"So Rian, how's the day job?"
 
Upon hearing the question, the slime creature turned to the anthro snake with a grunt. "Things aren't too bad in the lab," the slime said. "New chemist is joining us this week. How about you, Daryll?"
 
"Pretty good," the snake said. He was kneeling on the ground, carefully listening to the safe's lock. "We're actually getting someone new at the containment too." He smiled. "Not as 'high class' as your job down at the lab, but hey, it's someone. Actually a friend of my original captor, someone I've met before, so I know they're really nice. Guess we'll see if they're a good worker."
 
"Ugh, friends of friends are the worst," Rian said, watching as the snake clicked the safe's first number. "I remember I had a friend of a friend hired at the lab last year--made everything awkward. Couldn't grasp I volunteered to be experimented on, so they decided to quit. Real shame, she was a talented chemist." They scratched their gooey head. "Wonder where she is now?"
 
"How'd a friend of a friend get in on a government job like that?" Daryll asked. He found the second number of the safe.
 
"She knew me from the early days, when I first landed on Earth," Rian explained. "My friend Doctor Gregor worked at the UCD for a long time, and she learned about me through him."
 
The snake nodded. Both of them knew about the Unclassified Creatures Division all too well.
 
He found the third number. "Hey Rian, can I ask you something?" the snake said hesitantly.
 
"Well, you're already asking it, so go ahead," the slime said.
 
Daryll laughed. Rian didn't. Daryll took a deep breath, then asked, "What was it like for you, when you first landed here?"
 
A pause. Rian rubbed his oozing chin. "Terrifying. Not right," they finally grunted. "I didn't expect to crash-land on Earth. Didn't expect to be found by the humans, locked up by their government. Didn't want to work for them. Didn't /want/ them to change my name from that of my homeland."
 
The snake turned to him. Rian was as angry as Daryll had ever seen him; his slime was solidifying with his rage. Then, he released, and became lucid again (both figuratively and literally).
 
"But life brings you unexpected turns," the slime finally said, "and this is one of them. Gotta take it as it comes. And if I all these missions and experiments can get me home sooner, all the better.
 
 
"How about you?"
 
Daryll didn't expect his question to be bounced back--he /should/ have, but he didn't. He turned the lock of the safe, found the fourth number. Then he answered.
 
"Same as you," Daryll admitted. "It was pretty scary. I never expected to be pulled from one part of the multiverse to another, much less one where humans evolved from /apes/!" He laughed, then continued, more somberly. "UCD was nice to me at least. As nice as they could be, when their government wants to use me."
 
Rian nodded. "That sounds about right."
 
Daryll found the fifth number, and the safe clicked open. Inside, the folder sat, information the UCD wanted for themselves. Rian reached over with a solid hand and absorbed the document, making the area around it firm so it wouldn't get wet or distorted.
 
"All done," the slime said simply. "Now to get out of this place."
 
"We could run."
 
Rian turned to Daryll in surprise. The snake stood from the ground, quietly closing the safe. "We can run right now," he said frantically. "Get far away from the UCD, and the lab, and the containments--"
 
"Daryll. . ."
 
"Come on, you know we can do it! When we combine, our human disguise is absolutely perfect! And we can go somewhere the humans can't follow--"
 
"Daryll--"
 
"--like one of their Poles where the penguins live. Please Rian, we can go, I know we can--"
 
"DARYLL."
 
The snake stopped talking, and looked at Rian hopefully. But the slime shook his head. "The UCD has tracking devices. The agency has multiple ways of finding us. If we ran, we'd be dead."
 
"Rian, /please/--"
 
"I'm not running," the slime said firmly. "And I hate to see you go on a suicide mission. But if you're that determined, out of respect I won't stop you."
 
A pause.
 
"I . . . I can't do it without you," Daryll said
quietly. "I /need/ you."
 
"For the human disguise. Yes, I know."
 
"No!" Daryll said. "It's not just that. I need you because I--"
 
"FREEZE!"
 
Both beings turned to see five security guards, all of them pointing guns, and all in shock to see a human-snake-thing and a slime monster stealing from their boss. Daryll looked at Rian with a smirk, and Rian nodded. Then, together, they struck.
 
Rian shifted into a human form, then shot three strands of slime at three of the guards, hitting their heads perfectly to knock them out without fatal damage. Rian slithered to the other two and used his fast fists to render them unconscious. Both of them caught the guards before they hit the ground, and turned to each other with a grin.
 
For a moment, the two sat there, panting as they caught their breath. Then, the snake turned to the slime with a grin, and the two friends high-fived.
"Most flexible agents in the division," Daryll declared.
 
Rian smiled. "Still got it. UCD won't be happy we were seen, but they'll just have to deal with it."
 
They placed the guards gently on the ground. "What were you saying before?" the slime asked. "Before we were so /rudely/ interrupted?"
 
The snake laughed. Then he thought for a moment. Finally, he said, "It was nothing. And . . . I think you're right. It would be a suicide mission. I won't run."
 
"Good," Rian said. "I'd hate to see you die now. We make a good team."
 
Daryll smiled. "Yes, we do."
 
He stood from the ground. "C'mon, let's scram out of here and go get some lunch. I know the perfect place."