You've Waited to be Thrilled

Hilary sat with her head against the cool glass of the window. The other occupants in the room were sleeping peacefully, but she knew she would have trouble getting to sleep after what she had seen. She had been waiting for Kai to come back so she was looking out the window only to see the ex pop-star Ming Ming walking with Kai. As if that had been enough to worry Hilary she saw her hug him and Kai had done little to get her off.

Hilary had spent hours trying to convince herself that Kai was just being friendly and there was nothing going on between them, but when was Kai friendly just because? Even sitting here long after seeing the events unfold she felt hot and sick just thinking about it.

Hilary had tried to act normal, but it had been hard after Ming Ming came in and everyone was listening and paying attention to her. Hilary hated to admit it, but whenever she was around Ming Ming she felt inadequate. Ming Ming was a great beyblader and could sing, but what could she, Hilary, do?

She bit her lip, but that did not stop a lump forming in her throat and tears to start falling down her cheeks. She did not even bother to wipe them away, partly because it relaxed her and partially because she hoped that someone would care enough to notice she was upset.

The smile that appeared on her face was bitter as she listened to the stillness of the room. She could only hear the breathing of sleeping forms. The little strength she had had left slipped away with her last tears as she fell into a fitful sleep.

Waking up the next morning she found that someone had put a blanket around her shoulders during the night. She hoped that meant that Kai had given it to her because he really cared if she got cold, but in the back of her mind she almost knew it was not really him.

Sighing she stood up and grabbed some random clothes that matched before walking towards the dinner hall, putting on a smile so no one would ask questions. However inside she hoped Kai would notice.

As she was about to open the door to the dinner hall she heard shouts, so she ran in expecting to find a fight. She did find a fight, but not the kind she had been expecting. Daichi and Ming Ming were in the middle of a beyblade match in the middle of the hall.

Everyone was shouting and cheering with excitement, since it had been a long time since anyone had watched a fun beyblade match. Two groups had formed, a hugs crowd behind Ming Ming and a much smaller crowd behind Daichi (although he had more beybladers on his side), who did not really seem phased by the attention they were getting.

There was only one person who had taken neither side and that was Kai, who was standing as the referee of the battle, his arms crossed over his chest watching both the beybladers and the beyblades as they moved. He had his back to her and had certainly not noticed that she had not entered the room. Looking a little disappointed she watched in silence as Daichi called out his bitbeast and finished Ming Ming's beyblade.

There was both a roar of cheers and disappointed sighs, but Ming Ming walked up to Daichi laughing and congratulating him for his wonderful performance. Hilary moved to the side so that she did not block the door as everyone went to the door commenting on how amazing the battle had been.

"Kai." Hilary watched as Kai turned around to look at the owner of the voice, Ming Ming.

Hilary bit her lip in order not to scream. She noted that people were still walking out and she observed as Ming Ming whispered something into his ear. Hilary was afraid she was about to be sick when Kai blushed in response and smiled slightly as Ming Ming laughed.

It was all she could watch as she walked out with everyone else and hope that Kai and Ming Ming had not seen her watching them, yet there was a part of her that wished Kai had noticed her. Her stomach was tied up in knots and part of her was thankful that she had not eaten. Why did it hurt if Ming Ming and Kai were getting to know each other better? It should not have mattered, but it did and she felt horrible because of that.

Automatically her feet took her to the beach, where she sat and watched the waves come to the shore and recede again. There were clouds in the sky, so the water looked dark and dirty, but she did not really care too much. She grabbed some of the sand on the beach and threw it at the sea. The sand separated and disappeared into the dark waters in front of her.

She stayed there for a long time before it started to rain. The wet sand started to cling to her as well as the water that flattened her hair so it was plastered to her face and neck. She continued to sit as she became thoroughly soaked, but she did not want to leave yet. Maybe the sea would come up to her and take her away. At least then it would solve the problem she was having.

Garland growled as he walked along the deserted streets. He would have defeated Kai if Ming Ming had not just shown up like that. He should have known that she had not forgiven him after what happened with Brooklyn. Although he had not thought the King would go as far as he did with Brooklyn, in the end it was to be expected. It had been necessary in order to set an example.

