Disclaimer: We do not own Beyblade. It belongs to Nelvana and the company that created it in Japan. I do own Alex Cross, Ryujin, Daniel Von Brown, Loborg, Megumi and Isis. This story takes place during the final episodes of the first season of Beyblade. If you have any questions please contact us at ericpaladin@hotmail.com or nekowingzero@yahoo.com.

The Lost Bladers
By: David Knight and Wingzero

Part 3
Justice

Daniel Von Brown was waiting for the Bladebreakers to arrive. Mr. Voltare had given him very specific instructions and he would follow them to the letter. _Ambush the little worms as they entire the stadium. That way their bodies are hurt and then we can hurt their blades. It will all look like some freak accident without tying anything to Voltaire. Nothing is going to stop our plans of world domination. Nothing._

"If you think you're going to ambush the Bladebreakers Daniel, then you've become even stupider than I've learned."

The traitorous ex-Blade Knight turned around to face the absolute last person he expected to see. Dressed in a blue jacket with a white t-shirt under it, along with a pair of blue jeans and white sneakers. His blonde hair in a ponytail... but it was the eyes that worried him the most now. Those two blue orbs had always been soft. Not once did they ever look like they were a pair of gun barrels aimed at someone. "... Alex?"

"Back from the dead, so to speak." Alex said flatly, "No thanks to your betrayal."

"It would seem so," Daniel said, his cold mask returning to him after the initial shock. "I didn't think you had enough brains to figure it out and it only took you five years. You must be losing your touch or I'm really good."

"I want to know," Alex growled, "Was it just for the three million Boris paid you to sell us all out or did you have another reason for doing it?"

"I thought you would have figured it out by now, but I guess I was wrong," Daniel sneered. "Let me enlighten you. Ever since we won the World Championships, you have always been in the spotlight. Your fans always say how great a blader you are or how talented you are, but not once did I receive any recognition. I worked as hard as you did; yet, I always seemed to be in the background. So I was fed up with it and decided to do something about it."

Alex just clenched his fists in anger, "I don't believe this. You switched sides, put Megumi and Isis in the hospital and ruined my life... all because you thought you weren't getting any attention! That's the reason?!"

"Oh contraire," Daniel said calmly as if he were talking to another person on any given day. "Boris promised me fame and power. He promised he would help me become stronger than you'll ever be. The money was the bonus. Typical of you, you didn't figure it out before it was too late so it's your fault for not doing anything about it."

"The only thing you've become Daniel is a shell of human being," Alex said in disgust, "We're going to settle this once and for all. Beyblade style."

"Oh really," Daniel laughed maniacally, before staring at Alex with a cold glare. "How do you expect to defeat me when you haven't bladed in five years and without a Bit Beast?" 'This will be like taking candy from a baby. It's too easy.'

Alex just smirked as he held up his blade, with Ryujin in it, "Remember the explosions in the Abbey's west wing two nights ago. Take a wild guess as to who was responsible for setting free all those Bit Beasts?"

Daniel took a step back in surprise and growled. "So you're the one who trespassed on Biovolt property. I'll clean up their mess. Even with your Bit Beast, you still lack the training, which I have been doing for the past years. Besides, I don't think your Bit Beast has enough strength after what the scientists put him through. Be prepared to lose him again when I defeat you." His hand pulled out his own Beyblade, but there was something different about his Bit Beast.

"Not here," Alex said. He pointed to the stairs that led upwards. "We blade on the roof. No interference."

"That's fine with me," Daniel conceded. "Lead the way."

* * *

Win or lose, Alex knew that he had guaranteed that the Bladebreakers would have a fair match against the Demolition Boys. But Alex didn't plan on losing at all.

It took them a couple of minutes, long enough to know that both teams had already entered the building and the World Championships were about to begin. But now a different type of battle was about to begin.

Two young men, once friends now enemies who were looking to settle it all of their affairs once and for all. Alex stood on the left side while Daniel was on the opposite side.

"Ready when you are," Alex said and Daniel just nodded as they both held out their launchers. "3...2...1... Let it rip!" Both of them launched their blades at the other, both colliding and sparking before breaking away from each other. Alex saw that Daniel's blading had gotten much better over the years. If it wasn't for how he acquired them, he would have been impressed.

"Not bad," Daniel said as if he was judging Alex's Bit Beast. "Let's see if you can handle this. Loborg, Full Moon!" Daniel's blade glowed and a mutated gray wolf appeared at his master's command. He let loose a sonic sound, which was supposed to cause the other Bit Beast to lose focus.

