This chapter will raise some questions, ones that aren't answered by the original series. And a fiery hot battle!

Chapter 15: Burning Spirit

After a long day the day before, everyone decided to take the morning out to the beach. "Why are we here again?" Alex asked.

"Caused we all need a break. Even if just for the morning." Aria said.

Everyone was in swim attire. They guys wore swim trunks, with Trey having a shirt on, Alex with an open button, Tyler with a tank, and Jason completely topless, revealing his unexpectedly well developed form. The girls all have 2 pieces, with Aria's covering her entire chest, and Iris and Maria's revealing their cleavage.

"We need some beach time after what happened yesterday. That battle was intense!" Jason said, sitting in the sand.

"And it's not like we know where to go next." Tyler said. "Some peace might help us clear our heads."

"Why you coverin up Aria?" Iris asked. "It's not like you don't have a nice set."

"This is the one I had before. It didn't expect to grow so much while I was in the hospital." Aria replied.

"Can we please not talk about this?!" Alex exclaimed, his face going red.

Aria chuckled. "Oh come on. It's not like we're talking about your growth."

"ARIA!" Alex snapped, face turning more red.

"Okay, you two have a very different relationship than me and my sister." Tyler commented.

Aria looked at him. "Went you through the intense crap that we've been through-"

"It can make you very close." Alex finished.

Then a volleyball smacked Maria on the side of the head.

"Oh shit." Both Aria and Alex said simultaneously.

Maria's face turned as red as her hair and turned to see a group of 8 walking towards up. "Yo, give us our ball back?" One guy said.

"Oh no." Alex whispered.

"Yeah, HERE!" Maria threw it right in one guy's dingle berries.

"Crikey!" He said, doubling over in pain.

"Next time keep a better eye on it before you lose a different one." Maria said harshly.

One guy walked over angrily. "Bitch! You can't just-" He the screamed as Iris pinched his wrist in two particular places.

"You don't call her that." Iris said.

"Easy girl." Trey said, pulling Iris's arm away.

"Hey, how about a friendly little game to settle this." Jason said, picking up the ball.

"Fine. You Americans are goin down!" One of the guys said as they all went to the volleyball outline.

"Did that seem a little profilie to you?" Trey asked Iris. "I mean I'm white, but pure Russian!"

"I'm not even white!" Iris exclaimed.

They all went into the outline, and Maria started to serve. "Good luck red!" One guys said in a mockish tone.

Her twitched. She threw the ball high into the air and jumped so high and kicked it across, so fast he other team couldn't react. This continued as the Brawlers were crushing the other guys. One point Alex kick the ball into the air and Aria banged it into the ground. When the opponents' threw a high ball Iris used her skills to jump high up and spike the ball with her kicks, and landed gracefully on the net in perfect balance. They even tried on so high they were sure Iris couldn't jump that high, but Jason quickly threw Trey up high enough to spike it, and he did it with such force that the ball landed with such force that it knocked the guys on their asses.

Maria laughed wickedly. "Yes! Now will think twice before letting your ball get away from you!"

The Bakugan were by their things in aww at what they just saw. "I didn't realize that humans engaged in battles as fierce as ours." Mayura said.

"I think that just might be our human partners." Tigrerra said.

In the afternoon everyone made it back to the air craft, all tired from the fun they had. "That was fun." Tyler said.

"Yeah. I glade we did this." Alex said.

"Though not when Maria landed on your face I'm guessing." Aria teased.

"Hey!" Maria said with a red face, a little embarrassed about her chest plant in Alex's face.

Aria chuckled. "Oh come on, we're almost 14. I'm sure he didn't hate it." She smiled impishly.

"Sometimes I wonder if you two swapped hormones or something."

Everyone changed clothes when Jason called them into the lounge area with an image of a canyon on the wall. "Guys, while searching through Doctor Michael's research and found this canyon similar to the one we were just in. It's on the East coast of Africa, so by the time we get there it should only just be getting dark. I recommend we sleep now though."

"Good idea." Trey said.

After everyone was gone, Tyler put his hand on his chin. "That's odd."

"What is?" Leviathan asked.

"I don't recall there be any mention of Africa or another canyon in Dr Michael's research." Tyler said.

"Maybe you over looked it." Leviathan said.

"Maybe. But something doesn't seem right."

