Sending the opposition brawler a wink, Julie grinned as Gorem flew back into her hand. Instead of talking with the silver haired beauty, the boy huffed and walked off, annoyance rolling off him in waves.
"Man, people can be so rude, right Gorem?" Julie questioned, bringing her partner up to her eyesight.
"Yes Julie, however, look at the progress we have made in this last week" the Subterra Bakugan replied to his partner.
"Oh yea, for sure! We have moved up 10 spaces! We are so ready to put Billy boy back in his place!" she cheered, throwing her arm up in exuberance.
"It is a pity Dan had to go check out that lead, right Gorem" Julie mentioned humming happily.
Before he could answer a familiar voice interrupted the earthen giant
"Oh, is that right Bakubabe, I don't think you can handle me, let alone me and my buddies" Billy sneered, walking out of the shadows with Julio and Komba beside him.
Instead of retaliating, Julie grit her teeth and pulled her gate card up, steeling her nerves. The boys just shared a grin and pulled out their gate cards. A tense silence surrounded them as their cards expanded on the earth and began to glow their attribute colours before the world melted away and was replaced with the swirls of the battlefield.
"I was wondering when you would show up, although I wasn't expecting you to bring back up. What's the matter Billy, I'm too much for you on your own" she sneered, pulling her card out and holding it between her fingers.
The three boys scoffed and pulled out their card, letting the doom cards seep into the white floor.
"I got this boys... stand back and see how real Subterra Brawlers do it. Bakugan brawl… Centiploid stand!" Billy shouted, releasing his Centiploid into the battle.
"Gorem lets show them how it's done! Goreeeem stand!" she shouted, bringing her leg up above her head before throwing Gorem in.
Julie smirked as Gorem apparated before her, the smirk widening with every hit of his imposing hammer. The sheer impact and speed of the repetitive hits caused the Centiploid to fall back. Billy growled, watching as Centiploids power went down with every hit against the shield, ending with a burnt orange glow sending the Bakugan to revert and go back to Billy.
Julie did a backflip off Gorems shoulder, letting her body spin before ending in a crouch on the floor.
"How do you like getting your hands dirty Billy? Under earth attribute" she shouted, a smirk crossing her features as she straightened.
"I'll admit, pretty impressive. Was expecting you to go with the weaklings first not your powerhouse" Billy sneered, smirking at Julie's resulting anger.
"There is no way she would risk Gorem again, let me go next" Julio said smirking at the boys.
After getting a smirk back Julio stepped forward.
"You may be a cutie but I'm going to get you to see the light! Go Haos Fear Ripper!" Julio shouted smirking as the imposing form of his Fear Ripper emerged from the light.
"Any time now pretty lady" he shouted, smirking at her annoyance.
"Gorem I need you again! This is not playtime" Julie loudly whispered to her partner.
"Let's show them how it's done" he replied, his gravelly voice soothing Julie.
"Game on. Bakugan go! Gorem stand!" she shouted, immediately leaping on his hand to climb gracefully onto his shoulder.
"Ability cards activate! Solar ray!" Julio shouted grinning as fear ripper went up 100gs.
"Gate card set!" Julie shouted, releasing another one to stand next to Gorem.
Raising his eyebrow, Julio commanded Fear Ripper to attack, to which Gorem raised his shield and stood his ground, causing Fear Ripper to go down by 50 gs.
"Gate card open! Grand spirit!" Julie caused, smirking as Gorem went up 150s.
"Now Gorem, Grand Impact!" she shouted, smirking as Fear Ripper reverted and returned to Julio.
"Gate card set, Bakugan stand, and Subterra Manion stand" Julie called relishing in the boy's expression at her change in strategy.
"This oversized cat chicken is mine! El Conder stand!"
"Gate card open. Character card!" Julie yelled, the card morphing into the perfect replica of the Sphinx above it.
"Ability activate- Solar Plexus" Komba yelled, doing a backflip.
