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Post by Noland Hardy on Mar 23, 2023 17:48:30 GMT -5
While the Knights and Angels were having their own situation, the Resistors arrived back at the 'safehouse' safely. Noland was in the room with a bunch of Secret Service agents trying to explain to their bosses why he disappeared over the phone. He seemed to be finishing up as he was getting ready to walk away from them.
"You're a true hero, Noland," one of the agents said to him. "Thanks for saving us, both professionally and literally. Working for the government is probably in last place on the list of things you want to do in life, but if you ever want to or need any kind of help, let me know."
"I appreciate that. Thanks," Noland accepted just to be kind. He walked into the commons area of the house where everyone was glued to the tv. The channel was on the Bakugan Brawling Network with the star hosts, Yuji and Miko.
"Welcome back, everyone. We're still following the breaking news coming out of New York City. Federal authorities have their work cut out for them. They're still checking the entire city for damages after it was restored by Tank Stryker. Thankfully, they have NYPD to help out with it, but that's still A LOT of work," Miko introduced.
"They're probably trying to map out the entire crime scene and account for everything. Thank God for Tank's magic in restoring everything, but I'd imagine people will get in trouble IF there's something destroyed and they don't check it out," Yuji figured.
"But what happens now? We know the battle is over, but we're not sure of how things ended. As we've said earlier, no one was allowed in the city for obvious reasons, and due to all of the destruction going on, no one wanted to deploy any surveillance equipment. We only know what the media personnel from various agencies wants us to know. They're just saying that Noland destroyed the threat. Does this mean that... Did Noland...?"
"I wouldn't blame him if he did. Every news outlet is trying their best to get this information out. I'm surprised none of them tried to interview any of the Resistors since they were all seen near the city." After Yuji said that, he paused to listen in on what someone was telling him on his earpiece. "Well, if you're disappointed by how slow this information is coming out, you're going to want to hear this. A few years ago, when the corrupt CIA Director Andrew Bullock was doing what he was doing, Congress and the Supreme Court were absolutely furious. There were multiple talks of handing out controversial bans on Bakugan usage. Well, now we have that starting up again."
"...What...?"
"They're VERY serious about this now. It looks like the extreme power from civilians among the pros and the Resistors renewed the thought that Bakugan are simply weapons that we're not supposed to have. They're talking about holding a hearing where they'll want Noland to testify in front of them. What they want to hear from him is anyone's guess."
After hearing that, Noland groaned. Certainly, there are people who shouldn't have access to Bakugan, but those people are in the minority. At least, he would like to think so. Whenever these situations happen, it doesn't matter how many out of the population commits terrorist acts. All it takes is one.
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Post by Father Tinsley on Mar 26, 2023 6:50:58 GMT -5
Tinsley was not currently aware of the feds capturing Calvin. For all he knew, Yuji and Miko were correct: Noland destroyed Calvin. He had no idea that his identity was already exposed. He was very calm on one of the couches though. That calmness quickly disappeared when his phone rang. What could anyone want with him right now?
”Sir?” Tinsley greeted as he put his cell phone to his ear. ”...Could we do that virtually? I’m in a bit of a situation right now… Oh, you already know about that? ...Okay.”
He pocketed his phone and got up. Before he could take a step, two agents planted themselves in his way to make sure he knew what was going on.
“Your ride is outside. We can leave whenever you’re ready,” one of them said.
”We can leave now. Wouldn’t want to keep the boss waiting. Whatever he wants to see me for sounds urgent, so...the sooner, the better,” Tinsley figured.
“Copy that.” The agents walked with him outside and into a vehicle.
”...They seemed to be more of in a hurry than I was...” Tinsley thought to himself. As one agent got into the passenger seat of the vehicle and one stood right in front of the rear passenger door where he got in from, Tinsley looked them up and down. ”...Something’s not right… They appear like ordinary people, so why am I seeing I can negate them…?”
Knowing this, Tinsley was naturally suspicious, but he kept his cool and got comfortable. Whatever was going on was inconsequential. He’ll deal with the situation as it evolves.
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Post by Noland Hardy on Mar 26, 2023 6:51:33 GMT -5
With Tinsley gone, everyone was free to talk about anything involving him as long as Jenna was nowhere near them. Noland and Alana were doing just that with Darius in his normal appearance listening to them. They were sitting near each other on a bed. Drago and Hydranoid were in their robed forms playing with Darius with Bakugan action figures off in the corner.
“We’re just going to have to assume that Tinsley knows about him. He may even suspect the two of us for...obvious reasons,” Noland figured. “Well, before we get to that… Vladitor, is there a way to get rid of Ken’s curse now that we know about it?”
”Demaryius is the expert on that, so...I’ll let him explain,” Vladitor passed off.
