Chapter 1: Initiation
[ A/N: Hey, all! Sorry I did not give you any kind of intro when I posted the prolog to this fic! This is my first Beyblade fic, and it is about Kai and a girl named Liz who was a member of his gang before he joined the BladeBreakers. I am stating that this is an A/U fic because I have not seen all of the episodes of Beyblade available, and therefore may be a bit off on some of my information. Aside from that, sit back, relax and enjoy reading this fic as much as I am enjoying writing it. Oh, and … Please R/R!! Thanks! - Kia ]
Kai stared at Mr. Dickinson, his arms crossed over his chest and a frown darkening his expression. He had not been happy when he had found out that the BladeBreakers would be getting a new member, and now that he knew who they were getting he was feeling even worse. His greatest nightmare was being brought to life, and no one except him and the girl who was to be their new member had any idea. And Kai bet she was loving every moment of his displeasure. After all, Elizabeth Collins had been the one who'd lead to his expulsion from Phoenix.
" Mr. Dickinson, for the fifth time I would like to advise that you select another candidate. The girl you have selected does not possess certain qualities that I would hope are the criteria for joining the BladeBreakers. " Kai said, letting his arms fall at his sides in defeat when the older man shook his head no, " Suit yourself, then. "
" What's the matter, Kai? " Liz asked, as she entered the room, " Aren't you happy to see me? "
" Don't push me, Elizabeth, or I'll tell everyone why I'm so against this. " Kai said. But then he got an idea. A wonderful idea. " I bet you want to be leader of this outfit, don't you? "
" No! I just want - "
" Well, we'll take care of that right now, Lizzie. Same terms for winner that we used when we were younger. You do recall what those were, right? " Kai asked, a smirk crossing his face.
" Yes, Kai. But really, this is totally unnecessary… " Liz said, tossing her hands in the air. Kai watched her with a secret pleasure. Could she really mean what she was saying? That she had come to join the BladeBreakers without wanting to cause one ounce of trouble? A part of him really hoped so, because Liz was a great blader. But another part of him wanted a little revenge, and in the end that part won out.
" Well, get your blade ready and we'll see what's what. " Kai said, preparing his as he spoke. He watched Liz carefully and saw the expression that crossed her face turn from surprise, to anger, to fear, and finally to sadness. Had he gone too far with this? And was he reading her right? It was hard to tell, with the weird bandanna she had covering most of her face. " Well? "
" You're the leader of this outfit, Kai. And if you want a demonstration of my skill, I'll give it to you. " There were tears in her eyes, Kai knew it because of the way she was biting her bottom lip. She was barely holding them in. But she still managed to prepare her blade, and within minutes she was standing opposite him at a blading rink. " Whenever you're ready, Kai. "
" 3 … 2 … 1 … " Max said, beginning the countdown, " Let it rip! "
With that, the beyblades were released and they began to spiral around the rink, bouncing off each other now and then, but mostly playing on a defensive mode. Kai watched Liz's movements, his frustration mounting further with every moment. Finally he pointed across the rink at her and snapped, " Attack me, Elizabeth! "
" Kai, please! " Liz said, wringing her hands together, " You've dragged me into a match I totally didn't want, I'm in danger of losing my bit-beast… Oh! How dare you? That's what you want, isn't it? "
Kai shrugged, watching the blades as they began to hunt each other, and noticing that Liz's blade had finally gone on the aggressive. Good, that meant she would unleash Siren soon. It didn't matter what triggered her to do so, only that she did so. She was in need of a reality check, and Kai planned to give it to her. " So what if it was? "
" That's cruel, Kai! " Tyson said, stepping toward the Liz protectively, " What's gotten into you? You've been an even bigger grouch then usual ever since you learned we'd be getting a new player. I think you should - "
" Siren, I need your help here! Gaia's Finale Attack, now! Finish Kai's blade off! " Liz shouted, seeming not to care that she had cut off the person who had been defending her. Kai nearly laughed at this, but then sweet music filled the air and he remembered that he needed to keep his full attention on what Liz's blade was doing if his was going to avoid its attack.
The music continued, but Kai maintained control of his blade, lifting it up into the air and causing it to land on top of Liz's so that the tremors her attack caused could not stop his blade's momentum. The two blades spun joined like this for a few more minutes, but the weight from Kai's blade caused Liz's to stop as though frozen into stone.
