Before the Collision: Genesis Exhibition

[Kendrick Hardy]

Kendrick was fast asleep in his room one night. He was having a dream of him playing with Maya as if she was still alive. Just like they use to, Kendrick had Maya stay at the house late on purpose so they could goad Markus into coming over to retrieve her. They playfully eluded capture for a little while...until Kendrick started realizing that it was taking Markus a lot longer than usual to catch them. 

"...What's going on...?" Kendrick started questioning.

"What is it?" Maya asked him.

"Don't we usually get caught by now?"

"Maybe we just got better."

"No. See?" Kendrick pointed behind them to show Maya that Markus was casually walking towards them instead of running. "He's walking. It's going on 9 o'clock at night, and he's walking?"

"...That's...impressive for a human to care about that in his dreams..." Maya complimented. 

"Say what now?"

"You heard me." Suddenly, Maya's voice changed to a familiar one.

"W-Wavern!?"

"Yes, it is I. And I brought a guest."

"Guest? Tsk. I invited myself," Genesis Dragonoid objected, apparently being "Markus" in this dream. "Anyway, Kendrick, it's good to see you. While this is in your dreams, this conversation we're about to have IS happening in real-time, so you won't forget it."

"But why me? Noland's right across the hall."

"Nope. We just need to speak to you right now. We'll discuss him at a later time."

"Alright...so, why are you both here? Did something happen? Is something about to happen?"

"Yes, and absolutely yes."

"Oh God..."

"Yes? Oh...wait, you're saying that because you're scared... Don't worry. If it was something terribly bad, we would have went to one of the Legendary Soldiers first."

"Get one with it..."

"Okay, okay. So, Kendrick, for this first part, keep it between us for now since we're going to monitor this to see if it becomes a problem later. There's one person here who hasn't told anyone about entering a different version of this Earth and encountering a being from there."

"...You just told me that you would've went to the Soldiers first if it was bad... That sounds bad..."

"Considering your brother is taking care of that problem, we're not too concerned about it right now. As for why I mentioned it, Wavern tells me that this meeting between different dimensions will become more prevalent in the future, so we figured we may as well have some fun with this and let you all know what kind of threats could lie out there."

"To that end, we want to hold an exhibition match between six beings from another dimension and six beings from this one."

"So...the first thing that Noland's going to say is, 'Do we really have to?'"

"Noland's participation isn't all that necessary. The only thing we're doing is showcasing what another side is capable of. Besides, the particular side we chose was getting close to trespassing in this dimension, because they detected an unauthorized breach from the person Genesis Dragonoid was talking about."

"Alright. Makes sense. What can I do to help?"

"I designate you as the captain of this universe since you will be the least biased. Choose a party of six, and have them gather at the FedEx Field. One Bakugan allowed per person. We will give you three days."

"Three days? Noted. Oh, one very important question. Are there any villains on the enemy team?"

"It's possible. I can't spoil whether or not there is one or many on the other side, but what I can promise is that foul play won't be tolerated. To reinforce that...our brothers will be in attendance."

"Master!"

"So you weren't supposed to say that?"

"It was the only compromise we could get so that brute wouldn't go over to their dimension and wipe them out completely!"

"So if we don't show up, the Dharaknoid is going to come over to our place and erase us!?"

"You know what? You're not saying another word!"

"...Oh my God..."

"...Sike!"

"..."

"Of course we're not going to let him show up! That'd be ridiculous!"

"But if there are villains, we will deal with them if they act out of order. That goes for anyone you pick as well should they be evil."

"...I think I'll just go wake up now..."

"Alright! So it's a battle! Remember, six beings in three days, meet at FedEx Field. Just yell out our names when everyone is present. Good luck, captain."   

[Noland Hardy]

In the morning, Kendrick told Noland every thing that transpired between him, Genesis Dragonoid, and Wavern.

"...That has to be the most ridiculous story I've ever heard..." Noland commented. "...And it's a shame I believe every word of it..."

"And if what was said was true, that would mean that the time Ahio bolted when we showed up..." Drago began connecting the dots on who Genesis Dragonoid was talking about.

"Yeah. It was her. No doubt. I'm only training her and Kendrick at the moment, and neither Krakix or Siege has the skillset to cross dimensions. Ahio's speed makes it possible. We'll tackle that issue later on though. You said we need six members, and you're the one deciding it. It's on you, bro."

"Whenever you're set on a member, just tell us, and we'll go tell them."

[Kendrick Hardy]

"Good, because I'd like you to do it now, actually," Kendrick replied, sounding like he already had a good idea of who he wanted. He handed Noland a sheet of paper that had a bunch of scribbling on it, but...there was a list on there that looked definitive.

