---

---

Two suit wearing NEST Agents - noncombatants, of course - were running down the hallway, heading for the stairs. Following the orders of the evacuation. They saw the doors, and picked up the pace - only for the doors to open. Khan, Big Dong, and Burnmark stepped through the doors.

The raging boom of an explosion rocked the hallway as Khan casually aimed at them with her M23, and blew them away (Literally). What was left of their bodies was just a bloody splatter all over the halls. The trio simply stepped over what was left, and continued down the hallway. Their destination was the Detention Center, and, according to their friend, this was the exact floor it was on. The Fiends have already moved up the building - since Khan told them to fuck it up all over the building.

Still, they walked down the hallway, and made a turn, and the first thing they saw was a line of NEST Agents armed to the teeth with assault rifles. Big Dong stepped in front of the two (and they didn't waste time in getting behind him), and converted his skin to it's ultra-hardened state at the exact moment the hail of bullets began. The bullets simply bounced off of him, or otherwise, had no effect. None of them could hear anything, the gunfire stopped that - however, the hail of bullets stopped. They heard something hitting the ground at their feet - flash bangs.

"Burnmark!" Khan shouted.

On cue, Burnmark telekinetically threw the grenades back down the hallway - they didn't go all the way back down, exploding halfway. Both sides covered their eyes, as the light seemed all encompassing for a moment. Before it all faded away, and the violence resumed. NEST Agents began firing on them, yet again.

Big Dong pushed down the hallway, sawed off shotgun in hand, he kept firing it, reloading just as fast. He reached the line.... however, Agents in the back brandished new weapons. Small black spray guns that had to be made out of the same material as pistols, and underneath them were large canisters.

"Containment Foam, shit!" Big Dong shouted as he quickly backpeddled - however, the NEST Agents sprayed him with a white goo, that quickly expanded, then hardened. Big Dong's hand and leg was covered in the foam. Khan and Burnmark quickly reacted when Khan filled the hallway with mist, before Burnmark pulled Big Dong away with her telekinesis. They rested in the sidehall.

Big Dong slammed his fist into the wall - yet, it did nothing to break the containment foam. He growled, and looked up. A group of Fiends had filled the hallways.

"Fiends!" Big Dong shouted, raising his hand. Before he clenched it into a fist. "Tear them up!"

They rushed in, madly, shooting their guns, and their temporary powers, at the NEST Agents.... most of them were cut down by the firing squad pretty quickly.

---

_{@ToadRopes@BurningDaisies}

---

Good, it seems Ratchet is on her feet. Jen nodded at her - she was going to say something, but she honestly stumbled as to what to say. It took her a second to say, "It's good to see you're okay."

Good God. The whole situation was fubar. Jen was shaking, and there was a pit of fear welling in her chest, heart was racing... There was a reason why she's taken to watching the door, rather than be with them. She was never the comforting type. Jennifer's blue eyes peered out the door, her ears were close to the door as well. Anything happens, and she'll notice it. Hopefully... they'll get out of this alive.

Meifeng nodded at Ratchet, who was just as confused and dumbfounded as everyone else here. She asked what did they do to Anna... Meifeng looked at the ground for a second, almost mouthing the words "something I could have stopped" before just closing her mouth, and saying,

"I don't know," Meifeng started off, "But they're going to pay."

And she meant that. She was going to bust everyone out of here, and show these creepy motherfuckers what happens when you cross her. Though... this weight on her shoulder - Anna - told her that there was far more important things here than fighting people. She sighed, then acknowledged that getting Anna out of here would take priority. Since, far as she could tell, she was the only one capable of fighting. The question she asked herself is wo-

"... Everyone, be quiet!" Jennifer announced to the group in a hushed tone. She took a step back from the door - with her arms up in a defensive position. Ms. Caspin heard someone walking up, and she peaked out the door and saw a woman - that looked like a cowboy - in the hallway... and she turned to look right at the door. Jennifer - rather than closing it, and possibly making noise - simply took a few steps back, and hoped that she walked off. After a few moments, apparently, she lost interest and walked off, those boots of hers storming off was the signal.

She sighed. "Thank God, she's gone."

Ratchet asked Meifeng what was her plan... and she would have answered if Jen hadn't alerted them. Meifeng shut right up, resisting the urge to dispense her water.

"Well, Ratchet..." Meifeng scratched the back of her neck. "... We're going to look for a way out, and get anyone out of here we can."

Not a concrete plan, but, hell, they had little other options.

"Look, we have to leave now. We don't know how long it'll be before one of them comes around and realizes we're missing...."

"Yeah." Meifeng said.

---

---

Whilst the wolfhound considered what to do next he noticed a change in atmosphere. The Symphony had changed. NEST security had ran dry and were beating heels to get away from the surge of freaks charging their now nonexistent position. NEST just had not been ready for this. Seems the problem with having a massive tower, troops and near unlimited authority resulted in hubris. Who knew.

He followed the stream of unwashed scum up the stairs ignoring the trio of NEST security personnel that were losing a hand to hand with the mass and pressed on into the heart of the building. The fighting seemed strong on one side of the building whilst the other had fallen relatively quiet, at least on the adjacent levels.

Casting his eyes around the Wolfhound sighed to see bureaucracy raise it’s ugly head to get men killed again. Signposting from the ceiling helpfully pointed staff and visitors to various notable locations on the level. Locations such as the armoury. Looks like a short detour would be in order, Khan could wait a few minutes.

Two corridors later and a pile of bodies could be seen around the entrance to the armoury. Mostly Fiends though a couple NEST guard could be seen, brass littered the floor. Stepping inside he guessed this was a minor armoury mainly for the floor guards. Looks like the Fiends got inside when the quartermaster tried to step out to help the guards fighting in the corridor. Bad luck for him. They had him tied up with some sort of steel cable, looks like he’s spilled four or five pints of the claret from their attentions. Not going to make it.

He stepped into the inner cage slamming a Fiend’s head into the door frame to get him out the way, much to the amusement of the other Fiends. Let’s see em laugh after this. Activating his sight he found the place mostly containing riot control gear with most the rifles and according ammo gone. Not hard to figure out where they went. Plenty of pistols left and a few shotguns. There was also a gun crate at the back with four Milkor MGLs and 40mm grenades. These would have made any force approaching the building think twice but if the foe was already inside they’d have been next to useless.

Pushing to the back and opening the crate he liberated one of the weapons and a pair of bandoliers to cheers from the other fiends who rushed forward to claim their prizes. As he was about to slide the weapon onto his back a light bulb went off in his head. Crossing back to the anti-riot gear he slid six tear gas grenades into the chambers. He’d had an idea. No way of knowing if it would work but hell to it, may as well try.

That done and with the Fiends full occupied fighting over the high grade munitions the Wolfhound knelt next to the dying quartermaster who looked up with muted anger in his eyes. He was middle age at best, salt and pepper hair with more salt than not. An old junkyard dog tough as nails, they didn’t make’em like this no more. Martin undid the wire around his wrists to suspicious eyes. The Wolfhound pulled a package from his waist and pushed it into the man’s shivering hands. Standing the Wolfhound turned and left the room. He picked up speed and made time away from the armoury.

The explosion shook the building. He knew it didn’t have even near the force to bring the structure down but the way some of the Fiends reacted, they sure didn’t. The sound of munitions cooking off filled the halls and a wave of tear gas blew out into this level going as far as spilling down into the lobby. Grinning he figured this would give him a bit of room to advance up the tower without the freaks dogging his every step. It would give the NEST forces a minute or two to “breathe” as well.

Forcing coughing freaks out of his way the Wolfhound pushed further into the building. The scent of his prey was growing stronger.

---

Damn that man, old Washe had Grit standing watch on the outside while all the action was taking place on the INSIDE! The geezer assured him that they should bashing in the front door, and hardly had the brains for much else. Then he mused about something being an inside conspiracy if it didn't pan out that way. Which was weird in itself, he didn't often joke about things like that-- oh. Oh dear. The reality sunk into even Grit. He had to do something quickly, else shit is about to get very bad very fast.

Through his scope he took a quick reconnaissance of the area to check if the coast was clear. Undercover agents from sounds the city must be rushing to the aid of their home base, and he couldn't afford to be caught up in their hassle. All clear. He slinged the rifle over his back and hopped over the edge of the roof and slid down the fixed ladders until his feet hit the pavement. With his BFR drawn, he sprinted across the road until he met with the entrance to the lobby. His back was pressed against the wall and he peered inside the building. It looks like all the excitement moved upstairs.

The young Dreadnaught barged through the door and made a quick scan of the room with his hand cannon drawn. Still safe. He began making a faster pace until he suddenly felt his foot kick something hard. Looking down, he met with an AK-47, lightly bloodied with the Fiend who once carried it. Reliable like a best friend, doesn't jam too often like a boring neighbor. Accurate and inaccurate at the same time. He looked at his BFR, then shrugged and holstered it. He picked up the automatic gun in its place and checked the clip. Poor bastard didn't get to fire off a single shit. Talk about a bad day! But HIS bad day just serves to supplement Danny Grit's OUTSTANDING luck! He continued his trek upstairs. However as he reached the next floor, an explosion rocked the building, and fire among with an onslaught of dust debris threatened to knock Grit back the stairs - and he would have, had the young man not held tightly to the railing just in time. Smoke began billowing out just down the hallway... that was upstairs! Between all the excitement and the trail of bodies - of both Fiends and agents - he must be getting remarkably close.

---

Washe had to admit. The chemical compounds that NEST has produced to combat these freaks were extraordinary. And in so short amount a time, too. He had every intention of utilizing one of the most surefire, expensive weapons they had at their disposal to ensure Khan's capture. With the situation as it is now, there is no room for error.

He couldn't believe how complacent he was. How he so drastically underestimated his opponent. All this time he thought he was just fighting druggies and taking the trash out. Of course there were suspicions about shit being bigger than gangs. But not THIS early in the game. The Fiends got in covertly for a perfect ambush strike. Never would Washe have imagined that a group so insignificant could have such kind of contacts and firepower. And the way everything was so perfectly orchestrated: a secret entrance that was left unguarded, at the time of day where the most experienced agents and militarized personnel were on duty IN the city... someone set this up for it to be easy for these freaks. Someone with a lot of control.

It was about time that the Dreadnaughts really began viewing the NEST organization as a legitimate threat.

---

_{@Spoopy Scary}

---

Lihua was running down the halls of the NEST HQ at a jogging pace (She didn't want to run straight into some Fiends), gun in hand. Everything was falling apart! The question of how did the Fiends get into the building never popped up - more of how she'll get them out. First, she'll definitely need to hit up the armory. She looked at the glock that was in her hand. She's going to need something bigger than this pea-shooter (She had something in mind) if she's going to take on the lieutenants. So far, Khan's mist wasn't anywhere in the building - and it didn't take a genius to realize that it's her escape plan, or her plan B. Let as many Fiends die as possible, then resurrect them as zombies to act as a diversion for an escape. Lihua would have done so herself... except, she would have used stealth, and saved the trouble of the entire building being on high alert this early in the operation.

"Mr. Moreau, stick close to me."

Regardless, Lihua would haul ass down to the armory - last she remembered, it was on the ground floor... where every Fiend psychopath out there would be having a blast. At least every NEST Agent in the city should be returning here fast as possible. So, that could improve the situation down there.

Lihua saw the door to the stairs (Because taking the elevator would be downright idiotic), and, of course, before she could even get to the door, it burst open, and a group of Fiends came charging through it. Most were armed with... garden utensils. Except one had an AK-47 - who quickly aimed it at Lihua. Acting quickly, Lihua took a step back, and put her arms up, chin level. Violently pulling chunks of concrete out of the walls, and created a spinning shield. Once the Fiend started shooting, it chipped away at the shield, and some of the rounds pierced right through it. Fortunately, he couldn't shoot worth shit. The second he ran out of ammo (Signaled by the barrage of bullets halting), Lihua thrust her hands forward, then each piece of concrete that formed the shield shot forward at high speeds. Needless to say, most of the Fiends were killed due to the blunt force trauma.

Not wasting another second, Lihua quickly moved forward into the staircase, and saw that it was mostly concrete. She stepped down the stairs, her glock held tightly with both hands. A door opened a floor or two down, and a female Fiend wielding a meat cleaver ran up the stairs. Lihua stopped, and aimed her glock down a few floors at the Fiend, quickly lined up the shot, and pulled the trigger. The bang of the gun echoed throughout the entire staircase - inaudible in the middle of all this chaos - and deafened Lihua. The bullet went right through her chest, and she dropped dead.

"Dog." Lihua muttered a final curse to the late Fiend.

It was only a few more descents (Without running into anymore Fiends, thankfully) before they made it to the ground floor. Though, she stopped at the door - all she heard was pure anarchy. She didn't want to charge in, and get blasted by a million of these maniacs, so she gently pushed the door open with her shoulder - gun in hand - and saw that there wasn't any attention on the door. She simply pushed the door open the rest of the way, and stepped out. It took Lihua a moment to realize where she is (Taking elevators every time you come in the building tends to throw you off).

It should be down this hall to the right... Right when Lihua took her first step, an explosion rocked the building, and it made Lihua stumble - nearly trip - while she spat out a few curse words in Chinese. She quickly regained her balance. ".... What the holy hell are they up to up there?!" She hissed through her teeth, looking up.

