Twenty-Four
"Lee?" Hilary and Max repeated in unison the next morning.
"Yes, Lee! Of all freaking people they try and set me up with it has to be Lee!" I cried out, throwing my hands into the air and stopped my pacing. It was a good thing that the other Tigers didn't sleep at Tyson's dojo or else I'd have to suffer in silence. But I couldn't hold this in long. I couldn't even get to sleep last night for the very thought that I was engaged to Lee.
I mean, he wasn't a bad person, when he was calm. Otherwise he was stubborn beyond belief, he jumped to conclusions, he ran into things without even thinking about the consequences, he was quick to anger, and he always seemed to have a huge amount of self-pity whenever something he does doesn't come out right. I can't deal with someone like that.
"Well, maybe Ray's lying," Max suggested.
I scoffed. "He's not lying. He finds great enjoyment out of my misery," I replied, tugging at my braid to get my hair out. Once it was all free I tied it back up into a ponytail.
"Well…is it a binding contract or something?" Hilary asked.
I shrugged. "Beats me. The village holds tradition on a very high pedestal. Breaking an engagement probably isn't only a sin, but it's frowned upon. One would most likely be kicked out of their family if not the village."
"Well, you wouldn't really have to worry about it that much," Hilary said slowly. "With your parents being…you know."
"Dead," I confirmed for her. "You can say the word, I've dealt with it." I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, pushing my bangs away from my eyes briefly. "What kind of joke is this?" I muttered more to myself than to them.
"You're not going to consider marrying him, are you?" Hilary asked.
"Geeze, Hil, he's not that bad," I commented.
"I think what she means is you have a choice," Max spoke up. "I mean, you've been out of the village for years now so the rules shouldn't apply to you, right?"
"That depends on who you're asking," I grumbled, biting my thumbnail. "It doesn't matter, though. We should be focusing on the upcoming match. How do you think Kai's going to do?"
"It's hard to say," Max replied. "I know he wants to do a rematch with Brooklyn and he's a pretty strong dude. Kai had to have worked really hard to take him on again."
"Do you think he can do it?" Hilary asked.
"I do," I replied. "He's a strong blader, arguably the best in the world. He already knows what kind of power Brooklyn has so he probably modified his own strategies to fight him. I think he'll do a good job."
"But do you think he'll win?" Hilary asked.
I shrugged. "Hard to tell," I admitted. "Hard to tell."
"It's day four of the Justice 5 Tournament! And if G Revolutions loses this battle then it looks like BEGA is going to be in charge of the beyblading world!" DJ Jazzman announced.
A paper ball hit the tv screen. I looked over my shoulder to see Daichi fuming. I rolled my eyes at his behavior. He had a right to be upset, hell I was angry myself but he was just doing his job.
"I wish he'd have more faith in us," Max muttered from next to me.
"He's just amping up the crowd, Max," Kenny said from behind his laptop. "Don't take what he says personally."
"Just focus on the match, Kai, and we'll have this one in the bag," Tyson said confidently. Kai, who was leaning against the wall with his eyes closed, and arms crossed over his chest like usual. He didn't utter a word since he got up this morning or look at anyone. I guess that was his way of getting himself pumped or something. Tyson looked at the clock on the wall and then let out a sigh. "You guys ready to go?" He asked.
I nodded and stood with the others. I could already feel the tension rising. Judging by the nervous look on Hilary's face she could feel it too. As we navigated the halls to get to the arena DJ Jazzman's voice came out of the speakers and the screens that seemed to be installed on every free space of wall possible.
"So here's the situation, kids. The BEGA bladders are leading this fight with two wins and a tie. If they win the next battle then it's all over for G Reolutions. But don't think Tyson and his team are down for the count, this is far from over. The BEGA bladders are ready. But where in the world is the next blader for the G Revolutions? We're waiting but no one's here and, more importantly, who's their fifth blader?"
Geeze, that guy really needs to shut up, I mused as we walked towards the doors that opened up to the floor of the arena.
"The crowd is getting antsy. They deserve to know."
"You guys ready for this?" Tyson asked, without turning around. We were a few paces away from standing out there and accepting our fate.
"Lead the way, dude," Ray told him.
