Thanks to Moon and blossoms and James Birdsong for the reviews!
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Chapter Six: Darkened Days to Come
The dreary dark city of Edinburgh had woken up to sunshine, and locals from all round the city came outside to bathe in the warm sunlight. Johnny wasn't one of those people. Even on beautiful rare occasions like this, he preferred to avoid the crowds and hang out at his mansion instead.
Days had passed since the argument with the team. His anger had subsided, but he loathed himself for his part in it. How could he have been so foolish? He wouldn't be able to compete in the upcoming tournament without a team, and there was no way he was joining up with a bunch of amateurs.
He turned a corner into a deserted alleyway, spotting a beyblade dish up ahead. The kids who grew up in unstable environments often came down here to blade with other lost souls. It was their temporary escape from the problems in their lives. Johnny walked up to the beydish and glanced down at it. Would he ever get a chance to blade again in a professional environment?
The answer was simple. All he had to do was apologize to Enrique and Robert would allow him to join the team again, but for now he was alone. Team rosters had to be completed by the end of the week – if your name wasn't on it, you weren't allowed to compete. "Fuck," he swore, kicking his shoe at a scrunched up can nearby. The can flew and landed several feet away then rolled around the corner, disappearing into the shadows. Why was it so hard to utter an apology?
"Careful where you kick that. You never know who could be standing around a corner," a female said.
Johnny glanced up. Across from him was a woman with long royal blue hair wrapped up in a ponytail. She dressed in simple clothing unlike most of the women Enrique liked to hang around with who liked to wear fanciful dresses. "And who the hell are you?"
The girl snorted, and stepped out from the shadows, her arms folded over her chest. "And they said you were supposed to be a descendant of royalty…" she drawled.
So this girl knew him. No surprises there. Who didn't know the infamous Johnny McGregor? "Look, I don't do autographs, all right? So why don't you just crawl back to whatever hole you came out of and leave me alone."
She moved in closer. "You think I want an autograph from you?" A dry laugh escaped her throat. "You people are so full of yourselves, aren't you? You probably haven't heard of me, but I've heard of you and your team. The Majestics." She took another step, moving closer to the beydish. "My teammates are out shopping, so I have some time to kill. Why don't you and I have a beybattle? You look like you could use the distraction."
"Why do you care?" And just who the hell was she anyway to be speaking to him like this?
"I'm a blader too, and they say you're one of the best Europe has to offer. But… I have my doubts about that. I heard how your team failed to even qualify for last year's tournament. I think you're all talk." She dropped a hand into a pocket and pulled out her blade. He noticed a bitchip on her blade. So, she had a bitbeast too. "What do you say we battle then or are you too chicken to fight a girl?"
A muscle in his jaw twitched. This girl had some real nerve talking to him like he was just some common blader. "You say you've heard of my team… then you'd know how foolish it would be to challenge me. Why don't you take the smart option and just walk away before I totally thrash your blade?" he spat. He didn't feel like blading right now, especially against some unproven girl. So what if she had a bitbeast?
"So you are a coward, I thought as much."
"Just what do you want?"
"Like I said, I have a bit of time to spare."
She was testing him. It was the first time a girl had actually even bothered to show him attention. Most girls just flocked around Enrique and Oliver. For some reason, they both were quite popular, and Johnny couldn't understand why. Both were weak bladers. Enrique couldn't even control his bitbeast right and Oliver had unicorn for a bitbeast. A bloody unicorn!
"Are you deaf or just plain dumb? I'm not blading against you. Why don't you find some poor kid and test your skill against them instead?" He turned his back, hoping the girl would get the idea. No movement. Perhaps if he started walking away, she'd leave and pester somebody else. He took a step towards the exit.
"That's a shame. I guess the rumours are untrue after all. So much for the McGregor clan never turning their back on a fight."
He stopped, feeling a surge of anger rise within. No one mocked his family name, especially some female with a smart mouth. Turning around, he strode back to the dish, and glared. "You have no right to speak of my family name. Just who are you anyway?"
"The name is Mariam. You might want to write that down so you remember the face of the person who beat you in a fair fight."
Fight the girl or walk away. It would be far easier to leave now and never look back, but that would just prove to this girl he was some coward. If she was smart, she'd tell the media about him being a coward. That would get back to his family and they would not be so impressed hearing their name shamed like that.
