SailorStar9: Figured was about time I got this chapter out before anyone of you kills me. Anyway, this is Chapter 10. Read and review.
Disclaimers: Why do I have to say this every time? Sailor Moon and Beyblade won't be mine, even if I'm in my grave. The only things I own are this very lame plot and Anhara's bit-beast.
Chapter 10: Cruising for a Bruising
On the ship...
"Cold, desolate, forbidding, qualities you'll see first hand when you book an exciting vacation to Russia." Kenny had turned on the TV as he worked on his laptop. "Bring your friends, climb the snow-white mountains for some fun and frostbite."
"Boy, Russia sounds like fun." Kenny noted. "Can't wait to ge there."
"Penny for your thoughts, Chief?" Dizzi chirped. "Oh... keeping quiet are we? Well, whatever you're planning for the Bladebreakers, you can't keep it a secret from me. I can read your keystrokes. you're really typing up a storm today. At this rate, you're going to short-circuit my spellchecker."
I just can't shake the feeling that we've had it too easy for too long. Kenny mused. To be the world's best bladers at the Russia tournament, we need to change. But what do we change exactly?
"Ha!" Tyson burst into the room.
"I guess you've never heard of knocking before." Kenny noted.
"You can't be having much fun hanging around your cabin all day." Tyson remarked. "Am I right, Dizzi?"
"I'm not using my view screen if I could." Dizzi replied.
"So, let's do something about it then." Tyson suggested.
"And you never have to worry about falling through the ice." the TV droned. "Because even in July, it's always snowing."
"Kenny..." Tyson whined. "Come on. Why don't you and I go out on deck and get some fresh air?"
"Not a good idea, Tyson." Dizzi noted.
"Why not?" Tyson blinked.
On deck...
"I can't say I wasn't warned." Tyson noted.
"Chief, why didn't you say something?" he asked as Kenny threw up over the deck. "We didn't know you get seasick on boat trips."
"Neither did I, Tyson." Kenny admitted, sitting on a bench as Tyson patted his back. "This is my first boat trip ever and hopefully my last. My stomach can't take it."
"You'll get over it." Tyson remarked. "You just have to get your mind on something else."
"Maybe you're right." Kenny admitted. "I could spend some time developing the training regiment for the team. We're getting stale. We need to shake things up a bit.
"Actually, I have something else in mind to get your mind off being sick." Tyson corrected. "Something fun."
"What?" Kenny blinked.
"It's on the upper deck." Tyson pointed upwards.
"A little squirt of sunblock and the deck is your playground." he brought Kenny up to the swimming pool. "Um hm... this is the place to be. Time for a drip in the pool. Floating on an inner tube will make you forget all your troubles."
"But swimming's the worst thing for seasickness." Kenny pointed out. "Besides, we should be focusing on the new training regiment. It was Max who suggested it and he always thinks of the team first. He won't be thinking of goofing around in the pool.
"Hey!" Max called out in the pool. "Pass it to me."
"You missed." one of the girls kidded, the beach ball landing on the water.
"Spoke too soon..." Kenny sweatdropped.
"Come on Kenny! Come on in! The water's perfect!" Max chirped. "Gee, you don't look so hot."
"No kidding." Kenny noted.
"Boy, he's quick." Tyson added.
"Cannonball!" Max splashed into the water.
"He's sick?" he blinked once he got up to shore.
"Seasick, actually." Tyson corrected. "I thought swimming might help, but..."
"Well, I'll show you a remedy that always settles my stomach." Max offered.
"Is that food I smell?" Tyson blinked, the trio stopping before a restaurant door.
"Yup, this boat has a four-star restaurant. Gourmet food is the answer to the problem." Max remarked.
"Good thinking, Max." Tyson noted. "I need a little fork and knife action."
"Has this boat set sail for stupidville or what?" Kenny snapped, stopping to the two in their tracks. "The last thing I want is food. But if you're hungry, Ray's at the ship has a cafeteria. Eat there, the service is faster. Ray's eager to hit the training circuit too and he wants to get going as soon as possible. He won't waste time eating in a shishi restaurant, now would he?"
