Read at your own risk.

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▪ NO P.O.V. ▪

At the inner zone behind the Titus Drug Headquarters...

...

("We'll immediately call for the Batch 2 backbones, what else do you need?")

...

"We're out of ammo!" Aragon breathlessly said while giving the giant bounty the last kick before it fell out of balance. "Is Voss on the way?!"

Another enemy proceeds toward Daphne Aragon.

("About an hour he'll follow." Castriel Bermillo responds to Daphne. He switched to someone else's earpiece. "Adorez, Aragon needs backup now.")

Muccia Adorez stabbed the archer's neck using its own arrow before it dies down. She wiped the blood on her chin as she responded. "Roger."

(Alessi Vairano contacted Batch 2 of backbones waiting in the Underground Lot. "Go in now, bring more weapons than usual.")

Adam Oliveros managed to kill two bounties in front of him but another one grappled him at the back. "Ack! Rushton... Are you listening?!"

("Loud and clear, Oliveros. Others are also surrounded, but Batch 2 will follow up there as soon as they can.")

"That's not what- I'm saying!" Adam didn't get to finish what he was saying when he had the chance to choke the bounty after punching him. Adam Oliveros is now sitting at the top of his enemy this time.

("Keep those words, this ain't your last moment." Axe smirked a bit on his monitor.)

"DIE, WEAK MORON!"

(Rushton immediately heard Adam's grunt and his enemy's voice on the earpiece. "Oliveros? Oliveros give me a sign--")

"HMM OLIVARES THIS BOY, EH?!" A deep voice of a man shouted in Adam's earpiece which made Rushton lower the volume.

Rushton's hands trembled, and he started to sweat uncontrollably. It was the bounty Adam was fighting. "You must be the one behind computers helping?! Your homeboy is badly wounded 'cause I stabbed him in the stomach! OHH! Boy's a bleeding mess!"

(Rushton muted the voice as he immediately turned around on his swivel chair. "Vairano, tell Batch 2 to hassle the hardest, we got one wounded already."

Alessi couldn't turn around as she was busy assisting other Elite members as well, but she was able to hear him. "Two wounded including Isandro Roswell. All of the backbone members with Batch 1 already died... It's just the Elite members fighting inside."

"I hacked their whole CCTV system, I already sent the code to all of your computers." Brie Diaz stated. She checked the footage one by one and was shocked by what she saw.

And then, Brie's shock became a domino in the whole area. Rushton and Bermillo gasped while Vairano was stunned by what they all saw on their monitors.)

"Why are you trespassing here in Titus?!" The enemy kicked Daphne but she grabbed this opportunity to pull his legs harshly.

"Your boss only ditched a deal," Aragon used all of her speed to trap her enemy, and she succeeded. "And you never ditch the Devil."

"Eh, who's more Devil than Urban Titus himself?!" The bounty switched their position and Aragon is now the one who's trapped. "Die!"

The tactical karambit was about to pierce through her when suddenly, someone kicked him with such force that he immediately thudded away from Aragon's torso.

Daphne looked at the one who did her favor. She sighed in relief but with a bit of a frown on her face.

Muccia finished the enemy using her combat style. She is very fast and sharp, as usual. The bounty couldn't be able to breathe whether it was her Capoeira skills or how distracted he was when he saw her big doe eyes and full velvet lips.

"Y-you the Devil, eh?" Were the bounty's last words before Muccia completely knocked him out.

Before he drifted down to sleep or death, Muccia hissed. "Awful beard."

Not long when Jaxton Octavius also joined them. The three of them continued to fight another set of enemies around them, most of the time they fuse to defeat them easily. But one thing is surely on their minds right now and so are the other members fighting alongside, when will this end?

("The bounties and archers are hiding in separate corners. They're waiting for their forces to be defeated by the members before they attack next." Axe whispered to himself while observing every footage.

"Something's bothering me," Vairano stopped at certain footage.

"Can we focus more on the members in the scene?" Rushton asked both of them but they didn't listen.

Bermillo spoke both of their confusions. "Where is Talia Agnello going?" Talia was seen walking slowly and carefully, rather, toward a room. "How did she escape all of the enemies to get there..." He zoomed the footage. "In the Laboratory...?"

They made eye contact for a short second having the same puzzled look before glancing back at their monitors.

"What is she trying to do?" Vairano asked. She contacted Talia's earpiece but the call suddenly failed. That never happens unless the earpiece itself is destroyed.

"Agnello, can you hear me? Agnello give me a signal." She spoke on his mic.

"Octavius, Adorez, and Aragon are together while Baldonado and Lopez are on either side of the area, Oliveros is struggling with a bounty and Roswell is in critical condition," Brie Diaz stated.

"Batch 2 will not make it on time. I already observed everything...

We need to abort immediately.")

"Talking to everyone, hello, hello."

Everyone including Batch 2 on the way, and the members that are in the middle of a battle that heard Brie's voice in their earpiece slowed down their tracks for a second. They all attentively listened to her next order.

