Well, now that I took my time finishing chapter 11, I'm gonna write up chapter 12 quite quickly, thank you…
…after the disclaimer anyway…
Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade…if I did, there would be a lot more plot, a lot less blading, Dranzer wouldn't have been destroyed and Hilary would blade too…
Enjoy!
B.T.Y.: I did not enjoy torturing Brooklyn last chapter…however, this miiiight change a part of my plot…:shrugs: it wasn't set in stone anyway…
Hm…we'll see…
Oh, and thanks to everyone who reviewed!
-x-x-x-x-
Brooklyn gaped as his friends all piled into the room and shut the door behind them.
"We know you're mad at us…but we came to rescue you just the same," Mystel stated as the others smiled.
"You…you did?" It was then they saw the tearstains. All were by his side in an instant. "Thanks guys…" He murmured weakly as the darkness consumed him.
-x-x-x-x-
"So…"
"I think we should stay here for the night…especially since you got hurt…" Hilary's gaze had found Kira's gauze plastered shoulder again.
"Hilary, it's noon," the blonde scowled as she blew a blue highlight of her eyes.
"So? You're hurt!"
"That's the point. It doesn't hurt…I put a special herb on it so that it numbs the pain. The same herb is in the salve I gave you…"
"I know. It works really well!"
"Then why won't you let us continue?"
"Well…" Hilary scowled and raised her eyes to the sky. "I just…I have this feeling we need to stay here, okay!" Hilary's ruby red eyes blinked in surprise when she saw her companion's fiery grey laughing.
"Remember how I trusted my sixth sense?" Hilary nodded. "Why wouldn't I trust yours?"
"I'm not sure I trust mine," Hilary grumbled.
"You'll learn…or just learn to ignore it…one or the other…we're setting up camp, then?"
"Yeah…"
As soon as she said that, Kira was off like a shot. Hilary sighed.
'How am I gonna keep up with her? She's injured and she still has loads of energy! It's insane…' The brunette decided as she followed her friend and assisted in setting up camp.
-x-x-x-x-
Judy sighed as she looked at the sleeping Max's face.
'He sounded fine on the phone…I guess he didn't want to worry me…' She gently brushed a hair away from her son's eyes. 'Why Kai always upsets everyone is beyond me…' Her eyes hardened. 'But he won't be hurting my son anymore.'
-x-x-x-x-
The two girls lazed in the sunshine, their camp finally set up. They had just finished eating lunch and were quite content to relax after what had happened that morning.
"So…should we stick around here for a few days or keep moving after today?"
"Hm…" The brunette began weighing her options. "I think I want to stay here for a day or two…they'll expect me to move quickly, and this might throw them off…"
The blonde nodded and stretched lazily, surprised when there was no sharp flash of pain when she moved her shoulder. She then remembered the numbing herb.
Running footsteps made both look up immediately.
"Garland? Mystel? Crusher? Ming Ming?" Hilary gaped and gasped when she saw Brooklyn passed out in Crusher's arms. (1) "What happened!"
Kira stood immediately.
"Was he injured," she inquired as she dug around for her bag.
"No," Garland replied, raising an eyebrow at the girl.
"She's a friend," Hilary hurriedly put in.
"Really?" Ming Ming stared at the girl suspiciously.
"Did you…see the battle between Kai and Brooklyn," Mystel asked hesitantly.
"Yep…battles as violent as that have been springing up over the world, and my body can't handle the strain. Thus I had to quit beyblading."
"…does that mean you hate Brooklyn?" It was not any of the newcomers this time; it was Hilary who voiced this concern.
"Would I be looking for Kai if I hated him?" Was the answer she got.
"Can I take that as a yes?" The brunette pressed.
"You're able to, yes…" That made Hilary scowl.
"Stop being difficult! You're worse than Kai!"
"…I think I'll take that as a complement…"
"Most people wouldn't," Garland acknowledged.
"I'm not most people," Kira shrugged.
