"The general that wins the battle makes many calculations in his temple before the battle is fought. The general who looses makes but few calculations beforehand," - Sun Tzu.
"Stoica!"
Ren stood protectively in front of Runo and Julie, his arms spread out to the sides. Shun had taken a battle stance beside Runo, and Jake looked nervous but held up his fists, Coredom locked in the center of one. Fabia was looking over Linus' shoulder, her eyes wide as she realized that one of the Gundalian invaders that was bad to the bone still lived. All of the Gundalians were shocked, their eyes wide. Zenet was glaring at Stoica, whose eyes met hers, and she narrowed them back at him. Mira and the others understood that this guy was bad news, and Ace forced himself protectively in front of Mira. She didn't make a sound, despite her irritation at this action.
Runo clenched her fists, regarding the intruder nervously. He was smirking at Ren, or appeared to be to everyone else in the room, but Runo noticed when his eyes flicked back to her. His reptilian eyes... They were little more than think yellow ovals in the opaque pools of white that surrounded them. Runo couldn't tell very much from them, but they had an eerie reminiscence to Shadow Prove's eyes. There was a spark of insanity in Shadow's eyes the last time she had seen him, and she could detect that spark here with Stoica as well. These eyes were also devious and cruel, qualities that Shadow's eyes seemed to lack.
As if on command, and as soon as Ren's voice faded, a bright white glow grew from Stoica's body. Runo and Julie both shielded their eyes while Shun and Jake squinted and Marucho closed his eyes. Ren hissed, and when the glow died down, it revealed none other than Stoica's recognizable Gundalian body. His smirk had vanished, his cold eyes fixed on Ren now.
"You're a filthy little traitor, Ren," he growled. Ren's glare deepened. "I'm sure that Kazarina is just itching to get her claws on you."
"Huh? Kazarina's alive too?" Zenet blurted. Stoica glanced at her, looking quite annoyed.
"Frankly, I'm amazed that she didn't just dispose of you three. Especially you, Jesse. You're quite annoying," Stoica grumbled. Jesse didn't seem fazed by this comment, and instead of retaliating instantly, he flipped through his book.
"A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult," Jesse fired back, his face straight for once. Plytheon bounced up and down in front of him, but Jesse ignored him.
"Seriously, Jesse, is now really the time to be quoting the bible?" he complained. Jesse didn't reply, and Stoica rolled his eyes, tossing the crutch he had stole from Julie on the ground beside him.
"Didn't you hear me, Zenet? We're all alive," he muttered. "Code Eve seems to think that we could use punishment for our actions. But she doesn't know what became of Emperor Barodius, or the rest of us!" Shun's eyes widened then, and narrowed once more a second later. Ren hissed, his fists clenching and Fabia pushed past Rafe and Linus. Paige stepped forward next to her, glaring at Stoica.
"Why should we care about Barodius?" Fabia challenged. Runo glared at Stoica, daring him to answer that question. Stoica blinked at Fabia.
"Huh? There are two Fabia's?" he questioned, glancing between Runo and Fabia. Both girls glanced at each other, noticed their similar appearances, then glared back at Stoica.
"I think you could use an eye exam," Drago growled. "This girl is a human. She has nothing to do with this." Runo's sharp intake of breath caught Shun's attention, and he quickly whipped his head around to face her. She looked quite confused at this statement and opened her mouth to protest. She was as part of this team as much as the rest of them, maybe even more so than the others due to her status as Dan's girlfriend. But Shun anticipated this reaction, and quickly raised a finger to his lips. Runo's eyes flicked to his face, anger and confusion obvious in her gaze. He shook his head slightly to the side, and her glare softened, a perplexed expression coming over her features.
"We don't need him to know more than he already does about you, and that's that you're Dan's teammate," Shun hissed. "We can't even give him your name, because he'll use you against Dan. Drago and I suspect that the Gundalians snatched him, so we have to be careful." Runo looked watched him silently, then gave the slightest of nods to clarify her understanding. Stoica had been watching the exchange with interest, but obviously hadn't heard the words Shun had said to Runo. However, he had heard what Julie said to her before, and the worried look on Julie's face was all he needed to affirm his next speculation.
