We're back, ladies and gentlemen, with the Wild Card matches of the World Championship! We're starting off with the African and South American teams battling, and it's about to get heated! So without further ado, what are we waiting for?! Let's jump on in!
Ignore my inner DJ, I'm super pumped for this arc! So I hope you guys enjoy!
"Meow, meow, Nefertiti?"
Nefertiti looked up from her textbook as Motti skipped out of her kitchen, into the living area, and perched up on the edge of Nefertiti's coffee table.
"Hey, Mots, what's up?" Nefertiti marked her place, grateful for a reprieve from her studying. As badly as she wanted to be a nurse, sometimes the work load her college dumped on her could be a bit much. Throw a world tournament into the mix, and she was reaching the end of her rope faster than normal.
Motti chewed on her lower lip, looking despondent, "The first Wild Card match starts on Monday, right? Right. It's just…" Motti flexed her hands, bare of her paw-like gloves, "Do you mind if I take your battle?"
Nefertiti blinked, tilting her head, "Come again?"
"The battle list," Motti sighed, forgoing her childlike voice. "You'd end up against my brother, after Helios and Dynamis battle."
Realization flared in Nefertiti's eyes, and she sat forward, "Motti, you know that in the Wild Card matches, the battle listings are a formality, right?"
"They are?" Motti blinked, "I thought… we had to stick to the listings all through the tournament?"
"No, sweetie, no," Nefertiti shook her head. "Just in the main rounds, unless a Blader is injured or falls sick. It's weird rule, one they've put in play since the last tournament, but it is what it is. Do you… really want to battle your brother?"
Motti hesitated, then nodded, "I do."
"… Can I ask why?"
Motti was silent for a moment, frowning, "Ever since… that Chinese tag team tournament almost three years ago, Johannes kept telling me I wouldn't ever be a powerful Blader. Nor would I be respected. I… I joined this team so I could prove to him I am as strong as him."
Nefertiti nodded as Motti continued.
"But then… in my battle with Kenchii… I- I never even got a chance to prove myself. Kenchii just… I never even had a chance to show what I could do, and… that just makes me think… what if Johannes is right? What if I'm not worth being in this entire tournament?" Motti looked up at Nefertiti, green eyes blazing in determination, "And I want to prove him and everyone else wrong. I'm where I belong, and they can't stop it."
Nefertiti's lips curled into a smirk, "Atta girl." She glanced at the biology books and papers strewn out on the couch beside her and felt a sense of dread rise up in her. With a grin, she turned back to Motti, "Say, what do you say we call the boys up and go get some training in before our next matches? Might do us some good."
Motti perked up, "Yes, let's go battle, meow, meow!"
"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the first round of the World Championship Wild Card matches! Our first match, hosted right here in our grand city of Cairo, is between our home team of Team Shockwave, and the visiting team of Team Rio Grande, from South America! So, without further ado, shall we get into the thick of things?!"
The crowd roared in approval, and the DJ grinned, "I agree! So, let's get started! From the visiting team, Rio Grande, let's give it up for Helios Solace!"
The crowd cheered as the white-haired teen made his way off the stage.
"And from our home team, let's hear it for Dynamis Hikari!"
If anything, the crowd became louder as Dynamis walked down towards the dish. Of course, the home team was always one to root for, Nefertiti mused, picking at her nails. Next to her, Motti was oddly silent and still, as opposed to the way Ryuto was mumbling and bouncing on his feet.
"You two alright?" Nefertiti asked the duo at large.
Ryuto jumped, Motti flinched.
Nefertiti frowned.
"Yeah! I'm fine, just picking apart Helios' Bey. Sol Blaze, right, Demure?" Ryuto turned to the dark skinned teen, and Nefertiti glanced at Motti.
She was vaguely aware of the countdown beginning, and Motti looked up at Nefertiti, "I'm scared, Nefertiti. What if today doesn't go well?"
