Max sighed, stripping down in front of his teammates and felt embarrassed now. Not that he minded his mother's affections; he was used to seeing her research scientific stuff. Now when Judy was in 'full mom mode', the protective side of her kicked in.

Takao covered his mouth, trying his hardest not to laugh. Of all the times his blond friend teased him and the others, it was biting the other back in the butt. At that thought, the older boy snorted. "Payback's a bitch, eh Maxie!" He burst out laughing.

This caused the youngest blader to glower at the bluenette, seeing Hiromi and Rei pull on Takao's ears on both sides. He felt a hand turn his face. Judy examined Max's black eye, sighing lightly. "Kikyo, can you come in?" She called out, the form of Adam's mother coming into the room.

Kikyo glanced at her son and his teammates, but seeing Max covered in bruises caused her to hurry over. The raven haired woman looked at the bruises on the young boy's body, and glanced at him. "Maxie, did you get into a fight?" She asked her light blue eyes on him.

In response this caused Max to groan in frustration. It was embarrassing that the two were treating him like a little kid, most likely because of his innocent and fragile appearance. "I didn't get into a fight!" He exclaimed comically. "I was beyblading in a new arena with Boris."

Adam had his gaze set on Max the whole time, his mind spacing out now. The way the youngest blader and his once teammate were talking about him, he had felt left out. Not in a 'trying to make friends' kind of way, but there was something about it. Plus the way his body was shaped in the shower and being examined, it started to stir up some emotions. When he felt a pair of soft brown eyes on him, he yelped and backed up against the wall. "What is it Jonouchi?" The midnight blue-eyed teen asked.

Jonouchi was staring at his older teammate, having his eyes on him the whole time. A cheesy smile had taken over. "You like what you see, don't you?" He teased, moving up close to Adam.

The raven haired blader broke eye contact with him, his cheeks burning. "I-I don't know what you're talking about!" He exclaimed, thinking Jonouchi was flirting with him.

Kikyo glanced at her son, seeing the stubborn look on his face she laughed. She realized that Adam must've been staring at Max's body, and the parents were oblivious to it. "Come on Adam, it's okay to admit you have a crush on Max."

Takao glanced over, laughing his head off now and held his middle. He was on his knees, seeing the look on his older brother's best friend's face was priceless, especially with a broken nose. "Adam and Max, sitting in a tree-"

Rei wanted to cut off his lover, but he felt a sudden urge to join in. Like Takao, Rei had his occasional moments when he liked to tease as well. "K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love, then comes marriage, and then comes Adam in the baby carriage," he finished, grinning at his new teammate.

Max had to flash a grin at this, thinking that Adam looked so cute when he blushed. "That explains why you were looking at me like that in the shower."

Judy covered her mouth, trying not to let a giggle escape from her mouth. She was used to her son's flirting, which came from her back in her days in high school. "Now Max… Don't make Adam blush too much," she said, trying to hold it in and the uncontrollable giggles turned into laughs. She leaned into Kikyo for support, which caused the doctor to catch her with both arms.

Adam in response grabbed Kai's scarf, getting a death glare from his student and shot him a dirty look. "You'd be embarrassed too if you were teased," he mumbled, pulling up a piece of the fabric to cover his blush.

&&&

In the training facility, the Steel Hawks were practicing for the second round tomorrow. The Canadian team was helping Brooklyn train, now having a hold of his special powers. It was Andros' turn to train with him, loading up his beyblade on the ground on a platform launcher. The platinum blond captain glanced at Brooklyn. "I'm ready when you are."

Brooklyn's sea green eyes were on him, nodding his head. "I have come this far, and I will not back down," he said in a serious tone. Hitting a latch on his silver gauntlet-shaped shooter, two sides popping out that were shaped like a bow along his wrist. He loaded up his beyblade and slowly drew the string back.

Matthew glanced at the two, his indigo blue eyes moving from both sides to his older brother and back at his new teammate. He was going to be the referee, and the team reluctantly allowed him to. It was the only way to keep the dirty blond seventeen year old pleased. "Are you ready? 3… 2… 1! Go Shoot!"

In response, Andros raised his hockey stick and swung at it, making contact with his platinum silver, turquoise, and maroon beyblade. Brooklyn released the string, sending Zeus flying. Both bladers were in a big hole, as big as a skateboarding rink. The two beyblades clashed against each other, causing the two Steel Hawk bladers to move around freely. "Zeus! Counter!"

The beyblade responded by staying in the center, dodging the other beyblade without flinching. His captain's beyblade was pushing it back, proving the other was very experienced and knew what he was doing.

Light blue eyes were on the match, rubbing her arms on the sleeves of her purple jacket. The brunette remembered the expression she saw on Andros' face, remembering that tense look and the hatred in those indigo blue eyes when he saw the familiar hairstyle. "Your thinking about the captain's feelings, aren't you?" Someone asked, causing the youngest blader of the Steel Hawks to glance at the older man.

"Oh Trey, it's just you," Jesse sighed with relief, and turned her gaze back onto the battle. "When Brooklyn told us he knew it was Hitoshi as Shippu no Jin…" Her voice trailed off.

"It only fueled the fire to Andros' hatred," Trey finished Jesse's sentence, shaking his head. He didn't like seeing the younger teenager like this. The way it worked, Trey was the oldest one, Andros was the second oldest, and Brooklyn was the third oldest. The eye-patched teenager glanced at the two, thinking that Brooklyn was getting better each day.

&&&

It was the second week of practice, the Steel Hawks practicing in the icy cold at five in the morning. The original three were used to it, but Matthew was a late sleeper. However, Brooklyn was starting to become more of Matthew's human 'alarm-clock'. "Okay Steel Hawks, it's time for some laps!" Andros exclaimed.

The five rushed out to the ice, skating to increase their speed in performance and synchronize with their beyblades. Trey glanced at Andros, seeing that his 'fearless leader' had that spark to participate in the tournament.

On the sixth lap, all five took out their beyblades. They used basic gripping launchers, using their hockey sticks for later on. As their beyblades were loaded up, they were launched, zigzagging in a pattern, copying their masters' physical performance.

"Alright ladies and man, time to pick a partner!" Trey shouted, referring the males on the team as ladies, much to Matthew's dislike and Jesse as the man. He paired himself up with Andros and Brooklyn, the three beyblading on the ice. The gray-haired blader glanced at Andros, pushing Brooklyn.

Brooklyn could sense that the older man was aggravated about something. When he read his mind without the other knowing it, he saw some burning hatred within him. He would not bring it up now, but when the time came for it, he would tell his captain the truth.

