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Chapter Text

Yu kicked his feet against the chair legs, wishing they reached the floor. Then again, swinging his legs was kind of fun. But he was so bored . Tsubasa was supposed to take him to the bey park that day, but he had to stop at the WBBA office first. What was taking him so long? Yu could see Tsubasa through the meeting room window, deep in conversation with three men in suits and Gingky’s dad, the Phoenix guy. He seemed to have forgotten all about Yu.

         Looking around for something to do, Yu spotted a vending machine down the hall. He checked his pockets and found a handful of change. Maybe enough for a snack. He glanced back through the window, where Tsubasa was still paying attention to one of the suits. He didn’t notice Yu slip away down the hall.

         The chocolate bar tasted pretty good. Munching, Yu turned to go back to his seat, but a view down a hallway that he hadn’t been able to see before caught his attention. Curious, he went over to investigate. There was a huge wall made of glass, and he was able to look down into a giant bey stadium. “Whoa, so cool!” Yu pressed his face to the glass, watching two bladers in WBBA training uniforms battle. They were good, but nowhere near his level. Even so… “Aw man, that looks so fun!” Yu whined. He could see the entrance to the stadium through the window, far below and across the large room. Could he find the way there from here? Yu looked back up the hallway. There was no sign that Tsubasa was finished, and defeating those guys down there wouldn’t take long. It would be a good warm up before facing Kenchi and the others at the bey park. With one last look over his shoulder, Yu scampered off down the corridor. 

After going around a few corners, he found a stairwell through a heavy metal door. Going down a few flights, Yu emerged on a level of the building that seemed too severe to be beyblade headquarters. The halls were narrow and plain grey concrete. There were no windows, just harsh lights in the ceiling to light the way. Perhaps he’d gone too far down and was underground? 

Finally he turned down a corridor that measured wider than the previous ones. Hoping that meant that it was a central hallway where people would be, Yu picked up his pace. Was that… yes! Up ahead he could hear voices and the telltale clash of a bey battle. Eagerly he burst through the nearest door—

Yu pulled up short, paralyzed with shock at who he saw battling. On the far side of the room, that jerky WBBA guy he’d met last week—what was his name? Con something?—was wearing the same sneer he’d had before, but on Yu’s side of the stadium, their backs to him, were those twin guys who’d been part of the DN. The Gemios users. He hadn’t really interacted with them much, but the last time he’d seen them was in that cell where Doji had dumped him after the kidnapping, along with all the other defeated DN bladers. So what were they doing here? 

No one had noticed him yet. As the beys clashed in the stadium, Con-what’s it was smirking. “Is that really all you’ve got? I thought this bey was created with that fancy remodeling system? Or are you both just incredibly weak bladers?” 

“We’re not weak!” the Fire Twin shouted with a clenched fist. “Gemios hasn’t fully recovered since battling L-Drago!” 

“Sounds to me like you’re making excuses,” Conny closed his eyes, losing interest in the battle fast. “At least come at me with a special move, or do you even have one?” 

Fire Twin shook with rage. Icy Twin started speaking in a low voice so Conny couldn’t hear, but Yu was close enough to. “He’s trying to upset us, Dan. We can’t listen to his taunting.”

“This isn’t right,” Fire Twin—Dan—replied, looking at his brother with flashing eyes. “His cruel behavior reminds me too much of Ryuga!” Yu inhaled a little too sharply, and the twins’ heads jerked around at the noise. “Who’s there?” Dan called. 

From across the stadium, Conny’s eyes narrowed. “What’s going on over there?” he called. “If you aren’t going to even try, I’ll crush you with one move. Heracles! Nemean Lion!” The twins whipped around, but it was too late. Conny’s bey sent Gemios flying out of the stadium; it went past the twins and landed dangerously close to where Yu stood. Icy Twin made his way forward to collect it; Yu was debating if he should try to duck out of sight when the blue-wearing twin spotted him. 

He let out a cry of shock and stepped back, which made Fire Twin turn to see what was going on. He too gaped at Yu when he saw him. Awkwardly Yu came forward and picked up Gemios, holding it out like a peace offering, trying not to wince at how dull the bey looked, when once it had glittered. No doubt a remnant from battling L-Drago. “Hey guys,” he gave them a weak smile. “How’s it going?” 

Overcoming the initial surprise, Dan accepted the offered bey. “What are you doing here, Yu? Is the WBBA investigating you too?” 

Before Yu could answer, Conny shouted across the room, “Hey, what’s going on over there?” All three former DN bladers jumped, having forgotten about the WBBA agent. Instinctively they all turned to face him, and when he spotted Yu and realized who he was, his sneer twisted to an even crueller smirk as he reached out and recalled his beyblade. It glinted red in his hand; something Heracles. “Well isn’t this interesting?” he grinned at Yu. “So, your true colors have been revealed at last, eh?” 

“What do you mean?” Yu called back with a frown. He was rather nervous but knew better than to show it. “Why are you battling the twins?” 

“I’m afraid that’s WBBA business,” Conny answered with a smirk of superiority that made Yu clench his fist. For someone who was supposed to be one of the good guys, he sure acted just like Doji did. Even his eyes gleamed like Doji’s. “I would be more concerned for yourself and your own bey, since you’ve been caught associating with your former conspirators.” 

To Yu’s complete surprise, Reiki stepped in front of him. “Yu was used and betrayed by the DN too,” he declared to Conny. “He wouldn’t go back to them any faster than we would.”

If there had been a moment, Yu would have asked why Reiki was defending him. It was enough to make him wonder, when he’d never spared a serious thought to either him or Dan. The last time he’d seen them, they’d been unconscious from L-Drago, and he’d just left them there with all the others when Kenchi and Gingky and his dad arrived, not even looking back once. 

Such a moment was not to be spared, however. Conny inspected his bey. “Clearly neither of you are worth any concern from the WBBA,” he replied lazily. “On the other hand, that boy was the only one other than Ryuga who ever got a win over Gingka Hagane. Furthermore, he was the closest to Doji and Ryuga; you yourselves and all the others have said so.” Mitchell’s eyes met Yu’s accusingly. “If anyone is actually a threat to the WBBA, it’s little Yu Tendo.” 

“Thanks, Tsubasa.” Ryo smiled at him as they walked out of the conference room. “It sure helps to have an insider on your side when navigating this corporate world.”

         “Sure.” Tsubasa smiled, but his brain hurt from mentally facepalming so many times. Honestly, Ryo wouldn’t have had so much trouble if he didn’t insist on labeling his reports with “the Immortal Phoenix” as the author.

From behind the two of them came a polite cough. Tsubasa and Ryo turned to find Agent Barclay, Tsubasa’s mentor and field supervisor, had followed them from the room. “I wished to personally thank you for removing Tsubasa from a dangerous situation when his cover was compromised,” he said to Ryo, with a side smile at Tsubasa. “I read all about your actions in his report, and it was no small feat. He’s an agent I would rather not lose.” 

Ryo brightened at the praise, and Tsubasa nodded in polite agreement; privately, however, he couldn’t help thinking that Ryo’s field work was too much like his report-writing: improvised, superfluous, and worst of all, conspicuous. Then again, he was the one who had gotten caught. And all because of—

Suddenly remembering the promise he’d made that morning, Tsubasa excused himself from Ryo and Barclay, who looked like they were about to launch into a discussion. “I promised Yu we’d go to Bey Park,” he explained. 

Agent Barclay’s eyes lit up with a sudden interest. “Is the boy here? I’d love to meet him if you have time. From your report, he sounds like quite the blader.” 

Unsure how to answer that, Tsubasa turned to the waiting area a bit down the hall. “Okay Yu,” he called, slightly surprised that Yu hadn’t jumped up and run over as soon as they emerged from the conference room. “Sorry about that. We can go now.” The waiting area was empty. “Yu!” Tsubasa called, looking left and right. But the kid was nowhere to be seen. Not at the vending machine. Not by the water fountain. Tsubasa facepalmed for real this time. “Seriously, kid?” he groaned.

         “Don’t worry, he can’t have gotten many places by himself,” Ryo pointed out. “He doesn’t have an access ID. We’ll find him.”

         Ryo’s optimism quickly proved to be misguided, however, as another quarter hour went by without a sign from the boy with fluffy orange hair. “We should go to security and ask them to check the cameras,” Tsubasa finally said when he met back up with Ryo and Barclay. “They should be able to point us in the right direction, at least.”

         Ten minutes later, Tsubasa’s fists were clenched as he watched Yu enter one of the arenas deep in the bowels of the WBBA R&D wing, far from the general access areas. Yu shouldn’t have been anywhere near there. But the frustration over a wandering Yu quickly became worry as Tsubasa recognized who was in the stadium. “What arena is this?” Tsubasa demanded of the guard. After that odd encounter last week, he suspected that Mitchell would be nothing but trouble for Yu.

“Level B4, Arena 3,” the guard answered. Without a word, Tsubasa was out the door. He could sense Ryo and Barclay in his wake. 

Clenching his fists, Yu glared across the stadium. “I’m not little, and I’m not in the DN anymore, Conny!” he shouted, stamping his foot. “Do you have any idea what the DN was doing to its own members? How could you think I’d ever want to go back to them?” His voice sounded strange in his ears. Too breathless and high pitched, even more so than normal. 

Mitchell rolled his eyes. “My name isn’t Conny, you annoying child. It’s Conrad. But to you, I am Agent Mitchell. You can try to forget it all you want, but the fact remains that you have a DN record, and I’ve made a vow to make every DN blader pay for what they did to my family. Ryuga might be unavailable,” he smiled cruelly, “but I’m not letting you get off scot-free.”

