A/N: sithlorde1988 here with another chapter of Bakugan: The Pyrex Chronicles! Yeah, I know, a chapter of something other than Hacker's Memory. Who knew? I know I haven't updated most of my stories in at least a week, but I kinda found myself on a Hacker's Memory kick of late so I blame it on that. But it is what it is. That said, per usual, I do not own Bakugan in any way shape or form (both the games and the show), but the ones who do own it know who they are and all credit for both the Bakugan show and games belongs to them. That said, on with chapter 4!
Chapter 4- Springing the Trap! Runo's Surprise Encounter
(In the Wardington Mall, shortly after the end of chapter 3, with Alice and Rubedo)
"Huh, so this is what the mall looks like. Can't say I've been in one of these very often." Rubedo said in awe as Alice smiled at his expression.
"Neither have I honestly, but not all malls look like this one. I guess let's look around a bit while we gather info on Masquerade." Alice said with a nod to Rubedo who blinked.
"Agreed. Let's look around a bit." Rubedo said to Alice who nodded as they started looking around...
(meanwhile, over with Dan and Runo)
"Wow, this mall is huge. Good thing we took the floor with the food court, eh Runo?" Dan said between bites as he chowed down on some food, thankfully not talking with his mouth full, while Runo blinked at his remark, having been staring at him a bit for no real reason other than she can. She looked over at Dan and nodded.
"Yeah that is pretty lucky for us. I agree. Though would there really be bad guys at a food court?" Runo said as Dan shrugged.
"No clue. Could be as likely of a spot to find them as anywhere though, I'd say." Dan replied before blinking as he caught sight of what looked like a white coat as he saw someone darting off nearby. Dan turned to Runo.
"Runo, wait here. I think I found something. But in case I'm wrong, one of us needs to stay here on the off chance I'm being tricked." Dan said to Runo who giggled at the idea.
"You, being tricked? NOO, that'd never happen." Runo joked, making Dan facefault at Runo's sarcasm. He then got up and huffed.
"Can you be serious here Runo? I don't think we both need to be falling for a trap in case I'm wrong about what I saw. Now wait here!" Dan said before darting off with Drago to chase after the white coat he'd seen, leaving Runo behind to huff by herself as Dan left her behind.
'DAN! Ugh, fine. I'll wait here. But he's getting it from me later!' Runo said to herself, huffing as she sat down to finish her food.
(Back with Rubedo and Alice)
"A lot to see, isn't there?" Alice asked Rubedo, who nodded. He then frowned as he looked out ahead of himself and Alice, where he could just make out what looked like a cloud of cigar smoke making him blink as he frowned in thought.
'Could that be that Torch guy I got that message from?' Rubedo asked himself in thought. Alice looked over and saw him frown.
"Something wrong?" Alice asked Rubedo. Rubedo blinked, turning back to face Alice.
"Oh, no, nothing's wrong Alice. But I just remembered I told my mom I'd run an errand for her while I was here so I'm gonna have to split off from you for a bit but I'll try to finish as quickly as I can so I can catch back up with you. Will you be okay by yourself for a bit?" Rubedo asked Alice, who smiled at his concern but nodded.
"Yeah, I can just keep looking around the mall for a bit. Good luck with your errand." Alice said to Rubedo who nodded, then got up and walked off, walking in the direction that he'd seen the ring of smoke, before quickly ducking into a nearby restroom, bag in hand to change into his alter-ego. He then walked off towards where he'd seen the ring of smoke...
(meanwhile, back with Runo)
Runo had gotten bored of waiting for Dan to get back so she walked off on her own to look around a bit before hearing an eerily familiar evil laugh.
"Well, well, well, look who's out and about on her own. I would've thought that'd be something that Kuso would do if not Kazami, but not you Misaki. Guess there's a first time for everything. Oh well, try and find me, if you can." Masquerade's voice could be heard taunting Runo, who blinked before trying to run in the direction his voice had come from, not seeing anything. Eventually, she found herself in an unfinished part of the mall which surprised her since she thought the mall was fully finished, but clearly not. After a bit, she was walking around when she heard footsteps nearby and blanched as a very familiar masked battler walked out of a portal near a stack of canned food, giving Runo a taunting glare before he spoke with a chuckle.
"Heheheheh, I didn't think that would actually work! Are you always this easy to lure in, or did I catch you on an off day, Runo? Granted, this would've been a lot better if I'd managed to catch Dan in my trap too, but you'll easily do. If nothing else, seeing his face when I send you and your Bakugan to the Doom Dimension would be quite satisfying indeed." Masquerade taunted Runo as he approached her making her slowly back away until she hit a wall making her yelp.
"Aww, what's the matter? Is little Runo scared of me? Too bad for YOU I didn't come alone. My associate over here helped me set up this trap, though I thought he said it'd draw both you AND Dan in." Masquerade taunted Runo as a man, tall and lean yet muscular in build with buzzed hair walked up next to Masquerade, taking a drag off of a cigarette as he looked down at Runo before looking at Masquerade with a smirk.
"Correction: I said it MIGHT draw them both in. Nothing in our line of work is guaranteed, as I'm sure you're aware. Nevertheless, this works out a lot better. Prey is strong in packs. With her on her own, it makes hunting her that much easier. She MIGHT be able to hold her own against you on your own, but against us both?" The tall, lean yet muscular man said with a grin, his oily yet gravelly voice giving Runo a slight headache, or maybe that was the smoke off the man's cigarette. Either way he kept speaking.
"She's got no shot. Her Bakugan are as good as gone. Then after that, we can hunt some real prey." The man said with a laugh. Masquerade just shook his head.
"We have to defeat her first, Torch. Otherwise why did we bother trapping her?" Masquerade gently chided Torch with a devious laugh. Tigrerra blanched as she saw what was going on over Runo's shoulder, turning to Runo.
"Milady, I think us chasing after Masquerade was a bad idea. We should've heeded Dan's advice and stayed put!" Tigrerra said to Runo who nodded, slightly frowning as she looked at Masquerade.
"So what, now you're hiring thugs to help do your dirty work since you can't do it alone Masquerade?" Runo said to Masquerade trying to sound braver than she felt, which Masquerade noticed with a laugh.
"Silly Runo, no need to try and play tough on my account. I can feel that fear of yours and rightly so. This might well be the last Brawl you'll ever take part in." Masquerade goaded Runo, as he and Torch pulled out Gate Cards, but before they could open up their gate cards, a booming laugh could be heard all around them.
"HEHEHEHEHEH! WHAT'S THIS NOW? THE GREAT MASQUERADE IS RESORTING TO CORNERING PEOPLE INTO TWO ON ONE BATTLES? AND HERE I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO BE THE BEST?! HOW LAUGHABLE!" A booming voice could be heard taunting Masquerade, who blanched as he recognized the speaker, to Runo's surprise.
"That voice?! Of course you'd show up now! I know you're there! SHOW YOURSELF, PYREX!" Masquerade called out to the voice, not seeing Runo and Tigrerra exchanged shocked looks with each other both shocked at the name Masquerade had uttered.
