Oh-oh-oooh it is finally here! Took some time, so sorry about that but hell I am proud!
This chapter took me quite a few dictionary searches and wikipages but here we are :)
I genuinly hope you will enjoy reading it and as always leave a comment and let me know your thoughts!
The fragrance of warm apple pie mixed with a hint of sandalwood is calling them in from the chilling weather. A small restaurant was just around the corner of the alley with old woodwork decorating the frames of the door and windows. A trio of females opened the door were greeted by a waiter at the entrance.
"Dabro pozhalovat." The waiter said in a warm voice as he made a gentle bow. He realized by their appearance that they were not from around. With a clear Russian accent he spoke again. "Pardon me, I meant to say welcome."
"Thank you, we would like a table for three please." Julia said.
"Very well ladies, may I take your coats please." Dusting off some of the snow from their shoulders the trio handed the waiter their coats. He opened a slide door that was behind him and he carefully hung the coats on the rack.
"Pozhaluista, please follow me." He opened the door towards the restaurant and let them walk in first. With a flick of his hand he motioned a waitress to come over. She walked gracefully towards the table and gave them a small nod with her head. Her restaurant uniform consisted out of a classy black skirt with a white dress shirt . "This is Galina, she will be your waitress this evening and tend to your every need. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask."
"This place is so fancy." Hilary whispered to Mariah.
"I know right, look at that décor." Mariah replied to her in a soft voice.
As the trio was sitting down they made some small talk with the waitress, mainly commenting on the beautiful interior. The tables in their rich deep browns, with golden lining decorating the edges, walls where painted in a creamy white and brown paneling at the bottom. A few crystal chandeliers were hanging from the ceiling, giving the lighting that extra soft feel.
Scraping her throat Galina spoke up, drawing the attention of the chattering ladies towards her. In her arms she was holding three leather covered booklets.
"For today's appetizer may I recommend you the mushroom julienne paired with a red burgundy." She said while passing the booklets to the ladies. Taking our her notebook and a pen she patiently waited for their reply.
"I think we all would like some local food." Hilary spoke up eyeing her other two friends. Both Julia and Mariah nodded in agreement.
The waitress wrote their order down in her little booklet. "Would you like to make a decision for the main course already or do you want to wait a little bit first?"
"We have all evening, right girls." Julia's mouth perked up in a naughty smile. "It's our night out after all." She mused.
Galina smiled and placed three wine glasses in front of the women, pouring them the requested crimson colored burgundy in their glasses. "Enjoy, I will be processing your requests." making a small nod with her head she walked off towards the kitchen.
"Cheers!" The three women chimed in unity while clinking their glasses.
"So when is the rest of your team arriving Hilary." Julia spoke up.
"I think their airplane was leaving tomorrow early, so they should arrive somewhere in the late afternoon. I heard they will be traveling together with your team Mariah."
Taking a sip from her glass, Mariah looked up towards the other two. "Yeah I heard Rei mention something like that. They can keep each other awake during the trip." She huffed.
Hilary busted out in a laughter. "I am so glad that we all decided to get here a little bit earlier, it's sad that we all live so far away from each other. More reason to enjoy this evening."
"Did you arrive here together with your brother?" Mariah glanced at Julia.
"Yeah, we got here two days ago, the connection is pretty bad from Spain to Russia so we wanted to come a bit earlier to get into a decent sleeping rhythm. Would not want to compete with a jetlag." Julia replied. "On a different note however…. How are the romantic advances going." She said with a devious smile.
Mariah and Hilary instantly sat up straight with reddened cheeks, both giving Julia an annoyed face. Amused by their reactions she leaned back in her chair.
Mariah recollected her posture and smirked towards Julia. "What about you though, it's not like you to remain a bachelorette forever, right? There is still plenty to choose from among the other… contestants." She emphasized on that last word.
"Oh pft, as if any of them could handle me." Julia waved her hand.
Suddenly it hit Hilary as she remembered a certain event. "Even not one that actually had beaten you."
Julia knew who she meant, normally she would just wave it off or make a smart remark but instead she lowered her head. "I saw him, this afternoon even." Her voice was a bit dull.
In a slight shock Hilary and Mariah stared at Julia. They could easily tell by the way she replied that something must have happened.
"What?! Where did you meet him?" Mariah's voice gave a slight shriek.
"My car had problems.. or rather it was my own doing." Julia chuckled.
