Epilogue: We Shall Overcome

[Noland Hardy]

The championship bout that could be looked at as a nightmare for one combatant ended in a victory that was too great for the awards ceremony not to receive very special attention by the media and certain representatives from the league organizers, the Bakugan Battle Brawlers Association, which was named after the team of brawlers that accomplished similar feats to the modern day Resistors a century ago and is why the coliseum they are in is named after their leader. Once the Subterra staff cleaned everything up on the battle grounds, a lustrous podium was planted in the center of the arena. The top eight contestants were to be presented to the country as the best they had to offer. 

The brawlers included in the top eight in the order of placement were Noland, Alana, Allen, Carson, Tank, Markus, Tracy, and Komba; strangely, Tank and Markus fought each other to a standstill in their brawl, so the officials decided to give them both the same ranking, which greatly aggravated the rivals. The chairman of the BBBA, Houston Keene, attended the ceremony after learning every Resistor, except for Seiki since she didn't compete, placed in the top eight of the country. It was fortunate for Tank and Markus that they were standing on opposite sides since they truly wanted to hurt someone for their disappointing performance matching each other's when Houston began handing out medals and plaques adorned with radiant colors that were only bested by the superior manufacturing capabilities of the company behind the BrawlX's creation. Considering what most of them were responsible for doing, the CEO, Raven Atlas, blessed all of them with the newest models of the BrawlX as thanks for what they were doing. 

A party was held in conclusion of the tournament. Before departing from one another to spend that time with their family, the Resistors met with one another to applaud each other for their efforts, especially Noland with what he did to bring Alana back from the darkness. She apologized to all of them for anything she might have done under the persona of Karen Valentine and hoped that all of them could forgive her for all the damage she unwillingly caused. All of them were pretty supportive of her and held no ill will towards her, except for Noland whose reaction was non-existent compared to everyone else since he opted to let them talk instead. Regardless of his behavior, everyone left each other in a happy ending scenario and left to form their own stories after surviving the obscurity. 

(Credits Theme)

[Daniel Andersen]

Darkness created by Dharak and its blind followers was ripped apart by Resistors piece by piece until it was completely voided into pure nothingness. Game Dharak created to help him go through with his vicious and shameless plans quickly fell apart like puzzles in a domino-effect. End of the tournament marked the end of Dharak's terror and its dreadful existence among humans came to an end. Population of USA was relieved that chaotic monsters known as The Pack and Baalenoid were eradicated at last and that there was no reason for their Bakugans to be hurt anymore. This marvelous ending of a story bound to become a part of history books brought smiles and tears of joy to many knowing it was all over.

However, that joy and happiness was not present everywhere upon the magnificent victory. Former accomplices of Nero Bullock were taken to prison after being defeated by Resistors and seized by police officers. Akane Huomoto and Makoto Nakashima were taken to a prison not too long after being seized by the police, but their temporary leader and accomplice, Daniel Andersen, had a special treat considered worse than death. He was transferred to the Power Cell a.k.a. Zero Prison, advanced jail of Silver Knights and W.S.O. where he was supposed to be 'examined' by bloodthirsty and power-hungry scientists. Media was currently pointed at Noland Hardy, other Resistors and events occurring inside Washington making those scientists' jobs with Daniel far easier than they originally hoped for.

Even after he was defeated by Noland Hardy his situation hasn't changed a bit. His case was far different than the one with Alana Cortese. That little candle of humanity he still had left in his eyes finally came to a dead end. There was nothing else to be called human in those voided, glowing crimson eyes; just shadows of the past passing right before him before they too join the void forever. His figure became perfectly calm; lying on the bed like he was waiting for something to happen...or someone...Bloody tears emerging from tired and tortured eyes still waiting for hope that was lost long time ago. Guards have stopped coming back, sounds have silenced, the candle of crimson glow was extinguished...Rumors tell that monster met its end inside the cold prison cell...but still during perfect silence at midnight hour painful whispers quoting Bible could be heard coming from the chamber...

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
                                          Matthew 27:46

"Is it ready yet, doctor?" asked a woman with stunning silver hair and odd military uniform. Her eyes were set on a large monitor observing a nearly lifeless dark figure lying in shadows of a lone prison cell. She had a sad and concerned expression on her face as she looked at the screen. "Not yet, but very soon...." A male deep voice said from the darkness and a man in a lab coat appeared. His hair was long and silvery as well and his facial expression was very cold. He carried a notebook in his right and a pen in his left hand as he stared at the screen as well. "This is indeed a very fine sample you brought to my attention...Such power, negativity and darkness in one body...And yet you intend to fight for it while you could use it instead...Your good heart will lead to your doom one day." Man continued with a very strict tone towards the woman. He was very disappointed in the way something that woman did and was very fast to state it.

