Disclaimer: I don't own Gakuen Alice.

Author's Notes: I reckon it's been a month since I last updated, and I'd like to say thank you for being patient and understanding. Since I'm on vacation, I might be able to update faster than my usual pace. =)

Honestly, I never thought that I'd last until the fifth chapter, mainly because I only wrote this story for my amusement and I had no intention of continuing it the moment I posted the prologue on the website. Perhaps, I would've left this story to rot if it weren't for the encouragement that I received from the readers so I'd like to express my gratitude by dedicating this chapter to you (which include reviewers, those who have this story on their list of favorites and on alert, and even the silent readers).

Anyway, I won't delay it any further. Here's chapter five.

Chapter Five
Masquerades & Pretenses

Natsume.

Upon boarding the car, Persona handed me an envelope that had already been opened with the word "invitation" in huge, black letters embedded on the center and a card inside. As the vehicle exited the academy premises, I read the letter's contents: A Masquerade Ball. 8PM at the Autumn Hall, The Four Seasons Hotel. I finally realize why Persona dropped by my room with a tuxedo in hand, demanding that I wear it for tonight's mission, though he hasn't fully informed me about its nature.

"The Four Seasons Hotel," Persona pointed out, a crafty smirk dawning upon his lips. "After numerous investigations, we believe that Z will be holding a meeting here, and that the party was organized as part of a façade, which leads us to think that they may be planning something big this time."

"So why do you need me?" I asked indifferently, eyes scanning the invitation before diverting them to Persona. "I'm not a spy. I don't do these sorts of missions. You have your own men to do that."

Persona chuckles in amusement. I groan inwardly.

"Of course I have men for that." Persona places one leg over the other, folding his arms against his chest as he leans his head on the rest. "But I expect that they've tightened security after what happened last time. Those kids barely made it alive. I had to step in already. Compared to them, you're more capable of defending yourself when being cornered by twenty men or even more. You're perfect for the job."

I fisted my hands, crumpling the invitation in the process as I conceal the anger that I have been holding against the man seated next to me since the day I laid my eyes on him.

Persona looked at me, particularly fixing his eyes on the invitation in my hand as he clicks his tongue, mocking. "Now, now. That's the only invitation that I was able to retrieve. If you tear that apart, you won't be able to enter and get the information that we need." He then shifted his gaze towards the window on his left. "By the way, I haven't seen your sister lately. I might as well drop by, you know?"

I could feel my nails piercing the flesh of my palm, my teeth gritting together in rage. Persona always wins. No matter what.

The car eventually halts. I face the window to my right, where a tall building is standing, covered entirely by glass windows. My eyes come across the entrance, where a number of guests are wearing masks that complemented their stylish, branded clothes, coming out of their cherry red Ferraris or jet black Lamborghinis.

"It seems like we've just arrived." Persona noted, pulling out something from the inner pocket of his black coat. He hands me over a plain black half-mask, to which I stared at for a few minutes. "You wouldn't want to stand out like a sore thumb out there, would you?"

Despite my heated conversation with Persona just now and the undisputable urge to burn him into ashes, I accept the mask, donning it as soon as I had it in my hands.

"That's much better, Black Cat. Gather as much data as you can and don't die. You have an hour to accomplish this." Persona commanded, though he sounds rather pleased when he saw me wear the mask, signifying my obedience to him while I step out of the car. "You know what to do during emergencies. Plus, that mask also serves as an Alice restraining device—,"

I slam the door shut behind me before I could hear the rest of what Persona had to say.

After going through inspection by the entrance, I followed the crowd that I saw upon my arrival, knowing that they are here for the same purpose as I am—to socialize with fellow acquaintances of the upper class—except that I'd have to search the hall for hints regarding the location of Z's meeting.