Alex was shock when he saw the Bit Beast, "Lobo... Daniel what did you do to him?!"

"He has been upgraded," Daniel flaunted. "He's much more powerful than the last time you saw him."

"Upgraded... can't you even see what you've done to him!" Alex snapped, "How could you have made him suffer like this! Put him through all of that pain! He was your friend Daniel!"

"I have no friends," Daniel snorted. "They'll only betray you as you have learned the hard way. As for my Bit Beast, he should be grateful for the improvement. With his increased speed, strength, and power, he can take your pathetic dragon out easily."

Alex closed his eyes, "...You truly are lost Daniel... this fight ends now... Ryujin!"

The Bit Beast appeared, to Daniel's own surprise looking much more massive and powerful than he remembered.

'Hello Traitor. It has been such a long time since I last saw you.' the Dragon Bit Beast said menacingly to him.

Daniel took a step back in surprise and disbelief. The Bit Beast in front of him couldn't be Ryujin. The dragon wasn't this powerful when Alex had been the team captain of the Blade Knights. To top it all off, it spoke to him. His Bit Beast never spoke to him in his entire life, not even before he joined Biovolt. "Well, you managed to procure a Bit Beast, but I highly doubt that it's yours."

"He is Ryujin," Alex returned, "He's more powerful because we're working as one again. All the pain you inflicted upon him, all of the suffering. It took everything Ryujin had to resist it and not be altered or changed by Biovolt at all. You may not have known it, but it made him stronger and spending an entire day healing to work through that pain just made him even stronger."

'And now Daniel, I intend to make you feel my pain a hundred fold. Do you know what its like to be separated from your partner for so many years. Agony beyond belief.' Ryujin hissed, 'You have a debt to me boy and I am here to collect it!'

"Ha, I don't owe you anything," Daniel growled at the Dragon Bit Beast. "If I owed anyone, it is to Boris. He gave me a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I grabbed it by the horns. Do you think that I was going to be some weak, pathetic blader my entire life? No. With the help of Boris and Biovolt, I've become a much more powerful blader. He taught me more about blading and life than you could have ever. To tell you the truth, he would have been a better team captain than you. Even with your newfound strength, you're still no match for my new and improved Loborg. So let's see what you got."

"This is what we've got... Ryujin! Final Attack!"

_Crimson Inferno huh? So predictable Alex,_ Daniel smirked, _Especially since Loborg can counter that move._

"Megiddo Rush!"

_What the?!_ Was the thought that popped into Daniel's head as he saw Alex's Bit Beast perform an attack he had never seen before. The Bit Beast merged with the blade to become a large, make that very large fiery comet came barreling straight towards its opponent, which happened to be Daniel's Beyblade. "Loborg, Lunar Defense!" However, his Bit Beast didn't obey his master's commands. It was if Loborg was accepting his fate of defeat. "Loborg, I order to you to use Lunar Defense!!!" Daniel became even more frustrated when his Bit Beast refused to obey him. Instead of following orders, Loborg went back into his Beyblade and never came out. When Ryujin's attack hit, the entire Beyblade, save the bit chip, was completely demolished.

The attack didn't stop there. Once the blade had destroyed the other Beyblade, its new target was Daniel, for causing all the pain and suffering he had been in the hands of Biovolt scientists. Needless to say, the attack scorched and burned him enough for Daniel to feel the pain without killing him on the spot. No, death was an easy escape.

The Beyblade jumped upward and Alex caught it in his right hand. "It's over."

"How... when did you find the time to make up that move?" Daniel rasped.

"I had it made five years ago. I was going to use for the first time in actual combat during the World Championship Finals. I never did because well you swapped Ryujin for a phony bit chip," Alex told him as he walked toward Daniel, looking down upon him the entire time, "All that training, selling us out to think you could be come so much better... and now look at yourself. Was it really worth it?"

"Yeah," Daniel spat as he glared up at Alex. "If I could do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing. You caught me by surprise; that's all. Loborg can defeat you without breaking a sweat if he only obeyed orders. Boris will not be happy about his performance and I think he's going to be punished for his disobedience."

"Wrong Daniel," Alex said as he held up Loborg's bit chip in his left hand, put his right hand into one of his jacket pockets... and pulled out a dagger, "There won't be a next time."

"What do you think you are doing?" Daniel said with a hint of panic in his voice. He noticed how sharp the dagger was and his Bit Beast was in Alex's other hand. _Is he really going to kill Loborg? Does he have the guts to pull it off?_

Alex held the bit chip out steadily and looked Daniel dead in the eyes, "Setting Lobo free." and without any hesitation, he slammed the dagger right through the bit chip.

