Zero looked back at the two "men" that were staring him down. One of the "men" had characteristics like a rhino, a horn in place of his nose, armored like skin covering every inch of him, and 2 beady eyes.
The other "man" had yellow scales, fangs sticking out from his lips, his eyes red like blood.
Even the woman looked off. Her face was ice white, her long hair a silvery color despite her age, and her eyes, like ice.
"Boa, he doesn't look like a cop," the humanoid rhino said to his partner.
"Horn Nose! We talked about not using our real names!" Boa yelled.
"Stop calling me Horn Nose! Its H.N," he said his frustration rising, "besides you just used my name."
"You're using your own name!" Boa yelled back.
They both then turned their attention back to Zero.
"Well he's not freaking out," Boa said, "so he's not a cop." He took a moment to think who Zero was. "He must be a Modifyer agent."
"We have no beef with you agent," H.N said, "So just turn around and walk away," he warned.
"Help me," the woman pleaded, only to have her mouth covered.
"Yea," Boa continued, "were only humanoids, and we ain't part of Vein's society. So just walk away."
"I'm sorry," Zero said holding his ground, "I can't do that."
H.N just popped his joints. "Ok then. Your funeral," he said charging at him.
Without missing a beat Zero froze him completely, his frozen form stuck in his running position, the only sound being his muffled scream.
Boa quickly threw his prisoner to the floor and climbed over H.N and lunged over Zero, grabbing his coat and tossing them both down the stairs, Zero's cold gun leaving his grasp on the way down.
Boa lunged off of Zero as they reached the bottom of the stairs, making sure Zero took the last hit.
Zero quickly got up and looked around in the darkness, his hand instinctively reaching for his old gun, only to find it missing. "Where are you," he asked, fully aware the answer wouldn't be revealed.
"Everywhere," Boa said, his voice echoing through the building. "We humanoids have been around since the beginning, always hiding in the shadows."
"What are you? Mutations?" he asked hoping to keep him distracted as his eyes started to adjust to the darkness.
"No, just born different. In some rare cases made different. But superior nonetheless."
Zero continued to look around the room, his eyes barely able to make out silhouettes.
"How do you think someone like Vein can get minions like us," Boa continued, "we are an untapped market."
"I gotta know," Zero said into the darkness, "did that woman mount your butts onto a plaque on her wall," he said sarcastically.
"What we can't have a chat with the Mayor's daughter?"
"The mayor?" Zero said surprised, "Mayor Warhearts has a daughter?"
Before he could ask another question Boa jumped from behind him and bit him on the shoulder. Zero let out a loud yell as he through his attacker over his shoulder.
"Feeling alright buddy," Boa asked as Zero started to feel dazed.
The woman awoke to see only chunks of ice where H.N once stood, and beyond that, a weird looking gun.
"Amazing," Boa stated genuinely surprised, "that amount of poison should kill you, yet you only appear dazed. Tell me, have I bitten you before?"
Zero tried to throw a punch, only to be tripped over.
"What did you come here for anyway?" Boa asked.
"Just some books," Zero admitted as he struggled to stand back up.
"I gotta admit," Boa continued, "never seen one of your kind stand up to well to a humanoid without their gadgets. You sure your not one of us?"
Without losing a beat, Zero lunged up and socked him across the face knocking him out cold. "I'm sure," Zero said.
"Watch out!" a voice from above the stairs yelled.
He looked up to see the white-skinned woman. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw H.N charging at him.
Zero moved out of the way, barely getting grazed on the side. But before he could gain his footing H.N lifted him above the ground by the collar of his coat and threw him against the wall, knocking the air out of his lungs.
Zero tried to get back up again, only to be lifted up again by his collar and the seat of his pants and thrown onto the ground.
"I warned you," H.N said as he pressed his foot on Zero, intending to use all his force to crush his ribs in.
"Stop!" a voiced yelled. H.N turned and saw the pale woman, Zero's cold gun in hand. "Leave now!" she warned.
H.N looked at the barrow of the gun, out cold partner, and at his chances. And even to his dull mind, he knew his odds.
He removed his foot from a top of Zero, snatched up his partner over his shoulder and prepared to leave.
"This is not over Snowflake," he warned as he stormed out.
She waited a moment until she was sure he was gone. She then kneeled besides Zero. "What are you," she asked as she laid his cold gun on the floor.
Before Zero could ask her anything, she scurried away.
Zero clutched at his still bleeding shoulder and at the stairs and collected his strength to ascend back up for the books.
