A/N Phew! *falls back into chair* Man I can't believe I was worried that this'd be too short! It's almost 4,000 words by itself! it's a good thing i split this from Chapter 32 else it'd have ended up being rushed.
Masquerade: *smirks* this is probably the only chapter that I actually might slightly approve of.
Jetravenex: *tiredly* you would
Skylord: WAHHHH I'm not in it!
Reaper: oh shut up and suck it up! I was in the doom dimension for most of season 1 how do you think I felt?
Skylord:...
Jetravenex: Anyways, since Breezyfeather made a request that I get this one out soon, well hows the day after I posted 32 sound?
Masquerade: Hmph, you could've gotten it out quicker.
JetravenEx: Jerk, since you seem to have nothing better to do, SAY THE DISCLAIMER!
Masquerade: *smirks* Jetravenex, doesn't own me or bakugan.
Jetravenex: Now onto the story!
Chapter 33
Jet and Masquerade reappeared in one of the hallways in his mansion. Although Unlike the hallway that had been right by the room where Runo and Marucho had been in, this one was pitch black, to the point where Jet had to squint just to make out the dark brawler.
He chuckled as he tightened his grip on her arm before he half threw her into one of the walls.
Jet let out a grunt as her back hit the wall and she slid down to the floor, her ribs still throbbing slightly where he'd kicked her earlier.
Jet looked down for a second as she rubbed her still aching ribs. She closed her eyes and swallowed before she lifted her head expecting to see the Darkus brawler sneering down at her. But to her surprise, the only thing that met her eyes was darkness.
"Wh-where'd he go?" She thought as her eyes darted wildly from side to side, shivers starting to progress through her body. Fear started to rise but she forced it down, and using the wall for support she managed to push herself to her feet. She looked around again and found that the 'view' was no better standing than when she had been on the floor. Wincing and glancing around every so often the girl began to move along the corridor one hand on the wall, too afraid to lose it in the darkness.
She continued moving until suddenly something came up in front of her, and her face collided painfully with something solid like an open door or something.
Staggering back from the object, losing contact with the wall in the progress Jet reached up a hand to touch her throbbing nose wincing and whimpering.
"Damn it." She mumbled quietly as she glanced around fearfully touching her nose checking to see if she was bleeding. "Now I've lost the wall." She said irritably spreading her arms out and attempted to feel her way back to the wall.
Jet kept moving forward, because she figured she had to hit a wall eventually.
After a few minutes Jet was starting to panic, she felt like she was walking through a black abyss and was beginning to lose her rationale and becoming increasingly frightened by the impenetrable darkness.
Finally unable to take the oppressing darkness she whipped around and ran back the way she had come searching and fumbling around blindly for any source of light or the walls, when she crashed head on into something.
Jet gasped as she heard a soft chuckle come from what she'd hit and slowly a few lights flickered on, transforming the pitch black hallway into a dimly lit hallway. And Jet… Found herself face to face once again with Masquerade.
Jet yelped and jumped back attempting to turn and flee when the darkus brawler snagged her arm and dragged her back to him pulling her back to him and making her turn around and face him.
"You came back in a hurry. What's wrong?" He said with a chuckle leaning down slightly towards her tightening his grip on her captured arm as she tried to shy away. "Afraid of a little darkness?" He hissed softly.
Jet flinched her eyes widening a little and she lowered her gaze flushing slightly. "Sh-shut up!" She snarled as he laughed in response.
"Oh this is too funny, you're afraid of the dark and yet you're a darkus brawler!" Masquerade said sneering at Jet. "Pathetic."
Jet glared at him. "J-just because I prefer darkus bakugan doesn't mean I'm a heartless bastard who prefers being stuck in the dark…" Her voice trailed off as she realized Masquerade was still snickering at her. "It's not funny!" She spat trying to wrench her arm free. "Now let me go!"
Masquerade chuckle. "What do I scare you too?" He said smirking down at her before dragging her closer to him. "Or is it yourself you're afraid of?" He asked.
Jet blinked and stared at him with a confused look on her face before shock over took her expression. "Y-you think I like you?" She squeaked flushing slightly.
