Thanks to Moonblossoms for reviewing the past two chapters!
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Chapter Thirteen: The Awakening
And so, it had begun. The top scientists gathered before the wall, standing behind their machines. The plan was to launch an army of beyblades at the wall to make it collapse. Once the wall crumbled, the team would activate the high dose tranquilizer guns. When the beast was brought to the ground, they'd extract its power and place it into four carefully designed beyblades.
At least, that's what the plan was.
Judy wasn't convinced this would even work. If the beast were as powerful as Douglas believed it to be, surely it would easily break free? But Douglas insisted his plan was flawless - that he had been working on this for years now and it was bound to be effective. She couldn't argue with him; he was her boss and the man responsible for introducing her to this life.
All she could do was stand aside and hope for the best. Hopefully, it wouldn't take much longer. For days now she had been in the dusty mining town of Mt Isa. The town was basically devoid of entertainment – sure there was a rodeo show and a few bars in town, but that was it. It didn't help it was incredibly hot and dry. Fortunately, the weather bureau predicted there would be heavy rain today as a low-pressure system from the Gulf of Carpentaria came southwards. She could already see thick monsoonal clouds above.
Douglas came to her side and flashed a smile. He pointed to the thirty-foot-high cave wall. "This is it, Judy. All our long years of developing the best technology will finally have paid off."
She smiled back. "Is the team ready?"
"Almost. Mr. Granger just wants to take a few more photos and then we will be ready to go."
Tyson's father. He was the man who had overseen the unearthing of the mystery. If not for him, she'd be back at the hotel giving her team a debriefing session. But here she was standing before a great wall about to release a powerful bitbeast. She hadn't had the chance to speak with him yet, but she knew there'd be an opportunity too later.
"Sir, we are ready!" a scientist said.
Douglas held out his hand. Judy accepted it and allowed him to guide her back towards the main team. There were ten scientists in total and a couple of miners. She caught Tyson's father standing to the far right. "On the count of three, you will release the blades. Remember, as soon as the wall crumbles, the darts must be fired at once."
"Yes, sir!"
"One…"
Tightening her fingers around Douglas's hand, Judy peered up at the wall, trying to fight back her nerves. Was this a mistake?
"Two…"
"Get ready, team!"
"Three… Now!"
The first wave of high-powered blades was released. They flew towards the wall and slammed into it, the impact creating a mini shockwave, but the wall stood firm. Douglas gave the order to launch the second wave. More blades sailed forward at high speeds. This time, a few small cracks appeared. It was beginning to break.
As the third wave of blades flew towards the wall, rain started to fall. Glancing skywards, Judy noted the dark thick clouds hanging above. Menacing almost. A sign of things to come? An omen? "It's beginning to break," Judy pointed out, noting how the cracks were becoming wider and more prominent.
"Yes, soon the beasts will be unleashed, and its power will be ours."
Another shockwave. This time one so powerful it almost knocked them all off their feet. Douglas regained his composure and said, "That should be enough force now. Prepare for the next phase."
Still clasping Douglas's hand, Judy kept her eyes fixated on the wall. Cracks ran in all different directions, all branching off from the central main one. All was silent except for the sound of falling rain. No one dared to speak. Then she heard it. A faint pounding noise coming from behind the door. Each pound caused the wall to shake. Bits and pieces of dirt and rock fell to the ground.
"Hold your ground, team," Douglas said.
A flash of lightning caused her to jump. She hadn't been expecting that. A few moments later, a roar of thunder echoed throughout the town. The other scientists glanced up – she could see the uncertainty on their faces and knew she had a similar one on her face too. Turning her head back to the wall, she jumped again when the ground shook once more.
Rain bucketed down, restricting her visibility. Now she could only vaguely make out the cracks in the wall. Another flash of lightning followed by another low roar of thunder. Instinct told her to flee, to get away from this place as possible, but her legs refused to budge. All she could do was watch. The pounding became more desperate and more forceful causing the cracks to widen.
Then a scream. A high-pitched bloodcurdling scream that brought her down to her knees. Clutching her head with both hands, she tried to dull the pain, but the scream only became louder. Warm liquid seeped through her fingers, the pressure on her eardrums becoming too much. More screams joined in, some deep bellowing roars, whilst others were more high-pitched. Tortured screams all coming together as one like some frenzied choir.
Fortunately, the screams died down. Steeling her jaw, she forced herself to her feet. Pain seared through her body, but she still found the will to stand and face whatever was breaking through the wall. More lightning. Another rumble of thunder. It was like a scene out of an action fantasy movie only this was very real.
The wall exploded. Bits of cave wall flew in various directions, narrowly avoiding hitting the scientist team. Through the blinding rain, Judy made out a large hulking shape coming forwards. Glowing cat eyes as red as blood was the only thing she could make. The head of the creature and its head alone was larger than any bitbeast she had ever seen.
