//------------------------------// // Fury of the Phantom // Story: Bakugan EQG // by Banshee531 //------------------------------// It was night time in Canterlot and we find two young teens standing in a back alley. One was just a normal kid, but the other was the fabled Phantom. "So," Phantom asked, "you like to brawl?" The kid looked terrified, but nodded. "So do I." He held up his Bakugan, "what's say we have a friendly match?" "How?" The kid asked, "the stadium's closed. We can't battle until tomorrow." "Don't be so sure," Phantom replied before holding up his collared wrist. Suddenly, there was a flash of light coming from the screen and it filled the entire alleyway. The kid looked scared as he was consumed by the light, letting out a scream as he did so. And as soon as the light appeared, it disappeared. Phantom was still in the same spot, but the kid was on the floor looking badly beaten up. Phantom also held up the symbol covered cube, a frown on his lips. "Well that was hardly worth the effort." He stated as the images for Darkus and Aquos glowed, the symbols then fading slightly before the glow vanished. "Oh well. At least it gave me something." "Such weakness," his Bakugan stated as it jumped onto his shoulder. "It'll take us forever to unlock the one sleeping inside if this is what we're forced to work with." "True, but good things come to those who wait. We'll awaken him, as long as we have brawlers to battle." Phantom smiled, "right now we should focus on our other objective." "The dragonoid?" "Exactly. My curiosity about this creature is more then I can bare. It's time we find out just how powerful he is. And that means we must battle the one named Flash Sentry. The next morning. Flash let out a yawn as he worked to pack his books into his bag. At the same time, the Bakugan Leonidas was rolling around on his desk. "Almost, almost!" He tried to stop but when he did, he was a little too forward and ended up popping open in a position that made him fall on his front. "Curse it! Curse this pathetically difficult to control form. My true body is so much easier to move around in." Flash let out a chuckle as he righted Leonidas. "Maybe, but you're true body's a bit too big and way too intimidating. You'd end up terrifying anyone who sees you walking down the street." "The fears of weak humans do not concern me," Leonidas replied. "Now hurry, we have to get to the battle stadium and find our next opponent." Flash frowned, "I'm not going to the battle stadium." "What?" Leonidas asked, "why?" "I'd like to go there, but I've gotta get to school first." "School? What is this...school? Is it another place of battle?" Flash sighed, "no. It's a place of...learning." "Leaning?" Leonidas hummed, "ah. I see. You go to this place to learn to be a better battler." Flash almost fell down hearing this, "then we must not waste time. You have a lot to learn in order to properly help me be victorious." Flash decided not to correct him about school. "Alright," he picked the Bakugan up. "But you've gotta be quiet. I'm still getting used to having a talking Bakugan in the house. If my family hears you, who knows what they'll do. Same goes for school too." "Fine," Leonidas replied before rolling up and allowing Flash to place him in his pocket. With that, the two headed downstairs and found Scootaloo outside with her scooter. "Ready to go?" She nodded and the two headed off, rolling towards the school on their normal modes of transport. "Yaaah!" Flash heard Leonidas cry out from within his pocket, "quit shaking me about. I'm gonna be sick!" Flash sighed, but knew he couldn't do anything about it. Leonidas had to endure the motion sickness until they reached the school, where he and Scootaloo parted ways. Flash rolled over to the bicycle shed and locked his bike there, then took Leonidas out of his pocket. "You okay?" "Errr," Leonidas groaned, "if I had my real body..." "Flash!" They turned to see Derpy running towards them with a smile on her face. Flash was about to call back, but then she suddenly tripped over something and fell face first into the ground. "Ooh," Flash hissed at the sight. "You okay?" She held up a hand and gave him a thumbs up before pushing herself back to her feet. "From your reaction I'm guessing this is something that happens a lot," Leonidas guessed before Flash nodded. "How could someone so clumsy get a job at such an important place like that stadium." "Hey," Flash told him, "Derpy's got a lot of good qualities. And to answer your question, her uncle got her a work experience at Dark Industries last year. She worked in the mail room and when it was done, she got offered the job at the stadium." "Hey," Derpy finally reached him before the two headed inside. "So, how are you two enjoying being roomies?" "I could have done without the human's boomful snoring," Leonidas replied while Flash blushed. "Are you heading to the stadium after school?" Derpy asked after letting out a laugh. "You're not gonna get any better unless you keep brawling." "That's the plan. You working today?" "No. But my mom knows that so