Thank you so much all my reviewers! ^_^
I just watched the first episode of G Rev. (I didn't see most of the second one.) But, they changed them quite a bit. It may have some influence on the characters... hope not too much though. Tyson's more serious, Rei's seemingly more outgoing and friendly, Hilary's way more annoying and weird, and Max well he didn't change much except his voice (:P) although he's a little more mature. Well, they're all more mature. And Kai, he didn't really change except for the overall closeness of their friendship. They all look older (except maybe Kenny!!) and more mature. I can't wait until it actually airs! In my opinion, it's way better! (Despite only having seen one full eppy...)
So, anyways, on with the fic!
Just a note, the particular boy introduced is NOT going to have some major part or anything. Note the lack of a name. I doubt you'll see him again.
I don't own Beyblade, obviously. Psht, if I did I would be making the series! *wishes* so, here I am not owning Beyblade but owning my story which is based on something I don't own! How about that...
^^^^^
Twisted Fate
Chapter 13: Games
A maniacal laugh filled the air, as a deranged man sat amidst his gigantic collaboration of computers and other scientific instruments. He had lost his sanity and morality the instant he had discovered the true power of the ancient beasts...
The laugh was not one of joy, however. It was empty and hollow; just as his own soul had become. There was the slightest inkling of virtue left, and that slight whisper was all that kept him from being a murderer.
His sanity faded in and out like a twinkling star. He began to type into Mr Dickenson's program, altering it with a sickening twist. He used the original program, but had changed them dramatically. With new technology from the BBA, he felt as if he could do anything.
He seemed to be in a trance, and wasn't aware of what was happening anymore. Wrong and right had disappeared from his vocabulary. "Soon you'll be mine," he whispered, as he stared at the beautiful phoenix bit in Kai's grasp.
The dim lighting of his numerous screens and gadgets were all that shed brightness into his dark hideout. Nobody would find him... not even himself.
^^^^^
Kai walked to the bathroom and splashed icy water on his face. Staring into the mirror, he noted the blue triangles on his face remained. Most would only see a calm, stoic boy who appeared not to have emotions at all. Kai saw sad, grey eyes full of distress and pain staring back at him. 'Weakness,' echoed through his mind.
He quietly walked back to his bed, and took out his Dranzer once again. He glanced over to the next bed, and noticed Rei looked feverish and unwell. He immediately went over to check on his friend, and he found him in a fitful nightmare.
Guilt flooded him, as he realised it was his own fault. That psychotic scientist was serious. He was letting them die before his very eyes... "Rei," he whispered, and gently shook him. He wouldn't wake up...
Kai tried to wake him more desperately this time, but he knew it wouldn't work. "No..." Rei silently screamed and started thrashing more violently. Kai saw tears streaming down his closed eyes.
Kai stared in horror as his friend cried and screamed. He stood by helplessly, as he couldn't wake him from his nightmare.
Rei gave a ragged cry of pain, as fresh tears of agony fell. Kai closed his eyes and left the room. He couldn't take any more.
He desperately tried to open the door to Max and Tyson's room, and to his surprise it was unlocked. Hotel doors are never unlocked from the outside, he knew. It was obviously so he could see that his friends were in the same condition as Rei.
"Tyson, Max," he stood at the door, and saw the two in similar agonised sleeps. It hurt him to see them; they were so innocent and hadn't done anything to deserve this. It was his fault alone. Tears streamed down their faces as screams escaped their lips. "I'm sorry," he said softly, not knowing whether they had heard him in their sleep.
He found Hilary's door unlocked as well. Guilt struck with yet another blow to his troubled mind, as he saw the girl looking so distraught in her fevered state. He gently put his hand to her face, and remorse burned through him as a fever burned her.
"Hilary..." he whispered softly, wiping tears from her face. Anger burned through him, and he silently walked out the door. For once, Kai didn't know what to do.
He wandered through the hotel, not really caring where he was going. He would have gone outside, but there was no way out. He walked, deep in thought with his eyes closed.
"You're pathetic, Kai. Wandering around like a lost soul," a voice mocked. His eyes snapped open, to see a cloaked figure. He leaned casually against the checkout counter, and Kai realised he was in the main lobby.
"What do you want," he demanded.
"Simple. I'm here to take Dranzer from you," the shadowed blader replied, leering. He whipped out his launcher and blade.
"I don't think so," he replied calmly, although his grip on Dranzer was intense.
"Fight me now!" the mysterious boy commanded, impatiently.
"No," was Kai's simple response. That one word seemed to completely puzzle the boy. Kai suddenly smiled as a thought struck him.
"Huh? Why not? Aren't you readily gonna give up Dranzer to save your friends?" The jeer in his voice had faded, to sheer confusion.
"Nope," Kai said lightly. He smirked at the annoyance in the boy's face. His plan would most likely work now. He was good at twisting emotions.
"But... don't you feel guilty? I mean, if you don't give up Dranzer your friends are gonna die!" The boy seemed desperate to hit a nerve.
"Too bad, so sad," Kai replied with a smirk. It was working.
"How can you stand by and let your friends die? They would readily give up their bit-beasts for you..." The boy seemed appalled. "You don't deserve friends."
"Yeah, well what can ya do," Kai said solely to see the shock on the boy's face.
"Come ON! Fight me!" The boy seemed to plead.
"No." The boy was getting extremely irritated.
"Come on, Kai. You afraid?" the boy smirked, thinking that would definitely work and get him rattled up.
"Nah. I just don't wanna waste my time with pathetic losers like you," Kai replied calmly.
"What?! You take that back! I will win! I'll show you!" The boy seemed absolutely furious.
'Perfect,' Kai thought to himself. "Look, kid. You need to make this more interesting, because I know for a fact you'll lose." The boy was positively shaking with anger.
"There isn't a chance I'll lose," he snapped viciously. "So why not. If I win, you surrender both your friends and Dranzer. If you win, you get to keep both," the boy said. Kai smirked; that was exactly what he was counting on.
^^^^^
The scientist stood appalled. "You fool," he whispered. "You better win, or else..." He craved the power of Dranzer.
"Well, there's no way he can lose to Kai. Statistically speaking, Kai doesn't have a chance." The scientist absentmindedly patted the disks containing stolen data. Data taken from a certain laptop...
^^^^^
The blades launched simultaneously, and sparks flew. Deep grey clashed with blue, and it appeared the blue blade was already losing...
The dark grey blade continued to slam into Dranzer, delivering heavy blows. "Go, Dranzer," Kai commanded, and the blue blade struck grey. It appeared not to phase it one bit. Kai's eyes widened in fright.
The boy smirked. "Is that all ya got? I can't believe you're a world champion. Oh yeah, I forgot. You're not a world champion," he laughed. "How's it gonna feel to have Dranzer taken away from you AGAIN?" He gave an evil grin.
"Not a chance. Don't allow your ego to get so inflated, kid. It'll be your downfall," Kai frowned. 'I can't lose you, Dranzer. My friends are counting on me. This battle determines it all... I won't let you down. Never again.'
"Feel my sheer power!" The boy cried, and sent his grey blade hurtling towards Kai. Kai nearly dodged, but it grazed his shoulder leaving a deep wound. Kai staggered as the pain set in, and held his arm only to get blood on his fingers.
"Not so high and mighty now," the boy laughed. The blade continued to deliver gashes and cuts to Kai's body.
Kai was greatly weakened. He nearly collapsed, but resisted. He had pushed himself over the limit. If his friends had been watching, they would have stopped him long ago. But they weren't, and that was precisely why Kai continued to fight.
"I won't give up," Kai said through clenched teeth. The blade continued to cut him, but he held. He was waiting for the right opportunity... hopefully he could survive until then.
With another striking blow to his body, the blade tore through his flesh and Kai fell to his knees. "Who's the pathetic loser now, Kai?" the hooded figure asked menacingly.
"You're the pathetic one," Kai remained confident through his pain. "Only the truly weak attack their opponents. I don't need to stoop to that level, although I can understand why you might," he smirked. He was barely holding out, but remained focused: any moment now he would let his guard down.