"Fine, I'll fight you, but don't cry when you lose," Johnny snarled, his patience wearing thin.
"Funny that, I was just about to say the same thing to you," Mariam replied curtly, loading her blade on the launcher. Johnny did the same. He was feeling slightly tense – it had been many long months since he had actually spun his blade against someone outside the Majestics. But surely, he could win this match? He was still the reigning champion of the United Kingdom.
"Three…two…one… Let it rip!" Mariam cried out, releasing her blade into the beydish. Johnny released his cord a split second later. Her blade circled around his blade as if it was searching for a weak spot. Salamalyon remained in the centre of the dish, spinning in place, waiting to counter attack. Mariam raised a hand in the air then brought it crashing down. "Shark Rash, attack now!"
Shark Rash changed direction, and hurtled down the slope towards Salamalyon. "Force her back, Salamalyon! Use Fire Rod!" His blade's bitchip glowed. White light burst from the top, temporarily blinding all those present. When the light faded, his bitbeast towered above them both.
"A salamander, then. He's very cute."
Wait. Cute? Did Mariam call his mighty bitbeast cute? No way. "Attack now!" Salamalyon opened his mouth and spewed forth abhorrent looking purple flames. The flames surrounded her blade, preventing it from escaping. "Finish her off!"
"Not so fast Johnny-boy." He growled at the use of that name. "Shark Rash, counterattack, using Abyss Fire!" Her bitchip began to glow. A few moments later, a pillar of light burst skywards from the middle. The light faded now replaced by a shark. Salamalyon was three times the size of the shark, but her bitbeast showed no signs of being intimidated. In fact, she was smiling. Unsettling. "Shark Rash, attack now! Show this chump the true power of the Saint Shields clan!"
Saint Shields clan. Where had he heard that name before? He was sure the name was mentioned during his private history lessons. Robert would probably know. That man knew everything about history, but he didn't want to see him right now. Robert probably wouldn't want to even speak with him until he was ready to apologize. Best to keep his distance for a few days until it all died down.
Distracted by his thoughts, he was caught off guard by Shark Rash's charge. The shark rammed into the right of his bitbeast with such force, his great salamander actually stumbled! That was unacceptable. Was he losing his touch? Had he become rusty over the past few years? He tightened his jaw. No. He had the power to win this match. He just had to concentrate.
"Salamalyon, use Vice Grip!" Salamalyon swung his tail around, slamming the side into the shark's left ribcage. The shark tried to escape, but Salamalyon wrapped his tail around the body and lifted it up in the air, applying more pressure. The battle would be over soon. "Why don't you just surrender now, Mariam, and call it a day?"
She shook her head. "You might have all the money in the world, but money doesn't buy heart. I'm not going to deny that your bitbeast is more powerful than mine, but I have something you lack. Heart." What sort of crap was she spewing? Heart? Yeah right. Blading was about wits and bravery and she had neither. This was why he didn't fight girls. Too emotional. "Max taught me that. You have raw power, but that's all. I have something greater, and that's why I'm going to win this battle."
She knew Max? As in, the hyper blond kid from the Bladebreakers? It had to be. The Bladebreakers were big believers of that nonsense. Friendship. Love. Trust. Bah. Such things only made you weak. "Go for the kill, Salamalyon. Don't release your hold. She can't last much longer."
"Look again, tough-guy. You're wrong."
He looked down, narrowing his eyes. Shark Rash didn't appear to be struggling at all. In fact… the shark was… calm? He was confused. Why wasn't her shark weakening? "That isn't right. You should've lost the battle by now."
"Money doesn't buy brains either…" she jeered. "Ever touched a shark before? It's not smooth. It's like sand paper. Rough. I'm actually doing more harm to your bitbeast than you are to mine." She gestured down to her bitbeast. Salamalyon's grip was weakening. His eyes widened. "You can surrender if you want… but you won't, will you? Allow me to end this battle then. Bring him down, Shark Rash!"
Johnny, still shocked by Mariam's words, could only watch as Shark Rash slipped out of Salamalyon's hold. The shark then circled around his bitbeast, as if circling a wounded animal in the ocean. He could see the grazes on Salamalyon's tail left by Shark Rash's skin. The shark increased its speed until it became a blur. Salamalyon's massive bulk made it hard for him to strike back. He looked more like a clumsy overgrown bitbeast in comparison to Mariam's Shark Rash.
