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Trial By Old Flames

Chapter Six: Sibling Rivalry

Distant Storm

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Last Time:

"Well, I guess someone's going to have to fill in for him," Ray said. "We aren't disbanding now, I guess we're going to have to take his ass down."

"Who's going to be ready on such little notice?"

Kenny looked up at the rest of the group. There were two answers in front of them.

"Alright, auditions start now," Tyson said. He looked at Carrie and Wyatt. "You two, the winner gets to take Kai's spot."

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"You sure you want to do this?" Wyatt asked. "Without-"

"Without Pyrina? Honey, I could take you down in my sleep."

"But I have Remmaine."

"Okay, well, put your blade where your mouth is."

"You two ready?" Max looked back and forth between the two of them.

"Let's go." Wyatt held out his beyblade straight out, almost level with her shoulders.

She however, chose a different approach. Her beyblade launcher was held straight up, parallel with her body.

"Three, two, one-"

"Let it rip!" The entire team watched as the siblings began to fight it out.

Wyatt's blade had yet to change too much, yet he was much more agressive than last time.

Looking at Carrie though, they all noticed that her style had changed almost completely. She was still very agressive, but she no longer fought like she wanted to kill her opponent.

"Come on bro, I know you've got more in you." She attacked him with a quick jolt of energy that knocked his beyblade off balance.

"Remmaine! Let's go!" He began a full throttle assault. She judged him as being irrational for that one.

"Uh, uh, uh," She said, wagging a finger. "I wouldn't attack me like that," she commented.

"Why not?"

"Because, I might just turn it around on you." She smiled sincerely. "This has been fun, bro."

"Yeah."

Wyatt looked up at her sister. The blue glimmer in her eyes was priceless. "One final blast?"

"One final blast."

The two beyblades collided, and smoke covered the entire dish. Both beybladers stood back. The glow from the lion bit beast dimmed away, and Wyatt found his beyblade spinning shakily on the outside of the dish.

"Carrie is the winner!"

"Good job," Wyatt said, hugging his sister. "I figured you'd win. You're the one with the motive."

"Yeah, well, it did come close."

"The second Pyrina comes back, we'll be unbeatable," Max said.

"If she ever does." She looked at her beyblade, then slipped it into her pocket. "Does anyone have Tala's phone number?"

"You know Tala?" Tyson asked. Then he caught everyone's blank stare. "Oh, yeah, right."

"Here," Ray said, handing her his cell phone. She drew out hers, a slick black phone, and dialed in the number. They all waited, as she hit the speaker phone button just before he picked up.

"Hello?" She smiled. Sometimes the most familiar things, even the sucky things could make you feel pretty good.

"It's me," Carrie said, a hint of her old self coming through in her voice.

"Oh God."

"Chill out." Her voice was suddenly back to the way it had been since she had returned. "I was just doing it for recognition. You know who I am."

"What do you want?" He asked, his voice filled with loathing. Loathing toward her.

"Is Kai with you?"

"No."

Why the hell would he be with me?

"He left a message on Ray's phone saying he went with you to Russia. He said he was joining the Demolition Boys or Blitzkrieg Boys or whatever the hell you decided to call yourselves this year."

"I never met up with him."

"Oh great, now we know he's lying to us."

"Well, it is like Kai to do something like this." Ray looked at the group. Tyson nodded. "But something doesn't feel right."

"Hold on."

"Yeah?" Carrie asked.

"That sounded like Ray Kon."

"This isn't going to be an easy conversation. We need to meet up somewhere."

"I'm in Hong Kong."

"Why?" Tala ignored her. "Prying, sorry."

"What the hell did you say?"

"Sorry?"

"Shit, what the hell happened to you?"

"Kai Hiwitari."

"I'll catch a train." With that, the line went dead.

"Ahh," She said. "Tala. A man of many words." She then looked around to the rest of the group. "So, what the hell are we going to tell Dickenson?"

"I don't know. An expsychopath on the Bladebreakers?" Tyson said.

"Yep, sounds like us." Hilary smirked. "Except for the fact that there is a psychopath on the Bladebreakers. And he's also a bottomless pit."

"Tyson!" Everyone else chimed, except for the accused who shoved his way away from Hilary. Carrie looked to Wyatt. He was laughing. Part of her felt guilty because she was chosen to be a part of the best team yet, and he had been defeated by his sister.

He smiled reassuringly. "Sis, you know I wouldn't have been ready for that kind of competition. Don't look so guilty."

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Tala sat at a cafe with his teammates Spencer, Bryan, and Ian. They had heard his conversation and begged to come.

They made her sound like an attraction at the zoo.

I wonder if she really did change.

Maybe she did.

The other three sat around waiting, drinking soda. The arrival of Carrie Ann would mean something to them all.

Wonder what her last name is these days.

Boris did ship her out to an orphanage.

She used to say she'd rather be killed.

I bet she's still pissed at him for that.

What Tala didn't really expect to see was the Bladebreakers entering the same cafe.

"What the hell do you want?" He asked. They all stared at him.

"Dude, we were just on the phone with you," Tyson stated. He raised his eyebrows.

"So I did hear Ray. Where the hell is Carrie?"

"Right here in front of you," She said, being the blonde standing next to Ray. The four Russian beybladers stared at her in absolute astonishment.

"Tala, you said she was Boris' old second in command. This girl looks like a country star."

"Let me guess," Max said, predicting what Tala said next. "What the hell happened to you?"

