Title: Resurfacing
Authoress: Ladya C. Maxine
Rating: M
Summary: see chapter one
Warnings: see chapter one
Disclaimer: I don't own beyblade or any of its characters. Any and all unrecognizable characters belong solely to me and are not to be touched. I am not making any money off of this and I write with the sole intention to entertain.
"I'm so proud of you, Maxie!" Judy said as she pulled him into a tight hug again.
"Thanks, mom, but I didn't even battle. It's the other guys you should be congratulating," Max smiled.
"Oooh, aren't we being humble today," Oliver laughed.
An hour had passed since they'd left the arena and returned to the locker room where medics had immediately cleaned and bandaged all of Ray's injuries. The Drigger master had been stubborn and refused to go to the hospital and after some pleading words with Mr. Dickenson he had been allowed to remain with his team to continue celebrating. The old manager had then led them to one of the stadium's largest suites, only to open the door to find themselves assaulted by an avalanched "SURPRISE!" All their friends and families were there; The White Tigers, the All Starz, the Majestics, Bruce, Mr. Granger and Judy. The party had kicked off soon after and situated all over the place, some sitting, others standing, they were revelling in the final battle, each telling a different account or gossiping about who had betted on who.
The only person who didn't join in stood staring out the window, watching the night skies silently over his home town, his eyes overcastted.
'What am I going to do...? I can't leave them here. I can't abandon them for a second time.'
Voices from his childhood fluttered amongst the storms in his head, silencing everything else as they laughed and talked. Voices of his friends. His life-long friends. The happy voices faded in screams and cries. Pleas for mercy rang loudly. And amongst them was a single voice that stood out from the rest as it asked a simply question:
'Why did you leave me?'
Kai leaned against the window sill, fighting the self-disgust that welled up inside him at the innocent yet simultaneously accusing inquiry. He rubbed his eyes as the voices fell silent and the storm lifted, allowing the world around him back into his conscious mind though the experience still haunted him.
"Pizza!" Kevin announced loudly as he and Gary entered, both carrying a high stack of boxes.
Kai didn't turn from where he stood but was relieved for the distraction as the presence of food brought on a familiar reaction.
"Alright! I've got dibs on the first twenty slices!" Tyson shouted as he leapt over the back of the couch to get to the two pizza wielding bladers.
"Some things never change," Kenny sighed.
"Hey guys, you gotta hear this. When Gary and I were on our way back here we had to pass the Demolition Boys' locker room."
Kai blinked at the words and turned slightly, listening intently.
"So what did you hear?" Mariah asked while trying to get the largest slice of pizza before Emily did.
"Man, it was sweet. Boris was really letting them have it. I don't know what he was saying, he was shouting in Russian, but he was really pissed off! I would have paid a million dollars to see the look on those guys faces!" Kevin laughed.
"Well, it serves them right," Emily said as she snatched the pizza slice out from under Mariah's hand. "Those jerks think they're so special."
"I just hope that they've learned a valuable lesson in all this," Judy said from where she sat talking with Mr. Granger. "No one has the right to steal other blader's bit-beasts and no one has the right to look down on others."
"Yeah, but..." Ray said.
"What's wrong, bud?" Tyson asked around a mouth full of pizza.
"They may be mean and everything, but we have to keep in mind that that is all they know. They've were raised by Boris and he doesn't seem to me like a very good role model. Maybe we should cut them some slack."
At this Tyson choked on his slice and Steve had to give him a heavy slap on the back. Everyone else stared in disbelief.
"Earth to Ray, look in the mirror!" Kevin said.
"He's right, Ray. Bryan was trying to butcher you! These guys are simply evil by nature. I doubt that Boris had to put much effort into converting them," Johnny joined in from the bar next to Michael.
"Now, bladers, Ray isn't fully in the wrong here," Mr. Dickenson said. "We don't know much about their team so it is not in our rights to speak ill of them, even despite the fact that they are indeed very ruthless in battle."
"Ruthless? Man, those freaks are downright evil! Right, Kai?" Tyson directed his question to his captain but received no answer. "Kai? Hey, where did he go?"
The phoenix who vanished from the room without a trace or sound.
"Don't tell me he is going back to his 'lone wolf' phase again! He drives me nuts!" Tyson actually put down his pizza box and placed his hands on his hips, indignant.
