Chapter 6: Idol Battle!
Wardington…
Runo finished up her tasks as she closed up shop, finally ready to get some battles in so that she could raise her rankings. She wished the tournament started at a better time where she didn't have to catch up on the work she missed.
But now that she was done, she would get Tigrerra and some other Bakugan before going out to find whatever battles she can get before the sunsets. Just as she finished, the front door opened as Runo let out an annoyed sigh.
"Sorry, but we're closed for the day," Runo stated as she turned to see a bruised Dan.
"DAN!" Runo gasped as she ran up to him.
"What happened?" Runo questioned.
"…Mar…duk…Vlad…itor…" Dan muttered as he passed out and opened his hand, allowing a dirty Drago to fall to the ground.
New York…
"Thanks for coming, everyone!" Jewls exclaimed.
"You've all been wonderful!" Jenny smiled as they left the stage, having finished their concert.
"Excellent girls, let's get you back to the hotel so you can rest. Tomorrow we'll be going on the news before getting on the jet to go to the next destination." Their manager stated.
"Worldwide tours are exhausting," Jenny complained.
"Yeah." Jewls agreed as they gave each other a nod.
"Hey, can we use the bathroom before we leave?" Jewls requested.
"The bathroom? Can't you wait until we're back at the hotel?" Their manager questioned.
"Nope," Jenny answered as their manager sighed.
"Fine, make it quick." Their manager replied as he and some guards stood outside the bathroom they entered.
"That was easy." Jewls laughed as they hopped out the window.
"Yeah, let's hope it's not too late to get some battles." Jenny agreed as they ran off towards Central Park.
Central Park…
Ryder tossed one of his Bakugan in the air as Leonidas flew next to him while Alice walked next to him. He had finished up brawling for the day, and he and Alice were heading home as it was late and no one was out at the time.
"It's interesting to see how brawlers around here battle." Alice began.
"The diverse types of battles and Bakugan are really refreshing." Alice finished.
"I guess you wouldn't get to see much as you don't battle yourself," Ryder replied.
"True though being with the other Battle Brawlers allowed me to see many battles," Alice stated.
"It must have as your one of the best strategists out there." Ryder pointed out.
"Thanks, but I wouldn't say best in the world." Alice thanked with a slight blush.
"Well, even so, you are one of the best." Ryder smiled as they heard two voices ahead.
The voices were faint as Ryder and Alice slowly approached where the source was. As they approached, the voices became more discernable as Ryder noted they were two female voices. Soon Ryder and Alice were able to hear what they were saying.
"There's no one here!" Jewls cried.
"We're too late!" Jenny wept as Ryder and Alice walked into view.
"What's going on?" Ryder wondered as he and Alice spotted them.
"Wait, aren't they…" Alice began before she was interrupted.
"Look, brawlers!" Jenny exclaimed as she noticed the Bakugan strapped to Ryder's belt and Leonidas.
"Finally!" Jewls smiled as they ran up to Ryder and Alice.
"We've been looking for people to battle against everywhere!" Jenny cried.
"This late? You do know that the prime time for brawling is the day, right?" Ryder inquired.
"We're just here for a concert. We don't know the exact goings of brawlers here." Jewls stated.
"Well, I'm pretty tired and was actually heading home. If you come tomorrow, there will be more than enough brawlers to battle." Ryder replied.
"But we won't be able to come tomorrow!" Jenny complained.
"Aren't you two Jenny and Jewls of JJ Dolls?" Alice inquired, having recognized the two who had battled Dan and Marucho.
"Yep, that's right, the pop idol sensations are here to battle!" Jewls exclaimed.
"JJ Dolls? What's that?" Ryder inquired, having never heard of it before.
"Are you saying you don't know who we are!?" Jenny questioned.
"We're the JJ Dolls!" Jewls shouted as Ryder took a step back.
"I'm sorry, I don't know what that is!" Ryder replied, shocking the two pop stars.
"They're famous pop idols." Alice pointed out.
"Oh, really well, I don't really listen to stuff like that," Ryder revealed.
"Well, then we'll just show you who we are!" Jewls smirked as she held out a Bakugan.
"Yeah, we'll battle you together!" Jenny agreed as she took a step further, making Ryder back up a bit more.
"Guess there's no escaping this, but a few more battles should be fine. But I can do only one on one." Ryder replied.
"Why not just tag-team. Jewls and I can be a team, and you and your girlfriend can be on the other team." Jenny suggested.
"G-G-G-Girlfriend?!" Ryder and Alice gasped in shock.
