Beyblade Fan Fiction ❯ The Real Me ❯ Chapter Thirteen ( Chapter 13 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Author's Note: I have set a goal. If I get 100 reviews, I won't ask for any more for the duration of the story(though you are all welcome to leave them, XD). So... I know these last few chapters have been all over the place, and again, I apologize. Though I especially want to thank you all for sticking with this story thus far. And Kendo Baby, your CAPS LOCK loving pm was especially lovely to read.

And also, I have been screwed over about fifteen times today, and am in excruciating pain with my teeth. Therefore, I am going to write you a chapter which you should hopefully love, because I refuse to screw my dear readers over. So without further ado, here is (un)lucky chapter 13.

Hilary dragged Tyson by the wrist, despite his whining. "You idiot, if you didn't stop for that third hot dog, we wouldn't be running late!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

She rolled her eyes. "Well, just to let you know, I don't kiss boys with hot dog breath."
"Not even cute ones?" He batted his eyes at her, and she shook her head. She could play his games, not to mention they were both just as stubborn.

"Nope, sorry. Better luck next time." She continued pulling him toward two huge double doors, which were swung open. Bright lights lit up the space beyond the doorway.

"WELL FOLKS, THIS IS IT! THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH BETWEEN AJ CARSON AND RICKY EMORIO IS ABOUT TO BEGIN!" DJ Jazzman was ready to go, his microphone stationed just before his lips.

"I'm Brad Best, and this is my co-host AJ Topper, and we're here to bring you the commentary on the first of two World Championship tournaments this year, from Barcelona, Spain!"

"Yeah, and we're stoked to see which of these two will come out on top." Stats flashed across a plasma screen in near the ceiling of the arena. Hilary continued pulling Tyson along until they reached the lowest level of seats.

"Can I have a kiss now?" Tyson asked, using his brown puppy dog eyes to his advantage. "I'm chewing mint gum."

She shrugged, and kissed him, parting a moment later, with a satisfied smirk on her face. "That was worth my while. It's still minty."
"You stole my gum!"

"I did, didn't I?" She slid down the row of seats, finding her aunt and uncle waiting in anticipation. Hilary placed a hand over the top of her aunt's shaking one, trying to calm the woman down.
"She'll be great," Mr. Carson said, taking a deep breath.

"She's got it in the bag," Tyson said. "This kid isn't all that."

From opposite doors that faced each other, both AJ and her opponent Ricky appeared, walking to the dish, which was located in the middle of the stadium.

"Alright, AJ, it seems that the favorite to win this battle is someone who sounds remotely like you."

"Miss Carson has quite a reputation, and her bit beast, Viatsu, has only been used a few times in this tournament. Not too much is known about the creature, other than its attack, Final Warning, is quite a powerhouse."

"God, waiting for this is going to kill me," Mrs. Carson stated, squeezing Hilary's hand.

"I know, I can't wait either. AJ's going to kick his ass!" Her aunt and uncle laughed.

"You've got that right."

"BLADERS READY?"

There were two nods and a lot of cheering. Looks like the crowd wanted in on it too.

"THREE... TWO... ONE!"

"LET IT RIP!"

Both beyblades landed in the arena with a shower of sparks and a clash of metal. The crowd cheered upon the impact.

"Alright, Tekocore, attack!" Ricky's yellow beyblade surged toward her newly upgraded green one. She cleanly avoided it, and came around for a quick attack. "You're going down sister," He said, a bit of his Italian accent coming out in his voice. "This is a cyber bit beast."

"You're on his side, Ricky?" She shook her head and Viatsu retaliated, hitting Tekocore head on. "You're going to have to try harder than that, sweetheart."

He was determined. "I'm playing to win." Tekocore got in close, grinding Viatsu up against the side of the dish, and slowing down her spin. "Top that."
"I'm playing to live." With a bright emerald light, his beyblade was sent back. The two tops collided again, and Ricky sent AJ's beyblade high into the air.

"Viatsu, final warning!"

"Tekocore, spiral inversion!"

With a thunderous roar, Viatsu was revealed, jumping at Tekocore, an orange lizard-like creature with spiky horns. A defensive spiral formed around Tekocore, and AJ felt it. It was hot. Viatsu drew back, and AJ knew she wasn't going to win only on Final Warning. There had to be another way, and she was just coming up with different variations. There was more to her than meets the eye. God knew that she's had her share of secrets.

In many of those cases, coming out was a good thing.

"Serendipity Uprising!" Within moments, the entire arena went completely dark. The only thing that was illuminated was Viatsu's eyes.
"I can't see!" Ricky called, growing annoyed. His advantages were gone in the dark.

