Chapter 8

Fran: You don't trust Panas!? Well, I guess he did pop up at a very convenient moment, didn't he...

russle: Tala torture? You bet. And yeah, I think Bryan would be the one to piss Boris off big time. ^_^;;

Matty KakaSaku rulz: Yeah. Sorry about the shortness...

Gothic-Wolf: Kill Boris? I wish.

Jay Kamiya: You hope it's a good plan. ^_~

Ashla: That's because the American dubbers edit it out of the show. In the manga it is in all sweet detail... the characters injured, blood, pain, bashings, nudity... okay, so we saw Tyson starkers. Bad image. Bad, bad image. _

LadyOrient: There is always hope. It is only when hope dies do things become dour.

Black Jaggan: This chapter is all Tala/Bryan. Enjoy! ^_^

Boris continues to up the level of torture with each session, so what does he have in store for our protagonists this time around?

Disclaimer: See first page

"Let's play a little game," Boris said, slowly pacing the cell. "I'll ask something, and you'll answer. If I like the answer, you'll go unharmed. However, if I don't like the answer, you'll find the consequence rather shocking."

"Cut the lame jokes, Boris, and get on with it already."

"Very well, Bryan." Boris turned toward them, deciding which to do first. Bryan had been through this before, so Boris already knew he could withstand it, but Tala… "Now Tala, lets begin with you. At the Russian Tournament, what was your mission?"

Tala watched him, ice eyes cold. "To win, sir."

"And did you succeed?"

"No sir. We were defeated."

"And why were you defeated?"

"Because we underestimated them."

"Very good, Tala. You're doing well so far." He moved a step closer. "What should you have done?"

"Destroyed them."

"And what was it that stopped you?"

Tala swallowed. "I was distracted, sir."

Boris looked down. This was new… "And what was it that 'distracted' you?"

"The cyber mind, sir." Tala knew Boris wouldn't like this. "It's constant analysis proved both irritating and restricting. It did not factor in the blader's creativity, and limited my own choices to the ones it developed to counter the possibilities of movement of the opponent. It is my belief I would have stood a greater chance without it."

Inwardly, Bryan winced.

Boris stood there impassive before letting the wire fall, hitting the button and sending a jolt through Tala's body. Tala spasmed, but did not utter a sound, Boris shutting off the switch and turning away. "Your beliefs are not important to me, Tala. The cyber mind was created to enhance your performance, and if you found it limiting, then you were not using it to its fullest potential."

Boris moved around to hover over Bryan, letting the ends of the wire drop to dangle over his chest, a silent threat. "You also knew your mission, Bryan?"

"Yes sir."

"And those orders included the necessity to be cruel and unjust in your battle, correct?"

"The aim was to make an example of Kon. The orders came from Voltaire himself."

"Ah good. Remember that little meeting, do we?" Boris nodded. "You started the battle off well, injuring Kon and making it look as if it were nothing more than an accident. You took the first round, knocking Kon out… but then you failed."

"I was not expecting Kon to return, sir. And the fact that he did so twice…"

"Yes…"

"It… rattled me, sir. He should have given up. He was injured, he was weak, he had everything to lose and almost did. I threw everything into that battle, and he threw me out of the ring."

"You should have killed him."

Bryan looked up. "My orders were to be cruel and unjust, not to assassinate a rival. And I refuse to battle with the intention to kill in the Beystadium. If Kon had died as a result of our battle, fine by me. But to kill him myself would turn me into a monster like you, and I will never allow myself to become that."

It was Tala's turn to inwardly wince.

Boris's finger stabbed down on the button without hesitation, keeping it there for several long moments before releasing his victim from the fingers of the blue-white energy. "How long will it take for you to see that you are limiting yourselves with these ideals and beliefs. If you are to be great, you must let go. Everyone else but myself are below you. They are to be crushed beneath your shoe like cockroaches, worthless existences ground into the dirt."

Without warning, his finger stabbed down on the button again, having upped the power setting to its highest level. He let it linger on Bryan for a moment, then dragged it across to Tala, before taking it back. Just as suddenly as he had begun the assault, he released them, rolling up the wire and turning to look at them.

Tala had been jerked into unconsciousness, chin resting on his chest as hair dangled down over his face, eyes closed as he breathed raggedly. Bryan's breaths were as equally ragged, but he was still alert, though Boris could see from the glaze over the teen's eyes that he was almost done.

"You can withstand anything, can't you Bryan?" Boris smiled, setting the wire down and moving toward him. "You are an unstoppable force, and all these years I have tried to weaken your spirit have instead made you stronger, haven't they?"

He crouched beside the boy, reaching forward to raise his chin, Bryan making an attempt to pull away but Boris had a firm grip and Bryan not the strength to do so. "You're like an untameable beast. I whip you, and you continue to kick. I lock you up, and you fight to free yourself. I muzzle you, and you keep on biting. And no matter how many times I ride you, you still try to buck me off."

Bryan glared at him through half closed eyes, trying to pull away again as Boris smoothed down his hair before letting fingertips trail down his face. "You will lose, Bryan. I can assure you of that. No matter how hard you try, no matter how hard you fight, you will be defeated. You're not the only one who will not surrender."

He leant down, pressing his lips to the boys. Bryan went to jerk back, but Boris held him strong, letting the kiss linger before he sat back. "If there is one thing, Bryan, you have a good body. Such a pity to have to mutilate it like this. However, if you let me… enjoy it in another way, I will release both yourself and your captain. Is it a deal?"

Bryan glared at him. "No."

"Pity." Boris trailed his fingers down Bryan's neck and chest, smearing the blood, sweat, and water. He ran a hand along Bryan's thigh, pausing as he came to the stab wound, closing his fingers around it and squeezing, the only reaction he received being a tightening to the corners of Bryan's eyes. He growled in frustration, pushing himself to his feet. "Perhaps some other time. Until next time."

Picking up his tools, Boris stepped from the room, closing the door behind him. Bryan listened for the echoing boom of the second door before he slumped against his chains, swearing, before finally allowing the darkness to take him.

Oh not good. Tala and Bryan are almost dead from the onslaught. And it can only get worse…