"Ah, ah, ah! Drago, I believe that she has something more to do with this than you're letting on, doesn't she?" he quipped, waving a finger as he smirked at the small Pyrus Bakugan. At this next ploy, everyone visibly stiffened. Marucho bit his lip, his bloodshot eyes flicking from Drago to Runo nervously. Spectra studied the Gundalian seriously, but the mechanical eyes within his mask gave nothing away. Gus looked rather irritated, and Mira nervous and angry as her teeth glinted in the bright light of the LCD monitors in the room.
Stoica's eyes darted around as he smirked, once again reminding Runo of Shadow Prove, but with the blue-clad witch absent. His eyes found Julie's, and she shot him a glare like none other. He blinked at the intensity of it, and smirked. "Something tells me you know something worth spilling," he smirked. Runo glanced at her friend worriedly, wondering if she would take the bait. Julie crossed her arms and stuck out one lip as she glared at him.
"Riiight, because if I did know something, you probably would have heard it by now," she snapped in her usual sarcastic voice. "Stop snooping around my friend! If you want a brawl then just announce it already!" Stoica's smirk grew, and Fabia stepped forward threateningly.
"You've overstayed your welcome, which I don't remember giving you in the first place," she growled professionally. Stoica turned his attention toward the feisty Nethian girl once more, his smirk transforming into a menacing glare. "Either state your purpose, or leave, before we make you. We're busy here."
"Now now now, where's the fun in that?" he smirked, waggling a finger again. "I don't seem to recall you being in charge here, in Bakugan Interspace, Princess Fabia!"
"Stop avoiding the question," Ace ordered. "What do you want, a fight? 'Cause Percival and I'll give you one thrashing you won't forget!"
"You took the words right out of my mouth, Ace," Percival bounced on Ace's shoulder.
"Oh please," Stoica smirked. "If I wanted a fight, I'd challenge King Kuso. I hear that's his nickname these days. Speaking of the big-shot, where is he?" Marucho's eyes widened, and Ren gasped. Jake glanced from side to side worriedly, and Julie stared at Stoica in shock. Runo was the first to come out of her stupor, and she jumped forward in front of Shun. She pushed Ren's arm forward, her eyes alight with her anger. Stoica's eyes grew wider, as did his insane grin at her outburst.
"What did you do with him? Tell me!" she screamed.
"Ha! I knew you had something to do with him!" he cried triumphantly, pointing at her.
"Hey!" Shun cried, grabbing her arm as she raised it to strike the smirking Gundalian. She tried to pull her arm out of his grip, but he grabbed her other one easily, pulling them both behind her. Easily, he shifted his hands to her upper arms, and she turned to him, her eyes blazing with an anger that was so similar to Dan's when he found that kids were being taken from Bakugan Interspace that Shun almost froze and let her go. He recovered, though, and whispered in her ear, "Runo, let's go, otherwise you'll blow your cover."
"What did you do to him? You better not have hurt him, you creep!" she threatened, ignoring Dan's best friend. Stoica cackled loudly, and Shun shot him an enraged glare. Baron and Jake looked shocked at Runo's outburst, and both Ace and Ren looked quite angered. Mira and Rafe were both glaring at Stoica, and Paige was holding Fabia's wrist tightly to keep her from attacking the Gundalian. She kept yanking hard every few seconds, clearly wanting to kick Stoica's butt.
"We haven't done anything to your boyfriend," Stoica smirked, finding pleasure in watching her squirm in the agony of ignorance. His irises, however alien, had shrank to an even smaller size than Runo had first seen them in his cruel mirth, and they faded behind his gray eyelids as he chortled sadistically. "What's the matter, girl, you look like you're going to cry!" Runo's eyes were shining with tears, and with that, she found the strength to rip her wrists from Shun's grasp. Shun gasped, taking a surprised step backward at her strength.
"What are you doing?" he cried. Stoica's smirk grew ever wider, and his body began to glow.
"Fabia, I think you and Kazarina discussed our terms!" he smirked around his chuckles. Fabia froze and gasped. Runo's pupils shrank in anger, and she launched herself at him just as the golden rings began to appear around his body. His eyes widened as she latched onto his arm with an iron grip, and Shun shouted out her name again just as Fabia ripped her wrist from Paige.
