Within the next split second, everything happened too fast—Erinys screeching, Ed's cronies getting ready to pounce, a blur of blue light, a loud shout, and suddenly Ed and Erinys had turned around to an onslaught of sword slashes. A familiar voice screamed out. "Leave him alone! How DARE you!"

Joshua had never been as grateful for Valt as at this moment, when the younger teen had lost all sense of cool and abruptly sent Valkyrie flying right at Ed's face. The full image of her spirit manifested above her Bey like a bolt of lightning, so great was their rage.

But Ed, though in shock, soon recovered, and launched Erinys at Valkyrie so that both dropped into battle at the central Beystadium onset.

To his cronies, he snapped out a command:

"Seize him."

Immediately the grounds were thrown into chaos, with Director Sam scrambling to shoo everyone out of the way, Ed and Valt locked in ferocious Beybattle, the security running amok, the masked cronies throwing people to the ground as they made to capture Joshua.

So much was happening at once. And yet there wasn't much happening at all within the little space.

"HELP!" Joshua screamed, raising his arms above his head. The fake ninja cronies leapt through the air with hands outstretched, almost as if laughing in glee. One gnarly hand nabbed at his cape, another at his arm. He screeched again and squeezed his eyes shut in fright.

Bang.

Bang.

Bang.

The weights lifted from his body.

He opened his eyes a crack.

Broken weapons lay strewn on the floor. The cronies had been thrown back, and all of them lay sprawled on the ground, coughing up dust. Some clutched their bleeding hands.

What... what?

But he had no time to think, because within the next moment, someone had grabbed the back of his cape and practically yeeted him out of the tumult behind the police barricade sign. He landed with a loud thud which knocked the wind right out of him.

There was a crackling sound, and a feminine voice. "Emergency alert, we're under attack," it said. "There's a horde of rogue extras harassing the actors and crewmen. Over."

Joshua weakly sputtered in the dust, scrabbling at the barricade sign. A hand grabbed his cape again—wow, the fabric didn't rip—and hoisted him upright. "Are you okay, sir?"

Whoever it was, the sun made it hard for him to see. He squinted—

Oh.

It was that red-haired cop with the bulletproof vest.

He locked eyes with her and found that he couldn't speak, still winded by the throw. Or maybe he was just super startled.

She repeated her question, seeming the slightest bit more concerned. "Are you okay, Mr. Burns? I really don't want you dying on me," she said, snapping her fingers in front of his face.

Joshua shook his head vigorously to clear his vision and winced. "I'm... fine," he groaned. "Dude, I think you ripped my cape..."

The woman rolled her eyes. "Oh, not even a thank you for saving your life?" she snorted.

"What do you mean? We're still under attack!" Joshua shrieked, gesturing to the continued noises of of overturned steel beams and crashing humans on the other side of the barrier.

"Joshua!" Karina shouted. She stumbled over to the duo. "Joshua! Joshua, are you okay?!"

Joshua found himself smothered in a fierce bear hug and winced, trying to wriggle out of his sister's arms. "I'll be fine, Rina—you're—kinda choking me—right now—" he sputtered.

Karina loosened her arms apologetically. "I'm sorry!" she gasped, letting him catch his breath once again. "But you were cornered up there! What happened? Did you get hurt anywhere?" She turned and tilted her head every which way, poking at Joshua's forehead, examining his scratches.

"Woman, I said, I'll be fine!" Joshua huffed. "Just really spooked, that's all!"

"Are you sure?" Karina asked, frowning her typical worried frown.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure," Joshua said, waving her off. "Don't worry about it." No, he was most definitely not fine, but like hell was he letting his sister know. He was a stellar actor anyway.

Karina exhaled, looking somewhat more relieved. "Okay. If you say so."

"Ahem," said the long-forgotten cop.

Karina jumped and whipped her head around. "Oh! I'm sorry, ma'am, I didn't see you! Thank you so much for saving my brother's life," she exclaimed.

