Readers: /in angry mob form/ UPDATE OR DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Silvan Arrow: Eep! Okay! Okay! Here it is! I'm updating! /dodges flying objects/
Eri: That's what you get for being lazy.
Silvan Arrow: I wasn't lazy! I've just been covered up with tests and homework.
Nakia: That's your excuse every time.
Silvan Arrow: Have YOU ever tried to do organic chemistry? It sucked the life right out of me!
Nakia: Well…
Silvan Arrow: My point exactly. Now hurry up and do the disclaimer!
Nakia: Sheesh, no need to get pushy. Silvan Arrow does not own Beyblade or any of its characters. She just owns her OCs, including me.
Silvan Arrow: So yeah…I'm really sorry it's taken me so long to update! But this is a really pivotal chapter in the story, and I didn't want to just throw together something crappy. You'll see what I mean as you read it. I also don't own the song "It's the Fear" by Within Temptation. Okay, while I re-examine why exactly I'm a biology major and a glutton for punishment, here's chapter 14. Enjoy!
Chapter 14: It's the Fear
'Down block, snap kick, back fist…'
Eri?
The Russian in question tried to ignore her bit beast's insistent nagging voice as she lay curled up in the corner of a small courtyard behind the hotel, nonchalantly watching her mistress practice her martial arts forms with one open eye. It was 5:30 in the morning, so she didn't have to worry about concealing her presence yet. A restless night's sleep had done nothing to improve Eri's mood after yesterday's blow-up with Tala, and right now she desperately needed to blow off some steam.
'Neck strike, roundhouse kick, front stance with down block…'
I'm getting a very interesting mental picture from you right now… she observed dryly, speaking mentally to keep her words private.
'And just what picture, pray tell, are you referring to?' Eri asked without pausing her form. 'High block, punch, snap kick, punch…'
The one where Tala is at the receiving end of all your punches and kicks, Pyrix replied smugly.
Eri about did an anime fall at that statement and had to stop her form. 'Note to self: keep violent thoughts masked from mind-reading bit beast.' Behind her, Eri could easily picture Pyrix's tail twitching in amusement. 'I suppose you can also see that I'm imagining him as a bloody pulp right now.'
Pyrix sighed in resignation. You have some serious anger management issues…
"Hang in there, Uskadu!" Nakia shouted encouragingly as her the black panther roared and continued attacking the giant boulder in front of her. However, her beyblade suddenly ran out of power and bounced away, landing motionless at her feet. "Dangit, Uskadu, not again…" Nakia had left at dawn, a first for the one who liked to sleep in, to train in the mountains for the Temporal Knights' match tomorrow against White Tiger X. She and Uskadu were trying to perfect their new attack, but, after three straight hours, they still had nothing to show for their effort.
You are distracted, mistress, Uskadu replied calmly. We cannot release our full power if our thoughts are not in sync. He could sense her frustration at their lack of results easily enough, but it wasn't the main reason she was distracted. Something else troubles you.
'It's just…I've felt so useless during the last two matches, first against F-Dynasty and then with Justice 5,' Nakia admitted. 'I don't want to be the only one benched again, so that's why we've just got to master this new attack, to show that I'm not the weak link on the team.'
Mistress, no one thinks you're the weakest link, Uskadu reassured her. Remember, that round against F-Dynasty was Eri's first time battling in the tournament, and the matches with Justice 5 were determined randomly.
'Yeah…I guess you're right,' Nakia said, though her tone of voice still didn't sound convinced.
Don't let these negative thoughts cloud your concentration. Now then, shall we try again?
'Sure.' Nakia picked up her beyblade, but before she could launch it, Uskadu stopped her.
Close your eyes.
'Excuse me?'
Trust me. Nakia complied. Good, now clear your mind. Take a deep breath. Slowly, Uskadu felt her start to relax. Concentrate, mistress. Feel my power flowing through your body…coursing through your veins.