"PYREX?!" Tigrerra and Runo yelped in unison, as Torch and Masquerade frowned at their recognition of the name Masquerade had uttered.
"Did he say Pyrex?" Runo asked Tigrerra, her eyes wide. Tigrerra nodded.
"I believe he did indeed say Pyrex, milady. Are we really about to meet the legendary brawler himself?" Tigrerra asked Runo who shrugged as more booming laughter echoed around the gathered players.
"AS YOU WISH! Also, to the lady standing by herself, I advise you move a bit to your right so you don't get burned when I make my entrance in a second." The voice, which was identified by Masquerade as belonging to Pyrex said, his tone softening as he spoke to Runo, who blinked but quickly darted to her right right as a pillar of flame materialized near where she'd just been standing.
Once the pillar of fire disappeared, it revealed a young man standing there with a red trenchcoat similar to the red leather coat Torch wore, but a slightly lighter shade of red, a red hood obscuring most of his head and face, the rest being covered by an imposing black mask with red optics just barely visible on the eye sockets as he crossed his arms, his hands being mostly covered by black leather gloves as he stared right at Masquerade.
"Of course you'd stoop to 2 on 1 fights, Masquerade. Once a coward, always a coward." The young man said to Masquerade who frowned at the insult.
"Shut up Pyrex! At least I don't make it hard for people to find me!" Masquerade retorted angrily to the now-named Pyrex who laughed.
"That's because you're also an idiot! If you're wearing a mask, usually that means you DON'T want your identity discovered so being hard to find is kinda the name of the game." Pyrex said dryly to Masquerade before turning to Runo, looking at her as he spoke once more.
"You okay over there? Other than the whole being lured into a trap bit, I mean. But we can worry about that later. For now, I believe you and I have a battle to win. Unless you'd rather go it alone without my help?" Pyrex said to Runo who blinked as she turned to face Pyrex.
"Of course I want your help. I'm not crazy enough to take these two on alone! Especially since I have no clue what sort of skills tall, dark and scraggly over there might have." Runo remarked, jerking a thumb towards Torch who frowned at her remark as Pyrex chuckled lowly.
"Heh, tall dark and scraggly, that's a good one. I'll have to remember that one. Very well, let's work together. Besides, I believe that Torch over there challenged me to a battle anyways so this is basically killing two birds with one stone." Pyrex said dryly as he pulled out his Field card, Runo doing the same.
"Very funny, Pyrex. My associate and I are gonna make you eat those words!" Torch said harshly as he and Masquerade pulled out their field cards.
"FIELD, OPEN!" All four battlers said as one, sending them to the battlefield area while time stopped for everyone else, conveniently showing Dan chasing after the white coat he'd seen though time stopped as he caught up to the person without showing who it was yet.
"Here goes. Good luck you two." Masquerade said in a very dry tone of voice, looking intrigued at the battle to come.
"You're gonna need it since this is probably gonna be the last brawl you'll ever take part in." Torch added with a grin. Pyrex scoffed derisively at Torch's remark.
"Please, like that's supposed to scare me. Masquerade couldn't barely touch me when we fought one on one, so why should I believe this will be any different, when he's with a flunkie like you. Granted I have no room to talk, since I've not seen this young lady's skill set just yet either so hopefully she's got the talent to keep up with us and pull her own weight, but I think she can do it. But I suppose we'll find out soon enough." Pyrex replied dismissively before turning to Runo.
"Let's hope I'm right to put my faith in you, young Runo. Shall we get started?" Pyrex said to Runo who blinked but nodded.
"I'm not sure how you know my name, but yeah I'm with you." Runo said with a smile. The four then pulled out Gate Cards.
"GATE CARD, SET!" All four battlers said as the gate cards set themselves down on the field, settling down in two flashes of red, a flash of yellow and a flash of purple. Pyrex turned to Runo with a nod before looking at Masquerade and Torch.
"Are we agreed on ladies first? Or are you two too impatient for that?" Pyrex said to Masquerade and Torch who scoffed.
"Nah, Runo can start. It makes no difference to me. You'll both fall soon enough. Am I right, Torch?" Masquerade said. Torch laughed as he
"Indeed. She can start if it's that much of a big deal to you two. You'll both lose soon enough so it makes no difference at all who starts." Torch said dismissively. Both Torch and Masquerade nodded as they each held up a card, dropping them onto the field.
"DOOM CARD, SET!" Masquerade and Torch said setting their Doom Cards down. Pyrex frowned.
"Well this just complicated things a lot more. We'll have to play extra carefuily now if we don't want to lose any Bakugan to the Doom Dimension." Pyrex said to Runo who nodded before turning to face Pyrex.
"Let's get this started!" Runo said as Pyrex nodded his agreement.
(Remaining Bakugan: Runo-3/3, Masquerade-3/3, Pyrex-3/3, Torch-3/3 Remaining Ability Cards: Runo-3/3, Masquerade-3/3, Pyrex-3/3, Torch-3/3 Remaining Gate Cards: Runo-3/3, Masquerade-3/3, Pyrex-3/3, Torch-3/3)
"Gate Card, SET!" Runo said as she set her second Gate Card down next to Pyrex's Gate Card. She then grabbed a Bakugan.
"Bakugan, Brawl!" Runo said as she tossed out her Bakugan, landing it on her first Gate Card.
"Bakugan, Stand! Haos Robotallion, STAND!" Runo said as Robotallion stood on Runo's first Gate Card. Masquerade smirked.
"That's the best you can do? My turn." Masquerade set as he pulled out his second Gate Card.
"Gate Card, SET!" Masquerade said as he set his second Gate Card next to Torch's Gate Card. He then grabbed a Bakugan.
"Bakugan, Brawl!" Masquerade said as he threw his Bakugan and landed it on the Gate Card he'd just laid down.
"Bakugan, Stand! Darkus Mantress, STAND!" Masquerade said as Mantress stood on Masquerade's Gate Card.
Pyrex smirked, pulling out a Gate Card as he took aim at the spot he wanted to set it down in.
"Finally, my turn! Gate Card! SET!" Pyrex said as he threw his second Gate Card down next to Runo's second Gate Card. He then pulled out a Bakugan.
"Bakugan, Brawl!" Pyrex said as he tossed out his Bakugan, easily landing it on the Gate Card he'd laid down.
"Bakugan, Stand! Pyrus Mantress, STAND!" Pyrex said confidently as his Mantress stood on Pyrex's Gate Card. Torch then pulled out a Gate Card.
"Might as well. Gate Card, SET!" Torch said as he tossed down his second Gate Card above his first. He then pulled out a Bakugan.
"Bakugan, Brawl!" Torch said as he tossed out a Bakugan, landing it on one of his Gate Cards. He took a drag off of his cigarette, shooting out a puff of smoke before speaking.
