In a world where Hanoj won, where the Awesome Brawlers failed their mission, the world has become filled with the Swarm. Human and Bakugan survivors hide everyday as the worlds have been forcibly fused, this time causing Vestroia to rise to the Earth's surface and making it unrecognisable to those who used to live in it. Time is frozen in this world, allowing villains of old and new to roam, terrorising the earth while Hanoj and his generals continue their siege across the worlds.

This world is the third to be entered by mysterious beings known as the Anomalice, under the leadership of a mysterious woman named Aesopia, or Mona Artemision. Just who is she, and why is she doing this? The question may remain unanswered... For now.

"How did they find out about the Miraculous in the first place?" Tsuchiyume cut through the silence as he leaned onto the meeting chair more. "That's one thing we need to look into."

"We should probably focus on securing the Miraculous as well, but I'll go talk to Uju and the others about what they saw," Gangsan added.

"I'll keep watch with Daun and let you guys know if another Anomalice is attacking," Skyla said.

(She saw Tsuchiyume flinch, eyes darkening. Jinpei's eyes hardened as well. Even the kindest of them all had limits, huh?

... She HAD hurt them, so... She did know forgiveness was hard to attain but once again, she had taken everything for granted.

At least Sandayuu is nice to her, even after everything. She's starting to think the boy doesn't have an impure part in his body unless it involved his love for Jinpei, for which he was willing to apparently be hated.)

"Maybe it has something to do with that attack we heard happened cause of Centuriomon? We did feel the waves but..." Ranto trailed off. They had been too busy evacuating people at the time. 

"I just hope Uju is alright," Gangsan said while fingering the golden sun necklace she wore. "And Yuga."

(Of course, they were still twins. Even if Yuga didn't know Mikado Arata existed, even if she somehow had this golden sun emblem when she arrived at the Tak's doorstep, taken in as one of their own, she always felt like something was off.

She wondered if Yuga knew there was something off as well. If he always felt like some sort of empty void existed. 

... Maybe it was better if Yuga didn't know about her. That would spare him the heartbreak of being hated by the system.)

"He's going to be fine, Gangsan. He IS one of the strongest Buddyfighters of his time, able to battle against his dads without breaking a sweat," Skyla offered. 

"I know. I know." A smile formed on her face. "You have a point there, Skyla."

"I think... I think a trip to Centuriomon could help clear up the mystery," Sandayuu finally spoke up. The first time he had spoken up for this entire meeting. "You guys mentioned that he is the keeper of time and space, right? We could ask him for help right?"

"Fair, but... he... isn't on the best of terms with us." Tsuchiyume carefully looked away.

(Sure, the Creator asked him to help them but... it didn't mean the stigma of what Anomalice was could fade off so easily. The term Borrowed Actors was only starting to become more commonly used, and even THAT name didn't encompass what they were. 

Those who fate took from their home to other worlds... Those who fate gave a different, divergent path, those who were chosen to keep the world spinning. 

But also those who had no place in the story. 

Gangsan and Daun were in the first category, Skyla the second, Jinpei, Ranto, Tsuchiyume the third, Kirameki the last. 

Those standing at the borders of it all... was them.

And the system HATED them for that. To it, they were anomalies. Malicious beings meant to destroy the balance, but could be used to... clean up.

It hurt. 

All they knew was each other, but it was slowly expanding. Starting with Sandayuu. 

Maybe, just maybe... there was something good about being an Anomalice, despite the stigma.)

"I still think it's worth a shot," he offered. "Maybe he'll have more insight into the lore behind this Master Aesopia."

"That makes sense. We COULD try that," Skyla agreed. (How long had it been since she interacted with someone who wasn't an Anomalice? Heh, to think she had been scared of him this entire time... Skyla really wished she didn't overthink at times.)

"Well, I suppose a trip to visit him could work. He's still recovering from the corruption right?" Jinpei said. He was looking at Skyla, a bit more relaxed. (He couldn't really hate Skyla, now could he?)

Tsuchiyume had a small smile. (Not quite there, but even the one with bitterness as a default had a nice side they had coaxed out and it showed.) "Alright, I guess we have a plan." 

The seven got up, but just as they were about to leave, the door slammed open. 

"K-Kaichou!" It was Himekawa Fubuki, looking as if she had run a marathon. 

"What happened?!" Jinpei immediately asked. 

"The Anomalice...  are attacking again... This time it's..." She avoided Daun's eyes. 

The inventor felt his stomach drop. No, no, it couldn't be...