“I’m so glad you said his name, because we’re going to set some rules here. I can’t catch a break with the amount of trouble I’m getting into. Having a target on my back while that’s happening because of him is not fair and I’m getting more tired of it every passing day. I think Darius is a cool kid and I don’t want to abandon him since none of this is his fault, but I’m going to need some type of ‘hazard pay’ due to these Tribunal shenanigans and child support for Darius. I’m taking care of another man’s kid just for the ‘convenience’ of being the said man’s vessel. The said man also thinks it’s okay to take control of my body without my consent and then leave it in a place I shouldn’t be in. That stops now and I demand some form of compensation,” Noland decided.
”To be fair...leaving you in Alana’s bed was my fault,” Drago reminded him.
“I know, but just because you wanted to be a dickhead doesn’t mean he had to do it, but he did it anyway,” Noland countered.
”...I deserve that. It was messed up,” Drago accepted.
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Post by Alana Cortese on Mar 26, 2023 6:52:03 GMT -5
“...He’s right…” Alana agreed. “I don’t want to sound selfish – and I certainly don’t think Noland is selfish for what he said – but we’re doing all of this, and the only new information we got from either of them was about Father Zayne. We’re not even filled in on what gets talked about when our bodies get taken over. All of this was manageable when we didn’t have these enemies piling up on us, but now…”
”I’ll tell you what I’d do if it were me,” Hydranoid spoke up.
”Maybe you shouldn’t,” Drago advised.
”They’re in your bodies living rent free and you’re taking care of their kid. The least they can do is provide more information, especially now that we know who the main enemy is on Earth. Otherwise, evict them,” Hydranoid advised anyway.
”...I’m sorry. I thought you were going to say something egregious,” Drago apologized.
”What you said is very reasonable,” Vladitor surprisingly agreed.
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Post by Darius Hardy on Mar 26, 2023 6:52:25 GMT -5
Hearing them talk about his parents not pulling their weight made Darius apologetic. He stopped playing for a moment to address Noland and Alana’s concerns.
“I’m sorry, Mommy and Daddy. I should do better. I’m supposed to help you,” Darius expressed. “I just remembered something important they told me just in case I was ever in their situation. Your DNA code matches theirs when they take over. It’s like you become them! But don’t tell anyone… They’ll know it’s them and not you!”
“Also, Father Zayne at his most powerful is stronger than anyone, but he has poor stamina. He doesn’t like fighting people. He prefers making people lose battles from the sidelines instead.”
“Finally, you should ask about Mother Bowen! She used to babysit me, but I never saw her again after a certain point. Daddy said she made something very bad…”
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Post by Noland Hardy on Mar 26, 2023 6:52:41 GMT -5
“…” Noland took all of that in. Everything he said was very valuable, especially the last part. What did Bowen do…?
“None of this is your fault. Don’t be sorry. Your only job is to be a kid,” Noland told him. “Still, you helped us a lot with what you just told us. Thanks.”
”Vladitor, do you know what she made?” Drago inquired.
”No. This certainly has me curious,” Vladitor answered. ”You’ll have to ask him that as well. I have limited information on his and Bowen’s relationship, but...I’d rather not misrepresent him by potentially giving false information. It was a touchy subject that he never wanted to talk about.”
“Alright. I’ll get more information later,” Noland surrendered.
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Post by Alana Cortese on Mar 26, 2023 6:53:00 GMT -5
”I’d still consider throwing them out,” Hydranoid reminded everyone. ”Even if they do give up more info, it took saying all this to get them to talk. Shows how thankful they are for having a place to hide. I don’t like them.”
”My apologies. If I knew-” Vladitor tried to say.
”Don’t apologize. You’re alright...for now...” Hydranoid cryptically responded.
Wanting to move on from the conversation and let Darius continue playing, Alana shifted the conversation to Noland’s condition after the battle with Betadron. Before she asked him the all-important ‘are you okay’ question, she looked into his eyes. They were flashing a dark color. She could only assume that maybe he was still struggling with his own darkness.
“I know you said you weren’t okay earlier, but...is there anything that could help you…?” Alana wondered.
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Post by Noland Hardy on Mar 26, 2023 6:53:20 GMT -5
Noland expected to be asked about this. He wasn’t prepared to answer it though. He hesitated to look her in the eyes to show her how unprepared he was.
“I don’t know,” Noland answered with a shrug. “What Betadron did was remind me of what I hate, and then amplified that emotion to ridiculous levels. I’m not surprised that Tracy and Skystar got corrupted as quickly as they did when we were on Neathia. I’m surprised I wasn’t...” Noland was intentionally vague with what he hated that Betadron took advantage of.
Noland saw how worried Alana was after hearing his answer. It was written all over her face. “I’m surprised that...you look more worried about this than I am…” he noticed. “...Maybe I shouldn’t be. Right before Petra hugged me, I saw remnants of tears on your face… I didn’t really do a good job of easing your worries with how I answered that EMT. Sorry about that…”
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Post by Alana Cortese on Mar 26, 2023 6:53:38 GMT -5
“…” Alana wanted to hit him – playfully of course – for saying that he was surprised at how worried she was. Since it wasn’t the right time to do that, she settled for the next best thing: placing her hand on top of his.
