Chapter 4
A grumpy groan was heard from the master room, as a figure rolled over in the bed to be on his back. Eyes of blackness stared up at the ceiling, as the person sat to hold his head. He looked to his right, seeing the digital clock that rested on the nightstand, reading 12:30 in the afternoon. Dark sighed as he got out of the bed he was gifted when he started living in this house. The home that belonged to the human he made a Contract with. It had been over a month since that signing, yet he had made no progress in keeping his end of the bargain. A scowl wrote itself upon his face, as annoyance filled him upon the thought that he was unable to hunt down a simple creature such as a Scavenger.
He walked out of the bedroom and went across the hall to the bathroom. Leaning over the sink, only to lift his head to see the reflection in the mirror. Since it was still day time out, Dark appeared to look more like his host. Muscular build with his tan skin, along with black hair swept to the side to hang over his right eye and a beard of thick stubbles. It was a lot for him to modify the body to give it his own personal trade marks. So far, all he had were the black scleras that showcased his red eyes. It was the one thing he kept on this body to prove he was in control. Dark began to freshen up as he splashed water on his face to wake up. He had many hours before night would cover the sky, but until then he figured he would do something productive. Might as well check on the new room mate and see if he was respecting the new rules.
Once his face was cleaned up, he snapped his fingers to summon the shadows that were casted in the room. They were pulled to him, like a magnet as the element wrapped itself around the man, coating him in their presences. They formed together to create a black suit with a tie to match his signature outfit. Straightening the neck cloth around him, he smirked to show how flawless his appearance was in the mirror. With his clothes on, Dark left the bathroom and headed out to the living room on the upper level. It was quiet, no sound from either Anti or Kate.
His eyes landed over to where a piece of paper was sitting upon the counter top. Going to it, Dark read what was written and understood where Kate had gone. "So, she went back to her college again." He noted in a low monotone voice. "Surely her project must be completed by this point. Then again, I can't say I don't mind the solitude I have been given when she is away." He did like being alone, enjoying his peace and quiet. Of course he had a roommate, but Kate kept to herself as he did. Now though, that tranquility was put in jeopardy after the acquiring of a new person that dwells within this house. It had only been two days after that fiasco within the forest of Ireland where Anti had held Kate captive, yet it feels much slower than that to Dark. Agreeing to let that feral live was a mistake on his part, despite Anti saving them both and getting him patched up.
Dark went over to the coffee maker, wanting some hot caffeine to help him. He didn't care what time it was, he enjoyed the steaming brew that gave him the energy he needed. He already knew how to make coffee, his host did it everyday. It was just figuring out the machine Kate had that was making it difficult. He managed to get the hang of it within a few days, so all he had to do was wait after he completed the steps. While the brown water dripped down and was being collected into the pot, Dark reached into a cabinet and took out a large mug. Once the coffee was finished brewing, he poured it into his cup and drank it. He was not affected by the temperature nor the bitterness, he preferred his coffee this way. He took in a sign of bliss, enjoying this moment as he rarely had this in the past few days.
"AAAAAAAAHHHH!" Dark didn't even flinch as his peace was ruined by the scream of the feral downstairs. With a groan, he rubbed his fingers between his nose as he would have to go down and see what Anti destroyed this time. He wasn't in a rush to head downstairs, making his way to the basement where Anti's room currently was. When he was on the ground floor, he went left then turned left again into the bedroom, where he saw the feral Irish demon standing over the bed, wearing nothing but briefs as he looked into the mess that was his bed. "Dark! Something's in my bed! It attacked me in my sleep!" Anti pointed to the sheets, as they were moving while grunts and growls could be heard underneath.
Dark was unamused, as he casually walked over and lifted the sheets up. He revealed a black-furred creature with a curled tail, floppy ears and a smushed face that made the brown eyes pop out. His annoyance only increased as he realized how pathetic Anti really was to have let such a creature get the better of him. He turned to the feral Outcast, staring at him with judgment. "Well?! Are you going to get rid of it?!" Anti demanded.
"For your information, Anti, it is named Oliver. And he is Kate's pet pug." Dark explained.
