First of all, I'd like to say sorry for not updating yesterday. I slept in really late which took a good portion of my day away. Then my cousins came over like they do every Friday so I didn't end up with much time to write. For that I apologize.

Anyway, this is Player Zero's request for Max and Mariam stuck somewhere together. It was supposed to be kind of ironic because they were already stuck somewhere together once, but I got a good idea and then realized that it would've had to happened before the canon incident. So I decided to just write my idea and see how you liked it, even though it didn't follow along perfectly with the request.

You'll understand this drabble better if you can figure out when this takes place. I wrote it as if it was a deleted scene from the series, hence the title.

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade.

Enjoy!

Deleted Scene

Everywhere Max looked dust from collapsing drywall and plaster hung, cloud-like, in the air. The ground beneath him shook as he took giant leaps up the stairs, skipping at least two with each stride. He reached the top and ran full throttle down the hall, screaming at the top of his lungs.

"DRACIEL!" he shouted, ending up in a coughing fit.

Ignoring Tyson's frantic calling, he kept going as the building was brought to its knees around him. He needed to find Draciel; they weren't just battle partners, they were friends.

"DRACIEL!"

The dust stung his eyes, making him cry as he began, again, to cough. He was forced to stop and rest because he could feel his throat getting caked with grimy particles. When he was able to ward off his coughing, he was surprised to hear someone else coughing, a little ways down the hall. Unable to see through the polluted air, he felt along the wall as he crept forward.

He was beginning to think that he should be getting to the end of the hallway when one of his feet missed the floor. It sunk straight through a gaping hole. He cried out, twisting and flailing wildly, managing to toss himself forward over the break in the floor.

His success was short-lived, however. Upon jumping across the hole, he'd collided with the same person he'd heard earlier. Both of them lost their footing and stumbled down the floor that had slanted sometime during the destruction of the building. They landed in and industrial elevator whose vertical-opening door promptly slammed shut.

When the dust cleared, Max came face to face with the last person he'd expected to see.

"Mariam?"

"Yes, now can you get off of me?!"

He blushed, realizing that he was practically laying on top of her.

"Sorry."

He climbed off, careful not to make more bodily contact than was necessary. Mariam sat up and brushed herself off, taking extra care in her shoes until her own cheeks lost their tinge. When she looked up, Max had happened to do so as well, and they both turned away quickly. That was what being caught in a compromising position with someone you barely knew did to you.

A resounding crash snapped them out of their embarrassed state.

"We need to get out of here." Mariam got up and approached the door.

"Have you seen Draciel?" Max asked her as they worked together in an attempt to push the door back up.

"What do you think we're looking for?" She sounded annoyed.

Max decided to temporarily ignore her use of the word 'what'.

"I don't think we're gonna get this open, Mariam."

She screamed in frustration and kicked the door. Cursing in her native tongue, she sat down on the quaking floor. Max sighed and sat at her side like a faithful puppy eager to please its livid master.

"We'll get out of here, Mariam." He smiled. "Don't worry."

"Yeah, they'll be carrying us out in body bags. In case you haven't noticed, the building's falling down around us. It won't be long until we're crushed."

"Who." Max glared at her, sick of her pessimistic attitude already.

"What?"

"Draciel's a 'who', not a 'what'." He stood up and banged his fists against the door, calling for help.

"That's not gonna work, kid." Mariam rolled her eyes. "No one will hear you."

"Well, we can't just sit here!" he argued. "We'll be killed! You said so yourself."

"What do you suggest we do, Mr. Know-It-All?!" She got up and stared him down.

"Anything that's not nothing!"

"Anything is not nothing! And the anything you're doing won't get us anywhere!"

"Don't you think I know that?"

"I'm not sure you do!"

"Well, I do!"

"Oh, do you?!"

"Yes!"

"Really?!"

"Yes!"

"Shut up!"

"Make me!"

"You're such a child!"

"At least I don't pretend to be something I'm not!"

Mariam growled. Why did he feel the need to get under her skin?

"Shut up!"

"Make me!"

Without thinking, Mariam grabbed his face and kissed him right on the lips. When she pulled away, it was from an astonished Max.

"What was that for?"

"To make you," she stated, plainly.

He brought his fingers to his lips, shocked that she'd kissed him. Just then, a loud boom sounded from below and the door flew open, allowing sounds from the outside to flood in.

"Mariam!" Ozuma's voice was heard in the distance. "Where are you? We have a job to do!"

She looked one last time at Max and ran down the hall, leaping over the crevice that had gotten them stuck in the first place.

Max stayed still, looking utterly confused for a few minutes before darting off to find Draciel. He'd never understand girls, but at least he'd never be trapped with that particularly befuddling one ever again.

A/N: This gets a little dialog heavy at one point, but I hope it's okay to read. I may or may not have one up tomorrow; I'm going to work hard and try to, but we're going over to my aunt's to celebrate my dad's and my great-uncle's birthday tomorrow afternoon and there's no telling how long I'll be stuck there. Maybe I'll bring my notebook....

Brownie points to whoever can guess when this takes place.

Review?