"Anyways, I had the handbrake engaged and as it turns out in the frost it can freeze the break, heh. I called the rental service and they told me they would have somebody send over to check it out and help me back on my way again. Turned out their mechanic was none other than… Tala."
Her eyes looked down at her glass as she swirled her wine around a little bit. Both Mariah and Hilary waiting patiently for her to continue.
A small smile appeared on her face reflecting back on the fond memory. "While he was fixing the problem he offered me some warm coffee, which was quite a bliss in that cold. Either way, I wanted to see him again and told him I'd return the favor. So the other day somewhere in the afternoon, I went to his workplace with some coffee. We made some small talk." She paused for a moment there biting her lip.
"I asked him what had happened to the team and why they had quit, his answer simply was that they lost interest. But I know for sure that's a bland lie."
Hilary sighed at hearing Julia's story. "It is indeed hard to believe, I am sure there is a whole lot more to it than what he is saying. But back in the days you guys did meet from time to time right?"
"We did. A few times, just short meetings though, usually ending up in friendly competitive banter. But I suppose we were always on speaking terms. After the whole.. event with Brooklyn we texted a few times and then the contact sort of just bled to death." Julia felt a tug at her heart. Surely it wasn't the end of the world but she was a bit sad things just went the way they did, she grew a soft spot for that red headed brute.
"I didn't mean to…" Hilary spoke but was interrupted by Julia.
"It's okay." She smiled.
"Cheer up gals, we have months of catching up to do." She cheered wanting to move on from the slight tense situation.
In the meantime Galina reappeared holding three plates of the delicious looking appetizers. Placing them gently in front of them she took a step back. "Have you decided on a main course yet?"
Julia spoke up first. "I would like the cod with potatoes."
"For me, I'd like to have the beef stroganoff." Hilary said.
"Can I have the Vinegret Salad please." Mariah said.
Noting down their requests Galina made another small bow with her head. "Very well ladies, your order will be coming up soon. Can I perhaps refill your glasses?"
"Yes please." Julia mused as she gulped down the remainder of her glass. "We will probably be here for a while."
Quite a few drinks later and their stomachs filled with the great food the three got ready to leave the restaurant. They bid the staff farewell and thanked them for their services. Steadying themselves to brace the cold and rush back to the taxi point they clinched their coats to their bodies. Cheering along the road, a tad bit more intoxicated then they were planning the trio walked down the streets with their arms hooked in together. Today they are best friends, but in just a few days they will be opponents.
With some effort they managed to call in a cab that was able to drive them back to their hotel. However the poor man had to sit through 20 minutes of terrible karaoke.
Upon arrival the girls exchanged a couple of hugs and waved each other goodbye.
"We'll see each other tomorrow, 'kay." Mariah mused.
The other two nodded in agreement.
Julia turned towards the elevator and walked in, Leaning her back against the wall she let out a deep sigh. She picked her phone from her pockets, the time read 22:30. She hesitated for a moment. Should I….She thought.
Her fingers tapped the screen of her phone opening her message box to start a new chat.
[Julia] Hey, are you still awake?
Her attention was caught by the chime of the elevator reaching her floor. As she stepped out her phone pinged, she hurried herself to a nearby bench and sat down. With a soft smile and a slight feeling of anticipation she checked her messages.
[Tala] Yeah
[Julia] What are you up to?
[Tala] Not much, what about you? Did you break your car again?
You little…. She gritted her teeth in annoyance.
[Julia] No! I went to a restaurant with Hilary and Mariah,
so we called a cab instead.
[Tala] Probably safer for the rest of us.
Which restaurant did you go to?
[Julia] Safer!? I am a decent driver 'kay.
We went to Mari Vanna, it was great. Ever heard of it?
[Tala] Don't think I have.
[Julia] Either way, the opening of the tournament is tomorrow,
are you going to watch?
Her message remained unanswered for a few minutes.
[Julia] Still there?
[Tala] Yeah sorry, long night.
[Julia] Alright, talk soon?
For a while she sat on the bench staring in the distance, pondering on what to do next. She didn't want to pressure him but at the same time she felt eager to get closer.
That coverall sure looked good on him. The imagine in her head made her lips curl in a smile.
/-/
Groaning in annoyance he tossed his phone to the side of his bed. His eyes could not handle the light of the screen. The event from last night kept his mind in a daze making it difficult to concentrate. The static noise in his head was growing worse by the day. Just shut up…He could hear words, but failed to understand them.
