Chapter 7: Battle Day
New York…
Ryder walked out of his room with Leonidas floating behind him. One of his favorite things about summer was that it allowed him to sleep in every day. He walked towards the bathroom before noticing the guest room door still closed.
"Alice must be sleeping," Ryder murmured as he entered his bathroom.
After brushing his teeth, he got dressed for the day and went downstairs to get something to eat. As he ate, Leonidas looked out the window at the many birds that flew overhead. Ryder turned and looked at Leonidas in curiosity.
"Are you jealous of the birds, Leonidas?" Ryder asked.
"I wouldn't say that. But it does seem nice to fly free like that." Leonidas answered.
"I guess it does. You know, I never really thought about what it is like for Bakugan being in their ball form and released form." Ryder commented.
"What is it like?" Ryder inquired.
"Well, if I had to compare it to anything being in my ball form is like… it's like being in a box that you barely fit in." Leonidas began as he turned to look at Ryder.
"When I am released, it is like the feeling of being out of a confined space and finally able to stretch my limbs." Leonidas finished.
"Wow, it must be uncomfortable," Ryder replied.
"It's not too bad. Once you get used to it, it's actually quite pleasant though I do prefer being released." Leonidas clarified.
As their conversation finished, Alice walked down the stairs looking very tired. It was a tad odd as she had gone to bed early the night before, but Ryder decided not to question it. Today would be another day of battle and to climb the ranks of the leaderboards.
But something still bugged him, and that was Marduk's return. He had somehow beaten Dan and climbed the leaderboards after showing back up out of nowhere. Ryder couldn't understand where Marduk had gone after getting help from Masquerade, but maybe he could find out.
Then again, how he would do that he didn't know as it seemed Marduk wasn't anywhere near him. However, he did know that Marduk was one to hold a grudge, so no doubt he would come to battle him and get revenge.
Ryder never knew why Marduk was like the way he was though he once heard that he was a normal brawler like everyone else. What could have caused his change into the rough brawler he was today.
"Who knows what he's like right now. I just hope he's not going to be a problem." Ryder thought.
Wardington Park…
Shun stood under a tree with his eyes closed, waiting patiently for his opponent to arrive as several people played and walked around him. Eventually, he opened his eyes as Marduk stood in front of him with Vladitor.
"You're late," Shun stated.
"Sorry, I'm still adjusting to the time zone," Marduk replied as Shun walked away from the tree and took out his field card.
"Let's get this over with," Shun said coldly as Skyress floated next to him.
"Shun, remember you can't underestimate him." Skyress reminded.
"Don't worry, I won't lose," Shun assured.
"We'll see about that," Marduk smirked as he took out his field card.
"Field Open!" The two shouted as time slowed to a stop.
"Gate Card Set!" They continued as they threw gate cards.
"I'll go first! Bakugan Brawl! Ventus Falconeer Stand!" Shun yelled as his Falconeer stood on his gate card.
"Ventus Falconeer G power 500 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Not bad," Marduk commented.
"But we can do better," Vladitor stated.
"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Robotallion Stand!" Marduk shouted as Robotallion appeared before Falconeer.
"Darkus Robotallion G power 545 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"That won't be enough," Shun stated.
"Gate Card Open! Final Judgment!" Shun declared.
"Darkus Robotallion G power reduced to 0." The bakupod announced. Falconeer flew around Robotallion, slicing at it with its claws, pushing Robotallion closer and closer to the ground.
"Ability Card Activate! Shadowscratch!" Marduk countered, negating Shun's gate card.
"Darkus Robotallion G power returned to normal parameters." The bakupod announced.
Robotallion shot its arm up, grabbing Falconeer by the throat and slamming it into the ground. It proceeded to beat Falconeer while it was down before it broke free and flew off. But it didn't get far as Robotallion grabbed its leg.
"Ability Card Activate! Ventus Vortex!" Shun shouted as he threw the ability card at Falconeer.
"Ventus Falconeer G power increase by 50 Gs. Ventus Falconeer G power 550 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Falconeer shook off Robotallion and dived down and tackled Robotallion to the ground before clawing at the Darkus Bakugan with its claws. Eventually, Falconeer slammed down on Robotallion's chest, defeating the Darkus Bakugan.
