SailorStar9: Chapter 10 goes up. This is Chapter 11.

Disclaimers: I do not own both the animes. However, I do own the pairing, I hope.

Chapter 11: Behind the Mask Of Masquerade

"Oh my, what is this strange place?" Alice wonder outloud as she walked through the fog. "I wonder where I am. And how did I get here? This is too weird."

"Alice?" Runo inquired, after the fog cleared. "Hey Alice, wait up!"

"Runo." Alice blinked.

"I was worried about you." Runo replied. "Where have you been hiding anyway?"

"Hey, what's wrong?" she asked, upon seeing Alice's downcast look.

"Runo, I've got a con..." Alice started.

"Just say it. Did something happen?" Runo asked.

"I'm not sure." Alice replied.

"Huh?" Runo blinked.

"Honestly, Runo." Alice replied. "I don't know."

"Too weird." Runo muttered.

"I wish I could figure this out." Alice sobbed. "But I can't."

At Runo's place...

"What you need is a good night's sleep, Alice." Runo put her to bed. "Now, you get into bed and forget everything. You got the, girl?"

"Sorry about all of this, Runo." Alice apologized.

"Hey, I think you're just tired." Runo suggested. "Besides, there's nothing to be sorry about."

"To be honest, this has happened to me a couple of times before." Alice admitted.

"Oh really?" Runo quirked a brow. "Like when?"

"Well I guess, ever since I started playing Bakugan." Alice replied. "It's like, I don't know myself anymore."

"Everything will be alright." Runo soothed the sobbing girl. "You just get some rest, okay?" I got some chore to do, but I'll come back and we'll talk about it then."

"Thank you, Runo." Alice wept. "Thanks."

"Hey mom!" Runo called out, entering the living room.

"Runo, so how is Alice doling, dear?" Runo's mother asked, taking her eyes from the TV set.

"She's upstairs sleeping." Runo replied.

"Well then." Runo's mother decided. "That's good. Maybe she just have the flu. I should make her some soup."

"Uh huh." Runo muttered. "And I was wondering if you could keep an eye on her for me."

"I'll be right back!: she shouted from the door.

"Runo wait." her mother started. "Are you going to be home for dinner?"

At Dan's place...

"This is live at 7 news." the newscaster reported. "And our top story is the sudden snowfalls and freezing temperatures reported from Waikiki. Nearly a foot of new snow has been reported there. In Egypt, a water geyser mysteriously sprouted from a pyramid with no explanation for this phenomenon. And closer to home, the skies above New York were strangely lit up for the first time by the Aurora Borealis."

"I wonder what's going on in the world." Dan's mother mused. "Does this have anything to do with Bakugan?"

"Yes, I believe so." Marucho nodded.

"The chaos in Vestroia has finally spilled over in your world." Wavern added.

"Yes." Skyress agreed.

"The chaos in Vestroia?" Dan's mother echoed.

"The home of all Bakugan." Gorem replied.

"And our world is slowly falling into evil hands." Preyas added.

"I can't stand just sitting around watching this go on." Diablo protested.

"There's nothing we can do, Diablo." Angelo reminded.

"Diablo's right." Dan cut in. "All we're doing right now is protecting the Infinity Core, but is that all we can do?"

"Ah?" Julie exclaimed. "So, what do you mean, Dan?"

"Well, maybe we'll have to hit Naga and Masquerade before they hit us." Dan suggested.

"Yes, we should." Drago agreed.

"A good defense is a good offense." Tigrerra added.

"Sorry kids, but I'm not following any of this." Dan's mother admitted.

"By the way, how's Alice doing, Runo?" Marucho asked.

"Pretty good." Runo replied. "She's having it up at my place."

"Is it like a girl thing?" Joe inquired. "Maybe she just might need to go see a doctor."

"No Joe." Runo snapped. "I say she's going to be okay, so let's not worry about her right now and concentrate on Naga and Masquerade."

"Right." Dan nodded.

Just then, Joe's Bakupod rang.

"Joe, what is it?" Wavern asked at Joe's stunned expression. "Is it bad news?"

"It's from Masquerade." Joe reported, causing everyone to gasp.

"I want the Infinity Core, Joe." Masquerade remarked. "So meet me at Dome Stadium."

