XD I'm back guys! And right on time too! Okay, so just as a warning, I introduce four Ocs in this chapter, and all of them play major parts in the storyline. Gingka?
Gingka: GalaxyPegasus14 does not own Metal Fight Beyblade!
Me: Finally, you aren't mad at me! That might change in a second though…
Gingka: What's that supposed to mean?
It has been fifteen years since the DNA took over Japan. Or, at least that's what my mom says. I was not yet born when it happened, but mom says she remembers it like it was yesterday. When I ask her about it though, she never will tell me how it happened. Tears spring to her eyes whenever I ask about it. I don't like to see her cry, so I don't ask. Rumors are always present in the village where we live, and I have sometimes seen the neighbors watching me closely. It's kind of weird, actually. I wonder why they stare, but they always look away and ignore me when I look at them.
The only true friends I really have are Takeshi Tategami, a boy about a year younger than me, and Eiichi Kurogane, a rather annoying little kid who is only nine. My mother is Madoka Hagane, she's the best mom in the world, although Takeshi continues to insist that his mom, Hikaru Tategami, is better. And then, of course, Eiichi will pipe up and insist that his mom Ren is better than either of our moms.
Eiichi is lucky, he has both of his parents and they are both amazing. His father, Zero Kurogane, boasts occasionally about some past achievement and claims to be the strongest Japanese blader of his generation. But out of all these people around me and Takeshi that I know, not one of them will speak about my father or Takeshi's. it seems to be a sore subject and I always have wondered why. But no one will speak of it, and I have no way to find out except to wait patiently.
Excuse me, I seem to have forgotten to introduce myself. My name is Anashi Hagane, and I am the blader of a bey named Flame Pegasus. Takeshi and I have often battled, but I always win, which frustrates him every time, especially since I'm a girl. I don't see why being beaten by a girl is so awkward for a guy, but apparently it is. My ultimate goal is to find my father, the only clue I have to him is my own red hair and a faint memory of his voice. I will find him someday, with Takeshi's help, we will both find our fathers, together.
-Flash erm, forwards?-
It was nearly midnight. Tokyo, Japan had fallen silent due to a curfew strictly imposed by the government. The only people on the streets at this time of night were DNA agents. One of them, a young boy who was obviously in his teens, strode casually down the street, ducking under the legs of the occasional robot patrol. He had a rifle slung across his back, a determined look on his face, and a goal set in his mind. Argo Garcia, the supreme ruler of Japan, had called him, the youngest of the snipers, up to his office, and had given him an important mission.
"One of the pesky annoyances known as the Steel Warriors has been spotted by one of our robot patrols. I want you to take him out, no matter which one it is."
"Understood sir."
Good, now get out of here and do not fail me, Arashi."
"Your Evil Gene courses through my veins, how can I fail?"
Arashi strode quickly through the streets, listening closely for any sounds that indicated fighting. From his training, he remembered that the instructor had said the Steel Warriors usually went for the robots, and seemed to be intent on capturing one of them.
Suddenly, Arashi dropped to his stomach behind a bush. He had heard it, the characteristic snapping and crackling sounds followed by either an explosion or a dull thud as a robot, or more than just one, hit the dust after being electrocuted by the thin, yet strong cables that the Steel Warriors used.
The teen quickly unbuckled the rifle and readied it, then waited. In a now-empty space in front of him, he could see the blackened, broken remains of a whole group of robots.
"And what are you waiting for?"
Arashi jumped at the voice, then turned slowly.
"A DNA agent, I see. You wouldn't happen to be looking for me, would you?"
Arashi looked up, and soon spotted the owner of the voice, standing casually on top of a parked truck. His glowing eyes rather frightened Arashi, but only for a moment. The young teen swung his rifle around and pointed it at the shadowed figure.
"You really think you can hit me?"
"I have the Evil Gene, I can't fail." Arashi got into a standing position.
