METAL NIGHT IS NOT LEAVING ME ALONE UNTIL I GET THROUGH THE FIRST BATTLE OF THE SECOND ROUND. It's annoying as it is amusing, so here we are with another update closer to what my brain wants me to post.

A few things before we go on: This semester is over, yay! Good news! Not so good news: Christmas and the New Year is coming up, and the holidays are extra busy for me. Better news: I'm taking a break from college till next fall, for mental and emotional health reasons. With COVID, all classes are online, and I don't do well with online classes. I'm gonna wait and see what my college campus does before I go back to school. Not so good news: I will be getting a new job at the start of the year, so I can't promise quick updates. I'm gonna try to get the next three chapters up before the end of this year, since I have chapters 22 and 23 done and ready to post. At least then, that'll be off my mind and you guys can have some excitement... and drama. And angst. Possible romance depending on how you look at it?

Anyways, have this chapter! Next chapter will be the end of the Wild Cards, Round 1 Arc. We'll be moving back into the main tournament and more plot by chapter 22.

Hope ya'll enjoy!

"I'm from Alabama, and I hate this heat,"

"It's the humidity you're used to, Chrissie, not the actual heat. Welcome to Egypt!"

Christina glared daggers at the back of her brother's head, "Okay, there's no need to be a smart ass about it, Christopher."

"I don't know why you two are so miserable. This place reminds me of home!" Tithi chirped, skipping up to the twins with a grin.

"Tithi… you call Mist Mountain your home. You're used to the weather here in Egypt," Christina pointed out.

"I'm talking about Mexico, silly!" Tithi giggled, "And speaking of Mist Mountain, there's Dynamis! He's come to meet with us!"

Tithi beamed wider, and bolted away from the group, towards the airport gates. He ran full forced into the Jupiter Blader with a cry of excitement, nearly taking the taller teen down, but Dynamis quickly righted himself and ruffled Tithi's hair with a small smile.

Tyler and Toby joined the Cadelle twins, Tyler looking like he would rather be anywhere else on the planet than where they currently were, "Please. End my suffering."

"Can't handle the heat?" Chris grinned at the taller man.

"Shut it, Cadelle. You have experience with extreme weather. I don't. I'm on your sister's side with this," Tyler groaned, adjusting the strap of his duffel bag on his shoulder. "Can we just get going to the hotel already? Otherwise, I'm at risk of melting."

"I actually don't mind it," Toby shrugged. "It's different from New York, at least."

Christina giggled as the foursome began making their way towards Tithi and Dynamis, "You boys… You'll wear shorts and tank tops in the middle of winter but then you can't handle a little sun?"

"You were literally just complaining about the temperature five minutes ago!" Chris exclaimed, "You have no room to be talking, anyways—you'll wear hoodies in ninety degree weather at home!"

"Ah, but the difference is the humidity, like you said! Besides, I'm in an airconditioned barn ninety percent of the time, and we're in the middle of like, hundred degree weather here!"

"Hundred and seven, actually," A female voice cut through the bickering siblings, and the group looked up to see that they had joined Dynamis, Tithi, and one Nefertiti Storm. "And it only gets worse in the summer." Nefertiti grinned, and held out a hand, "Nice to see you again, Chrissie, Chris. How are you two doing?"

"Great, thanks!" Christina chirped, as she shook Nefertiti's hand, "How about you? It's been a while since we've seen you!"

"Since I was in Metal City after Nemesis," Nefertiti laughed, flipping a chocolate-colored lock of hair over her shoulder. "Well, we should probably get you guys to the hotel so you can rest! After all, tomorrow we decide who goes on in the Championships!"

"That'll be us of course," Tithi laughed.

"We'll see, little man," Nefertiti smirked at him. "Come on! Cars are waiting!"

"Tell me they have air conditioning…" Tyler all but ran after the woman, much to his teammates' amusement. Toby was quick to follow, and then Dynamis was herding Tithi after them.

"Well, tomorrow is going to be fun, don't you think Chris?" Christina asked, arms crossed. When her brother didn't answer, she turned, "Chris? Are you—"

Chris was standing very still, his expression blank. His eyes were wide and locked on Nefertiti's retreating figure. Christina blinked, confused, and glanced back and forth between her brother and Nefertiti's form. A look of realization crossed her face, quickly followed by mischief, then displeasure.

"Chris," Christina growled, reaching out to grab her brother's collar and yank him around to face her. "If we lose tomorrow because of a puppy crush, then I am going to murder you in your sleep."

"Wha—I don't know what you're talking about—" Chris started.

"Christopher," Christina said, eyes narrowing. "I mean it. Get through tomorrow, then you can ask her out. Until then, keep your head in the game."