He shut his eyes trying to banish out the noise. Not quite sure whether it was just a dream or his mind taking a run he suddenly found himself standing on at the edge of an endless chasm. Enormous black pillars stood in a perfect row stretching further than the eye could see. On the edges the stone was marble colored with abstract rocky formations. The sky was bright but the chasm was so deep it was pitch black, with no bottom in sight.
Taking a hard look at his surroundings he was pretty sure that he was not alone in there. Slowly he managed to make a few steps forward but he remained a safe distance from the edge. His surroundings provided zero protection, he was out in the open and pretty sure something was keeping its eyes on him.
A greenish mist passed through the pillars, instantly he focused his gaze but by the time he shifted it faded quickly. Pressing on he found a small slope which allowed him dive deeper into the chasm. His fingers trailed along the walls which felt oddly smooth. On the walls markings had appeared, he had seen them before on the stones that supposedly contained various bit beasts, or fragments of them A sudden sound made him halt instantly. Squinting his eyes slightly he swore he saw a figure standing a good distance away from him.
Only one way to find out… Taking a deep breath he quickened his pace towards the figure. While he was closing in he noticed that the figure was enchased in a dark aura. Based on the shape he could tell it was a rather tall man..
The closer he got the louder the noise in his head came back. Gritting his teeth he tried ignoring it and push on. It wasn't his first… jump, it happened in the past, There was always an objective to reach before he'd wake up. But they appeared at random, some more eerie than the others.
The noise was beyond insufferable now, his eyes closed for a split moment and once he opened them again the sky was pitch black. A spectral fog crept through the chasm, feeling like a heavy blanket being thrown over him. Come on….He hissed as he felt the pressure trying to push him down to the ground but he kept pressing on.
Being at an arm distance from the figure he looked up at him or… it. Slowly it lifted its arm and pointed it's index finger at the middle of his head, as if being held at gunpoint. Shit… I can't move.
High pitched ringing suddenly echoed through the pillars resonating all at once. The noise was unbearable and he felt his mind slip in the process. Suddenly the ground underneath gave out and as he found himself slowly getting drawn in a free fall his eyes glanced at the figure once more. Eyes widened in shock as the figure had a face now, one he dreaded even more than the sight of Boris.
"You….!" He yelled furiously while jolting up in his bed. With his heartbeat spiking through the roof and trying to gasp for air he slowly started to come back to reality. Looking to the side of his window soft flakes of snow where falling from the heavens. Slowly he managed to recollect himself and steady his breathing. The noise in his head had quieted down as well, for now at least.
Flipping his legs out of the bed he got up and slowly moved downstairs. Much to his surprise he saw Brian still at home. "Aren't you training today?"
With a stoic look on his face Brian gazed at Tala. "Nope! Beside… why are you, our night owl up already?"
Pouring himself a cup of coffee he sat across of Brian. "Having sweet dreams about you." He winked.
Brian winced at that comment and quickly made a comeback. "Don't you have a truck to hug?"
"No, I was hoping you wanted to 'spoon' with me." Laying emphasis on the word spoon he tossed his coffee spoon at Brian's head.
"Oh you are dead…" Jumping up from his seat he launched himself to tackle Tala. Although he wasn't in the best of shape at the moment he was still top dog. With a quick motion he grabbed hold of Brian his arm and twisted it on his back pushing his face into the sofa with his other free hand and locking him down with his knee.
Tapping out with his hand Brian had to admit defeat. "Get off!" He hissed.
Taking a good laugh out of his reaction Tala let go of Brian. "Come now, I had higher expectations from somebody who does underground MMA for a hobby."
Shooting a glare at Tala he dropped back down in a chair. keeping his gaze locked on him he watched how Tala got up from the sofa and made way for the door.
"Where are you going." Brian frowned.
"Meeting someone." Tala's reaction was sharp which made Brian grow suspicious. He jumped up and grabbed his coat.
"Let's go out then." His gaze locked on Tala.
Rolling his eyes at the stubborn brother he knew that reasoning with somebody like Brian was not an option, they knew each other too well for that. But having that explosive brawler around could spell trouble. "Fine, just… stay outside before you blow something or somebody up."
Brian shrugged with a face-wide smile. "Can't promise a thing."
/-/
With his arms crossed he was sitting calmly across the fiend from his younger years. He's been expecting the request for some time now he was just waiting for him to make a move. Something was in the air and he would need somebody to go and fix it. A warden who was watching from a distance was shifting uncomfortably in his chairs, a volatile vibe came from the two brutes sitting across each other.
