Penny's Lucky Day

The Fire Grows

It's been a few days since that encounter with that weird brawler, and those scary Bakugan.

Penny feels that she's moved on, and really wants to believe that, but, unfortunately, the events still linger in her head. That, and Leonidas has somehow gotten even more talkative.

She really hoped that he would just be quiet after getting literally stomped on by that brawler's weird, freaky Hydranoid, but that was definitely not the case.

So, Penny sits at her computer, again. It's Thursday, and school was better since she decided to leave her Bakugan stuff at home for once. She absentmindedly scrolls through the Bakugan forums, not really doing much.

Once she got home on Monday, she had, of course, made a post about Masquerade. She mentioned that Doom Card, Centipoid dying, and how he seemed eager to throw all of her Bakugan into that other dimension. She also decided to omit all the weird "Doomed Fool" stuff, and any talk of Leonidas. It felt good to wipe the floor with Reaper and Laserman, but, bygones.

Unfortunately, the only people who were responding to her post seemed to not fully grasp the situation. They mainly just accused her of being bad at the game and complaining about some stronger Ability Card that her opponent used.

Well, that was fair, permanently and irreversibly sending a Bakugan to what looked to be Bakugan Hell was pretty strong. Her feelings are still quite hurt, though.

She looks over from her desk at Leonidas, who's sitting on her bed. She'll go downstairs. Yes, there, and hang out with her parents. Well, just her mom. Dad is still at work.

Penny takes her Civics homework with her and goes to walk out.

"Uh, Leonidas, please don't make a mess."

She walks out once it looks like the Bakugan at least acknowledges her request. And, for a good hour or so, hangs out with her mom. Unfortunately, despite her attempts to throw up a shield of doing-just-fine, moms seem to have a super power to see through it all.

Her mom rolls two dice. 8. She then moves the Monopoly piece 8 squares down the board, landing on one of her own properties.

"So, Pen."

"Yeah?"

"You ok? Since Sunday, you've looked a little stressed. And I know it's not school, don't think I haven't heard you yelling at that new Bakugan of yours."

Penny rolls the dice, getting a 12. She gets excited, until she lands on the GO TO JAIL space. She sighs and plops her piece into the jail square.

"...um... it won't make sense... you sure?"

"Just tell me."

She smiles calmly at Penny.

"I won't judge."

Penny nods.

"Uh, on Sunday, Cyan and I tried to brawl in the park. But everything went wrong. Uh, the battlefield collapsed, and I saw some weird vision. This big hydra monster told me some weird stuff."

Penny's mom nods slowly and rolls the dice again. Penny watches as she lands on Boardwalk. Penny smiles.

"500 dollars. And then, uh, on Monday, this guy cornered me and, um... forced me to brawl him. I don't know who he is, he was wearing a mask and definitely didn't use his real name. Unless Masquerade... is his actual name, but, uh, I doubt it."

"...and you didn't think to tell me? Or your dad?"

Penny doesn't meet her mom's gaze. Her mom sighs quietly and rubs her face a bit.