Comatose

Chapter 1: Voices

From The Prologue…

Everyone had misunderstood the Blitzkrieg Boys' reason to return to the World Championships. They knew about Boris' plan, and were planning to stop it. And what did the whole world think? The Blitzkrieg Boys were up to no good again. He even thought Kai had betrayed the Bladebreakers to join Tala's team again for seemingly no reason. The ones at fault were not they, but everyone else in the Beyblading World – him included. It was not until now, until he saw how Tala was fighting against Garland, did he actually realize that Tala and the Blitzkrieg Boys had a good intention.

Tyson gave a very unlikely growl. With his fists clenched by his sides and his eyes flashing with both anger and determination, Tyson made a silent vow that Garland would pay dearly for injuring Tala in that brutal Bey Battle. And he would be the one dealing the damage. Boris' plan would never go through.

He'd make sure of that – personally.


Where am I? I feel like I'm… floating, floating in this sea of black. Why is it so dark? Why am I here? A-Am I…? Wait; wait! Cool it Tala. Keep calm. This is not a time to panic. Yeah, right… and I can feel my heart pounding like crazy in my chest. Oh no, I'm so not panicking. Well, at least my sarcasm hasn't failed me.

But I feel so featherlike, so light, am I even alive? Am I even in reality? What happened before?

Waaait a minute. Garland… Apollon… It's all coming back now. That battle I lost. I, I remember now, and come to think of it, busting into BEGA headquarters wasn't exactly the smartest thing to do. Landing Bryan and Spencer injured wasn't exactly on my mind and neither was getting myself into this state. Whatever this is.

But at least Tyson knows what's happening now. At least he would help, along with the other Beybladers… Hopefully.

Beep… beep… beep…

What's that sound? It sounds so distant and faraway, yet I can still hear it.

Beep… beep… beep…

A clinical smell wafts through to me. Clinical smell? Am I in the hospital? But then why can't I see anything in the ward? Things like whitewashed walls, medical equipment and the likes. It's like I'm existing in two different worlds simultaneously. I can hear the sounds and sense the smells, but I'm still trapped in here, wherever here is. That means that beeping sound could be the machine monitoring my heart rate. Goodness, this sounds really weird even to myself.

What exactly is happening? This place is like a dream… No, a nightmare would be more apt. It's not only eternally dark, but cold too. A cold that sears right through to my bones and touches my inner core. Yes, I'm used to the cold, the frosty winds. But this is too much for me to take… it's the kind of coldness I feel around, around Boris!

ARGH! This man haunts me wherever I go, wherever I am! I thought I was finally moving on after two years of freedom… Grr! I've got to stop thinking about him and how he affects me. It is just not healthy.

"Are you now, Tala?"

No… nononono! This can't be. W-What is he doing here? That sickeningly smooth and silky voice of, of…

"Yes, Tala. It is your old teacher here."

I'm dreaming. I'm hallucinating. He's not here; he's not! I refuse to believe that he's here. It's just my mind making this up. He. Is. Not. Here. Repeat, Tala. He. Is. Not. Here.

Beep… beep! Beep… beep! Beep!

"I see that you're in denial. How amusing. Why don't you turn around and see if I'm here or not?"

Turn around? I guess it's a solution, but can I actually move in here? Tentatively, I try to move what I suppose was my feet, when they somehow materialized in front of me and… By goodness! I can now see my whole body as if… Oh never mind! I'll worry about that later. All right Tala, just turn around and prove to yourself that your mind has suddenly obtained and over-imaginative nature.

"Over-imaginative mind?" the voice mocked.

Seeing that slick, disgusting purple hair, the strange but signature purple and red visor of Boris almost brought my heart to a stop, before it started a fast-paced tribal dance in my ribs. No! I refuse to believe this. I will not panic. I will not panic. This is all my imagination. An illusion. My mind hasn't rested from the battle against Garland. That's all. I will not panic.

Beeeeep…… Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!

"Ah yes, Garland. That was one intense battle wasn't it? It saddens me to see that you and the other Demolition Boys so foolishly tried to stop my plans… But as you have obviously seen, my new team is much better than the previous." Boris gave a sick, twisted laugh and his mouth curled into a nasty leer.