Julie let out a gasp as she watched her Manion's power level decrease by 50 G, a further crack in her strategy appearing when her character card cracked below her feet. Before she could pull out an ability card, she saw the swirling black hole appear and suck her Manion in, dragging a strangled cry of grief from the Australian beauty.
"That's how it is done granny" Komba said, catching his El Conder.
"Ladies first" Julio called, smirking across the way at Julie.
"Rattleoid stand!" Julie growled, releasing the snake onto the card.
"Bakugan brawl, Hynoid stand!" Billy called, grinning as his Bakugan let out an imposing cry.
"This is ending differently from last time. Your move Billy" Julie growled, determination colouring her words.
"Ability card activate! Whirlwind" Billy called, grinning as his Bakugan became a blur.
Gritting her teeth, Julie kept her eyes focused, waiting for a second to intercept.
"Gate card open! Character card" Julie called, grinning as her Rattleoid's power level tripled.
"Now poison fang!" she called, seeing an opportunity.
"Not so fast! Triple battle!" Billy called, his grin increasing as cycloid appeared.
The grin further expanded when he saw the power level of his hynoid increase to 600G.
"Now Hynoid, do it!" he called.
Hynoid leapt forward, getting the poison fang to his leg. He turned his body and bit hard on the Rattleoids neck, feeling his body revert back into ball form and go back to his master. The smirk remained on his face despite his loss as he saw the Rattleoid disappear into the black mass, pushing down any residue of guilt he felt.
"That's what you get when you face a superior brawler Baku babe. Just admit you are out of your depth" Billy called, satisfaction coating his smile at Julies obvious frustration.
"Never! gate card set, Tuskor stand!" she called, throwing in her trusty Tuskor.
"My turn. Bakkkugaaan Brawl, Harpus stand!" Komba called, finishing his flip.
"Oh, hi there you should cut back on the food, you are a bit pudgy!" she called, crackling at seeing her opponent.
"Ability activate! Nose slap!" Julie called, not wasting any time.
"Ooh Komba I need some poooweerrr" she called, as she narrowly managed to avoid the swinging nose.
"I got you Harpus. Feather storm" Komba called, pride rushing through him when he saw the turquoise projectiles buffering the elephant in combination with her g power reaching 470.
"Oh no! Character card" Julie called out desperately, seeing her elephant's power level double.
"Solar plexus" Komba called a smirk appearing when he saw the gate card cracking and Tuskors power level decreasing a further 50g.
"Do it Harpus" Komba called, smirking as he saw another one of Julies Bakugan enter the doom dimension.
"Gorem… You are my last hope" she whispered, cradling her Bakugan between her hands as she tried to hold back her tears.
"Julie. We are partners. A team. Let's show them how true friendship goes" Gorem said, hyping her up.
"I got this one boys. Bakugan brawl, Cycloid stand!" Billy called. Cycloid appearing on Julies gate card.
"Ability activate," they yelled in unison, "Mega impact" Julie called, the same time Billy yelled "Copycat."
With that the two titans knocked fists, Gorem decreasing.
"Okay we are still in the lead! Now for a power boost! Gate card open! Character card" Julie called, smirking as Gorem's power levels increased to 650Gs.
"How do you like that Billy?" Julie called, a confident expression on her face.
"I was hoping you would do that. You see this card Julie? I borrowed it from my dear friend Klaus" Billy called, relishing the look of fear crossing his opponents face.
"With this card, any Bakugan above 400gs is immediately defeated. You know what that means right Bakubabe?" Billy jeered, his friend's chuckles bolstering him.
"Doesn't matter. I am never leaving Gorem. He is my best friend, my partner. Where he goes, I go! So do your worst but once you make this call, there is no going back!" Julie called, pulling her shoulders back and steeling her eyes, causing the boys confident expressions to falter for just a second.
"You sure you want to do this Boss? She looks pretty set there" Cycloid called, turning back to his master causing moment of indecision crossed billy's face and he played with his cap.
"What are you waiting for? If you end her, I'll bump you to 9th place. Then they can't be calling you double digits anymore" Masquerade taunted, appearing out of nowhere.
