ManWhen he and Robin walked to the after school practice area, Shu stopped them. "Robin," he said coldly. "Neither of us should see the other practicing."

"I'll go to another spot," Robin shrugged, turning to leave. Daigo didn't miss the rude gesture she pointed in her brother's direction after he turned around.

"Calm down," Daigo muttered to her. "Let's go."

Two more days until Ryota came home. That's what he thought, as he walked with Robin to the Beypark. "Special training?" he asked, as they neared the stadium. "I thought you said you could easily beat Shu."

"When did I say that?" Robin asked, walking past the stadium. "But I'm gonna win, and I'm not taking any chances." She fished in her pocket for yen. Daigo looked confused as she handed him ten yen and led him over to a flat concrete area. "Throw these onto the pavement." She positioned herself with her launcher. Daigo threw the yen, and she launched her bey. Phoenix smashed into seven of the ten yen before they hit the ground. The seven were flung clear to the forest.

She growled quietly. "Not good enough yet."

Daigo stared at the yen. How did she do that?

Robin's practicing predicting the launch trajectory. Did you know where they were going to land?

No.

She either did or's practicing instinct or something. She's trying to hit all ten so she can beat Shu really fast.

They threw the coins until she could hit all ten. Then Robin went to the beystadium. She looked at him. "You never saw this launch, got it?"

New launch, likely hasn't got it down yet. "Right."

She started with both hands on the ground, head tilted down, eyes closed. Robin counted down.

"Three!" Her eyes snapped open.

"Two!" 

"One!" Robin sprang into the air, arms perpendicular to her body, and spun once. She started coming down before-"Let it... Rip!" As she was gaining speed, she launched her beyblade so it circled around the side. Robin landed on one knee with a grunt, suddenly coughing hard.

"Really? Stupid, stupid, stupid."  She slapped her chest a few times before the coughing stopped.

Daigo didn't even blink. There was no way she could surprise him anymore. " Extra kinetic energy. Kinetic energy is mass and speed. More of each, more enefgy.. But your hands were a bit shaky, and your aim was off." He really hoped she didn't kill him for that comment.

Robin nodded, apparently agreeing. So he wasn't about to dir.. "And last time I tried this, I nearly broke my ankle."

"What do you call it?"

The terrifying girl grinned. "Sky Launch sound good?."

He thought for a moment. "Yeah." He positioned his launcher. "Do it again." Robin blinked. "Well? It's training, you know."

"Three!" Her eyes opened.

"Two!" She crouched lower. So did Daigo, guided by Doomscyther.

"One!" Daigo tensed. Robin jumped up, arms spread and spun once.

"Let it... Rip!" Daigo lunged forward and swung his launcher like a scythe as he launched. Robin, as she fell back to the earth, launched with all her power. She landed on one foot, but fell over, nearly hitting the stadium. Robin growled, but curled up, shaking. That ankle must have gotten hurt.

"Doomscyther!" yelled Daigo, dark purple aura swirling. "Full power!"

Doomscyther shot towards the middle. She's off balance. I'm going to beat that stupid bey once and for all!

Robin was still on the ground, but her eyes were closed, and her fingers, Robin noticed, were touching the stadium. She figured it out.

"Phoenix!" She yelled, rising to her feet." Left and center!" Phoenix swung left before Dark Doomscyther got to the center, then it slammed back, knocking his bey out. Doomscyther hit the wall and burst.

That little- Doomscyther said some things Daigo decided should never be said again. She beat me again!

She grinned, showing teeth. "Rise Phoenix with a Burst finish!"

Robin hesitated, then said, "That new launch was decent. If I hadn't heard you yell what you were about to do, you knocked mine out with a burst finish. Except I'm amazing and already have a counter for that. So don't get too cocky."

Daigo almost smiled. And here he thought she was a tough girl! What a softie!

Daigo got in his launch position. "Again?"

Robin smiled, kneeling and tilting her head down. "Again."

"Three, two, one, Let it... Rip!!"

Robin:

Shu cornered her in the waiting room. She figured this was coming."Yes, Kurenai?" Robin said in an innocent tone.

Shu glared, but lowered his voice anyways. "Robin, I have to win this."

She bit back a few crude words and settled for a gesture."I have to win this," she mimicked. "You don't have to do anything."

Her brother cleched his teeth, probably trying to not punch her. Robin figured it got difficult sometimes. "You're not making this easy."

"I know." She flashed a cheerful smile.

"Look. No matter who wins this, we need to start working with each other. He's coming soon. We have to be ready. If I don't win, you have to. I need someone to trust for this."

She didn't appreciate being used, especially so bluntly, but she got the idea anyways. Robin wanted revenge, and probably more than Shu himself. She saw that jerk every day before school and it killed her. She wanted to kill him to.

Instead of saying all of that, Robin smirked. "That's what Valt's for, cause you seem pretty close to him."

