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She was scared and out of her right mind as she rushed towards her computer and turned it on. Her heart was pounding on her chest so hard, she almost felt a heart attack coming. He kept laughing, a laugh so loud she would have sworn it came from outside her head. The screen lit up, good. Oh, she was about to faint, or to run out of breath. She almost missed the icon for the video chat she had been using to communicate with her friends. She had to calm down, she tried to tell herself as she saw Runo—Runo of all people—was already connected. The wheel indicating the time until the connection worked popped up, and Alice's anxiety was skyrocketing more and more as the very moment she would have to face her friend came closer.
("Oh, and what are you going to tell her? Hello, my dearest and best friend in the entire world, it turns out I have a split personality that has killed your entire team using my tactics?")
She heard his mockery and wanted to scream. She would have done so had not a girl with blue hair appeared on the monitor. A very angry girl with blue hair. She began ranting about this creep who had sent her entire team to a place called "the Doom Dimension", and Alice tried her best to stop her from talking, wondering how could she soften the impact of her future declarations-"I know that, turns out I suffer from DID, please forgive me, I'll keep him under control"-. But Runo kept complaining, Marucho simply confirmed he was now number one before Shun... And then they all became worried about Shun and how he would be taking his new position in the ranking. Dan was of no help, swearing he would make the creep tremble with the might of Drago—("I'd like to see him try")—. She kept trying to find some way not only to tell them but also some argument that would stop them from committing a stupidity, but a swooning Julie had then actually encouraged Dan to fight him, not knowing how dangerous he could get. Before Alice could realize among the fear of being rejected by the only friends she had and the even more terrifying one of having a parasitic fiend inside her head that could take control of her body at any given moment, they had all disconnected just as fast.
Cursing in whispers, she tried to reestablish the contact as if clicking faster and harder on their profile pictures would be of any help. He kept laughing and taunting her, claiming that if she was so sweet and kind as she fancied herself, then why had she created not one, but several strategies to obliterate her friends' teams. She finally screamed, a sound that ripped her throat full of fear and rage... and that make him shut up. It all went silent around her, and Alice finally understood how she could help her friends even if she didn't brawl, how she could put a stop to this madness. She picked that book her aunt had gifted her for her last birthday, one about meditation and some stuff related to the subconscious. She found the intended page and started the process. Her heart returned to its usual beating rhythm, and for the first time since she had realized the horror—the horror of having someone else inside of her, the horror behind his evil desires, and the horror of how he had carried them in a rush—he was the one who was scared. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and wanted to laugh his threats on his face... Except he had no face at all other than hers.
She had not expected the metaphor of her mind to be that similar to the meadow where she used to play as a child. She had fully expected the other figure to be there, however, already raging and trying to come up with some sort of negotiation that miserably failed due to his childish ire ("Don't you dare! I'm the one making your dreams of being the best brawler come true! What do you think will happen when you tell your friends the truth? No! You may restrain me, but I'll find ways to break free even if it's for a minute! More than enough time to blackmail somebody to do my will! Stop! Don't! Tell me, Alya, if you really love your friends so much, how come you have thought of ways to destroy them? Stop it now!"). It felt as if actually restraining somebody, as if she had grabbed his wrists with one hand, and with the other she had covered his mouth, even if he had none. Somehow, she had been able to project her weight over him, completely immobilizing him. And even if he didn't have a body, he was shaking and resisting while his screams were muffled against her palm skin. She knew one simple trigger would be enough to free him again, but for the moment it would work. She could always think of many other ways to stop him.
-----
("You see, I'm not that bad, I've forgiven your friend and his guardian for the moment. I've basically jeopardized my mission to show you I'm not that bad. Do you believe me?")
That he wasn't that bad? How did he dare? Had he forgotten how, after getting Dan's challenge, he had been able to free himself, and not happy with that, he had tackle her... astral projection? soul? metaphor for her personality? and, then, still not happy with that, he had thrown himself over her, put his hands around her throat and then had strangled her during the time he had taken control? And should she congratulate him for having some basic decency for once? She tighten her arms around him, kicked his knees from behind and dragged him down in such position. She heard a whimper, even if the fight was not real, before covering his mouth again.
("I'll take that as a no.")
On a conscious level, she once again clicked on the icon for the video chat, hoping for Runo to be there. She was connected and Alice reminded herself to remain cool, calm and collected, or else she might not be able to control him. She needed to tell Runo what was going on, and how she intended to keep him under control as it seemed she was the dominant personality. Not only that, she was going to go to therapy to make sure he wouldn't be a problem anymore—(a chill run down her back, one that shouldn't be affecting her)—. She had no idea on how she could get her team back, but she would put every second of her time to find a way. Yes, that should do it, Alice thought.
