Chapter 6:
CG: Alright, guys, this is important, listen up.
I'm writing an original story, which I hope will begin my career as an author (meaning I really want to finish the damned thing so maybe I could get it published). The original story really means a lot to me and it takes priority over all of my fan fictions. BUT just because I'm so dedicated to my original story doesn't mean DER will go ignored or un-updated. It just might take a smidge bit longer (not that you guys don't already wait a long time in between).
-I'm sorry if the spacing ends up being a total piece of shit, dumbass won't let me use the symbols I normally use to do the breaks, will find alternative-
"Is she alive?"
Vega heard the voice but ignored it as she lay on her cot, eyes opened and glazed over. She hadn't slept most the night and had been there for hours, wondering.
Kaosu was going through something akin to torture. His pained roars echoed in the halls of her mind and kept her awake. But as the night droned on and Vega found herself drowning more and more in the guilt and anguish she felt at betraying the others she couldn't help but let her control over Kaosu slip just a little and allow what was still present of him in her mind take a little control. She wouldn't be under his control like a puppet but he would influence her actions, numb her feelings.
The girl didn't even twitch as a dark-haired boy with the yellow eyes prodded her shoulder with a finger and then stepped back. Kato hovered near, frowning visibly.
"She's still breathing," the taller boy said, pushing his friend out of the way and lifting up on one side of the bed, tipping Vega out of it.
Her whole body rushed to life as she hit the ground on her hands and knees. Eyes narrowing fractionally she twisted around and swung her leg out at Kato's knees, sweeping his feet out from under him.
The larger boy hit the ground with a thud, stunned for a second, but Misha wasn't. He lunged for the girl, who gave just an audible bark of laughter before getting thrown to the floor by the boy, who was quite a bit bigger than her.
She rolled to the side, grabbing him the shoulders of his coat and pushing him heavily to the floor, pinning him to there, a knee on either side of him caging him in under her weight.
"Don't you ever push me out of bed again, maggot, I'll get up when I damn well please," Vega barked, glaring at Kato, who was staring at her, expression blank. "And you, Sparky, don't touch the hardware." She prodded Misha in the chest with a finger before climbing off of him.
"Boris told us to come wake you up for training," Kato said tonelessly.
She eyed them both suspiciously as she brushed her clothes off. "I'm not participating in training," she growled.
"You don't have a choice," Misha put in, glaring at her.
"He's quite right." All three looked to the door, where Boris was standing, arms crossed, a frown etched across his face. "Now that you're here, Vega, you'll take part in the exercises as everyone else does. I can't play favorites can I? And you need to be in top shape for the tournament anyways."
"I can't train without Kaosu," Vega replied coolly.
"Mmm, that's too bad, the men down in the lab couldn't get to him right away, they had to repair the damage from yesterday you know," he mocked. "I suppose you'll just have to do some physical exercises with the boys until then."
"You guys have to do this everyday?" Vega asked, sprinting alongside Misha and Kato, who were leading a pack of much younger trainees as they ran a lap around the building's courtyard, wardens standing not too far away watching them.
"This is the easy part," Misha replied, sparing the girl a look. "Ammo wall's next and then the Pit."
"That sounds like a place I want to be," the girl said bitterly, "do I want to know?"
"You like snakes?" Kato questioned.
"I have a freakin' dragon living in my head, snakes don't bother me," she answered, waving it off.
"Well good, then you won't mind hanging over a pit of poisonous ones by your bare hands for an extended period of time," Misha said, mock jovially.
Vega felt panic flutter in her chest but she did her best to betray none of that. "How many of you have died doing that?"
Misha looked dead ahead as if trying to ignore the fact that she had said anything and Kato took a little longer than necessary to answer. "Enough," he said solemnly, "but usually it wasn't the snakes that killed them."
"What's that mean?" she asked.
"Boris only gives the antivenins to the ones he sees worth saving. The others… died, slowly."
Vega stopped running all together, the news hitting her hard. Brian had never told her any of that. It really was no wonder to her anymore why Ian didn't like to blade, Wyborg probably brought back memories he didn't like to focus on.
She glanced over at the wardens, one of which was approaching her, and quickly started to run again, trying to catch up with Kato and Misha and as she did so she found herself dreading the day ahead.
"You guys can't be serious!" Tyson shouted, staring at Brian in shock. "That creep is back?!"
"We are serious," Tala said, eyes narrowing. "Everything makes sense now. He's the only one who has motive who could've arranged it."
"But what motive?" Charly asked, too stunned to raise her voice like she wanted to. It was like all of her fears had finally come to a head and popped.
"Power," Spencer replied. "He probably hasn't given up his conquest for it and the one bit beast that exists that could practically hand it to him would be Kaosu."
"But why not just steal Kaosu," Max questioned.
"Because he needs Vega to control him," Ian answered. "And there's something else."
The girls all glanced at one another, not sure whether or not they wanted to know.
