storm-of-insanity: Hm, good point, makes sense. Thanks for the in-put.
aries1391: Glad you think he was IC.
Chibi-Lothlen: Thanks for your detailed in-put on his IC/OOC-ness. And especially thank you for putting this on your favorites list and mentioning that on your profile page—so awesome!
ghostymangarocker: Wow, thanks for all those encouraging words! Yours is the kind of review I look forward to receiving.
Tala's-Soul: LOL. And thanks for the compliments.
Welcome back, yo. Number of reviews per chapter drastically decreased, but that's okay when I get such kind ones. Thanks, everyone!
Now folks, about this chapter—personally, it's the worst one: I don't know anything about Spencer, the dude hardly spoke at all or did much, so I just sort of made up his entire personality while trying to keep it D Boy-worthy. I tried, really I did, and I'd much appreciate (again) knowing what you thought of his character!
And I would have updated last weekend, but I was really busy, so I made a point of updating today.
Now read on and enjoy, ne?
Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade; it belongs to Aoki Takao. Though I do own Spencer's nameless grandmother.
Start Chapter Four:
Luckiest of the Unlucky
Spencer's POV
I watched the happenings of my teammates interestedly, only speaking when necessary like usual, attempting to observe them to maybe get the tip of the iceberg on the confusing whirlwinds of their minds.
Confusing…that was a perfect word for the matter. Each of them—me as well—were complicated puzzles, enigmatic in our own ways. Add our training to our teenage hormones, and you have one mashed-up mess of confusion.
First off tonight, there's Ian. What was going on with him? Ogling a spider? And he acted pretty strangely when Bryan shoved it in his face…. He was obviously afraid of spiders, but what could possibly have driven him to such fear? Especially one that he was unable to control? Sure, he was startled, but even so, he should have had at least a smidgen of control over that fright, with our extensive training.
Then there's Bryan…. Not that he was ever fathomable. Matter of fact, he was always sort of an oddball. That's not his fault—he suffered neglect and some abuse—and he only shared that with us when he had a shred of naivety and innocence left in his youth. Actually, we sort of had to figure that out as well, as time went on. Today, he was his usual cruel self, probably aided by the fact he was forced into extra training and was pretty much a victim of mockery all over the Abbey—word spread that he was beaten by a battered amateur. Still…. Oh, what was I trying to get at? He wouldn't have shown any kindness to Ian anyway. Though…I feared something else was going on within him. He must have been having some inside struggle, I would have imagined, after failing his team, his mentors, and himself.
Lastly, we came to Tala. I hadn't seen much of him today, and now he came back talking about his 'genetic enhancements' and the fact that he's a 'cyborg'. That's far from ordinary…but not unbelievable or even impossible. Taking into account Boris and Voltaire's strong desires to fulfill their ambitions, and Boris's variety of scientific knowledge, scientists, and equipment…Tala very well could have been…'modified'. But what had it done to him—not physically or mentally, but emotionally and as a person? He seemed on the brink of his normality, so that was a relief. I just wondered what changes we could expect from him….
It seemed my teammates had settled down for the night, and hopefully we'd all get some good rest. I wasn't sure how well any of us would be able to sleep, though…our mentors' dream was being fulfilled tomorrow. Hopefully…
I believed I was the only person in the whole of Abbey who considered the possibility that Tala would not win against Tyson. Anything's possible, right? Sure, he had technology on his side, not to mention he housed extraordinary skill and had it honed to perfection…but…I was impressed, if no one else was, with this boy's—Ray, I think—performance against Bryan.
Bryan was proficient in the beydish, not to mention had Boris's ingenious technology backing him. Using his vicious force, he had forced this novice, Ray, back, and injured the boy to the point I thought it was amazing he was still fighting. So, how was it physically possible for Ray to steal the win?
Perhaps it was some working of a higher power, some type of miracle; maybe luck was on Ray's side; maybe this and maybe that…but in all actuality, I think we were underestimating our opponents.
Maybe Tala wasn't going to win….
Not that I believed that he wasn't going to win. I was just considering the possibility. After all, one should mull over every option.
A bit anxious, I closed my eyes against the bright moonlight reflecting off the snow, and wished sleep to come. My mind was too full of thought to shut down for the night, so I was stuck tossing and turning restlessly. Upon glancing at my teammates every so often, I noted they were each doing the same—except Tala didn't seem to be having as much trouble.
