Goddess: Thanks reviewers, you've made my day! And I'm sorry for taking so long to update! XP Too much work, yadda yadda yadda...
Kai: I hate this fic!!
Goddess: Don't be so rude, Kai...damn you...
Kai: Well get on with it will you?!
Goddess: Ok ok, don't get your knickers in a twist!!
Kai: Not funny
Goddess: Hehe...Uh, I don't own beyblade and here's chapter 8!
My undivided attention
The bitter chill of evening settling in lands on my pale skin as I walk through the empty back streets of Moscow with Ray and Max following close behind me; a thick fog distributes itself across the skies to leave no space for the setting sun and the air definitely gets colder. I hope with all my strength that we're heading for the right place, it isn't that far away now and I almost break into a run when I see the tip of that cavern rise above a few shoddy buildings.
'Tyson, I'm coming for you...don't worry...'
"Hey, is that it?" Ray asks from behind me, pointing a shivering finger to the rocky surface in the distance. I nod my head, aware of where he is pointing but not stopping to make sure. I can hear Max shivering violently, he probably isn't used to the cold like I am and I know Ray can handle this kind of intense chill.
As we approach the cavern ever faster, I draw an ice-cold breath and then exhale, wisps of frosted air passing my lips and rising into the atmosphere before me. I clench my hands at my sides into fists, the blood almost completely drained from them but I don't concern myself; I just pray that Tyson will be alright.
"So-th-this is it h-h-huh?" Max asks, his voice stuttering from the frostiness as he shakily rubs his hands against his arms to restore some warmth to them; my blood red eyes narrow as we stand before the gargantuan rocky cave, there is only a vast canvas of rubble surrounding it and no people in sight. A gaping dark hole is carved into the middle of it, the entrance to the inside where someone will most definitely be waiting for me.
I say nothing but remove my jacket and throw it behind me to Max, turning back and beginning to make my way inside with no fear apparent in my facial expression. Max smiles faintly and thankfully pulls on my jacket, which helps to keep him warm as himself and Ray follow me into the darkened depths of the first clue.
An eerie drip is the only thing I can hear apart from my footsteps against the stony ground, a mixture of emotion wells up inside of me but I try to keep it locked away like I always do; I've mastered this technique fully, with the exception of my growing feelings for the midnight haired beyblader.
Ray and Max are equally as wary as I am, watching their footing against the rubble and listening for any sounds of their team mate; Max is still shivering, it's dank and damp in the cavern and so a clammy type of chill settles in on the walls. And suddenly, just as our eyes began to adjust to the pure darkness, a faint light trickles from a wall of rock ahead of us. I growl a series of curses under my breath, breaking into a run so I slam into the barrier with a smash of my numb fist.
"It looks like this is a dead end, Kai," Ray explains, walking up to me as my head is hung to glare at the ground; he raises his glance up the obstruction and the down, trying to find a way to break through it as he furrows his brows.
Max then catches up, still trembling from the cold but trying to forget about it; he extends a finger to one of the cracks and presses down, blocking out the light as he sighs.
"Come on, we have to do something!" the blonde says, determined to get past this obstacle. "D-did we even come the right way? There were a few f-forks in the path back there..." he wondered aloud, clasping his arms in a folded position again.
Slate bangs fall in the path of my eyes before I raise my gaze to look up at the piled rubble; I definitely hadn't come the wrong way. "Look, this rock has obviously been stacked here," I begin, tracing a finger along the crevices of stone before me. "And anyway, we know there must be something behind here because there's light filtering through the cracks," I explain coarsely.
Ray nods his head in agreement, "So then, what do we do?"
"I would have thought that was obvious by now," I reply, pulling Dranzer from my pocket and my phoenix grip launcher from the other. Loading my blade into its launcher, I aim it at the rock before me and my eyes seem to flare with power. Suddenly, I wrench the ripcord from the launcher with a vigorous force and Dranzer is thrust into the rock ahead of me.
"DRANZER, FLAME SABRE!!" I ordain, watching as the deep sapphire blade spins faster and faster before it completely destroys the once solid stonewall. No emotion creeps into my features as I watch; yet Ray and Max gaze at my blade as if they've never witnessed such power before.
