Chapter 14: Initiation Part 2
Wardington…
Marucho's Home…
Marucho sat in his room strategizing on what cards he would use against Ryder and Leonidas. He wanted to use powerful cards to push the two further so they display the power hidden within them. That power may just be the deciding factor in their battle against Masquerade and Marduk.
"Right now, Dan and Drago are our best bet at matching them with power. If Ryder can harness this power or even have Leonidas evolve, it will increase our chances of victory." Marucho thought.
"If only we had a definite way of evolving our Bakugan, our chances at victory would be more favorable," Marucho noted.
"Our search for the Infinity Core has come to a halt as well. That may be a grave mistake if Masquerade and Hal-G find it first." Marucho thought.
"But then again, why else hold this tournament?" Marucho questioned, realizing the tournament's very existence was to find the Infinity Core.
"Unless they're taking this chance to get rid of us." Marucho theorized as Preyas entered the room.
"Hey Marucho, are we going to be battling soon?" Preyas inquired as he hopped on Marucho's desk.
"Possibly, but it may be a little while longer. Don't tell me you're actually excited for the battle?" Marucho asked.
"Well, uh…sure…I'm just going to wait by the exit…." Preyas stammered as he inched towards the edge of the desk.
"Nervous as always then, I presume." Marucho sighed as Preyas turned around.
"Nervous is an understatement! You've seen how strong Leonidas is, and he enjoys fighting! I'm the opposite. There's no way I can win against that!" Preyas replied.
"Don't sell yourself short Preyas. All we need is the right strategy and cards, and we can beat them." Marucho pointed out.
"But I thought you wanted to push them into growing stronger!" Preyas reminded as he jumped next to Marucho.
"That doesn't mean we won't try to win," Marucho stated as he returned his attention to building his deck.
"If you say so." Preyas sighed as he flopped onto his back.
Elsewhere…
Marduk sat in an empty warehouse, resting against one of the many boxes scattered throughout the building. He had been idling around all day looking for something to eat or a way to make some money.
Unfortunately, he hadn't entirely thought through his plan and only brought enough money to get another plane ticket to go home. Thankfully he had managed to get some money and food, so he was satisfied.
Now all he had to do was wait for the right moment. The moment he would take Ryder down so that he could get into the finals and obtain the silent orb. Once Vladitor evolves, they will become the strongest in the world.
The image of days long past ran through his head where he was abandoned by his oldest friend as if he was worthless. Leaving him all alone. That was the day that changed him as a brawler, and to him, it was for the best.
One Year Ago…
New York City…
Central Park…
Marduk fiddled with his Haos Bakugan as he awaited his partner to arrive. Today they were going to take on some of the best brawlers in their school, and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't nervous. But he knew that as long as they worked together, no one could beat them.
"I told you the battle would be at noon. So why are you here so early?" A Voice asked as Marduk turned around to see his partner and best friend, Drew Brave.
"You don't get to say that when you're here early too." Marduk countered as he stood from the park bench he sat on.
"Fair point. Guess I can't wait to prove that we're the strongest brawlers in school." Drew smirked as the two did a fist bump.
"First the school. Then the city. Then one day, the world." Marduk replied as he spun his Bakugan in his hand.
"The world will have to wait till you learn how to use your abilities better and not fall for tricks. But I do like that way of thinking," Drew replied as they sat back down on the park bench.
"Come on, I'm getting better," Marduk replied, shaking his head.
"Well, in our last battle, you forgot you could use that combo which would have won us the game a turn earlier like I told you to do." Drew pointed out, causing Marduk to sigh in defeat.
"You've got me there," Marduk admitted as he scratched his head.
"Still though, it's all about the fun, right?" Marduk pointed out as Drew hesitantly nodded his head. It was then that two sets of footsteps approached them.
"Good, you two came early. We can get this clown show over with." A Boy muttered as he and another walked up to Marduk and Drew.
They were Makefield and Tristan, the two brawlers they had been waiting for. The two were the best in their school, and Marduk and Drew were going to take them down. Putting his Bakugan away, Marduk and Drew stood up and confronted the boys.
"Don't underestimate us, Makefield. We don't plan on losing." Drew smirked as the four boys stood across from one another.
"We've beat everyone who challenged us so far. What makes you think you two can change that?" Makefield questioned with a small chuckle.
"You can't be unbeaten forever." Marduk countered as he grabbed onto his field card.
"We'll see," Tristan replied as all four raised their field cards.
"Field Open!" They shouted as time slowed to a stop.
"Gate Card Set!" The Four continued as they threw their gate cards.
"I'll be going first! Bakugan Brawl! Subterra Gargonoid Stand!" Makefield yelled as he threw his Bakugan onto his gate card.
"Subterra Gargonoid G power 485 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Leave this one to me Marduk." Drew insisted as he pulled out his Bakugan.
"Bakugan Brawl! Pyrus Hynoid Stand!" Drew shouted as he threw his Bakugan onto Makefield's gate card.
"Pyrus Hynoid G power 500 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Hynoid quickly sprung to action as it pounced on Garganoid, keeping the Subterra Bakugan from flying. It then sunk its jaws into Garganoid, causing the Subterra Bakugan to lash out. But it wasn't long before Makefield retaliated.
"Gate Card Open! Level Down!" Makefield declared as the gate card glowed in activation.
"Pyrus Hynoid G power decrease by 100 Gs. Pyrus Hynoid G power 400 Gs." The bakupod announced.
As soon as it lost its G power, Hynoid was thrown off Garganoid before being picked up into the air. Garganoid soon dropped the Pyrus Bakugan causing it to crash onto the ground on all fours before slowly getting up.
"Not so fast! Ability Card Activate! Fire Tornado!" Drew countered as he threw the ability card.
