Disclaimer - As stated before, if you recoginize it, then I don't own it.

Thank you to Kai's the Best, Kicking-S-ass & Minako Mikoto for reviewing. I am so happy that you are enjoying my story!

To K-S-A - As you are about to find out, blading Tyson first wasn't the only thing I changed but don't despair; there may be a battle yet b/t the 2 titans of beyblade.

A/N - This chapter came rather easy. The next chapter is giving me problems. The 2nd match was difficult to write & I hope that I did the 2 bladers justice. I am not very good at writing battle scenes w/h beyblades. I really hope that you like this chapter w/h what I changed about the story. (crosses fingers) Also I have a question. Can any of you guess who I have chosen as G-Revolutions fifth blader? I'm interested in seeing who you think it is.

Chapter Five - Victory or Defeat?

Round One - Takao vs. Daichi

Daichi looked surprised that Takao was going to be the first blader that G-Revolutions would face in the Justice Five tournament. The lineup had been decided by Boris since he had figured that the rebels would send out their weaker bladers first; leaving the final match for Kai. He wanted an early win and had switched their order around on purpose. With Takao battling first, a win was guaranteed and with Brooklyn blading second, they could easily win three in a row with Mystel following behind him but he hoped that the opposition would present a challenge to his bladers. An overwelming performance by BEGA would not entertain the crowd and legitimize his enterprise.

Takao was a little nervous as he stepped forward but Daichi even more so. He had expected to battle either Akane or maybe Brooklyn; not his former partner. Kai looked extremely pissed from Takao's perspective since this was the battle that he had been wanting. Maybe Akane and Brooklyn had been right to question his ability to face off against his old friends. He hadn't gotten too close to Daichi in the short amount of time they had been teammates and could put his feelings and emotions aside.

Takao smirked as he looked at the younger boy. "I thought this was the battle that you wanted," he teased with malice in his eyes. "I'm going to put you in your place, Takao," Daichi growled, "and I'm glad that it is me who was given the honor to do it." Kai had stepped forward but Hitoshi called him back since it was too late to change their lineup. Takao wondered briefly how well he had prepared his team for this battle.

"We shall see," Takao said, coldly as he briefly turned around to look at his teammates. They all nodded in reassurance. He would definitely win the first round. There was no doubt in his mind at all. Everyone knew that he would win and it was expected.

"Go Takao!" was the cheers eminenting from the crowd as he relaxed since the fans were on his side. They were treating him like he was still the world champion instead of Kai and Takao knew that this was only fueling the fire even more between the two teams. It made him wonder if they could ever be friends again. He hoped that when this was all over that they could come to some kind of mutual agreement; no matter what the outcome. Boris was certain that they would be victorious but Takao knew that G-Revolutions was going to be tougher than he anticipated. He knew better than to underestimate his old teammates.

"Here we go!" DJ shouted, "It is time for these bladers to prove who has the best team of all. Bring out the stadium!" The floor moved in front of Takao to reveal a rather plain dish with ruins and pillars.

"Hokey Dinah, you had better love this game if you are going to blade in this stadium," Brad announced from the booth. "The Hestia Stadium may look fancy but its treacherous," AJ remarked as Takao just sighed. It wasn't that challenging of a dish; he had bladed in a lot worse.

"Take a look at that dish, folks!" DJ added with awe, "which of our battling bladers has the skill to avoid the pitfalls of this stadium? Will Daichi make Kai's team proud or will Takao show us why he was the world champ for two years straight and send the win to BEGA? Whoever would have thought that these former teammates would be on opposing sides would have been considered insane a few months ago." Takao cracked open an eye as he looked toward Daichi, who was getting some last minute advice from his teammates. Kyoujyu had his lap top open to analyze the battle data; there was no doubt of that but he suspected that he was also scanning the stadium for any devices that would allow him to cheat. He was the former world champion for Kami's sake, he didn't need to cheat to win and he was going to prove it.

"It's time!" DJ shouted, "let's start the first battle of the Justice Five!" The cheering got even louder as Takao took a brief moment to look up at the stands. He saw the various members of the other teams sitting among the fans. They were here to support Kai since the crowd was predominantly on BEGA's side. "Okay, let's meet the competitors!" DJ shouted, "here comes Takao!"

Takao smiled as he walked up to the beydish. He waved at the fans, who only cheered even louder for him. "And where is Takao's opponent?" DJ continued, "here he is right now. Say hello to Daichi!" He jumped up onto the platform as the cheers turned to boos. Takao smirked at the faces that monkey boy was making. It had been so easy to turn the fans against them.