The cop nodded. "Sure thing, miss," she said with a shrug. She turned to Joshua. "But down to business. Congratulations, Mr. Burns, you just managed to survive a near-abduction attempt. Although I highly suspect they were more tying to make a spectacle of executing you."

Joshua flinched and wrinkled his nose. "Uhm—ex-cuse me, but who are—"

"The name's Ivy," the woman interrupted, standing up and putting some type of equipment on her belt. "Agent Ivy Jones. I'm part of the WBBA Surveillance Network. We've been on your case for a while now, actually."

Holy crap.

Joshua had only ever heard about the WBBA's legendary private investigators, but now here was one, right in the flesh. Admittedly, she looked much more like a random cop than the S.H.I.E.L.D agent/Mission Impossible spy he was expecting, but still. Holy crap.

Wait a minute.

"You guys have a case file on me?" he asked. "What did I do?"

"Not on you specifically," Ivy shrugged. "Director wanted one on the case of all your potential assassins. If you want me to continue yapping here, though, I figure a bullet will get you first."

Oh, right. He'd forgotten about the firing people.

In the meantime, Ivy had directed Karina off to someone named Agent Tarver because there would be less chance of them both getting killed, or something like that.

And then Joshua heard something whizz by his ear and lurched up again like an electrocuted cat. Wildly, he flailed his arms. "What do we do now? What do we do?" he blubbered.

Ivy secured something on her vest. "Calm your horse, we're getting to that part," she grumbled. "We have to go that way through the lot around the back. There's a better chance of not getting shot directly if we skirt the perimeter."

Joshua paled. "...Heh?"

Ivy looked at him dully. "You've never run through a scene with flying bullets, have you?" she asked.

"Uhm, heheh, no?" Joshua chuckled nervously. "Okay... listen, Agent Jones, I'm pretty sure real bullets is different than CGI."

"As if that weren't obvious from the start, which is why I said we go around to have a less chance of getting hit ," she snapped. "When I give the signal, make a break for it."

Joshua froze. "Wait, what?"

"Run!" Ivy commanded. And off she bolted.

"B-but I'm not READY!" Joshua yelped. Still, his feet seemed to move on their own in a mad dash across the set, following the woman in front of him. Miraculously, the path was completely clear.

"Joshua Burns right there! Get him!" one of the ninja cronies shouted. Now that Joshua could see clearly, he realized that security was chasing down the assailants and directing everyone off. Valt was still there, yelling angrily with Valkyrie in his hand. Ed was nowhere to be seen.

He heard a couple shots flying around him. However much he wanted to look was trampled by his terror. But then, of course, curiosity caught up to fear.

A quick peek over the shoulder sent him sprinting as the mass of extras—well, criminals—stirred up a blinding cloud of dust in their pursuit of him. He willed his feet to go as fast as his internal monologue. Geez, are ALL of the ninja dudes after me? How many are there?!

"Agent! Help meee!" Joshua screamed, skidding across the ground in a mad attempt to catch up with the redhead in front of him. The duo screeched to a halt in front of his very own black SUV.

He whirled about. They were surrounded on all sides.

The closest ones crumpled down, weapons falling out of their suddenly-maimed hands. He glanced over at the red-haired woman next to him, her weapon cocked at yet another person.

Ivy stuck her gun back in its holster and glanced at him, clicking her teeth. "Can I just say, that's a horrible costume," she said.

Joshua gaped. "Excuse me?!" he said indignantly.

"Also, that cape might get in the way," Ivy continued. She glanced behind them. "Should've just ripped it off back there anyway. Also, whose old car is this?"

"Old car?! That's my car!" Joshua shouted. "Agent Jones, we may have just met, but I really don't appreciate you calling it old WATCH OUT!" He yelped as a flying fragment of rock narrowly missed his head.

They turned to their oncoming assailants.

Ivy blinked. And glanced over at Joshua with narrowed eyes. "Your car, huh?"

He stared back apprehensively.

She looked at the car, and then at the crooks.

"How fast can you drive?"

Lol. I've descended into madness. Be ready for cringeness.