"At first, I was thinking, 'Why don't we include people from Vestal on there?' Then I was like, 'Who there is going to care anyway?' I was thinking we could put Damian on there, but since you're here, there's really no need to go through any hassle with them. So you're on it for obvious reasons, with you being the strongest and all that stuff."

"Am I on it?" Krakix asked.

"No," Kendrick simply answered.

"Oh..."

"I can't take up a spot just yet. We're not ready. Besides, we need someone to heal, so Tracy has to be there or we'll be in trouble. Then we have the best defense around, Allen. You and him are freaks of nature that are perfect teammates honestly..."

"That's...three people, right? Three more to go."

"These were difficult, but I want to create synergy in the group. Markus and Alana are fantastic, but...we need people who can cover our...that word I can't say right now or I'm going to get in trouble again."

"I know that's right," Sandra chimed.

"Tank can do literally ANYTHING. I think that'd help us out a lot more than ridiculous DPS while we have no idea what we're up against. Lydia can protect us from threats that aren't able to be combated under normal circumstances. And finally...that girl you were hanging out with. She's great."

[Noland Hardy]

"Hm?" That last comment was a surprise. "How do you know about that?"

"I told him," Drago admitted.

"Gee, thanks for possibly giving him the wrong idea," Noland sighed. "Anyway, give me a second to process everything you just said, and... You're a genius. It would've taken me half a day to come up with this list..."

"We still don't know how this match is going to be fought," Drago mentioned. "No matter how we look at it, a 1-on-1 fight is gonna happen. Gargulion and Hydranoid could beat someone very quickly... Not to mention how dangerous Ahio is starting to get..."

"That's true... Gargulion is VERY important, but...so is Gladion, Hydranoid, and Ahio. Being limited to 6 is making this really hard..."

"If I may interject," Siege interrupted, adding himself to the conversation. "Gladion is the correct choice. Gladion's intuition for battle is a lot more valuable to you than match times. In fact, I'd argue he's the safest option out of the other Resistors, because there's no definitive counter to him, and he can counter everything out there. He'll be ready for anything. Besides, having this girl Kendrick speaks of should be able to cover the damaging rate exponentially."

"...You know what... I'm sold. That does make sense...a lot of sense," Drago surrendered.

"There's nothing like a battling genius like Tank, so I'm down for that," Noland agreed. "Lydia is very difficult to defeat, and she's also a valuable support. We'll be fine there, and...Petra..."

"Leon..."

"Do you have any idea on what I'm going to have to do to get an Angel to join in on this?"

[Kendrick Hardy]

"The way I see it, you two are basically the same person, so she's going to say yes," Kendrick knew. "That is...unless she's holding a grudge for what you did when Alana went Maverick on us..."

"Yeah. Bad move, bro," Krakix co-signed.

"Talk to her and see what happens. She'd perform really well on this lineup. You and Allen would get a break with her around."

"Uh...is there a reason why we're talking about her when Hydranoid and Gargulion are terrors that should probably be there?" Siege asked.

"Leon has deadly support skills that more than makeup for the lack of that kind of firepower," Kendrick asserted. "As we're talking about it, not everyone on the team needs to be throwing nukes and whatnot. We have a balance of extreme force and finesse on our side. We don't really require Hydranoid or Gargulion to be there at this rate."

"BUT...let's see what happens with Petra first. Noland, you know what to do."

[Noland Hardy]

"...Oh no..." Noland groaned, knowing what he was about to do. "Alright...whatever's about to happen to me is your fault..."

"Well...let's go then..." Drago encouraged...very slightly encouraged.

"I'll...be right back..." Noland vanished from the house to start telling people what's going on. He told everyone else on the roster aside from Petra. He stood on top of a rooftop in D.C. to collect his thoughts before moving onto the final member.

"I feel like I'm a lot more stressed out than I need to be. Lydia just said yes AND gave me permission to go all out if I wanted. That doesn't happen, like ever," Noland commented on the proceedings.

"So you think that gives us good luck?" Drago asked.

"I made it this far, so why not? Besides, I created what I believe to be the best apology ever. Even Kendrick wouldn't have thought of this one."

Thirty minutes later at a tea shop...

"...We're sorry..." Noland sincerely apologized to Petra.

[Petra Colburn]

Perhaps Noland and Drago thought it was funny to ditch Petra and Leon in a moment of peril and head alone for infected Alana and Hydranoid. He did not seem to know what he was dealing back then in the first place- if somebody is infected with Maverick virus their power amplifies if they communicate to people that normally stir up their emotions (good or bad way) and it becomes worse if they actually fight those people so Hydranoid was at absolute advantage against Drago. With Petra's expertise he could have made it easier on himself- chances of him getting wounded beyond healing or chances of Alana escaping and create chaos would have dropped by a lot. The way he keeps taking all those tasks on himself is exactly why Vince wanted him to chill out, but nooooooo- hE's tOo bIg oF a BaDaSs tO aSk FoR hElP; hE'S gOtTa bE a HeRo. That is a perfect recipe for a suicide- if he thinks he is invincible just because he's got skill and pay-to-win powers on his side, but when some whale of an enemy arrives he is going to be thinking twice before soloing things like that.