"The Evil Gene, huh? That doesn't do anything more than make you a cold, uncaring monster that the DNA can use at their will." The Steel Warrior said, shoving both hands deep into his pockets.
Arashi growled under his breath, his finger starting to tighten on the trigger.
It all happened at once. The figure dove towards Arashi, his mask gleaming in the light from the city's streets. At the same time, Arashi fired, but felt a small jabbing pain shoot through his right arm. Both rolled over together, but Arashi managed to struggle free and get back on his feet. He looked at his arm and yanked out the syringe that his opponent had somehow managed to get into his arm, then looked around.
"I warned you, I wouldn't fail." Arashi smirked, looking at the now-limp figure lying on his face.
"Alert! Severe Injury has occurred. Automatic override in progress. Autopilot set for headquarters. Alerting headquarters." The suit of the Steel Warrior gave several alerts before activating its own jetpacks and flying away to the south.
Arashi watched him leave, then turned to head back to base. He slung his rifle back over his shoulder, then started walking. Halfway there, he began to feel extremely tired.
"It must be that stupid Steel Warrior's fault, he injected me with something." Arashi muttered, looking at the empty syringe in his hand. He placed it in a pocket of his uniform and continued walking.
By the time the teen reached the DNA headquarters, he was completely dizzy and could barely keep his eyes open.
"Dude, are you okay?" One of the guards at the front door asked.
"He... Injected me with this..." Arashi muttered, handing the guard the syringe before fainting.
"We should take him up to the medics right away, and take this syringe up to the scientists to find out what might have been in it!" One guard exclaimed, picking up the limp boy and handing him off to another guard who had come down.
A second guard took the syringe, leaving the two at the door.
"I wonder what happened? Hopefully he at least completed his mission."
"Arashi."
Startled, the teen opened his eyes, only to find himself in a dark room. He couldn't feel or see anything, but he could hear.
"Arashi."
"W-who's there?"
"Arashi, what have you done?" His mother's voice broke in.
"Mom, I-I had no choice! Argo and the Evil Gene forced me to do it! Mom?"
There was no reply.
Arashi suddenly sat bolt upright, startling a few doctors that were around.
"Sir, he's awake." One doctor reported.
Arashi immediately recognized Enzo Garcia, who was his superior and only answered to Argo himself.
"Well, how are you feeling? Did you succeed in your mission?"
"Mission?" Arashi couldn't remember anything.
"Yes, don't you remember?"
Suddenly, it all came flooding back. Arashi gasped. "W-what have I done?" He sobbed.
"Did you succeed?" Enzo asked.
Arashi looked at the face of his superior with a look of horror. "You- why did you make me do this? You drove me out of my mind with that stupid Evil Gene and now I've gone and killed someone!"
Enzo seemed shocked. "Wha-? How in the world?" Quickly regaining his composure, he added. "But, you succeeded, and we now only have nine Steel Warriors to deal with. How you managed to break free of the Gene's influence though..."
"Sir, we figured out what was in the syringe!" A scientist exclaimed, rushing into the room.
"What was it?" Enzo asked.
"An antidote."
"To... It can't be!"
"I'm afraid so sir, it is an antidote to the Evil Gene. It completely neutralizes it!"
"Then..." Enzo trailed off, looking at Arashi. "Lock him up! We will deal with him later after I have reported this to Argo."
"Let me go! I don't want to work for you guys anymore!" Arashi yelled as he was dragged off to a cell.
"Let me out!" Arashi banged on the door over and over again.
"It's no use kid, they will just ignore you."
"W-who's there?"
A glowing white figure appeared in the corner.
"W-who are you?" Arashi asked fearfully.
A pair of black eyes appeared on what was apparently the face of the figure. "I think you know the answer to that question." A small black hole appeared in the center of the light.
"Y-you're-"
The light nodded. "The Steel Warrior you met a few hours ago."
Arashi looked at the floor, ashamed. "I-I'm sorry. I wasn't in my right mind."