"The last time I saw him was when Kevin and Gary came with the pizza," Emily offered.
"Yeah, then I started to tell you guys about the..." Kevin trailed off and everyone in the room came to the possible and sudden idea.
"Do you think it has something to do with the Demolition Boys being punished?" Eddie asked.
"No way! Kai couldn't care less about them," Tyson defended his captain.
"No, I think Eddie is right," Ray said. "Just before we left to go to the locker room I looked at him and he had this far off expression on his face, and he was looking in the direction of the Demolition Boys' locker-room. He looked kinda ... worried."
"Come on Ray. How can he be--?"
"Chill, little dudes. A word of wisdom, if I may?" Mr. Granger said as he drank his tea. "Now, if you dudes know your captain better than any of us here than you still don't know him at all. That dude keeps to himself and for a good reason. You forget that he was raised with those bad dudes from a kid and no matter how much he says he hates them he has a history with them. Even if he does hate them he is still human and he knows better than us what their punishment for losing will be. Kai has had a hard past and I believe that the Demolition dudes have had it just as bad, even more so since, unlike Kai, they've been there their entire life and still are."
Everyone fell silent in contemplation. Despite the fact that Mr. Granger could be a real nutcase at times there were occasions when his words made a lot of sense.
"Sheesh, I hate to admit it, but the old kook could be right," Tyson muttered.
"I'm always-- Who you calling old kook?"
"I never thought of it like that," Mariah said, feeling guilty. Her sentiments were shared by the rest.
"Now, now, there's no need to get all upset about this. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes and we don't know for sure how Boris is going to take the loss. The Demolition Boys are very valuable to Biovolt and he isn't foolish enough to bring harm to them. Let's not make this ruin our well-earned celebration," Mr. Dickenson said, hoping to lighten up the mood. "Now then, I believe I had promised you all a buffet dinner and I will keep to my promise."
"But we still have pizza, sir," Steve pointed out.
"What pizza?" Mariah asked. "All I see are empty boxes."
"Tyson!"
"What, Chief? Growing boys need nutrition, you know."
"You keep this up and you will be growing broader instead of taller," Enrique laughed.
"Hey!"
"Well, what are we waiting for? I'm starved," Oliver stood, straightening his blue coat.
"What about Kai?" Emily asked.
"Oh, if he's in one of his moods then you shouldn't expect to see him for a while. He tends to go off for days on his own and then suddenly appears out of thin air," Max assured.
"He's gonna miss dinner. Again. I don't know how he does it! Does he live on air or something? I don't remember ever seeing him eat an entire plate of food."
"Well, with you around Tyson none of us are ever able to eat an entire plate of food," Ray quipped as he accepted Lee's hand to help him stand. "Either you gross us out or you eat our meals."
"Ha-ha," Tyson said sarcastically. "Keep this up and I will really gross you guys out at the buffet."
"Don't you dare, "Ray warned.
"Try and stop me!" Tyson challenged and with a grin he tore out of the room and down the hall.
"Wait up Tyson!" Max laughed and ran after him.
"Why can't we ever walk, guys?" Kenny whined, running behind them nonetheless.
"I am really impressed by your patience, Ray," Robert said, watching the disappearing teens as he and the others followed at a much more reasonable pace.
"They grow on you after a while," the tiger responded from where he was walking with a slight limp next to Lee. "One moment your trying to avoid them as much as possible and the next thing you know their enthusiasm just hits you."
Just at that moment a couple of startled voices came from up ahead followed by a few "Umphs!" and the sound of three bodies dropping in an ungraceful heap on the floor. Upon rounding the corner the group couldn't hold back their fits of giggles and laugher. Kenny laid on his back, Max side-ways on top of him and Tyson on top of Max in a jumbled pile of failing arms and legs. A fourth person stood above them, looking down with an amused smirk.
Tyson looked up into the crimson orbs.
"Kai! Don't ever do that again! If you ever jump out on me again you're gonna scare me to death!"
"Thanks for the tip," the phoenix retorted calmly. "And I didn't jump out on you. I've been standing here for the past five minutes peacefully before you came barging down the hall."
Tyson growled but another voice broke in.
"Tyson, please get off us," Kenny squeaked from beneath the two older boys.
"Huh? Oh, hehe, sorry."
The dragon got to his feet and helped the others up.
"Ah, Kai. There you are, you had us worried for a while," Mr. Dickenson said, coming up from behind the group with the other adults.
