From Depths We Rise

by Insane Dominator

1 year has passed since Dan and the Battle Brawlers saved the universe, and when things were serene, a new group of Bakugan players are sent to New Vestroia when a dimensional interference forces them to meet each other. Caught in the crossfire with aliens seeking resources, Luke, Abis Omega, and new friends must fight using unlikely odds if they're to save all from extinction.

17. The Path We Make Here On

It was dark, dreary. It felt so cold that one wished they were wearing a jacket. Was this the arctic, or perhaps night? It was too hard to tell, but the black void containing someone didn't mean it was a lonely place.

'Gnnnngh…' A tired groan came from the space. Luke began to come around once more, feeling nothing but a splitting headache. 'Where…where am I…? Wait, what happened?' He tried to look around, but all he saw was nothing but a black void everywhere. 'Am I…am I really…?'

Another groan came from beside him, this one all too similar for him as well. 'Oww…man, what just hit me?'

Luke looked over, his eyes widening as he saw his Bakugan in his massive, slithery form. 'Abis!'

'Huh?' The Aquos Bakugan looked down at his partner, seeing how small he was compared to him. 'Wait…Luke?'

'Yeah, it's me.' His brow furrowed. 'Where are we? And why are you in that form when we aren't battling anymore?' Then he realized something else important. 'Wait! Why are he hearing without moving our mouths?!'

'Beats the heck out of me. The last thing I remember was…'

It was low, very low, but the two were beginning to hear it grow. It came from in front, getting them to look around a few moments before the cackling laughter began to ring familiar, and extremely unpleasant tones, for both Luke and Abis Omega.

Luke's spine began to stiffen. 'Wait, that laughing…'

'Surprise~!' The all too familiar voice echoed. Slowly, something faded in front of them. It was much taller than Luke, and just a little taller in terms of height for Abis Omega. The Bakugan fading in revealed to be the certain someone who had a smile on his face.

And in front of him, the Bakugan was accompanied by Luka, who stared coldly at them.

'Y-you!' Luke snapped. 'What the heck is going on?'

Luka offered no input. Instead, he frowned heavily at Luke and the weak serpent that was his partner. 'Hmph, you sure jump the gun even in a subconscious. Are all you humans this brash, or is it just you?'

Luke was at a loss for words. 'Subconscious…?'

Abis Omega shot leers at them. 'Alright, so what do you yahoos want? How the heck did we get here, and more importantly, what the heck is going on around here?!'

Brontes once again chuckled. They fell silent as their attention went towards the supposed maniacal Bakugan. 'Sit back, and enjoy the view~.' He moved his hands forward, all four beginning to slowly wave about through the atmosphere. From Brontes' eyes, a bright flash turned everything white.

Luke and Abis Omega covered up the best they could, screaming out as the light engulfed them entirely. Everything fell silent as the white took over.

---

The scenery in the room began to dissipate, white soon fading to reveal the inside of the Trailer. In the window's reflection, it showed Luka as everything outside looked so dark. He stood with Alto Brontes, but something was wrong.

'Wait…what now?' Luke questioned. 'Why do I look like that guy who beat me?'

"Luka!"

The man turned on remote, facing the room's open door. On the other end, Esther was present and standing at attention. "I heard you. No need to shout." The body said. "What is it now?"

"Everyone came back with what supplies they could scrounge. They want us to catch up and talk to you." She answered.

"Give me a minute."

Esther nodded in understanding. With nothing else to say, she turned and walked away, leaving the door to close.

'Wait, what's going on? Why did Esther just call me Luka? Aren't I Luke?' Luke questioned.

'I don't know. Last I checked, I don't remember feeling so empty.' Abis answered.

"You can hear, can't you, Luke and friend?" Luka said, answering the figment inside his head. "You're in this room, right next to this guy."

'Wait, what guy…' Once again, the body turned away from the doorway to the beds. The voice inside the body's head ell silent with shock as they saw three bodies lying down. On the bed that was supposed to be Luke's bunk, Keegan lied with bandages on his forehead, having been treated by the others and in his hospitalized state. Whereas on the bed that was Shawn's bunk, it was Luke, and on the pillow next to him was Abis Omega in ball form, but opened and looking out like a light. Luke's shock only grew. 'Isn't that-?!'

"Your bodies, I know." Luka answered.

'But wait, I don't understand! If our bodies are right there, then how come we're…?'

"That would be me." Alto Brontes answered.

'You?' Abis Omega replied.

"We used Alto Brontes powers to synchronize your consciences into my own. In other words, you're nothing more than voices inside my head."

'You…took our minds away from our bodies?' Luke asked.

"That's one way to look at it. I was able to get through to your mind this way back on New Vestroia, but all that did was bring confusion to you. So we tried doing the reverse, and now it's your head that's inside my own."

Luke and Abis Omega were at a complete loss for what they could do about the whole situation. It was bizarre, and in a blunt terminology, supernatural. They heard about psychic powers, and Luke's seen magic before on Earth. It still amazed him how magicians could do all that, but this defeated everything he knew about the concept of magic as a whole.

Luke began to grow nervous. 'Wait, why are you doing this?! Put me back!'

Luka huffed. "Don't get ahead of yourself. You've done enough of that already." He paused. "No. As annoying as it is, I think you need to see through my perspective for a change than look in those dull marbles."

'What are you gonna do to us?' Abis Omega inquired.

"Nothing. It's not like I intend to kill you in your sleep. I'm not that unruly, even I have morals. Now how about you keep quiet and for once pay attention to what's going to happen. You and that human reject."

They fell silent as they watched through Luka's point of view. He drew away from all the unconscious bodies in the room and walked back towards the doorway. He walked down the short hall to the hatch that lied atop the ceiling. Esther was waiting in attention, staring at Luka with a serious face.

"Did everything work out?"

Luka nodded. "Don't worry. They're stable for now."

Esther returned the nod. "Then let's get going."

She and Luka thus made way up the short ladder to the hatch above. It propped open, where they were instantly met with a cooling sea breeze. The sound of waves were crashing up against certain docks, while the Trailer was still anchored like a boat would be. They both made it to the top of the Trailer, where they could see Troposphere, as well as the massive hole that was wide open to show sunlight pouring down, making the light blue chrome all over the city glisten, like some paradise in hell.

'Not bad.' Abis Omega marveled.

'Yeah.' Luke agreed. He took a moment before he spoke up again. 'Wait, why did you take away our minds again?'

'I wouldn't have to if it wasn't for your stupidity.' Luka answered telepathically back.

'But…I don't understand.'

Luka sighed. 'While you guys were biding time for your escape, I was still fending against that snobby Rogue Zero guy. I manage to muster up an escape of my own and get close enough to where I was able to get to the windows of the tower. When I saw Riaan and the rest of his gang there and heading to Thermosphere, I had a bad feeling since you of all people happen to have an affiliation with him.'

'But…he said he'd…'

'Send help? Yeh, I thought as much, but the truth is there's no cure for dealing with Devil Miasma. The only way you can get rid of it is if you expunge it with a strong force…an explosion for that matter.'

Luke began to feel irritated. 'But why didn't you tell me?'

'Please, like you would have believed me anyway. You were so lost at that point you didn't even listen to me when I tried to warn you. Now look at what's happened. Thermosphere is destroyed.'

He was right. Luke was too selfish and blind, but he didn't feel anything like that. He was confused especially, but being told of all this was making his heart sink. Unable to find a rebuttal, he fell silent in guilt.

'Tch, whatever. Just keep quiet and listen.' Luka warned.

"Are you coming?" Esther asked, beginning to walk forward.

Luka didn't offer any words of response. He followed behind, where Esther lead him off the equipment and onto the docks. She and Luka reconvened with the others at the dock's base, all of them standing with varied expression.

"Alright, he's here." Esther turned towards Luka. "This is the one I told you about."

Shuji scoffed. "Heh, so you're the guy who put that jerk down?" he chuckled. "And here I thought you were just a jerk."

"Takes one to no one." Luka responded, making Shuji nervously back down.

"We were able to bring the supplies we were able to scavenge throughout the city." Jase said, holding up a few materials in bags. Not just him, but Shawn as well. "This should be enough to last us for the time being."

"It's not much considering we had to be out of sight the entire time." Shawn said. "But we were able to get some water and food."

Maggie sighed in relief. "I thought I was gonna die. My stomach has been aching for something to eat all day."

Esther turned towards Luka. "We were able to put most of the stock in the Trailer already. This is just enough for what you wanted to discuss with us, right?"

He nodded. "Right." He stepped forward to look at everyone. "However, I trust you all want answers, right? I may not be able to apply as much as you might like…but since you're here, I guess there isn't much choice."

Shuji folded his arms. "Well no duh there. We've made it this far."

"Yeah, if we wanna get out of here, I say we should know something about this freaky land, too!" Maggie chimed.

Jase had his arms behind his backs. "I'll hold my skepticism for now. There are theories I want to confirm as well, so I'll cooperate for now."

Shawn offered no input. He remained quiet as everyone else was all for it.

"Alright then. Trust or not, if you wish to learn the truth, then follow me." Luka went off pass the group. Though skeptical, it wasn't like they had much to go off of anyway. They didn't have much information other than Riaan was a traitor. Or so they think. Ultimately, they all chose to follow, with Esther on tow.

---

The large city of Troposphere was for the most part the same as it has been, but ultimately, people were looking less active. They were doing well for what is the most part, and lots more are up and about…but the streets that were complete rivers were almost completely bare. It was only a few watercraft or hovercraft materials up and about, but nevertheless, still functioning well.

Looking from the edge of an alley, Jase peered over with a distinguished frown. "Seems the populace condition hasn't changed much." He muttered to himself He looked back to everyone, where Esther got up.

"How is it looking?"

"No different from our last venture."

"You mean the one back on New Vestroia or an hour ago?" Maggie snickered.

Jase smirked. "Well considering the 'last time' was around an hour ago, Maggie, yes. That would be it."

Maggie puffed her cheeks in a girly pout. "Colonel!"

Luka turned away. "Over here. I know a subtle place." He went deeper into the alleyway, where he looked at the wall in front of him. It was connecting the two buildings that they were in between. He looked at everyone, frowning. "Stay close."

Everyone did as they were told and closed in. They watched Luka turn and walk into the wall. To one's shock, they would've expected to see him bump into it. But in actually, it rippled like water as he walked through it.

"Woah! You see that?!" Maggie chirped.

"He just went through." Jelldon gasped.

Jase put a hand to his chin. "A secret passage. I see."

"Sounds like a trap to me." Atchibee said. "Are we really sure about this?"

Esther glared ahead. "Yes. As far as what's happened, I think we have a right place to know of all this."

"Then let's go." Jase was the first to walk into the wall, where it rippled behind him. The next was Shawn, and then Esther. The next were Shuji and Maggie.

When they made it to the other side, they found themselves inside what was a shock to them entirely. As they all looked around, they could see that all around, light blue chrome walls were present, but the entire veiling had multiple edges and was stain glass. All around, it was more like a small lounge type of place, where there was one large circular table that was white in the center, with many plates on the floor where stools or chairs could be. Otherwise, there wasn't much commodity at all. Not a very lively place one might say.

"Where…are we?" Shuji inquired. "This a conference room or something?"

"No, not exactly." Luka answered. "This place doesn't have an owner, and no one knows about it since it was closed off. Officials of Troposphere used to come here for secret meetings regarding the city's engineering and business. But it's been forgotten for some time. So whenever I'm here, I always use this as my hideout."

"That explains how and why you stuck around Troposphere then." Jase said.

"Exactly. The stain glass ceiling refracts and absorbs light to give the illusion of a building. The fact that there's other buildings next to it and around leaves it impossible to guess."

"And I take it this is also the only place where no one's watching you, right?" Shawn inquired.

Luka scoffed. "Well you sure catch on."

Everyone followed him as he made way to the table. He went to one end, where he got near the plate. As though it reacted to sensory, the massive white plate arose, revealing it to be a stool top that levitated.

"Awesome!" Shuji marveled.

"Boooo. No beanbags?" Maggie berated.

"Just take what you can get." Luka insisted coldly.

Shawn showed a frown as he stared at him. "Well he certain has hospitality." He muttered to Verias.

"Shawn…?" the Haos Bakugan looked up towards his partner. Shawn walked over with everyone else and finally found a seat. The whole time, he was less curious and more on a stern note. The look on his face showed it. He was not so happy.

Everyone found a seat that floated, and they got comfortable on the white leather. It wasn't too hard but not too soft either. It was evenly spaced so no one would be crowded. Once situated, the group gathered got their belongings and sat the small bags of groceries down in front.

Shuji licked his lips at something that looked like a premade wrap. "Man, I'm starving! Ahhhh." He took one massive bite, almost ripping it completely apart. The bits of his face had leafy greens and what meets were available. "Mmm, not too shabby!" he muffled. "Tastes like beef!"

