Beyond the Mask - A Bakugan fanfic

Chapter 5

Another two rounds and a winner would be decided. Amari knew that in at least one of them, she'd have to bring him onto the field.

For her next throw came not the mysterious Bakugan, but her trusty Reaper, another Darkus Bakugan in her collection who emerged from his light form with a series of swings from his scythe. He settled into a battle-ready position on the only card on the field.

"Amari," Kumiko said from behind her, "Why are you still holding back? Why didn't you throw the other Bakugan?"

Amari looked back at her from over her shoulder. If she were being honest, Amari had almost forgotten that Kumiko was even there, standing behind her. She was the one who had gotten Amari into this whole mess in the first place. From her friend's face, there was only an unreadable expression. Whether she was worried for Amari's sake, or mad that she hadn't thrown out anything stronger, like that mysterious Bakugan, Amari couldn't tell, though she didn't exactly have the time to decipher any of it. Amari just shook her head and returned to the battle.

Byron reached for his next Bakugan.

"Let's get some action going! Bakugan, brawl! Stand, Mantris! Take out her Reaper!"

The Bakugan came forth from the orange of the Subterra light, an over sized insect appeared with the heady desire to fight burning within its eyes. Just as it took form, even after barely touching the card, Mantris lunged towards Amari's Reaper.

Amari wouldn't have that. She wouldn't lost so easily to him, not when she could still fight back.

"Ability, activate!" She called out, holding up her card, but Byron had something else up his sleeve.

"Not so fast!" he cried. "Gate Card, open!"

The ground beneath their Bakugan glowed with a blinding light, before settling to a low dim. Amari waited for the number to change, for something else to happen. She had played a card to raise her Reaper's attack power, to have a chance at defending itself, but everything remained the same. The Mantris' attack still landed. Her Reaper, now an orb of purple light, returned to her feet.

Byron caught his returning Mantris with a jaw-splitting grin. Amari felt practically ill.

"My Gate Card nullifies any and all Ability Cards. All attacks carry out as normal. Looks like your Reaper had no chance against my Mantris."

Now Amari had only one chance left to lose to him. Even then, she had to beat the boy two more times before she could win the entire battle. She'd rather rip up her best Gate Card than to let some punk kid beat her at a game she'd dedicated so much of her time to.

"C'mon! You've almost won! You can do it!"

Amari glanced up to see Byron waving to Kumiko behind her. Amari whipped around and glared back at her friend.

"Whose side are you on?"

Before Kumiko could answer, Amari turned back around, a new rage burning beneath her skin. She could feel her cheeks go red just from the heat of it. So much for having her friend here with her. Whether the words were for Byron or not, they seemed to boost his ego that much more (if that were even possible). With his junior frat boy smirk plastered onto his face, he pulled out his next gate card and Bakugan set.

"How about we finish things nice and easy, Mary," he said, tossing the card onto the field, his Bakugan not too far behind. "Rise, Wormquake!"

Once again, the worm-like Bakugan made its appearance onto the field. He unleashed a blood-curdling screech before burrowing deep into the ground beneath the Gate Card.