Good grief, it was time for Lihua to get a move on before the Fiends knock the damn building over! Lihua quickly proceeded down the hallway, a straight shot to the armory. There was a Fiend in the way, who rushed Lihua with a pipe in hand - but he was quickly put down once she shot in the chest. She simply stepped over his dead body and kept moving forward. She was approaching the armory, and saw that a large group of Fiends was trying to get in. Gah! They wouldn't be able to get in even if they tried. That place is tough enough to take a bomb like it was a simple firecracker! She stepped into a side hallway, and put her back to the wall - peeking into the room. She had an idea... She'd have to be quick, however.

Lihua dropped her arms to her sides, but quickly raised them up into the air. Concrete spikes ruptured out of the ground, and turned a chunk of the group into living pin cushions - then retracted the shards. They were impaled through various parts of their body (One even got a spear through the skull). Blood was dripping out of their new fresh wounds . She put both hands on her gun, and aimed down the sights, and started opening fire. Taking slow, but precise shots, to deal with the recoil. Whoever wasn't killed by the spikes, found themselves killed by the bullets. There were three still standing, and Lihua's gun went dry. They were quick to turn around, and point whatever weapons they had (Pistols, assault rifles, and a bag of garden shears) at Lihua and open fire - who quickly dipped behind the wall - and the Fiends quickly pushed in. First thing Lihua did was eject the empty clip, then reload another (she has two more left, so she better make them count). She raised her hand in the air, and summoned three concrete shards from the foundation of the building, and levitated them to shoulder height, aimed at the hallway.

Once they made around the corner, Lihua quickly opened fire, and gunned down the three - the last man standing got three concrete shards in the shoulder, gut, and knee. Seeing that the Fiends were disposed of, Lihua casually strolled down the hallway - taking a moment to step on one of the concrete spears that impaled the Fiend, driving it in deeper (she could feel the squishing as more gore came pouring out) before stepping over him. Lihua walked up to the counter, and knocked on the window gently - I sincerely hope they didn't kill the quartermaster - to try to get the attention of anyone inside.

A blonde-haired woman - Agent Ariella D. Sinclair - quickly rose up from underneath the desk on the other side, scared out of her mind, and looked up to see Lihua. "... You got rid of them? Jesus, I thought they'd get in!" She said.

Lihua took a moment to take a look back at the carnage she caused. "... In a way, yes." She said as she recentered her focus onto Ariella. Though, now wasn't the time for small-talk, they needed weapons before more get in. "Quickly, let us in before more come."

"Yeah, yeah," Ariella said, quickly leaning to the side, and pressing a button. The light above the armory door flashed green, and Lihua didn't waste a second in going through the doors - which locked ounce both of them got through.

The armory looked much like you'd expect an armory to. A metal room, with rows and rows of gun racks, containing top of the line weaponry. Lihua browsed through it, and grabbed a black bullet-proof vest - there was the NEST standard armor, but, they didn't issue it to a noncombatant like Lihua, and she was fine with a vest to begin with - before putting both arms through the arm-holes. It covered her body over her suit, and she put on the straps to keep it secured. It'll save her life in case she gets hit by a stray shot - it'll hurt like hell, through. Though, Lihua had no intention of going guns blazing. That was a fool's tactic.

After Lihua had the vest on, she browsed through the weapons until she found the weapon perfect for her: A Mossberg 500 Tactical. She pulled it off the rack, and slung the gun over her shoulder as she grabbed an ammo pouch, and filled it with twelve-gauge rounds, and attached it to her belt. Along with getting some more ammo clips for her Glock.

With that, she was fully prepared for the siege. She wished that she had more warning, but it is what it is. Lihua took a step, and faced Baron.

"Make sure to grab whatever you need, Mr. Moreau," Lihua started off, clocking her shotgun. "I doubt NEST wouldn mind sparing a few guns in this time of need... Just return them."

---

---

A massive puddle in the street splashed as Michelle's hummer - siren loudly blaring - tore through the streets at high speeds.

Michelle didn't know how it happened, or why, but Fiends have laid siege to the NEST Headquarters at the exact worst moment! She dropped whatever she was doing in the Estella Isle (Shopping for clothes in the soup store) and went straight for the Isabella Isle. Tearing through traffic as did many NEST Agents. It was a trip, but she made it to the Headquarters. The hummer came to a swerving stop (Hydroplaning a little) right in front of the gates. Michelle practically kicked the door open, and ran through the gates of the place with her AA-12 in hand. An explosion made Michelle run even faster, she made it through the front doors, into the lobby, and saw the Fiends laying siege to the place. All while NEST Agents laid down suppressing fire for retreating agents. All she heard was bullets, and all she smelt was blood and gun powder.

And tear gas. Tear gas was pouring into the nose. The strong scent of the riot gas assaulted Michelle's olfactory senses. She had to cover her nose. However, Fiends were still in the lobby, and she didn't notice a Fiend with a fire axe running toward her - using the momentum of his sprint to swing the axe at her body, and hit her, making her stumble. It pierced a few layers of upper flesh, but nothing more than a flesh wound. She balled her fist, and whipped her arm out and sent the Fiend flying into a wall. She heard his back break in impact.

The Fiends were still pouring into the room, armed with guns and melee weapons. Michelle had no choice but to point her AA-12 at them, and hold down the trigger. The barrage ripped them to shreds - assisted by the covering fire by her fellow NEST Agents. In a manner of seconds, they turned the tide on the battle in the lobby, and killed every assaulting Fiend. Now because of skill, or overwhelming firepower; simply because the Fiends were moving up the building, presumably behind the Lieutenants, and the tear gas allowed them to turn the tide.

This isn't good... The Fiends are overrunning the building, and plenty of NEST Agents are dead. Fortunately, with the lobby clear, more Agents could get out... and more could get in. Michelle grabbed the communicator on her chest.

"What's going on in the upper floors?" Her voice echoed across the comms.

"The Fiend lieutenants are attacking the Detention Center. They've punched through our first line of defense." A NEST Agent answered.

That made Michelle clench her fist. God damn it. The Fiends are going to tear this building to shreds - they're probably after Sulfur! She grabbed her communicator again. "Alright, I'm heading up there now."

Afterwards, Michelle pointed at the nearest NEST Agent, "You hold the fort! This is the only way Agents will be getting in and out."

"... Like me?" A familiar, deep, voice said through the doors. Michelle turned around, and spotted Agent Dragonfly - who she made acquaintances with last night.

Smiling, she said, "Yeah... Good to see you here."

"Yeah, let's move up." Henry said.

Michelle grabbed her shotgun with both hands, then began moving up the building along with Henry.

---

---

The line of NEST Agents was precise enough to utterly decimate an entire group of Fiends in a matter of minutes. Their shot up corpses lied dead on the ground. However, this was all apart of Khan's plan. She generated her mist, and filled the hallway with it. The mist found it's way inside the Fiends, and brought them back to their feet - along with causing hallucinations for the NESTies. With a command, the zombies pushed into the line, and basically shrugged off every round fired by the NEST Agents (Except to the head - it was just hard to line up a shot in the mist). However, they started using the containment form, which effectively locked them in place.

It served as a good enough distraction, Big Dong rushed the line, pushing aside any of Khan's minions. The first NEST Agent he saw, he turned into his hardened form, and punched her so hard in the face that he caved her skull in. She dropped dead, and Big Dong grabbed her leg, and swung around and knocked over another NEST Agent using her body. All while Khan was pushing in, shooting her M23 Grenade launcher, which tore through the Agents. Every round caused an explosion.

"Fall back!" A NEST Agent shouted, as the remainders turned tail and ran down the hallway - they grabbed any canisters of containment foam that was left. He pressed his earpiece and shouted, "The first line of defense has failed, they pushed through!"

They decided to try to slow the Fiends down, by turning around, and shooting the containment form at the walls, floor, and ceiling with reckless abandon. It quickly expanded, and left an opening so small that only a housecat could get through. They turned around to the second line of defense.

"Fuck!" Khan shouted, as she dispelled the fog. Every reanimated corpse dropped.

"Fucking containment foam..." Big Dong punched the wall so hard that it made a hole (to fuck later). Then he got an idea. He started punching the foam wall, over, and over, and over, again.

"It's not going to fucking work, Dong...." Khan moaned.

"No, no..." Big Dong said in between punches. The containment foam was super adhesive when hard, but no one said anything about what they were attached to. The walls and floors were cracking, and steadily getting displaced with every blow. The plan was to break the foam off what they were attached to.

More Fiends were showing up.

---

---

The former form of Veronica's minion "Red" lied on his back, dissolving into sludge. Three holes in his chest, one in the head, and one through the eye - all caused by a powerful weapon. The concrete tunnels of the sewers had taken a bit of damage. On the other hand, Vero was on the ground - with her knee blown off with the same weapon - bleeding out due to her aforementioned wound.

A few steps started walking towards her, spinning her revolver as she put it back in her holster. Heartbreaker. Heartbreaker knelt down over Vero, and put a cigarette in her mouth. "Your bitch-ass monster made me waste time...." She groaned, rolling her eyes up into her head. "You should have just kept hiding, now look at ya'."

Vero's face contorted into fear.

"What? Can't talk?" Heartbreaker asked as she stood straight up, and pulled her revolver out, pointing it at Vero's chest. "Too bad. Gotta kill anyone who seen my face." She said, as she pulled the trigger, and shot Vero right through the heart. The sheer impact killed her instantly. Heartbreaker twirled her revolver, and put it back into it's holster.

Alright, time to get a move on before anymore freaks show up. Heartbreaker started running down the tunnel in an all-out sprint in order to make up for lost time. She pulled her phone out of her pocket, and looked at the map, and saw that she was getting close. She made a hard right, and turned down the tunnel that lead her right into the secret entrance. She stepped over a few bodies (Dumbass Fiends trampled each other) and walked right up the tunnel into the place.

All Heartbreaker has to do is kill Khan, or make sure that someone else kills Khan here. Doesn't matter how it's done, long as it's done. Her contact here has made it abundantly clear that Khan has to die in the building. Because killing an art, and Heartbreaker's a master.

She ran up the tunnel, hand on her revolver in case she needed to use it, and breached the base. Now, according to her contact, Khan would be going straight for the Detention Center... which is a few floors up. Heartbreaker would have to exercise the greatest deal of stealth. Despite the craziness, she can't be spotted by NEST. If she's captured... then a lot of fucking people are going to be mad.

First thing she did was run down a hallway towards the staircase, she saw some NESTies (A tall-ass Asian woman, and some schmuck with a leg brace) coming out of it, and quickly dove into a side office, and peaked out the door. She could have killed them, but she's aiming to leave as little bodies here as possible. Of course, she'd like to save every bullet! An explosion nearly knocked Heartbreaker through the door, she managed to keep her balance, and the two NEST Agents ran off - which prompted Heartbreaker to run out herself.

Heartbreaker ran up the stairs with the speed of Kenyans.

---

_{@ToadRopes@BurningDaisies}

---

"Jenny," Meifeng said, using all of her strength to hoist Anna over her shoulder. Which wasn't as easy a task as she thought - she'll definitely have to put work into upper body training.

"Yeah?" Her blonde-haired companion turned her head back.

"Take point." Meifeng ordered.

That made sense, given that she was the one watching the door, and probably the most observant one here. Jen nodded her head, and peaked through the door again. She didn't hear a sound, nor did she see anyone. She pushed the door open, and stepped out. Gesturing for the rest of the group to come along, Meifeng stepped out of the room, and kicked the door shut behind her before she walked into the dark hallways. Lead by Jen, the group walked through the concrete halls of... where ever the hell they are. Their path barely illuminated by the lights hanging over head.

"This place is creepy..." Meifeng whispered, keeping her eyes peeled. Her pace wasn't that fast, since she had Anna over her shoulder, and it was hard carrying her like this - but what else could she do?

Jen didn't say anything in response. She just kept walking, and hoping that she'd find an exit - and she knew that wouldn't come easy. This hallway was full of rooms. Room, after room, room. They'd spend ages searching through all of them, and would most likely get found by them. Which wouldn't be too good right now. They needed a lead, a clue, some direction... and, if Jen's suspicions were correct, they'd most likely wouldn't have it out in the open if they knew the base. The kidnapped are the strangers here, and these people are at home in this environment.

... At any given moment, they could be attacked.

Jen understood that. Which is why she's taking point without complaint. She can get back up, she doubts if anyone else could.

Slow, heavy, footsteps could be heard coming their way. Jen and company stopped dead in their tracks - they would be more worried, but it sounded more like something was passing by, rather than coming right for them.

"Come on!" Jen said, in a hushed whisper, as she dove into a room - a dark, empty, operating room, just like the one they started in - and peaked out the door. That... thing. It stood at least eight feet tall, and it wore a long brown coat that went to it's ankles. It's face was hidden behind a mask, in which had glowing red eyes that hide what little humanity it might have had. It walked by, lumbering with two people slung over it's gigantic shoulders. Jen couldn't get a good look at them, but one was a boy, and another was a girl.

"That was the thin-" Meifeng was quick to say, but was quickly silenced when Jen put a finger to her lips.

"Shhhhhh...." Jen made the sound, she watched the thing. She had an idea. It walked into a room, and closed the door behind it. Meifeng almost took this as an indication to haul ass, but was stopped by Jen when she grabbed her arm.

"Wait, I have an idea..." Jen said - the idea was simple, in fact, and it worked both ways. Wait for it to come out, then go into the room behind it. If it doesn't leave anytime soon, then just head the other way and hope it doesn't... come out at literally the worst moment.

