I never thought I'd get 50 reviews, so thank you so much to everyone! This includes:

Midnight Insanity: thanks so much for continuing to review, and for pointing out that grammar mistake! I wasn't sure on how to write about the bit beasts, so you've helped a lot!

Tama: your reviews are always so sweet, I love reading them! I hope you continue to review - thanks so much!

x-hikari: it wasn't directed at just you! I am very thankful for all your reviews! You're right about Kai seeming OOC, but I love the idea of him laughing with his sister- it's really sweet, and I think it could happen! And there'll be more revealed about their brother-sisterly link later on, which may explain what happened in the last chapter a bit better. :D

ariotlatio and X Shadow Wolf X2: lol, sorry for being evil and leaving you with a cliffhanger! I hope this chapter meets your expectations...

Mrs. Sumpter and O.o- GoDsMaCk –o.O: I'm glad you like Kai and Tala being sweet, I was worried it would be too fluffy and unbelievable (I'm not that good at writing fluff). Thank you so much for reviewing!

Disclaimer: Beyblade isn't mine, but this story and Albina are!

I really love this chapter, although not that much happens. It gives a deeper insight into the characters and prepares everything for the upcoming final match. I hope you like it.

Chapter 10 - Shattered Glass, Broken Hearts

Albina sat up in a shot, flinging the bedcover on top of Kai before running out of the room. The stone and gravel floors stung her bare feet as she skidded round corners, her heart beating fast and panic flooding her head. Boys stared in surprise at seeing her rush past without her usual long, black gloves and boots, her white skin exposed and her long hair ruffled and tangled. She didn't know exactly where he'd be, but she knew he'd be somewhere on the upper level, where Biovolt's experiments were. Instructors shouted after her, their harsh voices echoing in her ears but the words undefined and unimportant in her mind. She eventually came to the staircase, and began her way up. She was shattered with exhaustion, but she forced her legs to keep moving despite the growing pain in the soles of her feet and her muscles. Why didn't Kai tell her straight away? Oh that's right, because he hates Tala... she hoped that she wouldn't be too late.

The third floor, calves catapulting her up the stairs, bright lights glowing, the highest level, the last few steps, the polished floor, the white doors, the filled tanks, the satanic scientists; Tala.

Stopping at the doorway, deeply inhaling the cold air, her lungs freezing and trembling. Half-naked Tala, his beautiful eyes closed, floating in a tank like an animal...

She shot into the room, up to the tank, pressed her small upturned nose to the cold, clean glass. Oblivious to the crowd of scientists surrounding the tank, she brought her hands up to meet the glass too, stared at his submerged torso and began to whisper, her rapid breaths misting up the glass:
"I'm sorry, I should've listened to you, I-"
"Albina?" Suddenly conscious of the eyes on her, she span around snarling, and screamed.
"What have you done to him? Get him out now!"
"Albina, calm down! We're not doing him any harm, we're making him better." Boris replied, stupefied at seeing her awake and hearing her shrill screams again.

"Why? What are you doing? You're turning him into a bit beast aren't you!" Angry tears were spilling down her cheeks.
"That's not it, if you just calm down we'll explain-"
"I've had it with calm and explanations!" She shrieked, whirling back to Tala, her wet eyes scanning the control panel on the tank. There had to be someway to drain it, or open it, or something... A strong hand clamped around her thin wrist, almost fracturing it, and pulled her away from the tank.

"Get a grip on yourself Albina! We're improving him- so he'll be able to win the tournament."
"He'd already be able to win! He's a brilliant blader!"
"Yes, but it has become clear to us that his feelings for you would get in the way of his focus. With these- upgrades - that, and other distractions will no longer be a problem." Albina stopped struggling. What? So, they were getting rid of his feelings? Right after he'd finally opened up to her? She couldn't let that happen. After staying still for several seconds, Boris relaxed his grip slightly and the scientists went back to their work, giving Albina her chance. Whipping her head around, she sunk her small, sharp teeth into Boris's hairy wrist, and then using his surprise, she broke free of his grip and kicked the tank with all her strength, the glass cracking slightly. This all happened within the space of a second and she used her last free second to kick the glass again, her small foot miraculously breaking through, the glass shattering and tearing her skin whilst the liquid glooped out. Ignoring the pain shooting up her leg, she reached inside the tank and began pulling the nodes off Tala's skin- but didn't get to finish. It was the iron grip again, harder this time, and the pain was climbing.

