The sun beamed down onto my face, as a result of my negligence to close the blinds the night before. It wasn’t too bad of an early wake, just an hour before usual. I got up slowly and shuffled to the bathroom. I completed my usual routine and then went down to make some breakfast. As the water heated for my tea, I toasted a bagel. After what seemed like a relatively normal person’s morning, it was time to get ready for work.

Put on a bullet-proof vest, and slipped on another protective layer. After that, came my usual white shirt and tie. Then from the back of my closet, I drew out my pistol and tucked it safely in my pocket. I jolted down the stairs and proceeded to the front door. Just before leaving, I looked back at my living room. Yep, nothing suspicious there. Even if the house was raided for information, they wouldn't find it.

The chilly autumn breeze greeted me as I stepped out. In the driveway, was my old heap of junk called a car. It worked fine and as long as it got me to work, I couldn’t complain. I could easily afford a couple of flashy looking expensive cars, but my boss strictly told me to not keep anything that attracts attention.
As a spy, it was of utmost importance to blend into the general public as smoothly as possible.

Work was located almost an hour of a drive away from my residence. It was a simple route for the most part. Drive up the highway for about half an hour then take the exit right onto Sync Street. Continue downwards and then turn left onto the plaza parking lot. Park my car in a normal spot and stride into the café. Greet the owner and make my to the washrooms. As usual, the third stall from the left was out of service and so I went right in. I took off the lid for the paper towel dispenser and punched in the passcode.

The electronic device made a small and cold electronic beep as the small light flashed green. And then the device unlocked the card scanner. I took out my ID card and slid it in. After validating my ID, it asked for a retina scan. Finally, all the security tests had been done. The wall behind the toilet made an unlocking noise. Of course, the wall wasn’t really a wall. It could be pushed open just like a door after it had been unlocked. The staircase was just a few steps behind the wall. I descended into the darkness.

“Ah, Carter, decided to pop in early today?” The receptionist questioned before handing me my key card that granted me access to my locker. I nodded and gave her a smile before taking the card and walking down the hallway lined with metal lockers. I opened mines up and took out my other gadgets that were too risky to keep at home. Some of them being my communications watch and Beyblade. I could use the watch as a radio to communicate with other agents during a mission. And the Beyblade was a special device that could project holograms and it could also serve as a weapon. Speaking of missions, I hadn’t been on one in a very long time. I wondered what was holding up our investigation.

A voice interrupted my chain of thought. “Hey Jonathan!” Alison yelled from down the hall. I waved back as she came closer. Her locker was just a couple of feet away from mines.

“So, did you get any news on the investigation from the boss?” I questioned.

“Nuh-uh. Even his staff is being quite secretive about it. I have no idea what is holding them up. I wonder if they’ll brief us about it today.”

“Hm, sounds weird. I guess only time will tell if we’ll get any info about it.”

She opened up her own locker and took out her own gadgets. They were the same as mines, except for one thing … her Beyblade. Instead of being a metallic grey like mines, hers was gun-metal black. Of course, everyone’s blade was different.

They were all programmed with the hologram of their owner. In case anyone was about to be caught spying, they could spin their Beyblade and it would let out a holographic projection of their owner. That way, the enemy could be tricked into believing that was the real spy. As they chased after the projection, the real spy could get away safely.

Aside from its cool holographic abilities, it could also be used as a secondary weapon. It was weaker than a gun but it could hold up to four small bullets at a time. When spun, it could shoot those out. It could also release smoke upon request. Last but not least, it could blow up like a detonator.

I looked at the cold metal Beyblade gripped in my palm. So small, yet so destructive. One of the sides was a bit chipped due to our last scrape together. We were just about to board the helicopter to escape the enemy base when the one of the enemy grunts decided to take his last shot to kill me. Fortunately he missed, and so almost instinctively, I release my Beyblade. It only took two bullets to knock him to the ground.

While it was true that my Beyblade was just a piece of metal with implementation of advanced technology, I felt it had a part of me embedded in it. Ironically, it was true. As my holographic counterpart was in it. I chuckled at my own pun.

