Chapter Thirteen: The Grande Finale
"Come on Max!"
Tyson, Kenny and Rei, wrapped in aqua blue duffel coats, peered over the edge of a white and yellow tape and shouted furiously, tiny white frost rings circling into the air before them. Behind them the Comets watched with interest. Leanne stood behind Rei, still attempting to cling to his arm once in a while but Rei shrugged her off successfully, the phone call with Mariah, although almost a week ago now, still rang in his mind.
The tournament had begun. The Blade-Breakers had stormed it, thrashing every opponent, round by round. Now it had come down to four teams - the Blade-Breakers, the Comets, "Aristotle's Authorities" and "the Rippers". They were all pretty good - in Tyson's opinion, and now, the four had to battle it out in a series of winter sport activities until only two teams remained. Right now, Max, who had almost full use of his arm by now, was tobogganing against a member of Aristotle's Authorities. They had completed almost the entire course and were approaching the final slope.
"You can do it, Max!" yelled Tyson, squinting in the cold sunlight and his grey blue eyes bolting. Rei clenched his fists.
"Don't let up!"
The slope led off to their right. It was steep and the last stretch consisted of a drastic thirty-meter slide of pure white snow that glistened merrily. The atmosphere in the air was one of great excitement and enthusiasm and all were enjoying the brisk morning. As Max and Theo, the competitor from Aristotle's Authorities, came hurtling into view from behind a sharp corner, the Chief began to jump up and down.
"Come on, Max! Go, go! You can do it!"
Max looked up, his face partially hidden by glinting goggles and his hair sticking down from where it was hidden by a bright green bobble hat, and grinned as he sleeked across the slope with ease and overtook Theo. Some snow splashed up into Theo's face as Max crossed the finish line first and he growled as his toboggan slowed and stopped. Max jumped off his in glee and ran over to his teammates, who yelled in victory. Tyson leapt over the cordon line and hugged him.
"Yeah! That's another one for the Blade-Breakers! We're in the finals!"
Max laughed. "Oh yeah, I am the man!"
"That was impressive for a one-armed effort," came the voice of Theo behind Max, who held out a gloved hand. Max grasped it and shook vigorously. "Thanks, man. You too!"
Rei and the Chief had not moved from behind the barrier.
"That sure was awesome," said Rei, smiling proudly as Max came over, his good arm linked in Tyson's. Max nodded, his cheeks red and rosy from the exercise and the thrill of exhilaration glittering in his eyes.
"We're in the finals. Now all we need is to know who we're up against."
Leanne spoke from behind Rei.
"Oh don't you worry. The Blade-Breakers are gonna face off against the Comets. And we'll thrash you. Make no mistake. We may be a player down, but so are you, and now we're free to squash you to the ground!"
Rei growled, hatred for this girl still apparent. He had no idea why he had fallen for her earlier.
"Yeah, right. Keep dreamin', Leanne, because the Blade-Breakers are on a winning streak."
Leanne looked past the bristling Blade-Breakers to the slope where Jenna skidded to an easy victory over the opposing member of The Rippers. She bounded over, the roar of the crowd in her ears.
"So, Blade-Breakers, till tomorrow?"
Tyson glared, and it was obvious that there was still bĂȘte-noir between these two teams. The fact that they had been on the same team as Rio led to suspicion on the Blade-Breaker's account. Tyson wrinkled his nose.
"Yeah. Tomorrow."
The Comets walked away, not bothering with a goodbye. Rei was glad to see Leanne go. He knew that she had done nothing to harm him purposefully; yet he knew he would never be able to look at her in the same way again. He would always see her as somebody who had tried to inject herself into his mind, and would therefore always be wary of her. He turned away and looked at the others.
"Well, guys, tomorrow is it!"
Tyson nodded, his cheeks a little rosy with the cold. "Yup, and I can't wait! Just to see the look on those girls' faces when we thrash 'em!"
Dizzi bleeped next to him.
"Now, now, Tyson. Let's not get too overconfident. Don't forget - they are very good competitors!"
"Yeah well," replied Tyson, flicking his nose, "We're better than them. And tomorrow we prove it."
"It's gonna be sweet!" cried Max, pumping his fist, "We're gonna take them down!"
Rei laughed at his teammate's enthusiasm, and then glanced at his watch.
"Oh my gosh! I'm late!"
He whisked around and began to run in the opposite direction. Tyson snuffled as Rei's incredibly long ponytail hit him in the face, caught it and yanked Rei back.
"What's the rush? You've been running off on your own a lot this week, Rei! Where are you going?"
Rei rubbed the back of his head sorely. "Um . . . I'll tell you later. But now I gotta go! Don't worry, I'll be back soon!"
He dived out of the way of Tyson and ran off again, waving as he ran. Tyson glanced at Max.
"What was all that about?"
Max shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe he's meeting a girl . . .!"
The Chief laughed. "Maybe, but we won't find out until later."
Tyson nodded his agreement. "Yeah, so why don't we . . . GET SOME PIZZA?"
Max and the Chief rolled their eyes, amused. They were always astounded by Tyson's seemingly never ending appetite and today was no exception. He had eaten three hotdogs during Max's race! It seemed that Tyson would . . . or could . . . never be full.
Max slung his arm around Tyson's shoulder. "Ok, buddy. Whatever you want. But we have to be done by seven. Because Mr Dickinson is flying out to meet us! He said he was too tied down in business work to see the rest of our matches, but he wouldn't miss the finals for the world!"
Tyson smiled. He knew that with Mr Dickinson would come his grandfather. Despite his frequent complaints about his grandfather's strange attitude, Tyson missed his grandfather. He longed to see him again, and tell him all of their news. The Blade-Breakers certainly had a lot to tell.
"Hey, Tyson!"
He realized that the others had wandered off, and he had been left staring at a mound of snow while he thought. He laughed self-consciously, and then bounded off after the others with a cry of:
"Don't forget me! I'm the reason we're going for food, after all!"
********
The next morning dawned clear and bright, but Kenny missed the dawn courtesy of his malfunctioning alarm clock. When Dizzi bleeped at nine- thirty, he gasped, fumbled his way out of the white bed covers, and scrambled toward the cabinet where he had last laid down his spectacles.
"Dizzi! What time is it?"
"Nine-thirty, Chief. You're late."
Kenny grabbed his glasses and shoved them on wonkily. "Nine-thirty? The finals start in half an hour! Guys! Guys! Get up!"
He spun around the room, partially looking for his trousers and partially looking for the other members of his team. Puzzled when he saw their empty beds, he turned to Dizzi.
"Where are the guys, Dizzi?"
Dizzi bleeped impatiently. "Chief, they got up hours ago! They're either out training or down at the stadium. Go find 'em!"
The Chief was indignant. "How come you didn't wake me?"
Another bleep. "I did! You said 'no, I'm fine right here' and then rolled over again! So I left you to it!"
Kenny ran his hands through his hair and yanked his tie around his neck.
"Ok, Dizzi, I'm ready . . . Oh, hold on!"
He ran into the bathroom and grabbed the toothpaste tube. He squeezed some into his mouth and rubbed it round his teeth with his tongue.
"Don't have time to do them properly!" he cried, cringing with the sharp, crisp taste of mint freezing the back of his teeth. Dizzi beeped.
"You say that every morning!"
With a sarcastic grin, the Chief grabbed Dizzi and strode out of the room, locking the door behind him. He raced down the stairs - nearly tripping over an untied shoelace - and hurtled past the reception desk. Janine looked up from where she was typing some notes onto a computer.
"Hey, Chief. What's your rush?"
Kenny skidded to a halt, gasping, and trotted over to the reception desk.
"Hi there, Janine. I'm late! The tournament final starts in . . ." he glanced at his watch, ". . . twenty-three minutes!"
Janine laughed. "Calm down, Chief. You know they're always late. Rei, Max and Tyson are out in the parking lot, training. I was watching them before, but, you know, duty calls!"
She nodded toward the computer, and Kenny giggled, before throwing her a hasty goodbye and dashing out into the cold parking lot. The air was nippy and clean and he shivered, asking himself why he didn't bring a jacket. He ran over to where the others were spinning their blades.
"Hey, Chief!" hailed Tyson as he ran over, "Sleep well?"
