First attempt at a Beyblade fic so be warned. Some historical truth has been altered to suit the plot. Also rated for violence in cruelty, torture and death. Also the first instalment is in two parts, so you have to wait for the second later, which will end the introduction and start the main story.
Special Thanks to Dark White Wolf, who without her support and comments I would never have posted this story. I owe her big time!
Summary: In the war zone in the battle between Biovolt and BBA revolutionaries, many young bladers are taken captive in prison camps. They are desperate to escape, but can they trust supposed enemies, and let love develop in a place of hatred and deceit? KaixOC and other pairings.
Tormented SoulsChapter 1: Bloody Reality I
Mid season in the outskirts of Russia was cold, bitter and lifeless, much like most of the year. No matter if in warmer months the sun chose to appear, it was colder than most of the world though definitely better than the harsh winters. Permanent blankets of snow made everything serene from the mountaintops to lowland forests. However, the peaceful scenery, it was far from tranquil.
Closer to the boarder and around bustling cities, the beautiful landscapes of snow and ice were replaced by barren wasteland, completely ruined for eternity. All lost by the waging war had lasted for over five years. Despite to the endless battles by United Nations to break through the Asian boarders to reach the headquarters of the enemy in St Petersburg there was no success. All seemed futile at this point, but they refused to give up. Why exactly would anyone want to break through enemy lines so desperately? What was truly at stake for the outcome of the raging battles?
It was the control of the bitbeasts and the power to control the world.
Fighting for eternal peace and equality, along with the order to protect the planet by freeing the bitbeasts from evil control, were the BBA Revolutionaries. Their chairman and leader General Stanley Dickinson wished to rescue the bladers that were captured in the fighting and regain the creatures hidden in the beyblades. They had lost many troops in advances, and if they failed to make it to the Russian headquarters, the world would be doomed.
The republic fiercely defending from the attacks and wanting to capture more sacred spirits of the blades were the dark forces of Biovolt. Lead by General Voltaire Hiwatari, they hoped to accomplish world domination by using the power within the bitbeasts. He had already stolen many from battle, contained and used them to strengthen his forces. His second in command Boris Valcov ruthlessly drove the armies with hate anger and spite. He of course relayed his authority with his team of high ranked bladers, Tala, Spencer, Bryan and Ian, known better as the Demolition Boys.
These officials based themselves on the edge of Moscow trying to seek out more sacred spirits they suspected were being kept by fighters for the BBA. These souls were sent to concentration camps. Close to the boarder, Voltaire, Boris and the Blitzkrieg Boys ran the main station of holding revolutionary warriors, while smaller ones were scattered throughout the Russian territory. Many older teenagers had been taken during the fights and were held as prisoners of war. They were forced to do gruelling manual labour to provide food, fuel, clothes and weapons for the Biovolt army. They were treated like filth, surviving in horrendous conditions, all designed to break their will to reveal any knowledge they had of the opposition or so they would surrender their own bitbeasts.
Little did they know captives in the largest camp, right under Voltaire's cold gaze held the most powerful spirits. Of course these revolutionaries were loyal to the BBA, so they all swore never to tell their tormentors anything.
These eighteen-year-olds braved and plotted any means of escaping and returning to the BBA headquarters where they would be safe. This was difficult due to the tight security of the camp, but they would never give up. Funnily enough, they never believed they could receive help from such unexpected sources. But were they friend, foe, or something more...
That is where the real story begins...
The dark deserted dungeon cells reeked of the stench of blood and death. Many had perished in the lowly depths from a variety of punishments. How long would it be before a person would snap inside and try to kill themselves to end the misery? That was the question in Skyla's head that morning.
The girl was used to the torture and angst. She had endured it for nearly five years and still marched on in hope of freedom. Her skin was creamy, though hidden under grime and dirt of poor living. Tangled ebony hair streaked with purple highlights reached to her waist, bangs hiding sapphire orbs which sparked in the light. An old denim skirt, violet crop top and knee high boots worn for years showed her place in the eyes of the army, scum that wasn't worth any time.
Bruised and battered from three days worth of confinement, she grunted as the hard stone floor grazed her back as she awoke. The underground death trap held new horrors behind every bolted metal door. Thankfully the teen had never actually seen or been in the chambers. The closest she got to them was being chained to the wall in passageway. Of course she had been told stories of what went on, and hear the screams at night.
Like always, her penalty for defiance had been brief but painful. Lashing, beating, then leashed in the hallway like a dog with a heavy manacle collar around her neck. Her time duration was spent scrubbing the floors, though some putrid stains of blood and entrails refused to come out, a reminder to all wary enough to notice. Skyla knew all marks on the stone ground from spending many days and nights trapped there, always for the same crime, planning escape.