Chris groaned, and shook off his sister's grip, "I will, I will, jeez! Have a little faith, why don't you?"

"I have complete faith in you," Christina said, and began walking away. "But I would much rather win this tournament over trying to get laid!"

Chris went red, "Wha—Christina Cadelle! You take that back right now—!"

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen of the Beyblade world! We welcome you to our final match of the first Wild Card rounds! Today's battle will be between our home team, Team Shockwave, and the visiting team, Team Shadowhunters!"

"So, in our favor, we know there's two of the Elemental Seven in this final Wild Card round," Nefertiti mused, tapping her fingers over the metal railing. "Ryuto and Christina. We know there's three Legendary Bladers—Chris, Dynamis, and Tithi. We know that the Elemental Seven are stronger than Legendary Bladers, so we can draw the conclusion that—well… Ryuto, you'll end up going up against Christina, if we stick to the set battle order."

"Please?" Ryuto begged, sounding borderline hysterical, "I want to battle someone who can actually give me a fight. No offense to any of you, or hell, Ryuga, but I'm sick of winning all the time right now!"

"Alright, alright, we'll stick to the battle order!" Nefertiti held her hands up, stepping back, "Which means… Dynamis and Chris, Tithi and myself, Ryuto and Christina, and then Motti and Toby. Demure?"

"Jape Jupiter is a defensive type Bey, with the ability to switch into stamina mode. Orion is the ultimate stamina type Bey, with its key weakness being the performance tip. Go for the performance tip, Dynamis, and you should be able to pull off a win," Demure gave Dynamis a small smile.

"I'll keep that in mind, thank you Demure," Dynamis nodded.

"So what are we waiting for?!" DJ cried, "Let's get this started, and see who will be moving on! Our first battle, between two of the Legendary Bladers that battled Nemesis, let's hear it for Dynamis Hikari and Chris Cadelle!"

Hmm, so in the next battle I'll be going up against Tithi… Nefertiti thought, as the two Bladers below readied themselves for battle. There's no chance of myself winning, so I shouldn't focus on going for a win. What I could focus on, though, perhaps, is draining Quetzalcoatl's stamina! Ryuto's Storm Dragonis is an even stronger attack type, and Christina's Wild Artemis is a stronger stamina type with offensive capabilities… but Ryuto's had longer to get Dragonis' powers under his control…

The Bladers had finished their countdown and were now in the middle of battle, but Nefertiti wasn't paying attention, her mind going into overdrive as she attempted to pick up how the battles could go.

Then again, Artemis is a stamina type that a), can outlast Orion in a stamina match and b), can get through Chimera's defenses. Ugh, these Elemental Seven Beys are so frustrating! There's nothing but their own kind to compare them too, and even that's limited!

There was an explosion, and Nefertiti glanced up to see Orion trying to get past Jupiter's defenses. She hid a smirk and went back to her thoughts.

Ryuto will probably win his battle against Christina, just through sheer force and attack power alone. Christina's not had time to adjust to Artemis' power, but Ryuto has. Plus, Artemis has little defensive abilities, from what I've heard. Then, Motti and Toby… I hate to admit it, but Motti might not be able to pull of a win. Toby's just too good, and has a lot of self-confidence, too. Which means, if all of this happens and we don't get thrown a curveball…

"Jupiter!" Dynamis' voice caught Nefertiti's attention, and she looked up in time to see Jupiter throw Orion high into the air, "Special Move, Grand Lightning!"

The atmospheric pressure dropped, making Nefertiti's ears pop, before Jupiter released a grand bolt of electricity and struck Orion from beneath. The fuchsia-colored Bey went flying over Chris' head and into the wall behind him, effectively ending the battle.

"Dynamis Hikari wins!" DJ called out, barely heard over the roaring of the crowd, "The first win goes to Team Shockwave!"

"Hell yeah!" Ryuto cheered, "Way to go, Dynamis!"

Which means, we'll be tied with one win each and we'll have to go into a tiebreaker, and more than likely, Team Shadowhunters will make it a tag-team with Chris and Christina as their reps.

"Hey, Nef, what's with the long face?" Ryuto asked the older woman, "Dynamis won!"

"I know," Nefertiti smiled lightly at the younger teen. "I'm just thinking about how the rest of the match is going to go."

Ryuto's smile dimmed a bit, "Yeah? What have you figured out?"

"If all goes according to how I think it will," Nefertiti chewed on her lower lip. "We'll end up in a tiebreaker battle."

Ryuto's expression cleared, and he nodded, "That makes sense. But we can still pull this win off!"

