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The Serpent defeated Nora and had her sent off to Coral Grove...

Is she out of the picture completely?

All's Fair: Dreams and Reality

Nora's POV

Well, we're all just about caught up now. At present I am one of the many prisoners in Coral Grove. Just let me tell you about my first day. I guess I only assumed I had been in there for less than a day since I was still recovering from my battle with The Serpent. And after kicking, screaming and swearing as much as I could manage, I slumped down onto the bed and thought about this whole situation. I am sooo mad! I lost! And to him! "Grrr! That psycho-ninja! I'll- I'll-!" I kicked the wall to the side and fell backwards onto the bed-platform.

I groaned rubbing my hands to my face. What do I do? I don't know where I am. Well, I'm captured. In a prison cell with obvious Council technology. Everything is clean. Coral Grove! The place Jenny and Tina were researching last night. "Of all places of course I'd be trapped on the one enigma we still know nothing about."

I stared up at the ceiling. Does anyone even know I'm gone?

Lee's house

1:25 a.m.

Lee just had a disturbing dream. In it Jenny and Tina were both tied to chairs and dropped into rancid green apple splat when he couldn't choose who to save. In the soda they both turned into frogs. The buzzing of his cellphone woke him up in a sweat! Answering the phone, Lee heard Holger's panicking voice on the other end.

"Lee! Danger!"

"What?"

"Something very bad times has happened!"

Lee looked over at his clock. "Holg, its 1:30 in the morning can't this-"

"No! Mean snakey-thing drown most fluffy fox, and a big chicken is to be crushing Lee at 9:30 tomorrow! Holger be having dreams and also the magic powers~!"

Lee didn't usually get agitated with Holger's weird quirks, but he was tired and it was still dark out. "Holg, you don't have magic powers! You probably ate too many chicken wings before bed. Now let me sleep!"

Lee hung up the phone and lay back down without giving the matter a second thought. Not even to the first two animal references Holger spoke about. One of which had overheard the conversation before quietly sneaking out of the room.

"Strange children." He muttered once he was out of the house and back on his motorcycle. The Serpent had been sent to check on Nora's house and dispose of the note she had left for her father to find, but had made a detour to the Ping's house to get some DNA samples. Lee had woken up so The Serpent couldn't get his right then. He pulled out the note Nora had left for her father and read it:

Daddy-

There's a new Principal at A. Nigma High that Barrage has been filling in for. He's holding a conference at the school tonight at seven and personally asked me to come. He said he knew Mom from this same school. When did she go there? He left her favorite candy on the counter; I ate a few and saved some for you.

Phone's on vibrate. If you need to contact me please text! There's going to be some big changes after tonight!

Love,

Nora

"A message of love. From a child to parent." The Serpent mused. "Hmph. Too bad he'll never see it." The Serpent tucked the piece of paper back into his jacket along with the rest of his 'collected' items.

Nora's POV

This is a new low for me. I'm captured (I've said that at least a million times!), I'm alone, and I don't have any to contact anyone. Dad knows I've left the house for a meeting. When I'm not back in the morning, he'll more than likely call the police! They probably won't find me, but I've left more than one message to say I wasn't at home last night. There are no clocks here, and the only light comes from the ceiling lights above my head. I stare at the force-field. I remember how I had used one of these to beat a tazel-borg. All I could see behind it was a metal wall that could be a door, but was not opened right now.

"Why a door and a force-field?" I asked no one in particular. "One or the other should be enough."

"But two's good company!" said a voice on the other side of the wall. A familiar, cheery, and overly kind familiar voice. The metal door parted, but the force-field remained up. Wurst or a Wurst stood on the other side with two pale green hazmats. "Nora! Wakey-wakey! Now that you're up, it's time for your interrogation."

Figures. I'm tricked out of my home, beat up under the school and taken to a secret evil island. Why not an interrogation?

"You don't look happy, Nora." Wurst observed.

"I'm not." I crossed my arms and glared back.

"Well, this won't take long. Coral Grove has the best lie detectors minds can make and money can buy!" The shield deactivated. I probably could have run past these guys even without my trusty long staff. But truth be told: I was still recovering, and I had no idea where I would go to even get out of here. I'll escape I just need to buy time. One of the hazmats came up to me and cuffed me with some arm-length restraints and the other lifted me onto me feet to follow Wurst.