"YOU IDIOT! Now we'll never be able to finalise the transformation, and he'll be unstable! Do you realise you could've cost us the entire world?" Boris yelled in her ear, squeezing the arteries in her wrist so hard that she began to feel dizzy. Or was that just the blood gushing from her leg? Throwing her body onto the tiles like a doll, he and the scientists swarmed around Tala, checking his readings, seeing what they could do. To Boris's relief, it seemed that Albina's efforts had been in vain- Tala's transformation appeared to be complete, his brain waves following the regular pattern they'd set up, his adrenaline and strength sky high. Maybe it wouldn't matter after all.

The scientists, after completing the final checks, lifted Tala's body free from the glass onto a trolley, which they wheeled away. Albina's body lay sprawled on the floor, her blood staining the white tiles, her white skin, her white dress. Boris looked down at her in disgust. How could he have ever thought of her as strong? She was nothing, nothing but a pathetic child with a crush- had all those years of solitude taught her nothing? But even with these hateful thoughts crowding his head, he couldn't hold back his panic about her injured leg and called for the medical facility's paramedics. He knelt down by her and hesitantly took off his jacket, wrapping it around her torn leg in an effort to hold back the blood, and in these few moments of silence, he realised: Those years of training weren't wasted. What normal twelve year old girl would awake from a coma, then take on a room full of men and kick in a glass tank with delicate, naked feet? By teaching her to resist pain, it was him who'd prepared her for this- and as much as he hated to admit it, she'd just acted as the fearless warrior that he'd always wanted her to be- the only difference was that it was to try and save the one she loved. His train of thought was interrupted by a furious voice.

"Where is he? What happened?" Albina demanded, the skin on her face transparent, allowing the pulsing blue veins to show through. She'd woken up from her faint and now her voice was strong and threatening again, only with a hint of strain showing through. Her pale, drained eyes glared at Boris with contempt more intense than any he'd ever seen before- even Kai's. The broken man, unable to bring words to his vocal chords just gazed at his daughter sadly.

"I said, where is he?" She cried again, bringing her small fist up and into Boris's crumpled face with unexplainable force. At that moment the paramedics arrived, and lifted her light body onto a trolley- she kicked out and struggled but she was getting weaker as she lost more blood, and could no longer summon enough strength to get free.

"You'll be taken to him now, in the medical facility." Boris called to her, as she was wheeled out of the door. "I'm... I'm sorry." By the time Boris was able to say these words, she was already gone. The man, crushed and unsure of what to do next, stood alone in the bright room, among the glass shards and the whirring computers. He looked down at the pooled darkness, staining the white tiles; a tear silently slid down his crinkled cheek.

After the agony of the slow descent in the elevator, her trolley was wheeled down the dark corridor and finally into the medical facility, where her limp body was lifted onto the same bed she'd been in half an hour ago, talking to Kai. Where was her brother now? As the doctors fussed around her leg, spreading antiseptic and wrapping bandages, she turned her head to look where Kai's torso had been and saw a flash of red on white. Tala was lying on the bed next to hers, sleeping peacefully, his naked chest rising and falling gently, his dreamless mind totally unaware of what had just happened. But had she been able to save him, or had it all been a pointless folly that had almost got her killed for the second time? Maybe emotions did only mess things up.

Hours later, she woke up to darkness, but not silence. Her expanding pupils flicking around the room, she discovered a strange sight and again, wondered whether she was just dreaming. Tala was up and out of bed, standing as if frozen and watching his beyblade as if hypnotised as it span around the room. Confused, Albina whispered:

"Tala?" She was answered by silence and clicking as the blade jumped into his waiting hand. "Tala?" Again, no reply came as he re-launched his blade with frightening ferocity and accuracy. Albina couldn't stand it, and lifting her bandaged leg carefully off the bed she walked lightly up to him and put a hand on his shoulder. He whirled around, his face set in a frown.
"I'm trying to concentrate. Leave me alone."
"But Tala, we need to talk..."
"The only thing we need to do is prepare for tomorrow's battle. Which means I need to practice and you need to rest." Suddenly furious, she pushed him with the little strength she had and said,
"Snap out of it! You need to rest too!" To her shock, he pushed her back with astounding power, sending her flying into her bedpost with a crack.
"Leave... me... alone!" He growled. Albina felt pain like she'd never felt before.

But it wasn't from her leg, or her throbbing, bumped head- it was much deeper down and much more intense- emotional pain. From the looks of things, their little science project had worked, making him stronger, faster, focused- but also unable to remember any feelings he'd ever had for her. Defeated, she sank down under her covers, letting her eyes droop, and eventually falling into restless sleep.


It's so sad, I'm sorry! At least it wasn't quite a cliffhanger this time though. :) Please review, every little bit of input helps and you don't know how happy getting them makes me! I'm quite busy with school now, so I'll only put up the next chapter when I get a good amount of reviews (60?). Thanks for reading!