"No way? Do you mean it?" billy called, an awed expression coating his tanned skin.
With the affirmative from his boss and the boys behind him cajoling him Billy turned his hat back and raised his card.
"I'm sorry Julie but hey at least I don't need to hear your annoying voice anymore. Gate card open! Open, trade off!" he called, grinning when he heard her sweating profusely at him.
"Julie, you have to get off, this is your last chance I care too much about you to condemn you to this fate" Gorem ground out, clutching the battlefield to prevent him from falling.
"Remember when you came to me? How you said you wanted to share my highs and lows with me? How I would never be alone anymore? Well the same goes for you big guy! We are in this together, let go and let's go with style!" Julie called, holding onto his shoulder.
Sensing his reluctance, as soon as her hair fell free from its constraints and flew about her, she kissed Gorem's shoulder and let go, letting the death coated wind suck her into the abyss.
"Julie!" Gorem called, letting go of the ground and following his mistress, his best friend into the veil.
Meanwhile 5 figures watched, stunned expressions covering 4 of the of faces. None of them expected Julie to do that, they had no idea she had that kind of bravery in her. Hell, they all thought she'd get off at the last moment. Grudging respect for the girl formed in the 3 boys' eyes as they stared at the spot where she disappeared. They may not care about her as a person and may only see her as an enemy, but they had to hand it to her, she had heart. She was dedicated, determined and a true representation of the Sunterra element. She reflected it perfectly, nurturing, kind yet strong and determined; bordering stubborn and her will power was as unmovable as the earth. These thoughts still swirled around their heads when they arrived back at the compound, the three appearing out of the light toft h transporter card
"I'm no longer double digits" was all Billy said, punctuating his words by tossing her scrunchy on the table. He turned to walk off, a swagger in his walk that wasn't present before. He turned and walked out, letting the door slam behind him as he sauntered off.
"No way" Chan said, frantically pulling out her pod to check.
"Guess Billy boy does have what it takes to be on this team after all" Klaus said smirking, as he gently placed his china cup down on its saucer.
The others all murmured their agreements, shocked that Billy was that ruthless. They weren't entirely sure what happened, however if he had the scrunchy the silvernette was never seen without and the nod Masquerade gave in respect, it must've been good. Even Julio and Komba who had been there was still shocked, having not expected he boy to be that cut-throat. However they all agreed that if he was able to remove one of the Brawlers all who were solid brawlers then he really was one of them, a fact that cause a swell of pride in each of the members.
Once alone in his room, Billy lay across his bed. His arms beneath his head he let out a weary sigh. Understanding his partner's needs, Cycloid rolled himself into the bathroom to give him privacy, and only once he left did a singular tear, containing the sliver of regret her felt, leave his eye. He didn't regret it, his heart and head loyal to the cause, however he was inundated with memories from their childhood and he needed time to grieve and kiss them goodbye before focusing on the grand future.
Never in all Gorem's years of living had he met a more stubborn and hard-headed creature, and he lived with creatures that represented that with their element. However, on the same token, never had he met someone as devoted, loyal, and courageous as the female resting in his hand, and that just added to the list of reasons why she is his perfect match.
When the portal opened, he desperately wanted Julie to jump off and save herself. He knew he had no chance but loved her and cared about her too much to let her sacrifice herself. However, as he felt the oppressive force of the portal close in on them and his grip finally fail, he knew that she would stay by his side, as she took his oath of never leaving each other as seriously as he did
Shrugging off the gloom the encased him as he walked, Gorem secured his grip on her and aimlessly continued onwards. All around him he could hear the cries of bakugan and could feel their restlessness, knowing he would be a target. However, he also knew with equal surety that he would protect Julie and stay by her side, as that's what partners did.
Hope you enjoyed the first chapter. This is the first of a series about the Brawlers and there was be many changes from the main series! The reason why Julio and Komba came as well was because Billy was the weakest and Masquerade wanted to ensure the battle was a success.