Hey! Sup? I'm here, I have a chapter, all is well.

Meh.

ENJOY!

Erin's POV:

Ace is in his room, sitting at the foot of the bed, wringing his hands with an air of confusion.

Rather than giving me a tour of his ridiculously big mansion, Marucho gave me a small device, about the size of a phone that acted as my GPS. So finding Ace's room had been quite easy – I mentally thanked Marucho.

"Hey," I said.

"Hey," he responded – or rather, breathed. His breath seemed to be cut short – but I couldn't place why.

"Could I come in?"

He got off of the bed awkwardly, grabbing his boots and putting them on. Oh yeah. All he had been wearing was his pants and a dark grey T-shirt that I had never seen him wear before. It hugged his chest so tight I could see the faint outlines of what lay underneath.

Jesus-

"Yeah, come in." he said distractedly, lacing up his boots. I moved to sit on his bed cautiously. When his boots were laced, he sat back down, smirking in the way only Ace could. "How's it been, soldier?"

"It's been…" I paused. "It's been great, actually. And it's great to be back."

He smiled, reaching for me, then stopping. "S-sorry. Could I hug you?"

I furrowed my brow. "You didn't have to ask, Ace."

"Right." He wrapped his arms around me, and I hugged back.

"It's because of Lync, right?" I asked him after we'd pulled away.

His face coloured. "That… and I was slightly confused. Do you still… like me?"

I tended to act on impulse sometimes – bold and irrational. I must have felt a sudden rush of adrenaline, because I quickly pulled Ace closer to me and kissed his cheek. "I never got 'round to telling you, Ace… but I think I like you." I whispered softly in his ear. I could sense his breath hitch.

But before he could respond, the guard pulled him and Baron away by the backs of their shirts, leaving me and Shadowheart to stand in the warehouse.

"Oh! Right," I said. "I'm sorry if I confused you. After all this time…" I laughed a little bit to myself. "That was then, I guess. I don't like you anymore, Ace. And it's ok – I know you don't like me like that either."

His steely gaze bore into mine. "Really?"

I tried for a smirk. "For sure, soldier." I scoffed. "I've known that you've liked Mira for a long time now."

Ace crossed his arms, trying to look indignant. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Have you ever?" I said jokingly. "Ace," I began, hoping I sounded serious enough, "I can see it all over your face – the way you always seem to do all these things for her, hug her, stroke her hair; you're overprotective too-"

"OK!" he yelled, cutting me off. I froze, and he sighed apologetically. "Ok, I get it. Sorry for snapping. I'm just tense." He looked at me. "She and I have been so worried about you, Erin. We kept getting weird signals from all of the devices in the mother palace, and then we found out about Shadowheart-"

I cringed, and he immediately apologized.

"Point is, Erin, I just need to adjust to having you back in my life. Mira does too – we don't have to worry too much about you now, and-" he chuckled darkly to himself. "I think that's what we bonded over in that time you were gone. Worrying about you."

I blushed at the wayward compliment. Knowing that Ace and Mira – two valuable people in my life – cared for me so deeply made my eyes prickle with tears.

But something in my heart… wasn't feeling right. I could understand why he needed to be able to adjust having me suddenly back in his life.

It reminded me of how I had felt vaguely when Lync had given Shadowheart back to me. Boom! Instant companion! Make time for them. Don't forget to love them and take care of them.

Ace had never seen me cry – just those watery eyes and wobbly lips. I wanted to keep it that way, so I dabbed briskly at my eyes. "Thanks, Ace. I'm glad we talked and all of that is over with. But I was wondering if-"

"I forgot to ask!" he said suddenly, smirking mischievously. "I see you and Lync have become quite… fond of each other."

If I had a glass of water, I would have done a spit-take. "Ace-"

"Erin!" he said, faking a stern voice. "You can't even keep to your curfew, and now you expect me to let you run around with a boy-"

In the mirror on the wall across from the bed, I could see my face turning a bright hue of red. "Ace, we're not running around like you stupidly suggested – we're escaping!"

Silence ensued as we looked at each other.

Then broke into a fit of laughter.

"Ok," Ace stated. "In all seriousness… Do you think he really loves you?"

I thought back to how earlier in the day he had tackled me in the snow just to declare he loved me about three times.

"Yeah," I reassured, not being able to help my grin. "I'm pretty sure."

"Oh man, Erin's been hit by Cupid's arrow!" he teased.

"Ace, please, you haven't managed to pull that thing out of your ass – the arrow's permanently embedded in there," I quipped.

