A/N: The observant people about will have noticed I named chapter 3- chapter 4 by mistake. I apologise but I didn't see the minor mistake. So this is chapter 4: Hopeless Case. (Ray gets his own back!)

Sparks flew as Driger skidded on the ice, trying to grip the slippery surface. Tala looked on, cold gaze unforgiving and certainly not impressed.

"Stop!" Ray obediently stopped Driger in his tracks.

"What's up?"

"You're loosing control of him." Tala replied, seeing Driger wobbling dangerously on the ice. Ray frowned

"I know, I keep trying but I just can't seem to get it right."

"You need a smooth launch." Tala replied loading wolborg, and gliding gently onto the arena floor, the narrow point of his blade gouging into the ice but still being able to move across smoothly and grip properly. Tala gave a lazy flick of his hand and Driger shot out of the stadium back into Ray's hand. "Try again." Ray frowned and wincing loaded Driger, his foot still hurting from the day before.

"3,2,1 LET IT RIP!" Once again Driger landed unsteadily on the ice and span out of control. Tala snarled in frustration

"Get a grip! What's WRONG with you?!" he demanded, looking the smaller boy up and down. Ray snapped.

"FOR GODS SAKE TALA, WHAT ARE YOU A SLAVE DRIVER?! I'M TRYING MY BEST, WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT?!" he exploded, throwing his launcher down in disgust, squaring up to Tala. The redhead met his gaze, unafraid

"I know you can do better! That launch was way too weak!"

"How am I supposed to launch properly when I can hardly stand UPRIGHT?!" Tala make a strange sound that sounded like a cross between a scream and a hiss, looked straight at wolborg and commanded in a deadly voice

"Novae Rog!" Driger was instantly frozen, and Tala came in for the kill, smashing hard into the tigers beyblade, and sending it out the stadium. Ray gasped and fell backwards with the force of the impact, only to land in Tala's arms. He went completely rigid in shock. What was Tala playing at? Trying to kill him and then having the nerve to catch him! Was it some warped version of power play? Ray didn't put it past Tala, being turned insane can do strange things to a person.

"T-Tala w-what are you doing?" Ray asked timidly. Tala shoved him back on his feet, dusting off some imaginary dirt off his clothes as if Ray was contaminated.

"Consider this a warning." the redhead replied coldly "I expect 110 effort from you or else." Nope it was just Tala being a (insert inappropriate word of choice here). Ray hissed.

"Don't call me nasty names!"

"Quit whining!" Both sent death glares at each other, but Ray looked away first, deciding there was a better way of winning a battle against Tala. He picked up his launcher and summoned Driger.

"Well Tala, if you want me to fight, then let's fight. Me and you, one on one." he challenged. Tala raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow.

"Sure?"

"Don't ask stupid questions." Ray snapped back, and for once Tala looked like he was caught slightly off guard. It wasn't known for Ray to be so harsh tongued towards people. Inside Ray felt a strange sense of triumph, he had made Tala Ivanov speechless. Cold hearted, commanding Tala was speechless. For a whole 6 seconds at least. After that Tala just ran a hand through his flaming hair and fixed Ray with a stare.

"You're on. 3,2,1, LET IT RIP!" Tala and Ray's blade were soon locked in vicious combat beside the arena, neither bit beast wanting to give up. Tala was pleasantly surprised at Ray's strength, obviously he wasn't totally useless, after all he had got to the championships and battled with Kai. A smirk creased his lips, it was practically all over. For Ray anyway. Tala directed wolborg onto the ice and his blade skated into the middle, taunting Ray to attack. Ray's forehead creased, and he looked from wolborg, to his own blade and then to Tala. "So what're you gonna do now?" Tala challenged "Unless you can control Driger on the ice, this battle is mine! Novae Rog!" Ray thought fast and dodged fast, skittering out onto the ice like a stone being skipped on the sea. Tala landing behind him. Ray froze, he was way out of his depth on the ice. This was Tala's domain, not his, out here he was almost defenceless.

"No wait, what am I thinking? As long as Driger's still spinning I can win!" he thought furiously, driving Driger in for a ferocious attack which Tala blocked. He yawned

"Nice try, but you're mine now." his voice sent chills down Ray's spine. "Novae Rog!"

Ray's Driger froze in the iceberg, but Ray unbelievably grinned.

"Just what I wanted you to do! Driger, Gatling Claw!!!" The ice shattered like a broken mirror, the shards falling as Driger was driven forward, connecting with Tala's as he came in for the finishing strike. Tala stumbled backwards with the force of the blow and Ray doubled up. Tala cast his aqua eyes over the scene of devastation. His pupils constricted.

"No way!" Wolborg lay still on he stadium floor beside a certain white tigers beyblade- which was still spinning. Ray grinned and summoned Driger back into the palm of his hand.

"Not so weak now am I Tala?" he taunted

"You got lucky." the wolf boy muttered darkly, summoning wolborg back into his own hand, deeply ashamed of his loss against his amateur partner. No… He wasn't his partner, he wasn't worthy yet. Mastering the ice was one thing, synchronising their moves and working together effectively was another thing entirely.

"Easy Tala… One problem at a time." the wolf thought.

"So now what do we do?" Ray asked looking around expectantly. Tala shrugged his shoulders as he walked from the stadium.

"Hey where're you going?!"

"My work here's done for today." Tala replied coolly

"And what does that mean?!" Ray asked despairingly. Unseen to him Tala gave a small smile.

"It means you're not such a hopeless case after all."

A/N: Oh I know, we will get the yaoi eventually but I have to take my time. Besides we get the dreaded music next chapter. He, he, let's see Ray try- Dancing on Ice! As for the Seme/Uke thing I have no clue. Still. Maybe I should alternate. Please R&R :)