"Now!" Douglas bellowed.
The scientists leaped into action, frantically hitting the tranquiliser dart button on their machines. She couldn't see the darts herself, but they must've hit their target as the creature elicited a harsh cry of annoyance. Something hit the ground with enough force she flew upwards a good metre or two then crashed back down.
"Keep firing them! We will bring it down!"
The barrage of darts continued. She could hear the creature bellowing in anger and almost felt a pang of sympathy for it. That sympathy was soon erased from her mind when she was thrown backwards. Her head slammed against the ground. Pain seared through her body. Her head felt like it was on fire. She tried to lift her head up, but sudden weakness overcame her. Someone called out her name. She tried to speak, but no voice would come.
Blackness consumed her.
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The last time Tyson had departed Japan it had been with a heart filled with anger and sadness. Max and Rei had abandoned him to represent their home teams leaving him alone to defend himself. He had seen it as a betrayal. They had seen it as a chance to prove themselves.
Now here they were again in the same place at the same airport. Fortunately, history wasn't repeating itself. The team were whole again, and this time, nothing could tear them apart. Of course, Daichi was still missing, and the boy had yet to respond their messages. Perhaps he felt his services were no longer required? Either way, he hoped Daichi would reach out to them again. He might not have been there from the beginning, but the boy had proven himself to be one of them.
Hilary joined his side before the window. Kenny was charging his laptop, whilst the rest of the team were lining up at the café for food and drinks. He turned to smile at her then looked out the window again. The sun was just starting to rise. He could see it starting to appear on the horizon marking the beginning of another new day.
"Another new day," Tyson remarked.
"You must be excited," Hilary said.
"I'd be lying if I didn't say I wasn't, but I'm also hesitant."
Hilary reached out to grab his arm. The move surprised him, and he turned to face her, eyebrows raised. "You're going to be fine, Tyson. We all are. Whatever odds we may face, I know you boys will triumph. You've had your backs against the wall before," she said softly.
At first, he had hated Hilary. The wicked witch of eighth grade as he once labelled her. That had been three years ago, and a lot had changed since then. Now he was sixteen. A year older, but another year wiser. They argued a lot, but each argument only seemed to draw them closer to each other. "Last year I stood in this very same spot and watched my teammates leave me," he said slowly, turning back to the window. "I felt my world fall apart. Two years we had worked together and they just… left me. It feels weird to be standing here again knowing the history."
"We're a team once again. Isn't that what you wanted? To defend your title with your closest friends at your side?"
"I can't help but think… What if this is the last year for us?"
"You're thinking about King's words."
He snorted. "Something happened to him to make him fall back into old habits. I thought I had gotten through to him… That I had helped him become a better blader… But maybe… Maybe some people never change. Everyone wants a piece of me, Hil. Everyone expects me to perform at the top level every time I step into that beydish." These were words he couldn't speak of with his male friends. They wouldn't understand. But Hilary listened. "And every time I blade, I have to face off against an old friend or a new foe."
He felt her fingers entwine with his. Whether she had done that intentionally or not, he didn't dare bring it up. She'd become embarrassed and pull away, and a moment like that wouldn't happen again for some time. "You know I'll always be there for you, Tyson. The whole team has your back."
"I know, but I can't shake off this feeling that we're getting involved in something far greater than ourselves. Do you feel it? A sense of uneasiness in the air around us?"
"You're talking about recent events."
He nodded. "When I sleep at night, I see Stanley's bleak eyes staring up at me, and they're asking me 'why?' I'm the champion blader and I couldn't do anything to help him. And when…" He looked away again, unsure of how to express himself. "…When you didn't answer your phone, I feared the worst. I didn't… I…" He stopped short, his mind struggling to think of a fitting word. He had no problems in expressing anger, but an emotion other than that?
Hilary didn't press for answers. "But I'm here and I'm in one piece," Hilary said. "And I'm not going anywhere unless you ask me to leave, Tyson."
He looked into her eyes and smiled. "I would never ask you to leave. You keep this team from falling apart. You're the glue that holds us all together, and without you… I don't think we'd even be standing there right now."
No matter how many times he had pushed her away, she always returned. She didn't know much about blading, nor even how to blade, but her passion for the sport was immense. She often helped Kenny with the maintenance of his blade and organized his training schedules to keep him in shape. How many other non-blading girls would commit themselves like that?
"Like I said, Tyson, the only way you're going to get rid of me is if you asked me to leave."
Tyson didn't know what love was. At least, not romantic love. Back when he was a kid, his grandfather used to try and set him up with some sweet girls, but Tyson never looked their way. Blading was the most important thing in his life. He didn't have time for girls and relationships and all that other stuff guys of his age were getting into.