"Not bad. I see why you're one of the top ten brawlers in the world." Marduk commented as he picked up Robotallion.
"If that's the best you can do, I suggest you surrender," Shun advised as he caught Falconeer.
"Don't worry, I'm just getting started," Marduk replied.
"Whatever." Shun sighed.
"Gate Card Set!" Shun yelled as he threw out a new gate card next to Marduk's.
"Bakugan Brawl! Ventus Bee Striker Stand!" Shun shouted as Bee Striker appeared on his gate card.
"Ventus Bee Striker G power 530 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Interesting," Marduk murmured.
"He wants the battle to be on his terms," Vladitor stated.
"He'll be disappointed," Marduk smirked as he took a Bakugan from his clip.
"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Manion Stand!" Marduk shouted, throwing his Bakugan on Shun's gate card.
"Darkus Manion G power 515 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Gate Card Open! Ventus Storm!" Shun declared.
"Ventus Bee Striker G power increase by 40 Gs. Ventus Bee Striker G power 570 Gs." The bakupod annoucned.
Bee Stiker swarmed around Manion, stinging the Darkus Bakugan every chance it got forcing Manion to the ground. As Bee Striker continued its onslaught on Manion, Marduk looked unaffected as if it wasn't a problem.
"Now's good," Marduk smirked as Bee Striker flew up to finish Manion.
"Ability Card Activate! Darkus Slam!" Marduk countered as he threw the ability card at the fallen Manion.
"Darkus Manion G power increase by 65 Gs. Darkus Manion G power 580 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Manion picked itself up and launched into the air intercepting Bee Striker as it dove down. It bit down on Bee Striker's stinger and threw it down to the ground. The Darkus Bakugan then flew down and slammed into Bee Striker, defeating the Ventus Bakugan.
Shun was surprised at the defeat as Bee Striker fell at his feet. He wasn't expecting to lose that battle as he had set the terms. However, Shun wasn't going to let that get to his head as he picked up the Bakugan.
"Get ready, Skyress. The battle is just getting started." Shun stated.
"Be careful, Shun. We have to tread lightly in this next bout," Skyress warned.
"Don't worry about it. We'll win." Shun replied.
New York…
Ryder roamed Central Park with Alice and Leonidas enjoying the fresh air and free day. Though he would normally be battling, too, most brawlers there avoided him. He didn't blame them, though, as he was much better now.
"It seems Jewls and Jenny kept running away after concerts to battle now." Alice pointed out as she showed Ryder an article.
"I guess our battle influenced them a little." Alice smiled.
"Yeah, hopefully, they won't get in trouble for doing so, though." Ryder laughed.
"It's nice, though. They're doing what they really want to do." Alice replied as she looked into the clear blue sky.
"Speaking of, should we tell the rest of the Battle Brawlers where you are? It has been a while, and I'm sure the rest of them are worried sick." Ryder inquired.
As he asked this question, Alice stopped walking and was in deep thought. She didn't know if she wanted to tell her friends yet. At the moment, she was still uncertain of the mole situation and if everyone was still torn apart about it.
Alice had almost forgotten about it while she was spending time with Ryder. Being with him was relaxing, and for some reason, she felt at times like she was more herself. As if some unknown force was lifted from Alice though it came and went at times.
She couldn't explain it and chalked it off to being her imagination. Whenever she thought about how being with Ryder made her feel better though it made her embarrassed. Alice didn't know what her feelings were with the boy, but she did know that they were friends.
Just like the Battle Brawlers. No doubt, just as Ryder said, they would be worried, and Alice knew she couldn't just hide forever. Eventually, she will have to face them, and hopefully, they can work things out and be a team again.
"I think we should just…not now. I would like to wait a little bit longer." Alice answered.
"Okay, fair enough. We'll do it when you're ready." Ryder smirked, making Alice return his smile.
"Are you Ryder Shade?" A Voice questioned, causing Ryder and Alice to look at the several brawlers in front of them.
"Uh…yeah. Who are you guys?" Ryder asked.
"We're here to battle!" They shouted in unison.
"But I get to battle first!" One stated.
