Chapter 20

"A tag team tournament?" a grin stretched across Tyson's face as he, Max, Ray and Kenny stood in Mr. Dickenson's office the next morning after being summoned by the chairman himself.

Mr. Dickenson nodded. "I'm inviting the whole team as a special guest. You are allowed to send in two of your bladers if you wish. Your team will be battling the winners of the tournament in a friendly match."

"If I wish?" Tyson said, beaming. "Count me in!"

"Whoa, slow down, Tyson." Max cautioned. "Don't we have to discuss this with Kai and Jade first? They might want to participate too, you know."

"Max's right." Ray joined in.

"Hey, it's their fault they are not here." Tyson said defensively.

"Nevertheless, we should still ask them." Kenny said.

Grumbling, Tyson kicked the floor. "Fine."

Mr. Dickenson gave them the time and address to the tournament. "Let me know by tonight which of your bladers will be spinning." he told them.

Ray opened the door. "Will do, Mr. D." he promised.

Still complaining, Tyson left the room followed by Kenny. As Ray closed the door after Max, he called out to the blonde kid. "Hey, Max. How did your talk with Kai go?"

Max waited for Ray to catch up before they started walking together. He stuffed his hands into his pockets as he answered. "It's like talking to a wall. Only you get more from a wall."

"Tell me about it." Ray muttered in agreement.

"I take it that your talk with Jade didn't go well too."

Ray nodded. "I can't understand that girl. It's like she's opening up one second and shut me out the next."

"You know, I bet we could get those together for the tournament." Max said. "They'll make a great team."

Ray shook his head. "You're kidding right? For one reason, those two will shred every blade in their way. Secondly do you think Tyson is going to step aside and let them steal the show?"

"You have a point." Max frowned. "Don't worry. We'll think of something."

"Hey, can't you two walk any faster?" Tyson hollered back to them. "I want to get back to the dojo and start practicing with my partner!"

"We'll have to think of something very hard." Ray added in almost after an afterthought.


When they got back, they found Jade training in Tyson's backyard. She had lined up empty tins and was letting her Draizer rip through them. As they stared in amazement, her blade cut through the tin cans as they were nothing. Once it had completed the task, Draizer flew back into Jade's hand. Noticing their presence, Jade looked at them.

"Where have you guys been?" she asked.

"Funny." Kenny said. "We should be asking you the same thing."

She just shrugged in reply. Tyson ran past them and yanked out his blade. "Outta my way. I wanna start training for tomorrow's tournament."

"What tournament?" Jade asked curiously. Max and Kenny went to the steps and sat down to watch Ray and Tyson battle. Jade followed them.

"It's a tag-team tournament." Kenny answered as he opened up Dizzi. "Mr. Dickenson has personally invited us to attend it, even letting us sent in a two people team."

"Which no doubt will consist of Tyson and Max." Jade put in.

"We haven't decided yet." Max said. "Thought you might be interested."

She nodded. "I guess I'm a little..."

"According to Dizzi, if we place you and Ray in one team, you guys will make a strong team." Kenny said looking up.

"Shouldn't we ask Kai first?" Jade asked.

Max grinned at her. "Gee, Jade. I didn't know you cared."

She flushed slightly; annoyed that she was acting that way. "I don't. Besides isn't Kai the captain?" she reminded them.

"I guess we should ask for his opinion when he gets back." Max agreed.

"At the meantime, why don't we find out what a team you and Ray'll make, Jade?" Kenny suggested.

The sky was already darkening when Kai finally returned to the dojo. He paused at the entrance, surprised to hear the sounds of a Beybattle going on. As he approached, he saw Max and Tyson engaged in a battle against Ray and Jade. It was obvious who was winning. Draizer and Driger were working like a team, easily surrounding Dragoon and Draciel and were slamming into the two trapped blades simultaneously. Grinding against each other, Dragoon and Draciel soon flew apart from each other, returning to their owners.

"Not again." Tyson groaned.

"Man, you guys are good." Max commented.

Jade and Ray retrieved their blades and shared a triumphant look.

"That's the fifth win for us." Ray said.

Jade smiled shaking her head. "I thought it was the sixth."

"What's going on?" Kai asked Kenny who had been busy recording the match.

Kenny looked up in surprise. "There you're, Kai. There'll be a tag-team tournament going on tomorrow. Mr. Dickenson invited us."

"Let me guess. Tyson insisted on taking part." Kai said knowingly.

"Actually, we have decided that Jade and Ray represent our team if that's okay with you." Kenny informed him.

"Whatever." Kai shrugged.

"Kai, you can take my place if you want." Ray offered.

Kai glared at him, knowing exactly what the neko-jinn was trying to do. "I'm not interested."

Ray blinked. "Okay...if that's what you want."

