Chapter 10: Dark Reunion

Wardington…

Ryder looked left to right as he exited the airship as it landed on top of Marucho's house. He was amazed by the view, but he was far more amazed when he was told that this was where Marucho lived.

"You live here?!" Ryder gasped.

"And here I thought it was some sort of facility," Ryder said as Leonidas floated next to him.

"Is this what they call a castle?" Leonidas wondered.

"Maybe," Ryder replied.

"No, it's not a castle, but it is my home," Marucho smirked as the rest of the brawlers exited the ship.

"Cool," Ryder commented.

"The view is awesome!" Ryder smirked.

"It is nice." Alice agreed as she walked up next to Ryder, who blushed slightly.

"So what now?" Ryder inquired.

"We should check on Dan and Shun and make sure they're still okay," Runo suggested.

"Good point. We need to make sure they're okay." Marucho agreed as he led everyone to his in-house infirmary.

While they journeyed through the house, Ryder was fascinated by its luxury and felt as if he couldn't even touch anything around him. Ryder noted several of the rooms they passed were larger than his house, though he pulled his attention back front when they reached the infirmary.

"Guys, you're back!" Dan exclaimed as they entered the room.

"Dan, you're…." Runo began as she approached Dan, only for Julie to push her out of the way.

"You're alright!" Julie exclaimed as Dan flinched as she hugged him and Runo seethed, pulling her off.

"They're…excited." Ryder sweatdropped.

"They're pretty happy, yeah." Alice agreed.

"Alice, you're okay." Dan smiled, making Alice nervous as it made her happy that the others were accepting her back.

"I'm sorry to worry you guys." Alice apologized.

"Don't mention it, Alice. We shouldn't have made you feel pushed away in the first place." Dan replied as he looked at Ryder.

"Hey, Ryder, thanks for your help too." Dan thanked

"Yeah, I couldn't not help get Alice back when I lost her in the first place," Ryder replied as Alice began to blush.

"Awesome, it's good to see ya!" Dan replied.

"It's good that you're awake, Dan. We were worried." Marucho voiced.

"Hopefully, Shun will wake soon too." Dan sighed as everyone turned to look at the unconscious Shun.

"It still surprises me that Marduk did this. I mean, I've always heard that he was mean, but this is new." Ryder commented.

"What do you know about Marduk's past?" Dan asked.

"Not much honestly, we don't go to the same school, so I only know what I've heard on the street," Ryder answered.

"So there isn't much you actually know about Marduk?" Marucho inquired.

"Not really. He was just known for being a bully, and he went around terrorizing people through his battles. He was someone to be scared of, but beyond that, I don't know much about him." Ryder explained.

"Well, that'll make it harder to understand what Marduk may be thinking of right now. We need to know what his next move will be." Marucho sighed.

"No doubt he is still going after higher ranked brawlers to qualify for the tournament finals, which means he'll be coming after us, but I doubt he'll try coming up and challenging us." Marucho theorized.

"He actually pretty brunt with challenging opponents before. It's what he did with me in our first two battles, so unless he's changed because of Vladitor, I doubt he'll do anything crazy." Ryder pointed out.

"At most, he'll try to get you guys alone," Ryder stated.

"True, which means it would be best to stick together in pairs of two from now on." Marucho agreed.

"That way, if he does find us, we can team up against him." Marucho planed.

"Good idea." Shun agreed as he sat up, much to everyone's surprise.

"What? Shun, when did you wake up?!" Dan questioned.

"I woke up a while ago, but unlike you, I knew I needed rest. But now I can't because everyone's so loud." Shun answered.

"Couldn't you have said something then?" Julie asked.

"What needed saying that you guys haven't already?" Shun replied as his eyes laid on Alice before moving elsewhere.

The act of swift coldness made Alice uneasy about how Shun felt about everything that had happened. He was the one who pushed the idea of there being a mole the most, and she felt that he still hadn't forgotten about it and still suspected the girl.

"Besides, I was waiting until I was one hundred percent," Shun added.

"So, are we picking pairs?" Shun questioned.

"Because if we are, then I'm getting Dan," Shun stated, shocking everyone.

"Wow, you want to pair with me?" Dan asked.

"We're both in no condition to battle and are the least at risk for Marduk to come after, so it's the best choice," Shun explained, causing Dan to deadpan.

"So the rest is up to you guys," Shun said as he laid back down.

"He's…very blunt, isn't he?" Ryder sighed.

"Yes, but he's nice when you get to know him," Alice replied.

"Well, who's going with who then?" Dan inquired.

"I believe we should pair in order of elements. For example, if Ryder were to pair up with Julie like he did when we infiltrated the mansion, they couldn't use an elemental ability." Marucho began.

