A/N:
A teenage girl with brown hair was lying in a lawn chair indressed in a gray pokemon shirt that depicted all the kanto starters and Pikachu on it. She wore jean shorts and had sunglasses on her face.
You could tell she was snoozing by the way her head was tilted to the side and a bit of drool was coming out of her mouth.
She was out enough that she failed to react at the whine of turbines coming from up the alleyway, or even tilt her head as a sleek '82 black trans am emerged from behind her neighbor's fence and stopped by her backyard. The black car didn't move for a moment, with the exception of the red light tracking
"Excuse me?" Three red bars lit up on the dash as a boston accented voice emanated from the car.
The girl barely stirred.
KITT sighed. "Sometimes I wonder how I get myself into these things." He said before he honked his horn making the girl jump and clutch at her chest. Her glasses falling off her face
"Holy! What the hell-" The girl turned her head and looked to the car. Then her blue eyes widened. "KITT!" She cried jumping from her seat, letting out a yelp as she fell onto the concrete of her patio. "Ow." JetravenEx muttered rubbing her aching arm as she got back onto her feet and made her way over to the car. "KITT, what are you doing here?"
"Well seeing as your vacation has ended the others decided it was my turn to tell you to in their words 'get off your lazy ass and update Knights of Tomorrow'" The trans am informed her.
JetravenEx frowned. "Ah, so my vacation is over already."
"That would be correct." KITT said as JetravenEx heaved a sigh.
"Man and I haven't had a chance to really settle back in yet." She moaned sagging forwards slightly running a hand down her face.
"Pardon? Didn't you just come back from a 5 day vacation?" KITT inquired.
JetravenEx sighed and straightened up. "Well yeah but it was with all my friends in Girl Scouts, the last big bash we'd have before we became 'adult' girl scouts. (Which translates to aging out of the program T.T). And so we stayed up late almost every night." She said punctuating the statement with a yawn
"Ah," KITT said. "that would explain it, but haven't you had a week of rest?"
JetravenEx frowned before she sighed again holding up her hands in a gesture of surrender. "All right I give, I'll get out an update tonight."
"All right." KITT said.
JetravenEx frowned. "You're not leaving till I get this thing started are you?"
"No, not really." The car responded.
JetravenEx scowled as she put her sunglasses down over her eyes and pointed at the audience that was hidden behind the fourth wall that had been erected behind the car. "Then make yourself useful and say the disclaimer."
"Ask nicely." KITT said his scanner bar showing no change in its scanning motion.
JetravenEx huffed and gave the car the stink eye. "Fine, please KITT will you say the disclaimer?"
"There, was that so hard?" KITT tutted before he turned himself to face the audience.
"Well this is KITT the Knight Industries Two Thousand, the Knight Rider, and I've got the pleasure of telling you that miss lazy bones over there." His scanner paused its sweeping motion when it was on the side closest to where JetravenEx was standing. "Does not own me or bakugan."
"I'm not lazy." JetravenEx said with a snort. "Just busy."
"Sure." KITT said. "And I'm the love bug."
"Don't hate on Herbie." JetravenEx said.
"GET ON WITH IT!" Various characters shouted from behind the fences framing the yard.
"OKAY OKAY OKAY!" JetravenEx said throwing up her hands. "Chapter 61, GO!"
Chapter 61
Aidan groaned as he could feel himself trying to rise back into consciousness. He tried to sit up only to find that both his ankles and his wrists were pinned down by something. His eyes flew open and nearly had a heartattack when he found a twisted, ugly green face looming over him.
"Awake at last are we?" The wicked Hal-G cackled as he drew back. Aidan letting out a shout in shock and horror as he struggled to get away, head snapping to his left and right eyes widening when he spotted the steel cuffs pinning him to the table.
"This can't be happening." Aidan whispered as he turned and fixed Hal-G with a horrified expression. "You-you're not real." He said his voice rising as Hal-G laughed and raised his staff. "You've got to be some figment of my imagination, or or a nightmare." He said desperately his breath quickening as the mad scientist placed the end of his staff on top of Aidan's chest, the boy beginning to hyperventilate.
