Beyblade Fic: "Centrepiece" ~ Chapter Fourteen
Title: Centrepiece
Chapter: Fourteen
Author: Jedi Princess Clarrisani
Fandom: Beyblade
Rating: M15+ Seriously people, this fic contains non-con/rape, violence, thoughts of suicide, language
Pairings: Ray/Tala/Kai, Mariah/Kevin, Ray/Bryan, Tala/Bryan, and a surprise other
Summary: Ray finds himself trapped in a relationship he can’t get out of.
Disclaimer: Contrary to what some people believe, I do not own Beyblade
| Introduction | One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven | Eight | Nine | Ten | Eleven | Twelve | Thirteen | Fourteen | Fifteen | Sixteen | Epilogue |
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“You sure you don’t want anything? I could get you a cushion or-”
“Look, Mariah, I’m not dying.” Bryan rolled his eyes as the pink haired woman continued to flutter around him, making a general fuss. A thought occurred to him, a comment he remembered Ian having made. Looking up, he kept a straight face as he narrowed his eyes. “You’re as bad as Emily. She couldn’t take a hint either. You’re both exactly the same.”
Mariah’s face darkened as her eyes flashed, before it all returned to a calm serenity that caused everyone in the room to shudder. “If you’re sure you’re okay, I’ll leave you. Just sing out if you want anything.”
As she left the room, Kevin looked up, eyes filled with awe and amusement. “Damn you’re good.”
“Kevin!”
“Be right there.” He looked back. “You have so got to teach me how you did that.”
Bryan smiled. “Later. Your bitch is calling you.”
“Tell me about it.” He sighed as Mariah called out again, an edge to her voice. “Later.”
As soon as he was gone and Ray had chased away the rest of his teammates, he joined Lee and Bryan at the table, Lee proceeding to fill them in on everything that had gone on before in the meetings. As hour later he finished, Ray rubbing his temples.
“I’m getting a migraine,” Ray admitted, shaking his head. “That’s a lot to take in at once.”
“It is,” Lee said, leaning back in his seat. “And that’s just the main things. I should have some Minutes somewhere that they sent me. I’ll copy them out for you.”
“That’d help,” Bryan said, tapping his fingers against the tabletop. “Though I gotta say it sounds to me like these meetings go nowhere.”
“They don’t.” Lee sighed, slumping. “They tell us what to do, we refuse. They push us around, we have nothing of it. They call us old fashioned, and we declare all out warfare.”
Ray shook his head. “Why do they want it all to change? Isn’t it working already?”
“Modernisation. They want to keep it interesting, include new things.” Lee scowled. “At one point they were talking of taking out the battles all together and simply having blade races, but Robert and Michael saw to that. Robert has all the right contacts that could have closed the BBA down, and Michael put his notes up on his web site for the public to see, starting petitions and a heap of outcry.”
“So that’s who did that.” Bryan smirked. “Gotta give Parker some credit. Those riots were rather large and violent.”
“Mm. BBA threatened to put the authorities onto him for promoting hostility and unrest.”
“And Robert would have taken care of that too.” Ray sighed. “We all knew this would happen when the BBA came under new management. Makes me wonder what Mr Dickenson thinks about it all.”
“Doubt he would be happy.” Lee picked at a mark on the tabletop. “He spent years building the sport up into what it was, and now they come along and try to change it.”
“Hn. And call it ‘revolutionising’. Just another word for screwing everything up if you ask me.” Bryan looked up toward Lee. “Anything else we’re gonna need to know?”
“Yeah. Better tell you how the meetings actually work.”
Ray and Bryan listened keenly, mentally taking everything down as Lee described layout, schedules, order and everything else relating to the structure of the meetings themselves. They picked up on the fact that the older teams seemed to be considered second rate, while the new teams were given first preference.
Ray glanced to the side as he spotted Bryan’s face darkening, also noting the anger that burned in Lee’s orange-gold spheres. Shuddering, Ray shifted, feeling faint traces of his own anger as Lee continued, and by the time the White Tiger captain finished, a tense silence hung over the room.
“Otherwords,” Bryan said smoothly. “We can expect to be treated like shit.”
Lee nodded. “Exactly.”
“Something needs to be done about that.” Bryan smirked, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back in his seat. “I think it is time we made a stand.”
