Chapter 2 - Partners

"So Dan, how was it?" he asked with a bored expression while his chin was resting on his palm. Class just finished, and the crimson-haired child was sitting on his desk; the other boy was standing beside his chair.

"My hands feel like spaghetti..." the brunette whined back. Gale sighed. "Dan, it wasn't that hard."

"Says the person who's a genius at math."

"I'm not a genius, I just listen to class unlike some people who prefer to brawl." the word 'brawl' seemed to have lifted the red-eyed boy's spirit back to normal. "Oh yeah! You sure you're not going to try brawling?"

"For the thousandth time no. I don't even know anything about Bakugan." the second sentence was a lie. After all, he had those same things they were talking about in his backpack.

"But everyone here calls you the 'Bakugan's Keeper'...just try it. Once." Gale shook his head. "Pleeaase?" he pleaded.

"Dan-!" he was interrupted when his bag started moving by itself, making the brunette look at it in surprise and the other boy panic. To his horror the wiggling wouldn't stop, and soon enough the zipper gave way and out came the five different attributed Bakugan. "Master Gale!" they all said in unison. The ball-shaped creatures then rolled on his desk and opened up all in front of Dan. The red head simply face-palmed. "Guys, I told you to stay inside my bag unless there was an emergency." he muttered with annoyance and anger.

"It was an emergency Master Gale!" Subterra Saurus spoke up. "Aquos Juggernoid wouldn't stop pushing us and we were getting crowded in the dark!" Ventus Serpenoid added.

"It was your fault for being so darn big!" the turtle Bakugan retorted.

"We're the same size stupid!" Saurus snapped.

"Nuh uh!" the Aquos Bakugan yelled.

"Yuh uh!" the two other Bakugan shouted in unison.

"NUH UH!"

"YUH UH!"

"Stop this bickering at once! You're all acting like children!" Haos Falconeer shouted while she was fuming. That didn't stop the three Bakugan from arguing though.

"In short, the three couldn't stand each other together and began to fight." Pyrus Griffon said mildly after turning to Gale.

"So you do have Bakugan with you after all!" Dan said in surprise. The other boy avoided his friend's gaze in guilt. He had thought that with all the requests he's been given, this would push the brunette to make him brawl. He didn't want that, so he tried to keep the meetings with his clients secret, and his ability only as a rumor. It worked for a couple of weeks, but as the news spread around the campus, he feared that it would be discovered sooner or later. Gale didn't expect though that his Bakugan were the ones that spoiled it.

He turned back to the brown-haired boy and did a small bow. "I'm sorry that I lied to you Dan...but I really don't want to brawl...that's why I kept these guys hidden from you..." he muttered in a apologetic tone.

The boy was surprised to be pat on the shoulder. "If you don't want to do it that badly, then don't." the brunette smiled. "You don't have to worry about anything. I forgive you."

"R-really..?"

"Yep! Now can you tell me how you got this cool collection of Bakugan?" he asked with his eyes sparkling in excitement.

"Well...technically, they aren't mine...I bring them to school in hopes for one of them to be taken in with a good brawler." he started. "These Bakugan have deserted their previous partners for various reasons...though I assure you they're not evil in any way. Since this school is filled with people who are inexperienced and stuff, I thought that they can make good brawlers for them."

"It's like adoption except with Bakugan."

"Something like that." Gale was happy that Dan was catching on quickly. "If that's the case, can I have that lion Bakugan?"

"Huh? You mean Pyrus Griffon?"

"Yeah! Remember? I'm a Pyrus Brawler! And I'm sure Griffon would be a cool addition to the team!" he beamed. The crimson-haired boy turned to the ball-shaped creature, then back at the brunette. "In normal circumstances, I would have tested your other Bakugan's friendship with you...but knowing you Dan, I'm sure you'll take good care of him." Gale smiled. He then picked the Pyrus Bakugan up and let it roll on Dan's open palm. Out of the blue, another Bakugan popped out of the child's shoulder and flew to Griffon. "Nice to meet you." the dragon-looking Bakugan started. Gale noted how deep his voice was.

"It is an honor to be fighting alongside you Drago." he replied.

"Hey Drago, how do you like your new teammate?" the brown-haired male asked.

"I'm sure he'll be of great help."

"Great!" the boy faced his friend. "This is so cool Gale! I'm sure you'll be able to let the other Bakugan have great partners too!"

"Thank you Master Gale...for giving me a new home." the red head nodded in response. "You're welcome Dan, Drago and Pyrus Griffon."

"Wait, you heard Drago talk?" Dan questioned in surprise.