The Nemesis opened the door again, without the two people hanging off it's shoulders, and walked the other way down the hallway.

The second it was out of sight, Jen opened the door, and stepped out of the room. Announcing, "Come on, follow me."

She immediately went down the hallway, and walked to the door that the Nemesis just walked out of. Jen slowly peaked into the room, and saw that there were people lined up, strapped to operating tables, just like they were. There was not a standing person in sight. Which gave Jen
the all-clear to step through the door, and for the rest of the girls to follow behind her. Jen closed the door behind her.

The people in the room immediately looked at them, and was quickly silenced by Jen putting a finger to her lips and loudly shushing them. She put her hands up, and explained, "Look, you have to be quiet. We're going to get you out of there."

Jen immediately ran over to the cabinets, and started rummaging through them like she did before for a key.

All while Meifeng sat Anna down on one of the empty operating tables. Good God, what did they do to her? Did they poison her? "Anna, Anna, c'mon, speak to me." She said, before she put up her hand, and raised three fingers. "... How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Feng, we don't have time for this," Jen nearly hissed, with her eyes focused on going through the cabinets. "Help me find a key, or break the cuffs or anything."

It basically went through one ear, and out the other, when Meifeng kept her hands up, and said, "Find something that will help Anna, Jen."

Rather annoyed by her friend, Jen turned to Ratchet, "Can you lend me a hand"

---

_{@Mr Allen J}

---

Unlike quite a few people, Quentin hadn’t managed to avoid work despite recent events. Most of the places where he got contracted out to - corporate sites, public events and local nightlife outlets - had stepped up security in an effort to deter troublemakers from causing a scene on their premises, leaving him with no shortage of shift-work. It had left him feeling somewhat bored by it all; half of the time he spent standing watch close to a doorway whilst others (like right now) he’d be sat in an office monitoring the CCTV feed and making the occasional call over the radio about one thing or another.

‘Oh well,’ he’d mused ‘At least I’m getting overtime pay for this.’ And it was bringing in more than the ‘other job’ as of late, something that his contact, an Americanised immigrant from the Eastern Bloc by the name of Lyosha, hadn’t brought him anything else worthwhile to the table for quite some time, due in part to the fact that people were becoming a little more cautious in light of things - the likes of the Fiends were always bad for business.

As he downed another gulp of his cool beverage in the AC-supplied office, Quentin sank back in his chair and watched the security footage as time flew past, dwelling on the conversation he'd had with Reed a couple days back. Eventually his shift was done for the evening, earning him a couple of hours to relax back home before he bedded down for the night.

The drive home was steady, if a little drawn out thanks to traffic. Verthaven never slept after all. When he finally made it home, the first thing he did after pulling into the garage was to head upatairs to the spare room, unlock the unassuming storage cabinet in the corner and check the antiquated celllphone inside for anything noteworthy. Never hurt to check after all. A couple key clicks later, he found a simple message printed in bold across the screen.

"MISSED CALL - L"

Quentin immediately recognised the caller's ID, prompting him to dial it back. The dial tone chimed for a brief moment before transitioning into the droning tune that frustrated many when left unanswered. Fortunately, the call was picked up and after a brief moment of silence was followed by a familiar voice at the other end.

"Speaking." Lyosha's voice bore an accent that was nigh indistinguishable from any born-and-raised Verthaven dweller's save for a couple hints here and there of his slavic origins.

"L, got your missed call. Problem?" Quentin inquired.

"Can't talk here. Need to speak with you in person, ideally today." Lyosha sounded

Sighing, Quentin asked yet again "Is it that urgent?"

"I wouldn't have called if it were otherwise."

"Fine. I'll see you at the usual spot." He relented, his final suggestion reaffirmed with a simple "Yeah" on the other end of the phone before he cut off the call. Switching off the phone, he stuck it back in the corner of the cabinet and locked up before heading back out.

This time, he took his motorbike for a cruise through the downtown area before arriving at an autoshop. The front entrance was all dark, locked and barred, yet Quentin knew that Lyosha kept a key for the backdoor wedged behind the "FIRE EXIT" marker.

Letting himself in, he stepped into the dim lighting of the autoshop and glanced around for any sign of Lyosha, just before he barrel of a revolver was pressed against the back of his head, taking full advantage of his distracted state.

Heartbreaker leaned in and whispered into his ear. "Hey... don't move, and put your hands where I can see 'em, heh." She grinned ear-to-ear like a fool.

Heavy footsteps coming up stairs, approaching fast, signalled the arrival of the titanic Nemesis, who was standing in the doorway, with his glowing red eyes shining through the darkness.

Heartbreaker turned her head back towards Nemesis then went back to Quentin, pressing the gun against his head even harder.

"Alright, let me tell you what's going to happen," She started off, "Your pal? Yeah, he set you up. You see, someone with your talents is needed by our organization. So, we're going to take you back to our little base, and use you for our... projects. You'll help us begin a new age of super science and all that nonsense."

She giggled for a second. "And don't feel bad about your bud screwing you over. One of our guys is probably tearing him piece by piece as we speak. Loose ends, and that jazz."

"Yeah, that's reassuring.." Quentin finally retorted below bated breath as he raised his hands, his entire body stiffening as he felt the barrel pressing against the back of his skull. These people meant business, that he was certain of at the least. "So, what the fuck do you expect from me?"

"Your little... power swapping trick." Heartbreaker chuckled, before she turned back to Nemesis. "Now, Nemesis,.would you do the honors?"

The Nemesis started walking up, and pulled a syringe out of his coat, and jagged Quentin in the neck with it. Pushing all the contents inside. Within a few moments, everything would go dark for him.

Some time later, Quentin would awaken inside the Hands of Science base, strapped to a chair. The first thing he'd see is Berlioz staring right at him.

"Good, you're awake." He said, "You're our newest asset, Quentin Taylor. You're going to be doing much work for us... before we ship you off to our associates. Now, your job will be switching powers between test subjects whenever neccessary... say if someone is about to die due to our "projects", and we have someone who's in perfect shape. You'll transfer powers from the dying one, to the healthy one. Do you understand?"

Quentin initially remained silent, a scathing glare fixated on his captor. Eventually he spoke up, muted contempt in his tone, "And what exactly do I stand to gain from this... "association" with your little snuff project?"

"Absolutely nothing." Berlioz laughed, his voice gruff, he added, "Only we will profit... the Hands of Science will greatly benefit from this."

Quentin had no answer for that, save for the scathing glare he'd displayed for the duration of their conversation. This guy sounded like a fucking Bond villain, all clichés included, yet this wasn't a film and he had no intention of being reminded of his mortality.

Instead, he clenched his jaw and awaited his fate.

---

By time Lihua made it to the armory, Baron was already making attempts at disguising his heavy breathing. Very slow but very deep breaths, though he no matter how often his chest slowly heaved, he didn't seem to be giving himself enough air.

"Ah... Christ... Christ almighty, that was quite a jog..."

With his bad leg, he limped inside the armory and let the automatic doors close behind him. He sat himself on a bench and pulled up his dress pants, revealing the black mechanical brace underneath. The mechanism wasn't massive, too cumbersome and heavy - though its encumbrance by weight alone meant almost nothing when its purpose was to keep his knee from moving. He pressed his hands over his leg, squeezing his eyes shut, and then tightening the brace over his leg. He made an inaudible growl to vent the discomfort. He looked up at his allies. 'Damn,' he thought, 'I didn't think I'd have to move this much this fast today.'

But he had to hand Lihua some credence - she was quite the sight with that power of hers. Damn scary. She turned the hallway into a meat processing plant back there, with no two thoughts about mutilating those Fiends beyond recognition. Between all the brutalities and explosions, it brought back memories of Paraguay. Only... slightly tamer.

The NEST agent turned around and asked him to pick up anything he might need here. Baron took a look around - all good equipment, to be sure. But he was no warrior like many of the other Dreadnaughts and like the NEST agents. "I'm already equipped with all I need. A suit and a charming smile." Baron joked - though it wasn't very convincing given his shortness of breath. His smile degenerated into a solemn expression soon after. From out of his coat, he withdrew his Caracal C and briefly checked the magazine. He said, "don't worry about me right now, you need to focus on pacifying this storm of madness."

As if to prove his point, he parted his dress coat and revealed a bullet hole damaging his dress shirt, right under his left shoulder. There was no blood, however, and as he pulled down his shirt, there was what appeared to be armor. Not like the typical bullet-proof vest as this was thinner than regular protection; closer to the skin. "This might bruise a bit later, but otherwise I'm... what the hell?"

Baron was staring out the door of the armory, and a familiar young man with a long rifle on his back, a big revolver in his holster, and an AK-47 running up the stairs towards where all the commotion was. Grit! What was that crazy fool doing here?

Baron looked to Lihua with surprise and a hint of worry. "Was that Grit?"

---

Grit sprinted up the stairs as fast as he could. He could've swore he just saw this suspicious person - neither Dreadnaught nor wearing the agent regalia, blur up the stairs as fast as a Kenyan or something. Weaving through the bodies in the halls, the absurd deformation made on the building by various powers, and planting his back against the wall around every block to be sure he didn't run into the hail of fire. Poking his head around the corner, he met face to face with a Fiend who had apparently the same idea Grit had!

He reflexively spun around the corner, sweeping his leg across the ground from behind his adversary's feet. The Fiend slipped onto the ground, the back of their masked head smacking against the floor just before Grit smashed their face with the butt of his acquired AK. Grit stood up with his back against the wall and took a deep breath.

"Aye, aye, aye... that there was too close for comfort... I prefer at least some distance!"

He heard some footsteps down the hall. 'Shucks, another one!' This prompted Grit to retreat back behind the corner of the wall and keep just his head poked out the other side. A tall, middle aged man donned in body armor from head to toe was hunting through the halls, and heavily armed. If he looked at him in just a hair of a second, he might've confused him for Baron - but this man was more muscular, stronger. He didn't look like a NEST agent, but he certainly wasn't a Fiend. This wasn't the person who rushed up the stairs, was it? Maybe it was best if Grit decided to stalk this person, just to be sure.

After all, if he was good at one or two things, shootin' and concealing himself were sure to be some of 'em.

---

_{@Spoopy Scary}

---

When Baron pulled out armaments of his own, Lihua simply nodded. She trusted that Baron could handle himself - he wouldn't be a prestigious Dreadnaught if not - and she had no intentions of babysitting him. She went through the armory, shifting through the weapons, looking for something. She simply turned to Ariella, and asked,

"Where is the containment foam?"

Ariella, who seemed to be more than content with hiding underneath her desk, popped up, and said, "Hey, I can't just give out this stuff willy nilly. You need-"

That was when Lihua quickly closed the distance, and jammed her finger into Ariella's chest - making sure to get her nails in - and very calmly said to her, "Agent D. Sinclair, do you understand what is going on right now? Terrorists have breached the building, and they are killing Agents left and right."

Ariella kept her mouth shut.

Continuing, Lihua said, "And we need to take out the strongest ones before they destroy what little of the base we have left, and to do that, I'm going to need this foam. So, will you spare some, or will I have to make a case once this is all over?" She leaned in, and stared Ariella right in the eyes.

Ariella merely shook her head, and walked off into a back room. A few seconds later, she came back with a sprayer, and two canisters of the containment foam. "Here you go... just... have fun with it." She said, with a sarcastic grin that Lihua ignored.

Now that she has the foam, maybe she'll stand a chance against the likes of Big Dong and Khan. She attached the sprayer to her belt, and hooked the canisters to other parts of her belt. Burnmark will be easy, it'll be Khan and Big Dong that'll be a problem. Though, if Lihua brings in Khan, she'll be looking at a nice raise. While she was doing this, she was listening to Baron.

"This might bruise a bit later, but otherwise I'm... what the hell?"

Immediately perking up, Lihua took a few steps over to Baron, and peaked over his shoulder - only catching Grit for a few moments before he took off up the stairs. She shook her head. She wondered what that fool was up to now, she honestly doubt up close and personal fights are within his comfort zone.

"Was that Grit?"

"I believe so," Lihua said, as she walked over to the button to unlock the armory door. "I hope he has a plan of some sort, because I don't think these kinds of engagements are his forte. Speaking of which, it's time for me to get up there as well." She cocked her shotgun, taking a few steps towards Washe, before turning back to look at Baron, "You're free to accompany me, Baron."

Briefly, she wondered where Washe was in all of this madness, but, for now, he's of little concern to Lihua. She then opened the door, and put both hands on her shotgun as she took slow steps out. The second the two of them were out of the armory, Ariella locked the door behind them. With her shotgun poised to shoot whatever bastard pops up in front of her, Lihua began her march up the stairs, the same stairs that Grit went up. And conveniently avoided everyone else that was running up the stairs.

The further she went up, the more it sounded like a complete warzone. Explosions, bullets, and more. She knew that the Fiends were on the floor with the detention center. She pushed the door open slowly, giving herself some room to examine the place. There were some Fiends, toting gas masks, running down the hallway (Away from her, fortunately). By the time she completely opened the door, she widened her eyes after seeing what they were running towards. There was a female NEST Agent donned in a suit on the ground, getting a savage beating by the Fiends.

Quickly running down the hall - which was harder in heels - towards the action, she quickly primed her Mossberg and was looking down the sights. One Fiend stood up and turned towards Lihua - and he was the first to get the raging firepower of her shotgun. He was blown back with a hole in his chest, and Lihua pumped her shotgun - discarding the empty shell, and replacing the chamber with another one.