"Vega never registered back onto the Amazons after the World Tournament three years ago because she hasn't participated in any since," Kai pushed on, finding the emotions bubbling within hard to control. He wanted to lash out something, anything. "She'd of received a separate invitation to the upcoming tournament, which obviously wasn't sent to Mr. Deamen if these were the teams ones we received."
"You think Boris might've intercepted it?" Charly wondered.
"It's very possible," Brian said solemnly. "For two purposes. One, to eliminate us, because he wouldn't take any chances of our getting in the way and because he wouldn't have to do so in a tournament we think the tournament prize must be something he wants."
"So what now?" Cleo asked.
"We stop Boris and get Vega back, duh!" Tyson put in, jumping up.
"Look, stupid, we're going to have to do this the smart way, meaning you don't screw us over by rushing into anything," Tala said, glaring at Tyson a little. "Boris has trainees, who are probably tougher and meaner than us, meaning we have to train… which means you'll have to train twice as hard to even stand a chance."
"Hey! Remember who beat who, buddy!" Tyson snapped.
"That was a long time ago," the Russian replied, crossing his arms. "I've seen you blade recently. One of Boris' trainees would chew you up and spit you out."
"Anyone could chew him up and spit him out recently," Takara said, going unheard.
The boy's eyes narrowed and he looked ready to say something but Rei stepped in, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "C'mon you two, cool it! This isn't the time to be arguing."
"I'm with Rei," Cleo said. "We need to get it together and start training. Kenny, could you try to figure out a little more about what the final prize could be?"
"On it," the boy replied, adjusting his glasses and turning to his ever-present laptop.
"Mmm, looks great," Vega said sarcastically as she stared at her tray, which was covered with things that looked sort of edible.
The cafeteria was a large, hollow room with a pitched ceiling and rows of tables sat up uniformly. The trainees stood in line, received their portion of slop, sat down, quietly mowed on their food military-style, and then filed out, returning to their "classes".
Vega was 'ordered' to sit with Kato and Misha, probably Boris' way of breaking them into the idea of her being around and keeping her in contact with limited to a set number of people he had the most control over.
The twins positioned themselves on either side of her as the two older boys sat down on the opposite side of the table and started eating.
The girl sighed and began her meal as well, ignoring the taste, or the lack there of, and trying to ignore the hovering wardens, who circled like vultures.
"Good job surviving the first day," Misha said at a whisper that was so low-pitched she had to strain to hear.
"Thanks, but I have a feeling that tomorrow will hurt like hell," she replied, trying to keep her voice at the same level.
"No talking!" a warden barked, his voice carrying through the empty room.
Vega gave him a sideways glare and turned her eyes back on the others. "Screw him," she whispered.
The warden thankfully had already moved on and missed her comment but a few others were watching her now.
She scowled at them and returned to her meal.
The sound of tray hitting the floor broke the silence but no one turned to see what had happened except for Vega.
A trainee, a pretty young one at that, had tripped and while he had managed to catch himself the tray of food he had been carrying slipped from his hands and clattered to the floor, breaking a dish and sending slop everywhere.
The wardens were on him in an instant.
One grabbed him by the shirt collar and held him by the shoulders while another gave him a tongue-lashing. Vega's eyes narrowed fractionally and she stood up.
Kato grabbed onto her arm. "Don't," he hissed.
"You can't just sit there and not do anything," she replied.
"Oh yes-"
"-we can," the twins put in.
"The kid didn't do anything though!"
"Doesn't matter," Misha said, "we all went through it, he'll live."
"Yeah, you all went through it, that's the problem," she whispered.
Kato's grip tightened. "If you step in you're going to get in deep with them. You don't mess with the wardens and you might survive a week or two."
Vega's eyes narrowed, darkening as she did so. Anger boiled within her and the bossy, callous, dark-side of her she had let go of began to bubble to the surface. Up until then she had let that side come out only enough to hide her emotions but now it was raging alive and angry. Who she had been in the past before the Amazons was mixing with who she was as an Amazon.
Kaosu's presence throbbed just a little stronger in her mind.
She tore free of Kato's grip and made her way towards the circle of wardens.
The boy was looking downcast and afraid, probably not yet submitted to enough abuse to become totally emotionless.
A warden glanced towards her and his eyes narrowed. "Go back to your seat!" he ordered, pointing.
"No… I don't think I will," she replied, voice taking on a cocky edge it had lacked before, her eyes glimmering maliciously.
"Insolent brat!" the warden snarled, swinging a hand out to strike her but she caught the offending appendage by the wrist, stopping the movement dead.
The recruits who hadn't been paying attention before were now.
Vega's eyes flashed and she lifted her other hand in time to catch his other wrist and then still gripping both tightly lifted a foot and planted it firmly into the man's stomach, releasing his hands at the same time so he stumbled back, landing ungracefully on the floor.
The other wardens didn't approach. As soon as she had stopped the first blow none of them wanted to be apart of what was happening.
The girl turned to face them and the very air around them seemed to chill and they all took a few steps back. She turned her focus on the boy, who was watching her with a mix of fear and awe, and then spun around and started for the doors.