"Subterra Garganoid G power decrease by 100 Gs. Subterra Garganoid G power 380 Gs. Pyrus Hynoid G power increase by 100 Gs. Pyrus Hynoid G power 500 Gs." The bakupod announced.
A blazing inferno surrounded Hynoid before twisting into a tornado that engulfed the Subterra Bakugan that flew overhead. The burning air burned Garganoid as it was unable to keep its upward momentum, causing it to fall from the sky defeated.
"What was that?! Why didn't you use an ability?!" Tristan questioned as Makefield picked up his Bakugan.
"It was just a fluke! Besides, the power difference was too great!" Makefield argued, raising his fist toward his partner.
"Talk about disfunctional." Marduk chuckled as Makefield and Tristan turned their attention to him.
"Don't get too cocky!" They hissed as Marduk avoided eye contact.
"Let's do this! Bakugan Brawl! Ventus El Condor Stand!" Tristan shouted as he threw his Bakugan onto his gate card.
"Ventus El Condor G power 530 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"An El Condor huh? Not bad." Marduk smirked as he pulled out his Bakugan.
"Bakugan Brawl! Haos Saurus Stand!" Marduk yelled as he threw Saurus onto the same gate card on El Condor.
"Haos Saurus G power 515 Gs." The bakupod announced.
When Saurus appeared on the field, it was immediately attacked by El Condor. The Ventus Bakugan assaulted Saurus, who struggled to stop the attack. Saurus scrapped El Condor with its horn, but it did little damage.
"Gate Card Open! Ventus Gael!" Tristan declared as the gate card opened.
"Ventus El Condor G power increase by 50 Gs. Ventus El Condor G power 580 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Covered by strong winds, El Condor knocked Saurus down over and over, preventing the Haos Bakugan from getting up. It was impossible for the Haos Bakugan to get up, and if nothing happened, defeat was inevitable.
"Ability Card Activate! Haos Shine!" Marduk countered as he held the glowing ability card.
"Haos Saurus G power increase by 80 Gs. Haos Saurus G power 595 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Saurus began to glow brightly as it knocked El Condor out of the sky, causing it to hit the ground with a large thud. With the table turned, Saurus stood above El Condor and beat it further and further into the ground.
"You're not beating me that easily! Ability Card Activate! Ventus Vortex!" Tristan shouted.
"Ventus El Condor G power increase by 50 Gs. Ventus El Condor G power 630 Gs." The bakupod announced.
The Haos Bakugan was thrown off of El Condor and was blasted off into the sky. El Condor flew up after Saurus and knocked the Bakugan back down to the ground. With a loud thud and an earth-shattering crash, Saurus was defeated and landed at Marduk's feet.
"Ah man." Marduk sighed as he picked up his Bakugan.
"Marduk, what did we talk about earlier?" Drew reminded as he shook his head while Marduk deadpanned.
"Right sorry." Marduk apologized as Makefield grabbed onto a Bakugan.
"Enough talking let's get this going!" Makefield demanded as he readied his Bakugan.
"Bakugan Brawl! Subterra Terrorclaw Stand!" Makefield shouted as he landed on Drew's gate card.
"Subterra Terrorclaw G power 520 Gs." The bakupod announced as Terrorclaw stood up on the field.
"I'm going to roast that crab!" Drew smirked as he grabbed onto another Bakugan.
"Bakugan Brawl! Pyrus Fear Ripper Stand!" Drew yelled as he threw his Bakugan.
"Pyrus Fear Ripper G power 535 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Fear Ripper spun onto the field surrounded by flames before swiping them away with its claws. The Pyrus Bakugan then charged at Terrorclaw, and the two Bakugan locked claws. But Fear Ripper was stronger than Terrorclaw breaking its defenses and slicing at its face.
"Now Gate Card Open! Pyrus Flare!" Drew declared as the gate card glowed brightly and Fear Ripper burst into flames.
"Pyrus Fear Ripper G power increase by 100 Gs. Pyrus Fear Ripper G power 635 Gs." The bakupod announced.
The power boost allowed Fear Ripper to tear Terrorclaw apart as it relentlessly attacked the Subterra Bakugan. Terrorclaw was kept on the defensive, unable to even fight back against the Fear Ripper.
"Not this time! Ability Card Activate! Subterra Break!" Makefield countered as he threw the ability card.
"Subterra Terrorclaw G power increase by 120 Gs. Subterra Terrorclaw G power 640 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Terrorclaw grabbed onto Fear Ripper's arms and threw the Pyrus Bakugan over its head. As Fear Ripper crashed onto the ground, Terrorclaw spun around and approached the Pyrus Bakugan. But Drew wasn't going to be beaten so easily.
"Ability Card Activate! Slash 0!" Drew shouted as the ability card glowed in his hand.
"Pyrus Fear Ripper G power increase by 80 Gs. Pyrus Fear Ripper G power 715 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Fear Ripper picked itself up, ready for Terrorclaw's next attack but the drastic increase in the Pyrus Bakugan's power caused Terrorclaw to stop its approach. The Subterra Bakugan kept its distance as Fear Ripper closed the distance itself.
"Ability Card Activate! Ability Counter!" Makefield declared negating Drew's ability card.
"Pyrus Fear Ripper G power decrease by 80 Gs. Pyrus Fear Ripper G power 635 Gs." The bakupod announced.
The drop in its power came so suddenly that Fear Ripper couldn't stop its advance, causing it to fall right into Terrorclaw's grasp. It didn't take long for the Subterra Bakugan to break Fear Ripper and defeat the Bakugan as it fell at Drew's feet.
"That's more like it," Makefield smirked as he caught his Bakugan.
"Oh well. The game's not done yet." Drew murmured as he picked up his fallen Bakugan.
