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Chappy 37.
"I think this one is ready to heal in the air now." Said Ray optimistically as he inspected a once deep laceration on Mariahs' left arm. A healthy thick rusty coloured scab had formed and the dissolvable stitches were disintegrating nicely. He angled her body nearest the window to allow the best light in Tysons' main bathroom, of which afforded plenty of space with a cabinet full of gauze and stocked first aid kits. The door was closed and the couple were privately tending to Mariahs' multi-daily routine of bandage changes; Garnettas' coldblooded gifts from their first encounter that left the White Tiger duo sore and bitter with every glance of them.
"Yeah and this one." She chirped as she peeled the long tape of white and pink stained bandage away from her forearm like ribbon. What lied beneath was a slightly moist but freshly healing cut; a vicious souvenir from the Bitbeast Vamplash.
"This one needs a little longer." Stated Drigers' guardian as he unravelled the covering around a gash on the outside of his girlfriends thick thigh. His busty lover was wearing nothing more than a baby pink bra and fuchsia pink underwear. He was knelt as she stood before him with her pins slightly parted so that the bandage would come away as Ray unbound it. Mariah had everything Ray loved about the female body and loved every inch of her, and in a normal setting, in privacy, he and Mariah would not have been clothed for long and a morning quickie in the shower would have definitely been on the cards. However, with her shredded skin still healing after Garnettas' beyblade used her as a scratch post, and Ray's self piteous demeanour, there would be no bunk ups for the White Tiger lovers for a while.
All but one bandage was removed from Mariah's right thigh, and healing cream containing herbs and aloe vera brought back from their village was thinly applied to the cuts on her arms, legs, shins, outside of her thighs and tops of her hands. Ray helped her get dressed in light pink shorts and an oversized white vest top which would allow her moist scabs to dry to form thick and healthy. After that was done, the pinkette turned to face the mirror as her raven-haired boyfriend watched her finish up from behind. Every morning since her nasty run in with the bitch of Shadow Vale she hated looking at her reflection. The cut on her cheek was healing nicely and no longer needed a plaster. The heavy bruising around her neck where she was almost strangled to death had turned from black and purple to blue with shades of green and yellow. The cuts and bruising, she could cope with but the jagged amputation of her hair was unbearable to look at. Mariah's hair was a source of her pride and confidence, and the last time she sported short hair was when she was growing it out as a toddler.
The Galux blader picked up a wooden brush with soft bristles and attempted to tidy her choppy mop. Some clumps were short, others long and her bangs and thick fringe uneven. Dew of sadness grew in the lower lips of her eyes with every stroke of the brush. It was too risky to leave Tysons' to see a hairdresser, and it had crossed her mind to ask Mr Granger if she could borrow his electric shaver and shave it all off Britney Spears style, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. Her pink locks were her favourite thing about herself and part of her identity. She picked up a black hair-band and attempted to produce a ponytail...but her pink strands were too short in places and fell away making her look more unkempt. Frustration bubbled her round pretty face rouge pink as she fought and failed to improve her appearance. The pinker her shade, the redder Rays' become with rage for what he'd allowed to happen to his future wife; a fury the Driger blader fostered and was growing dangerously by the day. The male White Tiger couldn't watch Mariah's face crumble into a weep any longer and stormed out of the bathroom to the yard to pace his feelings out...leaving Mariah to sniffle back a sorrowful tear on her own.
Meanwhile – Breakfast in the kitchen was in full swing. Outside the open kitchen window, an army of sparrows chirped madly at each other as Grandpa Granger finally served their favourites, dried mealworms onto a swinging tray on a wooden feeder.
Inside the kitchen was an affair just as noisy and the inhabitants bickered just as much as the winged animals in the garden. At one end of the kitchen dining table were Tyson, Max and Daichi, they energetically wolfed down their homemade traditional Japanese breakfasts consisting of rice, fried salted salmon and pickled ginger in a side dish. They ate like they were starving, their chopsticks moved at the speed of light and barely stopped for breath. Max had some serious powering up to do and kept speed with the Dragoon bladers as they raced to finish each bowl.
Adjacent to Max was Hilary whom had finished her dainty serving of jam on toast and was busy texting. Her large brown eyes were wide with excitement whilst her fingers punched as fast as Tysons' chopsticks. She was joyfully focused on her task as she hummed a chirpy tune, it was clear to all...she was up to something.
Next to Daichi sat Kenny, and opposite, was Emily neighbouring the brunette serial texter. Both with steam emitting from cups of coffee in front of them and their laptops open on the table. Kenny's mug had the NASA logo on it and on the female brain-box's a Big Bang Theory cup from a gift set. The duo of BBA employees were every inch nerds. They tapped away on their keyboards periodically between sips of caffeinated beverage. They too had something planned for the day, and it was all in aid of a special someone in the gang. Someone, who desperately needed cheering up.
And finally, at the end of the yellow hardwood dining furniture, sat a sour pair of Russian bladers with sore necks, pink bloodshot eyes and a low tolerance for any humour. Bryan glared at the scoffers opposite with one elbow on the table, his palm attached held his head up whilst his other hand spooned warm oats with maple syrup into his slack jawed mouth. His red-headed team captain sat with crossed arms and occasionally lifted a glass of iced coffee he made out of crushed ice, triple shot of black coffee and chocolate syrup whilst glaring bitterly at Tyson, and the sticky rice that sat stuck to the host's chin the whole time. Tala's ice blue irises glittered with distain in the daylight from the open window as his tendril hair swayed in the light breeze blowing through. The Russians were not happy bunnies and their host was about to understand why in an explosive way. Tala just needed his caffeine fix and he'd be set to go for the throat.
"Ahhhhhh that was AMAZING! Boy have I missed a home cooked breakfast!" Exclaimed Tyson as he finished the last of the rice in his bowl and slammed it on the table with delight. No remnants of the fish or pickles remained.
*Burrrpppp* "Hells yeah Tyson you can say that again! Hospital food sucked." Burst Daichi in complaint.
"Nothing beats home cooked and I've really missed Japanese breakfasts!" Cried Max with a hearty grin and happy tummy which he rubbed like a pregnant woman whilst slouching back in his seat.
"What are you up to Hilary? You're quiet and that means you're up to something. What are you planning for us now? I hope it's not another cleaning rota." Quizzed Tyson in a whiney tone, hoping the latter wasn't true.
Hilary snapped her flip phone shut causing the floral charms swinging on pink string to tussle together. She smirked. "Ohh nothing that concerns you Tyson."
"Whatever Hilary, I'm sure we'll all find out soon enough." Tyson replied barely interested and jumped quickly onto another topic. "Say Tala, Bryan, I've been meaning to ask. How was your first night? I hope you slept well enough. I hope Daichi didn't keep you up with his snoring. Hahaha."
Talas' blue eye twitched beneath a scowling red-furred eyebrow with the lack of sleep and peeve both as he slammed his cup to the table surface. He locked his arms tight. His face was unfriendly and his tone sharp. "Not great Tyson. Not great at all."
Bryan dumped his spoon into his half empty bowl and shoved it away with force, this bore an abrupt scraping noise and all at the table winced. He complained. "It's too hot here! We're not used to this heat. We need fans Tyson. Air conditioning too, that, or we're making a crib in your fridge if you don't get it fixed and damm quick."
Tala was full of demands too and not too impolite to bark them. "Russia has warm summers too but this is ridiculous. Were gunna need those fans tonight Tyson, or I swear, we, meaning you, are going to have a problem."