Woman was ignoring what doctor was saying to her and then she smiled. "If this will lead me to my doom then I accept it with my both hands. You should understand this above anyone else..." Woman replied calmly making doctor react angrily towards what she said. "My personal affairs are none of your business, Maria..." He said angrily, but without rising his voice against the woman. "It goes the same for my affairs, doctor..." Woman said calmly catching doctor off-guard with his argument and then she turned towards the exit door at the end of the room. "You just remember what your place is in all of this, Maria..." Doctor said impatiently as he continued with flipping pages of his notebook. "You should too...Kyuki..." Woman said and left the room through the door leaving doctor alone in his work. Screen was still turned on showing a dark figure lying in a cell. Upon taking another look at it doctor felt even angrier taking the remote a shutting down the screen. He threw remote on a table and sat down in anger flipping pages of the notebook in darkness and silence.

[Tank Stryker]

Soon after the National Championships were completed, with Tank’s disappointing loss to Allen and the events with Alana haunting him, school picked up again and Tank graduated with a solid 3.74 grade point average, putting him within the top 15% of his class. Katherine Wilconson graduated at the top of their class, serving as the valedictorian with Steve Jackson as the salutatorian. Steve’s speech honored all those who had died in Nero’s attacks, especially John, for which the entire procession had a moment of silence for.

Katherine’s speech however commended the senior class for their actions of setting an example for the younger student of leadership and camaraderie, specifically citing Tank’s efforts with Noland and Tracy against Nero, for which Tank received a standing ovation. During the procession, the school’s faculty called John Whitmarsh’s name to receive his diploma, which was accepted by Tank and Steve, who then, in turn, gave it to John’s parents. The stadium in which the ceremony was held erupted into applause, with a chant of John’s name permeating from the student body. Tank wiped his tear filled eyes during this, and could swear he saw John standing at the exit of the stadium, giving Tank a smile before turning around and walking through the exit into a bright light.

After the graduation, Tank went with Steve and Katherine to the big graduation party thrown by the parents at the local country club before retreating to a smaller party of his close friends and acquaintances. Around midnight, Tank left the party alone, unknowingly followed by both Steve and Katherine, walking towards the park he and John used to play at as kids. Venturing through the park, stopping only to look at the swing set, Tank continued down the road towards the place he knew he needed to go to: his old house.

Upon arrival, Tank looked under the doormat to find the spare key, still in the place his mom would leave it, however, before he could unlock the house, Katherine and Steve made themselves known.

“Tank,” Katherine said, reaching for his shoulder, “Let’s go back to the party. We only graduate once, you know?”

“Yeah, man,” Steve said, wheeling up to Tank’s side and punching him in the thigh playfully, “This place has been empty for a long time. I know you and John would hang out here sometimes, but he’s gone man, ya know?”

“I know,” Tank responded, solemnly, “I’m not here for that. There is something I have to do.”

“Well, then, we’re coming with you!” Katherine demanded, sternly.

“Yeah!” Steve agreed, wheeling in front of Tank, “Open the door, or I’ll kick it down!”

There was a moment of silence before Tank and Katherine began to laugh hard. “I feel really bad for laughing, Steve,” Tank apologized between chuckles.

“Don’t,” Steve replied, chuckling, “I said it.”

Tank then proceeded to unlock the door and open it before Steve could ram it with his chair. Walking inside, Steve whistled in amazement. “Damn, son,” he said, his voice reflecting his impression, “What did your dad DO?”

“He was an accountant,” Tank answered, walking forward “And an asshole.”

The group approached a door under the main stairs with a sign that said “Basement: Tank, Keep out”. Tank stopped and jiggled the knob, revealing the door to still be locked after all these years. Backing up in silence, Tank ran at the door with his shoulder up, breaking the shambly wood off of its slightly rusted hinges and sending it flying down the basement stairs. “Come on,” Tank directed, ushering Katherine to follow him as he grabbed Steve and threw him over his shoulder.

The stairs seemed to be made of driftwood gathered from a beach somewhere (which would explain the weird family vacations), making the air smell of sea salt. Down below in the basement, there was not concrete or stone, as Tank had thought, but sand. On the walls were murals of ancient Greek and Roman myths, and on the back wall above a sleek, steel computer on a desk filled with pictures of Tank and his mother, was a trident, painted in blue paint.

“Your dad had… ahem… eccentric tastes,” Steve pointed out as Tank put him down into a blue and gold cushioned chair.

“What the hell, dad?” Tank said in wonder.

“I can tell you a lot, William,” a voice from behind Katherine replied, making the three (well, two physically) jump. Tank turned Steve around to face the voice. A man in a hood stood at the bottom of the stairs, his figure about as tall as Tank and just as fit. Walking forward, the figure approached Tank. “I can tell you everything you want to know.”

“Who are you?” Tank demanded, his fists raised, “And how do you know my name?”

The figure took off his hood, revealing black hair and blue eyes, just like Tank’s. His facial features seemed like they belonged to a Roman god, and he stood tall and muscular, just like Tank. “Just dear old dad,” he answered.

In a split second, Tank rushed at his father, with the intent on dishing out as much punishment as he had taken from him. His father, however, was prepared, and flipped Tank onto his back before he could land a punch. Tank scrambled to get up and rushed him again, this time landing a solid punch to the gut. His father grabbed him not a second after the blow made contact, and threw him to the ground, pinning him. “You done?” he asked.