"What? Take THIS, Kai!" The boy shouted, and his blade struck, sending Kai flying further than anyone would believe possible. Kai let out a cry of pain, and was only hanging in by the thread of hope he had, and his sheer determination.
Kai struggled to get up. With difficulty, he got onto his hands and knees. Even though he was in such a weak state, his voice remained completely calm and confident. He had to, for his chance of a plan to succeed. He had one last chance. "Look, kid. You're nothing compared to me. I don't care what you throw at me; truth is I'll always be better than you can dream of. Face it, you're a loser, and always will be."
"Why you... I am NOT a loser! I've won hundreds of beybattles! You can't defeat me!"the boy was enraged now. This was exactly what Kai had been waiting for.
"Already did. Dranzer! Now!" He commanded with the last of his energy, and the blue blade burst into flame. It hit the grey blade head on with a devastating blow. The grey blade smashed to pieces, and crumbled around its cloaked master.
"What? No way..." the cloaked blader stared in shock as the realisation of defeat sank in. Strange orange eyes stared blankly into nothingness. Fragments of his busted blade showered around him.
"Now get lost," Kai commanded harshly, but the boy needed no encouragement. He ran away as fast as he could, cloak whipping behind him. With his velocity, flaming orange hair, which matched his eyes, was revealed under his hood. Kai vaguely wondered where he could go since there was no exit, but before he could finish his train of thought, his body gave way and he collapsed onto the floor.
He lost consciousness with final feelings of relief and success. Thoughts of his friends lingered in his mind, as he lay on the cold floor, Dranzer tight in his grasp.
^^^^^
"You failed, and that is not an option," a twisted voice spoke in the dark. A boy was begging for mercy on his knees, but to no avail.
"Please, no," he pleaded. He lowered his head. "I'm truly sorry. I let my emotions interfere with my battle. I let my guard down and fell right into his trap. I screwed up bad."
"We both know that, don't we," the scientist growled. "Now you won't remember a thing..." he hooked the boy up to a computer with many wires. His cloak was removed, revealing strikingly orange hair that matched his eyes.
The scientist typed in some commands, and after a few minutes a bar came up. "Deleting memory... 100%" finally showed up, and the boy collapsed.
^^^^^
Kenny ran through the streets with Dizzi under his arm. He was on his way again to the gigantic BBA building. He was already somewhat late, when he tripped over... a body?!
"Aah!" Kenny yelled, and fumbled around for his thick glasses. "Sorry," he muttered, getting off the boy. He was cradling Dizzi thanking the heavens the laptop wasn't damaged. "Are you okay?" He noticed the boy was staring at him, dazed.
"Who- who am I?" Orange eyes looked completely lost and confused. He ran a hand through his orange hair. "Where am I? And who are you?"
"Hey, it's gonna be alright," Kenny smiled encouragingly. "What happened? What's the last thing you remember?" He helped the boy to a sitting position, and knelt down to talk to him. He was rather lonely without his friends.
"Uh... well I remember being thrown here onto the sidewalk. And then... then he drove away? Oh, I don't know. I don't even know who I am anymore, or where I live. I don't know anything, except the past few fragments after waking up unconscious in a car," he sighed, frustrated.
"It's okay. Calm down and maybe we can sort this out," Kenny smiled. "Dizzi, do a quick scan to make sure everything's okay," he said to his laptop.
"I'm already on it, chief," her computerised voice came. "And, nothing appears to be wrong. Except something in his mind seems to be missing. Almost... deleted," she said in confusion.
"Strange..." Kenny murmured. "Do you remember anything else? Anything at all?"
"Oh, yeah. When he left me lying weak on the ground, he said something. I... something about me, failing to do something. And then he drove off and was muttering something. He sounded... possessed." The boy found it excruciatingly hard to remember.
"What was he saying?" Kenny asked, not really paying full attention. He was just being friendly and polite.
"It... it doesn't make any sense at all. Something like 'Dr... Drawn... sir?" he moaned.
"Dranzer!" Kenny shouted. When the boy nodded vigorously, Kenny leapt up. "Did he say anything else? What was his license number? What was the car like? Do you know ANYTHING before the car? Did he mention anything else strange like that? Is there any more information you can give me?!" Kenny was screaming hysterically.
"I'm really sorry," the boy muttered. He gave a sad smile.
"Oh..." Kenny's face fell. "Do you know how to beyblade?"
"No, what's that?" He looked puzzled.
"Oh, never mind." Kenny's face had fallen. He felt even worse than before. He zoned out, and started to mutter under his breath as he fell into deep thought. "Dranzer... then he's after Kai? Maybe he was sent to capture Dranzer. But then again, this kid doesn't even know HOW to beyblade! But his mind WAS erased..."
"Uh, excuse me?" the boy prodded Kenny gently, bringing him out of his deep thoughts. "Could this be of any help? I found it in my pocket," he said, bringing out a few tiny fragments of deep grey.
Kenny grabbed the pieces carefully, and let Dizzi examine the sharp, hot metal shards. 'Wait a minute! It's warm!' He thought to himself. "This was in your cloak pocket?" The boy nodded. "Then that means it's very likely that..."
"You got it, chief," Dizzi replied brightly. "These are indeed slivers of the attack ring of a beyblade! And get this – it seems this very blade had been in contact with Kai's Dranzer blade! It appears to have been shredded to pieces by Dranzer itself!"
Kenny's eyes would have been sparkling, except for the fact they were hidden (or non-existent). "No way! This is incredible! That means Dranzer was still in Kai's possession, for the time being. We MUST show this to Mr Dickenson right away!"
Kenny slammed Dizzi shut and raced towards the BBA building, bringing the boy along to be admitted into the hospital. Kenny smiled at the tiny fragments in his hand.
^^^^^
Rei awoke with a jolt from his horrid nightmare. He felt tears fresh on his face, and he was sweating like crazy. He could still feel the intense pain of his torture in his mind. His breathing was insanely harsh and scared, and his heart was racing.
The torture was very real. Even though it was in his sleep, and the wounds to his body seemed to have disappeared, as they were never there to begin with, it had actually happened.
A few more tears escaped his deathly pale face, as he sat with his face pressed into his knees. He felt sick, and felt like he would throw up. The excruciating nightmare lingered in his mind.
His nightmare had been hell. He couldn't move; only watch and scream in pain as he was cut with blades and glass. Physical abuse of punches and kicks had been agonising, and objects being thrown at his weakened body were terribly painful. He could still hear screams and horrifying laughter echoing through his head.
'Get a grip, Rei. It's over,' he told himself. He focused to calm himself, and golden eyes slowly opened.
Rei found that he and the rest of the Bladebreakers were out of the hotel, and lying on a cement floor. He looked at the thick cement walls, and that's when realisation hit him like an anvil. "We're in a gigantic maze!"
Tyson, Max and Hilary had wakened from their torturous nightmares as well. They looked in the same condition as Rei. Max seemed to be completely overwhelmed and was shaking uncontrollably. Rei walked over to try and comfort his friend.
"Hey Max, it's okay," Rei said soothingly, giving him a brief much-needed hug. Innocent, sweet Max; it was too much for him.
"It's over," Rei continued to comfort his blond friend. "Kai, he-"Rei glanced over to see Kai, who was a little ways away, and stopped in mid- sentence. Kai was brutally injured. Blood flowed from several deep gashes similar to that on Rei's arm, although not as severe. He was ghostly pale, and looked in extreme pain.
Rei suddenly heard a shrill shriek. He instantly turned to the source of the scream, to see Hilary. She freaked at the sight of Kai. Tyson immediately looked and saw Kai. "KAI!" he yelled, and they both started running over. Max's blue eyes fluttered open, and he gave a heavy gasp at what he saw. Their own fears were momentarily forgotten as they saw their friend lying still on the ground.
They all knelt around their injured friend. His grey eyes slowly opened, and he painfully sat up, groaning slightly. "Kai, what happened?" Hilary asked uneasily.
"I won," he smirked, and held out his precious Dranzer for them to see. The others stared in disbelief, and smiles spread across their faces.
"Really? You mean you don't have to make the decision?" Tyson grinned.
