Chapter 22
Lucky Number 7
Silence was the last thing that was heard in the hotel later that evening.
"I can't believe we beat them!" I said as I slung my arm over Johnny's shoulder in the lobby. Both of us were sitting on a couch and the others were around us. Oliver and Robert sat at a nearby table and Enrique was sitting at the foot of the couch, his head leaned up against the armrest. Even though we had been talking about it for over an hour, winning the battle was the only thing on our minds. "But hey, if anyone was going to do it, it'd be us, partner."
"Aww…." Johnny said, "it was nothing. But hey, I am the greatest."
"Yeah," I said, "The greatest who passed out right after the battle."
"Hey!" He retaliated, "I used a lot of energy during that battle, especially when our Bitbeasts combined, but it was worth it. It was so cool."
"I hope you can remember it well," I said, "because I think that was a one-in-a-lifetime experience. I don't think it's ever been done, and I don't think it will happen again."
"What about Tala though?" Oliver asked.
"I'm thinking that Motoki can combine with any Bitbeast captured in physical form but not spirit like us. That was truly a bond between them both."
"But Boris is behind all of Tala's doings?" Robert asked.
"Yes. Motoki's combining ability must have been the 'project' Kai mentioned," I said, "That means he has control over Motoki's power as well the All-Stars' and White Tigers' Bitbeasts. If the Windwakers aren't careful, their Bitbeasts will be captured too."
"We have to put a stop to it." Robert said.
"But how?" Johnny asked.
"Anyway we can." I said, "We'll have to defeat Motoki, I know, but rehabilitating Tala, if that's possible…"
I trailed off there. I had never thought about that before. I knew that Tala would be broken off from darkness if Motoki was defeated, but it could still affect him; would he ever be the same again? Would I ever get to see the real Tala? How I missed him now. When I would blade with him before, he always made me happy, but now I was disgusted at the sight of him---I mean---I had almost killed him today. But, Orelin had told me that things would work out, and if Orelin guided me, I could never go wrong.
"Ah let's forget about that," Enrique said, " We should be celebrating! We're in the final three!"
"You're right." I said. I had no right to dampen the team's spirit now that we had come so far, "Wait—have we packed?"
"Already done." Oliver said blandly.
"You still have the--" I started.
"The tickets are right here." Robert said dully, pulling them out of his pocket.
These guys needed some excitement. They looked so bored, just sitting there.
"We need to go do something," I said, "you know, a night on the town."
"Where are we going to go?" Johnny asked, "The wonderful museum of sand?"
"How about a victory dinner?" I asked.
"That sounds good to me." Oliver said.
"Besides," I said, "I would like to find the Bladebreakers anyway."
"And if Tyson has his way," Johnny said, "They'll be at a restaurant, and they'll be there for hours."
"Then let's go!" Enrique said, jumping up. He pulled us all to our feet and we rushed out the door.
"We need to be careful." I said as we walked quietly on the streets, "the Demolition Boys have everyone running scared."
"The closest restaurant is right down this alleyway." Johnny said, "I spotted it on our way to the stadium this morning."
We started to walk down the alleyway with the silence as our only companion. I constantly looked around, looking for any trace of the Demolition Boys or Tala. This alleyway brought back horrible memories; this is where the All-Stars were attacked. I could remember that night, their blades broken around them and Max's condition. It all horrified me to what Motoki was willing to do to get a Bitbeast.
I saw the others pick up their pace, nervousness getting the best them, but it was doing the same to me too. I saw Johnny, who was walking to one side of me, shove his hands in his pockets.
"Nervous are you?" I asked.
"No," He said sarcastically, "I'm just fine having a team of thieves running around the city that have stolen eight Bitbeasts!"
"Okay I get it, I get it." I said.
We soon were out of the alleyway and by the restaurant door. We walked in the see cooks and waiters running around like crazy, screaming; "We need more food!"
I stopped one of them.
"Sir what happened?" I asked.
"He happened!" He yelled back as he pointed into a room where I saw the Bladebreakers watching Tyson eating away at a mound of food piled onto a large plate.
"Should of known." I said, "do you guys have anymore food?"
"We should have some in a while." He said.
"I'll go sit by the others and see if I can get the human garbage disposal to stop eating." I said.
"Good luck." He said.
I went back to the team and started reporting the news.
"Tyson's eaten everything, and they said they'd have food in a while for us." I said.