she's given me a load of errands to do after class." Flash frowned at this, "don't worry. I'll get them done as fast as possible and then come and cheer you own." The two stepped into the building. "Besides, it's not like you'll be alone without me." As she said that, Lyra and Bonnie appeared around the corner. "Hey guys," Lyra smiled at them before turning to Flash. "Did you remember to do your homework?" "Of course," Flash assured her. "Won't make that mistake again." "Enough talking," Leonidas stated. "You're wasting time. Start this school thing so that you can learn to proper ways of Bakugan Brawling!" The others were confused by this while Flash just sighed and kept walking so Leonidas would shut up. He told the dragon to calm down but Leonidas continued to back talk. "Geez," Bonnie stated. "Those two seem really at odds." "I guess they do seem to clash a little bit," Derpy agreed. "But I'm sure they'll work it out." Lyra let out a sigh. "If I had a talking Bakugan, I wouldn't mind a bit of back talking. Just having one would be amazing." She gained a dreamy look in her eyes. "Like...having one would be totally the best!" "Like?" Bonnie asked. "Totally?" Derpy replied. Lyra blushed at this and quickly rushed off to follow Flash to their first class of the day, the other two girls sharing a confused look before doing the same. The rest of the day didn't go so well for Flash. Leonidas quickly realised the truth about school and got bored of the place rather quickly, the Bakugan constantly telling him to leave so they could go battle. Several times, the teacher heard Leonidas and thought it was Flash, getting the teen in a lot of trouble. All the while, Lyra just sighed while watching the two interact. It got so bad Flash had to stuff the Bakugan into the bottom of his bag so he wouldn't be heard, causing him a lot of grief when Leonidas finally freed himself. "I can't believe you stuffed me in such a rancid place!" He cried as he and Flash left the school at the end of the day. "That...what did you call it again." "Gym sock," Flash replied. "Yes! That gym sock smelled horrible." "Well I told you to be quiet," Flash replied. "But would you listen? No." The two headed off to the stadium, all the while wondering where Lyra and Bonnie were. The girls were on the other side of the school, Lyra waiting outside the girl's bathroom for Bonnie to finish her business. All the while, the thought of her own talking Bakugan was driving her nuts. "Come on," she poked her Bakugan. "Just one little word. That's all I ask. Please." She waited for a few seconds, but he ball remained silent. "Ahhh!" She continued to pout and crossed her arms, completely unaware of what was about to happen. As Lyra continued to stare at the Bakugan, a sudden explosion of blue light occurred outside the window on the hallway she was in. Lyra looked up at this and flinched at the light, but couldn't stop herself from moving forward. She opened the window to get a better look, but still couldn't see what was causing the bright blue light. Then, something flew out of the light and shot passed her. It hit the ground behind her and bounced for several seconds, whilst the light finally faded. Light gone, Lyra's attention turned to what was now behind her and she slowly turned towards it. And there, laying on the ground, was an Aquos Bakugan. "No...no way," she whispered before she slowly moved over to pick it up. Over at the stadium, Flash was at one of the stores. He smiled as he took the cards from the lady behind the front desk. "Thank you," she smiled. "Please come again." Flash nodded and stepped out of the store, all the while smiling at the cards. "What has you so happy?" Leonidas asked when they sat at one of the tables and he put the Bakugan down. Flash then showed him what he had just bought. "Cards?" "Not just any cards." He showed Leonidas one, "this is the same card Twilight used yesterday. With it, we can power ourselves up against a Darkus or Subterra Bakugan." "Ha," Leonidas chuckled, "like I need anything else. Just throw me in and let me show why I am the strongest of all Bakugan. I will crush them." Flash frowned before turning back to him. "Er, what's the deal? You sound angry." "I'm not angry," Leonidas replied. "I just don't fear weak opponents." "Don't freak me out," Flash told him. "It's like you hate every Bakugan or something. Lighten up, will ya?" "Whatever," Leonidas proclaimed. "Just hurry up and find our next opponent. We must prove ourselves after our loss against that girl Twilight." "Did somebody say my name?" They looked up to see Twilight standing besides him with a smile on her face, the girl spotting the cards he had. "Working on your deck?" "Yup," Flash nodded as he showed her the card. "I've got Co-Side, Diagonal Correlation and even Triple Node." "Wow," Twilight sat down, "those should help in a big way." "Yes," Leonidas replied, "so let's put them to the test and get revenge for our previous defeat." He turned to Twilight, "you. Poorly sighted human. Do battle with us again." Twilight frowned at this while Flash looked