Chapter 4: Duel of Defense-types! Alister VS Mordecai!
"Aw man, I lost, but that battle was totally AWESOME!!", screeched Zane eagerly as he rushed to grab Dragonfire, with Reiji taking his Ra. Before Reiji could reply, a wicked cackle sounded out throughout the StrikerDrome, causing some who heard it to shiver in fear, even fleeing up the stairs, except for the bladers, the officials, and Zane. Zane then puts on a serious face as he then says, "I know who makes that laugh...Come out and show yourself...Mordecai!", as a black-haired, red-eyed boy dressed in a dark purple sweatjacket, black khakis, and New Balance sneakers, walked out of the shadows into the view of our heroes; Mordecai. "Yeah, that's right, loser; Mordecai of Team Phantom's in the freaking house!", sneered the black-haired boy. "So, who is this guy?", asks Alister to Zane, who replied, "This is Mordecai Darkovich, a member of a Battle Strikers group, Team Phantom, who have dark, fiendish Battle Strikers with StrikerSouls that can suck the stamina of enemy tops in battle. Team Phantom is also one of the Top 3 Battle Strikers teams in the world, alongside Teams Paladin and Predator!"
"Hey, Zane, I see you've got some new friends", Mordecai started arrogantly, "I bet each one is as big a loser as you are!". Alister didn't like him insulting him and his colleagues and replied harshly to the Team Phantom member, "Listen, we are NOT losers, and if you want to start something, then I'll gladly finish it!", as he held up his Hades Annihilate F:C. "Oh, so you want to battle, huh? Then bring it!", snarled Mordecai, holding up his Battle Striker, a darkly-colored and ultra-intimidating Phantom Striker named Odinskull. Zane whispered to Al, "Careful, man, Mordecai's Odinskull is a defense-type, and it could steal your Beyblade's stamina in battle!", to which Alister replied, "Hn. So is my Hades."
The two approached an empty arena, and prepared their tops for battle. "So, purple-head, are you ready to l--", started Mordecai, but Alister interrupts him with an incredibly serious tone, "The name is Alister, punk, and you should be the one to lose. My Hades Annihilate's defense is impenetrable!" Mordecai smirked, and responds, "Hah! My Odinskull has superior defense, and it will totally drain your stupid little top's stamina and win this battle easily!". Alister replies, "We'll see about that!", as both opponents start the battle cry:
"3..."
"2..."
"1..."
"GO SHOOT! / STRIKE!", finished both boys as they launch their respective tops into the arena. Mordecai is the first to declare an attack from his Odinskull, "Odinskull, show this pathetic little top what a REAL Battle Striker can do!
Black Crystal Spikes of Terror!!", as said Battle Striker sprouts purplish, crystalline, razor-sharp spikes on its weapon, as it spun towards Hades. Alister decides to go on the offensive as well, "Hades, show this Battle Striker the true meaning of terror!
Underworld Black Arts: Shield Destroyer!". The 4D Defense-type Beyblade then assumed an aura of pure black fire, while its Fusion Wheel changes from Defense Mode to Attack Mode, as it then collided with Odinskull, shattering the crystal spikes in one hit as it sent the dark Phantom Striker up in the air with a mean Smash Attack, before it landing back into the arena still raring to fight, though its stamina has been halved. Mordecai then sneered, "Wow, I never would've thought you'd shatter the spikes in a single hit! Last time me and Zane fought, it took him
five hits to break the Black Crystal Spikes into pieces! Still doesn't matter, because I'm gonna kick your rear end in this!". Alister then frowned, "Let's see you try, with your Battle Striker's stamina being halved from that last attack!", as Mordecai then noticed Odinskull spinning gradually slower, before thinking to himself, "
I should be the one beating that purple-haired creep in this battle, not him beating me! I must use my last resort suicide technique!"
