It's Just For Fun, Right?
by Shadou-sama
Chapter 6 - Does Growing A Backbone Hurt?

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade.

A week later, the Demolition Boys sat in their private locker room at Windigo Stadium, four hours from Hieville. Unfortunately, Boris had not told them that it was a tag-team tournament.

"Shadra, your new blade," Boris said, handing it over to her. She looked shocked. She had thought she was beyblading with her usual one, the one she had made herself.

But as she looked over her new beyblade, she became more excited about it. It was a major improvement over her last one. Better balance, better weight, and she bet whole-heartedly better maneuverability. She couldn't argue with the colors, red based tipped with black. It looked wicked cool.

"The tag-team assignments are—"

"What?" the bladers all exclaimed, even the mute Fero.

"You never said—"

"We're not—"

"What the hell?"

"Silence," Boris snapped. "Tala, you're with Spencer; Bryan with Shadra."

"What?" Bryan almost yelled.

"Shut up, or you won't be blading."

Bryan did as he was told, glaring at the black-haired blader. Said blader wasn't too happy about it either. Why couldn't she pair up with Spencer? At least he wasn't constantly making snide remarks about her.

They left the room shortly after talking strategy. Shadra didn't really follow it, except for the 'win' part. That she could easily understand.

Bryan brushed past her, while growling, "You better not make me lose."


The only other Hieville Collegiate team was the White Tigers, sponsored by Gary's parents' restaurant. They too sat in their team locker room.

"So it's decided then," Ms. Chan said. "Mariah and Lee, Kevin and Gary."

"They'll get the tournament points so easily!" Kevin said, referring to Mariah and Lee. To get to the Inter-Collegiate Finals, a team had to have enough points to rank in the top four teams. To get these points, a team had to enter tournaments. Participating got you a point, runner up got a point plus the participation point, champion got a point plus the first two categories' points (totaling 3 points). The number of tournaments was up to the team (and their pocket books). Some teams had made it to Finals just for participating in a whole bunch of tournaments, while others just won a few. Team members could keep track by their battle analyzers, which were updated at the end of the tournament.

"We'll finally get to see those Demolition Boys in action!" Mariah said.

"They certainly do practice enough," Lee commented. "What was it you said, before and after school, plus all day on weekends?"

Mariah nodded.

"Then how come we've never seen them around school?" Kevin asked.

"They have a private training place," Ms. Chan explained.

"Which would explain why Shadra had to go into the guys' locker room," Mariah said. The others looked confused. "Didn't I tell you about her little escapade?"

They shook their heads no, so she told them. The boys had the same reaction as Mariah had when she was told, complete and utter laughter.

"I don't think that's very appropriate," Ms. Chan said, even though she was dying to break out into giggles.

"Yes, we have concentrate on the upcoming battles," Lee said, calming down.

They finished their strategy meeting, which had to do with winning, they gathered their stuff.

"Rei is out in the crowd, eh?" Lee asked.

"And Kai," Mariah said. "They're checking out the competition."

"As long as they don't check us too closely."


Twelve teams had been entered, but the matches went quickly. Tala and Spencer destroyed their competition. Bryan and Shadra also won easily. Mariah and Lee, no question about it, were the favorites of the tourney with their lightning quick moves and almost psychic communication. Unfortunately, Kevin and Gary had had to face off against their teammates and were knocked out. They didn't feel too bad, since Mariah and Lee were their number one shot to begin with.

The last three beybattles were scheduled to run the next day, since it was two-day. After the early date of the tourney, the overnight part was the biggest deterrent for teams. Not many with their small town sponsors or fundraising could afford to spend the night in a hotel. Some of the closer living teams went home for the night.

The Demolition Boys and their teacher advisor retired to their hotel suite, which was overtop the stadium.

"Tomorrow's battles will be a challenge, well, if you were on any team but this—" Boris was interrupted by the phone ringing. He scowled before picking it up.

"Hello?" Boris asked. He scowled even larger before saying, "For you, girl."

She smiled, oblivious to the glares everyone was sending her, flopped on the couch as she grabbed the phone from Boris' grip.

"Guess who?" the voice on the other line asked.

"The muffin man?" she asked. "That's great 'cause I'd like some chocolate muffin tops, you know, the ones where the stubs are cut off. And those little cream filled ones. Do you have any?"

Again, she was oblivious to the expressions her teammates and math teacher were giving her.

"Uh, no."

"Well, then how about some of those muffins with the icing on top. They're called something like mug-cakes, cup-muffs…"

"Cupcakes?"

"Yeah those! Cupcakes. Do you have any of those?"