&&&

Brooklyn picked up the pace, landing on his feet with grace and elegance, his eyes on Andros. The rink had been turned into ice, seeing a white and sky blue eagle screech, its blue eyes on the ginger-haired man. "Andros… Before we continue, I must tell you something," he said his eyes on the captain. "Let it go."

Andros' indigo blue eyes were staring at Brooklyn, not blinking or cracking a smile. He simply nodded his head, wondering what the other had to say.

"Let it go." Brooklyn started to speak, standing up and his expression was serious again. "Your hatred for Hitoshi… It'll eat away at you and consume you," he saw the look on Andros' face not break but his eyes tensed. "I didn't tell you and the others this, but I have powers… Frightening powers that are hard to control. Every single day I have to keep my emotions in check. When I read your mind the first time we met, I had sensed a burning desire for revenge against Hitoshi."

Matthew's expression on his face turned to shock, his own indigo blue eyes on the prodigy blader. "Dude! You have powers and you never told us… that is so cool!" He exclaimed.

Brooklyn sighed, shaking at his teammate's ignorance. "They are not powers like the 'superheroes' in your comic books… I don't know how these powers of mine came to be. Garland thinks they're based on the anger that stems back to my childhood, where the children didn't want to beyblade with me because… I was perfect. Borcloff found me in a small village, which I guess was my hometown. Not knowing who my parents were, he raised me in Japan while he was off in Russia doing whatever it was. I was homeschooled and stayed in a mansion in the outskirts of Japan. Being given everything, I guess everyone got the impression I was a rich kid born with a silver spoon in my mouth… However, they never knew the truth."

Trey was taken aback by all of this in, not realizing that Brooklyn was an orphan just like himself and the others. "Go on, I want to hear the rest," he said.

"Last year, Borcloff came back and offered me a chance to join his BEGA organization. Back then, I was bored and needed something to amuse myself. So I went with his offer, realizing that I would meet some interesting people. The only one to sort of understand me was Garland. While he showed enthusiasm for the sport, I had no desire because I knew I could win without putting any effort into it. That's when Hitoshi came along and became BEGA's coach. I was selected by him to be the next Takao Kinomiya, having taken in his lessons. You know the rest of how the Justice Five Tournament worked out, but that was when my 'perfect world' was shattered… After my loss to Kai, I was left psychologically damaged and hid myself from the others to hide my shame. When Hitoshi and Garland came, I became… Overcome by my own hatred, thinking that life was a joke. It was during my match with Kai, he kept going on about a 'blader spirit' and I had no idea what he meant at the time. Hitoshi was continuing to train me, as I continued to let Zeus' dark powers possess me."

Jesse remembered that day, the one where she noticed the world was covered in darkness and that must've been the cause. "Was it Zeus who influenced you to warp the world into your own image?" She asked, seeing Brooklyn deep in thought.

&&&

Brooklyn was in the locker room, prepping up for his final match. Hitoshi was talking some business with Borcloff, like that wasn't unusual. Hearing the door open, he felt a different aura and glanced up.

"Ah, so you're the new blader everyone has been raving about," A sinister voice said, seeing the eighteen year old's gaze on him. He had chalk white skin, messy spiked jungle green hair with black streaks, a Glasgow smile with gray make-up to cover them, red markings on his eyes, his eyes were pure black with red slits, sharp black claws, very lithe and slender, and stood 5'11". He wore a purple and black high-collared trench coat that stopped to his knees, dark green vest zipper styled, a blue and purple dress shirt, a maroon tie, purple and black pants, black fingerless gloves, and black leather boots with straps to match.

He turned his gaze, his ginger bangs covering his eyes. "Who are you?" He whispered, his voice sounding like he was depressed, but gave a hint he wanted to hurt someone.

This caused the mysterious purple-clad man to smile, showing a series of jagged sharp teeth. Not walking over to Brooklyn, but he took a step. "That's for another time. The important thing is I watched your match with Kai yesterday and I must say you did not disappoint."

"But I lost!" Brooklyn snapped, his eyes glinting a bright sea green.

"Now now, let's not do anything rash," the man grinned, holding up his hands in defense. "I wanted to say that you have quite an impressive display of power. However, it started making me think, what's a talented blader like yourself doing hanging with a bunch of low-class nobodies."

Brooklyn didn't know what this man was talking about and he did wonder why he was here in the first place.

"I'm just like you my dear Brooklyn…I have these amazing gifts, and nobody understands me," he decided to give a demonstration, his hands glowing and used his mental powers to change the bench into another set of lockers. "You see, like you I have these 'special powers'. Unlike you, I don't have anyone ordering me around, telling me what to do…I show the world what I am by lashing out and committing acts to show that I mean business."

This man's words were slowly starting to make sense, and he started thinking back to his childhood. When he beybladed with the other kids, he knocked out their beyblades without even trying and they always walked away from him. He had no friends and was isolated. The only one that truly understood him was Zeus, his own bitbeast.

"It's people like Borcloff and Hitoshi that don't understand your true power. A young lad such as yourself deserves to be free, not be restrained to the ground and watch others ascend into the lovely blue sky… No, show the world how you truly feel. You are a bright young man with big dreams, but small ignorant people like I mentioned don't see the world like we do. Tell me Brooklyn, what is it you dream about?"

"I dream about flying, being free and not caring what others have to say," Brooklyn answered, always wanting be free like the birds and not be caged like an animal.

"Then turn that dream into a reality. Use your powers to turn the world into your world, your dream! You deserve to show that mediocre society who Brooklyn Masefield really is! All of those titles, matches, they're meaningless. You have what it takes to be the best beyblader! And the fact that you really admire your bitbeast will help… Let it help you make your dream come true. Tap into his power, let Zeus help you achieve your dreams and make them true," the man encouraged, secretly wanting Borcloff's plan to backfire.

Brooklyn couldn't help but smirk, glancing at the man. He had the answer and in return he would make his dream come true. However, he watched the man go to the door. "Where are you going?" He asked.

The man turned to gaze at the teen prodigy, grinning at him. "To watch your match with Takao. Gonna need a front row seat to watch the fireworks," he winked before closing the door.

&&&

Jesse took in Brooklyn's story, gasping at the experience he went through. Even though she barely knew the other, she wanted some way to show she cared. "I know we've grown to come to accept you as part of the team… We never asked you about what it was like with BEGA. Now that we know, I feel… Horrible for what you've been through," she said, trying not to crack.