'I…can feel it. For the first time in my life…' A tingling sensation swept over Nakia's skin, leaving goose bumps in its wake, as her thoughts melded with those of her bit beast. She could feel his heart beating beside her own. Before long, they were beating in perfect unison, two hearts merging as one. Nakia's eyes flew open. "LET IT RIP!!!" A black aura shrouded her beyblade as it shot from her launcher like a comet. "Uskadu, attack!" Trees snapped like twigs and toppled to the ground in a series of deafening booms as the black panther tore through them. "Now! Terra Quake!" Nakia commanded. With a mighty roar, Uskadu erupted from his bit chip and summoned numerous rock spires that pierced upward through the earth and wrecked even more of the forest. The rush of power was so fierce and abrupt that Nakia had to bring up her arms to shield herself from her own attack.
Nakia coughed into her sleeve as she waited for the dust to clear. When she could finally see again, her eyes widened at the aftermath of her attack. Ten-foot towers of stone jutted upward in haphazard directions all around her, and dozens of trees lay strewn on the ground uprooted. Her beyblade spun strongly in the middle of the destruction. "Whoa…"
The sound of someone clapping made Nakia jump, and she whirled around to see none other than her team captain leaning casually against a tree that was still standing. "Impressive, Nakia," she complimented.
"Eri! What are you doing here?" she asked in bewilderment.
Eri gave a noncommittal shrug. "I was just in the neighborhood and thought I would come see how you were doing with your training. Obviously, it's paid off," she replied, indicating the leveled section of the forest with a sweep of her hand. Eri turned to leave, hands in her pockets. As she started walking away, she added almost as an afterthought, "Don't push yourself too hard today. We'll need you in top form tomorrow when we take on White Tiger X."
Nakia stared in shock, unable to speak, after her captain's retreating form until the shadows cast by the trees obscured her view completely. Mistress? Uskadu probed. Is…everything okay?
Judging from her delighted squeals, Uskadua had to say that she was just fine. A quarter of a mile away, Eri smirked at her teammate's reaction to her announcement. 'Some things never change…'
The next day…
"Welcome back to another exciting round of Beyblade action coming to you live from New Delhi, India! The matches promise to be intense as the race to the semi-finals continues!" DJ Jazzman shouted. "And now, let's meet the teams for our first round of the day! Give it up for White Tiger X and the Temporal Knights!" The crowd erupted in raucous applause as both teams entered the stadiums bearing equally determined expressions. "Can the rookie Temporal Knights make up for their devastating loss back in Italy, or will the speed and ferocity of White Tiger X be too much for them?"
'Sheesh, way to pour salt on the wound,' Eri mused with a roll of her eyes.
Up in the stands, the Blitzkrieg Boys were watching with keen interest to see whether or not the girls could rebound from their last match. In addition, Xhaiden sat with Omega Platoon on the opposite side, also curious to see just how far his "students" had come in the several years since last he had seen them.
'He's here…' Sonja thought with grim dread as her muscles instinctively went rigid. But then, she glanced up in the stands and locked gazes briefly with Kai. Somehow, his presence along with that of her teammates made her feel safer, and the starch wilted in her limbs.
"All right, let's get this battle underway! Teams, please choose your bladers for the first round!"
"Nakia, the first round is all yours," Eri stated with a ghost of a smile.
The Egyptian visibly brightened. "All right! I won't let you guys down!" she exclaimed, punching a fist in the air. To her surprise, White Tiger X sent up Mariah.
'They must be saving Rei and Lee to face what they perceive as more potent threats. Heh, they'll soon learn the hard way not to underestimate any of the Temporal Knights,' Eri thought with a wicked smirk as she, Sonja, and Hina took their seats at the team bench.
Mariah bore a confident expression as she took her stance across from Nakia. DJ Jazzman began the countdown. "3…2…1…"
This is it, Uskadu.