But her whole plan was crushed when she saw Runo at last. Unlike the previous day, when she had been mad about the whole ordeal, she was now miserable. So miserable, in fact, she wasn't even putting a theatre to hide it so. Her eyes reflected her sadness and the bags under them confirmed she hadn't been able to sleep at all. Alice's alarms rang, and her plan quickly shifted to a completely different one.
"Oh, no, Runo! I'm so sorry! I'm sorry!" she screamed, and she was sorry indeed: sorry for not having been able to control him, and even more so for having thought a way to defeat her.
"Don't worry, Alya, I'm fine," she lied, and that only furthered her decision.
Ever since they had stablished some rules for the game, Runo had always felt surpassed by all her friends: first Shun, then Dan, and now she feared maybe Marucho and Julie could do so. After all, they still had their teams intact, whereas she had lost them. It really wasn't helping that Dan and Julie had both found a companion that spoke to them directly, and in the last case as a guardian and friend. Unfortunately, Alice knew how it felt that, as she sometimes considered her friends weren't telling her half of the story simply because she was a sworn pacifist, and therefore rejected any formofviolence—-(she heard some muted down complains)—, brawling included. So she opened the web page about international flights and said:
"I hope so, because I will visit you soon."
And it worked. Runo exploded of happiness, regaining her usual energy. She screamed and run to tell her parents about it, already planning where Alice would sleep, what places they should visit and also informing the Misaki household of her diet. Alice smiled upon seeing her friend return to her old demeanor, even if it was for a moment. Who knew, maybe this small burst of joy may have had attracted a Bakugan who would talk to Runo as well. At the same time, it would be better this way, as she could confess her everything face to face, and inform her of how she intended to stop him forever. But for the moment, it was just better to live in this small bubble where nothing bad was meant to happen.
----
His time was short, and he knew that. He had to give her some credit, by that point anybody would have surrendered, yet she kept fighting back... And winning for the most part. She restrained him? He strangled her. She dragged him to his knees? He bit and scratched her. She hit him? He had taken control of her body while she was asleep, when she couldn't defend herself. He could already imagine her anguish when realizing it so, even more when she would find what he had been doing in the little time he could exist. He wished it was longer merely to test one of her strategies and then rub the cruel victory on her stupidly pretty face. Alas, once she woke up he knew it would be over, so he earned the attention of those siblings.
Most of the time he didn't pick those minions because they were particularly skilful or strong. No, it was because once she saw it she would get upset about his choice. That sweet pacifist kid who didn't want to brawl? So easily corrupted it had almost been a shame. Those brats who were actually scared they would eventually be considered too weak for the game and would be left behind by the rest? Not particularly a choice he was proud of, but at least they were close to Dragonoid. Those dumb singers? Ok, that one had been simply because he hated their music, and so did Alice—at least she had some taste—. And now, he had two little brothers who were scared of him and the seemingly sweet and older sister already pleading them not to obey him. If he hadn't been clear enough already...
Naga should be giving him a body soon. Else, how could he obtain Dragonoid and Wayvern for him? He was limited by Hal G's own granddaughter. If he obtained a body of his own all parts would win. Maybe that stupid dragon had no idea of how to do so. Maybe they needed the other stupid dragon for the process. Maybe they weren't expecting him to last for long enough. The problem is, they were more or less right, he couldn't last for long enough like this. From now on, he would wait until night to attack. What else could he do, reach an agreement with her?
Impossible. She would have to be very desperate to negotiate with him. She wouldn't mind if he got a body for himself, in fact, she should be glad she wouldn't have to deal with him constantly. To do so he would have to target her stupid friends, mostly Dragonoid, but that Kazami kid could become a threat soon. However, given her martyr complex and the stupid lengths she was willing to reach for them in order to not be abandoned again, she probably would reject any proposal on his behalf.
Too bad for her. It wasn't as if he minded. If she was willing to suffer this much for them, that was not his problem. But the fact that the brawlers could take advantage of the situation not only by realizing the truth about him and how easy he could be erased, but also by being the ones receiving her new strategies... Now, that would be truly jeopardizing. How lucky then she was scared of losing them and how they seemed to not appreciate her and what she could give to their team.
("They do appreciate me!")
And it was over.
----
Communicating what he had witnessed in Berlin was not particularly hard. After all, he barely cared for his underlings. Julio was too loud, Komba was too childish and Klaus was just an arselicker that saw him as a piece to collect. Chan, meanwhile, could become just as dangerous as Billy in this case given her relationship with the stupid hacker that talked about him like one of those corny "say no to drugs" cartoons. He had merely said Billy had deflected, but he didn't say why or how. Komba had been sad for a moment, almost brought to tears, but then the negative energy of the Silent Core had won again and he had began cursing the one that used to be his childhood friend.