"RUNO!" he yelled, starting to run forward. However, at that very same moment, Fabia's hand closed around Aranaut, and her body glowed gold. Her fingertips just barely grazed the vanishing fabric on Runo's back, and then Runo had disappeared. Fabia stumbled, but she and Aranaut had gotten what they needed to keep Stoica in their sights. The golden rings appeared around her feet, rising up her body quickly, and her form dissolved.
"Princess Fabia!" Linus cried, reaching out a hand in vain. Rafe's eyes were wide, and he kept trying to search the faces of those around him for a clue on what to do. Paige's face fell, but her eyes remained as large as dinner plates. Everyone's eyes were glued to the spot where the trio had disappeared, and for a moment no one moved. Shock had paralyzed all of them.
After a moment, Marucho spun his chair around and started tapping keys like mad. "Hurry! Ren, Mira, Spectra, I need you guys to help me track their coordinates!" he ordered desperately. "We only have a minute before the signal dissolves, that's how Fabia was able to follow Dan here when she bumped into him! Come on, hurry!" The individuals he signaled out hurried over to their spots at the table and rapidly punched codes into the table. "I'm starting up the cameras we installed before," Marucho announced to the group around the table, "and I'm inputting facial recognition. If the camera detects them, an alarm will sound."
"Good thinking Marucho!" Jake cried.
/V\\\\\
Runo gasped, stumbling backward as Stoica lashed out with his arm. She managed to catch herself with little problem, but the damage had already been done. He had transported her with him, and he wouldn't be able to get away quickly enough to ensure that she didn't grab on again. But it didn't really matter, as they had been transported to the middle of an empty battle arena inside Bakugan Interspace.
"Why you little-" Stoica growled at the sight of her before him. She stood her ground, baring her teeth as her pupils shrank still to compensate for her anger. "You annoying little girl!"
"You think so?" she snarled. "Why don't you brawl me and find out just how little I am?" She whipped out a card, and her new Guardian Bakugan was suddenly clasped between the middle finger of her right hand and her index finger. Their eyes locked, his wide with anger at her quick thinking to follow him, and hers narrowed with vexation. After a moment of staring each other down, Stoica's irritated expression twisted its way into a smirk.
"Fine then." His insane grin was back, and his lip curled to show one of his fangs. Runo wasn't deterred by this sight, however, and she nodded, turning to walk toward her end of the battle arena. She ended up running, bloodlust clouding her senses. She yearned for the chaos of battle, for the euphoria of the fight. She was seeing red before she realized what was happening, and then, she found herself standing in her respective circle.
She turned, her fists clenched, and her eyes found Stoica. He was standing in his circle, a hand on his hip in a strangely feminine pose. The smirk hadn't left his face, Runo soon discovered, when the large screen appeared above his head. When he spoke, however, he wasn't addressing Runo.
"Well then, ladies, are you going to come out of your hiding places? Princess Fabia, I know you're here. And Kazarina, I imagine that you want a piece of the battling action, too!" Runo blinked in surprise, turning when she heard a grunt and the sound of shoes hitting the ground. Standing behind her was none other than Princess Fabia, looking rather intent on the prospect of taking on the invaders that had nearly destroyed everything she held dear.
"What are you doing, Stoica?" Kazarina sounded rather irritated with the Aquos battler as she walked up behind him. "You were supposed to transport here alone."
"Yeah well, it's not my fault that the girlfriend of the big-shot himself just happened to grab me, and then the Nethian princess followed as well," Stoica smirked. He seemed quite pleased with himself, and Runo felt her anger boil inside her again. Her cheeks flushed, and Kazarina, who had been glaring at Stoica, turned her attention to Runo. She was suddenly all too interested in the girl, a sadistic smirk playing its way across her features.
"Is that so?" she drawled. Runo felt the tiniest bit of fear work its way into her stomach, forcing some of her anger to take a back seat. The claws on this woman's hands were enough to make Runo shiver, and the sadistic look that seemed permanently etched into the skin of her face did nothing to help matters. "Might I ask her name?" Stoica's eyebrows furrowed, and Runo realized that even though the Gundalians knew her face, if they didn't know her name, they wouldn't be able to find her as easily again. Her anger melted slightly once more, and she flashed a look at Fabia that said all that she hoped it would. Fabia nodded quickly, tapping a few keys on her jewel of a Baku-Meter.