"A Bakugan AU?..." he barely managed to choke out, fear gripping his throat so fast it was a miracle he had suffocated yet. 

(His home world, where he was meant to be Benji Elisedd. The second multi-Faction Brawler after Shinkawa Ichita... Who would have helped them during the Bakugan Trap arc, take care of those Traps that were no longer wanted, care for them, give them a home.)

"To make it more precise... It's a Bad End Bakugan Legends AU, BL-3003... On March 31, 2023, just as they're about to rescue Leonidas."

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

~~ March 31, 2023 ~~

The world was already a mess, and Hanoj's tampering worsened it. 

"Any signs of life out there?" Tired ruby eyes looked at the genius typing away at his laptop. 

Wynton Styles shook his head. Bags were under his eyes, but his ferocity in typing was still quick as ever. "I wish we could find them but..." 

"I can't even sense Dan with my Aura anymore..." Shinkawa Ichita mumbled. It was unnerving. Even during the entire thing with Praxidike possessing his body, it was still somewhat there, just more masked. But he couldn't be sensed AT all. 

A body shifted from the corner of the small cabin they had been resting in as Diana "Dia" Jenkins looked up, her previously pristine white hair now coated in dust and other particles. Yellow orbs looked at them as Dia asked quietly, "He's not dead, is he?"

Lightning curled up onto her lap, whimpering. He missed it when Bakugan was just a game and not some tool for world domination. He wanted Dan back, not-

Cling! Clang! Cling! Clang!

The sound of a familiar Bakugan (could they even be called that anymore? The Swarm didn't seem like Bakugan. They had ball forms and all sure, but-) made them all freeze. 

The noise seemed to reach some sort of crescendo as the Swarm neared the cabin. Magnus was cursing up a storm in his head. They couldn't get caught now! Not when they were this close! He couldn't... He had a responsibility to take care of them! He was the oldest! If he had to sacrifice himself...! 

Kazami Shun grabbed his wrist, causing him to turn to the other as the younger brawler shook his head. No, they couldn't risk losing anyone if they wanted to win against Hanoj. A whole month of preparation would go to waste. 

Magnus gritted his teeth, but stayed put. They had a point. Losing anyone at this point was fatal for their plan. Anyone less... They were good as gone. 

Each moment seemed like ****. They waited, waited, waited in bated breath. 

The moment the telltale signs were gone, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. 

"We have to get out of here. You done, Wynton?" Magnus asked. (How did he get so used to calling them by their name? Maybe the apocalypse really helped them grow closer.)

"Almost.... done!" he smiled, the first time in a while as he closed up his laptop. "Let's go." 

The rest nodded. Wynton kept his laptop in his backpack before they headed out. 

Dia rubbed the bracelet around her wrist (it kept her under the radar, but took them a while to make this thing so she wouldn't be targeted anymore. Getting absorbed by the Swarm was a bad thing for them either way.) but continued on with the others. She couldn't afford to be left behind... Her partner was waiting for her... 

"So, you too huh?" A quiet voice asked. 

"Leo... It's been a while," Ajit said as he leaned on the diamond-tough jail railings. (The attack had been sudden, they couldn't-)

The Diamond-faction Bakugan exhaled quietly. He looked so tired, Ajit supposed. (The moment Praxidike convinced Leonidas to walk into that trap, it was all over. The moment Leonidas stepped into Hanoj's former prison, with Praxidike's sinister smile lighting up the face that was Dan but just wasn't at the same time... The world fell. The guilt of being stuck here after risking his brother's wrath to protect the Awesome Brawlers... must have hurt.) "How... is Dia?"

Of course, he didn't expect anything else. "She's fine," he answered. "Roughed up cause she lost you, but she's pulling through." (Dia is strong, both of them know it. Enduring the pain, enduring everything, she pulled through this time not because of herself, but because she let others in. Sharing the pain finally, when the dam breaks. Even the strongest of pillars needed to break down to build stronger ones in their place.)

"That's good," Leonidas said with a small smile. That partner of his never did seem to give up on people she cared for. One of her strong (and weak) points.

"Well, well, looks like the gold finally got wrangled in," A voice then cut in. "What a sweeetttt reunion, isn't it Horus?"

"My, my, you have a point, darling."

Ajit's posture stiffened as Asahi Miyabino SAUNTERED over, a bright yet unnerving smile on her face. Adam Jikokage leaned on the wall, a slightly lazy smile on his face while Dallin Omega watched with cold eyes.

"You...!!" Ajit banged onto the railings. Golden eyes burned at the sight of the woman who took Storm, warped him again to their side. Who took Wagner as well, made him suffer.