I rolled onto my side so I was facing the bland stone wall. Once again, I closed my eyes to endeavor to sleep. A memory flowed into my brain, taking over my world, pushing sleep away.
General POV: Flashback
A mildly burly and tall five-year-old lay on his stiff mattress, restlessly flailing about. With a whiny growl, he shot up to a sitting position, crossing his arms.
"Can't sleep…," he mumbled heatedly to himself, raking a hand through his blond hair.
Cold floor causing his bare feet to tingle, the little boy traveled to the room next-door in the cramped home.
"Grandmama?" the child called, entering the bedroom. The lump in the bed stirred, making a noise close to a snore-snort hybrid. "Grandmama?"
Blue eyes bright, the little boy jumped up onto the bed, mattress springs squeaking under the excess pressure. He shook the lump gently.
"Hm, hm?" moaned the person under the covers.
An elderly lady sat up in the bed at another call of "Grandmama", clad in a blue nightgown.
"Yes, Spencer dear?" she mumbled soothingly, appearing generally concerned for her adopted child as she blinked sleepily.
"I can't fall asleep," he complained, folding his arms again.
"Ah. Come here, little one, let Grandmama tell you a story."
Spencer crawled into her warm embrace, snuggling into her arms, as she began telling him a Russian fairytale she heard from her parents in her youth.
Not that Spencer heard it all—he was asleep three quarters of the way through.
The elderly woman laid the boy down tenderly in her bed, and swept into his room to sleep.
Spencer's POV: End flashback
That woman was too kind to me…. My father died when I was two, so my mother moved in with her mother. Though she soon died when I was four, and my grandmother took rightful custody of me, as neither parent had many other relations. I believed she installed some of this compassion in me that Tala and Ian find so intriguing.
A pang of guilt resonated through my soul again. That seemed to happen when I thought of my family. I didn't have as many troubles as Tala, Ian, and Bryan. They all lived in ramshackle apartments, with seemingly uncaring family members, they hardly got bathed or received any essentials…. At least I had two loving parents and a kindhearted grandmother….
A quiet whimper sounded from somewhere next to me. Startled from my thoughts, I glanced toward the source of the noise…Ian.
The smaller teen lay in his bed, tightly clenching the sheets between his fingers. His face seemed pained as he whimpered again, flipping onto his side subconsciously.
I blinked, knowing instantaneously what to do: In a place like the Abbey, that housed such troubled boys, it was difficult not to have nightmares.
I knelt next to Ian's bed, and tenderly shook his small frame. His only response was another whimper and more restless tossing.
"Leave 'im be," growled Bryan quietly from his bed. He sounded grouchier than even half an hour ago.
Gazing up, I noticed Bryan was irritably watching Ian and I. Tala had seemingly fallen asleep.
A moan from my short companion corralled my attention back to him. He began muttering something…something about…'Brody'. This name sounded familiar…but I forced away any curiosity and pursued the task of waking Ian up.
"Stop, Spencer," Bryan commanded, casting me a particularly nasty glare. "Let's here what he's saying."
Ignoring my roommate, I finally managed to shake Ian awake. The purple-haired boy seemed in a daze when he woke up, with his eyes glazed over, but he blinked a few times and wearily sat up. He glanced at Bryan and Tala, before allowing his gaze to rest on me.
Looking impassive, he lowered his eyes, and muttered, "Why'd you do that?"
I merely shrugged in reply, and abandoned his bedside to lie down again, determined to get a few winks of sleep.
I heard Ian lay down again, and spared him a glance; his apathetic mask was slightly cracked, as I could detect anguish on his features.
"Were giant spiders eating you alive?" sneered Bryan. "Or was a miniscule one crawling up your leg?"
"Shut it," Ian responded heatedly.
"Quiet, you two," I demanded, not wanting them to get into a fight, especially when I desired tranquility.
"No one died and made you boss," Bryan shot at me.
I discounted his words and carried on staring at the shadow-painted ceiling. I supposed he was exhausted, as he didn't press on.
None of us had had a nightmare in a long while…though we always endeavored to aid each other when we did. Bryan was basically the only one of the four of us who refused to take part in that; he called it weak, said it was expressing some form of a useless bond. I was well-aware that relationships could cause one pointless hurt and create problems, but they are valuable and vital things in life. Since I realized that, I was not so close-minded to calling my teammates my friends. Though they seemed reluctant to stick on the label, Tala and Ian certainly had shown that they care—in little ways—over the years. Bryan, though, was not like us in that sense…and many others, for that matter.
