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Chapter Seventeen: My Brother, My Enemy
Tyson pulled his attention from the screen. All the qualifying matches of Block A had been completed, and as expected, the champion teams had passed. That meant the Avengers would be blading the Majestics for the second round of the elimination tournament tomorrow. It had been years since he bladed against Robert. The Majestics had been robbed of a spot last year and surely, they would come out firing this year.
"So, we're going up against the Majestics," Kai said, looking down at the screen. Kenny was replaying one of their matches. "They arrived late but just in time to defeat their opponents and they seem to be in peak condition. Oliver didn't blade – actually, there was no mention of Oliver at all so I'm thinking he's not competing this year."
"Well, to be fair, he does have a life outside blading. He's a top chef and runs multiple restaurants," Rei pointed out. "It's understandable that he won't be blading this year. It doesn't change anything – we've each battled the Majestics before, and we know what they're capable of. We need to decide who is going to blade against whom."
Kenny looked up from the screen. "The Majestics didn't reveal much during their annihilation of the Charming Princes. The battles were over before they had even truly begun. They're certainly out to prove something this time and I think it's more than simply 'proving a point'." He brought up Enrique's match. "Enrique, Johnny and Robert bladed. Their blades didn't perform to their usual standards, but I suppose being jet-lagged had something to do with it.
On the screen, Rei watched Enrique's blade smash his rival's out of the dish with brute force. If that was the Majestics at their lowest then their highest point must be overwhelming. "I'll battle against Enrique. Amphilyon's two heads won't be a match for Driger's superior speed. The bigger they are, the harder they fall after all."
"Enrique is the weakest of the Majestics. He didn't even get to blade in the mini tournament against us. And remember, he's the only blader who has ever lost control of his bitbeast," Tyson explained, taking a seat next to Kenny. "We'll work the same tactic against him. Pit the two heads against each other."
Kai shook his head. "I highly doubt a blader as proud as Enrique will allow himself to mess up that badly again. There's a lot on the line for the Majestics. They lose this, and they'll become washed up European champions if they aren't already. This is their big comeback year, and I don't think they're going to mess it up." He pointed at the screen just as Amphilyon collided into the opponents. "If you pause the screen, you can see a crack appearing in the other blade. There's a lot of power in Amphilyon and I think we only saw a fraction of it. I wouldn't be writing him off just yet."
"What about Johnny then?" Hilary said.
"Johnny defeated Kai in their first match, but Kai came back with a victory in the second time they fought. Johnny's lack of anger management led to his own downfall," Rei said coolly. "They're both fire-based bladers but with opposite temperaments."
Kai snorted. "If you think I'm going to waste my time blading that incompetent fool then you're wrong. I've beaten him before, and I won't do it again. Let him never have the satisfaction of getting his revenge." He turned to Rei. "I want you to blade against him instead of Enrique. Max can take on the blond."
Raising a brow, Max said, "Are you sure, Kai?"
Kai nodded. "Positive. We need to battle opponents that we don't have an unfair advantage against. We need to be pushed to the limit to get the best out of each battle otherwise we'll never feel truly tested until the final round."
His words made sense. The qualifying rounds had been far too easy. "That leaves with me battling Robert then," Tyson said. It would make it the third time he had squared off against the captain. They were evenly matched in terms of raw power. The only edge Tyson had over Robert was that he had his team's support. It had given him the mental edge. Things were going to be different now. "I can handle him."
"You're both based on the element of wind so no unfair advantage there," Kai said.
"Right. So, it's Max, Rei, and myself. Is that going to be the actual order?"
Kenny brought up the match schedule. "Enrique will fight first, then… Robert? Johnny's last."
"That's certainly unexpected," Rei commented. "What's up with the change?"
"I suppose they hope to win their first two matches so there's no real pressure on the final blader," Kenny answered. "Makes sense having Robert battle second. If anyone can win under these conditions, it's Robert."
"Well, now that we've sorted out the battle order, should we discuss the next topic on today's agenda before we fly out to Sydney for the quarters?" Hilary said, sitting opposite to Tyson. "We've got two hours before we need to catch the plane." A ninety-minute flight to Sydney and some time to get in a few more practice sessions in. The Block A quarter-battles were hosted in Sydney and the Block B quarter-battles would be in Melbourne a day after. A tight schedule.