Percival and Shadowheart – who had been on Ace's nightstand watching our whole encounter, burst into laughter. Ace put his hands up in surrender. "Ok, you've got me, lover girl."

"Lover boy," I called back.

"There just isn't any way to shake you off my trail, isn't there," he mused. "Man, it's good to have you back, Erin," he remarked, wrapping an arm around my shoulder.

I finally remembered what I had come here for. "Ace, it was nice talking with you. But, Julie's invited me for some kind of… 'girl chat,' and I feel she'd be offended if I declined the offer," I grumbled. "Can I leave Shadowheart with you?"

"Sure. I feel Percival and Shadowheart would like to catch up, right?" he asked the two Bakugan. They nodded, and Ace smiled. "I'm going to be sleeping, so, knock yourself out with them. Well, you know what I mean."

I laughed, looking at myself in his mirror and fixing my hair. "Thanks, dude. Bye, Shadowheart."

Open leaving, I groaned inwardly.

By the time I reached Julie's room, the palms of my hands were sweaty with anticipation. I wiped them on the army pants Alice had given me, adjusted my new tank top, and knocked on the door.

It was flung open by Julie, who cheered excitedly. "OMG! You came!" she giggled, grabbing my arms and dragging me into the room. Runo was sitting on the nightstand, talking with Mira, who was sitting carelessly on the floor. When I entered, they both looked up, smiling.

Geez. What is it with the smiling? Don't they know we could die soon?

"Have a seat," Julie urged, flopping onto her bed. Oh, look! It had bright pink sheets and heart shaped pillows. The pink, girly cliché was becoming reality!

I must have looked like I didn't want to be here, because Mira shot me a look that said: Deal with it.

Yes, ma'am, I mentally berated myself, before joining Mira on the floor.

"Wow, it's so cool that I've gotten to meet Erin Algant up close and in person!" Runo expressed.

I blushed. "Please – I didn't even accomplish that much."

"No way!" Julie insisted. "Mira's said so many good things about you – and we heard the story!"

"Erin," Mira added. "You changed the Vexos. Lync is living proof of that – you changed them, you've made them better people. It's something not one of us has been able to do!"

That remark kind of hurt. The Vexos… they had a soft spot in my heart – I had seen them at their worst, and at their best…

"They were never truly evil," I huffed. "They were just bullies forced to believe the wrong thing." I frowned. "They were forced into their situation with Zenoheld in order to live and be provided for."

Mira tilted her head, her hair falling into her face. "Really?"

I smiled softly. "They're just like Spectra. But I don't think I've changed them. They've changed themselves."

The three other girls seemed to shrink in on themselves. "Wow," Julie whispered. "I've never really thought about them like that…" she sounded sad.

"I feel bad for judging them," Runo added, rubbing her arm in guilt.

"I'm glad you told us that, Erin," Mira said, reaching to grab my arm gently. She squeezed it. "Thank you."

I smiled. "It's ok, I guess. Before I started considering them as friends, I felt that they were crappy people too. I hated their asses for doing all these terrible things – but Zenoheld is the one who's led them on and forced them to do these things."

Hated their asses, Mira mouthed. Julie and Runo giggled as Mira said: "It seems someone has started to lose her filter."

I smirked. "I guess I've changed too." I let that sink in. "Swearing, stealing space crafts, engaging in fake relationships and scheming behind my superior-" I laughed at the horrified expressions the girls made, feeling like a total rebel. "Yeah, I've changed plenty."

"No wonder Lync is head over heels for you," Julie muttered. "The nice girl with the dark side meets the weak and traitorous boy."

I laughed weakly, but at the mention of Zenoheld, all I could feel was negativity. "Yes, Lync is my little traitor."

Runo squealed. "That is so adorable! I ship it!" she said in a sing-song voice.

I cringed, causing Mira to laugh.

Julie leaned forward, so close I could smell her. She hugged her pillow tightly to her chest. "Have you two kissed yet?"

Absolute. Dead. Silence.

I swallowed, trying to keep my calm and not scramble backwards. "Uh… does my answer to this question really concern you?" I asked.

Runo giggled. "Yes, it does!"

"We want to know," Mira added. "Come on, we're all friends here, Erin. Loosen up!"

"Loosen up?" I scoffed, leaning backwards and supporting my weight with the palms of my hands. "You're telling me, to loosen up? I piloted a ship in order to get here, and, please, I'm loose."

"That still doesn't answer the question," Mira remarked, faking an innocent smile. "So?"

"If you're so, 'loose,' then answer the question!" Runo added.