Komba had probably guessed why already, and so did him. If there was one thing he knew regarding what Naga had said, apparently once they suffered a particularly humiliating defeat the influence of the Silent Core would disappear. At least, that was the case with his underlings, a team he had assembled in the hopes they could defeat if not Dragonoid, at least one of the dragon's own minions in order to weaken that other team. He would do it himseld gladly, but Alice was still too strong for him to defeat, and Naga had been clear: no Dragonoid, no body. As if he wasn't sending him enough sacrifices to the Doom Dimension already.
But well, it seemed the Silent Core wasn't as strong as it seemed. Billy had not been defeated, not at all. In fact, he had been close to sacrifice Golem, a member of this team which a special ability: taking points from their opponents merely by defending himself. If the brawlers had actually had any idea on how to use him properly they could have gotten farther in their mission to defeat them. In fact, as soon as she had heard about this skill, Alice had already planned several ways to put it to good use and how to avoid it. Yet, the Brawlers weren't still paying any attention to her, allowing him to work against them right under their noses and basically keep shooting themselves in their own feet by not taking advantage of their team's full potential.
That's what had happened to Julie Hayward, an annoying brat that was Billy's neighbor and another friend of his. She had decided she wasn't going to leave Golem, and that if he was sent to the Doom Dimension so would she. Alice had screamed upon her friend's potential destiny and had punched him, but nothing had happened. Billy had closed the portal, and all the negative energy that had been consuming him thanks to whatever negative thoughts and emotions he may have had was gone. In fact, the very first thing he had done when he realized he had been watching the brawl—albeit now fully focusing on stopping Alice of regaining control of her body—had been screaming at him as if he had been the one who had almost murdered Julie. Alice had laughed and had told him Billy was in love with Julie, and that had been enough to end his control over him; but that he would never understand because no one in their right mind could love him. He had reacted by throwing Alice to the ground, putting his knees on her back and biting her neck.
But, as with many things, she was right. If something as simple as love could defeat the power of an orb that used to sustain an entire dimension, then they were screwed. More exactly, he was screwed. He had not admitted this primal fear to her, instead having replied that it was a great thing nobody loved her then either. If her friends loved her that much, then how come she hadn't told them about him already? Because she knew they didn't really appreciate her as she deserved, because they were taking her for granted, and they were right in doing so, so scared she was of losing them. She knew they didn't really love her, and feared the loneliness. His fear that she may confess and find a way to get rid of him made no sense then. Unless some disgrace like, say, sending one of them to the Doom Dimension, would cause her to be brave enough. He looked up to see Chan chatting with somebody on her phone.
Love was a strong force, he admitted, but so was fear.
---
She left the restaurant walking with a serious face despite wanting to run and cry and scream. That she was working with him?! How could Runo, her best friend, even think of that? No! Quite the very opposite in fact! She had been putting all her effort in keeping him under control! She had gone as far as to shorten her sleeping schedule to avoid being possessed! She had tricked him to sacrifice Reaper under the false pretense it would make Hydranoid evolve! She would have revealed everything about his teammates, on how to defeat every single one of them, of his plans to capture Dragonoid and Wayvern... But they kept moving without informing her. How could she then be the one informing him?! The only time she had been allowed to participate in the mission had been because she had actively searched Shun and had begged him not to abandon them-not to abandon her-.What had she gotten in return? That Komba kid had attacked her, but Shun had quickly forgiven him and now they suspected of her.
She had no idea of how far she had walked by. There was a park, and she took seat in the first bank she found. There were some children there playing and laughing under the watch of their parents, and one of them pointed at the strange girl hugging herself and crying. Instead of asking her what was wrong, they simply dragged their kids away, and for some reason that made her feel even worse. Those kids had their parents and each other, she had no one left. Runo would have told her theory to the others already; in fact, she was telling Dan in the very moment she had run away. Dan, who should have gotten rid of that damned dragon long ago. But, oh, so obsessed he was with becoming the best brawler he was willing to put them into danger.
She felt a cold feeling inside of her despite the blood boiling in her veins. If only Dragonoid wasn't there... In fact, wasn't that supposed to be what Naga had asked as payment? That way she could be free at last. She could be free from the presence inside her head whose attacks were becoming more and more violent, and over whom she had to put all of her weakening mind to put down as well. The presence she had tried to supress in order to protect her friends, and the one they had dared to link her with. The presence who, upon feeling all the rage that was unleashing all the hidden bitterness inside her usually tender heart, was downright panicking. He probably thought she was going to approach a therapist, or at least confirm them the situation, so as her subconscious took her foot out of his chest, he quickly attempted to defend himself as if he was some animal.
