Disclaimer: The Arcan Blades don't own Beyblade.

Patrick: I wonder what everyone will say when we get back…

Mike: What we should think about is how to deal with tomorrow… The Quarter Finals are about to go on.

Jade: But it looks like morale ain't too high…

Alexia: I don't blame them.

Mike: Let's go, then—and let's just do our best. Everyone reading, Read and Review!!

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The Dawn of the Quarter Finals

It was going past midnight. Lee paced around the front walk like a restless cat. They've sent the police away hours ago with their feigned 'overdoing of a beyblade match' to throw them off the scent of what happened. They were warned not to do it again, and the police left. So far there hasn't been any signs of those sent to rescue the girls.

After a moment, Kevin muttered, "Do you think…do you think they got caught too?"

"Shut up!" came the united chorus of everyone.

"Don't say things like that!" Emily exclaimed.

"But…Kevin does have a point…" said Eddy and everyone glared at him, but he continued. "Look, they're waltzing right into the Demolition Boys' territory. At BIOVOLT even! We'll have to consider that they might've been caught!"

"Well then what after that?" asked Mariah.

"For one thing, the Quarter Finals aren't going to go on as planned," said Enrique, and Robert snapped at him with such force, "It's not the time to joke about things like that!"

"I guess then it'll be up to us to stop the Demolition Boys," said Oliver. "But what I'm wondering is if we have enough power to do it. So far only the Bladebreakers and the Relic Bladers seem to have that kind of potential."

Robert then thundered, "What are you all doing—killing them off already?! Just wait for them to come back, will you?! It's like none of you believe in them! If you really think they have as much power as they do, then you'll all believe that they'll make it through that and come back!"

"He's right," said Michael. "Let's just wait a while longer."

There was silence that followed, and in a few moments, Lee stopped pacing and looked up. "They're coming."

"What?" they all asked. "I can't hear anything."

"Well I can," said Lee. "They're coming here right now."

Everyone leapt to their feet, and sure enough, at the road, the Bladebreakers' bus rode up and stopped. They waited anxiously, waiting for distinct figures to appear out of the mist. A few moments later, they all heard approaching footsteps, walking slowly.

And when the mists cleared, they saw them all approaching, all looking rather odd and darkened. Tyson and Max were limping, while Kai was holding up Alexia. Ray carried Jade, who still hadn't awakened.

The other beybladers hurried over to help them all out, all talking at the same time.

"You guys made it—it's unbelievable!" said Johnny.

"Yeah, what happened?" asked Emily.

Robert ran to Ray, and asked, "What happened to her, Ray?"

"It's all right," said Ray with a rather faint smile as he allowed Robert to carry Jade. "She just passed out in the fire, knocked up a bit…"

"Fire?" said Steve. "Is that where all those fire trucks that we saw awhile ago going?"

Tyson nodded dully. Mike and Patrick were unable to reply, but they saw that Mike's hand was bandaged, like something had cut right through it. It was his beyblade.

"Guys, what happened?" asked Lee.

There was a long pause, and Tyson, staring at his Dragoon, muttered, "It's…Tala."

"We couldn't save him…" said Max softly.

The beybladers all looked at each other. There was certainly nothing of what they expected.

There was a pretty long explanation that followed as everyone treated the injured in the All-Stars' hotel room—that place having the biggest area. It took some time—everyone, not counting Zeus and Kenny, were injured in the blaze that still continued to twinkle from a distance if you looked out of a window.

After the long explanation, no one wanted to say much. No one could say much. In fact, no one could say anything at all. It was simply too appalling, these odd twists of circumstance. Not a single one of the Relic Bladers had spoken through the entire explanation—Mike hadn't even blinked through it.

And then, Judy, who'd remained upstairs the entire time and was equally silent as the rest throughout the whole explanation, broke the ice. "So what do you all intend on doing about this now?"

Another long pause, and Mike murmured, with his eyes still shadowed, "The situation hasn't changed. We'll still have to defeat the Demolition Boys."

"Except now…Tala told us to," said Kai.

"That should be easy now, right?" said Mariah. "I mean, if Tala's on your side then he'll—"

Patrick flung his Armada and crashed right through a vase, shattering it to bits in his fury and he roared, "Don't you get it?! Tala can't help us!! He's still in BIOVOLT and now they'd do things to him worse than ever and he will—for a fact—not care a single thing about us!!"

