Chapter 17: Why We Fall
Wardington…
Marucho's Home…
Ryder slowly opened his eyes, unable to open them fully as the light in the room hurt. But after a few minutes of adjusting, he managed to open them fully, allowing him to see. The last thing he remembered was watching Vladitor defeat Leonidas.
After that, he blacked out, not even seeing his return to the real world. But he was now in the room given to him in Marucho's home. Looking around, he found Leonidas closed up on the side table next to him.
"Leonidas…" Ryder murmured as he reached for his partner but was unable to reach him.
"Leonidas, are you okay?" Ryder inquired through his hoarse voice.
But the only response he got was a small twitch from Leonidas, not even strong enough to open up. It seemed that Leonidas was unconscious, as Ryder couldn't even feel anything from him. Closing his hand into a fist, Ryder laid it back on the bed.
"What have I done?" Ryder questioned as the door to the room opened.
Slowly sitting up, Ryder locked eyes with a shocked Alice, who held a wet cloth in her hands. Alice gasped when she saw Ryder awake and dropped the cloth. Before Ryder could say anything, Alice ran up and hugged the boy.
"Ryder! We were so worried about you." Alice cried as Ryder weakly returned the hug.
"What happened?" Ryder asked, confused at the events that transpired after Marduk had beat him.
"We found you and Leonidas unconscious in a warehouse. On the net, it said you battled Marduk and…lost." Alice explained, making Ryder tighten his fists.
"H-How long was I out?" Ryder inquired as Alice looked down.
"Two days," Alice answered, shocking Ryder.
"T-Two days!" Ryder gasped as he attempted to get up, only for Alice to stop him.
"Don't get up! You need rest." Alice insisted as she lightly pushed against Ryder, making him sit back down.
"But the finals are tomorrow! I need to get ready to…." Ryder began before stopping short as he saw Alice's expression.
"Ryder. You aren't qualified for the finals anymore." Alice informed, causing Ryder to go wide-eyed as he searched for his bakupod.
Once he found it, he snatched it up and looked at the current rankings causing his heart to sink. No longer was he Rank Eleven, but now he was Rank Twelve, just out of the qualifying ranks. Marduk has taken his place, and with the finals only a day away, Ryder had no time to qualify.
"But I…I was just there…." Ryder murmured, now on the verge of tears.
Alice placed a hand on Ryder's shoulder to comfort him as he stifled his tears. Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself down before giving Alice a small smile. He didn't want her or the others to see him down like that, so he kept it to himself for the moment.
"Where are the others?" Ryder inquired, realizing that the rest of the Battle Brawlers were absent.
"They went looking for Marduk and Masquerade but haven't found them. So, they're preparing for tomorrow since they'll be at the finals." Alice answered as Ryder looked down.
His body shook with both sorrow and anger. He wanted to get back out there and find Marduk to challenge him again. But his body was sore all over, and he doubted he could even go against Marduk as he was, let alone try to qualify for the finals again.
"Are you okay?" Alice asked, placing her hand on Ryder's, taking the boy out of his thoughts.
"I uh…" Ryder murmured as he noticed how close Alice had gotten to him.
She seemed to have gotten closer to him when he began to shake, but she was now just inches away, making Ryder's face heat up. Alice was confused why Ryder went silent before she herself realized how close she got and moved back with a blush.
"I'm fine," Ryder answered, avoiding eye contact.
"I'm glad," Alice replied, hiding her blush.
"Right…good. I…I'll go get you some food and water!" Alice insisted as she got up and quickly exited the room.
When Alice closed the door, she shook her head vigorously before clapping her hands against her cheeks. Once she calmed down, she turned and left to go get some food and water for Ryder, as he was no doubt hungry.
Back inside the room, Ryder sat in bed, staring at the door. Feeling embarrassed and confused at what just happened. Lying back down on the bed, Ryder tried to think about what he would do next. Was this it? Was he just going to lay there in defeat as the others continued to fight hard?
"NO! That's what I would have done before I became a Battle Brawler!" Ryder thought as he clenched his fist.
"I-I don't want to go back to how I was," Ryder murmured as he heard movement next to him.
"Leonidas?" Ryder called, looking at his partner, who was still closed up in a ball.
"I know you're awake now," Ryder stated, causing Leonidas to twitch and nearly fall off the side table.
"It's okay if you don't want to talk. I just wanted to say…I'm sorry. You were right. I wasn't thinking right during the battle." Ryder apologized as Leonidas opened one of his wings before closing it back.
Seeing that Leonidas wasn't talking, Ryder rolled over and stared at the wall. It seemed his partner was angry at him or perhaps just disappointed. At the moment, he couldn't even tell, with his own emotions all over the place.
"I'm back!" Alice announced, bringing in a tray of food and some water.
"Oh, thanks, Alice." Ryder thanked, giving Alice the best smile he could muster.
After eating, Alice left Ryder to rest some more. But all Ryder could do was wallow in his own thoughts. He wanted to do something, but he didn't know what. It was then that his bakupod went off as he received several messages.
