“Aish. Just tell us where you hid the key! You're already being charged with attempted break in.” The head officer at the Police Station said with frustration. He went by Officer Kwan and had a haughty personality. He was in his late thirties and was the only senior officer on duty during that shift late afternoon shift. The person he was interrogating didn't want to cooperate despite being caught attempting to break into a house by the guard dog.

“I don't have it!” The young man said with the roll of his eyes. He sat arrogantly and checked out Zero who sat off to the side in her regular citizen persona. She had been waiting patiently for Chief Lee who secretly wanted her to meet him at his office in the station. “That hag probably doesn't remember where she left the safe key!”

“Stop looking at that miss and face me!” Officer Kwan smacked the desk with his new file. “Chunjo! She said you were holding her purse where she had left the safe key. You're the only person she told about the safe!”

“I don't know anything!” Chunjo shouted and kicked the side of the desk with his foot. The table shook and made the pens roll off the desk. Zero pulled the lollipop out of with a pop and pointed at Chunjo. She clicked her tongue and Officer Kwan turned his head.

“Check the sole of his shoe.” She said with a smirk, “He was limping when he came in, but he used the exact foot he limped with to kick the desk.”

Chunjo's face completely drained of colour as Officer Kwan understood Zero's tip. The two men immediately stood up from their chairs and stared at each other for three seconds. Once the time was up, Chunjo made a break towards the door, where Zero was about to go after him until he bounced right back from the door and landed on the ground. Chunjo slid far from the door and his shoe simultaneously fell off.

“A-Are you okay?” Doojoon asked, walking over to help Chunjo up. Zero snuck by them and left office. Doojoon noticed her leave, but didn't think much about it and yanked Chunjo to his feet. Chief Lee happened to walk in just when she walked down the other end of the hallway.

“You deceiving punk.” Officer Kwan pulled the key out of the sole.

“What's going on here?” Chief Lee asked.

“Yeonwoo pointed out where that guy was hiding his grandmother's safe key.” Officer Kwan's colleague said from the far side of the room. Doojoon looked out the door curiously, but to only see the girl walking down.

“Alright, if you need me I'll be in my office. “Chief Lee said and followed Yeonwoo's path.

“Wait, who is Yeonwoo?” Doojoon asked, handing Chunjo over to Officer Kwan.

“She was a hostage in one of the recent cases and she often drops by here to express her gratitude to your division who saved her.” Officer Kwan explained and pushed Chunjo along to a holding cell. “She's a cute girl, but sometimes it's a bit creepy that she is so observant. See this guy? She caught him lying by only seeing us together for ten minutes.”

Doojoon excused himself from the office and went down the hallway to the other office where the inspectors were. Like the back secret building, the office was arranged the same and the furniture was placed according to it. No one was inside, but Inspector Choi who was looking over some evidence.

“Good afternoon, Inspector Choi. Did you see the Chief walk in with some girl just now? I think her name was Yeonwoo.” Doojoon asked, leaning on the man's desk.

“Ah... Lee Yeonwoo...She's inside talking to the Chief right now.”


“I heard from the other officers that she was involved in one of the cases from a year ago. What happened?” Doojoon grabbed a chair. He gave Inspector Choi his full attention and hoped that he'll be able to answer all his coming questions.

“It was just a burglary gone wrong. Chief Lee and... Zero saved the day so she often comes by to visit us.” Inspector Choi successfully answered without giving away the actual answered. He respected Zero's privacy and wanted Doojoon to get to know her on his own time. Why did Zero come today as Yeonwoo knowing Doojoon is working here now? If he were to see her eyes, he'd recognize her right away.

“Another question, what kind of a person is Zero? She seemed really prickly when I spoke to her yesterday. She must of been still angry at me for what happened.” Doojoon sighed, “Worse mistake ever.”

“Like you already know, she's mysterious, quiet and not quick to trust others. She'll eventually open up to you if you keep trying when she's here. Just don't take her words to heart, alright? She has a way with words sometimes.”

Doojoon made a face. “She sounds like a scary person to approach.”

“No, she's a sweet girl. She would do anything for  innocent bystanders who gets involved with her tasks. She saved countless of people during her time with us.” Inspector Choi said with a smile. His thoughts traced back to the first time he worked with Zero and how she saved him from almost being fatally shot by a criminal. “She treats her comrades with care when it doesn’t seem like it.”

The door to Chief Lee's opened and the man himself held the door for Yeonwoo to walk out. “Inspector Choi, can you walk Yeonwoo out?”

“Please take care.” Yeonwoo smiled and bowed. “I hope you enjoy the snacks.” She said with a slight hint of aggression. Chief Lee played along and wished for her well being before returning to his office.

“Z-Zero?” Doojoon gasped. He knew he wouldn't be able to forget Zero's eyes. The girl standing in front of him had the exact same colour. The girl kept walking towards the door with Inspector Choi following. “Wait, Zero!”

Yeonwoo stopped abruptly and looked at Doojoon with annoyance. “Why do you keep calling me by that criminal's name?”

