Note: apparently someone has been in my files, because it is seven am here where I am, and I was planning on finishing this chapter up, but when i clicked on the file, all I got was a blank flipping page. I am NOT happy. So I will start with the rewrite, and hopefully it will be just as good.
Disclaimer: the entire point of writing fanfiction is? well, if you don't know that, then sure, go ahead, i so totally own beyblade. Right? WRONG!
By Their Saving Grace
Chapter Two: The Russian Maffia
Distant Storm
x x x
Last Time:
"Uhh, I'm sorry to bug you," A feminine voice interrupted. "I'm kind of new to the city, and I was wondering if you could point me in the direction of the B.B.A. building?"
"Yeah, if you follow the side walk here," Tyson motioned, pointing straight ahead from the bench with his index finger, "turn left once you hit the street, and it's on your right. Are you one of the new-" The navy haired champion lifted his head up to meet the girl's eyes. "Holy beyblade!"
x x x
The young woman quickly flitted away from the two boys, knowing she had been recognized. In reality, she knew exactly where the B.B.A. Headquarters were located, but she had wanted to catch a glimpse of the one she had been sent to find. Yeah, she thought. That was her brother. He looked much better than he did on tv, but she could tell today was not his day. Then again, this was the day when she had completely 'ruined' his life with her 'illness.' Someday, she figured, he'd understand what was happening. Of course, he'd probably consider her an enemy long before she got to tell him. But that was life.
Kai looked at Tyson, who was mumbling under his breath."... freaking look alike..."
The pewter haired champion got up from where he sat and looked down at Tyson like he was a dog. "Do you want me to find out for you, before you suspect every girl in the city looking for the B.B.A. Building my sister?"
"If you wouldn't mind," Tyson said, with a faint, possibly fatal laugh. Kai hadn't looked at the woman, but her hair color did resemble that of her sister's.
So, knowing that there was only one way to determine her identity, he said one of many words he had left in his past.
"Mina."
The word seemed to echo through empty space and stopped time. It sent out a wave of energy to Kai, and the young woman, whose back was turned. She seemed to slow down a bit, but not too much. She said nothing, and Kai turned to Tyson.
"See? You were wrong. Now you get to do extra running when we train later." Tyson smiled nervously. Running was not his strong point.
"What did you say?" The young woman said, turning around.
"It didn't have anything to do with you," Tyson huffed. "Just something that Mr. Insensitive over here decided that I get to do extra running at practice-"
"No." She said, taking a step towards them. "Before that." Kai and Tyson looked at each other in confusion. She continued, looking directly at Kai.
Amethyst met amethyst.
"I could have sworn that you just said my name."
x x x
Kai literally dragged the girl into the chairman's office, anger gripping his features. "You," he bellowed, pointing an accusing finger at Mr. Dickenson. "Why didn't you tell me-"
"I'm sorry," the chairman stated, in fear. Kai had never appeared this angry before. The other members of his team seemed to be cowering on the far side of the room. Tyson walked in cooly behind Kai and the young woman.
"Calm down," Tyson said, relaxing on a nearby sofa and turning on the television. Mr. Dickenson watched the blue haired champion in shock. Here he was, the guy who paid for all their escapades and their tournaments, cowering in fear before the captain of the team he created, while Kai's usual punching bag just threw himself on one of his most expensive pieces of furniture, flipping through channels? What the hell was going on here? "I don't think he was finished."
Mina popped out from behind Kai. "Go ahead," she told him. "And try not to be so damn frightening, alright big brother?"
Dickenson looked up at Kai, noticing that he suddenly changed attitudes completely. "Well, I was going to act like I was going to kill you-" The others laughed nervously, coming out from their hiding places, "but since Mina here ruined my whole little act, thank you." The chairman blinked, and Kai extended a hand. "Thank you for reuniting me with my little sister."
x x x
One Week Later: Rome, Italy
"Hey Tala."
"Hey what?"
"It wasn't a question, I was just starting a conversation."
"Well then 'hey' yourself." He paused. "You seem like you're in an exceptionally good mood, Angel."
