Albino Squad

Epilogue: Don't Tell Valt

"Kurenai."

"Hmm?" Shu curled his fingers into a fist and uncurled them, enjoying the feeling of the wind. The wind! He'd barely been able to feel anything for the last three years. It tickled a little, but it felt amazing.

"Why are you still talking to me?"

Shu blinked once, the only sign of confusion he was willing to give. Another thing: he could finally change his emotions and reactions at will again.

"You've gotten what you wanted from the Albino Squad. You beat me, 4-0. So why haven't you gone back to America?"

The albino blader considered it for a moment. It was true, he'd thought of going back to America to the Ragin Bulls, but his instincts tugged at him to stay in Japan. Because it was the only thing he'd ever trusted, Shu stayed.

"I suppose I've formed an unhealthy attachment to albinos," he replied.

Phi smirked. "Really?"

"I also enjoy destroying you in Super Smash Bros. Tournaments."

He shrugged. "That's fair."

They sat in silence for a moment, letting the wind blow through their hair. Shu smiled as he remembered what had happened at this park. Valt had started training here, he'd faceplanted off a skateboard, Shu'd accidentally left a fist-shaped hole through the bench- it was still there- and this was the last place the entire Beyclub had been together.

He glanced at Phi, at his content look, and decided to shake things up. "Have the nightmares gotten any better?"

"A little," Phi admitted, head dropping. It was strange to see him slouching, even stranger to see him without his coat or armor. For some reason, he'd tied his hair in pigtails- just like he'd asked Shu to do for him at school- and put on ripped black jeans and one of Shu's collared shirts.

How he got into Shu's room to get that was a mystery that would never be solved.

"The details started fading, but other things replace it. Almost to the point where I wish I remembered." He huffed an annoyed breath. "You?"

"Red Eye's happy with winning, for now."

Phi hit his arm, then yelped. "Owch! Is your arm made of freaking stone?"

He felt heat shoot up his face, but no pain. That was strange. Even around Valt, the heat had been agony. Why wasn't it now?

"Blame Red Eye. Makes it difficult to not get noticed." He gave a smirk. "Red Eye did everything I couldn't, goddammit. Probably why the nightmares aren't go-"

Phi's head snapped up and stared at him, and his eyes were filled with anger. Shu immediately stopped, cursing himself for divulging too much information. "Stop saying things like that."

"Like what?"

He stood up and started pacing in a very un-Phi way. "Everything good about you isn't Red Eye! Your strength and dedication was your own doing, not his! You're the same person, you did the same things! Red Eye did not break four beyblades. You did! Red Eye did not beat Lui. You did!"

Shu opened his mouth, but froze. Phi was right. That was terrifying on its own, but... god, he'd never realized. Unlike popular opinion, unlike what even Valt believed, he'd willingly merged with Spryzen. He'd taken all the pain and made something out of it. Shu'd made some shit choices, but when he looked at them- really looked, not avoided and ignored them- he knew they were all his own. Destroying the beys- his own. A form of revenge against Free, to prove that he would cross lines they wouldn't. Beating Lui- oh, he'd seen the video of Free and Lui, and he knew what the Dragon blader would think.