"No, 'cause I'm not the muffin man! I'm not even a man."

"You're a eunuch?"

"I feel really glad that I told my team about your little run-in."

"Mariah! How could you? And it was Ivanov's fault! And it was a whole week ago so just drop it."

"Hey, you called me a guy," Mariah said.

"Phones make your voice sound different."

She heard Mariah sigh on the other line.

"So why'd ya call?"

"We're battling tomorrow."

"Oh yeah, we're in the same tier."

"And I was wondering if you figured out what your strategy is."

"Yep."

"I'll tell you ours if you tell us yours." Like they always did, she sould have remembered.

"Deal."

Boris motioned Bryan, who walked up to her lying on the couch and hit her on the head.

"Like ow!" she snapped at the lavender-haired blader. She glared at him, and covered the speaker end of the phone. "I'm getting invaluable information here so just wait a few minutes."

She turned back to the phone. "Sorry, please continue." She grabbed a pad of paper and a pen off the end table.

The boys watched silently as she scribbled a few things down onto the pad. Sometimes she'd say 'Mmm-hmmm,' or 'That's smart'.

"Our strategy? It's--" Bryan started making a move towards her, until he realized that the information she was giving the other person was totally bogus and outrageous. Not even a green beginner would try to pull that off.

She sat up and hung the phone up. After that was another few minutes of scribbling. Smirking, she handed the pad to Boris. "The Golden Pair's Strategy."


Mariah got off the phone in the White Tiger's suite. She sighed in relief, and felt her whole self relax. For a while, she had been worried.

"So what did Shadra have to say?" Lee asked. He was sprawled on the coach, while Kevin and Gary both took chairs, leaving their guests to sit on the love seat.

Mariah repeated Shadra's strategy. They were all laughing again.

"I don't know what's more funny, her feeling of the new guy or her strategy," Kevin said.

"We'll be able to beat them easily," Lee said. "Even though they know our strategy."

"I can't believe it's a tradition between you two to tell each other your strategies," Rei said.

"Yep, starting in second grade when she accidentally blurted it out to me then demanded I tell her mine."

Kai didn't say anything. He wasn't so sure that they should take that ridiculous strategy so seriously. But if his rival team was so earnest to believe it, why should he intervene?


Boris sat up late, hours after his beybladers had gone to bed. He was too excited to sleep. His new technology, the behavior modifier chip, was working perfectly. Results were much quicker than with his usual methods.

The first day it was in, the outcome was very noticeable. The fight with her friends, the bitter cold ending she gave it, and the silent treatment after. Plus, the new discipline traits that were such as standing straight and automatically rising when he entered, even though she couldn't pronounce the word. Oh yes, he knew all about that little incident, as Tala had reported it to him.

Now, merely two weeks later, the treachery she delivered to one of her closest friends was significant improvement. It had taken Boris two years to instill that in Tala. He was also proud of her resiliency, how she had bounced back instantly after Bryan's blow. And Bryan was no weakling.

He knew all about her friends, her beyblading record, her social life, her school work, and her personality. He had hired a headhunter and private investigator to find him the perfect test subject. He needed her silliness, her close ties, her flakiness, her weak will for his experiment. Her weak beyblading skills and love for the sport made her even more perfect. It would make it easier to lure her in, and control her until the behavior modifier chip took full effect.

And soon, hopefully, he'd be able to implement the second stage of the experiment.


At ten o'clock exactly, the Lee and Mariah VS Bryan and Shadra match began. The four displayed impressive launching RPM, as the announcer commented.

Bryan's purple blade and Shadra's red beyblade circled Lee's black one and Mariah's pink one. One audience member was recorded as being relieved at the different colored beyblades; it was much easier to keep track of.

With barely a glance between the Golden Pair, their blades struck out in opposite directions catching the Demolition Boy blades. The two D-Boys, expecting this, ordered their beyblades to circle around to the inside to strike Galux and Galleon forcing the two to the rim of the bowl.

But hope wasn't far off for the White Tigers. They managed to push back, giving themselves more space between them and a loss. The red and purple beyblade switched sides, catching the two White Tigers off guard. That move made it easier to smash into the black and pink blade and throw it out of the beydish.

"And the winner of this battle is Bryan and Shadra!" the announcer called. "But can they win the next one to win the match?"

Shadra smiled as she jumped into the dish to retrieve her beyblade, now that it had stopped spinning. Bryan still hadn't needed to go through with his implied threat.


Up in the stands, Kai and Rei were watching.

"That wasn't their plan," Rei said.

"What did you expect?" Kai asked. "She's a Demolition Boy now."

"What does that mean?" Rei asked.

