Author's note: Response ppl!
SapphireSword: Thanks for making time from your busy schedual to read my story. Tyson does win too often, doesn't he? I've seen season three and surprise, surprise, Tyson won again for the championship! Btw I'm happy to hear Tala will be in your story. Update it fast ya!
animefanZ: Just keep reading to find out what's going to happen.
Emi-chan and her 3 spirits: Bet you didn't expect Tyson to loose. Glad you like it though.
ANGEL-OF-DEATH6: Isn't it about time Tyson came back down to earth and experince some losts?
Hikari: Tyson isn't that bad. He's kinda funny with his eating and sleeping habit. He keeps the story funny.
Beyblade-gal: I'm really sorry for hurting Ray. Pls don't punish me!
faith: Can't tell. You'll just have to read to find out.
FrozenBlossom: Don't worry. It's not the end of the world....I hope....
crystal: Keep reading to find out what happens
shitza: Wow, six stories! That's a lot. Good luck and update!
Read and Review!
Chapter 32
Tyson's lost had not only placed the Bladebreakers in a dangerous position. It had also dampened their spirits. Two Bitbeast taken and the remaining were Driger, Dranzer and Draizer, not counting Dizzi. Ray was still in the hospital so that leaves Jade and Kai. Things were looking grim for them.
She hadn't been sure at the start of the finals but now she was. She was certain Boris had somehow enhanced the power of their Bitbeasts in someway, probably through technology.
Dammit, how far will Boris go just to win?
Try far, she answered her own question as she walked down a darkened hallway without knowing why.
Something beckoned her, calling her. In her hand, Draizer glowed softly, unease for some reason. Above her, she could still hear the cheers and roars of the audience, some jeering for Spencer's actions, others cheering for an unpredictable match.
She came to the end of the hallway and stopped. There standing against a wall with a smug look on her face was Alexis.
She was the one calling her.
"Enjoyed the show?" the blonde girl smirked.
Jade didn't reply. Her hands were itching to slap the girl but she strained herself. Alexis sighed, shaking her head at her.
"Always the quiet one."
You were always the naïve one, Jade wanted to retort but instead she said. "I know whatBoris is doing to win."
Alexis kept her smirked. "And what are you gonna do about it?"
"I gonna do the right thing." she replied coolly.
"What, tell the police?" Alexis laughed scornfully. "Sorry, Jade. But whose gonna listen to you with no proper evidence?"
Jade didn't reveal any expression. "No. I'm gonna beat you tomorrow. Fair and square." she said evenly.
Amusement fading from her face, Alexis straightened. "You don't stand a chance against me. We can do this the hard way or the easy way."
"That was suppose to be my line." Jade said.
"Hand over your Draizer and maybe I'll go easy on you tomorrow." Alexis sneered.
"In your dreams."
"Then get ready to taste the power of Rashka. When I'm done with you, you would wish you didn't turn down my offer." laughing softly under her breath, Alexis turned and started to walk away.
"Alright." Jade said quietly.
She stopped, waiting. A sure smile started to make its way up her lips.
"I'll be ready."
Expecting something else, Alexis couldn't help but snort as she started walking again. Foolish.
Jade stared after the blonde-haired girl, sensing the dark presence that had corrupted Alexis's mind. It engulfed the girl, taunting Jade. The girl is mine and there's nothing you can do about it, it seems to say.
As she just stood there, suddenly Jade saw herself in Alexis's place, walking away. Away from the light and into endless darkness.
That afternoon, a helicopter descended from the skies onto the hotel landing pad. Max and Mr. Dickenson awaited the new arrivals below as the helicopter door slidded open.
"Mom!" Max cried happily, running to greet his mother as she and Emily stepped down from the chopper. He threw his arms around her and hugged her fiercely.
"Hello, Maxie." Judy said warmly.
Emily tapped the blonde kid's shoulder and coughed. "What? No hi for me?"
Max broke away from his mother and smiled at his mother's assistant. "Hi, Emily. It's good to see you."
