Author Notes: Wow! I come back from my mini vacation I get more reviews! Thanks dudems, Blazin Shadows, and Golden Moonlight for the reviews. I should I have the next chapter up by next weekend, I hope. Unfortunately I start school again Monday and I now I take my Algebra 2 and Spanish 2 class. But my birthday's Friday so who cares? Anyway, I've talked enough so on with the story.
Disclaimer: Like I said before I don't own Beyblade.
"I can't believe him. Did he actually believe he could get away with punching Boris? What a fool. You'd have to be crazy to think you could get away with something like that." Ronny shrewdly said.
"Maybe so. But you've gotta be more than crazy to do something like that." Zack reasoned.
"Yeah, desperate." Eric chuckled.
"No. I meant courageous. Not very many people have the courage to stand up to Boris and the few who do don't live to tell about it. Tala's lucky he wasn't killed." Zack mournfully looked over Tala's severe wounds.
"Well, personally I think he would have been lucky to have gotten killed. He wouldn't have to face Voltaire." Eric logically stated.
Both boys stopped their gossip when they reached Voltaire's door. They shuddered at the though of what awaited Tala behind the metal door. Neither of them enjoyed delivering Tala to him, but they new the consequences if they didn't.
"Well…I guess we should knock." Eric hand shook as he lifted his hand to the door.
"Never mind that!" Boomed an irritated voice from the behind the intimidating doors.
The two boys slowly processed into the dark room. Both of them were trembling with terror, but they tried to build a brave front.
"Just throw him down on the floor and leave immediately. Maybe then I'll forget the fact that you two were three minutes late." He furiously yelled at them.
Without a second thought both boys dropped Tala on the floor and left the dim room gratefully. Voltaire waited till the door was shut and he could no longer hear their petrified footsteps to go rummaging through his desk. When he finally discovered the object, he let out a low, menacing laugh. The small handgun was fully loaded and ready to shoot at any given target. Voltaire ran his fingers down the gun. It had been a gift from a friend who, unfortunately, died the next the day from a bullet to the head. Voltaire now altered his aim to greet his target.
Perfect no one will hear anything. Humph. And even if they did, what would they do about it? Call the police? They should realize by now, that they are all just prisoners here and there is nothing they can do about it.
Voltaire quickly pulled the trigger. Experience had allowed him to soullessly laugh at Tala's misfortune. But living in the Abbey for all of his life had taught Tala one important skill, which was how to avoid death. Tala rolled to the right and narrowly dodged the bullet by no more than five inches.
"Ha! So you're awake after all. I was hoping you were. You know it would be intolerable if I lost my best blader to an accident." Voltaire viciously laughed.
"Yes, I suppose it would be." Tala, through all the pain that flooded his body, managed to stand up.
Of course there is no such thing as an accident when it comes to Voltaire and the Abbey. There are no coincidences, only setups.
"You know what your problem is?" Voltaire inquired.
Yes, as a matter of fact I do. I'm stuck in some beyblading torture center, where I'm not given adequate amounts of food and water. To top it off I get abused when I do even the tiniest thing wrong.
"You put up a strong appearance, but inside you're soft. You care too much for those weaklings you call teammates. Do you realize what opportunities await you if you would leave behind your worthless bond with your 'friends'? You become the best."
"I thought you said I was the best?" Tala would have laughed at Voltaire's mistake if it hadn't been for his insides throbbing.
"Clever boy. Humph. That's why you're the best blader. You're intelligence keeps you high ranked and alive. But know this. You'll always be second best to me!" Voltaire shouted furiously at Tala.
"Do you think you're above me now? Let me remind you of your place in the Abbey and in the world!"
Voltaire delivered a devastating punch to Tala's already injured gut. The heavy blow caused Tala to topple over in pure agony. Defenseless and weak as a baby, Voltaire kicked Tala repetitively. Tala coughed up deep burgundy blood. His ears echoed with Voltaire voice. "Let me remind you of your place in the Abbey and in the world!" So were do I belong in the world? It surely can't be here. Another wave of pain flooded Tala's mind causing his brain to forget his own question. With death clearly beckoning him, Tala let the darkness consume him.
*Flashback*
"He seems to understand how the game is played now. He only needed to be more disciplined and luckily I was around to teach it to him." Boris sneered watching Tala intensely train. By now, eight-year-old Tala was the most experienced and merciless blader in the Abbey. Kids twice his age were terrified to cross him and no one would talk to him or meet his gaze. He was in complete control of them and he loved the power. Which is the reason he meet Voltaire.
"You wished to see me sir?" Tala nervously swallowed down the urge of throwing up.
"Yes I did. We have something of high importance to discuss. I'm in the process of developing a beyblading team for Russia. We only have four years to form the ultimate team that will annihilate the competition. Which is the reason I called you here now." Voltaire emotionlessly stated.
The idea of being put on a national team sent chills down Tala's spine. This is my chance to get out of this miserable place. If I'm on the Russian team, I'll never have to come back here again. After training so hard I deserve this!
"Unfortunately we have no one in the Abbey who even comes close to what we require. No even you." Voltaire cruelly laughed at him. "I know how you think, Tala. You actually believed I'd consider putting you, an eight-year-old blader, on a national team that not only represents Russia, but me as well?! Don't even regard yourself worthy of such a dream. Other bladers would crush you in a heartbeat. You have no hope of ever getting on this team, for now."
Enragement and humiliation boiled inside of Tala. How dare he laugh at me! He set me up for this! I can't believe I fell for such a naïve trick. He'll see, though. I'll get on that team no matter who I have to demolish to get there. Nothing will stop me.
*End Flashback*
Tala's eyelids fluttered as he struggled to remain awake. Who knows what he'd do to me if I passed out. Tala was practically swimming in a pool of crimson blood. Seeing all of his blood made Tala more lightheaded than before, but he still remained strong.
"So tell me one thing! Why do you think my invincible team lost to a team of nobodies? They have nothing in common and besides this year they have never beybladed with one another. Hell they didn't even know each other existed! You and the Demolition Boys were trained for a whole year before the tournament! Everything was in your favor, but you lost! How?!" Voltaire yelled.
You know why, you just don't want to admit it. They won because they believed in what they were fighting for. They had the whole world on their side.
"I don't know how they won." Tala barely said.
"Of course you don't." Voltaire turned his back to Tala and called someone. "Yes, come and get him now. We're through."
He has no right to do this to anyone. He only used me as a weapon to improve his status in the world. He used everyone and everything around him.
*Flashback*
"Before you leave, I'll give you a little notice. You'll be training with one of our new recruits. But I can promise you, you won't be disappointed in his abilities. He isn't a new comer to Beyblading. In fact, I'm sure you two will have a lot in common." Voltaire laughed evilly as he shut the door in Tala's stunned face.
*End Flashback*
Yay, another chapter down! Please review, thanks.
AC_Chan