"Don't yell at her!" Lee thundered in defense of a shocked Mariah, leaping to his feet.

"I'll yell if I want to!" Patrick shot back.

"SHUT UP!!"

They looked up and saw Kai, his eyes blazing. "Fighting won't do you any more good than walking up to BIOVOLT now and asking if they'll let Tala go willingly. Both of you shut up, simmer down, and get to thinking."

"About what?" asked Patrick, glaring.

"Just listen and sit down!" Mike snapped, and Patrick did as told.

Ray put a hand to his head and muttered to Robert, who was next to him, "We're going nowhere fast."

"Like we can go anywhere now," said Robert. He spoke up and said, "What Mike said is true. The situation hasn't changed. Tala is still on their side. We're still on this side. And we still have to defeat the Demolition Boys. Except now, it looks like the stakes are higher. On the line now are our bit beasts, as well as Tala's life—and that stake he might not even be aware about."

"The only thing we can do now then is to win," said Tyson, and they all looked at him. He blinked and said, "It's true, isn't it? The only way we can face the Demolition Boys is to win. The Quarter Finals are tomorrow. The Semi-Finals are the day after, and the Finals are two days from now."

Johnny snorted. "It's not like when we face off against each other, the other team would just move over."

"That's the point," said Zeus calmly. "If you want to win so badly, then no matter who you're up against, you fight them to your furthest extent of power. Otherwise…you know the consequences. The Dark Bladers already lost their bit beasts. And I think that all of you don't want to lose yours either."

"The only thing that matters now is that one of us will eventually go against the Demolition Boys," said Mike. "And whoever they are, they're going to have to fight like crazy to win. We'll have to beat them down before they go any further. If not you know what happens. Only one can be left standing—and it can't be them, that's for sure."

"Well it's going to be us," said Michael with the rest of the All-Stars behind him.

"Or us," said Lee, challenging him with the other White Tigers.

"Or us," said Robert and the Majestics all grinned.

"Or us," said Tyson with the Bladebreakers standing with him.

"And it might be us too," said Mike as he and the Relic Bladers rose. "But whatever happens, let's go out there and beat those guys."

From the doorway, Mr. Dickinson nodded and silently walked away. They're going on by themselves. And that's better than anything we can do for them… Good luck, all of you.

When dawn rose the next day, it seemed to be so bright and cheerful that it looked like it was covering up for what had happened that night. Or maybe it was merely inspired by the confidence and the determination of the teams who gave their pledges to their best last night.

Tyson stretched as he stood in front of the hotel with the rest of the Bladebreakers later on, as they were about to head for the Russian Tournament. "Looks like it's going to be a good day, guys."

"When have we ever been sure that it's going to be a good day?" laughed Max.

Ray looked at Kai and said, "Kai, are you still set on not participating today?"

And Kai gave him such a withering stare that Ray sighed. Obviously, the stinging of the past match still hadn't faded. Tyson resisted the urge to tease him about it—one of the few things that could make Kai cringe.

When they arrived at BIOVOLT stadium, for some reason, all the beybladers who'd previously lost were now watching them apprehensively.

"What's the matter with everybody?" asked Max. "Why are they staring at us?"

"Easy enough—one half is worried about who loses next—and loses their bit beast."

They looked up and turned, and saw Michael there with the other All-Stars. And Emily continued, saying, "And the other half is also the group counting on us—all of us, I expect—to bring back the bit beasts that they've already lost."

"Ah, more pressure," said Tyson sarcastically. "Just what I needed."

"You never quail under pressure," said Kenny.

"Yes I do! Sometimes."

"Now's not a good time, though," said Steve rather coolly. "I heard you're facing the Orient Pearls."

"So?" asked Tyson. "They're just a bunch of girls."

Emily puffed out. "Hey!"

"I mean really!" said Tyson, motioning to the Philippine team that stood not too far from them. "What harm could they do? I mean look at them!"

They looked. The Orient Pearls were all chatting to each other—one of them was braiding one of the others' long black hair with a white ribbon. And they were all giggling.

"What did I tell you," said Tyson. "They couldn't possibly be much."

Emily, turning purple, was about to open her mouth to speak but Michael cut in, saying, "I don't think you guys should underestimate them. They did make it this far."