We walked down long white hallways that all looked the same. Some even had a few prisoners in them who looked up when we walked by.

"Just so you know," Wurst said as we walked. "We had our doctors give you a check-up when you came in. Somehow you don't have anything broken, but a rib or two has been fractured. I wouldn't try anything funny if I were you."

I shrugged, "Thanks for the hospitality, Mr. Wurst. I'll remember that the next time I bulldoze through you army of scarecrows."

He looked back at me. "We don't tolerate smart mouths around here, young lady! And why do keep calling us 'scarecrows'?"

"You 'guys' have zero muscle mass. And it's obvious you're not the brains of this operation."

"Ho-oh! That was almost clever, Miss Prowler." Wurst turned his back again. "Let's see if your wit keeps up with the lie detectors in the interrogation room.

The color scheme was: white.

White walls, ceiling, table and chairs. "You people have metal doors and shields for a prison cell, yet you spend no money on a decorator?"

"Not everyone has your father's taste." Wurst said as he pulled out one of the chairs for himself. The hazmats brought me to the one across from him.

"Are you the same Wurst that lured me out of my house earlier?" I asked. I wondered if he was when he called me Nora, and then he made that remark about the furniture in my house. The response he gave me was a nod.

"Here's how this works." I felt something be shoved onto my head. It was heavy, real heavy. The hazmats strapped it under my chin. "I'm going to ask you a few simple questions. You just answer yes or no. If you tell the truth, the light on the lie detector will bing green. If you lie, it buzzes red!"

"Meaning if I lie, you assume the opposite is the right answer?"

"Precisely."

I saw this in a movie once. And there's a trick I've always wanted to try!

"Now let's begin. Do you know the Amazing Finnwich?"

I smiled and answered, "Elephant!"

I heard a buzz. The light must have turned red.

Wurst frowned and cleared his throat. "You must answer either yes or no Nora. Let's try another. Do you know Lee Ping?"

"Cake!"

Buzz!

Wurst stood up and pointed his finger at me. "This is not amusing, young lady!"

Oh, but it is! I'm not giving him either answer, so he can't find out anything from me.

"Do you have the Book to the Pyramid?"

"Reindeer."

Buzz!

"Do you have information on the Council's activities?"

"Pink."

Buzz!

"Do you have the keys to the Tunnels?"

"Goldfish."

Buzz!

"Are you aware that The Serpent is an assassin?"

"Cheesecake!"

Buzz!

"Do you possess the cipher created by Earl Nigma?"

"Daisies!"

Buzz!

"Answer yes or no!"

"Yes or No!"

Bing!

"This girl is driving me crazy!"

"You're already there."

Bing! Bing!

"Grr!" Wurst gripped the sides of his hat in frustration. Yay, it really works! He slammed both his hands down on the table. "Listen here, Missy. Either you start answering with yes or no, or I-"

"Or you what?" I demanded. "I'm already in jail. And you know I can take a serious beating." I smiled confidently. Across the table from me was one very angry adult.

"Miss. Prowler." Wurst said slowly, "Let me remind you that you are not in A. Nigma High, nor are you anywhere near it. You have already disappeared from the world and if necessary I can make you non-existent!"

I didn't change my expression, because my resolve had not been changed on bit. "My job is to keep the secrets of the people I care about. I've sworn to secrecy and I'll keep that promise to my last breath if I have to! No matter what you do to me Wurst I'll keep my mouth shut." Bing!

"Is that so?" He asked regaining a calm demeanor. His face became more sinister. "'The people you 'care about', you say? Well, what if I call your father down here?"

I gasped. He really would too! But I regained my composure and glared back. "You've got him thinking I'm somewhere else right?" Knowing Cassandra's methods, that was more likely the case. "Probably on a trip somewhere, like all the others brought here? He works for Cassandra and I'm guessing she needs him to keep working." She hadn't really threatened him since that one day. They could have used him against me a long time ago and they hadn't. Dad had given no hints that he had been threatened or suspected anything at work. I don't know why, but I'm guessing my dad's ignorance is to the council's advantage too, and if I've learned anything from hanging around Lee, there times when you have to call the bad guy's bluff.