Hearing that explanation only made Anti raise his brow in question. "The fuck is a Pug?"
"It is a type of dog breed most commonly used as household companions and were bred in China. They are known for their flat faces and gluttonous appetites, as well as their spoiled nature. Though the last trait is due to human behavior." Dark was all too familiar with Oliver, the Pug that Kate had gotten during her first year of high school, only a year old when she acquired him as her pet. "I would have assumed given your animalistic nature, you would be aware of any kind of creatures you share commonality with."
Anti pouted at Dark's remark. "I've never seen such a dog, if you can call it that. And it's not like I just go into Sean's mind and see through his memories. I'm not into that, since I already know most of his life anyways. That doesn't excuse that beast's attempt to attack me!"
"All Oliver knows is to bark and lick, he never bites. And given the fact he wasn't the one making noise, it is safe to assume he just licked you."
Anti was now the one who was unamused. "Yeah, well… who knows where that tongue was!"
Dark rolled his eyes, picking the small dog up so he could set him on the floor. Oliver trotted away, while the suited Outcast managed to solve one problem. "Honestly, you could handle a pack of Hellhounds, but a mere mortal pug somehow bests you?"
"Hey, I bet you were just as confused when you first met that beast!" Anti argued. Dark did not answer that question, mainly since his reaction to first meeting Oliver was him watching the dog, and the mutt licking his face. It was unpleasant but he wasn't screaming bloody murder. "Anyways, I'm telling Kate I don't want him coming down while I'm sleeping." Anti stated. "That should have been a rule to set."
"Well, you will have to wait for her to return. She is currently at her campus trying to finish her final project." Dark explained.
"Why does she have to go there for so long?" Anti complained. "It gets boring when she isn't here."
"Because, Antisepticeye, unlike the two of us where we have no need for human responsibilities such as jobs and educational obligations, Kate must do what she can in order to survive the harsh rules of the society. By working on her schooling to prove she is capable of practicing a job so she can claim said position, which in turn will give her money. That money is then used for her to buy necessities that she needs to sustain herself such as food, electricity, clothing, plumbing, and shelter."
Anti scoffed. "You can get most of that stuff in the woods, and it's free!"
"Not every human has hunting and survival skills to be able to live out in desolate areas." Dark remarked. "And considering how Kate hardly survived the forest that you put her in before I showed up, it is safe to say she could not make a living in such an environment. On top of that, Kate is trying to get money so she can buy items not just for herself, but for us as well since she now has three mouths to feed, four if you include her pet."
Anti listened to Dark's words, realizing how much work Kate was putting in for not just herself, but her roommates as well. The feral Outcast sighed, looking at his bed then at Dark. "So, when will she be back?" He questioned.
"Probably a little after three, since that is usually when she arrives home." Dark explained. "If you wish to contact her through another means, you could call her on her phone." He offered. Anti heard that suggestion, and hummed at the thought. Surely contacting her via a call wouldn't be against her rules of summoning her, right? The feral went past Dark, grabbing his pants and putting them on before heading up the stairs to get to the kitchen. He saw the note that she left behind, seeing the phone number on it. Dark followed him up the stairs, watching as he reached for the landline and dialed the numbers. Anti held the receiver to his ear, letting it ring. He may have been more of a primal Outcast, but even he knew the basics of technology thanks to his host.
After a few beeps, he was instead taken to Kate's voice mail. The Outcast grunted as he shut off the phone. "Man… no answer."
"She is probably busy with her project." Dark told him from behind. "I don't understand why you want her back so badly."
"Because she is the only companion I have that doesn't annoy me." Anti smirked at that rude remark. Though the joke was on him, since it didn't affect Dark at all.
"Interesting… we seem to have come to an agreement." The entity stated nonchalantly, which caused Anti to widen his eyes. He inwardly hissed then started to head off to Kate's room. "Now what are you up to?"
"If she won't answer my calls, then I am going to make her answer." Anti opened the door to Kate's sanctuary, going to her computer as he forced it to turn on with his powers.
