As soon as they'd arrived, the resistance's hotshot brawler, Ace decided Dan and them needed to prove themselves before they could join, the battle ended up being a tie after a three hour brawl. Dan and Marucho picked out a new outfit for themselves, the three new arrivals were briefed about the dimensional controllers and fanboyed by Baron, then Dan suggested training before they arrived at Alpha city and everyone accepted. Before that can happen, they'd need to eat and sleep.
Baron was busy coddling Dan and asking him to tell stories, then going about how he'd be the greatest brawler ever.
"Sorry Baron but the greatest thing about you right now is your mouth." Mira said.
"Huh?"
"If you spent as much time practicing as you did talking, you'd be a master brawler by now."
"No way! How could you say that?" Baron sent her a look of indignant anger.
"Don't listen to her Baron! You're doing fine. Right, Drago?" Dan turned to his Pyrus Dragonoid.
Drago sighed. "She does have a point."
Dan got up from his seat at the campfire. "Okay then, we'll show them you've got what it takes together." He looked at Baron with a smile. "And you can bet I won't go easy on you Baron! Okay?"
Baron bowed. "Yes, your word is my command!"
"Aw c'mon it was just a joke!" Dan laughed.
Baron got up and started laughing with him, the duo going inside to bed so they had an early start tomorrow.
Luna shook her head. "It has been a very long three years indeed." Her bakugan perched on her shoulder gave grunts of agreement. "One minute peace then the next, the I-bomb has been dropped."
Mira tilted her head slightly in confusion. "I-bomb?"
"A way of me saying invaders show up." Luna explained.
"Ah, I see." Mira nodded, then got up. "I'd better head off to sleep too; big day tomorrow." Ace and Marucho followed her in.
Marucho stopped at the door, "Luna? Are you coming?"
"Nah, I'll keep watch." She replied.
"But you'll be tired!" He protested.
"I go to school with three to six hours sleep every week and pass, I'm good."
"Alright then." the short boy disappeared inside the mobile base.
Luna put Nocturne and Nightmare in her hands, she gave them a triumphant smirk. "Told you we'd meet again."
"Wasn't guaranteed though." Nightmare said.
"Yeah. Last three years have been hell." Luna admitted, smirk dropping to a small smile.
"You missed us that much, eh?" Nightmare inwardly grinned.
"Not just that, parents soon moved away to canada, going for some job offer."
Nocturne perked up. "What's so bad about that?"
"I uh, got attacked within the first week of school by twenty plus girls for saving library books and was called a sheep for two years, then had my old name i-" She stopped, remembering why she'd changed her name to Luna in the first place.
"Why I ought to-" Nightmare clamped a wing over the Storm Skyress's beak.
"Shush, you." The wyvern looked up at her brawler. "Sorry kiddo."
Luna didn't seem to hear her, she got up, puzzled frown on her face. "Anyone hear a light buzzing noise?" Her bakugan perked up, listening for said sound.
"Yes! I hear it as well!" Nocturne hopped to Luna's shoulder, looking around. Suddenly the buzzing stopped, they sat silently for several minutes, listening for it to no avail.
Luna shrugged. "Mosquitos, gotta hate them." She curled up on the ground, clutching her two guardians to her chest as she fell asleep.
~-_.:\|/:._-~
Luna woke with a start, having been shaken awake by Baron, she swatted at him groggily. "Go away I'm trying to sleep."
"Have you been out here all night master Luna?!" He asked.
The darkus brawler got up. "First, stop calling me master. Second, yeah, I was."
"You should've come inside! What if the Vexos showed up? They could've just taken your bakugan! Maybe even you too!"
"But they didn't." The blonde yawned. "What's up?"
"We're about to leave to a nearby forest to train." The lavender haired boy replied. Luna walked inside the mobile base with him on her heels. The door shut behind them and the base rolled to the forest.
After half an hour they arrived in what looked like a forest with those weird white pom-pom tipped plants thatLuna couldn't remember the name of, however instead of white they were a light purple.
Everyone stepped outside. "Final stop; the forest of fluffy doom!" Luna mimicked the voice of an announcer. Her bakugan got a decent laugh of it.
Baron and Dan ran a ways ahead of the group and the Pyrus brawler set down his gate card and rolled Drago onto it while Baron rolled Nemus.
