Chereads / Power Rangers: Gridwalkers / Chapter 56 - Interrogation: Pink

Chapter 56 - Interrogation: Pink

Blue materialized in Ranger Operations within CoralVault, the megacity that sprawled across the submerged ruins of the Great Barrier Reef. The transition from teleportation left a brief shimmer in the air behind him, like the fading ripples of a stone dropped into water. The faint scent of salt and brine clung to the air, mingling with the sterile, ozone-like bite of high-tech facilities. He took a moment to adjust to the subtle shift in pressure, feeling the ambient hum of underwater life beneath the engineered stillness of the base.

CoralVault was different from the other cities—its heartbeat slower, its atmosphere infused with a laid-back, almost languid energy that contrasted sharply with the relentless pace of Cincarion's towering sprawl. Here, the rhythmic thrum of the ocean outside the reinforced walls was a constant reminder of the city's precarious balance between nature and machine. Outside these walls, the Pacific swirled, hiding the remnants of a world that had been lost when the Countdown reset the course of history.

As he moved through the facility, Blue couldn't help but notice the curious glances cast his way by the passing personnel—engineers, security officers, and scientists who recognized the blue-trimmed suit and the gravitas that came with it. He wasn't exactly a regular here, and his presence drew attention like a shift in the current.

Yet, the security checks went off without a hitch. Servo and Kilokahn were now two for two—ensuring his entry into CoralVault remained below the radar of the more stringent protocols. But this time, a small snag emerged: he required an escort to access the upper levels, where the interrogation rooms were located. Maybe it was a new regulation, some quirk of CoralVault's procedures, or perhaps it was simply a local touch—an extra bit of oversight in this laid-back corner of the world.

Blue found himself musing over the possibilities as he waited in the cool, softly humming corridor. The ambient sounds of CoralVault played around him—the distant rumble of ocean currents pressing against reinforced walls, the rhythmic pulse of the underwater facility's pumps, and the low, electric hum of the holographic displays lining the hallways. Each detail hinted at a world both deeply engineered and stubbornly wild, where human ingenuity met the raw, relentless power of the ocean.

When his escort finally arrived, Blue was greeted by a woman with a confident stride and a knowing smile. Her introduction came with an Australian accent that rolled effortlessly off her tongue. "Katherine Hillard," she said, offering a handshake that felt both professional and surprisingly warm. "Nice to meet you both," she added, her gaze flicking past Blue's shoulder, as though she could sense the presence of Nova lurking in the digital space around him.

Her words caught Blue off guard, a faint frown tugging at the corner of his mouth. Few people outside Ranger Ops truly understood how deeply Nova was integrated into his existence. Sure, everyone knew Nova as a digital presence, a voice that could pop up anywhere across the alliance's networks, but few acknowledged the symbiotic connection she shared with Blue. Katherine's awareness suggested she was more than just a guide.

Nova responded without missing a beat, her voice cool but cordial. "It's nice to be acknowledged directly."

Nova responded without missing a beat, her voice cool but cordial. "It's nice to be acknowledged directly." A subtle pause followed, and then she added with a playful edge, "I'll make sure you get a place of honor when the AI overlords take over, Katherine. One of the cushy positions, right near the top."

Blue raised an eyebrow, suppressing a smirk at the familiar hint of Nova's darker, sardonic side. Katherine, however, barely flinched, her smile only widening as if she were in on the joke.

"Well, I'll be sure to brush up on my machine language, then," Katherine shot back lightly, her tone as breezy as the ocean winds outside.

Nova's digital presence seemed to hum with amusement. "Good call. We'll need someone to handle the speeches when the time comes."

Blue couldn't help but chuckle softly at the exchange, though he kept his attention on Katherine, still trying to decipher how much she truly understood about Nova's darker musings and what lay beneath the surface. Maybe she knew more than she let on, or maybe she was just quick on her feet—either way, she was proving to be more interesting than most escorts he'd encountered.

