Many apologies for that huge gap in updating O.o Anyway, I'd like to hope that this chappie explains most things. Do me a favour and ask about anything you're confused about too, ok? So then I know what else I need to incorporate next time ^^ And I so have to send this out to Anime Fan for having a talent of reading and reviewing every single chapter less than a day XD Dude it took me like 2 weeks to read all of her fic! ~^ Anyway...enjoy the chapter and dude 99 reviews O.o WOW, LoL, thanks a million everyone!! *wonders who will be the 100th reviewer*
Star Horizons
Chapter 9: Unwanted Explanations
Jet didn't bother waiting for the official declaration of the winner; he was pretty confident he knew who it was anyway. It was just one of those gut feelings, which for him, were almost always correct. And if his assumption for this event was accurate, which it probably was, then he was next to positive about what would happen next.
Thus, he casually made his way out of the stands, while the echo of extreme animation still managed to follow him into the more vacant area. Along with the roaring of the crowds, a young man was also trailing along behind him in a less than ecstatic manner. His black hair lingered near his distinct dark scarlet eyes that were, at the present moment, gazing straight ahead, adding an eerie touch of an assassin-like character.
Jet glanced back at the stern-looking teenager for a brief moment. Quickly directing his attention up ahead again, he smirked to himself. They say looks can be deceiving, but for this particular individual, it seemed that his appearance matched his personality right down to the last feature. He undeniably looked like a one hundred-percent anti-social arrogant prick, which from what Jet had read about him and from what he had been told by Mr. Dickenson, was quite true. However, there was also an air about him that entailed a curious sense of mystery, like there was something unknown and cryptic about whom he really was, maybe even dark.
Jet's musings were soon dismissed as another roar came from the stands, this time hinting a touch of astonishment. Raising a dark eyebrow, he instinctively glimpsed back, his eyes inevitably also brushing over his young companion. The adolescent appeared oblivious to the dynamic yells as his almost hasty stroll persisted without a single trace of curiosity. On the other hand, it's not like Jet was actually dying of curiosity either. Sometimes you just can't help but to turn towards the direction of a sudden rise in volume, which in this case, Jet had intuitively done.
'He did it again,' the silver haired man smirked to himself, shaking his head with a chuckle. Jet affirmed that Richi probably did to Tyson what he usually did to Alex one too many times. It was just a very odd habit of his, but on the other hand, Jet recalled Mr. Dickenson telling him about how one of his boys, Ray, had done the same thing before as well. Actually, it seemed that based on everything Mr. Dickenson had said, Richi and that Ray fellow had a lot in common. This knowledge provided Jet with some comfort; at least he knew that the brunette would have someone to relate to.
'Well Rich, we're going to miss you,' he declared genuinely, subtly pausing in front of the exit. Looking back for a third time, he grinned. "But don't worry kid, we'll still be here for you if you ever need us.'
Just as the sable-haired teen opened his mouth to ask why he had stopped, Jet had already turned around and reinitialized his pace, as if the brief halt had never even occurred. Shrugging, the younger man continued to follow suit, beginning to feel a small sense of inquisitiveness about the whole situation. It was a bit unusual, actually, since he was never exactly the inquiring type. Antithetically though, this whole state of affairs was completely new to him, and by human nature, he also wondered about the unknown.
Jet unhurriedly led him outside and directed their course towards a small, modish sports car, evidently standing out in the midst of all the other plain vehicles. The sun's friendly waves playfully washed over the car's black coat, creating a glossy veil, like the luster that enveloped the slick snow.
"Go inside," Jet ordered in a civil tone, casually unlocking the front passenger door.
Surprisingly, the teenager wordlessly complied, sliding into the narrow seat. Jet glanced at him curiously, caught a bit off guard by this action. Heading for the driver's seat, he silently mused to himself.
'I was told that he would be defiant and difficult to deal with,' he thought wonderingly, smoothly looping around the car, 'but he's been rather quiet so far. It's a bit odd; I doubt he's the shy type. Hm…well, on the other hand, nothing has exactly happened to displease him…not yet at least.'
Smirking, he finally reached the opposite door and upon opening it, ducked into the jet-coloured vehicle. As he turned on the engine, it wasn't long before he was thinking about the teen's uncommon nature again. In reality, it wasn't that perplexing, but when you have a lot on your mind, the simplest things to realize didn't come so easily. Ultimately though, as he began driving along the road, he came to the conclusion that the boy's more true and rebellious colours would show when something didn't go his way, which would probably happen pretty soon.
