Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Bakugan Franchise. Nothing. Zero. Zilch.
Yo! It's been awhile huh? Here's an extra long chapter as to say "I'm sorry for not updating in forever"
"Hey! Hey! Rory look! You're up on TV!" Eve called out to her brother as they arrived at the arena. Above them the giant TV screen showed snapshots and quick videos of Rory and Taros in battle.
"That's right folks!" The MC's voice boomed. "Today is the day where Rory Caldrin, Champion of this year's Battle Royal, faces off against the undefeated, amazing, astonishing leader of the Bakugan Battle Brawlers, Shun Kazami!"
In a flashy Ventus green themed graphic, the screen switched to battle scenes to the famous Brawler and his partner, Ventus Gale Gurifen. Eve heard her brother give a low long whistle.
"Aw, man. He's pretty tough." Rory commented as he looked up at the screen.
"What do ya expect?" Taros said. "He is the leader of the Bakugan Battle Brawlers."
"Hey stop that! Mr. Kazami might be tough, but you guys are bajillion-zillion times tougher. And remember, you said you would win this battle for me, right big bro?" Eve said to try to cheer her brother up.
"Heh, you're right sis. I did say that, didn't I? I guess that means we got an obligation to win, right Taros?" Rory asked his partner.
"You said it, not me." Taros replied.
"And you're just as peachy as ever." Rory sighed.
"Eve! Rory! Taros!" At the sound of their names they turned to see a girl in a sundress with bright blue hair tied in a ponytail and Haos Bakugan running toward them.
"Angelina!" Eve waved and embraced the girl once she reached them. "And Lumière! Haha, good to see you both here!" She turned toward the floating Haos Bakugan.
"Greetings to you all." Lumière nodded his head politely. Julie's partner Bakugan, Haos Lustré Lumière, was known to be a very gentlemanly and courteous knight-like Bakugan, much to contrast his partner's rambunctious and excitable attitude.
"Eve, I wouldn't miss this for the world!" Angelina nodded toward Rory "I mean your brother's going against Shun Kazami! Cousin Runo said he's gonna have to put up a big fight to even lay a scratch on him!"
"Oh right. . . Your cousin's a retired Brawler, Runo Misaki. . . She must be pretty tough too huh?" Rory said.
"Cousin Runo might not battle anymore but yeah! She's taught me everything I know about Bakugan." Angelina replied.
"And I'm sure that's a lot." Another voice interjected. The voice belonged to another friend of the Caldrin siblings, Kendrew McKinley; a Darkus user with mixed ethnicities of Japanese and Irish, which explains his long, dark as night hair and light, piercing blue eyes.
"Kendy, hey." Rory said, playfully calling him by his childhood nickname.
"Don't call me that, Rory." Kendrew replied like he had said the same thing nearly hundreds of times before, which he had.
"Hey, Kendrew!" Angelina greeted him.
"Hi." Eve said.
"Mongrel." Lumière said to the Darkus Wolf Bakugan on Kendrew's shoulder.
"Taros, Lumière." Mongrel replied.
"Hey Wolfy." Taros playfully greeted him with a nickname.
"Don't call me that, Taros." The Darkus Bakugan replied with just as much enthusiasm as his partner.
"So you really are fighting against Kazami today?" Kendrew asked Rory.
"That is what everyone keeps telling me." The Subterra user replied with a nervous smile.
Kendrew gave a sly smile. "Then how about Mongrel and I give you some special training?"
Rory's smile quickly faded. "Wait, what?"
"Come on, Rory! If you beat Kendrew, it'll really boost your morale." Eve suddenly said.
"That's a really big if there." Kendrew said, challenging the older Caldrin sibling.
Rory smirked; his eyes shined with a new determination and an old childhood rivalry. "Oh, it's on."
"Yeah go Kendrew!" Angelina shouted from the front row of the empty training arena.
Eve turned to look at her friend who was sitting beside her. "You're cheering for Kendrew?"
Angelina laughed, "Well, obviously. Besides if you're cheering for Rory, then it's only fair." The blue haired girl let out a dreamy sigh as she looked out to the arena. Rory and Kendrew were on opposite sides of the arena and the battle was about to begin. "Eve, be honest with me, do you think I've got a chance with Kendrew?" She asked Eve.
