Yeea new story.
I don't really know if I can commit to this uhhhh but I'll try? ^o^
"Tsubasa." Tsubasa held up a hand to his earpiece. He was standing at the top of the tallest tower in MetalCity, overlooking the considerably smaller buildings underneath. It was his favourite place. He felt like he could touch the sky. The wind in his hair relaxed him and at the same time exhilarated him. The open sky made his power feel limitless, as if he could do anything he could possibly put his mind to.
But there was a lot to do, and little time.
"Tsubasa," the voice said again. Tsubasa adjusted his earpiece. "Can you hear me?"
"Yeah," he said quietly. "I can hear you."
"I don't mean to interrupt whatever you're doing." Tsubasa stared over the railing at the edge of the roof. "But the director wants to see you in his office."
"Alright, Hikaru," he answered. "I'm on my way." He descended slowly from the building, taking his time. The director could wait.
Tsubasa was a secret agent for the WBBA. He was constantly being sent on missions all over the world, where he tracked down people for all sorts of purposes. Because of his duty to the WBBA, Tsubasa had to make sure to cherish every second of free time he had. Usually it meant standing atop tall buildings, or battling with his friends when they were around. Either way, it was always short lived, and after what felt like less than a heartbeat, he was back in action.
Bus Tsubasa didn't mind. It was important to have a good outlook, he had decided. I work for the WBBA because I love what I do. Because I love beyblade. And that was what kept him going every day. His bey spirit burned bright, and he always did the best that he possibly could.
"Good morning, Tsubasa," Ryo greeted as Tsubasa walked into the spacious penthouse office in the WBBA headquarters.
"Director." Tsubasa dipped his head. "You wanted to see me?"
"Yes, I did." Ryo turned to the glass window overlooking the city. "Over on the far side of the city, there have been some rumors of gang activity. Many young bladers have come home injured with their beys destroyed or damaged. There have been multiple reports of cloaked figures chasing innocent bystanders and attacking them."
"That's terrible." Tsubasa shook his head.
"I want you to go investigate, Tsubasa," Ryo told him. "Use your skills to find out exactly what's going on down there and put a stop to it."
"I'm on it." Tsubasa left the building and headed out into the city.
The area that Ryo had assigned him to was really just a web of dark alleyways. Tsubasa couldn't imagine why anyone would want to live there. He traveled through the dusty streets, searching for suspicious activity. Searching for any activity. Not surprisingly, the streets were silent and empty. Suddenly he heard a cough coming from around the corner. Stealthily, he snuck over and peeked out from behind a wall. There, further down the street was a girl sitting on a ledge. Unfazed. As if she owned the place. I think I may have found who I'm looking for. Tsubasa crept forward to get a closer look. The girl had scruffy shoulder length hair and long bangs that swept over her eyes. She sat there, expressionless, staring straight ahead. The look of a powerful gang leader. Tsubasa walked out of his hiding place, prepared the confront her. At that exact moment, there was a rustle coming from the other end of the street. The girl's head snapped to a side, and she was suddenly alert. A group of people leaped out of the shadows and launched a bunch of beys at her. The girl slipped off the ledge and began to run. Tsubasa ducked back into his hiding place and watched as the newcomers chased her down the alley and turned the corner. Then he proceeded to run after them. The mysterious bladers and the girl ran up and down the dark streets until they cornered her at a dead end.
"It's over now," said one blader. The beys whizzed at her with great force. She pressed herself against the wall, still looking blank and expressionless. At that moment, Tsubasa launched his bey. It rammed into the other beys, defeating them all in one shot. The bladers gathered their beys and ran. Tsubasa walked up to the girl. She simply stared at him, blinking. "What, not even a thank you?" The girl shrugged. "So I'm assuming you're not the gang leader."
"No, no." She rolled her eyes. "Don't think that." Tsubasa narrowed his eyes.
"Who are you then?" he asked.
"What's it to you?" She tilted her head. He ignored her question.
"I'm Tsubasa," he said. "And I want to know what exactly you're doing in a place like this."
"Even if I was doing something, it wouldn't be any of your business," she told him bitterly. Tsubasa let out an exasperated sigh.
"Listen, kid, I'm on a mission. The sooner we get things sorted out, the sooner you can get on with doing nothing. And so can I. So tell me who you are and what you know about those bladers who attacked you."
"I don't know anything about those bladers!" she snapped. "It's not like I come here often. I just stopped by for a few minutes and they totally jumped me."
"So you're not from around here?" Tsubasa looked confused.
