Hey there!
Uh...I had fun writing this chapter but just a heads up, this chapter kind of pushes the age rating so just warning you about that now...
Also, originally the contents/main scene of chapter 30 was meant to be chapter 29, but I thought I'd add this in just to change the mood of the story a bit and give chapter 30 some depth. Hope you don't mind that this chapter is a little...unplanned.
As always, I'd like to thank my reviewers, Cutetyhil, Brillerai, Shaj95, ChihuahuaPup, Subha, and Delirium1015 (Welcome back to the story btw! :D)
To ChihuahuaPup: Correction: That's MY Linnea, in case you forgot who goddess of the universe in Nornir is. :p (not spoiling future chapters though!)
To Subha: Hehe, you're a bit too harsh on Linnea.
To Delirium: I haven't forgotten the hints I left about Linnea and A2's relationship, don't worry. This will be relevant soon enough.
Enjoy Chapter 29! ;)
°¤~ ▪《{Arc FIVE: Diamond Dust}》▪ ~¤°
PART TWO
~ 029: A Child's Hero ~
"3…2…1…Let it Rip!"
Counting down, Kai launches Dranzer onto the sandy dirt of the secluded grounds some distance away from a nearby luxury resort. Despite that it is now late into the fall, the tropical sun blazes down strongly onto him and his surroundings. He is currently very far away from his university at the moment. Since he heard the announcement of the PPB's charity tournament, ten days have already passed.
Originally, when Linnea asked if or not he wanted to come along for this trip, he had said, "No, thanks."
Linnea had successfully been signed to a well known recording label and their publicity department had decided to do a photoshoot for her here at the Bahamas. Although the company was not offering to pay for anyone else's travel expenses, Linnea had tried to invite him and A2 here, offering to pay out of her own pocket for a weekend's stay for them as a way of thanking the two of them for their contributions in saving her from her kidnapper on Halloween. However, knowing full well that unlike herself, Linnea did not come from a wealthy family, A2 offered instead to accept the invitation alone as thanks and fund her own stay. This, however, did not sit well with Emily.
When Emily found out about A2's little weekend vacation, she had felt left out of the fun and was dissatisfied that A2 was going to abandon their partnership together for the weekend to play. Thus, begrudgingly, after enough whining, nagging, pouting and pseudo-reasoning from Emily, A2 extended the trip funding to Emily who then cheerfully boasted the opportunity to Max, Michael, Steve, Eddy and Rick. Subsequently, this resulted in the rest of the PPB All Starz team strongly implying their desire to come along too, much to A2's chagrin. Finally, to make it worse, when Linnea told her roommate and friends about this group trip, her two friends Minna and Clarissa also sought A2 out to join in on the fun. Their excuse for requesting A2's financial support to vacation here was the goal of cheering up Linnea's roommate, Sera, who had been noticeably down lately.
In the end, A2 was generous enough to extend an offer of funding to everyone who requested it but was reportedly less than thrilled. According to Linnea, she had unenthusiastically cited the reason for her generosity as, "I have so much money that I can't realistically spend it all before I die anyway."
However, none of this changed Kai's initial decision not to participate. He had resolved to win the upcoming tournament after all and it's not like he can't afford to go play on a tropical island at any other time of his choosing. In his original plans for this weekend, he had actually intended to train for as much time as he could spare. The reason he ultimately ended up coming along was because of something else that tempted him.
While it was nice of A2 to extend coverage of travel expenses for the PPB All Starz and Linnea's friends, that was not the only thing she offered to cover. It just so happens that Linnea's photoshoot takes place extremely close to one of many hotels owned or acquired by Karl Rosenstreim – the very same one they are all currently staying at for free due to A2's influence, in fact. As such, A2 happened to have in-depth knowledge about the luxury resort and had mentioned to Linnea, Emily and company that due to her half brother's own beyblading hobby, there is quite an advanced training complex here. This information subsequently reached his ears through Linnea of course. So finally, thinking it would be stupid of him not to take advantage of a chance to use a specialized facility, when Linnea ascertained his response to her invitation, his response changed from "No thanks" to "I'll come".
Yet, he thoroughly regrets his change of decision.
When he finally got to check out the supposedly advanced training complex, he discovered that, although it meets his expectations based on how Linnea had described it to him, it had been booked by some VIP staying at the resort for most of the day for the next several days and will not be freed up until very late in the evening of each day.