It actually almost seemed like Jet was looking forward to it, that he wanted to deal with someone who could easily be compared to Kai but with a bit of a larger attitude problem. Well, maybe this gentleman was looking forward to that. Besides, he enjoyed a good challenge and he also knew that an experience like this would be very advantageous for both his and the BBA's future. And even further, it would benefit the adolescents too, although he knew that they probably wouldn't initially see that.
Jet's thoughts eventually quieted down, and he began concentrating on the road, trying to ignore the silence filling the atmosphere. It was an awkward silence, like the kind of silence between two acquaintances. Clearing his throat, he came to the decision that perhaps he should try to make some conversation. After all, it was essential that he break the ice now, since he knew that later things might get a bit crazy when they meet up with the rest of the gang.
"So how long have you been blading for?" he asked, promptly realizing a second later what a lame question that was.
The boy's dark eyes shifted towards Jet's direction, only to return to their original gaze in less than a moment. "Long time," he stated plainly.
Silence fell upon them once more. Furrowing his brow, Jet re-attempted to speak again.
"Oh, I see. Well how did you meet Mr. Dickenson then?" he asked, figuring that that subject would receive a longer response.
"At a tournament," the boy, again, replied in the simplest terms.
'One word difference…greeaat…' Arching an eyebrow, Jet let out a quiet sigh and redirected his attention to his driving. 'Okay, this might be a bit harder than I thought…'
"Oh so Ray did the same thing when you two first battled?" questioned Richi.
Tyson attempted to answer his inquiry, but was forced to decide against it, as his mouth was unable to verbalize anything due to the disturbing mixture of pop, chicken and pizza hindering his speaking ability. Rather, he bobbed his head up and down, trying to swallow the strange concoction. Unfortunately, he failed to do so and before you could say "chicken", Max and Kenny found themselves busy smacking Tyson's back, while the little newbie simply stared at the three stooges.
'I think they might be weirder than Alex and Jade,' he thought to himself, a smile tempting to cross his lips. Although before he could make any official declarations, another voice cut into the atmosphere.
"Don't mind them, they're always like that."
The brunette turned around to see a raven-haired boy sitting on a bench against the wall, also observing the current situation with a small smirk.
"Ray, right?" he asked, receiving a nod in return. "Heh, you guys must never get bored," he added impishly.
"You can say that again," he responded with a laugh, "but what do you expect? With someone like Tyson around, how can we get bored?"
Richi grinned at the response, nodding in agreement. Then, glancing back at the three other boys, he figured that perhaps Tyson was a bit too busy to expand on his earlier explanation about Ray and his first match. So, turning back to Ray, he asked, "Anyway, Tyson said you forfeited the match when he won the second battle?"
The raven-haired boy nodded, grinning slightly as a flash of him and Tyson's first match appeared in his mind. "Yeah…well he beat me fair and square during round two. I didn't have anything else to felt I had to prove."
"Finally someone who understands," Richi laughed, heading over to where Ray was seated. "I tend to do that a lot too during practice with my friends. Of course I'd never forfeit a really critical match, on the contrary. It's just that battling Tyson earlier was more like a practice run for me. So when he did win the second round, I just didn't have anything else I wanted to do."
Ray's golden eyes narrowed curiously. "Then, why are you here anyway, if not to win the tournament?"
The brunette blinked, caught off guard by the question. Putting a hand nervously behind his head, he grinned awkwardly. "Um…well…you see…I sort of…um…"
Fortunately for Richi, his stuttering was cut short by the familiar booming voice of DJ Jazzman. "Everybody are you ready?!" he shouted excitedly, receiving massive hollers of approval. "The final match will begin shortly between the reigning champion Cyris and the returning phenomenon known as Tyson!!" Another round of cheering was heard from the audience; everybody was definitely hyped up.
"Um…it looks like you guys better get going for Tyson's match," Richi said in the most casual tone he could pull off.
Ray cocked an eyebrow at the brunette, affirming that there was definitely something this kid was not saying. 'Okay Richi, I guess I can wait to find out whatever you're hiding,' he thought to himself with a smirk.
"I AM PUMPED!" a loud voice suddenly announced.