"Oh finally!" Maggie picked up her sub, which she took a big chunk out of. Like Shuji, she had stains on her face as she ate with what energy she had in her.

Everyone began to eat at the table. Even Jase was appropriately having some salad with a pasta dish in plastic. Esther had a no different diet going for her. And Shawn was another story. Just a couple of protein bars he was able to scrounge, but enough to render him satisfied.

As they were all enjoying their meals, the five Bakugan popped open, gathering like a small group for themselves.

"Humans can be so desperate." Atchibee said.

"Well yeah…I-I guess you're right." Jelldon agreed. "I mean Maggie worked hard to find that."

"To think we had to use underhanded thieving from markets." Atmos said. "I know this may come off as hypocritical, but I don't think I can sleep tonight."

Fly Beetle turned to look at him. "Hey, c'mon Atmos. Don't be like that. Gotta get by somehow, right?"

"Well, I suppose…"

"Besides, something's better than nothing." Verias said. "Humans need food and water, and they haven't found much since coming to our planet. At the very least, we should look out for them in that way. They're our partners after all." Partners. People who stuck by each other no matter how strained. Was it complicated that the definition didn't exactly meet how everyone felt right now. With Luke…predisposed, and everyone else so strained, there was little to make do. Not to mention, and importantly, Shawn looked less willing to speak up for a time.

"Well I don't know about you, but just what exactly are humans able to consume you think?" Atchibee inquired. "From what I've seen, it's almost…anything edible…?"

Fly Beetle turned away with a sigh. "Well if you ask me, I say that's something we'd rather not know."

Esther looked up from her meal, staring at Luka with a serious face. "We appreciate your hospitality for our situation." She started, getting everyone to look at her. "But I believe that there are questions that we have for you."

Luka crossed his arms. "Hmph, figures as much. Well I can't say that I blame you." He looked at everyone, giving them all the same look of his regular face. "Where do I start?"

"A little about yourself would really be appreciated." Maggie chimed.

"Yeah!" Shuji swallowed. "Just who are you anyway?"

Jase had his own sense of curiosity, but he held his tongue as he leered at Luka.

Luka kept his arms folded as he started. "Hm, forgot to say pretty please? Well whatever. My name is Luka Strider. We've met before, but I never intended to get any of you in this mess."

"Speaking of something so trivial in the past only means so much in the present." Jase answered.

"So what are you anyway?" Maggie asked. "It's weird having someone siding with humans when they're alien."

Luka scoffed. "Says the little half-pint with a giant monster on her shoulder."

"Hey!"

'Well, he's got us there.' Shawn thought. "Are you from here at all?"

Luka looked towards him. "You really want to know? I'm sure there would be some form of debate brought up if where I cam from matters to you."

"Well we'll find out if you tell us."

Jase glared at Luka, getting his attention. "I don't think we need to guess…I think I've already figured it out."

Everyone looked towards Jase with shock on their faces.

"Colonel! You do?!" Maggie exclaimed.

"Well, so to say from experience in my case…"

Luka shot Jase his own interested look. "So you say."

The Ventus battler looked ever so nonchalant with all the attention he was getting from his peers. "Well it's not like others to pick out traits that can be so readable, let alone undisclosed. It's merely a matter of observation. For example, that sword you carry." His glance went down to the massive scabbard that went down to Luka's side. "That material clearly isn't from Earth. We haven't fully finished prototypes of that kind of weaponry. Esther did say that it was some kind of sword made from rapid-moving ions."

Esther nodded. "As far as what I able to tell, that's what it looked like to me."

Luka didn't seem at all amused. "Alright then. Anything else?"

Jase furrowed his brow. "An important trait."

"What?"

"Your eyes."

At the note pointed out, everyone looked at Luka closer. When they saw his green eyes, they didn't realize it until now, but they were different to a slight degree. As far as color and shape, it was all there, but there was no light shining off the sclera. As far as what they have seen, they see a man without conscience.

Maggie put a hand to her chin and gave him a deep, skeptical look. "Hmmm…now that you mention it, he does look a little different." She hummed.

Shuji scooted off from the side, giving a raised brow of his own. "Yeah, now I see it." He took a closer look, noticing his skin tone was a little brighter in hue, as was the skin. The hair was almost like Luke's as well, if not for taking into account much duller of a hue it had. "Alright bud, you wanna start talking or what?"

Luka wasn't fazed in the slightest. "Your sense of impatience is going to put your ass on that floor if you don't give me my space." He threatened.

Both shriveled and veered back as they could feel an angry aura seething from him. It was like he attempted to incinerate them with words alone.

"At any rate…" Jase continued. "Mira Clay from the Battle Brawlers has these traits in coming. To happenstance, are you perhaps from…"

"Vestal?" Luka finished. He looked away, bearing no guilt whatsoever. "Not bad for human insight. Looks like you've been doing homework."

"Well I'm no expert on biology myself." Jase smirked.

'Vestal?' Luke questioned. 'What is that? Some kind of planet?'

'Yeah, I remember those beings. Not a friendly welcome from our experience.' Abis Omega could still remember when he and the other Bakugan those many years ago were still having been evolved from the time Vestroia finished its Wonder Revolution, when Drago had become the core. A few years after that, he could still remember being in the same place Luke and Esther met him, and just like before, he was a ball. A first – and very unpleasant – experience.

'Shut up, both of you!' Luka snapped, silencing them in their shock.

"But it doesn't make sense." Esther argued. "If you're from Vestal, then what are you doing off your planet?"

Luka shrugged. "The same way you all got to New Vestroia. By complete coincidence. A portal."

"What's Vestal?" Maggie asked.

"Well as far as what information in archives, we know Vestal is an overpopulated planet. But anything beyond that is unsure." Jase answered.

Luka folded his arms tighter. "Well you're right about one thing." He mused. "It definitely is overpopulated. Guess you can say we have a lot in common with you guys. You see, Vestal isn't as temperamental as you guys. We don't wage civil war, and all that's been going for us is our technology and spawning like cockroaches under rocks. I'm surprised the planet's resources hasn't dried out just yet."

"Well we're not here to be fascinated by your home." Shawn sniped. "That's not the reason we're here."

"Shawn!" Esther berated.

Luka looked at Shawn with the same cold look he gives to everyone. "It's fine, sorry I suppose. Now where was I?...alright then, suppose I should start from the beginning then." He took a moment of silence to collect himself before he chose to begin his tale. "Well, like anyone else, I was as carefree as ever on Vestal. However, that was before my parents were lost in an accident that took the railway system they were flying on into a plunge."

A small silence fell for the abrupt footnote. They weren't sure what to say, nor even know what they possibly could account for. Imagining if their families were in some flying vehicle that malfunctioned and shot a nosedive into water really wasn't a pleasant image. They could only imagine how hard it was on Luka.

"I…see." Esther frowned. "Our condolences."

"Yeah…" Shuji said grimly.

Jase offered no words of encouragement, but he felt Shawn's own empathy resonating, as did Maggie's, and he adjusted his glasses. "Go on."

"Even before my parents' untimely death, I wasn't really what you would call the social type. I never had friends, and I was essentially alone the whole time. I managed what I could with what welfare and however I was able to. But that all changed when a distortion somewhere made Vestal known to Bakugan."

"A distortion to Bakugan?" Atchibee questioned.

"I've heard about this from international alliances." Jase said. "According to the origins, Bakugan came to earth as cards rained down. How they got there was a mystery to most folks…but a selective few and other known researchers concluded that it was by Doctor Michael's crossing space."

"Yeah, I think I heard about that, too." Shawn said. "Right after, wasn't that when Bakugan came around?"

"Precisely." Jase looked towards Luka. "I can only assume that energy happened to leak over to your planet as well, am I right?"

"As accurate as any assumption can get in this predicament." Luka responded. "However, I'm afraid that due to those events, that's what happened to draw in the monster himself."

"The 'monster'?" Maggie questioned. She looked towards Jelldon, who shared her scared expression. They looked back at him to see what would be said next.

"You're aware of the fact that when Bakugan came around and left Vestroia, that's when the distortion wave was transmitted not just to our planets, but this energy was picked up by someone else. Someone who has a keen connection with these creatures apparently." He took a pause to allow his arms to loosen. He looked at everyone as they were trying to figure out what it was he meant. But from his face, they didn't like where this would be going. "The very monster that your damn idiot just so happened to look up to so bad that he lost all perception of everything else."

Shawn's eyes narrowed. He could feel the air stiffen around them as a dread began to crawl through their veins. His hair would be standing on end if it weren't for his clothes anchoring them down. Of course the same couldn't be said for goosebumps.

"Riaan."

Luke once again gasped inside the psyche.

Luka closed his eyes, offering nothing but flat notes of silence to fall. This was the only answer anyone needed to know.

"He was at Vestal as well?" Esther asked.

"So then that must mean he was able to make a link to both Earth and Vestal it seems." Jase deduced.

"If that's true, there's no telling exactly how many times he crossed over to how many other planets." Shawn deduced. "But if it were those two, just how many times exactly did you think?"

"Once."

Everyone's possible assumptions were brought to a grinding halt upon Luka's reply. They looked towards him, his face brimming with seriousness.

"Once. That's as far as I know. Vestal was nowhere near as concentrated to Bakugan as Earth was. In fact, it was so low that he didn't do anything about it until the populace incident. It may have been around the time Vestal's King Zenoheld ordered to find and colonize on New Vestroia."

"He waited that long?" Verias inquired.

"Yeah…and it just so happens that it was on New Vestroia as well that I finally realized the horrific truth of what he wanted…"

---

Alpha City, New Vestroia. It was a large dome-like area full of artificially clean air, with nothing but serenity at its finest. The planet was ripe, and life as everyone knew it was essentially populated with all these pets that are called 'Bakugan'. It was still something new to behold, but for the past two weeks, life as a whole has been going moderately well.

All around, banners were put up, and people were loving all these Bakugan that are used in the battlefields. In one screen showed a video footage of an earlier segment of the finals, where Spectra and Helios used a General Quasar that ripped across the ground, reducing the incoming Pyrus Saurus to nothing but remnants in the broiling blast of fire.

Propaganda of Bakugan was all the rage, not that many mind. Making use of these videos as an excuse to make money were wealthy vendors, and others followed along. After all, it's not everyday someone gets a pet monster to do battle.

Walking casually through the streets, people were steering clear and out of the way of someone who was bumping into people abruptly. Some groceries fell out as a kid brushed pass a guy.

"Gah!" The guy bent over to pick up his fallen groceries. "What the-?!" He turned sharply to face the kid. "Hey, kid!"

The red-haired kid stopped in his tracks and turned to look over his shoulder. His green eyes were glaring daggers that threatened the man to keep quiet. "What do you want?" he sniped.

The guy was taken back by his tone. The kid snorted and trudged on without a care to the world.

Luka Strider. 11-years-old, one year after he lost his parents. His red hair at the time was a lot like Spectra's, but shorter and more forward. He had on a white shirt that was over a thin, worn down black cotton jacket with a gray hood. He adorned gray pants as well, with worn out brown boots to boot. He was nothing but a punk, and really, why did he care? Why should he to be more precise. He offered nothing, was given nothing, and that was just his business.

He was making way down towards the more populated districts of Alpha City, where there, he could be in the crowd more. He hated it. He really did, but why he did such a thing made no sense. The best that could've been offered was something that had him centered to a place where he had nothing to do.

He, as well as the crowd he followed in, were standing before a massive facility where so much space was taken up. "They sure like going big." He scoffed. "Better have some snacks here." The crowd began to move into the building's front, and all of the bumping was getting to Luka. 'Gngh! Damnit, do these idiots know what space is? No wonder why I signed up for this.'

The crowd stopped at the front, where the guards began to speak.

"You are all now about to enter what was the revolution that enabled us to understand and help us embark on this journey." A small video hologram of Professor Clay above them all projected a smile of promise as he spoke. "With the help of everyone in this project, we were finally able to break the realms of physics and open ourselves to new possibilities."

Luka rolled his eyes away as his arms were folded. 'It's just a recording. If he wanted to say something that meaningful, he would've said it in person. I'm not that stupid.'

"Today, my staff and I will be guiding you through a small taste of the technology that we have spent our lives in perfecting, so that way, you can make the choice of helping us evolve faster than anything we could've possibly imagined."

Despite his inner intentions only being free snacks, Luka complied as the crowd was beginning to follow the staff inside. They all seemed humbly happy to say the least following them and about to learn. A free tour on projects they could help on in the future, yes, but Luka gave no crap. It's not like they were that special anyway.

Once they made it inside, the lobby was clean and sanitized, almost to where one could eat off it. It was big enough to fill up to almost 300 people at most. It would've been more, but budgets only go so far.

"Now then, once we walk through these doors, you are to refrain from any means of contact at all times." An employee said. "Now then…"

As he droned on, Luka let out a big yawn. Not even ten minutes in, and he was already sick of it. He looked around, turning left and right to see any signs that lead to the restrooms. He sighed. "Great. Just where are these things? I really gotta go now."