"Bakugan, Stand! Pyrus Warius, STAND!" Torch said as Warius stood on Torch's Gate Card. Runo nodded as she pulled her second Bakugan out.
"My turn! Bakugan, Brawl!" Runo said as she tossed her second Bakugan out, landing it on Pyrex's Gate Card that was between her two Gate Cards.
"Bakugan, Stand! Haos Monarus, STAND!" Runo said as Monarus stood on Pyrex's Gate Card. Masquerade smirked.
"Whatever. My turn. Bakugan, Brawl!" Masquerade said as he pulled out his second Bakugan and landed it on his other Gate Card.
"Bakugan, Stand! Darkus Mantress, STAND!" Masquerade said as Mantress stood on Masquerade's other Gate Card. Pyrex crossed his arms.
"We seem to be playing a lot of footsies, methinks. Time to do something about that. Heh." Pyrex said as he pulled out his second Bakugan, taking aim with it.
"Bakugan, Brawl!" Pyrex said as he tossed his Bakugan and landed it right on target, on the same Gate Card as Masquerade's Mantress.
"Bakugan, Stand! Pyrus Laserman, stand!" Pyrex said as Laserman stood on the same Gate Card as Masquerade's Mantress.
"Battle 1 commencing. Calculating scores. Advantage Mantress by 60 Gs!" Runo's Baku-Pod read out as Torch smirked.
"Finally, some action! This ought to be fun to watch." Torch remarked as the battle began.
"BATTLE!" Pyrex and Masquerade said as their Bakugan clashed, and at the end Mantress sliced through Laserman opening up a portal to the Doom Dimension that Laserman few into. Pyrex frowned at this, giving a low, almost draconic growl under his breath at seeing Laserman sent to the Doom Dimension, feeling that he let Laserman down. But Pyrex eventually accepted it since he didn't really have any real way to boost his Laserman's G-Power especially given it was Masquerade's Gate Card they were both stood on. Torch actually chuckled at this seeing Pyrex's reaction which he found amusing.
"Well look at that. Pyrex lost the first Bakugan. Maybe he's not the legend he's made out to be after all?" Torch taunted Pyrex who rolled his eyes.
"Hardly. Unlike YOU, I can think long-term. Besides that outcome was probably unavoidable anyways." Pyrex remarked off-handedly with an irritated glare at Torch, as Runo gave him a worried look. Pyrex saw this and turned to face Runo, before he eventually smiled at her.
"No need to worry. These things happen, Runo. As long as we keep our focus, we can come back from this." Pyrex said to Runo encouragingly as she smiled and nodded.
(Remaining Bakugan: Runo-3/3, Masquerade-3/3, Pyrex-2/3, Torch-3/3 Remaining Gate Cards: Runo-3/3, Masquerade-2/3, Pyrex-3/3, Torch-3/3 Remaining Ability Cards: Runo-3/3, Masquerade-3/3, Pyrex-3/3, Torch-3/3)
"Heh, my turn. Bakugan, Brawl!" Torch said as he tossed out his second Bakugan out, landing it on his other Gate Card with a drag off his cigarette which he used to blow smoke rings in the air tauntingly towards Pyrex who frowned, still slightly mad at himself for losing Laserman, though his mask made it tricky to tell for sure.
"Bakugan, Stand! Pyrus Fear Ripper, STAND!" Torch said as Fear Ripper stood on his other Gate Card. Runo got a determined look on her face as she reached for her third Gate Card.
"Gate Card, SET!" Runo said setting down her third Gate Card. She then pulled out her last Bakugan since her other two were already out.
"Bakugan, Brawl!" Runo said as he threw her last Bakugan out, landing it on her second Gate Card causing her to smirk as a result.
"Bakugan, Stand! Haos Tigrerra, STAND!" Runo said as Tigrerra stood on Runo's second Gate Card and looked around. Masquerade smirked.
"Perfect. Now to send the next Bakugan to the Doom Dimension. Bakugan, Brawl!" Masquerade said as he tossed his next Bakugan out, landing it on Tigrerra's Gate Card.
"Bakugan, Stand! Darkus Mantress, STAND!" Masquerade said as Mantress stood on the same Gate Card as Tigrerra. Masquerade smirked.
"And just to be sure I'm not walking into a trap...Ability Card, ACTIVATE! Dimension 4!" Masquerade said as he used his Ability Card to negate Runo's Gate Card, causing her to frown.
"Gate Card negated. Battle 2 commencing. Calculating scores. Advantage Mantress by 50 Gs." Masquerade's Baku-Pod read out as Runo smirked at this, to Masquerade's surprise. Torch and Masquerade exchanged confused looks. Masquerade frowned at Runo.
"And why are YOU so confident? I negated your Gate Card! You can't possibly boost your Bakugan enough to win!" Masquerade taunted Runo who huffed.
"If you seriously think that, you're crazier than I thought. Ability Card, ACTIVATE! Lightning Tornado!" Runo said as she played an Ability Card of her own. Masquerade frowned reaching for another Ability Card but decided against it, holding it in reserve for later.
"Attack!' Runo said as Tigrerra clashed blades with Mantress, as the portal to the Doom Dimension opened up under Mantress, sucking it in and banishing it to the Doom Dimension. Torch blinked at this outcome before frowning at Masquerade.
"I thought you said that couldn't happen?" Torch questioned Masquerade who frowned at Torch.
"Shut up! I didn't think it could. But it was just a setback! This is far from over!" Masquerade corrected Torch. Pyrex smirked at the interaction between his opponents.
"Looks like trouble in paradise for you two." Pyrex taunted Masquerade and Torch jokingly making Runo giggle in spite of herself at the remark, prompting both Masquerade and Torch to glare at Pyrex in irritation.
"Shut up, Pyrex. At least I didn't lose the first Bakugan of the match. Besides, even if you somehow get past me you have to also get past Torch here to win. So have fun trying to maneuver your way past us both." Masquerade taunted Pyrex who rolled his eyes.
(Remaining Bakugan: Runo-3/3, Masquerade-2/3, Pyrex-2/3, Torch-3/3 Remaining Ability Cards: Runo-2/3, Masquerade-2/3, Pyrex-3/3, Torch-3/3 Remaining Gate Cards: Runo-2/3, Masquerade-2/3, Pyrex-3/3, Torch-3/3)
"Whatever. Now it's my turn. Gate Card, SET!" Pyrex replied, tossing down his third Gate Card next to Runo's third Gate Card before grabbing his third Bakugan.
"Here we go, buddy. Time for you to make YOUR big entrance." Pyrex said to the Bakugan he'd grabbed before winding back a bit.
"Bakugan, Brawl!" Pyrex said as he tossed back his third Bakugan, landing it perfectly on the Gate Card he'd just laid down. as it landed on it expertly.
"Bakugan, Stand! Pyrus Leonidas, STAND!" Pyrex said as Leonidas stood on Pyrex's third Gate Card, his wings spread out as Tigrerra blinked from on Runo's shoulder.