The two teens on the bench looked over to where the declaration had come from to see Tyson, with tightened firsts, punching into the air excitedly. Kenny and Max were staring at him as they stood a fair distance away from his flying fists. Richi grinned, as it reminded him of this special on TV he once saw about people who saw things. Tyson's movements were just like the man who was trying to chase the "magic butterflies" away.
"Uh…Tyson?" Kenny attempted to tap him, but was forced to duck as a fist came his way. "Why is he doing that??" he whispered to Max, quickly crawling away from overly hyper boy.
"I think it was that mix of pop, chicken and pizza," Max nodded matter-of-factly.
"And I think Tyson's going to miss his match if he doesn't stop waving his arms like an idiot," commented Kai bluntly, who had pretty much been leaning silently beside the door frame for most of the time.
"WHAT?!" Well that got his attention. Tyson finally snapped out of his ritual of chasing magic butterflies, as he stomped towards Kai. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING AN IDIOT?! I AM SO THE BEST!"
"Are you now?" Kai raised an eyebrow mockingly. "Well then why are you still here? Prove it."
"I WILL!" and with that, Tyson had dashed through the door and was running like a chicken with its head cut off towards the battle area.
The boys who were onlookers began laughing as Tyson left, while Kai had a simple smirk on his face. "Come on, let's go," the blue-haired teen finally ordered lightly, stepping out of the room.
"I'm going for a walk," Alex declared, heading for the door. "I need to do some thinking."
"Thinking? About what?" questioned Casey, immediately mentally smacking herself for asking such a pointless question. Alex rolled her eyes, disregarding the remark and continued towards the door.
"Do you want me to come with you?" Jade offered.
"No," the darker redhead quickly responded in an almost harsh tone. "Sorry, I..." she began again more calmly, "…I just wanna be by myself, but thank you." She gave her two friends a brief nod as she promptly exited the room.
With her jade eyes trailing the floor, she quietly made her way through the hall towards the elevators. It seemed that her confusion had faded out a bit and now she just felt more upset, to say the least. Alex let out soft sight, finally reaching the metal doors. Pressing the little button, it wasn't long before her mind began to wander.
'I wish this didn't bug me so much,' she thought to herself as she waited. 'I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for all this, but I just wish this stupid feeling in my stomach would just go away. Man…Richi, why did you take off like that?'
As if on cue, the silver doors opened, and Alex soon found herself face to face with a teenage boy. She blinked and simply looked at him, a bit taken back by the sudden encounter. And to add to that, his intense gaze seem to pierce right through her, adding an awkward dramatic effect. His eyes were a dark, rich shade of red, almost black and she couldn't help but to be reminded of blood as she stared into them.
"Alex?" a voice suddenly broke the spell.
The redhead roughly shook her head, breaking the trance. She looked back into the elevator and was surprised to realize that there was someone else inside. A man. A man in a black suit with unmistakable silver hair. "J-Jet?" she tried not to stutter.
He arched an eyebrow, trying not to laugh at the astonished look she was wearing. "Hey kid. Getting too impatient that you decided to go looking for me?" he grinned at her teasingly.
"Um…I…err…I guess…" she stammered, while her eyes, despite herself, shifted back and forth between the two individuals.
Jet chuckled, noticing that Alex wasn't the only one who was looking rather uncomfortable. The young man was also showing signs of disturbance and confusion. 'Hm…why do I have the feeling I'm going to regret wanting to see his attitude?' he asked himself, stepping out of the elevator. "Okay then, I'm sure both of you are wondering what the hell is going on here. So Alex, if you'd kindly lead us to where the rest of them are, I will gladly explain."
The girl reluctantly tore her gaze away from the boy and slowly began sauntering towards her initial location, glancing back every so often at the haughty-looking teen. It was mere moments before she soon found herself silently standing in front of the door, the knob in her hand. Wordlessly, she opened it, immediately catching Jade and Casey's attention as she stepped in.
"That was fast," commented Case, head tilted. "What did you do? Step outside and come back in again? Because if all you wanted was some air, we could have just opened a win-JET???" she exclaimed mid-sentence, noticing their sponsor standing behind her. "Hi! I forgot you were coming over…we were…"
"Occupied," Jade finished her sentence, pointing at the TV. "Did you know that Richi was competing in the Regionals?"
