Narrator pow:
"Wait a second..." Mako said, looking downwards onto her trainers after closing the doors to her apartment. "I didn't even wash myself after yesterday."
"I didn't expect you to be so self-concious." Soldier added, turning left on her shoulder to face her.
"Me neither." Mako sighed, moving forward towards the bedroom. "Now, mind leaving me alone for a while? I need to change clothes too."
"Sir, yes Sir!" Bakugan nodded, quickly jumping away towards the kitchen as the doors behind him closed. "Hmm... What to do now?" He asked himself, then rolling himself over the floor for a bit before stopping under the table and looking down onto the discount floor tiles that made the kitchen's floor. "If I think for long enough, I'll surely get something in my mind!"
"Eghh..." Mako groaned, repedeately opening and closing her eyes as she slowly walked out from the bathroom wrapped in a long, white towel around her body and smaller pink one around her hair, being also given an aura of steam following after her. "Soldier, are you here?" She asked, turning right into the kitchen where she noticed Soldier blandly standing under the table.
"Yes." Bakugan responded as he turned around. "I was almost bored to a grudgesome death."
"Yeah, I know." Mako nodded. "I also stayed in there for too long."
"Then a feeling's mutual!" Soldier laughed, flying up towards her like a helicopter.
"I didn't do it because of boredom." She dismissed him, turning back towards the bathroom.
"Then why?" Soldier asked.
"Because..." Mako began to speak, but suddenly stopped as she starred straight into the smoky room. "Becauseee... Eee..."
"Come on maggot, move up!" Soldier shouted, bumping her into the shoulder before flying back inside and stopping the water from filling the sink.
"... Oww." Mako said with an empty tone, having a clear delay on her reaction.
"You almost flooded the place." Soldier shaked himself left and right before flying back to her. "Are you alright?"
"Yes." Mako said shortly before turning around again and walking towards the bedroom.
"Really?" Soldier asked, flying after her as he pressed on.
"Yes?" She responded again, this time with less confidence.
"Really?"
"Where is this even going?" Mako asked, turning around so suddenly that she almost smacked the bakugan to the side with her head.
"It goes to the core of the issue." Soldier explained with a sense of patience in his voice. "People like you don't just forget to turn off the water after shower."
"And how do you know that?" Mako asked him. "You met people before me?"
"Yes, I did." Soldier responded. "In fact, you are my second owner."
"Oh." Mako nodded. "Enough for me."
"Not mutual." Soldier continued. "There's something geniuenly wrong with you right now. You need help."
"No I don't." Mako responded. "I'm fine."
"Really?" Soldier asked her. "Prove it."
"I don't have to prove anything." She continued, making the whole conversation slowly turn into an argue.
"Not with me as your crutch..." Soldier scoffed in provoking manner.
"Fine!" Mako shouted, making him back away a little. "You want to see me being fine? I'll show how fine I am."
"Excuse me?" Julio asked, taking a seat on the stands as Soldier also landed on his shoulder.
"I know, right?" Soldier asked in rethorical way. "It didn't go well..."
"Not everyone is smart before the loss." Julio comforted him, placing his hands behind the head before looking upwards at the ceeling. "I certainly wasn't for a looong time."
"Thanks." Soldier nodded. "I just hope Mako won't end up as her."
"You mean, drop bakugan all together?" Julio asked him.
"During you battle with that Darkus fella she came back and gave me Serpenoid and Falconeer." Soldier responded, now sounding geniuenly sad. "She fully commited to Sensha-do at this point, no comming back."
"I get it." Julio nodded. "Now then, let's see how Mako go about this." He added before they both looked down at the arena.
"Ready to lose?" An upbeat tone from causacian-looking boy with short brown hair, loose blue t-shirt and overly long mustard cargo pants came as he stepped into the battlefield.
"No." Mako responded calmly, walking into the arena dressed in white blouse, dark leggins and snakers, her messy hair freely falling onto the back. "Let's get this over with.
"The battle between Mako and Timo can now begin!" Electronic announcer said with upbeat tone.
"Gate card set!" Both contestants shouted, throwing their first cards against eachother. Mako's card shining with yellow and Timo's with blue colour as they expanded over the field in a straight line between the two.
"Defendant goes first!" Timo called out, picking a bottom bakugan from his classic storage pendant with three slots for bakugan. "Bakugan brawl! Aquos Limulus stand!" He added, throwing his bakugan all the way to his gate card where it stop to turn into a large flattened horseshoe crab with a pair od tentacles sticking out of his mouth.
Limulus - 320g
"..." Mako didn't respond, casually throwing her second gate card to the left of her original one. "Bakugan brawl." She added, taking the first option from her pocket as she tossed the white marble all the way up there. "Haos Saurus stand." She added in low-energy tone as the ogre-looking monster stood up and roared into the air.
Saurus - 310g
"So she thinks this can replace me." Soldier commented. "Amusing."
"Hold it for now." Julio said as he saw Timo throw a second gate card, matching the Mako's move and forming 2x2 grid.
