I'm sorry this chapter took me so long but has anyone noticed just how busy summer can get? Anyways here is this and we are almost at an end so bear with me.
Chapter Seven
The Art of Bloodlust
Fear scented the icy air like a dreaded cloud. The steel halls could hardly be long enough as the four beybladers approached their destination for disapproval.
They all exchanged careful glances, trying with great difficulties to overcome their panic.
This was it.
For every beginning their was an ending.
For every life there was a death.
For every failure there is a punishment.
Determined ice in the lead tried to hold dignity for himself and his friends, however something's were impossible and it was obvious as they entered a brightly lit room that all hope was lost. Each boy held a beyblade in their palm, each broken like their spirit. He was already weakened by the wound that was still healing deep inside him beneath his heart.
"Tala." The voice greeted the leader in a mocking charmful way. "How nice of you to join us this afternoon." A man with stormy gray hair laughed in delight as the boys shied away from him, trying to pretend they could confront him. Behind the man stood his accomplice, Boris, who watched the scene with no where near the equal joy.
"Voltaire, please." He begged silently to the gray haired man.
"Something's need to be done." Voltaire turned to reply to Boris.
Thoughts raced through Tala's mind as he side glance Bryan, Spencer and Ian. The same three boys who had both succeeded and failed in the previous World Championship. They were also all accused of allowing Kai to escape shortly after that.
Harsh chastisement was evident.
Failure was not taken lightly.
Rough hands grabbed Tala's arms. He looked into the eyes of his captive and then gazed away unable to find the determination he held earlier to fight back, he allowed himself to be taken. He was bound in chains which was nothing unexpected he just wished they would dispatch with their crimes quickly, however knowing Voltaire and Boris they would draw this out to make their point.
Tala looked up with faded frosty eyes to notice that only he had been removed from the group, the others still stood together shifting from foot to foot, gazing at their leader for help. This time Tala couldn't help though. 'Kai.' Not even Kai would be able to help like he had in the past. It was useless. He gazed down to the bit-beastless blade in his hand, unable to find confront in the empty ice. Not even Wolborg could help.
Several of Biovolt's employees approached the boys, still no one came for the forgotten youth, he could only watch.
The Demolition boys, minus Tala, had their hands tied behind their backs as were their legs bound together by ropes. The iced blue eyed boy knew this trick, they would tie them up so they would be trapped yet still able to move around if determined to do so, then Voltaire and Boris with use of any method of near fatality to break them, taunting and terrorizing in the meantime, never actually causing death, but no. That's not what they were doing.
Instead the men in white coats took long rolls of translucent string. Piano string. And began to weave it around the terrified boys.
Tala lashed out against his own bonds beginning to understand this new plan.
The wire wrapped around their arms, legs and neck. Tala's heart wretched with disgust and horror, as all at once the wires grew taunt, and then a sharp tug.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOO." Tala screamed, unbearable tears falling from his ice eyes, mixing with the splatter of blood from his teammates.
Delighted, gruesome, insane laughter filled the room. Screams, sobs and then laughter.
"NOOOOOOOOO." Tala's scream continued into reality, filtering dream from life.
-----
"Tala." Kai's worried voice came from somewhere. "Tala, what's wrong?" Kai asked pressing himself closer to the frightened boy.
"Kai?" Tala asked opening his eyes, grateful to see the crimson eyed boy watching him. He threw his arms around the younger blader overwhelmed with his presence. "Kai." He smiled stroking the boys cheek softly while holding him to his chest.
"You alright?" Kai asked.
"Just a nightmare." Tala replied acknowledging the other boy's nod in agreement. "You too?"
"Every night." The embrace tightened, only the sound of the lock clicking allowed their attention to waiver from one another.
"Sorry to break up the reunion." The man behind the voice didn't look sorry at all. "However Voltaire requires your presence Kai." Boris said slowly, relishing in the boy's horror he took a chance to gaze at Tala. "Do not fear for your crimson haired friend I'll take very good care of him."
"I'm going with him." Tala rose to his feet from the bed ignoring the phantom pains in his limbs and chest.
"You will not."
"He is coming with me Boris." Kai said glaring in a deep cold voice, reaching to grasp Tala's arm not ready to give up the warmth the two had enjoyed. "And you don't have a say in the matter." Kai finished in his confident tone.
Boris glared but stepped down allowing himself to patiently obey the boy, for after all he was his Grandfather's Grandson, they shared blood and the power of manipulation.
The three walked down the hall. Boris in the lead, led the boys to Voltaire's study. Tala gazed around him somewhat pleased to be out of the room for the first time in months, ever since the death of the Demolition boys, he had been confined to that residence. Kai watched both Tala with pleasure to see the boy alive holding back his ever affection for the boy in front of Boris.
At last the great oak doors loomed at the end of a corridor, a dark phoenix surround by destruction was carved beautiful yet deadly, into the mahogany wood. Kai shuddered at the creation and looked away. Tala noticed this and subtly reached for Kai's hand squeezing it tightly before looking at the piece himself.
Boris opened the door on a horrible sight, Voltaire sitting majestically on the desk, legs crossed over the edge, holding a straining boy by the neck with a gun to his head.
"Look what I found Kai." Voltaire spoke with tainted eager, watching as all the blood rushed from Kai's face.
"Kai." Rei managed breathlessly.
Why was Rei here? Kai asked himself angrily, the stupid blader, didn't he understand that this was more then he could handle?