A carpet of dust blankets over the area ahead of me and I reach out my hand to catch my blade, narrowing my eyes I try to find Tyson amongst the vast canopy of dirt, but I can hardly see a thing. Ray and Max shut their eyes and cough as the dust spreads, shielding themselves as I stay where I am.
I sink Dranzer and my launcher into separate pockets before the dust slowly settles; there is faint light trickling from a few carefully placed candles around the area, uneven stone walls imprisoning a medium sized dish filled with water as rivers of the fluid travels through cracks in the rocky floor. On the far side of the room is a tall well built figure, I know immediately it can't be Tyson and I wait for the rest of the dust to settle before venturing into the room.
"So you're finally here, eh Kai?" asks the shadowed figure, his voice deep and maybe a little un-nerving. I know I've heard that voice before, and as he steps from the shadows, I know my suspicions have been confirmed.
"Spencer..." I mutter, as I see a mop of blonde hair resting upon a tall man's chiselled face; his piercing blue eyes remind me of Tala's, with a malevolence about them that seem to haunt me as I stand. But as I warily glance around, there is no sign of Tyson and this causes me some concern.
"Looking for your boyfriend?" Spencer mocks, a scornful emphasis on the last word he speaks as a malicious grin takes possession of his lips.
Ray and Max stay behind me, just as eager to find Tyson as I am but knowing that it's best for me to handle the Demolition Boys alone. My hands clench into fists again and I feel like I want to scream and shout at the top of my lungs, demanding to know where Tyson is and threatening Spencer if he doesn't speak up. But I know I can control my emotion, there's no use in getting rattled up like Tyson would in this kind of situation.
"Tell me where he is," I order calmly and tonelessly; my scarlet eyes seem to glow with blood red flames as I await a response.
"You're going to have to do better than that, Kai," he replies, smirking evilly. "How about we beyblattle?" he proposes, obviously planning something yet I can't pinpoint what.
"Tell me where he is," I repeat, indirectly refusing to battle him until I see the reason I came here in the first place.
"Kai!" Max hisses from behind me, his shivering fading slightly. "If you battle him maybe he'll tell us where Tyson is!"
"Max is right, Kai," Ray adds, much to my surprise. I don't turn round and I try to ignore their words; I know what I'm doing and I've never needed anyone to help me before, I don't need their help now.
"Maybe you should listen to your friends, Kai," Spencer tells me, grinning as if he enjoys watching me suffer like this. But I'm no fool, Spencer has the advantage in a place like this, the dish is filled with water so it's practically impossible for me to win. If only there were no water at all, I would be walking away with victory by now and I would know where Tyson was at the same time.
"Maybe you should listen to me," I snap back, impatiently. "I came here because of some piece of crap you bastards sent me, so now I expect you to tell me where Tyson is. Why should I battle you? What good would it do?" I spit venomously, drawing in breath and then exhaling slowly as my eyes bear into the well-built blader.
"If you win, I'll give you another clue," Spencer retorts calmly, "But if I win, then Dranzer is mine. Forever."
Meanwhile...
Tala sits cross-legged on the floor of the guest room, watching as a hungry boy uses his hands to scoop food into his mouth in front of him. A sly smirk plays across his pale lips and two locks of scarlet hair fall casually to the sides of his face, he observes the naivety in Tyson's chocolate brown eyes and the innocence almost lost in them.
"Does it taste nice?" Tala asks, knowing that the food he had given Tyson wasn't fit for anything, animal or human.
"Yes sir, do you want some?" he offers politely, looking away from his meal for a split second to glance up to his 'master'. Tala slowly shakes his head and rests a hand on top of a mop of dark navy bangs, ruffling Tyson's hair up with an affectionate touch as the younger boy finishes his meal.
Tala smirks, noticing the burgundy scars engraved across Tyson's arms and feeling wickedly proud before he rests both hands in his lap once again. "Did you enjoy using the knife, before?" he asks.
Tyson wiped his mouth and nod his head, his face had now become a lot paler but thankfully he had been provided with food to restore his strength. "Yes sir, thank you for my gift."
"I know you felt tired, Tyson. But soon that feeling will go away and you'll feel very strong and very happy, just as long as you do what I tell you." Tyson nod his head in agreement, he had become very fragile due to the extensive treatment he had been put to by Tala and was very impressionable at this stage.
