Never mind, to my last note. Here's the third chapter.
Vocabulary: BBA: Beyblade Battle Association.
Everyone who occupied the small barracks had returned to the main room, after running the third bedroom to discover what had caused all four girls to shriek, even after hearing Ian's threat.
Now, Ian sat on the hard-wood floor, scraping the steel blades of two knives against one another, to create an echoing 'sheen'.
Arms crossed, Bryan glared coldly at each other person in turn, sending shivers up the spines of most of them.
Mariam and Mariah had squeezed into one chair, both looking worried, the former ill. Salima sat on another chair beside theirs, also frowning with deep concern.
In the corner, King and Queen were quietly conversing about something in urgent whispers. Apparently Ian had allowed everyone to speak again, though only the two twin siblings chose to.
Gordo looked like he was ready and wanting to fight someone, preferably Bryan, from where he stood near the wall casting angry glares at the pale-haired Demolition Boy.
Enrique stood beside Zeo, both of them looking anxious, as if someone might attack them at any moment.
One of the doors slid open and Tala came through it, causing Enrique to jump. He stalked to the center of the room and laid his hands on his hips, watching the silent group.
"What is the closest city to this place?" Zeo asked confidently, taking a step towards Tala.
Everyone looked in his direction, interested in Tala's response.
"I told you, this barracks isn't close to anywhere. I shouldn't have to repeat that," Tala replied with a sneer, watching Zeo, who did not look satisfied with the answer.
He opened his mouth to snap something back, but was cut off by King.
"What country are we in?" he demanded, his voice cold. He had turned away from Queen and stood defiantly in front of Tala."I'm sorry, we are not at the liberty to reveal that. Perhaps one day we'll tell you, Rayolin, after Biovolt has Cerberus and Black Dranzer and has taken care of all other business. I'll get in touch with you too, Zagart," Ian replied, arrogance dripping off his voice. He did not so much as look at the people he spoke to.
"Ha. You think you will have the liberty to tell us, after the BBA has found this place?" Queen mocked, stepping forward and stopping beside her brother. She sneered back at them.
"That reminds me," Tala said, looking thoughtful. "You won't be very good hostages if everyone thinks you're dead. Later, we'll have to inform the BBA of your liveliness."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Zeo demanded, frowning.
"You'll see," Bryan answered, shrugging.
Before any more questions could be asked, Tala spoke up again.
"Bryan, Ian, and I have set security codes all around the barracks. The water pump, as well as the green house can be reached from down that hallway, and a metal detector has ensured that all knives and other weapons will remain in that kitchen-like area. Three people here carry weapons with them, I'm sure you can guess who they are.
For anyone who wishes to stay alive, doors are locked at 9:00pm and opened at 7:00am. That means, you should be inside this very room or one of the bedrooms, or you'll be left outside. At night, these rooms are the only places with temperature control... Meaning every where else has the deathly cold temperature of the desert. Water from the pump will be transported and stored in the tank over there.
We will have the luxury of an imported shipment once a month. If there's anything you need, put it on the bulletin board right over there. If the item is approved you'll receive it. Good luck, don't expect too much generosity." His second speech of the day complete, Tala sighed dramatically. "Any questions?"
"The tank is empty," Salima commented, looking at the cylindrical plastic container in the corner of the room. The scale informed them that the mass capacity of liquid was fifty liters, but as Salima said, the tank was dry as a bone.
"That's right. We'll all probably get sick and die if we don't have water," Tala said, too casually. "So, someone will have to go get a few liters tonight. Thank-you for volunteering." He picked up one of the five liter canteens and threw it to her.
Salima just had time to lift her hands and catch the lightweight canteen, stopping it from flying into her face. She slowly stood up, only to be handed a second canteen, almost identical to the first one. She grumbled, noticing that Tala held two more.
"I'll go too. That way there will be more water, right?" Enrique suggested, reaching for the canteens in Tala's hand.
Tala snatched it away from his grasp, apparently having other plans. "No, that's fine. I'll go. There are only four canteens, so why don't you go cook something, hm? You must be hungry," Tala suggested coolly, knowing that the eight of them had eaten only the revolting Biovolt leftover food in the past day.
