This chapter is mostly filler. I mean, it progresses the story a bit, but not much. A slight hint of romance, though ^.^ Enjoy!

Thanks to my betas ThatFuzzyTanGuy and DakotaWolf447.

Chapter Nine

Nicole's POV

The moment to leave came at sunset.

Azumi, now small, still slept, blissfully unaware of the fact that I was about to ruin both of our lives. The sun would set on my loyalty and on my head. Lync's words echoed louder in my head the farther I escaped from Alpha City.

"Not a word to the Resistance, or…well, you know," he'd taunted, sea foam eyes shining in dark mirth.

I'd only nodded quietly, the perfect subordinate. Now I resented everything I'd agreed to, angry at Lync and Volt and everyone else. I don't know how I always found trouble, or if trouble just liked finding me, but honestly, how many choices did I have left? I couldn't come clean to them. They'd end up hating me no matter how this ended. Even if I wanted them to know how far I'd fallen, I had to hang in there for Zora. Until I could come up with a plan I was her only hope, and I couldn't let her down, not again.

I sighed, something I seemed to do a lot lately. I looked down to my pocket, watching Azumi rest. I had to protect her, too, from the Vexos's corruption and the pain of reality. She didn't deserve to be dragged into this, but she was my only ally right now. Plus, she was better off with me than with Lync or some other equally creepy Vexos.

My feet moved of their own accord the closer I got to the Resistance base of operations. I was nervous, wanting to turn back, but my body kept me going forward. Lync had said they'd be a few miles south of the city and he was right. The tire tracks of their RV were becoming clearer in the dirt. They were so easy to find, I realized, for a rebel movement, and I probably could have found them on my own had I not been in my current situation.

I'd have to tell them to be more careful, but I didn't doubt that Lync had other ways of finding them. Like me, the bad guy.

The RV came into view just as the last rays of daylight were fading. I stopped quite a ways away, hiding behind one of the rock formations and pulling Azumi from my pocket. She was startled, instantly tremblimg with fear, cold, or a mixture of both. Looking her firmly in the eyes, I smiled. She relaxed a little, though she questioned where we were.

"We're taking a little trip to see some friends. They're really friendly, so you don't have to be scared," I assured, smiling brightly and feeling sick for faking it.

She brightened immediately. "It sounds like fun! Miss is so lucky to have nice friends. Will they like me?"

"Of course," I replied. "They'll adore you. They each have a kind Bakugan, and they'll be your friends forever."

She cheered quietly to herself. Azumi was so naïve that I was scared for a moment, scared that I was making a mistake in lying so much. But it was for her own good. She was too innocent, and I couldn't taint her.

"One thing, though," I added. "You can't mention the Vexos, okay? Just forget we ever met them."

"But why?" she asked, voice frowning.

"Because some people don't like them, and they might get angry if you talk about them. Do you want that?"

"N-no."

"Don't worry, Azumi," I reassured softly. "Everything will be okay."

She gained her spirit back, jumping into my pocket with renewed vigor. "Will Miss tell me when to come out?"

I nodded, moving forward and putting on my best 'scared' face. It wasn't hard, considering I was already plenty frightened. It was quiet, except for the loud beating of my heart. It was deafening, and for a moment, I turned to walk away from my mission. But then the danger Zora was in crawled back into my mind, and I got my courage back. It was one thing to lie for myself, and another entirely to lie for her.

No one was outside, and I skirted their campsite, searching for a way in. I spotted a door, and I hard my hand poised to knock when a voice whispered my name.

I spun around, pressing my back against the door, eyes wide and heart racing. "Who's there?" I whispered, eyes unable to penetrate the darkness.

There was a rush of air, and suddenly, I was staring into a pair of familiar amber eyes. The same eyes I'd seen at the tournament not too long ago. The same eyes that had gotten me into this mess. Sort of.

"Nicole?" Shun asked, confused.

"Shun?" I breathed, my wide eyes easily mistaken for fear than for embarrassment. I quickly recovered myself and repeated the lines I'd rehearsed with Lync. "What…what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," he replied coolly, but with a smile. "You're a sight for sore eyes."

I laughed shakily as silence enveloped us, his smile burned into my memory. Why did I suddenly feel elated instead of panicked? My heart fluttered a little as he opened the RV door and led me inside.

I stared in awe at the spacious control room we were in. There were seats in front of the windshield, separated from where I stood by a railing. I walked around the railing, down the stairs, running my hand over the control panel. There seemed to be a button on every square inch of it! A single light was on above the middle the entrance, and I glanced back at Shun standing beneath it.

He looked ethereal in the light, like a dark angel of sorts, his short hair framing his handsome face and—

"Your hair!" I gasped. "What did you do?" I couldn't believe I hadn't noticed earlier—at the tournament or a few minutes ago—but the surprise looked good for my act. Amazing how fast I thought like a criminal.

He chuckled softly, answering simply, "Cut it."

I blushed at the obviousness, ducking my head. "It looks nice." I wasn't joking either. I honestly liked it.

We stood there for a moment, Shun's piercing eyes cutting through me while I tried to avoid them. It was hard to look straight into his eyes, as I was just ogling him just moments before.

"Um…"

"Should I wake the others?" he asked quietly, making a move to leave.

"No!" I almost shouted, then caught myself. "I don't want to disturb anyone."

He nodded, understanding immediately. I let out a sigh of relief, which he misinterpreted as exhaustion.

"You're tired. Let's get you to bed." He led me to a large room just off the entrance. I idly wondered if all rooms in the RV were this big. It was set up almost like my room back home, and it brought some comfort to me.

"This is just temporary, but I think it's good enough for you." He joked.

I laughed lightly. "It's great…thank you."

"Sleep," he whispered, stepping out like a ghost. "We'll sort this out in the morning."

I nodded again, my hands trembling as he shut the door. Tears pooled in my eyes. He was only going to make betraying them harder. For Zora, though, I couldn't let him stand in the way, no matter how much I wanted him to.

Part of me wondered why he'd been so accommodating. He hadn't asked any important questions, but he had to be curious. It was in his nature. I fervently hoped that he hadn't caught on to me just yet. If anyone was going to expose my lies, it would be him. I had to be extra careful around Shun. One slip-up and I was ruined.

"Miss?" Azumi called, freeing me from my thoughts.

"What is it?" I called, wiping away the few tears that had escaped.

"Is he gone?"

"Yes," I replied quietly, pulling her out and cradling her in my open palm.

She scooted closer to the edge of my palm. "Is Miss sad?"

I forced a smile for her. "No, Azumi, just a little tired. Tomorrow's a big day."

"Ah," she cooed, settling herself on the bed.

If only I had been sad—it would have been better than being scared to death.

Sorry I haven't been uploading guys, I've been really busy lately with school and stuff. But, I've got a new chapter already planned out, if that's compensation.

Cocoacharm15