Thanks to Moon and blossoms and James Birdsong for reviewing the previous chapter.
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Chapter Eight: Truth and LiesHilary's eyes fluttered open as warm rays poured over her. She brought an arm to her face to shield her eyes from the bright light. Pain seared through her arm like a hot rod pressed against the skin. She bit down on her shirt to muffle her yelp, then sat upright once the pain had subsided. She looked around, finding herself surrounded by trees and wondered how she had gotten here in the first place. The last thing she remembered was purchasing supplies for a barbeque.
In the corner of her eyes, she spotted two people standing by a creek, both dressed in dirt-stained white cloaked robes. Her heart skipped a beat – who were these people? She thought about sneaking away, but she knew she wouldn't be able to escape unheard. The dried leaves made escaping undetected impossible.
She lay down on the ground again and pretended to play dead. Perhaps they would ignore her. She shut her eyes, but not quite completely, parting them slightly just enough to keep an eye on the mysterious robed figures. Both had their backs turned to her. She looked around again, having second thoughts about escaping, her eyes resting on a couple of bushes nearby. Perhaps…
"…And what exactly were you planning on doing with her? Her teammates will come looking for her and we'll be outnumbered."
A female spoke. "We could use her as bait! They'll come looking for her. We'll lead them into an ambush, and we'll take their parts as our own. We've done it before!"
"I told you before – we only take what is necessary! We have enough parts to please him!" the male argued back.
"What other choice do we have? We have no money and no place to call home. We need money to survive, brother… We're hunters. That's who we are and that's how we'll always be remembered," the female snapped. The voices sounded vaguely familiar to her ears, but she couldn't quite determine the source in her current state. It was like a part of her memory had been lost during that attack. "You know I'm right, but you don't want to admit it. Face it, brother. We can't escape our past."
The male turned away and headed towards the place she had been lying before. "It seems like your little pet has escaped, Queen. She's recovered from the head knock."
Hilary pulled back from the opening in the bushes and kept her head down, hoping they wouldn't come looking for her. King and Queen. Now she remembered. They had been talking about stealing parts in the city and Hilary had stood up to them. In retaliation, Queen had attacked with her blade.
"Hilary! I know you're around here somewhere!" the female said. "Show yourself and you'll be given mercy."
Hilary edged backwards until her foot became stuck. Glancing over her shoulder, she noticed her foot had become caught in a rope. Cursing at the bad luck, she tried to remove her foot, but only succeeded in making matters worse of herself. Her ankle throbbed. Holding back a frustrated growl, she reached down, wrapping her hands around her leg then tried to yank it free.
Before she could scream, she found herself jerked upwards. She flailed her arms around, trying to use her weight to break the rope, but it was too strong. Her movements caught the attention of the siblings who both jerked their heads in her direction. "Like I said, you should've shown yourself instead of trying to escape," the female said, pulling back her hood.
It was Queen all right. King placed a hand on her shoulder, as if telling her to stand back. He held out a hand towards Hilary. "I didn't wish for our reunion to be like this," he said. "But we have no choice. You must do whatever it takes to survive. One day you'll understand this."
"My friends are going to come looking for me," Hilary said, slapping his hand away. She climbed to her feet unaided and glared. "And when they find me, you're going to regret hurting me."
Queen moved forward, lips curving into a smirk. "Good. That's what we want. We'll take their parts as our own and thus the world's strongest blades will be created. Once that is done, we can take our fair share and leave." She took a few more steps forward, now standing directly in front of her. "And how are you going to contact your friends? You have no phone on you."
Hilary dropped a hand to her pocket. Her phone had gone missing. Most likely Queen and King had taken it from her just to make things a lot more difficult. "Who are you working for?" she said, trying to remain calm. Panicking now would only give the hunters an even bigger advantage. Your friends will find you, she told herself. "The person who murdered Stanley?"
"That's none of your business, Hilary," Queen said. "Let's just say I pity anyone who stands in his way."
So, it was a male they were working for though she didn't find that surprising considering most of the criminal masterminds they had encountered had been male. Boris, Zagart, Gideon, Barthaz… the only criminal female had been Dr. K, but she had died during the second tournament. "Why can't you say anything?"
