Disclaimer: The Arcan Blades don't own Beyblade.
Mike: (strapping his katana) All right. It's time for things to get really dicey.
Patrick: You ready, Fearless Leader?
Mike: Like there's any alternative. Now let's go out there! (races off)
Patrick: (stops before going off) All right—Read and Review, you guys!!
CHAPTER TWELVE
The Escape from BIOVOLT
Man…where am I? My head is pounding…
Those were the first thoughts that registered into Alexia's head as she slowly stirred. He felt that she was sitting somewhere hard—presumably on the ground—and next to her was Jade, also slumped over. She quickly rounded herself, and shook the brunette. "Jade! Jade wake up!"
Slowly, Jade came to. She looked around. Looks like were underground… she thought and looked at Alexia, who looked rather pale. "Where…are we?"
"You're in one of BIOVOLT's underground annexes."
They both looked up and stared, stunned. In front of them stood the Demolition Boys, with Tala in the lead. They stood, stock still, and Bryan said, "I still don't understand your motives for this, Tala."
Alexia looked at Tala, and blinked. That's odd…he looks a little…different… And she could tell by the look on Jade's face that she thought so too.
Tala replied, "Just leave this to me. If things go wrong, I'm to blame. Boris would never get rid of all of us—he needs us too much—now that we're so close to victory."
"Why did you want these two kidnapped?" asked Ian.
"I didn't have them kidnapped," Tala replied calmly. "I'm just going to borrow them for a while."
Spencer raised an eyebrow and studied the two girls. They were both tied up, and their beyblades were safely out of their reach, sitting on top of a table in one corner of the room.
Tala then said, "All of you leave."
"What?!" said Ian.
"I'll be all right," said Tala coldly.
"But Tala—" protested Ian.
"I said go!" said Tala fervently, making all the Demolition Boys take a step back. "And keep a lookout on Boris as we planned."
Bryan eyed Tala for a moment before saying, "Right."
"Let's go," said Ian, and the other three Demolition Boys turned and left the room.
Tala did not move for a moment, and then he went to the door as if to check that they were gone. Then, seeming satisfied, he turned back to the girls.
"What do you want from us, Tala?" Jade muttered. "Haven't you done enough?"
Tala did not reply, and Alexia said, "If you think you're going to get us to tell you the makeup of our beyblades are, you're sadly mistaken."
For a moment, Tala glanced at her, looking only the slightest bit hurt at the words. Now Jade and Alexia thought that he really looked somewhat different. The way he moved was unsure, and not calm and cold as he usually would've been. It was like what he was doing was something that he knew wasn't supposed to be done.
Tala picked up the beyblades and the launchers from the table nearby and then walked to the girls. He slowly knelt down and set them down in front of the girls. He took a knife from his pocket, and at first, the girls watched him warily, but then he suddenly cut the ropes around their wrists and their feet and freed them.
"There," he said in an unusual soft tone of voice as he leaned back. "This'll show you that I don't mean any harm."
Jade, rubbing her wrists, stared at him. "Tala…what is this?"
Tala glanced away. Alexia suddenly grabbed his shoulder and turned his face towards them, and Tala looked at them with such a look in his blue eyes that Alexia gasped. "Tala! It's you!"
"I—I don't know how it happened," Tala stammered, looking terribly upset and confused. "I just…came back to my senses all of a sudden. Alexia—you've no idea what I've gone through here in BIOVOLT—" he suddenly let out a cry as he grabbed his head, a jolt of pain going through him.
"Tala! Are you all right?" Jade asked, going over to his side.
"I'm—fine…" Tala choked. "This just happens. I don't know why but I've faded out of whatever they've done to me… But I don't think it'll last long…"
"How did this happen?" asked Alexia, looking at him with concern. "How long have you been back to normal?"
Tala reached into his outfit and pulled something hidden inside and held it out to her. It was an Arcan pin that all the Relic Bladers had. "I…I just looked at it," he replied. "And I just remembered you guys… And then there I was. Since then I've been normal, but I had to act like I wasn't so nobody would get suspicious. I took a risk and told the Demolition Boys to help me bring one of the Relic Bladers here—and they did. I told them it was because I'd try to get on your side because I was Arcan—and I could fish out information from you."
"So what's the real reason?" asked Jade.
