A/N: -stares at her last updates on all her fan fiction stories- So, 2014? That was the year I …. Started working for Wally World. It was also the year I graduated college. It's been 5 years everybody. How have you all been? I've been doing pretty good myself. It's not I have forgotten my characters. I adore all of them. Beyblade has always been a huge part of my life. So, I've decided to, uh, finally write Winter in Russia.
Welcome to Moscow, Russia
The sound of wheels on a suitcase squeaked across the tiled floor of the Moscow Airport. Megan hadn't realized the severity of appearing in Russia, in the middle of winter, would have on her plane's landing. The teenage girl was as pale as a ghost as she looked around the airport for the familiar face of the old man who had gotten her into this mess in the first place. She moved stray bangs from her eyes before spotting Mr. Dickinson waiting for her at the entrance of the airport. She walked over to him before pausing in front of the chairman of the BBA. The man smiled at her before bowing his head to the teenager in thanks and welcome. Megan smiled softly at him before placing her suitcase straight at her side.
"I trust the flight to Moscow was a good one?" he questioned her.
"Oh, the flight was fine," she answered. "Until we landed in a near whiteout. Apparently, pilots have no qualms with landing without being able to see 100%."
Mr. Dickinson laughed at her words before he turned to walk out of the building with the girl following behind him with a sigh. Her suitcase squeaked across the floor before the sound muffled with the fresh fallen snow. Megan made a noise as she saw the limousine that waited for them at the end of the stairs. She began her descent down the stairs before pausing at the vehicle. It seemed strange to her that there would be a limousine waiting for them. She stared at Mr. Dickinson in confusion. He arrived at her high school in a limo.
"Your host seemed to believe that a limousine had been in order to take you to him," laughed Mr. Dickinson. "Who am I to say no?"
"It wasn't needed," she muttered before opening the door to get into the vehicle. "I don't even have to leave my suitcase in the trunk."
Mr. Dickinson moved to sit across from her after he closed the door. The car started to move once they were settled into the vehicle. Megan made a noise before staring out the window. Moscow was beautiful with all the glistening snow on the trees and ground. She glanced at the old man next to her before propping her head onto her chin. He looked as if he had something to say to her. Well, he better say it now before they arrived at their destination.
"Do you know why I brought you here?" he asked her.
"To help with the preparations for the final round of the Beyblade World Championships?" she answered with a question of her own. "We've discussed this when you asked me in school, Mr. D."
She remembered the day he had asked her to help with the final round. Her team, Dark Shadow, finished their season on the American high school circuit as the top team. The team seemed to place within the top a lot when she had taken over as captain. Mr. Dickinson asked if she wished to participate by helping him make sure the final round ran smoothly for the watching crowd. She remembered her team's words when she had thought about declining his proposal.
"Megan, it's the opportunity of a lifetime. Why would you even think of declining such an offer?"
"Listen, you're going to Moscow. You're going to bring me home a souvenir. You're
going to enjoy yourself."
The Dark Shadow captain had no choice but to agree after their words of opened her eyes after a few minutes before watching the chairman of the BBA once again. She sighed before speaking, "Why are you bringing it up again?"
"I have another task for you as well," he said to her. "An important task."
Megan stared at him with one eyebrow raised before she looked out the window as the vehicle had stopped. She stared at the building in front of her. An abbey? She had read the name on the plague mounted on one of the entrance pillars. What a strange place for them to be? She shook her head before getting out of the vehicle after Mr. Dickinson. She straightened her winter hat before following him into the building's front yard. She squinted at all the kids who were practicing their Beyblade launches. Strange.
"Um," she muttered. "What is this place?"
A voice appeared behind them as she managed a squeak and a jump. The girl turned to face the person the voice belonged.
"It's a training facility for the best of the best," the man said with a grin. "I'm Boris. I welcome you to my humble Abbey." He bowed to them. "You must be the beyblader Mr. Dickinson had chosen to help with the preparations of the final round of the World Championship. It's an honor to meet you."
Mr. Dickinson chuckled as he nodded to Boris. "Thank you for the welcome, Boris. I'd like you to meet Megan Schatten. The captain of Dark Shadow. The reigning American high school circuit beyblade team."
"It's a pleasure," she said to him with a bow of her head. "I am surprised yet gracious of Mr. Dickinson's proposal to me." She wasn't sure of what else she was to say to the man. To be honest, she didn't like the feeling she got from him. Not to mention, in the corner of her mind, a beast growled in nervous fury. When Shadow was in such a mood, Megan had to be wary of the people around her.