"We were watching your battle, Max. I'm sorry about what happened to your Draciel and your teammates." Emily said sincerely
Max grimaced. "Yeah. Thanks, Emily. But why are you guys here?"
"Actually, I called them here." Mr. Dickenson offered. "I figured their research could be useful in helping us beat the Demolition Boys."
"You're the man, Mr. D!" Max declared.
"However, we don't have much on the Demolition Boy's newest member. I bladed against her in the semi-finals and I didn't stand a chance against her. She took me out so fast!"
"What about your Bitbeast?" Max asked, the thought suddenly occurring. "Did she take it?"
Emily shook her head. "That's the funny thing. She didn't."
"We suspect Biovolt's attempt is to get into the tournament finals without arousing the authority's suspicions before they try capturing your Bitbeasts." Mr. Dickenson explained.
"And we're here to prevent that from happening." Judy said. "We might not be able to help Jade in her battle tomorrow but if fate if with us, she might just be able to pull through without our help."
"Don't worry, mum. She'll." Max said.
"I'm glad to hear that, Maxie." Judy smiled at her son.
"We however might be able to help Kai in his battle against Tala." Mr. Dickenson explained. "Based the date The All Starz have collected from previous matches involving the Demolition Boys, we might be able to find something that could help us."
Max nodded." That sounds great."
Emily made a show of rolling up her lab coat sleeve. "So what are we waiting for? Let's get to work!"
"Tyson, have you seen Jade?" Kenny asked, running into the kitchen where the utterly depressed nylon-haired teen was.
Tyson was stuffing his face with cake, drowning his sorrows in food.
"Tyson..." Kenny groaned. "Stuffing your face isn't going to get Dragon back."
"You just had to rub it in, don' you?" Tyson grumbled.
"For goodness sakes, Tyson, pull yourself together!" Kenny yelled. "Moping around over your lost isn't going to help the team! Jade and Kai are battling tomorrow and the day after! They'll need your support!"
Tyson sulked. "You don't understand how I feel."
Kenny sighed in frustration. "I give up. I don't have time for this. Have you seen Jade? I need to give her blade a last-minute tune up."
"She's in the training room with Kai but they don't want to be disturbed. Don't ask me why." Tyson finally managed to grumble out.
Kenny frowned in confusion. "Huh?"
Alone. With Kai. Going through relaxing Tai Chi moves. Jade stood next to him, her slow steady movements mirroring his. Their breathings were calm and rhythmic yet silent. Their hearts pounded against their chest from the tension of the dangers they would be facing tomorrow as well as the unsaid passion between them.
She closed her eyes as she felt his arms slip around her, guiding her through each movement. She wished she could stay like this forever but that was not possible. Tomorrow was coming and so was her fight against Alexis. Everything rested heavily on her. If she lost, the Bladebreakers will not only loose the Championships but Draizer would be taken from her and the whole world would be at stake.
Kai's presence was comforting but she knew he can't help her tomorrow. It has to be her...
Slowly she turned in his arms, opening her eyes to gaze into his crimson eyes. His hand dipped down to hers and his lips touched hers gently. Her senses reeled, overwhelmed with emotions. She felt dizzy.
"Kai." she pulled away before he could deepen the kiss.
He gazed at her, pain filling his eyes. "Let me help you."
"I have to do this alone, Kai." she said softly.
"You're not alone." he reminded her.
She nodded, allowing a small smile. "I know." she said sadly before she pulled her hands from his and left the room.
Kai stared after her, sensing her unspoken pain.
Jade walked for what seemed like hours through the streets of Russia until she found herself standing at a bank of a frozen over lake. She let out an icy sigh, watching the breeze carry her breath away. As the evening grew into night, she knew she had to return soon for Russia tends to be very cold at night. But she just couldn't bring herself to leave. Not just yet.
Closing her eyes, she allowed nature engulf her senses. With her keen sense of hearing and sense of touch, she could hear and almost taste the flow of the water below the layer of ice that covered the lake. Instinctively, her hand curled around the necklace Kai had given her, holding onto its solidness as an anchor to the real world. In a distance, a lone wolf howled to the crescent moon.