"So that's Leonidas. Interesting. Looks we'll get to see BOTH of the legends in action." Tigrerra said with an amused grin as Runo nodded to Tigrerra.
"Perhaps. We'll see." Runo said with a nod. Torch grabbed his third Gate Card and held it up.
"Gate Card, SET!" Torch said, setting his third Gate Card next to the Gate Card Pyrex had just laid down before grabbing his third Bakugan.
"Bakugan, Brawl!" Torch said, tossing his third Bakugan out and landing it on the Gate Card he'd set down, puffing a cloud of smoke from his cigar in Runo's direction making her huff as she had to wave her hand to dispel the smoke before it reached her.
"Didn't anyone ever tell you it's rude to blow smoke at a lady?" Runo scolded Torch. Torch laughed at this.
"I think that expression is it's rude to ask a lady her age, not blow smoke at her. Learn how to use expressions right, or don't use them." Torch corrected Runo. Pyrex frowned.
"She's not wrong, Torch! Both those expressions are valid. But still, is it absolutely necessary to be smoking a cigarette during a battle?" Pyrex asked Torch who laughed.
"Damn right it is. It's kind of my schtick of sorts. Besides, it's always fine to see how much it messes with my opponents' heads when I do it. And Bakugan, Stand! Pyrus, Centipoid, STAND!" Torch replied, amusement barely present through his usual oily yet gravelly tone as Centipoid stood on Torch's third Gate Card. Pyrex rolled his eyes. Runo chuckled.
"It doesn't matter. My turn. Bakugan, Brawl!" Runo said, throwing Tigrerra back out, but her aim was off so it landed on Masquerade's open Gate Card instead of her open Gate Card. Masquerade grinned evilly as he saw this while Pyrex frowned, not liking the look on Masquerade's face.
"Perfect. Now to hopefully finish off that Tigrerra of yours, Runo. Bakugan, Brawl!" Masquerade said as he took out his third Bakugan and took aim at Tigrerra, landing it right on the Gate Card Tigrerra was stood on making Masquerade grin at the precision of the landing.
"Bakugan, Stand! Darkus Hydranoid, Stand!" Masquerade said as Hydranoid stood on the Gate Card Tigrerra was stood on, making her gulp nervously as she saw Hydranoid behind her. Pyrex blanched a bit, knowing this could be a bad match-up for Tigrerra, but then he got an idea, looking over towards Leonidas then towards Runo.
"Do you trust me, Runo?" Pyrex asked Runo suddenly making her blink at the question before reluctantly nodding.
"I don't really know you that well, but you did come to my aid so yeah I trust you to a point. Why do you ask?" Runo asked Pyrex.
"Because I can save Tigrerra but the move involved is both VERY risky AND very dangerous since if it backfires even a bit, it could be disastrous for the both of us. Do you trust me to do this?" Pyrex asked Runo, who nodded after a moment.
"Good. Now here goes nothing. Ability Card, ACTIVATE! Go, Solar Shuffle!" Pyrex said, playing an ability card that caused pillars of flame to materialize around Leonidas AND Tigrerra, and when the flames subsided, they'd swapped places! But more interestingly, the Doom Cards that had been set suddenly shot up out of the Gate Cards and burst into flames before exploding, making Masquerade frown at this turn of events even as Pyrex breathed a sigh of relief.
However, what no one could see inside the pillars was Leonidas stretching his wings out, flying into his pillar and scooping up Tigrerra in something slightly resembling a bridal-style carry before tossing her through the pillar gently to land on the Gate Card he'd been on previously, leaving him to stare down Hydranoid in a now Doom Card-free battlefield. Masquerade glared at Pyrex.
"What did you do, you fool? Why did the Doom Cards burn up?" Masquerade asked Pyrex with a frown. Pyrex chuckled cynically before answering.
"I negated them, thanks to a very risky play that Leonidas and I devised. That Solar Shuffle Ability Card I played allows the user to swap places with an ally Bakugan in a tag battle, or another Bakugan the user controls in a single battle, but in exchange the swapping Bakugan loses 100 Gs and those Gs are transferred to the other Bakugan involved, in this case Runo's Tigrerra. On top of that, and this is the other reason there's a power down involved, it can negate and destroy Doom Cards that are in play when the ability is activated. However it can only be played once per battle as a trade-off. So yeah, no more Bakugan are going to the Doom Dimension in this battle." Pyrex said with an amused tone, as Runo and Tigrerra exchanged shocked looks at Pyrex's explanation, both thinking the same thing.
'Pyrex is indeed as strong as the legends say. But that was a very risky play since if Masquerade had seen it coming he probably could've negated it easily. Still, is Leonidas about to draw with Hydranoid once again?' Runo and Tigrerra thought, the latter looking over at Leonidas with an unreadable glance, though if you looked closely enough you could just see a hint of mixed awe and admiration in Tigrerra's glance as she looked over at Leonidas.
"Battle 3 commencing. Calculating scores. Advantage Leonidas by 110 Gs." Pyrex's Baku-Pod read out. Masquerade then laughed.
"FOOL! I was hoping I could lure Leonidas onto this Gate Card! And you fell right into it! Gate Card, OPEN! Go Mine Ghost!" Masquerade said, frowning as Pyrex smirked.
"I knew you had one of those in wait. That's why I played Solar Shuffle when I did since I knew you were planning to sacrifice a Bakugan to force Tigrerra into the Doom Dimension. However, because I torched the Doom Cards, no pun intended, Hydranoid and Leonidas are both just out of the battle for now. So it looks like it's once again a draw between them." Pyrex said in an amused tone as both Leonidas and Hydranoid went back to their partners in ball form, making Tigrerra gasp as the full implications of what Leonidas did hit her. Runo and Tigrerra both exchanged surprised looks, neither expecting Leonidas to basically sacrifice himself to save Tigrerra. Pyrex scooped up Leonidas and looked down at him.
"Sorry about that, buddy. But it was a needed play. I'll make it up to you later, Leo." Pyrex said to Leonidas who looked at Pyrex with a nod.
"It's fine. It was the right thing to do in that moment. Besides, we got to test one of our creations out and it worked spectacularly well. Hopefully Tigrerra makes the most out of the G-Power Boost we gave her." Leonidas remarked conversationally.
(Remaining Bakugan: Runo-3/3, Masquerade-1/3, Pyrex-1/3, Torch-3/3 Remaining Ability Cards: Runo-2/3, Masquerade-2/3, Pyrex-2/3, Torch-3/3 Remaining Gate Cards: Runo-2/3, Masquerade-1/3, Pyrex-3/3, Torch-3/3)
"That said, I think I have to pass this round since I have no more Bakugan to throw out." Pyrex remarked as he realized his only remaining Bakugan is still on the field.
"I have to pass too since all three of my Bakugan are stood on their Gate Cards still." Torch said. Runo frowned as she looked at the field.
"I have to pass as well since I have no Bakugan to throw out either." Runo said as Masquerade laughed.
