Disclaimer: Since it's coming to an end ... No ... I don't own Beyblade. And remember; never, ever use stolen Japanese Fanart! That is considered illegal.
There might be a chance that this would be the third to last chapter ... I know ... I know ... droning ...
Shounen-Ai Hint.
As the Ice Breaks.
Part 24: Fiery End Part 1.
"Bold." – Commentary by Brad and AJ.
– Night Before –
The dank laboratory's of the Abbey was currently as lively as it could ever be. Many scientists of all shapes and sizes walked past the complicated machinery that littered the labs. But one particular piece of machinery stood out from the rest. It contained acid green water, and what looked like a human shape, was floating inside the unpleasant looking liquid.
Tala hung limply in the see through tube, wires connected to various parts of his body and an oxygen mask covered his mouth and nose, preventing him from drowning during the experiment. He didn't seem to be conscious, but it might have been best, considering all the experimentation currently being done to his mind and body. His body, naked from the chest up, was littered with scars, some looked old and were only the white tissues showing obviously on his pale skin. Some were wounds that seemed to be barely healing: The works of Black Wolborg.
In the past few years, more specifically, since the destruction of part of the Abbey with courtesy from Kai and Black Dranzer, Boris had refrained from whipping his boys. The Russian branch of the BBA had kept a close watch on the Biovolt Corporation, waiting for a single mistake to give them reason to act. Unfortunately, Boris had made no mistakes.
"How are the tests coming?" Boris had his hands clasped behind his back as he stood in front of the see-through tube, which held Tala.
"Very well, sir ... though ..." his eyes were fixated on the complicated charts and diagrams in front of him.
"Though?" Boris raised an eyebrow.
"His brain-waves, sir. They seem to be emitting a frequency unlike I've ever seen before."
"Which is causing this?" Boris walked up behind the man, studying his work from over his shoulder.
"I don't know, sir. But I suspect the reaction is due to his connection with the twin chip."
"His chip is making contact with Kai's chip. Very good," he smirked, "my plan is working out better than I had planned."
0-0
The All-Starz, Majestics and the White Tigers had been told to return to the bungalow by Mr. Dickinson, leaving only the Bladebreakers, himself and Bruce. Mr. Granger and Judy had agreed to accompanied them home, incase they tried to get up to something.
So now they sat in the waiting room, waiting for the green light to go and see their friend, who was currently still under going treatment.
Rei had passed Dr. Olga's inspection. The injuries he received were just some scratches and bruises, but nothing that would heal with some iodine and a good cup of hot cocoa.
He now sat on the uncomfortable plastic chair in the corner, made even more uncomfortable by the fact that he had landed quite ungraciously on his butt in the first round. Rei's golden eyes scanned around the room, taking in the glum looks of everyone there. Geez, everyone's acting like Kai died, he sighed inwardly. Even though he wasn't present during the first half of Mr. Dickinson's speech, he had figured most of the things out, after being brought up to par by Kenny.
How could this happen? Tyson had his head in his hands, sitting apart from the rest. He cared about Kai ... truly. Kai was the first Beyblader (after Kenny) that he had met. Even though the both of them seemed like they were enemies and couldn't stand each other's presence, Tyson had and always will consider Kai a rival. Every time he walked up to a challenge, he would imagine himself battling Kai. Sure, he had won the first time they battled, but it was just out of sheer luck. If Kai's blade hadn't missed the dish, who knows how it could have turned out.
He shook his head sadly. What Mr. D said ... he thought, it makes sense. That's why Kai's always so protective of Tala. Who would have thought ... the great Kai Hiwatari actually cared about someone.
-Flashback-
"I should start from the beginning," he took a deep breath. "I knew Kai's parents," he started, recalling the happy memories he had, "they were good people ... even Voltaire back then." He almost snickered at the look on everyone's faces.
Kevin was just about to open his mouth to interrupt, but one look by Mariah shut him up.