He briefly looked up to where Boris was sitting, who nodded. He knew that the director wanted him to prolong this battle so he could gather some data on their new blades. It would help his teammates as he returned the gesture to confirm that he understood what he wanted. He pulled out his launcher from one of his pant pockets. Unlike his other teammates, he prefered to use a normal launcher instead of a slingshot like Mystel's or a crossbow in the case of Brooklyn & Akane.

Besides, he doubted that his blade would even land in the dish if he tried to use one of those. They had become use to them but he got the same results from a normal launcher. He pulled out his new Dragoon blade and attached him. He was now ready. His attention then turned to his opponent, who turned to him and who the crowd was still booing.

"Meet the blade that will defeat you, Takao!" Daichi bragged as he showed off his new blade, "Gaia Dragoon Metal Spike will have the crowd cheering my name instead of yours and BEGA will be one step closer to losing. I will be known as the greatest blader of them all and not you." "I don't think so," he replied back with another smirk, "Dragoon Galaxy Tempest begs to differ. You will be the one who will lose. It is definitely not going to be me. I am the former world champ. You could only manage third place at the tournament without me as your partner."

Daichi growled in frustration at his words. Takao always knew that his big mouth was useful; it had just taken Akane to teach him how to use it properly. His eyes narrowed at the beyblade however. It was smaller than any he had ever seen. How could a blade that small have enough power to take down their own which was the best that BEGA had? This was going to be an interesting battle and Takao was actually looking forward to a bit of a challenge.

"Are you ready!" DJ ask as the two got into position, "3, 2, 1, - LET IT RIP!" Takao pulled back the ripcord so hard that he almost tore it in half by his power. His blade landed into the stadium without any problem but Daichi was nearly thrown back by his launch. It took everything he had just to stay on his feet as he frailed his arms about wildly. Takao could feel the force of Gaia Dragoon's launch from where he was standing. That little blade was a lot more powerful than he had anticipated.

"It looks like your launch was as unsteady as you are," he taunted, trying to make Daichi mad so he would make mistakes, "do you think you can win against me with that homemade blade of yours?" "Shut up!" Daichi yelled, "I'll show you. Go Gaia Dragoon!" Takao had to admit that Daichi's blade was faster than he had first thought as it circled around his own. He wasn't there just to battle Daichi and win but also do his own analysis of their blades so he could pass the information on to his teammates if there was any trouble.

That was why he had been the world champion for two straight years. He might have repeated it a third time if he had stayed but fate had conspired against him. Beyblading to him was just as important as anything you could learn at school. He could anticipate an opponent's attack and analyze their capabilities. He could use what he learned from others against them. That is why he had been the champion.

Takao knew that Daichi wouldn't play a waiting game for long and sure enough his experience proved right. "Go for it, Gaia Dragoon!" Daichi yelled as he went on the attack. Takao had to give the younger boy credit. His new blade did give him more power but not enough to beat him. Daichi seemed surprised that his blade hadn't moved after his strike but had stood his ground as they sawed away at one another.

Dragoon GT was holding his own. "No Way!" the younger blader exclaimed as the smile on Takao's face widened. "Your blade is powerful," he remarked, "and quite impressive but you will have to do better than that if you wish to beat me. Go Dragoon!" The tables quickly turned as he went on the attack and slammed Daichi's blade. Takao ignored everyone so he could concentrate on his match and show them the true power of the BEGA bladers.

He showed off a few of his new moves as Dragoon used his new blade to its fullest potential. He actually sent Daichi's blade skyward but it hit one of the pillars and bounced back into the center of the dish. "Having fun yet?" he smirked to the younger, who growled in frustration. "This isn't over, Takao," he hissed, "beyblading means everything to me. I won't let anyone take it away."

"And you think it is meaningless to me?" Takao ask with a raised eyebrow, "BEGA is just making the sport even more exciting and intense. Anyone in their right mind would jump at the opportunities and beybattles that I have been given. It is a pro-blader's dream come true." Takao knew that he was getting under Daichi's skin and that the younger would have to act fast if he wanted to win. The longer he prolonged this match, the more humilating his defeat would be.

"Go Gaia Dragoon!" Daichi countered, putting all of his energy into one last strike, "Use Prehistoric!" Takao felt the earth shake beneath his feet. Daichi's new attack was quite powerful and impressive as he felt like he was in the path of a giant meteor. "Yeah, that's it!" Daichi cheered, "blow the lid off this place! Spike Saw!"