"Come now, you know that it was your just dessert~" She singsang, the giggle escaping her lips like she was a little girl having candy.

"Don't taunt him too much, Bino," Adam spoke up. "He's already here. Nothing much he can gain."

"Whyyyyy?" She protested. "Adam, you're starting to sound like Xidi-kun!"

"Let's not get too carried away," The criminal mastermind agreed. Zeta nodded as they continued, "We need to know their plan. They've been plotting for half a month now. Whatever it is, it can't be good."

"As if I would tell you!" Ajit snarled. "I don't plan on telling *****es like you!"

"He's quite the spitfire. Storm was the same, wasn't he?" The Pyrus Brawler was undeterred. "He put up quite a fight until we picked at his insecurities again. Well, Xidi-kun did at least."

The other brawler just glared, unable to think up a counter. (Praxidike being the same person as Dan but a different side manifested had been bad news. They had let him off. Thought it would help him heal, open up.

Oh, how wrong they were.)

"Calm down, Miyabino." Ah, the man himself showed up. Barri Beyond was on his shoulder as the final member walked up to the bars, gently pushing his surrogate sister away. "Why would we waste our time and energy on this? We just need the information and that's it."

"Fiiinnnnneeee. Just promise me I get to burn more things!"

The red-haired couldn't help the smile that formed on his face. When she got like this, nothing could stop her. "Just one area. Maybe... The broadcast studio?"

Green eyes were honed in on Ajit. Watching, anticipating a response. (If it was part of their plan, he would react.)

Ajit raised an eyebrow. "You're not as subtle as you think."

"Oh really? So why did your finger twitch?" Praxidike asked back with a smile. Bingo. "Once you take off the glasses of what a professional phantom thief is supposed to look like, you're surprisingly easy to read, Ajit Storm."

He glared back. (All according to plan. Wynton already used the satellite. Just need them out of here.) "Do your worst, Praxidike. Or should I say... Dan?"

"If you're hoping for something, then you're off there. We are one and the same. It's not a weakness to me," The Genesis-Ventus brawler said, rolling his eyes. (Dan is lost now. Lost to Praxidike after Leonidas was captured, having lost all hope.) "But anyway, see ya around, I suppose."

He mock-saluted with just his index and middle fingers as the four exited the room.

The moment they were gone, Ajit let his smile out. (Neither Praxidike nor Dan had an arrogant bone in their body. They would catch on soon enough, so...) "Leo, we're getting out of here."

"W-What?" The Bakugan paused. What did he- "But how?"

"Don't tell me you seriously believed DURAN was smart enough to capture me." He laughed quietly. (Dia's childhood friend was stupid as ****. In his search for glory, he was the opposite of Dan and Praxidike; arrogant, overlooking every detail.

He was the one chosen to take Ajit in for the rescue mission by faking his defeat.)

He ripped his necklace off, focusing some Mystic energy into it and allowing it to become a golden chainsaw glistening with a diamond shine, revving it up with more energy. "Stand back."

Alarms sounded out as shouts came from outside. Ajit swung it into the bars, cutting it clean and making it fall apart. "Alright, let's go!"

Leonidas didn't know if this was a wise move... "Ajit, it's impossible to-"

"It's not!" He retorted. (They spent days poring over every detail, putting this plan together to end Hanoj once and for all.) "Dia is waiting for you, Leo! Don't give up now!"

His eyes widened, and a small shine began to emanate from those orbs. His partner....!!

All he could do was nod before he turned into his human form, joining Ajit as they ran through the diamond palace. "What's the plan?!"

"Get out of here! Then we'll work on taking down Hanoj!"

(The only way to stop this was to convince Hanoj to stop. That was the verdict the AB came to after thinking it over. Sealing him away would do no good. They had to end the cycle of hurt through a second chance.

Leo was their best shot for that.)

"I don't think so," A cold voice cut in.

Ajit gripped the chainsaw as Storm stepped out of the shadows, Cimoga at the ready. Golden eyes stared at Ajit, mocking that he didn't have a partner, so how could he fight, with no words.

Of course, Pharol escaped with the others while he was left behind for this plan. But Ajit wasn't defenseless without Pharol, oh no, he had trained for this.

He slid into a battle stance, standing in front of Leo. "I won't let you!"

"Let me fight, Ajit!" Leonidas pleaded. Dia would be so distraught!

"No, I can't give up!" He snapped back. "We all knew the risk, yet we took it anyway. To stop Hanoj, we WILL prevail! I'll protect you with my life!" He yelled.