So, he wasn't quite sure what he felt towards Hilary. Friendship, yes. He was certain of that. She still managed to get on his nerves from time to time, but he liked that about her. Yes, he would always argue back, and things would get quite heated, but once the flames had dimmed down, they'd be friends again. But was that all it was? Just friendship? What was love even supposed to feel like anyway? That was something he was still trying to work out.
If Hiro was around, he could probably ask, but his elder brother had disappeared without a trace. No text message. No letters. Absolutely nothing. Perhaps he had been so ashamed of himself that he had departed? Perhaps his fellow teammates would have answers to the questions he sought, but none of them had any real romantic experience to draw upon. Kai didn't. Rei and Mariah shared the same past, but Rei didn't seem interested in pursuing her. As for Max, Mariam had vanished and left him hanging without answers.
Somehow, he doubted he'd get any real advice from his fellow teammates. As his grandfather often said, sometimes you just must work out things for yourself. Unfortunately, he didn't have a lot of time to delve on such things. New tournament in a few days and new threats to worry about. He wondered if he'd ever get the chance to work this all out. For once, it would be nice to be just the ordinary guy and worry about everyday things than the fate of the world.
"Hey Tyson, you want a muffin?" Max said.
Tyson pulled out of his thoughts and turned around. Hilary was already sitting down next to Kai with the rest of the team. Just for how long had he spaced out for? "Yeah sure." He followed Max to the table and sat down on Hilary's opposite side. "So, since all registrations have now closed, what teams are we going to be facing?"
Kenny placed his laptop on the table and brought up the screen. "The Charming Princes, Spintensity, The Majestics, The Avengers, The Demolition Boys, the All Stars, the Blade Sharks, the Spin Shephards, the White Tigers, the Savage Slammers, the Tall Boys, the Saint Shields, the Bai Hu Clan, the Horsemen, the Renegades and Down Under."
"So, no Bega, no Team Psykick and no F-Dynasty… So much for eight teams competing, but I suppose he was referring to the part beyond the qualifying rounds," Rei said. "That's going to make for an interesting tournament, especially with the new rules. It's kinda like a throwback to the first tournament when we were building towards the top."
"Wonder who the new faces are? Anything about them on the page?" Max said, peering over Kenny's shoulder."
Kenny shook his head. "There's nothing at all."
"It'll be great to battle the Majestics again," Max said. "This time, I want to have a chance to fight them."
"Who are we blading against first?" Hilary said.
Kenny took a sip of his water then answered. "We're battling… Spintensity. You remember them. Mario, Frankie and Luiz."
"Yeah, I remember," Rei said. "They were a pretty tough team. It'll be great to see how much they've improved since then. Who is going to blade? The rules state that we each must blade at least twice and win the best of three matches overall."
They all looked to Kai. "You would be so lost without me. I've already worked out our schedule in lead up towards our first match. Kenny, you'll blade first. You'll be facing Mario. Max, you'll fight Frankie and I'll battle Luiz. Rei and Tyson, you have a bye for this round, but you'll both start the round after. Once Kenny has bladed his two battles, we'll start a rotation based on performance."
"Fostering a bit of competition between us," Rei said with a nod. "Effective strategy. It'll keep us all on our A-game and keep our opponents guessing our next move. The stadiums are ordinary at this stage of the game. We'll be blading in normal dishes, but once we qualify, we'll start blading in the challenge ones."
"We should watch all the games we can," Hilary said.
Kai nodded. "I've designed the schedule to allow times to watch the other matches. We need to know how our opponents are battling and what to expect when we face them in the dish. A lot has changed since the last time we were all here – not to mention, we have these new names, the Horsemen, and the Bai Hu Clan. I want to know who they are."
"So, Rei and I have a bye match."
"Don't think that means you can slack off on training," Kai warned.
Tyson smirked. "The thought never crossed my mind." His smirk faded. "Just remember what we're fighting for here. We don't quite know what we're up against yet, but as history has taught us, there's always something dodgy happening behind the scenes. We might not be representing the BBA, but we still fight for them and for the memory of Mr. Dickinson."
"Agreed," Rei said.
"May he never be forgotten," Max concluded.
"Calling all passengers for Flight JA497. That is all, all passengers for the Japan Airlines Flight JA497. Please report to Gate 47 now," said a female voice through the intercom.
"Well, that's our flight," Hilary said, rising to her feet. "I'm sitting with Kai on the left window, Row F, Seat A."
"Row E, Seat B," Max said. "I think I'm with you Tyson."
"And I'm with Kenny on the row behind you," Rei said. "At least none of us are in the middle seats."
"Kai and I will organize the schedule for next week. We should win our first round," Hilary said.
Tyson stifled a yawn. "I think I'll sleep. Just wake me up when the food comes."