"You see, without a Ventus Bakugan, they couldn't boost one another with a Triple Node Ability. However, if he were to pair with Runo or me, then we'll be able to use a Co-Side Ability." Marucho explained.

"He makes a good point." Julie agreed.

"So then who goes with who?" Ryder inquired.

"You and Runo will be a team, and Julie and I will be one. This way, we can be completely prepared in case Marduk comes after us." Marucho answered.

"Well, in that case, my parents will be worried if I'm gone any longer, so I should head back," Runo stated.

"You should come too, Alice. My parents missed you a lot!" Runo exclaimed.

"Really?" Alice asked.

"Yeah, this way, we can start putting the past behind us," Runo responded.

"Though I suppose since we're going to be partners, for the time being, you should come too, Ryder," Runo added as she turned to Ryder.

"Are you sure? I wouldn't be intruding on anything, would I?" Ryder asked.

"Yeah, it's fine. My Dad could use an extra hand in the kitchen anyway." Runo answered as she pushed Ryder towards the door, and Alice followed.

"Oh, okay then…wait? Kitchen?" Ryder questioned as they left.

"Put the past behind us?" Alice wondered as she looked back at the others who watched them leave.

"But can we? Can I really just come back after running away?" Alice questioned.

"What about us?" Dan inquired.

"You and Shun will stay here and rest up. Julie and I are going to see if we can locate where Marduk is via his latest battles." Marucho answered.

"If we can find him, then we can take him on as a group," Marucho added.

"Good idea. It'll be better to take him on in numbers." Skyress agreed.

"Hopefully, Ryder's right that he won't come after us unless he can get us alone," Julie said.


Elsewhere…

Marduk stood above the unconscious bodies of several brawlers he had just defeated. All were weak and not worth his time, but he was using them for something else. They were bait for a greater target for him to defeat.

"This should be enough to get their attention," Marduk smirked.

"Marduk. Something is wrong." Vladitor stated.

"What is it?" Marduk asked.

"I feel a presence nearby I haven't sensed since I was in the Doom Dimension," Vladitor answered.

"Really? Is that bad?" Marduk inquired.

"I am unsure, for it is a Bakugan of mystery. I saw it as it was born in the Doom Dimension before disappearing shortly after." Vladitor explained.

"A Bakugan born in the Doom Dimension, you say? One that has been unheard of?" Marduk murmured.

"I can think of a Bakugan that could fit the bill. Leonidas." Marduk stated.

"Leonidas?" Vladitor questioned.

"He's the partner of Ryder, one of the brawlers I wish to defeat. In our second brawler, Leonidas tore through a rift to the Doom Dimension and joined the battle." Marduk revealed.

"I see. Was he strong?" Vladitor inquired.

"Yes, considerably. But I don't think they'll be too much of a problem." Marduk responded.

"Well then, shall we battle them too?" Vladitor asked.

"No, not yet. His time will come later." Marduk stated as he looked at Ryder's current ranking being two hundred twenty.


Masquerade's Mansion…

"What do we do now?" Billy asked as he, Chan Lee, and Klaus stood in a confined room so as to avoid being watched by Masquerade.

"For now, act as if nothing has changed until we get Julio and Komba out of Masquerade's control." Klaus began.

"Then we'll win the tournament and beat Masquerade!" Klaus declared.

"Are you sure we can beat him?" Chan Lee questioned.

"We all battled him at the exact same time before, and he easily beat us." Chan Lee reminded.

"True, but we'll grow stronger before then, and if we don't win, then one of the Battle Brawlers just might," Klaus replied.

"You think they'll all make it in?" Billy inquired.

"Since Masquerade is so worried about them. Yes. And no doubt Marduk and Vladitor will qualify as well." Klaus answered.

"What about Ryder and Leonidas?" Chan Lee asked.

"While Ryder is talented, I'm afraid he may not have enough time to qualify. But if he gets lucky and works hard, then he just might." Klaus responded.

"Though he may still play an important role in the future. For now, we must focus on getting stronger so that we may defeat Masquerade!" Klaus added.


Wardington Runo's Home…

Ryder felt more out of place than he was at Marucho's house if that was even possible. He was surprised to see that Runo's house was on top of a restaurant own by her family. But he was even more surprised when he and Alice were put to work.

Alice seemed to be used to it as if it wasn't the first time it had happened, but Ryder had never had a job before. It made him nervous when Runo's kind parents greeted him and led him into the back to assist Runo's father in the kitchen.

It took him a while before he got the hang of it, but Ryder was often distracted when he went out front by the sight of Alice. She was waiting tables with Runo, and both wore white aprons and tied their hair back.

