Sorry for keeping you waiting and thank you for the patience!

I will try to upload more often in the future. I will never leave this story unfinished, you can take my word!

I do not own Beyblade.

Chapter 8

„Done!" The scream of joy left Kenny's mouth in the night. There was no better feeling when he finished a masterpiece, the new Dranzer definitely was a masterwork.

Tyson immediately appeared right in front of him. Actually, Tyson shared a room with Max, Kenny with Hilary, and Kai with Ray but in the others' absence the champion just couldn't handle the silence and loneliness in his room so he was lazing around in Kenny's room, dreaming of his future battles.

„What is it, Chief?"

„I have finally finished Dranzer! We need to test it out, right now!" Kenny was above himself and Tyson was always a partner in Kenny's experiments.

„Great, let's go!" He cheered.

„What?" The short guy was surprised. „Are you not tired? You usually sleep at this time."
„Jetlag." Tyson waved with his hand as an explanation. That long flight totally messed his sense of time and he needed some days to get used to Dubai's time zone. Although, he alone was not enough to try out a new beyblade. „But we need Kai. Did you see him?"

„Tyson, I was here with you the whole day, when would I see him?"

„Oh right! We gotta find him, then."

„I have a feeling that he's roaming on the streets as usual and we won't be able to find him…. He couldn't resist mocking me to rebuild Dranzer in every hour but when I finally finish her, he's not around to try it out, of course."

"We should ask the others. Maybe they know where he is," Tyson suggested while Kenny packed up his things and they hurried out of the room.

The hotel's corridors were quite busy in these late hours. It was not extraordinary in Dubai, though. Since in Summer, the daytime temperature could easily reach the 40 Celsius degrees (140°F), people was recommended to go out after the sunset. Comparing to other not tropical countries, the air was still hot at night but more tolerable than during the day.

Tyson directly headed to Ray's room but Kenny just kept stepping along.

„Chief, where are..." Tyson started but Kenny cut in.

„He's sleeping, don't you remember? He said he tries to get some sleep about half an hour ago. You never listen what the people are talking around you?"

"Alright, alright! What about Max? I didn't see him since the lunch."

"PPB's flight arrived afternoon, sooner than it was expected so I assume Max is with them and with her mother. We should give them some private time because they won't get much in the next weeks."

"Yeah, you're right. Max couldn't stop talking about how happy he was to see Judy. They didn't see each other for two months. I don't know how Max can handle this situation so patiently." Tyson and Kenny headed to the elevator.

The machine made a nice doorbell ring sound, its doors opened and they stepped in.

"I don't know why you say that, Tyson. You're in the same situation with your father and brother." Kenny noted cautiously.

The well-known awkward silence found its place which was so common in the elevators.

"Maybe." Tyson finally said in a quiet tone. "But it's not the same when it's your mother."

Kenny got embarrassed. He pretty rarely got the chance to see a quiet Tyson or even talking about his mother. He knew she had died when she gave a birth to him. Tyson had already told him that she died during the childbirth. Kenny hoped he didn't blame himself for this tragedy.

Fortunately, the elevator's bell finally ringed again and they could escape from the little metal box stuffed with choking silence. Out of the elevator, Kenny found his voice again.

"If both Ray and Max are busy and we can't find Kai, I'm afraid that we have no other chance than to try it by ourselves."

"Fine by me." Tyson nodded, his cheeky smile returned.

Thanks to that very few teams arrived to Dubai, only the Russian team hovered in the training room. They were already finishing their training and were getting to leave.

For Tyson's nerves, Kenny was dawdling with the beyblade parts for long, long minutes. He didn't want to share anything with the Russian team so he tried to play for time as long as he could. The Blitzkrieg boys finally left, however after more than ten minutes, Alexa still practiced with her blade in the far corner.

"It's okay, Chief, she's far enough not to see what we're doing." Tyson got annoyingly impatient.

Kenny was not completely convinced about that but they couldn't wait all night for her to leave, so he handed Dranzer to Tyson.

"Make some rounds with her, I wanna see her rotation speed and balance in work." Kenny instructed Tyson who obeyed with pleasure.

Tyson launched it and the genius boy was more than satisfied with the beyblade's basic movements, the new build worked smoothly. Dranzer speeded and turned precisely, she didn't make any wasted movement, her balance was more than stable, it was good to just even watch it.

"Well done, Chief! Kai won't be able to criticize anything in your work." Tyson cheered. "Now, let's battle!"

Tyson stopped Dranzer and gave her back to Kenny.

"Pull it hard, I felt it needs more force to rip." He said to Kenny.

They positioned themselves on each side of the dish, and Tyson started counting back. At one, they shot the blades. Meaning, Tyson did shoot Dragoon but Kenny was too weak for such a highly geared beyblade and couldn't launch Dranzer with enough power to keep her balanced rotating.

"Let's try again."

And they did. And again. And again.

