Five distinct pairs of feet echoed loudly through the basement parking as Mai and the members of 2ne1 walked towards their vehicles. By the end of the benefit, Mai had been invited to come along with the rest of the girls for a small gathering. Mai looked back seeing Junho and Changmin in discussion; it seemed as if they were talking about something important.

“Mai, I hope you don’t mind waiting, we still need to pass by the lab to get these things off,” CL said, bumping her fist against the midsection of her hardsuit.

The Schatten officer smiled in return. “It’s not a problem, I’m honestly surprised you asked me to come along.”

Minzy returned the smile with a grin of her own. “We figured you’d get bored with all those guys on your team. Plus, Ms. Huang looked busy with the interpol lady. We’re all free for the rest of the night anyway.”

“That,” Bom added, “and we want details on the date with Youngbae. He refuses to say anything, but we know the guys know something. It’s a tad bit unfair, don’t you think?”

Mai visibly colored, suddenly filled with cotton leaving her unable to speak. “No,” she stuttered, “It’s, it’s nothing like that. It’s just two friends out for a drink.”

“Or drinks,” Dara teased, emphasizing on the plural form, “We also heard there were flowers involved the other night. Besides, is it still friends if we’re already on the fifth date and counting?”

Mai shook her head as the group fell into comfortable laughter. She couldn’t remember the last time she was around this many girls talking about the more simpler things in life. It had always been Junho she was tied to, always Junho who had been there with her. Ever since they met at the Academy Junho had been her partner, her best friend. Now, having Youngbae and these girls, for the first time Mai felt as if things were starting to look up for her. Up, different, it didn’t matter. A change of scenery was never a bad thing.

Bom pressed a button on her remote, but before they could pile into the vehicle, a shrill cry from further down the floor alerted their investigative senses. Without needing instruction all five of them ran down the length of the parking lot, spreading out midway to increase their scouting range. Mai and Bom were the first to see it. A trail of bodies, men they recognized as personal security escorts for Kim Jaejoong, Park Yoochun, and Kim Junsu.

Mai clenched her hands into a tight fist. “They’re here,” she said through gritted teeth. In a sense she wasn’t surprised, though her mind knew she had to be. Jay had been correct in assuming the worst for the night, but hadn’t she, as well as the rest of the team been dismissed? Did they know the police had been dismissed? Was that the reason why those assassins chose to attack now?

“It’s a double-edged sword, consistent with one of your assassins,” Bom stated, crouching over the body.

Mai reached for her phone, as all their equipment had been returned earlier to Taecyeon and packed away. “Junho, is the captain still with you? We have DBs.” Her eyes searched for a landmark. “From C1 to C7, I counted four but there could be more. Call Fuu and Taecyeon, we’re going to try and see if the assassins are still here.”

Rai wiped her claws on the coat of the man she just killed. “I’m bored. I thought they’d be here by now.”

Chansung grimaced. “You didn’t have to kill the security guard. He didn’t do anything to you.”

“He was looking at me funny.”

Chansung shook his head. Had he been here earlier, perhaps he could have stopped Rai from taking an innocent security guard’s life. “Jinwoon said Nichkhun’s off following the directors. They’ll be here soon enough.”

Rai shook her head slowly. “No, something’s here,” she whispered. She dropped down to the ground, crouching low with one knee touching the floor. “Someone else.” Rai pressed both her hands flat on the ground and scowled. “Someone’s coming.”

Chansung leaned casually against the car behind him while Rai tucked into its shadow. A sweet smell permeated the air, though it was oddly tainted by the stench of blood. He took a step forward. Directly across him were the directors’ vehicles, and a large group of men with the night’s performers, Girls Generation, walked into his sight. He kept his gaze low, though he watched them carefully from the corner of his eye.

The large group paid no attention to him, at least not that Chansung could tell as he stood there. He knew they were suspicious, why else would a man be standing in the middle of a parking lot? One with a visible weapon no less. He felt no worry though, not with Rai hidden behind him. Junsu would question their combination plays, but Chansung didn’t feel the need to explain his relationship with Rai. They were closer than most, she was second to Jinwoon, and he knew it was the same way for her. For Rai, there was only the two of them she could call on, only him and Jinwoon that she could count on.

Further left he caught a glimpse of Nichkhun. It was almost time, though Chansung wished for different circumstances. He felt no need to take out these women with them. A running party from his right side disturbed the hushed level, and his shoulders twitched feeling the weight of the katana on his back.

“Sir, we’ve discovered the bodies of your bodyguards!” Mai stated directing her words to the directors. She skidded to a halt as her eyes flashed recognizing Chansung. She drew the jutte still strapped to her thigh and stepped forward. “Stay where you are,” she warned, meeting Chansung’s eyes.