He slowly retreated to the back of the crowd, where he would try to look pass them to find something with the male sign. "That it?" As everyone else began to walk into the lab, they were unaware of one in particular going about and steering towards the restrooms. Once in front, Luka looked up with relief. "Oh, thank goodness." He walked right in.

Several minutes passed, and he was sitting in the stalls, having finished what he was doing. He sighed once more, ready to get up from the seat.

"And here are the restrooms, sir."

A muffled voice indicated someone was closing in. Luka stopped what he was doing and fell as silent as a grave.

The door opened, revealing someone present. "Ah, I see. Not a bad place." A deeper voice said.

"We do try our best. Hope it's to your liking." The employee said.

"It is. It's a lot cleaner than I thought it would be."

Luka did an eyeroll inside the stall. 'What a kissup.'

"Why thank you. The janitor spent all night making it spotless."

"Well hope his pay's well for this amount of effort."

"Don't know about that, but-!"

GLOOSH!

The sound of a stab went through the bathroom. Luka went wide-eyed and completely tensed up at the sudden sound. His eyes were so wide at the abrupt sound. He could feel the air growing foul as he picked his feet up in the stall to make him look discrete.

The employee's gagging was heard loud and clear. He was so in pain that it was like he was choking. Luka remained as silent as possible.

"My apologies, if the janitor sees some red spots here and there." The deep voice said. The sound of a sword ripping out of a throat was followed by a body fumbling to the ground.

Luka felt his body grow cold. Whatever was happening, he knew that whatever it was, someone was just sent to Hell by the devil himself. He couldn't swallow; let alone breathe. He feared if he did, a single whiff or maybe sound would alert him. And that would be game over.

'Wha…wh-what the hell was that…?' His mind was racing so fast that he couldn't stop his shaking. 'Did…did one of those guys just…!'

The stall next to him opened, and in it, the body was dragged. Luka's eyes went to the ground as he was perched on the toilet bowl like a bird clinging to its nest for dear life. He saw shuffling of the employee's dead body, and he was hearing what could've been the sound of a light humming. He made no attempt of moving, but for the faintest second, he saw a par of dark boots. Good thing he went before he did.

Minutes passed before he could finally breathe again. The stall next to him opened, and the attacker went out of the restroom, looking just like the employee from before. With visors like he wore, and the uniform, he looked around to see the coast was clear and walked away.

With the man slowly proceeding away, Luka was rendered in complete, despairing shock. He waited anxiously for any sounds until several minutes had finally passed, in which he slowly opened the stall door as quietly as possible. He slowly peeked out, seeing the coast was clear. Without a word, he moved to the stall next to him, opening the door slowly to see the body.

Luka didn't see the dread on his face, but what was visible was the stab wound in the neck, and the small traces of liquid seeping out. He was fully clothed, surprisingly since the guy leaving had his boots change. But what he saw looked like a knife or dagger in hand.

"What the heck was that about…?" The tour was far from his mind right now. The whole event left him completely befuddling over himself. He heard the sounds of feet closing in from the door, his heart skipping beats per second. 'Crap! Gotta get out of here!'

The door opened, revealing another bystander that was oblivious to the massacre. He went on over to the urinal, focusing on his business. However, he was just a few stalls away from the body in the closed stall, and in the stall between, it was so quiet. The door creaked open to allow Luka to silently pass and silently walk out of the restroom.

Once he was out, he looked around, seeing that he was all alone, before he finally made a break out of the area.

'I gotta get the hell out of here!' He ran in whatever direction he could. He made like hell to break away and tried to find the exit.

As he traveled, his mind raced as fast as his legs. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even know where the exit was, when in reality it was close to where he was before he panicked. He made way down a random hallway leading to a few signs, but he didn't bother to read. He just needed to get away, plain and simple.

'Where's the exit! I gotta hide! Can't tell which door is…that one!' He pushed the door through, ignoring the sudden alarm going off as everything went red. "What the-?! Crap, did they find out about it?!"

"Who's there?!" a voice shouted.

His heart raced like a jack rabbit as the voice was from close by. Almost instantly, he beamed to the thin alcove of the wall that was shield by two trash bins that shuttled trash into depths below the surface. With cover, he barely missed two guards race through the doors, heading out to scope whatever passed through.

He peered over, barely making himself noticeable. "That was close." He whispered. "Hm?" He looked off to the side, where he saw some figures in the distance. "Hm?" Still peering away, he saw that it was certain individuals he knew he shouldn't cross.

One had blue, wavy hair with green eyes, and another had white hair and red eyes with a wily style like his own. That was as much as he got until he noticed the leader and ducked back to the trash bins.

'Crap! The Vexos!' he snapped. 'What are they doing here?'

Volt turned his head up towards the overhead red lights. "Hm? Looks like some fool set off the alarm."

"An intruder, you say?" Link snickered. "This should be good. Who'd think about setting foot in here without our permission?"

"Someone who's looking for trouble if you ask me!" Shadow Prove laughed uproariously.

Mylene turned away, snorting arrogantly. "Ignore that. Let security deal with the matter." She turned towards Spectra and Gus. "Should we meet you two later then?"

Spectra smirked. "Of course. Gus and I merely have something we need to check up on something first. You all just enjoy toying with the flies in the stadium."

Mylene sighed. "If you say so." She turned back the direction she and the others were coming from. "C'mon guys, let's go teach these fools a little respect when they even think about questioning our power."

The other Vexos followed behind the brains and cunning works of Mylene. As they went off, Gus and Spectra were left to tend to other matters. Once they were gone, they could see their chance had arrived.

"Shall we, Gus?"

"Yes, Master Spectra."

The two turned in the opposite of the opposite and went towards a door, where they were watch it slide right before them. Luke slowly ventured as the coast was clear and saw the door sliding shut. Having already made a bold choice, he drew into his curiosity and slowly made way towards the door. When he stood before it, a moment passed before it slid open, startling him to where he slid to the wall to avoid any onlooking attention inside.

'Wonder if this is an exit…' He watched the door slid to his direction. In the skipping second, he stepped in before its metallic filament slid shut.

When he stepped inside, he was met with a shocking site, his eyes widening in disbelief.

The room he accidentally went into now was entirely dark. There were pieces of technology placed everywhere, in which there was a large pillar-like technology in the center. Still hiding in the corner, Luka saw Spectra and Gus at its base, seeing Spectra glide his fingers across the keyboard.

He fell silent as he watched it work.

"Master Spectra."

"Yes, Gus?"

"Forgive my intruding, but are you sure we are able to pull this off?"

Spectra smirked. "It'll be easy once we get the first equations fixed up a little. Trust me, Gus." With a snap of his fingers, the screen showing readings revealing Helios unleashing his latest attack earlier. On a smaller graph in the corner, it showed what appeared to be a very small chart, with one graph bigger than the other. "What I found interesting was how Helios was able to get more powerful than ever. I think the more intense he unleashes this strength, the more energy he gives off."

"And do you believe we can excel that?"

Spectra smirked. "And more. All we really need are just a few more results. Can't run on just a couple battle now, can you, Gus?"

"No, sir. Are we ready?"

"Yes." Spectra turned and left, leaving the machine alone. He and Gus made way to the door, where it shut behind them.

With them out of the picture, Luka appeared from the side and looked back. He watched another door open, this one looking secure and fastened unlike the one he went through. Now this time, he saw a lone employee go up to the machine, where he also looked around. Luka ducked again, avoiding a glance to be sure. The man resumed as he took Spectra's place with the recent footage he saved.

Luka looked up again, seeing that lone employee gliding across the fingerboard. 'What's he doing now…?'

After so many minutes, the screen finally showed an uploading file. It revealed beneath what looked like equations, and what also appeared to be readings of sorts. He placed his hand on the screen, looking to be smirking.

"You've done me a good deal." Was what he said as a small, radiant blue veil enveloped his hand. The system's graphs and uploading of Helios' battle records and such was the same, but it looked like there was something that looked like veins pouring into the employee's arm as it touched the screen.

Luka watched in shock, unable to respond as he fell silent.

Finally, with what he wanted, a small sheet popped from beneath. He took the sheet from the slot and saw the formulas that were implemented so far. The serious frown he had made it look like he knew exactly what he had to do. And for Luka, he only grew more fearful by the second.

---

"You mean…?" Esther trailed off, unable to finish.

Luka nodded. "Yes. Riaan was present when Spectra was first discovering ways to make more powerful ability cards for Bakugan."

"I see. So then that was the birth of these forbidden cards I take it?" Jase deduced.

Luka nodded. "As far as I was able to take in. Spectra and Gus at the time were trying to bring out the absolute limits to a Bakugan's potential, but I heard some of those side effects were…unfortunate. But Riaan, the blueprints he stole were a solemn key he would revolutionize in a way that no one else could."

Everyone was shocked in their own way. They were wondering how these cards came around; to think they came from a race other than Riaan's was shocking, but nonetheless admirable in its own way.

Shuji's eyes widened. "Man…"

"So all these cards we've been dealing with originated from plans Riaan modified?" Maggie inquired.

"The grim of power comes from the ambition of man." Jase said.

"That wasn't all he took." Luka stated. "He took the blueprints of the forbidden cards, yes, but he was also able to take something from the machine with my own eyes. As crazy as it sounds, he took blueprints of the engineering of Vestal's buildings as well. And I can guess Thermosphere had some engineering structures you might have recognized."

For the umpteenth time, everyone was caught surprised by this next revolutionary prospect. They wanted to say something, but they started to think back to Thermosphere before its untimely destruction. They all began to reflect on Earth and its own primitive engineering. They were making breakthroughs already, but knowing Vestal, they were beat by leaps and bounds. They wondered where those chrome buildings and spiked towers came from. Now proof was evident Earth and Vestal weren't the only victims of Riaan's 'sightseeing'.

"If that's the case, it makes you wonder just how many planets he's visited." Jase insinuated.

"But why? That's what I don't understand." Atmos stated.

Luka turned towards them. "Your guess is as good as mine. But if I had to guess, I say that all the planets must be connected to Bakugan in some way."

Esther began to piece it together. "Now that you mention it, there were some planets that had been accounted for. Two others, if I recall. I believe they were…"

"Gundalia and Neathia." Luka finished. "I know, I checked.

"Why Bakugan at all?" Maggie asked.

Jase faced her. "It's probably the centerpiece of whatever game that's been in the works."

"Yeah, that makes sense. We did say earlier Riaan came around after Bakugan started showing up on Earth." Shawn reminded the group.

"Riaan knows how everything works." Luka stood up. "And that alone is far from exaggerating. The fact is he's been looking at and taking blueprints of everything he was able to get his hands on. That information is then returned to him once he gets back to Interacia."

"That explains these periodic absences then." Esther said.

"How does he get those blueprints anyway? How many planets did he have to travel to get such diversity?" Atchibee inquired.

"Five planets." Luka answered. "Earth. Vestal. Neathia. Gundalia. And now, New Vestroia. All five planets he was able to sense that had Bakugan energy related to it. Now that he's taking and learning everything about those traits each planet has, he's finally starting something that rattles my cage to this day."

"What is it?" Fly Beetle asked.

"Yeah, spit it out." Shuji anxiously asked.

Luka gave them all a moment to see if they were up to speed with everything. Inside his mind, Luke and Abis Omega were remaining as quiet as they could before he finally chose to speak on behalf of their safety.

"…with what remnants each of them possesses, he's finally started something called 'Project: Armagedoid'. As far as I know, it's something really big that must involve, and that much I know."

"Project Armagedoid." Esther repeated.

"Now that all the years of information on the lives of the planets and its inhabitance had been accounted for, he used that information, and he's used those traits to intertwine into this so-called project and these forbidden cards."

Shawn folded his arms with a suspicious look. "Just how exactly do you know all this?"

"Shawn!" Esther rebuffed.

"Relax, Esther. I'm not making a scene. I'm just saying that it all sounds funny coming from someone who we haven't been exactly on fair terms on."

Luka scoffed meekly. "Well I can't say you're wrong. But the truth is that I've been on Interacia a lot longer than all of you. In fact…I think I can say it's been…7 years."

Shuji gasped in shocked. "Say WHAT?! 7 years?! That's crazy!"

"You've survived this long on this breaking pebble?" Maggie questioned. "How did you say you got here again?"

Luka turned towards her. "What I said earlier, with a portal. After Riaan got the information downloaded and the equation basics, he took his leave through a portal."

"But why did you follow?" Shawn asked.

"Tch, you guys sure do like asking questions." Luka sniped. "Whatever. Security slid through behind me and I was out of places to run. So before they got to me, I had no choice but to hitch on Riaan's portal just before it closed. I didn't know that would be my last time on New Vestroia or Vestal until later."

"Well talk about a quick save." Shuji commented. "From the sound of it, you're as sneaky as someone else we know." His face began to grimace as he began to think of a certain someone, a someone who happened to be best left unmentioned. "Someone who really is a jerk of all things.