"Fabia!" Marucho's voice blared out of the yellow jewel of the Castle Knight uniform just as soon as it connected, making Runo turn to face the girl who looked so much like herself.
"Marucho, I need you to disable the system that tells your name before you battle! Hurry," Fabia urged. "They can't know her name!"
"Who, R-"
"Shush!" Fabia hissed, glaring into the Baku-Meter. Runo could feel her heart thumping in her chest and her stomach clenched. Her fingernails dug into the skin of her palms as her fists tightened, but she didn't notice. She turned to face Kazarina and Stoica, both of which looked like they were waiting for her answer.
"My name is none of your business," Runo snarled, her anger coming out in full force. Kazarina smirked, and Stoica crossed his arms.
"Fine then. I'm sure that when the battle is over, we'll know it anyway," Kazarina said smuggly.
"Alright, action disabled!" Marucho cried. "Should I start the battle?"
"Please do, and then feel free to join us!" Fabia told him. The connection closed, and then, the announcer's recorded voice blared through the speakers.
"Let the battle, begin! Bakugan Field open!" Runo quickly selected a Gate Card, and jumped up, spinning before tossing it down.
"Ladies first!" she grunted. "Gate card, set!" She then opened her fist, revealing a Haos Splight. "Let's do this, Splight!" she whispered.
"Alright milady," a masculine voice answered her.
"And Tigrerra, you'll be ready to jump in if you need to?"
"If that is what you wish, milady," Tigrerra agreed from her spot on Runo's shoulder. Runo nodded, and then lifted her hand.
"Bakugan, brawl! Bakugan stand! Rise, Haos Splight!" A large white Bakugan rose up from the center of the arena, letting out a screech.
"I will not fail you!" Splight vowed, raising a blunt arm up to his chest, holding just over where his heart would be. Kazarina observed this with a bored look on her face, and then her eyes lifted. Her smirk returned, and she let out a small chuckle.
"Looks like the gang's all here," she said, pointing up into the stands with her thumb. Runo and Fabia turned as Stoica followed her gaze, and all of them took in the group of brawlers emerging from a golden doorway at the top of the stands. Ren, Rafe, Paige, and Linus looked around, caught sight of Fabia, and then dashed down the stairs. Shun and Ren followed, and Jake and Baron came next. Ace, Mira, Spectra and Gus made their way down after them, taking their seats near the bottom of the arena. The Gundalians looked like they were on edge with this new development and hung back, unsure if their presence would be welcomed or not. Marucho was absent, and Runo assumed that he was working behind the scenes to trace Stoica and Kazarina's income point.
"Looks like it's my turn!" Stoica cried with an evil grin. His words snapped the three female Haos brawlers back into reality, and they watched as Stoica geared up for the fight. "Bakugan brawl! Aquos Lythirius, stand!" The large, lobster-like Bakugan rose up out of the card with a flash of blue light, snapped his large claws.
"I will crush you!" he chortled. Runo made a face at the many eyes that were grouped together on his face, able to see the likeness of both herself and Splight in the many hexagonal reflective surfaces. There had to be at least twenty different little hexagons, Runo assumed, and shivered.
"What's wrong, don't think you can take the heat?" Stoica jibed. Runo flashed him a glare and watched silently as the two Bakugan sized each other up. On the floating screen of her BakuColar, and on a large screen above the arena, the Bakugan and power levels appeared. Splight was at 1000 and Lythirius sat at 900. Fabia opened her hand after looking at the stats, revealing Aranaut.
"Are you ready Princess?" he asked.
"You bet! Bakugan-" she started, raising an arm.
"I've got this one, Fabia," Runo found herself saying softly, and Fabia froze. She lowered her hand, blinking at Runo.
"But, he's a strong battler-" Fabia protested, knowing the dangers of facing the stoic brawler, but he cut in.
"Let her do what she wants, Fabia!" He flashed her a toothy sneer, and Fabia made a face at him, disgusted. "It's her funeral! Will you be the one to write the speech?"