"They're not a very cordial bunch." Kai closed his eyes. "I wouldn't be surprised."


The second beybattle of the match began.

"I guess I know how much my friendship means to you," Mariah said as all the blades were spinning around in the dish, no sign of the teamwork displayed in the last battle.

"It's your fault for believing such a stupid plan," Shadra said.

Galux and Shadra's red beyblade clashed in a fervent battle. They sawed at each other, pushing the line one way, then the next. On the other side of the beydish, Galleon was being pummeled by constant quick attacks from Falborg.

"Galux, cat scratch attack!" Mariah commanded.

The pink beyblade sped up infinitely, then went on to barrage the red beyblade with lightning quick scalpel-like cuts. Shadra's beyblade, unable to take it anymore, stopped spinning.

Shadra scowled. She had improved so much, yet she still lost. And she knew why. Mariah had a bit-beast, she didn't. No matter how good she got, they would always beat her.

Bryan took his attention off the match for one second to give her a very menacing glare. Mariah took the opportunity to help her partner out. Falborg sped in to take another blow to Galleon, but Galux intercepted, pushing Falborg off course. Bryan took one look at what had happened, and his scowl increased.

The two White Tiger beyblades ganged up on him. They took turns hitting him towards the edge, as quick as rapid fire. Falborg made one attempt to escape, but Galeon, out for a little revenge, blocked him strongly, which actually pushed the purple beyblade out of the dish.

"And the winner of the second beybattle is Lee and Mariah!"


"Yeah!" Rei cheered after the announcement went up. He doubted that Mariah could hear him, over the thunderous applause of the audience. "One down, one to go."

"Don't count your chickens before they hatch," Kai said. Rei looked at him, waiting for him to explain. "They need to win once more, and the Demolition Boys will be fiercer, it's their last chance to win as well. And look." Kai motioned the teacher advisor and the lavender haired new kid.


Boris waited until Shadra had retreated to their locker room to replace her attack ring (brutally damaged by Galux's attack) before he gave Bryan his new instructions. Whatever progress she had made, it wasn't enough that she wouldn't object.

"Don't lose," Boris reminded him, after the instructions. Bryan gave one quick nod.


The beybladers stood up on the podium. Shadra was all too aware of Bryan's descending view of her. If she didn't win… She hoped the new attack ring worked well with her combo, she had had to settle. The identical spare attack ring was nowhere to be found.

"Three!" The beybladers took their positions around the beydish. Mariah wanted to win this battle more than anything. Shadra had lied to her. It hurt. She was going to get revenge by winning the match.

"Two!" They fell back into launching position. Lee noticed the tenseness of his partner. She was hurt. He hoped that she could channel that correctly, or there'd be another pain for her. Losing the match.

"One!" They put their hands to the ripcords. Bryan knew that if they didn't win, well, Shadra wouldn't be so perky anymore.

"Let it rip!" They launched their beyblades simultaneously.

"Falborg!" Bryan called. Mariah and Lee's eyes widened. They hadn't known that he had a bit-beast! A gust of wind, hurricane force, whipped out at the two of them. They crossed their arms to defend their faces. They both felt searing pain scratch across them. The wind dropped down.

Mariah glanced herself over. A long shallow gash spread across her right arm. Lee noticed he too had a cut.

Bryan took the opportunity to hammer at Galleon, but Shadra stood shocked. What the hell had just happened? Why were her friends hurt?'

Mariah looked up and glared at the two Demolition Boys. Furious, she battled on mercilessly.


"What just happened?" Rei asked in the stands.

"I don't know," Kai said. "But Falborg is a wind type bit-beast, it looks like."

"I didn't see a bit-beast," Rei said.

"Because it's the same color as the air."


Shadra had only so much she could do to fend off Mariah's attack. The pink-haired girl looked super pissed, her pupils slits and her fangs bared. Why didn't she attack Bryan this way? He was the one who did whatever it was that happened to her. Mariah must think that Shadra was involved.

On the other hand, Bryan was conquering over Lee. Falborg pounded on the black beyblade. Lee finally had enough.

"Galeon!" Lee called. The black lion rose from the bit. "Black thunder black lightning!"

Black lightning bolts surrounded the king of cats, building up until they swooshed in a solid beam aimed at the purple beyblade.

"Swerve!" Bryan commanded, but it was too little too late. The full on blast hit Falborg. When the blackness cleared up, the purple beyblade was defeated.

Bryan growled, showing his fury. That hopeless beyblading girl with no bit-beast was his last hope of getting a win.

