Hello there. This is my first story here on this account. It was inspired by the song by OLDCODEX, Reject Me. It is also on the Mirai Nikki/Future Diary Self-inspired Album as Uryuu Minene's theme song. I couldn't resist this after reading the lyrics. One version of the English Lyrics I read (which totally twisted its meaning around) gave me the inspiration for this fanfiction. So please carry on and read.
Cover Credit: Me. (Transparent Masquerade also made by me). Photoshop CS6.
Reject Me
When was it he decided to leave behind his past and go back to Earth with the Brawlers? When was it that the feelings of hatred for them disappeared?
He wasn't sure, but he sure as hell didn't try to find out. No, wait...he knew when. He just wanted to forget.
When he returned, as expected it was a shock to Alice, who had found him slumped in the snow in front of her home. But she had gladly let the other "her" return. It was an expected mutual feeling. After all, a whole is better than a half.
The warm feeling he felt was better than the unnatural coldness of the pits of the doom dimension.
Alice hadn't kept up with the Battle Brawler's since Dan's move to another country, but she agreed to take him to see them when he mentioned that he "had something important to tell the brawlers." She was a bit surprised at the outburst, but contacted Marucho ahead of time saying she "had something important to tell the brawlers and a visit was needed." There were no questions from the Aqous brawler, who was happy to see his friend.
And that's how, a few days later, they used the transport card to pay their dear friends a visit. Dan, Shun, Marucho, Julie, and Runo had come to greet them at the designated spot.
'They should hate me...'
"I didn't think it was possible for Masquerade to return." Marucho rambled as they rode in a limousine to "Brawler's HQ" as it was called. Masquerade looked at the view of the passing city. Something made from the efforts of a bunch of children.
Something made from them.
"...Yeah...me either." He replied. Dan, who was sitting next to him, bumped into him with his shoulder. He was grinning.
"Dude, tell us how you got back!"
'What a fool.'
"Yes. I had been wondering the same," Alice confessed from beside him (it didn't feel right to have her too far from him.) "We've been together for a few days, but you haven't told me a thing."
"I will tell you once we reach our destination." The brawlers seemed unsure of his answer, but hesitantly accepted it. The masked man caught Shun's watchful eye. The masked man smirked.
"Well, uh, what about you Alice? You've dropped in the rankings again..." Julie changed the subject of the conversation.
'Don't trust me!'
At the HQ, the others greeted a woman who met them at the door, who wore a white lab coat. Almost like the one he was wearing now. She has orange hair that he could not recall being on anyone's head. "Who's this?" She asked as they walked inside, obviously referencing the revived Doom Being.
"This is Masquerade." Shun informed. Her eyes widened for a microsecond, but went back to normal. Masquerade caught the gesture.
"This is Masquerade? But I thought-"
"Yeah he's going to explain that." Runo told the woman, who nodded in return.
"This is Mira." Alice told him.
Masquerade nodded his greetings. "I don't think she should hear this." He said afterwards. Mira didn't seem at all offended by it.
"That's fine. I have to go run some tests anyways." She said, walking away. "Nice to see you again, Alice."
"Let's go somewhere more...appropriate." Marucho offered, and led them to a huge room with a single long table inside, with chairs at almost every spot around it. They all sat down in the chairs, and no one spoke a word.
"Well?" Dan couldn't take the anticipation anymore. Masquerade sighed.
"The last time you saw me was the battle against Naga, correct?" Almost all of them nodded. "The last time Alice saw me was long after that...a brawl against a Vexos. Nearly 3 years after you guys saw me." Runo and Julie shot Alice a quick look. "That is how long I stayed on Earth...4. Years. I died but not completely- I was stuck half way."
"Like that time Runo tried to go to New Vestroia..." Julie muttered. He ignored her.
"When I finally passed, I arrived in the Doom Dimension...late enough to miss the Ancient Bakugan. However, they, especially Exedra were anticipating my arrival. So they left behind just a bit of energy, except for Exedra, and appeared in front of me when I came. They explained it simply; I needed to pay for my sins, but with the passing of them, they needed a bit of help, which came as a reward for me. Exedra was the ruler of the Doom Dimension, and to him, it was easy to slap the label on me. But he wouldn't do it so easily.
"This is where it ties in with my punishment. Being the ruler of the Doom Dimension is no easy feat. I was to spend time there in the Doom Dimension with the dead Bakugan..." He began to chuckle a bit. "It wasn't easy. I had to take in the suffering—pay for their sins—in addition to my own. Do you know how many Bakugan are down there? How much pain? The Doom Dimension is a Bakugan graveyard, a jail for the worst of the worst. And I was in the very center, at the very bottom.
"My sanity cracked. But before I knew it, I was fine. I had let go of my emotions and left them behind. That's the only way to survive that sort of treatment—abandon your humanity and become neutral. Naga never felt anything like this in the Silent Core. Exedra praised me for this, and he allowed me to become ruler of the Doom Dimension...and with that comes being ruler of the Darkus attribute. So then I came here."
"So you're evil." Marucho surmised.
"I could be. Or I couldn't be. A being like myself has no time to bother over such trivial matters like such. Moral rights are left in the mind of humanity...once you abandon that, you have no business concerning yourself with it." Masquerade smirked.
"...Why?" Shun asked through grit teeth.
"I could very much be doing the same thing to these Bakugan on Earth...it has become an unconscious job, taking away pain." Masquerade informed. "But...I can do just the opposite, inflicting pain too." He stood. "That concludes my little...explanation to you." He began to walk to the door.
"Wait!" Dan stood to chase after him, but was stopped by Masquerade revealing the transporter card.
"Let me explain something else to you. You see, as of right now, I can be considered...a sort of "Jesus" to the Bakugan. I have taken on their sins so they can enjoy themselves. At the same time, I can also be a "Satan" to them. I have the power to inflict their pain back onto them, to kill them if I wanted. If, and only if you want to make me your enemy, remember that."
"Masquerade! I swear, if you hurt the Bakugan, I'll-" Julie was cut off by him.
"I'll enlighten you to the reason why I came back and told you." He smirked again. "Honestly, I expected that over the years you'd have learned to not trust everyone. I really was hoping that you'd reject me from your circle, just so this could be a bit better...but that isn't the case. I came here to warn you. This is a process you'd do well not to interrupt. There's a reason I was chosen..."The card began to glow, blinding them. They still heard his words as he disappeared.
"Believe this, I can destroy you if need be...remember, brawlers. An opponent with no emotions or motive is an opponent worth fearing."
With that, I end it here. I may toy around with the possibilities of a fanfiction sprouting from this. I tried to fit those lyrics with this fanfic.
Let Masquerade take in the pain of the Bakugan when he can inflict it right back. Can such a being...a god(?) be considered an opponent who needs to be taken down by the brawlers? Should they let him continue or take him down? That's just a possible thought if I do decide to make a story based around this. I already have the first chapter planned out in my mind.
If I do make this a fanfic, little details from this will become important.
Also, please review this. Tell me what could be better, and what is just fine. Thank you.