Maggie folded her arms. "Shuji, don't even think abut him. He's not even worth it."

Luke face fell inside Luka's psyche. The mentioning of his friends disowning him was hurtful enough, but them doing it in full irony was like a stab in the back.

'You see? Now you get it. Don't even speak right now, just listen.' Luka told him. "So when I went through the hole, I was left to scuttle away before Riaan made whim of my presence. I had to stay focused at the time, but I was so disoriented with everything that I was wandering aimlessly while the land continued to shift beneath my very feet. I had to live through this disaster as much as possible. I had to hide. I had to scrounge, and barely got by while trying to keep my ability to walk and find answers to get back home."

Jase smirked as he adjusted his glasses. "Sounds like a certain group that's been digging in its own heels. Irony truly is gracious."

"I was getting by and making do of course, avoiding as much conflict as possible…that is, until something came up."

"What is it?" Esther questioned unnerved.

Luka faced away from the group, looking up at the stain glass ceiling cloaking them. "…do you guys remember that massive palace tower Riaan stepped out of?"

Everyone looked towards each other, giving worried looks and shot them back at Luka.

"Well that tower, it's what's known as Handia Palace. It's the providence of Interacia, and Riaan's own home and headquarters. When I reached Solaris, it was still nothing more than that castle that goes on. That was the only thing that stood on ground at the time, and I managed to find my way in through a window. It's through there I finally saw Riaan, and I also saw the surveillance he had throughout the world." He turned and faced everyone again, his hands getting behind his back. "In those clips; in all of those videos I saw…there was deaths. Constant death. Fissures taking in loved ones. Water levels rising. Disasters everywhere, just like this planet."

Luka took a moment to recount that day he climbed that tower. He was starving at the time, and by then, the thought of breaking in and finding food was a good motivation. He reached a window, but sadly he found food for the reality of the situation, not his stomach. He gasped so loud that he actually fell, and barely missed Riaan by the skin of his teeth. But what he saw what Riaan was doing regarding seeing those blue energy chords he made and going into the ground beneath, it left him to know it was related to what he saw on Vestal a week ago. It was mere minutes later that one of those superiors of Rogue Zero came after him and had to scuffle away.

"The planet constantly morphed, changing to different, unstable properties…and no one did anything to stop it while Riaan allowed his beloved people were killed."

Everyone was once again shocked at the revelation. The planet having falling to pieces is one thing over their heads, but the fact was these changes were unpredictable, a second act most ominous. And lives were lost especially.

"Why is this all happening? What's wrong with the planet?" Esther questioned, her tone indicating impatience.

"Yeah, what is this planet, and why is it always changing and breaking apart?" Shuji demanded.

"That's another matter entirely." Luka started walking pass them. "It's better that I actually try to show you."

He made way out of the entrance, with it rippling about behind him. Everyone once again looked towards themselves and then towards the entrance. Though reluctant, they all complied and got up from their seats to escape their sanction.

As they followed Luka, they all stayed close. They had to remain in the back alleys of Troposphere, or otherwise suspicion will be a prime aspect they won't be able to ignore. They kept their pace behind Luka as moderate as possible.

"This way." Luka directed.

"Uh…where are we going again?" Shuji asked.

"Yeah, feels weird." Fly Beetle said bluntly.

As the group went along their way, they were making progress to where an alleyway cut to an intersection, where there, a pair of boots stopped. Esther stopped in her tracks, looking in the direction of the alley to the city. She could see sunlight radiate down onto something in the distance.

Jase stopped next, looking back. "What's wrong? Something on your mind?"

Everyone looked back at her to see the way she seemed so distracted. They all wanted to speak out to her, but Atchibee did it first.

"Esther?"

The Darkus girl finally snapped out of it. She looked back at everyone to see their expectant looks. Ultimately, she came to a closing. "Forgive me, but I think this is where I'll be for the time."

"What…? You're leaving us?" Maggie inquired in a depressed tone.

"It's not like that, Maggie. That I can promise. I just have something important that I just remembered."

"'Something important', you say?" Jase repeated. "Like what?"

Esther turned towards the alley. Everyone, although curious, turned to look down at it. There, in one part of Troposphere's areas, sunlight came down on a roof that housed what looked like a greenhouse. A rather large, massive one at that. She looked back at them, a frown on her face.

"It's…a personal reason." She answered.

'Esther…?' Luke wondered worriedly.

Luka turned away, looking disinterested. "Well do what you want, I really don't care." He trekked onwards. "Just don't go making a scene on your way back."

"Esther, are you sure about this?" Atmos asked. "There's still much more we need to learn."

"I promise, it won't be that long. I just have to run an errand and I'll catch up. I'll bear. Don't worry." She turned towards the alley, beginning her trek. "I'll catch up." She said one more time before leaving.

Everyone watched her go down the alley that went into the city. "Where do you think she's gonna go guys?" Maggie asked.

"Hard to say. She's never been one that easy to read." Jase said. "For now, let's worry about ourselves. She can handle herself just fine as long as Atchibee is with her."

Shawn put his hands to his sides. "Well going off by your own isn't exactly a very responsible thing to do right now. After all, at times like this, you need someone there, whether you like it or not."

'Shawn…' Luke looked shocked again, but this time with a sad frown of the reference being himself again.

Shuji huffed and turned away. "Great. Just what we needed. Another one bites the dust on us when we need them most." He earned himself another good kick in the shins by Maggie. "OW!" He bent down, grabbing his shin in angst. "Owww, geez! The heck was that for?!"

Maggie shot him a look. "Don't be a downer! We can't have that now!"

"Maggie…"

"Now buck up, c'mon!" Maggie chimed nonchalantly as she went on, leaving Shuji to shoot her an annoyed look. She was right to a degree, but that didn't mean he had to like her methods.

"I swear, sometimes she can be a real pain."

Jase smirked as he adjusted his glasses again. "So it takes one to know one."

"SHUT IT!" Shuji snapped.

With Esther and Atchibee, the Bakugan was on her shoulder as she walked away. She embarked closer towards the street, where she made it to the large greenhouse in the distance. They both looked at it, giving it an odd silence.

"Esther, are you sure we should be doing this?" she asked.

Esther didn't look. "I'm sure." With that, she slowly walked on.

---

The remainder of the group eventually made it to wherever it was where Luka was taking them. By the time they reached it, they were well out of Troposphere's radius, but barely. In fact, where they were was one of the holographic pillars that stood up with the others.

"Alright, we're here." Luka said.

"Wooooah." Maggie's head slowly drew up the large grid. It was so big, and so large in radius that it seemed almost as big as the Statue of Liberty, only far bigger. "Look at this thing."

"That thing's like Eifel Tower size!" Shuji exasperated.

"To be more accurate, this pillar would have to be five times larger no less." Jase approximated.

Luka turned back towards them. "These pillars are more than just technology keeping the earth above stable, but it's hollow. All you have to do is stand in the middle and the grid's anti-gravity fields do the rest."

"So then that means we're going up?" Maggie questioned.

Luka nodded. "The truths lie more than just beneath the surface."

"True, but you can never judge a book by its cover." Jase countered.

Luka sighed. "Just get in."

Everyone did as told and Luka followed them into the holographic pillar. They all slowly fazed through it, similar to the little escape room. They all held their tongues as much as possible despite the discomfort they were feeling. Once they were all in the center, they stood completely still.

Luka faced the skies above. He could see sunlight pouring down. "Okay. Here we go."

Slowly, the ground beneath all of them began to draw away from them. Shuji and Maggie were looking down, both seemingly startled as their feet were leaving the ground. Their shock lead them to close their eyes and look up and stiffen to avoid looking at the ground, afraid of not knowing where they might go. Shawn sighed at them, but offered no levity.

"It's alright you two." Jase said, remaining calm as he floated higher. "There's no need to be afraid of heights. We won't fall by any means. Right?" He looked towards Luka, who was simply looking down with eyes closed.

"As long as you don't fidget like a spoiled child, sure." He answered.

"A-are you sure?" Maggie slowly opened one eye. As she looked through her one eye, she noticed how far up she was already. At least fifty feet and climbing. As they kept going, her other eye began to slowly open, brimming with fascination. "What the…?" They began to ascend even higher, her eyes widening in sheer awe. She could see it all. It was just like back in their overall layout of Thermosphere back in New Vestroia. Even from cliffs it looked marvelous. Now here, without a pedestal, it was like an angel looking down at the world. "Woooah. This…this is awesome!" she gasped. "Jelldon, are you seeing this?"

"It's…wow." He showed no less awe than Maggie.

Atmos popped open on Jase's shoulder. "To fly above truly is a sight to behold."

"That indeed." Jase said. His attention turned towards Luka. "So tell me. You seem to know a lot about how everything operates. Exactly, just what made these grids anyway?"

As they were rising, they were ascending higher than before. Maggie was in awe, and eventually, Shuji got the nerve to remove his fingers from his eyes. When he saw the view, he completely forgot how high up he was getting. His shock and overwhelming awe overcast everything.

Luka looked at Jase. "These pillars were recently made before the project's launch." He answered. "The anti-gravity field and strong threshold the grid comprises were originally designed by Cesar."

"Wait, what was that?" Shawn asked surprised. "Did you just say…Cesar?"

Luka nodded. "The grids and the gravity fields that all these pillars created are a direct result of Cesar's unyielding research and experimentations. It took him almost 3 years to accomplish this, so from what I've been observing to."

"That's…actually very impressive." Maggie said shocked. "He can make his chair thing float like a UFO! Now he made these freaky things! It's so cool!"

"Hmph! Gullible." Alto Brontes huffed.

"At any rate, his primary research lab is stationed here. He knew that with the land shifting, there were bound to come these effects. He's spent many years calculating any patterns, and because of the thin crust, he went and managed to spare time out of Project Armagedoid to ensure the populace casualties at least minimizes. I'm sure anyone would rather not see their hometown destroyed by a world full of reckoning."

Everyone gasped in shock at this next piece of information.

"Say that now?" Shuji questioned.

"You mean Cesar was born here?!" Maggie exclaimed.

"Yes." Luka looked down at Troposphere, eying it as they continued rising towards sunlight beaming from above. "Cesar was a lot like me when he was young. Alone, hardly any friends. As far as I'm concerned with, all he did was tamper with trinkets and whatever he could get his hands on. He is a man with a very weird vision.

Maggie sweat dropped as she did an eyeroll of her own. "Well…you're not wrong." In her mind, she could still picture Cesar with an exaggerative pose, smirking maliciously like any evil flamboyant scientist would in the face of commoners.

"His talents were so recognized that Riaan personally came to Troposphere to see the technology Cesar was able to create. He was able to replicate and modify that radio tower and battle area as an example. That is a direct result of his blueprints."

"So then does that mean he engineered Thermosphere and Solaris, too?" Shuji asked.

"Every square inch. And then some."

Shawn looked down, taking a deep breath like being hit with a heat wave. "Damn. Talk about a busy bee, huh."

"I knew Cesar liked to brag and all, but I didn't know he could do this much." Maggie looked at the grid bringing them closer to the surface above. "Man, no wonder he puts on makeup. I bet he'd look worse than a three-day-old pie sitting out in the rain."

"There's something besides the scientist's way of life that's got me intrigued." Jase admitted. He didn't bother to look at Luka as he looked up instead. "From what we've seen and heard, there's a lot of traits that put Earth and Interacia's way of life very similar to our own. Routine wise, it's almost identical."

Luka looked up next. "So you've noticed then. Well, don't get ahead of yourself. That'll come in due time. We're closing in on the surface."

The group all eventually began ascending to even higher lengths, so much that even Troposphere was looking too small to even be noticed.

As they were all drifting up, Luke, however, was sinking, He was plunging so deep in his thoughts that he wasn't even caring anymore what was going on with his body. Here was Luka, someone they just met, and already they know he's had a crappy life, and had to suck it up without complaining. He stuck through, and he was actually helpful…unlike him. No wonder they're following him so easily.

Luke frowned inside the psyche. 'Everyone…seems to be acknowledging you well…' he said.

'Well, it's better to take something useful than something that doesn't work.' Luka answered. 'Obsolete means nothing more than trash. And I've seen a lot of people like you end up dead because they didn't see their own uselessness.'

'H-Hey!' Luke sniped weakly. Abis Omega hissed beside him angrily.

'Hmph, just speaking the truth is all. Reality is a lot harder to accept than the lies. People will do anything to make themselves feel better by diverging from factual intel. The truth is a pill one swallows eventually, your friends just knew when to take it.'

Luke looked saddened as he began to see it. 'So then…Master Riaan really was a felony, and he was undercover then at my home?'

'Look, it wasn't meant to be personal, okay? If you need someone, I'll just send someone back if you're that desperate to blame ag-.'

'No…' Luke interrupted. Luka's guilt tripping was cutting deep into his and Abis Omega's skin. 'It's not like they would want to see my face again anyway…' he tiredly sighed.