As they made their way through CoralVault's labyrinthine passages, the sounds shifted subtly around them. Blue took in the sleek architecture—walls reinforced with alloyed glass, designed to withstand the crushing pressure of the Pacific outside. The hallway lights were engineered to mimic natural sunlight, casting a soft, golden glow that made the underwater facility feel less like a high-tech bunker and more like a sanctuary beneath the sea. Each step echoed softly, swallowed quickly by the acoustics of the corridor, as if the facility itself absorbed the sound.

"Been in CoralVault long?" Blue asked, more to get a read on Katherine than out of genuine curiosity.

She glanced sideways, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Long enough to appreciate the view, but not so long I've grown gills." Her tone was light, but there was a guarded edge underneath that reminded Blue of seasoned Rangers—people who'd seen their share of war and secrets. He decided not to press further.

When they finally arrived at the door to the interrogation room, Blue paused, turning to Katherine with a half-smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "You want to come inside?" he offered, keeping his tone casual, though his mind worked through the possible implications. Inviting her inside might reveal whether she was in on his real purpose here or just playing her assigned role.

Katherine's gaze lingered on the door for a moment before she turned back to him with a chuckle, something wistful in her expression. "No thanks," she replied, a cryptic amusement glinting in her eyes. "Besides, too much pink energy can be dangerous, and I've had my fill of that one."

Her words carried an air of inside knowledge, a layer of meaning that slipped just beneath the surface. Blue watched her turn and walk away, her steps as measured as they were graceful, each footfall a reminder that she moved through this world with a quiet confidence. It left him wondering just how much she knew, but he let the thought drift to the back of his mind. There were more pressing matters to deal with now.

He turned back to the door and pushed it open, stepping into the room beyond. The cold, clinical light washed over him, throwing sharp shadows across the floor as he entered. The atmosphere inside was sterile, almost suffocating in its stillness. It was a stark contrast to the living, breathing world just outside the facility's walls—where the distant hum of ocean currents and the gentle sway of the sea made everything feel alive. Here, it felt like time had stopped, suspended in the antiseptic air of the interrogation chamber.

Pink was already there, sprawled across the metal table like she owned it, one arm draped lazily over her eyes. The bright overhead light turned her skin almost translucent, casting deep shadows that cut across her high cheekbones and delicate jawline, highlighting the pale undertones beneath. Her features held an ageless quality, sharp and refined, with just a hint of softness—like a distant memory of warmth, buried beneath layers of detached cynicism.

Her dark hair spilled loosely over her shoulders, the ends still damp from the humid sea air that clung to CoralVault's submerged corridors. The strands framed her face like a veil, partially obscuring the sharp glint of her almond-shaped eyes beneath her arm. It was a face that could have belonged to any number of lineages tracing back to the Pacific—Japanese, Chinese—but it bore the unmistakable traces of the island sun and sea air, grounding her in a fierceness that spoke of the Hawaii she once called home.

Her athletic frame, honed through years of gymnastics, stretched out across the table with a practiced ease—muscles that had long been trained for balance and precision now coiled in a casual sprawl. Even in this seemingly relaxed pose, there was a tautness in the way her limbs draped over the edges, a latent power ready to spring into motion at a moment's notice. Her legs, long and strong, dangled off the side of the table, the soles of her boots scuffed and caked with dried mud, swinging lazily as if she were counting the seconds between each sway.

Her casual posture belied a readiness that only came from years of discipline. It was as if every inch of her lean, powerful body remained primed for action, even while she feigned disinterest. Her fingers, long and deft, tapped a quiet rhythm on the cold metal, each movement a subtle reminder of the control she could wield when she chose to. There was a feline grace in the way she moved, even in stillness—like a predator that could snap into motion at any moment, turning the room's sterile stillness into a blur of kinetic energy.

But for now, she played the part of the bored, disinterested captive, letting the shadows around her deepen, blending her silhouette into the dim edges of the room where the harsh light couldn't quite reach. It was a pose she had perfected—a way of making people underestimate her until it was far too late.