But the final order came too late or was it their enemies that are very unlikely to beat with only a few experienced members to compete...

...

Isandro Roswell was never heard in his earpiece, nor did he still look conscious on the floor.

...

"Rushton... tell my brother I-I love h-him..." Axe heard Adam's weak voice.

The bounty already stabbed him once again resulting in his death.

...

"MUCCIA--"

After defeating numerous enemies around the three of them, Muccia turned around to Octavius calling her.

Her eyes widened.

It was Jaxton's pale lips, with three arrows, that stood right at her back as he caught them.

For her.

("Abort the mission, I repeat, abort the mission now." Brie Diaz ordered.)

■ ■ ■ ■

▪ ALEXIA ▪

Later at night...

"Molly! Get out of there." I whispered on her door. I knocked once again.

Lumingon ako sa kaliwa't kanan para makita kung merong nakakakita saakin. Good thing ay masunurin ang mga may-ari ng kuwarto ng hallway na ito, including Adrian, dahil wala nang na sa labas. Wala na ring servants or let's say backbone members na nagbabantay.

Hindi nagtagal ay lumabas na si Molly sa kuwarto niya. Lumingon siya sa kaliwa't kanan.

At saka bumaling saakin. "I thought we're following their rules from now on?" Kunot-noong tanong niya.

"Of course we need to talk, hello? The plan?" I reminded her in a sarcastic way.

Nag-kibit balikat si Molly. "Fine, what's your plan this time? 'Cause I say we should just move up ranks as soon as we can to gain our freedom outside again." She said.

"We have to do something, I'm not gonna wait for that time to come!" I frowned. Hinila ko ang kamay niya. "Let's talk somewhere private, not here."

We spent the next ten minutes basically finding a way to go outside of the building in a safe way, at least for now. We are both sweating uncomfortably at the moment 'cause duh, it's not our moms we're ditching this time!

I held my breath when I saw a walking servant on the ground floor we're currently in as we were about to walk towards the glass door. We both hid behind the same large buckets of arnis in Preceptor Jericho's subject earlier.

Right, the mission thingy which Amzi never returned afterward and Voss finished his subject immediately in forty-five minutes. This still has me confused until now.

"We could've talked in my room, Alexia," Molly whispered to me. We're both watching the servant roaming from afar. "I think this is the part where another servant has been watching us here and he'll bang our heads using a bat--"

"What on Earth are you saying--"

"Then we'll die slow, painful deaths for not obeying rules--"

"Shh!"

I covered Molly's mouth 'cause the servant turned around in our direction. "Overthinkers like you shouldn't watch too many movies," I whispered quietly in her ear.

"More like stop living like you can still control the situation, Alexia," She whispered back. "What I said can happen anytime--"

"What the hell?"

We both jumped into our kneeling positions. Like we got electrocuted.

We're doomed.

Unti unti akong lumingon sa likod namin habang pinoprotektahan ko ang ulo ni Molly. So this is it...

We're dying right in this spot!

My thought of being brutally hit by a bat disappeared.

When I saw the lady standing in front of us.

"You guys 'tryna escape?" The dark gray-haired girl asked with a frown.

I was stunned. I didn't know what to say. She looks hella dangerous and very very, intimidating.

"Ms. Adorez, is there something wrong?"

I got alerted when the servant from afar asked this lady in front of us.

Adorez raised her head to him.

"Anytime, Alexia." Molly seemed to highlight the word she said earlier.

Yeah right, it can literally happen at any time.

"Nothing. You can take a break from your duty now, Rusios."

I widened my eyes when I heard what Adorez said.

This is possibly not true, right? A complete stranger slash member that we've never met saved our asses?

Moments later, Adorez looked down on us once again and this time, Molly faced her as well.

She smirked. "Mind you as my company?"

■ ■ ■ ■

"Sit there. This is the first that I share my spot with anyone."

I'm still shocked. And so is Molly beside me.

Nanatili akong nakatingin kay Adorez. I'm being extremely cautious about whether to trust this mesmerizing lady or not.

When she turned around to look at us, her welcoming expression turned into a frown. "What?"

I sighed in relief. Alright, I'll let my guard down for now. In contrast to her intimidating aura, she's out here offering friendly gestures and even saving us from the servant. I'm the first one to take a seat at the spot she offered us.

"We're just being skeptical, that's all," I said to her.

Umupo si Molly sa tabi ko and so did Muccia on my other side but she's a bit far away which is understandable.

I looked at the sight.

Nandito kami sa labas ng Dark Dragons which was our first time going outside the building. Puro puno ang nakapalibot dito. Nakaupo kami sa isang malaki at higanting puno na nakabagsak sa lapag. Kitang kita dito ang mga ulap, bituin, at buwan.

Napaka-sariwa ng hangin, at sobrang tahimik.

