Okay, time to return to our victims. Here are Demolition Boys again.

Set the launcher, aim it, pull the cord. Set the launcher, aim it, pull the cord. It was always the same routine. As if they were just beginners, that need to go over the basics. It was mind numbing. Boris probably just wanted to see, how long it would take them to snap. And his reason? Just for the laugh out of it. Because he was sadistic maniac, who was capable of doing just that.

The Demolition Boys were together with Ray lined up doing all the basic exercises since morning. Spencer wanted nothing more than to shake his head at these pointless exercises, but he knew better. Any sign, that he disagrees, would cost him some real fucked up punishment. And he certainly didn't feel up for denied food for weeks, whipping, or Boris' favorite: experimenting. So Spencer only frowned, and put his mind back to the routine. Set the launcher, aim it, pull the cord.

- BB - BB - BB -

They finally got lunch break. Spencer was sure, it was way after any normal human would call it lunch, but he really couldn't tell time in this hell hole, they were dug into. There were no clocks and no windows by which they could have tell time. But that didn't really matter. They all felt as if they were here for years. But that really couldn't be true. Few weeks tops.

Food wasn't really good, and there wasn't much, just so they wouldn't be starving, but not enough to feel full, but none of them would complain. At least Boris didn't feel the need to starve them. Starve them into obedience. Probably because it wasn't necessary. But mostly because there were other ways to keep them obedient. Much better ways. That and that they didn't really fight. Not anymore. There wasn't a point for it.

Spencer looked around the table. Tala was simply eating. There wasn't other word to describe it. He looked like robot. Just doing what he was programmed for. He didn't look anyone else. Spencer shook his head at the red head's behavior. He seemed so… soulless. Which he probably was, considering what happened. Tala was affected by it most of them.

Then the blonde boy shifted his gaze to the youngest of their little group. Ian was stuffing his face as quickly as he could. Spencer wondered how he could do that without choking himself. But he sort of understood why the short boy felt the need to act like pig before the food. After all, what if Boris decides that they needed some endurance exercise? To see, how long they can go without food. They couldn't really know when they will get their next share of rations, so it's the best to eat as much as they could in those circumstances.

Finally Spencer moved his gaze on the last and newest member of their little group, Rei. If Spencer didn't know better, he would say that Rei was a statue. Or doll, because statues don't move. Even if all he did was from time to time to pick some food an eat it. Rei was simply o depressed, that if they didn't something, he would close himself off of them.

Nobody from the Demolition Boys noticed Boris who entered the room. Not until he coughed to make his presence known. Boris smirked maniacally as he enjoyed their shocked reactions for a split second before they all covered it with emotionless masks. Oh, how he enjoyed their fear, their pain.

"My boys," Boris started slowly, in a tone, that suggested they were on friendly side, "I have news for you." Not one of them blinked, although on the inside they were all wondering what new way of torture, he calls training, did Boris come up. Boris tsked and created something that could be translated as smile in his language.

"You know about the Beyblade World Championship that is held every year," he said still with that creepy smile on his face, "You will be taking part in it as team. It is held in few months, so don't worry, we have plenty time to train." He looked pointedly at Rei, who averted his gaze. "And your team name will be Black Sharks." Tala's eyebrows shot up, "Black…" "Sharks?" Ian finished the name. Somehow it tasted so different on his tongue as he said it.

Boris only nodded and turned around, indicating that the conversation is over. He just motioned to Rei to follow him. The Chinese boy obediently followed Boris out of the mess hall for his individual training, leaving the Demolition Boys finish their meal before they returned to the training aswell.

- BB - BB - BB -

Ian was lying on his bed, unable to sleep. He knew, he should sleep before the new horrors that Boris will surely unleash on them the next day, but he just couldn't. He was staring at the ceiling. The shadows were dancing before his tired eyes, but he still couldn't fall asleep. He was thinking about happening of the day, of them, and what will happen to them.

Normally he wasn't the one to be bothered. At least not on the surface. Tala was the one to display emotion most of the time, Spencer was caring but not very emotional and he himself was not for displaying emotion either. But now, where nobody was looking, Ian felt as if he suddenly got older by 50 years.

He had watched Tala turning into shell of what he once was, Bryan dying, Spencer, closing himself even more from the outside and Rei… slowly becoming tool of Boris. Even he felt the weight of this situation and wanted nothing more than to run away, hide in a hole and suck on his thumb like a little kid. But that wouldn't help anything. And if Tala and Reis were slowly falling apart, it was his and Spencer's duty to try to keep them in one piece.

Suddenly an Idea struck him. Ian slowly climbed out of his bed. Silently, so he wouldn't wake up any of his friends. He looked around the dark room, taking in the surroundings. Then he kneeled down besides his bed, closed his eyes and brought his hands together, like he saw many doing. Now, Ian wasn't believer. Nobody from Abbey was. They saw the world in rational way. Anything religious was banished from the grounds of that hell hole.

But now, Ian felt, that it was probably the only way, which could keep him sane. So he prayed. He didn't know to whom he should pray or how exactly do that. So he just talked to anybody, that could help them. To save them. He prayed for this all to be only bad dream from which they can wake up, for their sanity, for their freedom...

That last scene was only Idea that struck me after I wrote most of the chapter. But I felt, it would be right. After all, what people do in hard times? They pray. And Russia belongs to lands where people strongly believe, so I kind of... wanted to add something spiritual there.

In no means I want to distribute Christianity, Evangelicy, Shintoismus, Budhismus, Islam… and so. I'm not believer, so please don't try to accuse me, that I'm trying to force my believes on you, and for believers, just don't start religious war in the comments trying to tell me, how I will go to hell. I'm tolerant, I try to learn about all the religions, so I wouldn't be rude if I meet someone that believes in that, and that is what I want from you, TOLERANCY.

Thanks