Before he could react, Shark Rash slammed into his blade with such power, it shook the dish. Salamalyon retreated into his bitchip as it flew out of the dish, and into a wall, leaving a big hole in it. Stunned, Johnny remained in position, speechless. His mouth had become dry, and the words had gotten stuck in his throat. Had he just lost to some unproven blader? How could he have allowed his guard to drop like that? It was like losing to Kai all over again, but worse.
Mariam held out her hand and called back her blade. "The bigger they are, the harder they fall."
Maybe he was the weak link on the Majestics. Maybe they would be better off without him on the team. Maybe they'd even be stronger. It wasn't like he ever wanted to be part of the Majestics anyway. Maybe he was the one holding them back? What if… Finding his voice again, he croaked out, "You got lucky, that's all. Beginner's luck. Next time that won't happen." Embarrassing.
"You're a sore loser."
Throwing his arms out to the sides, he added, "So you beat me. So fucking what? You want a medal or something?"
Mariam lifted a brow. "…and I thought Dunga had problems…"
"Hey sis, is this chump giving you trouble?"
Johnny's eyebrow twitched. Chump? He turned his head. A newcomer. Mariam's brother. A boy much shorter than Mariam came forth, cradling a box of doughnuts in his arms. Unlike his sister, he had dark green hair, but they shared the same emerald eyes. He was flanked by a much bigger brute with shaggy dirty blond hair.
"He's not giving me trouble, Joseph. He's just having a hard time accepting his loss."
"Wait – isn't that Johnny McGregor from the Majestics? Why does he dress like he crawled out of a dumpster?" The brute laughed.
Mariam nodded, twirling a finger around a lock of hair. "Yeah, that's him. Just don't ask him for an autograph or he'll try and bite your head off."
"And you beat him, sis?"
"That's what I just said."
"I didn't think they were that tough." Joseph looked him up and down. "Just a washed-up team. Ozuma could take them on in his sleep. Can't wait to face them in the tournament… if they're even accepted." The blond brute next to him laughed. "We should back anyway. Ozuma insists we head back home now. You know he doesn't like waiting around too long."
Mariam rolled her eyes then turned back to face him. "I'm sure we'll be seeing you again, Johnny. Next time we meet I expect a better fight."
Johnny held his tongue. No point in fighting back since he had already lost. He was just glad his 'teammates' weren't there to witness it. But to think he had lost to an opponent he should've easily beaten. What clan was she from again? The Saint Shields? Maybe his tutor would know. The man would certainly be delighted to know Johnny was showing an interest in history after all these years. Without saying a word, Johnny left the alleyway, images of his defeat still playing in his mind like a bad movie.
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Stanley's death had rocked the beyblade community hard. She didn't know the man as well as the others, but she mourned his passing. As difficult as it was to adjust to a life without him, she knew they had to keep moving forwards. That's why she was visiting the local grocery shop and stocking up on supplies for a barbeque. Kenny had sent word about having a private funeral for the man that had done so much for the world.
It was also a way of getting the Bladebreakers back together. She hadn't seen Kai in months, nor had she spent much time with Rei and Max. The only two people she spent a lot of time with were Tyson and Kenny as Daichi had disappeared. Not that she was complaining. It meant more alone time with Tyson.
A smile graced her lips. Her bull-headed classmate that had given her much pain over the years, yet she couldn't imagine a life without him. Being in his presence was like stepping out into the sunlight after days of being in the cold. He radiated a certain warmth, and she was drawn to him like a moth to a flame. But blading was his one true love, and he didn't seem to have room for anyone else.
With all the drama happening now, Tyson didn't have any time for relationships anyway. He probably didn't even know what one was with his mind so preoccupied with blading. Actually, now that she thought about it, she wondered if any of the Bladebreakers were dating material. All they ever talked about was beyblading. They even dreamed about it too.
As she walked down the street cradling the plastic bags in her arms, she heard battle noises coming from the local blading park. Quickening her pace, she followed the sounds until she reached her destination. There were three people standing around the beydish. One kid with messy blond curls, and a man and a woman standing on the opposite side of the dish.