"Very funny, Tyson!" said the Chief, panting and opening up Dizzi, "Let's get down to business. I figure that Max should battle first, then Rei, then Tyson."
Max nodded. "Fine by me!"
But Rei stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Um . . . can't I go first, Chief?"
Kenny looked at him, surprised. "Rei?"
Rei rubbed the back of his head. "Mmm, well . . . I wanted to go first is all!"
Max shrugged. "It's fine by me, Rei! You show 'em!"
Rei rubbed his hands together. "This is gonna be so awesome! You guys just wait!"
Tyson laughed. "Well, the announcer is calling all of the teams in. I guess we'd better get on inside!"
The four placed their hands out and made a circle around them. They put their hands on each other, counted backwards from three and yelled "Blade-Breakers!", and then Tyson broke the circle and ran in, followed by the others.
********
The atmosphere in the Dome was fantastic. Everywhere he looked Max could see smiling, excited faces. The scent of popcorn was wild on the air and DJ Jazzman stood in the corner. Every seat was filled, and the Blade- Breakers were taken down to the bottom left hand corner where a bench was set out for them. They were now on the lowest level of the Dome; were on level with the Beydish.
"This is too cool!" grinned Tyson as he looked around, his spirit racing because of the wired crowd. He waved a little. A tap on the shoulder turned him around.
"Well, boys, you've certainly got a few tales to tell!"
Tyson jumped up. "Mr Dickinson! Woah, how totally groovy! I missed you last night - I was at the buffet table and-"
Mr Dickinson chuckled from beneath his bowler hat and tiny spectacles.
"It's good to see you too, Tyson! It doesn't surprise me that you were busy eating!"
Tyson laughed. "How great is this? We are gonna rip it up!"
Max poked his head out from behind Mr Dickinson. "Hey, look who else is here!"
Tyson peered around Mr Dickinson (which was no easy task, I can assure you) and his face lit up.
"Grandpa!"
The tall, flamboyant Mr Granger spun around from where he was talking to Rei.
"Hey, my man! How's the T-boy doin' these doggo's? You bin' slicin' up the gro-bro, yo?"
Tyson stared, bewildered, before leaping on top of his grandfather and hugging him around the waist.
"I don't understand a word you said," he said with a huge smile across his face, "but I sure did miss you, Grandpa!"
"Hey, watch the digs, hommie! It's jammin' to lay my peepers on you too!"
Rei chuckled. "This is so great!"
Suddenly the lights went off and the Dome was thrust into pitch- blackness. Tyson, with a strange sense of deja vu, tensed himself. Suddenly, everyone was suspicious; everyone was hostile. Relief overflowed through his veins when he heard the voice of DJ Jazzman booming from the speakers, and when the dome lit up in impressive spotlights he was even more calmed. He slid onto the dark blue bench and looked around. Opposite them at the other end of the Dome sat the Comets, staring straight at them. There was a place empty where Rio would have sat. The Beydish had not yet been revealed, and as Tyson watched, the first competitors were called to go and stand at the Beydish and await its unveiling.
Next to him, Rei got to his feet, holding a scintillating Driger. He turned to them, his face lit strangely by the overhead lights.
"Well, guys, wish me luck. This is for all the marbles!"
Tyson stuck his thumb in the air and winked. "You'll do just great, Rei. You show her who's boss!"
Rei nodded, and before he turned he glanced down at his watch. When he was done, he looked back at his teammates.
"Let's do this!"
He swung around, his eyes glinting with eager determination and a resolute smile on his face. He strode up to the floor where the Beydish would be revealed in mere seconds, and looked up at his opponent. He expected to see Tony, who was down for the first round. But instead he found he was staring straight at Leanne, who returned his glare and smiled tauntingly, wrapping a finger around a loose piece of russet hair.
Rei started and faltered. He had not expected this. But then passions beat inside him and his fortitude flared, and he felt the iridescent spirit of Driger growling inside his blade. Behind him, he heard the ardent cheers of his team rising above everything else, and even though none of them knew what he had been through, he felt they were with him. He clenched a staunch hand around his Beyblade and his amber eyes flashed with anticipation. Now, he knew, was the time.
For Mariah, he thought, his heart beating a little faster when he thought it. Then, when he looked back at Leanne, he was surprised to see her giggling. She glanced at him, and stopped, as if she were laughing at some secret he was not to know. Annoyed, Rei wrinkled his nose and narrowed his eyes as best he could.
"What's so funny?"
Leanne wiped an eye theatrically. "Oh, you look scared is all."
Rei almost laughed. "Yeah right. Let's do this."
Leanne shrugged as if Rei had sealed his own doom, and stepped forward. And before them, the Beydish arose. A blanket of white snow was unveiled before their eyes that gleamed like pearly teeth. In the center was a shimmering blue lake that was frosted over.
Rei was stunned. He had not expected this either, and could immediately see that the thick white sheet of snow would cause his Driger immense problems. He looked down at his blade, which continued to flash.
"Ok, bladers, get ready!" came the distant voice of DJ Jazzman. Rei lifted his shooter with determination. Leanne did the same, her orange launcher glittering and the blade below it just as impressive in deep red.
"Three! Two! One! LET IT RIP!!!"
All at once, Rei was on fire. He launched his Driger with the most impressive launch any of his teammates had seen him perform and then Driger was spinning in the thick snow. Opposite to him, Leanne had started with an equally impressive launch, and her blade threw up the snow beside it.
The snow was thick, and the blades were hindered greatly. Rei growled. His Driger could never execute an attack - not in that snow.
Never forget to check out the area you're Beyblading in.
Rei started, surprised, as a vivid memory flashed in his mind. He thought back to the battle between himself and Kai, and remembered acutely the words of his captain.
The dish always has hidden advantages.
Again, there it was, and Rei realised he was faced with the same situation. He smiled; realising that never in a million years would he have thought that same situation would come up again. Now he could almost smell the victory.
"Driger!" he yelled, clenching his fists and the fire burning brighter, "Tiger Claw . . . but downwards!"
Leanne, her blade, too, grounded by the bulky snow, looked on in some confusion as Driger emerged, glittering effervescent green and standing out against the brilliant backdrop of the snow. The tiger roared, bared its fangs and slashed downwards with angry, fierce strokes of its powerful claws. The snow began to thin out and part before the audience's eyes. And soon, Rei's blade spun on flat, rocky ground, and he clenched his fists.
"Come on, Driger, get your spin speed up!"
Leanne still watched on, perplexed. Tyson could have laughed out loud at her comical expression of mystification. But he was too involved with Rei's superb strategy. Driger was spinning at an incredible rate, and Tyson knew what was coming.
"You think you're so great, Leanne!" cried Rei, his eyes sparking dangerously, the power of the Driger intensifying his rage, "But all you do is talk! Well, talk your way out of this!"
Driger surged forward, spurred on by the wrath exploding from Rei, and with the high speeds it had reached it could easily slash through the snow. The white powder came up in shimmering showers as Driger ploughed its own path towards the stunned Pterodeor.
"No!" cried Leanne, sensing her defeat," Defend now!"
But it was too late. Rei grinned as his Driger slammed into the powerless Pterodeor and sent it flying out of the dish. It crash-landed at Leanne's feet and she stared at it, pale.
"And the winner of session one is Rei!"
Max and Tyson leapt up at the announcement from DJ Jazzman and ran out towards Rei - whom they promptly jumped on and flattened to the floor. Rei laughed.
"Ok, get off! You guys aren't the lightest of all people!"
Tyson and Max rolled off Rei, laughing in their excitement. "That was awesome!" "What a strategy!"
Rei smiled. "Kai taught me that one." His retribution had been swift and was now complete, and he no longer felt loathing towards Leanne, who had sat down on her bench and was engrossed in conversation with her fellow team members.
Tyson and Max sobered for a quick moment before giggling again.
"We're up by one!"
Rei grinned. "Yeah . . . but I've got something I need to sort out! Max, when's your match?"
Max looked blankly from Rei to Tyson and then back to Rei. He obviously didn't know.
"I don't think it starts till eleven."
Rei glanced at his watch again. "Good. I've got about an hour. See you then!"
He jumped to his feet and, with a wave at Mr Dickinson, was gone. Tyson and Max watched after him, puzzled.
"Where does he keep running off to?"
"I think he's met a girl."
"Maybe."
