(Please bear with me here. This story has about 20 more chapters! and its hard to update. Remember this may have errors. Writing at 4 am can do that ^_^ YOU actually think I would kill Boris? WAHAHAHAH! yeah right ^_^ anyway, bear with me. I WILL explain hte Robert/Boris connection later (trust me its a bit of a shocker but hey! that's what Im known for! PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!)



The guard dropped in a moment, his head severed by his own sword. The shot had been deflected back at him from Johnny's poleaxe.




"That one's for Robert." he sniffed, lowering his axe.



Tala was still confused about what Robert had to do with this but again, there was no time to ask. They had only a few moments to get Boris out of the Abbey before things went berserk. grabbing Boris' robes Tala quickly slipped them on over the unconsious man. He was about to pick him up when Kai stopped him.



"I am stronger Tala. Let me carry him." kai said as he tossed the flashlight to Tala and picked up the pale figure. Hoisting him up onto his shoulder he managed to steady himself and make towards the gates at a run, the others followed close. There was no time to stop now. Already the guards were coming out in a panic, wondering what had happened to their comrade. Kai kept running, out of the gates and down the cobbled street heading for the trees. Only when hes entered the treeline did he bother to stop. Normally he wouldn't have this problem but with an extra one hundred and eighty pounds of weight, things were much harder.



Tala was the first to break through the trees, followed by Rei, Bryan and Johnny. They seemed to have no followers. Tala had motioned for Kai to keep running as they all broke a path through the trees for Kai. They were headed in the direction of the park area, which was only a few hundred metres from a hospital. If they could get to the park, Boris had a better chance.



Kai couldn't believe he was doing this. He was saving the life of a man who had made his miserable! Tala was right though. Even Boris deserved to live, and chances were if they suffered the pain of abuse and torture, Boris probably DID suffer more seriously then they. Kai put it out of his mind. There was no time for deep thought now, he had to get Boris to the hospital and fast. It would have been easier to call for an ambulance but they had no time to wait.



Bryan was the first to see the outline of the statues in the deserted park and he called back to the others,



"This way! I can see the park!"



Kai hurried along, but by now his lungs ached and his knees were rubbery. He stumbleda few times before Tala relieved him of Boris and continued on. Kai followed closely behind Tala, watching for any signs of weariness. He knew Tala's back was still in shreds and his bruises still fresh. True, In the tournament, Tala had given him a hard time, but he knew that it wasn't his fault. He knew nothing of human emotion or friendship, just like Kai. Somehow Kai knew, deep in his heart, they were much like him. He hoped, that just like him, they would be able to make themselves friends and eventually be able to live without fear.



Kai wasn't alone in his watch over Tala. Bryan ran close beside, ready to catch him if he fell. His eyes were trainied on their target, but he still managed to be vigilant of Tala's movement. Bryan, like Tala was in visible pain and much of his body was cut or bruised. But he still pushed on, working to clear a path for Tala and ease the burden if necessary. Kai was in awe of the determination. Bryan had been the one who had almost Killed Rei in the Finals, the cold and ruthless weapon. But here he was, nothing but worry in his eyes for his teammate. Kai began to think that just maybe Bryan had only been following orders when he attacked Rei, after all, that sounded about right for Voltaire!



They crossed the park at incredible speed, past all of the confused and startled onlookers. They weren't about to stop andexplain. They had less than five minutes now before Boris would be beyond help. Johnny and rei each jumped the fences and stood in traffic, blocking the street long enough for Tala and the others to cross. The people they passed were a blur, the calls and horns and voices just background noise. The hospital was right in front of them.



Bryan Raced ahead and opened the doors leading to the emergency room, shouting "We need help Now! This man is nearly frozen to death!"



A nurse in blue scrubs raced over with a gurney. "Hurry, place him here!"



They did as they were told and followed the gurney into one of the nearby treatment areas. Soon though, other medical personnel had come over and were now racing to restore heat and circulation to Boris' limp body.



Tala stood there, almost in a stupor as the world whizzed by, a flurry or green and white and blue. HE was beyond worry, beyond sorrow. Somehow seeing Boris lying there in the snow, unable to move, unable to even call for help haunted him. The injuries were beyond anything Tala had ever seen or experienced. It was true then. Boris did suffer beyond what they did. He shivered involuntarily. Would Boris make it? Silently, he said a prayer to any god that might have been listening to spare his life, just one more time.



Kai saw something that he had never thought would ever see in his life. Two tears slid down Tala's pinked cheeks, making tiny trails as he sniffled softly. It was then that he knew they were human too. Just like everyone else.



Bryan had made his way over to Tala, placing a gentle hand on his back, speaking soflty in Russian as he traced an ever so gentle circle on the uninjured part of his partner's back. Tala seemed to break down, throwing his arms around bryan and remaining there, sobbing softly. Bryan stroked his hair softly, again speaking in Russian.



Rei watched them quietly, as did Johnny. Rei felt a kind of connection to them he never had before. The connection of compassion. he felt sorry that they were so upset, he felt sorry he couldn't help. He felt for them like he did for any friend. All of the past wrongs seemed so far away now, and Rei never did blame Bryan for doing what he was ordered to do. Now all he wanted to do was offer comfort to them.