She crouched behind a bush and peered over the top, watching the battle play out before her. It was two against one. The kid didn't stand a chance. What made things worse was that she recognized the duo. A woman with pale skin and black hair, and her partner, a tanned male with light grey hair. King and Queen. The infamous part hunters. What on earth were they doing here and why were they battling some kid?
"Remember the rules. When we win, you give us your blade," King said.
"That was my late grandfather's gift to me!"
Queen shrugged. "A deal is a deal. We promise you – we'll put those parts to good use. You'll be doing the world a favour, kid." King's blade slammed into the opponent's, pushing it to the edge of the dish. "Give up already. You're not good enough to be blading at the elite level. So why don't you save yourself an embarrassing loss, and just hand over the blade?"
"Cool it, Queen. We had a deal, and we should honour it."
"Must you always ruin the moment?"
He turned to face her. "You know the rules."
"Fine. We'll do it your way. Just hurry up already and end the battle or I will."
King nodded, and turned back to the dish. "Ariel, finish it." Ariel pulled back then charged, pushing the kid's blade out of the dish. "The battle is done. Honour your side of the deal and your blade over. I promise, your blade will be used well."
The kid dropped to his knees. Unable to watch anymore of this, Hilary rose to her feet and charged towards the duo. "That blade is not yours to take!" she cried out. A part of her told her to turn back now and contact Tyson to handle this. These two were skilled bladers – she didn't even know how to launch one correctly. But she couldn't keep crying out wolf.
King and Queen turned around. A sneer spread across Queen's face. "Hilary! It's so good to see your face again. It's been what, almost two years since we last saw each other?"
"I would never forget a face like yours." And how could she knowing what this woman and her partner did? Taking parts of people as if they had the right. Even Kai had been a victim to their cruel games. "That blade isn't yours. Give it back."
"Or else what?" Queen replied. "What are you going to do about it?"
Absolutely nothing. There was nothing she could do to stop them. Sometimes, she wished she was a blader too so she could fight people who deserved to be punished. Never had she felt so helpless as she did now.
"What are you doing? Why are you stealing parts? I thought you were done with that," Hilary said, trying a different tactic. If she couldn't take them on by force, she could fish for information that could later be used against them.
"This is how we survive, Hilary," King said. "We tried to live the normal life. You know, find a job. But no one wanted to take us. No one wants to help the outcasts. We were about to give up when we were made an offer that we simply couldn't refuse – find parts and exchange for money. That's how we eat. How we drink. How we sleep at night on a bed rather than a cold floor. We need to do this to live."
"By taking from others what isn't yours to take? You justify your actions for selfish reasons."
Queen opened her mouth to speak, but King raised a hand, calling for silence. "You have to do whatever it takes to survive. It might be hard to believe, but we're doing what is for the greater good of the world," King explained.
"By stealing parts? You are criminals," she spat.
"These parts are going to create the best blades ever to play the game."
"But why go to such extremes? What do you gain out of it?"
Queen cleared her throat. "Let's cut to the chase, King. The BBA are done. It's time for a change. With Stanley Dickinson dead, that change can now happen. All that remains now is finishing off the Bladebreakers. Drive them out of business for good. As long as your friends remain in the game, this sport will never grow."
"You're wrong."
Queen's eyebrows lifted. "Am I? We all know Tyson will never retire until someone knocks him off his throne. Tala failed. Zeo failed. Even Brooklyn, the so-called genius at blading failed to defeat Tyson. Not even Kai could and many regard him as the best blader ever." Queen moved closer until she was standing about an arm's length away from Hilary. "I know you care for him, Hilary. Why else would you follow him everywhere and stand at his side? But the Bladebreakers and their sacred bitbeasts need to be sealed."
Hilary gave a sardonic laugh. "This again? Why is it always about the bitbeasts? We've already had to deal with the Saint Shields coming after us. And guess what? They failed to do their job. If you think you can seal away the bitbeasts of my friends, you're mistaken."
"We're not planning on sealing them away in some stupid rock," Queen said, amused. "A rock can easily be broken. The boss has plans. He says he's going to send them far far away to a place of which there is no return. The sacred bitbeasts will remain in this place for eternity and the world of blading can continue to prosper."
