Trickery and deceit are bad when apart, but combining them together brings about all new problems. It'll take a lot of practice to see through each to keep ourselves safe.


Reality Shift, fight for the Light

Order follows Entropy, Creation after Destruction

Chaos is following, we're the only ones

We've got the power to oppose, to save it all

We stand for what's right, through the plight

Stand against Entropy, and the enemies that be


Dan stood in front of Lia's camera, dressed in a martial arts Gi. He did a few punches and kicks, shouting each time, before Wynton jumped in. They both struck a pose, before Lightning jumped in. "The Awesome Ones are the best!" They said, before striking another pose. "Yeah!" Lia gave them a thumbs up.

"Okay, that was perfect."

"Yes!" Said Dan. I shook my head.

"And why are you guys making a mockery of martial arts again?" I asked. "Do you even know anything about them?"

"Nope, not really." Said Dan, taking off his Gi. He turned to Wynton. "What should we shoot next, Wynton?"

"Are we ever going to Bakugan Battle again?" Asked Shun. We all looked at him.

"Well, battling is important," started Dan, "but, so is what we're doing."

"What are we doing?" Asked Shun.

"Making a mockery of martial arts for one." I muttered. Wynton put his arm around Dan.

"Relaxing and having some fun!" Lia ran up next to Dan.

"That's how the Awesome Ones roll!" Lightning jumped on top of Dan, barking in agreement.

"Relaxing and having a bit of fun, huh?" Asked Shun as the others laughed. My watch beeped. "I guess that was the part of their videos that really inspired me." He smiled.

"Check this out!" Said Lia.

"Sorry, gotta go." I replied. "Time for work."

"Oh, fine." Lia showed it to Dan.

"Nice." Someone walked up.

"Looks like you're all having fun!" We all turned to the newcomer, only to see three people.

"Mom?!" Asked Lia.

"Hi Lia! I'm not here as your mother, sweetie. I'm here as a reporter."

"Huh?!" Asked Shun, grabbing Lightning. "A TV camera?" He hid himself with Lightning.

"Lia's mom is a very well known TV News Reporter." I let out an inaudible laugh.

"Right, 'news'." I thought.

"I have a request for you kids today." Said Lia's mom, Veronica. "My channel would like to know if they can shoot an exclusive story on the Awesome Ones."

"A story?" Asked Dan.

"On us?" Asked Wynton. Lightning barked. I stepped in.

"Why don't we discuss this elsewhere?" I asked. "Let's all head back to Studio D. I need to get my work clothes anyway, and it'll be more comfortable to discuss this sitting down, right?"

"You're absolutely right." Said Veronica. "Also, Atom, my channel also wants an interview with you, so that we can"

"The answer is no." I interrupted. "The more people who know who I really am, the more danger they'll be in. I'll take part in the story you're making of the Awesome Ones, but only as much as I can while working. Now, come on." I started walking towards Studio D. Veronica looked at her coworkers, before following. Dan looked at the others.

"Why wouldn't Atom want people to know who he is?" He asked. "I mean, he's got so many powers, it's incredible!"

"I dunno Dan." Said Wynton. "Don't you remember those shadow guys? I get that we don't know much about them, but they seem really dangerous."

"Let's not talk about this right now." Interjected Lia. "Let's go see what my mom wants."

"Not a bad idea." Said Dan. "Let's go!" The group began walking, but Shun took up the rear.

"What if Atom just doesn't want a spotlight on him, like me?" He wondered. "Could he be hiding as well?"


I bustled about, grabbing the parts of my work clothes, as everybody else sat down. Veronica pulled out her computer, and showed a video that had been captured. "Your recent heroics have captured the imagination of the entire town." The video showed Drago taking out the satellite. "So kids, we want to do a big story on the Awesome Ones." Everybody reacted differently.

"So you want to put us all on the news?" Asked Dan. He put his hand to his chin.

"What do you think?" Asked Wynton. Dan lowered his hand.

"Okay, on one condition." He looked right at Veronica. "You have to promise that we're going to look super cool in this thing!" Veronica laughed.

"You got it." I grabbed my cards, then looked at Leo.

"You okay with staying with these guys? I doubt they're going to stay at the burger place for any length of time."

"I'm good with it." Said Leo. I placed him on Dan's shoulder, before looking him in the eye.

"If anything happens, contact me, okay? Leo is with you until I get back, got it?"

"Uh, sure, yeah." I walked towards the door.

"Good luck guys." I left. Up above, someone was listening through the ceiling.