"Man, I ate too much..." the said teen emerged from the restaurant. "Hey, are you guys going to eat too?"
"No, Kenny's seasick." Tyson supplied.
"Seasick?" Ray echoed. "Good thing you found me. I know just the thing to get him feeling better. Follow me."
In the games arcade...
Wow, check it out!" Tyson gushed. "A game center. Noe this ship's got it going on."
"And how does this cure my seasickness?" Kenny inquired.
"Over here is the best part of the games room." Ray pointed to the Bey-dish.
"A Beyblade dish?" Kenny blinked. "That's surprising."
"Why? It shouldn't be." Max noted.
"Yeah, like I said, this boat's got it going on." Tyson agreed.
"We've been talking about training again." Ray pointed out. "And this seems like the perfect place. How 'bout it, Chief? You really to put us through our paces?"
"He's just itching to open up that laptop." Tyson agreed. "I've got first dibs."
"Hold on." Kenny stopped the three. "You can't challenge any of these kids to a match. They're all amateurs. You'll be beat them easily."
"You want us to battle each other?" Tyson asked.
"No, that's useless. You all know each other's moves by now." Kenny corrected.
"So, what are we supposed to do?" Ray asked.
On deck...
"Okay, we have to start thinking outside the dish." Kenny started. "The first thing I want to do is review some of our previous battles. Examine their turning points."
"How much footage do you have, Dizzi?" Tyson thought to ask.
"I can start my own Beyblade channel." Dizzi quipped.
"So, in other words, a lot." Kenny supplied.
"No kidding." Tyson chuckled.
"Dizzi has a miniature satellite receiver to tune in to TV broadcasts as well as a built-in computer for image capturing. We don't use it often, but we're going to use it now because now is when we need it."
"I suppose you're right, Chief." Tyson agreed.
"I taught him everything he knows." Dizzi remarked.
"I've chosen moments from two specific battles for an important reason." Kenny added. "It's to highlight something about our team."
"Highlight what?" Tyson asked.
"Take a look." Kenny turned the laptop screen to him.
"Wow, this is exciting." Max noted. "It's like we're about to watch a movie. Anyone bring the popcorn?"
"Observe Tyson's first battle with Kai, before Kai joined the Bladebreakers and became our leader." Kenny started. "And most recently, his head-to-head match against Steve of the Allstaz at the American tournament."
"Hey, what gives?" Tyson exclaimed. "You're only showing our defeats, Chief. Or more specifically, you're showing my defeats."
"Not exactly." Kenny corrected. "You lost those battles, but in each case you won the best of three matches."
"Slow-mo instant replay anyone?" Dizzi joked.
"Save your bells and whistles for another time, Dizzi." Kenny scolded. "That's all we need to see now. I believe this highlights reveal a disturbing trend of our style of beyblading. More specifically, in our case, a lack of style altogether."
"Don't hold back, Chief." Dizzi chirped. "Tell us how you really feel."
"What disturbing trend?" Tyson blinked.
"Don't get me wrong though." Kenny added. "Each and every member of the Bladebreakers has some formidable skills."
"Boys, I agree on the Chief on this one." Dizzi added her two cents. "Ray, you show a balanced approach to your attacks. Max, you're a solid defense specialist. Tyson, as we all know, is an interfaced competitor. And Kai, is defensive yet direct."
"But even with these skills, most of our matches are won by our skin of our team." Kenny noted. "Close victories like that won't be enough anymore. Do any of you really think you're playing at a high enough level to win the Russian tournament?"
"I didn't think so." he added after the three teens remained silent. "You all know your competition is going to be much stronger."
"How much stronger exactly Chief?" Tyson asked.
"I wish I could tell Tyson, but the problem is we have next to no data on the European teams." Kenny admitted. "It's just too bad we only have one reach stopover in London before we hit Russia."
"Big Ben, big deal." Dizzi scoffed.
