Media: Doji

Grayson Grant a wasn't the most stealthy when he dropped from the ceiling. 

Instead, he was more like a sloth who fell from a tree compared to Hyoma.

Hyoma offered a hand to the Dark Virgo blader, pulling him up, then glancing up at me and giving me a thumbs-up.

I slid my hand down the rope, making sure Grayson hadn't somehow messed it up before wrapping my legs around it, taking a slow descent down.

"Good grief, you're slow," Grayson mumbled.

"Says the one who fell to the ground like the sky did in Chicken Little," I shot back in a hiss. 

"It takes talent to trip over a stray patch of air. Or fall down a rope." 

To shut us up, Hyoma lightly cuffed us over the head. "Tess, you're the only one here who knows the layout of the building. Perhaps, do you know where we could find out the layout. No offense, but your directions are on the lower scale of-"

"Sucking," Grayson finished. 

Elbowing him in the side, I turned my attention back to Hyoma. "No, really. I just kinda... wandered. Didn't know where the hell I was. So, to follow me would be a death trap." 

The Aries blader nodded, lips pursed, deep in thought. After a moment of thinking, he made a gesture to follow him, before turning his back to look down the hallway.

Bringing a finger to his lips, Hyoma slid into the darkness, the only sign of him being there being the weird-light cast off by his periwinkle hair. 

I mimicked my action to Grayson, who only rolled his eyes before following him in. The only sound for a few minutes was the shuffle of feet sliding across metal, sometimes unnoticeable. Hyoma hardly made a sound, while... Grayson and I weren't as quiet. 

"Ow...!"

I bumped against Hyoma's- at least, I think so- back, scowling as I rubbed at my chin. Barely making out the hand he held in the air, I sucked in a breath, and waited for any sign.

Around the corner ahead, the lights flickered on.

"Aw, man, I have to be stuck with you," someone complained. 

"I can't exactly say it's a privilege to have to work with you," their companion responded calmly. 

The little boy I had seen several times before- Yu- appeared, hands locked behind his head as he walked. His stride was overly confident, swinging his legs up high before him before bringing them back to the ground. 

Behind him was Tsubasa, face wiped clear, a blank slate in place. 

"Move," was Hyoma's command. The creak of metal came from next to me, and my arm bumped against his hand, only to find an empty space beyond. "In there." 

Yu's complaining seemed too loud for the boy to hear the Aries blader.

I went first, stepping high just in case there was something raised in the door, like in the rooms on a ship. 

Grayson followed, releasing a small 'oohmf!', which told me that that was, in fact, a raised bar. 

As expected, Hyoma went last, and I allowed myself only then to breathe, realizing that my lungs were starting to ache, as if they were threatening to collapse. 

"Huh? Did'ya hear that?" 

"I'm sure it's nothing, little boy. I didn't hear anything."

"That's because you're an oldie! And you know that hearing decreases with age!"

"I'm only sixteen. I'm turning seventeen this year." 

Soon, the banter faded (more of the bickering on Yu's side), and Hyoma stepped out. "Clear, as of now," he confirmed, voice low. 

I met his blue-eyed gaze, surprised by the frown lurking on his lips. "There's an intersection of three... we don't have enough time to cover them as a group."

"You're suggesting we split up?!" Grayson exclaimed. 

"Keep quiet," the other teenager reminded him. "But yes, I am. Three pathways, three people. We came down the fourth pathway. We still have the earpieces." 

"We all have the same mission anyway..." I murmured. "To rescue as many prisoners as possible, right?"

"Yours is more specific, as you are looking for Saki and Shaun, but yes," Hyoma nodded. 

"Then I'm up for it."

Still looking unsure, Grayson shifted his weight between his left and right foot. "..."

"We can all take care of ourselves just fine," I reminded him. 

"You still have a concussion, Tess." 

I winced at the thought- why did it have to slip out when we were leaving that damn place? "I'll be fine. I won't push myself too far, I promise." 

"You're reckless," Hyoma objected. "But I trust you. Should I?" 

"Yeah. You can trust me," I nodded. 

Reckless, my ass! It's not like, if I saw Doji, I would charge at him.

I take that back. I would.

"I'll take left," the Aries blader said. "Tess, you go center. Grayson, you go right." 

I turned towards the intersection, my eyes skimming up and down the hallway. "Oh, just remember, pour Doji's orange juice over his head. At least once before we leave." 

-

Another camera crunched beneath my feet. 

"He's probably aware someone's taking out his cameras," I mused, retrieving Eagle. Even in the dim lighting provided by the blinking red lights on either side of me, I checked over my companion for scratches. There was a nasty one along his fusion wheel, but it looked quite old. 

I found it a bit strange.

Even when Kyoya and I raided the Dark Nebula headquarters two (I think it was two days ago, in the very least) day ago, all the hallways were lit to the brim. You could freaking see fingerprints of those damnable silver walls.  

Now, the only light was, as mentioned earlier, the red lights. 

I frowned to myself, reaching up to tap my earpiece. "Yo, Arashi. What's going on? Or anyone, really."

We agreed to use the earpieces that often, as the crackle and voice could give a location away. 

"I found a beyblade lab. Funky-lookin' machines," my cousin responded. Nearly jumping at the sudden sound (what? I didn't expect it to be that loud), I pressed the button again.

"How do you know that it's a beyblade lab?"

"There's a beyblade sitting right upon of one of the conveyer belts. The facebolt... hm, looks like Kellin Quinn."

I choked. "What?" 

"I'm kidding. Looks more like a Cancer." 

"Which one? Lung cancer? Lip can-"

"I'm talking about the crab, baka."

I could hear the slap of Una's facepalm. 

"I'm glad you guys are getting along after the baka catfight I walked in on, but I'm just outside of what seems like a pretty fancy office, so it might be Doji's. Keep it down, kay?" 

I nodded, then forgot Grayson couldn't see me. "Yeah. Catch up later." 

With that, the earpiece went quiet as the silent agreement carried out. 

I kept moving on forward, hiding behind corners before checking anyone was ahead, but it was... strange.

It was like the place was abandoned.

"This place is usually lurking with those goons," I mumbled. "Where the hell even are they? It's not like they knew this in advance." 

"Perhaps they did, Rixen." 

At my last name, I whipped around, then let out a string of colorful curses.

Doji lowered his comb, sweeping that stupid yellow strand aside. 

"...I see you haven't honored our deal."