A/N: sithlorde1988 here, with another chapter of Bakugan: The Pyrex Chronicles! I know this story is a bit slow in updating of recently, but in my defense I've just had a pretty intense urge to hard-focus on Hacker's Memory-The Amasawa Files, and at this point I'm actually at a good point to try and resume this story! Techincally I also have chapters that are in slow progression for both Shuffled Journeys and Digimon Data Squad Redux (rewrite) as well. I'm hoping to gradually plug away at those so I can have them done and ready to post eventually. That being said, before I forget, let's get the disclaimer done!
Disclaimer: sithlorde1988 does not own Bakugan in any way shape or form (whether it be the show or the games) and the ones that do own it know who they are and all credit for owning Bakugan is theirs to take. The one exception to that is the OCs Rubedo and Pyrex which I do somewhat own having made them up myself.
That being said, stay tuned after the chapter as I will have some stuff to announce in the end-chapter A/N! But without further ado let's get on with chapter 5!
Chapter 5- Shun's Humbling Exprience! Skyress' Rough Brawl!
(Shun's grandfather's dojo, unknown location) *1*
"Grandpa? You here? I'm home!" Shun called out as he returned home after being dropped off by Kato via a helicopter. When his grandfather made no move to reply, Shun frowned. On further inspection of the dojo, Shun found no trace of his grandfather anywhere.
"Very odd. Grandpa never leaves this place empty. I wonder if something happened to him?" Shun said to himself forgetting that Skyress was sitting on his shoulder.
"Perhaps he had visitors and went for a walk with them?" Skyress suggested, not entirely sure of her guess but figuring it made sense. Shun gave a dry chuckle at this.
"The last time Grandpa had visitors was when Mom was still around, and technically that time Runo and Marucho came to try and persuade me to join the Brawlers. Good thing I eventually decided to help them. Or who knows where we'd all be now?" Shun said reflectively as Skyress smiled.
"That's true. I suppose for now let's wait to see if your grandfather comes home soon, and if after like 2-3 hours he's not back, THEN you can go out and look for him." Skyress suggested, and Shun shrugged.
"Seems like a decent enough plan to me. I guess for now I'll find some way to keep myself entertained. Maybe I'll check my Brawler account or something?" Shun mused as Skyress nodded. The two then went inside to start the process of waiting for Shun's grandfather...
(Meanwhile, at the same time over at Marucho's house with most of the other Brawlers)
"So let me get this straight, Runo. You followed Masquerade's voice to an abandoned and unfinished part of the mall, found yourself trapped by Masquerade and this 'Torch', and when they taunted you about having you cornered, Pyrex just showed up out of nowhere to help?" Julie said, frowning at what Runo had just said. Runo nodded in confirmation of Julie's summary, smiling as she continued her explanation.
"Uh-huh, and then he taunted Masquerade. It was actually pretty funny, considering he called Masquerade, and I quote, 'laughable and pathetic' since he had to have his hired help tag team one Brawler with him. Not to mention he sure scared the wits out of Masquerade when he spoke up." Runo replied with a wry smile as she recounted her encounter with Masquerade and Torch to the other Brawlers, leading up to how she ended up having a run-in with Pyrex. Dan nodded, his arms crossed as he listened to Runo's story, intrigued by it so far even as he spoke up, wanting to voice his opinions on what Runo had shared with the group.
"Heh, I like this guy's gumption. Not many people would have the guts to taunt Masquerade to his face. And this Torch sounds like a regular grade-A creep too. Obviously some words were exchanged, since as you mentioned before, you ended up teaming up with Pyrex in a Tag Brawl against Masquerade and Torch. But just how good is Pyrex?" Dan asked, curiosity evident in his voice. Runo smiled fondly at Dan as she spoke up again.
"Really good, Dan. If he hadn't had to alter his approach to keep me in the game, he'd have probably taken out Torch AND Masquerade by himself. But wow, he knew some crazy moves. You should've seen Masquerade's face when he pulled off his Solar Shuffle move to negate the Doom Cards that Torch and Masquerade played. Masquerade totally looked like he'd swallowed several lemons, and Torch was even a bit ticked off at the move. Of course, if he hadn't made that play when he did, I might have lost Tigrerra to the Doom Dimension considering Masquerade was trying to force her into being on a Mind Ghost card to send her to the Doom Dimension.
However, Pyrex used an Ability Card to switch Tigrerra out with Leonidas, basically sacrificing Leonidas to remove the Doom Cards from play along with Hydranoid. However, it was treated as a draw between Hydranoid and Leonidas rather than a loss for Leonidas. Honestly, I think Leonidas might've made an impression on Tigrerra considering she's not really been quite the same since we ran into Pyrex and Leonidas. But that's not what we're talking about. Basically, Pyrex is a Brawler on his own level. Even Dan would have a hard time against him. Not even Masquerade could beat him, but not for a lack of trying since he did get Pyrex down to his last Bakugan before Pyrex wiped him out." Runo said making Julie squeal slightly in excitement at this, making both Runo and Dan wince, the latter covering his ears because he was next to Julie and had some of the squeal go in his ears when she squealed. Marucho chuckled from his chair as he looked at Julie.
"Leave it to Julie to almost damage Dan's hearing with her squeals." Marucho joked, making both Julie and Dan facefault in unison at the attempt at humor while Runo giggled at the lighthearted but witty quip. After they got up, both Dan and Julie frowned at Marucho, the latter glaring as she looked at Marucho.
"NOT FUNNY, MARUCHO! I don't squeal THAT loudly!" Julie huffed before smiling as she kept speaking, her previous anger at Marucho quickly forgotten as she changed the subject back to what she'd originally squealed about.
"But in all seriousness, am I the only one who sees what's going on here? Not only do we possibly have another ally against Masquerade, but Tigrerra might have herself a crush!" Julie said excitedly as both Runo and Tigrerra facefaulted at this comment.
"Just because she was impressed by Leonidas, if in fact she was impressed, does not mean Tigerra has a crush." Gorem pointed out sagely to Julie making Tigrerra give Gorem a grateful smile as she spoke up, happy that the Subterra Bakugan had taken some of the focus off of her.
"What he said. Besides, what would be the point in having a crush on Leonidas if he's likely not gonna be around enough to make it worth falling for him?" Tigrerra said making Drago nod his agreement while Preyas laughed at the look on the usually composed Haos Bakugan's slightly pinking face before speaking up with a smirk on his face.
"Oh yeah, Tig? If that's so, why did your face turn red as a tomato when Julie mentioned you having a crush? Methinks someone's in denial." Preyas teased Tigrerra, ignoring the huff the Haos Bakugan gave him as a result of his teasing. Drago looked at Preyas sternly, possibly not amused at the nickname the Aquos Bakugan had tried to give Tigrerra, or maybe he was just irritated at how immature he could be, either was possible. Regardless, Drago spoke up at that point.