"She's not my girlfriend. We're just friends!" Ryder explained.
"Then why are you walking together late at night?" Jewls inquired, causing Ryder to realize how it looked.
"We're just friends, okay!" Ryder assured, blushing a little in a panic to fix the misunderstanding.
"And I don't really brawl, and even if I did, I don't have any Bakugan," Alice added.
"But then we can't tag team battle," Jenny murmured.
"I actually brought some extra Bakugan Alice if you want to join in," Ryder revealed as he brought out another Bakugan clip.
"I was just bringing it just to be safe in case I battle against someone with a Doom Card but even so." Ryder thought.
"Well…I…uh…" Alice stuttered as she seemed unsure what to do.
"Don't you want to play instead of watch for once, Alice?" Ryder asked.
"I-I don't know," Alice replied as she looked down in silence.
"Come on, Alice, this isn't going to be anything serious, so let's have some fun. But if you really don't want to, I won't force you." Ryder assured.
Alice kept silent, still unsure of what she should do. She had come up with several battle strategies for the Battle Brawlers but never battled before herself. As she considered battling, Alice felt a presence in her that seemed to reject the very idea.
"I can't battle." Alice thought though it felt as if the thought wasn't her own. But then Alice looked up at Ryder, seeing his smiling face somehow cleared her thoughts.
"Well, I uh…guess I can," Alice replied as she took the Bakugan from Ryder, though, for some reason, she felt unsure about it.
"Awesome, but remember, if you don't want to battle, you don't have to." Ryder reminded.
"N-No, it's fine." Alice smiled.
"Let's get this show on the road, shall we?" Jenny smirked.
"Yeah, the JJ Dolls are going to show you just what they're about!" Jewls exclaimed as the four took out field cards.
"Field Open!" The four shouted, sending them to the battlefield.
"Gate Card Set!" They added as four gate cards appeared in front of them.
"I'll go first, Bakugan Brawl! Subterra Centipoid Stand!" Jewls yelled as Centipoid appeared on her gate card.
"Subterra Centipoid G power 520 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"My turn. Bakugan Brawl! Darkus El Condor Stand!" Ryder shouted as El Condor appeared before Centipoid.
"Darkus El Condor G power 500 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Gate Card Open! Subterra Valley!" Jewls declared.
"Subterra Centipoid G power increase by 40 Gs. Subterra Centipoid G power 560 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Centipoid proceeded to circle El Condor before lurching upward to bite at it with its pincers. It proceeded to throw El Condor into the ground before crawling over it. Before long, Centipoid raised itself, ready to finish El Condor off.
"Ability Card Activate! Rapid Darkness!" Ryder countered, allowing him to throw another Bakugan into the battle.
"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Garganoid Stand!" Ryder shouted as Garganoid appeared above Centipoid.
"Darkus Garganoid G power 530 Gs. Combined G power 1030 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Garganoid dived down and tackled Centipoid off of El Condor, freeing its fellow Darkus Bakugan. With no way to close the power gap, Centipoid was defeated by the two Darkus Bakugan dropping at Jewls's feet.
"Wow, you're pretty good." Jewls gasped as she picked up Centipoid.
"This is going to be fun!" Jenny exclaimed.
"Bakugan Brawl! Aquos Stinglash Stand!" Jenny yelled as Stinglash appeared on Alice's gate card.
"Aquos Stinglash G power 480 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"You got this, Alice." Ryder encouraged as Alice took up a Bakugan. But when she did, she hesitated, unable to throw the Bakugan into battle.
Something inside her was once again preventing her from battling as her body soon began emanating negative energy. Unseen by anyone, a visage of Masquerades mask appeared over Alice's face. Leonidas seemed to notice this as he felt something familiar from Alice.
"Alice, are you alright?" Ryder asked as he walked up to Alice.
"Somethings off about Alice," Leonidas stated as he flew up and got in front of Alice.
"Alice, is something wrong?" Leonidas questioned.
Suddenly the negative energy that surrounded Alice was slowly begging to be absorbed by Leonidas, causing a small crack in the mask before disappearing. When it disappeared, Alice felt a little lighter and clear-headed.
"Alice, you back with us?" Ryder inquired.
"Y-Yes, sorry, I don't know what happened to me." Alice apologized.
"That's good to hear," Leonidas replied though he felt as if he had taken something from Alice.
"Are we battling or what?" Jenny questioned.
"You sure you're okay, Alice?" Ryder asked.
