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Chapter Two: I'd do Anything.

The cold dawn rose groggily through the midnight sky, dismissing its presence from view and replacing it with its own numbing light. Exhaustedly Angel opened her eyes, looking around the now dimly lit cell. I'm alive. Yet as joyous as that thought would be to others it seemed not to matter to her. Was it really worse to die now than live here forever?

"I see you made it through the night, Pyro."

Angel growled at the voice as se struggled to her feet painfully.

"Good, you must be ready for training"

Angel glared angrily at him knowing she had no choice. She listened as the rusted door creaked open and grudgingly followed Boris to the training room. But upon reaching it she found to her curiosity someone else waiting for her. Waiting by the dish stood a man clad in black pants with a gray button up work shirt and studded wrist braces. He looked up when they entered revealing liquid red eyes from under forest green hair.

"Ah, Ryo, punctual as usual."

Angel stared warily at him as he seemed to stare angrily at Boris before nodding his head stiffly to him. Boris smiled sickeningly at him before thrusting something cold into Angels' hand and leaving them both locked in the training room staring warily at each other. Looking down, Angel opened her palm to see a black blade glistening coldly in the light. It seemed nearly awkward and unusual in her hands as she moved her fingers around it, yet at the same time so familiar… so fitting.

"If you're through being shocked then," began Ryo tossing her a readied launcher and ripcord.

Angel caught it deftly and loaded her blade waiting grudgingly for what to do next. Can I still even do this anymore? Its been so long since I've bladed and I cant say the last time I bladed was very "fun". Still I wonder if I remember how it feels just to launch again.

"Set up." he commanded taking his own stance as he readied his own blade.

As if synchronized they launched as Ryo immediately went on the attack. He was strong and skilled but no matter how the match would've excited her Angel wasn't the same anymore. Biovolt had indeed changed her and the way they had seemingly destroyed her fighting spirit enraged Ryo to the core.

"You're not trying." he growled but Angel simply looked emotionlessly at the battle before her. Angered further by her lack of spirit Ryo attacked her even harder forcing Angel to fight back. Steadily he wore her down noting that still she was subconsciously holding back. Irate he efficiently knocked her blade out of the dish before glaring at her angrily.

Angel caught the black blade as it was flung towards her then looked up into swirling liquid red eyes

"Why aren't you fighting? Do you want to go back to Boris' training? Do you want the beatings!"

Angel didn't answer as she simply glared back at him. She watched as he let out a frustrated sigh calming himself down before setting up again,

"Set up again Pyro. I know you're more powerful than that."

Angel stared back at him dumbfounded. Why wasn't he jus yelling at her or beating her? Why was he trying to be patient?

"Pyro, lets go." he reminded firmly yet a bit softly.

In confusion se set up and again they launched. Not realizing It Angel naturally fought him back as her mind occupied itself with trying to understand this Ryo and what he was playing at. What trick he was trying to pull. When she glanced up at him she found him concentrating hard on the battle, nearly reminding her of Kai…yet something didn't seem right. She couldn't figure out what….but something wasn't right. She was brought from her thoughts by the weakening of her blade. Reflexively she fought back hard with her last remaining strength an this time her blade stopped spinning but a few seconds before Ryo.

"Better." he nodded picking up his blade and throwing Angel hers. "You've lost a lot of you former strength Pyro, but they haven't been able to destroy your defiant strength as I'd thought. All we have to do is awaken it and then you'll really be a force to reckon with."

Angel merely stared back uncertainly. What was he doing?

"What do you say we start building that strength back." he challenged," we'll start with pushups."

Angel didn't even bother asking how many she just dropped and began as Ryo watched her carefully. 200 was the goal for this set and he smirked inwardly at how she was already meeting his expectations. 10...20...39...50...70.…100...he watched as he gradually started growing worried, She was tiring now. Looks like Boris' training hasn't changed a bit. He has completely destroyed her physically. 120...130...Angel didn't think she could go much longer. Her mind was pushing but her body was ready to collapse. 138...145... To Angels amazement she watched as Ryo dropped to the floor in front of her keeping is face towards her.

