"Well, here it goes," Catheryne said as she walked to the neighbourhood park. She had picked the park as her destination because it was deserted 90% of the time. She lived in a place where everyone has a big garden, so there was no actual need for it. She was, for once, 15 minutes earlier than she had told him to come. Him, Masquerade, the one with the mask, without mercy.

"Cath... Are you sure this is a good idea?" Nissha asked, resting on her partner's head.

"Nope! But I'm bored to death, so let's give it a try!" the haos bakugan knew Catheryne could act impulsive, especially to ease boredom, but this had been her craziest stunt.

"Besides, we're strong! We should at least get the chance to beat him." she continued, now more serious. Nisha agreed on that, even if it could mean her end, she would never, ever doubt her partner.

When the duo arrived at the small park, Catheryne sat down on the round bench in the centre of park didn't have much: a goal to play football, a swing and slide playhouse and trees.

She waited for 5 minutes, though they seemed like hours to her, and grunted.

"Maybe we shouldn't have come so early..." she said, now upside down on the bench. Her legs swinging over the back of the bench and her back lying on the seat. Her hair was piled up on the ground under her head, but she didn't mind. Laying down like that might have been uncomfortable when wearing a skirt, but fortunately her school uniform existed out of a pair of shorts that the girls had to wear underneath the skirt. Her school uniform was made of some sort of sailor uniform with the typical white colour and accent which were in a colour the student could choose. For her, that was pink. She also wore a pair of white shoes, short boots, with blue accents, because she'd lost her own and borrowed the extra pair of a friend's, whom had blue accents.

"It's still better than being late," Nisshoku said from the bench. Nissha remembered being late for numerous appointments, but not late by a mere few minutes, but by a few hours.

"Yeah yeah..." the girl puffed as her face started to grow redder from her position. Again, she didn't mind.

"What do you think will happen..." the swan was silent for a second, "if we lose?"

"Then we'll go together, like I promised. We'd spend an eternity in the Doom Dimension, but I'll never let you go alone," she answered. Even though the two only knew each other for a few months, they'd grown as close as family, surprisingly enough.

"Wouldn't that get boring for you?"

"All the reason not to lose, right?"

How Catheryne could be like that, reckless even when knowing the consequences, she would never understand.

Ignorant was a word that fit the brawler as well, though strangely enough, it seemed to be her weakness as well as her strength. Fear was something Nissha had never seen in her either, though she knew she must've felt it sometime.

"You know, I want to thank you for being my first true friend, Nissha. All other people I thought to be my friends... But I was wrong, I realize that now."

"That feeling is mutual, Catheryne, I am very grateful for you being my very first and only friend."

"Huh, what about Vestroia? Didn't you have any friends there?'

the bakugan shook her form. "No, I am a very young bakugan, you see. I have lived for a very short time in Vestroia before coming to earth. Every thing about life was so new and I was so confused, the only thing I knew was how to fight, until I met you. You made me understand much what I couldn't have done on my own."

Break

Meanwhile, the masked brawler watched from a tree branch. He had to use a little effort to completely understand her, as she was talking with a rather thick scottish accent. Most of the time it sounded more like she was singing than talking. There were things that sparked his interest, though, and thus not revealing himself. It was rather the bakugan than the brawler that interested him, yet he could not help but note that the girl shouldn't be too easy to beat if she could accomplish such a position with a mere baby. His observations told him otherwise on the girl's strength. She would be easy to influence if he wanted to, that was sure. And that's why he choose her. A silence fell between the two.

"I hope I didn't make you wait," the darkus brawler had said lightly as if he just arrived. The girl reacted a little startled, tumbling backwards and landing miraculously on her feet. He would've been impressed if he hadn't known it was sheer luck that made it happen.

"Actually, according to my boredom meter, you're 5 minutes late. I guess you'll have to amuse me extra," her answer sounded as she gave a nod with her head so her hair would fall in place again, it was strange how her way of talking had changed completely the moment she saw the boy, her accent almost gone.

He simply smirked.

"It's just a boy..." the bakugan realized, her voice surprised. 'Never judge a book by its cover,' he wanted to say but grabbed a gatecard instead.

Catheryne did the same.

"Field open!"

a rainbow of colours swirled around the two brawlers before ending up on the battlefield.

"Gatecard set!" both said, a yellow glowing and a purple glowing card being thrown onto the field.

"Doom card... Set."

"Alright, I'm going first. Bakugan brawl!" the haos girl exclaimed, throwing her bakugan onto her gatecard.