"LET IT RIP!!!!"
Mariah wasted no time in going on the offensive. "Galux, attack now!" Her pink beyblade zig-zagged across the dish, building up speed before coming in for an attack. However, Uskadu darted out of the way at the last possible second. "What? How did you dodge that?!" she asked incredulously. Over and over Galux tried to attack, but Uskadu continued to evade her at every turn.
"Heh, you may be fast, Mariah, but your moves are way too predictable," Nakia replied with a smirk. "Uskadu, attack!" Her beyblade swerved around the dish and slammed Galux from behind. Nakia's sudden switch from defense to offense threw Mariah off balance; normally the Egyptian preferred to wait until her opponent had exhausted himself before delivering the final blow, but Mariah was going to do that anyway by throwing all her energy into these desperation attacks.
"Oh no! Hang in there, Galux!" Mariah shouted. For several minutes, the two beyblades continued to trade blows evenly. Finally, Mariah decided that she should attack while she still had the energy. "Galux, Cat Bites!" A yin-yang symbol appeared in the dish, and Galux rushed out with a feral snarl as she charged for the attack.
"Desert Fang!" Nakia countered. Uskadu emerged from his bit chip amidst clouds of blinding sand. The sand swirled around the panther's body, acting as both a shield and a weapon, as he met Galux's attack head-on. The force of the two bit beasts clashing threw up a blinding wall of light, and Nakia and Mariah had to shield their eyes. When they could finally see again, Galux's beyblade lay motionless at Mariah's feet while Uskadu still spun strongly.
"And there you have it! Nakia takes the first round for the Temporal Knights!" DJ Jazzman announced.
"All right! I did it!" Nakia cheered, punching a fist in the air. After shaking hands with Mariah, she headed back to the bench.
"I'm impressed, Nakia," Eri commended. "I was certain you would use that battle to test out your new attack."
Nakia blushed slightly and rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "Well…the thought did cross my mind, but I figured it would be best not to reveal my best move to Omega Platoon."
Nakia yelped as Hina suddenly grabbed her in a bear hug. "Finally! Nakia does something that's NOT hot-headed," she stated, giving the shorter girl a noogie.
"Hey! Watch the head! Ow! My head!" Nakia groused, batting away Hina's hands.
Eri chuckled at the sight. "All right, that's enough theatrics for one match. Sonja, you're up next."
"You got it," she replied, giving her captain a thumbs-up. Sonja made her way to the dish, where Lee was already waiting with his launcher at the ready.
One countdown later saw Lee's black beyblade circling menacingly like a predator while Lunash spun patiently in the center of the dish. The Chinese boy quickly displayed his aggressive style of battling. "Galeon, attack now!" His beyblade dealt a long series of hard, fast blows, much to the excitement of the crowd and his team mates.
Kevin, Gary, and Mariah cheered on their team mate from the sidelines. "Keep up the attacks, Lee!" Mariah encouraged. "You've got this one in the bag!"
"Yeah! Do it, Galeon!" His beyblade picked up torque and continued to batter Lunash ruthlessly. Lee looked across the dish to see why Sonja wasn't fighting back, but, to his surprise, she was smirking.
"Heh, is that it?"
"W-what?" Lee stammered, Sonja's question having caught off guard.
"Blows like that won't break through Lunash's defenses," Sonja replied nonchalantly. "You want power? I'll show you power. Lunash, ATTACK!" Almost instantly, Lunash kicked up torque and knocked Galeon back, sending him skittering across the dish. On the bench, Eri smirked inwardly. She knew Sonja must be feeling especially competitive today for her to taunt her opponent like that.
Lee staggered backward as he struggled to stay in control. "Hang on, Galeon! Shake it off!"