"I knew that pig would eat everything!" Johnny said.
"Calm down." I said, "let's just go sit by them."
We walked into the room they were sitting in. Max, Rei, Kenny, and Kai looked extremely embarrassed at the actions of their friend, Tyson, who was hunched over the plate of food and downing it by the second. Johnny yelled out, "Is it just me, or do I smell bacon, because there's a fat pig in here!"
Tyson looked up from his 'eating' process, "Hey!" He yelled, "I'm a growing boy, and I'm still in shape!"
"Yeah," Johnny said, "the shape of a circle."
Everyone laughed.
"Ouch!" He said as I hit him on the back of the head, "What was that for?"
"Just keep that mouth of yours under somewhat control." I said. I turned to face the others, "Mind if we join your guys?"
"Not at all." Rei said with a smile as we sat down. I took a seat next to Kenny, who was at a table off to the side.
"Kenny," I said as I sat down, "I need a favor from you."
"What's that?" He asked.
"Do you think that by the time we arrive in Beijing, you can make a blade for someone?" I asked.
"Sure." Kenny said, "who's it for?"
"Lee." I said, "I just felt so bad after he lost Galeon, I wanted to do something for him. I'll be able to find him in China, and I just want you to make a copy of his original Galeon, can you handle that? It's only a request, so you don't have--"
"Of course." He said.
"Thanks Kenny." I said as I got up and sat by the others. I squeezed myself into a seat in the slide-in booth between Max and Tyson.
"Tyson." I said as he stuffed more food in his mouth, "how can you eat so much?"
"I don't know," He said with a full mouth, "I just do."
"Aren't you going to stop?" I asked.
He swallowed and sighed contently. "No." He said, "at least, not for a while."
"Why not?" I asked.
"Because that'd be false advertising." He said.
"What?" I asked.
"Look here," He said as he handed me a menu that said 'All you can eat buffet $10.99!' "If I stopped eating now, then that wouldn't be all I could eat, now would it?"
"I guess not." I said with a smile.
I turned over to where Max was.
"Does he always eat this much?" I asked.
"Yup." He said, "I don't see how his Grandpa still has any money after going to the store."
"Me either." I said.
Tyson continued to stuff himself, totally unaware of our conversation. Suddenly, the same waiter came over to me.
"We now have enough food to serve you guys." He said.
"That's good." I said, scanning the menu, "I just want some coffee."
"Sure thing." He said as he turned around. I suddenly remembered something and tapped him on the shoulder.
"See that guy over there?" I said, pointing to Johnny, "Our team's kinda having a celebration for him tonight, do you have anything for celebrations?"
"Sure, I'll take care of it." He said as he walked off.
I looked across the table where Rei and Kai were sitting.
"How do you think the BBA is going to determine who fights in the next round?" I asked.
"We're not even sure." Rei said, "It's totally confidential."
"And it can't be by who lost the most matches," Kai said, "all the teams haven't lost a match yet."
"Yeah." I said, "that is a little weird. Speaking of the next match, how's your blade maintenance coming?"
"Take a look at this," Ray said as he held out a blade. It had Driger's old Bit Chip, but a sharp emerald Attack Ring that had two clear bubble-like orbs on each attack jut surrounded it. Its base was thin and had several juts coming out of it, "meet Driger Slashing Claw."
"Looks powerful." I said, looking it over again.
"This
is my new Dranzer." Kai said, holding out a new Dranzer. It was a
dark blue with two Phoenix molds sticking out from each side that
were a mix of orange and yellow. Its base had a small moving
compartment to adjust to surfaces. Dranzer was placed honorably into
the center of its new home. "This is Blazing Dranzer Turbo."
"Did
you all get new blades?" I asked.
"Yeah." Rei said, "Tyson's is probably one of the best."
"Next to mine." Kai said, "We tied in a practice battle earlier this evening."
"No matter who you guys face tomorrow," I said, "You'll tear them apart, unless it's us of course."
"I'm not so sure about that." Rei said, "We'll give you the hardest fight for victory."
"Well," I said, "We will too. From what you saw from Johnny and me today, you can see that we have tons of power and then some."
"We haven't battled in a long time though because of the attack on the All-Stars." Kai said, "When you brought Max to the hotel in that condition, we knew something was up with the All-Stars."