"Oh is that so?" Hal-G said with a frown. "Hmm, well if I'm not real, then this…" His staff began to glow with dark purple light and bolts of dark energy erupted from the end slamming into Aidan's chest. "Then this shouldn't hurt should it?"
"AGH!" Aidan screamed in pain his body arching upwards as the energy flowed into him. "Stop!"
"Why?" Hal-G cackled but he removed his staff from Aidan's chest the boy panting hard his chest heaving as he struggled to recover from what just happened. Hal-G sneered at the blond boy. "I thought I wasn't real?"
"You-you… are." Aidan rasped struggling to speak. "Wha-what do you want-"
"Forgot already?" Alica's voice emanated from off to the side and Aidan let his head turn weakly in the direction of his friends voice. Alica smirked at him and his blood ran cold all over again as she repeated the same sentence he'd heard at the top of the sears tower. "We're gonna make you one of us."
/-/
Jet frowned as she crossed her leg and stared at the TV in front of her, trying to let herself sink into the simple cheerful plot of the cartoon in front of her but it wasn't working. She found herself fidgeting with the remote, uncrossing her leg and crossing it over the other one and then repeating the action over and over.
She glanced at the door off to her left, hoping that Viki would appear soon, she had been gone for an awfully long time now. Plus, with the fact she was with Spectra made her all the more worried. Spectra being here in the first place made her very nervous.
She sighed and turned her head to focus back on the television resting her elbow on the armrest next to her and resting her chin on her elbow as she looked blankly ahead.
Should she call Viki and ask if she was okay, oh wait, her phone wasn't working. She could use her bakupod though… She raised her other arm and pulled back the sleeve of her jacket and eyed the device. She debated it in her head for a moment biting her lip as she moved her hand to push the button to turn it on when she heard a soft thud outside the door.
Jumping slightly Jet turned her head and focused on the door frowning when she heard giggling and soft laughter coming from it.
Fireblick and Skylord who had been sitting on the table in front of her sitting and enjoying the programming that was playing turned to Jet.
"What's up Jet?' Skylord asked bobbing her head as she waddled towards the edge of the table while Fireblick spared a glance at the TV before he followed reluctantly after the dragoness.
Jet frowned and glanced down at them, as she could hear a soft 'Oh stop.' Followed by what Jet thought was the sound of kissing and not just a quick peck on the lips, but full on making out, with tongue and all. Jet narrowed her eyes suspicion driving her to rise to her feet.
"Jet?" Skylord repeated flapping her wings and taking to the air floating up by Jet's head Fireblick following shortly afterwards.
Jet didn't say anything as she walked to the door, the noises becoming louder as she drew near. Once she was at the door she reached out and touched the door handle. She grasped it and was about to turn it when she stopped.
Why was she acting like this? Going and thinking of charging in and interrupting someone (she thought it was Viki, but it could be someone else right?) Besides what was wrong if Viki decided to make out with Spectra. She clenched her fist and let go of the handle looking down. Or was that what was bothering her.
That Viki could be making out with Spectra and there was nothing wrong with it. Oh sure Jet and Mike knew he was a villain from the future, Jet also knew he didn't become a villain until NV and he reformed after his fight with Dan, so for all they knew he could be from the point in time after he had reformed. Therefore, Spectra was in almost everyone else's eyes a good guy. Meaning it wasn't like Jet wanting even slightly to be with Masquerade. Jet whirled away clenching her fists.
"Jet?" Skylord asked trying to get her brawlers attention as the girls eyes welled up with tears.
It wasn't fair! Why did Viki get to fall in love with Spectra and have her perfect romance? All while Jet was struggling to comprehend what was going on between her and Masquerade. Heck, she couldn't even hug Masquerade without receiving hell from those around her and considering that nightmare she'd had after Masquerade kissed her, it showed that even parts of her own sub consciousness screamed foul against it.