She, however, had never been this calm in her entire life, having figured out how to get rid of her three big problems at last. She would get rid of her split personality, she would ask for the return of her grandfather and she would show her "friends" what she could actually be capable of. She prepared her phone and acted as if she was speaking with someone else.
"I want a truce," she coldly said, a point that wasn't up to negotiation as, even if he had been trying to actually destroy her psyche, she was still the dominant personality and the hostess.
("A truce?! Who do you think you are to say so?!")
"The one who's keeping you alive," he said nothing, and his panic grew by the minute. She continued, "I would like to negotiate something with you: collaboration."
She had probably gone mad already, because she could swear she could see him in front of him tilting his head in confusion for a moment before retaking his more usual aggressive and mocking attitude.
("Why would I want to collaborate with you? All I have to do is invading your memories and thoughts again and pick whatever interests me. And don't you even think again you tricked me to sacrifice Reaper, Alya, I'm just currently focusing on strengthening Hydranoid.")
"But it didn't work as you expected. Sure, he may be stronger now, but he didn't evolve; and if I recall correctly, you did lose that brawl. But it's alright, I guess we all have our bad days. You want to defeat your former team now, and I want to help you."
("That's it? You're not a very good seller.")
"No, I guess not; but you are. You have quite a twisted silver tongue. However, you do also lack patience to adapt to any minor inconvenience you may find. I don't. I could advise you at the very moment things don't turn the way you expect, and thus avoid a situation like the one in the Kazami household. This way you can make Hydranoid evolve even faster, and then we will face Dragonoid and hand him to Naga. You'll get your body and I'll get my grandfather back. I think it's a winning situation for us both."
("Oh, and what are we meant to do with the part about causing the Apocalypse?")
"If we can defeat the Messiah in the form of a dragon, what should stop us against one with a god complex?"
She heard a laugh, but surprisingly not one making fun of her. It was more like a giggle, and she must have reached her madness point, because the park wasn't the park but also the meadow, and somebody without physical presence took seat besides her. Somehow a shiny blank card appeared in her hand, the card she recognized as his teleporting device. On her lap materialized a blue mask made of crystal she couldn't help but touch with the tip of her fingers as if it was a mystical object.
("Let's see how far we can get with this idea of yours. Did you know the only sand desert in Europe is in Spain? They used to film lots of Western movies there, and still maintain many of those buildings.")
"Why are you telling me that?"
("Julio Santana hauls from there. Let's duel him first.")
---
She knocked on the restaurant's door. He was telling her she had to play the role of the goody-two-shoes even more than usual, and act surprised and worried once she heard the news. Just in case, however, they will send a message to one of their other minions, a minor one, to attack one of the brawlers. She should be there and advice her "friends" on how to defeat this joke of a threat to regain their trust even more. She agreed and asked if he had a name or a face in mind already, obtaining information on some idiot called Travis whose hobbies included motorcycles and bullying kids under the age of six. As Runo opened the door she spotted Julie using all of the team's phones and pods, completely desperate to contact Billy.
A day prior, Alice's concern for her would have been genuine. Her hug would have been too. Julie didn't tell her what she suspected, only that she felt something very bad had happened to Billy. She told her nothing on whether or not she mistrusted her or if she believed Billy had been targeted. A day ago, Alice would have believed it was because Julie was so nervous she could barely function, but now she saw it clear, how willing were they to not include her. At least, this time they would have done the right thing to not do so, as she had destroyed not only Billy, but also Komba, Julio, Chan and Klaus in a row.
("We did.")
True. She immediately apologized. They had destroyed Billy, Komba, Julio, Chan and Klaus in a row together. And what a row it had been. They had worked in perfect coordination, as if they had been doing it so for years. She would plan every one of his moves, from the beginning to the end, and whenever their rivals had thought of anything outside of the scheme, she would come up with a million ways to neutralize them. He was in charge of the aggressiveness and carrying the plans into action, tricking and manipulating their rivals into committing a million mistakes so he could mock them once they fell on the ground with blank stares. A day ago she would have been scandalized and would have attempted to drag him down, but today was an entire different thing. Today she had experienced an unspeakable thrill as he thanked and congratulated her mind and had asked when the next time they would brawl together would be. Today she had experienced what it was like to have somebody actually appreciate her, and even if it had been to inflict pain on others, it had been wonderful.