"Heh, looks like it's my turn again. Bakugan, Brawl!" Masquerade said as he tossed his last Bakugan out and landed it on the same Gate Card as Pyrex's Mantress.
"Bakugan, Stand! Darkus Reaper, STAND!" Masquerade said as Reaper stood on the same Gate Card as Pyrex's Mantress.
"Battle 4 commencing! Calculating scores! Advantage Pyrus Mantress by 20 Gs!" Torch's Baku-Pod read out as Pyrex suddenly laughed deviously making both Torch and Masquerade look at him uncertainly.
"And what's so funny THIS time?" Masquerade asked Pyrex defiantly. Pyrex smirked as he answered Masquerade.
"Besides how scared you look right now? The fact that once again I was able to perfectly play you! But I won't just let my words speak for me! See for yourself! Gate Card, OPEN! Go Heat Flex!" Pyrex said as his Gate Card opened up and a huge burst of flame sprung out and covered Reaper, making it screech in pain as its' G-Power went way down.
"Huge G-Power loss detected. Re-checking scores. Advantage still Pyrus Mantress but now by 220 Gs." Torch's Baku-Pod read out as it registered the fact that Reaper lost 200 Gs of power due to the Heat Flex Gate Card that Pyrex played.
"Go Mantress, ATTACK!" Pyrex said with an almost feral grin as Mantress slashed through Reaper who crumpled as he went back to Masquerade in ball form, taking Masquerade out of the battle and leaving Torch by himself to take on both Runo and Pyrex. Masquerade grumbled under his breath at this turn of events.
"Unbelivable! How could I be the first to lose?! Damn you Pyrex!" Masquerade said as he gave an irritated growl at his defeat. Torch chuckled darkly.
"Calm down, Masquerade. I'm not out yet and I have all 3 of my Bakugan. We're not defeated just yet." Torch pointed out as Masquerade chuckled.
"Heh, true. You better defeat them though, or our deal's off, Torch. I don't help losers." Masquerade said making Torch frown as he turned back to the battle.
(Remaining Bakugan: Runo-3/3, Masquerade-0/3, Pyrex-1/3, Torch-3/3 Remaining Ability Cards: Runo-2/3, Masquerade-2/3, Pyrex-2/3, Torch-3/3 Remaining Gate Cards: Runo-2/3, Masquerade-1/3, Pyrex-2/3, Torch-3/3)
"Anyways, my turn. Bakugan, Brawl!" Pyrex said as he tossed his Bakugan back out, landing it on Warius' Gate Card.
"Bakugan, Stand! Pyrus Mantress, STAND!" Pyrex said as his Mantress made his second Stand of the match on Warius' Gate Card. Torch smirked.
"Good. Gate Card, OPEN! Go Magma Fuse!" Torch said as the Gate Card opened, seemingly having no immediate effect.
"Battle 5 commencing! Calculating scores! Advantage Pyrus Mantress by 20 Gs!" Runo's Baku-Pod read out as the scores were tallied. Pyrex and Torch glared at each other.
"BATTLE!" Pyrex and Torch called out simultaneously as their Bakugan collided, ending with Warius being sent back to Torch in ball form even as all the Gate Cards and Bakugan set on the field got sent back to their owners due to Magma Fuse's effect (excluding Magma Fuse and Warius.) Pyrex and Runo exchanged looks.
"Well, that's a good start. Now to try and keep working this momentum to finish the battle." Pyrex said to Runo who smiled lightly as she nodded.
"Agreed. We're doing rather well so far." Runo said with a nod. Leonidas rolled his eyes.
"You're doing well to be sure, Runo. But compared to how we usually play, this is kind of an off game for Pyrex and I." Leonidas said with a huff. Pyrex looked at Leonidas.
"We discussed this, Leo. We had to ditch our usual strategy to be able to better keep Runo's Bakugan safe from the Doom Dimension. After all, Runo can't be much help to the Battle Brawlers if she has no Bakugan to Brawl with." Pyrex said comfortingly to Leonidas who frowned but nodded.
"I know, I know, but that doesn't mean I have to like basically sacrificing myself to get Hydranoid out of the battle." Leonidas said huffily, making Runo and Tigrerra giggle.
"Leonidas reminds me a lot of you, milady. You both huff a lot and don't like losing. At least Leonidas is something of a gentleman, unlike Dan at times." Tigrerra said with a grin, laughing as Runo facefaulted at Tigrerra's remark about Dan.
"Dan's not that bad! Sure he can be immature at times, but he's a good guy where it counts." Runo said with a pout as Leonidas turned to face Tigrerra with a smirk.
"Wow, who knew you were so composed, Tigrerra. Methinks I was actually quite smart to save you from being sent to the Doom Dimension." Leonidas said to Tigrerra with a grin, ignoring the quiet sputters coming from the normally witty Haos Bakugan as she struggled to find a response to Leonidas' remark. After a bit, she turned to Leonidas.
"Very funny, Leonidas. But, I do thank you for saving me." Tigrerra remarked, making Runo giggle as she saw the very subtle traces of pink on Tigrerra's cheeks while she looked at Leonidas. Pyrex and Runo exchanged knowing looks as they focused on the battle.
(Remaining Bakugan: Runo-3/3, Masquerade-0/3, Pyrex-1/3, Torch-2/3 Remaining Ability Cards: Runo-2/3, Masquerade-2/3, Pyrex-2/3, Torch-3/3 Remaining Gate Cards: Runo-2/3, Masquerade-1/3, Pyrex-1/3, Torch-2/3)
"Well, here goes nothing. Gate Card, SET!" Runo said as she set a Gate Card back down. She then took out a Bakugan.
"Here we go. Bakugan, Brawl!" Runo said taking out her Bakugan and taking aim. Her Bakugan landed on the Gate Card she'd set down.
"Bakugan, Stand! Haos Robotallion, Stand!" Runo said as Robotallion made its' second Stand of the match. Torch nodded as he grabbed a Gate Card.
"Gate Card, SET!" Torch said as he set one of his two remaining Gate Cards onto the field. He then reached for his second Bakugan.
"Bakugan, Brawl!" Torch said, landing his Bakugan on Runo's Gate Card.
"Bakugan, Stand! Pyrus Fear Ripper, STAND!" Torch said as Fear Ripper stood on Runo's Gate Card.
"Battle 6 commencing! Calculating scores! Advantage Fear Ripper by 40 Gs!" Masquerade's Baku-Pod read out as the scores were tallied.
"BATTLE!" Runo and Torch called as Fear Ripper destroyed Robotallion sending him flying back to Runo in ball form, making her frown.
"That was unfortunate. But we're not beaten yet. Runo still has 2 Bakugan left and you still have Mantress." Leonidas said to Pyrex who nodded.
"True, plus if Runo's last two Ability Cards are what I think they are, we might be able to get you back into the fight. So this is far from over." Pyrex replied to Leonidas who gave a nod of his own as he looked at Pyrex, smirking as an idea came to him before he spoke up.