What was Mitchell talking about? Yu wasn’t responsible for what Ryuga had done. Right? Or…was he guilty by association? An unpleasant sensation formed in Yu’s stomach. He tried to hide it with a glare of defiance at Mitchell. “I’ve learned that a true blader loves battling because it’s fun and lets you make friends and rivals when two fierce blader’s spirits clash, holding nothing back! The DN was only interested in power—”

“And you went right along with their plans for three months !” Mitchell was no longer smirking. He had his launcher in hand; when had that happened? “Why should a change of heart from last week erase your part in their plans? You won the survival battle; you asked for Battle Bladers. Everything that happened as a result of that is on your shoulders.” He held up his launcher, ready for battle. “It seems like you have to be taught a lesson about how things work at the WBBA. Prepare yourself, Yu Tendo!”

His heart was pounding, mind was reeling, but Yu managed to prepare Libra. “I’ll battle you anytime!” he yelled, but something felt off. It’s not your fault; you were tricked and manipulated. It’s not your fault. It’s not your fault. “3!” They counted down and launched. 

Libra landed with a wobble; Yu’s hands had been shaking. Mitchell attacked right away, his beyblade dealing heavy, powerful blows. “My bey is endowed with the strength of Heracles!” he sneered as he attacked the unsteady Libra “Each blow is like the strike of that hero’s club!” 

“Libra can take it!” Yu claimed, but he could see that the blows were affecting Libra’s balance more than they should be. “Come on, Libra, move away!” Heracles was powerful, but it wasn’t fast; Libra’s eternal sharp performance tip could outmaneuver and regain balance no problem. “Haha, yeah!” Yu pumped his fist in the air as Libra escaped. “Sonic buster!” 

The stadium began turning to sand, and Mitchell’s mouth turned down in frustration. “Heracles!” The bey skidded away from the sand trap, circling the outer rim of the stadium. “A cowardly move from a cowardly blader! I’d expect such tactics from a DN blader.” He smiled wryly. “Battling for fun, for friendship. What do you know about friendship? Deep down, you’re still that lonely kid who would do anything for acceptance, even hurting innocent people—”

“SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!” Libra’s aura suddenly flared, an intense high pitched sound beginning to grow from the center of the dish. The whole room was shaking. Or wait… it was Yu trembling from head to foot. Something inside him felt very wrong. “I’m not that person anymore! Libra: Inferno Blast!” A massive pillar of green light erupted from the stamina bey.

Before the special move could grow tall enough to blast a hole in the ceiling, a column of fire and ice sliced through the dish, startling Yu enough to deflect the impact of Inferno Blast. “Calm down, kid!” Dan cried. “Do you realize what using that move underground could do?” 

He was so hot ; was it always this way or was it because of the fire special move? Gemios now lay motionless in the stadium beside a sparking Libra. Meanwhile, Heracles circled the dish wobbly. Someone grabbed his shoulder, and Yu flinched away so violently that Libra copied the movement in the stadium. He stumbled away from Reiki, who had been the one to touch him, and tried to take a deep breath the way Tsubasa had taught him, but for some reason he wasn’t able to draw in more than a shallow breath of air. What was that high pitched whine in his ears? 

Mitchell’s voice cut through the ringing suddenly, cold and merciless. “I think the Director will have to hear about this.” 

And then the door burst open so violently it cracked, and suddenly the room was full of yelling and a blazing Phoenix avatar and Tsubasa , rushing towards him wearing an expression both terrifying and relieving. Yu took one step forward before all his energy drained out of him; Tsubasa caught him just as he started to fall forward, quite literally unable to stand. “It’s okay, it’s okay. I’ve got you, kiddo. Just calm down. I’m here.” Silver hair and honey eyes filled his vision. Yu barely managed to loop his arms around Tsubasa’s neck before everything faded away.

Chapter Text

Two reports. That was all he’d had to drop off the other day when he and Yu swung by the office. And now that had somehow spiraled into an internal investigation on top of all the DN aftermath that had been going on for the last week and a half. 

In other words, Tsubasa was not getting a day off.

Yu was silent beside him as they rode the elevator up to Director Hiroto’s office. He hadn’t said much since waking up in the WBBA infirmary a few hours after his battle, but Tsubasa didn’t press him. The medic had told him that Yu’s body had shut down to escape the triggering battle; Tsubasa could easily believe that. When he got his hands on Mitchell…

“Tsubasa?” Yu’s voice broke the silence suddenly; if Tsubasa wasn’t trained against it, he would have jumped. As it was, he merely turned to look down at Yu. “I’m sorry for wandering off. I should have waited for you. If I had, this wouldn’t be happening.”

         Tsubasa waited for Yu to say more, to explain why he’d reacted so strongly, to try and defend himself. But Yu remained silent. All Tsubasa said was, “I’m sorry too. I should have remembered you. It wasn’t fair to make you wait after I promised to take you to the bey park. But thank you for apologizing.” He smiled reassuringly at Yu. “We’ll get this sorted out, and then we’ll get ice cream.” That plan made Yu brighten.

A minute later they were stepping out of the elevator on the top floor of WBBA HQ. Tsubasa had only met Director Hiroto once, on the day he’d received his agent’s badge, but he’d never been up here to the office. The walls were made entirely of windows in the short hall before the grand double doors to the office, overlooking the city with the sea in the distance. It was beautiful, though perhaps now wasn’t the time to admire it. 

Agent Barclay and Ryo Hagane were already waiting. Both smiled when they saw the two bladers. Tsubasa shook their hands, and Ryo slipped Yu a small candy, making him smile. “Now we’re just waiting for Mitchell,” Barclay said. 

Tsubasa frowned. “Aren’t the Sodo twins coming?” 

Barclay’s eyes glittered in a way familiar to Tsubasa, pleased at his attention to detail. But the look didn’t touch his furrowed brow as he shook his head. “The Director has requested that only Mitchell, you, and I be present. Ryo and Yu will have to wait here.” Before he could say more, explain why Tsubasa hadn’t been told of this from the beginning, the elevator dinged and the doors opened again. Mitchell strode forward confidently. He shook hands with the adults, ignoring Yu entirely. Tsubasa narrowed his eyes slightly. Wasn’t Yu the catalyst of this whole mess? The guy ought to show at least a little more interest, right? There was no time to ponder, however, as Mitchell went to knock on the Director of the WBBA’s office door. 

Tsubasa stood at attention beside Mitchell in front of the director’s desk, Barclay to the side inconspicuously. Silence filled the room while they waited for the Director to speak. Although Tsubasa had never been in an internal investigation before, this all felt highly irregular. 

At last the rather round director who looked like he could hardly launch a beyblade, sitting so far back in his cushioned swivel chair as he was, spoke. “Agent Barclay has made known to me, through your various reports, the situation surrounding Yu Tendo, Agent Otori. I understand that he has been living with you.”

Confused but unwilling to show it, Tsubasa inclined his head. “Yes, sir.” 

“I also understand that ever since the completion of Battle Bladers, there have been no consequences for his actions as part of the Dark Nebula.” 

Beside him, Mitchell scoffed under his breath; the Aquila blader fought to keep his composure, but he couldn’t quite keep the edge from his voice when he said, “The natural consequences from the Dark Nebula were more than sufficient. Yu Tendo has gone through more than what any blader, especially a ten year old child , should have to.”

Subtly Agent Barclay coughed into his fist; Tsubasa reset his neutral expression with a quick breathing technique. “I believe,” the older agent added in his own dispassionate voice honed by years of experience, “that I wrote something to the same effect in my notes and recommendations. If you would care to discuss it further with me, Director, I am more than—”

Director Hiroto made the laziest of hand motions, but Barclay instantly fell silent. The motion made Tsubasa stiffen. How could the director dismiss an experienced agent’s advice so quickly?  “I am well aware of your recommendations, Barclay, and frankly I don’t think they are sufficient. I’ve seen the video from our security cameras. I felt the vibrations even here in my office. I know what this boy can do, and this week he made it very clear that he isn’t afraid to use those abilities to endanger others.”

“What?” Tsubasa couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “I’m sure that isn’t what happened! Yu wouldn’t intentionally try to harm anyone—”

“You weren’t there, Otori,” Mitchell cut him off, looking almost bored. “I was .” 

“So were Dan and Reiki,” Tsubasa retorted, abandoning protocol to full on glare at Mitchell. “So where are they now to tell their side of the story?” 

Mitchell looked down his nose at Tsubasa with contempt. “They’re DN. Any testimony they’d give about one of their own would be riddled with holes and false claims. We can’t trust anything they say. It’s obvious that they’d try to manipulate the WBBA into believing they’ve changed. Just like Tendo has done to you apparently—”

“Enough, agents.” Director Hiroto rose to his feet, revealing more of his corpulent waist. Although his tone was firm and authoritative, a sheen of sweat covered his skin. There was something flighty in his eyes that gave Tsubasa pause. “I have already made up my mind, Agent Otori. Yu Tendo may continue to reside with you for the time being; hopefully you can ingrain some discipline and respect into him. However, the beyblade Flame Libra T125ES will be confiscated and banned from use at any WBBA affiliated event or location. My decision on this matter is final; please turn in the beyblade by the end of the day.” 

“Why wait?” Mitchell replied before Tsubasa could quite process what the Director had said. “The kid’s right outside, isn’t he, Otori?” 

Tsubasa stared at him, wondering why Mitchell looked so pleased with himself, so unsurprised about the Director’s decision. This was more than agent rivalry. This was personal. This was planned. He turned to face Director Hiroto. “Sir, please reconsider. Separating a blader from their bey is not so simple. They are bonded spirits; to be without it is to be missing a part of yourself. Weren’t you once a blader? Don’t you—”

A hand on his shoulder cut him off. Agent Barclay. “We do not question our director,” he said with a pointed look at Tsubasa. The Eagle user’s eyes widened slightly. “Come, I will help you break the news to your young friend.” He bowed respectfully to Director Hiroto, and Tsubasa automatically did the same. Still, it took everything in him to ignore the triumphant smirk on Mitchell’s face as they passed him on the way to the door.

