A/N: For all those who haven't figured it out, the names of the new Demolition Boys are the originals' spelt backwards. Example: Tala vs. Alat. (Cackle cackle cackle) Ingenious I say!


-Why?-

17 – You're Real

By Euphrosyne


She refused to believe Alat wouldn't do such a thing. Sure the boy was arrogant, but past the bold exterior, he was just like any other lost child, searching for answers like the rest of us.

Chloe clutched the blonde's hand into her own, her strong nature unraveling with each beep on the heart monitor.

"You were right for not showing up. At least you're safe…"

The boy's voice trailed off. She knew Tai was disappointed in her absence on her best friend's proposal. She didn't know, else she would not have bothered to check out Alat's battle.

A knock on the door.

…Tala?

Looking up with uneasiness, the boy took a step forward, "I'm sorry. I heard what happened."

Forcing a smile, Chloe wiped her tear-stained face, "Thank you for your concern. You must be Riley's friend, Alat."

The redhead cringed at the name. "No, no, I'm Tala. Could I, um, speak to Rye for a second?"

"This isn't the time-"

"No, go on Riley. They'll be fine here with me. I'll call you if there's any change in his condition." The older boy didn't look up, only continued leaning against the hospital wall. Was he angry?

"Please. Just a second, Rye…"

Hesitantly, she led the redhead out. They ended up in the garden.

"I've been trying to call you for the last few days." The boy fiddled awkwardly with his cell.

"I wasn't in. Honestly, I'm out here out of pure respect for Tai and the others. What do you want?" Now that they were alone, she flinched at his touch. "Hedonism; your pursuit of devotion for pleasure, sexual satisfaction. You're the doctrine who holds these behaviors, motivated by the desire for pleasure and the avoidance of pain-"

"Fine. Lets cut the crap then, Rye! Or is that even your real name?"

The girl spun to face him, completely unprepared for the accusation. "I rather be hated for being me than liked pretending to be someone else." She spat the words with plain abhorrence.

"What do you want me to say then? I'm sorry? Sorry for being human? Sorry for trying to relieve my own pain?"

"Oh, no. No you didn't!" Vexatious laughter. "Don't you even try turning this one on me." She paused. "I feel it incumbent to relieve you of my being then, Tala. You have obviously proven your annoyance with me and your love for women in general. Note that, women, that's plural! Not a month's ablution could cleanse you from these impurities!" Her eyes flashed with anger.

"And where exactly does your shit begin? You didn't exact fuck off that night in your room-!"

"There are things in this world that you can not even begin to imagine. I'm not even the magistrate of my life for there is no exemption from punishment at the nation level-!" Formidable acrimony. "But you, you chose to move on. You chose to sleep with those women as a mode to 'forget about me'…" she laughed at the image. "Days, weeks, years from now, I may not remember exactly what you did or what you said, but I will forever remember how you made me feel…" She turned away from him, the once ardent passion spent.

He fell quiet, he felt the guilt. Reaching out to sooth her attempts of pitiful relief, he refused to let go of that last ounce of hope. "…So…we're, we're over then-?"

A beyblade broke their contact, slashing Tala across the wrist. His cell dropped to the ground.

"Well, isn't this just like old times? How lovey dovey." A boy almost identical to Ian stood with his arms crossed, perched on a statue before them. Two boys, similar in appearance to the other two burly Demolition Boys, backed him up.

Instinctively, the former captain shot forward to protect the girl but she stepped out of his bound. Glaring at Boris's factious clones, Rye remained indifferent "Obviously you didn't come to chit-chat. What's your purpose?"

"Fast thinker, straight to the point. We've been sent to challenge you to a beybattle. Winner gets to keep their blade, Black Dranzer, and their life."

Black Dranzer?

Tala didn't have his blade. Three against one. The math didn't add up.

"You think you can beat me? The Lee Clan have been champions for a straight decade. It's because of our resignation are there further claimers of this title!"

"All talk and no game." The boy shook his head with mock disappointment. He nodded at his teammates who nodded back. "3, 2, 1, let it rip!"

Three blades came crashing towards Rye before she even had time to acknowledge the battle's start. Nai raised a fist to command his attack. "Black Wyborg, attack with Novae Rog!"

Tala froze. It couldn't be. It was impossible! That was an attack that took him years to formulate! It was the attack he would have taken Tyson down with if he hadn't held back.

Cold air hit them in the face. This was going to be the end. There was no dodging it now. Rye waited for the blow.

It never came.

A bright flash. Rye looked up, gasping at the fallen male. "Alat!" She ran towards the sanguineous scene, lifting the boy's face onto her lap.

At the sight, the blonde's teammates fled.

Coughing strenuously, Alat smiled. "Hey you...you didn't show, show up, so I…worried…I came to find you. Three days…same place, same time. Be…be there, right?"

She couldn't control herself, she began sobbing. Tears trickled onto the boy's once porcelain skin. "You're so stupid."

"That's…that's not what you said the other day…Remember? If they kill…kill me, they can just make a new one and…and tell the new one what an…an idiot the last one was…"

Rye forced herself to laugh for Alat's sake. "Don't speak, save your energy. Don't move." She turned to shout at Tala. "Call the ambulance. Your cell. We need medical aid right away!" She wanted to run into the hospital herself, but she couldn't leave the boy, her friend- the one she felt truly understood her.

Tala just stared, unable to formulate movements. That boy wasn't human. He was just another part of Boris's evil creation for world domination. He didn't have any real feelings…

Then why did he save Rye?

Why didn't you save her?

"…It's alright, he's…he's jealous. He wants to get rid of me…I'm, I'm better looking…"

No, those were real emotions. They wouldn't be able to develop if they had been programmed. Understanding, compassion, humor, forgiveness? All in one sentence.

Rye reached for the cell with her fingertips but stopped when the blond winced in pain. His wound's tore. "Tala! Grab the cell! What do you want? Amnesty? An apology? I'm sorry, I forgive you, there! Just please save him, he's your brother!"

It pierced his heart. Brotherhood, the one thing Biovolt could not destroy.

Without a second thought, Tala bent down, grabbed the phone, and dialed the number.


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