A tear slid down the side of Jet's face as the girl drew back, just as she heard another thud outside and rapid breathing outside with a whispered 'oh spectra'. And then Jet snapped.
All her control fleeing her in an instant Jet had to stifle a sob as she turned on her heel tears bursting free and falling down her cheeks. Why?! Why couldn't she have that same carefree romance? WHY?! The girl raced out of the room throwing up a hand to cover her face as she burst into the hallway leading to the guest rooms where she and the others were staying. Leaving two bakugan floating about extremely confused by it all.
"What just happened?" Fireblick asked looking to Skylord who didn't say anything.
"I have to go talk to her." Skylord said an edge of worry in her voice as she flew after her brawler.
Fireblick was silent for a moment, before he chalked it all up to being a girl thing and went back over to the TV and settled in to watch some more of the Larry Boy show that was on.
/-/
Hydranoid was wandering around the mansion trying to put his thoughts together on the matter.
Now it was normally Hydranoid's policy to have it be that he left the thinking to his master but there was apparently so much…stuff that it was becoming even too much for his master.
He had never seen Masquerade, so well, defeated. The boy had been put through the wringer these past two days. Between having that Vanessa chick invade his mind, then get a concussion after being thrown out a window by that bigger boy, then having Jenny fight alongside them in a brawl under Jet's wishes, then having another one of those kids from that other dimension drop into their brawl at just the right moment to save them all from a horrible defeat. Seriously, trying to comprehend how that particular event even happened really made Hydranoid's brain hurt.
And then there was his master's collapse when the concussion and the stress of having Vanessa in his head became just too much for him. Plus their narrow escape from the brawlers when Jet slipped him her DT to allow for him to escape.
Now ignoring the miraculous circumstances that surrounded Mike arriving at the nick of time, the only things for Hydranoid to really think about were well the two girls, the wicked, and incredibly scary Vanessa, and the weird, yet intriguing Jet who had somehow caught his Master's eye.
The Jet girl was interesting, she liked his master, yet kept her distance due to him being well the evil king of bakugan. His master kept his distance because he didn't fully trust her not to betray him to the brawlers as well as for the fact that everything seemed against him having her (billy stabbing her, and her alliance with the brawlers being the two big messages that the fates were sending to his poor conflicted Master that Jet was very much off limits.).
Now what Hydranoid did like about Jet was her taste in bakugan, having a version of himself on her team, granted a much cheaper and weaker knock off of course. Then there were her other supporting darkus bakugan that she had that were respectable. Did she still have Reaper? Well if she did he frowned up on that decision, Reaper was such a throw away bakugan, seriously.
But then he thought about the central member of her team. A bakugan that hydranoid would be first to admit he could recognize as being almost his equal.
The glorious and mighty Skylord.
If he had a heart in his toy body it would probably be beating rapidly as he visualized the regal head of the dark dragoness, her gleaming ruby eyes, the small gleaming white horn on the tip of her snout that gave her a dangerous edge, then there was the lovely shapely long neck of hers leading down to that gleaming purple gem that was in the center of her chest.
Hydranoid gave a bounce as he continued to make his way down the hall.
Then there were the elegant and almost delicate looking four wings she used to carry herself high into the sky where she dove down and struck down her enemies with such a ruthless yet deathly beautiful attacks.
Hydranoid heaved a sigh as he thought of that lovely smooth stomach and then further down-
WHAM!
Hydranoid rammed face first into the large mirror at the end of the hall and bounced off it falling backwards a bit.
"Ow." Hydranoid grunted, as he righted himself and glared at the mirror. How dare it distract him from imagining the sexy dragoness… Then an idea hit him. All the bakugan were listed on the computer below. He could go down there and activate the computer and then he could see Skylord with no distractions at all.
Chuckling to himself and patting himself on the back for his brilliance Hydranoid went over to where the mirror met the wall and managed to wedge himself in and push through popping out rather quickly.
He managed to however stop himself from rolling over the edge.
Grunting to himself he peered over the edge that he was a little too close to.
