I do not own Bakugan, please enjoy
Ren let out a sigh as he finished his work on the computer, just moments before Marucho entered the room. The blonde-haired teen holding two steaming cups of coffee
The Gundalian gave his friend a grateful smile as he accepted one of them. They both went to settle on the steps near by the entrance of the room. They had just finished creating the new battle arena expansion, which they have been up since the crack of dawn programming on
The two friends were quiet as they enjoyed their drinks, sitting in a comfortable silence.
Marucho stared into his mug a smile on his face before he spoke up "I should be thanking you Ren"
The Gundalian startled at the sudden comment, he looked to the blonde with bewilderment
"What, why?" he questioned
Marucho took a sip of his drink before continuing "Well without your help, I would never have developed Bakugan Interspace this far by myself. Every battler in the system owes a debt of thanks to you" Marucho paused to take a breath, Ren kept his expression passive as his friend continued
"Well I hope you realise that, and I don't want you to ever forget it" finished Marucho
The corners of Ren's mouth turned up as warmth spread through him at his friend's words
"I do" he said "And I just want you to know how much I appreciate you on letting in me be a part of all this" the Gundalian gave his friend a wink in cheers
Marucho's eyes lit up in admiration, and he inclined his head a bit before speaking once more
"You know, I had a strange dream last night" "Tell me" "It took place in the future. I saw children here on earth battling inside Bakugan Interspace, battling alongside kids from your homeland Gundalia. Wouldn't that be so awesome Ren, wouldn't it!" Marucho finished in excitement, he closed his eyes happily at the thought of his dream "I just get so excited thinking about it"
Ren's face softened at his friend's expression, That would be something he thought
Marucho turned to him, still smiling "It should be a goal that we should strive for"
Ren agreed "Yes, it sounds wonderful" he then glanced up to the ceiling, his expression sobering. He spoke with a hint of regret and guilt in his tone, thinking about why he was on earth in the first place
"Yes…It really does"
Marucho sighed He must be thinking of his home planet
"We can't forget the war, until we put an end to that, or the dream will never come true. We have to stop the Neathian's campaign of terror and return peace to Gundalia, as soon as possible"
Ren nodded "You're right as soon as we accomplish that, peace will definitely follow" he said before finishing his drink
Beep – Beep – Beep
Marucho and Ren quickly show to their feet at the sound of the alarm
"Is that—" "A Neathian agent, yes!"
Jake ran into the arena; His brows drew together in confusion as looked around the area
"What the? There's no one here"
"This is where the signal came from"
Jake turned to the sound of Marucho's voice, and watched as he and Ren stepped out of the portal
"Hey Marucho, are you testing the alarm system?" questioned the red head
The spectacled boy shook his head "No Jake, there's been a breach. They must be hiding around here somewhere" he said as his eyes wandered the arena
"Try looking under your nose"
Everyone looked out to the other end of the arena, in the stands was a boy wearing a long green coat and a book in his hand
"An ancient Neathian proverb says foolish is the soldiers who know not the face of the enemy. But all of his weapons will prove uselessly at the weight of ignorance"
The boy closed his book shut with one hand and a ventus bakugan jumped onto his shoulder. This boy had shoulder length sandy brown coloured hair, the tips coloured red. And his eyes were purple colour
The bakugan spoke in a condescending tone towards the brawlers "We've been waiting for you children"
"Your agents from Neathia aren't you!" shouted Jake
The Neathian raised his book in greeting, before jumping from the stands into the main arena. He gave them as slight bow once he regained his footing.
