IMPORTANT AUTHOR STUFF:

As of 14.Sept.07, this chapter is NEW. It is the equivalent of "Zero-Seven" prior to my reshuffling of all BETA chapters.

But unless you've just been redirected here from the previous chapter, don't worry. : If you're reading from the start of the story, then disregard this. 3.

X X X

Switchblade BETA: Zero-Six

X X X

Idle fingers picked loosely at a stray thread, pulling it free from the end of his BioVolt jacket. Coffee-brown eyes examined the thread closely, before releasing the thread and allowing it to drift downwards. He watched it with a boredom caused by having nothing better to do, until it landed on the sofa and became camouflaged against the other fibres.

It had to be said that there were a lot of benefits to be taken advantage of; when one was a Blader in the BBA's Quarter Finals. There was a private room with its own furniture, a live feed of the stadium, even a warm-up Beydish. You were guaranteed complete privacy and seclusion from fans, as well as almost any nameable service.

But all the perks in the world couldn't resolve the boredom Tai felt in waiting for a match. He was one of Biovolt's elite (if the dark grey of the uniform didn't give that away), trained to be constantly busy, to think of nothing else but the fight ahead. If he was at home in Russia, he trained. If he was on the move, travelling took up too much time and energy for thought to be spared. If he was doing neither of those, then he was at a Tournament - which was where the boredom started.

Tai hated waiting for a match to start.

Being in the Singles division meant that he had this room to himself. Warm-up was never an option - Black Dranzer was kept closely guarded by both Boris and Voltaire, which meant he was never 'alone' with the Bitbeast, even in the lead up to a match.

It was a nuisance, nor did he know why, but it was not his position to argue.

Lean body stretched out supine on the lounge, Tai considered taking a nap. It always took a while to recuperate from utilising Black Dranzer and he was still feeling the effects from the Japan Leg. Boris said it wasn't worth worrying about; though Tai had his doubts, he didn't find it worth the time it took to argue. The best he'd get would be a swift check over at the nearest Infirmary, before being told to 'go home and rest.'

He'd tried it before.

With a shift of weight and a fair dose of wriggling to get comfortable, Tai did his best to make good on a nap. These couches had a reputation for being rock hard and, --

--the door.

The moment he heard the squeak of the handle being turned, the youth bolted upright, all eyes and ears. It had been made clear earlier that the only person who was going to come through that door would be Boris - but it couldn't possibly be time for his match already.

When he didn't hear the 'click' of his trainer's cane, Tai knew that it wasn't Boris. There was, however, something alarmingly familiar in the young male who stood across from him.

The calculating stare was just like Voltaire's, that he realised almost immediately. But it was the way he stood there, arms folded and weight to one side, challenging and threatening and strong. Deep red eyes were offset by the two-toned hair, whilst the sleeveless shirt showed off well muscled arms. Put together, it became an echo of the predatory nature which seemed to suddenly choke the air between them. Tai was willing to bet that this was one hell of a Beyblader.

But … why was he here?

Tai stood from the sofa in one motion, never taking his eyes off of the intruder. His blood was already singing - he wanted to fight this male, here, now, before the opportunity was gone. With a forced calm, he said, "You're not allowed in here."

It was a standard rule that applied to all Beyblade stadiums: VIP areas were for VIP-only and all of them wore bright red badges to show it. That was the first thing he'd noticed about the stranger: he wasn't wearing one.

Kai didn't skip a beat, wordlessly lifting the bright red pass he held loosely in his hand.

The Blader narrowed his eyes. That changed things, but not by much. Boris had already given him a rundown of who was going to visit him - it had amounted to no-one except himself or Voltaire. VIP pass or not, by his trainer's rules, this guy wasn't allowed here. He knew that BioVault was in a strong position within the BBA: no-one would willingly question why he, Tai, was left in complete isolation.

So to be disturbed like this… it must have been prearranged, and the situation simply not communicated to him. Unusual, for BioVolt's standards, but entirely possible.

"Who sent you?" he asked, tone more curt than usual.

"No-one. I came on my own," he was told.

Tai frowned deeply. "Is that right." Odd - fans didn't usually get this far in. They were almost always stopped by security. The Beyblader shook the thought off quickly - the theory didn't fit; it wasn't the right answer.

Besides, there was something inherently proud about the bluenette across from him. 'Fandom' didn't cut it, VIP or not.

"I need to know something," the stranger said, every word as sharp as his appearance.

Regardless of being a statement, Tai had the feeling that there was a question straight after it. He made an effort to cut across the other's words. "Look, if you're after Boris -"

His efforts were steamrolled not a moment later. "How many years have you been a member of BioVolt for?"

