LV: Hm, odd. This seems to be dragging on longer than last time…

CL: How so?

LV: Well, this chapter in the original, they had already crossed the Pacific and met the other teams. Here, they haven't even left Japan, yet!

CL: …You're taking too long. Evil witch.

Viper's Nest

Written by Lunare Valhart

Batuken Shoot Beyblade is © Aoki Takao

All original characters are © Lunare Valhart, and are not to be used without permission

Chapter 3: Break and Bend

Birds chirped pleasantly as a spring breeze played among the treetops and budding flowerbeds. Children laughed as they ran off of school grounds, ready to go home for the day and enjoy their weekend.

"Kinomiya-kun---!"

"Ack! Chief, scram!"

"Tyson, wait! I can't run as fast as you!"

"Ratting on me to Miss President, eh? I got detention for two weeks, no thanks to you and your stubborn boyfriend!"

"Kai's not my boyfriend, for the thousandth time!"

"Stop denying it – I know what I had on my recorder! I'll post that article, if it's the last thing I do!"

…And two teenage boys could be seen running from their overenthusiastic and now-vengeful school reporter.

Tyson was dragging Kenny by the arm as they ducked into an alley, waiting until they heard her pass to breath a sigh of relief. Tyson groaned as he removed his cap to fix his ponytail, which had gotten loose while he and his brunette friend had been escaping.

Kenny fell back against the brick wall, clutching his laptop to his chest fearfully. "Ugh, you'd think that girl would give it up! It's been a month, already!"

"Tell me about it," Tyson muttered under his breath. "That detention of hers was weeks ago. Why is she still pinning it on me?"

"Ah-ha!" They froze when they caught sight of the very girl they were complaining about in front of the alley, face shadowed eerily. "You can't escape the wrath of a yaoi otaku, boys!"

"Every man for himself!" Tyson cried as he and Kenny split ways, each running opposite directions as they ran past the surprised school reporter and out of the alley. It took her a few seconds to process what had just occurred.

"Why you sneaky little – !" She chased after Tyson, eyes flaring. "Get back here, you… you!"

…

The pleasant, portly man laughed sympathetically as his driver pointed out the two boys running, seemingly for their lives. "Dear me! Yasuo, pull over. I think they need a bit of a hand."

"Of course, sir."

Further up the street, the aforementioned two boys were panicking as they were flushed from their latest hiding spot.

"Tyson, what do we do?" Kenny cried as he struggled to keep up. "We've tried hiding in the theater, at the stadium, in the park, at the shopping center – she's everywhere, I tell you!"

"Kai'd better not expect us at practice anytime soon!" Tyson answered back, just as out of breath at this point. "Because until we lose her, there's no way we'll be able to make it there in one piece!"

As he spoke, a black limo pulled up next to them. The two boys were about to tap into their second wind (again) when the tinted window slid down, and a familiar, jovial face peered out at them. "Good afternoon, boys. Out for a walk?"

"Mr. Dickenson!" Kenny cheered in relief. "Oh, thank goodness it's you!"

Tyson looked equally relieved. "Mr. D, you've gotta help us! We're running out of hiding places from the press – can you give us a hand?"

"Of course," Mr. Dickenson nodded. "Yasuo, if you would? Make yourself comfortable, boys."

The two teenagers hesitated at first, a little unsure of entering their benefactor's high-class car.

A faint cry of, "I smell gay boy fear!" came from further down the street.

Without further hesitation, the two bolted into the limo.

Mr. Dickenson laughed at their antics, wondering vaguely why children had more exciting lives this generation.

Kenny settled down after a bit, noticing the familiar sights towards the BBA Headquarters. "Mr. Dickenson, not that we're ungrateful, but why were you in our area?"

"Yeah," Tyson added. "Last time you came to us like this, it was to tell us about the Japan Nationals last year." The man merely smiled.

Kenny, catching on, began to smile back. "Oh, I think I get it! We've got another tournament coming up, don't we?" An affirming nod made Tyson light up with one of his brilliant grins.

"Sweet!" Tyson cheered. "We get to start the circuit again, and we get away from that psycho reporter! Not to mention seeing Rei and Maxie again."