Lee looked up sharply. “You’ll get arrested. Besides, they won’t listen. We’ve been speaking out for over a year now.”
“You forget,” Ray winked toward his best friend. “The public has a keen interest in blading at the moment.”
Lee stared at him a moment before chuckling. “I see. The whole sympathy thing.”
“We’ve had such a hard few months,” Ray said dramatically, over-exaggerating his movements. “We’ve been scorned, used and abused by those we trusted, and now we find we are being ridiculed and violated by the organisers of our own sport! It is simply not fair! We cannot take it! The world is out to bring us down!”
“Not bad, Kitten.” Bryan looked toward Lee. “Well?”
“Works for me, and I bet I can get Michael and Robert behind us as well.” Lee smirked, chuckling. “Of course, you should wait until the day after the meeting.”
“Experience it first hand, you mean.” Ray nodded, eyes sparkling. “It’ll give us more ammo.”
Lee glanced at the time, raising an eyebrow before he stood. “I’ll just ring Michael and see what he thinks. That is of course if he’ll listen instead of drooling off every word.”
Bryan looked up. “What does Spencer think about that?”
“He puts up with it.” Lee shrugged, eyes twinkling. “I mean, he hasn’t flattened him yet.”
Ray glanced sideways at Bryan as Lee left the room. “The key word being ‘yet’.”
Bryan sniggered.
************
As he drove toward the BBA centre, Bryan had to cuss those who were organising the meeting for choosing a location so far away when they knew that most of the older teams lived in the one area. Then again, judging from what he had learnt over the last week and a half from Michael, Lee and Robert, the organisers had no love for the older teams
He reached up, fingering the band that hung around his neck and the pendant that dangled from it. Ray had slipt it to him as he had left the home of the Blade Breakers and White Tigers, and when Bryan had gotten home he had opened the small handkerchief that it was wrapped in to find the small half circle, the Yang of the Chinese Yin-Yang.
Bryan knew Ray had the other half, the Yin, and upon doing research into the Yin-Yang Bryan had discovered that the Yang represented the masculine, while the Yin was the feminine. The two halves could not exist without the other, instead coexisting to create universal balance. To completely remove evil is to also destroy the good, to remove the Yang is to destroy the Yin, and in that creating nothingness and ceasing life.
Deep stuff.
It had been a few days now since he had had the cast removed, the doctors informing him that it had healed perfectly, telling him that he no longer needed the crutches though he still had a single metal crutch, almost a stick, to support him as he walked, the leg still needing to regain its strength.
As he pulled into the car park he smirked as he drove past the spot reserved for him and into the disabled park outside the doorway. The three captains had told him that the old teams were given parks a long way from the doorway, so he when he had gotten his cast removed he had made inquiries and his doctor had arrange for a permit.
Glancing in the rear vision mirror Bryan had to smirk as he realised all the visible marks of his assault were now pretty much gone, leaving only faint scaring that was continuing to fade, and the slight limp the doctors had told him would go as his leg continued to heal.
Climbing out of his car, he reached into the passenger seat and retrieved his stick, looking up as a man hurried forward.
“This is a disabled park,” the man huffed.
“I know that.” Bryan tapped the glass of his windshield. “And that’s a disabled permit.”
The man checked the date of it. “You don’t look disabled.”
“Whatever you reckon,” Bryan closed and locked his car, gripping the stick and limping toward the doorway. “If you don’t believe me, you can call my doctors, cause until they say otherwise disabled is exactly what I am.”
~~~~*~~~~
Ray looked up as Bryan approached, grinning and moving toward him. “Any trouble in the carpark?”
“A little. If they tow my car I sue them for harassment.” Bryan looked toward Robert. “Thanks for the heads up about the parking.”
“You are welcome.” Robert ran his eye over him, smiling faintly. “I must say you appear to be in better shape than our last meeting.”
“I’m a fast healer.” Bryan ran his eye over the crowd. “So these are the ‘revolutionary new generation’.”
“Yeap.” Michael joined them, scowling. “That’s them all right. Bunch of no hopers.”
“Is that so?” They turned to see a young man standing there, arms crossed over his chest. He looked at Ray and Bryan, turning up his nose. “So you’re the replacements. Hope you don’t expect everything to the same as those bygone days of old techniques and out-dated strategies.”
