I asked for 30 reviews, and got 41- wow! So this is the fastest update ever.
Thanks so much to:

x-hikari: You didn't need to send in so many reviews, but thankyou for the thought, it was really nice! I will check out your Deviantart account A.S.A.P!

ariotlatio: You're right, Tala was rather OOC, but we all change a little when we fall in love I reckon! XD Thanks for your review!

I wish I was a rainbow: Oops! Thanks for pointing that out about Kai's blade, though I don't think I'll bother changing it. I hope you continue to read and review!

And also to: X Shadow Wolf X2, cookie crumbs, Luna Ravencroft, Mrs. Sumpter, midtow, Mikay and O.o-GoDsMaCk-o.O. You all get hugs and cookies!

I love this chapter too! Tala and Kai may be a little OOC, so sorry if they are. It's also quite long, so get comfortable and enjoy!

Chapter 9 – Upgrades

As soon as it was bright enough to see her limp body, Tala got up from his seat and rushed over, to shouting ofBoris. Though he was concerned too, he didn't want to make the 'Demolition Boys' look caring- the whole idea of entering this tournament was to make everyone fear the team. However, he did call for paramedics.
"Albina?" Tala said tentatively, as he approached her crumpled body. He was at a crossroads of what to do- would he be kicked off the team if he showed any more sympathy than he already had? But Albina's life was more important- he hesitantly kneeled down beside her and, taking her delicate wrist in his hand, checked for a pulse. A sigh of relief escaped his lips- she was still alive. But for how long... His moment of cautious worry was interrupted by Kai.

"Is she alright?"
"No, she's not alright!" Tala yelled back, shocked at the protective fury in his voice.
"Well, as long as she's alive..." Kai trailed off, turning and beginning to walk back to his old teammates. Unexpectedly outraged, Tala rose from the ground and stood, fists clenched, his icy eyes boring into the back of Kai's head. He'd forgotten all about Boris, the team and the rest of the stadium watching.

"How dare you not care, and just walk away! Perhaps if you knew who she really was, you'd care a bit more!" Kai turned around passively to watch Tala pitifully. Even after all those years at the Abbey, he was still plagued with overactive emotions. And why did he suddenly care so much about this girl?
"I know who she is. Your crush. So go look after her and stop bothering me." Kai shrugged, as bluntly as he could manage. Aflame with fury, Tala yelled back-
"Your sister! She's your sister, Kai, goddamnit! And you don't even care whether she lives or dies, you only care about your idiot self!" Kai stopped dead in his tracks, actually shocked at what he'd just heard. But Tala's surely gone crazy, any excuse to try and evoke emotion in him... At that moment, the group of paramedics burst through the door and rushed over to the arguing bladers, lifting Albina onto the stretcher and beginning to examine her. Boris came over to see what was wrong. But Tala and Kai stood frozen either side of dish, glaring at each other with frightening intensity and oblivious to the crowd around them, or the thousands of eyes watching them.

"It's true, Kai, and you know it is. It makes more sense than your twisted mind will ever make!" Hushed voices around Albina. Tala halted his flood of hate to listen with bated breath-

"She's in a coma." "How serious is it?" "Only time will tell."

"This is all your fault Kai! If you'd never come back, this wouldn't have happened! You're a monster!" Tala rushed at Kai in a flurry of rage, his heavy fist meeting Kai's face square on, sending his body backwards until it hit the polished floor with a sharp thud. Kai's body lay sprawled, his nose a mess of blood, his stupid friends rushing to his assistance. Softly growling, Tala went to rejoin his team, following the paramedics who carried Albina on a stretcher.
"Tala! You'll pay for this! Just wait till I see you in the finals!" Tyson's threats didn't reach Tala's brain. Together with his hatred for Kai, his concern for Albina took up all his thoughts.

It was decided that Albina could stay in the medical facility at the Abbey- though it was rarely used, Boris had requested it for emergencies such as this. Though he was worried for Albina, he was still more concerned with Tala's 'scene' at the stadium. And concerned to what Voltaire would do to him because of it. However, he had to get it over with sooner or later, so straight after helping to settle Albina in, he went to switch on the communicator in his office.