"No way I was here before you. I get to battle him!" Another yelled.
"Not a chance I was here way before you I go first!" A Third screamed as Ryder and Alice looked at the arguing Brawlers in shock.
"What the hell is going on?" Ryder wondered as Leonidas floated next to him.
"It is situations like these that keep me from fully understanding you humans," Leonidas stated.
"I would just take them all on at once," Leonidas added.
"That wouldn't be smart, Leonidas," Alice advised.
"She's right, Leo." Ryder agreed.
"Enough battle me now!" A Brawler demanded as he held out an Aquos Bakugan.
"Okay, I have to ask why are so many of you here to brawl me? I mean, I'm kinda used to it, but lately, people avoid me. Plus, I don't recognize any of you?" Ryder questioned.
"We're bounty hunters!" One of them declared.
"We came to beat you and take the bounty set on you by Masquerade!" Another revealed.
"Masquerade put a bounty on me!?" Ryder shouted.
"I…I don't…should I be happy he acknowledged me or terrified because he is still targeting me so much?" Ryder wondered.
"Enough, let's battle!" They shouted.
"This is going to be a while." Ryder sighed.
"But at least it will be fun!" Leonidas exclaimed.
"Alright, your first," Ryder stated as he pointed at one of the brawlers.
"Perfect!" The Brawler smirked.
"Field Open!" The Two shouted as time slowed to a stop.
"Gate Card Set!" The Two continued as they tossed their gate cards onto the field.
"I'll go first!" The Brawler stated.
"Bakugan Brawl! Subterra Hynoid Stand!" He added.
"Subterra Hynoid G power 430 Gs." The bakupod announced as Hynoid appeared on the opponent's gate card.
"This shouldn't be too hard." Ryder sighed as he pulled out a Bakugan.
"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Laserman Stand!" Ryder shouted as Laserman appeared before Hynoid.
"Darkus Laserman G power 510 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Gate Card Open! Subterra Sinkhole!" His Opponent declared.
"Subterra Hynoid G power increase by 100 Gs. Subterra Hynoid G power 530 Gs." The bakupod announced. Hynoid charged at Laserman, but before it could attack, Ryder countered.
"Ability Card Activate! Darkus Wave!" Ryder countered.
"Darkus Laserman G power increase by 50 Gs. Darkus Laserman G power 560 Gs." The bakupod announced. Laserman easily dispatched Hynoid as the G power went in his favor.
"What?! No way!" Ryder's Opponent gasped as his Hynoid fell at his feet.
"Please tell me all of these brawlers aren't like this." Ryder sighed.
Eventually, Ryder defeated his first opponent fairly easily, not losing a single battle in the match. As his next opponent came up to battle him, Alice stared at him with a blank look in her eyes. Her eyes were vacant as if she wasn't the one looking out of them at all.
"It seems like he is strong now. This isn't something others can do. I need to do this myself." Masquerade thought as he took over Alice's body and disappeared as Ryder was distracted.
Bakugan Battle Field…
"It's time to see what he's really got!" Shun shouted.
"Bakugan Brawl! Ventus Skyress Stand!" Shun added as Skyress appeared on Marduk's gate card.
"Ventus Skyress G power 600 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"I will not be taken down easily!" Skyress declared.
"Ready, Vladitor?" Marduk inquired.
"Yes, throw me in so that I can crush that bird," Vladitor responded as Marduk took him in hand.
"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Vladitor Stand!" Marduk yelled as he hurled Vladitor into battle.
"Darkus Vladitor G power 650 Gs." The bakupod announced.
As Vladitor appeared before Skyress, the sheer mass of his power and negative energy sent forth an intense pressure nearly knock Skyress over and Shun to the ground. Shun started a little wide-eyed as the pressure stopped, and he inspected Vladitor up and down.
"He certainly lives up to the legend," Shun murmured.
"I see your time in the Doom Dimension has been harsh on you, Vladitor. I've never felt such negative energy before." Skyress stated.
"That is just the tip of the iceberg. You'll soon see why I was banished in the first place!" Vladitor declared.
Vladitor then uncrossed his arms and punched at Skyress, who flew into the air to avoid the attack. But she could fly far as Vladitor grabbed her tail and pulled her back down to the ground, slamming her onto the gate card.
