The jury had reached a verdict within minutes. Guilty. And charged with the death penalty immediately.

Voltaire didn't protest or argue as they led him away. Why should he? He'd dug his own grave, he wasn't about to run from it.

He refused the last meal and instead asked to see Kai. "I'd like to speak to my grandson," he requested politely.

"They'll come if they want to," the guard briskly replied.

In the end, no one came. Voltaire was all alone until the priest came for his last prayers, and the guards escorted him to his deathbed.

The walls were blank white and so was the cot they strapped him in. Behind him, the wall was glass. It was tinted, so he couldn't see the figures behind it, but he already knew who would be there. Only four boys to watch the execution.

Tossing his long mane of grey hair, Voltaire tried to adjust the long tangled locks so that they didn't scratch his back. His heart beat numbly, and though he'd never admit it, he was afraid, now that he was cornered with the certainty of death.

It was too late. He'd already brought the trial to a close; he knew that once he did so his fate was set. But, at the very least, he'd set it himself. No one should decide where he'd wind up; heaven of hell, in the light or dark, powerful or weak, without his consent and decision. Some might call him a madman, like Spencer back there, but it was all him. Voltaire Hiwatari was forever in control, and he had made the last stroke to be sure those boys would remember it.

"Grandfather. You seem uncomfortable."

The voice almost made him freeze, but he kept a smirk straight and steady. "Kai." He looked up, though it hurt his neck, to see his grandson, in the pinstripe suit, walking like a man of purpose. Walking exactly the way Voltaire taught and wanted him to. Everything that Kai did now, he knew, would forever be under the shadow of Voltaire's hand. It brought a sneer to his lips.

"I feared you wouldn't come."

"Here I am."

Voltaire craned his neck to look behind him. "No Demolition Boys?" He asked mournfully. "Don't you need your friends to face a harmless old man like me?"

Kai shrugged, his face contorting to mock surprise. "We thought it would make you feel better without them around, since we are quite an intimidating bunch, but I can call them in to comfort you - if you'd like."

Voltaire could feel his blood rapidly boiling - that little brat, using his own tricks against him - before he relaxed and chuckled.

"I'll still be here," he informed his ignorant grandson. "In everything you do - everything you've done, in fact, was first spread out by me. You're doing, and will continue to do everything I say, everything I asked for."

Seeing Kai's puzzled expression, he gave a small chuckle. "No? You still don't understand? You are me, Kai. You've taken over Hiwatari Enterprises, and brought the company to its highest, if the rumours stand true. You've given up on that team - what was it? Bladebreakers? - and are still hanging tight to your old friends-" he spat out the last word like venom. "-the Demolition Boys." He sighed and laughed. "It's everything I wanted. It'll all be carried out by you." He grinned wildly. "Congratulations, grandson. There's some things in your inheritance that I know you won't be able to resist - like the company, a bit of curious beyblade research I have - and even a familiar little bey."

Kai shuddered. "Black Dranzer," he whispered, without even seeming to realize he had done so.

Voltaire nodded. "All it takes is a small curious peek he crooned, "and before you know it, you've dived into waters too deep to resurface from. All you can do is sink. Happy birthday, Kai."

"What?" Shock laced his grandson's gaze. Voltaire only kept smirking, knowing that annoyance would later drive the boy to the edge. "Happy birthday. I was quite surprised when the priest told me the date, as I've rather lost track - March 23rd, eh? Must be a nice present, especially since we never celebrated it."

"You're wrong."

Voltaire threw back his head and laughed even harder than before. "Oh, am I? Come back to my grave in twenty years and correct me, please. Or look on your birth certificate. I assure you, I'm being quite truthful."

Kai's chilling laughter suddenly matched his own, and Voltaire stopped - no. This couldn't be. His grandson - Kai - he sounded...so happy.

"You're very wrong," Kai sighed. "There's no Demolition Boys. No reason for them. I haven't left the Bladebreakers, it's beyblade that I - that we, all of us are never going back to again."

"What?" Voltaire's enraged snarl seemed to bring a smile to Kai's lips.

