Chapter 3

"One…hundred-eighty! One hundred…eighty-one! One… hundred-eighty…two!"

Arms burning, Ayaka cursed the inventor of shadow launches. Back with the elbow. Back. Back with every count. Her arms lowered. A little break…She wouldn't mi-

"I DIDN'T TELL YOU TO STOP!"

"HUNDRED…EIGHTY-SIX!"

The crunching of wheels against the ground, A pale hand smashed the training bey into the launcher. No! Not now she couldn-yes, she could. It's been too long. She felt that choking desperation again, stared into blackness while her limbs seized i-one launch. One launch…You…can do that. Stop… after just one…

All this was just…in her head…the pain, though…was real. And it…would…would stop…after this LAUNCH!

Pulling that blasted cord back, she sent the bey whizzing into a nearby tree. Her heart lurched as it dropped to the earth, wobbling and teetering left, right, left right, before stabilizing.

"Alright. Drop 'em."

Exhaling in relief, she dropped her arms, sitting heavily on the ground. The sky hung grey overhead, and in the distance, thunder rumbled. Not even half-decent.

"Not bad."

"I was shaky, I panicked and barely refocus-!"

"You had to do something the second I loaded the bey. Lock up, or let it rip. Was the crappiest launch I've ever seen, but you're on your way."

A huff, but she supposed Tyreese was right. She tried to get up to maintain some decency, but her arms were trembling. She couldn't move them. They couldn't hold her weight up. Panicked, she opened her mouth in a pleading cry. Not now! She'd barely gotten started and it was over?! How long would-!

Someone knelt in front of her. Dai frowned as the thunder growled again. Taking away the launcher, she moved to Ayaka's side, and helped her up.

"They'll work. Just slow down, and stretch them whenever you feel you can. Switch between the hot and cold packs in the drawers, too."

Ayaka couldn't help the sigh. She was relieved, and tired. Feeling the length and width, Dai hummed, turning slowly and advancing towards Tyreese.

"I thought you'd cut it out last time, so I let it slide."

"Do you see how bad she is? We'll need all the training we can get! You said it is yourself- she'll be fine!"

"Fine today. What about before her next-match up? What if she knocked out during a match?!"

Dai's hand lunged forward, gripping the chair's backrest at the left of Tyreese's head, glaring down. Tyreese's eyes flashed with icy fire, neck taut as she returned the stare and replied through clenched teeth.

"The slow-and-steady" thing won't cut it. We don't have time to-!"

"You think that just going at it is going to make her better in two days! THAT'S NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN, TYREESE! SHE NEEDS A BREAK!"

The bluenette whipped around, directing her next sentence at Ayaka "And you're too caught up in thinking about Kai-Rah to see you're hurting yourself."

Tyreese growled at her back. At it again. If the girl was going to pull this off, the second those arms stopped shaking, she'd be back to beefing her up. They had days before Ayaka would have to start beating people again. Brawlers' wasn't gonna wait on them- that was for sure.

Training was discontinued. After a while of milling about and regaining movement in her arms, Ayaka noticed the little light the day brought was starting to fade. And there was no sign of Dai.

"She…"

"She'll be back."

"It's…late."

A shrug. "She'll be back."

These two- honestly unbelievable. Shaking her head, Ayaka set off.

_.o:0:o._

Kai-Rah bought a White Lightning from a vending machine- she'd need it for any unprepared fools trying to gain points.

"Not so fast!"

Those would be her unprepared fools. She inhaled slowly, locking her bey into the launcher and facing her opponents. Two males. Furrowed eyebrows, forward leaning. She consulted her bey pointer, finding she was trending low for the current stage of the tournament. 20 points would be fine enough.

"Very well, gentlemen."

"Let it rip!"

They circled around. The seeming lighter bey peppered her bey with attacks (forcing it to stay closer to the centre), while the heavier circled the outside. Every few seconds, the faster one would pull back and allow the other to strike and destabilize her further. Quite solid.

"Seems you two are a bit green about the gills."

Annnnd…there!

Just as the smaller bey was about to disengage to allow the larger to attack, she sped behind the pair. They collided with each other, causing some frustrated growls on their part. They recovered well, though. The speedster was travelling ahead of them, while the heavy brought up the rear in a sandwich. Hm. Speedy carried the majority of that strategy…was this her way in?

"Not a bad move- just…hm, sloppy."

"Can it, lady!"

Almost imperceptible, but she caught it. A shaky bob of his Adam's apple. Sense of responsibility for the move, maybe. Guilt at messing up. All good things. She decided to give him some bait to confirm a hunch.

"Galaxis!"

Accelerating, the purple and silver bey landed a barrage of attacks. "You shouldn't hold your partner back while trying to stay in the spotlight. It's clear who's the weaker link here."

"Grrrr-Ryan- circle around! Let's go again!"

"Wha-!"

"We got this!"

It was like she could hear the unspoken "I got this." He felt the need to make up for his error. This was her opening. Mimicking her previous move, she lurched back as soon as the heavy moved in. A confident spark in his eyes that she noted with satisfaction.

"Not that again!"

"I don't have to."

"What?"

They were close enough. Kai-Rah's pupils narrowed. Purple tendrils danced off Galaxis, and it stopped accelerating to spin in place.

"Don't mind if I-wha-Tigran?"

"Urso! MOVE!"

Both their beys were immobilized.

"NO-NO-NO! Get out of there!"

One swift strike was all it took to knock the beys off their performance tips. She turned her head to the speedster.

"A team takes two at the very least. Terribly selfish of you."

Recalling her bey, she walked away, to the sound of their shocked sputtering. She'd leave them to argue over the future of their friendship. A digital beep let her know that the points had been added.

She'd probably take a nap in her room in a little while…

Someone was shouting a name. Someone's…oddly familiar voice. With some thought, she recognized the voice of the girl from the other day. Kai-Rah turned her head away to ensure she wouldn't be visible. As the voice started becoming distant, she risked a glance. Sure enough, burgundy waves fell down a retreating back. Slow walk, hunched shoulders…fatigue? Was she still training somehow?

Kai-Rah allowed herself an impressed quirk of her eyebrows. Perhaps she should have given her more credit.

_.o:0:o._

"Dai! DAI!"

Movement from a baluster about 12-15 feet up. A shadow flitted across her upper periphery, and a soft 'crunch' let her know someone had jumped and landed in front of her. They walked up into the light of a streetlamp, revealing dark brown skin, and flaming gold eyes. Entering her personal space, Dai craned her neck to make eye contact. She'd make her point whether or not Tyreese and her new trainee liked it. Ayaka found it would have been funny, if they weren't at odds.

Dai huffed. "Let's go."

Ayaka's jaw dropped. This little- she'd come all this way to drag her sorry hide back to the medic station and this was the thanks she got?! And why the heck did she think it was a good idea to up and leave for hours? What was with these two?