"Now, let's keep this going! Gate Card Open! Vladitor Charge!" Marduk declared.
"Darkus Vladitor G power increase by 400 Gs. Darkus Vladitor G power 1050 Gs." The bakupod announced.
The Darkus Bakugan did not let up as his power was increased. He continued beating down on Skyress while Shun stood shocked. The power Vladitor had was incredible, and he had to shake himself out of his thoughts so that he could counter Marduk's move.
"I won't lose!" Shun thought as he took out two ability cards.
"Hang in there, Skyress!" Shun called.
"Double Ability Activate! Green Nobility and Ventus Hurricane!" Shun declared as he threw the cards at the two Bakugan.
"Ventus Skyress G power increase by 450 Gs. Ventus Skyress G power 1050 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Skyress flapped her wings with such force that it created a small maelstrom that blew Vladitor right off, allowing her to take to the sky once more. Once there, she created a large hurricane using the force of her wings to attack Vladitor.
The Darkus Bakugan was pushed back, but he wasn't deterred as he clapped his hands, dispelling the winds and returning the area to normal. He then jumped at Skyress, who flew higher in the air to avoid him.
Before Vladitor hit the ground, Skyress dove down and hit him in the back, sending him down but not before he grabbed onto her tail, taking her with him. The two Bakugan hit the ground in a draw, causing both to land at their partner's feet.
"I wasn't expecting that," Marduk murmured as he picked Vladitor up.
"You okay?" Marduk asked.
"I'm fine, but next time we won't lose," Vladitor answered.
"Skyress!" Shun cried as he picked up his partner.
"I'm alright, Shun, but Vladitor is much stronger than I thought. We got lucky with that battle." Skyress replied.
"Yeah, your right. I did underestimate him. This battle will be much harder than I thought." Shun agreed.
"Shall we continue?" Marduk questioned, getting Shun's attention.
"Yeah. Let's continue." Shun responded as he held up a gate card.
"Gate Card Set!" The two shouted as they threw their gate cards onto the field.
"Bakugan Brawl! Ventus Falconeer Stand!" Shun shouted as he threw his Bakugan onto his gate card.
"Ventus Falconeer G power 500 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"I'm going to crush that bird!" Marduk stated as he flipped his Bakugan into the air before catching it to throw it towards Falconeer.
"Bakugan Brawl!" Marduk yelled.
The ball was covered in dark energy as it slammed into Falconeers stomach, causing the Ventus Bakugan to fall back a little. Once done, the Darkus Bakugan landed on the gate card Falconeer lost G power due to the attack.
"Ventus Falconeer G power decrease by 30 Gs. Ventus Falconeer G power 470 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Darkus Manion stand!" Marduk declared as Manion took form in front of Falconeer.
"Darkus Manion G power 515 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"What a powerful throw! I didn't know such a throw was possible without a launcher!" Skyress gasped.
"How did he do that?" Shun questioned.
As Falconeer recovered from the attack, it had just suffered. Manion jumped forward to attack the Ventus Bakugan. It bit down on Falconeer's shoulder and shoved it into the ground pinning it there.
"Gate Card Open! Ventus Gael!" Shun declared.
"Ventus Falconeer G power increase by 50 Gs. Ventus Falconeer G power 520 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Falconeer threw Manion off of it as it launched itself back to its feet before charging at Manion and pecking at the Darkus Bakugan with its beak. Manion flew into the air as Falconeer quickly gave chase and continued to fight.
"Ability Card Activate! Shadowscratch!" Marduk countered deactivating the gate card.
"Ventus Falconeer G power decrease by 50 Gs. Ventus Falconeer G power 470 Gs." The bakupod annoucned.
With its power sapped, Falconeer was unable to defend itself as Manion stopped short and charged into Falconeer's stomach. The Ventus Bakugan was sent flying towards the ground as Manion followed.
"Ability Card Activate! Ventus Vortex!" Shun shouted as he threw an ability card at Falconeer.
"Ventus Falconeer G power increase by 50 Gs. Ventus Falconeer G power 520 Gs." The bakupod announced.