The taller man smirked and appeared to be doing nothing more, though in reality he was waiting for Rai to begin the assault, or Nichkhun, whichever one of them attacked first. They were completely surrounded, Mai and 2ne1 to one side, and the rest of Schatten, Wooyoung, Taecyeon, and Jay right behind Nichkhun, between them were the directors and their bodyguards. Chansung’s smirk grew. It was going to be a fun night.

It was a standstill with not one of them moving at all. The tension was growing so thick that a blade would be needed to cut through it. The air was suffocating as each party waited for the other to move first, yet no one moved, and for a full minute the parking lot stood unmoving, silent enough to hear a pin drop.

Until Kim Jaejoong moved ever so slightly towards his car and with a snap of his fingers chaos ensued. Girls Generation behind him flew out towards all directions engaging all of those ready to fight. The directors slipped into their vehicles aided by their guards and sped away leaving Hell and Schatten facing what Chansung now knew to be another round of super-humans.

He called out for Nichkhun, but it seemed as if the blonde was preoccupied with something else as he ran towards Chansung shouting for his keys. Stunned, Chansung stood where he was until one of the girls attacked him. He swung his katana to block just as Nichkhun rammed into him. The younger man clearly noticed Nichkhun grab his bike’s keys and soon Nichkhun disappeared into the darkness in pursuit of the directors. Chansung needed no more thought. As much as he knew Rai needed him here, his own sense of righteousness would not allow him to engage combat with a woman. With an apology leaving his lips Chansung fled after Nichkhun, catching up in no time and both men rode together with the Schatten’s men following behind them.

Rai gnashed her teeth in annoyance that she was left behind. This frustration was easily channeled as one of the girls attacked her, a steel staff suddenly in arms. Rai jumped back onto the roof of a car, her feet landing silent on the chrome plating. As much could not be said as the steel rod smashed into the car leaving a large dent and glass scattered on the floor. Her opponent was a short girl, not the shortest in their group, but less than their average. She had been introduced as Hyoyeon, the girl with the brown hair and poofed bangs. Rai’s gaze was fixated on her slightly notched nose and full lips, the only features that seemed to distinguish her from the set of clones raging war against her and her unwilling allies.

Hyoyeon raised the staff high above her head and violently swung the weapon around. The sheer length and make of the staff had Rai hissing in anger. She needed to close the distance between them to land an attack with her bagh nakh, but with the other girl flailing the long metal rod around, it was not going to be easy. The assassin dragged the sharp tips of her claws along the concrete floor- she needed to actually think- not an activity she enjoyed while fighting. In her ears she could hear Jinwoon conversing with both Junsu and Chansung, as well as a call-out for Kass. Rai didn’t need them.

Deciding that the best course of action was to attack the best way she knew how, Rai braced herself on her toes and lunged forward with one large leap. She kept her arms straight forward aiming for Hyoyeon, but the steel rod caught her midsection and Rai went flying towards the side. The assassin slid down the floor, the sound of metal on concrete filling the air as she dug her claws on the surface to slow herself down. She let out a cry of rage as she bolted forward. Rai barely flinched as the steel rod smashed against her arm. Dodging Hyoyeon’s next attack, the shinobi crouched low to the ground, and upon seeing an opening, she jumped upwards, her fist connecting with the other girl’s chin. Hyoyeon landed with an audible thud a few paces back, the steel rod now away from her grasp. Rai pounced at her and fisted a handful of brown hair as she slashed right through her enemy’s face. A shrill cry was emitted from Hyoyeon’s throat though no one heard it in the cacophony of grunts and shrieks inside the parking lot.

Rai wasn’t done yet. While the other girl thrashed violently under her, the shinobi dug her knees into Hyoyeon’s throat while her other leg kept the thing under her as stable as Rai could keep her. The assassin lifted her arm for another swipe at Hyoyeon, but the enemy was just as deadly as she. Even with her flesh of her face ripped off Hyoyeon felt no pain as she kicked Rai away from her.

Angered, Rai pushed forward tackling Hyoyeon to the ground again; she was much more efficient in a wide area with obstacles to enable her aerial technique, and being trapped inside regular columns and flat surfaces was a great handicap. The two girls rolled across the floor in a mess of kicks and punches until Rai found herself trapped at the bottom desperately prying away the hands tightly clasped round her neck.

With a scream, Rai hooked her fist at Hyoyeon’s midsection causing the girl on top of her to vomit blood. Rai shook the sticky liquid off her face and continued with a flurry of slashes until Hyoyeon was a mere shell writhing on the floor. Rai wiped her face with her bare side of her forearm- her leather arm guards were heavily stained with blood as well.