"Nope," Kai smiled. Hilary noticed how much cuter he was when he wasn't troubled and depressed. An intense burden had just been lifted, and despite his wounds he looked relieved.
"Wow, Kai! How'd you do it?" Max's voice had regained its enthusiasm.
"Let's just say I twisted his emotions to my advantage," he said. "He challenged me to a beybattle, and I raised the stakes. It was all or nothing."
"You mean you put our lives on the line?" Tyson cocked an eyebrow at his friend.
"I had to, Tyson." He stared deep into his beyblade. He didn't have to, but he couldn't just surrender Dranzer like that. He supposed it might have been slightly selfish, now that he thought about it.
"It's okay, dude. We probably woulda done the same if we were in your shoes," Rei smiled. "Actually, we probably wouldn't have been able to do that. It takes a lot of confidence and courage to do what you did. Thanks, Kai."
"Yeah! Way to go, Kai! You're the best!" Hilary beamed.
"Yeah!" Max grinned. "You're super cool!"
"Awesome job, dude!" Tyson smiled. "Thanks for saving our butts! You totally rock!"
"Don't celebrate so fast, Bladebreakers," a chilling voice disrupted the happiness. "The party's not over yet. I would advise you get through this maze as soon as possible, or you may suffer devastating consequences..."
"Ha, you're just sad 'cause Kai ruined your plan," Tyson mocked, disguising the fear crawling through him. "Well I've had enough. I don't want to hear your creepy voice anymore! Go! Dragoon!" Tyson launched his blade at the small speaker high on the maze wall. Sparks flew, and it was destroyed.
"Thanks, Tyson." Max was shivering again at the sound of the voice. It had haunted their twisted nightmares of torment and torture. The others looked shaken, and grateful for Tyson's compulsive actions.
Kai got to his feet. "I suppose we better get going. We don't know how much time we have, and knowing this psychopath I reckon it's not just an empty threat." The others nodded, and they started walking through the gigantic maze.
^^^^^
Kenny was racing through the streets of Japan yet again. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately. Running from his house to the BBA building, often. But right now, he was running towards the outlook, Kai's place for contemplation. Why was he running? He honestly didn't know. Kenny HATED running, or any form of exercise for that matter. He was horrendous at any physical activity, and he knew it. He supposed he was running out of sheer habit. With the Bladebreakers, they were always running. Maybe because they were late, chasing a challenger, or just training. He missed it.
Maybe he was running away from the fact that the BBA scientists hadn't been able to identify any trace of where they might be. Or where the residue might be from, except that it used to be part of an attack ring. He missed them so much. He was grateful that he had been sent home safely.
He panted, exhausted from the run. He had made it, although he didn't feel great after the run. He didn't get that glowing feeling of adrenaline rushing through his veins. Instead his lungs seemed to be dying, and it hurt to breathe. But all that was forgotten as soon as he stared at the spectacular view.
He would have rested his elbows on the rail as Kai did, but was a little too short. Instead he peered over, hands at his side, and went deep into thought. He probably stayed a few hours like that. "Maybe my relief from my release is selfish. Actually, I know that it is. I'm so glad to be home, but I wish you were here too... you paid the price for me. And me, I seem to be getting nowhere to finding you. I've done all I can... and I won't give up. But maybe that's not enough... this is hopeless. But as you've all told me I give up too easily. Hm, well then again, that's coming from you guys and you never give up. So don't give up on me now. Please..."
He slowly wandered away, not really knowing where he was going. The sky was much darker than when he had first came out. He was completely stiff and achy, but it didn't matter. His friends were suffering worse than he would, he knew. He found himself walking on the bridge over the river. Rei often came out here, usually at night. Kenny sighed. Again, it was a beautiful view. It was beautiful out here, and he only wished his friends were here to enjoy it with him.
He was walking along the riverside now, and glanced under the bridge. Tyson went there when he was troubled, or had something on his mind. Kenny sat down exactly as Tyson did, and wrapped his legs with his arms. He sat there and closed his eyes, feeling a gentle breeze blow through his hair. "I miss you..."
^^^^^
The Bladebreakers were walking through the enormous maze. 'Mazes are supposed to be fun; a source of entertainment for kids,' Rei thought to himself. 'But, we are so not having fun. The only one having fun is that deranged scientist, who's watching us not have fun. How ironic is that. The twisted adult has fun with this horrid maze, watching the kids struggle hopelessly to get anywhere.' "Honestly, I'll never do another maze on a kid's menu again," Rei laughed.
"You said it," Tyson agreed. "I mean, besides the fact that we're getting too old to order kid's meals anymore. Twelve and under, psh... oh well," Tyson grinned. "The portions were way too skimpy anyway. Honestly..."
"Hahah, oh Tyson..." Hilary laughed, along with the others.
Kai suddenly looked up. "What is it, Kai?" Rei asked.
"Nothing... I just thought I felt water, although I may have been mistaken." Kai had definitely felt a drop of water land on him, but didn't want to worry the others. "Nonetheless, we should quicken our pace."
The others agreed, and they started to jog at a moderate pace. Kai whipped out his Dranzer and launched at the concrete wall, leaving a scratch on the surface. As soon as it left a deep scratch, Dranzer returned back to his hand.
Rei nodded, as he understood what Kai was doing. "That's a great idea!"
"Huh? What?" Tyson turned his head to look at Kai, and jogged right into a wall. "Oww..."
Rei sweat-dropped. "We should leave a mark so we can trace our path."
"Oh, I see! Sort of like in Hansel and Gretel," Tyson smiled. Rei nodded. "Speaking of which, I'm hungry..." Tyson's stomach growled as he spoke.
"Aren't we all," Hilary agreed. "I'd love a house made entirely out of candy! I'd have fallen into the witch's trap for sure. I'm a sucker for sweets."
"Hahah, that's punny," Rei laughed. "If I was a dessert, I would be... a chocolate cake!"
"Why a chocolate cake, Rei?" Tyson asked, salivating at the words chocolate and cake. "Sweet? Layered? Likeable?"
"Nah, I just like chocolate cake!" The others sweat-dropped.
"Huh?" Hilary had felt something, and looked upwards.
"You felt the water too, Hilary?" Kai asked, or rather stated. He knew she had. She nodded, confirming his thoughts.
"Start running," Max hissed.
"That's right, Max," a cold voice said from a speaker.
"No, not you again!" Tyson said, whipping out his launcher.
"Destroy it if you wish, Tyson," it said icily. "But I believe your friends may want to hear this. Especially Max."
Tyson lowered his blade. "Smart decision. Now Max, you surely realise the maze is filling with water."
Max saw that the cement was spattered with a few drops of water. He vaguely wondered what this had to do with him, but he knew the truth. He was after Draciel.
"The water will continue to pour, until you surrender Draciel. If not, you'll surely drown, since you most certainly will not find the exit in time. Death by Draciel's very element..." his voice was eerie and haunting. He meant every word he said. Max involuntarily shivered.
"Now, can I?" Tyson asked, his launcher ready once more. The others nodded, and he destroyed the speaker they had grown to hate. "So what do you reckon is at the end of the maze?"
"An exit, perhaps," Kai said dryly. "Which we apparently won't find. But in honesty, it's probably better outside of this maze than drowning inside. Prove him wrong and let's get out of this death trap. Lead the way, Max."
Max took the responsibility as leader with an unspoken understanding. Max was the target, so he should lead them out. He started to run, then broke out into a sprint. The others followed close behind.
^^^^^
(Max's POV)
I must be cracking under this immense pressure. Maybe the lack of air is getting to me, maybe I've been running more than my body can handle. Like a lab rat so hopelessly stuck in a maze trying to reach the cheese, while the scientist merely observes the poor creature.
The nightmare has scarred me. I'm slowly dying. Torture... I can't take it. I think the torment has taken its toll on me. I would rather die now than slowly go through this torture, shredding me to pieces slowly and painfully.
The more I stare at the blank walls of the maze, the more confused I get. I see strange images and hallucinations as I run past, and they follow me... my heart is racing and not just because I'm running not only for my life, but for my friends as well... I feel so lost and deluded.
