Battle of the Masters
Chapter Fifteen
by Shadou-sama

Shadra and the other Bladebreakers walked up to the mess hall for breakfast. She felt a whole lot better, not to mention more awake, than last night. Some of the shock had worn off, too. She still felt horrible about losing Darker, and about Kai's dirty deed, but it didn't damper her as much. That morning she had told the boys why she had been disqualified. Or more like shocked it into them. She had held up her beyblade and told them that was why. She skipped over the part when Kai had just given the beast away, when she had went to fight Holly, and when Yuki had saved her.
"Did you hear?" Mariah asked, jumping up, when the team walked in through the door. "Two teams were disqualified!"
"What?" Kenny exclaimed.
"The Bit Trashers and the All Starz went home this morning."
"Why?" Tyson asked.
Lee answered, "Their bit-beasts were stolen. No one knows who did it."
Shadra had a pretty good idea who. Only one team that she knew of had grand theft on their agenda.
"Maybe they're the same people who took Darker," Max said.
"Your bit-beast was stolen?" Lee's full attention was on her. Shadra now realized that Lee was a lot like Kai, especially in the silence and staring divisions.
She nodded.
"Whoa, someone actually managed to steal your bit-beast?" Enrique and the other Majestics had arrived. "So I guess that means your winning streak is over."
She shook her head. "I didn't even get a chance to fight in the beydish. They took the bit right out of my beyblade."
"What!" everyone's collectedly exclaimed.
"At least with the Demolition Boys you had a chance," Shadra said.
"They can't do that, can they?" Johnny asked.
"Apparently so," said Robert.
"You're not just trying to cover up a lose, right?" Enrique elbowed her.
Shadra shook her head. "There was a loss, but not in the beydish. Mr. Pointy failed on me."
The whole group looked at her, their eyes wide.
"A sword," she elaborated. "Not what you perverts were thinking."
"So who did it, do you know?" Mariah asked.
Shadra glanced around the hall, looking to see if the people in question were there. Not a trace.
"That new team, the Masters," Shadra said. Glancing around, she asked, "Where's Oliver?"
Enrique held both hands behind his head. "In the kitchen. He decided the food wasn't perfect enough."
Shadra thanked him and walked across the room. She didn't really care about the teams' reactions. Pushing open one of the swinging doors (so cliché, she thought), she found an older room. The cream white paint was cracking behind metal fixtures that were losing their luster. Florescent lights brightened the place (but also gave a sort of greenish hue to everything), and everything was dust-free. It was a homey kind of place, except for the constant metal eyesores. In the center of it all was the green haired boy she thought of as family, Oliver.
"Hey, Oliver," she said, switching to French.
He looked up from the solution he was mixing, smiling. "Hi, Chaton," her nickname, the one he had dubbed her ages ago and made him swear not to ever tell anyone, "pass the milk, please."
Shadra handed the carton to him, and sat down at a stool the island Oliver was working at. The two had known each for a long time, since the two had met in London. Shadra had even lived at his mansion for a few years, right before she was forced by Children Services to attend Everto.
"So what fantastic dishes are you going to serve?" Shadra asked.
"Waffles."
Shadra nearly fell off he stool. Just plain, ordinary, frozen food-like waffles? There must be a catch. "Just waffles?"
Oliver grinned. "Taste this," he ordered, flipping one off of the waffle iron.
Shadra grabbed it out of the air. One good thing about going to the hell-beast infested Everto was that one gained quite a lot of helpful skills. She tore off a piece and popped it into her mouth. After swallowing, she made her comments. "Geez, Oliver. Stop being such a genius."
"I can't, it's in my very blood to be a great chef."
"And to be modest, too."
Oliver smiled.
"So what's new in the world of Oliver?" Shadra asked.
Oliver poured some of the batter onto the waffle iron. "I won an award for finest dessert at the Academie du Francais Cuisine."
"I asked what's new, not what you've done a million times before."
Oliver set down the bowl and wooden spoon. "Johnny beat Robert in a game of chess."
"Really? And he's only been trying to for how many years?"
"Nine and a half."