"Yes, it has been some time since you've all seen each other," Mr. Dickenson said distractedly. "Four, five months? I think it's due time for a reunion, before you lose your touch to work together as a team." He shook his head. "Either way, the two are or will be contacted with the information I am going to distribute this afternoon to Kai and the two of you. I had tried to contact you at school like I had with Kai, but your teacher and class president said you had run off in quite a hurry…"

"Naoko's fault," was the immediate response from both boys.

Mr. Dickenson decided it was better not to ask.

…

The Beyblade Battle Association's Headquarters.

The tall glass-paneled building shone out amongst the others, creating a certain illumination effect for many that had gone through its doors. Everyone from children in training clothes to adults in suits were walking in and out, and all seemed well on its grounds.

Mr. Dickenson and his young charges were greeted warmly as they walked into the lobby, the two teenagers flanking him as they walked into the BBA Headquarters. The younger ones watched them with adoration, and the elder with pride. Tyson smiled cheerfully at them all.

"Has Kai arrived yet, Mr. D?" He asked when they approached his office. The portly man chuckled and gave his mustache a light tug.

"Of course I have," Kai's voice snorted from behind the youth, who jumped in surprise. "I don't have odd excuses like you for being late or absent."

Tyson turned to frown at him. "Yeesh, Hiwatari! You fly here, or something? Your school ended twenty minutes ago!"

Kai made a small shrug. "Public transportation is a helpful thing, Kinomiya. You should learn how to use it."

Tyson blew a raspberry at him and remarked, "And you should learn how to loosen up!"

"All right, boys, I believe that's enough banter for now," Mr. Dickenson chuckled, knowing full well the two weren't intending insults. "Come into my office so we can discuss the upcoming events."

Mr. Dickenson's office was spacious and well lighted, the large panel windows just behind the director's desk providing most of the room's illumination. Small ferns and potted plants were set up to not make the room look so empty. A simple but professional cherry-wood desk with small knick-knacks and a photograph or two sat towards the back of the room, leaving room for the two black leather couches and the matching wooden coffee table in between.

The three boys made their way towards the couches, waiting for Mr. Dickenson to take his seat at the desk before sitting themselves. Kenny was the first to break the silence, his laptop open and settled on his lap. "So, what are the details about this tournament, Mr. Dickenson? The usual circuit?"

Still sporting a cheery smile, the portly man shook his head. "No, I figured that it was due time to try something… different. I have spoken with a beyblade tournament official that is not a part of the BBA and we both agree that it would do some good for our bladers to have a new assortment of talent and skill to compete against."

Kai frowned. "I wasn't aware there were other beyblade organizations…"

"The BBA is the largest, and thus, the most well-known," Mr. Dickenson explained. "Regions with a great amount of people, for instance, often create their own organization, intended only for residents of that area. In addition to that, many people lack the funds for participating in a BBA-mandated tournament. The three of you, Max, and Rei are lucky, in that by being scouted, you were exempt from the entrance fees."

"Not that Kai couldn't afford all of us," Tyson sniggered. Kai spared him a glower.

"Can it, Kinomiya."

Kenny sighed, interrupting before their banter dissolved into more-than-obvious flirting – again. "Where is the tournament taking place then, Mr. Dickenson?"

Mr. Dickenson's smile became mildly mischievous. "It's best classified as a regional tournament, as the locals refer to it by their region: the South American-Caribbean Tournament. This year, the board has decided to have it take place on Arena Isle." Kenny and Kai looked rather confused, but Tyson had a definite spark flash in his eyes at the name.

"The SAC?" He asked excitedly, oblivious to his two teammate's baffled expressions. "Are you serious? This's awesome!"

Kai blinked and looked at the dark-haired youth, giving him a peculiar expression. "You seem strangely familiar with this tournament. Anything you'd like to share with the rest of us?"

Tyson turned to grin at him, and it took Kai everything not to turn to putty in front of Mr. Dickenson (that certainly wouldn't help the tabloids die out). "Do I ever! Every country in Latin America participates in this tournament – just think of all the people we'll meet! Wouldn't that be awesome?"

"As Tyson said," Mr. Dickenson continued, smothering a chuckle at Tyson's eagerness, "it is a very popular tournament in its region. And with the amount of countries in that region, it's a fairly large one, at that. While some teams have BBA support and fundings, most don't have those sort of connections."

"Which is why we only met a handful of people from that region when we went to the American Tournament last year," Kenny realized. "It wasn't due to a lack of skill, it was because of lack of funds!" He blinked and turned to stare at Tyson. "And how come you know so much about this?"