As if in reply to the call of the wild, Draizer started to glow. Unlike earlier that day, its glow casted a warm assuring feeling in a way to comfort its mistress. Like her, it too was aware of what dangers tomorrow could bring.
Tomorrow's match wasn't just for the Bladebreakers or the world. It was for herself, her soul and...Alexis's...
She may not have realized it until the moment she faced Alexis in the hallway but now she did.
Jade was afraid.
True, she had always been afraid considering the life she led. She was afraid for herself and those she cared about. Fear had always been there. But this time it was different. This time it was her past she feared, the one thing had haunted her sleeps day and night since she escaped the abbey.
Alexis was everything Jade would have become if she had lost all hope in herself back at the abbey. Innocence and goodness taken from her, Alexis had turned to the dark side of human nature, embracing the power her Bitbeast of darkness offered. Its power had taken control, possessing the girl and making her an instrument in the fight between good and evil.
Alexis was the shadow of herself and the only way to face her fears and to save her was to defeat Alexis.
That was why it had to be her and no other to beat Alexis.
"Draizer..." she whispered softly as she gazed down at her blade fondly. Through thick and thin, Draizer had stood by her side, never letting her down. It was her pride, her joy and her parting gift from her mother. It was her bestfriend. Will always be. No matter what happens.
You have always been a part of me, Draizer...Now I need you more than ever...if anything happens...
A cold breeze ripped through as the blade in her hand glowed as if in reply. In her mind, she heard a voice that sounded vaguely familiar to her ears.
I'll always be a part of you...no matter what...
"Is she ready?"
The scientist in question nodded in Boris's direction. "Almost, sir. A few more adjustments and she's all set to go. What about the Bitbeasts, sir? Should we combine them for tomorrow's match?"
"No." Boris said. "Rashka is powerful enough to end the tournament tomorrow. Keep those Bitbeasts under research."
A guard appeared at the door to the observatory lab. "Sir, Lord Voltaire is here."
"So soon? Show him in. I'm sure he'll be please with our progress." Boris said.
Moments later, Voltaire entered the lab, his eyes narrowing. "I assume everything is as plan?"
"Yes, milord." Boris reported. "I'm confident Alexis'll end the whole tournament tomorrow."
"For your sake I hope so, Boris. Failure is not an option." Voltaire reminded him.
Boris rolled his eyes behind the older man's back. He had heard that so many times before. "No, sir. It's not. If you would come with me, I shall present to you the fruits of Biovolt's labor."
Leading the way, Boris took Voltaire into the room below. Voltaire's eyes widened with shock as he stared at the scene within the dark room.
"What the-?!"
Two tubes filled with an unknown liquid stood at the other end of the room with wires and tubes attached to them to connect them together. One tube held Alexis dressed in a mid-baring top and a pair of short pants. Wires sank into her skin, flowing into her the dark spirit of Rashka. The demon Bitbeast was held in the other tube. Its inhuman red eyes reflected bloodlust and hunger for more power as it slowly but steadily seeped into its human-counterpart.
"Equipped with the latest in technology and the unlimited power of Rashka, Alexis's more than ready to face the Bladebreakers tomorrow." Boris explained. "Even combined, the Bladebreakers don't stand a chance against her."
As if to emphasize his words, Boris snapped his fingers. The wires detached themselves from her body and the liquid was drained from the tube holding Alexis as the tube was lifted. Eyes opening, Alexis stepped out and straightened with military practice. Unknown power seemed to radiate from her as she looked at them.
"Tomorrow Alexis will take of Jade once and for all." Boris said confidently.
A maddening grin appeared on Alexis's face, enriched with the urge for destruction. Her upper lips were pulled back, slightly revealing sharp fangs. Behind her, Rashka in its formless form growled menacingly and like it too, Alexis's eyes held the same need of blood and more power.