Sonja didn't give him time to regroup. "Frenzy Maelstrom!" A massive torrent of water materialized from around her beyblade as Lunash erupted from his bit chip with a deafening roar. The water rose up and gathered around him in a swirling whirlpool. Sonja clenched her hands into fists and gritted her teeth in concentration as she bent the ferocity of the attack to her will. 'That's it… Stay in control… There!' The raw power of the maelstrom sent out haphazard gusts of wind laden with salt water into the stands. Even the audience members had to shield their eyes against the stinging liquid.
"Galeon, fight back with Spiral Lightning!" Lee countered. The black lion emerged and sent out ribbons of black lightning, but amazingly the force of Lunash's whirlpool actually deflected the attack. "But how? That's impossible!"
"Now, Lunash!" The dragon charged for Galeon from within the whirlpool, creating a massive shockwave that rocked the whole stadium. Lee brought up his arms to shield himself and struggled to keep his footing. Needless to say, his beyblade didn't weather the storm and was knocked out of the dish.
Once Sonja's attack finally subsided, a rather soaked DJ Jazzman cautiously approached the dish, coughing and sputtering, to survey the aftermath. "It's over! Sonja takes the second round in a single impressive attack!" he announced as the audience erupted into applause.
Eri gave Sonja a nod of acknowledgment as she returned to the bench, but the Russian's mind was more focused on the upcoming third round. 'Now it's my turn for redemption.'
"The third round features the captains of White Tiger X and the Temporal Knights. Give it up for Rei and Eri!" DJ Jazzman shouted.
Rei gave Eri a friendly smile as they faced each other, which she gladly returned. In all honestly, she had a lot of respect for Rei. With his expert blading skills, the unfailing loyalty of his teammates, and his maturity, it was no wonder he had become the leader of a world-class beyblading team like White Tiger X.
"Let's get this exciting third round battle started! 3…2…1…"
"LET IT RIP!!!!" Eri and Rei shouted as they yanked their ripcords. Their beyblades met mid-air in a clash of sparks before landing in the dish to circle each other menacingly.
'This won't end like last time,' Eri vowed. She glanced up and to the side to see a pair of cold, cobalt eyes watching her like a hawk. 'Time to show Xhaiden what's in store for him,' she thought savagely. "Pyrix, attack!" Her red and gold beyblade picked up speed and charged for Driger, but he dodged the attack at the last second. "Don't stop now! After him!" Over and over Pyrix tried to attack, but Driger managed to stay one step ahead of her. "Grrrr…he's too fast." Pyrix was well-rounded beyblade with good speed and maneuverability, but Driger's insane speed made it look like she was standing still. Eri gritted her teeth and could feel her anger start to build.
Eri, you're distracted. Focus on the battle at hand and forget about Xhaiden, Pyrix reasoned calmly.
'I know…' Eri ground out irritably.
Up in the stands, Xhaiden chuckled wickedly to himself. "Excellent, girl. Channel your anger, the hate you feel towards me…"
It waits for the day I will let it out.
To give it a reason, to give it its might.
Meanwhile, Rei decided the time was right to launch a counterattack of his own. "Driger, attack!" His beyblade dodged Pyrix's latest charge and dealt a brutal slam that sent her bouncing almost to the edge of the dish.
Eri gave a feral growl at her inability to land even a single hit on Rei. Her anger was like a hot, throbbing sensation in her chest that kept building against the confines of her ribs, pounding against its walls and desperately seeking some form of release. Suddenly, Eri gasped as Pyrix forced her way into her mistress' mind and her body completely froze, rendered motionless by her bit beast. Eri, you must calm down!
The pounding in Eri's chest lessened somewhat as Pyrix sent warm, soothing waves of calm through her limbs. 'Thank you…I needed that.' Her bit beast's presence retreated, allowing Eri to get back to the battle.
I fear who I am becoming,
I feel that I am losing the struggle within.
I can no longer restrain it,
My strength it is fading,
I have to give in.
"Uh-oh…this isn't good," Sonja stated solemnly.