They all chuckled. "Some things never change," Rei remarked. "Come on, let's get on our plane."
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To say Brooklyn was pissed would be an understatement. The prodigy had already blown a gaping hole in the fence out the back. An angry Brooklyn was a fearsome sight to behold for those not accustomed to his bouts of anger. But Garland knew how to handle him. Let him vent until he ran out of things to stay. The best way to achieve that? A beyblade battle.
"I'm going to end his wretched existence," Brooklyn hissed, ordering his blade to slam into Garland's. Apollon was driven back, but his bitbeast was no slouch. He was able to hold his ground, but the dish was beginning to crack. Brooklyn would eventually overpower him – he just had to hope Brooklyn would calm down before the dish ceased to exist.
"There's nothing we can do about Bryan and his teammates right now, Brooklyn," Garland said. Ming Ming was standing a few metres away, looking rather concerned. She looked ready to flee, and he couldn't blame her. Brooklyn in one of his moods was dangerous. "We should focus on what matters – raising the required funds to travel to Australia and support our teammate."
That was going to be an easy task. For starters, how exactly were they going to raise the right amount within the next week? Tala had suggested taking part in some local fighting tournaments, but how soon would he see the money? His thoughts were interrupted by Brooklyn's blade slamming into his. A mini shockwave rocked the earth.
"Then we hunt down every Bega employer and we take what is rightfully ours," Brooklyn snarled. Zeus pulled back then rammed forward, pushing Apollon to the dish's edge. Already, he could see the beginnings of cracks appear in the steel. "We can find them. We take them out. Those funds belong to us. We made Bega what it was. They did nothing."
To inflict more violence upon the world and give the public even a greater reason to fear them. That's exactly what he didn't want, but he was running out of options. Unless some kind blading team decided to donate funds, he couldn't see any other option. His family members had cut off contact him, so he couldn't reach out to them. Ming Ming's funds had been used up. Crusher used all his money to pay for Monica's operation. He wasn't sure what happened with Mystel and Brooklyn's money, but he assumed it was all gone too.
"We leave Crusher out of this. He's already got enough on his plate," Garland said. To his surprise, Zeus pulled back. Odd, and unlike Brooklyn. He looked up at his opponent and frowned. Brooklyn had a hand to his head, his face contorting. He looked to be in… pain? "Brooklyn?" He ordered Apollon to keep his distance.
"I'm fine, I just-argh!" Brooklyn dropped to his knees, and hunched over, his palms on the ground. Zeus too began to reflect his blader's status. The blade wobbled, his spin rotation starting to slow down. Very troubling. His blader's condition rapidly worsened. Brooklyn was now lying on the ground, clutching his head in pain, screaming.
Garland caught Ming Ming's eyes. They were wide with fright. Most likely he was wearing the same expression, but he had to remain calm. After warning Ming Ming to stay back, he rushed over to Brooklyn's side and kneeled beside him. "Brooklyn? Talk to me."
More yelling. Pained. Tortured. Cries of agony. It was like he was being assaulted by invisible weapons. He was even trembling. "Get out of my head – argh! – go away – I will not allow you – arghhhh!" He was talking to someone, but who? Garland couldn't see a bitbeast. A vision? Brooklyn hadn't spoken of them ever since last year.
"Garland, Zeus!" Ming Ming cried out, frantically pointing at the dish.
Garland glanced back. Bitchips usually glowed a bright white, but Brooklyn's one was emitting a dark purple colour. That wasn't normal. Things became even stranger when Zeus rose from the bitchip basked in a purple light. He hadn't even been summoned. "Apollon!" Garland called out, summoning his bitbeast. "Take him down!"
An out of control bitbeast. A bitbeast with a mind of its own? Never had he heard of such a thing happening before. Zeus flared his wings and bellowed at the sky. The creature thrashed wildly, destroying the remains of the fence, sending it flying. Ming Ming threw herself out of harm's way as a few plants sailed towards her.
"Brooklyn!"
He was still on the ground, now writhing in agony. It pained him to see him like this, but what was he supposed to do? Zeus was out of control and Brooklyn… he wasn't sure what was happening there. Apollon charged forward, ramming his head into the stomach of Zeus, forcing the centaur-type creature to stagger backwards. Zeus clawed at the air then kicked a leg out, successfully hitting Apollon.
In the corner of his eye, Garland saw Ming Ming rush forward, her blade raised and ready to be launched. Before he could stop her, she launched her blade. Her blade sailed through the air, and immediately, Ming Ming summoned her bitbeast. Now it was two against one, but even so, Zeus would not be so easily thwarted.
