Once upon a time, around midnight, I was approached by a young man who told me that he was the real Ren Krawler from Bakugan Battle Brawlers: Gundalian Invaders. I took his claim with a grain of salt at first; however, after he brought up plausible scientific explanations and revealed many details about the characters, he convinced me that his story was meant seriously and might be actually true. And so his story starts.

Meeting at midnight was fairly normal if you were a Gundalian general. Mysterious actions, last minute decisions, and no explanations: all that characterized generations of Gundalian rulers and Nurzak was no exception. Ren wasn't surprised when he got a call to get out of bed and teleport to the Castle to meet the Prime Minister in private. Something political was going on; Ren had had that bad feeling all day long for the last few days. When it finally happened, it was kind of relief. Plus, he'd been having insomnia anyway.

What Nurzak said could hardly bring Ren happy sleep any time soon.

"Your achievements during the recent campaign have been analyzed." Prime Minister got to the point immediately. "The record isn't good."

"I'm listening."

It was something new. Previously, Ren had viewed Bakugan Battle Brawlers' campaigns as a good reason for a party. The Brawlers were a bunch of friends who rushed to help like no big deal. What could be better than a battle that friends won together and celebrated together? This time, Ren was set to experience the other side of the story. The Brawlers did their thing, sent cheers to the saved planet, and hurried back home to accomplish their own business in the Bakugan Interspace. Then the next day came and the honorable Gundalian-Neathian coalition started asking questions. Their defense had failed so badly that they had to call in children from the Earth. It didn't count as a good record for the officials in charge. Ren Krawler was in charge for the army. So, he'd better prepare. There was some explaining to do.

"Please, understand! We are not shifting blame." Nurzak lowered his voice. "We were attacked by a serious enemy. You certainly produced your share of heroics in the battlefield. However, we have to face facts. We were not ready for this war. Our intelligence proved to be nonexistent, our technologies outdated, and our army useless when it had to fight a mighty Bakugan force. We still stick to the old BakuMeters while Brawlers on the Earth and our allies in Neathia use BakuColars and BakuNano. If we want to survive, we need to change."

Ren dropped his eyes. It was exactly what he had tried to explain every time he met the Prime Minister ever since he became a general. He always got the same answer: "War isn't our priority. Our priority is friendship and peace." So, had the Prime Minister realized that things were not that simple? Great, then!

"I'll put my entire effort behind the upgrade of Gundalian army." Ren retorted the answer.

"You are no more in charge." Nurzak informed him abruptly. "It's been discussed between me, Queen Fabia, and Ambassador Serena. This is the decision we've made. Of course, we thank you for your work. Your retreat maneuvers minimized our losses. But how good is an army if it only retreats with success? We need a different approach. It's time for Mason Brown to show what he can do as Commander of Gundalian Army."

This gave Ren a bit of a hiccup. So, the supposed changes already had a personal name and a surname?

"In that case, I'm glad that my mistakes served as a lesson for others." Ren replied with a bow. What else could he say? At least, it was over for him then.

"So you're glad. Did you underperform on purpose?" Nurzak gave Ren a piercing look.

Ren's jaw dropped. How could anyone even think of that? The final battle had exhausted Linehalt so much that Ren's partner hadn't come out of his ball since the victory day.

"This is not correct. I and Linehalt did everything we could." Ren forced himself to stay calm.

"Oh, save it. Of course you didn't!" Nurzak cracked a sarcastic grin. "We waited for you to do it. Victims of war waited for you. The fallen, the injured, the broken, and the devastated all waited for you. You were supposed to restore them. Linehalt wasn't merely your Bakugan. He was the guardian angel of this planet. Our people risked with their lives because they believed in Linehalt's ability. And where was the unparalleled Forbidden Power when your home needed it? Gundalia is done with waiting for you, Ren."

"Linehalt's power isn't endless." Ren murmured, looking down. Why was it so? He had no idea. Linehalt didn't spring out of the Bakugan ball when the moment came. It was as simple as that. At first, Ren had thought that his partner needed a little rest. Later, it started to feel abnormal. But still, Ren couldn't figure out what to do.

"Shall I issue a public apology?"

"Leave these sentiments." Nurzak's grin narrowed to a short vexed line. "If you and your partner can't live up to the expectations, you can still help those who do. You will be useful in the lab. We need scientists."

Ren sighed. He could easily see this plan through. He would work on upgrades in the lab and then the results of the improved performance would all count as Mason's. Well, whatever! Wasn't serving the nation supposed to be selfless?

Ren went down on one knee in acceptance:

"Please, tell Her Highness Queen Fabia and Her Excellency Ambassador Serena that I thank them for the chance. When do I start?"

"Don't rush!" Nurzak avoided a direct answer. "It's not that simple. Gundalian science has been compromised. There have been cruel experiments in the past. We shouldn't forget about diplomacy concerning reopening a lab. Let's take our time. It will be the best for you, too. I can tell that you will take a lot of pills to forget your recent failure. We don't want you to exaggerate with meds while at work, do we?"

Ren gritted his teeth. What did Nurzak mean? Ren used only Neathian medicine that shouldn't harm a fly. Nurzak knew it better than anyone. "Your duty involves a lot of stress." The Prime Minister had told Ren in another private meeting about a year ago. "I just want you to know that there is a cure. Neathians call it the Memory Antidote. It's absolutely safe. It doesn't cause amnesia or loss of any intellectual skills. It's a nice tool that keeps unpleasant memories away. It will fix your emotional problems. We don't want any negative emotions to affect your work, do we?"

"Thank you!" Ren put the vial in his pocket then. "I don't think I'll need it though."

Ren had needed it a lot. He had needed it so often that taking a pill had almost become an unpleasant recollection itself. But how could Ren possibly exaggerate if it was safe? Unless, and Ren involuntarily clenched the lifeless Bakugan ball in his fist as the thought run chilling through his spine, unless their failure happened because Ren inadvertently forgot something important. It made sense. In Ren's entire life, nothing had caused greater emotional stress than the Forbidden Power!

For reference: The abovementioned campaign is a canon storyline from the 1st arc of Bakugan Battle Brawlers: Mechtanium Surge (see episode Gundalia Under Fire). Memory Antidote is not canon but it explains the canon anime in which Ren acts rather estranged when he sees the Brawlers again. The 1st arc of Mechtanium Surge is also when Ren and other characters from Bakugan Battle Brawlers: Gundalian Invaders are seen in the anime for the last time. That way, Ren's story in this fiction starts right after Ren's story in the anime ends.