Chapter 10
"Good morning, Misha."
The boy stopped dead as he headed for the door of the hotel, determined to be out on the field early, and turned to a wing-backed armchair in the television area.
Vega was sitting there reading a newspaper, fully dressed and appearing a little bored. "Where are you going so early?" she asked.
"What do you think?" he replied.
She laughed, folded her paper and sat it down, looking up at him. "Getting in some early practice? There aren't going to be any teams out this early."
"Except maybe that one team you beat up yesterday," Misha countered.
Vega snorted. "I said 'teams'. Those four are just in a convenient agreement where they have to maybe work together occasionally. A real team is… well… kind of like making a pact."
The boy raised an eyebrow. "How?"
"It's a promise to always back each other up and to be there, no matter what," Vega replied, closing her eyes as disgust at herself rose in the pit of her stomach. She was such a hypocrite.
"Are we a team?"
Vega looked up at him and shrugged. "That depends on you and the others I guess."
Misha opened his mouth to say something and then, as if deciding against it, shook his head and said nothing.
The girl watched him stand there for a moment, looking thoughtful and then stood up. "I was waiting for one of you to get up so I wouldn't have to go out on my own."
"Scared of crossing the street yourself?" Misha jabbed with a smirk.
Vega grinned. "Yeah, that's it," she replied sarcastically. "C'mon, boy, the others can catch up later."
Her hand slid to the back of his neck and he stiffened for a moment at the feel until she merely pushed him towards the doorway and laughed when he stumbled and shot her a dirty look.
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"Ugh, why do we have to be up this early? The others aren't," Tyson whined as he followed Kai and Charly into the park, Rei, Kenny, and Max not far behind.
"We need an early start today," Kai answered.
"The early bird gets the worm, Tyson," Charly said over her shoulder and smiling at the boy. "Tell you what, for being a good sport breakfast's on me."
This seemed to lift Tyson's spirits as he immediately perked up at the mention of food.
"Well, look who's up."
They halted and Kai shot a daggered glare across the street to the Templars. Tarren was standing with her arms crossed looking upbeat and her male companions shadowed her threateningly.
"Not exactly a face I want to see in the morning," Charly muttered.
"My sentiments exactly," Kai replied as the rival team crossed the street quickly to join them. "What do you want?"
"Hey, chill out blue-boy," Ajax said, eyeing the Bladebreaker captain.
Kai's eyes narrowed dangerously and Charly stepped in before he could say anything. "He's not a morning person," she said quickly.
"He's not much of a person period," Tarren replied rolling her eyes.
Charly raised an eyebrow. "Did you just cross the street to insult us or what?"
"Why miss an opportunity?" Warrick asked with a grin.
"Why don't you take the trash talk elsewhere?" Rei suggested calmly, he and the others looking less than amused.
"Or maybe we should just take out the garbage now?" Tyson suggested under his breath.
"How? It's questionable if the title 'world champions' still fit especially when one of your strongest has already abandoned ship," Tarren said critically, rolling her eyes, "and the only reason the Amazons are different from your dime a dozen, every-day plain Janes to begin with is because they've leeched off of the Bladebreakers all this time."
"Take that back!" Tyson demanded, Max grabbing his arm to keep him from doing something stupid as he lunged forward.
"Don't worry about it, Tyson," Charly said, her eyes burning, "I'm willing to take out the trash. Tarren, you and I, one on one, right now."
Tarren smirked. "Fine."
Kai grabbed Charly's arm when they headed for the park entrance, where the nearest dish was located. "Let me," he hissed.
"No," she said, shaking her head and lifting a hand to squeeze his shoulder. "She's beneath you. I'll handle this."
He paused a moment and then nodded, watching as she approached the dish.
"There's something you can rest assure about," Charly said aloud as she pulled her launcher and Celeste from her pocket.
"That I'll win?" Tarren asked with a grin.
"No… that I'm not going to utterly embarrass your whole team like Vega did… just you. Three."
Tarren's eyes narrowed. "Two."
"Let it rip!!"
The blades landed in the dish, Celeste froze in the center, while Tarren's blade began to circle around the dish. Tarren glanced at Charly, who folded her arms and closed her eyes. She smirked watching the Amazon leader.