“C-Criminal? Aren't you her though? You have the same – “


Her scoff interrupted his train of thoughts and she faced him head on.“I hate criminals of all kinds and especially those associated with the mafia. Don't compare me with that kind of person either.”

“Doojoon, can you look over the files for me? I finished revising the – “

“From what I know, Zero isn't a criminal. If she was, she wouldn't be helping us and saving people.” Doojoon frowned. He was disappointed in himself to mistake a person like Yeonwoo for Zero. Man, if Zero found out I compared this chick to her...Would she kill me on the spot?

“Inspector Choi, you don't have to walk me. I have other plans so I'll be heading out first.” Yeonwoo smiled once more before turning to Doojoon. “I assume you're the new inspector here, right? Hopefully the next time I come by to visit we'll be able to talk properly.”

“R-Right.” Doojoon cleared his throat, “I'll see you again, Ms. Yeonwoo.”

When Yeonwoo left the station, she wiped off her Yeonwoo persona and walked home with thoughts as Zero. She went home and stuffed her gear in a black duffel bag before heading out again. She walked several minutes from her place and into the slumps of the city where crimes often happen. She changed in one of the public wash rooms and made sure that none of the CCTVcameras caught her. Even if there was some nearby, Minhyun was able to turn them off for her since he was using a PC room to cover her.

“What did you want to see me for?” Zero asked, tossing what was left of her lollipop into the garbage. Chief Lee sat on his desk and showed her a picture of a man in his late forties. He had short permed hair and a mole by his upper lip. “Okay, what's in it for me?”

“Zero, help me look for this man. He is the last of the people working on the narcotics for the Blue Clan. He may lead you to your next target and might give you information on the man you're looking for.” He handed her the photo.

“Hmm? Aren't you getting smarter on who I'm looking for. This man should know a lot of people.” She smirked, “As Zero, do I get a higher compensation rate for this if that new guy disrupts me again and if I were to get hurt?”

Chief Lee laughed and assured her that he'll try to keep Doojoon as far away as he could from her. “Be safe.”

She climbed the side of the two story building and snuck down the other side to where the back alley of a restaurant was. She crouched over and walked by with a man pushing a tall cart who went by the alley. She leaped through the window of a worn down chapel and out the side to a quieter street. That very street was known for the amount of black market sellers and gambling happens. She pulled her cap down and concealed her eyes while her mask did the rest of her face. The men lingering around stared at her, but suspected nothing about her being a part of the police. She had a feeling she would encounter people like her target so she refrained from wearing the bullet proof vest. She zipped up her jacket and kept her fast pace down the street. Two men sat at the far side while drinking bottles of soju like it was water. From a distance, they reeked of cigarettes and alcohol.

“When is the new package coming?” A man of skin and bones asked the rounder man next to him. “I need my fix.”


Zero caught word of their old slang and recalled it from when she always heard it when she was younger. She squeezed her hand into a fist despite her leather gloves restricting it from closing all the way. She rolled her wrists and approached them cautiously. She made sure to double check if anyone else was nearby. The restaurant was filled with people in the front so it was safe for her to interrupt them. The thin man glanced over at her, but shrugged her off because she looked like just a passerby.

“How much for a gram, Seller?” Zero asked and lifted her head. The man turned his head and she confirmed his identity right when she saw his face turn white. She lunged forward and kicked the table over to knock the thinner man over. In the middle of the chaos, she yanked Seller out of his chair and threw him against the cement walls.

“Y-You're that person they talked about... T-The bastard who helps the cops...” Seller said shakily and slid down the wall while she went to check on his friend. He didn't understand why his body kept shaking. His first instinct was to run, but his legs felt numb. She rolled the unconscious man over to the door which led to the restaurant. She pulled the chair close to Seller and sat in it with her leg extended flat on the wall. “W-What do you want from me?”

“You realized your people were disappearing one by one, right?” She said in an octave lower than how she normally sounded as Zero. She thought it was necessary to sound different between who she came encountered with. “Unlike the police, I have something rather... personal to ask you.” She smirked and grabbed his throat. “You'll cooperate.”

-~-

Back at the Station, the Inspectors were in a middle of a meeting on their new target that Chief Lee suggested. While they were talking about the pros and cons, an unknown number called the office. Doojoon reached over Minhyun and took the phone without thinking. They stopped their meeting and watched as Doojoon listened to the call.

“I-I'm the person you're looking for... I'm in the alley of Baekji Restaurant...” Seller said with his shaky voice on the other line. Zero had already roughened him up and now held the phone patiently by his ear. “W-What did you want me to say?” He asked her, but she only shook her head. She raised her fist at him and made him flinch. He backed his head into the wall and held out his arm to cover himself. “A-Ah, right. I-I will be waiting for you to arrest me for previous charges... DOES THAT SATISFY YOU ZE –“

The call suddenly ended and Doojoon gathered his things. “Sir, Seller just called and he told me his location. We have to go get him.”

Chief Lee smirked and took his jacket off his chair. “You heard him. Let's go.”