"I have no doubt," Nefertiti smirked back at him. "But don't get cocky, Ryuto. We still have a ways to go before we know who moves on." She turned to Demure, "I'm up against Tithi, Demure. Give me some facts."

"Death Quetzalcoatl is balance type Bey that can be put into attack and defense mode. Since Tithi seems to enjoy battles, you'll more than likely be dealing with attack mode," Demure mused.

Nefertiti nodded, "And Wadjet is a defense type…"

"Opposites attract," Ryuto shrugged. "But you got this, Nefertiti! You can still give the world a damn good show, even if you can't win!"

"Meow, meow, Ryuto is right!" Motti sang, "We believe in you Nefertiti!"

Nefertiti grinned at her teammates, "Thanks guys."

"And moving on to our next battle—between our resident queen and the Legendary Blader of Venus, we have Nefertiti Storm and Tithi Habenero!"

Nefertiti took a deep, calming breath, before making her way down to the dish. Tithi was already there, bouncing excitedly up and down on his side of the arena and sporting a broad smile.

"I hope you give me a great battle Nefertiti! I want to have fun!" Tithi smiled over at her, as he readied himself for battle.

"I'll certainly do my best," Nefertiti replied, with a smile of her own. "My, what an honor it is to battle a Legendary Blader like yourself though!"

Tithi blushed, and Nefertiti hid a smirk, Still got it, don't'cha old girl?

"Our Bladers are ready, so let's begin! Three!" DJ began.

"Two!" The crowd chanted.

"One! Let it rip!"

Okay, so generally Tithi attacks from above… Nefertiti mused. And, of course, I'm dealing with another Bey based off of a snake in mythology. Ugh, Dragonis is bad enough now I gotta deal with a god…

But, Nefertiti would admit to herself, she did enjoy it when she could battle someone who's partner was also snake based as well. There was a certain technique to handling the sly and wily creatures, both in the dish and in the wild.

"Let's go, Quetzalcoatl!" Tithi cheered, and his partner began a barrage attack on Nefertiti, causing the young woman to smirk when Wadjet barely budged, "Huh?!"

"Wadjet's a defense type, kid! Think of it this way—a snake's scales are layered, yeah? Well, that makes it hard to get in any attacks, and her armor is one of the strongest out there!"

Nefertiti's eyes drifted past Tithi's shoulder, as the younger teen stopped bouncing to stand and frown as Quetzalcoatl tried to get past Wadjet's defenses. On the American platform, Chris, Christina, and Toby were all surrounding Tyler, who was typing away at his tablet.

"She's right! Wadjet's fusion wheel—it's decorated like a snake's skin! Layered scales that create a near impenetrable armor!" Tyler exclaimed, and looked up, "Tithi, stop wasting energy trying to get past her defenses! You need to figure out another way to beat her!"

Tithi nodded slowly, "Sure thing! Quetzalcoatl, Ascent Spark!"

"So soon?!" Nefertiti exclaimed, a grin crawling over her lips, "Wadjet—Coiled Defense!"

The duo of winged beasts appeared, both in shades of gold. Quetzalcoatl roared, and Wadjet spat angrily as she coiled up tightly, her hood flaring open and eyes flashing. She struck out, her fangs sinking into Quetzalcoatl and yanking him out of the air and into the ground.

"And despite the fact Tithi attacks first, our queen of the Nile manages to be the one that sends Quetzalcoatl flying!" DJ announced, "That's our girl for you—draw the opponent in and then strike them while they're distracted!"

Nefertiti chuckled, and crossed her arms with a sly smirk, "Thank you DJ, for that lovely commentary."

Tithi was frowning, an oddly serious look on his normally expressive face. It seemed, he was unsure of how to approach next, and Nefertiti felt a flash of pride in her chest. Maybe she had a chance at beating a Legendary Blader after all?

No… No, she couldn't get ahead of herself. She'd only delayed the inevitable, and besides, her true goal was to drain Tithi and Quetzalcoatl's stamina, so he couldn't battle should there be some tie breaker battle.

But still… It'd been a long time since Nefertiti had been in a tournament. She'd already battled twice in this World Championships, so what was it that was different about this battle that had her feeling so… giddy? Why was she getting so riled up? Falling so easily back into the persona she put on in her previous time as a Blader?

"The Queen of the Nile," people had once called her. "She'll lure you in with her charm, and then she'll strike like the snake she is. Be careful of those flashy looks, don't fall too fast… breaking hearts and ending careers."

Was it… perhaps, the thrill of battle she had unknowingly been missing? The excitement of drawing her opponents in, only to pull off a win right when they thought they had her? Hm, Nile had always said she was quick like that, and he'd even been disappointed when she'd hung up her gear all those years ago. What was he thinking now, to see her live, standing on stage, instead of re-watching old battles?