Tala looked at them, "I needed to see one of you to keep me sane. You guys—I heard Boris was going to totally wipe out every single sympathy I have for Arcanis and you guys—the Arcans. I'm going to be turned into a total soldier for BIOVOLT. They know I've been weakening. So I decided to see one of you—not only to keep me in the right mind—but also to tell you all that—"
He was cut off in another gasp of pain through his head, but he continued, "I also wanted to tell you that you have to win the Russian Tournament. You just have to. It's the only way to stop BIOVOLT's plans and—and get me back to right…"
"Tala, we will," said Alexia. "I promise we will."
"No, you don't understand," said Tala. "I won't be able to help you anymore once they've taken over me. Do what you have to—be relentless and whatever you do—don't give up. That's the only way you can get past—"
"Tala, that's enough," said Jade, alarmed as Tala was seized up again. "Take it easy. Alexia," she looked up at her, "what are we going to do?"
"We'll get him out of here, of course!" said Alexia.
"No!" said Tala. "You can't!"
"Why?" asked Alexia. "You guys took Kai once from the Bladebreakers."
"That's different—Kai went by choice, but they're using some sort of mind control over me ever since I've been wavering from them," said Tala. "They put me in a tank and—but that's beside the point. I don't think my normality will last for long. If you take me out, I'll just end up turning back to the captain of the Demolition Boys and you'd be in a mess."
"But we can't just leave you!" said Alexia, looking desperate.
"You have to," Tala choked. "Alexia, in all honesty, I swear I want out. I want out of here and I want to go back home. But I can't. I just can't. You two have to escape now—before they come back—before Boris finds out."
As Tala stood up and looked around, Jade asked, "But what about you? You can't just let us escape—they'll know you're back to normal!"
"Don't worry—I'll think of something," said Tala. "I'll fade back into a Demolition Boy after a while, I believe."
Jade said she looked around, "How are we going to get out of here?!"
"That was what I was wondering," Tala said. "I haven't exactly worked out this part of the plan well—there are BIOVOLT people all over this place…"
"What?!" Alexia gasped. "What do we do?"
Tala said after a moment, "Well…there are BIOVOLT people all over the place, but we'll take a gamble. I'll bet that your friends will come to rescue—after all, those who I sent to capture you guys reported having trouble with them. We'll wait until they arrive, and let them do the rescuing. That way, it's off my hands."
"Right," said Alexia.
"Now all we can do is wait," said Jade. "Until they come…"
The old church had been in ruins—destroyed by a fire a long time ago—but beneath its crumbling walls was one of the strongholds of BIOVOLT, its underground passages heading straight of the abbey, which was the heart of BIOVOLT.
"There it is," murmured Kai as he looked out at it. He looked at Kenny. "Well, chief?"
"Hasn't changed," said Kenny. "The white dot is still in the same room as the red dot and the green dot. My guess is that Tala is interrogating them."
"For what?" Patrick snorted.
"Well, it doesn't matter—doesn't look like things are going to change either," said Ray. "I say we figure out a way to get in."
"It's easy enough to get in," said Kai. "There aren't any guards because this place is barely used. Our problem is what we do once we're inside."
"Hmm…let's see…I say that when you get in, some of you will cause a diversion, while the others go and fetch the girls," said Zeus. "It's going to be pretty hard, though—with Tala in there and everything—so I say that Ray, Kai, and Mike will go to get the girls while Patrick, Tyson and Max give the guards in the place a run around."
"Why Ray and Kai?" asked Max, and hereupon Zeus smiled rather mysteriously and answered, "That's because they're the most determined ones to save them."
The mentioned two flushed a deep red while the other beybladers snickered. Kenny said, "Guys, come on! Who knows what they're doing to the girls in there!"
"All right," said Kai. "Come on. Follow me."
The group crept across the snow and into the ruins of the church. Running down the aisle, Kai went behind the stone altar and kicked off the carpet. A trapdoor was concealed beneath.
"There," said Kai. "Once we're in, you guys all know what to do."
"Kenny and I will stay out here," said Zeus. "Mike and Patrick's tags are still working, so if you get lost, just say it out and we'll guide you."
"Got it," said Mike, nodding. "Let's go."
They lifted the trap door, and one by one, the boys descended down the trapdoor, vanishing into the dimness beyond. They descended the steps, and found themselves at a large, rather well-lit hall which went out into three directions.
"All right," said Kai. "The room that Tala and the girls are in is to the left."
But before they could move, a group of guards came from the hall in front of them, and spotted the group. "Hey! You kids!" one of them yelled.
"You're on, you guys!" said Mike as he, Ray and Kai darted into the left hall.
Tyson, grinning said, "Take this!" and he shot his beyblade out, crashing it into some wooden boxes nearby. The boxes burst into flint. Dragoon bounced back and Tyson caught him as the guards coughed and ducked.