"Now it's time for a two for two!" Tristan smirked as he grabbed onto his next Bakugan.
"Bakugan Brawl! Ventus Falconeer Stand!" Tristan shouted as he threw his Bakugan onto Marduk's gate card.
"Ventus Falconeer G power 515 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Okay. I've got this!" Marduk chanted to himself as he raised his Bakugan over his head.
"Bakugan Brawl! Haos Juggernoid Stand!" Marduk yelled as he threw his Bakugan onto his gate card.
"Haos Juggernoid G power 500 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Juggernoid roared as it appeared in a flash of light in front of Flaconeer, who took to the sky to keep out of Juggernoid's reach. With its superior G power, Falconer flapped its wings, sending strong gusts of wind down on Juggernoid, threatening to send the Haos Bakugan flying.
"Gate Card Open! Haos Arena!" Marduk declared as the gate card glowed, stopping Juggernoid from flying off.
"Haos Juggernoid G power increase by 150 Gs. Haos Juggernoid G power 650 Gs." The bakupod.
Juggernoid retracted into its shell before spinning around rapidly, allowing it to take to the sky, rocketing right at Falconeer. The Ventus Bakugan moved out of the way thanks to its better maneuverability in the air.
Though Juggernoid flew higher, it halted its ascent and shot right back down. Falconeer just managed to avoid that attack too, but Juggernoid repeated this process repeatedly. If it hit Falconeer at least once, no doubt it would defeat the Ventus Bakugan.
"Ability Card Activate! Rapid Storm!" Tristan countered as he grabbed onto his next Bakugan.
"Bakugan Brawl! Ventus Manion Stand!" Tristan shouted as he threw his Bakugan into the battle.
"Ventus Manion G power 520 Gs. Combined G power 1045 Gs!" The bakupod announced.
Manion flew into the sky, joining its fellow Ventus Bakugan as the two stopped Juggernoid's assault instantly. They did so by waiting until Juggernoid dropped back down and joining together to hit it on its stomach, sending Juggernoid flying back up uncontrollably.
It didn't take long before Juggernoid fell to the ground, landing with a large crash that shook the entire field. When the dust settled, Juggernoid fell at Marduk's feet, having been easily defeated by the two Ventus Bakugan.
"Ah man. Maybe I should have used Wall Lock." Marduk sighed as he picked up Juggernoid.
"Marduk, you need to focus and get on your game! You're down to your last Bakugan!" Drew pointed out as Marduk looked down.
"Sorry." Marduk apologized as he put Juggernoid away before pulling out a gate card.
"Gate Card Set!" The Four shouted as they threw their gate cards onto the field.
"Now then, Bakugan Brawl! Subterra Laserman Stand!" Makefield yelled as he threw his Bakugan onto his own gate card.
"Subterra Laserman G power 530 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Marduk," Drew called, getting his partner's attention.
"Land on your own Gate Card. Leave these battles to me until I give you a signal." Drew insisted as Marduk looked shocked.
"Look, I know I haven't done that well, but I can do this!" Marduk replied as Drew just sighed.
"Just…land on your Gate Card, okay. It's best to be safe, especially with only one Bakugan left." Drew muttered, not facing Marduk.
"Bakugan Brawl! Pyrus Ravenoid Stand!" Drew shouted as he threw his Bakugan on his gate card.
"Pyrus Ravenoid G power 535 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Trying to run now?" Makefield questioned as Drew waved his hand.
"As if. I'm just playing smart." Drew stated as Tristan laughed.
"Well, one of you has to." Tristan laughed as Marduk growled.
"I'll show you." Marduk hissed as Tristan grabbed onto his Bakugan.
"Then show me! Bakugan Brawl! Ventus El Condor Stand!" Tristan yelled as he threw his Bakugan onto his gate card.
"Ventus El Condor G power 530 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Marduk, don't fall for his…." Drew began, but before he could finish, Marduk sprung into action.
"Bakugan Brawl! Haos Warius Stand!" Marduk shouted as he threw his Bakugan onto Tristan's gate card.
"Haos Warius G power 545 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Idiot! Gate Card Open! Triple Battle!" Tristan declared as Marduk realized the trap he had fallen into.
"Bakugan Brawl! Ventus Falconeer Stand!" Tristan shouted as he threw Falconeer into battle.
"Ventus Falconeer G power 515 Gs. Combined G power 1045 Gs." The bakupod announced.
The two Ventus Bakugan made quick work against Warius attacking quick and hard, not giving the Haos Bakugan an inch. It didn't take long until Warius fell at Marduk's feet, defeated as Marduk fell to his knees.
He blew it. He had ignored Drew's instructions and messed up the entire battle. Drew tried to turn things around, but he was up against two brawlers with more Bakugan than he did. In the end, they lost the match.
Marduk didn't look up the entirety of that time even when they had returned to the real world. As Makefield and Tristan left laughing, Drew kicked the nearby bench in frustration. Slowly getting up after picking up Warius, Marduk struggled to look his partner in the eyes.
"Sorry. I screwed up." Marduk apologized as he looked up at Drew.
"Yeah, you did. You should have listened to me, Marduk. I KEEP TELLING YOU…forget it. It's fine." Drew hissed before turning away from Marduk as he stopped himself from yelling.
"I'll practice some more, and we can try again!" Marduk insisted as Drew just shook his head.
"Whatever. I've got to get home. You go practice if you want." Drew stated as he walked off, not turning to look at Marduk as he left.
Marduk just stood there watching as Drew disappeared through the trees before letting out a loud sigh and kicking the ground. He wondered if Drew saw him as a burden since Marduk wasn't the best brawler around.
While he knew he wasn't the worst in the city, as that title belonged to some guy named Ryder who went to another school, he knew he wasn't at Drew's level. Sitting on the bench, he contemplated what would make him better.
