Chapter 11:- Avengers Vs BladeBreakers
The BladeBreakers had sat in the waiting room and watched previous matches on the screen and other matches that were going on in other stadiums. Sam was restless and she didn't like it at all. It reminded her too much of the waiting time between tests that had occurred in Biovolt. Mind you she knew that she wasn't going to be drugged or have IV tubes forced under her skin here. It was the simple restlessness that every player got before they had to prove themselves. Sam closed her eyes and listened to the last minute updates that Kenny was giving the others. She heard the brief speech made by Kai saying each person was to concentrate on the performance of their match. Kai seemed to think that no member was supposed to help another and she knew instinctively that the thought had originated in Biovolt. There she had been severely punished if she had tried to help her trainees and so had been forced to stop when it nearly killed her. The thought of death no longer frightened her as much as it once did but she still knew when to watch her step.
"Ready to go?" Max asked conversationally.
"I have been for a long time." Sam said honestly
"Nervous?" Ray asked
"Not really but anything worth doing is worth getting nervous about. We were taught that nervousness was not a thing to be tolerated in Biovolt. We had to go head first into everything and not show that we gave any thought to it." Sam stated and flexed her muscles for the umpteenth time.
"Time." Kenny said and they each walked along the darkened hallways ready to face their fate out there. As they walked the voices of the two commentators echoed around the stadium over the voices of all the fans.
"Ladies and Gentlemen welcome to today's first Battle between the Avengers and the BladeBreakers. My name is Brad Best and I will be you commentator today with AJ Topper isn't that right AJ"
"It most certainly is Brad and as most of you have already noticed the BitBattles are to be played in Teams of Five and all players have to have a BitBeast. For the BladeBreakers, we have the renown Sam Hanara who won the Russian tournament almost two years ago we wonder where she has been and if she is any good."
"Well AJ considering the BladeBreakers seem to have snapped her up she must be a force to be reckoned with. We know that she has two blades with which to compete and we wonder which one she will choose to do battle with today."
"We also have the newest team to the BBA world and know that if not for S.H.A.M.B, I wonder what that stands for, they wouldn't be here."
"OY! If you've finished yapping there are some of us who want to blade today. Oh and once the match is over I'll tell you what SHAMB stands for and the meaning behind it. Alright?" Sam yelled up at the commentators box. Jeez how she hated those two. Sam and the rest of her team walked into the round arena and had cheers come left, right and centre. Sam even had flowers thrown at her and Marriage proposals flew from all directions mainly aimed at Sam. She got a mumbled response regarding her previous statement and DJ Jasmine was introduced. She was the cousin of DJ Jazzman who wasn't able to judge as he was currently laid up in bed ill. The BladeBreakers stats were read out except for Sam's as they seemed to have somehow lost it. Sam smirked until the Avengers flipped out sporting the current uniform for their academy. Sam spotted Alex immediately and the boy seemed to spot her too seeing as his eyes lit up and he began to grin. Sam felt a strong gaze fall on her and looked around until she found out who it was. Her eyes locked onto Boris' and narrowed with a deadly hate. Alex followed her gaze and bared his teeth as he spotted his father. Alex and his teams stats were read out too and Sam had to admit since that last time she had seen him, his blading had improved quite drastically. Even Boris seemed impressed by what had inadvertently been Sam's doing. Brad announced that the battles were to be as followed. Tyson and Max Vs Carla and Gustav, Ray and Kai Vs Emiel and Immeril and Sam Vs Alexander. Tyson's group went up to the as of yet uncovered dish and prepared themselves. Breaths were held as the dish was uncovered. It was an exact replica of Trafalgar square. Sam narrowed her eyes at it and came up with a strategy that they couldn't use unless they were deadly accurate. The battle began and all four blades landed simultaneously into the dish. Max and Tyson had a plan of their own and abruptly turned so that the were going to ram into the other blades straight away. Carla and Gustav used a multiplying technique and tipped the balance in their favour. They cut swiftly between Tyson and Max cutting each other off. Sam stood and moved several steps toward the dish. She longed to call out but knew in her heart that she could not. It was their battle. It looked like Max was about to be knocked out even though he had Draciel using his viper metal wall. Unable to stop it Sam lurched a step forward and yelled out. "Tyson, left!" Tyson glanced left and noticed one of the four lions close at hand. He grinned and sent a thumbs up signal at Sam. He climbed the block the lion was on and used it to vault over and block the attack that was going to take out Max. The battle went on and all four players went on the attack. Each had their own plan. Carla was going after Max again but neither teen brought out their BitBeasts. Tyson was the one chasing after Gustav and using the stairs and blocks with the lions to his advantage. Gustav shot out to the edge and danced along the rim before heading in a little more. Luckily Tyson didn't mirror the stunt and changed his attack slightly. He wasn't going to leave is team-mate hanging. Max sighed as both his blade and Tyson's circled and protected each other. They were using up too much energy and didn't even think to call upon the newest instalment in their blade. Tyson and Max nodded to each other and they both collided their blades with Carla and Gustav at the same time. Dust flew and the sound of four blades whizzed past Sam's ear and clattered to a halt. "Dochas." Sam murmured softly. The dust slowly settled and it was found that none of the four blades were left inside the ruined dish. DJ Jasmine called it a tie and the four bladers congratulated each other and shook hands with grins spread over their faces. Kai walked up next with Ray. He halted beside Sam.
