Chapter 2
"So have you figured it out yet?" Tyson demanded leaning heavily on Kenny's left shoulder to get a better view of the laptop. "Well?"
They were in the BBA office, waiting for Mr. Dickenson. Kenny was at the laptop, trying to figure out Tyson's earlier battle. Max and Ray sat on both sides of him, peering at the screen. Their captain was leaning against the wall deep in thought, thinking about...her....
Her eyes...Why do I keep getting the feeling I've seen those eyes before...?
Kai opened his eyes when Kenny shouted. "Bingo! I got it!"
"'You' got it? 'You' got it?" Dizzi protested loudly.
"Okay, okay. We got it." Kenny sighed. "Take a look, guys!"
They moved in closer, trying to get the best glimpse of the small screen.
"Suddenly I'm so popular." Dizzi muttered.
"Don't flatter yourself." Tyson said. "So what's up, Chief?"
"Tyson, it seems that your Phantom Hurricane attack doesn't work against her Fire Spin. In fact you are actually fanning her attack therefore making it stronger." Kenny explained.
Tyson's battle replayed on the screen to prove Kenny's point.
"That's great, Chief. So how can Tyson beat this girl?" Max asked.
"More importantly, does she have a Bitbeast?" Ray wanted to know.
Kenny chuckled. "Actually I haven't figured that out yet. But according to Dizzi, she did detect a Bitbeast's power coming from that Beyblade when it used its attack. I'm not so sure though..."
"Well, I'm." Dizzi said.
"Anyway I can't find a way to counter her attack until I analyze her Beyblade." Kenny explained.
"So work already." Tyson said impatiently.
"I can't!" Kenny said defensively. "Dizzi couldn't get a clear shot of her Beyblade. It was too fast."
"Well, at least we know her Bit power is the blue fire element." Ray pointed out.
"Yeah." Tyson agreed. "And tomorrow we are gonna hunt her down for a rematch."
Max cleared his throat. "Um...did anybody get her name?"
No one answered. Tyson looked at Kenny. "Well?"
"We have no files on her, Tyson." Kenny said. "Dizzi has nothing on her."
"That's right." Dizzi grumbled. "Blame the Bitbeast trapped in the laptop."
Tyson wasn't discouraged. "That's it! Tomorrow we are going hunting!"
"Did someone say something about hunting?" a familiar cheery voice said as the door opened and Mr. Dickenson came in, smiling brightly. "What're we hunting for?"
"Hi, Mr. Dickenson." the four kids around the laptop said.
"Hello, boys." Mr. Dickenson said. "What's going on?"
"Tyson got beaten by a girl at school." Max said grinning.
Mr. Dickenson blinked. "Really? He seems fine to me."
Tyson made a face. "In Beyblading." he said impatiently. Me? Get beaten up by a girl? Not in this lifetime.
"Really?" Mr. Dickenson exclaimed. "She must be quite good then."
"More like lucky." Tyson muttered.
"So why did you call us here, Mr. D?" Ray asked bring the topic to safer grounds.
"Oh, yes." Mr. Dickenson nodded. "I've just received official word that there'll be new rule for the up-coming Championships."
"A new rule?" Kenny asked.
Kai lifted his head curiously.
"Yes. Instead of three matches, there will be five matches. It'll be the best out of five matches." Mr. Dickenson explained. "Which means..."
"More pressure." Tyson moaned.
"I don't think that's the point." Ray said slowly. "What Mr. D means is that....we need a new team member."
"That's right." Mr. Dickenson confirmed.
Kai snorted. "Great. Someone new to baby-sit." he muttered sarcastically.
The chairman looked at him. "Now, Kai, I know you don't like the idea of letting someone new into the team but if you wish to take part in the Championships, you need five people."
"Fine." Kai crossed his arms. "And I suppose you have the perfect candidate."
"As a matter a fact, I do." Mr. Dickenson said. "Your new teammate is quite an accomplished Beyblader. We spent months tracking this person down."
"Does he know about this?" Max asked.
"No. I haven't been able to contact her yet. So I need you boys to-."
"Wait." Tyson interrupted. "Her? Our new team member is a girl?"
"Last I checked her means girl so... Yes, your new teammate is a girl." Mr. Dickenson said.
"Oh, great." he sulked.
"Don't mind him." Ray said. "He just had a bad day with girls."
"So what about this girl?" Kai asked. "Is she any good?"
"Oh, she's very good by my standards." Mr. Dickenson said. "But you'll have to judge her for yourselves."
"How can we do that?" Kenny asked.
