A/N: Chapter 18 and 19 originally were one big chapter, telling the same day, continuously switching the Bladebreakers and Blitzkriegs' perspectives. I figured it'd be too confusing, so I decided to split it, creating two big chapters instead. That's why I could update so fast this time, eh.
So this chapter contains only the Blitzkriegs after the end of first round of quarter finals.
Chapter 19
-7 years ago-
Boris robotically chewed his breakfast, staring at nothing in front of him. The food was good that day, but he couldn't enjoy it. His mouth was dry from the nervousness he felt. Today was his birthday, but he got no reason to celebrate it. He had to pass the trial if he wanted to stay in the Abbey. Every year since he turned eight, his loyalty and skills were tested to prove his value for Vladimir Volkov and giving him a reason to pay for his living in the Abbey.
The bells finally rung, signing his group to leave the dining hall, and head back to their rooms. They had to finish their breakfast in time to give place to the next group.
Boris blended into the crowd, moving out from the hall onto the corridors following his groupmates. He already could hear the stomping boots of the other group that was arriving to eat. Boris pushed away a comrade, so he could be on the edge of the crowd, walking right next to the other line that was heading in the opposite direction.
He was looking for a particular redhead with brilliant blue eyes. They had a ritual every week when their groups met on the corridors. Thankfully, it was easy to spot Yuriy ('Tala', Boris reminded himself, 'they call him Tala now.') among the many heads. The redhaired boy was also mindful enough to walk in the middle of the corridor, so he could catch a small interaction with his only alliance.
When he finally noticed the two red strands, Boris silently exhaled. It was important for him to see Tala today. He could stay strong because of him. He saw how popular Tala became in the Abbey, earning a supreme position in the national Beyblade team of Russia as a captain. Although they were in separated groups, living different lives in the same place, Boris and Tala didn't forget their promise they had made years ago. They were allies for a life, regardless the circumstances.
The cold, piercing blue eyes softened as Tala noticed him on the corridor. Boris tried hard, but he couldn't hide his nervousness. They couldn't talk, everyone had to walk in silence; it was a strict rule they had learned quickly.
The redhead was nearing him, so Boris slightly spread his fingers on his side, waiting for the other hand to touch it. Tala did the same, opened his palm, slightly raising it, but careful not to be spotted by any guard. When they finally met, he stroked and gently grabbed Boris's fingers for the briefest moment while they passed by.
That was all the contact Boris had with Tala in the Abbey since they had been picked up from the street. A silent, reassuring sign that they were still alive and well.
'I'm okay. You're okay. Hold on.' The touching hands said, filling each other with strength and hope.
The moment came and went quicker than he would have liked, but Boris couldn't do anything about it. He was focusing now on his trial. He didn't have to wait long in his room, a guard came and escorted him to a chamber.
Boris pondered what task he was going to get this time. In the last two years, he had to kill animals. A bird two years ago, and a cat last year. It was a terrible experience. He liked animals and he didn't mean to harm them, but he also had to live. He had to survive in the Abbey, so he fulfilled Volkov's request and stomped to the small skull.
It died fast, it didn't suffer, Boris reassured himself every night, sleeping with his guilty conscience.
He wondered what Volkov figured for this year. A dog? Boris was already preparing himself mentally to kill it quickly. He really didn't want to look into a dog's eyes, those could be expressive, and he tried to brush aside the fact that Tala also had a connection with a wolf. He needed to concentrate.
Show no emotion. Volkov detested them.
He was standing still in the windowless chamber, and waited for the powerful man's orders. Boris tried to look as blank and indifferent as he could, despite how strongly he shivered in the cold, creepy room.
"Boris Kuznetsov." Volkov said, confirming Boris's presence in the chamber with a neutral voice. The young, pale boy was just another name for him.
"Yes, sir!" Boris answered loud and clear, showing his dutiful attitude.
Volkov reviewed the file in his hand, then, putting it aside, he turned his attention to Boris. Beside them, couple of guards and staff members in white coats were in the room, which was strange for Boris. During all his trials, he was only with Volkov, keeping private the dirty little secrets between them. It made him even more nervous if he had to 'perform' in front of others.
"What a coincidence. You've just turned 12 today. Happy birthday." Volkov smiled, but Boris knew the eyes remained cold under the mask.
"Thank you, sir."
"This is an important day, Kuznetsov. Today's trial will decide your fate in the Abbey. If you succeed, you'll become a fearless soldier with many possibilities in your life. If you fail," Volkov's tone changed to a rough and sinister one, warning him against it. "you'll stay just a child, a weakness that I cannot make use of. Understood?"
"Yes, sir!" Boris confirmed though he had no idea what the man was talking about.
Volkov made a move with his head in the direction of a guard, who quickly left the room just to shortly return with a young boy, who noticeably didn't understand what he was doing here.