“LET ME GO YOU ASSHOLE!” Tank yelled, a blinding rage overtaking him, “YOU HURT ME AND MOM! YOU BEAT ME! YOU BERATED ME! YOU FUCKING BASTARD!”

“Yes, son,” Tank’s father said, “I know. Just give me a chance to explain and it will all make sense.”

“NO, YOU ASSHOLE!” Tank continued, “I’LL KILL YOU FOR WHAT YOU DID TO M-“

Gladion floated out of Tank’s pocket and opened up in front of his face, interrupting him. ”Give your father a chance, Tank, Gladion commanded, sternly, ”I sense no ill will from him.”

With anger twisting his face, Tank nodded. His father unpinned him and allowed him to get up, brushing the sand off of both of them.

“William, I didn’t do all of the unspeakable things I did to you because I hated you, because of my job, or because of your mother,” Tank’s father began, “I did it because of Nero.”

Tank’s jaw dropped and his anger turned into confusion. “How do you know about Nero?”

Tank’s father walked past him and turned on the computer on the desk. Typing on the computer, Tank’s father pulled up a list of email conversations between him and Nero.

“Nero contacted my firm about running audits for the CIA,” Tank’s father explained, “Everything started out normal, just casual, getting-to-know-each-other conversation, but then it got weird. One day, out of the blue, he began asking me about my high school and college brawling history. It seemed weird, but he seemed very interested so I told him. Then he began probing about my family. Not you and your mom, however, but my - I mean, our - ancestors.” Tank’s father turned to face Tank, grave seriousness in his eyes. “He wondered of our connection to the Ancient world.”

Tank walked over to the computer and began to read the emails as his father continued. Steve and Katherine were in total shock and silence.

“You see, William,” he continued, “Our family is not entirely human. The reason you can command Gladion and others so well in battle, and why your eyes glow bright blue when in an intense battle focus, stems from our family’s founding in Ancient Rome. While most family back then were founded by a human patriarch, ours was divine.”

“You mean… a god?” Tank asked, looking up at his dad, “Bullshit.”

“It is not bullshit, Tank,” his dad refuted, “In fact, that necklace you wear is the patriarch’s necklace. Crafted and worn by Neptune himself.”

“But I thought we came from Germany?” Tank asked, confused.

“The other Romans were scared of us and our battle prowess,” Tank’s dad answered, “We had to flee, and settled in Germany. We changed our names and lived below the radar. A father in the direct lineage would present his first born son with that necklace when he was born. It denotes you as the Heir of Neptune. The men in our family inherit the divine DNA, which gives us our battle prowess and strategic skills. Nero wanted that. He wanted to create super soldiers. He wanted to play god.

“Nero kidnapped me one night and extracted some of my blood, then released me. I came back and realized that I had to stop him,” Tank’s father’s eyes began to well up, and with a crack in his voice, he continued, “To accomplish that, however, I had to give up what I valued most: you and your mother. I explained to your mother what I was doing and why, and she forgave me for what I was going to do, but I couldn’t tell you. I had to make you hate me. I couldn’t have the liability of you missing me.”

“Dad…” Tank said softly, trailing off.

“William, I mean Tank,” his dad corrected himself, “I want to be a part of your life, if you can forgive me. I did it all to protect you and your mother. I tried to be a part of your life in any way I could. I saw you play football, and it broke my heart and made me so angry when you were hit by the drunk driver.” Tank touched his leg where the scar was from the accident.

“I wanted to visit you so bad, and tell you what was going on, but I couldn’t. So I paid for your trip to Greece. I was there during all of your brawling competitions. I was there during John’s funeral. I was -“ Tank’s dad was cut off by a forceful hug from Tank. Tears streamed down Tank’s face and sobs rocked his body. His father grasped him and held him tight, his eyes watering.

“I forgive you, dad,” Tank said between sobs, “I want you in my life again. I understand the evils Nero committed. I want my dad back.”

“I’m so proud of you, Tank,” his father said, releasing the hug and holding him back, his hands on Tank’s shoulders, “And I have a couple more things for you.”

Tank’s father reached into his back pocket and produced an envelope with the seal of the Professional Brawling League on it, then handed it to Tank.

Taking the envelope, Tank ripped open the letter and began to read. Tank turned around to look at Steve and Katherine. “The Washington Legion have just offered me a position on their team,” he revealed, his voice shaking with excitement, but also tanged with a hint of sadness.

“Gimme that!” Steve demanded, grabbing the letter. Katherine took a position behind Steve’s chair to read it as well, “Holy shit, Tank!” Steve yelled, “You’re a professional brawler!”

“But what about GWU?…” Katherine asked, trailing off.

“That,” Tank’s dad began, producing a second envelope and handing it to Tank, “Is what this is for.”

Tank ripped open the second letter, bearing the seal of George Washington University, and began to read. His eyes grew wide, and he quietly handed his letter to Steve.

“They’re offering me a full scholarship,” Tank said in disbelief, shaking his head, “and are allowing me to compete as a professional brawler.”

“YAY!” Katherine exclaimed excitedly, hugging Tank, “We can go to school together! Plus, professional brawling seasons start in the spring, so you can have your first semester to live out the college experience!”

