Woohoo! New story! I have been so excited to post this one since I came up with the idea, and the more developed the plotline became, the more excited I got! I am going to do something new with this story. At the beginning of each chapter, I am going to total the numbers of foreshadowing hints in the chapter and the ones previous. However, there are also slight foreshadowing hints in the story title and in the cover art. So, between the title, cover art, and this chapter, there are a total of seven pieces of foreshadowing, simply because I like to hide plot hints all over the place. Also, the "More Than it Seems" part of the title comes from a song of the same name by Kutless. (Hint hint!) Anyway, enjoy!
When things become blurred and flipped around, how is it possible to flip them back to normal? When what worked previously now fails, what can even be tried? Can anything be won when the tables are turned and evil prevails?
It was supposed to be a normal day. Gingka had woken that morning expecting to do what he usually did, what he had done for nearly a year now since being rescued from the DNA's clutches by Zero and the other bladers of the new generation. However, so far, today had turned out to be anything but normal.
For starters, Madoka had actually forgotten to cook breakfast, much to Gingka's confusion. No matter how late she stayed up, Madoka always managed to get into the kitchen at a time that would allow her to have breakfast ready for the numerous bladers staying in the B-Pit when they woke up. So, when Gingka casually meandered into the kitchen and found it empty of all food or people, he knew that something was up.
For a few moments, Gingka looked around the kitchen in confusion, wondering if he had merely slept later than he usually did. A quick glance at the clock informed him that he had indeed awoken at his usual time. So, where was everyone?
"Madoka? Zero? Anyone?" Gingka called, walking downstairs.
"We're down here, Gingka!" Madoka's voice called from the basement. Gingka quickly jogged down the stairs.
"You have to see this, Gingka." Benkei said.
"See what?" Gingka asked, surprised at seeing the Bull blader at this time of the morning, and seated at Madoka's computer, nonetheless.
"It's Spiral Force. Again." Benkei said, rotating the screen so that Gingka could see it.
Gingka felt his breath catch in his throat at the sight of the familiar flying city.
"What?! How?" He demanded, stepping closer and peering into the screen for a better look.
"I take it this is more serious than we know?" Zero asked, sounding slightly concerned at the scowl on Gingka's face.
"What this started last time… It might be. I doubt 'that' will happen again. I doubt that weird prophecy will come true a second time, but Spiral Force itself is a threat even without the whole 'light shining in the sky and a new star coming to earth bringing a new rise of darkness' thing." Gingka said in a tone more serious than most of them had ever heard.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go take it down!" Ren exclaimed
Gingka chuckled at the blonde's enthusiasm. "It's not quite that simple, Ren. For one thing, I'm sure Ziggurat, assuming this is him, or someone associated with him, wants revenge on me as much as Doji did. For another, the only way to 'take it down' is to quite literally do just that. However he's managed to power it this time, we have to stop it. But I don't think this is a job you guys can handle."
"But we rescued you from the DNA without any help!" Zero exclaimed.
"Gingka, you're forgetting something else other than what Zero just said." Benkei said.
"And that is?" Gingka challenged.
"Your dad said nearly those exact same words to us the first time. Did it stop us?"
"... No." Gingka admitted.
"And we were the same age if not younger than these guys. I'm sure they can do it." Benkei said.
"Yeah! We can handle it!" Eight piped up.
Gingka sighed. "Fine, but I am coming with you and you will have to do everything I say as I say it. I don't want anyone getting hurt."
"Yes sir!" The group cheered, saluting.
Gingka and Benkei chuckled at their enthusiasm.
"Well then, let's go!" Benkei exclaimed.
"You're coming too, Manager?" Ren said, looking surprised.
"Bull! Of course I'm coming!" Benkei laughed.
Zero and the others tilted their heads confusedly and sweatdropped slightly.
"'Bull'?"
Gingka laughed. "There's the old Benkei for you. Well, let's get going, as Benkei said." With that, the redhead darted out, leading the charge up the stairs and out of the B-Pit.
"Gahh, Gingka, wait up!" Madoka yelped, suddenly deciding to come too.
"Madoka? You sure you want to come?" Gingka said, pausing in the doorway.
"If you're gonna insist on going, then so am I." Madoka said. "Someone's gotta watch your back."
"We can do that, Madoka." Benkei said.
"I meant someone who won't be an idiot." Madoka chuckled. "Come on, Gingka. For old times' sake."
Gingka chuckled. "I never said you couldn't. If you're sure then."
