The King of Blades
Chapter 7: First Blood
The Next-Gen's sat silently in their locker room awaiting the announcement for them to come out. Right now they just had a chance to relax and hopefully calm the tension that had gripped them while other teams had their first battles. It was Monday, the first day of the actual tournament. They had been guided from the hotel again back to the stadium but this time around, they were brought in through the competitors entrance and straight to their assigned locker room. They were all quiet , each trying to harden his or her resolve. It wouldn't be good to lose their first match, not for them or any other teams for that matter.
Daniel looked from side to side at his team mates then at Victor. Okay, this is it, you brought me here so don't let me down now.
Just then a young lady entered their locker room. "It's almost time. Please follow me." She said. They followed her up to the hallway that lead to the arena. "Well then, you're on your own now. Good luck to all of you." She said smiling as she left them. They heard a roar from the spectators from above.
"Someone just won." Inga said. "Hope it's the same for us."
"And now ladies and gentleman, for the last match of block C!" shouted DJ Jazzman. "We first have the Next-Gen Rippers!" There was a loud roar as they entered the arena.
"Wow what a reception." Said Vic astonished.
"Don't get too comfortable, that's just a freebie since they don't know us. It could go higher, lower or even become outright booing depending on our performances over the course of his tourney." Daniel informed him.
DJ Jazzman continued. "And here to face them, the Tech Heads!" An equal roar welcomed them into the arena.
There were five of them as well, Three boys and two girls.
"You know the rules ladies and gentlemen, five per side will compete in single match rounds. Each victory will gain them a group point that will contribute to their total group points at the end of the groups stages. Remember competitors to do your best no matter the situation, right now you'll need the points as only the two groups with the highest point tallies will proceed to the quarter-finals. Let's begin!" The stage was a large ceramic classic dish.
Immediately a girl with short dark blue-dyed hair stepped up to the arena while on the other end the Next-Gen's decided who would go first. Craig decided he'd test the water and stepped up.
"From the Tech Heads it's their captain Lauren and from the Next-Gens it's Craig!" Jazzman announced.
Craig placed his Gospel HMS-Resonance in his launcher and after getting a look at Gospel she chose a navy blue blade from the three she had holstered at her hip.
Jazzman yelled "Three, two, one, let it rip!"
Gospel hit the dish and went straight on the attack against Lauren's blade. She didn't seem worried as she used her launcher mounted controls to steer her blade towards Gospel. They started grinding and a shower of sparks started flying into the air.
"Huh?" Craig was concerned.
"Hey," Drigo said. "why is Gospel not sending her out of the ring like he usually does."
Inga replied. "I'm not sure, though he did say Gospel shines when it comes to impact but grinding..." She looked on.
"You didn't think I noticed your blunt attack ring?" Lauren taunted Craig. "Your blade must be designed more for ramming than for grinding and that's why I'm going to keep it a grinding match. Let's see how long that spin of yours lasts."
"Damn it, okay Gospel back off." Craig ordered and Gospel veered away.
"I don't think so." Lauren stated pressing a button on her launcher. "Magnet leash!"
Immediately Gospel was pulled back towards her blade at lightning speed and the grinding resumed as sparks continued to fly.
"What the hell?" Craig wondered aloud. "Is that your bit-beasts ability?"
"I don't have a bit-beast." Lauren replied sincerely.
"What? No way, then how the hell did you...?" He was totally confused.
Lauren smirked then for a moment a fleeting look of anger crossed her face but was replaced with her previous calm before she finally spoke.
"Since you're going to lose anyway I'll tell you this. Not everyone in the world is privileged or lucky enough to have a bit-beast at some point in their lives. Those who do have access to power they may or may not truly deserve. They naturally consider themselves more skillful and are generally accepted as that by everyone while those without bit-beasts are considered trash or as people call it 'tourney fodder'." Craig flinched "That's why I started this team and searched high an wide for people that really knew about blades, not just what their bit-beasts could do. I found them and together we developed a style of competing called 'Variable Threat Response Play.'"
"Variable threat response?" Craig echoed, voice now a little bit stressed.
"Yes." Lauren replied. "We each have multiple 'extreme-custom' VTR blades that operate based on different mechanics and possibilities in order for us to be able to capitalise on a weakness in anyone. That means bit-beast or not, we will beat you somehow. Just a shame there's no research to be done on brand new teams like yours or this would have been wrapped up really quickly."
Gospel tried to create space again but both blades gravitated towards each other again.
"Shit." Craig spat. Gospel needs impact to cause trouble, guess we have weaknesses I didn't realise we had. "Is this one of those blades?" He asked.
Lauren smirked again. "Do you like it? This is Magnetix VTR-Grind version two. One of my favourite creations. The outer sharpened titanium alloy attack ring is designed for punishment, both giving and receiving, while the inner part of the ring is an electromagnetic conductor ring that causes the pulling effect on metal blades."
Craig was stunned. "But how is it powered? You shouldn't be able to repeat it more than once or twice if it runs on a cell."
"Wow, I'm impressed you can actually think," She teased. "but it doesn't run on a cell of any kind. My engine gear has been modified into a dynamo that discharges electricity when I activate it. It charges with the spin of the blade so I can repeat it as long as my blade keeps spinning, and it's an endurance type so that's quite a long time. We win our battles before they even begin dear." With that Magnetix continued to grind Gospel until it came to a halt.
"And the winner of round one is Lauren for the Tech Heads. As captain she has definitely lead by example and what a morale boost that will be for her team. One well deserved point to Tech Heads." Piped Jazzman.
