Update!
Sorry it took so long… =D
But like I said, I'll most probably be more active now since it's summer vacation… =D
And also, thanks to those first five who REVIEWED JetravenEx, DomiiCalifornia, You mean everything, Bocchan 832, and Warboss, I love you guys! =D
So on with it!
Chapter 2
Crime and punishment
"Spectra why are you in a hurry?" asked Helios as he floated beside his Brawler.
The masked blonde did not respond immediately. He kept running and when he reached to his quarters, he stared at it for a while.
"Spectra…" Helios pressed
"Sorry Helios," Spectra unlocked his door, "I just have this horrible feeling…"
He opened the door and was relieved to see Alice still sleeping on her bed, just the same way he left her.
He slumped on the edge of his bed as he felt stupid for his actions. He left the assembly hall without notice and just ran to his room to make sure that she was safe.
What is wrong with me?
Alice slowly opened her eyes. She sat up and saw Spectra, "Wha—what happened?"
"You dozed off again…" lied Spectra as he removed his mask.
"I do that a lot lately don't I?" Alice smiled sheepishly
"Yeah… Are you alright?" asked Spectra as concern lazed his voice.
He felt immensely guilty for lying to Alice especially since he was the only one she trusted here in Vestal.
Alice nodded and smiled at him, "Yeah… I just feel a bit strange lately…"
"Strange how?"
Alice fell silent.
"Alice?" Spectra called out as he laid his hand atop hers, "Is something wrong?"
"It feels strange in a familiar way…" replied Alice, "It felt like the time I was still Masquerade…"
Spectra's eyes widened at the sound of it.
"This happened to me a lot of times when Masquerade was still in me," Alice elaborated, "I would usually doze off without any apparent reason…"
"So could this mean that he's coming back?" asked Spectra
"If he is, why would he?" asked Alice.
A sudden thought struck Spectra. He recalled what the voice said to Prince Hydron and the Vexos.
"… For revenge…" mumbled Spectra
"What for?"
He turned his eyes to her, "For you…"
Alice's eyes widened momentarily and she broke into amused laughter.
"I don't see anything funny about this matter…" Helios interjected.
"What is so funny, Alice?" asked Spectra
"Sorry, sorry…" Alice said as she managed to stop her laughter, "It's just that your theory sounds so absurd."
"You share the same body and almost the same mind," Spectra tried to reason out, "The Vexos and Prince Hydron have done many terrible things to you…"
Alice turned to him with glazed eyes, "Are you saying that I wanted revenge?"
His eyes widened, "N—no I didn't mean to imply that…" He dropped his eyes and held her shoulder, "I'm sorry… I forgot that you're not like other people who are naturally vengeful…"
"And what the Vexos did wasn't anywhere near forgivable…" Helios added.
Alice nodded, "I know Helios…" she turned to Spectra and said, "It's okay Keith, I understand…"
"I'm really sorry, Alice…" Spectra said
Alice just smiled at him comfortingly, "It's okay…"
That's right…
Someone like Alice is too kind for thoughts like revenge…
She would never think of something like that…
Spectra decided to go back to the topic that was interrupted earlier, "So why do you think that it's so absurd for Masquerade to want revenge for you?"
Alice shrugged, "Well… I don't really know him that well… And I've never seen him show concern for anyone else, much less for me…"
"But he gave you Alpha Hydranoid…" Spectra pointed out
"I would hardly call that concern…" Alice smiled sadly, "And besides, I think he was more or less forced by the circumstances… Since I was the only one he could communicate with openly and freely and because I was a friend of the Bakugan Battle Brawlers…"
Spectra nodded. Her argument did seem logical.
"So his intentions are still a mystery to us…" Spectra concluded.
"Yes…"
Silence stretched between them. Alice kept her eyes on her fidgeting hands; her heart was beating madly against her sternum. The phenomenon was so foreign to her.
What is this…?
She took her mind off the uncommon phenomenon for a while and broke the silence; "Are you hungry?" was the only thing that came to mind.
Fortunately, the statement made sense. Spectra nodded and said, "Come to think of it, yes…"
Alice smiled as she stood up and went to the kitchen, "Afterwards we can continue working on the remaining equations on the Transporter System…"
She didn't see the look of sadness in Spectra's face as she waltzed to the kitchen.
Sadness?
