Okay, so I lied about updating soon. Enjoy. And I shall just promise to update ASAP.
Beyblade does not belong to me, but this particular storyline does.
Chapter Two- Untouched
Bryan Kuznetsov collapsed on his bed and pressed his forehead on his cold pillow. Squeezing his eyes shut, he desperately wished the pain and fury within him to leave and let him be.
No, he thought, I cannot let it affect me, I cannot afford to feel. Not now. Just let me get over this, and I will be alright. Forcing himself to remember and bear, he slowly opened his emerald eyes and recalled the events that happened a few hours ago.
Voltaire Hiwatari, the owner of Biovolt, Kai's grandfather, had passed away the previous night. He left his grandson his estate, his possessions, everything except for one thing.
BioVolt.
Bryan's usually emotionless face twisted into a smiling grimace as he pushed his silver hair out of his eyes. Boris was so pleased that he was included in the will, Bryan bitterly thought. So pleased about owning my life.
As soon as Boris discovered he was now the new head of Biovolt, major changes were made to its infrastructure. Tala, as head of the Demolition Boys was now second in command to Boris. Bryan was next in line. Now there would be no escape. No chance for freedom. No one had a way out. When it came to Biovolt, it was a lifetime of service. One could only move up in ranks that no one wanted to be placed in. Bryan winced. As one of the most powerful members, he now had the power to break the younger generation as he was broken, by means of violence, as Boris preferred. But Bryan had no stomach for it. He did not wish to see the innocence in a child's eyes desert them, like how it left him so many years ago. He had no desire to kill their desire to live. And yet, he knew, that was what Boris would order him to do in the days ahead. He felt powerless now as he did then.
He wondered how his team captain was doing. When Boris broke the news in a meeting with the other members of BioVolt, only Bryan saw the anger and nausea that appeared in Tala's face before he quickly blocked it from sight. Bryan knew too well that Tala was in no position to refuse Boris, as none of them were, but Tala was just as reluctant as Bryan to break little kids, if not even more so. Tala had a soft spot for them in his heart, the heart the BioVolt tried to eliminate.
He's probably trying not to throw his guts up, thought Bryan. Heck, I feel the same way myself. God, what the hell did I do to deserve all this crap to happen in my life?
He sat up, pushed a few silvery strands of hair out his face. Whenever he faced a difficult situation, he always did the one thing that eased his pain. He reached over to his dresser and pulled out a small choker, a girl's favorite ornament, and remembered the one happy time in his life.
Flashback
Ten-year old Bryan Kuznetsov stood proudly over the Beydish watching the progress of blade with steady eyes. His blade careened through the many obstacles with ease. He allowed himself a small smile. Tala may have been the more powerful blader, but he secretly prided himself on the skill and flexibility of his own blade. Falborg was agile and quicker than most people imagined. Boris said that pride was the only emotion that mattered. It should be taken for granted, after all, they were the best for the sake of BioVolt. If BioVolt could not be proud of them, who would?
At the end of these exercises, he caught Falborg with an effortless sweep of his arm.
His lanky body turned to leave when he found himself before a young girl with snapping, innocent hazel eyes, short brown hair and petite body. She grinned at him.
"Trained a lot, haven't you?" She threw her head back casually. Bryan studied her. He had never seen her before, and she couldn't have been more than nine, but her look of admiration at his skill warmed him up to her.
He shrugged nonchalantly and replied, "But of course."
She laughed. "I thought so. I'd like to see your blade, if that's all right with you. I think I can adjust it so that the rotation of the blade will increase the agility, if you'd like." He looked at her again, this time his green eyes scrutinizing hers. There wasn't a person in the complex who didn't know he didn't accept offers of help, even at this young age. Why did she have to pose such a ridiculous question?
She met his glance, and her smile told him that she knew what goes going through his mind. Calmly she asked, "Well?"
No, thought Bryan, not the rest of that memory yet. That part is painful. I won't go through it unless the pain gets worse. If he gets worse, he thought hopefully. He studied the ornament in the center of his palm. Yes, the pain is still bearable. Still. He stood, placed the choker back in the drawer. His long legs took him to his door, to check up on Tala and see if he needed support. The Demolition boys only have each other now. He took one last look at the drawer before opening the door. Yes, I suppose Boris could hurt me. I suppose I could be owned forever by my inferiors.
But as long as I have that precious memory, they can't touch me there.
