Back with a new chapter! Hope you guys enjoy!
"Ah, there they are. Hey! Bao! Aguma!"
Nile grinned, hand in the air as he managed to catch the attention of the Chinese team. Or, more accurately, he caught the attention of the towering brunette, who then promptly steered the other three people with him towards Nile and Demure.
"Nile," Bao greeted first. "Been a while."
"And at least this time, under better circumstances?" Nile cocked an eyebrow, eyes dancing with mirth. At that, Bao threw his head back and laughed, earning him a look from the black haired girl.
"What are you doing here?" Aguma asked, curious.
"Demure and I came to pick you up, of course," Nile said. "Taking you to the hotel and then, if you're up for it, out to dinner. Figured you guys would like to see the sights before we get into the thick of the tournament. Did you guys see the American and EU battle?"
"Also heard about Lucas being the Water elemental," The second male of the Chinese team piped up. He had dark red hair, darker than Bao's and blue eyes. He was dressed in a leather jacket and Nile knew that before long, in the heat of Egypt, he'd be shedding it, "And how we can keep an eye out on who are the other Elementals. Evolution, right?"
Nile glanced at Aguma, "He knows?"
"You can't keep anything from Kenchii," The black haired girl mumbled.
"Oh, come on Kuro, you love me!"
"Debatable,"
The brown haired girl rolled her eyes, but focused on the person standing behind Nile, "Hi! I'm Xue Wong, the mechanic. You're Demure, right?"
Demure startled, before smiling and nodding, "I am. I've heard you're pretty talented."
"Yep, though if you heard it from my twin, he was probably exaggerating," Xue laughed, as she and Demure shook hands. "I was surprised to hear you being the mechanic for the African team."
"A hidden talent," Demure flushed. "I… I have keen eyesight, and after the last World Championships, I started just… playing around with piecing together and pulling apart Beys until I eventually got hired here in Cairo at a shop. Nile vouched for me when the Board was looking for a mechanic."
"As if there's anyone better," Nile said, smirking.
Demure went even more red.
"Anyways, put your bags in the back," Nile turned, gesturing to the truck sitting on the curb. "A few of you may have to ride in the back. Cab only takes four people."
"Shotgun!" Kenchii chirped, as he threw his luggage in the bed and then promptly rushed to the passenger door.
"I'll sit outside," Kuro volunteered. "Keep me away from that little brat…"
Bao snorted, "No way am I lasting in this heat. I call backseat."
"Mind if I keep the lovely lady company?" Aguma smirked in Kuro's direction. Kuro rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything to dissuade him. Aguma seemed to take that at as a yes.
"I'm driving," Nile deadpanned.
"I'll keep Bao sane from Kenchii, unless Demure wants the last seat?" Xue glanced at the dark skinned teen.
Demure looked relieved, "I'd rather sit with the quiet ones."
"In that case, load up and we'll hit the road," Nile called, pulling the keys from his pocket. Once everyone was situated and Nile behind the wheel, did the group pull away from the airport.
"Aren't we missing someone in our little group?" Kuro asked, surveying the bunch of teens and young adults sitting at the table, "Specifically, aren't we missing an African team member?"
"Ryuto had a meeting with the Head of Ancient Egyptian Antiquities at the Museum this afternoon," Nefertiti laughed, quietly. "He'll be here, he's just running late. Apparently, they needed his opinion on a new arrival from some dig out in the desert."
Bao's eyebrows went up, "You mean he's actually invested in all that treasure hunting stuff?"
"He's more than invested in it," Nefertiti said, sharply. "He's made a career of it."
Bao wisely shut his mouth, his eyes flickering to the brunette sitting across from him and picking nervously at her gloves, "… Motti right? I remember you from the Tag Team Tournament. You battled with your brother."
"Big kitty wasn't very nice," Motti pouted, crossing her arms. "Motti didn't even get to battle!"
"You held your own against Benkei," Aguma commented. "You were doing fine until Johannes lost his temper."
"And Kyoya his," Nefertiti muttered. "Honestly, that man…"
"Shh, Nefertiti, say it to his face, not behind his back," Nile waved a hand, shushing his sister.
"How do you know Kyoya anyways? I remember you being in Metal City after the whole Nemesis thing, and you seemed pretty close to him," Bao asked, leaning forward.
