It's been...nearly a fucking year! I'm trying to get back the feel of writing. The past year hadn't gone too well for me. Well, I hope I do better ahead.
"Kenny I think I need to hold back a few of my breaths for these two consecutive days because you're totally startling me with everything you spout!"
Tyson was finally discharged from the hospital. He managed to get out by the moans of both him and Daichi willing for a fight. The nurses couldn't keep him in control. Plus, he was capable was walking at the least.
"Well it's not my fault," said Kenny calmly. "Mr. Dickenson was in a rush-"
"-which is an absolute lie-"
"-and he also told that it would help some people who think battles are a no-brainer, like you."
"You don't mean that Kenny!" Tyson protested. "If you're talking about Daichi, yeah you're totally right. But anyway, I really find this suspicious! I think there's something wrong. Mr. Dickenson rushing things up, suddenly departing to New York and then…four bladers go missing?!"
"Kenny," a soft voice called out, which was apparently Max's. "Did you tell Mr. Dickenson about the four bladers who went missing?"
"Well that's the thing, Max," Ray spoke in turn of Kenny. "We don't know if they're missing. To elaborate, the four of them received something in common which prompted them to go there. Maybe we should just let alone and focus on what Mr. Dickenson said. Besides, they will come around eventually."
"Ugh! Fine! So, when is this competition anyway?"
"Tomorrow," retorted Kenny.
"How boring," muttered Tyson. "Beyblade IQ test my ass-"
Tyson paused immediately as he heard an echo of his name being yelled out post the swearing. It was none other than Hiro's voice.
"Hey, are you okay, bud?" Ray asked sweetly as his feet thudded towards Tyson.
"Oh- yeah, totally am!" Tyson grinned a poker face.
Things heated up within this friendly clique. Tyson was unable to contemplate two of his most trusted members to show up with a behavioral change; four of his team members going missing; an unexpected Beyblade IQ test of all things; all this along with another thing he refused to include on the list.
He wasn't the only one in the entire dojo to be going wild; of course, there was the red-haired brat griping about how deliberately he wanted to hop, skip and jump ahead of this IQ test to actual, important and relevant battles. Sure, Beyblade was a no-brainer for a kid like him, but he did have a good point about the battle part after all.
Hours passed by until time came its way.
"Well, it's today boys!" Tyson exclaimed, rather dully.
"Yeah, just another boring battle,"
"More like an exam rip off…"
Tyson was more worried about the four missing bladers. He thought it was pretty clumsy of the squad to leave their own teammates behind and focus on an unnecessary IQ test instead.
"Let's go to the center now then?" Kenny said, rather rhetorically.
The gang walked up leisurely. Simultaneously, Tyson was unusually quiet. He wasn't excited, bored or serious. He would probably be awarded for the most neutral face ever made.
"This could lead to a hundred pages considering how dynamic bey-battles are. I'm probably gonna write them all, I couldn't care less about the marks!"
Everyone rambled on, vexed, as though out of topics.
This got nerve-wracking, eventually causing Tyson to kick a stone across the road. It caught everyone's attention without a doubt.
"We have four bladers missing…," he whispered, nearly in tears. The clog in his voice wasn't ambiguous. "We have four bladers missing!"
The hands in his pockets were now firm.
"Yeah…precisely," retorted Kenny hesitantly.
"And we're on rambling about some sort of IQ test which is so unnecessary! Why is it so important, why cant it be postponed? Why can't we go looking for Hil and the others?"
"Tyson, I don't mean to sound targeting, but you don't even know where to look!"
"That's not the point Kenny!"
"Then what is?"
"Nevermind anyway! You're the brainiac here. Taking this test would probably mean heaven to you, as if meeting Ming-Ming or something!" Tyson being Tyson was never too afraid to speak his mind. This came out rather harsh and bold, completely backing Kenny off.
"Well," Tyson started off slowly with gritted teeth. "No wonder you agreed to sign up for this shit in a carefree manner."
"Tyson, stop!" The azure eyed sweetheart stood up.
"Might've cared to show a little concern for your teammates though," Tyson continued coldly, deaf to Max.
