Barbary
Author's Note: Enjoy the story and R&R.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to or of the Beyblade series.
Pairing: Established Bird x King.
Summary:
Lions stalk their prey.
"How disappointing. The scent of a weakling."
What does the scent of a weakling smell like anyway? Was there BO that marked you a loser? Could you locate a special form of antiperspirant to eliminate the stink?
Ekusu was naturally going to be a better Blader than him. The same could be expected of Multi, who true to her name, was an icon with many talents.
But to single him out before their teams even battled? Was Manju King calling Bird weak-willed? Slamming his physical fitness?
BOTH?
Because Bird stood a full head taller than the guy!
Although Bird's arms were chicken wings next to those ripped muscles King had no problem showing off…
Okay, sure, Bird was nervous. That was his albatross. Anybody would be if you stumbled into the center of a lion's den, surrounded by actual lions that might pounce and eat your face any darn second! That was what Bird thought, at least. Neither Ekusu nor Multi displayed a hint of fear (Bird was assuming in Ekusu's case, since Ekusu was wearing his mask).
Juxtapose his teammates' calm with his handling of King's "test." Instant screams. Running to hide behind Multi.
It's not like he was running from the leader of Zooganic! It was Shishimaru he was hiding from! The lion was the size of a pickup truck!
Multi said they were there on reconnaissance. To gather information on their opponents prior to Team Persona's debut match as Pros.
Yet this had to happen.
This. Bird hadn't torn his hair out considering what else to call it. The blue birds clipped most of his hair off walking all over him.
ROAR!
The baby chick was in the lion's den again. For real, the fake veldt in Lion's Jungle, the world's first completely indoor zoo, and official Bey Sponsor for Team Zooganic.
Lion this, lion that. A lion here, a lion there, lyin' on the simulated savannah.
Based on Bird's jumpiness, you'd swear he was about to be torn apart by ten thousand beasts, but no, it was two kings of the jungle in particular breathing down his neck!
One was Shishimaru, the Barbary lion. Bird didn't know what "Barbary" meant. He didn't know much of anything (that was what his memo pad was for). So while Shishimaru stalked him in a circle, Bird didn't see the noble creature for the survivor of a supposedly extinct species he was. He saw a mouth big enough to fit his whole head inside. Thus, the peril he felt toward the lion incongruously encouraged him to limit his movements.
King's repeated assurances the Barbary lion never attacked unprompted did shit to relax Bird's flight response. Regardless, Bird's shivering effectively grounded him, the second king of the jungle – King himself – as unpredictable a threat as Shishimaru, in Bird's opinion.
You had to be in Bird's position to understand. King's grown-out nails and feline canines were prowling his arms and one of his shoulders (alternately, not respectively), whereas Shishimaru heeded King and kept his off Bird. If Meiden-san found out where Bird had gone this entire time instead of sparring with her, he'd be shark bait!
Exactly the pressure he needed. A choice between being hunted by lions or having a bite taken out of him by a shark!
CRUNCH!
"OW! I told you to watch where you put your teeth!"
"Kahahahahaha! The zebra does not have a say before the lion savours its kill!"
"I'm a zebra now? Rats, baby chicks, zebras…Can you and X stop comparing me to animals?" Bird squawked. "I can make you a normal meal if you let me!"
What the hell was he doing? He left his hometown for X City to Beyblade and climb to the top of X Tower. He was receiving lessons from a maid with a stealth edge. Blading in the presence of fangs, masks, costumes. A little girl with super strength. And after his first Pro battle – a battle he didn't even have with King – this happened?
Getting nuzzled by a zookeeper wasn't how Bird imagined his dream playing out. Until he watched King crush the horrible villain from Phalanx who destroyed his original Bey, he didn't even know who Manju King was!
"Xtreme Dash! King of Beasts!"
King smells the hair Bird had left over from the zoo's feathered fiends finishing their strike. Smells the weakling on him. Bird's plumage is like a hawk's; King gives the brown bands a good claw.
The scars above King's brow are live slashes at the base of Bird's skull.
Shishimaru finally settles and sits, his royal mane and coat touching their backs.
If Bird is such a weakling, why is King rubbing heads with him? Head rubbing's friendly behaviour, right?
Or is he simply easy prey, and King is playing with his food?
He reckons for King it must be the thrill of the hunt.
Meanwhile, Bird loved Beyblading because it was fun. So to learn something new through Beyblading was exciting, wasn't it?
Scary. But exciting.
Bird's eyes surmount the wall of rock. A herd of children and their parents have come, curious about the brave bros hanging out with a giant lion.
"K-King! People are looking!" he wheezed, anything but brave.
"Wave to the guests. They paid for admission."
"You sound like Multi!"
"Promoting your Bey Sponsor is a part of the agreement when you go Pro. Buckle down," King growled.
"Yes, but Lion's Jungle is your Bey Sponsor! Not mine! Persona is –!"
Shishimaru roared.
"AHHHH! YES! WAVING! I'M WAY-HEY-VING!" Bird shouted tearfully, obeying like a trained animal.
Boys and girls laugh, believing it's part of the show.
"Engrave today's memories into your heart."
The memories were definitely engraved in his heart. Just as King's nails were engraved in him. Just as King's teeth were engraved in him.
The thrill of the hunt was the thrill of Bey. One Beyblade stalking the other around the Beystadium.
Bird was terrified.
Bird was excited.
King was clawing his king's path into Bird's heart, leaving scars.