The three girls continued to persist, and my willpower was beginning to crumble… like my dignity. "Fine! I'll answer the question."

Julie cheered, biting her lip in anticipation.

"We may have kissed…" my face coloured. "A lot." I swallowed, scratching at the side of my head awkwardly. "And excessively."

They all squealed in delight, and I had to take all the questions as they were thrown at me like bricks.

"Who started the first kiss?"

"Him," I answered.

"Where was your first kiss?"

"In a hallway."

"Has he confessed his love for you?"

"About… six times and counting."

"Have you confessed your love for him?"

"… Yeah."

"Was there tongue involved in any of the kisses?"

"Whoa!" I put my hands up in a placating gesture. "Please, no more questions, ladies. I've been swimming in my embarrassment for long enough." That was true enough, and I was starting to seriously regret talking to the girls. I just wanted to get out of the room.

"What does Shadowheart think of Lync?" Julie suddenly asked. "Because I know my Gorem just loves the boy I like – his name is Billy!"

I froze. What Shadowheart thought of Lync had always been an afterthought.

Thank Jesus Christ for Baron and Shun suddenly appearing at the door, knocking rapidly and Baron yelling excitedly. "The Vexos are here! They're all here! Come on!"

My breath caught. They were safe. Volt, Shadow, Hydron, Mylene… maybe even Gus and Faydra. Safe. Here. Away from Zenoheld.

Julie and Runo bolted for the door excitedly. I was going to follow, but Mira clasped a hand around my wrist. I froze, turning around to face my dear friend. "I have something I thought you might like," Mira said hurriedly, reaching into her jacket pocket, smiling.

She pulled out… my frosty blue bandana.

My breath caught as I grasped the familiar cloth in my hands. "What? I thought I had lost this thing! I haven't seen it since I've become a Vexos…" I swallowed, bringing the fabric closer to my chest and sniffing it.

It still smelled like… Cecil.

This bandana… this and his suicide note. They were the only two objects in existence that had an important tie to him.

"I guess you left it back at the old base," Mira said. "I was clearing out your old room, and it was there. I had seen you wear it a few times – when you were nervous or upset – and I figured you might want it."

This bandana… was the only possession I owned that had significant ties to him.

And I had left it on the fricking Resistance Base.

"Thank you, Mira," I said, hoping I conveyed just how sincere I felt. Tears threatened to fall from my eyes as I tucked the beloved piece of cloth into my back pocket. "You wouldn't believe how dear this thing is to me."

She blinked, but eventually nodded. "It's no problem, Erin."

Right. She had no idea about Cecil or anything about my time before the Resistance.

"So… Time to see the Vexos?" I asked.

Mira smirked. "Run. I know you want to. Go to them."

I gave her a mock salute and bolted, in the direction Julie and Runo went.

Hydron and the others are led into a huge common room by an old man named Kato. They all do a double-take as they take in their surroundings.

The place is ornately designed and decorated… this place belonged to someone of status. It was almost enough to top Zenoheld's palace.

Shadow Prove let out a low whistle, doing a slow 360 to take in the room's tall ceilings, brightly-painted walls and spotless floors. Hydron couldn't help but notice that he still clung to Mylene's arm tightly.

"Only God knows," Hydron murmured, eyeing a couch and other seats in the middle of the room. He made haste flopping onto the couch as the door they had just entered through was pushed open by an assortment of teenagers.

Both parties seemed to freeze as they took in each other. They had seemingly been enemies moments, seconds, hours, days ago, and now here they were.

Hydron realized it was nothing like he had ever felt before.

These were people he had only ever really seen on a playing field. He had only ever heard their taunts and the encouragement they gave each other and their Bakugan.

Now, it was almost as if they were defenseless.

There would be no more hiding behind facades and cat-calls. There would be no way to determine their power bars or hidden abilities without gauntlets or Bakugan to brawl against. There would just be normal, human/Vestal interaction.

And that was scarier than any type of brawling with any type of opponent.

These people's motives were to destroy Hydron's father. These people were against the idea of Mechanical Bakugan – the type of Bakugan that all the Vexos except for Volt and Erin owned.

The other occupants of the room seemed to come to the same conclusion, because the mood started to darken considerably.

Hydron counted seven figures, and he took them in warily. Where would Lync and Erin be?

Dan Kuso.

Shun Kazami.

Marucho Marukura.

Ace Grit.

Baron Leltoy.

And two other girls. The blue-haired one seemed awfully familiar…

Spectra's little sister wasn't present either. How odd…

Dan stepped forward, his hands up in a surrendering gesture. "Truce," he declared. "Definite truce."