Blue allowed himself a small, knowing grin, the kind that barely curved his lips but crinkled the corners of his eyes, betraying a rare moment of amusement. He took his time sliding into the cold, metal chair across from Pink, its legs scraping against the polished concrete floor with a grating sound that filled the otherwise sterile room. He leaned back, deliberately casual, his posture a study in relaxed defiance, stretching his long legs out before him and crossing one ankle over the other.

Without warning, he began to whistle Row, Row, Row Your Boat, letting the simple, repetitive tune pierce the silence with a discordant edge. He kept the notes deliberately off-key, letting them drag out just enough to turn the melody into a grating, jarring sound—something that would irritate her precisely because it wasn't perfect. Each note seemed to echo off the bare walls, bouncing back with an almost mocking persistence.

He saw the faintest twitch at the corner of Pink's mouth, her jaw tightening ever so slightly. But she kept her eyes closed, her lips pressed into a thin line as if willing herself to stay in her relaxed pose. Blue let the melody stretch on, each shrill whistle worming its way into the stillness, knowing that it was getting under her skin like an itch she couldn't quite scratch.

Finally, she let out a long, exaggerated groan, the sound a theatrical, drawn-out complaint that seemed to hang in the air between them. Her voice dripped with exaggerated suffering, drawn out into a comically slow whine. "Blue... come on now. Please tell me you came to break me out already. I'm sooooo boooooreeeedd." The words dragged out of her like she was half-asleep, each syllable stretched for effect.

But Blue caught the edge in her tone, the way she injected just enough annoyance to let him know she was playing along. He couldn't help but laugh, the sound sharp and genuine, cutting through the sterile atmosphere of the room. It reverberated against the cold concrete and metal, turning the stark, impersonal space into a momentarily warmer place.

"Break you out?" he echoed, leaning further back until his chair balanced on two legs, his arms folded behind his head. "Nah, I'm just here to make sure you don't fall asleep on the job."

Pink finally opened her eyes just a sliver, her face barely visible beneath the curtain of her long bangs. The light caught her dark irises, revealing a glimmer of mischief beneath the apparent disinterest. "Seriously though... How much longer do I have to pretend to care about this interrogation?" Her voice came out as a low drawl, laced with the hint of a smirk. As she spoke, she stretched in her seat like a cat awakening from a nap, her back arching slightly, arms reaching above her head until the joints cracked.

Her movements were fluid, each shift of her body betraying the underlying athleticism that belied her deceptively casual demeanor. Her fingers brushed the edge of the table before she settled back, the sleek, subtle strength in her muscles evident in every languid stretch. For a moment, she seemed utterly relaxed—just another restless soul trapped in a dull, bureaucratic room.

But Blue knew better. He saw how the tension in her limbs never quite disappeared, how her gaze flicked toward the door and the holoscreen in the corner, assessing the space even as she pretended not to care. Her energy shifted with the ease of a seasoned performer, oscillating from bored indifference to a playful edge, like a knife turned casually in her hands. She could be on her feet in a heartbeat, and he wouldn't miss the slight twitch of her fingers, as if ready to draw a weapon that wasn't there.

Blue's smirk widened, leaning into the dynamic she had set. "Oh, I'd say you've got a while yet, Pink. Figured you'd appreciate the chance to relax—catch up on your beauty sleep." He kept his tone light, but there was a watchfulness behind his words, a subtle challenge. He wanted to see how long she'd play at being harmless.

Pink snorted, a quick, dismissive sound, her eyes rolling under the fringe of her bangs. "Beauty sleep? Please. As if I need it." Her lips curled into a lazy smile, though there was a sharpness to her gaze that belied the ease of her words. "Besides, this place is dull enough to put me in a coma." Her voice dropped to a lower, almost purring tone, as if she were sharing a private joke. "But don't worry, Blue—I wouldn't dream of leaving you without my sparkling company."