King's expression turned solemn. "Because we can't. I know it's understood this, Hilary, but we really don't wish you or your friends harm. This tournament you're thinking of entering is dangerous, and it would be better to run while you had the chance. A war is coming, and not even Tyson can stop it." For once, she saw a genuine glint of fear in his eyes. Whoever they were working for had obviously had great influence over them.
"You're afraid, aren't you?" Hilary said slowly.
Queen snorted. "I say we finish her off, King. She's a meddlesome girl this one."
"Drop it, Queen," King snapped. He sauntered forward and looked at Hilary. "Ignore Queen. You're right. We're frightened because we know what is coming, but we've been promised protection for playing our role. You can save yourself, Hilary. Don't end up as a casualty in this upcoming war."
"Speak for yourself," Queen mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.
King reached down into his pocket and pulled out his blade, launcher, and ripcord. Placing the blade on the launcher, he inserted the ripcord then raised his arms, angling it at the rope. "Brace yourself." He pulled his arm back, sending the blade forth.
The blade cut the rope and Hilary plummeted to the ground, landing face-first in the dirt. She spluttered and spat out leaves and grains of dirt from her mouth then wiped any remaining pieces away with the back of her hand. "Ugh," she spat.
King reached down to assist her to her feet. Hilary took it, climbed up then almost toppled over, thanks to the weakness in her legs. Fortunately, King was there to catch her, and he held her up, wrapping her arm around his shoulders. "Don't push yourself too hard, Hilary. You had a nasty fall. You're lucky though – if you had fallen an extra metre you would've died."
Queen rolled her eyes. "I still think this is a mistake."
"Shut it, Queen." He looked at Hilary. "You need rest. I'll take you to our base."
Hilary wished she had the strength to run away – something about this didn't feel right. What on earth were King and Queen doing out here in the woods and why was King acting so nice towards her now? Was it just a strategy to earn her trust? It paid to be cautious. She limped forward. Despite having no means to contact Tyson, she hoped he'd be able to find her before it was too late.
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The bowling game was supposed to have been a bonding exercise for the team, yet they seemed more divided than ever. Brooklyn was lounging on the coach, reflecting on the past couple of days. Garland was trying hard to keep the team together, but some of them, namely Mystel, didn't seem to care.
Surely, it had to do something with that pink-haired girl from the White Tiger tribe. He honestly didn't see what was so special about her, and why Mystel was so fixated on her. "Brooklyn, whatever you're thinking, don't do it," a voice said to his right. Glancing over his shoulder and over the couch, Brooklyn spotted Ming Ming. She was frowning.
"And how could you possibly know what thoughts are running through my head?" he replied curtly.
She sat down next to him. "Because you're wearing that expression, 'I'm planning something devious' right now." She sighed, then added, "I don't see why it bothers you so much. You and Mystel were never close friends, so why do you care who he spends his time with?"
Good question. Why did he care? He didn't even know who Mystel was before the Bega League had come together. He didn't know any of his teammates. They were just strangers to him. But perhaps it was because they were living in turbulent times and it required people sticking together. His fellow teammates were some of the most highly skilled bladers in the world, but they, like him, were stuck in a bad situation.
"It might come as a surprise to you, Ming Ming, but I do actually care about this team. Like it or not, we're stuck together, so we might as well try and get along." He placed his hands behind his head and leaned back into the chair. "I sense trouble at this year's tournament, though really, that shouldn't be a surprise considering how the last few had turned out."
"You think Tyson is in danger?"
"He's the world's poster boy for beyblading… Of course he's in trouble."
"Have you had a vision?"
Brooklyn shook his head. "I haven't had any since my battle against Kai last year. It's like my… unfortunate loss there caused my ability to see into the future to stop functioning." Zeus had been strangely quiet since the Tyson battle too. It wasn't like he had taken any serious damage, so he wasn't sure why Zeus had stopped responding. It was through Zeus he was able to see into the future. "You don't need a fortune teller to know there will be trouble at this tournament."
Her shoulders sagged. "And there's nothing we can do to help stop it."
Brooklyn straightened. "That's where you're wrong, Ming Ming. We can help. We can find out who poses a threat and stop them before they even make it into the tournament. Who says all the action must take place during the global event?"