"Come on, slowpokes—bet you can't catch us!" hooted Max as they darted into the right hall, and the guards went after them in hard pursuit.
Patrick, turning around as they followed after them, saw that the ground was stone—the same kind in the park. "Gotcha!" said Patrick, and he ripped out Armada, who slammed into the stone ground and stone and dust flew. Armada ran back, gouging the floor, running alongside Patrick and he caught the beyblade before they went off to one branch of the hall.
The guards, running through the dust and momentarily confused, decided to split up to try and find the boys.
Meanwhile, Mike, Ray and Kai slowly picked their way down the halls. Kai looked around the corner and beckoned to them. "This way."
They followed him, running as fast as they could without making too much noise. They rounded a hall, and Kai said, "That room. That's where Tala and the girls are."
They nodded and hurried towards it, beyblades ready in case they get attacked or anything—their beyblades now sufficiently heavy enough and sharp enough to be weapons—and then when they just passed a dimly lit adjoining hall, they heard voices. Quickly, they ducked behind some wooden boxes.
It was Ian, Bryan and Spencer, and they hurried out of the hall.
"That's weird," said Ian. "I thought I saw somebody here just now."
"There isn't anybody here—nobody would dare," said Spencer.
Bryan looked at them and continued their conversation as he said, "Like I said, Tala sure isn't acting himself. He seems distracted."
"Yeah, he's been like that since he'd seen the Relic Bladers," said Ian. "But he's Arcan and all…"
"I wonder what's going on in that room," said Spencer. "Tala himself figured he'd be the one to torture the information out of them if they don't talk willingly—but it's still pretty quiet."
Ray gave a sharp intake of breath and looked at the boys. Kai mouthed, 'We have to go now.'
Mike shook his head and pointed, saying that they can't move until the Demolition Boys go. Ian, looking past the boxes the boys were behind and right at the room, said, "I wonder how they're doing in there."
Slowly, Ian walked down the hall, and the boys waited with bated breath for him to come and catch sight of them, and they all raised their beyblades ready to attack once they get spotted.
Suddenly, though, alarms resounded all around the hall. The Demolition Boys looked up. "Intruders!" exclaimed Spencer.
"Let's move!" said Bryan.
"What about Tala?" asked Spencer.
"He specifically said not to be disturbed anyway," said Ian. "Let's go! Before Boris finds out and takes our heads."
And the Demolition Boys all ran off in the opposite direction, and as soon as they were gone and their footsteps would no longer be heard, Kai leapt up. "Let's go!"
The boys bolted for the door, and Ray was in the lead, and as soon as they reached it, with a flying kick Ray broke it down, sending it crashing into the room to reveal red-haired Tala behind Alexia and Jade, who were standing free and holding their beyblades. They looked at them in surprise at their entrance.
"Alexia!" Kai exclaimed just as Ray said, "Jade!"
Mike glared. "Tala…" he raised his beyblade. "That's it. I've had it with you."
"No, Mike!!" Alexia cried, jumping on him to prevent him from shooting the blade and Tala took a step back to the wall at Mike's ferocity. "You don't understand! It's all right!"
"What are you talking about?" Mike demanded. "That jerk had you guys kidnapped and the Demolition Boys were saying something about torture?!"
"It's all a cover up!" said Jade, running forward. "Guys—Tala's back! He's been jolted back to normal!"
"He is?" Kai looked over to the Demolition Boys' captain, who indeed didn't look himself as he stared at Mike, Alexia and Jade.
"Yes, but it's not for long," said Alexia. "He gave us warning. We haven't any time—we have to go!"
"Go already!" said Tala, looking alarmed at the blaring sirens. "Guards will be all over this place at intruder alert! Go!"
"Tala…" Mike was stunned.
Jade looked at Tala once, and then grabbed his wrist and pulled him to them. "You're coming with us!"
"What?!" Tala exclaimed. "Jade, I already told you I can't! I'll revert back to being a Demolition Boy!"
"We'll fix your semi-schizophrenia, then!" said Alexia. "We'll get the All-Stars to do it with their technology if we have to! Just come with us, Tala, please! I can't stand the thought of what they'd do to you if we left! Tala, you have to come home!"
"Home…" Tala blinked. "I…I want to go home. But BIOVOLT—"
That's good enough for me, thought Mike and he suddenly grabbed Tala's wrist. "Oh BIOVOLT's pond scum! Come on, Tala, ol' buddy—we're out of here!"
Tala was surprised, but grinned. "Thank you, Mike."