Hilary couldn't help it. She laughed. "So this is what this all about? You're all jealous because none of you could defeat the Bladebreakers, and now you want to seal them away? You'll never succeed."
Queen just laughed. "There's a lot of people out there who despise the Bladebreakers and what they stand for. If you were smart you'd leave them to their fate. There's no future with people like that."
Turning to his partner, King said, "You have to give her some credit, Queen. She's brave, but she'll realize she's selected the wrong side in due time." He then faced Hilary again. "Go back to your friends and tell them this – stand down or compete and lose everything. We're giving your friends a chance, Hilary. A chance to live."
She shook her head and stamped her foot. She couldn't believe a single word they were speaking. Queen was just trying to mess with her head. Surely, they couldn't be universally despised? Tyson and his friends had saved the world more than twice, and they would continue to do so until they could no longer blade.
"I'm not going to abandon my friends, and they're not going to just give up. You obviously don't know them too well if you think they'll heed your warning."
"Perhaps this should be a good enough warning." Before Hilary could react, Queen raised her blade, and fired.
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It had been many weeks, no months, since Rei had last set foot in Tyson's dojo. The last time he had been in here was to discuss the attack plan against the Bega League. The place hadn't changed at all – everything looked exactly how he remembered it to be. Only one person was missing – Tyson's grandpa. Kenny explained the man had taken a short break to clear his mind.
"Where's Tyson?" Max said, sitting opposite to Rei on the floor, his legs crossed and hands folded in his lap.
Kenny looked up from his laptop. "Tyson said he needed to clear his head. You don't think he's run into any trouble, do you?"
"He'd be able to handle it. It's Tyson," Rei answered. "Speaking of danger, we ran into a bit ourselves. We were at a café just hanging out. Out of nowhere, this blade was launched in our general direction, leading us into an alleyway. There was writing on the wall. Show him, Max."
Max nodded, pulling out his phone. He brought the image up and showed it to Kenny. "Graffiti on the wall. It's like they wanted us to specifically see this message. Why else would they lead us down that particular alleyway?" He lowered his phone and out it away, then added, "What if they're watching us right now?"
"We need to know who 'we' is," Rei said. "Right now? We don't know anything asides from someone has a vendetta against the BBA for whatever reason. This writing is a good step. Maybe there are more clues about for us to find."
Kenny raised a hand. "Hold on. We can't act until Tyson returns."
"We also need Kai on this. He's a Bladebreaker too," Max said. "Maybe he knows more about this mess."
Rei nodded. "If anyone knows about suspicious behaviour it would be Kai."
The door opened. Turning his head around, Rei saw Tyson standing in the doorway, a troubled expression on his face. "Tyson!" Rei exclaimed, running over towards him. Max and Kenny joined his side. "Are you okay?" That expression on his face could only mean something had happened.
Tyson grimaced. "We have a real issue on our hands."
Tyson was usually upbeat and lively. When he was down in the dumps it was obvious there was something terribly wrong. He was never upset without good reason. "You ran into them too, then? The mysterious blader?"
Raising a brow, Tyson said, "Blader? I talked with Alexander. He was that kid we abandoned back in Russia."
Alexander? Wait, he was the blader who battled against Tyson in that exhibition match. A match obviously held to see just what Tyson could do and to catch Kai's attention. "We ran into some trouble of our own, Tyson. Max and I were at a local café when a blade appeared out of nowhere leading us on a chase to some deserted alleyway with the words, 'The end is nigh' on the walls."
Tyson adjusted his cap then continued speaking. "I also ran into Kai. He made a… interesting suggestion."
"What do you mean?" Rei hadn't seen Kai since the last time the Bladebreakers fought as a team. It was rumoured Kai had returned to Russia, but that didn't seem to be true at all. He was still in town and most likely keeping an eye on his teammates despite pretending not to like them. Typical Kai. "Does he know what's going on?"
"No. He knows as much as we do, but he's positive it's an attack against the BBA. Obviously, someone has it in for them, and with the words Alexander told me, it only strengthens that suspicion." Tyson closed the door behind him then moved towards the centre of the room before sitting down.
Rei, Kenny and Max followed and sat in a circle. How odd it was to be sitting down in this room making plans for the future once again. Ever since the Bladebreakers became one, this had become a common thing. Rei wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing. It was good to meet with his close friends, but to meet in conditions like this when there was a threat against them? Very unsettling.