The beyblade sat on his desk, innocently sparkling in the last rays of sunlight coming through the western windows. He hadn’t touched it since Barclay had placed it there this afternoon, his face a stony mask. Hiroto hated to disappoint the well respected agent, but Mitchell’s warnings were beginning to make sense. Barclay was too attached to Otori, and Otori was protecting a threat to the WBBA. 

A child who had wept as his most precious possession was taken from him. 

Hiroto had heard it all from within his office, the yelling, the begging, the crying. He had even caught a glimpse of the thrashing child, restrained by Otori and a massive man with vibrant red hair, as Barclay returned with the confiscated bey. There was so much pain in the child’s eyes that he’d nearly relented, but Mitchell’s confident voice held him steady. “At last, the final threat of the DN has been contained. You are protecting countless bladers, Director.” The thought made erasing the image of a broken Yu Tendo easier. 

A knock at the office door disturbed the evening silence. Hiroto bid the visitor entry, and Mitchell stepped into the room, approaching his desk with a careless ease that Hiroto both admired and disapproved of. “Thank you for returning, Mitchell,” he greeted the agent, voice betraying the uneasiness he’d been feeling all afternoon with Libra on his desk. 

The young WBBA employee bowed respectfully. “Your summons was quite unexpected, Director. How may I be of service?” Even as he rose, Hiroto noticed that his eyes didn’t fully follow to meet his gaze, instead stopping to rest on the beyblade on his desk. 

Although it made him uncomfortable, Hiroto indicated the blade with his hand. “Until Battle Bladers and the exposure of the dark power by the DN, I never knew that beyblade, a harmless pastime for children, could be used for such destructive purposes.” He pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed at his brow, despite the cool of the autumn evening. “The WBBA almost lost control of the beyblade world. Such power… how could something so great exist in something so small?” 

Humbly Mitchell inclined his head. “There are old legends surrounding beyblade, sir. Legends that claim access to limitless power can be found in some beyblades.” He reached out and took hold of Flame Libra, holding it up for examination. At the movement, Hiroto flinched, almost expecting the beyblade to begin its powerful vibrations. Upon seeing his reaction, Mitchell let out a soft chuckle and closed his fist over Libra, hiding it from view. 

“I don’t know anything about such power,” Hiroto confessed. “And frankly, I don’t want to. If we want to be free of further threats to the WBBA, we must eradicate the source.”

Mitchell smiled knowingly. “Understood, Director. You just leave the containing of the DN’s power and capabilities to me. I will be sure to thoroughly eliminate even the smallest potential threat. Starting with this bey.” He tossed Libra once into the air, caught it, and put it in his pocket as casually as spare change. “Goodnight, Director,” was all he said before departing. Hiroto sat back in his chair, trying to calm his racing heart and wishing for the days when this job had been much simpler. 

Chapter Text

Barclay was outside the meeting room, where he’d asked Tsubasa to come when he arrived. They shook hands, but neither smiled. “How is Yu?” Barclay asked him in a low voice.

“He still doesn’t leave his room,” Tsubasa answered tiredly. “Ryo’s son Gingka came to see him today; I hope that cheers him up.” Although he doubted it. Yu was barely functioning. His eyes were perpetually rimmed in red, and he wasn’t interested in going anywhere. Not even ice cream could make him smile, and he’d barely spoken to Tsubasa in the two days since losing Libra. Secretly, however, the Aquila blader felt he deserved it. He shouldn’t have let them take Libra, damn the consequences. “You said you had news for me?” Tsubasa asked his mentor. 

Barclay inhaled. “Yes, though it’s not good. Hiroto is taking you off DN investigations.” 

For a moment Tsubasa simply stared at him, but when Barclay didn’t elaborate, he responded coldly, “Is he an idiot? I’m the one who went undercover there. I’m the one who knows their operations, their systems… everything! What does he mean by this?” 

Barclay rested a hand on Tsubasa’s shoulder with a sympathetic look. “He claims you are too personally involved to be objective. Frankly, I don’t think it’s that far-fetched.” 

Tsubasa hadn’t expected this. He pulled away, looking at his old mentor in disbelief. “And Mitchell is the epitome of objectivity, is that it?” he replied with a glare. “You’ve been an agent for decades, sir. Tell me, how is it objective to leave out the testimony of two witnesses in an internal investigation, three if you count Yu’s himself? And then to make a decision as severe as confiscating a beyblade without any consideration of context or even weighing others’ opinions? This isn’t right, and I can’t sit by and do nothing while Yu is caught in the crossfire.”

Barclay’s gaze did not waver. “No one is asking you to do nothing,” he replied calmly. “Alas, I am too swamped with taking over your reports to find something new to assign you.” He turned to go. “Still, I do believe you will find something worthwhile to occupy your time, Tsubasa. You really are too talented at uncovering hidden information to let an opportunity like this slip away. Now if you’ll excuse me.” He headed up the corridor. 

Tsubasa stared after him, slightly furious and slightly amazed at the older man. “You got it boss,” he finally muttered, heading in the opposite direction. He had a phone call to make. 

Reiki thought it was a bad idea from the start, and while Dan tended to agree with his twin, this time he wouldn’t budge. “With all the messed up stuff we’ve been put through and participated in putting others through, this is the least we can do to try and make up even a little bit of it,” he argued. In the end, Reiki agreed. 

That was how they found themselves on the outskirts of town, loitering in an abandoned bey stadium. The sun had just set, leaving the earth cast in twilight of blues and fading yellows. It would get chilly soon. “Did we get the time wrong?” Reiki asked uncertainly. 

At that moment, a bird’s piercing shriek echoed over the stillness, startling a flock of smaller birds and the twins. An eagle soared overhead, drawing their attention away from the entrance for a moment. “No, you’re right on time,” said a calm voice behind them. 

The twins whipped around to find Tsubasa a few feet away, hands casually resting in his pockets and a smirk on his face, though it didn’t reach his eyes. Dan flushed in embarrassment. “You really have to stop doing that,” he said, trying to disguise his rapid heartbeat. 

“Sorry.” But Tsubasa didn’t look sorry. He didn’t look anything but resolute as he looked between the twins. “Thanks for agreeing to help me. After Battle Bladers…”

Reiki raised his hands in a bygones-be-bygones way. “Hey, it was messed up from start to finish. We’re trying to sort ourselves out as much as anyone.” Dan tried to conceal his snort. As if Reiki wasn’t repeating what he’d said earlier that day when they received Tsubasa’s call. “And as for our battle,” Reiki continued with a shut-it look at his brother, “you’re the better blader.” 

Tsubasa’s face didn’t change, but Dan stared at his brother in surprise. A humble Reiki was a new experience for him. “How’s the kid?” Reiki asked, shocking his brother even more. 

Apparently the double agent felt similarly; his eyes narrowed into suspicion. “He’s… not good,” he finally admitted, and Dan could see the distress hidden under his cool exterior. “But he’s why I asked you to meet me here. I need you to tell me exactly what was going on that day in the arena. From start to finish, and don’t leave anything out.” 

Dan and Reiki shared a glance. “For that, we should go back a little bit further, to the end of Battle Bladers,” Dan began, looking to his twin for support. “After we were released from the DN cells, the WBBA took us into custody for a mandatory medical exam and basic questioning. When we joined and why, did we know about the whole take-over-the-world thing. None of us did, as I’m sure you’re aware. Except for Doji and maybe Reiji, but they’ve disappeared.”

A dark look crossed Tsubasa’s face briefly. “I know,” he told them, voice low and dangerous. “The WBBA will handle that. You keep telling your story.” 

“Right,” Reiki cut in. “Well, once our medical results came back good, we were told that as long as we stayed out of trouble, we were free to go. Guys like Tobio and Ryutaro left right away. Even the Kumade brothers had somewhere to go. But Dan and I weren't really sure what to do next. That was when we got an invitation to return to the WBBA to help with ‘further reconstruction.’ Only this time, it wasn’t the same team of agents as before, but that Mitchell guy.” Dan nodded in affirmation. 

The news left Tsubasa looking puzzled. “Why would Mitchell have permission to work with the DN bladers?” he wondered aloud. “He’s part of technology and communications; his team was supposed to examine the DN’s computers and prep them for R&D. It’s Barclay’s department, the special agents, that were exclusively supposed to handle the bladers.” 

“Your department, right?” Dan asked in genuine curiosity. “How come I didn’t see you at all during the questioning and investigation last week?” 

The agent’s eyes narrowed warningly, and Dan wondered if he was asking about classified information. But to his surprise, before he could retract the question Tsubasa’s look changed to one of exhaustion. “I’ve been writing reports on Battle Bladers and the DN,” he explained. “But I’m also the sole handler of Yu’s case. Barclay cleared him from questioning based on my recommendations and released him into my care.” He clenched his fist. “That should have been the end of it,” he muttered, as if forgetting that Dan and Reiki were there. 

“Right,” Dan agreed, his mind whirling with pieces. “But for some reason Mitchell is convinced we’re still DN and is determined to expose us. So he must have lured us back to the WBBA with the hopes of finding something to use against us! But there’s nothing to find, so when Yu came along he decided to switch targets. He goaded him into a battle—” 

“Wait a minute; back up.” Tsubasa held up a hand while he massaged his temple with the other. “Mitchell provoked Yu?”

“Yeah, he accused him of conspiring with us for the DN,” Reiki explained. “He called him a threat to the WBBA and actually blamed him for everything since he asked for Battle Bladers in the first place. The kid would have summoned Inferno Blast if we hadn’t stopped him. I don’t know if he really knew what he was doing though; the kid seemed really distraught.”