Bryan held nothing back either. Sleep deprivation and sweatiness did not mix well with the Russian. "And the futons you sleep on. We're used to western beds, would it kill ya to offer us another layer to stack. My back is killing me."
Tyson was not ready for that kind of assault and felt like the worst host in the world. He placed his hands up and sweat dropped from the side of his forehead. "Okay okay guys I'll find you some fans okay. We have an old portable air conditioning unit in the shed and I'll steal a couple of fans from my room and the store cupboard. And we've got plenty of futons don't you worry. You'll have a better night tonight, I guarantee it guys!"
"He had fans and he didn't think to offer them sooner!" Tala's eye twitched double as his exhausted temper frayed as scarlet as his hair.
Tyson fanned his face with a flappy chubby hand, the Blitzkrieg Boys demands and the crushing pressure to keep them happy in order to stay was unexpected. "Well whatdya say guys we head to the dojo and have a chill day with a tonne of snacks and gaming. It's about time we relaxed and with Kai's security out there we can kick back for a while. I'd say we've more than earned it."
Max and Daichi needed no convincing and nodded their heads profusely with agreement. A day of X-boxing and munchies sounded just what the Doctor ordered.
Bryan and Tala however, would need some convincing. Their first priorities were temperature management in the form of fans and any air conditioning units going spare. Next... showers of the coldest water Tyson's taps could deliver to freshen up and wash away the frustration of the sticky sleepless night before.
Hilary had her own scheme to orchestrate and soon wandered off out of sight.
Kenny and Emily too, declined, but instead planned to set up their laptops and tinker with beyblade parts at the back of the dojo. They had something special planned for a certain person. Some serious beyblade engineering skills would have to be employed and a super high tech programme to match.
A quad of boys sat lined up, cross legged on red pillows with one goal in mind. Four sets of sweaty brows, wide eyes and gritted teeth, each young man determined to beat the others at all costs.
*Neowwwwww*A blue car Tyson drove on screen careered and skidded around a race track. His car was 2nd in the race. "I'm catchin' up to you Daichi!" Cried Tyson with moist hands clamped around the Xbox controller, his face sported 110% focus.
*Neeeeoooooooowwwww scchreeeechh neeeowwwwww* Daichi's car was first in the race and nearing the finish line. "You won't catch me now! HAHAHAH! Too slowwwwwww!" Exclaimed Daichi. He bounced up and down on his bottom, determination painted his features with a self assured grin to boot, a controller too locked tight in his grip.
*Neeeoooooooowwwwwwwwww* "Watch your backs guys! I'm comin' for ya." Warned Max playfully as his green car on screen was catching up fast around the track. His thumb pressed hard at the twizzle-stick to accelerate his virtual vehicle as fast as it would go.
*Neeeeeeoooooooooowwwwwww* "Uhhh uhhh uhhhh. Coming through suckers!" Smarted Bryan cockily. His voice was metallic and droney anyway but with a fan directly in front of his face he literally sounded like a robot. He sported damp wet hair from his shower and a fresher attitude since the breakfast table.
The Blitzkrieg Boy's virtual purple Lamborghini zipped past Tyson's blue Ferrari, Daichi's white Bugatti and Max's green Ford GT in a flash, and crossed the finish line with a second to spare before the others bonnets too crossed the black and white zebra line.
The screen flashed up with a Golden cup and a flashy banner exclaiming "Bryan is the Winner!" Confetti decorated the screen and a victory tune played.
The bluenette threw his arms in the air and stropped. "No way Bryan! Not again!" Just how did you do that?! Are you some secret professional gamer or something!"
Daichi was hopping mad and threw an angry poking finger at the Russian's face. Bryan had bested them all for the 4th time in a row. "NO! NO! NO! NO! IM GUNNA GET YOU BRYAN IF IT'S THE LAST THING I DO! YOU WONT WIN AGAIN! YOU HEAR ME!" The Strata Dragoon blader jumped up and down with frustration like a brattish child.
The soviet born man smirked filthily and crossed his thick arms smug. "Practise and talent guys. Practise and talent."
Tyson angled the fan away from Bryans' face to blast his own with some much needed coolness. He paused the TV to silence it and turned to Mariah who was perched lady-like behind the quad of boys on the couch.
Tyson joked with a scowl. "Hey Mariah, you want a turn? I'm getting kinda bored of Bryan's lucky streak."
Mariah chuckled. "Hahah no you're good thank-you Tyson. I'm happy just watching. Besides I'm no good at computer games, we don't have Xboxes back in our village remember."
Daichi noticed how scratched up she was now that most of her bandages were absent. "Say Pinky. You're looking muuuuuchhh better now you're not all wrapped up like a mummy at Halloween."
Mariah's golden eye twitched. "Thank you...Daichi, I guess." Her eye twitched again. It was too hot to get too riled up and pick on him back. Some of her cuts that required stitches were still healing and she didn't want to risk splitting them by giving the mouthy G-Revolution blader a deserving punch.
Max glugged a glass of water before quizzing. "Say Mariah, where's Ray? I've barely seen him since we got back. Is he okay?"
Tyson readied to lift himself from the floor. "Ray loved to game with us back in the day. I'll go call him in. Where did you last see him?"
Mariah snapped up straight. "No, leave him be for a while. Ray's busy training with Driger out back." Her eyes adverted downward and felt like she shouldn't be saying what she were about to. "He's not been himself lately and he needs an outlet for his pent energy. We're used to having a whole valley to roam and run in and being confined like this is getting to him. And then there's what happened at the hospital to me, and to Kai at the beystadium. He was a witness to all of it. He needs some space and time to accept things. Trust me I know Ray. If you try to talk him and tell him what to do, he'll feel even more trapped. He needs to deal with things in his own way."
Emily piped up from the back of the room. "Hmmmmm it sounds like Ray definitely needs some counselling from a professional."
All heads turned around to the space where Kenny and Emily were working.
Bryan climbed to his feet to see over the sofa to the tech heads in response. "Ray doesn't need a shrink. He needs to get his own back on the blader who harmed his woman. A pound of flesh is what he needs."
Tyson joined his grey haired comrade in standing. "We all want our pound of flesh from Shadow Vale for what they've done. But you don't see us giving each other the cold shoulder and moping around. We need to pull together to get through this thing, not shut each other out."
Daichi followed suit. "Accept for Kai. But then he hardly ever does stuff with us anyway. Ray has become the new Kai of the team. He's moody and he won't talk to any of us. It's like he's had a whole personality switch."
Max could feel the tension raise a notch in the room and sought to scupper it. "We all deal with things in different ways guys. If Ray wants to release his pent up energy ripping up the mud with Driger then I think that's a healthy outlet. We should leave him be. And if he wants someone to talk to then we'll all be here waiting for him. Kai too, he's shut himself away and I think we all expected that of him. And we will be there for him too if he ever wants to talk. The last thing we should do is put pressure on each other."
A very moist yet soapy smelling Tala entered the dojo. He rubbed his shiny drippy red hair with a white towel and stopped close to the group. "Speaking of Kai. Has anyone seen him lately? Has anyone been in to check on him?"
Tyson smiled reassuringly to the damp blue-eyed blader. "Oh don't worry about Kai. He's busy with his new super-duper detective squad trying to hunt down Dranzer. We saw him this morning, he's fiiiiiiine. He gave us his classic cold shoulder routine and that's just what we expect from good Ol Kai. It's Ray I'm more concerned about right now."