Maybe he was just manipulating her, however—("Really?")—, but she didn't care. Her subconscious form softly caressed his arm. She assured him she trusted him, knowing he would kee his cruel schemes for their enemies. Now even more so as Hydranoid had finally evolved into Dual Hydranoid and was ready to send Dragonoid to the Doom Dimension, where Naga would hunt him. If Dan, who placed his hands on the shoulders of a sobbing Julie, would be sad or mad about it that was on him, she thought. If Runo, who hadn't yet apologized and had quickly brought some water to the poor crying girl, would be sad as well because of the destiny of her boytoy's pet, she couldn't care. If Marucho would try to assure him too it wasn't the end of the world, good for him, as he had lost Preyas already and yet was never excluded from the team.
As for Shun, he was the only one who asked Alice where she had been. He had asked so with the serious face of his she used to find so cool and mysterious, but that now she wanted to slap away. To think she would have swoon at any other moment... What a fool she had been... Somebody squeezed her arm to support her, but it wasn't any of them, it wasn't even on her physical arm. Shun was suspecting her, so she blurted out the lie that should pave the way for the following day's little play:
"Oh, sorry. I met a small boy, Christopher. Some minion of Masquerade, a jerk called Travis, was threatening him. I pitied poor Christopher, and he was able to defeat Travis' team after I coached him! I haven't said anything in case it could offend Julie..."
Speaking of whom, her phone rang at that moment. She answered, and whatever Billy had told her, it made her freeze on her seat. Good. Shun stopped focusing on Alice, and she couldn't help but draw a very unflattering comparison: Shun had offered the kid who had attacked her not only quick forgiveness but also particular classes on how to become a better brawler, and had just tried to interrogate her instead. The one inside her mind, during their brawl had only done one movement she hadn't asked him to do. The portal to the Doom Dimension was already absorbing Komba's guardian, her efforts to fly away from it were futile, and yet he had issued a final order:
"Hydranoid, push Harpus."
Comparisons are hateful, indeed.
---
It was Alice who took off the mask, which disappeared among a myriad of colors. Shaking, she went to the bathroom to puke. All her mental effort was not enough to push away the disgust she felt, but at least he was trying to be helpful, embracing and rocking her inside her mind while humming some melody. It almost made the bathroom inside Runo's house become the small paradisiac meadow where he—they—seemed to be thriving, but it wasn't enough. She tried to compose herself as better as she could, opening the faucet and wetting her face.
Having seen what Naga had turned her grandfather into had been too much. Sure, she had seen his memories of their meetings, but had thought he was deforming everything in his mind to scare or spare her depending of the moment of their relationship. But no, it had been a rather faithful portrayal. Naga had turned her beloved grandfather into a sickening-looking green thing more apt for a very cruel caricature belonging to previous centuries. Where was the kind and sweet man who had raised her, who had taught her everything she knew, who had put every one of his efforts to help her become the person she was now? She felt sick again, and, as Runo's mother knocked on the door asking her if she was alright, she decided to focus on something else instead:
"It's a beautiful song."
("It's the Masquerade Suite, by Khachaturian.")
He then said something she wasn't expecting. It was surprising and almost funny, actually. He certainly was expecting her to laugh, but she preferred to compliment him:
"It's not a bad name. A bit common, but not a bad name."
("Common? Everyone and their mother is called like that! If I'm making errands that make me famous, I'd rather be named after such a great song.")
"I'll call you whatever you want, don't worry. What would you like me to call you?"
("Call me "love" then. But seriously, I suppose once I have my body I should start using my actual name.")
"I can't wait until then, love," nor could she wait until the moment in which she would save her grandfather and defeat Naga. Or simply until their next brawl, when he would worship her and her mind as she dictated everything he should do, while she admired the way he had carried himself during their plan. She could swear someone caressed her cheek gently, and had it been possible, she would have kissed his hand.
("Neither can I.")
She felt Hydranoid in her pocket. He was ready too. She left the bathroom and, smiling, showed her phone to Runo's mother to explain why she had been talking alone. None of them spoke Russian, she wasn't worried about that regard. In fact, acting as if she was talking on her telephone had become a somewhat usual way of communicating with him right in front of everybody. The woman giggled, and joked about her having a boyfriend in a similar manner Julie had done. They weren't exactly wrong: she certainly did have a date that night, one nobody on Earth and beyond would forget.
---
He knew she was physically beautiful, but seeing her like this, in front of him, had made him discover she was so much more than that. Everyone could see her red hair and appreciate it when it was combed and prepared in a ponytail, complimet her big brown eyes as warm and welcoming and definitely take a look to her body. However, he was seeing her with her hair loose and messy from the brawl, he could admire the way she stood as if she was at the same time unbothered and worried by his presence, but her eyes revealed the truth, with mischief shining on them. Never had he ever considered the possibility he would corrupt her to the point she would put his own cruelty to shame, no matter how attractive it sounded. But now seeing her wink after appealing to his consciousness so skilfully she had tricked a god, he confirmed what the feeling was.