Mr. Dickenson pulled out a poster from the files he carried. "There'll be a Beyblading tournament this weekend. I heard our girl will be taking part. You boys should go for it."
"Why don't we just ask that girl who beat Tyson?" Max jested. "She's pretty impressive herself."
"Possible." Mr. Dickenson considered the idea. "We'll see."
Tyson grunted aloud.
They ignored him.
"Which reminds me," Ray said. "This girl you're suggesting, what's her name?"
"Her name's Jade. Jade Raven."
"Oh, man. Like check out all Beybladers here!" Tyson exclaimed from his seat in the front row VIP seating. He sat straight in his seat, watching the Block A qualifying round with anticipation.
One week had passed and they had managed to survive school while avoiding their fan club and the same time trying to find that girl who beat Tyson. It seems, according to Kai, she has been skipping classes. In short, she was impossible to find.
"Somebody better tied Tyson to his chair." Dizzi suggested dryly.
"Well, any sight of our mysterious Jade?" Ray said returning from the popcorn vendor with Max. Their arms were loaded with buckets of popcorn.
"No." Kenny answered. "We don't even know what she looks like."
"Gee, I guess Mr. D forgot to mention that." Max said sheepishly.
Soon it was the Block B round and Jazzman was announcing the rules. The last Beyblade spinning in the stadium qualifies to the finals against the Block A winner.
"Beybladers, ready!" Jazzman hollered. "3, 2, 1! Let it rip!"
At the command, Beyblades flew into the dish and almost at once two blades went flying from the dish.
"Whoa!" Jazzman exclaimed. "There goes two! No! Make that five, six, seven! What's going on down there?"
A blue streak was knocking its opponents out with blinding speed.
Tyson shot up in his seat and swallowed the popcorn in his mouth. "Hey! I know that Beyblade!"
Kai's eyes singled out a familiar dark-haired girl who had beaten Tyson earlier that week. She wore all black; black duster over a black top and black tight pants with a red double belt around her slim hip and black 2 inches stiletto heels. Black fingerless gloves covered her hands. She also wore a choker around her throat with a silver Catholic cross hanging from it. She stood, watching her Beyblade take out her opponents with a bored expression and yet there was a certainty of victory in her green eyes.
The blue streak slowed and centered itself in the middle of the stadium, revealing her blue Beyblade.
Apparently the remaining bladers decided they stood a better chance against her if they attacked together. Almost as one they ordered their Beyblades to move in, surrounding hers. The Beyblades slammed into the blue blade. There was a flash and all their Beyblades flew out of the stadium. The girl's blade was still spinning steadily in the center.
"And the winner for Block A ... Jade!" Jazzman declared.
"What?" Tyson shouted, practically falling out of his seat. His popcorn flew all over Kenny who squealed in surprise.
"That's Jade Raven?" Ray gasped.
"I can see why Mr. Dickenson picked her." Max said in awe. "She's good."
Tyson glared at him. "Did I mention how happy I'm that you are on her side?"
Below they could hear the defeated moans of her ex-opponents.
"We didn't even stand a chance." a kid groaned.
"Her blade was just too powerful." another kid said.
The finals started an hour later. Jade was against the Block B winner, a boy called Warren. Then Bladebreakers had an instant disliking towards the kid. For one thing, Warren had a loud mouth.
"This should be a piece of cake. You don't look so tough. I think I'll head down to the arcade with the cash prize." Warren was surprised to see a small smile curve her lips. "Hey, what's so funny?"
"You." she said. "Pretty cocky for someone who's about to loose."
"We'll see about that." he said even though now, he wasn't so sure.
"Beyblader, ready!" Jazzman yelled, nearly rendering everyone deaf. "3, 2, 1! Let it rip!"
Both Beyblader launched their blades in to the dish.
"Attack!" Warren ordered.
His Beyblade lunged at hers with the intention of taking it out in one blow. To his surprise, her blade merely spun aside and his attack missed. He tried again and missed once more.
Warren glared at Jade. "You can't dodge me forever."
"Actually I can." she said calmly. "But you can't attack me forever. Draizer!"
Her blade shimmered on the spot and disappeared in to thin air!
"Did anybody see that?" Jazzman exclaimed in surprise.
"Neat trick." Ray commented, impressed.
"I can do that too." Tyson huffed.
Meanwhile Warren wasn't too happy. He was angry and on the verge of panic. He glanced about wildly for his opponent's blade. "Hey, where did your Beyblade go?"
Without answering Jade looked up to see her Beyblade above spinning back to earth in amazing spin speed.