"What? What isn't good?" Nakia asked. Hina had a similar look of confusion on her face.
"Eri's starting to lose control. Pyrix just had to force her way into her mind to calm her down," Sonja explained.
"But why would she be so angry now? She wasn't this way even against Garland," Hina wondered.
"It looks like Xhaiden's presence is affecting her more strongly than we thought…" Sonja replied, her eyes trained worriedly on her captain. Eri hadn't told them about yesterday's argument with Tala, but that had also weakened the barriers around her anger.
Back in the dish, Rei continued to press his advantage. "Driger, attack!" Eri grunted in pain as she felt the force of Rei's attack. She had known Driger was fast, but not this fast. He moved like a blur of lightning, and her eyes could barely keep track of his movements.
'I've got to act now,' she thought. "Pyrix, do it!" A red shaft of light shot up from her bit chip as the fire wolf materialized.
"Come on, Driger!" The white tiger appeared with a feral snarl. Eri watched as the two bit beasts clashed above the dish in a frenzy of tooth and claw, and her anger started to build again as she felt Pyrix being forced back. A whisper-soft probe brushed against her mind from her bit beast, and Eri instantly threw up a steel-clad barrier to block it. Pyrix couldn't help this time. Eri looked back to the dish, but she gasped in horror as it wasn't Rei's beyblade she saw.
It was Garland's.
Frantically, Eri looked across the dish, and the image of Rei faded out to be replaced by one of Garland. Around her, it was as if the entire stadium went black, save for her, the dish, and the phantom regarding her with a cocky expression. "Heh…is that all you've got, Eri? You don't want to lose again, do you?" Eri looked down at her beyblade, which was getting pummeled mercilessly by Apollon.
"Oh no! Pyrix!"
Meanwhile, Rei was at a total, complete loss. It was like Eri was off in her own little world, fighting an unseen opponent. Her eyes were glazed over and her pupils were tiny pinpoints of black, mirroring the frantic expression on her face. His beyblade spun in place while Eri's moved around the dish in jerky, random movements. Above the dish, Eri's lack of concentration was proving disastrous for Pyrix, who was quickly losing ground to Driger. 'What's going on? Why is Eri acting so strange?' Rei inquired of his bit beast.
She is fighting her own personal demons. There is nothing we can do for her, Driger replied grimly.
Suddenly, the image of Garland faded away to be replaced by one of Raina. Memories of numerous battles fought against her lifelong rival flooded through Eri's mind, each one battling for dominance. The darkness surrounding the dish melted away into the stone-clad inside of Xhaiden's Abbey, complete with the smell of sweat and blood that always permeated the dingy air. Apollon's beyblade morphed into the black one containing Dregore as it continued a relentless stream of attacks. The phantom of Raina crossed her arms across her chest and smirked. "How do you expect to defeat me if you can't even get past Garland? You know the price for failure, Kiryakov."
Eri growled as she sent a death glare toward her opponent. Pure, unadulterated fury, like a fiery raging beast, clawed against its confines and pounded inside her skull. Her fuse was quickly getting shorter…
And then out of the shadows appeared an image of Xhaiden. The ghastly apparition laughed sadistically and said, "Yes, you know that price all too well…" Eri's eyes widened as she gasped in fear.
"It's death."
Something inside her head snapped. There was so much anger now…it had to come out.
And it did. In the most explosive manner possible.
(It's the fear,)
Fear of the dark
It's growing inside of me,
That one day will come to life.
(Have to save)
To save my beloved,
There is no escape,
Because my faith is horror and doom.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" All that rage went screeching down Eri's mental link to Pyrix, and a fiery red aura ignited around the wolf as she fed off that anger. Her eyes turned to smoldering red embers without pupils, and she crouched, snarling, in a battle stance, ready to spring. The aura around her was so fierce that Driger leaped back and hesitated, unsure how to respond.