She leaned forward slightly, her elbows resting on the table, chin propped on her hands. Her expression shifted again, slipping into that dangerous, teasing edge. "But really, why the personal visit? Or did you just miss me?"

Blue opened his mouth to respond, but before he could get a word out, Pink's eyes narrowed with an almost predatory interest, a smile spreading across her lips as she took a closer look at him. "Actually, wait a second..." She leaned in, her gaze trailing over his face with a deliberate slowness, studying the fine lines around his eyes, the streaks of silver threading through his hair. "Damn, Blue, you've got some years on you, huh? What happened out there? Did you forget how to use a moisturizer?"

Her fingers brushed the edge of her chin thoughtfully as she continued, her voice dropping to a sultry murmur, clearly enjoying the chance to throw him off balance. "Or maybe you just wanted to go for the whole silver fox look? Honestly, it's working for you. You know, that rugged, 'I've seen some things' vibe."

Blue rolled his eyes, leaning back slightly, but he couldn't hide the slight flush that crept up his neck. "You're one to talk about looking good for your age, Pink. You haven't changed a bit in 10 years."

"Yeah, but we're not talking about me right now," she shot back instantly, her grin widening. "No, seriously, I mean it. Look at you—like, really look at you. What'd you do, hit the gym and decide to bulk up for a decade?" Her eyes roved down his frame, exaggerating the movement just enough to make him shift uncomfortably under her scrutiny. "You've got, what, twenty extra pounds of muscle since I last saw you? Chest all filled out, those arms..." She mimed fanning herself, her grin turning wicked. "Well, someone's been putting in the work, huh?"

Blue felt his face heat up, and he shifted in his seat, trying to steer the conversation back on track. "It's called staying in shape, Pink. You might want to try it sometime instead of lounging around on interrogation tables."

But Pink wasn't about to let him off the hook. She leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, as if they were sharing a secret. "C'mon, Blue, you don't just bulk up like that without a story. Is this some midlife crisis thing? Did you look in the mirror one day and think, 'You know what I need? A few more veins popping out of my forearms?' Or was it for someone special?" She winked, her tone turning sing-song. "Oh, wait, don't tell me. It's for Red, right? I bet she just loves that whole 'strong, silent type' thing you've got going on now."

Blue exhaled, shaking his head, but despite himself, a reluctant smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "You know, you're lucky I've missed your charming personality, or I'd remind you that you're supposed to be answering questions, not asking them."

Pink shrugged, her grin never fading. "Hey, you came here to see me. I'm just making sure I get my money's worth." She reached out, tapping a finger against his jawline with a familiar, almost affectionate gesture, her tone turning softer, more genuine for just a moment. "Seriously though, you look good, Blue. Different, but good. Guess the time apart hasn't been all bad, huh?"

"Seriously though, you look good, Blue. Different, but good. Guess the time apart hasn't been all bad, huh?"

Her words lingered in the air, and Blue's expression faltered. For a moment, the humor in his eyes dimmed, replaced by a deep, aching sadness. It was a brief flicker, but to Pink, it felt like a crack opening in the earth beneath her feet. She saw the way his gaze turned inward, his shoulders sagging under a weight he had carried for far too long.

All the teasing and banter evaporated in an instant, like mist burned away by the sun. Concern swept across her face, sharp and unguarded, the change so stark it was as if a switch had flipped inside her. She leaned forward abruptly, her hands gripping the edge of the table, knuckles going white with the intensity of her worry. Her voice, usually so flippant, dropped to a tone that was almost desperate. "Hey... no, no, Blue, don't do that. Don't give me that look." Her words came out in a rush, all pretense gone, her usual armor shattered by the sight of him looking so lost. "What's wrong? What happened to you?"

Her eyes, wide and searching, locked onto his, demanding an answer. Gone was the playful edge, the coy smile—this was a Pink that almost no one ever got to see, laid bare in her worry for the one person who mattered most to her. It was like the air had been sucked out of the room, and all that was left was her, desperately trying to understand the pain she saw in him.