Boris couldn't understand either, however he immediately started trembling from a horrifying thought in his head.
When the guard made the boy stand in the middle of the room, facing Boris, he stepped back to the line at the wall, and Volkov described his request.
"Kuznetsov. This boy is your enemy. You must eliminate him."
Boris tried to prepare himself for this, but still couldn't fight back his gasp. He swallowed hard as he glanced at his superior to confirm if he heard well the order.
"Sir?"
"You heard me." Volkov replied. His voice as cold as the stonewalls around them.
Boris stared at the defenseless boy in front of him, thinking feverishly to find an acceptable excuse to disobey the order without paying for it. The little boy stared him back with terrified eyes, standing still like a deer in the spotlight.
"What are you waiting for, Kuznetsov? I can't stand here all day!" Volkov's voice filled the small room as he urged the pale boy. "Beat him! He's your enemy, don't let the fragile body fool you!"
'Beat him?', Boris asked himself internally, finally able to form a coherent thought in his mind. 'I can do that. I can beat him.'
He almost sighed with relive. He thought he had to kill the boy, but beating was not such a big problem. He had already beaten many boys in the Abbey, during his training, or when he had to fight for better supplies, like a thicker pillow or warmer boots. Those boys were not so young like this one before him, but everyone could recover from a beating, that was not a big deal.
Sure, it was painful and suffering, but nothing fatal as death.
Boris didn't hesitate more; he leapt forward and ran for the boy to catch him in his hands. Unfortunately, the boy finally snapped out of his own stupor, and realizing the dangerous situation, he bolted away though he couldn't run far. The room was small and filled with other people, who jumped out of his way, not providing him with protection, not intervening in the fight.
The only shelter the boy could have used was a table where an administrator filled the files. He was already crawling under the furniture when Boris arrived and grabbed him by his ankle. The boy screamed and started to beg, but Boris ignored his crying voice. He shut out everything, not focusing on the details around him. His arms, his legs moved automatically, doing their job, not clinging into sounds or emotions. He didn't feel anything because he forbid himself from doing so. He was fulfilling a command and only that mattered.
He dragged the boy on the floor back to the center of the room where Volkov could see him properly, and started to strike at the small body repeatedly. Soon the fragile skin broke and Boris's knuckles became red from the bleeding wounds he caused. He knew he had to hit with real intention, otherwise Volkov would have punished both of them. The boy shrieked in his agony.
Slowly, the crying faded and only Boris's heavy panting could be heard in the chamber. When the small body didn't fight back anymore, just laid half-unconsciously under him, Boris stopped, and expectantly looked at his commander for new orders as he stood with straight back.
"Well done, Kuznetsov." Volkov mused as he eyed the helpless boy on the floor almost absentmindedly. "Now, finish him."
What?! Boris wanted to ask, but no sound came out of his mouth. He was trained too well not to talk back to his superiors, especially Vladimir.
"Finish what you've started. Kill him." Volkov repeated on a sickeningly gentle voice, like he would ask a simple favour.
Boris dropped his gaze down at the bleeding boy; he was already half-dead thanks to his beatings, but it was still not the same what Volkov was asking. Pale eyes automatically searched for weak spots on the fragile body and when he found too many in a too short time, Boris realized he couldn't do it. He didn't want to do it. That would be a burden he couldn't wear in his life.
"No." Boris shook his head, disobeying the order. He did it for the first time and he didn't care how he was going to pay for it.
"No?" Volkov asked back in a deep, low voice. His tone had been sinister so far, but Boris sensed real danger in them only now.
Volkov pouted while he was nodding at his subordinate's rebellious act as if they were just having an argument about an everyday issue.
Boris already knew more or less the man in front of him. He knew Volkov was looking for something in his mind that would convince him to complete his order. The sick man was clever and always paid attention to the small details he could catch among the children, being remorseless to use them to his own advantage.
Before Volkov said anything, Boris already recognized he had to obey in the end. He knew the crazy man would give him an ultimatum he couldn't reject.
He was shaking with fear and desperate. He didn't want to kill. He didn't want to be a murder. Nor a soldier. He wanted to stay an ordinary boy, wandering on the streets with Yuriy, stealing money from the adults, laughing at their oblivion and carelessness. It was the worst decision of their life when they had agreed to come to the Abbey with Volkov in hopes of warm food and an inviting bed.
"Tell me, Kuznetsov. What would you do if I told you, the Talantlivij(*)'s life would depend on this mission?" Volkov asked casually and Boris could feel his heart skipped several beats.
"Somebody has to die today." Vladimir explained as he eyed Boris. "I give you the freedom of choice. You can spare this strange boy's life, who is a no one for you, but then I will call Yuriy here and scratch a red smile on his neck before your eyes. He's an orphan like you. With no relatives, with no other friends. He would be forgotten days after his death. Your lives are expendable and belong to me. You're alive because of my generosity. It's important for you to learn the true value of life and how easy to lose it if YOU DISOBEY ME!" Volkov bellowed from the top of his lungs the last words, losing his patience with Boris, whose face twisted with desperate as he tried to stop his pouring tears.
