My Grandpa's Back
Chapter 20
Kohari: Yes, I am well aware of how long it's been since the last update. Yes, I know how much y'all hate me for waiting so long to update. Yes, I know how much you've been dying of anticipation, awaiting the time where Kai and the rest of the team will rise up against Voltaire, kick his sorry little evil, corrupted butt. But sorry, that's not gonna happen. Okay, I was kidding. All I can offer are my apologies for the wait, assure you that this is not the last chapter, and invite you to read this chapter. If you want explanations (it sounded like a better word than excuses), you can either go to the GoldenGardenFoxes profile and check it out, or read the note at the bottom of this chapter. In the meantime, here's the story.
The training hall was filled with the repetitive sounds of beyblades launching and spinning in beydishes, practicing various fields of battle. Day and night, those sounds were all they knew. None of them could even remember the voices of their respected teammates. It had been that long since they had last spoken to one another.
Kai stared blankly at the site of his blue top twirling dead center in the smooth crater, unable to convince himself that this was all his fault. And for the first time, he was angry at being right. He had known about Tex, but had not said anything. He could have done something, they all could have...but they didn't. All because of his silence. His failure to act had gotten them backed into a corner.
He had wanted his freedom so badly. And now, because of his unshakable craving to keep his liberty, it had been taking away from all of them forever. Because of him.
Dranzer emerged from the bit, crying out in agony, just as Kai longed to do. Suddenly, a silver beyblade collided with his own, and an enormous wolf tackled the majestic phoenix. Caught by surprise, Kai directed his eyes to his opponent. He was even more shocked to see that it was Tala.
"So...you, too," Kai observed, realizing immediately what had happened. The Demolition Boys had been retaken, too. It made sense. Voltaire never trusted anyone. And the team would have jumped eagerly at the opportunity to pay him back for all the torment he had put them through in earlier times. A weapon like that was too dangerous to let loose in the world. Voltaire's only option was to bring them back, where the only ones the boys could hurt were his enemies.
"Yeah," Tala confirmed, a dark look in his eyes that Kai couldn't quite identify. Was it a desire for vengeance? Against whom? Voltaire or the Hiwatari heir? Was it an anger directed at himself, for being unable to escape Voltaire's greedy and corrupt clutches once again? There was only one way to find out...
Kai threw himself into the battle with full concentration. Sparks literally flew as the two circled and clashed in a seemingly endless dance of destruction. However, because of their equal determination to win, neither could best the other. Exhausted, the two beasts returned to their respective beyblades and the tops flew towards the hands of their partners with astounding accuracy.
Tala focused his eyes on Kai's for a few additional moments before stalking off in search of another opponent. Staring after him, he took some time to look around at the others. Max, Tyson, Ray...even Ian, Spencer, and Bryan, to Kai's amazement, were sporting expressions of hopelessness and despair.
Every day, the routine was repeated. After so much sparring and so many workouts, Kai's muscles had become numb, no longer able to feel any pain at all. And with each passing day, the weight of knowing what they had to do, and the knowledge that every day brought the time to execute their mission even closer, hung over them like a heavy blanket, smothering them and their hope.
It was driving Kai insane. He had to do something about it. And soon.
No better time than the present.
"Keep practicing!" barked the guard who was in charge of ensuring Kai did what he was supposed to.
Kai glared at him, gripping Dranzer so tight in his hand that his knuckles turned white. Yes, now was the perfect time to act.
With a few swift movements, so quick that the soldier had no time to react, Kai aimed and launched his beyblade at the guard, knocking him out. The other guards who were given the same assignment perceived what was going on and immediately converged upon him. Kai was determined to win this, outnumbered or not.
He lifted his launcher once again, calculating which one would be the best to take down first. Before he could make his decision, Draciel sliced through the air, injuring a soldier who had been about to attack Kai from behind. Kai directed his attention at Max, who gave him the thumbs-up. All the other beybladers in the training hall were behind him, including those he had never been introduced to.
Kai flashed him a smile, glad to have them all behind him. Although he had known he couldn't take on all of Voltaire's army on his own, he would rather die than sit around and do nothing but obey orders, like a beaten dog.
After a short brawl, the way was clear, and the boys rushed out, scrambling through the halls and destroying everything that might reveal what had happened to Voltaire. But it was too late. The cameras in the training hall had already captured their actions, and Voltaire had already deployed gunmen to prevent their escape. If they couldn't "convince" the beybladers to remain under Voltaire's control, they were supposed to treat them as normal rebels, in which case, the gunman would murder any who attempted to actively oppose the BioVolt organization and its objectives.
"Surrender now!" commanded the squad leader. "If you do not, we will be forced to fire!"
The beybladers exchanged glances. Then all eyes locked on Kai. The young Hiwatari bounced his blade a few times in his palm. "What are you all looking at me for?" he asked them. "The decision is your own. And mine," he continued as he loaded his launcer, "should be obvious."
Kai took aim, yanked the ripcord, and dove to the ground to minimize his chances of getting hit with a bullet. Every other rebel directed his beyblade at the gunmen, every launcher was violently relieved of its blade, and every fighter ducked, hitting the dirt as bullets whistled overhead. When no more were whizzing by them, they got up and retrieved their blades, running out of the gates as quickly as their legs could carry them.
Kai and the rest of the beybladers split up and headed towards every beyblade hang-out they knew of and recruit everyone they could to their cause. This did, after all, concern every beyblader in the world. Hiwatari now stood on a fountain in the center of a park, making a speech that had taken the breath right out of the listeners' lungs. They hung on to every word, and Kai could see from their faces that they would follow him and do whatever it took to win. They all had a common goal - to deliver to Voltaire the justice that was long overdue.
By the time Kai had finished speaking, he was panting, and Voltaire's men were headed towards them.
"Now's our chance to prove ourselves! Show them that WE WILL STAND! And WE WILL FIGHT! AND WE WILL WIN!" he shouted, lifting Dranzer to the heavens.
A cry of agreement answered him, and every beyblader in the vicinity lifted their beyblades up as well. In perfect syncronization, they all loaded their launchers and aimed it at the soldiers. In perfect unison, they launched their beyblades.
Voltaire pounded his fist on the desk furiously. He cursed Kai's name and every other beyblader with him. He rose to leave, possibly to run, probably to put his plans into action without them. But as he started to depart, he found his grandson blocking his path, leaning confidently against the doorframe.
"Hello, Grandfather," he said, smirking.
"Kai," Voltaire growled. He fingered Black Dranzer in his pocket. "You're here to stop me?"
"As much as I'd love to be the one to stop you once and for all, I'm not the one with the score to settle," Kai told him, and moved to reveal Tala behind him, cracking his knuckles. "But if he fails, yeah, I'll stop you."
"I won't fail," Tala assured him, pulling out Wolborg.
Note: Most of the time since my last update has been taken up by applications, online and paper. I have been accepted into two of the most prestigious public colleges of my state (not to brag, but thank you for your congratulations if you want to offer them), and am working on scholarships. I may be receiving a full scholarship to a private college (it's a Valedictorian scholraship), but I have to be accepted first, and I just sent in my application. So wish me luck on that. Not only that, but I am still working on my summer reading assignment for school (yes, I know, it's winter), and I have a few stories I'm working on that I hope will one day become published books. Thank you for all your support, and I hope you will all still be around to read the final chapter of "My Grandpa's Back." Please review for me! Thanks in advance!
Proofread: Nope.