Back again in record time! I'm super excited about this chapter, so I guess it motivated me to write fast. Plus, it's a super long chapter :D I hope you all like it as much as I did! Enjoy!

Chapter Ten

Nicole's POV

My life was ending. It didn't matter that Shun had so graciously accepted us into the fold. What mattered was that I was a two-faced traitor, and that I now had to act perfectly normal to everyone. My entire stay with the Resistance and Zora's future was riding on my performance.

No pressure at all.

After waking up from our short fitful nap, Shun knocked on our door, and I saw that his room was located directly across from mine. He seemed anxious for some reason, telling me that the Resistance wasn't really expecting me. I interpreted this as, one, they could choose to reject me and two, I was more likely to seem suspicious to them. I asked him for a second to make myself decent, and he conceded.

"Azumi, it's time," I whispered as soon as the door closed.

She fidgeted in my open palm. "Miss, I don't think I can do this. What if they don't like me?"

I bit my lip. I was worried about that, too. I settled for being reassuring. "They will, I just know it. Besides, you can't hide forever."

She began to sniffle, so to avoid another breakdown, I agreed to let her stay in the room for a bit longer.

"Next time I come in, you're coming with me," I stated firmly. "No buts about it."

"Yes, Miss," she trilled, elated at having avoided new people again. I didn't know quite how I was going to get her to open up more. It could become a problem in the future, and I sure didn't need more of those.

"Ready?" Shun asked as I stepped out of the room.

I nodded, considering that it was probably a good idea that she had stayed behind. I didn't want them to bring up my name or my connection to Zora. If Azumi found out about it, I would be hard-pressed to get her to function normally again. I didn't know how she was going to react to Shun as it was, since she idolized the human and Bakugan saviors of Vestroia.

We headed down the corridor to the source of loud and somewhat excited chatter coming from the commons area. Even though the room was filled with chatter, one voice towered over all the others. A certain brunette was speaking especially loud, almost as if everyone wasn't sitting within a few feet of him.

"…and I say to him, that's not my Bakugan, that's my wife!" Dan roared.

The room was filled with groans and the laughter of Dan and a violet-haired boy.

"Dan that is possibly the worst joke I've ever heard. Don't you have to be married to tell it?" a seafoam-haired boy asked in annoyance, closing his eyes as if to shut out the visual of Dan telling the joke.

"Look, you probably can't do much better," Dan argued. "Besides, we've just destroyed Alpha City. Am I the only one who wants to celebrate?"

Before the other boy could respond, Shun interrupted him with the clearing of his throat. The group turned to look at him, gasping and leaping out of their seats all at once. In a matter of seconds, Dan and Marucho launched themselves toward me, and I couldn't help but laugh. Marucho embraced me, and I hugged the little guy back, surprised to see him here. Dan just clapped me on the back and smiled that carefree smile of his. It felt good to be received by three people I'd known back on Earth and to be accepted so quickly. I let myself hope that maybe this would all work out in the end.

"Who is she?" the seafoam-haired guy asked, annoyed expression still in place, spitting out his question with ill-disguised venom.

"That's what I'd like to know," a girl chimed in with more authority. I hadn't noticed her before, but she seemed a lot nicer than the other boy. Her expression wasn't as harsh—maybe just curious—and I wondered how she put up with five other boys.

"How did you get here? When did you get here? Where's Zora? Are you joining the Resistance?" Dan asked enthusiastically, cramming all his questions into one breath.

"Whoa! The Nicole! Zora's partner and one of the saviors of Vestroia! I cannot believe I'm meeting you! I have to tell everyone. This is too cool! Look Nemus, it's her! I can't believe it. Do you think I can ask her for her number?" the violet-haired boy gushed at the same time.

I stepped back, feeling overwhelmed with their queries.

"Guys," I interrupted. "One at a time, please."

"Who is she?" the same annoyed guy shouted, exasperated.

The violet-haired boy whirled to face him. He was surprisingly muscular for his age, which I guessed at no more than thirteen. His blue eyes were wide in shock as he spoke to his comrade.

"Ace, this is Nicole from the Bakugan Battle Brawlers! She battles with Darkus like you. Geez, how do you not know this? She once held the perfect core and her Bakugan is Twilight Zora."