"You could have gotten to him a long time ago, but I think there's a reason you don't want him in on this." Wurst began looking around, nervous. I kept going. "Even if you did bring him in here and stuck him in the very same cell as me, you'd just be giving me a cheering section. Did you people really do research on me? Do you know what my dad's been through? I've been bullied around before, and my Dad will be more than proud to know I'm standing up for what I know is right. He'll respect that I have a strong loyalty to my friends. If you ever really knew my mother you know that she would too!"

Bing! Bing! Bing!

Wurst was now trying to hide behind his arms. I was standing up on the other side of the table. It must look ridiculous, a girl in a potato hat standing threateningly over a man in a grey suit and bouler. Wurst had tricked me into coming to the school (or one of the Wursts), and now he was looking at me completely scared. "Take me back to my cell." I told, sitting back down. "I think it's clear that neither of us have anything of interest to say."

So I was back. Wurst didn't come with me and the robots. They took me to the cell, and removed the odd cuffs. The force field was put back in place, but not the door. Now what do I do? Answering Wurst's questions would only cause problems for the team. Jenny and Tina had the Book and coral Grove files, so if I walked they would be the ones targeted. The Council has gotten the jump on us too many times and I will not be responsible for that again. I just wish I could know if my messages have been received. I'd sent one, technically two if you count my note to Dad. I had hidden both in my jacket. I was coming back to being that one-on-one that got me in here over and over again, and I didn't like it. But this is a positive note. When I tossed my jacket away it had both the key Lee left with me and my long-staff. I'd thrown it in the direction of the Tazelwurm's hiss, and hoped he'd know who to bring them to.

But then I started thinking. The key and staff won't tell anyone where I am. They'll just figure out that I've been taken. But if the gang comes to the conclusion that all enemies of the Council are sent to one place, then they'll come right here. I'm not- No, I am sure that is not a good thing. I still didn't know where this prison was located, and I'm the one in it! I could be out on an island or in the middle of the desert. I was already sitting on the edge of the bed, and I leaned back until my head hit the wall. "Now what?" I sighed.

"What did they ask you?"

That was a woman's voice. One I'd never heard before.

"Excuse me?" I asked. I looked out of the only clear opening in this cell. The voice belonged to a woman in the cell across from me. She was dressed in all shades of green and had long red hair that gently covered one side of her face.

"You seem upset, dear." She said. "What did they ask you?"

If she's locked up here, this lady has got to be an enemy to the Council. It should be okay for me to talk to her.

"They wanted me to give up information on my team." I told her. "But I guess if I did, I wouldn't be locked up in here in the first place."

The woman smiled. She was the first person I saw in here that did not directly bring out my malice. "Sorry for just asking. But when they brought you in earlier, you weren't awake. Then when you were you caused quite a ruckus."

I laughed. "Yeah, I don't like losing. Especially this much in one day!"

"Everyone here can relate to that, but none of them have really expressed themselves the way you have, dear." The woman laughed.

"My name is Nora by the way." I told her so she wouldn't have to keep calling me 'dear'.

"Well, isn't that a pretty name. I'm... former Vice- Principal Veronica Victoria."

What!? "The same VP that hypnotized the whole school framed Lee Ping and messed with Barrage's brain using jerky?"

She was very surprised. "Looks like somebody's done her homework."

I probably should hate this woman as much as anyone else I've seen lately. She's technically the reason Lee became the Detentionaire when she framed him for the Prank. But as she was also in here as a kind of punishment, I couldn't really muster up any animosity towards her at the moment.

"How long have you been in here?" I asked her.

"Since the dance where I hypnotized the whole school." Then she added. "Before Lee Ping interfered, that is. The Council deemed the project a failure had me taken here."

"Maybe Cassandra just didn't like the fact that you used her daughter as a guinea pig?"

VP Victoria seemed to ponder this. "Yes... Perhaps I should have taken that into consideration."

I covered my giggle. "Hee, hee! Yeah, that would have been something to think about."

