A.N. ; Hi guys! In the last chapter, I wrote that Eddie had defeated Ray but I Checked and it was Steve. Sorry, my bad. Also, I have not re-read the story to check for mistakes. Please let me about them if you find them.

Disclaimer: I don't own beyblade :(

Chapter 2

Max gaped at the 'food' in front of him. He looked beside him to see Tyson with the same expression on his face.

They had finally sat down for supper after the crazy training that evening. Kenny, it turned out, had made them new launchers on which he was working on since the Asian tournament. It had a metal body and notches on the ripcord were deeper and these, according to him, gave extra attack force and increased the rotation speed. But they were really heavy and it required more force while pulling the ripcord.

"Training will finish after everyone masters these" Kai had declared which sounded alright at that time but it was not so easy. It took about three hours, a cracked laptop screen and a broken window to be able to at least keep the beyblade spinning for enough time to satisfy Kenny with their performance . By that time everyone was more than glad for the training to have ended and lined up to use the only bathroom .

Max was the last to enter the kitchen and saw boiled broccoli and Brussels sprouts kept on the dining table. There was a vegetable soup, some rice and a big jug of milk sitting beside it. No noodles, no sushi and sadly no ice cream for which he had been craving for. He looked around at others, Tyson's mouth was open like a goldfish and eyes were round. Kenny looked really uncomfortable standing between Max and Tyson. Ray wearily looked at Kai who was leaning on a wall, eyes closed, arms crossed across his chest, then looked at grandpa who shrugged and continued arranging the cutlery, and again at Kai. He then sighed and sat down at the table and grandpa also joined him.

"What is this Grandpa?" Tyson asked, still standing, eyeing the food like a supermodel who looks at split-ends in her hair.

Grandpa again shrugged "ran out of meat" he said, and took out a paper from his pocket and tossed it over to him. Max caught it and unfolded it.

DIET CHART

Breakfast- Cornflakes/ Oatmeal,Eggs,Fruits

Lunch- Some Protein, Salad, Yogurt

Snacks - Fruit juice /1/2 Cup Slow-Churned Ice Cream/ Mini quesadillas

Dinner – Vegetables, Soup, Protein, Milk

They both looked at Kenny standing between them, he had broken into a cold sweat.

"Kenny, did you prepare it?" Tyson asked in a dangerously sweet voice. Kenny, knowing it would be best to get from his more than annoyed teammates , slowly walked towards his seat and sat down and helped himself with some rice pretending not to have heard anything.

"Kenny!"

"Alright! I made it, but Kai asked me to." He said in a squeaky voice . "It is very healthy and will provide you with the energy you need to win this tourney."

"You mean we will be following this throughout the tournament?!" Ray could no longer remain silent

"I don't think we will make it out alive with this…." Max wondered. He had forgot to pack mustard sauce in his bag and it wasn't exactly possible to, like, go an buy it from a nearby grocery shop.

"I refuse to eat this claptrap." Tyson puffed up his cheeks and stomped his foot like an angry five year old.

"We will be eating this and if you don't want to then you are free to skip dinner.." Kai said, leaving his previous position and pulling out a chair to sit.

Tyson was fuming,"look here", he said,his voice shaking with anger"I want to the All Stars as much as you do but this er food (he cringed while saying that) will get us straight to the hospital."

"Hey! I worked hard on this plan, don't say things like that!" Kenny said looking a bit put down.

"But I think it went too far this time Chief" Max said gently.

"Anyone who has a problem, are free to not to eat as I said before." Kai said in a authoritative voice.

"Oh shut up! you are just doing this for the fun of it." Tyson said.

Kai was about to retort but Ray intervened, "come on guys, what is done is done, we can't remake the dinner. Plus, this thing IS healthy and something is better than nothing."

He helped himself with some broccoli and started munching, " It is not that bad." he said thoughtfully.

Max took his first bite of Brussels sprouts and gagged, he then decided to stick with rice and soup. Tyson managed to down some broccoli but the look on his face was of pure disgust. Kenny was not having much problems or maybe he was just hiding it as he was the one to plan it. Kai was eating normally. but then again, it was Kai - you could serve him cardboard and ketchup and he would still be his aloof self and not notice. He drank some milk and got up with a quiet "I'm done." , put his plate in the sink and turned to the others. "Finish up quickly and meet me outside. We still need practice to master these." He held out his launcher, "You've got twenty minutes." and left the room, Tyson making faces at his back.