"We'll do it together now, continue."

150...156...170...180...190...200.

Angel collapsed on her stomach as Ryo lifted himself to his knees not even out of breath. He watched Pyro as she fought for air desperately trying to regain composure before him. He gave her a minute to catch her breath his eyes never leaving her…never stopping their calculating look. After her breathing had regained a steady rhythm he turned her over on her back then stood putting his weight on her feet.

"Sit ups." he replied as she stared at him confusedly.

Again Angel struggled, fighting her weakness to stay and rest on the floor. To give up. She pushed herself harder and faster doing her best to ignore the pain.

She's really pushing herself. I can see the fire coming back…it may be but flicker but its returning.

180...190...200.

"Good" he stated simply getting off her feet, letting her rest a moment. As soon as her breath started to slow done he commanded her up watching as she struggled tiredly to her feet and followed him to the dish.

Again they set their blades and launched. Ryo allowed a small smirked to form as Angels aggressive technique returned. On and one the battle waged now highly aggressive till finally in a burst of energy it ended….in a close tie.

"Better." Ryo smirked as he threw her blade to her.

Angel smirked in reply breathing hard yet strangely finding herself relax around Ryo. A finding that seemed to scare her. Silently he motioned for her to sit. For a while, neither knew how long, they sat in silence lost in their own thoughts.

"Why." Angel finally questioned turning to look at Ryo.

"There's a new tournament starting." he began staring at the wall." Boris wants you on the team to compete for Biovolt, for Russia."

"Never." Angel growled with venom dripping from her tone as she sprang to her feet.

"You must I'm afraid Voltaire has ordered it and sent me to train you."

"why me?"

"I don't know." Ryo admitted looking at her firmly, " but I think now is the time to reach your full potential."

"What do you mean?"

"You have amazing potential Pyro. You could usher in a whole new ere of beyblading and perhaps even battle your way to freedom. If you become great enough you could expose this place for what it is…you could be free."

"why would you tell me all of this? Why would you help me?"

"Lets just say you're not the only prisoner here." Ryo mumbled glaring at the wall sadly.

Angel merely stared at him uncertainly. This all sounded like a trap but what else could she do? It wasn't like she could really choose not to compete and perhaps Ryo was right. Maybe she could blade her way to freedom but still…there was something bout Ryo she didn't quite trust.

"What do you have to lose?"

What do I have to lose? Voltaire gets his blader, I get stronger and possibly my freedom. Even if it all goes wrong it cant possibly be worse than now,

"Fine. Consider me in."

Ryo nodded in agreement before beginning his short explanation of the tournament which Angel barely heard as she stared fixated at the shining black blade in her hand. Can I still do this…Can I still win?

Kai awoke from his uneasy slumber to a frenzied pounding on his door. Growling to himself he stumbled to the door and opened it annoyed to find Tyson staring at him , clearly excited about something.

"Kai!"

"What." Kai grunted in response leaning against the door frame.

"There's a new tournament starting up!"

"I don't care."

"But Kai the whole teams come together to compete…Tala and Jess too."

"I'm not competing Tyson." Kai growled as he turned around about to slam the door in Tyson's face.

"Kai, I didn't want to tell you this but Biovolt's competing too."

Kai stopped dead in his tracks eyes flashing in the darkness,

"What did you say."

"Biovolts competing…they're even favored to win this year."

Kai clenched his hands tightly in withheld rage, that name. The name that made his blood boil and muscles twitch. The most vile word in is vocabulary. They dared return now. It may be a trap but who cared what happened to him. Angel was dead, at least he would destroy those responsible before joining her.

"Tyson," he began startling Tyson out of his staring, " I'm in."

"Really! That's awesome. You don't know how happy it'll make Max and Ray. I mean Tala said you wouldn't do it and Jess well…"

Tyson's face was suddenly met by a slammed door cutting off his rambling.

