Disclaimer: Kevin is green, Mariah is pink. I own Beyblade winkwink
A/N – Fixed the Irish/Scottish thing from last chapter.
As the Ice Breaks.
Part 11: Demolishing Friendship 1.
'What's going on, Kai?' Tala sat on the side of his bed, looking at something in his hand. He was in a dark dorm room, where the only source of light was from a dingy old bulb that sat in the middle of the ceiling. His face dropped for a moment. 'Did you abandon me again? Like before? You said that we would get through this together ... and I believed you. How could you? You left me again. Damn you, Kai.' he threw the object in hand against the wall, and it fell onto the ground with a clutter.
Tala stood up, all his defenses up again, looking as mean as he was always made out to be. He walked gracefully out the door and took a right turn, heading towards the other boy's dorms, in particular, Bryan. Behind him he left lying on the ground, a metal chain link.
He sauntered down the dark hallways, caught up in his own memories, that he didn't realize when he had bumped into Boris.
"Tala," He said sternly, "pay attention to where you are going."
"Forgive me, sir. I will never happen again." He straightened his arms by his side and bowed his head slightly.
"It better not. I will not tolerate misdemeanor in my presence. You know what the punishment is, don't you, Captain?"
Tala gulped. "Yes, sir."
"Good. Be on your way then." Boris continued on his way.
Tala stayed behind, looking at the receding form of Boris as he walked into his office. He narrowed his eyes and walked as silently as a wolf to the door. He managed to open it an inch without Boris noticing, and peeped in.
Boris pushed aside some of the paperwork that cluttered his desk and pressed a few buttons on his computer. On the screen, the image of Voltaire came into view.
What is it now, Boris? he asked, obviously irritated.
"I'm afraid I have some dire news, Voltaire. It seems that young Kai has left us for the Blade brats once again. And not only that; he has managed to land himself in a coma."
In a coma? How? Where? Voltaire looked furious.
"I hear that he fell into the lake and has been admitted to Putin Medical Hospital."
How could you let that happen, Boris? We had him right in the palm of our hand. We were this close, he held his fingers an inch apart, to world domination. With the team of Kai and Black Dranzer –
"There is another thing, sir."
What?
"We ... have also lost Black Dranzer."
WHAT? Voltaire growled, his eyes flashing. HOW?
"It fell to the bottom of Lake Baikal, after Kai challenged the BladeBreakers."
Who gave the authorization?
"I certainly did not. Kai is one stubborn kid. Do you think anything I would have said to him would make him change his mind?"
No, he certainly takes after me in that case, he smirked. How did you find about this?
"We have one of our people down at the hospital that informed us, and Smirnov flew Kai over to lake Baikal. He saw the whole thing."
And he did nothing? Voltaire growled. Execute him.
"At once." Boris nodded.
But back to the problem at hand; what do we do about it now? The championship is in a week, and I hope for your sake that you have a backup plan, and a replacement for Kai.
"Of course I do. The person I've chosen is perfect to show the world just how serious Biovolt Corporation can be. And the backup plan; the Labs are working on it as we speak."
Care to enlighten me as to what it does?
"All I can say is that it is still experimental and the results are volatile. But we already have the perfect candidate; someone who could be regarded as up to par with Kai, maybe even better." He smirked.
And who may this person be?
"One, Tala Ivanov."
Tala gasped after hearing what Boris said. Me? For what? He shook his head. This isn't time for that. There is something more important to think about, Kai's in the hospital? He didn't abandon me after all, he smiled weakly. His ears perked up when he heard Boris turn off the computer. He quickly walked away, not to get caught eavesdropping. The act could result in extreme punishment.
"Kai." He whispered to himself. I have to see him. Tala's face showed determination as he went into the rest of the Demolition Boys' room.
--
"Bryan."
Bryan turned his cold lilac eyes to the Captain. "What is it, Tala." He said coolly.
Tala was not perturbed by his icy tone. It was normal for Bryan to speak like that, after every thing Boris and his henchmen had done to him. "Boris has decided to have you on the team."
"Really?" Ian piped up. "Which one of us had Boris decided to cut?"
"None. Bryan will take Kai's place." Tale leaned against the wall, arms crossed.
"Kai?" Bryan stared at him incredulously. "Why would he cut his most prized blader?"
"He wasn't cut. He left."