Since Drew used Pyrus Bakugan, he thought of switching to Darkus so as to make their team work better. That being said, he wondered if they should talk about more team-based moves instead of having Drew tell him to do things like what happened a lot.
"I better start practicing." Marduk sighed as he sat up from the bench.
Several Days Later…
Marduk walked through the halls of his school, looking through the crowds of fellow students that surrounded him to find Drew. He hadn't seen his friend in days ever since they had lost, which caused Marduk to worry.
They didn't have any classes together, but he and Marduk usually met in the halls or during lunch, but neither happened. It felt like Drew was avoiding Marduk, and it made Marduk a little on edge. But that wasn't the only thing that was bothering him.
For some reason, a lot of the other students were whispering to one another and looking in Marduk's direction before laughing. Perhaps there was some sort of gossip about him going around, but he couldn't think of anything noteworthy to talk about.
He hadn't done anything gossip-worthy, or at least he didn't think he did. It was when he saw multiple students running toward the cafeteria talking about a battle that he got his answer. Marduk quickly followed, intrigued as battles don't usually happen during school.
When he arrived, he saw both Makefield and Tristan defeated on the floor as Drew and some other student stood above them. They were surrounded by a crowd who gasped and cheered upon realizing that Makefield and Tristan had been defeated.
"How did you not win once?!" Makefield questioned as he grabbed onto Tristan.
"Don't you dare try to blame this on me! You didn't win a single battle either!" Tristan spat as the two glared at one another but were pulled away from one another before they could fight.
"I guess you were right. They didn't stand a chance against us." The Student smirked as he turned to Drew.
"Of course Damian. What did you expect." Drew laughed as Marduk pushed through the crowd.
"Drew? What's going on?" Marduk questioned as Drew and the now named Damian turned to face Marduk.
The entire cafeteria, which had been filled with people talking and laughing, suddenly went dead silent as Marduk appeared. Marduk himself looked around, confused as the entire cafeteria stared at him. Some smirked, others laughed, and many looked a little uncomfortable.
"Marduk…the thing is…." Drew muttered as he struggled to get the words out.
"Come on, Drew, don't beat around the bush. Just tell him that he's out." Damian insisted as Marduk stared at him, confused.
"O-Out? What do you mean out?" Marduk asked as he looked back at Drew, who just shook his head.
"You're out of the team, Marduk. I can't be the best with you on my team. Damian's far better, and with him, we wiped the floor with Makefield and Tristan." Drew Explained as he stepped forward.
"Sorry. But I can't wait for you to 'get better' when you haven't progressed in months." Drew added as he crossed his arms.
"Y-You're abandoning me…just because you want to be the best? I thought it was about the fun." Marduk replied in disbelief.
"Well, it's no fun with you," Drew stated, looking Marduk right in the eyes.
"I thought we were friends," Marduk muttered as he held back tears.
"I don't need a friend who can't keep up." Drew snipped as his back to Marduk, and he and Damian walked away.
Marduk just stood there in shock as he tried to comprehend his feelings. He and Drew had been friends since they were in kindergarten, but apparently, that didn't mean much when it came to winning. It didn't take long for some to start laughing while others just walked away in silence.
But he just stood there staring at the wall as his emotions built up higher and higher until, eventually, he was the only one in the room. When he was alone, he lashed out, kicking tables over and throwing chairs across the room.
Once he was done, the room was a mess as he breathed heavily, wiping the tears from his eyes before leaving the cafeteria. Though he had more classes that day, Marduk just walked out of school and walked an hour to his home, going straight to his room.
Months Later…
Marduk spun a Darkus Bakugan in his hand as he walked around Central Park, looking for a new mark to beat. Ever since Drew had abandoned him, Marduk pushed himself to get better at the game to beat his old partner down to crush his hopes as Drew did to him.
He switched from using Haos to Darkus because Darkus was known for being more powerful, suiting his playstyle more than Haos ever did. Plus, looking at Haos Bakugan just reminded him of his time with Drew, which just made Marduk angry.
Though Pyrus did have more firepower, Marduk refused to use the same attribute as his so-called 'friend' as it made him sick. So Darkus was the natural choice for him since its power seemed at par with Pyrus.
So he abandoned his old Bakugan and took up Darkus, almost like symbolizing the destruction of the light in his heart. But in the end, he did get better. A lot better, in fact, as he let his anger fuel his determination.
The boy had beaten nearly everyone in his school at this point, even Makefield and Tristan, and moved to battle people from other schools. He was following the footsteps of Drew and Damian to prove not only that he could do what they did, but he could do it alone.
Only when they were the last left would he beat them both at once. But for now, he needed to be patient to bide his time before he would crush Drew and Damian. That was how he spent most days now, and he was getting close to his goal.
Though that being said, he did ignore some brawlers as they were so weak that he wouldn't bother even looking at them. One such was Ryder Shade, who everyone saw as the worst brawler in the city and was used as an easy mark to get a win.
He didn't have time for him, but maybe at some point he would, but at the moment, he couldn't care. Marduk was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't even notice the pair of footsteps behind him.
"Marduk!" Drew called, causing Marduk to stop in his tracks before slowly turning around.
"Drew, Damian. What the hell do you guys want?" Marduk questioned as he glared at the two brawlers before him.
"You know why we're here," Damian stated as he crossed his arms.
"You've been battling everyone we have every time we beat them. Are you following us like a child just because you miss brawling with Drew?" Damian mocked as Drew grabbed his shoulder.
"Enough." Drew insisted as he stepped forward.
"What's the deal, Marduk? If you've got something to say, then say it." Drew insisted as Marduk scoffed at Drew's words.
"Trust me, you'll know what I have to say when it's your turn. But for now, I'm just going to keep beating those losers whenever you two do and when the time is right." Marduk began as he walked closer to Drew.
