Beyblade Fan Fiction ❯ The Price of the Past ❯ Winning Small Battles ( Chapter 3 )

AN: Sorry it took so long to update. I had my brother and his friends in my apartment for a few days and didn't have the chance to work on this or my WK fic. Since the WK fic takes priority, I had to finish that up first, then I my muse burned through my head for yet another fic, and I just had to start on that before I could get anything else done. Now I've finally gotten this chapter posted. It shouldn't take me as long to get chapter 4 out.

 

Reviews

Studio: I'm kind of basing the BioVolt in China off of fact that Lee and Rei were at a sort of training facility (it's canon), but you'll have to see how it plays into the plot, and it won't come up until after the Russian portion of the fic, but there will be mentions of it as things progress.

 

Braeca: Your review had me thinking about how I could respond without sounding bitchy because I didn't take any offense to what you wrote, but it's so hard to convey what I mean without sounding like I'm being defensive. I guess that first of all I should point out that this is an AU/ `what if' fic. That allows me to throw out or leave certain parts of canon as I see fit so as to enhance my chosen plot. As this is my first BB fic, I thought I would try to see how well I could pull it off, creatively-speaking. The thing about Kai and Voltaire: yes, I agree with you, and I think if you wait long enough, you won't be quite as displeased with what I've got so far as I'm well aware of the cultural implications. I'm also aware that Kai grew up in Japan, but I needed him to have grown up in the abbey, so even though it's fanon, I used it. I'm one of those people who like to draw things out and hopefully keep the readers guessing because that's the kind of fic that I enjoy reading. That Rei and Tala are twins: yeah, I went back and forth on this for a long time as I originally had them as half-brothers, which would be plausible. However, I've known a set of same-gender fraternal twins who look absolutely nothing alike, yet they resemble both parents, which is what you will see once I get to their father. Tala as a neko-jin actually came to me when I was watching GRev… you know how he goes all distorted when he calls on Wolborg - well, at one point, he looks as though he has fangs; I'm just taking liberties with that by saying he does bare his fangs, but no one has ever really seen him show any other sign of something animalistic until now. Yes, it's stretching things (to an extreme), but I need this set up for my fic to go where I want it to since I'm playing with the whole twins have a psychic connection thing. I appreciate you setting aside your misgivings about my blatant disregard of canon background, but I am glad you noticed the part about Lee and Rei; I've only ever run across one fic that even takes that into account, so I'm guessing not many people know about it. I hope you continue to read despite your distaste for the non-canon aspects as I will always appreciate the type of feedback you've given. I am kind of curious, though… why are only these deviations from canon a problem… I mean, Rei and Mao are the canon couple, and I've chosen throw that completely out the window as well. Like I said, I was just curious, because it seems you're picking and choosing what people should and shouldn't keep. Well, this response has gotten very long, and I have a feeling you would be a good person with whom to discuss these issues, so feel free to email me with anything else. I really so enjoy a good debate and suggestions from someone who has the correct knowledge base. If you have anything else like what you had in you're review, would you mind me emailing replies instead of putting it in the fic, seeing as how I obviously like to address every point that someone makes. Again, thanks for the critique.

 

Amethyst Tiger Tears: No, Tala doesn't have point ears like Rei. His fangs are the only indication that he has any neko-jin blood, but he can do the slit cat-eyes when he's pissed off. Other than that, he looks like he did in GRev. Thanks for reviewing; I'm glad you like it.

 

And-then-he said-no: Actually, it will be a while before we find out why BioVolt is in China. You'll get hints here and there, but that bit of the plot is saved for after Russia.

 

Sam, Talaeka, Dark Angel of Fire Ice, Brianna and Platinum Rei: Thanks for reading; it's great that you're enjoying the fic. I plan for this to be fairly long, at least 20 chapters, if not more. And, each chapter will be at least 10 pages, so you're in for a lot more should you choose to continue reading… and I've planned the sequel, so this particular storyline will be going strong for a while.