"Yeah. Griffon and the others as well."

"Really? But how come I didn't hear anything..?"

The boy shrugged. "I dunno. But for some reason I can talk to all kinds of Bakugan even if it's my first time meeting with them."

"That's awesome! I wish I can do that!"

"It's kinda strange though that it never came up before I was-" he stopped mid-sentence; his eyes suddenly showing a hint of fear and doubt.

"Before you were what?" he pressed with his curiosity piqued.

"Uhm, nothing. It's not that important anyway."

"If you say so..." the brunette muttered. "Anyway, I better get back to my class...see you at lunch Gale!" he then sped off the door with the two Bakugan before the child could reply.

"...you too Dan." he smiled.

-o-

It was finally lunch time in the school and Gale was starving. He recalled feeling his stomach grumble about five times in class and groaned. "I better eat something before I collapse from hunger." unfortunately right after he stood up from his seat, a girl with dark-brown pig-tailed hair approached him. "What do you want?" he asked bluntly.

"That isn't a way to treat a lady such as myself Gale. But let's get to the point." she smirked. "What Bakugan do you have with you today?"

Gale did not like that sneer one bit, but he reluctantly told his friends to come out of his backpack and present themselves to the student. "I want...that one." she pointed at Aquos Juggernoid with her index finger.

"Do you have another Bakugan with you?" she nodded and took one of her own out from her pocket and showed it to the boy. It then opened and looked at him with a neutral expression. His voice though said otherwise. "You would be the dumbest human in my book if you hand him to her." Aquos Reaper muttered. "She treats us like tools, and she's really self-centered. You don't need to place any pity on me...I've already done that to myself a million times before. None of us don't have the courage to actually run away from her though. Besides, she has some skill and experience under her belt. Still, it'll be better to find a better partner for that Juggernoid."

"Interesting. Nice talking to you Aquos Reaper." the red head replied.

"I like you kid. It feels nice to talk to someone else other than the Bakugan with her."

"So what did it say?" the girl cut in. "I'm sure it said that I'm really beautiful and I'm good at brawling right?"

"Sorry, but you're not qualified to take Aquos Juggernoid." her calm face suddenly changed to disbelief and anger. "What do you mean not qualified? I'm more qualified than everybody else! I haven't lost a single battle and all my Bakugan like me!"

"Look, no matter how much you plead, I'm not giving him to you. I'll look for someone else to be his partner-" out of the blue, the girl lunged at him and grabbed his collar. Gale was heavily caught off-guard and was frozen in place by her death glare. "You know, I hate it when people don't give me what I want." she muttered darkly; her voice eerily low and creepy. "If you won't let me have him, then let's brawl."

"Woah woah, I don't brawl at all-"

"Then you have no use for hanging on to them right? I'll take them off your hands."

"No way-"

"Either that Aquos Bakugan or a brawl. What do you say Gale?" the boy gulped.

"Master Gale...it's okay. I'll go with her." Aquos Juggernoid suddenly spoke up through the intense silence. "No." he murmured back, which surprised the Bakugan. He then pushed the girl away from him and wore a more serious expression. "You want a brawl? Fine, whoever wins gets to keep Juggernoid. Clear?"

"Crystal."

"Then let's-"

"Gale!" they were both shocked to see Dan rushing in the classroom while panting hard. "I thought we were gonna meet down-" he then gaped. "-are you going to battle each other?" he shouted.

"Yep, he won't give me Aquos Juggernoid so I suggested a brawl." the girl sneered.

"Y-yeah..." his confidence disappearing. The crimson-haired boy glanced at the brunette and mouthed "Take over" as he pretended to take out a field card (which was actually a gate card) from his backpack.

"Ready?" the student asked.

"No." he replied.

"Great! Field..."

"Open!" to her shock, it was Dan that finished the sentence and not Gale. In result, it was the brunette and the girl who were taken to a different dimension while the red head remained frozen in time. "W-what? Why are you here?"

"Because nobody picks on my friends, that's why." Dan replied while holding a black card in his hand and Drago floating beside him. "Now let's get started shall we?"

A/N : The short word count may be from the over-use of dialogues in the chapter...anyway, kind of sneaky of Gale to switch with Dan. But you can't blame him since he doesn't have the slightest clue how to even battle. I think the gate card came with one of the Bakugan he was with.

Honestly, I've never tried doing a Bakugan Brawl before...and I haven't read one either since this fandom is mostly filled with romance fics *bleh* I'll try my best to describe what's going on and I'll try to follow the rules...I guess.

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