It was a large room, with a set of chairs aligned in a semi-circle to face the front projector. The projector was on and on the front wall it was displaying the Organizations insignia with the text “Project Z”. I had never heard of “Project Z” before. I assume it was going to be discussed in today’s meeting. Four other agents had already taken their seats and we’re sitting idly yet attentively in the room. I took the seat at the far end and Alison soon joined me.

The boss strode in just a couple minutes after we had taken our seats. Without a word, he made his way to the front and turned to face us. His old age clearly was reflected in his posture and strained face.

“Our last mission was a success, but we were nowhere near uncovering the truth. It seems as though the Elestix have outdone us again. The files were useless.”

The Elestix’s was a secret society that was manufacturing a Beyblade. It would have more destructive powers than the world has ever seen before. Their goal for world domination was more than enough of a reason to crackdown on their project. Imagine if they used that kind of power mindlessly? Imagine how many innocent lives would be lost? My mind flashed back to my last mission.

The cold was unforgiving. My hands were frozen as I climbed up the side of the mountain. Right behind me was my partner Dawson. We made it after what seemed like an eternity, we made it to the summit. Just as we were informed, there would be a small cabin at the top. In there, the Elestix hid some of their files. It would be too risky for them to hide all their files in one place, so they scattered most of it all over the continent. We entered the cabin after kicking down the frozen door. Inside, there was a small cabinet with files in it. Not knowing which ones were important, I stuffed them all into my bag. We did a last scan of the cabin and then we left. Down the mountain we went and when we were back on the ground, we radioed in for a helicopter to take us home. Just as we were about to leave, one member of the Elestix made an attempt to shoot us down in cold blood. Fortunately, my Beyblade saved us.

No deaths. Files retrieved. It seemed like a mission very well done. Actually, it was a bit too easy for our satisfaction. After having being decoded at the base, the files said this:

“The world and its feeble people have no importance in the mission to gain world dominance. We will do whatever it takes to attain supreme power. Deaths are only a small casualty in the great struggle for justice. Now, let us construct a true weapon. A weapon that strikes fear into the hearts of the enemy. Let us construct a true weapon of mass destruction. You have been warned, stand as an obstacle and be shot down.”

I knew it was too easy of an investigation to have turned up true results. It wasn’t a wasted mission though; at least we know knew what they were up to. We had a lead. The next mission would be done just two weeks after mines. I didn’t go this time though. It was Alison and Montgomery. Their mission was also moderately satisfying.

I focused back on the boss. He explained further.

“… and so we have now almost all the information. Except for one last thing. We know what they are constructing and why they are doing so. But we don’t actually know where they’ve been hiding it. And therefore, congratulations Carter and Alison, you’ve been chosen to carry out the last and most important mission.”

My whole body tensed up. The most important mission? This was so much to take in in so little time.

“I’ll see you both in my office for briefing. The rest, you are dismissed.”

I turned to look at Alison. She didn’t seem too excited. She seemed a bit scared. I put a hand on her shoulder. “Hey, it’ll be alright. Besides, we’ll get promoted after this one!” I reassured her. She smiled a bit and nodded. I got up to leave and she followed suit. Down we went, right into the office.

“You will be leaving tomorrow at 10 AM sharp. I expect you to be ready at that time to depart. I have arranged for a helicopter to drop you off on the north side of the mountainous region of Russia’s capital city. From there, you will continue south deep into the valleys of the mountain. You will soon see an abandoned military base. That is the only base we haven’t infiltrated for information. It is expected that the location of this destructive Beyblade is hidden somewhere in this base. Your job is to get in and get out with the information as quickly as possible. We have reports that this base might be guarded. So please take caution. I wish you both the best of luck.”

I nodded as professionally as I could. My palms were moist and suddenly my tie felt a bit tight. Beside me, stood a reserved Alison. I saluted the boss as I exited the office. I made my way back to the meeting room. Alison soon joined me to share the melancholic silence.

“So, we are leaving tomorrow …”
“Yeah, I know …”
“You scared?”
“Nah, it’ll just be like all the other missions. We go in and we get out.”
“Okay.”
“Hey, cheer up Alison. Remember, we get promoted after this!”
“I know, but I don’t have a good feeling about this.”
I placed my hand over hers gently.
“We’re coming back together. I promise.”