"Money ... corrupts people in the worst ways. A good example would be Voltaire. He used to be a decent man. He loved his daughter and – believe it or not – his and my history run far back ... all the way until high school. But one day, he just came up to me and told me about his plan. He was going to join forces with a man he had known through an underground Beyblading circuit, and build a training school for amateur bladers. I, of course, was ready to back him up, but that all changed when he introduced me to his future partner. Boris Balkov ...he was in his early thirties back then, but I knew that he could not be trusted from the first time I met him."
He stopped for a while to catch his breath.
"My dislike of him grew even more as he got into detail of his plan for this new Corporation he and Voltaire were going to build. He mentioned intense workout regimes, creating genetically perfect children and many more unorthodox methods that would be used. I confronted Voltaire about this matter when Boris left, but he became aggravated at me suddenly and stormed out."
"Wait a minute, Mr. D. I thought you said you were going to tell us about Kai. Where does he come into all of this?" Kevin spoke up albeit the heated glare everyone was shooting him.
"Very good question, Kevin. Kai will come in soon," when Kevin nodded his head, he continued, "anyway, where was I? Oh yes ...Voltaire still went one with his plan, ignoring all the reasoning I presented to him. It became worse though, one warm day in summer, when a healthy Kai Hiwatari was born into this world. Voltaire became even more peculiar than usual. He would retreat, as I was told by Kaira, into his study for hours on end –"
"Who's Kaira?" Kevin seemed to already be prone glares judging by the amount he's been receiving in one day.
"She is Kai's mother. He inherited her eyes, if you'd like to know," he smiled sadly, "I will never forget that fateful day when I received the news of her passing –"
"How did she die?"
"Will you shut the hell up, you green-headed freak!!" Johnny shot to his feet and shouted at Kevin.
"Relax, boys. Johnny ...Kevin is entitled to his questions," he looked disapprovingly at the redheaded Irish boy.
Johnny just glared when Kevin stuck out his tongue and him. He humped and dropped back down on the seat.
"Kai's mother ...she was hit by a car ...when she was chasing after Voltaire. He had decided to take Kai to the Abbey, which it wasn't known as before, and didn't leave any room for negotiations. His father ...looked for him for years, but eventually died of a heart-attack."
"Poor Kai." This time it was Mariah who had interrupted him. She had tears glimmering in her eyes at hearing about Kai's sad past.
"So there Kai stayed, for years. Being trained to be the best of the best. The only Abbey student that ever came close, or is equal to him in power at the Abbey, was one Tala Ivanov. I do believe that he had been at the Abbey for a longer period that Kai."
"No wonder the guy turned out the way he is." Michael contemplated the information he and the rest were receiving.
"How do you know how he turned out? Or if it's for better of worse?"
Their heads snapped back to meet the gaze of Rei.
"What do you mean, Rei?" Tyson looked baffled at Rei's sudden remark.
"I mean ...what do you know about him that gives you the right to judge him like that?"
"Relax, Rei-man. I'm just saying –"
"Shut up!" Tyson said aloud, "Mr. Dickinson was talking. Let's just let him talk!"
At Tyson's sudden outburst, the others quieted down to let Mr. Dickinson continue.
"I too had been baffled to the sudden disappearance of Kai's," he looked away sadly, "I never did know what had become of young Kai ...until that one fateful day in winter. I was driving towards a BBA meeting. I had told the driver to take a short cut down the street, since I was running pretty late. Some people had confronted me when I got out of the hotel that morning. Apparently they had mistaken me for a fellow named Mr. Monopoly ..." he looked away thoughtfully, "getting back to the story ...the car I was in passed a young boy. I had only caught a glance of him from out of the corner of my eye, but I would recognize that two-toned hair any day. I told the driver to stop immediately and rushed out towards him."
He exhaled loudly, and looked at the anxious looks on their faces.