"Then I'm going to beat the two of you. Proving that not only that I'm a better brawler than you two, but I don't need to use someone else as a crutch to get higher on the rankings." Marduk finished as he got up close to a visibly shocked Drew.
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Damian questioned, pushing Marduk back.
"Isn't it obvious?" Marduk questioned as he broke a smile.
"He just wants you around so he can use you to get higher up in the ranks. I didn't realize it until he ditched me, but you should have some brains in there to see where this ends." Marduk smirked as he got in Damian's face.
"When he's used you up or sees you as useless, he'll replace you just like he did me," Marduk stated as he walked away.
"That's enough, Marduk!" Drew shouted as Marduk turned to him.
"Sorry, but was I wrong? After all, you don't need a friend who can't keep up. Or was that just your little excuse to get rid of me?" Marduk inquired as Drew didn't respond.
"That's what I thought. Some friend you are." Marduk spat as Damian snapped.
"That's it. I'm challenging you here and now!" Damian shouted as he stomped toward Marduk.
"Really? If you want to lose that badly, then I'll happily comply." Marduk snickered as he grabbed onto his field card.
"If you're really doing this for some form of petty revenge, Marduk, then I'll have to remind you who was the better between us," Drew stated as he stood next to Damian.
"Fine. Then I'll take both of you down together." Marduk muttered as the three held up their field cards.
"Field Open!" The Three shouted as time slowed to a stop.
Present Day…
Marduk hadn't thought of those days in a very long time. He had easily managed to beat both Drew and Damian that day and went on to become one of the best brawlers in New York. Of course, that wasn't enough, as he soon went around battling anyone who used Darkus Bakugan.
He wanted to become the strongest Darkus brawler there was second only to Masquerade. But when he lost to Ryder, who was supposed to be the weakest, and when he was cast into the Doom Dimension by Masquerade, he now wanted more.
Ever since meeting Vladitor, he wanted to be the best in the world, just like he once did. But he would do it alone without anyone but Vladitor. He doesn't need a partner, especially not one like Drew. It was funny how eventually Damian would leave Drew behind, leaving Drew all alone.
Last he heard, his old 'friend' had become one of the average brawlers in New York as no one wanted to partner with him after hearing the stories about him. It made Marduk a little happy to see how Karma treated him.
Now those days were over, and Ryder was his new target, something he would never have imagined back then. But it didn't matter because all he needed to do was be patient and wait. His opportunity was soon approaching.
Misaki Family Restaurant…
Alice finished washing the dishes as Runo flipped the open sign to close, ending their work day. Taking off her apron Alice undid her ponytail as Runo came into the back and hung up her own apron on the rack.
"So Alice, will you cheer for Ryder a little louder this time?" Runo inquired, shocking Alice and causing her to drop her apron.
"Wha-What are you talking about?" Alice questioned, a little embarrassed at what Runo said.
"Come on, Alice, I know you didn't want to hurt any of our feelings, but I could tell you were rooting for Ryder to win." Runo chuckled as she patted Alice's shoulder.
"I-I well…are you mad?" Alice asked as she fiddled with her fingers.
"Of course not. I understand your feelings for Ryder, so I can't blame you for wanting to root for him." Runo replied as Alice blushed.
"F-F-Feelings?!" Alice stuttered as she waved her hands.
"I don't …I mean…it's…it's not like that!" Alice claimed as she turned away from Runo, embarrassed while Runo laughed a little.
"It's fine, Alice. You don't have to be embarrassed." Runo assured as she turned Alice around and held her hands.
"I just wanted to let you know that no one will hate you if you root for Ryder to win," Runo explained as Alice nodded.
"But it's really not like…like THAT, you know," Alice replied as Runo rolled her eyes, believing otherwise.
"Okay. Whatever you say, Alice." Runo laughed as the two finished cleaning up and getting ready to return to Marucho's for the next match.
Marucho's Home…
Ryder finished putting his new deck together and was now ready for his match with Marucho. He was still nervous that he would somehow screw things up and miss his only chance to make it into the Battle Brawlers.
But he wouldn't let it get to him. He was going to give it his all no matter what. For now, he would take one step at a time. Getting up from the guest room desk Ryder made his way to the same auditorium as earlier.
"Are you ready for battle, partner?" Leonidas inquired, knowing how Ryder was feeling a little down from earlier.
"Yeah, I'm all good, Leo. I'm ready to win!" Ryder responded with a bright smile, contrast to his demeanor when the topic of parents came up earlier.
"Good to hear!" Leonidas exclaimed as they continued to move through the halls.
"By the way, will this next battle be a tough one?" Leonidas asked as Ryder turned to his partner.
"Of course, Marucho is one of the Battle Brawlers, meaning he's the best in the world," Ryder answered as Leonidas hummed.
"It just feels like Preyas isn't much of a fighter," Leonidas commented as Ryder nodded.
"Yeah, you do make a point. But I'm sure when it comes down to it, they can do some serious brawling." Ryder replied as they entered the auditorium.
As he entered, he saw he wasn't the first to arrive as Shun and Julie were already waiting for him and the others to arrive. It didn't take long before others began to return as well, the first being Dan, who walked up to Ryder.
"Ready for your next match Ryder?" Dan inquired as Ryder nodded.
"Oh yeah, I'm pumped!" Ryder exclaimed as Dan smirked.
"Good, keep that enthusiasm for our battle next!" Dan smirked as Runo and Alice entered the room.
As Dan walked over to Runo, Alice and Ryder locked eyes before Ryder looked away, a little embarrassed as Alice did the same. But she eventually took a breath before walking up to Ryder, determined to take Runo's assurance to heart.