Tyson nodded and we all walked out. The sound of the audience swelled while we made our entrance. The BEGA bladders looked at us as if we were slime on the bottom of their shoes. I smirked. They won't know what's coming at them, I'm sure they all suspect that either Tyson or I will take the next match.
"Get ready, boys and girls! The competition has arrived and Tyson is in no mood to lose this battle!" DJ Jazzman announced.
"None of us are, Jazzman," Max mumbled under his breath.
"So, I see you made it," Garland said from across the floor. "I thought for sure you'd chicken out, Tyson."
Tyson smirked. "Oh, I made it but I'm not going to be the one you're battling."
"What?" Garland laughed. "I'm going to be battling her?" He nodded in my direction. "Don't waste my time."
"Why that—" I snarled, my hands clenching into fists.
"Relax, don't let him get to you," Ray told me, grabbing me by the shoulder.
"Easy for you to say. You didn't have to deal with a pompous jerk."
"Use your anger in your battle."
"You're not going to battle me. Check this out," Tyson said, pointing at the door where we came out of. Heads as far as the eye could see looked in the direction he was pointing and I swear I heard a lot of people suck in their breaths.
"Whoa! Unreal!" DJ Jazzman gasped as Kai walked out.
"Well, it appears some crybaby ran home to his mommy," Garland taunted.
"You're wrong, Garland," Tyson said with the most confidence I've ever heard in his voice. "And we've decided that Kai will battle in the fourth round."
"Well…let's go!" Hilary said impatiently. "Or are all you BEGA brats too scared to finish the tournament?"
"Oh please. I hate to be the one to remind you, Hilary, but Kai lost the match at the BEGA preliminaries," Ming Ming said.
"And now you think you're going to beat us with this worn out blader?" Garland scoffed.
I felt my blood boil as the kids in the audience started chanting about Kai being a traitor. They knew nothing about him, how dare they say that? It looked like Hilary was getting steamed too. If she bit her lip any harder her teeth would go through it.
"Hey Brooklyn," Kai spoke up, silencing almost everyone around him. "It's you I want."
"Want a little cheese with that whine?" I mumbled under my breath as Brooklyn kept sighing and finally got to his feet. We turned and walked towards our side of the dish.
"Kai," Tyson muttered.
"Hey Tyson, I hope you realize that a tie's not an option," Kenny told him.
"It's not me you have to convince, Chief," Tyson pointed out.
Kai stopped walking so suddenly that Tyson almost ran into him.
"C'mon Kai," Daichi said.
"If we lose this one it's the end of the line," Hilary added.
"You can do it, bud," Ray said.
"Do it for the team, pal," Max agreed.
"We're counting on you," I finished.
Kai didn't say anything but moved to take the stairs up to his blading platform. "Don't worry; I know what I have to do and I'll get it done," he vowed.
He paused on the stairs and said some things about destiny and it being his turn. I think he finally lost it if he hadn't lost it already. Hilary and I took our seats on the bench. I couldn't remain standing like the others, I'd lose my mind and I was sure I wouldn't have any control over my actions. I glanced up at the box that Boris was standing in and saw him smirking and cracking his knuckles.
That cocky bastard.
After waiting on baited breath the battle finally started. They launched their beyblades. Kai's Dranzer was surrounded in a blue-ish purple flame. I knew Kai's strategy was to knock people out and end a battle as soon as possible but if he used all of his energy up in the beginning like that just to prove to Brooklyn that he's stronger he was sure to lose.
Dranzer attacked Brooklyn's blade repeatedly and it looked like it didn't do any damage. One small hit from Brooklyn and Dranzer was sent flying into one of the walls of the mini city in the dish. Kai's hands clenched into fists and I could hear low growls all the way from where I was sitting. Now every time Dranzer started to attack Brooklyn evaded him easily, as if he were playing some sort of game.
"He's being an ass," I hissed.
"But…Brooklyn's just dodging Kai's attacks," Hilary said, clearly confused.
"You don't get it. Brooklyn's strong, Kai knows that. It's sort of like an insult when a blader won't attack," I explained. As if he heard my words Brooklyn started attacking Dranzer from any side he could reach, barely giving him time to counterattack. Speak of the devil…
"No!" Kenny gasped. "Kai's getting blown away in there! At this rate Brooklyn's going to win the battle before Kai even knows what hit him!"
"Are you saying our Hard Metal System is totally useless against him, Chief?" Ray asked in disbelief.
