Hey there! I'm quite in spirits...not. For a few days...I can't eat any crisp/spicy thing...thanks to my dentist. No, I don't support giant braces...his hand slipped a few times while fixing my 'fangs' which lead to some small cuts here and there which sting like heck when I try to eat anything other than jelly or bread or soup!

Replies to guest reviewers:

To Terrah111: Lollipops! ^-^ I'm glad you liked 'fighting the fate'...I'm gonna revise that one too...needs a lot of trimming and polishing here and there. And you...you want me to ignore LOLLIPOPS?! This...this is incredulous! Um...second season?! Sure...after I finish this story...I'll whip up something from second season in ma bubbling cauldron of writing! XD Accept peanut butter cookies on reviewing!

To Megan: Um...thanks for the suggestion...taken in account!

To Hikari: Haha, I'll admit...I fell for it the second time! XP Accept my gratitude and chocolate fudges on these fine complements! Ah...that...sigh...I regret that too...and to tell you the truth...I never read that story after completing it. I got so many suggestions to end his life that I had to do it! But never the less, have no fear! No one dies in this story! XD

And well...just thanks to all those who reviewed! Enjoy this chap too! Read and tickle the small button under the big box, peeps!

Bakugan Baby Brawlers.

Chapter 5: Lurking Shadows.

"Master? What is your next order?"

A cruel smirk played on a half hidden face, "We send them back where they belong."

"H-how do we accomplish that feat, sire?" The hissing continued.

"We bring them back to the base... then teleport them to their time." The evil grin spread further, "I'm not known as Wiseman for nothing..."

A dark chuckle echoed in the cave.

…

"Please?"

"No! It's too chilly outside!"

"Pleeeeassse?!" The syllable held more defiance.

"No!"

"Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeee...-"

"For the millionth time, no! Go bother someone else!"

"Hmph! You're a bad 'bawler'! When my leg is big, I gonna kick you!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever!"

Shun raised a brow at the argument between Dan and Keith. The young boy was pleading to go play outside for a while but a storm was approaching...as winds whistled shrilly. They couldn't risk having another sick kid while they already had their hands full.

Keith glanced up to see the skeptical look on the Ventus brawler's face, "Shun, Can you please get it through his head that we'll go outside tomorrow morning?!"

The ninja sighed, bending down at Dan's level, "Dan?"

The small brunette looked up to meet topaz eyes, "Yes?"

"I promise we'll go tomorrow."

"Okay!" Dan skipped away to find an activity to occupy himself with.

Keith exhaled in relief and fell on the couch, "Alright... this is the first day...and we aren't doing that much of a progress."

Shun nodded, "As expected."

"Maybe we just need to be more..." Keith trailed off, searching for a better word, "more organized."

"Organized?" Shun glanced at him.

"Yeah..." The Darkus brawler sat up straighter to give Shun a better look over, "Like...dividing our duties...planning ahead...etcetera, etcetera."

Shun gave it a thought, "Hm..."

Keith brightened up visibly, "That way...it'll be easier to take care of them...and look for a way to reverse their states as well. We wont be too much fatigued or stressed either."

"Sounds good." The Ventus brawler had a pensive look on his face. Now that he thought about it, it didn't seem that much of a bad idea.

"Okay...so now...let's make a list of our duties. We can switch them every week." Keith brought a pen and a sheet of paper.

Shun gave him a dry look, "Week?! That's a bit too much."

…

An hour later, the list of duties looked as following:

Shun:-

Make sure Marucho doesn't torture any technological stuff.

Keep Dan away from the fridge.

Keep an eye on Dan and Runo's arguments.

Gather everyone for food.

Protect Drago's ball form.

Help Keith in cleaning the rooms of kids.

Look out for possible solutions to return the brawlers back to normal.

Keith:-

Cook whatever is eatable and/or available for the others.

Help Shun in cleaning the mess the kids make while playing.

Keep a check on house supplies if anything needs to be restored.

Take care of sick Alice.

Watch out for out door activities.

Keep peace between the inhabitants of the place.

Look out for possible solutions to return the brawlers back to normal.

With their work distributed, their duties finalized, both teens prepared to jump in the battle field, armed with house supplies.

…

"Have you done what I ordered you to do?"

"Yes master...we have spotted them. They're still at the brawler's hideout."