" And the winner is Kai! " Kenny said, looking up from the notes he had been making on his computer. " I really thought she had you there, too. You didn't stand a chance, according to the stats the came up for that thing she was using! "
" Well, Kai, you keep your leadership of the BladeBreakers, thank God… But you also get to ask something of me, since the decision of whether or not I stay isn't in your hands. " Liz said, causing all heads to turn towards her and her strange words, " What will it be? "
" Take off that silly bandanna so that the rest of our team mates can see the adorable face you are hiding. " Kai said laughing. Liz paused for a moment, making Kai wonder if he had made a mistake, but then she pulled off the bandanna and any doubts were replaced by the three violet lines that marked each of her cheeks. " Liz… "
*+*+*
Liz stared at the group of boys and the old man that stood around her, her heart beating wildly in her chest. Why had she ever thought that coming here would be a good idea? She should have known that Kai wouldn't want to see her again after the way she had betrayed him three years earlier. And now he knew everything. This really had been a mistake. Her hands shaking, she reached down and picked up her beyblade and the dufflebag that was lying at her feet.
" I'm sorry, sir, but I think Kai is right about this one. " She said, turning and heading toward the door. She had not taken four steps when a hand closed around her wrist, its pressure gentle but determined. Turning her head she saw a boy who was about her age with messy blue-black hair staring it her with amusement written across his still childish-looking face, " Let go. Now. "
" You agreed to be on this team, and if you want the truth you are one awesome blader even if you did lose to Kai. Don't let his lack of manners scare ya away! " He said, guiding her back toward the group as he spoke. Liz let him, deciding that sending him to the ground in the middle of the Holiday Inn was not a good idea.
" Yeah, really. " A blond haired boy added, stepping forward so that he was on Liz's other side, " Kai's totally okay once you get to know him. He's just a little tough around the edges, that's all. "
" Don't worry, boys … I'm sure that Ms. Collins will be fine with the rest of you to help her get settled in. And one that note, " Mr. Dickinson said, " I shall leave you all to decide how you are going to divide the three rooms I booked for you. Night, boys! OH, and… girl. "
Liz watched Mr. Dickinson leave as though she was in a haze. He was right, she couldn't just walk away. First off, she had accepted his offer to join this team. Second, she needed the money that winning in these tournaments would give her. Third, she wanted to be with Kai, even if she highly doubted that he wanted her there. That could be changed. " Well, this has been an eventful evening. "
" Your name's Liz, right? " Came a voice from behind her. Having been released by the two boys standing next to her, she whirled around to find another boy with black hair held back by a bandanna with a ying-yang symbol on it watching her closely. " I'm Ray. Nice to meet you. "
" Nice to meet you, Ray. And yes, my name is Liz. " Liz said, walking across the room and shaking his outstretched hand, " Sorry about the theatrics, guys. This was not how I intended our first meeting to be. "
" Whatever, Liz. " Kai said, turning and walking toward the door. Liz did a slight jump-step-jump movement and was standing in front of him before he could walk away.
" Didn't you listen to Mr. Dickinson? We still have things we need to figure out. " She said, brushing her fingers over his arm, " And it's pretty rude of you not to introduce me to your team mates! "
" You really want an introduction from me, Liz? Fine! " Kai said, pushing her hand off of his arm, " Guys, this is our new member, Liz Collins. She was the one who betrayed me when I was in Phoenix. " Giving Liz one final dirty look he shouted over his shoulder as he walked away, " Happy now? "
Liz stared at the four remaining boys in stunned silence. Why had Kai done that? She could not blame him for being angry with her, even after all this time, but how did he expect her to become a part of his team after that? Then she remembered what she had heard him telling Mr. Dickinson when she had first entered the room - he didn't want her on their team.
" You've got some explaining to do… " Tyson said, plopping down in one of the nearby chairs, " If you are responsible for Kai being so much of a grouch, you at least owe us the story of what you did to make him that way. "
Liz felt her head begin to beat out a dull throb as she took a seat with the rest of them, and swallowed down the lump in her throat. If she was going to be on their team, she owed them the truth. The whole truth. " It all started one stormy night about three years ago… "
*+*+*
Kai sprawled out on the king sized bed in his room and yawned. This had definitely been a long day, and now that Liz was here he counted on all of his days being twice as long and tiring. He had to make sure that she wasn't a spy for Phoenix or any of the teams that they were competing against. Once a traitor, always a traitor, he thought bitterly.
