Hey everybody, I know its been awhile since I last updated and I'm really sorry but high school is kicking my ass right now.

But I am back with a highly requested duo, Dan and Runo!

Now I've had this one planned for the longest time, but never the idea or inspiration to write it.

But hopefully it will turn out well, and tune in to a very special announcement at the end of the chapter!

I do not own Bakugan or these songs!

~Dakota

Chapter 21

Titanium

Dan x Runo

Power: The ability to do something or act in a particular way, especially as a faculty or quality.

It had been too much at one point. Too much for her to handle. Countless nights she had spent curled in a corner, rain falling from her eyes, hitting the skin on her legs, rolling down as fast as Runo was falling into the endless pool of darkness.

Memories crawled through her mind, rising behind her eyelids and intruding her vision no matter how much she pleaded for them to go away. They reminded her what his words had sounded like rolling off his tongue, so easily, like he had meant to say them for years. Bullet after bullet shot into her heart, but her words barely dented his, not even leaving a mark.

She remembered what it felt like when he had left for the final time. Pain and terror shot through her veins, rooting her to the spot, unable to stop him. Completely and utterly powerless.

They had fought before, but not like this. Usually he would gather her in his arms, whispering his apologies in her hair and they would cry, upset and terrified of what the two of them were turning into. Neither had expected the bomb to finally detonate, the bomb that sent them flying in opposite directions, forming an unbreakable barrier.

That's when the memories stopped, fading into a blur of colors and emotions. She couldn't remember why it had happened anymore. Maybe she had finally gotten sick of how he kept leaving. Realized what he was turning into.

He was turning into a monster.

His focus was on nothing but saving the world, but under that there was a longing for so much more. Power. Like so many heroes before him, all he was seeking was power. She could name all of them, the ones she studied in school, from all those Greek myths. The ones who sought out power, only to find misery, only to find corruption.

She knew thats where he was headed.

She stood up before she could realize it, and grabbed Tigrera from her bedside table. Her feet walked out of her room, and out the front door of her house. She began to walk, not sure where to go, but sure that she never wanted to stop, not for anything, not now.

The darkness around her was heavy, weighing down on her like a rock, but she kept moving, her eyes not ahead of her, but on the stars, as if they were retelling the memories that played through her mind.

She had tried to tell him, tried to warn him, but when he had gotten mad, so had she. She couldn't help herself. Her emotions ran high, and for gods sake he wouldn't listen to her.

Dan never seemed to want to listen to her.

He had been made of Titanium. Strong, brave, and unbreakable. Even when somebody stood in his way it was like nobody stood in his way because he just knocked them down like he had done the person before that.

Even his friends.

If it was for him, if he could gain power, he would stomp out his friends. He would take all the credit even if it had been a group effort. He was the man everyone looked to, but behind the scenes, so much more went on.

Part of her was glad he left, glad she didn't have to deal with him anymore.

Because when he was dead, she would be here on earth, powerless, but still standing. A small smile crossed her face, as stars gleamed above. Her feet had stopped at the edge of the river. Runo bent down, picking up a rock, and hurling it into the river and watched as for a second the water broke around the rock, allowing it to sink.

Again, and again she threw rocks, smiling as each one sunk. One day that would be him, sinking into the same pool as she was falling into now. His power will ultimately destroy him.

Another rock sunk down, bringing Runo more joy.

For the first time she was realizing how much better being away from him was. He was gaining so much power, climbing a mountain as high as Everest, but what would happen when he got to the top? He would have to come down, or the air would suffocate him, and kill him. Both would take away his power, leave him in ashes, just like all of those he had thrown down in his wake.

What goes up must come down.

Power corrupts.

It was all so perfect to her. She was right, and when he realized it, she would be rising above him, not with power, no not with power, but with a realization. She would rise above him with the realization that power would lead to destruction. She wouldn't have more power then him, because power wasn't what she was seeking.

She would have more knowledge. She would know what would be too much for herself. She could see it, and eventually everybody else would be able to see it too.

They would see her, Runo, born from a single star, knowing that power would destroy her. They would see her overcome everything in her path, because she knows that power will destroy everything else. They would see her, climbing out of the pool she was falling into, tears dried, and a smile on her face, because she knew better then he had.

Dan may have his armor made of power, but Runo's was built with knowledge.

And knowledge is the closest thing anybody could get to titanium.

And another one down!

As I said before, I have an announcement. I am going to have another contest! *happy cheers*

Yes I know it's super exciting. But we are nearing 100 reviews, and I was thinking that I would do something special for all of you, since you guys have done so much for me.

Depending on what review number someone is they will get a special prize of sorts, if they want to accept it. There will be 4 people who get special prizes, so if you want to, you better be very very ready to review this story.

The 97th reviewer will get to pick a couple they want featured in a chapter, it could be anyone, including shipping themselves with somebody.

The 98th reviewer gets to pick a song that they want me to use in a chapter.

The 99th reviewer gets to write a chapter for the story that will be featured in this story.

And... *drumroll*

The 100th reviewer gets to help me cowrite an entire chapter based on the couple and song of their choice!

So if you want one of these special prizes don't forget to read and review!

And as always leave your thoughts on this chapter, and suggestions for other chapters in your reviews!

~Dakota