"I was thinking of if we had time we could dig up some dirt on these European squads." Kenny remarked. "But since we don't we have to focus on us and think of new ways to train as a team."
"New ways huh?" Max beamed. "Well, I'm up for anything. The more radical, the better."
"Here's what I propose." Kenny started. "We've been focusing too much on strategy lately. What you guys need is physical sharpness and that can be achieved by some old-fashioned workouts. Max, it's off to the weight room for you."
"Okay." Max winked.
"And as for you, Tyson." Kenny told the teen.
"Oh yeah, what do I get to do?" Tyson asked.
"You'll going to be jogging laps." Kenny supplied.
"Jogging?" Tyson whined. "What's the point of that?"
"You need to increase you stamina and learn the value of patience." Kenny replied. "Jogging is great cardio, clears your head. The distance around the proper main deck is approximately 250 meters. 40 laps around the deck will count about 10 kilometers."
"Hey, I'm the number cruncher around here." Dizzi complained.
"I have to do 40 laps." Tyson whined.
"Ray, your workout's going to be..." Kenny turned to the Chinese teen.
"Look, Chief." Ray cut him off. "You know how you have to wait an hour after eating before going swimming? Well, I just ate, so get back to you in an hour."
"Erm alright. I will." Kenny noted as Ray took off.
"Now, has anyone seen Kai?" he asked.
In the cargo hold...
"This may be the ship's cargo hold," Kai started, catching his re-bounced blade. "But there's no other place on board that's peaceful and quiet."
Somewhere else on the deck...
Tula was reminiscing about the past when the four Bit-Beasts' spirits appeared behind her.
"Tula-sama." Suzaku greeted their Goddess.
"Suzaku." Tula began, turning to the four Sacred Beasts. "Seiryuu, Byakko, Genbu. you've felt it, haven't you?"
"Yes." Seiryuu replied.
Tula sighed, "It's just as I feared, the Black Phoenix has awoken."
"My Lady..." Suzaku started.
"Forgive me, Suzaku." Tula replied. "If need be, I'll have to use the Heavenly Bow to seal the Black Phoenix's power back into the Sacred Totem."
"Don't be, My Lady." Suzaku assured her. "I'm fully aware the dangers if my dark twin's powers remained uncontained."
"Seiryuu, Byakko, Genbu, return to your avatars." Tula told the three Beast spirits. "There's something I have to reveal to Suzaku, alone."
"Of course." Seiryuu noted and the three turned into three streaks of lights of their respective colors and returned to their avatars.
"Suzaku." Tula begun. "You weren't one of the original guardians."
"What?" Suzaku gasped.
"It happened almost 5000 years ago." Tula revealed. "There was a tribe that worshipped the Phoenix. They were called the Flame Tribe. At the head was the Fire Priestess, whose position was handed down from generations. Each Fire Priestess was handed the power of Fire by the previous Priestess. The Flame Tribe wanted to use this power to rule the world. Amongst all the Fire Priestesses, Karin, had the greatest power. Countless men died from the Flame Tribe's sword and from Karin's fire. After seeing the death and destruction in the land, I descended to Earth. I had selected a place underneath the Yggdrasil and named it my Sanctuary."
"'I shall hereby establish law for the benefit of the land. All that desire to live here together, hear my words'" she quoted.
"I had brought forth three lesser gods when I descended." she continued. "The Cloud Guardian, Seiryuu. The Wind Guardian, Byakko. The Rain Guardian, Genbu. In those days, the crops of the land were abundant. And the world was prosperous. That nation was called Asgard. The vast land that was populated by the Drago people. I then commanded the three guardians to go to the North, East and West and live amongst the people. And there was peace all throughout the land. The Flame Tribe then felt like their reign over the world had been stolen from them they waged a war against me. They wanted to reclaim the land they thought they lost. The Fire Priestess, Karin, murdered countless numbers of my people. The Drago people decided to fight back, one of the men managing to wound Karin with a fallen arrow. Karin was trembling like an wounded animal when I found her. It was also the first time she laid eyes on me. Karin felt my absolute Cosmo and could not oppose it as I removed the arrow from her back and healed the wound. From the first time she had became the Fire Priestess she had never slept so deeply. Even for Karin, war had been a torment. From that day on, Karin no longer killed. She could no longer harm the Drago people. However, the Flame Tribe did not relent. They wanted their world back. The Fire Priestess, Karin, had no choice but to wager war again. But, a female warrior of the Drago Tribe, Sae-oh, stopped them. The war with the Flame Tribe was never-ending. Sae-oh shed tears of sorrow as she tended to the wounded of her tribe. I felt her pain as I watched her. And thus, I made a resolution to end the war. One night, I sought to meet Karin again. It was to take away her power over fire."