Only he knew it wasn't true. Ray insisted that he had betrayed the White Tigers, and he was a totally loyal member to the BladeBreakers. And Kai had never questioned him about it, had never humiliated him about the things the members of that team had said. He had even gone so far as to defend Ray when the others had asked about it. Not so with Liz - he had hung her out to dry and left her there to take the heat of everyone's questions without a qualm.
But she'd done the same to him, hadn't she? Challenged him, and then left him for Damien and his followers to do with as they pleased. Rolling onto his side he picked up the phone and ordered a large pizza, bread sticks, root beer and Caesar salad from room service. Yes, it had been a long day and Kai decided that he deserved to have a nice quiet dinner without any thoughts of the latest person he would have to baby sit to keep Mr. Dickinson happy.
But as he lay there thinking, he could not keep his mind from wandering back to all of the good times he and Liz had shared. Nights when she had sneaked into his room after fighting with Damien over one stupid thing or another and had stayed their until done. Or all of the times they had tried to train together and had been forced to give up because they were laughing so hard over the fact that their blades would deliberately dodge one another. Yes, those were the times that Kai loved to think of most, and seeing Liz had brought them all back in full vivid colour.
Jumping off the bed, Kai opened the door and walked out into the hall. It did not take long to reach the lobby where he had left the others, and when he entered it he found them all sitting in a circle, raptly listening as Liz told them stories of the things she and Kai had done in Phoenix. For a few minutes, Kai simply stopped and listened for himself as her natural gift for storytelling made each memory feel as though it were happening at that exact moment. Then he quietly began to approach their little group from an angle on which none of them would notice.
As he got nearer to Liz, he noticed that she was paler then usual, and that although her voice sounded calm that her shoulders were hunched together. Her long mauve hair was falling forward into her face in complete disarray, and she was not looking at the boys as she spoke, but rather at a patterned tapestry hanging on the wall behind them. When he reached her and was standing right behind her, Kai let his hands drop to her shoulders and began to knead the tension from them. And he had been right - there was lots of it. Had she actually went and told them the whole truth about that night three years ago?
" And then there was the time that I got lost … " Liz began, chuckling softly. Kai applied a bit more pressure to her shoulders so that some of the little knots of tension popped beneath his hands, " Mmmm… Who is doing that? "
" I am. " Kai said, continuing to brush his fingers over the nape of her neck, " I think you've told enough stories for one evening. It's time that we figure out who's going to be rooming with who now that we have six members on this team. "
" Well, that is a welcome change of subject. " Liz said yawning, " Because I am getting kind of sleepy… "
" Well, " Kai said, " Does anyone here have a preference as to who they room with? "
All of the others pointed at Liz, and as he watched her reaction, Kai realized that her face had turned red. " That is very sweet of all of you. " She said.
" Who wants to room with me? " Kai asked, a slight smirk crossing his face. None of the boys raised their hands, but as he had hoped, Liz did raise hers.
" After all he did to you? " Tyson asked, shaking his head, " Why? Any of us would have put up with him to make sure you didn't have to. "
" Well, Liz is the only one who offered, so it looks like she'll be staying with me. " Kai said chuckling, " I'm sure you four can figure out how to divide the other two rooms among yourselves. "
With that, Kai lifted Liz out of the chair she had been sitting in and carried her toward the elevator. The food would be arriving soon and he did not want to spoil the nice little surprise he had waiting by taking so long to get back upstairs that the meal would be cold. It had always been hard to get Liz to eat when she wasn't feeling well, but Kai knew her well enough to know that even under these circumstances she would not say no to fresh out of the oven pizza.