“So Mitchell orchestrated this whole situation to confiscate Libra?” Tsubasa wondered, going pale. “But if Hiroto had heard your story, there’s no way he’d have done it, so how is Mitchell influencing the Director?” Anger flashed in his eyes. “And what in beyblade’s name justifies triggering a ten year old’s trauma intentionally ?” 

Dan was struck by a sudden realization. “Maybe it has something to do with what Mitchell mentioned about his family!” 

“What?” Both Reiki and Tsubasa said it, staring at him incredulously. “Wait a minute,” Reiki said slowly, “I remember that! He said he’d make every DN blader pay for what they did to his family. That he wouldn’t let Yu get off ‘scot-free.’ Taking Libra must be part of his personal revenge plan. But then… why didn’t he try to take Gemios?” He turned to Dan.

Dan pulled out the bey, which looked ancient despite being only a few months old. He winced, as he did each time he looked at the twin face bolt. The once vibrant red and blue ghosts were now dull brown and grey. “Maybe he thought the damage from L-Drago was enough? I mean, our special move from a full power launch was barely enough to interrupt Inferno Blast, and that resulted in an instant sleep out. We’ll never be as powerful as we once were. Not like Yu still is. Or…was.” He grimaced.

“Yu is still a powerful blader,” Tsubasa snapped. “And he’ll get stronger still, with Libra at his side.” He glanced up at the sky, which was quickly becoming midnight blue. The sun was completely below the horizon by now, and last light was nearly gone. Soon it would be too cold to stay out much later. Tsubasa appeared deep in thought; as the silence stretched out between the three of them, Dan couldn’t help but wonder how long the DN would haunt them; their blading records were tainted for life. At last Tsubasa met their eyes. “Thanks for your help,” he said. “I’ve got to find out what happened to Mitchell’s family. And I’m going to get Libra back.” With a final wave, he turned and disappeared into the stadium’s shadows. 

Dan watched him melt into nothing, then turned to his brother. “You think he has a shot?”

Reiki shrugged. “The guy fought Ryuga twice. He’s not squeamish about confronting power. Now come on, I’m hungry.” They departed the arena.

Chapter Text

Most of the apartment was about what Gingka expected based on the, admittedly very little, he knew about Tsubasa. Simple. Practical. Orderly. The corridor walls were painted a neutral tan on the top half and had dark wooden paneling along the bottom. They were bare except for one painting of, naturally, a bald eagle. There was a coat stand in the entryway and a small chest of drawers down the hall atop which rested a china vase, but it held feathers instead of flowers. Curiosity nibbled at the back of Gingka’s mind to go further into the place, but he’d come here to see Yu, and Tsubasa had told him that Yu’s room was the first door on the right. 

He knocked softly, and when there was no answer he tried the knob. It turned. “Yu? It’s Gingka. Can I come in?” he asked softly, poking his head into the room. 

Yu lay in bed on his side, his back to the door. The covers were tangled and half hanging to the floor, and a pile of stuffed animals surrounded the young blader. Gingka could just see the top of his spikey gold hair peeking over the mound. He came into the room and moved Yu’s sailor jacket from where it sat in a heap on the seat of the desk chair so that he could sit there instead, now able to see Yu’s face. His eyes were open but staring off into space. Unsure what to say next, Gingka looked around the room. 

It hadn’t been Yu’s long enough for Tsubasa’s tastes to be completely gone, but it was messy, with clothes and other toys flung about carelessly. The one thing that surprised Gingka was the photographs, framed and hanging on the walls. There had to be at least twenty of them, mostly natural landscapes, though unlike any places Gingka had seen in Japan, and a few of wild animals. A moose. A fox. And, of course, many eagles and other birds. “Did Tsubasa take these pictures?” Gingka asked. 

From the bed Yu made a half-hearted sound that gave no clear answer. Shrugging it off, Gingka changed the topic. “So, how are you?” Yu glared at him. “Right,” Gingka blushed. “I guess that was a dumb question.”

“What do you want, Gingky?” Yu asked, still not sitting up. “I don’t need a babysitter.”

“Of course not,” Gingka assured him. “But I’m your friend, and I know you’re going through something really hard right now. I just want to show that I care. So do Benkei, Kenta, Madoka, and Tsubasa. We really miss you down at the Bey Park too.”

Sighing, Yu rolled onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. “What’s the point of going?” he asked in a dead voice. “Without Libra, I don’t belong there.” 

His words sent a sharp jab into Gingka’s already aching heart, intensifying the sense of a gaping hole in his chest that he’d felt ever since defeating Ryuga. He had to turn away for a moment as the grief threatened to overwhelm him. Finally, his voice was steady enough to reply in a soft whisper, “I know what you’re going through, you know. With Pegasus. He’s always been there for me. When I thought I lost my dad, he was my only comfort. And now, without him, I wonder how to go on sometimes.” He glanced at Yu out of the corner of his eye and saw that his head was turned towards him slightly. He was listening. “But there’s one thing that helps me,” Gingka continued, smiling as he turned to face Yu. “When I’m with Kenta and Madoka and Benkei, I feel so connected to them. And I know it’s because of our bladers’ spirits. My spirit is still inside me. My feelings for Pegasus haven’t gone away; they’ve only gotten stronger.”

Yu shifted restlessly on his bed, curling up tighter around a stuffed dog with a black nose. “Gingky… it’s my fault you lost Pegasus.” 

“Huh?” Gingka’s mouth formed a perfect o shape. 

Sniffling, Yu explained in a barely audible voice, “I asked for Battle Bladers. It’s all my fault. If you hadn’t battled Ryuga, you wouldn’t have lost Pegasus. And now I’ve lost Libra… I got what I deserve.” He buried his face in his pillow, hiding his tears from Gingka. 

“It’s not your fault,” Gingka assured him, coming over to sit on the edge of the bed. “Those guys who took your bey are wrong. You helped me defeat Ryuga and save us from the dark power! You have to trust in your bond with Libra that somehow it will return to you, just like I have faith that somehow Pegasus will return to me. I know it feels like you’ve lost everything, but there’s more to Libra than just the physical bey. Lean into the connection you have with your blader’s spirit. As long as you have that, Libra is still with you. And in the meantime, there are so many people who care about you. Me and my dad, Kenta, Benkei, Madoka. Tsubasa. He’s really concerned about you, you know. You should talk to him.” 

Yu made no reply, and Gingka looked around the room again, at a loss for how to proceed. It was at that precise moment that his stomach, ever predictably, rumbled loudly. He grinned. “Well, I guess that’s the signal for lunch,” he announced to a moping Yu. He stood up and headed for the door. “Time to see what Tsubasa left us. You coming?” He didn’t wait for a reply before stepping out the door. But a moment later, he heard soft footsteps echoing behind him down the corridor. 

A creaking sound woke Tsubasa from sleep. He lay still, heartbeat steady and breathing deep even as his eyes blinked open and his ears twitched. Waiting. Listening. 

The door creaked again, opening wider. Soft footsteps on the carpet approached his bedside. “Tsubasa?” Yu whispered shyly. 

“Hey, kiddo,” Tsubasa replied just as quietly, rolling over and sitting up. Yu stood a few feet away from his bed, in the sliver of hallway light that cut across the darkness from the cracked door. He hugged Libby tightly in his arms, looking down at her instead of meeting Tsubasa’s eyes. “What do you need?” 

“Um… my room is too cold,” was the response. 

Tsubasa threw back his covers and swung his feet around the side of the bed to the floor. “There are some spare blankets in the closet,” he offered. “I’ll get them for you.”

Before he could stand up, however, Yu spoke again. “Actually…” he began, voice a little stronger this time. “I was wondering if… I could sleep in here. With you.” He lifted his head slightly, looking at Tsubasa through thick, gold bangs. “Please?” he added hesitantly.

The Aquila blader studied the young boy before him, pondering the first words he’d spoken to him in days. At last, he merely pulled his feet back into bed and shuffled closer to the other side, leaving a space just big enough for the ten year old. The bed wasn’t small, but it would be a snug fit for the two of them. “Come on, then,” he invited Yu with a calm smile. “Just close the door first, please.” 

Swiftly Yu hurried back a few steps to close the door and then scrambled into bed by the light of the moon coming in the window. He lay down on his side facing Tsubasa, and the elder tucked his covers over him. “Warm enough now?” he asked, laying back down himself. 

“Yes.” Yu answered quietly, curled around Libby. “Thanks, Tsubasa.”

Tsubasa closed his eyes and released a long breath, settling back in for sleep. As he did so, he lifted his arm and stretched it out to rest over Yu’s head on the pillow. A moment later, he felt Yu sidle closer; when Tsubasa didn’t pull away, Yu rested his head in the crook of Tsubasa’s shoulder, Libby squeezed between them. His breathing was rough, on the verge of sobs. Gently the elder brought his arm over Yu, hand resting atop his head. He tried to think of something to say but nothing sounded right in his head.

Apparently, however, Yu had something in mind. “Tsubasa?” he whispered again. 

“Hmm?” Tsubasa replied patiently. He felt something wet drip onto his shirt.

Yu shuddered with a shaky inhale. “I… I miss Libra,” he whimpered, voice cracking on a sob. More tears joined the first few. 

“I know,” Tsubasa replied, lightly rubbing circles in Yu’s shoulder. He opened his eyes, staring at the ceiling and mulling over all the things he’d learned today. “I’m working on getting it back, Yu. You’ve got to trust me. You’re being really brave right now. I’m proud of you.”

“I don’t feel brave,” Yu said. “I just feel scared.” He wrapped his arm over Tsubasa’s torso, holding onto him tightly. “There’s a voice in my head that keeps telling me it’s all my fault. Gingky said it wasn’t but I can’t stop hearing it. It’s so loud, and it makes me feel so sick and I don’t want to think about the rest of my life without Libra but I can’t stop… he won’t stop.” Yu’s wobbly voice dissolved into choking sobs. 