"You can still back down, if you want to. Heaven knows I'd like a chance at your brother, myself," Nefertiti mused.
"And me too," Ryuto popped into the conversation. "And, you know, Dynamis too, probably. Hell, I think this whole team wouldn't mind having a go at your brother."
Motti glanced up at him, "Really?"
Ryuto nodded, grinning at her, "Absolutely. And, hey, you don't necessarily have to battle your brother, if you don't think you're ready yet. Take your time, don't push it."
"No…" Motti frowned, "No, I want to do this. I… I need to prove that… that I'm more than he thinks I am."
"Atta girl," Nefertiti grinned and ruffled her hair. Motti hummed, arching into the touch just like a cat.
An explosion startled the four on the platform, and they were reminded a battle was going on.
"The ultimate Bey versus a defensive Legendary Bey," Nefertiti mused. "Gods, this is gonna be a battle. I don't have much hope that Dynamis will win if I'm honest…"
"I'm in the same mindset," Ryuto agreed. "Dynamis is good, and he knows how his Bey works, but… I remember Gingka talking about the time he battled Helios, once. Pegasus ended up half melted, I think. And Masamune, Yuu, and a whole bunch of other strong Japanese Bladers ended up defeated just by being in his presence…"
"Not to mention, he can get Sol Blaze to switch freely between an attack and defense type Bey, and what with his stamina type spin track and performance tip…" Demure said.
"Right," Ryuto nodded. "Helios can measure Dynamis' abilities by staying in defense mode, and then when Jupiter's stamina drops, he can attack and win."
"But look at how he's battling," Nefertiti pointed out, as another shockwave of wind rippled through the stadium, when Jupiter and Sol Blaze collided again. "He's attacking, not defending."
"But why, that's now how he used to battle… is it?" Motti asked.
Ryuto shook his head, "He met Gingka."
"… Is that supposed to mean something?"
Ryuto laughed nervously, and sweatdropped, "Oh, you have no clue."
Unbeknownst to the African team, Ian Garcia stood with the rest of the South American team, having heard every word, even as his eyes stayed trained on the battle below.
At this point, Ian thought. Helios is just looking for a battle. He's drawing this whole thing out to give the audience a show. Ryuto's right—anyone who meets Gingka or his friends, nine times out of ten, they will have a change of heart of some sort. Ian glanced to his left, at Johannes and Jigsaw, … For the most part.
"Go now, Jupiter! Special Move, Grand Lightning!"
And now Dynamis is on the attack, Ian mused. He must realize by now that he isn't a match for Helios' Sol Blaze, but is still giving it his best attempt. Admirable, but…
"Sol Blaze! We've fooled around long enough! Special Move!"
Lightning was crackling through the air, but now the air—already thick with heat—rocketed up even more, as Helios called upon his partner's element.
"Blaze Execution!"
Ian smirked, Dynamis never stood a chance.
An explosion of flames and lightning ripped through the air, sending spectators and Bladers alike ducking and covering. With the heat of the air, it felt hard to breathe, but it faded faster than it had come to be.
Ian took in a sharp gasp of clear air, and raised his head. Scorch marks laid out around the arena floor, and only one Bey stood spinning in the dish.
"And after a battle, where Dynamis even gave it his all, Helios ends up as the winner!" DJ announced, "The first win goes to Team Rio Grande!"
Johannes and Jigsaw laughed, cruel and full of victory.
Ian sighed through his nose, and barely restrained himself from shaking his head.
Let them think what they want to, Ian thought, as he shared a glance with Helios. We'll have the last laugh soon enough.
"… Well not that we didn't expect that to happen, I am surprised it took that long for Helios to finish you off… no offense, Dynamis," Ryuto glanced at the Jupiter Blader.
"None taken, my friend," Dynamis smiled lightly. "I had no illusions that I would win that battle. Helios has the powers of his own heavens on his side."
"… Right," Ryuto sweatdropped. "Anyways! The next battle is Johannes and… Nefertiti? Motti?"
