Chapter 8
C. Good: Yey, it's chapter 8… even though only something like 3 of you reviewed chapter 7 glare.
Alright it's day one of tournament and let's just say there are some serious ass kickings in here.
Exodia-girl, who is my co-author (which all of you should know) wrote the battle scene and did a wonderful job.
Uh… yeah that just about covers it, oh and just because I feel like politically grandstanding: VOTE BUSH, DAMN IT!
The tournament would take place in a park, which was closed off for the sake of keeping people who didn't belong out. A crowd was already gathering to see the teams, even if they weren't allowed to watch the actual battles, and as Vega, Boris, and the Vanguard approached the four boys received loud cheers but people gazed in wonder at Vega from where she half-hid between Misha and Kato and whispers began hissing like wildfire through the crowd. The same Amazon that had betrayed her team three years ago and then Tala and now again was here? Had she no loyalties?
Vega couldn't make herself believe that she did. If she was loyal she would've found some other way out of this rather than taking the 'easy' way, which she was now sure wasn't so easy.
"Vega!"
The girl winced as Boris barked at her and then glared at him. "I'm not deaf," she said pointedly.
"One would wonder," he snarled back. "It's only day one, you must remain focused."
"Or?" Vega challenged.
He grabbed her fiercely by the front of her shirt and pulled her near, stooping so they were eye level, obviously not caring that the crowd was watching. He removed the remote from his pocket and held it up. "Or I will hold down on this button so long you won't be able to feel your legs for a week."
"Then I'll be sort of useless to you won't I?" she growled.
Boris sneered at her as he released her collar. "You're useless to begin with. I just need Kaosu, you're the unfortunate baggage." He turned and began walking briskly again, leaving her and the boys to follow.
She scowled at his back but didn't dare say anything. An angry Boris was even more dangerous than an angry scorpion. The scorpion at least had the decency to kill you quickly.
"Vega?" Kato queried, treading softly on dangerous territory.
If he was concerned for her or just curious or something else Vega couldn't tell. She instead just brushed him off and shook her head.
-SPACE-SPACE-SPACE-SPACE-SPACE-SPACE-SPACE-SPACE SPACE-SPACE-
(HA! My alternative… stupid )
"Day one," Charly said aloud as she and the Amazons and Bladebreaker stood in a circle of mingling teams. The Demolition Boys and Cleo, who had agreed to take up the temporary opening on the Amazon team, were off elsewhere. "Is anyone else nervous?"
Charly wore an outfit consisting of black pants tucked into matching boots with a black shirt with a red V-shaped inset of fabric at the neck which faded to black at the shoulders leading into a pair of 'wings', which were two black strips of fabric that hung down from the seams at her shoulders to about mid-calf off of which hung two, gold metal ornaments, which were shaped like arrowheads and swayed a little as she moved. A strip of fish net ran down each sleeve from the shoulder to the wrist and there was glitter that peppered the two wing-like extensions and the black choker she wore.
"Nervous?" Tyson echoed. "Why should we be nervous? We're world champs! We laugh in the face of competition! Chill, Charly, we'll have this tournament wrapped up in no time."
"You seem to be forgetting something," Kai said lowly, eyeing his teammate. "Boris is going to be here."
"We've been here for an hour and we haven't seen hide or hair him, maybe you guys were wrong," Lily suggested tenderly, not wanting to hit a nerve.
"He'll be here," Kai insisted, his eyes combing through the crowd icily, "keep your eyes opened."
"So you're the Bladebreakers and Amazons, we're sorry to eavesdrop but it was hard to ignore with your friend there hollering it on the top of his lungs."
It wasn't Boris but the four bladers who appeared before them weren't any less menacing looking.
The speaker was a thin, pretty girl with long, glossy purple hair that reached all the way to her waist and fuchsia colored eyes. She wore a black miniskirt and an orange jack over a black shirt with long sleeves that stopped just above her last rib.
Flanking her were three boys, who were all about the same height. The first was leanly muscular and a bit intimidating. His hair was jet black, which matched well with his equally black eyes, which were piercing and dagger-like. He had a hawk-like nose and sharp features and wore an outfit consisting of an orange jacket, black turtleneck, and loose pants.