[ End Notes: Well, well, well… Why is Kai having Liz room with him? Does he trust her? If he doesn't, how will she convince him that she wants what is best for the BladeBreakers? And if he does, then what is his real reason. ^_- All this and more will be revealed when "Friendly Enemies" continues next… Until then, please review and keep your eyes open for the next installment! - Kat ]
[ A/N: Hey, all! Sorry I did not give you any kind of intro when I posted the prolog to this fic! This is my first Beyblade fic, and it is about Kai and a girl named Liz who was a member of his gang before he joined the BladeBreakers. I am stating that this is an A/U fic because I have not seen all of the episodes of Beyblade available, and therefore may be a bit off on some of my information. Aside from that, sit back, relax and enjoy reading this fic as much as I am enjoying writing it. Oh, and … Please R/R!! Thanks! - Kia ]
Kai stared at Mr. Dickinson, his arms crossed over his chest and a frown darkening his expression. He had not been happy when he had found out that the BladeBreakers would be getting a new member, and now that he knew who they were getting he was feeling even worse. His greatest nightmare was being brought to life, and no one except him and the girl who was to be their new member had any idea. And Kai bet she was loving every moment of his displeasure. After all, Elizabeth Collins had been the one who'd lead to his expulsion from Phoenix.
" Mr. Dickinson, for the fifth time I would like to advise that you select another candidate. The girl you have selected does not possess certain qualities that I would hope are the criteria for joining the BladeBreakers. " Kai said, letting his arms fall at his sides in defeat when the older man shook his head no, " Suit yourself, then. "
" What's the matter, Kai? " Liz asked, as she entered the room, " Aren't you happy to see me? "
" Don't push me, Elizabeth, or I'll tell everyone why I'm so against this. " Kai said. But then he got an idea. A wonderful idea. " I bet you want to be leader of this outfit, don't you? "
" No! I just want - "
" Well, we'll take care of that right now, Lizzie. Same terms for winner that we used when we were younger. You do recall what those were, right? " Kai asked, a smirk crossing his face.
" Yes, Kai. But really, this is totally unnecessary… " Liz said, tossing her hands in the air. Kai watched her with a secret pleasure. Could she really mean what she was saying? That she had come to join the BladeBreakers without wanting to cause one ounce of trouble? A part of him really hoped so, because Liz was a great blader. But another part of him wanted a little revenge, and in the end that part won out.
" Well, get your blade ready and we'll see what's what. " Kai said, preparing his as he spoke. He watched Liz carefully and saw the expression that crossed her face turn from surprise, to anger, to fear, and finally to sadness. Had he gone too far with this? And was he reading her right? It was hard to tell, with the weird bandanna she had covering most of her face. " Well? "
" You're the leader of this outfit, Kai. And if you want a demonstration of my skill, I'll give it to you. " There were tears in her eyes, Kai knew it because of the way she was biting her bottom lip. She was barely holding them in. But she still managed to prepare her blade, and within minutes she was standing opposite him at a blading rink. " Whenever you're ready, Kai. "
" 3 … 2 … 1 … " Max said, beginning the countdown, " Let it rip! "
With that, the beyblades were released and they began to spiral around the rink, bouncing off each other now and then, but mostly playing on a defensive mode. Kai watched Liz's movements, his frustration mounting further with every moment. Finally he pointed across the rink at her and snapped, " Attack me, Elizabeth! "
" Kai, please! " Liz said, wringing her hands together, " You've dragged me into a match I totally didn't want, I'm in danger of losing my bit-beast… Oh! How dare you? That's what you want, isn't it? "
Kai shrugged, watching the blades as they began to hunt each other, and noticing that Liz's blade had finally gone on the aggressive. Good, that meant she would unleash Siren soon. It didn't matter what triggered her to do so, only that she did so. She was in need of a reality check, and Kai planned to give it to her. " So what if it was? "
" That's cruel, Kai! " Tyson said, stepping toward the Liz protectively, " What's gotten into you? You've been an even bigger grouch then usual ever since you learned we'd be getting a new player. I think you should - "
" Siren, I need your help here! Gaia's Finale Attack, now! Finish Kai's blade off! " Liz shouted, seeming not to care that she had cut off the person who had been defending her. Kai nearly laughed at this, but then sweet music filled the air and he remembered that he needed to keep his full attention on what Liz's blade was doing if his was going to avoid its attack.
The music continued, but Kai maintained control of his blade, lifting it up into the air and causing it to land on top of Liz's so that the tremors her attack caused could not stop his blade's momentum. The two blades spun joined like this for a few more minutes, but the weight from Kai's blade caused Liz's to stop as though frozen into stone.