"Stupid heights aren't going to do in the future ultimate bakugan." Hydranoid said with a huff as he rolled over to the steps and began the bumpy trip down as he rolled down the stairs. Although jarring the first few steps he got used to it and as long as he stuck by the wall he was perfectly okay.
As he made his way down his thoughts returned to the topic of the other girl that he was supposed to consider before well… He got distracted.
Vanessa was a freak, and he had to wonder what was her deal. Why was she after Masquerade? Since she was an alien she couldn't be a bitter and angry brawler who Masquerade had defeated. Then why?
Unless… From the way she acted, the way she pursued Masquerade, it all sort of reminded Hydranoid of a hunter. A huntress seeking her prey. But why? Again if Masquerade hadn't wronged her, why go after him?
"I don't like thinking… It hurts." Hydranoid muttered as he began to get closer and closer to the bottom.
It was then he heard it. An earpiercing scream of agony that made Hydranoid freeze and the next thing he knew he was tumbling down the stairs out of control. The screaming continued as Hydranoid struggled to try to stop his tumble only to find himself going over the edge.
Hydranoid braced himself for the inevitable when he hit the ground a few seconds later and bounced up and down for a moment before he managed to pop open and cease his bouncing.
"Ugh." Hydranoid grunted as he struggled to recover from the tumble, the screaming had become to peter off.
"Just give into it Aidan." A female voice came from within the computer room.
"No-ngh! No! Please! Alica don't do this! Agh!" Another voice, this one being a male's.
Hydranoid picked himself up and began to quietly move towards the door to the computer room that was open just a crack, a crack big enough for a bakugan to slip in.
Hydranoid edged in and peeked inside and was stunned by what he saw.
Strapped down to a table and writhing about in pain was a blond boy wearing gold rimmed glasses and a white turtleneck and black pants. The boys eyes were squeezed shut and his chest was heaving as he let out another cry of pain. A dark aura continued to writh about him slipping into his body every so often and causing the boy great pain.
To one side Hydranoid saw a girl with wavy blond hair and piercing green eyes, wearing a black cloak and a black dress with a green bow. Then to the other side he saw Hal-G?!
'What is that nutjob doing! And why wasn't me or Masquerade notified of this torture of whoever that sap is?' Hydranoid wondered quietly glad that his small size helped him stay unnoticeable as he watched as the boy strapped to the table continued to arch and scream.
"Alica!" He rasped his struggles beginning to weaken, he coughed as some of the dark aura made its way in through his mouth forcing the boy to gag and cough. "Alica, why, why are you doing this?" He asked desperately looking imploringly at the girl.
The girl turned away and clenched her fists and glared at the wall. Then her face twisted into a nasty sneer. "I am doing this to take back what Jet stole from me!" She spat whirling around and rounding on Aidan. "Now give up already! They're not going to help you! Both Viki and Jet are too busy with two bakugan boys to come find you, and there are plenty of Bakugan girls to keep sweet Mike busy and Tyler's too dumb to come save you.
Aidan shook his head his breathing getting more and more labored as his struggles began to weaken. "They, they,"
Alica grabbed his chin and forced the boy to look at her. "They're not going to save you, they don't care. Besides they're beneath you anyways, you're so much smarter than them." Aidan froze an expression of confusion passing his features before he let out a gasp, Hydranoid recognizing the flash of red in his pupils as the end of the boys freedom.
The boy glared at her. "Unhand me Alica, I don't like being touched by unintelligent individuals."
Alica grinned as she stepped back flashing Hal-G a look of triumph, the mad scientist merely chuckling.
"Now let me up." Aidan demanded glaring at them both, Hal-G nodding as he pushed a button on the computer keyboard nearby and the cuffs retracted allowing the blond boy to sit up. Aidan rubbed his aching wrists scowling. "You couldn't have done that any quicker."
"It can take a while to strip away the ignorance." Alica told him smiling. "But this procedure is much more permanent." She said.