“Dude!” Steve yelled out, giving the letter back, “I’m just down the road at Georgetown! We can hang out all the time!”

“I…” Tank said, trailing off, “I don’t believe it.”

“Believe it, son,” Tank’s dad, said, moving forward to clasp his son’s shoulder, “You’re a college boy now!”

“And already making a six figure salary to boot,” Steve said, making everyone chuckle.

“Why would they do that?” Tank asked his dad, “What did I do?”

“I mean,” Steve responded, his voice matter of fact, “You did kind of save the United States and maybe the world. Plus you were the National Champion last year and went back this year. They’d be stupid not to offer you a position.”

“Not that,” Tank said, slapping the back of Steve’s head comically, “The school. It seems like a liability to them.”

“They know you are capable,” Tank’s dad said, moving towards the stairs, “They said they’ll work with you to make sure you’re doing alright.” Tank’s dad put one foot up the stairs, and motioned for everyone to follow. “Come on, let’s get out of this old basement.”

Once everyone had left the basement, Tank’s father turned off the computer and removed the hard drive. He returned upstairs to the group waiting for him and walked with them back to the party the kids were just at. Tank gave his dad another hug, and his father told him not to do anything stupid. Tank made no promises to that.

The next day, Tank began to pack for fall training with the Washington Legion. The university had given him special permission to move into his dorm room early, citing that he would be expected to live in a dorm just like any other freshman, regardless of occupation. Tank had also made sure to grab his letters of recommendation and references for the various fraternities on campus. With rush starting soon, his plate was very full.

Once everything had been loaded into Tank’s parents’ car, he decided to take a quick walk. He dropped by Steve’s house to say bye, to which Steve told him not to think he was getting away from him that easily. Tank said he knew that, and continued on his way. He went down a few blocks and finally came up to Noland’s house. Knocking on the door, Noland’s grandmother was the one who opened it. She invited him in, and gave him some tea before yelling for Noland, who came down the stairs a few minutes later. They caught up for a little bit, Tank telling him everything that had happened the night before, and then presented him with a bundle of what looked like credit cards with the Washington Legion’s logo on it. Tank told him they were season tickets to all the games for this upcoming season, and that he should give them to all of the Resistors, minus Markus (Tank was very adamant about Markus not getting a pass). Putting his hand on Noland’s shoulder, Tank said that what happened with Alana is tragic, but she is never going to be the same person again, and that it is time to move on.

After their chat, Tank got up and thanked Noland’s grandmother for the tea before going to the door. Turning around, Tank looked at Noland and stared him down menacingly before saying “Don’t fuck up my team, Hardy.” To which Noland replied that he wouldn’t.

Walking back to his house, Tank gave a passionate kiss to Katherine before getting into the car with his father. Moving vans began to show up to the house shortly after Tank and his father pulled out of the driveway. His father revealed that they were moving back into their old house on the other block since his parents were back together again. Tank was ecstatic about the news and was looking forward to having his old house back.

The drive to campus took less than an hour, and about two and half hours after arriving, Tank was set up in his room. Embracing his father one last time, Tank told his dad not to do anything stupid while he was gone, to which his father gave no promises. Looking out the window of his new dorm room towards the Legion’s stadium, Tank watched his father drive away and knew that everything was going to be fine, and that if it wasn’t, he was there to help.

[Seiki Maki]

It was a few days after the eventful tournament and the Maki resident was dead silent, as if there was no one there. But of you listened closely enough, you could hear soft breathing and the occasional ruffling of feathers. On the roof of the house there lays Seiki, looking at the night sky with Ahio at her side. She was unable to fall back asleep when she woke up at a ridiculously early time this morning. Her bird companion seems to be having the same problem, so the two of them sat outside on the roof, gazing at the starless sky which only held the crescent moon shining brightly in the night sky.

"Hey Ahio."

"Hm?"

"... A lot has happened... Wouldn't you agree?"

"...Yeah..."

The two of them went back into a state of silence, but now recalling all the moments of the past. Both the painful, and the pleasant. But mainly the painful, they seem to leave more of a deeper, unforgettable mark compared to the pleasant.

"It all started with the studio... Then it spiraled downwards from there on out." Seiki says with a sigh as a small breeze passes by. Her yellow eyes start to become glassy as she closes her eyes. "Sometimes... I wish that it never happened..." A single tear rolled down her cheek. "Why? ... Why me of all people?" She murmurs, reopening her eyes and once again gazing at the moon. Though it seemed like her depression had been dealt with a while back which triggered Ahio's evolution, the depression continued to stick to her like a lingering shadow that would never leave her. There would be times when she completely forgot about it, the though of it hidden in the corner of her mind. But then it always came back to haunt her one way or another. After all, depression is something that won't end happily ever after all so fast.

Ahio takes a few steps to huddle beside her partner, having her light green and purple feathers brush up against the human. "Remember, there are people out there who care for you well-being... The companions you've meet is a handful." The bird says as she too looks at the crescent moon. "And if anything... I would be very upset if you were to disappear. You can count on that for sure."

The tears continues to slowly roll down Seiki's cheeks, her breathing hitching a little as she holds back her sobs.