Flashback
"You people of the Gods will not survive long." Karin snapped, pointing her sword at the descending Tula. "You cannot even wage war and you want to rule the land? Use your Heavenly powers and try and kill me. I am the Fire Priestess, Karin!"
Tula just stood still, a Cosmo barrier encasing her as Karin's plunged her fire sword in her direction.
"I did not come to kill men." Tula told the enraged Fire Priestess. "I came to save them."
Raising a hand, she drew the Power of Fire from Karin, the barrier flinging the Fire Priestess backwards.
"I then captured the power of Fire and encased it in a red orb." Tula added. "And I named it the 'Phoenix Heart'. Perhaps Karin had willingly relinquished her power of Fire. If she was the Fire Priestess no longer... if she did not have the power of Fire... she no longer had to fight against me."
Flashback
"You lost the power of Fire?" one of Karin's tribal council members asked.
"We must retrieve it again!" another member insisted.
"I shall slash her throat and bring back the power of Fire." another offered.
"At the mention harming me, Karin raised her sword." Tula continued. "And she killed the elders of her tribe who had raised her. She did it for me. Karin ran and ran. She ran towards Asgard. She had decided to become one of my people."
Flashback
"The Flame Tribe has been defeated and peace has returned to our people." Tula addressed the Drago Tribe. But the Flame Tribe will return to wage war again."
"Sae-oh." she turned to the female warrior.
"I give you the 'Phoenix Heart'." she presented the fire orb to the newly-appointed Fire Bearer. "You will protect the people of the South. Within is the power of Fire that the people of the Earth discovered. As you are also the people of the Earth, use this power for the benefit of your people."
"I cannot..." Sae-oh stammered. "I will not be able to control the power. I am just an ordinary person."
"Man can make possible what is impossible." Tula told her.
"How surprising." she appeared before Sae-oh that night as the Fire Bearer tested her power. "I gave you the orb so you could protect it. I did not know you would use it."
"Use it?" Sae-oh echoed. "The power of the Phoenix?"
"The Phoenix is the Guardian of the South." Tula supplied. "Although it is a gentle creature, its power is too strong. That is why I captured its power into the jewel."
"When you use the power of the Phoenix," she added, pulling one of Sae-oh's hands over the crystal around her neck. "You must always cover it with one hand. You must make sure that the Phoenix's power only goes through you."
"Through... me?" Sae-oh echoed.
"So that you can control it." Tula explained. "Can you feel the warmth of the Phoenix's power?"
"Yes." Sae-oh nodded.
"Receive that warmth with your heart." Tula added. "Then move it toward your fingers."
"It moves!" Sae-oh gaped, a fireball appearing on the palm of her other hand.
"Then send it to where you want it to be." Tula instructed.
Sae-oh nodded and lit the gateways' lights.
"Do not forget." Tula added as Sae-oh continued to test her power. "You must always cover it with one hand and then send it out."
"All the fire we created last night is useless." Sae-oh sighed as the pair viewed the sunrise. "The Sun is so bright."
"The morning's sun is said to be heaven's greeting." Tula told her. "Wave to it and tell it your desires. The morning sun may grant you your desires."
"I can't." Sae-oh remarked after a while. "I'm afraid to even think it."
"Father, was you watching?" Tula asked. "I gave the 'Phoenix Heart' to this woman she will envelop the people in its warmth. And... she will be my High Priestess, as will the future avatars of the Phoenix. Remember her."