"I stopped in front of him and grabbed him by the shoulders," he shook his head, "Until this day, I have and will always remembered the look he had on his face," he could see all the present people, literally leaning towards him in curiosity, "he looked at me ...he just looked at me. I knew it wasn't time for pleasantries; he was only wearing a t-shirt, trousers and shoes and his lips had already turned blue from the cold. So I just took him in the car and drove back to the hotel to get him warmed up."
"Then what happened?" Kevin asked, this time the others nodded in agreement.
"I took him to my room, warmed him up, and gave him some hot chocolate. I asked if he knew who I was, but he didn't respond. The bruises and burns on his body had me quite worried, but I knew that if there were too many people in the room it would make him nervous. So I let him have a good night's rest, and the next day I questioned him as to his whereabouts. He told me he didn't remember ...and ...well, I guess what happened after that pretty much goes unsaid. I looked after him, since his parents were deceased and Voltaire was nowhere to be found."
"What about this Tala? You mentioned him before, however, he doesn't seem to fit into this story." Robert asked.
"Yes ..." Mr. Dickinson seemed to be contemplating the best way to tell them, "Kai had mentioned him to me on a few occasions when he would remember fragments of his memory. I figured that he and Kai had had their fair share of memories ...but there is something shocking I discovered about him, not from the mouth of Kai ...but instead from Dr. Olga. She had a file on him. It contained his birth date, birthplace, information on him and most importantly ...his name."
"What's so important about his name? Isn't it Tala?" Johnny asked cynically, which earned him a glare from Rei.
"Indeed ...his full name is ...Yuriy Tala ...Balkov."
Loud gasped emitted from every mouth present, except for Tyson's.
"What does that mean?" He asked, dumbfounded.
"Tyson, you idiot!" Kevin bonked him over the head. "Did you hear the word Balkov!?"
"Yeah ..." he still looked pretty much lost.
"Were you even listening to the story?" Enrique eyed him.
"Will you just tell me what's going on!"
Johnny stomped forward, clutched him from the fronts of his shirt and said agitatedly through clenched teeth. "Who else in this story is named Balkov?" and without waiting for an answer, he shouted, "Boris!! Boris Balkov you twit!"
"Ooh ..." his mouth shaped an 'O' as the statement finally sunk in. "What!" his eyes became round when he realized what it meant, "Tala is Boris' little brother?!"
"NO!!" the others shouted in unison, making Tyson stumble back a step with the amount of hot air being blown towards him.
"He's Boris' son, you fool! His son!" Johnny's eye twitched in irritation and his face turned as red as his hair.
"Ahem," Bruce interrupted them with a little cough, "as Stanley was saying ..."
"Yes," he snickered at the reactions of his boys ...and girls, "as I was saying ...I told Kai this, on the ride back from the hospital, he didn't believe it and completely shut me out."
"From the hospital?" Tyson's looked like he was recalling something, "Oh man ...the things I said that night ...I shouldn't have said that to him," he looked regretful.
"It's okay, Tyson ...you didn't know." Max put a hand on his shoulder.
"Now I do ...and I just hope I get a chance to tell him I didn't mean it."
-End Flashback-
Kai ... Tyson said regretfully.
0-0
Kai lay in a room, surrounded my machines. Doctors were pacing the halls around him, completely baffled as to the reason this young man was in the current state he was in; Persistent Vegetative State, the doctors said among them. Not reacting to any stimulation, which was being administered to him. They were racking their brains for an answer as to why Kai would suddenly collapse like he did with no apparent reason.
It seemed that Boris' high-tech chip had escaped detection from the hospital equipments.
As the doctors busied themselves with studying the monitors and the charts, checking his vitals and heart rate, Kai lay in the white bed, the contents of his mind going unknown to the world around; his face, showing signs of serene as he indulged in an unknown conversation deep within his mind.
-Dream-
"So ...here we are again. The things we have to go through to have a normal conversation, eh, Kai?" Tala snickered.