"This...is Tyson's house? What's with all these security guards?!" Pondered a young woman dragging a pink sparkly hard-shelled suitcase down the street, the wheels of which caught on every groove in the paving causing her to yank it when it got stuck. She held her phone out in front with perfectly painted yellow fingernails hooked over the edges of a screen. Her phone had guided her to this spot. She stopped, having found her destination at last. "This is the place alright. I hope Hilary sent me to the right address. I know, I'll go up and ask one of his bodyguards to be sure."
The little lady in her mid twenties was slim built, she wore a pink paisley floral tea dress, and a yellow clutch handbag on a gold chain hung over one shoulder, gold hoop earrings decorated her ears and perfect subtle makeup painted her delicate features. Her sunshine yellow plimsolls clip-clopped as she walked across the street as her thick brunette hair in wavy pig tails bounced on her shoulders. Her fringe and bangs to the side of her face was perfectly symmetrical and she smelt of jasmine and lavender body spray.
She approached the front gate to the Granger residence where she had caught many eyes attention and alarm. The black-clad guards of Hiwatari Enterprises had already called her presence in to each other via in-ear radios the second she stopped at the opposite side of the street. Every operative in sight would hawk her every movement until she left or is approved safe by management. The Saint Shields also had rallied on the roof tops in a line with Sharkrash, Vortex Ape, Flash Leopard and Vanishing Moot cocked and ready for launch should the darling newcomer raise any threat with Kai's staff at the doors.
"Ummm excuse me?" She murmured nervously as she stopped before a male guard at the right-hand side of the Granger's large wooden gate.
The guard was 6ft 2. German, shaven short brown hair with a box shaped jaw and large nose. He leered down to her tiny frame through black sunglasses like god peering down to an ant. He was abrupt and deep voiced. He readied to grasp a holstered gun at his hip at any moment should she give him cause to. "What is your business here Miss? And I need to ask what's in the suitcase?"
The frightened dear struggled to express words. The sea of eyes shielded by black shades was extremely intimidating for a young meek lone woman. The Saint Shields aimed their spinning weapons from above and was difficult to make out their features with the sun blazing high behind them, all she could make out was their silhouette of loose ethnic attire and Mariam's long swishing shark tail shaped hair. The guards at each corner of the dojo and the two at the doors were clearly on edge with twitching thumbs and arms dropping loose and ready to grasp their firearms. Their employer's safety depended on vigilance and split second judgement calls. The sweet smelling stranger made a point to speak very softly and not make any sudden moves.
"I...I have no idea... what's going on... but I am...I'm...*Gulp*...Hilary's cousin. My name is Himari Tachibana... and she invited me to come here today. I'm... a hairdresser... and I'm here for a client." She squeaked and tried not to pee herself with anxiety. "Please don't shoot me." She whimpered inside whilst gulping hard with her eyes shut. "Please don't shoot me."
Kai's handpicked German security operative pressed a button on his ear piece and called through to the overseer of the whole protection detail of the Granger residence and Kai inside; Mr Cooper, whom was patrolling around the other side of Tyson's property. "We've got a young girl at the gate claiming to be the cousin of Hilary Tachibana. Miss Hilary has been cleared and under our protection. Did you want me to ID her, detain her or send her on her way?"
A few seconds pass.
"I need to see some ID?" He sternly ordered with no smile or warmth.
"Ohhhh yes, Umm, bear with me." The girl known as Himari frantically dug around for a little shiny red leather purse tucked away in her handbag. With butterfingers she found it and popped open the clasp, then pulled out a college ID card, and handed it to the giant man in Kevlar lofting over her like a heavy breathing bear so tall he blocked out the beating sun like a statue.
The experienced European guard whom was schooled in hand to hand combat and advanced weapons training glanced long and hard at the photo on the card, then at the quivering girl around a 3rd of his size and weight, then back at the photo. Her name on the ID was indeed Himari Tachibana, with the same last name as Hilary and the physical similarities were uncanny. They were clearly related.
Suddenly...a friendly call came from the inside of the dojo walls.
"HIMARI! SHE'S MY COUSIN! PLEASE OH PLEASE LET HER IN!" Yelled Hilary with a begging tone. She daintily ran down Tysons' stone slab path to his gated entrance to greet her and mentally prepared to grovel to whomever necessary to gain her kin a pass. Hilary's plan to cheer someone up depended on it.
The situation at the gates rattled Himari but soon calmed with the sight of her cousin, the younger Tachibana girl was back to her confident and talkative self, her voice was even similar to Hilary's in tone and quirkiness. "Why didn't you tell me it was going to be like Fort Knox to get in here? I didn't think Tyson was that much of a celebrity nowadays. Isn't he like washed up or something?" She said as she slipped off her sunshine yellow plimsols at the genkan.
Hilary scolded. "Ssssshhhhhhhhhhhhh don't let him hear you say that. You'll hurt his feelings." Her tone softened as she began to guide the beauty magician through the house to a space for her to work. "No, the security thing is new. One of our friends was attacked and he happens to be the owner of a super rich and powerful security company, those guys out there are for him, not for Tyson, but we get the benefit of them too while they're here. It's a long story, I'll explain later. But for now I have someone I want you to meet."
Hilary guided her twin-like relative to a wooden chair with a yellow square pillow on top, ready and waiting in a bright but quiet corner of Tyson's kitchen. "Now remember, my friend was attacked directly by a beyblade so she's gunna look like she's been through a shredder. But that's what you're here for. Wait here. I'll go get her."
Moments pass allowing Himari to open her suitcase which folded outwards into a giant vanity case. Inside were various bottles of hair dye, top of the range hair dryer, hair curlers and crimping tongs. In a zip bag were hair bands, tin foil strips, combs, brushes and a roll out case full of a variety of scissors. More hairdressing tools lay hidden in its depths and side pockets. Himari and her suitcase was a travelling hair salon, beauty was her profession with years of hairdressing experience at both college and in a busy parlour in central Tokyo. It wasn't long before Himari was ready for her client with everything she needed placed on the kitchen table and a black apron tied around her tiny waist. Hairdressing scissors and a large comb poked out of a kangaroo pouch pocket at her front.
Hilary soon arrived from the hallway and pushed the confused White Tiger female into the room. "Here she is! Mariah, meet my cousin Himari. We...are going fix your hair." Chirped Hilary, determined to deliver Mariah her confidence back with excited hands on the pinkettes shoulders.
"What? Are you serious right now? You got me a hairdresser?" Exclaimed Mariah with complete shock and needed a moment to process it.
Himari pulled out a see-through packet containing long bleached blonde hair. I can either work with what you already have... but by the looks of it we may need to cut it right back to a bob cut orrrrrrr...we can give you hair extensions? What do you think?" She beamed, ignoring the horrifying cuts to Mariahs' body that she promised herself not to stare at.
Mariah stammered. "I've...never had my hair done by a professional before. I've always cut my own hair back home."
Hilary pushed Galux's blader to the waiting chair with Himari ready with a comb stood behind it. She was met with little resistance. "Well today Mariah you get the 5 star treatment. We'll get you back to feeling your old self in no time."
"I don't know what to say!" Mariah cried as she sat down. A black towel was softly placed around her shoulders like they do in hair salons, she was ready for combing and trimming to commence.
Himari began parting Mariahs' hair into sections to get a feel for what she was working with. "Just sit, relax and let me work my magic. I'll have you feeling like a new woman in no time."