Now that was an odd question - Tai didn't hesitate to answer. "All my life, since I was a kid - since before I can remember."

Here, there was a pause in this makeshift interrogation as the answer was received.

Tai watched his opponent carefully. He could see that the wheels were turning in the other's mind, and waited for the next demand. Ordinarily, Tai would have put his foot down by now and stopped this strange conversation - but something about Kai made the questions impossible to not answer… and it had nothing to do with the way they were asked.

It had everything to do with who was asking them. He hadn't met this guy before, but somehow… there was something that he recognised. Something painfully familiar but just out of memory's reach.

"That's not possible," the other murmured. It was spoken so quietly that Tai almost didn't believe his ears that he heard it.

That was when the door was pushed open a second time. Both young men jumped at the sound of the lock and the hinges, the strained atmosphere sliced clean in half as a cold, tap---tap---tap, filled the room.

"Hello, Kai."

Tai watched his mentor and the stranger, as the former smirked and the latter - Kai? - bristled, spitting out a greeting of his own. "Boris."

The old man hooked his cane over one arm, an outstretched hand beckoning for Tai to come close. Begrudgingly he complied, paying rapt attention to the conversation. To Kai, Boris said smugly, "This is a restricted area. You should leave."

"I'm on the VIP list."

To leave was no less than a command - and Kai's response became the first time that Tai had ever seen someone disobey someone in such a powerful position. It was a concept that almost - almost - frightened him. Who was this, to write off Boris' commands so easily? How did this Kai do it?

Privately, he made a mental note - Kai had his curiosity now. Stopping next to Boris, he matched the defiant red eyes with a firm, brown, stare; a well-trained mind taking in every detail that he could as he said to his mentor quietly, "We were finished, sir."

Kai snarled something softly to himself, then in the same gracefully resilient manner, stalked past the pair towards the door. "I'm going."

-- what was that look on the other's face? Tai found himself wishing they'd had just a few more minutes, for questions and answers that he knew he'd never hear now.

The moment that the door closed in Kai's wake, Tai found himself roughly pushed away from his mentor. The whistling sound of the cane whipping through air was his only warning to dodge; he did so valiantly.

"What the hell was that?!" Boris demanded, his temper flaring up now that the enemy was removed.

"Sir -" Tai dodged again, but wasn't fast enough the third time - it cracked square across the back of his shoulders. He dropped to his knees and bit back a yell: the first rule of BioVolt was to never complain. That only ever made it worse.

Taking several deep breaths, Tai waited a moment then clambered back to his feet. "You were told what the conditions were of being left alone," Boris said coldly, cane held rigidly in his hand, in case the answer wasn't right.

Tai felt the same thrill of shame that always happened in these situations; he looked off to the left. "Yes, sir. I was."

"I want to know what on earth possessed you to talk to Kai when you know the rules," Boris continued. He seemed to have recollected himself by this point, adjusting his tie and smoothing back stray hairs. "But that will have to wait. It's time for your match."

Tai's attention snapped back to Boris, who had already turned and was walking to leave the room. He shifted immediately to follow, as they left the small preparation room and turned into the hall.

They walked in a cold silence down the hall, Boris with his three-step rhythm and with Tai locked in pre-battle thoughts. He was still distracted by the appearance of this mysterious Kai; he knew it would keep him awake for nights to come.

After playing escort, Boris disappeared to the VIP Box, as he did for every match. This left Tai to walk down the promenade that lead to the stadium floor alone, clinging to a calmness that had to be learnt. He pushed Kai to the back of his mind, choosing instead to focus on the Beydish.

At the end of the walkway was one of Biovolt's lackeys, standing to attention with a case propped open in his hands. Tai stepped up to the much younger male and reached out, easing Black Dranzer from the velvet it rested against and gathering it in his hand. There was a scorching heat that came from the contact; a warning that this Bitbeast didn't want to be used.

Tai had been taught to ignore it; Black Dranzer never changed. He stepped away and out onto the stadium floor, fixing the Beyblade to his launcher as he went.

The first time he saw Black Dranzer, it had entered his mind that this was wrong. Everything was wrong - he wasn't supposed to be in the Abbey; he wasn't supposed to be recuperating from a car accident; wasn't supposed to touch the powerful Beyblade.

But he hadn't the choice - Black Dranzer was forced into his hands and that was when Tai knew that in this strange world, Beyblading was right.

X X X

It's always felt a little unnatural to walk down these long stadium hallways on his own, but Kai isn't thinking about that.