She raised an eyebrow. "We don't even know what we're fighting against."
"That's what we're going to find out. We'll search for clues. Contact some of the other bladers. I'm sure they'd know something… how about visiting Tala and his friends? I'm sure he'd know something that could help us in our search." Though he suspected the Blitzkrieg Boys would refuse considering the history between the two teams. But really, it was Garland's fault. He was the one who had made fools of them.
"Good luck talking to them."
"That's why you're going to talk to them."
Her jaw dropped. "Excuse me?"
He rolled his eyes. "Yes, you heard right. You're the people person of this team, Ming Ming. And you're a girl. Maybe you can charm them."
"You're hilarious, Brooklyn," she said, shooting him a sour look. "I'm not going to talk with the Blitzkrieg Boys to offer them a peace treaty. It's your idea – you should be the one to talk with them."
"You're not afraid of them, are you?"
She eyes narrowed, but he couldn't help but laugh. "No. I just don't like being designated a role I had no say in. I will not be used like that, Brooklyn. If we're going to be a team, we're going to do this together."
"I'm just saying… Invite them over for dinner."
"You've got to be kidding me."
He shrugged. "The Blitzkrieg Boys aren't really any different from us. We've both been used by Boris, right? There's some sort of kinship there. All the beybladers will be coming to Japan for a few days before they head over to Australia. It could be a happy reunion?"
"I highly doubt they will see it that way."
"It's worth a try. We're trying to rebuild our reputation, and I think resolving tension with the other teams is a good place to start." Ming Ming still didn't look convinced. He tried again. "Look, I'd talk to them myself, but I highly doubt they're even going to listen to a single word I have to say."
"And you think I will have better luck?"
He smirked. "You never unless you try… Maybe you can even give them one of your CDs as a peace treaty."
She threw one of the cushions at his face. He just laughed. "You are insufferable, you know that?" She sighed. "Fine. I'll talk to Tala, but don't blame me if this doesn't work as planned." She climbed to her feet. "Just don't do anything while I'm gone, all right?"
"I'll be on my best behaviour, I promise."
Somehow, she didn't look to confident, but Ming Ming was going to find Tala as asked. Now he just had to break the news to Garland the B-Boys were going to come around for dinner. That was going to turn out well. But first, the issue with Mystel. The guy was supposed to be meeting his not-girlfriend on the hills this afternoon before sunset. Of course, that wasn't going to happen. Brooklyn was going to go in his place and talk Mariah into ending her friendship with the blond. Sure, it was cruel, but necessary.
Once Ming Ming had left, Brooklyn made his way towards Garland's room. He could convince Garland to stop Mystel from leaving if he wanted to, and Mystel would obey. No one in the right frame of mind would argue with Garland and expect to win. "Sorry, Mystel, but it's for the best. You'll understand it one day."
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The debacle with Johnny had made local headlines. Robert was used to being in the papers for all the good reasons – his blading skills, his donations – but never for something like this. Not an hour would go by without some journalist trying to pry for details for Johnny's sudden exit from the restaurant. Not exactly the image he wanted the Majestics to have in lead up to the tournament.
Currently, he was seated at Oliver's kitchen table, discussing the plans with Oliver and Enrique. Enrique wasn't fussed about it – he believed they were better off without Johnny, but Oliver disagreed. Robert could see both sides of the argument – reasons for keeping Johnny and reasons for kicking him off the team.
"Look, I say we ditch him. Johnny never wanted to be part of a team anyway," Enrique pointed out. "He's made it pretty damn clear he doesn't want anything to do with us. We'd be fools to take him back."
Oliver shook his head. "He's part of our team, Enrique. Like it or not, we promised we would stick together no matter what. We are the champions of Europe and we should start acting like champions. Right now, we're the laughingstock of the world." Oliver pointed down at the latest newspaper. There was a badly drawn sketch of the team with the caption, 'majestics aren't so majestic after all' beneath it.
Enrique threw his hands up in the air. "Why are you defending him? He's done nothing but treat you like dirt over the years. You should be happy to see him go!"
