Kim and Katrien went back into the room and saw Conan, Yam, and Zee all standing and looking out the window.

"What's our status?" asked Kim, putting down Katrien to make sure the kid won't see what's outside.

"There's a lot of them, Cap. And they are attacking the barriers," said Yam. Kim peeked through the window too and saw Evens lurking just outside Sanctuary Four.

"It would probably take them about 30 minutes to get past the barrier and in here," said Zee. She turned to the others. "Why do you guys think they're all here now?"

"They're probably starving and knows that we're here," said Conan. "I experienced the same when I was assigned in Jinhwa. Most of the Evens were aggressive as they haven't eaten for weeks. Maybe that's the reason for the attack this morning too. That's one proof that this area is going to be Even-free soon."

"But how come they gather just around here?" asked Yam.

"Blood," said Kim, turning to the team. "They can still sense the blood from the attack that happened earlier. And the movement they detect from us tells them that we're preys. This is going to be perfect for the bombing later."

"Speaking of bombing, why don't we try using one of the Retter bombs doc Puey gave us?" said Zee, holding the bomb in front of everyone. "Maybe it'll help clear a path for us."

"Good idea, Zee. Let's go ahead and try that." Kim gestured outside and Zee followed her.

"Eat this, s!" Zee detonated the bomb and threw it outside Sanctuary Four.

"Be careful with the words, Zee! There's a child in here!" shouted Yam from the inside.

They waited for a few seconds but nothing happened.

Zee went back in. "The prototype's not working, Cap. I'm sure I've detonated it."

Kim scratched her head absently, disappointed. "I guess we'd have to clear the road first. It's either we attack them now or we wait for them to attack us."

"There are about 3 pairs of Evens in sight, Cap," said Conan, peeking through the window. "Zee, Yam, and I could take them down in about 15 to 20 minutes."

Kim shook her head. "No. That'll leave you exhausted right away. We still have a long way to go. Plus, with that time span, one of them might actually get in here. I say we all go out together and we'll take them down by pair. I'll pair up with Conan. Yam and Zee, you work together."

Zee smirked. Yam just rolled her eyes. "But what about Katrien, Cap?"

Kim looked at the little kid who's staring up innocently at them. "It's best if we'll leave her here in the Sanctuary for now while we clear the path."

"You sure about this, Cap?" asked Conan.

"She'll be safer here." Kim stopped down to level the kid's eyes. "Hey, sweetie. You're a good girl, right?"

"Mmm-mmm. Vewy good giwl." Katrien nodded.

"Good. Now, me and the others are going to go out for a few minutes to clean up the road for you. Could you promise me that you'll stay here while waiting for us?"

The kid looked at everyone again, before looking back at Kim and smiling. "I pwomise."

"That's my girl." Kim patted Katrien's head. She stood up. "We'll be going now. Stay here."

The kid hugged Kim's leg. "Katrien will wait fow you hewe."

"Awe, she really likes you, Cap," said Yam. "So, cute."

Zee, Conan, and Kim just exchanged glances. "Let's go out," said Kim.

They left the room with Katrien waving at them goodbye.

---

"They are doing the right thing: cleaning up the road so Katie won't have to see those monsters," said Pie's mom. She turned to her daughter. "I can see that she's really good at this, huh?"

"Wow. I'm surprised that you're giving her compliments now," said Pie, sarcastic.

"SAU members deserve all the respect they could get. They are risking their lives for us."

Pie shook her head. "You should've shown that respect to her even when we're together."

"It was different that time, Pie. You know for a fact that I never approved your relationship with her. It was just your dad who tolerated you."

"It's because he knows we were in love."

"If that was really love, then how come you two aren't together now?"

Pie took a deep breath and stared at her mom.

Seeing that her daughter is speechless, the older lady continued, "If you were really in love with her, as you've claimed, then how come you still end up marrying a man?"

"Mom, our break up doesn't mean that what we had wasn't real. We wouldn't have lasted seven years if it wasn't. And you saw how badly wrecked I was after the breakup."

"Were you able to find out why Peter keeps on calling you that day when you and Kim were in the hotel room?" asked Jane.

Pie shook her head again. "I was too occupied that time. I didn't answer any of his texts nor calls for days until I totally forgot about it."

"It was me," said Pie's mom. "It was me who asked him to call you."

Pie's eyes widened. "Wh --"

"You two are starting to get along well and I saw that as an opportunity," admitted the older lady. "After I was certain that you're already with her, I called him. Knowing that he likes you already, I told him that I was getting worried and can't contact you."

Pie opened but couldn't speak a word. She looked at her mother with disgust. "W-why? H-how...? Is that how bad you want us to break up?"

"I just think you deserve better, Pie."

"Well, it's not just about me, mom." Pie pointed at the big screen in front of them. "You've hurt not only me but her as well. And she didn't deserve any of it."

"Pie, you have to understand that I did that because I wanted you to be happy. She hasn't been around when you needed her, and I couldn't take seeing you sad all the time. Every time she goes away you die. Do you know how hard it is for me to see you like that?"

Pie rubbed her eyes as if preventing any tears to fall. "I am not questioning your motherly attempt to protect me and make me happy. I understand every part of it. I just wish you hadn't hurt Kim in the process. She's all about loving me and making me happy."

"Control Room, coming in," Kim's voice echoed in the room. Jane, Pie, and her mom all looked up at the screen. The troop is now in the gate of Sanctuary Four, equipped and ready.

