A/N I finished it!! I'm so happy, now on with the fic!
Disclaimer: I don't own The Prince of Tennis.
Warnings: Language.
Dedicated to: Speadee!
Trick 2
The tension between Arai and Ryoma was most definitely evident as the two glared at each other whilst the Seigaku and Fudomine members waited it out
The tension between Arai and Ryoma was definitely evident as the two glared at each other whilst the Seigaku and Fudomine members waited it out.
"Come on, let's go," Arai said, a grin simultaneously stretching across his face.
Ryoma lifted one shoulder in a half shrug. "Can't, I haven't got my ATs with me," he replied simply.
"Heeh. Easy to sound cocky without ATs, isn't it?" Arai said, revealing his teeth. "Ain't that right boys?"
A group of boys that had suddenly appeared behind Arai yelled out 'yeah's and 'go back to where you came from, kid's.
Tachibana frowned, "Arai, everyone has a right to ride around here."
"But he has no ride," Arai exclaimed, laughing stupidly.
Ryoma's brows furrowed the slightest bit at that.
"He can take mine," the smiling tensai of Seigaku offered, stepping forward with the delicate looking skates bearing elaborate metal designs on the exterior in his hands.
"Fuji…" Tezuka stifled a sigh.
"What? I wanna see what the kid's got," Fuji explained, smiling sweetly.
Ryoma blinked in confusion and glanced from Fuji to the ATs, Fuji and back to the ATs.
"They may be a size or two big on you…but I'm sure you'll adjust! If not…well, maybe its best if we didn't discuss that then," Fuji said, too cheerfully and too…sickening.
Ryoma hesitated, wondering whether or not to take the ATs from the creepy smiling guy…
…when a pair of ATs seemingly fell from the sky and hit him on the head. "Ow, ow, ow…" he groaned, catching the ATs in his hands as they rebounded off his head. "What the…?" Distancing giggles were heard, forcing Ryoma to frown in distaste. "Damn oyaji…"
"Nya! O-ishi, what was that?!" The red head said as he clutched onto his friend. "T-those ATs fell out of the sky! They could be cursed, nya O-ishi! Save me!!"
"Eiji! Get a hold of yourself!" Oishi cried, desperately trying to rid the strangling grip of the red head off his neck.
"Oi, where'd the mamushi go?"
Smile, smile.
Glint. Laps, laps, laps, laps, laps, laps, laps!
"Ii data…"
"Everyone, please calm down," Kawamura asked, attempting to avoid the many stares that his team was receiving from the Fudomine riders.
"B-b-but they're cursed, I know it! Didn't you see them fall out of the sky?!" Eiji yelled, clearly frightened by the sudden turn of events.
Glint. Oh. So many laps…
"A friend of mine threw them at my head, not the paranormal," Ryoma said, removing his runners and replacing them with the plain looking ATs which had drawn many comments like: 'You'd think for a prodigy, that he'd have some decent ATs' and 'could you really use those…plain ATs to the best of your ability?'
"…Oh, but how'd your friend know you were here if Momo dragged you here straight from school?" Eiji asked before pointing an accusing finger at the boy. "Yeah, tell me that!!"
Ryoma sighed as he stood back up and shifted his weight on his feet. A sinister looking grin spread across his pixie-like features as he turned to face the red head. "Who knows? Maybe he's psychic."
"Ah! Oishi, save me! That ochibi is scary!" Eiji cowered behind his friend.
Oishi sighed, great, now he had to deal with a frightened Eiji, and that was never good. Really, did this freshman have to be so mean? Especially to his senpai….honestly, kids these days.
"Oi, kid! You ready now?" Arai asked impatiently. Gods, it would be fun to beat this shrimp, not to mention how much the other riders would respect him if he won against this 'prodigy'. Maybe Tezuka would offer his regalia to him…
"Fine, first one to clear the park and come back to this spot again wins," Ryoma said.
"Basic rules apply. The loser's team has to disband whilst the winner gets the loser's emblem," Arai stated.