"Come on Maru." Madoka said, grabbing her old belt and laptop and snapping it around her waist before joining Gingka and the others at the front of her shop. Maru stepped up, her own laptop ready to go.
"Lead the way, Gingka." Zero said, an excited gleam in his eyes that immediately reminded the redhead of himself. The same gleam shone from Gingka's own eyes in a more serious way before he nodded and darted out the door with the others following him closely.
"Alright, you flying city, where are you?" Gingka said under his breath as he ran, looking around for the Spiral Force.
"There! Whoa, that's huge!" Zero yelped, skidding to a stop along with the others as they all spotted the menacing, hovering city.
Gingka felt a slight bit of fear rising at the all-too-familiar sight. He quickly forced it down. Now was no time to be afraid of anything. This was nothing compared to Nemesis, right? Yet somehow, Gingka couldn't quite shake this feeling that something was off. Something was going to happen, and whatever it was, Gingka felt that it was going to somehow make this the hardest battle any of them had ever fought. Considering how hard Nemesis had been, that was saying something.
"Gingka? Are you alright?" Madoka's voice snapped him out of his thoughts, and Gingka suddenly noticed that the others were already running on ahead, except for Madoka, who had put a hand on Gingka's shoulder and was looking concernedly at him. Did he look worried?
"Oh, sorry, I zoned out for a bit." Gingka scratched the back of his head and laughed awkwardly. "Let's get going."
Madoka chuckled. "You're still such an idiot, Gingka."
"Hey, I think I've improved at least a little bit." Gingka protested as he jogged along next to Madoka, the two trying to catch up to the others, who had already gained quite a large lead.
Madoka chuckled. "Perhaps." She reached up and ruffled his hair a bit, causing him to look at her in surprise. "But you're still a big idiot."
"Something tells me this is your way of… Flirting." Gingka grumbled, snatching her headband off her head and smirking as she glared at him.
"I'm not flirting." Madoka protested as Gingka used his height to his advantage to keep her headband away from her as she reached for it.
"Oi, lovebirds! Spiral Force is this way!" Benkei called from the entrance of a building.
Gingka and Madoka froze in their tracks, Madoka momentarily forgetting about her headband and Gingka momentarily forgetting about teasing her with it.
"... Did he just call us lovebirds?" Gingka muttered, blushing.
"Yep. Should we get him?" Madoka asked.
"Later. We have a Spiral Force to blow up." Gingka said, turning and running towards Benkei as Madoka snatched her headband back and fixed her hair before darting after him.
"How exactly are we going to get onto that thing?" Zero asked as they all ran up the stairs of a building.
"I called Tsubasa and he's sending a helicopter to pick us up and take us to the Spiral Force. We just have to get atop this building and climb in." Benkei said.
"Good thinking." Gingka said, panting slightly.
"Wait up! I can't go that fast!" Madoka called from several steps down.
Everyone paused except for Gingka, who smoothly turned, leapt down the gap between him and Madoka, and swept her right off her feet before turning and continuing up the stairs.
"Quit staring and keep running." He said, carrying Madoka up the stairs swiftly but carefully.
Benkei chuckled. "Definitely lovebirds." He said as he continued after Gingka.
Madoka stared confusedly, barely registering in her mind that Gingka really had just done what he had. She did, however, register that she should hold on, and therefore she wrapped her arms securely around his neck. She was not afraid that he would drop her, no. Putting her arms around his neck just seemed like the natural thing to do. So that was what she did.
Gingka panted and gently set Madoka down as soon as he reached the top of the building, Benkei and the others not too far behind them.
"... Why did you do that?" Madoka asked, her face a light pink color as she half-glared at Gingka, who grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of his head in a manner that Madoka could not keep herself from considering as simply adorable.
"... It was faster." Gingka said sheepishly, hanging his head slightly in embarrassment.
"Well it did get us up here in time." Benkei chuckled, slapping Gingka on the back and causing the redhead to nearly fall on his face.
"There's the helicopter." Maru pointed to the approaching machine.
"Right on time." Gingka said. "I assume. I suppose 'on time' would mean being here at the same time as we are, which it seems to be."
Zero chuckled at Gingka's unusual nervous rambling. He supposed it had something to do with embarrassment, and he was partially right. However, nobody but Gingka could feel the nagging in the back of the redhead's mind. Something felt as if it were going to go wrong. Gingka wondered why he was suddenly feeling this way. He had never felt this way with Nemesis, or even with the first time against Spiral Force. Never once had Gingka felt as if something were going to go wrong. But for some reason he couldn't shake the anxious feeling.