The two girl exchanged a look, "Mots?"
"I'm doing it," Motti said, determinedly. "I got a spot on this team, because I proved to myself that I'm worth something. Now it's time to prove to him what I am worth."
"Moving on to the next battle!" DJ's voice startled the team, "And this one will be a doozy folks, because we have brother versus sister, sister versus brother! So without further ado, let's get started! From Team Shockwave, let's hear it for Motti Wilde!"
Motti mewled a bit, shrinking in on herself, even as the crowd cheered her own. At her teammates' encouragement and warm smiles, she found her nerve and skipped down towards the Bey dish.
"And from Rio Grande, it's her older brother, Johannes Wilde!"
Motti found herself realizing she hadn't missed her brother's coy smirk, as he approached the edge of the dish. Or the way his eyes glittered dangerously from under his dark bangs. She was, at least, glad to see that he'd gotten rid of that hideous hat and decided to simply tie his hair back.
"I'm surprised you've made it this far, Motti," Johannes purred. "Of course, you are only riding on the wings of victory. I've yet to see you pull off a win yet!"
Motti frowned and opted not to reply. Instead, she pulled her Bey and launcher out, tuning out her brother's ramblings to stare down at her partner, and recall the conversation she and her team—no, her friends, had gone through the week before.
"Beat Lynx is a Balance type Bey with high attack and defensive power," Demure said, typing away at Nefertiti's laptop. "And his spin track, with the ability to rise and fall at command, would be trick to get around too."
"Motti's got an advantage on the fact that she knows how Johannes battles, though," Ryuto pointed out, laying his hands on the table and looking over Demure's right shoulder. "Right?"
Motti nodded, "I know his tricks."
"Even if you do, he can expect that you'll use that to your advantage. Have you ever really battled your brother?" Ryuga asked, sitting in the chair to Ryuto's right. He couldn't see the computer screen, but it wasn't like it mattered. Ryuga was smart enough to put together things just by listening and observing.
"Um… Not really," Motti said, dejectedly. "Johannes… he would ask me to battle, but then, he'd never give me a chance to attack. He let Lynx use Gasher as a punching bag, in a sense."
"Then he doesn't even know if you have a battle style," Ryuga crossed his arms over his chest. "You can use that to your advantage."
"Okay, so we know about Lynx," Nile mused. "What can Motti do to beat Johannes?"
"Well, Flame Cancer is a Balance type like Lynx," Demure clicked away at the keyboard keys. Nefertiti peered over his left shoulder, "And a heavy one, at that. It's also strong in defense and stamina, and I suggest you go on the defensive in your battle with Johannes."
"Why's that?" Motti asked, tilting her head.
"An easy question, dear," Dynamis laid a hand on her shoulder, catching her attention. "Your brother is more apt to attack, in attempt to earn a fast win. If you can get into a defensive stance before he attacks, he'll have trouble throwing you off balance. Remember what Kenchii did in his battle with you?"
Motti nodded, dejected.
"He knew that, and he knew that the best chance for himself to win, was to make sure you didn't have a chance to hold your ground," Dynamis said. "Which is what you need to make sure you do in order to win against Johannes. Does that make sense?"
Motti frowned, then nodded. She could try that.
"Going on with that, you should let Johannes attack you," Dynamis continued. "Given that Cancer is a stamina type, you should be able to outlast his attacks. Then, after he's drained his stamina from his attacks, you can go on the offensive."
"But… wouldn't he just be able to switch into defensive mode?" Motti asked.
"All the defensive capabilities in the world won't matter if he doesn't have the energy to put behind it," Nefertiti spoke up. "Dynamis is right. Your best strategy is just let him do all the work and then finish him off in one move."
Let him do all the work and then finish him off in one move, Motti thought, as she attacked Cancer to her launcher. That's a sound strategy, but… I'm here to prove that I can handle my own. Not that I let someone do all the work for me.
"Three!" The DJ began to count down.
"Two!" The crowd joined in.
