When Starfire got to the end of the tunnel, she ungracefully tumbled head over heels down the slope. Standing up, she shook herself off, then turned back towards what she hoped was the cave.

"ProtoMan? Are you there?"

A moment passed before a faint voice drifted from the tunnel. "I'm here Star, you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. How're you and Bass doing on supplies?"

Bass' voice sailed out of the hole. "From what I can see, ProtoMan and I have about a day's worth of food left. If we ration it right, we might get another day and a half on, but don't count on it. Oh Starry, you gotta go! Go, go, go!"

Starfire smiled. "Gone baby!"

Sprinting across the landscape, Starfire was doing mental calculations. If she was running towards the sunrise, that would mean she was going east. If she had gone south, she would've ended up deeper into the Undernet. Any way but south would lead her away from the Undernet. Thank heaven for that.

Although she was unaware of this fact, three sets of eyes were watching her from afar.

ShadowMan. EXE scowled in disgust. "I thought you said that they were dead!" He hissed at TorchMan and FreezeMan.

TorchMan tried to recover the situation. "Well, they should be by all means ShadowMan sir! There must've been a hole that we didn't see."

"Yes, but if there was a hole, why did they send the smallest of the group?" FreezeMan said quietly. "No, they sent her because she was the only one who could fit through the hole. Those other two are trapped there until she comes back with reinforcements."

ShadowMan glared at his incompetent companions. "There is still time for you to correct this mistake. You must delete her. When she is gone, the others will die." Leaning close, he dropped his voice to a dangerous whisper. "Is this clear?"

Both Navis only nodded and began to make their plans.

Meanwhile, Starfire continued to run, despite her fatigue. The sun blazed overhead and heated the landscape below.

"Starry, you've got to take a break."

Pushing damp hair off the back of her neck, Starfire looked around. There, through the blackness was Bass! He was just as he was when she saw him last. Disobedient, wild, and protective. The cloak he now wore was gone, revealing a skinny, lanky young Navi. "Bass?"

The young black Navi smiled. "It'll be all right Starry! You don't need to give your life for ours."

Star shook her head. "Are you real? Am I going crazy?" Picking herself up from her brief respite, Starfire set herself back on the right track. "Even so, I've got to get back to Sam! She's the only one who can help right now."

Darting off, FreezeMan and TorchMan watched her.

"Interesting," FreezeMan remarked coolly (no pun intended), "She appears to be suffering from illusions! Delirious too."

TorchMan chuckled evilly. "All the more easier to kill then."