Episode 14: A More Formal Introduction

[Daniel Andersen]

When Makoto said that silence got into the room...Daniel turned to Karen griping his white Bakugan in his hand and said sarcastically: "Someone who's that deaf has a lot of nerve calling herself 'Beauty Queen'. Maybe a 'Queen of Deaf' or something similar would be more appropriate."

He then continued speaking, but with a more serious tone: "I simply suggested we make a diversion to separate Noland from his comrades. To get Dragonoid we MUST fight Noland. Don't you get it, Karen? Whatever we pick, whatever we try it will bring us to the same conclusion; that we must face that kid. Of course...if you are planning a tactic like stealing his Dragonoid while he sleeps that's a different thing.....but in any other case it will come to a battle."

"Makoto made a good point asking you that question. I don't see that you've brought us any information that we did not already know. You were obviously raised in a family of spoiled brats if I may add...What makes you think that WE worth less than YOU do? It is not like you've shown any more use than pretending to be a friend to those morons" said Daniel with an obvious irritation for Karen's previous comment. He was always intending to make his tactics and strategies clear to the last point and was always irritated when someone would misunderstand those. He never liked spoiled brats and he was considering Karen one. Actually, he hated people like her.

When finished with his questions he put the white Bakugan on his shoulder and whispering something to it. Bakugan was observing the situation quite calmly with a thing crimson shine coming out of its eyes; similar to Daniel's.

[Karen Valentine]

"Excuse me?" Karen questioned. She immediately walked over to Daniel and smacked him in his face. "Maybe you should get your ears clean," Karen asserted. "Do you really think no one heard what you and your Bakugan were talking about? Everyone else was quiet while your pet ran its mouth. And for your information, I never said you couldn't fight Noland. I said your current method of fighting him is unproductive and is costing us way too much. Maybe if you actually used your brain," Karen said as she punched him there. "we could form a better strategy, which won't be your outdated one since you'll get us all thrown in jail."

Karen took a moment to calm down and then pressed her finger on the terrorist's forehead and said, "You know what makes you worth less than me? Results, progress, and awareness of other people's backgrounds; those are the differences between you and I. Everything I've contributed has been positive to this cause, but yours is on an entirely different scale of negative. You also insulted the family that I really don't have. There's a reason why you're not the leader anymore," Karen paused for a moment just to put emphasis on her next word. "Moron."

[Akane Huomoto]

Akane grits her teeth in annoyance and looks at the two with her blazing infamous red eyes, "Break up the fight you two. Now you guys looks like some old married couple arguing over something... If you plan on fighting I suggest doing it," she points at the door they came into Nero's office from, "outside" She then crosses her arms again and takes a deep breath. "If you guys are going to continue acting like kids, or some old married couple," she murmured the couple part under her breath to avoid any more future insults being thrown around by anyone else, "I know I'll start treating you like one. Tch, I actually expected a bit more from you Daniel, picking a fight with a girl who you already know is going to be of... Fun to our small group." By that she ment what Daniel said to Karen, but didn't have any need to say it out loud. She would rather watch from the sidelines and take notes in her mind, like the type of tiger who would stay hidden under the shadows.

[Nero Bullock]

"Enough!" Nero shouted as he rose from his chair prepared to end someone's life. After the fight started in his own office involving Karen, that was the last thing he needed to see before realizing that this meeting was not going to end well on either side. "Daniel, you really need to mind your manners. I know Karen can be a mess sometimes, but you don't want to go there with her," Nero said in reference to Daniel's familial comment. "Leave personal matters like that out of it. If you have a problem, then we'll discuss it on a later date when our minds are clear, but we will not argue about it. It will not get us anywhere. The most important thing we need right now is order.