"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Ms. Schatten," Boris said to her. He stood straight before straightening his jacket. "Why don't the both of you come inside to warm from the chilly Russian air? I'm sure you're not used to the cold."
Megan snorted, "Oh please. I live in Pennsylvania. Russia may be cold, but I'm sure you don't see all four seasons in one day."
Boris laughed before nodding. "Of course! I heard some of the weather in the United States could be something else."
He gestured for them to follow him into the building. Megan followed as she looked around the building. It didn't seem out of the ordinary. It looked like an average training facility - except the beybladers practicing their launches in the cold. She made a noise as she tripped over a stray pebble that seemed to want revenge on her despite her not doing anything to any pebble. She closed her eyes before opening them. Why hadn't she met cold stone? Her head tilted a bit to see the arm that had wrapped around her waist to catch her. She made a noise as the person, who had caught her, pulled their arm to straightened the girl to keep her from falling. She kicked the pebble in irritated anger.
"Ah, thank goodness you caught her Tala," came Boris' voice. "We didn't need our guest to be injured."
Tala? She scrunched her nose a bit. Why did that name seem familiar to her? She turned to look at her savior. Green eyes met blue before making made a noise and fell onto the floor anyway. Tala raised an eyebrow at her before grunting and walking past the girl to head into a room. She stared at the spot he once stood before staring at the path he had walked. So, he catches her to keep her from falling - but when she does fall, he didn't bother to help her up?!
"Rude," she muttered before standing on her own.
"Are you okay, Megan?" asked Mr. Dickinson with a bit of worry in his tone. "You didn't get hurt, did you?"
Megan shook her head. "No, I'm fine. I'm not hurt, Mr. D. Promise." She gave him a small, bright smile as she finished brushing the dust and dirt off her clothes. "Anyway, who was that?" She didn't appreciate being touched by a stranger despite them saving her nose from potentially being broken.
"Of course, of course," Mr. Dickinson said with a laugh. "The person who saved you from a nasty fall was none other than Tala Valkov the captain of The Demolition Boys."
Megan stared at him for a few seconds before making a small noise it the back of her throat. She had met the captain of the current World Beyblade champions. No, she had almost embarrassed herself in front of the captain of the current World Beyblade champions. She ran a hand through her as she realized she had lost her hat. The beyblader looked around before spotting her winter cap before placing it in the pocket of her jacket. She didn't need it while inside the building.
"Why are we here?" she asked Boris and Mr. Dickinson. "I thought I was supposed to help with the preparations of the final round."
"Of course!" Mr. Dickinson said. "The current World champions are supposed to make sure the final destination and round of the tournament goes smooth, so I thought I'd bring in somebody who could benefit from seeing how such a tournament in run …"
Megan held a hand up in front of his face to stop him from talking. She stared at him before shaking her head, "Wait, wait, wait - wait - you're telling me I'm supposed to work with … The Demolition Boys?"
Mr. Dickinson nodded. "Precisely! Isn't it exciting? In fact, we're here so I can introduce you to them."
Megan's eyes flickered to the walls, the ceiling and elsewhere before she settled on the tops of her shoes. She had not been told all these details when she agreed to Mr. Dickinson's prospal. Not to mention, despite him catching her, Tala had not said one word to her. Not to mention, he didn't help her up after she had fallen in surprise. She hadn't realized how close he was to her until she turned to thank him for catching her. Boris cleared his throat to gain her attention. She turned her gaze toward the man. He beckoned her over before opening the door to the room Tala had walked into a few minutes prior.
"They are a top tier beyblade team," he said to her. "But, I assure you, they don't bite."
He gestured for her to walk inside the room. Megan took a deep breath, placed her hand at her beyblade holster in an almost comforting motion before deciding to take a step into the room. She didn't know these boys on a personal level. She wasn't sure how they would react to her. She didn't know how she would react to them. The girl swallowed the lump in her throat as she found herself staring at those cold, blue eyes once more. Oh, great, she had managed to lock eyes with Tala not once but twice in the same day.
… Swimming.
A/N: Well, I'm not sure what anybody says on these anymore. But, the first chapter is roughly 2k words. I am planning on the majority of the chapters to be 2k or larger. I want to explore all relationships surrounding Megan. I want to go in depth of everything that happens to her while she tries to help Mr. Dickinson with his plans (for smaller and larger).