"Who said we were?" said Ray. "Look at Mariah. And Jade and Alexia. And Emily! It's just Tyson who thinks so."

"Jade, Alexia and Mariah are exceptions," said Tyson. "And so are you, Emily. As for the rest…"

Emily whirled around and stomped off. She went straight for the Orient Pearls. "What is she doing?" asked Steve, flabbergasted.

"Oh, Tyson, you should've just left it alone," said Max.

"Right, fine…I won't underestimate them…while they go braid their hair and chat…"

"Uh oh," said Max.

They looked up, and saw that the Orient Pearls and Emily were staring at them with rather peeved looks. Emily called Mariah over, who, intrigued, approached and was talked to, and then the girls began talking excitedly.

"Aw, man, now look at what's happened," groaned Ray, slapping a hand to his forehead. "Now things are just going to go down and down…"

Tyson, scenting danger, was chanting, "Don't let the Relic Bladers come, don't let the Relic Bladers come…"

"Hey, you guys!"

Tyson's hopes were quenched as Mike's voice sounded from behind the group. They turned around and saw the Relic Bladers standing there. Jade's head was bandaged, and so were Alexia's arms, and Mike's hands. Patrick's bandages were unseen.

"Jade!" said Ray, smiling. "How are you feeling? I was worried when you didn't wake up last night."

"Miserable…but tolerable," replied Jade as she touched the bandage wound around her forehead. "But I'm fine, Ray—so don't worry about it."

Kai looked at Alexia and opened his mouth to speak, but he shut it and turned away. Alexia smiled and said, "I felt better after last night."

"Hear that?" Max nudged Kai, who batted his elbow away and his face scarlet.

Mike asked, "So what's grouping up here for?" He looked at the All-Stars, who said, "Well…"

"Ahem."

Emily was behind Tyson and she pushed rather roughly past him and strode over to the two Relic Blader girls. "Girls," she said, emphasizing the word, "We have to talk."

And she grabbed their elbows and pulled them a little way off before they could say anything. Ray muttered to Tyson, "You do know that this is your fault, don't you?"

Tyson got a sweatflood.

Emily whispered to the two for a few moments, and then the two looked shocked. "What?"

Emily nodded. "No way!" said Jade, her eyes wide.

"Yes," nodded Emily again, smirking at the boys. She whispered to them again and pointed to the Orient Pearls and Mariah, who nodded to them.

The two Relic Blader girls looked at the boys, frowning. "Wh-what?" asked Kenny.

The girls all looked at each other, and then they all strode to the Orient Pearls at the same time. As they fled, Mike was sincerely puzzled. "What went on there?!"

The Majestics arrived into the scene, and Oliver, seeing the girls all talking, asked, "What's going on? A sorority?"

"Tyson will explain," Kai said, pushing him forward.

And he did. As the girls continued to talk, Robert shook his head and said, "I would have to honestly say, Tyson, that was rather ungentlemanly of you."

"I know, I know…and I shouldn't have done it," said Tyson. "So should I go apologize?"

"Eh…now? Not a good idea," said Max. "Lookie yonder."

The boys all looked, and they saw that Estella of the Conquistadors and Tammy of the Afterburners hanging over the railing of the bleachers to talk with the group of girls. And they all looked up at the gang of boys with highly incensed looks on their faces. The boys all went, "Whoa…" and took a step back.

"You know I never noticed how scary girls could look like that," said Patrick.

Kai snorted. "I'll have nothing to do with this—because I, for one, know exactly how good a girl can be."

"Because Estella there managed to somehow overpower you and made you dance when no one else can?" grinned Max. "And in the middle of a tournament, to be precise."

"Shut up!"

Robert rolled his eyes. "This is a right mess for you to be in."

"Us?" Ray looked at him. "Looks like you Majestics are in this too."

"Unlike the rest of you, we know how to treat ladies properly," said Enrique, bowing like a courtier.

"What was that?!" said Lee, walking over. "The rest of us know how to do that too. Why, what's with the girl talk over there? Is it a revolt or something?"

"Tyson here openly underestimated the Orient Pearls—because they were girls," said Michael. "And Emily got pretty peeved. Now all the girls over there are pretty much in a movement. Exactly what, we don't know."

