A/N: This is important, please read!
kd: Hey Guys! I looked at all of your reviews and I was so happy to hear about all of your satisfactory about this story! And I know that all of the brawlers' reasons for Masky being evil were kinda stupid. I'm purposefully making them oblivious, the real answer is none of those.
I've come up with my own reason for him working for Naga which is much more dramatic and sensible than the reasons the brawlers came up with. So please don't think I'm coming up with stupid reasons myself, I just thought that would be what the brawlers would say if they were asked that question. So stick around for the good stuff, I think you're gonna like it!
And to end on a positive note I'd like to thank all my readers and reviewers. I updated last time over spring break (in flordia) and when I came back I was so happy to see all of your reviews! You guys r the best, I truly don't deserve you guys! ^.^, and thanks to all those who have read, favorite, alearted and reviewed my story. And with that I give you…the tenth chapter~
"Computer, start!" A blonde commanded through the darkness of the computer room. Light from a giant computer screen, hung on the wall, filled the room with unnatural light. Through the blue light you could see a cubicle flashdrive connected to the computer. "Show me Alice's data." The computer screen turned black for a moment then showed a large picture of Alice with text to the right. "Hmmm, for not being a brawler Marucho sure put a lot of information in about her," Masquerade quickly looked at some of the text, "It's more about what he personally knows about her…"
He continued to skim through the text. It was almost like Marucho's personal diary entries about her. Like her favorite ice flavor is vanilla, she likes walking through the park and starwatching with Runo, Marucho thinks she has a crush on Masquerade and that Shun has a crush on Alice, her favorite color is green, she said that if see did become a brawler she'd use darkus, she sometimes acts like Dan's mother, and she's a good listener, stupid stuff like that. Masquerade was half asleep before he was even halfway done reading her profile. God, what stupid information, only a little kid would care about this stuff, Masquerade thought before he realized that Marucho wrote about that stuff because he was a little kid. I just hope that not all of the data is stupid and irrelevant like this. I busted my chop trying to get all of this without Shun and that nosy website manager in my way. After a while Masquerade just got bored and decided to look up someone else. "Show me all data about Shun."
The computer flashed again and brought a picture of Shun with text around it. Masquerade could tell this had a lot more useful information regarding Shun's bakugan and all of his cards, including some of his favorite strategies and ways people have tried to counter them. Now THIS is what I'm talkin' about! Masquerade thought excitedly as all of Shun's weaknesses were poured right in front of him.
"No…NO! Julie, please! Don't put me inside the egg! DARN IT!" Dan yelled as the Super Smash Bros: Brawl Toon Link was swallowed and turned into an egg by Yoshi who then pooped him off the edge of 'The Final Destination' stage.
"You can't handle the power of Yoshi!" Julie said excitedly while pointed at Dan, who had gloom clouds over his head. On the TV screen Yoshi stood idle in the middle of the stage as Julie was distracted. Snake quickly shot a heat-sensing missle at Yoshi, who was already at 140% damage, and blew him off the stage. "Huh?" Julie said as she heard the sound of someone losing their life. "HEY!" She yelled at Shun, "What's the big idea?"
Shun did the mistake of looking at Julie when he said, "You snooze, you lose." Before Shun could turn his attention back to the screen a descending Peach rapidly kicked Snake in the face and then hit him with a frying pan as she landed. "Nice combo, Alice." (A/N: Peach is personally my favorite SSB character =D. I was actually playing this game with Jet this morning (she had a slumber party for her birthday, so wish her happy birthday!). She kicked my butt with Luigi on Melee, though 3=)
Alice giggled, "Thanks!"
"But not good enough!" He said triumphantly as Peach accidently walked onto a land mine, planted by Snake, blowing her off the screen.
"Awww…" Alice said disappointed by her own mistake.
Shun put both of his arms behind his head as he reclined further into the couch, "Better luck next time!" Shun winked at Alice.
Alice blushed a little.
"I want a rematch!" Dan yelled as he stood up and pointed a finger at Shun.
"It's rude to point, Dan…" Alice said quietly.
"Nah, I'm too tired." Shun said with a shrug.
"Oh, comon'! It'll be fun!"
"Like that time you hit me with the stick while smashing watermelons?"
