Author: Arashi
Pairing: Kai x Tyson
Spoils-Reference: G Revolution
Rated: R Later Chapters
Summary: Only one thing stands between Tyson and the Championship. His Team-Mates. He'll do whatever it takes to win again. But will he sacrifice his friendships to do it?
"Tyson, you have to register." Kenny poked his head round the locker room door and looked imploringly at his friend. There was no reply and he wondered if Tyson had even heard him. Stepping into the room he frowned, not liking where this obviously going to go. Tyson had been in a melancholic mood ever since he had found out aboutl, what he called, Max and Rei's defection. The fact that his one hope for the tournament had left for a team he despised, Tyson had been less than responsive to everything Kenny tried, including getting Hiromi to actually be nice for a change. "Tyson?"
Blue eyes raised to his and there was a flicker of anger in them before the Blader grinned and rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Sorry. Were you talking?"
Kenny resisted the urge to roll his eyes and clutched Dizzy to his chest tighter. He'd told Hiromi and Daichi to wait in the coridor until he got Tyson. They had a limited time to register and now that Tyson knew he wouldn't have his team-mates behind him, he had to know he'd run into them. And that didn't bode well at all. "Yeah. You need to register."
With a quick laugh, Tyson jumped to his feet, but Kenny could sense that he was trying to hide how he felt by the betrayal. Trying so hard it was painfully obvious. Blue eyes haunted with something Kenny couldn't even begin to describe and for the first time since Max and Rei had admitted to leaving, there was a burning in his stomach that he knew was akin to hatred. Tyson shouldn't look like this, and the helplessness he felt at the situation left a burning in his heart.
This was all so screwed up. "Come on then." He flashed a smile, putting Tyson at ease and they fell into step. Out in the coridor Hiromi and Daichi were fighting, again, and they turned as one. Daichi reached them first, fists raised in what could only be described as a pose Tyson would have taken back before his thirteenth birthday. Kyouyu hid a smile. That seemed so long ago. "I am so ready for this! We are going to wipe the floor with everybody!" The laugh Tyson forced out of himself was as fake as the smile on his face, but thankfully Kenny was the only one who caught it. "Sure, Daichi. That's if you can keep up with me."
Daichi's eyes flashed with challenge and all the way to the reception hall he muttered and yelled and was generally a pain about the whole thing. The small desk at the end of the room was their eventual destination. Eventual, because the hall was packed with bladers. Apparently everyone had left it to the last minute thinking that nobody else would. "Why is it, every time, people leave it till last because they think nobody else will?"
Tyson shrugged and Hiromi punched him lightly in the shoulder. He resisted the urge to tell her she punched like a man and scanned the crowd. Kenny knew who he was looking for and shook his head. "They may have already registered."
"Who said I'm looking for them?" The heat of the reply made both Daichi and Hiromi look up and Kenny to shrug and turn away. Biting back on another angry retort, Tyson tried to ignore the guilt biting at the edges of his stomach. His eyes once again scanned and then stopped.
He stiffened so much that the other three followed his gaze and there was no mistaking the blonde head of hair coming in their direction. Kenny winced. He'd been hoping to run into Rei first, if anyone, as Tyson wasn't ready to deal with Max this soon.
"Tyson, don't -"
Tyson was already walking forward, jaw set, and Kenny knew he was just going to walk straight on past. "Tyson!" Max's happy shout was lost on the dark-haired blader and the blonde frowned at the dismissive look on his best friends face. Former best friend? Kenny wanted to shout with the frustration of it all. He wondered vaguely if Tyson was taking this all a bit too far, but then realised just how much stock Tyson had put in friendship and loyalty. This was going to be like hell on earth for all of them, and only Tyson had the ability to put it right.
That was if he wanted to.
"Tyson!" Max tried again, reaching for Tyson and gripping his elbow. "Hey!"
Blue eyes met green and there was a battle of wills before Tyson backed down. Kenny watched the exchange nervously and it was only then he noticed Michael and Emily at the registry table and he hoped they didn't finish too quickly. He didn't want them to get involved in this, not right now. It was bad enough that they had to be party to whatever it was that made Max and Rei back out of the BladeBreakers in the first place.
"What?" It was snapped and angry and Max was taken aback by the pure venom in Tyson's eyes and tone. "I have to register, Max."
Not Maxie, Max. The abscence of his nickname immediatly made Max realise what had happened, what Tyson was feeling, but there was no remorse in his eyes. Kenny never expected to see any. Max and Rei had reasons, even Kai, but he didn't want to go there right now, for what they did. Tyson had never bothered to ask. He wasn't all that sure that they would have told him.