"How's that simulation coming together Emily?" Asked Kenny as he tinkered and zoomed in and out of a 3D model on his computer of Galux's old attack ring.
Emily replied without blinking, her glasses reflected a mirror image of her screen. "It's going rather well Chief. The balance is spot on and the strength base is solid however I just can't seem to get enough spin. Mariah's Galux is all about speed. We need to work off the old design to reconstruct something better and footage of Mariah's past battles only builds us a 3D image so well."
Kenny huffed and tweaked his glasses. "I know, I'm working on the structure but with a few added tweaks. I've been able to make a like for like from video still shots...but the density of the alloy I think is too heavy. I just can't get the balance right. I wish we had the metal Galux was originally constructed with and then it would be plain sailing."
Emily smarted after taking a sly sip of the remainder of her caramel iced coffee from a glass tumbler. "Like we'll ever have that. A rare metal from the hills of ancient China, forged generations ago. We only have modern mass manufactured metals to play with. We won't let that sway us though. We've made a giga-tonne of progress already this morning. I'm sure we'll crack it by dinner time. They don't call us the Brains of the BBA for nothing."
Bryan, Max, Tyson and Daichi were still hard gaming strong into the afternoon. The quad of male beybladers had played several turbulent rounds of Forza on the Xbox, Mario Cart on the Nintendo Wii, as well as turns taken playing fantasy character quest games. The day included many intervals of snacking heavily on potato chips, gummy bears, seaweed crackers, quick cook ramen and multiple packs of Pocky sticks. As time went on, friction grew between the boys as they were fairly well matched in the gaming arena and competition grew hot enough to fray tempers and cause short lived arguments. Trash talk was continuous.
Tala however was mostly an observer. After much complaining and a threat to fly back to Russia that morning, Tyson quickly produced the portable air conditioning unit he forgot existed from the shed. After a quick dust and plugging it in next to the couch, tired Tala at last was somewhere on the spectrum of happy. The red-haired soviet was not an avid gamer like his silver eyed comrade, thus lacking experience and after coming last in 8 rounds of Mario Cart he threw the controller to the floor in a fit of hate and bitterness. Tyson immediately banned him from touching his gaming things ever again, and so the Wolborg blader was left sulking and slouching on the sofa behind ever since. With the 10th orange and pineapple flavoured ice-lolly busying his mouth, Tala was content enough and had been quietly watching the gamers for hours with his legs splayed as the machine conditioner blew welcome cold air directly at his crotch and face.
Early evening had arrived.
*"Congratulations. Tyson is the winner!"* *A victory tune played* Tyson's personalised avatar jumped around happily on the screen.
"Yes finally! I won! Suck on that Bryan!" Gloated Tyson with a long tanned finger pointed in the Russians' face. The beychamp had beaten the greynette at a racing game for the 1st time since sun up.
"Ha you think you beat me. I let you win. You looked like you were gunna cry like a big blubbing baby if you didn't beat me at all today." Goaded Bryan with a disinterested leer. He was slouched back against the sofa between Tala's open legs; the Blitzkrieg Boys were secret slobs. In truth, Tyson beat him fair and square and the former Demolition Boy begrudged the fact he lost even once. Losing in any form of competition was ingrained as complete failure no matter the game, even years past the days of BIOVOLT, that mindset was unshakable. Still, it was only a game and it was too hot to get flustered and vengeful over it.
Daichi fell back flat to allow the floorboards to cool and stretch his back which had been crouched over in the gaming position for too long to be healthy. A chiropractor would have a field day on all their spines and deliver a tough lecture about their poor posture.
Max stretched his arms up with an Xbox controller still wrapped in his palm and fingers. "AAAUUUUHHHHHHHHH" He moaned as he flexed his back, neck, torso and everything above. *SQQQUUUELLCHH* A belly rumble* "Oh man is it dinner time yet? I was so busy playing I forgot how hungry I was!"
*SQQUELLLCHH* "Man meeeee tooooo! Who wants pizza tonight?!" Cried Tyson as he rose to his feet to stretch his tingling legs from their hours of crossed position. He lightly kicked his bare pins in the air to get the blood flowing again and performed a couple of star jumps for good measure.
Daichi flew to his feet at speed at hearing the "P" word. "YAHOOOOOO PIZZA! I wanna meat feast with more and more meat on it!"
Tala picked a food colorant stained wooden lolly-stick from his mouth, of which he'd spent a while chewing after long consuming the orange flavoured ice treat it came with. "Wait is it a good idea to get anything delivered? Won't Kai's security have a problem with a stranger approaching the gates?"
Tyson had an answer for everything and grinned as he explained. "It'll be fine Tala, don't worry. I'll tell Kai's goons we're ordering take-out. They'll be fiiiiine about it."
Max's humour was back as much as his energy levels. The day of feeding and resting in front of a TV with the boys was just what he needed. "Hahha. Tyson, I can see the headlines now...Local pizza delivery boy detained and acid dripped at CIA black site by Hiwatari Enterprises. Beyblade champion involved."
Tyson smirked back. "Haha yeah! And I'm sure Kai's guys will be sure to check under every slice of pepperoni for bombs and swab the box for narcotics. God help us if there's a topping out of place or they'll think something's suspicious."
Daichi yelled to the nerdish duo at the back of the room still tapping away at their laptops with scary focus reflected on their glasses. "Oiii Chief! Emily. What pizza you want?!"
Emily scolded without taking her eyes away from her screen for a second. "Sssssshhhhhhhhhhh! We're almost there! I don't care, just order anything."
Tyson scooped up his Smartphone hidden under piles of empty potato chip bags atop a low table nearby, it illuminated and proceeded to thumb through his phone inventory for his favourite pizza restaurant.
Tala sat himself up on the sofa, crossed one long leg over the other and scratched his head with one finger. "Aren't you going to ask the rest of your team what they want?" The dedicated leader always thought of his team before himself and the thought of excluding others in the same household was odd and unnatural to him.
Tyson replied nonchalantly. "Nahhh Kai doesn't eat junk food and I'm sure he's ordered for himself already. Ray will be starving after all the training he's been doing so he'll eat whatever we have; he's not fussy in the slightest. Gramps will have whatever we have too. And then there's Hilary." His demeanour changed to curiosity and looked around the room for her. "Come to think of it...where is she? And Mariah?! I haven't seen them for hours! They're probably painting each others' nails or something girrrrlllly. I'll just get them an extra cheese one. Hilary won't eat much anyway. I eat for the both of us hehehe."
Tyson pressed the call button and the phone to Percy's Perfect Pizzas began ringing. He placed his device next to his ear and as an after-thought he suggested out loud. "Hey, does someone want to let Ray know to get washed up? He won't want to eat all dirty."
With the grace of a baby grizzly bear climbing to its feet, Bryan declared. "I'll do it. I could do with stretching my legs anyway."
The outdoors was as warm as inside; the setting sun blazed low creating high shadows and patches of burning light on the garden floor. The air was semi-humid and the yellow wooden veranda boards were almost too warm for Bryans' bare feet to walk on. The birds were seeking shelter from the heat in their nests and even the fish were inactive at the bottom of the Granger pond. Bryan knew the score to stay on the wooden raised areas and daren't venture onto the earthy yard floor for fear of offending his Japanese hosts. The greynette spotted the raven haired blader in the far corner of the garden where it was mainly dry earth and little foliage. The Blitzkreig Boy trailed the perfectly clean high veranda close to the White Tiger. He eyed the busy blader training in a thin tornado of dust whipping around his body and his beyblade...and called out.