"Now Preyas, just because you're still somewhat immature compared to the rest of us doesn't mean you know everything. And honestly I'd be more inclined to believe Tigrerra than to believe you considering how often you play jokes." Drago deadpanned making Preyas facefault while Tigrerra and Gorem chuckled at the Aquos Bakugan's expense.
"Drago's right. And even if Tigrerra DOES somehow have feelings for Leonidas, which I see as unlikely after one meeting, she's still our friend first and foremost. Besides, who's to say Leonidas feels the same way if she did have feelings for him?" Gorem pointed out as Tigrerra's cheeks turned a tad pink at Gorem's words.
"Leonidas is charming, and quite witty. However, he and I are just friends and nothing more. Maybe if we encounter each other a few more times, that could be different, but we're just friends for now." Tigrerra said, making Runo giggle as she saw the pink on Tigrerra's face, smirking mischievously as she turned to address the Haos Bakugan.
"Oh yeah? If you're just friends, why are your cheeks so pink? You know it's not a crime to like someone, right?" Runo asked Tigrerra gently. Tigrerra huffed but nodded.
"I realize that, milady. However, do you REALLY have any room to talk to me about liking someone given how often you and Julie act jealous of each other where it comes to Dan? If anyone's in denial here, I'd say it's you." Tigrerra pointed out slyly, making Runo sputter at the sudden change of topic while Julie huffed and crossed her arms at the change of subject Tigrerra had opted for. Dan just chuckled, not minding being dragged into the conversation.
"That's fair. Besides, as much as I give you two grief, you're both still really good friends. But you two do realize there's plenty of me for both of you, right?" Dan said, making Marucho and Drago both facefault at his question while Gorem and Tigrerra both burst out laughing at the gaping looks on Julie and Runo's faces at Dan's remark, and Preyas just felt his jaw drop. He then turned to look at Drago who had just picked himself back up along with Marucho, smirking as he spoke up.
"Drago, Marucho, you both heard the same thing I did, right?" Preyas asked Marucho and Drago who nodded. Both Julie and Runo's faces were bright red at this point and the latter of the two glared at Dan before she spoke up, her anger made very readily apparent as she spoke to Dan.
"DAN! DO YOU THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK?" Runo said huffily as she turned to face Dan, trying to hide her embarrassment at Dan's word choice. Julie nodded her agreement.
"As sweet as what you said is, do you seriously think you could handle both of us? Besides, I don't think you realize what you're saying." Julie said coyly giving Dan a sly wink making him blink at what she said before his eyes went wide and he went red realizing what he'd said.
"J-Jeez! I didn't mean it like THAT, you two! I meant I had plenty of friendship for you both! I wasn't suggesting anything more than that!" Dan said, now embarrassed by his own poor word choice. Runo giggled, patting Dan on the head playfully as she ruffled his hair.
"Silly Dan, I knew you meant that. I just felt like having a bit of fun with you. That's all." Runo said with a smile. Julie spoke up at that point, frowning as she thought of something else that she'd noticed, or perhaps more accurately put, the lack of two certain Brawlers in the room.
"Wait. I thought we were ALL coming back here to hear what Runo has to say? Yet I don't see either Rubedo OR Alice here. You don't think they decided to sneak off alone, do you?" Julie asked Dan, Runo and Marucho, the latter of which shook his head while the former two facefaulted at Julie's remark before the latter of those two spoke up.
"For one, I don't think Alice goes that fast! And for two, Alice had to go back to the cafe to cover my shift so I could explain things to the rest of you." Runo replied after she got back up from her facefault, having been helped up by Dan who himself had facefaulted.
"And as for Rubedo, he sent me a message on his Baku-Pod earlier saying he couldn't make it back because his mom needed him to help her with stuff but he'd try to pop into a video chat later to hear what Runo had to say so we can fill him in then if needed." Marucho explained, making Dan nod in understanding, knowing that feeling too well.
"Sounds rough for him. Oh well, it's not like we haven't seen a lot of him lately anyways." Dan said sagely making Julie and Runo nod their agreement.
"And I told Alice I'd fill her in once I got home so I can fill her in later." Runo added making Dan nod again.
"That just leaves filling in Shun, since he also had to get back home." Dan said and Marucho nodded.
"That's easy. We can add him to the same chat that we have with Rubedo so we can fill them in at the same time." Marucho suggested, making Dan nod approvingly.
"Good idea, Marucho." Dan said before turning to Julie and Marucho with a grin.
"So enough about Runo's run-in with Pyrex. I hear you two got into a Tag Brawl of your own?" Dan said with a smirk as Marucho facefaulted from the abrupt change of subject. Julie, for her part, just giggled at Marucho's reaction before getting a smirk of her own as she answered Dan's question.
"That we did. We didn't find Masquerade but we did have a Tag Brawl against the JJ Dolls. They came off as a bit stuck-up in my opinion but they're no slouches when it comes to Bakugan. Then again, Marucho held his own pretty well too as did I. Though I would definitely say Marucho has a higher opinion of them than I do, especially given what happened after the Brawl." Julie said with a coy sort of smile as she watched Marucho sputter at Julie's words before replying with a red face.
"That was only to thank me for being a loyal fan, Julie! Jenny even said so herself afterwards! That didn't mean anything more than that! Granted it was kinda nice...ack, what am I saying?! It was just a gesture of gratitude and nothing more! Unlike when you and Runo both practically throw yourselves at Dan." Marucho said calmly even as he tried to get the embarrassment and redness out of his face, not seeing the triple facefaults that came from Dan, Julie and Runo as a result of his comment. Preyas, however, laughed at Marucho's reaction before speaking up with a grin on his face.
"Sure it was, Marucho. But if you ask me, I think it might have meant more than that for you. Mayhaps you might be hot for one of the JJ Dolls?" Preyas said impishly, and this time it was Marucho's turn to facefault as he turned to glare at his partner. Surprisingly, Drago spoke up before Marucho could chastise Preyas, giving the Aquos Bakugan a disapproving look as he spoke.
"Now now, Preyas, no need to make fun of your partner. You don't see Tigrerra, Gorem and I making fun of OUR partners when they act like children, do you?" Drago chided Preyas, making Tigrerra laugh at Drago's word choice as she spoke up.
"Be fair, Drago. Our partners ARE techincally still children, even if some of them are closer to being teens." Tigrerra pointed out as Gorem nodded.
"And really, in Shun, Alice AND Rubedo's cases, they ARE teens." Gorem said sagely making Preyas laugh as he nodded to the Subterra Bakugan's statement.
"That's true Gorem, but I feel like Rubedo's much older than just a teen somehow. Can't quite put my finger on why, but I get a feeling that Rubedo might be more than he appears to be." Preyas said contemplatively, making Drago nod his agreement.
