Zero looked at the old decrypted factory, one of the many doors missing, windows boarded and broken, bricks missing and chipped throughout the walls. Once a booming toaster factory, later abandoned, it became his home. His and Shrooms home.
He tried to bury that memory again.
He then took a deep breath, the thought of returning to the abandoned "home" frightened him more then it should have. "Come on," he told himself. "You got a promise to keep."
He climbed through the door frame, and for a moment, he remembered his old life. Before the Modifyers. Before his new home. Before Xero.
Xero rushed through the door. "Sorry I'm late!" she shouted as she entered the restaurant, catching the attention of all the customers and employees.
With her face as red as a tomato, Xero quickly found Niki sitting at a booth.
"Talk about making an entrance," Niki said as Xero took a seat.
"Sorry I'm late, my partner kept me up last night," she said instantly regretting phrasing it that way.
"Oh, I'm sure he did," Niki with a level of sass that bugged Xero. "Actually, that's what I wanted to talk to you about."
"What do you mean?" Xero asked as she sipped down some of the complimentary water at the table while trying to get an understanding of where the conversation was heading.
"Your partner Zero, is he single?" Niki asked bluntly.
Xero suddenly started to cough violently. "What," she asked reaching for her own throat, trying to control her breathing.
"Is he romantically seeing anybody?" she asked again.
"He's a Modifyer agent, she said matter of factly. "He can't be seeing anybody romantically."
"So was Zack," she countered, "and everybody knew he was seeing several women at a time."
"Yea, well Zack's not the best role model for anyone," Xero argued. The duo sat in silence as Xero considered her next question. "Why Zero anyways," she tried to ask nonchalantly.
"Because theirs a lot of good aspects about him," she said bluntly.
"Really," Xero said sarcastically, "well, you don't know him as well as I do. There are some things about him to hate."
"Like what?" Niki said calling her bluff.
Xero thought about it for a moment. "Well, for starters, for a smart guy, he's pretty dumb. I mean look at this," she said holding up her flamethrower, " I'm as likely to hurt myself as well as any criminals. And while I'm on the topic, he cares too much, as in he can become pretty reckless. At times putting the mission in jeopardy."
"Like you did last time when you saved him from drowning, appose to chasing after Lacey or Zack?"
"That was different."
"How was that any different then the time he saved you from becoming-"
"Because… he put the mission in jeopardy," Xero said again as though it was more obvious.
"As did you," she countered.
They sat in silence again. "Well are their any good things about him," Niki asked with a look of disappointment on her face. "Well, for a former hobo, he's compassionate, cares for all his friends, not a pompous jerk like Zack, cute… Xero stopped herself as she said the last one.
"What was that last one," Niki asked surprised.
Xero looked flustered as she tried to hide her face with her hands. I said nothing."
Niki looked at her skeptically as Xero tried to gain her composure. "Niki you know you can't be in any sort of romantic relationships. Neither can Zero. You're just going to hurt yourself and him if you pursue this."
"Is that what you tell yourself at night?" she asked bluntly.
Xero looked at her shock. "I-I…h- how.. What?..." Xero stammered trying to find the right words to say.
"You have been crushing on your partner. You care for him more then you should. More then you care to admit to me. To the point that was it him or the mission, you would choose him."
Xero looked at her flustered.
"I'm accusing you, the only other Modifyers agent who regularly bends the rules in her favor, of being stuck self-loathing to break the one rule you actually should."
Xero finally stood up. "Since when did any of this matter to you?" she asked, trying to keep the bitterness out of her voice.
"Xero, while I'm no longer your best friend, a title I had held for so long, that has now, deservingly been bestowed upon your partner, I am still your friend. And I don't want to see you in this painful state."
Xero looked at her skeptically for a moment before sitting back down.
"Besides… Niki said playing with her fingers, "I and some other agents may be in a similar situation." She suddenly made a small gesture with her fingers.
Xero watched in shock as a 'stranger' from another booth rose from his seat behind her.
"Hi," the dark-skinned man said. "I'm Martian." He took a close seat next to Niki, who automatically started to play with his black curly hair.
