Title: Resurfacing
Authoress: Ladya C. Maxine
Rating: M
Summary: Childhood horrors and secrets resurface for Kai and Tala when they fall back into Voltaire and Boris' evil hands.
Warnings: no yaoi romance, but contains m/m non-con (incest and paedophilia), language, violence, some drinking.
Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade or any of its characters. All unrecognizable characters belong solely to me and are not to be touched. I am not making any money off of this and I write with the sole intention to entertain.
A/N: (February 17, 2006) It's been almost 2 years since I've finished this story but it has been revised to remove errors and the likes. Nothing drastic, but seeing as this was of my earliest works and that my writing has improved over the years I want it to be on par with the rest.
Resurfacing
By Ladya C. Maxine
"Tyson wins! Tyson wins! The Bladebreakers are the new world champions! I can't believe it! What an upset! Viewers at home, I wish you were here! Listen to this crowd!"
Brad Best was going crazy up in the commentator's cabin but no one in the arena could hear him.
What had just transpired had to be the most amazing battle ever in beyblading history. The spectators were on their feet, shouting and cheering. True, their homeland team had lost the title, but after such an intense and well-earned fight on behalf of the Bladebreakers there was no way they would not praise such strength and talent.
"Man, Brad! You have been in the commentator business for over thirty years but have you ever seen anything like what we are looking at right now? I don't think the arena can take much more of this! All this cheering could bring down the whole building! Unbelievable!" Topper shouted from beside his co-commentator.
"I have never, I repeat, N-E-V-E-R seen anything like this before! I have never seen the tables turn so quickly and powerfully! These boys went up against all odds and still came out on top! There is going to be some serious partying tonight Topper, I can guarantee you that!"
Down below in the audience the other teams who had come to watch their friends in the finals were ecstatic.
"GO RAY!" Mariah screamed at the top of her lungs while Gary waved with one arm, the other one holding Mariah before she fell of the railing she was standing on. Kevin was jumping up and down on his seat, pumping his arms in the air and hollering loudly. Lee was the most calm of the team but even he could not keep a wide grin off his face.
'I knew you could do it guys,' he thought.
Several rows below the White Tigers sat the Majestics. The four Europeans were pretty composed. Or, as composed as the adrenaline allowed, what with their fine upbringings. Johnny was leaning against the railing and whistling shrilly and Oliver and Enrique were clapping and cheering as refined as possible. Robert was smiling, obviously pleased that it was he who had taught Tyson to channel his emotions through his beyblade, giving it more power. Sensing the White Tigers captain's stare, Robert looked up straight into the orange cat-eyes. Shaking his head, he flashed Lee a thumbs-up that the lion bearer happily returned. Their attention was caught by a rather loud shout from above and to the left of the White Tigers.
"Way to bust a move, little dudes! That's my grandson who just wiped out that dude! I taught him everything he knows!"
Everybody around were paying more attention to where he was dangerously swinging his wooden kendo sword than his boastful words.
"Calm down, my friend, before you get a heart attack," Mr. Dickenson laughed beside him, clapping joyfully all the same. 'I am so very proud of those boys. They started off not even knowing one another and look at them now; they truly have become the world's greatest team.'
One glance to his left and he smiled at the look on Bruce's face. He had been gone for several years on his archaeological excavations and had barely had any contact with his son. No doubt that that was pride glittering in his eyes.
"You rock, dudes!"
Mr. Dickenson was about to try and calm the slang-slinging senior beside him again but this voice was younger and had come from behind them. The All Starz.
"Too cool!" Eddie shouted while he and Michael did a victory jam.
"You showed 'em!" Steve added in his deeper voice.
Judy had dropped all scientific protocol and hopped up and down on her high heels, clapping like any mom would.
"I'm so proud of you and your team, Max! I love you, honey!"
"Good job guys!" Emily hopped beside her, laptop forgotten on her seat.