"This's so unfair." Tyson complained. "I demand a rematch."

Jade crossed her arms in front of her. "Again?"

"Until I beat the both of you." Tyson said firmly.

Kenny shut his laptop. Max looked at him. "Aren't you going to record the battle?"

"Why bother?" Kenny replied. "It'll be just the same."

"Hey!" both Max and Tyson said.

"Let's call it a night, shall we?" Ray said. "I'm kinda hungry."

"Me too." Max agreed.

Match forgotten at the mention of food, Tyson piped in as well. "Me three!"

Jade rolled her eyes at him. "Is food all you ever think about, Tyson?" she asked him in exasperation.

"That and Beyblading." he answered her happily as he led the way into the kitchen.

Ray set to work making dinner after a few minutes realized he was out of a couple of things. He headed to the door, calling to them on the way out. "Hey, I'm just going to run out and get some stuff for dinner."

"Make it fast or I'll starve!" Tyson called after him as the door closed behind Ray.

Jade stared at the door, her eyes darkening.


"Hm...Let's see." Ray mumbled as he rummaged through the grocery bag before he left the convenient store. "Eggs, tomato, potato...okay, guess that's about it." Nodding his thanks to the shopkeeper, he pushed open the door with his shoulder, trying to balance the grocery bag in his arms and headed onto the street. Above him, the evening was slowly turning to night, casting shadows around him.

"I better hurry before Tyson dies of hunger." he muttered increasing his walking pace as he turned into an alley, intending to use it as a shortcut.

Without warning, something flew from the shadows, nearly sliced into Ray's right cheek if he hadn't dodged at the last instant. The thing which turned out to be a purple Beyblade landed on the ground near a pair of feet emerging from the alley darkness.

"Whose there?" Ray demanded, glaring at the boy that emerged.

"Are you Ray?" the boy sneered.

"That depends. Who wants to know?" Ray replied.

He smirked as he picked up his blade. "You don't need to know my name. I'm here to Beybattle you."

"Care to take a rain check?" Ray retorted. "I'm kinda busy."

"I don't think you have a choice in this matter." the boy said.

Who was this kid to think he can push me around? I'll show him, Ray thought angrily. He placed the bag in the ground carefully and pulled out his blade and launcher. "Alright. You ask for it."

Sneering, the boy said. "Glad you see it my way." he held up his loaded launcher. "Ready!"

"Let it rip!" they shouted launching their blades.

"Go, Driger!" Ray called. "Finish him off fast!"

Driger moved in for the attack. To his surprise, the boy's blade dodged and attacked Driger from behind.

"What's wrong, Ray?" the kid taunted. "You don't look so good. Here. Maybe this'll take you out of your misery. Attack!"

The purple blade pressed its attacks, driving Driger into a wall.

Crap! He's all over me!, Ray thought. I can't shake him off. Who's he? He can't be any ordinary blader. Something tells me this isn't just a street challenge. Come on, Ray, focus!

"Finish him!" the boy yelled.

His blade pulled back for the final blow. Ray saw his chance then. "Driger! Now!"

Taking advantage of the moment the other blade pulled back, Driger dodged to a side as the blade came in and instead slammed into the wall, sending it flying very much to the horror of its owner.

"Driger, finish him!" Ray ordered.

Obeying his command, Driger moved in, slamming the purple blade as it came down and threw it into the air again. This time when it landed it stopped spinning. Horror washed over the kid's face turning pale as he realized he had lost.

Driger flew back into Ray's hand. "Now, beat it." Ray said.

The kid gritted his teeth angrily. "I don't think so."

Ray felt pain grip his right arm and he cried out. He looked at what had caused it. A knife struck from his arm, sending hot pain up his arm. With a pained gasp, Ray yanked it out and looked at the thrower. Another boy emerged from the dark end of the alley, twirling a knife in his hand.

"You are coming with us." he said.

Ray clasped his wound, staring at the two. What do they want with me? "In your dreams." he managed to spat out.

The boy with the knife threw his arm back and it came forward, releasing the knife in his hand. As it flew at Ray, the knife became three deadly knives. That instant Ray realized numbly he couldn't dodge them.

Suddenly out of nowhere, a blue Beyblade flew forward in between the knives and their intended target and knocked them off-course. The knives scattered to the ground while Ray's attackers stared in shock.

"Who- who dares!" the kid who threw the knives demanded, drawing more of his deadly knives.

Ray blinked in surprise at the blade as it flew back to its master. He recognized it alright. "Draizer?"

Jade leapt down from above, landing in front of Ray and faced the two boys. Her back was faced to Ray, not enabling him to see the dangerous glint in her eyes. "Back off." she said coldly.

"Who's gonna make us? You?" the boy with the knives threw them at her.

"Jade, look out!" Ray cried out a warning.