"My name is Jesse Glen"
Jesse held an arm to the brawlers, as he turned his head to his bakugan which floated next to him. "And this is my partner Plitheon" Jesse then waved his extended arm into another bow and said "I believe that's my que"
The brawlers stood there a little bewildered at the strange acting Neathian, Marucho was the first one to break out of his stupor
"Are you kidding me! Listen here, you Neathians are not welcomed here!" he shouted
Jesse smirked at Marucho's statement; this just further infuriated the aquos brawler
"If you want a battle then come and get one"
Ren interrupted to calm his friend "Hey Marucho, hold on a second! You don't know a thing about this guy"
Marucho turned to Ren and flashed him a grin, "Don't worry Ren, I'll be fine"
Jake spoke up to help back up his friend "Yeah I doubt Marucho will even break a sweat" he said with a confident sounding tone
Ren hesitant at first, but eventually relented. What has gotten into Marucho all the sudden? Don't tell me he put too much sugar in his coffee again this morning
Jesse watched in amusement at the brawlers' display, taking a deep breath as he opened to a page in his book, his eyes flickering with a hunger
"Can you feel it, the winds of war are blowing" he said to them, bringing their attention to him once more. A wind seemed to pick up around him blowing through his hair and the pages in his hand (A.N – Seriously where did that come from?)
"Enough Talk! Gate card –" "Wait!"
Marucho nearly fell face flat onto the floor at the interruption
Everyone turned to the voice of the newcomer, to find Fabia standing at the entrance with hand resting on her one hip
"It's you!" exclaimed Jake
Fabia ignored their looks of surprise as her green eyes bored straight into Jesse
"He's lying to you, he isn't from Neathia" she declared as she started walking forward past Marucho "He's an imposter, and now he must pay for his crimes"
Marucho stammered in confusion "Wha – What?"
"Both of us will be fighting in this battle"
"Prepare for the princess' wrath" stated Aranaut as Fabia prepared them into a battle stance
Jesse closed his eyes; he still had his smirk in place from before. His voice sounding playful as he spoke
"Very well, this reminds me of a poem that I read. It was called Requiem for the Fallen Warrior" his eyes flashed open to gaze at Fabia, vicious intent gleaming in them
"And it doesn't have a happy ending" sneered Plitheon
Marucho with his fists clenched to his side, turned to Fabia and gave her a scrutinising glance
"Hold on a minute! What do you think you're doing, and how did you get in here!" he demanded
"Stand back Marucho, this is Fabia's fight"
Everyone looked to the stands, standing there with his arms crossed was Shun, his gaze hardened
"But Shun!" "Dude what are you talking about, where the heck have you been man!"
Shun said nothing as he turned his head to Ren, who had remained impassive throughout the ordeal
'The bakugan battle between Fabia Sheen and Jesse Glen will now commence'
The brawlers stood on the side-lines as they watched the battle start
"I don't understand" spoke a bewildered Marucho "If he's an imposter then where is he from? And why should we believe her anyway?" he questioned
"I don't know dude; I'm so totally confused" commented Jake "Shun what is going on"
"Maybe you should ask your friend over there" Replied the raven haired as he gave Ren a frosty look
Marucho's face contorted with worry "What do you mean?" he asked before looking up to the Gundalian. He didn't understand what was causing his long-time friend to give Ren the cold attitude
Ren kept his gaze on shun, before he inclined his head back and made a half shrug motion with his shoulders. "How would I know" he said with a mellow tone "I have no idea either guys"
Bakugan field open!
Fabia made the first move
"Gate card set! Here we go, bakugan brawl bakugan stand —Go Haos Aranaut!"
