Disclaimer: I don't own beyblade, all I own is my oc's and the plot line.
By Their Saving Grace
Chapter Seven: Terror Eternal
x x x
Kai wasn't quite sure how this was supposed to make him feel. It had happened so quick, so unexpectedly. He knew that this was hard on him, perhaps harder than it was on anyone else, with the exception of the old man sitting at the dining room table of Tyson's home, face wetted with fresh tears. He thought he had made the right decision, much like Kai had thought as well.
They were both terribly wrong.
"Dai, come here," Hilary called. The news was on in the room, and Hilary felt the need to remove the young boy from the group. After all, she had been up as early as he and Ray, watching the news. Actually, he wasn't sure if they had slept much at all.
"This is bad," Tyson said from his left.
The neko-jin to Tyson's left, who sat on the edge of the couch didn't take his widened eyes off the screen as he spoke. "You think?" He asked incredulously.
"Nine fifty-eight at night," Kai said. "That was the time."
"They've had control for twelve hours now."
Max added a bit to the conversation, sitting to Kai's right. "More than that, Grandpa."
Hilary walked back into the room. "The world is going to hell."
Kai nodded. "There's nothing we can do right now. He's got too many minions fully trained."
"There are riots in the streets here, in Paris, in Cairo, Saint Petersburg, and New York City. And they have more reports coming in by the second. Those are just the big ones."
Kenny typed frantically into his computer before he looked back at his friends. "Has anyone gotten in contact with us?"
"No one's called to say 'I told you so,' if that's what you mean," Kai said.
"Will they come here?"
Ray shook his head. "No. Why would they come here if they could have the free reign over the city?"
"Because I'm here."
Tyson snorted. "Dude, if they wanted you, they would've gotten you when you had seen Angel."
Murderous looks were sent to him by everyone, except Kai. He shrugged.
"Well, they would've!" He shouted in his defense.
Kai shrugged. "They aren't exactly ones to torture me all at once. I wouldn't be surprised if Angel was just setting us up. Tala is just as fickle as I am when it comes to changing sides."
Hilary looked at him. "Yeah, he changed and joined BEGA within two seconds of it's appearance, right? He was in the hospital because he fought with BEGA too," she said sarcastically.
"Touché," Kai said.
"We thought he had changed sides, but maybe he was on the right one all along."
"Boris extended the offer for us to join him," Max said. "We can't."
"Obviously," Ray said curtly. "By the way, have you talked to your mom?"
Max nodded. "She called around midnight our time. Said that the B.B.A. building was swarming with Biovolt soldiers."
"This is so stupid!" Tyson beat the cherry coffee table before him with both fists. Kai stared at him, his attention caught by the action. "We can't just sit here and let them take over the world."
A sharp knock on the door of the front room caught their attention. Tyson and Kai stood, grasping their launchers tightly. "Get Dickenson and Daichi. We might have to leave quickly."
The two champions made their way to the door, which was still being beaten on. Tyson slid the door open about an inch, but it was quickly thrown open all the way, as an array of bladers stood before them, launchers at the ready.
"Oh shit," Tyson said, looking to Kai, who didn't look thrilled. "Uh... guys?"
x x x
"You really shouldn't be getting out of bed."
"I have to puke, dipshit, I'm sick."
Spencer rolled his eyes. "Can't you keep that to yourself? It's bad enough that I have to listen to you do it."
"Ha ha. You aren't the one doing it, so keep your fucking mouth shut and help me up. If you hurry, I won't blow chunks on you."
He stood up, walking across the room to her side. "Can you stand?"
"Yeah." She sat up slowly, keeping herself from groaning and acting pitifully weak. She got to her feet, but lost balance quickly. "Shit," she cursed, as Ian caught her just before she hit the ground. "The bathroom," she said tiredly. "Hurry."
He did as she commanded, while trying to remain as gentle as possible. It was a tough task for him, as he was used to being so cold for so long. When she had finished, and he had nearly vomited himself, he brought her back to the bed carefully. "Will you be alright?"
"What time is it?"
"Noon."
"Could you bring me the three pill bottles in my bag?"
He went to her bag, opening it and rifling through it carefully. "There's four bottles."
She sighed. "Just bring me all of them," she said tiredly. He did as told again, and she sorted through them. "Throw this one out. I never want to look at them again."
A crash downstairs shook the building. "Uhh... Angel-"
"Go take care of it. I'll be fine. Just throw these out on your way."