"I agree, but as I said before Preyas, we'll cross that bridge when and if we come to it. For now, we have to focus on keeping our partners safe and putting a stop to Masquerade's evil ambitions." The Pyrus Bakugan said in a tone that radiated authority, getting nods of agreement from Tigrerra, Gorem and Preyas. Dan also chuckled as he nodded to Drago's statement, agreeing with it wholeheartedly.
"Got that right, Drago! The sooner we put a stop to Masquerade, the better. That guy's nothing but trouble." Dan said with a nod.
"I agree with Dan. And Marucho? Next time you're going to deflect attention off of yourself, DON'T DO IT AT MY EXPENSE!" Runo said huffily as she crossed her arms, making Julie giggle at the put-out expression on Runo's face.
"How can he not when we do do that a lot? Granted, Dan doesn't exactly do a lot to discourage us, especially when he says things like 'plenty of me for both of you' to us." Julie pointed out with an amused smile, making both Runo AND Dan facefault once more. Dan then glared at Julie after he stood up.
"I already told you I meant that in a friendly way, Julie! So quit taking it as something it isn't!" Dan said with a pout as he crossed his arms with a huff. Runo and Marucho laughed at Dan's plight, even as the former stuck her tongue out childishly at Julie by way of a reply to her remark about Dan.
"You know Runo, you sticking your tongue out like that isn't exactly making you seem any more mature than Julie is right now." Marucho said after he'd stopped laughing long enough to put his opinion in on the subject, causing Dan, Drago AND Preyas to all facefault at Marucho's remark. Dan gently patted Marucho on the shoulder after he'd gotten up, even as the Aquos and Pyrus Bakugan pulled themselves up off of the ground after Marucho's remark.
"You know Marucho, sometimes it's a point of common sense, or at the least self-preservation, not to get involved in a catfight. Or so I heard on TV once." Dan pointed out in what he thought was a sagely manner, as Julie huffed at Dan's reference to her and Runo's disagreement as a catfight, though Runo just giggled at Dan's attempt to give Marucho advice, finding it both inexplicably hilarious and also oddly adorable for a reason she couldn't quite put her finger on.
"Just because Runo and I are having a slight disagreement here, doesn't make it a catfight, Dan!" Julie said huffily as she crossed her arms with a pout making Runo giggle at Julie's reaction even as she turned to face Marucho with a smirk on her face.
"I get what you were trying to say there, but Dan is right in that it's usually smarter NOT to interrupt two ladies when they're having a discussion, if not safer. But luckily for you, Julie and I were just poking fun at each other, or at least that's what I was doing. I'm not honestly sure if Julie was being serious or not with her remarks." Runo said with a slight smile as Julie sighed before nodding her agreement to Runo's words.
"No, that's what I was doing as well, in addition to making sure Dan learns to think before he speaks. Pretty sure not many girls like that in a guy." Julie remarked, making Dan almost facefault at her remark while Runo chuckled at Julie's comment.
"You're probably right, but sometimes girls can look past a guy's inability to think before they speak if the guy in question is kind and genuine enough, or at least I think so. And Dan, for all that he doesn't think at times, is definitely a good leader and both kind as well as genuine. So I think we can be a bit lenient with him. Besides, it's not like he's the only one here who's had what I've heard referred to as 'foot-in-mouth' syndrome at least once. I think out of us all, the only ones who might not have done that at least once that I can think of are probably Skyress and Gorem, and maybe Drago. I'd have said Alice too, but I think we both can agree she's had 'foot-in-mouth' syndrome at least once since Rubedo became a Brawler." Runo remarked as Julie nodded, giggling in agreement until she processed what Runo said with a huff.
"Um, since when have I had that problem? I always think before I speak!" Julie pointed out petulantly making Runo giggle.
"Oh yeah? And I suppose you fangirling over Dan for no reason ISN'T considered 'foot-in-mouth' syndrome to some extent? Not to mention, I recall a time where you got reprimanded by Rubedo for calling him 'kid', though to be fair I got yelled at for that same thing if I recall right so it's not like I'm excluding myself in this." Runo pointed out with an agreeable nod. Julie shrugged before conceding the point at that.
"So, I think we're agreed that we'll fill Rubedo in later on when we get the chance, and that Runo can fill Alice in when she goes home unless we somehow also get Alice in on the same chat that we use to fill Rubedo in?" Dan said, partly to change the subject and partly to hopefully ease the tension between Runo and Julie, which worked.
"Exactly, Dan. And on the subject of Shun, we can fill him in separately since he had to go back home as we know." Marucho replied to Dan. Julie spoke up at that point.
"True, though are you sure leaving Alice to cover for your shift at your family's cafe was a good idea, Runo? I mean she's a hard worker and all, but didn't you tell me that she isn't the most outgoing person at times? Sure she's social enough with the Brawlers, but I vaguely recall you mentioning she's not that social otherwise. Granted, maybe meeting Rubedo can help her get out of her metaphoric shell a bit more?" Julie said as she stroked her cheek in thought as Runo shrugged.
"Honestly? I'm not sure myself, but my folks seemed plenty fine with it so I think they'll be able to help her get through the job well enough. So I'll trust in that. Besides, it's not like she's gonna have to work that long anyways. If I recall rightly, the cafe should be closing up fairly soon after which Alice SHOULD be able to fend for herself until we finish up here. I mean, worst case, the cafe isn't that far from where Rubedo lives if I recall correctly from when we had to give him a ride home and then bring him back here with us that first day we met him." Runo remarked as Dan nodded his agreement.
"That's true, Runo. Though I got the sense from Rubedo that while he is a social guy, he's also not really one to initiate conversations too much if he doesn't have to, even if he was pretty good about speaking up while he was around us. So maybe that in part can be chalked up to us." Dan said with a hopeful smirk. Marucho rolled his eyes at Dan's optimistic reply before he spoke up in a matter-of-fact tone, smirking as he saw Julie and Runo roll their eyes at Dan's statement.
"Dan, while you're probably right, I'd like to think Rubedo made that sort of progress on his own. That or possibly seeing Alice could've motivated him to be more social. I've heard sometimes you tend to try harder if you see someone you like nearby, not to mention we did initiate things with him to some extent. So it's probably safer to say that if anything Alice gets the credit for Rubedo being as social as he is with us. But that's just my opinion." Marucho said, making Dan facefault at Marucho's blunt remark while Julie and Runo giggled at the gobsmacked expression on Dan's face as the latter spoke up after helping Dan to his feet.
"That's true Marucho, but I think Dan did socialize with Rubedo at least as much as Alice did if not more in some cases, so he does get some of the credit, I think. Though at the same time, we're assuming Rubedo didn't just take a liking to us and decide to be extra sociable of his own accord, which is very much a possibility." Runo said as Dan gave her a grateful smile for coming to his defense, something that Julie huffed as she saw, but she didn't get angry at it, to everyone's surprise.
