Chapter Nine: The Quest for Power
Mariam was the first to greet him. She stood directly in front of Ozuma and opened her mouth to speak. "What did the Elders say?" Joseph and Dunga were nearby, their eyes full of questions. They had ambushed him the moment he had exited the courtyard, eager to know just exactly what was going on. Had they been standing out here all this time trying to eavesdrop?
"We have a serious problem on our hands and the Majestics hold the answer to solving it," he said, getting straight to the point. Dunga made a derisive snort at the mention of the Majestics. Ozuma cleared his throat and continued. "Robert holds a book. We need to obtain it so we can understand more about this threat we face."
"And what threat would that be?" Joseph said.
"The Elders described a bitbeast so powerful, he could not be defeated. Instead, he was locked up in a cage in a place called Purgatory by the four sacred bitbeasts. They call him the Leviathan, the true king of darkness," Ozuma explained. The reactions of his friends ranged from confusion, to fear and to uncertainty. This wasn't the news they expected to hear, and he didn't blame them for being concerned. He twas still trying to make sense of the entire thing.
Mariam took in a deep breath and exhaled. "And naturally our salvation rests in the hands of a group of stuck-up rich bladers. How fitting. This is like a bad joke."
"So, you want us to get this book? That's no problem, Ozuma," Dunga said. "We'll just beat them up until they surrender."
Mariam rolled her eyes. "No, you big oaf. That's not going to work. They might be rich, but they're neither stupid nor helpless. Their family name is important to them as are their skills in battle. They're about fairness and they'll honour a deal."
Mariam was right. Johnny had the chance to complain, but he accepted his loss. Other bladers would just whine until they got what they wanted.
"You took the words right out of my mind," Ozuma said. He then added, "And that's why Mariam, I want you to work on befriending Johnny."
Her eyebrows arched up. She made a disbelieving snort then said, "Befriend Johnny? Are you kidding me?"
Dunga snickered, exchanging high-fives with Joseph. "It's about time you found a boyfriend."
She glared. "You're such a comedian." Turning back to Ozuma, she added, "I'm not doing it. Have you seen that guy? Have you talked to him? He's a total dick. A rich one, but an asshole. I am not befriending him."
Joseph scoffed. "We could just break into his castle and rob him."
"Or beat him into a pulp?" Dunga added. "He doesn't look that tough."
Ozuma shook his head. "We're not thieves and we're not thugs. Mariam, you've got him on a leash. You defeated him. You've hurt his pride. He'll want revenge. Use that to your advantage."
"In other words, you want me to spend one on one quality time with the pompous jerk?"
Dunga sighed. "Damn and here I was hoping for some adventure."
Joseph sniggered. "Come on sis. At least he'll be more fun than that blond from the Bladebreakers. What was his name? Max? If you're lucky, he might even take you out in his fancy car… or yacht. Do you think he has a yacht?"
"That's Enrique," Mariam corrected. "Not Max."
"Only for as long as necessary until he gives you what we seek. I would prefer not to create trouble with the other bladers – we are all in this together now, but they're not going to hand some book over to a group of strangers. We earn their friendship," Ozuma said. Joseph stuck a finger down his throat and made a gagging noise.
"And what will you three be doing while I play 'court a royal'?" Mariam replied. "I don't suppose you'll be staying at home and relaxing while I do the hard work?"
Bringing up Max was a touchy topic. Ozuma wasn't quite sure what was going on between them, but whenever Max was mentioned, Mariam would always change the topic. "We'll be keeping an eye out for information when we reach Australia for the tournament. I don't trust the Elders – I think they're holding something back." He then looked to Joseph and Dunga. "Scout the competition for the qualifying rounds. We need to know what we're up against."
"You got it. Come on, Dunga. Maybe we can pit our skills against some of the locals. Mariam can't have all the fun," Joseph said, leading Dunga out of the house. "Maybe we can buy more doughnuts while we're out too."
Once the two boys had left, Mariam turned back to Ozuma. "Are you going to be all right on our own?"
"I'll be fine, Mariam. What's the worst that can happen?"
"I know you can handle yourself, but still… be careful. I mean it, Ozuma." She then sighed. "I'm going to find Johnny. Maybe I can convince him to buy me dinner." Her eyes lit up.