Karin watched as her hopes of being Tula's Priestess vanished into thin air.
"Karin, who had thrown away everything for me," Tula continued. "Was filled with hatred and jealousy."
Flashback
"It is said that a girl of the Drago Tribe is with child, the next High Priestess." one of Karin's tribal leaders informed her.
"When Karin heard the news of Sae-oh's pregnancy, she made a decision." Tula added. "She would take away from Tula what was most precious to her, just as she did to her. The long-awaited moment came."
Flashback
"Dam-sae! Ginmaru!" the heavily pregnant Sae-oh gave her orders. "To your posts! Adoi! Go and see how many enemies are coming. Find out where they are coming from."
"Karin unleashed her wrath on Sae-oh's village." Tula continued. "Karin had made an oath; if she could not be Tula's High Priestess in this life, she would be the next."
Flashback
"Heavens be praised! It's a girl, Tula-sama's new High Priestess!" the midwife told the new mother.
"Darae, protect the child." Sae-oh told her assistant. "She is to be the next High Priestess. Protect her."
"To battle!" she declared, as Darae and the midwife fled with the infant, only to be cornered by Karin and her men.
With the midwife killed and Darae wounded, Karin took the child.
"Go and deliver my message." Karin told Darae. "If they want to see the child again, Tula must come to Star Hill. Tell her she must bring the power of Fire. The power was mine. I will have it back."
"Darae." Sae-oh hurried to the wounded girl's side after she had dispatched off her enemies. "What has happened? Where is the child?"
"Forgive me." Darae muttered.
"Where is the child?" Sae-oh pressed.
"Please forgive me." Darae mumbled, before breathing her last.
After Sae-oh arrived on the top of Star Hill, she saw Karin at the edge of the cliff, the infant in her arms.
"How is that you have come?" Karin snapped at her rival. "It should have been her before me."
"Give me back my child!" Sae-oh pressed.
"I did not want to see you." Karin remarked. "If I see you, I..."
"Give me back my child." Sae-oh got to her feet. "She is innocent!"
"First give me what is mine." Karin demanded.
"If I give it to you, will you return my baby?" Sae-oh asked.
"My baby?" Karin scoffed. "Did you say 'my baby'?"
"This is the 'Phoenix Heart'." Sae-oh muttered. "She gave it to me. She wanted me to protect the people, to help them multiply in the land."
"The 'Phoenix Heart'?" Karin echoed. "The power of Fire was first mine!" before she leapt and attacked her rival. However, before she could deal the finishing blow, the aura of Fire burst from around Sae-oh.
"My child..." Sae-oh muttered, approaching Karin. "Give me my child. Give me my child."
"Foolish are you Sae-oh, Daughter of Drago." Karin snorted, now forced to the edge of the cliff and she dropped the infant. "This child... could have been mine too."
Sae-oh let out a wrenching cry as her child fell to the abyss. Karin tried to take the 'Phoenix Heart', only to have the flames burn her.
Just then, Tula had flew up onto the cliff, the infant in her arms.
"Sae-oh." she started. "Sae-oh! Here is your child, Sae-oh."
"No... no, Sae-oh!" she gaped, when Sae-oh burst into flames, turning into the Black Phoenix. The said bird then spread its rage above the skies of Star Hill, Tula using her Cosmo to guard against the enraged flames. "Is this the Black Phoenix?"
"Byakko." she summoned the White Tiger.
Byakko leapt onto the Black Phoenix's back and tried to subdue it.
"Seiryuu. Genbu." Tula summoned the other two Guardians, knowing that Byakko was fighting a losing battle.
Genbu's water doused the flames created by the Black Phoenix, only to have the fire reignited when Sae-oh opened her eyes.
"The three Guardians could not kill the Phoenix." Tula continued. "The four Guardians were created to control each other. The only one who could end the Phoenix's life was the one who created her, Tula herself."
Flashback
Placing the infant on the ground, Tula manifested the Heavenly Bow."