Brooklyn could sense Jesse's feelings, seeing they were genuine and smiled gently. It wasn't out of pity or sympathy, but felt that she wanted to show her respects. "I'm curious, what are your stories?" He asked, remembering the Steel Hawks were a mysterious bunch.

Andros glanced over at Matthew, seeing his brother's bangs cover his eyes. "My brother and I lost our parents on a skiing trip. My dad was a professional hockey player, our mother a figure skater… We were cheated by dad's sleazy manager, having given the money both mom and dad earned to some… Big company called Biovolt or whatever it was," he said, clenching his fist. "My brother and I were stuck in an orphanage from there."

"I never knew my parents, so I grew up and was nurtured by the nanny who worked in the same orphanage," Jesse explained to Brooklyn. She knew they had their own sob stories, but it was life. So she never questioned who her parents were in her mind.

Trey glanced at his new teammate, about to reveal a big part of his past. "Back when I was young, I… used to be a thief. I started stealing stuff when I was six, mostly to help my little sister… My parents were a bunch of nobodies. I was caught, and my sister… She died of starvation and I was put into an orphanage," he explained.

"We were each other's family. Since hockey was our thing, we practiced every day. And when an old man adopted us, he introduced us to beyblading. While he was an expert hockey veteran, he showed love for the sport. So we took the name of his once junior hockey team, and created our own style," Andros explained to Brooklyn, on how the Steel Hawks came to be.

"… And I take it whatever Hitoshi did in the past, was what caused Trey to lose his right eye?" Brooklyn asked, seeing a nod from Trey. "Andros, don't become something you are not. However… I can come to an understanding with Hitoshi. I too went insane over my defeat from Kai and the anguish of being alone. If I were to lose myself… Would you take my life?"

Androswas surprised by this question, remembering his own bitter hatred for Hitoshi. Brooklyn was wiser than he looked, most likely from gaining his own knowledge of how dangerous his powers were and what the consequences were. If he had killed Hitoshi, he'd be no better than him.

"I still think he should've gotten you some help. You were left vulnerable back then… And who uses another blader to make his brother stronger? Pardon my language, but that's bullshit. I don't care if he wanted to make Takao strong and he sided with Borcloff. I see the way he treated his brother on TV, and I think someone like him doesn't deserve to be the brother of Takao. I'm not gonna kill him… However, I'd like to knock some sense into that god-complex brain of his," he said, pounding his fist against his palm. "Verbally that is," he added.

Matthew smiled slightly, knowing Andros was good with his words. He knew his older brother was good at defending his teammates. Whoever talked smack about the Steel Hawks, the older Nashblade knew how to talk back but in a calm and serious tone. "So, you two ladies going to continue?" He asked, getting a look from Jesse and held his hands in defense. "I'm kidding."

&&&

The Russians were in their own big 'bedroom', wearing the same night clothes as the Bladebreakers: all white t-shirts and dark blue sleep pants. The older redhead was looking at Steelborg, fine tuning the bottom part of his beyblade. Ever since he lost to that 'mutt', he saw the way him and Kai were being so affectionate. It made him sick and never understood what Yuriy saw in him.

Yuriy was the quietest of them all, his icy blue eyes gazing at his older brother. "Demitri, you've been fixing your beyblade obsessively. Nothing is wrong with it," he said calmly.

"It's not the beyblade… I can't see what you like about that blond. He may be a good blader, but he toyed with your feelings," Demitri said, keeping his temper in check. "Besides, what's your obsession with winning and that Jonouchi character?"

"Back when that 'Jonouchi' character and Kai joined Neo Borg three years ago… He treated me with kindness and made me feel like a human." Yuriy explained, feeling a brief moment of softness, and was replaced by his icy mask once again. "As for winning, there's no reason for it."

In response, Demitri growled as he felt his nails turn into claws and eyes take on an eerie golden color. His canine fangs flashed, causing the ones like Ivan and Boris to quake in their boots. He grabbed Ivan, the shorter purple-haired blader above him. "Put me down!" He demanded in a comical way. In reaction, he was thrown like a throwing dart and his pointy nose hit the wall, and for some odd reason his body was stiff as a straight board as it made a wobbling sound.

Boris couldn't help but laugh like a hyena, holding his middle and fell on his back. "Looks like Demitri found a way to reinvent the term 'bull's-eye'!" He continued to laugh harder, seeing Ivan struggling to get his nose out of the wall.

"When I get my hands on, you are so dead!" Ivan growled in frustration.

There was a knock on the door, Boris glancing at his captain. They weren't expecting anyone at this hour, so he saw his captain nod and walked over to the door. Once it was opened, he saw a familiar blond and his teammates. "What do you want?" He asked in a drawl tone.

Slade could see the cold eyes on him and his teammates. Seeing Ivan's nose stuck against the wall, he shot Alistair a look not to laugh. Running a hand through his blond hair, he took a deep breath. "I'm here because I want to make a proposal," he offered, his silver eyes back on the Russians.

Sergei walked over, gently helping his shorter teammate out of the wall. He had his eyes on the Renegades, remembering in the past they had privileges to stay in fancy quarters outside of the Abbey, while he and the other bladers-in-training were tortured or put through the wringer in their training sessions.

Demitri glared death at Slade, already in a stance and ready to hurt the blond man. "Why would a backstabber like you want to associate with us?!" He yelled, anger already showing on his face. "You took over my team and tried to kill Yuriy!"

Slade mentally cringed at that. He wasn't aiming to kill Yuriy, but Demitri himself. It was blackmail from Zero's part, that if he didn't take Demitri out of the picture the madman would kill his mother, the All Stars, and Max. Gazing back at those wolf-like eyes, he entered anyway and leaned against the wall. "I know a way of how to make the great Kai Hiwatari and that… annoying pup crumble."

This caught Yuriy's attention in an instant, but felt a pair of red eyes on him, his own eyes glancing at Alistair, his brother's once teammate. "What are you looking at?" He snapped, not in the mood for games.

Alistair's lips let out a snicker, holding his sides. "Oh man, I was right. For someone who's supposed to be a gruff captain, you sound like a girl trying to be sound like a boy." This only caused him to burst out laughing. "The way you snapped, sounded like one of those yap-yap dogs. Plus what kind of a name is Yuriy. All your teammates have manly names, but have a really… feminine one to match your appearance! What's the matter, trying to watch what you eat to keep your 'girlish figure' intact? Want to make an impression on your date with Wolborg?" He teased.

All of this in response made Yuriy growl, glowering at the cyborg and took out his launcher. He took out his beyblade, loading it up and pulled the ripcord hard. "Wolborg! Novae Rog!" He yelled, an ice maiden appearing and took the form of an ice wolf howling.