"Another staller? For the love of god," Ajax commented as he watched Celeste. The other Bladebreakers and Amazons watched in amusement, none of them appearing to be too worried.
"Well this will be that much easier," Tarren replied, "Attack!" Her blade veered down at Celeste, Tarren was about to gloat when Celeste suddenly veered away, making her blade miss. "Damn attack again," her blade obeyed, ducking again for another attack, but like the previous, at the last second Celeste dodged. Tarren's blade attacked again, and again, but every charge was dodged at the last split second.
"Pathetic," Charly spoke, without opening her eyes.
"You're right, you are pathetic, so far you've been only dodging my attacks," Tarren replied.
"I was giving you a chance to realize your stupidity and give up, there is no way you will make contact. But… that wont happen, you're too stupid to realize your own stupidity," Charly replied calmly. "Enough… Celeste!" Energy seemed to stir at Charly feet at the command, flames exploded from Celeste's blade and rose, forming the aura of a phoenix, with a shriek Celeste flew out of her blade. The flames swirled around the dish, the intense heat made the cool air ripple and it seemed to be rising, because soon Tarren was beginning to feel too hot in her coat.
"I believe Tarren… you're out of here!" Tyson called, a huge smile on his face.
"I'm not afraid of a little pyrotechnics show!" Tarren replied, "Attack Archangel!" she commanded. Her blade began to glow.
"Nova Flames," Charly whispered, her eyes opening. The Flames around Celeste suddenly grew more intense, as the energy around Charly kicked up, lifting the trailing wings on her shirt from their dead hang behind her back. "Incinerate her!" the command came louder now, Charly's eyes focused and became cold, a proud, trademark grin appeared on her features.
Celeste shrieked just as Archangel rose, the angel was instantly overwhelmed, the flames exploded outwards and began to swirl slowly. A pain-filled screech echoed, and flames rose, enveloping Archangel and her blade, closing in on her, becoming so intense, that it was impossible to see through them.
Celeste's body seemed to melt away, now becoming flames, only her ethereal onyx eyes remained. Tarren took a step back, horrified, her bit beast suddenly exploded into light sparkles, not even able to launch a single attack. The flames suddenly, spontaneously died. Archangel's blade flew out of the dish like a comet, burning tail and all, landing some feet away from Tarren, mangled and misshapen, the plastic bubbling all over, melted by the sheer heat. The dish was in no better shape. Charly raised her hand and recalled Celeste, who's blade eagerly jumped into her mistress's hand, the bit beast retreating inside in a flash of light and flames.
"Out of my sight now, and If I ever hear you diss my team again… as the lord is my witness, I will do more than damage your blade, I will vaporize it," Charly threatened.
"You got served," Rei commented, smirking faintly. The group turned around and walked off.
Charly looked over at Kai as the two of them lead the pack. "You didn't have to do that."
"Do what?" he asked innocently.
"If I needed a boost of energy from Dranzer I'd of asked," she replied, reflecting back on how much power Celeste had used in her attack.
Kai glanced to her but said nothing.
Vega glanced over at Misha whose eyes had minutely widened and she refocused her gaze on the others, her eyes connecting with Kai's and something briefly passed between them before she looked away. "There's our real competition," she said softly.
"I can see why you two became teammates," Misha replied and then glanced over at her. "Do you regret agreeing to be on our team?"
Vega frowned. "I regret how it came about," she murmured, crossing her arms.
"Nothing else?"
"If you're trying to get me to admit I regret knowing you or Kato or Jax and Zax," she began, fixing her eyes on him, "I'm not going to because I don't."
His brows knitted together as he looked to her sharply. "What? Why not?"
Vega shrugged and reached over ruffling his hair. "Mostly because I know that that's what you want," she said, grinning and then turned to walk away. "And you don't deserve it. C'mon, let's go get something to eat, I bet whatever we could get around here will be much better than that slop Boris has been feeding us."
"At least it's food," Misha muttered.
"Food? That man can't tell the truth about anything," Vega said, shaking her head. "It's sludge, scraped from the bottom of the sewer I bet."
"Didn't need that mental image, Vega," Misha snarled.
Vega didn't respond, instead she stopped dead and Misha followed her gaze across the street, spotting what she was staring at.