"Sae-oh..." she started, pulling the bow string taunt and fired. "Forgive me."
As Sae-oh's life ebbed away, she floated into the waiting arms of her Goddess.
Dropping a tear of remorse, she died in Tula's arms. Tula softly planted a kiss of forgiveness on her forehead.
Picking up the infant, she turned to Karin.
"What will it take for you to believe that I have come on behalf of all of you?" she asked the original Fire Bearer.
"Are you going to spare me?" Karin pressed. I killed your High Priestess!"
"You are also one of my people." Tula added.
"I have never wanted to be one of your people." Karin scoffed. "I was a queen myself."
Backing to the edge of the cliff, she allowed herself to fall off.
"To put out the fire the Black Phoenix had started, it rained for 7 days and 7 nights." Tula added. "Although the raging fires were extinguished, the world became submerged in water. The rain had stopped, but the world was submerged in deep waters. And the land of Asgard was scattered, because I returned to Mount Olympus."
Flashback
"Even though I came to fulfill Heaven's will to bless and prosper the people, I have failed my task. I will return to Mount Olympus. I will leave on Earth the symbols of Seiryuu, Byakko, Genbu and Suzaku." Tula sealed the four Guardians into their respective Sacred Totems. "One day, my reincarnation will be sent to the world. That day, the symbols of the four Guardians will also awaken. When my reincarnation is born, a star will announce her birth. And all those who await her will see."
"Do you understand now, Suzaku." Tula remarked. "The true origins of you and the Black Phoenix."
"Yes...." Suzaku stammered, returning to her avatar, still shell-shocked at the revelation.
In the games arcade...
"Hey I won!" a kid whooped.
"I'm up next." his companion added and turned to Robert. "But, I need an opponent."
"Nice hair." the first kid remarked. "Or is that a helmet?"
"He's just joking, really." the second kid replied. "We like the look."
"You've been stand there, watching us battle from the side-lines." the first kid noted. "How about playing an actual match."
"Yeah." the second kid pressed.
"So what do you say?" the first kid blocked Robert's path. "That you in?"
On deck...
"Kenny can talk the talk, but can he jog the jog?" Tyson panted. "I didn't see him doing any exercise, except for typing in his laptop, that is. Boy, 40 laps around the ship didn't seem a lot at first."
"Mustache guy again." he added, running past the sleeping tourist. "I'm tired of seeing that tacky shirt."
"No more running!" he finally snapped. "If Chief doesn't think up a better idea, he'll be the one running, from me!"
In the games arcade...
"Now, this is more I like it." Tyson arrived back at the Bey-dish. "Excuse me."
"What happened here?" he asked, pushing his way through. "This place is littered with busted Beyblades. It's like a wrecking yard in here."
"That guy in the purple hair." a blond kid pointed to Robert. "He destroyed our Beyblades. It wasn't enough to beat us, he's viscous."
"You're not going anywhere." a kid stepped up. "Not until I get my chance to take you down, big shot!"
"Three, two, one!" he begun to the countdown "Let it rip!"
Robert released his Beyblade, slicing his opponent's blade into half.
"No..." the kid stammered. "My Beyblade... he destroyed it!"
"Not so fast." Tyson snapped, stopping Robert in his tracks. "A true Beyblader doesn't need to destroy his opponent's blade. Who are you anyway? Well?"
"A better question would be this: why did you care what happens these kids?" Robert retorted. "They're lousy amateurs. Just because they can pull a rip-cord they automatically think they're Beybladers? It's laughable. I had to put them in their place. This game must be taken seriously."
"Well, you're a bully." Tyson snapped. "And because of you, these kids might never want to play again."
"Like I care." Robert scoffed. "Hey, they challenged me. I'm the the bully."
"Who are you?" Tyson demanded.
"I'm just like everyone else on this cruise ship." Robert replied. "A traveler crossing the Atlantic to get to Europe and who are you?"
"I'm Tyson, from the Bladebreakers team." Tyson snapped.