"Hm." Mused Strata. "When does your prey fall most easily into a trap? When they get too full of themselves!" He pulled out his phone and dialed someone. "Hey! I just found a way to get us more Bakugan!"


I looked at the group. "They've spent a lot more time here than I thought they would." Someone walked in. "Hi! How may I help you today?"Dan took a bite of his burger, before turning to Veronica and her coworkers.

"You're going to film us eating lunch?"

"Yeah! We want to get to know the real AO." Strata glanced at the group.

"Dan Kouzo." He said to himself, raising a strange device. "Time to make you a hero, Danny boy." Strata took aim, and hit Drago, Trox, Gorthion, and Drago with his device. They all glowed, but Leo turned a bit, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Dan really is the best." Started Drago, Trox, and Gorthion. Everyone in the group looked at them. "Dan's the man."

"Hello? What's that?" Asked Veronica, leaning in.

"Dan Kouzo is the best brawler in the world." Said the three. Leo shook his head a bit, keeping himself from saying the same thing.

"Dan is the greatest." Continued the Bakugan, copying Strata. "Dan's the man."

"Oh!" Said Veronica. "It sounds like the Bakugan really believe in you, Dan Kouzo!" Dan turned to her quickly, scratching the back of his head.

"Really?" He laughed. "I'm not all that great." Strata laughed to himself. I looked at the group, worried already.

"Is being recorded for a news channel really getting to them that fast?" I wondered. "I know Leo's fine under pressure, but the others? I'm worried." I looked around. "The lunch rush seems over. I wonder if I could request the rest of the day off to keep them safe." I turned and went into the back to ask.


The Rowdy Reds were playing with their Bakugan and having a good time, as Strata watched from behind a tree. He aimed with his device, powering up the Scorperosis, and crazing them. "Ah!" Yelled Max. "Someone help me!" He was running from his Bakugan as it chased them.

"Stop that Scorperos!" Yelled Maggie. Matt just yelled out, scared. Dan ran up.

"What's this?" He asked. "What's going on here?"

"Help us!" Called Max. "Our Scorperos won't listen to anything we say!"

"Scorperos! Stop that right now!" Yelled Dan. Strata stopped firing his device, letting the Scorperos calm down. "Huh?" The Rowdy Reds ran up.

"They stopped!" Said Max. "You're so amazing Dan!"

"How'd you do that?!" Asked Maggie.

"So cool!" Added Matt.

"Wow! That was very impressive!" Said Veronica, walking up. "Good job, Dan." Dan turned to her, scratching the back of his head again.

"Me? Uhm, I, I guess it was." He laughed nervously. "It was easy. I do this stuff all the time."

"Yay Dan!" Yelled the Rowdy Reds. Dan laughed again as the others watched him. Throughout the day, the group met with many crazed Bakugan, all made so by Strata's hand, and Dan 'calmed' them all down, making him seem more and more like a big hero.

"You sure are amazing, Dan." Said Veronica, impressed by his 'feats'. "You're a genuine local hero."

"Aw gee, that's really nice." Said Dan, seemingly brushing it off. "And it's true!" He continued, laughing like crazy.

"Can you show us more of your amazing talents?" Dan stopped laughing.

"Where do I even start?" He laughed again.

"He's just so full of it." Said Wynton.

"And that laugh." Agreed Lia, before she mimicked it. "Ugh, it's gotta stop." Lightning barked. Shun just looked at all of them. Strata watched from afar.

"Oh yeah. Things look a little tense down there! What happened to the Awesome Ones always getting along?" He pulled out his phone. "Everything's ready. The hunt is on."

"Okay!" Said Aay, driving a truck. "We're up you guys." He looked back at his teammates, who all gave thumbs up.


"Oh yeah, what else could I tell you about me?" Asked Dan. A truck honked, drawing everybody's attention. It pulled to a stop right in front of them, and as the steam cleared Aay got out.

"Hey. You look just as stunned as the last time!"

"You again!" Said Dan.

"I smell a scoop brewing." Said Veronica, turning towards Aay.

"Where are my manners?" Asked Aay. "I brought some friends along for you guys to meet." The truck opened, and four people got out.

"We are the" started one.

"Toughest and coolest," continued another.

"And best lookin"

"Bakugan Brawlers ever!"

"Remember." Said Aay.

"We are the Exit!" Finished the five. They struck quite a pose.

"The Exit?" Asked Dan. Everybody just stood stunned for a moment.

"I don't like this." Said Leo.

"Come play with us, kiddies." Taunted Aay. "Our game is brawling and sending all of your Bakugan home."