They stood there for a moment, then Dan started repeating "Get psyched!" and flailing his arms before hitting his chest with his fists like a monkey while yelling. Ace sat down when Baron started doing it.
"Is he gonna do this every time he brawls?" The green haired boy grumbled.
"Hope not." Marucho scratched the back of his head in slight embarrassment. Drago and Nemus started chatting while their respective brawlers slightly embarrassed them.
Baron suddenly stopped copying Dan, he stood up straight. "I'm sorry, I can't train with you."
Dan seemed not to head him. "Yeah! Stay psyched! Keep it up-" He stopped and looked to Baron for an explanation. "What are you talking about?"
Baron sighed. "It's just that I don't deserve to battle with someone of your skill and bravery, sir."
"That's a pretty odd thing to say."
"I'm just not worthy." He dropped to the ground and hit the dirt with a fist. "I'm so sorry, you see it's all my fault what happened to Tigrerra!"
Dan's expression turned to one of puzzlement. "Tigrerra?"
"We were brawling Spectra, I lost my nerve, and then I lost Tigrerra." Baron explained.
"I had no idea." Dan kneeled down in front of Baron. "That makes it even more important for you to get back in action dude! To battle, so you can win back Tigrerra!"
Baron looked up at him worriedly. "But if I loose again I'll loose Nemus from me! I couldn't stand that! Remember; you loose your bakigan if the power difference is over five hundred! I couldn't risk that again, Dan. Could you?"
The Pyrus brawler put a hand on Baron's shoulder. "I know it's tough, but you gotta try."
Baron shook his head. "No way. I'd rather just hand over Nemus than to loose him in a battle."
"You don't mean that." Dan said.
"Yes he does, so save your breath, Dan." Mira interjected, walking up to the two. "You think you're going to free the bakugan with that kind of attitude? We can't afford to have you in the resistance if you're just going to give up."
Dan looked up at her. "Don't you think that's a bit harsh, Mira? The poor guy needs to get his confidence back."
Marucho ran between the two. "Let's calm down! Inexperience like that is bound to shake a guy's confidence! If Dan works with him I bet Baron will be back to his old self."
"Aw come on Mira!" Dan got to his feet. "You know how it is to loose a bakugan. We're all in this together; we have to work as a team!"
Mira crossed her arms. "My point exactly."
"What?" Daniel asked.
"A team is only as strong-" She looked to Baron. "-as its weakest member."
Suddenly a black and purple ship the size of the mobile base appeared, flying erratically towards them.
Luna scowled. "That guy drives worse than my sister!" She recalled the time her sister drove the jeep, Luna's foot got caught on a rope and she was dragged through mud for a kilometer yelling at her sister.
The ship swerved dangerously and tottered to its sides several times, bumping into trees on the way down and finally hit the ground, dragging itself right in front of the resistance members before angling upwards dangerously as if it was about to fall forwards and crush them, only to land back where it was.
"Nice landing!" Dan commented sarcatsically.
The ship opened, revealing two pilots, the first one got out, cackling before he lost his footing and landed headfirstinto the ground. The purple coated boy pulled his head out whilst laughing. "What a rush!"
The second figure, a girl dressed in armor and a blue cape, did a much more graceful exit of the ship that the first. "Shadow! You imbecile! Must everything be a joke to you?"
"Mylene! Shadow!" Mira exclaimed.
Dan looked at her. "Who?"
"More of the Vexos." She explained.
Shadow lurched forwards, tongue hanging out of his mouth. "Surprise!" He cackled. "So, who's got the guts to battle me?" The silver haired boy looked at the group for a moment. "How about you?" He gestured to Luna.
"Sure! Let's get this party started!" She brought her guardians up to eye level, ready to go.
"No, not you. Baron will brawl him!" Mira decided.
Baron's eyes widened. "What!? No, no, I don't mind! Luna can handle this one!"
"This is your chance to prove your worth, are you ready to jam or ready to run?"
"But what if I loose Nemus?" Baron asked worriedly. Nemus hopped onto his hand.
"We won't know if we don't try, Baron. We can win this, I trust you." The little white and yellow ball assured.
Shadow turned to Mylene. "This one's not even worth my time! Want him Mylene?"
She glowered at him. "No way, you can have the small fry."