After the sixth unsuccessful launching Tyson lost his non-existing patience and advised to switch beyblades. Kenny shot Dragoon, while Tyson finally gave Dranzer a go into the dish. The beybattle was terribly awkward. Tyson couldn't handle properly Dranzer and Kenny wasn't able to pick up with Dragoon's temperament. Both blades and bit-beast was strange to each of them, therefore they gave up quite soon. It was nonsense to call it a battle. Tyson couldn't maneuver Dranzer properly, she lost fast its balance and control, so the phoenix fell out of the dish, not far from the spot where Alexa was practicing, meanwhile Dragoon simply stopped spinning soon after the launching.

"Okay, leave it." Kenny sighed, defeated from the last pathetic attempt. "I can't handle Dragoon and you can't call out Dranzer's power. We have no other choice than wait for Kai to try it himself."

"There is always other choice." A voice said with a hard Russian accent and the two boys looked at Alexa's nearing figure. She held Dranzer in her hand.

Kenny made a face toward Tyson, he knew they couldn't be discreet enough to avoid the girl's attention.

"You're Kenny, right? Tyson told me about you. I would appreciate in my team a mechanic like you. Blitzkrieg boys are talented at beyblading but I can't say the same about technical part."

Kenny's face immediately turned to red but not because of the anger. He barely heard compliments from others, so he always got embarrassed when he got one. Alexa handed Dranzer back to him. Kenny took it, having misgivings.

"What do you want?" He asked directly but in a polite manner. He knew there was something she wanted, and didn't like what it was seen in Alexa's eye.

"I can help you try out new Dranzer." Alexa offered with the typical Russian accent.

"Thanks but we're done testing." Tyson quickly replied dismissively. He tried to compensate his mistake from the other day when he slipped out some things to the Russian girl, and he already knew enough Kenny would not accept such a request.

"We can make a deal." Alexa continued. Oddly, she was talking directly to Kenny like only his opinion would matter. Tyson didn't get used to be ignored.

"What business?" Kenny asked back, doubtfully. He wasn't sure it would be a good idea to make any business with the blonde but there wasn't anything bad to listen the deal, right?

"I give you my beyblade for 5 minutes to examine it, then I fight with Kai's Dranzer against Tyson and his Dragoon. You can see what Dranzer is capable of." She turned to the champion. "Plus, I can give hint to Tyson how I would use Dranzer's true power in match against him. We can agree that it's more than two birds with one rock, despite how barbaric this phrase is."

The uncomfortable feeling in Tyson's gut returned and Kenny stiffened, too. They looked at each other, seeking for some encouragement. Tyson saw the hesitation on Kenny's face, so he spoke up.

"No way we …"

"Deal." Kenny cut in.

"What..?!" Tyson couldn't believe his ears. "Chief, are you sure?"

The answer was Kenny's determined expression.

"Could ya give us a minute?" Tyson grinned to Alexa who politely stepped away, giving them some privacy.

Tyson grabbed Kenny by his shoulder and he put the most serious look on his face that he was able to give, and asked as low as he could.

"What the heck are you doing, Chief?!"

"Listen." Kenny whispered back firmly. He wasn't a shy guy when it came to a potential research. "We have no data on her or her battling style, and it seems, if it depends on Tala, we won't see it any soon. Here's an opportunity to finally collect some data, it might be enough to work out a competent strategy against her…" Tyson tried to interrupt but Kenny didn't let him. "I can still modify Dranzer later, so her experiences here will be useless. But honestly, I don't think she's able to completely know Dranzer in a single fight."

Tyson knitted his brows, he wasn't convinced but Chief usually knows what he's doing, and Tyson didn't need anything more to be in the trouble with his friend. At least, he has the chance to beyblade with Alexa. A new, unknown opponent!

"Alrighty!" Tyson looked at Alexa who was patiently waiting for them to finish their discussion. "Now, I make you pay for what you said about Kai!"

"I can't wait for it." Alexa smiled, obviously, she didn't take seriously the champion.

You'll regret this, Tyson thought. She wasn't the first, nor the last one who underestimated him, and frankly, he couldn't understand the reason. He was a third time champion afterall. Seriously, what did make these people so confidentially think they can defeat him?

"Okay, give me your blade then, please." Kenny opened his hand, urging the girl to obey. She did as was asked.

Kenny opened his laptop and started analyzing the black beyblade, meanwhile Alexa was waiting with crossed arms. She didn't seem worried, but she might hide it behind her mask, as well. Blitzkrieg could easily mislead the others with their emotionless face.

Although, Kenny surprisingly hissed in the first seconds, he didn't make any sound during the examination of the Russian's beyblade. Tyson tried to read his friend but Kenny either was too focused or didn't let his reactions tell anything. Kenny actually wouldn't be a bad poker gamer either.

At the fifth minutes, before Alexa could make a move, he immediately stopped the analysis and gave back her beyblade.

