Chapter 4
Luna awoke to the sound of her gauntlet ringing, someone was trying to contact her. With a sigh she answered the call. Dan's face appeared on screen.
"Luna where'd you go? We've spent half the morning looking for you!"
"Sorry, slept in." She replied nonchalantly, looking around. "I slept in a tree. Don't know why, but I slept in a tree. I cant even climb trees!"
"Then quit monkeying around and get back here! We're ready to go!" He snapped.
"Nice pun. I'll be there in a few minutes." She shut off the video feed and did a quick inventory check. Captured bakugan? Check. Gauntlet? Check. Nocturne? Check. Nightmare? Che- nope. "Nightmare?"
The trees ahead of her rustled a bit, before said Darkus bakugan zipped towards the ground on a leaf. "I believe I can glide!" She was going to land in a thicket of brambles. "Oh no! Help!" Too late, she disappeared inside the dense, thorny bushes.
"Nightmare, you dolt!" Nocturne yelled after her as Luna climbed down the tree to the bush.
"Can you get out?" Luna hoped the moron could, she wasn't in the mood to deal with this- then again when was anyone ever in the mood to climb through thorns?
A few moments later, Nightmare replied. "No dice. Both figuratively and literally."
"Oh damn it all!" The Darkus brawler groaned exasperatedly, set down Nocturne and climbed in the thicket, being as wary of the things as possible. It was impossible to avoid them all, Luna got a few decent scratches from the blasted things. She eventually got to the center and found Nightmare, grabbed her and escaped the wretched bush.
They met up with Dan back at the base. "Wow looks like you had a fun time."
"Well someone decided to hop on a leaf and glide into a bramble thicket!" She sent a glare between Dan and Nightmare. For some reason she felt like karma came and bit her in the rear for her sarcastic comments earlier.
A small scale explosion sounded from inside the base, followed by Ace's yelling. Everyone ran in, expecting the worst only to find that Baron had accidentally fried one of the control panels.
"Oh lovely. Time to disappear for a bit while this whole mess cools down." Luna snuck away from everyone and for good measure, went to the edge of the woods far away from said people.
She sat on the ground and put her bakugan on a flat rock. "You two hear that?" The Darkus girl went quiet for a moment. "That, my friends, is the sound of nothing."
"Oh ha ha." Nocturne retorted dryly. "Very amusing."
"Not as amusing as that one day with the soda and mints!" Nightmare said.
As the two got into a conversation, Luna let her thoughts wonder to a common topic among teenagers of her gender. Boys.
She found Lync to be pretty cute and Shadow kind of nice. Meanwhile on the brawler team the only one who'd ever caught her eye was Shun, far too quiet for her likes. Before she could forget, she slapped herself for thinking of the enemy like that.
Another problem was that she'd never been in a relationship like that. Heck, she barely knew how friendship worked! Then again things like this come with experience so there was bound to be a few kinks within a line of relationships in general.
"Who's that?" Luna's head snapped up at Nightmare's question, looking to the distant desert, she saw a cloaked figure coming her way.
"I'd say run, but they've probably seen us." Luna replied half worriedly. "Yeah, they've definetly seen us."
After what seemed like an hour, the figure stopped in front of the Darkus trio and put the hood of it's cloak down, revealing a boy with green eyes and long, wavy blue hair.
The boy looked to Luna's two guardians. "Those are fine bakugan you have there."
"Sure are. What's a guy like you doing out in the desert?" She didn't show it, but Luna had a growing suspicion about this one.
"I'm hiking through the area to collect and study soil samples, and who are you?" He asked.
"Lanué Zyrios." She decided to play safe rather than sorry. The Darkus brawler also got a Subterra vibe from this one.
"What is someone such as yourself doing out in the woods alone?"
Dang it! "Helping out a local group of Wontu." She replied.
"Interesting. Why are you so concerned with those bakugan?" The boy almost looked smug as he asked.
"They're my friends."
"But what's in it for you?"
Was he really shooting that question right now? "What do you mean?"
His eyes narrowed. "You don't know why you battle? You're an amateur!"
Nerve; struck. "Amateur!?"
"Maybe you're just some mindless do-gooder, or maybe you're hungry for power." His expression returned to calculative.
"No way! I'd rather stay the crowd's shadow."
"Then what is the answer to my question?" The boy demanded. "Battling without purpose is meaningless!"
Luna's eyes narrowed. "Hold up, who are you anyways?"
He stared at her for a long moment. "I too am interested in the bakugan, for my own personal reasons." Nightmare gave him a warning growl.
A smirk made it's way onto his face. "Catch you later, Luna Nightshade." The boy simply turned and left back to the desert.