The Darkus brawler stomped his foot in protest. "Aw come on! How come I get the lame battles?!"
"Then finish him, quick." She replied irritably. Shadow turned to Baron, gauntlet raised.
"Ready wimp?" Baron raised his gauntlet as a yes.
"Gauntlet power strike!" The two called.
~-_.:\|/:._-~
"-You can't win if you don't battle!" Nemus yelled, frustrated with his brawler.
Baron played defense and it cost him two losses, if he lost again he would loose the brawl. Currently Shadow had Darkus Atchibee on the field.
"You're right Nemus, sorry. Time to get back in the game!" Baron tossed his Haos bakugan onto the field, Nemus stood.
Shadow cackled. "Finally giving up Nemus? I'll add him to my collection."
Baron growled. "Nobody touches Nemus on my watch!" He activated an ability card, a yellow beam of light spiraled up Nemus.
"Another lame attack? Ability activate! Vermillion Jet Black!" Atchibee beat its wings and the area adopted a dark purple hue as Nemus lost 300G.
"Ability activate! Shade cocoon!" Nemus raised his staff and hit the ground with it's bottom, sending a wave of multicolored light away and canceling out Atchibee's abilities. The area returned to normal.
Shadow glowered at the Haos brawler. "I don't need any abilities to beat you! Hammersaur stand!" The Darkus bakugan leapt at Nemus, he hals bakugan held him off with his staff.
"Oh no their ganging up on Nemus! Baron do something!" Dan exclaimed.
"hang in there Nemus! Just a little longer!" Baron insisted, holding an ability card.
Shadow grinned. "We've got a party! Let's invite Anchorsaur!" The next Darkus bakugan stood.
"Baron! If you don't act now I'll get involved!" Luna's anger was rising. Nemus was at 250G and his opponents at 1000G now.
"Alright Nemus!" Baron announced. "Last chance to win! Fusion ability activate! Flow Skylight!" Nemus switched G-Power with the Darkus trio, if he beat them than he would get all of them.
"Light of the majestic sky, release my friends from captivity!" he swiped at them once with his staff, sending them to Baron in ball form.
Baron caught Nemus. "Flow Skylight is an ability that only works if Shade Cocoon is active and the power difference is over five hundred."
Shadow gasped. "You mean you faked me out?!" He stomped around like a child. "No fair! I'm the one who's supposed to cheat! Not the resistance!"
"You are an overconfident numskull!" Mylene said.
Shadow turned heel and glared at her. "I am not!"
"Oh man up!" She turned her head away indignantly. "It's your loss, you're taking the blame! Get in the ship, we're going and this time I'm driving." He got back in the ship.
"I can't believe how bossy you are!" He whined as the craft closed and Mylene took off.
"What'd I tell ya? It's all about getting psyched! Then you brawl with everything you've got!" Dan cheered.
Baron nodded. "Oh yeah, I was psyched! But I wouldn't have done it had Nemus not trusted me and not hang in there the way he did!"
Nemus unfolded. "It was nothing! I knew you wouldnt let me down. We're partners! A team 'till the end!"
"Aw, that's the nicest thing a bakugan has ever said to me!" He hugged Nemus.
"Not so tight! Let me breathe!" Came the muffled protest.
" well, I guess that means we don't need master Dan or Drago anymore, we'll free the bakugan by ourselves!" The victorious Haos brawler teased.
That struck a nerve. "Hey! I've still got lots to teach you! Now drop and give me twenty pushups!" The Pyrus brawler snapped. Everyone broke out into laughter.
~-_.:\|/:._-~
Midnight
Luna sat atop the base, unable to sleep. She sighed and looked to her two sleeping partners, both dreaming without a sound. Her, on the other hand, had a terrible tendency to snore and even talk in her sleep. Fortunately for her most days she'd had no dreams, just darkness until se awoke seemingly seconds later. Lately though, she'd been having dreams, hazy at first but it slowly became clearer.
She didn't know what the dream was, just a flash of images of the resistance, the Vexos, Earth and the bakugan. She was so deep in her musing she didn't hear the set of footsteps approaching her.
"Not a good idea to be out alone at night, especially while everyone's asleep and-" BAM! She jolted upright and slugged the stranger in the face, causing whoever it was to fall flat on their rear whilst clutching their nose.