"Rei?" Tala asked cautiously, turning to watch Kai's expression to determine if last night interrogation on the matter was true. Kai's shadowy grimace was evidence that he was not pleased with the obsidian haired blader.
"Well as long as everyone knows each other, their is no point to waste any more time." Voltaire stated nodding to Boris to close the doors.
"I'm sure you all find my actions a little unorthodox, lacking reason and logic however allow me to explain myself. I am in fact a rather decent man if given the chance..." His gaze deliberately narrowed on Kai. "And if you agree to cooperate."
"Now what do I want from this?" He continued rhetorically. "The reason for all of this is to have complete cooperation. Rei." He turned to his captive. "I don't really care about you." He laughed. "But I do feel you should not go without punishment for destroying my Grandson further, after he was allowed to leave Biovolt over a year ago. Besides I need you to fill in as part of this plan." He paused allowing his words begin to take effect. "Tala, I want you to return to your cooperate stage, I would think by now after failing your team members that you would be prepared to continue. Unless of course you want their death to be in vain, but that would be selfish of you wouldn't it?" He laughed at Tala's depressed flawed gaze. "You know well that we spared you to give you a second chance for we have great expectations of you. In other words, don't fail us again." He then turned to Kai meeting him eye to eye. "And you my dear grandson, I also want you to step up to your heritage, become who I created you to be, not weakened by these two."
"So that's your master plan." Kai laughed mockingly. "That is what this has all lead up to." He continued to laugh bitterly, angry that Voltaire would go to such extremes for one thing.
"Anything to have you Kai." Voltaire smirked.
"I'm not your possession." Kai retaliated.
"I own you." His positive expression gave way to a grave frown. "I hold all the cards. Dranzer, Rei and Black Dranzer."
For the first time Kai looked into Rei's eyes and saw pure fear, which hardly reflected his own crimson gaze. The golden eyed boy was just like him, alone and forgotten a pawn in his Grandfather's game of hate, merely being manipulated for the benefit of others. No free will.
Rei's eyes were beginning to shine with a hidden breakage, the golden pools were shimmering with pain and sorrow of someone who knew they had lost, knew they had failed. Kai could acknowledge this well as he turned to look at Tala who had the same expression as Rei, gazing sadly at Kai and then to Rei as Voltaire ordered two men to restrain Tala with a similar gun to his head.
"Voltaire that wasn't part of the plan." Boris yelled with anger staring at Tala and then Voltaire.
"Oh dear Boris did I forget to tell you." Voltaire laughed. "I hold all the cards." As two more men held posed guns to Boris' head.
Boris was extremely shocked by this development and sent a frantic, searching glance to Voltaire who just smirked at the four fearful captives.
"You see Boris, I noticed you were growing a little too attached to one of my valued specimens and therefore I had to make a new arrangement. You must never befriend your prisoner and now you must be reprimanded. You too are being weakened by our tame broken souls. I know well you were placing more focus on Tala then the operation of this corporation, I am displeased."
"I understand sir. Please forgive me." Boris stated falling passively into the clutches of his own accomplices.
"Very good Boris. I'm glad that even so near to death you are obedient." Boris cringed, however knew how to a manipulate a situation.
"As for you Kai," Voltaire paused as he reached into his pocket with his gun hand and retrieved two small faintly glowing objects. "Look around you, what do you have?"
Rei was near unconsciousness as he struggled to breath through Voltaire's intense grip.
Tala looked as if at last he had given up hope as he gave up the struggle.
Boris who even though he thought of him as an enemy, what scared him most was that this man was also being dragged into Voltaire's scheme's.
This all worked to his Grandfather's benefit, he knew that well.
"You have many choices before you. One fall victim to my will, and liberate your friends, or two watch as all your friends perish and then I will force you to bend to my will."
The options didn't look good as Kai's crimson attention was drawn to the light emitting objects, Dranzer and it's obsidian reflection.
"You rejoin me and," He hesitated a moment before jerking Rei's head until the golden eyed boy fell into a daze, and tossed him to the marble floor. "I will give you this." He then rose to his feet and walked calmly to Kai with an outstretched palm. The blade in his hand shimmered with a deadly ebony color, Black Dranzer. "The freedom of your friends." Voltaire's other hand was used to signify Tala and Rei and also secretly the beloved Dranzer. "And the power I know you crave."
Scarlet gaze fell into a peaceful mode as he thought over the decision in front of him.
"You cannot have it all." Voltaire answered without question, as if assisting to the youth's choice.
"All right Voltaire." Kai replied after several intense moments in which he tried his best to avoid eye contact with anyone. "I have made my decision." Kai answered, careful to keep his gaze fixed on Voltaire's to show complete confidence, meanwhile Rei was stirring into a sitting position clutching his shoulder. "I have decided..." He hesitated allowing his gaze to fall for a quick moment to gaze into Tala's frigid azure eyes. "I will join Biovolt, and..." Kai looked to Tala again and smiled before looking to Rei, his heart cringing for the boy who had risked his life, and frowned. "I will kill Rei as well, to prove my loyalties to you Voltaire." And you Tala he thought secretly.
Voltaire grinned happily and pulling the boy into an embrace. "Your reward will be Black Dranzer, and my respect."
"It is all I ever wanted Voltaire." Kai replied, acknowledging the beyblade and also the gun that was handed to him. Voltaire then went to stand by the shaking tearful boy on the floor holding his shoulders for Kai to take aim.
He could feel the weight of the weapon in his hands, it was sleek and strong, it made him feel powerful and determined. He smirked as he took shot and aimed.
The air smelt of gun powder and blood.