"I will battle to the end for you princess" yelled Aranaut as he readied himself
"For whom will the bell tow when this is over Madame, I predict it will be you. Bakugan brawl, bakugan stand —Come Ventus Plitheon" shouted Jesse as he sent out his bakugan
Plitheon was a humanoid bird bakugan, he mocked his opponent
"I was ready to stomp on some brawlers, but you two will do just fine"
Aranaut started to attack the ventus bakugan, the brawlers watched in amazement as the two bakugan were matched for speed
Jesse went to pull a card out of his book
"Ability activate — Life Eater" " Great, my favourite" commented Plitheon as green beam like bullets shot from his wings and attacked his opponent
Aranaut's power levels decreased from 900 to 600Gs, to top it off, Plitheon gave him a good kick as well
"Come on, get up Aranaut— Ability activate Vector Fist" Aranaut's power level increased to 1000Gs as gauntlet weapons materialised on his forearms
Aranaut rushed to attack his opponent, using his new gear to slash at Plitheon
"Aww yeah!" "Hardcore" Jake and Marucho, who were both getting enthralled in watching the battle, cheered Fabia on
Jesse remained stoic as his bakugan went down, his voice nonchalant as he spoke
"We are not ready to draw the final curtain. Not when there is so much drama left to play out" he raised his arm up to access his bakumeter
'Ready Vilantor Gear'
"Battle gear boost"
Fans attached to Plitheon's back, and his power level raised from 900Gs to 1000Gs
"Now then, battle gear ability activate – Vilantor Gear Cyclotron"
A multitude of laser shots struck from Plitheon's battle gear and struck Aranaut, decreasing his power level from 1000 to 600Gs
Plitheon sneered "That was just a small taste" he said as activated his gear again. This time a cyclone of wind hit Aranaut, sending him up into the air
Oh no! Aranaut Fabia quickly activated her gate card – Haos Saver
However, her hopes of saving the bakugan were dashed as the gate card just shattered
Fabia's eyes widened in shock as she watched the scene before her, "What the?" she stammered
Jesse watched with an expression of mirth before going to explain "It's no use with the Vilantor Gear Cyclotron activated, your gate card is destroyed"
Both Aranaut and Fabia glared at imposter, their jaws clenched in frustration
The boy just gestured his hand to point to them as he sneered "Combat is like a delicate ballet, wouldn't you say"
Plitheon used the opportunity to strike at Aranaut again, this time the attack sent him back into ball form
'Fabia's life force at twenty percent'
"Aranaut! No!" shouted Fabia as she watched he bakugan go down
Jesse chucked as he caught Plitheon "Combat can also be brutal" he said
Jake watched in shock "He really turned the battle around there"
Ren glowered as he turned to the red head to snap at him "Why do you even care? They are both are enemies, let them destroy each other"
Jake raised his hands up to placate the Gundalian "Ah – yeah I guess you're right"
Jesse was turning the pages in his book, his eyes never left Fabia's form as he contemplated his next move. Finally, he said "And here we are at the final act" whilst bringing out another card from his book
"Gate card set. I believe this calls for a grand crescendo, don't you? Bakugan brawl. Bakugan stand – Rise again Ventus Plitheon"
Fabia's eye twitched in annoyance, Does this guy ever shut up she thought before speaking up
"Your fancy clothes and flowery vocabulary will not disguise the fact that you are a monster" she sent out Aranaut to battle again
"Bakugan brawl, bakugan stand – Stay strong Haos Aranaut"
Aranaut got into a fighting stance as he declared "I will avenge my previous defeat, I swear it"
Plitheon made a 'come get me' gesture with his hand to the Neathian bakugan as he mocked him "I'm ready when you are weakling"
Aranaut huffed in annoyance, as he shifted repeatedly from one foot to another
"You think you can beat me that easily"
Fabia activated her ability card – Mirage Up. This gave Aranaut a power boost, raising his level to 1200Gs
Jesse peeked out from his book, his eyes flickering with admiration towards his opponent. He murmured to himself quietly, only his partner was able to hear him
"I must admit there is a beauty in the way she carries herself on the field of battle, that I admire"
The ventus bakugan felt annoyance flare up in him as he whined to his partner "CAN WE GET ON WITH THIS! PLEASE!" This is a battle not a love act
Jesse sighed in shame as he took another card that was hidden in his book
"Ability activate – Metal Verde"
Plitheon's horns and appendages extended on his body, his power level increasing to 1200Gs
The brawlers watched as both bakugan charged at one another
"Check it out Plitheon has turned parts of his body into a metal shell and raised his defensive ability" spoke Marucho in awe. Fabia needs to act quickly, she needs to use her battle gear
Just as Marucho finished his thoughts, Fabia was doing exactly that and had activated her gear
'Ready Battle Crusher'
Fabia's eyes blazed determinedly as she encouraged her bakugan
"Come on Aranaut, win this! Battle gear boost, battle gear ability activate – Battle Crusher Doom"
Aranaut quickly locked onto his target, his power level rising to 1800Gs as he attacked Plitheon
Jake winced "Woah that has got to hurt"
"Is he down?" questioned Shun
"I'm not sure" replied Marucho as he watched. The three of them were disappointed to see Plitheon still standing
Aranaut's muscles tensed as he gritted out to Fabia "Our attacks barely fazed him"
Fabia cried out in indignation "I don't understand"
Jesse smiled at his opponent's frustration as he activated his battle gear
"Battle gear ability activate – Vilantor Cyclotron"
Plitheon screeched out in malicious glee as he blasted Aranaut "Time for you to disappear"
The Haos bakugan refused to back down however as he braced himself and stood his ground, this gave Fabia time to activate battle crusher doom's effect. Which weakened all the opponent's attack damage by half
Jake beamed as he cheered "Talk about turning the tables, come on Aranaut! You can still win this!"