A sudden burst of light came from the bit chip along with a surge of power. A wolf appeared over it in his normal form, before Biovolt began upgrading him in their twisted experiments. Golden eyes looked over to where Alex held the dagger. His eyes met Alex's ice blue ones.

'Thank you for setting me free from this misery of an existence. I don't know how I will ever repay you, but I want you to know I am extremely grateful. I will always remember your kind and noble action. Until we meet again, I bid you fare well.'

Turning his attention to his former master, his eyes became cold and dark. His voice was much harsher and deeper. 'As for you, you don't know what kind of pain and suffering you put me through at Biovolt's hands. Since you have been so generous to me, I thought I should repay the favor. Here's my final gift for you. I hope you like it.' The wolf then sent his former master the memories of his torture as the scientists were experimenting on him. Now, Daniel felt the pain and suffering his former Bit Beast had gone through.

"NO!!! STOP! PLEASE!!!" Daniel screamed as he clutched his head, screaming out in pain and agony. He couldn't take it. It wasn't his fault. It wasn't his fault the world was like this. Why his Bit Beast was weak? Why did he have to be punished? Why? "AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" he collapsed to the ground once more, not even moving.

The wolf looked at Alex for one more time but Alex let his blade drop to the ground and Ryujin came out, looking at his old friend.

'Lobo.'

'You did the right thing Ryujin. I am free. One day, we will meet again. For now, just live and promise that this will never happen to another one of us.'

'It won't. I swear it.' The Dragon said with conviction.

"We both do." Alex added.

The wolf nodded and started to disappear, 'Farewell my friends.' And with that Lobo was gone.

"Please! I'll be good. Please don't hurt me."

Alex turned down to look at Daniel, shivering and shaking like a scared child, trapped within a nightmare of his own creation with no way to escape it.

"No please. I'll be good. Just don't hurt me. Please. Please don't hurt me," Daniel cried out, holding himself tightly.

Alex shook his head, _You have no one to blame but yourself for this Daniel. Power is not the answer. It will corrupt you and leave as an empty shell, just like you are now. And no one will care for you or remember you._ Recalling Ryujin, he decided he had had enough. He turned away and walked back down stairs.

Never once turning back to see the broken young man that clawed at ghosts and demons that were not really there.

* * *

Half an hour later...

"Oh man! After all of this, we still don't have a winner!" Brad Best gasped.

"Correction! We do have a winner! The new world Beyblading Champion is... Tyson!" AJ Topper declared.

Alex smiled as he heard the crowd roar like none other. He had seen from his place in the crowd the final match of the World Championship. It was Tyson versus Tala. The match was as intense as anything, even more than the World Championship where he fought against the Demolition Boys. He had never been incased in a block of solid ice.

Even still though, Tyson found the strength and heart to overcome Tala and win the tournament. _Now there's a real World Champion,_ Alex smiled. However it wasn't over yet as Tyson held his hand out to Tala to congratulate him on the fine battle they had.

To Alex's surprise, Tala actually accepted the offered hand, shook it, and his face had a small smile on it.

_Maybe there's hope for one of the Demolition Boys after all,_ Alex mused as he looked down and saw the Bladebreakers now celebrating. He cast a look towards Kai, knowing that he still had a debt to pay Kai for, one he was not really sure he ever really could. He had given him so much. His life, Ryujin, the chance to put things right again.

_Kai, thank you for everything._ Alex smiled, _But right now this is your time. Not mine. I'll see ya around._ He turned around, exited from his corner and made his way down the hallway intent on making an exit from the arena.

He didn't expect to hear him coming down the hallway.

"Damn it all! I can't believe my plans were ruined by that impudent child!"

_Voltaire?_ Alex blinked as he clung the wall and waited for Kai's grandfather and his two guards behind him to pass by without seeing Alex. _What's he still doing free instead of being arrested?_ He decided to follow them discreetly and listen into what Volitare was saying.

Voltaire stormed out of the arena. He couldn't believe what happened in front of his own eyes. His plan for world domination failed. "This is not over by a long shot. I will have my revenge. You can bet on it, Dickenson. The security guards aren't going to stop me unless they don't want their paychecks for their pathetic families. After all I own this stadium. As for the tournament, I'll have to find a blader more worthy of becoming my prize student. Tala was a waste of time. I knew that kid didn't have it in him, when he dared question me and those emotions of his. Emotions are worthless and only hinder our mission. After all I did for him, he allows a lousy rookie to defeat him. Using his cybernetic implants, he, a state of the art cyborg, should have been able to easily crush that loser. Then again, if I can't find another one worthy, I'll have to recycle the project."