The other two were thinner and lankier wearing similar uniforms. One was blond, his hair spiked straight upward and the other had brown hair, slicked back and shiny. They were obviously brothers and had smirking, cocky demeanors.
"You would be?" Charly asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow and crossing her arms.
"The Templars," the girl said, placing a hand to her chest, "I'm Tarren and this is Ajax-" the pointed to the larger boy-"and Luke and Warrick. It's an honor to be in the same tournament as such well renowned bladers."
The Amazons glanced at one another, unimpressed.
"How come that sounded so hollow?" Tyson muttered, glancing over at Max who grinned.
Tarren eyed the boy in annoyance but turned her eyes to Charly instead. "I see you're one short. Your strongest one it seems… how unfortunate. I wish you luck."
Charly's eyes narrowed. "You'll need it more than us," she replied.
"Where would Vega be?"
"I don't see how my teammate's business has anything to do with you," the Amazon answered frostily.
Tarren raised an eyebrow but if that meant anything none of them could be too sure. Fuchsia eyes turned to look passed Kai's shoulder and smiled. "Ah, more celebrities," Tarren said as the D-boys approached, Cleo flanking them, "this seems to complete the picture."
"Who's this?" Brian asked, frowning in a less than impressed way.
Before Tarren could start in on introductions Kai cut in, having not exactly liked the way the girl was treating Charly or speaking about Vega. "No one important."
Tala scowled as Tarren's eyes fixed on him and she stepped closer, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Now here's a face I recognize," she said in a flirtatious manner.
The Russian picked her hand up by a finger and removed it from his shoulder, dropping it unceremoniously as if it were a piece of garbage. "Don't touch me."
The girl pouted but backed off.
"So, do they talk or are they just there to look pretty?" Rei asked, eyeing the three other Templars, who hadn't spoken this whole time.
"I'd watch my mouth if I were you," Ajax said, glaring at the boy.
"Oh, I think my bunny slippers just ducked for cover," Tyson mocked. "You're not scary, tough guy."
"I suggest telling your friend here to watch his mouth," Ajax snarled, looking to Kai.
But the boy wasn't paying attention and neither were any of the others.
Across the clearing among the crowd stood four boys, a man, and a girl they all knew very well.
"And the worst case scenario of course surfaces," Spencer said mildly, solemnity sweeping over the group.
The Templars turned to look as well and Tarren frowned. "They must be the Vanguard."
"You've heard about them?" Charly asked, her heart rising into her throat, desperately trying not to let her panic surface. Oh, Vega, what's he done to you?
"They were more like a rumor for a while but I guess they're really real," Luke replied with a shrug as he ran a hand back through his blond hair. "They're supposed to have these genetically enhanced bit beasts and killer moves but that's just all assumption. No one's ever really seen them in battle. I guess this tournament will be worth it just to see if they're really that hot."
-SPACE-SPACE-SPACE-SPACE-SPACE-SPACE-SPACE-SPACE SPACE-SPACE-
"Since coaches aren't allowed out on the field with the teams we'll have to stick with radio communications," Boris said as the five stuffed earpieces in and adjusted their microphones. "Just a few rules: Kai, Charly, Tala, and Brian are off limits. We don't need to fight them any sooner than we have to. All of the others are open. Understand?"
Each of them nodded and the man turned to walk off but pause a moment and looked to Vega. "Don't screw up… it'll hurt you much more than me."
Her eyes narrowed fractionally at him as he turned and walked off.
"We have our map and instructions, let's just get going, I don't see why we had to gather here," Misha said, crossing his arms.
"The people who are hosting this have something to say," Kato replied. "Just calm down would you?"
"Yes, Misha, don't get too anxious-"
"-we have plenty of time to throttle everyone," the twins said. Jax looked to Vega. "Right?"
The girl vaguely nodded. "Plenty of time," she agreed, nodding.
"Alright, settle down everyone!"