Kai walked away from the now closed door ignoring Tyson's screams of protest. Slowly he determinedly crept through the darkness passing the moonlit windows as they made their designs on the old carpet below him. Silently he paced in the small living room thinking and raging. How could Biovolt show up now. Out of all they had done why were they still around none the less allowed to enter a tournament. Why? Why, why! It doesn't make any sense. Haven't they tortured him enough? What more could they want from him? This was undoubtedly some kind of trap, a ploy by his grandfather to draw him out. He was naturally expected to come out and then be defeated. Kai's pacing stopped as he glared at the floor his decision had been made. He would fight his grandfather and he was going to give him more than he was ready for. He would defeat them. For his own pain and...for Angel. Sighing exhaustedly to himself Kai looked at the old clock that hung on the far wall. It was already 1 in the morning and knowing the Bladebreakers training would star at 6 with him getting up at 5 to wake them all up in time. He wandered his way into the adjacent bedroom and fell back onto the bed. Ever slowly sleep crept upon him. Sleep and Nightmares. Painful dreams of what he once had and could never have again.

Angel sat wearily in her cold gray cell staring out the one lonely window. Her only grip on sanity, her only light into the hope that there was still a world out there and not the backyard of hell itself. Hours had passed since she had returned exhausted from her training with Ryo. It all still puzzled her. Something just didn't see, right about him…but what? Was kindness that hard to accept now? After all wasn't that exactly what she had been looking for these past two years? Or was that there was something behind those liquid red eyes something that made her want to trust yet wary at the same time. It was as if it appealed to one side of her and worried the other. Something just didn't seem right about all of this. Suddenly Voltaire and Boris want her to blade for them after years of torture and beatings. Something was wrong with this picture. They had already punished her and Kai enough as it is but would they go farther. What w as their motive? Did it really matter anymore? She had made her decision and there was no going back, Not like she had much of a choice to begin with but still…she wasn't sure if she truly wanted to do this. If only Ryker were still with her. If only Kai were there. But the cold hard truth was she was alone. No one cared and no one would save her. She would die alone here in Hades with no one to see her fall. As the dawns light cascaded vaguely across the walls of the dark cell it found Angel sitting against the wall in deep thought., only broken by the opening of the old rusty hinges as none other than Boris walked in followed by two guards. Angel looked up at Boris spitefully who didn't look to pleased to see her as he normally did. Something evidently concerning her was not going his way.

"It seems your new trainer thinks this place unworthy of you. " snarled Boris as he motioned his men to move forward and hoist her up.

"What do you mean?" Angel questioned hiding the fear in her voice.

Boris said nothing as he motioned for them to lead her out after him. They walked in silence down the cold corridors stopping at Boris' office. Angel flinched a bit seeing his whip hanging behind his desk. The deadly whip which had pardoned none. No one had ever yet survived it. Noticing her looking at the whip a sadistic smile crept upon his face as an evil idea dawned on him. He paced deliberately over to the whip taking it off its hangings before walking towards Angel.

"I know you know what this whip is Pyro. Would you like some personal lessons on its effects?"

"Stop calling me that."

"Temper, temper. I shall have to teach than tongue of yours…Pyro."

The fire Boris so loved to see flamed in Angels eyes. The fire which gave her her name. That reckless, fearless fire which never backed down and always remained a challenge for the purple haired man.

Angel struggled mightily against her retainers but could quite get out of their grasp. Growing angrier at seeing Boris' amused smirk.

Quietly he raised the whip the smirk still plastered on his face as Angel glared challengingly at him ready to accept her fate. Just as he was about to swing the door burst open to reveal a very ticked Ryo.

"Boris! What do you think you're doing!"

"I am teaching this insubordinate child some manners."

"Killing her is not teaching none the less against Voltaire's orders to turn her over to me."

A glare of pure hatred blazed in Boris' eyes as he stared at the younger man before him.

"Hand her over Boris." Ryo spoke deliberately a challenging glare fixed in his features.

Tightly he gestured for her to be released before glaring at Ryo who motioned for her to get behind him.

"Be careful Ryo. Your father may have been the trainer of the Russian team for a decade but no one knows how long you might live. Accidents after all happen quite frequently. No one knows who the next victim will be."

"Life's always dangerous Boris. You cant scare me with its facts."