"The Bladebreakers?" the crowd hushed. "He's awesome! How cool is that!? No way, it can't be! Talk about perfect timing. The Tyson?"
"I guess so." Tyson chuckled. "Heard of me?"
"Tyson, it's all up to you now." Robert's latest victim told him.
"Battle him for us and beat him." the blond added.
"Well, I'm no amateur." Tyson challenged Robert. "I am a professional and I challenge you, Mr. Bully."
"Big deal." Robert scoffed. "I've seen your team battle on TV. You bored me so much I fell asleep on the couch. You're just a pretender who got lucky, that's all. Now if you would excuse me, I have first-class luxury suite to return to."
"I think, you're scared." Tyson retorted.
"I tried to let you go off gracefully, but when I'm accused of being a coward, you forced me to respond." Robert remarked. "And you'll be sorry you ever did."
On deck...
"I'll give anything to settle my stomach." Kenny whined. "To eat just one meal that doesn't go overboard a minute later."
"Hurry! There's a big Beyblade match going on." a kid told his partner.
"I bet Tyson wishes he were watching that match, instead of jogging." Kenny remarked.
"One of the players is Tyson, from the Bladebreakers." the kid added, causing Kenny to fall off his chair.
"Oh, Tyson." Kenny sighed.
On the other side of the deck...
"That kid that is jogging is letting it rip down the games room. Come on." a kid told his companion.
Tyson's starting a match? Ray wondered. Why wasn't I told?
In the weights room...
I don't think my weighing machine is working. Max grimaced. Why can't I make it move?
"Some kid from the Bladebreakers is going battle downstairs." a kid told his friend as they ran past Max.
"Some kid?" Max echoed. "It's Tyson!"
In the games arcade...
"Tyson, you're supposed to be jogging." Kenny scolded.
"Did you do this?" he asked, looking at the pile of demolished beyblades.
"Of course not, Chief." Tyson snapped. "But I'm here to take down the guy who did. The jogging will have to wait."
"I understand." Kenny noted.
"Who did this?" Max was shocked at the pile of destroyed beyblades.
"He hasn't coughed up his name yet." Tyson replied.
"Hey Kai." Kenny looked at the team leader.
"I don't recognize him, but obviously he's very good." Kai replied.
I'll be the judge of that. It's been a long time I took on someone I knew nothing about. Tyson mused. But I'll make sure this dude never forgets who I am.
"Three, two, one." he started the countdown. "Let it rip!"
"Alright Bullet Boy, I'll teach you to pick on kids who're just trying to have some fun." Tyson swore.
"The only thing you'll be teaching me is how badly a chump like you can lose." Robert laughed.
This guy must be a professional. Kenny thought. So how come we haven't seen him play before?
"Hey Chief, Bit-Beast got your tongue?" Dizzi teased. "Uh-oh, hold the phone, I'm getting some serious seismic readings from this guy's beyblade."
"Go back to your luxury suite, order room service because I'm sending you packing." Tyson snapped. "Dragoon, attack!"
"Sweet huh?" he noted, the two beyblades meeting head-on.
"Now, feel the heat." Robert smirked.
"Wow, this guy is powerful." Max blinked.
"That's an understatement." Ray agreed.
"He's shutting me out!' Tyson gasped.
"No!" he exclaimed, his beyblade flying out of the the Bey-dish.
"Another win for me." Robert remarked.
"Not so fast, dude." Tyson retorted, Dragoon landing back into the dish. "I'm far from done."
"Believe what you want, kid." Robert barked. "Your chances of winning this match is 0."
It's secret weapon time. Tyson decided, amidst the cheers.
"Alright Dragoon, attack!" he summoned his Bit-Beast. "Say hello to my Bit-Beast, bud." "Now say goodbye!"
I don't get it, Dragoon's too squat. He mused.
"So, you're a small fry with a big toy. Impressive." Robert noted. "But utterly useless."
"Griffolyon!" he called his Bit-Beast.
The giant griffin appeared at its master's call.
"That Bit-Beast..." Max gaped.
