Yuko held her hands up in submission as Ella held her and Haru at gunpoint. Ella walked closer to the two girls, pistol still aimed at their heads.

“Now what are two lovely ladies doing in a place like this?” she asked. “Haven’t the movies taught you that only bad things happen to pretty girls at night?” Yuko tried to assess the situation. Haru was still in no shape to move yet, and of course, there was no way Yuko would be fighting off anyone on her own.

Dammit, if only I hadn’t sent Maya away, she thought as she lauded herself over the tactical blunder. She hated being helpless like this, but there was nothing that she could do for now.

“Alright, you two. Up. Now,” Ella commanded as she gestured the weapon in an upward motion. Yuko wrapped an arm around Haru’s shoulders to help her up, her nervous breakdown still in full effect. Ella prodded the barrel into the backs of the girls, shoving them towards the center of the lobby.

Think, Hiragi, think! Yuko wracked her brain over the situation. They hadn’t been shot on sight, so this woman must want them alive as some sort of leverage. Akane was too far away to assist them, and though Maya said she would be nearby, there was no way she could call her. Unless. She thought back to the way Akane had scrutinized her earlier. Only someone with an acute sense of sight could do that. She also remembered how dim a lot of the personal rooms in the mansion were. They must have very sensitive eyes to see in that kind of lighting. So if their eyes are that good…Yuko stopped walking.

“A rebellious one, eh? Who told you to stop?” Ella said.

God this better work, she thought as she took a deep breath, and screamed. Ella, startled by the girl’s outburst, dropped her guard, allowing Yuko to grab Haru and force her to the ground.

“You have some pipes on you, you little shit!” Ella spat. Flipping the safety off of her pistol she prepared to splatter the floor with the two girl’s brains. Before she could fire, Maya came surging through the lobby.

“What?!” A surprised Ella shouted, attempting to turn to fire on the new presence. It was far too late. Maya had closed the distance in seconds and delivered an earth-shattering punch to Ella’s chest, sending her flying out of the lobby. She crashed through the doors and rolled several meters, landing in a heap against a parked jeep outside. The side of the vehicle was dented by the force of the woman crashing into it. Maya exhaled as she dropped her fist.

“Are you two alright?” She asked as she pulled the girls to their feet.

“Yes we are, thank you,” Yuko said. “I’m kind of surprised my idea actually worked. Maya raised an eyebrow at the girls’ response.

“Your shrill shrieking penetrated my eardrums. I am surprised the whole world didn’t know where to find you,” she responded.

Yuko still found the Hattori humor difficult to react to. “Come, we should-”

Maya was interrupted as she was struck in the head by a bullet. The round ricocheted off of the woman’s skull, to lodge itself in an adjacent wall. A hail of bullets tore through the entrance. Yuko and Haru remained low to the ground, as Maya recovered her balance and stood in the path. She raised her arms in a defensive stance as hundreds of bullets ricocheted off of her body. As the gunfire stopped, Ella stepped into view. Blood trailed from her mouth and head as she aimed her 37C-A rifle at Maya.

“You were a tad late with your defense on that first shot it seems. Good to know you’re not actually bulletproof,” The woman quipped.

Impossible, Maya thought, as blood leaked from the gash in her head. My Ikkotsu should have obliterated her heart. Maya looked closer at the woman, she noticed how the dirt around her feet seemed to levitate and shift. So that’s it. Possibly a wind spirit? Maya drew her knives, holding each between her fingers. She must have absorbed the brunt of the blow with a wind barrier. I’ll have to get through it somehow.

Ella had her rifle set in its assault configuration. I can’t let her get close. If I had been even one more half second late with Fuu’s barrier I’d have been a goner, Ella thought. She mentally took stock of the munitions she had. I have 45 pistol rounds, and about 150 assault rounds left. I managed to hit her before, but it was only a glancing blow. Normal rounds won't penetrate her aura. I’ll need to enhance the bullets with my own. Ella took a new clip from her belt and closed her eyes focusing her own energy to infuse the rounds with her own power.

“Ms. Hiragi, stay here,” Maya said as she sped towards her target. Her knives were brandished to carve her foe to pieces.