At this point, they turned their attention from the Agent, to Lihua. They quickly ran towards her - and she pointed her mossberg at the one unlucky enough to be in front, and pulled the trigger. Blowing him down. Though, there were still plenty left, she took a few steps back, as they ran towards her with reckless abandon - a bullet raged through the hallway and a Fiend dropped dead with a bullethole in the back of his head. Thing is, Lihua didn't shoot it. She only caught a glimpse of a shimmering figure as it disappeared again. Then the same thing happened again to another Fiend.

Lihua's back was against the wall, just shooting her mossberg - adjusting her aim due to the recoil, pumping it, then firing it again. She took her hand off the pump, and lowered her fist to waist level - then violently shooting it upwards. Thin - no thicker than a pencil - concrete spikes came out of the ground and impaled the Fiends through the legs (and one through the dick). Blood trickled down and stained Lihua's suit. The cuts that were forming were painful, yet, this was a pain she was very familiar with.

One of the Fiends that was impaled threw a shovel at Lihua, and she dove to the side as it... harmlessly hit the wall, and dropped to the ground with a clang. She retracted the concrete by pushing downwards with both hands, and the Fiends dropped. Bleeding to death. With the Fiends eliminated, Lihua calmly walked over to the downed NEST Agent, and offered her hand.

"Are you okay?" Lihua asked - having to speak a little louder over the chaos not too far away.

"Y-yeah," The downed NEST Agent said, she grabbed onto Lihua's hand, who pulled her up. Which gave Lihua a good look at all the bruises, blood, and broken teeth, she had.

"Can you walk?" Lihua asked... because she had no intention of carrying this Agent all the way back down to the lobby.

"I... think I can." The Agent said.

Pointing down the stairs, Lihua advised, "Then get down the stairs fast as possible back into the-"

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" A Fiend let out his battlecry as he came out of one of the side rooms... which was much closer to Lihua than she'd like. He was armed with a hatchet as he charged Lihua. She could barely turn around in time.

Then, she heard a gunshot go off right behind her, and the Fiend dropping dead. By the time she turned around, her shotgun was aimed, not at the Fiend, but Agent Sam Clarke.

"Clarke." Lihua flatly says.

"Lihua." Sam says in a similar monotone.

She lowered her shotgun, and took a step back. They stared at each other for a moment. The injured NEST Agent walked on by past them. "I know we're not on the best terms..." Lihua started off, "But, how about we work together to bring down the Fiends once and for all? I have a plan."

Sam nodded.

"Excellent..." Lihua reached down to her belt, and gave him the containment foam canister, and sprayer. "This will do better in your hands than mine."

She turned down the hallway, and started making her way to the loudest sounds. "Let's go."

---

---

Heartbreaker made it to the hallway to the detention center, and put her back against the wall, peaking down the hall. She heard the violent pounding of Big Dongs fists impacting the foam, but when she looked down the hall, she couldn't get Khan in her field of vision. There were too many of these druggies shambling like zombies. If she had a clean shot then she'd just put one of her rounds through Khan's heart and haul ass out of here. Though, the creed of the sniper is patience. You must be capable of waiting hours for that perfect shot... Though, she had a time limit here. Given that she's intruding in a heavily secure NEST base, and the Fiends were going to get Sulfur out. She just needed to pick her...

"HEY, I WANNA LICK YOUR TEETH!" A Fiend shouted, as he raised a firearm above his head, ready to split Heartbreaker in half.

Fuck! Heartbreaker thought to herself, as she quickly sidestepped right as the Fiend brought it down. She pulled out her revolver, and she quickly shot him through the chest with it. The roar echoed through the hall over the chaos, and the Fiend had a nice hole through his heart. He dropped on the ground, and Heartbreaker rolled her eyes.

... Then realized that he dropped dead in clear view of the Fiends.

---

---

After a few minutes of tirelessly pounding at the containment foam, a crowd had formed in the hallway behind Big Dong and the rest of the lieutenants. Most of the foam was detached from the walls, and all that was left was a little bit. They were getting ready to just charge in, when Big Dong heard a revolver go off right down the hallway. With his last punch, the containment foam was displaced, and he turned around and saw a dead Fiend. That meant one thing; NEST.

He walked up to the nearest Fiend, and pushed him, grabbing his AK. "What are you waiting for? Get down there!" Big Dong shouted. Khan and Burnmark nodded their heads, then ran past him with a horde of Fiends behind them - with only a few sticking with Big Dong.

Big Dong ran down the hallway, and turned the corner to come face-to-face with Heartbreaker. Pointing his AK at her. "You don't look like NEST."

".... Fffffffffffffuck." Heartbreaker muttered underneath her breath the second she saw Big Dong. Her hand was on one revolver as she took a few steps back. "Of course not, I'm... with you." She said, with a unconvincing smile.

"Riiiiiiight...." Big Dong said, keeping the gun facing her. His eyes drifted down to the poor sap that she killed, and noticed something.... "You killed Little Balls!" He loudly shouted as he pulled the trigger. A barrage of bullets came flying out.

Heartbreaker, with her reflexes being top-notch, quickly dove into another alleyway the second Big Dong started shouting. She quickly pulled her revolver out, and fired a shot at Big Dong - which ricochet off his nigh-invulnerable frame, and went right through a female Fiend's neck. Big Dong roared as she went after her, wildly shooting his AK, until the clip ran out.

"Gimme another fuckin' clip!" Big Dong shouted as he ejected the clip - which a Fiend was kind enough to provide him. He pointed after Heartbreaker and the Fiends ran off towards her.

He slowly followed behind them.

---

---

Damn this place was a mess. The fighting was pushing further and further into the building. No doubt the freak lieutenants were acting as breakers and throwing NEST forces into disarray. Blood splattered the walls at seemingly random intervals with chunks of unidentified matter strewn around. A pair of gardening sheers pinned a dead agent to the wall. He’d probably never look at gardening tools the same way again. For all the carnage the trail was warm, it seemed like the queen freak was headed to the detention center. Probably trying to liberate one of their comrades.

So close to the target it would be prudent to start wearing down the number of Fiends able to support their leaders. The Wolfhound slung his rifle onto his back with the launcher and drew his pistol. He swapped the rounds out for subsonic variants and screwed on a suppressor. Looking around he saw the sign pointing to the detention center. One floor up.

The Wolfhound picked his way over the bodies and climbed stairs two at a time. There was a pair of Fiends on the landing of his floor. With two coughing sounds the pair slumped. Not a lot of fanfare, good. Shit like this should die quietly. Stepping over the new entrees to Hades he sliced the pie into the hallway. He growled in frustration. A group of Fiends were clustered around a door just past his position. So much for the silent approach.

The Wolfhound pulled a concussion grenade off his vest. A lazy underhand throw around the corner carried it down the hall. He waited for the clink, “what th” before pressing the button on his forearm.
BANG
He approached the scene.

The moans of the few that survived with broken bones and impromptu amputations were cut short by the muted cough of the pistol. Standing in the middle of the carnage he slid the mag out of his pistol and returned it to it’s pouch. Replacing it with a new mag he racked the slide and slipped the safety back on, returned to its holster he un-slung the rifle. Not much work for a discrete weapon today it seemed.

He advanced, posture hunched and fully ready for a stand up sit down fight. He could practically taste his kill nearby. He left a broken hallway with flickering lights and mixed scorch marks with blood in his wake.

Turning a corner the hallway opened out into a larger area in front of the DC. The NEST forces here were done, their hasty barricades between the pillars were smoldering wreaks. Flames licked the walls and corpses littered the floor some reduced to little more than a pulpy mass. The Fiends were decimated here other than a small group heading toward the DC’s fortified door. They turned surprised at the unusual armored newcomer.

“Shit”. One of the female Fiends was Burnmark and another was Khan. BUT WHICH WAS FUCKING WHICH. One of them screamed a warning and the group wheeled to face him, debris starting to raise into the air and mist forming and swirling around the group. “FUCKIT”. The Wolfhound raised his rifle and squeezed the trigger. Two deadly rounds ripped the air apart to reach their target and a gout of blood and bone and muscle tore from one of the woman’s back.

The debris dropped to the floor immediately.“Shit”. Khan screamed an insult and dove behind a pillar firing off a round from her launcher. The wolfhound likewise leapt behind a pillar as the 40mm grenade struck the ceiling, raining assorted crap into the room.

The Wolfhound’s blood ran thick with adrenaline, face locked in a slasher smile he barked out “KHAN YOU BITCH YOU’RE ALREADY DEAD, YOU JUST DON’T KNOW IT YET.”

The smoke and dust swirled and swept past with the settling rubble. If war is a symphony then this was a duet.

---

Written in collaboration with @swich01

---

Burnmark hit the ground, before she nor Khan could even react, they were hit with a sneak attack. Burnmark had been hit from behind by the raging firepower of an assault rifle.

Khan quickly turned around, looking over her shoulder, and the first thing she saw was Burnmark's dead body on the ground. It couldn't be seen from underneath her gas mask, but her mouth was agape. Her eyes drifted upwards, towards the man that definitely shot her. Tears rushed down her eyes, as she pointed her M23 at him, screaming a one-liner.

"I'LL MAKE YOU PAY, YOU MOTHERFUCKER!"

Before she pulled the trigger, then round after round was let loose from her grenade launcher. Exploding on impact with the walls. Debris and other scraps dropped from the ceiling and walls. This bastard snuck behind a pillar, and Khan grinned. She converted into her mist form, and shot forward, getting an angle on him so that she could make a clean shot on this fuck.

“KHAN YOU BITCH YOU’RE ALREADY DEAD, YOU JUST DON’T KNOW IT YET.”

The second she had a clean line of fire, she turned back into flesh, and aimed her grenade launcher at him. Firing off a couple rounds... and finally running her grenade launcher dry. She reached behind her, and pulled out chamber.

Khan appeared out of the mist just to the Wolfhound's right, grenade launcher roaring death. He dove as the explosives tore the room in half. The blast drove his dive into a wall and dropped him to the ground hard. Rolling over he pulled the Milkor launcher off its strap completely feeling something moving around in his chest.

Mist was condensing in the hall faster and faster. The Milkor's whamming retort sounded three times in quick succession. Canisters of riot gas bounced around spewing smoke into the room. “Nice trick Khan, can you do it in this gas too?.”

"Fuck you." Khan hissed through the gas mask, and began turning into mist herself. She'd just get another angle on this fuck, then blast him to fucking pieces! When her body, and weapons, turned into mist, Khan noticed something. It was harder than it should have been, taking more energy out of her. The tear gas was getting in between the process. She growled, as she covered her eyes, and began moving out of the smoke - her eyes and mouth burning like hell. She managed to fully transform into mist, and quickly dove out of the way of the gas.

Looks like they were packing similar weapons here. Except, Khan had the advantage of her power making her invulnerable to physical harm. Though, she had another idea in mind. She aimed her grenade launcher above Martin's head, and unleashed all six grenades at the ceiling. Rubble and rocks came falling on top of Martin.

Blasted by concussive force the Wolfhound was brought to his knees only to be battered by a barrage of fixtures and rubble. Pain wracked his body and blood ran down his face from a gash in his hairline. He could taste it in his mouth. Metallic. Warm. Letting the metal and concrete fall off him he stood like a reverent from a grave of stone. The armor at least prevented any penetrating damage.

Laughing he charged toward Khan firing as he went. The twinge of battered muscles forced into action was familiar and faithful, a reminder that nothing but the fullest violence would carry the fight. Expecting her transformation into mist as she shook the spent shells from the laucher, he snarked "Oh dear wherever could she be?" as he flipped his rifle around and swung behind himself in a whistling arc.

When The Wolfhound ran at her, Khan, predictably turned into mist. Scattering her form so that she was virtually invisible. She fully reformed behind Martin a few seconds later a la teleportation, and got ready to shoot him point blank. However, Martin saw it coming, and he caught her off guard when he swung his rifle around. Khan quickly threw up her own weapon, and absorbed the impact of Martin's blow. Gritting her teeth as she was pushed back a few inches.

Khan took a step back, and responded in full, swinging the butt of her M23 like a baseball bat towards Martin's head.

The Wolfhound's left fist swept out in a backhanded blow against the launcher which crashed against his armored forearm. "If this is the best you have". It span off into the thickening gas. "Then I'm going to tear you apart bitch". His right fist arced down as his feet swiftly took a half step in.

Fuck! Khan thought to herself as the grenade launcher flew out of her hands, and hit the ground. She would have ran over to grab it, but the Wolfhound was pushing in on her. He swung his fist for a right hook. Khan sidestepped it, pushing his fist aside with her other hand, before going in for a punch to his core.

The Wolfhound curled in his stomach letting the strike hit the plate there with a grin, she'd feel that. The gas was thick enough to obscure most of the room from the pair as they slung blows. He brought his left palm in a short jab to strike the side of her head to set up the next blow.

Khan shook her hand as she realized her mistake - on impact, it felt like she just drove her fist into a wall. That'll hurt in the morning. She kept her fists up, ready to block. However, she couldn't see in the gas that well - which let her get hit with Martin's next strike. A palm to her head, which made her stumble back a few steps. She shook her head, and got ready for Martin's next move.