"OBLIVION INFERNO!!!!!" Pyrix gave a blood-curdling howl as the aura around her turned into a blazing storm of red-hot flames. She charged straight for Driger, the flames engulfing her body. Rei realized with horror that the attack was too powerful to stop and would end up catching him too.
Master Rei, watch out!
A fiery explosion rocketed through the stadium, kicking up massive clouds of black, ashy smoke that temporarily plunged the stadium into total darkness. After several long, excruciating moments, the smoke started to clear, revealing Eri first, the bloodlust still evident on her face. Then she caught sight of Rei, who was lying on his back several feet away from the dish, a pale white aura shrouding him. Driger had used the last of his energy to protect his master, but even then, Rei had sustained numerous smaller cuts on his face, arms, and legs. Also, the tape holding his ponytail had been shredded, freeing his mane of jet-black hair. The neko-jin groaned in pain as he sat up and noticed the charred remains of his beyblade. "Driger!" he called out aloud and mentally. The bit chip was intact, but he only got a weak acknowledgement from the beast within. Rei's teammates were at his side in an instant, placing arms and hands under him to support his weight and bombarding him with questions about his health. However, right now his attention was focused on Eri, who stood frozen with an expression of absolute shock and horror.
Eri's mind barely registered DJ Jazzman calling the match a victory for the Temporal Knights as her beyblade returned to her hand and memories of the battle flashed through her mind.
'What have I done?'
Hold down your head now,
Just let me pass by.
Don't feed my fear,
If you don't want it out.
Sonja, Nakia, and Hina were on their feet watching in stunned silence as Eri turned and walked away from the dish, her head bowed and her face completely devoid of emotion. As she drew closer, Sonja was the first to break the uneasy silence. "Eri, what happened? Are you…?" However, Eri held up one hand to silence her and just kept walking, leaving her teammates behind.
I fear who I am becoming,
I feel that I am losing all beauty within.
I can no longer restrain it,
My strength it is fading.
I have to give in.
Eri wandered numbly into the dark labyrinth of halls in the deepest underbelly of the stadium. Finally, she stopped and slammed her fist sideways into the wall, masochistically accepting the pain that jolted up her arm as a result. She gritted her teeth and scrunched her eyes shut as her body broke out in an uncontrollable series of tremors. "What's…wrong with me? What have I done?" she stammered to the darkness. Eri's emotions were in utter turmoil. Back at the Abbey, Xhaiden had tried to shut down all her emotions except for anger. The grueling training, the endless beatings…all of it had been to stoke that anger so she could use it as a weapon in battle. Pyrix had been the only one that helped her hold on to her humanity. That was why Eri kept such a tight check on her emotions and acted coldly to everyone except her teammates, making her the embodiment of winter. If she weren't careful, the anger locked inside her heart could come to the surface, just like it had today.
(It's the fear,)
Fear of the dark
It's growing inside of me,
That one day will come to life.
(Have to save)
To save my beloved,
There is no escape,
Because my faith is horror and doom.
Instinctively, her mind reached out to her only source of comfort. 'Pyrix?' No answer. She glanced down at her beyblade to find the bit chip dull and cold, and ice-cold despair threatened to constrict her throat.
Meanwhile, back in the stadium, Nakia was trying to do damage control with White Tiger X. "I'm so sorry about what happened. Is Rei going to be okay?"
"Yeah, he should be fine. Rei's a pretty tough cookie after all," Kevin answered reassuringly. "Don't worry about it." Lee and Mariah had already taken their captain back to the locker room so they could treat his injuries.
"Rei did mention something about Eri not acting like herself during the battle," Gary added. "Is she okay?"
Nakia, Hina, and Sonja shared uneasy looks. "Honestly, we're…not sure," Nakia replied. "She's never acted like this before in a battle."
"She's just been stressed out with the tournament lately," Sonja interjected. "Don't worry, we'll make sure she's okay."