"Oh, sorry for what?" Petra asked rhetorically. 

[Noland Hardy]

"...Damn...she asked the 'For What?' question..." Noland dreaded on the inside. At this rate, he'll have to list EVERYTHING.

"...For acting like a 'Noland'...or an 'Admiral Asuka'...," Noland admitted, which...made Drago snicker, something that was NOT going to help their case. "What I did was probably in the top 10 of the most dangerous things all year, and despite you telling me what I was up against, I refused your help and decided to 'relocate' you so you couldn't do your job. I showed no signs of remorse when I did it too."

"We...also ignored you when you and Leon were...very upset, to put it simply," Drago added in. "And...we didn't immediately come to you to tell you that we survived. Lydia had to tell you..."

"We're really sorry for doing everything we listed..." Noland apologized once more.

[Petra Colburn]

"Pfft... nah, I don't believe you, but meh!" Petra sarcastically replied. She seriously did not believe either of them were sorry for just ditching her and going where they wanted to go so she could not do her job- after all they were always doing similar things according to what she heard from other individuals. It is not a mistake- it is a habit. Petra did not care about it on personal terms; she was upset with the deviation from the bigger picture over there. "Hey, kiddo, not my personal problem- I don't want your 'sorries'; problem is you going off alone." Petra criticized making sure he knew where the problem actually was. "You're strong- not almighty. What if she pinned and infected you? Or if she ran- someone else could go six feet under. There is no rule sayin' it has to be a 1v1." She questioned in a bit disappointed tone. The way Noland acted so boldly was another proof of his poisonous overconfidence that could slowly and surely drag him into something he will not be able to get out of- just because he has a very powerful Bakugan and he stopped Hurranians does not mean there are not weaker enemies out there who could be a bigger threat than Hurranians. Those are not official fights- there is nobody saying it should be a 1v1- he could as well invite all other Resistors and several Knights if he wants; no one is going to judge him for it and it will be a guaranteed win without consequences. 

It seemed to Petra like none of the Resistors were taking threats, injuries and death seriously because some Bakugans are capable of resurrection. Or have they seen so much death that it does not move them anymore and allows them to act so carelessly. It was a worrisome topic. "Ya know- Eden doesn't like when somebody stops them from doing their job- even if it is Resistor. They tend to reconsider alliances with people who do reckless things." Petra informed.  

"What are you here for, by the way?" Petra inquired letting him know she was aware he would not just come there for empty apologies.

[Noland Hardy]

"Oh man..." Noland sighed. Petra wasn't buying any of this... "I thought I had you with the acting like a 'Noland' part..."

"We're here...to ask for help..." Drago put it simply.

"I know... Us asking for help after we ditched you... Hilarious," Noland continued. "Genesis Dragonoid and Wavern contacted my brother. They told him to gather six people for a match against another universe or whatever they are. You're one of the people Kendrick chose. Allen, Tracy, Tank, Lydia, and myself are the other five. So the question is, will you do it?"

"If it helps sway your decision any...we couldn't care less about this battle, but...Genesis Dragonoid and Wavern tipped Kendrick on what was about to happen here before this became a thing. Someone here crossed one too many dimensional barriers, and they were going to come over to us in response to that." Drago thought he should add that in, since that's what got Lydia on board with it in the first place.

[Petra Colburn]

"Pffft... why can't they- I dunno... kick them out or something?" Petra laughed mildly after hearing that. All the drama about that and a 'god' wants mortals to go around and kick some other-dimensional peoples' asses when he could just do it himself.  "Is his life boring or something?" Petra asked in wonder at why any of them would accept that. He probably has popcorn hidden away somewhere and looks at all of the obedient monkeys going for 6 other-dimensional bananas; what a prick.

Though Lydia out of all people accepted that for some reason. Maybe because Maste doesn't like people traveling through dimensions just to get here or anywhere- it creates disturbances sometimes. One of her specializations is to counter those types of things and if somebody still jumps in she wants to get rid of them as soon as possible. 

"Uh... why would the kid choose me? I'm famous or something?" Petra question in surprise.

[Noland Hardy]

"..." Drago couldn't hold it it anymore. He burst out laughing, and then excused himself from the shop.

"Um...yeah...'famous'..." Noland muttered. "Let's just say he knows a lot more than he should know. He knows what you're capable of. Leon's skillset makes our squad even more tight-knit than it already is. He believes what you bring to the table is more important in this fight than the firepower and unstoppable damage Hydranoid and Gargulion offer. And I have to say...I agree with him."