"Of course not," she muttered. "You want to know who I am? Alright, I'll tell you. My name is Natsumi. I've been all over the world running and hiding and running again. This is just a pit stop." She jabbed a finger at the wall.
"Running and hiding?" Tsubasa asked. "Why?"
"I thought you were on a mission," she said flatly.
"I am," he replied. "But now I'm curious. What, or who are you running and hiding from? Are you a blader?"
"I'm not a blader," she told him. "I have no interests in beys or battling." Tsubasa blinked, confused.
"Says the person who has hanging around in an area with blade gang activity."
"Those losers don't scare me," she scowled. Tsubasa sighed.
"Listen," he said. "If I leave you here those bladers will just come after you again, and who will save you then?"
"I don't need your help." She turned away. "I can take care of myself."
"Why hang around in a place like this though?" Tsubasa gestured to the dark alleys. "At least come out into the sunlight or something." She paused for a moment, looking up at him.
"Fine," she said. "Take me wherever you want. But leave me alone afterwards, okay?"
"Sure." He gave her a small smile. "Come on, I think I know where to go." The two of them made their way out of the dark alleys and into the light. They traveled through the streets of MetalCity, all the way to the busy centre of the town, home of the WBBA headquarters.
"Here you go," he told her. "There's a much less likely chance you'll get attacked here." Natsumi looked around suspiciously. Suddenly a voice called out from behind them.
"Hey, Tsubasa!" Tsubasa turned and smiled. Right on time.
"Natsumi," he said, turning to her. "These are my friends, Kenta and Gingka."
"Great." Natsumi rolled her eyes. "More of you."
"Hi, Tsubasa!" Kenta ran up to them, Gingka following close behind. "Who's that?" he asked, looking at Natsumi curiously.
"This is Natsumi," Tsubasa introduced. "I found her in the dark alleys." Natsumi turned away, annoyed.
"Hello, Natsumi," Gingka greeted. "I'm Gingka. Hey, we're about to go train at the bey park! You should come with us!" Tsubasa glanced at Natsumi, who in turn blinked expressionlessly.
"I've got some work to do," Tsubasa told them. "Maybe I'll join you guys later."
"Yeah, and I-" Natsumi began.
"Natsumi would love to go with you," Tsubasa interrupted. "Have fun." And with that, he walked away. Natsumi stared hard at his retreating figure, as if she couldn't believe what she has just heard.
"Well, come on, Natsumi!" Gingka beckoned to her, an encouraging look on his face. "I guess you don't have to come if you really don't want to, but you should! It'll be fun!"
"I'm not a blader," she informed him bluntly.
"That doesn't matter!" Kenta piped up. "The bey park is full of action, and don't tell us you have something better to do." Natsumi sighed.
"Fine," she said, giving in. "I'll come. But if that idiot shows up, I'm out of there."
"It's a deal." Gingka grinned. "Let's go, we're losing daylight!" The three of them ran off to the bey park. Well, Kenta and Gingka ran. Natsumi sort of sulked. Nonetheless, they began to train hard, with Natsumi watching from the side.
"Go, Pegasus!" Gingka yelled as the two beys clashed fiercely in the arena.
"Don't give up, Sagittario!" called Kenta. Natsumi stared at the battle from the sidelines. Sparks flew everywhere and explosions released powerful forces of energy. This is ridiculous, she thought. How long are they going to keep doing this? With a sigh, she got out of her seat and silently stepped out of the arena. They probably won't notice if I leave… Outside, clouds were forming in the blue sky, blocking out the sun. Natsumi glanced up at the sky nervously. Time to go. She walked blindly through the city, dodging cars and bicycles and traffic signs, until the tall skyscrapers disappeared behind her and vast, barren land lay in front of her. "Ugh," she muttered. "Where am I?" The clouds churned over her head, threatening to rain on her. Everywhere she looked, there was only more nothingness. She pursed her lips and continued to walk. I don't care where I'm going, as long as I get out of here. It was a mistake, coming to this bey-centric city. I don't know what I was thinking. Suddenly, the land a few yards down from her was blasted apart in an enormous explosion. She frantically pressed herself to the ground, shielding her eyes. The dust cleared and there was man standing there. He was dressed all in black and wore a large wide-brimmed hat. She stared at him for a few seconds, as if she wasn't really sure what to say. "No, don't tell me," she said at last. "You're the gang leader."
"I don't know what you're talking about," he laughed. "Just because I dress like a rebel and I come and go through explosions doesn't mean I'm the leader of the most prestigious gang in the country."