Eve's eyes widened at the question. She knew her friend liked to like boys, but she wasn't the type to ask advice on it. Also, Eve was likely to be the last person anyone would ask for love advice; she didn't even put much thought into the concept. "Uh. . . Angelina isn't he like . . . 17?"
"And I'm 15! And you're gonna be 15 next week. Seriously, Eve you need to start thinking about these things. The only boys you've ever talked to are Kendrew and your brother. "
"Um, yeah. Why don't you just do all the thinking about that for me, Angelina?" Eve said in response to her friend's sudden outburst. The girl wasn't in any hurry to find love. Though it was true that the only guys she ever really talked to were Kendrew and her brother, her brother definitely wasn't a dating option and Kendrew was more like her brother's best friend. Since they had all grown up together, he was also like another brother to her. Frankly, she thought it would be awkward if any of them started dating each other.
Angelina's expression softened and she rolled her eyes. "I guess that'll work for now."
"Hey guys! You ready for this?" Rory shouted from the arena.
"Ready than ever Rory!" Eve yelled back.
"Yeah!" Angelina shouted.
"We wish you all the best of luck!" Lumière shouted to both of them
"Hah! Mongrel and I won't need it!" Kendrew said.
"Make that double." Rory said. "Alright Taros, let's go!"
"You said it!" Taros switched into his ball form as Rory grabbed him.
"Bakugan Brawl! Rise Subterra Suelo Taros!" He yelled as he launched Taros into the arena. Taros roared and dug his front hoof into the arena floor, like a bull ready to charge.
"Mongrel." Kendrew said, unaffected by Taros' attempt at intimidation.
"Ready." The Darkus Bakugan growled and switched into his ball form.
"Bakugan Brawl! Rise Darkus Canidae Mongrel!" Kendrew shouted as he launched Mongrel into the arena.
The wolf-like Bakugan bared his fangs and growled a snarl. "We're not gonna hold back just 'cause you're facing against that Kazami today."
"I wouldn't expect anything else." Taros jeered back.
"Drago, what are you doing?" Runo was surprised to find Drago here of all places. It was the security room for BakuganCity, screens showed dozens of live feed from cameras posted all around the city. A computer automatically screened each feed for anything out of the ordinary, so there wasn't a need for a security guard. Runo actually shouldn't have been surprised to find the Pyrus Bakugan here; it was one of the few place he could be alone.
"Runo. . . I'm just thinking." Drago replied.
"Well, okay." Runo didn't like how Drago hesitated to reply. Lately, he had acted strange; disappearing for hours at a time with no one able to find him, keeping quiet and not talking much, and not participating in any battle were just some of the out of character things Drago had done lately. It had been almost a year since Dan. . . . And Drago still hadn't found a new partner. The retired Brawler was worried about him.
"Drago, I've been thinking." Runo said; she didn't like to see Drago this way. He seemed so lonely, so hurt, since that day almost a year ago. "Maybe you should start looking for-"
"A new partner?" Drago finished Runo's question. "Runo I appreciate your concern but I'm-"
"Never going to find anyone like him." Runo finished for him. "I mean, it's not like you want anyone exactly like him, you just want-"
"Him. And no one else. "
Runo took a deep breath in and then out. She leaned against the frame of the door, and for a moment, just stared at the former partner of her best friend; her once best friend. He's gone now, Runo. He really is gone now. She thought to herself. We can't dwell on the past. Dan wouldn't want us to do that.
The screens changed to a camera with the view of the training arena. Two teenage boys were battling against each other; a Subterra and a Darkus Bakugan were on the field. Another screen showed two younger teen girls shouting and cheering on the battlers and their Bakugan.
Runo smiled to herself as she watched the battle. So this is what Dan wanted. This is what he and Drago fought for, and what he died for.
"It's bittersweet isn't it?" She thought aloud.
Drago nodded, knowing exactly what Runo was talking about.
AN: As for the Bakugan, Mongrel is a wolf and Lumière is a knight. Just imagine that with the um. . . respective Darkus and Haos color schemes.
Kendrew and Angelina are just some OC's of mine and I'd say to *slight hinting spoiler* watch out for Kendrew. ;)
Until next time!