"The Horseman and the Bai Hu Clan will be battling for their spots in the quarters later today," Kai said. "The White Tigers and the Saint Shields have their battles as well, but we'll be on a plane by that point." He motioned for his teammates to stand up. "Match begins in about thirty minutes. We're in third row, platinum seating on the right-hand side."
Advantage of being a competing blader. Priority seating in the stadium. Tyson surged to his feet, excited. "Their profiles haven't been updated yet. They're certainly keeping us in suspense. I wonder who they are and what they're capable of?"
Max chuckled. "We'll soon found out. Dibs on not buying food."
"I'll buy us food," Rei said. "They have meal packages for thirty dollars, so I'll just get one of those. Hilary, come with. If Tyson comes, there'll be no food for the rest of us." The rest of the team (minus Kai) laughed. Kai just rolled his eyes, but he did spare a smirk. "We'll see you soon." He left the room with Hilary.
"We should get moving ourselves," Kenny said. "I don't want to mess out on the pre-match commentary."
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"Thanks for coming, Miguel. I hope I didn't pull you away from your teammates," Emily said, taking the seat across from Miguel at the café on venue. To be honest, she hadn't expected Miguel to agree to meet with her. He was attending the tournament as a spectator and his teammates were probably waiting for him in the stands. But nope. Miguel wanted to be here with her.
Shaking his head, he placed both his hands on the table, resting his elbows on the ledge. "You sounded upset when I talked to this morning. I want you to know that even though we're on separate teams, you, and I friends. I haven't been able to meet up with you since the days of rebel alliance so when you said you wanted to talk. I knew it would be foolish to pass this opportunity up."
He grabbed the menu on the table just as Emily reached out for it. Her hand brushed up against his fingers. Feeling her cheeks heat up, she pulled her hand away abruptly, desperately praying her cheeks weren't red. How awkward. "I'm glad you're here. It feels good to talk to someone outside my own team."
He smiled, and she felt her stomach muscles tighten. Why was she so nervous suddenly? This wasn't the first time she had spoken with Miguel. "So, what's happening with you and your team? You said you had resigned. Don't tell me you left the All-Starz."
"I had to," she said, casting her gaze downwards. "I couldn't be around him anymore."
"Michael, right?"
She looked up. The concern in his brilliant blue eyes made her feel weak at the knees. No one had ever looked at her like that. Nice to know she had some value to someone. "Who else? He told me what he really thought of me. He thinks I'm useless, so I said I'd resign. I'm not a blader for the All-Starz anymore. I don't care how they perform in this tournament."
"Come on, Em, you can't mean that. You gave everything to your team."
"And they threw it back in my face. I can't be around someone like that who devalues me as a person. We've been together for years and all I ever wanted was for him to treat me with some form of respect, but he thinks I'm just some silly geek." She brought both hands to her face and readjusted her glasses. "It's what he's always wanted. I'm not ever going to forget how he looked at me when I first joined the team. With repulsion. Disgust."
And it hurt deeper than she'd like to admit. In tennis people had made fun of her for wearing glasses. Jocks namely. The perfect athletes. So, she turned to blading to vent out her frustrations. Appearance didn't matter in blading… Or so she had thought. "Em, listen to me." Miguel leaned forward. "Don't let your teammates get under your skin. They're jealous of you because they'd be nothing without you."
"That's kind of you to say that but… They're on their own now."
He was so sweet. Miguel was just too perfect to be real, but here he was sitting right before her. The golden boy of Barthez Battalion. Platinum luscious blond locks. Brilliant blue eyes full of adoration and concern. A strong commanding voice and a brain between his two ears that worked well.
"Are you going to continue working for the company?"
Emily shrugged. "I've been thinking about it, but there's no reason for me to stay."
"Whatever you choose to do, know that you have my support. You need to follow your heart and do what you feel is right. Do what makes you happy because life is too short to live in misery," Miguel said. Unconsciously, Emily leaned closer. She jumped slightly when she felt his hands take hers. "I learned that lesson the hard way with Barthez. It wasn't until Tyson gave me a lecture that I woke up to myself. I know what it feels like to be trapped, and I don't want you to go feel that pain too."