 

Warnings: Language

 

Disclaimer: It's not mine.

 

 

Internal Dialogue

 

Chapter 3

 

“Are you ready for this, Rei?” the slate haired teen asked of his boyfriend. It was the day of round two of the World Championships. Boris had informed the Demolition Boys the previous night that Rei would participate in the exhibition match against the All Stars after having returned an altered Driger to the golden-eyed neko-jin. It was clear that he wanted to make sure the newest slave to BioVolt would do as he was ordered, proving himself to be loyal by facing those who were previously his friends. The entire team was currently spread out in their locker room.

 

“Yeah,” Rei replied, idly running a hand through the length of his hair. “It's not going to be so bad for me. You're the one with the hard part. I don't know if I could steal their beasts without cracking at least a little bit.” The tiger master looked to Kai with sympathy, but he shrugged it off.

 

“I can do it because I know that in the end, it will be for the best,” the dual-toned bluenette seemed to be struggling slightly with this, despite his words.

 

“You don't have to pretend with me… with any of us,” Rei spoke softly as he gestured to the others. “Even if it is for the sole purpose of taking out BioVolt, it doesn't mean that you won't feel guilty about it. Besides,” he added. “If, when the truth comes out, they can't understand what you did, that's their problem.” Shocked crimson met gold; the older blader had never heard the raven haired teen speak so carelessly about his friends.

 

“Kai,” the neko-jin started, understanding what was going through his lover's mind. “If they can't accept that what we're doing here is to help them, if they can't eventually get over it, then they weren't really our friends to begin with. True friendships are based on trust and forgiveness.” The Dranzer wielder nodded his head in agreement after a few moments; these next few days would certainly be a trial, in more ways than one.

 

“What are you two whispering about?” Tala playfully asked as he sauntered towards the couple. “Not plotting anything without me, are you?” The mock pout he displayed nearly made Kai laugh out loud. That particular trait must running in the family.

 

“Of course,” Rei replied through smirking lips. “We wouldn't be able to plot against you if we included you in our plans, would we?” His twin snorted in amusement; in the past few days at BioVolt, his black haired brother had proven to be every bit the snarky bastard he was. Rei was just more apt at keeping that aspect of his personality hidden from those he didn't think would appreciate it, but it wasn't necessary with present company.

 

“You wouldn't really do anything against you dear brother, would you?” the red head feigned a hurt look; this time Kai did burst into laughter at his best friend's antics.

 

“You're priceless, Tala,” the bluenette stated. He understood that the blue-eyed neko-jin was trying to ease the stifling tensions that enveloped them all, and he was grateful for it.

 

“Hey guys,” Spencer called from across the room. “They're calling us out.” At the announcement, the light atmosphere once again became strained. The six `bladers all stood from their seats and exited the locker room, making their way to the arena.

 

“Rei will be first,” the captain informed his team as they traveled through the maze-like hallways. “Then Ian will battle, and Kai will finish it up.” They already knew that, but the reminder at least kept the silence from eating at their nerves. Today would mark the beginning of their plans to rid the world of BioVolt, and they were feeling the intense pressure they had placed upon themselves. As they neared the entrance to the battle arena, the noise brought on by the numerous fans filtered into the hallway. When they entered the stadium, however, they were greeted with a deafening silence as everyone in the crowd focused their attention on the unexpected, sixth Demolition Boy. Ignoring this, the `bladers walked to their bench and sat down. From across the dish, it was obvious that the All Stars were not as shocked as the fans were at this development, having been informed about Rei's `betrayal' the previous night. Eventually, quiet murmurs descended from the crowd and became the usual loud roar one expected from a spectator sport. Not long after, Rei was called to the dish to face his opponent - Eddie.

 

“Don't call on Driger,” Bryan warned. “You need to keep his true power hidden for now.”

 

“I wouldn't need to anyway,” the golden eyed teen replied, a tinge of arrogance coloring his voice. The lilac haired blader snorted, while the others looked amused. He really fits in well with us; I can't say he doesn't have the right to feel confident, though. Even without the upgrades to Driger, I would have been hard pressed to defeat him in battle.