"You're a fucking weakness, Kuznetsov! You can't even protect your friend! What kind of soldier are you?!" Volkov shouted, intentionally increasing the tension in the chamber.
When Boris didn't react the way Volkov expected him, the director barked at a guard.
"Bring here Yuriy Ivanov!"
Boris couldn't form words anymore, so he did the only thing he could do to stop Volkov and the guard. He leant down to the boy, who couldn't move, but his eyes widened with horror, pleading him quietly to spare his life.
He couldn't look at them. They were going to haunt his dreams forever if he had to watch how the light faded away in the eyes.
Boris put one of his hands on the small neck, gripping it firmly to close the windpipe, then put his other hand on the face to hide the frightened eyes. His palm was big enough to cover the boy's nose and mouth, fastening the process.
The boy tensed under his grip, collecting all his remaining strength, he started tossing himself, kicking and slapping with his weak arms, but Boris just leant lower, tightening his grip as he swallowed the tears that ran down on his face. The boy screamed with closed mouth in desperation, making the sound of a wounded animal, depleting the last oxygen bubbles in his lungs.
Soon, but not as fast as Boris would have liked to, the tossing stopped, and he couldn't feel the pulse in the neck anymore.
He died fast. He didn't suffer.
"Excellent job, Kuznetsov! You'll be a great soldier!"
oOoOo
Alexa spat for the last time into the bowl before quickly flushed the toilet to make the unpleasant smell disappear. She stepped to the sink and cleaned herself up.
It was very late night, after an exhaustingly long day, but her captain was determined to teach her a lesson for disobeying his command on the quarter finals. Yuriy made her launch her beyblade and run laps with it endlessly until he got irritated by the slow rotation and ordered to re-launch. If Baladrac stopped spinning sooner than Yuriy expected, or her launch was too sloppy, he demanded sit-ups, push-ups until he told her to launch again.
At the beginning, the boys had to do the exercises with her, for their much annoyance. After Yuriy was shouting at Alexa for half an hour without a break in the locker room of the stadium, cursing at her for putting the team's qualification at risk with her arbitrary decision, they had got a brief break to eat then the team had had to go the training room.
As the captain slowly wore his rage out, he dismissed Sergei and Boris to their room, and gave orders only to Alexa, having training her for three hours now.
She was on the edge to collapse; her dinner just landed into the toilet, giving way to the remaining source of energy she had, and she couldn't stop the shake that her outstretched muscles generated in her body. The skin on her fingers was bruised, a consequence of the repeated launches. Her hair was a mess and the eyeliner smeared down along with the sweat on her face.
Leaning onto the sink, Alexa tried to muster her last strength to go back to the gym and continue the training while she panted heavily. She couldn't stay here long, Yuriy allowed her only to throw up; and being aware how much he was upset with her right now, she didn't want to infuriate more the captain.
Alexa straightened and looked at her messy face in the mirror.
Yuriy was convinced that he was using cruel methods to punish and give her a lesson; playing the role of a ruthless leader, hoping she would fear his anger in the future, but in fact, he was not that bad.
He didn't beat her if she had dropped to the floor in exhaustion; didn't humiliate her for any mistake she had made. Yuriy liked shouting at her, urging her to stand up and keep going, prohibiting to show any weakness, yes. But he never rose a hand or a leg to hurt her. Yuriy's training methods might be questionable and torturous for others, but for Alexa, it was just an ordinary day from her past. Yuriy was even generous enough letting her go to the restroom and vomit there, not forcing her to swallow it back.
Alexa took a deep breath and hurried back to the gym, where Yuriy was waiting for her with folded arms and judging eyes. When she stood before him, still panting from the training, he only said one word.
"Again."
Yuriy was repeating this word for hours now.
Alexa instantly clicked her beyblade into the launcher, ignoring the clumsy shake in her hands, and shot. Thanks to the endless training, Baladrac now spun steadily with perfect balance, but somehow, it was not enough for the redhead. He yelled at her to increase the rotation speed, and Alexa did everything to fulfill his demand, but she couldn't channel any more energy to the beyblade.
"Again!"
The black spinning top stopped and picking it up, Alexa immediately launched it again. It was not enough and she had to start from the beginning. She was getting really tired and short of patience, now. If she had been at least explained what Yuriy was expecting from her…
Alexa was doing the fourth round when Yuriy started to shout with her again for being sluggish and careless, not deserving to be part of the team with this performance. She honestly couldn't understand how Yuriy was able to yell so long, without losing his voice.
With an ache in her head, Alexa couldn't tolerate the noise anymore while concentrated on her beyblade. She felt the anger started to build up in her, and suddenly filled with ragged energy she unconsciously transferred the newly born power into her beyblade.