Bryan swiped a back hand across his melting forehead in the foreign Asian heat. "Yo Ray. Tyson's ordered pizza. You joining us or what?"
Ray sharply turned like a disturbed wild animal. His eyes were contracted as he heaved heavily with exhaustion. His blade Driger zipped and zagged back and forth in a sequence of precise movements, his beyblade base was glowing red hot with hours of friction in the sun and dry earth. Ebony bangs stuck to the side of his dewy face and his skin was dusted in silt and ground away garden soil. His fingerless gloves were damp and his headband was dark with sweat soaked through. Ripples of moisture cascaded down Ray's snarling face as he glared and growled furiously at the Falborg blader. Yellow cat-like slits met with silver until the fuzzy grey haired blader had enough. The Russian broke gaze and walked away without a verbal answer.
Bryan side eyed the rude China-man as he made his way back to Tyson in the dojo with his hands in his pockets. "Sheeeshhh, who vomited in his soup?"
45 minutes later
"Pizza's here everyone!" Announced Tyson with joy and pride as he carried three extra-large pizza boxes stacked on top of the other with steam pouring out of the vents. He grasped the precious boxes tight with two hands. "There's plenty to go around guys so dig in! It's all on me tonight!"
The room filled with the scent of cheese, spiced meat and oily cooked chicken and pork from the meat feast. The vegetarian one was not so smelly but the aroma of mushrooms, peppers and onion was a sweet undertone for the nose. Tyson and Daichi's eyes sparkled at the heavenly sight and all mouths in the room instantly salivated, even Kenny and Emily's who were still glued to their laptop screens.
Fresh out of the shower, clean and dressed in his PJs was the sulking Driger blader who'd finally joined the others in the dojo. Now the pizzas had arrived, the White Tiger abandoned the back wall from which he was leaning, and united with Tyson, Max, and Daichi in cross legged seated positions on the floor with butts under thick pillows. In the centre of them all was the holy grail of cheesy hot comfort food in square boxes with the lids up and various pots of dip sauces up for grabs. Tala and Bryan perched on the couch nearby and reached over heads to pick out their slices, being careful not to drop a topping on anyone in the task.
Max gleamed with pure happiness as he part-chewed part-talked with pizza in his mouth."Hmmmmmmmmmmm it's sooooo good right Ray?!"
Ray was too hungry and tired to offer much of a reply but didn't want to make his ex-team mate feel ignored. "Ohhhh its good Max, It's good alright." He mumbled as he swallowed a chunk of meat and cheese.
Daichi scoffed, inhaled and choked at the same time whilst shovelling more of the squishy fast food in. "GaHHHHHahhhhHHHHHH, It's Ssssssssshhhhhhhooooooooooooo gooooooooooooooooodddd!"
Bryan stated with a little more decorum whilst taking a brief moment to speak clearly before biting another mouthful off his pepperoni wonder. "It's pretty good pizza I gotta say Tyson."
The White Tiger sly eyed the Russian blader before turning his gaze away in an attempt to ignore him. Ray had a serious bee in his bonnet which nobody knew about...for now.
Tala held his meat feast slice in his hand to allow it to cool a second. "Did the pizza boy have any trouble?" You did warn Kai's security he was coming?" He then took a gentle bite at the tip of his pizza corner and relished the taste instantly.
Tyson chortled with half a pizza slice already sliding down his gullet. "I completely forgot to tell em. The pizza kid was already crying by the time I got there. Kai's goons were giving him a real hard time. I guess they can't be too careful. I think that's his pizza delivery days over. Hahaha scarred him for life."
All was calm and quiet until three young women paraded in from the open dojo door.
Hilary swanked in proud as punch, she swung her arms and stopped with a stomp, then cocked her hands on her sassy hips. "Hey Guys! I hope you've saved some pizza for us. We've been busy."
The infamous Tachibana cousin made her debut and stepped out from behind her.
Daichi spewed words with a mouth full of pizza. *Chew* "Who's the new chick? *chew**chew* She looks scarily like you Hilary."*Gulp*
Tyson almost choked in disgust and sarcasm. "Oh great! It's Himari."
"Nice to see you too Tyson!" Himari then whispered in a way that everyone could plainly hear. "You will never be good enough for my cousin." She then pulled a smarmy face and cocked her neck at the bluenette as if she was sucking lemons and pouting at the same time.
Tyson's immaturity shone through as he stuck his tongue out and dragged a bottom eye-lid down. "Says you Himari. It's not like you're dating anyone. No-one would put up with you."
Like a shy actress, Mariah crept on stage out from behind Hilary. The sassy White Tiger girl was ready to show the world her new look as she tucked a tress of hair behind an ear.
Mariah had one hell of a makeover. She sported new long straight pink hair which flowed elegantly over her shoulders and down over her breasts. She did a little jiggle and combed her fingers through her new luscious locks until they ran out of length and repeated the action. She was bursting with confidence again. "Hey guys. So whatdya think? She did a good job right?"
Emily glanced her head up for the first time in hours, and despite the arrival of food. She rapidly wiped sweat away from the rim under her glasses with two swipes of each finger and cried. "Mariah! Oh I love your hair! Bear with me I'm working on something important. Trust me." That's all Mariah would get as the ginger matter-of fact returned her sights to work on the final stages of a project which had consumed her entire day, one she was determined to finish before nightfall.
Kenny was in too much of a world of his own to hear, smell or see anything else than his computer screen. His calculations were adding up and he was to close to final specifications to take his eye off the ball now.
Tyson gulped on another bite of meat, cheese and bread before saying. "I thought something looked different about you Mariah!"
Hilary scoffed with disbelief. "Boys! They never notice anything until it's pointed out to them."
The pinkette only really cared for one persons' opinion in the room. She stood on ceremony with big golden eyes. "So Ray... what do you think?! I've got hair extensions in now and Hilary's cousin dyed the hair to match mine perfectly."
The doting boyfriend abandoned his pizza immediately, he rose to his white socked feet and strolled to her for a closer look. His taller frame stopped close, he took a clump of long hair dangling past her shoulder into his fingers and felt its softness, it felt just like her old hair before Garnetta hacked it off. "Wow Mariah your hair, whatever you girls have done to it, it looks amazing. Is this why I haven't seen you all day?"
Mariah blushed like a blooming cherry blossom and her face was alight with self confidence. "Yeah and it's all thanks to Hilary and her cousin Himari. I can't thank you two enough!" She turned and pulled the Tachibana duo into a tight hug. Their skinny frames and slim necks were no match for Mariahs' muscular arms as she locked them in place. She squeezed brimming with gratitude.
Emily shouted. "Eureka! Mariah we've done it!"
Mariah instantly released the twiggy dolly birds from her grip and turned to the PPB Allstarz blader, leaving Himari and Hilary to choke and wince as they massaged the skin at the sides of their necks.
Kenny cracked his back and picked up his laptop with jellied legs. He and Emily advanced with frazzled brains but excited to reveal their work.
"Here. Watch this." Ordered Kenny. He rested his open laptop in his arms with the screen in front of her and pressed the space bar to start a clip. A simulation video started and Mariah couldn't take her eyes away. On screen was a beyblade spinning at high velocity, pink in colour with a Galux bitchip in its centre.
