"Well, here we are, you damn excuse for a leader."
Night had fallen over Gallows Creek. The stars twinkled above, casting a serene glow over the town. The moon painted the streets in soft silver light. Most folks had already taken shelter in their homes, though a few still wandered the quiet town.
"This is exactly why I didn't want to team up with you. You're an immature rookie," Slavik muttered, clearly annoyed.
Jasper and Slavik stood at the entrance of a narrow alley. They had waited until nightfall to move under the radar.
"Shut up. I can't stand people like you. Let's just get this over with—I want to head back," Jasper growled, stepping forward.
"Hold on. Stick to the plan," Slavik said, slowing him down as he moved up beside him.
The alleys of Gallows Creek felt like another world. Outside, streetlamps still burned and the occasional sound of nightlife echoed in the distance, but here, everything was drowned in shadow. Only the stars provided any light—just enough to sketch their silhouettes along the brick walls.
¡Ssshhh¡
"They're already here," Slavik whispered, throwing an arm in front of Jasper.
Jasper halted, scanning the shadows. Small figures peeked out from behind piles of trash, broken carts, and half-open gates. Watching. Waiting.
"Oh nooo, we're lost, my foolish friend!" Slavik suddenly shouted, flailing his arms like he was panicking. "We have money but no map!"
("There's no way anyone's falling for that,") Jasper thought, rolling his eyes at Neo 6's terrible acting.
Ssshhh.
Movement. One of the shadows began creeping behind them, slithering like a rat. Something metallic glinted in its hand.
With a sudden leap, the figure lunged at Jasper. It was one of the children they'd seen earlier, a knife clenched in his hand.
"You've got to be kidding me," Jasper muttered.
In the blink of an eye, his hands morphed into sharp claws. He had copied Lin's ability before leaving the inn, just in case.
He spun and slashed, smashing the boy's makeshift weapon. The child tumbled backward, stunned.
Another kid tried to tackle Slavik from the side.
"This one's mine!" Slavik shouted with a crooked grin, catching the kid mid-air and slamming him against the wall—not lethally, just enough to scare him.
A scream echoed through the alley.
"It's the bad guys! They came for us! Attack!"
From the shadows, dozens of children swarmed out—all barefoot, all under fifteen, their faces smeared with dirt. But their movements weren't chaotic. This wasn't a mob. It was a gang.
One boy stood out—a brown-haired kid with a burn scar across his face. He didn't move. He just stared.
They'd found him. The leader.
"You came for this?" he asked, holding up a wallet—F16's.
"I doubt you'll hand it over if we say yes," Jasper replied with a confident smirk, his claws slowly retracting.
"So… what are you doing here? Don't tell me you're with those crazies in white coats?" the boy said, eyeing them suspiciously.
"White-robed crazies?" Slavik tilted his head. "Not sure what you're talking about."
"Come on, man. Scientists. Those weird people… just look at your friend's hands," he said, pointing at Jasper.
His hands were still claws.
"Alright, you caught us," Slavik said casually. "We're with the XCP Association. We're investigating something strange in your town. We think there's an XCP loose around here."
According to F16, telling the truth was fine. Once they secured the XCP, they'd wipe the townspeople's memories anyway.
"I see… well, you're too late. I don't know if you knew, but all your friends… they're dead."
His voice was dry, but his dark, sunken eyes spoke of something real—something he'd seen.
"Can you tell us exactly what happened?" Jasper asked, keeping his voice steady. He knew this might be their only chance.
"I don't know when it started exactly… but a few weeks ago, two siblings showed up. A man and a woman. Said they'd been appointed as sheriff and town captain. Seemed like good people. Righteous. Human."
The boy looked down. For a moment, he was calm. Then his lips trembled, as if a nightmare had come rushing back.
"One day, they showed up with corpses. But they weren't people anymore… they were monsters. The townsfolk weren't afraid. No… they worshipped them. Followed them. As if nothing was wrong. That day, the people changed too."
"Changed how?" Slavik asked, stepping forward, his voice more alert now. If the kid was telling the truth, they were facing not one—but two—XCPs.
"The people too… the people too—"
¡Pam!
A piercing hiss cut through the air. Before the boy could finish, a shard of ice struck his mouth, freezing it instantly. The ice sizzled like it was born from winter itself.
"Geez. I thought bringing them into the alleys would be enough… didn't expect the idiot to start spilling the story."
A sharp female voice rang from the alley entrance.
Jasper and Slavik turned fast.
The figure emerging from the shadows was commanding. A tall woman with pale skin and eyes black as pitch. She wore a wide-brimmed white hat. A long braid coiled over her shoulder like a snake. And on her chest, a silver badge gleamed. Her hands looked like solid ice—as if they had never known warmth.
One of the XCPs.
"It's the Ice Skull! Run!" the children screamed, scattering in panic.
But the leader didn't move. He stared at her with venom in his eyes. He couldn't speak, but his hatred was palpable.
"Just like he said… they'd send smarter rats to sniff us out," the woman muttered, emotionless. "Didn't expect them so soon. My brother is a fool for being overconfident."
Without another word, she raised her gun.
It was a revolver coated in solid ice. Ancient in design, but radiating deadly intent. She didn't hesitate. She pulled the trigger.
Several icy bullets shrieked through the air. The temperature plummeted.
"Tch!" Jasper reacted instantly. He activated his claws and slashed at the projectiles.
But the moment he touched them, frost crept up his arms, freezing his hands to the knuckles.
"What the hell…!" he muttered, stumbling back.
"Look out, shield!" Slavik shouted, stepping in front of him.
He deflected the remaining shots with his gloved hands.
Metallic clangs rang out—somehow, the gloves resisted the freezing impact.
"What kind of gloves are those…?" Jasper thought, trying to shake off the ice.
Slavik caught his look. "Black nanofibers. Handy in these cases. Only got one pair—don't ask."
The woman frowned. She understood.
She drew a second revolver—identical to the first. One for each hand.
Slavik took a deep breath.
Then, his body began to change, morphing like slime. In seconds, he had transformed into someone Jasper absolutely hated.
"Seriously? Of all people—it had to be V8," Jasper muttered bitterly.
It had taken the form of a V8
"Shut up, rookie. Time for the real leader to step in," Slavik said, now wearing a confident smirk, his eyes locked on the woman.