I just don't get it. Why would a swarm of bats attack us? We're practically family, Shade thought as he flew with his mother recovering on his back. Josh and the others ran back to New Mobotropolis when Shade told them what had happened to him and Rouge.

"Hold on, Mom. We're almost there," Shade said as he soared through the skies of Mobius.

Moments later, Josh and the others were standing outside the room where Rouge was recovering from her bat attack.

"Poor Rouge," Sonia said.

"Yeah," Manik said.

"I don't get it, Shade. Why would a swarm of bats attack you and Aunt Rouge? You're practically family," Josh said.

"That's what I was thinking about on the way back here. Something was off about that bat."

"Did you remember anything odd about the bat?"

"I did, actually. I noticed that it had blood-red eyes that looked like they were filled with pure hatred and evil," Shade said.

"Great. That gives me something to look for," Josh said before breaking off from the group.

"Where are you going, Josh," Lara asked.

"The library. I'll be right back."

Using his own brand of speed, Josh made it from the hospital to the library in no time flat.

"Gotta look for something involving the bat Shade saw," Josh muttered as he looked at the various shelves. He found a few books with information on what he was looking for.

"This should do." Josh then used his psychokinesis to lift the books and haul them over to one of the tables.

"Let's see here," Josh muttered before grabbing one of the books and flipping through it.

"Nothing." He then placed the book on the table before grabbing one of the others. While he was searching, NICOLE materialized right behind him.

"What are you looking for, Josh," NICOLE asked, surprising Josh.

"Don't do that," Josh said as NICOLE sat beside him.

"What's going on?"

"Aunt Rouge was attacked in a cave not far from here by a swarm of bats. One of those bats bit her and she's recovering."

"Is that why you have all this books," NICOLE asked.

"Yeah. Shade said the bat that bit Aunt Rouge had blood-red eyes full of evil," Josh said before placing the book he was looking through on the table.

"Maybe I can help."

"You can, actually. See if you can find anything that pertains to vampires. I'm afraid this goes deeper than a simple bat bite."

"I'll see what I can do," NICOLE said before getting up.

"You do that," Josh muttered as he looked through one of the other books.

While Josh was looking for any information on the bat Shade had seen in the cave, Manik and the others were standing inside the room Rouge was recovering in. Shade was sitting at his mother's side, Lara was standing one of the corners in the room, and Sonia and Manik were sitting by the window of the room.

"I really hope Josh finds what he's looking for."

"He will, Manik. You know him all too well. You of all people should know that he never stops until he finds what's he looking for."

"You're right, Sonia. I shouldn't doubt Josh. After all, he is my best friend," Manik said as he continued looking out the window. While Manik stared out the window, one of the nurses walked into the room.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid you'll have to leave," she said.

"Thanks for the heads-up."

"My pleasure." Sonia, Manik, Shade, and Lara then walked out of the room, leaving Rouge to herself.

"We should get rest, guys. It looks like it's getting dark," Lara said as she, Manik, Shade, and Sonia walked out of the hospital.

"You're right, Lara. We should rest up for the next day. Who knows what'll happen tomorrow?"

"Exactly." Miles away, the same bat that had bitten Rouge before flew up to the mouth of the cave before transforming into a human-bat hybrid.

"It's nearly time for me to exact revenge on this pitiful planet," the creature rasped as it watched the sun sink into the horizion.

Josh used his iPhone to ensure he wouldn't doze off before he would find something useful. He yawned as he looked through the book he currently had in front of him while listening to Linkin Park's 'Iridescent'.

"Man, I could use some sleep, but I can't do that until I find something about that bat Shade saw in the cave." He was about to close the book when something interesting caught his eye. He turned back to the page and saw a picture of a hideous human/bat hybrid creature with text beside it.

"There are dozens of vampires, but none so terrifying as Cassandra the Vampire Queen. Legends say that she had control over more than a thousand slaves before being vanquished. Victims of Cassandra say she can assume the form of a bat with blood-red eyes. Legends also say that she will return one day to claim control of the world she awakens on," Josh read.

"I don't believe it. I have to show Dad this."

"It's a shame you won't get a chance."

"Who's there," Josh asked before being grabbed and pulled to the ground by Rouge. Luckily, he was able to bring the same book he was reading down to the floor. On the ground, Rouge pierced Josh's fur with her fangs.

"Welcome to the Vampiric Legion, Josh. You are my newest soldier," Rouge said as Josh's yellow eyes turned blood-red.