Emily tweaked her spectacles as Mariah's gaze remained glued to the screen. "This is what the Chief and I have been working on all day. Say hello to your new Galux X2 Beyblade. We've used every hi-spec programme at our disposal to engineer a beyblade as close in specification to your old one, with a few adjustments to make you just as fast but harder withstanding. Your defence is doubled too, which is just what you want if you run into Garnetta again. She won't be able to scratch you so easily next time however you could do her some serious damage when on the offensive. You're not invincible but you'll have an upper-hand should you need it."
Kenny stated. "This is just a simulation though. The real test will be in the field and of course you will need to get used to battling with a brand new beyblade. It will look almost identical to your old Galux but the feel will be completely alien to you."
Emily added. "We have parts arriving from China and California and Max's Dad's beyblade shop can fit us out with the rest. In under a week we'll have you ripping again in no time."
Mariahs' eyes swelled with happiness and gratitude. "Ohhh Thank you guys! I don't know what to say! This is all just so lovely from you all. First my hair and now I'll be able to beyblade again...why me guys. Why did I deserve this?"
Hilary chirped whilst taking her arm. "Because you're one of us and no girl deserves to have her hair cut off like that."
Emily crossed her arms with boldness and satisfaction at a good job well done. "And because we can Mariah. Kenny and I are going to do the same for everyone here who needs a tune up but we thought you deserved a cheering up...so...we picked you first."
Mariah wiped away tears of joy from her swelling cat-like eyes and looked to her love. "Isn't this great Ray? I'll be able to beyblade with the rest of you in no time." A bonfire lit up in her neko-jin belly. "Garnetta had better watch her back because one day soon, Galux will be chewing on it." She declared with contracted pupils and a raised fist.
Ray faked a smile with dead black eyes. Darkness swirled around his head and etched his features dark blue. He wanted to be happy for her but all he could see was the crispy scabbed cuts on her body and the bruising around her neck he was unable to prevent. The disgust at himself and anger towards Shadow Vale clouded every happy feeling in a choking black mist. He stood like a statue, barely breathing and wide eyed with straight lips whilst everyone in the room jovially ate pizza without a care. Emily and Kenny slapped each other's backs for a job well done on Galux's re-construction, whilst Mariah revelled in the attention of her new hairstyle and girly compliments from the Tachibana "twins".
Tick – Tock. Tick – Tock. Ray was a ticking time bomb. Mariah's familiar golden eyes were on him at last as she finally sussed out he wasn't okay, she would at any moment approach and openly ask what was the matter?...And that was the last thing he wanted. His artificial smile finally cracked allowing his face to drop into a hollow expression. He rapidly turned on his heels to leave the crowded room for the bathroom, the veranda; anywhere...he just needed some urgent space to be alone.
His head bowed, his face was covered in the shadow of his ebony hair as his white wrapped braid whipped at his heels.
Unsuspecting Bryan had simply gotten up from the floor to grab a can of cola from the low table nearby.
Sharply and suddenly...the two men collided. Their chests bumped and each knocked the other back a step. Soviet silver eyes locked instantly with Neko-jin yellow. A dangerous tension was instantly born and it was all about to kick off.
Bryan knew no filter and spewed nothing but trash talk most of the time anyway. He quipped without meaning anything serious. "You drunk or somethin' Ray?"
The White Tiger instantly reacted with lightning speed, without words, no warning and without a rational thought in his usually level head. Rays' paws ejected and recoiled as fast as praying mantis arms. He'd hooked his claws around the scruff of the Blitzkrieg Boys' loose burgundy t-shirt, and yanked him in to his personal space so close their faces almost touched. The two boys growled at each other like animals. Neither were unaccustomed to fighting and neither would give ground to the other, their egos would not allow it.
All heads in the dojo were instantly startled and pizza eating sharply paused. Disputes among team mates were somewhat common over the TV-remote, agreeing on who was going first in tournaments, and who ate another's' ice-cream from the freezer... but they never laid hands on each other with the intention of actually harming one another. The level of aggression from Ray had everyone on-edge. Just what had Bryan done?
Tyson instantly jumped to his feet whilst dropping his half eaten pizza slice to the box in rapid abandonment. He placed a kind arm onto Ray's shoulder and asked close. "Whoaaah Ray what's going on buddy? What did Bryan do?!"
Tala did the same, only he was on his feet a second before the Dragoon blader with his nimbler frame. He loitered close to Bryan's back, glaring at Ray's face like a wolf standing off against a tiger in the wilderness. His ice blue eyes were contracted and un-blinking as he watched over his de-facto brother for any need of aid. Bryan could hold his own in a fight but the red- head would be there in a micro-second should he need his comrade. "I strongly suggest you let Bryan go. Trust me; you don't want both of us to deal with." The Russian leader warned in an authoritarian tone.
Mariah stormed forwards with fret and angry confusion on her pretty face. "What's this about Ray?! Let Bryan go. Just what has he done to upset you?"
Bryan wrapped his palms and fingers around Ray's closed fists gripping his clothing. He arched his head forward to gain some ground, forcing Ray to buck his back a notch. "Whtacha gunna do Ray? Hit me? Well? Come on then. You clearly have somethin' on your mind. You've been giving me the stink eye for days. Just what is it Ray? Stuff from the past still gripe ya?"
Max stood up. His tone was of concern and urgency. "Ray. This isn't like you. You should put Bryan down right now. Talk to us. What's the matter?"
Ray's fists shook whilst his heart pumped blood so fast and thick he heard every heartbeat in his skull. His face remained wild and screwed with distain. The livid White Tiger couldn't talk, he just growled through pointy white canines. He had much he wanted to say but couldn't string the words together; he was riddled with black coloured rage and was blinded by it.
Tyson cried with a nervous sweat-drop as he pulled harder at Ray's shoulder. "Come on dude! You can't do this. Bryan is our friend. The past is the past right? Whatever your beef is, we can work this out. Okay?! But you gotta let him go now bud. We save fighting for the beydish remember?!"
Mariah stormed to her boyfriends' side and placed a heavy hand into his bicep and tugged. She was comforting as well as demanding. "This is ridiculous! Ray this isn't like you?! Let Bryan go now. You have to."
Bryan had had enough as he began peeling Ray's finger back with his own. The digit strength between the beyblading boys was too well matched and despite the effort, his clothing gained no new freedom. He ceased the writhing with his fingers and moved his face closer to issue a first and final warning. "You got 3 seconds to let my shirt go... or things are going to turn real ugly, real quick Ray." His eyes were alight with seriousness and he meant every word.
A cold and tense second passed between the entangled men. Their furious eyes drew dry without blinking for so long.
Suddenly, Ray released Bryans' scruff. He broke out of Tyson and Mariah's grips to his shoulders and arm and stormed away in the other direction without a mutter of sorry or eye contact with anyone. Within a few steps he accelerated into to a run, his feet stamped the hardwood flooring as he bolted for the fresh night air and darkness of the outside veranda to what he needed, finally, be by himself.
"Ray! Come back!" Cried Tyson as he began to give chase.
"No. Let me handle this." Demanded Mariah as she caught and pulled back on the beychamps' swinging arm mid-run to prevent him from going further. The pinkette darted out of the open dojo door into the night. She called for her edgy and emotional team mate. "Ray?! Where are you?! Ray?"
"You good?" Tala checked in from a lofty crossed arm posture.