A nurse approached them with a clipboard. Johnny approached her to give the others time to help Tala calm down.



"What is it?"



The nurse cleared her throat and did her best to speak in english clearly,



"I need some information on the man you brought in here. What is his name?"



"Boris." Johnny answered, "Boris Balkov. The coach of the Demolition Boys."



The nurse looked stunned. "Oh my, maybe you had better speak to the doctor about this then."



Johnny nodded and followed her to the nearest office, where a doctor in a long white labcoat stood, holding the clipboard the nurse had given him. he motioned for
him to sit, speaking in a light scottish accent which made Johnny feel so much better,



"Please sit. I see here that we are dealing with somone from they Abbey." He looked up at Johnny. "Why did they not bring him to the infirmary there?"



Johnny sighed and looked straight into the doctors eyes and spoke, "We just saved him from being murdered!"



The doctor looked surprised. "Explain?"



"Well, Voltaire has issued and execution for Boris, because he freed the kids in the Abbey. There was more torture and abuse going on down there than I can safely say. They had thrown him out into the courtyard with no clothing to freeze to death. Then I guess Voltaire decided he wanted them to behead Boris instead, and we got there just in time to stop it. It's a death sentence to go back to that Abbey! and I am sure the two boys out there from the Abbey will tell you the same thing!"



The doctor blinked, unable to speak. He was visibly disturbed and obviously had no doubts. "Well..I had...guessed that those injuries were deliberate, but this is insane. It will take Weeks of treatment to heal him!"



"Maybe you should speak to the others about this too. I am afraid the BBA has issued an order to me to get two of the boys out there out of Russia. And we were supposed to take Boris too. If the Abbey finds him again, he is dead for sure."



The doctor nodded. " I see your concern, bring everyone with you in here and we can discuss how to go about this."



********************************




When they were all seated in the small office, the doctor began.



"I hear that you are leaving the country as soon as possible and in this situation if the BBA insists then it is obviously for the better. But Boris, I'm afriad, needs to rest here. He needs treatment and is in no conditon to travel."



"But!" Tala spoke up, "He Can't stay here. Voltaire will find him and kill him for sure!"



"Please, listen to me." the doctor spoke calmly. "I can arrange so only I know the name of the patient andI can ensure that no one can reach him or see him without my authorization."



Now it was Bryan's turn to speak, "Are you sure? Is that possible?"



"It is. In a case like this, I have authority. and I will ensure that only You and Tala are able to contact him and if anyone asks to see him, I will contact you and let you know. then, as soon as he is healed enough we will transfer him to wherever it is you will be.



"We will be in Copenhagen by then. At the royal residence." Johnny stated. "When he is better, please contact Prince Robert. He wishes to know, and he will set up everything for the transfer on his end."



The doctor looked at Johnny "You're a bit on the casual side to be a member of Royalty?"



Johnny grinned slightly. "I am his representative when he can't be here."



Tala nodded. "Okay...I think I can handle that. but only if you're sure he won't be caught."



The doctor nodded again "I promise you Tala. Now they should have him stabilized. Go now and see him before you're on your way."




**********************************



Boris opened his eyes slowly. He was in a hospital room. He wasn't dead? He remembered feeling the bitter cold, then hearing Tala's voice calling to him, but he had blacked out. He heard the soft rustle of fabric nearby and turned his head slowly, terrified of what he might find.



Bryan and Tala stood by the bed, along with Kai and Rei. Johnny stood at the foot of the bed filling out paperwork on a clipboard. Boris tried to speak but it all came out a hoarse whisper. "how...how did I get here."



Tala smiled through tears. "Well Sir, we went back and brought you here. We couldn't leave you to die."



Boris chuckled softly in relief. Tala was alright,and so was Bryan. And to boot, Tala was still a sensible as ever. he shook his head slowly "Please, just Boris. No more sir."



Tala nodded. Bryan spoke up as he smiled. "We are off to Copenhagen. Apparently Robert will house us there for a while. But there is some bad news."



Boris looked over quickly, "What is it?"



"You must remain here in the hospital for a few weeks until they can transfer you to a hospital in Copenhagen." Bryan finished with a sigh.



"That is fine. I am sure I will survive. Besides, I will have time to rest here and regain my strength."



Johnny smiled slightly, "Robert will have everything set up over there when the time comes to transfer."



Boris chuckled again. "I am sure he will. And I've no doubt I will be hearing about my misadventures when I get there no?"



Johnny just nodded as Boris looked over at Tala and Bryan. "I know I have no right to ask your forgivness but I must tell you that I feel a monster now."



Tala shook his head. "Boris, we are all free now. The past will be forgotten. Someday things will be all right between us. You just work on getting better, And slowly you will earn our trust fully. Remember, you are the one who raised us."



Boris smiled genuinely, "I could never forget. Now please be off before things get too out of order around here."



Tala nodded his smile fading. He reached down and quickly gave Boris a hug. Bryan followed suit, still not quite trusting. Rei and Kai just waved as they left and Johnny placed the clipboard on the table by the bed.