"Hey, what are best friends for?" said Mike, grinning at him and giving him a thumbs up.
"Guys, let's move!" said Ray. "We haven't got much time!" He grabbed Jade's wrist and began running, Kai and Alexia following with Mike and Tala at the rear.
The group stormed down the halls. But because of the alarm, BIOVOLT's main core had been alerted, and all security cameras for the area was turned up. Boris hurtled to the screens. "Bladebreakers! And Relic Bladers! But how—" He stopped as he saw Tala running with Mike, Alexia and Jade with Ray and Kai.
"Grr…Tala…" Boris looked quite furious as he watched them go. He turned to his men. "Go! Now! Stop them at all costs!"
And in the meantime, the 'distraction' group was getting pretty short-winded as they tried to keep guards away, but there was an ever-increasing number. "Man, we can't keep this up for much longer!" Max panted as they kept running around the maze-like underground halls. "Where are the guys?!"
Patrick grabbed his pin. "Zeus! Chief! We're a bit lost—a little help!"
"Don't worry about it, you guys," said Kenny. "The boys already have the girls and—Tala?!"
"Tala?!" Patrick yelled. "What is he doing with them?"
"I don't know, but he's not chasing them—he's with them," said Kenny.
"Man, what happened?" said Tyson, stunned. "Whoa! Guys, incoming!" And they all ducked as a hurtling barrage of beyblades came right at them and the three were forced to go to another hall.
"That's right guys—just down that hall," said Zeus. "Then turn right at the second hall. It should lead you back to the staircase—the others are on their way there."
And those 'others' are having trouble of their own. "More guards!" called Alexia.
"Uh—this way!" said Kai pointing to one direction.
"No, that way!" said Tala. "This'll lead to the entrance!"
"No, it doesn't!"
"You guys!" said Mike. "This isn't the time!"
There was a slight explosion from behind them, and they gasped, and they were all forced to go into a hall that was neither of what the two boys pointed.
Mike grabbed his pin and cried, "Zeus! Chief!"
"Take it easy," said Zeus. "Turn left at the next intersection."
"Guys, this is getting really bad…" said Jade. "I think Boris put this place on self-destruct or something!"
"Security cameras," Tala muttered. "How could I have forgotten—aaah!!" And he recoiled in the pain that jolted through his head. He collapsed, and Alexia was right next to him. "Tala! Are you all right?"
"I think—I think I can't hold on much longer…" he groaned.
"Come on, Tala—just a little further!" said Mike, heaving his best friend up now looking frantic. "Just focus and don't lose it, all right? Darn BIOVOLT…brain-washing…" he added in a mutter.
Tala smiled somewhat and he choked, "You guys—it's no use…just leave me here…"
"Not happening in a million years," said Ray as Kai pushed Tala forward with the rest of the Relic Bladers.
"They know about this?!" asked Tala the Arcans as they ran.
"All the Bladebreakers do," said Ray. "And when we come back, all the others groups are going to want an explanation!"
The chase went on with Kenny and Zeus leading the two groups back to a direct but safe path to the surface. There were a few moments of frantic running, and finally, both groups broke in at the same time into the hall that had the stairs to the surface right across.
"Aaah!" Tyson yelled, surprised as they nearly came in collision with each other.
"You got them!" Patrick exclaimed. He stopped. "Tala?!"
"No time!" said Mike. "Let's go already! This place is a mess!"
They nodded and Max said, "There're guards everywhere you guys! We have to get out of here fast before—"
Suddenly, a bevy of guards came in their way, and they skidded to a stop and turned around, but there was yet another group of guards cutting them off, and in front of the ranks were Boris and the other Demolition Boys.
There was an instant standstill, and the group looked around in shock, knowing that they were trapped. Of them all, only Tala knew how much danger they were in.
Boris, after a few moments, walked two steps towards them. Instantly, all the Relic Bladers surrounded Tala in a barricade. Boris glanced at Tala's face and immediately realized what had happened. And he said, "So…the effects of the training and controlling have worn off…"
For a few moments, Tala was still, and he suddenly sucked in his breath in pain and his hand flew to his temple. "Tala…" Mike said, glancing at him for a moment before looking back to Boris.
"Or not," Ian smirked.
"Just wavered," said Boris. "That can be easily mended."
"Not if you can get past us, first," said Tyson raising his beyblade.
"The Bladebreakers too…my, my…how sweet of you to help out your little Arcan friends…" said Boris in very cynical tone of voice. "But I'll remind you now—Tala is a Demolition Boy…aren't you, Tala?"
