Disclaimer - If you recoginize it, then I don't own it.
Thank you to kai's kitty, Moon Phases, FlamesOfFury, Shin Rigel, KURAYAMi MONOGATARi, animelover6000, Sonseray & Rock Gecko for reviewing.
A/N - I apologize for the long wait b/t chapters. I was a bit blocked. I am still not happy w/h this chapter but I am tired of keeping all of you waiting. I hope you enjoy it.
Chapter 12 - The Blade Stops Here
Tala gulped nervously as they entered the stadium that sat at the top of Bega's headquarters. It could easily seat several thousand people as he looked around in wonder. Boris was certainly putting on an extravagant show with this venture. He knew how to please people and get them on his side. That was for certain.
"Wow," Tyson murmured from somewhere behind him as Tala's head turned to Kai, who was also impressed by their surroundings but not showing it, "this place is awesome." "No, it is not, Tyson," Kai snapped, his eyes turning hard and cold, "remember that this is Balkov we are dealing with. Everything about this place is going to be lavish to win over the public's trust." "And he will do everything in his power to make us look like the enemy," Bryan seethed with rage, "you can guarantee that. How I hate that man and I can't believe that Brooklyn was suckered into another of his deluded schemes!"
As the group of bladers discussed their options, Balkov was plotting their demise. If the Bladebreakers and Blitzkrieg Boyz wouldn't join BEGA, then he had to bring them down and turn their fans against them. That meant making them appear as enemies of the sport in the eyes of the public and he all ready possessed one weapon to use against them. "Did you send Ming Ming to make the announcement?" he ask as Hiro nodded, "good. She will definitely draw a crowd for this exhibition match. I intend to bring those two teams down in front of witnesses and show them no mercy."
Whatever else he was going to add was interrupted by a knock on the door. "Enter," he called as the door swung open to reveal the top bladers of the Bega organization. They ironically consisted of Garland, who was ranked number one, Mystel, who was ranked second followed by Akane, then Julia with Rick and Daichi tied for fifth. Raul was in the sixth spot while Brooklyn remained unranked since he hardly practiced. Akane had joked that he spent too much time with Hiro and that interfered with his training but she knew that the prodigy didn't need to practice since he had a natural gift for the sport.
"Garland," Boris stated, singling him out of the eight, "I want you to battle in this exhibition match. Will you do it?" "Certainly, sir," he replied with a bow, "I would be honored to give the public their first taste of what BEGA has to offer." "Very well," Boris said with a smile, "I hope that you show your fans what you are truly capable of. I do not know who they will send to the dish but whoever it is, do not show any mercy." "Yes, sir," Garland stated as Brooklyn gasp so softly that no one heard except for Hiro, who was standing near.
Hiro's eyes narrowed on his boyfriend as Boris smiled and dismissed them. They were planning to accompany Garland to the stadium so they could show their support. Hiro was about to follow when Boris motioned for him to stop. "Keep an eye on Brooklyn," he informed with a stern expression, "do not let his siblings get too close to him. He is very important to BEGA." "Yes, sir," Hiro replied as he bowed and left. The conversation left a bitter taste in his mouth since he didn't like what the director was plotting.
"This is ridiculous," Hillary fumed as they waited in the empty stadium, "where are they? Have they chickened out?" The sound of footsteps made them turn their heads to the tunnel on the other side of the arena. The eight teens walked out of it along with Hiro who was walking too close to Brooklyn. Seeing him again and the proximity to his baby brother made Kai growl as they stopped at the platform and only Garland stepped forward.
"It seems they have chosen their blader," Rei murmured, "why did it have to be Garland?" "I was hoping it would be the girl they sent out," Kai growled, "the one who dared to cut off a lock of my hair. I want a battle against her." "So who goes?" Tyson ask since he was eager to blade, "I can beat Garland. I've bladed against him before."
"I'm going to battle," Kai argued, "I'm fighting for my baby brother so it is my right." As the two stubborn young men argued with one another, Tala exchanged a look with Rei, who nodded. Tala took a deep breath, knowing that he needed to confront the demons of his past as he stepped toward the platform. His movement silenced the others, who gasp and glared at Tala. "This is my battle, little brother," Kai stated, "step away now."
"I'm sorry, Kai," Tala replied, "but I need to face the demons that have plagued me for years and I need to confront Balkov. He hurt me more than he ever did you. I am not only doing this for my team but for my boyfriend and Brooklyn as well. He needs to see what we are fighting for." "Let him do this," Bryan agreed as he pulled Kai away from Tala, "he needs to do this. Otherwise, Balkov will always have a hold over him."
Kai glared at Bryan but turned to Rei, who had put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Let him do this, Kai," he reassured, "I am certain that Tala knows what he is doing." Kai reluctantly nodded as he stepped back and allowed Tala to be their representative in this battle. He didn't like Tala taking what should be his place but knew that this was the only way for him to move forward with his life. He needed to confront the past. This was not the time for arguments or dissent between them.
