When I had exited the building and headed down to the square in attempt to find some people in the alleyways to battle, I was expecting teenagers.

Not kids of five or six that were thrown out in the wild with the mindset that they weren't good enough for their parents.

I watched on from the shadows, my eyes caught into their blinding smiles.

"Go, go, go! C'mon, Leone!" One of the children yelled, punching the air. "Do what Mr. Tategami does on T.V!"

Mr. Tategami...?

There was no doubt the kid was referring to Kyoya. Settling my arms across my chest, I watched the girl cheer for her beyblade.

Despite everything, they had looked on. The other two companions, a girl and a boy, were smiling with bright eyes.

"You can do it, Cancer!"

"Let's go, Libra!"

They looked so... innocent. Despite their ragged clothes, dirt smeared all over their face, and shivering forms, they looked innocent. 

This world was nothing but good. There were selfish people, people who did things for their own benefit and only their own benefit- it was how humanity was as a whole. Selfish. Guess we couldn't help it.

But seeing these children, without lies fogging their brains and wrong in their hearts... it was strange, but it brought a smile to my face.

There was a clink as two beys flew out of the little stadium that was created from a rock chiseled into. The girl with the Leone bey punched the air again, cheering.

A Libra rolled near my feet. Bending over, I plucked it up, rolling the metal between my hands carefully. The boy came to a stop as he neared, eyes widening once he noticed me.

"... uh."

How are you supposed to deal with little kids again?

Immediately, the kid took a step back. "Waaaah! Demon!"

I stiffened at the panicked tone in the kid's voice. With similar shrieks, the other two girls grabbed their beys and their launchers and fled into the shadows.

"G-Give Libra back, you meanie!"

Tears prickled at the corner's of the boys eyes as he outstretched his chubby hand, arm trembling.

"You're being mean to Akihiko and Libra!" One of the girls barked from the shadows, her voice strong in comparison to the boy's.

I held up his Libra, extending his hand softly, but at the same time, my hand went to where Aries was in a notion to hold it up.

Akihiko snatched up his Libra, but his eyes went to Aries.

"See? I'm not a bad guy- or a demon, whatever the hell- heck you guys called me. I'm just like you, okay? I won't hurt you."

Slowly, they inched out of the shadows, their eyes caught by the gleam of Aries.

"Can... I see him?"

"It's a her, actually," I corrected, remembering my conversation with Shaun where the detail had been mirror.

My heart twitched in it's chest, going against the idea of handing over a beyblade- not just any beyblade, but my brother's beyblade.

"Uh... Stay here, okay?" I gestured closer. "Like, come closer if you want to see him."

He took a step towards me. Then another. Out of curiosity, he stretched out his hand.

Carefully, I grasped his wrist to drop Aries into it.

"Run!" One of the girls screamed.

The hand pulled out of my hold in a flash, as the little gremlin shot off.

"Why you little...!" I barked, blood roaring in my ears. "COME BACK HERE!"

All three fled in different directions, rings of cries and giggles following them. Reaching for one, Akihiko darted out of the way.

I don't have time for this!

One of the girls swerved to the side to ram into my ribcage and send me sprawling. With a hiss and my head aching, I lay on the ground for a moment, letting the children run away.

Bracing myself with my arms, my head fell back with a deep sigh.

"I'm too worthless to even save my brother's bey, huh?"

No one answered me. I was stupid. Idiotic. Why did I think that I could do anything? I was helpless, just like I was beforehand. When things fell to hell and all I did was become prey.

Helpless prey.

My head still hurt, and my chest heaved because- damn, that girl hit hard. Was she the kid with the Leone? Probably learned how to be just a strong as Kyoya.

"Demon! Demon! Haha!"

Rolling over, I braced myself on my elbows instead of my hands. Jeering. Constant jeering.

"Loser! Haha! What a weirdo! She just allows herself to take the blows!"

Ow.

"Have you met her genius of a brother? She's always been nothing in comparison to him. Maybe she's used to being a punching bag?"

I wasn't weak anymore, was I?

I wasn't anyone's punching bag, goddammit. Not anymore. I was strong for myself and myself only. I wasn't one to be hit around like a rag doll.

"You guys get your sorry butts back here," I hissed, finally standing up. Irritation blossomed at my heart, eyes searching side to side for any sign of movement. "NOW!"

I was about to shoot off when the air turned cold.

Not cold, actually. Warm. Searing. Maybe I hadn't noticed it since I was on the ground, and that was were most of the cold air was, but now the air rippled with a burnt scent.

... is something on fire? Because it's certainly not my looks...

I started to run, and that was when the ashes in the sky took place in my vision. A canvas of red and orange against the normal blue.

When the building came into view, my heart grew cold in my chest.

Screams started, a blur in my eyes as I watched. Smoke rose up in columns from the building, electricity crackling.

"That's a beyblade stadium..!" I hissed, breath harsh.

Fire burst to life across the dark outside barrier, blistering in flaming jaws and eating away at the stadium.

I need to go over there now..!

Whipping around, I scanned for the children again. C'mon, c'mon, where are you brats...?

A glint of fire in an iris caught my eye, and I swung towards where two pools of brown shone with the reflection of the disaster in their eyes. 

Even as I moved, Akikhiko didn't, Aries held in his little hand and clutched close to his chest. 

"Hey," I started out, trying to keep the urgency out of my voice.

His gaze snapped towards me, and he stepped back. i outstretched my hand in return, trying to be as friendly as possible. 

"... let me be a hero." 

"A-A... hero?"

"There's people getting hurt there. Please," I pleaded. "I need that beyblade to be a hero. Then I can come back. Then I can come back and save you guys too. From this place." 

His eyes shone like saucers. 

"...R-Really?"

"Yeah."

I smiled, eyes heavy. Already, my heart was doing a flipflop- these children, these people who I had thought as gremlins, were children. Misunderstood. They did whatever they could to survive. 

"Please. I need Aries so I can save people. I'm no superhero, but there's people... there's people in there that need help. And I'm going to help them." 

One hand slowly raised to drop Aries into my outstretched hand, and then: "Promise?"

"I promise." 

With that, my fingers closed around Aries, standing up fully to smile down at Akihiko again. 

"Call me whatever superhero you want. Hey, the name 'demon' sounds fine to me." 

Time to be a self-acclaimed hero.