"And you?" She asked. "I see that you know Lee Ping if you know all this, but you look a little old for high school, Nora."

I smiled and shrugged. "I was originally called to A. Nigma to be an aid to the detention room. I met Lee there and joined in."

"So that's what you're in Coral Grove for."

"Not exactly. The kids don't exactly know where I am. At least I'm pretty sure they don't. Hopefully, none of them will ever have to see the inside of these cells. I think I've just been helping Lee, Biffy and the others too much, and the Council thinks that if I'm gone, they'll much easier to handle."

"Oh. And for conversation sake, what exactly have you done? Did you hack into their systems? Or maybe steal a valuable item from the Council."

"No hacking. And the Council's the one who's been stealing from us." I told the former VP. "I think I'm here because I can match their Stink-Ninja, and he didn't like the idea of that."

"Stink-ninja?" She didn't understand. She has been down here for a least several weeks. "You don't mean that man with the red and blue medallion, and sports a red jacket?"

"That's The Serpent!" I said. "We call him Stink-Ninja, Snake, Snake-Boy, Jerk, Creep, Spook Assassin, the list is endless."

This time it was VP Victoria's turn to laugh. "Well, you seem well acquainted. I imagine you've caused them a great deal of trouble for you to end up down here."

"Good guess." Something she just said caught my attention. "Wait, uh, Ms. Victoria?"

"Miss Victoria, please."

"Miss Victoria, did you say 'down here'?"

"I did. I suppose you don't know by the way you came in. Coral Grove is an underwater-type of prison. It sits right under an island, if you ever found a window down here; you might see some deep-water creatures."

My heart dropped. Underwater? Great, my escape success felt like it dropped another 65%. If we were on land, I could get out a window and maybe drive off somewhere to civilization. But underwater? How do you escape when the security is this tight and all around you is the Abyss of the ocean?

I slumped against the wall. VP Victoria spoke to me in a sympathetic tone. "I'm sorry, dear. But the sooner you know the better. Just try and settle in. If you're determined to not answer their questions-"

"I'm not giving him anything." I said flatly. "My kids don't know where I am, but I left them hints that I've been taken. They're smart so they'll probably guess where. Now I hope that they don't connect all the dots." I looked over at her. "If they come here, then the Council will have them cornered… And I promised I'd help them out of dangerous situations."

VP Victoria didn't say anything more than that. I let myself be swept up in my self-pity. How could I let this happen? Even if I am able to keep Wurst off their tale… Wurst! He was a clone. One of many! All of the worked in the Council. None of them know whose side he'- they are really on! Great job, Nora! On top of getting yourself beaten, captured and sent to and underwater prison, you've also left the entire team to the mercy of the Council's bosses! I screamed out and slammed my fists into the ground! I think I might have startled my newly discovered neighbor. I tried breathing, but I couldn't keep it regular. They're in danger. I've put them in danger. I've got to get out! Take down as many bots as I can on the way and-!

My thoughts were beginning to scare me. They were starting throaty and angry. Now is the perfect time to be angry! I'm trapped, the kids are in more trouble than ever, Dad has no way of knowing where I am and it's all my fault!

"Nora! Try to calm down!" I only just registered Miss Victoria's voice. My head shot up and I looked over at her. She looked scared. I looked down at the floor to see newly made dents in the floor.

"I…" I slowly stood up and moved away from them. "Did I do that?" I asked her.

"You… did." She stated. "You must have been having a panic attack. Or you just needed to vent a little. I've seen people punch the wall and stomp their feet. But no one's ever made dents like those!"

I had found myself steadily breathing. I looked up at Miss Victoria. "Yeah, I… I sometimes get like that when I'm stressed. If I breathe and meditate a little I'm usually fine though." She nodded like she understood.

That was close. I sat myself away from the dents and sat on the hard bed. I was this close to repeating the Incident again. Even if I don't remember what happened the moment I lost all control, what happened after was traumatizing enough. As long as I was in here, I decided I would have to stay calm. Losing control of myself wouldn't help anybody, and even if the kids never found out how to get to this place, at least none of their secrets will be spilled.

From somewhere down the hall to similar voices could be heard coming closer.

"That happened because you were too soft!"

"And you think you can do any better?"