As Voltaire reached the gates he realized something, "Shouldn't Daniel be here already? And what ever did happen to him. He should have been able to ambush the other team. Contact him at once." Suddenly he heard the sound of bodies falling to the ground. Turning around, he saw his two men laying face first on the ground and a young man that he didn't recognize with a look of absolute disgust on his face. His ice blue eyes boring right into him.

"You animal!" Alex roared, his anger and disgust at Voltaire clearly showing in his voice, "How could you? How could you do something so inhuman to a child?!"

"What I do is none of your business," Voltaire said as he held his head up high. "Move along, I have no time to spend with you inferior beings."  He turned to head towards his waiting limo.

Alex didn't speak. He simply grabbed Voltaire by his right arm and threw him over his shoulders into the wall.

_I don't believe it! How dare this pathetic nobody dare to even touch me!_ Voltaire thought to himself as he started to get up off the ground, his body aching from how hard he had been thrown into the wall. "Listen you impudent child," he growled, straightening himself. "I don't have time for you childish pranks as I have a business to run." He reached into his pocket to retrieve his cell phone. This child was able to take out his two guards so he needed backup.

Alex grabbed the cell phone before Voltaire could even dial and crushed it under his foot, "The only place you are going Voltaire is to jail. For a long, long time."

_Now I am becoming very annoyed._ "Listen and listen well boy," Voltaire growled even more. His patience was wearing very thin. "I don't want to resort to this, but it doesn't seem you leave me with an option." He pulled out a 9-millimeter hand held gun.

Alex just had a smile on his face, "And what makes you think you could pull the trigger before Ryujin turns you into ash?"

Voltaire frowned as he heard the name. He recognized it from somewhere, but he couldn't remember it clearly. A growling sound came from behind him and he spun around to face a large pissed off dragon. Paling several shades, he turned his attention to him.

Suddenly, it hit him like a ton of bricks. The young man standing right in front of him was none other than Alex Cross, the former World Champion and team captain of the Blade Knights. He couldn't believe that Alex was standing right before his very eyes, "It is not possible..." He muttered in disbelief, "You disappeared five years ago."

"I was as good as dead thanks to what you did," Alex admitted, the smile never leaving his face, "But thanks to your grandson I am very much alive once again."

"My grandson!!!" Voltaire growled out loud, forgetting that the dragon was there momentarily. "I will see to it that he receives what he deserves." _And that is harsher training._

"No you won't," Alex said, the smile dropping as his face showed nothing but coldness, "Because now you are going to pay for your sins Voltaire. The only question is, do I have Ryujin turn you to ash... or prolong your torment."

'And believe me human, I am hoping that Alexander chooses the second option.' Ryujin spoke, his voice dripping with malevolence.

Voltaire nearly jumped when he heard the Bit Beast speaking. Never in his life had he heard them talk, but that wasn't bothering him at the minute. It was what Alex had just told him. He wasn't going to stay around here when the only choices were an instant death or suffering before death. Gathering his wits together, he did he only thing he could think of.

He ran.

The only problem with that was that Alex grabbed him and delivered a punch to his stomach, "That's for you did to Kai!" a punch to his face came next, "That's for putting Megumi and Isis in the hospital five years ago!" another punch to his face, "That's for turning Daniel against us!" a third punch to his face, this one breaking Voltaire's nose, "That's for all the people that you've harmed in your insane ambitions!" He stared at Voltaire, his face now showing bruises and bleeding. He gave a final look of disgust before giving up an uppercut to the jaw that sent him flying backwards before falling to the ground unconscious, "And that... that was for me!"

'That looked like it was therapeutic.' Ryujin commented. If he could have smiled, he would have when he saw his master attack Voltaire.

Alex just smirked, "Very therapeutic." He lifted his right hand up and Ryujin went back into his blade, which went into Alex's right hand. He looked down at the deposed leader of Biovolt and had a smile on his face. "Think its time to give a little gift to an old friend of mine."

* * *

Three grown men were watching from the audience. Each of them held large smiles. Their team had won the World Championship for the first time, defeating the former World Champions, the Demolition Boys. They were chatting about how each blader had changed over the course of time. Kai, Rei, Tyson, Max, and Kenny have learned from their experiences as bladers and matured through their trials, well at least most of them.

"What's wrong?" Mr. Dickenson asked Tyson's dad when he heard the other sigh.