"Ha! Bring it on!" Said Dan, raising Drago. "You guys don't scare me! Drome up!" A light formed between the two groups and expanded outwards, pushing Veronica and her coworkers away.

"Get a shot Vince!"

"Push back!"

"Only Brawlers are allowed inside mom!" Called Lia as the rest of the group ran in.

"Bakugan Brawl!" Called the Exit. They each threw out their Bakugan, and each became the same one, just of different Attributes.

"I'm ready for you!" Said Dan. "Bakugan, Brawl!" Drago transformed quickly.

"Bakugan, Brawl!" Called the rest of the AO. Trox, Gorthion, Howlcore, and Hydrous all rose quickly.

"We're not going to let you hog the spotlight, Dan!" Said Wynton.

"Watch! I'm going to show you how strong Gorthion and I are!" Added Lia. The two glanced at Lia's mom, where their filming equipment was set up.

"I'm sure I can take care of this on my own." Said Dan. Leo jumped up.

"No you can't!" He rebutted. "Working as a team is what gives you strength!" Dan paid him no mind.

"Go!" Said Dan. "Drago!"

"Gorthion! Don't fall behind Drago!"

"You either Trox!" Lightning barked. The group ran ahead as Shun just watched.

"Maybe we should all calm down a bit!" He called. No response. Dan started looking around.

"Where can the camera see me?" He asked.

"Is that all you care about?!" Asked Leo.

"I know!" Said Dan. "Drago, start the attack from the top of that building!" Dan pointed at the building, and Drago flew up, causing him and Gorthion to get into a shoving battle for it.

"Dan!" Called Lia. "Get out the way! You're blocking us from the camera!"

"You get out of the way!" Replied Dan.

"But I was here first!" Aay's Bakugan walked up.

"So who cares?!"

"Optic Beam!" Called Aay. His Mantonoid fired at Gorthion and Drago, and hit them hard. Dan and Lia looked up and gasped.

"This is what I was trying to say!" Shouted Leo, still unnoticed. Trox fought against the Aquos Mantonoid.

"Okay, let's make this look really cool, Trox!" Said Wynton, grabbing a Bakucore. "Wild Strike!" Trox charged in.

"Oh no! You got me!" Said the Aquos Brawler. He and his Bakugan retreated.

"After him Trox!" Trox charged forward, only to be tackled by Howlcore. As the dust settled, Wynton looked at Lightning. "Come on Lightning! You have to be more careful about what you're doing!" Lightning barked back, only for the Aquos Mantonoid to fire at Trox and Howlcore. Shun looked back from his battle.

"My friends!" He yelled.

"You're acting like a jerk!" Accused Lia.

"No, you are!" Argued Dan. Lightning barked at Wynton.

"Bad dog!" Replied Wynton.

"They're arguing instead of battling." Leo floated up to him.

"I've been trying to get that message across." He said. "But they won't listen." He looked Shun in the eye. "I know you're an Aquos Brawler, but right now, Attributes don't matter. You're the only sane one here, and I need to get out there to help!"

"I can handle things here, Shun." Said Hydrous. "Send him out and go help the others."

"Thanks so much, Hydrous." Shun grabbed Leo, and took aim.

"Hopefully this works! Bakugan, Brawl!" Leo struck a white Bakucore, and transformed.

"Time to put an end to this nonsense!" He yelled.

"Did that really work?" Asked Shun. He shook his head. "I've got to focus." He ran towards the others as Strata watched.

"What goes on there?" He asked. "Looks like one Brawler has strayed from the pack." Strata turned his attention from Shun to Hydrous and Leo. He laughed. "Bad move." Down below, Drago, Gorthion, Trox, and Howlcore were all burnt out and exhausted. Aay laughed.

"You guys are just the worst!"

"Darn it!" Said Dan. Shun ran up to them.

"What are you all doing?!" He yelled.

"Huh?" All four looked at him.

"Shun?" Asked Dan. Shun glared at them.

"I can't believe you! Is looking cool on camera really this important!?"

"Sort of, I guess." Defended Dan. Shun looked down.

"Look guys, in your videos, you always looked like you were having tons of fun. I was inspired by that. That's why I decided to leave Japan, and come meet you." He clenched his fist. "But, but right now, the Awesome Ones, are really not having any fun at all!" Hydrous was sent back by an attack, only for Leo to land next him.

"You okay?" Asked Leo.

"As well as can be expected." Replied Hydrous. A light flashed on a nearby truck, before two nets suddenly came out, trapping Hydrous and Leo. Both began losing power quickly.

"That's not good!" Yelled Leo. The truck backed up, and Strata looked out the driver window, laughing.

