Guess who's back
Back again...

It's a-me, Maci bacsi!

I'm pretty sure nobody is around anymore (expect my dear Amy who never gave up on me and always abused me to continue the story - thank you! :* ) because I stopped uploading chapters but as I promised before, I will never leave uncompleted this story - if anyone is still interested. Moreover, I'm planning to finish it in this year if nothing serious happens, I really don't want to keep you waiting anymore. Anyway, enough of the pointless talking, here's the next chapter I wrote actually a year ago. The next one is already on its way so bear with me if you can.

Have a nice reading!

Names:

Tala = Tala/Yuriy

Bryan = Boris

Spencer = Sergei

Boris = Vladimir Gregorovitch Balkov

Chapter 11

"At least, I defeated the girl" Jim said while Team Psykick and Tyson's team were leaving the stadium.

"Pff! Glorious win it was" Salima noted.

"But I won! Right?!"

Kane didn't pay much attention to Salima's and Jim's fight.

"I really didn't think we would drop out this soon."

The sadness in his voice suddenly woke up Tyson from his thoughts. He was still thinking about his unfinished Dragoon and the argument he had had with Kenny a few minutes ago on the corridor, and suddenly, he felt ashamed that he was so selfish that he forgot that his friend had just lost and needed his support.

"Don't worry, Kane. You'll try next year again and will do better. You just didn't have luck this time." He eventually tried to comfort him.

"Luck?" Kane repeated, staring at Tyson, disturbed. His eyes shined with fanaticism. "This game isn't about luck. Only skills and alertness are that matter. We lost today because we're still too weak for other players. Training and practicing can only help us, nothing else. Luck has nothing to do with it. Come on!"

The command was meant to his team so they turned away from G-Revolution and leave them behind with a short wave in the warm night, bitterness in their mouth.

Tyson and the others watched them until their silhouettes faded in the darkness. Kane's words echoed in the champion's head. They shared the same passionate for Beyblade.

"Alright, I go back to our room. I have some data to process." Kenny spoke up.

"I go too. I'm so hungry." Hillary said.

Tyson immediately took the opportunity and joined them.

"Now you mention, me too." As a proof, his stomach grumbled.

Three of them noisily headed the hotel and Ray told Max, he runs a few laps before sleep, thus Max stayed behind. He didn't mind, though. His mom and team All Starz went to the beach for a barbecue evening and he was invited.

Max followed the smell of the sea and enjoyed the walk in this big, impulsive city. Despite of late hours, streets were crowded with noisy people. Both tourists and citizens enjoyed the cooler air and finally could focus on their favorite activities – shopping and partying.

Max enjoyed the light wind stroking through his hair, the rhythmic sound of the waving sea calmed him after the busy day. In the semi-darkness of the city night, he spotted a blonde woman on the beach. Max broke into smile and hurried his steps.

"Hi Mom!" He said cheerfully and as the woman turned, he saw that she was not her mom but a much younger girl with a distracted face.

Awkward silence.

"I'm sorry! I thought you were my mom because your hair looked so similar." He said, giggling in his embarrassment.

"Everytime you see a blonde woman you think they're your mom?" Alexa chuckled.

Max wished the ground would swallow him right there.

"No, of course not… I just…"

"It's okay, I'm just teasing you. I saw your mom, she's a beautiful woman. If you mix me with her, I'm flattered."

Max was grateful for Alexa's words. He envied people who knew to say the proper things in an awkward situation like this. Ray had such talent, that's why he was always the one who smoothed the tension in the team in the hard times.

The Russian girl smiled at him, then turned back to the sand, collecting dead shells. Max watched her for a few seconds, wondering if she was out here alone because of her poor performance from today. Although, the loss was not a reason to kick someone out of the Blitzkriegs anymore, he didn't have doubts Tala still couldn't tolerate a mistake like this. Then Max realized if he doesn't stop staring the girl in silence, soon his appearance will be more awkward.

"May I ask you something?"

Alexa tilted her head.

"Sure. If I may ask you one, too after that."

"Deal." Smiled Max. "So, after your match, me and my team tried to find out if you intentionally messed your launch. You seemed too embarrassed for me to be a planned move but Kenny thinks you just want to trick your opponents. If the question makes you uncomfortable, you don't have to answer it, of course..." He quickly added as he suddenly felt the question was impolite and a bit indiscreet.

However Alexa stiffened on his question, for his surprise, she cracked a smile. It was more likely sad than joyful, though.

"I whish I could say it was on purpose… I think Kenny's the smartest person I've met but he's not right this time. I did miss the launch today. But I really hope everyone else overthinks it as Kenny does, so they won't think I'm a failure like my team currently does."

"Oh, it sucks." Max empathized. "Was it your first time to fight in a stadium?"

"How do you know?" Alexa frowned, suspiciously.

"Ray told me he saw people who fought in stadium the first time do the same mistake." Max admitted frankly but Alexa's brown didn't relax.

"Okay, it's my turn, now."

Max braced himself for the question, still curious what can interest the Russian. The question seemed to be important, Alexa faced him so seriously.

"Is Tyson gay?"

Max freezed, then burst into laughter. Alexa patiently waited for him to finish, her sincere look still sat on her face.

"Oh my god, you're not joking." Max chuckled but rather in an embarrassing way. He was totally surprised by this unexpected question.

"Well, he's not, according to my knowledge." He answered, apparently. "What makes you think that?"

"I'm just trying to figure out his relationship with Kai. He seems so obsessed with him."

Max blinked.

"Obsessed?"

"Yes. When I made a remark on his last fight with Kai, he immediately got upset and had the urge to defend Kai's reputation. And the way he talks about him… It was so passionate. But if you say he's not…" Alexa turned back to the shell collecting like she asked nothing unusual.