Jason was in his room, starring out at the ocean. "I hated lying to them. But this is the only way to make sure that Billy and Komba's appearance wasn't strictly a coincidence." He then gasped. "Oh God I'm like my father!"

"Shut your mouth Jason!" Blitzwolf said. "You're nothing like him! Your pulling this trick to see if there is a rat, not to scam them."

"But what if I'm wrong?" Jason said.

"What if you're right?" Blitzwolf replied. "What if there is a leak? And even if there isn't, your friends would understand."

"I just hope I'm wrong." He said. "Cause if I'm right... Then that means there's a traitor among us."

Night had fallen, and the air craft landed in the middle of the canyon. "What the?!" Aria said as she looked around. "This place looks nothing like Bakugan Canyon!"

"Well well, you finally arrived." A female voice said.

Everyone looked up and saw a teenage girl in a dark cloak. "What... how is there someone here?!" Maria said.

Iris gasped. "I was right!"

"Right about what?!" Tyler exclaimed.

Before anyone could answer, the girl jumped from the cliff side, losing her cloak, revealing her red dress and landed on the ground. "My name is Chan Lee!"

Trey gasped. "She's number 3 in the world!" He said.

"That's right. Now which one of you poor souls wants to face me?" She said, holding out her Bakugan Launcher and Doom Card.

"Crap! She's with Havoc!" Maria said.

Alex then walked in front of Chan. "If you're challenging us, then I accept."

"Want?!" Jason said. "Alex you can't be serious?! Alone?!"

"It took two of us to take two to take Billy and Komba!" Iris said.

"Yeah. I'll back you up!" Maria said, pulling out a card. But then Aria placed a hand on her shoulder.

"No. He's gonna do this himself." Aria said. "He needs to test himself after what happened. Trust me."

"So, only one of you?" Chan said. "Someone's confidence."

"Come on Drago. Let's do this." Alex said, putting on his launcher.

"I'm with you Alex." Drago said, popping open on his shoulders.

"Field Open!" Alex and Chan said, both cards glowing red, no one else opening their cards.

"Doom Card Set!" Chan threw out the Doom Card, sending ripples of Negative Energy throughout the Field.

"Gate Card Set!" The both threw out their Gate Cards.

"Let the master show you how it's done." Chan said, the did a series of strikes. "Bakugan Brawl!" She launched her Bakugan onto her own card. "Fourtress Stand!" Her humanoid Bakugan rose up, looking like a god from an Asian mythology, with four arms and swords, and what looked like four faces, and he made a humming sound as he rose up.

Pyrus Fourtress 370 Gs

"This is not good Alex." Drago said.

"Do you know him?" Alex asked.

"Not personally. But his power is well known. He draws strength from three different emotions: Sorrow, Gentleness, and Rage. This makes him incredibly difficult to defeat." Drago explained.

"Okay. Then I'll do this!" Alex shoot how Bakugan. "Bakugan Brawl! Siege Stand!" His red knight rose up on his own card, look down at Chan.

Siege: 360 Gs

"Hmm, that's a strong warrior. Gate. Card Set!" Chan set her second card to her left, next to Alex's card. "Bakugan Brawl! Manion Stand!" Her red Sphinx rose up on the card.

Manion 350 Gs

"Man, that Bakugan's strong too, but I've got a move that might even things out. Bakugan Brawl!" He sho his Bakugan onto Fourtress's Gate Card. "Mantris Stand!" His red mantis rose, ready to fight.

Mantris 340 Gs

"Hmm, a weaker Bakugan." Chan said.

"Maybe, but that doesn't matter if it's two against one!" Alex pulled out an ability card. "Ability Activate! Marionette!" His Mantris's eyes glowed, and shot energy from its blades that wrapped around Siege. "With a combined power of 700, I would like to see you beat that!"

Chan only smiled. "Interesting strategy. But it wouldn't work." She pulled out a card. "Ability Active. Face of Grief." Her Fourtress's head twisted, changing the face yo one of sadness, the started crying.

"What the?" Alex said in shock.

"Face of Grief is one of Fourtress's powers." Chan said as her Bakugan sent out shock waves that disrupted Mantris's energy streams. "Grief Fourtress not only negates opponents abilities," the wave then reached a fallen Siege, encasing it in an aura, "but also prevents the other Bakugan on the field from using them."