He's met with Tai and there's a lot to consider: old concerns have lit back up and there's brand-new ones to deal with too. There's too many solutions and they all stare him in the face, but Kai wants to think this over. He can't do this rashly, not when the impulse could kill everything. It's just like battling with Black Dranzer - adaptation has become critical.

Kai knows he needs to think; alone, privately, away from people.

But it's on the way out of the stadium that he sees Rei coming in - the greeting's out into the winter air before he has the chance to stop it.

"Yo, Rei."

He watches as Rei looks up from the VIP sign-in table, away from the slightly intimidated officials and across the hall. "Hey, Kai." It's here that Kai lifts a hand in greeting, trying to trigger a smile from the Chinese youth.

It sort of works and it sort of doesn't. There's a smile, but it's not directed at him, and it's not quite genuine.

Rei fastens his badge to his white shirt before turning towards him. Kai waits, patiently, for the other to be close enough before he turns to go back into the stadium. He still needs to think, but… maybe it doesn't have to be alone.

There is, after all, a small comfort in the fact that even after splitting ways at the Airport, they're in the same city.

"So, how are you?" it's a surprisingly confident question from Rei; he can't help looking sideways to make sure that it was in fact asked.

Kai knows he's not good with this idle chatter - it wasn't something considered worthwhile in Biovault. Instead, he decides to cut straight to the chase, answering Rei with a slightly unorthodox response. "I found out something interesting about Tai."

He doesn't need to look to know that Rei is now studying him with those bright eyes of his. Kai says nothing else and continues to walk, heading automatically for the stands within the stadium. He's never set foot in the VIP Box and never intends to. Kai intends to keep walking until he gets a protest, but so far, Rei hasn't noticed where they're going.

Or maybe, Rei's decided to come along anyway.

X X X

"-- the competitors this morning are going to be an eyeful, aren't they?"

"That's right, Marley. Both of them are first-timers to the World Championships, but there's been a lot of upsets along the way. I can't count on two hands how many experienced fighters both of these two have defeated."

"Whoever wins today there's bound to be plenty more of it, whether it's from Abigail's swift attacks, or Tai's furious Dranzer."

"Taking sides, Stretch?"

"Not this one! Tai's last match seemed to hold quite a few control issues for the young man, so if he hasn't righted himself it could be the end for him and this tournament."

"And at the same time, the terrain for today's stadium is not going to lend itself favourably to the ice-based Furlimoth."

"We'll just have to see what happens, right Marley?"

"That's right Stretch. We're five minutes away from the start of what's going to be a very exciting match, so don't go away!"

"You're listening to BBA Live, the only station with live coverage of the World Championships. We'll be back after the break."

As the voices of the two radio commentators was replaced with the first chords of that week's number one song, Max sat up in his chair groggily, tired eyes blinking until he could keep them open. With a quiet groan, the young man performed a back-cracking stretch.

He must have fallen asleep there the previous night, from poring over Biovolt's records. Hiro had requested that they dig up everything they could that might present a cause as to how 'the enemy' had gotten hold of Black Dranzer. As a result, he and Kenny were pulling overtime, though the smaller man had a better knack for staying awake overnight.

Sliding his chair out from the desk, Max stood on stiff legs with a wince. He hobbled the first few steps, forcing the cramped muscles to hold his weight. After a bit he could limp, and by the time he made it down to his comrade, he could walk almost normally. "How long was I out?" he asked, stifling a yawn.

"Most of the night," Kenny replied distractedly, his nose millimetres away from the wires he was carefully tweaking, various pieces of a TV remote scattered across the worktop. "I was about to wake you up, anyway. The match starts in a few minutes."

"Oh." Max glanced around the room sheepishly, looking for the little portable radio they kept for occasions like this one. It was sitting on a shelf that Kenny had deemed to be 'out of the way', next to the TV they'd been reviewing Tai's data on. The TV screen was off but the radio on, with the antennae sticking out and the lights all on. He realised, belatedly, that it must have been that way for a while.

Turning away from Kenny's workstation, the blonde made for the coffee machine. Hitting a button and waiting for his cup to fill, he listened as the song began to die off. A few seconds later, the voices started again.

"Hey Stretch, have you seen who's all the way down there in the stands?"

"Thousands and thousands of people? I'd heard there was a full house for today's match. This Tai's a real ticket-seller!"

"He sure is, but take a good long look. There's a couple of faces that haven't been seen around the Beyblade Circuit for quite some time, and they're sitting down in that stadium."

"Is that - wow! It's not just Rei Kon down there, it's Kai Hiwatari, too!"

