Routine

CHAPTER 9

Can this get any more annoying…?

Tiana, Runo, Dan and Marucho stood on a dock, the waves of the ocean crashing against its sides and creating a peaceful atmosphere. Well, it would’ve been peaceful but a bothersome brat of a boy stood opposite the group, an obnoxious smirk placed on his face. He placed a familiar black and green shooter on his wrist while holding the brawlers’ gaze.

“So, you chicken?” The boy challenged.

Dan let out a bored sigh. “Another lackey of Masquerade?”

“Yeah, this is starting to get old,” Runo said annoyed. “But just for fun, let me show you who’s boss.” She stood ready but before she could react, Dan stepped in.

“No way! I call dibs on this creep!” Dan started to walk towards the green and purple-haired boy, who stilled had a smirk plastered onto his face.

“Hey, no fair!” Runo protested.

“I don’t think you can just call dibs on something like this,” Tiana stated bored, her arms crossed over her chest.

“Dan, wait!” Marucho tried to stop him but Dan and the boy were already underway.

“Field open!”

The world froze around them, stopping Runo and Marucho who were running towards Dan to stop him while Tiana still stood with a bored expression plastered on her face.

°°°

“No fair! You’re butting in, Dan!” Runo whined but stopped when she realized the battle between the two was over. “Huh?”

“You just got lucky, that’s all!” The kid yelled as he jumped into a speedboat that floated at the side of the dock. “I’ll be back, you freaks!” And with that, he sped away. Tiana lazily walked up to the other three members of the Battle Brawlers.

“So, I’m guessing you beat him,” Runo said.

“Nice work, Dan,” Tiana commented, placing a small smirk on her lips.

“Way to go, Dan! I had total confidence that you could do it!” Marucho praised.

“Aw, it was nothing,” Dan said and glanced at them over his shoulder, sounding a little strained. “I had him on the ropes.” Without warning, Dan collapsed onto the ground with a thud. The three friends gasped and rushed to his side.

“Dan, no!” Marucho called out.

“Come on, Dan. Wake up!” Tiana said franticly, not knowing what to do.

The three continued to try and wake Dan but nothing worked. Tiana started to worry as she looked down at Dan’s pale face, beads of sweat lining his forehead and his eyebrow twitching slightly.

What happened?

°°°

“Man, that was way up there on the freaky scale,” Dan said from where he laid in his bed, placing the back of his hand to his forehead with his eyes still closed. The three friends had managed to get him back to his room and he had woken up only a few moments after. Tiana and Runo sat at the foot of Dan’s bed while Marucho sat on Dan’s desk chair that he had pulled to the side of the bed.

“I remember I beat the dude but after that it’s a total blank,” Dan finished.

“Oh, that was so hilarious, Dan! The way that wannabe brawler ran off with his tail between his legs!” Marucho laughed.

“Well, it is kind of your fault, Mr. Buttinski,” Runo said with an unamused look on her face.

“I knew this would turn into a snooze fest!” Dan yelled as he sat up in his bed. “I was just lucky that Drago was tough enough to take that chump out when he did!”