[Vinnie listened to all this in stony-faced silence. He put his hands behind his back and leaned against the door, just letting all of the Wartortle's vitriol flow through him. Even after Marie finished talking, he waited in silence to let the words hang in the air like a dense fog.

When Red came back with amnesia, the pain of being forgotten hit Vinnie like a sledgehammer. But now, hearing that his little brother wanted to erase him and everything he'd done from his life... maybe it hurt less because he deserved it. He was just a ghost to Marie at this point. Maybe they'd both be happier in the long run if he just stepped backwards, into that haze.]

...If you want t'forget me, don't get stuck tryin' to erase the past. That'll never change.

Just move forward with your life. Hate me as much as you need to. Hate me until you don't have any hate left, an' you just don't care.

And... eventually I'll be gone.