Somewhat annoyed with himself for having been enticed to waste hours of precious time traveling here, he sends Dranzer upwards along the trunk of a nearby palm tree to launch it into the air and then strikes a large rock nearby with great force, completely shattering it. At least, here, he won't be held responsible for destroying decent practice obstacles during his beyblade training unlike much of the on-campus university grounds.
Having stumbled into his practice, a nearby boy's jaw drops in awe at the sight of Kai's raw strength as a beyblader. Unfortunately for him, a small piece of rock sent flying due to the impact of Dranzer also hits him while he admires the foreigner.
"Oww!" he exclaims in reaction to the pain.
Kai turns to the source of the voice to see a young boy nursing his forehead. Realizing it was probably caused by what he did just now, he recalls Dranzer and runs up to the boy.
"Hey, are you okay?" he asks the kid as he approaches. Judging by the kid's appearance, it is likely that this kid is someone who lives locally in the area.
The kid continues to wince in pain. Still holding the spot where the rock had hit him, he answers, "It hurts…"
Bending down before him, Kai tells the kid, "Show me your wound."
The kid removes his hand from his forehead.
Taking a good look at the spot the kid got hit on, Kai relaxes. While the kid might possibly have a visibly noticeable bruise for a few days, there is no bleeding so it is safe to assume it is unlikely that there will be any permanent damage.
"You'll be fine," he tells the kid with a relieved smile. He then gets up and apologizes, "Sorry about that."
Hurting quite a bit less now that some time has passed, the kid responds, "It's ok, mister. I mean, it was just an accident so it's not like you meant it."
Kai acknowledges his response with a slight nod and then turns to walk away.
However, the kid then asks, "By any chance…are you Kai Hiwatari? The world class beyblader?"
Kai stops and turns back to the kid.
The kid adds, "It's just…you kind of look like him…"
Kai answers, "Yeah, that's me."
The kid's eyes now shine in awe. He runs up to Kai and asks, "Please, can you train me to become an awesome beyblader too?"
Kai looks at him for a moment, quite taken aback by the sudden, non-trivial request.
"Please?" the kid begs him, trying to get an affirmative response out of him.
While Kai feels some very slight guilt for accidentally bruising the kid's forehead, he is inclined to decline the request since he has a tournament to prepare for. He responds, "Sorry kid, but I don't have time to train someone else at the moment."
He turns again to walk away. However, the kid follows after him.
"Please, won't you consider it?" the kid continues to beg, walking behind him.
Kai ignores him and continues walking.
"Come on, I really want to learn to become a better 'blader!" the kid insists.
Kai continues walking, but a little faster than before. He is starting to feel annoyed that this kid just won't take "No" for an answer.
"Pleeeease!" the kid keeps begging, speeding up to match his speed.
Kai speeds up even more in response, now effectively speedwalking.
Finally, figuring there would be no other way, the kid leaps forward to grab hold of Kai's arm. He asks again, "Won't you pleeeeease train me?"
In response, the famous beyblader turns to him with a vexed glare.
…
Meanwhile on a picturesque Caribbean beach, a volleyball flies over the net and is immediately returned to the other side by Emily. Linnea, Sera, Emily, Max, and Michael are currently preoccupied playing a variation of beach volleyball against Rick, Eddy, Steve, and Linnea's two usual friends. Due to the tropical climate, everyone present has taken the liberty of wearing swimwear to fully enjoy the occasion.
A little ways away from them, A2 lies on her back with her eyes closed on a mat of some sort under a large umbrella. Like everyone else, she is also dressed in beachwear, opting for a white, two-piece bikini set held together by ribbon ties. Next to her is a collapsed sand sculpture and a bag belonging to herself and Emily that contains their lotions, sunscreen and bottled drinks. Beginning to feel thirsty, she sits up and pulls out a bottle of sweetened coconut water from the bag to take a sip.
As she quenches her thirst, she glances around the scenic sands and then to the rhythmic tides before her.
Although she had agreed to come on this trip for Linnea's sake, the trip so far has been less than entertaining for her. To make it worse, due to the heightened risk of water damage to her electronics, she had left both her laptop and tablet with her personal robot at the hotel. With no internet access or even some kind of computer game to play, A2 had basically resorted to napping her morning away to stave her boredom while the rest of the group drenched themselves in sweat doing pointless activities after Linnea's photoshoot session.