That only served to make Leo feel worse, though. He couldn't have any of the kids getting hurt! He had to protect them after his mistake got them here! No matter the cost!

HE WISHED HE COULD DO SOMETHING INSTEAD OF HAVING AJIT FIGHT!!

"Your inner desire is heard."

Wait, that voice...!!!!

His eyes widened. Storm even paused as a pile of goop formed again. "What in the-"

"Leonidas"

Evolve

To

MIASMAMON

Ajit's eyes widened. This was...! "Miasmamon?!"

"What the ****?!" Leonidas was stunned. "How..?!" The Codes had been sealed away, hadn't they?!

Miasmamon smiled wickedly before kicking Leonidas to a wall, disappearing into a pile of goop and leaving them defenseless against Storm, who had his own smile. Surely not according to plan, but this worked.

Leonidas groaned as he stumbled forward, only to be caught by a pair of clumsy hands. "H-Hey! Stay with us!!"

He blacked out to the face of a bespectacled male with brown eyes.

"Thank you... That was a real save," A-Lia said to the seven while looking at their friend in the opposite room, still knocked out.

A-Ajit nodded. "That was not a pleasant experience."

"It's our job," Gangsan answered swiftly.

"Looks like they can survive attacks. We really do need the Miraculous to get rid of them once and for all, huh?" Skyla remarked.

"Do you want mine? I'm sure Ajit and I can-"

"Not those. A..." She actively hesitated. (She didn't know what to do here. Why did her Sensei have to die so quickly? What should she do?) 

"A special kind of Miraculous. Unknown to the Multiverse as a whole," Tsuchiyume supplied. 

She gave him a grateful smile, but he just sighed and nodded. (Back to the thawing huh...?) 

"The existence of this Miraculous was only known to a few until recently," Gangsan explained. "To be completely honest, people aren't supposed to know about its existence."

(Broke the fourth wall and all that, y'know. It was better if people didn't.)

"Then why do you need these Miraculous to defeat the Digimon?" A-Ichita asked. 

"That we don't know, but I don't think we can use Connex again this time, Jinpei," Skyla said. 

"Why not?" Sandayuu blinked. Made no sense since Connex wasn't bound to any of the Digimon.

"I believe that each Miraculous can only be used to take down one Anomalice Digimon," she answered. "Each power needs a recharge period of a month even if you can still transform with them, and Connex was drained from fighting Jaltermon."

"But there ARE thirteen Miraculous and fourteen Digimon... How are we gonna take down the last one?" Ranto had a point. 

"Well, either way, we just need to sever the contract and make them retreat for now," Tsuchiyume decided. "Skyla, you know where the next Miraculous is, right?"

"I think I do." She had tried to hone her tracking skills when they arrived here, which somehow helped her connect to a certain world. That was their next destination once they deal with this mess, she thought to herself. She definitely needed a break from apocalyptic worlds. (Her own life was **** without the apocalypse part, honestly.) "But before that, we need to deal with Miasmamon." 

"Wouldn't it be better to split up, for caution?" Gangsan offered. "We could meet up at that world later on. I don't want to risk the chance of the Miraculous landing in the hands of the enemy."

Connex shuddered as well, but Jinpei gently cupped the little one into his hands and nuzzled him with his nose. "Don't worry, we'll make sure it doesn't happen to you, Connex."

"T-Thank you," he said with a small smile. 

"Well, obviously Skyla's going to the other world. I'll go as well just in case," Ranto decided. "Koma? Are you staying?"

"I think I'll stay just in case," he confirmed. "What about the rest of you?"

"I'll go with Skyla-san then," Jinpei agreed. "Connex may be able to speak to the Kwami better than we can, and he is my partner."

(A part of him feared Skyla would put Connex in a box when he wasn't looking too. Sure, these Miraculous were dangerous but it didn't mean she could stuff them in like they didn't have feelings. He had heard of some Miraculous guardians doing the same and he didn't like that.)

Skyla flinched a bit, but nodded. (She knew Jinpei was worried for his partner, and she understood that.) "Gangsan, Daun?"

Daun hadn't really been paying attention, but the mention of his name caused him to jolt up a bit. "Y-Yeah?" 

"You coming along to help us find the Miraculous? It's your choice," Skyla asked, hesitation present in her tone. (She had never asked them, given them a choice, had she? For the most part, she demanded. Normally, the others asked, she demanded. Her pride got in the way, and she HATED that. She... was going to change that for sure. No matter what.)

