Shun's POV

Those two effectively made me look at a Bakugan ball. There was a time in our lives we all had to face drama.

To think my mom gave me Skyress because she knew I loved to play Bakugan, it was what I wanted to do. Now I had just did the very thing my grandfather forbid me to do. I thought I wouldn't ever brawl again, now what do I do seeing that I've done it?

It was tiring, trying to get good at Bakugan when I have things like school and work to do? No doubt Marucho and Runo were not lying about that Masquerade business, but the Doom Dimension. That couldn't be true, could it?

Knowing there was a place that was made entirely out of darkness was bad. And the way I am now, how could I help the Bakugan. How can I help Skyress if I can't help myself? There was a better of me that I had to figure that out fast.

At times like this it would be no brainer with Dan. I bet he's laughing at how his skills have improved...that's child thinking. Skills shouldn't improve because we worked to be our best. But, somehow, maybe if I face him in at least one brawl maybe that will be it. The deciding factor, in spite of Dan's intelligence he puts his heart in anything worth doing.

That mostly brought him to playing Bakugan in the first place. I decided in the spare time I had to see if there was anything new with him, seeing that Runo and Marucho have talking Bakugan partners. It's likely he'll have one to. Maybe as hot-headed as he is. I smirked at the thought.

A hot-headed boy like him deserved to have his Pyrus Bakugan. They are the only things hotter than both his anger and what went on in his head.

Once I went online on the familiar Brawlers' chat room I began to have nostalgia. The various rules and strategies that we all came up with even some heated arguing. But, enough of this! I saw Dan's new partner, a Pyrus Dragonoid.

That sounded like an impressive Bakugan. I wasn't a big fan of Pyrus Bakugan, but a dragonoid were rare Bakugan not everyone could get their hands on.

"You seemed amused." Skyress said after popping out from my pocket and onto my shoulder.

"I may just be a little amused."

"Shun! Where are you, it is time for your training!" I heard my grandfather shout.

That meant it was time to shut off what I was thinking about and walk downstairs. That's what I did. I didn't need Skyress for training so I left her behind. I'll get her back when I finished my training.

Dan's POV

After reviewing past events, I found nothing meaningful. Man, I can't believe poser didn't bother getting involved. I decided to hang with Marucho at the Misaki's Cafe in hopes of devising a new strategy of taking on Masquerade, besides Alice and Runo will be there.

When I walked inside I saw Marucho on his computer.

"Hey Marucho, what's up?" I said .

"Technology and brain waves...I'll need both when I'm trying to track Masquerade."

"I'm not sure how brainwaves are going to help, but it sounds like you're really putting some umph into this."

"Indeed I am. I almost didn't get any sleep last night, but I knew Runo was going to talk to me so I tried getting some sleep for her."

"Now that you mentioned it. You do look exhausted. What were you up all night have a brawl or something?"

"That's not the reason. I've just been doing lots of research, and most of my brawls are in the morning."

"Well except last night." I heard Preyas said whispering to Drago on the table.

"What happened last night?" I asked Marucho.

"Uh...come on you know better than to believe everything Preyas says." Marucho is acting weird.

Preyas was undeniably weird as well but Marucho was acting weirder.

"Marucho spill, what's going on?" I asked insistently.

Marucho tried very hard not to tell me what was on his mind. At some points he even tried closing his mouth and making zipper sounds telling me he didn't want to talk.

"Preyas? Who did Marucho brawled against last night?" Drago asked.

"He and Runo had a brawl against Shun. I thought they would win, but Shun countered like an expert Bakugan player."

"He and Runo had a brawl against him?" I shouted rather loudly.

Marucho looked like he wanted to squeeze Preyas for telling him all that.

"Hey guys what's going on?" Runo asked as she walked over after overhearing my shout.

I looked at her hoping she could answer a question of mine and Marucho looked at her shaking his head. He tried to hide it, but I turned my head too fast for him.

"Care to tell me: why did you two go and see Shun?" I asked. My arms were

"We wanted to get his help," said Runo.

"Why get his help, we don't need it."

"It's better to have more help, Dan," said Marucho.

"We don't need him. We are doing just fine."

"See. I told you Dan would try to stop us," said Marucho.

"Now is not the time Marucho," She whispered to him before turning to face me. "But, look Dan the only way we stand a chance against Masquerade is if we increase our numbers, he's only getting stronger. We need all the help we can get. I mean what if he got in contact with him? What then?"

I admit I wouldn't want Shun to join Masquerade but that is still no reason to seek out his help. He will always be my rival, the person I don't hate but never want to be friends with.

"And what's gonna happen if Masquerade gets so powerful that not even all of the current Battle Brawlers could stand a chance." She continued. "Dan, you and Shun have got to settle whatever this is once and for all."

I could keep fighting with them but yelling at them was getting tiring.

So I yield. "Alright, we'll go see him and try to convince him, but I'm taking him on alone."

Runo and Marucho were happy; I was very flustered about meeting Shun though. What do you say to someone whom you haven't seen face to face for what, eleven months? I had good parents, but I wasn't nice to everyone who I obviously don't trust and never see to often.

Either way we were eventually going to have to settle this ...whatever you would call it once and for all.

On second thought, could it be possible to settle this matter another day. It's not like it was too late if I was with Runo, Marucho, and joining us Shun in what was not a warm welcome. Unfortunately, when I tried to walk away, Runo and Marucho grabbed me and pulled me onto the aircraft and even threatened to sit on me if I don't come along with them to see him.

It didn't matter if it was Marucho or Runo who sits on me. I didn't like to say both their butts were big; they both just found a good way to punish me.

They started talking rather loudly about how Shun is better than me, but not directly. Every time they started talking about a Bakugan strategy that the two of us came up with and how we both contributed to it. They even got Julie and Alice in on the act.

Why do we need Alice's help if she doesn't play Bakugan?

She was just a very good person. Apparently, she believes that doing this will do both me and him some good. She wasn't really suppose to talk to either of us, just making sure we behaved and talked quietly.

Even so, she usual has a fair point. We were mindful of what Alice says. But, even with this they still couldn't make me see Shun even if they have to drag me by force.

I was sleek, inspired to never see Shun face to face. You can laugh at me but I don't care. There is no way I am going to lose a brawl against anyone, not Masquerade, not Shun, not anyone.