Jet slowly nodded.
"Do you know why?" Alex piped in, arms crossed. "And on another subject, who in God's name is that?" she added bluntly.
"Who's what?" questioned Jade.
"Him."
"Him?"
"Him."
"Where is 'him'??" exclaimed Jade, getting a bit frustrated.
"Behind him."
"Him is behind him?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow in confusion.
"Yes," replied the other redhead, who was beginning to get amused.
"…You're not making any sense."
Casey stifled a giggle, tapping Jade on the shoulder. "I think she's teasing you."
"I agree."
Alex's grin widened as she shook head with delight. "I'm not teasing you. Well maybe a bit, I suppose. But him really is behind him."
"WILL YOU STOP IT WITH THE HIM BUSNESS?!" Jade commanded exasperatedly.
"O-KAY GIRLS, that's enough," Jet broke the 'him' debate. "You might scare away out our new member."
"New member?" they all echoed at once.
Taking a deep breath, Jet stepped into the room and away from the doorframe, revealing a young man in a black trench with an irritated scowl on his face. "Please do not tell me that this is the team I am supposed to be on," he muttered resentfully.
"You mean he's our new member?!" exclaimed Jade. "Where did you find him?? In a gang from New York or was it a juvi-hall??"
This was rather odd indeed. The girls knew that they needed a fifth member for the upcoming World Tournament because of the new rules, but they didn't expect somebody with "that" kind of profile.
"No, he's not from a gang or a juvi-hall…and yes, he is the new member…sort of…" Jet replied hesitantly.
"What do you mean 'sort of'?" questioned Casey.
"Well you know how I've been talking to Mr. Dickenson lately?" he began casually.
The three girls nodded. They were fully aware of Jet and Mr. Dickenson's meetings. After all, Jet was his nephew AND the future chairman of the BBA. That's actually one of the biggest reasons why they were here in the first place.
You see around a month ago, the older man had given Jet the task of putting together his own Beyblade team for the upcoming World Tournament. Sort of like a way of training him for his future position when Mr. D retired. Anyway, that's where Richi, Alex, Jade, and Casey came into the picture. Not to bore you with details, but basically, they became Jet's team.
What about the Bladebreakers, you ask? Well they were Mr. Dickenson's team, not Jet's, and his uncle wanted him to learn and grow with a different group, just as he did with his boys. Besides, Mr. D was planning to reunite the Bladebreakers so they could enter the world tournament as well. There was one little catch though that wasn't exactly anticipated.
Not too long ago, the BBA had announced the need for five members on a team due to rules and battle purposes. Of course, Mr. Dickenson scouted for a fifth member for the Bladebreakers and soon stumbled upon a young man named Ryo. He had a bit of an attitude problem, to say the least, but he was still a very fine blader, much worthy of being on a high-class team. Originally, he was going to be the fifth member of the Breakers…but then…
"Well Mr. Dickenson proposed we make a trade," stated the gentleman.
Alex's eyes grew, as her gaze once again darted back and forth between the two males. She quickly realized what Jet was getting at and prayed that maybe she was wrong. "Are you saying that…You mean you…" she began, breathing deeply. "…TRADED RICHI FOR HIM?!" she all but shrieked.
"It's not as bad as you think kid," Jet tried to clam her down. "I was unsure at first too, but trust me, it's going to work out. Even Richi is okay with it."
The redhead's furious eyes suddenly seem to calm down as she looked at him impassively. "Richi? He was totally okay with this?"
"Oh crap…I know what Alex is doooooing…" Jade whispered to Casey, who nodded discontentedly in return.
"Yes he was," replied Jet.
"So basically…he was okay with leaving us? With ditching us? With running off to a bigger and badder team? AM I RIGHT?" she demanded venomously.
"Alex…I don't think Richi did-"
"STOP DEFENDING HIM CASE!!" she cut her off heatedly. "Besides, why should we care? He's not on the team anymore."
"Alex…" Jade began softly, but couldn't find the right words to say.
"Forget it, I really don't care," she stated, losing emotion in her voice again. "I'm going for a walk. For real this time." Without letting them say anything else to her, she quickly paced towards the door, but failed to leave without pausing in front of their new team captain first. She looked at him up and down before meeting his gaze, which didn't look any happier than her's. "Hn. Well then, welcome to the team Ryo," she greeted him flatly, before brusquely pushing past him and out of the room.