Tsubasa brushed Yu’s thick bangs away from his damp eyes. “That’s the voice of guilt,” he whispered to Yu, fingers caressing his hair soothingly. “When you give it a name, you know how to fight it, okay? I want you to listen to my voice, Yu: none of what happened at Battle Bladers is your fault. Every blader makes the choice to go into battle. Hikaru, Kyoya, and I all made that choice. So did Gingka. And Hyoma and Kenta.” He turned his head and looked down into Yu’s wide, haunted eyes, turned up to him. “Try to go to sleep. I’m here.” He gave Yu a reassuring smile. “I’m right here with you.” 

Yu’s breaths remained erratic and shallow, but he lowered his head, nestling against Tsubasa. Rubbing the younger’s shoulder again, Tsubasa started humming a simple lullaby his mom used to sing all the time. How did it go? Oh yes…

Weep you no more, sad fountains;

What need you flow so fast?

Yu’s breathing quieted as he continued singing; his tense body relaxed. As Tsubasa’s voice grew softer, his breaths became deeper. By the end of the song, he was asleep. 

It was before 7:00 when Tsubasa woke, his room bathed in the liminal grey of predawn light. Yu was still asleep, using Tsubasa’s chest as his pillow. He hadn’t looked so peaceful in days; Tsubasa forced himself to lay as still as possible, determined not to disturb him. It was a Saturday, so there was no need to rush into the morning.

Against him, Yu stirred, eyes blinking open sleepily “Tsubasa?” he whispered. 

“It’s early yet,” Tsubasa whispered, resting a hand on Yu’s head. “Go back to sleep.” 

Obediently Yu settled back down, and Tsubasa had just closed his eyes to follow suit when his phone buzzed on the bedside table. Scowling, he reached over and silenced it without looking. In the following silence, he heard Yu’s stifled giggling. Opening his eyes, he found the kid smirking up at him mischievously. “For some reason, I thought you were a morning person.”

“I am. That doesn’t mean I want work to be the first thing I deal with every day. It’s the weekend for crying out loud.” But Tsubasa was smiling back, more because of how Yu had laughed for the first time in too long than any other reason. The sleep had disappeared completely from his eyes, meaning that work-related or not, the day was about to start for both of them. Tsubasa was about to suggest breakfast when Yu’s expression turned thoughtful and the smile slowly disappeared from his face. Tsubasa frowned. “Something on your mind, kiddo?”

Yu huffed a breath through his nose. “Yeah,” he admitted softly. “Do you know…” his cheeks turned a slight pink in embarrassment, “I mean, remember how I…passed out…after the battle with Conny?” His voice was low, eyes no longer meeting Tsubasa’s. “I was just wondering… if you knew why that happened? That’s never happened to me before; does it mean I’m sick? I remember that right before, something inside me felt wrong. Like I had to fight with everything I had. I couldn’t remember that I was in the WBBA instead of the DN. It was like I was back there all over again.” He finally turned his gaze up to Tsubasa again, distress in his big eyes overriding the shame. “Is something wrong with me?” 

After what the WBBA doctor had told him, Tsubasa wasn’t surprised. He pursed his lips, wondering if he should explain something that he was not qualified for. But Yu looked so worried… “Nothing is inherently wrong with you,” he began, trying to be reassuring. “But sometimes stressful or dangerous situations that we experience lead to long term effects known as trauma, and you’ve had plenty of those recently.” Yu’s eyes widened; his gaze remained locked on Tsubasa’s. “Being in a similar situation as the original cause can trigger the trauma, and your survival instincts will kick in. For you, battling Mitchell triggered your memories of battling Reiji, and it felt like you were back there all over again. Your body shut down as a natural means to try and escape the situation. It’s a perfectly understandable coping method, and you’re not alone; there’s no reason to be ashamed, okay? It’s not your fault. The good news is that there are people who can teach you how to manage your triggers and help you heal from trauma. It takes time, but with proper care you’re going to be alright.” 

Yu didn’t say anything for a long time; he’d closed his eyes and lowered his head, as if the information had exhausted him, which might not be that far-fetched. Tsubasa rubbed his back absentmindedly, already thinking about who to call in the WBBA’s HR department who could recommend a good child psychiatrist. Finally he pushed himself off Tsubasa and sat up, rubbing his eyes and then grinning down at his older friend. “Will you make pancakes for breakfast? With the chocolate chips?” 

Smirking, Tsubasa sat up too. “We don’t have any more chocolate chips. We do have bananas, though.” He shooed a protesting Yu out of the room with instructions to begin gathering ingredients, then headed for the bathroom. On the way, he grabbed his phone on impulse to check the missed message. What he read made him stare, then blink, and then curse. 

“Are you freaking kidding me, Ryo?!”

Chapter Text

Footsteps echoed behind Ryo, magnified by the high ceilings and otherwise silent space. This late on a Friday evening, no one was to be found in the training stadiums. He turned from examining the wall plaques that listed many WBBA trainees who had excelled in their programs—Tsubasa’s name appeared quite a few times, as well as Barclay’s a few decades back—to greet Director Hiroto as he approached. He held out his hand, and the two men shook. “Ryo Hagane, Director,” Ryo introduced himself. “I don’t believe we’ve formally met yet.”

“No we haven’t.” Hiroto’s palm was slick in his own. “Gingka Hagane’s father, yes? Also known as Phoenix, the man who defeated the head of the Dark Nebula Organization?” Ryo nodded. “Well, we certainly owe you a great debt for your efforts. What can I do for you?” He looked around at the eerily deserted stadium, lip curling in distaste. “And why did you ask to meet here? My office is much more comfortable.” 

Ryo turned back to the wall with the plaques, and Hiroto came to stand beside him, also looking up at the many names. “The WBBA certainly has a long history,” he commented. “The way you city people do things is quite different from the simplicity of Koma Village.”

Smirking, Hiroto replied, “Well, running a nationwide organization is quite different from a simple mountain village.” His gaze swept over the wall. “With this history comes a legacy, one that must be protected. Once you’ve been around a little longer, you will understand better.” 

Frowning, Ryo turned to face him directly, although due to their abysmal height difference they weren’t exactly face to face. “The completion of Battle Bladers and exposure of the Dark Nebula Organization’s evil intentions has left the beyblade world on the brink of massive change, Director. How the WBBA proceeds will dictate what direction that change will take; it is up to you to lead the beyblade world into the future that Gingka and his friends worked so hard to protect.” He held Hiroto’s gaze carefully. “Confiscating Flame Libra was a choice motivated by fear; if we want to bring the true purpose of beyblade back to the WBBA, we cannot allow ourselves to be ruled by fear.” 

Director Hiroto’s mouth hung open in shock for a brief moment before a purple flush began creeping over his face. A vein pulsed in his temple. “You are overstepping your place, Mr. Hagane, ” he hissed, snorting breaths through his nose like an ox. “That boy’s power makes him a great threat to the WBBA, and I made the right choice to protect Japan’s bladers from it!” 

“And what of Yu himself?” Ryo countered. “Isn't he one of Japan’s bladers? Doesn’t he, and all the DN bladers that were sacrificed to L-Drago for their power, deserve our help to recover as bladers instead of being prosecuted as criminals? That is the purpose of the WBBA, isn’t it? To guide young bladers as they discover their passion and power for Beyblade? To foster a positive environment for competition and training?” 

Sweat beaded on Hiroto’s brow; he pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed it away. Even as he glared, it couldn’t quite conceal the unease building in his weak eyes. “Don’t tell me what the purpose of the WBBA is!” he warned Ryo, trying to sound authoritative. But after being on the receiving end of Hokuto’s scoldings, this man wasn’t very intimidating. “I am the director! You work for me!” 

Ryo shook his head; he would have laughed if the situation weren’t so serious. “Actually, I work with the WBBA, not for the WBBA. I am the head of Koma Village, the birthplace of beyblade. I am the Immortal Phoenix!” He pulled out Burn Fireblaze. “There is only one way to learn what the true nature of beyblade is, to understand the bond between blader and bey that transcends a battle. You asked why we met here; this is the reason! Battle me, Director!”

Eyes wide, Hiroto took a step back. “Your power nearly destroyed the DN HQ! Do you really think I’d agree to battle you when there’s no way I’d win? I haven’t battled for years!” 

Although his blood was simmering in anticipation, blader’s spirit ready to explode, Ryo held himself back from launching just yet. “Winning isn’t the point,” he argued. “As the director of the WBBA, you are the heart of beyblade! If you can’t put everything on the line in a battle, then what good are you to the bladers of Japan? If you allow yourself to be ruled by fear of a beyblade’s power, then what does that teach young bladers but to fear it themselves? No, Hiroto. The time for fear is past. It is time to seize the bright future that Gingka and his friends worked so hard to secure for us. We cannot allow the WBBA to become another DN, leading bladers astray. Rather, we must be examples of the true power of beyblade, through fair and honest battles for anyone who wants to participate. Beyblade is something to share, to strengthen bonds and forge new ones. If you can’t understand that, then what is beyblade to you?” 

“It was just a sport!” Hiroto screeched it, his eyes wide and shifty. Ryo lowered his launcher, furrowing his brow. “Organizing tournaments, regulating rules and conditions… manageable stuff! And now we’ve seen beys with the power to destroy arenas, drain life forces… I didn’t sign up for this!” He shook his head, panic laced with fear in his face. “It was Mitchell,” he claimed, pointing vaguely towards the door. “He told me to confiscate Libra, that the DN bladers couldn’t be trusted. He wants to control who is allowed to battle and own a beyblade. How else do we prevent another bey with… dark power … from causing disaster?” He lowered his head into his hands. “You’re right,” he mumbled. “I have no idea what I’m doing. I’m no use to anyone at this point.” 