With its power restored, Falconeer stopped its fall and flew up to meet Manion halfway. The two clashed, creating a small shockwave, and due to Falconeer's small power advantage, it slowly overpowered Manion.
Falconeer pushed Manion back and then proceeded to throw it away. As Manion was thrown, Flaconeer flew around to catch speed, and when it was at the optimal speed, it sped at Manion. It planned to pierce it through with its beak, but Marduk wasn't going to let that happen.
"This ain't over! Ability Card Activate Darkus Slam!" Marduk countered.
"Darkus Manion G power increase by 65 Gs. Darkus Manion G power 580 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Manion regained its composure and bit down right on Falconeer's beak, creating a small crack as it threw the Ventus Bakugan downwards. When Falconeer hit the ground, Manion shot down and slammed into its stomach, defeating the Bakugan.
"One to go," Marduk smirked as he caught Manion.
"So, Vladitor, how much do you think you'll grow from this battle?" Marduk inquired.
"A decent amount but not enough to evolve. But this battle will be a necessary step." Vladitor explained.
"Good enough for me." Marduk smiled.
"Shun, we can't go into this battle lightly," Skyress advised.
"I know, but this isn't going to be easy. I'm going to have to be on our terms just to win." Shun sighed.
"Whatever you chose to do, I'll follow," Skyress replied.
"Right," Shun said as he grabbed onto Skyress.
"Gate Card Set!" Shun shouted as he threw another gate card.
"Bakugan Brawl! Ventus Skyress Stand!" Shun added as he landed Skyress on the gate card.
"Ventus Skyress G power 600 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"We will not go down that easily!" Skyress declared.
"Well, then that's your plan, huh? It won't help you." Marduk smirked.
"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Vladitor Stand!" Marduk yelled as he threw Vladitor.
"Darkus Phantom!" Marduk shouted as Vladitor was covered in pitch-black energy.
When Vladitor landed on the gate card, the dark energy exerted and covered the entire gate card before encapturing Skyress. As the Darkus Bakugan appeared before Skyress, her power was sapped.
"What is this!?" Skyress questioned.
"Ventus Skyress G power decrease by 100 Gs. Ventus Skyress G power 500 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Darkus Vladitor G power 650 Gs." The bakupod added as Vladitor appeared.
"What was that?!" Shun asked.
"Don't tell me you don't know about special throws. I guess someone who hasn't mastered their element can't understand it." Marduk smirked.
"A special throw?" Shun questioned.
Whatever it was, it allowed Vladitor to take 100 Gs from Skyress without even touching her. As the dark energy dissipated, Skyress fell to the ground very weak. Vladitor towered over the Ventus Bakugan and kicked her away.
"Pathetic. Bakugan nowadays aren't as they were back in my day." Vladitor insulted.
"Skyress!" Shun cried before he took action.
"Gate Card Open! Skyress Flight!" Shun declared as Skyress's character card activated.
"Ventus Skyress G power increase by 400 Gs. Ventus Skyress G power 900 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"I'LL SHOW YOU WANT I CAN DO!" Skyress shouted.
She flew high up in the air as her body was surrounded by green energy before diving down to attack Vladitor. The Darkus Bakugan held her off best he could as she tackled him, but eventually, she brought him to the ground.
"Double Ability Activate! Dark Sphere Impact and Darkus Crusher!" Marduk countered.
"Darkus Vladitor G power increase by 450 Gs. Darkus Vladitor G power 1100 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Vladitor grabbed Skyress by the throat and slammed her on the ground adjacent to him before getting up himself. He proceeded to raise both of his fists into the air and slammed them down on Skyress repeatedly.
"I'm not done yet! Double Ability Activate! Green Nobility and Ventus Hurricane!" Shun shouted.
"Ventus Skyress G power increase by 450 Gs. Ventus Skyress G power 1350 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Skyress shot straight to the air knocking Vladitor down before she flapped her wings to keep him there, causing his G power to slowly drop. But even with Vladitor in such a predicament, Marduk remained unfazed.
"I am winning this battle, but why does it seem like he's not scared?" Shun wondered.
Suddenly Vladitor's G power stopped decreasing. When this happened, he slowly began to get back up, and negative energy seeped all around him. His G power began to skyrocket as he pushed back against the power of Skyress's wings.