The Demolition Boys stood there, Tala staring unblinkingly at them. Brian looked angry but his glare was focused on Misha not the girl and Ian and Spencer stood nearby, saying something quietly to their captain.
"You miss them don't you?" Misha asked softly. He might not have been too well-up on emotions himself but he could tell how pained she was even through her blank façade. The way her eyes locked with Tala's was deep and went to a level he couldn't understand.
"I think," she said quietly, breaking the eye contact she held with Tala and looking down, "we shouldn't talk about that."
She slid a hand to cup the back of his neck again and pushed him forward.
"You can't totally blank like that every time you see her, Tala," Brian said once she was gone.
"But out, Brian," Tala snapped.
Brian shook his head and started walking again. "Let's go."
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"Having fun are you?"
Kato, Jax, and Zax all stopped dead when they spotted Boris leaning against the wall of a building just ahead of them.
None of them spoke.
"What are you doing just walking around?" he asked, his voice deadly.
"We're looking for Misha and Vega," Kato replied.
"They're together?"
"Yes, sir."
"Are you sure?"
Kato hesitated a second. "No, sir."
Boris nodded slowly and straightened to stand directly in front of them. "Kato, what was your assignment since day one that Vega joined us?"
The boy winced. "To remain with her at all times."
"Exactly," the man said. "Why aren't you now?"
Kato sighed. Boris wasn't looking for an excuse to answer that question. "I'm sorry, sir."
Boris said nothing and glanced between the three of them. "I expect you to know whether or not she's made contact with any of her old teammates or if they have tried to reach her?"
Kato's mind flipped briefly to the promise he had made Vega to not say anything to Boris about Tala having come after her.
"If he asks I'm not going to lie."
"I wouldn't want you to."
"Kato?"
The boy met his caretaker's gaze and exhaled slowly. "She hasn't, sir."
Boris stared at him critically for a while and then nodded. "Very good." He turned on his heel and without another word headed off down the street.
The twins let breaths they had been holding and then looked to Kato. "You-"
"-Lied."
"Yes, I did," he agreed with a nod.
The two looked at one another and shrugged.
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Vega watched from the sidelines as Misha took on a team she had seen around only once or twice but wasn't familiar with.
His strength impressed her and obviously Boris had trained him well. Ryoseraph, his bit beast, was a komodo dragon, enormous and weighty with powerful jaws, dangerous talons, and an armor plated body. His main attack was a gaseous noxious cloud of poison that was foul and deadly but the pressure the beast's bite created was almost equally deadly.
Ryoseraph was vicious like Misha but obedient and surprisingly fast despite his size and weight.
The girl raised a hand to cover her mouth and nose as the lizard exhaled green fumes that quickly spread. Misha, having little control over where his bit beast's attack went, had already covered his face.
The opponent, distracted by his own blade's failing attempts in battle, didn't catch on until it was too late and the gas was making him and his bitbeast cough.
"Bravo," Vega said once Misha was finished and approaching her. "I'm so impressed."
"Shut up," he grumbled, eyeing her.
She grinned and ruffled his hair with one hand. "C'mon, let's-"
"Vega!"
The girl turned and smiled minutely. "Well, it's about time you three caught up with us," she said as Kato and the twins jogged towards them and then stopped.
"Did you know that Boris was hanging around?" Kato asked abruptly.
"Yes, I know," Vega replied, her expression souring at the thought of the man. "We had a… chat last night."
"Kato lied to him," Jax piped up.
She frowned deeply and looked up at the boy. "What? What about?"
"It's no big-"
"Boris wanted to know if you had any contact with your old teammates," Zax said, crossing his arms. "Tala did come after you right?"
Vega nodded. "Yes, he did, but Kato you said-"
"It's nothing Vega," the boy cut her off, giving her a silencing look.
"It is something," she hissed back, "you said-"
"I changed my mind."
"If he finds out he'll kill you and I don't really mean that figuratively," Vega snapped.
Kato shook his head. "I don't care."
Vega was about to argue when Misha cut in. "Can we get going?" he snapped. "I've got teams to waste."
"Yeah, we all do, I want to see Kaosu blow up another tree," Jax said excitedly.
"I want to see him tear up a dish like the world tournament," Zax put in zealously and both grinned at Vega.
"I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunities," she replied distractedly, giving Kato a sideways look and then nodding at them.