"Ryder. I just wanted to wish you luck in your next battles." Alice said, looking a little embarrassed.
"T-Thanks, Alice…" Ryder replied as he rubbed the back of his head while Marucho entered the room.
"Good, everyone's here." Marucho smiled as he stood before Ryder.
"Shall we begin?" Marucho inquired as Ryder nodded, and Alice walked over, joining the rest of the Battle Brawlers.
"Yeah, let's do this," Ryder answered as the group took out their field cards.
"Field Open!" They All shouted as time slowed to a stop.
"Gate Card Set!" The Two Brawlers continued as they threw their gate cards onto the field.
"I'll be going first if you don't mind." Marucho insisted as he grabbed onto his first Bakugan.
"Bakugan Brawl! Aquos Stinglash Stand!" Marucho yelled as he threw his Bakugan onto his gate card.
"Aquos Stinglash G power 520 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Starting off strong! Not bad." Ryder smirked as he took his Bakugan off his belt.
"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Garganoid Stand!" Ryder shouted as he threw his Bakugan onto Marucho's gate card.
"Darkus Garganoid G power 515 Gs." The bakupod announced.
As soon as the Darkus Bakugan appeared on the field, Stinglash went on the offensive. The scorpion-like Bakugan sliced at Garganoid with its claws, but the Darkus Bakugan managed to stay away by flying away. But it didn't last long as Stinglash used its tail to pin Garganoid down.
"Gate Card Open! Final Judgement!" Marucho declared as the gate card enveloped the two Bakugan in light.
"Darkus Garganoid G power drop to 0 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Not good," Ryder commented as he could only watch.
With no power left, Garganoid was helpless as Stinglash pierced the Darkus Bakugan's chest with its stinger defeating it. Ryder sighed, cursing himself for losing the first battle of the game as he picked up his Bakugan.
"One down. Just one to go until it's just Leonidas left." Marucho noted as planned his next move.
His plan for this battle, win or lose, was to get Ryder and Leonidas alone and push them to use the mysterious power they held. With one of his Bakugan already gone, it wouldn't take much more to finish that task.
"Gate Card Set!" Marucho shouted as he threw a new gate card next to Ryder's.
"Bakugan Brawl! Aquos Limulus Stand!" Marucho continued as he threw his Bakugan onto his gate card.
"Aquos Limulus G power 530 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"He wants to battle on his turf," Leonidas commented as Ryder nodded.
"Yeah. But I won't let him." Ryder replied as he took out his next Bakugan.
"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Siege!" Ryder shouted as he threw his Bakugan onto his gate card.
"Darkus Siege G power 545 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"What's he doing?" Preyas wondered as Marucho pushed up his glasses.
"I have an idea what move he's about to do," Marucho commented, remembering Ryder and Dan's first battle.
"Ability Card Activate! Leap String!" Ryder declared as the ability card glowed in his hand just as Marucho thought.
No sooner did he activate his ability card did Siege turn to face Limulus and attack, lunging forward and driving its spear into the Aquos Bakugan. Limulus barely dodged the attack, but the Darkus Bakugan was relentless as it pursued it around the field.
This caused Limulus to keep on the defensive as it couldn't possibly stop Siege's attacks with its current power. But with each attack Siege threw, it grew closer and closer to finally hitting the Aquos Bakugan. Though Marucho wasn't going to let that simply happen.
"Ability Card Activate! Aquos Barrier!" Marucho countered as he threw the ability card.
"Aquos Limulus G power increase by 150 Gs. Aquos Limulus G power 680 Gs." The bakupod announced.
A roaring current of water surged from below Limulus, knocking over Siege and ending its assault on the Aquos Bakugan. Taking this opportunity, Limulus attacked the fallen Siege keeping the Darkus Bakugan on the ground.
Siege attempted to free itself by hitting Limulus with its spear, but due to the difference of power and how Limulus covered Siege's entire body, that proved impossible. It seemed essentially hopeless for the Darkus Bakugan.
"Ability Card Activate! Copycat!" Ryder shouted, pulling out his ability card, not allowing himself to lose another Bakugan so soon.
"Darkus Siege G power increase by 150 Gs. Darkus Siege G power 695 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Siege tightened its grip on its spear with its right hand before slowly pushing Limulus off of it with its left arm. The Aquos Bakugan resisted initially, but it couldn't hold up when Siege was free enough to drive its spear into Limulus's stomach.
With its spear embedded into Limulus's stomach Siege was able to push the Aquos Bakugan off it entirely. After getting back on its feet, Siege spun around, keeping Limulus on the end of its spear before throwing it away, defeating it.
"It's one to one now!" Alice exclaimed as she and the others watched the battle.
"I didn't expect Ryder to use the same move he did against Dan here," Julie commented as Shun nodded.
"He might have built this deck in preparation for his battle with Dan," Shun suggested knowing how Ryder used the same strategy when Leonidas fought Drago.
"We'll just have to see what else he has," Dan smirked as the battle continued.
"Ah man, I was hoping that it would be a little bit longer before I had to battle." Preyas sighed as Marucho picked up his partner.
"It'll be alright, Preyas. I have a plan." Marucho assured as he looked onto the field.
"Bakugan Brawl! Aquos Preyas Stand!" Marucho shouted as he threw Preyas onto Ryder's gate card.
"Aquos Preyas G power 600 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Please don't hurt me too badly," Preyas begged as he appeared onto the field.
"He's up to something," Ryder noted as he looked at Preyas.
"Should we throw in another gate card?" Leonidas inquired as Ryder tapped his chin.
"No, I think I know what he's planning," Ryder responded as he grabbed onto Leonidas.
"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Leonidas Stand!" Ryder yelled as he threw Leonidas onto his gate card.
"Darkus Leonidas G power 600 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"So uh…there's no chance we can just talk this out, is there?" Preyas asked as Leonidas flew above him.