"Yeah, you didn't even stay for the pizza," Eddie added.
"Pizza?" Kai simply looked at Tyson, then the rest and raised a brow. "And I supposed everyone got their share?"
"Was that a dis?" Tyson asked narrowing his eyes.
"Depends on you," the phoenix shrugged.
"So where were you?" Ray stepped in before Tyson could begin a tirade.
"I needed some fresh air."
"Was that a dis?" Tyson asked, still suspicious.
"Whatever."
Kai turned to something on the floor behind him and held out his hand. There was a small whirling sound and out of the shadows Dranzer's blade flew straight into its master's waiting palm.
'Something is bothering him,' Ray thought to himself. 'Kai only spins Dranzer out of a bey dish when he needs to think.'
Being Kai's roommate since Day1 had given Ray an advantage that the others didn't have. He knew Kai better then anyone of the team, but it's like Mr. Granger said: If they knew Kai better then the others than they still didn't know him at all.
"Well, I'm not gonna let iceberg here stop me from complete buffet domination! To the battle vehicle! Charge!"
Again, Tyson took off down the hall.
"That guy is going to make one interesting champion," Johnny said with a bemused look.
"I'm almost afraid to witness it," Kenny said, checking Dizzy for any damage from their collision with Kai. Tyson had run into him first and that started a chain reaction. Kai hadn't budged from where he stood. It had felt like running into a wall.
"Let's get going before he eats the bus. Besides, I'm hungry too," Gary announced.
They started walking again but Ray stopped when he realised that Kai hadn't moved from where he now leaned against the wall. Peculiarly, Dranzer was spinning silently at his feet once more.
"Hey, Kai, you coming?"
"I'll pass."
His voice came out colder then he had meant it to and he saw Ray's smile falter somewhat. Softening his tone he said,
"I'm not hungry."
Watching the others as they walked away, Ray instead stepped up next to the phoenix, who gave him a silent look that inquired him to explain his actions.
"I just wanted you to tell you that...that I hope that they are going to be alright."
The words were unexpected.
"What makes you say that?" he asked, trying to sound indifferent.
"You're worried, Kai. I can tell. And to tell you the truth, that worries me too."
Meeting the tiger's eyes, he then looked away again.
"Save your worries for more important things."
"I always do."
Again he met Ray's honest gaze but this time he sighed softly and looked as if he was going to continue the conversation but then changed his mind.
"The others are waiting for you," he said curtly and looked away, ending the conversation.
Taking the obvious hint, Ray nodded.
"Yeah, Tyson's probably eating the tires off." He smiled again. "We'll bring you something back, if Tyson leaves anything that is."
Kai didn't reply but watched as the long ponytail soon disappeared around the corner. When he was sure he was alone he sighed and focused his attention on his blade.
"They aren't such a bad group, are they, Dranzer?"
The phoenix's bit flashed and the majestic fire bird emerged, though much smaller then her battle size. She settled before her master and watched him with highly intelligent eyes, cocking her head to one side to show that she was listening.
"Tyson is annoying and Max is too hyper. Kenny is a geek though Ray at least acts his age, sometimes. But they are my friends, I suppose."
Dranzer squawked and walked closer to nuzzle her beak against his leg. Kai smiled and ruffled the flame-like feathers on her head.
"I'm glad that you are my friend too," he assured. "I always believed that power was everything, but, obviously, I was wrong. I can't understand why you still want me as your bearer after all the nasty things I said about you. You deserve someone better."
The fire bird gave him a sharp peck on his arm-bracer in protest.
"Fine then, guess we're stuck with each other."
His face sobered. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out something. Studying it, he slid down the wall and into a seated position as he looked at the piece of fabric in his hands.
"Some people are not so lucky," he said softly.
Dranzer eyed the object curiously then chirped in recognition. Sensing that this was the cause of her master's distress, she nibbled on his long scarf to get his attention. When he looked at her she cocked her head and touched the piece of material in his hand as if asking where its owner was.
"You remember him, don't you? You used to love to bother him when I was still in the Abbey. I can't recall the amount of times he had threatened to give you to the kitchen staff to cook you for dinner. Or the time you stole his blade and flew around the training room with it."
Kai smiled at the memories.
"Though you two did get along most of the time. The first time you met you mothered him a lot, afraid that he would get hurt."