Picking it up, he found that the other Battle Brawlers had sent him get-well messages. They varied in quality, such as Shun just sending the words "Get well" to Julie sending "Get well, Ryder! Don't push yourself too hard and have fun with Alice ;)" that last part confused Ryder.
But each one also sent a message telling him not to worry about the finals and that they'd take care of things. Those messages just made Ryder feel worse, as now he couldn't help them. It was only a few days ago that they were all planning on what to do during the finals, and now he wasn't even qualified.
"There has to be something," Ryder murmured as he looked at the leaderboard and was shocked.
"Wait…" Ryder gasped as he realized the gap between him and Marduk.
It seemed that while Marduk had taken his place, he was only a few battles or one good battle away from taking it back. If he could just get out and battle, he might be able to take his spot back from Marduk!
However, he doubted Alice or any of the others would let him do so and would bring him back to rest. Still, Ryder was willing to try as he slowly moved out of bed. Though his body was sore, he wasn't that seriously injured.
He should be able to battle with no problem as long as things don't get out of hand. Quickly Ryder put on some clean clothes before grabbing onto his bakupod and Bakugan. Just as he was about to leave, he turned to look at Leonidas, who still sat in his ball form on the side table.
Walking over, Ryder stared at Leonidas, hesitant to pick him up as he felt that his partner was still mad at him after what had happened during their battle with Marduk. After a minute of thinking, Ryder grabbed Leonidas and placed him in his pocket before leaving the room.
Ryder was careful as he moved through the halls. He didn't want to accidentally run into Alice; she would just send him back to bed. If he wanted to do this, then he'd have to get out without her seeing. Thankfully Marucho's home was overly large.
Seriously Ryder questioned why his parents built such a large house. Do they really use most of the rooms they have here? Still, it was useful to Ryder as it gave him lots of routes to get out. He just needed to get to one of the elevators.
When he finally made it to an elevator, Ryder had to take some time to figure out which button was for the first floor. After figuring it out, Ryder finally got to the first floor allowing him to sneak out undetected.
Alice's Mindscape…
While Alice was in control of her body, Masquerade hid deep inside her subconscious, plotting his next move. He was happy that his plan to take Ryder out of the tournament had worked perfectly, and now his only obstacles were Marduk and Dan.
That being said, since Ryder was currently in Alice's care, he'd have to…incapacitate him when the finals began tomorrow. At least that was the plan until Alice found that Ryder had left his room with his Bakugan.
"Oh no!" Alice gasped as she ran for the elevator while messaging the others.
"Just great," Masquerade muttered, knowing this would put a dent in his plans.
Runo's Restaurant…
"He left?!" Dan gasped, nearly dropping his food.
"First, if you mess up your food, you're not getting another, and second that's what she said," Runo explained as Dan scratched his head.
"What could he be thinking? He should be resting still." Dan murmured as Tigrerra opened up on Runo's shoulder.
"He's probably looking to regain his rank," Tigrerra suggested as Dan sighed.
"Is he crazy? There's no way he'll be able to do it in time!?" Dan questioned as Drago popped out of Dan's pocket.
"Come on, Dan, you'd do the same." Drago pointed out, causing Dan to sweatdrop.
"Okay, fair enough. But still, we have to make sure he doesn't hurt himself!" Dan insisted as he stuffed his food in his mouth.
"Let's go!" Dan shouted as he grabbed Drago and ran out.
"At least pay first!" Runo insisted before following after him.
Elsewhere…
"I can't believe he left!" Julie complained as she and Marucho looked at Alice's message on their bakupods.
"It seems that your "plan" to keep him in bed didn't work." Marucho sighed, causing Julie to frown.
"Well?! It should have been foolproof!" Julie replied, waving her arms up and down.
"I just can't believe he left even when he had Alice looking after him! Isn't it every boy's dream to have the girl you like take care of you?!" Julie questioned, turning toward Marucho.
"Well, I-I well…I'm sure something pushed him to forgo that…let's just go and find him." Marucho replied, giving up on answering the question.
He then turned on his heels and ran off to find Ryder, with Julie following close behind. She attempted to bring up the question a few more times afterward, but Marucho avoided the question every time.
With Shun…
Shun leaped from tree to tree around his family's property, holding a small bag of Bakugan-sized balls in his left hand. After gaining sufficient speed, he took one out and threw it with all his strength into a nearby tree.
The ball ricocheted off the tree, leaving a small mark as Shun caught it and landed on a branch below. Climbing up, Shun inspected the minor damage with a disappointed look as Skyress flew out from his pocket.
"Is there any point to this training?" Skyress inquired, confused at what Shun was doing.
"Yes. Marduk was able to use such a strong throw during our battle. I want to be able to do the same." Shun responded before running off again, forcing Skyress to duck back into his pocket.
"Do you even know if this will work?" Skyress asked as Shun closed his eyes.
"I don't know. But I'm going to find out." Shun answered as he received a call on his bakupod, causing him to stop to answer.
"About time! Do you ever check your messages!" Dan shouted, nearly tempting Shun to hang up.
"Is something wrong?" Shun inquired, wondering why Dan was calling him.
"It's Ryder! He left his room and is out doing who knows what!" Dan explained, shocking Shun.