The crowd of teams turned to face the small podium in the center of their group where a tall, blond man stood, wearing a white suit with an almost blood red shirt. "I'd like first to thank you for showing up. The turnout is better than we could have expected and I see that we have a few celebrities in our midst," he said, nodding approvingly as his eyes scanned over the crowd. "My name's Malcolm and as you all know this is a somewhat freestyle tournament. You're encouraged to battle as much as you can within five days time and those individuals with the most losses, which we have our ways of keeping track of, will be eliminated and those left will continue into the finals. Whole teams might make it together but if this occurs we must warn you that teammates might be forced to face-off against teammates. Since there are no referees to oversee these matches there are no set ground rules but we encourage everyone to be sportsmanlike and play accordingly." He paused a moment, giving Vega time to glance over at Kato and Misha, who were looking particularly malicious at these words, and then grinned. "You know that the tournament zone limits extend only five miles outside of the perimeter of the park and that going outside of these limits will lead you down the road of immediate disqualification. And remember, any challenges you accept are binding things. You cannot back out of them. With that said, let's get this party moving!"
Vega glanced to the Amazons and company, who were now just visible through the dispersing crowd and her eyes darkened as that annoying, purple-haired girl placed a hand flirtatiously on Tala's upper arm. He knocked her hand away looked as though he said something to brush her off but she only persisted.
"I have an idea," Vega said softly, "for my first match."
"Here?" Kato asked.
"Why not?" she replied. "It seems an appropriate place to get our name out there. Follow, if you would."
Vega approached the others, drawing her launcher and blade.
They seemed to bristle at her approach and Vega tried to put on her best façade. She couldn't like them see her any different than Boris did… not just then when she needed to gain the man's trust.
Charly wanted to say something but was having the same problem all the others were: she didn't know what to say or what needed to be said. Vega looked so dead and so far gone… it made her wonder if that was even her friend at all.
"Tarren," Vega spoke, fixing her eyes on the girl and then her teammates.
"How do you know my name?" Tarren asked, her eyes narrowing.
"Why shouldn't I? I think this tournament needs a little jump start to make things interesting… how about a battle?"
"You and me?" the other girl questioned with a smirk. She had heard of the Dragoness' power, sure, but she wanted to test it. Talk was often just that, talk.
"Nothing quite so simple, I actually like a challenge," Vega said, shaking her head and crossing her arms, a grin forming on her lips. "I was thinking something more like one versus four… I'd like to see how I fair against your whole team."
Other teams who had been dispersing stopped at hearing this and lingered. Was she nuts? There was no way one bit beast, even hers, could take on four others!
"Everyone was right when they said you were crazy," Ajax said, frowning at the girl.
Vega shrugged. "Maybe. I can see if you're scared, I mean, a loss this early in the tournament would be hard to make up for. It's a shame-"
"Who said that we're scared?" the boy cut in, glaring at her now.
She smirked. "So you accept?"
Tarren grabbed Ajax's shoulder and shook her head fiercely. "Ajax, you're letting her get to you," she hissed.
"C'mon, Tarren, we could take her easy, it's four versus one!" he argued.
"You were right, Misha," Vega said over her shoulder to the boy, "they're running scared like babes in the woods. Reputations built upon shaking foundations… oh well."
She turned as if to walk off, waving a hand casually to the Vanguard for them to follow when a hand grabbed her by the shoulder.
"We accept your stupid challenge," Ajax snapped.
Vega smirked, looking sideways to Kato. "Very good. I see that there's a dish over there, shall we?"
"Shouldn't we tell them they're making a huge mistake?" Rei asked.
"Would they listen? Vega said all those things because she knew she could rile up Ajax enough to accept the challenge for his whole team and you heard Malcolm, you can't back out of challenges you've accepted," Tala replied, eyes narrowing. "This is good though, we can see what sort of modifications Boris might've done to improve on Kaosu."
"Three," Vega shouted, positioning her launcher, hand on the ripcord.
"Two," Ajax replied as the Templars spread out around their side of the dish.
"Let it rip!"
The blades touched down in the dish, the Templars began to circle Kaosu that was deathly still, spinning rapidly in the center of the dish. Vega smirked and folded her arms over her chest as the crowd gathered around the dish, anxious to see the first fight of the tournament. She could feel all the eyes on her, and that brought certain feeling of elation to her.
"You are a fool!" Tarren accused, pointing a finger at her.
"Oh am I?" Vega replied, cocking her head to the side a little, giving a malicious grin that was so reminiscent of the tournament three years ago.