"You're falling prey to the desolation again... Seiki." Ahio murmurs as she rubs her back against the said person's cheek, wiping away her tears somewhat. "The world is harsh... No one will have a bright path. There will always be bumps and hiccups. There there." She pats the girl's back with her wing to the best of her abilities. And with that, Seiki begin to cry once again, the tears rolling down and dripping onto the roof. "Just let it out, don't hold it in."

Ahio stayed like that, comforting the ventus resistor until her tears had stopped and her breathing had went back to her normal breathing pattern. "Thanks Ahio." Seiki murmurs, running her fingers through the feather of her bird partner. Then something in the sky caught her eye, and it seems to have caught Ahio's as well. "A shooting star."

"Isn't there some kind of saying where you wish upon a star, your wish comes true?" The bird asks, tilting her head as her blue eyes were glued on the star.

Seiki gives a nod in response, "Yeah, but that's just chi-"

She was cut off by the now cheery voice of her bakugan, "Then let's do it! I wish for-"

"Baka, you don't wish them out loud, or they won't come true." Seiki says in a playful tone, tapping Ahio's beak, signalling her to be quiet as she casts aside what she was going to say before. "Just say it in your head."

The two of them simply gaze where the shooting star appeared before it shot towards the beyond.

"The sun is rising," Seiki says as she gets up, Ahio following her actions. "Let's go back in and get ready for another day." She says as she stretches before going back in through the window she came out from, her bird companion following right behind her and giving a chirp of agreement.

As the sun slowly started rising from the horizons and engulfed the land in a sea of sunlight, a single feather that was colored both black and white flew in the gale of the wind alongside a single petal of a sakura flower with it's tips dyed with a maroon red.

The crescent moon, so high in this dark lonely sky,
An ocean of obsidian, tangled in the light
So make a wish now upon a shooting star
And watch it fly across the night, into the beyond

We’ll break from this dark and endless night
Your tears will fade into days that still lie ahead
If you could take what’s reflected in your heart,
Beyond the dawn you’d set your sight

Ah, this swift gale of wind will carry us there...

[Tracy White]

Tracy's performance in the national championship was nothing short of spectacular for her. Some could argue that placing behind the rest of the Resistors has the potential for one to say it was a disheartening finish if their standards were really that high, but seventh place in the entire country is nothing to be upset about, especially when taking her past into consideration. This also meant that she was the best Haos brawler in the country due to passing up the rest of the competition in her respective attribute. From that moment, she understood what the saying meant when it states that it's not about how you start, but how you finish.

Her status as a Resistor made it much easier to pursue a position of leadership for the upcoming senior class. Backed by the friends she made from her former team at the beginning of the year to the squad of cheerleaders she formed in opposition to Tank, Tracy's campaign for class president was heavily supported by those who knew her and saw how much she grew within that short time frame. Her reason for doing so ties with the idealistic principles she grew up with that coerces her into making decisions rather than having the wrong people make them for her. There is the question whether her beliefs are actually deemed correct, but after everything that she has witnessed from her tenure on the front lines and in the battle arena, there were zero doubts in her mind on what needed to be done to ensure that the senior class has the most productive year that is absent of the strife that plagued the entire country over the course of this year.

Tracy's labor proved to be fruitful towards the end of the school year when students started to get elected into their respective positions. She was unanimously selected to be the senior class president for the upcoming 2012-2013 school year. Skystar commended her on this accomplishment and thought that it felt much better now that they weren't playing the role of a hero and a leader as they were before, but actually claiming the part. Per the ongoing gag that she started, she purposely waited for Noland to go near the school's battle arenas on the day she was elected, thanked him for his contributions in helping her realize her potential, and gave him a death hug before he could say a word.

When they walked to the battlegrounds together, they were greeted by a multitude of people that were interested in learning from both of them. This came as a shock to Tracy since she wasn't used to being on such a level that makes others envious of her power. She briefly looked at the exact location where she was when Daniel first attacked and saw a flashback of her inexperienced reflection acting in such a panicky manner that made her a liability. Comparing that to how she was looked at now put a sense of pride on her face in the form of a humble smirk. While she wasn't in as much trouble as her comrades were from all of the trouble, she could proudly say that she wasn't the same person she was when it all started; in fact, all of them were different people, but the difference in her life was too good to be true from her perspective. "It's as a great man once said," Tracy said while transitioning to a quote, "Human progress is neither automatic or inevitable. Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals."

(Credits Theme 2)

[Akane Huomoto]

Akane's red eyes eyes look at the walls that held her captive, one side with iron bars, the rest just boring old concrete. She sat slumped up against one of the walls, one hand resting on her stomach in a fist while the other laid limply on the ground. She was waiting for a certain someone to arrive like they always did, but this time, they were a little on the late side.

She had some one sided conversations with the someone Akane was patiently, talking about what has happened these past few months, reliving all the said events. Then once she ran out of that to talk about, she moved onto the topic that the someone liked to yammer on and one about. Shippings between all the foes, a strange thing to talk about but it made time pass by. Know who the someone is yet? Bet ya do. 

