-Why?-

02 – You're Free

By Euphrosyne


Sliding his finger across the microscanner underneath his turtleneck, the boy took a deep breath as the machine began compressing his upper body.

Rye slid through the metal bars with ease.

Racing down the stone halls and taking a turn, the boy's ears twitched as sounds resonated off the walls. Everyone believed themselves to be superior in this estate. He sneered; those vile gossiping guards earned his appreciation; Rye learned everything he needed to know about Biovolt from those overpaid sleazes.

Black Dranzer was with Kai, the elders had hypothesized correctly. They were now standing on Russian soil.

Hoisting himself off the wall, the boy began climbing up the stiff rope towards the only notable opening. Hauling his weight onto the cold cement, voices tweaked his senses and on impulse, quickly lowered himself towards the flat surface. Brushing shaggy strands of hair from his face, Rye crawled himself towards the noise, piercing over the ledge with narrowed grey eyes.

A militant assembly of soldiers stood behind the kneeling Beybreakers captain. Both of Kai's hands clawed the cement ground, one clutching a dark luster object.

There it was, the mighty creation itself, meters away in the hands of a child.

Kai was roughly lifted by two guards, pinning him against the stone walls.

Black Dranzer fell to the ground, inches away from his foot.

Retrieved by a masked man who brought the beyblade to whom Rye presumed to be Voltaire, the old man walked up to his grandson, placing a gloved hand on the boy's delicate face.

"Join us."

A television screen lit up to reveal a young girl baking with an aproned old woman.

"Or Sasha and the others will pay the consequences."

Instantly the blue-haired boy began struggling against the two burly men. The masked fellow kicked the teen in the leg, causing the boy's knee to buckle. This however, did not prevent the child from spiting at his grandfather's presence.

"Insolent child-!"

Taking this distraction as an opportunity to reach the large wooden box on the metal hanger, Rye was given no other choice; the boy retrieved his beyblade from his pocket and began slicing through the hemp rope with the attack ring.

Slowly the tough material began giving way. Taking a breath, Rye heaved himself onto the box as it came swinging towards its target.

He fell; Senior Hiwatari was rendered helpless. Not a second elapsed before people began rushing to the old man's aid.

Rye nodded at the blue-haired captain. "Go!"

Ready to follow the boy through the halls, Rye took the deadly phoenix from its fallen position, quickly shoving it into his pocket. He too, dashed towards the exit.

Blood steeped through the elder's hair, staining his feathery white locks. The man snarled at the viscous liquid. "After him! We shall not allow the child to escape once more. Kai has taken Dranzer!"

Boris quickly obliged his master's orders, waving the guards to depart after them. Grabbing a soldier's collar, the man gave his final instruction.

"Keep them alive."

The soldier nodded at the command.


"How much further?" The boy breathlessly kept to the other's heel, powered only by the adrenaline of their escape.

The blue-haired boy ignored the question, looking over his shoulder for impending obstacles.

"I hear them but there's no turning back, lights up ahead." The dark-haired child urged the captain to advert his eyes back on their path.

Sounds of armed men tweaked Rye's senses but he refused to fail, even if nature too, was pawning against them.

Kai pointed towards the rope bridge just meters ahead. Rye nodded, but just as his foot touched the rotting wood, a gun shot paralyzed him from further advancement.

The blue-haired boy turned to see his counterpart hit the ground, leg wounded by the bullet. Sliding in the snow from his sudden stop, Kai reversed his path to help his fallen comrade.

"No, go-!"

"Shut up, I'm not doing this for you. I refuse to live with this debt."

Rye's ears picked up sudden sounds, a speeding object, and out of pure luck and instinct pushed the boy away with full force.

Kai's impact with the ground immobilized his mind. He clutched his head to steady himself; dozens of armed Biovolt soldiers barricaded the institute's roof. Veering his gaze back on his savior, he noticed the bridge's unsteady sways. His mahogany eyes registered the bullets inches away form his own face, slandering the rope's once sturdy strength.

Kai took a step to grab the boy but the bridge only lowered more.

"Release yourself from guilt, Captain Hiwatari. The bridge will not hold both our weight, it is you they want! Do not pleasure their demands."

It was a reverie; the same place, the same terror, the same pleading eyes for his lam and safety.

There was no need for the ring in making this decision; he already made it once before.

Kai stood and ran towards the open forest. The frail structure behind him fell.


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