"Didn't he just wake up?" Shun questioned as Dan nodded.
"Yeah, which is why we need to find him!" Dan answered as Shun leaped off the branch he stood on.
"Understood. I'll start searching for him now." Shun replied as he ended the call and threw the ball in his hand.
The ball flew from his hand and hit the tree as Shun landed gracefully on the ground before shooting off toward town. As he ran off to search for Ryder, he failed to notice that the ball he threw had embedded itself into the tree with a spiral marking surrounding it.
Later…
Wardington Park…
Ryder collapsed onto a bench, breathing heavily as he stared at the ground, dejected. Even after an hour of searching, he couldn't find a single brawler willing to battle him. Everyone seemed to be wary of him due to his rank and skill.
It seemed no one would be giving him the battle or battles he needed to retake his rank from Marduk. While he would keep looking, his exhaustion and injuries from his battle against Marduk prevented him, forcing him to rest on the bench.
During this time, Leonidas had remained quiet in his pocket. Occasionally he'd feel him move around or the slight feeling of him watching but nothing more. It was odd not being able to feel what Leonidas was feeling now.
Whether if it was still because of his own emotions overwhelming him still or Leonidas somehow just blocking their connection, Ryder didn't feel it. After so long of being able to do so, it made Ryder feel alone again.
Just like he was back at his empty home in New York, waiting for his parents to return. All alone. Sitting up, Ryder turned his gaze to the sky, staring at the grey clouds above that seemed like they would burst and rain at any moment.
"What should I do?" Ryder questioned as the sound of footsteps caught his attention.
"Has one loss really put you in such a pitiful state?" A Voice questioned, confusing Ryder as he looked up to see Klaus Von Hertzen, the brawler ranked second on the rankings under Masquerade.
"You…you're Klaus! What are you doing here?" Ryder questioned, recognizing Masquerade's former teammate.
"The finals will be soon, so I decided to see how you Battle Brawlers were doing," Klaus explained as Ryder looked down.
"So you know I didn't qualify?" Ryder inquired as Klaus nodded.
"That's right, and I know that Marduk was the one who beat you," Klaus replied, causing Ryder to avert his eyes even more so than he was before.
"Are you sure it's wise being here? What if Masquerade finds out?" Ryder asked as Klaus shook his head.
"He already weeded us out a while back," Klaus stated, shocking Ryder.
"He did?!" Ryder gasped as Klaus nodded.
"Unfortunatley. But all is not lost yet, as we'll get retribution in the finals." Klaus explained, making Ryder feel down.
"I see. Well, good luck to you then." Ryder replied, earning a stern gaze from Klaus.
"Is that it? Are you relinquishing to defeat?" Klaus inquired as Ryder looked back up at him.
"I've been looking for a battle for a while with no luck. Honestly, I probably should be resting in bed, and the rest of the Battle Brawlers will probably make me go back before I can find one." Ryder sighed, returning his gaze to the ground.
"Even Leonidas isn't happy with me," Ryder murmured, feeling slight movement from his partner.
"So if you can get a battle, then would you still give up?" Klaus inquired, shocking Ryder.
"What do you mean?" Ryder questioned, curious at what Klaus was getting at.
"Let's have a battle here and now." Klaus insisted as Ryder shot up from the bench.
"You want to battle me?" Ryder asked, wondering why Klaus was suddenly challenging him.
"Is that a problem?" Klaus replied as Ryder took this time to think.
"Well, I…" Ryder murmured before hesitating and looking down at his pocket.
This was precisely what he wanted a battle that could get him his spot back in the finals. But he hesitated. Klaus was one of the best brawlers in the world, just under Masquerade himself. Which meant he was stronger than the other Battle Brawlers.
At that moment, he felt like he was back to who he was before he met the Battle Brawlers. Hesitant and weak, unable to go up against stronger opponents. He didn't want to go back to that. Ryder wanted to continue being who he was now.
"Alright. If you want a battle, I won't back down." Ryder stated as he took out his own field card.
"Good," Klaus smirked as their field cards glowed.
"Field Open!" The Two shouted as time slowed to a halt, and they were transported to the battlefield.
"Gate Card Set!" They yelled as both threw gate cards onto the field.
"May I go first?" Klaus inquired as Ryder nodded.
"Good. Bakugan Brawl!" Klaus cried as he threw his Bakugan onto his gate card.
"Aquos Robotallion Stand!" Klaus added as his Bakugan appeared on the field.
"Aquos Robotallion G power 500 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Ryder looked up at the Aquos Bakugan and smirked. He had just the Bakugan to defeat it. But as he reached down, he found himself going for his pocket, not his clip. He was instinctively reaching for Leonidas. After a slight pause, he moved down to his clip and grabbed onto one of his waiting Bakugan.
"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Hynoid Stand!" Ryder shouted before throwing his Bakugan onto Klaus's gate card.
"Darkus Hynoid G power 515 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Interesting choice," Klaus commented as Hynoid appeared on his gate card.
Hynoid let out a loud howl before rushing toward Robotallion and kicking the Aquos Bakugan to the ground. The Darkus Bakugan quickly pinned Robotallion there as it bared its fangs, ready to finish Robotallion off.
