Chapter XII

Disclaimer: Ok, the Disclaimer is really getting tiring…I mean, we all know I don't own Beyblade, right?

NOTE: I'm still using the dubbed names for the Team Neo Borg. I don't quite like Tala's Japanese name…

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Tala, Ian, Spencer and Bryan jumped down the last rock from the mountain. They were walking silently for a while now, and it seems like their invisibility devices were working fine. Boris and Voltaire does not know where they are at all, it is all part of their plan. Their only worries are Kai, with his supernatural instincts of this world. They hoped to arrive and confront the others before Voltaire and/or Boris finds out, before Kai finds out and decide to take them still as lackeys of Voltaire.

However, Tala had a feeling that more people than they had intended know about their arrival. The others did as well. Kai must have told his friends.

For once, the Team Neo Borg did NOT want the people they were chasing after to run in fear. It was unlikely for Kai to run with his tail between his legs, but who knows what his friends want. Especially the obnoxious and weak Tyson with his idiotically happy Max – they were weak and scared. Tala frowned as he stumbled upon a rock. He kicked it and sent it flying through the air.

"Are they running?" Ian asked quietly as he kept his head on the ground ahead of him.

"No." Spencer answered simply.

"Do they seem like the type of people who would run away in fear of us, Kai and his team?" Tala asked dully.

"Well, I don't know about Kai, but the rest of his team, yeah." Ian smirked.

"Kai is not with his team, remember?" Bryan said, and they jumped a bit, for he remained quiet all the way until now.

"Oh yeah, that shit…" Ian grumbled.

Tala sighed. "This might take a long while to reach them. I mean…" He zoomed his vision and looked at the four tiny dots.

---

"Are you SURE you want to go towards the mountains?" Kai asked Mariam, whose mind was already made up. There was no point of saying that, but he said it, just incase a miracle happens and Mariam changes her mind.

"Yes! We've been in the SAME place for like…a week or more! Plus, the mountains have been inching closer, so Voltaire must have planned something for us. We are now in good health, so I say we just get the stupid thing over with." Mariam crossed her arms stubbornly.

"I actually agree with Mariam." Mariah said. "Why not get it over with and return to the real world? One of us might get sick later."

"That is true…" Ray said thoughtfully. He shrugged. "I'll be ok with both of them."

"I personally do not mind. But knowing my grandfather, the 'thing' to get over with might not be as casual as you think." Kai said as he closed his eyes.

"True…" Mariam said slowly. "But still…we should go there."

"Oh yeah…Team Neo Borg is heading from that way." He added hastily.

Ray froze. "They are headed from that way? How-"

"I have no clue." Kai answered before Ray could finish his question. Ray blinked.

"Well, I still say we head that way, and finish them on our way." Mariam suggested.

"They are not THAT easy to beat…" Mariah said, she remembered how Kai stole her whole team's bit-beast, and how one of them defeated Kai.

"Well, it's better now than later." Mariam closed her eyes.

Kai stood up and dusted himself off. "Well, what are we waiting for?" He shrugged and started to walk towards the mountains.

"Did…he just…agree with you?" Ray and Mariah looked stunned as they each raised an eyebrow.

Mariam shrugged. "He knows he can't win…" She smirked and followed him. Ray and Mariah shook their head with disbelief, but followed anyways.

---

"They…are walking towards us?" Ian said as a wave of disbelief washed over his features. Tala nodded.

"Zoom in on the four dots, and then use the distance calculator, you'll find them walking closer." Tala said. "Though, you might need to be patient for the movement to show, because the calculator rounds off the numbers."

Ian did as Tala told him, and he turned to use his mental calculation and detector. After around 5 minutes, he gasped.

"They are!" He said. "Why would they want to walk towards here?"

"There are many possibilities." Spencer said. "They could be either continuing their walk from earlier days, trusting their instincts, realized that Voltaire wants them to go there…" He paused. "Or, Kai knows we are here, and they're coming to confront us."

"Or all of the above…" Bryan added. Spencer nodded.

Tala sighed.

"I guess we will have to run into them sooner or later…its good that they save us the trouble of reaching them." Tala said.

"Yeah, but they still look at us as enemies." Ian pointed out. "If they try, they WILL defeat us."

"However…" Tala said towards Ian. "We didn't come to fight. Plus, we ARE their enemies…only…trying to go against Voltaire."

"That, or we are helping our former teammate." Spencer said.

Tala looked into space. "I guess…it would be fair to say both…"

---

It's been nearly a week of walking for the 4 of them. They were all pretty tired of walking around in the now dry and boring area.

Kai frowned – he had a strange suspicion that the Neo Borg now knows that Kai and his friends are approaching while eating 5 nights ago. His sense tingled and settled right after they started walking. It was obvious that one of the dangers stopped for a moment, and hopefully, more than a moment. But what he did not know was which danger stopped…it could be the Neo Borg, or perhaps an army of bit beasts sent by Voltaire…or even another danger. Kai frowned – the dangers that were in this world that they knew of were enough…if another one comes…

Kai wasn't sure if the group could handle it…He wasn't sure if HE could handle it. Kai sighed; his eyebrows took a dip. He crossed his muscled arms and he closed his grey eyes. His two-toned hair danced in the slight breeze that passed by. Should I tell the others about this?