"I'm not a Demolition Boy!" I snarled back at him and gave him the frostiest glare I could muster, all fear momentarily forgotten at being reminded of the past. "That name's yours, so you can have it back!" Still, if this was just a dream, how come the way Boris was acting was so alike how he would if it were real…? Hell no! It's not real! I just have too good a memory for my liking. It's not, not real!

Beep! Beep! Beep!

"Oh yes, it slipped my mind… You're a Blitzkrieg Boy now."

"You bet I am! I have nothing to do with you anymore, you might as well leave now!" My glare had now intensified, and I was pouring every single bit of hatred and venom I felt towards the man into the gaze I had.

"Tsk, tsk! Where are your manners, Tala? Don't you remember anything about respecting your elders?" Boris didn't seem the least bit affected by my glare.

"I know who to respect and who not to. You belong to the latter group, Boris," I replied frostily as I felt my heart hammering in my chest despite my mask of coldness. Boris was getting to me and I felt like suffocating. That man has this effect on me almost every time. Worse, he seemed to be looming closer and closer every second. Boris gave a twisted smile. I blinked twice. H-How? How did he suddenly appear so close to me? Shit!

"I'm dismayed. To think that I've always thought that you were amongst the elite…" Boris reached out a hand towards me. No! Not that again! I never want those filthy hands touching me again! Out of desperation, I yelled the first name that came to mind:

"WOLBORG!"

To my immense relief and some surprise, a flash of ice blue appeared in front of me and from it, Wolborg materialized, putting some distance between Boris and I. Boris withdrew his hand immediately. The wolf spirit snarled and snapped threateningly at Boris, daring him to come closer. I felt much more at ease with Wolborg by my side. And with that, my confidence returned and I smirked at Boris. It was time to end his little visit.

Beep… Beep… Beep! Beep! Beep…

"Wolborg, you know what to do," I said calmly, my eyes never leaving the man that brought me, Bryan, Spencer and Ian misery throughout our time in the abbey and out of it. Even though it probably isn't the real person, I'd gain much satisfaction in watching him being destroyed anyway. Sadistic? Nope. The sadistic one is Boris. Not me. Besides, the man deserves it.

Wolborg reacted immediately at my command, dashing towards Boris, leaving a trail of snow, ice and blanketing frost as he went. More and more of the blackness turned into clear, solid ice and as Wolborg slammed into Boris, snarling and snapping in fury, the man was frozen solid, an expression of fear – for once – on his face. Well, well, it was high time for some of his payback. With a nonchalant flick of my hand, Wolborg cracked the ice so forcefully that Boris disappeared along with the ice shards. Finally. He was gone. I felt like adding a mocking goodbye, unfortunately it was a bit too late for that. I settled for a satisfied smirk instead.

As Wolborg returned to my side, he gently nuzzled my neck and I stroked him. My heartbeat was back to normal now. I couldn't help but smile as Wolborg licked me tenderly on the side of my face. He was a fearless alpha male when battling together with me, but sometimes, he could be affectionate too. Wolborg was about the only being that I would accept any form of affection from. It was always nice to have a close, loyal friend.

'I'm flattered, master.'

A rare grin broke out on my face. Wolborg sounded like he was teasing yet sincere at the same time. 'You should be. I don't give praises often,' I teased as I sat down, leaning against the cool warmth of Wolborg's body, enjoying it immensely. Then turning serious, I asked, 'Wolborg, do you think you can get me out of here?'

The great wolf shook his head, his golden eyes regretful at being unable to help. 'I'm sorry master. You have to rest.'

'…I understand. But where am I exactly? I know it sounds absurd, but I think I'm in my subconscious mind…'

'Yes, you are. Your real self cannot move or respond although you can hear everything that goes on outside as distant sounds. Do not worry, master. Boris will be stopped. Others are doing their part as we speak.'