That was the moment that Takao had been waiting for. It would take Gaia Dragoon a few seconds to impact with his blade and that was all he needed to give the victory to him. "Dragoon!" he ordered, seeing his opportunity, "Solar Wind Destroyer!" He heard his engine gear kick in as his bit chip lit up and Dragoon emerged with a roar. The funnel cloud that he created was so intense that he nearly lost his lucky hat to its power and Daichi had almost been sucked into the vortex as well.

It turned into a fierce battle between two different forces of nature. Daichi's earth element versus his control over air. Usually the earth could withstand the power of wind but not in this case. His tempest easily took away Daichi's power in mid-descent as Dragoon launched himself at his counterpart. The impact sent off an intense shockwave that made everyone cringe.

All Daichi could do was stand there and watch as their blades struck. The force of the blow sent Gaia Dragoon flying over his head and landed at Kai's feet. Takao hadn't planned it that way on purpose but it had been a nice effect. Daichi looked shocked that he had lost. He looked even more surprised as he turned back to him and saw Dragoon GT spinning perfectly in place in the destroyed dish like nothing had happened.

"It is over!" DJ announced as Dragoon returned to his hand, "after a fierce battle, the first game of the Justice Five has ended. Takao wins the battle with his skill and the power of his mighty Dragoon. That means BEGA takes the lead!" Takao couldn't help himself as he pumped his fist up into the air. "YES!" he shouted as the crowd cheered wildly and called his name. This is what beyblading was all about; this was what drew him to the sport: to hear the fans cheering your name, to battle a skilled opponent and to have as much fun as possible.

He could hear Akane clapping and cheering as well but the others were only smirking or smiling. Kai looked disgusted as the others looked downcast and upset; even Hitoshi was frowning. Daichi fell to his knees mumbling and hitting his fist into the floor, "I lost! I lost! I can't believe that I lost!"

Takao decided to be the bigger man and walked over to him. He offered his hand to the younger boy as he took it and helped him back to his feet. "Nice try," he remarked with a sincere smile and rubbing the bridge of his nose, "you had me worried there for a second. Maybe we can battle again sometime when there isn't anything at stake." "Congratulations, Takao," Daichi mumbled, "maybe I was wrong about you but only maybe."

He then walked back to his team as Takao returned to his own. "That was wicked, little bro," Akane congratulated first, "that was an impressive battle." "Hey Kai!" Garland taunted, "you don't stand a chance at beating BEGA. The next match is going to be even tougher than this one was." "Just bring it on," Kai replied, cooly, "my team has more skill than you realize so you had better be ready, Garland."

Kai and his teammates walked back to their bench. They had a fifteen minute break between the matches as the BEGA team went back to their locker room to have a brief conference. "Anything we should know about their blades?" Garland ask after the door shut. "Don't underestimate them," Takao suggested, "they are quite powerful and fast. They are not invinicible and can be beaten. Don't let them take you by surprise."

Everyone's eyes turned to Brooklyn and his upcoming match. He was yawning loudly and stretching his arms. He flopped down into one of the chairs and laid back in it. "I'm going to have a little siesta," he remarked, "wake me when it is time for the second match." "Are you even listening to Takao's advice, Brooklyn?" Garland demanded. "I've heard it all before," he replied, arrogantly, "I don't need to hear it again, Garland." Everyone thought an argument would start between them but Garland let it drop since he wasn't in the mood to fight with the ginger-hair; it would only cause more frustration on his part.

Round Two - Brooklyn vs. Rei

When they returned to the stadium after a small siesta as Brooklyn so fondly put it, the G-Revolutions were sitting on their bench. Rei seemed to be in a deep meditation since his legs were crossed and his eyes closed. Hiromi seemed to be having a fight with a towel over the fact that he had won. The others sweatdropped at her behavior but it was Hitoshi who ordered her to stop. Takao was glad that he didn't have to deal with her. "Don't be overconfident, Brooklyn," Takao warned the ginger-haired blader, "Rei is very dangerous and almost as good a bladeras Kai. He will beat you if you are not careful."

"I don't think so," Brooklyn admonished, arrogantly, "I never lose." A sigh alerted him to Akane who was shaking her head in disbelief. It seemed that he hadn't learned his lesson after all. "Welcome back blading fans!" DJ greeted, "to the second match of the Justice Five Tournament." "The second match pits Brooklyn vs. Rei," Brad stated from the booth, "this is Brad Best." "And AJ Topper," his other half continued, "we're back for the second match and the crowd is going wild over the blader of the hour, the young upstart Brooklyn!"

The crowd was chanting "Brooklyn! Brooklyn!" at the top of their lungs. Brooklyn just smiled cockily as his eyes looked across the stadium at G-Revolutions. Takao smirked since this was another unexpected move and if they thought he was an amateur they were mistaken. He hadn't shown much of his talent in his match against Ming Ming. Rei didn't know what was about to hit him. (A/N - I love Rei Rei too so nothing bad is going to happen to him.)

"This young rookie beat out Ming Ming in the qualifying tournament for a spot on the BEGA team," Brad remarked. "Not much is known about this kid," AJ added, "but he has to be good to beat a blader of Ming Ming's ability. She was ranked fifth in the BEGA standings, Brad." "For the second round," DJ interrupted, "our lucky bladers will be battling in the Battletown Stadium!" The dish rose out of the floor to reveal a replica of a Mediterranean fishing village.

"That dish is tight," Takao whistled, "there is little room to manuver down those streets." "I can handle it," Brooklyn smirked, "it is not a big deal." Takao didn't know how Brooklyn could remain so cocky. Rei had jumped up from the bench with a look on his face that Takao remembered vividly from the past. It was one of sheer determination and conviction. He was determined to win at any cost.

"Let's start this shall we?" DJ called as the two opponents walked forward. Brooklyn was calm but cocky while Rei's golden orbs could almost tear someone apart from just his gaze. Takao had never seen him in such a serious state of mind before and wished he was battling Rei instead of Brooklyn. "Are we ready?" DJ began, "3, 2, 1 - LET IT RIP!" Both blades launched as Zeus landed in the street and sat spinning in place.

The match proved intense from the start as Brooklyn simply smirked but Rei utilized his blade's incredible speed. Brooklyn was the type that would just wait another blader out but Rei went on the attack as Driger MS darted forward for a straightout assault. Takao knew that was unlike Rei as Driger's speed surprised even Brooklyn. Brooklyn tried to dodge but Driger nicked Zeus enough to send him flying into a building. "That was an incredible move," Akane murmured with awe, "he is one of the best bladers I have ever seen. Why didn't he win the tournament?"

"He lost his match against Kai," Takao stated, "they are equally matched but Kai will always be tougher. It's the only advantage he has over Rei. That move took perfect technique & timing. I wouldn't expect anything less from a blader of Rei's caliber." "No one does that to me," Brooklyn snarled, looking shocked as Zeus freed itself from the rubble, "I don't lose to anyone."

Driger than sped up and started to slam Zeus all over the dish. His moves were unpredictable and quick with absolutely no mercy. Brooklyn's fist clenched and the smirk faded from his face. He was getting angry since he could not anticipate Rei's attacks. He had never bladed someone with such skill and passion before. Akane began to get worried as did Takao when they saw a strange purplish-black fire form around Brooklyn.

"This is not good," Garland remarked as all of their eyes were on their teammate, "If he lets his emotions get the better of him, he will lose control. Akane is there anything you can do?" "I only talked him into competing in the tournament," she informed with a sigh, "he won't listen to me if he gets upset and if he gets really angry, Zeus will influence him even more and will block everyone out. There is nothing I can do or say. He's on his own."

Brooklyn then started to attack as their beybattle turned into a street fight. The buildings were being systematicly destroyed by their powerful slams. It was getting brutal as Brooklyn seemed to be slipping further and further into the darkness surrounding him. Akane called his name several times but he ignored her just as she had said. Takao was uncertain who would win and he could not tear his eyes away from the dish.

"I won't lose!" Rei shouted, "I told you, Brooklyn, I won't give up! I am not fighting just for myself. I am fighting for bladers all over the world! For my friends who built my hard metal beyblade by hand! For my clan, the White Tigers, who watch over and support me! For my teammates, who taught me the true spirit of beyblading. And for my one-time friend but now rival, who has always challenged me to be the best that I could! That is why I will never give up!"

Rei's eyes had turned to Takao for a brief moment during his passionate speech. He couldn't believe that the Neko-jin had thought so highly of him. It was quite unexpected. Brooklyn's face fell for a brief moment from the emotion that Rei had roused with his words. He wasn't fighting for anyone except himself and the BEGA organization.

Rei went back on the attack as Brooklyn just stood there with his eyes void of life and emotion. He seemed to be thinking over what the Neko-jin had said. He had always considered beyblading just a game of spinning tops that he easily won. "Snap out of it, Brooklyn!" he heard Boris shout from where he was sitting, "you are a member of team BEGA! I expect you to defend the honor of your team and organization!"

Takao watched in wonder as the match continued. He was surprised that Brooklyn was still in it. He had recovered from his moment of reflection but Rei was winning the match. He had never seen Rei battle so well before. It made him want to face him all over again. He was blading with a passion and pride that he had never seen.