The bitbeasts grappled with each other. Zeus slashed at his rivals, whilst Apollon and Venus did their best to stand their ground. Apollon kicked his hind legs to beat away Zeus's arms from grabbing Venus. Venus used her hind legs to kick Zeus in the face. The beast roared, spewing out some abhorrent looking flame.
"Ming Ming, get out of here!"
"I'm not turning my back! Brooklyn needs our help! We have to take him out! It's the only way!"
Knock Brooklyn unconscious in other words. Ming Ming raised a good point – a bitbeast drew upon the energy of its blader. If Brooklyn was knocked out, Zeus should return to his blade. A risky move, but he couldn't just stand here, and watch Brooklyn have a seizure.
"Forgive me," Garland said, as he delivered the knockout blow.
Zeus gave another mighty roar then returned to his blade.
"Garland, what's going on?" Ming Ming said.
Garland had no words. How could he answer a question he didn't know the answers to?
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"I knew we should've booked a later flight," Bryan muttered, planting himself down next to Tala in the seat. They were in the middle aisle in Row F which just happened to have both Kai and Hilary it in. They were next to the window on the right side. "Now we have to look at Kai's ugly mug for ten hours straight."
"We don't have to talk to him, Bryan. Just pretend he's not even there," Tala said, sitting down on the far-right seat which just happened to be the one closest to Kai.
Bryan was secretly glad Tala was on the end. If he had to sit that close to Kai, he'd probably throttle him and that wouldn't end well. "Easy for you to say."
Tala sighed. "Remember to be on your best behaviour. That incident with Bega should not have happened."
"You can't seriously be scolding me for that? Come on, you know the prick deserved it." A long pause then, "I'd do it again too. Fucking asshole."
Spencer and Ian sat down on the left side and sniggered. Tala gave Bryan a sideways glance. "Okay, I admit, Brooklyn deserved that, but we can't do that to our opponents in the beystadium."
"It would make things a lot easier," Bryan answered.
"This isn't a flex your muscles competition, Bryan. If it was, we would've been holding the trophy last year."
Bryan rolled his eyes. Long flights made him snappy. He always became restless. The movies were always boring. The music was lame and the food was so bad half the time. Not to mention being stuck in economy class where the seats were far too small. But the worst part? He heard the wail of a baby and shuddered. Why did parents have to bring babies with them? They were so incredibly annoying.
"Bryan. Stop making those eyes. People will think you're going to rip out the chair in front of you," Tala remarked, pulling out his iPhone. "I know I said we have to be aggressive, but that chair has done nothing to you."
Bryan scowled. It was easy for Tala. He had something to do. The captain settled in his chair, and plugged in his earphones and closed his eyes, listening to the sounds of whatever music he was playing. Probably that weird meditative bullshit Tala was into. He cast a glance in Kai's direction. Kai was busy talking to Hilary about something. They were both scribbling stuff on a notebook. Either they were planning for the tournament or Kai had suddenly developed a love for sketching.
Bryan turned to his other companions. Ian was watching some car movie on the in-flight entertainment whilst Spencer was busy playing some game on his laptop. He watched the blond giant move his 'player character' (which was a little red heart) around the screen dodging various things.
"What are you playing?"
"Undertale," Spencer replied.
Oh, that game. Yes, Bryan had heard much about that horror. It was some popular indie game available for a cheap price on Steam. Bryan wasn't a big fan of games that involved evading things – he preferred games where he got to kill people – but Spencer seemed engrossed with it. "I want to play."
Spencer frowned. "Bryan, settle down. You haven't been the same since that dinner."
The dinner had been a rather awkward experience. He hadn't even had the chance to eat some of the delicious food on the table, but Brooklyn deserved what he had received. A punch in the face and if the Gods were truly smiling, hopefully a broken nose too. A part of him, a very small part, did feel a little guilty. The girl – Ming Ming – had look absolutely shattered once the punch had been thrown.
"Do you think I did the right thing? Punching that prick?"
Spencer switched off his game and closed the lid. "You may have gone overboard."
Bryan frowned. "Overboard? The guy's an asshole. I hope he feels that for a long time."
"Yes, he's an asshole… and yes, he deserved it…" Spencer sighed. "He's the last person we want to piss off. You know he's going to make things difficult for us, right?"
"But he's still in Japan and we're on our way to the tournament that he's not competing in."
"I'm not scolding you or anything, Bryan, but watch your back. Tala doesn't trust Brooklyn or Bega, and I don't blame him. They could be up to something."
"Isn't that the same perception people have of us? That because of our background with Boris that we're naturally scheming?" He read the comments online during their downtime sessions. Some people wrote stories about them and their time during the Balkov Abbey days (mind you, they were all full of shit in his opinion – he was not gay), but most people assumed the Demolition Boys were dangerous. Some people still thought they were working for Boris. Idiots.
"That's what we are trying to change."