Luka's eyes closed. 'These yahoos are an odd bunch you got messed up with, but at least they have common sense. Something you apparently need to know.'

Luke fell silent as could be. He lowered his head in the psyche, shaking it in his own disappointment while Abis Omega lowered his a little in brief shame.

They soon were successful in reaching the top of the massive pillar. Like getting shot out of a cannon, everyone flew out high with loud yelps. They all tried to keep their balance and managed to land on their feet. The thudding of their feet went from Luka, to Jase, to Shawn, to Shuji, and finally Maggie. They all stood tall as they were seeing sunlight again.

Shuji managed to ascertain his shock in his feet and began to slowly trek about. He looked around, slowly, making light walks around them. "Okay…so what now?"

"Why are we up here again?" Fly Beetle inquired.

"Because there's something I needed to show you." Luka explained. "Remember that the planet is continually changing its features."

"Yeh, so what about it?" Shawn inquired.

"I never explained how fast the rate of which it alters." He looked around, inspecting the hilly, flat grassland. "Tell me, is there anything you've noticed out of place?"

"Out of place you say?" Jase looked around with everyone else, trying to get a sense of what was being entailed.

They all looked around, seeing anything out of place. Maggie, however was the first to spot something off in the distance. "I see it!" She pointed at the object a long ways away from their point of destination.

They all turned, looking in the direction where she was pointing at. She went off, darting ahead towards a small hill in the distance. They watched her make way towards the small tree that lied in the distance, a lone tree for that matter, where on it, it had flowers that looked all too familiar that were of an edible delegacy.

Maggie ran up to the tree, looking up its rather long trunk with surprise. "Oh wow, it's so big!" she chimed. She tried reaching up to one of the sweet, fruity flowers that were high above. However, even with low vines and branches, it was still too hard to reach.

"Here, Maggie! Let me!" Jelldon floated up over her shoulder. He went up to the flowers and raised one leg and brought it over a flower. "Okay…here we go!" He pulled hard, snapping the flower off to make it fall down.

Maggie smiled wide as she cupped her hands, grabbing the flower that smelled so sweet and ripe. "Thanks, jelly-welly! You're the biggest sweetie ever!"

Jelldon blushed. "D'oh stop." He insisted bashfully. He watched as Maggie opened wide and took a bite out of the fruity flower, seeing her cheeks turn red from the rich sweetness the edible specimen bared.

"Was that tree there before?" Shawn inquired.

"I wouldn't imagine." Jase said. "Aside from tunnels and holes in the ground, it's been nothing but flat land."

"That's because that tree wasn't there before." They and Shuji turned towards Luka. "Tell me, how do you think that tree got there?"

Jase put his hand to his chin, looking as though he was pondering. "This matter of biology isn't my strong point. Exactly what do you mean by this exactly?"

Shuji looked at the tree ahead, giving it a heavily inquired brow.

"What's up?" Fly Beetle questioned.

"Nothing. It's just…" He paused to allow to allies to look towards him for what answers he had in mind. "That tree. It looks similar to something we saw on New Vestroia."

Maggie was enjoying her fruity star, looking to be savoring its tastes. "Mmmm! Man this is good! I haven't had something this sweet since…" Reality eventually drawn onto her next as she slowly gazed down at the fruit. She looked up at the tree that it came from, staring at it for a second before looking back at the fruit in her hand. After a few seconds, it finally dawned upon her in a shocking gasp. "Hey! We had this fruit back on New Vestroia! The day after that night we got there!" she exclaimed in shock.

"But how did one of the fawn life on New Vestroia get here?" Atmos inquired.

"That's what I want to know." Jase responded. "This can't be by some budding perhaps."

"Yeah, and it looks just like any of the plants we saw. It's almost like…" Shuji trailed off, his eyes slowly widening upon realization. "Wait a minute…"

"That's right. Cloning." Luka answered. "Or rather, he copied its essence. He replicated life itself."

"He what?" Maggie looked down at the fruit she had in hand. No wonder why it tasted so sweet.

"How is that possible? This goes beyond the means we humans have been engineering." Jase implied.

Luka took a few steps closer towards the tree. "This has nothing to do with the forbidden cards if that's what you're thinking. This was all Riaan." He finally made it to the tree where Maggie was stepping away from. With room, he looked up and placed his hand on the trunk. He felt the smooth bark it had, it having nothing short of essence flowing through it. "I was wondering what those fibers were the first time I saw them. Turns out, all he needed was one touch, and everything connected anywhere and almost instantly know what the material is made of."

"Wait…so then it's not actual blueprints he takes?" Maggie questioned.

"Well, you can't have blueprints to construct a living tree." Jase deduced. "So what exactly are these 'blueprints'?"

"DNA. The molecules and fibers that the object and what the ground is made of." Luka answered. "He's able to store the schematics and DNA blueprints in his body, where he returns to Interacia and releases it all. Just one step and all that fiber, all those blueprints and materials are sent into the ground. Over a short period of time, the planet is able to use that information like a brain and respond by recreating through the information it gathered, replicating life and buildings out of nowhere. This also goes for the planet's structure as well."

Shuji stepped up with wide eyes. "Wait, you mean by stepping on Earth, he can make it look just like it?!"

Luka turned to look back at them. "Not exactly. He can only do so within a certain area, and he can only go so deep at that. But everything in that radius he was in contact with; clothing, lifespans, food products, you name it. It was all there that he replicated, because that material was connected by even a small touch."

Shawn looked even more shocked at this information. Now he was seeing the reasons why Riaan was taking his leaves every now and again. It made sense when he appeared out of nowhere the day they left for New Vestroia. 'So that's what he meant by his home then.'

"Thanks to enrolling Cesar, he was able to better construct based on designs he was able to proliferate. There was another person who also helped. You saw her standing near Cesar, that woman with the blonde hair. That woman is Lucia Artemia, and she has the power to see into the future."

Maggie's eyes widened. "She did?!" If she wasn't impressed before, she was now.

"That's…that's crazy!" Shuji exclaimed.

Luka nodded. "Believe me, I didn't know that myself. That's how she was able to foresee the downfall of Thermosphere, and Riaan acted accordingly to that."

"That would explain how Riaan knew Luke would be down at the core." Jase said.

Luke and Abis Omega remained silent. They were taking in everything, but nevertheless, all this information was still so much.

"It was thanks to Cesar's engineering skills, and Lucia's foresight, that they were able to convert Riaan's power of fabrication replication into machinery, with much greater results than his usual tricks. The machinery was developed in two distinct areas. Both being the cores of the two cities that were sent away."

Shawn's eyes glared daggers ahead. "Thermosphere and Troposphere."

"Exactly. But those structures were simple prototypes, so it had its drawbacks like distortions sent that picked you all up. Those machines were not only able to create distortion waves, but more importantly, able to copy life on a larger scale. Specifically, aiming for a planet's core."

Verias popped open again on Shawn's shoulder. "But that's impossible. Our planet doesn't have a solid core. It just has…" Verias' statement was trailing off into growing shock, the realization dawning. "Wait, cn it really?"

"Yes." He nodded. "Riaan's powers amplified by the machines can not only copy life, but its pulses were so grand that it was able to copy the Perfect Core."

'Perfect Core?' Luke thought back to that one dream he had when he was on New Vestroia at the time. He remembered going through a purple fog, where he saw a hemisphere of something that contained incredible power. 'Was that what I saw? Then Luka was trying to tell me all that in my sleep.'

"But…" Luka added. "It doesn't stop there. The machinery is so evolved, that it has powers beyond replication. It's true that when they were brought back here that essence was released into the earth, but New Vestroia is now in danger."

"Why's that?" Jelldon asked.

"Because the machine's evolution is not meant for copying alone…it's something much graver. Leeching."

"Leeching?" Maggie questioned.

Luka nodded solemnly. "Like a mosquito bite. It takes just a small piece and it gets bigger, while the original gets weaker."

Shuji stepped up. "Okay, everybody just time out!" He made a T with his hands to make a reference. "So let me get this straight! You're saying that we got to New Vestroia by a freak prototype weapon thing that copied the life on that planet, and that it was made from the powers of Riaan, who is actually this planet's ruler?!"

"In a nutshell." Luka deadpanned.

"So then the two cities weren't sent to New Vestroia to get away from the Devil Miasma, but instead were meant to copy and take like from that host planet and intentionally return here." Jase said.

"Now you get it."

"I see…but how is any of this possible?"

"It's this planet. Riaan and this planet, they're both connected. You can say they're one and the same." Luka looked towards the ground, his glare as grim as that of someone who feared for the worst. "To be more accurate, Riaan is the planet."

There was an uneasy tension that dwelled in the bottomless core of their stomachs. Psyche, reality, or both, there wasn't a single sound. Not even wind blew as a chill ran up everyone's spines.

"Ahahaha!" Maggie nervously laughed. "That's a good one! A person can't really be a planet now…can it?" She looked towards everyone else, but all they did was show their own concerns.

Shuji began to chuckle uneasily next. "Yeah, haha! Very funny! Now I know this is all just a lie!"

Luka showed no means of swaying them. "Believe what you want. Make yourselves as pitiful as that trash heap you left in the car. I'm just trying to save your lives."

Jelldon hesitated to ask, but he eventually got the nerves. "S-so then…he really is a planet?"

Luka nodded. "Yeah. If I want to get any deeper, it's better to say he's actually this planet's core."

"A core that doesn't stay in place?" Verias questioned. "How does that work?"

"Are any of you familiar with Code Eve?" The others once again looked towards the other to see their question on their faces once again. They showed nothing but sheer dumbfounded wonder. "I take that as a no. Well, in truth, Code Eve is an entity that existed in another dimension. She supposedly resides in a Sacred Orb where her essence can be contained. She is the mother of all Bakugan. It was she who created the origins of the first two Bakugan that evolved over time."

Maggie's eyes widened. "The mother of…all Bakugan?"

"W-woah…I-I don't know…" Jelldon trailed off.

"Man…that really happened?" Verias inquired.

Jase closed his eyes. "I see. We humans evolved from primitive specimen for half a million years. So in a sense that happened to Bakugan. Evolution truly is wondrous."

"So what's this Code Eve have to do with any of this?" Shuji asked. "Does it involve this big mastermind of a scheme?"

"Well to eb more accurate, she was the reason and start of this all." Luka clarified.

"What does that mean?" Fly Beetle asked.

Luka paused. "…tell me, if Code Eve was the mother of all Bakugan, then how do you think she carried the two Dragonoid species?"

Jase's eyes narrowed. "Are you implying that…"

"Yes. There is a father…and you've met him before."

They all were beginning to realize what it was that he meant. But from the look on his face, it felt like they didn't want to know. If there was suspense music playing, it would intensify the chill running up everyone's spines. Even Luke and Abis Omega were at a loss for it all.

"…oh my god." Maggie gasped. "Riaan is…"

Luka nodded once again. "Yes. He and Code Eve are the parents of all Bakugan."

It was the biggest revelation of them all. No one had anything to say, nor even know what could possibly be said for something like this. It was deceivable at best. It was purely impossible for the likes of anyone to imagine them having some ancient grandpa that created them. To know someone like that was around for thousands of years, it was sure, bloody shock that no one could've fathomed.

"…man…just…man…" Shawn grimaced.

Jase put his fingers to his forehead. Looking drastically tired. "Even I couldn't have predicted something like this. To think someone like that was of such origins. And here I thought we were in deep water. Now it seems we have yet to reach the surface of it all."

"B-but I don't understand!" Maggie exclaimed. "How did this Code Eve and Riaan even start to begin with?"

"That part still eludes me frankly." Luka said, earning gasps from his peers. "I may have been here for 7 years, but the fact is that this Code Eve and Riaan have been around for thousands. They must've met somewhere and did something that caused the two to sever. Maybe that's why Riaan's the way he is now. It must be a score he is settling."

Shuji looked down in annoyance. "Man, still sounds like a load of crud."

"So basically a divorced couple at war." Jase deduced. "Interesting."

Maggie looked at Jelldon, both sharing looks of terror.

"So Riaan is the father of all Bakugan, and he has the power to replicate DNA." Shawn deduced. "So he carried the genomes and Code Eve was the womb."

"As far as biology goes." Luka said.

"But if he can replicate DNA and life, it makes something of a wonder." Atmos turned towards the tree Maggie and Jelldon plucked from. "If he is able to replicate and now leech life, then does that mean he can do the same with creatures of blood?"

Luka showed no less seriousness as he looked at the falcon in ball form. "Riaan's powers are more complicated than what I made it sound like. It's true he can replicate DNA and materialize its blueprints, but there is a drawback. You see, while everything is copied, it's not to say it's authentic. Just like all life on this planet. In other words, it's a mutated replication."

"So wait…" Maggie put her finger to her chin as she looked towards the sky. "Uhhh…oh! So then it's like the difference between ice cream and frozen yogurt!"