"You are aware that she forbad you to summon her via this teleportation method, correct?" Dark questioned, as he was aware of the events that occurred last night where Anti abused his power to summon Kate from the campus into her room.
Anti rolled his eyes as he felt Dark micromanaging him. "I just want to see her progress. I can spy on her through the computer. The connection between her desktop and the one I transported her from should still be connected." The Outcast watched the screen come to life with a green brightness. His smile started to grow as an image soon formed, but not one he was expecting. Anti's grin turned into a confused frown, as he was seeing a strange image showcasing a Minecraft area of a forest. "What the hell?"
"Now what did you do?" Dark questioned, seeing the landscape of the game on the computer. "Really? You are trying to play a silly game?"
"I didn't start anything! I don't know why this is even here." Anti argued. The two Outcasts looked at the screen, watching the blocky world expand as they noticed a girl with dark hair and glasses standing next to the water's edge. "I was supposed to take a look at where Kate was, it's supposed to have been in the school she is in."
"Are you certain you hooked it up to the correct computer?" Dark questioned, un-amused by this setting.
Anti rolled his eyes at Dark's judgment. "Yes, it's the same computer I used to bring her here! It says it's connected, but someone must be playing this game." That was the logical conclusion that Anti could come up with. The two decided to watch a bit, wondering where this was heading. They were a bit startled when they saw another woman approaching the other, having blond hair and glasses. And her clothing looked awfully similar to what Kate wore.
"Alright, took me many trees, but I got twenty blocks of oak wood." Even her voice sounded like their room mate.
"Woah, that's impressive." Jenna commented, as she picked up the blocks Kate threw to the ground. "This should be more than enough to make a boat for us."
"Can you make the boat?" Kate asked, watching Jenna as the darker haired one went to the crafting table.
"I know the recipe, let's just hope the physics still works…" Jenna got to work, while Kate watched from a distance as Jenna turned the oak wood into planks, then used a few of those planks to create two sticks, which she crafted to create a shovel. With the remaining five oak planks and the one shovel, Jenna held in her fingerless stub a miniature flat boat. The moment she put it in the water though, it grew and was capable of holding them both. "Looks pretty sturdy all things considered." Jenna noted.
"Do you think it will be able to carry us across the sea?" Kate asked.
"Well, it's either we take this boat or swim there. And I don't trust swimming with these bodies."
Kate chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of her neck. "Heh, yeah. Y-you wanna be the one to steer?"
"Hopefully I can manage it." Jenna prayed, while her and Kate hopped into the vessel. Jenna took hold of the oars and started to paddle, following the map in the hopes they could find this village of colored houses which could lead them back home.
Dark and Anti watched this scene play out, both confused but more importantly, Dark seemed to be the one to piece it together. "If they are playing a simple game, then it seems odd they would be talking about physics and not being used to their bodies…"
"You… don't think…"Anti trailed off as he started to grow nervous. The two of them were sharing the same thought, and it was not good.
"This is the third time that woman somehow stumbled into trouble and was transported into another reality." Dark grumbled, annoyed by this mess.
"I'm starting to notice that trouble seems to follow her as well." Anti agreed. "She can not catch a break."
Dark ignored that comment and focused on the important questions. "How was she transported into such a game? Did you have a hand to play in this world she found herself in?"
Anti glare at Dark in a defensive manner. "I may know about Minecraft, but I didn't put her there! Something must have taken over the channel I used to summon her from that computer to this one."
"You mean you didn't close the portal that you used to bring her here last night!?" Dark questioned in a furious tone, while his eyes narrowed over to Anti.
"I didn't think I would need to close anything, since my portal between technology disappears right after teleportation. But somehow, something must have taken over that power and used it to bring her and that other woman into this world." Anti explained. Dark growled under his breath. It was as if he was not allowed one day of peace without anyone or anything causing a scene and complicating things for him and Kate.
He rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, trying to calm down. Last thing he wanted was to lose his temper. With a heavy sigh, he tried asking another question in a voice that was on the border of frustration and relaxed. "Can you at least teleport her from that world and bring her back here?"