 

“Whatever you say,” the older `blader responded as the he and the others watched the raven haired neko-jin approach the dish, blade in hand.

 

“You have some nerve!” Eddie shouted across the dish. Rei simply narrowed his eyes in a glare rather than grace his opponent with a response. He hadn't really like Eddie much anyway, so it wasn't difficult for him to project animosity. The match began, Rei's new blade flying in the dish with such speed that the other didn't even realize the battle had started; Eddie knew when it was over, though, as his blade, less than five seconds later, sat at his feet. Looking into the dish with wide eyes, he saw a green blade, so dark it was nearly black, with a lighter green trim spinning before it was called back to its owner's hand.

 

“You know,” Rei said conversationally. “I was expecting more of a challenge. I'm very disappointed,” the condescending tone was grating on Eddie's ears. “I thought you would have at least lasted thirty seconds.” Without waiting for a response, the neko-jin turned on his heel, hair-tail swinging in time with his steps, and rejoined his team; the All Star stood sputtering at the insult for several seconds before also returning to his team.

 

“Nice show,” Ian commented. “If I didn't know better, I would have thought you really hated that guy.”

 

“I don't care much for him, no,” Rei responded, taking the seat in between Kai and Spencer. “So it didn't take much to be convincing.” In a lower tone he added, “I'm glad I didn't have to face Lee under the same circumstances. That would have been hard.”

 

“Somehow,” Kai spoke up. “I don't think it will be as bad you think when he confronts you. After all, he accepted the reasons why you left China in the first place and remained your best friend. He may understand this, as well.” Rei directed a small smile to the phoenix master at the reassurance.

 

“I can't say I know much about any of your friends,” Tala spoke up. “But from what you've told me of the ones you consider to be closest to you, I think everything will eventually be fine.”

 

“I know,” his twin responded. “It's just frustrating, and I'm letting it get to me.” The others nodded. Spencer was about to add his two cents when Ian was called to the dish. Rather than speak any further, they decided to watch as their shortest member faced Emily. Much like the tiger wielder's battle, this one lasted but a few seconds before it was over. It didn't stop the orange haired girl from pouring out a stream of insults to the Vyborg master; Ian simply raised an eyebrow at her as if to say `Go ahead, spout off your bullshit; I still won,' before abruptly turning and heading back to the bench.

 

“Think you'll be able to get them all like you did with the White Tigers,” he asked as he sat next to Kai.

 

“It won't be a problem,” the slate haired teen responded. “Their pride will keep them from refusing my challenge, especially after being so thoroughly humiliated in the first two matches. It may only be an exhibition match, but they don't handle defeat well.” Crimson eyes held a hint of contempt, the reason for which only Rei knew.

 

“Maybe you could crush their blades before you finish the task,” the raven haired `blader suggested, malice evident in every word. “It would serve them right after the way they acted in America.”

 

“Hn,” Kai responded a slightly cruel smile tracing his lips. “Maybe I will.” The remaining three `bladers looked on curiously; they hadn't known of any problems with the All Stars.

 

“You'll have to tell all about why you seem to hate this team so much,” Bryan commented once Kai had been called to the dish.

 

“It's not the entire team,” Rei responded. “But, yeah, we'll tell you about it later.” They halted their conversation and watched as Kai challenged the All Stars to a four-on-one, winner takes all, match; as predicted, they readily accepted. Within one minute of the slate haired teen's launch, two blades were destroyed, and four bit beasts were added to the collection he had already started. Not bothering with their reactions, Kai turned to his now standing team, and they proceeded to the locker room.