I don't know how long it has been. It could've been days; it could've been just an hour. I haven't quite grasped the concept of time here… Yet the landscape in my mind is still the same. The same darkness, though the cold had turned bearable (thanks to Wolborg) and lastly, there was just the ice formed when Wolborg attacked 'Boris'. Wolborg was a comforting presence even though he wasn't always with me in physical form. Just knowing he was near comforted me.

Creak! Creak! Shuffle… shuffle…

Huh? That definitely didn't come from my mind, which would only mean… Somebody is in the hospital ward.

Shuffle… shuffle…

Make that more than somebody.

"Oh my… he's so… How can someone be so brutal?" a voice muttered, sounding shocked, confused and angry at the same time.

"Especially somebody trained in martial arts. Garland should know how to control what he was doing," another voice added.

I have visitors. Oh wow. What a surprise. And the voices don't sound very familiar, and one's a female voice too. Double surprise. And I don't think it's a fan girl or a group of them… the hospital wouldn't allow it anyway. Triple surprise then. Who are these people? Beybladers?

Shuffle… Scrape!

"Unless he was under orders," someone else said with a half-snarl.

Now this voice sounds a tad bit more familiar. It sounds like… Ray. Ray Kon. Which would, could only mean that it was the White Tigers X in my ward… Visiting me. I think I would've done a double take visible to them if I could. The White Tigers X was visiting me. And I thought they detested the Blitzkrieg Boys after what happened in Russia two years ago; they were certainly quite hostile when we met again this year. Time really changes people. Or perhaps this incident changed their views about us Blitzkrieg Boys. Either way, it sounds like a good thing. Right?

"It's ironic, isn't it, Ray? Two year ago, you were in the hospital after your battle against Bryan. And now… Tala's the one in a coma," a voice of a younger male said. "Do you think its retribution?"

"Kevin," Ray hissed menacingly, "This is nothing to joke about. The past should be left as what it is – the past."

Did I hear correctly? Or did my ears malfunction after being in a coma for who knows how long? Ray was defending me… indirectly? I can't believe it. It's… it's so unlikely. Bryan hurt Ray pretty bad, though not until he landed in a coma. But I still thought that the Chinese teen would harbor some sort of dislike towards us, mainly Bryan… But that doesn't seem to be case now. Sometimes people can be soooooooooo confusing. And I don't like to be confused, though I like twisting others' emotions to my advantage.

"And they were under Boris' control, remember?" Ray continued. "Now that the whole Beyblading community is against Boris, that slime ball won't succeed."

"We won't let him succeed!" Mariah added, her voice hard with determination.

The corners of my mouth turned up slightly, though I believe my real physical self couldn't move a muscle at all.

It's nice to know that I'm not alone in this anymore.


Creak! Shuffle… shuffle… Creak!

Another visit. Since when did I become so popular with the Beyblading community? One other purpose for joining the World Championships was to set our reputations straight… Seems like it's working now. But isn't it strange? It takes one to be injured for a good, but previously unknown, cause for others to believe that you're not evil. Sometimes fiction and reality don't have that much of a difference.

"He's hurt so badly!" a female voice exclaimed softly.

"You should've seen the battle," another voice, this time a male one, muttered through gritted teeth. "It was brutal."

Isn't that Emily and Max? So the All-Starz team is here. This is the most surprising of the lot. Emotions – bad ones mainly – ran high both times we met in competition, this year and two years ago. Especially this year. People can be so confusing. I guess I can understand why Max came; he was there at the battle. He had heard what I told Tyson. Did one battle change the views of the whole world? Even the views of people who hated my team and me right to the core? I guess actions do speak louder than words. Nobody would believe us if I had announced our intention to stop BEGA from world domination. Not that I would've… Then Boris would get away scot-free. Again.

"It's all the cause of that slimy, purple-haired bastard of a human Boris. How did he get out of jail?" a voice proclaimed in a low, vicious voice.

"He has his ways… I'll bet you my prized basketballs on this."

Michael. Eddy. Surprise, surprise again. I thought both of them were just arrogant jocks, thought they just concentrated on their sports and nothing else. Seems like everyone has another side to him or her. I was judgmental of them, and they judged me too. We're quits now. I just wish they could know that. I won't be able to tell them face-to-face. My pride wouldn't take it too well. Heh.