The entrance to the hall was guarded by a tall, muscular man who checked the invitations to see whether they were valid or not. A line has formed since the party had begun; a number of people have attempted to break in with their fake invitations and cheap dresses. At that moment, I started to question where Persona retrieved the invitation, or if he were to counterfeit it, did he take note of specific details in the letter? When my turn had arrived, all of my doubts have been answered.

The man gestured a hand towards the door. "You may enter, sir."

A sigh of relief escaped my lips. "Thank you." I answered, taking the invitation from his hands as I entered the hall.

There were more than a hundred people present. There was a platform at the right where the band plays ragtime music in their suits while dancing to their own tunes along with the crowd at the center. A huge chandelier along with icicle lights was hanging from the ceiling, a yellow hue overlying every object under its range. The atmosphere was full of merriment, judging from the way these socialites conversed with each other while holding a glass of champagne in their hands. Indeed, I felt like I was in the roaring 20s.

However, time is not something that I can waste leisurely at this moment. I must find Z… fast.

I searched for doors that could act as a passage to a room where the meeting will be held, but the only doors there were the entrance, the fire exit and the ones for the restrooms. Perhaps there is something in the décor of the ballroom or the music that could give me a clue as to where it may be—I could've overlooked these things so easily—but after minutes of contemplating, in the end, I reckoned that they don't make sense. Similarities among guests, I thought, so I looked for the traits most evident in them, but none of them ever seem to match.

I begin to rub my temples with an index finger and a thumb, finding my way to the buffet table to get myself a glass of punch, hoping that it may help me think and ease the pain in my head. But strangely, on my way, I was blinded by the glare coming from the spotlight on the platform, the light hitting me directly on the face. Quickly, I shielded my eyes, and although I've already placed my hands over them, my eyes were still squinting, my headache turning in for the worse.

As soon as I felt the coat of white light leave me, I remove my hands from my eyes, which remain partly closed just in case, and when my vision has returned to its normal state, a woman entered into view.

She was standing behind the spotlight, directing it to her right while she toggled with the switch. Her black locks reached her shoulders, along with some covering her forehead. Her amber eyes stood out from the black half-mask she was wearing which was fitting for her black halter dress and a pair of stilettos. In height, she appears to be a few inches below me.

For a second, I was certain that her eyes locked with mine, although she immediately averted them when she found out that I was aware of her presence.

It's been a while since she toggled with the light, and after observing the manner in which the lights blinked and the pauses in between, I figured that the girl was signaling a room number in Morse:

. . . . . - - - - - . . . . .

My headache disappeared in a flash, and my eyes fly over the entrance, where a good number of people are about to leave, which is rather odd since the party had just began and the restrooms are just around the corner. Dead giveaway.

I then attempt to catch another glimpse of the girl behind the spotlight before exiting the hall, only to find nobody standing there other than the musicians onstage.

My suspicions had been correct—after deciphering the code which the girl signaled through the spotlight, I was able to detect Z's whereabouts. As for the matter being discussed, I managed to hide a small microphone under the table with food and wine ordered via room service.

Leaning on the wall by the door, I adjust the earpiece in my right ear, and while doing so, I was able to determine a few voices in the midst of a few disruptions in the signal, especially that of a man who's currently speaking.

"How long has it been since you sent that brat off to the academy?"

"Around a week, sir." The man replied, undeniably intimidated of the man with whom he's talking to judging from the way his voice sounded shaky and slightly hesitant.

The former scoffed. "So that person actually has an Alice. It really is her child."

"My apologies, Reo-san, but would you care to enlighten us regarding the importance of that child's entering the academy?"

There was a moment of silence between the two; not a word was mentioned until all of the sudden, Reo's voice had become louder, although he sounded like he wasn't making an effort to project his voice, and there wasn't a reason for him to do so due to the limited size of the room and the number of members who are present in the meeting.

And as if that wasn't odd enough, I could hear his breathing, as if he were only standing beside me.

"All I can tell you right now is that she is our key to overthrowing the masterminds behind the two academies. She possesses a very unique Alice that is essential to our success. So sit still and watch everything unravel before your eyes. Patience is the key, and the mass destruction of the academy's current leaders shall be guaranteed."