"Gate Card Open! Energy Merge!" Klaus declared as his gate card glowed.
"No!" Ryder cried, cursing himself for running into such a trap.
"Darkus Hynoid G power decrease by 100 Gs. Darkus Hynoid G power 415 Gs. Aquos Robotallion G power increase by 100 Gs. Aquos Robotallion G power 600 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Robotallion threw Hynoid off its body, and before the Darkus Bakugan could hit the ground, Robotallion fired some lasers from its chest. The attack caused a small explosion creating a large cloud of smoke as Hynoid hit the ground hard.
"Ability Card Activate! Spice Slayer!" Ryder countered, taking back the G power stolen.
"Aquos Robotallion G power decrease by 100 Gs. Aquos Robotallion G power 500 Gs. Darkus Hynoid G power increase by 100 Gs. Darkus Hynoid G power 515 Gs." The bakupod announced.
The cloud of smoke dispersed as Hynoid let out another howl and charged back at Robotallion, ready to take it out. But the Darkus Bakugan didn't get too close before Klaus used his own ability card.
"Ability Card Activate! Abyss Ruler!" Klaus declared, tossing his ability card into Robotallion.
"Aquos Robotallion G power increase by 100 Gs. Aquos Robotallion G power 600 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Before Hynoid could even get close to Robotallion as the Aquos Bakugan shot out a torrent of water from its chest. The water struck Hynoid in the chest and sent it flying off the gate card, landing at Ryder's feet in defeat.
"First to lose…." Ryder murmured as he knelt down and grabbed onto his fallen Bakugan.
"Tell me. Why do you brawl?" Klaus inquired, gaining Ryder's attention.
"Huh? Why's that important?" Ryder questioned as he got up.
"Every brawler has a different reason for why they picked up a Bakugan. So what is yours?" Klaus explained as Ryder pondered the question.
"Because everyone was doing it, and it seemed fun," Ryder answered halfheartedly.
"Is that all?" Klaus asked, seemingly unconvinced.
"Is there supposed to be more?" Ryder questioned as Klaus shrugged.
"It just didn't seem honest, is all. Most brawlers typically have more motivations for brawling." Klaus commented, annoying Ryder a little.
"Well, I guess I'm not like most brawlers," Ryder replied, wondering what Klaus was trying to get at.
"Interesting," Klaus whispered before taking out a gate card.
"Gate Card Set!" Klaus shouted as he threw another gate card on the field.
"Bakugan Brawl! Aquos Terrorclaw Stand!" Klaus continued, tossing his Bakugan onto his new gate card.
"Aquos Terrorclaw G power 530 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Ryder looked at the field warily as he knew it would do him no good to go to Klaus's gate card again, as it could very well end up in him losing another battle. So he decided to avoid the battle on Klaus's gate card.
Moving to grab onto his next Bakugan, Ryder looked at his pocket where Leonidas was. If he could use Leonidas, then he was confident he could win that battle. But with Leonidas still upset with him, that was out of the question. Clipping off the next Bakugan on his belt Ryder was ready.
"Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Stinglash Stand!" Ryder yelled as he threw his Bakugan onto his gate card.
"Darkus Stinglash G power 525 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Smart move, but you hesitated again. Why is that?" Klaus inquired as Ryder looked down.
"That's…it doesn't matter," Ryder replied, shaking his head.
"I see," Klaus murmured, not believing Ryder's words as he picked up his last Bakugan.
"Bakugan Brawl! Aquos Gargonoid Stand!" Klaus shouted as he threw his Bakugan onto Ryder's gate card.
"Aquos Gargonoid G power 520 Gs." The bakupod announced.
When Gargonoid appeared on the gate card, Stinglash attacked, whipping its tail at the Aquos Bakugan. But Gargonoid managed to fly up to avoid the attack before slamming down on top of the Darkus Bakugan.
"Gate Card Open! Darkus Zone!" Ryder declared as his gate card opened.
"Darkus Stinglash G power increase by 80 Gs. Darkus Stinglash G power 605 Gs." The bakupod announced.
With its power boosted, Stinglash swiped Garganoid off its back. Stinglash then snapped at Garganoid with both of its pincers. Soon enough, Stinglash managed to grab hold of Garganoid in between its pincers and squeezed the Aquos Bakugan hard.
"Ability Card Activate! Forcing Waves!" Klaus countered as his ability card glowed.
"Aquos Garganoid G power increase by 100 Gs. Aquos Garganoid G power 620," The bakupod announced.
A large wave crashed onto the field, knocking Stinglash over and freeing Garganoid from Stinglash's grip. Once the water disappeared, Garganoid flew up and attacked Stinglash, who was still recovering from the massive wave.
Garganoid took this chance and attacked the undefended Darkus Bakugan over and over again. Stinglash was unable to fight back against Garganoid, being completely at the mercy of the Aquos Bakugan.
"Ability Card Activate! Darkus Wave!" Ryder shouted as he threw his ability card into Stinglash.
"Darkus Stinglash G power increase by 50 Gs. Darkus Stinglash G power 650 Gs." The bakupod announced.