"Darkus Vladitor rapid G power increase. Current parameters unknown." The bakupod announced.
"What?! This…this is just like what happened with Leonidas!" Shun realized as he remembered the battles he had witnessed Leonidas in.
When pushed into a corner, Leonidas exerted a massive amount of negative energy that increased his power. The same was now happening with Vladitor; however, it didn't seem to stop abruptly as it did with Leonidas.
"Hang in there, Skyress!" Shun called as Vladitor attacked with an ethereal ax that was formed from the negative energy.
"I-I-I c-can't!" Skyress stuttered as the ax made contact with her. Suddenly a bright light blinded Shun, causing him to be unable to see how the battle ended.
New York…
Ryder caught his Bakugan after finishing his last fight. This was the fifteenth battle he just had and thankfully the last as he beat the last bounty hunter. None of them were that great, but each took up enough time to tire Ryder out.
"Finally done." Ryder sighed.
"Hey, Alice, want to get something to eat?" Ryder asked only to receive silence in response.
He turned around to see that Alice was no longer there. Ryder looked all around him to see where she could have gone, but no one save the defeated bounty hunters was there. Not only that, but it was oddly silent even for Central Park. No wind, no birds, no voices. Nothing.
"Alice?" Ryder called out.
"Alice, where are you?" Ryder asked only to receive silence once again.
"What the hell happened?" Ryder wondered as a strange sound came from behind him.
"If you want to find out, then I can give you the answer." Masquerade stated, shocking Ryder as he turned around to see the masked man.
"Masquerade!" Ryder gasped.
"What are you doing here? Don't you already have a bounty on me?" Ryder questioned.
"I did, but I think you already know that it wasn't fruitful." Masquerade began as he turned to look at the bounty hunters, who looked at the situation in shock.
"Get lost!" Masquerade ordered them as they all ran off.
"Now then, I'm here to see what you can do personally," Masquerade smirked as he turned back to face Ryder.
"You want to battle me?" Ryder asked as Leonidas flew next to him.
"Let's do it, Ryder. He's the number one brawler in the world. If we beat him, we will be guaranteed to be part of the finals!" Leonidas encouraged.
"I would, but I need to find Alice first," Ryder replied.
"She is safe for now. But you won't see her again if you don't battle me." Masquerade explained, causing Ryder to go wide-eyed.
"What did you do to her!? Also, how did you take her? She was right here!?" Ryder questioned as he gestured to a spot behind him.
"I have my ways," Masquerade responded as Hydranoid floated next to him.
"Enough talk, let us battle!" Hydranoid demanded.
"You heard him. Are we battling or what?" Masquerade asked as he put on his launcher.
"Fine. Let's do this!" Ryder shouted.
"Excellent!" Leonidas exclaimed as the two took out field cards.
"Field Open!" The Two Shouted.
Wardington Park…
Skyress landed at Shun's feet as he fell to his knees. The battle had just ended, and he had lost due to Vladitor's sudden power boost. He couldn't understand how it happened. All that ran through his mind was that he had lost.
Moreover, his body was in massive pain. Vladitor's last attack not only hit Skyress but set off a shockwave that threw Shun around, bruising him severely. He struggled to pick up a dirty Skyress and stand back up.
"Not bad you were more of a challenge than Kuso and his partner." Marduk chuckled as Vladitor floated next to him.
"With this, we're one step closer to the finals," Marduk smirked as he walked away from Shun.
"Wait! I'm not done. Let's go again!" Shun demanded.
"Not a chance. I don't battle losers." Marduk stated.
"If you want a rematch. Meet me in the finals." Marduk added as he left Shun standing there.
Looking down at the dirtied Skyress, Shun slammed his fist against the tree he had waited under. Before he could do more, he collapsed and passed out. Several minutes passed, and eventually, Runo and Marucho reached where he was.
"There he is!" Runo called as she and Marucho crouched next to Shun.
"I guess he really did battle against this Marduk character," Marucho murmured as they turned Shun over.
"We should get him to a doctor," Runo stated.