"Yes, Captain?" the male operator answered.

"We're going out to clean up the road. Please look over the kid. If you sense something's gonna happen, contact me right away."

The male operator looked at the screen below Kim's, showing Katrien who's sitting on the chair inside Sanctuary Four.

"Copy, Captain."

"Alright. Now, Troop C, it's time for some action."

---

As what they've discussed, Troop C started taking down Evens by pair: Zee's with Yam and Kim's with Conan.

Attack and attack until stagger, then perform the finishing blow -- that's their usual tactics in dealing with Evens.

A normal human eye won't be able to catch up the action. Because of the Booster, SAUs heightened abilities are matching up with those monsters.

It wasn't an easy encounter. The hard rainfall makes it hard for them to take down an Even. They've already taken down about half of the Evens around when the ground started shaking again.

"W-what was that?" said Zee. Everyone stopped moving for a bit.

They stared at the ground that keeps on shaking.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," said Conan.

The ground keeps shaking. The intensity increasing.

Kim felt her heartbeat rising. She knows something that's not good is coming towards them. She hoped that it's not what she's thinking. But she's proven wrong when Yam shouted:

"HERD ATTACK!"

---

Pie stood up from the couch. She knew what those two words meant. She looked around, breathing hard. She saw the shocked faces from the personnel inside. Her eyes traveled back to the screen where her daughter is, peacefully sitting on the chair, her feet rocking back and forth.

"Commander In!"

Pie saw a small woman enter the room. Her face is serious. She went straight to the center.

"What the hell is happening?"

"Commander, herd attack. It means that there's a colony nearby."

"I know. How come we didn't see this beforehand?"

"T-they just suddenly appeared, Commander. We don't know what triggered them."

"How many?"

The personnel looked at the area using the satellite camera. "About 30 Evens, Commander."

"Tsk. ing Evens." Commander In turned to the other personnel. "Get a chopper there now and drop bombs right away."

"B-but Commander, the chopper will be ready in about 15 minutes and the travel time will be about the same."

"I don't ing care. Just send two choppers there now!"

The poor personnel obeyed and went of the room right away.

Commander In motioned towards the mic. "Captain Kim, can you hear me?"

"Yes, Commander?"

"I'm sending two choppers there now to help you get out. Do you think you can last for about 30 minutes?"

There was a long silence in Kim's line before she answered, "I can't confirm, Commander."

"Don't you think it's a good idea to just stay in the Sanctuary while waiting for the choppers?"

"I'm afraid that's suicide, Commander. With the number of Evens approaching, they will be able to easily take down the barriers."

"What do you suppose we do, Cap?"

Kim's breathing can be heard in the line. "We'll try to hold them as much as we can. We can buy time. What's important is the kid's safety."

Commander In massaged her head. "Captain Kim, I command all of you to stay alive."

Kim's exhaustion is evident now in her voice. It took her seconds before finally able to say something,

"We'll try our best, Commander."

---

"What's our gameplan, Cap, to stay alive?" asked Zee, panting.

Kim looked around. "Let's just keep on attacking them. I think it's best if we lure them away from the Sanctuary Four so Katie would be safe."

"Totally agree with you there, Cap," said Conan. "Let's take them to the outskirts."

The troop looked at each other, everyone breathing hard.

"This... this is something we know could happen, right?" asked Yam. "We all knew the risk even before we joined SAU..."

"For... for the safety of mankind," said Kim.

Everyone agreed by nodding their heads. "For the safety of mankind," they all said in unison.

After that, they started dashing away from the Sanctuary. The herd, who are approaching, followed them.

The ground is shaking stronger than ever, like a high-intensity earthquake hit the place.

Then out of nowhere, a loud sound of an explosion was heard near the Sanctuary Four.

The troop stopped.

"Was that the bom--" before Zee could finish her sentence, a huge white smoke spread around the area, covering the whole place. "What the ? I can't see a thing! Whoa!"

"Hey it's me!" shouted Yam. "Captain? Conan?"

"We're here," said Conan. ". It's harder to see now."

All of them stand closer, their backs on each other, their swords out.

"Let's stay like this for now. If you see any figure coming in, don't hesitate to attack," said Kim. She motioned to her radio. "Control Room, visibility in the Sanctuary Four?"

"Zero, Cap. Can't see a thing."

"Can you locate us using our transmitters?"

"Yes, Captain. Sanctuary Four is located 100 meters away from you, 10 o'clock."

Troop C walked towards the Sanctuary with the guidance from the Control Room. There were few Evens they encountered along the way but they weren't as aggressive like before. The Evens seemed weak.

"Do you think it's because of the bomb?" asked Conan. "We can take them down now with one or two blows."

"Probably. And it seems that a lot of them are already dead," said Yam, stepping on one corpse.

"I will really kiss Doc Puey once we get back. That bomb saved us," said Zee.

"Don't celebrate yet," said Kim, attacking one of the Evens approaching her. "They may be weak now but they can still kill us if we're reckless."

It was easy for them now to fight back because the ones who survived the blast were sort of drunk.

They keep on fighting and killing Evens until the smoke started to vanish.

"Captain Kim?" Control Room called. "I have visibility of Sanctuary Four now."

Kim felt relieved. "Where's Katie?"

There was silence on the line and the repetitive sound of clicking mouse. After a few more seconds, the person spoke:

"I can't find the kid anywhere in the Sanctuary, Cap. She's not there."