Shuji sweat-dropped. "Seriously?"

Luka shrugged. "Sure, if that's how you can interpret it."

"How does that work exactly?" Jase questioned.

"Riaan is able to selectively pick out the best traits in any species capable of handling change. And from the looks of it, he chose humans. Does that explain why they look like you?" He allowed a pause for everyone to take in that information. "The same he can do with Bakugan. He can replicate the DNA of Bakugan and make it come to life, but the authenticity is not there. It's a replication of the original."

"But then how does it tell the difference?" Maggie inquired.

"The forbidden cards, that's how. Those cards by design in Riaan's standards were made to handle living Bakugan, but the replications and copies of the DNA sequences on Interacia are too weak compared to the original. If one ability card was used on them, they would die."

"That would explain why Rogue Zero came to New Vestroia as well." Jase pondered. "That would make it so that the forbidden cards were confirmed to work on true blood."

Luka looked over to his shoulder, where Alto Brontes popped open. "That's how I came to meet Alto Brontes. I tried to find some technology to work with, but I broke into Cesar's lab in Troposphere one day and went through that door I tried to keep you all from going through."

"And it took him right to little ole me!" Brontes cackled.

Jase smirked. "A rather odd pair of you ask me."

Luka smirked back. "You can say that…but Alto Brontes suffered in a way I did."

"I was subjected to these cards before." The Haos Bakugan admitted. "And trust me, it was not a pleasant experience. Everything was gray…and I could barely remember the voice of someone who I couldn't even find anymore…" the Bakugan fell silent, recalling someone who had purple eyes, and bleached red hair with an honorable choice of valor. He sighed in his grief. "Poor Volt."

"That's why we won't allow anymore live Bakugan to be subjugated to this torture." Luka declared. "No more shall suffer the same way Brontes had, and I vowed to do whatever I can to save the lives of as many as I possibly could, whether real or fabricated on Interacia."

Jase folded his arms. "That's a pretty big responsibility for just two beings turned righteous. Why not try and convince other life forms to agree on your terms?"

"Well can you believe half the stuff that I'm saying right now? Can you really believe Riaan is the long lost father of all Bakugan and copying life into one large world? How would you feel that your existence started on stolen DNA strands of human beings?"

Jase and Shuji wanted to say something against that, but that argument was left on a blank note. If it were them born on Interacia over a spanning amount of generations, they wouldn't exactly believe it unless there was any proof.

"What's this Project Armagedoid again?" Shawn asked, deriving everyone to go forward on the subject. "You mentioned that earlier. Does it have something to do with Riaan and fabrication and forbidden cards?"

Luka turned towards him. "It's possible. But I know one thing that's certain about it…and that it's already begun."

"It has?"

"Even as we speak, I can feel it even from here. Riaan is creating something that I can guess is a monster."

---

In an undisclosed room, Riaan was standing in the center of a massive mantle in a massive domain that was much like a study hall. The mantle he was on was next to a window, and all around the floor, there were dozens, if not hundreds of accents that were glowing. From his feet, the ground was illuminated a bright blue as he sat on the centerpiece. His hands were by his side as he was releasing more information into the earth beneath, where on the surface through a panel, he could see that in a green field on the topside of the world, there was a small bud slowly blossoming on a fruity tree in a faraway reach.

In another panel, it was a recap of the images he picked up on the destruction of Thermosphere. In his own eyes, he saw the whole thing come crashing down, plunging and crumbling into pieces. He maintained a frown as he closed the panel. The floor beneath him had receded in its glowing, fading to black around him.

Once again, he let out a sigh. He stared morbidly ahead. "One piece at a time." He muttered.

A panel had opened up in front of him, revealing the Darkus man that was standing by the other day. He had his head down as he'd rather not see his master if he was still doing his thing.

"Yes, Cyrus?" Riaan inquired.

"Sir, my humblest apologies. But I would like to be the first to inform you that the designs for Project Armagedoid are all being pieced together."

"And the Perfect Core resonance?"

"We have succeeded in the transfusion thanks to Cesar. The materializing is following along as we speak."

Riaan grinned. "Thank you. If it's all the same, I would like to personally see the designs myself, if you will?"

Cyrus bowed again. "At your command."

The panel faded away, leaving the room in silence once more. With Riaan having encoded and decoded the information, the next panel containing images of a few Bakugan topside. He waved his arm in an arc, making the panel fade away. He fell silent as he teleported in an instant.

In an observatory room, the room was made of dark, dark gray flooring. There were chairs everywhere with people lined up to monitors and retaining their composure as the major superiors were overlooking something that was reflecting wavy rainbow energy off the glass that was in front of them. Overlooking them with the readings was Cyrus and Galilea both. Both man and woman turned around to look back as Riaan appeared.

They both stepped off to the side, their positions affirmed as he went up the glass. What he saw was a bright light, one that was making him show deep shock. One that eventually faded into a soft grin of satisfaction.

---

"What's gonna happen once it's done?"

"As far as I know, everything else will be done for." Luka explained. "If the project is successful in the end, the planets affected will eventually die. And there won't seem to be any traces of their remnants when that happens. It'll make the replicas look whole, where they will evolve the way Riaan can make them over time on Interacia."

"My god…"

"The machines that were the cores of those two cities were just prototypes." He reminded. "Now that he knows his leeching power has been amplified this way, there's guarantee that he'll come after the remaining planets with perfected machinery, and only then will his replication become a complete immersion."

"So then what does this mean?" Shuji asked.

"It means as life begins growing here, it takes away from the other planets instead of weak copies. After millennia of living, his powers have accelerated already to where he began to show signs of it physically."

Shawn put his hand to his chin. "Physically, you say…!" His eye widened in sudden realization.

"What is it?" Verias asked.

"I just realized! Do you think he's already begun leeching life from Earth already?"

The question rung too many bells to keep even one person subtle. They were all alarmed, anxious, and by no means were any of them looking calm about it; Maggie and Jelldon especially were on the verge of flipping out.

"Maybe it's too late." Jase presumed. "However…we haven't proof either of if he already made his sights on Earth. At the very least, if it hasn't happened already, then it means we are safe for now."

Maggie slumped to her knees with a wheeze. "Phew. For a second there, I thought we'd be going home to a crusty rock."

"The effects don't happen immediately." Luka stated. It happens overtime. "Riaan may have already began to exemplify his powers of absorption before this mess happened. As far as we know, he could be trying it right now.

Jase put his hand to his chin again, looking down and giving a deep, pondering glare towards the ground. "So then, that's what happened? That's all it?"

Luka nodded. "Yes. That's everything so far."

Shuji put his hands up again to make an innocent expression. "Woah, okay now. So let me recap for a sec. So you were sent here the same way we did, and you and that Bakugan on your shoulders were actually helping us the whole time?"

"Brontes suffered from forbidden cards. There's no telling what Riaan's cards can do since he's gone beyond physics to break records."

"Okay, so then you're trying to save lives from Riaan, who is actually the father of all Bakugan and is trying to take that life into his hands now?"

"More or less."

"And with his powers finally evolved further at this point to absorb and copy planet structures and reshape materials and buildings, right?"

"Yes."

Shuji looked down at the ground. He didn't even know what to say anymore. He was flabbergasted at best, as was everyone. It was still so much to take in, and so little time it was processed. They were almost killed because Rian knew they were here for one thing, and secondly they learned the origin of the forbidden cards. That alone was something that left even Luke inside to make heads and tails about. But surly enough, the redheaded imagination inside the superior's mind frowned and knew it was better to not question. He was in too deep already anyway.

'So that's the truth about Riaan then.' He thought deeply. 'He…he was around much longer than any of us. And he's actually taking life undercover everywhere slowly. Right…?'

'This is all sounding so crazy. I don't even know who or what to believe.' Abis Omega said. 'Just how did we come across the long lost origins of this stuff anyway?'

Luke fell quiet. 'Honestly, I don't know anymore…'

'Yeah…'

Jelldon turned towards everyone on Maggie's shoulder. "So what do we do now?"

Shawn adjusted as he looked at everyone. "I don't know about you guys, but I know what I'm gonna do."

Jase looked back at him. "And what might that be?"

Shawn made n effortless half-grin at the group. "I'm gonna get off here."

Everyone looked at Shawn as if he had grown a second head. Even Luka showed signs of surprise. "Why's that?"

"I'm worried about Luke. I hate to think what he could be doing all alone."

Maggie showed anger towards the superior blonde. "Why would you even care about him to begin with? He's the biggest idiot ever!"

"Yeah, do you even know what he did?" Shuji backlashed, cracking his knuckles. "Better give us a good reason or my temper's gonna get on ya like it did on that reject."

"And it's precisely because he's an idiot that I'm going back for him." Shawn rebuffed. "Besides, I know full well how incompetent Luke can be, but that doesn't make it okay to leave him in times like this."

"Shawn…" Jase trailed off.

"Look guys, you can believe what you want about Luke, but I know he can be a little insufficient without anyone. And I can't lie when I say I'm a little disappointed in Luke's recent actions. But what kind of friend would I just left him like this?"

Luke's shock in Shawn's loyalty was leaving him completely speechless. It was completely surprising at how there was still that small sliver of silver lining in the Haos battler. Not even words could bring the guilt to simmer down inside his mind.

Jase looked intrigued. "How interesting."

Atmos popped open on his shoulder. "Not to be rude or personal, Shawn, but what exactly do you see in him that makes you stay?"

Shawn shrugged. "He was my first friend. We've known each other since we were kids. But you know…" a small grin came across his face. "Believe it or not, Luke is a good person. He just isn't great at realizing it. I was orphaned at the age of 5, and I guess that's where it all started…"

In the nearby city that Luke's family estate was settled in, the town was bustling with satisfaction. Everyone looked as content as could be as many were wandering about, walking with grocery bags full of food, or taking their kids to ice cream. But nevertheless, this was nothing more than a kick in the pants for an aimless vagabond of a child.

A short child, possibly no older than 5 with a head of short yellow hair and big blue eyes, was wandering around a path aimlessly down a street. He had no words that could possibly be spoken about, not even detail the extent of how traumatized he was when his parents never came to pick him up from kindergarten. He walked home, but all he found was a big mess everywhere, and nothing else. Two days later, even after the house was investigated, the child's hunger drove him to find some place or something to eat.

He would've gotten something from a restaurant, but he was flat broke, plus he didn't know how any of this worked. He was only 5, and he was starving. "So hungry…" he whimpered.

As he kept walking alone up the street's side, he came to something that was on his left. He stopped in place to gaze at pair of massive gates. He glanced up, seeing the humungous estate and building that was inside. His blue eyes widened in deep surprise. "Wooooah…"

Lost in his own wonder, and having nothing to do, he got closer to the gates. He looked through them, his hands touching them to get a feel of the warm bars. He turned to see the many small trees lining up along the inside, and on wonder, he began to work around the side.

He made way to the far side of the estate's side, where he noticed that it was covered by bushes. Not wanting to be seen in the events of adultery, he used his size and crawled beneath the freshly planted bushes in the moist mulch. He looked beneath, seeing from the low level of the few guards passing by and making talk, completely oblivious to his apparel. With the coast clear, he peered his head through the branches, quietly moving one in front of him.

"Aww, do I have to?!"

A splitting voice alarmed the curious Shawn as it came from close by again.

"Yes, dear. You have to." A motherly voice answered.

"Aw~, but I don't wanna!"

"Go put them back right now, or no macaroni and cheese for supper. Okay?"

"Okay…" The defeated voice of a child started to draw closer. Shawn remained still as another boy, possibly no older than him, walked by. Shawn was so quiet and so small, but his appearance beneath the shrubs didn't go unnoticed. At least by the kid that walked in front of him.

The small child had big green eyes, with a hair of spiky, messy red. He was fairly dressed with washed clothes, much more so than Shawn. The child had a homegrown watermelon in hand, possibly from a garden since it still had dirt on it.

The two stared at each other for a long time, both looking more than a little anxious in any case. When one blinked, the other waited a second before returning that blink. The tension between the two soon broke once the redhead tilted his head.

"Who are you?"

"Uh, n-nothing." Shawn lied. "What are you doing?"

The boy looked down at the watermelon in hand, a pouty face showing. "My mommy said to put this back." He huffed. "I just wanted to show her this watermelon that guy grew in the garden. But then she and daddy just got md and are making me put it back."

"Oh…" Shawn began to eye the melon himself. He noticed that even though it wasn't exactly ripe, it was small enough for the boy to pick up. His empty stomach was telling him really hard to take it, but he knew from conscience that it wouldn't work out.

"What is it?" The boy looked down at his hands, seeing where Shawn's stare was directed to. He was told to put it back, but he didn't want it to begin with. He looked back in the direction of where he came from, seeing how far away his folks were while sitting at an outside table with an umbrella. He looked back at Shawn, leaning in a little. "Hey, you want this?"

Shawn's eyes widened. "Really?!"