"Bring it!" Runo snarled, and Fabia's green orbs grew in size again that day.
"Is she crazy?" Jake asked no one in particular. "Stoica has even taken down Nurzak and Fabia, both at once!"
"He cheated that time," Fabia called, turning to face him. "I think she can handle him!" Jake stared at her, open mouthed.
"Runo is a very strong battler," Shun reminded the others in a lowered voice. "She managed to take out Lync when he and Mylene went after her and Mira. Not only that, she only lost four brawls when we had to face Naga. Two of those times were against Masquerade, one was me, and one was Dan."
"Whoa! Really?" Baron gasped. "That's unbelievable! That has to be one of the best records I've heard of!"
"You kept track this whole time?" Mira asked, her awe evident in her voice. Shun nodded, crossing his legs and his arms as he stared down at the arena with narrowed eyes. He, like the others of the Castle Knights, had opted to gear up in his Castle Knight uniform. It seemed to be the best choice, considering the situation. None of them had known what they would be facing when they entered the meeting room that morning, and certainly nothing had prepared them for this. Shun suspected now, just like Drago, that the Gundalians they thought they had taken down were responsible for Dan's disappearance. Shun only knew Drago suspected this because of Drago's reaction when Stoica appeared and questioned Runo's status as Dan's girlfriend, and thanks to his heightened ability to see through others. Others might call that paranoia, but paranoia never did harm a ninja, now did it?
"You can do it girl!" Julie called now, cupping her hands around her mouth to amplify the sound.
"We're with you one hundred percent!" Ace added.
"Give them a good thrashing!" Coredom shouted.
"Don't let your anger get the batter of you," Tigrerra warned. Runo nodded, but she wasn't really listening. Her anger had already taken over her senses, clouding her thoughts and judgement. This fight was about revenge. Runo knew that the Gundalians had taken Dan. Something in her head kept whispering this truth, repeating it over and over until it had overpowered any other suggestion that might have risen to challenge this one. From the moment Stoica revealed his identity, the pieces had started to fall into place. This was one of the people that had ripped the one she loved most from her. This was one of the people that was responsible for whatever fate might befall Dan; terrible or wonderful Runo didn't know, but she suspected and feared the very worst. And she intended to make him pay for his crime before he could cause any permanent damage, and regain the one close to her heart. He was guilty by association, and that made him worth destroying in her reddened, pain seeking eyes.
"You don't stand a chance," Stoica smirked, pulling her back into reality. He whipped out a card, and Runo contemplated fighting a defensive battle. No, that wasn't an option. She had to be the one attacking. "Ability, activate! Merfolk!" Lythirius cackled as a bright beam of light zig-zagged out of his mouth, shooting straight toward Splight. Splight took a step backward, bracing his leg against the ground, and then let out a grunt as the attack collided with his chest. He was sent flying backward, colliding with the edge of the arena.
"Splight!" Runo cried, turning her head to keep him in her sight. Her eyes darted to the BakuColar on her wrist. Splight's power level had gone down by four hundred, landing him at a lower power level of 600.
"I'm fine, don't worry!" Splight assured her as he sat up. Several bangs accompanied that statement, signifying his efforts to lift himself from the hole he left in the arena. Runo sighed in relief, but her comfort quickly transformed back into anger, and she whipped out a card of her own. "Ability card, activate! Volting Mirage!"
Splight got to his feet again, the blue diamond on his forehead glowing. He lifted the large, blunt, handless arms up in front of his face and crossed them there, the blue gems in the center of the shields on the sides of his arms glowing white. Within seconds, a purple cloud had appeared around the arena. Faces melted into shadows, and to those in the stands, it was nearly impossible to discern even the one sitting next to them from the slithering shadows.
Splight had vanished, and Runo smirked. Even though she couldn't see through the dancing shadows, Splight could. But Fabia and Kazarina, as well as Julie and the rest of those spectators, were rendered blind. Nothing penetrated this darkness, and Splight seemed to have melted right into the battle environment.