So much has happened in such a short period of time. Okay, so much wrong and injustice has happened. I feel like I'm losing my sanity. Slowly but surely, I'm dying. I want to laugh again, and smile freely. Like at the hotel, I was so foolish into thinking it would last. When will this hell end? When Draciel is surrendered, my mind tells me. At the end of chaos, new misery arises.
I want to go home. Just to see my mom, my dad, Mariam... anyone familiar again. I wonder if they even care, of course they do. After all, I am Draciel's protector. I give a sad smile. Is that all I'm good for? Am I just a hassle, liked only because I'm a responsibility? Used...
I'm unaware of what's happening anymore. I want this hell to end so badly... but I can't give up Draciel. I'm fighting with myself, slowly killing myself. I'm sure my pace of running is slowing. Tears run slowly down my face, again. Mariam would laugh at me if she saw me now. My parents would be ashamed of me, maybe already are. I mean, maybe I've caused the problems in my family. They smile as if everything's okay, and try to get along. I know it's not. It's all an act; I know what's going on but act as if I'm oblivious to it all.
What do my friends think about me? Probably disappointed in me. I drag down the team. What do I contribute? Nothing... I'm overshadowed. I AM a shadow. Tagging along, doing absolutely nothing. I've changed. I've become more withdrawn and reserved. Sure, the others have changed too. And they have risen above me, leaving me behind in the dust.
Tyson's bright and happy in-your-face confidence attracts people to him like ants to a popsicle slowly melting on the sidewalk in the hot summer sun. His magnetic charm, charisma if you will, gets him anywhere he wants to go in life. And, of course his beyblading is phenomenal. He is the world champ. His spontaneous plans, along with his passion and strong bonds of friendship, plus his super powerful Dragoon, make him the best.
Rei's actually an extroverted person as well, although to a calmer level. He's confident as well, and his focus is unswayable. Once his mind is set, he doesn't change his mind. Instead, he bends other people towards his ideas. Being extremely observant and perceptive, he is sensitive and can figure people out like a jigsaw puzzle. His personality, physical and mental strength, as well as looks attract the girls. His friendships run deep and steadfast, and his bond with Drigger reflects that. I'll wager his bit-beast bond is the strongest of anyone on Earth. It performs miracles, and the devotion is so strong it's saved Rei's life more than once.
Kai can make it through anything. After all he's been through, he's still determined and ready to take on the world. He's vigilant and always aware. Kai, the all-knowing... yet he doesn't flaunt it. His beyblading is so confident and steady; he is easily the best blader on the team. You may argue, but that's what I believe. Tyson relies on sudden impulse, and quite often he loses. Kai, on the other hand, always knows exactly what he's doing. And now, he cares. Cares about us, his life. He'll always pull through for us. He will never let us down, like I'm about to. Maybe already have.
Hilary may not blade, but she sure does a lot for us. She trains us really well, its surprising considering she doesn't blade. Her sweet nature and thoughtfulness often holds the team together, I'm sure without her we would have never won the world championships. She's helped us through emotional struggles and gets us on track. And, of course, she's cute. It's dead obvious Tyson has a crush on her. Her presence radiates like sunshine, helping us through.
And as for Kenny... He organises, analyses and collects data on our team and others. He digs out information and passes it on to us, helping us out. His information is invaluable, and is an important aspect to our team. He helps us out of messes with his head, and fixes our blades.
So, need I say anything I was once good at has been replaced by something better? I'm falling deeper into darkness... Maybe I'm destined to be one of those suicidal, angst-ridden teenagers, drowning in that unloved, unwanted feeling. I think it's deeper than that. I feel so pathetic. I'm sorry...
^^^^^
(Normal POV)
"Hey Max, are you okay?" Rei asked warily as he noticed Max's pace slow. It wasn't just because of the foot-deep water. He ran ahead to Max and caught up. The blonde boy didn't turn to look at him. "Max?"
"Yeah. I'm fine. Forget it." His voice sounded emotionless, but Rei could feel his sorrow. His pace quickened again, running faster than before. It seemed to Rei he wanted to be alone... but Rei couldn't allow that.
"Max!" Rei ran ahead, easily catching up to him. His physical strength surpassed Max's, and the others on the team for that matter. "Hey, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, I told you. Now, leave me alone..." the blonde spoke still staring ahead. Rei frowned in suspicion. "I'm just exhausted," he said truthfully, realising Rei wouldn't leave until he said more. 'Physically, mentally and emotionally,' Max thought sombrely to himself.
"Then let's take a break," Rei suggested. "I'm tired myself. It's hard running through this water," he said, kicking swiftly and splashing ahead.
"HEY REI! MAX!" A voice came muffled yet insanely loud, from behind a few cement walls. It was unmistakably Tyson's. "WHERE ARE YOU?!" Rei cringed at the loudness.
"OW!" MY EARS, TYSON!" Hilary shrieked. Rei cringed again; she was equally as loud, perhaps from her temporary deafness from Tyson's previous yell.
"WHATEVER, HILARY! WE NEED TO CATCH UP TO REI AND MAX!!" Tyson yelled.
"IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO SHOUT!!" Hilary screamed back.
"Hey Max, wait up! Let's wait for them!" Rei said, realising Max had trudged on without him and was still going. "Max! Stop!" He obeyed, not turning around once to look at Rei. Rei sighed.
"REI!!! MAX!!! WAAAIIIT FOR US!!!!" Tyson's voice was excruciatingly loud now. He was just around the corner. "DON'T DITCH US! WE'RE YOUR FRIEN--"He stopped abruptly as he ran straight into Rei.
Rei fell to the ground with a huge splash, now completely soaked all over. He coughed, getting up. "Ugh... thanks, Tyson."
"Hahah, sorry about that..." Tyson had on his cheesy grin. Hilary stood behind him, rolling her eyes at his stupidity, laughing at his antics.
A thoroughly annoyed and nearly deaf Kai stood beside her. "Never. Do. That. Again." It was Rei's turn to put his hand on the back of his head and give a cheesy grin.
"Heheh, sorry about that, Kai." He laughed as he thought of the stoic teen directly behind the two screaming their heads off. An eye twitched slightly in annoyance.
"So why did you accelerate, anyways," Kai asked, recovering from the deafening experience.
"Well Max looked sad. So I went to see what was wrong and he started to run faster, like he was running away from me. So, I went to catch up." Rei explained, and now looked over at Max. He wasn't laughing, or smiling, or even looking at them. He hadn't moved since Rei had commanded for him to stop. Kai immediately headed over to see what was wrong.
Rei smiled. Yeah, Kai was definitely a lot more considerate and caring. Heck, he didn't even make excuses to be nice anymore. His eyes glanced to Tyson, and a grin spread across his face.
"Hey Tyson!" Rei said from behind. Tyson turned around and *SPLASH*! Rei completely soaked Tyson. He burst out laughing, as Tyson's stunned look slowly turned to a grin.
"Hey!" Tyson literally tackled Rei, and they both went headfirst into the water. The two sat, drenched, in the water, laughing their heads off.
"You guys," Hilary scolded mockingly. Tyson splashed her, causing her to shriek. "Tyson you idiot!"
"Come join the party, Hil," Rei laughed, and gently splashed her again.
"Rei! Honestly, how immature-"she suddenly screamed as Tyson pulled her into the water, soaking her completely so the three of them were completely soggy. Kai glanced over, wincing at Hilary's shrieks.
"Hey Max." Kai said, putting his hand on Max's shoulder. Max didn't respond. He didn't flinch at the sudden touch. He didn't even look at him. "Tell me what's wrong." He commanded, rather than asked; it's just what he did.
Max didn't answer. "Max." Kai forced him to make eye contact. What Kai saw was even more melancholic than he had imagined. Tears, cold and passionless, ran down his pale face. A hopeless, dead look was set in his normally bubbly features. But what got to him most were the eyes. The cerulean orbs had lost all shine and brightness. They seemed hollow and empty, drowning in misery.
The pressure, the torment and the eternal misery had finally got to him. It had wasted him into this lifeless shadow that lay before Kai.
Max was lost.
^^^^^
END OF CHAPPIE!! Hope ya liked it! REVIEW PLEASE!!