She didn't dare meet his eyes. How could she? If she looked, she'd be lost in them forever, completely oblivious to everything and everyone around her. She pulled her hands free of Miguel's and climbed to her feet, feeling somewhat flustered. "I… I should be going. I need to talk to Judy and confirm."
Miguel was up in a flash. He stood in front of her and grabbed her hand, pulling her close to him. Very close. She could feel the warmth of his body against her skin and that alone sent a shiver down her spine. He looked down at her. "Do what's right for you, Em. I'll always be here to listen because that's what true companions do for each other."
He brought a hand to her chin and tilted it upwards so that her eyes had no choice but to focus on him. He gave her one of his brilliant dashing smiles and she swore that if not for him standing right there, she probably would've fainted. How embarrassing. "I… ah… Appreciate it." Her cheeks were burning hot. So much for staying in control. Bloody hormones. Damn Miguel for looking so fine and for being such a smooth talker. Just a smile of his could melt her heart.
He pulled her into a hug. She melted against his chest. Miguel held her for a couple of moments then pulled back. "Stay strong, okay?" She nodded. A smile broke out across his face as he continued to look into her eyes. Try as she might, she couldn't break contact, and just resigned herself to staring back at him. For a while they gazed at each other, unknowingly drawing in closer. Closer still they neared until their lips connected. Pure bliss. If only this moment would last forever.
Miguel suddenly withdrew, his tan cheeks flushed red. "Er," he said, clearing his throat, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm sorry."
She played along with his awkwardness. "Yeah, me too."
He lowered his gaze, unable to meet her eyes. "I should probably get back to my team. I'll see you later. Bye, Em!" He retreated. Emily sighed as she watched Miguel retreat. For a long time, she had hoped Michael would be the one to sweep her off her feet, but Miguel had gotten their first. She smiled. Resigning from the All-Starz was the best thing that could've happened.
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Once again, the stadium was packed. Not a single seat remained. It seemed like every match day was going to be like this. As Kai led his teammates towards their seating, some fans called out for autographs and photos. Kai wanted to ignore them, but Max and Tyson dragged him over for some quick photos.
"Yeah that's right, world number one!" Tyson exclaimed, taking a selfie with some girl. Once the photo was taken, Tyson signed a few shirts, arms, and phones. Some girl even wanted their chest signed. He was loving this attention. Even Max was getting right into it.
The blond slung his right arm over a teenage male and smiled into the camera. "Say cheese!" he said as Kenny took the photo.
Kai didn't like touching other people, especially people that were total strangers, but somehow, he found himself in multiple photos and receiving random hugs from his fans.
"You guys are the best!" a girl exclaimed.
"You're going to go all the way!" said another.
"Have my babies, Kai!" a girl screamed.
Kai scooted away.
"I have a photo of you as my laptop's background," said a girl with black hair winking in Kai's direction.
A visible shudder raced down his spine. He wondered just how many people had pictures and posters of him in their houses. Creepy. "Well, that's enough now. The match is about to start. Thank you for the support, but we must be going," Kai said, taking charge of the situation. Any more signings and his hand might just fall off. He ignored the disappointed sighs from the fans.
Tyson sat down to his right and Max took the left. Quite a few of the seats in the platinum area were empty. He supposed the other teams were busy trying to get some practice in whilst they could. Not all the teams were absent – the Demolition Boys were present. They were sitting two rows in front of them. Their battle yesterday had been brief, but that wasn't surprising. Many of the professional teams weren't going to reveal much of their powers that early on.
DJ Jazzman stood on a raised platform to the dish's right. He held the microphone high in the air and shouted into it as usual. "Boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the second day of the qualifying matches! Yesterday, our final four teams of Block A were chosen. The Avengers, the Majestics, the Demolition Boys, and the All-Starz will be battling in Sydney tomorrow from midday to night-time! Today, we'll see which four teams of Block B will advance through to the next round in Melbourne the day after!"
"Hey Tala, after this let's head on down to Fortitude Valley," Kai head Ian comment.
"Fortitude Valley?"
Ian nodded. "Bryan and I ran into some street kids the other day. They don't blade like the usual folks we've come across. They don't blade by the rules, so it makes for interesting battles. What do you think?"
"Yeah, we'll check it out after this battle."