"Yeah ...pretty pathetic if you come down to it. We can only talk, when Boris wants us to talk." Kai sighed as he looked at his long time friend.
"True," Tala said as a matter of factly, "but this time it wasn't Boris."
"What do you mean?" Kai raised an eyebrow as he took in the check expression on the redhead's face.
"Well ...I wanted to know how you are. Boris had implied that something would happen to you after the tournament ...and to be honest ...I could feel it when it happened. My chip reacted the same way yours had, albeit not as intense."
"Tala ..." Kai looked away from his blue gaze, "there something, I think you should know ..."
"Are you implying that you know something I don't? The world must be coming to an end." He said in mock sadness.
"Tala," he said exasperatedly, "I'm being serious. Honestly, you can be worse than Tyson when you want to."
"I'm appalled that you would even affirm such a ludicrous assumption." Tala said, holding his heart in dismay.
"Ludicrous?" he raised an eyebrow, "such big words, Tala. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were turning into Boris." The moment the words came out of his mouth, Kai looked shocked at his own choice of words. But Tala was oblivious to the fact.
"You haven't heard Bryan though. He does an almost exact impersonation of Boris." He snickered at the thought.
"Tala," he said again, this time turning the redhead to face him, "stop changing the subject!"
"What can I say? I learned from the best." He winked at Kai.
"Boris is your father." Kai said out suddenly.
Tala just looked at Kai, the expression of flirt on his face draining away slowly as Kai's words suddenly sunk in. "What are you saying, Kai?"
"I didn't want to say it this way, Tala, but I had no choice."
Tala turned away from his concerned gaze. "That's okay, Kai. I have to say that I pretty much suspected it deep down, all this time. He even took the liberty to throw a couple of hints in the past."
"Sounds like him. I think he's actually proud to have such a good-looking son."
Tala's head snapped abruptly to him. "Kai? ... You think I'm good-looking?" he smirked, "I'm flattered." He crawled towards Kai and stopped when his face was just a few inches away from Kai's.
"Did I say that? I meant his 'egomaniacal spawn,'" Kai pushed his face away and smirked.
"Come now, Kai. Everyone knows you're not immune to my charm and boyish good-looks," he ran a hand through his hair and winked at Kai, "ask anyone in the Abbey. They'll tell you that everyone's first crush there is always me, then you and Bryan –"
"Bryan?" Kai raised an incredulous eyebrow, "never mind, I don't even want to know. And Tala ...you're a tad full of yourself, you know that?"
"If you've got it, flaunt it, that's what I always say."
"But getting back to topic, what are you going to do?"
"About what?" he took seat next to Kai.
"Boris."
"What is there to do? He's my father, and no matter how vulgar that sounds, even worse than Luke Skywalker finding out Darth Vader is his father – at least I still have both my hands, there is nothing I can do about it. Just for the record, he said it's in the genes, I beg to differ, I have never and will never wear any of his jeans ...that's just wrong!"
Kai snickered and punched him playfully on the shoulder.
"Kai ..." he looked seriously at his blue-haired friend, "there is something I want to ask you ...or more of ...request from you."
"What is it?"
"Well ...seeing that the only way that we can communicate normally, is through the chip, and I'm pretty sure Boris has discovered this by now. I just wanted ...a hug."
"A hug?"
"Yeah ..." his cheeks were tinged a slight shade of pink, "no strings attached."
"I don't know ..." Kai smirked, noticing the shading in the redheads normally pale cheeks, "how do I know that you won't take it further ...or use it to blackmail me in the future?"
"Kai!" he shouted bashfully, "do you know how hard it is for me to ask that? The least you could do is give me a straight answer, or even a 'bugger off you perverted twat.'"
Kai reconciled noting the apprehensive tone in his voice. "Okay ...just a hug."