"Geeze what's his problem." Quipped Bryan nonchalantly as he shook out the creases around the hem of his shirt. The guy had grown up fighting everyone and anyone from the streets of Russia as a child to battering other bladers at BIOVOLT for extra food. Getting scruffed by Ray...was nothing. "Yeah I'm good! I hope you saved me some of that pizza." The greynette kicked back onto the sofa and began eating pizza again like nothing had happened. The others in the room were still reeling from the hostile event.
The Draciel blader huffed out any residual anxiety then put his hands on his hips. "That was really out of character for Ray. I'm sorry about that Bryan. I'm sure Ray will apologise tomorrow when he's cooled off."
Tyson was just as confused and peeved. "What has gotten into him?! I'm gunna pull him aside and have a heart to heart that's for sure."
Kenny added, having watched the whole episode quietly from the side-lines. "Good idea Tyson. Let him simmer off first though. I think he needs it."
Hilary crossed her arms and was clearly worried about her former team mate. "I can't believe Ray did that. He's like a different person lately."
Himari quipped mirroring her cousin. "Is this level of drama normal for you and your beyblade Team Hilary? No wonder you have spit ends."
Bryan warned before swallowing a chunk of luke-warm pizza. "He gets a pass today but if he tries anything like that again. I won't be holding back."
The worried yet fiery pinkette had soon caught up with her lover who was pacing back and forth across the "the bridge" like a caged wild cat.
Mariah held nothing back and demanded his full attention. She jumped into his way, stopped him in his tracks and held him still in place. Her fingers gripped hard around his semi-solid bicep muscle. She pleaded. "Enough Ray. I want you to tell me what's going on in that head of yours. What was that Ray?!"
The male blader turned his head so as not to make eye contact. His hair drooped forwards, thus shadowing most of his face. His mood was emo and full of angst as he stammered an answer. "He just...he just..."
Shorter statured female shook his arms with riled frustration. "Ray! Talk to me! Please! You can't shut me out any more. Just tell me. What did Bryan do?! Don't make me repeat myself!"
Drigers' master finally lifted his face to meet hers. His voice was bitter and hoarse. "He makes me sick Mariah." He paused as they examined each other's features. Hers displayed intense focus and warmth, he was about to spill everything he'd bottled up for days. His face however was cold and his bitter tone darkened the longer he spoke. "I think back to what he did to me at the First World Championships and it's just what Garnetta did to you. They shredded us like we weren't even people and showed no remorse afterwards." He took a long hard breath in and continued. "I was okay with it for years, I accepted what he did to me was orders from Boris and that his actions weren't personal. I watched everything Garnetta did to you and I could tell... she enjoyed herself. She enjoyed attacking another beyblader and it brought it all back...for Bryan it was just the same. I still remember him smiling at me from the other side of the beydish as his beyblade ripped my clothes and skin to shreds. Back at the village we are raised to fight with dignity and to be honourable beybladers, to attack other beybladers is a social taboo and an all out crime. Whenever I look at Bryan, I see Garnetta. I know that sounds crazy but I do. I have so much anger for what happened to you that I need someone to aim it at. I've been aiming it at Bryan and...myself."
Mariah released her gripped hands to revert to gently stroke his biceps instead. "Why yourself Ray? You've done nothing wrong!"
Ray took her arms gently in his hands with care not to crackle any of her newly scabbed cuts. His tone softened as did his wild expression. "I nearly lost you Mariah. She nearly killed you and all I could do was watch. We are the guardians of White Tiger village now and I failed to keep you safe. What good am I if I can't protect one person from harm?"
The female blader released a hand from his shoulder to finger one of his bangs away from his left eye. "Oh Ray. None of what Garnetta did was your fault. We were caught off guard looking for Kai. If you want someone to blame, you could blame Kai for not staying in his room in the hospital, we wouldn't have met Garnetta in that garden if it weren't for him. We could go as far as blaming Mr Dickenson for arranging the tournament and for allowing Shadow Vale to enter our lives in the first place. What happened happened Ray. We just have to live and deal with the consequences. The only ones to blame here are our enemies."
Ray stopped her brushing his bangs away and took hold of her free hand into two of his. His tone was serious and dripping with frustration. "You nearly died Mariah! How can I just live with that? She didn't just cut you, she was going to kill you and make me watch too!"
Mariah took his face into both of her hands and cleared all of his bangs away in the same action. Their eyes perfectly mirrored the other. "You forget I am alive because of what you did; you offered to trade Driger for me. Whatever the turn of events your action saved my life. You did protect me Ray. You were the only one that could. Me and my big mouth challenged her, I should have been more careful. If anyone should be sorry it should be me for putting us into that situation. And as for Bryan. I don't like him either. I have never forgiven him for what he did to you and I don't think I ever will. We were raised with ethics and respect, and attacking other bladers is unforgivable. We don't have to like him, just be civil and accept his help until Shadow Vale is taken down for good. And then we can go back home. Back to where we belong at the village where Lee, Kevin and Gary are waiting for us. And the kids, they'll be so pleased to see us again. This captivity will end Ray; we just need to be patient. I have a brand new Galux blade on the way and once she gets here we'll get trained up and show Garnetta and the rest of that shady bunch what happens to beybladers who mess with White Tiger X."
Tyson, Daichi and Max appeared from around the corner. They had been listening to everything behind a walls' edge and were approaching quiet and relaxed towards the Chinese pair. The night sky was dark and dusty peppered with stars. A faint breeze helped carry a rare bat on the wing overhead as moths fluttered around the veranda lamps.
Tyson announced his arrival by jumping straight into conversation. "I have some idea of what you're going through Ray. Harkan put me in a similar situation. It was awful. I wouldn't wish that on anyone, not even my worst enemy."
Two sets of golden eyes contracted and immediately broke from their loving embrace. They spun around to see Daichi and Max with Tyson in front of them in the middle.
The beychamp gulped, and swiped a dark blue bang backwards as it swung in front of his face from the breeze. He appeared sheepish and it was clear he wasn't feeling comfortable and not in a physical sense. "We've all been through some real heavy stuff lately. It's been hard to talk about it and I guess we all deal with difficult stuff in different ways. You've been smashing the dirt with Driger non-stop since we got back here and you have been real huffy dude. I swear this in the first time you've looked me in the eyes in days. We gotta stick together and help each other through this. You don't have to deal with it on your own. You should open up dude. We're here for you."
Ray's tone was soft. He knew this was his chance to re-build bridges with his friends he'd barely given the time of day since they got back. "I know Tyson. Ever since what happened to Kai... And then what happened to Mariah. We've not had much of a chance to talk. So... I guess we should talk. What did Harkan do to you?"
Tyson looked down to the floor momentarily before staring Ray square in the face. Talking to someone who understands what he went through would be good for him too. "Oh he only threatened to Kill Daichi if I didn't give up Dragoon. Daichi was out for count and there was nowhere for me to run with him. Dragoon was diced up and there was nothing more I could do to save us. So I bargained with the only thing I could to keep Daichi safe. Messed up huh?"
Ray stepped forward towards his old team mate with screwed tight fists. "Your life and Dragoon huh? You were willing to trade your life for Daichi's."
Tyson rubbed the back of his head and joked when he felt uneasy. "Hahahaah. You got it."
Ray stamped a soft clothed foot with anger. "Don't you harbour rage or any scrap of fury about that Tyson?! Aren't you going mad for revenge?! I know I am and I can't stand how it makes me feel!"