"Surely just because Mariah's there doesn't mean that us White Tigers'll be in this too…right?" said Lee rather doubtfully.

"Well…I don't know, Lee," Ray sighed.

The tournament soon commenced. It was going to be held in only in this one center arena. It was the Demolition Boys VS the Olympian Blades, the Majestics VS the White Tigers, the Relic Bladers VS the All-Stars, and the Bladebreakers VS the Orient Pearls.

And as usual—the Demolition Boys went first.

"Oh—I can't look anymore," said Alexia, turning away at the second battle, which was lost once again by the Olympian Blades.

No one said anything—none of the Arcans could look either. It was just too painful as Ian took the spoils of his victory—stealing the defeated Greecian's bit beast.

"Is it over?" asked Patrick, wincing. "Gods, let it be."

"Just about," said Mike. "I can't stand it."

Jade said nothing, but was not facing the arena. How could they be so wicked? she thought.

Alexia said, after Ian had successfully stolen the bit beast, "This is too much…" she looked at the Demolition Boys and said, "You guys…Tala isn't here."

"I've noticed," murmured Mike. "I wonder what they've—no. Let's not think about that. Let's just focus on this. The sooner we get through this, the sooner we save him."

He looked at his team and said, "Let's just take it easy, okay? The next battle is the Majestics versus the White Tigers." He did a double take at Jade. "Jade, are you all right? Your bandage—"

Zeus looked at her and stood up. "You're bleeding again—what happened?"

"I…don't know," Jade muttered, trying to touch the bandage. "My head just hurts…I guess that's it."

"Okay, don't touch it," said Zeus. "We have to change that bandage."

"We don't have any spares here," said Patrick.

Zeus got up and hurried to the nearest team—the Bladebreakers. "You guys," he said. "Do you have any bandages with you?"

"What for?" asked Max.

Zeus motioned to Jade, who was surrounded by her teammates. "She's bleeding again. She may have strained herself."

Ray instantly stood up. "We have some—in the locker room. Let's bring her there."

"Oh, anxious to help, are you, Ray?" said Tyson, smirking. "Mariah sure will be jealous…"

Ray was just about to open his mouth to speak but was interrupted. "Not by the way she's hanging out with Lee, she won't," Max said with a sick sweet smile on his face.

They looked, and saw that Mariah was talking to Lee rather animatedly, and this went vice versa as the two of them seemed…well…remarkably close.

"Well…good for them," said Ray. "I always knew Lee liked her… anyway…" He looked at Zeus, who nodded. "Come on, then."

Patrick said, "This is not good. I'll have to take her spot in the match. She can't exert herself more."

Ray came hurtling to them. "What happened?"

"Oh, I should've known it'd be you," said Mike, grinning, and Ray turned as scarlet as Mike's cap. "No worries—I'm not intending on teasing you."

"We have bandages in our locker room—we'll just take her there to bandage her and let her rest," said Ray. "Is that okay?"

"Right…" said Jade, sounding rather dizzy. "Just…bring me back by the time of the match?"

"Not happening," Patrick snorted. "We can't let you play like that."

"But—"

"No buts," said Mike. "Go on, Ray, Zeus. Just rest awhile, okay, Jade? Or Robert will have our heads on silver platters."

Ray helped Jade to her feet, and they slowly made their way across to the hall doors. Ray saw blood dripping down the side of Jade's face and he quickly took out a kerchief and put it on her wound to stop the flow. As they went on, Robert came charging to the Bladebreakers and the Relic Bladers.

"What happened?" he asked, looking at his cousin.

"Don't worry—her wound just opened a bit," said Alexia.

"Yeah, Ray's all over it," said Tyson, smirking and jerking his thumb to their direction.

Robert raised an eyebrow and looked again to see that Ray was talking to Jade while putting a kerchief to her temple. He slowly allowed a small smile on his face. So Ray's not too bad after all…

"All right, then," said Robert looking rather satisfied. "I'll leave it to him—I have a match to tend to with Lee."

He walked off, looking somewhat happier, and Max blinked. "What was that about?"

Kai, who was watching the Demolition Boys, muttered, "Look at them. They look distracted and aren't paying attention. Twice, Ian lapsed in his fight."

"I've noticed too," said Kenny. "What could be bothering them?"