 

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“I can't believe that was Rei…” Max trailed off as he watched the Demolition Boys exit the arena. “Even after we saw him yesterday… I just can't understand how he could do something like this.” Takao and Kenny remained silent; they were currently sitting in the stands from where they had watched the exhibition match. The Bladebreakers were joined by both Stanley Dickinson and Takao's grandfather. The two older men were just as shocked by the turn of events as the `bladers were. They had seen Kai's display two days ago; however, they never would have suspected that Rei had any connection to the Russian team. Apparently, neither Takao nor Max had thought to inform them of the change. Several rows in front of them sat the White Tigers. Lee and Kevin seemed to be whispering to one another while Mariah and Gary were as silent as the rest of them. Without warning, the green haired youth and captain stood from their seats and left the stadium, leaving a protesting Mariah behind.

 

“Where the hell do you think you're going?!” she screamed, her voice loud enough to be heard throughout the entire section they were seated in. “We have to go to Rei and find out what they've done to him!” Clearly, the pink haired teen was stuck on the idea that Kai and the other Demolition Boys had `brainwashed' poor, innocent Rei because he would never, ever, do something as cold and callous as they had just witnessed.

 

“We will do no such thing, Mariah,” Lee replied without turning to face her. “He has made his choice, and we have no right interfere, no matter how we feel on the matter.”

 

“We have every right,” the girl was still shouting. “There's no way he would ever do something like that. You've known him since he was brought to the village, and the rest of us nearly just as long. You know Rei's not like Kai; you know he's…”

 

“Enough!” Lee roared, taking on the persona of his bit beast, finally turning to face the girl with fire in his orange eyes. “You don't know Rei as well as you think you do if you don't believe he's capable of being something other than the innocent teen he shows everyone.” The older neko-jin had to stop momentarily to breathe. “Aside from myself and Kevin, Kai's the only one who's ever seen Rei drop the mask he wears. What you saw out there is more like the real Rei, and even that wasn't entirely real.” Kevin stared wide eyed at his lover, surprised at the outburst. They knew Rei worried too much about pleasing others, which was why he played the role of the innocent youth, but the violet-eyed neko-jin was confused as to why he would admit the personality trait to the others, now. It might cause them to feel Rei was more capable of betraying them than they already believed. So lost in thought was he that Kevin nearly missed the storm that was Lee stalking past him towards the exit; ignoring Mariah's, along with Takao's protests, he hurried to follow his captain.

 

“Lee,” he hissed once they were in the corridor and out of earshot. “What was that all about? Now they're all going to think Rei's been lying this whole time.” His purple gaze pinned the elder, demanding an answer.

 

“That's exactly why I told them,” Lee replied. “If they believe that he really would do something like this, maybe they'll leave him alone and quit trying to pry into whatever it is that he and Kai are up to.” Kevin slowly nodded as he realized precisely what Lee had done. If this works, maybe it will give them the room they need to finish whatever it is they're doing and come back to us. Even if nothing can ever be the same again, at least they'll still have us as friends. What many people didn't realize was that Kai was also rather close to both Lee and Kevin. During their time in China after the tournament, the Bladebreakers stayed in the small village for a couple of weeks. One night, they neko-jin couple, sneaking away for some private time, ran into the two eldest Bladebreakers, who apparently had the same idea. Instead of continuing with their initial plans, the four sat around in a small clearing and talked for hours. After that night, they had begun to form a true friendship with Kai and to see Rei as he truly was. The four became rather close during that time and had stayed in constant contact once the Bladebreakers left for America.

 

“Where are we going?” the green haired youth suddenly asked.

 

“We're just wandering around for a while,” the older neko-jin replied. “You never know who you might run into when you're taking a leisurely stroll.” The smirk on his face told Kevin all he needed to know; Lee was hoping to run into one of the Demolition Boys in order to pass along their support. As luck would have it, they ran into the tallest member of the Russian team a few minutes later.

 

“I have a message for Kai and Rei,” Lee stated without preamble. “Please tell them that we,” he gestured to himself and his short lover, “don't care what's really going on. We know it must be important, and they have our full support. If any of you need anything, Kevin and will be more than willing to help.” The blonde teen looked at them for a moment that seemed to stretch on forever, trying to size up the two neko-jin before him.