"Hey, Emily. How's Tala's Wolborg blade?" Max asked.

"Kenny and I are working to create a new blade for him. Tala's really lucky; Wolborg's bit-chip didn't shatter. When he wakes up, he'll have a brand new Wolborg waiting for him."

"Hey! What about us?" Eddy asked teasingly.

"Well, I don't see your Beyblade smashed into smithereens!"


I guess a few days have definitely passed. Bryan and Spencer have been in the ward for almost the whole time, only leaving after the night visiting hours or for lunch and dinner. I wonder if their injuries have healed. I guess so. They've always been fast healers, like me. Though I think being in a coma takes more time to recover. Other than Bryan and Spencer, Mr. Dickinson has been dropping in frequently too, which is rather surprising. The old man has no relation to any Blitzkrieg Boy whatsoever and now that he's no longer the President of the BBA and has virtually no stand in the political world of Beyblading, in my opinion, it gives him much less reason to care about the welfare of any Beyblader. But he still does. He's done so much for the teams.

Well, I know it's lunchtime now. Courtesy of Bryan and Spencer for announcing almost all their moves to me. And they still think I can't hear them. Oh well. But I've learnt quite a bit from their conversations with each other and with me too. I guess the doctor told them speaking to a person in a coma helps them awaken in a shorter time. I don't know if it applies for my case. I estimate that almost a week has passed by now. I've had more visits from the White Tigers X, the All-Starz and the Bladebreakers over the span of time. F-Dynasty came for a short while once, I think. And frankly, I'm surprised that Bryan is quite cordial to everyone who comes, considering there was once when the White Tigers X, the All-Starz and the Bladebreakers all appeared at the same time in their lively, noisy mass that definitely would've been too much for Bryan to take. Maybe even Spencer too.

Creak! Creak! Shuffle… Shuffle…

"Hey Tala! It's Tyson and Daichi here!"

"Yeah! How're you doing?"

I smiled slightly, or at least the person in my mind smiled. I'm beginning to realize that those two aren't as irritating as before. Sure, they're still loud-mouthed, but they're beginning to know when to speak and when not to. Tyson's matured and changed from that thirteen-year-old two years ago, that much I can tell. As for Daichi… I guess this BEGA incident might have caused him to become a tiny bit more mature. Stress: I guess. But they won't have the satisfaction of hearing that from me. Even if I wake up.

Some things shouldn't be changed.

Ever.

"Kenny and Emily have finished designing and constructing your Beyblade. They're test running it now. When they finish testing and sorting out any flaws, we'll leave it by your bedside," Tyson said.

"It's better than before! And when you start using it, I want another battle with you!" Daichi proclaimed determinedly.

There was a strangely uncomfortable silence in the room following Daichi's words. Usually when Tyson and Daichi both came together – alone or not – they'd rattle on and on about anything under the sun, which I find rather amusing actually. They would even start quarreling sometimes. They are that competitive with each other, especially in the food and beyblading aspects. But today, there seemed to be something bothering the two of them. I wonder what…

"Eh, Tala… we're leaving Dranzer here, by your pillow. Kai's disappeared since his lost to Brooklyn. His blade was totally destroyed… shattered, and we've, well Kenny to be precise, made a new one for him. I… we don't know where exactly to find him, so we've decided to leave the new Dranzer blade here," Tyson said, stuttering slightly, trying to control the emotion in his voice.

Kai.

Lost.

Disappeared.

What?

"We know Kai's injured too, badly injured in fact… But he disappeared from the hospital that very night. W-we just hope he would come to visit you… after all, you are his team captain…" Tyson trailed off.

"And… uh… just to let you know… we've agreed to a five on five battle against BEGA. It starts two days later, and we… we hope that Kai would come and… rejoin us in the battle against BEGA," he added.

"Yeah. Don't worry, Tala. We'll kick BEGA's sorry butt. They don't stand a chance against us!" Daichi included at the end.