Her dull red eyes lit up once she saw a spark of blue appear in the corner of the cell, and there appeared the Torahu sprite prancing up to Akane. "Heh, what took you so long?" The pyrus terrorist chuckles quietly, patting the sprite which gave a purr in response. Torahu unraveled her tail to drop a small item into Akane's hand like she always would, but this one would be the last. "So you got it, that's great." 

She attaches the small piece Torahu had managed to snag to the device she had in her closed hand and smirks, looking at her partner-in-crime. "And that's all we need." She shows the device to the flame sprite, who nods in approval. "Looks like we just might be busting out of here sooner that I expected." And the sprite made a happy chirp sounding noise in response.

[Allen Silva]

After the finals of the tournament, things started to return to normal for Allen. He went to school, then worked out after. It was as though nothing had changed. Well almost nothing. Ever since the battle with Nero and the terrorists, his parents were a lot more trusting, allowing him to have Gorem with him.

" Things got really crazy there didnt it?" Gorem asked one day after Allens workout. This was the first time they really reflected back on what happened." I mean we battled enemies of the world and a gigantic super monster. Who can say they had done that?"

" Yeah. Everything used to be so simple and easy. The Iron Juggernaut was gone,and i was just another normal person." Allen remembered as the begun to walk to his house." But then all of a sudden, i was thrust right back into the fray, following Noland once again. That wasnt even the craziest it got. Soon enough we were battling a dharaknoid possesing one of our friends."

" It ended very well though. We got Alana back, and become more powerful in the process." Gorem finished the summation of the past battle." Now i think we should stop rereminiscing."

" just got one more thing to say." Allen said, a huge grin growing on his face." The Iron Juggernaut is back, and he's here to stay."

[Makoto Nakashima]

It has been some time since Makoto saw light of the day. Prison security has become very tight in a past few weeks that there was no space to move a finger and even less to think about escaping. Those few months before Makoto became just a statistic in prison were probably last months he could use to go on with his plans. Those chances were all voided once he joined Nero and other two terrorists, Akane and Daniel. He felt disgusted that he even met those people in the first place now that it was realized he could not do anything he wanted because there was constant ordering coming from those who were nothing more than potential victims of his power.

Prison cell always felt so cold, dark and quiet...There was no sound wherever Makoto would go; fear of his appearance was present even in hearts of worst criminals there were. Prisoners would always avoid and stay back from that defeated terrorist who was still considered a potential threat to any living being and were quite disappointed that he did not end up like his former teammate, Daniel, unlucky bastard who had misfortune to be taken by Silver Knights and that was considered to be even worse than death in a prison cell. However, Makoto was not intending to waste his time thinking about something pointless and meaningless like that; he did not care where Akane and Daniel were.

Intention of this infamous terrorist was to leave as soon as chance would show its face. There was no hope of it happening any time soon, but sure was possible with all the commotion happening outside the prison. He was impatiently waiting for the moment a chance would appear and his intentions and powers would finally be used for what he desired it to be used. Wrath at people, his former allies and everything in his mind started to grow without control just waiting to erupt and take lives away like it used to be before. This was just a simple example of what was going to happen.

[Markus Hederick]

The mental shakedown surrounding the conflict provided a crazier ending for his high school brawling career than he had anticipated, but good still prevailed in the end like last time. The school didn't speak much about the situations until it was time for graduation, which took place in a church rather than the stadium Tank's ceremony occurred. Markus was honored during the commencement address where the special guest, Dr. Lonise Bias, personally thanked him on behalf of the entire community for his bravery during a very tough time for all of them. While Allen was not present at the event, she still did him justice through the encouraging words she gave the class of 2012 in hopes that they will defend what's precious to them just like he has. That sense of self-accomplishment Markus felt was elevated even higher when he managed to come in at #7 out of his class with a 4.09 GPA; however, that feeling was dropped in favor of embarrassment when his little sister, Maya, began showboating on purpose when she previously promised him that she wouldn't, which would have been cute if her rowdiness didn't reach the level where other people silently wished for her to shut up.

Markus didn't have a blown-out graduation party. Instead, he kept things rather quiet in the form of a family dinner at his favorite restaurant, Texas/Logan's Roadhouse. The family members in attendance were his maternal and paternal grandmother, maternal aunt, mother, father, and sister. They were very welcome in the establishment thanks to his affiliation with the Resistors and ended up getting special treatment, which made a nearby table filled with overweight visitors to express their disgust towards the people in charge for allowing such a thing that ultimately led to the complainers being kicked out of the restaurant. Thinking that this was funny, Gargulion confronted them while they were being led out and, like the troll he was becoming, hoped that he would see each of them on the front lines the next time something happens since running away must have required them all to be in very good shape.

His return back home came with a few surprises. The first off the checklist was going through every money-filled card he received from various people and taking down every giver's name to go on thank you cards later on. The second item was something that he had been missing ever since the revelation of being considered for the Professional Brawling League along with Tank at the conclusion of state. His parents called him into the family room to give him a long-winded speech on how much they've seen him grow over the years. They specifically cited his academic accomplishments after throwing in an implication of how they had to put the foot down on his everyday life since he allowed brawling to interfere with his responsibilities in life; thus, they finally deemed him ready to receive his best gifts after he showed incredible dedication to improving his life in every category. There were two envelopes they gave him; one was a letter from Princeton University that offered him a full scholarship - an honor just as rare as Tank wanting to be friends - while the other was a letter from the PBL offering him a place on the New York Revolution.