'What's wrong with her? Could it be that she doesn't get along with boys? Oh no…what if she thinks they're evil!' Hilary internally began panicking. "Um…Kira, could I talk to you for a sec?" The blonde nodded and followed Hilary out of the clearing. "Do you hate them or something?" She scowled at Hilary and crossed her arms.
"If someone gets defensive on me, I get defensive right back," she declared, sounding mature and childish at the same time.
"Oh…" Hilary mumbled, relieved.
"And, to be truthful, no, I don't hold a grudge against Brooklyn. Would I have offered to tend to his wounds, if he had any, if I did?"
"Hehe good point," Hilary sweatdropped.
"I'm not trying to make you feel stupid or anything; I'm just pointing out the facts…I have a way of making people hate me when I do that…"
"Nah, I don't hate you. I just…feel stupid…"
"Welcome to my world." Both laughed and headed back into the clearing. "I'll say this now…" She now held the former BEGA team's attention. "When people get defensive on me, I get defensive right back. I have nothing personally against any of you, but I can be a real bitch when people get defensive on me." That over with, she sat down and calmly began reorganizing the herbs and supplies in her bags.
For a few moments, no one spoke.
"Gomen nasai," Ming Ming murmured. "We're just so used to people picking on Brooklyn…all because of that battle…"
"I've seen something ten times worse. Why would I fault your friend for it?"
"Something ten times worse," Ming Ming was aghast.
"In my eyes, yes," the blonde replied and that was all anyone could get out of her. The BEGA group sat down and the debate of whether to lay Brooklyn down on the ground started. It was abruptly ended when the silent Kira threw a cloak at Crusher and left the clearing.
'I really don't like killing things…oh well…' Kira continued on her way to her destination.
-x-x-x-x-
"Does she…like Brooklyn then?" Ming Ming wondered aloud.
"Well, she told us she has nothing personal against him," Hilary replied dryly.
"This is a first…" Garland commented.
"What is," Hilary inquired.
"Us trying to speculate how much someone likes Brooklyn…" Garland answered and they all started laughing a bit. They stopped suddenly as they heard a thumping sound.
"Never seen someone carrying something heavy," an amused voice called to them and they all spun to see Kira hauling a net full of fish into the clearing.
Garland and Crusher immediately stood to help her as Mystel went in search of firewood.
"I'll go find some sticks to roast them on," Hilary volunteered and wandered off as well.
"Make sure you guys don't get lost," Kira shouted after them. "I almost did!"
"Okay," the two shouted back. "We'll be careful!"
Garland looked worried as he, Crusher and Kira began preparing the fish to be eaten.
-x-x-x-x-
"So…we should avoid you at all costs," Tyson tried summing it up. Mariah laughed.
"I wouldn't go that far…but I think I may want to wait to Beybattle anyone until NMS is over…" Mariah started laughing again at the look on Tyson's face.
Kenny sighed and rubbed his temples.
"This is going to be a long, long, long…wait, how long does NMS last?" That set Mariah off again and this time, everyone else joined in.
"Hey, wait, where's Daichi?" Rei wondered aloud; everyone stopped laughing immediately.
-x-x-x-x-
The pilot grinned as he saw the thin stretch of land that was slowly coming into view; he picked up the intercom and pressed the button.
"Mr. Hiwatari, we are nearing a landing area," he informed his silent passenger.
"Then do so," was the sparse reply. The pilot smirked and shook his head as he prepared to let the airport know he was landing.
This was the same airport both Max and Hilary had landed at.
-x-x-x-x-
"What's wrong," Kira broke the silence. Ming Ming looked worriedly at Garland.
"Shouldn't he have woken up by now," the silver haired and eyed teen murmured.
"Depends on what happened," the blonde replied and attacked her fish to help rid herself of her frustration.
-x-x-x-x-
Hilary and Mystel walked in a companionable silence; they had found a bit of firewood and some sticks small enough to be able to roast the fish on.
The brunette was about to start up a conversation when she screamed and started running. Mystel soon followed, but decided not to scream.