This caused the brown haired British man to be encased into a block of ice and the diamond-like ice shattered, slamming Alistair face first against the wall, peeling off like a pancake and fell to the floor.

Demitri glanced at Yuriy, smirking at him and turned his gaze back to Slade as he resumed his human features. "You have my attention, so speak." He said.

"You know how your father's company mysteriously went underground? Well, Zero created a platoon of cybernetic-soldiers that are made from bio-technology and hit hard like lightning. It was from there, he and Borcloff helped raise Voltaire Hiwatari to power again. Zero ran most of the ideas, but needed someone to represent a 'powerful figure' for the image." Slade explained to the red-head, handing him documents of the orchestrated plans. "Right now Biovolt is being put up for auction, and Kai doesn't even know it."

Demitri started looking over the documents, taking in the details and it made him furious. Their father, Antov Ivanov, was a respected businessman who manufactured beyblade gear and parts for a deceased teammate of his. Yuriy's and his lives were surrounded by beyblades. Playing, tinkering, and practicing with them. They enjoyed what they did, until his parents were mysteriously killed. From there, they woke up and lived on the streets.

Then one day Borcloff came along and offered the brothers a chance to beyblade. Having nowhere else to go, they accepted the man's offer. In 1991, a team called the Renegades was formed, and they became Russia's world champions. Until one day in 1995, Slade came by for a tour, and started pointing out the flaws. Demitri didn't like this newcomer, but in the end he was beaten by the blond American. This caused him to lose his position as captain of the Renegades, him and Yuriy kicked out.

"None of this would've happened if you hadn't pointed out the flaws in the team I ran," Demitri glowered at Slade, still holding the documents.

"I didn't come by as a replacement. However, as one blader to another I apologize for having you booted off," Slade said, showing his words were genuine and sincere. It was back when he was twelve years old, he lost his world champion title to Adam, and Dr. Zero showed up offering him a 'scholarship' in beyblading and lessons at 'Borcloff Abbey' in Moscow, Russia. He thought he'd be learning to be a stronger blader and reclaim his title, not get turned into a captain for a world champion team.

Demitri glared at Slade, his eyes coming across the deed. It was his father's writing saying if anything were to happen to him, his company should be inherited by Yuriy and him when the two came to age. If not, then their butler was to take over instead. His calm icy eyes glanced back up at Slade, about to say something, but heard his cell phone ring. "Ivanov… Douglas Wintergreen! I haven't heard from you in ages… I see, and you just bought Biovolt how? Well then, I'll see you after the tournament," he said, saying goodbye and glanced at Yuriy. "That was our butler. He had the real deed handed over to him by Slade, and this here is a copy."

Slade turned around, motioning Drake to help pick up Alistair. "Archfield, since you helped us regain Biovolt, what do you get out of this?" Yuriy asked, knowing there was a reason behind everything.

This caused the blond man to meet with Yuriy's eyes. "I want to see Hiwatari fall, for all the injustice he committed. For joining Neo Borg, leaving his team, and not showing regret for his actions," he answered, leaving the room and closed the door.

Yuriy crossed his arms over his chest, a smirk creeping up on his lips. All his life he waited in envy as Kai had everything, even when they were in the Abbey. He remembered his own words; that he'd restore the Ivanov name, and now his own words had become a reality. So Neo Borg lost the battle, but he and his brother had earned back what their father had worked so hard to build. "I look forward to seeing the expression on Hiwatari's face."

&&&

"Will the Steely Steel Hawks and infamous AVALANCHE teams report to the arena." Zero announced over the loud speakers, annoying both teams mentally.

Sea green eyes mentally narrowed at the voice, already feeling uncomfortable. This caused him to hear a voice in his head, encouraging him to kill the man called Dr. Zero. Soon a second voice came, and then a third and he started hearing voices. The silver haired gritted his teeth, but felt a hand on his own, causing him to turn around.

"It'll be okay," Cloud assured, taking his taller partner's hand and gently squeezed it.

Sephiroth nodded his head, squeezing the spiky haired blond's hand back. He gazed at his teammates, knowing each had been practicing religiously for the past five years. Even if they went underground and off the radar, he had gotten stronger and would win this petty tournament that Jin hosted. "Let's go," he ordered, letting go of Cloud's hand.

The team left the locker room, walking down the hallway and entered the stadium. Sephiroth glanced up at Zero, seeing him in the box above them. His sea green eyes turned to face the Steel Hawks, and glanced at their newest member Brooklyn. Feeling his body tense, he felt a strange power from the younger blader. 'That boy…His power feels-' His thoughts were interrupted when he saw Tifa's eyes on him.

"Sephiroth, who should we sent out first?" She asked, the young woman staring at her captain as if wondering if something was on his mind.

"… Send in Riku," Sephiroth answered, turning his eyes to the young silver haired teen.

Riku nodded, knowing he would win this for his team and to impress Sephiroth. He would show the others his skills were equal to those of his brother.

"For the second battle of the second round we have the returning team AVALANCHE against the flock of birds the Steel Hawks!" Zero announced, taking his seat, looking forward to seeing the outcome of this battle.

Matthew stretched his legs, standing straight and felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Andros, his older brother giving him that look that said 'Good luck out there'. The dirty blond seventeen year old grinned. "I'll kick some ass… Not too much," he assured, having to watch what he said in front him. Walking to the box of the arena, he glanced to see his opponent was a silver haired sixteen year old. "Oh ho ho ho, this is gonna be fun!"

Riku stepped into his own box on the opposite side, his sea-blue eyes focused on Matthew and he snorted. "Whatever," he said, wanting to get this over and done with.

Like the arena in the first battle, it was large and the gears started turning as the platforms were lowered 40ft into the ground. Unlike the previous arena, this one had a winter theme, rocks covered in snow, ice everywhere in some parts of the arena, and trees to give the bladers camouflage. Matthew couldn't help but grin, feeling content with a home field advantage.

Riku held his jagged dragon-wing like sword tightly, taking out a dark purple beyblade with dark red and light blue dragon wing markings on the fins. His bitchip contained a black creature with red and blue features, looking very malicious looking. Loading up his beyblade he raised an eyebrow. "A hockey stick?"

"I see you haven't been updated my good man," Matthew waggled his eyebrows, loading his beyblade to the ground.

"3… 2… 1… Go Shoot!"

Riku swung his jagged sword with perfect execution, watching it sail onto the ground. He smirked slightly, knowing he already had won this. "Go Souleater!" The dark purple beyblade moved at perfect speed, but noticed it wobbled a bit.