Masquerade tilted his head slightly the smirk still present. "Do you?" He asked.
Jet spluttered with shock blushing harder. "W-well.. O-of course not! You're an evil jerk who dragged me from my own world and is now holding me captive and…and… why the hell did you ask me that?"
Masquerade snorted. "You suggested it not me, I was simply voicing the question you brought up." He said sneering.
Jet blanched and she looked down struggling to gather herself. "J-just let me go, or kill me already." She said quietly.
Masquerade frowned slightly. "But why should I?" An evil grin crossed his face. "I'm having too much fun right now."
Jet turned back to look at him and glared at him. "Eesh why can't you have fun like normal people?" Jet spat struggling against him once more.
Masquerade chuckled before he suddenly let go of her and watched as she fell backwards landing on her rear. "Alright, than how about a game?" He asked folding his arms across his chest and smirking leaning forward slightly.
Jet blinked as she pushed herself to her feet her eyes narrowing slightly in distrust. "A game?" She echoed.
Masquerade nodded. "Yes a game or more specifically, hide and seek."
Jet blinked and tipped her head to one side her wary expression replaced with one of confusion. "Wh-"
"I assume you know how to play unless of course," He said with a snicker. "You're not normal."
Jet's gaze hardened. "Of course I know how to play!" She snapped clenching her fists. "I was really good at it too!"
Masquerade smirked drawing himself up. "Good now that that's settled, how about a little wager?"
Jet frowned as she considered this for a moment, her indignation fading back into wariness. "What kind of wager?" She asked her eyebrows furrowing.
"I win, you'll remain here as my slave, doing everything I say without question. On the other hand if you were to win, you'd be allowed to go free."
Jet narrowed her eyes. "What if I say no?"
Masquerade feigned hurt. "What you don't want to play with me?" Then he grew serious. "You can try to run, but I assure you you'll just keep running back to me, as you experienced earlier."
Jet shivered at the memory. "How do we play? And yes I know the blasted basic rules of the game also, I suppose I should assume I'm the one who will hiding and you're the one who will be seeking, so just tell me your 'house rules'." She said folding her arms across her chest.
Masquerade smirked. "Simple, I give you about five minutes to either get out of the mansion or find a place to hide away from me. If by some chance you actually get out within those five minutes, I won't come after you and you're free to go, if you hide somewhere and I do not find you and I were to 'give up' you win as well, though don't count on that, the other way for you to win is if you get out of the mansion even after I start seeking."
Jet narrowed her eyes. "So in other words we're talking hide and go seek tag, where the exit to the mansion is 'base'." She said.
Masquerade considered that for a moment. "I suppose it is," He said. "Now, obviously you've lost your DT to Dan and Marucho, so you can't use it to cheat… However I do have one still, therefore I can teleport to anywhere within the mansion,"
"Yeah or you'll just go and stand by the door and wait for me there." Jet growled.
Masquerade snorted. "Fine if you're worried about that I'll let you have this." He said tossing a black ball that Jet caught up and then held it up in front of her face scrutinizing it for a moment.
"Reaper?" Jet asked as she recognized the darkus bakugan who popped open at the sound of his name.
"Lady Jet!" He said sounding relieved.
Masquerade sighed. "Save the happy reunion for later before you two make me gag. Anyways to compensate for my having the DT you will be allowed to have Reaper as your guide. Also Jet, the game starts…now." He said as he melted into the shadows in the hallway.
Jet blinked as she looked around wildly. "That's a new one…" Jet murmured to herself as Reaper floated up so that he was right in front of her face. "Jet! There's no time to dawdle! We must take this opportunity and escape now!"
Jet blinked and shook her head rapidly as she headed down the hallway ignoring the doors lining the hallway. "You're right Reaper," She said her eyebrows furrowing as her expression grew serious as the grim reaper like bakugan hopped onto her shoulder and she glanced at him as they proceeded down the now dimly lit hallway. "Do you know where the exit is from here?" Jet asked turning to him slightly.