"No!" Max gasped.
"Let's think positive guys, alright?" Tyson said. We all turned to look at him. "We've got to stick together as a team."
"Oh man, he's really getting hammered," Hilary said.
"Why do you even bother?" Brooklyn called over to Kai. "You know you can't win. You're wasting my time."
Kai let out a laugh. "Now I get it. You know, at first I thought you were able to beat me but I just figure out I'm beating myself. And now the game changes. I'm about to kick this battle up a notch and when I do, you're going to be history."
"Go ahead," Brooklyn said nonchalantly. "But don't think I don't have my own tricks."
"Oh man," I muttered, watching the battle. With a swing of his arm Brooklyn's blade smashed into Dranzer over and over again, bashing the blade into the wall and not giving it enough time to hit the ground and regain its spin. The last hit had enough force to knock Kai off of his pedestal and into the dish.
"Whoa, what's going on?" Hilary gasped as Kai started to…started to glow. A strange gray glow surrounded him as he talked to himself. A crazy look formed in his eye, one I've only seen once before but it was still enough to send a chill down my spine.
"Now what?" Ray asked.
"No way!" Kenny cried out at the sight. "How in the world did he do that? And how did he suddenly get all of his power?"
"It's too weird," Ray commented. "Something strange is going on."
"I'm real worried about Kai," Hilary said, looking at the rest of us. "Do you guys think he's alright?"
"Kai!" Max called.
"Man, I wish he'd answer us so at least we'd know what's going on out there," Daichi said.
"Tyson, we gotta do something and quick," Max said to him.
"Not yet!" Tyson replied. His hands which were resting on his knees curled into fists. He started trembling to try and hold himself back. "Just let him play! I don't know what's up but I got a feeling it's some sort of strategy. At least, I hope."
"But Tyson, we can't!"
"No! I say we don't interfere! This one's his battle and we stay put on the sidelines," he said firmly.
"But what if he gets hurt?" I asked no one in particular.
"I know Kai, he'd rather die giving it all he's got than not give it his all," Ray replied.
"Oh my gosh, look at that!" Hilary cried out, pointing. The gray smoke that surrounded his blade started to swirl and resemble a hurricane with orange glowing flecks, like there were embers nestled inside.
"It looks like a shooting star," I mused as Dranzer moved fast, faster than I've ever seen in my life. "I've never seen this power before in my life."
The battled continued and it seemed like Kai was going to win until Brooklyn essentially copied what Kai was doing and his blade got surrounded by black and purpled smoke. When Dranzer tried to attack it it ran right into some sort of shield and bounced off harmlessly. Dranzer attacked again and again while Brooklyn just stood by and laughed.
"What is that thing?" Hilary asked as the darkness surrounding Brooklyn's blade got bigger.
"It's…it's a black hole!" I gasped. "It's sucking in Kai's power! Run, Dranzer, run!"
"Looks like we're gonna lose!" Daichi moaned.
"Hey, you mind zipping it, Daichi?" Tyson demanded. "This match is far from over."
"Yeah, but…"
"This is a team. And no matter what happens we have to believe in each other, and if we believe maybe we…can send him energy."
"Whoa, you're right!" Ray said. "It could just work."
"Well, let's try it, then," Max suggested.
"You can count me in," Daichi said.
"Me too," I agreed, nodding.
"Ok, I'm in too," Hilary said.
"Hey Kai! You can do this!" Tyson called over the roar of the wind.
"Yeah, don't give up bud!" Max yelled.
"Give it all you've got!" Ray yelled.
"We believe in you, Kai!" I shouted.
"Look! Dranzer's glowing again," Hilary observed happily.
I held my breath and watched as the light around Dranzer got brighter and it shot forward. I let it out and grinned when Dranzer managed to burst through the shield that surrounded Brooklyn's blade and smashed it out of the dish. It managed to land back inside of the dish but it started wobbling a bit.
"Kai, come to your senses and pack it in!" Ray ordered.
"You gotta remember it's only a game!" Max added.
Max, Ray, and Daichi all jumped off the bench and tried to get to Kai but Hilary and Kenny managed to hold them off. I looked over at Tyson who sat on the bench with his head down, shaking a bit harder than before.
It's just a match Kai, don't overdo it, I thought while biting my thumbnail.