"Yes, thank you." Alice thanked as she focused on the brawl ahead of her.
"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Griffon Stand!" Alice shouted as Griffon appeared before Stinglash.
"Darkus Griffon G power 500 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Alright, now we're talking!" Jenny exclaimed.
"Gate Card Open! Triple Battle!" Jenny shouted.
"Now it's time to have some fun!" Jenny smiled.
"Then it's showtime!" Jewls smirked.
"Sorry, but the shows canceled," Alice stated.
"Ability Card Activate! Shadowscratch!" Alice countered, negating the gate card.
"What?" Jenny and Jewls questioned. Griffon flew high in the sky before diving down to bite deeply into Stinglash, trouncing the Bakugan.
"They're both really good." Jenny gasped.
"That was great, Alice!" Ryder exclaimed.
"Thanks." Alice thanked, blushing a little.
"Maybe they are dating," Jewls suggested in a low whisper.
"Maybe they are." Jenny agreed.
"Well, no time to focus on that, let's keep going!" Jewls smiled.
"Bakugan Brawl! Subterra Juggernoid Stand!" Jewls shouted as Juggernoid appeared on Ryder's gate card.
"Subterra Juggernoid G power 550 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"You ready, Leonidas?" Ryder asked.
"I'm always ready for battle, partner!" Leonidas responded as Ryder grabbed hold of him.
"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Leonidas Stand!" Ryder yelled as Leonidas appeared above Juggernoid.
"Darkus Leonidas G power 600 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"He has a talking Bakugan!" Jewls pointed out.
"That's so cool!" Jenny smiled.
"Did they really just notice Leonidas?" Ryder wondered.
"Well, whatever. Gate Card Open! Energy Merge!" Ryder declared.
"Subterra Juggernoid G power decrease by 100 Gs. Subterra G power 450 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Darkus Leonidas G power increase by 100 Gs. Darkus Leonidas G power 700 Gs." The bakupod added.
Leonidas flew circles around Juggernoid before clawing at its shell with his claws. Before long, Leonidas began to break through the protective barrier. But before he could deal the finishing blow, Jewls countered.
"Ability Card Activate! Subterra Shield!" Jewls countered.
"Subterra Juggernoid G power increase by 250 Gs. Combined G power 700 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Juggernoid grew spikes at the back of his shell, keeping Leonidas from slicing at its shell. Now free of Leonidas's attacks, Juggernoid spun around and moved in a circle before launching itself up. The Subterra Bakugan slammed into Leonidas's stomach, sending him to the ground.
"Hang in there, Leonidas!" Ryder called.
"Ability Activate! Darkus Twister!" Ryder shouted as he threw the ability card into Leonidas.
"Darkus Leonidas G power increase by 250 Gs. Darkus Leonidas G power 950 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Leonidas spun around and took to the air once more. Once he did, he began diving down and hitting Juggernoid with the dark tornado over and over. Before long, Leonidas dove down and smashed into Juggernoid, defeating the Bakugan.
"What, I lost another Bakugan?" Jewls cried as Juggernoid landed at her feet.
"No way!" Jenny replied.
"That was really good, Ryder. You and Leonidas have gotten really good." Alice complimented.
"Thanks, Alice, you were a big help." Ryder smiled.
"Hey, this is still a battle! You can save the flirting for later!" Jenny reminded.
"We're not flirting!" Ryder and Alice replied, blushing hard.
"Whatever! Bakugan Brawl! Aquos Siege Stand!" Jenny shouted as Siege appeared on her gate card.
"Aquos Siege G power 580 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"My turn," Alice murmured.
"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Hynoid Stand!" Alice yelled as Hynoid appeared before Siege.
"Darkus Hynoid G power 550 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Gate Card Open! Aquos Palace!" Jenny declared as the field changed to a watery palace.
"Aquos Siege G power increase by 180 Gs. Aquos Siege G power 760 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Siege proceeded to shove its spear into Hynoid's stomach, and though the Darkus Bakugan tried to hold it back, it was slowly overpowered. Hynoid was pushed onto its back before Siege placed its foot onto Hynoid's stomach before raising its spear to finish off Hynoid.
"Ability Card Activate! Darkus Leech!" Alice countered.
"Darkus Hynoid and Aquos Siege G power exchange. Aquos G power 550 Gs. Darkus Hynoid G power 760 Gs." The bakupod announced.
With Hynoid's new power, it pushed Siege into the air before flipping back onto its feet. Hynoid proceeded to jump into the air and bite into Siege before throwing it back towards the ground. When Siege made impact, it had not time to stand up as Hynoid dropped down from the sky and crashed into its stomach.
