Chapter 2

Someone was shaking her. Grunting, she tried waving them away, but joints she didn't know she had were aching and throbbing.

"Hey. Easy does it. Need a hand up?"

From…yesterday. Why did… she need help? Something happened. She'd messed up…how? Ayaka sat up woozily, looking around. Chairs, desk…WBBA recruitment guide. Beyblade- Mercury! She panicked, realizing he wasn't with her, and the pain came crashing down again. Holding her head in her hands, she thought she'd start crying again, but she was too worn out for that.

"Listen. People hardly ever get their beys totaled like that. Gonna be hard starting back from scratch. We'll lend help."

Oh would they just leave her-

"'Sides. You don't have any tools."

…Fair point. Finally giving in…she looked up at them. Warm golden eyes stared back at her from a sharp, dark face. She was lanky, with a gentle look that compelled Ayaka to tell her everything weighing on her chest. Off to the side, a girl in a wheelchair was rearranging the shards with something like a tweezers. Something almost wild danced in her eyes- a barely controlled fury made all the more unsettling by their electrifying pale green, and their framing by snowy hair.

"Ok. Names…please."

"Dai." The girl at her side. "And that's Tyreese."

"Hi." Without looking up, she raised her hand in a half-wave before resuming her work. "Balance type made for speed?"

"Y-yeah."

A growl. "Kai-Rah St. Lewis. Her name's all over the mechanic forums. People had to drop out of blading for good because of that little sh-!"

"Ty!"

"I'm just saying that when I get the chance, her bey'll be in pieces like the bucketful of others she's wrecked." The scowl darkened, and lightning flashed in her glare. "Look, girlie. We get this mess fixed up and you get blading again. How many bey points you got?"

"130."

"Hm. You won't have to blade much before the next rounds are announced." Dai thought out loud. "But after that, we won't be so lucky."

Their beys were perfectly fine. Ayaka moped. "We" wasn't appropriate.

"Aaaaaand…what are you doing for us?" The mechanic raised an eyebrow.

"Tyreese!"

"What?! We have to train and blade too!"

Ayaka respected her thinking. "Brawlers' Bliss is somewhat of a free-for-all for the entertainment value. As long as we could put on a good show, we could help each other to the top."

"And that means…?" Dai urged on curiously.

"We can form a team, and submit an application for a team-on-team final instead. Or eliminate the competition, and battle each other in a melee. As long as all three of us agree and the organizers allow it, anything goes."

"Well, I'll need to start sourcing parts." Tyrese leaned against her backrest, looking up as she did the calculations. "This is gonna cost-,"

"I don't care about the cost. He wa-is my friend. I'm bringing him back."

She nodded. "Like your style. In the meantime, take a training bey- get you back on your feet."

Now that was too far! She'd need an intermediate custom build at the very least! "Look- I can do a lot better than that. Just hand me your catalogue and I'll choose some parts."

"Sure, you can- we saw it in your battle with Galaxis."

"YOU-!"

"COULD THE TWO OF YOU CAN IT?!" Dai exploded.

Ayaka jumped in her skin a little, staring in shock at the tiny girl.

"We're trying to help here, so just work with us! Tyreese- really?! The two of you idiots can't even stand each other for one minute while we figure this out? NOT ONE MINUTE?!"

Tyreese looked down. Gripping her armrest with one hand, she passed her toolkit with the other. Ayaka to take a training bey and launcher from her collection.

"Thank you! Let's get to it!" Dai's beam was all sunshine and rainbows- simultaneously interesting and disturbing to Ayaka. How did her emotionality affect her blading style, she wondered…? That would be useful in battling her later.

They headed out into an outdoor rehabilitation area. To their east, a patch of trees. Their west- the mountaintops. A dish wouldn't be needed for now.

"Now, launch it."

Ayaka took up stance, and was about pull the chord when a bolt of lightning coursed through her. What if she couldn't handle battling an unknown opponent again? What if Tyreese was too strong? What if this bey was destroyed too?

Pull it! Come on- it's really not that hard!

Those flat eyes reappeared in her head- was the stadium purple? She had to breathe- why weren't her lungs working?!

I should have known something was up. But people have said that so many times before- Ayaka, you amateur! Even the feeling in the air was different- you should have read the dish better. The sidelines would be better for a situationally-unaware balder like yourself who failed to incorporate the very basics!

She stumbled back, flinging the launcher and bey like it physically disgusted her to hold them.

"Harder than it seems, hm?"

Growling, Ayaka fisted her hands and took a few deep breaths to stop herself from retaliating. They were her best bet for now. She had to deal with it. She would deal with it. It might not be so bad to study these two while she had a chance for long-term observation. That's it, Ayaka. This will take time, but it will be over. Just a hiccup on the road to Beyblade world domination.

Face this, and you'll be able to face anything.

Huffing, she picked up the implements and tried again. And again. And again. And again. The sun climbed into the sky, and sank down once more. Sweat beaded on her forehead and fingertips- joints sore from gripping the launcher tighter and tighter. Those eyes again- that bitter cold- she'd never get him back again, would she? Things were never be the same- why hadn't she-?

A hand on her shoulder. Looking down revealed Dai holding a bag filled with something. "Snack break?"

"Oh, come on! We've barely gotten started."

"That and you barely eaten since morning. Passing out's on the schedule, I take it?"

She rolled her eyes, but didn't retaliate. While she was itching for a few more launches, the golden-eyed girl had a point. Refueling was essential for proper focus. Going inside to put the equipment down, she returned to the pair and tried a pack of cinnamon sticks.

"This is…good. Really good!"

"I know! Got them from this shop in town. I'll take you there!"

That wide smile again. Surreptitiously, Tyreese began reaching into the bag

"What are you-!"

Putting a finger to her lips, Tyreese slipped a hand into her shopping bag. She seemed to be about to get away with it, when swift as lightning, with a sharp "crack", a slap rang out! Ayaka barely registered what had happened as Dai beamed innocently. Chastised, the freckled blader drew back, eyes now seeming a wide, pleading blue. "I've been training all day!"

"You've been overtraining someone else. Here you go, Aya!"

Dai passed another stick, and Ayaka could not help giggling as Tyreese sputtered indignantly. The anvil still hung over her head, though. While this was nice, she hadn't made any progress- she didn't even have an inkling as to what she should be doing. The tournament was certainly not going to wait for her, and she had to make the best use of these two before they moved on.

Just do it, Ayaka We'll never get anywhere otherwise.

"Something else needs to happen here."

Understanding, Dai nodded. "How about I try training you instead?"

Ayaka turned it over in her head. She'd never even seen their beys, much less knew their styles. But judging by their dynamic, she'd say Tyreese was actually the better bet. Dai was soft. Tyreese, on the other hand, was a mechanic. She'd know the stats of several types of beys and how to properly take them down. Versatility, plus an antagonistic streak she rather liked in a teacher.

"No. I'll stick with this, and when Tyreese thinks I can, you'll be my test dummy. Progress tracking, and such."

"Dummy?" Another flash of rage. Ayaka found such mood swings truly fascinating- but she'd study them later, when her defensive manoeuvres could once again handle an undoubtedly passionate offense. Ah, new discovery- how very interesting! A plan certainly makes everything much more tolerable.