"What are we going to do, guys?" Preyas panicked.

"I'll take that creep on." Diablo growled. "Let me at him! Let me at him!"

"Please Diablo, calm down." Angelo chided.

"So we finally hear from the mad man himself." Shun noted. "This should be interesting."

"And it probably won't be the last time." Wavern added.

Drago nodded in agreement.

"Let me take care of him, guys." Dan stood up.

"Why you?" Dan's mother inquired.

"Because Drago's evolved. That gives us a better chance at beating the masked moron." Dan replied.

"Yes, Dan makes an excellent point." Drago agreed.

"Are you sure?" Skyress asked.

"Are you..." Tigrerra trailed off.

"It's time to finish him off and end this." Dan stated determinedly.

At Runo's place...

"Oh Alice, are you up yet?" Runo's mother inquired from the door. "I hope you're decent."

"Where did she go?" she blinked when she realized Alice was out of bed.

At Dome Stadium...

"You here, Masquerade?" Dan hollered.

"Well, if it isn't Dan the man." Masquerade mocked as he appeared. "I wasn't expecting you. Then again, I suppose I might as well steal your Bakugan ."

"This should be interesting battle." Marucho noted from the sidelines. "Masquerade is ranked No. 1."

"You're right." Shun agreed. "And since I lost to Dan, his ranking moves up to No. 2."

"Huh?" Runo blinked. "I'll check. Yup, that's exactly what my Bakupod shows."

"Woah." Julie gushed. "This is going to be the ultimate showdown then."

"Masquerade." Dan growled. "How in the world did you end up battling for Naga anyway? Don't you realize he's trying to destroy both our world and his own? We should be fighting on the same side not as enemies."

"I only take orders from Naga." Masquerade replied.

"You're on the wrong team, Masquerade." Dan tried to reason.

"Are you through grand standing, Dan?" Masquerade scoffed.

"What?" Dan gaped.

"I'm tired of your babbling." Masquerade replied. "Let's get this over with. Are you ready to play?" his smirk grew wider.

"Man, this is so done." Dan growled outloud. "Oh yeah, I'm really to play! And don't come crying to me when you lose!"

"Field Open!" the two chorused. "Gate Card, set!"

A/N: I'm skipping the Bakugan battle because I know you guys know what happen.

During the last leg of the battle...

"You can do this, Drago!" Dan encouraged, as Drago powered up. "It's our only chance to win!"

"Get him, Hydranoid!" Masquerade barked.

Remember Drago, you're not alone in this battle. I, too, stand behind you. Eva passed her mental message to the Pyrus Dragoniod.

Thank you,Princess. Drago conveyed his message back to the Messiah, before titanic clash of power.

After the battle...

"I can't believe I lost that battle." Masquerade muttered on the grass, his eye mask cracked.

"I can't believe I won that battle." Dan muttered.

"What's even stranger is for some reason, it doesn't bother me." Masquerade admitted.

"It's finally over! Dan won!" Runo whooped.

"Yes!" Julie jumped for joy.

"I knew he could do it all along." Marucho added.

"Hey, it's as they say, Masquerade." Dan started. "Even in Bakugan, it doesn't matter if you win or lose. It's how you play the game."

"I'd wish I learnt that lesson a long time ago, Dan." Masquerade admitted. "But I guess it's better late than never. I sure got a lot of thinking to do."

"One thing, Masquerade?" Dan stated.

"What is it?" Masquerade inquired.

"How about you join up with us?" Dan offered, standing up. "You could help us in our battle against Naga. What do you say? Well?"

"It sounds like a plan." Masquerade noted. "And a pretty good one."

"I'll love to have you on board." Dan added.

"How sweet." Julie gushed.

"Come on, Masquerade. Go for it." Runo encouraged.

Masquerade reached out to return Dan's handshake before pulling back his hand.

"Sorry, I don't think it would work out." the masked blond noted. "Before I leave, I leave the Bakugan a present."

"Their Princess is over there." he pointed to the entrance behind Dan.

"Later, Dan." he added, dropping his mask.

"What the..." Dan gasped when Masquerade powered up to reveal Alice underneath the mask.

"I don't believe it!" Runo exclaimed. Followed by everyone's stunned expressions; yes, including Shun.

"Alice!" Dan was shocked.

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.