Not being in a rush Tala waited patiently for Boris to make the first move. Boris knew the tables had turned on him and he was no longer in a position where he could intimidate Tala. Instead he was the one being intimidated.
"I have a request for you. You might have already started to notice something is going on in the old abbey." He slid a document towards Tala.
Reaching out for the papers he took a moment to study the words written. It was a transcript with some basic information about the building, like the date when construction was finished, some referring's to blueprints and more. Turning another page he frowned at the black marked line that was written after 'Ownership'. Continuing to read the rest of the content more information was getting concealed.
Returning his gaze at Boris he tossed the papers back on the table between them. Leaning back in the chair he remained silent. That type of behavior made Boris smile slightly. Seems like you did pick up a thing or two that I taught. He thought knowing better not that say that out loud.
"Long before the four of you came to join us I was already devoting my life to the research of bit beasts. Through an event I met up with Voltaire who in his turn decided to become the financial support we needed. We stumbled upon the abbey, it has been standing empty for a few years but it was perfectly able to facilitate the space we needed."
Tala frowned. The Abbey was not build by the Biovolt organization?
"You are aware of how bit beasts are being contained correct? Various objects like old weapons or even stone slabs which can have multiple bit beasts inside both complete and fragmented. Now in order for a bit beast to reach full potential they need to be partnered up a human. The better the compatibility the stronger they become."
Are you really lecturing me on bit beast history here… Tala rolled his eyes starting to get slightly agitated.
That's the reaction I needed… Boris mused in his head.
"We found a stone slab in the abbey, it must have been there long before we came. Obviously we started our research there. During the research we did we found out that it was resonating at a very peculiar frequency, we tried to recreate it but as a result it was driving other bit beasts completely mad, except for …"
"Wolborg." Tala filled in.
"Over the past few years I requested some of my devotee's to give me an update. More precisely my research."
Tala snorted Devotee's…. Finding it hard to believe people still followed this maniac. Then again, he created a cult and people tend to join those. He was curious however, why was Boris telling him all this all of a sudden. Back in the day they were always left in the dark, even when they would be moved to certain parts in the building it was under heavy supervision and in rare cases even blindfolded. Subduing his will to strangle the bastard he tried to calm himself down and find some more information.
"Wolborg… she was created then before the plans of Biovolt where set in motion?"
Boris leaned forward on the table. "She was already there and the reason we were able to create the other borgs."
So that means… she was an original bit beast and not artificial? A whole new level of questions rose in his head, how could he have missed that all those years.
Boris started to laugh. "Boy, was she difficult to deal with when we tried to extract her. Though by the time we had succeeded the frequency in the stone slab became unstable and we decided to seal it off until we had progressed enough to continue. For years we were struggling to contain her, as if nobody was compatible, until you came on our doorstep."
A low growl escaped from under his breath. "Don't flatter yourself." Tala hissed.
Boris smiled, he had Tala where he needed him to be. "My researchers found ice stalagmites deep in the abbey, unfortunately the cold down there made it impossible for regular people to push through. However somebody like you might."
Tala's eyes widened Stalgamites where a clear indication of her whereabouts, why at the abbey though.
"That reaction makes me believe that she …. Is not around?" His tone was malicious.
"Your point being..?" Tala sighed.
"You can't hide that weakened state from me, something is festering inside of you, I've known you for quite some time after all."
Tala dug his nails in the table feeling his anger rising and the ringing sound his mind grow louder by the minute. Just make your… damn.. point.
"Only a few people around are able to command multiple bit beasts, this is usually limited to two, in rare cases three. But you... contained more than Five without any problem. There has always been a second incompatible bit beast with you. Wolborg's presence nullified it so you probably have never realized it being there."
Could that be the source of the noise? Tala wondered.
"I want to propose a trade.." Boris paused.
And there it is.. Straightening his posture he took a deep breath. Whatever it was, it sure was not going to be easy. But there was plenty to gain.
"Recover my data and the stone slab from beyond the frozen area, in return I can rid you of that bit beast."
Tala closed his eyes for a moment while he tossed the options in his mind. Without a doubt it would not be as easy as Boris was making it sound, and there was most certainly going to be a catch. But his time was growing limited and it might be his last chance at becoming entirely free from the grasp of the Abbey, Biovolt, Boris and everything that came with them.
"I'll do it.." With a slight hint of defeat in his tone. Lose a battle, win a war. He thought.