She recognised the now bloodied-nosed boy as Shadow Prove. "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry!" Her eyes widened as she went to help him. He swatted her hand away angrily.
"Oh my poor nose!" The silver haired boy sounded rather silly with his nose covered. Luna tossed him several napkins as a last ditch effort, he took them and stuffed them in his nose. "Jeez lady you hit hard!"
"Not so loud!" The Darkus girl hissed, grabbing him by the arm and heading into the woods of fluffy doom. "The heck are you here for anyways?"
He glared up at her. "Well I WAS here to battle you, but then SOMEONE had to slug me in the FACE!" Luna looked at him as seriously as possible for a moment before she doubled over laughing uncontrollably.
"You sound like a broken trumpet!" She giggled.
"Quit making fun of me!" He snapped, pride stung by her snide remark. "This is your fault!"
She got up, still laughing a bit, then bursting into laughter as a thought came to mind. "Trumpets are related to horns, aren't they? Does this mean your cousin is horny?"
His glare turned to a glower. "Shut up!"
Luna slapped herself. "Alright sorry. Got overexcited there."
"Why'd you slap yourself? Not that I'm complaining or anything."
"I do that a lot. Keeps me out of trouble and gets me focused most times, others it's to just shut me up both physically and mentally."
He blinked. "...Okay then."
Luna sent him a look. "Thank you for your permission." She said dryly.
"You know, for a human, you're not like any of the resistance members so far. You're pretty mellow unlike the hotheads back there." Shadow pointed a thumb back at the base.
"Well it's only really Ace and Dan who are hotheads, Marucho's pretty chill and so is Mira while Baron's more of the overexcited fanboy." The blonde shrugged. "Name's Luna by the way."
Shadow perked up. "Hey I think my nose stopped bleeding!"
"Better not take the napkins out, might start again. We gonna brawl or what?" Luna took out Nightmare and Nocturne and readied her gauntlet.
Shadow raised his gauntlet. "Sure, why not."
"Gauntlet, Power strike!" They called.
"Seeing as I whopped you on the nose, you get to set the gate card." The girl decided.
"Fine by me. Gate card set!" The card hit the ground and dissipated in a wave of purple energy. "Bakugan brawl! Darkus Manion stand!" The Darkus bakugan stood, revealing a sphinx-like bakugan with 600G.
"Bakugan brawl! Nightmare stand!" The wyvern reverted to it's true form.
"Gate card open! Darkus reactor!" All bakugan rose 200G.
"Ability activate! Darkest Despair!" Nightmare rose 600G higher than Manion and dove in to attack.
Shadow grinned. "Not so fast, scales! Ability activate, Copycat!" His Manion rose 700G and Nightmare had to veer sharply up to avoid being swiped by it's claws.
"Double ability activate! Special Darkness plus Night's Trap!" Manion nosedived to 100G, now unable to move due to lack of power.
"Ability activate, Amon-Re!" Much to Shadow Prove's dismay, nothing happened. "What the-?"
"Special Darkness prevents you from using any abilities and Night's trap leaves you with only one hundred G-Power. Copy that!" Nightmare dived in, whipping Manion with her tail and defeating it. Both Darkus bakugan went to Luna.
"Gate card set! Bakugan brawl, Nocturne stand!" The girl tossed her Storm Skyress out, it flew up in a flurry of feathers as it gave a screech. Shadow sent out a Darkus Rattleoid.
"Ability activate! Poison fang!" Nocturne lost 50G, leaving her at 450 and the Rattleoid at 600G.
"Gate card open!" Luna threw Nightmare into the battle and Shadow's next bakugan was forced in, revealing it as a familiar Darkus Serpenoid.
"Is that-" Luna paused, looking the Serpenoid up and down.
"I am afraid it is." Nocturne sent Shadow a glare.
Current standings were Shadow's team; 1200G. Luna's team; 1030G. "Ability card activate! Primal Rush!" Luna's side rose to 3530G and dove in, knocking both serpents off the field and sending the four battling bakugan to Luna.
"Battle over. Winner; Luna Nightshade." Her gauntlet announced.
"Guess you're not as weak as I thought you were." Shadow returned to his ship, somehow taking off without driving erratically as he had been earlier that day.
Luna looked down at her two bakugan. "Not a word to anyone or anything about this."