They looked at each other, before bursting into giggles again. "Girl or not, we're up by one!"
They jumped up to their feet and began to rile up the crowd by cheering and pumping their fists. Kenny joined them.
"Max, according to Dizzi, your match is in half an hour, at ten thirty."
Max turned to the Chief sharply. "What? Half an hour? But . . . Rei might not be back!"
Tyson waved a hand. "Don't worry, Maxy, he'll be back. And if not, well, you've still got us!"
Max smiled half-heartedly. "Yeah, but . . ."
Tyson slapped him on the back. "Come on, buddy, you've fought on your own before, right? And the Chief and I aren't goin' anywhere! Don't worry!"
His confidence returned, Max grinned. "All right. We're gonna do this!"
********
The match had been an incredible one. Tony's Brachiomontras had emerged and was facing off against the mighty Draciel, and the two growled at each other fiercely. The lilac glow of the Brachiomontras looked a little jaded when compared to the striking deep purple glow of Draciel, yet it paled not in power. The dish was now a maze of icicles, jagged and slicing white-blue, that pointed up towards the sky. They put a tight limit on manoeuvrability and Max was finding it increasingly difficult to get around. This battle had raged for ten minutes now, each Beyblade slamming into the other, attack after attack, yet it had reached stalemate. Neither could advance, and Max could feel his Draciel's power beginning to fade. His new and improved attack had worked but had not been enough to snuff out the relentless Brachiomontras, with its long, powerful neck and its beady eyes. Now, Max turned to his teammates - well, Tyson and the Chief. Rei had still not yet returned.
"Nice to know he thinks about his team so much," Max said to himself bitterly. Even though he knew that Tyson and the Chief were behind him, he didn't quite feel right without the whole team there to back him up. This brief lapse in concentration on Max's part was enough for Tony to take her opportunity, and her bright yellow blade slammed forwards, crunching against the defence ring of the green Draciel blade.
"Come on, Draciel!" cried Max with vigour, "Don't give up!"
Sparks flew from the clash of the two impressive blades, yet Tony's managed to get its tip under an edge of Max's defence ring. It was enough to give it some leverage and Max's Beyblade was flung into the air. It spun wildly, like a leaf in a November breeze, and then toppled to the floor where it lay still at Max's feet.
"Dra . . . Draciel."
Max bent to pick up his blade, his cheeks flushing hotly with suffusion. He clasped his blade tightly for a moment.
"It was a good match,"
He looked up, his vision partly marred by his blond hair hanging in his eyes. Tony held out a sporting hand.
"You did real good for a guy with one arm."
Max grinned, the blush fading and he laughed as Tony pulled him up. He was vaguely aware of DJ Jazzman commenting on good sportsmanship, and he waved to the crowd, who roared in pleasure. It had obviously been an impressive match. Then, he shook Tony's hand and turned and walked back to the bench, where Tyson and the Chief hailed him.
"That was an awesome battle, Max!"
"Draciel did you proud!"
Max smiled, feeling disappointment in loss but success because he knew he had tried his best. He sat down.
"Well, Tyson. Now it's all up to you. I didn't mean to mess things up."
Tyson scoffed. "Don't be dumb! You battled great. I'm more concerned about where Rei is."
"Good question!" agreed the Chief with a nod, "He should be here!"
Mr Dickinson smiled from the other end of the bench where he was sitting. "I'm sure Rei will be here soon, boys. Don't fret. We've still got half an hour before Tyson's match. Use your time wisely, now."
The boys took heed of Mr Dickinson's good advice, and spent the next half hour discussing battle tactics and what would be the best moves for Dragoon to use. They knew little about Jenna's blade - only that it was called Carniverapture and that it must be the most powerful if the girls had saved it for last. They decided it would be best to defend for a short while before launching a powerful, swift attack.
"I'm just glad it's not Apophis!" said Tyson, his eyes wide in relief as he leaned back against the wall behind the bench, "That thing was terrifying!"
The thirty minutes sped by like thirty seconds, and soon Tyson's name was called. His head brimming with new tactics and confidence, he stood. Yet Rei had still not returned, and he felt a kind of twist in his stomach. For a moment, he felt alone. Looking around, he caught sight of Max and the Chief, and his Grandfather and Mr Dickinson, and was reassured. His team was behind him - wherever they were. But suddenly he longed for the whole team - Max and the Chief and Rei and Kai. He missed them. He needed them behind them to do this. Without them there it felt like he was deserted, that no one cared. He took a deep breath, shaking these silly, foolish thoughts from his head, and stepped up to the dish.
It revealed itself as the regular dish. Plain, red-sloped walls with a smooth surface for little grip and practically no friction. No tricks, no place to hide. Just the dish.
Oddly enough, the plainness and simplicity of the regular dish troubled Tyson. It all seemed too easy; it all seemed too plain. He heard his teammates cheering in his ears and he was again comforted. But this didn't last long and his thoughts suddenly, and for no apparent reason, went out to Kai. He remembered the promise he'd made - he was going to win this, no matter what. His eyes flicked through the crowd and his gaze fell upon Janine, who was sitting near the front. She met his gaze and cheered for him loudly. Tyson smiled.
"Alright, then," he said, flicking his nose, "Come on!"
He lifted his launcher and attached his Dragoon. Facing him, Jenna hooked up her blue blade to her black launcher.
"This is it, Tyson!" she said with a friendly grin, "Good luck!"
"The same to you," said Tyson generously, "And may the best blader win!"
On DJ Jazzman's command, they launched. The two blades spun into the center and immediately collided with each other, sparks flying in every direction. Tyson growled in visible determination.
"Dizzi, give me some readings!" said the Chief as he furiously punched into the keys of his computer. Dizzi beeped and an image of the battle appeared on her screen.
"Jenna's tough. Her readings are pretty awesome, Chief. She and Dragoon are evenly matched. Tyson is gonna have to pull out something pretty special to flatten this gal!"
Kenny grit his teeth.
"Tyson, just keep up a good defence for now!" he cried quickly, "Wait until we've thought of an attack!"
Jenna smiled and placed a hand on her curvilinear hip.
"There's no chance of that, Tyson. I won't give you the time!"
Her deep blue blade swerved forwards and slammed head on into Tyson's and he gasped, not expecting such a crushing offence so quickly. It was as if it had come from nowhere.
"Hold your ground, Dragoon!" he yelled stoutly, turning to Kenny.
"Well, Chief? Any advice?"
Kenny buried his head in his laptop, scouring every file he could find for information.
"No! But the readings from her Bit-Beast are enormous! Avoid it! Keep defending!"
Tyson sighed, irritated. "I hate defence! But, ok."
His blade pressed firmly against the head of Carniverapture and held its ground. But Tyson knew this would not last long. His blade, his Dragoon, was not built for defence. He needed to attack and he needed to do it soon.
His patience broke. "Alright, Dragoon, come on out!"
"No, Tyson!" cried Max, but it was too late, for Dragoon emerged, illuminated in outstanding blue, and it wound its way up towards the firmament. It roared, an authorative, resounding echo, and Tyson grinned.
"Well, Jenna, say hello to my Dragoon!"
Jenna stared at the awesome Dragoon, her whole body lit up in the blue rays that spattered from its coils. She smiled in awe.
"That's so cool! I've never seen it up close before! But, Tyson," her smile disappeared and she suddenly looked menacing, "I'd like you to meet Carniverapture."
Tyson tensed, wary of this new power, and the center of Jenna's blade lit up in black. A massive light erupted from it and then a huge animal emerged, a dinosaur, all teeth and claws. When it had completely materialized Tyson saw it was a carnivore, similar to a Tyrannosaurus Rex.
"Say hello, Carniverapture!" smirked Jenna, obviously sensing that she now had the upper hand in this encounter. Tyson looked on in amazement. It was at least twice as big as Dragoon, and looked stronger. And there was that feeling again, that he was alone. He was battling alone, and he didn't think he could do it.
"How can I defeat that?" Tyson whispered, staring up at the huge, black thing that roared and whipped its tail in irritation. It snarled right back at him, and Dragoon seemed to diminish in comparison with the colossal creature. His teammates were shouting behind him, yells of support and encouragement, but Tyson could not hear them. All of a sudden, he was completely alone. His knees felt weak under the intense gaze of the potent Carniverapture, and he gave his Dragoon a despairing look.