She shrugged. "So it seems. We're about to go deal some damage to our favorite person, and I've got two years to go," she stated calmly.
"You're free?"
"It's been three years, brother," she responded. Tala, in an out of character moment, hugged her tightly. "Although I might suffocate before I hit four," she whispered, out of breath.
The red head let go. "Sorry," he stated. "I'm really happy for you," he said.
"I can tell." She looked around. "I can't believe that they forgave him," she seethed. "Now we have to take out the headquarters of the people who are supposed to be on our side."
"Ah well, it's kind of an inside job, considering where you sent Mina," he replied. "Kai's not going to be thrilled."
"We're technically doing it for his own good." She paused. "Besides, the point of the free world is that it's free. Not under the control of Voltaire and Biovolt."
"Well, since Boris did do most of the punishing, I guess it's only right that he learns what became of his dearest soldiers... I mean, beybladers."
"Well, you'd think that after we infiltrated the Moscow B.B.A. Headquarters and found his old underground he'd get the message. We shook the place up enough. He doesn't deserve, nor should he be allowed, on God's green earth, to teach children to beyblade. What the hell was Dickenson thinking when he hired the scum?"
"I don't know."
"Ah well, since they transferred him to Rome, we might as well have a little fun. Maybe recruit some help?"
"And why should we help you?"Tala turned around in the direction of the voice.
"Robert."
"Valkov."
"How sweet, I'd hate to break up your love fest, but what are you planning to do in my Roma?" Enrique asked, standing proudly, though no woman in the warehouse was even a bit concerned with his appearance. The four beybladers stared at the woman's back, which was covered by a veil of her long hair.
"I wondered if you would like to help us," She said, her back still turned to them. She turned, revealing her all back attire which clung to her curves, with black boots that rose up almost to her knees."I'd rather be the last generation of monster, what about you, Tala?" She knew, though she wasn't looking at him at that moment, he was nodding in agreement. That was the reason she had gotten this group together. There was to be no more.
"What are you talking about?" Johnny demanded.
"Chill out," Angel stated, taking up her margarita from the desk behind her. "Apparently Boris Balkov is working at the B.B.A. headquarters in 'your Roma,' Enrique. And as the some of the top kids from his previous training experiences," she let her words hang for a moment and took a sip of the tequila induced beverage, "I thought you might like to help us clear out his little project before he can corrupt the masses of children in your fair city that love to beyblade."
Robert's eyes narrowed. "He's here, in this city?"
"Why do you think I took twenty of the top beybladers that I had and got us here? It wasn't for my health."
"You want to level the B.B.A. headquarters here?"
"They didn't get the message in Moscow," Tala stated. "We don't particularly want to go destroy buildings and get ourselves a bad reputation, but the guy is up to something. Voltaire has gone back into hiding, and where Boris goes seems to have a tendancy to be cities that he used to have a great influence over. We don't need a war," he continued. "It just won't be good."
"We always knew that Boris was a bad guy, but can you be sure he still is? I mean, I know it sounds weird, but it's been a few years. Maybe he has finally changed.
Angel shook her head. She grabbed the zipper on the front of her shirt and pulled it down, revealing a small amount of skin. "As much as I hate to be revealing," she said, annoyance fusing with her features at the look Enrique gave her, and Johnny's drooling, "I don't think you can possess a child to do something like this-" She opened the shirt up a bit, showing a set of three jagged lines that slashed directly down from the top of her breasts to just below her belly button,"-And change for the better." She zipped the top back up. "Besides, we found about five underground levels with kids in there, that were either from the original abbey's last year, or new recruits that were trained underground after hours. He hasn't stopped harassing the youth of the world, and I think we should show him that his time is done."
Oliver, the only one who wasn't entirely entranced by the view the young woman had bestowed upon them, nodded. "I think I can speak for my team when we say that we'd be more than happy to help."
x x x
Tokyo, Japan
"I still can not believe it," Kai stated plainly.