The boy nodded. "Yeah, the mister in the garden might yell at me like mommy and daddy did. Yelling is really scary to me."

"Yes…" He looked down at the melon. "Uh, h-how do you…?"

"Oh!" The boy chirped. "Here, I saw this on TV one time! Watch this!" The 5-year-old placed both hands beneath the melon and crouched. He bent his small knees and lifted up, letting fly a little above before plopping to his feet. The small melon cracked on the ground, its pink juice flowing out as a good chunk plopped off, allowing the deep red sides to be seen.

Shawn's eyes widened again. "Woah!"

The boy beamed with a big smile. "See? I wanted to try with those orange things too, but we haven't got those." He pouted again. "And when I try with anything else, I get yelled at."

Shawn looked at him again. "But it's good with watermelon?"

The boy nodded. "I think so." He tilted his head. "Hey, wanna play on the swing set?"

"R-really?" Shawn couldn't believe his luck. It was sheer luck that someone like him was getting not just food, but something more s well. Food and playtime, that's a great deal.

"Yes! Please? Please?! My parents don't let anyone in, and everyone around me doesn't wanna play. And My mommy isn't letting me eat macaroni and cheese until later. I wanna play!"

Shawn wasn't sure if he really did have a say in the matter. He was shocked at how abrupt the boy was at asking, but he was touched as well. He looked down at the melon once more, his dirty hands reaching for a piece. He grabbed a small chunk and he ate it. He munched on it, and when he did, he felt a strong level of happiness arise from the flavor. "Mmmmm…" he moaned in savoring of the sweet flavor. Even though it wasn't ripe, it still tasted better than bugs.

"Oh! Right!" the boy realized. "My name is Luke! What's yours?"

The blonde looked up, watermelon ad juice and dirt on the corners of his lips. "Shawn."

"Even after we got caught, Luke always came around for me." Shawn said. "He'd always bring along something like a peeled orange or an apple, but he still wanted to play. I was his only friend in that prison as he called it."

Everyone was silent as hearing the remarks made. They knew Luke was selfish, arrogant, and all around mean to a degree, but hearing Shawn's side of it made it feel like it was a win-win for both.

"You can take smack all you want, but if Luke was always there me, then it's my job to be beside him, even when I'm not supposed to. There's good in him, and I have faith he can learn."

'Shawn…' Luke was speechless. What could he really say to help him in this situation? He was just looking for something or someone to play with, and even then he got something more.

Shuji crossed his arms. "Heh, sounds like a load of crap. Sounds like he baited you just to play and do stupid stuff."

Shawn chuckled. "Well that, too."

"Then why bother?" Maggie asked. "That Luke is just a troublemaker. He isn't half as reliable as Luka is over here." She looked over towards Luka, who offered no words of accommodation.

Shawn looked at the other redhead. "This guy may be more help, but that idiot you're making fun of knows more about loyalty than anyone I know. Whether it's misguided or not. I learned a lot more from the mistakes he wasn't willing to learn from to be who I am right now. I need to be there…because Luke's the one person I will go anywhere with."

Luke could feel his heart sinking to a thousand pieces. While Luka had a serious and nonchalant expression, Luke inside the void was looking shameful at how selfish he was. Shawn really did care for him, and he was going to be looking over him despite the hell he caused. He thought he might have driven him away like everyone else. Clearly he was wrong.

Abis Omega looked somberly ahead, his head lowering for Luke's grief. 'You're a pretty lucky guy, Luke.'

Luke said nothing in response. He was feeling anything but lucky.

"Well if that's your decision, then who are we to stop you?" Jase accepted. "But just how exactly are you intending to get back down when the anti-gravity drags you up?"

"…he can take the naturally made underground tunnels." Luka offered. "The one you took to get down here was just one example. With all the erosion, I doubt it'll be standing."

"Then I guess I'll find another one." Shawn declared.

"So be it. You'll be lucky to find one more. Good luck taking that trash out of the garbage can."

"Thanks, Luka. See ya." Without another word, Shawn turned and made way in another direction. He darted so fast with the obligation to beside Luke. It didn't matter how. If that was his decision, then It'll be his path to follow.

As Shawn left the party to themselves, Maggie sighed heavily. "Great, just great. Now we're another guy short."

"Well I suppose it can't be helped." Jase said.

"That's the quality of humans that's questionable here…choice." Luka replied.

"Now then, I suppose I can ask a few more questions that have been on my mind."

"Like what?"

"This planet. Our Earth has no such layers to make it this unstable."

Luka nodded. "Yeah, it came from another planet Riaan visited briefly a few times. It's been like this for a while now. Odds are now that he's siphoning New Vestroia, it's gonna slowly lower to make itself one layer eventually."

'So all life is eventually going to belong to Riaan on Interacia…' Luke surmised.

'You've seen enough. Now you know what's at stake.' Luka stated. 'This is no place or responsibility for you, begone!'

'Wait…!'

'Brontes.' The Bakugan's eyes brightened, making a brief flash that enveloped Luke and Abis Omega. Once again, everything around them turned black.

---

Luke's body jerked and awoke with a sudden gasp. His eyes were wide as he stared ahead in shock, unable to move for a few moments as he was catching up on everything. He blinked a few times, trying to get a feel of his hands as he looked at them. "What…?" He felt the bed beneath, feeling the soft spread beneath. "Looks like our bodies are back."

"Yeah, looks like it." Abis Omega responded.

"Abis…"

The Aquos Bakugan looked up from the pillow he laid on, staring at Luke. "Looks like Brontes closed the gate on us."

"Yeah…" The redhead looked down at his knees, which one was bent, as to where the other was sprawled on the sets. His frown was evident as he began to overlook everything so far. Everything he was told and listened to, everything that he could only fantasize, he never imagined that it would all be reality, and now it was sinking in like a black hole. Riaan wasn't who he thought he was. Luka saw too much death by the people here to allow their meaning to be in a void. Brontes was an avenger like him. It was still so much more that he had to take in, but that much he knew.

His face faltered in sadness. "So then Riaan really was a liar." He shook his head. "…no. He didn't lie. I just never asked."

His mind was once again drawing away from the points to childhood memories once more. He recalled that after all the cards on the lot were confiscated that only a couple short days after did Riaan get hired to better defend against the likes of Bakugan for the Revolutia family. All those training rounds. All those lessons he's learned; while they did benefit Luke, he now realized it was all a lie. He sighed again in deep grief.

"Well this bites." Abis Omega huffed. "Your master masterminded all this and everyone left us for dead."

"Yeah, they did." Luke looked further down in a sulk. Though it wasn't right to admit that, but excluding Shawn, he didn't think anyone would be coming for him soon. In his mind, he began to picture Jase, and Maggie, and Shuji, and Shawn. 'All those guys…they were my friends, and I just took them for granted. God, I'm so stupid!'

And then another image popped into his head, this one being one more person that he couldn't possibly forget. His eyes widened in realization.

"Esther!"

Abis Omega caught on. "Esther?"

"Yeah! She wasn't there when Luka told them about all that! She needs to know! C'mon!" He reached and picked up Abis Omega, albeit gently. He got up from the bed he was in and turned towards the door. However, he turned towards the body beside him, being the unconscious Keegan. As he stared at him, his face faltered to a deeper frown as he saw the damage he did. Turning in grief, he begrudgingly gritted his teeth before making way out the door.

---

Luke made way into Troposphere without the regards of his own safety. He made way into the alleys to avoid potential spotting. He knew the others avoided direct contact for a reason, so he knew to do the same. "Where is she…where is she…?" He was searching all over with as much cover as possible. He looked around the spot where he last saw her through Luka's eyes. "Gotta be around here somewhere…" He thought back to the look on her face; seeing that expression was a clear indicator of what might have happened to her. "Wait a minute…" His eyes slowly traced to the large dome that shimmered sunlight down onto it. He could see the large, manually made hole in the center where sunlight was direct. "There!" He made way as fast as possible down that path towards the domain.

Making way over bridges and waterways, he was catching his breath once he made it to the vast entrance of the domain. When he looked up at the entrance, it had a shelter atop with smooth crystal pillars on either side. He looked ahead to see reflective glass with his vision on it. When he looked at himself, he could see what a mess he was.

"You think she's in there?" Abis Omega inquired.

Luke shook himself out of his stare at the glass and focused. "Yeah. I saw how fixated she was. She's gotta be in here somewhere. She needs to know!"

"Luke…?"

Luke opened the door, in which it slid open before his presence. He ignored how the inside looked like a lobby section and instead made way to the far doors in the back. It looked like the receptionist desk wasn't at all looking to be paying attention, as was the woman as holographic monitors were in her face. With cover, he made it to the other side, where the doors slid open to allow him passage.

When he walked through, he was instantly met with a smooth, crystal balcony. He stopped in his tracks, looking around at everything around him. "Woah…"

All around him, there was green, plants, and especially flowers. Flowered pots were hung in a few decorative ways, while vines swirled and arched up some pillars with a variety of flowers growing on them. There were flowers of rainbow petals, to ones that weren't even recognizable on Earth, nor even New vestroia. It looked like flowers and a bunch of designs something out of a fairy tale. The way Troposphere water flowed like small waterfalls from sides and basked beneath the dark mulch made them fertile as could be.

"Amazing…" Luke marveled.

"Yeah, no kidding. It smells like it, too." Abis Omega said. He then realized something. "Wait, you think Esther and Atchibee are here?"

"Yeah, I think so…" Luke began to search all around them. His eyes quickly drew to something that was on the lower level in the center of the greenhouse garden. His eyes widened when he recognized a head of long, light brown hair down someone's back, with her head down before a bed of white, red, and many flowers that glistened in the sunlight. The most noticeable part, especially as such, was the small Darkus Bakugan on her shoulder.

"Is that who I think it is?" Abis asked.

"It is! Esther! And Atchibee, too!" Luke gasped. "Guys-!"

Dear thy ole setting grace~

Luke was in the middle of reaching out when he was hearing a soothing, melodic voice escape from Esther. He fell short as she continued.

May you please hear my voice and see my face.

It's a cold, cold night,

One set by the ends of one's dear fight.

It's here that they sleep,

And hear so let me say, when they rest in peace~.

"What's she doing?" Abis looked towards Luke, but what he saw was his partner looking at Esther like he was having an epiphany.

Luke had a gut feeling what she was doing. Normally, he would yell down and ask what she would be doing, but after what happened, it felt like doing that would be a disgrace to her. By the flower bed in front of her, and her head down, a sad frown began to cast on his face as he looked towards her,

"…she's singing a prayer."

Dear thy resting spirit, please don't cry

Tears from you and thy fall from the grace.

He who watches far from the sky,

He holds you dear with warmth and a smiling face.

May you watch with a smile like his,

So that when skies clear we know you have been mi~~ssed.

Luke didn't know exactly what to do. He was shocked as Esther was singing a melody, but from the sound that it was a song of mourn; a song that he caused. His eyes cascaded down as his eyelids lowered in shame. The song was meant for those lost in Thermosphere.

A life where you live what you can,

You did what you could and ran.

You went far, oh so very far.

And now you've reached the end and look down from afar.

Dear not weep,

For thy mortal wounds cut so deep.

You took that leap and now you are set free.

Luke's bangs cast a darkened shadow over his forehead. He frowned heavily for the fate that he alone had caused, the one that he was tricked by with his own ambitions. A price too great to be paid. He made everyone suffer, and realizing that through Esther's very hymns was breaking his heart.

Without a second thought, he didn't bother looking at Esther as he slowly turned and walked back the way he came, a dejected look on his face. Abis followed, but not before looking back one more time and followed Luke as the doors shut.

Hear thy spirit's plea,

I dear long for what you wished to see.

A land that you once called a disgrace,

But soon a land you see turn to a beautiful sea,

A sea of time and settings sun~s,

Suns that set on one's path and start anew.

Here thy spirit's plea,

Bring to me the peace that I wished you see~.

Esther finished her memorial hymn as a soft piano could've bene heard. She held a composed figment as she kept her head down for the spread of flowers. "And to our own way, may the spirits wish for you a new way…rest in peace."

---

The small waves crashing against the Trailer did not deter it in the slightest. It rocked some, but not nearly enough to keep it budging. In fact, the waves were so small that they were hardly splashing at all. It was still water, a se that had stopped.

On top of the Trailer, Luke's long hair shifted as a cold, shriveling wind blew through him. It chilled him through the bone, but he didn't complain. In fact, the goosebumps he took in he accepted. It was cold, just like his heart right now. Abis Omega watched from behind, seeing Luke stand like a statue on top.

A long, long silence fell as Luke's fist slowly began to ball. The words that Luka spoke earlier began to sink in.

"I'll say this once, so listen…your Master Riaan…everyone you've known...all those people you think you know won't be there for you for when you realize it. It'll just be you alone. Pay heed to your negligence, because when you realize it, you'll lose that part of you forever."

"…he knew." He quietly said. "He knew all along…he must have known this pain that I'm feeling right now…it's like I'm getting stabbed in the back and chest at once…it hurts."