"Runo's not wrong, though I think from what I've seen of Rubedo, I'm inclined to believe that Rubedo is mostly just as sociable as he is because we approached him first. That and because he might admire the Brawlers, but that's just my guess." Julie pointed out as Marucho nodded his agreement while Dan shrugged and spoke up.
"That could be Julie, but I'm inclined to think that it wasn't JUST Alice that made Rubedo be sociable." Dan said confidently. Runo smiled as she nodded her agreement with Dan, even as Julie and Marucho chuckled while looking at Runo and Dan, before the latter spoke up once more.
"Well, I think for now we should leave our discussion at that so we can start preparing for when we start up that chat with Rubedo and possibly both Shun and Alice as well." Marucho said sagely, making Julie nod her agreement. Dan also nodded his agreement before speaking up at that point.
"Fair enough. I suppose at this point, Runo and I should head home before our families worry too much. If nothing else, I can also escort Runo back to her family's cafe if she wants unless she'd rather walk back on her own. I just thought I'd offer anyways." Dan said, suddenly looking a bit sheepish, ignoring the chuckles from Marucho and Preyas behind him at the embarrassed looks on both his face and Runo's before the latter spoke up, a slight smile on her face as she spoke.
"I wasn't expecting you to offer like that, but if you want to walk me home, I won't turn you down. It might be a bit of a walk though given that Marucho's house is a fair bit of a walk from my family's cafe and your house. But I suppose we can just enjoy walking together that whole time." Runo said happily, smiling at Dan as she accepted his offer, ignoring the gaping look on Julie's face as well as the simultaneous facefaults from Gorem, Drago AND Tigrerra at Dan and Runo's interaction. After the latter two got to their feet while the former helped himself up, Marucho smiled at Dan before speaking up once more.
"Yeah, we got some time. Go on, walk her to her family's cafe. Worst case I'll have Kato pick you two up if we need you two back here for any reason." Marucho said as Julie turned away, a slight pout on her face as Dan nodded and offered his arm to Runo, looking embarrassed as he did so.
"Okay. Shall we start walking, Runo?" Dan asked, his face slightly pink from embarrassment even though he was just trying to be a good friend to Runo. Runo smiled and nodded as she looped her arm through Dan's, looking into his eyes happily as she spoke up.
"Certainly. Let's get walking." Runo said, smiling as she and Dan walked out of the room, Runo's head on Dan's shoulder for no real reason other than she could as they walked. Julie and Marucho exchanged confused glances at the two's departing figures before shrugging and deciding to chat idly about various topics...
(Back at Shun's grandfather's dojo, with Shun and Skyress)
"Well, we've been waiting quite awhile, Skyress. Don't you think my grandfather should've been back by now?" Shun asked Skyress who shrugged before looking around and blinking at the note she could just see sticking out from under a vase, making her frown as she spoke up.
"Possibly. But Shun, how did we miss THAT?" Skyress asked, pointing towards the vase that the note was sticking out underneath. Shun blinked as he saw the note, shrugging as he pulled it out from under the vase very carefully, unfolding it to look it over. The note read as follows:
'Shun, if this is Shun Kazami who is reading this note, as you might have noticed your grandfather is nowhere to be seen. That's because, I, the mighty Loon, have captured him. And why, you might ask? Simple. A certain employer of mine asked me to try and lure you out to eliminate you. So if you want to see your grandfather again, you'll have to come to the back alley next to the Misaki cafe, and come alone. If you can defeat me in a battle, I'll return your grandfather to you unharmed. Fail, and we'll see what happens. So if you have any bravery at all, be sure to be there. Hehehehe! -Loon' The note read, making Shun frown as he finished reading the note before looking at Skyress.
"Well, it looks like it's up to us to rescue Grandpa from this Loon person. Hopefully we're up to the task, Skyress. If not, who knows what will become of Grandpa?" Shun said worriedly as Skyress nodded before speaking up, a rare look of uncertainty on the Ventus Bakugan's face as she spoke to Shun.
"Shun, we can do it, but we'll have to work together. Otherwise we stand no chance of winning. And we'll have to muster every ounce of skill and talent we have to be able to prevail over this unknown opponent. After all, all we know about them is that their name is Loon." Skyress said and Shun nodded before warily speaking up.
"That's true, but how do we do research from here? I suppose we'll have to do some research online before we challenge him. Let's get to it." Shun said as Skyress nodded. After awhile, they learned that Loon was a near-undefeated Brawler who's only ever lost a few battles, notably taking losses to both Pyrex and Masquerade. Shun also frowned at the mention of Loon's affinity for knives, wondering if Loon might be torturing his grandpa at this moment. Shun shrugged after a bit, picking some Bakugan to use, grabbing his Gate and Ability Cards, and headed for the alley that Loon had told him to go to. After a bit of a walk, Shun arrived at the alley in question. He frowned as he looked around, not seeing anyone anywhere as he looked at Skyress and spoke up.
"Are we even in the right alley, Skyress?" Shun asked Skyress who shrugged.
"Search me. I believe this is the only alley next to Runo's family's cafe though, so I'd believe that this is the place." Skyress said. Shun nodded to the Ventus Bakugan's point.
"That's fair. Oh well, maybe I'll just keep looking around for a bit and see if I can find this Loon guy so we can get this brawl over with." Shun said. Skyress nodded and the two looked around, unaware of the hooded individual watching him from the window of a nearby building in a mix of curiosity and intrigue. After a bit, a dry, but amused laugh reached Shun's ears and he spun around to face the speaker, a man who appeared to be around six feet tall, lean in build with some definite traces of muscle, who had similar black hair to Shun's albeit with three strands in the front that appeared to resemble feathers.
Those strands had the effect of making both Shun and Skyress blink at how much the strands made the man look a tad bird-like, many scars that covered the man's face and body, suggesting that he'd been in countless struggles, possibly with birds of prey, black wooden sandals that matched the black pants he wore which had a belt holding them up that had various kunais and throwing knives on it that brought Shun strongly to mind of an assassin or high-tier ninja, making him turn to face the person who'd laughed warily as he spoke up.
"Can I help you? I was told to meet a Loon in this alley for a battle." Shun said to the speaker who laughed again as he spoke up.
"Is that so? Well, look no further. Loon's my name, and battling Brawlers like you is my game, or as close to one as I get anyways." The now-named Loon said as he crossed his arms over his chest, which drew Shun's attention to the fact that Loon wore no shirt, instead covering his chest with a tattered green vest which somehow served to further reinforce the idea that Loon was not one to mess with lightly, but also gave Shun the impression that Loon had seen his share of battles since he looked a fair bit older than Shun did, making Shun mentally clock Loon's age at around 24 years old, give or take a year either way. Shun nodded and spoke up.
