Well, here's the next chapter, after a few months of not updating. But you know what? I got rid of my writer's block when someone reviewed…twice. Yes, twice, I nearly had a heart attack. Well there was that person who reviewed four or five times, but it was the same review. So I'm not sure if that counts or not.
So I'd like to send my thanks to Kerei Kitsune, or Kit, as she likes to be called for ridding me of my writer block!
Thanks a lot!
Hugs
Ginnifred: Take'er away Max.
Max: Ahem, Ginnifred does not own Beyblade or any of its characters, she only owns herself!
WARNING: There isdeath included in this chapter, so if you think you can't handle it, don't read it.
Merci.
2 Weeks Previous:
"Where the hell is Tala!" Ian growled at his companions, prowling back and forth across the heavy, oak paneled double doors.
"Perhaps," Bryan sneered, "He is bedding that brown haired wench of his this morning." He suggested, though the vein near his temple was throbbing with irritation.
"He might have over-slept." Spencer added, though he knew Tala never did. Both Ian and Bryan grunted in disagreement as someone rapped on the door. Rather a nervous knock, it sounded to Spencer.
"Calm yourselves boys, Tala would not miss this particular meeting." Voltaire said calmly placing his hands firmly on the arms of the chair.
"He wouldn't dare." Boris added with a sneer. "Come in."
The man in the doorway bowed quickly before retrieving his helmet that he had forgotten to remove and had clattered to the floor. "Sirs…"
"Yes, get on with it!" Voltaire snapped.
"Yes, sir. Well, it is not good news I'm afraid, unless you knew?" he hoped his wasn't telling them old news, for he would be decapitated.
"Knew what?" Ian spat. "Get on with it! Unless you want your head rolling around the ground, detached from your worthless body!"
"Well…" the man began slowly, " It's just very early this morning, well rather it was late last nigh…"
"We don't care what time it was!" Bryan hissed at the man twice his age, making him quiver with fear, much to his satisfaction.
The man gulped. "Well, it was Tala, sirs. He went to check on the girl that, err, Avalon girl. Never saw him do that before, not even with the prettiest of girls. Bob and I thought he was up to something, but why say anything to Tala? Especially Tala, he'd have shot us on the spot. But when he came traipsing down that grungy hall with the girl in his arms, well Bob said to me he did, he said 'We've gots to say something to him Creon.' So we asked him to stop, said we'd take the dead girl to the pit, but he snapped at us telling us to keep our traps shut and to mind our own business." Creon stopped, and looked at the three most powerful teenagers in the world, they were half his age yet he cowered in front of them. He looked to Voltaire then Boris, both deep in thought. Their silence was nerve wracking.
"Tala took Avalon? Said she was dead did he? And he's not here now…" Voltaire trailed off scratching his chin. The pieces finally fell into place for Boris and the rest. Bryan snapped, punching the wall creating a massive hole. He threw an antique vase across the room, narrowly missing Spencer's head. Spencer was quiet. Tala, betray them? Never!
"He left us for that dirty little whore! She's scum! I always knew he had a thing for her! He has this weakness for girls! Especially pretty…what am I saying? That little whore!" Ian pounded the wall, but not with the same effect as Bryan's wall pounding, though he tried. So instead he kicked the wall in.
Voltaire shook with rage, the coffee cup he held quivered, slopping the dark liquid everywhere. Tala had been a major part of his plan, how could he just up and leave? Boris was merely smirking, sipping his own coffee calmly.
"Err, may I go, sirs?" Creon asked, his voice shaking in fear they would turn on him.
Ian and Bryan were still fuming throwing random objects around the room. Spencer nodded to the man in the doorway and he fled with relief. 'Tala would never leave them; this was part of his plan! That was it! But why hadn't he told them?'
"What are you smirking at Boris?" Ian seethed, "I'll wipe that smirk right off your face!" Ian snapped retrieving his rifle from his belt with much practiced ease.
"Now, now Ian." Voltaire said before a rifle was pointed inches from his face.
"Be quiet old man." Bryan said, releasing the safety on his rifle.
"Now see here Bryan!" Voltaire said, trying to reason with the young man.
"No! You listen to us! We're not taking orders from you, or you," Bryan paused looking to Boris, "Anymore." He finished. And before either of the men could reply or defend themselves, the sound of two simultaneous rifles went of with an ear-splitting bang. Spencer watched as red oozed from the gaping hole on the side of Boris' head, and Voltaire's head lolled to the side exposing the back of his head where his skull should have been, the rifle had blown the back of his head clean off and it lay in a bloodied mess on the floor, and dripping from the wall it had splattered on.