"Oh no!" Jenny cried as Siege was defeated.
"They're really good together." Jenny pointed out.
"Yeah, so let's kick this show into overtime!" Jewls smiled as she held up a gate card.
"I'm always up for an encore!" Jenny exclaimed.
"Gate Card Set!" The Four shouted as they all placed gate cards.
"Got to make this one count!" Jewls smiled as she gave her Bakugan a kiss.
"Bakugan Brawl! Subterra Rattleoid Stand!" Jewls yelled as Rattleoid appeared on her gate card.
"Subterra Rattleoid G power 550 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Alright then. Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Garganoid Stand!" Ryder shouted as Garganoid appeared before Rattleoid.
"Darkus Garganoid G power 530 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Gate Card Open! Subterra Quake!" Jewls declared.
"Subterra Rattleoid G power increase by 100 Gs. Subterra Rattleoid G power 650 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Rattleoid slithered over towards Garganoid, and before the Darkus Bakugan could react, it coiled it up and squeezed it tightly. Garganoid was at Rattleoid's mercy as the Subterra Bakugan slowly crushed it.
"Ability Card Activate! Rapid Darkness!" Ryder countered, allowing him to throw in another Bakugan.
"Sorry, but I'm not letting you do that again!" Jewls smirked.
"Ability Card Activate! Subterra Crater!" Jewls shot back, canceling Ryder's ability.
"I did want to save that, but to be honest, I wasn't prepared for how good you are!" Jewls exclaimed. With no reinforcement coming for it, Garganoid was defeated.
"I got a little cocky there. I should have at least considered that possibility." Ryder thought as he picked up his fallen Bakugan.
"My Turn! Bakugan Brawl! Aquos Terrorclaw Stand!" Jenny shouted as Terrorclaw appeared on Alice's gate card.
"Aquos Terrorclaw G power 535 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Laserman Stand!" Alice yelled as she landed Laserman on her gate card.
"Darkus Laserman G power 540 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Gate Card Open! Laserman Cannon!" Alice declared, activating Laserman's character card.
"Darkus Laserman G power increase by 200 Gs. Darkus Laserman G power 740 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Laserman charged up its cannons and fired at Terrorclaw that blocked with its claws slowly breaking through the shell. Soon Laserman fired two large beams that cracked Terrorclaw's shell while pushing it backward.
"I'm not going to lose yet! Ability Card Activate! Whirlpool!" Jenny countered.
With this ability, a large whirlpool of water sucking both of the Bakugan in. Terrorclaw easily dove under and swam through the torrential waters as Laserman was unable to move. With each passing second, Terrorclaw attacked Laserman chipping away at its G power.
"Darkus Laserman G power decrease 55 Gs and decreasing. Currently at 685 Gs." The bakupod annoucned.
"Ability Card Activate! Darkus Retribution!" Alice declared.
The ability card stopped Laserman's power decrease and flipped it on Terrorclaw, causing the Aquos Bakugan to lose G power every time it attacked. With the G power still in its favor, Laserman charged up an attack before firing.
"Ability Card Activate! Aquos Barrier!" Jenny shouted as she threw the ability card into the whirlpool.
"Aquos Terrorclaw G power increase by 150 Gs. Aquos Terrorclaw G power 685 Gs." The bakupod announced.
A stream of water shot up, blocking Laserman's attack bringing the two Bakugan to an equilibrium. Terrorclaw swiped through the stream, cutting at Laserman's chest while Laserman fired off in an attempt to hit Terrorclaw.
"This is fun, but I can't lose another battle!" Jenny declared as she gave a quick wink.
"Ability Card Activate! Depth Tornado!" Jenny shouted.
"Aquos Terrorclaw G power increase by 100 Gs. Aquos Terrorclaw G power 785 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Now further empowered, Terrorclaw broke through the barrier and grabbed onto Laserman with both of its claws. Now within its grasp, Terrorclaw squeezed the Darkus Bakugan hard before tossing it in the air and smacking it off the gate card, defeating it.
"Yay, I won!" Jenny exclaimed as she caught Terrorclaw.
"Don't celebrate yet. We still have to beat two more Bakugan before we win it all." Jewls reminded.
"I guess I underestimated them as well." Alice sighed as she bent down to pick up Laserman. But as she did, the negative energy returned as her head was filled with thoughts, not her own.
"You can't win."
"One loss is all it takes to fall."
"Just give up."