Various plots had backfired on her or she got caught in her attempts. Truthfully, she could have merely ran, being quite swift and been back home. But for her it wasn't that simple to leave, no matter how much she hated the place or wished to be free. It wasn't just about her, but all of the prisoners her friends and companions in a just cause. Unless she could break them all out with her, she would refuse to leave.
Dawn was breaking over the horizon the only stretch of light gracing the underground through the bars of a grated slant window. It was the only good part about her day; she had to see it. Despite the heavy chains around her wrists, ankles and neck weighing her down, she staggered up. Grasping the bars to hold herself steady, she looked on to the rising sun. Hope for a new day and new chance flowed through her veins.
'It will happen. One day we will succeed. I don't when, but we'll do it, get away from here, back home with our bitbeasts safe and end this war. I can't give up on the dreams, after all, I have my own reasons that will take me to sanctuary...'
Hearing the crunch of boots over the wasteland outside she sighed. The soldiers were leaving to fight and her friends would be woken soon. What kind of torment that would ensue through the day was anyone's guess.
The camp was widely spread in a vast area with various structures. Coming in on vehicles from the front road, the first thing you would see passing the tollgates would be the huge mansion base where the high officials lived and plotted. It looked out forward facing the other areas of the location. Behind it was smaller accommodation for soldiers as well as training ground facilities and entrance to the underground base and torture dungeons. Also at the sides of the fortress was the colossal weaponry factory, fields, river connecting to the well, workhouses and underground mine carved into the mountain. These areas were the workers spent the day slaving for the benefit of Biovolt forces.
The rest of the time was spent in their concentrated prison habitat in front of the mansion. The large sector was surrounded by barbed wire fencing and guarded by vicious dogs and armed soldiers protecting the towering bulletproof gates. The prisoner area was split into three sections, separated by high walls and security patrols. The middle place was were the captives wandered freely, with a mess hall, showers and latrines.
On each side of the social sector were identical wooden cell huts with meshing over the small windows. Females slept in the right hand area and males in the left. These were the sleeping quarters for prisoners each cabin, taking between four or five people. Only worn straw mattresses and ripped blankets were given for warmth on the chilling nights. Clothes had to be altered by the captives in the workhouse in spare time. Medical supplies were only provided for Biovolt representatives, as they saw no less in a dying slave.
Huge speakers towered on high poles overlooking the camp, and pointed at the prisoner area. Shrill sirens and ringing sounded over the wasteland, signalling a wake up call for workers to get up and report for role call. If you didn't show up on time, you would be severely disciplined.
In a male bunker, a Chinese teen yawned stretching as he sat up on realising it was morning. He had long raven hair tied in a tattered wrap, and held back by a dirty bandanna with a faded Ying yang symbol on it. His amber orbs of a feline widened in alert, pointed ears detecting the droning alarm outside. His bones creaked from sleeping on the uncomfortable bedding, before turning to his friend lying next to him on another mattress.
"Lee, hey wake up. Come on, role call, we can't be late and still have to get dressed." he mumbled, shaking his companion, who grumbled and pulled the blanket away from his face. His spiky black hair was shorter, but still tied back through a few strands fell over golden eyes. He replied with a muffled good morning, grinning a bit. His friend copied him, both revealing a set of tiny cat fangs.
"Sorry Ray, I was just thinking about..." he became silent and tracing his gaze, the other saw what depressed him, the two empty bunks on the other side of the room.
"It's okay, Lee." Ray comforted, patting his friend on the shoulder. "I miss Kevin and Gary too, but nothing can be done about it..."
"Yeah, but who knows what could happen to them, being transferred to the city. They may be being lashed into working in a dangerous construction area or factory. Either they're been driven to dragging stone in a work yard, or they're already..."
He couldn't finish, it was simply too horrible to think about. The camp was a nightmare, but it was better than working in Moscow or one of the other huge empires. When they were short of slaves to work in building areas or in wrecking divisions, they called to prison concentration to send a few spare captives to work. Safety standards were dreadful, and it was deadly work. People died in accidents or from sheer exhaustion. If you didn't pull your weight, you were taken to be disposed of. However in most cases it didn't matter, as many didn't survive the journey to the city.
"We can't live on it, they wouldn't want us to give in. If you break down it's all over, but if you trust in fate there's hope you'll make it and they may as well." Ray reassured. "Besides, you still have all your friends here to support you...well, maybe one person who's more than a friend..."
