Episode 40: Meltdown of the Resistors

[Tank Stryker]

Loud thuds were heard next to Tank from both sides. Legionoid and Nemeoid formed their own craters by landing so hard after being defeated. As if "No Man's Land" didn't have enough damage, they had to improve the area by adding their own blemishes to it.

"Last place? You really think you're capable of putting me there?" Tank mockingly questioned. "There's something wrong with you, obviously. You don't even know how to take control of your own emotions, let alone get out of second place."

Tank swiped a card on his BrawlX, one that led him to yell this at the same intensity as Gladion's upcoming battle roar. "Ability activate! Battle Charge!"

The Trident of Poseidon and Aegis glowed blue, powering them up a bit. Gladion roared as he descended to meet Gargulion with an equally fierce charge. He slammed the trident and the shield into Gladion at the same time. The collision emitted a shockwave that blew both brawlers backwards on their backs. Gladion was unmoved. He stayed there with Gargulion, seemingly frozen in place for a brief moment. They made eye contact with each other, none of them showing any signs of blinking. They looked ready for blood, and it wasn't clear which side wanted it more.

"Had enough yet?" Gladion egged.

[Markus Hederick]

"Have Tank ask me that once you're dead. I might say yes," Gargulion answered. Markus looked up from the ground and saw this exchange. He knew that Tank was going to be a problem, but not to the point where he would have this much trouble. They were evenly matched, at least in theory. Markus knew that he could catch Tank off guard, but that hasn't worked nearly as well as the failed killing blow a moment ago. Gladion was evasive in his maneuvers, and Gargulion hasn't quite scored a critical blow since the last one. If this keeps up, Tank just might win, because he had the advantage in drawn-battles. That needed to stop.

"Not bad...for an overconfident prick," Markus slightly commended. He slowly got up to stand again. As difficult as it was from an ethical standpoint to do this, Markus was ready to lay down the hammer in the form of the DNA Stimulus. He pressed a certain button on his BrawlX. The transformation was nigh now.

"You sound ready for this. Let's just hope that you can actually do it, for your sake." Gargulion and Gladion's clash ended as both Bakugan rebounded off of each other and went back to their respective sides. A purple star of light surrounded Gargulion just as it did for Markus' BrawlX. Several pieces of stone rose up from the ruined "No Man's Land" and amalgamated onto his body. This combination formed a fiend whose muscular body put Gladion's to shame.

"I've had a lot of practice with this one," Gargulion pointed out as he assumed a boxing-style stance.

[Tank Stryker]

Tank was a little shaken up after getting blown back like that. It's not every day that he has to experience getting put on his back. He barely had that happen to him when he was playing as a quarterback, and when it did, he'd brush it off and keep on going. This hit right here stunned him far longer than he anticipated.

"You're doing pretty well...for a motivated loser," Tank shot back. He pulled himself together and returned to his feet just in time to witness the activation of the DNA Stimulus. Gladion could probably hold out for some time without having to resort to the DNA Catalyst, but only an idiot would be willing to test that in such a dire situation.

"So you've had time to understand your new power while you were killing people? Good for you," Gladion sarcastically congratulated his rival. "Unlike you, I've had the time to refine my skills by sparring with the Seven Angels. Drago, Hydranoid, and Ahio weren't the only ones who got to spar with military-grade brawlers."

Tank pushed a button on his BrawlX to have a blue star of light surge on the device. It progressively changed to a red star, representing Gladion's change in his primary attribute. A misty red aura flowed across Gladion's armor, starting from the chest and working its way outward. His armor was now red. It didn't do anything to change his physical features though, unlike Gargulion's apparent showing of strength. This was a deceptive trick. Gladion's power level was affected in more ways than the eye could see.

"Ah...this brings back a lot of memories. You and I constantly clashing against each other, throwing insults back and forth, and..." Tank was about to give the real reason why he brings this up. His face was very serious when he said it too. "...what Roxy tried to do to you..."

[Markus Hederick]

As if Markus had a short memory lapse, a flashback occurred where he saw the situation Tank just mentioned. It wasn't that long ago when Roxy was out to kill him, but Markus was able to convince her to drop that murderous attitude of hers. She turned out to be a wonderful person for that. Now Tank was pinning the charge on him. He believes that he's just like Roxy in this battle, and that Tank was the one who was tasked with getting him back to who he was.

For a tiny bit, Tank had gotten him with that remark, but...

