles, and now I know why!' her mind screamed, as her eyes shut tight and she squirmed wildly, making the grip around her neck tighter once again. She could feel the air leaving her lungs by the second.

Her redhead partner watched the scene unfold from a relatively close distance. "You let her go! I don't care what you do with me just keep her out of this," he shouted furiously, trying to free himself, to no success.

Prairie had not enough oxygen to respond. 'Idiot. I got myself into this and I'm going to deal with it. Don't try and be the hero. It doesn't suit your personality,' and she hoped he heard.

He growled in frustration. "Enough," his words had no effect as Boris took the needle from the scientist-looking man's careful hands and plunged it deep into the neck of the girl, not really caring where.

Her eyes opened in shock and fear upon feeling the sharp prick enter the tissue of her already aching neck. She could feel the liquid slowly being injected into her system, and prayed that it wouldn't do what it was meant to. Satisfied with his work, Boris retracted the pointed object and threw his hostage to the floor.

The room went silent, as Tala watched his partner lie still on the cold ground. He was released from the two men, but remained in the same stance, secretly hoping, praying she was alright.

Prairie felt her face hit the solid floor and lay there for sometime. Was she dead? She opened one eye the was staring at the ground. 'I'm…alive. It didn't do anything. My luck hasn't run out yet.' It was still best to regroup. And on three, they were going to get out of here. One, two… "Tala! Run!" she screamed and scrambled to her feet, somewhat wobbly but wasted no time heading towards the way they'd came in.

Relieved, her ally was on her tail without much hesitation. Boris was a bit stunned as to the fact she was still alive, and threw the useless vile to the floor, scattering the glass into shards. The liquid clumped together in a small dome shape on the floor. "Stop them!" he ordered.

The swift brunette made an abrupt stop, her partner by her side. In front of them stood two oriental boys, not much older then twenty years of age by the looks of it. They were both holding…

"Samurai swords? Isn't that a bit out of date?" Prairie asked to no one in particular. The two young men scoffed and charged directly towards them. "Sheesh, I was joking."

"The crates," Tala didn't waste a second before dashing towards the top as if they were a flight of stairs. "There's an open window over there on the other end. We'll go through there," he told her, once they both had climbed up the twenty some-odd foot height.

The stacks were arranged one next to the other and were relatively the same height. This made it easier to run across. Prairie looked behind her; the two samurai-boys were following. "Less talk, more escape," she reasoned, trailing behind her partner.

"Hey! Hurry up back there! You're falling behind," Tala turned to see she was at least five meters back.

"Yeah! I'm coming," but for an odd reason, her legs wouldn't move faster. In fact, they seemed to move in slow motion. Tala, on the other hand, was running at normal speed. 'What is…' "Wait!" she wanted to scream out, but…no sound. 'My voice…oh no, it can't be.' Her hand reached back to the delicate skin where the needle had entered. It stung, badly, almost burned. 'No!' her mind cried out as her vision began to blur slightly and her head spun. 'No…' with that, she lost her footing as she plunged face first into the wooden crates.

Violet eyes looked back once again. This time, they widened in fear, something that didn't happen often. Prairie collapsed suddenly, and was sent tumbling over the edge.

It was like a movie. She could see the samurai swordsmen stop, and her comrade running back towards her, still in slow motion as they grew further and further away. She was falling, only, extremely slowly. After what seemed like minutes, she could feel the cold ground beneath her. Prairie watched helplessly as Tala jumped down after her.

He couldn't just leave her. It was honor, after all. He had to. Though she probably felt little or no pain now. It seemed to be a slow effect of what it was supposed to do. It was only a test, so it shouldn't have worked properly, and it didn't. This just made things worse. When his feet made contact with the floor twenty feet below, three big muscular men wasted no time at surrounding him.

She wanted to scream, cry out, and that was a thought that had never come across her mind in her whole life…or in her career anyway. Never had she imagined the life of an assassin would end like this. She lay in a heap, watching the three strong men start to punch her ally, who was desperately trying do fend them off. It wasn't much use though. Boris's goons were no match for the likes of even him.

'You did this for my sake, idiot. If I die here it's my fault, I wasn't careful. You shouldn't have gotten involved with this,' a tear fell from her eye, something that hadn't happened in awhile. She could hear Tala calling out to her. But she couldn't respond. Only mentally, and that still was straining. 'I'm sorry Tala. I didn't keep my word, and that's a sin. So…sorry…' and then her whole vision faded into darkness.

o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O

w00t. prologue for ya there. I dunno how long it'll take me to update, cuz me havent written the next chapter yet. Oh well. It'll come.