Ozuma could just imagine what ideas were running through her mind. To be dined by a rich guy though he found it hard to imagine Johnny doing such a thing. Still, it would keep Mariam entertained. "Just don't push the guy too hard."
She smirked. "I can handle Dunga just fine. Johnny won't be a problem." She turned around to leave. Before stepping out the door, she glanced over her shoulder and added, "I might not be home for dinner tonight, so just go and get something without me."
With that said, she left. Ozuma shook his head though he couldn't stop a grin from spreading across his face. As he suspected, Mariam had mapped out a list of ideas on what she wanted from Johnny already. He almost felt a pang of sympathy for the man. What Mariam wanted, she got.
"Stay safe, Mariam. Keep him on a leash."
.
It had been many years since she had last set foot in a fancy restaurant. The last time she had come to such a place was with her former husband, Trevor Tate, on Valentine's Day a year before Max had been born.
She sat down at the table and waited for the mysterious person to arrive. Chandeliers hung down from the ceiling, and all the tables were black and white. Candles were placed in the middle of each table paired with the usual salt and pepper shakers. The chairs were also black to match the top cloth.
"I trust I am not interrupting your thoughts?"
Judy pulled away from the window and glanced up. Her eyes widened. A man of about six foot something with blonde hair and dark eyes looked down at her, a smile spreading across his lips. He was dressed in a black suit with a blue tie. "Douglas?" The man in the mysterious email was her boss?
"That is correct," he said, sitting down in the chair across from her. He took her right hand and lowered his head, kissing the skin before pulling away. "You seem surprised. You were expecting someone else?"
Flustered, Judy stuttered. "Uh, no, of course not. It's just… it's not every day you get taken out to dinner with your boss."
He chuckled. "You deserve a break, Judy. You've been working hard."
"There is a new tournament coming up that I have to prepare for. The rules have changed, and that means we need to change our techniques if we hope to stand a chance this year," she said, feeling her cheeks redden. How embarrassing to be caught off guard like this. "You could have at least informed me you were coming then I could've been better prepared."
At least she was dressed for the occasion. For most of her days, she wore a purple knee-length dress with her white lab coat over the top. But today? She had gone the extra mile ditching the short dress for a black deep v neck ball gown. It was the same one she had used on her wedding night. "You look stunning as always, Judy," Douglas said. "Don't blame yourself. I've been meaning to take you out for some time now, but work can be quite the distraction."
She hoped the redness in her cheeks had faded. "How is work anyway? You've spent a lot of time overseas."
"I've just returned from Japan actually. Before that, I was in Australia spending time in the Australian mining communities. Tyson's father has been working on a project for me over at Mount Isa in inland Queensland for the past couple of years. That's where I've been living since I handed control over to you. It's hot, dusty and quite lonesome, but it has to be done." He leaned forward. "I've booked a flight for us both to fly down to Australia as early as tomorrow morning."
Wait. What? "Tomorrow morning?"
"It's sudden, but your services are required. I've already organized for a team and our equipment to be flown over as well, so you don't need to worry about any of that." He leaned back in his chair and readjusted his tie. "You're going to love it, Judy. This will change everything for us both. For the world of science and progress. I haven't been this excited for a tournament in years."
"That's very early, Douglas, and so sudden."
"Just relax. Everything will be there in time. Besides, I have a property there. It'll be like being home. It wouldn't be the first time you've stayed at my place."
True. During the shaky period with Trevor, Judy had found comfort with her boss. It was wrong, she knew, but he was the only person willing to lend her a hand during those unstable times. He was the person who gave her the job as head of the science department after all. No one knew about their little affair, and she hoped it remained that way. How would Max react if he knew his mother was the reason behind the divorce? That her fling with Douglas had resulted in her marriage with Trevor breaking down? How would the rest of the world react to that scandal?
"What do you need my help for?
"I need you help to free a bitbeast."
"Bitbeast extraction. From what? A special rock again?"
He shook his head. "Even better. A gate deep in the mines of Mount Isa. I need your team of professionals to unlock it and use their tools to transfer its power into these beyblades I have had carefully designed."
"What sort of bitbeast is it?"
His grin widened. "There are four creatures. Tyson's father found them. He's the one we have to thank."