" And the winner is Kai! " Kenny said, looking up from the notes he had been making on his computer. " I really thought she had you there, too. You didn't stand a chance, according to the stats the came up for that thing she was using! "
" Well, Kai, you keep your leadership of the BladeBreakers, thank God… But you also get to ask something of me, since the decision of whether or not I stay isn't in your hands. " Liz said, causing all heads to turn towards her and her strange words, " What will it be? "
" Take off that silly bandanna so that the rest of our team mates can see the adorable face you are hiding. " Kai said laughing. Liz paused for a moment, making Kai wonder if he had made a mistake, but then she pulled off the bandanna and any doubts were replaced by the three violet lines that marked each of her cheeks. " Liz… "
*+*+*
Liz stared at the group of boys and the old man that stood around her, her heart beating wildly in her chest. Why had she ever thought that coming here would be a good idea? She should have known that Kai wouldn't want to see her again after the way she had betrayed him three years earlier. And now he knew everything. This really had been a mistake. Her hands shaking, she reached down and picked up her beyblade and the dufflebag that was lying at her feet.
" I'm sorry, sir, but I think Kai is right about this one. " She said, turning and heading toward the door. She had not taken four steps when a hand closed around her wrist, its pressure gentle but determined. Turning her head she saw a boy who was about her age with messy blue-black hair staring it her with amusement written across his still childish-looking face, " Let go. Now. "
" You agreed to be on this team, and if you want the truth you are one awesome blader even if you did lose to Kai. Don't let his lack of manners scare ya away! " He said, guiding her back toward the group as he spoke. Liz let him, deciding that sending him to the ground in the middle of the Holiday Inn was not a good idea.
" Yeah, really. " A blond haired boy added, stepping forward so that he was on Liz's other side, " Kai's totally okay once you get to know him. He's just a little tough around the edges, that's all. "
" Don't worry, boys … I'm sure that Ms. Collins will be fine with the rest of you to help her get settled in. And one that note, " Mr. Dickinson said, " I shall leave you all to decide how you are going to divide the three rooms I booked for you. Night, boys! OH, and… girl. "
Liz watched Mr. Dickinson leave as though she was in a haze. He was right, she couldn't just walk away. First off, she had accepted his offer to join this team. Second, she needed the money that winning in these tournaments would give her. Third, she wanted to be with Kai, even if she highly doubted that he wanted her there. That could be changed. " Well, this has been an eventful evening. "
" Your name's Liz, right? " Came a voice from behind her. Having been released by the two boys standing next to her, she whirled around to find another boy with black hair held back by a bandanna with a ying-yang symbol on it watching her closely. " I'm Ray. Nice to meet you. "
" Nice to meet you, Ray. And yes, my name is Liz. " Liz said, walking across the room and shaking his outstretched hand, " Sorry about the theatrics, guys. This was not how I intended our first meeting to be. "
" Whatever, Liz. " Kai said, turning and walking toward the door. Liz did a slight jump-step-jump movement and was standing in front of him before he could walk away.
" Didn't you listen to Mr. Dickinson? We still have things we need to figure out. " She said, brushing her fingers over his arm, " And it's pretty rude of you not to introduce me to your team mates! "
" You really want an introduction from me, Liz? Fine! " Kai said, pushing her hand off of his arm, " Guys, this is our new member, Liz Collins. She was the one who betrayed me when I was in Phoenix. " Giving Liz one final dirty look he shouted over his shoulder as he walked away, " Happy now? "
Liz stared at the four remaining boys in stunned silence. Why had Kai done that? She could not blame him for being angry with her, even after all this time, but how did he expect her to become a part of his team after that? Then she remembered what she had heard him telling Mr. Dickinson when she had first entered the room - he didn't want her on their team.
" You've got some explaining to do… " Tyson said, plopping down in one of the nearby chairs, " If you are responsible for Kai being so much of a grouch, you at least owe us the story of what you did to make him that way. "
Liz felt her head begin to beat out a dull throb as she took a seat with the rest of them, and swallowed down the lump in her throat. If she was going to be on their team, she owed them the truth. The whole truth. " It all started one stormy night about three years ago… "
*+*+*
Kai sprawled out on the king sized bed in his room and yawned. This had definitely been a long day, and now that Liz was here he counted on all of his days being twice as long and tiring. He had to make sure that she wasn't a spy for Phoenix or any of the teams that they were competing against. Once a traitor, always a traitor, he thought bitterly.