"Yeah." I said, remembering that haunting, fateful night, but I had really grown from it and tried to look at it the best way I could, "At least everything's okay –-"
"It's all those Demolition Boys' fault." Tyson said, interrupting me, "especially that Tala."
"Tyson." I said extremely softly.
"I mean," He continued, "He has no right to do that. I don't see how anyone could even like him at all. He's a no good, low down, little--"
"Tyson stop—please." I said softly. Those insults of him had broken me down. Although I had to admit that I didn't think too highly of Tala, I still couldn't stand anyone talking trash about him. He was blader too; he was just going in the wrong direction.
Silence fell between Kai and I as my team sent a deathly glare towards Tyson.
"What'd I do?" He asked as I got up.
"I think I'll go get some air real quick." I said as I left the table.
'I don't want to cause anymore trouble than I already have.' I thought, 'besides, I don't want anyone questioning my past anymore, not until the battle I was destined for comes.'
I stepped outside into the cool midnight air as the cool wind lightly brushed across my face and pulled at my hair. Tyson's words kept coming back to me:
'Especially that Tala, that low down, no good, little--'
I guess that's just what people thought of him now, what I thought of him now. It was what darkness had made him, what Boris had made him. But, I had not been there for at least four years, and who knows what they had done to Tala in that time. It must have been something, because he almost didn't seem to know anything, but to win, that was all. He remembered me though. He had said my name when I battled him for Enrique's Beyblade. I don't think I'd ever find out just what was going on inside him, until I got rid of that darkness and asked him myself. I suddenly heard the restaurant door open and a familiar voice reached my ears, Rei's.
"I'm sorry about Tyson." Rei said, "He's an idiot. He didn't know about all of it. He just tends to forget things when there's food in front of him."
"How do you know about my past?" I asked.
"Kai." He said.
My eyes lightly burned with anger at hearing that he had told someone about my past. Rei saw it and spoke to calm me.
"I asked him later after I had seen you two talk and battle, because he seemed kinda upset." He said, "He told me, but said that'd you'd get a little on the emotional side if anyone else found out about Tala and you."
"Yeah." I said, "I just feel like sometimes my team doesn't deserve the side effects I present about my past. I mean the nightmares, flashbacks, and just seeing Tala makes me remember. Sometimes I feel like I should just go back to Russia and leave them to go deal with my problems myself."
"But you'd be letting the team down." Rei said, "Ayia, there's been a change in them, I mean, just look at them, they all care about you."
I looked in the outdoor window to see Oliver and Robert inside, looking a bit worried, and they were holding back Johnny and Enrique who were trying to beat the tar out of Tyson.
"But they've definitely changed for the better." He continued, "When we first met them, they cared nothing about anything but themselves. They used their Bitbeasts for personal gain. But now, they've learned from you. You've really had an impact on them all Ayia."
"Thanks Rei." I said, "I really needed that."
"Anytime." He said with a smile.
A sudden question popped into my mind; "Hey Rei didn't you, Lee, and the other White Tigers live in secluded village in China?" I asked.
"Yeah." He answered.
"When we get to China, could you show me where it is?" I asked, "I have something I want to give Lee."
"I need to go see him too." Rei said, "The best thing he needs now are his friends, but sure, I'd love to take you."
"Thanks Rei." I said, "I just feel so bad about what happened earlier--"
"I think we all do." He said, "now, let's go back inside, they're all waiting for you."
"Right." I said as we walked inside. I sat back down at the table with the rest of my team, taking a seat between Enrique and Johnny.
Suddenly the waiter came out with my coffee and some food the others had ordered, giving Tyson more to shove in his mouth, great. Well, at least it'd keep him quiet. He suddenly pulled out a small cake and handed it to Johnny as he left.
"What's this?" He asked, confused.
"It's for you silly." I said, "for our victory, you deserve it."
"It looks good." He said.
"Well." I said, picking up a piece, "Get yourself some!"
I shoved a piece in his face as he angrily wiped icing off his chin and mouth.
"I wouldn't leave my partner out, now would I?" He said as my face met a handful of icing.
"Oh you've done it now!" I said, grabbing another piece and hurling it towards Johnny, who ducked as it hit Oliver in the face.
"Hey!" He said, "No need to let me join in---unless it means Ayia gets some payback!"