Matthew's dark gray and maroon beyblade was gliding flawlessly on the ice. The older teen moved, grinning as he knew he was in sync. "Need any help my good sir?" He said, moving towards Riku. With or without the ice skates, he and his teammates were speed demons on the ice.

Blinking a few times in confusion, he shook his head and scowled. "Why would I need help from an opponent?" In response his beyblade fought back, showing he had more strength and experience than this amateur. He was oblivious to Sephiroth's encounter with the Steel Hawks.

The hockey-playing blader shrugged, offering to lend a hand. "Krauseblitz, dodge!" The blade turned left, dodging Souleater and bashed against him. He continued to move at great speed, being one who enjoyed the adrenaline rush.

Riku felt his beyblade take the hit, countering as he stood up. "Souleater!" He yelled, the bitchip glowed, as a black creature with red and blue markings charged at the dark gray beyblade. Even with all the wobbling Riku performed, he knew he secretly would be beating the long-haired teen.

Matthew continued to take the hits, and dashed past Riku with his arms crossed behind his head. "Dude, I can do this all day."

"Oh really?" Riku raised an eyebrow, feeling himself struggle on the ice now. Why was the arena an ice theme again? Was it to humiliate him? No, he would conquer this annoying match, but he wondered how long it would take. A low growl escaped his lips, already struggling with the solid ground.

"Krauseblitz, Stride Dash!" A giant falcon bitbeast was summoned, having lilac feathers, with blue markings, and its green eyes gazed at Souleater. Like the mischievous speed demon, he put more speed into his beyblade. The dark gray beyblade continued to move at different angles, throwing Souleater off guard, and struck hard.

The beyblade landed on its top, causing Riku in turn to fall down as well. He opened one eye, seeing that his blade stopped spinning, and his face was filled with surprise. The quiet blader had lost to an annoying amateur, and he lost by not keeping his balance. He went over to pick up his beyblade. "You won the match… What, aren't you going to gloat?" He snapped.

Matthew's indigo blue eyes stared down at Riku, bending down and help the other boy up. "No way, what's there to gloat about? You put up one hell of a fight," he said with honesty. When he got Riku onto his feet, his hand grasped the silver haired boy's tight ass, and leaned in to kiss his lips with great hunger. He even slid his tongue inside the other's mouth, tasting that dry cavern.

Riku's eyes widened with shock, not expecting this from the older boy. He was trying to comprehend what was happening. He was aware of his older brother's relationship with Cloud, and always tortured the two when he was younger. Now here was someone kissing him like he meant it. He felt the lips part, blinking a few times.

"That was my victory; give me a call while you're at it." Matthew winked, putting a card in Riku's pant pocket, pulling back and slid smoothly on the ice and his long mullet hair moved like a breeze along with it.

The young silver haired blader was still left stunned; gaining his cool composure back he shook his head. What on Earth had gotten into him? He would take care of the annoying Canadian later, in his own way. His hand absent-mindedly went to touch his lips, feeling the minty tingle from Matthew's lips.

Sephiroth looked at Riku indifferently, having his arms crossed over his chest. He didn't care what the result was in the end, but he would talk to Riku about this later. "Tifa, you're next."

Tifa nodded her head, standing up and cracked her knuckles. It had been awhile since she battled competitively, but she practiced religiously and perfected her martial arts that her late master taught her.

&&&

Jesse stood up from her spot on the bench, taking a deep breath. Being the youngest of her team, she relied on her speed and defensive skills. Although her speed could increase greatly if she was patient for the right moment. Going to the rope ladder, she climbed down and like Matthew she was going to be on her home turf.

Tifa was on the opposite side, remembering the young brunette of the Steel Hawks. In the past, the older fighter was a teenager back then; she had thought Jesse looked adorable back then as a ten year old. Now that her female friend was fifteen years old, she held her own beauty and felt a determined fighting spirit within the young blader. "Your name is Jesse Bishop, am I right?"

Jesse nodded her head, smiling slightly and loaded up her aqua-blue beyblade. "Yeah, and I apologize because it's been awhile… Tifa was it?" She asked, getting a nod from the other and grinned. "Good luck!"

The dark haired woman simply smiled, giving a thumbs up in response. She took out a yellow-orange beyblade with red markings on the fins. On the bitchip was an Atlantean with blue skin, covered in ancient armor, standing in a martial arts stance. Like her last master, she called her bitbeast Zangan. Adjusting her arm gauntlet launcher, she loaded up her beyblade. The two female bladers waited for the countdown to begin and once they heard 'go shoot' they instantly released their beyblades into action, countering each other's moves. "Zangan, aim high!" Tifa performed a dashing punch.

The young brunette used her hockey stick as a shield. In the rules of beyblade, bladers were not allowed to be used weapons. Jesse was going to stick by those rules, even if that Zero character told all eight teams there were no rules. "Vulkanus! Defend!" She yelled, her aqua-blue beyblade striking out at the other blade.

Tifa continued to block the attacks, feeling the impacts and skid back. The other girl had improved, and she decided to turn up the heat. She closed her eyes, focusing her energy and reopened her eyes. "Zangan!" She yelled, her bitchip glowing and her bitbeast came out. The beautiful fighter dashed in different areas of the arena, trying to throw her opponent off guard. "Vulcan Punch!"

Jesse saw how Tifa didn't slip, probably having years of experience in training in different weather conditions. "Vulkanus! Hawk Area Network!" A giant fierce busty red and gold hawk was summoned, quickly creating multiple versions of itself.

Zangan dodged the illusions, but felt one of them hit it. Tifa was pushed against the wall, panting heavily and smirked. "I guess you've grown a bit stronger," she said, wiping her mouth.

Jesse blushed slightly, turning her hand to the side. "It's nothing; you're the strong one here," she quickly said, feeling a bit modest. Vulkanus continued to attack quickly, Jesse leaping over the dark-haired blader. "Vulkanus, finish this fight!" The aqua-blue beyblade bashed against the other very hard, knocking it into a tree.

As Tifa's blade stopped spinning, Zangan fell off the tree and bounced back to Tifa's feet. The older blader picked up her beyblade, seeing a hand being offered to her. She smiled in return, taking the gloved hand and her other hand pressed against Jesse's back for support. However, it only caused the other to land on top of her.

The young Canadian yelped, falling on top of Tifa and the other held her in those strong but womanly arms. A blush crept up on Jesse's cheeks, gulping slightly. "Are you okay?" She asked, her light blue eyes on the woman.