Up in the stands, the Blitzkrieg Boys were equally shocked by Eri's uncharacteristic raw display of anger. "Remind me never to get on Eri's bad side," Ian kidded weakly.
"No kidding," Bryan agreed nervously. "She nearly fried Rei to a crisp."
"What do you think happened, Tala?" Spencer asked, turning to his captain. "…Tala?"
Kai and Bryan followed Spencer's gaze to find Tala's seat strangely empty. Kai smirked inwardly. Dare I ask the source of your amusement? Dranzer asked.
'Don't worry, I'm sure we'll all fine out soon enough,' Kai replied cryptically.
Long ago it came to me
And ever since that day,
Infected with its rage
But it ends today.
Solemn footsteps echoed in a steady cadence down the shadowed hallway, coming to a stop behind a trembling brunette who was still leaning sideways against the wall, not trusting her legs alone to keep her upright. Even though she was facing away from him in the stifling darkness, the almost imperceptible twitch of her shoulders indicated that she had already sensed his presence. "What do you want, Tala?" Eri deadpanned, still not turning to face the newcomer. "Did you come to condemn me as well?" Even in her emotionally unstable state, there was no mistaking the redhead's presence.
"I came to find you because I was worried," Tala replied, his tone of voice surprisingly soft. He reached out to place what he hoped was a comforting hand on Eri's shoulder.
(It's the fear,)
Fear of the dark
It's growing inside of me,
That one day will come to life.
(Have to save)
To save my beloved,
There is no escape,
Because my faith is horror and doom.
"Don't touch me!" she shouted, recoiling from his touch and whirling around to face him. "Didn't you see what happened?" she asked, backing away from him. "I…I was a monster…"
Without warning, Tala reached out and pulled Eri into his arms and held her tightly against his chest. She stiffened against him as her eyes widened. "What are you…?"
"Just calm down… It's all right…" Tala soothed, reaching up with one hand to cradle the back of her head tenderly. "Believe me, I know what it's like to give in to anger. I could never condemn you for that…"
'He's so warm…' The thought drifted unbidden through Eri's mind as her eyelids drifted shut. Tala felt her relax against him, and her fisted hand clutched his shirt as if he were the only thing keeping her anchored to the ground. At the same time, Wolborg crouched protectively over the prone form of Pyrix, silent and solicitous of her in her fragile state, like an alpha wolf comforting his mate.
The two teenagers stood in silence for what felt like an eternity until Tala broke the silence. "I'm…sorry about yesterday."
"What?" Eri whispered, lifting her head with a confused expression. Almost immediately, she felt herself getting lost in Tala's clear blue eyes. It was almost hypnotic, and she couldn't bring herself to look away no matter how hard she tried.
"I shouldn't have accused you of not caring about your teammates. I was wrong." Even though he still desperately wanted to know what Eri was hiding, Tala knew that now wasn't the time to press her for information.
Eri simply dropped her head onto his shoulder and shifted closer to him. Tala responded by tightening his arms around her and resting his chin on top of her head. "You idiot…" she mumbled into his shirt, earning a slight smirk from the older blader.
'Why? What is it about him that makes him so different?'
Unfortunately, Eri received no answers, only more questions.
Thirty minutes later…
Sonja, Nakia, and Hina sat up in the stands watching Omega Platoon take on Justice 5, but their minds barely registered the battle taking place below. They were more worried about their captain.
"What did I miss?"
Three heads turned in unison to see Eri standing beside them. "Eri, where have you been? We've been worried sick!" Hina exclaimed.
"Sorry about that. I…had to get my head on straight again," Eri explained. She still looked a bit shaken, but her emotional barriers were quickly re-building, just as they had done many times in the past. She sat down beside them and quickly took stock of the situation. "Why are Omega Platoon and Justice 5 battling?"
"When they added up the individual and group scores of all the teams, there was a tie between Omega Platoon and Justice 5. This is the tiebreaker to decide which of them will go on to the semi-finals," Nakia explained.