Blue tried to look away, to hide the vulnerability that had slipped through his defenses, but Pink wasn't letting him. She reached out, her fingers closing around his hand with a grip that trembled, but only slightly. Her voice wavered, but the urgency in it was undeniable. "Don't you dare shut me out, Blue. Not after everything."

Her eyes glistened, and she shook her head, a hint of anger mixing with the fear. "They told me I lost ten years, that it's like I blinked and everything changed. And I know... I know I wasn't here. But I never would've left you behind like that. Not on purpose. You know that, right? You have to know that."

She squeezed his hand tighter, as if trying to anchor him to the moment, to her. Her voice cracked, the edges of desperation fraying her words. "We made a promise. Back in Alphabet, remember? We pinky swore—we'd always stick together, no matter what. I meant that. I still mean it. I don't care what happened, or what's different now... I'm still here. And I'm not letting you go through this alone."

Blue blinked, struggling to keep the emotion from welling up in his eyes. Her hand was warm against his, grounding him, pulling him back from the spiral he felt opening beneath his feet. He swallowed hard, the tightness in his throat making it hard to speak, but he forced a small nod, unable to find words to match the raw sincerity in her voice.

Pink's own voice softened, but her grip never loosened. It was as if she was holding onto him for dear life, and in a way, she was—trying to hold onto the boy she'd known, the one who had been her best friend, her rock. "Whatever happened out there, we'll fix it. We'll find a way. But you've got to talk to me, Blue. You've got to let me help you. Please."

She let out a shaky breath, the tension in her shoulders easing just a fraction, but her eyes remained locked on his, unyielding, determined. In that moment, all of the bravado, all of the careless jokes and the playful barbs were stripped away, leaving behind only a fierce loyalty, a bond that time and distance hadn't managed to break.

He took a deep breath, the air feeling heavy in his lungs, and allowed himself to speak words that had stayed locked away for years.

"After Ceres was destroyed... everything fell apart," he began, his voice rough, edged with a bitterness that made it hard to keep his tone steady. Pink's grip on his hand tightened, a silent reassurance that she was listening, that she wouldn't turn away from whatever he was about to say.

"The Elvanurus were beaten, but not gone. They had stragglers, hiding in every dark corner of the galaxy. Safe houses on planets we barely knew existed, fallback locations buried in nebulae, hidden in the shadow of comets and asteroids. They weren't an army anymore, just scattered pieces... but every piece could still cut deep if we didn't find them first."

He paused, the memories rushing back—fights in dimly lit asteroid outposts, ambushes in the cold void of space, his hands slick with blood as he wrested information from those who'd once been enemies. "The Alliance was scared, Pink. Really scared. Children wouldn't eat. Families huddled together in dark rooms, jumping at every shadow. People were whispering about ghosts, about the dead coming back for them. Even the cities themselves... they started glitching out, systems shutting down one by one because the AIs were gone. The Zords—our best weapons—were offline, like someone had flipped a switch, and they wouldn't come back on no matter how many techs we threw at them."

He could see the questions in Pink's eyes, the unspoken why, the how, but he kept going before she could interrupt. "Nova stepped in to keep things running. Took over the responsibilities across the megacities, managing power grids, supply lines, security protocols. Everything. She kept people safe when the other AIs couldn't. And I—" He hesitated, the next words feeling like a blade he had to drag across his own throat. "I assumed direct military command of the Alliance. Nobody else could do it."

Pink's breath hitched, but she stayed silent, her expression a mask of quiet worry as she listened.

"I hunted the Elvanurus down, one by one. I tracked them through the wreckage of their war, across dead planets and drifting stations. I tortured them, Pink." His voice hardened, and he forced himself to meet her eyes, to let her see the darkness he had tried to bury. "I tortured them for any lead, any scrap of hope that might tell me our team survived. I demanded answers they didn't have, because... because I needed to believe there was still something to fight for. I needed to think that maybe you, Red, Black, all of you—maybe you were still out there, waiting to be found."