"Huh?" What's the deal with this 'team' thing again? Ryoma frowned. Somebody would have to explain the Japanese concepts of Air Trek to him, and soon.
"Basic rules can't apply…" Momo said suddenly, "Echizen doesn't have a team."
Arai raised a brow. "What do you mean? He's part of Seigaku, isn't he?"
"Nope."
What?
"If you lose, your team disbands, but if I lose, I have to leave Japan," Ryoma suggested.
"Hang on!" Momo flailed.
Arai grinned, "Agreed."
"E-Echizen!"
"Don't worry, I won't lose," Ryoma smirked, his usual air of arrogance about him.
Momo sighed. This guy was too much…albeit he himself could beat Arai hands down; Echizen was only a freshman--and a short weak looking one at that! How the hell could he be that cocky too? Momo knew that this Echizen Ryoma was a so called 'prodigy' in America, but this was not America.
The two competitors shook hands reluctantly and waited patiently for the other riders to move out of the way so that a starting/finishing line could be drawn.
A i r T r e k
Kaidoh panted, his hands firmly on his knees, body in a slightly bent over position as he tried to catch his breath. All that talk of cursed ATs was the trigger that sent him running. He shivered at the thought. Should he go back? Besides, having cursed ATs that fell out of nowhere was ridiculous…yes, very ridiculous. A very disturbing rustling noise from behind the snake made him jump and scream out with fear. Thus the next trigger as he began running away again.
"Oi, mamushi! Where the hell did you go? It's dangerous to be out here while a race is going on. Oi!" One, Momoshiro shouted as he stepped out of the bushes and looked around. "Hmm…he must've gone home…without attending the meeting." Momo sighed. Screw him! Kaidoh could look after himself, and besides, it'd be fun to watch him run laps in his ATs for leaving the meeting early.
A i r T r e k
"Where's Momoshiro?" Tezuka asked, the usual aura of authority encircling him.
"He went out to look for Kaidoh," Inui informed, pushing the bridge of his glasses up and scribbling something in his prized green notebook. "I'm sure they'll be back soon, it's quite hazardous to be in the area where riders are about to duel. They've been told numerous times, Tezuka. And I believe it was by you."
Tezuka didn't reply, he simply stared out to the twelve year old boy standing next to a much taller thirteen year old.
A boy, no older than twelve was kneeling on the footpath, his breaths quick and light as beads of sweat slid down his face.
"You're quite talented."
The boy's eyes shot up over the rim of his glasses and met with a blurry figure of a teenager. He squinted.
"With your ATs….you're quite gifted," the blur-boy said, reaching out to push the other boy's glasses back into their correct position.
"Who…are you?" The brunette asked, blinking his eyes a few times to readjust his sight.
"Yamato, Tezuka Kunimitsu."
The boy addressed as 'Tezuka' looked up in shock. He got back onto his feet slowly, perhaps even cautiously and steadied himself on his ATs, his eyes never leaving the smiling face of 'Yamato'.
"Nice to finally meet you," Yamato said, holding out a hand.
Tezuka merely stared at the hand. "H-how do you know my name?"
"I have my sources," Yamato explained. "By the way…"
"Tezuka!"
The brunette looked around, hearing nothing but the shouts of his name.
"Tezuka!"
"…Tezuka!!"
"Tezuka?"
"A-ah," The bespectacled teen snapped back into the present, looking at his old friend with a somewhat disheveled look.
"Do you think…Echizen has a chance?" Oishi asked, a sleeping Eiji on his arm.
Tezuka turned away and looked back at the cocky freshman. "I cannot predict any outcome in the least, Oishi."
"Fair enough…I just hope he doesn't get hurt. Arai can be quite rough and aggressive when he wants to," Oishi said worriedly.
Tezuka didn't reply.
"Scared?"
"What?" Ryoma asked incredulously.
"Are you scared?" Arai said with a chuckle, rolling forward slightly to come into contact with the starting line.
"Mada mada dane…" Ryoma said, getting into his starting position.
