There Are Always Prices

Asuka’s eyes fluttered open to stare at the ceiling above. She studied the inside of the curtained canopy bed, blinking a few times to clear her sight of sleep. Slowly sitting up, she became aware of the light pain throbbing in the back of her head. Moving the curtain aside, she found officer Bukharin asleep in a chair by her bed. A short, sad smile rose to her lips. His sister must be worried about him.

“You shouldn’t be here with me, when you have someone more important waiting for you at home,” Asuka whispered as she made her way to the door. Bukharin mumbled something in his sleep, before turning over and falling deeper into slumber.

As silently as she could, Asuka left the room, walking barefoot down the empty hall. Passing by one of the windows, she found that it was still night. Or had she slept a day away? After Bukharin escorted her to the room her uncle assigned her, she slipped into unconsciousness yet again. How much time had passed since then, hours, days maybe a week?

Walking the familiar winding halls, she found herself in the resident quarters the Demolition Boys and the other abbey children occupied. Pressing against a wall, she waited for the guard on duty to pass by before she went for a door. As she expected, it was locked.

“Damn.” She needed to know how the others were doing. Whether or not they were being treated for their injuries or not, slipping back into the shadows, she headed towards the medical floor. There was less security on that floor since one could not get away with the sort of injuries that came with living at the abbey. Dodging another camera, she slipped into the doors, looking around.

In one of the beds, she found a Demolition Boy. Sweat dotted the face of the fair-haired young man that was unsettled in his sleep. Every now and then a whimper would escape his lips as he turned slightly to the side, obviously pained by his ribs. She hoped they weren’t broken. Slowly walking up to Bryan, her eyes softened.

Next to Tala, Kai, and her brother, she was always protecting him. Even though when she first came here, to this abbey, he was the most distrustful of her attempts to be friends with him. He remained that way for a complete year, despite the others flocking to her. It was that day, after she discovered the truth about what her uncle had been doing when her eyes were so blind.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

{Flashback}

Asuka walked out of the training room, after practicing for most of the morning. The others had already headed back to their rooms for the morning. She still couldn’t get her mind off learning about her uncle, so she stayed behind to clear her head. How could he…how could he be such a cruel man? When she first met him, and he smiled at her…was that the smile of a man that knew he wanted to hurt his family? Was it the smile of a man that would always hurt others, not just those that belonged to his family?

“I just don’t…I just don’t understand why it has to be this way,” Asuka whispered to herself, shoving her beyblade in her pocket. “I don’t understand how he could be so evil, but I’m not going to let him hurt any of us. I’m going to protect everyone here that I know and love.”

With that out of the way, she headed for her brother’s room to see what he was doing. For the past two days, he hasn’t been feeling quite well, and he’s been extremely pale. The doctors said he was coming down with something and for him to remain on bed rest until it passed, but Asuka wondered…was it her uncle that caused Hikaru to be sick? Had her uncle done something to her brother that caused him to fall ill? If that was the case, she swore she would make him pay for whatever he did to Hikaru.

Rounding a corner, she stopped in her tracks, finding one of the guards leaning against a wall. His pants were down to his ankles as he made one of the boys lick at his erection. That young boy was one she knew very well. He was Tala and Kai’s best friend Bryan, who for some reason avoided talking to her no matter how nice she was to him. The others said the reason he didn’t like her was because she was Boris’s niece. Since that time upon their first meeting, she continued to try to win his approval and acceptance.

“That’s right boy, take it in your mouth now,” the guard ordered, pushing the boy’s head down onto the object he gagged on. Thrusting his hips, he paid no attention to the coughing and gagging sounds that the boy was making. “You’re doing good, you keep this up and I won’t need to fuck you.” Frozen in her place, Asuka watched the boy do all he could to get away from the man as his thrusting became more violent and erratic, until finally he shoved the boy to the ground, gripping his erection as he climaxed on the boy.

When he was through, the guard gave the little boy a look over before walking away. Breaking free from her stupor, Asuka ran up to the little boy, kneeling down at his side. “Hey Bryan, are you okay? I’m sorry that I didn’t do something a head of time. He didn’t hurt you did he?”

The boy looked up at her with angry, tearful pale eyes. “What do you want?”

“Bryan, are you okay? Come on, let’s get you cleaned up,” Asuka said. Reaching out to lend him a hand, he smacked it away.

“I don’t need your help! Leave me alone!” the five year old boy shouted at her, trying to wipe away the tears from his sticky face. “What do you care anyway? Your uncle doesn’t let them touch you. You don’t know what it’s like! Just go back into your own little world and leave us alone! I’m not going to be like the others and run to you when something happens, I hate you! I can survive on my own.”