Nefertiti picked up the glass of wine just to her left, and took a few sips from it, "Oh, now that's a story. I know Kyoya through Nile. Nile knows Kyoya because they were team mates on the last African team for the World Championships."
"Wild Fang, right?" Kenchii mused, "Got all the way to the semi finals before Gan Gan Galaxy defeated you."
Nile's expression twisted. Demure chuckled, shaking his head.
Thankfully, any form of awkwardness or embarrassment was saved by the blur of black, white, and teal that came barreling through the door.
"Hey! I'm not too late, am I?" Ryuto Katashi asked, as he grabbed the final chair, just between Nefertiti and Dynamis.
"Course not," Nefertiti waved a hand. "We've only ordered drinks and appetizers so far. And yes, coke for you but no bread."
"Least someone listens," Ryuto grinned, with a pointed look in Nile's direction. Said Egyptian sniffed.
"Excuse me, but-" Nile began.
"How did your meeting go, Ryuto? You seem quite excited," Dynamis interjected, amusement coloring his voice.
"I'm curious to know what's so exciting about dusty old mummies and a few ancient artifacts," Kenchii muttered. "Seems all pretty boring to me."
Bao rolled his eyes, "Shouldn't have said that."
"Pretty boring?!" Ryuto exclaimed, eyes wide, "What's boring about uncovering history?! We learn so much about it, about people's places and the hierarchy of old dynasties and-"
"Ryuto," Nefertiti interrupted, amused. "Breathe."
Kenchii looked fairly bewildered, as Ryuto fell back into his seat with a huff.
"You know," Kuro drawled, bringing attention to herself. She took a gulp of her water, eyes scanning over the table, before landing on Ryuto, "How's your brother taking this?"
Nefertiti choked on her wine, dissolving into a fit of coughs. Alarmed, Nile reached over and pat her on the back. Ryuto's expression became dark and Dynamis- weirdly enough- shared a look with Aguma. Demure ducked his head and seemed to wait for the fireworks.
"My brother," Ryuto said, calmly- the way Nefertiti and Dynamis reeled away from him should have been a clue that Kuro should leave the subject alone- and sat back in his chair, "Hasn't even called me to congratulate me getting on the team."
"Huh," Kuro mused, golden eyes glittering. "Guess Ryuga thinks he's too good for you, huh?"
Ryuto barked out a callous laugh, and let his chair fall back down on all four legs, so he could lean over the table and get closer to Kuro, "Let me let you in on a little secret: he thinks everyone is beneath him. The only way he'll take anyone seriously is if they prove they're better than him, and then it's like a personal thing for him to be better at than them just so he can stay at the top."
"But what does he know about you and your passions?" Kuro smirked, linking her fingers together and settling her chin down on them, "Nothing. You've got a leg up on him when it comes to… what exactly, do you do, again?"
"I track down ancient artefacts," Ryuto answered, seemingly surprised at the question, and the interest. As it was, as he began to talk, the tension bled from his shoulders, "And sometimes I take certain assignments from museums around the world, to find a specific piece or tomb or lost kingdom of some kind. It's fun, 'cause I get to travel the world and meet new people." Yes, Ryuto was definitely relaxing with being able to talk about his life, especially with as attentive as Kuro was being, "I've been all over- India, Mexico, Egypt, Greece- hunting down stories and objects of the old times."
"You know your history, then?" Kuro cocked an eyebrow.
"More like I know my treasure," Ryuto replied with a smirk.
As Kuro and Ryuto continued to converse, Nefertiti leaned over to speak quietly to Bao, "How did she do that?"
"How did she do what?" Bao asked, sipping at his water.
"Talk him up to a near eight and then get him back down to a three," Nefertiti sounded bewildered. "I've not been able to do that yet."
Bao smirked, "One of Kuro's many talents. She picked up a few things during her own travels. If I had to guess, Nefertiti, this is only a preview to what tomorrow's Q-and-A panel will bring."
"Why am I here?"
"Because Kyoya dragged you here,"
"No, I know that, but lion boy over here has yet to give me the exact reason he dragged me away from my desk,"
"Real original, Ryuga," Kyoya drawled. "You're losing your touch when it comes to insults."