Chills run down my spine as I held my breath, my left hand sweaty as it clutched onto the hem of my coat after hearing Reo's disastrous plans for the academy… which will all be triggered by a single student. The possibilities are endless, the results mostly terrifying, and not one of them are what anyone in the academy would picture.

I then hear the knob turn, and in one swift motion, the door was opened.

He takes his time in exiting the room, carrying every intention of playing with my thoughts through every step, and when he has finally come into view, he takes a look of the hallway at his right before facing the other side, where I'm standing. Smirking, he pulls out a hand from the pockets of his trench coat, showing me the small microphone that I had implanted under the table.

I stand frozen before him, seeking to mask the fear that was slowly being etched on my face.

"Not wearing your usual mask, Black Cat."

And as if I've regained control over my feet, I immediately turned my back at him and ran straight towards the elevator frantically while two of his men trailed.

"Blue Snow, seize the Black Cat!"

After pushing the elevator button, I throw a few punches and kicks at the men whom Reo had instructed to bring me back while waiting for the compartment to arrive. I was hit on the shoulder, although that didn't hinder me from knocking them both unconscious. Ding! And when they had opened, I was appalled at the sight of the figure standing behind those doors.

It was the girl, and she had a gun pointed at me.

It had occurred to me that she intentionally directed the spotlight at me in order to catch my attention and lead me to this place, but if it were true, I don't understand why Z would go through all this trouble and take the risk of infiltration and the divulgence of their plan for an academy takeover. Adding to it, this girl has a finger on the trigger and is prepared to shoot me any moment now, but she doesn't. Reo isn't even giving her a signal to do so, though he is perfectly aware that I heard every word coming from his mouth over the microphone.

"Perfect timing, Yuki. I'm impressed." Reo applauded, his footsteps getting louder.

Yuki, as what Reo had called her, steps out of the elevator, and I move a few steps backward so as to avoid the gun from coming in contact with me.

"I wasn't expecting you here, seeing as I only encounter you in missions that involve hand-to-hand combat." Reo scoffed, his feet cease their movements and his breathing audible. "But oh well."

Without warning, a needle is pierced through my right arm above my elbow, accompanied by Reo's hand gripping the other arm. I attempt to break away from his clasp to avoid the fluids contained in the syringe from getting into my body, however, I was unsuccessful in doing so, for he possessed the Voice Pheromone Alice, and with one word from him, despite my disinclination to participate in this matter, I kept still and watched as he injected all of its contents into my body.

"We haven't tested it yet. I might as well seize the opportunity that's given to me."

He pulls out the syringe once it was empty, and in a number of seconds, I feel my temperature rising, as if a heat wave had appeared out of nowhere. My eyesight wasn't so good either—I was beginning to see double while beads of sweat had emerged from my forehead. Losing my balance, I stumble towards the wall, ignoring the fact that Reo and this girl Yuki have me cornered in the hallway, and if I keep this up, who knows where they'd take me.

"I forgot to tell you. It's going to hurt a bit."

I looked up to Reo and noticed the grin that spread out his face, which he brings closer to mine to taunt me even further.

"You've always been so stubborn. This is merely the price that you have to pay."

With the remaining power I had left, I cast fire onto Reo's eyes and let it touch Yuki as well, who was standing beside him. While Reo groans in pain, I make a rather lethargic run for it, however to the best of my abilities. Gunshots were fired, but it took four bullets before I get hit in the leg. It slowed down my movements, though I wasn't exactly keen on getting caught either.

The fire exit on the other side of the corridor looked as if it were drifting away as I headed towards it. My chest began to feel constricted, and upon taking another step, I fall onto the carpeted floor.

My eyelids were heavy, and I've been fighting to keep myself awake in this condition, but I couldn't bring myself to stand up any longer. But before I could shut them completely, a pair of leather shoes had come into view, followed by a faint conversation between a man and a woman. I couldn't tell what else happened afterward.

