Chapter 7: More Checkers for the Board

Cassie stood in a frozen stage of paranoia, scanning the area for who she thought was Sage.

"Hello?" She asked tentatively. A few more seconds and a young girl-who looked Japanese-with long flowing black hair knelt down, picking up a black and purple mechanical sphere that rolled around in protest.

"Serps wasn't bothering you, was he?" She asked holding up her Darkus attributed Bakugan.

"Serps?" Cassie asked a little skeptical.

"Yeah, he's my Bakugan" The girl began.

A small yet deep voice came from the Darkus sphere."The best Bakugan that ever came to earth- Ow!" The girl flicked the Bakugan.

"What kind of a name is Serps anyway?" Cassie asked, walking a bit closer.

"The most handsome, most glorious name worthy of a Bakugan of only my stature! And the name's "Serpena", get it right, bubble brain," Another flick was administered from the girls finger tips.

"Cut it out, woman!" Serpena shouted, and the girl shrugged.

"He talks too!?" Cassie asked astonished as she disregarded his insult.

"Sorry about him," She apologized. "He can be very annoying and...big headed," she glared at him and set him on her shoulder. Holding out her hand, she introduced herself. "I'm Bailey Tamaki. Darkus user, and owner of Serpena. It's nice to meet you..."

"Cassie," Cassie filled in. "Cassie Yumikata." She took hold of Bailey's hand and shook it lightly.

"Um, have you been crying?" Baily asked tilting her head.

"Oh, great," Serpena sighed. "Another crybaby! When are you Short lives gonna learn to Bakugan it up!" By this time, Bailey and Cassie had both had enough of Serpena, and Bailey decided it was about time Serpena shut his mouth. She picked the squirming Bakugan up off of her shoulder, and stuffed him into her purse.

"I'm sorry, but that is one annoying Bakugan..." Cassie pointed out, as if it weren't already plain as day.

"I know," Bailey hung her head slightly. "But," She brought her head back up abruptly and sighed. "You get used to it...so why we're you crying?"

"Oh, see I got into a fight with a friend after loosing my Bakugan..."

"Ah," Bailey sighed. "Loosing Bakugan to the Doom Dimension is rough."

Cassie tilted her head, not quite understanding what Bailey meant.

"The...Doom...Dimension...?"

"You haven't heard of it?" Bailey looked surprised. "Everyone's been talking about it. Online forums are exploding with the news. I'm honestly surprised you've never heard of it."

"What is the 'Doom Dimension' anyway?" Cassie asked.

"Well-" Bailey cut herself off by taking a sharp turn. She spun to face a young solemn looking boy, with black hair and purple shades. It took a little while for Cassie to realize that something was up, and when she finally followed Bailey's gaze her eyes landed on an unfamiliar figure.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"Oh, goody!" Serpena had found some way out of Bailey's purse an was now bouncing around with an odd sense of delight. "Another hoodlum for me to smash! Come on Bai-Chan! Let's take this guy down!"

"Who are you?" Bailey echoed Cassie's question.

"The name's Jack," He pulled his shades down slightly to get a better look at the two girls, then pushed them back into their original position. "And you two have something I want," He pointed at the girls then whipped out a black and dark purple card with green trim. A strange skull adorned the back of it and Bailey tensed.

"The Doom Card..." she said in a dangerous voice. "Serps, I'm gonna have to say no to that-"

"YOUR NOT GOING TO KEEP ME FROM DOING MY BEST, WOMAN!" Serpena jumped around in Bailey's face. She snatched him up an his next few cries were mere muffles.

"If you think you can't already take him alone," A voice Cassie recognized all to well came out of nowhere. A chill ran down her spine as Sage appeared next to the boy calling himself Jack. "Just wait until I add myself into the equation."

"You," It was Bailey's turn to be mystified by the new comer, and Cassie's turn to tense up. Ever since she had been separated from Lumino, she had been a wreck, and her fight with Alex didn't help either. She couldn't let Sage see her like that though, so she put on her best act. "With the way you got your sorry butt kicked last time, I was thinking you'd never show your face again."

Sage chuckled.

"So where did you meet this joker?" She continued to ask as Bailey looked at her, warning written all over her face.

"Hey," Jack sounded as if he might explode, and all just by one little comment. "Watch it, sister!"

Cassie rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, Jack," Her words were filled with mock and sarcasm, and she let his name linger in the moment a little longer.

"Can we please just get this over with?" Jack asked impatiently as his annoyance only grew.

"I'm with Goggle-Eyes over there," Serpena stated. "Let's knock some heads!"

Bailey closed her eyes and clenched her fists tight. "Alright. I'll do it."

"But Bailey, you can't do it alone!" Cassie shouted.

"Well I was hoping you'd accompany me.."

Serpena-as usual-interrupted Bailey mid-sentence. "Tch, we don't need her! We have me!"

"Serpena! I have had enough of your back talk! So just shut up, and Brawl!"

"Now, we're talkin'!" Serpena said. "Although I don't really appreciate that "Shut up," comment very much...at all really..."

Cassie groaned and all four whipped out gate cards.

"Field, Open!" Everyone shouted in unison. When the playing field materialized in front of them, they all took out another gate card, and threw them to the opposite corner of the field.

"Gate card, set!"

Cassie turned to look at her partner for the Tag Team battle. "Bailey, before we start..." Bailey looked expectantly at Cassie.

"Oh, and before we start," Sage started out loud, mock in every word. He held out a squirmy little dark blue sphere.

"Cassie! Cassie!" It shouted across the battle arena.

"Lumino!" Cassie cried, fighting the urge to run across the battlefield to get Lumino back. "Why do you have my Bakugan!?" Her eyes-full of hate and fury-fell on Sage who's face was adorned with a small smirk.

"Cheer up, Sunshine," He said in a teasing tone. "You'll get him back...just not now," Sage tucked Lumino away in one of his jacket pockets.

"Give him back, now!" Cassie demanded. Bailey put a hand on her shoulder.

"Cassie, it's ok, we'll get him back," she flashed her eyes assuringly at Cassie, then looked at Serpena, as if to say: "You're helping."

"If it means another opponent...I guess I'll help..."

"Oh, thank you, guys!" Cassie almost started to cry again.

"Ok, ok, enough with the sob stories! Let's brawl, short lives!"

Cassie couldn't agree more. If it meant getting Lumino back, she would do anything.