Reaper was silent as his wings twitched. "I.. I'd need to find out what floor we're on…"
"FOUR MINUTES!" The sound of Masquerade's voice echoing through the halls made Jet jump in surprise and look around wildly.
"Hey that's no fair! What's stopping him from tracking me via the computer in the computer room?" Jet shouted.
"Now where's the fun in that?" Was the answer she received, "You better keep moving Jet you're clock is ticking…"
Jet scowled as she went to the nearest room and threw open the door and hurriedly to the window and looked down and swore loudly. "Damn, he's put us on the fourth floor!" Jet growled as she pushed away from the window and made a break for the door, shooting out of the room like a rocket.
"Reaper! That help you any?" Jet asked keeping her eyes focused forward as she sprinted down the hall her feet thudding against the carpeted floor.
"Three minutes Jet…" Jet scowled as she could hear the undertone of mockery in his voice.
"The stairs Jet!" Reaper shouted causing Jet to glance in his direction just as her foot suddenly hit air and the girl let out a screech as she went tumbling down the stairs. She squeezed her eyes shut as her body hit the stairs mentally praying to whatever deity there was that she didn't break her neck or hit her head on the way down. With a sickening thud she landed on a heap on the landing whimpering slightly as pain blossomed from her arm, leg, ankle, and back.
Jet struggled to shift herself onto her stomach, tears starting to form in her eyes, she forced herself to crawl to the next set of stairs.
"Jet get up!" Reaper pleaded nudging her shoulder slightly. "Please, we don't have time!"
Jet bit back a sob of pain as she reached for the railing on the stairs and used it as a support to pull herself to her feet tears beginning to leak out of her eyes. Then swallowing slightly she began to make her way slowly down the stair, her arms trembling as they gripped the railing for dear life as she made her way slowly down the stairs.
"2 minutes Jet!"
Jet bit back a sob of pain as she gathered her voice and shouted. "Shut up already I know!" She shouted just as a jab of pain erupted from her back just as she reached the third floor.
"Come on Jet." Reaper urged and shakily Jet moved towards the next set of stairs and began to painstaking make her way down them.
"1 minute till you lose Jet." Masquerade called as Jet reached the midway point on the stairs between the third and second floor.
"Miss Jet we must find a place to hide and for you to recover!" Reaper hissed urgently in her ear.
Jet swallowed as tears began to stream down her face as she forced her aching and screaming body to hurry down the stairs nearly falling twice.
"30 seconds left Jet, but since I'm actually feeling generous I'll give you another minute…"
Jet growled as she reached the second floor dropping to the ground wrapping her arms around herself trembling as the pain continued to shoot through her and soft whimpers escaped her lips.
"Oh miss Jet I'm so sorry." Reaper mumbled softly popping closed in shame.
"I-i-it' o-okay Reaper." She said weakly as she forced herself back onto her feet sucking in a breath through clenched teeth as she rushed over to the wall and managed to reach it just before her limbs gave out under her again. "Reaper I can't do it! I can't take the stairs…"
Reaper popped open just as Masquerade's voice echoed through the halls once more.
"45 seconds left Jet." He said with a laugh.
Jet looked down and began to cry softly dropping to the ground and curling in on herself.
Reaper glanced around and spotted an open door, flying over to it he checked it and then flew back to Jet. "Jet! Jet! There's a room just ahead, you can make it I know you can." He said quietly hitting her shoulder gently.
Jet groaned as she uncurled herself and forced herself to crawl towards the open door just managing to drag herself into the room just as Masquerade's voice sounded through the halls once more. "Times up, Ready or not Jet here I come!"
Jet sniffed as she sank to the floor within the room while Reaper closed the door to the room as quietly as possible before turning to Jet and seeing the room fully for the first time and let out a soft groan.
"Oh just perfect…" He said, causing Jet to look at him weakly. He gestured for Jet to look around and she weakly turned her head and gazed at the room they were in.
It looked like a simple bedroom with a bed against the wall and a bedside table right beside it. Another door led out to another room which Jet assumed to be to a bathroom or something and then the other door lead to a closet or something. The against the wall opposite of the one where the bed was pushed up against was a simple dresser with a mirror attached.
