"A coffee shop?"
Tobio hadn't had too many expectations. He likes to think of himself as a rational guy with reasonable judgments of others, so while maybe he shouldn't have assumed anything based off stories and rumor, finding out that the members of the once notorious gang of Metal City could be found in such a simple, friendly looking building is, frankly, underwhelming.
Ryutaro looks vaguely bothered. "I had assumed the people we were looking for to be on the beach since that's where we found you."
"Pfft, you honestly think people keep to the same places every day?!" Tetsuya crows with a hint of arrogance. He ought to watch it. "As an expert people-observer-"
"You mean stalker."
"-I can tell you that it's generally the case that people like slight variety. They pick out a couple favorite places and rotate unless their schedule won't allow for it. Sooo since I didn't find them at the beach…" He makes a motion for them to continue.
"The coffee shop," Tobio says flatly. He tries to picture someone that might match the things he heard about the gang and then tweaks it based off what he knows of Kyoya. The guy himself at a coffee shop, maybe. At this one? Not really. So a couple of thuggish underlings really didn't fit in with this place. But Tetsuya is a creepy snoop so, maybe Tobio will just have to take his word.
The bell clings with the door like musical accompaniment to Tetsuya's jingly, "Hello crabby friends!"
Tobio and Ryutaro do their best to pretend they aren't with him despite walking in right behind him. A couple heads look up with confusion, but only one table's turns irritated. Ah, so they do know Tetsuya, Tobio thinks.
The crab idiot slides into a chair that skids much too close to the former face hunters and leans an elbow on their table. "Soo, it's been a while, crabs. Didja miss me?"
The ginger with sharp pointed features immediately leans in with a scowl. "I distinctly remember you being banned from here. So what are you doing at our spot?" The other two mimic it closely enough that Tobio reconsiders them not being gang members.
With all three of them looking a few seconds from gutting him, Tetsuya cowers away. "Yeesh!" He plays it off. "Some people and their grudges! All I wanted was a friendly chat!"
Ryutaro sighs. Tobio's inclined to share the sentiment. This isn't going anywhere.
"Look," he says, stepping in. "Ignore the crab. We're here to talk to you about the disappearances."
The one on the right, broad with a gray-brown baseball cap and a blue hoodie, rears forward. "It wasn't us!" He snaps aggressively.
"No, we know that."
"You want to talk about our disappearances," Ginger guesses. He seems to be the de facto leader here. Tobio nods to him.
They all exchange uneasy looks before Ginger continues, "Kurosu and Hyō were the ones we knew best. The others we can't say much on. What's this for?"
"We'd rather do something about this instead of wait around, hoping we aren't next. So we're trying to figure out as much as we can about it," Tobio presses.
Ginger nods slowly. "That makes sense."
"Can we get your names?" The guy on his left, dark hair and a blue vest, asks.
Tobio nods. "Tobio Oike, also known as Captain Capri."
"Captain what."
Tetsuya giggles at the ginger's reaction, which doesn't help Tobio's patience at all. "It's just a title. You guys called yourselves Face Hunters, I don't want to hear it!"
Ginger stays reluctantly silent about it, looking as though he disagrees with the argument but isn't willing to push it.
Ryutaro takes the moment to introduce himself next. "I am Ryutaro Fukami." He bows politely with a meager smile, Tobio is just glad he isn't being cheeky.
"And of course you all know-!"
"I assume you're all bladers then?" Blue Vest says, thankfully cutting off Tetsuya's redundant and likely over dramatic intro.
"Yes. Forgive me but I don't believe we got your names," Ryutaro presses. Tetsuya whines.
Ginger scoffs. "Assumed the crab liar would have told you. I'm Kiba." He jerks a thumb at his companions. "This is Bōshi-" Hat guy waves. "-and Kujira." Blue Vest grunts.