Before dismissing them, Nero felt the need to say one final thing to them so they would not think Nero is siding with Karen on this issue and completely ignoring their input. He lowered his voice a little before expressing his final thoughts. "I understand the reasons why you believe Noland needs to be disposed of by now. I get it," he started off before pointing to the pictures Karen gave him as a point of reference. "One of the very first things I told you three was that I intended to keep you out of their grasp, and that's exactly what I'm going to do. It's not that I do not have faith that you are unable to succeed, but the risk of attacking head on at this moment is a huge concern to me and I don't have the luxury of replacing you three or the Pack if things go awry. There is more to a battle than simply charging in, and I need you three to understand this."

"I have a plan in mind that I would like to discuss tomorrow. Make sure you get some rest. Please keep yourselves on the low until it's okay to take action." Nero looked at Daniel specifically and said, "That means DO NOT attack him. Now get out of here." The terrorists were lead to the door and removed his office. Karen was the last remaining person in there other than himself. He looked back at her and spoke with a rather caring tone in his voice, saying, "Thanks for giving me this information. I suggest you get some rest as well. I'm proud of you for breaking a meet record on your very first competition." After commending her accomplishments, Nero changed the topic to her schoolwork and social life. "I pray that you're keeping yourself together despite the schedule you have. Is everything okay with school? Are you turning in your homework on time? Any boy issues other than Daniel?"

[Karen Valentine]

Karen's anger shot through the roof after being disrespected by Daniel, and Nero talking to her this way was not particularly helpful in her calming down. She seemed more annoyed than angry when Nero spoke to her this way. "Why do you act like you care about me at all, Nero?" Karen ruthlessly questioned. "I told you this before. Regardless of what you did for me, you're not my real father, and you'll never take his place. There is no use in trying continuously to win my love. It just doesn't work that way when you force me to do these things, and I wish you would stop pushing me with that."

She was on her way out of the door when she noticed she was harsh with her words as usual, and wanted to at least try to change her words around a little to remedy the situation. "I just never really wanted to keep living like this. I'd rather just live a normal life without having to walk the thin line between hero and criminal. I'm just waiting for you to deliver your promise of a happy life once all of this is over. I'm not sure how much of this I can take especially when these three are natural failures in their own right. Perhaps I'll be able to warm up to you better if this wasn't what I was involved in. No hard feelings...at least not too much." With that said, she walked out of Nero's office and left him alone to do whatever he was doing, but didn't know what reaction she would have gotten out of him had she stayed; she didn't want to know.

[Daniel Andersen]

Three terrorists were going through the dark and silent corridor to their rooms. Everyone was sealed in their own thoughts about recent events in Nero's office.
Daniel thought it was not quite productive visit as he didn't manage to find out anything more about secret powers and those ruins. He was quite dissatisfied with the amount of information he received. And now white Bakugan on his shoulder started scolding him in a mechanic tone.
"You let her speak to you like that? What did you do to the last one who spoke to you like that?"
Daniel kept his mouth shut for a few seconds and simply replied: "Nero obviously wants her alive. Why should I hurt her anyway; for some argument? She is like that Stryker; loose cannon."

"We were more than capable of surviving on our own...and then you adopted Sakura...and then you decided it would be fun to become a servant to some fool. What a brain you've got there" said white Bakugan to Daniel after a few seconds of impatient silence. Impatience kept on growing as Daniel was torn into two pieces; one says to listen to Nero and the other one wants Noland moved out of the way. He did not care much if Noland was dead or alive, but he considered Dragonoid only blockade to his goals.

"Nero is hiding lots of things I need to know. If I have to tear Dragonoid apart and scan him myself to get answers I will do it with no doubt. Nero underestimates me since I was defeated by Noland twice.....But I can survive even in the craziest situation...and I don't care what HE thinks of me...Dragonoid...Noland...you two will be ashes" Daniel announced while his crimson eyes glared and voice became diabolically dark and insensitive. He respected Nero, but considered some his actions rather idiotic because he was underestimating Daniel. 
He went to his room with a diabolical smile and an inhuman look in his eyes. 

[Noland Hardy]