Once outside she leaned against the wall and sighed, staring unblinkingly down at the floor. Her heart pounded heavily in her chest while some part of her grew excited, thriving off of the moment.
It'll be better off if I just stay like this, won't it? she whispered mentally.
Kaosu's voice hissed back, faint but there. Only for the time, mistress.
"I'm impressed."
She looked up to spot Boris approaching her from down the hall, his hands behind his back, a small grin tugging at his features.
"Though I don't appreciate such shows of… independence around here," he added.
"You'd prefer if I was a good little underling wouldn't you?" she spat.
The man chuckled. "Is it too much to ask?"
"From me it is."
"Well, nevertheless, I'd prefer it if you wouldn't knock unconscious too many of my wardens. Good help is so hard to find these days."
"Where's Kaosu?"
"He'll be back in your hands by this evening I promise."
Tala couldn't sleep that night. He laid in bed on top of the sheets and quilt and stared blankly at the ceiling.
Everyone was quiet and moody. Worry had seized the group entirely and the halls of the floor they had to themselves were silent and eerie as a storm of melancholy rolled over them.
The real thing that's bothering me is the fact that this is my fault, he thought, folding his arms behind his head. If I'd of never let you join with me the world would've never known about Kaosu. Or at least Boris wouldn't.
"'Sup wheat thin?"
He looked to the doorway and the away again. "Go away, Charly."
"What's wrong Tala?" the girl asked, stepping in anyways and sitting down on the edge of his bed. When he didn't respond she sighed. "Tala, it'll be alright, we'll get her back."
"That's not what I'm worried about," he growled, glaring at her icily.
"Then what's eating you? Something's got to be, you passed up the chance to practice with the guys. I don't know you very well but I know that's a bit out of character."
Tala sighed and closed his eyes. "If it was anyone but Boris nothing would be wrong. I'd be angry and then I'd tear them apart. But I know what Boris does to trainees, I relive it every night in my dreams, and so do Kai and the others and the fact that Vega's being put through that is killing me. She won't come back the same person and chances are she'll never be. That's what's eating me Charly."
The girl stared at the floor hard for a second and sighed, standing up and heading for the door.
She stepped out into the hallway, pulled the door closed behind her.
"So?"
Charly looked up at Cleo and shook her head. "He's not any better."
"It's bothering all of them now because before they were just angry and weren't examining it… now it's all they're thinking about and it's just becoming worse," the blonde girl replied sadly. "I think I'm going to try to talk to Spencer again. He'll at least speak; Brian and Ian are lurking in the corners and won't say a word. Why don't you go check on Kai?"
The girl nodded and both headed out of the hotel suite, separating in the hallway.
Charly slid a cardkey through the lock of Kai's room, him having rented one to himself, letting the other Bladebreakers share a suite, and stepped inside.
He was sitting at the computer desk but the monitor was turned off. His eyes were focused on the wall and he was with one knee pulled to his chest, chin resting on his arm.
"Hey, blue," she said, stepping nearer.
"Have we all been color-coded now?" he asked, not looking at her.
Part of Charly wanted to laugh at his dry humor and then another part was too emotionally exhausted to spare even a grin.
"Penny for your thoughts?"
Kai glanced over at her as she pulled up a footstool and sat down on it. "They're not worth that much."
"They are to me."
Her presence lightened his heavy heart for the moment. He and Tala and the other Demolition Boys knew that Boris, while he had power over both Vega and Kaosu, could very possibly succeed in whatever plot he was hatching as long as he managed to maintain that power.
He wanted to think that Vega would never help him out but he knew that Kaosu was susceptible to the seduction of power and therefore Vega was as well. He hoped that whatever leverage Boris had over Vega was soon eliminated.
"I'm just concerned," Kai said slowly.
"We all are," she put in, almost defiantly. "But jeez, Kai, you and the D-boys are shutting the rest of us out."
"Charly, you might not get it, but the fact that Boris is involved in this is really messing with the five of us! It's like the hell we thought we'd all left behind is coming back to haunt us!" he barked back, eyes intense for a moment.
Kai realized what he sounded like but it was too late, the blow was dealt. Charly looked away from him, blinking back what he knew to be tears. She and the other girls had nerves that were now on hair triggers, like five emotional time bombs ready to go off.
"Charly, I'm sorry," he said softly as he stood up and neared her, grabbing her by the arm and hauling her up off the footstool, using his other hand to tip her chin up so he could look her in the eye. "I didn't mean to snap at you, you didn't deserve that."
"I know, Kai," she replied, nodding and wiping at her eyes. "I'm just being stupid again, crying over every single last thing."
He sighed and pulled her into a hug, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist as she clung to his shoulders. "We're all a little edgy now but we'll get it together and we'll trounce Boris. I told you it'd be okay, I meant that and I'm not going back on it."
Charly hugged him a little tighter and then let him go, taking a step back. "Thanks, Kai."
He shrugged awkwardly and watched as she headed for the room door again. He sighed and sat back down, wishing silently that she hadn't gone.