Taking in a deep breath of the briny beach air, she sighs regretfully, 'I should have waterproofed my laptop so that I could have at least been able to play some single-player games…'
Screwing the bottle cap back on, she yawns and puts the drink down next to her.
'Then again,' she corrects her previous thought, 'Even if I did waterproof it, I'd still need to develop an entirely new mobile battery to make it last throughout the day. Unlike my tablet which was custom-designed to last several days without recharging, that laptop is just a standard commercial model for gaming with about three to four hours of battery life…'
Turning her head over to her companions, she watches with a bored expression as they start yet another game of beach volleyball. Tired of the scene already and starting to feel hungry, she wonders dully, 'How much longer will it be until it's time for lunch…?'
However, Linnea's spirited smile soon catches her eyes.
Watching the happy girl serve the ball for the group, she quickly forgets about her complaints and boredom. Mentally, she comments with a smile, 'Well, as long as this is fun for her, then I guess it's alright if they go on a bit longer…'
She soon notices something unusual that changes the expression on her features, however.
Although there is some distance between them and she can't really see so well from where she is, there is something about Linnea's skin that seems…irregular. To be exact, her skin seems quite a bit redder than usual with some parts appearing kind of patchy...
Glancing over to where Linnea had left her stuff a little ways away from where she is, she gets up to walk towards the other girl's belongings. Digging into her bag a little while the rest are engaged in their informal game, she pulls out the girl's sunscreen and examines the spray container's information label. Upon finishing her inspection, she puts the item back and heads for where the rest of the group currently is.
"Hey A2, wanna come join us?" Linnea greets her cheerfully as she approaches.
Dodging the trajectory of the incoming ball with a small movement of her head, A2 walks around the net towards Linnea. She replies, "No, I'm not interested in that."
"Oh?" Linnea's eyes follow the taller girl's motion curiously as she closes the distance between them. The disruption caused by the strawberry blonde's sudden presence distracts the rest of the group from their game, momentarily ending it.
Taking hold of the shorter girl by her arm, A2 notes, "You've neglected to reapply your sunscreen, haven't you?"
Linnea then remembers. "Oh crap!"
A2 adds bluntly, "And on top of that, you even bought the kind that doesn't stay on very effectively…"
"Huh?" Linnea looks at her confused.
A2 then turns to the rest of their companions present who had been watching them.
"Please, continue without her for a bit," she mouths to them.
Without waiting for anyone to respond, she then pulls the albino girl away, bringing her into the shadow of the umbrella she had formerly been resting under. Bending down to dig through the bag of items that she shares with Emily, she pulls out a towel to hand to Linnea and then instructs her, "Wipe off the sweat and lie down."
The others, realizing Linnea will probably be a while, resume playing and adjust their rules accordingly to account for the temporarily absent player.
Deciding to trust the girl who has helped her time and again since their acquaintance, Linnea takes the towel and begins to do as instructed. She complies verbally with a nod, "Ok."
As A2 pulls out a bottle of her own sunscreen, she informs the other girl, "After you've wiped some of the sweat away, I'll help you properly reapply your sunscreen so that you don't significantly increase your risk of developing skin cancer."
Finishing up with the towel, Linnea asks shyly, "Is it…that bad?"
A2 crawls over the girl on the mat.
"You used an aerosol-type spray," A2 points out. Beginning to liberally empty the contents of the bottle in her hand onto the other girl's upper arm, she continues, "Not only is the application process spotty at best but the seabreeze likely blows away a significant portion of what you're applying as you apply it."
Moving onto her other arm where there is already some noticeable damage, she adds, "Judging by the burns you already have, I bet you didn't rub the sunscreen in either, did you?"
Linnea tries to excuse her carelessness, "Minna and Clarissa were telling me to hurry so…"
"Unlike most other people, you don't have the necessary pigments in your skin to defend against sunburn," A2 emphasizes protectively, cutting her off. Done with her arms and moving onto her abdomen, A2 reprimands her sternly, "You should take better care of your skin when playing in sunny places like this. The irradiation levels here are more than twice as high as that of lands up north too…"
Linnea does not try to counter her this time. Knowing full well that A2 means well anyway, she smiles and remains docile as A2 continues rubbing copious amounts of the white, opaque fluid into exposed parts of her skin. Watching A2 work, however, she soon notices something off about A2's bikini top. Deciding she should at least reciprocate the other girl's kindness towards her, she calls for her attention. "Um..A2?"