Another piece came flying at me from Oliver. I ducked as it hit Enrique. I turned around to see his face covered in white icing as I burst out laughing. I lightly traced my finger across his icing-covered nose and tasted the icing that caught my finger.
"That's some great cake!" I said as the whole team started laughing, well not the whole team.
"You uncouth, rude, uncivilized--" Robert said, fuming.
"Calm down." I said.
"Yeah Robert, we're just having fun." Johnny said.
I bent over to Enrique and whispered, "He really needs a girlfriend or something."
"We already tried that." He whispered back, "No girl liked him, not one. You couldn't even pay them to date him; I tried."
"Enrique!" I whispered a little louder.
"What?" He asked.
"Never mind." I said, shaking my head. I looked up to see the others staring at us with blank looks on their faces.
"We have concluded that Robert needs a girlfriend." I said, "some girl's gotta love him."
"Yeah," Enrique said, "his mother."
Enrique and I dove under the table to escape the mounds of cake that came flying at us from Robert.
"Good going genius." I said.
"Hey, you're the one who said he needed a girlfriend." He said.
"Well he does." I said as we poked our heads back up above the icing-covered table. The Bladebreakers turned around and looked at us with wired looks on their faces. I saw Johnny grab another piece and yell, "Hey Tyson, stuff your mouth with some more food why don't ya!"
He shoved the piece into his face, making Tyson and the rest of the Bladebreakers but Kai and Kenny join the fray. Cake pieces flew everywhere until a loud voice rang through the air:
"Stop this at once!"
I turned to see a waiter standing with a piece of cake and a frown stuck to his face.
"Uhhh…" I said sheepishly.
That was the first time I had ever been thrown out of a restaurant.
"Wait!" I said as some waiters literally 'threw' all of us out of the restaurant as I skidded across the cold hard street outside, "I can explain!"
The door was slammed shut in our faces.
"Smooth move Ayia." Johnny said.
"Hey I only threw the first piece." I said, "Just because I started it, doesn't mean I finished it."
"Well, we're stuck on the street." Max said, "I say we all head back to the hotel."
"Yeah." Oliver said, "that was more of a dinner than I needed."
"Let's go." I said as we walked back to the hotel.
We walked into the hotel and cleaned the icing off our faces before we all met in the lobby.
I flopped onto a nearby couch and grabbed the remote to the TV.
"Maybe they've decided on how to place the matches." I said as I flipped the TV on. I saw the Jazzman inside one of the BBA National Headquarters.
"Where are the Headquarters?" I asked.
"They're everywhere," Rei said, "there's one on the edge of town, probably where they're broadcasting from."
"Welcome to the BBA press conference." He said, "in just a few seconds, Mr. Dickinson will announce how the battles will line up in the semi-Finals—hey there he is!"
Mr. Dickinson walked up to a podium and began to speak.
"I cannot announce the results until every team arrives at the Headquarters." He said.
"What?" We all yelled.
"I will await their arrival." He said as I shut the TV off.
"Let's get over there!" I shouted as we headed for the door.
We ran out of the hotel and sprinted through town until we reached the BBA Headquarters. It was a tall building, at least ten stories, maybe more. We ran inside a door to meet a flood of press and a blinding flash of cameras.
Yep, we had found the conference.
"Let them through!" Mr. Dickinson said as he helped us to a table at the front of the room.
"Thanks Mr. D." Tyson said.
"Sure thing." Mr. Dickinson said, "This tournament must really put some stress on you kids, and I don't want the press adding to it."
We sat at the table as I saw that the Demolition Boys had already arrived. We sat down as Mr. Dickinson started to speak again.
"Now, I shall announce the regulations and match decisions of the Semi-Final round." He said, "It shall be, in this round, a one elimination double round. Two teams will battle, and the loser will have to face the team that hasn't battled yet. Who will battle first will be decided by a choice of numbers. Each team will choose a number between one and ten, and then a computer will randomly pair two up for the first battle. Demolition Boys, your number please."
"Four." Tala replied.
"Bladebreakers?"
"Ten." Tyson said.
"Majestics?"
"Ayia, you pick." Robert told me.
I decided to pick my lucky number.
"Lucky number seven." I said.
"Now the matches will be paired." He said as the computer behind us randomly jumbled the numbers. I closed my eyes and waited, "finished."
I turned around and gasped to see the numbers ten and seven paired together and four by itself, which could only mean one thing.
Our next match was against the Bladebreakers.