"Welcome bladers," Boris greeted from the balcony as he appeared, "I just stopped by to say hello and wish everyone good luck in our little match." "We'll see," Kai muttered, glaring at Boris and wishing the man a very painful death at his hands. He hated him even more if it was possible since he had taken advantage of his baby brother and convinced him to join his new enterprise. "So it looks like it is just you and me, hahn, Tala," Garland stated from the opposite side of the platform, "I've always wanted to battle you in the dish. Seems like my wish is being granted."
"Yeah, I guess that is the plan, Garland," Tala snarled, regaining some of the courage that Boris' presence had taken, "but if you don't want to embarrass yourself in public, you should back out now. I'm not going to go easy on you, just because you are the best friend of my baby brother." "I don't think so," Garland stated with a smirk, "in fact this is my first real chance to prove to all my fans how great a blader I really am. I'm going to show them why I am the number one ranked blader in all of BEGA. I've learned a lot since I joined and intend to show off some of my new skill."
"Is there something we should know about Garland?" Hillary whispered to Kenny, "he seems more arrogant and cocky than I remember him to be." "He is a powerful blader, Hil," Tyson added, "but that doesn't make him invincible. If I can beat him in the dish, then Tala shouldn't have a problem. We, after all, are the best of the BBA." Kai crossed his arms and took a good hard look at Garland. For some reason, he was afraid for Tala. Had they bitten off more than they could chew?
"I don't like this, Kai," Rei whispered, "Garland has changed and not for the better. I've never seen him this confident before." "I know," Kai sighed, "but there is nothing I can do. I can only hope that Tala can beat him and set Boris straight." "Let's settle this then," Tala stated as he pulled out his launcher and Wolborg blade. "We should wait," Garland added without even opening an eye, "a lot of people have paid to see this battle and we should wait for them."
Garland just stood there with his eyes closed and his arms across his chest. It didn't seem to faze he or his teammates when the stadium started to fill with people, anxious to watch this beybattle. "What is going on?" Tyson ask with surprise as the fans settled in seats. Their attention turned to Kai, who growled beneath his breath. It was just like Boris to pull a stunt like this to lure the fans to his side.
"How did all of these kids hear about this?" Hillary inquired as the stadium filled. "It just shows how much hype there is to turn beyblading into a professional sport," Kenny added. "I have a bad feeling about this, guys," Max remarked as DJ Jazzman appeared to referee the match, "about what that creep Balkov is trying to pull here." "As do I, Max," Tyson added, "but let's just watch the match and keep our eyes open. He can't do anything too underhanded with so many witnesses."
"Welcome blading fans of all ages!" DJ shouted, "to this exhibition match put on by the newly formed BEGA organization. It's a battle that many have been waiting for - Tala versus Garland. The dish that these two will be battling in is called the Fountain of Fate. It was especially designed for Tala when he joined BEGA." "I will never join BEGA," Tala muttered but everyone heard him, "Not with a creep like Boris in charge."
"Are we ready!" DJ yelled, ignoring the insult of his boss as the crowd roared and both bladers prepared their launchers, "3, 2, 1 - LET IT RIP!" Brooklyn all ready knew who was going to win the match from just watching Garland and Tala launch their blades. The power and spinning force of Garland's blade was a lot stronger than Tala's due to the fact that he had incorporated his martial arts training into his blading. Their blades landed and circled each other in the dish a few times but Tala made the first move. He went straight on the offensive and Garland didn't seem to mind at all.
"Big mistake," Hiroshi murmured as Brooklyn could not take his eyes off of the dish. Tala's attacks seemed to be hitting Garland's blade but actually were just missing their mark. Garland had been told to make a show of this match and he was definitely not going to let Boris down. Brooklyn bit down hard on his lip as he watched. At the rate his older brother was going, he would tire quickly and then Garland would make his move and pounce.
"You are going to bring more blood, tenshi," Hiro noted as Brooklyn visibly relaxed and did feel a drop of blood on his tongue. "I'm just worried," he admitted, softly as his teammates were cheering Garland on to victory, "I believe that Tala doesn't stand a chance at beating Garland." "I have to agree," Hiro added with a slight nod, "he is wasting too much of his energy with those useless assaults on Appollon. If he stands any chance at winning, he is going to have to do it hard and fast." They were proven right when Garland started to fight back and was hitting Tala's blade without mercy.
Brooklyn watched as Tala used Novae Rogue but the powerful attack was unable to throw Appollon from the dish even though it froze the blade. Appollon simply bounced off the side and was still in play as Tala went on the offensive again. Tala used the move a second time but missed Appollon completely. Garland had managed to make his blade jump out of the way as Appollon slammed into Wolborg. The power from that blow made Tala take a step back and a grimace appear on his face. It was obvious that he hadn't expected Garland to have such power since he had never shown it before.