Enrique shot Salima a questioning look, and received a grim nod. Taking a step back, he crossed his arms in defeat, annoyed by Tala. The team captain was right, once again. He needed to eat something, and so did the others, although him cooking it was definitely not the best idea. "Fine by me," Enrique retorted, a warning gleam in his eyes, directed towards Tala.
"After a lot of thought, it's finally decided," Tala said sarcastically. "After you, my dear." He waved a flippant hand at the door that led to the greenhouse and water pump.
With a heavy sigh Salima pushed open the door and stepped through, walking as quickly as she could without going into a run. She knew where she was going, and she had no desire to talk to the arrogant Tala or listen to him.
Tala had silently been trailing Salima at a much slower pace for the past ten minutes, as she trooped through the halls, without hesitation.
"If you've blown off enough steam by now, we just passed the greenhouse," he patiently informed her.
She turned around, striding past him without a second glance. Salima stopped a few paces ahead, looking nervously down the hall. She grumbled a few words with a low tone.
Tala was just able to make out her words. "What's that? Say it louder," he persisted, his eyes narrowing with a smirk.
"I don't know the way," she snapped.
Tala nodded. "I could tell. You were right the first time, by the way," he explained, now leading her towards their destination. "If I had known that you would be so quiet, I would have asked your cat friend, Mariah. But you're prettier than her." Although what he said was true, Salima was not drop-dead beautiful, or anything much to look at, for that matter. Maybe what Spencer said was true, that Tala would say anything to get a girl on his side of the battle, and maybe in his bed.
Salima blushed, her cheeks turning faintly pink, but she otherwise ignored his last comment. "Yes, I would love to talk to my would-be murderer," she said sarcastically.
"Murderer? No one is going to be hurt here, my dear. Atleast, not by me," Tala explained patiently, as if he was talking to a child.
"Sure fooled me. What about your creepy friends, throwing knives around?" The image of the sneering violet-haired Ian and the smirking pale-haired Bryan came to mind. She remembered first seeing their picture, after hearing Zeo explain their mission.. She had thought 'Blue and Red' were good-looking. Voicing her thoughts, her and Mariah had both agreed that Rei was cuter and giggled as the cutie entered the room. Looks could be deceiving and they weren't everything, she realized that now more than ever. This did not apply to Rei.
Tala shrugged and pushed open a door.
They were greeted with the humid earthy smell of the greenhouse and the blazing mid-afternoon sun, shining through the glass. The greenhouse was filled with produce plants, with still a large area of soil left to plant.
The barracks' water supply was a manual pump placed in the corner of the greenhouse, so water would always be in easy reach while watering plants.
They filled the four canteens, taking turns pumping the water out and holding the canteens to catch every last drop of water.
Mariah began to peel her orange, ripping pieces off as she continued to explore the main room. Salima had been gone a long time.
"I swear, if he hurts her or anyone else, he'll get what he deserves," she muttered to herself.
"There is a lot in that kitchen, but most of it needs water to cook, so that leaves us waiting..." Mariam explained, as she entered the room with Zeo. The freezer was large too, large enough for several people to stand in it. She had decided to leave when Bryan threatened to lock her in it if she didn't shut up about their beyblades. You couldn't take the chance that he wasn't joking.
One of the doors opened, to let out a delighted laugh, that was soon followed by Salima, smile on her face.
A smirking Tala followed. They emptied the contents of the canteens into the water tank before acknowledging the others, who were watching them carefully.
Had Salima betrayed them? What had Tala said to cause her to laugh? Atleast she wasn't hurt, Mariah thought. She looked anything but hurt.
"Ian," Tala said, getting the attention of his team mate who had just walked in to the main room from the kitchen. "More water is needed. Go with... her," Tala ordered, pointing at the person who happened to be closest to him, other than Salima.
Mariam glared at Ian gloomily but took the canteens Salima held.
"Why me? Send him," Ian complained, pointing at Zeo.
"Go," Tala repeated, with a final tone. No one else knew the way to the green house. He would have sent Bryan, but he was no where to be seen.
Ian grumbled but took the canteens and went down the hallway, Mariam following with just as much enthusiasm.
"Do you or do you not have our beyblades, Ariel and Gabriel?" King repeated, his voice slightly frustrated.
Bryan only watched him darkly, no emotions showing through the mask he held over his face. He took another bite out of the peach in his hand.