"Right, we have one at my house. This way, we don't have to explain his injuries." Marucho suggested as they got Shun some transportation out of there.
Later…
"Is that really what happened, Skyress?" Marucho inquired as he and Runo sat next to an unconscious Shun.
"Yes, we put up as best of a fight we could, but in the end, it wasn't good enough." Skyress sighed.
"Maybe we should have warned him after all," Runo murmured as she looked down on the ground.
"I let my anger towards him get in the way instead of warning him." Runo cried.
"Don't beat yourself, Runo we. This may have happened regardless you know how Shun is." Julie comforted via webchat.
"She's right, Runo. It's not like it's your fault." Tigrerra agreed.
"I know, but…this whole fight we've been in about the mole. The team has been broken apart by it." Runo replied.
"It has been tough, and no real solution to the problem has been found, but I think we need to start looking past thing entire mole idea," Marucho stated.
"We're never going to get anywhere if we don't work together, and only then can we stop Masquerade and the mole," Marucho added.
"He's right. We're all friends, and friends shouldn't fight like this!" Preyas agreed.
"So what should we do now? Don't you think it's only a matter of time before Marduk goes after us too?" Julie asked.
"That's true he may go after all of us," Runo said.
"We should stick together until Dan and Shun wake up so that we can go to New York and reconcile with Alice." Marucho planned.
"That sounds like a plan!" Preyas exclaimed.
"How long do you think they'll be out for, though?" Julie inquired.
"Who knows, it could be a few days," Marucho responded.
"Let's hope it's soon because I doubt Marduk and Masquerade are just going to sit around and wait for us," Drago replied.
"Oh no!" Julie gasped, getting everyone's attention.
"What is it, Julie?" Runo asked.
"It's Ryder. He battled Masquerade!" Julie answered.
"What?!" Runo and Marucho gasped.
Bakugan Battle Field…
"Gate Card Set!" Ryder and Masquerade shouted as they tossed their respective gate cards onto the field.
"I'll go first," Masquerade smirked.
"But before that, I'll use the Doom Card," Masquerade stated as he dropped the card onto the ground, where it assimilated with the field.
"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Fear Ripper Stand!" Masquerade shouted as the Bakugan landed on Ryder's gate card.
"Darkus Fear Ripper G power 460 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"He's up to something here," Ryder stated.
"We're just going to have to find out," Leonidas replied.
"Yeah, and while I would like to move the fight to another gate card, it probably won't change the outcome." Ryder agreed.
"Alright, let's do this!" Ryder said.
"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Laserman Stand!" Ryder yelled as Laserman appeared before Fear Ripper.
"Darkus Laserman G power 510 Gs." The bakupod annoucned.
"Gare Card Open! Darkus Array!" Ryder declared.
"Darkus Laserman G power increase by 80 Gs. Darkus Laserman G power 590 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Not so fast!" Masquerade shouted.
"Ability Card Activate! Darkus Mirror!" Masquerade countered.
"Darkus Laserman and Darkus Fear Ripper G power exchange. Darkus Laserman G power at 460 Gs. Darkus Fear Ripper G power at 590 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"No!" Ryder cried.
Knowing that he didn't have an ability card to close the gap in power meaning that this battle was lost. Fear Ripper hacked and slashed at Laserman, defeating it easily, sending the Darkus Bakugan to the Doom Dimension.
"Come on, I was expecting more from you." Masquerade goaded.
"Don't count me as out yet!" Ryder shouted as he took out another Bakugan.
"Good!" Masquerade smirked as he took out a Bakugan as well.
"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Gargonoid Stand!" Masquerade yelled as he shot Gargonoid onto his own gate card.
"Darkus Gargonoid G power 550 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Right then," Ryder murmured as he readied to through his Bakugan.
"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Rattleoid Stand!" Ryder shouted.
"Darkus Rattleoid G power 545 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Rattleoid slithered towards Garganoid and bit at its fellow Darkus Bakugan, only for it to fly up in order to avoid being attacked. Each time Rattleoid got close to Garganoid, it would slice at Rattleoid's head, knocking it back down.
"Gate Card Open! Level Down!" Masquerade declared.