"What can I do?"
Tyson was not a quitter - never had been - but now was a time when he seriously thought about throwing in the towel. If not, his Dragoon would be crushed, his team would be a failure, and he would be defeated. His spirit, usually so strong and unquenchable, faltered cruelly and all Tyson could see was the glinting, snarling mouth of the huge thing in the center of the Beydish. His confidence leaked away, deserted him, and he felt insecure, as though the world was against him. His team was far, far away, his friends didn't care, and his Dragoon was about to be smashed to a pulp . . .
"Tyson!"
Tyson blinked, was torn out of his deep chain of thought, and wrenched his eyes away from the hypnotic creature. He half turned to where the familiar voice came from, near the bench. He saw his team, Max, the Chief . . . and next to them stood Rei, his face flushed from the cold outside. He grinned at Tyson encouragingly. But most surprisingly, leaning on Rei's shoulder was . . .
"Kai?"
Tyson blinked again, as though to verify things. But his eyes told him the truth. There stood Kai, his face pale and his eyes flashing. He was walking - well, standing, one arm hooked around Rei's sturdy shoulder, the other still in a sling. He looked a little out of breath and had obviously found the journey a strain, but he still had the energy to speak loudly enough for Tyson to hear him.
"Snap out of it, Tyson! Concentrate!"
Tyson still stared, a mixture of feelings running through him. His eyes were lit at new levels; his confidence, having so easily escaped him, returned with a bang.
My team! They never left me! They're here - they always have been! I'm not alone!
With newfound determination, Tyson looked back up to Carniverapture. In his eyes it had already lost some of its lustre, some of its strange authority, and now, it seemed to shrink before the ever-reliable Dragoon.
"Sorry, Jenna, but I'm not about to give up so easily!" yelled Tyson, and Jenna's smirk quickly disappeared.
"What?"
"Tyson! I've got some readings on Carniverapture!" cried Kenny from the bench, "It's big and powerful, and fast too! But it can't see you when you're not moving! Do you get it? It has bad vision!"
Tyson glanced up at the tiny, beady eyes of the creature, and grinned.
"Like that T-Rex in that film about the dinosaurs . . . Jurassic what's-it. Ok, so I'll stay still, then!"
"Either that," said Rei, "Or you move so fast that it can't keep up!"
"And that gives you the opportunity to attack!" added Max. Tyson was surprised at how well the team worked when together. He turned back to the dish and gave the order, fire beginning to beat in his heart.
"Ok, Dragoon, begin your storm attack!"
Dragoon responded with a roar, and the blade spun, faster and faster around the plain, smooth surface of the dish. Carniverapture whirled round, attempting to knock it off balance with its tree-trunk like tail, but Dragoon was too quick, and burned with pale blue passion. It whizzed around and created a huge up draught of wind, which transformed into a mighty hurricane.
"Oh yeah!" cried Tyson, back on form and as incredible as ever, "Ok, Dragoon! Let's bring it home!"
"Not yet!" yelled Jenna, gritting her teeth, "Carniverapture, grab him!"
The dinosaur leapt forwards and lunged at Dragoon with its arms. Tyson panicked and couldn't see what to do. Behind Tyson, Kai laughed.
"No chance of that!" he said with a smile, "It's arms are too short, and Dragoon is too slim and wiry. Just look."
Tyson looked back, and saw that his Dragoon could slip out of the grasp of Carniverapture with ease and it sidled its way to the top of the wind. Jenna's blade was picked up in the force and began to hurtle around the dish, caught up in the storm. Carniverapture disappeared, disintegrated into a thousand tiny shards before fading back into the Bit, and the blade still spun in the air.
"Alright, Dragoon!" roared Tyson, clenching his fists, the scent of victory too good to miss, "Give her everything you've got!"
Dragoon lit and glowered, and then smashed forward into the powerless blue blade. It splintered and scattered all over the dish, and the match was over.
"And the winner of session three is Tyson! The Blade-Breakers take the Extreme tournament!"
Tyson caught his blade as it spun into his hand and jumped up into the air, pumping a victorious fist.
"Alright! Yeah!"
Max and the Chief jumped out of the stands and leaped onto Tyson, and the three rolled around in happiness on the floor. Max ruffled Tyson's hair after the Chief yanked off his cap.
"You're the man, Tyson! That was too cool!"
The spotlights fell onto the three rolling around on the floor, and Jazzman spoke out.
"Give it up for the Blade-Breakers!"
Tyson scrambled up off the floor and waved at the screaming crowd, exhilarated. His face flushed and he beamed with pride, and Max and the Chief did the same. Back in the stands, Rei looked at Kai.
"Well?"
Kai nodded. "You go out there. You battled too, you know. Leave me here."
Rei scoffed. "Oh, no, you're not getting out of it that easily . . ."
He moved forward without giving Kai chance to unhook his arm, and both of them appeared on the floor. Rei waved with his free arm, while Kai just looked down and tried not to flush. Rei laughed.
"Come on, Kai, you love it really!"
Kai smiled reluctantly. "No, I don't!"
"Well, you're part of this team, so come on!"
He walked further forward, careful to support Kai, and the two slowly entered the spotlight together.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the Blade-Breakers!!!"
The crowd stamped their feet in uproar, and Tyson laughed and kept on waving. He was ecstatic, and he loved every minute of it! He could hear Mr Dickinson and his grandfather chuckling in pride on the bench. With a beaming face, he looked around at his team.
"This is so cool!"
"That was an awesome match, Tyson!" congratulated Rei, "And I'm sorry I missed your match, Max. I had to go pick up Kai."
The Chief's face lit in comprehension. "Oh, so that's where you've been sneaking off to all this week!"
Kai nodded, "Yeah, Rei has been helping me practise."
Tyson stared, confused. "Practise?"
Rei rolled his eyes at Tyson's incompetence. "Walking? I've been helping him walk."
Max jumped up and down. "That is so cool! Welcome back, Kai!"
Kai smiled, for once not caring that they knew he was glad to be part of the team. "It's good to be back."
Another spotlight fell on the Comets, who were smiling and gracious in defeat. They waved and the crowd roared again. The three battles had been intense and the crowd had been on the edge of their seats. The Comets looked over to the Blade-Breakers.
"You sure showed us, boys!" called Tony, a smile on her face which was shining in the spotlight, "Congrats!"
Tyson called back: "You too! You nearly had us there!"
The crowd roared even more, wired by this display of sportsmanship, and Tyson laughed again. Max grabbed his hand and lifted it in the air, as they always did, and they cheered, elated by their victory. Laughing happily, Rei turned to Kai.
"You should sit down now, Kai. You know what the doctor said."
Kai glanced at him, and then looked past him to the opposite end of the floor. "Not yet."
Rei stared, puzzled, and then followed Kai's gaze. He saw the outline of Janine leap out of her seat and jump down to the floor, and she ran across happily to where they stood. She opened her arms and was about to embrace Kai when Rei slid in front of her, looking stern. She bumped into him and stopped, staring at his face in confusion.
"I don't think so. Remember, he's still got broken ribs, and I'm not having you hugging him and making it worse! I didn't spend all that time helping him walk for it to be ruined just 'cause you wanna hug him!"
Janine blinked, and then laughed, her face attractive in the warm glow of the overhead lights. Rei sounded like a schoolmaster and he stared at her.
"Ok, fair enough," she said, winking at Rei. She stepped around Rei and faced Kai, who looked down at her with a smile.
"Nice to see you again, Janine."
She laughed again. "I was wondering if you'd make it."
Suddenly, Tyson grabbed her by the waist from behind and swung her around in the air. She squealed.
"Oh yeah! We won!" he yelled from behind her. Janine giggled, her hair falling out of place, and struggled free of Tyson's grasp. "You were great, Tyson. All of you were!"
Max, who was getting more hyperactive by the seconds, grabbed Tyson again and they rolled over and over. Rei shook his head. "Weird."
The Chief laughed. "Well, we've just won the Extreme tournament. I think we can be pretty pleased with ourselves!"
And the Blade-Breakers turned their heads up to the cheering crowd, and smiled, proud, and were together once more. They had learned a lesson, an important lesson about strategy, friendship, and spirit, and were ready to face whatever the world threw at them next. They were, undeniably, the Blade-Breakers.