Teeth bared at his opponent's reaction his hips pivot and his leg cocks to an angle. With all the power of his twisting body the Wolfhound capitalizes on the distance between them and his armored shin catapults audibly forward towards his foes neck. This would be the end if she was an unworthy opponent.

Fuck! Khan thought to herself as she heard the action. The first thing she did was dive off to the side, and she heard the kick whip off to the side. She raised her head, and got ready for his next attack. Jesus Christ, she couldn't best this fuck like this.

"HA HA HAA GOOD KHAN GOOD, THIS IS WHAT DOGS LIKE US DO" The Wolfhound followed his barking by dropping his boot back to the floor and launching a series of swift steps toward his foe, throwing a hail of jabs. His foe seeming to wilt under the assault.

The Wolfhound's attacks immediately made Khan backpedal. As she took steps back, she managed to narrowly avoid his blows - with a few connecting, and forcing her to backpedal faster. She hit the railing, and peaked backwards. What was behind her was a clear drop to the lobby. She grinned. Khan waited for Martin to get close to her, before grabbing him by his belt, then grabbing his armor near his arm. She quickly took two steps to turn herself around, with him over her shoulder, then using all her strength, she heaved him over her shoulder. To his death (She hoped).

"LOOK WHO'S THE DOG NOW!" Khan shouted as Martin went flying.

Like the worthy foe she was she turned his advantage into her own. His grin faltered as he saw the drop yawn out beneath him. As his weight shifted over the railing the corners of his bloody mouth arced out again and his hand flew out. Gripping Khan by the face he heaved her over with him.

"THE BITCH HAS BALLS HA". Though as he tried to pull her in front of him his hand whipped round clutching nothing but mist. Fuck I actually forgot about that. he thought before he smashed through one of the glass signs he'd lamented the stupidity of earlier. With a shower of glass shards following him his back slammed into a protruding banister, the armor plate solidifying and sparing his spine though not diminishing the pain of it.

The Wolfhound howled out as the decent bounced him from side to side and eventually terminating on the marbled floor of the lobby. Though the armor could weather the force of a small nation's armed forces, gravity is quite invisible to those ungifted in it's mitigation. The Wolfhound's left arm was twisted at an unnatural angle. Pain flared across his face and chest from a host of broken bones and a punctured lung.

"Aaaaaaaah!" Khan screamed as she was pulled over the edge by Martin with him. Though, Martin made a huge error, and it hit him hard once she simply turned into mist. She flew back up onto the floor their fight took place on, and turned over her shoulder to watch him fall. He hit the ground floor... and Khan didn't feel it was good enough. This fuck killed Burnmark, and he needs to pay. In blood. Because Khan's going to make it slow, and painful. She walked back over, and picked up her grenade launcher, and slung it over her shoulder. Khan turned back into mist.

Then lazily began floating back down to the bottom.

The Wolfhound lay before her gasping among the dead Fiends and agents, the screams of the wounded and dying filling the air.

@Mr Allen J@BurningDaisies

---

"I've only got one," Ratchet replied. “Jen, keep looking for a key. I might be able to help these people off the tables while you do…”

Ratchet took a look at the latches binding the people to the tables. Standard, albeit somewhat large, padlocks; a simple mechanism. Ratchet’s gears began to turn. She slipped the rip key out of her pocket, placed it on the table, then silenced her cell phone.

She silently set to work, her tongue hanging out as she took bursts of kinetic energy from the flywheel and transferred them to the padlocks’ springs. To Ratchet, it felt a bit like trying to push the same poles of two magnets together; the spring mechanisms opposed her transferred force, and pushed back in perceived indignation. Sweat beaded on her forehead. But finally, she heard a short, satisfying click, signifying the latch’s release. The padlock popped off and Ratchet frantically caught it by the hook, before very gently placing it on the ground.

Something had bothered Ratchet about the two children that the big palooka had lugged into the operating room. She continued working on the current person’s padlocks until that person was totally free.

She then glided over to the end tables, taking care to duck under any windows, and in shock, realized exactly what had bothered her about the fact that Winston and Kate had been kidnapped as well, confirming her worst fears.

“This is total BS,” Ratchet muttered under her breath.

“Sis?” Winston asked, struggling to sit up. It looks like he had been strapped a bit too tight.

“Winnie, shut up, they can’t know I’m here!” Ratchet hissed. Winston immediately clammed up and let Ratchet use her power to work the locks. She slipped once and had to start over on Winston’s legs, cursing under her breath all the way. Kate pretended not to hear Ratchet’s French.

“Where the heck did they catch you?” Ratchet asked.

“Kate saw you getting knocked out from behind and screamed and ran,” Winston explained as Ratchet worked on his torso.

“I’m sorry, I’m such an idiot,” Kate moped.

“You’re not an idiot,” Ratchet chided, undoing the last tumbler on Winston’s torso. “You’re just young and governed by instinct.” She walked to Winston’s neck and undid the latch on the collar.

Winston rubbed his arms; the straps had chafed him. “Who do they think they are, kidnapping children like… grumble, grumble…” Ratchet muttered, working now on Kate’s locks.

---

“Wait—No! They were what?!”

Tanner and Holly peeked downstairs, nervously clutching the handles of their travel bags. Their mother seemed quite agitated.

“You aren’t joking? Kate, Winston, and Injae? By who?”

“What?” Holly asked, glancing over at Tanner. “Wait, what the heck happened to Ratch’?”

“I don’t know, but it sounds awful,” Tanner whispered.

“Have you called the police? Yes?” Mrs. Park asked, pacing through the hallway. “Surely there must be a search warrant… You’re saying that this has happened to others? And the police has done nothing?”

“Do you think this means the trip is cancelled?” Holly whispered to Tanner.

“I hope not. I don’t want to leave Ratchet up to dry,” Tanner replied.

“B-but is it safe for my twins?” asked their mother.

“Maybe she has her phone on her,” Holly suggested.

“Are you kidding? We can’t text her if she’s in trouble!” Tanner hissed.

“Don’t you want to know what sort of trouble she’s in?”

Tanner had to admit that he was quite concerned for their cousin. He pulled out his Galaxy and typed a quick message: ”Ratch’, where are you?”

Thirty seconds passed, and there was no answer.

Neither of the twins decided to state the obvious.

“My question is why the police denied any of this was going on,” Holly muttered.

“For a literature nerd, you’re certainly good at stating the obvious,” Tanner remarked.

That earned him a light punch to the shoulder. As in, Holly’s definition of light. As in, quite heavy.

“OW,” Tanner snapped.

That got both of them a scolding from their mother about making loud noises while someone was on the telephone.

“I’m sorry…Yes, we are still coming…Of course…We’ll be there as soon as we can…"

---

As Grit followed the stranger through the halls within a safe distance, there was one thing that became abundantly clear: the man didn’t seem to be on either side of the conflict. The disregard to the agents and the mercilessness he displayed toward the Fiends – whoever it was, they were third party. Much like the Dreadnaughts in a way, but at least they were picking a side to fight on. If this man was free-roaming, or a wild card, then he could just as easily be payed to fight them. This was less an issue, the mercenary wouldn’t stand a chance against the Dreadnaughts’ full fighting force, but he could be a nuisance if he interrupts one of their operations. The stranger appeared to be heading directly towards the sound of action. The stranger was hunting the heart – if he planned to kill Khan, Grit had to do something about him. Washe said that under any circumstance, Khan mustn’t die. If Khan dies, the trail is as good as cold and the mission would practically fail.

And it wasn’t before long the stranger made contact. One shot later, after downing the wrong person – one of Khan’s lieutenants, dead, just like that – Khan flew into a frenzy, and began her relentless assault on the stranger with her grenades… prompting Grit to retreat further down the halls, out of their field of vision. The stranger was yelling madly, spouting crazed yelping like a hydrophobic dog.

“Shit, I didn’t come just to put down some loony psycho… huh, I wonder if he used to be a Fiend.”

After an incredibly intense skirmish between the two, the fight had been brought to the railings, where one could fall with the other. Khan was thrown over, who pulled the stranger with her. One thing he forgot about Khan was her ability to turn into mist. ’So she’s kinda like Baron? Except she is a bit more of a, ah… a freak.’

The stranger hit the lobby ground as a crumpled mess. Khan was floating down to finish the job.

Grit bit his lip. This wasn’t good. Khan wasn’t going the direction the ‘Naughts wanted her to go. He had to get her back on track somehow. Not just that; as much as he wanted the stranger to stay of the Dreadnaughts’ way, the man was no longer in any position to fight. He was at Khan’s mercy. And after a fall like that, his career as a vigilante was over. That there was some permanent damage, and it appealed to Grit’s sense of mercy.

’Ah, shit.’

Grit rushed over to the edge and looked down. She was near him already. He swung his acquired AK over the side, and let rip a hail of bullets, which simply went straight through her gaseous form. As soon as she looked up, he gave her an ample amount of time to look at his face, before sprinting off down a hall in the other direction.

---

Baron followed Lihua down the halls, trying as hard as he could to keep up with her. Something wasn’t right with that other woman, Ariella. His eyes were narrowed as she spoke, and he was watching her intently – every twitch, expression, slightest movement of her hair. Every detail on her uniform. Most importantly, her attitude. Something wasn’t right with her, and Baron had pegged her as a noteworthy suspect. By the time this is all over, they’re going to have a little get-together. To help clear the air, so to speak. Lihua was so distracted by the assault and by her daughter, she probably did not think anything of Ariella. But in the moment, he made his best effort to keep focused on the current task at hand, much like Lihua was. It was the curse of all geniuses.

They happened across another woman agent, being beaten by a Fiend who was snappily taken care of by Lihua. From behind, another Fiend came to supplement the ambush. Baron reflexively reached forward with the palm of his hand and pushed up on the trowel-armed Fiend’s face, who had nowhere to go but down – and after falling, Baron’s drawn Caracal C was pressed against his belly, pushed just under his ribs and pointed towards his head, and Baron fired. The Fiend’s body muzzled the sound of gunfire, and the bullet ripped through their internals. Baron stood himself back up, regaining his composure as he looked at the Fiend he had just killed, disappointed.

If his agent friend was watching, then it was clearly obvious that his composure was more or less a smoke-screen. Psychologists, whether they worked for a PMC or not, were hardly as cold and merciless as this execution was.

As Lihua assessed the situation with the downed agent, Baron muttered to himself. “A shame... I wonder what his story was.”

Next thing he knew, another Fiend began charging out. Neither he nor Lihua had time to react, before he, too, had fallen. Another agent had appeared behind the crazed assailant and with a well-aimed shot, may have well saved Lihua’s life.

“Clarke.”

“Lihua.”

Baron straightened his suit and rubbed the back of his neck. They exchanged words, Lihua delivered some weapons, and the man was on his way as quick as that.

“Let’s go.” Lihua said.

Baron nodded and began to follow her lead… that is, until a body just fell a story or two above their own floor, whizzing past them. Then he hit the ground with a sickening crack. Baron stood there wide-eyed in disbelief.

“My God, this place is a mad house.”

Baron looked over the edge to see a man, practically unconscious. He looked up, and there he saw Khan floating gently towards him. He quickly moved away from the railing and looked at Lihua. “It seems as though our target is coming to us.”

Then a hail of gunfire barraged through the air which Khan was occupying. Whatever was happening, Baron admittedly felt frustrated about being out of the loop.

---

---

Khan barely even registered the bullets whirling through her. She simply looked up to see a fool with an AK, not realizing that her current form was obviously intangible, firing on her. You'd have to be a fool to think that would work. He ran off, likely fearing that her wrath would be turned to him. Thankfully - for him that is - she had no interest in him. She continued to float down, until her gaseous feet hit the ground. She turned back into mist, then aimed her grenade launcher at the desk.

"Stand up, and die on your feet, you roachfucker! I wanna hear you scream!"

The Wolfhound sidled back as the bullets rained through the aproaching specter. His arm screamed in protest at every jerk. His back came to rest agianst the wall behind the receptionist's desk as he heard Khan's booted feet hit the ground. He was bleeding from a dosen cuts and scrapes inside his armor despite even the fall not penetrating the outer layer. He felt like a bag of wet gravel.

"Come back here and get me you bitch, I don't stand for just any piece of shit." The shit eating grin was audible in his voice.

"Fine, fucker." Khan said with a satisfying grin on her face. She aimed her M23 at the desk Martin was resting behind and pulled the trigger once. The grenade shot out at high speeds, then blew the desk in half in a earsplitting explosion. Shards and scraps of wood started flying everywhere as Khan walked through it. Unaffected by the fire she had started. She stared Martin down, and pointed her grenade launcher at him.

"Look at you," Khan started off, "Suicide would have been easier, fucker."

"There's one thing you ought to know Khan...."

The Wolfhound sprang to his feet with murderous intent. His good right hand slaming into Khan's throat and tearing her round in a single smooth motion that terminated with the back of her head on the beautifuly polished marble wall.

"...A WOUNDED DOG!"

The bridge of his helmet slamed into her face and his arm came, throat in hand to shake the doorframe with her skull giving a sickening crack. Blood flowed freely down both his face and her's.

"NEVER DIES QUIETLY!"

The black gloved hand swung round with the bloody leader in tow. The sound of her neck meeting the corner of what was left of the once handsome desk reverberated through what seemed like an oddly quiet space.

The Wolfhound released his grip. Throught his one eye unclosed by blood he saw the result of his work. And he saw that it was good.