 

“Why?” he asked, still staring at them with a hard look in his eyes.

 

“We're their friends,” came the honest answer from the youngest. “We may not know what's going on, but we know them well enough to know that whatever is happening, it isn't as it appears.” The Russian continued with his calculating stare before finally giving a short nod.

 

“I'll pass your message along,” he eventually answered the initial request. Nothing further was said as the three went their separate ways in search of their respective teams. That was certainly interesting, the Russian teen thought. It looks like we may have the outside support we were looking for.

 

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“Are we staying to watch round two?” Ian asked from his perch on the small table in the locker room.

 

“Yeah,” Tala replied. “Boris wants to make sure we see the Bladebreakers in action. It's a rather pointless venture seeing as how it won't change anything, but we have to keep the fucker happy by following his orders.”

 

“No shit,” his raven haired brother muttered, staring somewhat blankly at his new blade. He hadn't yet seen how Driger had changed, if at all, but the new design and colors of the casing told him that his tiger bit beast was indeed different. He could also feel the power enhancement as clearly as he had felt it in both Wolborg and Black Dranzer.

 

“He's still Driger, you know,” Kai stated in an understanding tone. “He may be more powerful and even look different, but he's still the same.”

 

“I know,” Rei sighed, gripping the blade tightly. “It's just that no one has a right to do this to him. He deserves better than to be played with for some sick fantasy of world domination.” The last bit was ground out through clinched teeth.

 

“I know,” the slate haired teen responded as he gazed at both of his blades. Bryan and Tala watched from the bench across the room from the other couple; their bits had been tampered with before they had known the original beasts, so they couldn't really sympathize, but they understood that what had been done was wrong.

 

“You can still make Dranzer whole, though,” the indigo haired teen piped up, trying to give some hope to at least one of his teammates. Kai offered a small smile of thanks to his short friend before returning his attention the Driger master.

 

“Do want to see for yourself?” he questioned his younger lover. “You can launch Driger and call him out. Talk to him; I'm sure you'll find that he's not lost any part of himself.” Rei nodded at the suggestion and moved to the small practice dish in the corner of the room. He was preparing his launcher when the door opened. Turning to see who was coming in, he was greeted with the sight of their blonde teammate and nodded a `hello' before turning back to the beydish and releasing the blade.

 

“Driger!” he called out, summoning his bit beast. Almost immediately, the majestic tiger came forth; the difference was instantly revealed. The once white tiger was now almost completely black, forest green stripes the only things cutting through the ebony coat. “Driger…” he whispered. The fierce-looking beast turned to face his master, letting out a soft growl that said everything the neko-jin needed to hear. Despite the power increase and new look, his friend was still the same. “Thank you,” the Chinese youth once again whispered before Driger returned, at which point he recalled his blade. The relief the others saw on his face was more than enough to provide them with the reassurance they all needed; until now they really weren't positive that the `upgrades' were as harmless as they had hoped.

 

“I've got some more good news,” Spencer spoke up once they had all settled back in their seats. “I found the people we need to complete our plans… or rather they found me.”

 

“What do you mean?” Bryan asked, knowing very well what the blonde was speaking of. He was more curious as to how he had found the outside support they needed so quickly. The other four `bladers looked fairly expectant, as well, encouraging the large Russian teen to continue.

 

“I ran into a couple of your friends in the hall,” he replied, looking towards Rei and Kai. The said teens exchanged wide eyed glances; there were only a few people that both `bladers considered to be true friends. “Two of the White Tigers, Lee and Kevin, I believe, approached me while I was on my way back. They asked me to pass along a message.” He paused to gage the reactions of his teammates. The former Bladebreakers seemed to be smiling slightly while Tala, Ian and Bryan seemed curious as to why it had been those two. They were under the false impression that if anyone would have helped them, it would have been Max, and maybe the small brunette mechanic, of the Bladebreakers.