While their son was speechless at this news, his mother told him that they found it fitting to show him what would come in the future after he finished what he was doing in the present. The bewildered Markus wondered if they actually thought it was okay for him to fight on this level considering they never truly liked the thought of him in an arena, which was still very true based on the response his dad gave. They openly admitted to that fact, but they knew it was something that he felt passionate about and was good at it, so they thought it was slightly wrong for them to object to it the way that they have when they started to become aware of it rather than just keeping it strictly about schoolwork. They wanted him to have greater ambitions than involving himself with a dangerous activity that was once considered a hobby completely, and they have grown to accept brawling as a tool that would help him do that once he became allies with the Resistors. This was a perfect transition to the final item on the list that was left in Markus's hands.

What he was going to do from there was the question that was the only remaining thing Markus needed to resolve. To start his future off, he thanked his parents for punishing him in that manner since it made him cognizant of the valuable life lessons concerning responsibility and commitment. He knew that changing their minds about what brawling is and will be was not currently achievable thanks to Nero and Dharaknoid, but he knew the answer they were looking for wasn't too far off now that there is hope in finding one. Before he left, his mother told him to take Tracy out one day of the summer since she was a very nice girl. This was easy material for Maya to make fun of him over multiple days of the summer while he was still in the area, which was countered by Markus by using the same trick with her interactions with Kendrick.

Sometime in mid-July, Markus encountered Allen and Alana in a mall in Waldorf after getting his eyes dilated per his eye appointment. He was wondering where Noland was since he figured they'd all be together, but then he remembered the extenuating circumstances around that issue. They caught up for a little bit before he was shown the tickets Noland gave them. Markus couldn't see a single word on them, but it didn't take him a guess to know who was responsible for handing them over. Alana found it hilarious that Tank made sure everyone knew he didn't want Markus showing up at any one of his matches, but Markus wasn't amused. He gave them his tickets to pass around and told them not to waste their time with the Washington Legion since it takes more than one person who was at the top of their game in a previous league to make a washed-up team good, which was another way of saying that they were garbage with or without Tank on the roster. Before going on his way, Markus wanted them to know that they should all keep one another close since they'll never know who they might need when things get chaotic, and assured them that whenever he was needed, they can call him at any time.

[Alana Cortese]

Alana's return back home was rather peaceful. There were a few bumps in the road concerning her interaction with Noland who was quite neutral in the emotions he chose to show her. She jotted down the memo very quickly for obvious reasons, so she chose to keep her distance from him as he seemed to have wanted. This led to many occasions where hanging out with him just to catch up seemed impossible. It was like he didn't know her anymore, and it continued to get worse each time she would spend time with Noland that eventually led to her refraining from any social activities with them in fear of continuously reminiscing on the past festivity. She figured the pain would subside with time, but it didn't appear to be on her side.

Thankfully, she was never aware of her parent's drug addiction that has been an occurring problem stemming from her absence. Aside from the pleasant reaction Noland had when a party was thrown in honor of his saving of Alana at her house moments after returning from Providence, her parents were not too fond of bringing even more disappointment in the household through the discovery of their self-destructive "medicine" that they've abused for three years. Due to this, they caved in and promised Noland and company that they were finally going to seek some help, but begged for none of them to reveal any of that information to Alana. Surprisingly, they honored this pact despite putting up with a great deal of stress from their antics, but they warned them that it will be broken if they are caught with anymore incriminating substances.

As time passed into the summer months, it became evident that the incident with the actual Karen Valentine placed her in hotter water than she realized. Like the sore loser he was, Gunz ran his mouth about the situation after overhearing Noland explaining the circumstances to Allen. Karen turned out to be an orphan whose family members were murdered individually through unidentifiable circumstances, so the orphanage was very distraught when they figured out the girl they allowed Nero to adopt years before ended up being deceased this entire time. They held a memorial for the girl the last weekend of May. It was televised after the media gathered the intel, which was the only reason Alana or anyone related to her not to attend the event; instead, she watched it take place on her television to pay her respects from a safe distance. Hearing multiple speakers take the mic to praise this girl and cite her death as a tragedy made her want to cry. She definitely got the chance to do just that when news reporters gave certain people the chance to speak their mind where they condemned her on national television.

This started a controversy officially dubbed "Brawlergate" in which one side has a serious concern over brawlers across the country taking the law into their own hands even though the Doom Dimension is not governed by any Earth laws. Knowing that she was the one that detonated the explosive, Alana started to become doubtful of what this would mean for everyone. Surely, the concept of standing your ground had to have some legitimacy in the way she behaved on that day, but people will always have differing opinions on what could have been done, especially if they were not there to make the decision themselves if it were them in her shoes. Perhaps there would be a day when this misunderstanding, at least from her point of view, would be rectified so everything could truly return to normal in society and in her inner circle. Judging by how society and Noland was reacting, Alana wondered when that day would come, if it ever arrived.