"Boris! Your foolishness may have lost us our best weapon! I said that she wasn't to be on the team, and you've just proved exactly why. Why you thought it wise to give her Black Dranzer, I'll never know. She was too precious to risk like that!"
"Your honour - she, herself insisted. I didn't think it wise either, but I thought since she's your granddaughter, she would've been able to handle it..."
"Idiot! You have made us the laughing stock of the tournament, especially because of Tala!"
"Yes, Tala did get carried away, your honour, but he's our best blader now. We can't lose him or else we'll lose the tournament for sure!"
"I understand that, Boris. And that is why I have devised a plan, to remove all those meaningless emotions from his head!"
"But... how? After the things I heard him say to her before her battle, I don't see how we'd ever change him, now."
"Don't you remember anything? Our cybernetic enhancer project is almost complete- we shall use this to upgrade him. Once we have given him his new cybernetic implants, he will be devoid of all emotion except hate, and we shall program him only for one purpose- to beyblade and win the tournament."
"Ah."
"I will expect the transformation to be complete by the final battle of the tournament, in two days. Do NOT disappoint me again, Boris."
"Yes, your honour." Boris sighed and switched off the communicator. The cybernetic enhancer had not been tested yet, and it was unknown what side effects there would be. He went to find Tala, contemplating how he would convince him to comply.

As he walked down to the training quarters, he briefly glimpsed into the medical facility and was furious to see Tala in there, sitting at Albina's bedside with a blank expression and lifeless eyes, staring at her heart monitor. He'd been trying to wake her up but nothing had worked. "Albina, I'm sorry for ignoring you. I'm sorry for arguing." He spoke quietly, his words, heavy with regret and sadness falling on deaf ears. "All this time we've had together has wasted, and now I may never be able to tell you how I really feel. All those chances I had and spent instead on silence; when all along I should've just told you that I... I-"
"Tala?" Boris thundered from the doorway. "Usually I would punish you for not being where you should be, but today I'm feeling generous. And I need to speak with you about something." Tala jumped from his seat and looked round, disorientated and confused- he hadn't heard Boris come in.

"Yes, Boris." He nodded, rising from his seat. He looked once more at her gentle face, now completely colourless; the smudged purple face paint and the terrible scar. Without her consciousness, even these things couldn't stop her from looking like an angel. Turning off the light, Tala dutifully followed Boris out of the room, unknowing of what horrors awaited him; but ready to accept them.

The room remained silent for a whole day, until an unexpected visitor came in silently and closed the door, switching the light on and sitting down at Tala's seat.
Albina's eyes shot open.
The bright light stung her shrinking pupils and she squinted at the ceiling.
"Albina? Are you awake?"
"Tala?"
"No." Now that her eyes had adjusted, she slowly turned her head on the pillow to look into a pair of troubled eyes.

"Kai?" She questioned weakly, wondering whether this was just a dream. She looked so weak, so young, so vulnerable. It was as if she was a totally different girl to the one he'd seen across a brightly lit beydish two days ago. His thoughts tangled, he gently laid his large, warm hand on her small icy one, unsure of what he was supposed to be doing. Albina responded by sleepily looking down at their hands, puzzled. Yes, she decided. This must be a dream. She didn't bother to question it. After these few moments of silence, he tried speaking again.

"Tala told me that you're my sister." Kai attempted. Widened eyes, but still no vocal reply. He continued: "I didn't believe him at first, but now... I guess it makes sense." Her pupils darted from her hand to his face, and settled on the crooked nose and dried blood. She still couldn't bring noise into her throat. "So, uh... how are you feeling?" Kai stumbled over the unfamiliar words and tone of voice. He'd never felt so awkward in his life, or felt so unlike himself. A slow smile spread across his sister's face.
"I never thought I'd hear you say that."
"Well you'd better forget it ever happened." Kai murmured, before smiling back- and suddenly they both laughed- not manic laughter, but normal, happy laughter. They were both taken aback by how easy it was, then laughed a bit more simply because they were laughing!

Albina relaxed, and laying her head back into the lumps of the pillow, moved her fingers so they were clutched around her brother's. Kai's muscles didn't flinch or tense up like he thought they would, and he smiled at her again. This was so easy!
"What happened to your nose?"
"Tala." In an instant they were laughing again, savouring the fresh feeling of friendship flowing between each other- until Albina fell silent and he felt her fingers tense up.
"Where is Tala?" Kai felt himself sinking back in to his normal self.
"He's..." He didn't want to finish the sentence. He knew she'd react explosively, and that couldn't be good for her condition. But he didn't want to lie to her either. "He's floating in a tank in one of the labs upstairs. Apparently, he's being cybernetically enhanced-"
"WHAT?"


Another cliff hanger- I like doing those, now that I can! :D
I'm going to wait until I have 50 reviews until I update- I'll appreciate any reviews I get, but especially ones that comment specifically on this chapter. I'm a little busy with school now, but I'll try to update as soon as I can.