“No.” Bryan narrowed his eyes. “I’m expecting to hear crackpot ideals and foolish notions.”
The rookie’s eyes flashed. “Oh really? And just who are you to say that?”
“Someone with high experience and skill that will wipe the floor with you.”
“The way you battle is all cheap tricks and special effects.”
“Say that again when you’re picking the parts of your blade up off the stadium floor.” Bryan smirked. “That is of course, if you’re still conscious.”
“How dare you.” His eyes flashed. “I’ll have you know our blades are far more superior to yours.”
Bryan raised an eyebrow. “You wouldn’t happen to be talking about the XPs, are you?”
“I most certainly am.”
Bryan burst out laughing.
The younger man blinked in confusion and anger. “What’s so funny?”
“You.” Bryan shook his head. “I’ve looked into these XPs, kid. I’ve even taken one for a test drive, and they’re the shitest thing I’ve ever seen. What they have on speed and manoeuvrability they lack in durability and endurance. They don’t spin for as long, and one knock and they fall apart. Hell, I’ve seen plywood blades stand up to more.”
“Is that so?” The rookie narrowed his eyes. “And just what is your blade?”
“Built to last.” Bryan raised an eyebrow. “Ain’t that what they say? The old ones were built to last where the new ones are built to fall apart so you have to keep replacing them and replacing them and replacing them… the sport ain’t about skill no more, it’s all about corporate income. Beybladings for the rich.”
“And what’s wrong with that?”
“What ain’t wrong with that?” Bryan narrowed his eyes. “The crowd wants the thrill of the real deal, kid, not something that has been planned and synchronised from the beginning. The crowd wants skill and endurance, bladers who are experts, talented and strong willed. Not you spoilt little rich kids whose daddy probably owns part of the company.”
“So what if he does?”
“So Beyblading is going downhill.”
“We still have the viewers. The fans still come.”
“To see their idols, not the sport. It’d be just as easy to line them up in a tent so people could come look. Anybody can be world champ these days if they have the money.”
The rookie growled. “And all this coming from someone who was once a puppet of Biovolt, a company set on world domination who probably cheated to get as far as they did.”
“You’re right, we did cheat. That final during the first team season was rigged to all hell. Each dish was specifically made for each Biovolt blader, and yet we lost. Why?” He jerked a thumb toward Ray. “Cause the Blade Breakers were more determined to win. The Demolition Boys had high tech blades and years of training, but we didn’t have the experience or the will to succeed, and we went down. Just like you will.”
“You certainly have a lot to say for a cripple.”
“Who says I’m a cripple. Maybe this is a weapon.” He tapped the stick against the tiles. “To beat some sense into hot air bags like you.”
“You saying I talk nothing but hot air?”
“What do you know, there are brains in there somewhere. Yes, I’m calling you nothing but hot air. At least I can back up my claims.”
“Oh really?” The rookie crossed his arms over his chest. “How do you know what the fans want?”
“Because I’ve been in the public eye for years. Can’t go anywhere without the media hounding me.” Bryan narrowed his eyes. “Besides, take a look at the network ratings. Back before the takeover the ratings were huge. After the takeover they’ve been plummeting, save for the few matches where my team and the teams of these four compete.” He smirked. “I do believe that the match with the highest rating was the first match between myself and Kon there.”
“The one where you nearly killed him.”
“That’s the one. And know why?” The other shook his head. “Because of the tension. Both bladers were highly skilled, going all out in a do or die contest. There was no mercy, no prisoners, just us and that match. The crowd were on the edge of their seat, eyes pinned to the dish, unable to blink in case they miss something. It was all about suspense, just who would take the next victory. And I must say we certainly ended it with a bang.”
Ray snorted. “We were both unconscious.”
“Exactly my point.” Bryan returned his attention to the rookie. “Those were the days when it meant something to be a finalist. These days being a finalist depends on how big your wallet is, and who wants to watch that?”
************
“Damn you put them in their place.” Michael laughed, shaking his head as they walked around the wide balcony of the upper story of the building. “I swear that kid looked like he’d swallowed a hot chilli.”
“I must say it was most impressive.” Robert smiled. “Truer words have never been spoken.”
“Best bit was that the head organisers were standing right behind us the whole time,” Lee sniggered. “Heard the whole thing and looked ready to have a heart attack.”