-x-x-x-x-
Garland and Crusher leapt to their feet at the sound of Hilary's scream. Without hesitation, they immediately started in the direction, only to have Mystel and Hilary come breezing past them and collapse on the ground in the clearing.
"Are you guys okay?" Kira inquired calmly as she continued to work on her fish.
"F-fine," Hilary panted as she pushed herself into a sitting position.
"Then why were you screaming," Ming Ming wondered aloud.
"S-snake!" Hilary grumbled shakily. "I h-hate snakes!" Everyone but Mystel and Hilary sweatdropped. (2)
-x-x-x-x-
'So they managed to free him…hm…I relish the thought of a chase…' A smirk flitted across the man with the sunglasses face, but, as quickly as it had come, it was gone. 'Well, well…Brooklyn Kingston…it looks like you shall have some company in your lock down…once I get you back, you shall never again see the light of day…'
If he were to take off the sunglasses, someone would have seen the maniacal gleam in his eyes now.
'Freaks like you don't deserve to live…'
A predatory grin spread across the man's face as he thought of how tortured the boy had looked before his friends had come to rescue him. His grin widened, then faded to a frown. He had seen the faint flicker of hope in the boy's eyes. Then the insane grin came back.
'Oh, how fun it will be to break that boy of hope…' (3)
-x-x-x-x-
Vivid blue eyes fluttered open to meet dazzling green. (4)
"M-mom," Max croaked as he sat up.
"Right here," Judy gently helped her son into a sitting position.
"W-what happened," the boy rasped. His mother silently handed him a bottle of water; he drank until his parched throat stopped complaining. "Thanks mom…" Max slid to the edge of the sofa and stood. "I should get back…leaving was too rash…Tyson needs all the-"
"Actually, I think it would be better if you stayed here. I haven't talked to your dad yet, but I think he'll agree with me when I say you aren't to be around the Bladebreakers anymore."
Max's eyes widened.
-x-x-x-x-
"So…" Kira began conversationally. "Did you bring back the sticks?" For a moment, all was silent. Mystel held up the firewood he had managed to keep a hold of while running; Hilary held up three sticks that could be used to roast the fish.
Said blonde stood up and vanished into the foliage. A few moments later, she returned with four more, just enough for everyone to roast their own.
Garland began the process of trying to light a fire, but it was not working. Kira sighed and began fishing around in her mystery bag. Ming Ming anime fell when she pulled out some matches.
"…why didn't you pull those out in the first place," Hilary inquired with a sweatdrop.
"I was getting more sticks, remember," Kira replied as she handed the matches over to the extremely frustrated Garland. Once the fire was lit, they all snagged a stick, a fish and began to roast it. Kira repeated the process once more.
"Hungry, huh," Hilary mused as she laughed a bit.
"Nope." Kira answered. "This one's for him," she pointed at the k.o.'ed carrot top who was leaned against the tree.
"Oops," Ming Ming mumbled. "He's so quiet-"
"He's knocked out," Hilary reminded her.
"-I almost forgot he was there," Ming Ming finished and scowled at Hilary, who had no problems glaring back.
"Oy," Kira muttered as a full-fledged glaring contest ensued.
"Guys, break it up," Garland commanded. Both, albeit reluctantly, stopped.
"Who is she," a soft voice asked. They all turned to see that Brooklyn's green eyes were open and he was now awake. Hilary tried to quell the bubble of apprehension she felt forming in her chest.
'Something tells me this is not going to be good…' Said brunette thought.
-x-x-x-x-
(1)- he was carrying him, okay? This is not yaoi (sorry if anyone's a fan, but I don't write it)
(2)- well, Brooklyn didn't obviously! He's still out!
(3)- I told you he'd be back! Oh, and I'm looking for name suggestions…
(4)- I'm not sure what color Judy's eyes are…oh well…they're green now!
That's all for now folks!
I'll update ASAP!
Oh, and definitely no preview again XP sorry, I think I've decided to just abandon the whole thing…at least until I get myself organized again…oh well…
Emma