angry. "Hey," he told him. "Don't insult someone and then go demanding something from them." Leonidas growled and Twilight could tell the two were about to get into a fight. But before they could- "GUYS!" They turned towards the door and spotted Lyra and Bonnie as they rushed inside, then headed towards them. "You won't believe what just happened!" "What?" Flash asked, worrying something bad just occurred. However, he would soon learn it was the exact opposite. "Look," Lyra held out her hands to show an Aquas Bakugan ball. They stared at it for a moment, not recognising the design of this Bakugan. And before they could ask what the big deal was, the ball opened on its own to reveal a humanoid looking Bakugan with a female face. "Greetings," it then spoke with a mature feminine voice. The group gasped hearing it speak, "it's a pleasure to meet you all. My name is Aquos Nimue." "Nimue?" Twilight asked, "I've never heard of that one before." "Who cares," Lyra smiled. "I finally have my own talking Bakugan." She pulled Nimue towards her and started rubbing her face against her, "I can just tell we're going to be the best of friends." "I think so too," Nimue agreed. "Even though I am still a little unclear on what we Bakugan are doing in this world?" "World?" Twilight asked, "what do you mean by that?" She turned to the other talking Bakugan, "Leonidas told us you were living creatures, but he hasn't been very forth coming about anything else." "Is that that right?" Nimue asked before requesting Lyra place her on the table. Lyra did so before she and Bonnie sat down. "Then allow me to explain. We Bakugan come from a world very different to this one. It was once a place of great beauty, where many Bakugan lived in harmony. Vestroia." "Vestroia?" Flash asked. "It is in what you would probably call another dimension. There, Bakugan do not exist in these ball forms you see us in. Instead, we look like...well that." She gestured to a TV and everyone saw a Mantras battling a Falconeer. "I don't know how you humans are able to get us to return to normal, but it seems in these Bakugan Battlefields we're able to return to our true forms." "I see," Twilight nodded. "So what are the Bakugan doing here?" "I do not know," Nimue replied. "Though Vestroia has been in great turmoil recently." She looked up at the lot of them, "our once peaceful realm was suffering a great danger. A Bakugan like none seen before was terrorising the realm, sending any Bakugan it defeated in battle to the Doom Dimension." Flash, though focused on Nimue, noticed that this seemed to cause a reaction in Leonidas. As if the worlds she had just used struck a chord with him. "Doom Dimension?" Twilight asked, "what's that?" "It is Vestroia's dark counter. Whilst Vestroia is the realm that breaths life into Bakugan, the Doom Dimension is the realm that snuffs it out. Any Bakugan that falls into that accursed place is trapped forever and forced to slowly disappear, leaving not even a spirit of what once was there. You can understand why it is such a feared place." The others nodded, knowing being sent to such a place must be torture. "And this Bakugan you speak of was sending Bakugan to this place?" Twilight asked. "Yes," Nimue nodded. "And in doing so, something happened. The more Bakugan were sent there, the more Vestroia suffered. It was almost like the action was scarring the planet, causing it to grow weaker. Over time, natural disaster started occurring all throughout the world. And by the time that Bakugan was stopped, the damage was to great." "What happened?" Bonnie asked with a worried expression. "I do not know," Nimue replied. "The last thing I remember in Vestroia was a powerful earthquake, which tore the ground apart. Then, there was a bright flash of light in the sky." She then turned to Lyra. "And the next thing I knew, I was waking up in your hands." Lyra smiled back and patted Nimue on the head. "Do you think Vestroia was destroyed?" Twilight asked, worried for the answer. "I fear that I cannot answer that question," Nimue replied. "But something must of happened if we Bakugan are in this realm." She looked around them, "tell me. How long have the Bakugan been in your world?" The others looked unsure about answering that question. "We're not really sure?" Lyra replied. "They've been known to the public for over a year," Bonnie continued. "But who knows how long Dark Industries has had them." "Dark Industries?" Nimue asked, the teen explaining everything about the company that sells Bakugan and created the stadiums so that they could do battle. "I see," she looked down. "To think, the proud Bakugan race reduced to being nothing more then pets or playthings." "We're sorry," Twilight told her. "We didn't know. The way you look, it just seemed like you were toys combined with sophisticated hologram technology. It wasn't until Leonidas started speaking that we realised there was more to you." Nimue turned to Leonidas, "why did you not tell them more about us? About Vestroia and the danger it could be in?" Leonidas let out a grunt, "why should I care what happens