The book had left Zero's mouth with little struggle; the book showed evident damage along its spine where his teeth had made contact. But the book was the last thing on either one of their minds.

Zero looked around the room as though he had just suddenly woken up. "Xero," he said as he looked back at her.

"Yes," she said as tears of joy rolled down her cheeks, her eyes glued onto him, her hands still restraining his against the armrest of the couch.

"Xero...why are you on top of me, where is my shirt, and why is my chest covered in gray paint?

"That's not paint," she said as she slowly released his hands.

He quickly brought them to his view. Horror and shock crawled across his face as he tried to whip the color from his skin.

"Wha- wha-what," he stuttered, unable to find his words.

"What matters is that your alive," she said as she now unfamiliar hands into hers. She watched as Zero's skin slowly turned a shade redder. 'Just like anyone else,' she thought. "We need to get out of here," she finally said.

"Right," he agreed, still looking at her.

Neither one of them moved from their position; both only stared at one another for what felt like forever. Xero could now feel her own face burning as she realized she was still on top of her partner. She quickly jumped off of him and threw his scattered clothing at him. "You need to get dress," she said quickly.

"Right," he said again as he quickly tried to stand on his feet, only to fall like a baby deer.

She looked at him as he struggled to stand up, clinging to the couch as best as he could. As he rose, she noticed he was nearly a head taller than her, when before they had been equals in height.

"Focus," she said to herself as she turned away from her partner.

"How are we going to get down," Zero asked as he adjusted his now shorter pants.

Xero paused for a moment as she tried to think her way through, "we cant waltz out, she said to herself, "guards are outside the door… so how do we get out," she said as her eyes suddenly settled on the window and the water pipe leading down bellow.

"I got it! She said as she turned to Zero, "How's your grip," she asked.


"Ready," Xero asked as her partner held onto her or risked falling, his hands wrapped around her shoulders loosely.

"Not really, but we need to get out of here."

"That's the spirit," Xero said as she slowly started to climb the both of them down the gutter, all the while trying not to look down herself.

"So your blue now," she said matter of factly, trying not to think about how high up they were or how bad a fall would be.

"Apparently so," Zero said, fully aware of her intent.

"Everywhere?"

Zeo felt his face burn up, equally cautious on how to answer that question.

Realizing what she had just said, she quickly added, "blue is a good look for you."

"Thanks," he said shakily.

"And your new hair color looks nice," she said, trying to sound natural.

"Because it's a dark blue?" he asked, "or is it because it has light blue streaks like your orange ones?"

Xero felt her grip falter from that comment, her hands stinging as they both slid along the gutter for a moment. She quickly regained her grip. "Sorry, slimy gutters," she said, trying to hide the tension in her voice.

She then realized his hands weren't where they were before the slip.

"Xero," he said coldly, "let's both agree never to talk about this slip again," he said as he held on to her around her waist, his face looking directly into her buttocks.

"Xero felt her face turn a shade of red she didn't know was possible as they both neared the bottom.

Zero finally let go as he hovered above a safe drop, falling squarely on his buttocks.

Xero soon let go as well, landing into his open arms, though he still sat on the floor. "Nice catch," she said as she looked into his newly colored eyes. He didn't say anything as he just looked back at her for what felt like forever, the red on both of their faces only intensifying.

"Excuse me," a familiar voice said behind them.

The duo both turned to see Copo, her gun pointed right at them.

Zero quickly moved Xero off of him and placed himself in between the barrow Copo's gun and Xero. He raised his hands in defense. "I won't fight you. Arrest me if you must. Just let her leave," he said as he struggled to stand up.

They all heard as Copo's radio went off. "Have you found them yet?"

Copo turned to her walkie talkie and activated it. "Negative, Ill keep looking for them."

As Copo lowered her gun, Xero looked at her with relief. "Thank you," she said as she lifted Zero in her arms. He only looked back at her, only now recognizing her from the abandoned building.

Copo only shocked her head in acknowledgment. "You helped me, I've helped you," she said to Zero. "You'll need these," she said as she unholstered their cold and flame guns.

Zero retrieved them, holstering them on his person.

Copo holstered her own. "I'll try to take the heat off of you guys, but don't come back any time soon. Now go before you get caught."

Without another moment to lose, Xero ran through the underground streets, her partner still in her hands, back through the tunnels, and back onto the surface level streets.


"I think I can feel my legs again," Xero said as he lifted himself from the manhole. He stretched his legs, the cuff of his pants now barley above his ankles.

"I'm not taking any more chances," Xero said as she scooped him back up in her arms and ran toward the phone booth that would take them back to thor Modi-blimp; The one that would take them back home.