Once he was out of sight Luna plopped down. "What's that guys problem?"
"My biggest concern is how he knew your name even when you lied." Nocturne stated.
Luna groaned inwardly. "No kidding. Now I'll have to come up with another fake name. Do you guys know how hard it is to find cool, night related names?"
"Could be worse." Nightmare pointed out. "He could've snagged you to the Vexos and nobody would know; you never tell anyone where you go so they'd think you went lone wolf again."
"Yeah, I know." The girl started fiddling with a random card. "Hey, new fake name; Lacunae Nocturne. Has a nice ring to it, eh?" Without thinking she put the card in her gauntlet and a puple laser blade suddenly formed at the front end of the gauntlet.
"Those things have swords?!" Nightmare jumped a foot in the air in fright. "jeebus!"
Luna got up and swished the sword around a bit. "This is awesome!"
"Watch it! Don't hit us with that!" Nightmare pleaded.
"Relax! I don't intend to have Wavern sushi! Jeez Nightmare." Luna removed the card, taking note of its design and putting it back. "Hey wait I'm getting off track. Better tell the team about this guy." She grabbed her two bakugan and raced off to the mobile base.
~-_.:\|/:._-~
Base
Alright! Everything's fixed, ready-"
"Guys! Spotted suspicious guy, questions, left-" Luna entered the room, chest heaving. She wasn't the sporty type, running several kilometers was doable but not fun.
"Slow down. Tell us what happened when you catch your breath." Mira ordered, concern for her usually quiet friend evident.
Luna nodded to Nightmare to speak. "Suspicious guy walked our way, Green eyes, blue hair. Had a Subterra vibe to him. He asked us a few questions, Luna lied about things and somehow, he knew who we were."
"Thanks Nightmare and Marucho." Luna took the offered glass of water from Marucho.
Mira mused for a moment before a thought settled in her head. "Sounds like Gus Grav, Subterra brawler of the Vexos."
The Darkus girl groaned. "Let me guess; there's six of them, isn't there?" Mira nodded. "Lovely. More people to be paranoid about! So we have Ventus, Darkus, Haos, Aquos and Subterra on the list, leaving Pyrus as the rogue element."
Baron started driving the MB, heading closer to the city as Luna managed to climb up and sit on top of the base. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the breeze.
She felt something was off.
Suddenly the breeze seemed to whip around everywhere, her eyes snapped open in alarm, spotting a red scout ship, like Shadow's, currently circling the base at a rapid speed. The base slowed to a halt and so did the ship as it hovered in front of the MB.
From the middle of the ship emerged the blue haired boy from earlier, minus the cape.
"So tell me, Luna Nightshade, have you found an answer for why you brawl?" He asked, arms crossed expectantly. The ship landed and he hopped onto the ground as everyone inside the base got out.
"So you're the same guy from earlier. No more hiding, pal."
He nodded. "My real name is Gus Grav. My master, Spectra Phantom sends his regards."
"Careful," Mira stated. "He's the number two Vexos brawler."
"Oh lovely. Well then, let's see what he's got!" Luna snapped on her gauntlet and Gus followed suit with a knowing smirk.
"Gauntlet power strike!"
Luna reached for a gate card instinctively. "Gate card set!" The card was absorbed into the ground in a pulse of purple light. "Bakugan brawl! Nightmare stand!" The Wavern emerged with a fierce roar. She had 580G
"Bakugan brawl! Primo Vulcan, Stand!" He threw his bakugan on field, it appeared as a large Subterra humanoid bakugan with 500G.
"Sweet beejesus that thing is huge!" Luna's eyes widened, Vulcan easily towered over everyone.
"Enough talk!" He snapped.
Nightmare stared down balefully at Vulcan. "Alrighty then!"
Suddenly Vulcan rose into the sky with what looked like rocket boot feet of some sort, flying just high enough to slug Nightmare in the face, knocking her out of the sky and knocking 80G out of her.
He landed as the Wavern got up. Gus laughed. "You are so out of your league it's sad!"
Luna shot him a glower. "Time to quit holding back! Gate card open! Darkus reactor!" Nightmare rose to 700G.
"Ability activate! Darkus fury!" Nightmare shot an indigo fireball at Vulcan.
"Ability activate! Heavy Aegis!" Vulcan's fists began to spin, going as fast as a drill as he hit the fireball, destroying it entirely.
"Incredible!" Nightmare's jaw nearly dropped.
"Primo Vulcan is made from New Vestroia's most indestructible metal, and when Heavy Aegis is active, that defense is amplified one hundred fold, making your pitiful attack useless."