to Vestroia? I can battle in this world and that's all that matters. Why bother worry about a place that might not even exist any more?" "Because it's our home. The place that gives us life. Our very-" Nimue stopped and her head looked up, Leonidas doing the same before the two turned towards the door. The humans did the same and turned to see a strangely dressed teen had entered, with everyone in the room staring at him. "Who's that?" Flash asked, having never seen him before. "I...don't know," Twilight replied. "There's something about him," Nimue told them. "Something...dark." The teen looked around before spotting them and moving forward, Flash getting the feeling he was looking at him and stood up. "Flash Sentry?" "Yeah?" Flash asked, raising an eyebrow. "I have come to challenge you to a brawl." This surprised them all, "my name is Phantom." "Phantom?" Twilight asked before her eyes went wide, "the Phantom?" The others turned to her, "there's talk of him all over the web. Apparently, he's shown up in tons of different stadiums all over the country. Once there, he takes on any an all challengers and soundly defeats them. He's never been beaten once?" Phantom chuckled, "seems my reputation precedes me. Yes, I am that very Phantom." "So what do you want with me?" Flash asked, "Well," Phantom replied, "it's not you I'm really interest in. It's your little friend there." He turned towards Leonidas, who was staring up at him. "So...this is the famous talking Bakugan." "He's not the only one," Nimue stated. Phantom turned to her, the others unsure if his face was one of shock or intrigue. "Another one? I'll have to look into that later," he turned back to Leonidas. "Right now, I'd like to focus on you." Leonidas hummed. "If you wanna brawl, then I accept." Flash shot him a look, "but be warned. When you battle me, you have no hope of victory." Phantom simply smiled back, "we'll see." "Wait a minute," Flash spoke up. "Don't I get a say in this?" Phantom let out a chuckle, "what's the matter? Scared?" This got Flash to turn and glare at the masked teen, simply kept smiling at him. "I understand. A newbie like you, going up against one of the best like me. It would be rather intimating." "I'm not scared," Flash told him before grabbing Leonidas off the table and holding him out. "Just watch. We'll take you down, no problem." Phantom smiled at this, "good. Then let's get going." He turned to head towards one of the stadiums, "I booked us a battlefield just for this occasion." With that, he disappeared into the hallway. When he did, Twilight stood up. "Flash," she asked, "are you sure about this?" Flash stared down at Leonidas, then back up at the hallway. "Positive." He began to march forward, the others following after him. They headed for the stadium Phantom had made his way too, Flash going down into the battlefield whilst the girls headed for the stands. "Welcome, Baku-fans!" The announcer stated as Flash stepped out onto the field. "Today's brawl looks to be a good one, with the up and coming young Brawler, Flash Sentry, facing off against a relatively unknown opponent. Phantom." Flash spotted the strangely dressed teen standing near the center of the battlefield. Once in the center of the field, the glass dome closed up above them. It was then that the floor below them began to light up, with Phantom hold up his wrist band as the screen lit up. "I know the perfect battle ground for us." With that, the light shot off the screen and hit the ground, mixing with the light on the ground. "What are you-" Flash couldn't finish as in a flash of light, he suddenly found himself in a battlefield the likes of which he had never seen before. It was a dark canyon area covered by a layer of black clouds, which unleashed bold of black lightning. Large spiked rocks could be seen sticking out of the ground and there were statues covering the land, all in the shape of Bakugan. The statues were all in a state of disrepair, some missing large chunks while others were half buried or broken in half. The air itself felt stay and made him feel sick. "W...what is this place?" Phantom laughed. "Welcome...to the Doom Dimension." Everyone who had heard Nimue's story went wide-eyed as they looked around the place, now understanding what she meant when she talked about it. "Or at least, a visual copy of it. It's such an interesting place, wouldn't you say." Flash and Leonidas looked around, Leonidas seeing the statues and staring at them. "Those aren't statues." Flash looked over and realised what they were. "They're Bakugan," the teen replied. "Ones sent to this place to die." "And maybe your little friend will join them," Phantom stated. Flash frowned at this but then noticed something. The air was filled with strange floating coins, with a number fifty on them. But before he could ask what they were for, the announcer spoke up. "This is a very unusual situation, but I see no reason not to continue. Are both brawlers ready to begin?" "I'm always ready," Phantom stated as he held up a Bakugan. "Let's do this!" Flash yelled as Leonidas curled up and