Kujira's mannerisms and style choices are faintly similar enough to Kyoya that Tobio can't help but be amused. It's been at least a full year since Kyoya stopped leading the Face Hunters, yet somehow his influence lives on in his acolytes. Would Kyoya be annoyed or flattered?
"WELL ANYWAY!" Tetsuya smacks his hands on the table. Apparently, he can't handle not being the center of attention. "-We were hoping you could tell us alllll you know about your fellow gang member's disappearance!"
Oh, now there's an expression Tobio can relate to. Kiba growls and corrects, "Well hey, first of all, we aren't a gang anymore so you might wanna take note of that! We don't bully kids anymore, that kind of stuff was stupid looking back."
"Oh, so are you bitter towards your fearless leader, Kyoya, for making you do such horrible things?" Tetsuya cries with barely concealed glee.
All at once the three of their faces turn flinty.
"How dare you-"
"Kyoya was never into that stuff! All he cared about were the battles, yeah?!"
"Look, don't go assuming you know him!"
"Ignore! The crab!" Tobio pleads. "Look, we all know he likes getting on people's nerves, and the only reason he's here is because he knew where to find you!" From the looks he's getting Tobio can tell they're losing patience. "So-"
He pauses as someone important looking begins striding towards them with a sour look.
Tetsuya leaps up like an alley cat with a crushed tail. "THE MANAGER! Oh crab gotta scu-ttle!
"HEY, YOU! YOU'RE BANNED FROM HERE!"
They all watch as Tetsuya runs out the door with the manager hot on his heels. "Well," Ryutaro snaps shut the fan that Tobio swears wasn't open a second ago-blast these dramatic weirdos-and continues, "I suppose this makes our conversation easier now."
/
This isn't wise.
Tsubasa knows that but two hours ago he'd gone to the workplace of a woman suspected of being involved. What her coworkers had given up was invaluable, but unfortunately left Tsubasa on a deadline. If anything gets back to her about his snooping the lead will dry up too fast to use.
He has a location and several new connections, including multiple suspects collaborating with her. But most important, Tsubasa has a USB full of things she shouldn't have left on her work computer. Hacking had its benefits. He steps out of the elevator and strides through the doors, out into the sharp reality of sidewalks and distant sounds of people.
/
"I heard who you're aiming for next."
The young man looks up from the blank screen. "Oh?" he hums pleasantly. In the dim light, his hair looks almost black rather than its natural bloody hue.
"Are you planning on taking all the fun?" The other voice complains.
He laughs shortly. "I actually don't care much for this one. I'm doubtful it will give us what we want."
There's silence for a moment. Then, incredulous, "You're kidding, right?"
He sighs.
"You saw the same fights I did, didn't you? The ones where he-"
"Yes, thank you. I am aware." As much as he appreciates this lady, they have different goals. She is reluctant to accept that, and he understands. It's hard finding someone that gets you with philosophies like theirs, and she wants that camaraderie. "Tell you what- you can have him." Even more than his generous company, however, she wants her goals furthered.
He isn't surprised she immediately drops the argument like a dog offered a better bone. "Ohhh! You mean it?" She claps her hands together, latex gloves adding a thwap.
"Of course my dear. Besides, it's too much on my plate to add another iron to the fire. Just the lion will do for now."
/
Within the security of Metal City Tsubasa should feel safe. In this area of Japan, it has the highest concentration of bladers, which right now means the highest wariness for the things that endanger them. It's the middle of the day, twenty minutes till noon. He should feel safe.
His neck prickles.
Tsubasa glances at the reflection in the window next to him, searching inconspicuously behind himself for anyone. The street is fairly empty despite it being a main road, construction further up has it closed off. Maybe that takes from the safety of it being a public area.
He slows to a stop. I'm going to call someone, I think. Knowing someone will be aware if anything happens is a reassuring thought, but who?
He scrolls through his contacts, glancing up for a second when he hears someone leave a building. Something about them pricks at him, his thumb hovering over the director's name. Tsubasa looks up a second time.
He nearly stumbles back.