Dude! Alex didn't take the news too well and it doesn't look like Ryo's too pleased about his new team either! How is Jet going to manage to smooth things out? Tune in next time for the next chapter of Star Horizons!
Star Horizons
Chapter 9: Unwanted Explanations
Jet didn't bother waiting for the official declaration of the winner; he was pretty confident he knew who it was anyway. It was just one of those gut feelings, which for him, were almost always correct. And if his assumption for this event was accurate, which it probably was, then he was next to positive about what would happen next.
Thus, he casually made his way out of the stands, while the echo of extreme animation still managed to follow him into the more vacant area. Along with the roaring of the crowds, a young man was also trailing along behind him in a less than ecstatic manner. His black hair lingered near his distinct dark scarlet eyes that were, at the present moment, gazing straight ahead, adding an eerie touch of an assassin-like character.
Jet glanced back at the stern-looking teenager for a brief moment. Quickly directing his attention up ahead again, he smirked to himself. They say looks can be deceiving, but for this particular individual, it seemed that his appearance matched his personality right down to the last feature. He undeniably looked like a one hundred-percent anti-social arrogant prick, which from what Jet had read about him and from what he had been told by Mr. Dickenson, was quite true. However, there was also an air about him that entailed a curious sense of mystery, like there was something unknown and cryptic about whom he really was, maybe even dark.
Jet's musings were soon dismissed as another roar came from the stands, this time hinting a touch of astonishment. Raising a dark eyebrow, he instinctively glimpsed back, his eyes inevitably also brushing over his young companion. The adolescent appeared oblivious to the dynamic yells as his almost hasty stroll persisted without a single trace of curiosity. On the other hand, it's not like Jet was actually dying of curiosity either. Sometimes you just can't help but to turn towards the direction of a sudden rise in volume, which in this case, Jet had intuitively done.
'He did it again,' the silver haired man smirked to himself, shaking his head with a chuckle. Jet affirmed that Richi probably did to Tyson what he usually did to Alex one too many times. It was just a very odd habit of his, but on the other hand, Jet recalled Mr. Dickenson telling him about how one of his boys, Ray, had done the same thing before as well. Actually, it seemed that based on everything Mr. Dickenson had said, Richi and that Ray fellow had a lot in common. This knowledge provided Jet with some comfort; at least he knew that the brunette would have someone to relate to.
'Well Rich, we're going to miss you,' he declared genuinely, subtly pausing in front of the exit. Looking back for a third time, he grinned. "But don't worry kid, we'll still be here for you if you ever need us.'
Just as the sable-haired teen opened his mouth to ask why he had stopped, Jet had already turned around and reinitialized his pace, as if the brief halt had never even occurred. Shrugging, the younger man continued to follow suit, beginning to feel a small sense of inquisitiveness about the whole situation. It was a bit unusual, actually, since he was never exactly the inquiring type. Antithetically though, this whole state of affairs was completely new to him, and by human nature, he also wondered about the unknown.
Jet unhurriedly led him outside and directed their course towards a small, modish sports car, evidently standing out in the midst of all the other plain vehicles. The sun's friendly waves playfully washed over the car's black coat, creating a glossy veil, like the luster that enveloped the slick snow.
"Go inside," Jet ordered in a civil tone, casually unlocking the front passenger door.
Surprisingly, the teenager wordlessly complied, sliding into the narrow seat. Jet glanced at him curiously, caught a bit off guard by this action. Heading for the driver's seat, he silently mused to himself.
'I was told that he would be defiant and difficult to deal with,' he thought wonderingly, smoothly looping around the car, 'but he's been rather quiet so far. It's a bit odd; I doubt he's the shy type. Hm…well, on the other hand, nothing has exactly happened to displease him…not yet at least.'
Smirking, he finally reached the opposite door and upon opening it, ducked into the jet-coloured vehicle. As he turned on the engine, it wasn't long before he was thinking about the teen's uncommon nature again. In reality, it wasn't that perplexing, but when you have a lot on your mind, the simplest things to realize didn't come so easily. Ultimately though, as he began driving along the road, he came to the conclusion that the boy's more true and rebellious colours would show when something didn't go his way, which would probably happen pretty soon.
