Disclaimer - If you recoginize it, then I do not own it.

Thank you to ChibiKitsune, FlamesOfFury, wasurenaikara & Dark Angel of Fire Ice for reviewing.

Chapter Five - The Underground

A few days after running away, Brooklyn found himself in the bathroom but instead of holding his razor, he held a cell phone in his hand. He knew that it was wrong for him to take off and worry his siblings like he had. They only cared about him and wanted what was best; even though they didn't understand his feelings on the matter. They at least deserved to know that he was okay. He was still angry but a part of him knew that this was the right thing to do.

He quickly dialed the number as he heard it ring. When the phone was picked up, he took a deep breath. "Moshi Moshi," was the answer as he let out the breath he was holding. Luck must have been on his side since it was Rei that answered. "Hello," he called out and was about to hang up when Brooklyn decided to answer. "Rei," he said, softly as he thought he heard a choking sound from the other end, "it's me."

"BROOKIE!" he shouted as he had to pull the phone away from his ear, "WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU!" "Rei," Brooklyn said, calmly, trying to reason with the Chinese and hoped that he didn't attract a certain older brother's attention, "calm down please. I'm calling to tell you that I am all right. I just need some space away from all of you." "IT IS NOT ALL RIGHT!" Rei screamed in his ear, "How would you feel if you were us and went into your room to find that you had vanished without a trace? We have been so worried and I've had to try and calm Kai! You had better get your ass home right now!"

"You can't tell me what to do!" Brooklyn argued as his temper flared, "You are not my mother! I need some time away from all of you. I thought that I would call and tell you that I was okay but I see that was a mistake." He heard what sounded like cursing in a mixture of Japanese and Chinese from the other end but the sound of his voice made him cringe. "Who is this?" he ask with a growl as Brooklyn closed his eyes in fear from the mere sound of his voice, "tell me who this is now?" Brooklyn didn't answer since Rei did for him.

He heard his name mentioned to Kai and that is when hell broke loose. "BROOKLYN!" he shouted as he cringed and felt like a young child instead a teen of fifteen years. Kai had always had that power over him. "WHERE ARE YOU!" Kai screamed as Brooklyn broke the oath he had made concerning his siblings. "None of your business," he spat, "I just called to tell you that I was okay." "You tell me where you are!" Kai shouted, "so I can come and get you right now! You are in deep shit, little brother!"

His rants continued as Brooklyn held the phone at arm's length. As Kai was shouting, the bathroom door opened to admit Akane, who stopped in place when she looked at the scene before her. She was holding her left forearm tightly as Brooklyn turned to look at her and saw blood dripping from a new cut. She shook it off as she looked in the cabinet and pulled out a roll of gauze. She gave him a sympathic smile as she left him to deal with an irate older brother.

Brooklyn let Kai yell for a few more minutes before he interrupted. "Kai, I'm not coming home," he stated, keeping his temper in check and showing that he was the more mature than he was, "I am happy where I am and I'm with people who understand me. Tell Tala and Mariam that I am okay and I'm sorry for upsetting Rei. Good-Bye." He then hung up the phone and sighed with relief that it was over.

"Family problems?" Akane questioned as she returned to the bathroom, "sorry for coming in on you before but I needed some bandages." "It's okay," he replied with a smile as he sat down on the toliet, "I just thought it would clear my conscious if I called home and told them I was all right. Instead my oldest brother, who is my legal guardian starts to yell at me the instant he gets on the phone. He just doesn't understand. Do you have any siblings?"

"I had an older sister and younger brother," she replied with a slight smile, "that I hope are okay. I haven't seen or heard from them in two years so I don't know what is going on with my family. I may hate my parents but I still care for my siblings and grandparents. At least one of my grandfathers was understanding about the matter. He offered to take me in but my father refused so that is when I ran away. I didn't have a choice."

Brooklyn tried to smile back but his mouth wouldn't cooperate as his thoughts returned to the piece of metal in his pocket. "I'm sure that it will work out for you eventually," she admitted with a more geniune smile as she patted him on the shoulder, "Your brother may not understand but I know that he cares about you. I could hear it in the tone of his voice. He loves you a lot." Brooklyn knew there was some truth in her words because his siblings had always tried to protect and take care of him in the past. It was just unfortunate that this mishap had to happen over his first boyfriend.