Anti looked back at the monitor, wincing a bit as he shook his head. "That's… not gonna be possible. I can only create a portal between two technologies with a screen. Which isn't the case for this, since they are in another world. And even if I could pull her out, I would have to bring her friend with us. And I believe Kate doesn't want any bystanders or close friends of hers to be involved with us."
That was true, Kate didn't want either Dark or Anti to reveal themselves to others. If they brought Jenna to Kate's room, then that would mean they would have to deal with her, which would be a hassle for Dark, and create a panic attack for Kate. "So… what other plans do we have?"
"Simple, we can go into the world!" Anti suggested. This made Dark skeptical, but the Irish Outcast continued. "I can keep the portal on her monitor open here, so we have a way to get out. I would have to go back to the spot that I created to open that pathway, but it's the best option."
Dark had to admit, while it wasn't ideal it seemed to be the only option they had. "So… you can teleport into that world of Minecraft?"
Anti nodded. "I still have my connection with it. Or course, the portal will only be able to stay open for twelve hours. Any longer than that, it will close."
In other words, there was a setback. Still, at least there was a plan in place. "Very well, then we best get going."
Anti jumped and stared at Dark, baffled by his statement. "Wait, you're coming with me?"
"Do not mistake this as a way for us to bond. I am merely accompanying you so that we can have a higher chance of finding that woman and bringing her back within that time limit. She is under my Contract, meaning she is considered my property. And I will not allow anyone or anything to off her when I am the one that has that right." Anti just looked at Dark with disgust. He didn't care for Kate because of any bond, he just did it because of the agreement the two had. Still, it would be better for the two to go together, given they know nothing of this world or how effective their powers would be.
"Alright, give me a minute and stand back." Anti instructed. Dark rolled his eyes, but did as Anti told him. He would put up with it if it meant he could resolve this situation without any hassle. Anti stepped closer to the monitor, waving his hand to make the screen turn from the Minecraft world to that of green. Anti smirked, as he turned back to Dark. "After you." He gestured.
Dark raised a brow, as he was still untrustworthy when it came to Anti. Even so, if this was to get Kate out of that world, he would put up with these antics. The entity of darkness approached, looking at the screen before he raised up his arm. Pushing his hand against the monitor, he felt the fingers go through the green screen, making himself phase into it. This confused him for a moment, only to remember that it was the way to travel into the world, according to Anti. Reluctantly, he pushed forward and found himself sinking into the screen. His body phased through the monitor, being swallowed up while Anti watched to make sure he wouldn't get stuck. He witnessed him enter the computer, until he was finally in. With Dark on the other side, Anti practically jumped through to join him.
The sensation of the teleportation was weird enough, as it caused Dark's nerves to tingle as if he experienced a small static shock. However, that was a pleasant walk in the park compared to what he was experiencing now. At first, he was unable to move for a moment and feared he had no control over his body. Thankfully, he finally managed to force his eyes open to take in the environment he found himself in. The first thing he noticed about the area itself was how… blocky everything is. From the trees, to the shapes of the hills and even the clouds and sun in the sky, everything was square shaped. If he didn't know any better, he would believe this was a poorly rendered model to test out a program. The situation only got worse as he began to examine his own body to regain composure. To his dismay, even the form he took resembled where he was. All the edges, dimensions… and the lack of fingers.
"...What kind of fresh hellscape did that woman find herself in now?" A shudder ran through his voice as he examined his body.
Anti appeared right behind him, coming from the portal and was right at his side. He was in a blocky body himself, but unlike Dark he didn't seem to mind it as much. "Missing your fingers?" He drew a smile upon his face, taking joy in seeing how unpleasant the situation was for him.
The Iplier slowly turned to face the Septiceye, annoyed as usual. "I fail to see the pleasure in this game when it looks poorly rendered."
"That's just the style, for when you want to do some mining since that is the main premise of the game."
"So, this excuse of an art style is a choice?" Dark questioned him.
Anti rolled his eyes as he tried to get back on track. "Let's get back to finding Kate. From what we saw, she and that other girl were on a beach."
Dark hummed as he checked around the area, using his eyes to see the landscape before them. "Well, I don't see any sands or bodies of water, so we are not close." He noted. His head turned back to Anti and raised a brow his way. "You couldn't have gotten us closer to that area?"