Daun's eyes kept straying to the unconscious Leonidas. (In some timeline, where he wasn't an Anomalice, he would have been friends with the Bakugan, he supposed. But this wasn't that timeline...)

(This was still his homeworld, regardless of the divergences... He couldn't up and abandon it for the 'greater good'.)

"I'll stay," he finally said. He refused to let this world fall.

Gangsan smiled. "Then I'll go with Skyla. It's you, Sandayuu and Tsuchiyume, if that's okay."

He nodded. "Thanks, Gangsan-nuna." 

The red-and-blue-haired genderfluid laughed before she patted his head. "Stay safe, Daun. Kongor?" 

"Gotcha," the Bakugan promised. "Don't die out there, Gangsan." 

"I won't," she reassured him.  "Solar would get mad at me for that." 

The Digimon whirred her gears in agreement. Daun smiled. "Good luck."

A portal opened up behind the four, and they waved before entering it. It whirred to a close afterwards, and Tsuchiyume turned to the AB, most of who had helped them get out after shutting down most of the cameras and storming the prison. "I think I get what diverged from here, but I need to check my facts. Is it okay if I do that? I'm aware it might be very triggering." 

"If... if it helps somehow, then sure," A-Dia agreed. 

The three shared a glance, and Daun clenched his fists. 

(Time for him to do something for the world he came from.)

"What was your plan after saving Leonidas?" Tsuchiyume asked with a frown. 

"We... were going to probably storm the palace more, take down whoever got in our way, and then go to the throne room to talk to Hanoj?" A-Athena spoke. 

"Bad plan. Did you guys at least consider distractions?" 

"We did. The distraction we caused allowed Ajit to break Leonidas out," A-Magnus replied.

"It was a brilliant plan to use your necklace to hide the weapon, though. It was already part of your outfit, so no one would suspect it," Daun offered with a smile. He liked that small detail. 

"I just thought it would help," he answered while stringing it up again around his neck. "Anyway, we don't have much time. We have to have a game plan this time. Especially with Miasmamon around." 

"Leave Miasmamon to the three of us," Tsuchiyume said. "You focus on stopping Hanoj and the four."

Everyone shared a glance, but A-Magnus said, "I'll take Praxidike."

"I'm not letting you go off on your own, Mag. I'm coming with you," A-Seath cut in while placing a hand on his boyfriend's shoulder. 

"Then I'll take Miyabino," A-Ajit offered. 

"I'll assist you on that," A-Brakken promised.

"Lumagrowl wants a rematch against Leoness, so we'll do that," A-Dia added. 

"I shall help you," A-Philomena spoke. "I am the one who caused Adam to leave AAAnimus and become allied with them. It is high time I took responsibility." 

"Dallin and Zeta are ours." A-Lia slung an arm around A-Athena, who nodded in agreement. 

"The rest of us will deal with the past villains then," A-Ichita decided. "Hopefully Leo heals up..."

"How DID it all fall apart, though? I thought you guys were still in the Battle Judgement?" Tsuchiyume asked. 

"We were, but Praxidike was working behind the scenes to convince Leo to join their side. Leo wasn't that convinced cause it wasn't really Dan, but Praxidike... kinda got to him. We made the mistake of leaving him alone for a while. We think he convinced Leo that the only way to save Dan was to join up with Hanoj, but that was after he and Dan had separated bodies..." A-Dia quietly explained. 

"Praxidike didn't really hide that fact when he and Dan fought, and it... it broke him, leading him to lose that battle," A-Magnus added. "And the consequences of that battle was that Dan would lose his entire self and Praxidike would take over, completely overriding the old personality."

Their eyes widened, and Sandayuu had a terrifying thought; was there a world out there where Nura won? What kind of world would THAT look like?

Shivering, the fifteen-year-old shook his head vigorously. Don't think about the what-ifs. That rarely ended well. 

"Hanoj then just had to wait until we completed the Reflector, and... he fused both Earth and Vestroia, making it his base while he went and conquered other worlds. For the most part they did fight back, and some locked themselves away, but there were those that... were not as lucky," A-Shun whispered. "They got destroyed and their inhabitants..."

"... Dead?" Tsuchiyume looked sick. 

Daun paled drastically. 

Sandayuu looked ready to puke. He was glad Jinpei-kun wasn't here, otherwise...

"So that's what changed... And Ajit was standing in front of Leo when we first arrived..." The neurons were connecting, he could feel it.

Tsuchiyume hummed. "Ajit, what were you saying to him before Miasmamon showed up?"

A-Ajit looked surprised. "I-I was just telling him that we couldn't afford for him to fall as well." 

