author note:
i'm so sorry for leaving you all on a cliff hanger. i've had some stuff to do.
arty
thanks to my reviewers:
riley carbine
genechan
san child of the wolves
Darial Kuznetsova
blitzkrieg soldier87
Bluestray
Kitty Kat K.O.
marishka91
special thanks to -izza-x23- for the translation site she gave me it was a lot of help, so i owe you one :D
also thanks to my dad for proof reading.
How to save a life
Songs: how to save a life: the Fray, if everyone cared: Nickleback, never too late; Three Days Grace, my immortal; Evanescence.
Chapter two
Awkward silences…
The stadium was full of sound, celebrating the victory over the Russian team.
"Mr. Granger!"
That one scream stopped everything, managing to overcome the cheers of the crowd, and silenced it.
The bladers turned to see a blur of pink heading for them. Lee caught the girl by her arm, trying to calm her.
"Mariah! What's wrong!?" she turned to him, tears pouring down her cheeks, as she tried to free herself "l-lee l-let go i-i-I have t-to tell...him..."
Lee shook her slightly.
"Mariah? Mariah! Tell him what!?"
She let out a sob still struggling
"T-Tala!"
Lee's eyes narrowed "what about Tala?! Did he hurt you Mariah!?"
She pulled away finally shaking her head, she ran to Tyson's dad, grabbing his sleeve tightly, as her friends crowded round her
"Mr. g-Granger… please! Y-you have to h-help—you have to help t-Tala!" she cried, surprising everyone.
Her eyes were huge with fear, as she began to pull the man along. With a worried frown he stopped, he took her gently but firmly by the shoulder kneeling to her height "Mariah is it?" she nodded, her eyes darting around
"Ok Mariah, take deep breaths ok?"
Mariah finally looked at him, and did as he said "good girl, now calmly tell me what's wrong" Bruce flinched as she began to cry again this time silently
"i-I followed them a-and… and b-Boris… he…he"
.Mariah hugged herself; she was shaking so violently she couldn't talk. She jumped when a hand touched her shoulder. She spun and looked up into the worried face of Rei.
With a sob, she threw herself at him.
"REI! YOU HAVE TO HELP TALA!" she screamed into his chest.
"BORIS IS GOING TO KILL HIM!"
The teenager froze glancing up at the equally shocked face of Bruce, Rei pulled away, holding the girl at arms length "Mariah?" Mariah shook him "Rei y-you don't understand! He's bleeding! He's going to kill Tala, then the others!" she screamed, Rei shook her.
"I understand Mariah! I need you to show us the way!" he snapped his eyes slitted angrily. Mariah stopped crying, suddenly in shock, before nodding and grabbing his arm and dragging him from the arena, Bruce and a few other adults running after them.
Surprisingly she could see Kai running next to her.
She reached the locker room first but shied away from the door, covering her mouth as she listened to the thuds and pained cries.
Rei pulled her away from the door as Bruce threw it open so violently it came off its hinges.
He let out a furious growl at the scene before him and ran in, he grabbed Boris's arm and pulled it getting him to release Tala's throat, and swiftly punched the purple-maned head in the jaw, snapping his head backwards so violently that Boris was out cold before he hit the floor.
Tala fell forward as soon as Boris had released him, a flash of pink shot towards him and Mariah caught him, his weight making her knees buckle. She sat with his head on her lap staring down at him as his eyes closed.
She brushed the hair from his eyes worriedly, murmuring his name.
Someone knelt next to her, Judy gently reached out taking his pulse, and she looked relieved but still worried "call an ambulance!" she yelled over her shoulder, max bolted from the room with a nod.
Judy looked back at Mariah with a gentle smile "he's going to be fine" she said reading the girls mind "you did well Mariah, I'm proud of you" Judy gave her shoulder a light squeeze. Before standing up and going to the other demolition boy's who where huddled against the wall.
As she approached, Judy noticed the way the teens flinched watching her with narrowed eyes. She froze as Bryan growled, when she moved towards the youngest of the beybladers, who was curled in a ball whimpering a few feet away from his teammates place against the wall. Bryan tried to get up, only to collapse with a hiss of pain, gripping his leg. Judy took a step towards him, but stopped once more when the boy glared up at her snarling "stay away from us!" he growled, hissing he crawled awkwardly towards Ian.
The adults in the room watched in amazement, as Bryan expertly checked his teammate's wounds.
He muttered worriedly in Russian as he worked, he shot suspicious glances at the people now crowding the room, growling dangerously when any moved closer.