"Splendid! I will have somebody contact you, since it is an area that you might be unfamiliar with they will lead you down there, well at least until they freeze to death that is."
Raising an eyebrow at that statement he was actually a bit relieved. Seemed like Boris was still a madman. Getting up from his seat it felt like a some weight was getting stripped off. Reaching for the door he stopped for a brief moment shooting a glance at Boris.
"Oh! I forgot one thing, at the rate that the ice is spreading right now… it will most likely cover the entire city in a week or two."
So once we are in… there won't be turning back. Tala shook his head but did not reply, moving out of the cell he took a deep breath and calmly walked to the exit. Processing the given information in his head certain events from his childhood slowly fell in place, at the same time new questions had arisen so he wasn't quite sure that it has brought him closer.
Closer to what though… the truth? Chuckling at his own thoughts, he didn't need truth, he needed to get away.
Once outside Brian glanced at Tala, that look on his face did not bode well, it meant he would be reaching rock bottom quickly and then… shuddering at that thought. Just like 8 years ago, the day their team captain surpassed Boris his wrath with his own. Dismissing the memory quickly he walked over to Tala with a wide grin on his face throwing his arm over his shoulder.
"Let's go find our human punching bag Spencer."
"It's fine." Tala smiled while rolling his eyes.
Two weeks… in the far distance he saw the enormous BBA stadium, this evening everybody would be gathering there. How he missed competing against them, the crowd, the thrill… Julia. Quickly he shook the thought away and turned to follow Brian.
/-/
Adding a final touch to her makeup, she pecked her lips together to settle the luscious crimson lipstick. Removing the clip from her hair the long brown curling locks fell down. Getting up from her chair she walked towards her wardrobe tossing her bathrobe to the side in the process. Halting in front of the clothing rack she grabbed a hanger with her evening attire.
It was a beautifully designed acrobatic black and red striped leotard, adorned with various gemstones. Then she grabbed a sevilla skirt, the skirt was asymmetrical, being up to knee length at the front and all the way to her ankles on the back. The skirt was equally adorned and when she would make a twirl a bright red color would appear between the fabric of the ruffles underneath.
Hearing a knock on her door she called out. "Almost done!"
"Alright, I'll wait in the lobby for you." Raul replied with slight annoyance.
"Pft..." She mused while giving one last look in the mirror. Nodding in approval she quickly grabbed her heels and made way for the lobby.
Arriving in the large entrance she laid eyes on her brother, unlike her he was okay with wearing a pair of black dress pants and a white dress shirt. She had to admit, he looked like he was about to land a million dollar deal. Curling her lips she pinched the side of his cheek. "D'aww how they grow up so quickly."
Rubbing the side of his cheek that had a stingy sensation he glared at Julia. How he hated to be teased like that. But her being his sister there was not much he could do about it.
He draped her coat over her shoulders and escorted her towards their ride. It would be a rough 10 minute drive before they arrived at the stadium. Along the road various groups of people where already cheering on the sidelines, holding up banners welcoming their favorite teams.
The driver joined in line with the rest of the cars while getting guided towards the front entrance of the arena. Julia lowered the car window and stuck her head outside waving frantically to all the fans.
"Look at all those people!" She squealed like a teenager.
Raul sighed at her, she could be such a child sometimes.
Their car stopped at the entrance where Romero was waiting for them, reaching for the handle he opened the door on Julia's side. Tossing her long slender legs outside first she got up from her seat with utmost grace. She quietly admitted that she enjoyed standing in the spotlights flaunting her beauty.
Raul got out on the other side and was welcomed by his own group of fan(girls). Joining beside his sister he struck a few poses with her for the press until he grew tired of all the attention. Giving a nudge on her back he pressed her to move on inside.
"Fine, fine." She rolled her eyes as she moved along with Raul.
Once inside they were warmly welcome by none other than Mr. Dickenson himself. Even after all these years he remained to be the 'grandfather of beyblading'. Raul shook his hand and Julia gave him a kiss on the cheek.
Mr. Dickenson spoke "So good to see you again. Welcome! Please go ahead this way, a few other teams have joined us already and are getting ready for the grand entrance!"
The twins nodded with a smile and moved towards a large meeting room.
"Juliaaa!." Mariah shouted as she dashed for her friend locking the pegasus blader in a friendly embrace
Taking a few steps back they eyed their outfits. "Looking good there Mariah." Julia chimed.