Every time Ryder laid eyes on Alice, it made his heart beat faster, and his face turned red. He didn't know why but the sight of Alice like that was really nice to see for Ryder. Often he would have to snap himself out of a daze as he realized he was staring at her.

Currently, he was washing dishes and was about to help carry out food. As he did so, Leonidas watched, intrigued by what Ryder and the others were doing. He didn't understand why they were working and feeding so many people until Tigrerra explained it to him.

"So this is how they earn an income?" Leonidas asked as he and Tigrerra sat on the counter.

"Yes. It seems like they do pretty well for themselves, too though it seems Runo gets a little jealous." Tigrerra answered as the two looked at Runo.

Runo was irritated as most of the customers paid attention to Alice and not her. It seemed everyone was happy to see her after her long absence, and she was happy to return the excitement. But after she turned around, her expression saddened.

While she was happy to be back, it just didn't feel right. After all, the reason she ran off was because of the mole incident, and it wasn't over yet. Alice was nervous that once it came around again, and no doubt it would that she would be suspect number one.

Her grandfather was Hal-G, who seemed to work with Masquerade. It scared Alice that everyone might turn on her again. She didn't want that, and it scared her more that if it did, maybe Ryder may turn on her too.

"Wait? Why does Ryder hating me scare me more?" Alice wondered as Ryder came out with the next orders.

Both Alice and Runo took them and gave them to those who ordered them, and as they did, Ryder watched Alice. He could tell there was a lot on her mind as she had the same expression he saw her in when she stayed with him at his home.

It was the expression she had whenever she thought about the other Battle Brawlers, and it made him sad that it still hurt her. He had hoped that now that she was back that it was all behind them but thinking about it, only with time will the pain heal. For now, though, he couldn't do much as he was called back into the kitchen to help.

"Thanks for the help, son. It's always good to see Runo making new friends." Runo's Father thanked.

"It's no problem. I would have felt bad if I sat around doing nothing while Alice and Runo worked anyway." Ryder replied.

"Ah, it's so good to have Alice back safe and sound. We were so worried when Runo said she suddenly left." Runo's Mother smiled as she walked into the kitchen.

"She said you helped a lot, Ryder thanks for making sure she's safe." Runo's Mother thanked.

"It's no problem. You guys must like Alice a lot. Did she stay here very long?" Ryder inquired.

"Oh yes, she stayed here for a while, and she's just amazing. She's so helpful with the restaurant, too. People love her." Runo's Mother answered.

"Yeah, I knew that." Ryder thought as every time he saw it, he felt a little annoyed though he didn't know why.

After a while, it was closing time, and things died down. Runo and her family cleaned up out front while Alice assisted Ryder in the back. The two worked mainly in silence until Ryder broke the silence.

"Alice, I uh…wanted to apologize for not being able to stop Masquerade from taking you." Ryder apologized, surprising Alice.

"Oh, you don't need to apologize, Ryder. I honestly don't remember when and how he did take me." Alice replied.

"But thank you for the thought and for coming to rescue me." Alice thanked.

"It's all so surreal being back." Alice expressed though her expression was a little saddened.

"Is something wrong, Alice?" Ryder asked.

"N-No, nothing is wrong." Alice denied.

"Are you sure, Alice? It's okay if you want to talk about it?" Ryder replied as Alice met his gaze.

"Well…it's just that while everyone has accepted me back, I just…don't know how long it will last," Alice stated.

"What do you mean? Why would they stop accepting you again?" Ryder inquired.

"Because while it may have passed for the moment, there is still the issue with how Masquerade is finding information about us." Alice began.

"It was suspected that there was a mole, and I'm the best suspect as my grandfather is Hal-G." Alice continued.

"So I'm afraid when it finally comes up again, they'll…reject me again," Alice explained as she looked down.

"That's ridiculous, Alice. There's no way they'd do that again. Besides, there's no way you're a mole." Ryder assured as he placed a hand on Alice's shoulder.

"You know Ryder, you're just too kind." Alice smiled as she gave Ryder a hug.

"Oh..uh..thank you." Ryder thanked as he blushed and returned the hug. The two soon separated and finished working.


Marucho's Home…

"So Marduk's still in Wardington?" Julie inquired as she and Marucho sat in his computer room looking at Marduk's recent battles.

"Yes, it seems lately he's been battling many people around town. He must be waiting for us to make an appearance so he can ambush us." Marucho theorized.

"He's kinda like some crazed stalker." Julie gasped.

"Well, he's not necessarily focusing on us but on any high-ranking brawler. We're just the closest ones in range." Marucho stated as he looked into Marduk's opponents.