Robert brought a hand to his forehead and sighed. He was starting to get a headache from all this debating. They had been at the table for hours now trying to find a solution. So far it had been nothing but 'let's complain about Johnny' from Enrique whilst Oliver tried to refute those comments. "Oliver is correct, Enrique. Jonathan is one of us, and we need him if we are to compete in this tournament. There is something sinister here at work and as bladers, we have a duty of care to protect our sport from people who want to destroy it. I'm going to contact him and let him know he is to meet with us at the registration building."
Enrique scowled. "Come on, Robert. See some sense! I know you find him annoying! He's always putting us down! He's always acting like a jerk to people! He thinks he is some tough guy that can do whatever he wants because he has money."
"The last time I checked Enrique, you were the one who bought an expensive yacht to show off to your lady friends. I also recall you closed off an entire street in your hometown so you could have a party. For all of Jonathan's faults, he never flaunted his wealth in the same manner as you," Robert replied calmly. Enrique looked to argue back, but kept his mouth shut. He curled his fingers into a fist and slammed it down on the table.
"We shouldn't be fighting. Now more than ever we need to stick together. There's a bigger threat out there and if we're squabbling like teenagers, we'll be made vulnerable," Oliver said. And that was exactly why Robert enjoyed Oliver's company the most out of his teammates. He was rational, calm, and mature who always saw the bigger picture, something the other two lacked. "Enrique, I know Johnny can be quite difficult to get along with, but he's still our friend."
"Speak for yourself. He was never a friend of mine." Enrique stood up abruptly from his chair, placing both his hands on the edge of the table. "Maybe it would be better if we just disbanded."
"Do not be ridiculous, Enrique."
Oliver looked hurt. "How could you say that? Are we that unimportant?"
Raking a hand through his messy blond locks, Enrique said, "You said it yourself. The team is a joke now. We're jokes. Our good names have been tainted."
"Sit down, Enrique," Robert said tonelessly. He would've spared a chuckle if the situation at hand wasn't so serious. Enrique and Johnny were always at each other's throats and it was probably because they were more similar than they'd like to admit. Both stubborn, and both incredibly competitive. "Our team name might be the core of quite a few jokes, but we will not let their crude comments hurt us. We made a vow we would be a team. Our chance to compete last year was taken from us – I am not letting that happen again. Now if we are done acting like children, may I suggest we visit the registration centre?"
"Can't we do it online?" Oliver said.
Robert shook his head. "We could, but I'd rather do it in person. It'll give us a chance to talk with Jonathan as well."
"So, we're really going to go and grovel at his feet?"
"Yes, and I expect you to be on your best behaviour. Do not bring further embarrassment to our team name," Robert said, narrowing his eyes at Enrique. Enrique didn't look happy, but he didn't bother trying to argue back. "Oliver, shall we take your car, or will you have your butler drive us?" Oliver's butler followed him around the world.
"My car is in for service," Oliver answered. "We can take a private blading bus."
A bus. How uncouth, but it would have to do. At least it was a private bus for bladers meaning it would be nice and quiet. It wasn't that he thought himself above people (well most people) but he found public buses to be noisy, smelly, and cramped. Not to mention, the drivers were always rude. "All right. Call for a coach. I will pay the fee."
Oliver rose from his chair and headed out into the hallway to make a phone call. Now it was just him and Enrique. "I just hope you know what you're doing, Robert. I can't promise I'll welcome Johnny back with open arms, but for the sake of the team, I'll try not to provoke him further."
"And that is all that I ask of you. Come now, let us head outside and wait for the coach to arrive," Robert said, rising from his chair. His headache was no longer as painful, but there was still a lingering pain. A good sleep would be all that was needed, and maybe a short vacation. What an eventful week it had been.
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Hiro walked up to the counter to speak with the cashier. He had arrived at the specified destination, and now all he needed was his table. He hoped the blonde woman behind could help otherwise this was going to be a rather awkward moment. "Hello sir, how may I help you?" the woman greeted him, her bright blue eyes fixed on his face. He wondered if she recognized his face.
"I'm Hiro Granger. I'm supposed to be meeting with a man called Douglas today?"