"Don't Say a thing. Don't move just prepare yourself for your own match. Do I make myself clear?" Kai demanded. Sam lowered her head slightly and sat down further away from the other two, her bangs covering her eyes. She was ready. She only needed to look after her team. 'Her Team' she thought and cleared her face of all emotion. She was not weak. She did not need them. Nobody noticed the four faint cuts, two gracing each upper arm as her head shot up and her eyes turned cold and furious. Black Dranzer pulsed in her pocket but she refused to give into the impulse to pick him up and let the dark child finish it. This is what he wanted? Fine. She hardly noticed that the match between Ray, Kai, Emiel and Immeril had ended and that she had missed it completely. She stood up and stalked over to the dish. She did not hear the voice of Ray. Did not feel when he touched her arm only barely noted that the score stood at two-one. For the final battle it was going to be the simple dish so that both opponents could use it to their advantage. Raw energy pulsed around Sam causing Kai to watch her carefully. Sam's furious brown eyes met with Alexander's soft grey ones.
"So at last we meet again Alex. My employees say you have improved and I trust their judgement. If they say you are ready then I believe you are. Let's do this," Sam hissed flipping out her blade with two fingers and snapping it onto her 'normal' looking launcher. Alex smiled softly.
"I never forgot you. Thanks to you I found something in this game that my father and his ways could not teach and that you, while in Biovolt, would not teach us. After I lost to Tyson and was expelled from the abbey it was you and your strength that helped me. It will be your own strength and knowledge that brings you down now." He said in his soft voice that was bordering on manhood. Sam smiled wickedly, her eyes narrowed. DJ Jasmine called out the usual countdown and the real battle began both bladers viciously pulled at their ripcords and it was Sam's blade that landed first. She immediately took the centre position and waited. Alex's strength was up and he took all the chances he could to attack. Sam barely blinked each time.
"Dark absorbency." Sam said coldly. A dark cloud-like substance graced the edges of her blade and began ever so slowly to spread across the bottom of the dish. Each time Alex's blade crashed into hers Dyane took a little of the energy. After the third hit Alex caught on as to what she was doing and spun around her blade fast creating a type of vortex similar to that of Tyson's Dragoon. Dyane absorbed the power and the fog before it was destroyed and glowed faintly. Sam never looked at the battle below. She was going blind and never took her eyes off Alexander. Alex looked up at her and they both thought back to the time they had both met.
- Flashback -
A young boy of roughly seven stood staring at his blade. His training made him stronger it was true but it seemed to leech all of the feeling out of him and the others each time they were punished, each time they failed to please their trainers. A young girl no older than eleven staggered into the room her body bloody and her clothes torn. At first glance the young boy Alex hadn't even noticed that the figure was even a girl. She barely looked human. Her back was criss-crossed with deep gashes and blood fairly dripped off her. Her arm was hanging off her shoulder and even as Alex looked on the girl popped it back into place. His face paled but he walked up to her determined to help.
"My name is Alexander who are you?" she looked at him her eyes dangerous and tinted red in the obscene light. Her hair was loose and barely brushed her shoulders. It had been bleached slightly so that it looked like it was two toned. She had cuts and bruises littered across her face and her mouth was in a vicious snarl. She had been treated like an animal for so long that at times she even took on that personality.
"Son of Boris I knew who you were. I know all who are here and all who are not. You can call me Sam."
"Sam, why were you treated like this?" Alex asked looking faintly sick
"I dared to go easy on another. I dared to give the others help when inside the dish. I dared to take you on." Sam snarled
"Take me on?" Alex asked confused.