“Bryan…I know I don’t know what it’s like. I’m just learning that this has been going on behind my back. It’s not right what’s going on. I don’t want to see anyone else get hurt by what my uncle does. You have to trust me please I want to help you all be free from here. I’m finding that I care so much about you all as time goes on. That I could never just turn my back and let…this happen. Let me protect you,” Asuka begged.

“Why? What are you getting out of the deal?” Bryan asked suspiciously.

“Nothing but the satisfaction that you’re safe. That I can try to make a difference with my time here, no matter how long or short it is,” Asuka grinned. Pulling out a handkerchief that her mother gave her before dying, she wiped Bryan’s face clean of the semen and tears. Standing up, she held out her hand to him. With a flush, Bryan took her hand, letting her lead him to the baths to wash away a year of hate and mistrust.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

“And from that day on, you’ve always been there, watching me with such strong hope and love,” Asuka said, bowing her head to hide the tears even though the young man was asleep. “I promised that I would protect you, but it seems that as more time goes by, you’re trying to protect me. You, Spencer, Tala…Kai, all of you are doing your utmost to be strong. I appreciate it, but it pains me to have you do this for me. You can rest I will take care of my uncle and free us all, that I promise you all. Now I have to find Tala, get better Bry, if not for me, for the others, please.”

Asuka pushed herself up from the chair that she was sitting in to move back towards the door. Just as she was about to head out, she heard voices passing. Pressing against the wall, she held her breath, making no sound. The voices stopped outside the door talking. Asuka clung to the wall, praying they didn’t come in the room.

“Hey, did you hear?” one of the guards said to the other.

“What? Something up?” inquired the other guard.

“I heard there’s a new kid here. But you won’t believe it, this time it’s a girl.”

“A girl, eh. That sounds like fun. So, how come we haven’t seen the little pussy around? I’ve almost forgot what one feels like being in this place.”

“I heard that Bukharin got the privilege to watch over the little tart. He’s one lucky ass bastard. He’s probably tasting the waters as we speak,” the guard said, his voice filled with jealously. “I wonder why we don’t have privileges like that. Hell, and Director Balcov has the abbey’s two most prized pieces of ass for himself.”

“You aren’t lying about that buddy,” the other guard snorted. “They’re both in his quarters right now. Lucky. I would give my left ball to be in that sort of position.”

“I know, life isn’t fair, come on, we have to finish our rounds.”

“Right, right, it will be our ass if we don’t.” Asuka heard them walk on, rounding a corner. Letting out her breath, she pulled open the door and ran down the hall towards the stairs. Hitting the stairs a minute later, she took them three by three, not caring how much noise she made.

“I swear, if you hurt them uncle…” Asuka rounded the corner, heading up another flight up stairs to the fourth floor where her uncle’s private quarters were. No one was allowed up here, except for a few important individuals. This was also the floor where his private office was. Making it up to the full carpet area, she ran down the hall towards her uncle’s chambers. Before she hit the room, she heard a whimper of protest, followed by a cry. Making it to the door, she pushed it open, not surprised about it being unlocked, he had that much confidence no one would stop him.

Just as she was about to scream something, she stopped, her eyes widening at the scene present before her. Her uncle was seated completely naked on the bed, Tala was naked in his lap with his legs held wide open while her brother, who was also naked was kneeling down between Tala’s legs. Boris looked up to find his niece staring at them. “Well, looks like we have an audience boys.”

Hikaru turned around, licking away the semen that was trickling down the side of his mouth. His eyes narrowed when he saw who it was. “What the fuck do you want, girl?”

“Now, now Hikaru,” Boris chuckled as he raised a thumb to encircle one of Tala’s hard nipples. The red head whimpered softly, his body covered in a light coat of sweat, a flush spreading over almost every available inch of his naked body. “I’m sure she came out of concern for our little toy. Isn’t that right, Tala?”

“Asuka…” Tala whispered, tears rising in his eyes. “Please…help me…”

“Hikaru…how could you…? How could you do this to Tala?” Asuka shouted. What had her uncle done to him? How could he help hurt one of the people he cared about so much? “How could you? Tala’s always trusted you! He’s looked up to you like you were his real brother! Please come back to your senses.”

Hikaru stood up from his attention of Tala’s lower regions to walk up to Asuka. His brown eyes pierced hers, pinning her against the wall next to the door. Hikaru closed the door, locking it from the inside before speaking. “Come to my senses? To remember how you left me to be raped repeatedly? To the pain that washed over my body, my mind, and soul, why should I? Why should I remember you or your past? Give me one good reason why.”