He tensed as Judy began to move closer despite his glares "получите прочь(1)!" he yelled, in his panic switching to Russian. His eyes widened as the woman reached out to him, he struck out blindly at her. Instead of feeling his fist hitting her flesh, a hand caught his wrist in a tight but gentle grip. Looking up, he followed the arm to its owner
"Kai..."
Kai stared down at him, his eyes betraying the worry he felt "утихомирите вниз Брайан, она пробует помочь(2)" he growled softly in Russian.
Bryan stared up at him silently before lowering his gaze. Kai let go of his arm, stepping back and nodding to Judy.
Judy watched worriedly as Bryan tensed as she reached for him once again.
"Its okay Bryan, I just want to see if you're hurt, is that alright with you?" she asked, not moving any closer. She was surprised when the boy looked at her bewildered.
She smiled gently at him "well?" she asked kindly.
Slowly he nodded. Judy reached out checking him over slowly, she noticed worriedly how he flinched away from her touch, his eyes darting around.
He let out a gasp when she pressed his shin; she gently touched it again, this time Bryan yelped pushing her away, and curling over his leg, holding it in pain.
"Mom!"
Max rushed over to his mother worriedly, helping her up. Two paramedics entered after him. Immediately they split up, one heading too Tala, the other towards Bryan and the rest of the demolition boys.
Bryan jumped violently when the man touched his shoulder, and pulled away till he back was pressed against the wall, staring up at him, his breathing heavy. He let out a small whimper. Then to everyone's shock, his lavender eyes rolled back and he slumped forwards into the arms of the paramedic.
Kai sighed as he sat besides Ian,
"Hey шримс вы одобренные(3)?"
Ian opened his eyes slightly, looking up at him weakly "…Kai…?" he whispered, flinching slightly "где… где Спенсер... (4)?" he asked with a cough, curling up slightly around his ribs "он отлично (5)" Kai glanced at Spencer, as he sat looking dazed with his head resting against the wall "возможно небольшая коммоция… (6)" he amended. He heard a weak laugh, and glanced down at the boy with a smile, that slid off his face when he realized the boy had passed out.
He watched silently, as the paramedics loaded the demolition boys onto stretchers, and wheeled them out.
Rei sighed as Mariah stayed sitting on the ground, she sobbed as she clutched her hands to her chest. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder; his heart broke when she looked up at him, tears sliding down her already wet cheeks.
"Would you like to go with him to the hospital?"
She looked at him with surprised eyes, before nodding
"Y…yes"
She stood slowly still holding her hands to her chest as she walked from the room.
Mariah didn't glance at any of her friends, she didn't even register them.
All she could see was Tala being rolled away.
She caught up as they were loading Tala and the other demolition boy's into the ambulances.
"P-Please, W-wait!" she called, he glanced over his shoulder "I'm sorry miss but we—" he started.
"I want t-to go with him! Please!"
The man sighed "I'm sorry but only relatives can ride with them" he said gently as he turned to shut the door, but was stopped when Mariah reached out and grabbed his sleeve.
"Please, I-I don't want him to be alone! What if he wakes up? He'll be terrified!"
"I'm sorry but you can't"
"L-let…l-let her… come..."
Both jumped and turned to meet pained ice blue eyes "TALA!" he flinched slightly, and smiled… well it came out as more of a grimace "y-you're… l-loud…" he muttered closing his eyes.
Mariah let out a half laugh, half sob, as she looked pleadingly up at the man, he smiled gently.
"Get in"
She bowed low to him, and scrambled in as the other bladers reached them, meeting Lee and Rei's eyes, happy to see understanding it them.
She jumped slightly when Kai climbed in with her. He shot a glare at the paramedic as he opened his mouth to stop him.
"I'm his brother"
The man sighed again, and shut the door.
Mariah stared at her hands as the ambulance started up.
She was lost as to why she cared so much about Tala.
He stole Galux!
…But…
Seeing him like that, laying on the ground bleeding... It made her think… Maybe he didn't have a choice... she heard him distracting Boris… to the point Boris was strangling him...
Who was Tala?
A heartless blader who was helping a maniac to take over the world?
Or just a kid caught in the middle?
It sure seemed like the latter at the moment...
She sighed.
"You ok?"
Mariah yelped and jumped about a foot in the air.
Kai raised an eyebrow at her, as she tried to get her heart rate back to its normal speed, when she did she shot a glare at the Bluenette.
"Jeez Kai you scared the shit outta me!" she hissed quietly, as not to disturb Tala.
"Sorry"
Another sigh.
"No, I'm sorry for snapping…"
She smiled apologetically at him, and was pleasantly surprised when he smiled back.