A twinge of sympathy pulled at Ryo. The modern blader, oblivious to the history of beyblade, the power of the stars fallen to earth. “There’s still one way you can help,” he interjected into Hiroto’s wallowing in self-pity. “Return Flame Libra to its rightful owner.” 

At the request, Hiroto looked up from his hands. “I don't have Libra anymore,” he admitted. “I gave it to Mitchell. He should have placed it in the vaults by now.” 

“Should have?” Ryo frowned. If Mitchell was truly the one pulling strings, then what could he really want with Libra? He faced Hiroto one final time. “Thank you, Director,” he said gently. “It’s not too late to make things right.” Turning, he hurried out of the stadium. 

Once the echo of Ryo’s running footsteps faded, Hiroto finally managed to pull himself together in the following silence. For the first time in ages, there were no other voices vying for his attention. All at once, his next steps became crystal clear. At peace with his decision, Hiroto left the arena without a backward glance. He had a phone call to make. 

A lifetime around beyblade, and Ryo would never understand the way the cityfolk did things. Clearance, IDs, security guards. If an inaccessible volcano hadn’t been enough to keep the Forbidden Bey safe from Doji, then what good were these fancy codes and alarm systems? It was very simple for Ryo—well, he was Phoenix now, having donned the red coat and metal mask—to slip through the vault’s defenses using Agent Barclay’s, ah, borrowed ID card and security pin. Office hours were long over at this point; the single librarian who manned the desk down here had gone home ages ago, and the security guards had completed their sweeps of the sublevels. So no one was there to oppose him as he headed behind the desk and powered up the computer to pull up the vault catalog. 

“Search… beyblade… Flame Libra T125ES,” Phoenix muttered as he typed. “And… enter.” The search results began loading, a bar filling with green. And then a message in red lettering flashed across the screen. NO RESULTS FOUND.

Libra was confiscated on Wednesday; it should be in the database by now. Phoenix pulled up the logs from Wednesday and Thursday. He scrolled through the list of objects that had been entered and checked out of the vaults… no Libra. It was as he suspected. 

Mitchell had never brought Libra to the vault. 

Mind racing, Phoenix straightened up from the desk. If Mitchell wanted Libra for some other purpose, then chances were he’d use his access to the WBBA’s state of the art research facilities. The bey was likely still in the building. Unless… A horrible thought struck him at that moment. What if Mitchell had sold it? 

On his belt, Burn Fireblaze pulsed briefly, warming the cool underground air. Phoenix pulled out the bey, which glittered slightly to light up the dark space. “I guess the only way to know for sure is to ask directly,” he murmured. The bey pulsed again, eager for a challenge.

Phoenix turned off the computer and swiftly headed for the exit, only for an ominous clicking sound to greet him just as he reached for the doors. He grabbed the handles and pulled, but to no avail. They were locked. He sighed. “This…wasn’t part of the plan.” At least he had his phone on him. Maybe Tsubasa could help him out of a jam once again. 

Locked in WBBA vault. Mitch has Libra. Come help. -I.P.

Ryo sent the message, hoping Tsubasa was still awake and wouldn’t take too long. He pocketed the phone, not realizing that, this deep underground, there was no service. 

As if having to settle for banana pancakes wasn’t bad enough, they quickly became burned banana pancakes because someone was a little too obsessively checking his phone. “Tsubasa, bubbles!” Yu practically shouted as he stood in front of the stove with Tsubasa, watching the round cakes cook. No reply; Tsubasa was furiously typing away like a teenage girl. “BUBBLES!” Yu would have smacked him with the spatula had it been in his hand. 

“I heard you!” Tsubasa finally put his phone down and flipped the pancakes, revealing their rather dark undersides. “Oh crud.” 

“That one’s yours,” Yu declared with a pout. 

It took a little longer, but finally the two of them were sitting down to breakfast. Yu had a stack of pancakes a mile high and was drenching them in syrup when Tsubasa cleared his throat across the table. Yu put the bottle down and looked at him questioningly. “So listen… something’s come up,” Tsubasa began gingerly, still holding his phone anxiously. Yu couldn’t help frowning. It must be serious if Tsubasa was this visibly uneasy. “I need to go soon; will you be okay or do you want me to call someone? Having Gingka over seemed to be helpful—”

“I actually made plans with Gingky today already,” Yu interrupted him with a bashful grin. “We’re gonna meet at the B-Pit and help Madoka with some stuff and then maybe go to Bey Park later.” He waved at Tsubasa dismissively. “I’ll be fine; you can go off on your secret mission or whatever.”

“O…kay.” Tsubasa narrowed his eyes at him; Yu shoved a bite into his mouth and then grinned not-suspiciously-at-all at him. “Well, if you’re sure… have Madoka call me if you need anything.” With a final wave, he grabbed one last pancake for himself and hurried out the door. 

Being a Saturday, the WBBA HQ lobby was mostly empty except for one receptionist and a security guard. Tsubasa approached the desk. “Has Agent Barclay arrived yet?” he asked the receptionist. Maybe he got here first and went to get Ryo already. 

The girl shook her head. “Is he working with Agent Mitchell too?” she asked innocently.

Tsubasa froze, staring at her with wide eyes. “Mitchell… is here? Right now?”

She nodded, typing something onto her keyboard. “He arrived not fifteen minutes ago. His ID was just used to swipe into one of the R&D labs. Number 16. Wait, you have to sign in!” But Tsubasa was already running towards the elevators. Ryo and Barclay would have to wait. 

Although Ryo’s message had been too cryptic for Tsubasa to fully understand what was going on, the fact that Mitchell had his hands on Libra was reason enough to confront him, despite his agent’s instincts whispering that he needed more answers. And the fact that he was in Research and Development, the department with some of the most dangerous heavy machinery in the WBBA building, only made things more urgent. Right now, his only concern was protecting Libra; everything else could be sorted out later. 

Tsubasa peered through the window to Lab 16, launcher in hand with Eagle at the ready. The R&D halls were full of windows; transparency and ethical research had always been a core standard of the WBBA. Mitchell had his back to the door, bent over a worktable. Tsubasa couldn’t see Libra, but he couldn’t delay a moment longer. He burst through the door. “Where’s Libra, Mitchell?” he demanded, holding up his launcher. 

Mitchell spun around, eyes wide with shock. In his hand was an assembly tool. When he saw who it was, his eyes narrowed maliciously as his lip curled. “Well, I didn’t expect to see you here on the weekend,” he admitted with a sneer. He put down the tool and pulled out his own bey, Blood Heracles 90WF. “But you always did have a nasty habit of poking your nose where it doesn’t belong. I guess I’ll just have to teach you a lesson! Let it rip!” 

When he told the story later, Tsubasa was too embarrassed to admit that the reckless launch caught him completely off guard. He only let Eagle fly from pure instinct, and the two beys met in the center of the aisle lined by work tables. “Tell me where Libra is!” Tsubasa ordered again as Eagle attacked forcefully. Surprise aside, his spirit was ablaze.

Mitchell, however, did not seem very concerned with the situation. He smirked at Tsubasa as the two beyblades circled each other. “Well it seems like I’ve found myself an advantage in this battle,” he said as casually as if they were strolling through a park. “You can’t use any of your aerial special moves in this enclosed space, Otori. My Heracles, on the other hand, doesn’t need height to cut into Eagle with its special move: Stymphalian Slice!” Heracles rammed Eagle from the side, its bladed fusion wheel creating long slashing attacks. 

Tsubasa scowled in frustration. “Counter smash, Eagle!” His tough beyblade could withstand Heracles’s power threshold. “I’ve beaten you plenty of times in training, Mitchell,” he retorted back while the two beyblades clashed, sparks flying into the air. “I don’t need my full power to defeat you now.” And sure enough, Eagle managed to win the clash of special moves, forcing Heracles to move away with the kickback of Eagle’s blocking. “And I’m not the only one at a disadvantage. In this cluttered lab, you can’t build up proper speed.” Eagle started pursuing Heracles; in a regular stadium, the heavier bey would have been left far behind, but Tsubasa was right. With so many table legs and long and narrow corridors instead of a wide open, round space, Heracles had no room to run. Eagle followed hot on its trail until finally cornering it against the far wall. “Stop stalling and give me Libra, and this battle doesn’t have to continue.”

Mitchell laughed, but it was no longer merely an arrogant sound. There was something off about it, harsh and cold. “Blinded by puppy eyes and crocodile tears. The great Special Agent Tsubasa Otori, manipulated by a child. You shouldn’t be trying to protect him ! He supported the same blader who put you in a coma! ” The smile slowly dissolved from Mitchell’s face, replaced with a glare that gave Tsubasa pause. Something in his eyes… that glint… “You should be fighting for the countless other bladers whom Ryuga crushed. Bladers like my sister, who was so excited to enter Battle Bladers! She would have won the whole thing! But then Ryuga showed up at that qualifying match, defeating her and 98 others all at once! She was so discouraged that she quit trying! No one deserves that! My kid sister didn’t deserve to have all her hopes and dreams crushed in seconds by some psychopath in a white cape!” 

The revelation was enough to throw Tsubasa’s concentration for just a moment; Heracles pushed past Eagle and raced away from the wall back towards Mitchell. Eagle remained motionless while his blader stared at his opponent. He remembered that challenge match, watching from the helicopter with Yu while Ryuga defeated the other 99 bladers in seconds. Mitchell’s sister had been one of those bladers, then? This was the family business Dan and Reiki had told him about? “So you blame Yu for Ryuga’s actions?” he finally asked. “And Dan and Reiki… every DN blader… you’ll hold them accountable for something they had no knowledge of, no control over?” Eagle remained steadily spinning in the corner, awaiting orders. “How is that fair, Mitchell?” he ventured coldly, holding Mitchell’s wild eyes unwaveringly. “I am fighting for bladers that Ryuga hurt. All of them, both those against the DN and those disillusioned by them. Your sister is one of those bladers. So is Yu.” 

