Episode 41: Reformation of the Spartans

[Niko Adrian Nyx]

Niko was napping off to the side with Donovan keeping a watch, they figured they weren't needed at the moment so why not go and take a nap? She had her sight back and the nightmares have stopped, the napping habit never wore off though. Donovan would wake her if needed, he didn't need much sleep to begin with being an other worldly being. When he here her name being called, Donovan nudges Niko awake. "Mmm- already?" She drowsily gets up, blinking a few times to get rip if that awakening haze. A small nod came from the female as Donovan looks at his targets and sighs. "Of course." She waves her hand in the air and around at the five mini towards that Dasia had summoned. "Are you up for it, Donovan?"

The demon huffs again, "I suppose. Dead stuff like this has no taste though, it's gross." He grumbles, sticking his tongue out in pure disgust. That didn't mean he wasn't going to do it though. He just had a distaste for it. Feasting off thoughts and dreams where his way if living after all, how he has gotten so strong. "And now, Somnoum." There was a flash of what can only be described as Donovan's evolved, more threatening form flashed before the beast bursts into a shadow cloud and splits off to the mini towers.

Each shadow wraps around the technology and infused itself into it system, effectively taking over the system as a whole. The barrels no longer looked like a mechanical head of a Dragonoid, but an all too familiar facial structure of the canine beast, even the colors changed to match the darkus bakugan. Not only did Donovan and Niko completely take them over, but they modified the turrets to assume the notable features of Donovan to use to their advantage.

Such a thing shouldn't have been able to be done, but Donovan isn't a normal bakugan, and the abilities were really just a disguise. He is a demon beast if another realm of existence and the abilities were his natural attacks and curses. In other words, it would be hard to counter or take over such a force at minimal, or sometimes even a moderate force of power.

[Dasia Turano]

The turrets that Donovan took over unleashed a full salvo onto Assail Diablo. It was Dasia's fault for doing so. She did not think Helios had the proper defenses to guard against the attack, so it is very clear the First Layer has gotten immensely strong. She knew that Donovan could take over those turrets. She just didn't know that they were going to survive that attack. Helios pummeling Diablo was also a thing she didn't like.

That didn't matter much. Dasia had a counter in case that didn't work.

"Ability activate! Shiny Oricalcum!" As it was being bombarded with the artillery and bomb-related projectiles, Diablo released an omnidirectional counterattack in the form of an excess surplus of energy. A dozen of waves were sent across the field that nullified everything, including any form of empowerment.

This stunned the Spartan Bakugan. All of them were sent reeling. This was a key opening for Dasia to exploit.

"Damian? Trusting your teammate to cover your ass? I'm getting more surprised the longer this goes on," Dasia nods. "I'm almost tempted to let up on purpose just to see what else you can do, but there's no time for that. You're all becoming a major threat to me. I can't have that."

Diablo's chest started to shine. An outline of a blade started to get made before their eyes.

"Ability activate! Infernus Gear!" This ability was a combination of numerous powers being used together. First, Dante's Voltage Blade ability was the foundation for this blade's appearance. Second, Krakix's power surged through it to give it a fiery canvas. As for the third and fourth, Helios' power in all of his layers was adapted to the blade itself, and Drago's power stabilized the energy within to prevent any leakage.

"Begone!" Diablo took the giant blade and stuck it into the ground as if it were a pedestal. Doing so unleashed an unbearable amount of energy that was coming from underneath them all. The Assail System would go unaffected by this energy, but the Spartans won't be so lucky.

[Jamal Armstrong]

Jamal deeply regretted Roxy's death here. Had her and Aquarius been alive, they could have stopped this attack. It fell on him as the defensive genius among them to get all of them out of here alive.

"Ha! That's flattering. Too bad you're going to have to deal with that for a very long time!" Jamal countered, pledging not to get downed so easily. "Ability activate! Force Field!"

Another one of Tec's high-tier defensive abilities, this one relies on the kinetic energy generated by his fists twisting in their positions. Once enough energy was generated, Tec punched the ground below them with both fists simultaneously. The energy below the Spartans was disrupted by the creation of an energy barrier that completely protected them all from the devastation of Dasia's new weapon. Anything that comes into contact with the barrier would be disrupted also, leaving zero opportunities for a stray beam to penetrate it.