"But Leonidas did somewhat cause the downfall, so the fact that you guys wanted to fight for him, that you would risk your hides for him... May not have sat well with him," He offered. "Perhaps his self-blame morphed into a wish to protect you guys instead of being protected."

"You DO have a point," Daun spoke up. (He too felt the desire to do more at times. That even what he was doing now was not enough, not enough to apologise to his homeworld for being taken away from it.) "I... I can relate there." 

Sandayuu and Tsuchiyume shared a glance before the blue-haired suggested, "Maybe you can talk to Leonidas-san about those feelings? Jinpei-kun mentioned that connecting to the ones whose desire led to the appearance of the Digimon helped get the blue goop off."

"M-Maybe," He said while looking away. (He knew he wanted to help, but Leonidas didn't know him. Would he listen if it wasn't someone he knew?)

A pair of hands touching his own made him look to see A-Dia with a determined yet sad look. "Is it okay if we go in together? I want to talk to Leo as well." 

"I-I do need someone to help me talk to him anyway," he admitted quietly. "I don't know a-as much as you do." What if he said the wrong thing? What if he did something wrong and solidified Miasmamon being here instead of weakening it? He didn't want to let anyone down! (He didn't want his homeworld to suffer because he was so incompetent. Even if he wasn't raised here, he still wanted to help and-)

"Leo isn't gonna eat ya," A-Dia joked. "He looks all scary, but he doesn't hurt people." 

He gulped a bit, but seeing Sandayuu and Tsuchiyume nodding at him, he took a deep breath and said, "I-if you're sure."

She smiled. "Let's go then." 

The two soon left the room they had been in, walking through the huge hallway of what used to be AAAnimus' main lab,  now the base for the resistance hoping to resusicate the world and stop Hanoj, walking into the opposite room as A-Dia opened the door. 

Dark blue eyes opened up as the "human" got up, frowning until he saw A-Dia. His entire posture relaxed, a smile formed on his face. 

A-Dia herself rushed forward and hugged him tight, sobs erupting from both of them. It was clear how much the two cared for each other, and he couldn't help but fidget, feeling like he was intruding. 

"Come on, you should speak up." Another member of his team, a Pyrus Troxx named Tyrannus, nudged him slightly. "He's not going to hurt you. You DID catch him." 

And immediately those eyes were on him.

(Could he sense that Daun was off? He didn't know, and that scared him. Curse Tyrannus and his big mouth at times!)

"Your aura..." He frowned. "It's similar to ours in a way, but... there seems to be some interference. As if other factors influenced it." 

"Ichita said the same thing about him and his friends," A-Dia offered while sitting on the chair. "But they did help us rescue you, Leo. They're here to help against Miasmamon." 

"D-Do you remember what happened that led to the emergence of Miasmamon?" He asked nervously. Please let Tsuchiyume be right!!!

The white-haired looked away, hands moving to play with his horns as he mumbled, "I... didn't want to be treated as fragile. I caused this, and yet everyone wanted to save me. I didn't deserve it..."

"Leo, no one blames y-" 

"They should! If I hadn't fallen for Da- no, Praxidike! Dan wouldn't be lost to the void! He wouldn't have..." It was like his voice was caught in his throat. Tears began falling down his cheeks. "This wouldn't have happened if I had... if I had been more skeptical."

"Is there a reason why your default form is now a human one?" Kongor asked from Daun's other shoulder. "I thought that maintaining a human form wasn't easy." 

"I... I prefer this form because my Bakugan form... reminds me of my brother," he answered. "Plus, it's repentance in a way. Of letting all of this **** happen." 

"That... I know the feeling of not doing enough." Daun sat on the other chair once A-Dia motioned for him to do so. His eyes were on the ground the entire time as he continued, "I feel guilty that I was taken from my... from this world." 

(Not this world exactly. More of the actual Bakugan timeline, but...)

"I feel like even if I do all the stuff I do as a Dimension Keeper... Even if I help people, no one is going to be able to fill up my shoes in my homeworld. I was meant to-" he paused. He... wasn't supposed to say what he was meant to do, was he?

"Just say it. I won't tell a soul," A-Leonidas said. 

A-Dia gave a nod. "We all guessed that your world did succeed in defeating Hanoj, judging by your reactions to how things went here." 

"I... thank you..." he closed his eyes. "After Hanoj was defeated, you would approach the Awesome Brawlers and ask them to help you destroy the Bakugan Traps to release yourself of the burden your brother, Marduk/Drogo, had placed on you with the mask. However, the Traps would be spread out throughout the world due to refusing that kind of death and the team would have to hunt them down. Originally, the one meant to take care of those Traps afterwards would be me. I would give them a home, but... My destiny was overwritten when I was sent to the Ghost Game world and became Tak Daun. My original name was meant to be Benji Elisedd."