"This wasn't my idea! And for your information Tyson, I was never morally obligated to actually encourage the idea of keeping up this whole thing, okay?"
"Yeah and that totally explains why you didn't even try arguing back with Mr. Dickenson!"
"He was in a rush so he cut me off! And my telephone doesn't record numbers; I have no idea where it rang from!"
Tyson scoffed and turned sharp in front with loud thuds. He was invited, so he thought he might as well show up for the sake of 'formality'.
Following the unnecessary quarrel, the squad remained in tension and silence.
"Oh, he's triggered and lost," remarked Emily about Tyson as Mathilda interrogated. Undoubtedly, it was true. Tyson trigger led to an unnecessary and much rather an invalid and pointless quarrel.
Not many minutes later, they stood dead in front of an unknown premises. It was an odd sort of colossal building, ironically pretty isolated.
"This was quite far a walk,"
"Let's go,"
Tyson pushed the doors open harshly, transferring all his anger on it.
"Hello?"
"Anybody to guide us?"
It was dark, darker than ever. It was all silent until a light flashed on their faces.
"Ouch! My eyes…," Daichi groaned, covering up his emerald eyes.
"You kids showed up to Mr. Dickenson's expectations," said a man's voice.
"Yeah. Unwillingly," Tyson retorted with a grit in his teeth. "You called us up so 'politely' to this huge mansion, mind showin' us your face?"
"Sorry. I'm prohibited from. Your chairman said so," The crew didn't respond. "Uh, anyway, please stand on this square you'll be seeing,"
They craned their necks back and forth, until a red light glowed in front of their eyes in the most aesthetic manner.
"Tyson? I suppose you're the leader?"
Tyson coughed twice jeering Kai with a peripheral glance. "Yeah, of course."
"Ah, what a shocker, a fifteen-year-old young champ-"
"-sixteen-"
"-proved many wrong. You're the strongest champ alive."
"Cool," To everyone's surprise, Tyson was not boosting his ego by the compliments, solely because he was in the worst mood possible. He was unwittingly riling dragoon up which in turn made himself boil with anger and impatience. "So, we walk up here?"
"Oh yeah, you do,"
They walked up hesitantly on the floor.
The light scattered. Everything was red for a few seconds.
"Wha-what's happening?" Mathilda cried, clutching on to Julia.
"I don't-"
The square split open into two.
The crew yelled, each one holding on to another. They slid roughly down the split of the squares.
"Ow…my…HEY! WHAT'S THIS ALL ABOUT?!" Tyson hollered, raising his fist up.
"Is this where we're…taking the test?" Asked a bewildered Emily, scratching her head.
A laughter was heard with the same voice. "Imbeciles."
"What do you mean? This ain't a joke! I really hurt my…ass…" Michael moaned.
Kenny gulped loud. Sweat dropped down his face. "Guys…we might be trapped…"
An enraged Tyson swung his arms back fiercely, grabbing the chief straight by his collar.
"And what in the world is that supposed to mean? You better have a really valid explanation for this one, chief."
"He's right!" The voice called out. "You are trapped," The man came closer, revealing through his shadow as he moved a microphone away from his mouth with a complete change of voice.
"No..." Ray hesitated. "What's going…on?"
"Is that..?"
A man exposed himself through the shadows, followed by another one. One shadow gave birth to another.
Tyson smirked hysterically. "Two purple-haired losers under one roof?"
"Barthez," muttered Ray.
"And…the BEGA-holic Boris." Emily hesitated, biting her lip.
"Well, well, settle down. We're not leaving you without the entire anecdote now, are we?"
"Be quiet!" Tyson bellowed. "This is one of those cheap-ass scams with upto no-good intentions where serious existential crisis have really turned you into a wrong point in your petty life decisions-"
"Tyson!" Kenny chastised. "We should hear them out, it could be important!"
Tyson grunted. "You're half the reason for the whole thing to cause! I'm not heeding to you anymore Kenny!"
This throbbed Kenny straight into his heart. How should have he known? Was it really his fault now?
"Tyson," Kai deadpanned. "Shut your trap before your loudmouth gets us all in double trouble."
"Fine," sighed Tyson.
"Well, let's start from the top," said Boris.