"Did you hear what he said? Where is Amphilyon?" Enrique asked, after it was clear Bryan wasn't answering.
"I heard it well enough, and I don't have an answer," Bryan replied, shrugging.
"And we need one, so find it," Queen said, annoyed by how stubborn he was.
Bryan raised his shoulders in a shrug, once again.
Gordo crossed his well-muscled arms, appearing to size up Bryan. After his estimate was complete, he sighed. He could try to beat it out of Bryan, but it would be very difficult and there was more of a chance that Bryan come out as the victor.
"I bet he doesn't know. He's not important enough to be told things like that," King suggested, trying a different approach.
The pale-haired Bryan continued eating his peach. He didn't care about what King said. No matter what they thought, Bryan did know. In fact, three of the blades were in his pocket at that very moment.
Their conversation was put on pause as Salima trudged into the kitchen, and began silently studying the cupboards.
Moments later, Tala walked through the same door and sunk into one of the chairs, eyeing the group surrounding Bryan.
They wasted no time and immediately turned on Tala.
"Our blades, what happened to them?" said King.
"How should I know? They were probably destroyed," Tala pointed out. He threw a glance at Bryan, who was smirking while their backs were turned away from them.
Tala's words were followed by a tense unaccepting silence. The answer Tala had given them was more than Bryan had said, but no one wanted to believe it.
"The bitbeasts were very powerful, so they were probably absorbed into a another blade. That's all the more power for Biovolt," Tala went on, amused by the anger that showed on their faces. On all, except one. King had remained calm, though he did not seem happy, and for good reason.
"Hmm... That's that. What food is there around here?" he asked, not for himself, since he had eaten earlier at the Abbey, but for Salima.
Salima was given the choice of an apple, a pear, a banana, or a peach. She ate two of the fruit, but wished she could have eaten more.
Zeo and Mariah walked through the door, Zeo shaking his head. Two bickering voices followed him, obviously the source of their annoyance.
"I thought you worked for Za.Leon! They create cyber bitbeasts, it's the main reason for the company," Ian mocked, rolling his eyes.
"Of course. I am a representative for Za.Leon, but I highly disagree with the creation of cyber bitbeasts. The rock bitbeasts and the normal bitbeasts have an advantage over them," Mariam snapped, using her lecturer's voice.
"Cyber bitbeasts and genetically enhanced bitbeasts are much more powerful, meaning they have the advantage. How can you disagree?" he asked.
"They're just copies that would sooner kill the bladers, than win a battle."
"That's one way to weed out the weaker bladers. They aren't worth our time anyways."
"You think you're strong enough to control a cyber bitbeast?" Mariam let out a shrill laugh. "Your arrogance is hilarious!"
Ian crossed his arms, glaring at her. He did not see what was so funny. "I don't see you blading with a cyber bitbeast. A girl like you could never wield that much power," he replied.
"What is that supposed to mean? Listen, shrimp, I'm a better blader then you could ever be," Mariam said seriously, no longer laughing.
"If thinking that helps you sleep at night, I won't tell you otherwise."
"Would you shut up?!" Mariam yelled at the shorter boy, fed up with the lengthy debate that had lasted all through the walk to the pump and back.
"Why don't you?" Bryan growled to the indigo-haired girl, shoving her out of the doorway so he could pass.
Mariam seemed to notice the others for the first time. They had all been talking quietly or listening to her conversation. As Bryan finally interrupted it, the others also decided to leave.
Zeo, Enrique, Queen, and Gordo wandered outside, disappearing onto the cedar deck. Ian shrugged, gave her one last glare and followed the four outside, into the blazing sunlight.
King wandered back to the main room. That left Mariam, Tala, Mariah, and Salima, who appeared to be too busy eating to say anything.
"You and Ian are getting along well," Tala commented, sarcastically.
"He's a great guy. Let's think of some antonyms, now. Arrogant bastard! That sounds better!" Mariam exclaimed, raising one hand to let it rest on her hip.
Salima was on Mariam's side, so she did not say that Mariam was probably just as arrogant as any one of the Demolition Boys.
"I bet he'd have the same nice compliments to say about you," Tala said, with a smirk.
"You think I give a damn about what he thinks?" Mariam snapped, laughing again.
"I never said that."