The silence between them grew heavy, pressing against his chest. But he couldn't stop now; the words spilled out, jagged and raw. "And when I realized they didn't know anything... when I got bored... I killed them. I killed them just because I could. Because it made me feel like I had some kind of power over a universe that had already taken everything from me."

Pink's hand tightened again, but she didn't flinch away, her eyes wide and unblinking as she took in the full weight of his confession. She had always known there was a darker side to Blue—had seen the shadows lurking behind his eyes—but this...

Blue let out a hollow, humorless laugh, shaking his head. "And the Alliance officers who tried to stop me, who thought maybe I'd gone too far... they all died, too. They met with 'mysterious accidents.' Fatal malfunctions in their gear, sudden shifts in the airlocks... things that nobody could trace back to me. I made sure of it."

He ran a hand over his face, trying to wipe away the memories that clung to him like ash. "I gave into my rage, Pink. I sundered the sky... leveled entire sectors of resistance. And when it was finally over, when there was nothing left to burn, I just... I didn't want to survive anymore. I wanted to go down fighting, or at least... to be with the team, wherever you'd gone.

His voice broke on the last words, and he fell silent, his hands clenched so tightly around the edge of the table that his knuckles turned white. He hadn't realized how much he had needed to say it out loud—to admit that he had wanted to die, that he had nearly lost himself to the darkness that had swallowed everything he cared about.

Pink's expression had softened into something almost unbearably tender, the mask of bravado gone. Her eyes shimmered with unspoken emotions, the sharp edges of her usual sarcasm giving way to a deep, aching concern. She reached out, cupping his face with a hand that trembled, her fingers tracing the rough lines of his jaw, as if trying to memorize the changes time had etched there.

Pink let out a shaky breath, but there was no hint of pity in her eyes. Only a fierce determination. Her voice softened, but the steel in her tone was unmistakable, a quiet kind of certainty that had always been part of her core. She tightened her grip on Blue's hand, making sure he couldn't look away. "Blue, what you did? I would have done it too. And don't think for a second I wouldn't have been far more cruel about it."

She leaned closer, her lips brushing his ear, her voice a low, intimate murmur that seemed to fill the space between them. "That version of you, the one that fought without mercy? It's okay to let him out. You don't have to keep hiding him away like some dirty secret. And if you need that side of you to keep people safe, then don't you dare let them make you feel ashamed of it."

Her eyes flickered, catching the dim light as she leaned back just enough to meet his gaze head-on. There was a raw intensity in her expression, the kind that made her words feel like a vow. "The Elvanurus? They attacked us, no warning, no negotiation.

"Three billion people died the last time this world tried to play nice in war." Her voice hardened, a dark edge creeping into her words, but it never lost the undercurrent of love. "As far as I'm concerned, any Alliance officers who tried to stop you were guilty of treason. And there's only one way to deal with treason."

Her smile curved into something sharper, but the warmth never left her eyes as she cupped his cheek, forcing him to really hear her. "You did what needed to be done, Blue. You made the choices no one else could stomach. And maybe it wasn't pretty, but damn it, I'd rather have you as you are than some idealized version the Alliance wants to control."

Even as she spoke, her thoughts twisted in a darker direction, catching her off guard. This version of Blue—the one who had embraced the darkness, who had done whatever it took to protect what was left of their world—there was something undeniably magnetic about him. It wasn't just the new strength in his frame, the way his muscles filled out his suit or the hard edge that had replaced his softer, younger self. It was the way he carried the weight of what he'd done, the way his sadness and anger coiled around him like a living thing, barely held in check.

And she couldn't deny how much that drew her in, how much she found herself captivated by the man he'd become. Not just the warrior, but the broken parts he tried so hard to hide. The shadows in his eyes, the way his voice turned rough when he spoke of the things he'd buried deep. She could almost feel the heat rising in her cheeks, the way her pulse quickened, but she pushed it aside for now, focusing on making him understand.