Blading against street kids then. That's how the Demolition Boys were passing their time blading in the shady back alleys of Fortitude Valley. No real surprises there – shady places attracted shady people. It was also an area known for its nightlife. He tuned their voices out and looked back at the stadium. An image of today's battles appeared on the screen. All the Block B battles would be held today with the Horsemen battling against the Savage Slammers first up.
"The Horsemen are one of the new faces in this tournament along with the Bai Hu Clan," DJ said. "I've been hearing these teams have some amazing moves and I'm sure we're all going to be in for a treat when these teams take the dish. Please welcome the Horsemen to the stadium and their opponents, the Savage Slammers!"
The teams walked out into the stadium. Kai didn't care about the Slammers, but the Horsemen certainly captured his interest. Carlos. Alan. Bruce. And… Alexander? Faces of their past. Humiliated foes at their hands. "Alan," Max said, sitting upright in his seat. "What are you doing there?" The team waved to the crowds. The crowd roared back.
"No… no way," Tyson said. "Not Alexander."
Kai gripped the arms of his chair. Alexander. An Abbey kid. One of Voltaire's lackeys? Or was he working for someone else? He sensed something warm in his pocket and dug a hand in to pull the blade out. The bitchip was glowing. "Dranzer senses something," Kai said, frowning. Was the presence of these old faces the reason why their bitbeasts were refusing to summon the previous day?
"So does Draciel."
"And Dragoon."
Kai put his blade away, troubled. "Max, your mother knew Alan, yeah?"
"My mother introduced me to him."
"I think it would be wise to talk to your mother about this. Maybe she knows something we don't. To have these people show up again after years of silence… Doesn't that strike you as being a little suspicious?"
He didn't get a response as Rei and Hilary arrived with a bowl of fries, a plate of hotdogs and some cans of soft drink. Stadium food at its finest. "Wait. Is that Bruce?" Rei said, as he took his seat next to Max, settling the food on his lap.
"Welcome to the party, Rei," Tyson said. "And yeah, that's Bruce."
Max took the hotdogs plate and passed it over to the end. "I'm going to send my mum a text. Maybe she can meet with us after the match? Does that sound all right?"
"Yeah, that'll be fine. Kenny, make sure you keep track of this match. I want to look over the statistics later," Kai said. Kenny nodded. He helped himself to a handful of fries, not once taking his eyes of the stadium floor. Bruce walked up onto the stage to face his first opponent, Fernando.
"And we're ready for the first round! Bruce will battle Fernando! Give it up for our competitors, folks!"
The cheers of the crowd were far more subdued than they were during the Avengers' battle, but that was understandable. No point in throwing all your support behind a team with no history. "Hey guys?" Kenny started. "We got another problem."
"What's up, Chief?" said Tyson, glancing over his shoulder, a couple of fries in his mouth.
"The profiles of the Bai Hu Clan are finally up. Dohna, Master Li, Kevlin and… Mystel."
"Wait, Mystel? From the Bega League?"
"That's correct, Max. Bega aren't a competing team this year, so Mystel is free to join up with someone else if he wishes."
Tyson glanced back. "This tournament is shaping up to a big one."
"Okay Dizzi, the battle is about to begin. Do your magic," Kenny said.
"Bladers, are you ready? Three… Two… One… Let it rip!"
The bladers released their blades into the dish. As the blades collided, a mini shockwave rocked the building. The crowd thought they were being entertained and welcomed the action with claps and cheers, but Kai was concerned. To his relief, Dizzi echoed his thoughts. "I'm getting some strange readings from this kid's blade," she said. "Let's just say I'm glad I'm trapped in this laptop than in Fernando's blade."
Kenny tapped away at the keyboard and brought up another screen revealing the power readings. Three thousand… Six thousand… Ten thousand… "Impossible," he said. "The power levels are off the charts and Bruce isn't even breaking a sweat!" He tapped away at his keyboard again, but the readings did not change.
"Wow folks, did you feel that?" DJ exclaimed, his hands gripping onto the railings of the raised platform. "The battle has begun and already we're being treated to a rockin' battle! Fernando is trying hard to fight back, but Bruce's blade is just too quick! Fernando tries to go for a sneak attack, but oh – Bruce's blade evaded it and now he's on the counterattack, and just look at him go! He's speeding across the dish! Don't blink now or you'll miss it!"