He had no idea if it had been born out of a desire to manipulate her and he had fallen into his own trap, or if it had been genuine since the moment she had offered him the possibility of fighting together. He guessed it didn't matter anymore as he flipped his ability card. It was what it was now, and it was powerful. It had been as powerful as to order Hydranoid to push Harpus to her death, to go from attacking her to take care of her and to ask her whether or not he should be executing the brawlers—she had been very clear; those weren't her "friends" given they once again hadn't asked her whether or not she wanted to go with them to the Doom Dimension—. Maybe he should thank them, had it not been for their return they would have never seek Exedra, who had thought separating them for a moment and making them brawl would be a problem for him. What an idiot. If anything his test was not to cross the arena and make some of his wildest fantasies a reality.
Alas, he would have to content himself with brawling her in order to make Hydranoid evolve and deliver the last blow. Besides, he was enjoying not only their little acting number in front of Exedra, but also the brawl. Finally, somebody who could rival him. Not only that, but somebody who could defeat him without having to have their friends intervene. Finally somebody with an overpowered dragon who had an actual idea on how to use it. In fact, she had used Exedra and her team a little too well, having defeated all of his safe for Hydranoid, and now there was a Millipede—or was that thing called Centipede?; whatever, it wasn't going to live for long anyways—and the damned god surrounding Dual Hydranoid. Had things happened in a different way, he would have suspected Alice had tricked him again, her loyalty and love having been a lie to weaken and defeat him in the name of the brawlers. But he knew much better, he knew she was his just as much as he was hers by that point. Exedra, however, couldn't still see that:
"You will be defeated if you don't stop now! This quest for power is useless!"
It wasn't a quest for a power. It was a quest to obtain a body, to save his beloved's grandfather and to crush his former boss before he caused the Apocalypse. Wasn't that supposed to make him the hero? Oh, no, but in order to obtain the first and second points he had to kill the universe's favorite boy again, as he had left the Doom Dimension too soon. He was starting to become too impatient to the point he would sometimes consider whether a body was really worth it. Luckily, Alice took him out of his thoughts as she replied to Exedra:
"Unless he has an ability card that allows him to defeat two rivals."
Exedra's eight heads turned towards Alice exposing a myriad of emotions such as surprise, disbelief, ire and betrayal. He made fun of the supposed divine being as he flipped his card. Exedra fell on the ground while Hydranoid, now with three heads and named "Alpha Hydranoid", flew to his hands. Those were good news, no doubt, but even better was when Alice approached him as well, smiling. She had such a beautiful smile, even more so like this, as a separate being. The wicked and terrible things he would do for her smile... But for the moment he only kissed both of her hands, succeding in making that smile even bigger. It also reddened her soft cheeks and her eyes... Oh, her eyes were full of the same passion consuming him to the very core. Unlike him, she didn't wait, wrapping his neck with her arms and sealing their union.
Whatever it lasted, it wasn't enough. Hydranoid had bitten his hand to get their attention, and he showed the creature to Alice. She picked him with care, softly petting the three heads that bowed in front of his mistress. She closed her hand around him and put it over her heart. Her free hand looked for his, entwining their fingers and pulling him closer to her. It almost was a sweet family picture.
"You know, all I can think now is how much I wish Reaper would be here with us too."
"If that's the case, we only have to look for him," he answered, but as he finished his sentence he realized he couldn't feel her fingers.
She raised her hand, only to see it was fading away. She sighed in resignation, whereas he looked around trying to find Exedra. Now that he had experienced what it was like to hear, see and touch Alice as a separate person he couldn't just go back to the corner of her mind. He needed her badly and was more than ready to destroy another creature full of raw power, or the same as before, simply so things could remain that way. Alice told him that it was alright because he would soon have a body anyways, but he heard part of it inside her head. He turned around, but she was already gone, with only Hydranoid and the memory of her lips revealing she had been there at all.
There wasn't much he could do now then. Maybe he should train Hydranoid a bit more before facing Dragonoid to make sure not to obtain a surprise... But on the other hand he was too desperate to get rid of it and finish their plan. He opened the portal back home, and heard Exedra's voice one last time:
"You are a fool."
"Shut up."
And he returned home more alive than ever.
---
She was in the park. She had no idea of how she had arrived there. She asked the question out loud, and he, completely confused, answered she had decided to go there. She didn't remember it so. She looked around, and yes it was the same park where they had reached their agreement, but it felt somehow different, somehow as if it wasn't the same. Or as if she wasn't the same. He was telling her to calm down, that she was probably just tired and should get some rest, but she couldn't.