"Come on, Mariam, you're right, it doesn't matter what Ian thinks. Or what his friends think," Mariah reasoned, throwing a glare at the ever-calm Tala. "Hopefully he'll get his hands on one of the cybers, and we know what will happen next," she continued, giving her fingers a snap for emphasis. It was clear that she also disapproved the use of cyber and GE bitbeasts, except for the 'weeding out' of annoying bladers.
"You aren't giving them enough credit," Salima protested, pausing to finish eating her pear. "A select few will be able to blade with a cyber bitbeast, if it is customized for them. True, they are difficult to control and can be highly dangerous, but if the blader knows how, they can become a great advantage," she lectured. "Even so, I don't think Ian is one of those bladers. GE bitbeasts like his Wyborg are very different from cyber bitbeasts, so it would take quite a bit of training before he could safely blade with a cyber bitbeast. But you're hopes aren't lost, he might still lose control of the bitbeast."
"And how are you connected to Za.Leon? You seem to know what you're talking about," Tala asked curiously, fascinated by the different opinions that the three girls shared.
"Of course she knows what she's talking about! Salima is the best of her kind!" Mariam growled, impatient with the fact that Tala needed to ask.
"I wouldn't say 'the best'..." Salima said modestly. "I am—was the representative of studies for cyber bitbeasts."
"That means she studies bitbeasts in battle and gathers information to make the cybers, in case you needed to ask about that, too." Mariah said in a tell-tale tone.
"I know what that means," Tala growled.
"And I knew that company would get you into trouble like this one day, Salima! Cybers and Za.Leon are a sure sign for trouble. Just look where you are now," Mariah continued, ignoring Tala.
"Za.Leon is the only place where I could legally study... And Mariam is here, too!" Salima answered.
"Za.Leon pays more and has advanced training programs," Mariam said, instantly, shooting a glare at Salima for shifting the blame to her.
"The BBA would allow you to study some of the bitbeasts! And Director Judy is an amazing person. If you spoke to Mr. D, I'm sure you could get the same legal training from Judy and salary!" Mariah yelled back, open about her disgust for Za.Leon, Biovolt and other illegal organizations.
As interested as he was with their debate, Tala was not one to be ignored. "Ladies, you can consider yourselves on vacation. There is no need to worry about the things you're speaking of, for some time. Just relax!" He stood up, wrapping one arm around Salima's waist and the other over Mariam's shoulders.
Mariam giggled, surprising them all. "It's time to parrrr-tay," she joked, giggling a second time.
Salima turned a bright red and became interested with her feet.
Overhearing the last part of their conversation Enrique strolled through the doorway and slipped one of his arms over the unsuspecting Mariah's shoulders. "Is it 'getting hot in here'?" he asked, mimicking Nelly's voice in the song.
It was Salima's turn to giggle, as she shook her head.
"No, that would be going too far," Mariam said seriously, although she still smiled. "Now get away from me," she said, ducking and stepping far away from Tala. The skin-to-skin distance did not make her comfortable.
Salima did the same, also smiling. Mariah's sharp voice caught her attention and she looked towards the 'couple'.
"Enrique Giancarlos! What were you thinking?! Were you thinking that I was a one man woman? Well, probably not!" she shrieked, having since made distance between herself and any male.
Mariam sighed. It was well known that Mariah and Rei shared a deep bond, and Enrique should have known that, but at the same time, Mariah was completely over-reacting. Enrique was their long-time friend, even if he was a little strange or 'girl-crazy' at times. Hmm... Maybe he hadn't been acting as a friend a few minutes earlier.
"And what would Amanda and Chelsea think?" Mariah demanded, seeming to be on a role with discovering the thoughts of others.
Enrique waved her off, apparently not feeling Mariah's wrath. "Amanda and Chels' are just friends, who happen to be girls. Like you, Mariam and Salima," he explained innocently.
Mariam sat down in the chair Tala had earlier vacated. Amanda and Chelsea were two of Enrique's 'friends' from Italy. They only spoke Italian, so no one knew what their relationship with Enrique might be, but they seemed a little closer then 'just friends'. When questioned, Enrique had explained to them that everyone in Europe was touchy-feely like that and had given Queen a kiss on the cheek to prove it. Everyone agreed that he did deserve the slap Queen gave him afterwards. Since Enrique's explanation had scared them well, they had avoided speaking with the Europeans when they had business there, and never found out if he was lying or what his relationship with Amanda and Chelsea really was. Enrique's beyblade team mates, the Majestics, refused to say anything about it.