Within seconds, it was over. Fernando's blade was blasted out of the dish. It had happened all so quickly that if it weren't for the cameras and the ability to pause on a laptop, he would've missed it completely. He saw the faintest flicker of flames emerge from Bruce's blade, but it was gone just as quickly as it had appeared. That would explain the black scorch mark on the dish.
"…What was that?" Hilary said, dumbfounded.
"That had to be a bitbeast. A normal blade can't do that," Rei said. "Did you see how quickly it moved?"
"Hey, Kenny. Can you go back to the frame where the flames appeared?"
Kenny nodded. "Already onto it."
Kai peered closer, his eyes focusing on the bitchip. Rei was right. A bitbeast was responsible and what a bitbeast it was. It was a weird fusion of lion, goat, and snake with the wings of a dragon. "A chimera. The other three must have bitbeasts of their own as well…" Kai trailed off.
"And that technique. It's perfect. The perfect launch. The perfect strike. They've been well coached," Max said. "His timing was right on. Reminds me of how Brooklyn was taught to blade."
Tyson surged to his feet. "Hiro."
"Where are you going?" Kai said.
"To find answers," Tyson replied. Before anyone could stop him, Tyson ran off.
Kai surged to his feet. Knowing Tyson, he was probably going to find their dressing room and create a scene. "I'm going to find him before he causes trouble. The rest of you stay here and continue watching," he ordered.
"Let me help, Kai. If anyone can get through to Tyson, it's me," Hilary said, also rising to her feet. She shuffled past Rei and joined Kai. "Let's go."
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Michael had been checking out the food stalls when he spotted Miguel and Emily looking rather comfortable at a nearby café. They were in deep conversation about something, and both appeared to be enjoying themselves. Emily was gazing into Miguel's eyes and Miguel kept giving her flirtatious smiles.
He almost stuck a finger down his throat. What was this, Twilight? Still, he felt threatened. Emily was part of his team and here she was mingling with Miguel! He was so tempted to walk over and slug the guy in the face, but unfortunately for him, Rick was there to stop him from doing anything rash. He spun around and glared. "What?!" he snapped. He should've been in a better mood after winning his match yesterday but seeing Miguel with Emily dampened his spirits.
"Don't even think about it, Michael."
"Just stay out of it, Rick. It doesn't concern you."
Rick grabbed Michael's arm and held him back. "Don't ruin her chance at happiness."
Michael pulled free. "You think this is about Emily? It's about Miguel. What the hell does he think he's doing?"
"Talking to a friend. That's what friends do. They talk."
Oh, how he wanted to hit Rick, but that would be foolish. The guy was built like a tank. It was hard, but he managed to restrain himself from risking breaking his fist in Rick's face. "But with Miguel?"
"I don't see why it matters… unless you're jealous," Rick said, wagging his eyebrows.
"I'm not jealous," he stammered. "It's just… Emily is on our team."
"There's no law that prohibits teams mingling with others, Michael. Besides, Emily resigned – didn't you get the memo? She quit the team last night."
That should've made him happy. For many long months he had put up with her insults and snide remarks, but he didn't feel the joy he expected. "She can't just leave."
"Well, she did. She still works for the PBB, but she's no longer a blader for the All-Starz. She took your words to heart, Michael, and she did as you asked. I thought you'd be feeling a lot happier – you got what you wanted."
"I didn't-Not like this."
A hint of a smirk crossed Rick's lips. "So, you do care."
"I don't-I don't know," he conceded. Damn Rick. But was he right? Did he harbour some sort of attraction towards the girl who drove him up the wall every time she appeared on the scene? Of course not. Right?
Rick's smile faded. "She's going to leave the team, you know."
"And what do you want me to do about it? You just said not to ruin her happiness." What sort of game was Rick playing at? He said one thing then contradicted it with another. "If she wants to leave us, then who am I to stop her?"
"I said not to ruin her moment with Miguel. That was the happiness I was referring to."
Michael turned his back. Miguel had left and Emily was left just sitting at the table still grinning. There was obviously some form of attraction on her part towards Miguel. Why else would she be looking so happy? It was like she had just won the lottery. "I can't stop her from choosing Miguel, Rick."
"You'll lose her forever if you don't say anything now. You don't know for sure if Emily likes Miguel – she's been hurt, Michael, and she's turned to Miguel for support. If you hadn't pushed her away in the first place, she wouldn't even be with him." Rick stepped in front of him. "Now you have a choice to make. Are you going to fight or just let her walk without having a chance to explain yourself?"