Wolborg would have been thrown from the dish if a cage had not encased the stadium to keep it in play. Brooklyn took a moment to look up at Boris, who had a frown on his face. He had heard the jeers from the crowd and how they thought that the match was boring and a bit one-sided. Both Garland and Boris nodded at one another, reading the other without a word needing to be said. Brooklyn shivered since this match was about to get even more ugly.
Brooklyn could only watch the assault or should he call it beating of his older brother by Garland. He found himself wanting to go to Tala's side and show his support but knew that he could not. He almost couldn't bear to watch a blader of Tala's status being beaten so badly. He could hear the crowd chanting Garland's name. He took a moment to look at Kai and his friends, who looked furious at what was happening.
Both Tyson and Max were yelling at Tala, trying to offer help of any sort. Bryan's fists were clenched tightly and his eyes wouldn't leave the red-head on the platform. Kai was standing with his arms crossed and a blank expression on his face. Rei looked unsettled and was shaking slightly. Hillary was asking Kenny something as he stood with his lap top open and shook his head in disgust. It appeared that they also knew the outcome of this match as well.
The match continued until Tala was so weak that he could barely stand on his own two legs. Tyson tried to stop the match by making a formal complaint to Boris but his plea fell on deaf ears. The battle would continue until one of the bladers fell and it was destined to be Tala. Brooklyn was very certain of this as he tightly closed his eyes and didn't want to see the end. He had a vision of the outcome earlier and he was hoping that it was wrong but knew in his heart that it would happen just the way he had saw it.
Garland decided it was time to put Tala out of his misery and called out Appollon to use his Radiant Thunder attack. The mighty Gryphon appeared in a brilliant white light that blinded everyone. The next thing Brooklyn saw was Tala being thrown backwards off the platform and land with a loud thud on the stadium floor. Appollon returned to his master's hand but Garland's single attack had completely destroyed the dish. Wolborg had been shattered into pieces along with the beydish with only his bit chip remaining intact from that one final assault.
"Tala," Brooklyn whispered as he watched it happen, "No!" He wanted to go to him but Hiro put a hand on his shoulder to prevent him from moving. "Don't," Hiro whispered, hating himself for what he was about to say, "remember how they treated you." "But-" Brooklyn whispered as his lower lip trembled as they saw Kai reach Tala first, "Tala is hurt. I need to see if my brother is okay."
"They will take care of him," Hiro reassured, "that is their job. It is not yours." Brooklyn was torn between staying by Hiro's side or forgetting about the dispute with his siblings. Tala was not Kai and had shown some lenience but he knew Hiro was right. He couldn't betray his new team. He had to stand his ground; no matter how much he wanted to run to his brother's side.
Kai was the one, who knelt down beside of him and took Tala into his arms. Brooklyn could see that he was saying something to his oldest brother but did not know what. He desperately wished he could read lips but knew it probably had something to do with him. Bryan knelt down on his other side as Tyson glared at Boris, his fist clenched painfully as he drew blood from his fingernails. The whole stadium went silent and not a sound could be heard as everyone's eyes were fixed on what was happening on the floor. Brooklyn shivered as a feeling of dread went through his body. Something was about to happen and he knew that he wasn't going to like it.
He was soon proven right as a faint sound was heard coming from the tunnel opposite of theirs. The only sound that was heard throughout the quiet stadium was the tapping of a cane against the floor. Everyone's eyes turned to the tunnel as an elderly man appeared with a young woman. Kai gasp from where he was holding Tala. He couldn't believe his eyes from who was standing there especially with his sister. Brooklyn, who had been standing next to Hiro, gasp in shock and took shelter behind his boyfriend.
Hiro could feel him trembling against him and couldn't blame the teen. He was terrified of the man and had good reason from what he had told him about his grandfather. "Hiwatari-san," Boris greeted to the stunned stadium, "what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?" "Balkov," the older man greeted, politely but with much disdain, "I am here because of what you did to my grandson." He was pointing to Kai and Tala, who was still conscious as paramedics arrived to attend to his injuries from his battle with Garland.
"I did nothing," Boris replied with a thin smile, "I only offered the public a display of the entertainment that BEGA will provide them. They want to see powerful and skilled bladers fight one another in the dish. I only gave them what they desire." He smiled to the audience that cheered as he held up his arms as a dictator would to the cheering masses. Souichi Hiwatari only frowned at their response as he approached the teens. Mariam darted around him to check on Tala, who was being placed on a stretcher.