"There is nothing prestigious about gangs," she snapped. "What you're doing is cowardly and disgusting." She turned away bitterly. "Not that I care."
"You should care." He whipped out a bey. "Battle me now, mysterious blue-haired girl." She laughed. "You wish. I'm not even a blader." The man growled in frustration and launched his bey at her. She turned on her heels and ran. Why is this always happening to me? The man chased her around the barren desert, his bey kicking up dust storms and constantly launching attacks at her. "Damnit!" she yelled as the toe of her shoe grazed the ground. She fell with a thud onto the dirt. The man just laughed as the bey sped towards her. Suddenly, two beys intervened the attack and knocked the bey away. Natsumi sat up abruptly. She turned to see Gingka and Kenta standing behind her, retrieving their beys from the field. "Go pick on someone your own size!" Gingka yelled. The man squinted them. "Hmph," he muttered. "You're none of my business." He whipped his gaze to Natsumi, glaring at her. "Go, Dark Capricorn!" The bey suddenly powered up, releasing a tremendous amount of energy that threw them all backwards. When Natsumi got up again, she realized that Gingka and Kenta were unconscious. "What did you do to them?" she gasped. He ignored her question and jabbed a finger at her.
"Battle me!" he ordered. Without waiting for her response, he sent Dark Capricorn flying at her. Natsumi slammed a hand to her forehead. Oh, for crying out loud. She reached into her bag and pulled out a bey. She pulled the launcher and the bey flew out onto the field. The two beys clashed and were thrown backwards. Immediately, Natsumi withdrew her own bey. "What are you doing?" the man snapped. "This battle is not over." Natsumi glanced at the sky. The grey clouds seemed a lot more concentrated now, right over their heads. "Go, Dark Capricorn!" the man shouted again. Natsumi braced herself for the impact. Suddenly, a powerful ball of energy whizzed through the air and smashed into the bey, sending it flying. The man's mouth fell open and he stood frozen in disbelief. Red lightening lit the sky as the clouds made a vortex above them. A figure appeared amidst the storm and approached the man menacingly. The man backed away, clearly frightened by the power that this person possessed. "Do not challenge me," he growled. The man scrambled to turn around and ran off in fear. The newcomer turned to face Natsumi. The ball of energy came flying back to him and landed in his hand, sizzling down to reveal a bey. "You owe me a great debt, Natsumi."
"I don't owe you anything," she snapped. "I never asked you to come here."
"Do I look like a fool to you?" he roared. "You know you can't run away from me."
"Just leave me alone." Natsumi stood up angrily. "I'm not going to battle you, I'm not going to help you, and I'm not calling you anywhere." With that, she turned and ran. The man glared at her a few moments. Then, the creepy lightening flashed again, and he was gone.
In the distance, on a mission from the WBBA, a pair of eagle-sharp amber eyes watched keenly.
Leaves whipped her face as she raced through the thick forest without looking back. The ground was uneven and overgrown with roots, but she just jumped over them and continued to run. I have to get out of here. I have to get out of here. Unsurprisingly, her foot caught on a root and she faceplanted into the dirt. Her bag flew off her shoulder, the contents spilling out over the ground. Flustered, she reached out to gather her things. A hand appeared in her field of view and picked up the bey that had skidded across the forest floor. She looked up to see Tsubasa standing a few feet away from her, examining the bey. "First Ryuga, and now this?" He held up the bey and looked at it closely. "I thought you said you weren't a blader.
"I'm not." She sat on the ground, dejected.
"Clearly," He handed the bey back to her and she put it in her bag. "Alright then." He pulled out his Eagle. "Battle me." She stared at him.
"You've got to be kidding me."
"I'm not," he said. "If I win, you have to tell me your story."
"You're crazy." She took a step back. "I'm not going to battle you."
"Come on." He offered her a smile. "You are a blader."
"No, I'm not." She clutched her bag tighter. "He'll find me."
"If he finds you, we'll run." He held his bey in position. "I'll help you." She looked unsure. "Come on. You haven't got anything to lose."
"Oh, thanks." She angrily took out her bey. "Fine, I'll battle you," she snapped. "But don't count on seeing me again after this."
"Good, I'm glad we're on the same page," he said with a smile. She rolled her eyes. "Are you ready?"
"Let's just get this over with," she muttered.
"That's the spirit," Tsubasa laughed. "Three, two, one!" The two beys were launched, and scattered over the rough forest floor. "Not much of a stadium, I'm afraid. But it will do fine for your bey, I'm assuming." Natsumi's bey was a Sky Lynx. It ran nimbly over the thick roots and undergrowth, dodging Eagle's attacks easily.