As the card sunk beneath Stinglash, dark energy radiated from the Bakugan, pushing back Garganoid. With Garganoid's constant attacks gone, Stinglash was free to get back on its feet and attack Garganoid by swinging its tail at the Aquos Bakugan.
Still recovering from the sudden shockwave of energy, Garganoid could not defend itself as Stinglash's tail swung down. The attack knocked Garganoid into the ground with an enormous crash defeating the Aquos Bakugan.
"Tied back up." Ryder sighed as he caught Stinglash.
"Still, that was close, and there's still his third Bakugan on his other Gate Card." Ryder thought, taking a glance at Terrorclaw.
"Not too bad I can see why the Battle Brawlers accepted you in their ranks. But it still doesn't seem like you're giving it your all." Klaus commented as he picked up Garganoid.
"Tell me, did losing to Marduk affect you that much?" Klaus inquired, causing Ryder to shudder.
"It's…complicated," Ryder murmured, remembering his battle with Marduk.
"Well, we have all the time in the world in this space." Klaus pointed out, gesturing to the field around them.
"Well, uh…" Ryder stuttered, unable to get the words out.
"It's just…been a while," Ryder stated, confusing Klaus.
"Since?" Klaus questioned, confused at what Ryder was getting at.
"Since I last lost like this. Sure, I've lost plenty of times since I started getting better, but…none have been so devastating as this one." Ryder began as he looked at the ground.
"I used to be really bad at this game, barely a win to my name before…Leonidas came around. So I was used to losing, but…" Ryder continued feeling slight movement from his pocket.
"There were always those times when…when I almost had victory. It was in my sight, and I still lost. Those were the worst of all. That was what my battle with Marduk reminded me of." Ryder explained, clenching his fist.
"Even now that I'm part of the best brawlers in the world…I still hate it, and it feels even worse than before. All because I played like an amateur and ignored the advice of my partner." Ryder admitted turning his gaze toward Klaus.
"I see. Yet you keep on battling. Most would have given up. What made you keep going?" Klaus asked as Ryder sighed.
"You're full of questions," Ryder muttered under his breath.
"Because I wa…." Ryder began before hesitating.
"Because I wanted to have fun, and if I didn't put any effort, then well…I wouldn't have any fun." Ryder stated, piquing Klaus's interest.
"When did you start actually enjoying Bakugan?" Klaus questioned, causing Ryder to freeze.
He hadn't been expecting that question, and honestly, he didn't know the answer himself. He liked it a lot since the game began, but he was always down because of how much he used to lose. The first time he started feeling joy and having lots of fun with Bakugan would be…
"I think the time I started to really enjoy Bakugan would be…when I met Leonidas." Ryder revealed, looking at his pocket.
"When I met him, I beat Marduk for the first time. Then when we became partners, I began to win more and more." Ryder went on looking back up.
"But losing to Marduk reminded me of what it was like before I met Leo." Ryder sighed, rubbing the back of his head.
"I understand how you feel," Klaus noted, surprising Ryder.
"For me, what made brawling so fun was working with my partner Sirenoid," Klaus explained, gripping onto his chest.
"Your partner…" Ryder murmured before looking at Klaus's gate card.
"Where is Sirenoid?" Ryder inquired as a sullen look befell Klaus's face.
"When Masquerade found out about my team and me, he sent her and the rest of our partners to the Doom Dimension," Klaus revealed, shocking Ryder.
"I'm sorry." Ryder apologized, sad to hear his fellow brawler losing his partner.
"Without Sirenoid, I don't see a point in brawling anymore," Klaus stated, confusing Ryder.
"What do you mean?" Ryder questioned as Klaus looked at his open palm.
"When I lost to Marduk and Masquerade, I took a blow to my pride. I swore to beat them one day. But I wanted it to be with Sirenoid." Klaus began as he closed his hand.
"I don't want to do it without her. Which is why I plan to drop out." Klaus revealed, turning his gaze back toward Ryder.
"But only if you have the will and the power to continue going. So do you?" Klaus inquired as Ryder was left speechless.
"You're going to drop out?" Ryder murmured, still trying to process what Klaus had told him.
If Klaus dropped out, his ranking would be gone, and everyone would move up, including himself. But now that he thought about it, how far would he be able to go? If Leonidas continued to ignore him, he doubted his ability to beat Marduk.
"I-I don't know…without Leonidas…." Ryder began before he felt Leonidas move out of his pocket.
"Ryder," Leonidas called, catching Ryder's attention.
"Leonidas!" Ryder gasped, surprised to see his partner appear.
"Are you not mad anymore?" Ryder inquired, happy yet apprehensive to see his partner.
"I was never mad, Ryder, just…ashamed," Leonidas answered, looking down.
"But not of you. Of myself." Leonidas explained, confusing Ryder.
"What do you mean? It's my fault we lost the battle with Marduk." Ryder pointed out as Leonidas shook his head.
"I failed us both. If I had been able to draw out more strength when you needed it, we might have been able to win. Now all the power we've gained so far is gone." Leonidas replied, looking down.
"Even compared to the other times we've lost, this was the worst. I failed you at the very moment you needed me most." Leonidas added, making Ryder feel even more shame than before.