She whispered something to him as her eyes darted to Kai then to the BEGA bladers. "What the hell have you done?" she snapped, her eyes locked on Garland, who had his arms crossed and did not show any type of emotion. He just arched an eyebrow and stared at her silently in return. He did not offer any type of explanation as her glare turned to Hiro, who glared back. She did gasp when she saw Brooklyn peek out from behind Hiro.
He cringed from the look on her face and took shelter behind his taller boyfriend once again. Mariam would have run over to her little brother if Rei hadn't grabbed her by the arm to prevent it. Any reckless action now would only show the world that what Balkov claimed was true. It would turn their fans against them and they needed support to bring BEGA down. "Don't do anything stupid, Mariam," Kai advised as the paramedics took Tala away after their grandfather ordered them to take him to a specific hospital, "it will turn them against us."
"I don't like this," Mariam whispered to him, "I know something about Balkov that you don't. That is why grandfather brought me here. You need to know." Before she could tell Kai any more, their grandfather stepped forward. "I can not believe that all of these people appreciate such a barbaric display of beyblading," their grandfather stated as there were scattered murmurs heard around the stadium, "you disgust me, Boris."
"I am only offering quality entertainment, Hiwatari-san," Boris continued as the crowd cheered again, "it is not my fault that your grandson is a weak blader and not capable of handling the power of my BEGA bladers. I am simply taking beyblading to the next level. I thought it was the dream of every young blader to one day turn professional." "What I witnessed today was just a barbaric display of force," Souichi Hiwatari stated as his cane tapped against the floor, "it disgusts me to see you using the sport to further your own greedy ambitions." "The same could be said for you as well," Boris smirked, "since you once shared the same dreams and ambitions as I."
"I learned a very valuable lesson from my meddling," the older man informed, "I lost the respect and love of my grandchildren. That alone makes me regret what I did. I've had seven years to reflect on my mistakes and I intend to put everything right. I will not let you interfere with the sport that my grandsons love. I intend to help them in any way that is possible."
There were murmurs from the quiet crowd as Brooklyn shivered even more from hearing the sound of his grandfather's voice. He could hear the sincerity but he doubted the old man's claims. He had lived with him a few months and the abuse he had suffered during that time period had left scars so deep that they could never be healed. If Tala had demons in his past because of Boris, then he had his own that dealt exclusively with their grandfather. He was the reason behind all of the pain that he inflicted upon himself now. If his siblings took his offer of assistance, then they would definitely lose his love and respect.
"BORIS!" Kai spat as Bryan joined his side, now united in their cause, "You knew what would happen to Tala! You allowed it to happen! Your BEGA organization is just a big scam and I intend to bring you down!" Kai took a moment to take a breath to calm his boiling rage and anger. "All these people are my witnesses, Balkov!" Kai shouted, "I personally vow to bring you and your league down!"
The audience was confused by Kai's challenge since they couldn't figure out why one of the world champions would refuse to turn pro. "And what do you propose?" Boris ask with another smirk, "how do we solve our differences? I am waiting for an answer. Do you want a battle with one of my bladers? And what do you have to offer me as a wager? How about if I win, then I get to turn beyblading into a professional sport? If you win, then I will disappear and Mr. Dickenson gets to return."
The crowd cheered wildly from that proposition, leaving Kai frowning on the stadium floor. "We accept your dumb challenge!" Tyson shouted as the others nodded in agreement. "Then you had better be prepared for a challenge," Hiro remarked as the teens around him listened, "because it is not going to be as easy as you think. I hope they have learned something from this battle." "I can't wait," Daichi exclaimed, jumping up and down in excitement, "I'm looking forward to battling those guys."
"Brooklyn!" Kai called as he stood his ground. Brooklyn cringed behind Hiro as he heard Kai calling him. He peered out from behind him to see Kai's crimson orbs fixed on him. "Did you not see what happened?" Kai ask, shaking with rage that even Rei wouldn't try and calm him, "your so-called best friend just beat your brother within an inch of his life. Are you still going to stand by their side? Are you going to sacrifice your family for BEGA?"
A part of him said no but another part yelled, 'Hell Yes!'. He was in love and that was outweighing his ability to judge the situation fairly. He was going to sacrifice everything he held dear for Hiro. He knew that the older man would do the same for him. He had chosen his side and must follow the path he had taken. There was definitely no going back now.
Brooklyn hated to be the center of attention as he shifted uncomfortably. His eyes could not meet those of his older brother but when Rick put a comforting hand on his shoulder, it gave him the confidence that he needed. "I have chosen my side," he stated, clearly and without regret, "and I must follow the path that fate is leading me down. I will not go with you if you stand with him." He pointed to their grandfather as he glared at the old man. "Then so be it," Kai muttered before he and the others walked away. Brooklyn sighed deeply as his friends gathered around him, he and his family were now officially on opposite sides.
R & R
Astera Snape