Kai frowned as Kenny handed him a letter and a newspaper. Kenny had grown quite a bit in his late teens but still retained that young boyish look from his youth. It was even more evident now as he thrust the materials at Kai, nearly jumping up and down with suppressed excitement. Mr. Dickenson had been able to get Kenny an internship at the BBA laboratories, and some days it was impossible to convince him to come home away from all that technology. Kenny loved his work so much he often forgot himself and the people who lived with him.
Glancing disapprovingly at Kenny before turning his attention to the letter, he opened the envelope.
Unbeknownst to Kai, the rest of the Bladebreakers slipped by his side to see what groundbreaking news would be revealed to them. They watched their leader's crimson eyes grow wide with surprise and then narrow with some unnamed emotion. Those were the only reactions he allowed himself. Once done with the letter, he dutifully picked up the newspaper and read the article Kenny had so apparently wanted him to read. Again, the team saw only a small narrowing of his eyes. As soon as he finished reading, he looked at the waiting faces of his teammates. Turning away, he calmly said, "Kenny, you do the honors. I don't have the stomach for it." Kenny gaped at him with shock as Kai walked towards the farthest corner of the courtyard.
His brown hair shook with disappointment, "I don't understand why he's so angry… you would've thought he'd actually be happy for once."
Ray murmured softly, "And that's exactly why he is angry, Chief. Because for once, he was happy. Whatever was in that envelope and newspaper pretty much destroyed whatever happiness he was feeling today. But its alright. Kai will be fine; he always has been and always will be. Go on Kenny, what was the stunning news?"
"Well, I supposed first things should come first," Kenny sat up with a more businesslike manner. "Voltaire Hiwatari has died."
Tyson jumped up. "And you expect Kai to be happy about that?" he snarled.
Hilary grabbed his hand and forced him to sit back down as Kenny cowered before the group. "Well, okay, not happy, but at least relieved… right?" He managed a weak smile.
Max shook his head, "You've got some pretty weird ideas about happiness, Chief. If it were Boris who died, I would understand happy. But his grandfather? I doubt it."
Kenny sighed and continued, "This letter," picking up the envelope, "is a copy of Voltaire's last will. He made Kai beneficiary to his entire estate including homes in Russia and Japan, and all other assets, except for one thing." He dropped the letter, and picked up the newspaper. "This," he told the team, holding out the paper.
The headline read, "BioVolt Under New Leadership".
Ray glared at the paper. "Gee, I wonder who is in charge there now?" he questioned sarcastically. He looked at Kenny. "I agree with Tyson. You expect Kai to be happy about all of this?"
Kenny hastily pointed further down the article. "Well, at least Boris is nice enough to invite us to BioVolt's first beyblade invitational."
Max groaned and folded his arms across his chest. "I was right. You are weird, Kenny. Nice? Can't you tell it's another stab from Boris to try to steal our bitbeasts from us? He still hasn't given up after all those years," he muttered.
Tyson was absorbed in reading the article. "Hey guys," he finally said, "we might just have to accept the invitation… I mean, Boris took a lot of trouble to publicize this event… if the news in this newspaper, it will be in others as well. We can't say no. If we do, every media outlet will want to know why. And what will we tell them? That we're afraid?" He looked at his stunned teammates. "We're just going to have to say yes and prove to Biovolt that our bitbeasts really do belong to us." He clutched Dragoon in his hand and looked at Kai who was firing Dranzer at aluminum cans. "The poor guy… he must be taking this pretty hard."
Kai was taking it more than "pretty hard". He had hoped that there was more empathy within his grandfather. Apparently he had not hoped hard enough. Kai sighed, knowing how sick and trapped Tala and Bryan felt. Actually, he was more concerned about Bryan than Tala. Tala would eventually stomach his distaste and move on, but for Bryan, every injustice was like a reopened wound. It had been like that since they were kids, before he left the alley the first time…
Flashback
Her hazel eyes were wide and her lashes held the remnants of tears, no longer filled with the joy of life. "Bryan!" she cried, "Why? Why do we have to live to endure? Why do we have to live to suffer? Why can't we live to live?" Bryan turned away, ashamed to admit that he had no answer for her questions.
The Demolition boys and Kai had been near the beydish when it happened. A loud explosion rocked and ripped through the building. It came from the laboratories that housed several experiments. It came from the area she worked in. Kai knew it, and so did Bryan, from the look of panic that remained arrested on his face.
Bryan raced to the door in that direction, not bothering to hide the fear he and everyone else felt. Tala and Spencer ran after him and grabbed his arms just before he opened the door leading to the passageway to the lab.
"Have you gone stupid?" Spencer yelled. "D' you want to be killed? This way!" He pulled Bryan in the opposite direction. Tala also dragging the taller boy away from the doorway that threatened to collapse on their heads at any moment.