Marucho turned to the footballer, forehead creased with confusion "But I thought we agreed that we weren't cheering for either one of them" he asked
Shun said nothing as he watched Ren's face flicker with a mixture of emotions, before his expression settled with an eerie grin
What is he up to? Shun thought with suspicion
Fabia had regained her composure as she bellowed out to her bakugan
"Ready for the final attack Aranaut"
"Yes" the guardian shouted back to her as he once again locked onto Plitheon
Fabia and Jesse's gazes locked onto each other
"It's game over Jesse" spoke Fabia, with conviction in her voice
Jesse closed his eyes as his mouth quirked up in amusement, before replying to her
"Are you sure"
Fabia stammered with surprise, at the response. She watched as Jesse put a hand to his ear
"Listen carefully Fabia, it is the sound of your own defeat" he sneered at her
Fabia and the brawlers watched in shock as during the moment that Aranaut fired, his foot started to sink into the ground
"What is happening" exclaimed the Haos bakugan as he tried to shake himself free
Plitheon snickered as he dodged Aranaut's attack "Watch your step"
"What the? What is wrong with Aranaut?" shouted Jake
"It looks like there's a bug in the software, that has caused the arena's virtual environment to become unstable" commented Ren
Marucho felt the pit of his stomach drop as he blurted out "But how?"
"I just don't know Marucho, I'll have to run a diagnostic after the battle"
No one noticed Shun's quietness as he glanced at Ren, they all turned their attention back to the battle as they heard the worry in Fabia's voice as she cried out Aranaut's name
Jesse felt drunk with elation as the battle was reaching its climax point, he sent out his next card
"Gate card open – Gear Barricade"
Aranaut froze in shock as his battle gear fell apart around him, "What is happening?" he whispered, to which his partner pleaded in response
"I'm sorry Aranaut, I don't know"
Jesse decided to cut them some slack and went to explain the scenario to them
"The command card 'Gear Barricade' shuts down the opponent's battle gear, and then it connects to Plitheon's Vilantor gear and activates the level two battle gear ability"
Plitheon soared into the air, as the extra power filled him with more adrenaline. He screeched out "I feel incredible"
Jesse's eyes burned with excitement as yelled out
"This is – Vilantor Gear Nirvana!"
Plitheon's power level increased to 1600Gs whereas Aranauts decreased down to 1200Gs
"Open yourself to the power Plitheon, let it flow through you and when you are ready. Release it!"