Tala nodded and moved forwards, placing his hands on Kai's shoulders and moved them around his back, grasping him in a tight hug. Kai too moved his arms to embrace Tala's waist. The two sat apposite each other, just feeling the warmth and comfort in each other's presence.
"This feel's nice." Kai said suddenly, feeling safe in the arms of his best friend.
"Yeah." Was the only thing he said, being currently too preoccupied in the action which he had been dreaming to do for so long. The smell of Kai's hair was almost intoxicating as it moved through his nostrils. "It feels nice."
They didn't know how long they sat like that, but frankly didn't care. All that mattered was they had each other, and were cherishing the moment.
But the moment was not meant to last. They were interrupted in the most unpleasant way with Boris sending volts of energy to both their chips, breaking apart their embrace in pain. They clutched their neck in agony as the familiar feeling of pain burned through their bodies.
Kai could only watch as Tala was being pulled away from him, back to the world of consciousness.
"Kai!" Tala shouted and reached his arm out to grasp Kai's outstretched one, but to no avail.
Kai gasped as his best friend disappeared from sight. But his shock would not last long when he felt himself being pulled back in a similar manner. The pain he was feeling only being intensified by the pain of waking up as an experiment to the doctors.
"Tala!!" he shouted as his eyes burned from the bright light bursting in from the darkness. The next thing he noticed, he was in a room full of people whose faces were blurred to him. He could feel them holding him, poking him and doing things to him.
-End Dream-
"We need to sedate him, now!" Dr. Olga shouted to the male doctor who was holding down Kai.
Kai was thrashing about. He kicked and punched everything around him, not caring if it made contact or not. His eyes were open but they he didn't seem to be conscious to his actions.
"What's happening?" Dr. Olga said in panic. She did not understand how someone who seemed to be pretty much comatose a few seconds ago could suddenly be so much alive. He seemed to be in pain. His face was twisted in agony and sweat was beading down his forehead. A stream of blood was flowing down the side of his mouth from where he had bitten his lip to stop from screaming out.
She moved forwards and grasped the IV bag hanging next to Kai's rocking bed and injected a clear liquid into it. But it didn't seem to be taking effect; in fact, Kai seemed more restless than he had before she injected it.
The entire staff was looking at each other in worry for the boy. But suddenly, Kai let out a loud scream of anguish. It was nothing like they had ever heard before, and he passed out a few seconds later.
The doctors slowly let go when Kai's limps became limp and his eyes closed, but his face still remained in one of misery.
"What happened?"
0-0
The Bladebreakers were in the waiting room when they heard that heart-wrenching scream of pain coming from the emergency room. Tyson and the others shot to their feet.
"That sounds like Kai's voice." Rei said worriedly.
Tyson looked at him for a moment and ran for the doors, but was stopped in his track when Dr. Olga walked through it, her face sullen.
"Doctor, what's wrong?" Tyson panted and his gaze looked past her, trying to see into the room where Kai was.
"Kids ... I have soma bad news." She said sadly.
0-0
"Did you do it?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good," Boris smirked and looked back towards the tube where Tala was, "that's what you get for betraying Biovolt."
Tala's vision was blurred by the presence of water blocking him from his object of loathing, but he would know that purple hair anywhere, even from underwater. He glared heatedly at Boris, finding that his mouth refused to form any words to tell Boris exactly what he thought of him. Kai ... please be okay, a single tear appeared in his eye, but was immediately lost in the overwhelming green liquid which he was in, how could something so nice, turn out so wrong?
– Present Time –
Tyson, Max, Rei and Kenny surveyed their opponents carefully from their side of the stadium. The Demolition Boys' seemed to be missing one member, notably the most important one of the day. Tyson looked confused as his eyes wondered over the cold looks of the Demolition Boys in his search of his opponent, Tala.
Up in the stands, the crowd was growing restless in their wait.
"Where is that boy?" Judy looked down to the boys of the Abbey.