"In regards to my earlier actions...you're right. I mirror her in a lot of ways; however," he said, "I...have gotten past that phase where I was killing people for revenge. I'm here to join the side that makes the most sense. It is only a matter of time before you have to lose your loved ones too. They do not deserve a drawn-out death like I gave to those Eden doctors, and the only thing I can do now that would make me look worse is to allow any of you to be in my situation."

Even though he said that, Markus got an ability ready to go, continuing to combat Tank to make his objective a reality. "I don't expect you to agree with me until it happens to you, so the only recourse I can give you is to send you to the same place I sent them to. You'll continue to get in my way as long as you're alive, so I intend to change that," he said. "Ability activate! Steaming Havoc!"

The power of Pyrus and Aquos materialized on Gargulion's buffed arms. They gave the appearance of a steady stream of lava and water flowing through them. He pounded his fists together to combine their powers, creating steam. This was a very thick gas that was extremely difficult to see through. On top of that, it spread through the area with ease. Contact with this gas would burn through skin instantly. Another point of contention was for its tendency to enter into an opponent's body to asphyxiate them, if the blood in their body doesn't boil before then.

[Tank Stryker]

"No. The actual reason why you want to kill me is that you aren't man enough to admit when you're wrong," Tank asserted. "What makes you think you can decide what the future holds for me? That's none of your business! If you have no hope, that's fine, but everyone else does, so keep your nasty-ass fingers off of them!"

Gladion's body language when the gas was dispersed told Tank everything he needed to know about the ability. If that makes contact, there will be some messy consequences.

"Gladion, try this!" Tank suggested. "Ability activate! Weapon of the Gods - Sphere of Ceres!"

The Roman equivalent to Demeter gave Gladion a supernatural ability to control the state of the Earth. In Bakugan terms, this meant giving Gladion the power to introduce an attributed terrain depending on the attribute he chooses. A clear orb - appearing as if it were a clear-attributed item - appeared in Gladion's right hand as he raised it up. The Aquos symbol marked it in the center, and the entire construct turned blue. He let it go, and it flew forward by its own control as if it were a sentient being. Pulses of rings escaped the orb as a bone-chilling atmosphere flashed over them. Every participant in the battle was frozen in a shell of ice, including Tank and Markus. The gas was turned into a solid as well.

"Not too bad," Gladion commented from within his prison. His ice melted very quickly due to his Pyrus powers. Tank's followed suit.

"Nice! Gladion, finish him off!" Tank commanded, pulling another ability out of his pocket to use. "Ability activate! Weapon of the Gods - Bow of Diana!" Tank knew that Gargulion's spirit form might seep out of the casing, so he didn't want Gladion in close quarters. He wanted a surefire way to strike that form even if a frame was stuck to Gargulion. That's where this legendary weapon comes in.

The sound of a lady humming was carried throughout the area. Clouds formed above their heads, covering the skies. The light of the moon pierced them to shine over Gladion. A mystical recurve bow descended from this light and into Gladion's possession. When he took it, a crescent moon symbol appeared above his forehead. An arrow automatically materialized on his bow as he got ready to shoot.

As Gladion focused, he could recognize the differences between the different bows he was given by Artemis and Diana. The moon crescent above his head affected his vision somehow. He could see spots on Gargulion where - if struck - would score critical hits, potentially defeating or killing the opponent instantly. Getting a recurve bow on the Roman side as opposed to the longbow on the German side meant that Gladion had to be more precise with this one.

Considering Gargulion could be resurrected by Lars Lion, Gladion took aim for Gargulion's brain. He shot the arrow. The projectile has mirages form around it, making it appear like Gladion had launched multiple arrows at the same time. This will translate to the specified location taking multiple hits from one shot, and each one will deal the same amount of damage.

[Markus Hederick]

Gargulion could see Gladion setting up the kill. If he has access to a power that can completely alter the planet's climate, then there's definitely a cause to not want to be struck by the bow that was just dropped.

"Spirit Walker!" Gargulion activated on his own. He seeped out of his frame to phase through the ice. He fell backwards to dodge the attempt at his life. He then rolled into Markus' encasing to enter his body. This gave Markus some of Gargulion's powers. A green light was illuminated in his encasing, and then it disappeared, showing that Markus had been freed. His life gauge remained where it was though, hinting that the spirit abilities from Gargulion's base has no affect on Markus when the DNA Catalyst is active.