It had never occurred to him that Emily would resign from the PBB All-Starz. This was her life. To pack her bags and walk away from it all didn't make any sense. Where would she go? Start something up with Miguel? His shoulders slumped, and he peered through the window once more. "She hates me."
Rick shook his head. "I disagree. I think she prefers your company but you're too clueless to even notice." He paused for a few moments to allow his words to sink in. "Think about it. She stood at your side when Max and I took the blading responsibility earlier last year. She's always stood at your side even though you were in the wrong. And let's not forget, you're the only one she goes out of her way to annoy."
That was true. Emily seemed to take great delight in harassing him over the unimportant things. Like pointing out she was a far better blader than he was. She also went out of her way to ensure she was always standing beside him. Still, he wasn't convinced. If Emily was so interested in him, why was she spending time with Miguel? "And yet she's with Miguel."
Rick laughed. "Man, you are clueless. She's hiding her true feelings towards you by pretending to act like you're the most annoying person around. It's not a hard thing to do. You can be quite annoying."
"Thanks for the support, Rick," Michael muttered.
"My pleasure." He gave an exasperated sigh. "She's tried to express herself to you, but you don't pay much attention... if any at all. No wonder she's turning to Miguel."
"Since when did you become such an expert?"
"I'm naturally observant. You have to be when you're a street kid."
Great. He was receiving relationship advice from Rick, the most unlikely of people. He turned back again searching for Emily, but she was no longer sitting down at the table. Perhaps she was on her way to Judy to officially resign? Stomach muscles tightening and dread rising, he turned back around. What if he was already too late to repair the damage?
"Judy's headed down to South Bank to clear her head. She's near that ferris wheel. That's where Emily will be heading. Don't let this opportunity to make things right pass by, Michael. You'll never know who you lost once she walks out that door." Was he talking from experience? Maybe there was more to Rick after all than what met the eye.
"What about our flight?"
"You still have a couple of hours. Now go. Stop wasting words on me."
Michael didn't need further encouragement. He had taken part in many battles before, but this was going to be the toughest challenge yet.
.
Tyson didn't stop running until he reached the 'teams only' area. Alexander appearing, and now he had joined with a team that had bitbeasts of their own? A team of rookies who couldn't even win a match when it counted most? He pushed past a few cleaners and continued to sprint down the hallway, desperately searching for the dressing room of the Horsemen.
Fortunately, there was a sign on the wall. It read, 'Horsemen – Dressing Room Left Hall, Room 1B.' Tyson followed the direction of the arrow then turned a corner into another corridor. The team dressing rooms for those in Block B. At the far end of the hall, he spotted an older male with blue-grey longish hair. He looked oddly familiar… Hiro?
"Tyson. Can't you read a sign? You're in Block A," said a voice behind him.
Tyson wanted to call out to Hiro (if it really was him), but he was interrupted by another speaker. Turning around, he came face to face with Alexander himself. Fingers balled into fists. "You."
"You're not supposed to be here, Tyson."
"Why are you competing?"
The boy rolled his eyes. "Oh, that's why you're snooping around. You're worried, aren't you? You felt that power coming from Bruce's blade, and it scared you even though you won't admit it. You know that your time is up and there's nothing you can do about it. I warned you before it was going to end like this. You should've listened, but it's too late to back out now." A sinister grin spread across his face. The smile made Tyson's skin crawl. "We're going to win this tournament. You can thank your brother for that. You heard me – Hiro is our coach and he's determined to ensure we win."
Hiro? So that was him. He knew his eyes weren't deceiving him, but why would Hiro side with a bunch of creeps like this? He betrayed you once – why wouldn't he do it again? Said a voice in the back of his mind. "No. My brother wouldn't turn his back on me without explanation."
A dry laughed escaped Alexander's throat. "But he did because you're weak Tyson and you know it. Without your friends and family at your side, you're nothing. I joined this team because they offered me a chance to prove myself worthy and the only way to achieve that is to defeat you and your little friends. Do me a favour, Tyson, and make it to the finals, yeah? I want to crush your Dragoon before the public. I want to see the heartbreak on your face when I raise the trophy that I deserve."