"That's not good!" Marucho gasped.

"All his opponents haven't been seen for hours after his battle!" Marucho stated.

"What did he do with them?!" Julie questioned.

"I don't know, but the last place they've been seen at was the park," Marucho answered.

"Why is he doing this? This doesn't seem like what he was doing before?" Preyas wondered.

"He must be doing this for some reason," Julie stated.

"Could it be that…" Marucho began as he rubbed his chin.

"What is it, Marucho?" Preyas asked.

"Marduk may be trying to lure us out by taking those brawlers and forcing us to look for them," Marucho answered.

"He's keeping those brawlers hostage to draw us out!?" Julie gasped.

"It's just a theory. I mean, he's probably willing to do anything to get to us. This may not be entirely out of the question." Marucho replied.

"So what should we do? We can't let him get away with it?" Julie asked.

"We have no choice. Even if this is a trap, we have to go and find Marduk and the missing brawlers." Marucho responded as he took out his phone.

"I'll contact Runo and Ryder and tell them to meet us there," Marucho said as he messaged Runo while he and Julie left for the park.


Later…

The two groups, save Alice, Dan, and Shun, who stayed behind, met up at the park. After a quick debriefing, they split up to search for Marduk and the missing brawlers. They kept in the pairs they had made in order to keep an advantage over Marduk.

Runo and Ryder began from the park center with the fountain and ran out to find any clues on where the missing brawlers were. Meanwhile, Marucho and Julie were checking the other side of the park, but they didn't realize they were being watched.

Marduk sat in a tree as he watched Julie and Marcuho run around. He was waiting for them to split up, but it seemed as if the two had no plans of doing so. This was not what Marduk had wanted, as he wanted to battle them one on one, but sometimes things had to change.

"If we ever want to get stronger, Marduk, we must have greater and more intense battles. Taking both of them at once will be the best option." Vladitor stated.

"Right," Marduk murmured as his hand shook before he clenched it.

"Is something wrong?" Vladitor questioned.

"No. Just remembered something that made me angry," Marduk responded as he watched Julie and Marucho.

"Where could they be?" Julie wondered.

"There must be a place he's hiding them like an old storage shed. But I am not as familiar with this place as Dan or Runo may be." Marucho replied as Marduk jumped down from the tree.

"Don't worry. You won't be finding them." Marduk stated as he stood in front of Julie and Marucho.

"Marduk!" Julie gasped as she and Marucho glared at him.

"Where are the missing brawlers?" Marucho questioned.

"They're fine. I just left them locked in a shed." Marduk stated.


Nearby…

"So he just locked you in here?" Ryder questioned as he and Runo unlocked a shed and found the missing brawlers.

"Yeah, he promised us a rematch if we followed him in here!" A brawler replied.

"And you didn't see anything wrong with that?" Runo asked as all the brawlers shook their heads.

"How can people be this dumb?" Runo sighed.

"Humans never cease to amaze and disappoint me," Leonidas muttered.

"While we found the missing brawlers, Marduk isn't here. That must mean he's somewhere else." Ryder pointed out.

"It could be the missing brawlers weren't just bait but also a distraction. Marduk may be going after Julie and Marucho." Tigrerra replied.

"If that's true, then Julie and Marucho could be in trouble!" Runo gasped as he pulled out her phone.

"Come on, we're going to find them!" Runo insisted as she ran off, and Ryder followed.


With Marucho and Julie…

"So you hoped going in pairs would stop me from battling, you did ya?" Marduk asked.

"If it was the old me, then I might have chickened out. But I'm not backing down." Marduk smirked.

"Fine, then I'm going to get you for what you did to Dan and Shun!" Julie shouted as she pulled out her field card.

"Come and try it then!" Marduk snickered as he pulled out his field card.

"Don't forget you're battling us both!" Marucho reminded as he took out his field card.

"Field Open!" They shouted as time slowed to a stop.

"Gate Card Set!" They continued as the three threw individual gate cards.

"I'll be going first!" Marduk declared.

"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Centipoid Stand!" Marduk yelled as he threw his Bakugan onto Marucho's gate card.

"Darkus Centipoid G power 500 Gs." The bakupod announced.

"My turn!" Marucho said as he took out a Bakugan.

"Bakugan Brawl! Aquos Rattleoid Stand!" Marucho shouted as he threw his Bagkuan onto his gate card.

"Aquos Rattleoid G power 525 Gs." The bakupod announced.

"Gate Card Open! Aquos Ocean!" Marucho declared.

"Aquos Rattleoid G power increase by 60 Gs. Aquos Rattleoid G power 585 Gs." The bakupod announced.