"This victory seems a bit hallow. The Bladebreakers prevented Voltaire from taking over the world, but he's still out there waiting until the right time, before he makes his appearance."

"I know what you mean, homey," Tyson's grandfather said in his usual hip way. "That dude is seriously whacked. He needs to chill, preferably in jail for a long time."

It was just then that they heard a groan of pain as someone was thrown into the box.

It was Voltaire, only now he looked like he had been put through the wringer, his face was bloody and bruised. Suddenly they heard footsteps and saw a blonde haired young man with blue eyes walk in. He turned to Dickenson with a smile on his face, "Hey Mr. D. Sorry I haven't called you in a while but since your birthday was coming up I thought I'd make it up to you by giving you a nice present. I even put a pretty little bow on it for ya."

Dickenson's eyes widened as the topic of their conversation was brought into view, but it changed when he saw the young man with blonde hair. His face broke out in a smile as he saw for the first time in five years one of the very first boys he had ever recruited into the BBA. A boy that had lost his fire and had seemingly dropped off the face of the earth, only now to return as a young man and by looking into his eyes, knew that his fire had been restored. "Alexander Cross. It is so very good to see you again after all this time. How are you doing these days?"

"A lot better now thanks a member of your new team," Alex said walking toward him, "He opened the truth to my eyes. How Daniel betrayed us, sold us out to Biovolt and sabotaged the match at the World Championships five years ago."

"Oh dear," Mr. Dickenson gasped. "I wouldn't have thought Daniel would turn traitor or that Biovolt sabotaged the match. I'm sorry I wasn't able to stop it in time."

"Not your fault Mr. D," Alex shook his head, "We can't change the past. We can only make a better future. We all have a future. Kai made me remember that."

"Kai?" Tyson's grandfather nearly fell out of his chair. "Well who woulda have thunk that cold sourpuss had it in him? Way to go Kai!"

Dickenson chuckled at the old man's antics. "Yes, we will make sure that it will never happen again. I'm going to pile so many lawsuits on Voltaire his lawyers wouldn't be able to find him."

"Thank you." Alex said. He was about to walk away but then remembered something, "Oh Mr. D. Two favors if you could."

"Name them."

"First, Daniel's on the roof after our beybattle. His Bit Beast... well let's just say when I set it free, he let Daniel just see how much pain he had felt thanks to Biovolt," Alex shook his head, "He's pretty much now a raving lunatic. He'll need to be placed in a hospital for his own good now. I'm sorry, but there was no other possible outcome."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Dickenson said with sorrow. "What's the other?"

"Don't let anyone know I'm back."

Dickenson nodded his head. "I will, but promise me you'll keep in touch with me. I was worried when you disappeared out of the blue."

"I will," Alex promised, "And I will let the world know that I am back. I'm just not ready to deal with the press. Not until I fulfill a promise."

"What kind of a promise?" Tyson's dad asked.

"A promise to myself... and to a friend." Alex said as he looked down from the box and saw Kai, standing proudly with his teammates and friends. Everything wasn't the way it should be... but was definitely a great new beginning.

* * *

Tyson watched as Boris, who was now herding the Demolition Boys away, most likely to head back to the Abbey, _Gotta wonder what that slimeball's got up his sleeve now... oh well. No use worrying about it now. Time to party!_

Partying was what he was doing, along with Max, Rei and all of the other bladers and kids down with them on the floor.

However Kai looked up at the box where Mr. Dickenson was and saw a certain someone there. _Alex,_ he smirked as he saw the young man who just now looked straight at him and gave him a thumb's up. A gesture that Kai returned with a smile of his own to the former World Champion, who now made his way out of the arena.

He knew Alex needed time to get thing order. He had his life back and now he had to make use of it in the best way that he could. There was one thing he knew for certain though.

Alex would be back... and Kai couldn't wait for him to come back.

* * *

Alex was in the stadium parking lot now, feeling very much satisfied with what had gone down. Daniel had been brought to justice, Volitare was now under arrest and would stand trial.

"Just one last piece of unfinished business," Alex mused as he saw Boris in van, leaving with the Demolition Boys and an armed escort, heading back to the Abbey. _I must be insane to want to go back in the lion's den so soon..._ he smiled grimly, thinking about what Voltaire told him about Tala, what they had done him, it made his blood boil like wild fire. They had wronged him more than anyone, more than Kai or Alex himself. _And there is no way that I am going to let them continue to do this to him._

Alex got into his car and started it up, "I'm going to help you Tala. Some how, some way, I'm going to set you free."

With that said, he drove off with a mission in mind.

To free Tala.

To Be Continued...