… Nefertiti was woman enough to admit, that after she'd ended her career as a Blader, previously, that she'd changed. She focused more on school, in the wake of her being the only one to care for her brother, focused more on work. She'd shed her sultry persona, like a snake did it's skin, to be a new person—a bigger, better person than the teen she'd been before. She wanted to be someone who was respected… not someone who was only looked at like a celebrity.

"Go, Quetzalcoatl!" Tithi shouted, starling Nefertiti from her reflections, "Striking Fangs!"

Nefertiti yelped in surprise as Quetzalcoatl slammed hard in Wadjet, and sent her partner flying into the air, "Yeah, Quetzalcoatl!"

"Hah! You've made a mistake, kid!" Nefertiti grinned, eyes bright. "You've given me the boost I needed! Wadjet, Serpent's Flight!"

Wadjet appeared, spreading her great, feathery wings, and let out a war cry as she divebombed the dish. She slammed full forced into Quetzalcoatl, sending him flying back into the air.

"Quetzalcoatl!" Tithi exclaimed, eyes wide, and breathed a sigh of relief when his partner glided back into the dish, "Hmmm… You're not just making this a fun battle, but a great one too! I guess I won't hold back anymore!"

"Oh, I wouldn't dream of you doing so!" Nefertiti smiled, voice coy, "Come on then, kid! Show me what you got!"

… Perhaps though, there was a way to find a balance between who Nefertiti wanted to be, and who people remembered her as.

"I don't like this," Christina frowned, wincing and gripping the railing tightly. "Nefertiti's… different."

"You think?" Tyler asked, bitterly. He was focused solely on his tablet, eyes wide as he tapped viciously, "Ugh, damn Sophie for coming up with that idea…"

"What idea?" Toby asked, ducking as an explosion of light nearly blinded them, "Tyler?"

"It's…" Tyler hesitated, then sighed, "I wasn't supposed to tell you, not till we find all the Elemental Seven, but… Sophie picked up a pattern on how the Beys are evolving."

"She what?" Chris demanded, "Why didn't you tell us?!"

"Because I didn't think you guys needed to know yet!" Tyler snapped back, "Besides, we have Christina, what good does knowing it do you guys now?!"

"We could know the signs and help look out for them?" Christina asked, sarcastically.

Tyler seemed to be going through a reboot at the statement—Christina could practically see the buffering symbol over his head. When he finally processed Christina's words, he spoke, "… Fair point. Alright, well, here's how it is—we've been thinking it's a change in the Blader's spirit right, like with the Legendary Bladers and them getting fired up in battle?"

"Yeah…" Chris drawled.

"Well, Sophie pointed out that that wasn't the case—rather, it's the emotional state of the Blader. How they changed emotionally right when it looks like they're gonna lose…"

The emotional state of the Blader, Christina thought with a shiver, violet eyes drawn back to Nefertiti, "… Nefertiti's gone through one, for sure."

"Exactly, but Wadjet's stats aren't that depleted!" Tyler exclaimed, exasperated, "Which is why I'm confused!"

"… What if the stats don't need to be that low?" Toby asked, slowly, "What if, rather, that's all been coincidence? What if… it's only the emotional state of the Blader that needs to change for the evolution to happen?"

"Well then if that's the case, why hasn't Wadjet?!"

There was an explosion of golden light from the dish, startling the team and causing them to snap back to attention at the battle before them. Quetzalcoatl roared, startled, and fell backwards in a cloud of dust as Wadjet exploded into existence. Nothing had changed about the beast's appearance, but now there was… an aura, to her, a powerful one that commanded attention.

… One that Christina was well familiar with, now, considering Artemis.

"Are... you… fucking… kidding me?!" Tyler exclaimed, slightly hysterical, "What is my luck, like seriously?!"

"Go now, Guardian Wadjet!" Nefertiti shouted, over the roar of noise, "Ultimate Move, Guardian's Final Stand!"

As the dust cleared in the wake of Tithi's defense, Christina watched with narrowed eyes as Nefertiti held out her hand and caught Wadjet. Nefertiti then proceeded to catch Christina's eyes, and send her a playful smirk, one that was followed by a wink.

Keep smiling like that, you snake, Christina thought with a curl of her lip. This match isn't over yet—not by a long shot.

lol, Tyler can have the best or worst luck, depending on how you look at it huh?

So, I haven't touched much on Nefertiti, have I? I've hinted at bits of her history as a past Blader, but I haven't gone much into detail on her. I have plans for a fic that'll fix that. Just a little two or three shot explaining Nefertiti's history.

Anyways, I hope ya'll enjoyed this chapter and will leave a review! Until next time, ciao!