I was awoken by the stinging sensation coming from my left leg, and when I lifted my head to see what was happening for myself, there sat a man who was pouring brandy out of an alcohol flask at the wound I had obtained from the bullet Yuki had fired. My leg shook violently upon contact with the alcohol, but he managed to keep it still with a hand over my ankle.

He soon brought out a pair of forceps and drew the bullet out of my system, unfazed with the amount of blood lost, as if he has seen this happen countless times as I deal with the pain by clenching my hands onto the soil that I was sitting on, pulling on the grass while biting my lower lip to hinder myself from making too much noise.

My vision was still blurry and my mind couldn't process everything that was going on. All I know is that someone is treating my wound, though I'm aware of the fact that I shouldn't let my guard down either. As soon as he finishes wrapping the wound with bandage, the man carries me over his back, and without making a single move, I take a good look of my surroundings and noticed that the scenery was changing. Before I knew it, we were in front of the high school dormitory already.

There were a few lampposts situated by the pathway to the dormitory, and as he led me to the entrance, we heard the rustling of the bushes coming from behind. The man laid me down immediately, gently placing me near the door. Before he could vanish into thin air, I was able to catch a glimpse of his face—stoic, yet there was something gentle about it, with brown hair hanging over his eyes.

"Ah, the book makes it sound so easy but it's very hard! I hope we're not required to make Alice stones as part of our requirements for graduation or else, I'd be the laughing stock of the whole class. Small Alice stones are cute, nonetheless."

I'd recognize that voice anywhere.

The idiot.

"Hyuuga!"

He drops the huge book that he was carrying on the ground the moment he saw me and sprinted. His face had become more visible, having moved closer while he started blabbering questions that I couldn't make out, still in a daze. But I'm sure the words "Are you okay?" managed to slip out of his mouth.

"Come on; help me a little, will you?"

By then, my left arm was around the small guy's shoulder, from where he was eying me in disbelief. I didn't even sense him move yet he has the energy to open his mouth and say things like, "You're a little heavy, you know?" The rest, I didn't bother to listen.

I soon give in to his wishes, and we were able to stand up after exerting an effort to pull me up by himself a few times before he decided that it was impossible for him to lift me, being totally ignorant of how frail he was. We staggered our way up the stairwell and into his room, where he laid me down on the futon.

There were times when I would be conscious of my surroundings, and during those moments, I'd realize that the new kid has placed a cold piece of cloth on my forehead, constantly dipping it into water once it turned tepid.

When he was about to place the newly dipped cloth on my head, I reach out for his wrist, shooting daggers at his eyes that conveyed sympathy, which was something that I never asked from him.

There was something soothing in his brown eyes that in spite of the anger that I hold towards myself for being so weak to the point that I was willing to resort to this wimp to help me, I couldn't bring myself to harbor any hatred for what he's shown me.

Releasing my grip onto his wrist, I let my hand fall down against the futon and closed my eyes, surrendering myself to him.

A/N: I forgot to mention that I haven't had much practice in writing stories that fall under action or suspense, so forgive me for that. Also, care to guess the identity of the man who was treating Natsume's wound, and Yuki, the mysterious maiden whom Reo addresses as Blue Snow? First one to guess both right gets a cookie!-not really, but perhaps bragging rights? Hahaha. Oh, the code as well? What is the number of the room wherein Z conducted their meeting? =)

Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter... or hated it. Or liked it so much that you ended up hating it. =)) Voice out your opinions and theories regarding the "mass destruction" of the academy and all. I'd love to hear from you!

Oh, and because I left you guys hanging for a month, here's a preview of the next chapter:

"Shit. I'm going to be late!"

"Polka dots."

"Natsume, I'm begging you. Please don't tell anyone about this."

I'm going to leave you guys with that. Please review (or favorite, or alert)? That'd mean a lot.

My-violinprince.