All three young men were breathing hard, unable to do anything else. Bryan calmed himself enough to speak. "Let's go pay a visit to his little sex slave. She should know at least a bit about his whereabouts."
Ian was still seething, but the suggestion of seeing pain on another's face, he could not give up that chance! A sadistic smile played on his face. "Let's."
Ginny's heart stopped as the pounding sounded on the door. She had been on the brink of sleep when it had startled her. Beside her Mariah and Emily shot awake, sitting up next to her.
"What was that?" Mariah whispered, a look of sheer terror on her face.
"I…" was all Emily managed before her voice left her.
Next to them Enrique and Jonny woke, smacking heads as they rushed to get out of bed. There was another loud bang on the door and Robert and Kai shot out of the room. There was grumbling down the hall as Tyson was being prodded awake and more sounds of feet hitting the floor. The three girls looked at each other then scrambled out of bed. Everyone had appeared in the hall fully alert, fear on their faces. Rei hugged Mariah for reassurance and Max took Emily's hand. Ginny stood alone for a moment before Tala stepped over to her and wrapped his arm around her waist hugging her to his bare chest.
"It couldn't be Biovolt, we were so careful…" Michael said before Kai silenced him with a glare, another glare was issued for Tala before he turned to Jonny.
"Jonny, I'm trusting you and Enrique to get the girls and Kenny out of here. Kenny knows too much and you wouldn't be much use to us with your bitbeast in your laptop."
Ginny opened her mouth to protest, "We deserve a chance to fight too Kai!" He gave Tala another hateful glare at that moment, a glare like he wished he could kill him. "If I find out you had anything to do with this, I'll kill you."
"You'll find I had nothing to do with this." Tala answered, keeping his voice even for there was venom in it, and Ginny felt him tense beside her. Oh, how he hated Kai.
Kai then continued with his instructions, as if he hadn't just uttered a death threat in front of everyone.
"Oliver, you and Lee are to follow closely behind to make sure they aren't being followed. Slip out the back. The rest of you stay with me." then he turned towards the stairs and descended quietly.
The girls quickly gathered their coats and boots. Ginny kept glaring at Kai; he was acting like they were useless! But Ginny obeyed his orders, just because she respected him as her Captain. Mariah was saying a goodbye to Rei when Lee hauled here away. Enrique took Ginny's hand and led her out into the cold, dark, Russian night.
Tree cover wasn't far from the back door of their cabin. As soon as they reached the trees they heard shouts and Mariah stopped to see what was going on.
"Rei.." she whispered. Then she turned and started running, as fast as she could through the snow towards the sounds.
"Mariah! You can't go back there! I don't even want to think about what they'd do to you, or either of you." Lee said still grasping Mariah's arm tightly as he looked to Ginny and Emily. "Keep her moving, away from the cabin." Emily nodded with tears in her eyes, and Ginny did nothing. Both of them grasped one of Mariah's arms then urged her forward.
They trudged on through the thigh high snow at a steady pace and soon the girls slowed, shivering despite their winter clothes. Some time into their trek Lee came running towards them, a look a relief on his face. He caught his breath before telling them the news.
"They were messengers from Mr. Dickinson. Kai sent Max and Rei out to find us. They say they have a lot of news for us. Come on." He encouraged them to travel back through their tracks. They met Oliver, Rei and Max about halfway back much to Mariah and Emily's delight.
When they reached the cabin, the fire was crackling in the fireplace and the rest of their group were sitting silently on the floor, and the two sagging couches facing two cloaked figures. Ginny took a seat in front of the fireplace next to Kai who was watching the smaller of the two intensely.
"Now that you're all here." The smallest figure said withdrawing his hood to reveal charcoal and red streaked, spiky hair, and very somber emerald eyes. "I am…"
"Ozuma of the Saint Shields." Ginny interrupted. Everyone stared at her. "And you are Dunga, I do believe?"
They burly blonde teen nodded with approval. Ozuma cleared his throat, "Ginny Avalon," he nodded toward her. "We have met before." He informed the rest of the group. "Let's get started. Since the World Championships almost a month ago, most of the world has been taken over by force, or has surrendered to the will of Biovolt." He paused letting this sink in.