"I see, so then you'd be the Loon that sent me a note saying you have my grandfather and that I'd have to defeat you to get him back." Shun said as Loon nodded.
"That is correct, however, since that note was sent, my employer decided to take your grandfather into his own captivity, so while I can't necessarily return him to you, if you manage to win, I'll instead give you directions to where you can find my employer so you can try to get your grandfather back, though I warn you now defeating me will not be a simple task. I may not be ranked on your Bakugan player rankings list, but I have very rarely lost a game of Bakugan, so you might find me an intimidating opponent to face.
So what do you think, Shun? Are you up to the challenge, or will you back down now? Note that no one would judge you if you were to decide discretion was the better part of valor and not take the challenge but do be aware you might well give up your best chance at rescuing your grandfather if you decline my challenge. So choose wisely." Loon said with a very self-satisfied smirk as Shun frowned before looking Loon in the eyes as he spoke up.
"You might be a strong opponent, but I won't know how I stack up against you, so in other words, I accept your challenge!" Shun said as Loon laughed in a self-satisfied manner and spoke up.
"Good, I was hoping you'd say that. My employer will be most pleased when and if I bring him word that I defeated Shun of the Battle Brawlers single-handedly. So don't take it too roughly if I beat you. Now prepare yourself to Brawl!" Loon said as he pulled out a Field card, Shun doing the same. Unbeknownst to the two, Dan and Runo had happened to overhear the entire exchange, as had a certain red-clad masked battler, and all three scrambled to get to the battlefield in time to get in on watching, but all three came up short as time crawled to a halt as Shun and Loon held up their field cards and spoke up in unison.
"BAKUGAN! FIELD, OPEN!" Shun and Loon said as the battlefield materialized around them, time crawling to a halt for everything else around them, right as Dan and Runo were rounding a corner towards the area that Shun and Loon had opened the field in, and Pyrex was running from a nearby alleyway to reach the battle, trapping all three in suspended animation as Shun and Loon were transported to the battlefield...
(In the battlefield with Loon and Shun)
"Well, here goes nothing. Let's do this!" Shun said as Loon smirked.
"Excellent. Let the battle begin!" Loon replied smirking as both pulled out a Gate Card and threw them down on the field.
"GATE CARD, SET!" Shun and Loon said as they threw down their Gate Cards.
(Remaining Bakugan: Shun-3/3, Loon-3/3 Remaining Gate Cards: Shun-3/3, Loon-3/3 Remaining Ability Cards: Shun-3/3, Loon-3/3)
"Why don't you start this off, Shun? Far be it from me to give you every possible chance here." Loon said loftily as Shun huffed.
"Whatever you say, Loon. I'm fine with that! Here goes! Bakugan, Brawl!" Shun said as he took out a Bakugan and tossed it out onto the field, landing it on easily on the Gate Card.
"Bakugan, STAND! Ventus Falconeer, stand!" Shun said as Falconeer stood on Shun's Gate Card. At that point Loon smirked as he took out a Bakugan.
"Good, now it's my turn. Bakugan, brawl!" Loon said as he took aim, expertly tossing his Bakugan down onto the same Gate Card as Falconeer.
"Bakugan, STAND! Ventus Bee Striker, stand!" Loon said as Bee Striker stood on Shun's Gate Card.
"Battle 1 commencing! Checking G-Power levels. Advantage Bee Striker by 10 G's." Shun's Baku-pod read out as Loon smirked.
"Good, the advantage is mine." Loon said as Shun spoke up.
"For now, perhaps. But not for long! Gate Card, OPEN! Go Energy Merge!" Shun said as he opened up the Gate Card that Falconeer and Bee Striker were standing on, only for Loon to smirk.
"Nice try! Ability Card, ACTIVATE! Solar Plexus!" Loon said as Shun's Gate Card was nullified and Falconeer's G-Power took a hit.
"G-Power level change detected. Re-checking scores. Advantage still Bee Striker but now by 60 G's." Shun's Baku-Pod read out.
"BATTLE!" Shun and Loon called out as Bee Striker charged forward and stung Falconeer square in the chest, making it crash to the ground, sending it back to Shun in ball form. Loon smirked as he spoke up.
"You'll have to do better than that to defeat me! I thought you were trying to rescue your grandfather?" Loon taunted Shun. Shun huffed as he spoke up.
"I am trying to rescue my grandfather!" Shun said huffily as he grabbed his next Bakugan.
(Remaining Bakugan: Shun-2/3, Loon-3/3 Remaining Gate Cards: Shun-2/3, Loon-3/3 Remaining Ability Cards: Shun-3/3, Loon-2/3)
"Bakugan, Brawl!" Shun said as he tossed out his second Bakugan. It eventually landed on the only open Gate Card, aka Loon's Gate Card.
"Bakugan, Stand! Ventus El Condor, stand!" Shun said as El Condor made its' stand on Loon's Gate Card. Loon smirked.
"Good, time to take your second Bakugan out of the fight. If you keep playing this badly, I'll have this won in no time!" Loon said confidently as he took out his Bakugan.
"Bakugan, brawl!" Loon said as he tossed out his Bakugan, landing it on the same Gate Card as El Condor.
"Bakugan, STAND! Ventus Bee Striker, stand!" Loon said as Bee Striker made its' second Stand of the match on the same Gate Card as El Condor.
"Battle 2 commencing! Checking G-Power levels. Power levels equalized for both Bakugan." Loon's Baku-pod read out in a dry but masculine voice.
"For now, at least. But not for long. Gate Card, OPEN! Hyper Merge activate!" Loon said as Shun frowned as El Condor's G-Power took a hit.
"I don't think so! Time for me to play a card! Ability Card, ACTIVATE! Solar Plexus!" Shun said, making Loon gape at how similarly Shun's loadout was built to his own as not only was his Gate Card nullified but this time it was Bee Striker whose G-Power took a hit.
"G-Power level change detected! Re-checking scores. Advantage now El Condor by 50 G's." Loon's Baku-pod read out as Shun and Loon glared at each other.
"BATTLE!" Shun and Loon said as El Condor flew forward and used its' wings to whip up a mighty gust that blew Bee Striker back and send it back to Loon in ball form.
"Looks like we're all tied up now, Loon! What was that you said about me needing to try harder!?" Shun said to Loon who frowned.
"Not bad, Shun. Looks like you've got some skill after all. But this match is FAR from over!" Loon said with a smirk as Shun nodded.
(Remaining Bakugan: Shun-2/3, Loon-2/3 Remaining Gate Cards: Shun-2/3 Loon-2/3 Remaining Ability Cards: Shun-2/3, Loon-2/3)
"GATE CARD, SET!" Shun and Loon said as they set their next Gate Cards down on the field as Shun smirked.
