"You sure you can do it this early?" Kai-sshi asked me warily as we both stood in front of a warehouse, presumably one owned by the SkullBeaters. I took a deep breath as I scaled the infrastructure. You can do so much when your warehouse is this big. I wasn't answering him yet verbally but I looked at him and let myself smirk.

 

"It's better that I begin engaging in a new life now, so that I could get over the past sooner." I said when he gave me a look, prodding me for an answer in words.

 

"I already told you last night before you slept that the best way to win those guys is to act fierce. I'm pretty sure you will have no problems doing that, but I suggest you put it into the hugest practice. The moment they threaten you, threaten back. Be stoic when they joke with you. That way, you can establish a certain distance, and they might not tell you this.. but you also establish authority with them if you do that." He told me, explaining his advice last night. I reached into the pocket of my shorts and gripped that oh-so-familiar switchknife that Taemin-ah... I mean Taemin-sshi... gave me.

 

"Oh, and by the way, I discovered last night that your switchknife actually contains a tracking device. I just pried it open, removed the darned thing, and pieced it back together again before destroying the chip. I hope you don't mind." Kai-sshi suddenly opened, and I looked at him in surprise.

 

But instead of a scowl lining my mouth, an impish grin curved the corners of my lips.

 

"Wow. I was gonna ask you to remove it if it hasn't been yet. So you saved me there." I told him before releasing a chuckle, to which he shook his head to... with a smile of course.

 

"Kaja. It's time to shock my SkullBeater members." He cheerily told me, and with a final smile towards his direction, we strode through the doors of the group warehouse.

 

"Yo!" Kai-sshi shouted to two familiar figures sitting beside each other. One was dabbing cotton to the other's shoulder. The blond had his full clothes on, while the dark-haired young man had nothing covering his upper body.

 

They both looked up at the sound of Kai-sshi's voice...

 

... and both their eyes widened.

 

"Wait... isn't that..." Youngmin-sshi asked in awe while looked at me in surprise, and as both he and his twin jogged towards me.

 

"...the ." Kwangmin-sshi completed before attempting to slash me with a knife that seemingly came from nowhere.

 

But I knew better, I immediately opened my switchknife and shielded Kwangmin-sshi's attack, as if nothing was wrong. The moment he applied a force to bring the knife closer to me, I exerted all effort and pushed him away.

 

"If you term Shirin as 'the ', then that's her alright." Kai-sshi added, a chuckle escaping his lips as his dark-haired dongsaeng looked evidently defeated by a girl.

 

"What the hell is she doing here, Hyung?! And worse, why are you with her?!" Kwangmin-sshi exclaimed to his hyung's still laughing frame, and when Kai-sshi had subdued his laughter, he spoke again.

 

"Well, this young lady right here... actually isn't a Song. She just found out last night that the Song Bastards had been lying to her for all her life... and it looks like she's out for revenge. So cut her some slack, will ya?" He said, before ending it in a joking manner.

 

The twins just looked at me suspiciously, like they're doubting my intentions, but even before they could scrutinize me even further, I already answered their silent questions.

 

"No, I'm not here to spy on you guys. I wouldn't be the one here if the ReapedSouls planned for it to be that way. Besides, do the ReapedSouls people look like they would do that kind of thing? You DO know that they care a lot about how they do stuff... and spy-sending isn't an option for them. Take my word for it."

 

The twins just looked at each other with shocked expressions, like they were astounded that I had read their minds or something. Then, after just a few moments, a look of recognition crossed their expressions and they gazed at me mischieviously.

 

"Then, let's have our first spar then. You against the both of us." Youngmin-sshi began as he led me towards the center of the first division of the warehouse.

 

"Why the heck would I agree to that?" I asked, one of my eyebrows rising. My voice was almost hissing in acidity, and I huffed a sigh of irritation after I asked.

 

"Think of it as a... rite of initiation." Kwangmin-sshi said before poising his unscathed arm into the air, where a loose water pipe was there in his grip. I looked at Youngmin-sshi and saw that he was holding the same.

 

I began to fear for myself at that very moment as I analyzed my standing.

 

Both of my opponents have weapons, and I would perhaps only fight with my bare hands. Chances are, I'd be hit by one twin's weapon while I'm blocking the other one. If I don't get anything while I'm 'sparring' with them, I'd be fatally injured.

 

Being a girl doesn't help one tiny bit.