"Ability Card Activate! Shadowscratch!" Marduk countered as he tossed the ability card onto Marucho's gate card.

"Aquos Rattleoid G power decrease by 60 Gs. Aquos Rattleoid G power 525 Gs." The bakupod annoucned.

"And I'm not done yet! Ability Card Activate! Dark Growth!" Marduk shouted as he held up the ability card.

"Darkus Centipoid G power increase by 80 Gs. Darkus Centipoid G power 580 Gs." The bakupod announced.

Centipoid circled Rattleoid before biting at Rattleoid's head with its pincers. But Rattleoid slithered out of Centipoid's reach. However, Centipoid managed to grab onto Rattleoid's tail and lifted it up, and slammed it onto the ground.

"Ability Card Activate! Aquos Gyser!" Marucho countered as he tossed his ability card at Rattleoid.

"Aquos Rattleoid G power increase by 100 Gs. Aquos Rattleoid G power 625." The Bakupod announced.

A surge of water came from under Rattleoid and the Aquos Bakugan, allowing it to launch up and bite into Centipoid. Rattleoid forced Centipoid to the ground before releasing it and biting down again, defeating Centipoid.

"Yay, go Marucho!" Julie cheered as Marucho caught his Bakugan and Marduk picked up his fallen Bakugan.

"Not bad, but you'll have to do better than that." Marduk sneered.

"Fine then!" Julie shouted as she took hold of a Bakugan.

"Bakugan Brawl! Subterra El Condor Stand!" Julie added as she threw her Bakugan onto Marduk's gate card.

"Subterra El Condor G power 510 Gs." The bakupod announced.

"Very good." Marduk laughed.

"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Juggernoid Stand!" Marduk yelled as he threw his Bakugan onto his gate card.

"Darkus Juggernoid G power 530 Gs." The bakupod announced.

"Gate Card Open! Team Battle!" Marduk declared as he grabbed onto Vladitor.

"Go, Darkus Vladitor!" Marduk shouted as he threw Vladitor.

"Darkus Vladitor G power 650 Gs. Combined G power 1180 Gs." The bakupod announced as Vladitor's large form took stage.

"AHH! He's a lot bigger than I thought he would be!" Preyas cried as he hid in Marucho's hood.

"The negative energy coming from him is massive!" Gorem commented.

"So this is Vladitor," Marucho murmured as he took out another Bakugan.

"Bakugan Brawl! Aquos Terrorclaw Stand!" Marucho yelled as he threw his Bakugan onto the gate card.

"Aquos Terrorclaw G power 550 Gs. Combined G power 1060 Gs." The bakupod announced.

"Do you think such pathetic Bakugan will defeat me?" Vladitor questioned as he raised his fist and attacked Marucho and Julie's Bakugan with Juggernoid.

"Ability card acviva…." Julie attempted only for Marduk to counter.

"Don't think so! Ability Card Activate Ability Counter!" Marduk countered, preventing Julie from using her ability card.

"That won't stop me!" Marucho declared.

"Double Ability Activate! Abyss Ruler and Depth Tornado!" Marucho shouted.

"Aquos Terrorclaw G power increase by 200 Gs. Combined G power 1260 Gs." The bakupod announced.

Terrorclaw shot a torrent of water, stopping Vladitor's attack while El Condor attacked Juggernoid. With the G power in their favor, the Subterra and Aquos Bakugan kept the Darkus Bakugan at bay until Marduk turned the tables.

"Ability Card Activate! Dark Sphere Impact!" Marduk smiled as he tossed the ability card at Vladitor.

"Darkus Vladitor G power increase by 200 Gs. Combined G power 1380 Gs." The bakupod announced.

"Your power will never be enough!" Vladitor declared as he created a dark orb above him and tossed it towards Terrorclaw and El Condor.

The ball soon made impact with the two Bakugan, defeating them entirely as they fell at their owner's feet. Marucho and Julie shielded themselves as the force of the attack nearly blew them away.

"Vladitor's power is definitely not something to underestimate," Marucho commented.

"We should not go against him alone," Marucho advised.

"Right." Julie agreed.

"So let's start with this," Marucho stated as he took out a gate card.

"Gate Card Set!" Marucho shouted as he tossed the card onto the field and grabbed onto the hiding Preyas.

"Bakugan Brawl! Aquos Preyas Stand!" Marucho added as he threw Preyas onto his gate card.

"Aquos Preyas G power 600 Gs." The bakupod announced.

"This is bad! Won't I be going up against Vladitor?!" "Preyas questioned.

"Don't worry, I have a plan," Marucho revealed.

"Let's see about that." Marduk snickered.