~ Penguin Pop
I just watched the first episode of G Rev. (I didn't see most of the second one.) But, they changed them quite a bit. It may have some influence on the characters... hope not too much though. Tyson's more serious, Rei's seemingly more outgoing and friendly, Hilary's way more annoying and weird, and Max well he didn't change much except his voice (:P) although he's a little more mature. Well, they're all more mature. And Kai, he didn't really change except for the overall closeness of their friendship. They all look older (except maybe Kenny!!) and more mature. I can't wait until it actually airs! In my opinion, it's way better! (Despite only having seen one full eppy...)
So, anyways, on with the fic!
Just a note, the particular boy introduced is NOT going to have some major part or anything. Note the lack of a name. I doubt you'll see him again.
I don't own Beyblade, obviously. Psht, if I did I would be making the series! *wishes* so, here I am not owning Beyblade but owning my story which is based on something I don't own! How about that...
^^^^^
Twisted Fate
Chapter 13: Games
A maniacal laugh filled the air, as a deranged man sat amidst his gigantic collaboration of computers and other scientific instruments. He had lost his sanity and morality the instant he had discovered the true power of the ancient beasts...
The laugh was not one of joy, however. It was empty and hollow; just as his own soul had become. There was the slightest inkling of virtue left, and that slight whisper was all that kept him from being a murderer.
His sanity faded in and out like a twinkling star. He began to type into Mr Dickenson's program, altering it with a sickening twist. He used the original program, but had changed them dramatically. With new technology from the BBA, he felt as if he could do anything.
He seemed to be in a trance, and wasn't aware of what was happening anymore. Wrong and right had disappeared from his vocabulary. "Soon you'll be mine," he whispered, as he stared at the beautiful phoenix bit in Kai's grasp.
The dim lighting of his numerous screens and gadgets were all that shed brightness into his dark hideout. Nobody would find him... not even himself.
^^^^^
Kai walked to the bathroom and splashed icy water on his face. Staring into the mirror, he noted the blue triangles on his face remained. Most would only see a calm, stoic boy who appeared not to have emotions at all. Kai saw sad, grey eyes full of distress and pain staring back at him. 'Weakness,' echoed through his mind.
He quietly walked back to his bed, and took out his Dranzer once again. He glanced over to the next bed, and noticed Rei looked feverish and unwell. He immediately went over to check on his friend, and he found him in a fitful nightmare.
Guilt flooded him, as he realised it was his own fault. That psychotic scientist was serious. He was letting them die before his very eyes... "Rei," he whispered, and gently shook him. He wouldn't wake up...
Kai tried to wake him more desperately this time, but he knew it wouldn't work. "No..." Rei silently screamed and started thrashing more violently. Kai saw tears streaming down his closed eyes.
Kai stared in horror as his friend cried and screamed. He stood by helplessly, as he couldn't wake him from his nightmare.
Rei gave a ragged cry of pain, as fresh tears of agony fell. Kai closed his eyes and left the room. He couldn't take any more.
He desperately tried to open the door to Max and Tyson's room, and to his surprise it was unlocked. Hotel doors are never unlocked from the outside, he knew. It was obviously so he could see that his friends were in the same condition as Rei.
"Tyson, Max," he stood at the door, and saw the two in similar agonised sleeps. It hurt him to see them; they were so innocent and hadn't done anything to deserve this. It was his fault alone. Tears streamed down their faces as screams escaped their lips. "I'm sorry," he said softly, not knowing whether they had heard him in their sleep.
He found Hilary's door unlocked as well. Guilt struck with yet another blow to his troubled mind, as he saw the girl looking so distraught in her fevered state. He gently put his hand to her face, and remorse burned through him as a fever burned her.
"Hilary..." he whispered softly, wiping tears from her face. Anger burned through him, and he silently walked out the door. For once, Kai didn't know what to do.
He wandered through the hotel, not really caring where he was going. He would have gone outside, but there was no way out. He walked, deep in thought with his eyes closed.
"You're pathetic, Kai. Wandering around like a lost soul," a voice mocked. His eyes snapped open, to see a cloaked figure. He leaned casually against the checkout counter, and Kai realised he was in the main lobby.
"What do you want," he demanded.
"Simple. I'm here to take Dranzer from you," the shadowed blader replied, leering. He whipped out his launcher and blade.
"I don't think so," he replied calmly, although his grip on Dranzer was intense.
"Fight me now!" the mysterious boy commanded, impatiently.
"No," was Kai's simple response. That one word seemed to completely puzzle the boy. Kai suddenly smiled as a thought struck him.
"Huh? Why not? Aren't you readily gonna give up Dranzer to save your friends?" The jeer in his voice had faded, to sheer confusion.
"Nope," Kai said lightly. He smirked at the annoyance in the boy's face. His plan would most likely work now. He was good at twisting emotions.
"But... don't you feel guilty? I mean, if you don't give up Dranzer your friends are gonna die!" The boy seemed desperate to hit a nerve.
"Too bad, so sad," Kai replied with a smirk. It was working.
"How can you stand by and let your friends die? They would readily give up their bit-beasts for you..." The boy seemed appalled. "You don't deserve friends."
"Yeah, well what can ya do," Kai said solely to see the shock on the boy's face.
"Come ON! Fight me!" The boy seemed to plead.
"No." The boy was getting extremely irritated.
"Come on, Kai. You afraid?" the boy smirked, thinking that would definitely work and get him rattled up.
"Nah. I just don't wanna waste my time with pathetic losers like you," Kai replied calmly.
"What?! You take that back! I will win! I'll show you!" The boy seemed absolutely furious.
'Perfect,' Kai thought to himself. "Look, kid. You need to make this more interesting, because I know for a fact you'll lose." The boy was positively shaking with anger.
"There isn't a chance I'll lose," he snapped viciously. "So why not. If I win, you surrender both your friends and Dranzer. If you win, you get to keep both," the boy said. Kai smirked; that was exactly what he was counting on.
^^^^^
The scientist stood appalled. "You fool," he whispered. "You better win, or else..." He craved the power of Dranzer.
"Well, there's no way he can lose to Kai. Statistically speaking, Kai doesn't have a chance." The scientist absentmindedly patted the disks containing stolen data. Data taken from a certain laptop...
^^^^^
The blades launched simultaneously, and sparks flew. Deep grey clashed with blue, and it appeared the blue blade was already losing...
The dark grey blade continued to slam into Dranzer, delivering heavy blows. "Go, Dranzer," Kai commanded, and the blue blade struck grey. It appeared not to phase it one bit. Kai's eyes widened in fright.
The boy smirked. "Is that all ya got? I can't believe you're a world champion. Oh yeah, I forgot. You're not a world champion," he laughed. "How's it gonna feel to have Dranzer taken away from you AGAIN?" He gave an evil grin.
"Not a chance. Don't allow your ego to get so inflated, kid. It'll be your downfall," Kai frowned. 'I can't lose you, Dranzer. My friends are counting on me. This battle determines it all... I won't let you down. Never again.'
"Feel my sheer power!" The boy cried, and sent his grey blade hurtling towards Kai. Kai nearly dodged, but it grazed his shoulder leaving a deep wound. Kai staggered as the pain set in, and held his arm only to get blood on his fingers.
"Not so high and mighty now," the boy laughed. The blade continued to deliver gashes and cuts to Kai's body.
Kai was greatly weakened. He nearly collapsed, but resisted. He had pushed himself over the limit. If his friends had been watching, they would have stopped him long ago. But they weren't, and that was precisely why Kai continued to fight.
"I won't give up," Kai said through clenched teeth. The blade continued to cut him, but he held. He was waiting for the right opportunity... hopefully he could survive until then.
With another striking blow to his body, the blade tore through his flesh and Kai fell to his knees. "Who's the pathetic loser now, Kai?" the hooded figure asked menacingly.
"You're the pathetic one," Kai remained confident through his pain. "Only the truly weak attack their opponents. I don't need to stoop to that level, although I can understand why you might," he smirked. He was barely holding out, but remained focused: any moment now he would let his guard down.