"Alright boys! Let's show her! Attack!" Tarren ordered. The four Templar blades charged at Kaosu, hitting it from all four directions hard, grinding into its sides. Sparks flew and a loud grinding noise followed.
"Kaosu…" Vega spoke the name quietly. The blade bucked Tarren's blade away and darted foreword, "Destroy her!" Vega commanded, her eyes becoming cold like ice as she let her arms drop to her side. Kaosu charges after Tarren's blade, the other four Templars forgotten and unable to keep up with the black blade as it hit it's target from behind hard, each hit sending it careening a little more out of control.
"Go around!" Ajax commanded. His blade charged trajectory and spun around to intercept and hopefully let his teammate's blade get away. Vega grinned. Just as his blade was coming in, Kaosu turned and slammed Tarren's blade hard, sending it right into the path of Ajax's, the two blades hit with explosive force, sending Tarren's flying back.
"Woops…" Vega spoke quietly before promptly bursting out laughing almost maniacally, but the laugh didn't last long as her eyes froze over again. The other two blades chose that moment to slam Kaosu from behind, though the black blade didn't budge an inch.
"What the hell? Two slams and it don't even move!" Luke commented in astonishment. Before either could respond Kaosu went berserk, doing a figure eight around both of them, slamming them hard whenever it could.
"Kato you were right once again," Vega spoke to the tall boy behind her, "They are pathetically weak. I grow bored, enough play Kaosu… Rise!" Vega commanded. Her black blade began to glow as steam rose from it, suddenly with a thunderous roar Kaosu stretched out, head to tail. His eyes glowing bright crimson. Vega was surprised to find just what Boris did to the dragon. The triangular spores on the dragon's back were now incased in silver metal that protected his weakness, they also looked like they were razor sharp. On the dragon's arms were heavy gauntlets; his already wicked sharp claws were also encased in silver metal that gleamed, the razor-sharp sword-like blades on either side looked menacingly real. The surprise did not last long and the dragon turned his head to Tarren, giving her a dragonish impression of a sinister grin.
"Get rid of them Kaosu… Revolver Divine Dragon Cannon!" Vega called. The Templars froze like poles as the dragon drew back his head and opened his jaws, sparkles began to collect and draw inside the dragon's mouth as an orb formed rapidly.
"Attack!" Ajax called, knowing full well that he had a split second to disturbs the dragon's charging. His blade began to glow as his bit beast prepared to rise.
"Fire!" Vega commanded. Kaosu closed his mouth and drew back his head until his neck formed a figure 's'; suddenly he opened his mouth and blasted an orb of yellow energy, quickly clamping his mouth shut. The orb hit Ajax's blade, sending it flying right out of the dish. Kaosu opened his mouth again and blasted out another orb, this one hit Luke's blade, which shockingly exploded to a million little pieces, the bit chip falling away, burned. Vega began to laugh maniacally as Kaosu repeated for the third time, this time sending Warrick's blade flying.
"Just you and me little one," Vega hissed. Kaosu turned his head and focused his red eyes on the girl, opening his jaws and blasted another shot, sending Tarren's blade out, half melted, it landed behind her in a mangled heap. Vega raised her arm, holding out her hand in a way as if she had a gun. Kaosu opened his jaws and fired again, this time the orb hit at Tarren's feet, causing the girl to leap back, stumbling she landed on her rear. "Who's the fool now?" she asked. Kaosu opened his jaws again and formed the last orb remaining of his revolver-like six-shot DDC. Turning his head he blasted it at a tree, the wood exploded to millions splinters before falling to the ground.
Kaosu roared thunderously and took flight before nose-diving back into his blade. Vega raised her hand and the blade leapt into her waiting palm. She smiled darkly and turned.
"I think my point's been made," she added. With that she walked away, flanked by the Vanguards; Kato and Misha on either side and the twins behind her.
"Kenny!" Charly barked, turning on the boy, who was tapping furiously as his laptop, already on what she was going to request.
How was that the DDC? It didn't even seem to drain Kaosu at all!
"That was the DDC; Kaosu just broke the shot off by closing his mouth between each firing, giving it six shots. Each shot has exactly one-sixth the power of the DDC. I don't know how it didn't drain him though; it's very possible that Boris might've 'jumped' his power. I need a better reading on him to tell how many times he can do that without feeling the effects."