Almost immediately following, pale green and yellow stars began flying across the room, bouncing off things and disappearing in an array of shimmering dust. People were in awe over the attack. "It's not over yet, so brace yourself."

The attack of shooting stars diverted attention from the green eyed creature located near the dish. Suddenly, her mane broke out in a bright electric green colored fire to match her blazing orbs, and a vortex of energy began to wash over the starry dish.

"Tekocore, livid dragona!" With a ferocious growl that Viatsu overpowered with a stormy roar, the reptilian dragon charged head on at Viatsu. "I told a lot of people I'd take you down."

Audrey laughed, trying not to give it away. "Too slow, and it looks like you've come right into my trap. Say goodbye!"

Meanwhile, up in the stands, Tyson and Hilary decided to take things into their own hands.

"Goodbye!" They yelled. The people behind them began to crack up, as well as the two teens yelling at the young woman's opponent.

Ricky's beyblade began to wobble, and he bowed his head before calling a final, weakening attack. "Tekocore, try one last time!"

"Viatsu, Final Warning!" With a quick attack of force and power, the yellow beyblade flew from the arena, and the battle was over.

"Oh my God!" Hilary yelled, launching herself at Tyson and kissing the daylights out of him. He seemed to be just as excited, not just because of the attention he was getting from his girlfriend. "AJ's the world champion!"

"My baby girl did it!" Mrs. Carson yelled, hugging her husband tightly. "I can not believe it! My baby girl is the World Champ!"

"And her cousin and her friends will be the championship team next month," Mr. Carson said, flashing a smile toward the two teens next to them. "I have a feeling the championship circle is going to get rather small this year."

"I agree completely," Tyson said. "We're going to rock the next championship tournament, you can count on it."

Mr. Dickenson came down to the floor, where Ricky and AJ were shaking hands, and Ricky was breaking the bit chip of his beyblade in half. That made the champion smile, and hug him. One more person on her side, she thought. The chairman shook Ricky's hand, and commending him on an excellent battle before he went back to his family to celebrate his second place finish in the tournament.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Mr. Dickenson stated through one of the numerous available microphones, "Give it up for your new world champion, Miss Audrey Carson!" He slung a medal over her head and let it lay across her chest. She jumped up, realizing that it was true. She was the champion.

She jutted a fist in the air, a smile sparkling on her face. The crowd seemed to be pleased with the outcome, as even Brad and AJ had been reduced to nothing but excited cheering and announcements that repeated her victory.

Touching the ring on her necklace, a memory lodged itself in her head.

"I know you better than that, Miss American Champion. You're going to take on the world one of these days." She had just come home after winning the American championships in Houston the day before. It was her first real win, and he made sure she celebrated it accordingly. With him, of course.

"You're right about that, Mister World Champion." He couldn't help but laugh and dunk her under the water. She came up a moment later, rather gracefully considering the circumstances.

"And you'll bite of more than you can chew."

"I think you just did."
"Really?"

"Yeah." After a water war of epic proportions, she leaned back against the side, finding his arm draped around her shoulders.

"I'll bet you'll win, though. And afterwards, we'll celebrate."

She shoved the thought down and hugged Mr. Dickenson tightly before being attacked by her cousin and her boyfriend. "I'm glad you two finally came out," She said, hugging them both in turn. They blushed a bit, but nodded.

"Will you come watch us next month, Miss Champion of the Free World?"

"She has to. It's a World Championship tournament," Mr. Dickenson explained. "She doesn't have a choice in the matter."

"Well, I'll go along with it," she said, with a smile at the chairman. "But now, I get to do the post victory interviews, then of course, it's chow time, my treat."

"Just no more hot dogs," Hilary said, while Tyson rubbed his head sheepishly.

AJ laughed. "Dude, I'm the American one here, and I can't stand them."

When Tyson and Hilary had called from the airport to say they were going to be home in a matter of minutes, Kai got the hell out of there. He said he was going to train, and the others nodded, though they weren't convinced. If they thought he was still some lovesick fool, then they were wrong. At least, he thought they were wrong.

He held out his beyblade launcher and tightened his grip on the rip cord. They had gone to see AJ, and for what, he had no idea. He followed no team or person in beyblading other than himself, and honestly, he didn't care what had happened to her. If she was alive, that was good. That was the entire point to begin with. He did it to protect her whether she liked it or not.

Realizing the thoughts he was now having he quickly silenced them with the yank of the rip cord and the sound of Dranzer landing on the ground.

He had to focus. Voltaire was still at large, and they were still getting challenged by miscellaneous beybladers. Tala had called a few weeks prior and said that the Blitzkrieg Boys were getting challenged at least once every week. And the bit beasts were stronger than before.

Personally, he wondered how many they'd stolen, and from whom.