No…I don't want to worry them further. This is more than they could take…I should have left them in the other world and went by myself…that way, the others wouldn't be hurt in any way. I would be risking my life…but…

Life comes cheap…

Kai's eyes darted to peak at the others – Ray was silently walking with a frown plastered on his face as well. He was also biting his lips and it was obvious that he was hesitating. Mariah was wearing a stubborn look; her lips formed a small pout. She grunted and sighed. It looked like she was bored and uncomfortable with all this silence. Kai shook his head and turned to look at Mariam. She was walking silently, her ponytail was coming loose, but she didn't seem to notice. She blew a few strands of hair out of her eyes and her eyes burned with hate for – as Kai guessed – Voltaire for separating her team and causing pain for all of them.

Kai looked up at the clouded and grayish-blue sky. It looked like the color blue, lost in a sea of sadness…confused by the smoke and the sea of grey. Kai sighed deeply and looked down again.

Mariam, who was first in their little walking group, stopped. She turned sharply and looked at Kai. "What is wrong with you?" She asked, not in an accusing way, but more concerned. Kai looked up, slightly surprised for the outburst.

"Nothing." Kai mumbled. "Why'd you ask?"

Mariam laughed dryly and sarcastically. "And you'd think we wouldn't realize it if you kept on fidgeting and gawking at us?"

"I didn't realize." Ray said blankly.

"Neither did I…" Mariah admitted.

Mariam ignored the two. "You are nervous and guilty…do you have something to tell us?" She asked suspiciously.

"No." Kai lied, acting as if there was nothing on his mind that would bother him. "Why would you think that?"

Mariam looked at him with disbelief and sighed. "I just said, you were fidgeting, gawking at us, acting nervous and guilty."

"I don't gawk…" Kai said, stressing the 'gawk'.

"You do so!" Mariam declared, but shook her head. "Nice attempt, changing the subject."

"Why thank you." Kai replied. Mariam groaned.

Ray and Mariah watched the two bicker, amused. "You two sound like you were married…" Ray commented.

"Zip it." Both Kai and Mariam growled, causing Ray to take a step back, raise his hand and laugh nervously.

Kai turned away. "There isn't anything I want to talk about." He said; his voice telling them that was the end of the argument. He started to walk again towards the mountain, which was not very far now. A few hours should do it.

When Kai revealed the fact, Mariah looked at Kai with horror. "Still a few hours? You call that NOT VERY FAR?"

"Yeah." Kai looked at Mariah dully.

"A few more hours of walking in this condition?" Ray looked around and the environment now: dry, reddish dust on the ground, grey gloomy sky, there were bushes here and there and mud puddles here and there. No water was around and no animals were to be seen.

"Well, it is better than a few more days, weeks, months…or even years." Mariam shuddered.

"I doubt the mountain was a few years off, unless you were a turtle. Voltaire…" Kai paused as images of Voltaire's torture and so called 'lessons' flashed in his mind. Kai winced. "He's not into that kind of torture for us." Kai said as his hands formed a fist; his nails dug into his skin.

Hearing Kai's new philosophy about Voltaire and Kai's reaction, the rest of the group fell silent. They knew that whoever angers Kai next wont wake up nicely the next day. The information was kindly provided by Tyson, who claims to have personal experience. Chances are, he probably did.

The few hours passed by quite slowly, especially since they were in hot dessert grounds. But after 3 hours or so, they approached a more grassy area. Well, there was nothing except grass…and bugs…lots of bugs.

Out of nowhere, Kai sighed with confusion, causing the three to look at him with confusion.

Kai glared at his companions, but his eyes weren't as cold as before. "What? Can't a guy sigh without being conspicuous?"

Mariam's eyes narrowed. "Sure…you were just sighing because you were BORED."

Ray shrugged. "He could be…"

Mariah looked down to the ground again. "Something feels…strange…" Her eyes went back to Kai. "Tell us…what happened? I KNOW something happened…what is it?"

Kai looked away. "It's nothing. Only, we'll be reaching the team sooner than we planned."

Mariah frowned, and looked away again.

Mariam sensed the same thing; she kept her eyes on Kai. "That's not it…is it…"

Kai shrugged. "I'm not quite sure myself…to be honest…"

A thick coat of silence floated around for what seemed forever. The thickness was broken when Ray all of a sudden froze. "Guys…" He said slowly as he looked ahead. 4 small figures were in the distance. They could be trees, but they were moving. But it was unsure because of the distance and the fact that Kai, Mariam, Mariah and Ray couldn't see that far.

But somehow, Kai confirmed it.

"It's them…" He said darkly as the figures approached. The 4 stopped and without planning it, in unison, all 4 placed their hands on their launcher and Beyblade.

As soon as the team Neo Borg and the 4 were close enough to hear each other perfectly, a smirk played with Tala's lips. Kai's eyes darkened as his head lowered. His grip on his launcher tightened.

Then, to Mariah, Ray, Mariam, and especially Kai's surprise, Tala closed his eyes and raised both his hands. "I come in peace."

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Ryuki: Yeah, another chapter. It sucks, just like the rest of my chapters. - -; I have 12 chapters and around 40 reviews. Only. That's kind of pathetic…my friend has 7 chapters and over a hundred reviews…TT I feel so stupid…

Anyways…still…here's another chapter for the lost reason out there…