"I know, that's why I gave you the antidote. You are practically immune to the Evil Gene now, and I won't be mad at you if we meet again."
"What is your name?"
"I'll let you figure that out later."
"So, you said if we meet again. Does that mean-?"
"That I'm still alive? Yes, for now. I don't know how long I will be though." The light began fading.
"Wait!" Arashi exclaimed. "What do I do now?"
"The DNA agents are coming, be strong." The light said before fading.
Arashi turned as the door opened. Two guards quickly stepped in and grabbed both of his arms, pinning him against the wall. A hooded figure entered and Arashi suddenly realized what was happening: they were trying to reinject him with the Evil Gene. He struggled, but the hooded figure succeeded in getting the needle in, and got kicked in the stomach. The two guards released Arashi and backed away, locking him in again.
The teen stumbled around the room for a few seconds before blacking out.
-Two weeks earlier, back in the village-
"Anashi Hikou Hagane, get yourself over here right now before I ground you!" Madoka called from the front porch of her home.
In response, a red-haired girl with turquoise-blue eyes excused herself from her friends and ran over.
"Yeah mom?"
"Did you do your chores like I asked you to?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Because your room is still a mess, didn't I tell you to clean it?"
"Oh yeah! Sorry, Takeshi called at the window and-"
"I don't care what Takeshi did, you should have stayed and finished. Now get back inside and finish your room."
Anashi sighed. "Okay mom." She trudged back inside.
"Someone got in trouble." A young boy with black hair that had a golden streak in it giggled to the other standing beside him.
"It was probably our fault Eiichi, and stop talking right in my ear!" a teen with green hair and purple eyes replied, shoving the younger boy away.
"You are in no less trouble, young man!" a golden-haired woman exclaimed, coming up behind Eiichi and tickling him.
"Ahh! Mom! Stop it!" Eiichi yelped, struggling to get free from her grasp.
Takeshi laughed, then yelped as he felt someone pinch his waist playfully. "Mom!" the teen turned to glare at the laughing bluenette behind him.
"What are you crazies up to?" Zero asked, stepping up and looking around.
"Ask them, I had nothing to do with this." Madoka called from the front porch.
"We were just having a tickle fight." Ren replied, straightening her shirt.
"I'm too old for tickle fights!" Eiichi insisted. Suddenly, he caught the glimmer of a challenge in his father's eyes. "Uh-oh." The younger Kurogane bolted.
Zero laughed and started chasing his son, the two soon disappearing into the forest nearby.
"What is it with champion bladers and acting half-insane at all times?" Ren asked.
Hikaru and Madoka both looked at the ground.
"Oops, sorry guys." Ren muttered.
Takeshi looked at his mother questioningly, then over to Mrs. Hagane. Both had the same sad expression on their faces.
"Come on Takeshi, let's go fix dinner." Hikaru said after a few moments. "See you later, Madoka." The bluenette turned and walked off, Takeshi following her hesitatingly. He glanced back and waved at Anashi, who was watching him from her window. The redhead waved back, then disappeared.
"Come back soon, please Gingka?" Madoka whispered, looking up at the sky. "Anashi is growing up without you, and she needs a father. You need to be here for her, as well as-" she sighed and went back inside.
A few minutes later, Zero and Eiichi returned, Eiichi seated on his father's shoulders.
"Can we beybattle now dad?"
"I don't know, if your mother doesn't need anything we can."
"Where did everyone go?"
"Back inside I guess. Come on, let's go to the backyard."
Anashi threw a few socks into the clothes basket, thinking to herself aloud.
"What can I do? Mom and Mrs. Tategami always seem so sad at the mention of our dads, or world-class bladers, or the past. What happened? Dad, where are you? What could be the link between those three things? The obvious link is between our dads and the past, but what about world-class bladers? As far as I know, we have always lived in this village, ever since before I was born. Well, either way, I'll find you, even though I only have your voice to go off of. Actually, I'm not even sure if this memory I have is actually you, but maybe it's someone who can help me find you. I miss you dad, even though I don't remember if I have ever met you." She looked up at a picture of her and her mother, taken on her fifth birthday. "Maybe Grandpa Ryo can help me."