"Oh, yeah…sorry about that…"
Shun sighed, "Whatever, I'll just kick your butt as revenge."
"Alright!" Dan said as he punched his fist into the air, then quickly sat down and picked up his remote. Their mouses moved across the selection screen as they picked their players. "Really? Zelda?" Dan said with an eyebrow raised at Shun's feminine choice, though he had picked Kirby, the puffy pink guy.
"Dude, Zelda's awesome."
"Not as awesome as Kirby!" Dan picked the temple stage (from Melee stages) and the game started with both of them placed underneath the pillar shelter. Kirby started by rushing toward Zelda and using his upside-down spin attack. Zelda simply jumped over Kirby and then zapped him from her side. As Kirby was knocked back Zelda transformed into Sheik. Before Kirby could react Sheik dashed at him and attacked. While Kirby was in the air from Sheik's attack he took out his air blade and slammed it into the ground, sending a wave of air toward Sheik. Sheik was pushed back a bit but easily recovered, so she started to charge her throwing weapon. Kirby saw this posture and quickly floated to the top of the round pillar structure at the edge of the stage.
Sheik, seeing that Kirby had retreated, took the time to taunt. "Geez, stop showing off, Mr. Hotshot." Dan said as he made Kirby take out another wind blade, hoping to catch the taunting ninja. Instead the wind effect ended where the stone separated the round pillar structure and the tri-platform. Sheik came at Kirby who hovered above her then plumited toward her head as he turned into a brick. Sheik retreated by jumping down through the leveled platforms, to the bottom part of the stage. Kirby followed, ready to turn into a brick again when he reached the same level. Sheik waited for Kirby's arrival, dodging his attack as he turned into a rock. When Kirby changed back Sheik quickly grabbed his and started hitting him. "Ow, ow, ow, ow." Dan said before Sheik threw Kirby into the air, then teleported upward to hit Kirby to the left, closer to the edge of the stage. Dan then saw he wasn't going to win so he decided to purposefully fall over the cliff.
"WINNER, ZELDA!" The TV announced as the screen flashed to the results page.
"Really, Dan?" Shun said with a sigh
"Hey, ummm, let's play something else!" Dan said trying to move to another subject other than his bad playing.
"Hey guys," Alice said bringing up a new suggestion, "why don't we go to the beach again? We'll only be here for the rest of the week, we should try to enjoy what we can't get back home."
"Yeah!" Dan and Julie cheered in chorus.
Inside a room with sound-proof metal walls and no windows or door, a teenage boy in a white flowing coat and spiky blonde hair was bent over, writing something on the ground. A large circular spiral pattern painted in a dark red color was sprawled around him on the ground. The paint had a strange metallic scent to it and tinted the entire room with the smell of death. Masquerade hunched over with the dark red paint on his index and middle fingers as he made swift, long, strokes, giving the pattern a very elegant and fragile look. He would stop his painting for a moment and stand up to examine the pattern, making sure it matched exactly to the pattern in the artifacts, using his photographic memory. He must have been satisfied because he sighed contently and said, "Almost done…" He then looked up at the sky through the glass roof, "There won't be a full moon until the 20th, so I should at least try to enjoy the time I have left."
"Hey, Alice, what are you making?" Shun walked up to Alice, who was crouched down in the sand and piling a lump of sand together.
"I'm making a sandman!" Alice said with a smile.
"A sandman? Like a snowman only made of sand?"
"Yeah, exactly!" Alice said happily.
"Look, Alice, I know you miss home and all but do you really need to make a sandman?
"It wasn't my idea." Alice said dismissively.
Shun looked around but he and Alice were the only ones nearby, "Uh, then whose idea was it?"
One of the sandman's black eyes started to move and Hydranoid popped out, "Hey Shun!" he said over-happily.
"What the hell are you doing here Hydranoid?"
"Shun! Be nice to Hydranoid!" Alice said while putting her hands on her hips, showing her disapproval of Shun's langue.
"Master was being scary, again…"
Shun crossed his arms in mild interest, "Go on."
A wave came in and ruined the sandman, "Ahhh! NOOOOOO! NOT AGAIN! WHY FROSTY? WHY?"
"Um…frosty?" Shun asked Alice.