Mariah gave up, huffily crossing her arms and turning her back towards the blonde.
"What about that parrrr-tay?" Enrique asked, unaffected by Mariah's spiteful attitude towards him.
"Sorry, ladies, Enrique, but we've got work to do for now," Tala said, truly apologizing to them. "A sandstorm could hit at any moment, in the desert. We're going to check for any broken windows or things like that. Right now," he said, taking authority once again, though more kindly. Three of the four he spoke to had accepted their fate, or were pretending to and were planning to retaliate later on. Either was fine with him, atleast he had charmed the ladies to some extent. Enrique, he decided, could be real competition, and was annoying, but alright to be around since he was forced to be there anyways.
"And I thought you were serious, when you said this was vacation," Mariam complained.
"If it sounds too hard for you, I could ask Bryan to find something else for you to do," Tala offered, knowing Bryan was already in a bad mood.
Mariam sighed, uneager to have anything to do with Tala's pale-haired companion. He really gave her the creeps.
Queen kneeled down at the edge of the smooth, full-sized beydish built into the center of the deck. "What's the beydish for?" she asked of Ian, who had just walked forward.
"Why do you give a damn? It's not like we have our blades anymore," Enrique whined pessimistically.
"If you didn't know, team Neoborg is the reigning world champion of beyblading, two tournaments in a row," Ian replied proudly, as if that answered Queen's question. He didn't know what Enrique was talking about, but decided it was best not to ask.
"We are quite aware of that, thank-you," Gordo said darkly, sitting in the little patch of shade the barracks provided.
Queen joined him, dropping herself down by his side.
Enrique began to pace impatiently back and forth, outside of the cool shade, while Zeo watched him.
"What deserts do you know of, Gordo? Where do you think we are?" Queen asked thoughtfully, laying down to gaze at the cloudless blue sky.
"I don't know very much about deserts. There's the Sahara, the Namib, the Kalahari, and the Libyan, all in Africa," he suggested, a frown creasing his forehead.
"I've never studied any deserts. We've always focused on the northern regions, because that's where the spies and hackers are most needed," Queen said.
"Aw, what a pity. It's too late for regrets, Rayolin," Ian said, far from sympathetic.
"Stop calling me by my last name," she ordered.
"Are you going to do something about it, hm, Rayolin?" he questioned, smirking.
Queen remained silent, unmoving. Normally she would have somehow threatened to whip him in a beybattle and steal his best accessory. That, or hack into his bank account. She could do neither without a beyblade or a computer. She wished she could wipe the cruel grin off his face.
"Anyways, we're no longer in Europe. It is the only continent without desert regions, and this ain't Antarctica," Enrique added. "And deserted is what can be said about this place. Zeo's house is bigger than it! I mean, look at the size of this dump..."
"What does my house have to do with this?" Zeo asked, considering the size of the barracks with a frown.
"I didn't want to brag about my property," he reasoned, delighted about the chance to do just that.
Enrique and Zeo went into deep conversation about the size and luxuries of their homes, and compared it to the barracks. Queen had expected something like this from Enrique, but was surprised that Zeo went along with it! Rich men...
"There's the Gobi... And that's all I have for names," Queen sighed, going in to deep thought.
Enrique had edged towards the door, apparently done his conversation with Zeo. His expression changed from one of gloom to a look of arrogance and sly joy, before leaping through the doorway and disappearing from sight.
Queen, the only one who had seen this, had other things to worry about. "I'll ask King and the others later," she told Gordo.
A light click of metal signified that someone had launched a blade into the dish. Queen lifted herself into a sitting position, her eyes immediately falling on the launcher in Ian's hand. He watched as Wyborg spun in large circles around the dish. The blade shifted to the side off the dish and threw itself out, flying at an almost vertical angle, and landed neatly in Ian's hand.
At this Queen rolled her eyes. He was just trying to get under their skin, make them feel dispirited for losing their beyblades. She began questioning Zeo about his knowledge of the desert, a plan forming in her mind.