How vague…
"Spectra…" Helios called out, but his tone told him that he knew exactly what Spectra was feeling.
"It's for the best Helios," Spectra reasoned out as he deciphered what Helios was trying to say with his tone, "She never was supposed to be here… Think of it as atonement for the pain I've brought her…"
"That's what you said before…"
"Yes…" Spectra said as he stood up and took off his coat, "Consider this as my final act of atonement…"
"But what about you?" asked the Pyrus Bakugan, doubting.
"I don't matter at all Helios. Alice is what matters…"
"Since when did you become a masochistic martyr Spectra? We both know that you…"
Helios was cut short when Alice called out from the kitchen, "Keith. Can you help me out?"
Spectra stood up and called after her, "I'll be right there, Alice…"
Helios just sighed as he hopped onto the nightstand, "Spectra's a thickhead…"
After eating lunch, Alice and Spectra worked through the equations for the Dimensional Transporter. Despite regret gnawing at him like a log in a beaver's hands, Spectra tried to work cheerfully lest Alice may suspect something's wrong.
"Alice," he couldn't help it anymore, "Why did you change your mind so suddenly?"
Alice stopped for a moment and considered his question. She didn't understand why either.
"W—Well… I thought it would be nice to go back home…" she replied half-heartedly. It was the only thing that came to her mind; but wasn't what she wanted to say.
Spectra's face fell but he hid it as he was used to hiding his emotions, "I see… That's good…"
Why am I pushing her away?
Even he didn't know the answer to his question.
The next morning was very stressful.
When Spectra woke up, he found out that Alice wasn't on her bed. He looked in the bathroom, knocking before he opened the door; saw that Alice wasn't there. He looked out the veranda and was alarmed to see that she wasn't there.
"Helios, did you see Alice?" asked the distressed blonde
Helios popped open and replied, "No… Why?"
"She's missing…" Spectra muttered.
He put on his coat and his mask. He briskly made his way to Gus' quarters, hoping that at least Gus saw even a glimpse of Alice.
"No, Master," replied Gus, "I haven't seen Miss Alice…"
"I see…" was Spectra's calm reply
He walked off and continued searching for her. He took out his gauntlet and tried tracking her down with using her wristband that he had given her not long ago.
But to his dismay, he couldn't found her by that means either.
His steps became slower and shorter.
Alice, where are you?
What worried him the most is that, she didn't even bother leaving a note. The door to his room was secured by a password that only he and Alice know. And it couldn't have been hacked since she had made sure that no one can hack into it.
This means that she went out of her own free will…
He stopped and turned to his right where a window stood. And what he saw on the other side made him rush outside.
Lync was tied onto a branch of the tree beside the river. He was bound by a straight jacket and his head was dipped into the rushing waters. The branch where he was tied onto was about to break the moment Spectra found him.
Help immediately came as well as the other Vexos.
"Oh man! I thought I was a goner!" Lync sputtered. Despite the fact that he almost drowned, he was still quite energetic.
"Who did this?" asked Mylene frankly.
"I don't know!" Lync exclaimed, "All I remember was eating breakfast and then the next thing I knew, I was here…"
"The guards haven't seen anything either, Volt stated.
"What is this about?" asked Prince Hydron who had just entered the scene.
The Vexos bowed down and Spectra spoke for them, "Prince Hydron, I was strolling around when I saw Lync here…"
And from there Lync made an outburst, "I was tied onto that tree while my head was dipped down that river! Someone wanted to kill me!"
Hydron lost his cool; it was visible on his face, "What do you mean someone? You mean to say that you have no idea who did this to you?"
"Well duh!" Lync retorted
"What did the guards say?" asked Hydron, his voice dripped with anger by the second.
"The guards said that they didn't see anyone or anything suspicious, Prince Hydron…" Volt replied.
"I've also checked the security cameras," Mylene said, "But they seemed to be inactive this morning…"
"USELESS!" Hydron fully raised his voice by now, "Every single one of you is useless! For all we know, this might have been done by that person in the assembly hall last night.
The heads of the Vexos snapped up at the sound of it. For once the Prince actually thought of something that actually made sense.
"Hurry up and find out who's behind all these scandalous occurrences…" Hydron commanded "And when you do, make sure that they'll pay dearly for it!"
After Hydron left, the Vexos stood up and made their leave. Lync's unnaturally high-pitched voice could still be heard as he babbled about how he could have died and how 'dead' the one who did that to him was.