"Bakugan brawl! Aquos Gargonoid stand!" He added, throwing a ball to his new gate card where it stopped and revealed a humanoidal bat with vampiric face rising to the space above the ground.
Gargonoid - 330g
"Hmm, defensive approach." Soldier commented, looking over the field. "Is he trying to triple chain?"
"Bakugan brawl!" Mako exclaimed, throwing her second bakugan onto her original gate card. "Haos Serpenoid stand." She added as the white snake rised and spinned over the designated ground.
Serpenoid - 290g
"More defense I guess..." Julio nodded. "She wants him to make the first move."
"And she'll get it." Soldier added as he saw Timo threw a blue marble over to the field.
"Aquos Terroclaw stand!" Boy shouted as large crab rised from the ground, clashing his pincers with excitement as it faced off with Serpenoid.
Serpenoid - 290g. Terroclaw - 320g
"Gate card open, Character." Mako said calmly as the gate card's texture turned into a picture of Serpenoid, at which her bakugan became embodied with white energy.
Serpenoid - 290g = 580g
"And ability card activate, Strangling Wrap!" Mako added, turning around a card in her left hand, making it shine as Serpenoid went forward at lightning speed and wrapped himself around Terroclaw with ease.
Terroclaw - 320g = 270g
"That's some nice arguments you have here, but..." Timo smiled, taking out an ability card on his own. "Ability card activate! Dive Mirage!" He added, activating his own ability card, to which Limulus quickly swmmed down undeneath his gate card. "Limulus! Help Terroclaw!" He shouted, to which his bakugan obeyed, swimming behind to the designated gate card.
Serpenoid - 580g = 290g. (Terroclaw - 270g, Limulus - 320g) - 590g
"Oh no." Soldier shaked his head, seeing how Limulus jumped out of the depths below and wrapped his tentacles around Serpenoid's head. "He also deactivated the gate card."
"Yeah..." Julio nodded, blandly starring down at Terroclaw shaking Serpenoid off of himself before Limulus leaped forward and slashed the snake's body with his pincers, efficienlty turning him into a ball before landing.
Mako - 2/3
"And this is what I call a tactic!" Timo laughed as he caught both of his returning bakugan.
"Mhm." Mako nodded, seeing her Serpenoid roll back under her feet. "This is not over yet." She added as she picked her last available option and tossed it forward to Saurus's gate card.
(Falconeer - 320g, Saurus - 310g) - 630g
"Uh-huh, what gives?" Timo asked, looking at her with annoyed face.
"Gate card open, Battle Sham." Mako said calmly as the gate card turned into a command card texture as Saurus and Falconeer began their arm wrestling.
"G-Gargonoid!" Timo shouted in panic, but without use as the combined energy blast from shaking hands of Saurus and Falconeer was sent straight into Gargonoid's back, taking him out nearly instantly.
Timo - 2/3
"See? You're nothing special." Mako said, catching her two returning bakugan as Timo watched his bakugan fly back to him and jump off of his leg before stopping behind him.
"Heh, nice one on her part." Soldier smiled.
"Exacly." Julio added. "They are both down a single ability card and single bakugan, but Mako's pick was stronger."
"However, they both have one gate card left in reserve while Timo's two used are still present out there, unlike Mako's." Soldier continued, looking down at Timo throwing his Limulus back at his starting gate card.
"Bakugan brawl! Hyah!" Mako responded with a gasp, throwing her own bakugan onto the field. "Saurus stand!" She added as her choice stood in front of Limulus, ready for action.
Saurus - 310g. Limulus - 320g
"Pushing when at disatvantage?" Timo asked her, visibly baffled. "Fine then! Gate card open!" He added, moving the open palm of his hand forward as the gate card turned the battlefield into a sea.
Limulus - 320g = 420g
"Not so fast." Mako scoffed, taking a card into her hands. "Ability card activate, Lightning Tornado." She added as the stream of light appeared around Saurus, quickly turning into a rapid vortex that almost threw Limulus up from the water.
Saurus - 310g = 410g. Limulus - 420g = 320g
"Whoa!" Timo gasped, seeing his Limulus effectively accept his loss as Saurus casually walked up to him across the raging water and smashed his fists down against his back, crushing him into a ball form before he flew back under his brawler's legs.
Timo - 1/3
"That was good." Julio commented with polite smile.
"No, this was stupid." Soldier responded harshly.
"Huh? Why?" Julio asked, looking down at him with dumbfounded face.
"Wait and see." Soldier concluded, looking forward at the battlefield where Timo's Terroclaw landed on the last gate card remaining on the field.
"Bakugan brawl! Haos Saurus stand!" Mako shouted, throwing Saurus into the battle.
Saurus - 310g. Terroclaw - 320g
"Ability card activate, Rapid Haos!" She added with energetic tone, having her Falconeer enter the fray.
(Saurus - 310g, Falconeer - 320g) = 630g
"Oooh, two on one battle. Right." Timo nodded, pretending to be suprised. "Shame you already used all three ability cards."
