Hello, and welcome to Gingka's Deceit! This is a story that I started, and finished, awhile ago, but I thought I'd start uploading it up on here.
Trigger warnings are below, if any of the following things bother you, I suggest that you only continue at your own risk.
Trigger Warnings: Violence, blood, death, murder, suicide, emotional torture, physical torture, attempted murder, psychotic behavior, depression, mind control, body horror, stalking, and vomiting.
Disclaimer: I do not own Metal Fight Beyblade, all rights go to the rightful owners. I just own the plot and a couple characters.
Prologue
The Bridge To The Future tournament had started not a week after Zyro and the others had escaped DNA headquarters by the skins of their backs - bringing back Gingka himself in the process from their clutches.
Madoka had nearly been in tears when she had seen him before her eyes, a bit scratched up but no less dorky as she remembered him from 5 years ago when he embarked on that journey to train overseas; Tsubasa and Benkei had given her time to reminisce with the redhead she had missed so much and had almost thought she would never see again.
It was a heartfelt reunion for all of them, being able to see Gingka again and not chained to a panel on a computer screen with no hopes of escape; he even said that he did indeed owe Zyro and the others for saving him.
Fairly, the young bladers were truly excited to have the Gingka Hagane back in Metal Bey City, of who was still a hero to all - let alone the entire world after saving them from Nemesis.
As it currently was, Zyro along with Shinobu, Ren, Kite, and Eight all prepared for the first round of the tournament to take place which was Zyro vs. Yoshio.
As the friends walked down the metal-plated hallway of the building, talk of the BTF rang off the metal with eager spirits and smiles on their faces - this talk soon reached the ears of a familiar redhead leaning against the wall in the hallway at a 3 way intersection of it.
"I can only guess what Yoshio would have up his sleeves for you, Zyro." Said Ren as she walked along side the ginger-ravenette, "It's been awhile since you've dueled him." "So what?"
Zyro asked in a perky tone, "That just makes all the more reason to look forward too it!" Ren playfully rolled her eyes at the Fire Blader, having gotten used to his upbeat spirit as the others have - what they had all known to love him for.
And as Zyro's eyes went to look over at Shinobu, the blue orbs caught the sight of Gingka leaning against the wall in the hallway; eyes closed, arms crossed, one ankle slightly over the other for support so that he wouldn't fall over and onto the ground, the Legendary Blader looked like he was almost waiting for them.
"Hey Gingka." Zyro greeted with a smile that drew the attention of his other friends, their eyes being drawn to that of which Zyro's were - upon Gingka Hagane who opened his golden-brown eyes and turned them to look at the young bladers.
"Oh, hey Zyro.." He said in a subdued voice - something that didn't sound like him at all from what they knew of him. "Have you been doing okay?" Zyro asked, "I mean, from what happened at the DNA and all.."
"Uh, yeah.." Gingka answered as he stood upright, his scarf flowing gracefully with his movements as though wings borne upon his back to take him away to the freedom someone such as him may or may not deserve, "I'm fine.. Still a bit shaken from the building almost crumbling on our heads, but.. I'm fine."
Kite's glasses shone brightly in the reflection of the light, spotting that anxious look within Gingka's kind eyes that made him wonder. As well as they knew of him, Gingka was an honest person who was more than open towards his friends and people he wanted to be friends with - at least, that was what they had heard from Madoka, Tsubasa, and Benkei about their old friend who they hadn't seen in 5-6 years.
People change, and he knew that - who said that Gingka Hagane couldn't?
"Are you sure you're fine?.." Asked Kite with the slightest hint of suspicion in his voice, a tone that no one was capable of picking up, not even Eight - but Gingka noticeably sensed that at the almost panicked - panicked? - look in his eyes.
"Yeah.." The redhead proclaimed in conclusion, "I'm sure.."
With no further words did Gingka walk off and round the corner to the right and away from them, which only made Zyro grow worried at the Blader's sudden exit as though he was.. Afraid of them?
"Looks like he woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.." Eight muttered while holding his big brother's hand.
"Uh, yeah.." Zyro said in an attempt to get away for a moment, "Well, I'll see you guys later. I gotta go prepare for my battle with Yoshio in an hour." "You be careful with him, alright Zyro?"
Shinobu said as Zyro begun to walk away, turning back to look at his best friend. "Of course!" Zyro said with a smile, "I've won against him before, I'm certain I can do it again."