"I tried!" Anti retorted. "But for some reason, the portal sent us here…"
"Well, can you attempt to teleport us closer to the beach?" Dark requested.
Anti was becoming annoyed by Dark's requests, but he knew complying would make this easier. The sooner they found Kate, the sooner they could get home and be in their own space. Holding out his hand (Technically stub with no fingers) he attempted to conjure up another portal to get them closer to where Kate's location was. He took in a breath and focused, waiting for the thought to become a reality. After a full minute had passed and no sign of an opening appeared, Anti became confused. Dark didn't think much of it, even when Anti was waving his arms around and holding them out as far as he could reach. Despite all of his efforts, there were no rewards. Now Dark was annoyed and baffled by his gestures, to the point even he was getting worried.
"The hell? I can't summon my powers!"
"...What?!" Dark gasped. He didn't seem to fully believe Anti at first, so he tried it as well. Holding out his own arms, he attempted to summon the shadows that he used to attack and hide in. He was unfortunately met with disappointing results as only a small wisp of darkness appeared from the end of his stubs. "What is going on?!" He demanded answers.
"Maybe our powers don't work here in Minecraft." Anti suggested as he checked around to figure out where they needed to go.
Even though Dark wasn't an expert of this game, he knew for certain there was something else going on. It shouldn't matter what environment, game-world or reality, their powers should always be summoned. The only explanation he could think of was… "Something must be preventing us from using our powers to the full max!" He grunted.
Anti heard that and became baffled, but then again it would explain a few things. "If that's the case, this must not just be a regular Minecraft Server… something or someone is in charge of this area." Anti thought out loud. "Shit, what if it's another Outcast! I don't want to deal with another one."
"If we are dealing with an Outcast, then we might be in for quite a fight if we are unable to use much of our powers." Dark grumbled as he looked between his arms and the scenery. "Still… if there was an Outcast, we would have sensed them by now."
Anti pondered Dark's phrase, then started to sniff the air. While his supernatural abilities were more or less useless, his physical enhancements such as better sight and smell were functioning well. "I don't smell any humans or other Outcasts nearby either… maybe they're hiding?"
"Or they already are one step ahead of us, and have Kate in their possession. Which means we can not delay anymore time." Dark declared.
Anti nodded, as he begrudgingly agreed with his enemy once again. As much as he despised Darkiplier, the Septiceye ego had to put aside his hatred so he could locate their female room mate and return her to safety. And also get her friend out of here as well, but neither of them cared much about the person with Kate. They had their own motives for wanting the blond woman back with them. For Dark, he merely wanted to keep her alive so he could fulfill his end of the Contract and claim her as his own personal toy to torment however he pleased. Anti on the other hand needed Kate so she could continue to keep him under her roof. She had been providing him with shelter, a bed and food the last few days which he greedily accepted. Sure, he could manage to find that in the wilderness himself, but being able to have those things handed to you was a generous offer he couldn't refuse. And if Kate were to leave him, then Dark would either kick Anti out of the house or attempt to finish their battle and kill the more feral one. Though considering this was Darkiplier he was thinking about, chances are he would do both. Right now, the human woman is the only one keeping the peace between them, and if she goes, so does Anti's safety net.
They both had different reasonings, but the same goal. Together, they walked across the land of this blocky world, searching for any sign of where Kate and her classmate could be. Due to the area putting a cover on their abilities, they were limited to what they could do. Which meant if they end up against the one in charge of this area, they could be at a disadvantage. Thankfully, Dark could still control the shadows to a degree, and Anti at least has his animalistic traits so they could hopefully manage if they needed to. The pair brisked through the open world, keeping their eyes peeled for any clues that could lead them to their room mate. The idea was to try and find this beach they last saw Kate and Jenna at, and figure out where they were heading from there.
Despite the amount of steps they had traveled, neither one of them saw any sign of sand. The only colored blocks they saw on the ground were shades of green and brown. It also didn't help that aside from some trees, a few hills and bushes, there was no indication of landmarks used to determine where they were going. Everything looked the same to both of them, so it felt as if they weren't making any distance at all. "What kind of environment lacks so much detail? There aren't any interesting aspects to explore to keep up attention spans."