"Dranzer's in rough shape, I don't think he can take anymore," Kenny said as Hilary, Daichi, and I crowded around his laptop. "If Kai's not careful his days of blading could be over!"
"You mean it?" Hilary gasped.
"I'm afraid so."
I clenched my teeth. C'mon Kai, you can do this. Do it for your father, after everything that he's been through to protect the sport. You can't let him down now!
Once again Max and Ray tried to move towards the dish so they could help Kai. This time Tyson got off the bench and stopped them but stepping in front of them. He looked as if he were about to cry out of frustration. I knew how the kid felt.
"I want to help Kai," Tyson said. "But I promised I wouldn't interfere. I know if I was in the same position he's in he wouldn't break his promise to me and if I stop this match now I'll never be able to look him in the eye ever again." Ray dropped the hand that had been holding onto Tyson's collar. "Please guys, I'm begging you: Don't ask me to break my promise to Kai. I can't do it. I won't. For Kai." Tyson turned around and looked out at the battlefield. "Kai, hang on man."
I looked up at Boris's box again and saw him looking right at me, the smirk on his lips getting bigger. I tore my eyes away from him and looked at the battle again, trying to ignore the feeling of being watched. Kai looked exhausted, it was so hard seeing him like this.
"I understand this is important but…it's only a game of spinning tops," Hilary said.
"It's not just a game to Kai," I said quietly. "Beyblading is his life. It's…what took his father away."
"What?" She whispered but I ddn't reply.
Dranzer gave off one more attack, a bright tornado of flame. The next thing I knew Kai had collapsed on his pedestal and there was a huge cloud of smoke coming from one of the buildings in the dish. No! It' can't be over!
"Hey, wait!" Tyson cried out, pointing in the dust.
"Dranzer's still spinning!" Hilary cheered, jumping up and down in celebration while Kai managed to get back to his feet. One hit had him knocked back down again but he still got back onto his feet. Every time he got knocked down he would get right back up. I don't know how much longer he could keep getting up. Even Brooklyn was starting to look scared.
"Brooklyn looks like he's losing it," I commented. "Look at him, this is driving him crazy."
"Kai better attack now before Brooklyn gets it back again," Ray said.
"I don't understand!" Brooklyn gasped, holding his head.
"I don't think you will understand," Kai told him. "Because you're not a true blader! You have the power and the skill but something's missing from inside you! You don't have the beyblading spirit! That's why I have to win this battle! Because beyblading means more to me than you could ever understand! IT'S NOT JUST A GAME TO ME! FINISH HIM NOW DRANZER!"
With a loud cry, Dranzer came out of Kai's blade surrounded by the brightest fire I have ever seen. Dranzer swooped towards Brooklyn and hit his blade head on in mid air. It seemed like all of the air in the room had been sucked out as we all held our breaths. I let it out as if someone had hit me in the back when I saw that Brooklyn's black blade land outside of the dish.
"IT'S OVER!" DJ Jazzman yelled over the roar of the crowd.
"HE DID IT!" Hilary and I cheered in unison before throwing our arms around Max and giving him a hug in celebration.
"Kai beat 'im! Excellent," Ray gushed.
"He really is the best," Max added.
Kai was fine walking down the stairs and over to the group but then he tripped over his feet and almost fell forward. Good think Tyson was there to catch him and keep him from busting his face open.
"Should we call a doctor?" Daichi asked.
"I think we should take him to the doctor," Tyson replied.
"No way!" Kai said firmly. "I'm OK.
"Kai, just take it easy. We'll walk out of here together."
"I'm fine, Tyson, I don't need your help," Kai reiterated. "Just worry about her upcoming match," he said, nodding in my direction.
"You don't have to worry," I told him with a wave of my hand and as much confidence that I could muster. "I guarantee I'll win, easy,"
"And after that I want a battle with you," Tyson told him. "I still think I can teach you a thing or two."
Kai nodded. "I'll see you later." As he turned to walk away he paused and looked at me. I couldn't read the look in his eyes but I didn't look away from him. His lip curled in the corner a bit and he reached out a hand. He placed it on my head and gently ruffled my hair. "You'll do fine," he told me and then walked off the arena floor.
I sure hope so, this whole tournament is riding on my shoulders now.
No pressure.