"Come on Max!"
Tyson, Kenny and Rei, wrapped in aqua blue duffel coats, peered over the edge of a white and yellow tape and shouted furiously, tiny white frost rings circling into the air before them. Behind them the Comets watched with interest. Leanne stood behind Rei, still attempting to cling to his arm once in a while but Rei shrugged her off successfully, the phone call with Mariah, although almost a week ago now, still rang in his mind.
The tournament had begun. The Blade-Breakers had stormed it, thrashing every opponent, round by round. Now it had come down to four teams - the Blade-Breakers, the Comets, "Aristotle's Authorities" and "the Rippers". They were all pretty good - in Tyson's opinion, and now, the four had to battle it out in a series of winter sport activities until only two teams remained. Right now, Max, who had almost full use of his arm by now, was tobogganing against a member of Aristotle's Authorities. They had completed almost the entire course and were approaching the final slope.
"You can do it, Max!" yelled Tyson, squinting in the cold sunlight and his grey blue eyes bolting. Rei clenched his fists.
"Don't let up!"
The slope led off to their right. It was steep and the last stretch consisted of a drastic thirty-meter slide of pure white snow that glistened merrily. The atmosphere in the air was one of great excitement and enthusiasm and all were enjoying the brisk morning. As Max and Theo, the competitor from Aristotle's Authorities, came hurtling into view from behind a sharp corner, the Chief began to jump up and down.
"Come on, Max! Go, go! You can do it!"
Max looked up, his face partially hidden by glinting goggles and his hair sticking down from where it was hidden by a bright green bobble hat, and grinned as he sleeked across the slope with ease and overtook Theo. Some snow splashed up into Theo's face as Max crossed the finish line first and he growled as his toboggan slowed and stopped. Max jumped off his in glee and ran over to his teammates, who yelled in victory. Tyson leapt over the cordon line and hugged him.
"Yeah! That's another one for the Blade-Breakers! We're in the finals!"
Max laughed. "Oh yeah, I am the man!"
"That was impressive for a one-armed effort," came the voice of Theo behind Max, who held out a gloved hand. Max grasped it and shook vigorously. "Thanks, man. You too!"
Rei and the Chief had not moved from behind the barrier.
"That sure was awesome," said Rei, smiling proudly as Max came over, his good arm linked in Tyson's. Max nodded, his cheeks red and rosy from the exercise and the thrill of exhilaration glittering in his eyes.
"We're in the finals. Now all we need is to know who we're up against."
Leanne spoke from behind Rei.
"Oh don't you worry. The Blade-Breakers are gonna face off against the Comets. And we'll thrash you. Make no mistake. We may be a player down, but so are you, and now we're free to squash you to the ground!"
Rei growled, hatred for this girl still apparent. He had no idea why he had fallen for her earlier.
"Yeah, right. Keep dreamin', Leanne, because the Blade-Breakers are on a winning streak."
Leanne looked past the bristling Blade-Breakers to the slope where Jenna skidded to an easy victory over the opposing member of The Rippers. She bounded over, the roar of the crowd in her ears.
"So, Blade-Breakers, till tomorrow?"
Tyson glared, and it was obvious that there was still bĂȘte-noir between these two teams. The fact that they had been on the same team as Rio led to suspicion on the Blade-Breaker's account. Tyson wrinkled his nose.
"Yeah. Tomorrow."
The Comets walked away, not bothering with a goodbye. Rei was glad to see Leanne go. He knew that she had done nothing to harm him purposefully; yet he knew he would never be able to look at her in the same way again. He would always see her as somebody who had tried to inject herself into his mind, and would therefore always be wary of her. He turned away and looked at the others.
"Well, guys, tomorrow is it!"
Tyson nodded, his cheeks a little rosy with the cold. "Yup, and I can't wait! Just to see the look on those girls' faces when we thrash 'em!"
Dizzi bleeped next to him.
"Now, now, Tyson. Let's not get too overconfident. Don't forget - they are very good competitors!"
"Yeah well," replied Tyson, flicking his nose, "We're better than them. And tomorrow we prove it."
"It's gonna be sweet!" cried Max, pumping his fist, "We're gonna take them down!"
Rei laughed at his teammate's enthusiasm, and then glanced at his watch.
"Oh my gosh! I'm late!"
He whisked around and began to run in the opposite direction. Tyson snuffled as Rei's incredibly long ponytail hit him in the face, caught it and yanked Rei back.
"What's the rush? You've been running off on your own a lot this week, Rei! Where are you going?"
Rei rubbed the back of his head sorely. "Um . . . I'll tell you later. But now I gotta go! Don't worry, I'll be back soon!"
He dived out of the way of Tyson and ran off again, waving as he ran. Tyson glanced at Max.
"What was all that about?"
Max shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe he's meeting a girl . . .!"
The Chief laughed. "Maybe, but we won't find out until later."
Tyson nodded his agreement. "Yeah, so why don't we . . . GET SOME PIZZA?"
Max and the Chief rolled their eyes, amused. They were always astounded by Tyson's seemingly never ending appetite and today was no exception. He had eaten three hotdogs during Max's race! It seemed that Tyson would . . . or could . . . never be full.
Max slung his arm around Tyson's shoulder. "Ok, buddy. Whatever you want. But we have to be done by seven. Because Mr Dickinson is flying out to meet us! He said he was too tied down in business work to see the rest of our matches, but he wouldn't miss the finals for the world!"
Tyson smiled. He knew that with Mr Dickinson would come his grandfather. Despite his frequent complaints about his grandfather's strange attitude, Tyson missed his grandfather. He longed to see him again, and tell him all of their news. The Blade-Breakers certainly had a lot to tell.
"Hey, Tyson!"
He realized that the others had wandered off, and he had been left staring at a mound of snow while he thought. He laughed self-consciously, and then bounded off after the others with a cry of:
"Don't forget me! I'm the reason we're going for food, after all!"
********
The next morning dawned clear and bright, but Kenny missed the dawn courtesy of his malfunctioning alarm clock. When Dizzi bleeped at nine- thirty, he gasped, fumbled his way out of the white bed covers, and scrambled toward the cabinet where he had last laid down his spectacles.
"Dizzi! What time is it?"
"Nine-thirty, Chief. You're late."
Kenny grabbed his glasses and shoved them on wonkily. "Nine-thirty? The finals start in half an hour! Guys! Guys! Get up!"
He spun around the room, partially looking for his trousers and partially looking for the other members of his team. Puzzled when he saw their empty beds, he turned to Dizzi.
"Where are the guys, Dizzi?"
Dizzi bleeped impatiently. "Chief, they got up hours ago! They're either out training or down at the stadium. Go find 'em!"
The Chief was indignant. "How come you didn't wake me?"
Another bleep. "I did! You said 'no, I'm fine right here' and then rolled over again! So I left you to it!"
Kenny ran his hands through his hair and yanked his tie around his neck.
"Ok, Dizzi, I'm ready . . . Oh, hold on!"
He ran into the bathroom and grabbed the toothpaste tube. He squeezed some into his mouth and rubbed it round his teeth with his tongue.
"Don't have time to do them properly!" he cried, cringing with the sharp, crisp taste of mint freezing the back of his teeth. Dizzi beeped.
"You say that every morning!"
With a sarcastic grin, the Chief grabbed Dizzi and strode out of the room, locking the door behind him. He raced down the stairs - nearly tripping over an untied shoelace - and hurtled past the reception desk. Janine looked up from where she was typing some notes onto a computer.
"Hey, Chief. What's your rush?"
Kenny skidded to a halt, gasping, and trotted over to the reception desk.
"Hi there, Janine. I'm late! The tournament final starts in . . ." he glanced at his watch, ". . . twenty-three minutes!"
Janine laughed. "Calm down, Chief. You know they're always late. Rei, Max and Tyson are out in the parking lot, training. I was watching them before, but, you know, duty calls!"
She nodded toward the computer, and Kenny giggled, before throwing her a hasty goodbye and dashing out into the cold parking lot. The air was nippy and clean and he shivered, asking himself why he didn't bring a jacket. He ran over to where the others were spinning their blades.
"Hey, Chief!" hailed Tyson as he ran over, "Sleep well?"