"We're probably just in a barren area, not every open world can have something fascinating about it. Sometimes you just want to be in a place with no stress." Anti pointed out.
Dark raised a brow his way. "In our case, seeing no sign of Kate is only increasing our stress, is it not?" He retorted.
Anti shrugged, looking around to see the same thing. "No sign of a beach… How far does this field of grass go?"
"Ask the ones who created this landscape…" Dark sighed, growing tired of walking but getting nowhere. Their feet continued to carry them for a long while still, with no progress in their search. It was becoming tedious for them to continue to cycle through this area yet it felt they were not getting any closer to their destination. And with each passing moment, Kate was probably getting even farther away from them. At this point, they wouldn't be surprised if she was making more progress than the pair in getting herself back to the real world. Even so, they had to make sure to find her in case someone here would attempt to hold her captive. Considering her track record, it wouldn't be out of the question for her to find herself kidnapped and having to fight for survival once again.
Speaking of, the gray-skinned entity couldn't help but have a feeling in his gut. He couldn't explain it, but he felt as if it was not just the two of them that were alone. It might have been a feeling, but he was usually correct in listening to it. He tried to ignore it at first though, since he was the only one who had it. Anti seemed none the wiser to notice, despite him having the heightened senses compared to Dark. So perhaps that was a sign that maybe the thing he believed was watching them, wasn't close by or a threat. Regardless, he kept his guard up as he didn't want to take any chances.
Luck seemed to be on their side, as Anti started to sniff the air around him. He immediately picked up speed in his feet, which Dark followed. After a bit more distance, the two finally found themselves on the yellow ground of a beach, with a body of water before their very eyes. "This must be it…" Dark noted, relieved as their walking had finally led them to their destination.
Anti smelt the area more, taking in the scents as he processed them. "I smell Kate… and that other girl. They were here!" He declared. This was no doubt the place they saw her with that classmate. Their eyes searched for any sign of the blond, looking up and down the shore but saw no indications she was still there. "Damn… the smell is here but it's a bit faint… which means she's not around."
"Could have stated that before you made us look around this area only to come up empty handed." Dark retorted. Anti glare at Dark, hating his comments but he did have a point. The gray-skinned one looked over at the water and hummed. "They were creating a boat from the looks of that live feed… which meant they were planning on going across the waters…"
"If so… then maybe they were heading to someplace else across this area…" Anti suggested. He squinted his eyes to look across the lake, but saw nothing that caught his interest. "I can't see anything though… so it must be pretty far from here. Whatever they were searching for across this water must be important… perhaps they believed it was a means to get them back to the real world…"
Dark interjected. "Or, they could be lured into a trap by going to the heart of the one in charge of this place. Which means the woman could very well find herself trapped by another Outcast once again…" He sounded annoyed but was trying to keep composure the best he could. "So, how do we get across then? I don't trust swimming with these kinds of bodies, which are an eyesore." He grumbled, looking back at his arm which was just a detailed-colored long rectangle.
Anti hummed as he weighed their options. "Well, we have two choices…" He began, catching Dark's interest. "First, we could do the same thing Kate did. Craft a boat and sail our way over to where they were heading. It would take us some work to get one though, since we have to not only gather the materials, but make a few things as well just to create a boat. Luckily, I remember Sean playing some Minecraft in his earlier years, so I have some knowledge of making stuff. Though getting the items might be a bit of a hassle, since there are limited resources around us."
Despite Dark's uninterest in this game itself, it wasn't a bad idea to learn the mechanics of it since they would be here for a while. And considering they had a limit on their powers now, they needed to adapt if they hoped to survive long enough to find Kate and escape this place. Plus, the idea of not walking anymore did sound refreshing, but he also didn't want to go on a fetch quest either. Chances are, it was going to be pretty elaborate to craft a simple boat for the two of them to use. On top of that, they didn't even know what direction Kate was heading, so they would just be sailing around in the waters until they found a trace of her. Which would be difficult in the waters. He also didn't know how vast this world was, maybe there would be more than one island waiting for them. "...And the second option?" Dark questioned, wanting to see which would be a better outcome.
