Beyblade Burst Adventures

Starving Child (50k Special)

In which the Snake Pit's deranged darkness and inhumane experiments have shown tremendous progress in the form of Red Eye, whose perspective has been warped and twisted to where he can't trust anyone or anything around him...
But that may change when Ashtem enlists the Snake Pit's nurse to tend to him and watch over the beast Blader in his absence.
(Platonic, gender neutral reader insert. Not canon to the Beast Within Project AU.
Bey fans, I want to thank you all so much for helping my story reach this point. It hasn't all been Beys and roses, but 50,000 reads would never have been possible without all the devoted readers I have backing me. From the bottom of my heart, thank you! You've helped me persevere and rise to the top!)

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"There you go," I say as I finish tying off the bandages around his arm. "Just be careful when you train and come to see me every day, then those cuts will heal in no time." I offer him a smile, but it falls when I see that his lips are set in a deep frown as he slips his arm back into his uniform. "Gold Eye? What's wrong?"

"... It's nothing," He tells me, though I can tell it's a lie just from the sound of his voice. "Thanks for the help, (Color) Eye."

He pushes himself up and starts to leave, but as he reaches the door I call softly, "I'm not as naive as you think, sir. Does it have anything to do with those experiments Ashtem's been conducting?"

Gold Eye falters, turning back to me and murmuring, "You're not supposed to know about that."

"No, I'm not. But I know a lot of things I'm not supposed to, so many people talk..."

"Do you know what the experiments are?"

I shake my head. He stares me down, his gaze piercing through the lenses of his mask and straight through mine. "If you know what's good for you, you'll keep it that way. Ashtem won't be happy if he knew that you knew."

"... Are you going to tell him?" I ask quietly, ducking my head as I feel my stomach beginning to sink.

"No. I don't want to see another innocent person get hurt." And with that he turns away, shutting the door to my office behind himself. I watch the door in quiet unease, sitting still in hopes of my roiling stomach calming down.

What are these experiments Ashtem's conducting? What's happened to the home I once knew?...

I can't even imagine what they could be. I can't even imagine what's running through Ashtem's head. I don't even get time to try before the door opens again, causing me to jump to my feet and stand at attention as Ashtem steps in.

"Good afternoon, (Color) Eye," He greets calmly, his lips pressed into a flat line that scares me.

"Good afternoon, Ashtem, sir," I reply, trying to act natural despite my hammering heart. Does he know already? Has he always known?

Much to my dread, he seems to notice my apprehension and smirks. "Well, let me spare you the suspense, then... I know that you know of my recent experiments. How could you not, with all the folks coming to you with bite wounds and claw marks? How could you not, with Silver Eye missing for so long?"

"He's dead, isn't he?" I blurt out before I can stop myself and slap a hand over my mouth the second it leaves my lips.

"Oh, no! Certainly not," Ashtem laughs, sounding as though he finds my concern funny. "He's locked himself away into isolation. A bit overdramatic, considering his operation was a failure."

The mention of an operation has me stilling, the fear jolted away by a rush of hot fury. "What operation? What did you do to him?"

"Don't take that tone with me, (Color) Eye. I am your superior and I demand respect."