Bryan struggled with both of them. "No! I can't leave her! I won't leave her! She doesn't deserve to die! Don't let her! God, no! Don't let her!" Spencer hit him with just enough force to stun him. Only then could Bryan be dragged from the beydish and back to the safety of their rooms. His glazed eyes roamed towards the door once again, as a weak, feeble, "No…" escaped his lips. He passed out before they left the beystadium.
He moaned once they were back in their dorms and as Spencer placed him on his bed, his eyes shot open. He studied the looks on his friends' faces, trying to remember what happened. It was something important, he thought. Something bad happened. Something bad happened… to her.
Realizing where he was, Bryan shot out of bed and tried to run out of the room again, only to be forced down by Tala's elbow into his chest. Kai watched the scene before him before noticing a small envelope atop the dresser. It was addressed to Bryan. Silently, Kai handed it to him and watched Bryan open it. Out fell a small red choker, with little stones that lit up like flames. And a note.
"Bryan," it read, "I'll wait for you."
Horrified, Bryan stared at the note. He let it drop to floor and slowly curled up on his bed and stared at the ceiling. He lay there, comatose-like for a long time.
Kai shook his head. Bryan never was the same after that. He resigned himself to forever remaining at BioVolt. He became wary of people he didn't know, he could not deal with his memories. Kai had left the abbey not long after that, through with his memories, and through with the anger and guilt it brought him.
He mused as he prepared to launch Dranzer again. In a sense I'm really lucky. I escaped from Hell. I left BioVolt to live. Now I can live life like how it was meant to be lived. Unfortunately, Bryan can never escape their horror now. Not with Boris running the game. But as for me, Boris is past caring for me anymore. He just wants my power. Not me.
Kai smiled. As long as I'm outside of BioVolt's reach, they can't touch me.
"A large cup of orange juice, please," Hazel eyes looked at the cashier of a local coffee shop.
The man smiled, "Sure, baby, anything else?"
Thoughtfully, she shook her head. "No, that will be all."
Taking her juice, she sat at a small table with her newspaper, and began to read the headlines. They were very interesting headlines indeed. The ones she had been waiting years for. She could finally begin the final stages of her plans.
Scanning the articles, she silently thanked Voltaire for leaving Boris in charge of BioVolt. It made her plans all the more perfect. It would have been much harder to destroy it if Kai were in charge. Perhaps not, she reflected. Kai would have been more than happy to shut it down for me. But this way… I can give BioVolt the funeral it always deserved.
She glanced at Boris' picture and grimaced. I despise you, she thought bitterly. This will be the last moment of triumph you ever experience. I'm going to make sure of it.
She turned the page and stared at the picture that stared back at her. At the center of the page was a picture of the Demolition Boys. One face stood out from all the rest. Bryan. Her hazel eyes glittered with tears. You've taken a lot of guilt and tears, haven't you? Well, now you shall be liberated from it, you and me. We've earned it, dearest. We've finally earned it. She smiled gently as she traced his face lightly with her finger. I think, even when we were young, I loved you, even then. I've always loved you. I've watched you all these years, loving you all the more, knowing, and seeing you hurting because you thought I had left you. I never left you, I never will. I only hope that in your heart you love me. Even today, even knowing that I will probably have to destroy you too.
She glanced at the rest of the team. They're grown… they look older… tired… of living. She sat up straighter. It's the only way to save them. Even if it means to destroy them. I'm sorry, Demolition Boys, forgive me.
Scanning the article, something caught her eye. A beyblade invitational? She looked at the teams to be invited. Bladebreakers. Of course. Boris would like nothing better to celebrate his ownership of BioVolt than the four sacred bitbeasts. That is not to be permitted. I have six months until the invitational. Not much time to get going. But it will be done.
She looked at a picture of Kai Hiwatari, the wealthiest man in the world. Kai, I'm going to need you. And I like asking for help as much as you do. It wasn't that she disliked Kai. She thought of him very highly. But for missions like these, one should not have to depend on anyone for assistance. And yet she was going to have to.
She sighed and stood, prepared to leave the café. She thought of her past for one last time. BioVolt claimed my life. A claim I would not let them collect. She paused, looking at Bryan's profile, once more. I've waited for you Bryan. Now, I'm coming for you. For you and everyone else.
She headed toward the door. BioVolt murdered her all those years ago. She was no longer alive to them. She was outside of their power.
And that, she thought, will be their downfall.
I've ceased to be one of them. I've become what I've truly wanted to be. I am…
Untouchable.