Hydron figured he'd have to address Dan. He hopped off of the couch, but before he could utter a syllable, Erin and Lync exploded through the doorway, both cheering indefinitely.

Seeming to disregard the mood in the room, both charged at the other four Vexos and greeted with enough energy to power an engine.

"We can hug later," Mylene huffed, forcefully pulling Erin away from Hydron. "We have things to discuss – and all of you better listen."

"I thought I heard trouble," a voice called from behind. Hydron looked behind Erin to see no other than Spectra Phantom walk through the door, smirking. "Comrades."

Hydron's heart clenched painfully as he thought of how they had left Gus behind with Faydra. Spectra would never take kindly to that… and that was bad.

He was hit with a tidal wave of guilt. He felt that if he didn't get the two back, he'd never be able to live with himself.

"I'm sorry we don't have Gus," Volt lamented. "He was scared he'd never see you again, so he went off in a hunt looking for his gauntlet, and didn't make it into the ship on time."

Spectra scowled, taking off his mask so we could see the pain etched across his face. "The bastard! All he seems to care about is me, and he can't for once think about himself!"

Shun Kazami stepped forward. "We're really sorry about Gus, Keith, but right now we should listen to what they have to say. It could be important for bringing about the downfall of Zenoheld." He urged, crossing his arms.

The downfall of my father.

"That's right!" Dan exclaimed. "So let us listen, so we can destroy Zenoheld and the Alternative!"

"And save the Bakugan!" the other Resistance members whooped.

The Vexos and Spectra – Keith – all shared a look, as if to understand what else needed saving:

Gus and Faydra.

Faydra realizes she is screwed a bit too late.

Gus was rather annoying. He was slow and acted senile, so she'd had to help him and slow down for him as they ran.

Finding the gauntlet had been easy. Faydra could have done it in twice the time it took if she had been by herself though.

It was escaping the palace that seemed like the biggest problem.

Both she and Gus knew the route to the hangar, but multiple guards were in their way. Lock-down mode had been turned off, and it took every ounce of Faydra's strength and wits to steer them in the right direction, switching paths and ducking behind statues and paintings.

Gus had attempted to wield his energy blade while running to help take out guards, but Faydra quickly realized he was seriously starting to slow down. With every swing of his blade and every guard he managed to knock down, his legs started to buckle more.

Faydra would have to take action sooner or later.

She grabbed his wrist and started unstrapping his gauntlet angrily.

"What are you doing?!" Gus hissed. "You know what? Let me do it. I'll remove it, I'll remove it!" he shook his head, starting to undo the gauntlet straps as Faydra wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"Ok, use my blade. I guess I need more training…" he amended, handing her the gauntlet and waiting for Faydra to strap it on.

He frowned as Faydra once again took him by the hand and ran.

"Ouch," Gus murmured as their hands touched. "Electric shock."

Man, if I could speak, I'd cuss him out so bad… she thought as they ran. So annoying.

"Watch out!" Gus yelled as Faydra sliced her blade through a guard. She smirked, tripping the next one, slashing through the next as Gus continued to yell out, trying to not cower behind her as they ran.

Faydra grumbled incoherently and pointed at the doorway in front of them. It was the entryway to the hangar, and two guards were posted, one on either side. Both had energy beams twice the width of Faydra/Gus'.

Goddammit. She'd take on a tantrum throwing Hydron any day, but instead she had to face this.

The two cursed; Gus out loud, and Faydra in her head.

"So close!" Gus exclaimed. "Would you guys like to pity us for a little so we could get in?" he asked the guards, tapping his foot impatiently.

The guard on the right frowned. "You shouldn't have gotten out of jail, brat."

"Well screw you, asshole!" Gus declared. Faydra let out an exasperated sigh, and tapped at her wrist as if to say, we're wasting time here!

Gus folded his arms, smirking at his new ally and letting go of her hand. "Well, m'lady?"

Faydra rolled her eyes and charged.

The guards were taken down in seconds. Gus took it upon himself to drag their bodies out of the way, and Faydra kicked open the hangar doors.

"The feistiness is appreciated," Gus muttered in her general direction, looking surprised as if he had expected the doors to be blasted off of their hinges. "How the hell are you so strong?"

Was that a compliment? I think that's a compliment.

They walked in, only to be greeted by the remaining squadron of Zenoheld's guards.

"You two are fools," Zenoheld crooned. He was standing in front of the now destroyed control panel, steam billowing and sparks flying from the wreckage behind him. "Too little, too late. All escape routes from the palace are gone."