Tala cried out and fell to his knees, clutching at his head. "Tala!" Both Arcan girls were at his side immediately. "Come on, Tala, fight it," said Jade. "Don't listen to him!"
"I—I'm…a…a Demolition Boy…" Tala was muttering with a blanked out set of blue eyes. "I serve…I serve…BIOVOLT…"
"Tala, get a hold of yourself!" Alexia cried, shaking him. "Don't say that! Remember us! We're your friends!"
"What use have you for friends?" crooned Boris. "You can be the best beyblader in the world without them…"
"Shut up!!" Mike yelled, launching Archonwolf in a scatter of sparks. Instantly, all the other Demolition Boys launched theirs and began to circle Mike's.
"Back off, Demolition Dorks!" Max yelled as he launched Draciel.
"Let's even up the odds a bit!" said Tyson, also launching Dragoon.
Patrick shot out Armada and there were blasts of dusts and debris that shook the hall as the beyblades all slammed and fought with one another.
"Now's our chance!" said Ray. "Go Driger!!" And he launched his own beyblade, followed by Kai's, at the group of guards by the door, who were forced to back off as both bit beasts emerged in thundering roars.
Jade aimed her arrows and sent them all scattering. "Let's go!" she yelled.
In the frenzy, the bit beasts all emerged out of the beyblades, and caused quite a confusion in the hall. The beybladers all grabbed their beyblades and made a run for the trapdoor. Bursting back into the light, they stormed like crazy down the aisle as BIOVOLT guards came swarming up behind them.
Tala, who was practically beyond resurrection now, screamed and fell to the floor and the guards rushed at him. But his beyblade dropped from his pocket and his bit beast burst out, amazingly, for the defense of its master. And amazingly, another gleaming wolf came bounding up next to it. Tala looked up, and saw Mike standing there, his beyblade emitting the bit beast's light.
"Come on, Tala!" said Mike.
"I—I can't!" Tala coughed. "I won't make it…"
Boris came up from the trapdoor and slammed a button hidden on the altar. Instantly, explosions went off all over the abandoned church. Both bit beasts vanished and Alexia ran to help Mike help Tala up.
But Tala was pushing them away. "Go! You have to go!"
"No!" they both chorused.
"Kai!" Tala yelled.
And through the gusts of smoke and fire, Kai ran in, grabbed Alexia by the waist and pulled her off Tala. Kai took one glance at him, and Tala nodded. Alexia struggled as Patrick came over and pulled Mike away. "It's no use!" said Patrick.
"We can't leave him!" Alexia shrieked, tearing herself off Kai and grabbing Tala's hand.
"Alexia—just go!" Tala cried as Mike was pulled off with Patrick's help. From a distance he saw the exit, with Kenny and Zeus waiting, and Ray and Jade had not moved.
Tala looked back at his sister. "Just remember—don't give up—and believe in yourself and in your team. No amount of power and science can compare to that—and it'll be your key to victory!"
There were the sounds of guards running through the mess, and Kai pulled Alexia off. "Tala!!" Alexia cried, but the guards came at Tala and the flames overtook the area. Tyson and Max, with twin yells, leapt out of the door, which was covered over in fire just as Patrick and Mike burst out of it.
Ray grabbed Jade and he flung himself and her into the flames, and they rolled out into the snowy ground beyond. After a few more moments of anxious waiting, Kai came charging through the fire with Alexia, and they both leapt up just as the entire doorway was consumed.
There was a slight explosion of flames, and all of them knew that it was too late for Tala.
Alexia, watching from the snow-covered ground, burst into tears. Kai, without thinking, put his arms around her as he watched the bonfire.
"Tala…" Patrick muttered. He looked at Mike, who was standing nearby, his face all a shadow and his hand gripping his beyblade like he was going to break it.
Ray looked up at Zeus. "Come here, quick. Jade's unconscious." He looked back down at her, trying to wipe some of the soot off her face. And then he stopped when he saw a tear run down her cheek, and he thought, Tala means so much to them… It's something that I won't understand until I lose a friend as dear as that… and somehow I don't want to…
Alexia: (wiping away the tears) I can't believe we didn't manage to get him back…
Jade: (patting her shoulder) It's okay, Alexia…we'll get him back… somehow.
Mike: (hiding his hand dripping in blood) I've had more than I could take of BIOVOLT. It's war now.
Patrick: Time to get serious now. We go out there and we fight. No matter who it is. It's crushing opponents all the way to the Finals.
Jade: (eyes them warily) Okay… Things are getting…weird. (to the readers) Review, please!!