No. That wasn't just him. It was Leonidas too. He thought he couldn't feel anything from Leonidas this whole time, but they were feeling the same thing. The reason he felt nothing else was that they were both feeling the shame of defeat.
"It's almost funny. We felt the same this entire time. But for different reasons." Ryder chuckled before giving Leonidas a smile.
"I suppose in some way," Leonidas replied as Ryder looked back at Klaus.
"I don't blame you, Leonidas, and with or without the strength of the Negative Energy you've absorbed, I'll still fight with you," Ryder stated while turning back to face Leonidas.
"And I promise I'll never push you beyond what you can take," Ryder promised, holding out his hand and allowing Leonidas to land on it.
"Are you sure? Even though I failed?" Leonidas inquired as Ryder nodded.
"Yeah. Because you didn't fail me, and you never will." Ryder responded, making Leonidas happy.
"Then I won't disappoint!" Leonidas exclaimed as Klaus spoke up.
"So does that mean you have the resolve and power to continue?" Klaus asked, gaining Ryder and Leonidas's attention.
"Of course. Right, Leo?" Ryder answered, turning his gaze back to Leonidas.
"Yes!" Leonidas nodded as Ryder closed his hand over him.
"Then let's go! Bakugan Brawl! Darkus Leonidas Stand!" Ryder shouted as he threw Leonidas onto Klaus's gate card.
"Darkus Leonidas G power 600 Gs." The bakupod announced as Leonidas appeared on the field.
"Let's go!" Leonidas insisted as he turned to look at the Aquos Bakugan beneath him.
Leonidas let out a mighty roar as he flew over Klaus's Terrorclaw. The Darkus Bakugan quickly dove down and attacked Terrorclaw. With a seventy G advantage over the Aquos Bakugan, it seemed that Leonidas would make quick work of Terrorclaw.
"Ability Card Activate! Abyss Ruler!" Klaus countered, tossing the ability card into his Terrorclaw.
"Aquos Terrorclaw G power increase by 100 Gs. Aquos Terrorclaw G power 630 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Water shot out from below Terrorclaw, pushing Leonidas back. The Darkus Bakugan attempted to fight back, but he wasn't able to power up like before. Having been so dependent on that power in the past, Leonidas had been quick to attempt it.
With that being the case, Leonidas folded up his wings allowing him to drop under the stream. However, Terrorclaw moved its attack to hit Leonidas once more, bringing him to the ground. Leonidas landed with a crash as Terrorclaw focused its attack on the Darkus Bakugan.
"Don't worry, Leo!" Ryder called as he grabbed onto an ability card.
"Ability Card Activate!" Ryder shouted as he pulled out Leonidas's signature ability card.
"Alpha Blaster!" Leonidas finished as energy built up in his mouth.
"Darkus Leonidas G power increase by 200 Gs. Darkus Leonidas G power 800 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Leonidas quickly shot the energy out of his mouth, splitting the stream of water in two before hitting Terrorclaw. The Aquos Bakugan could not fight back and eventually was pushed off the gate card defeated.
"Yes!" Ryder smirked as he caught Leonidas.
"That was great, Leonidas!" Ryder exclaimed as Leonidas opened up in his palm.
"It was! Though I guess I'm going to have to get used to other avenues." Leonidas commented, noticing his performance wasn't like usual.
"I guess we relied on the boost too much." Ryder laughed before turning his attention toward Klaus.
"Ready to finish?" Klaus inquired as Ryder nodded.
"Yeah," Ryder answered as Klaus took out his last gate card.
"Gate Card Set!" Klaus yelled, throwing the gate card onto the field.
"Bakugan Brawl!" The Two Brawlers shouted, throwing their respective Bakugan.
"Aquos Robotallion Stand!" Klaus declared as his final Bakugan took to the field.
"Aquos Robotallion G power 500 Gs." The bakupod announced.
"Darkus Stinglash Stand!" Ryder yelled as Stinglash landed on the gate card.
"Darkus Stinglash G power 525 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Once both Bakugan were on the field, they immediately clashed with one another. Robotallion rushed in and punched Stinglash, but the Darkus Bakugan blocked the attack with one of its pincers before pushing Robotallion back.
Stinglash then reared its other pincer back and snapped at the Aquos Bakugan, which did its best to avoid Stinglash's attack. Since Stinglash was stronger than Robotallion, just one attack would be Robotallions doom.
"Gate Card Open! Final Judgement!" Klaus proclaimed as his gate card opened beneath the two fighting Bakugan.
"No!" Ryder cried out as he watched Stinglash's G power plummet.
"Darkus Stinglash G power now at 0 Gs." The bakupod announced.
The sudden drop of power caused Stinglash to collapse to the ground, unable to continue attacking. With its attacker now incapacitated, Robotallion began to run back up to finish Stinglash off.
"Not so fast! Ability Card Activate! Shadow Scratch!" Ryder countered, negating Klaus's gate card.
"Darkus Stinglash G power returned to normal parameters." The bakupod announced.
With its power returned, Stinglash got back to its feet just in time to knock Robotallion back to the ground. Moving quickly, Stinglash grasped onto Robotallion's legs and threw the Aquos Bakugan toward the gate card's edge.