Oh, what do they want?

"Not everything is on the file! We have other data to use, so stop shoving candy in your mouth and start using our brain!"

Two Wursts stood in front of my prison cell. "Hello, Nora." They said in unison.

"Hello," I breathed back. "I'd say 'good to see you again', but I can't honestly say I have."

They both chuckled. Creepy.

"Well, either the case we've come to deliver a message- What is that?" They discovered the dents in the floor… and wall.

"Did you do that?" The other one asked.

"Yes."

They looked at each other. "Hmm, I wonder what made her crack." They looked over at Veronica Victoria, one of them asked her. "Did you say something to Miss Prowler?"

I was a little surprised when she answered them. "Just making small-talk. It's her first day here; she can blow off a little steam."

"That," he pointed into my cell, "is not a little steam! Do you even know what metal these walls are made of? That child is a beast!"

"Easy, Wurst." The clone came up behind him. "We may be the Experts, but we are also Principals. We can handle rough behavior."

The two of them walked back over to me. I noticed one of them was holding a bag full of candy and looked very nervous. Ah, maybe this is the one who tried to interrogate me earlier? "What message did you both have to deliver?" The candy-holding Wurst was jabbed in the side by the other before he spoke. "Oh, u-um, yes! Cassandra w-wanted to pass something along to you."

"Then tell, me, please."

"She says… She says…that uh…"

He was nudged again.

"Ow! Yes! Cassandra says that if she ever hears of you trying to escape she'll tell your 'ex-boyfriend' to go after Lee Ping and all his little friends!"

Normally, my answer would have included screaming, threats and promises of bodily harm. But I just didn't feel up to it. I'm still injured so I can't really do anything. Even if I did, I have no idea where I really am or how to get back. So my answer was calm and easy, "Okay."

"Okay?" He asked surprised. He looked over at the other equally surprised Wurst. "Okay? That's it?"

"That's it." I responded. "And just one more thing."

"Yes?" The non-candy Wurst asked.

"My last boyfriend was Brent. And he couldn't even throw a baseball straight. You'll need a better threat than him."

"We meant The Serpent." He was jabbed again. "Ow! What was that for?"

"She was being a smarty-mouth! She knew who you meant, you ninny!"

"I'm rubber and you're glue!"

The two of them bickered back down the hall until their voices disappeared. VP Victoria looked over my way, not afraid to look at me anymore.

"The Serpent?!" She asked incredulously. Jeez, nobody likes this guy.

"Long story." I told her. "I don't feel like talking about it."

I turned my back and lay down on the 'bed' in my cell. "Get some rest, dear." VP said one last time. "You've earned a little quiet after today." The bed was by no means comfortable. But I needed to shut down so bad, I just fell asleep in an instant.

I was walking through a forest. A cold breeze was blowing my hair free off my back. As I kept walking I saw bushes that were growing flowers that were beautiful shades of pink, yellow, purple and orange. The bushes gradually became smaller in size, and the trees became thinner as I walked on. When I stepped in a puddle, I looked down to see that I wasn't wearing any shoes or socks. But I was wearing a soft, flowing, white summer dress. I sank my foot down into the cool, clear, water. At the bottom I felt soft, fine sand before pulling my foot out again. I giggled like a little girl and looked back up to the trail I was following. Up ahead were more pools and flowered bushes leading to a beach with crystal-blue waves bathed in moonlight! I inhaled, amazed at the beautiful scene in front of me.

Laughing I ran up with the water splashing underneath my feet! I twirled, laughed, and danced in the wet sand and sea! I loved this! I felt safe. I felt free. I felt right.

"Beautiful." In my ability to identify people when I hear their voice, I turned around and saw my Sensei walking up to me on the beach.

"Sensei!" I greeted joyfully. Then everything that had happened came rushing back. From the time he had shown me what The Serpent really was all the way to me falling asleep in Coral Grove. "Sensei… I failed. I'm stuck in Coral Grove, and escape is impossible!"

"I know." He told me.

"If Cassandra finds out I'm trying to escape, she'll send The Serpent to attack the kids. And-"

"Nora!" He stopped me with a reprimanding tone. "You must control yourself. This situation would not have occurred if you had fully heeded the meaning of your training!"

