Bakugan Battle Brawlers belongs to Spin Maters and Sega Toys.

When Zoe wakes up, she feels like absolute trash.

She comes back to reality feeling foreign in her own body, and her head hurts too much to be a mild case of fatigue. It takes a lot of time for her to get used to moving around, bumping into things and tripping over her own steps as if she was blind, her limbs stiff and awkward as they lag to receive her brain's commands. It takes twice the usual time and effort to even get to her closet and sort out her things, as her eyes refused to focus and her head was basically screaming in pain.

When she finally manages to finish picking up her things and change without tripping over her own feet, standing at her door ready to leave the room and start the day, she feels strangely compelled to look back to where she had put Leonidas the night prior, letting out a heavy sigh. Thankfully, and oddly enough, the Bakugan had curled into his marble form and had been disturbingly quiet, giving her some peace in going about her daily business without having to deal with both a migraine and a prissy alien toy. Still, something inside her found the sight unimaginably disturbing, feeling as if the alien had died from how silent he had been.

She looks back once or twice towards her new... "partner" before shaking her head in self reprimand, shoving him and her Bakugan pouch into her bag and going downstairs two steps at a time.

Alex had been uncharacteristically silent as well, but Zoe knows the reason for that. They nod at each other in greeting, eat breakfast and walk to school in absolute quiet, and Zoe barely registers her brother patting her awkwardly on the shoulder before they part, refusing to look behind her even as she feels his eyes on her until she enters the classroom. She vaguely hears one of her brother's friends (a kid about her age, with a snarky attitude and too much energy for her liking, whose name she never seemed to remember) call out to her in greeting from his place at one of the desks at the back of the room, but she gives him no answer aside from a vague nod.

She absently slips onto her seat and sets her backpack by her feet, fumbling with it until she finds her sketchbook and flicks it open on her lap while searching for the pencil case. When she stops to properly look at the page, she frowns at the sight of the half-made dragon she had drawn after that stormy night, its monochrome gaze staring right at her and making her more uncomfortable by the minute.

(She feels as if she knows it now, its eyes gleaming under the artificial light with a ruthless cold. She feels trapped as the voices from her nightmare seem to bubble under the surface and her head is starting to hurt again and why won't they stop-)

Zoe slams the notebook shut with a gasp and a heave, uncharacteristically loud, to the point where her outburst had attracted the attention of her classmates. She doesn't move her eyes from her lap, using the not-so-hidden snickers and comments as a grounding point, and trying to breathe her way into making her hands stop shaking. She is mostly back to reality when the teacher comes in, and the pounding headache, as well as the phantom image of glaring red eyes every time she blinks, are common enough for her that she doesn't bother too much, dog-earing the cursed page and continuing to scribble on another random part of the sketchbook.

Erik was starting to think he should have brushed up his Japanese a little more before coming to Japan, but in his defense, he never thought he would use it. Thank God the kid accompanying him knew English.

Okay, calling the boy "kid" was a little bit rude, as he was older and bigger than Erik himself, but it couldn't be helped when his so-called guide kept going on into tangents at every explanation he gave (Erik had to physically shake the boy in order to avoid what seemed to be a long story involving a time where his sister threw a chair at someone), making his head pound from information overload. He didn't even have a class yet.

It also didn't help that everyone seemed to be so loud, with kids both younger and older than him running around and making a general racket, with many stopping by to greet his guide and try to talk to him, making him have to think of the politest way to tell someone to buzz off. Was school back home as loud as this one? Or did he just not notice because he had been part of the noise? Was this just new kid syndrome? God, he felt like an old man.

(The fact that everyone also seemed equally obsessed with Bakugan as the brats back in Norrkoping didn't do much to better his mood. The moment his guide had tried to talk with him about the stupid game had earned him a dirty glare that Erik wasn't even ashamed of giving.)