I was barely paying attention by the end of it all. Was this why nobody mentioned him whenever anybody came to visit me? Was it why his name never cropped up whenever any one spoke to me? But just because he had disappeared did not mean he had disappeared from everyone's memory. As much as I don't seem to like Kai, we did grow up together and we had some friendship from the past. Just that everything became ruined after the first Black Dranzer incident. Subsequent events just made it all the worse.

Although I could not see Tyson, I can still at least guess that he's probably holding back tears. As much as Tyson would not admit it openly now, I believe that he still looks up to Kai as a role model despite all the betrayal and such. And Kai was, and still is, his friend.

But why put it here? Would Kai really come? I know why he rejoined the Blitzkrieg Boys. It definitely wasn't because he liked the team; we were probably chosen because of our skills in the Beyblading arena and also because we're from Russia. And so is Kai. He just wanted to win the World Championships and take the World Champion title away from Tyson. He knows that we want to win the tournament too… and so he rejoined us. It's as simple as that. He probably doesn't even care about the team at all; even after all we've been through during the tournament. But strangely, I don't regret his return. He was, frankly, brilliant in the tournament. Contrary to what others think, I don't hate him. Though I don't necessarily like him all the time either. We've always clashed in certain situations, both in the present and in the past. Fire and Ice will never get along perfectly.

But it's strange, you know. It's like only when your life is uncertain and the future is hazy, do you realize things that you never did when you were healthy and moving about…

Well, Tyson, you'll have to pray that Kai does come to see his 'team captain'.

Just don't bet on it.


C-c-creak-k… Shuffle…

I yawned, or the 'me' in my subconscious mind yawned. Being a relatively light sleeper (no big thanks to the Abbey), even a tiny bit of noise could wake me up. And this visitor – whoever he was – wasn't being loud by any means. It was probably late at night, and way past visiting hours. I was beginning to grasp the concept of reality time in my eternally dark subconscious. There's not even a slightest ray of sunshine here to indicate day or night. I've got to rely on my instincts…

Back to the point here: Who could this person be?

Shuffle…

And he's not speaking or making much noise either. So, I have a silent visitor for once. A silent, night visitor… I've got to stop imagining things. Tala Ivanov, calm down! You are becoming overly paranoid nowadays! First it was a fake Boris and now, this. You're in a hospital. A hospital… It's safe here. It's probably just the doctor or the nurse coming to check on you. They frequently do that, don't you remember?

'It isn't the medical staff, master.' Wolborg appeared next to me and I absentmindedly stroked the wolf, still thinking about who the visitor could be.

'Then…'

I was cut short as I felt and heard a distant shifting movement next to my head… the first sounds of it since about a day… That someone was removing the Dranzer Beyblade! I tensed. Then there was a distant feel of a slight rise in the ward's temperature, meaning that Dranzer had responded to whomever it was that took the blade. And the only person that could make Dranzer respond in such a way could only be…

'Yes, master. It is the young phoenix,' Wolborg filled in for me, 'Kai has reclaimed Dranzer.'

"Dranzer…"

That's Kai's voice all right, although it's a deathly pale shadow of his usually quiet but strong, commanding tone. He must be still injured. Wolborg nuzzled my hand in agreement.

"BEGA will pay… and Boris will be behind bars – for good," Kai declared quietly.

Was he talking to me or to himself?

"You'll wake up to see it happen, Tala… I promise."

Swish… Shuffle… C-creak-k…


Ta Da! Haha. Right, I'm feeling very, very happy with this story. Just hope that Kai or Tala didn't seem too OOC. That's the only thing I'm currently worried about. Thank you to all reviewers: Chibi-Lothlen, AngeLhearteD, silent-lucidity, Star-Serious-Laser & twincharm.

Chibi-Lothlen: Don't worry. I don't read yaoi and therefore I won't write it. I can take yaoi in fact.

AngeLhearteD: No! Don't waste away! I need to read your fics too! And besides, I've updated!

twincharm: It's not a one-shot, but a short story. There's only 2 chapters, prologue and epilogue. Which means this is ending fairly soon.

Another round of thank yous to the reviewers who made my day better after I read the reviews! I was seriously on a high. Right, enough rambling. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

carzla