"Get in." Tsubasa called, throwing open the door of the helicopter with a sense of urgency in his voice.
"Hey Gingka! Madoka! Benkei! Long time no see!"
Tsubasa was nearly shoved out of the helicopter as a familiar figure shoved himself into view, waving happily at them. Zero and his friends paused, blinking in surprise and confusion.
"Dad!" Gingka exclaimed, a broad grin spreading across his face as he made a dash towards the helicopter and became the first one inside.
"... 'Dad'?" Zero and the others quickly followed.
"Mr. Hagane! I didn't know you were here!" Madoka exclaimed as she and the others joined Gingka, Tsubasa, and Ryo in the helicopter.
"Well, I was meeting with Tsubasa since I was in town and I figured that if anyone knew where Gingka was, it'd be him. Then he got the call from Benkei and I decided to tag along this time." Ryo said, flashing a cheesy grin at them before turning to Gingka.
"... Am I in trouble?" Gingka asked, sounding amused.
"Very much so." Ryo said before putting his son in a headlock and ruffling his hair. Gingka yelped in surprise and tried to free himself as Ryo laughed.
"Gee, nice to see you again too dad." Gingka grumbled as he straightened his headband, which had been knocked askew by Ryo's hand.
"C'mere, you." Ryo chuckled, wrapping his arms around Gingka in a tight hug and smiling as Gingka returned the gesture. "You've grown so much I almost couldn't believe it was you."
Gingka chuckled sheepishly. "Well, it… Has been five years."
The eyes of Zero and his friends nearly popped out of their skulls at this statement.
"And that's why you're still in trouble!" Ryo said, tickling Gingka and laughing as the redhead made futile efforts to escape.
"Daaad!" Gingka whined.
Zero and the others laughed at this, earning themselves a distressed and annoyed glare from Gingka. Ryo chuckled and soon settled for merely hugging his son.
"I missed you son."
Gingka smiled as he caught his breath, settling comfortably into his father's arms.
"Missed you too dad."
"Sorry to cut the family reunion short, but we have arrived." Tsubasa reported.
"Let's do this then. Everyone stick together. We'll probably get separated later, but if we can stick together, we'll be safer for the long run. Try not to let them split us up." Gingka said, although in the back of his mind he was fully intending to run off to take out the Spiral Core as soon as possible, without endangering the others. Gingka had to remind himself that they were strong and had indeed rescued him from the DNA's clutches, but this was different.
The group climbed out of their helicopter and looked around.
"Which way?" Zero asked.
"This way." Gingka said, beginning to run, but freezing as evil laughter filled the air.
"I knew you would come, Hagane! Prepare to meet your ultimate doom!"
"Ziggurat! So it is you!" Gingka shouted. "Why don't you shut off your giant toy and come out?"
"Oh but I can't do that. You see, I have bigger plans." Ziggurat said, laughing.
Gingka narrowed his eyes. He had momentarily forgotten about the uneasy feeling in the back of his mind but now it was back in full force. Something was going to happen. Gingka was not sure what, or when, but he could tell that something was going to happen.
Gingka was so lost in his thoughts that he did not notice Ryo coming up behind him. He jumped as the older redhead put his hand on Gingka's shoulder, a concerned look in the golden-brown eyes that matched his own.
"Gingka, what's wrong?" Ryo asked softly.
"Nothing. Just a bit tense because of this." Gingka admitted half of what was wrong, not wanting to make anyone, much less his father, think that he was scared or unable to handle the problem. He had handled Nemesis, for crying out loud. Why should this be any different? He had defeated Spiral Force before, and he would defeat it again.
Ryo nodded. "Let's defeat it quickly then."
"Come on guys!" Gingka called, beginning to run off again. Unfortunately, he didn't see the trapdoor in the ground open up right beneath his feet, or the wall that had risen behind him, separating him from his friends and blocking their view of him for a short amount of time, but just long enough to accomplish what Ziggurat wanted.
The last thing Gingka knew was that he was falling into a deep, dark hole. The last thing his friends heard before he disappeared was a startled yell.
And so it begins! Let the insanity ensue! Well, in the next chapter, that is. ;) This was all just setting up for the real insanity. Brace yourselves.
One more thing while I have your attention with that cliffhanger! Everyone should all go to the crossovers section between MFB and the original series of Beyblade, and look for a story called "Your Dream Bey Battles" by Goku vs. Superman. Basically, if you really want to see a certain MFB character battle a character from the original series, or any battle like that, you can tell the author and it will most likely be written! The story needs more requests,s o go check it out!
Until next time, Galaxy out!