Behold my new addiction! Bakugan (oh shut up with 'It's a kid's show!', it's actually pretty entertaining)! So yeah… I'll still continue writing my other stories so no worries!

This is from Bakugan New Vestroia episode 32 up. And Alice IS 16 years old in New Vestroia.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bakugan/New Vestroia. If I did then I will make Masquerade come back and maybe then Alice wouldn't need Chan Lee's help to defeat Shadow Probe.

It was one of those days Alice Gehabich wished she was saving New Vestroia with Dan, Marucho and Shun. Not that she really wanted to, it was still better than going to school. And Alice would've done anything to get out of High School. Anything….

She would've done anything but brawl.

She would've done anything that did not concern Masque—her alter ego.

Though she knew Hydranoid was secretly craving a good brawl, Alice had bid farewell to her brawling days when she laid her alter ego to rest. Even when Mira had given her a gauntlet, she silently swore to herself never to use it.

That was until Shadow Probe paid her a surprise visit.

Even though she welcomed it then, she wasn't going to embrace it now. She felt Masquerade's touch, heard his voice, seen through his mask. For mere seconds she was Masquerade. And she knew that that wasn't the end of her troubles.

The Vexos were coming—she had already guessed that ever since Dan's last visit home. Runo and Julie were in danger—it was obvious. She had possibly lured the Resistance into a trap—not something you would want to think about all night long.

Alice didn't want to admit it but ever since her defeat to Shadow Probe, she had a secret craving to brawl some more and make Hydranoid stronger. Unbeknownst to the Brawlers and her family. Alice had actually given in to this old temptation. After Shadow left, she had a brawl with Chan Lee. It was Hydranoid who snapped her out of it though.

And it was Hydranoid who snapped her out of her reverie right now.

"Alice, your friend looks like she's about to ask you something." The middle head whispered urgently.

Alice smiled. Ever since that day, Alice had started keeping Hydranoid close to her. She muttered a quick thank you as her friend asked.

"Alisa*, don't you think the new transfer student's hot?" (A/N: Alisa is Alice's Russian name)

"Transfer student?"

Her friend giggled as she nudged her head towards the front.

Alice's heart skipped a beat; there standing in the front of the classroom was Masquerade. He had the same hairstyle as him and about the same height too. The only thing that really pocked Alice's brains was his face.

His face… Same smirk, same nose…. No mask.

No mask at all to cover his identity.

"Alice, Alice! Who is it? ALlliiiicccceeeeee???? Who--"

Alice's hand closed in on Hydranoid, forcing him into a ball.

She would apologize to Hydranoid later, right now… Right now, she felt a strong urge to keep her Guardian Bakugan hidden from the imposter's eyes.

Wait…. Imposter?

The new transfer student caught her glare. He smirked an oh-so-Masquerade-ish smirk and waved at her.

Beside her, her friend squealed.

"Alisa! He waved at you! Waved at you!"

Alice shoved Hydranoid into her pocket. Right now she was hell-bent on protecting Hydranoid—not that he needed that much protection anyways.

"Ahh…Mitchell" The teacher started,

So Mitchell's the as—Whoa…. Calm down Alice…

"You can go sit behind--" The teacher continued.

"No need to decide, I already know where to sit." He cut in.

Even his voice was similar to Masquerade's…

But that doesn't mean he is.

As he made his way down Alice's row of desks, her friend squealed again.

"Alisa, he's coming this way! He so totally digs you! Why do you have all the boys? Oh my gosh! Do you guys like know each other? You should so totally date him!"

He was coming closer… An intimidating aura around him…

"I'm not interested in guys like him." Alice whispered back.

No way was she interested in guys who looked like—

"Oh… Still not over your ex?"

"He's not my ex!" Alice whispered back sharply; regretting that she told her friend part of the story of her and Masquerade.

Her friend squealed again as Alice felt someone yanking her chin. She looked up to see the Masquerade-look-a-like at eye level.

He was so close now that Alice could finally see the difference between Masquerade and Mitchell. Mitchell had a slightly darker skin tone and his eyes… His eyes were sky blue. Like Masquerade's mask but eons different.

Alice couldn't help but feel disappointed about this, if this imposter wanted desperately to copy her alter ego then at least get his eye color right! Not like anyone knew what the upper portion of his face looked like, Alice had always thought his eyes were a greyish-purple-ish color.

"I'd like my Alpha Hydranoid back, Alice." He whispered, hardly a centimetre from her lips.

From the corner of her eyes, she could see her teacher and her friend melt into rainbows.

She should've been quivering in fear like when Shadow Probe confronted her. She should've heard Hydranoid's quiet angry grunts. She should've been a tiny bit scared. But she wasn't. All she was thinking about was 'This isn't Masquerade'.

Confusion turned into anger as something in her snapped. She shoved Mitchell away from her

"Don't. You. Dare. Touch. Me." She growled, a slight echo of Masquerade's voice in her own.

As she watched Mitchell fall onto the ground she couldn't help but feel victorious. She couldn't help but think that this was what it was supposed to feel like. Like she was supreme ruler of a small hill… Like her days as Masquerade…

No. I will not fall into the temptation again… I will never…

"But you know you want to." His voice echoes in her mind, from Mitchell's mouth and Alice felt a pang of uncertainty.


"Oh I'm so sorry Hydranoid! I didn't mean to do it! I… I… I'm so sorry!" Alice sobbed into her pillow.

A few minutes ago she had just finished telling Hydranoid what happened and her thought on this 'Mitchell' guy and how he knew of her Bakugan. The Darkus Bakugan had told her not to think about it and convinced her that it wasn't her fault.

Seems like Hydranoid had his work cut out for him.

"Alice relax. I don't mind!" The Left head cooed.

"But… I forced you into a BALL! I shoved you into my POCKET!"

"Alice, you were just trying to protect me." The right head said.

"But I offended you!"

"Alice, really. It's ok." The right and left head said in unison.

"But… Hydranoid, I—"

"ALICE!" The center head snapped.

The retired Darkus Brawler fell silent.

"It's not your fault ok?" The center head asked in an ordering voice.

She was about to protest when the center head quickly cut in.

"Just get some rest; I heard that you have an exam tomorrow."

Alice nodded.


A bright light emulated from the sleeping girl's body. Hydranoid just watched as the light slowly calmed down.

A mask, an old mask with an angry crack that ran down on one of the panels attached itself onto Alice's face. Another bright light and an old enemy was sitting on the girl's bed.

"Hydranoid." He said, the old echo of his voice gone.

"Yes, master?" Hydranoid asked, not surprised that Alice had just turned into Masquerade.

"She doesn't know does she, that I'm still part of her?" Masquerade asked.

"She suspects but no."

"Good…" Masquerade fell silent.

"Master, I think there is an imposter in the midst." Hydranoid finally said.

"What do you mean?"

Hydranoid told him about Alice's encounter with Mitchell. Masquerade just nodded while Hydranoid was telling him this, frowning as if he was forced to do something.

"Hydranoid. I think it is time." He said finally.

"Master, I think you should wait for a while. Alice has been under a lot of stress lately. With the previous battle she had with Shadow Probe and the Vexos coming… I don't think she can handle knowing that she is still you."

Masquerade smirked.

"Seems like I have a lot of work to do then."