I gaped, amazed at how much he knew about me without knowing me at all. I'd always wanted to know how much fame the Brawlers gained after their exploits against Naga. I guess I knew the answer now: A lot.

"She doesn't seem like such a big deal to me," Ace huffed, turning his back on us, or me.

The orange-haired girl stepped forward, coming up to me and extending her hand. I shook it, and she smiled. "Don't worry about him. He always acts like this around newcomers. I'm Mira, by the way."

"Nicky," I smiled back.

"I'm Baron!" greeted the fanboy. "Are you comfortable? Are you hungry? Can I get you anything? Can I have your number?"

"Um, I'm fine, thanks…?" I replied, though it sounded like a question.

"Anyway," Dan said after an awkward silence started to settle. "How'd you get here?"

I told the truth with this one. "I don't really know…one minute I was outside and the next I was here. There's really not much to it."

"That happened to Shun," Marucho added while Shun nodded. "But tell me Nicole, how long have you been here?"

I shrugged. "A day or two, maybe. I haven't really kept track." This was mostly the truth.

"Where's Zora?" Dan wanted to know.

I had to act a little bit more for this question. "I…I don't know. Do any of you know?"

The Resistance exchanged glances. "Captured, probably, but we'll get her back," Dan assured me with his usual confidence.

I nodded slowly, pretending to be more upset than I actually was. "Could we just not mention her? I…I just—"

"Yeah, I get it. I understand," Mira answered softly, and I smiled gratefully at her. One problem down, one a billion to go.

They nodded, seemingly understanding. I waited for more questions, because surely they couldn't be this gullible, but they never came. Instead, Baron jumped up and said, "I can't believe you're going to be a member of the Resistance! This is the best day ever!"

"What?" Ace yelled. "You don't make the decisions around here, Baron. She's not joining the Resistance without earning her way in. Let's have a battle, Nicky."

"No fair, Ace. We were going to battle," Dan disputed. "And she just got here. She doesn't have a Bakugan or a gauntlet."

Ace shrugged, already heading outside. "It's not my problem. If she wants to stay, let her prove it."

"Ace, come back!" Mira ordered—I was quickly realizing she was the leader just by the way she carried herself—but he didn't even glance at her. She turned to me. "Ignore him. It's just him being stubborn."

I quickly weighed the pros and the cons to battling. Ace was suspicious of me and the easiest way to dispel it would be to battle. I didn't think the rest had any doubts about me, so I just had to win him over. This was the easiest way to introduce Azumi to them, too, even if she refused to battle.

"I'll do it," I found myself saying to everyone's surprise.

"Nicky, you don't have to," Shun reminded me.

"And you don't have a Bakugan," Dan added.

"Actually, I do." I admitted sheepishly. "I'll go get her and meet you guys outside."

-X-

"Miss, are you sure about this?" she asked as I stood across from Ace, the RV behind me and the rest of the Resistance off the side looking worried.

And so they should be because I had absolutely no clue what I was doing. Azumi hated fighting, and I didn't have a decent Bakugan to take her place. I was going to lose, that was for sure, but I had to give it a decent try. I steeled myself, getting ready to activate the gauntlet Mira had lent me when she ran up and gave me another Bakugan.

"What's this?" I asked, looking down at the heptagonal purple Bakugan in my hand.

"It's a trap Bakugan called Windscreamer. It functions just like a normal Bakugan, and it can really help out in a pinch," she explained, wishing me luck and leaving me to my doom.

"Okay, Azumi, let's do this."

She looked up at me from my shoulder with teary eyes. "Miss, I can't do it."

"Yes, you can, I know it," I encouraged.

"Are you ready, or what?" Ace called, expression bored and disapproving.

"Yep. Gauntlet Power Strike!" I shouted.

I'll admit that I was slightly excited to battle. I'd never battled against another Darkus user, and the combination would be explosive, no doubt. If Zora had been here we would've won without a doubt because she was just so confident that she gave me confidence, too. With Azumi I didn't have very high expectations.

"You go first, newbie!"

I rolled my eyes. "Bakugan Brawl! Azumi, stand!"

Unwillingly, she took the stage and opened completely, her intimidating form taking over the whole field. The Resistance stepped back, probably wondering where I managed to find a beast like Azumi. Their surprise, however, would not last long.

"This isn't so bad, Miss," Azumi said, not shuddering in the least.