"Though small resistance groups remain, much of the world has lost all hope. The BBA research center in New York has been invaded, conquered, and burned to the ground. This destruction is slowly making its way to BBA research centers around the world and it's people taken hostage. Ginny, your parents, grandfather and Max's mother, I am sorry to report, have been taken hostage." Ginny took a sharp intake of breath as tears sprung to her eyes. Max sat stunned from Ozuma's words, shaking slightly with Emily next to him in tears. Max's mother had been a close friend of hers and the All-Starz.
"Are they…dead?" Ginny asked, her voice quavering. Kai's hand found hers, and he gave it a squeeze.
"Dead? No, they are too important." Dunga replied in a deep voice that startled everyone. "But Boris and Voltaire have been murdered by the three remaining Demolition Boys." Kai was rigid beside Ginny, and Tala didn't look startled to hear the news. He merely continued to watch the two in cloaks. Ginny squeezed his hand this time and Kai calmed, if only slightly. Voltaire still had a grip on him, and just the mention of his name could send Kai into a fit of rage.
"Biovolt continues to grow in strength and numbers everyday, by the hundreds." Ozuma continued. "Tens of thousands of innocent people are being slaughtered daily, and half as many taken hostage to do Biovolt's bidding. Young girls are being sold as slaves to the Biovolt armies and executives. Men and boys are forced to join Biovolt's army or face the consequences."
"Many countries, and cities have fallen though Canada, the United States, Spain, Great Britain and China are working together to form an alliance and army to challenge Biovolt. The whole continent of Australia has been taken. One of my last orders from Mr. Dickinson was to get to you, and have you divide yourselves into smaller groups. If Biovolt ever found you grouped together like this it would be the end of the world, as we know it for what Biovolt seeks the most are every one of you. You hold the power to save the world, you and your bitbeats."
"There is something about your bitbeats that you have not discovered yet, something that could alter the tides in this war." Ginny reached into her pocket fingering her white winged wolf, Dromeda. She noticed others doing the same.
"This, I cannot tell you, for it is between bitbeast, you, and your bond with each other. Some of you are closer to this goal than others, "Ozuma paused, looking to Rei, Mariah, Emily and then Kai and Ginny, "While others," he said looking to Jonny, Tala, Michael and Tyson, "have a long ways to go. Some just need to work a little harder to catch up."
"It is now that Dunga and I leave you to divide yourselves into three, compatible groups, compatible being the key word. Be ready to leave at sunset." and with that the pair swept out the door and into the night.
The group sat in stunned silence, no one wanting to be the first to speak.
"Who's going to divide us into groups, it's not like picking teams for a game." Lee said quietly.
"I will." Kenny volunteered.
Another tense silence fell upon the group, the fire making the only sounds.
"It's his fault." Michael said glaring at Tala, breaking the silence that followed Kenny's answer. "It's all your fault!" Michael bellowed in rage launching himself at Tala. Michael was putting all his anger into this fight, but with so much anger he couldn't make contact with Tala. Emily cried now more than ever for Michael to stop, while Jonny and Kai tried to restrain Michael.
"Michael! Stop it!" Tyson yelled, finally issuing silence. Michael was still seething and Tala watched him warily, Jonny and Kai were still holding him. "Can't you see this isn't going to solve the problem? Pointing fingers never solves anything! It's no ones fault but Boris' and Voltaire's! Tala was raised to do what he did! Kai was too! You remember how easy it was for Biovolt to take control of Kai again, it's because that's how he was raised, that's what he was raised to believe in. If we trust anybody left in this world, it should at least be your teammates, your friends."
Everyone was again stunned into silence by Tyson's speech. Tyson had never said anything like that in his life, nothing with such passion or meaning. And then Ginny started laughing and Enrique joined in.
"What's so funny at a time like this?" Jonny snapped at the pair.
"It's just," Ginny, said her laughter subsiding, "That, that was the smartest thing I think Tyson has ever said in his life."
"And the last." Mariah said with a smirk.
"Hey now!" Tyson said over the laughter.
The laughter subsided and silence fell again, breaking the tension. The laughter was good for them after all they had been told, but it didn't take away the pain or the sense of dread of what was to come if they failed. Rei yawned loudly followed by others. Slowly the group thinned as the rest went to bed to sleep, if at all possible. Kenny still sat on the couch with Dizzi on his lap and Tala still stood in the same spot. Ginny shifted uncomfortably on the floor and Kai had his head in his hands from where he sat on the couch.