They continued relentlessly as if trying to latch onto the one loss and bring her out of the battle. It almost felt desperate, as if something more was happening underneath. Something was trying to regain its grip on her psyche, and it only stopped when Ryder placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Alice, are you okay your dozing off again?" Ryder inquired, snapping Alice back to reality.
"Y-Yes, I'm fine," Alice responded, sweating a little.
"Are you sure because this is the third time this has happened?" Ryder asked.
"Yeah, sorry for making you worry." Alice apologized.
"Okay, but if there is something that's bothering you, don't hesitate to tell me, okay," Ryder replied.
"T-Thank you." Alice thanked, giving Ryder a smile. When he said that, the negative energy dissipate once more as her heartbeat increased.
"We should focus on the battle!" Alice said as she turned from Ryder with a small blush.
"Oh right!" Ryder laughed.
"I've got a plan to finish this battle too," Ryder smirked as he whispered in Alice's ear.
"Understood." Alice smiled.
"Now that your little chat is done, it's time to continue!" Jewls exclaimed.
"Bakugan Brawl! Subterra Rattleoid Stand!" Jewls shouted as Rattleoid appeared on Ryder's gate card.
"Subterra Rattleoid G power 550 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Let's go, Leonidas!" Ryder said.
"I'm itching for another fight!" Leonidas replied.
"Gate Card Set!" Ryder shouted as he placed a gate card next to his previous one.
"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Leonidas Stand!" Ryder added as Leonidas appeared on his second gate card.
"Darkus Leonidas G power 600 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Huh? What's this for!?" Jewls questioned.
"You'll see soon enough," Ryder responded.
"Well, it's my turn then! Bakugan Brawl! Aquos Terrorclaw Stand!" Jenny shouted as she threw Terrorclaw on her gate card.
"Aquos Terrorclaw G power 535 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"He's definitely setting up a trap on that gate card, so it's best to stay away for now." Jenny thought.
"Gate Card Set!" Alice yelled as she threw her own gate card.
"What!?" Jewls and Jenny gasped.
"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Griffon Stand!" Alice shouted as Griffon appeared on her gate card.
"Darkus Griffon G power 500 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Wait a minute, how are we supposed to battle if everyone's on separate gate cards?" Jewls questioned.
"This is how," Ryder smirked as he took out an ability card.
"Ability Card Activate! Darkus Attraction!" Ryder declared. Around Leonidas, a black hole-like effect occurred, drawing in all the Bakugan on the field to the gate card Leonidas stood on.
"Gate Card Open! Wall Lock!" Ryder added blocking everyone from using gate cards.
"Combined G power of Darkus Leonidas and Darkus Griffon at 1100 Gs. Combined G power of Subterra Rattleoid and Aquos Terrorclaw at 1085 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"OH NO!" Jewls and Jenny cried as Leonidas and Griffon charged in and swiftly defeated Terrorclaw and Rattleoid, ending the match.
"We lost!" Jewls wept.
"And there are no other people to brawl to!" Jenny added.
"It's not that bad. It was a lot of fun. Plus, if you come back tomorrow and we can battle again." Ryder assured as he and Alice walked over to Jenny and Jewls.
"We can't. We're leaving tomorrow to continue our tour after going on the news." Jenny sobbed.
"Oh yeah, you did say that. Wow, the life of a pop star must be hard," Ryder commented.
"You have no idea it leaves basically no time for brawls, and with this tournament around, it's harder than ever before not to leave and battle," Jewls explained.
"Wow," Ryder whispered as he scratched his head.
"Hey, Alice, you wouldn't mind a few more battles, would you?" Ryder asked, catching Jenny and Jewls's full attention.
"I guess not. I actually had a lot of fun." Alice smiled.
"Then how about we brawl a little bit more then," Ryder suggested.
"Really?" Jewls questioned.
"You'll really battle us some more?" Jenny inquired.
"Sure, besides, you said you're leaving tomorrow, and it's hard for you to battle, right? So I don't mind a few more battles." Ryder smiled.
"Yay!" Jewls exclaimed as she wrapped around Ryder's left arm.
"Thank you so much!" Jenny added as she got on Ryder's right arm.
"I can see what your girlfriend sees in you." Jewls teased.
"Alice and I are just friends, and do you mind letting go." Ryder requested as the two got off, Ryder making the boy sigh in relief before turning towards Alice, who looked a little annoyed.
"Is something wrong?" Ryder inquired.
"Nope, nothing at all," Alice answered though Ryder felt like she wasn't exactly truthful.