"Hm?" A2 pauses, looking up at Linnea.
"The knot holding your bikini top...It's loose," she points out. She then reaches around A2's neck to correct it for her. "Let me fix it for you."
…
Kai tries to lose the kid holding onto his arm.
"Let go!" he tells the kid harshly, trying to wriggle himself out of the child's grasp without causing further injury to his young admirer.
"Not until you agree to train me to get better at beyblading!" the kid retorts loudly, holding tightly onto him.
"What's your problem?" Kai growls as he continues to struggle with getting the kid's hands off of him.
"I just want you to help me get better at beyblading!" the tenacious kid repeats again.
However, in a single moment of the child's carelessness, Kai successfully wrestles himself out of the kid's grip. Before the kid can grab him again, he runs off, prompting the kid to immediately pursue him.
"Wait!" the kid screams behind him.
Kai ignores the kid's imperative for him to wait and keeps on running however.
Right now, any direction is fine…
Anywhere is fine…
Just as long as he gets away from this bothersome child so he can train…
Heck, this kid kind of reminds him of Daichi except that Daichi's a little more mature now and Daichi only ever caused trouble for Tyson…
He soon exits the small patch of unused tropical land and finds himself at the coast. Looking around a little while there's some distance between him and the kid, he realizes that if he runs along the beach he will eventually reach the resort. At least there, he should be able to get away from the kid due to the sheer size and complexity of the resort's facilities. With little time to come up with an alternative plan, he decides on this and dashes off.
"Stop! Wait!" the kid screams behind him still.
'Damn it!' He curses mentally, glancing behind him to see the kid cutting through the trees to try to catch up to him. 'How persistent can this kid be!?'
However, a startled, familiar voice causes him to return his gaze to the direction in front of him. As he suddenly realizes that he is about to stomp over two people whom he holds dear, he stops just in time before he tramples over them.
"Kai!?" Linnea exclaims, completely surprised by his abrupt appearance.
A2 glances up at him as well, confused.
Kai utters their names, "A2…Linnea…"
He stares at the two girls on the mat before him. The sight of them completely stuns him and even causes him to blush a bit. Not only is he surprised to have run into the two of them, but to see the girl he's in love with in a sexually suggestive position on top of another girl he cares greatly for…
A2's even wearing a cute bikini…
…and there's some drops of white opaque fluid on Linnea's stomach too…
Shifting the focus of his vision back to their faces, he then notices Linnea's hands around A2's neck…
…Is she about to undo A2's top?
"I gotcha!" the kid exclaims as he catches up with Kai and grabs hold of him again, almost knocking him over.
The sudden action greatly startles the two girls in front of him again, however. This time, the impact of the surprise causes Linnea to loosen her grip on the ribbons between her fingers by accident. As a result, A2's bikini top falls, revealing her shapely breasts to her already gawking admirer.
Kai's originally faint and barely noticeable blush deepens in hue.
There is also a moment of silence as all four individuals struggle to comprehend the situation.
A2, being the first to complete her recovery, shifts her gaze away from Kai and his young pursuer. With her face beet-red from being publicly exposed, she collects her bikini top to cover herself and gets off of Linnea before immediately sprinting off towards the resort.
Her actions, in turn, snap Linnea out of her shock.
Realizing that A2 was probably quite embarrassed by her unintended slip, Linnea scrambles to get up and runs after her friend, calling out to her, "Wait, A2!"
Some distance nearby, Max, Emily and the others watch them go by, wondering what just happened.
Meanwhile, Kai remains where he is, still completely dazed.
He had wanted to impress A2 by winning the charity tournament. Although he doesn't know if he has a chance with her to begin with, he wanted to try to pursue her romantically some time in the near future. Now what will he do?
While it's technically not completely his fault this happened since Linnea was the one who directly caused A2's bikini top to fall, it's undeniable that his actions were partly to blame too. After all, he was the one who almost ran them over and then stuck around to stare at them. He had even seen a sight that A2 probably would have never voluntarily showed him too. To top it all off, the worst part for her is that since this is a public beach, he and the strange kid probably aren't even the only ones who saw…
Will his interactions with A2 be awkward from now on?
Will she even talk to him anymore?
Does she blame him for this?
What if she decides she doesn't want him working at her lab anymore either because of this? And not just temporarily because she's giving him time to prepare for his tournament like now because of the announcement from ten days ago?
Does she hate him now?
