Note: Doing a rewrite is much harder than I remember. Considering how Corneria's skull is a rewrite as well, I did that to pretty much parody something. However, this is a different case, in that I'm rewriting the whole story from scratch. Note to self: never delete the chapters of an old version of a story if you're going to do a rewrite. Before we move on, I want to say something to three reviewers.

Big Bossk Man 92: Let's just hope that the team is able to piece together what's going on before Wolf can start training Krystal.

The White Wolf named Alex: It depends on what happens. I hope that you like this chapter as well.

Ron: Compared to her staff, her blaster, her fighting style, and her telepathy, her beauty is non-lethal. Stay tuned for what happens next.

Now that I've said that, it's time for chapter four.

Chapter 4: Orlando Helsing

Fox was walking down the street, eager to see if Krystal was okay. The cobalt vixen had tackled the leader of the gang that was attacking city hall into an alleyway, so he knew where she was at. However, the orange tod was still worried about her. He didn't know if she was dead or alive, so his heart was racing. While she was perfectly capable of handling herself, Krystal wasn't prone to taking down those much stronger than she was so easily. Knowing that, Fox wanted to find her before she got hurt.

Footsteps echoed out of the alleyway near Fox, being loud enough to wake the dead. This noise didn't sound normal. In fact, it sounded almost demonic. Fox braced himself, hoping that it was just a mere coincidence. A silhouette was coming out of the alley, meaning that whoever it belonged to was close. However, what surprised the orange tod was the voice that greeted him. He expected it to be the Bobcat, but the voice was that of a familiar female.

"I'm here, Fox!" Krystal's voice rang out.

Upon seeing Krystal in front of him, Fox let out a sigh of relief. She was still in one piece, with not a single wound off her. However, something that caught the orange tod off guard was that there was blood on her hoodie. While the cobalt vixen wasn't hurt, there was a huge blood stain around the abdomen area of her shirt. This was odd, considering how the team was rarely, if ever, soaked in blood from a battle. Despite that, Fox put that thought aside.

"Well, taking down the leader was easier than I thought it would be." Krystal spoke.

"Is that his blood on your shirt?" Fox asked.

"Of course it is." The cobalt vixen said. "His head exploded when I shot him. It was messy, but instant!"

"Now that you've gotten that out of the way, we should head back to city hall, the ceremony's about to start!" The orange tod said, taking her hand.

Star Fox stood on a stage in front of city hall, where a large audience was facing them. The city council was seated, allowing the team to take the stage. General Pepper was in the center, holding the microphone. As he spoke, the team was silent. They watched as he addressed the audience, speaking about what had happened.

"And so, ladies and gentlemen, once again, we have to thank Star Fox for taking down criminals who would've committed a terrorist act!" Pepper said. "They have saved us all before, but they have not personally saved the city council before! For that matter, the city council would like to thank Star Fox for saving their lives!"

The audience applauded for Star Fox, clapping and cheering. The city council did this as well, although they weren't as loud as the audience. As that happened, Krystal decided to put the jar that Wolf had given her in her hoodie's front pocket. However, this didn't go unnoticed by Falco. In fact, the pheasant curiously stared at the object, noticing the red substance inside of it. Something about it just felt off.

Once the city council had left the stage, Star Fox decided to leave as well. As they walked off, Krystal sensed someone approaching her. The person didn't seem interested in the entire team, just the cobalt vixen. They happened to be a fennec with green eyes who was dressed in a white jacket, a pink and green outfit, pink gloves, and boots. Along with her was a coyote with blue eyes and scars on his body. He was dressed in heavy clothing, despite it being warm outside.

"Excuse me," the fennec spoke, "are you Krystal Bodimead?"

"Yes, ma'am." Krystal said.

"I'm Fara Phoenix, a former member of Star Fox." She said.

"Fox has told me about you." The cobalt vixen said.

"What do you want Fara?" Fox asked.

"I want to talk to her." Fara said, gesturing to Krystal.

"What about us?" Slippy asked.

"You can speak to my new boss." The fennec said, gesturing to the coyote.

Fara then led Krystal from her teammates. The cobalt vixen watched as the coyote approached the others, their curious looks facing his stoic presence. She continued walking, hoping that everything was alright. However, something warned her that it wasn't the case. By using her telepathy, the vulpine knew that the coyote wasn't just some random employer. Krystal put it aside, knowing that Fara wouldn't like it if she was distracted.