It actually almost seemed like Jet was looking forward to it, that he wanted to deal with someone who could easily be compared to Kai but with a bit of a larger attitude problem. Well, maybe this gentleman was looking forward to that. Besides, he enjoyed a good challenge and he also knew that an experience like this would be very advantageous for both his and the BBA's future. And even further, it would benefit the adolescents too, although he knew that they probably wouldn't initially see that.
Jet's thoughts eventually quieted down, and he began concentrating on the road, trying to ignore the silence filling the atmosphere. It was an awkward silence, like the kind of silence between two acquaintances. Clearing his throat, he came to the decision that perhaps he should try to make some conversation. After all, it was essential that he break the ice now, since he knew that later things might get a bit crazy when they meet up with the rest of the gang.
"So how long have you been blading for?" he asked, promptly realizing a second later what a lame question that was.
The boy's dark eyes shifted towards Jet's direction, only to return to their original gaze in less than a moment. "Long time," he stated plainly.
Silence fell upon them once more. Furrowing his brow, Jet re-attempted to speak again.
"Oh, I see. Well how did you meet Mr. Dickenson then?" he asked, figuring that that subject would receive a longer response.
"At a tournament," the boy, again, replied in the simplest terms.
'One word difference…greeaat…' Arching an eyebrow, Jet let out a quiet sigh and redirected his attention to his driving. 'Okay, this might be a bit harder than I thought…'
"Oh so Ray did the same thing when you two first battled?" questioned Richi.
Tyson attempted to answer his inquiry, but was forced to decide against it, as his mouth was unable to verbalize anything due to the disturbing mixture of pop, chicken and pizza hindering his speaking ability. Rather, he bobbed his head up and down, trying to swallow the strange concoction. Unfortunately, he failed to do so and before you could say "chicken", Max and Kenny found themselves busy smacking Tyson's back, while the little newbie simply stared at the three stooges.
'I think they might be weirder than Alex and Jade,' he thought to himself, a smile tempting to cross his lips. Although before he could make any official declarations, another voice cut into the atmosphere.
"Don't mind them, they're always like that."
The brunette turned around to see a raven-haired boy sitting on a bench against the wall, also observing the current situation with a small smirk.
"Ray, right?" he asked, receiving a nod in return. "Heh, you guys must never get bored," he added impishly.
"You can say that again," he responded with a laugh, "but what do you expect? With someone like Tyson around, how can we get bored?"
Richi grinned at the response, nodding in agreement. Then, glancing back at the three other boys, he figured that perhaps Tyson was a bit too busy to expand on his earlier explanation about Ray and his first match. So, turning back to Ray, he asked, "Anyway, Tyson said you forfeited the match when he won the second battle?"
The raven-haired boy nodded, grinning slightly as a flash of him and Tyson's first match appeared in his mind. "Yeah…well he beat me fair and square during round two. I didn't have anything else to felt I had to prove."
"Finally someone who understands," Richi laughed, heading over to where Ray was seated. "I tend to do that a lot too during practice with my friends. Of course I'd never forfeit a really critical match, on the contrary. It's just that battling Tyson earlier was more like a practice run for me. So when he did win the second round, I just didn't have anything else I wanted to do."
Ray's golden eyes narrowed curiously. "Then, why are you here anyway, if not to win the tournament?"
The brunette blinked, caught off guard by the question. Putting a hand nervously behind his head, he grinned awkwardly. "Um…well…you see…I sort of…um…"
Fortunately for Richi, his stuttering was cut short by the familiar booming voice of DJ Jazzman. "Everybody are you ready?!" he shouted excitedly, receiving massive hollers of approval. "The final match will begin shortly between the reigning champion Cyris and the returning phenomenon known as Tyson!!" Another round of cheering was heard from the audience; everybody was definitely hyped up.
"Um…it looks like you guys better get going for Tyson's match," Richi said in the most casual tone he could pull off.
Ray cocked an eyebrow at the brunette, affirming that there was definitely something this kid was not saying. 'Okay Richi, I guess I can wait to find out whatever you're hiding,' he thought to himself with a smirk.
"I AM PUMPED!" a loud voice suddenly announced.
The two teens on the bench looked over to where the declaration had come from to see Tyson, with tightened firsts, punching into the air excitedly. Kenny and Max were staring at him as they stood a fair distance away from his flying fists. Richi grinned, as it reminded him of this special on TV he once saw about people who saw things. Tyson's movements were just like the man who was trying to chase the "magic butterflies" away.