"Oh no!" Alex said. His Bakugan was then mercilessly kicks by Fourtress, and cast into the Doom Dimension.

"Hmm, a little too easy." Chan said with a smile.

"She's good. She threw out Fourtress, knowing with his high power I wouldn't throw on that card, not my first Bakugan. She probably guessed I would use a combo move and disable it and my other Bakugan." Alex said. "Then again she is 3rd Ranked."

"Bakugan Brawl!" Chan wasted no time. "Fourtress Stand!" Her partner rose up on Siege's card.

Fourtress 370 Gs

"Let's try this again, Gate Card open!" Alex's card opened, which was a Character Card, doubling Siege's power.

Siege 360 X2 = 720 Gs

Alex smiled as his Siege puffed out it's chest as it's power increased, and the flame on its pitchfork bursted and charged at Fourtress. But was blocked by a single sword, and was then pushed back by another to a slice across the chest. "What the..." Alex said, then saw that Fourtress's face changed again, this time to a happy face.

"Face of Joy." Chan smirked with an activated Ability Card in hand. "Negates the opponent's Gate Card." Her Fourtress then took its two swords and shoved them into the Gate Card, utterly destroying it.

Siege 720 X 1/2 = 360 Gs

"Oh shit!" Alex said as his Siege was slashed by Fourtress's two other swords and defeated, banished into the Doom portal. Fourtress laughed as he picked up his two other swords and returned to ball form.

"Ha. With all the hype Havoc gave, I expected more." Chan said.

Alex growled. "I'll show you more." Alex pulled out a card. "Gate Card Set!" He set his card where his first was. "Let's show her what we can do Drago."

"Let's." Drago balled up, and Alex put him in the launcher.

"Bakugan Brawl!" Alex shot his partner onto his second card. "Drago Stand." His Bakugan rose up from a column of flames, giving a loud roar.

Drago 340 Gs

"So, you've brought out you precious Dragonoid." Chan said. "Hmm. Gate Card Set." Chan set her final card where her first was. "Bakugan Brawl!" Her Bakugan rolled onto her last card. "Gargonoid Stand!" Her red gargoyle flew and screeched into the air.

Gargonoid 320 Gs

"Now to finish setting the scene, Bakugan Brawl!" Chan shot her final shot onto the same card as Drago. "Fourtress Stand!" He hummed as he rose up, Drago making a growling noise.

Fourtress: 370 Gs

Now then, to show you how much fire power 3 Pyrus Bakugan can do." Chan said. Alex then smiled, which confused her.

"Gate Card Open." Alex said calmly. "Enemy Trade." The Command Card opened. "This tricky card trades the opponent on the card with another on the field!" A rainbow circle formed under Fourtress, and he fell though. A portal formed under Gargonoid, who fell through its. The two swapped places and the other rose up the other's card.

Chan was too stunned to realize she could still activate her Triple Chain, by then Drago roared and whipped Gargonoid across the head with such force that it broke off its horn before returning to ball form.

"Ha!" Alex said as Drago returned to him. "Let's do it again Drago." Drago grunted in agreement. "Bakugan Brawl!" Alex shot Drago onto Manion's card. "Drago Stand!" His mighty dragon rose up once more.

Drago 340 Gs

"Go Drago!" Alex pulled out an Ability Card. "Go Boosted Dragon!" His Dragon gained and aura of power.

Drago 340 + 100 = 440 Gs

Chan smiled. "Gate Card Open!" Her Gate Card opened up, just as Drago was shooting his fire ball. "Reinforce! With this my Manion gains 100 Gs for each ally on the field!" Her Bakugan glowed with power and dodged the fire ball.

Manion 350 + 100 = 450 Gs

"Even though the power difference is slight, Alex has to use an Ability Card to win this battle, then I'll get him and his Drago." Chan though.

Alex looked at the card in his hand, he was about to use it when something else happened. Drago roared and his aura intensified. He whipped Manion with his tail, sending it to the ground. "What?" He exclaimed at Drago's sudden burst of power.

Drago 460 Gs

"Impossible!" Chan shouted, seeing Drago's boost of power without Alex's card activating.