By the time they looped back to the main hall, heading to where Erik prayed was his classroom, he was a pathetic mix of both tiredness and aggravation, dragging himself behind his guide and making a mental note to ask Vladitor whether he could or not throw humans in the Doom Dimension. Erik's lack of focus rewarded with him making impact with the boy's back and stumbling backwards, seeing as the kid had stopped in front of the door:

"Well, this is it!" he exclaimed and oh god why was he so cheerful? "Right on time, too!"

"Thanks" Erik mumbled, straightening up as the teacher opened the door to let him in.

"Don't mention it!" the boy patted him on the shoulder, heading towards the same direction which they had come from. "If you need anything, just come talk to me, ok?"

Erik didn't give him an answer, and, from the way the boy was running across the hallway, he wasn't expecting one either. Erik gave another sigh, nodding in response to the teacher's expectant gaze, and walked into the classroom.

Posture straight, head held high, with his gaze permanently fixed at a point above everyone's eye level. His expression doesn't change during the entirety of the teacher's introduction of him. He writes his name on the blackboard with perfectly straight writing, in spite of his shaking hands. He ignores the stares of curiosity directed at him, even though he can feel his gut twist and squirm due to the unwanted attention. He says nothing, even when the teacher asks if he wants to, and he feels like a machine by the time he walks to his assigned seat. He tries to make his head focus, even as he feels the incoming headache at his mind translates the writing on the blackboard into English, and allow himself to (gently) lay his head to his notebook and sigh in frustration when he thinks no one is looking.

He really should've paid more attention to his Japanese lessons.

Zoe wasn't one for gossip. She definitely wasn't one for peeking at other people's lives. But she had to admit that Erik Olsson was too much of an odd case to not be curious about.

She had almost taken a disliking to him when he had walked onto the room as if he owned the place, standing still as a statue even while the teacher introduced him to the class (Zoe did an internal double take when she heard he was from Sweden. Such an odd place to come from.), being the very definition of haughty. It was when she realized the Erik kid was too still, writing his name stiffly on the blackboard, not saying a word even as the teacher prompted him to, that something clicked in her head.

Stage fright.

The kid had stage fright.

Well, wasn't that relatable.

She watched from the corner of her eye as the boy sat himself on the seat the teacher had assigned to him (right next to her, might she add. She liked that place because it was empty, dang it), so awkwardly stiff he could've been mistaken with a robot, and watches as he lays his forehead onto his notebook and lets out a heavy sigh of frustration.

Yeah, she knew that feeling.

Eventually, though, Zoe decided that that had been enough creepiness from her, shifting her attention to the blackboard and, occasionally, to the sketchbook on her lap, writing down notes when she felt necessary and adding more details to her current drawing wherever she felt like it.

Classes went on like always, and so she barely noticed when the bell announcing recess had rung and her classmates began to trickle out of the room. The new kid was still on his seat, staring at his textbooks with a furrow to his brows and with his nostrils flared. Zoe shifted on her seat, positioning herself in order to get a better look at him. She wasn't going anywhere, anyways.

The boy was pale, even from someone that came from the north, but he didn't seem unhealthy. His silver-white hair went up to his shoulders, held back by a low ponytail, and his black clothes gave him a wannabe goth aura. His desk was unnaturally organized, which seemed pretty dang weird for a twelve-year-old, and the backpack rested neatly at the foot of his chair seemed to scream "rich kid". The most striking thing about him, though, seemed to by his eyes, red and sharp, as if staring straight into her soul.

Wait.

Staring?

Zoe blinked and, sure enough, he was staring at her, sitting in a near identical pose as her. She swallowed drily, trying not to fidget at the boy's raised eyebrow and judgmental expression.

Dear lord, she hated staring:

"Can I help you?" he asked in a raspy voice, and Zoe could feel cold sweat pooling at the back of her neck.

She needed a distraction, quickly.

Look around. No fallen notebook, no missing pen, no kicked over backpack. Think, Zoe, think. She had already had her misunderstanding quota for the week, she didn't need more problems. But she had been blatantly staring at him...