"Uh…Tyson?" Kenny attempted to tap him, but was forced to duck as a fist came his way. "Why is he doing that??" he whispered to Max, quickly crawling away from overly hyper boy.
"I think it was that mix of pop, chicken and pizza," Max nodded matter-of-factly.
"And I think Tyson's going to miss his match if he doesn't stop waving his arms like an idiot," commented Kai bluntly, who had pretty much been leaning silently beside the door frame for most of the time.
"WHAT?!" Well that got his attention. Tyson finally snapped out of his ritual of chasing magic butterflies, as he stomped towards Kai. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING AN IDIOT?! I AM SO THE BEST!"
"Are you now?" Kai raised an eyebrow mockingly. "Well then why are you still here? Prove it."
"I WILL!" and with that, Tyson had dashed through the door and was running like a chicken with its head cut off towards the battle area.
The boys who were onlookers began laughing as Tyson left, while Kai had a simple smirk on his face. "Come on, let's go," the blue-haired teen finally ordered lightly, stepping out of the room.
"I'm going for a walk," Alex declared, heading for the door. "I need to do some thinking."
"Thinking? About what?" questioned Casey, immediately mentally smacking herself for asking such a pointless question. Alex rolled her eyes, disregarding the remark and continued towards the door.
"Do you want me to come with you?" Jade offered.
"No," the darker redhead quickly responded in an almost harsh tone. "Sorry, I..." she began again more calmly, "…I just wanna be by myself, but thank you." She gave her two friends a brief nod as she promptly exited the room.
With her jade eyes trailing the floor, she quietly made her way through the hall towards the elevators. It seemed that her confusion had faded out a bit and now she just felt more upset, to say the least. Alex let out soft sight, finally reaching the metal doors. Pressing the little button, it wasn't long before her mind began to wander.
'I wish this didn't bug me so much,' she thought to herself as she waited. 'I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for all this, but I just wish this stupid feeling in my stomach would just go away. Man…Richi, why did you take off like that?'
As if on cue, the silver doors opened, and Alex soon found herself face to face with a teenage boy. She blinked and simply looked at him, a bit taken back by the sudden encounter. And to add to that, his intense gaze seem to pierce right through her, adding an awkward dramatic effect. His eyes were a dark, rich shade of red, almost black and she couldn't help but to be reminded of blood as she stared into them.
"Alex?" a voice suddenly broke the spell.
The redhead roughly shook her head, breaking the trance. She looked back into the elevator and was surprised to realize that there was someone else inside. A man. A man in a black suit with unmistakable silver hair. "J-Jet?" she tried not to stutter.
He arched an eyebrow, trying not to laugh at the astonished look she was wearing. "Hey kid. Getting too impatient that you decided to go looking for me?" he grinned at her teasingly.
"Um…I…err…I guess…" she stammered, while her eyes, despite herself, shifted back and forth between the two individuals.
Jet chuckled, noticing that Alex wasn't the only one who was looking rather uncomfortable. The young man was also showing signs of disturbance and confusion. 'Hm…why do I have the feeling I'm going to regret wanting to see his attitude?' he asked himself, stepping out of the elevator. "Okay then, I'm sure both of you are wondering what the hell is going on here. So Alex, if you'd kindly lead us to where the rest of them are, I will gladly explain."
The girl reluctantly tore her gaze away from the boy and slowly began sauntering towards her initial location, glancing back every so often at the haughty-looking teen. It was mere moments before she soon found herself silently standing in front of the door, the knob in her hand. Wordlessly, she opened it, immediately catching Jade and Casey's attention as she stepped in.
"That was fast," commented Case, head tilted. "What did you do? Step outside and come back in again? Because if all you wanted was some air, we could have just opened a win-JET???" she exclaimed mid-sentence, noticing their sponsor standing behind her. "Hi! I forgot you were coming over…we were…"
"Occupied," Jade finished her sentence, pointing at the TV. "Did you know that Richi was competing in the Regionals?"
Jet slowly nodded.
"Do you know why?" Alex piped in, arms crossed. "And on another subject, who in God's name is that?" she added bluntly.
"Who's what?" questioned Jade.
"Him."
"Him?"
"Him."