No. All lies. It had to be. Hiro… Hiro didn't think he was weak, did he? Was that why Hiro had abandoned him as a child? Was he so pathetic Hiro left hoping he'd become stronger on his own? Had Hiro sided with Bega for the same reason? Is that why Hiro was now coaching this team of old foes? To side with the enemy… Again?
"You seem shocked, Tyson. Lost for words? That would be a start."
A slap in the face. No. It was worse than that. It was like taking a punch to the gut and having your heart ripped out then receiving a stab in the back. His own brother had abandoned him again without explanation. "I want Hiro to speak now. I'm not going to listen to your lies!" Tyson exclaimed, feeling a surge of red-hot lava flowing through his veins. "Hiro!" he screamed.
"Your brother doesn't want to associate with a loser like you, Tyson. Why don't you just turn around and go back to your side?" Alexander taunted. "I'll forgive you for invading our privacy just this once. If anyone asks, I'll say you're just meeting up with an old forgotten friend."
"That's enough, Alexander."
Tyson looked behind the blader. Hiro. Normally, the sight of his brother would fill him with joy, but now he felt only anger. Alexander straightened and looked to the eldest Granger sibling. "Hiro. Forgive me; I didn't realize you were present."
"Return to your room. We need a debriefing session." Alexander nodded and retreated. Once Alexander had gone, Hiro faced Tyson. He folded his arms over his chest and gave him a look that could only be interpreted as disappointment. "I could hear your voice at the other end of the hallway. Somehow I'm not surprised to see you here."
Bristling with anger, Tyson raised a finger and stabbed it at Hiro's direction. "I came for answers."
"Honestly, Tyson, why don't you just drop it and return to your teammates? The answers you seek won't be found here," Hiro answered in a placid manner.
"How can you do this to me?" Tyson blurted out, unable to stop himself. "You can't just show up after years of absence and screw me around like this! I'm your younger brother and you treat me as if you wish I didn't exist! Is that how little I mean to you? You're just happy to ditch me because you can?"
Hiro's expression remained neutral, his face not betraying his inner thoughts. "I have my reasons."
Tyson's body trembled. "And you think that justifies it?! You left me for your own personal gain! All this time I was a fool to think that you cared, but you never did, did you? I looked up to you, Hiro! You were the blader I wanted to be!" He was screaming at the top of his lungs now. "You sided with Brooklyn against me, and you didn't bother to explain why, and now you're siding with them? What did I do to make you hate me so much?"
Hiro folded his arms across his chest. "It's for the best that we work separate."
"What?"
Hiro's expression hardened. "Why do you think I agreed to coach the BBA Revolution? Did you think it was just a happy family reunion?" He gave a sardonic laugh. "I took on the job because you were weak…. And you still are. You surround yourself with other people because you're afraid to be alone. You don't want people to see how fragile you really are. How weak you are. You think winning a trophy makes you a true champion? Don't make me laugh. If you believe that you really are delusional."
No. Hiro couldn't mean those words… Why would he say such things? "You're lying," Tyson replied through clenched teeth, feeling tears threatening to spill. His own brother… "You're being paid to these things."
The man sighed. "I know it's hard to hear Tyson, but I've always been forward with you. I'm being paid to coach this team, but the words I speak come from my heart – not from money. I'm sorry, Tyson, but that's the truth."
"I don't believe you." Lies. All lies. Whoever Hiro was working for was making him say all these things. That had to be it. No way would the Hiro he grew up admiring would spit on his family like this.
"Believe what you want, Tyson, but I've spoken my peace. We have nothing else left to say so I think it's best if we separate now before I call in the guards to take you away." His tone was so devoid of emotion Tyson wondered if Hiro was being sincere in his words. "I hope that one day we'll come to an understanding." Hiro turned his back and walked back down the hallway, returning to his new team.
Once Hiro was out of sight, Tyson dropped to his knees, and punched the ground, tears rolling down his cheeks. Traitor. Liar. A man with a heart made of stone that only cared for himself. His own brother a betrayer. Everything his brother had said to him had just been a big lie. Hiro left him to free himself of responsibility. Grandpa filled the spot Hiro was supposed to take.
"Tyson?" At the mention of his name, Tyson glanced over his shoulder and spotted Hilary and Kai standing a few feet away.
"It's done. I'm done here."