Bryan sighed, resting his hands in his lap. "So, we're up against the Blade Sharks first. Who are they?"
"Kai's old gang," Ian quipped. "I saw one of their matches on BeyTube. They're just wannabe tough guys. We'll wipe the floor with them. Tala says we're all battling in the first match of the tournament. You're up first Bryan then Spencer then myself. I can't wait to hit the stadium again and show off Wyborg to the world."
"I wonder who the Horsemen are? And the Bai Hu Clan are?"
Spencer shrugged. "I don't know. Their pages don't have any pictures or anything. It's weird. They've obviously been accepted and all, but it's odd how empty their pages are. Maybe they forgot to share a picture?"
"Or they have something to hide."
Silence, then, "Does anyone have a rubber band?" Ian said.
"Yeah, here you go," answered Spencer, handing the younger blader one.
A devilish smirk crossed Ian's face. He picked up the band, placed it around his fingers then aimed it at Kai. On the count of three, he released it, firing it across three chairs and hitting Kai in the side of the face.
Kai picked up the rubber band and looked in their direction. "Very mature, Ian." He put the rubber band away into his pocket. "I can see why you didn't blade for the Blitzkrieg Boys last year."
"Can I punch him?" Bryan said. Hitting Kai would be more satisfying than hitting Brooklyn.
Tala pulled out his earphones and looked at his teammates. "Just ignore him. Kai's words mean nothing. Don't allow him to wound you up. Save that for the day we meet his team in the beystadium." He put his earphones back in again, not once throwing a look in Kai's direction. Tala disliked Kai as much as the rest of the team (perhaps even more), but he was showing great restraint.
"Yeah, Tala's right. Kai's worthless," Spencer said.
And with that said, Spencer pulled up his game again.
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It was odd being on the plane without his teammates. In some ways, it was kind of refreshing having some space from them. He didn't have to listen to Garland's lectures or be on the receiving end of Brooklyn's sarcastic comments. However… it was quite lonesome. There were other blading teams on the plane, but he wasn't close with any of them. Besides, they were in the front part of the plane's economy class. He was right at the tail end. How unfortunate.
He leaned back in his chair. Ten-hour flight to Brisbane from Japan. Long flight and an early one too. At least he could spend the rest of the flight catching up on some sleep. In a few short days, the tournament would begin starting off with a grand opening ceremony. To think that all the top blading teams were all going to be in one place at the same time was exciting. It was just a shame his team didn't have the funds to compete in it.
"It's been a long time, Mystel."
Upon hearing his name, he jolted up in his seat. So much for dozing off. He rubbed his eyes and look at a woman with long black hair sitting right next to him. Her eyes were as black as night, and her nose slightly curved upwards at the tip. There were faint freckles on her pale cheeks, but it was the markings on her face that caught his attention. A vertical scar running down the centre of her left eye.
His heart skipped a beat, but he managed to keep himself composed. "Dohna." A name which meant 'female deity' in Tibetian. Master Li's daughter. The one who had helped him master the 360 attack. "You've been following me."
"I'm glad you remember me. I heard you met the boys in town the other day." She crossed her right left over her left, resting an elbow on the armrest.
"What do you want from me?"
She didn't smile. "Your services are required. I'm sure you've heard about the new team joining the tournament?"
"No. I don't follow the news."
"Master Li has entered us in the tournament. We have one space left…"
He tightened his jaw. "If you think I'm going to work for you, you're wrong. I'm not here to compete in some lousy tournament."
"You don't have a choice, Mystel. You never leave the brotherhood once you've joined. Don't you remember swearing upon the oath when you first joined us?"
He remembered. He remembered it all too clearly and wished he could erase it from his memory. He had been about eight years of age at the time. His parents had abandoned him in the forests of China because they hadn't the funds to look after him. When he thought he was going to perish, Dohna and her fellow clansmen appeared.
They gave him a simple choice – serve or die. He had obviously chosen to serve. For years he spent days and months training in the wilderness in a secluded part of the forest, practicing the 360 attack. The Bai Hu were masters of control – every movement they made with their blades was one hundred percent accurate. There was no room for mistakes.
"How could I not remember? You made me use my blade to kill an innocent young panda." A sickening act, but as an eight-year-old naive and somewhat foolish boy, he had done as asked. Kill a baby panda and offer it as a sacrifice on the altar before Master Li. Swear the oath, douse your face in the bowl of the blood, and you had become part of the tribe. "I left your people long ago, and I'm never going back. That part of my life is over."
"It only ends when you die, and even then, your soul returns to join the ancestors." She glanced down at her nails, flecked the dirt off one of them, then faced him once more. "You pledged your allegiance to us, and in turn, we provided you with a home. Was it not us who taught you the blading moves you know today? And you can't deny that – we all saw your display in the Bega tournament. We are your creators, Mystel. You should show us some respect. We taught you everything you know, but you never gave us any credit."