Shu turned away, but not before she caught the red to match Phoenix on his face. Oh, she was going to never let him forget this moment.

"Ahem," coughed the stage manager, who had probably been standing there for a second too long. "Well, I wish I hadn't heard that, but I'll try to erase it from memory. Anyways, Shu Kurenai to the red corner, and and Robin Kurenai to the blue corner."

They nodded, and Shu and Robin just looked at each other. She spoke. "No hard feelings. When I win."

"Are you excited?" Hanami yelled to the crowds. "In the red corner, is Shu Kurenai, last year's second place champion!" Shu fangirls screamed, and Robin pretended to throw up.

"And in the red corner, is Robin Kurenai, the new girl who made it all the way to the top!" The crowd cheered for her, too, and Robin thought she saw a shadow flee the stage when she stepped out. Yeah, Ukyo. Run, but I still know you're watching...

Maybe she should put on a little show, just to show him how much stronger she was now.

She glanced over, and saw Daigo staring at her. He wouldn't smile, so she nodded at him and reached the stadium.

"Sibling versus sibling!" Hanami announced. "Who will win? And who wants the victory more?"

Neither had spoken, despite Shu's attempt to make things better between them. Robin knew there would be hard feelings. Then again, he had tried his best, in the only way he knew how. Link the enemy and yourself into a common goal, and there's your alliances. Chances are you'll bond or something during that time, and bingo! There you go.

Right on, champion.

Don't get your hopes up. Phoenix, If I lose, you'd be so mad at me

Better not lose, then.

"Ready positions!" The referee called. "Three!" she knelt, eyes closed, launcher over the stadium. Robin knew without looking that Shu thought she was going for a blindfolded Switch launch.

"Two!" she tensed

"One!" Robin jumped into the air, watching her brother's launcher. Time seemed to slow down, as she saw the angle change, and adjusted hers to it.

"Let it... Rip!" As she came down, she launched her bey. Phoenix soared into the stadium, landed on Shu's bey, and bounced off. Robin blinked, surprised.

Storm Spryzen circled around Rise Phoenix as he took the center. "Fair enough," Robin muttered, trying to figure out Spryzen's next move. Oh! Sparks! It'll be Counter Break!

"Circle, center," she mumbled. "Circle around, knock from behind. If no, then flip."Phoenix started yelling at her for the programming way of talking, but Robin ignored her. There were too many important things to worry about.

"Counter Break!" Shu commanded, red aura rising around him. Spryzon screamed in, closer, closer, and then-

Phoenix circled around and smacked Spryzon from behind. Because Robin could see the spiritd, she saw Phoenix kick Chimera right in the butt. While Spryzon, or the Chimera, stumbled, the bey got a bit wobblier, but didn't fly out like she'd hoped.

"Plan B," Robin muttered, "If fail, then regain speed from superlaunch, crash him closer to the open parts of wall."

Her heart beat faster, as Shu yelled again, "Upper Launch!" The chimera roared down the side of the stadium and crashed into Phoenix, shoving Ramos out of the stadium.

Or that's what should've happened.

Phoenix suddenly disappeared, moving out of the way super fast. Spryzen took the middle, and Phoenix started crashing off the walls, trying to regain speed. Then, it knocked off the wall into the air, crashing down on the definitely wobbling Spryzen. Both bey's collided again, then burst.

The ref hesitated, then called, "Storm Spryzen wins with a burst finish! The score is two to-"

"Wait!" Another referee ran on-stage. He said a few things to the current ref that Robin couldn't hear. Then the ref nodded. "It was too close to tell. We're going to instant replay!"

The enormous screen showed Rise Phoenix crashing down on Spryzen. Everyone held their breaths. And then Spryzen burst into three pieces. About a second later, Rise Phoenix burst.

"Rise Phoenix with a burst finish!" The referee amended. "Robin Kurenai wins with a score of two to zero!"

We won! We won! We Wo-

This is bad.

What?

Because now Shu will start training even more and be mad at me for winning.

Oh. Now I get it.

Even though Robin won, even though the fans cheered, even though Shu gave her a nod before disappearing, respectful, all she felt was a growing feeling of dread.

"The winner of the district tournament is Robin Kurenai!" Hanimi announces, then added, "I don't think any of us expected that."

Robin took the gold medal, as it was placed around her neck. "Wow," she whispered. She had never won anything before, except a trip to a power-control hospital. Winning felt ready good.

"And," the announcer continued. "Make sure to check your school or your mail for invitations to the second tournament. If you didn't win this one, you could win the next, and be invited with your team to the Team Tournament!"

She grinned. Yes.

What?

We have now found a way to make sure Shu wins this one.

I don't like where this is going...

And I have a way to make my ship come true!

Oh crap. I'm outta here..

Me too! Robin out!