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Joe’s fingers moved and tapped across the various buttons on his game controller, giving silent orders to his in-game avatar to platform over a large green hill.
“Not this guy again… Why wont he just quit?” He asked himself as an in-game enemy dropped from a tree and raised his weapon. “Might as well get it over with” His avatar pulled out a long sword and charged his opponent. A disinterested person sat behind Joe on his bed. More concerned in watching the balcony window and the happenings below. But still, he watched Joe from the corner of his eye. Observing the kind-hearted boy, no longer bedridden with health problems. Masquerade zoned in when the gamer gave out a cry of surprise.
“Ohh, so a dragon now. Thought the sword guy was a push over?”
“Not what I would call the Dungeon Master, but if that’s what you think.” Joe smacked the dragon around, but paused the game and swiveled his chair. Masquerade readied his attention and body language in awaiting Joe to speak.
Look just ask, there is nothing wrong with a question.
Joe shoved his thoughts aside when the saw the blond losing interest “Masquerade!” he almost shouted.
“Yes?” Masquerade’s usual acidic attitude flowed from his lips. Any reply or words he spoke had an insulting tone.
“Can you…get me some more snack?” Joe lifted the empty blow.
Snack!? That is what you came out with??
Masquerade reclined on Joe’s pillow; his arms folded across his buttoned chest and his legs outstretched across the bed. He made it clear he was not going anywhere.
“Why should I? You didn’t say the magic word.” Joe blinked a few times.
Jurassic Park reference?
“Is the magic word ‘please’ by any chance?” He tilted his head. Masquerade got up, took the blow, and walked out of the bedroom. The video game sounds started up again as he left. The masked brawler’s eyes scanned the kitchen’s honey wood cabinets. As he grabbed the cabinet knob and set the blow counter a blip came onto his figurately radar
“I can sense you are near by, Wavern.” He released the cabinet and observed a Bakugan ball roll out from behind one of those odd, glass jars filled pasta on the stone counter. Her ball was white in color but had pink in place of where the Haos gold would be.
“As can I, Masquerade.” The marble’s feet sprang open, and the head emerges from her wings, they lock eyes, Masquerade gave no response to the hornless dragon. Wavern continued “Odd you continue in coming here, yet you never look for me.”
“You never show yourself when I come…” He pressed two of his fingers down on the blow’s edge, causing it to tip, when he took the presser off, the blow clacked on the counter. He did this repeatedly as a form of entertainment. “…why present yourself now?” As Wavern thought up the right words she felt the Infinity Core inside her body hissing to the Negative Energy, wanting to absorb and purify the loose power. She understood why Masquerade was so potent in Negative Energy, but the behaver was not that of a possessed brawler. It wasn’t stagnant but came directly from his body. Could he be generating it? Wavern didn’t have to guess that it was unhealthy for Humans to be exposed to the power of the Silent Core itself.
“Out of curiosity. My brother has tasked you in obtaining the Infinity Core, why are you stalling in his conquest and destruction of Vestroia?” Masquerade played her off.
“What makes you think I have the answer to any of your questions?” He sneered.
“If you did not, you would have left by now.” The blow tapping stopped; Masquerade approached. His shadow over casted Wavern as he leaned down to her level, his right arm rested on the counter and his left propped up his head. His lips curled into a smile and white teeth peaked out from the center. He was satisfied in looking at the strength of a Dragonoid rendered and trapped into a mere child’s toy. Wavern flapped her toy-like wings as she felt she was smothered in his darkness. Masquerade backed off after having felt his dominance had been established.
“This is not a battlefield. Your time is in my hands, not that of your brother’s.” He returned to his snack re-filling duty and sealed his lips.
You are lying through that smile. I can feel it…
“You may plan about me all you like, but I will not let you harm Joe. Naga wants me not him.” Masquerade finished filling the blow with cheder crackers in the shape of whales before answering.
“Wavern, long before you and your Infinity Core floated in, Joe only tasted the outside world from a window. Tell me, what prompted your arrival? Was it the fact that he was near death?!” He screamed; his side hair bangs bounced has he thrusted himself forward. The counter’s edge kept him getting any closer. Wavern felt his warm breath “You stupidly don't realize that Naga, and yourself are on the same path as Joe, do you see Naga as a villain for wanting no- trying to change his destiny of dying weak and useless? You preach for justice, yet you give him none. Some hero you clam to me.” He regained his outward composure and pulled away. Wavern felt the Infinity Core vibrate inside her. If she squinted, she could see the Negative Energy in a frenzy around his body. So much anger. So much hate. Masquerade himself had triggered something. He turned and walked off for Joe’s bedroom
“Is that all you have to scream at me about, you’re done and going back in Joe’s room like this never happened?” He stopped.
“…My name is Masquerade, that is who I am.” He looked at Wavern from the corner of his eye to be met with a surprise. The small white ball had tears on the edges of her red eyes.
“The Silent & Infinity Core lived in separate harmony, but now the unkempt power of the Silent Core is in the hands of my selfish brother. Please understand Masquerade, I am sorry for my brother. I am sorry he involved Earth and its Humans in his blinded quest for change. Building a promise of a conquered world on you becoming a faceless servant, you have nothing but my sympathy.” Masquerade only gawked at her words and walked away. They were at deadlock. No one backs off and no one wins. Not in this fight anyway.