Wait. Behind the boy. Was that a group of kids approaching? Perfect. She nods towards the group behind him, picking her sketchbook and pencil case when he turns around to talk to them, and she can't help but notice that the new kid's notebooks are all written in English, with scribbled hiragana with question marks littered at the corners of the pages.

Erik unceremoniously slammed open the door to his home, slinging his backpack and flinging it to the nearby couch with a flourish, startling Laika awake and making her jump from her spot at the foot of the couch and circle around the boy, wagging her tail happily:

"You are back." Vladitor says, floating down from Erik's bedroom.

"Found what you were looking for?" he asked nonchalantly, petting Laika and trying to stop her from licking his face.

Vladitor nods, waiting for Erik to stand up before continuing:

"The is going to be a 'Bakugan Tournament' within the city, promoted by the 'Battle Brawlers' you have told me.", the Bakugan says, "Multiple players have already signed up to it, as the only requirement is to have a registered 'partner Bakugan'."

Erik sighs, licking his lips in exasperation, but says nothing. He walks towards the kitchen, picking up a water bottle and heading towards Laika's water bowl.

"And where do you plan on going with this?" he asks while unscrewing the bottle and pouring the water onto the bowl, where Laika was already drinking vividly.

"You remember what I told you about Dragonoid.", Vladitor says, "From what you have told me, the probability of Dragonoid's brawler partaking in the Tournament is absolute. He is the only clue I currently have of the power I seek."

Erik swallows drily, setting the bottle on the kitchen counter and making his way towards his bedroom, Vladitor floating closely behind. He heads straight towards his desk, nearly throwing himself towards his chair and opening up his laptop, who had the ranking list and the official Bakugan website open, displaying an amazing list of records and achievements. Amidst them, a photo of a confident-looking young man smirked back at the camera, wild brown hair framing his face and reddish-brown eyes blazing with a thirst from battle.

Danma Kuso. Dan Kuso. Co-creator of the game, leader of the Bakugan Brawlers and known to have one of the most overpowered Bakugan known worldwide.

There was no way he was messing with him.

"Saying it's going to be an uphill battle would be an overstatement..." Erik mumbled.

Vladitor nods, and says:

"Even with underhanded tactics, you are not even near the skill level required to beat Dragonoid. Even with my power, you would be overwhelmed within seconds, especially against someone as experienced as you claim this boy to be."

Erik slumps against the chair, groaning loudly:

"Couldn't you have found an easier target?" he whines.

"Impossible. The other options available to me are just as harrowing." Vladitor drones.

Erik slumps his body forward, slamming his head against the table and groaning again, seemingly louder:

"Humans. So impatient." Vladitor scoffs, landing on the human's head. "Dragonoid is our target, not our immediate opponent. The Tournament is our path to our objective, it is up to us to be prepared for it."

Erik turns his head, glancing upwards towards his Bakugan partner:

"What the hell do you mean by that?" he deadpans.

The Bakugan sighs loudly:

"Get up. Pick up your gear.", he orders, "You need to train in order to be ready for the Tournament."

Zoe was legitimately starting to get worried. The entirety of the morning had passed, and Leonidas refused to even budge, staying perfectly still within his ball form despite the girl's prompting.

After school had ended, Alex had approached her and told her to wait for him at the park and, despite still being mad at him, she relented. She had decided to sit at a bench within the fountain plaza of the park, scribbling away at her sketchbook while watching the passerby come and go, occasionally throwing bird seed at the little flock that settled by her feet, pecking happily away. A perfectly idealistic scenario that did nothing to calm her nerves. Leonidas sat at her side, curled up and immobile, emanating a foreign feeling of dread.