During the next few weeks, Brooklyn was introduced to things that he had never experienced before in his life with his new friends. He found himself travelling about the city in the middle of the night and visiting the strangest of places. Clubs, raves and illegal beyblade matches became the norm for him. It was a nice break from his normal routine life. He didn't have to deal with the pressure of school or his overprotective siblings but deep down he couldn't help but think about them on occasion.

He wondered what Kai was doing and if they were searching for him. Then his thoughts would turn to Garland and Mystel, who he had left without a thought or concern for their situation. He had messed things up big time but his new friends made up for his loss and he was experiencing things that he never had before. They had literally given him a Pandora's box that he had opened and was enjoying. He didn't think he could go back to his previous life even if he wanted too.

A few days after the phone call, he was introduced to the Underground. It was the only league in the city that didn't obey anyone's rules especially the BBA's. Most of the matches were held in the warehouse district where they could gather in relative safety. He had been fascinated when he had walked into the warehouse for the first time. The setup and rules were a lot different than anything he had seen in beyblading before.

Brooklyn met all kinds of bladers at these matches that would never participate in the BBA's competitions. The Rogue Bladers and Blade Sharks were only two of about a dozen teams that participated in the Underground league. Brooklyn didn't have to worry about Carlos and his threats anymore. They had bumped into the Blade Sharks during his first visit to the Underground. When Carlos and he had crossed paths, Brooklyn had expected him to cause trouble. When Carlos had looked at him, Rick had stepped in front of him and crossed his arms. He was now under their protection and the older teen wouldn't dare lay a hand on him now.

During his first visit, he sat on the bench and didn't have to battle but on his second, he did. They had made it to the final battle of the night against a team called the Grim Reapers. They were a goth team that dressed totally in black with way too much makeup in his opinion. They used some of the wickedest looking blades that he had ever seen and the attack rings had razor sharp edges that could cut as easily as a knife. Sometimes they did just that and would shred their opponent's clothing and skin.

It was a best three out of five match that Julia and Raul were sitting out. Their strength was in tag team format instead of single matches. Akane was up first and she won her match but just barely in Brooklyn's opinion. He watched as she was injuried by her opponent, who had no qualms about using his beyblade as a weapon. Brooklyn had been about to interfere when Rick pulled him back and shook his head no.

He watched in horror as the blade grazed her face and left a deep gash across her left cheek. Akane didn't even step back or let out a whimper from the action. She stood in place, defiant as ever and the next thing he knew was the goth's beyblade was thrown violently from the dish into the steel cage. Akane just smirked at her opposition as her blade flew into hand and she was declared the winner. Julia had been the one to step forward to treat her injury as Daichi was up next. Brooklyn would have been surprised if the cut didn't need stitches from the way the blood was gushing from it.

Daichi won his round easily as his Great Cutter attack nearly shredded the second beyblade of the match. He didn't get injuried since he had managed to dodge most of the attacks. He too smirked as he walked away. Brooklyn was surprised when Rick ordered him to battle in the third round. He had only been a member of their team for a few days and he was all ready expected to beyblade.

"You can do it, kid," Rick stated with a wink as he walked up to the steel cage. The door closed behind them after they had entered. Brooklyn looked at his opponent and shivered from the serious look on his face. It didn't help that the guy had piercings all over his face and ears. It made him wince just looking at him.

"You're going down, kid," he hissed with a lisp since Brooklyn saw the piercings in his tongue as well, "I'm going to make Anderson regret sending you in. Your beyblade is going to be shredded." "Zeus begs to differ," Brooklyn replied with his own smirk and gaining more confidence from his trash talk, "if you don't watch yourself, you will be the one whose blade is going to be shredded into pieces." Brooklyn had confidence in his ability since he had never lost a match before. Zeus was one of the most powerful bit beasts in the world and he had never let him down. Brooklyn didn't expect Zeus to fail him now.