"Very funny, Tyson!" said the Chief, panting and opening up Dizzi, "Let's get down to business. I figure that Max should battle first, then Rei, then Tyson."
Max nodded. "Fine by me!"
But Rei stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Um . . . can't I go first, Chief?"
Kenny looked at him, surprised. "Rei?"
Rei rubbed the back of his head. "Mmm, well . . . I wanted to go first is all!"
Max shrugged. "It's fine by me, Rei! You show 'em!"
Rei rubbed his hands together. "This is gonna be so awesome! You guys just wait!"
Tyson laughed. "Well, the announcer is calling all of the teams in. I guess we'd better get on inside!"
The four placed their hands out and made a circle around them. They put their hands on each other, counted backwards from three and yelled "Blade-Breakers!", and then Tyson broke the circle and ran in, followed by the others.
********
The atmosphere in the Dome was fantastic. Everywhere he looked Max could see smiling, excited faces. The scent of popcorn was wild on the air and DJ Jazzman stood in the corner. Every seat was filled, and the Blade- Breakers were taken down to the bottom left hand corner where a bench was set out for them. They were now on the lowest level of the Dome; were on level with the Beydish.
"This is too cool!" grinned Tyson as he looked around, his spirit racing because of the wired crowd. He waved a little. A tap on the shoulder turned him around.
"Well, boys, you've certainly got a few tales to tell!"
Tyson jumped up. "Mr Dickinson! Woah, how totally groovy! I missed you last night - I was at the buffet table and-"
Mr Dickinson chuckled from beneath his bowler hat and tiny spectacles.
"It's good to see you too, Tyson! It doesn't surprise me that you were busy eating!"
Tyson laughed. "How great is this? We are gonna rip it up!"
Max poked his head out from behind Mr Dickinson. "Hey, look who else is here!"
Tyson peered around Mr Dickinson (which was no easy task, I can assure you) and his face lit up.
"Grandpa!"
The tall, flamboyant Mr Granger spun around from where he was talking to Rei.
"Hey, my man! How's the T-boy doin' these doggo's? You bin' slicin' up the gro-bro, yo?"
Tyson stared, bewildered, before leaping on top of his grandfather and hugging him around the waist.
"I don't understand a word you said," he said with a huge smile across his face, "but I sure did miss you, Grandpa!"
"Hey, watch the digs, hommie! It's jammin' to lay my peepers on you too!"
Rei chuckled. "This is so great!"
Suddenly the lights went off and the Dome was thrust into pitch- blackness. Tyson, with a strange sense of deja vu, tensed himself. Suddenly, everyone was suspicious; everyone was hostile. Relief overflowed through his veins when he heard the voice of DJ Jazzman booming from the speakers, and when the dome lit up in impressive spotlights he was even more calmed. He slid onto the dark blue bench and looked around. Opposite them at the other end of the Dome sat the Comets, staring straight at them. There was a place empty where Rio would have sat. The Beydish had not yet been revealed, and as Tyson watched, the first competitors were called to go and stand at the Beydish and await its unveiling.
Next to him, Rei got to his feet, holding a scintillating Driger. He turned to them, his face lit strangely by the overhead lights.
"Well, guys, wish me luck. This is for all the marbles!"
Tyson stuck his thumb in the air and winked. "You'll do just great, Rei. You show her who's boss!"
Rei nodded, and before he turned he glanced down at his watch. When he was done, he looked back at his teammates.
"Let's do this!"
He swung around, his eyes glinting with eager determination and a resolute smile on his face. He strode up to the floor where the Beydish would be revealed in mere seconds, and looked up at his opponent. He expected to see Tony, who was down for the first round. But instead he found he was staring straight at Leanne, who returned his glare and smiled tauntingly, wrapping a finger around a loose piece of russet hair.
Rei started and faltered. He had not expected this. But then passions beat inside him and his fortitude flared, and he felt the iridescent spirit of Driger growling inside his blade. Behind him, he heard the ardent cheers of his team rising above everything else, and even though none of them knew what he had been through, he felt they were with him. He clenched a staunch hand around his Beyblade and his amber eyes flashed with anticipation. Now, he knew, was the time.
For Mariah, he thought, his heart beating a little faster when he thought it. Then, when he looked back at Leanne, he was surprised to see her giggling. She glanced at him, and stopped, as if she were laughing at some secret he was not to know. Annoyed, Rei wrinkled his nose and narrowed his eyes as best he could.
"What's so funny?"
Leanne wiped an eye theatrically. "Oh, you look scared is all."
Rei almost laughed. "Yeah right. Let's do this."
Leanne shrugged as if Rei had sealed his own doom, and stepped forward. And before them, the Beydish arose. A blanket of white snow was unveiled before their eyes that gleamed like pearly teeth. In the center was a shimmering blue lake that was frosted over.
Rei was stunned. He had not expected this either, and could immediately see that the thick white sheet of snow would cause his Driger immense problems. He looked down at his blade, which continued to flash.
"Ok, bladers, get ready!" came the distant voice of DJ Jazzman. Rei lifted his shooter with determination. Leanne did the same, her orange launcher glittering and the blade below it just as impressive in deep red.
"Three! Two! One! LET IT RIP!!!"
All at once, Rei was on fire. He launched his Driger with the most impressive launch any of his teammates had seen him perform and then Driger was spinning in the thick snow. Opposite to him, Leanne had started with an equally impressive launch, and her blade threw up the snow beside it.
The snow was thick, and the blades were hindered greatly. Rei growled. His Driger could never execute an attack - not in that snow.
Never forget to check out the area you're Beyblading in.
Rei started, surprised, as a vivid memory flashed in his mind. He thought back to the battle between himself and Kai, and remembered acutely the words of his captain.
The dish always has hidden advantages.
Again, there it was, and Rei realised he was faced with the same situation. He smiled; realising that never in a million years would he have thought that same situation would come up again. Now he could almost smell the victory.
"Driger!" he yelled, clenching his fists and the fire burning brighter, "Tiger Claw . . . but downwards!"
Leanne, her blade, too, grounded by the bulky snow, looked on in some confusion as Driger emerged, glittering effervescent green and standing out against the brilliant backdrop of the snow. The tiger roared, bared its fangs and slashed downwards with angry, fierce strokes of its powerful claws. The snow began to thin out and part before the audience's eyes. And soon, Rei's blade spun on flat, rocky ground, and he clenched his fists.
"Come on, Driger, get your spin speed up!"
Leanne still watched on, perplexed. Tyson could have laughed out loud at her comical expression of mystification. But he was too involved with Rei's superb strategy. Driger was spinning at an incredible rate, and Tyson knew what was coming.
"You think you're so great, Leanne!" cried Rei, his eyes sparking dangerously, the power of the Driger intensifying his rage, "But all you do is talk! Well, talk your way out of this!"
Driger surged forward, spurred on by the wrath exploding from Rei, and with the high speeds it had reached it could easily slash through the snow. The white powder came up in shimmering showers as Driger ploughed its own path towards the stunned Pterodeor.
"No!" cried Leanne, sensing her defeat," Defend now!"
But it was too late. Rei grinned as his Driger slammed into the powerless Pterodeor and sent it flying out of the dish. It crash-landed at Leanne's feet and she stared at it, pale.
"And the winner of session one is Rei!"
Max and Tyson leapt up at the announcement from DJ Jazzman and ran out towards Rei - whom they promptly jumped on and flattened to the floor. Rei laughed.
"Ok, get off! You guys aren't the lightest of all people!"
Tyson and Max rolled off Rei, laughing in their excitement. "That was awesome!" "What a strategy!"
Rei smiled. "Kai taught me that one." His retribution had been swift and was now complete, and he no longer felt loathing towards Leanne, who had sat down on her bench and was engrossed in conversation with her fellow team members.
Tyson and Max sobered for a quick moment before giggling again.
"We're up by one!"
Rei grinned. "Yeah . . . but I've got something I need to sort out! Max, when's your match?"
Max looked blankly from Rei to Tyson and then back to Rei. He obviously didn't know.
"I don't think it starts till eleven."
Rei glanced at his watch again. "Good. I've got about an hour. See you then!"
He jumped to his feet and, with a wave at Mr Dickinson, was gone. Tyson and Max watched after him, puzzled.
"Where does he keep running off to?"
"I think he's met a girl."
"Maybe."