he grabbed him. "Then let's not leave this any long. Battle...BEGIN!" Their BakuColars activated and Flash took out a card. Flash: 100% Phantom: 100% "Gate Card, SET!" Flash thew his card and it exploded as soon as it hit the ground, spreading the yellow light across the field. "Bakugan," he threw Leonidas, "Brawl!" The ball hit the ground and rolled for several seconds before opening, "Bakugan...STAND!" A flash of yellow light transformed Leonidas into his true form, the dragon roaring as he took flight. Leonidas: 400Gs Leonidas looked down at Phantom, "come on! Bring it!" "With pleasure," Phantom stated before running to the side. This confused the two until they spotted him running up one of the spikes, then jumped off and threw his Bakugan. "Bakugan brawl!" The sphere flew through the air, only to then hit three of the strange coins that filled the air before hitting the ground. "Bakugan...STAND!" A flash of dark light signalled the arrival of a humanoid Bakugan with large claws. "Darkus Fear Ripper!" Leonidas: 400Gs Fear Ripper: 380Gs "Ha," Leonidas smirked, "this weakling'll be no match for me." "Don't be so sure," Phantom smirked. The two wondered what he meant until Fear Ripper began to glow, Flash looking down at his BakuColar. Leonidas: 400Gs Fear Ripper: 530Gs "What the?" Flash asked, "where did this extra power come from?" It was then he remembered the coins and did the math, realising Fear Ripper had gained a hundred and fifty points. The same as the total on the coins. "Those things power up Bakugan?" "Only if they're hit in ball form," Phantom replied as Fear Ripper charged. It swung its claws at Leonidas, who quickly dodged before flying upwards. "That's right. Run." He laughed, which enraged Leonidas and made his fly towards the ground. "Double Ability, activate!" Flash held up his cards as they glowed, "Dragon Flash, plus Brawling Dragon!" Leonidas began to glow as he reached Fear Ripper and started slamming into it at high speeds, letting out grunts and growls. Leonidas: 600Gs Fear Ripper: 530Gs "Now who's running!" Leonidas screamed as he spun around and smashed Fear Ripper, knocking it staggering backwards as Phantom held up a card. "Ability, activate!" The card glowed, "Slash Zero!" Fear Ripper's claws began to glow as it swung them through the air, the light flying off and hitting Leonidas. "Augh!" He screamed as he was thrown backwards. Leonidas: 600Gs Fear Ripper: 610Gs Leonidas hit the ground and caused it to shake, making Flash lose his balance and be unable to activate an ability guard. His Bakugan began to sit himself up, only to see Fear Ripper leap into the air and prepare to fall down and strike him with its claws. "Gate Card...OPEN!" Flash yelled as the ground began to glow, "Haos Reactor!" Leonidas: 800Gs Fear Ripper: 610Gs "RAAAH!" Leonidas raised a foot up and thrust it forward, slamming into Fear Ripper's stomach and throwing it backwards. He then jumped back up and flew forward, body checking the Darkus Bakugan as it tried to pick itself up. Fear Ripper cried in agony before it morphed back to its ball form and fell to the ground, rolling toward Phantom. Flash: 100% Phantom: 62% "Flash Sentry takes the first round, but boy was it a close call." Leonidas transformed back and returned to Flash, "how will the mysterious Phantom counter Flash's attack?" "Ha!" Leonidas laughed as he opened up, "like anything he does could stop me. That Fear Ripper was nothing." "Don't get cocky," Flash told him. "Even though Fear Ripper had less points, we were still playing catch up." He looked up at the coins filling the air. "If he can hit enough of those things, even a Bakugan with half your power could be an issue." "Then we'll just use them to our advantage," Leonidas replied. "Next time you throw me, hit some of those coins." Flash just look at him in disbelief. "It's not that easy. Those things aren't any bigger then you are. Hitting them is gonna take serious aim." "Quit complaining," Leonidas told him. "Just do it." Flash growled at him before hearing Phantom laugh, the pair turning to him. "Lover's quarrel?" He asked before throwing a Gate Card, which exploded into purple light before Phantom rushed off. He reached the statue of a Serpenoid and ran up its back, then jumped off. "Bakugan...BRAWL!" The ball flew through the air and hit a pair of coins as it did, then hit the ground and opened up. "Bakugan...STAND!" In a flash of purple light, a robotic Bakugan covered in gun barrels and missile launchers appeared on the battle field. "Darkus Laserman." Laserman: 390Gs "And...of course," the robot glowed as its power level increased. Laserman: 490Gs "This is bad," Twilight stated. "Flash and Leonidas need to be careful," Nimue stated. "If they aren't, they could end up losing the whole thing." "It's time," Leonidas told Flash. "Hit those coins. Just two will be enough." Flash groaned but did as told, grabbing the Bakugan and running off in search of some coins. He then spotted a line of three and began to jump up onto a large rock, then leapt off the top. "Bakugan...BRAWL!" He threw his Bakugan at the coins and everyone watched intensely, only for the ball to sail passed all three. 