Once Spencer had left her, without so much as a second glance, something she was grateful for, she sighed and took the huge pills required of her. Her throat burned from vomitting, and she was so hungry, but nothing would sit in her stomach, and she didn't really want to take her chances on vomiting even more than she already would.
She stared at the wastebasket. If they weren't there, she'd never feel threatened to take them. Which was good. She had taken them once, and that was horrible. She just prayed that this time the meds would work. Though last time, they hadn't, and a sinking feeling in her already unsettled stomach told her that it wouldn't.
With a groan that had somehow escaped her, she figured it was worth a shot.
x x x
Boris looked out from the twelth floor of Japan's main B.B.A. building. Around him, in the streets, they were dark, dead, or else smothered in beybladers of his own training. They obeyed only Voltaire and himself, being the best on the planet. No one had yet to challenge them from Angel's ward, unless they had ambled upon the group's many members themselves, but the odds were still in his favor. He had aquired a great amount of knowledge he would be sure to use.
"Sir?" He asked, upon hearing the door open.
"Good. You're already here." He paced toward the window. "It's breathtaking, isn't it? We have complete control. More and more cities and bladers fall by the day. And my dearest grandson is still too afraid to make a stand, though I've heard he's siding with the wench again."
"He's still afraid of her."
"And that is advantageous to our situation." He threw open a cupboard. "Sparking wine is indeed best at this time of year." He sloshed it around the edge of his wine glass before taking a casual sip. Voltaire smirked. "My minions will allow me to rule the world!" A maniacal laugh followed. "We shall enjoy a reign of terror all our own."
"Absolutism has it's benefits."
"Indeed." He took another sip of wine. "However, there are a few more things that need to be taken care of first."
"Sir?"
He snapped his fingers and two brutal looking men approached him. Voltaire smirked. "Bring my Granddaughter. It's time we had a reunion."
x x x
"This is the way," Mina said, gesturing to Tala and Robert, "I'm sure of it."
"You know, those fools will still be too stubborn to accept our help," Tala commented.
Robbert shrugged. "They might not have a choice in the matter."
"You never know," Mina said, "Though it is likely that they will be in hot water by the time we get there."
She led them around a corner.
"Yeah, if they still had a house," Tala said, assessing the charred place before him.
"Tell Angel!" Mina said, suddenly charging ahead to see what had happened.
Tala slapped a hand to his face. "Go make sure no one ambushes her," He commanded Robert, who rolled his eyes at being given orders by the Russian, but obeyed all the same. "Alright," he drew out his cell phone and dialed.
"What?" The voice was curt and he had forgotten that the girl was sick.
"We're here, and well..."
"Well what?"
"They're not here, unless they're dead underneath the rubble. They torched the place to the ground."
"Great." A shuffling sound was heard, followed by, "No, Ian, I'm not alright, but we've got bigger problems than me. I feel better anyway."
"Just ignore him, he doesn't understand being sick, or girls."
Tala could see her rolling her eyes. "You Think?" She asked.
"Are you coming out here?"
"The place is torched. If you find a body, I'll come. Otherwise, there's really nothing to see. I trust you'll get any clues-"
"MINA!" She heard the phone connect with the pavement. Of course, she realized. They'd wait for one of them to come. And of course, Tala would let her run ahead. This was just fucking wonderful, she thought viciously.
Robert had picked up the phone. "We've got a problem," he said into the receiver.
"No, really. Did they take her?"
A sigh followed. "Yeah."
"Meet me somewhere." She paused. "And don't let Tala beat himself up about it, even if it was indeed his fault. There's a hell of a lot of people we're going to have to fight."
x x x
Tyson smiled at his grandpa. "You have to get out of here," he said, looking between the old man and Dickenson. "Max called Judy, and they arranged a flight in her jet. This place is way to dangerous, and we're way too popular."
Kai nodded. "You all should be going with them."
"And miss out on the fun?" Ray asked. "I don't think so dude, you're stuck with us."
Tyson approached Hilary. "You should go too."
"Why?"
"They'll use you to get to us."
"I'm stronger than that."
"I know, but-"
"Tyson Granger, did you just agree with me?" The group stared unattractively at the two. "I'll be damned," she said quietly, her voice a whisper of shock.
"You need to go with them."
"I'd rather stay-"
"This place is dangerous, and you don't have a blade. Besides, you should look after Mr. Dickenson and Grandpa. They're kinda old, you know." He flashed her one of his charming smiles, and she embraced him tightly, crying into him.
"Be careful, okay?"
"You've got it." He held her out at arm's length, pressed a kiss to her forehead, and looked to Kai. "I'm going to take them to the airport. Here's hoping that's still running smoothly. If not, I guess I'll end up looking like a terrorist. Either way, if I'm not back around here in an hour, go on without me."