"That's right! Both of them have disappeared from the public eye over the years since the Blade Breakers disbanded, so for both of them to be here today…"

Max sent a bemused glance to his friend, and took a sip of instant coffee. "Imagine if it was all of us," he said dryly. He'd had it on the tip of his tongue to say 'the whole team', but bitten it back through years of hard practise. There was no whole team, just the damaged leftovers.

Unaware of his friend's thoughts, Kenny wore a grin as he looked up from his work. "I don't think Kai would appreciate the company. It's good to know that Rei's around, but," he continued, swapping screwdrivers. "He's not going to be happy about the attention."

"Neither of them will be, I don't think."

"Probably not."

The two of them lapsed into a companion's silence, each mind raking over the memories of a time when there really would have been four of them in the stadium seats at once, each anticipating the coming battle in a different way.

The temporary silence between the two men allowed for the radio to seem amplified, the host voices chattering excitedly about what it meant to have two fighters such as Rei and Kai in their midst. Had they chosen to stick to the VIP Box, the attention may not have been so severe, but both Kenny and Max knew that it was not Kai' s way to put on airs. He would be VIP when it suited him but not otherwise, even if it cost his privacy dearly.

The voices on the radio had risen to an excited crescendo; it took Max a moment to realise that the match was about to start. Without entirely realising it he moved closer to the radio, all ears for the reports of the battle about to start. Now knowing that the Black Dranzer out there was the real one, Max had every confidence that the Bitbeast would defeat the opposing Blader.

The question was whether or not Tai would win against Black Dranzer.

X X X

I've always been aware of Kai's dislike of the media, and their knack for creating a hype where there really shouldn't be one. It's only this afternoon, though, that I've come to empathise with him. The two of us settled a half-hour ago, here amongst tens of thousands of Beyblade fans. For twenty of those thirty minutes, the media's known we're here. I've watched Kai become more and more agitated with each passing sweep of a camera. I can imagine what the commentators are saying; things like how it's odd to see one Blade Breaker, let alone two. It would be followed by a brief history of Tyson's team, of the events that lead to the disbanding. That's the sort of stuff that would tie in neatly with what they were supposed to be talking about: the Tournament. Around the country - and the world - thousands of fans would know that two members of an era already gone were out and about.

I figured that it wouldn't be long before the rumour mill started, questioning just what it meant. Did it mean the Blade Breakers were going to make a come back? Were we secretly watching up-and-coming Bladers, as part of a mysterious BBA-funded project? Was it some kind of strange date?

At the last thought, a snicker escapes me before I can stop it. Kai's attention snaps around, and I see the change in him that I'm becoming quite accustomed to. Everything is immediately treated as a threat, until he has the opportunity to examine it and re-evaluate how dangerous it is.

It's my turn to react and I mumble a sheepish, "Sorry," for Kai's benefit. His look softens at the edges as he realises that there's no qualm, and he's back to watching the empty stadium floor in silence.

Unsurprisingly, I find myself wondering what he's thinking.

There's no time to ask, though, as a current of excitement flashes through the crowd. There's movement way down below, the two Bladers appearing at the ends of their walkways. I can feel Kai next to me as he leans forward with renewed interest. Despite myself, I sigh just a little. If, in some strange alternate universe where the sky was green, Kai and I were on a date… we certainly wouldn't be going to a Beyblade Match.

Not that it'd ever happen, anyway.

In the time that I've been distracted by these thoughts, the two competitors are lining up on opposing edges of the Beydish, a little tropical island with a miniature volcano in the centre. Tai and Abigail are easy to tell apart and like Kai, now I'm studying him carefully too.

It's his uniform that bothers me first - it looks unnatural on him, as though the dark grey is forcing Tai to fit BioVolt, even if he wasn't meant to. I find myself wishing that I knew more about this Blader, more of where he came from and why he's competing. Is it just because Boris wants him to?

Without really thinking about it, I glance sideways to Kai. He catches the motion and looks back at me. "What is it?"

"I…" it takes a bit too long to gather my thoughts, but eventually I manage a question. "D'you think he'll win?"

"Definitely." The answer's so immediate that I know Kai is confident in the results of the match. "If," he adds, "Black Dranzer doesn't go beserk."

"It did that to you, didn't it," I look down to the dish, unsure of why I'm carrying the conversation. I don't expect Kai to answer that: it's something all of us were there for.

"Black Dranzer is too powerful to be used by one person," Kai answers, to my amazement, "No matter how strong that person believes they are. I made that mistake, now Tai is making it too."

"Or maybe," I throw in, "Boris didn't learn from Black Dranzer the first time."

X X X

To be continued.