"Maybe Boris did something to the redhead?" Michael had his hands crossed over his chest and surveyed the two teams.
At the mention of Boris, Mr. Dickinson gripped the handle of his cane tightly. "If that foul man had indeed done anything to that young man, the BBA will be on him like a –"
He was interrupted when the crowd gave a roar of delight and began chanting their icon's name.
The teams in the stands all looked down and found that Tala had entered the building. His fiery red hair seemed even more fiery than usual. They couldn't see his eyes from where they sat, but in truth, Tala's eyes were so cold, they seemed to burn anything that he gazed on, down to the core.
"Sure knows how to make an entrance, doesn't he?"
"I have to agree. But if I had his looks, style and skill ... I'd make an entrance too, Brad."
"Be honest, AJ. If you had his looks, style and skill ... you'd look just like me."
"Now that the competitors have arrived ... both players, please step up to the dish." Jazzman shouted, trying to get above the shouts of the excited crowd.
"This is going to be some match, AJ."
"Both competitors are emitting an aura of power. I'm so excited."
"Same here, and same through out the entire globe."
Tala and Tyson took their positions facing each other. Their shooters raised, waiting for the signal of Jazzman to get the match started.
"Good luck, Tala." Tyson smirked.
Tala looked shocked at his words. He smirked and replied back. "I don't need luck!"
"Bladers at the ready!" he raised his arm, "three ... two ... one ... Let it rip!!"
End Part 24.
w00t for the TaKa-ness!! XD Again ... not a Yaoi story, only Shounen-Ai hints. Hugs and little things like that.
I hope the Flashback and Dream sequence didn't bore you too much.
Just for the record, the ending will be a Three-parter. That means ... two more to go. ((Reviewers rejoice))
And thanks all ... Five Hundred and Sixty reviews!! .
((Dies))
((Comes back to life))
Thanks:
Jirachi: No worries. A review is still a review.
Blader Fairy: I was wondering where you went ... now you have to update, Kay?
MasterFranny: Don't worry ... I have something in mind.
UniGirl: I didn't think anyone noticed the 'Two reason's' thing. Don't worry, there is a reason I mentioned that, and many more things will finally be revealed. Don't worry; I love getting reviews, the longer the better.
x-Shadow-x: Yes ... now that I think about it. There should have been more things in the Russian Saga.
Hazel-Beka: I like that sandwich thing you mentioned. I have to use in sometime XD About the Kenny Emily thing ... I'll just leave it up to your imagination XD
NettikGirl: Thanks for the review. Here's the chapter. I wasn't going to post it until next week (not feeling well, writers block and Job T.T) but five hundred and sixty reviews is a cause to celebrate, ne?
Give-Me-A-Hug: I can't extend it, cause then it would lose the plot. But don't worry, hun, by the end of this story, I'll have you craving for more. ((Evil laugh) By the way ... Kai gave Tala a hug!! And your name!! So funny!! XD
SyaoranLover: Thanks ((sniffles)) I glad you like the Rei/Bryan battle. Sacha ... he's involved in this. He was never meant to hold any part in this story except being a chibi-Tyson-like-character, but he evolved. ((Glomps Sacha)) Me love you long time! The typo's ... XD;; My keyboard isn't the best one, unfortunately, but hey! It does the job but all good. I'll fix the typos when I have the time.
Kai-Lovr: You have no idea. Hurt, lost and ... something else. ((Evil laughs)) ... ((Takes out mallet)) Stay back, evil Writers block!! Hiyeak!!
Ellen: Yes, I see your review. Here's the chapter. Hope you enjoyed.
Tomgirl27: You have the right to write Yaoi if you want. There's nothing wrong with it. I actually, got turned by a really good Harry/Draco story. Now ... I love it!! Yes, some of the most talented authors are Yaoi Fangirls; Ladya C. Maxine, Boys-on-Boysenberry ... etc.
And thanks to all.
Review!! XD
((Glomps all))