Without so much as a blink of an eye, her hand snapped forward, catching the flying knives in between her fingers. With a disgusted snort, she let the weapons drop to the ground and glared at the boys. "Get lost." she said with a dangerously quiet tone.

They obeyed, scrambling down the alley where they belonged. Jade watched them, silently expanding her keen senses to scan the area. They weren't alone.

Ray's voice spoke up, reminding her he was still there. "That was some cool move, Jade and not that I'm not grateful which I'm but what in the world are you doing here? And how did you do that?"

She turned to Ray. "You were gone for too long. I came to look for you." she purposely left out the fact she had followed him, knowing something like this could happen. Her eyes rested on his injury. "Good thing I did. You're hurt."

"It is nothing." he said and winced when she touched it to examined it.

"It's deep." she noted.

He shook his head. "It's nothing. I'll be okay."

"But not okay enough to take part in the tournament tomorrow." she said. "Better get you back to the house to take care of it."

Wincing from the pain, he nodded and let her help him back to the dojo.


Tyson winced as if the pain was his as he watched Jade stitch Ray's arm injury in the kitchen. It was bad enough to make him lose his appetite. "Who did this to you, man?"

"Two kids. Probably street punks." Ray flinched. "They challenged me to a Beybattle and when I beat him, they got rough."

"Guess they didn't like losing." Max said, watching with wide eyes.

"What's their problem?" Tyson scowled.

"No idea." Ray said.

"Either way, you're in no condition to battle tomorrow." Kai stated from his position against the wall.

"I'm okay." Ray protested.

Jade sniped off the fine thread used to stitch his wound together, earning a hiss of pain from Ray. "No." she said. "Kai's right. You're in no shape to battle tomorrow."

Ray sighed. "Fine. So we'll just let Max and Tyson battle."

"Oh, really?!" Tyson said excitedly. "That would be great! I mean if that's okay with you guys."

"I'm afraid that's not possible." Kenny meekly piped in.

"What?" Tyson shot a glance at the Chief.

Kenny cleared his throat nervously. "You see....I called Mr. Dickenson earlier and registered the team under Jade and Ray's names. If we sent in Max and Tyson, they would disqualify our team."

"They can't do that. We're the World Champions." Tyson cried.

"Actually they can." Kenny said. "Unless one of you substitutes for Ray and take his place in the tournament."

Max had an idea then. He didn't realize he was grinning widely until Tyson asked him in an annoyed voice. "What are you grinning about?"

"Well, it can't be me or Tyson to replace Ray." Max said carefully.

"Why the heck not?" Tyson demanded.

Fortunately for Max, Kenny unknowingly helped out. "Because according to Dizzi, you and Jade can't work together."

"She's not wrong about that." Jade said icily.

"What is that suppose to mean?" Tyson said.

"You have no teamwork." she informed him.

"Looks whose talking." he shot back.

"You can't control yourself in battle." she said.

Max broke in before Tyson could retort. "See? And I can't because I'm not used to her style of battle."

"So I guess that leaves me no choice." Kai said slowly. "I'll take Ray's place."

"Great idea, Kai." Max said happily. Ray was staring at him in disbelief probably amazed that Max could be so manipulative.

"That's a good idea." Kenny agreed. "Your battle tactics are almost similar and you two should be able to work as a team. I'll inform Mr., Dickenson now."

"And ask him to check out those kids who attacked Ray." Max added.

"I'm on it." Kenny hurried from the room.

Max looked at Jade, realizing they had made the decision without really asking her first. "Are you okay with this?"

She shrugged. "I'm okay. Beats having Tyson as my partner."

Tyson made a face. "Hey!"

"What about you, Kai? Are you sure about this?" Ray asked his captain.

Kai sighed. "What other option do we have?"

Jade glared at him. "You make battling with me sound like a death sentence."

"In a way it could be." he said meeting her glare.

She frowned. "What is that suppose to mean?"

Tyson gave Max a look. "Are you sure about this?"

Max shrugged. "Too late to change our minds now."

"Besides, Kai's right. We don't have any other choice." Ray said. He silently applauded Max for his clever plan.

"You better get some sleep." Kai said to the team, mainly Jade. He wondered how was he going to get some sleep too with all those dreams plaguing his sleep almost every night. Dreams about innocent green eyes. He looked up and met Jade's green eyes as she nodded to his suggestion. Her eyes look...well...distant...and haunted. Did it have something to do with Ray's injury? More importantly, did she know something about it? He remembered how she had insisted on looking for Ray by herself, turning down help when offered. Why...? Dammit, Jade. What are you hiding?

There was an uneasy feeling in Jade's stomach as she sat with her knees pulled up to her chest in her bed, watching the others sleep. Her eyes stared at Ray, unable to believe that he had gotten hurt.

