Chapter Seven: Kai vs. Daimon
"Okay, it's a great day at the Beystadium, isn't it, Brad?"
"You said it, Jim! This double-teamed tournament is cooking. The Blade-breakers and the Scream Team are going up against the Dingoes and the All-Stars. Can it get anymore exciting?"
"Well, now that miss Midnight Vaperio is back in the game, we're gonna see some action! Who's starting off, Brad?"
"Well, Jim, going up against Justin and Daimon is Midnight herself paired with the Blade-breaker's highly skilled Kai Kaido!"
"Midnight has a big job ahead, but her bit-beast Dunpeal can probably handle it, teamed up with Kai and his beast, Draanzer. It's been rumored that Kai and Midnight have come up with some new attacks, including Midnight's 'Shadow Cobra Bite,' and Kai's 'Mystic Phoenix Sniper.'"
"Still, the Dingoes' leader has his own attack, 'Hyena Shriek Echo,' along with Justin's 'Golden Dawn Whirlwind Attack.'"
"According to rumor, Justin's father, Nikosolae, and Midnight's mother, Jagguar, went head to head in this same tournament twenty years ago. Seemed they had a personal grudge or something."
Midnight's dark eyes were haunted, shadowed, and Kai was worried. So were the others. When Kenny asked her what was the problem, she just shook her head. "I'm fine, Kenny, honest." Then she stiffened visibly.
"Hello, my lady. I simply wanted to meet you. I am-"
"Justin. I know. Why would you want to meet me?" Midnight could easily read his thoughts, however, and her stomach churned as they washed through her mind. Justin was a vampire hunter, one who only went after the females. He raped and tortured his victims before finally driving stakes through their hearts. His father had been the one to kill Marina and Felicity, the 'personal grudge' the announcers had mentioned, but Justin had tortured them first, extensively. He knew what she was. She knew what he was planning. Midnight had to get away from his twisted, sickening mind, or she'd be sick on the spot.
"Excuse me, please." She rushed from the bench out into the hall, sending a silent compulsion for Justin to go away. She felt a hand on her shoulder, but she jerked away and spun around. Kai looked down at her, startled.
"Dara…"
"Kai, can I have a hug?" At first, he thought about questioning her first. But she sounded so scared, so helpless, that he had to embrace her.
"Are you alright?"
"Hell no."
"What's wrong? What did Justin do?"
"Kai, he's a vampire hunter." Kai looked incredulous. "And before you ask if I'm sure, yes, I am, I read his thoughts. He's an extremely disgusting psycho-bastard. Which is actually true, he's the son of one of his father's sex slaves."
"His father keeps-"
"Victims he knows aren't vampires but the other hunters think are or just don't care about." Midnight sighed softly, her head against Kai's well-muscled chest.
"Come on, Dara. We need to get back."
* * * * * * *
Kai glared hatefully at Daimon and Justin when he and Midnight stepped up to the dish.
"Hey, you think you can beat us?" Daimon cried at Kai. Midnight growled low in her throat, so that only the other vampire could hear her.
"Watch it, Daimon, or I'll tell Alex you're fraternizing with humans again!" Her words flashed through his mind, along with a wave of feminine contempt. Psychic fingers brushed her cheek, but she glared malevolently and they ceased.
"Bladers, assume position!" Kai glanced at Midnight, who nodded slightly but didn't smile. "Okay, 3… 2… 1… let it riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiippppp!" The four blades zipped into the dish, spinning so fast they were simply blurs.
"Hilyena, give them the Hyena Laugh Echo attack!" A shrill, grating laugh filled the air, and the sound waves, glowing violet and black, pounded into Kai and Midnight's Beyblades, shoving them back towards the edge.
"Stauss, Star Beam Dagger Cut!" A blade of silver light fell onto the opposing Beyblades, knocking them off balance. Kai heard Midnight gasp, and turned, amazed. She stood there, her chest heaving, hand to her heart, looking very pale and tired. The light from the battle was doing her more harm than not.
"Midnight, maybe-"
"I'm fine, Kai. Let's do this. Stauss, Blooded Fang Strike!" The cobra of black blood flew down upon the Justin and Daimon's blades, which started to slow down. Daimon raised his head and caught Midnight's eyes.
"Draanzer, Mystic Phoenix Sniper attack! Black Devil's Fire Dart!"
"Hilyena, try Tartaran Agony Attack!" A black and violet creature, somewhere between a human and a jackal, leapt forward from Daimon's Beyblade. Stauss came up from Midnight's bit-piece, an Old Worldly "man" with black hair and black eyes. The jackal-woman leapt forward, slashing at Stauss's throat, chest, and stomach, catching at his skin with her claws. Midnight gave a small cry of pain. Kai glanced at her sharply, saw that the flesh around her shoulders and collar bone were torn and bleeding. Her eyes smoldered hatefully.
"Stauss, I- ahhhhhhhhh!" Kai stepped in, crying, "Draanzer, Mystic Abyss of Eternal Fire!" At this, a red cape-like thing, like bat wings, spread from his shoulders, wrapping both Trygle and Hilyena in its folds. At first, gold and violet light flashed through small openings in the feathers, but they grew fainter and fainter, until the stopped and the blades whirled to a halt.
Midnight began falling, but Kai caught her and helped her to stand up. She looked so worn out, so tired. The deep scratches on her shoulders and arms weren't bleeding too badly, but he knew they were hurting her. "Let's go. The others can take care of the rest of the tournament." He whispered to her softly, and they walked back to the bench.
"What happened, Dara?" Ray cried out, astonished. How had she gotten those scratches?
"It was Daimon's attack. His beast inflicts injury both on the defending bit-beast, and it's partner. I'll be alright. Kai's gonna take us home, okay?"
"Sure, if you think it'll help. Don't worry." Kenny murmured softly.
"We'll bring you a treat when we get back." Max smiled kindly at her. Midnight had to laugh. She murmured, "Thanks," and Kai helped her out of the building. He didn't notice the dark-haired teenage boy following them.
"Going somewhere, Dara? That is your nickname." Midnight stopped about twenty feet from the door, slipped out of Kai's grasp, and turned around slowly. "Why, Dara, how you've grown. So much more beautiful than that gangly little brat from ten centuries ago."
"You idiot." Daimon's face flushed angrily when she insulted him. "Don't you know a girl's age is best left a mystery? But that's beside the point. What do you want, Daimon? I'm not talking to Alex about letting you go home, either, if that's what you wanted."
"Why? What have I done?"
"You failed to protect your life mate, you left her alone after she'd given birth to a child, and you let your soul mate remain human and allowed her to be killed."
"I needed to find Marina, and couldn't let Felicity know about it. Of course I left her. But I left her in the protection of Erych and Byron. As for Marina still being human, Felicity said she'd kill her if I tried to claim her as a life mate."
"You know you could have brought her before Alex and Jaycen, but you didn't. You are beneath contempt, Daimon Norco. You are unworthy of the name vampire. Not even a mere nosferatu or icarus can you be called. Go away."
"How dare you? Simply because you are Alex and Jaycen's sister, you have the cheek to deny me?"
"I dare quite easily, Daimon. As for my bloodline, I am older than both Alex and Jaycen by half a century. I simply do not rule our people because I have better things to do, such as Beyblade."
"Be careful, Lady Midnight. I'm sure neither Alex nor Jaycen want anything to happen to you. Good day."
"You did well against him in the match, Kai. I'm proud of you." Midnight murmured softly as Daimon walked back inside.