"That's great," She nodded. "You should always be skeptical about everything, you never know who or what to trust."

Tumingin ako sa kaniya. She was busy admiring the sky above while the air slowly brushed her bangs to the side. "What if somebody saw us here? It's our curfew time." I hesitated to ask.

She glanced at me as she smirked again. "They won't bother if you're with me."

A long but comfortable silence engulfed me afterward. It's just the three of us admiring the peaceful and windy ambiance of nature around us. God do I need this, after a full-packed schedule of subjects we had to attend until six, and I, sucking at all of it. Not to mention I'm still scared for my life the longer I'm here.

"What's your full name, Ma'am Adorez?" Molly turned to ask Adorez.

She's actually wearing a large hoodie and black jogging pants, she's not wearing her uniform so we don't know what to call her yet, and what her rank is.

Lumingon siya saamin. "Name's Muccia," She smirked. "Why the ditch by the way?" She asked us. "You wanna explore the headquarter? Curiosity driving your bodies?"

"We're gonna talk about getting out of--"

"Molly! Shh!" Agad along lumingon sa kaibigan ko. Did she forgot na delikado pa din ang sitwasyon namin pagtapos sabihin ni Adrian kila Axe na plano naming tumakas dito?

I signaled Molly to shut up. But it was too late when Muccia spoke beside me. "To do that you need to find your way out first, you need to search for clues, search for the easiest route out. Then you need to fight the ton of servants and members that will catch you in the action of escape, and that is if you have the skills," She explained.

"But that's too much of a risk 'cause no one and by that, not even a single one, succeeded by doing that."

Did, she just say that...?

"I'm so confused." Molly blurted out, looking puzzled as well while looking at Muccia.

Muccia slowly raised her brow. "Confused that I'm helping you with your escape plan?"

"Yeah like why're you vouching for us, you could've put us in our places earlier but you even bring us here," I added.

"Where's the fun in that?" Muccia chuckled. "People love freedom, I understand that. So have your fun while you're still new here."

I stared at her. Huh. Fun? Sure being locked here is fun.

"What's exactly the fun here, Muccia?" I didn't hesitate to ask her.

I felt a hand grabbing my left arm gently, probably Molly signaling for me to shut my mouth again.

Muccia doesn't seem fazed by my question, but rather something else. "You think you're getting out of here?" She asked with a boring sigh. "If you still don't get it--"

"I'm dead stuck now in this illegal group who brings threat to society blah blah I already know that." I cut her off.

Her aura immediately turned serious.

I was about to respond again but my tongue got tied when she returned her intimidating gaze, that gaze she has earlier when we first met her.

Shit.

"Don't cut me off again, will 'ya?"

She said. I can see her brow raising despite her chalk-gray bangs.

"I apologize, Muccia. This friend of mine doesn't know how to control her mouth sometimes."

Molly broke the silence following an awkward laugh.

She hit my back harshly making me wince silently while escaping Muccia's glare at the same time.

Muccia seemed to be back on her light personality as she chuckled. "I love honest people really, I just hate getting interrupted of all things," She explained.

"As I was saying, you still can't get out of here even with all the help and tips I could give you, so don't spend your precious training days thinking ahead of that anymore. Instead, challenge yourself here, do good, never give up, and enjoy every moment. You're here for a reason, you may not know it yet and it's all up to you to survive and find that answer."

I was left speechless.

Now I know that something else in her. Muccia Adorez may look very young but she also looks like she's been through it all.

Tumingin siya pabalik sa langit ng kawalan. She smiled weakly. "A friend just sacrificed himself to me."

Molly and I were stunned, both in shock and confusion.

Tumingin pabalik si Muccia saaming dalawa. "I didn't think he would die. To hell's doomsday, he's a good combatant!" She unbelievably said. "That's when I realized everything has its own end... eventually."

Muccia suddenly raised her right hand in the air.

When I raised my head to look at her palms, her index and middle finger are raised, like a peace sign.

Naguluhan ako. What is she doing?

Muccia looked directly into my eyes. Even her stare is hard to read.

"We're all helpless."

I jumped in surprise when someone moved behind the trees.

It was two backbone members. They approached us.

They were hidden so well that I didn't even know there was someone else in this area!

Things happened so fast. Molly and I are now standing with the servant tightly gripping our arms.

"I said, let me go!"

I felt so betrayed. I really thought this Muccia have nice intentions for us!

"Ms. Adorez, you don't have to reveal such information to these recruits." I recognized the voice of the servant that is holding me. It was Rusios.

"What's the point of hiding the dark truth? They'll get there someday." Muccia chuckled with no energy.

"Where are you taking us?!" Molly asked Muccia, trying to let herself go as well but these servants have absolute Hulk arms.

Muccia glanced at us as she smirked. "Your rooms will do... Next time I catch you ditching past curfew, no talk under the moon anymore, and straight to the Headmistress' office or your death." She strictly said.

This... this gray-haired bitch!

To be continued...

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