"Okay...I'm sorry..." Drago said as he came back inside. "But yeah...everything he just said. Also, while I was out there, Wavern told me to tell you something. She went through how her and Genesis Dragonoid are overseers of life and how they think us potentially kicking their ass would discourage them from entering this dimension to do what they were originally going to do. The Dharaknoid is a big fan of those type of guys, and they want to keep everyone alive, so...yeah."

[Petra Colburn]

"Huh...? A 'kid' knows what I am capable of? Where is he getting the info?" Petra laughed at that statement knowing Noland had a younger brother. Knowing guys in that age and... well, every age it should not be a big puzzle on why he would want any information on her in the first place. Not like one wouldn't considering her dressing habits... or to be more accurate- fanservice habits. She did not really care since she was not oblivious to her own behavior, but it was just a small surprise that somebody outside of Eden would have any data on her.

Petra did know if Lydia was going into it she probably should do. She does not recall Eden's and Silver Knights' rules exactly, but she does have a feeling it says somewhere dimensional traveling like that is not very welcome. And Petra is well-knowing for being a big fan of beating the shit out of people so she could use this as a perfect excuse since Lydia would allow it, Eden would allow it and a god would allow it. Though she was not going to do it for free.

"Hm hm hm... Okay, but it ain't free. You want me in- you're paying for my dinner in Vegas next week." She crossed her arms and said it with a very smug expression. Through this conversation she was joking about things, but the duo could see she was not joking about this one. "There's amazing pizza there." She explained.

"And I get an excuse to punch something." She happily added.

[Noland Hardy]

"...Oh no..." Noland sighed.

"Oh yes..." Drago sighed along with him.

"...I can't even be mad. I deserve this..." Noland knew. "Alright... Dinner's on me then...wherever you want...no matter how EXPENSIVE it's going to be...and you can get...as much as you...want..." He wanted to cry at this point, because she was going to drain his bank on purpose.

"Damn man... Sucks to be you right now," Drago laughed, because he didn't have to do anything.

"Kendrick is going to die sometime next week... I promise you that..."

Three days later...

The group of six showed up at FedEx Field, just like Kendrick said they should. Everyone was accounted for. All they needed was for Kendrick to give the signal, and they were all good to go.

[Kendrick Hardy]

"Okay. That worked out nicely. Our bomb squad is here," Kendrick praised. "Genesis Dragonoid and Wavern!"

"Hm?"

"They're here, Master," Wavern sighed, as if Genesis Dragonoid was confused as to what was going on.

"Oh, right. I know why he's there. I'm just looking at this other team, and it's pissing me off. Like, one guy actually thinks there's more than one of me! How disrespectful can they get!?"

"Aren't mortals supposed to think that?"

"Yes, but he's theorizing about it and thinks he's right! Those mortals from that section can kiss my giant-"

"Ahem!"

"Oh, Kendrick. I'm sorry. These guys you're going up against... I tell ya. They're something else."

"Please excuse him. He's being a little childish right now. Imagine if this was his brother..."

"Tsk...whatever. Alright, Kendrick. I'm bringing all of you to me. Sit tight, and..."

"Voila!" Kendrick and his chosen squad appeared in an unknown location. All they could see was an infinite void that was lit up with Dextra energy. They were in a mirror image of FedEx Field, except that the battlefield was very pristine. An attribute circle was in the center along with drawings of Genesis Dragonoid and Oblivion Dharaknoid on the sides.

"Ms. Colburn and Leon, it's a pleasure to meet you. I am Genesis Dragonoid, the creator of the Bakugan."

"And I am Wavern. Good to meet you."

"As for the rest of you who have already seen me, it's good to see you again. Now, I'm sure Noland or Kendrick told you what we're here for already, but I'm going to tell you everything you need to know about it...as soon as the other team signals for me to pick them up...

"I think they were having complications with one of their teammates, someone they call 'Destruction.'"

"Ooooooo. Spooky... I don't care. They're late. Since Kendrick was prompt, I'll let you all in on a little secret. I understand that at least one of you believes that I am having you fight for my entertainment. That...is exactly right; HOWEVER...I am only making fun out of a situation that's supposed to prepare you for your futures. There's a certain event that's going to happen that may make this occurrence more prevalent, so I want you all to get a glimpse of what kind of powers lie outside of your dimensional boundaries. As for why the other team is coming here, it's to give them a wake-up call. There are certain beings there that think traveling through realities isn't a serious crime, so they'll be introduced to who I think are top-tier foes. Now, sorry for that mouthful, but if you should remember anything, I will make it worth your while and compensate you in any way that you ask for me to if you win."