"Alexander basically implied we do have enemies hiding around every corner, and most of them are people we have crossed paths with at some point. He claimed we were the enemies, that we are the ones prohibiting progress because we keep winning all the time. He doesn't know who the shooter is however," Tyson explained, his shoulders slumped. "I wasn't there when Stanley was shot, but I feel we owe it to him to find answers and protect the BBA."
"We don't even know who we are fighting against," Rei said. "We're facing off against shadows with no faces. Some of us aren't even registered to compete in this year's tournament. Our contracts were finished after the last tournament, and Stanley isn't there to renew them. If what Alexander says is true, our enemies want to keep us out of the tournament."
"Rei's right, Tyson. The Bladebreakers officially split. Our contracts have expired. We can't be part of the Bladebreakers again even if we wanted to. Stanley owns the name and now he's dead. No one else is going to want to renew that contract," Max said.
Tyson made a fist and laid it down on the space before him. "But we can still fight. We don't have to be part of the BBA to complete in this tournament. We have enough funds to support ourselves. The Blitzkrieg Boys funded themselves. We can too. There's still time to register and I don't have to go through the qualifying rounds because I am the champion, but you won't have any problems getting through."
Kenny laid down his laptop on his knees and brought the screen up. "We can register. We need a team name and list of people competing."
"We can decide on the name later, but we have to think about it carefully. We know someone wanted Stanley dead, but we don't know why. We were discussing it earlier with Kenny before you showed up, but Max and I got attacked at a café in the city. Some blader. They wanted us to see a message, the end is nigh. We don't know who it is, but we are being watched." Rei looked at Max who showed the image to Tyson. "I don't want to speak ill of the dead, but Stanley knew something."
"And we don't know what that is," Max said. "This tournament could be the most dangerous one we've ever fought. I'm not saying we shouldn't do it, but we must be aware of the risks. Someone wants to bring the BBA down. We might not be battling under the BBA name nor representing them, but we're still the same bladers. The people who killed Mr. Dickinson, might want us out of the way too."
Tyson raked a hand through his hair. "Why would he not tell us anything?"
"Maybe he didn't want us to worry," Rei concluded.
"He always seemed so happy," Max said, frowning.
Rei sighed. "We can't keep dwelling on the past. Mr. Dickinson is dead. Maybe he was involved in something sinister and got killed for knowing too much. Maybe the BBA is hiding secrets and Mr. Dickinson was close to revealing all. We don't know. Someone wants us out of the way. Killing us would be too easy – they want us shamed. They want us in this tournament," he said slowly, the realization sinking in. Stanley wasn't there to protect them now. A perfect opportunity.
"Wouldn't the rest of the board defend us?"
"A lot of them jumped ship when Bega popped up," Max said. "They didn't support us. Stanley was the last person standing who strongly believed in our cause."
"Great," Tyson muttered. "So, the board was made up of Boris loyalists. Maybe it was one of them who brought down Stanley."
"Regardless, we need to prepare for this tournament," Rei said then looked at Kenny. "Sign us up."
"Wait, Rei." Max waved an arm. "What about Kai? He's a Bladebreaker too."
"I thought he was retiring. I haven't seen him in months."
Tyson shook his head. "He'll be here. I met him the other day actually."
Rei nodded. "Great. Our team is stronger with Kai with us."
"That's because we're stronger united than we are divided," Tyson answered.
Kenny closed his laptop. "I'm not so sure about this… This will be even worse than what we endured throughout the Bega era. Back then, we were only fighting against Boris, but now? How many faceless men are we going up against? Maybe the smarter option would be to not compete at all."'
Tyson shook his head. "No way, Chief. I'm still the champion and I will defend my title. I'm not ever going to back down."
"Tyson's right. This is who we are, Kenny. We are the Bladebreakers and we do not walk away from a threat. Giving up is what they want," Max said.
Kenny looked to Rei. "Rei, please say you don't agree with them! This is madness!"
"I understand your concerns, Kenny, but I'm siding with Max and Tyson. Based on our previous history, it's safe to say our enemies will compete in the stadium. That's what these people do – they want us to feel humiliated – and they can achieve that in front of the global audience. That places the lives of all our friends competing at risk too, and I won't stand aside and allow that to happen."