"In a few weeks, maybe your life will get back to normal Boris." Johnny said with a slight bow as he followed the others out the door.



Boris closed his eyes. He hoped that Johnny was right.



***********************************




In the Hospital foyer, Kai called the others over.



"I've decided to change things a bit."



"How so?" Johnny asked, retying his bandanna.



"We will take the Train to Leningrad and sail to Dover. then drive to London and fly from Heathrow Airport to Paris."



"Why take a ship all the way to England and then fly to France? Why didn't we just take a boat to Copenhagen. Its much faster. We pass right by Denmark on the way to England! Wouldn't that waste time?" Bryan asked.



"No, becasue we are trying to confuse Voltaire and BioVolt. We don't want anyone to know where we're really going, and this ensures that we will be able to get there safely.Besides, we can Pick up Enrique and Oliver in Paris." Kai finished as he crossed his arms



"How do you know they'll both be there?" Johnny said as he looked up.



"When I called Robert, he mentioned that Enrique was in Paris for awhile. That's when I got the idea to detour that way."



"Good point. Do they know we're coming?"



"Robert said he would let them know Rei." Kai answered as he zipped up his jacket. "but first things first. We all need a change of clothes and some basics. Let's do that quickly before someone has the brains to let BioVolt know where we are!"



They made their way quickly to the nearest shopping center and ducked inside. Bryan remembered the money Tala had left in his jacket and he pulled it out. "Here Tala."



"Perfect. I'm glad you remembered I hid it there Bryan. This means we don't need to do any currency exchange. Lets just get what we can out of this."



"I can handle the travel expense." Johnny said as they ducked inside a clothing store.



Each of them picked out a few articles and a jacket. They Paid for it all then changed into it in the washrooms. They placed their old things into travel bags they had picked up. They each grabbed basic toiletries and met up by the doors. Kai handed Bryan and Tala a passport. and a wallet.



"These are passports I had Kenny make for me before we left. Rei got the wallets in a store down near the waterfront. There are all the cards you need in there with your name on it. Hold on to them!"



Tala nodded and quickly glanced at them. The passports said they were Japanese citizens that moved from Russia. That at least gave him a bit of confidence. He placed it in his jacket pocket and turned to the others, eyes wide. Ther were a few of Voltaire's men down by the front doors!



"Guys, let's get moving! Voltaire's goons are right over there!" Tala hissed as they all made their way to the back door as fast as they could without being suspicious. The back exit was clear and they quickly made their way outsideand down a back street in the general direction of the train station. They were on the run again, but how long until things settled down? Tala hoped it would be soon!




**********************************




The wait was nerve wracking as Johnny waited in the line to buy the tickets. It seemed like hours as he waited, keeping his eyes on the door for any sign of danger. He spoke to the ticket master in broken russian but soon had the tickets in hand. Moscow to Leningrad. He made his way over to the others and sat.



Rei returned from watching the schedules as Johnny was handing out the tickets. "Next train is boarding in ten minutes. we'd better get to the platform!"



Kai nodded as they all picked up their bags. Rei pointed out platform two and they all gathered on it to wait. Johnny kept watch for trouble as the others caught their breath. It had been a long day. Tala felt his back was aching and burning with the abuse he'd put it through already. It was all worth it though. Everyone was going to
be alright. He reached over and caught Bryan's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. Bryan turned and gave Tala a soft smile. He was in pain as well, but at least he was free.



Rei shivered. He was cold and tired. so much had happened even before the sun had cracked the horizon. Kai stood directly behind Rei, as a support in case he needed it. Rei could see it in Kai's eyes. He was exhausted. When they boarded the train, they would probably all sleep.



the train pulled in with a whistle and a screech of brakes. The five of them waited until the conductor had opened the door before they walked up to him. he pointed out in russian, the area where the private compartments were and Tala thanked him as they quickly boarded and made their way into the designated area. Kai was the last one in and he closed the door, throwing his back down and collapsing onto the nearest cot beside Rei. Tala had taken up a spot on another cot, curled up beside Bryan. Johnny decided to sit by the window and pulled out his phone. he had to tell Robert about their plan to actually fly to Paris.



"Hello?" Robert ansered on his end in a soft voice. It was obvious he hadn't been awake when the phone rang.



"It's me."



"Johnny? You're quite broken up. I can barely hear you."



"I know listen..." Johnny was cut of as his phone went dead.



"SHIT!" Johnny cursed as he threw the phone back in his bag. he didnt have his adapter with him so charging it was impossible. He looked out the window, just hoping he didn't get Robert too riled up when he got cut off.



Robert was left with Silence on his end as the phone went dead. "Johnny?" the line was dead. Robert slammed down his phone and ran a hand through his dicheveled hair. "Please PLEASE be alright Johnny..."



Johnny eventually drifted off to sleep, his head on his arms, and Tala was the only one awake. Bryan was dozing quietly, and Tala found his eyelids heavy too. It was going to be a long trip and it had only just begun. Tala curled up next to Bryan, and closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep.