Tyson fell through the doorway, landing in an undignified heap on the floor. Scrambling up, he glanced quickly around the room. No guards or robots, or anything like that. Keeping a wary hand on his beyblade, he skirted round the edge of the room. He ran up to Max, and nearly threw up, horrified.
Max's hair was tangled and matted, stuck to his white face with sweat. His eyes were shut. Bouts of shivering racked his body continuously. At the sound of Tyson's horrified gasp, he tried to open his eyes, succeeding in opening them partially. One corner of his mouth twitched up, in what was obviously supposed to be a reassuring grin. Unaware he was crying until the tears splashed onto the floor, Tyson took a couple of steps forwards and reached out a shaking hand. Max's unfocused eyes sharpened suddenly and he whispered desperately, his voice weak.
"Tyson…No…it's a - it's a…" His voice trailed off as hacking coughs tore his parched throat. His head flopped to one side as he slipped into unconsciousness. Too late, Tyson realised what Max had been trying to say. As he had leaned forwards, he had activated a trap. He flung himself sideways, emitting a hiss of pain as a razor-sharp beyblade sliced across his already bruised arm. Another second and he wouldn't have escaped so lightly. Spinning around, he watched as a door opened and a boy stepped through.
The two boys glared at each other. The newcomer was a little older than Tyson, possibly Ray's age. His short black hair framed an unusual face. Thin and pale to the point of anorexic, with sharply jutting-out cheekbones. However, it wasn't that that had Tyson staring in mixed amazement and revulsion. His eyes were strange, alien. Where normal people had an iris that was, say, green, blue etc…this guy's iris was deep, dark brown. It didn't look like he had an iris at all, just a massive pupil. The effect was spooky, and Tyson found himself having to squash the fear that rose up inside him. He shook himself.
"Who are you and what do you want?" he said aggressively. Woken by Tyson's voice, Max opened his eyes and with a supreme effort, rolled over. He shrank back when he saw who stood there. His eyes widened.
"Oh no…Tyson, be careful…" he choked out. The stranger shot him a glance. Max shrank back further, whimpering with fear. The stranger looked at Tyson and bowed scornfully.
"They call me Vortex. I've been waiting for this for a long time, World Champion." He drew a black beyblade from his trouser pocket and launched it straight at Tyson. Tyson flinched backwards and automatically grabbed his own blade. He stopped himself just in time and looked straight at Vortex. The black blade swerved aside at the last minute and returned to circle around its master. Vortex's face contracted in surprise and anger. "Next time, she won't miss, Tyson! Now, fight me!" Tyson stared at him.
"Oh yes, and why would I do that?" he said flatly.
"Astreo!" yelled Vortex. The black blade circled one more time, then flew at Tyson again. Tyson stood there, waiting. Max screamed hoarsely.
"Tyson! Watch out!" He tried to lever himself up, but failed. As he flopped down, he looked terrified at the blade getting ever closer to the unmoving Tyson.
Astreo sliced Tyson across the cheek, then spun back to Vortex. Vortex smiled triumphantly. The smile quickly faded when he realised that Tyson hadn't moved.
"What the-" He stopped himself. If simple threats wouldn't work, he would have to try making Tyson angry, which was notoriously easy to do anyway…yes, that would work! He made the smallest movement with his hand and Astreo went straight towards Max. Max's eyes went wild with fear and he tried to move out of the way, restrained by the ropes tying him to the table. Tyson took an involuntary step forwards. Nodding in satisfaction, Vortex made Astreo swing out of the way, circling Max's head, before flying up and landing upside down on the ceiling. Tyson glared, furious at Vortex, who stared back calmly.
"I expect you're wondering why Max is so scared of me and Astreo? Take a look." Tyson swung round and stared at Max, suddenly noticing the deep cuts over his wrists and face.
Seeing Max lying there, sick, wounded, terrified, put the finishing touches to Tyson's rage. He turned around slowly, fury blazing in every line of his face.
"You just stepped over the line, bud!" he said viciously, launching his blade at last. Vortex grinned.
"Astreo!" he yelled. His blade floated in mid-air as a black ball, radiating power, emerged. "This is my bit beast, Tyson!" he yelled. "How do you like it? Astreo, show Tyson what true power means! Black Radius!" he screamed.
Kenny jerked his head up and stared at the misty glass.
"Ray! Leave Thomas alone for a minute. Can we get through that door Tyson went through?" he demanded. Ray blinked, dropped a bleeding, beaten Thomas and thought, wiping a trickle of blood from a gash above his eye.
"Yeah, don't see why not. Why do you want to know?" Kenny swung the computer round to show Ray and Hillary.
"Look at that power!" marvelled Hilary.
"Yeah, but it's not Tyson or Max!" snapped Kenny. Ray stood up.
"What are we waiting for?" he demanded. "Let's go!" He limped hurriedly towards the door, then stopped abruptly. "No! Don't move!" he hissed, stopping the other two in their tracks. "Don't go in!"
"Yeah, no kidding!" muttered Hilary.
Kai was pacing up and down the lounge when he heard someone coming up the stairs. Judy came into the room. Kai nodded his head in greeting.
"Thanks for coming-this is Sarah-Sarah this is Judy, Max's mum-I'll call if we need help-right I'm off-okay-bye!" Finishing his speech, he grabbed Hilary's mobile phone off the table and tore out of the door, leaving a very confused Judy behind.
Kai pounded down the streets, not stopping to wonder how he knew where he was going. He turned left, crashing into a wall. He stopped abruptly and tried to make sense of it. The others were definitely behind that wall, so, obviously, there was a door somewhere…He paused, sensing a massive power burst building inside…
Hilary, Ray and Kenny stood in the doorway, watching, frozen, as Vortex unleashed his full power…
Power radiated from the black ball. Max screamed in agony as the first shockwave hit him. The temperature in the rose several degrees as Vortex looked up at the ball, his mad voice yelling out commands no one could hear, as the ball continued to radiate incredible power. The room began to crack up under the strain, till the only solid things left were Max on the table, the part of the wall containing the door, himself, and, and…Vortex strained his eyes, trying to see through the distorted air. As the attack ended, he dropped onto one knee, worn out, panting, blade wobbling and slowing. His eyes stretched insanely as he took in what had happened.
"No…" he whispered. "It's not possible! It's not, it's not…" His voice trailed off as Tyson stood up. His blade was still spinning as if nothing had happened and if anything, was getting stronger.
Kenny gasped.
"That attack should've destroyed Tyson's blade!" he said disbelievingly.
"Why didn't it?" asked Hilary. Kenny shook his head.
"I've no idea. But, Tyson's powering up now…" Ray frowned.
"Why are you worried, Kenny?" he asked questioningly.
"You'll see." Kenny said nervously.
Tyson straightened up, casting a quick look at Max's semi-conscious body. His blade spun faster and faster as he faced Vortex directly.
"So, you thought that was power?" said Tyson, voice shaking with fury. "Hah! I'll show you real power! Come on Dragoon, this one's for Max! GALAXY TWISTER!" he roared.
What was left of the room disappeared completely in the raging hurricane that followed, as Tyson demonstrated the unrivalled power that made him the strongest blader on the planet. Vortex turned to run, knowing that he was outclassed, but the wind picked him up by the legs and dangled him in midair. Tyson looked up at him, face twisted with rage and hatred. "Oh no," he said dangerously. "You're not getting away that easily. I'm gonna make you pay for everything that you've done to Max. You're gonna be begging for mercy by the time I'm finished with you!" Vortex yelled in pain as the wind slashed him across the stomach. He doubled up, blood dripping from the wound. Kenny, Hilary and Ray burst into the room.
"Tyson! Stop!" screamed Hilary shrilly. Tyson had lost it! Completely and utterly lost it!
"I'm not stopping, Hilary, until he's paid for what he did!" screamed Tyson, looking as insane as Vortex had ever been.
"He's paid!" Kenny yelled desperately.
"No, he hasn't! DRAGOON!" Tyson bellowed. Ray dragged the other two back just in time, as the mighty dragon exploded out of its beyblade. "Now you'll see how a World Champion fights!" Tyson yelled. The blood drained from Vortex's face. The massive dragon bit beast had picked up a huge chunk of wall and was aiming it at him. Hillary and Kenny whimpered. Even Ray shrank back in fear. Dragoon had doubled in size and was glowing faintly red, responding to Tyson's rage. It raised its arm. Max pulled himself up onto his elbows and with his last ounce of strength, screamed desperately at Tyson.
"Tyson, you idiot! He's had enough! Now, stop!" He collapsed. Tyson turned round and looked at Max, face expressionless. The wind faded, dropping Vortex to the floor with a thud. The others watched as the mad light drained from Tyson's eyes and he fell to his knees, tears streaking slowly down his cheeks. Dragoon dropped the chunk of metal and disappeared back inside the blade, stopping to cast a sympathetic glance at his stricken master. Tyson got up and stumbled over to Max. He stood beside him for a minute, eyes closed. Then, without looking at the others, he spoke.
"I'm sorry." His voice broke "I've been a complete and utter idiot." Hilary stepped forwards, barely able to stop herself from crying.
"It's…okay, Tyson." she said haltingly. She touched him lightly on the arm in sympathy. Tyson flinched, backing away. Pretending she hadn't noticed, Hilary moved to look at Max.
The room was still stifling hot from Vortex's attack, and Max was suffering. His breathing was quick and shallow, cheeks flushed, his head moving restlessly from side to side as he muttered nonsense to himself. Hilary brushed a hand lightly across his forehead, then bit her lip.
"Right..." she said uncertainly "Let's get out of here." Everyone nodded, and Kenny stood up, carefully packing away his laptop. Suddenly, a hidden loudspeaker in the other room hissed into action.
"I'm sorry, it might not be that easy!" said the sarcastic voice of the coach. "You see, I've blocked off the doors, just for some entertainment you understa-" The loudspeaker shattered as Tyson flung a brick at it, his temper rising again. Resting a warning hand on Tyson's shoulder, Ray shrugged.
"Okay, then. Let's go find the way out of here."
"But he said-"
"Since when did we ever listen to creeps like him?" asked Ray, raising a lazy eyebrow. Silently, Tyson picked Max up and walked out. The others followed, picking their way carefully over the rubble. Ray made sure to kick the semi-conscious Vortex on his way out.