The small spinning top began generating heat, scratching the beydish with the unstoppable force it was rotating with.
"Good. Keep it up. Keep it up!"
Alexa heard Yuriy's content voice, and tried to maintain the velocity, ignoring every warning in her head that determined her life in the past years. It was important not to cross a line, not to push herself too far, but she didn't want to disappoint her captain. Not now, when he was so angry with her. She kept increasing the speed, emptying her last energy that ensured her consciousness.
She could already feel the pull… the power… the hunger to fill his soul… the endless darkness…
Yuriy's yelling became distant as if someone turned down the volume of the world. Everything calmed down around her, hearing only the rushing blood in her ears, seeing only liquified darkness before her eyes as she focused on her beyblade to keep up the pace.
… Let me help you…
The ominous voice resonated in her soul and she gasped in panic. Losing her concentration, the beyblade instantly stopped, and Alexa dropped to her knees in exhaustion.
She almost lost control.
oOoOo
Tala exhaled an exasperated sigh with an eyeroll and looked at the heaving girl on the floor. He picked up the water bottle he brought from the reception while Alexa was in the restroom throwing up, and leant down to her. She seemed overheated; the training and Dubai's hot weather was a killing combination for the human body.
If she got a stroke, he would never forgive himself.
He shoved the bottle into Alexa's hand, who gratefully accepted it.
"Rest a few minutes before you do five more launches with this speed, then you can go to sleep. Not sooner. Got it?" Tala asked on his harsh voice, outweighing the sympathy he suddenly felt for the undisciplined girl.
Alexa nodded understandingly before tilted the bottle and gulped some water.
"We'll continue the training tomorrow at 7." Tala took his leave, not giving attention to the girl anymore.
Stepping to the small corridor between the two training rooms, he noticed Kai was still there, working out in the Bladebreakers' gym. He knew his ex-teammate could be obsessed with his personal training, but Tala didn't miss Kai had been spending even more time here than anywhere else in the past days.
It was foolish; muscles required occasional rest, even Volkov had kept that in his psychopathic mind, and every Sunday in the Abbey had been an off-day for the children.
Tala half-heartedly admitted to himself that he was missing Kai's company from the team. He was an arrogant asshole, but also had a great strategist's mind and always respected his captain role. It was difficult not regretting his decision accepting Alexandra in the team, especially after what happened on the quarter finals today, but it was his responsibility now to teach her some manner.
To be honest, she deserved credit for this evening. Tala was expecting her to complain and whine about the exhausting practices, but so far, she completed his every order not even talking back a word. Maybe Alexa was finally close to understand what exactly he required of her.
Icy-blue eyes suddenly met with crimson, making Tala blink in discomfort. He didn't realize he absentmindedly watched Kai bench pressing while he was pondering on his personal issue. He greeted the phoenix with a slightly raised hand from the distance, reassuring him that, despite their small disagreement from earlier, Tala had no hard feelings towards him. When Kai nodded back at him, he quickly left.
oOoOo
Tala met with his team in the training room before seven on the next day. He was satisfied but not entirely surprised that they had arrived sooner. It was the second day of the quarter finals; they must be as excited as Tala felt.
He didn't linger long; Tala barked his first orders to the Blitzkriegs after figuring out the exercise.
The warm-up was running from one corner to the other in the gym, touching slightly the floor when they reached the opposite wall then repeating it. Despite their different physical appearances, all four members moved in unison. Tala dictated the tempo, Boris, Sergei and Alexa followed him. Their shoes squeaked against the slick surface of the gym floor.
After twenty minutes that felt for the team an eternity, Tala stopped. He gave some time to himself and his teammates to catch a breath, while figuring out the next exercise he wanted to practice with them.
"Okay, you can start making laps with your beyblades. Boris, you'll practice with me. Sergei, you'll pair with…" Tala trailed off as he realized the blonde girl was not listening to him, but stared at a different direction instead.
His icy-blue eyes followed her gaze, and noticed Kai's figure in the other training room, doing salmon ladder. Of course, the Bladebreakers'captain was already up and worked-out. Tala rolled his eyes and crossed his arms before his chest.
"Hold on a minute, boys. Kai's abs have something to say to Alexa. Let's wait until they finish their little conversation 'cause that obviously is more important than the training." Tala spat with as much sarcasm he could muster into his words.
Boris and Sergei quickly followed Alexa's eyes, curious what sight was so exciting that was worth not to listen to the captain. Sergei sneered, while Boric sniggered.
Alexa finally noticed Tala was talking to her, and her eyes immediately fell on the floor, face as red as the captain's hair. For her horror, Boris made the situation even worse.