"Hey! Oh just shut up about that!" Lee snapped, but couldn't suppress a bit of laughter. It was better than living in the gloom, and made you believe there was a chance that things hadn't come to the worst.
Smiling a bit, both boys braced themselves for another day, and stood to get dressed. Both put on baggy black trousers and slip on shoes. While Ray wore a white Chinese shirt with gold and blue ties, Lee had a yellow over jacket with green lining over his bare torso. Their garments were torn and filthy, but it was the best they could do. Running out of the cabin they headed for the huge gates that would open to let them into the centre section for role call, hoping to run into others along the way. Keeping their minds of reality, they just talked, or more likely Ray teased Lee about his 'friend'.
"I'm just saying you shouldn't keep it bottled up. You think of her as more than a friend, you should tell her."
"Are you crazy?! This is no place to tell someone your true emotions. You cannot make a relationship in this Hellhole! Besides, she would never feel the same as I do."
"You won't know unless you ask. Also, in this dump, knowing someone cares is a lot comfort. It may make both of you feel safer."
"Maybe so, but what would make her feel the same way about me?"
Lee hated to admit it, but there was one good thing this torture had brought him through all the suffering, and her name was Daisy. A simple villager, but holder of a sacred spirit, she was brought in while running across the boarder to escape the fighting. Her golden and amber curls were tied in two pigtails with the rest falling just below her shoulders and violet eyes made her shy but sweet. To Lee, she was the light in the ever-growing darkness, and his heart melted with love and affection for his secret sweetheart.
"Come on man, you've been around her for years here, and it's obvious what you feel. You can't promise much now, but just hint at the moment, then when we get out of here you can confess everything. That's my plan for Mariah."
"So you haven't told the total truth either."
"No, but I plan to when the time comes."
Despite his deep devotion and feelings Ray couldn't voice them to his love yet. He was trying to summon the courage, but since things were so unpredictable, he didn't want to give her or himself heartbreak in case they were separated always a possibility. The warlords, explaining the barriers between the opposite sexes, forbade relationships in any form. It was difficult to give your love through chain fencing and iron gates. So for Ray his first act on becoming free was to tell his true intentions to the pink-haired girl, that he wanted to be with her forever.
"I guess it's up to faith..."
"Better be faithful that we make it time for role call slowpokes, or Boris will put us in the dungeons." a loud voice shouted as two figure ran across the compound. One young boy had bouncy blonde hair and large aqua eyes with a pleasant grin. The other was the one who spoke was a tall American with light brown hair and dark orbs along with a city accent.
"Morning Max, Michael. You wan to walk with us to the gates?" Ray asked his friends.
"Yeah, sure." Max replied; always cheerful no matter how bad things became. He and his roommate began walking beside the Chinese boys, and glancing at the taller boy, Lee asked the blonde what was wrong, as he seemed too sullen to talk himself.
"Well, we're going to be moved in with you guys soon, leaving an empty cabin 'to make space' as these slave drivers call it. Michael still ruffed up about everything, only covering it with remarks..."
"Don't talk about me as if I wasn't here!" he snarled, making the younger American cringe a bit.
"No need to take it out Max, I know it's been rough, we lost our friends too" the Chinese defended, seeing the other nod in agreement.
"Yeah, sorry guys, you're going through it too. I just wish I had gone instead of Steve and Eddy, so they would be okay."
"We know," Lee reassured, "With so many being transported to the cities, it makes you worry who will be next..."
The conversation was interrupted by a clatter nearby. Soon another boy emerged from a hut. He had long navy hair under a baseball cap and brown eyes, only he was soaking wet.
"Oh, I'm gonna kill those two! Kenny! Zeo!"
"You know Tyson, if you got up on time they wouldn't have to wake you like that. They just don't want you being late and getting in trouble." Max said, trying to suppress laughter like the others.
"Could they find a more subtle way of getting me out of bed? This is ridiculous!"
"You're a heavy sleeper though." a small voice chirped. A short boy with dark brown hair that covered his eyes appeared, round spectacles glinting in morning light.
"Kenny's right, you can keep the whole sector awake with your snoring Ty..."
Just then a second alarm went off. Soon a boy with purple eyes and long green hair raced over to his friends.
"Come on you guys, second siren means we have to be at the gates, the others are there already. Better move it!" he shouted as the group ran off towards the large walls. As they went Tyson called over to him.
"Nice call Zeo! If it weren't for you we could all have got in serious trouble, but I still resent the whole waking me up with cold water routine."
Quickly the boys rushed towards the towering guarded gateway to briefly chat to their friends before being pulled out for role call. None of them wanted to find out what they would receive for being late.
End Part 1