Try to Wake, Try to Escape

Chapter 3: Sharpen Our Claws

Beeping. Rapid, intense beeping that matched the tempo of his heart. That was what he first heard when he woke up, then the first thing he felt was the liquid receding in the chamber... Then the doors opened up and he was spat out onto the floor. "D'OH!"

"Valt!" Rantaro rushed to his side, pulling him to his feet and checking his back. "A-Are you alright?! I saw Fafnir hit you, and-"

"I-I'm good, I'm good..." He gasped, wiping the goo away from his face. "I-It was all in Shu's mind..."

"It wasn't just in Shu's mind..." Wakiya spoke in a shaking voice. He stood at Valt's other side. "You two were screaming in the chambers... W-We thought..."

"We thought you were actually hurt..." Ken whimpered, hands clamped over his mouth. Valt let out a shaky breath. "But... You're not, right? No claw-marks?"

"Not that I can see." Wakiya answered, his voice becoming steadier. "I think you should sit down, Valt..."

"Yeah, I guess..." He let out an exhausted, heavy breath before plopping onto the floor. Ken knelt beside him, rubbing soothing circles against his back.

"Who are we going to send in next?" Daigo suddenly asked. He was still standing at the computers, watching the screens with a frown. "Shu is panicking, he doesn't know what happened..."

"I'll go." Rantaro replied. "And I'll tell him what happened so he knows Valt's okay."

"Sounds like a plan." Wakiya nodded, as did everyone else.

Soon the assistants had everything set back up, and Rantaro was in suspension. Seeing their friend like that wasn't any easier for the Bey Club. Everyone jumped when the doors slammed shut, even though there had been a warning.

Rantaro's heartbeat was about as fast as Valt's had been, but he calmed enough to fall asleep sooner.

"Oh Gods, oh Gods... Valt... Spryzen, what happened?!"

Shu listened desperately. "You'll learn soon. Pick up your weapon and proceed through the next hall."

Shu was torn between growling and screaming, but he listened regardless. Spryzen hadn't steered him wrong yet...

"Yet?" The spirit in question asked, sounding amused. Shu flinched, having already forgotten that Spryzen could hear his thoughts. Spryzen chuckled as its Blader lifted his ax and sheepishly trudged out of the room.

He only made it a few few down the hall before the dragons struck. The normal ones were there, but there were new ones. Based on Fafnir. Right away, Shu missed having a partner to fight with, someone to help him stand tall. It was just as hard as before to fight them off alone, harder now that his ax was drenched in dragon saliva, but he managed. Barely.

He weaved through the hall for a little longer, pausing when he reached a fountain spraying out water. At least, he hoped it was water. The red light made it look like blood, and considering how dark his mind had become, he couldn't be sure... He dipped the head of his ax into it and lifted it back out, trying to determine the consistency of the liquid. He had to dip it in a few more times before he could actually figure it out, but it was water.

So he washed his hands, cleaned out his wounds as best he could, then cleansed the ax, then spun it around like a baton to get it dry. There we go... He let out a soft breath as he traced the edges of the ax with his fingers. Valt's sword melted and was sent back into my weapon... Then Valt himself melted and disappeared. What does that mean? Is he alright? Did he... Did I let him die?

Before he could think further on it, dragons cried out in the distance. Dang it. I can't fight alone...

"Speaking of which." Spryzen suddenly chimed in, calling the attention of its Blader. "Concentrate on your medallion again. You need to draw a new weapon from it."