"What? Take THIS, Kai!" The boy shouted, and his blade struck, sending Kai flying further than anyone would believe possible. Kai let out a cry of pain, and was only hanging in by the thread of hope he had, and his sheer determination.
Kai struggled to get up. With difficulty, he got onto his hands and knees. Even though he was in such a weak state, his voice remained completely calm and confident. He had to, for his chance of a plan to succeed. He had one last chance. "Look, kid. You're nothing compared to me. I don't care what you throw at me; truth is I'll always be better than you can dream of. Face it, you're a loser, and always will be."
"Why you... I am NOT a loser! I've won hundreds of beybattles! You can't defeat me!"the boy was enraged now. This was exactly what Kai had been waiting for.
"Already did. Dranzer! Now!" He commanded with the last of his energy, and the blue blade burst into flame. It hit the grey blade head on with a devastating blow. The grey blade smashed to pieces, and crumbled around its cloaked master.
"What? No way..." the cloaked blader stared in shock as the realisation of defeat sank in. Strange orange eyes stared blankly into nothingness. Fragments of his busted blade showered around him.
"Now get lost," Kai commanded harshly, but the boy needed no encouragement. He ran away as fast as he could, cloak whipping behind him. With his velocity, flaming orange hair, which matched his eyes, was revealed under his hood. Kai vaguely wondered where he could go since there was no exit, but before he could finish his train of thought, his body gave way and he collapsed onto the floor.
He lost consciousness with final feelings of relief and success. Thoughts of his friends lingered in his mind, as he lay on the cold floor, Dranzer tight in his grasp.
^^^^^
"You failed, and that is not an option," a twisted voice spoke in the dark. A boy was begging for mercy on his knees, but to no avail.
"Please, no," he pleaded. He lowered his head. "I'm truly sorry. I let my emotions interfere with my battle. I let my guard down and fell right into his trap. I screwed up bad."
"We both know that, don't we," the scientist growled. "Now you won't remember a thing..." he hooked the boy up to a computer with many wires. His cloak was removed, revealing strikingly orange hair that matched his eyes.
The scientist typed in some commands, and after a few minutes a bar came up. "Deleting memory... 100%" finally showed up, and the boy collapsed.
^^^^^
Kenny ran through the streets with Dizzi under his arm. He was on his way again to the gigantic BBA building. He was already somewhat late, when he tripped over... a body?!
"Aah!" Kenny yelled, and fumbled around for his thick glasses. "Sorry," he muttered, getting off the boy. He was cradling Dizzi thanking the heavens the laptop wasn't damaged. "Are you okay?" He noticed the boy was staring at him, dazed.
"Who- who am I?" Orange eyes looked completely lost and confused. He ran a hand through his orange hair. "Where am I? And who are you?"
"Hey, it's gonna be alright," Kenny smiled encouragingly. "What happened? What's the last thing you remember?" He helped the boy to a sitting position, and knelt down to talk to him. He was rather lonely without his friends.
"Uh... well I remember being thrown here onto the sidewalk. And then... then he drove away? Oh, I don't know. I don't even know who I am anymore, or where I live. I don't know anything, except the past few fragments after waking up unconscious in a car," he sighed, frustrated.
"It's okay. Calm down and maybe we can sort this out," Kenny smiled. "Dizzi, do a quick scan to make sure everything's okay," he said to his laptop.
"I'm already on it, chief," her computerised voice came. "And, nothing appears to be wrong. Except something in his mind seems to be missing. Almost... deleted," she said in confusion.
"Strange..." Kenny murmured. "Do you remember anything else? Anything at all?"
"Oh, yeah. When he left me lying weak on the ground, he said something. I... something about me, failing to do something. And then he drove off and was muttering something. He sounded... possessed." The boy found it excruciatingly hard to remember.
"What was he saying?" Kenny asked, not really paying full attention. He was just being friendly and polite.
"It... it doesn't make any sense at all. Something like 'Dr... Drawn... sir?" he moaned.
"Dranzer!" Kenny shouted. When the boy nodded vigorously, Kenny leapt up. "Did he say anything else? What was his license number? What was the car like? Do you know ANYTHING before the car? Did he mention anything else strange like that? Is there any more information you can give me?!" Kenny was screaming hysterically.
"I'm really sorry," the boy muttered. He gave a sad smile.
"Oh..." Kenny's face fell. "Do you know how to beyblade?"
"No, what's that?" He looked puzzled.
"Oh, never mind." Kenny's face had fallen. He felt even worse than before. He zoned out, and started to mutter under his breath as he fell into deep thought. "Dranzer... then he's after Kai? Maybe he was sent to capture Dranzer. But then again, this kid doesn't even know HOW to beyblade! But his mind WAS erased..."
"Uh, excuse me?" the boy prodded Kenny gently, bringing him out of his deep thoughts. "Could this be of any help? I found it in my pocket," he said, bringing out a few tiny fragments of deep grey.
Kenny grabbed the pieces carefully, and let Dizzi examine the sharp, hot metal shards. 'Wait a minute! It's warm!' He thought to himself. "This was in your cloak pocket?" The boy nodded. "Then that means it's very likely that..."
"You got it, chief," Dizzi replied brightly. "These are indeed slivers of the attack ring of a beyblade! And get this – it seems this very blade had been in contact with Kai's Dranzer blade! It appears to have been shredded to pieces by Dranzer itself!"
Kenny's eyes would have been sparkling, except for the fact they were hidden (or non-existent). "No way! This is incredible! That means Dranzer was still in Kai's possession, for the time being. We MUST show this to Mr Dickenson right away!"
Kenny slammed Dizzi shut and raced towards the BBA building, bringing the boy along to be admitted into the hospital. Kenny smiled at the tiny fragments in his hand.
^^^^^
Rei awoke with a jolt from his horrid nightmare. He felt tears fresh on his face, and he was sweating like crazy. He could still feel the intense pain of his torture in his mind. His breathing was insanely harsh and scared, and his heart was racing.
The torture was very real. Even though it was in his sleep, and the wounds to his body seemed to have disappeared, as they were never there to begin with, it had actually happened.
A few more tears escaped his deathly pale face, as he sat with his face pressed into his knees. He felt sick, and felt like he would throw up. The excruciating nightmare lingered in his mind.
His nightmare had been hell. He couldn't move; only watch and scream in pain as he was cut with blades and glass. Physical abuse of punches and kicks had been agonising, and objects being thrown at his weakened body were terribly painful. He could still hear screams and horrifying laughter echoing through his head.
'Get a grip, Rei. It's over,' he told himself. He focused to calm himself, and golden eyes slowly opened.
Rei found that he and the rest of the Bladebreakers were out of the hotel, and lying on a cement floor. He looked at the thick cement walls, and that's when realisation hit him like an anvil. "We're in a gigantic maze!"
Tyson, Max and Hilary had wakened from their torturous nightmares as well. They looked in the same condition as Rei. Max seemed to be completely overwhelmed and was shaking uncontrollably. Rei walked over to try and comfort his friend.
"Hey Max, it's okay," Rei said soothingly, giving him a brief much-needed hug. Innocent, sweet Max; it was too much for him.
"It's over," Rei continued to comfort his blond friend. "Kai, he-"Rei glanced over to see Kai, who was a little ways away, and stopped in mid- sentence. Kai was brutally injured. Blood flowed from several deep gashes similar to that on Rei's arm, although not as severe. He was ghostly pale, and looked in extreme pain.
Rei suddenly heard a shrill shriek. He instantly turned to the source of the scream, to see Hilary. She freaked at the sight of Kai. Tyson immediately looked and saw Kai. "KAI!" he yelled, and they both started running over. Max's blue eyes fluttered open, and he gave a heavy gasp at what he saw. Their own fears were momentarily forgotten as they saw their friend lying still on the ground.
They all knelt around their injured friend. His grey eyes slowly opened, and he painfully sat up, groaning slightly. "Kai, what happened?" Hilary asked uneasily.
"I won," he smirked, and held out his precious Dranzer for them to see. The others stared in disbelief, and smiles spread across their faces.
"Really? You mean you don't have to make the decision?" Tyson grinned.