“I’ve heard enough of this!” Mitchell sneered. “Heracles: Nemean Lion!” The bey began to glow with a blood red aura as the power of its special move increased. It charged Eagle. 

Tsubasa smirked grimly. “Bad move, Mitchell.”

Much like during its battle with L-Drago, Eagle slipped to the side with barely a wobble, completely evading Heracles. Except this was no stadium, but a square room with four enclosed walls. One of which just so happened to be right behind Eagle. Heracles, in all its powered up energy, smashed into the wall. Cracks shot up from the point of impact like bolts of lighting, but it was all over. Heracles recoiled from the impact, horribly off balance, and dribbled to a stop seconds later from its own power. Tsubasa recalled Eagle to his hand. “Thanks, old friend,” he murmured with a soft smile. Eagle glittered briefly, and a faint chirping echoed in the room. 

Across the lab, Mitchell hadn’t moved from where he stood, staring at his self-defeated bey in frozen disbelief. Slowly he turned hate-filled eyes on Tsubasa, shock morphing into a brutal snarl. “ You’re gonna pay for that!” he growled. Tsubasa put up his fists, but instead of attacking him, Mitchell lunged for the table he’d been working at when Tsubasa interrupted him. Now that he wasn’t blocking the view, Tsubasa could see what lay on the table: a handful of parts, one of which was a familiar greenish-yellow energy ring—

“NO!” He started sprinting across the room, but he was too far away. Mitchell reached for Libra’s parts, grabbing them in his fist. He lifted his arm overhead—

“ Burn Fireblaze! ” roared a robotic voice from behind the Aquila blader. A bolt of literal fire streaked past Tsubasa and flared brighter just over Mitchell’s head. He shrieked in terror, dropping Libra’s pieces and frantically patting his hair. Fireblaze landed nearby, no longer flaming. A second later, Ryo and Barclay appeared on either side of Tsubasa. 

“We’re in a lab, for bey’s sake!” Barclay was saying with a glare over Tsubasa’s head. “You could have caused an explosion, Ryo!” 

“I am not Ryo,” the gigantic masked man replied. “I am the one, the only Immortal Phoenix! ” He recalled Burn Fireblaze, smoke pouring out of his enclosed fist. “You might want to pay more attention to that one,” he added with a nod at Mitchell. The defeated blader was on his hands and knees, frantically searching the floor for Libra’s scattered parts. 

“I’ll destroy them!” he was muttering. “I’ll make sure that bey never spins again!”

A concerned frown replaced Barclay’s fury. He went forward and pulled Mitchell to his feet by his arm. The Heracles blader seemed unaware of him, still muttering under his breath. “Ok, Mitchell, let’s go,” he said in an expressionless voice. Mitchell followed him without much protest. “I’ll take him to the infirmary,” he told Tsubasa under his breath as he passed them. A moment later they were gone, leaving Tsubasa alone with Phoenix once again.

He glared up at the metal menace, arms crossed over his chest. “Barclay was right, you know,” he pointed out. “You could have caused some serious damage in here with that thing. Or injured Mitchell for real.” 

Ryo removed his mask and wig, shaking out his shaggy red hair. “It was mostly light and heat,” he told Tsubasa with a wink. The Aquila blader’s irritation was not assuaged. 

It didn’t take long to recover all of Libra’s parts and reassemble the powerful stamina type. To Tsubasa’s fairly trained eye it looked unharmed, but he would take it to Madoka to be sure. Seeing the full beyblade in his hand, safe at last, sent a huge wave of relief over him. He turned to Ryo and found that he was watching him with a calm smile that hinted at similar feelings. “So, did Barclay come get you out?” he asked, suddenly realizing that the last he’d heard of Ryo, he’d been locked in the underground vaults. 

Ryo grinned and shook his head. “Janitor came through at 6:30 this morning. Sometime around midnight I realized I had no cell service and you hadn’t gotten my message, so there was nothing to do but wait. The WBBA has some cool stuff down there.” The grin disappeared, replaced with a frown. “Said he had to report me, though. Apparently if the vault librarian doesn’t authorize your entry on site, the doors lock. I was detained this morning until Barclay could come in and sort it out. He’s quite forgiving, considering I used his ID to get in.” 

Tsubasa resisted the urge to facepalm. “And why exactly did you think stealing Libra from the vaults was a good idea?”

“Well I was pretty sure Libra wasn't actually there,” Ryo admitted defensively. “Hiroto said he’d given Libra to Mitchell and that he should have taken it to the vault. I was merely making sure.” 

Tsubasa bit back a retort because actually, confirming a suspicion before jumping to conclusions was solid agent work. He just hoped Ryo could write a decent report about it this time. Suddenly the urge to laugh was too strong, and he had to prop himself against a nearby table for support as the guffaws rolled out of him. A second later, Ryo joined in as if he hadn’t just spent the whole night locked in the underground vaults and then carted off to security first thing in the morning. Finally the two of them managed to catch their breath. 

Libra still rested in his hand, but Tsubasa could feel it growing warmer and vibrating slightly. He lifted it to his face and studied it, letting out a gasp as he did so. The bey was lit up with a much dimmer version of Inferno Blast’s light, and in his sudden concentration Tsubasa could hear a high pitched whining sound coming from the bey. He chuckled again. “Well, it seems that the bey is just as impatient as the blader,” he told Ryo, showing him the glowing bey. “I guess it’s time we paid a visit to a certain little boy.” Libra hummed in agreement.

High up in the stands, Yu had a perfect view of all the battles going on at once. Kenchi was battling his friend Osamu, and Ben-ben was battling Akira and Takashi at once. Meanwhile, Gingky was sitting much closer to the arena floor, surrounded by many others. Gingky was the most popular blader around these days, having won Battle Bladers. A part of Yu wanted to go sit with them, but he knew that many of the Bey Park kids were still uncomfortable around him, not just because of his powerful blading, but because he had been DN. And although it was nice to be here again, without Libra it just wasn't the same. 

“This brings back memories,” said a familiar voice beside him. 

Yu had been leaning against the railing, resting his head in his arms. Now he stood up straight to face Tsubasa coming towards him down the row. The older blader was smiling at him, but it didn’t seem exactly like Tsubasa’s usual smile, which while always kind, never extended beyond a gentle slope of his mouth and warm shine in his golden eyes. But now Tsubasa was… kind of beaming at him. 

Nevertheless, he returned the smile with a snarky one of his own. “What, when we would sit up in private boxes and judge every blader’s skills in those qualifying matches?” he asked. “Guess what, I’m still better than everyone here. Except Gingky of course.”

Chuckling, Tsubasa sat in one of the seats nearby and crossed his legs in that funny way he had. “Would be a lot more fun closer to the stadium, don’t you think?” He had this smirk on his face that was starting to get on Yu’s nerves. It reminded him of their first meeting, when Tsubasa was an aggravating, know-it-all meanie. 

Frustrated, Yu turned away from the Aquila blader and went back to leaning on the railing. “I can watch just fine from up here. That’s all I’m able to do anyway.” It was hard not to sound petty and upset, but honestly, Tsubasa should know better than to push him too hard—

“Maybe this will change your mind?” Tsubasa had stood up and came to stand just behind him. Yu turned and watched Tsubasa reach into his pocket and pull something out, hidden in his fist. Yu’s heart started pounding in his chest, hope against all hope rising within him. Still smirking, Tsubasa extended his arm and then slowly uncurled his fingers, palm up. 

Libra rested in his gloved hand. 

Joy and relief and so much love welled up inside him that Yu almost couldn’t bear it. “ Libra! ” he shouted, not caring that probably everyone in the room heard him. He lifted the bey out of Tsubasa’s palm and held it tightly in his own hands, bringing it close to his face to examine it. “Oh, I missed you so much, Libra! Are you okay?” He studied each and every surface, achingly familiar, but there appeared to be not a scratch. It even sparkled in the bright stadium lights overhead! 

“Madoka gave it full maintenance and cleaning,” Tsubasa told him. “Libra’s in perfect condition.” 

His voice made Yu jump slightly; he’d completely forgotten Tsubasa was there. If he’d thought Tsubasa was beaming before, now he was practically grinning from ear to ear as he watched Yu reunite with his bey. Suddenly Yu felt shy. “You… you got Libra back for me,” he realized. In his hand, Libra flared to life briefly, confirming it. “Tsubasa…” He couldn’t think of any words to add. Thank you wasn’t enough. 

Deep in his heart, where for the past three days there had been a gaping hole, he felt Libra’s spirit nudge his own, communicating the way it had Yu’s entire life. Suddenly he knew what to say. “Battle with me!” he exclaimed, grinning up at Tsubasa. “Let’s battle right now!” He grabbed Tsubasa’s hand and dragged him to the stairs, suddenly eager to get to the arena floor. Behind him Tsubasa followed easily, laughing all the way down. 

They took up one of the free stadiums, though both the other battles had paused at Yu’s shout. Vaguely he could hear Gingky and Kenchi’s cries of excitement over him getting Libra back, but Yu was too focused on Tsubasa across from him, readying Eagle. “I’m gonna win this time for sure!” Yu shouted, excitement and passion coursing through him. “Watch out, Tsubasa!”

Tsubasa smirked, shifting his weight into a launch stance. “Just because you were separated for a while doesn’t mean I’m going easy on you. Little boy.” 

“Oh, now you’re gonna get it!” But Yu was too happy to much care for the teasing. He slid into his own launch stance, as natural to him as breathing. “Three!” he began the countdown. 

“Two!” Tsubasa’s voice echoed across the dish, meeting his challenge. 

“One!” This time every voice in the arena rose up with them. 

“Let it rip!”