Tala would was not one that would be easily made a fool of. He woke early the next morning, to find himself alone in the first room. He quickly shrugged on his white pants, as a light knock notified him that someone else was awake. The air conditioning wasn't living up to its name, much to his annoyance.
"What do you want?" he snapped, sliding the door open.
"Salima was sick..." Mariam said quickly. She appeared to still be half-asleep, and was wearing the loose ragged clothing provided by Biovolt.
Tala sighed as he stepped into the well lit hallway, catching sight of Mariam's three companions, two of them sitting on the floor outside the third door. "I told you that you wouldn't be able to sleep there..."
"Hmmph," Mariam said from behind. She crossed her arms, waiting expectantly.
"Someone clean it up. There are supplies in that box in the main room," his tone changed to one of command.
In answer, Mariah left to do as commanded, but only because she knew the room would never air out if it began to smell of vomit.
"You don't have a choice anymore. It is clear that you will have to sleep elsewhere... There is space for all four of you in the first room..." Tala suggested innocently.
"Sure..." Salima answered. Half-asleep, she hadn't been paying full attention to what Tala was saying. She had only caught the last part, about changing rooms, although she didn't remember hearing about a spare room.
"Salima! That isn't a good idea!" Mariah warned, returning with the necessary supplies.
"The second room doesn't have any more space," Tala pointed out. "You can't sleep in the hall."
"Like Salima is doing now?" Queen asked, pointing at Salima as she stood up.
Salima had closed her eyes in sleep. She was in a sitting position, her head resting on the wall behind her.
"Like I said, she can't sleep in the hallway. We'll go with her last decision," he said, gently lifting her off the floor, trying his best not to wake her.
Mariam groaned.
"I just hope you smell better then wet carpet, skunk, and whatever died in there," Queen taunted, wrinkling her nose in disgust as she named the strong stenches that plagued the third room. She threw a wary glance at the door, firmly shut to successfully keep the reek inside.
"I can only ask the same of you," Tala answered, pushing the door open wider with his foot.
"Great, now we have to share a room with that ass-hole!" Mariah said to Mariam from down the hall. She didn't seem to care about the volume of her voice.
Tala could hear her clearly. He scowled, setting Salima down on one of the bottom bunks and returned to the door way. "Be quiet. We've been over this, if you don't learn to shut up, everyone will wake up to your glass-shattering voice, see you, and turn to stone," he warned quietly, stretching as he made his way into the main room.
"Apparently he hasn't looked in the mirror lately, which comes as a surprise, because of his large ego," Mariah whispered, once Tala was out of hearing range. She sat down on the lower bed opposite Salima's.
Queen threw herself onto a different bed, too tired to listen.
Mariam smothered a giggle, despite herself. Tala Ivanov was good-looking and he had most definitely seen himself in a mirror; he knew it and wasn't afraid to tell any girl. He was tall and wiry, with a strong build, but not by any means bulky. 'Eye-candy' was a word that came to mind, although the same could not be said about his personality. After actually meeting the guy, Mariam couldn't say she liked him that much.
Movement on the top bunk alerted them that someone else was in the room, that they hadn't noticed before. The person moaned and rolled over. "What's so funny?" they asked, sleepily.
"Who's there?" Queen demanded, standing up.
"Huh? It's me," the person replied, throwing the sheet off of themselves. The blonde yawned and stretched.
"Enrique!" Mariah yelled, grabbing the pillow on her bed and throwing it at him.
It hit him in the face, causing him to flinch. "Hey! What was that for?" he asked, throwing it back at Mariah. Enrique hopped on to the floor.
"What are you doing here? Were you here all night?" Queen asked, rolling her eyes at her friends' display of immaturity.
"That's what I'd like to know," Tala said, entering the room with a scowl. In his hand he held a half-drained cup of water.
"No, I over heard everything you said and decided to come here!" he explained. "Also, Bryan doesn't think you should be in the same room as four girls and told me to go."
"Bryan said that?" Tala said, incredulously. He laughed. "Nice try, but I don't believe you."
Enrique hesitated for a moment. "It doesn't matter, the reason is still valid. And Bryan did tell me to go here, only I don't know why," he noted.
Enrique had a point, and one that could not be easily argued with, even though it didn't make the girls feel any safer.
"Out of the frying pan, into the fire..." Mariah mumbled to herself, so quietly that no one heard.