'I missed!' Leonidas hit the ground and popped open, "Bakugan...STAND!" Leonidas appeared from the light and turned to Flash, a glare on his face. "What do you call that!?" Leonidas: 400Gs Laserman: 490Gs Flash growled, "cut me some slack! Aim isn't exactly a skill Brawlers have ever needed up until now." "Would you guys focus on the real enemy!" Lyra screamed to them, making the pair turn back to Phantom and Laserman. "Don't hold back on my account," Phantom smiled before pointing to the ground. "Gate Card, open." The ground began to glow, "Laserman." "A character card?" Flash asked as he looked at his BakuColar. Leonidas: 400Gs Laserman: 590Gs Phantom chuckled. "The Laserman Character Card not only boosts my Bakugan's power level, but it also doubles any boosts given by abilities." He held up a card, "like this one. All Out Assault!" Laserman raised its arms as the cannons on its body began to launch lasers and other attacks at Leonidas. Leonidas: 400Gs Laserman: 790Gs "Not good!" Flash cried as he ran to avoid getting blast, while Leonidas was bombarded by the attacks. "Ability, Activate!" Leonidas and the card glowed. "Hyper Shield!" The light dome appeared around the dragon and deflected some of the blast, while others still caused Leonidas to stagger backwards. Leonidas: 400Gs Laserman: 590Gs "Still not enough," Phantom told him. "Then let's try something new," Flash held up another card as Laserman's attack ended. "Ability, Activate!" The card glowed, "Co-Side!" Leonidas and Laserman glowed, Leonidas leaping into the air as his shield vanished. He flew around Laserman as the light around the Darkus Bakugan flew off and into the Haos dragon. Leonidas: 500Gs Laserman: 590Gs "You really think that's gonna stop me?" Phantom asked before holding up a card. "Ability, Activate!" The card glowed as Laserman's entire top half rotated a full one eighty, the robot raising its cannons and aiming at Leonidas. "Leap Sting!" The Bakugan fired its shoulder cannons and the laser struck Leonidas, making him cry out as he fell towards the ground. Leonidas: 450Gs Laserman: 590Gs "RAAAAAH!" He screamed before hitting the ground, while Flash pulled out another card. "Let's end this, Laserman!" Phantom was about to activate another card as the robot rolled towards the downed dragon, but Flash was quicker. "Ability, Activate!" It glowed as Leonidas' eyes shot open before he leapt up into the air, "Alpha Blaster!" The dragon open his mouth before unleashing the blue laser, which struck the robot and knocked it falling backwards. Leonidas: 650Gs Laserman: 590Gs Laserman hit the ground hard and morphed back to ball form, the ball rolling over to Phantom as Leonidas returned to normal. Flash: 100% Phantom: 50% Phantom picked him Bakugan up and smiled, "you are strong." "Of course," Leonidas stated. "I'm the strongest Bakugan there is, even if I'm being held back by the incompetence of my partner." "What did you say?" Flash asked. "You would have lost if it wasn't for me." "I would have won earlier if you hadn't been so slow and picked the right abilities." The two continued to argue as Phantom smiled, while another Bakugan jumped up and opened up on his shoulder. "Let me handle this, master. I'll show these fools how far they have to go before they can called themselves the best." "Yes," Phantom agreed, "I think it's time to stop playing with our food. Let's go, Fury." The Bakugan jumped up and closed before Phantom caught it, "if you're done arguing? Why don't we continued this Brawl. Unless you're giving up." "I never give up," Leonidas stated. "Do it, human." "My name is Flash!" The teen stated before throwing down his Gate Card. "Now," Phantom held up his Bakugan as it started glowing purple, "prepare to witness my true power." With that, he leapt straight up into the air. He got a good five meters as he puled his arm back. "Bakugan," he threw the ball and hit a pair of coins, "BRAWL!" It hit the dark ground and popped open, "Bakugan...STAND!" The Bakugan unleashed a burst of dark light that flew up and began to take shape. "Rise, Darkus Fury!" The light faded to reveal the Bakugan's true form, a black and white demonic creature with purple wings. Its body was mainly black and was covered in white bone-like armour. It had a bunch of yellow spikes running down its chest and from certain other places. Its shoulders had round red orbs covered by white armour with the yellow spikes rolling over it. Its arms had bone-like gauntlets with a yellow spike coming out the end over its hands, the hands being black with yellow tips on the end. Its head had a white helmet with red eyes and three spikes coming out of the top in a triangular location. "RAAAAH!" It roared while spreading its wings, unleashing a wave of dread that made everyone who felt it shiver. Fury: 400Gs "This one is different," Nimue stated. "More then just an ordinary Bakugan." As she said this, Fury glowed and his power rose. Fury: 500Gs "I'm not scared," Leonidas stated before turning to Flash. "Do