Chapter 16: Rage's Desperate Fight
At Garuda's tower, Garuda was watching from his laptop after having dinner with his grandson, Retsu in Yuni's resthouse. He was watching on Schubert's next scheme as he orders one of his men but is different than the rest they been beaten.
In Garuda's Laptop:
"I heard you called me, boss..."
"Yes, Rupert... I want you to dispatch one of the young ingrates who leads his group to deal against my men." Schubert said ordering him as he accepts his mission.
"Yes sir... and who is he?"
Schubert got a picture after the incident in the resthouse as he gives it to Rupert.
"This man leads his group who disperses my men, I want you to obliterate him."
"I'm on it..." Rupert said following Schubert's orders as he takes his leave from his office.
After this, Garuda rewinds since the camera is able to reload similar to the close-circuit television as he paused the scene where Schubert gives the picture to his loyal henchmen, Rupert and discovers that picture was actually grandson, Rage who beats most of his black ops during the night raid and knowing he actually sent a spy to take a picture of him.
Damn you, Schubert...? Are ya intendin' to kill my grandson? I'm not gonna let ya do it?!
At Burning Dome, Rage is seen dancing in the DDRMAX game to impress the audience to his dance performance. In the other side, Retsu is playing Marvel VS Capcom 2 where he fights against the final boss, Abyss with the use of his characters, Dr. Doom, Cable and Storm. Beechum and Spike are watching him as well as the spectators.
"Wow... Retsu is pretty good." Beechum said amusing and Spike smiles.
"I've never seen he's playing this game before and manages to dispatch his enemies too."
"This shape-shifter is going down at the moment." Retsu said while being concentrate on playing the game as Rage arrives while trying to move with the gamers who watches him.
"Rage, thank goodness that you're here... Retsu is already beat the final boss in the arcade game." Spike said happily as Rage goes to Retsu who is concentrate playing in fighting against the final boss.
"Retsu... I ever seen you play that game again and you're fighting against the chubby guy in a pile of steel armor?"
"Yeah... that's the final boss and he's gonna shape-shift once he was beaten down." Retsu said snobbishly and he watches the downed opponent which transforms into a green liquid humanoid shape-shifter.
"For crying out loud, Retsu...? You actually focus on beating that thing?" Rage angrily reacted while pointing out where he beats the final boss Abyss as most of the spectators angrily scolds him.
"Hey we can't see...?"
"Yeah... you're out of the way?"
"Tch... fine then...?" Rage said while raising his brow as he goes watching with Spike and Beechum. "So Beechum, how long Retsu plays this game?"
"Well he plays this earlier while you play in that dance game..." Beechum answered smiling.
"Yeah... It seems that Retsu is becoming the popular player in this dome because of his expertise as a gamer." Spike said and Rage closes his eyes.
"Whatever, I think he already beat that liquid man down?"
"Wow... this guy looks amazing... he actually beats Abyss single handedly..." One of the gamer said and Retsu smirks seeing the final boss true form as he states.
"Well well... looks like you become a shape-shifting beast in the third fight... we'll see about that."
"Wow... he's totally serious on that game." Spike wondered as Rage angrily cheers him.
"Hey. Beat that reddish liquid monster, Retsu...? Don't lose your focus?!"
Retsu knows the enemy's attacks as he plays the game. He watches to see using his characters' hyper combo against the final boss and the final boss was defeated as everyone had a round of applause to see him beat the game.
"He's amazing..."
"Now, shall we go...?" Retsu smiled nicely.
"How did he do that so quickly?" Spike said shockingly as Beechum asks Rage who was shocked to see Retsu getting applause.
"Say Rage, what's your comment about Retsu?"
"Uhm... I don't know... he's a total brainiac...?" Rage answered with an angry expression look on his face while smiling towards Retsu.
"Wh-Whaa...?" Retsu smiles with a disappointment look on his face.
When everyone are cheering for Retsu as an expert gamer, we can see Rupert who is spying on the trio and he looked on the picture that he was handling and it was an image of Rage who beats most of Schubert's black ops during the yesterday's night raid as he thought.
So my target was actually a young spiky haired man with a goatee? This is ridiculous... this man is responsible for beating most of my boss' men?
Rupert then watches both Rage and Retsu are comically beaten up each other because of his comments as most of the gamers watch while laughing towards them. After that, Rage decides to parted ways with Retsu, Beechum and Spike as they leave the dome. When Retsu on his way back to his dormitory he was called by Garuda from his cellphone.
"Kageyama speaking? Oh... Sir Garuda... why did you call today?"