Drago roared and blasted a stream of fire at Manion, defeating it. When he returned to Alex in ball form, his intense aura was still there. "Dr-Drago?" Alex said in a concerned voice. "What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure!" Drago said. "I'm just... really hot! I'm burning up!"

"Drago..." Alex brought him closer to him. He couldn't believe how far they'd come since they first met.

"Alex." Drago said in a calmer voice, his aura dissipated. "I'm better now, let's finish this!"

"Yeah!" Alex said. "Bakugan Brawl!" Alex tossed Drago, didn't even use the launcher, and he landed on Fourtress's Gate Card.

Drago 460 Gs

"Let's get this started. Gate Card Open!" Chan opened her Gate Card, which was a Pyrus Normal Card, which boosted both Bakugan as the field filled with intense fire.

Drago 460 + 200 = 660 Gs

Fourtess 370 + 200 = 570 Gs

"Don't worry Drago, we're still in the lead!" Alex smiled.

"What ever little luck you've had just ran out, Ability Activate!" Chan pulled out her final Ability Card. "Face of Rage!" Her Fourtress hummed as he moved his arms over his face, and when they cleared the face was his final, hidden face, a scary face.

Fourtress 570 + 100 = 670 Gs

Drago 660 - 100 = 560 Gs

"Time for you to burn by my flames of rage!" Fourtress unsheathe his swords and they became consumed by fire. He then threw the fire at Drago, who dodged 3 of them, but got hit by the fourth one, right in the chest and fell.

"Yes!" Chan said.

"Drago!" Alex yelled, and ran into the direction where he fell.

"One more should-" Chan was interrupted by a light, a light shining through the fire and Drago flew up, aura flaring and Alex on his head, riding the dragon. "What the- That guy's crazy!"

"Hee." Alex chuckled. "It's funny Drago. When we first met you would scream if I would touch you. But now-"

"Now I'm letting you ride me." Drago finished. "We've been through a lot together, and I couldn't ask for a better human partner, a friend."

"Yeah, same here bud. Now let'er rip!" Alex yelled. Drago laughed and blasted a fire blast at Fourtress.

Drago 570 Gs

"His power rose again?!" Chan screamed. "Doesn't matter! FOURTRESS!" Her partner formed the swords into a diamond shape and created a vortex that rivaled Drago's fire blast.

"Come on Drago! Let's show them what we've got!" Alex threw a card directly into Drago's fire. "Fusion Ability! Melt Flare!"

Chan gasped. "A Fusion Ability?!"

Drago 570 + 100 = 670 Gs, 671, 672

"And it's still rising?!" She exclaimed as the power exceeded Fourtess's.

"Go Drago!" Alex yelled, and Drago unleashed a monumental force of fire, one that pushed Fourtress's fire all the way back to him, then encased him, his screams and Chan's could be heard as they were defeated by the roaring flames. "Alright!" He looked at his BakuPod to see how high Drago's power got.

Drago 680 Gs

Alex laughed. With the additional power stripped Drago's base would be 380, higher than almost any other Bakugan he's seen, with the exception of his sister's Hydra, and Havoc's Leonidas. "Dude, your power is growing!" Alex laughed, completely unaware that the field was fading away.

Time started again and in a blink Alex and Chan were gone. Aria gasped. "Wait where did he-" She was interrupted when Alex fell from the sky in front of her, and face first into Maria's chest, knocking her on the ground. "Never mind." She chuckled.

Maria had mixed feelings about this, on one hand she like liked it, but on the other was embarrassed at how public it was.

Above everyone as Alex got up off her, Chan was looking down. "A Fusion Ability Card... I now see why Havoc made such a fuss over him." She then disappointed.

Everyone was amazed at what Alex told them happened in the Brawl, until Tyler cleared his throat. "As cool as that is, that doesn't change the fact Jason lied to us." He turned to his friend.

"I'm sorry about that... but I needed to confirm our suspicions." Jason said. "And Chan Lee being here just did that."

"What suspicions?" Aria asked.

"That there's a spy in our group for Havoc." Iris said.

Author's Notes:

Well, that was an exciting chapter! The volleyball ball bit was inspired by a scene from my most favorite cartoon ever! Next to Steven Universe! Next one will deal with the new that there might be a spy in the Brawlers. Now remember, no one has a hidden evil personality like Alice and Masquerade, so how is she finding out where they are? I would most certainly love to hear theories!