Lythirius turned from side to side, scanning the battlefield for the now invisible Haos Bakugan. His numerous, insect-like eyes caught several images, but all of them were of the smoky shadow cover that surrounded him. What images he could discern were scattered and misleading. Nothing stood out that was worthy of his attention, and Lythirius realized that the ability had rendered him sightless.
"What's this?" Stoica demanded, straining his own eyes to make out shapes. "What happened?"
"Huh," Kazarina smirked. "The ability card Volting Mirage allows Splight to move freely through the battle field, and allows him to avoid detection from all those within the battle area," she explained, her cold yet amused voice coming from somewhere to Stoica's left. "It blocks communication between Bakugan and battler, so you can't activate abilities, and it also adds two hundred to their own power level. So, Splight us up to eight hundred."
"The only disadvantage is that Splight has to keep his concentration with this ability," Runo was explaining to Fabia under her breath. "If he's hit, then the ability's effect is lost." Stoica hissed, clenching his fists, and quickly searched for an ability card to counter this new development, despite Kazarina's warning.
"Come out come out wherever you are!" Lythirius was saying, turning from side to side and trying to peer through the endless, impenetrable shadows. The misty purple swirls just kicked up and twisted, forming false figures and misleading illusions. The silence was deafening, and everyone held their breath, waiting for Splight to make his presence known.
"Peekaboo," Splight whispered from behind Lythirius, raising his arm to slash the folded bat-like wings on the Aquos Bakugan's back.
"Ability, activate!" Runo cried. "Doom slash!" The claws that had been retracted into Splight's blunt arms suddenly shot out of their sheathes, and glowed with a bright white light. Splight's power level rocketed to one thousand two hundred.
"I see you!" Lythirius cried triumphantly, whirling around and knocking Splight to the side with his head. Splight stumbled, and the purple cloud around everyone dissolved.
"What? How did he see him?" Runo cried. Shun and the others gasped with the drastic change in lighting, as the cloud had been there long enough for everyone to become accustomed to the darkness. The only ones that seemed to be exempt from this effect were Ren, Splight and Runo, who used Stoica and Lythirius's momentary disorientation to her advantage. Splight quickly jumped away from Lythirius, landing just out of reach of his large claws. His power level had dropped back down to eight hundred.
"Ability activate!" Runo cried, holding up a card. "Daybreak!" Splight's large claws lifted, and he held them out far in front of his chest. White energy gathered there, in the center of the three hooked appendages, and Stoica blinked his eyes open. Splight's power level jumped up by three hundred, landing him at one thousand one hundred.
"Argh! Ability, activate!" he shouted. Lythirius opened his own claws, and what looked like small droplets of water began to gather in their center. "Megalo Theria!"
"Milady, you are letting your anger rule your decisions," Tigrerra warned from her place on Runo's shoulder.
"I'm fine! I know what I'm doing!" Runo growled, staring intently at the two charging blasters.
"Funny, I seem to remember you saying the same thing before a certain important battle in the Doom Dimension." Runo froze.
The two beams in their claws shot toward each other at the same time, colliding in the center of the arena. The resulting explosion caused a large shockwave to blow toward everyone. It was so powerful that both Bakugan were forced to take a few steps back, while Runo and Fabia were sent flying backward with yells of surprise. Stoica and Kazarina were both forced back as well, but not as far as Runo and Fabia. The four of them bounced off the ground harmlessly, however, and skidded to a halt several meters away from where they had been perviously standing.
"Fabia!" Rafe cried, standing and leaning over the edge of the stands. Linus and Paige grabbed his arms to keep him from jumping down to check on the princess, but he made no effort to make it any farther.
"Ru-" Julie started, but Shun quickly clamped a hand over her mouth. Julie glanced at him in surprise.
"Shh, they can't know her name!" he urged. She nodded, and he removed his hand, his eyes finding Runo as she adjusted her position. She was now on her hands and knees, blinking rapidly at the arena before her.
"Ability card, activate!" Stoica shouted, and Runo gasped. He had recovered faster than she had! "Eel Weakness!" Runo narrowed her eyes at him, taking in how Lythirius' eyes glowed blue, and Runo glanced at her BakuColar's screen. Splight's power level once again dropped, returning to eight hundred. She bit her lip, and held up a card as she rose to her feet.