She was certainly smug about it. As if he needed reminding of a past that he was trying to get away from. "Why show up after all these years of silence?"
"You ran away. We couldn't find you. It was just our luck you joined up with Bega. That made it a lot easier to track you down." She wrapped a slender finger around a lock of hair and smirked. "Don't seem so surprised, Mystel. You should've known that you couldn't run forever. The past always catches up."
"And I've moved on from that. I have a better group of people to call allies now."
She looked around then turned back, amused. "Then where are they? I don't see your 'friends'."
He held back a growl. No point in creating a scene on a plane trip. "So why are you here on this plane? What exactly do you want from me?"
"You remember that you were assigned to spy on the White Tiger village. You failed that mission much to the Master's disproval. But he's willing to give you another chance to make amends – help us find a bitbeast."
He made a derisive snort at the absurdity of her comment. "And that's it? Sounds a bit tame."
"We've caught word that woman Judy is headed to some mining place in Australia. She was accompanied by a bunch of fancy looking scientists. Douglas was there too. The head honcho of the PBB All-Starz."
A powerful bitbeast? Like that was new information. "Tell me something I haven't heard before."
"You know our bitbeasts are old. Very old. Prehistoric. Just as old as the four sacred bitbeasts. But what if there's something else out there that is even older? We know Judy has extracted bitbeasts from a rock before. What if they're doing it again? Master Li senses it and that's why he's sending us to compete in the tournament. To find this bitbeast and put an end to it." She laid a hand on his shoulder. "And you're going to help us by taking the last position on the team. Why do you think our profiles are empty? We were waiting for you."
"You think I'm going to believe your lies about some powerful bitbeast? Your lies are the reason that I left in the first place," he snapped, pushing her hand off his shoulder. A few nearby passengers glanced in his direction. "You wanted me to spy on the White Tigers to scope out the place and find a weak spot. And now you want me to help you find some bitbeast? For what gain?"
"The life of those you value most."
A muscle jerked in his jaw. "You leave the White Tigers alone."
"So quick to defend them… It's the pink-haired girl, isn't it?"
"Leave her out of this," he hissed.
A smile spread across her face. "Oh, young love. How I miss it. You loved me once."
His heart sank. "There was nothing between us. You were my mentor. Not my lover."
Dohna chuckled. "And you think there's a future with that pink-haired bitch? How do you think she'll react when she finds out who you really are." Her smirk widened. "But… we'll leave her alone on condition – you blade for us. If you're truly destined to be with her, she'll forgive you."
"What if I refuse?"
"Then Stanley Dickenson will have a friend joining him in the realm beyond."
A cold wave poured through him. "It was your people who killed him. Assassinated the man in cold blood for no reason," he said, keeping his voice low. Foolish move. Killing the man had only unsettled the blading world… unless… that's what their aim had been. To create an unstable environment. Keep everyone on their toes. Make people afraid of the unknown. "What for? What could you have possibly gained from that?"
She chuckled. "We didn't kill him, but thanks for the compliment. Someone else got there first."
"Who?"
She shifted her legs, this time the left one crossed over the right. "Think of all the rich businessmen in the world of beyblading. Who is the most powerful after the BBA?"
"The PBB All-Starz. Is that why Douglas is in Australia?"
She smiled. "You ask a lot of questions."
"I don't want anyone else to die." How he wished Brooklyn was here with him now. He might've been an asshole, but he was a powerful one. The perfect person to have on your side when it came to moments like these. "What do you know?"
She leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead. "Join again and you'll have what you seek. Don't go anywhere – not that you would have far to go anyway – but I will be back. We have much to discuss you and I." She turned her back and returned to her seat.
He rubbed the spot on his forehead, his stomach twisting at the thought of her lips. Of course. She wanted his allegiance. Nothing ever came without a cost. Mystel sank lower in his chair. There was no chance of ever running away from who you truly were.
.
Brooklyn groaned. His entire body ached, as if he had been involved some vicious brawl with multiple Bryans and gotten hit by men who had legs like tree trunks. His head was in even worse shape. It was like having one too many drinks and having the worst hangover the following day and meeting a Bryan in a dark alleyway. Groaning again, he lifted his head. He was on his bed and looking up at the face of Ming Ming.
"He's awake, Garland," she said, pulling away. Garland appeared a few moments later with a glass of water in his right hand.
"My head feels like it's on fire," he muttered, pulling himself upright into a sitting position. "Last thing I remember was having a beybattle with you, Garland. What happened?" Try as he might, he couldn't recall how he had ended up in his room. It was as if a part of his mind had been wiped clean.