The boy shrugged, twirling his cap on his finger and giving the brunette an impish grin. "Let's just say I have my resources. Man, I love one-upping you!" Kenny scowled at him.

"It's not funny. I'm used to being the source of information!"

"So then, hotshot," Kai interrupted, giving Tyson a flat look, "what's Arena Isle?"

"Arena Isle is a man-made island off the coast of Puerto Rico," Mr. Dickenson explained, cutting in before things got out of hand, "designed for tournaments and tourism. The hotel resort you and the other teams will be staying at once the tournament begins is on the island, as well."

"Once it begins?" Kenny asked, blinking in surprise. "You mean we arrive before it starts?"

"That's because Latin America has such a variety of landmarks and stuff, so a week is normally given to teams to adjust." Tyson stopped and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Actually, it's pretty thoughtful of them, since someone coming from the desert will be a little more than shocked to suddenly be blading in a jungle or by the ocean."

"That does make sense…" Kenny agreed, vaguely wondering why the BBA never instigated a similar rule.

Kai sighed and looked up at Mr. Dickenson evenly. "When are we leaving for… where was it, again?" Tyson sniggered before reaching over to pluck a hair from his captain's bangs.

"Methinks your hair color's getting to you, Kai," he commented with a clearly amused voice. Kai swatted a hand at him, glowering darkly.

Kenny groaned as Mr. Dickenson, with a certain sense of amusement, let the two bicker. 'I swear, if they keep this up, we're going to be hard-pressed to hide it when everyone meets at the tournament…'

…

A sigh was heard in the office overlooking the cobblestone streets, and the woman inside fervently wished for this meeting to end soon. 'Five minutes in the same room as these two is enough to give anyone a migraine!'

"Both of you, just settle down!" She managed to call out above the raging argument. Reluctantly, the two combatants threw one last glare towards each other before pointedly looking away. "Now, will the two of you just listen to reason and cooperate?"

The girl snorted before replying haughtily, "With all due respect, Señora, this idea of yours is a recipe for disaster. You know we can't get along!"

"Moreover, we won't," the youth added coldly. "I am sorry to disappoint you, Señora, but I cannot comply to this. You are very well aware that that we two are worse than oil and water."

"The only intelligent thing you've said today," the girl sneered, and the youth turned to snarl at her.

"Well, maybe if a certain caricorta wasn't so full of herself – !"

"Look who's talking, Don Tanto!"

The two were standing again, eyes glaring and refusing to back down from the other's anger.

"You're lucky the Señora is here, puta, because if she weren't, I'd – !"

The woman, exasperated, slammed her hands onto her desk and stood herself, startling the two teenagers. "Enough! The two of you have been doing nothing but arguing since the beginning of this meeting! You are both strong, young adults, and it's due time you both start acting like it!"

The girl sputtered, "But, Señora – !"

"I know you are far from being comfortable around him yet," she told the girl, "but regardless of what has happened, there is no way for us to allow either of you back on the circuit if you cannot agree to this. These are not my orders – believe me, I know the both of you would rather be with those you trust, but if that happens, the entire tournament will be cancelled by their order. And as much as I am fond of you two, I cannot let down our entire region or compromise a chance to get recognition as an official BBA tournament."

Something in both their gazes suddenly snapped to attention.

"Wait," the girl cut in, gripping her seat rests tightly. "Did you say this would become an official BBA tournament?"

"As in," the youth continued, eyes alight in a manner the woman had never seen before, "teams outside our region will be welcome to join?"

Pleasantly surprised, the woman nodded. "It is exactly as it sounds. If the two of you cooperate, teams from as close as the United States to as far as Asia will even be permitted to – "

"Sign me up!" The girl exclaimed suddenly, an animated gleam in her eyes. "I don't care if it means having to work with that – " she gestured in the youth's general direction, " – but I have to participate!"

The youth actually ignored the jibe, a thoughtful (and oddly genuine) smile playing on his lips. "I'll have to agree, for once. Participating in this is worth the torment of working with that."

"Hey!" Unlike him, however, the girl still couldn't help but be offended by the remark.

The woman smiled to herself as the two – finally – signed the papers before them, both with a certain look of determination she had seen only once before.

The main difference this time was that, instead of being grim, they were that of hope.