The mountain, wasn't exactly next door. More like a scenic hike away....... And if that poor woman could somehow manage a slightly-faster-than-glacial-pace run, she'd be practically in the mountain in, oh, maybe three minutes. Give or take a geological era. The males, were doing their best to guard the path―because heaven forbid a stranger should wander onto their mountain.

XiShi's eyes did a slow, dramatic sweep of the area. So scenic. So breathtaking. So... exactly the same as it was five seconds ago. HaoYue, materialized beside her, a human shield should some rogue dandelion decide to wage war. Things had, according to him, cooled down in the area―meaning the number of potential attackers had only dropped from a dozen to a solid handful.

And then there was that woman, the one who was currently doing a very theatrical impression of someone being torn apart from the inside.

Ah, a cave! Or a burrow, or a suspiciously large hole in the ground. Whatever it was, it was conveniently located. Because, let's face it, giving birth in the open air was so last season.

"Can you at least make your way over there? It's not as far as the mountain."

Amazingly, the woman managed a nod, probably out of sheer desperation, and stood up. XiShi, practically helped dragged her towards the cave. The cave was small and probably smelled like damp earth and regret, but it would do. HaoYue and two other males were now standing guard outside.

"Someone, please, get HuanHuan," XiShi barked. Because, apparently, she had suddenly developed an acute medical aversion to delivering a baby herself. And wasn't she just having the most perfect day?

And then the world decided to go completely off the rails. The B-Team,now apparently outmatched by whoever was showing up, began screaming in a way that suggested they were auditioning for a horror movie. This wasn't your average I stubbed my toe scream; this was I'm about to meet my maker concert.

HaoYue was back, looking less like a human shield and more like he was ready to launch straight into battle. "XiShi," he said, voice tight. "The enemy has returned! And they're stronger this time! We need to relocate this whole operation. Like...now."

Of course, of course they're stronger, she thought, inwardly sighing. Because why would anything ever be easy?

And then there was the woman, still in obvious pain and looking like she might spontaneously combust. "Right then," XiShi said, forcing what could only be described as fake cheerfulness. "I'll help you. Just push and put all your faith in me. Because, let's be honest, we're all out of better options right now anyway."