With a sigh and playful shake of the head, Ren shooed him off as they all went the opposite direction Gingka had, once more speaking of the tournament. In concern of the older blader, Zyro headed down the hallway that he had seen Gingka leave through.
As he proceeded down the hall it continuously got darker to the point of only one light around a corner flickering dimly, though intriguing Zyro to keep going down to try and find the redhead - if he could that is.
His breath seemed to echo off the walls and back to him, his footsteps like thunder while frightened children huddled together in the corner, the walls closing in around him the further he went down.
Sooner or later did he have to stop, standing in the middle of the darkened hallway as the walls seemed to close around him in a box like shape, forcing to trap him in there until he suffocated to his untimely demise; Zyro always hated admitting he was claustrophobic.
It was a weakness of his he would rather have nobody know, not even any of his closest friends - old and new - knew about his phobia for dark and small spaces.
"I knew you'd follow me.." Said a voice that echoed off the walls as Zyro's breath did, causing blue eyes to shoot forwards and see a certain redheaded blader standing just within the borders of the dimmest light of the hallway, his golden brown eyes seeming as dim as the light he stood in.
"Gingka?.." Zyro said in a subdued voice, watching from the corners of his eyes as the walls slowly went back into place and allowed him to breathe freely once more. "In a way, you're quite predictable like that, Zyro.." Spoke the redhead with an almost sad - sad? - smile that spread across his rather youthful features, "It's almost funny.. How some people can see through and get to others so easily.."
"W-what are you talking about, Gingka?" Zyro asked, trying desperately to prevent his voice from breaking at the feeling of being clawed at by the metal walls that surrounded to, desperately clinging to the edge of the light as if it were his only life source.
"Nothing, Zyro.." The redhead answered with a soft shake of his head, "Its just that.. There's something I need to tell you..."
"And what's that?" Zyro asked as the dim light above them flickered. "When we were about to face against Doji.." Gingka began, "When I dragged his attention away from all of you when I managed to free myself.. How would you picture that moment?.."
"W-well.." The ginger-ravenette stuttered, unsure of the older Blader's unusual question - but then again, this was Gingka Hagane so all of his questions were respected by a lot of young bladers like himself.
"You did save us back there, Gingka." Zyro said with a smile towards his idle, "You helped a lot in that duel with Doji.. I really don't know where we'd be right now without you."
A solemn look crossed Gingka's features once that sentence was finished, as though thinking over every aspect, every tone, every letter like it would cost him a great price.
Numbly did he bite the inside of his bottom lip to prevent himself from saying too much, feeling the taste of metal in his mouth from not drinking anything recently that day - well, maybe not entirely for that reason alone.
"I see.." He said quietly, his voice seeming louder from the emptiness of the hall that kept getting to Zyro before backing off and repeating the same pattern over and over, "You need to know something, Zyro.. Doji may be gone, but something else is right around that next turn.. And its probably already here; you have to be ready for it at all costs, Zyro."
"G-Gingka?.." The ginger-ravenette stuttered once more as the walls closed in upon him again, Gingka's words slowly and easily eating their way at his nerves like poison running through him and killing off his very being painfully and slowly. "Is.." He began, "Is something wrong, Gingka?.."
"No, no, I'm fine, Zyro, honest.." The redhead insisted, making his tone believable enough for Zyro to accept it as genuine, "You just need to know.. No matter what happens, no matter what comes your way, never give up.."
With those words, Gingka turned away and slowly began to fade away into the shadows. "Wait!" Zyro called out as a sense of dread crawled over him and in-bedded itself in his spine, "Why..? Why are you telling me all of this, Gingka?" The Legendary Blader stopped in his tracks, half turning to face the Fire Blader with a blank look in his eyes that once shone with light not a few moments ago.
"Because when the time comes to face whoever is going to strike against us next.. I might not be there to save you again.."
With a feeling of confusion was Zyro struck hard in his soul with those words - though he had absolutely no idea why they effected him so badly like nothing else he had ever known before.
Blue eyes watched as the older turned and walked away from him, his footsteps echoing in the hall and soon fading into nothing which left the young blader and complete and dreaded silence.
Something wrenched at his heart in a way he didn't understand, a pain forming in his midsection that made him feel like he was going to be sick and all he knew at that moment was that he couldn't stay in that hallway any longer.
With the walls closing in behind him, Zyro ran back in the direction towards light and his friends where he would feel so much safer than he did now.
Little did Zyro know that Gingka's words had a valuable meaning that he had yet to understand - perhaps he would never want to understand the meaning of Gingka's own - and unlikely - deceit.