He decides to try running after her too to try to straighten this out. However, his attempt to move causes the kid to tighten his hold on him.
Having snapped out of his surprise long ago and unfazed by the incident that had just occurred, the kid demands confidently, "Come on, you can't get away from me this time. Just help me out already!"
Now remembering the kid's persistent pursuit and deeming him to be the cause for the subsequent events, Kai turns angrily to him. His eyes are burning with fury.
"I already told you," he begins tamely. Then, like a sudden roar of thunder, his voice booms, "NO."
His wrath, clearly expressed in his tone, causes the kid to shiver and loosen his grip around Kai's waist. His friends and acquaintances nearby seem to have heard him as well, having momentarily stopped their beach volleyball game in reaction.
Taking this opportunity to push the kid away from him, Kai adds in a relatively softer, but firm tone, "Now leave me alone."
He then turns from the kid to go after A2.
However, behind him, the kid begins to tear up.
"I hate you!" he yells after the sports celebrity.
Kai stops.
Sobbing, the child adds as loudly as he can, "You're a big jerk!"
He then runs off in the direction he came.
Having realized he made the kid cry, Kai forgets his anger.
Glancing after the kid as he runs off, Kai wonders if maybe his tone was a little too harsh. He feels somewhat guilty for having hurt the small child's feelings. In the first place, he had already bruised the kid's forehead too, albeit unintentionally. Deciding that he can probably apologize to A2 later since she is someone he goes to university with, he turns around and follows after the kid to at least see if there's a reason he was so desperate to gain his mentorship. After all, most normal people would've been far less persistent than this kid had been…
…
Covertly following the kid around, Kai is led decently far away from the seaside resort owned by the Rosenstreims. Now amidst a bustling shopping district by the harbor, he struggles a bit to keep an eye on the child over the crowds of tourists in the street. Soon seeing the kid turn around a corner, he peaks around it and then follows when there is enough distance between them. As he advances down the street behind the kid, the atmosphere around him steadily grows quieter and quieter. Probably, this area isn't one frequented by foreigners but is closer to a residential neighborhood for locals, expats or retirees.
Soon, the kid turns and walks into the garden of what appears to be a public building. If he's not mistaken, this is probably the local public library. Although relatively empty compared to the tourist district he passed through, there does seem to be some activity on these grounds, primarily consisting of kids chasing each other or the odd tourist hanging out and taking pictures of the place. He watches as the kid begins walking towards a group of his peers in the far corner of the courtyard.
One of the kids there, a slightly older male than the rest seems to be taunting two others.
"So, I hear you twerps got new beyblades already," he says, sneering. "That was quick since we just smashed both of yours two days ago."
One of the two boys behind the first comments, "They must be eager to keep losing beybattles to us."
A young girl, one of the two kids being provoked, tries to correct his statement, "No we're not!"
Her friend backs her up, "Yeah, so go away and stop picking on us, Ethan!"
"What are you talking about?" the kid called Ethan asks, playing dumb. He then ridicules them, "You guys said your team is going to win the world championships one day so we're just here to challenge the future championship team."
His other lackey who has yet to speak joins in on the derision, "Yeah, you guys are going to be champions, right?"
The three of them laugh.
The kid who Kai has been tailing, now close enough, stands up to them for his friends, "Leave my friends alone!"
"Mario!" the girl greets him.
Ethan and his group turn to Mario. Their leader calls his bluff with a condescending grin, "And if we don't?"
Mario does not seem to know how to answer.
"Well, come on. What happens if we don't?" the bully asks him, hoping to see him embarrass himself with his reply. "What are you gonna do about it, huh?"
Ethan and his lackeys laugh again.
Mario glares at them but doesn't know what to say.
His female teammate beside him looks at him concerned. "Mario…"
Stepping in front of his team and positioning himself directly across the bullies on the other side of a beyblading dish, Mario confronts Ethan, "Beybattle me."
Ethan looks at the smaller boy. "Huh?"
"You said you're here to challenge us, right?" Mario repeats his words from earlier. He challenges the bully again fiercely, "So beybattle me!"
His friend protests his choice of action, "Mario, no!"
"Shut it, girl," Ethan tells her. He then turns back to the boy on the other side of the dish. "Yeah sure, I'll 'battle you."
His lackeys behind him snicker.
Mario then sets the conditions, "If I win, you will leave us alone from now on."