Khan let out a scream with every blow done to her body. Her eyes were blurry, and there was a pain like no other rocked through his body. She couldn't take it anymore, she tried to defend, but she was just too weak. The second her neck hit the corner of the desk, everything went dark... heh... they always said there'd be a light at the end, but there was only darkness. Probably because of all the things she done. Her body laid limp on the ground - with one victor standing over top of her.

The Wolfhound.

It didn't take long for the Fiends to notice. One caught sight of her dead body, and yelled, "Khan is dead!" So loudly that it could be heard up several forms.

And the rest of the Fiends carried the message. "Khan is dead!" echoed over and over through the halls of the NEST HQ. Many of the Fiends just gave up there. Either throwing down their weapons, and throwing themselves recklessly at the remaining NEST Agents.

Those that still had a will to live simply made a break for it.

However, over the scene a large shadow was cast. Looking up, a large chunk of concrete was floating down into the lobby. Quickly. Other NEST Agents were converging on the scene, too.

The courus broke the Wolfhound from his reverie. The cage was decending and he had no intention of being inside when it snaped closed. Ripping his flashbangs from his carrier and flinging them around the room. Bolting for the door to the underground he leant over to let his left hand press the detonators on his right forearm without having to lift his left. It hurt like a bitch regardless.

The passage was much the same though somewhat bloodier than before. What Fiends were left and not still fighting were trying to escape the same way they had entered. He could hear the sounds of agents trying to rally through the effects of the flashbangs and make pusuit.

The walls changed to tunnel as he pounded toward the junction, his arm screaming with every jerk and bump. At the junction he shakely pulled out the last of his charges and affixed them to the tunnel walls using his vision to make sure they would be effective. The Fiends were to buisy running to pay even the least attention. Jogging down the junction a way he lent over again to press the detonator with his left hand.

He was deaf to the sound of the explosion between his helmet and the pounding of his blood in his ears he could only watch as the ceiling came down on the heads of the Fiends trapping many between the rocks and the NEST headquaters.

As his breathing slowed Martin trudged back to the grate where he stashed his clothes. Gingerly he stripped with one arm and pulled his civies back on. The ride home would be slow and in first gear. Somehow he suspected he'd manage it without getting a ticket.

---

_{@Spoopy Scary}

---

“My God, this place is a mad house.”

Lihua, too, saw the dead body falling from the sky - and it was all too familiar. She shrugged it off, since it wasn't anything she hasn't seen before. She kept walking, with Baron and Agent Clarke by her side. Fortunately, they didn't run into anymore Fiends. They were either somewhere else, or they were dead. Both were fine with Lihua as long as she got some breathing room.

"... And it's obvious that someone here has a hand in it." She said. She felt like she was being too obvious here, but it was worth saying. How else would the Fiends have snuck into the NEST HQ, completely undetected until the shots start firing? Where all reason would lead them to believe that the Fiends would be kicking down the door. "And... never mind. Just focus on the task at hand." Probably for the best that they get to this bridge when they come to it. After I find Meifeng. Lihua thought to herself.

“It seems as though our target is coming to us.”

Immediately, Lihua practically hopped over to the railing, and looked down - putting her shotgun up on the railing in case she needed it. She saw Khan's mist form descending, and aiming towards someone (Hopefully not a NEST Agent). Which meant they had to get downstairs immediately if they were going to confront her. Lihua had an idea... But, she doubted if Baron was going to like it.

"Right, grab-" Lihua was saying, before she was cut off by the blast of a firearm not too far away (I.E. too close for comfort).

Time slowed down as Lihua whipped around with her mossberg in hand. All she saw was the blood splattering, and Agent Clarke going down with a blasted kneecap. With a muscular male Fiend armed with a pistol shotgun standing over him. On reflex, Lihua shot him in the chest with her moss berg, and he went down with a hole in his chest so large that she could stick her hand through.

Lihua immediately knelt down, and put her hand on Clarke's chest. Who was groaning, and rolling around in pain. He was losing blood quickly - and she needed to help him now or else he would die. She put pressure on his knee, and got blood all over her hands (And it definitely made her uncomfortable). She couldn't babysit him, she had to get Khan! She looked around, hoping that someone would conveniently come by and take Clarke off her hands.

That was when the chanting began.

"Khan is dead!"

"Khan is dead!"

"KHAN IS DEAD!"

It went on and on, and Lihua's heart sank. The Fiends repeated it over and over again until it reached every part of the tower. What happened down there? A team of three NEST Agents quickly turned the corner, likely heading to the railing to look down.

"Whoa, what happened here?!" One of the Agents asked, looking down at Clarke.

"He's injured, he needs immediate attention." Lihua said, standing up. The three NEST Agents quickly put pressure on his injury, then dragged him off to the hospital.

I hope he's okay. Lihua thought to herself as she turned around, and looked at the ground floor. Khan's dead body, with some man standing over her, covered in armor. He sure as hell wasn't a NEST Agent, that's for sure. They needed to detain him soon as possible for questioning.

Lihua suddenly grabbed onto Baron's arm, and yanked him towards her, giving him the sole warning of, "Hold on, we're taking the express route."

She raised her arm into the air, and slammed her fist down on the ground, and broke a large chunk of the floor off - leaving a hole exposed to the floor below - which floated in the air with her and Baron on top of it. She willed the concrete to move forward, then it began to descend. Fast as she could, so she could lock this room down before whoever the hell this armored man was could get away.

Right when she was a few feet away from the ground floor, that's when her vision was assaulted by the blinding lights of the flashbang. Again, it wasn't anything new, but still fucking hurt. She let out a gasp as her eyes closed at super sonic speeds, throwing her arm up in some attempt to guard her eyes. She had completely lost focus, and thus, the concrete slab she was standing on dropped to the ground with a thud. Fortunately, since it wasn't that high off the ground, it didn't end as badly as it could have. Though, the impact, plus the flashbang, made her lose balance, and fall into the messy floor of the lobby. She threw her arms up to take most of the impact, but it hurt her already bloodied arms even worse.

Far from her finest moment.

The light faded, and Lihua raised her head. Her ears still ringing, and she was praying to God that it didn't leave any permanent damage. She pushed herself up, and looked around the room - the room was full of NEST Agents, and destruction.

"What the hell are you standing there for?!" Lihua hissed at them. She pointed down the hallway the armored man went. "Go after him!"

That was when she climbed up to her feet, and flicked her pained arms around a bit - splashing a bit of her blood around. She started walking towards Khan's beaten body. Lihua stood over her for a moment, looking down on this drugged mess of a woman. Before she knelt down, and peeled the gas mask off her face. Finally getting a good look at it. She wasn't the most attractive woman, but her facial features definitely told Lihua that she was Asian. Hmph.

"Damn it." Lihua muttered, holding Khan's gas mask in hand. She let out a sigh of sheer frustration at the situation. "I needed her alive more than anything." Khan was clearly just a puppet for a larger organization, a larger threat. A threat that they needed to eliminate soon as possible.

The chaos around the NEST base was dying down as what little Fiends that were left were being dealt with. What was the purpose of this wind of destruction and death that left many people on both sides without their lives? Who was pulling the strings? And how can they bring an end to it?

Lihua was just standing there, somber.

A shotgun in one hand.

And the face of a dead woman in the other.

---

---

Christ, this guy doesn't give up! Heartbreaker thought to herself as she heard the heavy footsteps of Big Dong right behind her. This guy was a waste of time, she needed to get to Khan and kill her soon as possible before the bitch escapes. Because, at this point, if she slips through their fingers, they won't be finding her again. Heartbreaker turned around a corner, and came face to face with two people she would rather not.

"Freeze, hands in the air!" Michelle Gallus said, aiming her AA-12 at Heartbreaker. Immediately pegging her as an intruder the second she saw her. "This is a secure government facility, identify yourself!"

Henry aimed his own firearm at her.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Heartbreaker said, raising her hands in the air. Awkward smile on her face. The footsteps of Big Dong was getting louder and louder. She threw a thumb back behind her. Turning that awkward smile into a confident smirk. "Hey, I'll tell you this now, you should be more concerned about the mountain of anger coming around the corner at you."

Seemingly on cue, Big Dong came to a skidding halt in full view of the two NEST Agents. AK in hand, and his skin still black.

"Big Dong!" Michelle said, instead turning her weapons on the larger threat. "Freeze!"

"... You and I both know those peashooters won't do anything to me." Big Dong snarled, slowly walking towards the two NEST Agents, before turning his walk into an all out charge. Screaming like a maniac.

Heartbreaker took this time to slip in between them. She gave them the two finger salute, as she taunted "Au Revoir, assholes!" Before disappearing into the hallways.

"Fuck!" Michelle hissed underneath her breath, getting ready for the assault. She knew that her weapons, or attacks, would have little effect on Big Dong.

Agent Dragonfly stepped in front of Michelle, and took the blunt of Big Dong's charge. Grabbing onto his shoulders, and lowering his own center of gravity so that he was only pushed back a few feet. The two were engaged in a struggle - holding onto each other tightly. Michelle quickly circled around the two to try to get a clean shot at Big Dong. Before she could, Big Dong let go and pulled his fist back for a mighty uppercut that put Henry on his back. The lizardman landed with a thud.

Michelle quickly dropped into her wrestling stance, and as Big Dong turned towards her, she drove forward in an explosion of energy, and wrapped her arms behind his legs, and pushed her shoulder into his body. She attempted to knock him off balance, catch him off guard, but Big Dong dropped his fist onto Michelle's back. Making him fall right onto the ground. He raised his foot, but she was quick enough to roll out of the way and the foot came down on the floor so hard that it left cracks.

Henry had already gotten up onto his feet, and threw a punch at Big Dong - only for him to step out of way, and latch onto his scaly arm, and bring his own arm down on his hard. Before pushing it and delivering a series of punches towards Henry's body with hit with the force of cannonballs. Michelle quickly intervene and pushed Big Dong off of Henry, sliding him right into the wall in an explosion of concrete and dust. Michelle used all of her strength to keep him pinned up against the wall, and she reached behind her to detach a power suppressant collar to put on him.

However, Big Dong used all of his strength to swing his arm outward with explosive force, which sent Michelle sliding backwards - trying to keep her balance - as the collar was dropped out of her hand. However, Big Dong followed it up with a haymaker, and Michelle threw her arm up to defend against it. The impact audibly broke bones, and Michelle let out a cry of pain. She kicked him away, and took a few steps back, and grasped her arm. Big Dong made sure to crush the collar.

Running up, Henry tried to slap a collar on Big Dong while he was distracted, but he caught on and slapped the collar out of his hand, and punched him in the face so hard that his jaw deformed on impact. Henry was sent backwards sprawling a few feet. Which Big Dong intended to capitalize on, by running up on him and trying to beat him to death. With one haymaker to the chest, Big Dong sent Henry flying down the hallway.

"Henry!" Michelle shouted. She started running towards Henry and Big Dong, with her intentions being to save Henry before he gets killed.

Which served to be her undoing as Big Dong heard her coming, and whipped around. He punched her in the stomach, which made her gag, kneel forward, spitting out a cloud of saliva. He took a step towards her, and grabbed onto her arm with such a grip that it practically crushed her arm. Michelle let out a cry of pain. He used his other arm to hold onto Michelle's shoulder. Then, he began pulling the two apart. Michelle let out one hell of a cry.

Bone, muscle, and flesh, were being pulled apart. Creating a squishy cacophony of pain as it went on and on. Michelle was violently swinging her other arm out, trying to get Big Dong off of her. She tried to pull away, but that only made things worse.

It wasn't long until her arm completely popped off, the few strands of flesh that was connecting it to her body were ripped off. Leaving nothing but a bloody hole. Big Dong held her arm in hand, while Michelle was gasping. That was all she could do. Gasp, and shake. She was staring at the wound, putting her hand to it. The shock was too much. Tears came running down her eyes, as the pain overwhelmed her. Tears soaked her face, and formed drop after drop as Michelle loudly screamed in pain.

Big Dong cocked his fist back for a devastating punch - And Henry grabbed his arm, and held Big Dong there. Which was harder than it looked with his strength. Big Dong shot his other elbow back, and hit Henry in the chest, making him stumble backwards. Before Big Dong turned around and unleashed a hail of punches at Henry. Each blow caused one hell of an impact. With one uppercut, Henry was sent on his back, with Big Dong climbing on top of him. Unleashing a barrage of barbaric blows. Each punch sprayed more of his blood.

Michelle, couldn't help but watch, she was just so in shock from what happened... She had to help him. Michelle used every bit of willpower to drag herself up, she limped towards him at a steady pace. Trying to go faster - she came to a stop when her raptorlike vision spotted something: the power suppressant collar that Henry had dropped. She knelt down, and picked it up.

"Ooooooh, I got something for you...." Michelle said devilishly. She limped towards him, her vision was fading with every step. There was a chance this could fail, and she'd end up dead - but like hell if she's going to go down crying like a little bitch. She climbed towards him, and - Jesus Christ, Henry was going to die at this rate - she stumbled for a second. The blood loss was getting to her.

She was practically standing over Big Dong. He whipped around to hit her - but she had already put the collar around his neck. The strike turned into a practically harmless tickle as his body reverted back to it's soft flesh. It hit her in the side, and she stood there staring at him. Before she cocked her fist back, and punched Big Dong in the face so hard that it shattered every bone in the right side of his face, and sent him flying off Henry. Unconscious.