"Not too shabby," Tsubasa remarked. "But not nearly good enough." With one swipe, Eagle flipped Lynx up into the air from underneath. It smashed down onto to ground, defeated. Natsumi retrieved her bey and put it back into her bag.
"I can tell your skill is great," Tsubasa called to her. "But your bey spirit is lacking. You don't feel anything towards your bey, and it hinders your performance in battle."
"Great," Natsumi sighed, sitting down in defeat. Tsubasa sat down next to her, turning his Eagle in his hand.
"So," he said. "Go on."
"What?" She stared at him, confused.
"Tell me your story," he said. "That what we agreed to, wasn't it?"
"I didn't really agree to that," she muttered. "But whatever, if you really want to know." She stared up at the sky. The grey clouds had long disappeared, revealing the brilliant blue underneath. "I guess it started when I was little, back in the small village that I grew up in."
"The villagers always loved and welcomed beyblade. All of the kids played and practiced in these little makeshift stadiums almost every day. My younger sister and I trained really hard, aspiring to one day go out into the world and challenge stronger bladers. Life was pretty great, I guess. We all lived in peace. In fact, no outsiders ever came up there at all."
"But then…" said Tsubasa.
"But then…" Natsumi bit her lip. "There was a whole lot of evil, is what I remember. They came in, with their crazy dark beys, and they took over the village. They forbade any use of beys and forced us all to obey them. It was really, really horrible." She stared at the ground. "My sister and I ran for it. We kept running and running and we didn't stop or look back or anything. I guess that started what turned into a habit of running when things get bad." She gestured in the direction that they had came from. "We arrived at this really remote area of the mountains. We had no idea where we were, but we decided to stay there. We lived off of the resources there, and I guess it was okay. But what we soon discovered was that those mountains were full of secrets. We started to explore the area inside out, in order to be able to use them to our advantage. It took us years to master those mountains, but soon we had memorized every tunnel and passageway, and discovered a few amazing things along the way. We thought the hardships were over, that we could finally just live in peace in these mountains. And then…" She clenched her fists. "And then he showed up."
"Ryuga?" Tsubasa inquired.
"Yeah," she muttered. "There's this thing, hidden in the mountains. A rock or something? It's supposed to give you power. And needless to say, he wanted it. I guess normally he would just mow the whole mountain down to find it, but the structure of those mountains was so fragile. If he unleashed an attack, the whole thing could collapse, and the power rock thingy would be destroyed."
"So he came to you."
"So he came to me. And we don't really get along, as you might assume. I disagreed with his crazy ambitions. And I didn't really see why he needed more power. But he challenged me to a battle, and I refused." She sighed. "There were a lot of threats, but in the end we just ran. I didn't want my sister to be involved in this, so we split off after we left the mountains. I knew we could both defend ourselves, so she'd be okay on her own. And that's it, I guess. The chase was on. He wasn't like, really desperate on finding me or anything. It was just like he went on with his daily life, and in his free time chased me around the world. And I just kept running." She looked up at him grimly. "Because I was just afraid that he would do something horrible to me. Like, I don't know, steal my soul." Tsubasa laughed nervously, holding onto his Eagle tighter.
"I don't think that'll happen," he assured her. She glared at him.
"Is false reassurance all you have to give to me?" she asked, disgruntled.
"No, no," he said with a smile. "Don't think that."
"Then what?" she snapped.
"I think you're too easily fazed," he told her. "You have no confidence in yourself, even though you put on a defensive attitude towards everyone. You keep running because you're afraid to stand up for yourself, even though you act like you're not afraid. And you have no bey spirit, which in my opinion, is the biggest problem."
"So what should I do?" she asked, annoyed.
"I think we should get that bey spirit fired up again, just like back in the day," he said cheerfully. "That way you'll be strong enough to face Ryuga. Probably not defeat him, because honestly at this point I'm convinced that he's pretty much undefeatable, but you'll at least be able to reason with him or something." Natsumi nodded slowly. "You get what I'm saying?"
"No," she replied. "But I don't really care. I'll go along with whatever you do, as long as my soul doesn't get stolen."
"Great." Tsubasa grinned. "Let's get back to the city. I think that if you choose to stick around a bit longer, that you could learn a thing or two from my friends." The two of them headed back through the trees and the barren deserts too the concrete jungle of Metal City.
And the battle was on.