Bastard! Arai frowned, a small drop of sweat making its way down his cheek.
"Tezuka?" The captain of the Fudomine said, turning to look at his rival. "Are you going to start them off?"
"Hn…"he said before yelling out, "Ready! Set!"
"We're back!" Momo shouted from behind Tezuka, Kaidoh trailing behind.
Tezuka, as if completely ignoring the fact continued on, "Go!"
Arai took off down the small slope, Ryoma not too far behind. He grinned. His moves were heavy and awkward whereas Ryoma's were light and graceful as they sped across the terrain. Arai, using his strength to his advantage chose to kick down a tree for an obstacle for the younger. Ryoma sighed in a bored fashion as he leapt over the fallen tree, flying high over Arai and into the lead.
"W-What?!" Arai couldn't believe it! How could that freshman master a trick like that?
"Move it dude, this is boring," Ryoma exclaimed as he sped along the park effortlessly.
Arai was panting. He was already exceeding his speed limit, how could that kid go so fast on such plain ATs? Arai didn't understand it.
"Whoa…that kid's good," Tachibana said, watching the distancing forms of the two boys.
Tezuka supervised wordlessly whilst Fuji grinned.
"Ne, Tezuka, we should recruit him," Fuji suggested.
"…"
"You…you brat!" Arai shouted, watching another one of Ryoma's faultless grinds across a bench.
"Insult me all you want, it still doesn't change how boring an opponent you are…" Ryoma said provocatively, skipping over a rubbish bin to the end of the park. He turned gracefully and started heading back to the starting line, purposely slowing down to stimulate the race.
Tezuka furrowed a brow, his eyes never leaving the two boys.
A bight light went off behind the two teams on the sidelines.
"What the?" All turned to see a four wheel drive with a malicious looking man sitting on the bonnet.
"I Sasabe have caught all you AT rider scum!" He shouted before policemen began streaming in from behind the car.
Instantaneously, Arai's team scattered, not waiting for their captain's return as they should have.
"Move out, now!" Tezuka ordered to his team as he skillfully dodged a policemen and then another.
All of the Seigaku riders did exactly what they were told, leaving Tezuka behind.
"What the hell?" Ryoma said, looking up at the bright light and scattering people.
"Crap, it's the cops. See ya," Arai explained, turning around immediately and skated away.
"What about your team?!"
"Mind your own damn business!"
Ryoma frowned. He'd never in teams back in America, but he still had the audacity to hold morality. He continued on, until a tall figure started to skate down the slope towards him.
"Echizen!" The boy called.
Ryoma recalled him from earlier, the captain of the Seigaku team. "What's going on up there?"
"Police, we've got to go, now!" Tezuka yelled, grabbing the boy's arm on the way past to steer him in the right direction.
"Come back you AT bastards!"
Ryoma frowned as he let himself be dragged along by the Seigaku captain. "What about your team? Did you do a runner like that Arai guy?"
"I certainly did not. Anyone who lacks the morality to stick by his crew should not have a crew in the first place. To me that's just pathetic," The stoic man said.
"Hmm," Ryoma drawled.
"…You don't have a team?" Tezuka asked as they cleared the park into the streets of Tokyo.
"Never have," Ryoma replied bluntly.
"The only way to compete around here is to have a team, today was a rarity."
Ryoma didn't reply.
"You're skilled, and I would like to ask you to join Seigaku."
"What? Really? You want me in your team?" Ryoma asked.
"I believe that's what I said."
Ryoma frowned. It'd be a great opportunity, and he'd get to participate in races…but the people who consisted of Seigaku were…nonetheless strange. Did he really want to have them as teammates? Were they really that strong?
"I'll give you time to think about it. But when you do come to a decision, I'll be at the fenced up skate park at the end of XXX street," Tezuka said before taking off on his own with not so much as a 'goodbye'.
Ryoma took this initiative and headed home, stopping in a nearby alley first to take off his ATs and put on his runners. Crap! I left my goddamn school bag at the park!
A/N Reviews are loved!
Squishy.