Author's Note: Here's the second chapter. I won't be able to update for a couple of days because I'll be busy all day Friday and Saturday. I am still writing and revising the third chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own beyblade or any of its characters.

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Bit beast chatting with master

Chapter 2: Six Years Later

The red beyblade circled its opponent's grey blade in the ring, slamming it mercilessly over and over. The boy controlling the grey blade looked panicked and struggled to stand his ground. His opponent simply stood on the other side, not moving. Locks of dark-brown hair peeked out from around a hood. A blast of cold wind blew the hood back, revealing a thirteen-year-old girl's face. Her expression was a mask of stoic concentration, not showing any emotion. "No, I can't lose," the boy muttered.

"Pyrix, Oblivion Inferno," the girl ordered. Her beyblade ignited with a tempest of flame that filled the entire dish and blinded her opponent in a flash of light. When the smoke cleared the defeated beyblade was nothing more than a puddle of molten metal. The girl raised her hand, and her beyblade returned. "Child's play." She walked over to Boris, who was standing under a stone awning. She despised this man.

"Very good, Eri. You have come a long way since you came here," Boris stated in mock appraisal.

"You mean since you kidnapped me," Eri replied coldly and brushed past him without another room. She headed back to her room, or rather her cell. It was the same stone cold room she had lived in for six years. It was furnished with a small bed, a small bathroom off to the side, and a desk. Eri had trained in the Abbey every day for six years. She despised this dungeon and Boris, but failure would have meant indescribable punishment, including the loss of her bit beast. Kai had mysteriously disappeared soon after she arrived. One night she had woken up to the sound of a major explosion which had destroyed half of the Abbey. She had not seen the blue-haired boy since. Tala, on the other hand, was now Boris' top soldier, as well as the defending beyblade World Champion. Boris had organized his top recruits--Tala, Bryan, Spencer, and Ian--into a team called the Demolition Boys. Eri was ranked just below them; otherwise she would have been on the team. In her mind, though, Eri knew that she was just as skilled. The only reason Boris didn't field her in a tournament was that she wouldn't submit completely to his wishes. She went on with her training, but she always made sure Boris knew how much she hated him. The Demolition Boys, on the other hand, were totally obedient. Brushing these thoughts aside, she sat down on her bed with a weary sigh and looked at her beyblade. "Come on out, Pyrix. We're done for today."

A red shaft of light shot out from her bit chip, and Pyrix materialized before her. "You seem troubled, Eri."

"I hate this place," she stated. "I want to get away from this dungeon and from Boris." Pyrix was the only reason Boris had not brainwashed her. She had constantly encouraged her master to resist him and his evil plans. So far Eri had not caved, but despair was slowly setting in that she would never leave.

Pyrix rubbed her head against Eri's leg and said, "Don't give up, Eri. The World Championships are quickly approaching. We may have a chance to escape while Boris is occupied with his plans."

"Yeah, maybe. Boris plans to take over the world with his army of mutant bit beasts, and I don't want to have anything to do with it," Eri stated.

Eri jerked her head up when a knock sounded at her door. Pyrix quickly jumped back into her beyblade to avoid discovery. Only Eri knew that she could take physical form. She heard a muffled voice. "Eri, it's Tala. Open the door."

Eri opened the door and found Tala standing there with his arms crossed. "What is it?" she asked.

"Boris has summoned all the recruits to the meeting hall. He has an important announcement about the World Championships," Tala replied. "Now hurry up."

"Fine, I'm coming," she said, irritated. She made sure her beyblade was safely in her pocket and followed Tala. She had trained with the red head and his team multiple times, so they knew her pretty well. But still, Tala acted cold around her, as did the rest of the team. Boris had brainwashed them into believing that emotions were a weakness. After a few minutes, Eri broke the silence by asking, "Don't you ever get tired of listening to Boris? You know he's just using you as his slave."

"Boris is our leader. He has promised that we will become world champions. I would not be a world champion if it weren't for him," Tala replied emotionlessly.

"Is that you talking, or Boris?" Eri shot back. "Face it, he's brainwashed you. Just tell him to take a hike."

Tala whirled around and shoved her against the wall, keeping both hands on her shoulders so she couldn't get away. His face was only inches away from hers as he hissed, "And where would I go? I've lived here my whole life. So maybe I do hate Boris. So what? I hate everything about this stupid Abbey!"

"So why don't you just leave? As the best blader in this place, you could break out easily," Eri suggested.

Tala sighed and shook his head as he let go of her shoulders and turned away. "You just don't get it, do you? I would have thought you, of all people, would understand. I have no family or place to go outside of this Abbey. Boris had both of your parents killed just so he could get his hands on your bit beast."

"You think I don't know that already?" Eri asked. "Boris destroyed my entire life, just like he's destroying the lives of every blader in this wretched place. That's why we need to stop him."

"I don't want to talk about this anymore. Hurry up, or we'll be late," Tala interrupted, once again assuming his emotionless wall. Eri followed him reluctantly to the underground chamber where all the bladers in the Abbey had gathered. Boris stood on a raised platform and addressed his crowd.

"Members of Biovolt, the time has come!" Boris proclaimed. "Soon the entire world will fall to our might, but in order for this to take place we must emerge victorious at the World Championships. However, this will be a mere formality, as the competing team, the Bladebreakers, is a set of mere weaklings compared to us. I am sending the Demolition Boys into this tournament to assure us the win." The four members of the Demolition Boys stepped onto the platform as the rest of the bladers cheered, except for Eri. She stood at the back of the room in the shadows. "With the sport of beyblading crushed by our victory, my army of genetically altered bit beasts will claim dominion over the world! And you, my loyal followers, will share in the power of world domination!" Once again the bladers cheered; they were hopelessly brainwashed by Boris' speech.

Eri, we cannot let Boris have his way, Pyrix communicated telepathically.

I know, but we can't stand against the Demolition Boys and Boris just by ourselves. We need help, Eri replied.

After the meeting, Eri returned to her room and talked with Pyrix for a long time about their situation. One thing was clear: they had to get out of the Abbey before it was too late.

Meanwhile, in the control room one of the security guards spoke up from his monitor, "Boris, I think you need to see this."

"What is it? This had better not be a waste of time," Boris snapped.

"Well, sir, one of the cameras recorded a conversation between Eri and Tala earlier today, before the meeting." He began replaying the conversation.

"…I hate everything about this stupid Abbey!"

"So why don't you just leave? As the best blader in this place, you could break out easily."

"You just don't get it, do you? I would have thought you, of all people, would understand. I have no family or place to go outside of this Abbey. Boris had both of your parents killed just so he could get his hands on your bit beast."

"You think I don't know that already? Boris destroyed my entire life, just like he's destroying the lives of every blader in this wretched place. That's why we need to stop him."

"I don't want to talk about this anymore. Hurry up, or we'll be late…"

"I've seen enough!" Boris barked. The guard winced as he shut off the recording. "It seems that Eri has formed some sort of alliance with Tala, however trivial it may be. We will have to keep a closer watch on the two of them. I will not have some rebellious little girl corrupting my finest soldier." With that, Boris turned on his heel and stormed out of the room.

End chapter 2

Author's Note: I will post the third chapter as soon as possible. In the meantime, please read and review!