"Is huge." Kenny added.
I knew there were ones out there like this. Kai thought. We just got our wakeup call.
"I'm not fooled." Tyson snapped. "Because real Bit-Beasts aren't nearly that big."
"Oh, but he's very real." Robert scoffed. "As you're about to see!"
"So powerful..." Max gaped as the two beasts decked it out.
"I think Tyson's in real trouble." Ray added.
"Stay with it." Tyson growled.
"Dragoon is totally overwhelmed." Kenny noted.
"He's hesitating." Max added.
"Yeah, but that other one isn't." Kenny remarked. "Tyson,doesn't have a clue about how to fight it."
"Griffolyon!" Robert barked. "Attack!"
The griffin released its 'Wing Dagger' attack on Dragoon, the resulting aftershock knocking Tyson to the ground.
"Dragoon." Tyson gasped when his beyblade rolled out of the Bey-dish.
"That's for making me use Griffolyon." Robert remarked, collecting his beyblade. "I didn't need him to defeat this patsy wannabes, but you just had to show how great you were because of your Bit-Beast. Well, here's a news flash for you, genius, it's puny and weak and so are you. You think you're so skilful, you don't deserve to be on the same boat with me. So stay out of my way."
"Now, if you would excuse me I have a party on the first-class deck to attend." he added.
"We're still waiting." Kai cut in. "Fro your name that is."
"That name is Robert." Robert replied.
On the deck...
"Finally, I get to use my slow-mo feature." Dizzi chirped. "Check out the motion of Robert's beyblade."
"It has the fastest spinning velocity we've seen." Kenny exclaimed. "No wonder it ripped through all those kids' beyblades. It generated gale-forced winds."
"Don't feel bad, Tyson." he added. "Your heart was in the right place when you offered to help all those kids. You didn't know he'll be using some kind of super Bit-Beast."
"How can this happen, Chief?" Ray thought to ask. "By now, we should be prepared for anything."
"Well, we're not." Kenny admitted. "And the reason is obvious. See, not all of the world's best Beybladers go to the tournaments. We have some serious blanks in our knowledge base."
"Like that matters." Tyson snorted.
"Say again?" Kenny echoed.
"Robert hammered it home guys. We're completely out of our league." Tyson remarked. If there're other mega Bit-beasts out there, we're doomed."
"How can you say that?" Max asked. "You're always the first to say we should never throw in the towel."
"Max is right, you know." Kenny agreed. "There's no point in panicking over just one loss."
"Sure, easy for you to say." Tyson snorted. "You're not the one who lost. If I hadn't pulled back in the last minute, he would have destroyed Dragoon. I flinched and I choked."
"Tyson." Kenny chided.
"I blew it, Chief!" Tyson rebuked. "I let those kids down and I let my team down!"
"Good thing Dizzi's camera's off." Ray noted. "I won't want to replay this."
"How the heck did Dragoon pick such a pathetic avatar?" Anhara shook her head.
"What was that?" Tyson fumed.
"She's right" Kai cut in. "You should always remember this low point. Not you on your knees specifically, but how our team was defeated by an outsiders. This will be a constant reminder on how we can never rest on our morels. I'm referring to the whole team, Tyson. Your defeat could happen to any of us."
"And so he becomes a leader." Anhara muttered.
"That's good advice, Kai." Tyson admitted.
"It sure is." Kenny agreed. "I feel a bonding moment coming on. But before we have a group hug, I suggest we go back to our training."
"Kenny, I think your seasickness is gone." Ray noted.
"So it is." Kenny remarked.
"Chief, I'm ready for your training regiment. Whatever you say goes." Tyson commented.
"Glad to hear it." Kenny nodded.
I promise you this Dragoon. Tyson looked at his Bit-chip. We won't be caught unprepared again. We're going to open up our minds to new strategies, new possibilities, because we don't know how many more Beybladers like Robert there are out there. We're sure going to find out.
SailorStar9: Wow, that's one long chapter. Hope the length makes up for my tardiness, so please be a dear and read and review.