"My turn! Gate Card, SET!" Shun said as he set his third Gate Card down next to his second. He then reached for his Bakugan.
"Bakugan, BRAWL!" Shun said as he tossed a Bakugan out, landing it on his second Gate Card which he'd laid down at the same time as Loon.
"Bakugan, STAND! Ventus El Condor, stand!" Shun said as El Condor made his second Stand of the match. Loon smirked.
"You might have bested my Bee Striker, but I have plenty of stronger Bakugan where he came from. But let me show you so you can see them for yourself! Bakugan, Brawl!" Loon said as he took aim, easily landing his Bakugan on the same Gate Card as El Condor.
"Bakugan, Stand! Ventus Reaper, STAND!" Loon said as Shun blinked at the sight of a green-skinned version of the Bakugan usually seen in Masquerade's line-up appear on the same Gate Card as El Condor.
"Battle 3 commencing. Checking G-Power levels. Advantage Reaper by 50 G's." Shun's Baku-pod read out as Shun smirked.
"Not for long, it's not! Gate Card, OPEN! Go, Level Down!" Shun said as Reaper's G-Power took a sizable hit. Loon smirked as he spoke up.
"If you think that's gonna give you the edge here, you're sadly mistaken! Ability Card, Activate! Go, Jump Over!" Loon said as Shun's Ability Card was negated.
"G-Power change nullified. Advantage remains with Reaper by 50 G's." Shun's Baku-pod read out as Loon spoke up with a smug smirk on his face.
"That being said, here we go!" Loon said as Shun nodded.
"BATTLE!" Shun and Loon said as their Bakugan clashed, Reaper's scythe slamming squarely into El Condor's chest, and sending him crashing to the ground as he returned to Shun in ball form signifying his defeat, making Shun frown at losing his second Bakugan. Loon chuckled at the look on Shun's face.
"Too bad, Shun. That's two of your Bakugan down. Looks like you're on your last chance. Can your last Bakugan defeat Reaper AND my remaining Bakugan? I'll be honest with you: Reaper IS my strongest Bakugan, but my other Bakugan isn't a slouch either so you better hope you've saved your strongest for last because you're gonna need it." Loon said as Shun gritted his teeth and looked at Skyress as he spoke up.
"N-no! Loon's skill is unbelievable, Skyress! It would seem we have no choice! You're gonna have to get in there if we're to have any hope of winning this!" Shun said as Skyress nodded and turned into her ball form as she spoke up.
"I understand. Put me in, Shun! I'll do my best to bring you victory!" Skyress vowed as Shun nodded.
(Remaining Bakugan: Shun-1/3, Loon-2/3 Remaining Gate Cards: Shun-1/3 Loon 2/3 Remaining Ability Cards: Shun-2/3 Loon-1/3)
"Here goes nothing! Bakugan, BRAWL!" Shun said as he hauled back and tossed Skyress out, expertly landing Skyress on his third Gate Card.
"Bakugan, Stand! Ventus Skyress, STAND!" Shun said as Skyress stood on Shun's third Gate Card. Loon smirked as he spoke up.
"So that's your last Bakugan. Can it defeat my Reaper? Time to find out! Bakugan, Brawl!" Loon said as he took aim and tossed Reaper out, easily landing it onto the same Gate Card as Skyress.
"Bakugan, Stand! Ventus Reaper, Stand!" Loon said as Reaper made his second Stand of the match as he stood on the same Gate Card as Skyress.
"Battle 4 commencing. Checking G-Power levels. Advantage Reaper by 40 G's." Loon's Baku-pod read out as Shun smirked and spoke up.
"Fortunately, I saved my best Gate Card for last! Gate Card, OPEN! Go, Skyress' Character Card!" Shun said as both Bakugan's G-Power went up, Skyress' increasing a lot more than Reaper's.
"G-Power level changes registered. Re-checking scores. Advantage now Skyress by 110 G's." Loon's Baku-pod read out, making Loon frown, and reach for his last Ability Card, only to shake his head and leave it unplayed as he and Shun glared at one another.
"BATTLE!" Shun and Loon called out as Skyress wrapped herself in green energy and charged forward into Reaper, tossing him to the ground where he hit with a 'thud' and went back to a stunned Loon in ball form. Shun smirked as Skyress returned to him in ball form, sitting back in his hand.
"And once more, we're all tied up Loon! Looks like this next battle will decide the match! I hope for your sake your boast about your last Bakugan being no slouch wasn't a bluff. But let's let our Bakugan do the talking for us, shall we?" Shun said as Loon nodded.
"Of course. And just so you know, I could've easily neutralized your character card if I'd wanted to, but given how much work you went to to get that edge, I didn't want to completely break your hopes...at least not yet. So enjoy your triumph for now, as now you face my last Bakugan. And don't expect it to go down without a fight!" Loon said as Shun nodded.
(Remaining Bakugan: Shun-1/3 Loon-1/3 Remaining Gate Cards: Shun-0/3 Loon-2/3 Remaining Ability Cards: Shun-2/3 Loon-1/3)
"Bakugan, Brawl!" Shun said as he landed Skyress on the last Gate Card on the field, or Loon's second Gate Card.
"Bakugan, Stand! Ventus Skyress, stand!" Shun said as Skyress made her second Stand of the match on Loon's second Gate Card. Loon smirked.
"Well, it's time to show you MY partner since you've showed me yours. And no, Reaper wasn't my partner, as surprising as that may be to you. Here goes! Bakugan, Brawl!" Loon said as he took out his last Bakugan and tossed it onto the same Gate Card as Skyress.
"Bakugan, STAND! Ventus Monarus, stand!" Loon said as Monarus stood on the same Gate Card as Skyress, looking at Skyress before she spoke up in a deep yet graceful tone.
"So, you're the Skyress Loon and I have heard about. I didn't think I'd be brought out to face you, but there's nothing to be done for it now. Let us both give our all, and let the chips fall where they may! Best of luck to you, and may the best Bakugan win!" Monarus said to Skyress, surprising her with how calm and sportsman-like Monarus sounded in contrast to the seemingly constant bluster and bravado projected by Loon. Skyress nodded as she spoke up.
"I agree. Good luck to you as well, Monarus." Skyress said, giving Monarus a low nod of the head in respect as the final battle began.
"Final battle commencing! Checking G-Power levels! Advantage Monarus by 10 G's!" Shun's Baku-pod read out. Loon then smirked.
"Before you do anything, hold that thought. Gate Card, OPEN! Crippling Gale, activate!" Loon said as his Gate Card opened up as he watched Skyress wince as she felt her G-Power take a huge hit while Shun frowned as he checked his Baku-Pod.
"Massive G-Power level change detected! Re-checking scores. Advantage Monarus by 260 G's." Shun's Baku-Pod read out. Shun spoke up.