"Ready to take out another Vladitor?" Marduk asked.

"Quite so, Marduk," Vladitor responded as Marduk took hold of the Darkus Bakugan.

"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Vladitor Stand!" Marduk shouted as he threw the Bakugan.

"Darkus Vladitor G power 650 Gs." The bakupod announced.

"Oh no!" Preyas cried as Vladitor's massive form towered over him.

"Gate Card Open! Wall Lock!" Marucho declared stopping Marduk from using any ability cards.

"Now then Ability Card Activate! Aquos and Subterra Joint attack!" Marucho added.

"Now Julie can add a Subterra Bakugan to the battle," Marucho explained.

"Alright!" Julie exclaimed.

"Let's go, Gorem!" Julie smiled.

"Ready when you are, Julie!" Gorem replied as Julie threw him into the battle.

"Bakugan Brawl! Subterra Gorem Stand!" Julie yelled.

"Subterra Gorem G power 600 Gs. Combined G power 1200 Gs." The bakupod announced.

"Now Aquos and Subterra Union!" Marucho shouted.

"Diagonal relation. Combined G power increase by 200 Gs. Combined G power 1400 Gs." The bakupod announced.

Preyas assaulted Vladitor faster than the Darkus Bakugan could register while Gorem landed devastating blows. Vladitor was pushed to the ground with a large thud, but that wasn't going to take him out of the battle as his G power began to increase.

"Darkus Vladitor G power increase by unmeasurable numbers." The bakupod announced.

"Now then, Vladitor, let's show them how it's done!" Marduk laughed as dark energy surrounded him and Vladitor.

"You may have stopped normal abilities, but you can't stop this! Fusion Ability Activate! Dark Thunder Burst!" Marduk shouted.

"Darkus Vladitor G power increase by 400 Gs. Darkus Vladitor G power currently unmeasurable." The bakupod annoucned.

"What?! But how?" Julie questioned.

"Your Gate Card only stops me from using normal Ability Cards but not Fusion Abilities," Marduk explained as dark sparks surrounded Vladitor.

Vladitor threw Preyas off of him before planting his fist into Gorem. Afterward, the Darkus Bakugan released the energy eclipsing both Gorem and Preyas in a dark blast. The ground shook at the blast before it died down.

"Gorem!" Julie cried.

"Preyas!" Marucho cried as the two Bakugan fell at their feet.

"It can't be!" Marucho gasped as he and Julie picked up their partner Bakugan.

"So much for the powerful Battle Brawlers!" Marduk laughed.

"Preyas, are you okay?" Marucho inquired.

"U-U-Uhhh…I feel like I was crushed under a mountain." Preyas stated.

"What do we do now?" Julie asked as the two brawlers looked towards Marduk, who awaited their next move.

"We still have one Bakugan left. Let's use them." Marucho responded.

"Do you have a plan?" Julie questioned.

"No," Marucho answered.

"Then I guess we have no choice," Julie murmured, knowing that they couldn't really run away.

"Bakugan Brawl! Subterra Robotallion Stand!" Julie shouted as she threw her Bakugan onto her gate card.

"Subterra Robotallion G power 475 Gs." The bakupod announced.

"Pathetic!" Marduk spat as he grabbed onto his Bakugan.

"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Juggernoid Stand!" Marduk yelled.

"Darkus Juggernoid G power 530 Gs." The bakupod announced.

"Gate Card Open! Level Down!" Julie declared.

"Darkus Juggernoid G power decrease by 100 Gs. Darkus Juggernoid G power 430 Gs." The bakupod announced.

Robotallion ran up at kicked Juggernoid in the head, knocking him on his back. The Darkus Bakugan spun around on its back, knocking Robotallion to the ground. It didn't stay there long as Robotallion got up and grabbed onto Juggernoid's tail.

"Don't get too ahead of yourself! Ability Card Activate! Shadowscratch!" Marduk countered, negating the gate card.

"Darkus Juggernoid G power returned to normal parameters." The bakupod announced.

"Now Ability Card Activate! Dark Growth!" Marduk continued.

"Darkus Juggernoid G power increase by 80 Gs. Darkus Juggernoid G power 610 Gs." The bakupod announced.

Juggernoid spun around once more, tossing Robotallion aside before getting back onto its feet. The Darkus Bakugan charged towards Robotallion as it jumped up and retracted into its shell. Robotallion was swiftly defeated when Juggernoid hit it, creating a large shockwave.

"No!" Julie cried as Robotallion landed at her feet.

"Julie!" Marucho called as he began to sweat nervously.