"That would be interesting. Imagine if we somehow force a Triple Battle at the end where Tigrerra and I tag-team Torch's last Bakugan to end the battle decisively?" Leonidas said with a hint of smugness in his voice. Tigrerra smiled slightly as she turned to face Leonidas at the sound of her name.
"That could be rather fun to be sure, but Torch still has two Bakugan left since milady Runo failed to defeat Fear Ripper." Tigrerra pointed out, making Leonidas nod.
"That's fair. But I think Pyrex and Mantress can do quite a bit to even the score." Leonidas said knowingly as Pyrex smirked with a nod of his own.
(Remaining Bakugan: Runo-2/3, Masquerade-0/3, Pyrex-1/3, Torch-2/3 Remaining Ability Cards: Runo-2/3, Masquerade-2/3, Pyrex-2/3, Torch-3/3 Remaining Gate Cards: Runo-2/3, Masquerade-1/3, Pyrex-1/3, Torch-1/3)
"Here we go. Gate Card, SET!" Pyrex said as he set his third Gate Card down, then grabbed his last in-play Bakugan.
"Bakugan, Brawl!" Pyrex said as he tossed Mantress out and landed it perfectly on his Gate Card.
"Bakugan, Stand! Pyrus Mantress, STAND!" Pyrex said as his Mantress made its' third Stand of the match on Pyrex's Gate Card.
"Gate Card, SET! Now it's our turn! Bakugan, Brawl!" Runo said as she set her second Gate Card back down before she tossed her Monarus out and landed it on her Gate Card. She smiled to herself as she made the stand successfully.
'Good, we're doing decently well right now. Torch has to choose who he sends into battle carefully as well as who he targets given he has only one Gate Card left to set down. If Pyrex and I play our cards right, we can win this still." Runo thought happily to herself before focusing on the match again.
"Bakugan, Stand! Haos Monarus, STAND!" Runo said as her Monarus made its' second Stand of the match on Runo's second Gate Card. Pyrex smirked as he passed his turn.
"Here we go. Gate Card, SET!" Torch said as he laid his third Gate Card down.
"Bakugan, BRAWL!" Torch said as he tossed his last Bakugan out, landing it on the Gate Card he'd set down.
"Bakugan, Stand! Pyrus Centipoid, STAND!" Torch said, with a victorious puff of his cigarette as Centipoid made its' second Stand of the match on Torch's third Gate Card. Runo and Pyrex exchanged a significant nod before Runo reached for her third Gate Card.
"Gate Card, SET!" Runo said as she laid down her last Gate Card before turning to Tigrerra.
"This is it. Time for you to get back in there, Tigrerra!" Runo said to Tigrerra who nodded with a smile.
"As you wish milady. Let's get 'em!" Tigrerra said with a nod as she assumed sphere form as Runo wound back.
"Bakugan, Brawl!" Runo said, easily landing Tigrerra on the Gate Card she'd just set down. Leonidas nodded as he saw this, pleased.
"Good, everything seems to be going to plan so far. Now if Pyrex and Mantress can do their part right, we can set up for the big finish while I get to make up for my lackluster showing against Hydranoid earlier." Leonidas thought happily with a smile as Tigrerra was put into play which drew his attention to Runo as she spoke.
"Bakugan, Stand! Haos Tigrerra, STAND!" Runo said as Tigrerra stood on Runo's last Gate Card. Torch reached for his last Bakugan.
"Let's do something about that Monarus of yours, shall we Runo? Bakugan, Brawl!" Torch said smugly as he tossed Fear Ripper right onto Monarus' Gate Card.
"Bakugan, Stand! Pyrus Fear Ripper, STAND!" Torch said as his Fear Ripper made its' second Stand of the match on Monarus' Gate Card.
"Battle 7 commencing! Calculating scores! Advantage Fear Ripper by 10 Gs." Pyrex's Baku-Pod read out as the scores were tallied.
"Gate Card, OPEN! Go, Grand Spirit!" Runo said as she revealed her Grand Spirit Gate Card which gave a big boost to Monarus.
"G-Power Boost detected. Re-checking scores. Advantage now Monarus by 190 Gs." Pyrex's Baku-Pod read out as the updated scores.
"BATTLE!" Torch and Runo called out as their Bakugan attacked, the eventual result of which being Monarus sending Fear Ripper back to Torch in ball form. Pyrex and Leonidas exchanged smug smirks at seeing this knowing that Torch had just one Bakugan left. The next bit would require everything to go to plan but if it does, it has the potential to be one heck of a huge finish.
"Good. Runo did her job admirably. Now it's our turn to set up for the final stand-off. Get ready, Leonidas!" Pyrex said to Leonidas, who nodded.
"Got it, partner. Let's hope Runo remembers to do her part or the rest of this set up was for nothing." Leonidas said with a nod as he prepared himself.
"Now, my turn to make the power play! Ability Card, ACTIVATE! Marionette!" Pyrex said as his Mantress grabbed Centipoid with his claws and tossed him down onto Runo's Gate Card, setting off another Battle.
(Remaining Bakugan: Runo-2/3, Masquerade-0/3, Pyrex-1/3, Torch-1/3 Remaining Ability Cards: Runo-1/3, Masquerade-2/3, Pyrex-1/3, Torch-3/3 Remaining Gate Cards: Runo-1/3, Masquerade-1/3, Pyrex-1/3, Torch-1/3)
"Battle 8 commencing! Checking scores! Advantage Centipoid by 40 Gs!" Torch's Baku-Pod read out as it displayed the scores.
"My turn! Gate Card, OPEN! Go Triple Battle!" Runo said as Torch laughed at the choice of Gate Card opening.
"Don't you need another Bakugan to throw in for that to work? Looks like you wasted your Gate Card, little missy! Too bad." Torch scoffed as he blew smoke in Runo's face, making her frown as she waved it aside. Pyrex laughed at Torch's comment.
"Are you REALLY that daft, Torch? Did you forget Runo still has an Ability Card or two left to play? I wouldn't say she wasted that Gate Card yet." Pyrex pointed out smugly as Runo nodded in response to Pyrex's remark before looking at Torch with a smug smirk.
"Pyrex is of course quite correct. And time to play one of said two Abilities! Ability Card, ACTIVATE! Pure Light! Go and revive Pyrex's strongest Bakugan!" Runo said as her Pure Light Ability Card kicked in, reviving Leonidas and putting him back into play. Pyrex and Leonidas exchanged feral grins as they turned identical draconic glares onto Torch.
"And now it's OUR turn to join the fray! Ready, Leo?" Pyrex said as he looked at Leonidas who nodded.
"I was born ready, partner! Let's do this!" Leonidas said as he assumed sphere form and went into Pyrex's hand.
"In that case, Bakugan! BRAWL!" Pyrex said as he tossed Leonidas out onto the same Gate Card as Tigrerra and Centipoid. After he landed, Tigrerra and Leonidas exchanged smiles as Leonidas joined Tigrerra on her card, stretching his long and imposing wings out with a mighty roar as he stood on the same Gate Card as Tigrerra and Centipoid.