"Draizer! Fire Spin!" she ordered.
Her blade ignited into flames and came down hard on Warren's orange blade, landing right in the middle of his blade.
There was a loud crack as the Bit piece on Warren's Beyblade broke. To his dismay, his blade flew out of the dish and landed behind him with a defeated click.
"And the overall Champion of this year's Beyblading tournament, Jade!" Jazzman announced.
The crowd erupted into cheers and applause for the new champion.
Jade summoned back her Beyblade and started making her way to the exit. To her annoyance the Bladebreakers came up to her with Max and Ray in the lead. Tyson followed from behind.
I bet he wants a rematch, she thought.
"That was awesome!" Max said at once, beaming cheerfully.
And I bet he had too much sugar, she looked at him weirdly.
"Your skills are impressive. Congratulations." Ray held out a hand.
She looked at his hand and back at him. Uneasily he put away his hand.
"What do you want?" she asked coldly.
"Great." Tyson groaned. "Just what we need. Another Kai."
She looked up in time to see Kai glare at Tyson. She frowned, staring at the taller boy. It can't be...
"Your skills are amazing." Kenny said. "Can I see your Beyblade?"
She frowned. Who does he think he is?
"Can we talk?" Ray cut in before she could speak. He had seen the irritated look on her and had wisely decided to interrupt. He had also not missed the twinge of familiarity in her eyes when she looked at Kai but that was gone in a blink of an eyes and her face had returned to its unreadable expression.
"Not interested." she said before he had a chance to explain.
"It's important." Kenny said.
She stared at him lazily and crossed her arms impatiently. "You got one minute."
"I just want to say your skills are amazing and the way you beat Ty-." Kenny babbled once given the chance.
"Hey!" Tyson snapped. He pushed his way to face her.
She sighed. "Clock's ticking..." she reminded them dryly.
"We want you on the team!" Tyson blunted out.
She didn't reply at first. Maybe she was shocked, surprised. Who wouldn't be?
"We need you on the team." Tyson forced the words out.
"We have seen your skills just now and against Tyson." Ray said. "They are awesome. Tyson's right. We do need you."
She shook her head. "Not interested." she repeated and spun on her heel.
A voice they all knew spoke up, stopping her at her tracks. "Will you at least consider?"
Mr. Dickenson came up to them. The Bladebreakers stepped aside to let him through until he stood facing Jade.
She turned to face him out of respect.
"I told them already." she said impatiently. "I'm just not interested."
"At least let me explain why they need you." he said.
She hesitated then reluctantly nodded.
"There's new rule for the Championships and it requires each team to have five members. Five Beybladers, five matches. Jade, the team needs you."
"Why me?" she asked quietly.
"Because you're the best we got." Ray said.
She laughed bitterly. "Forget it. I'm just not cut out for the sort of teamwork. I live alone. I blade alone." she started to turn ignoring Kenny's protests when this time a different voice stopped her.
"You heard her, Chief." Kai said. "Seems to me, she's perfectly 'contented' where she's now."
They knew he was trying to provoke her. But they looked at him in surprise for Kai had been the one against the new rule from the start.
But it didn't matter for his words seem to have an effect on Jade. Kai studied her face and for the briefest of moments, he caught a glimpse of the fear and pain in her eyes.
"Jade, give it a try." Mr. Dickenson said gently. "At the end of it all, I promise you can do whatever you wish."
Her eyes hardened as she looked at them. "Alright. Count me in."
"Alright!" Tyson shouted momentarily forgetting his grudge against her for beating him. He caught her by surprise, shoving his hand to her. "Put it there!"
It seems he had also forgotten how hostile she could be, how she had ignored Ray's friendly attempt of a handshake earlier.
She stared at him as though he was something weird or something she didn't understand.
Second that thought, she made a mental note to herself. I don't want to understand him.
She didn't want to understand them at all.
"You went mental when?" she sneered at Tyson.
"Hey! I was just trying to be nice." he snapped angrily.
"Whatever." she muttered before heading for the exit.
Max and Kenny had to restrain Tyson from bolting after her.
"Chill out, Tyson." Max said.
"What's her problem anyway?" Tyson complained. "She did say she's in the team. Which part of team does she not understand?"
"She'll come around." Mr. Dickenson said.
"Yeah." Ray agreed. "I just hope soon."
No one noticed the troubled frown that had appeared on Kai's face as he watched Jade disappear into the shadows.
Why can't I put my finger on it? There's something about her that seems ...different yet... familiar...