"You moron!" Ian yelled from the door. "Bryan told you to get lost, because nobody wants you there."
"I'm not staying here. There's free space in the other room now," Queen noted, standing up and brushing past Ian. She didn't have any sympathy for the insulted Enrique.
Mariam followed, without giving them a hint as to where she was going.
Thinking that Mariam was going to eat breakfast, Enrique decided he was hungry and headed towards the kitchen, shook his fist at Ian as he passed.
Ian scoffed, unaffected by Enrique's actions. He disappeared down the hallway, leaving Tala, Mariah, and the sleeping Salima.
Seconds later, before either had the chance to say anything, Zeo trudged in. He stopped in front of Tala. "I will be switching places with Mariam. I'm sorry if that isn't alright with you, but Mariam says she will stay there."
Mariah suppressed a groan. Zeo was polite to everyone, but did that mean he should respect Tala, too?
Tala merely shrugged, eyeing Zeo suspiciously. "Great," he said, a bit sarcastically. He honestly did not care any more, and he was not going to argue over it.
"I'm so glad I'm not in the same room as Enrique anymore. He snores!" Zeo commented.
Salima yawned as she stepped out of the door, looking around expectantly. No one was there.
She had just woken up, and found herself alone. This was not something she was going to panic about, but she wanted to find out how she had fallen asleep in the first room. She sighed, thinking that she would check the area first, before getting something to eat.
As expected, the second room was unoccupied.
Her stomach growled persistently, signifying its hunger.
Sighing, she started to turn away, but stopped as the bright glint of metal on one of the tables caught her eye. As she turned, the shiny object could be instantly recognized as a beyblade.
Curious, she stepped towards it, thinking it might have been one of her friends' supposedly lost beyblades.
After picking it up, she realized that the purple blade was not one she had studied before, but Ian's blade. It took her a moment to remember that the name of the bitbeast was Wyborg, a snake.
She reached out to put it back, but a loud voice speaking from outside startled her. Salima pulled back her hand in reflex.
"How am I supposed to know where she is? Don't you have cameras everywhere around here?" said an annoyed feminine voice that could only belong to Mariam.
"Just shut-up, already, and find her," said a male's voice, one that Salima could not recognize as easily.
Salima instantly shoved Wyborg into her pocket, just as the door slid open, revealing two people.
"Salima, there you are. Ian doesn't believe that stressed, tired people should be allowed to sleep past seven o'clock, but I see that you're awake, anyways," Mariam said, grinning as she pushed Ian aside.
Ian ignored her comment. "What the hell are you doing here?" he asked, though not suspiciously.
"What? Oh, uh, I was checking if anyone was here..." she said, just able to mask her uneasiness.
"Whatever. Go make yourself useful," he said.
"She just woke up, so she should eat first. Isn't that logical?"
Mariam and Ian began a strong argument, of which Salima barely listened to as she followed them out of the second room.
She was not skilled enough in beyblading to use it, nor did she have anywhere to do so, and she was not one for practical jokes. Ian would eventually figure out that Wyborg was gone, and would instantly assume someone had stolen it. There was nothing to gain from stealing it, so she did not know why she had not left it alone. Salima decided she would return it as soon as she had a chance to, and no one would be the wiser.
"We're getting out of here. There is no way I'm staying in this place," Enrique announced. He was no leader, but he knew what he wanted.
King sighed. "Don't do anything stupid," he said, not just to Enrique, but to the other eight standing in the second room as well. This was the first time they had really gotten a chance away from their captors. Tala, Bryan, and Ian were who-knew-where at the moment, but he intended to find out. He didn't believe that the Demolition Boys had come without any means of communication. Communication that he could find and use.
"Maybe the BBA will just give Biovolt what they want. We should just wait patiently. I know the BBA won't just leave us here!" Mariah voiced.
"That is the last thing the BBA will do. Those are the two most powerful blades of their kind," Gordo snapped, annoyed that she could forget that.
Zeo nodded in agreement.
"Our only choice is to escape ourselves. Tala said there is no water within walking distance, but do we even trust him? I don't," Mariam said.
"There is a possibility that he could have lied. We won't know, unless we go out there," Salima said. "Anybody have a plan?"
"Do I ever." Queen threw a grin at King, and they began to explain their plan.