The Irish Outcast looked around to examine the area before he spoke. "This isn't just a body of water, it's a lake." He told Dark. The other Outcast didn't know what that meant, so Anti had to explain more. "I can tell because only one side has a sand deposit on the shore, but everything else is surrounded by greens. Plus even though it's deep, you don't see too many oceanic species like sharks or octopuses."
"I believe you mean octopi when referring to the plural of octopus." Dark retorted.
Anti rolled his eyes. "Regardless, if this is a lake, then that means it's all connected to land. And if Kate was looking for land on the other side… all we have to do is follow the shore and we should be able to find her!" He suggested.
In other words, they would have to do more walking which Dark was not a fan of. Then again, it seemed far more simple as opposed to gathering and crafting materials just to use a boat. Doing so would no doubt waste more of their time and have the trail become colder. At least with the second option, they would have to make progress quickly and hopefully find something along the waters to indicate that Kate was nearby. Plus, Anti should be able to track her down regardless with his strong sense of smell. With a slight sigh, Dark contemplated his options before making a decision. "As much as I hate the idea of further walking around a vast emptiness… I would rather do that than have to gather materials for a vehicle, which will end up eating away more of our time in finding Kate. Plus, I am not going to stoop so low as to walk around aimlessly while collecting sticks and wood."
"Yeah, I kind of figured you'd be too pompous to agree to that." Anti mused, making fun of Dark despite his annoyance. "Alright, let's head on down the shore! With any luck, we should be able to run into-"
"Hold it right there!" Anti jumped as he was interpreted in his demands. Dark grunted as he heard that high yet authoritative voice. He looked behind Anti, seeing who it was that shouted at them. Anti turned to get a look at the man himself, who was in the same Minecraft avatar body like they were in. This man that approached them had brown hair with a beard around his face. His only armor was that of a dark blue shirt covered by a black-gray coat with pants to match and a belt. The most noticeable feature of this man was that he had dark blue eyes, but the pupils were distorted. One of them was at his upper right corner of the eye and the other was in the opposite direction, as if he was looking at two different places at once. Dark and Anti's aggression simmered upon seeing the man up close. He had no weapons on him, nor could they sense any form of powers radiating off his person, so he seemed quite harmless. Still, Anti didn't like that he managed to sneak up on them without having smelt him.
"Great… so much for keeping a low profile…" Dark grunted, as they were forced to interact with this resident.
"Silence, intruder!" The man pointed at Dark, who was stunned by how forceful he was sounding, despite the strange tone in voice that he couldn't help but not take seriously. "You have entered the Domain of Derp Ssundee without permission!" He decreed. Dark and Anti merely stared at the man, with an uncaring expression. "...Derp Ssundee is me, I should have made that clear first."
"Indeed…" Dark agreed nonchalantly. But he was getting some information that he found useful. "So… I take it you are the one who created this server? This… Domain?" He gestured around the area they were in.
"That's right! Well… actually, half of it was created by someone else. But they stay in their area and I stay in mine. They're great neighbors though… They know how to throw fun activities! Like 'Never have I ever' games, or 'Guess who'! They're a laugh!" He smiled, being taken off topic.
Dark and Anti looked at each other, questions rising in their minds as they whispered to one another. "He doesn't seem like an Outcast… way too chipper…" Anti told Dark in a low voice.
"And not the brightest either…" Dark added as they stared at the man with the criss-cross pupils. "Still… might as well ask if he saw anything." Hopefully he could tell the two where Kate was. Raising his voice, Dark began to speak towards Derp. "Pardon me for asking, but by any chance have you seen our friend around here? She had accidentally wandered into your Domain and we are trying to find her."
"Yeah, she's a young woman of 19, average in height with pale peach skin and a bit on the heavier side…" Anti began to describe Kate.
"Blond hair, blue eyes with glasses, wears green?" Derp questioned.
Both Dark and Anti chimed in unison. "Yes!"