"Double Ability Activate! Forcing Waves and Depth Tornado!" Klaus shouted, throwing his two ability cards into Robotallion.
"Aquos Robotallion G power increase by 200 Gs. Aquos Robotallion G power 700 Gs." The bakupod announced.
Suddenly a geyser of water shot out from beneath Robotallion before enclosing the entirety of Klaus's gate card, washing up Stinglash in the process. The Darkus Bakugan was thrown higher and higher into the air, stuck in the current of the water.
"I'm not going down that easily! Ability Card Activate! Spice Slayer!" Ryder yelled as his ability card glowed, dispelling the water.
"Aquos Robotallion G power decrease by 100 Gs. Aquos Robotallion G power 600 Gs. Darkus Stinglash G power increase by 100 Gs. Darkus Stinglash G power 625 Gs." The bakupod announced.
With the water gone, Stinglash fell from the sky, diving toward Robotallion. The Aquos Bakugan was helpless as Stinglash crashed into its chest, knocking it off the gate card in defeat and ending the match.
Wardington Outskirts…
"Tsk, these finals couldn't be any sooner," Marduk muttered, tossing his sack of food on the ground.
"I'm running out of ways to get food here." Marduk hissed as he ate the scraps he managed to obtain.
"Perhaps if you skipped eating from time to time, it wouldn't be so bad," Vladitor suggested making Marduk scoff.
"I don't want to hear that from someone who doesn't need to eat," Marduk replied as a notification came to his bakupod.
"Hm?" Marduk murmured as he checked his bakupod.
What he saw nearly caused him to choke on the bread he was eating. It just wasn't possible. After coughing up some of the bread, he double-checked his bakupod to see if he was reading that right.
"How? How the hell is he ahead of me again?!" Marduk questioned, looking at Ryder's current ranking.
Looking more into it, he found that Ryder had battled against the second-ranked brawler Klaus and won, which took rank eleven back. But now Klaus had dropped from the leaderboard, moving them both up one rank.
"Grrr, this isn't what was supposed to happen," Marduk growled, balling his fists.
"Calm down, Marduk. We beat them once before, and we can do it again." Vladitor pointed out as Marduk let out a deep sigh.
"Right. You're right." Marduk nodded, composing himself.
"I'll beat him again, and this time I'll make sure he can't come back from it," Marduk stated as he returned to eating.
Wardington Park…
Ryder quickly sat down on the nearby bench, exhausted from that battle. He didn't realize it during the battle, but he had overexerted himself a little. Perhaps he should have stayed in bed for a little while longer.
"That was a good battle. You played well." Klaus commented, taking a seat next to Ryder.
"Thanks, you too. This battle helped Leonidas and me a lot. But are you sure about dropping out?" Ryder inquired, concerned about Klaus's sudden decision.
"Yes. Without Sirenoid, I just don't see the point." Klaus responded, seemingly content with his decision.
"Perhaps one day, if I see her again, we can get our revenge," Klaus said before turning toward Ryder.
"Besides, after seeing your and Leonidas's resolve, I have no regrets. So do your best." Klaus insisted as Ryder nodded.
"Yeah." Ryder agreed before shaking Klaus's hand.
"Ryder!" A Voice called, catching his and Klaus's attention.
Turning around, Ryder saw Alice running up to the two brawlers. The girl was clearly exhausted, looking as if she had been running for a while. Ryder quickly got to his feet and met Alice halfway, allowing the girl to catch her breath.
"Are you okay, Alice?" Ryder asked, concerned for his friend.
"I should be asking you that! What were you thinking sneaking out of bed?" Alice questioned, causing Ryder to back up a few steps.
"Well, I…I just…" Ryder stuttered, unable to choose the right words.
"You know you're not in any condition for battling! Do you know how worried I was?" Alice replied with tears welling up in her eyes.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make you worry; I was just…I just wanted to get my rank back so badly I wasn't thinking straight." Ryder apologized, hoping to cheer Alice up.
"Well, that explains a lot." Another Voice muttered as Ryder turned to see Shun dropping down behind him.
"I was wondering why you'd pull a stunt like this, but for you, this tracks." Shun sighed as Ryder laughed nervously.
"Sorry." Ryder apologized as more footsteps came up.
"You better be!" Runo shouted as she and the rest of the Battle Brawlers approached.
"Do you know how worried we all were?!" Runo questioned, getting up close to Ryder.
"Yeah, how could you leave like that? Especially with Alice around?" Julie asked, pulling a confused Alice into a comforting hug.
"That's not the point, Julie." Marucho sighed, shaking his head.
"Did you at least win the battle you came out for?" Dan inquired, only to receive an elbow from Runo.
"If I had known you snuck from someplace, I might have just sent you back," Klaus commented, gaining the attention of the Battle Brawlers.
"Oh, so you battled Klaus," Dan noted as he looked between the two.
"Perhaps we should catch up to speed," Dan suggested as Ryder and Klaus explained what had happened.
"I can't believe you're dropping out." Julie gasped as Klaus shrugged.