"Where is 'him'??" exclaimed Jade, getting a bit frustrated.
"Behind him."
"Him is behind him?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow in confusion.
"Yes," replied the other redhead, who was beginning to get amused.
"…You're not making any sense."
Casey stifled a giggle, tapping Jade on the shoulder. "I think she's teasing you."
"I agree."
Alex's grin widened as she shook head with delight. "I'm not teasing you. Well maybe a bit, I suppose. But him really is behind him."
"WILL YOU STOP IT WITH THE HIM BUSNESS?!" Jade commanded exasperatedly.
"O-KAY GIRLS, that's enough," Jet broke the 'him' debate. "You might scare away out our new member."
"New member?" they all echoed at once.
Taking a deep breath, Jet stepped into the room and away from the doorframe, revealing a young man in a black trench with an irritated scowl on his face. "Please do not tell me that this is the team I am supposed to be on," he muttered resentfully.
"You mean he's our new member?!" exclaimed Jade. "Where did you find him?? In a gang from New York or was it a juvi-hall??"
This was rather odd indeed. The girls knew that they needed a fifth member for the upcoming World Tournament because of the new rules, but they didn't expect somebody with "that" kind of profile.
"No, he's not from a gang or a juvi-hall…and yes, he is the new member…sort of…" Jet replied hesitantly.
"What do you mean 'sort of'?" questioned Casey.
"Well you know how I've been talking to Mr. Dickenson lately?" he began casually.
The three girls nodded. They were fully aware of Jet and Mr. Dickenson's meetings. After all, Jet was his nephew AND the future chairman of the BBA. That's actually one of the biggest reasons why they were here in the first place.
You see around a month ago, the older man had given Jet the task of putting together his own Beyblade team for the upcoming World Tournament. Sort of like a way of training him for his future position when Mr. D retired. Anyway, that's where Richi, Alex, Jade, and Casey came into the picture. Not to bore you with details, but basically, they became Jet's team.
What about the Bladebreakers, you ask? Well they were Mr. Dickenson's team, not Jet's, and his uncle wanted him to learn and grow with a different group, just as he did with his boys. Besides, Mr. D was planning to reunite the Bladebreakers so they could enter the world tournament as well. There was one little catch though that wasn't exactly anticipated.
Not too long ago, the BBA had announced the need for five members on a team due to rules and battle purposes. Of course, Mr. Dickenson scouted for a fifth member for the Bladebreakers and soon stumbled upon a young man named Ryo. He had a bit of an attitude problem, to say the least, but he was still a very fine blader, much worthy of being on a high-class team. Originally, he was going to be the fifth member of the Breakers…but then…
"Well Mr. Dickenson proposed we make a trade," stated the gentleman.
Alex's eyes grew, as her gaze once again darted back and forth between the two males. She quickly realized what Jet was getting at and prayed that maybe she was wrong. "Are you saying that…You mean you…" she began, breathing deeply. "…TRADED RICHI FOR HIM?!" she all but shrieked.
"It's not as bad as you think kid," Jet tried to clam her down. "I was unsure at first too, but trust me, it's going to work out. Even Richi is okay with it."
The redhead's furious eyes suddenly seem to calm down as she looked at him impassively. "Richi? He was totally okay with this?"
"Oh crap…I know what Alex is doooooing…" Jade whispered to Casey, who nodded discontentedly in return.
"Yes he was," replied Jet.
"So basically…he was okay with leaving us? With ditching us? With running off to a bigger and badder team? AM I RIGHT?" she demanded venomously.
"Alex…I don't think Richi did-"
"STOP DEFENDING HIM CASE!!" she cut her off heatedly. "Besides, why should we care? He's not on the team anymore."
"Alex…" Jade began softly, but couldn't find the right words to say.
"Forget it, I really don't care," she stated, losing emotion in her voice again. "I'm going for a walk. For real this time." Without letting them say anything else to her, she quickly paced towards the door, but failed to leave without pausing in front of their new team captain first. She looked at him up and down before meeting his gaze, which didn't look any happier than her's. "Hn. Well then, welcome to the team Ryo," she greeted him flatly, before brusquely pushing past him and out of the room.
Dude! Alex didn't take the news too well and it doesn't look like Ryo's too pleased about his new team either! How is Jet going to manage to smooth things out? Tune in next time for the next chapter of Star Horizons!