“I thought I was going to lose you...twice...back-to-back…” Alana told him in case he didn’t notice. “Yeah...I cried...a lot… When you said you wished you had time…I feared for the worst. I still do even though you’re here. I’m really scared that there’s a possibility you could ever become...evil...again…and to see you go away to the Doom Dimension with that monster… I thought my last memory with you would be yelling at you for the Maurice situation instead of telling you that I l-”
She cut herself off before she could say anymore. Her hand was trembling since something she may or may not be thinking almost slipped out.
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Post by Noland Hardy on Apr 3, 2023 8:42:25 GMT -5
“…” Noland was curious what Alana was getting at with the last statement. He was about to ask her to finish what she was going to say, but decided against it at the last second. She likely stopped for a reason. The trembling that he felt from her hand seemed to suggest that she was either afraid based on what she just said, was afraid to say whatever she was about to say, or...both.
“I hear you,” Noland acknowledged, sparing her from having to finish her statement. He held her hand to try to calm her down. He didn’t think it would work immediately, but it was what he could think of right now. The trembling stopped though. He doubled down on his calming routine by engulfing his hand in Switch Code energy. His pupils changed color as well to match that energy. This was to show that there was light still in him.
“I thought the same thing, to be honest. I thought about you a lot,” Noland revealed. “Seeing and hearing all of that was hard for you, I’m sure. I know there’s not much I could say to make this any easier to handle, but...if there’s something that could help you feel better, or if you want to talk about anything...I’m still here. As long as I’m alive, I’ll always be here.”
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Post by Alana Cortese on Apr 3, 2023 8:42:42 GMT -5
Alana was very glad that Noland was so understanding. She was even more glad he didn’t press her on that last comment. Her heart was racing just from almost saying something that she probably shouldn’t be saying right now…
“…Well...since you’re offering...maybe...” Alana was having trouble getting her thoughts together. What if she actually says that she…
”Come on… Say it… Say it…!” Hydranoid secretly wished for in his head.
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Post by Darius Hardy on Apr 3, 2023 8:43:01 GMT -5
Darius noticed Alana’s troubled demeanor and concluded that:
“It looks and sounds like Mommy loves you very much, Daddy,” Darius said out loud. “I remember something similar happening right after Daddy and Father Zayne had a...’disagreement’. Mommy said she realized her true feelings for Daddy all along after almost losing him, but never wanted to ruin what he had with Mother Bowen!”
”...They’re different people. Why can’t you just differentiate… You know what…? Nevermind… You’re doing this on purpose… I’m so sorry for his outburst...” Vladitor surrendered.
“Should I leave the room now? Mommy kissed Daddy, and then they shooed me. Now that I’ve been alive all these years, I realize that they were about to have-”
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Post by Alana Cortese on Apr 3, 2023 8:43:19 GMT -5
Alana’s color scheme was hot pink after hearing what Darius said. Right before he could finish that last sentence, she ran over and covered his mouth with her hand:
“You don’t have to finish that!” Alana shrieked. Once she felt like he wasn’t going to say anything else, she stepped away and took several deep breaths. “Okay… I’m just… I’ll let you rest now! See ya!” Alana ran so fast out of the room that it looked like she deleted herself from existence. That’s what she wanted to do deep down. She went off to find a corner to curl up in a ball in and cry.
”I told you about using that language too. And yes, it still counts. You were about to say the forbidden word and you know it,” Hydranoid spoke up. ”You’re on timeout now. Go to your room.”
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Post by Darius Hardy on Apr 3, 2023 8:43:37 GMT -5
“Aw man… But it’s true though...” Darius whined.
”Go on, or we’re going to tell your Great Grandma what you said and have her deal with it,” Vladitor warned him.
“...Okay...I’m sorry…” With that said, Darius was led out of the room by Hydranoid. Vladitor followed soon afterwards.
”Hey, Sandra. Guess what he said this time?” Hydranoid said anyway.
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Post by Noland Hardy on Apr 3, 2023 8:43:53 GMT -5
Noland was confused, VERY confused. The stuff about love and whatnot was one thing, but the relationship between Demaryius and Mother Bowen disturbed him…
“...What happened between them…? This sounds like a love triangle...” Noland wondered out loud.
”I have A LOT of questions after hearing that,” Drago stated. ”For now, how about we get some rest?”
“Yeah…” Noland agreed. “But...something else is bothering me…”
”What is it?”
“...He’s a kid...so I don’t want to press him, but...he knows a lot of information… Maybe too much information…” Noland figured.
”I guess it depends on what he sees. The way you and Alana are with each other reminded him of certain things,” Drago guessed. ”What he saw was how we found out information from him before. Maybe that’s a trigger for him? That may be what we can do to get him to talk about the past rather than interrogating him.”
“Hm...”
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