"Goodbye Aranaut" taunted Plitheon as he unleashed his attack
Fabia yelled out in shock as Aranaut was sent back into his ball form
'Battle over, winner – Jesse Glen'
The brawlers ran down from the stands to Fabia's side. Although her back was to them, they could tell that her loss affected her deeply. She held her head down as her shoulders trembled, the brawlers could hear her quiet sobs
Jake felt his blood boil, You didn't have to make her cry he thought with fury as he glared at Jesse who watched with a smile on his face
"You creep! You think your tough, then why don't you battle me next" shouted the red-head
Ren glanced over to the enraged footballer and tried to placate him "Easy Jake, maybe we should quit for today"
The Gundalian received a grumble in response "Why should I"
"Yes Ren, why should he. Is he disrupting your plans"
Everyone looked at Shun in confusion
"What are you talking about Shun, and what do you mean plans?" questioned Marucho
Ren's eyes widened a fraction as Shun went on to explain
"Think about it, that tear in the environment that Aranaut stepped into. What are the odds that something like that happened randomly? Marucho"
As Marucho thought about, it was strange "Ugh…its…not very likely. But…" he trailed off, his mouth quirking to frown
"So then, it wouldn't be unreasonable to think that it was and act of sabotage. Committed by someone, who originally wanted one of us to lose" concluded Shun
Jake gasped in realisation "What! But who would do such a thing"
Shun once more directed his gaze to Ren, his expression hardened, as he spoke his voice held a scathing tone to it
"The person responsible would have to be extremely knowledgeable with the Bakugan Interspace system. Someone who would be an administrator"
Ren calmly looked back at Shun, his lips started to twitch upwards until he started chuckling "That's just crazy" he said as he shifted his weight onto one foot and rested a hand on his side
"Why would I do that?" he questioned the ninja
"Because you are a lying, conniving Gundalian"
Ren looked towards Fabia. The girl had regained her composure and wiped the last of her tears away, bringing her arms to her side she clenched her hands into fists, glaring at Ren she spoke up
"Shun has told me everything, what Ren has said to you about the war between our planets. And it's all a pack of lies" "What!" "I know that he told you that Neathia invaded Gundalia, but the real truth is. Gundalia is the one who invaded" she declared
Shun backed up Fabia's statement "Ren is really the enemy!"
Marucho stared at his raven-haired friend, disbelief in his eyes, his voice shook as he spoke "W-What are you talking about Shun" Marucho turned to Ren "Tell them it isn't true, okay Ren" the volume of his voice lowered as he saw the expression on Ren's face
Ren looked away, not meeting Marucho's gaze, "Of course it isn't true, she's the one whose lying"
Panic welled up in Ren's chest as the looks he was receiving from the brawlers and Fabia, he let out a quick harsh breath
Jesse chuckled at the scene in front of him, Talk about a plot twist he thought as Ren's gaze locked onto him
"My, my, my there's more drama on this stage then even I can handle" he teased as made a shrugging motion to Ren
Ren snapped at him, hopping to salvage this mess "Don't try and talk your way out of this Neathian, we will deal with you yet!"
Shun interrupted quickly before Ren could embarrass himself further
"Nice try, but he's a Gundalian just like you Ren, isn't he now. A spy that you planted"
Jake's eyes showed disbelief as he shouted out " I don't believe this"
Jesse gave a shrug "I believe that's my que. I bid you a fond farewell"
Ren gave a sudden gasp in shock and pointed his hand at Jesse and yelled "Don't you dare walk away from me, come back here and fight me Neathian" Help me out here Jesse!
Jesse just held his book tighter to his chest as he gave a farewell bow, he spoke in mock sadness "I do apologise but there will be no encore performance today" Not my fault you can't act, you're on your own Ren. Good Luck!
And with that display Jesse teleported back to Gundalia
"COWARD!"
Ren stared in shock/rage at his fellow Gundalian's retreat. I am going to f*****g kill him
"Time to give it up Ren"
The Gundalian turned to face the brawlers, his face etched with fury
"I don't have to take this" he told them, before running out of the room, barely hearing Marucho's pleas to wait
Shun stared after him, with a callous tone he said "See, he ran away. What further prove do you need that he's guilty of all that Fabia says he is"
"I don't believe you!"
Shun pinned his gaze onto Marucho, he watched as Marucho's shoulders trembled, conflict clouding his features. His voice held a slight tremble as he spoke
"But Ren's my…."
Jake held a hand out to Marucho, but didn't touch him, trying to console the distraught boy he spoke "But Marucho –"
Marucho whirled towards his friends, his face red as he snarled at them
"Ren is my friend you guys, he would never do anything to hurt us or Bakugan Interspace, you got it! So, knock it off"
Jake and Shun both took a step back from the furious blonde
"Marucho" pleaded Shun, but the aquos player was hearing none of it and cut him off
"You don't know what you're talking about Shun. Ren is a good guy okay. I don't want to hear another bad word about him from anyone"
Marucho turned and ran towards the direction that Ren went in, he ignored his friends' calls as he ran
Fabia held a clenched hand to her heart, guilt welling up inside her.
Oops!
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