"Nope," Kai smiled. Hilary noticed how much cuter he was when he wasn't troubled and depressed. An intense burden had just been lifted, and despite his wounds he looked relieved.
"Wow, Kai! How'd you do it?" Max's voice had regained its enthusiasm.
"Let's just say I twisted his emotions to my advantage," he said. "He challenged me to a beybattle, and I raised the stakes. It was all or nothing."
"You mean you put our lives on the line?" Tyson cocked an eyebrow at his friend.
"I had to, Tyson." He stared deep into his beyblade. He didn't have to, but he couldn't just surrender Dranzer like that. He supposed it might have been slightly selfish, now that he thought about it.
"It's okay, dude. We probably woulda done the same if we were in your shoes," Rei smiled. "Actually, we probably wouldn't have been able to do that. It takes a lot of confidence and courage to do what you did. Thanks, Kai."
"Yeah! Way to go, Kai! You're the best!" Hilary beamed.
"Yeah!" Max grinned. "You're super cool!"
"Awesome job, dude!" Tyson smiled. "Thanks for saving our butts! You totally rock!"
"Don't celebrate so fast, Bladebreakers," a chilling voice disrupted the happiness. "The party's not over yet. I would advise you get through this maze as soon as possible, or you may suffer devastating consequences..."
"Ha, you're just sad 'cause Kai ruined your plan," Tyson mocked, disguising the fear crawling through him. "Well I've had enough. I don't want to hear your creepy voice anymore! Go! Dragoon!" Tyson launched his blade at the small speaker high on the maze wall. Sparks flew, and it was destroyed.
"Thanks, Tyson." Max was shivering again at the sound of the voice. It had haunted their twisted nightmares of torment and torture. The others looked shaken, and grateful for Tyson's compulsive actions.
Kai got to his feet. "I suppose we better get going. We don't know how much time we have, and knowing this psychopath I reckon it's not just an empty threat." The others nodded, and they started walking through the gigantic maze.
^^^^^
Kenny was racing through the streets of Japan yet again. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately. Running from his house to the BBA building, often. But right now, he was running towards the outlook, Kai's place for contemplation. Why was he running? He honestly didn't know. Kenny HATED running, or any form of exercise for that matter. He was horrendous at any physical activity, and he knew it. He supposed he was running out of sheer habit. With the Bladebreakers, they were always running. Maybe because they were late, chasing a challenger, or just training. He missed it.
Maybe he was running away from the fact that the BBA scientists hadn't been able to identify any trace of where they might be. Or where the residue might be from, except that it used to be part of an attack ring. He missed them so much. He was grateful that he had been sent home safely.
He panted, exhausted from the run. He had made it, although he didn't feel great after the run. He didn't get that glowing feeling of adrenaline rushing through his veins. Instead his lungs seemed to be dying, and it hurt to breathe. But all that was forgotten as soon as he stared at the spectacular view.
He would have rested his elbows on the rail as Kai did, but was a little too short. Instead he peered over, hands at his side, and went deep into thought. He probably stayed a few hours like that. "Maybe my relief from my release is selfish. Actually, I know that it is. I'm so glad to be home, but I wish you were here too... you paid the price for me. And me, I seem to be getting nowhere to finding you. I've done all I can... and I won't give up. But maybe that's not enough... this is hopeless. But as you've all told me I give up too easily. Hm, well then again, that's coming from you guys and you never give up. So don't give up on me now. Please..."
He slowly wandered away, not really knowing where he was going. The sky was much darker than when he had first came out. He was completely stiff and achy, but it didn't matter. His friends were suffering worse than he would, he knew. He found himself walking on the bridge over the river. Rei often came out here, usually at night. Kenny sighed. Again, it was a beautiful view. It was beautiful out here, and he only wished his friends were here to enjoy it with him.
He was walking along the riverside now, and glanced under the bridge. Tyson went there when he was troubled, or had something on his mind. Kenny sat down exactly as Tyson did, and wrapped his legs with his arms. He sat there and closed his eyes, feeling a gentle breeze blow through his hair. "I miss you..."
^^^^^
The Bladebreakers were walking through the enormous maze. 'Mazes are supposed to be fun; a source of entertainment for kids,' Rei thought to himself. 'But, we are so not having fun. The only one having fun is that deranged scientist, who's watching us not have fun. How ironic is that. The twisted adult has fun with this horrid maze, watching the kids struggle hopelessly to get anywhere.' "Honestly, I'll never do another maze on a kid's menu again," Rei laughed.
"You said it," Tyson agreed. "I mean, besides the fact that we're getting too old to order kid's meals anymore. Twelve and under, psh... oh well," Tyson grinned. "The portions were way too skimpy anyway. Honestly..."
"Hahah, oh Tyson..." Hilary laughed, along with the others.
Kai suddenly looked up. "What is it, Kai?" Rei asked.
"Nothing... I just thought I felt water, although I may have been mistaken." Kai had definitely felt a drop of water land on him, but didn't want to worry the others. "Nonetheless, we should quicken our pace."
The others agreed, and they started to jog at a moderate pace. Kai whipped out his Dranzer and launched at the concrete wall, leaving a scratch on the surface. As soon as it left a deep scratch, Dranzer returned back to his hand.
Rei nodded, as he understood what Kai was doing. "That's a great idea!"
"Huh? What?" Tyson turned his head to look at Kai, and jogged right into a wall. "Oww..."
Rei sweat-dropped. "We should leave a mark so we can trace our path."
"Oh, I see! Sort of like in Hansel and Gretel," Tyson smiled. Rei nodded. "Speaking of which, I'm hungry..." Tyson's stomach growled as he spoke.
"Aren't we all," Hilary agreed. "I'd love a house made entirely out of candy! I'd have fallen into the witch's trap for sure. I'm a sucker for sweets."
"Hahah, that's punny," Rei laughed. "If I was a dessert, I would be... a chocolate cake!"
"Why a chocolate cake, Rei?" Tyson asked, salivating at the words chocolate and cake. "Sweet? Layered? Likeable?"
"Nah, I just like chocolate cake!" The others sweat-dropped.
"Huh?" Hilary had felt something, and looked upwards.
"You felt the water too, Hilary?" Kai asked, or rather stated. He knew she had. She nodded, confirming his thoughts.
"Start running," Max hissed.
"That's right, Max," a cold voice said from a speaker.
"No, not you again!" Tyson said, whipping out his launcher.
"Destroy it if you wish, Tyson," it said icily. "But I believe your friends may want to hear this. Especially Max."
Tyson lowered his blade. "Smart decision. Now Max, you surely realise the maze is filling with water."
Max saw that the cement was spattered with a few drops of water. He vaguely wondered what this had to do with him, but he knew the truth. He was after Draciel.
"The water will continue to pour, until you surrender Draciel. If not, you'll surely drown, since you most certainly will not find the exit in time. Death by Draciel's very element..." his voice was eerie and haunting. He meant every word he said. Max involuntarily shivered.
"Now, can I?" Tyson asked, his launcher ready once more. The others nodded, and he destroyed the speaker they had grown to hate. "So what do you reckon is at the end of the maze?"
"An exit, perhaps," Kai said dryly. "Which we apparently won't find. But in honesty, it's probably better outside of this maze than drowning inside. Prove him wrong and let's get out of this death trap. Lead the way, Max."
Max took the responsibility as leader with an unspoken understanding. Max was the target, so he should lead them out. He started to run, then broke out into a sprint. The others followed close behind.
^^^^^
(Max's POV)
I must be cracking under this immense pressure. Maybe the lack of air is getting to me, maybe I've been running more than my body can handle. Like a lab rat so hopelessly stuck in a maze trying to reach the cheese, while the scientist merely observes the poor creature.
The nightmare has scarred me. I'm slowly dying. Torture... I can't take it. I think the torment has taken its toll on me. I would rather die now than slowly go through this torture, shredding me to pieces slowly and painfully.
The more I stare at the blank walls of the maze, the more confused I get. I see strange images and hallucinations as I run past, and they follow me... my heart is racing and not just because I'm running not only for my life, but for my friends as well... I feel so lost and deluded.