Chapter Text

Even with two tables pushed together, it was a tight squeeze for the eight people celebrating at Burger Palace that evening. Benkei, Kenta, and Yu were loudly going over the day’s battles—everyone had wanted to welcome Libra back with a dramatic challenge, much to Yu’s delight—while Madoka tried to keep Gingka from eating more than two burgers at once— “Take one and stick with it, Gingka!” “But I have two hands!”—and Tsubasa, Ryo, and Barclay were swapping notes, trying to piece together a full picture of all that had happened in the last 24 hours as well as what should happen next. 

“What will happen to Mitchell?” was Tsubasa’s main concern. “He seemed unstable at the end of our battle.” 

His last comment caught Yu’s attention, who turned from Benkei and Kenta to study Tsubasa, wide eyed. “You battled Conny? Was that how you got Libra back?” 

This inquiry piqued the entire table’s curiosity, and the melee of noise died down as all faces turned to Tsubasa. He nodded silently in answer to Yu’s question, then turned to Agent Barclay for his answer. 

Barclay began speaking, addressing seven curious faces now. “After an hour in the infirmary, he regained his wits enough to admit to influencing Hiroto’s decisions with the intention to destroy Libra. But that was only the beginning.” He gave Tsubasa a look that meant he couldn’t discuss in detail in front of the others, but he added, “It seems Mitchell had steps in place to dissolve free participation in WBBA-supported beyblade. He’s been terminated from WBBA employment and stripped of his badge. Whether he chooses to participate in the counseling we’ve offered—to both him and his sister—remains to be seen.”

“Dissolve free participation? You mean he wanted to make it so that only certain people could participate in beyblade? That’s awful,” Madoka’s blue eyes brimmed with distress. “How did someone like that get so high up in the WBBA? I always thought the WBBA was a pillar of strength for Beyblade. That it could be corrupt is… unthinkable.”

“Not corrupt so much as…misguided,” Barclay corrected her gently. “Hiroto was woefully unprepared to handle the fallout of Battle Bladers and the DN. His choice to resign was a wise one.” He turned to Ryo, a twinkle in his eye. “Even if it was, perhaps slightly, coerced.”

“Dad!” Gingka gasped. “You staged a coup?!”

“I did NOT stage a coup!” Ryo snorted indignantly. “I may have, inadvertently, caused an early retirement. But that was not my intention! I merely wanted to help Hiroto find the will to lead the country’s bladers into that bright future where Beyblade can be precisely what it was meant to be: a clash of two pure hearts whose spirits for their beys and for battling other strong bladers cannot be rivaled. That is what the WBBA needs. If Hiroto cannot provide it, then we must find a director who can.”

Kenta gasped as realization suddenly struck. “Oh, that’s right! The WBBA has no director now! So who will the new one be?” he asked Barclay, brown eyes shining. 

Barclay cleared his throat. “Well… the International Board of Trustees named me as acting director for the time being. Within the next six weeks I will make my recommendation and they will interview and vote on them. It’s a big decision.”

It was indeed, and Tsubasa had a gut feeling that he knew who Barclay would nominate. While the Immortal Phoenix was a little too flamboyant for a field agent, there was no doubt that Ryo Hagane, Elder of Koma Village where beyblade originated, was second to none in his drive to see the true purpose of beyblade realized and in his conviction of the blader’s spirit. From his own experience when Ryo had challenged him to get to know Gingka’s friends—his own friends now, this group that he sat among, Tsubasa realized with a shake of his head—to hearing about how he’d crushed Gingka’s pointer to motivate him in the battle against Ryuga, to how he’d perfectly foiled Doji’s sinister plots and dark battling techniques to save Kenta and Hyoma in the DN, there was really no other blader Tsubasa had ever met like him. In theory, he was a perfect choice. In practice, well… the office would certainly become a lot less boring. 

Conversation rose up around the table again as Gingka and Benkei ordered a new round of burgers, turning to less severe topics and more excitement for all of the upcoming new tournaments the WBBA was sure to have once everything went back to normal. Tsubasa’s gaze fell on Yu, cheeks flushed in excitement and his emerald eyes sparkling. He turned his head and caught Tsubasa looking at him. His grin widened for a brief moment before turning back to Kenta. Yet even with the abundant joy written all over his face, Tsubasa’s sharp eyes didn’t miss Libra held tightly in Yu’s clenched fist, like he was terrified that if he didn’t keep it in his hand, it would vanish from existence. 

Epilogue: 2 months later

“The Blader Recovery Program’s first week has been a huge success. It was a great idea to have Dan and Reiki Sodo involved in the development.” The Director of the WBBA smiled at Tsubasa from across his desk. “And I had a report that Kitsune Mitchell was improving from the program as well. Where did I put it?” His gaze traveled over the mountains of paperwork covering the desk. “I could have sworn?” He began shuffling stacks around, increasing the chaos. 

Tsubasa cleared his throat. “Have you considered taking on an assistant, sir?”

Ryo waved his hand dismissively. “No, I don’t need an assistant, Tsubasa. I’m sure once I get the hang of this job that the paperwork will become manageable.” A stack of files tipped off the corner of the desk and fell to the floor. 

Fighting the urge to facepalm, Tsubasa came forward and began gathering the files up. I’ll have a word with Madoka and Gingka about the assistant. He seems to listen to them more than me. Most of the files had remained intact, so he simply stacked them neatly.

“And how are Yu’s appointments with the therapist going?” Ryo asked from overhead.

Tsubasa rose to his feet and replaced the stack of files on Ryo’s desk. “I think they’re going well. Yu has less nightmares now.” He still crawled into Tsubasa’s bed frequently, though. 

Finally Ryo gave up searching for the report on Kitsune Mitchell and merely rested his elbows on his desk, cupping his chin in his hands. Tsubasa held his gaze quizzically. It really was uncanny just how similar Ryo’s eyes were to Gingka’s. Or Gingka’s were to Ryo’s, he supposed was more accurate. “That’s good to hear,” the newly appointed Director of the WBBA responded sincerely. “Actually, the real reason I called you up here has to do with Yu.”

“Huh?” Tsubasa’s brow knit together slightly. “What is it?”

Ryo stood up from his desk and came around to stand by the windows, looking out over Metal Bey City pensively. Tsubasa went to join him. At last Ryo inhaled deeply before looking down at the young agent. “As I’m sure you know, the DN kept detailed records on each of its members. Most of them have already been examined, but there’s one loose end: Yu’s file. As the sole handler of his case, it was always meant to go to you, but… more pressing problems arose.” His mouth curved downward wryly. “Now that things at the WBBA have stabilized somewhat, it must be dealt with sooner rather than later. The fact is that we know nothing about Yu’s history before the DN. There could be clues in his file. If he has a family somewhere—” Tsubasa inhaled sharply— “We need to find them.” He gave Tsubasa a pointed glance. 

Tsubasa’s face remained stoic, but his voice betrayed his hesitancy. “Yu hasn’t told me anything about his past life. I’ve never even heard him mention it to Kenta or Gingka. He… I don’t think he’d appreciate me digging up information he rather I didn’t know,” he finally explained carefully. Still, there was that nagging prick of curiosity at the back of his mind… Where was Yu’s family? His parents? How had Doji found him? But Yu had never said anything about it, even when they both worked in the DN. The only connections to a life before the DN Tsubasa had ever seen were Libby and a knitted blue blanket that had been on Yu’s bed in the DNHQ. It was on his bed at the flat now. But Yu had never told where he got them or why they were so important to him.

“I know you don’t want to risk the trust that’s been building between you two,” Ryo acknowledged with a gentle look. “But this is about what’s best for Yu. It may very well turn out that remaining in permanent custody of the WBBA is the best option, but we won’t know that unless we gather all the facts and make a truly informed decision. As an agent, I know you can put personal feelings aside for the greater good. I’m asking you to do so now.”

Tsubasa’s fist closed tightly. “Very well. Sir.” 

Ryo smiled. “Thank you, Tsubasa. I’ll send you the file later tonight.”

Fighting off a yawn, Tsubasa closed the book and replaced it on the coffee table. “Ready for bed?” he asked Yu, who was leaning against him on the couch, turning Libra over and over in his hands. He was freshly bathed and in his pajamas, and Tsubasa knew he was fighting off his own yawns, but instead of nodding, Yu remained quiet, eyes fixed on Libra. He didn’t move, meaning Tsubasa couldn’t either. “Yu?” he probed gently into the kid’s starry eyed look.

Yu remained silent for another few seconds before finally blurting out, “Can we change my room? I feel like another thing you’re storing in there.”

The request left Tsubasa puzzled; he’d never given much thought to interior decorating and hadn’t pegged Yu as someone who would either. Then again, when he really thought about what was in that room—it wasn't just the photographs that he preferred not to think about—he could see where Yu was coming from. It was still a guest room to him, impersonal and unfamiliar. Making it up to his own tastes would make it feel more like home. 

But this might not be his home for much longer.

Frowning at the unwelcome thought, Tsubasa glanced at his laptop across the room on the kitchen table, where he knew Ryo had sent him the dreaded file. It would have to be opened eventually. But not tonight. He smiled down at Yu. “Let’s start with a clear out and some rearranging. Then we’ll see the possibilities and what the budget can handle.” 

Huffing with dissatisfaction, Yu finally sat up. “Okay.” He headed down the hall to the bathroom to brush his teeth. 

Rising to his feet and stretching, Tsubasa slowly followed, but he paused again to stare thoughtfully at his laptop, mind filling again with the unease of what he would find whenever he opened that file. Yu was the winner of the survival battle almost half a year ago now. And one of sixteen bladers in the entire country to enter Battle Bladers, despite being eliminated in round one. If someone was looking for him, he wasn’t exactly hard to find. And there’d been plenty of time to do it by now. So that meant… Either Yu’s family is… gone… or they don’t want him back.  

Tsubasa really didn’t want to open that file.