"I will trust you and the others to take down Masquerade and Marduk," Klaus replied as he turned around.
"Since my business here is done, I'll bid you all farewell. Until we next meet." Klaus added as he left the Battle Brawlers.
"All things considered, it's good that you're okay, Ryder. Plus, you're back in the finals!" Dan smirked, giving Ryder a thumbs up as Alice pulled on Ryder's sleeve.
"Just promise you'll never do that again." Alice insisted, giving Ryder a worried look.
"Okay. I promise." Ryder promised making Alice smile.
Though in the depths of Alice's subconsciousness Masquerade was in a foul mood. Even after getting Marduk to defeat Ryder, he returned to the finals. It was no matter. As long as he avoided battling against Ryder, then his control over Alice shouldn't slip.
"But are you sure you're okay, Ryder? You did say how bad your loss to Marduk affected you?" Marucho inquired, gaining Ryder's attention.
"Yeah. I'll be fine. After my battle with Klaus, I got through my hangups. Leonidas too." Ryder answered, taking a quick look at his partner.
"Yes. I'm ready to get back to fighting. Even if we're back from square one!" Leonidas replied, making Ryder smile.
"Well, that's good to hear!" Julie exclaimed, happy for Ryder.
It was then that a thought occurred to Ryder. During his battle with Klaus, the brawler asked him about what got him into Bakugan in the first place. Thinking about that question, one thing came to mind.
"Why does Marduk battle?" Ryder wondered as Shun spoke up.
"Well, now that we found Ryder, I think we can go back to training," Shun noted as Ryder nodded.
"Yeah, I'm going to need to catch up for the finals!" Ryder exclaimed as Alice grabbed his arm.
"You will be going back to bed," Alice stated with her voice turning monotone.
Ryder wanted to argue, but Alice gave him a look that shut his attempt down before he could even make it. This was the first time he'd seen her mad. The closest he's seen was when he saw her annoyed at Julie, and Jewls had their arms around him. Thinking back on that moment made Ryder blush before he shook his head.
"Okay, I'll rest." Ryder agreed as Alice began to lead him back to Marucho's home.
"Has anyone seen Alice that stern?" Dan inquired as the other Battle Brawlers shook their heads.
"It is a little odd. But at least it got Ryder back to bed." Marucho commented as Julie hummed.
"It's a surprise Ryder even got past her in the first place." Julie chuckled before they began to head back to their own training.
Next Time the finals begin as Masquerade reveals the location they will take place! When the Battle Brawlers arrive, Masquerade does something unexpected…SPLIT THEM UP! In a flash of light, each brawler is placed in a separate location with their first opponent.
For Ryder, his opponent is none other than Julio! With neither brawler backing down, their battle begins. Next Time on Bakugan Doom World: Light Vs. Dark.
Author's Note:
And with that, another chapter is done! It took me a while to get it just right, as I wanted to get the battle to be just right, along with Ryder and Leonidas getting back on their feet. Originally I didn't have Leonidas not speaking for the majority of the chapter, but I thought it added to Ryder's depression a little.
Overall I think I did a pretty good job, and I had a lot of fun with it. Now about the negative energy, with it gone, Leonidas can no longer power up like he used to. Like I said before, it was too much of a crutch, and both Ryder and Leonidas have realized that too. Of course, they can still access the Darkus power, but they're a long way off from that.
Speaking of attribute power though it went unseen by him, Shun is getting closer to utilizing the Ventus power. I know it might seem a little confusing right now, but I'll reveal what really fuels them in a later chapter. For now, I'll just say that the power is drawn out by certain emotions.
Also, I wanted to thank everyone for 200 favs and follows! I am so happy so many people love this story, and I can't wait to show you guys more!
Well, that's all I have to say for this chapter, so let's get to the reviews:
Guest – (Tribal drums thumping while enthralled natives begin chanting off) Here's an update, hope you like it… Lol.
Johannvanguard – Well, Klaus did help Ryder in a way as he got him out of his rut and helped him get back to the finals, where he can get a rematch with Marduk! Which also means Masquerade's plan ended up failing, which he does not like lol.
Garrus Skywalker – I guess. Though it would be best if they were in ball forms as it would be hard to chase around giant Bakugan.
LEGOBRICK13 – Yeah, it is odd that the hybrids just disappeared, but I guess they didn't want to use them in New Vestroia. I have to agree that it sucks how the freed Doom Beings barely contributed after getting back their partners, even in Season 2. From the looks of it, though, the cast changes a lot after every season.
I mean, Alice never appears again, save for a photo after Season 2, which I found crazy. But I digress. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, and good luck with your writing.
HunterHQ – Oh yeah, don't worry, you'll see them evolve and grow over the course of this series. Obviously, you'll see more of Leonidas, but that's beside the point. They'll definitely be meeting Joe and Wyvern soon don't worry about that.
As for the 6 Legendary Warriors of Vestroia, you'll have to wait until they meet them personally to find out :).
Mr. Haziq – He only needed one brawl, but it was definitely a hard one for him.
NinjaFang1331 – Thanks, glad you enjoyed!
649 – Yeah, but they won't be deterred!
That's all I have for today I'll see you guys next time!