"Ability, activate! Daybreak!" she tried again, and the card glowed... but so did Lythirius' eyes. Runo didn't care though, nor did she take into account the highly amused look on Stoica's face. It wasn't until the sparkles that were drawing close to Splight's claws vanished that Runo was confused, and realized that something was wrong. Tigrerra's words rang in her ears, and she nibbled on her lip.
"Eel Weakness nullifies the opponents ability and blocks any new abilities to activate," Fabia quickly explained, having recovered and joined Runo in the circle once more. Runo turned to her, listening intently. "As far as I know, there is only one way to reverse it, and that's to have an ally attack for you. But you don't want-"
She was interrupted by Stoica's raspy but perfectly audible voice, shouting, "Battle Gear, boost!" Both girls jumped and turned to watch as Stoica sent the Battle Gear flying into the arena. Lithirius's back glowed, and quickly, the shape of the Gear grew there. Then, the glowing shape of it solidified and became more detailed, revealing Razoid Gear.
"Since you can't activate abilities, Mystery Girl, it looks like you're just going to have to suffer a loss at my hands!" Stoica cried gleefully. Runo's stomach clenched. "And maybe after I've taken your Haos Splight, you'll change your mind about telling me your name!" Runo hissed.
"Milady," Splight called. "What do you propose we do?" Runo didn't get a chance to answer.
"Ability activate! Razoid charger!" Stoica cried. Runo gasped, staring at the stats on the BakuColar. The BakuColar called out the stats just then.
"Lytherius and Razoid power increase to one thousand four hundred. Splight power decrease to six hundred."
"The power difference!" Baron shouted. "It's more than five hundred!"
"NO!" Runo screamed, then lifted up a hand. "Gate card, open! Aquos spotting out!" But just then, several torrents of lightning shot forth from Razoid's claws. Splight crossed his arms in front of his chest, letting out a yell of pain as the lightning collided with him. Runo gasped.
"Splight!" she yelped. The lightning bolts kept coming, and Splight could only take so much. Within seconds, a bright white glow had started up around his body, and then, he swirled back into ball form. The eyes of everyone in the audience were wide as the small ball shot back toward Runo, landing at her feet.
"Life force sixty percent," the BakuColar droned. Runo's eyes were wide in shock at her loss, and she was breathing hard. Once her heart stopped pounding at the prospect of loosing her partner again, she breathed a sigh of relief and turned, bending over to pick up the small Haos Bakugan.
"But wait a minute! The power difference was more than five hundred," Mason protested.
"No it wasn't," Rubanoid corrected him. "She opened her Gate Card at the last second."
"Spotting out is a Gate Card that subtracts five hundred points from each Bakugan on the field with the attribute you name," Ace explained. "It managed to bring Lytherius' Power Level down enough to save Splight."
"Something about Runo's battling seems off today," Alice commented as she slowly descended the steps of the stands. Heads turned to make sure of their guest, who was frowning at the battle field. "She's just attacking blindly, just like she used to."
"You know... you're right," Julie realized. "When we fought Tricloid and Rebeder in Vestroia, she seemed to have a strategy. Now she's just firing attack after attack..."
"She's mad," Mira summed up. The heads turned toward her now. "She's mad that the Gundalians took Dan. More than mad, I think, and the way that Stoica just kept joking with us that they might have taken him sent her over the edge. That's why she's just attacking and attacking instead of constructing a strategy to help her."
"She's going to need to change that if she wants to beat those two," Ren noted. "Stoica and Kazarina are very tough opponents. I'm sure that by now she's realized it."
"The next round will turn the tides of this battle, I'm sure of it," Shun agreed, watching her intently as she sighed.
"Sorry Splight," she murmured. "I was letting my anger rule my decisions. Tigrerra was right. I'll do better this time, I promise!"
And that's it for chapter 9. The next one will be all battle, since I've been wanting to write some battle scenes for a while now...
Notice: I do not own Haos Splight. It is an existing Bakugan. You can find a picture of him if you Google his name, or go on the Bakugan Wikia. I made up his abilities, but took to heart some information shared about him on the website.
Thank you reviewers for reviewing! Please let me know if there is anything I need to work on!
Review!