"Don't try me, kit-kat,"
"Hm, that reminds me, I should go shopping after I get off work this evening…"
Tsubasa sighed as Kyoya and Ryuga began to bicker, but even he couldn't deny his interest, "Really, Kyoya, I want to know too. Why are we here? There's paperwork to be done, you know."
"Eh, we've got thirty minutes before we clock out, live a little, Tsubasa," Kyoya waved a hand. "Besides. The next Q-and-A panel is about to start. I figured we could watch it."
Ryuga squinted, "Japan's first match isn't until next week."
"This isn't about Japan,"
"Then what is it about?"
The tv hung on the breakroom wall flashed a bright color, and Kyoya smirked instead of answering. He raised the volume up on the tv as the Egyptian DJ began to speak.
"Welcome, welcome, one and all to our lovely city of Cairo! For the next while, we'll be asking questions of the two teams that'll be duking it out tomorrow, as well as getting know the team members themselves, if we're lucky!" The DJ grinned at the camera, "So first, let's introduce the visiting team- From China, let's hear it for Team Breaking Dawn! Aguma Ji, Bao Blackheart, Kuro Blackheart, Kenchi Heixin, and Xue Wang!"
Cameras flashed as the Chinese team walked out on to the stage and took their seats. Xue and Kenchi were the only two that were giving the reporters any reaction, smiling and waving, while the other three members simply took their seats.
"And the home team of Africa, let's hear it for Team Shockwave!" The room erupted into applause, "Dynamis Hikari, Nefertiti Storm, Ryuto Katashi, Motti Wilde, and Demure LaCroix!"
Tsubasa sighed, and settled into the chair next to Kyoya. Said man was looking both interested and vindictive, a strange sight to behold on Kyoya's face. Reluctantly, Ryuga also took a seat.
"I know what you're doing," Tsubasa muttered to Kyoya, so only the Leone Blader could hear.
Kyoya adopted an innocent look, and raised an eyebrow as if to say, 'Who, me?'
Tsubasa sighed again.
"So, now that we have our teams settled in," DJ's voice snapped Tsubasa back to the moment at hand. "Let's begin!"
The reporters erupted into a frenzy, and were only quieted when the first person spoke.
"Ah," Nefertiti leaned into her mic. "Please. Mrs. Storm was my mother. Call me Nefertiti. What's your question, dear?"
The camera flicked around to a young woman dressed in a sharp suit. She looked a bit sheepish, but she cleared her throat and plowed on, "Miss Nefertiti, our records indicate that the last tournament you competed in was over seven years ago! Are you not concerned that your skills may be lacking and you could potentially bring down your team?"
Nefertiti raised an eyebrow, "My last official tournament was about eight years ago, wasn't it?" She shook her head, "I'll admit, when I entered the qualifiers, I was apprehensive. Honestly, I only entered to be another number for the grand scheme of things. I never anticipated I would get a spot on this team, especially when I'm just under the age limit to be competing. But, while I haven't competed, I have kept up my training, in some ways. The last World Championships, for example, was almost five years ago, and I helped my brother train for it. Likewise, he's helped me train for this one since I got the slot on the team. Every Blader can one day have, how you said… 'lacking skills', but all it takes is a little bit of effort to get back where one wants to be."
The reporter smiled, and took the answer for what it was.
"Next question!" DJ boomed, and the reporters clamored to heard over each other again, "Yes! You there, sir!"
"My question is for Kuro," The male reporter spoke as the crowd quieted.
"I'm listening," Kuro drawled, sounding bored.
"Are you concerned about your coming battle with Mister Katashi? He is, after all, the younger brother of the renowned Dragon Emperor. And, honestly, a bit of a wild card in the fact that not only did he enter last minute for this entire tournament, but also the fact that no one really knows much about how he battles!"
There was a beat of silence, as the camera caught Kuro just staring at the reporter, blank faced. Next to her, Bao looked nervous, eyeing his sister with concern.
"How is that supposed to concern me?" Kuro finally scoffed, "He's a Blader, is he not? Win or lose, it doesn't matter about his skills or who he's related to." She narrowed her eyes, a dangerous look on someone who visually looked intimidating, "Why don't you stop beating around the bush and just ask the question that you're really wanting to put out?"
The reporter looked uncomfortable. He glanced around the room, but no one else was speaking, just staring at him.