"Darkus Rattleoid G power decrease by 100 Gs. Darkus Rattleoid G power 445 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Garganoid dived down and grabbed the tail end of Rattleoid's body, lifting it up into the air before slamming it down repeatedly on the ground. The Darkus Bakugan then flew higher in the air to finish Rattleoid off by throwing it at the ground.
"Ability Card Activate! The Shadow!" Ryder countered.
"Darkus Rattleoid G power increase by 120 Gs. Darkus Rattleoid G power 565 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Rattleoid stopped Garganoid's ascent by wrapping itself around the Darkus Bakugan, stopping its flight and causing them to plummet to the ground. When they hit, a large cloud of smoke covered them before Garganoid landed at Masquerade's feet.
"Hm. I see you are good. I guess all those brawlers I sent after you weren't unlucky after all." Masquerade commented as he picked Garganoid up.
"Let's continue, shall we?" Masquerade asked as he held up another gate card.
"Gladly," Ryder replied as he held up a gate card of his own.
"Gate Card Set!" The Two shouted.
Next Time the battle between Ryder and Masquerade comes to a head when Masquerade feels the effects of Leonidas's presence. It seems like he is losing control until something changes in him, changing the tides of the battle.
Meanwhile, the Battle Brawlers, upon seeing the results of Ryder and Masquerade's battle, begin to go to New York to see him. However, before they could depart, they are intercepted by Komba and Klaus, who challenge Runo and Marucho to a battle!
Will Ryder be able to defeat Masquerade? And will Runo and Marucho make it past Komba and Klaus? Next Time on Bakugan Doom World: Dark Power
Author's Note:
That took longer to write than I thought, but overall I'm pleased with how this chapter came out. I'll be honest the bit where I had Marduk perform a special shot from the video game was a last-minute addition when I was writing the scene.
You see, I plan out when battles happen but not what happens entirely in a battle. The same outcome would have happened, but when I thought about the skill in the game, I liked the idea of implementing a version of it in this fic.
I'll explain the specifics on how it works later, as this will not be the last we see of it. Now on how Vladitor suddenly got a power increase, that too will be explained later. Hope you guys enjoyed and onto the reviews!
Reviews:
HunterHQ – Glad you enjoyed the chapter, and the high G power is kind of how the games work. Honestly, I just remembered how the physical game had higher G power compared to the show.
I just wanted to change it a little because I thought it made it more exciting in a sense. As for any side effects on Leonidas, I'm just going to say it that there will not be. For the reason why that is will be explained later on.
Hope you're excited to see the battle with Masquerade and Ryder, as you may just see what happens when Leonidas purges or does not purge the darkness. But yeah, I was also confused why Masquerade basically gave up after Dan beat him.
I think it's just because the show was meant for kids, so I don't think the writers really cared, but then again, I could be wrong.
Johannvanguard – Happy you liked it, and yeah, I also found it funny about the misunderstanding between Ryder and Alice's relationship. I saw the opportunity for the joke, so I took it.
The brawlers sent by Masquerade weren't really a problem for Ryder at this point, but for me, I just saw them as another test by Masquerade. One last test until Masquerade finally battles Ryder himself, which is now happening.
I would've made at least one full battle between Ryder and the other brawlers, but since none of them have names and I put it in the middle of Shun and Marduk's battle, I didn't want to make it, too confusing to read.
I do like your ideas you pitched, but I'm probably not going to use them, sorry. But I may show more of Ryder and Alice battling together in the future. Hope you enjoyed!
RokenDarkly – To answer your question, yes, Leonidas gets a power boost. In fact, that energy is what allowed him to increase his power during his battle with Drago and during the Tag Team Battle.
But the power-up is entirely dependent on how much negative energy he has absorbed, which is why his increase in power was stopped so abruptly during his battle with Drago. If he had more, he would have increased his power more.
However, he won't be absorbing much negative energy from Alice as she only exerts the energy when Masquerade is influencing her.
Martin (Guest) – Yeah, when Ryder eventually does find out Masquerade is Alice, it's going to be weird, but that's not going to be for a while.
Last Primaris – I'm happy to hear you liked my story so much, and you don't have to worry. I am going to see this story to the end!
Edit: Thanks RokenDarkly for pointing out my error.