The bit chip lit up as he held the blade in his hand as a feeling of protectiveness flooded his body. Zeus was the one who had saved him from that black devil bird and kept the demon at bay. At least Zeus cared for him while Black Dranzer just wanted to use him as a pawn. That was not the way a bit beast was suppose to treat their blader. It was suppose to be an equal partnership; not a master and slave relationship.

Zeus clicked into his launcher as they stood on either side of the dish. The referee oddly enough reminded him of DJ Jazzman, who refereed all of the BBA matches. Maybe it had something to do with his sunglasses since they were similar. Brooklyn pushed all of those memories into the back of his mind and put his full attention on the match. If he wasn't careful, he could get hurt like Akane had, who was getting stitches from a medic without any type of painkiller.

"3, 2, 1 - LET IT RIP!" came the yell as he pulled the ripcord as hard as he could. He used so much force that it broke in half but Zeus had more power and momentum when he landed in the dish. His competitor looked surprised by his skill and knew then that he was not facing an amateur. Brooklyn may have had amateur status in the BBA but he was far from that skill level. He was more talented than his brothers, who were considered world class. He had even won matches against Tyson, who was considered by many to be the world champion.

The two blades circled each other in the dish. Usually, Zeus would just spin in place and let the other blade run out of steam and momentum on its own but Brooklyn was in the mood to go on the offensive. Their competition had hurt one of his teammates and he didn't let such matters go easily. Akane was a friend and he was going to avenge her injury. Both he and Zeus were in the mood to deal out some serious pain.

Kai and Tala had always chastised him for wanting to hurt the other blader since that is not the way the BBA worked. They were suppose to be friendly matches with the winners congratulating the losers when it was over. Brooklyn didn't care for such formalities and prefered these types of matches where everything went. If blood was spilled, it didn't matter and sometimes the bladers collasped on the platform with serious injuries but there was just something about drawing blood and inflicting pain on your opponent. You couldn't consider these bey gangs to play any other way. Life was different on the streets than in the stadiums that his brothers comfortably played in.

Zeus struck his competitor's blade with such force that it almost threw the blade out of the stadium and definitely rattled a few teeth from the force of the impact. A smirk graced his lips as he looked at the captain of the opposing team. A thin bead of sweat dripped off his brow onto the platform. He was nervous and had every right to be. Brooklyn bet that he had never faced a bit beast like Zeus before.

He decided to mess with his opponent's mind and went on the defensive. His blade simply dodged the other one but the battle grew boring as his new teammates watched in a mixture of shock and horror. "Have you ever faced true darkness?" he ask his competition, who looked scared and his skin paler than it was all ready, "Zeus, King of Darkness attack!" The dark vortex formed behind him, rotating clockwise. The hair on the back of his neck stiffened as he disappeared from the platform and Zeus appeared.

He heard a scream as the black minotaur darted forward. Brooklyn knew it was wrong to use such an attack against such a weak blader but he was responsible for his team and had drew first blood from them. When the darkness receded and the dim light of the warehouse returned, he saw the other blader laying in a crumpled heap on the deck of the platform and his beyblade smashed to pieces in front of him. He sighed in relief when he noticed that the blader was still breathing as the cage was unlocked and his teammates darted forward to offer him aid. Zeus flew back into his hand as he was declared the winner and turned to look at his new teammates.

The looks on their faces said enough about what they now thought of him. He thought they would leave him like Garland had threatened after he had witnessed the attack for first time. "That was incredible," Akane whispered, "I have never seen such a powerful attack before or a more magnificient bit beast. He is truly a god of Olympus." "I wouldn't worry too much about Zero," Rick remarked, pointing to the fallen blader, who was being revived with smelling salts, "he nearly killed another blader on purpose a few months ago because he disrespected him. I think you gave him a taste of his own medicine and he definitely deserved it."