"Have they announced the other teams that are in the semi-finals?" Eri asked.
"No, we'll find out after this match," Sonja replied.
Down in the dish, Raina had the upper hand over Garland. His breath came in shallow gasps as he struggled to maintain his boxer's stance. "Apollon, attack!"
"Show no mercy, Dregore!" The two bit beasts continued to grapple above the dish, but it was clear that Apollon had gotten the worst of it. Mystel and Ming-Ming were nursing their own injuries on the bench, and Crusher was doing what he could to tend to them.
'Wait…where's Brooklyn?' Eri wondered. The orange-haired prodigy was conspicuously absent. 'He's never missed a battle before. Something's not right…' The pained scream of Apollon brought her back to reality as Dregore threw him down to the dish with a deafening boom.
A fiery red aura appeared around Raina as she prepared to unleash her final attack. The energy radiating from her was almost palpable. "Dregore, Flare Barrage!!!!" The manticore let out a bone-chilling roar and flew up higher before raining down dozens of fireballs the size of his body on the other bit beast. Clouds of thick, caustic smoke blanketed the entire stadium.
"AGH!!!!" Garland brought up his arms to shield himself, but he still felt every ounce of Apollon's pain. He coughed violently against the choking smog. When he could finally see and breathe again, his beyblade was nothing more than a charred hunk of metal. The bit chip was the only thing intact.
"That's it! Raina has handily defeated Garland to secure the win for Omega Platoon!" DJ Jazzman announced.
Raina looked up into the stands and locked eyes with her rival as she called her beyblade back to her hand. 'You're not the only one who has a new attack, Kiryakov.'
Eri growled softly and narrowed her eyes as she felt Raina's eyes boring into her own. Seeing her defeat Garland was like a slap in the face. It was as if Raina was taunting Eri by thrashing the person who had beaten her earlier. 'Just you wait, Belikov…'
Fifteen minutes later, all ten teams were gathered in the stadium, anxiously awaiting DJ Jazzman's announcement of who would be in the semi-finals. "After tallying the scores of all the teams, these four have racked up enough wins to advance to the semi-finals! Give it up for BBA Revolution!" A spotlight shone down on them as the crowd erupted into applause.
"The Blitzkrieg Boys!" The five Russians stood stoically beneath the spotlight, unfazed by the raucous cheers coming from their fangirls.
"Omega Platoon!" Xhaiden stood with his team and waved pleasantly to the crowd as they cheered even louder.
"And the Temporal Knights!" Apparently the audience was still unnerved by Eri's little rampage, because the cheers actually died down somewhat.
"Gee, thanks for the support," Nakia muttered as she rolled her eyes.
"And now, the computer will randomly determine which teams will face each other in the semi-finals!" DJ Jazzman shouted, waving above his head at the giant computer screen. The display was divided into two columns, and the names of all four teams flashed in both columns until the light stopped first on the Temporal Knights. The girls held their breath as they waited for the light to stop in the other column. After several agonizing seconds, it did stop…
…on Omega Platoon.
"There you have it, folks! Our two rookie teams will square off in the first round, with the winner going on the face either BBA Revolution or the Blitzkrieg Boys in the finals! Join us back in Japan for the exciting semi-finals!" DJ Jazzman concluded.
Sonja, Nakia, and Hina turned to their captain, who had her head bowed and her arms crossed. "Eri?" Sonja inquired.
The brunette lifted her head to lock eyes with each of her teammates.
"We've got a lot of work to do."
End chapter 14
Silvan Arrow: Whew…14 pages! That's a new record for me! Now if only I could crank out papers this easily… I thought about cutting it off somewhere in the middle, but there just wasn't a good spot to end it. I'll try not to make the future chapters so freakin' long, but hopefully this makes up for my long absence. Please leave a review and tell me what you thought! I have cookies! Take care, everyone!