"What is your problem? I was only-"
"Don't, okay?" Tyson said, and there was pain now. "Just leave it. Go be with your team and leave me to mine." The anger had all but dissapated from Tyson's reply and he shook his head in the first sign of defeat Kenny had seen in him. Ever.
There was no reply from the blonde blader, he was at a loss for words. That is, until another familair voice cut through the crowd. "Hey Tyson!" Kenny and Max saw the inevitable stiffening of Tyson's body, but the dark haired blader turned anyway and smiled sparingly at Lee.
"Hey." The reply was short and to the point and Lee frowned.
"I heard you guys arguing. Does this have something to do with why Rei-" At mention of the chinese Blader, Tyson bristled and his eyes darkened.
"No. I have to register." He made to push past Lee, but the elder boy stopped him.
"I hope this won't affect us." Tyson looked like he wanted to say something and the apology in his eyes put Lee to rest. But the words wouldn't come and Kenny knew that Tyson just wanted to register and leave. He wasn't going to be granted that small mercy, however, because Rei and Mariah were approaching them and Kenny could see the want to talk to Tyson in Rei's eyes. Now wasn't a good time, not unless Rei wanted to be snapped at, just like Tyson had snapped at Max.
"Tyson." The voice was sharp and angry and the breath caught in Kenny's throat. Not now. Please not now., but Tyson had already heard and for the briefest of seconds Kenny saw Tyson deflate. It was gone almost immediately and then Tyson was strong again and turning. Kenny had seen it, though, and it felt like hope breaking.
Kai.
Tyson said nothing, just stared at Kai in silence. There was all manner of emotions in his eyes that Kenny didn't want to examine right now, and the only one he chose to focus on was betrayal. It didn't look like Kai was going to say anything either, until Max smiled at him. "Hey Kai! Are you here with Tyson?"
The air between them all grew about ten inches thicker in seconds and Max and Rei exchanged looks when Kai shook his head.
"No. Tyson, I need to talk to you." There was a sense of urgency to his tone that Kenny picked up on. He wondered if Kai had gotten his note.
"I don't want to talk to you." What startled Kenny most about the reply was the complete lack of emotion in it.
Kai's eyebrows nitted into a frown and he was about to gripe at Tyson for the millionth time. Kenny had a nasty feeling that if they fought this time, without the buffer that was their friendship, it would remain broken.
"Tyson - Don't. Please just leave it -"
Kenny's plea fell on deaf ears. Tyson rounded on him, eyes flashing with anger. "Leave what? The fact that my team, my friends, deserted me for other teams, just because of who I am?" And for the first time Kenny had the feeling that Tyson had gotten something that he hadn't. "That because I won the Championship, because I'm the worlds best blader, something I wouldn't have without them, they want to fight me? To prove they're better than me?"
Kenny couldn't remember the last time Tyson had cried in front of him, but his voice was thick with tears and the way Michael and Lee shifted uncomfortably, they knew it too. Rei and Max looked just as uncomfortable, but it was only Kai who spoke.
"So you'd prefer we team with you, and be unhappy?"
Tyson at least had the grace to look at him before replying. "Being with me makes you unhappy?"
Kai realised his slip too late, but he seemed neither bothered nor apologetic about it. "Yes."
Tyson's face fell again, and this time he didn't bother to hide it. Max and Rei looked at Tyson in disbelief and even Kenny had a hard time figuring out what Kai meant. For once, however, it seemed Kai was going to explain what he was talking about.
"I haven't fought against you in a long time. You would deny me the one chance to see once and for all who's the better?"
"And that's all this is about for you, isn't it? Who's the best blader?" The anger was back and this time there was no holding back. "Well, if that's what you want Kai-" Tyson spat the word like dirt. "-then you can have it." Tyson looked at them all, Rei, Max and Kai, and growled the words out. "-all of you." His hands bunched into fists. "I'll fight you with everything I am. Isn't that what this is about? Me fighting my best?"
"Tyson -" Max tried to placate his best friend, but to no avail.
"No Max. You started all of this, and now you have to finish. You want this? You have it! And I swear on every Bit Beast in the world that I will not hold back. You don't deserve it!" The words were like a whip and for all that they tried to hide the winces, Kenny caught them anyway. So did Tyson. "You have no idea how much you hurt me. Maybe after this tournament you will."
Without waiting for anyone else to say anything, Tyson stormed away from them and towards the registery table. For once, the three could think of nothing to say, and Kenny left them to it, ducking his head and following in Tyson's wake, Daichi and Hiromi walking worldessly with him.
TBC