Ella aimed at the rapidly approaching figure. Remove wind resistance, decrease air pressure. She squeezed the trigger sending a single round screaming forward. It cut through the air, kicking up a large cloud of dust as it displaced massive quantities of air in its wake. Maya raised her knives to deflect the round. The bullet slammed into the steel blades, shattering them like glass. A shocked Maya spun herself, like a corkscrew to avoid the enhanced bullet. It whizzed by her and slammed into a wall, destroying a massive section and causing several floors to collapse. Maya somersaulted to a landing and dashed for Ella, as she was reloading. She launched a powerful roundhouse kick for her head, which Ella managed to dodge. A few strands of blonde hair fell loose as the sniper somersaulted backwards. She leaped high into the air and hovered to fire more enhanced rounds at her opponent. Maya dove behind cover as another round whizzed by her. A large crater and a cloud of billowing dust left at from its impact.

I can’t block those. I can’t let them hit me no matter what, Maya thought. If she is bonded with a wind deity, then I stand no chance at long range, she knows this. How can I get close? She leaped in the air as the vehicle she hid behind exploded in a fireball from another empowered round. Maya landed behind a tower that had collapsed in Akane’s earlier rampage, crouching low. She carefully peeked around the side, trying to get a bead on her enemy. Ella had disappeared, much to her alarm. This is not good.

--Inside the Containment Bay—

Akane sliced through another set of tentacles from the monstrosity before her. Like the many times before, the wriggling appendages regenerated. Tch, what a pain, she thought to herself. She had hacked the beast to bits but it would only reform in a pool of its own fluids. Beta growled before Its tentacles went through a metamorphosis. They seemed to harden and grow serrated edges near the tips. It sent one at Akane in a sweeping attack but she easily batted it away. It followed up with a lighting-fast piercing strikes, attempting to break through her guard. Akane deflected the barrage, metal clanging against the six serrated tentacle-blades. Beta appeared behind her and delivered a powerful kick to her back. Sending the girl crashing through a wall into the staging area outside. She stood to her feet dusting herself off.

So it can move with shuunpo now as well. Is it matching my movements? Despite its appearance, the beast’s movements were anything but feral. Its attacks were calculated and precise. There were no wasted motions between any action. It learned and adapted to Akane’s physical strength and speed in moments. And to top it off, it had that damn healing factor.

Though it’s not as fast as Shelty’s, it will prove troublesome. It seemed the deduction she made during her earlier fight was correct. Her combat ability had considerably dropped. It must have been due to the dull assignments they had been getting as of late. Beta charged at Akane again with its ultra-fast movement, intending to slam head-on into her. With a quick flash of steel, Akane bifurcated the onrushing monster, sending its two halves careening into a watchtower. She ran her fingertips along the edge of her blade. Her eyes gleamed with a deadly ferocity as the two halves of Beta began to pull themselves together.

“If I’m so out of shape, then this is the perfect chance to practice,” She said, readying herself for the next attack.

--JenSys Headquarters, research wing. 10:00 pm—

William Duncan watched the two battles that were unfolding at the facility. Namely, the duel between Beta-01 and Akane. He praised himself for installing the high-speed motion cameras, which allowed him to observe the fight between the super-powered combatants.

“So it’s true. Some individuals are indeed able to achieve subsonic speeds in small areas. Fascinating,” Duncan said as he took note of the information on his datapad.

The two fighters had moved past the capabilities of the camera and began to appear as blurs, and flashes before disappearing from view completely. Soon, all the camera was able to pick up were sparks or shock waves, and displacements of dust. Beta had been matching the young woman’s attacks from the very beginning. However, as the fight went on, she began to overtake it in speed. Being a few steps ahead of Beta’s own engineered reactions chipping away at its’ amorphous shell. The screen monitoring Beta’s vitals began to ping as it was beginning to reach its limit.

“She managed to increase her physical abilities in such a short amount of time? What monsters the Hattori's are!” He marveled to himself. Goosebumps appeared on his skin in awe of the raw physical prowess of Akane.

“Perhaps we should show her a bit more as well? I’d hate for our guest of honor to become bored.” Duncan input a set of commands on the datapad. Beta’s screen began to flash yellow with caution as it read: “Warning. Releasing Limiters, all personnel are to seek shelter immediately.”

---

Back at the storage facility, Ella had retreated inside the building. She found a perch that had an adequate view of the battlefield. She knew Maya was still hiding behind the downed tower. She could blast it with an enhanced round, but she thought against it. The rounds drained her power considerably, and it would also give away her position. It would not take long for her opponent to notice this and close the distance between them. She had to end this fight fast. Or at least, prolong it until she could get an opening. She was sure the girls’ she had ran into earlier were still taking cover in the lobby. They seemed to be under that woman’s protection. Considering she couldn’t be blindsided again, if Ella could get to them she could use them as leverage. It would be risky. Going back to the ground level would make it even easier to get to her, but it was a gamble she would have to take.