"Yeah sure," Ethan agrees to his terms. He then adds a snide remark, "That's if I don't smash your beyblade to pieces like every other time!"
Angrily, Mario readies his beyblade for launch. His opponent does the same.
"Ready?" Ethan asks him with a smug smile.
Mario replies bravely, "Yeah I am!"
Together, they count down.
" 3...2...1...Let it rip!"
As both beyblades land in the dish, they circle each other for a bit near the edge.
Confident that he can overpower his opponent, Ethan smirks and makes the first move to attack Mario's beyblade, nearly knocking him out of the small dish already. In response, Mario moves his 'blade away from Ethan's to keep some distance between them.
"Come on, you were so brave when you said 'Beybattle me'," Ethan teases him. He asks mockingly, "Why are you running now, huh?"
Mario doesn't answer his opponent as he tries to focus and come up with a good strategy to win.
From a distance away, Kai continues to watch the beybattle between the two kids. Having witnessed enough, he mentally comments, 'So that's why he was so desperate...'
In the dish, Ethan attacks Mario's beyblade with his again. As before, the superior attacking capabilities of his beyblade is nearly enough to knock Mario's outside the dish. However, this time, Mario tries to take advantage of Ethan's lowered guard after an assault to attack back. He successfully hits his bully's beyblade but unfortunately, the attack is largely deflected due to his opponent's also superior defense.
Kai notes of the strengths of other kid's beyblade from afar, 'A balance type with strengths in attack and defense…'
Not giving up, Mario attacks again to try to at least move Ethan's blade outside the dish but the bully counterattacks and sends him from one side of the dish across to the other.
"Heh, is that wimpy attack all you got, little champ?" He belittles the younger boy. With a cold grin, he then cruelly adds, "Let me break your beyblade for you again then!"
Going in for one last attack, Ethan completely shatters Mario's 'blade to pieces, breaking the heart of the young boy to whom the beyblade had belonged.
"Just like every other time," Ethan comments smugly as he picks up his own 'blade now that the match has concluded.
Mario tears up as he bends down to pick up the remains of his beloved toy.
Ethan turns to leave with his team, waving callously to the kids he had so ruthlessly terrorized. "Cya around, suckers."
Behind him, his lackeys follow, suppressing their snickering.
Watching them begin to walk away, Kai recalls his days of being part of the Blade Sharks. He had done very similar deeds compared to what this kid is doing and frankly, he's in no position to preach to him about how kids should behave towards one another. However, glancing over to Mario who is in tears yet again and then to his friends who are trying to comfort him, he decides to step in and help if it'll at least make up for his earlier offenses against the kid.
Taking Dranzer out from inside the pocket of his outerwear, he aims his launcher carefully so as not to hit anyone unintentionally. With one powerful movement of his arm, he launches his 'blade and sends it flying across the public courtyard, zipping directly pass the faces of the departing bullies.
Nearly hit by the swift, blue 'blade, Ethan and his pals stop in their tracks and turn to the direction from which the beyblade came. Furious that it had almost hit them, Ethan shouts at the steadily approaching stranger, "Hey watch it! You almost hit us in the face!"
"Like I care," Kai responds coolly.
Mario looks up at the sports star, astonished by his presence as he stops a few steps away from him, "Kai...?"
"You even know who we are!?" Ethan asks angrily. He then arrogantly claims, "For you information, my father's in the government! You wanna know what'll happen if you piss me off?"
"Hn." Kai remarks smoothly, "I like how you're already making threats about what daddy can do because you can't actually do anything on your own."
"Say what?" Ethan responds, offended by Kai's affront.
One of the boys next to Ethan tugs at his sleeve and points out, "Hey Ethan, he looks kind of familiar..."
"What does that matter?" Ethan brushes him off.
"He's Kai Hiwatari!" Mario interjects, revealing Kai's identity.
"What?" Ethan is surprised for a moment. However, he collects himself and laughs in disbelief. "No way! What would the Kai Hiwatari be doing here siding with you twerps?"
"If you don't believe him, why don't you beybattle me and see for yourself?" Kai suggests nonchalantly.
"Sure, I like the idea," Ethan agrees to the proposition smugly. He looks over to lackeys and signals to them. "You guys too! We'll teach him to show us respect."
"Hey, that's not fair!" Mario calls them out for their unsportsmanlike conduct.
"It's fine," Kai tells the boy beside him. He adds, "If they want a three-on-one fight, they can have one."