"That was a surprise, but don't forget I have two Ability Cards left to play, and I saved them for now just in case you tried a stunt like that! First off, Ability Card, ACTIVATE! Go, Fire Storm!" Shun said as Skyress' G-Power went up by 100. He then held up his final Ability Card.
"And now to try and re-gain the advantage. Ability Card, ACTIVATE! Go, Green Nobility-Violent Wind!" Shun said as his last Ability Card activated to double Skyress' G-Power, only for Loon to smirk.
"Did you really think I was bluffing when I said I could cut you off at the knees with this one Ability Card? If so, then you underestimated me for the last time! Ability Card, Activate! Go, Aero Dragon!" Loon said as he played his last Ability Card, making Shun's eyes go wide as his Green Nobility-Violent Wind was negated AND Monarus gained another 100 G's.
"G-Power level changes detected even after a nullified Ability Card. Re-checking scores. Advantage still Monarus by 260 G's." Shun's Baku-pod read out. Loon chuckled.
"Nice try Shun, but this match is over! Let's finish this!" Loon said as Shun nodded as he and Loon stared each other down.
"BATTLE!" Loon and Shun called out as Monarus and Skyress collided in mid-air, the two exchanging blows with one another before Monarus smiled at Skyress, giving her a nod of respect before using her butterfly wings to whip a powerful gust of wind at Skyress who gritted her teeth as she was gradually scooted backwards until she was blown backwards to crash to the ground at Shun's feet, reverting to ball form as she cluttered to a halt at a stunned Shun's feet as the battle ended and time returned to normal.
(Remaining Bakugan: Shun-0/3, Loon-1/3 Remaining Gate Cards: Shun-0/3 Loon-1/3 Remaining Ability Cards: Shun-0/3 Loon-0/3)
As time resumed, Shun grunted as he went to his knees in disbelief, but stood up and gritted his teeth at Loon before reluctantly bowing in respect to him.
"I don't like admitting this, but I lost. Congratulations, you beat me fair and square, Loon. Well played. The better battler won." Shun said before Loon smirked at Shun and laughed.
"Indeed I did. But I will give you this: Your skills are impressive. If I hadn't saved the ability I did for last, you might even have defeated me at the end there. So you made me work for that win. For that alone, you have my respect. However, my respect alone isn't going to be enough to save your grandfather, I'm afraid. We had a deal, and you failed to defeat me. However, since you put up such an impressive fight, I will at least give you this form of a consolation prize: My employer has your grandfather, but it's doubtful you'll ever find either of them since not only is my employer someone you know of rather well, but they're someone you've yet to find the lair of.
So good luck tracking them both down, Shun. You're gonna need it. And on that note, I'll take my leave. Farewell!" Loon said as he tossed down a flash pellet, blinding everyone around as he left. When everyone could see again, Loon was nowhere to be seen. Instead all that could be seen was a despondent-looking Shun who sighed as he looked at Skyress before speaking up in a disappointed and/or defeated voice.
"No...How could this have happened, Skyress? We were so close! So close, but we came up just short! And all because I spent most of that match under-estimating him! And that after all the times I rebuked Dan for doing the same thing. I guess I can't exactly lecture him on that anymore." Shun said, unaware of Dan and Runo watching him from a distance, having moved to come comfort him, only for a red-clad individual to subtly shake his head at them as if advising them to stay away and let him deal with Shun.
"S-Shun, I'm sorry. I failed you. I couldn't defeat all of Loon's Bakugan." Skyress said to Shun who smiled as he shook his head in the negative before he spoke up.
"No, Skyress. You didn't fail me. You did the best you could. I know that. I was the one who got too sure of myself and underestimated Loon's strategy." Shun said as he heard a deep-toned chuckle from nearby, making his head snap up as he looked around for the source only to blink and gape in surprise as he saw a figure wearing a red hooded jacket with the hood up, the only thing visible under the hood being a black mask with red optics over the eyes which matched the black fingerless gloves the figure had on as he crossed his arms over his chest, looking at Shun carefully as he spoke up, giving Shun a very slight jerk of the head which Shun took to be a nod of respect as he spoke.
"At least you recognize that it was your own folly that caused your defeat on this occasion, Shun. That's rather mature of you. But at the same time, you have to realize, defeat isn't the end-all most say it is. Defeat, in actuality is little more than a learning experience that you can use to better yourself and be able to get even stronger, both as a Brawler and as a person. After all, one can often learn much more from a close-fought defeat than from a hard-earned victory. So at least you've gotten that much right." The figure said as Shun looked at the figure before frowning in confusion as he spoke up, feeling like something about the figure was oddly familiar to him.
"I see. Not to be rude, but have we met before?" Shun asked the figure who shook their head as they spoke up.
"Not that I'm aware of. However, you might have heard of me from what your colleague Runo as well as her Bakugan Tigrerra, and even the one they call Drago have said about me. In case you haven't, or if that explanation doesn't clear things up for you, you can call me Pyrex." The figure said, making Shun gasp as he turned to face the figure, now identified as Pyrex, speaking up in shock and disbelief.
"YOU'RE PYREX!? I'll be honest, given the legends, I was expecting you to somehow be more, I dunno, intimidating somehow? Yet I get the distinct impression that you're a calm, collected individual. Maybe this is a case of 'don't judge a book by its' cover'?" Shun said as Pyrex laughed as they spoke up.
"You would be quite correct in that statement, believe it or not. However, I can't fault you for being skeptical since to be honest, I get that reaction a lot, Shun. However, many of those legends are slightly over-exaggerated. While it is true I have accomplished a great deal and won a great many battles, I've also experienced more than my fair share of defeats, mainly early on, but even now I lose a battle every now and again. However, I've also come to learn that if you don't let yourself be consumed by the feelings of disappointment and even frustration, you can usually take a hard look at your previous performance, figure out where you went wrong, and try to make the necessary corrections to ensure you don't make the same mistake again. Granted, sometimes that takes a bit of trial and error, but usually it's a fairly simple task to correct your errors if you can identify them correctly. So don't let this defeat get the best of you, Shun.
Loon himself even said before he left that had you not underestimated his ability cards, you could have won. So, by that logic, what you then need to do is re-evaluate your own strategy and figure out where you went wrong, and make the needed improvements so that if the chance comes to do so, you can potentially defeat Loon in a re-match. But don't go out of your way to pursue revenge on him. He doesn't have your grandfather any longer. So I don't think you need to go out of your way to seek him out. Do you understand what I'm saying, Shun?" Pyrex said to Shun who nodded as he spoke up.
"I do understand. You're saying I need to learn from this defeat and strive to keep bettering myself, rather than let myself get down and/or depressed over this loss. And I have every intention of doing just that. But I appreciate the pep-talk, Pyrex. It means a lot to me, more than you can know." Shun said as Pyrex smiled as they nodded and spoke up.
