Update. Huzzah.
Chapter Seven- Whisper in My Ear
Tala stepped into the cold snow. And I thought Russians were the only ones crazy enough to venture out in this weather. Well, maybe not crazy, but it is rather nice.
Tala had always loved the cold tundra of Russia, but was never quite sure why. It probably had something to do with his the spirit of his bitbeast, Wolborg. The wolf and its owner were always more comfortable when a blizzard was raging outside.
He might have been stretching the truth about Russians enjoying the cold weather, however. Ian shot murderous glares at him, particularly in the morning, when the shorter boy clearly did not have any desire to move from his warm bed.
If Ian, who was trained to take the cold, hated it, then this mere girl was sure to freeze to death. True, he hadn't seen any pictures of Miss Aya Miyamoto, but unless she was the size of a killer whale, this wasn't exactly comfortable weather.
He smirked to himself. That's what happens when tourists stop to admire BioVolt, he thought grimly. He spotted a lonely figure on the side of the building. He could she her hair blowing in the wind, her figure bundled up in layers of clothes. He watched as she removed one of her gloves to reach out and touch the building, as if it was made from rare stones she had never seen before.
"Hello, Miss Miyamoto," he said carelessly, folding his hands behind him, and walking up to her. "How do you like this work of art?"
She turned. He caught his breath. Her long lavender hair was put up elegantly in a bun, and he noted the sparkling gaiety that was reflected in dark, violet orbs that were slightly magnified by the gold-rimmed glasses she wore. A velvet purple coat and long skirt hugged her slim figure, matching her body exactly. Her delicate lips were upturned in a small smile that told him that she expected him to come for her.
She was utterly lovely; he had never seen a more vivid portrayal of beauty in his life. Yet, oddly, he felt as though he knew her… through a memory.
"Aya, please." She bowed her head gently. "You must be one of our hosts."
"Tala Valkov, Miss Aya. What is your pleasure?" His eyes sparkled with as much charm as he could muster. Though his days at BioVolt had been extremely exhausting, he could afford to friendly to a stranger—particularly if Boris wasn't around.
This fact wasn't lost on Aya. She knew better than anyone else that he could be perfectly sweet if he wanted to be—whether he was sincere or not depended heavily on the person. Judging by the dark rings around his eyes, the disarray his clothes were in, and the weary but happy smile he offered her, she guessed that he was too tired to fake sincerity, and really did want to be friendly. Boris must be working them to the bone; even while they were at BioVolt, Tala was the one least likely to show any sign of weakness. But then again, she might just be getting sharper.
Highly doubtful.
She smiled, and then turned back to the walls. Her finely delicate hands reached out and again touched the rough surface of limestone. "I admire your building," she replied, staring at the sharp angles of the structure. "You're quite right. It's a wonderful work of art. The straight lines… it's beautiful."
"If you think that's beautiful, you should see how it looks from the inside," a voice Tala recognized suggested.
Tala whipped around. "Bryan? What are you doing out here?"
His teammate was walking up to them, making deep tracks in the snow that came from the nearby forest. It was a habit of his to explore the grounds when he wasn't in training.
It wasn't that BioVolt was a lush green landscape, but Bryan did feel connected to the icy tundra. The cold didn't bother him at all; he liked to think of it as a world only he had access to and the only world that truly belonged to him.
That did change once he saw Aya and Tala outside of the building. When he saw Aya, he didn't know why, but he knew she belonged in this world.
It was probably in the way she held herself.
Bryan didn't take his eyes off Aya. "Oh, you know me. I wanted to take a stroll around the grounds to see if our company has arrived," he explained nonchalantly. Aya looked back at the silver-headed male steadily. Tala uneasily glanced at his friend, who seemed to be in a battle of wills with the newcomer.
"Miss Miyamoto? May I present Bryan Kuznetsov? And Bryan, this is Miss Aya Miyamoto." Aya's unwavering look never left Bryan's. Momentarily, Bryan dropped his emerald gaze, and turned to Tala.
"So, going back to headquarters?" Bryan asked casually, as if nothing happened.
Tala nodded. "Of course. But Miss Miyamoto," he replied, turning to her, "I must ask you to come with me."
She frowned just a little, which wasn't surprising to Tala, it was a strange request. "But why? I'm not intruding on anyone's property."
"Yes, but this is BioVolt property, and we wouldn't want you to get hurt here. It is our way of being concerned." Tala smoothly explained.
The way she looked at him made him squirm slightly.
Bryan stepped before her. "Tala, you wouldn't mind if I escorted Miss Miyamoto back myself, would you?" Tala, stared at him, startled.
"Why, no… but…"
Bryan turned and offered his arm to Aya. "Good. We'll just take a short walk around the area. She'll be with me, so it's alright. It's safe."
"That's not the point—" Tala hissed before Bryan cut him off.
"It's the only one that matters. Miss Miyamoto?"
The only hint of a smile she gave him was in her eyes. "Certainly." They walked off together.