"I think she was a little jealous," Jenny whispered.
"Maybe she hasn't confessed yet," Jewls replied though Ryder overheard them and blushed.
"How about we just get back to battling." Ryder laughed, hoping to move past this situation.
"Sure!" Jewls agreed, giving Ryder a wink as she and Jenny took their spots across from them.
"Field Open!" The four shouted as they battled once more.
The Next Day…
"Dan was beaten by another brawler!?" Julie questioned as she, Runo, and Marucho spoke via the Bakugan website.
"Yeah, he came in all bruised, and Drago was all dirty," Runo answered.
"Drago was the first to wake up and explained that he and Dan were challenged by a Darkus user named Marduk who used an unknown Bakugan named Vladitor," Runo added.
"Vladitor, you say? I've never heard of a Bakugan by that name, have you Preyas?" Marucho asked.
"It sounds familiar, but I can't quite remember," Preyas responded.
"I believe there were myths of a Bakugan named Vladitor back during the times of Ancient Vestroia, but I can't say if there was any truth to them," Gorem stated.
"From all that I've heard about Vladitor, it's that he was banished to the Doom Dimension and not much else," Tigrerra revealed.
"That sounds bad. He must be strong if he is a mythical Bakugan." Julie pointed out.
"That's putting it lightly. Apparently, the two were ruthless, which is what put Dan and Drago in that state." Runo replied.
"If they were able to do that to Dan and Drago, then we have to be on lookout for them in the future," Marucho said.
"Shouldn't we warn Shun?" Julie asked.
"He can fend for himself. If he doesn't trust us, then we don't need to trust him." Runo seethed, still angry that Shun suspected that there was a mole in the team.
"We can't stay separated like this forever. We need to work together to beat Masquerade and his goonies!" Julie reminded.
"Well, that's easier said than done. Plus, we don't even know where Alice is right now." Marucho stated as Drago slowly rolled up next to Tigrerra.
"I know where Alice is," Drago revealed.
"What you do, Drago?!" Runo questioned.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Julie asked.
"Because Alice is scared that none of you trust her anymore and that you no longer think of her as your friend," Drago answered.
"She was afraid that the Brawlers would tear each other apart, so she left," Drago added.
"I guess we did put a lot of the suspicion on her, didn't we." Runo sighed.
"I suppose we did go overboard, but it is still a concern how Masquerade knows where we're going at all times," Marucho said.
"We should apologize to her and see if we can find out how Masquerade really is getting information on us," Julie suggested.
"Where is Alice anyway?" Julie inquired.
"She is currently with Ryder Shade, who is taking care of her at the moment," Drago responded.
"She's in New York still?" Runo gasped.
"She's been with Ryder this whole time!" Julie added.
"Correct," Drago replied.
"I do think we need to get Alice back, but we should all be present, and that includes Dan," Marucho stated.
"That will take a while." Runo pointed out.
"While we're still here, we should see where Marduk is on the leader board because no doubt he's going for the finals," Marucho suggested as they looked at the leaderboards.
"It says here that he's currently rank fifty-four," Runo said until he moved up a rank.
"Wait, he moved up another rank to Fifty-three!" Julie gasped.
"He must still be battling even now," Runo replied.
"They truly must be strong," Marucho murmured.
"Drago, have you ever heard of Vladitor?" Marucho inquired.
"I have, but I only thought he was a myth." Drago began.
"From the stories that I've heard, he was an evil Bakugan that attempted to takeover Vestroia but was banished to the Doom Dimension." Drago continued.
"When we battled, no doubt the stories were true. He was ruthless and powerful. It was said that the Ancient Warriors of Vestroia all had to defeat him." Drago finished.
"He sounds scary," Julie commented.
"This guy sounds just as dangerous as Masquerade!" Runo agreed.
"At least he doesn't use the Doom Card." Marucho pointed out.
"You don't think he'll come for us, right?" Julie asked.
"I say it's only a matter of time before he does. He must be going after high ranked brawlers to raise up the ranks to qualify for the finals." Marucho explained.
"Hey, wait, is that Alice on the leaderboard?!" Julie questioned as everyone noticed their friend on there.
"But she doesn't battle. When did she start?" Runo wondered. They checked the records, and they found that she had battled with Ryder against the JJ Dolls and won every battle.
"It seems just now. If I had to guess, maybe Ryder convinced her to join." Marucho guessed.
"That would be impressive. We've never been able to convince her to battle. I wonder how he convinced her?" Julie wondered.