"Your current trainer finds he can not train and teach you more. You have come to a stand still and are always drawing when in battles with others. I called the trainer some colourful names and demanded that I be given the right to take you on. At least I got that. I am able to train you." Sam slipped down the wall slightly leaving a dark trail where her body had connected however briefly with the wall and pulled out a roll of bandages. As she fumbled to get the bandages on herself, she flinched when her muscles began to spasm.
"Can… Can I help?" Alex asked not sure of her. The young Sam smiled slightly.
"It would be appreciated." She said softly her voice no longer harsh and sadistic. Alex bent down to help her and they smiled at each other. "Thank you."
"Your welcome."
- End Flashback -
"I remember." Sam said softly.
"The pain." Alex agreed
"The sorrow." Sam said shaking her head
"The hate." Alex bared his teeth
"The hunger." Sam said they both looked each other dead in the eye and as if by mental agreement they both gave it their all.
"Criantha!" Alex called out and a light blue light shot up from his blade. It took on the form of a large hawk. Sam studied the beast and smiled.
"Dyane!" Sam hollered and a blackish light tinged with purple and silver came off her blade before her faithful BitBeast came into view. The mountain lioness shook her head briefly and roared out causing the air to crackle with energy. Instead of standing still at the edge of the dish both bladers began to simultaneously circle the dish. Each shot out commands not to back down and pushed each other to the limit. "Binding Strength!" Sam called out and the aura around her grew darker stronger until Sam forced it into her hands
"Criantha, Deep Night cry." Alex called out. Both picked up speed and almost ran around the edge of the dish. Sam was making hand signals with her hands and called out
"Dochas!" the internal gear in the blade kicked in and made it spin quickly and more efficiently. Both teens abruptly stopped running and Sam offered the energy to Dyane just as Criantha's call came to a crescendo calling out all the nightmares that Sam had ever had and was forced to endure. "No… NO!" Sam yelled and pushed the memories and the thought out of her head offering it as strength to Dyane who took it trying hard to ease the pain her mistress felt. Both blades crashed into each other and dust flew up. Lights crashed and flashed and one blade clattered to the floor somewhere behind them as the whizzing of the other blade was heard as it fell from hights still concealed within the debris and dust. Sam covered her mouth and turned her eyes to the dish waiting for the verdict. DJ Jasmine crawled up from where the blast had pushed her and looked over the edge to see. Finally the crowd could make out the shape of a blade spinning strongly on top of a pile of rubble, not faltering. Both BitBeasts had retreated to their blades so it was impossible to tell that way. Finally it settled and the black blade glinted in the stark light causing Sam to smirk slightly. She held out her hand and the Blade responded immediately by flying back into her hand. She didn't wince as it cut into her hand but turned and strode off. Past her team, past the crowd and into the darkness of the corridor.
"The winner is Samantha which means that the BladeBreakers will be advancing to the next round!" DJ Jasmines excited voice echoed throughout the stadium overpowering that of the crowd. The other BladeBreakers ran after their female team-mate panicked because of the way she was acting. When she didn't respond other that to shake off their restraining hand they all looked at Kai who had said something to her before his match. Kai narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms not saying a thing and looking determinedly away. Sam launched her blade into the training dish as the others grabbed up their things. There was a sharp knock on the door.
"Come in." Sam said coldly. The door opened and the Avengers stood nervously in the door way.
"Sam, what does S.H.A.M.B stand for?" Carla asked shifting her weight from foot to foot.
"Sam Hanara's Academy for Misused Bladers." Sam said her voice not changing.
"So it really is thanks to you that we were given a chance to become strong bladers and have a home after we were expelled from Biovolt." Gustav said in his thick German accent.
"No. You became strong in your own right. I simply gave you a roof over your head and the chance to rebuild yourself after what had happened." Sam said and strode out the door. She managed to get ten steps away before Alex gripped her upper arm and pulled her to him. Sam stiffened but didn't pull away.
"You saved us from Boris and Voltaire." He spoke into her ear.
"Then you and I are even." Sam murmured.
"No. I am in your debt. You saved us, trained us, taught us and never gave up on us. Thank you." Alexander said in fluent Russian. "Why do you hurt now Sam? What did he say to make you so cold and angry?"
"He made it quite clear that I was being a burden upon him and his team. He will have my skills until the end of the tournament. No more. I am not hurt other than the cuts to my arm. But they will heal."