"Cat got your tongue?" Kuro rolled her eyes, and leaned back in her chair to peer behind her teammates' backs and down the line, "Hey, Ryuto. I think this guy is concerned over weather or not you'll be the sadistic, power hungry bastard your brother is known to be."
"To be fair," A random reporter spoke up. "I'd wager a guess as to think we all are."
"As if," Ryuto muttered, bitterly. Clearly, he hadn't meant to be heard, but the microphones picked up sound very well. Ryuto jerked back, wide eyed, as his comment sparked another flurry of questions, this time, directed at him.
It was… well, it wasn't comical, but it was amusing to see the difference between Ryuto and Ryuga, Tsubasa mused. Where as Ryuga wouldn't give anyone the time of day in an instance such as this, Ryuto looked very much overwhelmed, even closer to a panicked animal backed into a corner.
And what happened to animals that got cornered?
They snap back.
And that's exactly what Ryuto did.
BANG! The sudden noise startled even Tsubasa, and silenced the crowd. Ryuto had slammed his hands down on the table, and was now slowly standing from his chair.
"Let me make one thing perfectly clear for you idiots," Ryuto began, voice low, simmering with frustration. "I. Am. Not. Ryuga. I have never been Ryuga, and I will never be like him. My darling brother," Ryuto fixed the crowd with a glare. "Was brainwashed by a power-hungry maniac to do his bidding. Because of the influence of the Dark Power, he turned into the person you all remember him to be. But the Ryuga I remember, the Ryuga I know…" Ryuto faltered, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, before continuing, "He's strong willed, passionate, and never afraid to meet his opponents head on. He doesn't let other people do his dirty work, he's willing to do it himself. He'd never abandon those who need his help, though he may make them work for it. He's loyal, and determined, and that Ryuga… that's who I remember, and that's who I aspire to be."
With that, Ryuto turned and walked off stage before anyone else could another word in. There was a second's pause, before Nefertiti stood and followed, and then Kuro of all people also went after them.
"I, uh," Bao cleared his throat as he began to stand. "Believe that'll be all the questions for today. Thank you."
Tsubasa turned to Kyoya as DJ tried to get the crowd under control. In turn, Kyoya was staring at Ryuga with a pointed look on his face. Ryuga was staring at the tv with a blank look. After a moment of silence, Kyoya spoke.
"Again," Kyoya drawled. "He called me for advice about entering the tournament. It should have been you."
Ryuga didn't answer. Instead, he stood up, and walked out of the room.
Kyoya turned to Tsubasa, "Before you say anything… I swear, there's a method to my madness."
"So long as I see that method before it blows up in all our faces, I'll leave you to it," Was all Tsubasa said in response.
Being a benefactor to some of the many exhibits at the Cairo Museum had its perks, Ryuto reflected. Unrestricted access to the things that went on behind the scenes, knowing the board of directors…
Being able to sink oneself into the past and not have to worry about the present.
"Mister Katashi," Ardeth said, amused as he snapped Ryuto out of his thoughts. "Your phone has been buzzing for quite some time now. Should you answer it?"
"Eh, it's probably just my friends," Ryuto waved a hand at the curator. "Worried about me, after this morning's interview. I'm fine, really, I can just-" He cut off as he glanced at his phone, and saw the caller ID.
It'd been over a month since he'd spoken to his brother, and that was only because Ryuga had given him the information about the Elemental Seven and Nyx.
"Your pause suggests to me that perhaps it is something more than just friends wanting to make sure about your wellbeing," Ardeth said, knowingly. "We can continue this meeting later, dear boy."
"I- no, it's fine, I can just call him back later-" Ryuto tried, but quieted at Ardeth's look.
"My dear boy," Ardeth patted Ryuto on the shoulder. "Never deny a family member looking to make amends. While it may seem scary, I can assure you, there's never any harm in letting them try."
With that, the man breezed out of the conference room, and left Ryuto to stare at his still buzzing phone. He swallowed, thickly, as he picked it up and answered the call. He didn't say anything, just kept the phone to his ear. Eventually, Ryuga spoke first.
"Ryuto… are you good to talk for a while?"
Points to whoever catches the references to an old 1999 film, The Mummy, in this chapter. There's a couple ;)
Next chapter features the battles of China V Africa. Place your bets now and let me know who you think is moving on!
Leave a review! until next time, ciao!