 

“What did they say?” Rei asked as he dug his fingers into his knee, eyes holding barely contained hope that his two best friends, and Kai's, were with them. Kai also seemed to have the same expression hidden deep within his crimson eyes.

 

“It seems that they trust you both implicitly,” Spencer informed them. “They told me that they would be behind you; they don't believe for a minute that either of you have suddenly gone as insane as the others seem to think.” The fact they already considered themselves to be at least slightly crazy went unspoken. “They even went as far as to offer their assistance should it be required.” At hearing that, Rei allowed a full smile to blossom on his lips and grabbed at Kai's hand, squeezing it tightly.

 

“That's great!” the bluenette voiced his enthusiasm. Outside of the Demolition Boys and his lover, the only people he had ever considered worthy of his friendship and trust were the two neko-jin. I'm glad I was right about them, he thought as he returned a gentler squeeze to his boyfriend's hand.

 

“I wouldn't have considered those two,” Tala finally voiced the others' surprise at the identities of their allies. “I thought that it would have been your blonde friend or the kid with the computer,” he commented. Bryan and Ian nodded their agreement to the assessment.

 

“No,” Rei was the one to answer. “They don't understand us like Lee and Kevin do. Max and Kenny are nice enough, but they're not exactly able to see the world as it is. To them, everything is black and white. Lee and Kevin know better; that's probably why they could see behind the lie of what we're doing, even if they don't know what the truth is.”

 

“I trust them,” Kai added. “They are extremely loyal to those they consider friends. Rei and I were actually planning to help get them away from their village after the championships.” He exchanged a subtle glance with his lover before continuing. “It's unbelievably difficult to leave the small community; at the time, we didn't understand why, but Rei was very lucky with his escape. Rei managed to pick up on Lee's insincere hatred of him during the Chinese leg of the tournament, and he discovered that it was due to the Elders' influence. One night, we had a chance encounter with the two of them, and things developed from there.” The Dranzer master paused for a moment, a thoughtful look on his face. “They may even be willing to help us after we finish here and move on to China.”

 

“Well,” Bryan started with a dry quality to his voice. “This is certainly turning out to be interesting.”

 

“You don't know the half of it,” Rei's voice mimicked the lilac haired teen's tone. “Lee was trained in the same place I was; he's probably more involved in this than he realizes. It wouldn't be right not to include him, and where he goes, Kevin goes.”

 

“How will we let them know when they'll be needed?” Ian's question was legitimate. “I mean, we don't really have a way to get much of a message to them without being seen.”

 

“Their assistance won't be needed until after Kai and Rei return to the Bladebreakers, right?” the red haired neko-jin's question supplied the answer.

 

“Right,” Kai confirmed. “So we can tell them everything then.”

 

“Now that we've got the last detail covered,” Tala started, “we can fine-tune our plans.” Blue eyes glanced at the watch on his wrist. “We can finish this tonight; for now, we have a match to see.” The six `bladers stood and left the locker room, making their way towards the top level of the stadium where they could observe the Bladebreaker's battle without being seen.

 

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“They only have two `bladers,” Mariah commented. “That means that both Takao and Max have to win; if they don't, they'll be forced to forfeit the third match and be knocked out of the tournament.” The White Tigers had gathered in the stands to watch the Bladebreakers' first battle of the championships. With Kai and Rei having switched teams, they would be hard-pressed to make it into the semi-finals, let alone the finals. Today would be the first test of their skills.

 

“They'll be able to do it,” Gary was confident. “The team they're facing is full of amateurs.” Lee and Kevin were barely paying attention to their teammates as they idly watched the preparations for the beginning of round two. They were preoccupied with something that had happened not more than ten minutes ago. The elder of the two had been walking a few steps behind the others on the way to their seats when someone had roughly pushed into him. He was about to yell at the rude spectator only to discover that it had been the shortest member of the Demolition Boys, Ian. The indigo haired teen had given him a strange look then nodded his head before turning around and disappearing through the exit. On a hunch, the orange-eyed neko-jin had reached into his pocket and discovered a slip of paper that he knew should not have been there. Pulling his lover to the side, the two read the short note, which held only two words - We accept. We accept, Lee ran the phrase through his mind over and over again. That could mean anything; do they accept our offer of assistance? Or is it that they're just letting us know that our support is appreciated… I guess that one way or another, we'll find out. A hand waved in front of his face, distracting him from his current train of thought.