"Bakugan Stand! Once more, Pyrus Leonidas, STAND!" Pyrex said with a confident smirk as Leonidas made his second Stand of the match.
"Triple Battle activated. Re-checking scores. Tigrerra and Leonidas now at a combined 920 Gs. Advantage Tigrerra and Leonidas by 520 Gs." Torch's Baku-Pod read out. Torch smirked as he looked at Runo and Pyrex, blowing more smoke from his cigarette at them.
"Good, I was hoping you'd do that. I can use this now! Ability Card, ACTIVATE! Providence Burn!" Torch said as Centipoid's G-Power spiked as a result of the Ability Card.
"G-Power Boost detected! Re-checking scores. Advantage now Centipoid by 100 Gs." Torch's Baku-Pod read out as Pyrex smirked.
"Nice try Torch, but not good enough. It's not over until the last card is played! And well, since I have one Ability left, wellll, let's let that card speak for itself, shall we?" Pyrex said with a smirk as he revealed his last Ability Card.
"Ability Card, ACTIVATE!" Pyrex said as Leonidas grinned excitedly as he looked at Tigrerra.
"Pay attention and maybe you'll learn a trick or two for how to win key matchups, Tigrerra." Leonidas said with a coy wink as he flexed before calling out the ability name.
"GRAND INFERNO! YAHHHHH!" Leonidas called out as he managed to conjure a big burst of flame with his wings, causing him to flare red as his G-Power went up again.
"G-Power boost detected once again! Re-checking scores again. Advantage now Leonidas and Tigrerra by 100 Gs." Torch's Baku-Pod read out as Torch smirked.
"Oh yeah? We'll see about that." Torch said as he went to activate his other Ability Cards only to frown when he saw them highlighted in red as he held them.
"What gives? Why are my abilities both turned red?" Torch asked in frustration. Pyrex laughed at Torch's question.
"Clearly someone didn't do their research. Grand Inferno not only jacks up my Bakugan's power by 200 Gs, but it also makes it so your other Abilities are nullified for the rest of the battle! So I'd say that's check and mate for you!" Pyrex said with a grin as he turned to face Runo.
"Shall we finish this flunkie off, Runo?" Pyrex asked Runo who returned Pyrex's grin with one of her own as she nodded.
"Gladly. TIGRERRA!" Runo called out as Pyrex smirked at Leonidas who turned to Tigrerra with a smirk.
"Shall we finish this off together, my dear?" Leonidas said confidently to Tigrerra who smiled at Leonidas.
"Absolutely. It'd be a pleasure to finish this up by your side, Leonidas." Tigrerra said confidently.
"Leonidas, let's do this buddy." Pyrex called out as he and Runo called out the next phrase as one.
"FINISH THIS! BATTLE!" Runo and Pyrex called out simultaneously as Tigrerra and Leonidas lunged forward, colliding with Centipoid causing a massive explosion as Centipoid was tossed backwards to land at Torch's feet in ball form, ending the match.
(Remaining Bakugan: Runo-2/3, Masquerade-0/3, Pyrex-2/3, Torch-0/3 Remaining Ability Cards: Runo-0/3, Masquerade: 2/3, Pyrex-0/3, Torch-2/3 Remaining Gate Cards: Runo-1/3, Masquerade-2/3, Pyrex-1/3, Torch-1/3)
After the battle, time returned to normal as the battlers were returned to where they'd started the battle...
(Meanwhile, with Dan)
"Whew, finally caught up to you, Masquer..." Dan said, trailing off as he caught up to the white-coated person he'd seen only to frown as he realized it wasn't Masquerade.
"Wait, you're not Masquerade? If that's the case...SHOOT! Runo's in trouble!" Dan said in realization as he tossed down the person he'd caught up to, not bothering to look at who he was tossing down. The person smirked to themselves as Dan darted off.
"Good, I distracted Kuso successfully. Hopefully Masquerade and Torch were able to do their part and eliminate Misaki by now. She's by herself so it shouldn't be that hard, right? RIGHT?!" The white-coated figure said to themselves with a grin as they watched Dan dart off to look for Runo...
(Meanwhile, with Marucho and Julie)
"Whew, I can't believe how rough that last battle was. I wonder if the others have had any luck?" Julie asked Marucho who shrugged.
"No idea, Julie. By my calculations, if we just beat the JJ Dolls, then that means either Alice and Rubedo or Dan and Runo might have ran across Masquerade while we were battling the JJ Dolls. Should we go find the others?" Marucho asked Julie who thought about it briefly before nodding.
(Back with Runo, Pyrex, Masquerade and Torch)
"UGH! How did we lose?! There's no way you should've been able to hold your own so well, Runo! You only won because Pyrex was on your side! It would've been different had he not been here." Masquerade taunted Runo who frowned.
"Sure, keep telling yourself that, Masquerade. But if you ask me, you were held back by tall dark and scraggly. You might have won if you weren't saddled with him." Runo pointed out. She then smiled as she looked at Masquerade triumphantly.
"Right, Pyrex?" Runo asked Pyrex, only to see when she turned to look at him that he'd vanished without a word after the battle. However, Tigrerra was looking at a slip of paper she'd found after the battle. It read as follows:
"If you're reading this, I enjoyed battling alongside you Tigrerra. You're a pretty capable battler. Maybe sometime down the line we'll have a chance to battle together again. At the same time, I think you might pose a significant challenge to me were we to square off at some point, but that's not likely gonna be for awhile yet, but I do think we'll meet again so stay strong until then. ;) -Leonidas P.S.: Pyrex gives his compliments to Runo on her battling skill and encourages her to keep bettering herself." Leonidas' note read, making Tigrerra give a wry smile as she read it. Runo smirked as she saw this before giving Tigrerra a sly wink as she spoke up teasingly.
"What's that, a love letter?" Runo joked to Tigrerra who huffed at the joke with a frown.
"Not funny, Runo! And no milady, it was a thank-you note for us both. Apparently we made quite the impression on both Leonidas AND Pyrex as they compliment our skills. I'm flattered." Tigrerra said happily. Masquerade huffed from nearby as he reluctantly conceded defeat on this occasion.
"Very well, you win THIS round, but this isn't over! Next time, your Bakugan are as good as gone!" Masquerade said as he vanished into a conjured portal, leaving Torch to puff one last cloud of cigarette smoke at Runo before following after Masquerade as the portal vanished, leaving without a word.
(Back with Dan)
"RUNO! Where are you? RUNO!" Dan called out as he darted around the mall, looking for Runo as she wasn't where he'd left her. His shouts drew the attention of Marucho and Julie who made it to the second floor in time to hear Dan shouting for Runo.
"Dan! Over here!" Julie said as Dan heard Julie and ran over to her and Marucho.
"Why are you by yourself? I thought you were with Runo?" Marucho asked Dan, frowning in confusion.