"But didn't it drained Vega last time too," Tala put in, remembering back to the battle with Michael. She had practically collapsed once back on the bench.
"Yes, but that was because Kaosu needed to feed off of her energy to perform the attack. Now he's got enough of his own so he doesn't need to drain her… or at least not for the first shot," Kenny explained. "I can imagine he might be able to fire it two times without feeling the after effects but by the third time it'll probably totally zap Vega and a the fourth time it's… very possible it'd kill them both and if not both of them Vega's at a definite risk."
"Does she know that?" Brian asked, scowling.
"Probably not," Tala said, cutting Kenny short. "Did you see the look on her face when he first rose? She obviously didn't know about the metal Boris lined Kaosu's body with, I doubt he told her anything else he did."
"Kaosu will tell her," Kai cut in. "He might be evil but he'd never do anything to hurt Vega. He'll warn her about that. Vega getting herself killed is the least of our worries at the moment anyways. Everyone must stay on their guard; the new trainees will likely be ready and willing to tear apart anyone mercilessly and they'll be definitely coming after us. Stay as far away from them as you can." He looked up to spot Tala walking off. "Where are you going?"
"It doesn't matter, I'll be back later," the Russian called over his shoulder.
The girls glanced at one another and uneasily started off in the one direction while the boys split up into the others. Everyone would be scouting out the area the first day, where the dishes were located, exactly what sat on the tournament border, and 'safe houses' where they could stay overnight. The radios they carried would let them communicate with one another anywhere in the area, which would help with keeping track of other teams.
You don't seem happy, Mistress.
Vega shook her head, standing before the dragon, which was lying on his stomach in the recessed cavern he inhabited in her mind. His metal claws glinted slightly and the metal spores on his back shifted with him as he moved. I'm not, she replied. It was a hollow victory.
The twins were off somewhere as were Kato and Misha and she was left leaning against the wall of a restaurant on the opposite side of the street of the park.
"Vega."
She looked up, pulling herself from her reverie and her eyes widened as she spotted Tala standing at the mouth of the alley. She remembered telling Charly that she would know what she felt for Tala when she saw him. And now, looking into his eyes, she did.
And then Vega did the next logical, girly thing to do when she came to the realization that being what she now was she did not want him to see her. She turned and booked it.
Tala's eyes narrowed as he followed her. "Vega!" he shouted.
She was off like a shot down the sidewalk and the Russian kept on her quickly but as they rounded a corner she was gone out of thin air.
Tala slowed and glanced around. He could look for her thoroughly and probably find her but she didn't want to be found. She had looked terrified when they had come face-to-face and he sighed, looking to the ground. If you don't want to be found I'll just have to drag you out, he thought.
Vega, who had leapt over the hedge separating the sidewalk of the street from the grass of the park, heard Tala walk off and breathed out to soothe herself as she rose to her feet. I hope I won't have to run from you anymore once this is over.
"Vega."
She would've jumped if she hadn't gotten so used to Kato and Misha doing that to her over the last week and as she turned she spotted her white-haired bodyguard standing there. He looked displeased and she realized that he must've saw Tala and when she had stepped out he put two and two together.
"Kato… did you…"
"Yes… are you looking for Boris to paralyze you or something?" he hissed.
"He's not going to found out," Vega protested, giving him a meaningful look.
Kato shook his head. "I can't-"
"Please, Kato," she said, placing a hand on his shoulder.
He found himself torn between his loyalty to Boris and his growing like for this girl. Her eyes pleaded with him and just then she looked much more alive and resembled the girl who had come to them than she had in a few days. She'd grown colder and colder and sometimes she even scared him a little.
But now she was warm and gentle and much like the girl he'd grown to enjoy keeping company with.
"Fine," he replied, nodding slowly, coming to a rash decision. "I won't say anything. But if he asks I will not lie."
"I wouldn't want you to." She smiled and when she looked away was suddenly cold again. "Let's find the others."
C. Good: Now how'd all of you like that? Obviously tension's mounting and it's all heating up. Alright… yeah, I'm done.
And remember: Kerry is a liberal piece of poo.