'Meaning it won't be easy for the boy to break free from whatever evil spell Hal-G used on him.' Hydranoid realized feeling completely lost. Why was Hal-G doing this? And doing this behind his and Masquerade's back. Suddenly suspicion finally began to work its way into Hydranoid's mind. He debated running upstairs to try and tell Masquerade all about it but he knew the action would be very difficult in his present state, and he had very little to offer his master currently.
No, for now Hydranoid would stay and learn what was really going on here.
Hydranoid remained in the doorway hidden in the small space between the door and the doorway as he watched Aidan rise from the table and go over to Alica.
"So now what?" Aidan asked pushing his glasses up so that they rested more comfortably on the bridge of his nose.
"Now I'll give you a tour, and run you through all our plans." Alica said grinning like a child at Christmas as grasped Aidan's hand. "Oh its so great to finally have someone else from home working with me."
'Home? Then… These two must be from Jet's world as well!' Hydranoid thought taking a step back uneasily.
"Sure," Aidan responded blandly shrugging his shoulders. "Lets go."
Alica grinned as she raised her cloak and threw it around them and they disappeared in a flash.
Silence fell upon the room and Hydranoid wondered if Hal-G had left as well when he heard a laugh from within the room.
"My plans are going perfectly!" Hal-G roared with laughter. "Soon Spectra will be bringing dear Alice to me, and then when that's done, I'll get rid of that pathetic fool Masquerade once and for all!" He said as he continued to laugh. "Granted it was a bit later than I'd hoped, thanks to Vanessa failing to get the task done but oh well.." He said with a chuckle. "Minor setback."
"You what?!" Hydranoid gasped. Out loud he realized as Hal-G fell silent. Realizing his mistake Hydranoid edged back out of the crack and towards the stairs glancing futilely about for a means of escape.
The door to the computer room was thrown open and Hal-G glared down at the bakugan ball at his feet his shadow spreading over the presently tiny bakugan. He scowled.
"You!" He snarled.
"It was you!" Hydranoid shot back snarling at Hal-G. "You're the one who sent that crazy bitch after Masquerade! Its you who's been trying to get rid of Masquerade!"
Hal-G snarled baring his teeth at the bakugan as he glowered at him. "So you heard all that!"
"I heard everything!" Hydranoid shot back. "And I saw you turn that kid from Jet's world evil, I know you have some sort of ally named Spectra in on it and you'll be bringing your own granddaughter in the fray."
"So in other words you know too much!" Hal-G spat raising his staff menacingly.
Hydranoid faltered for a moment, perhaps some of that knowledge… Had been better kept to himself but that didn't matter now. "Yeah but you can't do all that much about it! I'm the ultimate bakugan! Without me you've got no Infinity Core."
Hal-G snarled, but then he paused and then he chuckled a dark smirk crossing his face that made Hydranoid shiver and edge back a few more tiny steps.
"Perhaps." Hal-G agreed raising his staff again a similar dark aura that had trapped the kid from Jet's world before began to gather at the end of it. "But luckily I have other ways…" He chuckled as he pointed the end at Hydranoid who froze up in fear. "To keep you silent!" He spat as the dark aura leapt onto Hydranoid and entrapped the bakugan within.
Hal-G erupted into crazed laughter as Hydranoid howled in pain, all while Masquerade, the unwitting target of Hal-G's animosity slept peacefully in the mansion above.
A/N:
That freaking chapter finally got out.
And oh boy whole lot of mind control going on. Whooo.
We are I'd like to say one more chapter away from the Masky vs. Spectra brawl. You still can cast your votes or suggest how you want the brawl to go down.
Jet: Hey if you want to say it gets down to a freaking fist fight suggest it.
JetravenEx: Or a water balloon fight.
Jet: Wait what?
JetravenEx: Water balloon fights are fun!
Jet:… Are you on something.
JetravenEx: I'm running on lack of sleep.
Jet: Ah.
KITT: Well while JetravenEx's mind state is presently questionable, everyone here stuck in working with JetravenEx would appreciate your reviews and your criticism.
JetravenEx: REVIEWS I NEED REVIEWS!
KITT: No, what you need is sleep.