" EVERYONE TAKE COVER" Sol shouted as bullets started raining down. There were screams of agony everywhere as some guards were shot.
They moved silently, trying to blend with the shadows and find somewhere safe.
Hinata had began a panic attack. Asahi was trying as hard as possible to keep him calm but it was almost in vain. Them he came up with the craziest thing he could think of.
He carried Hinata and the latter wrapped his legs around his waist almost immediately, and kissed him. He kept kissing him, trying to send oxygen in, as they made their way carefully.
Albert led them to a basement that was fortunately not far from their dining area, and they climbed down.
As soon as the lights were switched on, there were few winces but that soon changed to shocking gasps.
" Well it was something that's inevitable, gotta be prepared right?" Albert chuckled nervously.
Soon the able burly men amongst them started arming themselves with the dangerous yet helpful ammos there.
" Baby, you're fine now. Come on look at me, you're fine now, hm?" Asahi calmed Hinata down as he set him on the chair there.
Gradually, Hinata came back and was calm. Everyone had worried looks on their faces and he gave a weak smile.
" Y.. you go help them....I...I've got them here with me." He said weakly as he nodded his head towards his dad, Haruki, Riku and Nagamori who was practically begged to rain in the basement.
Asahi dropped a lingering kiss on his forehead and reluctantly left with the others. And Leon held Hinata closely as they left.
The assassins had already infiltrated the floor.
Sol, Asahi, Masayoshi, Takahara, and Albert moved like shadows, silent and deliberate, keeping close to the walls to avoid the sweep of the overhead lights. The faint hum of the building's air system masked their footsteps, but every sound felt amplified — a creak, a breath, the click of a safety release.
They spread out across the corridor. Sol took the center, crouched behind a metal filing cabinet that had been knocked onto its side. Asahi climbed onto a fallen light fixture near the ceiling — the perfect vantage point overlooking the cubicles. Masayoshi took cover behind a desk at the far end, while Takahara edged along the right wall, using a series of pillars for cover. Albert held the rear, crouched near the shattered glass wall that opened into the elevator lobby.
A faint movement caught Sol's eye — two figures in black slipping between cubicles, pistols drawn. They hadn't seen the team yet. Sol made a quick hand signal. Positions.
The others froze, eyes trained on him, waiting. Sol held up two fingers, then pointed — now.
The ambush was instant.
Sol rolled out from behind the cabinet and fired two quick bursts. The first assassin went down before he could turn. Asahi, poised above, squeezed the trigger with calm precision — his shot hit the second in the throat, dropping him soundlessly.
Masayoshi swung around from his cover, firing in tight, efficient bursts. One assassin dove for cover, but Takahara lobbed a flashbang down the corridor before he could recover. The explosion lit the hallway in white fire and concussive sound.
Albert was already moving. He burst through the haze, tackled the last gunman, and slammed him into the floor. A brief struggle — then the dull thud of an elbow to the jaw ended it.
For a moment, there was only the ringing in their ears and the smell of gunpowder.
Sol scanned the hallway, weapon steady, eyes sharp. Nothing moved.
"Clear," he whispered.
They regrouped in silence, the adrenaline still pulsing through their veins. Sol reloaded, glanced at the others, and nodded toward the stairwell.
"Next floor."
They moved as one, their footsteps soft against the carpeted stairs. The faint stench of smoke lingered from the flashbang — acrid, metallic — clinging to their clothes.
The next floor was darker. The emergency lights flickered, casting long, broken shadows along the corridor. Papers drifted across the ground, rustling like whispers. Somewhere above, a vent rattled, then fell silent again.
Sol held up a hand. The team froze.
He scanned the hallway. A faint glint — a reflection from a glass panel halfway down the corridor — revealed a motion sensor. The assassins had anticipated them.
Takahara crouched, inspecting the sensor. "Infrared. Active," he muttered.
Albert glanced over his shoulder. "We cut the power?"
"Too risky," Asahi whispered. "They'll know we're here."
Sol thought for a moment, then gestured left. "We go through the maintenance passage."
Masayoshi moved ahead, unscrewing the vent cover with practiced speed. One by one, they slipped inside, crawling through the narrow metal shaft. The air was warm, heavy with dust. Every movement echoed faintly in the confined space.
When they reached the vent exit, Sol peered through the slats. Below, three assassins guarded the elevator lobby — rifles ready, scanning the room in slow, deliberate arcs. A fourth leaned against the wall, speaking softly into a comms earpiece.
Sol's eyes narrowed. They had numbers — but the team had surprise.
He turned back to the others, mouthing silent instructions:
Masayoshi — left flank.
Takahara — right.
Asahi — overwatch.
Albert — close quarters.
Sol kicked the vent open and dropped down silently. He landed behind a row of overturned chairs, weapon raised. The others followed in perfect sequence.
Masayoshi moved first — two suppressed shots, two kills. The assassins didn't even cry out. Takahara swept around the corner, firing three precise bursts. The fourth gunman spun, but Albert was already there, slamming him into the wall, snapping the rifle from his grip.
The comms earpiece crackled as the last assassin fell.
"…Report. Team Seven, status—"
Sol bent down, crushed the earpiece under his boot.
Silence returned, thick and absolute.
Asahi dropped from the vent, landing lightly beside them. "That's the second squad," he murmured. "They're clearing the floors systematically."
Sol looked toward the stairwell — the dim red glow from the next floor above. "Then we move faster."
He chambered a fresh round, eyes cold and focused.
"Third floor. No mistakes this time."