it right this time." Groaned but grabbed him and rushed off, running up the side of a spike and jumping off. "Bakugan...BRAWL!" He threw the ball and just managed to hit a single coin, powering Leonidas up as he hit the ground rolling. "Bakugan...STAND!" The ball popped open and in a flash of light, Leonidas appeared as the power up increased his Gs. Fury: 500 Leonidas: 450 The two Bakugan stared one another down, Leonidas growling until Fury let out a laugh. "So you're the mysterious Leonidas?" Everyone gasped, unable to believe this Bakugan could talk as well. "I can't say I'm impressed. You're no different from any other beast I've defeated before." Leonidas growled as he charged towards the demon. "Ability, Activate!" Flash held up a card as it glowed, "Alpha Blaster!" Leonidas opened his mouth as the blue lightning formed within it. At the same time, Phantom held up a card that glowed purple. "Ability...Activate!" Fury began to glow the same colour, "Darkus Envy! Now Fury's power will increase by the same amount your ability pumped you up." Both Bakugan continued to glow as their power increased. Fury: 700 Leonidas: 650 "RAAAAH!" Leonidas fired his blast bu Fury simply smacked it away, completely unphased. "What?" "Pathetic," Fury stated before flying forward and punching Leonidas in the face. He cried out in pain as he fell backwards, hitting the ground as Flash pulled out another Ability Card. "Ability, Activate!" The card glowed, "Brawling Dragon!" As Fury charged, Leonidas picked himself up and threw himself forward. He roared before he started swinging his arms and legs around, only for Fury to avoid them. Fury: 700 Leonidas: 750 "Ability," Phantom stated, "Activate!" Fury flew backwards as he glowed again, "Darkus Sloth!" The dark light flew off Fury and hit Leonidas, making him groan in discomfort. Fury: 700 Leonidas: 650 "No," Flash cried as Fury charged forward. He reached for a card, but Phantom was first. "Ability, Activate!" He held up a card as Fury's arm spike suddenly extended and glowed, "Darkus Wrath!" Fury: 900 Leonidas: 650 Before Flash could activate an Ability, Fury slashed at Leonidas down the center with his stinger-like blade. Leonidas roared before he transformed back to ball form, causing him to fall to the ground and roll to Flash's feet. "No way." Flash: 50% Phantom: 50% "Wow!" The announcer cried, "in one round, Phantom has tied everything up. Things aren't looking good for Flash." "Are you okay?" Flash asked as he picked Leonidas up. The Bakugan remained closed, Flash wondering if maybe he had lost the ability to speak. "You giving up?" He turned to Phantom as the strangely clothed teen held up a card, "I hope not. We were just starting to have fun. Gate card!" He threw it to the ground, "Set!" He held up Phantom, while Flash clutched Leonidas. They both began to run until they reached a statue of Warius. Both Brawlers leapt up onto it before jumping off the head and launching. "BAKUGAN!" They cried together, "BRAWL!" Both Bakugan flew towards a cloud of coins and struck them, one Bakugan hitting more then the other, then hit the ground rolling. "Bakugan...STAND!" They both popped open and unleashed the light, which took shape before fading to reveal the creatures. Fury: 550 Leonidas: 500 "This time!" Leonidas snarled, "I'm taking you down for good." "Funny," Fury replied, "I was gonna say the same thing to you." "Ability!" The two Brawlers yelled, "Activate!" Both Bakugan glowed before the lights flew off and were absorbed into the other, "Co-Side!" Fury: 650 Leonidas: 600 The two Bakugan took to the air and began fighting, the Brawlers running after them. Flash glanced back at Fury as he held up a card. "Ability, Activate." The card glowed, "Darkus Greed!" Fury's claws glowed purple before he stabbed them into the dragon, making him roar in pair as he felt his power being stolen. Fury: 750 Leonidas: 500 "Leonidas!" Flash yelled before glaring at Phantom, then pulled out two cards. "Double Ability, Activate!" Phantom smirked as the cards glowed. "Alpha Blaster, plus Shining Tornado!" Leonidas roared as his mouth opened and filled with blue lightning while he began to spin around, causing the lightning to fly out of his mouth and spiral around him as the light did the same. He soon morphed into a golden light drill surrounded by blue lightning. Fury: 750 Leonidas: 850 Phantom watched as Fury was struck by the drill, making him cry out as he was pushed backwards while trying to use his claws to stab into the tornado. He then held up a card, "Ability, Activate!" The card glowed along with Fury, the glow spreading to the tornado. "Darkus Pride!" Fury: 850 Leonidas: 800 The tornado suddenly began to slow down until Leonidas appeared, revealed to be locked in a stand off with Fury. The two were gripping one another's shoulders as they pushed against one another. But it looked like Leonidas was losing ground. "Try this!" Flash held up a card, "Ability, Activate." It glowed. "Hyper Shield!" The dragon glowed and formed, forcing Fury to let go of Leonidas and be pushed back. Fury: 750 Leonidas: 