Jet blinked in confusion and turned back to Reaper.
"Don't you see Jet?" He asked, and when Jet shook her head no, he sighed. "Jet all of the other rooms are either empty or only have one to two beds in it, which is often never used…"
"But since this one is being used…" Her voice trailed off and her eyes widened as realization hit her like a ton of bricks. "Then this is Masquerade's room…isn't it?"
Reaper nodded quietly just as they heard footsteps out in the hallway. "Come out come out wherever you are Jet," Masquerade called his voice sounding much clearer than it had earlier, and the sound of his voice sending shivers down her spine.
"Hide!" Reaper hissed quietly darting into the bathroom through the door that was open just a crack. Jet winced as she dragged herself across the carpet and managed to maneuver her battered body under the king sized bed and collapse under it weakly tears leaking from her eyes as pain continued to reign through her body.
She whimpered softly moving her hands to clutch at her head as shudders began to course through her body growing stronger with every passing second.
"It hurts…" Jet whimpered softly tears still continuing to cascade down her cheeks as she slowly released her head and slowly laid herself down on her back her head still orienting on the door leading to the hallway where Masquerade's footsteps were steadily getting louder with every passing second until suddenly they paused just outside of his bedroom door.
Jet stiffened and her tears stopped for a moment as she held her breath, had Masquerade figured out they were here?
She flinched and quickly clamped her hands over her mouth to stifle the yelp of surprise as the door was thrown open. She watched shivering as she could see Masquerade's boots and purple pants from her hiding place.
Masquerade chuckled as he entered the room and seemed to glance around. Jet focused on where he was walking, her heart freezing midbeat as he began to walk towards the bed.
"Oh god, he's onto me oh god, oh god…" Jet struggled to control her growing panic as she began to tremble violently all over again. She watched as Masquerade moved away from the bed struggling to suppress the sigh of relief that passed through her lips.
She listened as he walked towards the bathroom.
"Taking refuge in my room, eh Jet?" He said with a chuckle. "You did give me the impression you were indeed an odd sort of girl…"
Jet fought to suppress the panic that just reached a fever pitch in her chest as well as the indignation that came with it.
"He's just playing games. He's just playing games…" She thought repeating it over and over again trying to convince herself he was just trying to scare her out of hiding.
She jumped slightly as he yanked open the bathroom door and entered.
A chuckle followed by Reaper's startled yelp made Jet tense and her heart began to start its wild dance in her chest once more.
"Well well Reaper, so nice to see you again.." Masquerade said as he stepped out of the bathroom holding the black ball in front of his face to examine him.
Reaper growled softly. "Y-you may have found me master." He said icily. "But thanks to you wasting your time here Jet has already escaped! You may have me but you will not have her!"
Masquerade chuckled as he forced Reaper closed and tossed him onto the dresser where the darkus bakugan bounced a few times before popping open and glared up at his former master.
"Oh, so Jet's gone is she?" Masquerade mused folding his arms across his chest as he looked down at the bakugan. "What did the injuries she sustained when she took a tumble down the stairs magically heal?" Masquerade asked tilting his head slightly smirking down at Reaper.
Reaper jumped back before hopping closer to where Masquerade stood and snarled hopping up and down in indignation. "So you did cheat! You-"
"Hardly," Masquerade said with a snort. "I had no need to cheat, Jet's screech and the sound of a loud thud near the stairs, it's not that hard to connect the dots."
He shifted slightly as if drawing himself up. "So where is she?"
Reaper snorted. "How should I know? I hid here to keep you busy while Jet worked to recover enough to escape from your mansion."
Masquerade frowned and glanced around the room. "So you're telling me she's not here?" He asked looking towards Reaper a smirk on his lips.
"Yes, she's not here." The darkus bakugan replied stiffly.
Masquerade turned around and began to head toward the door when he paused, "Well if what you say is true Reaper…" He said and by looking at his reflecftion in the mirror Reaper could see he was trying to hide a smirk.