"Well you ought to get used to it," Mina replied, sitting next to him. "I'm the only family you actually like."
Dickenson smiled. He was pleasantly surprised at how well Kai and Mina were getting along. It was like she had opened up a part of him that was previously dead to the world. He'd smiled more in the week than he probably had in years.
"Who says that I like you?" He questioned.
"Oh be nice," Tyson chided. Kai rolled his eyes. The blue haired champion turned to Mina. "That's just his way of saying he likes you."
"I'd have to agree," Ray said, lounging on a nearby chair.
The desk phone began ringing and the chairman quickly picked it up. "Yes Lana?" He asked, referring to the secretary. He quickly hung up the phone and pressed a button on the nearby remote control, thus triggering the television. "Boys, Hilary, Mina, there's something you have to see. Someone is trying to take out the B.B.A. again."
"Who?" Kai asked, annoyed. The last thing they all needed was someone else bent on power.
"I don't know what exactly they call themselves, but they have earned a name."
"What would that be?" Mina asked, though she knew the answer.
"The Russian Maffia."
Mina pretended to be in just as much shock as everyone else. She had been sent on a mission to find her brother. After that, she could choose, and she knew what side she was on. Anyone who hired Boris Balkov needed to seriously rethink their actions. After all, she knew that her brother and his team were the good guys.
But sometimes, you don't always know that you're fighting for a good reason, on the wrong side.
"Last night, eye witnesses report that a squad of about twenty five beybladers broke into Rome's B.B.A. Headquarters and pretty much leveled the place." A shot displayed fire and rubble from the large three story compound that now looked to be about two and a half stories. "According to the accounts, the best European team on the planet was seen among these beybladers. The Majestics. The Russian champions, the Demolition Boys, were seen as well among this group, however, Tala Valkov is not, contrary to theories, the leader."
A picture of the two teams flashed across the screen before it changed back to the rubble and fire department, which was still trying to put out the blazes. "About a week ago, there was another event, though much less serious that, occurred in Moscow, Russia, involving what the police believe to be the same group, however more beybladers. No bit beasts were stolen during either of the events, but there is no telling what kind of mayhem will follow. I am Mishika Atvanu, coming to you live from Rome, for your evening report. Stay tuned."
The chairman turned off the television, sighing. "I just transferred some of the beybladers from the Moscow center to Rome. They're probably scared out of their minds right now."
Kai's mind was imprinted with the images of the fire and the rubble. "No ordinary beybladers could do that," he stated, standing up and leaving the room.
"Just what is he suggesting?" Hilary suggested.
"Think of the two teams he mentioned. The Demolition Boys?"
"Only the most ruthless beybladers in the world could do damage like that," Mina said coldly. "I happen to know a lot of them trained in the same way."
"Who?" Daichi asked, obviously clueless. Max hit him on the arm.
"He's lucky he wasn't with us that year. He would've probably been slaughtered by Tala." Mina laughed.
"What?" she questioned, when everyone was looking at her. "I was raised in the same place as both Kai and Tala, remember?"
"Oh, yeah," Ray said, remembering. "You must have a guardian angel." She nodded her head.
"You have no idea how true that statement is."
x x x
Kai dialed his cell phone angrily. "Yes?" Kai grunted in rage. One of these days, he planned on wiping that smirk he knew the red headed Russian was wearing right off his face, then wrap duct tape all the way around so he didn't have to listen to that cheeky-ass voice.
"Don't be a smart ass with me, Tala," the captain growled. "What the hell are you doing?"
"I'm training," Tala replied, seriously.
"For what? The next time you decide to take down a B.B.A. building?"
"Maybe I wouldn't have to if your damned chairman didn't decide to hire certain shady characters responsible for corrupting our lives."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Kai demanded, pounding a fist into the wall again.
"Balkov. Dickenson hired Boris to work for the B.B.A. How fucking stupid could you get?"
Though Kai knew that doing something like that was a stupid, psychotic idea, he brushed it off for the time being. "The hell you talk about the man who found my sister like that."