"So I guess we all lost." She was referring to the bet the three of them (the other being Enrique) had made behind Robert and Johnny's backs. Shadra had guessed fifteen years. Oliver, having a bit more faith in him, had bet on eleven years, while Enrique decided it would take thirteen. They hadn't put up money, seeing as Shadra hadn't any, instead they would have to give up something that the other two decided on for a whole month. If Enrique lost, he would give up girls. For Oliver, it was to stop dragging them to art galleries. Shadra would have to give up her early morning training sessions, which to be truthful she hadn't been doing since they had arrived in Canada. "So no one has to do anything."
"Actually… someone did win." Oliver removed the golden brown waffle from the iron and slipped it onto a plate. He poured some more batter onto the waffle iron.
"Who?"
"Johnny. He found out about the competition and placed his own bet. We think he was working with Robert."
"What about me?" The flame haired boy strode into the kitchen, speaking in English. He sat down beside Shadra.
"You didn't cheat on that bet, did you?" Shadra asked, answering in the same language.
"Oh, that. So what if I did? It was worth it."
"'Cause it's wrong," Shadra replied. Oliver was too busy with the waffles to answer.
"Anyway, there was a point for me coming."
"Not just to grace us with your presence, O mighty Johnny?"
Johnny gave her a small glare. "We've decided that we're going to win back Darker for you."
Oliver nearly dropped his bowl. "You lost Darker?"
"I meant to mention that."
"To who?" Oliver asked.
"Holly, from the Masters."
Enrique strode into the room. "They're announcing the tournament positions. Come on!"
They left together, after Oliver had turned off the iron. The teams were divided up among the tables, every single blader quiet. A balding man stood at the side of the room beside an easel, looking nervous from having thirty-two eyes watching him. The Masters had arrived unnoticed, judging by the way no one had been yelling, and sat in the back corner. Shadra could also spot Darcie, Daniel and, surprisingly, Yuki, sitting in various places around the hall. Plus there were other officials. The Majestic boys sat down by their team captain. Shadra grabbed a chair beside Kenny.
"Ok-k-kay, so n-now t-that ev-v-veryone is h-here, let's b-b-begin!" The man was slowly losing his nervousness. "L-let's g-go over t-the rules. Three m-m-members from each t-team will b-beybattle in a s-s-sudden d-death match, e-even in the F-Fin-nals. T-Two out-t of three m-matches are n-n-needed to w-win. The only d-d-dish used-d in the S-S-Semi-F-Finals w-will be the Steel Bowl of W-Wikka S-Stadium. If a t-team doesn't show up within t-ten minutes of the start t-time, they are automatically d-disqualified. I-If a beyblader doesn't have a b-bit-beast, they are disqualified. Everyone un-understand? Good. Let's see the p-pyramid."
He flipped the white board around on the easel. "B-Bladebreakers versus the White T-Tigers is the first battle. S-Second battle will be M-Majestics versus M-Masters."
Shadra glanced over to the Majestics' table. Their faces were lined with grim determination. Her gaze flew over to the White Tigers. They looked satisfied with their opponent. The Masters' looked indifferent, except for Holly, who looked smugly confident as always. Shadra's own team looked serious and thoughtful.
"The f-first two b-battles will take place this a-afternoon at one and three o'clock. D-Don't be l-late!" He gathered his easel up and headed for the door.

"So we get the Majestics," Holly said. The Masters were back in their cabin. She leaned back on her bed. "Powerful bit-beasts. Alleon should fight against—hey! Is anybody listening?"
Alleon was draped across a sofa chair, reading a magazine. Iayah sat beside the window, looking out. Holly dragged herself up and walked to the center. "We should be strategizing. Our battle is this afternoon!"
Not a single response. Holly's temper was getting very short. "What is so important outside?" she asked, stalking up to Iayah.
"Just waiting for someone."
Alleon glanced up. "Not Shadra again, is it?"
"No."
"Good," he said, looking back to his magazine. "I'm getting sick and tired of y'all talking about her all the time. Don't you two have anything better to do?"
"Like strategize?" Holly practically yelled. "But then we wouldn't be able to battle the Majestics with absolutely no plan or idea of what their weaknesses are."
"Fine already." He pushed himself up in his chair.
"We can't until our fourth member gets here," Iayah said, still looking out the window.
"I thought you said you weren't waiting for her!"
"I'm not. I'm waiting for—there he is!" Holly looked over Iayah's shoulder. Alleon, curious, came over to see. A redheaded boy with blue eyes was walking towards the cabin. "Tala," she explained. "The real Master of Space."

To be continued...