"Again?" Ian snickered. "How is Boris taking this? I mean, losing him 'twice'?"
"Not so good." Tala stared at the ceiling.
"Why does Kai get off for ditching the Abbey, while we have to stay here for the rest of our lives?"
"Because he's smart." Tala shrugged. "He never wanted to be here in the first place, not like the rest of you."
"Us? What about you, Tala?" Spencer cut in.
Tala pushed himself off the wall. "It's none of your business." He told them and walked out.
Tala lay down on his bed with his arms behind his head. Did I want to be here? ... Do I still want to be here? He sighed and sat up with his legs hanging over the side of the bed. He saw the forgotten chain link that he had throw against the wall and walked over to pick it up. He went back to his bed, looking at the link, remembering the past, which he shared with Kai.
Flashback
A very young looking Tala sneaked through the corridors of the abbey. Occasionally hiding behind the bend when the guards passed by. He reached a shadowy stairway and followed it down. It was the stairs that lead to the dreary dungeons ... to Kai.
Hang on, Kai. he flattened himself against the wall when he heard a couple of voice headed his way. He crouched down, and blended into the shadows.
Boris and two of his men passed by, not sparing him a second glance. He walked towards the passage, which Boris had come from. At the end of the passageway, there were metal cell bars. Boris' personal dungeon, to punish anyone he deemed unworthy or had stepped out of line. Tala ran over to the cell and gripped the bars with both hands. There, chained to the wall, was a bloody and bruised Kai.
"Kai." He called out to his blue haired friend.
Kai managed to lift his head slowly."T-Tala?" he whispered disbelievingly.
"Hold on. I'm coming." He stepped back and studied the lock. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his beyblade. "Wolborg?" he called. "I need you help."
He readied his launcher and set Wolborg in it. "Go," He said slowly and launched his blade. The beyblade spun in the middle of the floor, "Wolborg," Tala called, and his bit-beast rose out of the blade. "Freeze the lock."
Wolborg rushed towards the door, his coldness dropping the already freezing temperature of the dungeons. One attack from Wolborg froze the metal lock. Tala walked to the door, and gave it one swift kick, destroying it from the inside.
He opened the door and rushed to Kai's side.
"Kai." He put his arm behind Kai's shoulders. "It's going to be alright. I'll get you out."
"You shouldn't be here. Boris will kil –"
"Shush. That doesn't matter now, what matters is getting you out. Besides, it was all my fault you're in this mess. If you hadn't said what you said to Boris, it would be me in your place." He tugged on the chain that locked Kai to the wall.
"That's what friends do for each other." Kai coughed and blood speckled all over Tala's orange jumpsuit.
"Exactly." Tala said seriously to him. "Wolborg." Tala called his blade. "Destroy the chains."
It took Wolborg half a second to completely free Kai from his captivity.
"Come on." Tala put Kai's arm around his shoulder and lifted him up.
"Wait." Kai said hoarsely.
"Why?" Tala looked baffled when Kai crouched slightly and picked up something of the ground.
"Here." He handed Tala one of the two links that he held.
"What is this for?" he looked at the object.
"To remember this promise."
"What promise?"
"A promise that from this day on, we will always have each other's backs." Kai smiled weakly.
"Kai, since when have you become so touchy feely? It's kind of unnerving, you know." Tala chuckled.
"You'll regret you said that." Kai smirked playfully at him.
Tala returned his smirk and beckoned him to the door. "Wolborg, return." He called back his blade, and it flew into his hand. Both he and Kai made their way out of the dungeons and to Tala's room.
End Flashback
Those were the good old days." he smiled weakly, Oh, the irony, he muttered when remembering the whip-lashes that still adorned his back, from when Boris had found out what he had done.
He stood up and walked over to his closet. I have to see Kai. he pulled out a dark blue jumper and put it on. Wait for me, Kai.
End Part 11.
Yay! A Tala chapter. Is there enough Tala in here to satisfy you need for the almighty red-headedness? No? That's fine, because there will be plenty more Tala in the next chapter: Demolishing Friendship 2. If you want it, then buy a cheeseburger, large fries and ... Review! o
Thank you all for the wonderful reviews last chappie. I have things in store for Kai, so I'll need him the way he is for a while ... T.T gomen. But he'll be up and about soon enough.
P.S – If you'd like to know ... I wrote a one-shot Tala fic titled Behind Blue Eyes. So ...