"Yeah, yeah, tell her I said hello. And just so we're clear, it doesn't matter what the hell his reasons are. Dickenson shouldn't trust Balkov. You don't want to know what we found in Russia," Tala stated.
"Try me."
"I don't think I should. You still don't remember most of your past, and the last thing we need is for you to start having seizures." Kai winced at that thought. Tala was right on that part. He didn't remember too much of his past besides Mina, Tala, and the Demolition Boys. The faces were always blurry, and the voices were always distorted. So yes, Tala did have a point. He remembered them, and as far as he was concerned, that as all he wanted to remember.
"You're going to get yourself killed Tala," Kai said darkly. "And if you threaten anything that I care about, you know I won't hesitate to do it."
"Why did you call me, Kai? You know I'm not changing sides. At least this time I have all the facts."
"Really? So you decided you're going to take down the B.B.A. because of it?"
"If that's what stops Balkov, yes. That man should not teach children to beyblade. We've killed people, Kai. Not physically, but almost. We have, however destroyed them from the inside. And he was the one who taught us to do it."
"Dickenson has his reasons."
"Did you not remember what I said before? This conversation is pointless, Hiwitari." Tala paused, sighing. "People who we thought were dead, Kai, people have cheated the odds. They've seen what happens after the Abbey. They've gotten worse punishments from your grandfather than you could have ever dreamed of. And they've lived. That is why they're here training. We're on the right side for a change. And we plan to keep it that way. You don't remember what happened to a lot of them," Tala stated, breathing heavy. These things were hard to talk about. How he had suddenly resorted to spilling his guts, he'd never know. He cared about Kai, and about Mina, so he tried to persuade the older of the two, knowing where Mina's stance was, whether Kai liked it or not. "Think about it, Kai. Wherever Balkov is, Voltaire is not far behind. We're against him and all who side with him."
"If Stanley Dickenson says he's changed, then I believe him."
"Suit yourself." Kai heard the slamming of the phone against something, and the line went dead.
"How productive."
x x x
Moscow, Russia; 9:24 pm
"I need a drink."
"That won't solve all your problems, Tala," she said quietly, watching the last of twilight fade into a black darkness outside.
"How would you know?" He walked over past her desk and stood next to her large chair, watching the darkening world with her. "He doesn't understand."
"Can you blame him?" Angel looked at him from the side. "He doesn't remember," she said softly, standing up. "He doesn't know what punishments we used to get and he would be spared from because he was Voltaire's heir, and we were just ordinary tools of destruction."
Tala grabbed her wrist before she walked away. "Stay here."
"I thought you'd like to be alone."
"I've been alone long enough," he stated, sitting in her chair. "And so have you." she nodded, sitting on his lap. Compared to Tala, she was pretty short, only standing at about five foot five, as compared to Tala and Kai's height of five foot seven.
"You're right," she whispered.
That was the thing about Abbey kids. They had power, and they had their bottled up emotions. But they lacked one very, very important element. They needed love. From family, friends, and more than friends. They formed families out of the people they had bonded with in that hell. That was why she called Tala 'brother.'
Angel was the leader of the group, but Tala was her go-to person. She couldn't remember the number of times she'd cried herself to sleep in his arms when they'd found each other, a few years ago. She'd never forget the tears that had fallen from his eyes, the only ones she'd ever seen him cry, when she told him her story of blood, tears, wounds that would never heal, and death that just wouldn't come.
That was how he knew her. Angel had a purpose. There was a reason she wasn't dead yet, why she had survived through things that could've killed her a hundred times over. Someone up there had a mission for her, and she was more than willing to make sure it was carried out.
"Tomorrow's another day," he said calmly, looking down at her. "The light will always conquer the dark."
"The Rising."
x x x
Well, if I didn't have other plans, I'd pair Tala and Angel up right now. Anyway... that would be the second chapter. And just so you know, if you don't understand the last part, you will eventually. It has something to do with the plot. Anyone who wants to guess, I could tell you if you get it right.
Please Review, and as always, thanks for reading!
x3 Distant Storm