No scientific research was needed to figure out how to react to such a world class battle. The match had ended fifteen minutes ago but nobody was leaving. The adrenaline was still speeding through everyone's veins. Most knew that there would probably never be such a match ever again, unless, of course, the Bladebreakers would be in it.
While the audience were excited it was nothing to be compared to how the actual new champions were feeling.
"WHOOOHOOOO!" Tyson punched the air rapidly, still on the blader platform overlooking the dish. "WE DID IT!"
"You the man, Tyson!" Max took a running jump, bowling over his friend and the two collapsed in a jumbled heap. "That was totally awesome! You won us the championship!"
"We all did it. As a team. But still...YEEEHAAAWW!"
The two friends hopped off the platform and quickly made their way to where the rest of the team stood. Neither could resist waving to the raving crowd. They had only been champions for a few minutes, which were easily the best few minutes in their entire lives.
"That was the greatest match you ever fought, Tyson! Dizzy and I couldn't even keep up with you!" Kenny, a.k.a. Chief, cheered as he ran out to greet them.
"Dizzy and I? Speak for yourself, chief," the female voice rang out from the open laptop.
"I can't believe it. We are the world champions! Us! World champions!" Max gasped, practically glowing.
"Yeah, it seems like only yesterday I held my first beyblade," Tyson said, a dreamy expression on his face before something hit him. "Hey! I guess this means we don't have to practice so much anymore!"
"Guess again," Kai said as he walked up to them, Ray leaning on him for support. The Chinese boy had been adamant to leave his team during the final battle despite his injuries.
"That was awesome, Tyson. You were just awesome," the golden-eyed blader smiled at his shorter team mate.
"Thanks Ray. We couldn't have done it without you either." Tyson then turned to his team captain expectantly.
"What?" Kai asked when he noticed the stare.
"Come on..." Tyson drawled.
"Spare me," Kai rolled his eyes.
"I can't hear yooouuu..." Tyson placed a hand behind his ear for emphasis.
Kai shook his head with a small smile. How on earth had he come to actually like, or at least tolerate, this team? Especially someone as lazy, annoying and gluttonous as Tyson?
"Congratulations, Tyson," he surrendered.
"And you are very proud of me," Tyson insistent.
Running his free hand through his blue hair, Kai sighed.
"And I am remotely proud of you."
"And you regret calling me all those names."
"And I regret calling you some those names."
"And you will let me sleep in as long as I like from now on."
"Don't push it."
"Aw, man. Well...handshake?" Tyson held out his hand. He recalled the numerous times he had done this only to have their team captain coldly shrug him off.
Kai contemplated it for a few moments before giving it a firm shake.
"Bear hug!" Tyson leapt forward and wrapped his arms around the older teen's upper body before the startled boy could react or step back.
"Group hug!" Max jumped in, followed by Kenny and Ray, who momentarily ignored his injuries. It wasn't everyday they could take their aloof leader by surprise.
"You guys are really pushing it," Kai said but made no move to remove them, which he could have easily done if he wanted to. 'Might as well get this over with. Besides, they did just win the world title.'
Still, he had to fight not to wince as their combined weigh placed some pressure on his frame and he couldn't help praying that the bandages beneath his clothes would hold up.
On the inside he was extremely proud of them. They had changed tremendously from the rag-tag group Mr Dickenson assigned him to about a year ago. Each of them had been so different from the other and it had been hard to find something they had in common. But as they had progressed from country to country, winning tournaments and learning new techniques, Kai started to see that they all shared one thing after all: The love of the sport. The need to hear the spinning air when they pulled the ripcord. The mesmerizing sparks that flew when the blades collided. The deep connection and faith between blader and bit beast.
"Okay, off," he waved them away when he started to feel the burning at the back of his throat from lack of air. He had to restrain himself from sighing gratefully when the pressure on his body was lifted as the others stepped back.
"So…what now? Do we get our trophy now? Cool, are we going to be on TV? With interviews and stuff?" Tyson eagerly searched the crowd for TV cameras and news crews.