“Alright girls, time to finish our chat.” She counted to three and made a mad dash for the ground floor.

--

Outside, Maya continued to take cover. She noticed that the barrage of bullets had stopped. Strange, she thought. Her pondering was interrupted when a purple figure zoomed past her. It crashed violently into the guardhouse near the entrance gate. Akane appeared next to Maya’s hiding spot, brandishing her blade. A dense electrical aura surrounding her body.

“I see you are taking steps to return to your old form, mistress,” Maya commented. “I take it you found something of interest inside?” She asked.

Akane nodded. “I believe that thing is a prototype of APEX. I am attempting to subdue it and collect a sample.” She noticed Maya’s head wound and the dirt on her clothes. “You are having trouble with your opponent?” Akane asked confused.

“She is a formidable marksman, mistress. I am attempting to think of a plan to neutralize her advantage,” Maya stated. During their conversation, Beta had crashed from the rubble of the gatehouse. It stalked forward as its body began to convulse once again. The core that floated within it to pulsed as it limbs and body began to grow in size. The hulking figure gave a bellowing roar as it rose to its full twelve-foot height. Akane had used this opportunity to flash atop her opponents back, pointing her sword at the nape of its neck.

“Your dramatic transformation has left you wide open. I’d be a fool to overlook that.” She jabbed her blade deep into Beta’s neck as the purple fluid gushed from the wound. As her blade pierced the floating core, Beta howled in pain and thrashed around wildly. Its tentacles and arms alike trying to grasp at the girl on his back. The hulking figure walked a few more steps before its glowing eyes dimmed and disappeared. It’s purple gelatinous skin turning into a pale gray as it dried up. Then, it finally fell forward, landing in a mighty thud on the ground. Akane wrenched her sword free of the artificial monstrosity.

“Maya, I have neutralized the subject,” She called to the attendant, who finally got out from her cover.

“Very, good mistress. I will wrap up as well,” Maya said politely. Easier said than done. She had completely lost her opponents presence. She must have moved from her sniping position. Did she escape? Maya thought. She attempted to focus her energies outward. She attempted to pick up Ella’s own energy in the area, finding nothing until…

“Let her go!” Yuko yelled, causing both Maya and Akane to focus in the direction of the yelling. Stepping into the entryway and out of the building was Ella, she had Haru in a chokehold with a gun placed to her head. Yuko tried to rush the woman but found herself blown back by a powerful gust of wind. Akane froze. The cold hand of fear gripping her heart.

“You…” She said, her voice cracking. Ella sneered at Akane. “Yes, dear. It’s me. I have waited sooo long to see you again, my love.”

Haru attempted to struggle against the woman’s iron grip, only for the hold to tighten.

“These last ten years, I longed for this moment. To feel the rush you gave me so long ago. Even going as far as hiring myself out to those imperial pigs. All for you, my dear,” Ella said.

“What exactly... Do you want from me?” Akane asked, voice shaking with pent-up emotion.

Ella pointed the gun at Akane. “I want you, Akane. You are one that got away. The only one who nearly made me feel the cold hand of death. The only one who occupied my every waking thought for these past ten years.”

Ella pointed the gun back at Haru’s head. “I know this girl is no comparison to you, but I know she is under your protection. I can tell by the way you looked at her before that you fancied her.” Ella holstered the pistol pointed at Yuko. “I guess you can blame me for that,” she said as she snaked her hand down Haru’s body. She forcefully jammed it into the girl's pants making captive's breath hitch. “Do you know how you made it back home that night?” Ella asked, as she began to rub her captive through her panties. Haru trembled in fright as she squirmed against the woman’s violation. “You were unconscious, broken and bloodied in a pile of burning rubble. I couldn’t just leave you there with the authorities on their way. So I dropped you somewhere discreet until you came to.” Her lips grazed Haru’s earlobe, as she took a playful nibble at it. “Of course, after making me the feel the way you did, I had a certain itch that needed scratching and there you were. I couldn’t help myself. Just looking at you now, I can barely think straight.”

Maya’s eyes widened in shock, she placed a hand over her mouth stunned. She looked at her mistress who stared at the ground, her bangs obscuring her face of any emotion.