Only he knew it wasn't true. Ray insisted that he had betrayed the White Tigers, and he was a totally loyal member to the BladeBreakers. And Kai had never questioned him about it, had never humiliated him about the things the members of that team had said. He had even gone so far as to defend Ray when the others had asked about it. Not so with Liz - he had hung her out to dry and left her there to take the heat of everyone's questions without a qualm.
But she'd done the same to him, hadn't she? Challenged him, and then left him for Damien and his followers to do with as they pleased. Rolling onto his side he picked up the phone and ordered a large pizza, bread sticks, root beer and Caesar salad from room service. Yes, it had been a long day and Kai decided that he deserved to have a nice quiet dinner without any thoughts of the latest person he would have to baby sit to keep Mr. Dickinson happy.
But as he lay there thinking, he could not keep his mind from wandering back to all of the good times he and Liz had shared. Nights when she had sneaked into his room after fighting with Damien over one stupid thing or another and had stayed their until done. Or all of the times they had tried to train together and had been forced to give up because they were laughing so hard over the fact that their blades would deliberately dodge one another. Yes, those were the times that Kai loved to think of most, and seeing Liz had brought them all back in full vivid colour.
Jumping off the bed, Kai opened the door and walked out into the hall. It did not take long to reach the lobby where he had left the others, and when he entered it he found them all sitting in a circle, raptly listening as Liz told them stories of the things she and Kai had done in Phoenix. For a few minutes, Kai simply stopped and listened for himself as her natural gift for storytelling made each memory feel as though it were happening at that exact moment. Then he quietly began to approach their little group from an angle on which none of them would notice.
As he got nearer to Liz, he noticed that she was paler then usual, and that although her voice sounded calm that her shoulders were hunched together. Her long mauve hair was falling forward into her face in complete disarray, and she was not looking at the boys as she spoke, but rather at a patterned tapestry hanging on the wall behind them. When he reached her and was standing right behind her, Kai let his hands drop to her shoulders and began to knead the tension from them. And he had been right - there was lots of it. Had she actually went and told them the whole truth about that night three years ago?
" And then there was the time that I got lost … " Liz began, chuckling softly. Kai applied a bit more pressure to her shoulders so that some of the little knots of tension popped beneath his hands, " Mmmm… Who is doing that? "
" I am. " Kai said, continuing to brush his fingers over the nape of her neck, " I think you've told enough stories for one evening. It's time that we figure out who's going to be rooming with who now that we have six members on this team. "
" Well, that is a welcome change of subject. " Liz said yawning, " Because I am getting kind of sleepy… "
" Well, " Kai said, " Does anyone here have a preference as to who they room with? "
All of the others pointed at Liz, and as he watched her reaction, Kai realized that her face had turned red. " That is very sweet of all of you. " She said.
" Who wants to room with me? " Kai asked, a slight smirk crossing his face. None of the boys raised their hands, but as he had hoped, Liz did raise hers.
" After all he did to you? " Tyson asked, shaking his head, " Why? Any of us would have put up with him to make sure you didn't have to. "
" Well, Liz is the only one who offered, so it looks like she'll be staying with me. " Kai said chuckling, " I'm sure you four can figure out how to divide the other two rooms among yourselves. "
With that, Kai lifted Liz out of the chair she had been sitting in and carried her toward the elevator. The food would be arriving soon and he did not want to spoil the nice little surprise he had waiting by taking so long to get back upstairs that the meal would be cold. It had always been hard to get Liz to eat when she wasn't feeling well, but Kai knew her well enough to know that even under these circumstances she would not say no to fresh out of the oven pizza.
[ End Notes: Well, well, well… Why is Kai having Liz room with him? Does he trust her? If he doesn't, how will she convince him that she wants what is best for the BladeBreakers? And if he does, then what is his real reason. ^_- All this and more will be revealed when "Friendly Enemies" continues next… Until then, please review and keep your eyes open for the next installment! - Kat ]