"Get your filthy hands off of me!" I yelled, recoiling from the touch.

Four men. Face hunters, or whatever you call them. All scrawny and thin, but faces twisted in cruelty. "Where ya going, little shrimp?"

I bristled. "First of all, I'm taller then you," I spat back at him. "And what do you want?"

"Little too young to be wander the streets at night."

"I'm 14, you fool. I'm looking for my cousin."

Una had disappeared a few months back, and every Tuesday I would wander. Sarah, being the person she is, was most likely searching along the Internet. "Answer the question, boys."

"Your bey points, shrimp. We need to get into Battle Bladers."

I snorted,"Ha! You guys?"

Someone reached out and roughly grabbed my hair. I growled.

"Shut it, girl, or I'll trash you."

I hissed, kicking backwards and into his stomach before landing on my feet,leveling the launcher.

"Give me something to play with, boys." I said icily, my blue-eyes gaze hardening.

Whoopie doo-they launched late."I have no mercy for cheaters."

"We have to defeat her, so we get into Battle Bladers and impress Kyoya! He'll have to take us back, no matter what!"

Huh, so trying to impress someone, are you?

My eyes flick to the spinning Eagle, spinning so steadily it looked motionless.

"You gonna attack me or what?"I taunted.

"SHUT UP!" With that, the other four beys raced for mine.

I wasn't worried though. Eagle's fusion wheel would repel all those attacks.

"What kinda fusion wheel is that?!" Idiots. Seri-WHAT THE HECK!

"Aries! Horn throw destruction!"Someone yelled, and I hissed. Another face-hunter?

A pink, grey, and black bey hurled in battle. "Eagle, white feathers!" I commanded my Eagle to use my shield move.

Four other beys crashed into a wall, clattering to the floor. Two left standing.

I glared at the new bey, but ignored it. "Eagle!"

Another was sent flying by my attack, and the unknown bey took out another.

"Gaaaaah!"One cried, snatching his bey up.

I raised my eyebrow at the others, "I suggest you get your butts running after him."

Ah. Good, they left.

Someone landed next to me. I turned, "I was fine on my own."

It was a teen, looking from fourteen years of age to sixteen. He was slim, with perwinkle hair that curled around his neck. He had dark blue eyes, twinkling and bright. He was wearing a magenta v-neck, with a line of orange. Over it, he wore a unzipped blue/green jacket, with fingerless brown gloves and pants.

His mouth twitched. "Gingka didn't tell me there were this many point-stealers in Metal City."

Gingka? As in Gingka Hagane? "Excuse me, buddy, you didn't have to butt in!"

He eyed me warily. "Keep your tongue."

"Who are you, anyway?"

"The name's Hyoma, and this..."He raised his hand, the bey flying back to his hand, "Is Rock Aries. You?"

I didn't like saying my personal info, but I felt like he was the person. "I go by the name Tess. That's Thunder Eagle." Kneeling down to pick up Eagle, I glanced up at him, "Eariler, you sounded like its your first time here. Where ya heading?"

"Some place called B-Pit."

"I know these streets well enough, I've seen that place."
~
I entered B-Pit, Hyoma following. But what I saw wasn't what I expected.

"UNAAAA!!!!!"I screamed, lunging at the missing girl.

Her green/brown eyes blinked, focused, till I tackled her on the couch. "Where have you been?!"I said, shaking her shoulders.

"With...with Tsubasa and the...others!"She choked out.

Stopping and stepping back, I glanced at the man next to Una. He was actually a teen.

His silver hair was clipped in a low ponytail, ending around his waist. His eyes were the color of the desert, a pure gold. He was quite charmingly handsome, I do say so myself.

"Is that...Tsubasa?"I asked, my throat clogging for a moment as he chuckled lightly.

Una nodded soundlessly. "Jeez, Tess, you look bad."She commented, gaze flicking over my tattered navy blue sweatpants, my grimy grey T-shirt, and my messed up hair.

"Ahem, probably cuz I've been looking the past few months for you."

She sweatdropped. "Sorry 'bout that, then."

There was a cough, and I looked up. A girl with short, should-length, brown hair with goggles resting on it. She had eyes like Hyoma, just a lighter shade. She wore long light navy blue tights and skirt, brown boots, and a white shirt, finished off with the pink vest.

"Oh, hey, Madoka."

Madoka, the girl, made a tsk tsk noise as she scanned me. "Dear lord, where have you been all your years?"

I made a fake grin. "Actually, I only changed into this style a few months ago."

"Never mind that!"She cried, staring at my clenched hand. "Your bey!"

"Huh?"Glancing down, I lifted up my dirty Eagle to eye-view. "Wh-HEY!"

Madoka had snatched it. "How could've you ignored it? It tip is nearly battered beyond any blader's repair, and if you use..."I tuned out the rest.

"Uh...what?"

Madoka carefully looked at me. "If you battle anymore, both the tip and spin track and crack in half. I need to go repair it. Ya follow?"

"I guess...?"

Someone laid a hand on my shoulder. "Tess, its okay. Madoka repaired my Storm Eagle."

Cue the stare I gave her. I've seen the battered state her Storm Eagle had been in.

My stomach growled. And some strong smells were drifting around from the kitchen, and I saw the back of Hyoma's periwinkle's head.

"Eh, Tess, maybe you should go get some food."Tsubasa said from the couch.

"Good idea."I said, heading for the kitchen. There was a crash from upstairs, and a orange-haired boy bounded down the stairs.

He rushed to Una, hugging her, his emerald green eyes twinkling. "UNNNNA! CAN I HAVE SOME ICECREAM?! PLUS WHOIZTHIS?"

"That's my cousin, Tess."

~

I munched on another sandwich. "Dang, Hyoma, this is gooooood."

"Thanks, I guess."The Aries user muttered.

Pushing the empty plate away from me, I stood up and walked to the door. Someone stood in my way.

"Get outta my way!'We both spat angrily, and I stared up at the raged sapphire blue eyes.

He had star-shaped scars marked under the slitted eyes, with green hair spiking up in big spikes.

"Move it."He snarled, his lip curling back to reveal fangs.

"Why don't you?!"I hissed back at him.

He angrily shoved me, sapphire blue eyes narrowing in hatred as he slipped into the kitchen, and stepped up the stairs.

"Who was that guy?"I wondered, gazing at Una.

She sighed, "Kyoya Tategami, the third best blader in the world. He has a bit...of...a temper."

Man, why do the guys in this house looking so dang handsome?Tsubasa, then Kyoya...

~

And that, my friends, is how I met my blader friends. Now, two years later, I still stand by their side as they stand for mine.