The crowd showed Lauren their appreciation as Craig retrieved his blade. He could see the rough edges ground into Gospel's ring. He sighed heavily. Not a good way to start this is it Gospel? But every defeat shows us something new about our limits.
He returned to his team's bench. "Sorry guys."
"Don't worry Craig, no one could have anticipated this." Vic consoled him. I understand about having bit-beasts and using their abilities, but people that make their own powers? It almost solicits respect from me but I now feel guilt about that first match. Not guilt about not going first, but guilt about being glad I didn't go first.
Drigo was up next and his opponent was a short boy with orange hair and freckles.
"It's Rodrigo of Next-Gens versus Todd of the Tech Heads."
Drigo took out his rusty gold bulky Armourdon HMS-Roll and after observing it quickly Todd equipped his launcher with a yellow blade.
Jazzman did the countdown and they launched into the dish. Drigo went straight to the centre and waited patiently. Todd's blade simply circled his.
What's he up to? Drigo thought but his thinking was interrupted by Todd.
"For your sake you should know, my blade's pure endurance so it will definitely outlast yours. I'm known as the king of patience so I can wait all day. It might not please the crowd but it will get me a win."
Drigo contemplated. Pure endurance eh? That blade does look very light so he hasn't got attack power really and with that toy I'd say squat defence. He'll regret this. "Move Armourdon!"
His blade started towards Todd's but Todd didn't react. Armourdon was upon it and hit it with all it's might before going right past leaving Todd's blade just a little shifted from where it was.
"What the hell?" Drigo was frustrated. "Armourdon should have sent him out of the dish." He saw Todd's smile and became even more irate.
"What's happening out there?" Inga was now worried.
"Some other custom blade with a specific ability." Craig muttered. "They have an answer built for every challenge."
"Is that what she told you?" Inga asked.
"Pretty much."
Victor and Daniel were silent but both uneasy in their minds.
"Charge Armourdon!" Drigo commanded and again the same effect of Armourdon simply seeming to go past Todd's blade. The crowd was just as perplexed but some were getting irritable wanting Todd to fight back.
"Are you starting to see now?" Todd asked.
"See what?" Drigo shot back.
"That bulky blade of yours is a defence type true? And those with blunt attack rings use mainly ramming attacks but my blade is so light it just gives way. You keep getting that sickly feeling that your hit didn't feel quite right eh?."
"Yeah your blade should have been shot out of the arena." Drigo stated.
"Yes a normal blade would but mine just literally falls out of the way then stands back up."
"That kind of balance is insane, how do you bring it out of such a wobble?"
"Well then, this is my creation Spin-Gyro VTR- Tilt."
"Spin...Gyro?"
"That's right, in place of the spin gear is a modified gyroscope. It results in my blades inability to lose balance, and with you being a rammer, Spin-Gyro just glances off your blade each time and simply regains balance. I have baked beans for an attack true, but a more effective defence than any defence type blade. So I'll just wait you out." Todd finished and true to his word time went on with an irritated crowd but there was nothing Drigo could do physically until Armourdon lost his spin and stopped spinning eventually.
"Todd wins this for the Tech Heads, and that's another point to them. Ooh the Next-Gen Rippers have some catching up to do now." Jazzman croaked.
Todd use his launcher controls to bring his blade back and Drigo went to retrieve his.
"That was dirty!" Drigo hissed which caught Jazzman's attention.
"Dirty? You wanna tell me about dirty?" Todd spat incredulously. "Team B.E.G.A. using attacks on their opponents instead of just their blades, now that was dirty! I'd prefer people like you just told the truth and called it smart, strategic or even plain effective! Just because you can't get your mind around an idea doesn't make it haxed or dirty. It was my mind versus your bit-beast and you're embarrassed because I left you totally helpless! If you can't be a good sportsman and graciously accept my victory then just go mull over your defeat in silence!" Todd turned back to his team bench and walked away leaving a stunned Jazzman watching.
Drigo was shocked and just stood quiet for a second before turning back to his team bench.
"Ahem," Jazzman broke in. "A few choice words exchanged between disgruntled opponents but that doesn't change the score. The ball is definitely in the Tech's court but can the Next-Gens come back and pull back some points for the team? Let's find out in our next match!"
Author's Notes: Ouch! The Tech Heads draw first blood in spectacular fashion but can the Next-Gen's make a comeback and score at least some points? Next chapter, the conclusion to this first battle.
I Don't know, I was originally gonna do this for an all female team showing what they could do because even being a male, I wasn't satisfied with Aoki's female characters all that much, I don't hate them but they could have been better. And as for Hilary she just annoyed the hell out of me, I mean who was she filling space for Aoki? Why did they call her a team member coz she didn't even do nothin' like Kenny at least? But like I said I don't hate her, she just peeved me a little with that...er....bratty behaviour.
But back to the point, I dropped that idea, (even though it was a fantastic team) because in truth it had already been done by many an author. It was then that I came up with the idea for the Tech's. It just came about when I was thinking about other bladers without bit-beasts and wondered, does that automatically make them non-eligible to compete at a respectable level at least? (They were there in the White Tiger arc of season one but they were run over like road-kill). Seriously though, haven't you wondered: where is the person with no bit-beast's place in the world of beyblade? And if one doesn't have one, is there a way they an compete on par with those that do? So I thought I'd place that in as just one of the issues in this story.
As for the launcher controls, it's never been stated how non bit-beast hosting blades are controlled which is really flimsy. If you have a bit-beast fine, thoughts, emotions, commands and whatever can all contribute to it's movement and activity. But if it's just an inanimate spinning top? I mean come on. That's why i decided I'd fill that gap for the non-bit users.
Anyway please Review and tell me what you think. Thanks.
