Xero slowly walked into the old yet cozy doctor's office. Certificates hung on broken frames and papers were strewed about all over the desk. But the fire within the fireplace made the room a warm yellow color.

"Hey," a familiar voice spoke softly in the warm room.

"Zero," she said excitedly, quickly turning away from the fire and towards the sound of his voice. It was then that she saw him. He laid across the couch, an IV attached to his arm, his shirt had been removed and laid on the ground. She could finally see the extent of the bite mark; the flesh around the wound was a sickly grey, and what looked like a mixture of blood and pus oozed out of it. His face looked pale, tired, and sunken.

"Dear god," she said as she rushed towards him.

"Xero," he asked, somewhat dazed, somewhat confused, "They took you too?"

"No," she quickly replied, "I came down here to find you."

"You mean what's left of me," he said gloomily. He then turned away from her.

She kneeled beside him, her eyes filled with pity and sadness.

"So what are my odds?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

She placed his hands within hers. "A full recovery," she said trying to sound as reassuring as she could.

He slowly turned back to her, his misty eyes staring back at her dead on. "I'm scared," he whimpered.

Unable to hold back any longer, she released his hands and embraced him in a gentle hug. "Its... ok to be scared," she said, struggling to hold back tears that she fought, struggling to be strong, not just for herself but for both of them. Her head rested on his shoulder and his on hers.

His hands were now wrapped around her in their hug. But Xero could still feel her heartbreaking as Zero's cough came back with a vengeance and his breathing became more labored. She finally released him from their hug and laid him down against the couches' arm.

"Thank you for being here," he said weakly.

Xero looked at him, as though if she were to stop, he would cease to exist. She searched for the courage and words she had been wanting to say for a long time. "Zero… I-." her words were suddenly cut off as someone rushed into the room, slamming the door behind them.

Dr. Hyde rested against the stone wall, his work was never easy, especially whenever Vain was involved. But then again he did pay well and wanted only the best.

"Is it done?" Zack eagerly asked behind him.

"The easiest part is tearing them apart. It's putting them back together that is the hardest part."

"How long till we can see it in action," Zack asked, impatience oozing from his voice.

Hyde looked at him sternly, "rest is needed before anyone of my creatures can be deployed into the field."

Zack looked back at him, his red-tinted eyes unflinching as he looked back at the mad doctor. "How long," he demanded.

Dr. Hyde turned to the clock. 11:45 pm. "At least another few hours. No sooner than 6 pm tomorrow."

"It's hideous," Lacey said as she walked through the door, instantly getting an eyeful.

"It is beautiful," Zack said as he took several steps towards the "new and improved roach."

Xero was quick on her feet, already moving in a defensive stance in front of her partner. "Who are you," she demanded. She looked the woman up and down. She wore a lab coat and scrubs. Her blonde hair a web of knots and tangles.

"I don't have a lot of time," she said as she carried her bag to the nearby desk. A pair of spider-like arms extended from her back as she laid down her bag and started pulling out vials to inspect, shaking a few of them in hand. "I'm his doctor, but city hall voted to stonewall me. Through my lack of action your friend here will die," she then turned her attention to the window and rushed to open it. "Nice view."

Xero slowly turned to her friend, the full gravity of the situation made her then optimistic stomach sick.

"I had to convince the officers waiting outside that door that I had left some equipment in here," she said as her additional arms continued to pull out vial after vial. "Unfortunately," she said as she found a vial that she held onto longer than the rest, "I couldn't find the one I was looking for," she said as she laid a pale blue vial on the table, "the one he needs."

She quickly closed her bag back up, the pale blue vial staring back at Xero. Xero then looked back at the doctor, already at the door.

"Every last drop," she whispered as she reached for the knob.

"Thank you ms…"

She stopped for a moment, hesitant to give her name. "White. Charlotte White," she said as she exited the room, making sure to lock the door behind her.

Xero didn't hesitate. As soon as the door closed she rushed for the vial before anyone else could stop her.

She rushed to her fading partner. "Zero… everything is going to be alright. This can save you."

He looked at the vial suspiciously, then at her. He then nodded in agreement.

She gently raised his head and brought the vial to his lips, watching as every drop went down. They both then held their breath for what felt like minutes.

After a minute Xero opened her eyes to see if anything had changed.

Nothing.

"Zero," she said remorsefully, placing her soft palm on his face, "I am so sorry," she whispered to herself.

He didn't react. He didn't cry or beg. He simply closed his eyes and leaned his head against her hand.

Xero felt tears run down her cheeks as their last hope failed right in front of her.

"Wait," Zero said as his eyes popped open. "I feel something… warm… no hot…" he said as a tinge of panic entered his voice.

He suddenly started to jerk on the couch, writhing in pain. "Oh god, she didn't say it would hurt this much," he said struggling to stifle his screams.

Xero quickly rushed to the bookshelf, grabbing the first one she could find. "Bit on to this or the cops outside might hear us," she said as she gently placed the book in between his mouth.

He quickly clasped onto the book, instinctively bringing his hands to his body, clawing and scratching himself as though he were covered with fire ants.

Xero quickly grabbed onto his wrist and using all her weight, she pulled them to the headrest of the couch.

It was then that she realized there was banging at the door. She tried to ignore the sounds, focusing instead on Zero's hands. "I'm not letting go," she said as she kept a firm grip on his wrist. It was then that she saw the things of nightmares.

She had thought that the sound was coming from the door hinges. But as she looked at the hands and the floor, she realized the sound was that of fingernails falling on the ground. She was holding onto claws, like that of a carnivorous bird, with no sign that nails ever belonged on these hands.

She quickly brought her own hands to her face and fought the urge to vomit.

As soon as she had lifted her grip, Zero's hands automatically came back to himself, clawing and scratching, drawing small bits of blood. This time he sat upright, as though that would stop the pain.

Xero was quickly back on feet attempting to pull his hands behind him to no avail. Without waiting another moment she jumped on top of him, pushing his arms against the armrests.

It was then that she got an eye full of her partner. While physically he looked the same, the differences were unforgettable. His skin had changed from a healthy flesh tone to a pale gray/blue color, his black hair had changed into a dark navy blue, now adorned with a light blue stripe, not too dissimilar to her own orange stripes.

His fingers were now claw-like with black rings like those from a tree trunk around them.

It was then that she saw his eyes. The whites had turned yellow, and the brown had turned crimson red.

But his eyes. They didn't look at her with malice. Instead, they looked at her with pain in them. Sorrow. But they were the same eyes she had looked into before.

She continued to look at his eyes as she slowly grabbed the book and removed it from his mouth. His struggling, his pain, and screaming, even his… metamorphosis, complete.