Looking around, Rai sneered not seeing Kass. “Your Bauer’s pretty useless.”

She wasn’t even given time to breathe when another one of Girls Generation jumped at her from behind. A much taller girl, Sooyoung grabbed her from behind locking her neck in an armlock. Rai rolled her eyes. Was it just her, or was everyone wanting to strangle her to death lately?

She dug her knuckles into the arm around her neck. Sooyoung screamed in anger as she stepped back. Rai whirled around as soon as Sooyoung let go. At least these girls were as skinny as they were. Even when they felt no pain and were enhanced to strength, their frame made them easier to kill. Rai smiled, unable to hide her amusement. Her amber eyes glinted dangerously under the flickering fluorescent lights of the parking lot- a glint much more threatening than the gleaming of her claws.

Mai ran as fast as she could towards the end of the lot. She knew better than to trap herself between the enemy and the wall, but as it were, she had nowhere else to go. The two girls following her, Taeyeon and Tiffany, easily surrounded her. Though both were unarmed, Mai knew better than to underestimate them. Already she could tell that these two, together with the rest of the girl group, were no different from Beast. And that worried her to several extents.

Behind her 2ne1 struggled with the other girls. Girls Generation proved to be more of a challenge than any of them expected. Tiffany and Taeyeon stood in front of her like predators watching their prey. Mai lifted her jutte to a more defensive position as she cautiously eyed her opponents. Junho and Changmin should be here any moment, for sure those two would be able to help her in some way.

Or at least she hoped they would.

Bom's Queen suit was specifically designed for melee combat, but never did she imagine that she would be fighting against seemingly unarmed girls. Hesitation was clear in her face, as it was on the rest of 2ne1. Dodging was the most that they did, but evasion could only bring you so far in a fight. The four regrouped together in the middle of the room, they may have been surrounded by the members of Girls Generation that came after them, but it wasn't fear or doubt that they felt. It was confusion. Mai joined their ranks in a moment, though literally being thrown in by both Tiffany and Taeyeon was not her most graceful entrance.

“What are these things?” Dara asked, keeping her eyes on her visor. Though her suit was not designed for intelligence assimilation as Daesung's was, it could gather enough information on terrain and what hostiles may come their way.

“They're altered humans,” Mai answered, keeping her voice steady and her eyes on her targets. “That Fortuna Detective-Inspector Jay Park was talking about? I think this is what they're trying to do.”

Minzy's eyes swept around the group now circling them. “Create an army of girls? For what?”

“World domination, what else,” CL replied, the hint of teasing in her voice less apparent than she has thought.

“I'm guessing Kim Jaejoong and the rest of his friends are involved now,” Bom muttered, “He was pretty too. Why is it always the cute ones?”

Mai's eyes darted frantically across the room. She heard another cry from one of the girls and she instantly knew it had been her doing. What were the chances that Mai could at least knock these girls unconscious before chasing after her real target?

Slim. Her inner thoughts were of no help to her. Her current situation assessment gave her minutes at most, and knowing those assassins, the most she could do was to ask for back-up, but without her radio, calling Fuu would be her only option. Unless...

“Bom, can you contact Fuu?”

“Give me Schatten's frequency and consider it done.”

Girls Generation wasted no more time once the transmission has been made. Six girls came rushing forward, and Mai and 2ne1 braced themselves for the incoming impact. Bom released the push knives from the arm guards of her suit. While she was wary of using them, she knew there was no choice if she wanted to stop these girls from killing them. Dara took a more mid-ranged approach with the long ribbon-like cutters that extended from her wrists. CL engaged them with her fists, and Minzy repeatedly fired her rail gun. Mai was left to watch in awe as one by one the girls known as Sunny, Jessica, Yuri, and Seohyun fell to the ground.

Her own opponents were enraged. Taeyeon and Tiffany lunged at her at the same time, and Mai dodged the attacks, rolling away from both girls. She didn't want to kill them, and thoughts of Doojoon started plaguing her mind. Her fingers shook from the mere thought- the only way to stop them was to cut them down, but the voice inside her head was refusing to accept that fact. Mai didn't want to kill them. She didn't want to have to kill anybody if she could help it.

Whether it was a sigh of relief or regret, Mai couldn't tell. Taeyeon and Tiffany both stopped in the middle of an attack when Minzy fired her rail runs again. The Schatten officer did not know for sure if the conductive projectile killed the girls, but she was certain it subdued them. Her eyes met each of 2ne1's. Did she just owe them her life?