Kenny looked from Rei, to Tyson, to Max then to Tyson again, the colour draining from his face. "This is going to end badly…"
"Be positive, chief," Tyson said, clapping a hand on his shoulder.
"Then it's settled. We'll compete in the tournament," Rei said. To blade again in the professional environment. He didn't think he'd be coming out of retirement so quickly, but he was secretly pleased.
"We'll need a new team name and we'll need to nominate a captain," Max said.
"No need for that because we all know that I will be the captain of the team," a voice said from behind.
Glancing over his shoulder, Rei looked towards the entrance. Kai stood in the doorway. As usual, there was no smile on his face. Of course Kai would have to show up right at this time. He always had impeccable timing. "Kai, it's been awhile."
He stepped inside and closed the door behind him. As usual, Kai ignored him. "I'm glad you've come to a decision without me. I can't always be around to babysit you lot and make the tough decisions," Kai remarked, his tone laced with amusement. Was that an attempted joke by him? Since when did Kai have a sense of humour? "We'll need to register our new team name, and we'll have to qualify."
"Qualify?" Max repeated.
"According to the rules, all new teams must qualify to compete in the tournament," Kenny said. "It doesn't matter who you are."
Kai looked at Tyson. "That does exclude you, Tyson since you have automatic qualification…. but you won't get to defend your title if the team as a whole fails to make it through."
"That's not going to happen," Rei said. "We'll qualify."
"I want to share the same confidence as you, Rei, but I wouldn't be so cocky. I think this tournament will be the toughest one yet. Yes, we are the most experienced bladers to ever play the game… But as Bega showed us last year, we're not the only ones with powerful bitbeasts. We need to be cautious."
"Way to dampen the mood, Kai," Tyson commented.
Kai gave Tyson his trademark smirk. "As captain, it's my job to ensure you all stay focused. Training begins tomorrow. You all need to be up by the time the sun rises. If you're not, you're off the team." He turned his back and headed back towards the doorway. "Kenny, I'll need to talk with you. The rest of you – get some sleep."
Rei watched Kenny and Kai exit the dojo, feeling as if he had just been slapped in the face. "Looks like the old grouch is back."
"You don't think he'd actually kick us off the team though, right?" Max said.
Tyson shook his head. "He needs us. He won't admit it, but he needs us on the team. After all, we did just make a vow we were in this together." He stretched his arms above his head then yawned. "Hey, do you think we should order pizza tonight?"
Max gave him the thumbs up. "Pizza sounds good! I'll place an order. Do you have any preferences?"
"Anything goes," Rei said. "I'm cool with anything."
"What about Kai though? He doesn't strike me as a pizza guy," Max said.
"If he's not happy, there's some stuff in the fridge," Tyson answered. "Anyway, I'll catch up with you shortly. I'm just going to give Hil a call. She'll be thrilled to know Kai is back." Tyson turned to exit the room, taking a left turn into a corridor. Once Tyson was out of hearing range, Max faced Rei and smiled.
"Did you hear that? He called her Hil."
Rei laughed. "I don't think he even realized he said that."
"You think Tyson is even aware of how Hilary feels?"
He shrugged. "About Hilary's obvious crush on him? Probably not. He probably thinks Hilary likes Kai. Noticed how he said she'll be thrilled to know Kai is back?" He then paled. "Don't tell Hilary I said that." The girl might not be a blader, but she could cause collateral damage without one. He did not want to be on the receiving end of that girl's rage.
"I'm sure he likes her," Max said.
Raising a brow, Rei said, "I'm not the only one who has noticed then."
Chuckling, Max pulled out his phone. "This might be the year they finally confess."
"Kai has started smiling and telling jokes, so anything is possible."
Max chuckled again, withdrawing his phone. "Well, I should probably order that pizza now. Talk soon." He rose to his feet and exited the room.
Rei remained on the floor, cross-legged, thinking about the past twenty-four hours. Twenty-four hours ago he had regretted retiring. Twenty-four hours later and here he was blading again with his friends. "Here's to a successful tournament. We'll be sure to make you proud of us, Mr. D."
He bowed his head in silent prayer. Whoever had shot Stanley was going to regret it.