A loud bark startled her out of her daze, making her accidentally drop her sketchbook and scaring the birds away, taking flight just as what only could be described as an incredibly goofy wolf ran towards them, barking excitedly and jumping at the now flying flock. After making sure that Leonidas hadn't rolled away during that encounter, she turned to glare at the dog's owner, who was now trying to calm it down by tugging at its leash and murmuring things she didn't understand. It took a while, but when they had finally calmed the dog down, they turned towards Zoe, red eyes widening in surprise when they meet with hers.

Oh, it was the new kid.

Zoe straightened her posture, raising an eyebrow at the kid and ignoring how adorable the dog seemed now that it had calmed down. The kid swallowed drily, his eyes darting around, until they settle on her sketchbook, now under one of the dog's paws. He gingerly lifts the paw and removes the sketchbook from under it, brushing it off and extending it to her:

"You dropped it." he said, as if it wasn't obvious. "Nice drawing, by the way."

She accepted back the book, scoffing when she's met by the sight of the cursed dragon page. (It continues to stare back at her, and she can feel the voices picking up again. She feels small, trapped, and everything seems to be too much and too little at the same time and somebody make it stop-)

She slams the book shut, startling the duo in front of her, and tries to control her breathing. When she looks up, she finds the new kid staring blankly at her.

Great, as if the entire school didn't already think she was crazy.

She sighs and points to the dog, a silent question on her expression. It takes a few seconds, but then a look of realization dawns onto the kid:

"Oh, don't worry, she's friendly." he says, "Her name is Laika, by the way."

Zoe nods, smiling slightly, and proceeds to offer her hand for Laika to sniff it, scratching her beneath her chin when she seems to accept Zoe as friendly enough. She sees the new kid sit next to her at the bench from the corner of her eye, and pays him no mind as he coughs awkwardly and shuffles in his seat. She sees his eyes flicker from side to side, until they settle onto Leonidas's curled form, an expression of curiosity overtaking his features. He seems about to ask something when a squeaky, frustratingly familiar voice rings out:

"YOU! We have a score to settle, rookie!" Akira shouts, marching towards the bench where Zoe currently sat like a man on a mission.

So much for peace and quiet.

Zoe, in turn, rolled her eyes in exasperation, giving a last ruffle to Laika's head before picking her things and getting up from the bench, making her way towards one of the stairs and earning her an indignant screech from Akira:

"Didn't you hear me?! Get back here!", he shouted, running and standing in front of Zoe like a child throwing a tantrum, "I came here to avenge Shuji! Don't think you're getting away with getting such a cheap win."

Zoe rolled her eyes again, trying to sidestep the pipsqueak with no success, ignoring the snickers coming from the new kid, still seated on the bench behind her:

"Well? Say something! I told you, I'm not leaving 'till we battle!"

She shoved the brat aside, ready to go upstairs and leave. She didn't have to deal with this today.

Of course, the universe seemed to think otherwise:

"Yo, Abner Jr.!" a voice rung out, "Alex said you'd be here. He asked me to bring you your gear!"

Coming from the nearby stairs, with a grin of someone who clearly did not read the current mood, was one of Alex's friends (Komba, she remembered her brother mentioning), almost dragging her pouch while he skipped the staircase two at a time. She had to fumble when said pouch was thrown carelessly towards her, stumbling back and almost toppling Akira over, who squawked indignantly:

"What's with all these people!?", Akira screamed, red in the face, "Don't you jerks know what 'personal' means?!"

Zoe hears Erik mutter something in English, but says nothing:

"Dude, why are you so pressed? S'not the first time someone beats Shuji in a brawl." Komba laughs, putting his arms behind his head.

"What?! You take that back!"

"Bro, Shuji's weak as hell. Anyone would say the same thing."

"You don't get to say that!"

"Uh, yeas I do. I beat him before, chump."

Zoe slowly backed away towards the bench while the two pipsqueaks began to argue back and forth (alternatively, Akira screaming insults, defending his brother's honor, while Komba just laughed). She looked at Erik, who looked far too amused with the situation, as he glanced at her direction with a smirk:

"Wanna dip out of here?"

Zoe nodded far too eagerly.