They looked at each other, before bursting into giggles again. "Girl or not, we're up by one!"
They jumped up to their feet and began to rile up the crowd by cheering and pumping their fists. Kenny joined them.
"Max, according to Dizzi, your match is in half an hour, at ten thirty."
Max turned to the Chief sharply. "What? Half an hour? But . . . Rei might not be back!"
Tyson waved a hand. "Don't worry, Maxy, he'll be back. And if not, well, you've still got us!"
Max smiled half-heartedly. "Yeah, but . . ."
Tyson slapped him on the back. "Come on, buddy, you've fought on your own before, right? And the Chief and I aren't goin' anywhere! Don't worry!"
His confidence returned, Max grinned. "All right. We're gonna do this!"
********
The match had been an incredible one. Tony's Brachiomontras had emerged and was facing off against the mighty Draciel, and the two growled at each other fiercely. The lilac glow of the Brachiomontras looked a little jaded when compared to the striking deep purple glow of Draciel, yet it paled not in power. The dish was now a maze of icicles, jagged and slicing white-blue, that pointed up towards the sky. They put a tight limit on manoeuvrability and Max was finding it increasingly difficult to get around. This battle had raged for ten minutes now, each Beyblade slamming into the other, attack after attack, yet it had reached stalemate. Neither could advance, and Max could feel his Draciel's power beginning to fade. His new and improved attack had worked but had not been enough to snuff out the relentless Brachiomontras, with its long, powerful neck and its beady eyes. Now, Max turned to his teammates - well, Tyson and the Chief. Rei had still not yet returned.
"Nice to know he thinks about his team so much," Max said to himself bitterly. Even though he knew that Tyson and the Chief were behind him, he didn't quite feel right without the whole team there to back him up. This brief lapse in concentration on Max's part was enough for Tony to take her opportunity, and her bright yellow blade slammed forwards, crunching against the defence ring of the green Draciel blade.
"Come on, Draciel!" cried Max with vigour, "Don't give up!"
Sparks flew from the clash of the two impressive blades, yet Tony's managed to get its tip under an edge of Max's defence ring. It was enough to give it some leverage and Max's Beyblade was flung into the air. It spun wildly, like a leaf in a November breeze, and then toppled to the floor where it lay still at Max's feet.
"Dra . . . Draciel."
Max bent to pick up his blade, his cheeks flushing hotly with suffusion. He clasped his blade tightly for a moment.
"It was a good match,"
He looked up, his vision partly marred by his blond hair hanging in his eyes. Tony held out a sporting hand.
"You did real good for a guy with one arm."
Max grinned, the blush fading and he laughed as Tony pulled him up. He was vaguely aware of DJ Jazzman commenting on good sportsmanship, and he waved to the crowd, who roared in pleasure. It had obviously been an impressive match. Then, he shook Tony's hand and turned and walked back to the bench, where Tyson and the Chief hailed him.
"That was an awesome battle, Max!"
"Draciel did you proud!"
Max smiled, feeling disappointment in loss but success because he knew he had tried his best. He sat down.
"Well, Tyson. Now it's all up to you. I didn't mean to mess things up."
Tyson scoffed. "Don't be dumb! You battled great. I'm more concerned about where Rei is."
"Good question!" agreed the Chief with a nod, "He should be here!"
Mr Dickinson smiled from the other end of the bench where he was sitting. "I'm sure Rei will be here soon, boys. Don't fret. We've still got half an hour before Tyson's match. Use your time wisely, now."
The boys took heed of Mr Dickinson's good advice, and spent the next half hour discussing battle tactics and what would be the best moves for Dragoon to use. They knew little about Jenna's blade - only that it was called Carniverapture and that it must be the most powerful if the girls had saved it for last. They decided it would be best to defend for a short while before launching a powerful, swift attack.
"I'm just glad it's not Apophis!" said Tyson, his eyes wide in relief as he leaned back against the wall behind the bench, "That thing was terrifying!"
The thirty minutes sped by like thirty seconds, and soon Tyson's name was called. His head brimming with new tactics and confidence, he stood. Yet Rei had still not returned, and he felt a kind of twist in his stomach. For a moment, he felt alone. Looking around, he caught sight of Max and the Chief, and his Grandfather and Mr Dickinson, and was reassured. His team was behind him - wherever they were. But suddenly he longed for the whole team - Max and the Chief and Rei and Kai. He missed them. He needed them behind them to do this. Without them there it felt like he was deserted, that no one cared. He took a deep breath, shaking these silly, foolish thoughts from his head, and stepped up to the dish.
It revealed itself as the regular dish. Plain, red-sloped walls with a smooth surface for little grip and practically no friction. No tricks, no place to hide. Just the dish.
Oddly enough, the plainness and simplicity of the regular dish troubled Tyson. It all seemed too easy; it all seemed too plain. He heard his teammates cheering in his ears and he was again comforted. But this didn't last long and his thoughts suddenly, and for no apparent reason, went out to Kai. He remembered the promise he'd made - he was going to win this, no matter what. His eyes flicked through the crowd and his gaze fell upon Janine, who was sitting near the front. She met his gaze and cheered for him loudly. Tyson smiled.
"Alright, then," he said, flicking his nose, "Come on!"
He lifted his launcher and attached his Dragoon. Facing him, Jenna hooked up her blue blade to her black launcher.
"This is it, Tyson!" she said with a friendly grin, "Good luck!"
"The same to you," said Tyson generously, "And may the best blader win!"
On DJ Jazzman's command, they launched. The two blades spun into the center and immediately collided with each other, sparks flying in every direction. Tyson growled in visible determination.
"Dizzi, give me some readings!" said the Chief as he furiously punched into the keys of his computer. Dizzi beeped and an image of the battle appeared on her screen.
"Jenna's tough. Her readings are pretty awesome, Chief. She and Dragoon are evenly matched. Tyson is gonna have to pull out something pretty special to flatten this gal!"
Kenny grit his teeth.
"Tyson, just keep up a good defence for now!" he cried quickly, "Wait until we've thought of an attack!"
Jenna smiled and placed a hand on her curvilinear hip.
"There's no chance of that, Tyson. I won't give you the time!"
Her deep blue blade swerved forwards and slammed head on into Tyson's and he gasped, not expecting such a crushing offence so quickly. It was as if it had come from nowhere.
"Hold your ground, Dragoon!" he yelled stoutly, turning to Kenny.
"Well, Chief? Any advice?"
Kenny buried his head in his laptop, scouring every file he could find for information.
"No! But the readings from her Bit-Beast are enormous! Avoid it! Keep defending!"
Tyson sighed, irritated. "I hate defence! But, ok."
His blade pressed firmly against the head of Carniverapture and held its ground. But Tyson knew this would not last long. His blade, his Dragoon, was not built for defence. He needed to attack and he needed to do it soon.
His patience broke. "Alright, Dragoon, come on out!"
"No, Tyson!" cried Max, but it was too late, for Dragoon emerged, illuminated in outstanding blue, and it wound its way up towards the firmament. It roared, an authorative, resounding echo, and Tyson grinned.
"Well, Jenna, say hello to my Dragoon!"
Jenna stared at the awesome Dragoon, her whole body lit up in the blue rays that spattered from its coils. She smiled in awe.
"That's so cool! I've never seen it up close before! But, Tyson," her smile disappeared and she suddenly looked menacing, "I'd like you to meet Carniverapture."
Tyson tensed, wary of this new power, and the center of Jenna's blade lit up in black. A massive light erupted from it and then a huge animal emerged, a dinosaur, all teeth and claws. When it had completely materialized Tyson saw it was a carnivore, similar to a Tyrannosaurus Rex.
"Say hello, Carniverapture!" smirked Jenna, obviously sensing that she now had the upper hand in this encounter. Tyson looked on in amazement. It was at least twice as big as Dragoon, and looked stronger. And there was that feeling again, that he was alone. He was battling alone, and he didn't think he could do it.
"How can I defeat that?" Tyson whispered, staring up at the huge, black thing that roared and whipped its tail in irritation. It snarled right back at him, and Dragoon seemed to diminish in comparison with the colossal creature. His teammates were shouting behind him, yells of support and encouragement, but Tyson could not hear them. All of a sudden, he was completely alone. His knees felt weak under the intense gaze of the potent Carniverapture, and he gave his Dragoon a despairing look.