"Can you teach me how to mimic your opponent's every move?" Daichi ask eagerly as Rick went to gather their winnings so they could leave and get a bite to eat, "I would love to be able to do that." "It came naturally to me," he shrugged, putting on the coat that Rick had lent him, "I don't know if it can be taught. No one has ever wanted to blade like I do." Rick had a policy of splitting their winnings evenly among them; even if a blader had not competed in the match. Brooklyn pocketed his portion as they decided to grab a bite to eat at a nearby diner that was relatively cheap but the food was at least good.

They settled in a booth at the back of the diner as they waited for their order. "Did you hear anymore rumors about the new beyblade league?" Akane ask as they waited and she sipped her malt. "Nothing definite," Rick admitted, "a friend of mine heard that nothing would happen until after the World Championship tournament is over. There are rumors floating around that people are watching the matches and searching for the best bladers in the city to recruit." "I hope that we have made a favorable impression then," Raul added, "can you imagine the money you could make in a new pro league?"

Brooklyn listened to them discuss rumors about a group of businessmen who were interested in buying out the BBA but had not been able because of the current chairman, Stanley Dickerson. He doubted that the BBA would ever fall since his brothers were too supportive of the organization. If a new company did form, he was certain that they would have nothing to do with it. They were loyal to Mr. Dickerson as he should have been but something about his previous match excited him. It was like a piece of forbidden fruit; tempting and alluring but strictly unattainable. It gave him the same feeling that he got when he was in Hiro's arms.

He tried not to think of the blunette but couldn't help himself. He missed Hiro so much and his heart ached from their separation. He wondered if he would ever see him again because at the moment, their reunion seemed impossible. His new friends were lucky. They weren't separated from their significant other but the boys didn't have anyone important in their lives anyway.

"How can you believe these rumors?" he ask as all eyes at the table turned to him, "the BBA is never going to fall. They have too many bladers that support them including the current world champions, the Bladebreakers. They would never join an organization that didn't involve President Dickerson. I bet that a lot of the world class teams feel the same way." "Money and power can tempt even the most loyal," Rick remarked as an afterthought, "but I doubt that all of them would blade in a new league."

Brooklyn was about to argue more when he felt a pair of eyes on them. There was a man wearing a long coat sitting at the counter but his attention was on the group of them. Their eyes met as he left the stool and walked to their table. He was wearing a suit underneath the trench coat as he looked at the six of them. They were all on edge from this stranger and his behavior, thinking that he was possibly with the police.

"My name is Yamato Masato," he introduced with a bow, "and I have been watching your performances in the Underground for the past few weeks. I must say that I am quite impressed by your skill level and talent. My employer is looking for young talented bladers to recruit for his new organization. Only the best will be offered a spot within the new BEGA League." "So you are like the BBA then?" Rick questioned, "we are not interested in a league where we have to abide and blade by certain rules."

"The BEGA League will be quite different than the BBA," the man continued, "I can assure you of that. My employer wishes to turn beyblading into a pro sport. You will be able to make money off of contracts and companies that wish for you to advertise their products. You will be given a place to stay, clothes, food and other amenities free of charge. What I am offering is better than what you have now. I can assure you of that."

He smiled as he handed Rick a business card. "Discuss this offer among yourselves," he suggested, "if you are interested, please give me a call and I will set up an appointment. This new league will venture into uncharted terroritories and will be the best beyblading organization in the world. I can guarantee it." He smiled at them before he walked away and left.

"That was weird," Julia remarked as they watched the man leave, "do any of you find it a coincidence that we were just discussing the rumors and then he approached us?" "Let me see, Rick," Daichi shouted, grabbing the card from him and looking at it, "I like the name of it - BEGA. It just rolls off the tongue." "What can we lose?" Akane ask, taking the card from Daichi, "It sounds legit but still I have my doubts." "I wouldn't mind having someone else take care of our needs," Raul added, "we are lucky if we get one meal a day now."

"We'll discuss this later," Rick remarked, taking the card back and pocketing it, "it merits a serious conversation that we can not have here." The rest nodded as they returned to discussing their matches. Brooklyn couldn't help but feel a sense of unrest from that one little business card. He felt like his entire future was in its hands and he didn't like that for some odd reason. Little did he realize how that prediction would come true and the power that BEGA would eventually have over him.

Astera Snape

R & R