She hadn't sleep properly for months, and ever since they had defeated Exedra she felt more and more tired and yet remained awake at night. Was it guilt? No, she couldn't let herself be consumed by it so soon, not when they were so close to finish it: Naga had said his body was almost ready, and then it would take so little to save her grandfather and to defeat him... If their connection didn't fail, as it had been doing so in their last brawls, when Alice would sometimes just disappear. She would be looking at their victim calculating how to finish it and in the next second it would be already going inside the portal while he complained and worried because she hadn't told him anything for quite some time.
She heard somebody calling for her, but it felt too far away. Runo appeared in her vision, instantly becoming worried for her. Alice's mind was so badly hurt by that point she thought it may have been genuine concern on her behalf as led her back to the restaurant. Usually, those disgusting customers would have thrown compliments to Alice that she didn't want, and while some still did, most were commenting how pale she looked. And about the bags under her eyes. And how her posture was tired and her path slow. Needless to say, she was thankful to go upwards inside Runo's home and bedroom. She had prepared her a bed and was saying she needed to relax and rest. As she lay down, the mattress became grass, the posters in the walls became trees and there was no roof covering the bright blue sky.
("For once, the tsundere is right.")
"I can't rest now. We need to finish the plan. Then I will, at last."
Was she referring to actual sleep, or to something else? She didn't know. All she knew was that, again, everything went black.
---
He had lost. He had lost and he didn't feel anything special about it. He knew it was practically the end for his objective of obtaining a body, but honestly, after realizing what Naga's actual plans were the whole time, it was for the better. After all, the idea was not building a body for him to occupy, but to leave him as the sole inhabitant of Alice's. Speaking of whom, she had been appearing and disappearing intermittently as he had challenged and brawled Kuso. Ever since the result had been revealed he had retreated to a corner of the amphitheater while looking for her in the meadow. At the same time, his rival was telling something to his group of friends, while pointing and looking at him.
He didn't care. He had finally found her, weak and small, so pale she was almost transparent. She looked like a corpse in the grass, and he had to check twice whether or not she was alive. He sighed in relief when she opened her eyes and tried his best to heal her. She thanked him with a soft and almost inaudible whisper, but at least she was slowly regaining control of her body. He wondered if it would be enough, and what could he actually do in this case. Maybe he could go dormant, that way she would have to take control of her body, thus finishing the problem.
She had been caressing his face, but now she grabbed his chin and forced him to look at her:
("Don't. You can't leave too.")
"You're dying."
("And? It's not as if anybody would care: I have no friends, and I have failed in our mission to save my grandfather.")
"I would care!"
("And if you go dormant and I can't ever find you, don't you think I would too?")
He was about to tell her he was a parasite. He then considered lying to her, claiming he had never really loved her and it all had been a play on his behalf so she could give him all her strategies. She laughed at such an attempt. She wanted to say something, but the damned pack of brawlers had to interrupt them. Just what Alice needed... Even more so as Kuso of all people offered him his hand to shake. Was... Was it some sort of ritual he was not aware of? He said something in his confusion, but didn't know what, given the more important matter inside his mind.
"We have been discussing, and we would like you to join us!" he explained.
"Besides, it's not as if you have much other options left, given you aren't influenced by the Silent Core anymore and now your old bosses want to hunt you," Runo added without any tact. She probably was the least willing to accept him as a friend, but the fact she had agreed to add him to the group...
She was right on the part that Naga and Hal G were now probably trying to find him and, either brainwash him, or straight up get rid of him. She wasn't right about the part regarding the Silent Core; it had been months since he had ever been influenced by it.
"Runo!" the short one complained, "Don't take it too badly. Also, I think you were speaking Russian? We have another Russian friend!"
"Oh, yes!" now it was time for Julie Hayward to speak, and she did so while hugging one of his arms as if they had been best friends forever, "Her name is Alice, but we call her Alya, and she's super nice and clever, you're going to love her!"
"But you have to be careful about what do you tell her regarding her grandfather. She has a lot of stress about it," Kazami added, "that's why we usually don't tell her about plans involving you more directly, so she doesn't have to face that problem constantly."
("... That was it? All this time they simply didn't want to make me upset?")
Kuso insisted, this time adding that it would be really cool to have him on their team. His hand moved, but ultimately decided that was not his destiny. He closed his fist and laughed. It was such a bitter laugh... In fact, some of the brawlers pulled Kuso a couple of steps back fearing what his next reaction would be. Alice was screaming and pleading him not to do it, but he grabbed his own mask. He had no idea or clue on what was he saying, scared of his own decision. What was stronger, it was time to see! Love or fear? Fear or love? Love or fear? Fear or...