"Yeah, it's no big worry," Tifa assured, pushing herself up now, her arm still around Jesse. "It was a good match," she offered out a hand.

When Jesse had enough room to move, she took the other's hand and nodded her head. "Thank you and you weren't so bad yourself," she complimented, leaving the other woman as she skated to the rope-ladder. She climbed up, her thoughts running towards a certain crush she had on one of the jins she met, mostly the ginger-haired inu-jin named Rumiko.

&&&

Sephiroth gazed at Tifa, his expression still indifferent and turned his head to the side. "Cloud, I want you and Squall to be the tag-team…"

Cloud raised an eyebrow at that, motioning Sephiroth to a corner so they could talk. When he saw his partner look at that Brooklyn guy, he felt the older man knew something he didn't. When they were alone, his calm blue eyes gazed at the sea-green ones. "I can take the idea of us being tag-team partners… You have something planned, and I need to know what."

The taller blader looked into those eyes, remaining silent for a moment. Out of all his teammates, the only one he trusted was Cloud. He had been there for him, no matter how rough and twisted the road they were on together was. Cloud was his beacon of light, and he had gained the cold warrior's trust. "There's something about that ginger kid that makes me suspect him. I can't say what it is, but you'll have to see it when I battle him," he explained to his partner.

Having known Sephiroth for a long time, Cloud would take his word. The two walked back together, watching Squall stand up. The quiet brunet didn't say anything. Running a hand through his long hair, he glanced at Cloud and wondered what his blond teammate was thinking.

"So, does Sephiroth want us to win or not?" He asked. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but he saw his teammates as a family. The only family he ever really had for many years.

The two older bladers jumped down into the arena, not slipping or landing on their butts. They glanced at the Canadian bladers that were climbing down the rope, seeing Trey and Andros load up their beyblades to the ground. Sephiroth probably wanted this to be done quickly. If this was what he wanted, then so be it. The two bladers from AVALANCHE loaded up their beyblades into their sword-shaped launchers and they swung their swords fast.

Andros gazed at Trey who nodded his head. The two used their hockey sticks to hit their beyblades like hockey pucks. Trey took on Squall, moving on the ice quickly, and his pine green beyblade followed his movements. His blade attacked Squall's dark silver beyblade with gold trimming and black markings on the fins. "Go Scavenger!" A giant black and red vulture was summoned in an instant.

Squall smirked inwardly, seeing the gray haired ex-thief wanted to see the other's full strength; his bitchip glowed and a silver and black lion was summoned. "Go Griever!" He yelled, both bitbeasts clashing with each other. The two beyblades battled in the snow; Trey jumped from tree to tree, and Squall used his sword to slice the trees down. When the two bladers clashed with each other, their beyblades collided and slammed against the walls hard.

Andros was busy with Cloud, the two battling it out on the ice. The platinum blond held the advantage, dashing and striding on the ice. It was his second home, being at one with the element of his bitbeast. The other blond blader didn't have a problem, his navy blue beyblade clashing with the platinum silver one. "I see you've improved your style… I get the impression you're trying to take down someone," Cloud noted.

The blond Canadian's indigo blue eyes stared at Cloud, thinking about Hitoshi. It was true he wanted to take down the elder Kinomiya. However, Brooklyn didn't want to be used in that way. Andros vowed to not use Brooklyn as a pawn, like Borcloff and the slate-haired teenager did a year ago. He got into a stance, his bitchip glowing and Canard was summoned to the field.

"No… I want to face the world champion, to see if he's as good as his brother."

Cloud didn't care about the reason; all he wanted was to make sure that Sephiroth was safe. Both blonds charged at each other, their beyblades following their movements. Soon there was a bright flash, the two teams and the other teams in the crowd covered their eyes. When the light died down Cloud's beyblade was left standing. Both of them gave each other a nod, going back to their respective teams. The spiky haired blader climbed up the ladder, ready to see his partner's battle. 'Okay Sephiroth, Squall and I finished the battle, now show me your theory about Brooklyn,' he thought, coming out of the arena with Squall and gazed at Sephiroth. "The battle is yours," he said.

Sephiroth nodded, standing up from his spot on the bench and walked towards the arena. He would see if this Brooklyn kid's powers, ones that he felt were unnatural and felt there was a terrifying secret behind it, were real. It was most likely something he would have to prepare for.

&&&

Andros climbed out of the arena, walking over to his team. He knew their winning streak had to come to a close and thought it had been too easy. Deep in his mind, he realized this was probably what AVALANCHE's captain had planned, wanting to see Brooklyn in action. He didn't want their new teammate to be brought in yet, but it looked like he had no choice. "Brooklyn, can I count on you to play a good game?" He asked.

Brooklyn's aquamarine eyes landed on his captain, seeing those indigo blue eyes. The light blond Canadian promised he wouldn't use him for revenge. He had placed his faith in him and the others to help him control his abilities. They had done that task, and he was nothing if not grateful to them. Nodding his head, he stood up from the bench. "I will do my best Andros."

"Remember, relax and have fun," Matthew said with a grin on his lips.

Jesse and Trey were the same, giving a thumbs up and wished Brooklyn good luck. The third oldest blader nodded, walking to the rope ladder and climbed down. He was going to be beyblading on a real team. Not with BEGA filled with individual bladers, but an actual team that held experience and knowledge. Plus he'd be facing a veteran blader that Hitoshi's team had once faced. Once he was in the arena, his eyes met with the sea green ones of the silver haired beauty of AVALANCHE. There was no need to search for his power; this man was powerful and he felt his aura. The prodigy blader simply extended his arm, hitting the latch of his shooter, letting the two sides pop out. He loaded up Zeus into his launcher, his eyes still on the man.

Sephiroth's hand went to his black leather trench coat, taking out a black beyblade with silver markings on the fins. He loaded it up onto his sword called Masamune, his eyes still focusing on the other blader. There was something about the other's aura, something familiar about. He had heard the rumors about Borcloff's plan for a professional league called BEGA, and that Brooklyn was this all knowing prodigy blader. Before the matches he spent the last few days on the island and asked Cloud to bring a laptop. He did research on what happened the past four years in beyblading, and came across Brooklyn. There was video footage that managed to capture Brooklyn's display of power, warping reality into his own image. All he could think about was Shinra wanting to get their hands on Brooklyn for his unnatural power, and use it for their own personal gain. When he heard the countdown, the signal was given and swung his long sword, his beyblade moving at a fast speed.