Before he could dedicate his thoughts entirely to that, a dark green beyblade came at him from the trees. He quickly evaded it, swinging around to knock it back where it had came from.

"Who's there?"

"Sorry," A voice came, being followed a bit of Italian curses. "I'm having trouble with my beyblade."

Kai snickered. "One can tell."

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you that I just won second in the World Championships, now would you?"

"No." He nodded.

"Well, I'm Ricky Emorio. I used a cyber bit beast in the last round of the Championships and lost."
Kai's ears pricked at the word 'cyber.' "Wait, you were in with Voltaire?"

Ricky hung his head. "Yes, unfortunately."

"Do you know what his plan is?"
"Does it ever change? He wants to take control of the world using his newly upgraded bit beasts, and with the thrashing I received at the world championships, they aren't all that. He's probably planning on bringing out the big guns for your tournament though."

Kai nodded. "It wouldn't surprise me. Why are you beyblading here anyway?"

"I have family here, and I needed a place to make a fresh start. There's a tournament in a few months, and I want to prove to the champion that I don't need a cyber bit beast to be powerful."
"You've got the right idea, kid," Kai said, in his typical monotone. Ricky was probably only fifteen or sixteen, by his guess, with bright blue eyes, and black hair. "Keep at it." With this, he turned and walked away, with the a single thought pressed in his head.

Who could've beaten him that badly?

Because honestly, he'd never come across anyone who could thrash a cyber bit beast, no matter how puny they were.

Ray and Max stared at the picture in Tyson and Hilary's hands. Kenny came over and nearly dropped the computer cradled in his arms. "I can't believe AJ- OUR AJ -won! That's amazing!" Max smiled happily. "Someone hand me the phone, I'm going to call and congratulate her."

Hilary handed him Tyson's cell phone. "What the hell are you doing?" The blunette asked. Daichi was jumping up and down, too short to see the picture at the angle it was being viewed. "That's my cell phone, and he's making an international call! My bill will be insane!"

"Fine, you can ask Kai for his phone then, he's the one with the international plan."
Tyson took a step back and tried to calm himself. "Alright Maxy, but you're paying for the call. And running my laps at the next practice."
"Deal." He nudged Hilary and smiled. "I'll just drink some soda beforehand, and it'll be all good."

Ray laughed at them. "Did any of you tell him? We didn't watch it, and I doubt he's going to find out via any other means."

Knowing that the neko-jin meant Kai, they all shook his head. "Not planning on it."
"Me neither." Daichi finally grabbed the picture out of Tyson's grip, only to find that Hiro had ripped it out of his hands. "What the hell?" He asked, completely enraged. "I want to see the dang picture!"

"Take a number," Hiro said, staring at the photo. AJ was standing there, in the middle of Serendipity Rising, with stars shooting past her, her hair caught up in the breeze of the attack. "She looks good," He said, after a moment.

The rest of the group laughed childishly. "Dude, bro, you're drooling!"

"Shut up, Max is on the phone," He said, face flushed with embarrassment.

"Uhh... Hi, it's Max, is AJ around?"

There was a pause and a shuffling sound, and another voice rang through the receiver. "Hey, Maxy?"

"Hey, hold on, I'll put you on speaker phone, I think Tyson has it."
"Second button below the 'ok,'" she explained, and he thanked her, pressing it.
"Hiya!" The group said, happy to talk to someone.

"What's up?"

"You're asking us what's up? Do you not realize what you just did? And you didn't call?" Ray pretended to be angry before breaking out into laughter. "We're so happy for you!"

A chorus of agreement broke out amongst the team mates.

"Thanks, guys, I appreciate it." She paused and her voice became a bit more serious. "How are all of you doing?"

Max decided to handle this one. "We're all good, we miss you a ton, and those mysterious beybladers are still showing up."

"The guy I beat was the owner of a cyber," she said, calmly. "He wasn't that bad, and I have a question. When you say that 'we miss you a ton,' do you mean all of you? Even him?" Her voice was soft at that point, a mix between sadness and hope.

In Japan, the group of people all looked at each other, not quite sure how to respond. Hilary placed her hand over the phone. "She hasn't mentioned him the entire time we were in Barcelona, my aunt and uncle said she just acts like he doesn't exist."

Ray nodded. "He hasn't talked about her since that day on the beach."
"Then what the hell do we say?" Hiro asked, feeling some concern for the girl. From behind them, a slam came indicated that the final member of their team had come back. "We can't-" Tyson turned around and followed the captain into the kitchen.

"Kai, I need to talk to you." Hilary came to the door, taking her hand off the phone, while whispering for her cousin to be silent.

"Spit it out then," he said, going to the refrigerator and pulling out a bottle of Pepsi. "I don't have all day."
"I was just wondering..." Kai's glare told him to get it over with, and the blunette gulped. "... If you miss AJ?"