"I'm gonna wipe you up." Tyson promised and headed the dish after Alexa got Dranzer.

Kenny counted start to the match and the two bladers launched. Dranzer was spinning sloppy again and Tyson took a note of that right away.

"Huh! Seems like someone didn't shoot her beyblade properly."

Tyson could see Alexa was in deep concentration but as a remark, she gave a side smile to the champion, and in the next moment Dranzer's rotation wildly sped up.

"What? How?!" It was Kenny who exclaimed, Tyson didn't have the time to react with words to the move, he was busy to dodge Alexandra's sudden attacks. It wasn't unusual for the phoenix to attack with such vehemence, its undeterred moves, though, were unfamiliar to him. Kai was a passionate, persistent beyblader but in Alexandra's hands, Dranzer was just not the same. He could feel its purpose to destroy him and Dragoon. The hair on his neck stood from the phoenix's merciless eagerness to do that.

How can a bit-beast entirely change under someone else's command?

But Tyson couldn't afford answering such puzzled questions right now, and soon he realized he was trying almost everything to stop that wild firebird. Meanwhile Alexa didn't let him a chance for the counterattack. She incredibly fast moved right and left and struck to Dragoon.

Now, it was familiar to Tyson. It was basically one of Kai's attack moves. The one that Brooklyn had also stolen on their first match.

Tyson made Dragoon retreat. It was fuming smoke. His beyblade was already damaged and he decided to stop holding it back. He didn't feel he had any other choice. Tyson might use some strategy to win the fight but it wasn't his strength. He simply couldn't think clearly under the battles. He put his trust into Dragoon and his instincts and won the fight almost every time.

He called his bit-beast.

"Dragoon, rise up!" And the blue glowing dragon did. Under its huge spirit Alexa awed, and Tyson scored his first hit which was quite effective to distract the phoenix's balance.

However Dranzer lurched and Alexa commanded to withdraw, the blonde Russian didn't seem too concerned.

"That's all you can? I expected more." Tyson said cockily as a sweat drop leaked from his forehead. He wiped it with his sleeve and he freezed. Why am I sweating? He wondered almost in panic. The match has just started and I didn't make that many moves yet to sweat.

Then he realized. It was Dranzer. The phoenix unstoppably heated the air, literally changing the training room into a sweating-room.

"You're talking too much, Tyson." Alexa replied in a bored voice and Dranzer sped up again. "Focus on the battle!" She warned then cried to attack. "BLAZING GIG TEMPEST!"

Tyson also knew well this attack. He saw these flaming feathers many times flying toward to him. He saw them and still couldn't prepare for the sweeping power that Dranzer just whipped up around him. In that moment, he was so lost, yet so sure he couldn't do anything to dodge or stop it… and the battle was over for him.

As the flames and the smoke vanished, both beyblades lied still in the dish. It seemed the match ended in a draw. In her final attack, Dranzer lost all of her speed and stopped. Alexa was already in the dish to pick up Dranzer but it was so hot, painfully hissing, she threw it onto the bench, next to Kenny. He glared at the heated beyblade in silent amazement.

"This beyblade is astonishing. You're truly genius." She said to Chief. The small boy's respond to that was just a wide-open mouth.

"So. That's how I would have used Dranzer against you in final. Or more like it." She shrugged her shoulder, talking to Tyson. "Thanks for game, I enjoyed! See you next time!" She added it behind her shoulder, then left the room.

As the door closed after her, Kenny loudly exhaled.

"Oh my… What was that? I… How could she control Dranzer so effectively? It was unbelievable!" Kenny was lost for words.

So was Tyson. He still stood at the edge of the dish, looking at his demolished bey, his head hanging. So many emotions were in his mind, he didn't know what he really did feel at that moment. He felt anger for being stupid enough to make a fool of himself, he felt concern because he knew there was something wrong between his friends and their temper was suppressed for some reason, but most of all, he felt shame for losing a match and letting his dearest friend, Dragoon destroyed.

In the background, Kenny was talking to himself, repeating again and again the words "unbelievable" and "no way".

"Either I did one of the best beyblades on the world, or she has a bond with Dranzer or something like that, because no way she could use its power as the phoenix wielder itself, Kai! It's just… NO WAY!" Kenny exhaled in his frustration. "Argh… Anyway… at least, now we know what Dranzer is capable of, and doesn't need to fix it. What about Dragoon? Tyson...?"

Tyson broke off from his thoughts and looked at Kenny.

"Oh..ugh…" He didn't know how to describe the damage to Chief, so he picked up Dragoon and showed him.

Kenny shockingly screamed.

Dragoon melted from the heat that Dranzer generated in the match, colliding most of the parts together. In this state, Tyson's beyblade was practically useless and demolished.

A/N: Dum-dum-duuuuuum! DRAMA! On the next chapters, you will get a little insight in the Blitzkriegs team's life.