After a bit of walking, Krystal and Fara sat on a bench. To Krystal's relief, the area was covered by the shade from the trees. However, she tried not to act too happy, considering how she would be giving herself away. That was mainly because the cobalt vixen had read the coyote's mind before Fara said that she wanted to talk to her. Odds are, the fennec had been working with him for quite a while. If that was so, Krystal would be in trouble if she told the truth.

"So, to begin, have you noticed anything unusual as of late?" Fara asked.

"Not that I can think of." Krystal said.

"Are you sure?" The fennec asked.

"Yes." The cobalt vixen stated. "Trust me, if I noticed something odd, I would've said something by now."

"Well, my boss and I have been investigating the mysterious deaths that have happened here on Corneria." The long-eared vixen said. "I was wondering if you had an idea on who the killer might be."

"Sorry, but you're asking the wrong person about stuff like that." The Cerinian said. "Murder mysteries aren't really my thing."

"There has to be something that you can tell me! I mean, do you know how each of the victims could have gotten those holes on their necks?"

"He might've just been using some weird tool for that. Not every murderer uses a knife, gun, or blunt instrument, you know!"

"Yeah, I guess you're right. We'll keep investigating the murders, but I'll talk to you when I have the time, okay?"

"Okay. Thanks for speaking to me, Fara!"

"You're welcome!"

Getting up from the bench, Krystal and Fara walked away from each other. While the former was walking back to the city, the latter was walking forward, which led to the forest. Krystal was eager to get back to the team, but she could feel that something was real. By using telepathy on Fara's boss, she was able to find out what his profession was. With that in mind, the cobalt vixen hoped that her teammates had finished speaking with him. If not, then she would've had to wait in her Arwing until they were finished.

Back in Corneria City, Star Fox was sitting near a statue with the coyote. They were perplexed by the canine, not knowing what to think of him. He was in heavy clothing, despite it being warm outside. Not only that, but there was an odd metallic noise every time he walked. It was even joined by a clatter on the occasions that he stopped moving. The team knew that something was off, but they couldn't pinpoint what it was.

"You know," the coyote said, "I rarely get the opportunity to meet those who the citizens of Corneria talk about daily. I knew that Fara was on your team at some point, but I have never seen any of you while I was out on duty."

"That's mainly because we're out on a mission, or at the Great Fox." Fox said. "You can visit anytime you want."

"No thanks, I'm not into spacefaring." The canine said.

"What are you into, then?" Peppy asked.

"And who are you?" Falco spoke. "Fara wanted you to speak to us, but why?"

The coyote got up, as if he were a teacher about to do a lecture. After that, he took off some of the heavy clothing he had on. Upon seeing this, Star Fox gasped. Underneath the heavy clothing, the coyote was revealed to be wearing a chest plate, leggings, silver knee pads, silver shoulder caps, a metal choker, and a utility belt. There was even an ammo belt that went from the canine's shoulder to his hip. By looking closely, Star Fox could see that there was a gilded cross in his utility belt, and wooden stakes in his ammo belt.

"I am a man who has dedicated his life to fighting the things that go bump in the night." The coyote said. "For each mission I undertake, I am intent on protecting the innocent, no matter what. The more dangerous the mission, the better the challenge becomes. Even if it ends in my death, I'll stop a dangerous monster from hurting the innocent or destroying the world. My name is Orlando Helsing, and I plan on being the greatest vampire hunter in the Lylat System!"

Star Fox was baffled at first, but now they couldn't help but chuckle. However, finding it rude, the team calmed down and decided to keep a straight face. Despite that, Orlando looked offended. The coyote had crossed his arms, all while glaring daggers at the team.

"What's so funny?" Orlando asked. "Were you laughing at me? You won't be laughing when I'm not around to save you from the creatures of the night!"

"No offense, Mr. Helsing, but we've got enough equipment to use against our enemies." Fox said.

"Yeah, and vampires aren't real!" Falco stated.

"Then how do you explain the holes on the necks of the recent murder victims?" The coyote said. "The coroner's reports on each said that the holes were inflicted by teeth, so it obviously wasn't a knife or blaster."

"Maybe the killer tried to bite their throats out, but failed." Peppy ventured. "The killer could've bit their jugular instead of going for the throat in general, only pulling off when they realized that they aimed in the wrong area."

"I doubt it," the canine said, "but I'll keep investigating. It was nice speaking to the four of you, but it's too bad that your teammate isn't here."

"We'll tell Krystal about you when she comes back." Slippy said.

"That's rather nice of you. And give her my number in case she wants to call me!"