"You dared to give help to others when they were inside the dish" Alex said recalling the flash he had when battling.
"I did. Now I need to speak to you father." Sam said in flawless Russian.
"You would go back?" Alex asked tightening his grip on her.
"I will sooner or later." Sam said. She looked deeply into his eyes and caught the faint expression of fear that would always be there. Biovolt had abused him. His father had tormented him, riddled him with guilt that he wasn't good enough. Her academy had proven to him that those were simply lies that were designed to break him if he wasn't strong enough to beat the emotions back. Sam pulled away from him roughly and strode off to find Boris. It wasn't hard to find him. He was again surrounded by his most loyal cronies. In fact it was Tala who grabbed her and shoved her against the wall. He sneered at her even when he didn't get the whimpered response he used to draw from her. Sam's shoulder blades sang slightly even as he leaned into her.
"Well now look what we have here. A little runaway came back without the help of those who used to be her friends. Nice performance out there by the way." Sam didn't say anything just studied the cobalt eyes so close to her own. She recalled the times that she had been beaten and abused at his whim simply because she was a girl and her blading skills had been stronger than his. He hadn't understood that she fed off the punishments and forced it to make herself stronger even if she was injured. Her eyes went almost blank and narrowed
"Where is Boris?" Sam asked simply. Tala laughed cruelly remembering some of the more devious punishments that Biovolt had put her through.
"Are you so eager for punishment?" he demanded his eyes dancing wickedly with the light of a predator.
"I beat his son again and I realised what I should have a long time ago. You can take me out of Biovolt but you can't take Biovolt out of me." Spencer and Brian ran off to get Boris just as the DarkHunters came around the corner with Voltaire in tow. Tala drew back and hissed at her. Sam glared at him before automatically going down on one knee in greeting of Voltaire. She never took her eyes of him and caught the faint expression of glee and triumph cross his features. She knew that she wouldn't go through everything again and that one way or another she still had to confront her father and his newest bimbo. But for now she had a new and dangerous game to play and she was not willing to let him get the better of her again.
"Samantha Anne Hanara. Well done out there. Again you made Biovolt proud." Sam's expression didn't change as he spoke but she rose gracefully and stood watching them all.
"How did you capture her?" Rick asked Tala. There was anger, humiliation and hate in his stance and expression. While Sam revelled in it she knew that she would have to intervene. Rick had after all been a friend at one point or another and none of the boys here could touch her unless Voltaire said so. They weren't a Hiwatari.
"It was not he who captured me in anyway. I am here of my own violation even if it is a mistake. I want you to take the observers from my shadow." Sam said her eyes never leaving Votaire's
"Tell me," Voltaire drawled, his expression giving nothing away, "what are the two most important things you have learned since being in Biovolt?"
"All emotion can be used as a fuel when battling and if used correctly you will take no prisoners. You'll break their will. Other than that it is important to remember who you are at all times and where you stand." Sam said unwaveringly
"What rule did you break today?" Boris demanded as he came up beside Voltaire. 'Where do you want me to begin?' Sam thought bitterly but didn't allow it to show on her face.
"I offered help to the others when the were inside the dish." Sam snarled. Her eyes narrowed and her stance went from almost relaxed to offensive. He would not take her down again.
"Will you come back and accept your punishment as you were taught?" Voltaire demanded with a touch of thoughtfulness in his voice. 'What is he planning now?' Sam growled
"Not now, no. But I will come back. I have some loose threads I need to clear." Sam said solemnly her gaze shifting back to Voltaire. Voltaire nodded and drew a container out of his pocket. He dipped the tip of his thumb inside and when he withdrew it, it was red. He drew it firmly against her cheek along the cut that his minions had caused the day after she came out of hospital. He drew out another bottle and flicked several drops into her right eye. Sam's breath hissed out and as she blinked her right eye had changed from brown to blue. It wasn't permanent but it meant that not long after she came back she would be gifted a collar. This was to control her minimally until then.
"Go now. The watchers have been warned." He said coldly Sam nodded once and strode off home. The others had already left the stadium not knowing exactly where she was going but they had agreed to wait for at home. Sam kept her head low as she entered the house knowing instinctively that someone was observing her from one of the balconies or windows inside. She wasn't surprised or particularly disappointed when she spotted a figure sitting restlessly on her couch. She was however surprised when that person saw she was there, strode over and crushed their mouth possessively to hers.