"Hmph...tell that to the Hurranians," Markus simply responded. "Ability activate! Spirit Slash!" Markus projected a smaller orb in his left hand. He released it to have it revolve around him continuously. It eventually dispersed to send a violent energy wave across all directions. The force of this shattered all of the created solids in the area, releasing Gladion's body from the ice and ensuring that Gladion felt a painful reminder as to why he does not try to entrap him. Gargulion exited Markus' body and went back into his own. Once he did, he charged straight for Gladion to force him into submission.

[Tank Stryker]

Gladion attempted to jump over the wave, but he was clipped and somersaulted forward in the air while he plummeted. He regained his senses by the time he landed, but by then, Gargulion was ready to knock him out.

"Ability activate! Art of Battle - Grapple!" Gladion materialized an arrow that had a steady rope tied behind it. He ducked and aimed towards Gargulion's feet and shot it. He completely missed his mark since the arrow went in between Gargulion's feet as he strode. It landed a couple of feet behind Gargulion. Little did they know, Gladion missed on purpose.

"Tell it to my foot!" Gladion asserted. The arrow flashed red to activate some sort of power. Gladion then found himself pulled towards it. He skidded along the ground to rocket himself underneath Gargulion, swiping him clean off of his feet and somersaulting him the exact way it was done Gladion. Gargulion crashed face-first into the ground.

"That's too slow, Markus," Tank taunted, giving Markus a finger wag that implied that what he was doing was never going to work against Gladion. "You're going to have to do a lot better than talking to kill me!" Gladion continued to shoot volleys of arrows at Gargulion's vital organs. He was constantly moving around as he shot to prevent himself from staying in the same place, which could give Gargulion an easy way to counterattack. Pegging him with them would surely prove fatal. 

[Markus Hederick]

Markus was steamed, but not to the point where he was about to lose his focus. All he needed was a clear opening. No one was going to beat Tank in terms of control. Beating Tank would require Markus ruining that control. Markus was now planning for that to happen.

"Right back at you. All you do is talk," Markus countered. "Ability activate! Calamity Blade!"

Gargulion's arms were converted into energy sword constructs. He swiped both of his hands upward from his face-down position to produce the push needed to divert the trajectory of the arrows being shot. If the arrows were close to hitting him, they were destroyed instantly. He rolled over on his back to see Gladion. He anchored his arms into the ground to launch himself into an upright position. Using this momentum, he continued to push against Gladion. This time, he clasped his hands together to produce a mighty energy sword. He placed it in front of him to guard against any further arrows. All it would take is a swipe to destroy any that Gladion shoots.

"Try any trick that you'd like, Gladion. You're only delaying the inevitable," Gargulion permitted.

[Tank Stryker]

Gladion was pushed back a little from the force Gargulion was exerting. Sensing that things were about to get a little close and personal, he strapped the bow to his back and got prepared to take Gargulion head on. He wiped some dust from his face before receiving the next super-powered ability.

"And you're not?" Gladion scoffed. "Tank, let's hit 'em where it hurts!"

"Right with you!" Tank swiped another card on time. "You're going to like this one! Ability activate! Weapon of the Gods - Golden Sword of Apollo!"

The ground rumbled loudly, slowing Gargulion down a bit. A swirl of fire came from the ground and twirled in front of Gladion, forming an earthen pedestal. Within the pedestal, the swirling flame went upwards, forming the golden blade that Apollo wielded. Gladion grasped the blade from its hilt and pulled it out.

"Get him again, Gladion!" Tank's cheering motivated Gladion when he got the blade. He took the sword in hand and went straight for Gargulion. Their intensity managed to come closer to each other through their sword clash. Neither side moved an inch, but a strong recoiling wave traveled around the area, especially upwards. Speaking of who could be up there...

[Seiki Maki]

Above the battlefield, Ahio and Seiki were out for a flight. It was like the ones they took before being invoked in this whole mess, but despite how messy it was it still brought some favorable stuff out in return one way or the other. The wind whipped around the Ventus duo as they few out to who knows where. With Ahio's new evolution, it was made possible to fly to areas they haven't been before, wherever that may be.

Amber eyes stare dully out into the clouds. It was a normal thing for Seiki to do, despite looking so depressed while just simply staring out into space. Though Ahio was flying an unable to see the girl, she shared a close bond with her."Something the matter Seiki? And don't think about telling me no, there's nothing." The bird-dragon states without averting her gaze from the path ahead.