"Huh?" Mako asked, rather unfazed by this revelation.
"Gate card open! Character!" Timo shouted making a chopping move with his arm as his gate card revealed a Terroclaw's signature.
Terroclaw - 320g = 640g
"But he originally threw a Gargonoid here!" Julio exclaimed, starring at the now energetic and shining Aquos bakugan. "How?"
"A silly feint." Soldier commented. "The kid is underwhelming, but Mako is even worse since she fell for it."
"O-Oh..." Mako said with empty tone blandly looking at Terroclaw rushing forward and jabbing his pincers against Saurus's arms while Falconeer flew high above in attempt to avoid the cruel fate.
"She is smart, but that's it." Soldier continued, looking down at Terroclaw casually throwing Saurus into the air where he slammed into Falconeer, making them both quickly turn into the balls.
Mako - 0/3
"She needs to actually get herself together."
"Well, now that we know it..." Julio nodded, looking at Mako picking up her three bakugans with lowered head. "What do we do now? I still ned her tomorrow."
"Leave it to me, pal." Soldier responded with confidence. "After all, she won't shake away from losing a bet."
"Soldier pow:
"Alright then, good luck." Julio said for goodbye, walking down the stairs as I pressed down on the handle and opened the door, making them move into the apartment.
"Mako?" I asked, slowly flying inside the room before the doors behind me closed.
"I know, I know." I heard her voice, quickly turning around to see her with grey shades undeneath her eyes. "I am nothing without you."
"No. You are wrong!" I exclaimed defensively, flying up to her. "You just can't ignore yourself."
"Oh, really?" She asked me, her glare turning from angry to insulted one. "How's that?"
"You clearly didn't go over what brought you into the remote bus stop back then." I explained. "I mean yeah, I know you lashed out on the overly moral girl by waving your nails and then got kicked from school. But I see you're still being hit by something you left back there."
"M-hmmm." Mako nodded with a drag. "And how do you know that?"
"Because I also coped with failure and loss by seclusion." I responded, feeling my mouth slowly turn dry. "And, it, didn't, work."
"Huh?" Mako gasped. "So you at the bus stop..." She continued, slowly piecing informations I gave her. "It was you in seclusion?"
"Yeah, after a whole year or two, I lost count..." I responded, slowly feeling my headache kicking in with dizzyness. "I may be a bakugan, I may still like fighting, and America, and other stuff. But if you compared me right now to me back then, you'd take me for a deranged hobo."
"And now you care about me because you don't want to lose someone?" Mako asked, her arms slightly shaking back and forth.
"Yes." I responded shortly, not being able to even make myself energetic as I like to. "Because loss of a good friend for me... Is unrepearable. I sighed, looking down at the floor. "And it was all because of me."
"..."
"Want to tell me about-" Mako tried to speak up.
"No." I hissed back at her from undeneath my nose. "I barely can care about myself outside battle anymore."
Silence fell between us. The cruel silence in which you can never hope for a good word, a kind pat onthe shoulder or even a kind face to lighten up your mood.
Just the cruel silence and realisation of how much your pain doesn't matter.
Unless...
"But I do."
"Haa?" I gasped in suprise, feeling myself being taken in hands and moved upwards.
"I admit, I didn't treat my friends the best when I had them..." Mako continued to speak as I turned myself to face her and was met with suprisingly bubbly smile. "Mostly just coming along, standing aside and doing my own things while the others went forward with the big things."
"And yet, they remained by your side." I continued after her, starting to feel where it was going.
"Exacly." Mako nodded, dropping her smile in favor of a determined glare. "And I will repay for what I did to them."
"And I will help!" I added, jumping into her shoulder. "By the way, looking for a friend?" I asked on instinct.
"Mhm." She nodded, tilting her head towards me as I felt being sandwitched between the shoulder and the head. "Mmm, so soft..."
"Heheheh, fineee..." I played along, mostly to not ruin the moment. "Glad to be with you."
"Heh, likewise."
Narrator pow:
"Well, soon we get to the tournament." Soldier said, moving down the curtains in order to make the bedroom dark.
"Yeah, I set the alarm at the right time for us to get ready." Mako added, moving the quilt over herself and the boko-themed oyjamas she wore. "Still feeling silly about the nightwear tho."
"It was cheap and long-term. I won't tell anyone about this." Soldier responded, flying back down to the desk to her left where the electronic clock stood. "If you fail to wake up, I'll help."
"Mhm, thanks." Mako smiled lightly. "I'll need that with my low blood pressure."
"Oh..." Soldier paused for a moment, unsure about what to say in response. "I'm all for you now."
"Mhm, thanks."
"Goodnight."
"Goodnight." They exchanged their wishes before going down to sleep.
But in their sleep, two thoughts arose to fill them with hope. What hopes, you may ask? Simple ones, really. And if you know them, it won't be hard to pin the thought to a mind that had them.
"Saori, Miho, Yukari, Hana, Sodoko, Grandma... I'll be back. I'll always be back for you!"
"I'm gonna make you proud...
... Kay."