Orlando walked off, having said what he wanted to. After that, Star Fox got in their Arwings, eager to get back to the Great Fox. The moment they got there, however, they saw Krystal's Arwing in the docking bay. This surprised them, as she was never usually the first person back at the Great Fox after a mission. Getting out of their ships, the four entered the elevator, taking it up to the main room. Upon getting there, they saw that there was no one in the area.

Stepping out of the elevator, Star Fox heard a noise. This startled them, to the point where Falco nearly got out his blaster. Peppy put his arm up, signaling for the others to calm down. The noise was heard again, but it wasn't as loud as it was before. Unnerved, the team decided to look around, attempting to see where it was coming from. It was deeper in the Great Fox, but they didn't know what room it was coming from.

As the team searched, Slippy could hear the sound get louder. With that in mind, the toad signaled for his teammates to come over to him. To their surprise, the sound wasn't coming from the control room, but rather the kitchen. Curious, they opened the door to the kitchen, where they were able to see the cause of the noise. It was being caused by someone rummaging through the fridge. Whatever they were looking for, it was likely deep enough for them to root through it.

The person who was rummaging through the fridge happened to be Krystal. She had removed her black hoodie, having put it on the table. Bringing herself out of the fridge, the cobalt vixen dusted herself off. In her hands was a can of soda. The vulpine didn't look surprised to see her teammates. Rather, she looked tired, as if she hadn't slept for days.

"All of that for soda?" Falco asked.

"Well, you know how to say 'hi' to your teammates." Krystal said out of sarcasm.

"What were you doing, Krystal?" Peppy asked.

"I was just putting something in the fridge for later." The cobalt vixen said. "Sorry for the noise."

"You're fine." Fox said. "How was your talk with Fara?"

"It was okay, I guess." The vulpine said. "However, her boss was on my mind throughout our conversation. I can't explain, but I felt kinda scared by him."

"You have nothing to be afraid of!" Falco said. "Don't worry, Krystal, Fara's new boss is a vampire hunter!"

"You're kidding!"

"Nope, the guy's a vampire hunter!" The pheasant said. "But, trust me, he's bound to fail eventually!"

Krystal's eyes widened, having processed what Falco had said. She was frozen in shock and fear. The cobalt vixen couldn't believe what was happening. Not only had she been bitten and turned into a vampire by Wolf O'Donnell, the leader of the rival team, but now the team had met a vampire hunter while she was talking to Fara. The vulpine knew that she was in greater danger now. It was bad enough that she had become a vampire, but now she was faced with the idea of being staked in the heart.

Crap, if Fara and her boss find out that I'm a vampire, I'm as good as dead! Krystal thought to herself. A plus to that would be that they would be able to go after Wolf next!

"Krystal, are you okay?" Peppy asked.

"I'm fine." Krystal said. "I just need to go lay down."

"Before you go, can you tell us what you put in the fridge?" Slippy asked.

"It's a jar." The cobalt vixen said. "Don't touch it, it's mine!"

As Krystal walked off, Star Fox felt curiosity overtake them. Opening the fridge, they saw the jar that she had mentioned. Inside the jar was a red substance that looked like jelly. The shade of red was what caught them off guard. It looked too dark to be a fruit, but it was still red. Something was off, but the team didn't know what.

"It's jelly?" Falco asked.

"Where did she get it from?" Slippy asked. "Did she steal it?"

"She couldn't have stolen it." Fox said. "She could've bought it while we were down on Corneria."

"Or she could've gotten it from a baker." Peppy said. "She did help a baker catch some thieves, after all!"

"What do you think, Falco?" Fox asked.

To his surprise, Falco had already left the kitchen. The pheasant had walked back to his room, being dumbstruck by what was happening. Ever since last night, Krystal had been acting strange. Not only that, but there were reports of murders where the victims had holes in their necks. The avian wanted to think that what happened was a coincidence, but he felt that reality would be otherwise. He was stuck, and he knew that the team was stuck too.

What is going on? Falco thought to himself. Not only is some psycho poking holes in people's necks, but Krystal is acting up. Not only did she get sick after eating breakfast, but she's wearing a black hoodie in warm weather. And why did she have that bloodstain on her hoodie? What was the real reason? And what's in that jar? I'm going to have to investigate this!

Note: Yep, Falco's getting suspicious. As if the signs weren't obvious enough, but now Krystal has one of her teammates wondering what's really going on. It's only a matter of time before Fara and Orlando find out what happened to her. The cobalt vixen's going to be in a LOT of trouble if that happens. Until next time, guys, this is Newcomer24, signing off. Peace!