"We'll just have to ask them when we see them," Runo replied.
Ryder's Home…
"Well, it's later than I had planned, but it's good to be back home." Ryder smiled.
"Yes, but it was pretty fun," Alice replied.
"I actually hope they come by again for another battle! Who knows, maybe I can catch one of their concerts too!" Ryder exclaimed.
"Y-Y-Yeah, that would be nice." Alice agreed though she felt annoyed for some reason at the last part.
"I'm still surprised that this was the first time you brawled Alice," Ryder commented.
"Why is that anyway?" Ryder inquired.
"I-I don't really know. It just felt like I wasn't supposed to battle." Alice responded.
"The other Battle Brawlers tried to convince me, but you're the first person to actually get me to do it," Alice revealed.
"Really? I was the one to finally get you to brawl?" Ryder questioned.
"Yes. Though I can't say why that is exactly." Alice answered with a slight blush.
"Well, I'm glad that I got you brawling then." Ryder chuckled nervously.
"I can't believe I did something the Battle Brawlers couldn't!" Ryder thought.
"I'll be going to bed. Goodnight." Alice replied as she went to the room provided for her.
"So now that we're back, will you check your rankings?" Leonidas asked.
"Oh yeah, we probably should. I may be pretty high now." Ryder agreed as he and Leonidas went to his room.
"Alright, let's see what we have here," Ryder murmured as he logged onto the Bakugan website.
"I'm ranked five hundred forty-nine! At this rate, I just might make it to the finals." Ryder smiled.
"This is exciting. I cannot wait to battle against the top brawlers in the world!" Leonidas exclaimed.
"I bet some of the Battle Brawlers are probably high up." Ryder pointed out as he looked at their rankings.
"As I thought they're really high up," Ryder said as he noticed something peculiar.
"It seems Dan lost a recent battle. That's odd. The person must have been a strong brawler." Ryder commented as he looked at who Dan's opponent was.
"What?! But how?!" Ryder questioned when Marduk's picture popped up.
"Marduk beat him! But he disappeared after our battle. How did he get there?" Ryder wondered.
"How could Marduk beat Dan and Drago? If I remember correctly, Marduk wasn't that good of a brawler, and his Bakugan wasn't anything to fight against." Leonidas pointed out.
"I wouldn't say he was terrible, but we weren't able to beat Dan. How did he do it? And where has he been all this time?" Ryder replied.
"We'll just have to find out," Leonidas stated.
Doom Beings Hideout…
Masquerade appeared in the halls of the abandoned mansion, clutching his mask as he slowly crept through the halls. Eventually, he made his way to a room filled with large computer monitors.
"It seems like Ryder Shade is going to be a bigger problem than I thought," Masquerade muttered as he removed his hand, revealing a large crack on the right side of his mask.
"Because of him, Alice is getting stronger, and I can't allow that." Masquerade stated.
"I'm going to need to make sure he doesn't get into my way." Masquerade mused as he released the Silent Orb bringing back the negative energy that gave him power repairing the mask.
"I'm going to have to take care of him." Masquerade decided.
Elsewhere…
Shun sat on the roof of his family's compound as he looked at the night sky. A few hours ago, he had noticed that Dan had lost to a brawler named Marduk. No doubt this brawler was going after all high-ranking brawlers, and it wouldn't be long before he came after him.
Though he believed it would be a while before the brawler worked his way up to him, he didn't believe he would do it so soon. But then again, if he was overconfident, then all logic would be thrown out the window.
"So I assume you're here for a battle then?" Shun questioned as he turned to look at Marduk, who stood a few feet away.
"That's right," Marduk smirked as Vladitor floated next to him.
"Why should I battle you? Beating Dan isn't much of an accomplishment?" Shun asked.
"I always heard that you were the stereotypical cool guy loner, but until now, I never actually believed it." Marduk laughed as Shun glared at him.
"Get lost. I'm not interested." Shun stated.
"Shun, I'm getting a bad feeling from him." Skyress pointed out.
"What do you mean?" Shun asked.
"That boy and his Bakugan are radiating negative energy more so than Leonidas," Skyress explained.
"I see, so he's not an ordinary brawler," Shun replied as he stood up.
"Are you working with Masquerade?" Shun questioned only knowing him for giving people and Bakugan negative energy.
"Nope, I don't work for anyone," Marduk answered.
"You work alone then?" Shun asked.
"I work WITH Vladitor," Marduk responded as Vladitor floated in front of Marduk.
"I've never heard of such a Bakugan," Shun stated.