"Oh, yeah... I visited because there's something else I wanted to tell you...big news, actually. Hiwatari Enterprises is getting a new name."

It was Voltaire's turn to be puzzled, and Kai's to chuckle. "Hiwatari Enterprises isn't mine, starting next week. I'm selling it."

Voltaire's heart turned stone cold; he wished the execution had already come and gone by now. "Wh-what?"

"And guess what?" That smile was so taunting. "I sold it for only a hundred billion."

"YOU FOOL!" Voltaire bellowed. "That's one fifth of its worth!"

"Yeah, I know." His grandson's tone was apathetic to whatever Voltaire had to say, but was keyed with a strange touch of joy. "But Tala, Bryan, Spencer, Ian and I..." He looked into the window, and this time, when Voltaire's imagination saw the four invisible boys, there were smiles on their faces and love in their eyes.

"...We're just gonna live. Happily ever after. You get to die in your own grave, old man." His grandson gave him one last pat on the shoulder. "Have it your way."

As his grandson walked proudly from the room, he heard him - another shocking trait - whistle the tune of the happy birthday song.

Minutes later, a needle was injected in his arm, and a tube. Silver liquid flowed through the rubber cylinder, travelled through his bloodstream, and didn't stop until it reached his heart. Slowly, the stone object stopped beating. The cold eyes grew blank, while the warmth of his body faded. And safely behind a window, a group of five boys watched.

"I'm glad that's over with." Tala's voice was soft. His hand was still tightly holding on to Kai's, who gave him a comforting squeeze.

Bry leaned forward, allowing his forehead to touch the glass. Someone covered the unloving, now unmoving face that had been the object of his hatred and cause of his torment for so many years. "Think we'll ever see him again?" Kai, Tala and Ian shot him confused looks, but it was Spence who responded.

"Maybe. But tonight should be the first that I don't dream of him again."

Finally understanding, the others nodded agreement. "Hey..." Ian nudged Kai. "We heard that you were going to sell that company your grandfather owned. Is it true?"

"Yup," Kai replied, sating their curious stared. "For a fraction of the price. I told Voltaire as much."

Bryan smirked. "No wonder he was so angry."

Kai's grin widened, and Tala couldn't help but feel an astounding happiness at seeing him smile so much in one grim day. "Best part is that I didn't tell him - for selling it at a fraction of the cost, we get twenty percent of all their profits. In everything."

Ian's grin was filled with mischief and a delight they hadn't felt in years. "What're we going to do with all that money?"

They all glanced at one another with the same glint in their eyes.

"Mansion," Bryan barked.

"A vacation, on a boat," Spencer sighed.

"Paintball!" Ian suggested, and they all looked at him with baffled expressions.

"What's that?" Bryan asked when no one else did.

Ian shrugged. "Dunno. It's something that Tyson told me about. He said it was cool."

Bryan groaned. "If that big-ass cow-eater thinks it's cool, I'm not doing it." Kai rolled his eyes at them all.

"Hey, it's my money."

Tala pouted. "Oh, Kai. Sharing is caring."

Meanwhile, Bryan and Ian were still arguing.

"Mansion!"

"Castle!"

"Mansion!"

"Castle!"

"Mansion!"

"Castle!"

"Or a beach house," Spencer interrupted. "Now calm down, you two."

Neither dared argue, but they stuck out their tongues at one another.

"What about you, Tala?" asked Kai, startling his friend.

"Oh, me? I would..." He looked around at all of them, and tears began shuddering in his eyes. "Just this. All of this. I wouldn't want anything more than you guys. Family. That's...that's all I want to be, you know."

Bryan was second to his reasoning. "I agree. You know, Spence..." He glanced over in Spencer's direction, his gaze soft. "That was...brave of you. On the stand."

Spencer only grunted to show his appreciation.

Kai smiled. "All right," he chuckled, pulling out his phone. "I'll get a plane to take us back to Russia straight away."

Tala gave him a mocking look of surprise. "What, without seeing your Bladebreaker friends?" Kai knew that was still a sore spot between the two of them, but he felt too soft towards the red-head right now to care. "Of course," he told him. "I value my family too much."

The five boys grinned.

"Mother Russia it is."