Zane, who was watching the battle with Reiji, Milly, and Jackie, when he saw the Shield Destroyer from Alister's Hades shattering the Black Crystal Spikes in one good hit as he thought, "
Wow! It only took me five hits, and Alister's broke the Black Crystal Spikes into tiny pieces in just one well-placed hit! I'd best be careful if I'm up against him!". Milly, who is also recording the battle on her laptop, was also looking at Odinskull's bludgeoning stamina levels with great interest. Reiji was practically cheering Alister on, hollering "Yeah! You got 'im Al! Teach that punk what it means to be a Beyblader!", much to Jackie's irritation, as she then yells to him, "I know he's kicking Morde-cad's rear end, so shut up, Reiji, and it ain't over yet!", as she points out Mordecai ready to use his last resort maneuver.
"Time for me to get serious! Odinskull,
Suicide Frag Bomb!! Give it everything you've got in this attack!", ordered Mordecai to his Battle Striker started building up energy. Milly notices Odinskull's energy readings on her laptop intensify as she then gasps, "Odinskull's energy levels are reaching critical mass!". Jackie asks Milly rather impatiently, "Well, what does critical mass mean, genius?", as Milly replies with great worry, "Critical mass means that it might blow up...and GOOD!". Jackie's eyes then widen in shock and terror as Reiji warned to Alister, "Al! Watch out! He's gonna blow!!"
Alister then takes on a wicked smirk as he whispers to his Beyblade, "Special Move:
Underworld Black Arts: Orichalcum Shield", as it took on a golden glow when Odinskull released a large amount of dark energy in a huge explosion that practically shook the StrikerDrome, as well as the convenience store topside, to its foundations! When the smoke cleared, and the shaking stopped, Alister's Hades is still spinning, while Odinskull is in pieces...Alister had won the battle! Mordecai was in disbelief when he saw Hades survivng the explosion, and growls, "How can THIS be?! My suicide attack is foolproof! You cheated!", to which a new voice replies, "He did not cheat, you've put too much confidence in the abilities of your Odinskull! Plus, you're being a sore loser at this moment, something we don't accept in Team Phantom! Battle Strikers aren't about power alone, it's how you use your tops in battle!"
Mordecai paled, recognizing the voice as its owner came out from the shadows. The newcomer has blonde hair, tan skin, and is wearing a purplish-colored T-shirt with a black widow spider on it, black khakis, and sneakers with a cool-looking black-and-red color scheme. On the khakis, is a utility belt with a Battle Strikers Hyper Strike Launcher (which has a ripcord), a finger controller with a TRIGG FX Core activator attachment, and a small, see-through case with a lid containing the person's Battle Striker. Zane also recognizes the mystery person and gasps, "Watch out guys, that's Justin Kruger, the leader of Team Phantom, and a world-class contender in Battle Strikers known for his ferocity in battle! Like me, he is also in possession of a legendary StrikerSoul, in this case, a demonic spider monster known as Black Widow, and the Battle Striker containing it uses the Mecha FX system, a two-piece system consisting of a Weapon and an FX Core. Black Widow FX, in this case, has a weapon with incredible offensive and defensive capabilities, and a high chance of dealing critical knockout hits! It also has the attack-type UPPER.CUT FX Core, which allows it to attack enemy Strikers from below! Plus, he has a special attachment for his finger controller called a TRIGG which not only prevents the top from sticking to the controller, but also activating the FX Core!"
After Zane finished his explanation about the very leader of Team Phantom himself, who was scolding Mordecai at the moment, the aforementioned Justin Kruger turned to Alister and says to him, "My, my, aren't you a powerful one? To beat Mordecai like that and get him flying into a temper tantrum over losing, really took a whole boatload of guts!"
Alister then replied in his distinctive cold tone, "Yeah, it did. Now what do you want?"
Chapter End
Author's Note: I still have that idea of Team Phantom not liking Beyblades and being hellbent on destroying them all in consideration. Forgive me if I've put too much spoken dialogue. If you want, I'll delete some of it.
"It is written among the limitless constellations of the celestial heavens, and in the depths of the emerald seas, and upon every grain of sand in the vast deserts, that the world which we see is an outed and visible dream of an inward and invisible reality." - Opening narration, The Thief and the Cobbler (original workprint)