"Oh, there you are," Zero said as he strolled toward Xero. In both of his hands were two rolls of cotton candy wrapped on paper tubes. "I thought I lost you," he said sheepishly.

"You didn't," she said as she smiled warmly at him.

He just smiled at her warmly.

"Is that for me," she finally asked, pointing towards the blue roll of candy.

"Oh, yes, yes," Zero said as he handed over the delicious treat, his face quickly turning into a light red shade with embarrassment.

"Thanks," she said as she tore off a bit of the sweet candy as they continued their walk, all the while her eyes were anxious with anticipation. "I finally know what I want," she thought to herself. "Yet, despite everything I have done, before and since meeting him, this is the most scared I have ever felt." She then looked back at him as he laughed at one of the attractions they passed. "But I have to know if what I feel is one-sided or shared. I have to tell him." her eyes then drifted to where she hoped to tell him what she felt.

"So, what did you win," he asked, breaking her out of her train of thought.

"Well, she said sheepishly, bringing up the brown paper bag in her free hand, "I got us a shared prize. She quickly handed Zero her half-eaten cotton candy and pulled the plush bears from their brown bag.

Zero just smiled softly at her as he saw the bears, instantly understanding why that prize had caught her eye. "I swear they have an uncanny resemblance to someone I know," he said playfully.

"Oh really," she said as she undid the velcro binding the bear's hands together. "So then, which one do you like from the pair. Which one is calling to you," she said as she extended both to him, waiting for him to pick.

That warm smile, the one that she was after, returned to his face. "To be honest, I find myself drawn to the pink one in white overalls. It reminds me of someone really special to me."

With that, she handed him the pink bear, and he passed her back her cotton candy.

A small smile came to her face as she looked at him, "Your special to me too," she said weakly, surprised not only to hear him say that but for it to flow out of her own mouth.

"So," he said before taking a bite out of his cotton candy, "what else do you feel like doing?"

Her eyes finally drifted away from him and focused beyond him, to her desired place where she hopped to confess all she had left to tell him. "That Ferris wheel looks pretty nice," she said as she took another nibble off of her cotton candy.

The elevator finally chimed as Susan and Katz reached the detention center. They quickly vacated the elevator, going down two different hallways.

Susan tried to relax as she walked past the numbered cells. Yet she couldn't help to think about all the people she was passing, people that needed help but would not receive it. At least not yet.

She suddenly stopped as she reached cell number 11-24-64. She gently pressed her ear against the door, hearing only a low singing coming from within. The voice sounded familiar yet horsed.

Susan slowly retrieved her key and opened the large cell door, cautiously crossing the threshold into the cell. Only now could she clearly hear the singing.

"You are my sunshine… my only sunshine," a weak voice slowly sang.

"Juno," Susan called out too as she approached the sole occupant within.

"You make me happy… when skies are gray. You'll never know dear… how much I -" the singing suddenly stooped, and the thin, pinked haired woman turned to Susan.

"No… no… no," Juno yelled as she started to crawl away.

Susan quickly removed her mask as she saw the terror in Juno's eyes. "Juno, it's me."

She quickly stooped and stared back at her. "Susan?" she said weakly. "It can't be."

"It is. Katz and I are here to rescue you and Jay."

"No… this is a trick," Juno said as she started to crawl back.

'No, it's not," Susan said as she pulled out her camcorder and flipped it to her to see.

Juno watched in awe as a pink and orange-haired girl, or perhaps a young woman, sat on a swing on what looked like Susan's property. While the video was from afar, she could still make out the details.

"Xero," Juno said weakly, "my precious daughter. My sunshine." she then turned her gaze back to Susan. "Susan…" she said as the woman with the outstretched hand, offering to help her up.

Juno slowly reached out and accepted the hand.

Katz rushed eagerly through the halls. "The sooner we're gone, the better," he thought to himself.

He finally reached his desired cell, 06-02-19. Without a second thought, he placed his key within the door and rushed inside.

Before he was even three steps inside the cell, he was punched in the stomach and placed within a chock hold.

"Looks like you guards forgot to come in pairs today," a gruff yet familiar voice said.

Katz struggled against the bulkier man. He tried pulling himself free to no avail. Out of desperation, Katz finally reached and removed his mask.

"It can't be!" the voice said as it released him.

Jay quickly released Katz from his hold, letting him fall to the ground.

Before Katz could stand back up, Jay's hefty foot laid on top of him.

"Quick," Jay said, "what is something that only Katz would know."

Katz looked at the red-headed man with despair in his eyes. Not because of his situation but because of what he knew. "I was the one that sent you both on your final mission. The mission that landed you both here. I had promised that it would only take a weekend. A week tops. We were so sure you left your only daughter in my care till you returned."

"What was the mission," Jay asked, not because he had forgotten, but because he wanted him to say it out loud.

Katz only looked at him with despair. "Your mission, if you chose to accept it, was to start diplomatic relations between the then mayors of Forgo City and the underground city of Redemption. We had hoped that by uniting the two cities and repairing relations, we could prevent Vein, and others like him, from using the people of Redemption for their superhuman abilities. Furthermore, we had believed that if we organized talks outside of the city, we would be safe from Vein's prying eyes."

"It wasn't far enough," Jay finally said. "When Vein found out what we were plotting, he attacked our plane en route to the negotiations."

"The negotiations never took off," Katz said sadly.

"But Vein or any of his henchmen would know this info. so how do I really know it's you."

Katz looked at him again. "Because when you left your daughter with me, you took me aside, out of earshot of even your wife, and made me promise up and down that if anything were to happen to you both, that I would never train Xero to be a Modifyer agent."

Jay's eyes light up, and he finally removed his foot from Katz's chest. For Katz, and Katz alone would know this secret promise.

Lacey looked at Zack with concern. Not for his safety but out of fear of what her father might say. "I still think tonight is too soon," she aid raising her objection again.

"Roach has healed up already. The doc says he's good to go. And your 'father' did say to be active. No better way to be active than a little terror."

"But if this plan works, we'll have to deal with Xero and her group," Lacey pressed.

"I'm counting on that." Zack then turned to her, his robot-like mask hiding his expression. "You're not hesitating, are you?"

"I shot him last time," Lacey said, already knowing what Zack was referring to; the thought of her actions on that dam etched onto her brain.

"Yet your shot was neither a kill nor maiming blow. And you are supposed to be a crack shot," Zack pressed.

"I threw him off the power dam and rescued you!" she yelled at him.

"Yet he still lives!" Zack yelled, his voice echoing through the sewer tunnels.

"Are you questioning my loyalty to fathers vision?"

"What I'm saying is, I'm not sure if you are over him, and I'm warning you now… if I get the opportunity to end either or both of them, it would be best if you don't get in my way."

Lacey looked at him with a stare that could burn metal. But, behind those eyes, Zack could see a glint of red. "Don't you dare threaten me, Zackery. Those agents may have chosen never to end you, but I am no Modifyer agent."

Zack, behind his mask, looked unmoved by her threat. "We'll see about that," he finally said as he turned away from her, a pair of gloves attached to his hands, gloves that Lacey had seen one of his members of Modifyer deserters tinkering with.