Tyson regained a more stoic composure. "Oh I'll get my revenge Ray. But I'm not going to take it out on my friends who are here to help me in the meantime." His last comment was clearly a jab at Ray's earlier behaviour.
Daichi screeched with disbelief and emotion. "What? I had no idea Harkan was going to kill me. I just thought he'd take your Dragoon and walk away like all those thieving Bitbeast creeps do. I passed out and knew nothin'. You were seriously gunna sacrifice yourself to save little ol' me?"
Tyson smiled warmly with half closed eyes. "Yeah buddy. I'd do it for Hilary, for Max, for Kai, for the Chief, for you Ray. I'd even do it for Mariah and Emily too. Nobody hurts my friends. I'm not sure I'd do it for you again Daichi, I guess it'll all depend if you let me have the last slice of pizza. HEHEHE."
Daichi's eyes were wet and wobbly filled with tears of heart-warming gratitude and love for his G-Revolution bestie. "Ohhhhhhhhh Tysoonnnnnnnnn! Yeeaaahhhhhhh. I guess I could share the last slice with you! I can't believe you were gunna give your life for me. Thanks dude! I'll never steal your Ben N Jerrys' peanut butter ice-cream again!" He clutched to Tyson's legs comically with wobbly lips and bulbous eyes. "I wuvvvv you Tyson! WAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
Max added with aqua blue eyes and a tired face. It was late and he was nearing an empty battery. "These bladers Ray, they'll hurt anyone to get what they want. They attacked Kenny and then they sucked the life out of me and Draciel. The doctors said I almost lost my life too. I guess I don't know what's worse, being the victim or being made to watch the victim helplessly from the side lines. I've had to live through both. Watching what happened to Kai will stay with me forever...I think it will live with all of us forever. I want pay-back too Ray, I really do. They have to pay for what they did to us. To Kai, to Mariah, to me, to Daichi and everyone else whose life has been turned upside down with the pain of what they did...But we have to be ready. We need to stick together and take all the help we can get. Bryan and Tala are here to help us. I'm sure Bryan will think nothing of it come the morning and we can get to work to becoming a whole new kind of team. I can't wait to start training!"
Tyson ignited with enthusiasm and feistiness. "Yeah one that's gunna hammer Shadow Vale into dust. We're no longer White Tiger X, PPBAllstarz, G-Revolution, the Blitzkrieg Boys or anything else. We're one big team now and Shadow Vale are enemy no.1. It's only a matter of time until they're history!"
Midnight struck and as all was quiet in the Granger household. Grandpa Granger was tucked up in his bed; his long grey moustache blew up and down on his face as he snored with an open mouth. One leg kicked out from beneath thin white sheets, and his spare-haired chest laid bare for a small fan positioned atop a beside sock drawer to cool him throughout the humid night.
Inside the dojo, an array of beybladers of different origin and gender were sound asleep. Emily lay curled with her phone and laptop on charge nearby; Kenny's too with his glasses tucked away in their protective case waiting for the morning. Max snored lightly on his back whilst sprawled out with a glass of water to hand should he need it in the warm night. Ray slumbered silently and curled with his legs tucked in, facing Mariah whom mirrored his position; the two were exhausted from the emotional evening and releasing of pent feelings. Hilary snoozed with curlers in her auburn hair which her cousin had helped to wrap before she, Himari, was driven home by Hiwatari Enterprise staff safely to her parents house. Tyson and Daichi like always snored their nasal passages out; their bodies stretched and kicked out in starfish poses on their futons. Even the Blitzkrieg Boys were catching ZZZZs on the opposite side of the room nearest a plug for two fans and a portable air-conditioning unit to run all night long. The Slavic duo slept without covers and both had got their way with additional futons in a tower stack of 3x each. Their host Tyson wasn't going to give them any reason to critique their second night stay at the famous Granger residence. There would be no kitchen camping for the Blitzkrieg Boys tonight.
One blader however was missing. Kai, had remained where he'd been since daybreak and had barely left the room since taking it over. What was once Hiro's bedroom, and then left to become a storage room for broken kendo sticks and Hiros' childhood possessions in crumbling boxes, was now a mission headquarters. The newly dusted and tidied space was adopted as Kai's personal office, his war room, a briefing room for his investigators and would now be his bedroom. During the day, Kai had taken it upon himself to quietly gather his white futon and blue linen and had set up for sleep hours ago. His team of highly paid spies were set loose on the hunt in the early evening and would not return until they had members of Shadow Vale under arrest or Dranzer in their possession. The pin boards affixed on the walls remained in place, as were the photos of four purple cloaked, red eyed, silver haired assassins. A memorial board of Dranzer hung central; gallant photos of the firebird illuminated in the moonlight pouring through a small, crusted-with-age window. The sliding door was completely closed allowing no light from the hallway to seep in through the thick shoji panes. The broken beyblader lay silent and still in the dark. His cool bare feet poked out from under covers which should not be needed given the warmth of the summer Japanese night. Ever since he was attacked and drained of his blood and his fire Bitbeast stolen, he struggled to keep warm as if the flame inside him had been snuffed out. The blanket covered all the way up to the top of his torso where his hand lay protectively across his wound site like muscle memory, and would remain clutching it gently as if to soothe it like a nagging child. His wound ached painfully day and night; and without his painkillers he would have no rest bite from it. He gazed up with blood-shot eyes at an enlarged image of Dranzer mid-flight pinned to a board, it appeared greyscale in colour from the strong Luna light streaming in.
Unlike his fellow team mates, Kai was not sleeping and hadn't been able to for quite some time. Snoozing here and there throughout the day was all he could manage. Incessant calling from his fire bird Bitbeast would not let him rest any deeper, or for long. Since the morning, Dranzers' ethereal cries had increased in frequency from a couple of times a day to almost continuously. A coincidence since throwing his painkillers away or was Shadow Vale doing something to Dranzer?
"KKKKKAAAAAAWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR KKKKKAAAAAAWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRRR KKKKKAAAAAAWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR"
Cries of Kai's beloved phoenix echoed in his mind periodically and prevented any decent rest for the fragile stab victim. Young CEO removed his hand from his side to cup both of his palms tightly over his ears in an attempt to muffle the screams.
"KKKKKAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKAAAAAAWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRRR KKKKKAAAAAAWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR"
And still, the noise penetrated, the sound wasn't coming from outside...it was in his head and torturing his soul.
"KKKKKAAAAAAWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR KKKKKAAAAAAWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRRR KKKKKAAAAAAWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR"
The bird-like cries could not be shut out or stopped. There was nothing Kai could do but hear it over and over and over again.
"KKKKKAAAAAAWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR KKKKKAAAAAAWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRRR KKKKKAAAAAAWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR"
Kai's red veined orbs closed for a moment but when he did, Dranzer's cries grew louder as if to punish him for trying to rest. He soon re-opened them, unable to take the elevated screaming of his beloved bitbeast, and turned to Dranzers' silvery tainted poster once again. He whispered to no one in the lonely darkness. "I hear you Dranzer. I'm trying to find you I promise. You need to let me sleep... Please Dranzer...let me sleep."
"KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKAAAAAAWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR KKKKKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRRR KKKKKAAAAAAWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR"
Dranzer screamed in reply.
"KKKKKAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKAAAAAAWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRRR KKKKKAAAAAAWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR"
Again.
"KKKKKAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKAAAAAAWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRRR KKKKKAAAAAAWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR"
And again.
"KKKKKAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKAAAAAAWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRRR KKKKKAAAAAAWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR"
And again.