"It wouldn't be a battle if we did," Leonidas answered as Preyas sweatdropped.
"Precisely, but I think we need to change where it happens!" Marucho stated as he pulled out an ability card.
"Ability Card Activate! Aquos Ripe Tide!" Marucho shouted as a surge of water appeared, pushing both Leonidas and Preyas onto Marucho's gate card.
"I had a feeling." Ryder thought as he watched the two Bakugan land on the gate card.
"Now then, Preyas, it's time for an attribute change!" Marucho insisted Preyas nodded in agreement.
"Alrighty, let's go! Attribute change, Subterra!" Preyas declared as he turned into the Subterra attribute.
"Changing to Subterra? But wasn't this gate card going to be used for one of his other Aquos Bakugan?" Ryder wondered as he waited to make his move.
"Gate Card Open! Triple Battle!" Marucho declared, answering Ryder's question.
"Bakugan Brawl! Aquos Stinglash Stand!" Marucho shouted as he threw his last Bakugan into the battle.
"Aquos Stinglash G power 520 Gs. Combined G power 1120 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"But I'm not done yet! Ability Card Activate! Subterra and Aquos Diagonal Union!" Marucho declared as the ability card glowed in his hand.
"Combined G power increase by 200 Gs. Combined G power 1320 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"OHOHO, YEAH! I'm feeling great!" Preyas exclaimed as he made a goofy pose.
"That's a problem," Ryder murmured as Preyas and Stinglash attacked Leonidas.
The Darkus Bakugan flew up to avoid Preyas and Stinglash, but it only served to delay the inevitable as Preyas jumped off of Stinglash's back. Preyas began to pull Leonidas down toward the ground, where Stinglash waited to help defeat him.
Though he did his best to resist, Leonidas was helpless against Preyas, much to the Darkus Bakugan's annoyance as Preyas wasn't much of a fighter in his eyes. If nothing was done, Leonidas would certainly lose. But Ryder had a plan to turn the tide of this battle.
"Ability Card Activate! Rapid Darkness!" Ryder countered as he grabbed onto his Siege.
"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Siege Stand!" Ryder yelled as he threw Siege into battle.
"Darkus Siege G power 545 Gs. Combined G power 1145 Gs." The bakupod announced.
When Siege came to the field, it threw its spear, knocking Preyas off of Leonidas, freeing its fellow Darkus Bakugan. As Preyas hit the ground, Siege went in for the attack only to be blocked by Stinglash, who stood in its way.
Since Preyas and Stinglash still held the power advantage, Siege was pushed back inch by inch by the Aquos Bakugan. Leonidas dove down and knocked Stinglash away, returning the favor to Siege, but they still couldn't win like this.
"I'm not done, though! Ability Card Activate!" Ryder shouted as he threw the card into Leonidas.
"ALPHA BLASTER!" Leonidas roared as he fired his beam at Preyas and Stinglash.
"Darkus Leonidas G power increase by 200 Gs. Combined G power 1345 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Okay, not feeling as great now!" Preyas stammered as he jumped out of the way of Leonidas's beam.
Leonidas then shot off chasing after Preyas, but Stinglash attempted to stand in the way until Siege knocked it out of the way. This left Preyas at Leonidas's mercy as the Darkus Bakugan landed in front of him.
Preyas managed to dodge most of Leonidas's attacks as the Darkus Bakugan sliced at him with his claws, but Preyas was unable to fight back. This is what he was afraid of entering this battle, but he had faith in Marucho to help him out there.
"Uh…Marucho. If you have a trump card…NOW'S THE TIME TO USE IT!" Preyas muttered as Leonidas readied to finish Preyas off.
"Don't worry, Preyas!" Marucho assured as he took out his last ability card.
"Ability Card Activate! Subterra Sink!" Marucho shouted as he threw the ability card into Preyas.
"Subterra Preyas G power increase by 200 Gs. Combined G power 1520 Gs." The bakupod announced.
When Leonidas went for the finish, Preyas caught him holding him off before even pushing the Darkus Bakugan back. This surprised both Leonidas and Preyas, but the transforming Bakugan wasn't going to complain as he punched Leonidas away.
"Alright! Back on top once more!" Preyas laughed as he jumped on top of Leonidas to beat the Darkus Bakugan down.
"GRRRGHH, don't get cocky, Preyas!" Leonidas hissed as he bit into the Subterra Bakugan.
But the act did little to deter Preyas as his power was still above Leonidas's at that point in time. This was just as Marucho hoped, not just to be able to get a win but to push Ryder and Leonidas to their limit. The situation he presented to them had no way out besides to use their power.
"Looks like there's nothing left they can do," Runo commented as Alice shook her head.
"No, they're not done yet," Alice stated as she held her hand near her heart.
"Alice's right. They still have one option left." Dan reminded as Shun nodded.
"I believe that's exactly what Marucho is hoping to bring out," Shun noted as Ryder grit his teeth.
"Leonidas!" Ryder called as he watched his partner be beaten down.
"We're not done, Leo!" Ryder shouted, determination filling his voice.
"Right!" Leonidas replied as he grabbed onto Preyas.
"Wait, what are you doing?!" Preyas questioned as Leonidas began to glow and emanate negative energy.
"Oh no!" Preyas gasped as Leonidas gained power.
"Darkus Leonidas G power increase to unmeasurable parameters." The bakupod announced.
"This is it!" Marucho gasped as he watched Leonidas become stronger.
"But how did they trigger it?! Was it simply their determination not to lose?" Marucho wondered as Leonidas took back to the sky.
"Or is it because…" Marucho began as Leonidas was covered in negative energy before diving down to the field.
"Their feelings are so in sync they can gain access to this power." Marucho determined as Leonidas hit the ground, engulfing it in light.
