FicWad

Chapter Four

"So, I'm up. Who am I up against?"

Jo's question lingers in the air as Ray, Kai, and I exchange glances. Neither of them are going to go first.

I guess that leaves me because Tyson is going against Hilary.

I shrug and step up to the dish as well. "I guess you'll be battling against me."

She lifts and eyebrow and studies me with her blue eyes through her glasses. "You're Max, right?"

I nod. "Yep. That's me."

She stares at me silently for a few seconds before pulling out her blade and setting it on its launcher. "That's good. You're the one I wanted to battle against anyway," she says I put Draciel on his launcher as well.

"Really? Why is that?"

She throws her hair over her shoulder as we both move into our stances. "Let's just say...I'm a big fan."

I nod. The conversation is over. There is nothing more to be said.

After a few seconds, I can here my voice mingling with Jo's as we start the countdown. "Three...Two...One...Let it rip!"

Our blades fly off of their launchers and into the dish and they just circle around each other for a few seconds before the each clash in the middle, causing sparks to fly in every direction.

I have a feeling that this battle is going to be better then I thought it would be. This girl is pretty tough. I wonder how long she can rough it out.

"Go, Draciel," I call out as she forces my blade onto the edge of the dish.

"Oh c'mon, Max!" she calls from across the dish. "I know you can do better than that. I don't want you going soft on me just because I'm a girl."

I feel a slow smile make its way across my face. She's right, I shouldn't go soft on her just because she's just a girl.
"Don't worry, I won't," I call back.

She smiles and nods and blades begin to clash again. Beyblading never ceases to amaze me. The way the blades clash into each other and circle around each other...it's almost as if it's some elaborate type of dance.

The sound of our blades colliding once again brings me back to reality and I notice that Jo's blade is on the very edge of the dish.

I grin. "I've got you now, Jo!"

Her blade is about to topple out the dish. I have this match won.

"Jo, get back in the game! You didn't practice for a year and a half to be defeated so easily!" That's Hilary's voice. I had gotten so wrapped up in our battle that I had forgotten about everybody else.

Jo's blade seems to be getting a little more power and she's gradually pushing Draciel backwards. What in the world is going on? How could she be getting her energy back so quickly?

"That's it, Josie," Tika calls encouragingly, "you can do this!"

"Yeah!" Marti adds. "Just keep fighting."

Does Jo get her strength from her friends?

"Their right, Jo," that's Hilary. "Just keep fighting! The girls and I are behind you all the way! Just do your best!"

It's kind of weird having Hilary on the opposing team. I'm use to her being on my team and rooting me on. I wonder if she finds it weird to be rooting for a team other than the Bladebreakers.

The sound of my opponents voice yelling, "You got it girls!" breaks my train of thoughts and I look at her again. That smile is back in place and she seems to have absorbed some energy from the encouragement of her friends.

She looks me in the eye and points at me. "You're going down."

With those words, her blade seems to have gotten a new source of energy and throws Draciel into the middle of the dish.

Jo's eyes change from amused to serious as she balls her hand into a fist and yells, "Delfin!"
A blue light begins to come out of the center of her blade as a large grey dolphin emerges.

"She had a bitbeast?" I can hear Tyson and Ray ask in unison. They are obviously as shocked as I am.

Although, I'm not sure why we're so surprised. The Goddesses are supposed to be the best all female beyblading team out there...according to Kenny and Mr. Dickenson anyway. And when have they ever been wrong?

I smile at her to hide my shock. "Wow. This battle just keeps getting more interesting with each second."

She lifts a brow. "Trust me, Maxie, you ain't seen nothin' yet."

I grin at her. "I guess that makes two of us. Because I'm just getting started."

I lift my hand above my head and call out my bitbeast. "Draciel!"


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I stare in awe as a green light comes out of Max's blade, paving the way for the purple turtle that shows up only seconds afterwards. Seeing Draciel on television is one thing, but seeing him up close and personal is something completely different.

It's just...wow.

"Hey," Hilary calls from behind me, "pay attention to the battle, Jo!"

Oh...that's right. I'm in the middle of a battle. No time to admire bitbeasts, no matter how cool they may be. And Draciel is really cool. I mean, Draciel is the only fighting turtle that I know of other than the Mutant Teenage Ninja Turtles.

Well, anyway, back to the matter at hand...winning this battle.

"Go, Delfin!"

"Go, Draciel!"

Our blades collide, sending sparks flying, and our bitbeasts sort of entangle themselves together.

Okay, I tell myself silently. You can do this, Jo. Like Hilary said earlier. You've been practicing for this for a year and a half. You are not about to go down that easily.

Ha! I am a great pep talker if I do say so myself.

My eyes meet Max's and we seem to come to the same conclusion. This match has been fun and all, but it's time to end this thing.

"Delfin, Tempest Twist Attack!" I call out as a tornado begins to swirl around my blade.

"Draciel, Heavy Hyper Wall!" Max calls out.

Our blades start towards each other as if in slow motion, at least in my eyes, and it seems forever before they collide. I duck and cover my eyes as a sort of explosion emits from the collision of the blades.

I slowly stand up and look at the dish...or what use to be the dish. Now there's just a huge hole in the middle of the floor and my blade is laying at my feet and Max's blade is laying at his.

A tie. We got a tie...a draw. I did all of that training and all I got was a draw?

I pick up my blade and slowly turn around to look at the girls, expecting to see disappointment on their faces.

Instead, they're all grinning from ear to ear. They all rush up to me and Hilary hugs me with one arm and balances Tyler on her hip with the other.

"That was great, Jo. Although I wish you hadn't totally annihilated the dish, because now nobody else can battle. At least not for a while."

I feel myself blush. "Sorry."

"There is no need to apologize," Tika says brightly. "That was the best beybattle that I have seen. It was almost like the ones at the tournament."

"Yeah," Marti agrees. "You were great."

I smile thankfully at them. "Thanks, you guys."

"Um...Jo?" I look up and see Max and the rest of the Bladebreakers standing right in front of me. Max is smiling sheepishly and has his hand extended out for me to shake. "That was a great battle, Jo. It's one of the best I've ever had."

My cheeks heat up and I can imagine myself looking like a giant tomato as I shake his hand. I can't believe I just got a compliment from Max Tate. "Um...thanks. It was a great battle for me, too. I mean, it's not everyday that you get to battle against one of the best beybladers in the world."

He blushes and scratches the back of his head. "Um...thanks. I think."

There are a few moments of awkward silence before Mr. Dickenson speaks again. "Well, it looks like if you want to battle each other you'll either have to do it at the park or wait until we can get the dish fixed. Getting the dish fixed could take a while, so if you want to get it over with..."

Hilary speaks up. "We don't mind waiting, so it's really up to the guys."

Tyson nodded. "We don't mind waiting either."
"Okay then," Mr. Dickenson says as he starts for the exit, "I'll just go send an order in for a new dish."

After Mr. Dickenson leaves the room is quiet again, we're all looking at Hilary. It seems that she'll have to answer the questions of her friends a little sooner then she expected.

"So," Tyson says softly after a few minutes, "are you going to answer our questions now or are we going to have to wait?"

Hilary turns on her heal and starts towards the bench to pick up Tyler's diaper bag. "It wouldn't be fair if I made you guys wait. You've already waited for two years. You deserve answers," she looks over her shoulder at all of us. "Let's get some ice cream and go to the park."