She nodded. "Allow me to check, sir," she said, then turned to the screen nearby. "Granger… Hiro Granger… ah yes, there you are. You're seated at table thirteen," the woman said, glancing up from the screen. She raised an arm then pointed towards the far eastern corner towards a table for two. A frame of a beyblade dish was above it. "Douglas will be arriving shortly. Please be seated."
He thanked her and headed towards the table. The café was reasonably large – eight tables inside with two chairs each and the outdoors area had another eight tables. The tables outside were placed beneath large black and white umbrellas with a row of trimmed hedges separating each table. Each table had the usual salt and pepper shakers in the middle, a small jug of cold water, and two glasses. He sat down on the chair facing the entrance of the building.
The interior of the café wasn't like the others he had visited. This one had a map of the world on the western wall behind the counter with the main blading stadiums highlighted in each country. There was a television screen hanging down from the southern corner. Beneath it was a small stage which he believed was for local musicians to perform on.
The café also had a bar. He could see different types of wine, spirits, and beer on the shelves behind the counter. It was a café that functioned as the typical place selling sweets and savouries and alcoholic beverages in the later part of the day. Not a bad way to make an income. It certainly made them stand out from the usual bunch.
Next to the stage was the fireplace. Since it was summer, the fireplace was empty. In winter, the pieces of wood would be added and lit to provide warmth from the cold. Certainly an interesting place, he thought to himself, looking around, taking in his surroundings. Save for two tables outside, all were unoccupied. Either the place was quiet at this time of the day or the inside area had been closed for Douglas's arrival.
Fortunately, he didn't have to wait long for Douglas's arrival. The man was rather easy to spot. He was dressed in business attire and carrying a black briefcase in his right hand. "Hiro Granger, it's a pleasure to meet you in person. I've heard much about you," Douglas said, sitting himself down on the opposite chair. He brought his hands to his black tie and adjusted it before speaking again. "You and I have much to discuss," he added, holding out his hand.
Hiro accepted his firm handshake. "And you're no stranger to me either, Douglas. You're the owner of the PBB Research Facility."
Douglas raked a hand through his tuft of blond hair and nodded. "Yes, and I still am as well. Although, I've taken the backseat in recent years allowing Judy to be the face of the company. She's been a great asset to me. I don't know where I would be without her." He reached down top open his briefcase, pulling out a handful of paper files. He placed them on the table. "I've flown all the way from America to be here today and I have to return early tomorrow morning. I'm sure you're wondering why I put an advertisement for a private coach.
"I assume you want someone to train your upcoming bladers?"
Douglas helped himself to a glass of water then poured one for Hiro. He brought the rim of the glass to his lips, took a few sips then put it back down again before continuing. "Your father is an archaeologist, am I correct?"
"Yes, that's right."
"The reason I've arranged this meeting with you is to share with you my goals for the future of the PBB. Your father has been working for me for the past few years and made a discovery that could change the world of blading in a mining town in the Australian desert," Douglas said, helping himself to another sip of water. He wiped his mouth then pointed down at the papers on the desk. "Your father found this wall a couple of weeks ago."
Hiro saw an image of his father and his team standing before a wall with some drawings of animals. "They're drawings of animals."
"Bitbeasts."
"Right. And?"
"These people communicated with drawings and paintings than words. It took us awhile to put the pieces together, but if you look at the drawings closely, you'll notice they tell a story. Look at them closely."
Hiro brought his face closer. A chimera. A humanoid creature with tentacles for a face. A traditional Western-looking dragon, and finally a knight. "More bitbeasts."
Douglas shrugged his shoulders and put his phone away. "The world is full of mysteries, Hiro. We keep learning about bitbeasts as technology improves."
Hiro frowned. What was Douglas trying to get at? "I don't quite understand."
The man grinned. "Stanley Dickinson and I had theories about this several years ago before the first tournament began. We funded this expedition together, but over the years he started getting cold feet over it. He pulled out last year during the Bega League episode, and I was left to pick up the pieces myself."
Hiro leaned back in his chair. "Stanley's dead."
Douglas didn't meet his gaze. "Yes, a tragedy. He will be mourned at the tournament."
"You don't seem concerned. Is he not an old friend?"