Without another word Ryo turned and led Angel out of the office. Silently they walked down the haunted hallways of Biovolt. When they approached the doorway to freedom Angel paused. There in front of her stood the door to the outside world. Her freedom. Well not exactly freedom but for the first time in two years she was going to see the daylight. To see the stars at night and the beauty of the dawn. She was finally leaving the shadows behind her. Ryo walked on before her not noticing her sudden pause. He turned upon opening the door to see her staring a few yards away staring at the doorway and the morning light flowing through it.

"Pyro, lets go." he said commandingly with a hint of warmth.

Angel snapping out of her daze instantly walked forward stepping into the light she had been cast from for so long only now to be returned to it. Looks like my decision wasn't that bad after all.

For a while they walked along the deserted Russian terrain in silence after Ryo explained that their transportation was delayed by a flat tire. Finally Angel worked up the nerve to thank him something she wasn't accustomed to doing anymore.

"Thank you for saving me back there. No one's ever survived that whip so I'm told. I'm sure Boris would've killed me if you hadn't come just then."

Ryo walked still in silence as if in deep thought.

"There is one."

"What?" Angel asked confusedly.

"There is one who has survived that whip, but only one."

Angel looked at him to continue but he didn't. His face told her clearly that the conversation was over. In silence they continued on finally reaching their transportation which would take Angel to her new prison. Yet Angel couldn't get the question out of her mind. Who had survived that whip? No one else had besides apparently one. One who was never mentioned for it…but who?

Kai awoke with a start from another of his dreams covered in an uneasy sweat. His eyes looked around at his surroundings taking them in and reminding him where he was. It happened again. He looked tiredly over at the clock to see it was already 4:30. Realizing he'd have to get up in a half hour anyways he pushed himself off the bed and to his feet. Quietly he walked into his shower turning the light on as he went. He pulled out a towel as the water flowed loudly, spraying over the tile and against the glass. Not caring to warm it up he stepped into the freezing water allowing it to wash away the sweat from his warm and paralyzed body. The same dream keeps coming back. Its always about her. Kai stared emptily at the cold wet tile in front of him the haunting dream playing over and over in his mind. Gradually his freezing and shaking body took over and his mind shut down from the cold. Finally aware of the cold water and finally stopping his plagued mind from replaying his dream he slowly turned off the water letting the cold water bite at his wet skin causing him to shudder involuntarily. He glanced over at the slightly fogged glass over his shoulder noticing the scars that still hadn't gone away. Long whip strokes lined his back their imprint still visible to the naked eye. The scar may have been a point of shame to others but to him it was the proof of the reality of his nightmares. He had survived. That seemed always to be his case. He survived while other died. While those cared about died he lived. Why? Why must he be tortured so by a gift such as life. To be alone whether he wanted to be or not. Everyone he had ever loved had been torn away from him. His parents…his friends had been…his family…Angel. Feeling the cold dry him he dressed himself as if in a trance walking dazedly towards a hidden shelf in the wall. Taking a key from around his neck he slowly unlocked the safe looking fixatedly at the two objects inside. Inside lay two blades one used regularly while the other lay where it had lain for two years unused handled lightly every now and then. Kai took Dranzer and placed him in his black cargo's before picking up the other blade with care. Gently he handled it his eyes misted with sadness. The blade glowed sympathetically in his hand as he stared at the picture of a red dragon gazing back at him mirroring his own lost eyes with his own. Forgive me Ryker. Its all my fault. Its always me who messes things up. I always cause the pain of those I love. Hearing the clock chime the half hour Kai hesitantly put Ryker back on the shelf before standing to his feet and making his way out of his apartment. Slowly he started his lonely way down the deserted streets as the sun started rising behind him pouring its weak light onto his path. He watched his shadow lead the way to the Dojo he hadn't visited in two years. So much had changed in just two years…changed forever. If only you could see me now Angel what would you think? Angel is only you could be here. If only you could save me. I'd do anything just to have you back again. Anything.

Sorry bout such the long wait. Anyways I hope it wasn't too rough. Please review if you have the time and thanks for reading the second chapter.thanx

LightInTheDarkTempest