Michelle was victorious. Standing over Henry - who was practically beaten to a bloody pulp. Blood was everywhere. She wondered if he would survive. NEST Agents came running down the hallway, and Michelle turned towards them - but grabbed her head.

Everything just went dark for Michelle. Her legs were weak, and she dropped unconscious.

---

---

".... Yuuuuuuuuup," Heartbreaker said to herself as she watched Khan's demise from the safety of her sniper rifle. She had a vicious smirk on her face as the crosshairs on Khan. "Kill confirmed."

Heartbreaker pulled back a bit, and laughed. Another job well done - and she didn't even have to do anything! All she had to do was call up some nutjob with a love of violence and bloodshed, and she let things work themselves out. Well, all Heartbreaker had to do was make sure Khan never leaves this building alive. Good, good. Part of her wanted to recruit the Wolfhound into the Changeling Unit... but she had enough screaming maniacs with her boss. So, she was going to quietly bid him the best of luck. Because this building is about to be crawling with pissed off NEST Agents sweeping it for any stray Fiends. Heartbreaker was going to make sure that she wasn't spotted - Again.

Slinging her rifle over her shoulder, Heartbreaker quickly whipped around and started running down the first hall she saw. Hopefully, she'll be able to get the hell out of here before they lock this place down. Heartbreaker turned a corner, and nearly crashed face first into someone that made her eyes go wide.

Director Caryl.

And two armed escorts.

There was a moment of awkwardness as the two parties stared at each other for a few moments. Both Heartbreaker and the Director nodded at each other. Heartbreaker slid her hat downwards to cover her eyes, and began running down the opposite hallway, while Miranda kept walking as if she never saw Heartbreaker in the first place.

Heartbreaker charged down the stairs until she reached the garage door, walked through it, and immediately made a turn when a squadron of NEST Agents were running into the building. Heartbreaker used the cars as cover as she kept running. The gates to the garage were wide open, those idiots! Heartbreaker slipped her way through the gates, and was out of the building. She was immediately assaulted by the rain. All that was left was the gate - which she ran up to and hopped like it was nothing.

And boom! She was back in the streets of Verthaven.

Though, she should probably get the hell away from here fast as possible. Heartbreaker ran into an alleyway, and pulled up the sewer grate, and climbed down - not even bothering to put it back up. There was no way they'd track her down here.

Slowly and leisurely walking, Heartbreaker pulled out her phone, and sent that special somebody a text:

I disposed of Khan.

A few minutes later, her contact replied:

Good. Meet at our arranged meeting spot to get your reward. Dispose of this phone, and I'll do the same.

With a grin, Heartbreaker threw her phone up in the air, and quickly pulled out her revolver and blew it to pieces. The gunshot left her deaf for a few seconds - but as it returned, she could hear herself laughing like a maniac.

The reminds crunched underneath her foot as she moved towards the Ghost Town district.

---

”Shit!” Washe shouted. “Shit, shit, shit!”

In the detention center which Washe resided, he was seated at a setup of tables and monitors, all with access to various cameras. It became clear too late that a third party was involved in this fight – and that factor would’ve become clear sooner had his resources been more reliable. Standard cameras, difficult to make out faces and colors and outfits. As such, was unable to react in time when the third party executed Khan and the Fiends began their chanting. He looked back at Sulfur, who was hugging her knees fearfully, and averting eye contact with Washe. Khan was so close to meeting Washe here.

He pressed the comm on his headset, “Grit! Don’t you just fucking squat there, follow that fucker! Hurry!”

It was about as long as it took for Grit to realize that Khan wasn’t following as it did for Washe to send out that command. Grit nodded, and sprinted through the halls, jumping over rails of staircases, catching his footing as he made each leap to the story below.

“He’s escaping through utility! After him!” Washe barked.

Try as he may, even as each foot pounded against the tiling and crushing the debris underfoot with the force of his stampede, not even the swiftest of the Dreadnaughts was able to make it to the closet in time before the primed detonators went off, collapsing that whole section of the building and blocking Grit’s entry.

“Fucking hell!” Washe shouted as he threw a porcelain mug across the room. It shattered on impact, hundreds of shards flying about. He hit a button on a keyboard, and yelled into the speaker with spittle flying from his tomato-red face.

“Eyes! Where did this fucker go?! Is he underground?!”

“I think so,” Maria responded, “underground mapping indicates there’s a system of sewers close to NEST headquarters. Connections to NEST’s sewage may likely have been wiped from the maps for security reasons, but it’s reasonable to—“

“Fucking on with it!”

“There are too many connections to your location. If he’s in the sewers, they could be lead to any district in the city. There’s one that is right in the middle of this intersection just outside the HQ.”

Washe let go of the key and pressed his headset. “Grit, go outside immediately. Pry open that fucking manhole in the middle with your fucking teeth if you got to, just don’t let that fucker escape!”

“Caesar, I’m getting something else here.” Maria said, meanwhile Grit heard his order and made his sprint towards the lobby entrance. He pushed open the door with his shoulder, staggering out the entrance and making it into the parking lot. Cop cars and NEST vans were everywhere. Over the manhole was an officer’s motorcycle. Rushing towards it, he front kicked the bike over without a second thought, letting it haphazardly crash to the ground without a second thought. Following the angered shouts of the surrounding police force, Grit stuck the barrel of the AK through the hole in the manhole, and levered the lid open, then grabbing that lid with his hand and rolled it aside. The barrel of the gun, was bent out of shape and rendered unusable.

Grit slid down the ladder toward the sewers, his hand gripping a mini-flashlight on his utility belt.

“What is it, Eyes?” Washe asked.

“I’m seeing someone else.” Maria said. “There’s a woman running through the streets… she’s doing something, let me see if I can zoom in.”

Washe impatiently tapped the table he was seated at as he waited for Maria to get back to him.

“She was on the phone.” She informed. “She’s near one of sewer entrances further in the web.”

“Get a hold of that signal, now!”

“I’m getting right on— oh, no!”

“What? What happened!”

“She destroyed it!” Maria exclaimed. “I’m trying to see where that signal went but it goes nowhere! The receiver has also been…”

“It’s been destroyed too…” Washe said dejectedly. He swung his chair around and reached into his pocket. He looked at his phone solemnly, before unlocking it and hitting a speed dial number.

A few seconds passed.

“Hello.”

“Belroth. This is Caesar speaking.” Washe said. “Our mission has failed. I’m requesting permission to proceed with plan B.”

---

Baron, after struggling to get back on his feet from Lihua’s rough handling of his person, the flashbang, and the previous explosion, took a look at Khan’s corpse. He took two fingers off her neck. There was no doubt about it. The once proud leader of a ruthless organization lie dead before him, and there was no medicine that could bring back the deceased. He closed his eyes for a moment of silence, which was promptly broken by the ringing of his phone. He drew it out, looked at it, and then faced Lihua.

“It’s Caesar.” He said. Baron answered it. He nodded, repeating the typical, “uh huh”, “right”, “okay”, “got it”, then the click. He pocketed the phone and reached into the coat of his suit, withdrawing a syringe. A peculiar sight of course to any strangers. Normal people didn’t carry syringes – and Baron normally didn’t use them for this purpose, but this was important. He set the needle near the bottom of her torso near her intestinal region.

“This is a depressant.” Baron explained to Lihua, already anticipating her questions. “A powerful one at that. There is no longer a heartbeat, so it won’t travel very well. So you inject it close to the organs you want to keep. It’s best to do it soon after death to take advantage of the blood still flowing from before. Then when rigor mortis takes places a couple hours from now, the powerful muscles from the abdomen will contract and consequently increase pressure in the blood vessels. This will also help it travel, though the blood will be thick by then.”

At the earliest chance he could, Baron caught the attention of the first responders and pointed towards a pool of blood. Some were from Khan. What he wanted especially was blood from the man who had fallen earlier. A fall like that will certainly result in gashes. Hair would also suffice. “Sample that, please! Near the crack – yes, right there. Thank you. Bring it to agent Vuhong as soon as the lab gets results.”

He returned to said agent, to continue his explanation.

“The depressant should help preserve the body long enough that we can find clues in Khan’s system. Especially if we find traces of this power drug lining her intestines, we should be able to synthesize a copy. ”

He pointed at the bruising on her face. “She was wearing a mask. She got a thrashing, but we can’t pick up any details about her killer there. Instead, we should look at her arms, throat, and under her fingernails. If she has any scratches, there should be some residue of her killer left on her body. If she scratched him or anything like that, we might find his skin under her nails. If we can find the bullets he has been firing, we might be able to trace the caliber and rifling to their manufacturer and check sales history in the area.”

He sighed as he stood up, reaching into his other pocket to pull out a pack of cigarettes – with every intention of fueling his dirty habits. “Whatever happens, we need to find out who was behind Khan’s death.” He said as he began lighting one of the cigarettes in his mouth. He inhaled deeply on the stick and blew smoke out his mouth. “And Lihua Vuhong... meet with Washe and me tonight. We need to talk.”

---

_{@Spoopy Scary}

---

Baron went on and on, giving orders to the other NEST Agents as to how they can preserve Khan, and track her killer down. Sighing, Lihua wondered if all these tests would even get results. At this point, Khan's killer might be far away from the scene as possible, and might not have a trail for her to follow. Though, she should stop being so pessimistic, and hope for a change. She looked around, and saw all the dead NEST Agents and Fiends being hauled out, along with NEST trying to pick up the pieces. Good grief... All these lives lost... and for what... for what? Lihua thought to herself. It'd take weeks to shift through all these bodies to identify them. She just shook her head.

Still, she kept a smile (or something close to it) on her face as she listened to Baron explaining the depressant and it's effects. "Affirmative." Lihua said. If only she had the right equipment on, she could take the samples herself. She had things to take care of herself, so she took a few steps forward, and put a finger on her earpiece. Ready to ask questions, but that's when Baron told her,

“Whatever happens, we need to find out who was behind Khan’s death.” Baron said taking a puff of his cigarette (Funny, never pegged you as a smoking type). “And Lihua Vuhong... meet with Washe and me tonight. We need to talk.”

That made her stop, and turn her upper body around to look at him. It's clear about what they were going to talk about. Lihua merely nodded her head. "Where do you want to meet?" She asked.

Before she noticed that NEST Agents, the body collectors, were hoisting Khan's body onto a stretcher, and pulling her way. Lihua wasn't going to hold her breath, they likely weren't going to get anything off of her. Someone had a hand here, and they wanted Khan dead. She was a loose end, and this man was a tier. She probably knew too much, and arranged for this whole bloodbath.

She sighed, and put her fingers on her earpiece, and asked, "Agent Vuhong, what is the status of the situation?"

A man on the other end answered, "What's left of the Fiends are either desperately scrambling out of the building, or they're putting up a fight. Either way, we're detaining what's left of them. Agents are sweeping every floor of the building. The situation looks under control."

I sincerely hope they didn't touch my office... Lihua thought to herself, before saying, "Affirmative, continue."

"Two other Fiend lieutenants have been taken out of the picture. Burnmark was shot down on the fifth floor, and Big Dong got into a confrontation with two NEST Agents; Agent Olin, and Agent Gallus." The man continued, "Both have been severely injured, but they managed to collar him, and he's now resting in a cell."

"Good, all that leaves is Plague... if he's not heading to Mexico as we speak." Lihua said. I hope Gallus and Olin are alright. She thought to herself. The Fiends have been effectively destroyed during this surprise attack on the Headquarters. This was basically a Pyrrhic victory. Both sides have taken hits that neither can recover from easily. She'll be having a talk with Big Dong soon.

"... However, after talking to Agent Olin, he mentioned that Big Dong was chasing after a strange woman." The man paused, letting the words hang in the air. "A quick review of some security footage showed that she was no NEST Agent. We don't know where she came from, or where she went."

Lihua's eyes shot open. She clenched her fists, and refrained from loudly swearing. Lihua couldn't help but let a little bit of her temper flare. Which showed in her next question, "So, what you're telling me is that an entire gang, and two unknown parties, snuck into one of the most secure locations in all of California like we left the fucking key hanging from the door!?" She got louder and louder with each word.

She let out a sigh, and shook her head. God damn it... She didn't know if it was incompetence, or someone was pulling some mighty long strings from behind the scenes. Lihua honestly didn't know what to do. Meifeng's missing, The NEST Headquarters was just about knocked over, and there's a traitor within NEST.

Okay, okay, okay. Lihua started breathing in and out, her eyes closed. She was getting overwhelmed a bit here. She needed to calm down, and get everything in order. Find her zen.

Lihua turned around and faced Baron, saying, "Apparently, another person snuck into the building. A woman with blue skin dressed up like she was supposed to be in some western. I'll... have a file for her later."

She shook her head again. Putting fingers on the side of her head. Though, she knew what was part of the problem. Now that Khan and the Fiends have been disposed of, there is one real thing on her mind: Meifeng. Worried thoughts about what happened to her daughter was filling her head. Lihua sighed again, and simply admitted it, "I... think I'll retire for the night soon... I need to find my daughter... it's... distracting me."

What anyone in NEST thought of her was unimportant now, really. Everyone around her was trying to pick up the pieces of this disaster.

@Mr Allen J@BurningDaisies

---

Ratchet nodded and grabbed her addled brother, ushering her cousin with her other arm. "They didn't put anything in you, did they?" she asked Winston and Kate. Neither of them nodded in the affirmative. Ratchet breathed a sigh of relief. "I really shouldn't be leading you two into danger. It's not like we can hit a switch and solve all our problems. This place isn't designed for us to succeed."

