Hey guys! Sorry this one took a few days! I kept writing and rewriting and I finally just decided to post it before I changed it again! Please let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade. Just Jessy and Draiza.

Chapter 21

I have no idea what time it is, or just how many hours I'll have to wait. Soon, I keep repeating in my head. I let the word blend together until it is a blessed melody, soothing both myself and Draiza.

After what feels like several hours, I see a shadow fall over the barred window. I hear the lock click and then the door opens. Boris stands there, eyeing me warily. I glare back, unflinching. I will not back down. Not anymore. He walks over to me and caresses my injured cheek. I try not to flinch, but I fail. It is still very much shattered. At my involuntary movement, I see a familiar glint glow in his eyes.

After a few more moments of silence, he finally speaks, "Well, well, Jessy. It seems like our plans will be cut short after all."

I glance up at him in confusion.

"Oh, yes," he replies smoothly. "There's been a change of plans. You'll be coming with me now."

He reaches up and frees me from my chains. Unexpectedly, I crash to the floor. My legs haven't properly held my weight in weeks and with the new injury to my ankle, it's impossible for me to catch myself. As I struggle to stand up again, he grabs my upper arm. He squeezes it so hard I whimper; afraid he is going to break it.

He jerks me forward harshly and I stumble. I fall down to my knees, next to my jeans. Before he has a chance to say anything, I quickly put them on. Wherever I'm going, from here on out I'm wearing pants. I glare up at him defiantly, but he only chuckles.

"Whatever helps you feel safe," he mocks. "I can assure you, it won't help you for long."
He grips my arm again and pulls me out the door. I struggle to keep up with him as his vice-like grip crushes my arm, almost pulling my shoulder out of its socket. We walk down corridors and up several flights of stairs and the rough concrete scrapes my bare feet. Finally, he stops in front of a metal door. I lean against the wall, trying to ease the pain in my ankle from the long walk and many stairs. Before I have a second to rest, however, he drags me inside.

Closing the door behind him with the flick of his wrist, he finally releases my arm. I stumble away from him, but find that I am trapped. I glance around, hoping to find something, anything to help me. There is only a smooth metal table in the center of the room. It appears to be welded to the floor. There are no windows and only a single light bulb hanging from the ceiling.

"This is it, Jessy," he grins menacingly at me. "My spies have informed me that the Demolition Boys and the Bladebreakers are on their way here."

My blood runs cold.

His grin widens.

"Oh, yes," he sneers. "It has recently been confirmed that they have somehow found us and are on their way to rescue you."

He rolls his eyes dramatically.

He takes another step towards me as I limp to the other side of the table. It wouldn't stop him, in the long run, but I need something between us.

"You'll wait here, for now," he explains. "If they do not manage to permeate this building, and are stopped, then I'll have nothing to worry about. If they do succeed, I'll have no choice but to end our time together. Permanently."

I stare at him, uncomprehending. He gives me a knowing look and shakes his head, clicking his tongue at my ignorance.

He's going to kill me.

As the realization sinks in, he laughs once more and opens the door.

"I'll see you soon," he tells me, before closing the door firmly behind him.

I sink to the floor, shaking and unable to hold up my weight any longer. As I rest my forehead against the edge of the table, it occurs to me…This table will be where I die. I quickly crawl away from it, into a back corner.

I wrap my arms around my knees and rock gently. Draiza hums gently, trying to soothe me once more, but it's not working.

If they make it inside, I think to myself, he'll kill me. If they don't make it inside, it'll be because he's killed them. I shiver violently as fear courses through my veins. The elation I felt hours before is now cold dread washing over me. Panic sets in, twisting itself around my lungs and squeezing tight.

After everything that's happened, it could all be over in an instant, and for nothing. I will either be dead, or will never be free; the only friends, the only family, I have ever known will be slaughtered mercilessly trying to rescue me.

I try to reach out to Tala, knowing it's futile.

Draiza, I begged. Warn them. Please. You reached Wolborg before. Please. Do it again. You know what will happen to them.

I felt her howl rise through me, blocking out every one of my senses. It's no wonder how Wolborg found her. If she was even a few hours away, she would have heard Draiza's howls of pain from the endless hours of torture. Of course the boys would have been able to trace that, once a connection was established. I had been too lost in her pain at the time to realize that others could hear it as well, particularly other bit-beasts.

She howled repeatedly, sending some kind of urgent message that I could not decipher. I did not hear any response, but she finally quieted. She started humming again.

Helpless, I curled up and let her lull me into a fitful sleep.

What must have been several more hours passed, but when my eyes snapped open again, it felt like mere minutes had gone by. A familiar presence entered my mind, waking me instantly.

*Tala!*

*We are here,* Tala responded. *Don't worry. We have a plan.*

I sighed with relief, but apprehension still tore at me.

*But…he said...he…* I stumbled.

*I know,* he responded, trying to reassure me. *I need you to fight, Jessy. Harder than you've ever fought before. Can you get out of whatever cell you're in?*

I limped over to the door and inspected the handle.

*No,* I replied hopelessly. *I have nothing to pick it with and even if I did, I've never picked this sort of lock before.*

*Alright,* he drawled, thinking. An idea occurred to him and I saw part of it in his mind. *You need to call Draiza. Can you do that?*

*How…?*

*Your bit-beast can do incredible things, especially if she's not in her blade. Is she in her blade?* he questioned.

I located Draiza, and judging from the level of energy she was exuding, she was definitely being held somewhere, outside of her blade. I told Tala.

*Good. Now call her. She can break free. Fight Jessy! I'm coming! It starts now!*

I felt energy swell through me. I knew he had to have supplied it, because I did not have that much saved up after weeks of torture and starvation. I used that energy to call Draiza forcefully.

I heard and felt a rumble rock the building. It was beginning. I couldn't tell if that was the boys or Draiza. All I could do was wait until one or the other found me.