"I have. Shun this Vladitor is trouble. He was known through myth in Vestroia as a Bakugan who tried to overthrow the Ancient Warriors of Vestroia and take over." Skyress explained.
"We cannot underestimate them," Skyress added.
"I see," Shun murmured as he now took Marduk's challenge more seriously.
"So you're here to battle me and get a place in the finals of the tournament, right?" Shun inquired.
"Correct. I'm going to beat you. Then when I get to the finals, I will beat Masquerade." Marduk declared. Shun stared at Marduk for several minutes contemplating what his next move will be.
"Fine, we'll battle but not today. Meet me at the park tomorrow, and I will battle you." Shun agreed.
"Good enough for me," Marduk smirked as he jumped off the roof and disappeared.
"Shun, are you sure about this? It is said that it took all of the Ancient Warriors combined to defeat him?" Skyress asked.
"Don't worry. He was alone then, but now he has to work with a brawler. If they can't work together as good as we do, then we can win." Shun explained.
"Don't underestimate them, Shun. They could be stronger than you realize." Skyress warned.
"We'll be fine," Shun replied.
Next Time Shun and Marduk begin their battle but Shun soon learns he underestimated his opponent. Meanwhile, Ryder is approached by several brawlers for battle and learns that he has had a bounty set on him by Masquerade!
Next Time on Bakugan Doom World: Battle Day
Author's Note:
I'm back. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter though it was a little bit on the short side. I decided since the JJ Dolls technically aren't the strongest brawlers Alice and Ryder would make quick work of them.
Next Time I have two bigger brawls planned, and you'll finally see a full battle with Marduk and Vladitor. This chapter actually was more focused on Alice and Ryder's relationship if it wasn't already obvious, and it will be essential to how I am going to develop the story.
Now before anyone says it, I know that Jewls and Jenny's Guardian or Partner Bakugan were the ones that were beaten early on. I realized that after I wrote it and just decided to not change it as it doesn't really matter.
Like I said before, Ryder is more experienced now, and with Alice, who is one of the greatest Bakugan strategists in the world on his side, it was a cakewalk. As to why Masquerade's mask broke, I hope it was obvious, but I will explain it just in case.
For one, Leonidas did absorb negative energy (Which will be explained later) and absorbed some of the energy used to dull Alice's senses. That broke some of the control Masquerade had on her, seeing as he could be said to be the dominant personality.
Ryder then struck the second blow by encouraging Alice and giving her confidence just as she did him, strengthening her will and control. Of course, Masquerade used the Silent Orb to replenish his power, but he has now realized Ryder could inadvertently destroy him.
Alright, now onto the reviews:
Johannvanguard – I'm glad to see that you liked the story so much that you left a review on every chapter! So as your point on Ryder making a new friend from school or something, I don't plan on really ever doing that.
Honestly, the only permanent OC that I plan on keeping in the story is Ryder and maybe, maybe, some new Bakugan I make down the road. Any other OC's I make are simply just one off's I made for Ryder to battle and never see again.
Thanks again for your kind words, and I hope you're still enjoying the story!
HunterHQ – Wow, all these reviews on all the chapters again! I can't express how happy that makes me and on how you're enjoying the story! As to your theory on Leonidas being the antidote to the Silent Core, I will neither deny nor say it is correct.
You'll just have to keep reading. Now, as to why Dan still has Drago, as you did say, it would be a miracle for him to keep it in your latest review that is because Marduk doesn't use a doom card.
Unlike in the video game where Marduk and Masquerade are partners, they are not here, and so Marduk does not have a doom card. He just battles very aggressively, and that is why Dan still has Drago.
Although now that I think about it, I don't think Marduk even had a doom card in the game because it is said he beat Dan, and Dan still had Drago. But then again, I don't think people are meant to think too hard about that.
RokenDarkly – Yeah, I guess Ryder should be a little suspicious of Alice, but at the moment, he doesn't believe that she is bad or is doing anything wrong though that may change in the future. Glad you're still enjoying the story!
Martin (Guest) – Yes, Ryder will eventually be part of the Battle Brawlers, just like how the player became one in the game, but unlike in the game, it will happen more naturally. I felt like the player's entrance into the group was a bit sudden, and it felt like the player barely knew any of them save Dan.
But that will be a ways away and might not happen until after the tournament is over. As for the final battle with Naga, of course, he'll be there. That's one thing I wish the game did was include that bit of the story, but sadly it never happened.
Anyways that's all I got for you guys today. See you next time!