Because of me.

Although she had been no where near the alley when those boys first challenged Ray, she should have known. Should have followed him needless of the others have to say even if it meant questions that could reveal her secret to the others and to Kai. At the thought of the bluenette sleeping across her, her heart ached. Kai'll probably never forgive her if he knew.

He doesn't have to know.

She closed her eyes, fighting back the tormented emotions that surrounded her tired soul.


"And we have our special guests for today, the reigning World Champions, the Bladebreakers!" the announcer shouted as the spotlight hit the team standing on a raising platform in the center of the arena. The audience who had gathered roared and cheered for their national Beyblading team.

"Yeah! Let me hear you shout!" Tyson said, encouraging more cheers from his fans.

"Lucky for us, the Bladebreakers have agreed to have a friendly match against the winners of today's tournament, Bradley and Jon!" the announcer yelled waving an arm at the pair who won the entire tournament. "Due to an unfortunate accident Ray is unable to battle today so in his place battling by Jade's side will be Kai!"

"Oh uh." Ray muttered staring at the latter. "Jade, recognize them?"

She looked at their opponents and realized she did recognize them. The kids who attacked and hurt Ray, Bradley and Jon were standing in their platform grinning smugly.

"Are those the guys who hurt Ray?" Kai asked noticing her face.

She nodded.

"I don't get it." Max said confused. "Why would they hurt Ray?"

"Let me at them." Tyson gritted out. Kenny had to restrain him from rushing over to the two boys and punching their grinning faces.

"Relax, Tyson." Kai chilled. "Jade and I'll take care of them."

Ray grinned. "I so pity them."

"Bladers, please step up to the dish!" the announcer called.

The four bladers stepped forward, with their blades loaded in their launchers.

"Bladers, ready!" the man said. "3, 2, 1! Let it rip!"

"Let's take them out fast, Jon!" the kid who had used the knives said menacingly.

His partner nodded. "Attack!"

Jade waited until the blades were within range of Draizer and Dranzer before she and Kai made their move. With ease, they evaded the attacks and went for Bradley's blade first, considering he was probably the lead player between him and Jon. Their blades surrounded their opponent's blade, grinding the attack ring to dusts. They showed no mercy, not after what the two had done to Ray. Bradley paled in horror before he turned desperately to appeal to his partner to do something. Jon tried to attack but Draizer broke its attack on Bradley and fended Jon off.

"Amazing." Kenny exclaimed. "Those two are really working like team even though they never trained as one."

"Go, guys!" Tyson cheered from the platform. "Show them whose boss."

Jade couldn't help but notice the way Jon's eyes always seem to dart nervously around them. Risking a moment, she torn her eyes off the battle and followed the kid's gaze to the shadowed rafters above the audience. A gasp caught in her throat when she saw a man hidden in the shadows, recording the match with a video tape recorder. She cursed mentally, realizing the whole thing had been a set up.

"Jade! Concentrate!" Kai snapped at her when Dranzer had to defend Draizer from a blow from Jon.

"Kai, we need to end this now." she told him urgently.

He frowned, catching a glint of desperation in her voice but thankfully he didn't question her. He just nodded and turned back to the match. "Dranzer!"

Dranzer moved in, taking out Bradley's blade easily while Draizer slammed into Jon's blade, removing it from the dish. Both blades flew from the dish and landed at the same time in pieces.

"Ouch!" the announcer exclaimed. "Harsh! It's almost like they have a personal grudge. And not surprising, Kai and Jade takes the match! What an awesome team they make!"

Kai grumbled under his breath, only loud enough for Jade to hear. "He doesn't know the half of it." he muttered sarcastically. He expected a retort from his partner but none came. He spared her a glance and was surprised to see...fear... in her eyes. Why? What does she have to fear? Here? Now?

Calling back their blades, Kai and Jade headed back to the platform while their opponents tried to gather what's left of their blades. From the corner of her eye, Jade watched the man who had been spying of them and her hand curled into a fist by her side.

Jade managed to leave the Bladebreakers's waiting room unnoticed. She closed the door behind her silently, closing out the happy sounds of the team inside and turned and found Kai leaning against a wall in the hallway.

"Where're you going?" he asked.

She met his eyes and held his gaze for a moment. She glanced away quickly before he could see the pain and fear in her. "I have some business to take care of." she kept her voice emotionless.

Kai studied her for a moment but didn't say anything. She kept her eyes downcast as if afraid he could see into her and discover whatever it was she had to hide. A frown creased on his lips as he watched her walk away.

What is it that she has to hide?


Author's note: Thanks to all my reviewers for the time spent to read and review my story. I really appreciate you guys! In a couple of weeks, I'll be sitting for a major exam that will be going on for one STINKING month so hopefully I would be able to update the story during that period. Thanx!