"Why, what did you say?" Max asked, suddenly very interested.

"It's nothing important, I really don't want to make worse the situation. I already made Tyson upset."

"Right. Tyson can be overprotective when his friends are the matter. I think he just didn't want you to think bad of Kai. Tyson looks up him very much." Max explained but wasn't quite sure why he felt the need to do that.

As Alexa looked at him, she smiled. Again, it was not a joyful one but neither sad, this time. Did she… pity him?

"It must be hard." She said.

"Hm?"

"To see a friend admiring someone who maybe doesn't deserve that attention, and that friend forgets to appreciate the ones who actually cared for him."

Max frowned at Alexa's words. Although, he wanted to deny the things she said and ask back how she dared to say this, but in deep, sometimes he felt in the exact same way. Max remembered very well the days four years ago, when he and Tyson were almost inseparable friends, laughing and fooling around. Now, Tyson mostly cared for winning Beyblade fights against Kai. It was something that Max couldn't understand. Tyson defeated Kai more than once but he still considered Kai his biggest opponent in the Beyblade world and he usually got angry at those who questioned it. What did Tyson see in Kai, Max still didn't know but he always respected his friend's opinion. Max was a good boy, who didn't like telling anyone what to do and what to think.

"Kai's lucky to have such good friends on his side."

It seemed the Russian's thoughts were elsewhere. At this moment, Max figured why the girl was at the beach at night, alone.

"It must be hard for you, too."

Now, Alexa looked at him.

"It's the first time I see a girl in the Russian team. It can't be easy for you to meet their expectations." Max said gently, trying to sympathize with her.

Alexa chuckled.

"Last time I checked, I didn't see any girl in your team either." Her words were harsh but her smiling eyes betrayed her serious tone.

"We have Hillary."

"Please…" Alexa knocked an eyebrow.

"Okay, you got me. But she's actually…"

Alexa couldn't find out what Hillary was actually because a three-member companion started to shout to Max from not a long distance.

"Hey Maxie! What did you take so long?"

Michael, Steve and Eddy were coming, all carrying sodas in their hands.

"Nice to see you, guys!" Max welcomed them. After the last championship, the All Starz finally accepted his existence and stopped treating him like "the coach's son". It meant a lot to him.

"Oh, did we interrupt something?" Michael asked mockingly.

"Just a good conversation." Max looked at Alexa who gave the reply. She seemed kind of irritated.

"That's nice! Wanna continue this conversation with me?" Steven charmingly winking at the blonde girl.

"With you, American?" Alexa looked the tall baseball player up and down with a twisted, almost disgusted expression. All Starz didn't appreciate the gesture.

"Is there a problem…?" Steven stepped in the Russian girl's face who – all credits for her bravery – didn't get scared of the extremely big man and stood still.

"I'm sure she didn't mean like that…" Max jumped in front of him, trying to separate them but he was ignored.

"You prefer the braindead bear-fuckers with balalaika, huh?"

"Chill, Steven. It's her pity if she misses this great opportunity to learn about your awesomeness." Eddy's voice was firm and calm at the same time, staying rational in a situation in which there's no reason for such a drama. "Let's eat some barbecue, I'm dying of starvation."

For a few seconds, Steven and Alexa kept staring each other down then the American broke the eye contact and turned back to his teammates.

"You're worth as much as your launching from today. Bitch." Steven spat back behind his shoulders, viciously.

"Come, Max. Judy is waiting for you." Michael said.

Max apologetically looked at Alexa before he and the three Americans left her behind. "Don't listen to him, he's just angry."

As he saw Alexa's empty expression, he even more wished to share the same skill with Ray. He felt like he's doing nothing all day but trying to ease conflicts among the people. He really hated conflicts.

/oo/

"Chief, will you be able to finish the improvement of my Beyblade for tomorrow?"

Kenny exhaustedly sighed on the question. Him, Tyson and Hilary were eating in the hotel's dining room but he couldn't find peace in this activity, either.

"Yes…"

"Really?! You're awesome, Chief!" Tyson cheered loudly, gathering some reprimand look.

"Let me finish my sentence!" Kenny shout at him. "I can complete your beyblade tonight but it needs to be tested before you use it. I don't think you should play tomorrow."

"No need test! I trust you and your tinkering skills perfectly." He smiled at his friend promisingly and Kenny just made another sigh. He was too tired to argue with Tyson anymore.

"You make a lot of adjustment on the guys' beyblades recently, Kenny." Hilary stated.

"You tell me." Kenny put down the cutlery, a sign he finished eating. He wiped his face with the napkin then rose to leave. "Anyway, I go back to work now. Don't disturb me more, please. I'll tell you right away once I'm done, Tyson. It's a promise." He asked his friend who was ready to argue with him but before Tyson said anything, he stopped and just smiled with a nod.

"See you later." Kenny left with a sigh. He was terribly tired, barely slept a few hours in the past days. But he can't rest until fixes Tyson's Dragoon.

He exited the dining room and crossed the hall when he just saw a particular blonde entering the building. His stomach made a jump, realizing Alexa could tell her team or even to Kai what just happened in the training room so to save more troubles, he hurried to her.

"Hi." He said and before she could reply anything, Kenny immediately got to the point. "I'd appreciate your discretion on the sensitive matter just happened recently – even before your own team. I might be late – I hope not – or am I? Oh, you already told them, right? I should have ask soon…"

"Not to worry, smart boy. This is our dirty business. Besides, Kai would kill me, too." She winked at him like a good accomplice and left.

"So be it." Kenny sighed again but with relief this time. Hopefully, no one knows ever he did such a reckless thing.

AN: That's it for now. Not really exciting chapter, I'm very well aware of that but sometimes we need to slow down in order to go fast and high.