/
It'd taken weeks of surveillance, time, and resources tracking the target to find an opportunity this perfect. There had been others, but the decision made above their heads hadn't agreed on any until now.
The target is cautious and observant, but too willing to make small sacrifices in security for his goals. It makes this a lot easier than it should be, even with him being one of Japan's strongest bladers.
The thought of it takes the man's breath, a hushed exhale gliding across the device in his hands. He wouldn't think of himself as eager to please, but the thought of bringing in another score like the one months ago fills him with anticipation. The organization that made him thrives with power like this.
He has no fantasies that the leader will praise him, even if it is likely-although rarely earnest. No, he's too much of a professional for that. What he lives for is the way each good capture seems to breathe life into the various factions, dangling evidence of their future success assured. He doesn't look like a man for paperwork, too bulky and square-jawed, with a buzz cut and stubble framing a permanent unamused expression, but its a pleasure to skim reports and see good numbers thanks to his work.
A shrill beep comes from its speaker. Target in position. He grins, and it looks to the others with him like he's baring his teeth instead. The favors this had cost were all worth it now.
/
It's her, right in front of him.
The woman he's investigating.
She doesn't know who I am. Just calm down. I can walk right past her like any other stranger on the street. With a silent breath, he tucks away the phone and tries to do just that.
They cross ways, two feet or more apart. Neither glancing at the other but Tsubasa's heart pounds, his limbs fighting to lock up. He doesn't think of how she's connected to the organization that devastated someone he, admittedly, admires. Someone stronger than he is. He doesn't think of filthy tiny prisons or scars that say they don't play by human decency's rules. He doesn't think of being tortured. And because of that, he doesn'-
-ZZZTTTTRRR CRACK.
The bey brushes through the loose strands of his hair and slices across the bridge of his nose before slamming into the brick beside him. Sparks leap out at his face.
No-!
Eagle is already in his hand, launcher in the other, when someone steps out in the corner of his eye, opposite of where the bey came.
He raises them to lock.
Instead, he's on the ground, head spinning from the hit and wind knocked from his chest. He can't breathe. Which way's up? Pain's erupting from seven different places as his body realizes he's been attacked from behind.
I have to move! Copper bites his taste buds.
Tsubasa rolls over. The launcher is gone but Eagle is still in his hand, he tries to fix his eyes on the blurry shapes in front of him.
/
"Oh Mr. Otori," murmurs the spy in the WBBA when the notification comes to his phone. "It seems that your new openness has backfired. A year ago you would have never let yourself be tracked so easily."
No one takes note of him, inhaling a deep sip of tea while he continues typing.
"Tsubasa hasn't responded to anything I've sent," the blue-haired teenager worries to her boss behind him. The spy presses his lips together. He's always wanted front seats to the Beyblade world's rebirth.
Ahh, had I known this one was coming up I'd have warned you about the wait, but I literally checked my plot points like, "Okay what's next? ...OH."
I think I might have decided the DSS trio (Tetsuya, Tobio, Ryutaro) are all hypocrites in this. Tetsuya complaining about grudges, Tobio about dramatics... hahaha.
I hope I made all the bad guys that appeared in this distinct enough that you could tell they were all different people despite me just using "The man," "the woman," etc. Not all of them are important enough that I'll reuse them, but it would be a shame if you all got the wrong impression about one or two of them. There's red hair guy, gloves woman, the woman under investigation, square-jaw guy, and the spy.
Also, I didn't find names for the reoccurring face hunter guys so the ones I added are made up. Also really bad. Google translate bad.
This is what I have down for all of them:
Ginger- Kiba- leader figure under Benkei, also arguably the wittiest.
Hat guy- Bōshi- jerk, also kind of dumb
Ripped shirt- Hyō- sneaky smarty, but also wants to fit in.
X shirt- Kurosu- moron, but an honest heart ("bring back our kyoya")
Blue- Kujira- talks little.
Thank you for bearing with me.