He couldn't help but give a small smile. "Honestly, I want to be able to be just a normal brawler. I wonder what it's like, really. Being a multi-faction brawler, being a normal person, I wondered what it was like. I hated that I became what I am today some days, but... Other days I can't imagine myself in any other position. Being with my friends and all that."

(The wish to be normal... Daun didn't want that, did he? He wanted to protect his world, and being a Dimension Keeper allowed him to do just that.

Maybe, some day he'll visit and brawl and get to hang with the Awesome Brawlers... Maybe he could, even if he was a Dimension Keeper. Just because he was an Anomalice didn't mean he was unable to interact with people. Maybe he could make friends with others even if the system hated people like him.

After all, he had managed to connect with A-Leonidas in a way, hadn't he?)

"So... In a way, self-hatred only hinders what we CAN do," he offered. "If I kept on hating myself, how would I be able to protect the world I came from? If you let yourself be held back by the guilt and sorrow, then... wouldn't that be a waste?"

His eyes widened. "I..."

Something in that... just clicked with him. 

(Even if stuff got hard, had the AB ever given up? They didn't give up when Marduk took him. They didn't stop when they were up against Viloch. They kept fighting even when Wrath was powerful. They had NEVER stopped. 

He WAS a member of the team as well. And he WAS the Demonic Bakugan in a way. Even if he wasn't evil... He had a fire, a passion to keep fighting for those who cared for him.)

He felt his cheeks. They were wet, warm, and he didn't feel the burden on his shoulders anymore. 

"Do you really think we can stop my brother?" He looked at Daun. 

Daun looked him in the eye, and those brown eyes-

(He could see it. Those warm brown eyes embracing the Traps, giving them a home, loving them, being kind to them, freeing his partner of the burden of the passing down.

Perhaps in another world, but...

He understood now. That destiny... only came to be BECAUSE of him, not destiny decreed so. And if Daun, no, Benji, could change things up, could fight for what was right, to protect the world he barely knew... he could do the same.)

"Yes. I do believe so. It all depends on your resolve, Leonidas," he firmly answered.

And A-Leo felt the twitch of his lips. The blue goop faded away as he smiled. 

"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's go talk sense into someone!"

"Only after you heal up, Leo-" 

"Wait what? Dia, you can't be-"

"Yes, I am!" 

"No, you gotta-"

"NO MOVING FROM THE BED OR YOUR COOKING PRIVILEGES ARE REVOKED!"

"DIA, NO!" 

"DIA, YES!" 

(The two pretend not to notice Daun leaving. Their smiles are bright, a semblance of how they were during simpler times.)

"Time to face Miasmamon, huh?" Tsuchiyume sighed. "Alright. Who're you using this time, Daun?"

"Kongor and Tyrannus," He replied. "You up for it?"

The two smiled.

"You can count on me, kid!" Kongor roared.

(He was the first. Daun had found him when he was out on a walk, before he was recruited to be part of the Dimension Keepers. Kongor had struggled. No Vestroia energy. Before it was all open source it was a struggle.)

"Leave it to us," Tyrannus agreed.

(They had met in an AU, where a Pyrus Troxx was tired of his life and ran away. Daun and Kongor beat the people who did this to him, and Tyrannus joined up. Never regretted it even after everything.)

He smiled, then turned to Sandayuu and Tsuchiyume. "We have no time to waste. Time to end this once and for all."

The two shared a smile, and Tsuchiyume said, "Lead the way, Daun."

(Daun was going to protect every Bakugan AU, and the original world too! He was going to help take down the Anomalice. Then, maybe he'll meet the Awesome Brawlers. Maybe he'll be able to befriend them despite all their differences. Maybe Anomalice CAN be accepted.)

[Somewhere, in some place, a Miraculous lights up. It's the first piece of fourteen. It's beginning to awaken.

Its guardian doesn't see one of the fourteen symbols on the box become colored by a gem.]

"I see you managed to weaken my link to this world." 

The three stood against the Digimon as the sounds of Bakugan brawling roared throughout the black skies. Miasmamon, for his part, looked very chill, even leaning on a broken pillar.

"Y-You're going down!" Daun said firmly. 

"Let's get this battle to it!" Tsuchiyume and Sandayuu inserted their medals into their watches while Daun got his two Bakugan at the ready. "Henshin!"