"Yo! Kai!" He yelled to the phoenix, who dropped himself off the ladder with a smooth move, and glared at the falcon, scolding him mutely for disturbing his work-out. "Would ya mind showing some skin to this hungry lady over here? She can't conduct herself anymore, you seem too arousing!" Boris said, comically pointing at the top of Alexandra's head while he was fighting back his laugh.
Alexa buried her face in a palm in her embarrassment, evidently praying to the lords in heaven to open the floor under her and be swallowed forever.
"I was watching his technique…" She muttered under her nose.
Kai's reply was a loud bang as he slammed the door between the two training rooms with heavy force.
Boris and Sergei loudly cackled at the phoenix's reaction, and Tala tried to suppress the smirk on his face, too. Sadly, he had to end the fun here.
"That's enough. Go back to practice!" He commanded and his team stepped to the dishes with their assigned partner, repeating a defensive move that Tala had come up with.
After a while, Tala ordered to switch partners, thus Boris paired up with Alexa, and Sergei was now practicing with the captain.
"Stop playing with me! Attack with true intention!"
Tala lifted his gaze from his Wolborg that was clashing repeatedly with Seaborg, and looked at the other pair to check why Alexa was yelling at Boris.
"I'm doing you a favor. You're close to collapse." Boris replied flatly.
"Don't underestimate me!" Alexa shouted and engaged a heavy attack against him, but Boris easily dodged it because the girl didn't pay attention to her balance.
Tala eyed the blonde who heaved without a break and, despite her enraged state, she was ready to faint in any minute. Maybe the training from yesterday was too much for her, but that made Tala only disappointed.
"Alexa, call back your beyblade." Tala ordered as he stepped to her.
His Wolborg spun indifferently in the other beydish though Sergei stopped attacking it as he was busy watching the situation, too.
Alexa reluctantly did what he asked, and turned to him, waiting for his next order.
"Go to your room and get some rest."
"Wha-? But we haven't finished yet!" Alexa protested.
"I'm not gonna argue with you again. You're worn out and can't concentrate properly on the training. You're useless for me in this state. So, leave and rest!" Tala rejected, not willing to waste more words, and walked back to his dish to pick up Wolborg. "Boris, come here. You'll practice with Sergei while I supervise your moves."
Boris followed his captain's instructions, and stepped away from the other dish, passing by the frustrated blonde girl. He gave her a degrading look for being so weak.
"Don't fucking dare look at me like that!" Alexa snarled, almost ready to jump down his throat.
"Are you still here?" Tala questioned her, pointedly.
Alexa was furious and ashamed for being dismissed from the training, but eventually, she left without more drama, although Tala could swear, he heard a Russian 'Fuck!' from the corridor.
oOoOo
A harsh, repeating ring woke her up from the sweet nap, and Alexa pulled up her dead tired body in the bed to pick up the stupid and noisy phone.
After grumbling and pacing up and down in her small room, she finally had got tired and decided to lay down, dozing off in her bed at last. She couldn't catch enough sleep at night after she sneaked into the beystadium again.
She should have returned the access key to Yuriy a while ago, but the captain didn't ask about it and Alexa didn't bother to remind him. The stadium was the perfect place to practice the control over her bitbeast's power and she used this opportunity every time she could.
"Да?" She answered the phone then instantly facepalmed herself for talking in her native language. She was not at home with Mother Russia.
Thankfully, the person at the end of the line also answered in the same language.
"Come over." The voice barked then hung up the phone without waiting for her reply.
Alexa quickly jumped out of her bed, blinking away the sleepiness from her eyes, and checked her appearance in the mirror next to the dresser. She brushed her hair with fingers and adjusted the eyepatch on her face to cover the dead eye properly, then hurried out of her residence.
She had to walk only a few meters to the boys' room then knocked. The door swung open and, for her delight, Boris approached behind it. Alexa's face instantly darkened at the sight of the boy, who was chewing a toothpick in the corner of his mouth. He stepped aside to let her in.
"Are you rested now?" Boris asked with a mocking smirk as he closed the door behind her, and seated himself on the couch.
"Where are the others?" Alexa ignored his teasing question.
"In their rooms. They'll be here shortly."
Alexa folded her arms, shifting in her standing; unable to hide her embarrassment in his presence as she was waiting for Yuriy and Sergei's arrive. She could feel his staring eyes that made her uncomfortable.
"Wanna hear a piece of advice?" Boris asked, putting his ankle on a knee, visibly relaxed on the couch.
"No." Alexa rejected firmly.
"Don't upset Tala again. He doesn't tolerate well when his captain role's violated."
Alexa's eyebrow twitched in annoyance.
"At least I've got the balls to challenge him." She sneered.
"Come again? You think I'm scared of Tala?" Boris's voice was not offended. He was laughing at her like she had no idea what she was talking about. Making a fool of her.
"Why else are you subordinate around him?" Alexa asked back instead.
She meant her words patronizing, but she clearly failed because Boris only snorted with laughter.