Tala was glaring daggers at the back of Bryan's head, hoping at least one of them would stab the idiot and cause him to bleed. He was going to get in so much trouble for this, something the redhead didn't need.
Then again, he thought wryly, Bryan doesn't need a babysitter. If he does, the Bladebreaker girl should be capable of pacifying him.
He would have laughed out loud if a sudden idea hadn't popped into his mind. Shit, if Boris ever found out that Bryan was interested in her…
"Be back in ten minutes, Bryan, or I'll drag you both back myself. No exceptions." Bryan gave him a wave, indicating that he had heard, but by no means was taking his friend's sharp voice seriously.
Aya snuck a look back at Tala before chuckling. "You should at least look concerned."
"You must forgive our team captain. He isn't usually this flustered," Bryan began to direct her in another direction.
"Of course I forgive him. I don't blame him either; you did seem to startle him though. Perhaps he did not notice you walking near that patch of trees just a few feet away?"
Bryan frowned. How was it that she noticed me? I thought her attention was on Tala…
Aya laughed at the expression on his face. "Or would have preferred not to have been noticed at all, Mr. Kuznetsov?" Bryan studied her. There was no malice in her laughter, or in her eyes. Her eyes reminded him of a winter morning, the way the snow reflected the sun's rays in the cool air. Though they were a deep violet, there seemed to be an undying energy erupting from within her.
She reminds me of…
Bryan shook his head. Not now, he thought irritably. I don't want to remember her now.
"Mr. Kuznetsov?" Aya's voice had an edge of concern to it.
Bryan's eyes met hers again. "It's nothing. Please, won't you oblige me by calling me Bryan?" He smiled charmingly. "I could not possibly burden such a pretty young girl to say such a hard Russian name so often." He paused. "Though, I must say, you're not having much trouble with it. Have you been in Russia before, Miss Miyamoto?"
Aya smiled back at the Demolition Boy. "Oh, yes, Bryan. And please, wouldn't you favor me by calling me Aya?"
Such a beautiful smile. "Why, of course, Aya."
She noticed that he had lead her to the edge of the complex, right up to a gate where a small cluster of trees lay.
"Look," he murmured, pointing at something within the woods.
A doe with glossy fur and bright eyes had lifted her head in curiosity at the two humans, studying them without fear.
"I feel like I'm a zoo," he said lightly. "Can't even inspire fear anymore in anyone much less animals. I'm a failure as a Demolition Boy." The bitterness was evident in his voice. "That's what they told me. They told me that I'm lucky. They told me I deserved everything. But I didn't get anything."
He didn't notice that she didn't ask who "they" were, which he would have if he was a tad more attentive.
They watched for a bit before he spoke again. "Aya, what do you think she's thinking? The doe, I mean. What does she think when she's watching me?"
Aya had detached herself from his arm and stood there, studying the doe, her small hands grasping on the fence. He couldn't see her face, and her body gave no indication of her thoughts or feelings.
She said softly, "She thinks that there's always a right time to learn to fly."
He said just as softly, "What if I already know how?"
"But was it the right time?"
He shrugged. "Probably not. I don't think there was ever a right time." He turned back to her. "But, what I do think is that we should try to catch up with your group. I would be an awful host if I let them worry about you. Many things can happen to people around BioVolt properties." His eyes darkened, momentarily remembering his own childhood.
He felt her hand curl around his arm a little tighter. "Yes Bryan."
Feeling strangely reassured, Bryan silently led her back to the complex.
He was so comfortable with her, he didn't realize that she was talking in riddles and that he completely understood them—only underscoring that she understood him better than he knew.
"Aaah, that's so much better," Hilary breathed, rubbing her cheeks which were raw from the cold. They had arrived in their hotel rooms after making a quick exit from BioVolt with the excuse that their luggage needed to be checked in. Boris probably didn't buy it, but none of the Bladebreakers cared to make up a more feasible excuse.
"This is nice," Max agreed, nodding. "I get to claim the first bed!" The blond raced for his, Kenny, and Tyson's room. Kai was sharing a room with Ray, while Aya and Hilary were roommates. None of them really cared; they knew it was only temporary, and that they'd probably be doing a lot of room switching in the next few days.
Hilary sighed and followed Max in the room. "I should help Tyson unpack again…"
Ray grinned, "Once again, so hopeless without you." She poked her head out and stuck her tongue at him. "Please don't make him sound stupid because he isn't."
"That's what you think."
Tyson yelled, "I heard that Ray!"
"Well, at least we know that he isn't deaf," the neko-jin laughed.
Kai shot a look at Aya and shoved her into her room, calling over his shoulder, "I'll be there in a minute, Ray. I have to talk to this girl first."
Aya turned on her lights and tossed her rather small suitcase on her bed. She sat on the corner of the comforter and placed her hands on either side of her, and said with deliberate quietness, "Yes, Kai?"
"Nothing happened out there, did it?"
She smiled, for the lack of any emotion in his voice was a sign of worry. "No. I only met Tala and Bryan."