"You lost control of Zeus," Garland said, handing the glass over. He pulled out a chair and sat down next to him, concern written all over his face. "You were yelling about something. Someone. Then you dropped to the floor and had some sort of a seizure. I had to knock you out."
"Well, that explains why my head feels like hell." He accepted the glass of water and took a few sips then handed it back to Garland. Lost control of Zeus. That hadn't happened before. And a seizure? That was also new to him. "I remember being angry at Bryan from that Russian team of wannabe tough-guys. Then… it's just a blank."
"You had a battle with Garland," Ming Ming said, pressing the back of her hand against his forehead. "He's running a fever. You should really rest, Brooklyn."
A beybattle with Garland. Yes, that sounded familiar. "I remember feeling enraged. Genuine fury. Then it was all black," he said slowly, trying to recall the events as best as he could. A fight. Anger. Overpowering anger. Then blackness. Coldness. Emptiness. Then a voice. Something clearly not human and not a figment of his own imagination. Zeus had also disappeared. He rubbed his head.
"Did you have another vision?" Garland said quietly.
"I don't know what it was… But it wasn't like the others. But Zeus left me. I saw him pulling away, and there was nothing I could do to bring him back. Every time I moved closer, he pulled further apart until he just vanished." Vanished into thin air. There was something else in the void. Something inhuman. Something he had felt before but had never seen. For once, he was worried. If something had invaded his mind and driven Zeus away, then he had good reason to feel fear.
"How are you feeling now?" Garland said.
"Like I've had a bad hangover and been beaten up by many Bryans."
"At least his sense of humour remains unaffected," Ming Ming answered, though her tone was devoid of amusement. They were still looking at him with worried eyes. "I'm glad you're all right. Don't scare us like that again."
Maybe he hadn't given his teammates enough credit. Maybe they weren't that bad to have around after all. "I felt a presence in my mind. There was something else there… not Zeus. Something stronger. I've felt it before but never like this. I think that's why Zeus fled. He was afraid of something. That's why he spun out of control."
"What do you mean you felt it before?" Garland inquired.
"You remember those visions of the future I used to have? I used to think they came from Zeus, but now I'm not so sure. I'd always have this feeling there was something else watching from the shadows… But its presence today was so much stronger." He fell back down on his bed. "I stand by what I said before. We track down the rest of the Bega team and we take back what is ours."
"Ming Ming and I will do that. You stay here and recover. You're no good to us sick," Garland said, rising to his feet. "I'll give Crusher a call so he can watch over you. I don't want you on your own."
"I don't need to be supervised."
Garland shook his head. "I'm the captain of this team, and I figure it's about time I start making the decisions around here. Mystel has gone off on his own and you caused a fight to break out at the dinner. I make the decisions now. Is that clear?"
Brooklyn wanted to argue, but his head didn't agree. This was the worst hangover ever and he hadn't even drunk anything. "Fine, do what you think is best. Just get the funds that we need so we can fly down to Australia." Rolling over onto his side, he closed his eyes, wishing the pain would ease. His teammates picked up on the hint and left the room. He could hear their retreating footsteps.
Once they were gone, he sat up again. Digging a hand into his pocket, he pulled out his blade and placed it on his bedside table. A bitbeast losing control. His bitbeast losing control. That didn't happen to professional bladers. Not to him. So why had it happened? And why now? What had triggered it? The sudden surge of anger towards Bryan?
He helped himself to his glass of water again, finding some relief for his parched throat. What an eventful week it had been. Mystel and the Bai Hu Clan, Bryan attacking him and now this episode. Things weren't exactly looking up for the Bega team. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he helped himself up and walked over to the door. He could hear Garland speaking to Crusher over the phone.
Just what he needed - the man mountain to watch over him as if he were some sick child that needed supervision. Crusher would probably bring Monica over with him too. What fun that was going to be. The man was too serious and way too sensitive. Pulling away from the door, he headed over to the only window in his room. He pulled back the screen door and drew in a deep breath, enjoying the crisp smell of nature.
"What happened there, Zeus?" Brooklyn said, glancing down at his blade on the table.
No answer.
"I need you to work with me. That can't happen again."
Still no answer. Maybe Zeus was shaken too.
"Are you even listening to me? Why aren't-"
Sharp pain exploded in his head. Pain so crippling it cause him to stagger forwards right into his bedside table. Throwing a hand down to support himself, he clenched his jaw as the intensity increased. Pain. Crippling pain. His knees gave way and he dropped on the floor, squeezing his eyes shut, willing the pain to fade away. As he lay on the floor again, he saw images. Glimpses of a serpent creature with multiple heads. It was fighting something, but he couldn't make out what. The opponent was just a shadow. As the creatures battled, and his vision blurred, he heard a voice speak:
I am Famine. I am War. I am Pestilence. I am Death. I am the Leviathan.