Unfortunately, Shadra was fairing horribly at the paws of Mariah. Her red beyblade flitted around the dish like a leaf in a gale storm. To make matters worse, added to the Galux storm was Galleon. In merely twelve seconds, her red blade was knocked out of the bowl.

"Going on to the final round, with a one-in-two chance of winning… Lee and Mariah!"


Rei cheered in the stands, joined by the White Tigers' fans, and heck, even those who were for the Demolition Boys. Possibly the only one not cheering was Kai, who was running the battle through his head.

"After this next match, we'll find out who'll Mariah and Lee will be challenging," Rei said, returning to his seated position.

"The other Demolition Boys pair, or that couple from Lakeridge," Kai said.

"Who do you think will win?" Rei asked.

"Demolition Boys," Kai answered immediately.

"Hey, have you ever noticed how our small-town school has all the great beybladers?" Rei asked. The two-toned hair beyblader nodded. "Why do you think that is?"

"We're simply superior."


Bryan was angry. No, he was past angry. He was at the point of violent raging fury. He never lost. Now, thanks to he's inferior partner, he had. Once inside the locker room, away from prying eyes, he let his emotion be known.

The other two Demolition Boys just watched as Bryan took it out on Shadra, physically. They didn't care, and why should they? Bryan was only hurting the useless member of their team. Even Mr. Boris waited at the sidelines.

He held her up against the wall, her feet inches from the ground, by the neck. Shadra's face was turning blue from lack of oxygen. Her hands were at his one, trying to pry them off. Bryan yelled at her for how stupid, how useless, how simply inferior she was. That she shouldn't even be on the team.

He wasn't the only one angry. Shadra felt the emotion rise in her at the constant insults and lack of oxygen. She was suffocating. He did not intend to let her live. She slammed her fist into his nose.

Bryan let go more from surprise than actual hurt. It had felt like a pixie tried to hit him.

"There are two teammates in tag-team! Two people responsible for a lost! And you were the first one out! So don't blame it on me!" she yelled, as soon as she had caught her breath.

Tala snickered. "Look's like she actually has some fight in her."

Spencer smiled. She had actually hit the sadistic beyblader, even yelled back at him.

Boris smirked. Another success added to the behavior modifier chip's list.

They waited for Bryan's response. So far, he hadn't done anything but stand there, not an expression, not a movement. Sure, he could beat her into a coma, but he might actually get hurt in the process. Now she was a part of the team. They had all hit each other. Besides, they needed a fourth member to compete. If she were in a coma, she'd be totally useless.

"You lost first in the second beybattle," Bryan said, grinning. One up on her.

"Oh, and Mr. I'm-Such-The-Perfect-Blader can't handle a little two-on-one?"

"Not when I'm distracted my your ugly face."

"You haven't even mastered concentration, one of the basic skills? Shame."

They kept on insulting each other until Tala and Spencer's match. But thankfully, for both of them, there was no assaulting.


Shadra closed the door to her house after Mr. Boris had dropped her off. "Richard? Carly?" greeted her, coming from the kitchen.

"No, it's just me," Shadra said as she entered the room. Her mother was sitting at the island alone, but with enough food to feed three.

"I didn't expect you back so soon," her mother said, glancing at the food. "I didn't make enough…"

"Don't worry, I'll just have Carly's," Shadra said, sitting down at a plate and started piling food on. Her mother just smiled.

"How was the tournament?"

"Five by five. It was tag-team."

"Yeah? And how did that go?"

"Made it to the semi-finals, but got trashed by Mariah and Lee."

"Those two have been beyblading together forever," her mother reminisced. "I remember when they were little tots, always holding onto their launchers, beating the older kids."

"Yeah, it's real surreal. Especially the part where we didn't live here then."

"Don't make fun of your mother, the one with the hole in her skull. Don't give me that look, it's absolutely true. No, it has not healed yet. Yes, I'm such a horrible mother," she said, answering the expressions on her daughter's face. "So they won, right?"

"Mariah and Lee? Naw, Tala and Spencer did, though it was real close. I thought for a second they had won."

"So do you have a break tomorrow?" her mother asked. "From training."

"This is my break right now."

"That Mr. Boris sure works you hard," her mother commented.

"But my skills have improved like crazy. Hey, where is Carly and Dick?"

Her mother frowned at the use of that nickname. "Your stepsister needs to get a new pair of sneakers for cheerleading. Richard went along so that she'd buy sensible shoes."

"And a few new outfits."

"Shadra!"

"It's true, Dick spoils her."

"He spoils you too."

"But I don't take advantage."

"That's true."

Shadra laughed. "Two points for me, while the greedy daughter gets none."

"Plus new shoes."

To be continued...