“In the middle of it, you started to regain consciousness. I remember the look on your face. Your confusion, your anger, your fear. You knew it was futile, your body was too weak to move, so you were powerless to fight me off. It drove me wild.” She continued to rub Haru through her garments as a group of storm clouds moved in to cover the area. Thunder began to rumble through the industrial district. Akane’s hands began to tremble as electricity surged around her body. “I bet I can make this girl cum, give her a moment's pleasure before I send her to hell. Just like I did you.”

Maya could not bear to hear any more. “You DARE admit to such a disgusting act against my charge!” Maya exploded. The air swirled around her as her face held a look of bloody murder. “I swear on the name of my family. I will kill you!” Before she could rush forward, Akane held out a hand, stopping her.

“So what do you say dear,” Ella drawled. “Why not give yourself to me again? I’m even giving you a choice this time.”

Akane remembered. She remembered chasing the woman through the city and cornering her at her safe-house. She remembered having the woman turn the tables on her. She remembered how she woke up in the back of a car, her clothes ripped off as the woman had her way with her. She remembered being discarded in an alley, broken and confused. Her mother gave her the worst beating in her life when she returned, chastising her failure. All the pain she endured, the constant struggles with herself. The suffering, and tears she had cried alone, cursing the gods for plaguing her with these damnable feelings. All because of Ella. She had taken everything from Akane that night. She would not let the woman do it again.

“Yuko,” Akane spoke. “Tell your friend to hold still." Lightning bolts descended upon Akane as she charged herself with the mighty energy. She focused the energy into her finger, which she pointed at Ella and her hostage.

“Wait, what are you-” As Yuko’s question hung in the air, a lance of condensed electricity shot out from Akane’s finger. The beam tore through the walls of the facility and several other buildings in its path. Gaping holes of molten concrete left in its wake. Haru’s eyes went dull, immediately falling to the ground as the white-hot bolt pierced through her chest. Behind her, Ella had turned out much worse. Blood exploded from her mouth as the bolt ripped through her heart. The gun fell from her hands as she and Haru collapsed on the ground. They convulsed from the bolts of electricity coursing through their bodies.

“NO! Haru!” Yuko ran over to her friend who lay motionless on the ground. There was a smoking hole where the beam of lightning shot through her. The smell of burnt flesh emanated from her as the heat cauterized the wound. Akane drew her blade and approached Ella, whose convulsing had stopped. She lay wheezing, clinging to life by mere strands.

“Akane…where are you…” She said weakly. “It’s dark, I can’t…see you,” Akane stood over her silently, hands trembling as she held her blade over Ella’s throat. “It’s cold. Please... don’t leave me... alone,” Ella moved her hands trying to feel for the girl, coming short of Akane’s boots. “Why…. won’t you… look at me…”

Akane swiped her blade across Ella’s neck, opening her jugular vein, finishing the woman off. With the marks-woman's dying breath Akane exhaled, letting loose a breath she did not realize she was holding. She felt a weight lift off of her shoulders. She walked over to Beta-01’s corpse to slice off a chunk of tentacle to take as a sample. Despite her neutral expression, Maya noticed the tears streaming from Akane’s face. She did not interact with Akane often, as anything Hisayo related usually fell under Zed’s care. However, she could not help but feel she had failed the family as a guardian. Please, forgive me, my mistress, she said to herself, hoping that her feelings of regret could somehow emanate to Akane.

“Maya,” Akane said weakly. “I’m going to destroy this place. Get the girls and take them home.” Maya, still recovering from the emotional hit, hurried to check on Haru. She put a hand near the girl’s throat to feel for a pulse. She was relieved when she felt a steady rhythm.

“She is badly injured, but she will live,” Maya said. Yuko gave a sigh of relief at the woman’s diagnosis. “We need to get her to a hospital!’ Yuko exclaimed. Maya shook her head. “We cannot, it would pose too many questions. I will take you all home. I can administer treatment to her there.”

Maya hoisted Haru on her back and started towards the streets. “Quickly, we must go!” Yuko hurried past Akane, who eyes still remained on Ella’s dead corpse. She closed her eyes and focused herself, gathering power from the storm clouds above. Super-charged bolts of lightning engulfed the area in towering column of energy. The blast disintegrated the building and corpses alike in a vortex of pure plasma. Akane stood in the blast watching as the last traces of Ella Douglas disappeared.

“Let this tempest cleanse your soul, Ella,” Akane said to herself. As she walked away from the scene that night, a small smile tugged on her lips for the first time in years.