Seiki looks up at Ahio, or the back of her head at least. "Ugh, fine." She grips her hoodie close around her body for comfort as she spoke. "I was wondering... If we should spend some time with Noland and Allen-"

"WOAH, I KNOW WE HAVE SOME CUTE GUYS IN OUR GROUP BUT CHOOSE ONE-"

"shUT THAT BEAK I WASN'T DONE SPEAKING!"

As a result, Ahio got get another scale of hers plucked off in order to silence her by her partner with the red face. It was unknown if it was from the embarrassment or anger. Seiki sighs and continues where she left off before being interrupted, "As I was saying, we should spend some time with them because of what happened to the other that hung around with them. Tracy and Alana did and they got stronger in the process." Seiki says in an analytical tone of voice. "I'm probably one of the weakest links in this group that somehow came together through malicious means of outside forces. If I get stronger, I could stop relying so much on others and actually be able to fight properly myself."

Ahio had a strong feeling that the fight with Deon was still bugging Seiki. The dude was a prick after all and his bull was load of bull so Ahio could full heartedly agree what what she was saying there. "Ah, I see what you're saying," The bakugan hums, doing a small twirl in the air. "Go with Noland. I'm not saying this because of my previous statement or anything. I just realized I have some good aptitude for offense. Clashing with Draco would be a better measure of power rather than the Golem. Added bonus: he's good for something else you want too," She coos. If this bakugan had eyebrows, they would be doing some suggestive wiggling.

Of course, Seiki could envision such a sight (It was a horrific one honestly) and sighs. "You mean you just realized that? That would have been helpful information in those previous battles." Seiki mumbles, crossing her arms and shaking her head. "And how many times do I have to say to you that I don't-" Her confession line of thought and speech were cut off by a familiar yet unfamiliar force that reached up into the skies.

It just so happened to be a shockwave that Ship was one again caught of guard by, resulting in them plummetting downwards. Sure she could have gotten back up into the air with a few flaps of her now powerful wings, but it was a shockwave that caused her to lock for a few seconds. Plus, they had no idea how far the ground was with all these clouds, so one flap cloud place someone endanger. Even if it was something that released a shockwave that big. "Aw crud. The Deja Vu." Ahio states as she was plummetting to the ground, Seiki firmly gripped onto her form.

"Nice to know you remember that, can you make sure we're don't die now please!"

"Yeah, I think I can move again." Ahio manages to move herself in a way so that Seiki would be safe, kept safe by a few scales on the back that appeared to be conveniently there to protect someone riding there, and that Ahio would only take a little damage with the armor-like scales she had on her underbelly. Good thing Ahio did that, because the moment she had positioned herself, they ended up crashing on some rather unpleasant ground.

The bakugan lays here for a moment before getting right back up, dusting off the dirt and looking around. Was that... Fighting over there? Ahio walks over as Seiki peers from Ahio's back, also spotting the commotion.

"It's fighting, this really is some kind of deja vu." The bakugan says with wide eyes, seeing the darkus and Aquos (might be pyrus at the moment) bakugans fight. In no man's land of all places.

Seiki slides down from Ahio and runs over to the front. "Markus and Tank?" She quirks and eyebrow up before walking closer, making sure to steer clear of any flighting. "Why the heck are you two fighting in no man's land? And did you have to shoot that stinking shockwave up there?"

[Markus Hederick]

Seiki showed up to Markus' left and Tank's right. Markus never bothered to turn his head to directly look at her. He settled for his peripheral vision. She was nowhere near worth the attention Tank and Gladion needed right now, and that would go for anyone in the immediate vicinity that carried the possibility of killing him, not just Seiki's presence in general.

Knowing that, Markus carried a worried look on his face. Seiki shouldn't be here right now. This had nothing to do with her, so he'd rather her not get involved. Would saying that get her to leave though? That's something Markus struggled to solve in his head. She needed to leave, but how was he going to get her to do that? Seiki was innocent, almost too innocent. If she got caught in the crossfire here, then him and Tank deserved any misfortune that comes upon them.

"I apologize for that, Seiki, but you shouldn't be here right now," Markus notified her. "Go on and do whatever you do when you leave, but it better not be near us nor near here."

[Tank Stryker]

"Finally, we agree on something!" Tank admitted when Markus told Seiki to scram or get put in a body bag. His mind was too invested on taking Markus down than to stop just because Seiki showed up at the wrong place at the wrong time.