"Why don't you go to bed Kai? Kenny and I will set up the groups." Ginny said with a yawn and a stretch. "You too, Tala."
She was answered by two similar grunts that made her smirk. They were so alike, that's why they didn't get along. They glared at each other daring one another to take the first step. Tala shrugged and moved from his spot and went up the stairs followed by Kai.
"You can wipe the drool from your face now, Ginny." Kenny teased.
"Drool? What drool? What are you talking about?" Ginny said quickly.
"Nothing, nothing. Let's get started on this project then." Kenny said with a gusty sigh. "Some coffee would be nice."
"Then let's go to the kitchen." Ginny suggested, and still wondering what he had meant, moved herself from the hard floor to the equally hard kitchen chair.
When dawn approached they still hadn't created compatible groups and they were on their last nerves.
"I don't care where I go, but I know where Kai will want you." Kenny said scrubbing his face in frustration. "And what about Jonny? I mean, he's a hot head!"
"Put him with Kai. They have a certain respect for each other now. And Tyson, " Ginny said flicking her hand through her hair that desperately needed a good wash. "I can't do this anymore! Can't we just pick names out of a hat?"
"That might not be a good idea, Ginny." Dizzi warned.
"Well, no matter where we put people there are always conflicting personalities! Kenny delete all we've got down, we're picking names out of a hat." Ginny said ripping open a drawer and pulling out a pen and pad of paper.
"True," Dizzi replied with a gusty sigh.
"We should have done this earlier." Kenny said scrubbing his face again then taking a sip of his cold coffee.
Ginny hastily scribbled down everyone's names, ripped them apart and threw them into her own toque. She shook them up and offered the toque to Kenny who immediately reached in.
"This is between us Ginny, right?"
"Of course, Chief. I won't tell a soul. Take it with me to my grave. Don't you tell either. Now pick the first group!"
When the first group of people entered the kitchen early that morning (Emily, Mariah, Jonny, Enrique, Kai and Robert), Kenny and Ginny were looking very smug indeed, then announced that they needed more time to work on the groups and retreated to the abandoned bedroom upstairs to sleep on their decisions. There they immediately hid Dizzi, and Kenny fell into an uneasy sleep. Ginny's eyes burned, as well as her throat, and she shivered despite the fact she was warm under the blankets. She decided it was from lack of sleep and finally dozed off.
Ginny was startled when someone began shaking her gently. It seemed like she only slept for a few minutes. She sat up, and with an irritated flick of her fingers, her hair was way from her face. Her throat still burned, and she ached all over. Her skin felt warm, but she felt cold. Shivering slightly, she opened her eyes and her blue-gray eyes met emerald. "Tala? What's wrong?"
"It's almost time to go, Ginny. You slept all day. Come on, you still have to pack."
She rolled out of bed, wobbling slightly, she felt even more exhausted than before. She reached for her bag then opened the drawer she had been using. Reaching in, she grabbed a handful of her clothes and stuffed them in her bag, not bothering to fold them, she hadn't the energy. She finished packing then followed Tala downstairs. She was surprised at the state of the cabin, it looked almost exactly like the night she had arrived, dirty and unlived in.
"Has Kenny already announced the groups?" Ginny asked as she readjusted her bag on her shoulder. She stumbled as her head throbbed more violently.
"Not yet, he was waiting for you. Speaking of you, are you all right? I mean, you don't look well?"
"I'm fine." Ginny answered, still shivering.
They entered the kitchen where everyone was finishing up their supper of whatever was left in the cabin. They were perched on the windowsill, table, chairs, against walls, and on the counter. They all watched Kenny who looked like he had been harassed to tell since he had woken.
"Can you tell us now, Kenny?" Lee said crossing his arms over his chest and scowling at him.
Kenny shrunk into an already oversized chair for him and mumbled a yes.
"Go on Kenny, I'm still too tired to make the announcement." Ginny said as she sat on the chair that Emily had made room for her on. She leaned her head on her arm, which she had propped on the table.
Kenny cleared his throat. "After some careful consideration, and thought, we finally found a method of dividing the groups." As he mentioned their 'method', his eyes flickered Ginny's way. "We spent too much time on these groups so don't any of you complain." He warned, his eyes flicking to everyone in the cabin as if daring him or her to. No one had ever seen Kenny act like this so no one even thought twice of complaining.
"The groups are as follows…"
Ginnifred: Evil aren't I? Well, not really I might update today again, if I have enough time before work.
Well, that's all for now, folks. R&R and all that jazz!