"One! Let it rip!"
"Cancer!" Motti exclaimed, and on her command, her partner went for the center of the Bey dish, and then stopped.
Time to draw big kitty in! Motti thought.
"Hah, you're even more of a coward than a thought!" Johannes exclaimed, "Are you really just going to stand there and do nothing?! I'm nearly ashamed to call you my sister!"
Not nearly as ashamed as I am to call you my brother, Motti thought, bitterly. Go ahead. Let him keep running his mouth. He'll be singing a different tune soon enough.
"Lynx!" Johannes shouted, and the golden Bey shot forward to begin a barrage attack on Cancer.
Cancer barely budged, and Motti perked up. Across the dish, Johannes frowned, tilting his head.
"Alright then, if a head on attack won't work," Johannas growled. "Then how about an uppercut attack! Lynx!"
Cancer doesn't have an eternal defense spin track, so I can't let him hit me. I can't let him hit me anyways, because if he does, then I risk either being thrown out of the stadium, or Cancer off balance. But, I can use the wings to as an offensive strategy!
"Cancer! Special Move, Claw Smash!" Motti hissed, as a giant, transparent red grab appeared in the air. With a cry, it began to slam it's front claws at Lynx, causing the ground to rumble beneath Motti's feet and dish to crack under the impact of blows.
Lynx dodged, and kept dodging, before Cancer managed a lucky blow and struck Lynx. Motti smirked as Lynx was sent flying back.
"Meow, meow, what was that you said earlier about me being a coward, big kitty?!" Motti called across as Cancer vanished, "Go now, Cancer! Don't let him regain his balance! Send him flying!"
As ordered, Cancer went on the attack, driving Lynx further and further back towards the edge of the dish.
"Lynx!" Johannes snarled, swiping away a cloud of dust that had risen up from the blows, "You annoying little—Why don't you just remember your place and back down already?!"
"It's not fun, is it, big kitty?" Motti hissed, "To be backed into a corner with no way out… to be beat down and told you're worth nothing! Now you know how I feel, after all you've put me through! Well, I'm done hiding in your shadow, and I'm done letting you boss me around! It's time I show off the claws I've hidden for so long! Cancer, it's time to end this!"
Cancer fell back away from Lynx, and began to spin even faster than before as a red glow surrounded the Bey. Across the dish, Lynx was wobbling, not enough to be close to a sleep out, but it was the opening that Motti was looking for.
"Cancer, Special Move," Motti adjusted her stance. "Double Claw Barrage!"
Cancer reappeared in the air, his eyes flashing in the high noon sun, before striking out with both of his main claws at Lynx. Yowling, the golden cat tried to jump and dodge, winding its lithe body just out of Cancer's grip, but then, Cancer hit Lynx and the cat vanished with a yowl of pain and rage.
It was the opening that Cancer was looking for, and he began his barrage attack in full. Motti felt her chest flare with hope, and then a cheer left her as Cancer delivered a final, brutal attack, and sent Lynx flying past her brother's shoulder and into the wall behind him.
"Motti wins!" The DJ announced, "The first win of the team Shockwave goes to our resident alley cat, Motti Wilde!"
The cheers of the crowd were muffled to Motti, her green eyes wide in shock, "I won?"
"Way to go Motti!" Motti jumped, and turned as she heard Ryuto shout. Her friends were high fiving each other, but all of them sported broad, bright grins, "You won! We knew you could do it!"
Motti smiled back at them and called her partner back into her hand. She paused, taking in the kneeling form of her brother. She briefly debated calling out to him, but in the end, she couldn't find it in herself to have any sympathy for Johannes.
In the end, he'd brought it upon himself.
in this house, we love and respect Motti. I wish she had got more screen time in the anime, but I guess that wasn't meant to be :(
hope ya'll enjoyed and will drop a review! in the next chapter, we have the second half of the Shockwave vs Rio Grande match, and I look forward to it!
Until next time, ciao!