"This is urgent, Retsu... Reiji is been targeted by Schubert's righthand man. I'm already at the city to find him. Ya need to find him before he gets into trouble...?" Garuda said telling him and Retsu finally cooperates with him.
"All right, I'll go with you, Sir Garuda..."
Meanwhile, Rage was on his way to his apartment until he sensed someone who follows him as he thought.
This weird feeling...? Someone must have been after me?
He looked and to see Rupert tries to make a straight punch towards him as he dodges as he grapples him to the ground.
"Who the hell are you?" Rage said wanted to know who he is as he continues to attack him by smashing him with both punches as he avoids as he quickly runs from it's onslaught.
Rage tries to run away from the man who attacked him even in the alley. Therefore, he saw Rupert arrives as he goes for another straight punch as Rage blocks it with both of his hands and almost being knocked down by him.
"Okay, bald man...? What's the matter with you? Why are you attacking me on purpose?"
"My name is Rupert and I came here to brutalize you?" Rupert said finally introduces and Rage finally knows his intentions as he attacks him.
Rage manages to dodge Rupert's powerful punches as he blocks his last punch as he delivers a powerful kick to Rupert's face almost knocking him down.
"So this is what my boss is talking about...? This young man is capable on defeating multiple opponents." Rupert grins angrily as Rage finally charges with a punch to the gut and delivers another powerful kick but Rupert manages to dodge but ends up being punched by him.
Rupert continues to charge towards Rage as he tried to punch him several times as he knee smashed to the gut and goes for another powerful kick, he dodges it again as he grapples him to the ground. Rage became serious to fight the strong brute as the fight goes in an intense bout and Rupert grabs his left arm and grapples him in reversal knocking him out.
"Agh...damn it, you sprained my left arm...?" Rage said while clutching his left arm and Rupert tells him.
"Now that you have a disadvantage spiky man, I will finish you off..." Rupert said as he jumps in mid-air to deliver the final blow by punching him to the back. Garuda arrives in time to save his grandson and manage to dodge his punch and delivers a powerful punch to the gut, knocking him down.
"Reiji, are you all right?" Garuda said worried to his grandson and Rage replies while clutching his left arm.
"Yeah... I'm alright... Ugh..."
"He sprained yer arm, eh?" Garuda said as both looked to see Rupert standing up and wanted to get rid of his grandson as Retsu arrives to see them.
"Reiji, what happened to you?"
"Retsu, take him to my tower...? He will be safe in here...? Now GO!" Garuda said as Retsu helps Rage to move as they escape.
"I won't let my target to escape!" Rupert yelled angrily as both clash each other as Garuda manages to knock Rupert to his stomach as he clutches my stomach. "Damn, you old man..."
Garuda smirks as he gets away with Retsu and Rage leaving him stunned as he angrily watches them escape.
At Garuda's tower, Rage tries to move his left arm and it hurts himself and his injured left arm ends in a sling with a cement bandage underneath it and he is not seen in his dark red hoodie jacket. Garuda came to see him and knowing of his frustrations of being beaten by an enemy.
"You don't have to be frustrated, Reiji. You were lucky that Retsu takes ya to the hospital to treats yer injured arm." Garuda said worried to him as he angrily replies.
"How can I beat this guy if he manages to hurt my arm? But I ended up losing to that bald guy...?"
"That guy who injured ya was the Schubert's righthand man." Garuda said seriously and Rage was shocked by this.
"What?! That bald guy was Reinrich's righthanded man?"
"I already watched from my laptop about what Schubert is up to. He sent his right hand man to get rid of ya." Garuda said as he warns him. "This man is heavily trained in hand to hand combat but can injure people with his grappling manuevers. You need to be careful."
"...so this bald guy is heavily trained fighter, ugh... this is getting suck..." Rage angrily grunted and Retsu tells him.
"Don't try to push yourself, Reiji? That guy plans to kill you."
Outside in Garuda's tower, Rage looked on his injured left arm where it was sling to his neck. He cannot forget that Rupert injures him by grappling him to the ground. He angrily wanted to beat that person although he already heard from his grandfather that he was targeted by them as he thought.
This isn't good... How can I beat this guy If I'm injured like this? Darn, that guy needs to pay for injuring me...? I maybe targeted by that bald maniac I have to stop him. There must be a way to beat this guy. I have to mix it up with both.
Garuda finally arrives in time after buying some drinks for everyone and to see Retsu who is disappointed while leaning on the wall.
"Where's Reiji, Retsu? He supposed to stay inside?" Garuda asked and Retsu answers.
"He's already left..."
"What?!"
Back in DDR City, Rage listens with his MP3 with earphones on both of his ears where he pretends that he's okay as his dark red hoodie jacket is hanging loose on both of his shoulders. Therefore, he was confronted again by Rupert.