"What!?" How could he say that? "Ever since Dad and I moved here Sensei, I've practiced and trained diligently! I've remembered all words of wisdom you used to say to and I've kept my emotions in check." How could he say I haven't learned from him? From day one I've taken everything Sensei Hong said to heart. I've practiced and pushed myself harder than I ever have in the last few months! "I haven't blacked out since that time. I've even stopped myself from losing control so many times!"

"Nora."

"How can you say I haven't listened to you? That's all I've done! I've never once used what you've taught me for personal gain, or to hurt anyone who couldn't fight me! And that's a lot better than some people I know!" The wind began to carry rain and wind blew like a storm. All around us it looked like a tsunami was coming in. I didn't care. I was still yelling at my Sensei who standing a small distance away from me.

"I've stood my ground! I've protected others! Now I'm being caged like an animal, and people are threatening my family! Should I not have listened? Would that have kept them safe? I know I can't win every fight, but do you even know what has been at stake in them?! When I've followed and practiced every lesson you've given to me and-"

"CHIMMUG!" Sensei shouted angrily. Chimmug is Korean. It means 'silence'. He took a deep breath that came out as a cleansing breath. Out of habit I did the same. The storm around quieted, and Sensei started speaking more calmly. "You saw that you have. But did you see what just happened?" He gestured out to the waves of the beach. "You emotional state is essential to keeping the Beast inside you dormant. I haven't come to scold you, Nora. I've been coming to warn you."

I looked at him agitated, even though I was less angry than before. "I think it's a little late for warnings, Sensei. In case you don't know I've pretty much lost everything from contact to the outside world to pride."

Sensei came up so that he was standing right in front of me. We looked each other right in the face. Oddly enough, I was only a bit taller than him. "Of course I know you were defeated by The Serpent. Didn't I teach you better to challenge an opponent who was clearly more experienced than you?"

"Be ready for when he comes, and be careful on how you bait him." I said, remembering. "That didn't really help much this time Sensei." The last part came out sadly.

"That is for a stronger opponent, Nora. The Serpent greatest asset was his experience. His meaning and use of the martial arts is different than yours, and he has used for much longer and more often than you have."

I looked at him quizzically, "And… how would know this Sensei? You're not exactly in the city right now. The only reason I hear from you is this weird dream-thing."

"Ah, so you believe me now that your dreams have a connection to reality!"

"Well… yeah, I have to! But you know-"

Sensei placed both his hands on my shoulders and looked at me proudly. "Then you are ready!"

He still hadn't answered my question, but this sounded important. "Ready for what?"

"To get the full extent of your training! Nora, you are of age and ready to understand the full abilities of the Baku!"

I raised an eyebrow and actually took a step back. Never in my life have I seen Sensei Hong excited. I couldn't even imagine it. "I know you just said something in Japanese…but I don't get it."

"A master of dreams! A dream-traveler, a consciousness pioneer; we have had thousands of names throughout history! We have been blamed for many unfortunate incidents, but also praised when we lend our aid. It's a rare gift that follows distinctly in bloodlines, and you have one."

"But the question is: What. Is. It? I'm getting reeeaaally tired of all these secrets and mysteries in my life, Sensei. I've had more than enough for one lifetime."

"Life is full of secrets and mysteries, Nora. They are created before us and we end up creating our own over time. You are about to learn of one that is centuries old, has appeared in every civilization of man, and is all but dead in the present day…"

I heaved a sigh. Even when I used to get frustrated with Sensei Hong's words, he was never this confusing. "Is now really a good time for a lesson in how you do this dream-to-dream lesson thing? Sensei you've known me for most of my life and you've never once brought up anything about dreams in training. And you couldn't have contacted me on the phone, in person, or even like this way before now! In case you need reminding, Sensei, I'm pretty much at my lowest point here."

Sensei nodded, but kept the smile on his face. "That is why now is the perfect time."

Okay, that's all for now.

Sorry if the ending seems a little weak, but it will follow on the next chapter which happens on the same day.

I loved the reviews people sent in. I update faster when I get reviews. So if you want to see what happens next, please REVIEW!

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