Tala then smirked and leaned in towards his hostage, closing his eyes and pressing his lips to the other boy's; Tyson sat still, feeling Tala kiss him gently, he soon relaxed and shut his eyes contently to let the red-head continue. The Russian teen let his arm creep around to the Japanese teen's back, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss.
'You're all mine...'
In the meantime...
A pause.
A clue; that would definitely help me, but I wish Tyson was actually here so I could see that he's okay. But the Demolition Boys aren't that careless, of course they wouldn't bring him here but could they be trusted? So far, most of the evidence points to no, they can't.
But Dranzer- if I lost Dranzer, I would lose everything. There is no way that I could risk losing it again, but what would happen if I declined the offer? I remember what the first note said...
'If you fail, then Tyson dies...'I have to accept, it's the only option open to me now; I swiftly pull out my launcher and trusted phoenix blade and adjust them so I'm ready to launch, walking slowly up to the dish in the middle of the tomb.
"Good luck Kai," Max whispers, as Ray stays silent.
"Let's make this quick," I snap, glaring intently at Spencer who stands behind the other side of the dish. The water gently splashes at the sides of the stadium and my feet are surrounded by slowly rising waves, they encircle the soles of my feet and I know I will have to make this quick before the water level rises too high.
Spencer sneers and pulls out his own cerulean beyblade, ready to launch it into the water with no fear and no anxiety; he's overly confident, but right now, he has reason to be.
"Let it rip!!" he exclaims, pulling the ripcord from his launcher so Seaborg is thrust into the water, a pillar of clear liquid rising to splash across the cavern floor. I also release Dranzer into the dish, but I make sure that my blade only spins on the rim so it doesn't venture into the waves.
"SEABORG! VODA IMPACT, NOW!!" Spencer exclaims, raising his fists above his head as he awaits his blade to follow his commands from under the water. Dranzer keeps rotating on the rim, its deep sapphire surface glistening under faint candlelight as I watch over the water for a glimpse of the opposing blade.
Suddenly, a gaping hole in the middle of the water makes way for a colossal whale bit beast, glowing bright yellow and deep purple as its jaw opens and aims to attack my own phoenix blade. Water spills over the edge of the dish, soaking my attire but I spare no thought for it, I grit my teeth and my eyes flare.
"DRANZER, BLAZING GIGUS!!" I cry at the top of my lungs, watching in anticipation as Dranzer bursts from its chip and emerges in an elegant array of scarlet and dark crimson feathers. A piercing cry escapes its golden beak and a wall of burning flames erupts around its body, turning up the heat considerably.
Both beasts charge towards each other, a wall of raging fire versus a wall of surging waves. A thunderous crash echoes throughout the tomb, water on the ground heaves upwards only to descend at the vigorous force that resembles an earthquake. Max stumbles backwards, tripping and falling against a wall of rock onto which he clings for safety. Ray steadies himself, watching the battle intently with golden neko-jin orbs as the ground continues to shake.
"Come on, Kai. We're counting on you..."
As the two forces cancel each other out, the waves crash back down into the dish and both blades are sent flying back onto opposing ends of the stadium; Seaborg and Dranzer both spin on the rim, slowly getting tired out as both beasts return to their blades.
"Damn," I curse under my breath as a few rocks fall from the walls; the shaking of the ground dies down but there is still water in the dish, which doesn't help Dranzer at all.
"What's the matter, Kai? Can't take the pressure?" Spencer mocks, a sinister smirk bearing into me as I look to him then swiftly look away. My frown then curves into a smile, a sly grin as a small laugh passes my lips.
Spencer furrows his brows; he wonders why I laugh, as I should supposedly be begging for mercy by now. "What's so god damn funny, Kai?" he snaps at me, obviously irritated.
I then glance my blood red eyes up to his own piercing blue ones, that same smirk still plastered across my lips. "Just watch." Spencer creases his brows in confusion, looking to the dish where he observes that he has the advantage. Well, not for long.
Steam rises from the dish, evaporating water slowly leaving the stadium to lower the water level; I know that Dranzer's flames are enough to evaporate the liquid, but its all a matter of finding the right opportunity to do it. So slowly but surely, Spencer's hopes of winning are evaporating into mid-air.