Derp shook his head. "Nope. Haven't seen her." He admitted. Anti was disappointed, and Dark became annoyed once more. Clearly this man was no help to them. "But if she isn't here, she's probably over on the other end of the Domain…" He pointed across the lake. "That's where my neighbors are…"
"And who are these neighbors of yours?" Dark questioned.
"They call themselves the 'MyStreet Crew'."
Dark raised a brow at the answer as he had a thought on his mind. "That sounds like a name associated with gang members."
"That sounds like an Outcast group to me!" Anti smirked.
"Outcast?!" Derp gasped, which caught both of them off guard as they looked at his horrified face, before becoming upset. "We have no Outcasts here! This Domain is an Outcast freezone! As the protector of this area, I make sure of that." He stated proudly. His expression became utter confusion, as he looked back at Dark and Anti, staring at them as he examined them. "Wait a minute… something is off with you two…" He rubbed his chin, well, tapped is more appropriate given his appearance.
"Us?" Dark questioned, sounding offended but was only playing along. "Why, we are just looking for our room mate. That shouldn't come as suspicious, should it?"
"Yeah," Anti added. "It's not like we want to cause any trouble. We're just looking for our friend."
Derp hummed as he continued to stare at the pair, his eyes shifting between either of them. He didn't speak up, instead using his eyes to intimidate Dark and Anti. The Outcasts looked at each other, as Derp continued to observe them. Dark was beginning to lose patiences, as it was clear this man before them was going to be of no help and was just becoming an annoyance. Turning to the more feral of the bunch, he spoke in a hushed tone. "Clearly this person is a loss cause at this point. I doubt we will get anything from him."
Anti nodded, agreeing with Dark. It was scary how much they were getting along at this point, but in this case it was an exception. "I say we just kill him here and be on our way." Anti suggested.
Dark did find that idea tempting, and it would be a good way to let off some steam as well. Before he could comment on Anti's suggestion, Derp finally spoke up in a louder tone. "Ah-Ha! So you are Outcasts!" He pointed at the two with narrowed pupils. "I knew it!"
Both of the Outcasts were startled by his sudden tone, but Dark was the one who became unamused by the revelation. "Congratulations, you realized that the gray-skinned suit-wearing man with the shirtless animalistic feral are Outcasts… Curious, what was your first clue? Was it our looks? Mannerisms? Or the fact we were plotting to kill you?"
"Do not think I will be intimated just because you out number me!" Derp warned him. "I will have you know, that in this Domain, I rule supreme! Half of this server is my territory, and as the protector of this realm and its inhabitants, I will ensure that those who wish to do it harm will face my wrath! I am especially trained in dealing with Outcasts such as yourselves. So no matter what you throw at me, I will be prepared for it! And I, Derp Ssundee, will ensure that you two Outcasts will not disrupt this server or the people who live here. No matter how tough the fight will be or how much energy I have to-" Derp kept rambling on and on, having one thing to say after the other with no sign of stopping.
Dark and Anti listened to his spiel at first, but began to lose interest as he kept rambling with no point. He didn't even seem to be paying any attention to them, which Dark took offense to. "Is he ever going to stop talking?"
Anti shrugged. "Should we kill him while he's distracted?"
Dark looked at Derp, as he continued to sprout nonsense with his meaningless speech that he was tuning out. "Honestly, I don't even want to waste my time with him. Let's just follow the path and try to catch up to Kate…"
Anti scoffed. "Damn! I really wanted to kill him." He sounded disappointed, but began to walk with Dark along the shore of the water.
Dark walked by his side and offered a sympathetic smile. "Don't worry, I'm sure there'll be plenty of things for you to slay on the way to find our room mate."
Anti's ears twitched, as his head perked up to look at Dark with a glimmer of hope. "You think?"
Dark chuckled at his enthusiasm, which he did share in a slight capacity. "Only one way to know for sure." At this point, they could only move forward in the hopes of tracking down their companion before she got into further trouble. They walked along the lake, leaving behind Derp who continued to talk to himself. Unaware that would not be the last time the Outcasts would cross his path.