"Haos Fear Ripper stand!" Catheryne exclaimed, the clawed creature revealing itself.

"Bakugan brawl. Laserman stand." the masked brawler said calmer as he threw his bakugan onto the same card.

"Battle commencing. Haos Fear Ripper 380G-power, Darkus Laserman 370G-power" her Bakupod informed her

"Let's go Jack! Gatecard open, Haos Normal!"

"Fear Ripper power change to 480G."

The haos bakugan was about to slash his opponent when the masked brawler spoke up. "Ability activate; Spliced Slayer."

"Fear Ripper 380G, Laserman 470G."

Catheryne looked surprised. "What happened?!"

"Spliced Slayer transfers 100G from your bakugan to mine," the boy answered simply as Laserman started shooting Fear Ripper, who tried to dodge the shots.

"W-Well, in that case I activate the activate Haos and Darkus Co-Relation!"

"Fear Ripper increase to 480G."

Masquerade looked indifferent as his bakugan got sent to the Doom Dimension, seeming too lazy to even look at his disappearing bakugan.

"Alright! Well done Jack," Catheryne said as she caught her bakugan.

Nisshoku popped out on her partner's shoulder. "Say, is it just me or are you really nervous?"

"What? Me? Noooo. What are you talking about?" she responded casually. In truth, she was shaking and felt as if her knees were going to give in.

"Anyway, let's move on," she continued and looked at the bakugan in her palm. "Ready for another round? Bakugan brawl!" she exclaimed, sending Fear Ripper out once again.

"Bakugan Brawl, Siege stand."

"Battle commencing. Haos Fear Ripper 380G-power, Darkus Siege 360G-power."

"Gatecard open: Mind Ghost," he said, a slim smirk appearing on his face.

"What?!" the girl exclaimed, right before a huge explosion happened, sending both bakugan away. "That... That was utterly useless!" she yelled at her opponent, a furious expression on her face

It only seemed to amuse him more. Then another voice spoke up, one they hadn't heard before.

"I beg to differ," it said, chuckling. "Now that those weaklings are out of the way, I can finally get some more decent energy."

A bakugan popped open on the back of Masquerade's hand.

"You look decent enough," it said, eyeing Catheryne's partner.

"You must be Hydranoid," Nissha said in a calm manner. They'd been warned for the bakugan by the other brawlers before they left, something they kept in mind.

Hydranoid chuckled again, "Indeed I am. Now let's cut the chit chat and continue."

The two brawlers tossed another gatecard onto the field.

"Bakugan brawl, Haos Nisshoku stand!" Catheryne exclaimed as she threw her bakugan onto her gatecard.

"Haos Eclipse 400G."

Nisshoku rose elegantly, letting out a high pitched screech as she spread her wings.

"Bakugan brawl! Hydranoid stand!" the Darkus brawler said, throwing his partner onto his own gatecard. Catheryne immediately noticed how much more alive Masquerade was all of the sudden.

"Darkus Hydranoid 450G."

"Now birdy, time to say goodbye!" the darkus bakugan roared.

"Ability activate... Chaos of Darkness!" the brawler exclaimed with a wide smirk.

"Haos Eclipse 300G, Darkus Hydranoid 550G."

"But how can he attack when he's on a different gatecard?" Catheryne wondered. Her question was soon answered when Hydranoid started firing spheres in all directions.

"Cath! ability!" the haos bakugan yelled after barely dodging one of the attacks.

"Oh, uh," she said, thinking of what to do. "Sorry Banzai... But ability activate! Flashing Trick!"

A flash appeared, blinding everyone. When the light faded and vision returned, a Haos Hynoid stood in Nisshoku's place. However, it was soon hit by one of the remaining spheres, sending it to the Doom Dimension as well.

This time the darkus pair was the one to be taken by surprise. "What's going on?!"

"Flashing Trick allows Nissha to switch places with any other bakugan I have, whether it's on a gatecard or not."

Masquerade growled, not happy his strategy failed.

"Well, it seems that it's just the two of us now!" Hydranoid laughed.

"Only I shal come out victorious!" Nissha snapped back. "Let's go, Cath!"

"Right! Bakugan brawl! Nisshoku stand!" she said, throwing the haos bakugan by Hydranoid.

"No more tricks now!" the swan exclaimed as she reappeared.

"Battle commencing. Haos Eclipse 400G, Darkus Hydranoid 550G."

"I'll kick things off with my ability Oracle of the Moon!"

Nissha's markings glowed blue as the moon on her wing shined bright.

"Eclipse 500G."