…
'Okay awkward silence…' Mariah thought after a few minutes 'Should I say something? But what do I say? You know, now I think about it I've never spoke to Kai longer than a second sentence… but that's not really surprising considering he has the social skills of a rock—" She was pulled from her thoughts when Kai cleared his throat.
"Thank you"
Mariah blinked looking at the boy who averted his eyes "huh?" was all she could say.
Kai rolled his eyes and motioned to Tala "Thank you for saving Tala…" he muttered.
Mariah stared at him.
"Why are you thanking me?"
It was Kai's turn to stare.
"You really don't know what you've done do you? Mariah, you saved Tala and the others! If you hadn't followed them Boris would have murdered them!"
He motioned to Tala's still form.
"If you hadn't told Tyson's dad he wouldn't be here! He lost Mariah, at the abbey that's bad enough… losing such an important match…" he trailed of paling drastically— Which was saying a lot considering how pale Kai usually is— and reached out to grasp Tala's hand.
Mariah watched him carefully "um Kai… Tala… is he really your brother?" Kai smiled slightly "Tala once told me we were brothers in everyway but blood… but no I'm not his brother"
She studied his face again "it must have been hard then…" she whispered, she received a confused look so she elaborated "choosing between Tala and your team..."
She didn't miss the emotion that flashed in his eyes "Oh Kai you should have explained to the teams, we would have understood! I'm so sorry my team—I called you a traitor! I was so horrible to you!"
She was startled by his laugh.
"You don't have to be sorry Mariah! I am a traitor... I was a traitor back at the abbey… and years later that hasn't changed! I abandoned Tala years ago, I betrayed them! Then…Then I just forgot everything to do with them…and when I finally remember him and the others…I betrayed them again..."
He glanced down at Tala. Red eyes taking in every bruise, cut and speck of blood.
"If I had stayed with them…if I had lost…I would have been the one in his place…and…and Boris... Boris wouldn't have hurt him!"
Mariah could only watch, as tears began falling from the eyes of a person she once thought heartless.
She watched as he roughly wiped his eyes, and was surprised when her own tears followed his.
They both sat completely silent as tears rolled down both their faces.
Kai watched as his tears landed on Tala's hand, and let out a strangled sob, finally breaking the silence.
He jerked slightly when he was suddenly enveloped in a tight hug, and Mariah sobbing into his shoulder.
Startled he glanced down, watching as her shoulders shook…
So familiar…
(Flashback)
Muffled
sobs.A small figure curled in the corner on a pathetic excuse for a bed.
"Kai?"
The figure moved, a dirty face appearing from under a ragged blanket. Tears falling from scared red eyes.
"Вы одобренные(7)?"
Kai shook his head, burying his head back into his arms. But lifted it when the corner of the bed dipped.
Sad Ice blue eyes, almost glowing in the darkness stared down at him, A small thin arm wrapping around his shoulders.
"Не вспугните, одобрено? Я всегда буду защищать вас Kai, и один день… один день я получу нас вне(8)!" Tala said into his ear as he hugged him.
"…один день мы оба выйдем…(9)"
(Flashback End)
Mariah started to pull back, embarrassed, when a pair of strong arms wrapped round her shoulders.
"Thanks Mariah." Kai whispered softly into her hair "thanks for everything"
"K-Kai, I don't think Tala blames you…" Mariah felt Kai jerk slightly in surprise, "from what I saw when…when…back there Tala is probably just glad it wasn't you. Through the whole thing, Tala… he kept drawing Boris—that bastard— Away from the others… he just kept getting up..."
She pulled away smiling at him. "He must be a great friend… he is a great guy…" she whispered softly, looking down at the still teen.
They fell back once more into silence, but this one seemed less awkward than before.
Chapter end.
translations:
(1) получите прочь - get away
(2) утихомирите вниз Брайан, она пробует помочь - calm down Bryan, she's trying to help
(3) Hey шримс вы одобренные - Hey shrimp you okay
(4) где… где Спенсер - where…where's Spencer(5) он отлично - he's fine
(6) возможно небольшая коммоция...- maybe a slight concussion…
(7) Вы одобренные - Are you okay
(8) Не вспугните, одобрено? Я всегда буду защищать вас Kai, и один день… один день я получу нас вне - Don't be scared, okay? I'll always protect you Kai, and one day… one day I'll get us out
(9) один день мы оба выйдем - one day we'll both get out
authors note:
hope you enjoyed chapter two. if you did review :D the more reviews i get the faster the next chapter will get up.
remember to review people and please keep reading my fics.
Arty :)