Holding out his launcher, Brown Eye narrowed his eyes in anger while on the other side Shu held out his launcher trying to be cautious about the situation.

What still stumped Shu was why Brown Eye had let him out. He could've easily opened the cell door and battled Shu in there but instead he freed him, not manually but by using his power.

If Brown Eye was using his power to free Shu then something was definitely wrong.

Impatient, Brown Eye launched and a split second later, so did Shu. In the air, they collided, glowing their respective red and blue hues. A shockwave was sent out from the beys knocking everyone back. With eyes glowing red Shu started yelling with everything he had causing Brown Eye to pause.

"I was lucky enough to have a friend. A friend who dragged me out of the darkness and showed me I was wrong. He put every emotion he had right into his bey, and used every bit of strength to show me...Exactly what true strength was, and true resonance."

Brown Eye understood now, it wasn't about saying things to bring Valt back or treating him differently because of his power. It was about strength. It had always been from the start. He understood that now.

The light from Spryzen blinded them all causing everyone to hold up their hands but Shu embraced it using every minute, emotion and feeling he could muster into his bey. He didn't care if this wouldn't be a traditional battle, he just wanted his friend back.

"You don't scare me anymore Brown Eye, you can't beat me."

Shu screamed even louder and everyone disappeared under the dungeon's light.

From afar, Theodore may have not been watching but even weakened he could still sense the power from his bedchamber.

Then the light faded leaving Shu still standing and Brown Eye on the ground, Spryzen was still spinning strong but Valtryek had fallen over.

"He beat him." Sasha said quietly.

Silencing the room, Shu stood for a second feeling more confident in his power.

Shu immediately ran over to him, slowly he opened his eyes. They were still full of power and hate but there was something different or almost off about him. Shu could tell he was fighting the power but it's grip on him was too strong.

"Please, I'm sorry Valt, I'm sorry for not being there when you were at BC Sol and I'm sorry for leaving and abandoning you guys. I may not be able to beat you but do you really want this? Think about what'll happen after I'm turned? Do you have any idea what destruction Theodore will unleash using us! Think about what'll happen to the world Beyblade, our families! What will they think seeing you with Theodore?"

Brown Eye was silent thinking this over slowly Shu stood up and held out his hand to Brown Eye on the floor.

"There's still a chance I can save you...right?"

A shadow fell over his face but lightened and for the first time in a long time Shu actually heard Valt's voice but his heart crumbled at what he had to say.

"There is a storm inside me Shu, a bomb and if I can't control it...it'll be too much! You need to go Shu, you'll be corrupted too. You'll catch what I have."

"No Valt, I'm not leaving you. Not again. Besides....no one's ever really gone." Shu said, smiling.

He took his hand and stood up.

"But I'm not Valt or Brown Eye."

"It doesn't matter, Valt." Shu said pulling him into a hug but he pulled away.

"I'm not your friend Shu, I am your ally, there is a difference."

"Ally?"

"But, I thought I saved you..." Shu said disappointed.

"You did and you didn't." another monotone voice said from the shadows.

Free stepped out of the shadows with his eyes glowing golden instead of their sick and twisted yellow.

"Free?" Sasha asked in wonder.

"In the flesh." he answered with a smile back.

Sasha immediately ran over to him, hugging him.

"But how?"she asked.

"You'll be surprised how good of an actor I am."

"So then you were able to do it." Shu said breaking up their reunion.

Free nodded his head

"Do what?"Sasha asked

Shu let out a sigh relaxing.

"You see Sasha...."

"Even before fighting Theodore, Free and I weren't feeling confident in our plan, Free and I knew that after Free's last visit he was going to put you under, Valt. From the last time after going under, Spryzen's spirit infected me causing me and Spryzen to be more power hungry and agressive. If the same had happened to you, Valt, I would've never forgiven myself. So Free and I came up with a plan, we knew that if Theodore had succeeded in merging your spirit and Valtyrek's, the two of you would've been unstoppable. After getting back from the Snake Pit we talked and Free went back to the Snake Pit."

"I pretended to be one of Theodore's bladers and snuck in, luckily he was too distracted to notice me slip into the Requiem room and sabotage the pod." Free finished.

"This caused Theodore's hold on you Valt to weaken, but it seems Phi's power is still keeping you corrupted and full of dark power. You're not under Theodore's control but you're still corrupted but not fully. I can still see you in there Valt you're just in between being normal and corrupted."

"Then why didn't you just help me escape from the pod?"

"You were weakened from that fall Valt," Free said quietly.

"He had tubes connected and going out of you! If we had tampered with them then we could've hurt you, this was the best we could do for you."

"That and there's so many computer classes you can take in high school."Free mumbled under his breath.

"Now what? We can't just walk out there with you two back to normal, and him half corrupted. We'd get caught for sure." Sasha said, looking around to see if anyone was watching them.

"That's why we're going to trick him." Valt said before whispering into Count Nightfell's ear.

With a wave of his cape he went back into the vents.

"What's the plan?" Free asked with a smile.

"You said you managed to sneak into the Snake Pit by pretending you have the dark power, well we're going to do the same."

The vent opened a few minutes later and Count Nightfell crawled out holding clothing in his arms.

"In order to escape, Shu, you'll have to become someone you claim is gone."

Shu took the outfit from Nightfell and let it unravel revealing his old Snake Pit outfit.

Even though Shu was afraid of becoming him again, let alone having to act like his old self, he'd do it for Valt. Grabbing the outfit he put it over his clothes and zipped up the bodysuit. Nightfell held out the mask.

The red eye holes stared back at him haunting him with previous memories of the world tournament. He knew if they got caught then this is what would happen to him and there would be no one left to save him.

Taking the mask with a shaking hand he slowly put it on until the whole world in front of him was tinted red.