Vulcan rose 100G while Nightmare lost 100, then Vulcan rose another 200 as she lost 200G.
"I think it's time for your first lesson in true power. Ability activate, Titan Knuckle."
"Do you concede defeat?" Inquired Vulcan, arm raised for attack.
"Never!" Snapped Nightmare.
"Then I'll make you bow!" He fired off the raised arm like a missile, revealing it as a gauntlet of sorts that's hand opened and hit Nightmare in the neck, effectively placing her in a choke hold and sending her to the ground. Vulcan rose to 900G while the Wavern fell to 400.
Luna looked at her gauntlet in horror. "No!"
"Welcome to the big leagues, kid. Terra itself gives Primo Vulcan strength! You can't resist it!" Gus stood by Vulcan almost smugly.
Luna snarled, thinking for a moment before going for a risky move. "Ability activate! Rapid Fire!" She threw Nocturne to the field, the bakugan stood with a screech of fury, sending a glare to Vulcan.
"Time to knock this guy down to the dust! Ability activate! Destruction Meteor Storm!" Nocturne rose 100G and was alight with purple flames as she sled into the sky and above the clouds, Nightmare got up and shook her head.
"Double ability activate! Darkus fury plus fusion ability Melt flare!" The next ball of fire Nightmare made grew three times its original size as Vulcan's attention shifted to Nocturne, leaving his back to the wyvern as she shot the fire, striking him in the back.
He lurched forwards a bit before catching himself.
"Nice one, hitting him in his blind spot!" Gus sent Luna an amused look.
"Quit being patronizing! Man is that irritating!" Vulcan's gauntlet arm fell from Nightmare's neck and reattached to him. Nocturne dived towards him at a dangerous speed without his notice.
Gus' amused look faded. "My apologies, I was merely trying to encourage you." He stood up. "This battle is far from over, in fact it has only just begun!" Gus pulled a card from his pocket and loaded it into his gauntlet. "Ability card set! Ability activate! Pyrus Durance!" Violent explosions shot out from Vulcan, hitting Nightmare and Nocturne, sending them back to ball form.
"Sorry Luna." They said simultaneously.
"It's fine. I'm just glad you're not gone." She replied, looking back to the triumphant brawler.
"Lesson one; never take your opponent's defeat for granted, chances are they may have one or two more cards up their sleeve." He carelessly dropped a gate card he was holding, it fading into the ground with an orange pulse.
"Let's get down to business, shall we? Luna Nightshade, it's time I show you how the big boys play!" His expression turned serious.
Alright, he wanted to play snide? Fine. "Then I guess I'll show you what true despair is!" Luna rolled Nocturne as Gus threw Vulcan, both standing and ready for a fierce brawl. Both bakugan were 500G.
"Gate card open; Subterra Reactor." Vulcan rose to 900G.
"Original." Luna said dryly, earning a snicker from Nightmare. "Ability activate! Rapid Fire!" She threw Nightmare to help Nocturne.
"I'll show you the true power of a bakugan trap! Hexados stand!" The boy threw a cylindrical bakugan into the air, it burrowed into the ground and emerged as a wormlike bakugan. It raised Vulcan another 350G. "Ability activate, Ray drill!" Tentacle-like appendages emerged from it's sides as it opened fire on Nightmare with orange lasers. It rose to 550G, keeping Vulcan and Hexados at a 1450G, overpowering Nocturne and Nightmare.
It's power went to 1150G when Nightmare hit it with a fireball. "Ha! Big deal! You can't beat what you can't see!" Hexados burrowed underground.
Luna's team listened, they heard rumbling and their heads turned to Mira, Baron, Ace and Marucho, who had jumped away from the burrowing bakugan as it suddenly emerged in front of Nocturne and opening fire, eliminating her from the round and dropping Nightmare to a dangerous 580G.
"Luna! You need to turn this around and fast! Nightmare can't fight them alone!"
"Sure she can! Triple ability activate!"
Gus' eyes widened. "No! You can't-"
"Nocturnal Thief, Primal Rush and Darkest Despair!" Luna's move made Gus' jaw dropped; Nightmare soared to 3780G as Vulcan and Hexados were left with 750G.
"Next lesson?" Luna asked, a hint of amusement on her face.
"You certainly can dish it out, but can you take it? Ability activate; Viblow!" A meager 200G was taken from the Wavern and put to Vulcan as his fists spun, this time creating a protective cage of earth around him.
"Ability activate! Darkus Electro!" A beam of indigo and magenta electricity struck the earth shield, destroying it.
"You don't understand, do you Luna? I cannot loose! Victory is my destiny! My master Spectra has promised to change the world and I'm going to help!" Gus declared.