“We had so much fun,” Asuka whispered, reaching up touching his sweaty brow. Tears rolled down her cheeks, trying to keep her composure, but with him, it fell. “I remember when mother and father were still alive. How you use to protect me from bullies. Then…they died, and I had to protect you. Your heart became so fragile, you missed them so much, more than me. But we made a life even if this abbey was our prison we made a life here. Our hearts are here, can’t you feel it, Hikaru?”

“Don’t touch me!” Hikaru grabbed her by the throat, wrapping his hands around her neck. Asuka let out a straggled cough, not wanting to fight her brother. “I don’t remember any of it. It’s because of you! It’s because of you that I can’t remember anything about my past! I hate you so much! I just wish you would die!”

“Hi…karu…”

Hikaru let her go, Asuka sliding down the wall gasping for air. Turning away from her for a minute, he knelt down and picked something up, before turning back to her. Asuka found a long leather belt in his hands. “You have no idea what it’s like to go crazy, thinking that things can’t get worst, only they do. But I’ll give you a taste of it.”

Asuka couldn’t move as he whipped her arms behind her, tying the belt tightly around both her wrists before roping them around her ankles too, leaving her hog-tied against the wall. Hikaru looked at his handiwork before heading back to the bed where Boris was tying Tala’s hands to the headboard of the bed. The red head had his eyes turned towards Asuka, watching her desperately struggle to free herself.

“Hikaru, do you have something in mind for teaching your sister a lesson?” Boris smirked, finishing his job. He watched the young man’s eyes go lustfully over Tala’s backside, resting on the curve of his butt.

“Let’s see how she likes it when she’s helpless to do anything while we really give her a show.” Hikaru climbed on the bed, behind Tala, who shook his head rapidly.

“Please no more! Please don’t!” he begged.

“What are you complaining about? We’ve been the ones that did all the work, Tala. You’ve just been screaming so blissfully for the past three hours. But don’t worry, soon you’ll be able to rest, we just need to teach Asuka the meaning of what it’s like to watch something precious to her slip away as she helplessly watches,” Hikaru whispered into the red head’s ear as he pushed all the way into Tala’s body. Before Tala let out his scream, Hikaru’s lips crushed into his, muffling the sound.

“Please stop Hikaru, you’re hurting him!” Asuka screamed. Hikaru turned an eye to his sister, watching her struggle on the ground to untie herself. Just to spite her, he pulled out all the way before snapping back in, this time letting the scream free as Tala buried his face into the pillow, crying hysterically. “Stop it! Please!”

“Oh, there’s much more where that’s coming from,” Hikaru grinned, slamming into Tala again. “Show her how much you love it, scream my name Tala.”

“Please stop. Please don’t, Hikaru!” Tala cried. “Asuka, please make him stop! Please help me!” Boris watched the walls around his niece’s calm starting to crack. So this was what it would take to break her to his will. After all those years of being defiant, it would be ironic that the one she fought so hard to protect would unravel her soul for him. He could almost see the broken spirit in her eyes now. It would take no time with Hikaru’s hatred for the girl brewing more each day.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

“Kai!” Tyson grabbed hold to dual haired male’s arm, stopping him from leaving the room. Kai glared at the young teen, his eyes threatening to kill Tyson if he didn’t let go, but Tyson didn’t care, they needed answers. And Tyson wasn’t about to let go of the male no matter how much he would probably end up throttling him later. “What the hell is going on? What’s all this about?”

“Leave me the hell alone!” Kai yanked his arm from Tyson’s grip. They had no right to know anything. It was his pain, the Demolition Boys’ pain, the abbey children, and Asuka’s pain to contend with. To let anyone know that sort of shame…it was too much for him to handle.

“I will leave you the hell alone when I know what’s up with you. Last night you had some nightmares didn’t you?” Tyson questioned. Kai was silent, giving Tyson more leeway to go on. “It is true, huh? You cried out her name while you slept. What is it about her that you can’t forget? What does any of this have to do about? She’s Boris’s niece, okay, that’s understandable. You grew up together, that’s fine. But what is it that makes your eyes haunted?”

“Just stay out of my life,” Kai snapped. “It’s none of your business. You have no right to know anything.”

“You say it’s not our business but you keep forgetting we’re your team. You’ve kept everything from us. We know nothing about you Kai, besides about your grandfather and Boris. That other night with that girl…you were at eased that was the first time I’ve ever seen you like that. What is that she knows that we don’t? You have to let someone in at some time, Kai,” Tyson said, his eyes turning to the ground.

“Tyson,” Rei said, coming up beside the blue haired young man. His eyes stared at Kai who was looking away. “You don’t trust us enough to tell us if she’s going to be okay or not? We have the right to know that much. So do her friends. If you care so much about her, then let someone know how to help her.”