"We'll be here," Kai said calmly, resting against the tall streetlight. He looked to the other three who were going with Tyson and nodded out of respect.
"Be careful," Hilary piped up, looking to Kai. She smiled at him for an extra moment before Tyson took her by the hand and led them in the direction of the airport.
x x x
"This is not good," Tala said, looking to Angel, who looked pale and sickly. "And you look like shit." She rolled her eyes and continued wrapping the gauze around her toned stomach so it covered the blade slash on her back that hurt like a son of a bitch. Stupid Biovolt.
"I'm sick, first off," She replied tartly, "Second, I hate blood. Third, in times like this, very few things can be attributed to good, remember?" Upon finishing the treatment of her wound, she pulled her shirt down and looked around. She settled her focus back around at the group of talented bladers before her, her eyes resting on Enrique, who was currently in conversation with Riku and Alexander. "Alright, we need to find them."
Immediately at the word 'them,' the rest of the room translated it to Kai and his friends. "Alright," Robert said. Enrique, Alexander, and Riku immediately came forward.
"Uh, Angel?" Enrique said, rather sheepishly, "Where the hell is the C-Squad?"
"Mother fucker."
"That's great language for a girl," Robert commented quietly.
"I heard that. And when you hang around with mostly guys, it's kind of hard to keep these things to yourself." She looked around the room. "Somebody try and get in contact with the C-Squad. I sent them out ages ago, they should've come back. Other than that, someone else make a list of our MIA's. We'll have to start patrolling the city. This is getting out of hand."
"London's a mess," Johnny said. "The news says it's horrible."
"Didn't we get kids out in London?"
"It doesn't fucking matter who we got out where, when he's got a hundred thousand kids to deploy all over the fucking world!" She took a swig of water that lay dormant in the cup next to her. "Something has to be done. We have to find Kai and his group first, then start looking for whoever's missing. "Liz, did you get in contact with the C-Squad?"
She shook her head. "Great." She looked over at the group. "I had Ian and Oliver in that group. Just lovely." She looked back at Liz. "Someone has to stay on the communicator at all times incase Ian comes in with coordinates."
Bryan glanced once at Angel. "Have you lost weight?"
"I've been sick, dipshit, I haven't been eating, in case you haven't noticed." Her spike of defensive behavior shocked the group.
"Oh."
Tala gave Bryan a strange look that said for him to keep his mouth shut about the subject of her weight. The second she had gotten up and walked away, Bryan sent Tala a hellish glare.
"What the hell were you thinking, saying that?" Tala asked. He immediately recoiled and went about to change the subject.
"I already know what happened to her. Chill out. She told me when you were so hell bent on checking on Mina. And look where she is know."
Riku rolled his eyes. "We have no idea what the hell happened to her or where she is. And what the hell happened to Angel?"
"Would you three assholes shut your mouths?" Angel stood before them, her eyes holding a ruthless, enraged glint. "The subject of my personal life need not apply at this moment in time. Would you please fucking shut up? I'd like to sleep some so I can beat the shit out of this flu or at least contaminate the rest of you fools." She coughed fakely in their direction before walking away from them and slamming the door in her wake.
Tala looked at Bryan. "Got any hand sanitizer?"
"Get your own," he said, pulling a small clear bottle out of his inner coat pocket. "I don't share with red haired freaks. Blue haired kids," He said, gesturing to the sea blue hair color of Riku, "Are tolerable. Kid, you want some?"
Riku opened his hands up and caught the bottle from Bryan, using some and tossing it back to the Russian blader. Tala rolled his eyes. "You two are assholes, you know that?"
"They work for me," Angel said groggily, from the next room over. "Now shut the fuck up and help the others find Kai and his friends."
x x x
Tyson slipped into the bushes, praying to whatever powers that be that no one on the wrong side saw him. He sighed as some rather vicious looking kids in Biovolt jackets passed by. That would've been a hell of a situation.
He got out of the bushes, cursing swiftly while trying to get the bushes' leaves out of his hair. His right hand was laid tight on his launcher, just in case. He turned and looked behind him, seeing no one. Hilary had grudgingly gotten on the plane after his grandfather and Mr. Dickenson, however he had to promise her something to do so.
It wasn't like it was a bad promise, he told himself.
Another part of his mind laughed at him. He figured that it would be the mature part, making it's very first and probably last appearance. This part of his mind reminded him that their deal was sealed with a kiss, and it was therefore very- VERY- important that he keep said deal.
