The Price For Immortality

What to do?

Valt wakes up on the floor of the training room. He looks around and sees that he's not the only one that collapsed in the middle of training. Everyone that came down there is currently passed out on the ground. Shu is flat on his back, with one arm draped over his stomach and the other stretched out above his head. Rantaro is on his stomach, spread out like a starfish. Daigo is curled up in a tiny ball, hugging his knees to his chest. Naoki fell asleep with his glasses on, and his tablet in his hands. Jin is on his knees with his head on the ground, like a dog that wanted to play, but fell asleep before it could. Ken is on his side, sort of like a normal person, if you ignore the puppets on his hands. Ben is in the same position as Rantaro, only he seems more spread out, despite the fact that he's smaller.

Valt stands up. He doesn't want to disturb his friends. He looks around at everyone. Wow. All of these people are his friends. It's kind of hard to believe. He looks around at everyone and counts on his fingers. He has seven friends, and that doesn't even count Wakiya, or Xander. In reality, he has more than that. He can't believe it.

He has a lot of people to protect. And a lot of people that are willing to protect him. He watches them all sleep for a moment, and feels the guilt eating away at him again. It's his fault. It's so his fault. He's the one who wanted to join the Supreme Four.

But Shu keeps insisting that it's not Valt's fault. Shu keeps putting the blame on himself. It's not Shu's fault. But if it's not Shu's fault, and it's not Valt's fault, then whose fault is it?

Lui's. It's Lui's fault.

Valt gets it now.

He goes up the stairs. Hoji is asleep in the recliner next to the couch Wakiya's asleep on. Wakiya... that's Lui's fault, too. Lui's the one who killed him. It's not Valt's fault... it's not his fault... it's not his fault...

"Huh?" Hoji opens his eyes. "Oh, Valt. You're awake. I guess I should start making some breakfast, huh?"

"That's Shu's job..." Wakiya rolls over. He'd been awake that whole time. He starts coughing and hacking, and clutching his chest. "Oh... It hurts..."

"Don't move around too much!" Hoji runs over and holds Wakiya down. "Wyvron is here to keep you alive. It's not here to be your new heart."

Wakiya stares up at his friend. "But... nevermind..." He sighs, and coughs even more.

Valt watches the scene unfold before him. Wakiya's condition is only getting worse. They need to get him a new heart, and soon. The only problem is none of them know how to perform a heart transplant. None of them know what they're doing. They're just a bunch of kids who discovered how evil a spinning-top game can truly be.

Gradually, everyone comes up the stairs. Rantaro immediately runs for Wakiya, while Shu heads for the kitchen. He shoots a glance behind him, and Daigo follows. Once breakfast is made, everyone sits down at the table and begins to eat. There's not a whole lot of conversation. Everyone is in their own mind, focusing on their own thoughts.

Eventually, Valt speaks. "We should call Xander."

"Yeah," Shu says. "Make sure that the Superstars and them are all right. I'll do that."

Shu stands up and walks out of the room. He reaches into his pocket...

"GOD DAMMIT! LUI STILL HAS MY PHONE!" Shu shouts. He walks back into the other room. "Valt, can you give me your phone?"

Valt hands over his cell phone, and Shu leaves the room. He dials Xander's number and waits as it rings.

"Hello?"

Shu pauses. That's not Xander's voice. "Uh... it's Shu."

"Looking for Xander I'm guessing?"

"Yeah... who is this?"