 

Except for the speed and flexibility, though. That might be a plus for me.

 

I looked at Kai-sshi's worried face, and just nodded, letting him ease for a bit.

 

I'd just have to find a way, then.

 

"Ready?" Came Youngmin-sshi's voice and with a nod, he and Kwangmin-sshi charged towards me.

 

But knowing what their technique will be, I made no move to hold Kwangmin-sshi's pipe, dodging it once and taking as a chance to quickly lie on the space of concrete beside him and kicking him from below. As his body crashed to the ground, I quickly stood up and analyzed my next moves, seeing that Youngmin-sshi was about to attack.

 

I noticed that he was going at me with his pipe positioned directly at me, like he was going to stab me with it. Knowing what his move might be, I crunched down and kicked his arms, causing him to lose the weapon, and I did one of my most favorite moves that I learned in gymnastics back in my first year in university.

 

I jumped and used Youngmin-sshi's shoulders to pull myself into a handstand on his shoulder and letting myself fall on the other side, kind of like tumbling over his body, before turning around and kicking him by his back, causing him to be pushed towards, and to fall back on, his twin who was still struggling to get up.

 

As both twins tried to pull themselves into a standing position, I just smiled at them and asked.

 

"So, is my initiation over now?"

 

But it seems like those two won't give up as the immediately conjured ideas to get me in their power.

 

"Yeah, and it looks like you'll be joining the other females of the SkullBeaters very soon..." Kwangmin-sshi began as he walked towards me.

 

"... on top of my bed." He finished his sentence before making a move to reach out to touch that firm muscle below my back.

 

"Oh no you don't." I muttered before I slid away from Kawingmin-sshi's arms and wove through the middle of his legs, escaping his hold and getting out of his bond. Then, I did a roundhouse kick from below, making him fall on the floor by his bum.

 

"I'd take it as her initiation's over. We're gonna go now if you don't mind. See you guys." Said a smirking Kai-sshi at the Jo Twins still lying on the floor and unable to stand up.

 

= = =

 

"She's... amazing." Myungsoo whispered as the forms of Kai and Shirin exited the coverage of the lens of one of their hidden cameras inside the warehouse. Perhaps, they're going to his office, he deduced, and thought that he should be prepared anytime.

 

L.Joe, on the other hand, looked on in awe at what had transpired in front of his eyes as he watched the movements from the TV screen. Shirin had single-handedly defeated two of their skilled fighters without any weapon on her.

 

Well, she had a switchknife with her, but she didn't even touch it when her spar with the twins took place. 

 

This was an outrageously good performance for a fight... especially by a girl.

 

"So, Hyung. What do think? You've been curious on why Kai-yah has been missing from brotherhood trainings and stuff, and this clearly shows you where he's been." L.Joe asked his hyung, who just huffed a sigh before answering.

 

"I'm placing full trust on Kai-yah this time, L.Joe-yah. This Shirin girl could be a good asset to us, not as a comfort woman... but a fighter. We actually have an ace now against the ReapedSouls. With how good she fought the twins earlier, I would've ranked her with the group killers."

 

Myungsoo had looked on seriously at the warehouse CCTV footage with L.Joe beside him. It suprised them that she would even consider joining the SkullBeaters after all she had gone through with her brothers.

 

But then again, she wasn't a real Song, as what was revealed in the footage. So, it would make sense for her to go after revenge.

 

"But, she better not influence Kai-yah too much. You know well that if we lose her again, we could still work with it because we still have Kai-yah and you. But when Kai-yah leaves, we'll surely be at a disadvantage. We cannot let that happen." Myungsoo said firmly, and L.Joe could only breathe deeply at the crucial point the SkullBeaters had decided to cross over.

 

Kai-yah better not mess up with this.

 

When the sounds of knocking from the door of Myungsoo's office echoed throught the room, L.Joe ran his tongue over his lower lip and bit it gently as he analyzed the situation the brotherhood is in.

 

They just took in a former member of their rival brotherhood.

 

Only one of two things can happen.

 

They could either rise up higher than the ReapedSouls...

 

... or they fall at their mercy.

 

= = = 

 

Will try to update after a few days. School has been taking up most of my time, so I'm just going to try. I repeat, TRY. If I couldn't manage updating during the span of time, then expect a new chapter by Friday in the Philippines. Enjoy! =] <3