He folded his arms and leaned against the wall. "I know," he said, "I saw Bryan leading you in. Tala came in a few minutes later, looking for the both of you, which didn't make Boris too happy."
"Yeah, I noticed. But since when have you cared about what Boris was feeling?"
He blew out a breath he didn't hadn't realized he had been holding. He scowled when he saw her smile—it told him that she saw it for what it was: another sign of worry.
"I already told you that you didn't need to worry about me. I can handle whatever they throw at me. Just worry about what's in store for you, because, hell, you know that it's going to huge." Aya pulled her hair out of her ponytail and shook it out, becoming comfortable in her room.
"You still didn't have to worry the fuck out of me. Boris already tries his best to make me irritated."
She stopped moving for an instant. Great. That just scared him even more. Would this girl ever stop making him feel on edge?
"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I didn't think that'd you'd worry all that much. Bry and Tala were with me, and they couldn't hurt me."
He lifted his eyebrow, and she quickly added, "Well, not physically anyway. And Tala couldn't hurt me if he tried."
"That's the thing," he muttered, "Bryan doesn't need to try, does he?"
She shrugged. "Probably not."
"You're in dangerous territory," he frowned. "Aya, is it really necessary to do all of this? It's only a matter of time before the proper authorities get Boris for some crime. Take what you have to Mr. Dickenson. He'll help you."
"I don't need help. And yes, this is necessary. BioVolt has survived all these years, almost untouched by any sort of scandal, despite all their crimes. I know them all Kai, even if you don't. BioVolt will not collapse unless someone initiates its demise. I have to do this—it's the last step until total freedom, but it is completely necessary."
"I know this is pointless to say, but you do know that if you make one mistake, that might mean the end for us all?"
She stared at him, wonder filling her eyes, as if she had never considered this possibility before. "You think…" she started to say, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips… Then the unthinkable happened. She burst out laughing.
He stood there, shocked. She was amused by all of this. She really was unafraid of what could happen to her, to them, to Bryan, to every single blader here if she failed.
"I don't think so, but if you're really that worried, I can assure you that I won't make a mistake." She folded her arms as well and looked at him expectantly.
"Nessie," he said softly, "What is it that you're fighting for? It can't be just revenge if the wounds go this deep."
She lay back on the bed so it was hard to see her face. "For years, you know it's been extremely difficult to prove any crimes BioVolt has committed. Even now, nobody can prove the rumors. Why? No witnesses, no evidence, nothing. Kai," she said suddenly, "why didn't you go after them?"
"It's my grandfather. It was much easier, and less painful to pretend he didn't exist." He shifted a little. He didn't care for where the conversation was heading.
"But what about justice? What about the fact that your friends are there?"
"What about you? You never gave us a hint that you were alive!"
"That's why I have to do this. I'm going back for them," she said dispassionately. "It took nine years, but I'm ready to retrieve them."
The silence was heavy.
Aya finally spoke. "Kai, what I saw at BioVolt, none of you should ever care to know about."
"You were only the science team. What did he want with you guys?"
She sat up.
And for the first time, Kai began to understand why she seemed so fully capable of destroying BioVolt.
Power irradiated from her, as if she was its source. Her lavender hair was loose and free, giving her a look of wilderness and savagery he had never seen behind her cool exterior. But what shocked him most were her eyes.
They burned with electricity and fire, as if she could kill with a mere glance and knew it. The full power of her glare was enough to make her intimidating, and he realized that she had to have that kind of strength if she was to ever make it on her own for so long.
He realized that Aya Miyamoto, or Nessie, whichever you prefer, wasn't a mere product of BioVolt training. She wasn't only a child genius. She wasn't just an avenger to take down those who took away what she treasured most.
She was a woman who needed to end what started almost a decade earlier—a cycle, he realized that probably started with her.
"What he wanted, and what he's going to get, Mr. Hiwatari, are two very different things," she replied, the eyes still glowing with power. "I don't think your grandfather completely understood, or knew what was going on."
"He didn't. Well, to some extent. Why do you think he left BioVolt to Boris, rather than give it to me? I think he knew I was going to kill it the moment it came into my hands."
She narrowed her eyes. "If he knew that much, he surely knew the reason why. Voltaire, as much as I don't like to curse the dead, probably wouldn't have done a thing to save you, when you under the control of Black Dranzer."
"Yeah," he agreed with a slight smile. "He probably would have left me for dead. Just like Boris."
She pulled her knees under her chin and muttered, "They would have. They did it to me. They didn't even bother to try to find me. You and the guys were the only ones who tried to look through the rubble, as much as they tried to prevent you from doing it. Yes, I was watching you even from that moment. But they didn't care."
He looked up at the ceiling for a moment. He had guessed she was watching them back them. "I know. I know exactly what it feels like."
He turned to leave her room, but stopped abruptly at the door. "I'm going back for them with you," he said, looking back at her. "We'll bring them back, together. Bryan probably needs you now more than ever. We need to kill BioVolt. It's only right."
"No, Kai, that's justice." She smiled sadly. "And I thought you'd think so."