Judy brought a hand to her temples and rubbed them, taking in a deep breath to calm herself. Another extraction. The last time that had happened Cerberus had been unleashed upon the world. "This could be dangerous. You saw what happened the last time we extracted a bitbeast."
"This will be different. This time, we know what we're dealing with."
She wasn't so sure, but who was she to argue with her boss? "All right. I'll pack my bags tonight."
"I knew you would understand." He picked up the menu just as a waitress came over. "Now that's settled, shall we order dinner? I'll cover the costs. Pick whatever you want. I want this to be a night to remember."
The waitress turned to face Judy. "I'm Samantha, and I'll be your waitress for tonight. What would you like to order?"
Judy picked up her menu and scanned through the list. Most of the items she had never heard of before in her life. The price for a standard meal averaged at around forty dollars. May as well make the most of it since she wasn't the one paying. "For the entrée, I will have char grilled quail with Persian fetta and pear salad. For the main meal, I'll try the duck risotto with asparagus, baby spinach, porcini mushrooms, truffle oil and shaved grano pandano."
"And dessert?"
Would there even be room left in her stomach for dessert? "Chocolate crème brulee with a pistachio and macadamia wafer." It made her sick just thinking about all that food.
"Wine?"
She looked at selection of red wines. None of them looked familiar. "I'll have a glass of Carchelo Monastrell."
"An excellent choice." Douglas looked down at the menu and made his selections. "For white wine, I'll have the Montevina Pinot Grigio. For my entrée, I'll have the deep-fried camembert with cranberry chutney and garnish. I'll have the slow roasted rack of lamb on truffled mash and carrot creamed baby spinach and shallot jus for my main. And for dessert, I'll take the apple tarte tatin served with cinnamon ice-cream."
The waitress wrote down the information then smiled. "It won't be long. Enjoy your night." She took the menus then headed towards the computer to enter the order.
"Tell me, how are the PBB All-Starz progressing?"
Casual conversation. That she could work with. With the formal part out of the way, perhaps it'd be easier to relax in front of her boss. She opened her mouth and started to explain the new schedule for the team. If the conversation was related to work, the night would be bearable.
.
The golden sun dipped beyond the horizon, and soon, starry-night curtains would descend, shielding the light. Tyson held up his phone using it like a torch to light up the path before them. "Where are we heading, Kenny?" he said, every so often glancing behind him to make sure no one was following.
"According to the signal on the internet, Hilary should be around here somewhere," Kenny said. He was on the ground, crouched over his laptop, tapping away at the keyboard.
Max shone on his phone's torchlight at the dirt. "I can't see any footprints anywhere… It's all just grass. It's too hard to tell."
Tyson dropped to his knees, digging around in the grass, trying to find a clue as to where Hilary was. Nothing. Not a single damned thing. He curled his fingers into a fist and punched the floor. Hilary could be injured. She could even be dead. "She has to be around here somewhere. I'm not leaving her here. We keep looking."
"I'm with you, Tyson. I'll stay out here the entire night to find her," Max said.
Kenny glanced to his right then left. Tyson didn't fail to notice how his hands were clutching the lid of his laptop. He was holding it so tightly his knuckles were turning white. "It could be dangerous out here… We don't know who could be watching…"
"It's all right, Kenny. We're here," Max said.
Tyson was glad Max had spoken. He was sure he would've blurted out something offensive. He couldn't help it. During tense situations, his emotions took over, and he reacted out of anger and fear, often hurting those around him. "The phone signal says her phone is here… but why can't we see it?"
"We'll find it. We need to have faith," said Max, dropping down onto his knees to assist in the search. A few silent minutes passed by until Max held up a phone in the air. "I found her phone."
Relief poured through Tyson. Phone found. Hilary couldn't be too far off. He crawled over to Max's side and glanced over the blond's shoulder. The phone was already on and thankfully, no passcode was needed. There was a message from an unknown number.
Max brought it up and read the words aloud. "I see you found the phone. That's good. You're not too far away now. Head north-east. You'll find your friend."
"That's a… that's a weird message." So, the captors were watching them, and they wanted to be found. Were they walking into a trap? "Well… you saw what the message said. Let's go. Hilary's counting on us." Pulling out his Dragoon, Tyson led the way, following the directions of the text message. Max had his blade out and Kenny stood behind them both, his laptop beneath his right arm.