Abis Omega lowered his head. "Yeah. That's grief for ya."

Luke's fists began to ball tighter. So tight that his veins were being seen along his arm. "…I did all this." He admitted. "I…I really am what everybody said…" his head shook slowly, his eyes misting so bad that tears began to form. "Dear god…what have I done?...what have I done?! DAMNIT!" In a sudden fury, he rammed his fist against the Trailer's top, making a thud echo. As expected, it didn't budge.

"WHY DID I DO ALL OF THAT?! WHAT WAS I EVEN THINKING?!" His eyes were spilling tears as he kept punching the Trailer. He just kept punching; over, and over, with the same two gloved fists. Each impact sent a shock through his knuckles that was making them bruised. He felt pain…but he deserved more than just that.

Abis offered nothing to help nor hinder what Luke was doing. He just watched with a blank expression.

"Why couldn't I just see all of that sooner?! Why did I really have to do all of that?! Everyone hates me! My partner hates me…I hate me!" With a loud grunt, he mustered his strength to punch the Trailer as hard as possible with one more blow.

As that last echo was as hard as a gong, a long, dreadful silence fell as Luke was on his knees. His knuckles were bleeding, no doubt staining some of the Trailer's stop. His arms were shaking as his teeth gritted.

Droplets of wet, clear liquid dripped from between the hands resting. Another one fell after. And then another. They were coming from Luke, who was crying with streams of tears running down his face.

Abis Omega let out a long, grieving sigh for Luke at last. "…you're an idiot."

Luke's grip slowly tightened into balled fists against the top. "…yeah. I am stupid." He slowly arose again, getting up to his feet once more as he turned towards the side. "I'm selfish. I'm arrogant. I'm everything that everybody called me all those times. Shuji, Maggie…they both were right. I didn't listen to anybody before making judgements. I listened to others before I listened to myself…it's no wonder why Master Riaan…and everyone else I guess, saw me as a lead weight on their shoulders." He sheepishly rubbed the back of his head as an amused smirk crossed his face. "God, it's a miracle they kept me alive for this long. I'm surprised they actually put up with me and how pathetic I am…including you."

"Luke…"

Luke gave a sigh of his own, keeping his head down as the tears continued staining his eyes. But even so, he smiled with dignity. "Abis…I know what you're gonna say…but even a thousand sorrows and my own self-pity can't undo what I got you into, and I see that now. You deserve better than me. I'm…I'm not even sure if I can even say anymore than that. Not that my words don't matter at this point."

To his shock, Luke was met with silence. He closed his eyes, hearing Abis' body float a little closer.

"…and you just now figured that out." He started. "I knew you were stupid the first words came out of that godforsaken mouth of yours. You didn't even bother wanting to know about our kind and just used me as a fighting tool, and I was sick of every second of that decision Atchibee and I took. Really, why did I even bother? Maybe I should've stayed on New Vestroia and stayed put, then I wouldn't have to deal with scum like you."

Luke didn't bother fighting back the words Abis was speaking. His partner was giving him a piece of his mind, and he was accepting it with a humble heart open, no matter how much it made him want to cry.

"You're everything that everyone says you are. You don't see clearly, and you're just weak! You're a pathetic human being, a terrible person, and I have every right to leave you right now!" A short silence fell as Abis Omega turned away, showing pain in his glare way. "…but you know what, I'm not."

Luke's eyes widened in shock. He gasped as he turned towards Abis, who turned towards him again.

"You know, I definitely would've been better off with someone who had common sense, but fate wasn't kind to either of us. Whether it was by my dumb curiosity or some twist of fate, I just ended up leaving that area to help. And after everything, if I could take it all back…maybe I would've, but that would be wrong." He glared at Luke, his orange eyes s serious as could be. "Luke…neither of us are that lucky to be alive right now, but we're lucky enough to have something that got us together: Friends. I was alone…you were alone…and now we have a bunch of friends who even hate our guts right now. But even after all that, I wouldn't trade that away. As crazy as it sounds, this adventure…actually has been the most fun and greatest experience I've needed."

"Abis…"

The Aquos Bakugan snickered. "Besides, as stupid as it is, we actually are alike. Look at me, I'm just an Abis Omega for crying out loud. Seriously, people can have all these stronger Bakugan and leave me for dead. I'm just…just a water serpent that's weak overall. Look at me, I don't have any arms, and I'm not like any of those special Bakugan like Drago, o-or that Preyas guy I hear about, or anyone of those guys. People always go for those kind of Bakugan because they're strong. But me…I'm not like them at all. I haven't got special powers or nothing." He began to think of his casual life like any other Bakugan in the woods. Of all the Abis Omega there were, he was just like them, completely average. His own eyes began to mist. "Besides…people always go to Pyrus and Darkus Bakugan anyway. Aquos is the weakest type there is. It's no wonder everyone doesn't like us."

"Abis…"

The Bakugan's own misty eyes glared at Luke again, the resolute as serious as his own will. "…but you know what, my life actually does have meaning now, because I've met someone who knows what I mean. Someone who's weak. Someone whose kind doesn't get bothered because no one acknowledges them. People can take those one of a kind Bakugan for all I care, because all those guys can go and be a success the way they want to, but I'm not sitting around in a river like I am before. I am not diving into water this time without a good reason…and I'm not leaving my pathetic partner, because I'm weak and pathetic, too."

Luke didn't have the words to show how much he wanted to cry. He was staring at Abis Omega like he was some prized gem that wasn't even meant to be touched. But in a way, to a degree that is, Abis did have a point. He could've stayed behind to begin with and never deal with Luke. He could've picked another Bakugan that at least had feet or something. But no, it was just Abis Omega, a snake that had poor stats to begin with.

Slowly, after so long, Luke began to smile again. "…wow, I really am sad if you're pitying me of all people."

Abis chuckled. "Hey, I made it this far, and you did, too. Counts for something I guess."

"Yeah, you're right." Luke cleared his throat before he took a moment to glance out at the sea again. He looked back at Abis Omega. "Abis, I…no, we, made mistakes. Mistakes that we're going to regret for the rest of our lives."

"I won't regret ever having to choose you, Luke."

Luke smiled. "Thank you…you and Shawn really are there when I didn't see it." He chuckled again in shame as he looked down at his bloodied hand. "Up till now, all I ever paid attention to was myself. The others had a clear judgement before I actually knew how to battle with you."

"That's saying something." Abis said, a grim tine befalling the mood. "But now that you know that, what are we gonna do now? We won't be bringing back those thousands that we killed, and odds are no one ever wants to see us again."

Luke looked away. "I don't know…huh, the irony." He grinned somberly, but it turned to a morbid frown. "Yeah, that was my fault. You warned me, and I didn't listen. But if apologizing can make up for even a small fraction of all that I've done, then I'd apologize for a hundred days straight. And…if I had to die to repent for them…then so be it."

"You really think dying will fix what happened?"

"Of course not. I see that now. The world of any kind doesn't work like that. It's no wonder Mom and Dad locked me up…but hiding like I was from reality is never what I asked form, and neither did the fates of everyone in Thermosphere…or our friends…"

Abis drew closer a little. "But we can still do something about it, I feel that from you."

Luke nodded, a serious expression growing. "Yeah…" Luke stepped forward, looking at Abis dead in the eye. Green and orange were looking deep as they poured into the other's resolving souls. "…Abis. No matter what happens next; whatever dumb mistakes I make; I just want you to know, you're my partner that I want to share this burden with. You stuck with me, and I can't ask for another Bakugan, because they wouldn't begin to understand what you went through a terrible guy like me."

Abis nodded. "And for what's it's worth…life's pretty interesting since I've met you."

"Then it's decided. Until the end of our days…to our last dying breaths…you and I, we're going to be partners together. Forever. Even if I die, would you still follow me?"

Abis nodded. "As will you for I?"

Luke smiled. "If we die, then so be it. But no matter what, if anything happens to us, we know what's at stake…and now we're gonna fight to make that change. We'll save as many lives as possible from here on. The lives of Earth. The Bakugan. Even the Interacians. I owe it to all of them to make their lives have meaning through my actions. If I can save just one person in the end, then that proves something. And even after, I'll fight on until this matter is settled once and for all."

"Agreed, partner."

Luke smiled down at Abis Omega once more. Truly, now more than ever, he could feel Abis' connection with him. Even if it wasn't possible, the snake's appeal and the powers of a calm water beneath them was making his cold heart feel warm.

Abis turned towards the still water. "But for now, we must ready for what we know has to be done."

Luke nodded. "I know."

---

A few minutes later, Luke looked into the reflective glass to show his face. His eyes didn't have that slant anymore. In fact, they looked calmer than Luka's. It really showed his empathy. Having been able to take in the small bit of food he took from the fridge, he filled up just enough to satisfy his appetite. With nothing but the bare clothes on his back, he turned towards the bed beside him, frowning at Keegan mournfully.

"…I'm sorry I wasn't able to keep your kind safe." He apologized. "I won't ask for your forgiveness. I know I can never have that. But for now, please, let me do what I can to settle this once and for all." He turned away, facing the door. "Even if your DNA is mutated fault, I won't let your life be as worthless as mine. Until then, please bear with my friends."

With that, he walked out of the door, leaving Keegan to twitch his lips in his sleep.

He soon made it to the top of the Trailer, where once again, he stood at the edge and watched the everlasting sea. As shocking as it was, it was calm, like the resolute in his heart. The cool winds he once felt were no longer giving him goosebumps. He wasn't afraid. He couldn't be.

"We ready to do this?" Abis asked.

"…yeah."

"There's no turning back anyways for us. We've gotta change, you know that."

"I know…we'll get stronger somehow. We may not know that yet, but I know where to start." He reached for his scabbard. He reached inside, where something broken was. As he pulled out his broken sword, he took a long, sharp look at it. It rested in his hands as he thought about that battle against Luka, and how his resolve overpowered cold, hard steel. He thought back further about Riaan and all the sword practices they had. Such bittersweet memories he is now willing to let go.

Taking a long sigh, he closed his eyes, the wind around him getting harsher as he reached for his long bangs and hair.

Abis remained silent as his partner unleashed his resolve.

With the broken fragments of the sword, the rugged edging sliced and stabbed into the bangs and hair behind his head. A chunk was sliced off as time slowed down. The strands came out like grass as the swords went all the way through, completely making his long hair going down his back no longer there, in fact not even going behind the neck. The top part o his hair was there, but the bangs framing his face were shortened drastically.

He looked down with a serious frown at his long hair clumped in his hand, and the other holding his broken sword, or what's left of it. After he took in the sights of it, the winds picked up further, and he sighed once more.

"…goodbye." He slowly let go, allowing the strands to flow away from his hands into the water below. The sword slowly dropped, falling with a steep plunge clean into the murky depths beneath.

Together, the hair and the sword both slowly plunged into the blue abyss beneath, to depths that were to be their own graves.

Having finished mourning, his eyes went towards Abis. "Now I'm ready." He offered his palm out, to which Abis Omega humble accepted and closed up. He dropped into Luke's grip, and together, they faced the sea.

"Okay then, let's go!" Luke threw his arm out. "Bakugan, brawl!"

The blue sphere went into the water with a soft splash. A blue light emitted from beneath, which quickly faded to allow something rise up. Abis Omega popped out of the water, giving a roar at Luke.

Luke stared ahead with vigilance. 'Jase. Shuji. Maggie. Guys…I hope you can hear me some way, but I know that this is for the best.' His mind began to recap to the first time he met Esther, seeing her pop out of the woods. He recalled bumping into Shuji and then Maggie, and seeing Jase and Shawn drop from above. He began to think of the mornings they shred, and how they all acted like more then just friends. It was like…brothers and sisters. His heart ached just thinking about leaving them, but he knew he had to do this.

It was time for the weakest link to be severed.

'This is what I have to do. This is my decision I made on my own. Shawn…Esther…everyone. Please, just wait for me…if you want us that is.' He watched Abis lower his head to allow Luke to crouch and jump onto his head. Now facing the Trailer, he looked down at the home with a soft smile. 'I'll always keep the memories we had here treasured, even if you think otherwise. Until then. Goodbye…for now.' He gripped Abis' head fin and turned towards the underground sea. "Abis…let's go."

Abis let out one last roar, signaling the start of his and Luke's new path. The serpent and him both arched into water, their splash leading them to cool water to take them away.

---

So now Luke and Abis Omega are gone. Don't worry, they'll be back, but now they have to make amends and accept that they have to fight until their final days.

And also now you know the little spin I add on Riaan. So basically, he is a more complicated life form similar to Code Eve and had the DNA that he implanted into Code Eve to create Bakugan. And also, now you get the small story I had with Luka and Alto Brontes and their ways of being Avengers. And to add icing to the cake, I added a small backstory to Cesar and his genius.

Next chapter won't be until late June. Sorry for the inconvenience, but family vacation coming. Until after! :)