Spectra sighed; seemingly forgot that Alice was missing when he saw her lying on her bed and fast asleep.
He walked towards his nightstand and picked Helios up, "Since when did she come back?"
Helios popped open and asked in a rather unorganized tone, "Who came back?"
"Alice…" Spectra replied briefly.
Helios turned and was greeted by the same sight that Spectra saw inside his room: Alice sleeping.
Helios turned back to his partner and said, "I didn't even see her enter the room…"
"I see… Were you sleeping?" asked the blonde as he removed his mask.
"No…" replied the Pyrus Bakugan, "I was just curled up in a ball… If anyone clicked the door open I would have heard it…"
Spectra too was confused. He knew that his Bakugan was not very fond of jokes and pranks; he was assured that Helios was saying the truth.
Things were getting mysterious and he wasn't that much of a fan of mysteries.
Alice opened her eyes drowsily. She sat up and yawned heartily. Her eyes fell upon Spectra who sat beside her bed and smiled, "Good morning…"
Spectra jumped slightly and managed a greeting, "Good morning," and he decided to move on with frank questions, "Alice where did you go?"
Said girl tilted her head. "Huh?"
"When I woke up you were gone…" Spectra slowly said, "And I couldn't find you anywhere…"
Alice's eyes widened as she seemed to be familiar with the phenomenon she was experiencing. She put a palm to her head and asked absent-mindedly, "Did anything unusual happen?"
Spectra placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and asked, "Why are you asking?"
"J—just answer please…" Alice begged, "Did anything happen?"
Sensing her desperation in her voice, Spectra decided to tell her the truth.
"I saw Lync nearly drowning this morning…" he said without mincing any words.
Alice seemed surprised and guilty about what Spectra said.
"Alice, tell me what's going on…" Spectra said as he lifted her chin with his finger.
His eyes widened when he saw the melancholic and slightly guilty expression on Alice's beautifully pale face.
The orange haired girl averted her eyes and said, "This has only happened to me once… The time when Masquerade could still take over me…"
Spectra's eyes widened, "Then do you mean…?" his voice trailed off.
"I'm not entirely sure…" Alice sobbed, "But I have a feeling it was him…"
Her head fell on his chest, her shoulders rose and fell; she was shaking like a leaf, terrified and completely unsure.
"A—Alice…" Spectra was clueless.
"I… I don't want that to happen again…" Alice whimpered helplessly, "I don't want to do things like that again…"
Spectra wrapped his arms around her and asked, "Is there anything we can do?"
Alice shook her head as she continued crying, "No… He comes and goes as he pleases… I can't control him…"
I don't want revenge…
I don't want that…
Spectra was simply lost. He knew Alice didn't want to have anything to do with these kinds of things anymore, but he didn't know how he could help her in any way.
"What should I do?" asked Alice
"I… I don't know Alice…" for once in his life he had absolutely no idea what to do, "I just don't know… I'm sorry…"
What is one supposed to do when they're up against someone who they can't even see?
"Alice, please don't cry…" Spectra whispered
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry…" Alice said over and over again.
He slowly and gently stroked her hair and tried calming her down. He felt catastrophic as he saw Alice act like so.
After a while, it was Alice who broke free from his embrace. She wiped off the tears and said, "Sorry… I'm so pathetic…"
Spectra held both of her hands with one hand and said, "You don't want to do what he wants to do, so it's only normal for you to feel afraid…"
Alice smiled despite herself and said, "Thanks…"
"Now shall we resume working on the equations to at least ease your tensions?" asked Spectra.
Personally, he didn't want to have to do anything with the Dimensional Transporter. He was a masochist and he admitted it.
Better be a masochist than a sadist that hurts her…
Alice nodded as Spectra wiped off her tears.
Why are you hesitating Alice?
They're criminals…
And criminals have to be punished no matter what…
Even if you object…
Even if you try to stop me…
You can't stop the one who has been a part of you for so long…
You can't stop me…
That's a wrap!
I would also like to endorse my other story 'Exedra's apprentice,… =D
Simply because it's near completion…
And also 'A series of events that lead to one end', which is my first serious romance fic…
Although the latter only has one chapter at the moment… =D
So please do not hesitate to click the REVIEW button and feel free to convey your deepest darkest thoughts regarding the fic as it is greatly appreciated… =D
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