"I think he's referring to the 'Frosty the Snowman.' movie…"
Shun sighed, "Hydranoid, answer my question."
"Uh, well…he was in this room."
"Well, yes. If Masquerade was indoors it'd be clear that he would be in a room."
"Hey Hotshot! I'm not finished yet! Slow down!"
Shun sighed with impatience, "Go on."
"This is kinda creepy, there are no windows except for the skylight and the walls and floors are made of metal, as if it was a laboratory but the room is completely empty, and yet he lately has locked himself up there for multiple hours at a time, and I have no idea what he does in this metal, empty room…that's why I said he was scary…"
Shun thought about this for a moment, he had no doubt Hydranoid was telling the truth but because he's a bit naïve he probably wouldn't be able to think of the different things Masquerade could be doing. Shun sighed, This is getting us nowhere…
"You're right, Hydranoid, that is a bit creepy."
"He can be so scary sometimes." Hydranoid whined.
"Well, if you don't like then why are you with him?"
"Because Naga told me so?"
"Well, then, why do you work for Naga?"
Hydranoid got very nervous, "H-h-he said he would send me to the-the—"
"Spit it out, already."
"DOOM DIMENSION! He said if I didn't obey his every order he'd send me to my doom O.O"
"So you obey his orders and send others to the doom dimension…"
"Well…yes…" Hydranoid said as he dropped his head down. Alice looked at him in sympathy.
"But it's not like he can hurt humans…right?"
"Actually, he's killed humans before."
"What?" Alice and Shun shrieked in unison.
"B-but don't tell anyone I said that!"
Alice and Shun just stared at Hydranoid and then at each other. "Shun…" Alice said quietly "…what if…what if Masquerade is working for Naga against his will?"
"Naw, that's not it." Hydranoid said. "Masquerade is always so respectful to Naga, much more than I am, he always call him 'Lord Naga' and uses such formal langue."
Shun rose an eyebrow, "Hydranoid just because someone respects someone doesn't mean they like them, or vice-versa. Like for example, I like Dan, he's my best friend, but I surly don't respect him."
Alice giggled a little at this, "I do hope nothing bad happens to Masquerade…"
Shun looked at her funny, "Ummm, yeah, I guess that would be…bad."
"Yes, it would be very bad Shun!" Alice waved her arms in exaggeration.
"Why would it be very bad if Masquerade was hurt by Naga?" Shun asked with a small hint of bitterness.
Alice was taken aback by this response, "It would be bad if anyone got hurt by Naga, or forced to do something against their will!"
"Guys, you're overthinking this, I haven't heard Naga threaten Masquerade once, I think Masquerade does it of his own will, granted I don't know exactly way he chooses to work for Naga, either…"
"See? None of us can figure it out because he's secretly being forced to do this stuff!"
"Or maybe…" Shun trailed off thoughtfully, "or maybe there's a puzzle piece we're missing." Shun stared off into the distance for a while until he turned to Hydranoid and crouched down on the ground to ask him something, "Hydranoid…I have an important question."
"Uh…yes, Shun?"
"Who was Masquerade before he became Masquerade? Because I doubt he was born with that name."
Hydranoid was silent.
Alice looked at Hydranoid worriedly, "Why aren't you saying anything, Hydranoid?"
"Because I have no idea." Hydranoid said weepily.
Shun looked at Hydranoid surprisingly, "You mean you don't even know his old name? What his life was life? Why he became Masquerade? ANYTHING?"
"Nothing…I've never even seen his face before…I only know him as Masquerade…"
"Well, this talk has been useless."
"Shun!" Alice said shocked by Shun's bluntness.
"But, I, uh…I do know a place where you might be able to find this information." Hydranoid said sheepishly.
Shun swiftly picked up Hydranoid and demanded, "What? Where! Tell me Hydranoid!"
"I will once you put me down!" Hydranoid made a crying noise. Shun put Hydranoid back onto the sand only for him to be washed away by one of the incoming waves. "AHHH! HELP! BAKUGAN CAN'T SWIM!" Shun felt a sweat drop run down his cheek as he watched Masquerade's rather pathetic bakugan struggle in the water. Shun walked over and picked Hydranoid out of the water.
"You were saying?"
"Well, uh, there are a couple of places in the mansion Masquerade never lets me go to…"