Without Julie, he had no way to win. Marucho was unable to even help her in her battle as he had no way to add himself into the battle. Which means that he was facing certain defeat. Marucho knew he had no choice as he took out a gate card.

"Gate Card Set!" Marucho shouted as he threw his gate card.

"Bakugan Brawl! Aquos Rattleoid Stand!" Marucho added as he tossed his Bakugan.

"Aquos Rattleoid G power 525 Gs." The bakupod announced.

"Not good enough," Marduk smirked.

"Finish this Vladitor!" Marduk yelled as he threw Vladitor, and the area was covered in darkness.


Later…

Ryder and Runo ran around the park, looking for Marduk. They had tried to message Marucho and Julie, but neither was answering. It was then that they found them passed out on the ground, bruised but otherwise okay.

"Marucho! Julie!" Runo cried as she ran to their sides.

"They must have found Marduk." Ryder pointed out as he heard rustling in the nearby shrubbery.

"I was hoping for two more of the Battle Brawlers, but I'm stuck with only one." Marduk sighed as he came out from his hiding spot.

"Marduk!" Ryder gasped.

"I'm actually surprised to see you with the Battle Brawlers, Ryder. A mediocre brawler like you is out of place there." Marduk insulted.

"I'm sorry. Have you forgotten the fact I beat you twice?" Ryder questioned.

"Oh no, I haven't, and your time will come," Marduk responded.

"But that is not now. I've already risen enough in the ranks for today." Marduk snickered as Vladitor flew in front of him.

"I assume you are Leonidas, am I correct?" Vladitor questioned as Leonidas flew in front of Ryder.

"That's right, you must be the Vladitor I've heard about," Leonidas responded.

"Yes. By looking at you, I can tell that you are the Bakugan I witness born in the Doom Dimension." Validator replied.

"You saw Leonidas's birth?!" Ryder gasped.

"I did, and I know a Bakugan's nature when I see it. Leonidas, you are a Bakugan who craves battle. Join us, and you'll battle the strongest of Bakugan!" Vladitor insisted.

"Leonidas would never do that!" Ryder stated.

"Right Leo?" Ryder asked to a silent Leonidas.

"Leonidas, you good?" Ryder inquired.

"You know, Vladitor if you had given me this offer before I met Ryder. I may have accepted. But now, I would never accept such an offer." Leonidas declined.

"But I do feel strong power from you, and that makes me want to battle you more than anything!" Leonidas stated.

"So that's your answer then. I will eagerly await our battle then." Vladitor replied.

"See you around," Marduk smirked as he and Vladitor jumped off into the trees.

"How the hell?" Ryder questioned.

"Who cares? Help me with them." Runo insisted as she picked up Julie and Ryder picked up Marucho.

"Let's get them to Marucho's quickly!" Runo ordered as the two ran off.


Marucho's Home…

When Runo and Ryder got to Marucho's home, the butler took the two unconscious brawlers to the in-house infirmary. The two weren't that hurt, thankfully, as they ended up better than Dan or Shun had been when they battled Marduk.

"I can't believe this!" Dan shouted as he looked at the unconscious forms of his friends.

"That jerk, what are we going to do!?" Dan questioned.

"We have to stop him!" Dan seethed.

"That'll be problematic. I doubt he'll let us find him so easily again." Shun pointed out.

"Though that being said, from what you two said, it sounds like Marduk and Vladitor want to battle Ryder and Leonidas," Shun added.

"They might be his end goal for revenge," Shun suggested as everyone turned to Ryder.

Ryder stayed silent as he remained in his thoughts. Marduk had beaten four of the Battle Brawlers, and eventually, he'll be coming for him. While Ryder had gotten far better than he had been before, Marduk had gotten stronger too.

"Can I beat him as he is now?" Ryder wondered.

"Ryder, are you okay?" Dan asked, taking him out of his thoughts.

"Oh yeah, sorry. I just was thinking about Marduk too. He's proven to be very strong, and I don't know if I'll be able to beat him." Ryder explained.

"We've gotten plenty strong!" Leonidas argued.

"Don't get too cocky, Leonidas. Vladitor is far stronger than you may think." Drago warned.

"He and Marduk have beaten several strong brawlers single-handed. They are not to be underestimated." Drago added.

"Drago's right Leo. They've beaten several of the Battle Brawlers, and we haven't beaten one." Ryder pointed out.

"Even together, we weren't able to beat him." Runo reminded.

"Marduk must be as strong as Masquerade," Alice murmured.

"Then we have no choice but to get stronger," Shun stated.

"We have to get stronger to defeat both Marduk and Masquerade!" Shun declared.

"And we're going to do it the only way we know how. Through battling!" Shun added.