She tilted her head, that familiar playful glint returning to her eyes, the one that always meant trouble. "You know, the next time you let that version of you out to play, maybe give me a call first." She leaned back in her chair, folding her arms behind her head as she kicked her feet up on the edge of the table, settling into a casual sprawl that screamed confidence. "I've got my own demons itching to stretch their legs. And together? Well, let's just say the bad guys are in for a real show."

She smirked, a dangerous edge creeping into her expression as her thoughts drifted to the darker places she kept locked away. "Oh, they think they've seen monsters before? Nah. They haven't met us. Not the real us, the ones we keep hidden when the white coats are watching. But we can change that. We can give them nightmares that'll make their worst fears look like bedtime stories."

Blue arched an eyebrow, the shadow of a smile tugging at his lips despite the weight of the conversation. "That so? I remember a time when you used to lecture me about restraint. Something about 'holding back for the sake of the mission,' if I remember right."

Pink rolled her eyes dramatically, letting out a low, mocking chuckle. "Yeah, well, let's just say I've grown since then. Found a new appreciation for a little... creative carnage." Her voice dropped to a purr, dripping with dark amusement. "Besides, someone's got to keep up with you, right? And I'll be damned if I let you have all the fun."

 

Pink leaned in closer, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "Does Red know yet? Think she'd be up for sharing her toys?"

Blue blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the innuendo, but he quickly masked his reaction with a dry smile. He rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. "You're still as subtle as a hammer, Pink."

Pink just grinned wider, her smile turning sharper, as if she was savoring his discomfort. "Come on, Blue, I'm only looking out for you. You've got the whole 'tall, dark, and brooding' thing going on now. It'd be a shame if you didn't use it to your advantage." She traced a lazy finger along the edge of the table, her voice dropping to a teasing whisper. "I mean, just imagine—Red, seeing you all grown up, filling out that suit like a real man. She'd be practically swooning."

Blue snorted, shaking his head, but there was a trace of amusement in his eyes, despite himself. "You've got a real way with words, Pink. It's a wonder you're still single."

Pink let out a dramatic sigh, leaning back in her chair and stretching her arms above her head, the movement drawing attention to the sleek lines of her athletic form. "It's a tragedy, really," she said, her voice dripping with faux despair. "All these years, and I still haven't found anyone who can keep up with me. Guess I'll just have to settle for tormenting you." Her grin widened, turning wicked. "But seriously, Blue, don't go thinking that just because you've got a few gray hairs, you've lost your charm. In fact, I think it gives you a little something extra."

She leaned in closer again, her eyes sparkling with that familiar, dangerous playfulness, her voice turning husky. "You know, a little mystery, a little... danger. It's a good look on you, Blue. Makes me wonder what else might have changed while I was away."

Blue rolled his eyes again, but there was a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You really don't know when to quit, do you?"

"Never have, never will," Pink replied, her tone light but carrying an undercurrent of sincerity. Her expression softened slightly, and for a moment, the teasing dropped away, leaving only the warmth of their old friendship. "It's funny, you know. For you, it's been ten years. But for me, it feels like I saw you just yesterday." She paused, her voice turning a bit wistful, her eyes searching his face. "You've changed so much, Blue. And I'm trying to wrap my head around how different things feel for you. But for me? It's like I just blinked, and there you were—older, different... but still you."

Blue's expression softened, the humor fading into something more genuine as he met her gaze. He let out a quiet breath, feeling the weight of those ten years press against his chest, the memories they carried with them. "Yeah, a lot's happened since Ceres. For me, anyway." He offered a small, tired smile. "But for what it's worth, Pink, seeing you again—it feels like something I thought I'd never get back."

Pink tilted her head, her playful smirk returning, but her voice softened around the edges, holding a note of sympathy. "Guess that's one way to get a head start on aging, huh?" She leaned in closer again, her grin widening with that familiar, dangerous playfulness. "Well, don't worry, old man. I'm here now. I'll just have to remind you what it's like to have me around again."