"You see." The Boss said, causally moving the gun to point at Jade and pressing a button so shackles jumped out of Beck's chair and held him down. "Jade was never dead. In fact, she never even left you. I forced her to leave with my cousin Alex, using the three of you plus Victoria and the other male as… encouragement. She resisted at first, but Beck, you and Cat served at particularly effective leverage. I made her fake her death with a fancy drug, and then I took her to Europe, where we lodged with a friend of mine. He too was enchanted with Jade, and just as interested in my little mission."

Beck said nothing, because he didn't hear anything. He didn't see anything, couldn't understand anything. All he could comprehend was the constant stream of JadeJadeJade whirring around in his head like a broken record. The Boss continued waxing on about the oh-so-brilliant plan, but all Beck could manage was staring at Jade. She truly looked terrible, but only to an outside view. To them, she looked ridiculously thin and in dire need of a shower, bloody and bruised. But to Beck, she looked alive. Not that pale bloodless figure that haunted his sad attempts of sleep. But breathing. Living. Alive.

"But why?" Robbie said from their corner. "Why did you keep her all these years?"

"Because she wouldn't break." Beck tore his gaze away from Jade to look briefly at the Boss.

"What?" Robbie asked, more confused than ever. The Boss adopted an absolutely livid look, and strode over to Jade.

"Jade is not the first one." The Boss said, and knelt beside her. "I've done this before. But normally, the ones I capture, they break, they give up they lose all hope and will to fight within two weeks. It's beautiful, to see that will just fly out of a person. Because once it's gone, it never comes back."

Jade kept her eyes on Beck as the Boss ran a thumb down the side of her cheek, then pulled back and slapped her. The sound echoed through the room. Jade did not wince. (But Beck did).

"Two damn years." The Boss said. "For two damn years I've been trying to break her, to make her lose hope. And she did. She lost all hope a year ago. But she never lost her will. She never stopped trying, never ever, ever relinquished that god-damn shatterproof will of hers." The Boss turned away from Jade with disgust.

But suddenly, out of nowhere, Robbie came barreling out and knocked the Boss over. While the Boss had been ranting about everything that had happened, Robbie had stealthily slipped around the room, until he was able to spring upon The Boss from the back.

"I don't suggest moving. I learned this chokehold from Bruce Chee." Robbie panted as he held the Boss in a chokehold. Cat cheered. "And don't call any of your friends lurking behind those doors, or I kill you right now." The Boss's eyes widened when Robbie held up a long, wicked piece of shattered glass. The Boss struggled, and the constant movement caused Robbie to notice something on the back of the Boss's neck. He grabbed and pulled, and a mask slipped off.

"No. Not you." Robbie gasped as he saw who was beneath.

"You think this is…over?" The Boss said. "You think this was… all me? You have no idea. You don't know! But the mastermind will find you! You have no idea! I am not alone!"

AN: Sorry this took so long! School started... blech.

Victorious is not mine (I've been forgetting to do that)

Review for a relatively quicker update? And a flipping awesome Bade reunion!