"He's my friend for many years. I follow his orders because he's a good leader and I respect him. Sergei also looks up at Tala and trusts him. We have no reason to fear him. But you…" Boris trailed off, leaving open the options for her. He was speaking in a contemptuous manner, noticeably enjoying Alexa's unawareness of the relationship of the Blitzkriegs. "You clearly have no idea who you're challenging so boldly."
"I don't understand." Alexa said with a fake puzzled look.
"What don't you understand?" Boris rolled his eyes, expecting a venomous remark from her, but walking into the trap anyway.
"How could you have a friend?"
"What's so hard to imagine I have friends?" Boris retorted, this time he sounded offended.
Alexa looked at him like he was a complete idiot. What a dumb question!
"You were raised as a goddamn weapon. You can't have friends."
Boris eyes suddenly gleamed with fire. How could pale eyes be so intense and sharp? They were like a knife to the throat. Alexa could feel her stomach made a backflip.
"You don't know anything about me. I'm not a weapon and don't call me that ever again." His words were menacing, the playfulness from his voice disappeared without a track.
Anyone else would retreat in this situation, but Alexa couldn't take him seriously. Boris was scary, but deep down, she knew he was soft. The whole intimidating act was just a mask on him to scare away the people. She knew it because she used the same tactic to avoid any bond with people.
"Why are you so obsessed with this label anyway? That's why you've got no friends. Calling people as a weapon ain't very nice, I tell ya." Boris continued, his voice became less sinister, but it was still unfriendly.
Alexa scoffed.
"Why do you think I'd need any? Friends can be turned against you."
Now Boris looked at her the same way, totally dumbfounded at her statement. He furrowed his brows and watched her with uncomfortably penetrative eyes, like he was trying to see into her soul.
Alexa was ready to make a remark to stop him staring, but before she could continue her little verbal sparring with Boris, Sergei stepped into the room. He ran a hand through his damp hair after the shower he took, brushing away the blonde feathers that hung into his eyes.
He dropped himself next to Boris with an exasperated sigh when he noticed the tension in the room, and eyed first Boris then Alexa.
"What's going on?" He asked on his baritone voice, not missing a beat, but he didn't receive reply because the captain's room suddenly swung open and Yuriy walked into the room with sheets in his hand.
"I want to discuss the possible matchups with you." He announced, his gaze on the papers as he spoke, organizing them on the table.
The team waited in silence for him to continue and share his strategy with them.
"Alright. The order can be changed depending which team we have to fight, but basically, this will be the standard order. Boris or me will start, it's important to win the 'fight for advantage', I don't want surprises. Sergei will fight in the first round, then me and Boris in the second and the third. The exact order will be decided on the premise."
Alexa frowned in confusion.
"What about me?"
Yuriy lifted his piercingly cold eyes at her. Alexa could swear he was already waiting for this question.
"You're not going to battle today. I've decided to bench you." His voice sounded neutral, but his glare was filled with strong emotions.
Alexa heard Boris making a sound behind her that was between a huff and a snort, obviously gloating at the situation he warned her about just seconds ago.
"What for?" Alexa asked, intent to keep her calm, but already felt the rage trembling inside her body. She had to be cautious now.
Yuriy tilted his head, staring at her blankly as if he had found the question entertaining.
"Are you seriously asking?"
"Yes!" Alexa replied in indignation.
"After what happened yesterday?" Yuriy's voice was threateningly low, daring her to ask for more details.
"I can't trust you." He confirmed when he saw the revelation on Alexa's face about the reasons.
Alexa gaped in her perplexity. She couldn't deny what had happened on the first day of the quarter finals and didn't want her captain to recall it either, but she wouldn't think Yuriy was angry with her this much. She wanted to prove him that the team had no worthy opponent on this championship apart from the Bladebreakers and Justice-5 perhaps, but the redhead was extremely careful. He was making sure to win every fight, calculating and analyzing battles for hours that made Alexa bored. Yuriy obviously lacked boldness and spontaneity, he preferred anticipating every situation and every mistake to avoid the failures.
She glanced at her teammates in some kind of help, but didn't receive support from them. Sergei frowned with confusion and concern, evidently not agreeing with the captain's decision though he was not willing to audibly oppose it. Meanwhile Boris was sitting back on the couch lazily, eyeing her with a triumphant smirk as he flipped the toothpick between his lips. Alexa wanted to smash his head to the wall to make his taunting smile disappear.
It was the first time Alexa considered thoroughly her position in the team. Despite winning the battle against Kai, and scoring three points for the team in the quarter finals, she stood alone. She was not able to earn her teammates' trust or support to convince the captain to change his mind in her favour. She was training with the Blitzkriegs for weeks, but so far, she couldn't bond with them. They were wary and suspicious all the time, not letting her in their companion, not sharing details about their lives, excluding the few occasions when Sergei talked about his family.