Ethan smirks. "Brave words there."
He and his team then position themselves for launch. "Let it rip!"
All three of their blades launch and as they hit the ground, they begin to surround Kai's Dranzer. Kai remains calm and collected despite the encirclement, however.
"What's the matter?" Ethan sneers. "Not gonna attack?"
Kai remains silent, with his eyes closed, and doesn't answer.
Annoyed that Kai isn't reacting to his provocation, Ethan makes a gesture to his teammates. "Come on!"
With the other two nodding to cooperate, they then coordinate an attack against Dranzer, moving in a pattern similar to a triskelion. Dranzer, however, moves out of the way just as they close in, leading all three enemy 'blades to collide into each other, significantly weakening the angular momentum of two of the three tops.
Kai mouths a remark, "Amateurs."
"What'd you call us?" Ethan reacts, ticked off by what he said.
"Didn't hear me?" Kai asks with a glare. He then suggests, "If not, then maybe I should show you instead."
Sending Dranzer up a nearby tree like earlier this morning, he launches Dranzer high into the air, even higher than when he had been practicing.
He then commands for Dranzer to use its newly developed attack, "Dranzer! Flaming Meteor!"
A phoenix's cry is the heard as if responding to its master's call. As Dranzer's upward velocity in mid-air drops to zero, it becomes engulfed in flames that fan out in the shape of a majestic bird's wings before beginning its descent until it reaches and eventually exceeds terminal velocity.
Too busy staring in awe at the incoming attack, Ethan's beyblade, the target of Kai's attack, is hit head on and a cloud of dust and debris erupts and covers much of the ground.
As the dust clears, Ethan's beyblade lies broken in pieces, just as his former opponent's was.
Ethan sinks to the ground. He screams, "Nooo! My beyblade…!"
"Ethan!" his two friends run up to him with concern.
"Still think it's fun to go breaking other people's beyblades?" Kai asks the now crying boy.
Ethan's friends scowl at him with contempt. On the other hand, Mario and his friends are stunned by the sight.
Kai then addresses Ethan's two lackeys. "If you two think you can win against me, then bring it on. If not, then go home and think twice before you smash up other people's beyblades. Got it?"
The boys turn from Kai and look to the ground. It's obvious from the look on their faces that they don't want to accept his words. Yet, now knowing the feelings of those they have terrorized, they cannot help but feel the lesson they are being taught about their treatment of others. Reluctantly, they nod and collect their beyblades, thereby forfeiting the match.
Helping Ethan pick up the pieces of his broken beyblade, the trio now leaves.
As they disappear from sight, Mario turns to Kai.
He apologizes, "Sorry I called you a jerk before..."
"Don't worry about it," Kai tells him. To be fair, he used to be the leader of a group of bullies himself, even if that little fact isn't well known. And then there's the beyblade that he just destroyed…
He turns to go.
However, before he starts to walk away, he tells the kid one last advice, "Kid, I can't train you to become a world-class beyblader in a small amount of time. No one can. If you want to get good, then practice on your own and never give up."
He then leaves.
Behind him, Mario waves and shouts, "I will! Thank you!"
Hearing that, Kai smiles as he walks away.
…
Although Kai had not known of it, at the corner of the block outside the grounds of the public library's courtyard, A2 and Linnea had watched the entire conflict unfold. The two girls had just finished touring some of the landmarks in town nearby when they recognized him from afar.
Linnea comments with a smile about what she had just witnessed, "Even though he doesn't show it easily, that kindness in him is exactly what I like about him."
A2 remains silent.
Linnea turns to her and asks, "Are you sure you still don't want me to call out to him?"
"I'm sure," A2 replies.
Linnea then glances to Kai one more time before continuing onto their next tour destination.
Although Linnea had already turned to go, A2 lingers for a moment longer. Having recalled unpleasant bits of her childhood where she herself had been bullied by a socially powerful peer, she takes one last glance at Kai in the distance before following after Linnea. Just for a brief moment, she had a wishful thought, but quickly dismisses it.
I'll update as soon as I can.
Feel free to tell me what you thought of this chapter. (Or just rate a number if you're feeling lazy.)
Also, if you don't mind, I could use your opinion as to which two genres you feel are most representative of this story. I've also been debating if or not this story falls under the category of a crackfic lately...if you have more exposure to them and can give me an opinion on it, that'd be great!
Cya next chapter!