Bryan snorted, breaking the silence. "Today, you two have displayed how weak you are." Apparently, he couldn't let up without getting his two cents worth in. "First off, Ian actually shrieks upon seeing a measly spider. And then there you go again with your worthless compassion, Spencer."
"What about Tala?" snarled Ian. "Hasn't he done anything to earn himself a compliment?"
I wondered why Ian was pushing the focus onto Tala…. Probably because of his anger at the redhead from earlier.
"Tala's a robot, remember, Ian? He's our captain. He's flawless."
"Tala isn't a robot—you are."
Mattress springs creaking were quickly proceeded by feet hitting the floor. Swiftly gazing to my right again, I noted Bryan was standing now, bedcovers mussed, fists clenched, anger clearly showing, and, to my shock, he was swaying somewhat on his feet, as if he were having a difficult time standing. His breath had become a bit ragged as he glowered at Ian, a deadly silence escaping his lips.
Ian simply gazed nonchalantly at Bryan as he sat up in his bed, clutching his bedcovers.
"What is going on?" barked Tala, who I now saw sitting up in his bed, scanning the scene before him.
I too sat up, curiously ogling my teammates.
Our captain gracefully slipped from his bed and sidled around Bryan's, so he was at the end of Ian's bed. "Would either of you care to explain what is going on?"
Neither of them spoke; they just continued staring at each other.
"This isn't a staring contest—you can break eye contact," Tala mused, eyes darting between them. Still, neither looked away from the other's eyes…. It was as if they were silently communicating with looks, sending each other messages with their gazes. If so, I believe Bryan was threatening Ian, and Ian was attempting to resist.
"Fine." Tala's voice interjected into my thoughts. "Ian, lie down and keep your mouth shut. Get to sleep, tomorrow's quite significant in our careers."
He paused, eyes resting on Ian, who did not move. "Ian, that is a direct order!"
Finally, my small teammate tore his gaze from Bryan. Avoiding eye contact with anyone else, he slumped back into his bed, tossing the covers messily over his head.
"Bryan, I'm amazed at the way you've broken your own rules and displayed such anger. Mind, you're the only one who really gives a care that you don't show emotion." Here, Bryan's glare settled on Tala rather than Ian. The redhead was seemingly unfazed. "I'm also amazed at how you did manage to regain control over that anger, as I'm sure otherwise you would have hit Ian good and hard. Now lie down, don't speak, and go to sleep."
After a brief hesitation in which Bryan worsened his 'death' glare, the lavender-haired teen carelessly flopped back onto his bed, not bothering to get underneath the bedcovers.
Tala and I made eye contact for a short moment, and the look he gave me plainly stated that he expected me to follow the order of 'lie down, shut up, go to sleep'. Without any guarantees of the last one happening, I slumped down again.
Our captain swept back to his own bed and laid down, immediately closing his eyes so he could resume slumbering. He always managed to put things back in order...on the outside anyway.
Gazing at Bryan, I thought to myself, 'On the inside, he's probably raging. I can't imagine what must have goaded him into such anger, though. Emotion like that—that not even Bryan can have full control over—is not emotion that settles quickly and becomes nothing more than a memory….'
Sighing, I pushed all thoughts of my friends from my mind. After all, I needed my rest for tomorrow. As I mentioned, I believed I was the only one who remotely considered the possibility that Tala might lose the coming day's battle. We needed our sleep so we could be prepared for anything.
I turned onto my side, so I was facing a wall, and closed my eyes, once again bidding sleep to come.
'I don't know what tomorrow holds—in terms of the Championships, our lives, my friends…. But I know I'll need sleep to face it.'
:End Chapter Four
Wasn't his last musing so much shorter than the rest? XD I ran out of ideas.
Anywho, I was trying to go for something different—I had to have a reason why Spencer would be kinder and stuff, so my logic in backing that up was that his childhood (though still abnormal) was way better than the other Boys'.
Sorry if there were mistakes, I didn't proofread it because it's late and I have to go to bed because of school tomorrow, so sorry!
Yep…I'll stop rambling so y'all can get to those reviews!
And remember, next chapter's the last!
have a nice day
CyborgRockStar