"Good, as long as you get it. Unfortunately, as much as I'd like to stay and help you figure out where you went wrong, time waits for no man. And unfortunately there are other matters which require me at this time, but I think if fate has it in the cards for us to do so, we'll probably meet again. But until then, farewell." Pyrex said as they turned on the spot and vanished in a flash of flames which instantly put themselves out as they teleported away, right as Runo and Dan ran up to Shun, both looking at him in shock.
"Shun! Are you all right? That loss must have been rough for you to take given how rarely it happens for you." Dan said, giving Shun a gentle but hopefully reassuring clap on the shoulder as Runo huffed her eyes and spoke up.
"Of course he's not okay, Dan! He just lost a battle, didn't he? Granted, I don't see him crying so I'm guessing no Doom Cards were involved in this Brawl. Nevertheless, no one likes to lose." Runo said to Dan as Shun smiled at Dan and Runo before speaking up, pleased that Dan and Runo cared enough to check up on him even if he did find it odd they were in the area at the same time he and Loon had their Brawl.
"It's okay, Runo. I know Dan meant well. And to your question Dan, I'm actually okay. Just a bit disappointed in myself for underestimating my opponent if anything. But I think Pyrex made a good point when he said I have to treat this defeat as a learning experience and use it to make myself better, not only as a Brawler, but as a person. So no need to be concerned on my account. Speaking of which, why did Pyrex mention that he knew you and Tigerra, Runo?" Shun asked Runo with a frown who smiled as she spoke up.
"That's a bit of a long story, and one that will unfortunately have to wait for later since we have plans to fill you and Rubedo in on that at the same time since Rubedo didn't make it back to Marucho's house with us. Apparently, his mother needed him at home so he walked back to his house after a bit. That being said, at least you're okay to some extent." Runo said as Shun shook his head before speaking up.
"No, I'm not. I might be okay with my defeat, but there was a reason I was fighting Loon in the first place. Apparently he, and assuming I interpreted his cryptic hints correctly Masquerade, have captured my grandfather and now Masquerade apparently has him held prisoner. Why he felt the need to do that I have no clue but he did. And now I have no earthly idea of where he has him or if I'll get my grandfather back safely. So as you can guess, it just became that much more imperative that we take down Masquerade, if for no other reason than so we can rescue my grandfather." Shun said sadly as Dan and Runo gasped at hearing this, the former speaking up in a rare compassionate tone of voice.
"No way...I had no idea, Shun. I'm so sorry to hear that. But rest assured, we will take down Masquerade and find your grandfather! Make no mistake of that!" Dan said as he pounded his fist into his open palm in determination, making both Runo and Shun look at him in surprise.
"How can you be so sure we'll take him down Dan? We barely know anything about him!" Runo pointed out uncertainly as Shun nodded.
"That's true. However, I'm willing to bet that if anyone could find information on him, it'll be either Marucho or Pyrex, but the latter is almost as mysterious as Masquerade. Yet, I have the feeling like I've seen them somewhere before, though I can't quite put my finger on where." Shun said as Runo nodded and spoke up.
"I know what you mean. But going by what I could hear of the voice, I'm inclined to guess that Pyrex is a male." Runo said as Shun nodded.
"That was my thought as well. Their voice DID have a rather distinctly masculine tone to it, but I wasn't trying to call them on it at this point. That said, I suppose let's go meet up with Marucho and find out what he can figure out about Masquerade, and in the meantime I can decide what to do about my grandfather's dojo since clearly I have the place to myself for now while Masquerade keeps my grandfather captive." Shun said as Runo and Dan nodded, all three standing to start the walk to Marucho's house...
(Meanwhile, around that same time, at an undisclosed location)
"U-ugh, what's the meaning of this? Where am I!?" Shun's grandfather said as he looked around at the small and dingy room he was in. At that point a chuckle could be heard echoing off the walls as a masked individual walked into the room and spoke up.
"Heheheh, good. You've come to. As to your question, all you need to know is you're my prisoner and you're here as a means to cripple the Battle Brawlers. So don't expect to be released anytime soon. But don't despair, old man. After all, most would consider it an honor to be held captive by me, the great Masquerade! So at least you're in good hands, so to speak." Masquerade said with a dark chuckle as Shun's grandfather spoke up with a frown.
"Masquerade, you say? Didn't your parents tell you it's rude to wear a mask around all the time?" Shun's grandfather asked Masquerade in a huff, only getting a dry laugh for his efforts as Masquerade spoke up, crossing his arms in what was intended to be an intimidating/threatening fashion as he spoke.
"Foolish old man! No one tells me a thing! No one, that is, except for my master Naga. And I guess technically Hal-G, but that old fool is more of an ally than a superior to me. But that's besides the point. The point is you'd better get used to this room, as you're going to be here for the foreseeable future." Masquerade said as he turned on the spot and teleported out of the cell with the revolving of a card as all that was left where he was standing was mocking laughter as Shun's grandfather sighed as he shook his head.
'Why am I being held captive? I don't even have anything to do with these Bakugan! Shun, please find me and save me soon...' Shun's grandfather thought as he sighed and got comfortable in the room he was kept in, figuring he had little else to do...
(Outro and preview of next chapter)
"Alice here! Next time on the Bakugan Battle Brawlers, the Brawlers gather to discuss the turn of events surrounding Masquerade kidnapping Shun's grandfather. However, from there things get complicated when the Brawlers have to investigate a possible lead on Masquerade's whereabouts. However, what happens when that lead ends up being a potential trap set by Masquerade? Can the Brawlers be saved when the only one not caught in the trap...is me? And where is Rubedo in all this? Can the Brawlers be freed from the trap, or has Masquerade finally won? Find out the answers next time! You won't want to miss it! Bakugan, Brawl! Hehe, see you then!" Alice said as she did the outro of the episode...
END OF CHAPTER
A/N: Okay, first of all, HOLY CRAP. This took WAY too long to get done, and I apologize for that since the majority of the blame for it is my own to take even if my co-writer was busy a lot and that delayed things too, there were lots of times he might not have been that I got distracted by other stories I'm working on (such as the Persona story I started as well as the Digimon fanfic I started) as well as grinding out games. Either way, finally got this done! Now to hope the editorial process is done fairly quickly to get this up and posted. Thanks to all who favorited and followed this story for waiting so patiently for this update. I'll do my best to not take so long with other chapters of this from here on. Sorry about that, and until next update, sithlorde1988 out!
Notes
*1*- I don't believe they said, even in the show, where exactly the dojo Shun's grandfather runs is located so I just went with 'unknown location' for the sake of simplicity and not wanting to make an incorrect guess at its' location. So yeah that's why I did that.