Brooklyn let go of the string, releasing his own black beyblade against the other one. Both clashed with each other, the impact causing powerful shockwaves. The winds of the impact blew the young teen's ginger hair, his face not phased or even cracking. His eyes were still on the other, his hand going over to his shoulder and brushed off the snow on his white coat. "So you are powerful… I had no idea I would meet another person with frightening powers such as mine," he said, remaining calm.

The other blader didn't say a word, looking at the other and it almost seemed to them that they were standing like statues. Sephiroth could tell this kid was a natural blader, and that Brooklyn's powers were somehow connected to something. 'Brooklyn, your powers are like mine… However, I was born with them when Professor Hojo injected me with Jenova's blood cells when I was still in my mother's womb…I can feel we are connected somehow, but why does your power feel familiar? Are you another subject created by scientists?' He wondered in his mind.

The two bladers knew this was going to drag out, but both wanted to test each other's abilities. Sephiroth's blade was the first to take charge, hitting Zeus at the speed of lightning. While the older blader's blade was lightweight, it gave him access to build up his power. For now, he would continue to see what this Brooklyn character was like.

Brooklyn moved to the side, Zeus mimicking his movements. He had started to take in Sephiroth's style; the blade was hard to keep track of. Also the ice wasn't making his opponent's blade wobble, and neither was his. "Zeus, counter," he said, the black beyblade stood in position and took the hit. However, he held his defense and glanced down at the blades for a little bit, and then back at Sephiroth.

Sephiroth's blade continued to spin, and the silver haired man decided to turn up the heat a bit. It increased in speed, provoking Zeus to follow it. The other blade did but remained curious as it was on the black and silver one's side. The silver haired blader moved, seeing Brooklyn was physically on his tail, but watched the ginger haired teen make a move. He dodged it, seeing the impact Zeus made and questioned if this boy was dangerous like him. 'You must kill the boy' 'No, kill everyone! This tournament is beneath you!' 'There can only be one blader, and he's the one that's standing in your way' 'Your destiny is to show the world who the greatest blader is, by making them submit to you and your mother!' The voices inside Sephiroth's head acted up.

Brooklyn gazed at Sephiroth in response, his powers sensing that there was something not right about this man. Was he like him; did he have special powers like himself? No, he couldn't stop and hesitate to think. He wanted to win this match, but he stopped to see Sephiroth's forehead show a drop of sweat. 'Is he nervous? No, something is not right. I must help a fellow blader… But if I do then the training I have put in will be for nothing,' the prodigy blader thought, a tint of his dark side kicking in. Yes, he did want to win, but the thought made him shake his head.

Sephiroth's hand went to his forehead only getting worse, and in response developed a headache. The voices inside his head were acting up, and for the past five years they were getting harder to control. His beyblade began to attack Zeus, as if another side of him was in control of it, but he couldn't handle it.

Brooklyn had noticed Sephiroth's beyblade was acting up, slicing through the ice and snow, and moving at light speed. In response Zeus attacked back, hitting the beyblade with great force. He was starting to feel uneasy, thinking he would let his team down. Clutching the sides of his head he felt a small part of Zeus taking over.

The Steel Hawks were the first to notice, seeing their teammate was in trouble. Matthew was the first to react, going to the edge of the arena. "Brooklyn, we don't care if you win or lose! Remember, you're the one in control of yourself, not your bitbeast!" He called out. "And Garland is the one that helped you, accepted you for the good qualities you have! Those qualities make you an understanding person, and we like that about you!"

When he heard that voice echo, the first thing that came to mind was Garland. In his mind, he saw Garland's face, and the way he smiled. It was the silver haired martial artist that accepted him as a friend, but slowly started going out with him. Suddenly, those dates developed into something more. He experienced his first kiss with him. Sure, he was shocked, but he welcomed it. It was a matter of not endangering his boyfriend. Though over the year, Garland had helped him and gave him a place to stay.

Also, he had met the Steel Hawks, a group of Canadian bladers who lived in a small town where he was presumed to be born in. It was awkward to be around them at first, but he grew fond of them. 'That's right; I told them about my story… They didn't care if I was different, but they were sensitive about what happened, and what caused it… Outside of Garland, Mystel, Ming-Ming, and Moses… I have found and accepted these people… As not just teammates, but as friends,' he thought, his hands dropping to his sides. As a smile touched his lips, a white aura started to rise up and white wings spread out as his hand motioned out. His black beyblade halted Sephiroth's, pushing against it with great force. "I will not allow you to fight me this way," he said, his eyes boring into Sephiroth's. "I am a beyblader, and I ask you to not only treat this as a match, but… I want to see your true blader spirit."

Sephiroth took a step back, feeling the voices only getting worse by the minute. He decided to not think about it, wanting to strike and win. Cloud had observed the whole thing, seeing why Sephiroth wanted him to watch this. However, he quickly went over to the edge. "Sephiroth, listen to the sound of my voice!" The spiky blond yelled, his voice echoing and watched his partner gaze at him. "Those voices in your head, clear them out. My voice is the only one you need to hear. Don't give in to your inner demons, fight for what you believe is right… Remember how you wanted to change, to be a better person. Don't become something you're not."

Sephiroth heard Cloud's voice, feeling the voices inside his head slowly fade. Cloud's words rang inside his head, only remembering what his life was like. Now he was a free man, but he couldn't live it without his partner. The other blader was precious to him, and was the only one besides his team and Adam to see how Sephiroth truly struggled. His hand dropped to his side, turning his gaze to Brooklyn and focused on the other. "So you want to see my blader spirit?" He asked, closing his eyes as a black wing spouted out from the right side. Reopening his eyes, they had become golden and cat-like. "Allow me to show you Jenova's true power."

Brooklyn's wings spread out, dashing at Sephiroth and Zeus followed pursuit. His attacks came fast, moving his body as his beyblade continued to counter. Both of them were on an even level on the playing field, the beyblades racing across the snow leaving marks.

Sephiroth flew at his own pace, being at one with Jenova and continued to show Brooklyn his spirit. He continued to observe the younger blader's power, slowly coming to a conclusion and a smirk appeared on his lips. It looked like the boy had control over his power after all, but it was time to finish this. "You put up a good night," he said, standing on the other side. "However, only one of us can win."

Hovering in the air, Brooklyn knew that the older man was right. His beyblade was covered in a bright light, and the bitchip started to glow. A demonic bitbeast was summoned, roaring loudly. "Zeus… Raining Lightshower!" He yelled. Like his powers reflected his dark and light side, he had worked on seeing if he could focus on a powerful move that would not harm his opponents.