Alexa recognized that, despite arguing with them all the time and being careful not to get too close to them, she had taken a liking for the boys. Boris might be an exception though. They were loyal and honest, completely accepting each other's mistakes and challenging attitude.
Their behavior took a 180 degree in a presence of a stranger. And Alexandra was clearly counted as a stranger in their eyes.
She had to do something. She had to prevent them from kicking her out, and convince Yuriy he needed her. Alexa had to stay with the team, participating on the championship. She couldn't leave until she completed the job. There was no other person who could do it. Failure was not an option. She had to do everything to ensure the team's place on the tournament.
"Sergei, you'll have to be care–"
"What do I have to do to battle today? What do you need from me?" Alexa cut in, not caring that the captain was talking though she knew it was another mistake she shouldn't have made.
Yuriy sighed loudly to show his irritation for being interrupted, nonetheless he lifted his piercing gaze from the sheets. He delayed his reply before he said anything, considering the question.
"I needed a talented beyblader who know their place in the team and do what I tell them. Sadly, it's clearly not you. You are disobedient and weak, far not as talented at beyblading as I have wanted to. You're not adding any value to this team, you're just an annoying girl who thinks she can do anything without taking the consequences. You're clever, but you act as a typical blonde chick who has no fucking idea about the circumstances. I can't tolerate your attitude anymore. I'm here to win this championship and I won't let you get into my way! I had my concerns about having a girl in my team for various reasons, and you've already proved all of them right! You're too late to ask me what I need from you!"
The room felt into silence after Tala's outburst. Alexa stared at the captain with shock, not expecting such a well-detailed feedback. She couldn't see the other two boys' expression behind her, but they might be stunned as well, because no one said a word.
Alexa took a breath to cool down herself. She needed to walk on eggshells around Yuriy now.
"Do you have a problem with me because I'm disobedient or because I'm a girl?"
"Both." Tala said bluntly.
Alexa fought back an eyeroll though she appreciated his honesty.
"Yuriy, I didn't want to cause–" Alexa began but this time, Yuriy interrupted her.
"Don't expect me to listen to your pathetic apology. I don't need that. I need a decent beyblader. You're just a nuisance, preventing me from sharing the strategy with my team. If you can't even listen in silence, then leave this room. You're dismissed!"
Alexa was now seriously desperate.
"Just let me explain…"
"Leave!" Yuriy yelled and Alexa realized with defeat that it was futile to try to talk with the redhead anymore.
He didn't want to listen, and Alexa couldn't convince him that she actually respected him as a captain and didn't want to be a hard case. She hated to admit it, but Boris was right; Yuriy was a great leader. He knew what he was doing though he obviously lacked experience handling a girl teammate. She was not his friend, not his pal. It was hard for Alexa to earn his trust and respect.
Anyway, Yuriy didn't want to see her anymore and she couldn't do anything about it. Alexa half-heartedly turned, and left the room. She kept her gaze at the floor. She didn't want to see Boris's taunting smirk and Sergei's pitying eyes.
Alexa practically ran back to her room, slamming the door behind her, and immediately started to pace back and forth again, trying to figure out a solution for her situation. She didn't want to leave the team. She didn't want to return to her pathetic life before the Blitzkriegs. Her head spun with troubling thoughts. She knew that she was exaggerating, but Alexa couldn't find a way to calm herself down.
'I need a plan… I need a plan…', she repeated in her head, but nothing useful came to her mind.
"I can't think!" Alexa exclaimed to the ceiling in her frustration before she jumped to the dresser and rummaged up her knife from its bottom.
She hurried to the bathroom and turned on the water while pulled up the black sleeve on her left arm – she needed her right for the launch –, and searched for a proper area where she could make a cut on her forearm. It was hard to find a woundless spot on her skin, there was too many cuts on it already. It was her way to settle her nerves, to think rationally again. Since the championship had started, she often had to use the knife.
When Alexa finally made up her mind, she grabbed the sharp blade and dipped its edge into the meat, careful not to slice an artery. She watched as the skin slowly cut up, mesmerized by the blood that was pouring out of the wound. She cut deeper than she should have, but didn't mind because the blood ran out more easily.
At last, she was at ease. Her muscles relaxed as she kept staring at the red liquid that ran down on her arm, painting everything crimson on its way to the sink, then blending with the water.
Soon the pain joined in, and Alexa breathed a moan as she rested her forehead against the mirror above the sink, enjoying the unpleasant sensation that made her feel alive. Her head was clear, desperation gave place to determination.
Alexa was now ready to form a plan.
oOoOo
"That was harsh."
"I didn't ask your opinion." Tala bit back, too upset to admit to Sergei he was right.
"You've been pretty stressed lately, captain." Boris commented in a nonchalant manner. "It's not healthy."
Tala growled; he was not in the mood to endure Boris's mocking remarks.