Idiot.

This has got to be a joke.

No southern belle is going to prance in here and declare that their the evilest person to ever be trained at the abbey.

Carrie Ann is much more vicious.

"No. What the fuck happened to you?"

"My brother and Kai didn't like it, and I was pretty much a psychopath when some old abbey kids teamed up on my bro. Kai beat the living shit out of me in a beybattle, and now two years later, I'm a little more me and a little less biovolt soldier."

"Either way," Bryan said, "You look good." The others nodded.

"Who's your brother?"

"Me." Wyatt stepped toward the front of the group. "I'm one of Kai's friends," he said.

"I know. Kai talked about you."

"You mean Kai actually talked?" Hilary said. She nudged Tyson, whispering, "Yeah, those two in a conversation. The walls were probably bored and decided to carry on a conversation." They both chuckled.

"Alright, my turn for some comments."Carrie nodded, looking to Tala. "First of all, I never heard anything from Kai."

"Figures," She said. Ray looked at her, catching her glance. She looked like something was wrong. In the pit of his somach, there was a sensation that told him the exact same thing.

"Second," Tala said, looking at Carrie with a glare, "This is a bit too fake," he said. "Carrie Ann is the most vicious person I've ever met."

"Was," she said.

"I bet you're just using this as a facade." He got in her face. "You know just as well as I do that you don't just recover from these things."

Carrie let him stay right in his face. "I know you hate me," She said. "You want the truth?"

"Yes."

Please. People like us don't change that easily.

"My name is Carrie Ann Omara, I used to be the most ruthless person in your life and the lives of many others. Now, I am going to the World Championships."

"With what team?"

"The Bladebreakers."

Tala dropped his empty glass. "You've got to be kidding me." He looked at his teammates. These things just didn't happen. "You're telling me, that the girl who's nearly killed me on several occasions is going to be on the most goody goody team the league has seen in years?"

"That's exactly what she's saying," Tyson.

"Not quite."

"As always," Tala said, smirking up at her. "There has to be a catch."

She smirked back a smirk that was worthy of Kai. "We're going to kick everyone else's sorry asses. And also, I owe you an apology."

"You're kidding." The boys all looked at her.

"I'm sorry-"

"You know what? Save it." Tala said, getting up. "I don't need to hear it."

Tala began to walk toward the door, but Carrie stepped in front of him, beyblade extended, bit forward, toward his face.

"Fine, don't accept my apology. But I'm telling you, I'm not who I was."

Pyrina.

She's gone.

"What happened to your bit beast?" Tala questioned cheekily. "Get sick of killing people?"

"Kai destroyed it. Actually, I think I was the one who destroyed it all along." She paused. "I never killed people Tala," she traced the outline of her beyblade. "I knew you were the one person who could possibly beat me, save Kai. If anything, I was preparing you for what was to come. I knew it would happen sooner or later. You were always there, from the time you were born." She turned.

"You believe that?"

"I don't know what I believe," she said after a moment. Tala stared into her blue orbs demanding an answer. "Alright, fine.You know what I believe? I believe I've made so many mistakes, ones beyond forgiveness. Kai was the one who gave me a second chance. I didn't ask. I came back here asking about him, not reminiscing about when I used to beat you because Boris told me to. Those were different times." She looked back at him. "If you want to beat the shit out of me, go right ahead." She looked at him. "I won't move."

"Get outside," he muttered.

Everyone stared at the duo in horror. "He's not really going to beat her, is he?"

"He might," Bryan said. "There's too many scars that Boris has put on him. She was, all in all, just like Boris' daughter. Thankfully, she isn't because she's much more attractive." They all paraded outside, to where Tala stood with her in the park, hidden by trees. She stood there, back to him, her white blouse lying on the ground. Underneath was a blue halter, that tied in the back twice, exposing most of the skin on her back.

Damn.

"He beat you too?" Tala questioned.

"More than any of you." She turned around, defiance in her eyes. "Everytime someone in my charge would screw up, I'd beat them up pretty good, and get lashings from Boris until I couldn't see." She tilted her head to see her back. "There'd be times when I wouldn't be around for a few days, and that would be when I was in my room, unable to move. They only kept me for Pyrina. Not too many people could make one of the purest bit beasts go evil." Her back was just as tan as the rest of her skin, laced with numerous pink scars, looking like they had come from a switch."And then you all wondered why I was so evil," She commented.

Tala dropped his hands to his side. She turned around and looked at him. He merely went to go walk away.

"The hell you're walking away," She said, angrier. "If you aren't going to hurt me for what I have done then get your ass back over here." She paused. "We've got to find Kai, and we might need your help."

"Spare me," Tala said, annoyed. "You always want people to help you out."

"Okay," Max said. "Our entire team wants your help."

"If Kai left, I wouldn't doubt it's because of somekind of power quest. He'll show up eventually."

"Yeah Tala, the last time you said that, he showed up with Black Dranzer."

"Then maybe history is doomed to repeat itself." He motioned to his team mates, who caught up to him. "What a waste of time," he yelled behind him.

Carrie stood there, cold and exposed from what she had allowed Tala to see. Max put her blouse back over her shoulders. "Don't worry about him, he's always like that."

"Yeah, but I think something's up with him."

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"Well, now," a voice crooned. "I suppose that we're all ready now. Meet your new team mates, Brady and Mark."

"And the best thing is," A Second voice commented, "We're in complete control. No one will stop us now."

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