Beyblade Burst Revolution

Chapter 8: Let's Run

Silence filled the morning air as the sun shone through my window. The only sound I could hear was the birds chirping and the slight chattering of my neighbors waking up. But, it was the silence that scared me. There was no young voice yelling at me to wake up before my alarm clock started ringing. Taking a deep breath, I turned off my alarm before it would start blaring.

"Ryota, wake up!" I shouted. Paranoia always ran through me in the morning. I'm always afraid that in the middle of the night, he'll be taken away.  

"Ryota, I'm making breakfast!" I yelled again on my way to his room.

I gently pushed the door open, holding in my breath. Immediately I screamed when I realized that he was gone from his room. I ran out, screaming his name as I traveled to the living room. Suddenly, I tripped and fell on my knees. Looking back, I noticed a clear tripwire. 'No...' I thought to myself. Just as I predicted, a random projector appeared in the middle of the living room as a hologram of the Gator showed up.

"Good morning! Diago, so good to see you again!" He cheered. I clenched my fist as I rose from the ground.

"I'm so tired of playing your games!" I shouted, realizing it was no use. It's a prerecorded visual there's no way he would be able to hear me. 

"I know what you're thinking, ugh, why is this lizard man always attacking me. Boohoo! Well, I woke up, bored out of my mind! So, I thought, why not start the plan early! Isn't that exciting!?" I groaned. All I wanted was to be left alone with my brother and my friends! "Games, you people call them, well, I have a game for you! You have exactly 1 hour to look for your younger brother before one of my friends runs away with him heading south. He's somewhere in this building, hehe! Good luck!!" 

Huh!? How am I supposed to find him in that amount of time? I can't do it alone. Right away, I called for Valt and the rest. 10 minutes in and I'm already sweating from head to toe. I'm not sure if this horrid mission is for some weird training practice that the Gator's trying to make me do while also keeping Ryota hostage. I look left and right before sliding back into the elevator.

Once the elevator doors opened, I smiled. Valt, Honcho, Shu, and the people we met back at the farm. They all had a serious look on their face as I responded with an expression of my own.

"Why are they here?" I questioned. Shu smiled for a bit, then stared into my eyes.

"They're here to help because we're going to need it." He answered sternly. Small tears formed as I attempted to dry them with my sleeve.

"Diago!! Don't cry!" Valt stated with concern clear in his voice, "We're going to find him, I promise." 

"Thank you, thank you all! Now, let's stop wasting time. I already checked all of the floors above me and we still have 30 more to go. Once we finished, we meet up at the parking level." I ordered. They nodded their heads as we split up. I sprinted right for the stairs and rushed down to the next floor. 

Nothing! Nothing, nothing, nothing!! Everywhere I looked and searched, nothing! The halls are nearly empty except for a few neighbors here and there. I doubt Gator would even be cruel enough to put him in an actual apartment room. 

I bumped into Shu on my way to the next floor as we were dripping in sweat. Panting, I couldn't feel my legs anymore. It was as if they were made of noodles and grew sore by the second. I rested my body by leaning on a wall. I can't stop now. But I've been racing these floors at record speed.  

Pulling out my phone, we only had less than 5 minutes left. I watched Shu as he straightened his body. 

"I'm not giving up. We have the parking level left. If no one else declared anything yet, then that's where we go." I stared at him as my mind greatly grew blank from the fatigue in my body. "NOW!" I jolted. That's when I woke up, I snapped. What am I doing? I can't be resting while my brother's in danger.

I screamed as I ran down the last few flights of stairs. The rest heard my intense yelling as they ran beside me. Kicking the door open, I panted as I flicked my head left and right. There were no signs of Ryota anywhere. Only idle parked cars.

However, the air felt thin as I could barely catch my breath. The air was icy cold and I zippered up my sweater. Hugging my body for warmth, I called out for my little brother. 

"Ryota!! Are you here?!" I scream. For a moment, there was silence. Pure silence filled the air, then... 

"Diago!! I'm here!" Turning my head around left and right, standing in front of me was my little brother. He was standing still, fear clear in his eyes. He wasn't running over to me, what was restraining him? Out of nowhere, I shrieked as a dark shadow came to life. He held Ryoyta by the arm, but how?! Shadows can't come to life! They don't have a physical form! 

My body grew cold as the shadow looked exactly like me. The same outline of my spiky hair, my outfit, everything. Its eyes glowed dark purple as it stared at me. It smiled while letting out a dark chuckle. Suddenly, a puff of smoke flashed before my eyes as a stadium rigged with spikes appeared. My arm started moving on its own as the shadow did the same. I really was staring into a mirror.

"The names... Kage." It claimed with a low and raspy voice, "Beat me in a battle, and maybe we could make a deal."

"How do I know if you're not lying?!" I screamed, unintentionally bending my knees with my launcher hovering over the stadium. Even Rantaro was acting weird. Walking over as he places his fan in between us. 

"You will just have to find out." 

"This is a 1 point battle! The first to get a point wins the match. Ready! Set!!" Honcho declared.

"3!"

"2!"

"1!"

"LET IT RIP!"

And Dark Doomscizor was off! It roared and chased after its opponent. But, I couldn't believe my eyes. Kage's bey, it was a replica of Doomscizor. Nani!? How!? It was just like my bey, but with black and silver streaks running around it. I'm battling a mirror, no, I'm battling my shadow. 

"Now! Quake launch!" I screamed! Immediately, Doomscizor raced towards the center and after it's shadow. 

"Quake launch!" Kage shouted. He has the same moves!? No! I can't get psyched out now, I have to win. I need to win! 

The two beys collide as sparks were flying. My heart was pounding and my hands were clenched into fists. I'm not going to stop fighting!

"You got this Doomsizor!!" The fire was raging as I shot my fist in the air. I'm not giving up! Then BANG! The beys shot through each other and aimed right for the walls of the stadium. My eyes grew wide as I just realized the metal spikes running on the sides. "Watch out!" But, it was too late. Both beys burst as the parts flew in the air, colliding with the ground behind us.

Kage and I flicked our heads to look right at Honcho. His hands were shaking as he shook his head from side to side. Raising his fan in the air, I couldn't believe what he did.

"I-I...Kage wins with a score of 2 to nil!" Honcho declared, his voice trembling as he pointed the giant fan at my shadow. 

"I'm afraid you lost." It whispered harshly. Ryota turned his body and sprinted for the door out of the parking lot exit. 

"RYOTA!! WAIT!!" I screamed. Without thinking, I ran after him, only to be thrown to the ground by Valt. Looking up, I watched as a car zoomed past by me. 

"Be careful!" He scolded. I whispered a thank you under my breath. Slowly, we got up from the asphalt and watched as another car run by. "After him!"