"My friends and teammates are depending on me!" he shouted to Brooklyn, who actually looked a bit frightened, "I am not going to let them down! You'll have to deal with the full might of Driger! Metal Slash!" Rei began to glow a bright green. "I will not lose!" Brooklyn shouted, "Zeus, King of Darkness!"

Their blades collided shaking the very foundation of the building itself. They unleashed every ounce of the elemental forces inside their beyblades. You could hear them sawing away at the other as a blinding light erupted from the middle of the dish and the two beyblades. Takao shielded his face with an arm because of its intensity as his teammates did the same. It was quite a sight to witness since he had never seen such power before.

You couldn't even hear DJ over the noise and he was having a difficult time staying in his place from the force. The dish exploded as fragments of it went everywhere. There was then a blinding white and purplish light that shook the entire building. Pieces of debris fell down like raindrops. The entire dish was demolished and their blades were still fighting in mid-air.

It was an unbelievable sight as the two looked near exhaustion. They both groaned and fell to their knees at the same moment since they had depleted all of their energy. Their blades broke apart as everyone held their breath. It seemed that both blades were going to fall out of the dish. The two bladers were too tired to notice.

Akane who had been on the edge of her seat the entire match jumped to her feet and ran toward the platform. She yelled the one word that would change the outcome of the match to BEGA's favor. "BROOKLYN!" she screamed in fear, anguish and love. "What?" he whispered as his eyes shot open and with his last ounce of strength focused his attention on Zeus. It landed barely in the dish.

Everyone on the BEGA bench sighed in relief at the same time. Their attention then turned to Rei and watched as Driger MS fell and landed less than an inch outside of the dish. "Oh Rei," Takao mumbled as his throat tightened at the sight of one of his greatest rivals losing by a few mere centimeters. With his performance, he had either deserved to win or tie in the very least. "It's over!" DJ announced, "Zeus landed in the stadium but Driger is out! Brooklyn is the winner!"

The fans went wild cheering for the both of them since it had been an intense battle. Akane ran forward to Brooklyn first and caught him in her arms as he fell back from his fatigue. Takao joined her since Brooklyn was taller than she was and helped the youth to his feet. He was a bit unsteady at first but recovered quite quickly. "You did it, dude!" Takao congratulated with a grin, "and I think you learned something valuable in the process!"

"I learned never to underestimate my opponent ever again," he admitted with a slight smile, "Rei had me worried there for a few minutes. I really thought he was going to win." They were going to help him back to the bench and locker room but after a few moments, he shrugged off their help. "There is something I must do," he admitted as he pulled away, "I'll be right back." He walked unsteady but slowly over to Rei, who was still kneeling.

Like he had done in his match against Daichi, Brooklyn offered his hand to Rei in the same manner. "I have never battled someone like you before," he admitted as he helped Rei up, "you tested me to my fullest potential and it was a lot of fun. I hope that we can battle again sometime." "I'm just glad that you understand what I was battling for now," Rei remarked with a grin, "and I take you up on that offer but next time I will beat you." The smile on Brooklyn's face was geniune and Takao had never seen the ginger-haired blader so sincere before.

It was like something dark had been lifted away from him as Akane grabbed his beyblade from the debris. A sharp intake of breathe turned his attention to her. She was intently staring at his blade or the bit chip to be precise. "What is it?" he ask as she looked up at him with a startled expression, "what's wrong?" "Look at Zeus," she whispered as he took a look at the bit chip. He had never seen the blade up close and didn't see anything different about the picture but noticed that Rei had damaged it down to its core. Zeus would have to be totally rebuilt before Brooklyn could blade again.

"I don't see anything-" he began but was cut off by her. "Look at his wings," Akane insisted as he then recalled what Zeus had looked like during his own battle against Brooklyn. Zeus had been a terrifying sight to behold but the darkness surrounding him seemed to have lifted. His wings now glowed a pearly white and he truly looked like the Greek god he represented. "I thought something had changed about Brooklyn's demeanor at the end of the match," Akane informed, "I noticed that Zeus was different as well. It seems that Rei had a more positive affect on him than we could ever dream or hope."

Takao smiled as did Akane as she went to show Garland and Mystel the change in Zeus. Takao's eyes turned back to the two who were still oddly enough talking. He had never seen Brooklyn looking so happy and Rei had been the perfect person to help. 'Thank you, Rei,' he thought as his smile grew, 'you don't know what you have truly done for BEGA with your loss. I believe you did what none of us could accomplish. You saved an innocent soul from the darkness.' That put him in a better mood as they awaited the start of the third round of the tournament.

AS