He motioned at the vast space that was the hangar, now empty, cackling dementedly.

"What happened to the ships?!" Gus fumed. "Why bother keeping us here?!"

The ships have all been disposed of, because I don't plan on letting my new bait leave!" Zenoheld thundered. "Guards, I want both of them shackled to my throne. And dispose of the gauntlet – and anything else you may find on their persons. I've failed to be thorough with the Vexos, and now I've learned my lesson! You two are never ESCAPING!"

Faydra growled. They had come so far… but they were trapped now.

Gus bared his fists, snarling with newfound energy. "Try us, old man!"

Zenoheld looked away in boredom, flicking his hand at the guards. "Get them. And keep them ALIVE!"

Blood roared in Faydra's ears. She was given two seconds to estimate the force of each soldier and the number of the enemy. She and Gus were outweighed at least 1:20, if not more.

She met the blade of the first guard, and the two exchanged blocks and parries. A second came up from behind her, but Gus, finally acting useful, slammed his weight towards the soldier. He toppled to the ground, bringing down two others in a flurry of limbs and the sound of burning.

Speaking of burning…

Faydra was way past merciful at this point. She was fed up with having to pick up after Hydron and now Gus, fed up that she had felt the need to accompany Gus on this stupid extra mission, when she could have just left him to die.

But I didn't let him die. I won't.

She ducked under the sword the bastard of a guard was swinging around and grabbed onto his neck, pressing her fingers in and squeezing. He dropped to the floor within moments, and she took off his gauntlet and strapped it onto her gauntlet free arm.

"Dual wielding. Girl, you look pathetic." One of the guards taunted. It was sickening that she had talked (well, listened) to this man before – his name was Corvus.

Faydra growled, getting ready to charge, when three guards took a lunge for her from her right. Corvus, the sneaky trickster, lunged too.

Faydra could handle four enemies… in hand-to-hand combat. But when everyone was wielding searing hot blades of light?

Surprisingly, Gus came to her rescue.

Corvus was stabbed through the stomach, Gus twisting a blade he had gotten off a guard he had taken out forcefully.

His face was red with concentration. Faydra could practically see the beads of sweat dripping down his temples. "Come on!" he yelled violently, retrieving his blade from Corvus' body, blood splattering his clothes and the floor.

His eyes were wide… and bloodthirsty.

Faydra stifled a terrified gasp at Gus' newfound bloodlust and rushed at the three remaining guards on her tail. Gus turned his attention to more enemies behind him, shrieking and screaming enough to inspire terror in even Faydra. It was as if he had become a banshee.

Gus is a hell demon in disguise.

But both she and Gus were tiring. Faydra's movements were becoming as sluggish as Gus'. Her stamina wouldn't hold out for long, and there were still at least 15 more guards to defeat.

Then there was the matter of actually escaping.

With the blade on her left arm, Faydra slashed at one guard. He met her slash with his one blade, while Faydra used her second blade to slice into his stomach.

Gosh, she thought. This is quite gruesome.

"ASSHOLE!" A guard screamed somewhere to her right. She whipped around just in time to see Gus duck under an energy blade, his long blue hair being cut to half of its length in the process. Gus had ducked so fast he fell over, almost landing on his blade.

Faydra wanted to scream.

Gus was trying to crawl away now, wheezing for air. Faydra was running, running, running, and in a flash she had jumped onto his attacker's back, throwing him to the ground and disabling his sword.

Her victory didn't last long.

She tried to cry out for Gus, but of course he didn't hear her. Her arm was twisted behind her back, her head slammed into the floor. Scarlet hair flew out in front of her, and suddenly she was seeing black.

"You don't know how much I want to kill you," the guard who had captured her whispered in her ear. Energy pooled around her neck – he was pointing the edge of the blade to her neck, ready to chop off her head if she disobeyed.

She could feel one of his hands roaming up her thighs, up her dress, and then stabbing at the skin there – and suddenly everything was numb.

A tranquilizer. And they would do the same to Gus – heavily sedate him, and the two would be chained to Zenoheld's throne, just as promised.

Faydra tried not to sob.

"How's it feel to be defeated, darling?" he lilted. Faydra tried twisting her arms out of his grip, but two handcuffs were put onto her wrists.

If I could speak, I'd scream into your ear until your eardrums burst, then-

He put a gag on her mouth, cackling as he dragged her towards the throne room.

Stupid. I'm mute!

Gus was in the corner of her vision as she passed out.

Thanks for reading!