"Is that so?" The man raised a brow in amusement, "And how are they...coping?"

"Apparently, that ninja is looking after them, sire."

"Ninja? Shun...you say?" The man frowned.

"Yes...the one with Ventus attribute...and Skyress."

"I know who he is!" Wiseman snapped before pacing around, "So if he has taken responsibility..." He turned toward his bakugans with an evil smirk, "Looks like I'll have to dirty my hands with blood, after all."

…

Keith glanced outside the window at the pouring rain as Alice sucked on the end of spoon, enjoying the soup. The young girl felt much better now, except for the fact that she just wanted to stay in bed, claiming herself to be a 'princess'.

"Come on Alice, hurry up. I've got work to do." Keith chided gently when the girl kept sucking at the piece of carrot on the spoon, half asleep.

"Me no eat this...this...shoopy! 'Pincess' eat cake...and ice cream...and chocolate...and candy. And 'pincess' do coloring in bed!" Alice pouted, fed up of living on soup for two days.

Keith sighed, putting the spoon back in the half-full bowl, "Yes...but princesses are good girls. A princess listens to what she's told to do...and finishes her meal before playing!"

"But...but...I don't want no more...I play... you are bye bye!"

The Darkus brawler took a deep breathe, counted to ten...then to twelve when that didn't work, and looked at 'her highness', "Fine...I'll put the bowl on your night stand. Whenever you are hungry, you can eat it up."

Leaving the humming girl to herself, he left the room only to stumble upon a dozing and drooling Marucho...right at the door frame. As he bent down to pick the blonde up, Keith noticed the skirt and jewelery he was wearing. Apparently, Julie had tried her fancy show on him.

Taking a few more steps while thinking where to dump the small boy, Keith was once again greeted by another out of order sight. In front of him...was the couch...a few feet away from where it should have been...and on it...was Shun...sprawled out, sleeping peacefully. The raven haired teen had mud smears all over his face and arms. And for some odd reason...he was drenched in water all over.

Keith cleared his throat, expecting his friend to wake up. But no, the slumber seemed very deep. He caught sight of an equally muddy and soaked Dan scowling at...the clock on the wall. The young boy was wrapped in what Keith recognized as Shun's jacket.

"Dan?" The Darkus brawler made sure to keep his voice low, "What happened?"

The boy was snapped out of his train of thoughts as he regarded the teen, "We get wet...outside!"

"I can see that...you became wet...when you went outside. It's obvious because it's raining." Keith stepped forward, "What I meant was...what were you doing outside? And why is Shun...sleeping while all covered in mud?!"

"Oh...that!" Dan frowned, glancing at Shun, "Runo want to...to...make me dead...and...and put me in ground...I run out to save...and he..." He gestured at the sleeping ninja, "follow and say 'Stop Dan, stop Dan!'...then I stop and we fall on ground...'cause it so wet...and he put his this..." A tug at the black jacket, "...on me...and we come back!"

Keith pinched the bridge of his nose at the boy's tortured language, "Let me translate it in English... Runo wanted to kill and bury you -for some reason-...and you ran outside to save yourself...and Shun followed you. But both of you slipped on the ground slope because of rain...and Shun wrapped you in his jacket...and brought you back. Is that it?"

Dan nodded, beaming proudly, "Yes! And then he say to sit here and become...not wet. And we wait. And he sleep."

"So he told you to wait till you dry off...and fell asleep while waiting." Keith looked at the small boy.

"How you know?!" Dan's eyes widened in surprise.

"Because I'm awesome!" Keith rolled his eyes.

However, before Dan could retort back or Keith could take another step, a scream was heard from Alice's room followed by a crash. The small shriek startled Shun, who woke with a start and fell from the couch. Quickly scrambling to his feet and glaring at the occupants of the room, he finally seemed to catch his bearings.

"What was that?"

"How should I know?" Keith turned worriedly, "Let's go check it out."

The raven haired teen followed and the two entered the little girl's room...only to find it empty...and turned upside down. The glittery pink and blue curtains which hung on the bed posts were ripped, the feathery pillows torn apart, a broken chair present near the bed. The window was wide open.

All that was left...was a shred of white silk night gown.

Oh no! What happened to our dear Alice?! Stay tuned to find out! Read and review and guess peeps and suggest her fate! Though it's pretty obvious what happened to her! XP

Rose out!

Until next time!