I was impressed and hoped that fear alone would get Ace to back out of the battle. But of course, that was too much to ask for. Ace quickly recovered, pulling up his sleeves and calling out, "Bakugan Brawl, Percival stand!"

And just like that, my chances of winning were ruined. Percival stood almost as tall as Azumi with a cape flowing behind him. He had a dragon-like face as well as a muscular frame and an aura of destruction. He was covered in armor-plated steel; his gauntlets alone were obviously capable of more damage that Azumi's whole body could deal. Azumi, on the other hand, had the aura of a timid field mouse, and right now she was cowering in front of Ace's Bakugan as I expected.

"Ability Activate! Darkus Driver!" We had been equal in power, but immediately, Percival's power shot up 200 Gs.

"Miss, I don't want to be here anymore!" Azumi yelped as she evaded a few preliminary shots from Percival. Of course. My only hope of somehow saving Zora was worthless. What a cruel world I was in.

"….Eh?" Ace stuttered. "What is this?" His bemused expression would have been funny if I hadn't been terribly humiliated myself. "Are you going to battle or not?"

"No!" Azumi screamed, returning to a ball on her own.

"What? I didn't know Bakugan could do that," Dan noted with interest.

Drago's familiar rumbling voice answered him, "It's possible, but most Bakugan find more honor in losing than backing out of a fight."

"This is pathetic," Ace remarked. "You're going to battle whether you want to or not. Ability Activate! Battle Marionette!"

I watched in horror as Azumi was summoned to the field again. "You can't do that…can you?"

"With Battle Marionette I can call out an opponent's Bakugan to fight and they can't be returned for the remainder of the battle." Ace smirked. "You're not going to get out of this so easily, Nicky."

Shoot shoot shoot! What could I do? There was nothing. I didn't have a plan, and Azumi looked about ready to break into tears. Then I had an idea.

"Bakugan Trap Windscreamer, stand!" My Bakugan stood up, a remarkably humanoid creature. It was encased in black robes, a stricken expression crossing its geometric features. It seemed so solid with its sharply defined dress and body, but billowy and wavy at the same time.

"Ability Activate! Broken Mirror! This card, Ace, allows Windscreamer to transfer the opposite effect of your last ability card to your Bakugan." He glared as Percival was removed from the battle and the turn ended. "You brought Azumi in, Percival goes out."

"That's it! I'm done taking it easy on you. Percival, stand!"

I shrugged, tossing in my Trap Bakugan.

"Ability Activate! Tri-gunner, plus Darkus Thunder!" He placed them both in his gauntlet, increasing Percival's power immensely.

I prepared to retaliate, but his assault was too fast and Windscreamer effectively lost the battle. I checked my gauntlet and saw that my points had been completely wiped out, meaning Ace won. I sighed as Azumi whimpered happily from my pocket.

"You call that a battle?" he taunted, walking away. "Baron can put up a better fight than you."

"Speaking of me, can I have your number?" Baron asked and Mira shot him a dark look.

"Ace," Mira warned his retreating back. We heard the door to the RV slam, leaving the five Resistance members outside with me. "Welcome aboard, Nicky. Avoid Ace while his temper cools. The rest of us are glad you're along for the ride, though."

I swallowed, feeling suddenly guilty. They were all being too nice, too naïve. Look through my act, please! I wanted to scream. I didn't, though.

Dan saw my guilt and misinterpreted it as shame for Azumi. "Hey, don't worry. We'll make you two fighting machines! It might take a lot of work, but we'll get Azumi out of her shell, right, guys?"

"Yeah!" they all shouted exuberantly. Smiling, I saw Azumi peek out of my pocket, and then duck back in as soon as Marucho noticed her.

"So I can't have it?" Baron pressed, blue eyes shining happily.

Dan gave him a look that said 'Really?' but Baron ignored it.

"Can I have your autograph then?"

I looked at everyone, and they merely shrugged. "Sure, I guess."

"Yes!" he cheered, whipping out a pen and paper. "Just make it out to Your Biggest Fan Ever, Love Nicky. P.S. Here is my number…"

"Baron!"

Hope you liked it! The next one won't be up for a while, just warning you guys, so don't get your hopes up. I'd hate to disappoint you all. Thanks for sticking with me this far!

Cocoacharm15