"Get rid of the sword Helios, or are you really that weak in your First Layer?" Tec challenged.

[Damian Knight]

Helios reacted in shock that Tec used that ability. He hasn't seen that for a long time, not since him and Tec had sparring matches where that kind of power could be used. He remembers it only works for attacks that aren't physical. He was about to go into the Second Layer to do something about that too.

"Right, because the First Layer is the only Layer you can stand up to," Helios returned.

Damian was more than happy to use an ability he hasn't used in a while either, mostly because he hasn't been good enough in the First Layer to actually use this ability outside of the Second Layer, and all of the abilities from that Layer are monumentally stronger. "Ability activate! Defuse Quasar!"

Now that Helios has powered up in the First Layer, Damian can safely activate this. Helios amassed a large fireball in his mouth. He shot it out in front of him in the form of a giant beam. Clashing with any object allows it to grind into the energy source the victim is powered by and neutralize it, all the while giving the enemy a painful reminder as to who the king of offense on Vestal really is.

But it wasn't that simple though...

As it approached Diablo, the beam shined. It split into several thin strands of energy. All of these crashed onto Diablo and its sword, and when the projectiles hit their mark, a bright light surrounds the affected victim, depriving him/her of their power.

[Dasia Turano]

What an attack that was. For each time Diablo was struck by this light, its power would be reset, and it could sense that all of the individual blasts were as strong as it was when they were combined. The impact was forceful, but the result was even scarier...

"Tsk...not bad..." Dasia grunted. The sword had lost its luster many times over from being hit by so many of Helios' blasts, so it was virtually useless outside of its massive physical attack stat.

"Alright...I can see this clearly now... I guess I'll have to cut my losses..." Diablo threw the sword backwards. It flipped several times until it hit the ground. It was in the perfect position to go through the ground and plot a course for the planet's core.

"Now to finish you..." Dasia moved, intentionally ignoring what she did in the hopes that the Spartans wouldn't notice.

[Damian Knight]

Damian was sharp. He knew where that sword was going, and what would happen if it were to make contact with the planet's core. It would revitalize the sword back to full strength due to Helios' powers being present in it. If that were to happen, the blade may strike them all from unforeseen locations. Helios and Tec could sense where it is, but everyone else may not be so lucky.

She could destroy the planet at that rate...

"I see desperateness, Dasia. You're such a disgrace," Damian insulted. "Helios!" When Damian called out to him, Helios looked back. Damian held up two fingers. He knew what that meant.

"Ready or not..." Helios wrapped his wings around himself. A red light enveloped his body while the transformation process went through. When it did, he unwrapped them to reveal himself in the Second Layer. The sun-colored armor was the least of Dasia's worries now. "...here it comes!"

"Ability activate! Malevolent Core!" Helios started to draw power from Vestal's core. He was able to progressively melt Diablo's sword until it was reduced to ash, directly saving the Spartans and the entire planet.

"I may have been rash - I still am - but I'm nowhere near stupid," Damian reminded her. "You don't deserve any applause for at least TRYING to get me concerned. You're so weak. You make those Silver Knights look like gods."

Helios looked directly at Diablo as he was preparing his finishing blow. "Give my parents a good ol' 'fuck you' when you see them. You'll be there shortly!" Helios pushed his arms outward to send a sun-shaped mass towards Assail Diablo.

[Dasia Turano]

"..Damn you, Damian!" Diablo put its hands out to grab the projectile. It was coming too fast for it to prepare a counter. Once the projectile came, Diablo was pushing against it, holding it in place for a good five seconds before things became a little dicey...

"What's this...?" Dasia knew that the Assail System's power was not souped up anymore thanks to Defuse Quasar, but it still should be strong enough to repel Damian's attack. Why wasn't it working?

Then Dasia took a closer look and saw that all of the Spartan's Bakugan laid hands on Helios. She took this as a sign of Damian's redemption, that he was now a leader in their eyes and was deserving of their support. This powered him up even more.