"New Vestroia isn't yours to change and the bakugan aren't slaves!" the girl snapped.
"Fool, we all serve master Spectra and soon, you, Nightmare and Nocturne will bow before him."
"We'll never bow to the likes of you!" Luna snarled. Nightmare sent out fireballs at Vulcan in a vain attempt to defeat him, he absorbed every one, taking a bit of her G-Power every time she attacked.
"There's no use fighting, Luna, Spectra is leading us all into a new future with him! Primo Vulcan and I will rule at his side." He gave her a malicious smirk.
"You're crazy! I thought I was the insane one but man are you screw loose!"
"Enough insolence! Ability activate! Drill Impact!" Vulcan's gauntlet fired again, sending the Wavern careening into a rock pillar. The pillar broke off near its middle, toppling towards Luna. "Say goodbye, human."
Nightmare shoved the stone away before it could hit her charge. She was hit in the face with another gauntlet from Vulcan that sent her reeling back.
"Nightmare!" The wyvern returned to ball form and Luna caught her before she hit the ground.
"It's like I told you," Luna glowered up at Gus's disdainful gaze. "friendship doesn't matter, power does." His ship hovered to him and he hopped in. "Thanks to master Spectra I am more than a mere brawler." Oh how badly she wanted to wipe off his snide smirk.
"Give up while you still can." With that, he flew off.
Luna sank down to a sitting position, holding her two guardians with an unreadable expression. "You two all set?" They nodded. "Good."
The others crowded around her with words of what ti her was meaningless sympathy.
"Oh quit it guys, I'm not bummed out it's just that I'll need better strategy is all."
"Great idea!" Baron and Dan seemed to beam. "Training makes perfect!"
"No Dan, not training. I need to do actual thinking." She headed back to the mobile base, before turning and adding "Alone." before disappearing inside.
~-_.:\|/:._-~
Later
"Next time he shows his mug I'll show him." Luna spat bitterly.
"Pipe down, you're all riled up for nothing! Not to mention almost everyone's asleep." Nightmare replied snappishly.
An idea formed in the human's thoughts. "Great idea; we sneak into alpha city and map it out for the team! That'll get us back up." The smile on her face was not unlike that of an excited five year old.
"Not a good idea at all. If we are captured who will know where we are?" Nocturne pointed out the hole in the tarp so to speak.
"Oh please! We've done this before. It's like an extreme version of being up at three in the morning to steal a box of Oreos." Luna waved her hand dismissively. "The only difference I saw between vestals and humans are the eyes, so all we have to do is wear my trench coat and not stick out."
The two bakugan eyed the said beige trench coat that was currently hanging idly from a chair, practically calling them. "Well seeing as you'd go anyways, We're in."
Nocturne sent the Wavern a look. "We are?" the wyvern nudged the phoenix with a wing. Nocturne took the hint. "Oh um, of course!"
"Okay then." The Darkus brawler got up and grabbed the coat, put it on and her two guardians hovered onto her shoulder. "Now all we need to do is wait until things get quiet." She looked out to the dying campfire and the muscular figure that sat outside, a very sleepy Baron was falling asleep.
Luna figured it was now or never. She got up and walked outside as casually as possible, containing her overflowing excitement all the while. "Hey Baron," The boy nearly jumped a foot in the air. "You look pretty tired, want me to take your shift?"
He wearily nodded, "Yeah, thanks Luna." he got up and seemingly stumbled inside to his room.
"Okay genius, how do we get to Alpha city from here?" Nightmare skeptically asked. "It's not like you have a map or anything."
"And that's where you're wrong," Luna grinned as she pulled out a small map she'd swiped from the main room earlier. "it pays to be ready."
The Wavern internally scowled. "I'll remember that."
"Probably." She muttered and opened the map. "Okay, so we're here-" She pointed to a marked red dot on the paper. "-and Alpha city is just... Wow that's close! We're only a few miles away and easy enough to walk." Her finger moved to one of three big black dots on the map.
"Okay so the only bad side is being out in the open for a few miles. Lovely." Nightmare shook her head, she had a bad feeling about this.
"We will be fine." Nocturne assured.
The trio headed out into the desert and walked a few kilometers before coming to some sort of cave entrance.
"Maybe we should go in? I see the outside of it way over there." Nightmare pointed to another cave entrance very far off, far off as in several visible miles away.
"Holy beejesus do you have good vision." Luna noted. "And sure, why not? Nothing can possibly go wrong or get worse."
Luna thought that those were some very famous last words, as well as swear she heard a faint humming as she walked in.