Sephiroth's beyblade dodged the light beams, jumping into the air. The silver haired beauty extended out his hand. "Jenova!" A female extraterrestrial was summoned, spreading out her wings. "Super Nova!" The sky showed meteors raining from the air, both attacks clashing and caused a huge explosion.

As the smoke cleared, only one beyblade was left standing… It was Jenova that continued to spin, Zeus lying on the ice.

"AVALANCHE wins! The current score is 3 to 2!" Zero gazed at the two, a smirk escaping his lips. He couldn't conceal the delight, seeing the two unnatural bladers battle against each other. 'Poor Brooklyn, he has no idea about his past… Heh, it's a good thing I sent Garland that e-mail about Brooklyn's birth home. After all, I needed to see who was the strongest, so the Steel Hawks were the perfect pawns to talk him in,' he thought, and now he knew that Sephiroth was the strongest. After all, he did work with Shinra in the past and helped create inhuman soldiers.

&&&

Brooklyn walked over to his beyblade, picking up Zeus and noticed Sephiroth pick up his beyblade. "I see I still have a long road ahead of me," he said, stuffing his beyblade into his coat.

"You did well, especially for someone at your age," Sephiroth extended out a hand, thinking Brooklyn had earned his respect. One for showing that the ginger haired blader can control his power, and also that he reminded the older blader of his blader spirit.

The other blader blinked, smiling slightly and took the older man's hand. "Thank you… Although I must tell you, your match with the Bladebreakers will be challenging."

Sephiroth turned his glance, seeing a familiar bluenette. So this was the famous Takao Kinomiya, world champion and brother of Hitoshi Kinomiya. "I'll keep that in mind." He looked forward to facing the younger boy, and wondered if he was anything like his brother. He turned his gaze back to Brooklyn, wanting to tell him something. "Brooklyn, your powers… They come from an extraterrestrial being named Jenova, the bitbeast you witnessed me summon. However, yours are… perfected, but you have a long way from keeping them in control and mastering them."

Brooklyn's face cracked, shocked by these words and a memory started to play in his mind. He couldn't tell what was happening, but he saw a ginger-haired baby was launched out of a burning facility and into an escape pod. "… I don't know whether to believe you, but I did feel a strange connection… like we are bonded somehow," He tried to explain it, seeing his teammates. "Let us battle each other again in the future." Parting ways, he climbed up the rope-ladder and met the gazes of his teammates.

"You did a good job," Andros said, patting Brooklyn's back. He was proud to have seen his teammate come far and witness an amazing display of power.

Matthew put his arm around Brooklyn's neck, giving the ginger haired blader a noogie. It was his weird way of congratulating someone. After all, he needed to keep up the tradition. "Yeah dude, win or lose the Steel Hawks have what it takes to beyblade again!"

Jesse noticed Brooklyn's wings were gone, guessing they vanished when the fight was over. "Brooklyn, I'm a little curious… Are you an angel?"

Brooklyn in response escaped from Matthew's grip, chuckling slightly. He fixed his hair and gazed at Jesse. Should he tell his teammates the truth? No, not yet at least. He needed to dig deeper into his past, and he had a feeling this tournament would have the answers. "Well… If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise," he answered, an easy-going smile plastered onto his lips.

&&&

Adam had watched the display of power, he and his teammates watching the battle from the front row. He wanted the Bladebreakers to see two veteran teams battle it out. A shocked expression was left on his face. Sephiroth had definitely gotten stronger over the years and he was wondering if they were ready to battle such a power. Also, he got to see the raw talent from the powerhouse known as Brooklyn. Seeing that display of power made him question his own talent to the team.

Takao was too quiet to say anything, remembering that this was the man that his brother and his team had battled. Seeing that display of power, it frightened him but at the same time he wanted to face Sephiroth. "I can't wait to fight this guy," he smirked, pounding his fist into his palm. "We're going up against AVALANCHE in the semi-finals, and it's going to be sweet!" He exclaimed.

Jonouchi shook his head, hoping Takao knew what he was getting into. Brooklyn was the tip of the iceberg, and seeing Sephiroth they knew he was actually a master of his unnatural powers. He leaned close to Kai, pressing up against him. "I guess the fight won't be so bad."

"I knew Sephiroth would annihilate the Steel Hawks… Of course, the Steel Hawks did put up a good battle," A familiar voice said, seeing a familiar blond man, sitting two rows behind the Bladebreakers. His arms were crossed, his silver eyes now on the team. "I do hope the puppy knows what he's getting into."

Kai's crimson eyes narrowed, holding Jonouchi close to him. He wouldn't allow Slade's words to effect him and his lover. Even if Adam told him to block it out, there was a part of him that wondered if he did put Jonouchi in danger and drag him down to hell.

"So you're Slade Archfield… Adam told me what you said, and I have to say I'm starting to dislike you already," Rei spoke up, his eyes on Slade

"Oooo, the pretty kitty is getting all pissed off," Alistair quipped, grinning slightly. The chestnut brunet jumped on the top of his seat, his red eyes on the neko-jin. "By the way, Hello Kitty called and she told me to tell you she's suing your ass for copyright infringement," he laughed.

An already pissed off Rei was bad enough, leaping to where Alistair was he landed on the ground to stare at him. "Don't piss me off," he warned, not in the mood to play around.

"Slade, why are you taking pot shots at Jonouchi and Kai? If you want to battle, you should come to me." Adam said seriously, his midnight blue eyes boring into Slade's.

Max's eyes widened in shock, gazing up at Slade. He had to know the truth, it was some bad lie but he needed to find out. "Slade…"

The blond's eyes were now on Max's, his silver depths widened in shock and gazed at the fourteen year old. He had no idea how much he had grown, and he had to admit he looked like he could hold his own. Sure, he did notice Max at the harbor, but to see him up close and personal caught him off guard. "Maxie?" He spoke up.

Jonouchi took this distraction to get out of Kai's arms, wanting to land in a punch. He stepped over the seat, about to attack Slade. "Stop!" Someone yelled, and his brown eyes landed on Max again. "Max, I can't believe you're defending this creep!" He exclaimed.

"Don't hit him Jonouchi," Max said, his usually kind voice replaced with a serious tone. He only got like this when things got intense, and right now was one of them. "But knowing you, you wouldn't believe me."

"Give me a good reason why I shouldn't hit this creep!" Jonouchi snapped, his gaze on the defense blader. He wanted to know why. What made this older man so special?

Max took a deep breath, knowing this teammates were about to be shocked to the core about this. Adam was the only one who knew, and he had hoped Slade wouldn't be such a bitter person. His ocean blue eyes were on his teammate, really to spill his secret. "Slade Archfield… is my older half-brother."