Throwing the last few items into her closet, Anashi stood up with a sigh. "Well, it's worth a try, if he's even home."
"Mom! I finished my room! Can I go see if Grandpa is at home?" Madoka smiled as she heard her daughter calling.
"Go ahead honey, be careful!"
"Thanks mom! I'll be back soon!" Anashi grabbed her belt and bey gear off of a hook in the entryway. The belt was old and showed signs of being worn, and had been like that for as long as Anashi could remember. It was brown, with a thin line of silver down the center, and a loop at the back. Her mother had said the loop was for a second belt that used to cross over the brown, but she wouldn't say anything more.
"Let's go, Flame!" Ansahi pulled her bey out of its case and looked at it. The orange and silver synchrom glinted in the setting sun, and Anashi smiled fondly at it before putting it back in its case and heading for the Tategami home.
"Hey Takeshi! I'm going to my grandpa's house, want to come?" she called, seeing her friend blading in his front yard.
"Sure! Mom, I'm going with Anashi!" Takeshi called.
The two walked up the hill into the forest together. "So, why are you going to see him? Are you sure he's even home?"
"Well, no, but I wanted to ask him if there was a connection between our dads and champion or world-class bladers. He has to know something, I just hope he will tell us and not turn away crying like everyone else."
"He's your mom's dad, right?"
"I don't know, actually. I think he's on my mom's side though."
By now the two had reached Ryo's house. Knocking on the door, they soon found that he was at home, which was rare, as he was usually out in the forest exploring for weeks at a time.
"Hey! It's my favorite pair of teens! How are you two doing? You just caught me on the edge of something big. Come, look over here!" Ryo exclaimed, his golden-brown eyes twinkling at the two from between strands of red and grey hair.
Anashi and Takeshi glanced at each other, then followed Ryo to the back of the house. A huge map was spread across the coffee table, with many markings across it.
"Is this everywhere you have explored, Grandpa?" Anashi asked.
"Yup, I just have to go here," Ryo pointed at a river on the map, "And here." He indicated a mountain.
"Are you looking for anything?" Takeshi asked.
"Well, yes, but that can wait until you tell me why I have the honor of your visit." Ryo said, pulling out a ruler and compass and placing them on the map.
"I wanted to ask you about my- our dads, do you know if there is any connection between them and world-class bladers?" Anashi asked.
Ryo paused his measuring for a moment. "You want to know about your fathers?"
"Yeah, did you know them?" Takeshi asked.
"I knew them both very well. What makes you think there is a connection between them and world-class bladers?"
"Well, our mothers suddenly get really quiet when someone mentions either."
"Ahh, that makes sense. Come out here, the DNA has spies practically everywhere and what I am about to tell you, they don't want to be known." Ryo said, leading the two into the backyard, or rather, the forest behind his house.
Once they were deep into the forest, Ryo stopped. They were near the high wall around the distant mountains. Nobody really seemed to know why it was there, or, if they did know, they didn't talk about it for fear of being attacked by the DNA.
"You want to know about your fathers?" Ryo said.
Anashi and Takeshi looked at each other, then back at Ryo and nodded.
"Then sit down and I will explain." Ryo indicated a fallen tree and the two sat down on it.
"To really explain everything, I have to go back several years, about twenty, to be exact."
Me: Yes, yes I did just end it there. XD so, what do you think guys? -turns around-
Steel Warriors: -glaring-
Me: Oh dear, looks like I made a few people mad… Guys? You can stop glaring now, I get the point. You don't like the fact that one of you almost died…
Ryuga: Yeah, exactly. And none of us are going to do anything until we find out who it is.
Me: Then you are going to have to wait a while, because I have already written chapter 4 of this story and nobody even there knows yet.
Zero: I'M WHAT?
Me: Haha, Zero…