The bird was confused and picked at the cloth again.
"He's not here. They went back."
Dranzer hung her head sadly but was more concerned for her master. Kai's eyes were shimmering. Something people thought he never did but the phoenix had been by her master's side every single time he had cried, which has been a lot more than he'd ever openly admit. She felt a maternal instinct to look after the Russian blader and would do anything to prevent those tears but sadly certain things could never be soothed, not even by her. With a cooing sound, she hopped onto his lap so that he could pull her into a hug. Kai made no sound as he cried but each teardrop that hit the floor echoed in her ears and she felt his pain. Nuzzling the blue hair, she simply sat there, offering her warmth and support.
After a few minutes the tears subsided and he released her. His face paint was smudged and he wiped it off completely with the back of his hands. Without the intimidating markings he looked so much younger.
"Thanks," he said with a small smile. "If only I was as good a friend as you."
He looked down at the small piece of torn material he had found in the abandoned locker-room. It had come from a white and orange shirt, an over vest actually. One that he could recognize in his sleep. The once white and orange colours were now overshadowed by a red substance that clung to it thickly. Blood.
Dranzer hung her head while her master studied the torn cloth. Slowly, he ran a finger over the fabric.
"Tala...I'm sorry..."
begin flashback
"Worthless child! Can't you do anything right!"
"I'm sorry," he sobbed, his breath hitching when she grabbed the front of his shirt.
"Me too; sorry that I didn't have an abortion when you were still in me!"
Too scared to resist, he was dragged by the collar to the open door before being roughly shoved inside the narrow closet. He turned to just see her scowling face.
"Leave this closet without my permission and you will regret it."
The door slammed shut, throwing him in complete darkness with pain and tears as his only companions.
end flashback
He jolted awake when one of the guards banged with his club loudly against the bars of his cell. Before he could fully return to reality he was roughly dragged to his feet and out of his cell. His back protested from the rough handling as wounds were stretched and pulled. The bruises on his arms throbbed from the guards' iron-like grip and his head swam from the pain and lack of food. He had to concentrate hard to do something as simple as walking.
"Wake up! Boris wants to see you," the guard on his left said and slapped him hard. Even if his hands weren't handcuffed together he would have been too weak to block the blow.
"It's too bad that Boris doesn't give us a go at this one," the other guard said as he wrapped his arm suggestively around the slender waist, stroking the soft skin that the torn shirt exposed. "One go at him would be worth a year's pay."
The two laughed as he lowered his head, avoiding their leering looks.
"Let go of him, you sick bastards!" Spencer growled from his cell, knuckles white as he gripped the cell bars.
"Shut up, you!" the guard snapped, reaching out to the wall and throwing one of the many levers for a short period.
There was the sound of electricity crackling and blue volts ran through cell's bars, followed by a blinding flash and the large boy was thrown against the wall at the back of his cell by the force. His head connected sharply with the concrete wall and he slumped onto the ground.
"Spencer!" Ian wisely stayed away from his cell's bars but he watched his friend's motionless form worriedly.
A sound of disgust from Bryan's cell opposite his got his attention and he looked to see the guards pushing Tala up against the wall. One of them was forcefully kissing the redhead while the other took the liberty to run his hands all over the quivering body.
Tala tried to push them off but he was too weak.
"S-stop..." he tried to command but was unable to find his once solid authority.
The men ignored him, continuing their lewd acts, joking and snickering as they enjoyed his futile attempts.
Ian was frustrated and angered at his own uselessness and one look at Bryan told him that the violet-eyed boy felt so too. Bryan was unable to watch his captain's assault and turned away but his eyes, infamous for their cold blankness, were wet. Of them all he was the most frustrated. As eldest he had always done what he could to be there for them all. Now, like so many times before, despite his best efforts, he could do nothing. Ian could feel his own tears forming too. When the sound of clothes tearing came to his ears he buried his head in his arms.
"That's enough," a cold voice rang out over the speakers on the wall. "Cease your mindless games and bring him to me."
Both guards snapped to attention at Boris' voice. They had forgotten about the hidden surveillance cameras.
"Come on, punk."
With an intentionally painful tug on the boy's wrist they pulled him from the wall.
"Soon or later Boris will tire of you, and when that day comes, then the real fun will begin."
Tala said nothing as they dragged him off to an even worse fate.
Tbc...
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