I just hope this technique is fast enough.
Meanwhile...
Tyson's chest heaves up and down as beads of sweat trickle down the sides of his face, his eyes are closed as he tries to calm his breathing and he is covered by a thin sheet; Tala stands at the door, fastening up the last button on his shirt as he smirks to himself.
"I'll see you tomorrow morning, friend..." he whispers, opening the door and stepping out into the dark corridor, shutting and locking the Guest room entrance behind him. Chuckling to himself, the red-head sweeps his fingers through his lustrous bangs of blood red before walking down the hallway to his own room.
He reaches for the handle and turns it, stepping inside and closing it behind him to see Bryan and Ian on the sofa with a half empty bottle of vodka resting on the table. Tala grabs a glass and pours some for himself, taking his usual seat on a large wooden chair and replacing the vodka bottle back on the table.
"You said goodnight to him I guess, then?" asks Bryan, lavender hair glistening as he takes a swig of his Russian beverage.
Tala nods his head, taking a sip of his own drink and leaning back into his seat. "Oh yes, I'm sure he'll be sleeping well tonight," he answers with a teasing tone to his voice.
Ian furrows his brows, "What do you mean?"
Tala looks up at him and smirks.
Concurrently...
All that's left is a shallow puddle of water in the middle of the stadium, Dranzer now able to encircle the dish as it spins after Seaborg at incredible pace. Ray and Max are still watching in awe, praying for my victory, as am I.
"NOW, DRANZER! BURNING TEMPEST!" I yell, watching as the phoenix bit emerges and begins to form a blazing cyclone of raging fire that will soon swathe the opposing blade.
Spencer grits his teeth angrily, watching as Dranzer has the advantage at this point. "SEABORG, TIDAL DETONATION!" he exclaims, his blade spinning ever faster as does mine; both beasts rush towards each other once again, I watch hopefully and shut my eyes as the two forces collide.
I then hear a clink of metal against the rocky floor; I open my eyes, searching for a fallen blade, as does Spencer. And then I see it. A cerulean blade lays partly damaged on the ground and I can hear the other still spinning. And as I look into the dish, I smirk as I observe Dranzer still spinning.
"I win."
Spencer steps back, quickly picking up Seaborg and pocketing it, as he can't believe his loss. Ray and Max rush towards me as I reach out my hand, Dranzer leaping into my palm as I pocket it and wait for Spencer to give me my winnings.
"Well done, Kai!" Max says, beaming, as he seems to have stopped shivering altogether now.
"Yeah, that was some quick thinking!" Ray adds, patting me on the back.
I nod my head but I stare at Spencer, he promised to give me a clue and I will not leave without it. "Spencer, I won. Now you give me that clue, or even better, tell me where Tyson is," I demand, emotionlessly.
"Nice try," he replies, "I said I would give you a clue, and I will. But I never said today, did I?" he sniggers.
"You-you what?!" I exclaim.
This cannot be happening.
"Look, we said that you would receive a clue everyday, and you've had yours today already. Don't be greedy Kai, you'll get another one tomorrow," he explains, grinning as he raises a hand into the air. "Now if you don't mind, I have to see how Tyson is..."
"NO!! YOU'D BETTER GIVE ME ONE RIGHT NOW OR DRANZER WILL BURN YOU ALIVE!!" I shout at the top of my lungs, breaking into a run.
"Sorry, see ya later," he says, before a wall of water rises up between Spencer and myself and I stop dead in my tracks. Ray and Max follow after me and we watch as the liquid slowly pours back down onto the ground, Spencer disappearing without a trace.
"You bastard..." I growl under my breath, fists clenching again as rage wells up inside of me. "You'll be sorry you ever messed with me..."
'If anything has happened to him, you'll be sorrier than you'll ever know...Tyson; stay strong, I'm coming for you...'
My undivided attention
Goddess: Ah, another chappie!
Kai: ....what- did- Tala- do?
Goddess: Uh.... Well, I hope you enjoyed that chapter, guys!!
Kai: TELL ME!!!!!!!
Goddess: Want another chapter? Then please R&R! It's much appreciated, ja ne!
Kai: !!!!!