850 Leonidas growled back at Flash, "I had that!" Flash said nothing, instead focusing on Phantom as he held two cards up. "Double Ability, Activate!" Fury glowed as he summoned the arm blade, "Darkus Wrath!" Then, his other arm summoned a blade. But this one was twice as long, "Plus, Darkus Gluttony!" Fury: 1350 Leonidas: 850 Everyone gasped, realising the difference in their points was five hundred. If Flash wasn't careful, he would lose Leonidas. "Triple Ability, ACTIVATE!" Flash held up his cards as they glowed. "Dragon Flash, plus Brawling Dragon, plus, Fusion Ability, Alpha Hurricane!" "RAAAAAAAAAAH!" Leonidas screamed as he once again morphed into the golden light drill, that was spinning faster then before. Fury: 1350 Leonidas: 1400 Phantom watched as the attack drew closer, likely strong enough to knock Fury back to fall form if it struck. However, he wasn't done. He still had his own ace in the hole. "Fusion Ability," he held up a card. "Activate." The card glowed before he threw it, the card turning into a beam of light that struck Fury in the back and caused he himself to be surrounded by the dark aura. "Maximum Darkus!" "RAAAAAH!" Fury screamed as he charged forward, Flash beginning to worry as he looked down at his BakuColar and read what the card did. It granted a hundred Gs to Fury for every Ability he had used with Darkus in the name. And with four being used beforehand, the scores read. Fury: 1750 Leonidas: 1400 "No," Flash whispered before looking up and seeing Fury collide with the light drill. And when it did- KABOOM! The entire stadium struck and the shockwave caused by the combined attacks, with both forces colliding and unleashing wave upon wave of energy. "RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Flash heard Leonidas yell as the light disappeared around him, revealing Fury's fist in his chest. He couldn't hold it any long and was soon reverting back to ball form and falling to the floor, Flash's life gauge dropping. Flash: 0% Phantom: 50% (Winner) As the battlefield vanished, Flash simply stood there in disbelief. "No way." "Huh," Phantom chuckled. It was then that he held up a strange cub like device, which had two sides glowing. The sides with the Darkus and Haos symbol both glowed their respective colours as the symbols grew fainter. "What are you doing?" Flash asked, "what is that thing?" "Nothing a loser like you needs to worry himself over," Phantom replied. "It's a shame I couldn't take your Leonidas. I guess I'll have to win him off you next time." He turned and walked off, Flash standing there until Phantom stepped out of the battlefield. In the hallway, Phantom strolled down the corridor. Fury leapt up onto his shoulder, "that Bakugan was nothing to fear. All it has is power and no finesse." "Maybe," Phantom replied, "but master Sombra still wants him. We'll need to acquire the Bakugan for closer examination." He stared down at the cube in his hand, "but I don't have time to constantly be battling him. I'll have to find someone else who can take the Bakugan for me." Fury laughed, "it's not like either of them are worth our time." Phantom couldn't agree more. In the other hallway, Flash stepped outside as Twilight, Lyra and Bonnie rushed around to corner to him. "FLASH!" They all yelled, seeing him looking down. "Are you alright?" Bonnie asked. Flash didn't reply. "Don't feel to bad. That was a hard battle?" "Made even harder by that Fury Bakugan," Lyra stated. "I can't believe there's another talking Bakugan, and that it's that powerful and battle hungry." Nimue leapt onto her shoulder. "I'd heard of Fury before, but the legends didn't do that creature justice. It truly was a bloodthirsty warrior." "And we lost to it," Flash sighed. "We?" Leonidas cried out from his hand, making Flash hold him up and open his hand so he could pop open. "Who's this we? You lost to it. Not me." The others couldn't believe he was saying this. "How was I supposed to win with such a terrible battle strategy. You had a Gate Card down during my first fight with Fury and didn't use it! And then there's the abilities you used. How was I supposed to win when you kept giving me the wrong abilities to use! Geez, of all the humans I could have been struck with, I had to get the worst warrior in the entire species." "ENOUGH!" Flash screamed, causing the girls to flinch and Leonidas to stop talking. "You know what. I've had it with you. I thought you were cool before, but all you've done since you started talking is insult me. Well I'm done with you." With that, he clenched his first and forced Leonidas to close before throwing him with all his might. "JUST GET LOST!" The girls gasped as Leonidas flew through the air and hit the wall, then fell to the ground and rolled to a stop. They stared at him before turning back to Flash and seeing him walk away, placing his hands in his pockets. Once he was gone, the four glanced back at the floored Bakugan before Twilight moved over and picked him up. She stared at Leonidas as he remained in ball form, then turned to where Flash had disappeared. "This isn't good."