I was here and ready to leave. I was determined to succeed and nothing was going to get in my way. The helicopter was a brownish color so that it would blend in slightly with the mountains. He would drop us off and wait for our return. I did a final check of my belongings and nervously fidgeted with my watch. When Alison would arrive, I would sync both of our watches together so that we could communicate. I put my hand in my pocket and felt the cold metal of my Beyblade.

She soon joined me in the helicopter. She didn’t look as worried as yesterday. I reminded her about the watch syncing. We turned the dials on our watch to the same frequency and they both made a beep. We were informed that we were going to land in just a couple of hours.

“You know the plan, right?”
“Yessir! Just go in the base through the rear entrance where there are no guards. Make our way down to the abandoned office and take out the file with the location. After that, we make our way safely out and book it to the mountains. Climb up and from there, back to the helicopter.”
“Aha, yes. You do learn fast!”
She punched me playfully in the shoulder.
“You know, there’s a reason why I got chosen for this mission …”
“I know, I know” I chuckled.

I busied myself with my Beyblade. Tracing over the metallic indents slowly. The pilot announced that we would reach in about half an hour. I got ready to land as Alison did the same.

“Alright Agents, good luck to you. I will be waiting here, awaiting your arrival. Remember, any change of plans, and I’m just a radio call away.” He announced pointing to his watch.

I threw on my backpack and we both departed. We disappeared deep into the valley of the mountains. We moved silently and crouched behind the large boulders along the way every time we heard a noise. Fortunately, it was only the mountain creatures and not any guards. So far, so good.

We walked on for what seemed like hours. Just as I was about to stop and ask Alison if we were going in the right direction, the base came into view. As described, it was surely abandoned. No vehicles outside. We crept alongside the boulders to the back of the base. I made sure there wasn’t anybody there when we dashed to the back of the base.

The great metallic door was the only thing between us and the interior of the base. It was however rusted shut. I pulled out my Beyblade and gave it a spin. It used its razor sharp blades to force the rust off. After that, I simply pried it open slowly. It gave easily and I set it aside. We crept into the base. With no idea of what was awaiting us.

We both felt our way around the halls of the base. It was deserted. I had a feeling that maybe this was the wrong one. No, they couldn’t have it wrong. This was the right one. I equipped myself with the gun as Alison did the same. We made it to the east side of the base and at the end of the hallway was a door with a plaque saying “OFFICE”. I opened it slowly as Alison stood guard. Once I turned the light on and made sure the case was clear, we entered cautiously.

The scene was overwhelming. Papers scattered everywhere. Were we too late? Had someone already made off with the files? I felt my heart drop a bit. I didn’t waste any time though; I went straight to shuffling through the papers. Alison did the same at the other end of the office. We looked through piles upon piles of different Beyblade sketches. Some with illegally modified blades. Some with extra bullets in them. Some with a WOMD in them …

Wait. A WOMD? What was that? I’ve never heard of it before. It sure seemed like a deadly weapon. I took the sketch of that Beyblade and continued to shuffle through the other cabinet. At the end of the cabinet, there was a folder that was colored a bit different than the others. I yanked it out and on the cover, it read “WOMD Beyblade Prototype 2”.
I opened it quickly and the contents were much to my surprise. It had a sketch of the Beyblade. With labels all over it explaining what each part would do. The other sheet looked like a sheet that you would use to place orders for something. I looked down at the quantity and it said “4354”. They were ordering 4354 of these Beyblades? What for? The next sheet would answer my question …

“WOMD BEYBLADE PROTOTYPE 2”
EQUIPPED WITH WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION. KEY TO WORLD DOMINATION”.

So they were distributing these blades to members of Elestix? So that they could take over the world? Now wasn’t the time to ponder over how they were going to achieve control of the world. I called out to Alison who was by my side in no time.

“Looks like this is it”, she said.
“Yeah, see here, it even has a map of the factory where they’re producing them.”
“We should get going then.”

We turned off the lights and exited the office quietly. Something didn’t seem right about the silence, but still … we would be out in a matter of moments.