Tyson led them deeper into the forest, bypassing fallen logs and swatting away annoying flying bugs. They kept moving until they reached a clearing. Beyblades still raised, Tyson and Max carefully walked to the centre, whilst Kenny stayed to the side. "We're here as asked. Where's Hilary? If you lay one hand on her, I will make you pay," Tyson called out.
"Relax, Tyson. Hilary's just fine. We were just having a little conversation, that's all," a female voice said from between the trees.
Turning his head, Tyson spotted a pale woman with black hair come out. She was joined by a male with tan skin and silver hair. He blinked. King and Queen? "Long time, no see, Tyson. Congratulations on winning another world cup title."
King looked over his shoulder. "Hilary, you can come out now."
To his relief, Hilary stepped out. There were no visible scratches or bruises on her arms. She looked a little pale, but otherwise healthy. Tyson rushed over to her, a wave of relief pouring through him. "Hil! Are you okay?" he blurted out.
Her chocolate brown eyes met with his. Relief. "I'm okay. They didn't hurt me."
He would've hugged if her if not for the audience. That would make things awkward. "What happened to you?"
"Allow us to explain, Tyson," King said, moving forward. "Hilary ran into us. She wanted to fight us… quite a brave girl you have there. Very gutsy. So, to put her back in her place, we frightened her. The poor girl fell over and well, we ended up here. Couldn't have people asking questions. Much quieter here."
Tyson kept his blade raised. Max came forward, his blue eyes focused on the duo. "You captured Hilary to lure us here… I take it you want to talk."
"You're smarter than you look," Queen said.
"You could've just emailed."
"Better in person. More personal," King answered. His grin faded. "I don't want you to think of us as enemies. You taught me a lot during the last time we fought, and I want you to know, that whatever happens in the future, we had no choice. There's a storm coming, boys. Something big is going to happen. You should take the chance now to run."
"It's going to take more than empty threats to scare us off," Max said. "We've endured a lot over the past few years – The Demolition Boys, Black Dranzer, Zeo and his father, and most recently, Brooklyn. You really think we're going to run again?"
"I can't tell if you're brave or just really dumb," Queen said. She cast a sideways look at her companion and said, "I don't even know why you are bothering. Maybe they're eager to die."
"What are you talking about?" Kenny said.
"If you thought you'd already seen the face of darkness, then think again. Zeus, Cerberus, Black Dranzer… they're nothing in comparison. Insignificant. I am begging you do not enter in this tournament, or it will be the last one you ever blade in." King's gaze remained unflinching, but his voice betrayed a hint of fear.
"What is it then? What is it that we should fear?"
"We don't know what it's called. We've only been hired to collect parts to build the ultimate blades. If I knew what it was, I would tell you in a heartbeat. But please, we're not jesting with you. Your lives are at stake. If you participate in this tournament, you will die," King further explained.
Tyson shook his head. "I've never run from a battle, and I don't plan to start now. We'll face it together as a team." He looked at Max.
Max looked back and nodded. "Tyson's right. We never back down. If we chose to turn our backs then who else would rise up to the challenge and defend the spirit of our sport?"
"Then you've chosen death."
"You're wrong, King. When the Bladebreakers are one, nothing stands in our way," Tyson retorted. "You've chosen the wrong side. I guess that makes us enemies again."
"You really think you're a hotshot, don't you, Tyson?" Queen taunted. "I'm going to enjoy seeing you in the beystadium on the big screen and watching that grin get wiped off your face. Then we can say, I told you so." She grabbed King's arm and gave it a tug. "Let's just leave. Our work here is done. These losers decided to throw your help back in your face. They're no longer worth the trouble."
"Next time we meet Tyson, it'll be me looking down at your headstone," King said before turning his back. He followed Queen back into the woods, leaving the group of four confused.
Hilary grabbed Tyson's hand firmly. "Tyson."
He placed a hand on her own and held her gaze. "We're going to be okay, Hil. I'm not going to let King's words throw me off course."
"But what if he's right?"
Tyson didn't have an answer for that one. What if King was right and they met their end in the beystadium? Many people probably thought their luck would have to run out eventually. Was the end of the king's reign?