Especially for said date, he reminded himself. Anyway, now that his mind was floating higher than high, he felt the hand on his shoulder. It was a cold hand and he suddenly froze.
"Shit," he cursed.
"God, don't make a habit of that," A voice called to him. "We thought you were a Biovolt soldier."
Tyson turned around slowly to see his team mates standing before him, looking a bit tired, frazzled almost, like they had been through a battle themselves.
"Jesus Christ, what happened to you?" Tyson asked, looking to Max, who had a bit of foreign material wrapped around his arm. It was in that instant that he realized that the great scarf of Kai Hiwatari was about five inches shorter than its usual length.
Kai shrugged, noting the quizzical look on Tyson's face, the critical one that demanded an in-depth explanation.
"This city isn't safe anymore," Kai said, carefully. "We got into a little fight."
"Little says the guy who had to rip his beloved scarf." Tyson gave the gang a group that told them he wasn't buying the 'no big deal' route.
Ray sighed. "Alright, this is the deal. We got into a fight, the idiots attacked us, got a chuck of Maxy, and then we turned around and beat their asses. Better?"
"I'll take it," Tyson said with a sigh. "Where the hell are we going to go?"
Kai looked around. "We have to find shelter somewhere."
"Okay." Thought consumed the group for a moment, before Max raised his left hand, the one that was not wrapped up in Kai's scarf.
"Got an idea, Maxy?"
"Yeah," he said quietly. "We can go to my Dad's. At least check out the news, recharge, and get our asses ready for a fight. Besides, it's on the edge of the suburbs, practically out in the middle of nowhere, and if someone shows up, we'll have plenty of blades for retalliation."
"Alright." Kai looked to the others. "We go to Maxy's, right?"
An unanimous nod of approval set them on their way.
x x x
The two madmen looked out over the city. In the course of two days, things had progressed rather well. The eastern half of the city had been completely overrun. People went into the streets in fear, leaving them in absolute control. The western half was a bit stubborn, but none the less, it would be conquered soon as well.
"Where do you think they're hiding?"
Voltaire thought about it for a moment. "Perhaps we should ask our sources." He brought a communications device to his lips, pressing another button on it as well first to disguise his voice. "Alexander, do you read?"
A moment of static hailed to a voice of a young boy. "Loud and clear. What's up, boss?"
The elder man held down a button as he spoke into the device. "Have you located Kai? We have Mina here with us, she's rather fiesty and refuses to admit to anything."
Static again ceased to another response. "Figures. She's always had a loud mouth. She'll say the right things if you push her buttons properly. As far as Kai and his team mates, Angel hasn't said anything about them. I'm sure that when someone finds them, she'll be sure to react."
"Good," Boris said in the background. "We're still holding all the cards."
"Oh," Alexander responded again, "Before I forget, I have something else for you. Good information."
"Yes?" Voltaire asked, in anticipation.
"I found a morphine prescription in her garbage can before. It doesn't mean much to me, but perhaps you might know why she'd have a hold on some painkillers?"
"Don't worry about that. Keep me posted on her condition."
"She's been sick lately."
Laughter followed on Voltaire's end, though Alexander heard an electronically distorted version of the same. "Well now, that's interesting. That will be noted, and you will be rewarded for your excellent work. For now, keep a low profile. I don't want to have your mutiny committed until the rest of the pieces fall into play." He laughed softly. "Don't worry, Alexander, it won't be long."
Alexander laughed. "This double agent thing can be fun. I'm not too concerned about the side switching ordeal. The closer I get to Miss Asmerov, the more it will hurt when I screw her over."
"Angel is a snake," Voltaire warned. "She may or may not know about you and let you continue as you are. Be careful of her, not too careful. If my hypothesis is correct, she'll be too worried about Kai and her friends not worrying about her, that her attention will not be on you. Like I said, it will not be long before the pieces fall into play."
"Then it's checkmate."
Voltaire smirked. "Exactly, my boy. Checkmate. Let me know when you find the boys."
"Yes sir."
"Good lad."
x x x
Author's notes: There you have it. Some people have put inklings of the facts together... (RTC), who I thank so very much for reviewing, as well as the rest of you who have. Please, review, and I will be very very happy. Think of it as spreading the holiday spirit. Or if you don't celebrate a holiday, just think of the happiness you will be bringing me. And if none of this matters, hit the review button to either humor me, or waste a few seconds of your life on a pitiful authoress. Anywho, like it, lump it, want it gone, let me know. Thanks for reading!!
Distant Storm, signing off!