"We'll battle one another and grow." Shun finished.

"You think it'll be enough?" Ryder asked.

"It'll have to. We're all capable brawlers, so battling each other will increase our strength." Shun responded.

"That makes sense," Runo replied.

"I can make strategies that you can all use to better your moves!" Alice offered.

"That would be great!" Ryder agreed as Runo nodded.

"Very well. We'll split up into groups and begin training tomorrow. Hopefully, Marucho and Julie will be awake by then." Shun replied.

"Guess that means me and you are going to be duking it out again, Shun!" Dan smirked.

"No, we need to pair with the weaker among us." Shun declined.

"You take Runo, and I'll take Ryder," Shun stated as Ryder went wide-eyed.

"I'm going to be battling you?" Ryder questioned.

"Is there a problem with that?" Shun questioned.

"No, I just didn't expect you to want to battle me," Ryder answered.

"Well no, you are the weakest brawler here, so it's only natural for you to battle one of the best," Shun stated as Ryder deadpanned.

"Oh…I see. That makes sense." Ryder murmured.

"Tomorrow, I'll see how much stronger you've gotten since your battle with Dan," Shun said as he made his way to the door.

"Meet me at the park," Shun stated as he began to leave.

"Wait, where are you going, Shun?" Dan inquired.

"I'm going home. I've gotten enough rest." Shun answered as he left.

"Wait, I just realized I've got no place to stay tonight!" Ryder gasped.

"Master Marucho has requested a room be prepared for you until your stay ends." Marucho's Butler revealed as he entered the room.

"Wha…he did?" Ryder asked.

"Yes, now if you follow me, I shall show you around." Marucho's Butler stated as he took Ryder's arm and pulled him towards the door.

"Wait now?!" Ryder questioned as he was pulled out of the room.

"You can sleep at my house still, Alice, if you want," Runo suggested.

"Really? Well, that would be nice." Alice smiled. She did still feel like everything returning to normal was only temporary, but thinking back on Ryder's words, she perked up.

"I guess I'll head home too. These two will be safe here." Dan sighed as he got up and followed the two out.


Next Time Ryder battles with Shun to get stronger for his inevitable battle with Marduk. But Shun proves to be too strong for Ryder to beat, but after encouragement from Alice, Ryder doesn't give up and tries again and prove his strength to Shun.

Meanwhile, Dan notes that Drago's been acting odd and how his power spikes have gotten stronger! When he and Runo are challenged by Julio and Komba, something unexpected happens!

Next Time on Bakugan Doom World: We Must Evolve!


Author's Note:

Finally got it done! Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter though it was a little shorter than I would have liked. Had a lot of fun writing Ryder and Alice's interactions in this chapter as they are getting closer.

Now real quick, before anyone asks about the potential rule breakage of Marduk using a Fusion Ability with Wall Lock, I felt I could bend the rules slightly there. Plus, I guess it technically works, but I just wanted to say.

While Ryder and Marduk's reunion in this chapter wasn't long, it does leave a lot for Ryder to think about. Shun is right, for, at the moment, Ryder is the weakest link, and before anyone asks, the only reason he battled Masquerade to a standstill was because of Leonidas's ability to absorb negative energy.

But of course, if it wasn't there, Masquerade would have won. Soon though, the tournament will be coming to the finals! Will Ryder make it? Well, I won't say because that would be a spoiler.

Hopefully, though, I can make use of all the characters I have well enough, so here's hoping I don't forget anything, lol. Quick note I also made a new cover image for this story so so give it a look if you haven't already! Anyway, I don't have much else to say for this chapter so let's get to the reviews:

Patient0patience – Don't worry, I don't plan on dropping this story, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as the last one!

DarkFangs3 – Glad to hear you enjoyed it.

Dylanzy – I will be continuing this story into New Vestroia, but that's it. I stopped watching this show after that season, not because it was bad, but I kinda forgot about it. Honestly, I didn't know how many seasons it had and was surprised to see the amount.

Duckboi – Like I said above, I will be taking this story to New Vestroia and end it there.

RokenDarkly – Oh yeah, I can definitely see Julie going far as to plan a whole wedding, lol. Yeah, you make a good point there. I never thought about it like that. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Johannvanguard – Glad to hear you enjoyed it, and while Ryder didn't get to battle this chapter, he'll be one of the focuses of the next chapter.

Martin – Yeah, when Ryder finds out that Alice and Masquerade are the same person, it's going to be a doozy.

HunterHQ – I will neither confirm nor deny the possibility of Leonidas gaining another form after Omega Leonidas. Also, that's a very good question where does Hydranoid go? Well, who can say?

That's it for today. See you guys next time!