"This whole tournament was seen worldwide via satellite. The whole world followed it day and night," Kenny informed. "Do you know that the tournament has been commentated and heard in over thirty different languages!"
"What about the trophy?" Tyson repeated, not really listening to the smaller boy's trivia.
"Oh, we'll get it in about a week."
"Wha? Why?" the Dragoon master asked crestfallen.
"Well, they have to engrave our names on it still and then it is given away during the official ceremony. There the former champions hand the trophy over to the new champions. That's when we will be officially crowned the champions and then the press will interview us."
"Hehe, I am gonna love to see the look on Tala's face when he hands that trophy over to Kai."
"Me?" Kai asked as he readjusted his grip on Ray.
"You're the team captain."
"I lost my match," Kai reasoned, albeit that it went against his prideful nature.
"Yeah, but if it weren't for you we would have never made it this far."
"Tyson's right. We always complained about the long trainings and stuff but we wouldn't have made it past the Asian tournament if you weren't on the team. I know that I speak for all of us when I say thanks. We really owe you a lot," the blond smiled cheerfully.
"Three cheers for Kai!" Dizzy exclaimed.
Tyson opened his mouth, ready to do just that but a gloved hand muffled the first syllables.
"That is not necessary," Kai warned.
"So what now?" Kenny asked.
"What now? What now! We celebrate, of course! I'm gonna take out the whole buffet table in one serving! Then we are gonna strut and laugh our way all the way back to the hotel."
"Or some of us could limp and pant," Kai said looking at Ray, who was relying on him to keep him upright.
"Oh man! I almost forgot! Sorry Ray," Tyson said sheepishly.
"Nah. No prob, guys. It's not so bad."
Kai snorted. Ray was definitely not a heavy person but the blue-haired boy could tell that his team mate was in need of more than a few bandages by the way he was leaning against him. His ankle was probably shot, not to mention all the lacerations and bruises.
"Hey, where are the Demolition Boys?" Max's voice cut through his thoughts.
Sure enough, the Russian team was gone.
"Man, what a bunch of sore losers. They didn't even congratulate us!" Tyson fumed, arms crossed.
"I bet you Boris is pretty mad at them," Kenny said.
"Well, they are gonna have to give us the trophy during the ceremony. Then I'm gonna rub it in," Tyson grinned at the idea of showing the other team, especially that snob Tala.
"Think they are going back to the Abbey?" Max asked.
"Guess so. Boris is probably going to train them to death now."
'You got the death part right,' Kai thought as he looked down the corridor that led to the Demolition Boys' locker room.
The others returned to celebrating their win but he could no longer share their victory. His team had won the championship. They had returned all the bit beasts back to their rightful owners. They had put a stop to his grandfather's insane plan of taking over the world. He was finally free of the place that had haunted the shadows of his memory his entire life.
And he felt terrible.
Punishment couldn't begin to describe what he knew was in store for his fellow Russians. Not with Boris. The man had no sense of humanity in him. He was mad and he was going to lash out at the same person he always did, especially since Kai was no longer there to serve as a whipping post. The same person who had suffered alongside him for years. The one person he trusted more than anyone, including himself.
'Tala...'
"You okay, Kai?" Ray asked when he noticed the strange look in his captain's eyes.
"I'm fine," he lied, mentally shaking the image of teary blue eyes from his mind. "Come on. We have to get you to the medics before you bleed all over me."
"I am not bleeding," Ray protested indignantly.
Kai raised a brow and gave his companion a brief look over. Most of Ray's white Chinese outfit was stained red.
"Okay, maybe a little," the tiger admitted.
"Sure," Kai decided to play along for now.
Giving the Demolition Boys' locker-room's direction a final look he turned and led his team to their own locker-room.
The cheering of the crowd never died down but he could hear nothing but a distant cry of pain and fear in his memories.
Outside the locker-room the peoples' cheer were deafening but inside the atmosphere was tense with uneasy anticipation.