“Someone had to speak up.” Bryan looked across at them. “You cowards weren’t gonna.”
“We’ve spoken up,” Michael replied. “Just that we never found the way to put it right that it wounded.”
“Agreed.” Lee smiled. “The whole thing with the ratings was inspired.”
“As was referring to the public image.” Robert smiled. “I never believed that you cared so much for your supporters.”
“I don’t.” Bryan smirked. “However, they’re the ones that make the cash in my pay cheque and the teams funding, so you’re gotta give them some credit.”
“Indeed.”
Lee sighed, looking around. “Well, I’m gonna head back down and find the Chief Organiser to talk about said funding.”
“Right behind you.” Michael frowned. “They told Judy they were gonna slash the funding for PPB, and I kinda promised her I’d look into it while I was here.”
“I might return down as well.” Robert crossed his arms over his chest, smiling faintly. “There is a captain I wish to speak with after I overheard him disrespecting my team.”
“You go get him, Robert.” Ray smiled. “I think I’ll stay up here for a while. Bryan?”
“Go back down after that? No, I’m gonna cool off a bit more.”
“Yeah, noticed your fuse looked short.” Lee nodded, moving toward the doorway. “See you in a few.”
Bryan and Ray watched them go, the two continuing to move around the balcony, stopping as they came to the chief viewing platform and stopped just inside the wind breaks.
“Sometimes I’m glad you’re so direct,” Ray said, sighing as he chuckled. “None of them knew how to react at all.”
“That’s the key to pissing someone off: give them no room for revenge and they become incredibly frustrated.” Bryan smiled, leaning against the wall. “But it was Robert, Michael and Lee that gave me everything I needed to have a decent argument.”
“Yeah.” Ray smiled. “So how was the drive?”
“Long.” Bryan raised an eyebrow. “You?”
“Same, though I must say I enjoyed it.” Ray grinned. “See the car?”
“Sure did. Not bad, Kitten. Where you dig that up from?”
“Judy, actually. She came to see Max a couple of days ago and asked me why I didn’t have a car. I told her and she looked into some of her colleagues and they actually had someone selling their car because they’d just found out they’re pregnant and their current car was too small, though they hadn’t long had it.”
“Convenient.”
“It was, yes. And pretty cheap.”
“So, who’d ya have to sleep with?”
“Bryan!” Ray chuckled, shaking his head. “I swear sometimes, I don’t know if I should kiss you or kill you.”
“Well, that’s one step up on a lot of people. They usually just want to kill me.” Bryan chuckled, nodding toward the edge of the balcony. “Up here, both options are available.”
“Yeah.” Ray bit his lip. “They are.”
Bryan looked down at him, frowning slightly. “Something wrong, Ray?”
Ray shook his head, looking away. “No… it’s nothing.”
“Don’t look like nothing.” Bryan straightened, reaching out and placing a finger beneath Ray’s chin, tilting his head back. “You can tell me.”
“I know.” Ray met Bryan’s eye. “It’s just…”
Bryan swallowed, feeling his heart skip. “Just what?”
“Just…” Ray let out a long breath. “I promised myself… I wouldn’t fall in love with you.”
“You shouldn’t make promises, Ray,” Bryan stepped closer, reaching back and setting his stick against the wall before he threaded his arm around Ray’s waist, drawing the younger against him, “that you know you can’t keep.”
Ray moaned as Bryan kissed him, threading his arms around Bryan and leaning against him, the feelings he had felt last time they had kissed heightened a 100 fold. Bryan was the same, suddenly feeling complete as he drew out the kisses, long and sensual, making him feel as if he was going to melt.
They lost all track of time, eventually drawing back when the need to breathe became too great. Ray rested his head against Bryan’s shoulder, the elder holding him close and burying his face in the youngers hair, breathing him in.
“Bryan?”
Bryan’s eyes cracked open ever so slightly. “Yeah?”
Ray drew back, looking up toward him, golden eyes filled with sincerity. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Kitten.” Bryan smiled faintly, trailing his fingertips over Ray’s face before tucking back a loose strand of ebony hair. “And I mean that.”
| Introduction | One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Seven | Eight | Nine | Ten | Eleven | Twelve | Thirteen | Fourteen | Fifteen | Sixteen | Epilogue |