"We were until we split up so I could chase after who I thought was Masquerade, only to find out it was just some random person in a white coat. So Runo might be battling Masquerade by herself right now alone! We gotta find her, guys!" Dan said as Marucho and Julie frowned before nodding, right as Rubedo walked over to them, and Julie saw that he was holding a small bag in one hand, his hair slightly ruffled as if he'd had it blown around by a fan. Rubedo looked at Dan, having heard his shouts.
"Runo's not with you?" Rubedo asked Dan with a frown. Dan shook his head.
"No, we got split up when I chased after what I thought was Masquerade only to be tricked by some random person in a white coat." Dan explained to Rubedo, who blinked before he blinked as he recalled something important.
"I think I saw some portals and stuff going off around an unfinished part of the mall while I was running my errand earlier for my mother. Maybe Runo went that way?" Rubedo suggested, trying to look politely confused at the idea. Dan nodded to Rubedo's input.
"Can you remember how to get there? If so, lead the way! We have to find Runo, ASAP! She could be in danger! I never should've left her by herself! What was I thinking?!" Dan said as he frowned, blaming himself for not taking Runo with him to chase the white-coated figure. Rubedo nodded.
"Luckily I know roughly where it is." Rubedo said to Dan who nodded as he, Julie and Marucho followed Rubedo as he led the way towards the unfinished part of the mall right as Runo came rushing up to the others.
"Dan! There you are!" Runo said as she ran up to Dan with a smile, eagerly wrapping her arms around him as she hugged him, making Julie pout in jealousy.
"Really? Not fair Runo." Julie said in a whiny tone. Dan rolled his eyes as he looked at Julie.
"Not now Julie. Where'd you get off to?" Dan said to Julie before turning to address his question to Runo who smiled.
"I was winning a Bakugan battle against Masquerade!" Runo said happily, crossing her arms with a proud look on her face. Dan and Marucho both facefaulted at Runo's claim.
"You beat Masquerade? For real?" Dan asked after he'd gotten back up and Runo nodded.
"Yep. And that's not all! I got to battle alongside Pyrex and Leonidas while doing so!" Runo said with a grin as this time Marucho and Rubedo facefaulted at the names dropped while Dan's jaw dropped at this in shock before he blinked.
"WHAAAAAT? FOR REAL?!" Dan said in wide-eyed shock as he looked at Runo who happily nodded.
"That's insane Runo! Is he as good as the legends say he is?" Dan asked Runo, who nodded eagerly.
"And then some! But I think we need to gather everyone together so I can share the details with the entire group." Runo said as Julie and Marucho nodded their agreement.
"That works, except Shun went home earlier and I left Alice by herself on the first floor to run an errand for my mom earlier." Rubedo spoke up, holding up the bag in his right hand by way of explanation. The others nodded while Dan shrugged.
"We'll probably find her as we head back out towards the limo. Considering that Runo here already found and if she's telling the truth, defeated Masquerade and some flunkie of his with Leonidas and Pyrex, then we don't have any further reason to be here, unless Rubedo didn't get his fill of seeing the sights?" Dan said and Rubedo shook his head quickly, more than satisfied with his experience in the mall before turning to speak to Dan.
"Nah, I'm good Dan. Besides, we can't hang about all day. Who knows when or where Masquerade could strike next?" Rubedo pointed out wisely as Dan nodded.
"Exactly. Let's get going, Brawlers!" Dan said as the group started heading to the first floor to make their way towards the exit, and just as they reached the exit, Alice came running up to them, some bags of her own in each arm. Rubedo smiled as he saw Alice catch up to the group. Alice fell into step with the others as they left the mall, Dan turning to face Alice when he realized she'd caught up to the group.
"There you are. Looks like you used your time productively while you and Rubedo were split up." Dan remarked ignoring Rubedo's almost inaudible groan at Dan's word choice.
"Of course she did, Dan. Or did you think she wouldn't do some shopping? Girls tend to do that at a mall I think." Rubedo pointed out dryly, as Runo and Julie gave approving nods of Rubedo's response to Dan while Alice smiled at Rubedo, looking a bit sheepish at Dan seeming to call her out on her and Rubedo splitting up briefly.
"Yep, I sure did. Got some shopping done for Runo's family's cafe, did some window shopping, and even picked up a few things for myself." Alice replied happily, making Rubedo nod approvingly as he saw the smile that slowly spread over Alice's face after she answered Dan.
"Good, that's good to hear. I think for now though, we were going to go get into the limo and head back towards Marucho's place for now. Or did we have other plans?" Rubedo said, turning towards Dan and Marucho with the latter bit of his question.
"No, you're correct. We can head back to my house for now while Runo fills us in and we figure out our next move." Marucho replied making Rubedo nod approvingly. After that, the group left the mall and got into the limo, eventually starting the drive back to Marucho's house...
(Outro/preview of next chapter)
"Shun here! Next time on Bakugan Battle Brawlers, I return to my grandfather's dojo per his request, only to find the place empty on my arrival. Odd...Grandpa never leaves the dojo empty. As if that wasn't odd enough, I find a nasty surprise waiting for me when I go inside to look around for Grandpa. Can I handle myself taking on an unexpected challenge? Or am I going to have to hope Dan and the others can get here in time to save the day? You won't want to miss this next episode! Bakugan, BRAWL! Heh, see you there!"
End outro/preview of next chapter, and end of chapter
A/N: And chapter! Whew, actually got a chapter of something other than Hacker's Memory done! Nice to know I can still churn other chapters out! Wasn't really sure if I could get it done for a second there! And yep, Pyrex finally makes a proper appearance in the story! Hopefully he's received at least moderately well. I did what I could to strike a balance between keeping him not too overpowered and making him seem flawed to some point. Though I dunno if I got the character QUITE right, but I suppose that's part of the process of making OCs is getting them right. Either way, feel free to leave your thoughts/constructive criticism in reviews as I always welcome reader input and enjoy hearing from you.
That being said, a real quick aside to anyone here reading this who also reads my Pokemon: Shuffled Journeys story, firstly that story is high up on the rankings list for what I work on next so hopefully I'll have a chapter of that out sooner than later. In addition, I also put up a new poll since my current poll is now CLOSED. (Techincally it closed a few days ago but it took me time to finish this update) The current poll is similar to a couple of the previous polls I ran, except in this case you get to vote for girls to be seen in HOP's harem (yeah, Ash ain't the only one getting a harem in Shuffled Journeys), and I have it so you can vote for up to FOUR girls this time.
Unlike Ash's harem, however, there's no real 'locks' per se for Hop's harem, plus I don't intend to make it bigger than six girls (if that many!) Also, I may or may not give Red a mini-harem of his own once he becomes a more prominent character in the series (Probably once the group goes to and through Kanto which won't be for awhile) and if so it won't be more than probably four girls. So yeah there's that. As usual, it'll be up for about two weeks. So you have plenty of time to vote.
That aside, hopefully you enjoy my stories and until next update, sithlorde1988 out!