Beyblade Burst Adventures

Power Over the Silence

In which Shu makes a decision to change paths in life and dons the persona of Red Eye, the most powerful Blader in the Snake Pit. He can't let anything get in his way of growing stronger, least of all his own doubts and inhibitions...
And when he manages to find his hidden power, he resolves not to let anyone see his weakness.

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"You'll never beat me as the Blader you are now..."

He hadn't taken the loss well.

I debated what to say for several minutes, knowing what I could do but not sure if it was the best idea. He's a powerful Blader, there's no doubt, but he's also a fragile child... And the solution I had in mind was not suited for fragile children...

But then I realized that this was probably what he needed. He wouldn't shed his shell if everyone kept coddling him like they did...

"Shu... Do you want to grow stronger?"

'That's not even a question!' He signs after pushing himself off of his hands.

"... Then come with me."

He followed me without question, which was concerning. Was he really that desperate to become more powerful, that he'd listen to anyone? I suppose so, because when I took him to my secret training facility, the Snake Pit, he never faltered.
I offered him a mask, a new name, a new life, and he took it all- he took it all, never faltering even when I told him the cost was abandoning everything he had before. Everything but Spryzen had to go.

After that, he fought in rank battles. Normally in the Snake Pit failures are booted out, but I made an exception with this mini-tourney. The function of it was to see where he ranked among my other Masked Bladers, with no consequences for losing.

He battled all seven of my Masked Bladers and he won, much to my surprise. I knew he was strong but- he even beat Gold Eye, the most powerful of them all. Gold Eye is good enough to contend with the likes of the Big Five!

Shu did this all with complete confidence and determination, fueled by the power of his Bey. Anyone who had only met him outside of Beyblade would have been dumbfounded... Because Shu's Blading persona and his non-Blading persona are two different people.

And unfortunately, it takes more than a day of battling to gain the confidence he needs to build a life here...

'I can't do this, Theodore...' Shu's hands tremor uncontrollably with terror, the realization that he's alone and can only rely on himself hitting him like a train. 'This was a mistake, I- I should just go back to New York- go home, really. I can't do this...'

I feel my heart clench at the deep frown on his face, clearly terrified under his mask. My first impulse is to give in, to take this poor child home and comfort him and protect him... But I have to remind myself that that's something Theodore would do, and right now I'm Ashtem.

Besides, sending him home now is the same as ensuring that he's forever forced to depend on others. He has to learn to break that habit, or he'll be miserable his whole life...

I cross my arms, forcing myself to sound stoic even as I watch Shu shrink in on himself.

"That's it? You beat all of the Masked Bladers, claim the highest rank, and then you just quit? I don't think so, Red Eye. You have to stay and finish what you started."

'But I can't communicate with anyone here but you.' He signs, looking up at me pleadingly.

"And aside from Spryzen, I'm the only person you need to be able to communicate with."