"What can I do?"
Tyson was not a quitter - never had been - but now was a time when he seriously thought about throwing in the towel. If not, his Dragoon would be crushed, his team would be a failure, and he would be defeated. His spirit, usually so strong and unquenchable, faltered cruelly and all Tyson could see was the glinting, snarling mouth of the huge thing in the center of the Beydish. His confidence leaked away, deserted him, and he felt insecure, as though the world was against him. His team was far, far away, his friends didn't care, and his Dragoon was about to be smashed to a pulp . . .
"Tyson!"
Tyson blinked, was torn out of his deep chain of thought, and wrenched his eyes away from the hypnotic creature. He half turned to where the familiar voice came from, near the bench. He saw his team, Max, the Chief . . . and next to them stood Rei, his face flushed from the cold outside. He grinned at Tyson encouragingly. But most surprisingly, leaning on Rei's shoulder was . . .
"Kai?"
Tyson blinked again, as though to verify things. But his eyes told him the truth. There stood Kai, his face pale and his eyes flashing. He was walking - well, standing, one arm hooked around Rei's sturdy shoulder, the other still in a sling. He looked a little out of breath and had obviously found the journey a strain, but he still had the energy to speak loudly enough for Tyson to hear him.
"Snap out of it, Tyson! Concentrate!"
Tyson still stared, a mixture of feelings running through him. His eyes were lit at new levels; his confidence, having so easily escaped him, returned with a bang.
My team! They never left me! They're here - they always have been! I'm not alone!
With newfound determination, Tyson looked back up to Carniverapture. In his eyes it had already lost some of its lustre, some of its strange authority, and now, it seemed to shrink before the ever-reliable Dragoon.
"Sorry, Jenna, but I'm not about to give up so easily!" yelled Tyson, and Jenna's smirk quickly disappeared.
"What?"
"Tyson! I've got some readings on Carniverapture!" cried Kenny from the bench, "It's big and powerful, and fast too! But it can't see you when you're not moving! Do you get it? It has bad vision!"
Tyson glanced up at the tiny, beady eyes of the creature, and grinned.
"Like that T-Rex in that film about the dinosaurs . . . Jurassic what's-it. Ok, so I'll stay still, then!"
"Either that," said Rei, "Or you move so fast that it can't keep up!"
"And that gives you the opportunity to attack!" added Max. Tyson was surprised at how well the team worked when together. He turned back to the dish and gave the order, fire beginning to beat in his heart.
"Ok, Dragoon, begin your storm attack!"
Dragoon responded with a roar, and the blade spun, faster and faster around the plain, smooth surface of the dish. Carniverapture whirled round, attempting to knock it off balance with its tree-trunk like tail, but Dragoon was too quick, and burned with pale blue passion. It whizzed around and created a huge up draught of wind, which transformed into a mighty hurricane.
"Oh yeah!" cried Tyson, back on form and as incredible as ever, "Ok, Dragoon! Let's bring it home!"
"Not yet!" yelled Jenna, gritting her teeth, "Carniverapture, grab him!"
The dinosaur leapt forwards and lunged at Dragoon with its arms. Tyson panicked and couldn't see what to do. Behind Tyson, Kai laughed.
"No chance of that!" he said with a smile, "It's arms are too short, and Dragoon is too slim and wiry. Just look."
Tyson looked back, and saw that his Dragoon could slip out of the grasp of Carniverapture with ease and it sidled its way to the top of the wind. Jenna's blade was picked up in the force and began to hurtle around the dish, caught up in the storm. Carniverapture disappeared, disintegrated into a thousand tiny shards before fading back into the Bit, and the blade still spun in the air.
"Alright, Dragoon!" roared Tyson, clenching his fists, the scent of victory too good to miss, "Give her everything you've got!"
Dragoon lit and glowered, and then smashed forward into the powerless blue blade. It splintered and scattered all over the dish, and the match was over.
"And the winner of session three is Tyson! The Blade-Breakers take the Extreme tournament!"
Tyson caught his blade as it spun into his hand and jumped up into the air, pumping a victorious fist.
"Alright! Yeah!"
Max and the Chief jumped out of the stands and leaped onto Tyson, and the three rolled around in happiness on the floor. Max ruffled Tyson's hair after the Chief yanked off his cap.
"You're the man, Tyson! That was too cool!"
The spotlights fell onto the three rolling around on the floor, and Jazzman spoke out.
"Give it up for the Blade-Breakers!"
Tyson scrambled up off the floor and waved at the screaming crowd, exhilarated. His face flushed and he beamed with pride, and Max and the Chief did the same. Back in the stands, Rei looked at Kai.
"Well?"
Kai nodded. "You go out there. You battled too, you know. Leave me here."
Rei scoffed. "Oh, no, you're not getting out of it that easily . . ."
He moved forward without giving Kai chance to unhook his arm, and both of them appeared on the floor. Rei waved with his free arm, while Kai just looked down and tried not to flush. Rei laughed.
"Come on, Kai, you love it really!"
Kai smiled reluctantly. "No, I don't!"
"Well, you're part of this team, so come on!"
He walked further forward, careful to support Kai, and the two slowly entered the spotlight together.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the Blade-Breakers!!!"
The crowd stamped their feet in uproar, and Tyson laughed and kept on waving. He was ecstatic, and he loved every minute of it! He could hear Mr Dickinson and his grandfather chuckling in pride on the bench. With a beaming face, he looked around at his team.
"This is so cool!"
"That was an awesome match, Tyson!" congratulated Rei, "And I'm sorry I missed your match, Max. I had to go pick up Kai."
The Chief's face lit in comprehension. "Oh, so that's where you've been sneaking off to all this week!"
Kai nodded, "Yeah, Rei has been helping me practise."
Tyson stared, confused. "Practise?"
Rei rolled his eyes at Tyson's incompetence. "Walking? I've been helping him walk."
Max jumped up and down. "That is so cool! Welcome back, Kai!"
Kai smiled, for once not caring that they knew he was glad to be part of the team. "It's good to be back."
Another spotlight fell on the Comets, who were smiling and gracious in defeat. They waved and the crowd roared again. The three battles had been intense and the crowd had been on the edge of their seats. The Comets looked over to the Blade-Breakers.
"You sure showed us, boys!" called Tony, a smile on her face which was shining in the spotlight, "Congrats!"
Tyson called back: "You too! You nearly had us there!"
The crowd roared even more, wired by this display of sportsmanship, and Tyson laughed again. Max grabbed his hand and lifted it in the air, as they always did, and they cheered, elated by their victory. Laughing happily, Rei turned to Kai.
"You should sit down now, Kai. You know what the doctor said."
Kai glanced at him, and then looked past him to the opposite end of the floor. "Not yet."
Rei stared, puzzled, and then followed Kai's gaze. He saw the outline of Janine leap out of her seat and jump down to the floor, and she ran across happily to where they stood. She opened her arms and was about to embrace Kai when Rei slid in front of her, looking stern. She bumped into him and stopped, staring at his face in confusion.
"I don't think so. Remember, he's still got broken ribs, and I'm not having you hugging him and making it worse! I didn't spend all that time helping him walk for it to be ruined just 'cause you wanna hug him!"
Janine blinked, and then laughed, her face attractive in the warm glow of the overhead lights. Rei sounded like a schoolmaster and he stared at her.
"Ok, fair enough," she said, winking at Rei. She stepped around Rei and faced Kai, who looked down at her with a smile.
"Nice to see you again, Janine."
She laughed again. "I was wondering if you'd make it."
Suddenly, Tyson grabbed her by the waist from behind and swung her around in the air. She squealed.
"Oh yeah! We won!" he yelled from behind her. Janine giggled, her hair falling out of place, and struggled free of Tyson's grasp. "You were great, Tyson. All of you were!"
Max, who was getting more hyperactive by the seconds, grabbed Tyson again and they rolled over and over. Rei shook his head. "Weird."
The Chief laughed. "Well, we've just won the Extreme tournament. I think we can be pretty pleased with ourselves!"
And the Blade-Breakers turned their heads up to the cheering crowd, and smiled, proud, and were together once more. They had learned a lesson, an important lesson about strategy, friendship, and spirit, and were ready to face whatever the world threw at them next. They were, undeniably, the Blade-Breakers.
