Here's the next chappie!
Disclaimer: Don't own Beyblade.
-S-S-S-S-S-
Ray stood watching as Tyson and Zeo's match ended with them both landing on their backsides. Kai leaned against him, still getting used to the large snake imprint on his skin. He half-whimpered as the sharp pain made itself known again in his chest, slowly moving upwards.
"You gonna be alright, Kai?" the tiger asked, catching his captain's strained gaze.
Kai nodded but stopped as the snake moved again, getting situated close to his collarbone.
Cody saw the two and came over to them as Tyson and Zeo did the same. The younger boy wrapped his own arms around the phoenix. "Go and win, Ray. I'll take care of Kai. Max, Ray, you guys decide the battle. Win, and we still have a chance. Lose, and well, we're done for."
Ray smirked. "So, no pressure, right?"
Cody smiled. "Right."
Ray sighed and stepped up to the small ring with Max as two more from the Cobra Blades took their places across from them.
"Wait, Cobra," Kai started, limping forward. "I have a proposition to make for you."
The snake leader smirked at the phoenix's pain. It had been too long a wait to inflict anguish on that teen's body. After all, he damaged his soul to the point of no repair. It seemed only fitting that he do the same. How he did it was no one else's concern.
"Cobra," the phoenix continued, "please, your battle is with me, not my team. Forget the first match, and let's you and I settle this one-on-one."
Cobra eyed the opposing team's captain, wondering what that pesky Russian had up his sleeve. "And I suppose that you want to wager?"
"If you wish, yes."
"Alright. I'll agree to your proposition if you agree to my wager." He stopped while Kai grimaced in pain again. "If you win, I will leave you, your brother, and your friends alone, and you will never hear from me again."
"You also have to promise not to continue looking for ways to bring Keith back."
Cobra growled and huffed up his chest. "I cannot . . ."
"Cobra, finding ways to bring him back will only resort into you breaking your promise of leaving me, my family, and friends alone. Will it not?"
The tanned captain thought a minute, then decided why not? The phoenix wasn't going to win anyway. "Fine."
Kai nodded and sucked in a breath as another wave of pain hit him. "And if you win?"
He knew he shouldn't have asked that.
"If I win, you and your friends must give us your bit beasts, and you must give up your life as the sacrifice that we must make."
"Kai, no!" Ray called, turning around to face the phoenix. "You can't, Kai. Let's just keep with our first plan. Forget about it, please."
The older teen shook his head. "I can't, Ray. If anything were to happen to you and the others, I'd never be able to forgive myself."
"But, Kai!"
"No!" Kai turned back to Cobra. "Alright. My proposition is for me to fight against someone one-on-one and win, and I don't choose you, Cobra."
"What?"
The phoenix turned to Jason who was still standing by the leader of the dark-skinned Africans. "I challenge you, Jason."
Cobra stepped forward. "No, you said that this was our battle."
"It is. And the word 'our' means you, me, and Jason."
"Why?"
Kai took in a deep breath but not from external pain. The images of Jason stabbing Keith flooded his vision. "I was Keith's friend. You were his brother and seek revenge. Jason was his killer and needs to be taught the meaning of the word justice."
"Jason did not . . ."
"You said that you would agree to my proposal if I agreed to your wager, and guess what, Cobra," Kai said deathly low, "I agree."
The leader of the Cobra Blades was about to object when Jason's slim hand plopped down on his shoulder. "It's fine, Cobra. I can handle this little brat."
"But I wasn't done," the phoenix said smartly. "The rest of my proposition includes the removal of both mine and my brother's markings. After all, you wouldn't want the outcome of a bet be on cheating, now would you?" He smirked. "Because if you win on cheating, I can't give you my or any of my friend's bit beasts because you didn't win them fair and square, and then you couldn't bring Keith back, now could you?"
Cobra knew he was backed into a corner. "Fine. I agree. You and Jason will fight for the outcome of this whole thing, and I now release you of your marks."
Kai gasped as he felt an odd sensation on the skin of his chest. Pulling back the collar of his shirt, he saw nothing but skin. Not one trace of that hideous snake. He smirked, already feeling Dranzer and his energies combining to make him stronger. It was time to test his theory of using Dranzer's full power.
Jason pushed past the two bladers from his friend's team who were looking to fight Ray and Max. "Alright, let's get this started."
Ray and Max turned back to go stand beside Tyson, Zeo, and Cody. "Be careful," the both whispered to the phoenix as he stepped into the large red circle.
Kai breathed in deeply and let the air out real slow to calm himself down. This was it. Hopefully, he could put his plan of getting Jason to tell the truth into action.
Hopefully.
"You ready, kid?" the older teen smirked.
Kai nodded and waited for their "referee" to start the countdown.
"Three!"
One breath.
"Two!"
Steady the feet and balance out with the rest of the earth.
"One!"
This was it.
"Go!"
Electricity sparked in ever corner of the building as one fiery phoenix met head on with an angered rattlesnake.
Kai grunted from the force of Jason's onslaught but quickly resumed his composure as flames began licking at his entire form.
They went on kicking, punching, and blocking for about five minutes before Jason got fed up with it. His snake eyes noticed Ray standing alone, his entire focus on bringing Derrick back to the conscious world. He was vulnerable. He was the perfect target. If anything could bring a phoenix's power down a few notches, it was destroying a few good friends.
Jason nodded to himself, making up his mind, and kicked Kai away from him long enough to throw an attack at the tiger.
He felt in his hands a small dagger appear, dipped in rattlesnake venom. He counted three seconds until he finally threw it.
"Ray, look out!" Kai called, rushing towards his friend as he just realized what Jason was doing.
The tiger looked up just in time to see the poison tipped dagger.
Just in time to notice it spiraling towards him.
Just in time to gasp.
-S-S-S-S-S-
Find out in the next, and probably last chapter.
Till then, R&R!