"So, you're still coming back for more... spiky man. I never thought that someone like you would have a death wish." Rupert smirked evilly.
"Okay then, so you win the first round, bald guy. But for round 2, I'm gonna pulverize you...?" Rage said while raising his brow.
"Don't get too intimidated...? I already injure your left arm. Now I'm gonna injure the other arm." Rupert said as he charges him with a straight punch as Rage dodges this as he thought.
Damn it, he's right... If he pulls the same old move again... I'm dead...
Both then goes into another intense fight as Rupert tries to punch him several times while he dodges and goes for an uppercut. Rage blocks this and he was knocked off the ground as he clutches his left arm.
"Damn..."
"What the matter, spiky man? Aren't you given up? Perhaps, my fists have blood on you...?" Rupert taunts him to be killed by him and Rage stands up and he smirks while clutching his left arm.
"Don't get too bossy, bald man? Because I got something in my sleeve. Despite I'm injured, you don't know how I'm capable of?"
When Rage clicks the MP3 on his right pocket as the song "Gold Rush" has been played as he dances like a girl. Rupert knows it was ridiculous to see him dancing in his injured state. With that, Rupert tries to charge him with a punch as Rage sees this while raising both arms as he bows while avoiding his straight punch. Without warning, Rage manages to heavily knee smash to the guy and delivers a powerful kick to the chest as Rupert kneel down on the ground clutching his chest.
"What's this? Why he is dancing like a woman despite I injured him, ugh...?"
Rupert continues to charge with his punches but to no avail Rage still dodging his attacks as he rolls in exhibition and delivers a powerful kick to his face knocking him down.
"You think this will beat me, bald man...? Cause I can pulverize you anytime?"
"You're very arrogant...?"
Retsu and Garuda arrive and to see Rage who is dancing while his arm injury is still in a sling much to their surprise.
"Reiji, don't push yourself too hard or your arm would be swollen...?" Retsu said worried and Garuda remembers what he told him during the night raid in Berth's resthouse as he thought.
Oh dear me... I already told him about he can dance to distract the enemy yesterday at the Berth's resthouse. This must be his strategy to beat that brute down.
"Reiji, don't be beaten by him...? Just show him how strategic ya are?" Garuda cheered in a loud voice.
Rage remembers back where he despises to dance like a woman since in the 3rd Competition where Emi convinces him to do it. Especially, when he imitates her movements. Rage dodges most of his Rupert's punches while his arm is still in a sling as he continues to dance like a woman as he bows then raising both arms as he ducks from Rupert's straight punch as he immediately punches Rupert to the gut and goes for a powerful kick to the face knocking him down permanently as it drops his dark red hoodie jacket.
"Impossible... how come he beat me whenever he's dancing?"
"Because I'm a street dancer who can street dance in different exhibitions and a vigilante who can beat my opponents easily with my fighting abilities."
"Forgive me, boss... I failed you..." Rupert said as he loses consciousness finally succumbs to his injuries and Retsu and Garuda comes to Rage's aid.
"Are you alright, Reiji?" Garuda said worried and Rage calmly replies while clutching his left arm while being sling to his neck.
"I'm alright, I think I'm pretty worn out..."
"You need some rest... Guess that you don't use break dancing on the fight." Retsu said as Rage angrily raises his brow as he reacts.
"How can I break dance if my arm is injured? Anyway, I just dance some of my girlfriend's dance moves to keep away from my opponents who attempts to beat me."
"You know Reiji...?" Garuda said as he angrily kicks to his butt while scolding at him. "You should tell me when you go out with my permission, ya stupid jackass...?"
"Grandfather, that's smarts... don't even dare try to kick me in the butt...?" Rage said angrily to his grandfather while clutching his butt and Retsu watches them and he found out that Rupert is already gone off after been beaten by him.
Back at Schubert's base, Schubert realizes Rupert is severely injured while being treated his injuries and knowing that Rage is too much for him as he thought.
So the leader of the young ingrates manages to defeat Rupert after he injures him for the count. I will use Rupert once I made a grand plan...
With that, Schubert continues to watch Rupert being treated his injuries.
Trivia:
*Rage dances some female dance moves as a distraction to Rupert's punches and a reference to Hernan Naveas' Youtube videos where he edits some of the DDR characters' one of their dance movements where Rage's one of his dance moves was edited.
*The song "Gold Rush" comes from the game DDR X2.
*Rage's temper can be seen after he comments Retsu about his gaming prowess and a reference to his 5thMIX appearance where his temper can be seen when his/her dance meter goes in critical state.