"And rival. You always seek to be better than your rivals, yes?" Douglas looked at him. "You need to understand, Hiro – this is ground-breaking research. We have stumbled upon new bitbeasts. Your father and his team discovered the wall is a gate. We ran a few tests and picked up signs of activity behind the wall. What we found was astonishing." He flipped a few papers over until he reached one with an image of a machine cracking. "The power levels were so high that our machines could not record them."
"A powerful bitbeast then," Hiro said slowly. "We're always coming across new bitbeasts. We all believed nothing was more powerful than Black Dranzer, then Cerberus and Zeus came to be known. How is this one any different from the past few?"
"These are no ordinary bitbeasts."
"We've said that before. They were beaten."
"We need the right beybladers to unearth their power. Beybladers who fight on pure emotion are stronger than those who fight for money and glory. Bitbeasts feed on that – spirit energy. The soul. That's why they're able to win when all the statistics are against them."
Hiro felt an uncomfortable sensation in his stomach. "It could be dangerous, Douglas."
"Stanley said the same thing. He didn't believe. He wanted to stop the entire operation."
Hiro surged to his feet, hands gripping the edge of the table. "You didn't-"
"Kill him? No. I would never arrange the death of someone. Now please, sit."
Hiro sank back down, but the discomfort in his stomach did not disappear. Something was amiss. "You said the bitbeast is hiding behind some ancient gate? How are you supposed to open it?"
"I've had the team working on some machinery that can unlock the gate. When the gate opens, we'll absorb the power and transfer it into specially designed beyblades. I want you to train these bladers so they can use this power and win the tournament."
So, it all came back to winning the tournament. Perhaps the man was still sour over the loss to the Bladebreakers all those years ago. "Does Judy know what she's working towards?" This is was why Douglas had brought him here. He wanted to enlist the man to coach a few amateur bladers to harness the power of these mysterious bitbeasts. He grabbed a glass of water and drank some of it feeling oddly parched.
"I'll tell her in due time when she's played her part."
Douglas had all this planned out. Perhaps that's why he handed the reigns over to Judy whilst he was busy working on this project unbeknownst to the rest of the world. Smart move. "I suppose you already have a team of bladers ready then."
"Yes… they're all bladers Tyson has encountered over the years. Judy had all this data on the Bladebreakers, so we were able to track down names. Carlos. Alan. Bruno. Alexander," Douglas explained, pulling out a file which had their faces on it.
Hiro read the details. Carlos used to be in a gang with Kai called the Blade Sharks. Alan was Max's closest friend from before the days of the Bladebreakers. Bruno was part of the White Tiger tribe and Alexander was a Biovolt boy. But none of them had achieved anything notable. They were amateurs. He looked up, confused. "You can hardly call them professionals."
Douglas leaned forward. "That's where you come in, Hiro. We just need these boys to handle the basics of blading and their anger will empower them. Everything is on the line for these boys. This is the chance for them to have their share of the pie so to speak."
"What if they can't control it?" Which was highly likely considering how amateur they were.
Douglas shrugged. "You're the best coach this sport has seen. I'm sure you'll do everything in your power to ensure they can control this power, won't you Hiro?" He pulled out another file. "This is what I'm offering you. A few million dollars should the team succeed. You'll have enough money to do whatever you please," he added, pulling out a pen from his pocket. He pushed the paper to Hiro and pointed at the dotted line at the bottom.
Hiro read the text on the paper. Nothing suspicious. Just an agreement to sign a contract accepting he will coach Douglas's chosen. He picked up the pen, weighing up the consequences in his mind. Accept and unleash the most powerful bitbeast on the planet and ruin lives or reject and die a slow painful death and be buried in an unmarked grave.
"I'll coach your team," Hiro said, picking up the pen to sign his signature.
What other choice did he have? He needed money. A few million dollars wasn't anything to scoff at. It was also a chance to work closely with these new bitbeasts. Douglas would unleash this power with or without him. Only Tyson and his friends had the power to stop it. Maybe he could help Tyson by learning all he could.
He signed the paper. "I look forward to coaching your team."
Douglas smiled, taking his pen back. "Excellent. Welcome aboard."