 

“Lee,” an irritated, shrill voice called out. “Lee, are you paying attention to me?” Said teen turned to look directly into annoyed eyes.

 

“No,” he stated in a firm tone, indicating that he wasn't about to start paying attention to his pink haired teammate any time in the near future, either. The girl growled and crossed her arms but otherwise left things as they were. Ever since Rei switched teams, Lee and Kevin have been so distant. What's wrong with them?! Mariah had no intention of letting the issue drop completely, but she would wait until they were in the privacy of their hotel before starting in on them. The neko-jin couple was well aware of that fact by the look of determination on her face and let out identical sighs of exasperation. She could really be a relentless bitch when she wanted to, which, in their case, was nearly all the time.

 

“Just what we don't need,” the green haired `blader muttered under his breath. “A lecture from the pink menace.” Galion's master snorted in amusement over the oh-so-accurate description before turning his attention to the beydish; the first match was set to start, and Max was up. They watched the blonde teen launch his blade and assess his opponent as it spun around the dish. This match was in no way the same spectacle as the day's previous battles. The crowd cheered loudly at their ability to actually follow what was going on as the green blade finally made its move. In three swift motions, Max commanded Draciel superbly, knocking the other blade from the dish without ever having called on the water beast. That's a very good thing, Kevin thought. If he had, had any trouble with this rooky, the Bladebreakers would never stand a chance in making it to the finals. Glancing over to his lover, he noticed a grim look set on the elder's face.

 

“What is it?” he spoke so that only Lee could hear him.

 

“I'm not sure,” the lion master replied. “Something's not quite right… Max won, yes, but there's just something off about him.” Looking back to the arena, the green haired youth watched as the victor returned to his team.

 

“His heart's not in it,” the younger commented, also keeping his voice low. “I hope Rei and Kai get this resolved, soon.” He continued to observe as Takao took his position, getting ready to start the second match. “I have a feeling the Bladebreakers are going to snap if they don't, and though they're not as close to Max and Takao, I know they don't want that to happen.” Lee nodded his agreement as he watched Dragoon push his opponent from the dish.

 

“They made it to the semi-finals,” he stated. “Now, we'll just have to wait and see. I have a feeling that they need to make it to the final round before Kai and Rei make their move.”

 

“Yeah,” Kevin agreed. “Kai's definitely one for the dramatic ending; I would expect nothing less.” His lips formed a bit of a smirk. “What say we help out with that? We may not have our bit beasts, but we can still battle. We can work on Max and Takao's confidence, something they seem to be lacking.”

 

“What are you talking about, Kevin?” Mariah butted into the conversation having heard the last bit. “They seem fine to me. Look,” she waved her hand in the general direction of the Bladebreakers. “They just won their first battle, two members down.” Even Gary rolled his eyes at her obliviousness. Anyone could tell that the three celebrating in the arena were anything but alright; they were just putting on a show for the fans.

 

“You know something, don't you,” the large neko-jin stated more than asked after their pink teammate walked off. Kevin and Lee only exchanged short glances before shrugging. Gary smiled; he didn't know what his captain and short friend were up to, but he understood that whatever it was, it would only help the situation. Unlike Mariah, he could plainly see that not everything was as it appeared and decided to just let things play out as they would, somehow knowing that everything would work out for the better. He also knew, intuitively, that he should just sit back and watch rather than get involved. This was definitely worth convincing the Elders to let us attend. Something big is happening, and I, for one, intend to witness it.

 

 

TBC

End of chapter note: The next chapter will have more of the same, plus a look into the whole BioVolt in China aspect of things.