What would surprise them all is that Tank isn't so worried about Seiki getting caught in the middle of their battle. That's due to Tank being confident that Seiki is elusive enough not to get herself into a situation she knows she can't escape from. What he was concerned about was Seiki's possible attempt to stop the fight. That carried a high possibility of happening.

That's why Tank couldn't waver in his approach. If she stepped in, Markus would gun for her too, because she would be aiding Tank in his fight to stop Markus. Gargulion would skewer Ahio's feathers without feeling a hint of remorse. Tank couldn't allow him that opportunity.

"Hey, Seiki, leave this to me," Tank assured her. "I'm not kidding around. You either get out of here yourself or I'll throw you out. You could die if you stay here!"

[Seiki Maki]

"Tch. You should have thought of that before sending up that stinking shockwave." Seiki growls, glaring at Markus. She understood that she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time (again) but it really brought back some sour memories for her, thus her rather harsh comeback. As much as she could like to bury the memories of those demons, they still came crawling back to haunt her. It was a ridiculous and repetitive cycle, sure, but it was like an addiction. It was so easy to just, end it here, then she wouldn't need to suffer anymore from this planet that humans call Earth.

She would have left the premise, if Tank hadn't spoken. Markus had stated his request in a calm manner (even if it did tick her off, it is better to leave sometimes), though to would have bugged her slightly if she were to leave, but she would have done it. Markus was a little hard to read after all. But Tank was a different story. His diction screamed a sense of emotion, one that she had experience with before. Of course, it wouldn't be for the same reasons and all, but the overall feeling would be the same.

Ahio tilts head head to the side slightly, sensing the battler between the two, and their intent to practically harm each other really good radiating off of them. She too had caught onto what Seiki had clicked together. She didn't say anything though, she felt that this was something Seiki should deal with herself and she would step in if needed to.

"Kusokurae, you guys practically invited me here, so I believe I do have a right to say here and watch the outcome of this. Besides," She stares at Tank with a dark sense of fury within her eyes. It certainly was odd, but Seiki had an ongoing dance with death. "You're talking to someone who avoided death from others and myself. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself and making sure I don't die." As long as Ahio was there though. And knowing the bird, she shouldn't be leaving anytime soon.

[Tank Stryker]

Tank's right eye twitched a little when Seiki openly defied him with such stupidity in her voice. She sounded naive, like she knew what was about to go down and was too stubborn to move away when she could. Tank's thinking was along the lines of not trusting anyone. Until proven otherwise, Markus and Eden were threats. Markus' case didn't have to be explained after he killed Skystar prior to Gladion reviving her. Eden had just allowed the people who killed Markus' family to roam free longer than they should have. Who is to say that they won't act like the police and start gunning people down, just like they did Kendrick and Noland?

With this in mind, Tank turned his head slightly towards Seiki. He was beyond aggravated when it came to fighting Markus in mortal combat. Seiki wanted to be a smartass, and it wasn't going to fly.

"W-we invited you here? You fucking idiot!" Tank bellowed. "I don't care what you believe or think you are! I'll tell you what you are if you stay here: fucking dead! This isn't some game where you can sit on the sidelines and cheer!"

[Markus Hederick]

Markus was thinking about this scenario for a bit before saying something. Sure, Tank was right on the money with his comment. No one could say for certain whether his and Tank's clashes could produce a force that wouldn't just swat Ahio out of the sky. The way he saw it, he saw no problem with Seiki wanting to play with chance. It could actually work in his favor...

"It's your funeral," Markus suggested to her, shrugging his shoulders. There was nothing more he could do about that. If something happens to her, he better not be held responsible. They said leave, and she chose not to. That's on her.

"Hey, Tank. Real talk for a minute," Markus called out, smiling as if he was confident in what the result was going to be now that he sees what he is seeing. "Wasn't it you - my pestering mentor - that told me not to make one crucial mistake that I see you doing right now? Didn't it go something like, 'Don't let your feelings for the enemy get in your way during battle?'"

As he was onto something, Gargulion started pressing his weight onto Gladion, pushing him down and bringing this gladiator closer to being crushed by the overwhelming power of the Calamity Blade. "I think we should change it to just feelings for anyone near you. Suppose one of my attacks 'accidentally' targets this young lady. Are you going to stand there while it hits her?"