So much has happened in such a short period of time. Okay, so much wrong and injustice has happened. I feel like I'm losing my sanity. Slowly but surely, I'm dying. I want to laugh again, and smile freely. Like at the hotel, I was so foolish into thinking it would last. When will this hell end? When Draciel is surrendered, my mind tells me. At the end of chaos, new misery arises.
I want to go home. Just to see my mom, my dad, Mariam... anyone familiar again. I wonder if they even care, of course they do. After all, I am Draciel's protector. I give a sad smile. Is that all I'm good for? Am I just a hassle, liked only because I'm a responsibility? Used...
I'm unaware of what's happening anymore. I want this hell to end so badly... but I can't give up Draciel. I'm fighting with myself, slowly killing myself. I'm sure my pace of running is slowing. Tears run slowly down my face, again. Mariam would laugh at me if she saw me now. My parents would be ashamed of me, maybe already are. I mean, maybe I've caused the problems in my family. They smile as if everything's okay, and try to get along. I know it's not. It's all an act; I know what's going on but act as if I'm oblivious to it all.
What do my friends think about me? Probably disappointed in me. I drag down the team. What do I contribute? Nothing... I'm overshadowed. I AM a shadow. Tagging along, doing absolutely nothing. I've changed. I've become more withdrawn and reserved. Sure, the others have changed too. And they have risen above me, leaving me behind in the dust.
Tyson's bright and happy in-your-face confidence attracts people to him like ants to a popsicle slowly melting on the sidewalk in the hot summer sun. His magnetic charm, charisma if you will, gets him anywhere he wants to go in life. And, of course his beyblading is phenomenal. He is the world champ. His spontaneous plans, along with his passion and strong bonds of friendship, plus his super powerful Dragoon, make him the best.
Rei's actually an extroverted person as well, although to a calmer level. He's confident as well, and his focus is unswayable. Once his mind is set, he doesn't change his mind. Instead, he bends other people towards his ideas. Being extremely observant and perceptive, he is sensitive and can figure people out like a jigsaw puzzle. His personality, physical and mental strength, as well as looks attract the girls. His friendships run deep and steadfast, and his bond with Drigger reflects that. I'll wager his bit-beast bond is the strongest of anyone on Earth. It performs miracles, and the devotion is so strong it's saved Rei's life more than once.
Kai can make it through anything. After all he's been through, he's still determined and ready to take on the world. He's vigilant and always aware. Kai, the all-knowing... yet he doesn't flaunt it. His beyblading is so confident and steady; he is easily the best blader on the team. You may argue, but that's what I believe. Tyson relies on sudden impulse, and quite often he loses. Kai, on the other hand, always knows exactly what he's doing. And now, he cares. Cares about us, his life. He'll always pull through for us. He will never let us down, like I'm about to. Maybe already have.
Hilary may not blade, but she sure does a lot for us. She trains us really well, its surprising considering she doesn't blade. Her sweet nature and thoughtfulness often holds the team together, I'm sure without her we would have never won the world championships. She's helped us through emotional struggles and gets us on track. And, of course, she's cute. It's dead obvious Tyson has a crush on her. Her presence radiates like sunshine, helping us through.
And as for Kenny... He organises, analyses and collects data on our team and others. He digs out information and passes it on to us, helping us out. His information is invaluable, and is an important aspect to our team. He helps us out of messes with his head, and fixes our blades.
So, need I say anything I was once good at has been replaced by something better? I'm falling deeper into darkness... Maybe I'm destined to be one of those suicidal, angst-ridden teenagers, drowning in that unloved, unwanted feeling. I think it's deeper than that. I feel so pathetic. I'm sorry...
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(Normal POV)
"Hey Max, are you okay?" Rei asked warily as he noticed Max's pace slow. It wasn't just because of the foot-deep water. He ran ahead to Max and caught up. The blonde boy didn't turn to look at him. "Max?"
"Yeah. I'm fine. Forget it." His voice sounded emotionless, but Rei could feel his sorrow. His pace quickened again, running faster than before. It seemed to Rei he wanted to be alone... but Rei couldn't allow that.
"Max!" Rei ran ahead, easily catching up to him. His physical strength surpassed Max's, and the others on the team for that matter. "Hey, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, I told you. Now, leave me alone..." the blonde spoke still staring ahead. Rei frowned in suspicion. "I'm just exhausted," he said truthfully, realising Rei wouldn't leave until he said more. 'Physically, mentally and emotionally,' Max thought sombrely to himself.
"Then let's take a break," Rei suggested. "I'm tired myself. It's hard running through this water," he said, kicking swiftly and splashing ahead.
"HEY REI! MAX!" A voice came muffled yet insanely loud, from behind a few cement walls. It was unmistakably Tyson's. "WHERE ARE YOU?!" Rei cringed at the loudness.
"OW!" MY EARS, TYSON!" Hilary shrieked. Rei cringed again; she was equally as loud, perhaps from her temporary deafness from Tyson's previous yell.
"WHATEVER, HILARY! WE NEED TO CATCH UP TO REI AND MAX!!" Tyson yelled.
"IT DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO SHOUT!!" Hilary screamed back.
"Hey Max, wait up! Let's wait for them!" Rei said, realising Max had trudged on without him and was still going. "Max! Stop!" He obeyed, not turning around once to look at Rei. Rei sighed.
"REI!!! MAX!!! WAAAIIIT FOR US!!!!" Tyson's voice was excruciatingly loud now. He was just around the corner. "DON'T DITCH US! WE'RE YOUR FRIEN--"He stopped abruptly as he ran straight into Rei.
Rei fell to the ground with a huge splash, now completely soaked all over. He coughed, getting up. "Ugh... thanks, Tyson."
"Hahah, sorry about that..." Tyson had on his cheesy grin. Hilary stood behind him, rolling her eyes at his stupidity, laughing at his antics.
A thoroughly annoyed and nearly deaf Kai stood beside her. "Never. Do. That. Again." It was Rei's turn to put his hand on the back of his head and give a cheesy grin.
"Heheh, sorry about that, Kai." He laughed as he thought of the stoic teen directly behind the two screaming their heads off. An eye twitched slightly in annoyance.
"So why did you accelerate, anyways," Kai asked, recovering from the deafening experience.
"Well Max looked sad. So I went to see what was wrong and he started to run faster, like he was running away from me. So, I went to catch up." Rei explained, and now looked over at Max. He wasn't laughing, or smiling, or even looking at them. He hadn't moved since Rei had commanded for him to stop. Kai immediately headed over to see what was wrong.
Rei smiled. Yeah, Kai was definitely a lot more considerate and caring. Heck, he didn't even make excuses to be nice anymore. His eyes glanced to Tyson, and a grin spread across his face.
"Hey Tyson!" Rei said from behind. Tyson turned around and *SPLASH*! Rei completely soaked Tyson. He burst out laughing, as Tyson's stunned look slowly turned to a grin.
"Hey!" Tyson literally tackled Rei, and they both went headfirst into the water. The two sat, drenched, in the water, laughing their heads off.
"You guys," Hilary scolded mockingly. Tyson splashed her, causing her to shriek. "Tyson you idiot!"
"Come join the party, Hil," Rei laughed, and gently splashed her again.
"Rei! Honestly, how immature-"she suddenly screamed as Tyson pulled her into the water, soaking her completely so the three of them were completely soggy. Kai glanced over, wincing at Hilary's shrieks.
"Hey Max." Kai said, putting his hand on Max's shoulder. Max didn't respond. He didn't flinch at the sudden touch. He didn't even look at him. "Tell me what's wrong." He commanded, rather than asked; it's just what he did.
Max didn't answer. "Max." Kai forced him to make eye contact. What Kai saw was even more melancholic than he had imagined. Tears, cold and passionless, ran down his pale face. A hopeless, dead look was set in his normally bubbly features. But what got to him most were the eyes. The cerulean orbs had lost all shine and brightness. They seemed hollow and empty, drowning in misery.
The pressure, the torment and the eternal misery had finally got to him. It had wasted him into this lifeless shadow that lay before Kai.
Max was lost.
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END OF CHAPPIE!! Hope ya liked it! REVIEW PLEASE!!
~ Penguin Pop