"What's he thinking?" Reaper wondered before he spoke. "I repeat, Lady Jet is not here." He said stiffly.
Masquerade didn't move for a minute before he chuckled softly. "Is that so?" He said before lifting the DT up to his face, and Jet and Reaper flinched as he disappeared in a rain of sparkles.
Jet blinked her eyebrows furrowing as she rolled over onto her stomach and edging towards the edge of her hiding place, ignoring the pain that shot up from her wounds, trying to get a better look.
Suddenly something grabbed her leg causing her to squeak in surprise and the next thing she knew she was being dragged backwards and out from under the bed. The hand let go of her and she looked back to see Masquerade smirking down at her.
"Well, then are you going to tell me that this girl is not Jet?" He asked looking pointedly in Reaper's direction as he stood over Jet.
The darkus bakugan drew back and looked at his mistress shaking slightly before he popped closed and said nothing.
"L-leave him alone Masquerade." Jet growled weakly as she tried to push herself to her feet, only to be grabbed on the arm by Masquerade and yanked to her feet. Jet cringed from the pain and ache that raced through her body at the sudden movement, tears starting to well in her eyes though she struggled to force down the lump in her throat.
"Well, Jet… I win." He said with a sneer as he released her arm and instead wrapped his arms around her waist causing Jet to flinch and a red blush to start to spread across her face. "And now for you to hold up your end of the bargain." He said pulling her so close that his chest was pressed against hers.
Jet's eyes widened as she lifted her hand and tried to slap him again only for it to instantly be ensnared by his own hand. "N-no, I can't not to Viki not to Skylord or Reaper or…" She said the tears starting to fall again as she began to squirm in his grasp, her legs beginning to kick out weakly trying to get him to let her go.
Masquerade growled softly as he tightened his grip on her. "Stop struggling girl," He growled.
Jet shook her head defiantly and struggled harder trying to bring her other hand up and slap him with that one as well. "No! I won't I-ack!"
She was cut off as Masquerade suddenly pushed her backwards and she yelped as she fell backwards. She shut her eyes as she braced for a jarring impact, only for her eyes to snap open when she hit the soft mattress and comforter of the bed.
She looked up just as Masquerade fell upon her, he gathered her wrists into one of his hands and he pinned them above her head before he used his other hand to pin her down.
Jet's eyes widened as she tried to lift her feet and kick him. "WH-wh-what are you doing?" She screeched struggling harder against him. "Le-let me go!"
Masquerade sighed. "I suppose I'll have to try a different tactic to shut you up won't I?" He said softly moving slightly practically lying down on top of her, pinning her to the bed.
Jet growled softly as she struggled more thrashing about underneath him. "Different tactic I won't give up you jerk just let me-"
Her voice was cut off as the darkus master growled softly just before he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers, effectively silencing her and making her body freeze.
Jet gasped softly as all her resistances shattered and she sank into the bed, her eyelids flickering just so.
"oh god, oh god, Masquerade's kissing me!" Jet's mind practically screamed and the girl suddenly felt faint as black specks dotted her vision, her mind beginning to 'overload', and the other darkus brawler smirked as he pulled back watching as Jet blinked weakly struggling against the blackness that was threatening to drag her under.
"Lady Jet!" Reaper shouted, but his voice was faint and was being smothered by the dark abyss.
The last thing she heard before the darkness swallowed her was Masquerade chuckle softly and rise. "Good night Jet." He said sounding smug.
And then Jet's world went black.
A/N
Masquerade: That's why Jet doesn't own me, its because now *smirks* I own her.
Jetravenex: yeah that doesn't sound creepy at all Masquerade.
Skylord: Oh come on!
Jetravenex: what?
Skylord: We've only gotten 2 new reviews even though over 30 people visited the story!
Reaper: well that's just not right.
Jetravenex: agreed, so come on people get off your lazy butts and review after you read.
Masquerade: What my slave means to say, is that you better review or I'll sic hydranoid and Skylord on you.
Jetravenex: the character Jet is your 'slave' NOT ME!
Masquerade: *chuckles* sure whatever