Kai had set up an obstacle course, he had taken some of the logs and placed them side by side to make a smooth surface. he then placed pebbles, twigs and some sand at random intervals. The blades were supposed to dodge the obstacles and find a way to remain standing in the sand.

They all practiced till their arms were sore and feet could no longer carry them. Max was having difficulty in mastering these as his blade always stopped spinning in the sand.

"You are not concentrating properly!" barked Kai. " fifty extra sit-ups tomorrow."

"Hey! my blade is not designed for all this, it will take time." Max defended himself.

"Stop making excuses, if you have not noticed time is a luxury we cannot afford. We only have till tomorrow and then there is a stupid charity match and the tournament starts after that. What if they give a desert- style beydish? Do you want to look stupid in front of your mother?"

Max winced. Kai had hit a nerve.

"Stop pushing him around, he is trying his best." Tyson called out from where he was sitting. His toe had swollen dangerously and since there was no refrigerator or ice in the cabin, he had dipped his feet in the cool waters of the lake.

" Well trying his best or not, with this kind of progress, we are going to be a joke out there. And as far as i know, the team Judy coaches is far better so our chances to win are slim." Kai scolded.

Max looked closed to tears. "I will show you I can be better than them." He then called back his Draciel and ran inside.

"Now look what you've done." Tyson said standing up, "what pleasure do you get out of this?"

"I know he can do better, he just needed some motivation."

"You call that motivation? What is wrong with you? why are you such a sadist?" Tyson shouted. There was surprise and hurt in Kai eyes but it dissipated in a moment. Tyson was too angry to notice that but Ray did. Just when Tyson was about to say more, he stepped in - second time this night.

"That's enough guys, I think we are all exhausted and moody right now. Let's not take things personally."

"Oh stop it Ray, don't you take his side now."

"I am not taking anyone's side, I am just saying that arguing is pointless."

"This so is NOT pointless, all he cares of is winning. He is not at all worried about the team's well-being."

"He does care about the team but in his own way."

"Enough! Training ends here morning, sharp at six, I want everyone ready. Latecomers will do ten extra laps of jogging." Kai said in a tone that meant the conversation is over.

"Hey! I'm trying to help you here Kai."Ray said.

"I don't need your help. Now go to bed and you better not be late tomorrow."

Ray shrugged and walked back to the cabin. Tyson gave Kai a glare and followed him.

"are'nt you coming Kai?" Asked Kenny, he was silent all the while, listening to them and trying to turn on his damaged laptop.

"I have to practise." He said and loaded his launcher.

Max splashed water on his face and looked at himself in the mirror. Good. His eyes were not that red so maybe no one will notice. He then smacked himself on the head. Who was he kidding, Tyson would know in a second. He was his best friend. He smiled fondly and came out of the bathroom to see Kenny,Tyson and Ray standing there waiting for him.

"I'm okay guys, it's just..." he trailed off.

"It's alright buddy, I know it is actually because you did'nt have any mustard today." Ray winked, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

"Yeah, we all know you have Mustard addiction." Tyson joked.

Max smiled at them.

"Time for bed boys. It is almost eleven" Grandpa came out of the kitchen having finished all the chores.

"Grandpa we are not eight-year-olds!" Tyson whined but yawned almost immediately.

Ray, Max and Kenny laughed. Grandpa joined them.

"Alright alright, I'm going." he said to the old man.

"He is still practicing." Kenny said looking out of the window. They had all changed and gone inside their futons.

"yeah about Kai... " Tyson said,staring at the ceiling, " I wanted to ask you all something regarding him."

"If we think he is a robot? No, we don't Tyson. You have asked that before hundreds of times." Ray said exasperated. Max chuckled.

"hehe no not that..." Tyson chuckled at that but then grew more serious," I wanted to ask you guys if you think he should be on the team."

A.N. ; Is the story too slow? And about the launchers, well, I just made it up and i am really sorry if it doesn't make any sense.