"And the loser comes home licking his wounds,"

Garland looked over to see who had just insulted him. Standing in front of him were Eddie and Steve, former members of the All Starz. It had been Steve who had spoken and the smirk was still on his lips from his comment.

Garland walked up so that he was only a few inches away from Steve's face. His eyes narrowed before he spoke, "Do you want to repeat that to me?"

"Hard of hearing too? I'd have thought better…"

"Forget it, Steve." Eddie said as he cut in. "You need to see the King and explain your actions to him, Garland. He didn't sound too pleased."

Glaring at the two he walked past, silently thinking of a way to get rid of them for good. Those idiots had no idea what was happening in the big picture, since they seemed too brainless to even contemplate what it was.

As he approached the door to the heavily guarded room, he saw Tala leaning on the door, blocking his path.

"Get out of my way, you mutt." He growled.

"I should have warned you not to go near Kai. He's stronger than you think. The only reason the King put him in a lower level was so that if we were all assassinated Kai would have been able to continue the line. Don't mess with the King's toy. He doesn't appreciate it."

"You reported me!" Garland shouted before he slammed the other man into the door behind him.

"It was not my doing. Someone else has been keeping tabs on him, not me. Even I don't know who it is that watches over Kai." With that said Tala moved out of the fuming man's way.

Garland knocked on the door and walked into the empty room. "Figures." He sneered; it was unheard of for anyone to actually meet the King in person (although he had on one occasion) and he should have known this would be no different.

The black screen in front of him suddenly lit up and the face of the King himself appeared. Garland shuddered as both the red and gold eye stared at him without any passion or mercy. His voice was laced with false compassion.

"So how was your night out? Did you have fun?"

"Sir, I didn't thin…"

"No, you did not think of what you were doing. I want Kai alive, is that clear?" The man had yet to shout, but it was so low that Garland knew one false move would finish him.

"That guy's a traitor and he's giving all of our secrets away. We will lose this battle."

The King smiled, but Garland knew it meant trouble. "The pieces are in place to remove any type of resistance that exists."

Garland's eyes opened wide. "How is that possible sir?"

"Let's just say that their uprising has already been prepared for and will be dealt with on the day they think will be their liberation." The King's eyes pierced Garland's soul before looking away, "That is all I have to say to you. Now go and leave the rest of this to me. We would not like for you to be in any worse shape than you already are." He added motioning towards Garland's scars.

The screen again went blank and Garland walked out to see Tala still waiting for him outside the door. "What do you want?"

"I forgot to mention that the King could not be here in person." Growling Garland shoved his way past to go to his room.

It was one of the most lavishly decorated in the building, but it meant little to Garland's eyes. He had seen it a thousand times before and did not really think that there was anything special about it. It was beautiful, but the stench of abandonment somehow seeped into everything and no matter how much anyone tried to clean it out there was still a faint odour lingering that built up again in no time.

He walked over to the bed that stuck out in the middle of the room, almost like a jewel amongst fakes, glittering and more lavish than anything else in the room. First he placed his hand on the blanket, as if testing it, before hoping up onto the bed in a sitting position.

There was not a single reflective surface in the room and Garland bitterly remembered why as he traced the scars on his face with his fingers. He could not bare to see what he had given up for this place, what he had given up for power. Brooklyn would be smiling at him with the smile that made him so superior to everyone else if that crazy boy could see what he had become.

"I'll still get the last laugh, Brooklyn."

Garland looked at his reflection in the mirror with little interest. His body was flawless and he knew there were a lot of girls who wanted him and he did not even have to try to look good for them. He turned when he finally heard someone's voice from outside his room.

"Hey Garland everyone's ready, so let's go before Brooklyn loses interest again." Crusher shouted from outside his room.

"Alright, let's go." Garland smiled as he walked out of his room and down the steps of their apartment they shared together.

This was the day that he was going to tell the others where he had been going all this time. He was confident that they would all understand and join him and the future ruler of the world.