When the light died down, Preyas and Stinglash fell to the ground at Marucho's feet as the world returned to normal. Marucho, though feeling a little down because he lost, was very happy with the battle's results as he now understood how Ryder and Leonidas could utilize their power.
"That battle was sweet!" Dan exclaimed as the other brawlers ran up to Ryder and Marucho.
"I honestly didn't see that coming. Marucho seemed to have the win in the bag." Runo commented as Ryder laughed.
"Yeah, honestly, if it wasn't for the power-up, I would have lost. I hope to get good enough that I don't have to depend on that." Ryder replied as Alice spoke up.
"You battled great, Ryder." Alice complimented as Ryder smiled while Marucho walked up to him.
"Regardless, you still won, Ryder, and it was a good battle," Marucho stated as he and Ryder shook hands.
"But I have to say it does seem like that power strongly resonates with your connected feelings with Leonidas through your connection," Marucho noted as he pushed up his glasses.
"If you feel it necessary, I think you'll be able to trigger it as such in the future when you are facing stronger opponents," Marucho explained as Ryder nodded.
"Now you're just one battle away, and you'll be officially one of us!" Julie exclaimed as Ryder smirked.
"That's right! So how about it, Ryder? Are you ready for a rematch?" Dan asked as Ryder turned to look at him.
"Oh yeah. I'm more than ready." Ryder smirked as the two prepared for battle.
Next Time Ryder and Dan officially begin their rematch, starting Ryder's final battle to enter the Battle Brawlers. Win or lose, Ryder may get to enter, but Ryder's determined to defeat Dan. Can Ryder manage to pull it off? Or will Dan and Drago win once more?
Next Time on Bakugan Doom World: Initiation Part 3
Author's Note:
Finally got this one down, and I'm pretty proud of it. Mostly I'm proud of making Marduk's Backstory. Honestly, at first, it was going to be different in where he and Drew actually beat Makefield and Tristan before being taken down by a group of Darkus Brawlers when Drew abandons Marduk.
But then I felt that just Drew running away to leave Marduk at the mercy of them wasn't good enough to change him into the way he was, so I made Drew more of an asshole. This way, I feel like Marduk has more validation being abandoned by an old friend who cast him away just because he wasn't good enough at brawling at the time.
While I know it is a little different compared to what was said in the game, I feel that this humanizes Marduk a little more. He was just a normal kid who loved playing Bakugan with his "friend," but his "friend's" arrogance and need for victory caused him to throw Marduk away and cause him to go down a dark path.
I would have shown the battle between Marduk and Team Drew and Damian, but I like to only have two battles per chapter because I don't want chapters to be too long. Either way, I feel like this backstory really works for Marduk's character and explains why he went down his dark path.
Plus, it goes go to show that he still likes brawling deep down because he goes so far to be number one, just like he wanted to do with Drew. Soon though, he and Ryder will finally battle once more, but before that, Ryder and Dan will have their rematch next chapter!
Next chapter will be the final for the Initiation Chapters and when Ryder finally joins the Battle Brawlers officially, even if he loses. That's all I have to say about this chapter so let's get on with the reviews:
Somelurker – Thanks! I do take pride in writing for things I'm invested in; otherwise, I don't take pleasure in writing a story. It's why I don't have many published stories at the moment because I want to remain focused on fewer stories to get them done with quality and make them feel less rushed.
As for Leonidas's future forms, that will be a challenge, but I have a few ideas in mind, and I'll cross that bridge eventually. Those forms won't come until the end of the first half of this story and New Vestroia. I do plan on sticking on Leonidas's humanoid shape but not going full bipedal looking like how Drago ends up.
MarkGib – Glad you liked it and hope you enjoyed this chapter.
Guest – Ryder and Masquerade won't really be rivals as that spot is reserved for Marduk, but Ryder does pose a particular "threat" to Masquerade, mostly his control over Alice. Dan and Spectra are enemies in New Vestroia though I guess you can say they are rivals. I haven't watched the seasons after that one, so I wouldn't know how they act afterward.
Guest – Oh, don't worry. Shadow Prove will get what's coming to him.
LEGOBRICK13 – I'm happy to hear you like my story, and it seems like you've got a solid story idea yourself. Honestly, I say go for it and write it because it's the only way you can get better. To be frank, I wasn't that great starting out but got better over time, especially after I started writing this story.
Plus, sometimes I myself feel like I don't put enough detail into my stories sometimes, but I'm glad you think so, lol.
HunterHQ – Yeah, now that you say it, this kinda is like that. I honestly didn't think about that when I started writing these battles, lol. Don't worry Leonidas will evolve eventually, but I don't want to rush his evolution, so for now, he'll stay as normal Leonidas.
For what his name will become after Omega, you'll just have to wait and see. Also, I did use Marduk's partner, who was mentioned in the game hope you liked it! No, I will not have Leonidas gain the ability to use other attributes powers.
I don't want him to basically be like Drago, who technically can do the same. Plus, I'm not much of a fan of the new series (At least not the show. I haven't touched the physical game and probably won't because I don't want to), nor am I a fan of that god awful video game.
So Leonidas will not be getting the Aurelus attribute ever, as I've stated before.
Johannvanguard – Happy to hear you liked the chapter and the brawls Ryder had. Marucho helping them grow came full circle here as he gave Ryder and Leonidas a better understanding of how to bring out their power. Funny enough, the bit about Ryder being down about his parents' absence was a last-minute addition.
I felt it appropriate because I barely brushed the topic, and it's something that profoundly affects him as a character. So I decided to add it in, and hopefully, I can put a little more of that in in the future as it will be very important for his future development.
Guest DCDGojira – Yeah, it was, but thankfully I got this one out faster.