"Not enough... Then I activate this! Lightning Shield!"

As Hydranoid sent one of its attacks towards Nissha, a wall of light appeared, blocking the attack.

"Hydranoid 450G"

"Perfect! Now go, Nissha!"

"Gatecard open! Character!" Masquerade interrupted.

"No way I'm letting that happen! Dance of Elegance!" she cut him off.

Before its effect could kick in, Nissha spread her wings, taking on a golden glow that flowed onto the gatecard, shattering it.

"Gatecard nullified. Nissha power change to 550G"

"Pesky girl!" his sudden outburst caused his opponent to look towards him. His expression showed pure and utter frustration. That expression left as soon as it came, though. "Enough of this! Abilities activate! Merge Shield and Auragano Revenge!"

A dark aura surrounded the battling bakugan, Hydranoid growing stronger and Nissha growing weaker.

"Nissha 450G, Hydranoid 700G."

Hydranoid pushed Nissha after that, making her hit the ground. 'This was it,' she realized soon, before looking at a shocked Catheryne.

'No.. I'm not going to let her!' she thought and used her long neck to reach her partner and used her force to sent the girl back some distance.

This shocked Cath even more, as she got to her feet as fast as she could, by the time she was up, she could see her partner disappearing into the hole.

"Goodbye, Catheryne..." she could hear her partner say as tears flowed over the creature's beak. Then she was gone.

"Nissha!" Catheryne exclaimed, tears streaming over her face. She... lost... She lost... her. She fell to her knees, tears forming a pool on the ground. Then, something, a hand, grabbed her chin, firm yet carefully. It forced her to look up, staring at the masked face. He seemed to stare back, but she wasn't sure of that. The eyecontact lasted for about a minute, before he let go. He stood up from his kneeled position and turned around, disappearing in a flash. Catheryne kept staring in the distance a while longer, not longer crying. She stood up, noticing something in her hand. It could've been a Doom Card, but it wasn't. It was a bakugan, at which she stared flabbergasted.

"Cath..." it said, popping open. Tears started flowing again, but not out of sadness this time.

"I thought I lost you..." she muttered, holding the bakugan against her cheek.

"I thought I had lost you too..." it answered.

"Oh Nissha, I will never ever do something as stupid as that again! Promise!" it was something she wasn't going to keep.

"It... It was him, wasn't it?" she suddenly realized. "But why? Why would he do that..."

"I don't know, I really have no idea."

She shook her head, troubled, and looked around. The small park was still the same, as was the rest of the world, yet it felt different. It felt like the entire world had changed. How it had changed exactly, she didn't know.

"Let's go home..." she said, rubbing her eye. The walk had been silent, as both seemed to have a lot on their mind. How to explain what happened, for example. She simply knew that if she told them the truth, they wouldn't believe her. She also knew that things weren't so black and white anymore.

"It seems like life just got a lot more complicated," the bakugan remarked, to which Catheryne nodded.

"What will I tell them?" she then asked.

"I have no idea... Maybe you could say you didn't use me when you saw Hydranoid's power. It's unlike you, but it might convince them. You will have to apologize to them, saying they were right when they warned you."

"What? No way in hell that's going to happen!" the girl turned her head to the side, a pout on her face. Nissha sighed. Suddenly, the brawler noticed something on the top of a house from the corner of her eye, but when she turned her head to look at it, whatever it was, it was gone. "I must've imagined it then..." she muttered. "Hm?" Nissha said, having heard the girl's words. "Nothing. I simply thought I saw something, is all."

Break

"Looks like I made the right choice after all," the boy said with a chuckle, standing on the roof, before he finally retreated to his hideout, for now.

AN: I updated something!

Don't get me wrong, though, this story is still on Haitus unless I get in the mood to update, which can take another year.

It's this kind of problem that makes me want to leave Fanfiction for a while and write some chapters for all my stories in advance, but unfortunately it's too late for that.

Also, I have another first chapter for a bakugan story, and I'm considering to put it up, but it'll be on haitus too, but it's so awesome... It's really the best introduction chapter I have ever written. Now don't get super excited before I tell you it's a Gundalian Invaders story with a strange main pairing, but it's up to you to decide.

P.S.: I'll be writing this story from a 3rd point of view from now on, as the introduction chapter is only meant to understand what kind of person Catheryne is. Also, Cath nicknamed all her bakugan and names them after characters or things from history.
Jack the Ripper
Banzai
Also, I suck at writing battles.(The battle is also the main reason this chapter was postponed for like four months) the hyena from the lion king.