They walked into a huge building that shouted importance and headed for the elevator.

"Umm, Garland, shouldn't we check in or something?" Ming Ming asked as they all walked into the empty space to take them up to wherever hey were going.

I was beginning to become obvious that the others were becoming restless, even Brooklyn was paying attention to what was actually being said by others. His eyes darted between speakers as Garland argued his case.

"Look guys, I'm team leader and I think this will benefit all of us. Aren't you tired of hoping to find a good job and keeping our fingers crossed that we won't lose our home?"

The others looked at each other, each one hoping another would get them out of this uncomfortable situation.

"What you're doing is a bit rash." Brooklyn stated, "We are in a good position at the moment and we don't need a place like BEGA to be the best. I thought GRevolutions taught us that."

Some time after the BEGA tournament had ended Kai and Brooklyn had started talking to each other and had quickly realised how much they had in common. Brooklyn showed off a lot less and spent hours training himself to be a better beyblader. The effect had not been one-way, however since Tyson had mentioned to them how much more time Kai spent around his team mates as well as strangers and fans.

That is what Garland hated about Brooklyn. The boy was a leader he just chose not to be because he did not feel like it. Unlike everyone else he did not have to work to become great, but he would to make others feel better about themselves – as well as keeping up with Kai and Tyson, who seemed to improve with each battle even if they were fighting amateurs. He had been destined for greatness, but it had been snatched from him at the last second and he hated it.

The bell in the elevator took him from his thoughts, reminding him where he was and who he was about to face.

But events had not gone to plan. Nothing could have prepared Garland for the reaction Brooklyn had had to the situation.

Garland had never seen Brooklyn angry before. The boy's normally calm, cool eyes were blazing with a dark fire. "Why didn't you consult the rest of us about this? Do our opinions not matter as soon as you get a shot at being the best again?"

The King walked out from his position behind the desk to move in between the two young men, "Now Brooklyn, Garland is just looking at the bigger picture. Humanity has reached its peak if we continue the way we do, but by changing the way things are done, there is no limit to what we can achieve."

A snarl came from Brooklyn's mouth before he produced his beyblade and launcher. "If you want me to join your mission then you have to beat me Garland."

Garland silently accepted the challenge by also producing his beyblade and launching it after a count down was done. The two beyblades stayed close to their masters at first, before their bitbeasts appeared, both ready to fight to the death.

"Radiant Thunder!" Garland was the first to strike, but he was surprised to see that Brooklyn, whose head was lowered, did not move an inch as Apollon rushed straight at him and Zeus.

Garland could already taste victory, as it seemed Brooklyn had given up, but as his attack was about to made contact he heard a voice that made his blood run cold.

"King of Darkness."

From out of nowhere Zeus appeared and the next thing Garland knew someone was screaming in pain and fear. He looked down to his beyblade to see it in pieces and quickly realised that not only he had shouted out, but the King had too. Something sticky slid down his face and as his hand moved to touch it fire seemed to shoot through his face.

Looking up he saw Brooklyn being grabbed by many of the guards around him, grinning madly down at Garland before turning to look at the King, who now had huge scratch marks down his face. "If you think you can tame me then you are a fool. I am the God of Darkness."

Through his hazy eyes he saw the look of horror on the faces of Ming Ming, Crusher and Mystel as Brooklyn was hauled out of the room. Ming Ming was the first to speak as she walked up to Garland, "If you were hoping to persuade us then you've done a pretty bad job, Garland."

Crusher walked up behind her, "Consider this our resignation from the team."

The three walked out of the building while the medical staff came in and tended to Garland and the King.

Brooklyn had been torn apart after that. The King had not forgiven the young man for what had been done. Garland had not been there when he had finally passed on, but it had apparently been a pretty scary sight.

Garland lay on top of the covers, wondering if this was what it would take to finally become the best. "All I have to do is destroy Kai and Tyson and I will be the strongest person in the world. I promise that they will be defeated."

As he lay there, the darkness listened to his promise and laughed at the pain and sorrow that was to come.