Changing Form, Youkai Hero!

Little Kommander Ace || Shrine King

Tsuchiyume's circle appeared above his head as he rolled his fists around, forming the word Henshin on the top before he turned the watch to transform. The silhouette of a furry iguana could be seen overtaking his body, leaving him with a reptilian face, a morning star that looked like a drippy nose, and scaled armour shaded orange on the gloves, green on the body and red on the arms and legs while a white fluffy cape billowed behind him.

"Omae no koe kittenai. Shrine King... no sanjou!" He stood regally beside Little Kommander Ace. (Your voice is not heard. Shrine King... has arrived!)

Both of them inserted the Digital Space medals into their watch. 

DigiMode, Activate!

The glitches reappeared once more before fading off as Daun prepared to throw the Bakuballs. "Bakugan brawl! Bakugan-"

A bright light then emanated off a core. One with... A Nova core? 

Daun's eyes widened. This was!

He immediately aimed for the Core. It was just... there and-

And then his Bakugan FUSED?! 

As a green gorilla Bakugan with a huge tail appeared, Daun could feel... someone. 

All three of them could as behind him, a flickering... person held his hand out, and another Nova   Core formed, still stationary. 

(It wasn't natural. It was one made from the final embers of energy.)

"What the heck is going on now?..." Shrine King muttered. 

Daun didn't waste any time, though. Thanking whoever had done it, he rushed to the new Core, picked it up and threw it at the newly formed Gorthion X Troxx, forming a red and green cannon that the fused Bakugan could hold. 

The name of the attack came naturally to Daun. (This was what it was like to be a brawler. So what if he was born in  another dimension? He would always remain a brawler at heart.)

"INFERNAL TORNADO CANNON!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, the attack going off the moment he finished the name. 

The other two shared a smile as they prepared their own attacks, inserting the medals into the watch. 

Cosmic Punch!

Luck of the Sick!

Little Kommander Ace pulled his fist back, blue Youki flames forming on it as stars aligned nearby, while Shrine King swung his morning star around like a wheel of fortune before it seemed to land on a good option, sending the attack flying the same time Little Kommander Ace did. 

Miasmamon tch'ed as he got hit, but no Digitama was left behind when the dust cleared. 

Daun took in a deep breath, but he could see the sky clearing up. Cheers were heard on the other side, and he finally, finally collapsed on the ground, smiling a bit. 

"That was AWESOME!!!!" Kongor roared once he and Tyrannus unfused. 

"We added a whole new list to our arsenal, didn't we?" The Pyrus Bakugan smiled. 

"I guess! Wonder if we can replicate those BakuCores to implement them outside of Bakugan AUs!" Daun was definitely excited for this! He couldn't wait to experiment!

Nearby, A-Leonidas watched the trio with a smile, but spotted the figure behind them and his eyes widened. 

(Dan smiles and waves, those warm aquamarine eyes similar to his but lighter in shade, before he... disappears. 

A sign that he's forgiven, that Dan is SORRY. 

He lets out a small tear of relief. Thank you, Dan.)

"Anyway, we should head over to the next world as soon as we can," Tsuchiyume said while detransforming. 

"Sounds good," Sandayuu agreed. 

"No time to waste then! Let's go!"

As the portal was opened, Daun turned around and waved at A-Leonidas, screaming, "L-LET'S BRAWL SOME DAY!"

(His eyes widen in excitement, and A-Leonidas gives him a thumbs up. He heard him loud and clear. He would be waiting, regardless of what world he came from.

Because for all the Dauns that possibly existed in the multiverse, only one Tak Daun had saved him from his self-hatred.

He would never forget that young child. The one who was supposed to be the guardian of the Traps... but ended up being so much more.)

"[REDACTED], we need to talk."

Aesopia doesn't lose composure. She knows she's been exposed. This is [REDACTED]'s SO. Of course they would be the first one to recognise the signs. 

"Not [REDACTED]. I believe we have met during the Centuriomon situation."

Wide eyes. They understand who she is. "Why are you in [REDACTED]'s body?! Give them back!"

"Unfortunately, I cannot. Not until I gain what I want. And considering you recognised there was something off, well, I am afraid that letting you roam around with this knowledge is too dangerous."

"Wha- AHHHHHHHH!!!!"

(They never stood a chance. Not against the one whose soul was nothing but a virus.)

"That's better. Miasmamon is following the Keepers to the Nexomon Miraculous... Good, good. I shall be awaiting the report. But until then... I must rid myself of any trace that [REDACTED]'s SO last saw me."