Kai's eyes widened for a moment, and his emotions radiated through them before he closed his eyes and gripped the bottle he held onto tighter. "Occasionally," He said honestly, a tinge of sadness slipping through the monotone.
"Okay, thanks, that's all I want to know." He began to edge out of the room and the captain took a swig of soda.
"And you can tell her that I don't regret a thing, while you're at it." The indifference in his icy voice caused Tyson to literally scramble out of the room.
"I'll talk to you later, honey, and congrats again." Tyson watched as Hilary passed him and walked into the kitchen. "If you knew, why didn't you say anything?" Anger was apparent on her features, and this had been the most she had actually said to him in months.

After everything unfolded on the beach, everyone eventually calmed down, their irrationality forgotten (for the most part), as Kai offered a minimal explanation for his sudden decision to cut AJ from his life. Hilary couldn't forgive him, she'd heard the way AJ felt, and she didn't want to believe he'd do it, even if it was for her. Watching him go back to the way he was before had hurt her beyond any argument she could have with Tyson.

"Since when do you talk to me?" Kai asked, his eyes meeting hers.

She rolled her eyes and leaned against the table, directly across from him. "Since she still loves you more than you God damn deserve." A flicker of an unknown emotion came across his face before it became indifferent again. She noted it. Her tone lightened, becoming saddened and quiet. "And I know you do too, whether you admit it to yourself or not."

She gave him no time for a response, turning on her heel to leave the room, with Tyson in tow. The rest of the group had been within earshot, and were quietly voicing their approval of her words. "Oh, and by the way, boys," She said, a victorious smirk on her face, "She said that she'd beat the shit out of us if we weren't the ones Dickenson was giving medals to in a month."
"Was she shaken up by his response?"

"No." She paused. "It was hers as well." She heard the sound of quiet footsteps behind her. "Though she said she wouldn't lie and said she was still in love with him, and it wouldn't go away."
"She's got it bad, heh?"

"Beyond." She turned around, catching Kai red handed. She didn't give him a dirty look, or a glare. "But she told me that it wasn't good for me to be pissed at him since he did nothing to me. She's not even mad, the bloody fool."

"She's got a point," Ray said, thoughtfully. "He didn't do anything to you."

"Still, I just feel really bad."

"We all do, but it's not our choice," Tyson said, slinging an arm around her waist. "I just hope he makes the right one."

"Agreed."

Heather stepped into the darkened room, the office of her boss. "Sir," she began, addressing him.
"What?" He snapped back. "Have you come to finally tell me something useful? Ricky letting us down was a fatal error in the operation. He knows too much. This had better be good."

She winced at the thought of the black haired Italian. Being the one who had hand selected him, she faced quite a punishment, and a dock in pay for his betrayal, while the boy got away, being one of few that did. "Yes, sir, I have good news.""And that would be...?"

She smiled sincerely. "The new cyber bit beasts are ready. And our bladers-" A malicious smile traced her lips "-have no other thoughts in their mind other than to take out their opponents. They'll submit completely to the power we have arranged for them."

He nodded. "For once, you haven't failed me. I just hope, for your sake, that they are as good as you say. I will not tolerate failure."
"And you won't have to," she assured. "I have made sure of that."

His smile became much more maniacal, and malicious to say the least. "Good. We shall make them suffer."

AJ slipped into the seat, backwards. Her friend Jordan sat next to her, leaning against the counter. "Audrey, are you sure you want to do this?"
"Positive, chica," She said, tilting her head to face a pink haired girl, with spiky hair and a nose ring. "Go ahead, Carla, I'm ready."

"Apparently you want a two for one special, don't you?" The girl asked, rubbing the small of AJ's back with a cotton ball drenched in alcohol.

"Not really." She paused, placing a hand just to the left of her right hip. "Though this does hurt."
"Well, next time, decide to space things out."

"I'm leaving for New York in less than a week. I don't want to be in pain when I get there.""It's cold in Buffalo this time of year, I'm sure you'll just be numb."

"Yeah, yeah," she said, laughing a bit, before getting yelled at for moving.
"Hold still, I need you to hold still, Aud, I want this to come out perfectly," Carla said.

She nodded, and Jordan grasped the champion's hand. A minute later, she squeezed it. Hard. "He'll love it," She reassured her friend. "He just doesn't know it yet."

Author's Note: I just hope you guys like this chapter, and you review. I think it's pretty obvious what AJ's going to do, but what will it be? Perhaps a little fire? Or something else...? Anyway, I hope you like it, and you review, and yada yada yada, I'm being repetitive. I won't say I'll update soon, because if I do, I probably won't. So here's chapter 13, press that damned purple button!

x3 Distant Storm.