“Why can’t any of you understand we don’t need your help?” Kai shouted. If they went investigating, getting the police involved, he would never see any of them again. Boris would kill them all, he would. He threatened Asuka with it before if she ever tried to go to the police. Yet…Boris didn’t care if Asuka was his niece, he only wanted to break her spirit so she would obey him. He would kill her when she was of no more use than his puppet. He didn’t want her like he did the boys at the abbey, even his own nephew.

“We don’t understand because you’re not explaining it to us,” Tyson shouted. “You’re just leaving us in the dark as usual.”

“Don’t get involved,” Kai said. Moving away from them, Kai went out the door, not bothering to listen to them anymore. He couldn’t incriminate any of them. Hadn’t they been through so much already? Outside, Kai stopped, looking up at the sky. Closing his eyes, he let out a breath, a cold, lonely sigh. “Asuka…what should I do?”

“Kai?” The young man jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Spinning around, he found Mr. Dickenson with concern in his eyes, looking at him. Kai let out another sigh. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, I needed some air,” he grumbled.

“Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it?” Mr. Dickenson said. “You know that—“

“Just shut up and leave me alone!” Kai said, squeezing his eyes shut. “I’m tired of hearing how everyone wants to help us. We don’t need help. What we need is for everyone to leave us alone. We can take care of ourselves. Asuka will take care of all of us, just go away.”

“Has she always done that? Taken care of everyone?” Mr. Dickenson inquired.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Kai stated. “I just want to be left alone, okay.”

“Fine…until you want to talk about it, I won’t mention it,” Mr. Dickenson sighed. Something in Kai’s eyes told him there was a lot more to this than Boris’s niece staying at the abbey. Something Kai didn’t want to bring up, that led him to terrible nightmares.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Asuka walked down the hall, her head lowered as she was led back to her quarters. She could still his the screams and cries echoing in her head no matter how much she focused on the cold, stone floor. The entire night she was in and out of consciousness while her brother and her uncle took turns ravaging Tala. All she could do was scream for them to stop. Hearing Tala eventually just give in to them. She hated it, hated herself for allowing such a thing to happen. Her heart hurting that she couldn’t comfort him when they finally let him rest.

His eyes plead with her, needing her, yet she couldn’t do anything about it. The guilt in her stomach wasn’t going away. No matter how much she told herself she wasn’t able to move because of her restraints. A part of her mind kept mocking her. Scolding her for not trying hard enough. She did try, but it wasn’t enough. It just wasn’t enough.

“Asuka,” Bukharin’s voice broke through her self-pity. Lifting her head up, she stared into Bukharin’s sympathetic green eyes. It was he who her uncle sent to take her back to her room. He gave no indication of his real feelings on the subject when he came into the room to find Tala’s hands tied to the headboard and Boris dressing for a meeting, while Hikaru slept.

“My brother and my best friend…both…” Asuka said.

“You don’t have to carry that burden,” Nicholai stated.

“I can’t get you involved with this. You have a sister that you have to go home to. I won’t allow it!” Asuka shouted. Nicholai merely smiled, leaning down to pick her up. A flush crossed her cheeks as they began walking again.

“You’re strong, I know that. But why go on with so much pain?”

“Bukharin?”

“Your arms and ankles, don’t they burn from the being tied with that belt for so long? It cut into your skin, you can see it,” Nicholai said. “I don’t want to see you suffer trying to look so strong. At least around me, let me carry your pain for as long as I can.”

“Don’t get involved,” Asuka whispered, touched by his dedication to her.

“I’m already involved. The minute I saw you, I knew I was going to get involved. It’s too late to tell me that now, Asuka,” he grinned. “I am at your service. As long as I have life in this body, I will do everything in my power to help you.”

“Stop it. Just stop, go home to your sister, forget about me…about this abbey, and what you saw. You’re…you’re too kind to be here.”

“Sorry, but you’re stuck with me for a while,” he laughed.

“Why? Why are you doing this?”

“How many times will I have to tell you before it sinks in? Because you shouldn’t be treated like this, you deserve so much more. When we get out of here, I promise to take you back to Japan and then you can show me all the sights.”

“The sakura trees in full bloom, the petals dancing in the wind in spring. The taste of sweet potatoes in the fall, the fireflies in the summer, the winter snow landing lightly on your tongue. There are so many scenes that you should see if we manage to escape.”

“Don’t say that, you’ll make it,” Nicholai assured.

“You promise?” Asuka asked. Her eyes shifted up to his.

“Promise,” he smiled.

“Then…I will place my trust in you, Nicholai.”

{Tbc...}