Mariah was wearing a bright red modern looking cheongsam. The fabric was decorated with various cranes and flowers.
Not much later both Hilary and Emily joined the crowd of girls. They all took a seat around the table making some small talk and catching up. In the corner Ming-Ming was sitting with the rest of her team. Since they paired up with Boris all those years back the other teams still gave them a silent treatment.
"We eradicated one team from the list… we can do it with the rest of them." She spat.
"Patience…We trained long enough for this, but don't forget so did the other teams." Garland sighed.
Their attention was drawn by the clapping of Mr. Dickenson.
"Welcome everybody! This year we are competing for the title world champion. In this very arena Tyson managed to grab the title ~for the first time and kept it for all these years! Now… who will take his crown or will he remain the number one. Who can tell!" He cheered.
Tyson stood up from his seat holding out his arms in the air. "Come come, don't get dishearted now that you all are in the presence of mister amazing."
Hilary grabbed the lobe of his ear and dragged him down to earth level. "Yes.. we know you are great, now sit!"
The whole crowd bursted in laughter at the domestic display but was quickly brought back to attention when Mr Dickenson scraped his throat.
"Well then, the arena has been waiting long enough for your arrival. Please come to the designated entrance written on this card and wait for your team name to get announced before entering the stadium. Let's give them a show!"
All teams except for the old Bega League rose their fists in the air cheering while getting up from their seats.
"See you all soon inside." Julia said towards Hilary, Emily and Mariah.
Julia hooked her arm in with Raul as they walked through the long hallway of the stadium. "It's huge in here. I am pretty sure this is the largest stadium that we have ever been in."
"It's only natural though, this is where the main administration of the BBA is located. That training room was top of the notch." Raul replied.
Nodding in agreement Julia held the paper up that was given to them. "Our room should be… right here." Pressing the door open they entered a small room that was linked to the corridor leading into the Beyblade arena. In the corner a pole with the Spanish flag had already been prepared for them to carry.
"Excited?" Julia mused as she passed the flag to her brother. "You should carry it, for grandpa."
Feeling a sting in his heart, their grandfather the great craftsman had passed away of old age recently. "Yes for gramps…" He looked up proudly.
"Let's go.." Grabbing his hand Julia guided him towards the corridor where they waited for their team name to be announced.
Ping.. "Ah forgot to silent my phone." Julia sighed and she hurriedly grabbed it to turn it off. Unlocking the screen she saw a notification from her messenger box and felt her heart skip a beat.
[Tala] Goodluck.
Feeling a lump in her throat she closed her eyes for a moment, a memory of her and her grandfather popped in her head.
She was sitting on the edge of a wall bawling her eyes out as a kid. She was always a loud one, one of the guys and leaving a trace of havoc wherever she went. As much as it brought her joy in some cases she would be left out by the other kids for being too rowdy.
Her grandfather would throw an arm around had and tell her how the collaboration of thunder and rain would enhance the sound. However in a very rare case a phenomenon would occur where thunder and snow came together. The snow deafened the sound of the thunder and both would quietly pass on.
Shaken out of her day dream she heard DJ in the distance shouting out.
And let's hear it for…. F-DYNASTY!
Straightening her composure she stood next to her brother. Together they walked through the corridor entering the arena where the crowd was going absolutely wild. All the teams where standing in a large circle.
BBA Revolution, White Tigers, All Starz, F-Dynasty, BEGA and The Majestics
Mr. Dickenson stood on a plateau in the very middle. He rose his hand to quiet down the crowd. "Honorable audience, it is with great honor that I once more may speak to you. Six teams will compete with the title world champion this year, with the currently leading champion being Tyson and his team BBA Revolution."
The crowd started to cheer Tyson in unison.
Mr. Dickson laughed and rose his hand up again. "I will not keep you waiting for long! I hereby declare this year's competition to be.. OPEN!"
The spotlight moved towards DJ "Thank you Mr. Dickenson! Now for the team line up! Match one will be F-Dynasty VS The Majestics, followed by White Tigers vs BBA Revolution and lastly All Starz vs BEGA. The first match will be held in two days from now so better start preparing!"
Chanting echoed through the arena, Julia scanned the crowd until suddenly she saw figure in a red hoodie hanging over the railing from the balcony.
"Thank you.." She whispered.
"Did you say something?" Raul asked curiously.
"Oh no.. sorry nothing." She smiled and continued waving at the crowd. She glanced over towards same spot once more but noticed that he was gone already.