Xero pulled out her flamethrower and started running up the stairs to the balcony.
"Xero wait!" Zero yelled chasing after her.
Mole just laid on the floor, his mind syncing back into place. "Mole are you alright. Mole let me help you up," he begrudgingly muttered as he got back onto his feet. "Why don't those two just get a room already?"
Xero kicked down the door she saw Roach run-through, her flamethrower at the ready. A look of confusion quickly spread across her face as she looked through the Roach-free room. "Where did he go?" she asked as she cautiously walked inside.
She turned as Zero rushed beside her.
"Where did he go?" he asked equally confused.
"I'm not sure," she said as she looked around, seeing no other exists. "Your guess is as good as mines."
"You don't suppose he has the ability to shrink to the size of a common roach?" he asked unsure whether he just said a joke or an unknown fact.
Before either one of them could say another word, a large figure dropped behind them from the ceiling, and one quick swoop, the figure snatched their heads and knocked them together, knocking them both out.
"No, I can't shrink," Roach said as he walked around his now unconscious prey. "But I'm good at clinging onto surfaces."
Xero eyes popped open, her head spinning, her arms bound by chains, her hair… falling down.
"Zero, you up," she asked as though it were a morning routine. She could feel something, or rather someone bound to her.
"I'm right behind you. Literally," he said as he struggled against the chains for a moment. "Be aware, the floor is acid."
"What?" she asked as she looked in the direction her hair was going, only to look directly at a vat of chemicals. The smell alone enough to make one sick. "What else I miss?"
He let out a frustrated sigh. "He's waiting to monologue."
"Oh no."
They suddenly heard the same raspy voice from beside the control panel. "For far too long my brethren have been exterminated by your kind. Your chemical warfare taking their lives, and you show little to no remorse."
"So what's your plan?" Xero said in a mocking tone, "you're going to terrorize a group of picnickers?"
"Probably with his buddies, The Army Ants," Zero said in the same mocking tone.
"Careful, they might get into the potato salad," she warned.
Roach looked at them unamused. "Unfortunately for you two, your humor won't release you from your chains. But it's like they say, laughter is a good distraction,"
he said as he pulled a lever on the control panel.
The duo can feel the chain give way a little as they slowly started to descend towards the hazardous chemicals.
"Now if you comedians don't mind," Roach said as he made his way towards the door, "I would rather not be here when the search party discovers what remains they can scrap together," he said as he made his escape.
Xero let out a cough as they inched closer and closer to the chemical, the fumes already becoming nauseating. "Zero… I need to tell you something."
"Can it wait," he asked as he started wiggling within their chains.
Xero looked toward the acid, "It's kinda important, and I think we're kinda limited on time."
"Relax, I got an idea or at least parts of an idea."
Xero looked toward the acid again. "I'm all ears."
"I have some emergency liquid nitrogen capsules that I use for my cold gun, but I can't seem to reach them."
"I think I can," Xero said as she flexed her wrist around. "Where did you say they were?" she asked as she started rummaging through his utility belt.
"Back pocket," he said as she reached her hand there. He suddenly started to squirm. "Hey! I said in the pocket! In the pocket!"
"Sorry, sorry," Xero said as she felt a warm flush, and an unintentional smile crawled across her face. "Ok, got them," she said as she held onto two, cold to the touch, capsules.
"Now we got to time it just right," he warned. "Too soon and the chemicals will melt the ice before we reach it. Too late… then we might as well get rid of all nearby reflective surfaces."
Xero didn't answer, she only looked at the chemical bath before them, the heat from it so intense, her hair was starting to feel like straw; the fumes becoming so strong that neither one of them could say any more unnecessary word through the thick air.
"Now!" Zero finally yelled.
Xero instantly dropped the capsules within the chemicals without a second to lose.
The Roach ran through the back doors as quickly as he could, hoping to put some distance between him and the factory.
"Hello Roach," a mysterious voice said behind him.
"He turned quickly to see a woman; she had turquoise and purple-hair. Her hair matched her clothing attire, with purple leggings and sleeves, being the only other color. Ut it was her eyes that startled him. They were a sickly yellow with blood-red pupils.
"I don't want no trouble," he said cautiously as he started to back away.
"Oh, you're not in trouble. My father, Baron Vain, would like to meet you."
He stumbled for a moment from hearing that name. An audience with Baron Vain was never a good thing. Some never come back from their meetings. "And if I refuse to meet with him?"
Suddenly a large figure fell behind him. Dressed in all black with what looked like a gas mask on his face, but in place of his eyes were two laser-like lights that moved as though they were pupils. "He Formally invites you. I suggest you take his invitation," he said placings an iron grip onto his shoulder.