Nya's POV

It was Zane, and he was holding a Tupperware box with something in it. Definitely soup...or some stir fry. My mouth watered, but I managed to grin at my lifelong friend, "Zane! Come in, bud!"

He steps inside, closing the door behind him, "Thank you, Nya. Pixal insisted that you try some of her chicken soup. I've tasted a bit and it's quite good, if I do say so myself!"

"Thank you, Zane." I take the box from him and set it down on the counter, "Have a seat. Would you like anything to drink?"

"Do you by any chance...have freshly pressed oil?" I think for a second. Do we? "I think Jay has some stocked up..." I head down to the living room, before spotting the small can on the bookshelf. Grabbing it, I shuffle back to the kitchen, grabbing a bowl and pouring the containers of the can into it. Taking a spoon, I set the bowl down in front of him. He thanks me and digs in, "Please, try the soup. It's best served hot, as most people like to say."

"Sure." Taking another bowl and spoon, I dish out a serving before pushing the rest aside, for Jay. I take a mouthful, and grin, "Pixal's culinary skills are much better than last time, I'll admit." I take another bite, and Zane beams, "I agree. I requested Borg to install an application created by someone named Gordon Ramsey. It works wonders!"

"I..." Gently, I push the bowl away. I could ask Zane, right? He would be totally unbiased, and he's a nindroid! You can't argue with a nindroid!

"Zane...is there anything...I dunno...odd about this house?"

Zane cocked his head to a side, "Odd?" His eyes shone as he scanned me up and down, "I am sensing distress within you, Nya."

Yes, I am distressed, and everyone calls it pregnancy hormones!

"Yeah, it's um...this house. Could you...do you see anything odd about it? Like...ghosts?" Zane frowns, "If you think I have a supernatural detector built in me, you are very much mistaken."

"No but..." I think of another way, "Do you have a thermal setting, where you can see body heat, maybe?"

Zane looked around, before taking another sip of the oil, "I do, but I don't see how it would be of use here. The temperature of this place...it's too low."

"Is it?" I must've adjusted to the temperature. Jay had fixed the thermostat, but neither of us had bothered to change the temperature, "I can make it warmer, if that helps."

"It would. Is there a particular reason as to why you would like to check the house's thermal condition?"

"It's...it's kinda hard to explain but...it would really mean a lot if you could do this." I plead, turning up the thermostat. It should take a good few minutes. Zane looks like he's considering it, before finally nodding, "Very well, if it puts you at ease."

"Thank you!" I give him a quick hug, and sit back down, waiting for him to finish his...oil. He proceeds to tell me about the new invention he and Borg are working on. Normally, I'd be intrigued, but my nerves are already all over the place. So I smile and nod along, throwing in a few compliments along the way.

At long last, he's done, and the house definitely feels much warmer. I shrug off Jay's sweater that I had pulled on this morning, and stand up, "Should we begin?"

"Okay." He closes his eyes, before reopening them. Now they're a vivid shade of green. He starts walking around the house, and I creep after him, glancing around.

We do several rounds of the house, and Zane is silent throughout. He circles upstairs before meeting me downstairs, to circle the bottom of the house once again.

"Well... I couldn't find anything, I'm afraid."

"Wait!" I cautiously opened the door to the basement, "Would you be willing to do the basement too?"

"Alright then." I wait by the doorway and watch as he goes down the stairs, scanning the room. "Want me to switch the light on?" I call out.

"No, but thank you for offering."

The next few minutes are tense, filled with silence, and I find myself gnawing at my already worn-down nails, "Anything?"

"Hmm...strange. There seems to be a- oh."

I frown, "What is it?"

"I-It's not working. My thermal scanners aren't working. I thought I saw something but before I could inspect, they just shut down."

"Zane, get out of there." I whisper.

"What-" the door suddenly slams shut.

"Zane!" I pound on the doors, fumbling to find the handle. It's jammed tight. "Zane!" I couldn't hear his voice. It was silent from the other side. Oh FSM, oh FSM, did I just send my friend to his death?!

I kick at the door, tugging at the handle, but it wouldn't budge, "Shoot, ZANE!"

Fear builds up inside of me, and my hands are sore from hitting the door endlessly. I bite my lip, as I twist the handle left and right. Still nothing.

The door suddenly and I'm now hitting metal. I jump away, to see Zane, standing there, unharmed, a smile on his face, "Sorry, there must have been some wind. Are you okay? There's a certain rise in your heartbeat."

"I-I thought you were..."

"No, I'm here. I have sent the images of my thermal findings to your printer. I should get going now."

"Oh, yeah, um...thanks for stopping by."

"Not at all a problem. Don't hesitate to call if you need anything. Good day." He leaves, closing the door behind him, and I'm on my own now.