"It can't be..." Dasia shook her head in disbelief. "That power far exceeds even your Third Layer...I don't believe this..." Diablo was starting to lose control of the energy, and it was engulfed in this fiery mess.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

[Xavier Turano]

Xavier remained strong as he watched this happen to his beloved sister. He did shed a tear, but he wasn't trying to draw attention to it. This was for the best for Vestal, Earth, and the other civilizations beyond.

He was almost tempted to lose it when the chaos cleared. Nothing was left of the Assail Diablo. Helios had obliterated it with the help of the other Spartans. The battlefield rang of dust and echoes. It was a sickening reminder of the civilization he was destined to rule, and now it has been destroyed.

"I thought I was ready to see this happen. I guess I was trying to deny my own feelings this entire time," Xavier realized. "I'm deeply sorry that all five of you had to get pushed into this by myself and my family. None of you signed up to be cattle for Dasia's tyrannical slaughter."

Xavier turned to Deon, who was in need of special recognition. "Deon, this isn't even your home planet; yet, you protected it as if were your own. I don't mean for this to sound like a dig, but...thank you for not running away from us."

[Roxy Grimm]

All of the Spartan's BakuMeters were lighting up. They were receiving a call from someone. The only one who had contact with all of them was none other than a fellow Spartan. Roxy was on the line.

"You're forgetting to apologize to me as well. I'm not from here either," Roxy mentioned to Xavier. "I really did think it was impossible for all of us to be united like this, so I distanced myself from the team, because I didn't feel like I belonged. I got to see myself get proved wrong...even if I'm not really alive anymore."

Then Roxy broke the news to them.

"The Hurranians are in a frenzy right now. You destroyed Dasia, but now...I need you to destroy me once and for all..."

[Xavier Turano]

Xavier frowned when he heard Roxy's voice. He should be glad that she's still "here" in a manner of speaking, but something wasn't sitting right with him. Usually, whenever he gets that feeling, something is terribly wrong. There are so many questions with this unexpected contact that makes this situation very stressful.

One of the questions was simple. Why would Roxy ask them to destroy her? Roxy was strong, but she's no match against all five of the remaining Spartans. What would she be thinking if she's able to receive all of the transmissions the Hurranians send her way? What does she know that they don't?

"Roxy, this is dangerous. If you tell us where you are, every Hurranian will know where to stop us," Xavier stated. "Tell us. What's going to happen now?"

[Roxy Grimm]

"I understand that, but there's nothing else that I can say to you that might stop her," Roxy began explaining. "I'm only able to speak to you now that Dasia is destroyed, but...it might not be that way much longer..."

This would certainly attract anyone's attention.

"Before Prince Turano fought her, Dasia had uploaded a backup of her consciousness to another body in the event that hers was taken offline. She was afraid that she might get overwhelmed because Markus, the masked person, and the man with the Legendary Soldiers took out a bulk of her forces, and the ones that she used against you now hadn't been tested yet. The backup body is MINE, which is why I need YOU to destroy ME IMMEDIATELY! We can't let her revive herself!"

Ignoring the obvious trap she'd be setting for them by telling them this, she told them her location anyway.

"Go to Earth. I'm en route to the Silver Knight HQ right now. The invasion has already started..."

[Xavier Turano]

"...So close..." Xavier knew none of them were going to make it to Roxy in time, especially when there's an invasion to consider. None of the Spartans were in any shape to make the jump just yet, because Roxy's revelation had caused some Hurranians to surround them with a bunch of Bakugan from Earth. Baalenoids, Dharaks, Lasermen, Manions, Hydranoids, you name it.

"Spartans...here's the first official mission I'm going to give you, and it's the most dangerous one that has ever been given to you thus far," Xavier started out as the new commander of the Spartans. "No one leaves here until those Bakugan are destroyed. If one of you gets blindsided, we'd be sending them over to Earth to make their condition worse. I will not accept any of that."

"You all better keep working as a unit. I know you think you're strong brawlers, but...this is bigger than just one of you. Stick together. We're not losing another member."

"We'll get to Earth as soon as we clean this place up, and then we'll render assistance in any way we can. Search and destroy until you find Dasia, and then execute her without delay. That's an order. No time for objections. Let's get to it."

[Noland Hardy]