[Noland Hardy]

It didn't take Noland a single day to make him realize how much his popularity had surged since he was crowned the new national champion. Averting catastrophic disaster three times now in addition to being the best in the country without any contest made his days identical to tedious chores. People were constantly in his face every day asking him questions relating to how he's so powerful and what it felt like to fight against the enemies he put down. Some were sickening enough to cross the line by asking him about Alana after the Brawlergate controversy surfaced, which he thought was absolutely ridiculous by both name and purpose and thought it was there just so people can have something else to complain about. Contrary to popular belief, Alana was not the one that received the most attention from it. Every Resistor received their fair share of attention from naysayers who accused all of them of sending the wrong message to their children that it's okay to rise above everyone else and do whatever they wanted. Noland had never facepalmed so hard in his life up until that point. That was never his direction.

He couldn't contest the safety concerns associated with that task, but he knew where society went wrong. The message that the Resistors displayed was so misinterpreted, misrepresented, and skewed beyond repair that the mere thought of this argument having any plausible foundation forced lawmakers into a state of disarray as to what comes next. From Noland's perspective, the idea of people being restricted to minuscule roles based on age or occupation while turmoil exists in the streets of America is not a future that anyone should have to accept based on the ideology of others, especially when everyone including the children were targeted by these terrorists. To say that they were encouraging upheaval in the form of social change would only be true based on the principle, but what makes it different from the allegations is that more people should use the tools that they do not use. Their voice shall be shouted instead of silenced. Their feet shall move rather than remain stagnant. Their fists shall be raised as a substitute from cowering in fear. Their eyes shall be fixated on one goal as an alternative from looking away. There shall be one nation that is indivisible with liberty and justice being attainable for everyone, including the ones who were struck down that never got a chance to let anyone hear what they had to say.

When Drago asked Noland whether he cared about this scandal, he responded with an unsurprising no as he only cared about their belief in each other and in the people they've inspired to not stay quiet in the face of adversity. That is a trait from Vince that resurfaced in this community through their efforts, and he wasn't going to let it die based on what the Daily Bugle had to say about them. There was one problem he had with it though. The effect it had on the other Resistors was what concerned him. Tank and Markus were pretty much unaffected since they were considered heroes for what they did based on what he was told from his conversation with the former when he visited. It was Alana that was worrying him the most.

He knew that Alana's seclusion was reaching identical levels to his own when he quit brawling three years ago. It wasn't difficult for him to guess that he is a major factor as to why this is happening considering his apparent disdain for her at the moment; in fact, it wasn't disdain that occupied most of Noland's memory as it was merely bewilderment that kept him away from her for so long. To be close to someone who is supposedly his father's killer felt so impossible that it developed into a personality of its own and embedded itself into Noland's head where it dueled his care for her over mental dominance. He didn't know whether to love or hate her, which Drago found to be understandable, but he noted that it came with the cost of fracturing the relationship between the trio. Noland silently admitted that Tank may have given him sound advice once again. It might have been for the better that they stayed away from each other before those feelings causes him to do something that may turn the world against him just like a certain someone he knows about.

Reality still called for his assistance outside of the mental warfare though. With Tank out of the fray as far as their team went, he was the one that had to use all of the knowledge the veteran gave him to lead everyone in the right direction or he'll possibly suffer Tank's wrath immediately. Calling the shots was a power that was not common for an upcoming sophomore to have, but it seemed fitting as it reminded him of the old days when it was just him, Allen, and Alana having fun just being normal children at the community center. He knew Allen must have been busy coming up with new tricks since it wouldn't be a surprise if he had identical responsibilities following the departure of Markus. While that rivalry was the last thing on his mind, he was glad that they both had something to work toward again other than fighting on the streets.

Even as he thought about that, the time to rise up could be just around the corner since he knew that Dharaknoid was only beginning to show how much of a menace to the universe it really is. Without any sufficient means of combating it any further, it was time to do what Drago said and take a break. They have their own battles to fight that's already more threatening than that thing. It'll be a challenge to make it through to the end, but that's what the rollercoaster called life was built for. Noland assured himself and Drago that they were going to overcome all odds to move forward. He knew that's what Vince would want him to do, and to carry on his legacy was an honor and a privilege that even the dark forces of the Doom Dimension cannot blot out.

[Noland Hardy]

Cast

Noland Hardy    --------- Zeno

Allen Silva    --------- Ryek Marachion

Alana Cortese    --------- Zeno

Alana Cortese  (dark)   --------- Zeno

Tracy White   --------- Dylan Tryster /Zeno

Tank Stryker    --------- @houstonkeene

Markus Hederick   --------- Zero Thadeus /Dylan Tryster /Zeno

Seiki Maki   --------- // ;シラ

Nero Bullock   --------- Zeno

Karen Valentine   --------- Zeno

Daniel Andersen   --------- Keto

Makoto Nakashima   --------- Stephen Langley /Keto

Akane Huomoto   --------- // ;シラ