"Whatever it is…it should be pretty terrible…by the way it distracts them briefly," said Mike.

A scream of pain resounded throughout the room. A pale and quite beaten body fell to the floor on his stomach and did not move except for the rise and fall of his back due to labored breathing.

Two men roughly grabbed his arms and held him up again. Boris approached, looking particularly vindictive. "Now, Tala…you know that you should accept punishment…"

Tala said nothing. Boris watched him. This is incredible… I've expected him to have been broken back to being a Demolition Boy by dawn. But he's still resolute.

"Tell us now, Tala—what is the composition of the Arcans' beyblades?" he thundered.

There was no reply. Tala was wincing, struggling violently within himself. Part of him was forcing him to speak while the other, once dormant and now awakened, cried out for him to keep silent. So it had ended up in a stalemate.

There was a deft movement of Boris' hand. The two men allowed an electric shock to pass through Tala's body yet again. Tala let out yet another scream. Boris waved his hand and the current stopped, and Tala fell again.

"Tell us now and we'll cease this torture."

The Demolition Boy in Tala was starting to win. His eyes were changing. But Tala was still struggling. He choked out in a hoarse voice as he panted, "I won't—I won't tell you!! Even if I did—even if I did, it won't matter!!"

"Oh?" Boris raised an eyebrow, pleased that Tala was finally breaking down and had at least started to speak. "And why…pray tell…is that?"

Tala coughed out and his saliva was mixed with blood. "Because—because that element can only be found in Arcanis—and nowhere else!" He forced a smirk through his agony as he tried to push himself up. "Now don't you wish you took the time to extract information from me before you brainwashed me?"

"Insolence…it won't be tolerated," Boris fumed. "Again!"

And once again, another violent shock, and there was another scream. Tala fell a final time, and did not move. Boris looked to the men who had held the boy up, and one said, "He's unconscious, sir."

"Take him to the tank," said Boris impatiently. "Make sure that every sympathy and concern for his homeland is wiped out. Every last one! Turn Tala into the soldier that he is!"

"Yes, sir."

They took Tala's lifeless body and brought him out of the room. Boris was still fuming. Insolent boy… he knows that he's won a small victory. He won't be able to remember the makeup of the beyblades when we're done with him, and so that's why he never told what it was. But then again…if the element can only be found in Arcanis…then there is no way…

Boris brushed himself off and said to himself, No matter. We can certainly find something to counter that unique strength. He hurled himself to the computers nearby and thundered, "Did you boys hear all that? You know what awaits you if you fail the next time, or if any treachery is done. This will learn you that I'm not afraid to torture any of you to death—especially since you are subordinates of your broken captain."

Ian put a hand to his sweating temple and leaned back in his seat. "It's…over."

"At last," said Spencer.

Bryan was silent. Ian glanced at him and said, "I forgot. You like the torture of others."

"Others…lesser weaklings…" Bryan muttered. "It should've amused me, what torture that Boris made us listen to all night and all this morning… But it did not…not as much as I expected."

"I suppose it's because it depends on who gets tortured…" said Spencer.

"This was different," Bryan nodded slowly. "It was Tala… Someone who I never expected to be tortured so… Our captain. I expected him to do the torturing…"

"It only means that Boris really will have us dead if he wanted…" Ian murmured. "If he did it to Tala…the most prized member of us Demolition Boys…"

"I kind of wish that he didn't make us listen to it," said Spencer. "It was terribly distracting…and more than it should've…"

Ian shook his head and took out his earpiece, resolute. "Now we really have to win. You heard what Boris said. Failure equals that."

Bryan nodded. After a moment, he said, "I never expected Tala to go that long without breaking down."

"I think it's because he has something we don't," said Ian.

"What's that?" asked Spencer.

Ian said, after a long moment, and he looked out to the Relic Bladers from where they stood next to the Bladebreakers. "People who really came after him."

Spencer and Bryan, though they said nothing, understood what Ian meant.

Alexia: (clenches her fist) I can't take this anymore…

Mike: (furious) I'm restraining myself from yelling out blasphemy for this fic's rating…

Patrick: (jaw dropped) They're going to far with him…

Mike: We're going to have to win… in spite of the female movement building up.

Alexia: Hey!

Mike: What? (to the readers) Review, everybody!!