Ian, Spencer and Bryan stood to the side, the abbey guards standing around them, large guns held tight in gloved hands. Despite the uncomfortable proximity of the weapons, the three boys barely acknowledged them. Their eyes were trained on the centre of the room where one figure stood apart, unprotected, his blue eyes closed and his stance calm.
Despite his collected appearance, though, Tala was shaking to pieces on the inside. Calling up years of harsh training he was able to keep himself from expressing how he truly felt, for the sake of his team but he was scared. He had lost. He had lost them the title. And now he had placed, not only himself, but his team in harm's way. His mistake was guaranteed to get them badly punishment. Even Ian, who hadn't battled and Spencer who had won his match. Bryan had put up an excellent fight but that wasn't going to be enough to spare him from their trainer's wrath.
They weren't ignorant. They knew what others thought of them. Other bladers...other peers...the rest of the world. Everyone thought they were so cold and distant. Teens trained until all emotions had been wiped out of them. A group of hapless mind slaves with not but malice on the brain.
That was a lie. One big lie.
They knew emotions. They never smiled because there was nothing in their lives worth smiling for, but they personally knew the concept of shedding tears. Life had given them more than enough reasons to do so. They knew fear. It was that fear that made them strive to be stronger. Driven by fear, they were unbeatable. They trained harder with the knowledge that they would get beaten if they didn't meet the high set standards. The people at Biovolt controlled them through their fears and they had learned to live with the feeling.
But this was a different type of fear. It was the fear that everyone else felt. A sense of uncertainty and need for help. A sense that they didn't have any sort of grip on the situation. A fear because they didn't know what was to come.
Before Boris had barked at them to return to the locker room and wait for him while he went to explain their loss to Voltaire, Tala had given the Bladebreakers a quick glance to see the team crush Kai in a group hug. Watching the bluenette from a distance, he had felt a small thrill of relief in him. Kai was out. They couldn't hurt him anymore...
Approaching footsteps alerted him of their master's return and he tensed.
'Don't let them see that you're afraid.'
"Tala..." Ian stepped forward. He was worried to death. Nothing the rest of them were going to receive as punishment would equal what they all knew was in store for the team captain.
"Maintain your position, Ian," Tala said strictly, hearing the warning clicks of guns that now took aim on the short blader.
The smallest member of the team looked uncertain but a large hand pulled him back. He looked up at the large, muscled frame of Spencer who shook his head.
"Don't make the situation worse," the burly blond pointed out.
Bryan remained silent, watching the door of the locker room open as the knob turned. The pale blader appeared calm but his team mates knew him well enough to notice the uncommon tension in his shoulders and the uneasy light in his eyes.
The door finally opened and two figures stepped in. One was slightly shorter then the other, though still of an above-average height, and built sturdier. His black cloak and business suit made him all the more imposing as did his long grey hair. His face was stern and contorted with displeasure, crimson eyes narrowed in disgust and anger. Beside him stood a tall, thin man with purple hair, dressed in long, black robes, which made his pale features more apparent. His face, partially covered by a black, red-eyed visor, was narrow and his thin mouth was twisted in a scowl.
Tala felt the heat of their glares on him and it took all of his self-control not to step back.
"Lord Hiwatari...Boris," he acknowledged them with a slight nod of his head though he couldn't even look them in the eye and opted to keep his gaze on the floor beneath his feet.
Boris sneered at his prime pupil. Stalking over, noting with twisted amusement that this made the others tense, he came to stand before the redhead, who had yet to lift his head. Catching the boy's chin, he forced him to look him in the eyes, smirking when Tala began to unconsciously breathe faster.
Squeezing his eyes shut, Tala waited for the inevitable punishment.
'Please...let them just kill me.'
Tbc...
A/N: It is very annoying to have to keep referring to 'Tyson's grandfather' and 'Tyson's father'. Tyson's grandfather is simply Mr. Granger (Granger is Tyson's last name) and Tyson's father is called Bruce (since he is younger I will go by a first name basis).
Read & Review, please.