"Boris's right, Tala. You're snappy and tensed like a girl on period since the championship's started." Sergei reasoned. "Alexa's doing her best to follow your orders. You should be more patient with her."
Tala tutted, not satisfied with what he heard.
"What do you think?" Tala turned to Boris, eager to hear a different opinion.
"Yes, you're dramatic like a girl on period."
Tala appreciated the joke with a narrowed-eyed glare.
The falcon took out the toothpick from his mouth and pondered on the question for a few seconds.
"I dunno. She's weird."
"We know you like them weird." Sergei snickered, provoking a roguish smirk from Boris as he chewed again on the toothpick.
"Anyway, I think she just needs time. We ain't the typical, buddy-buddy team with open arms."
Tala hummed because he couldn't argue with Boris's statement.
He thought over his friends' opinion. Maybe he was too harsh with Alexa and expected too much from her, but he was still angry for disobeying his order publicly.
"Unfortunately, time is what we don't have." Tala objected at last. "But if you think she deserves another chance, I may reconsider it."
"This is the first time she plays in a team, she has to learn. By the way, it's not true what you said. Alexa already won an important battle for the team." Sergei argued, reminding Tala to the three points the team had scored yesterday.
"That was your achievement, not hers. She just followed your instructions in the battle." Tala objected, dismissing Sergei's argument.
"Nope. The whole strategy was her idea. I just did what she told me."
Not just Tala, but even Boris was impressed, looking at the big, muscled man with shock.
"Her idea?" Tala repeated, tilting his head in puzzlement.
Sergei nodded. He was not loath to admit the truth.
"We've practiced on the weekend, she was purposefully preparing for the fight against F-Dynasty."
"Weird." Boris repeated, staring with disbelieve at his blonde friend. "Since when you comply to girls? You'll be a henpecked husband."
"As long she keeps my stomach full and my testicles empty, I won't complain."
"You keep your standards too low." Boris snorted.
"You and your standards… Wait, you think I'm talking about Alexa now? 'Cause am not."
"No, I know you're talking about your dream, a fat, sassy woman with two teeth in her mouth, who'll swing her wooden spoon at you when you try to drink a beer with me in the morning."
"Now, you're just talking nonsense, Kuznetsov. Why would I drink so early with you?"
"Because of your ugly wife. You'll need to forget your sad life, friend."
"Yours will be even sadder if you plan to spend your mornings with me and my ugly wife, drinking."
Boris and Sergei continued their back and forth, but Tala didn't pay attention to their stupid quarrel as his mind became busy with calculating thoughts. Until now, he thought it was just an impulse from the girl when she had accepted the Spanish team's challenge. Now according to Sergei, she had apparently built a complete strategy and Tala couldn't deny it was a good plan. He had never seen Seaborg so powerful and precise before. The only thing that bugged him was that they had practiced such a strategy without his knowledge. Sergei mentioned they were training together sometimes, but Tala thought it was just the basics.
"Why didn't she propose the idea for the team to discuss? Why did you practice it behind my back?" Tala narrowed his eyes, scolding his teammate for his little betrayal.
Sergei faked a cough in his awkwardness before he answered.
"Because you dismissed her idea before you could hear it."
Tala's face muscles relaxed in his bafflement. He didn't expect such a turn. He grimaced as he reluctantly recognized, he judged incorrectly the girl and she had disobeyed because she had believed in her strategy. It was hard to show her skills when he didn't give her a chance to do it. Although, Tala still couldn't forgive her for being so rebellious with him. He needed to make her understand, that was not the right thing to do.
Someone knocked at the door, interrupting his thoughts. As he was the only one who was on foot, leaning against the desk until now, Tala stepped to the door and opened it.
'Speaking of the devil', he said in his mind, looking down at the blonde girl before him.
"I accept your decision benching me for today, but I'd like to listen to the team's strategy if you allow me. I will stay quiet." Alexa said, offering her words as an apology.
She seemed different now. The defiance disappeared from her eyes and her body language showed apprehension as she held one of her arms.
Tala raised a brow, suspicious at the sudden change in her behavior, but he didn't want to make his mistake again, ignoring a teammate who might have a good perspective for new strategies. He needed to be more open-minded towards her. He shouldn't slam the door in her face now, aggravating the situation between them.
Tala sighed, letting her in as he walked back to the table where his papers laid.
Alexa quickly closed the door behind her, and sat down in the armchair, next to the couch what Boris and Sergei occupied. She listened carefully, not interrupting him once though this time, Yuriy would hear her ideas to see if she could submit a better strategy for the team.
A/N: * - 'Talented' in Russian. Tala's nickname.
Shall I put a warning before the chapters that contain violent scenes or is it unnecessary and it would only spoil it? I'm not sure.
Anyway, the next update will take a little time because I neglected some of my responsibilities lately, but soon, I'll return with more drama and the second round of quarter finals.
Thanks for the reviews, I love reading your opinions about the story!