"Hunting is complete!" Drago looked up.

"Dan! Look at that!" He called. Everybody turned to see Hydrous and Leo packed onto the truck in nets.

"Is that" started Wynton. The truck started driving.

"Hydrous! No!" Yelled Shun.

"Is that Leo with him?" Asked Lia.

"Oh man!" Said Dan. "Drago!" Drago landed next to Dan, and he started climbing up.

"Not so fast pal!" Called Aay. The Mantonoids surrounded Drago, blocking every path. "You're on the hunting list as well!" All the Mantonoids eyes lit up. Dan growled, before Trox, Howlcore, and Gorthion punted them away.

"Go after Hydrous and Leo!" Called Lia. "We got this!" Lightning barked.

"Thanks guys!" Said Dan. Shun ran up.

"Dan!" Dan looked at him, before holding out a hand.

"Come on, Shun!" Shun ran up Drago's back and grabbed Dan's hand. Dan pulled him up, before refocusing on the task at hand. "Let's go Drago!" Drago took off, chasing the truck. Dan noticed it first. "Hey! There it is!" He saw Hydrous and Leo curled up inside. Strata laughed.

"I'll be rolling in cash one I deliver these to Dusk!"

"I don't think so, weirdo!" Yelled Dan. Strata looked to the side to see Drago pulling up on him. Strata glared at them before flooring it, going faster than them.

"Dan! He's trying to get away!" Said Drago.

"Drago! Fire your Bit Blast!" Drago charged up the attack, then shot it forward, hitting the open truck. Strata laughed.

"You hardly hit me at all!" The truck suddenly lurched about. "Hm?" Hydrous climbed out in the front as Leo took to the air. "Not good!" Hydrous slammed a paw into the cabin, and Strata barely missed the bent metal.

"That's it!" Yelled Dan.

"Good save!" Called Leo. The three Bakugan began going back to the battle.

"Okay, let's get back to the battle!" Strata jumped out of the truck as he lost control of it, and it crashed a few seconds later.

"That just stinks." He said.


Trox, Howlcore, and Gorthion all faced down the Mantonoids, exhausted. "It's time we ended this joke of a battle!" Said Aay. The three AO still there glared at him, but backed away a half step.

"Twisting Inferno!" Yelled Dan.

"Aquos Blast!" Called Shun. "Alpha Blaster!" The three attacks shot out, striking the Mantonoids. The Exit covered their faces as the shockwaves swept over them.

"Now what?!" Asked Aay. Lia and Wynton turned to the source of the attacks, and Lia gasped.

"Dan! Shun!" She called. "You got Hydrous and Leo back!"

"Yeah!" Said Dan. "Glad to see you guys are all okay!" He turned to the Exit.

"Hey, Exit!" All five grit their teeth at him.

"We're your opponent's now!" I ran up, out of breath.

"I, saw, the Drome." I panted. I looked around. "Wait, Leo? How are you out of ball form? These guys can't use Gate Cards!"

"Bit of a theory I had that paid off." Said Leo. "I'll tell you later." I ran up to the group.

"You guys will have to explain this to me later, but for now, shall we take them out?"

"This isn't over!" Yelled Aay.

"Yes it is!" Replied Dan. "Drago!" Drago swooped in.


We all gathered around a bench, enjoying some drinks. "We trashed them!" Said Wynton.

"We sure did!" Said Dan.

"Congratulations on winning that battle!" Said Veronica. We all turned to her. "You sealed the deal for the whole team as usual, Dan! This will make a great story! And it'll be all about you, of course." Dan looked down and smiled, before looking directly at her.

"The story can't be all about me. That would be wrong."

"Huh?" Asked Veronica. Dan stood up.

"It has to be about all of us." He looked at Wynton, then glanced at Lia. "We're the Awesome Ones, and when we're together, we have fun!" Lightning barked. Veronica smiled.

"Okay. I'll edit this piece so it shows all of you looking super cool!" The others laughed, and I shook my head.

"Make sure it also shows how each of us care for our Bakugan, okay?" I asked. "The friendship between Bakugan and Brawler transcends nearly all other connections, and is vital to how we work as a team."

"You got it, if we could ask you a few questions, of course." I sighed.

"Fine."


Well, that could've been far worse. Imagine if Dan and the others hadn't listened to Shun! Then both me and him would be down our partner Bakugan, which is a big no no. And then there's Leo being able to get into his true form without a Gate Card. It has something to do with me being unable to use the Bakucores like the others, but I still don't understand why. Maybe I'll figure it out, someday.