"Real inspiring, Un-ni," Winston grumbled, rolling his eyes.

"You two could've been killed. I was worried sick about you, and for good reason, too," Ratchet said.

"I led them to our house," Kate muttered.

"They stalked you to our house. You didn't lead them anywhere," Ratchet reassured. "Our first concern is getting out of here."

"Why'd that guy just decide to give your friend the keys?" Winston asked.

Ratchet shrugged. "That's what we'd all like to know, isn't it?"

---

---

Where did this bastard go? The thoughts came and went as Meifeng kept running after this bastard scientist. Praying to God that she wouldn't be running headfirst into danger herself. She could hear his footsteps over her own, and they were getting louder. She caught up to him, and saw him stepping through a random door. The door closed halfway - not fast enough to close before Meifeng stuck her foot in between the door and it's frame. She pushed it open, and stepped through, taking a good hard look around, before coming to some conclusions. The man she saw, he was simply sitting down on a chair, using his scalpel to spread peanut butter and jelly on a piece of bread. What? Meifeng asked herself. Okay, maybe this guy was just a loon. She stood there for a second, and came to the realization: This guy is a loon.

Best of all, however, he just left himself exposed like this. Which means that anyone with a brain could sneak up on him. Meifeng, on the other hand, didn't waste in time in skipping over to this man, and hopping off her front leg a few inches into the air. She pivoted around in the process of this action, and shot her leg out for one explosive kick. It hit the scientist in the back of the head so hard that he went tumbling forward towards the ground. Stunned, Meifeng quickly circled around the chair and pulled her leg back, and delivered one hell of a kick to the face. Cocking her leg only to do it again, leaving the man's face bloody, and bruised, as she kept kicking. Refraining from pulling any punches. After one last kick, the man was knocked unconscious.

The urge to jump in joy was suppressed by another desire; the need to search his body for anything that'd help her. She gave him another kick to the head to make sure that he was down, before she knelt down, and started desperately digging through his pockets, for a key, or anything. Her search came to a conclusion when she felt a square-shaped object, and she wrestled it out of his pockets. A phone! Thank God! She can call for help, or something. Anything to get everyone out of here safe.

The problems of who to call, or if it would even be unlocked, were irrelevant. As Meifeng turned the phone on, and with a press of a button, she had access to the (thankfully unlocked) cell phone. She hammered in the phone number for Lihua Vuhong, and pressed call. The situation was having a lot more effect on her - likely having to kick someone's face in would do that. Her heart was racing, and welling worry was building up inside of her that could only be sated by hearing her voice.

When Lihua answered, Meifeng didn't even give her time to say hello before she started shouting her own desperate plead, "Mom, mom, MOM! I really need your help right now! I-I don't know what is going on, but strange people kidnapped me and my friends, and took me to this strange place! I just need hel- Oh no..."

In her cry for help, she didn't notice it. She didn't notice it walking into the room. She didn't notice it standing over top of her. The Nemesis. It's hulking frame cast a mighty tall shadow. It was just standing there, staring at her. Doing nothing. Meifeng was doing the same. Hopelessly staring at him, his red eyes shining through his mask reminded her of something insidious. Lihua was calling out for her through the phone - but Meifeng barely reacted. The fear petrified her.



However, the Nemesis was the first to act. He cocked his gigantic fist back, and Meifeng instinctively dove backwards - dropping the phone in the process. The Nemesis stepped on the phone. It's plastic frame offered zero resistance against the weight of the Nemesis.

Meifeng took a battle stance - right leg back, and on her toes - as she pulled water out of her pocket dimension that dripped to the floor below her in a steady stream.

The Nemesis took a few steps towards her....

---

_{@ToadRopes@BurningDaisies}

---

"It isn't designed for us to succeed, but that doesn't mean we can't." Jenny chimed in to the conversation between Ratchet and her cousins, starting off. "What other choice do we have?"

It was true, Jen didn't exactly believe that they had little other choice other than to look around. The situation was awful, and it was a damn shame that Ratchet's family got involved in this. These people... they're psychos... crazy. If they were willing to follow people back to their houses, and snatch them up, then that meant they were unhinged as she thought. They didn't give a damn about people, or their rights. They just wanted to be cruel. Jen hated cruelty. Which is why she's going to do everything in her power to get out of here alive.

Then the thought came to her, what if they don't get out alive? What would be a better option? To live the rest of their lives as experiments to these wackjobs, or die on their own terms? Jen didn't know what the better option was. She realized that thinking like this isn't a good idea - especially in a situation like this. Maybe hoping to see a light to shine again might be better than realizing how grim the situation was.

"C'mon." Jenny said, hoisting Anna over her shoulder. They had to catch up to Meifeng before she (Or them) gets into trouble. She nodded her head, before she started moving down the hallway, with Anna over her shoulder. She wasn't going particularly fast, but that was because of the weight of Anna (and Jen not being particularly strong to begin). She was following Meifeng's footsteps.

God damn it. Jenny thought to herself - nearly hissing out loud - after she couldn't hear Meifeng's footsteps anymore. That girl ran so far ahead... Jen and the others might have been able to keep up if Jen wasn't carrying this girl over her shoulder. They had no choice but to keep moving forward, or head back to help the others that were tied down (And hope that Meifeng would be okay). Something inside of her was telling her to keep moving, and she'll find her answers.

Those answers she was looking for came faster than she'd like. One of the doors several feet open exploded open in a cloud of dust and debris as a massive figure came stumbling backwards. Desperately trying not to fall off balance. Seemingly propelled by a jet of water.

"Oh!" Jen shouted as she came to a halt - felt like she was coming to a sliding halt.

Nemesis certainly caught itself, before standing straight up, and turning it's head towards Jen and the others. It's red eyes shining ominously.

"Get back!" Meifeng shouted as she ran up to Nemesis, jumped up into the air, and put both arms together, and swung them like a bat. The water she was manipulating followed her motion, and took the shape of a massive wave. Which hit like a particularly strong one. Sending the Nemesis stumbling backwards into the wall, creating a loud bang and plenty of cracks.

Meifeng's feet hit the ground, and absorbed the water back into her pocket dimension as she took a few steps back, and ran over to Jen and the others. Immediately turning around to face the Nemesis as it brushed the dust and concrete chunks off it's body. She was on her toes, ready to move and attack at any given moment.

"Oh God..." Jenny thought to herself as she took steps back. This massive man was easily one of the scariest things she ever saw in her entire life. Merely because of how inhuman he looked. He showed no emotion, no pain, it's face was hidden behind a metal mask... was it ever human? "What do we do?!" Jen said in a panicked tone.

"... I was hoping you would have an idea." Meifeng muttered to herself shaking her head. Okay, she was praying that her mom would do something, anything. Maybe all they had to do was stall. Before asking the group, "Any ideas, girls?"

"I-I-I think we should run..." Jen said, taking more and more steps back - mobility impaired by Anna.

---

---

Before Baron could even respond, Lihua's phone began ringing. Huh? Thought she turned this thing off. She reached into the pocket of her shirt - underneath the bulletproof vest - and pulled her phone out. She was getting a call from an unknown number. Odd. Very odd. Usually Lihua would ignore such a thing, but there was a voice telling her that she should answer it. She pressed the button, then slowly put the phone to her ear - getting ready to say hello before she was bombarded with... Meifeng's voice.

"Mom, mom, MOM! I really need your help right now! I-I don't know what is going on, but strange people kidnapped me and my friends, and took me to this strange place! I just need hel- Oh no..."

"Wait, Meifeng!? What's going on!? Where are you?! Meifeng!" Lihua said into the phone after Meifeng - but the phone went dead after a few sounds. She stood there for a few seconds, shocked at the revelation. Holding the phone in her hand as she stared at Baron.

"I need to find a computer." Lihua quickly whipped around from Baron, and stormed off into the hallways. Searching for a computer, any computer. She nearly pushed another Agent down as she stepped into the office section. She walked into the cubicles, and noticed that almost every computer has been smashed, or similarly rendered useless. God damn it.

There was one computer that was untouched. Fortunately, there was one computer untouched by the Fiends. She wasted no time in typing away at it - not even sitting down on the chair - to pull out the program to track phone numbers. She pulled out her phone, and put in the number that called her. She tracked the location to where it was called from: The Bazaar Rivera. Underneath it, in fact. She pulled up another program, and got a in-depth map of the sewers. She zoomed in on the location where Meifeng made her call, and nodded her head. She quickly wrote down the location of the nearest man hole before she got up, and jogged out of the room. Past any and all NEST Agents that were in the way.

Lihua went fast as she could to the garage, and ran up to her car. Her car was fortunately untouched (Other than a little vomit on the front end). She quickly unlocked the door with a simple press of the buttons of her keys, then opened the door, and slid inside, putting the Mossberg in the other seat. Before she put her foot on the gas, and began driving off towards the Bazaar Rivera.

This might be a trap. People just kidnapped Meifeng just to get to Lihua... but Lihua didn't care. She was going to get to the bottom of this, and help Meifeng if this is the last thing she does.

Because Meifeng is her responsibility, and hers alone.

---

Baron barely had the time to explain himself and what he wanted to say to Lihua – not all at once, of course, as the secrecy of this information was top priority – but he did want to relay the information needed in order for them to meet. Before he could, they were once again interrupted. As soon as Lihua answered her phone, the voice of a panicked young girl started rambling on the other end. The NEST agent, normally composed, went into a similar state of panic and emergency. This alone was enough of an indicator that something was very wrong.

“Wait, Meifeng!? What’s going on!? Where are you?! Meifeng!”

Baron looked at her with worry as she whipped around and began running off through the building! “Wait Lihua!” Baron called out after her. “Assess the situation first! Ah, hell!”

He didn’t entirely know what just came up – except that he heard the word kidnapped on the other end – but he did know that Lihua shouldn’t just run in blindly. Sure, maybe someone might be taking kids for a Filipino sex ring or something, but anyone in Verthaven with any kind of local urban savvy would know if a kid belonged to a government agent unless they were deliberately ignorant. That meant if someone who did their studying and took this girl - “Meifeng” was it? If someone took Meifeng, knowing who her family was, that’d be too risky. That meant Meifeng wasn’t their real target.

“Damn it…” Baron muttered. This was starting to remind him of Paraguay. He reached into his pocket and called a speed dial number on a secured line. A moment passed before he heard a gruff “hello” from Washe.

“Caesar, its Zombie. Something dangerous came up.”

“Fuck, what now?” Washe grumbled bitterly. “I already heard from Grit that he lost the fucking trail on that trigger happy ass wipe in the sewer.”

“It’s not that.” Baron replied. “Our… favorite agent got a minatory call. Something’s happening and I’m not entirely sure what it is, but it relates to her daughter, I believe.”

“And?”

“I know I don’t need to explain that to you, Caesar. She rushed out without thinking. Push comes to shove, I know you would do the same.”

“Not the fucking point, you pompous stiff.” Washe retorted. “Why should this bother me? She might give you the butterflies in your crippled limp dick, but I frankly don’t give a fuck. She ain’t my mission.”

Baron sighed. ‘Repulsive as ever.’ “Okay, look.” Baron began. “You might not think she can be of any use, but I do. What’s more, I think she might even be instrumental in the extrapolation of what data our quarry feeds us.”

“You can’t beat around the bush with me anymore, doctor. What else is it you’re offering?”

“That you may not offer any assistance on your end if you do not wish it, but that I may covertly undertake this task of extraction personally.”

“Nonsense!” Washe shouted over the phone. “I think you’d best stay put if you know what’s fucking best for this mission and for you! I am no longer willing to compromise any more of my fucking resources for the sake of playing nice. As far as I’m concerned, we’re taking care of every problem by tomorrow!”

“You flatter me, my friend. Truth be told, I am not a necessity for the contract, which can be easily accomplished by just you and Grit! I appreciate your enthusiasm for your job, Caesar. I think the matter of fact is that we can accomplish much more with her on alive and on our side than without.”

There was a moment of silence on the other – or, half silence, as it was apparent that Washe was ranting to himself with the phone set on the table. When he picked it up, Baron heard a deep breath – his tactician, he concluded, had conceded.

“You’ve been through hell in Paraguay.” Washe started. “Taking that into consideration, I’m sure you might be able to get through whatever nightmare could be going down in whatever shithole you plan on diving in. Eyes, you getting all this? Can you get a location?”

“Hm...” Maria muttered. “A NEST car burned rubber out of the building not too long ago. Let’s see… here it is. Okay. GPS signals are being sent and received, and the signal received is… the Rivera Gentleman’s Club.”

“Oh, yeah, a real fuckin emergency alright.” Washe commented sarcastically. “Did your mind reading science have her figured for a dyke, doc?”

“Not so fast. There’s a manhole near the club. The sewers seem like as good a place as any if you want to orchestrate a baby-napping ring.”

“Thank you, Eyes.” Baron said graciously. “Is there anyone nearby that could give me a ride, Caesar?”

“Eh? No, not one of us. I’m busy up here. I can get one of these NEST idiots to take you there. Got as much clearance as a NEST captain at this point. Hope they know how to drive stick.”

“Fantastic. I’ll prepare myself for insertion then.”

“Just don’t try going all James Bond like some idiot.”

“Is it worry that I’m sensing?” Baron mused slyly.

“It’s about as fucking close as you’re gonna get to it, wise guy. Just hurry with packing your shit so we can save your girlfriend already.”