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Tyson paced back and forth, staring down at the image on his phone. An hour had passed and still no response from Hilary. Was she safe? Where on earth was she anyway? Why hadn't she replied? Oblivious to his surroundings, he was caught by surprise when he felt someone tap him on the back. Startled, he jumped. Max was looking back at him, holding a plate with pizza on it. "Jeez Max, don't creep up on me like that."
"If we had waited any longer, there'd be no pizza left so I thought I'd bring it to you instead." The blond frowned. "What's going on, Tyson?"
Tyson looked down at his phone. "It's Hil. She hasn't called back. It's not a school night either so that's no excuse. She always replies to a message within a few minutes. It shouldn't take this long." Nausea gripped his head. What if she had been caught by the people who had Stanley Dickinson? Hilary couldn't defend herself as she didn't have a beyblade. "She shouldn't be out there on her own."
"Come on, Tyson. It's Hilary. She's strong."
"She doesn't have a blade, Max. I need to go back out there and find her."
"We'll go together. She's a part of this team too, and she's also my friend," Max replied. "Kenny might be able to track her down using her cell phone. We will find her, Tyson."
Tyson nodded, drawing in a deep breath. Now wasn't the time to panic. Max was right. They would find Hilary, and Hilary would be unharmed. "You're right. She'll be fine," he said, assuring himself. Positive thinking. Without saying another word, he followed Max back into the main area where the rest of the team sat down around a pizza box. Surprisingly, Kai was there, and it seemed he had taken a slice of pizza for himself, judging by the sauce on his right hand.
"By the time Hilary gets here there won't be any pizza," Rei said.
"Hilary isn't coming tonight," Tyson said. "She's not replying to her calls and that's not like her. We're going to find her."
Kai was up on his feet within seconds. "We'll set out at once. Kenny, can you track down her phone?"
Tyson frowned, but pushed the thought aside. Kai might pretend he didn't care, but he was always there to lend a helping hand when needed. He wouldn't let anything bad happen to his teammates especially since he had declared himself as captain. Tyson looked to Kenny. "Can you?"
"I can try…" he said, tapping away at his keyboard. "There's a site that can help you track it down. Do you know if she registered for anything like that?" he said, looking towards Tyson.
"Knowing Hilary, probably."
Kenny nodded. "I'll need her email address and password."
Tyson walked over and sat down besides Kenny, peering over the shoulder. He was on a website called eTrack. "Here, let me type it in." Kenny looked hesitant, but he allowed Tyson control of the keyboard. He didn't know what her password was, but he knew the email address. Now all he had to do was guess.
"Do you know the password?"
He typed in 'Hilary' as the password. No success. Maybe she wasn't as vain as he thought she was.
"Try bitbeast," Max suggested.
Tyson typed that in as well. "Nope. Any other suggestions? What else does Hilary like?"
"Maybe not what, but whom," Kai said. "Try a name. BBA?"
Tyson tried Kai's suggestion but was denied again. He typed in the names of their bitbeasts but still nothing. "Try your name, Tyson. You are on the receiving end of most of her remarks," Rei pointed out. It was worth a try. Tyson typed his name into the password box and was surprised to see it accepted. "Wow. I've never been used as a password before." He hit enter.
"If her phone is on, this site will tell us where it is," Kenny said, waiting for the bar to finish loading. After a few more minutes of waiting, the bar was full. The page refreshed showing an image of a phone in a forest not too far away from the city's centre. "She's in the woods."
"Then we better get moving before night falls," Kai said, moving towards the door. He had a hand in his right pocket. Most likely his fingers were clasped around his blade. "Consider this our first real test as a team after the long break. We'll split into two groups – that'll make it easier to flank her captors and take them by surprise. Rei, you're with me."
Rei moved to stand at Kai's side. "I'm ready for anything."
A fair split. Kai and Rei always seemed to end up on the same side and Tyson with Max. Tyson wasn't sure why that was – it was almost as if Kai didn't think they'd be able to work together. Probably because of their personalities being so different. He probably figured they'd spend the entire time bickering and get distracted from the task at hand.
"We'll see you there. Keep safe, guys," Max said.
"You too," Rei replied. He followed Kai out of the door.
Tyson turned to his companions. "Well Kenny? Lead the way. Hilary's waiting for us."