Chapter 8: Second Times' the Charm?

"Allow me to go first," Jack pulled out his Doom Dimension Card. "Doom Card, set," He then tossed a Bakugan into the playing field. "Bakugan Brawl!" A dark colored Bakugan flew threw the air and landed on a Gate Card. "Darkus Robotallion, stand!"

A giant robot-like Bakugan materialized on the card's surface.

"Let me go in! Let me teach this punk a lesson!" Serpena pleaded. Bailey took Serpena in hand and looked at Cassie with a silent expression. Her piercing dark colored eyes spoke a thousand words, and Cassie nodded as if to say: "This ones all yours". Bailey nodded back and held Serpena tight.

"Hurry up before you crush me!" He mumbled as Bailey tightened her fist one last time around the Darkus sphere.

"Bakugan Brawl!" She threw Serpena into play and he flew through the air faster than...well, a speeding bullet.

"Rise, Darkus Serpena!" Bailey whipped out an ability card, faster than her opponents could blink. "Ability Activate! Poison Fang!" Serpena lashed his head out at the Darkus Robotallion, and dug his fangs deep into the android's metallic body.

"How much will Robotallion's power decrease?" Cassie asked herself outloud. She looked at her BakuPod.

"Bailey!" Cassie looked at the screen for a while barely even caring to blink. "Robotallion's power level...it's...not dropping!"

"What?!" Bailey looked at her own BakuPod and her eyes went wide. "How is that possible?!"

"The Gate Card of course," Sage said, a grin spreading across his face.

"But you haven't even-"

"Activated it yet? Oh, that's the best part. The Third Charm Gate Card allows you to nullify any opponents' aggressive ability card three times before you actually have to open the Gate Card."

"Comes in pretty handy when dealing with aggressive battlers like you," Jack grinned wickedly at Bailey. "Now, Robotallion, attack!"

"Bailey! If we don't get Serpena out of their, he'll be sent to the Doom Dimension!"

"Serpena!" Bailey shouted to get his attention.

"I can't quit, Bailey," He said as he fought Robotallion's persistent attacks.

"Not...now..."

"Sorry, Serps, I can't risk it!" She looked at Cassie and pulled out another ability card. "Ability activate! Triple Battle!" Robotallion's attacks suddenly ceased and a bright wall of light created a barrier between the two Bakugan.

"Cassie," Bailey said in an almost demanding tone.

"On it!" She said pulling out and Aquos Bakugan. "It might not be Lumino, but it'll have to do for now! Bakugan Brawl! Aquos Mantris, stand!" Cassie then pulled out an ability card from her black and blue pouch that was tied around her hip. "Ability activate! Marionette!" Cassie's Mantris picked up the protesting Serpena and put him on his own Gate Card.

"Marionette allows Mantris to move any allying Bakugan to an adjacent Gate Card as long as he is on the same Gate Card as the Bakugan being moved," Cassie explained.

"No matter," Jack sighed and waved his hand about. " Ability Activate! Robotallion Enforcement!"

The automated female voice sounded from Cassie's BakuPod. "Robotallion leads the battle at three, five, zero G's. Mantris follows at three, four, zero G's."

"Oh, No!" Cassie shouted as she looked up from her miniature screen just in time to see Mantis get knocked into the Doom Dimension.

"Mantris!" Cassie screamed reaching out for it in a failed attempt to bring it back.

Sage laughed as he watched Cassie. She glared at him. "Your going to wish you hadn't done that," She said dangerously.

Sage looked at her in fake innocence.

"Me? I didn't do anything to your Mantris, Casserina." Cassie clenched her fist as Sage held Lumino up again.

"Give him back!" She shouted across the arena. Bailey had to hold her back, and calm her down before she did anything rash.

"How about we make things interesting?"

Sage wagered waving the Aqous Bakugan in the air.

"How 'bout we don't, and say we did?" Cassie retorted.

"Fine by me," Sage shrugged. "But you probably just missed your only chance of getting your precious Lumino back," He put Lumino back into his jacket pocket and pulled a Pyrus Bakugan out. "Bakugan Brawl!" Sage threw his Bakugan out onto the field. "Bakugan, Stand! Rise, Pyrus Centipoid!" A huge centipede-like Bakugan appeared on a completely different Gate Card. Cassie looked over the playing field. "He's on my Gate Card..." she thought, grinning to herself.

"I've got this!" Cassie said to Bailey, holding an arm out in front of her partner to stop her from throwing another Bakugan into play.

"But you've already lost Mantris, and you don't have your-"

"I'll be fine," She said confidently, although more to herself than to Bailey. "Bakugan Brawl!" She readied her ability card, and threw her Bakugan. Not even waiting for it to stand on the card, Cassie activated her ability. "Ability Card, activate! Sub-Zero Substitute!" A blue light glowed from Cassie's ability card, her Bakugan, and Sage's jacket pocket. Everyone squinted to see the playing field, and when the light dimmed there stood Lumino on the playing field.

"How did you-" Bailey stammered. Sage scowled at Cassie which she returned with a confident, 'In your face' kind of smirk.

"Sub-Zero Substitute is one of Lumino's special abilities. No matter what Bakugan I throw out, as long as Lumino is still fair game, I can use the ability to swap them out," She finished, taking a deep breath in, and putting her hands on her hips triumphantly.

"Well don't get too cocky there," Jack warned pulling his shades down a little to reveal his eyes slightly, then pushing them back up to there original position. "The battle's not over just yet."

"Exactly..." Sage's face softened into a small smirk and Cassie glared at the two. "In fact," Sage held out and ability card. "We're just warming up."