[Joseph]

     "Okay, let's all just calm down here...and find 'Pink' as soon as we can...I'm not liking the sound of him...her being pregnant," Nicole said.
     Everyone, including Akira, sighed in agreement, forming a temporary truce.
     "Now...that, that is settled, we can search for Pink. Infinite, is there anyway you can do a wide-search for her life sign?" I asked.
     "I can try, but there is no guarantee I will get anything," Infinite responded in a coldly computerized voice.
     "In the meantime, let's take some of the shuttles and try and scout around the area, she couldn't of disappeared far now," Daniel said.
     "Actually, I sense a ripple of energy amidst the ship, in...that direction." Weapon said pointing down the corridor, towards an area giving off a strange aura.
     We slowly began to approach the strange aura, surprised to find a dimensional-rift.
     "Could...she of...gone through this? It's not like any...normal dimensional-rift...I sense...a more...powerful aura surrounding it," Weapon said, showing a clear sign that he was nervous, which I wasn't used to seeing coming from him.
     "Well, only one way...to find out right? Some of us are going to have to stay behind, try and keep this portal here open for as long as possible until we get back," Joseph said.
     "Obviously I'm going with you," Akira said, with no sign of emotion in his voice, as always.
     "Fine, me, Akira, Weapon, and Daniel shall go, the rest of you stay here...understand?" I said.
     "But..." Nicole started before just dropping it, and lowering her head. "Alright."

     I turned my head to the other three before stepping into the dimensional-rift portal, closing my eyes out of habit until I emerged from the other side, landing safely on my feet before opening my eyes to look around. The surrounding gave off this city feeling as I found myself in an alley of some sort next to some garbage. I stepped away from the portal as the other three emerged one-by-one and stepped closer to the portal. I pulled out a small device that Nathan/Pink had created before, one of many in fact, and threw the device into the portal. The device then froze in the portal and activated, it's purpose was to keep the portal open from our end, and conceal it from others who weren't familiar with such things.
     "Okay, Akira, you're with me...Weapon and Daniel, you head in that direction and call if you find anything to lead towards Pink's whereabouts," I said as I headed straight down one direction the alley went, with Akira following behind. "Brings back memories huh? From back when we were allies...and before that enemies too...seem to be going back and forth alot huh?"
     Akira just followed quietly not humoring me with any response as he was clearly focused on his goal. I sighed softly as I continued on in direction we were headed, in search of Pink, hoping she was okay.

     "We should check with the people around here," Akira said after several minutes of silence, as we walked through a town square.
     "Yeah, that might work," I said, turning to see Akira pulling out a photo of Nathan and another of Pink, approaching a group of people.
     "Have you seen either of these two?" Akira asked abruptly, interupting the conversation the group had with one another.
     "Woah, Akira, wait..." I said quickly catching up to him. "You can't just...do that."
     "How else are we to get any assistance?" Akira asked.
     I couldn't help but think he had a point, but I wondered if he had any boundries anymore. I noticed the looks we got from people around the square, then noticed the way we were dressed made us stick out like sore thumbs. The group, looked at the picture, eyes widening as they obviously recognized the picture of Pink, quickly running off.
     "Odd...they seemed...scared," Akira said.
     "Well you did just approach them out of nowhere," I said. "But yeah...they recognized the picture of Pink...we should continue to ask around."

     Akira then approached another person asking if they had seen either, and we got the same reaction as earlier. We continued on for a couple hours until someone finally pointed to a strange castle in the distance which we hadn't noticed before.
     "Why would Pink be there? She's not the royalty type," Akira said.
     "I...don't like the look of that castle...it seems...dark," I responded, noticing the one person who finally helped us with some sort of clue to Pink's whereabouts ran as quickly as possible in the opposite direction.
     I then heard a cough as someone was clearing their throat and couldn't help but look in that direction, seeing a group of two guys and a girl standing there, one cracking his knuckles.
     "We heard you were looking for the master's new pet," the girl said licking her lips, and I couldn't help but notice a distinct set of fangs.
     "Yeah...who are you guys anyway? You don't appear to be from these parts...perhaps you're not familiar with us..." the smaller guy, who was the one standing off to the side away from the one who had been cracking his knuckles.
     "We have no time to deal with a mere group of wannabe vampires," Akira said coldly.

     "What did you say?" The one that had been cracking his knuckles earlier said as he quickly lunged for Akira his fist aiming for Akira's mouth.
     Akira quickly ducked catching the guy's fist in his hand, turning his face to the guy, and I could see his eyes were glowing a bright red. Suddenly a redish aura surrounded Akira as he easily picked up the guy by his fist alone and flung him through a nearby wall. The other two stepped back from shock that the biggest member of their group was taken out so easily.
     "Which one of you is next?" Akira said, smiling evily.
     "Y-you're not human...who the hell are you?" the girl asked, a nervous tone in her voice.
     "You, are annoying," Akira said, rushing over to the girl who then tried to bite him with her fangs.
     He quickly grabbed her throat, and proceeded to squeeze, as I watched the girl squirm. I continued to watch in horror as Akira merely squeezed the girl's neck, breaking it and popping her head clean off. He then ran over to the remaining member, catching the scrawny guy by his hair, pushing him down to the ground.
     "Where is Pink?" Akira growled.
     "W-what do you want with the m-master's pet?" the boy asked, clearly frightened.
     "Answer me! Where is she?" Akira growled out louder this time.
     "S-she's at the c-castle with our m-master," the boy said.
     "Very good..." Akira said coldly, letting go of the boy's hair.
     The boy sighed in relief, believing that he was being spared, before I witnessed the cruel side of Akira as he turned and grabbed the boy's face in his hands, and pushed down on his neck, shoving the boy's head into his own body, and proceeded to rip the boy's limps off.
     I moved a hand to my mouth, shocked at the utter cruelty Akira showed those three, and I knew he was definitely a different person than I remembered.

     "A-Akira?" I asked, as he proceeded to wipe the blood off his hands with the victims' own clothing.
     "Well? You heard the boy, she's at the castle...let's go," Akira said, his voice lacking any form of emotion yet again.
     I gulped and nodded slightly, glad that I had at least a temporary truce with this cold-blooded person I once knew.
     Akira lead the way to the castle, a huge grin on his face as I could only guess that he was anticipating seeing Pink once again, or perhaps hoping for a good fight along the way, I couldn't tell.