"And remember to play the goody-two-shoes!" he screamed knowing they wouldn't understand.
He pulled off the mask and everything went dark.
---
Her aunt asked her what she needed, but Alice could only reply she only wanted some rest. She was lying, she hadn't slept since she had arrived to Germany, to her aunt Klara's house. She had barely eaten and she only moved out from the bed to wander aimlessly around the forest. Despite this physical inactivity, her mind was constantly busy looking for him and never finding anything. It had stopped raining, so she decided to take another walk instead of lying on her bed, wondering if the image of the trees around her would finally inspire him to come back. She gave one last look to Hydranoid, a closed ball on her nightstand, muttered an apology and left without him, just like the previous days.
She felt so lost and lonely. She had acted as if she didn't know a thing in front of her friends, but the guilt had only grew inside of her, so much she couldn't bear to look at them. She had, therefore, run away from them, and whenever one of them tried to reach her she had always turned their calls down. Her grandfather not only remained possessed, but may be hunting her down and was definitely putting the Apocalypse into motion. Her aunt and her uncle were kind, at least, but Alice was having a hard time wondering what would be of them both once Hal G remembered he had a daughter living near Munich... She was putting them in danger, but she had nowhere else to go. Her dark thoughts were reinforced as she recognized the shilouette of a castle on top of a mountain, and the shilouette of its owner as that of Klaus von Herzon. She remembered how they had murdered his Syrenoid, and, while regretting having done it so, she mostly missed how happy both of them had been at that moment.
Klaus immediately wanted revenge when she confirmed everything to him. He had given her a team and had set a card already. As if she was well enough to brawl. On the one hand, she would have loved to crush him, but on the other she just couldn't bring herself to find enough strength to defeat him. Besides, hadn't she learned her lesson? How horrible had she felt after considering the consequences of her actions? How could she even think of delivering yet another cruel triumph? Not so long ago the mere idea of it would have disgusted her. She couldn't bear it: the guilt, the want and the sadness on top. It was no wonder she lost the brawl and fell on her knees, too tired of every to even stand up.
And what was the point of it really? The world was going to end soon. She knew it better than anyone, she had seen the abominations her grandfather was creating to do so. By now, they would already be on Vestroia, ready to merge it with Earth and destroy both worlds at once. It was too late. Their original plan to kill Naga was meant to take place before those expeiments were completed, but by having retreated—she to her aunt's home, he to an unreachable place in her mind—they both had wasted their time.
"Alice, regardless of what has happened to you, you can still use your talent for good," Klaus said, trying to raise her spirits just a bit. Wow, she really had to look down if a previous victim of them pitied her.
("For once, he's right.")
And that definitely raised her mood.
---
She held Hydranoid in her hands. He seemed to be alright despite the battle that had taken place moments before. Joe Brown had lost his guardian, Wayvern, there and if anything like that ever happened to Hydranoid she had no idea on how she would react. The problem now was that it was time for him to return his home world, or at least a newer version of it. She had stepped out of the big celebration to say goodbye to her guardian in private, but her friends had promised they would soon look for her, not wanting her to miss the victory party. Surprisingly, she was wondering whether or not Reaper would already be back home, especially as she owed him quite an apology. In any case, she hoped he would be fine too.
"If he ever comes back," Hydranoid said, referring to his old co-guardian, "please, give him my apologies as well."
"The problem is, I don't think he will return."
"Anything is possible, mistress Alice. I will miss you."
"Me too, Hydranoid. I will never forget you. We will never forget you."
It was still heartbreaking to see him depart later. They all were crying upon seeing their friends close the portal. Despite their little talk before, yes, Alice did so as well. At least, this time she could hug her grandfather—her actual grandfather, and not the abomination Naga had created—for support. He needed her hugs too, still not fully understanding what had happened and barely believing the explanations he had been given—"I turned into what and then did what? And today's day is what?"—. Unfortunately, that meant she couldn't be telling him her secret either. After all, how would he or anyone at all react if she explained she had fallen in love with her split personality because they had terrorized other brawlers? For the moment, her grandfather needed to rest, they all did.
("We could always find alternative ways to separate us in different bodies and you can just formally introduce me as your boyfriend.")
"I wish," she replied once she reached the bedroom Marucho had prepared for the brawlers before they would return their homes, and that luckily was empty safe for her, "but we have no way to do so."
("Well, I have been thinking... Do you remember that one time we used the teleporting device to check whether or not there was intelligent life outside Earth?")
"Quite a strange idea for a date, but a funny one. Do you think anyone in Vestal, Gundalia or Neathia could achieve that?"
("At the very least, Vestal was more advanced in technological matters.")
"... You know what, we don't lose anything for trying. See you soon, love."