Yunho filed sideways through the crowd as he tried to find a familiar head of blonde hair amongst the escapees. He felt himself get shoved side ways as some of the more frantic Ghouls around him panicked at the explosion and hurried to exit the building.  It made sense considering most of the patrons were filthy rich cowards and did very little of their dirty work themselves. It was why they came to things like this, to flex their power and pull because they were incapable of subduing someone themselves without a hired hand. It was all an elaborate disgusting show.

After shoving his way through a group of portly men waddling their way out, Yunho spotted a familiar head of blonde bobbing through the crowd. Reaching out before he lost the other, the barista grabbed at Wooyoung's arm and yanked him back. The younger turned around with a look of annoyance before he recognized the mask of the person who had stopped him.

"Yunho?" Wooyoung questioned. He glanced behind the taller to notice that someone was missing. "Where did Hongjoong go?"

"Have you seen the Madame anywhere?" The older answered, ignoring the question. "We can't let her escape as now might be our only chance."

"Are you serious?" Wooyoung exclaimed. "The CCG is right outside the door!"

"All the more reason to find her." Yunho explained. "She's the proprietor of the auction. She has to have a secret hideout or an alternate way out since she is probably the biggest target here."

"Have we heard from San or the others?" The blonde couldn't help but ask. He wouldn't feel comfortable if they changed tactics or tried to escape without notifying anyone.

Realizing this, the barista reached into his pocket for his phone to see if there were any messages from the other member of their group but cursed when he saw there was no signal. "I'm sure they heard the explosion already." Yunho rationalized as he pocketed the device. "We'll just send them a message over the comlink and I already sent Hongjoong out. There are too many Ghouls for the agents to catch us all. Besides, he has been working with you and San for awhile so he should be ok if he keeps his head down."

Wooyoung seemed to weigh the options in his head for a moment. Part of him wanted to just get out for the longer they stayed, the higher the risk, but another part of him felt like it would be a waste to not complete what they came here for. He was confident in San and his boys being able to hold their own and be able to make it out if necessary. That drug on the street was getting more and more dangerous and they couldn't let it be out there for much longer. Yunho was right, they couldn't waste this opportunity as they didn't know when they would get another, if ever. Finally reaching a resolve, the blonde nodded his head and together they took off in a different direction. 

They ran down a side hall where the crowd was beginning to thin out. Most Ghouls seemed to be trying to make their way out of the emergency exits, knowing that the front and back would be crawling with agents. Yunho noticed one of the people that had come up to the Madame earlier in the evening heading the opposite way of the others. Taking a chance, the barista tapped Wooyoung on the shoulder and gestured in the direction the person disappeared to. Together, they followed the man but were careful to stay a ways back to avoid being detected.

After awhile they found themselves in a lesser used hallway, most likely used for the stage hands and performers during a regular show. Some of the doors were labeled for storage and costumes or just regular dressing rooms with actor's names on them. The Ghouls had just passed the fourth door when the man they had been tailing halted. Not wanting to be seen, the duo quickly crouched behind a rack of costumes that had been left out to hide. It wasn't the best place but the man didn't seem to notice them or be that observant as he quickly threw the door open and stepped inside.

Coming out from hiding, they waited a beat before walking towards the door that the other had disappeared behind. Wooyoung placed himself against the wall on the left of the doorway while Yunho took position at the right with his hand on the door knob. They shared a look and a nod both counting to three in their heads and preparing for whatever might be on the other side. On three, Yunho threw the door open-

Nothing.

The room was empty besides old dusty costumes from past Arias and boxes of broken, discarded props. 

"Where did he go?" Wooyoung asked as he swept his eyes over the room. There were no other exits or other doorways. Did he see them and hide?

Yunho opened his mouth to reply when something caught his attention. It was clear that the room hadn't been touched in quite some time and there was a thin layer of dust settled over everything. However, there was one spot where the dust pattern seemed disturbed. Narrowing his eyes, the barista walked closer to the spot where a box appeared to have been dragged. He leaned down and noticed a break in the floorboard pattern. 

"Wooyoung," Yunho called from his crouched position. The blond turned at the call of his name and walked towards the other. "I think I found a trap door."

"You think he might have gone down there?" Wooyoung frowned. There was no telling how many people might be down there but they were betting on finding that secret bunker they had hoped for.

"When I open it, I want you to go down there first. If there is anything, you have more experience and will be able to counter faster than I will." The barista explained. "I'll follow right behind." 

The blonde nodded at the explanation and Yunho moved his fingers around the barely visible door and managed to find a slightly raised spot in the wood. He maneuvered his hands a bit and managed to wedge his fingers underneath. When Wooyoung was in position, he lifted it.

A stairwell. It seemed fairly lit down below, confirming their suspicion that it was a bunker and not some hidden storage basement. Wooyoung lowered himself down first and Yunho was quick to follow as he gently lowered the trap door so it wouldn't make a loud sound. Carefully, they made their way down and they found the tunnel open up but the stairs continue down, attached to the the wall and ending in an iron awning. Cautious not to make any noise, they quickly stepped off the stairs. Keeping low, they walked a bit and paused to look through the railing. They heard voices come from below.

"That damn CCG!" The Madame raved as she waved a champagne glass in a thick fist. She was sat in a small chair that creaked with her movement as a few people stood looming around, all still wearing their masks. "Think of all the money we could have made tonight!" She slammed the fist holding the flute down on the arm of her chair and the liquid sloshed over the edge from the force.

"Madame, it is safe to assume that the building is surrounded." A plainly masked figure in a suit said with a bow. "We are still looking into who may have tipped them off about tonight's event."

"I already have a sneaking idea who it was," The lady mumbled, her hands tightening on the thin stem of the glass until her knuckles turned white. "That bastard." 

"How would you like to proceed?" Another asked, this time a woman in a blue velvet gown.

"Are the shipments safe?" The Madame asked, turning her head to speak to the man on her right. 

"Yes, Madame." The man nodded. Wooyoung and Yunho shared a look before moving their eyes back. "But we will have to wait this ambush out if we have any hope of moving anything."

The large woman cursed, obviously not liking what she had heard. "We cannot let this shipment get into the wrong hands. To do so would severely set our progress and profit behind for another four months."

Just then, a second explosion could be heard throughout the opera hall, rattling the building from above for just a moment. Wooyoung and Yunho braced themselves as the awning swayed just slightly. Everyone below looked up, wondering if the ceiling would hold as the spamming stopped.

"Intruders!" 

XxX

Jongho couldn't believe his eyes as he stared up at the figure from his position on the floor. 

It was her, the woman who had murdered Xion.

Filled with a sudden rage, the youngest scrambled up form his position on the ground and readied his mallet. Suddenly, all Jongho could see was red as the world narrowed and tunneled out before him in his single minded focus. It was her. It was the woman he and Yeosang had been training to take down. The one they had vowed to find and take revenge on. With a uncharacteristic yell, he charged forward.

"Jongho, wait!" A voice called from behind but he didn't even know who, nor did he bother as he was focused on his target. He continued forward until suddenly he felt an arm wrap around his waist, yanking him back just as a left over planted spike from the clown sprung forward, stopping a mere centimeter from the tip of the young agent's nose.

"We can't just rush forward," Wonho grumbled from where he held Jongho back from behind. "There are still spikes everywhere that we don't know where they are going to come from. Running like that will get you killed."

From beside the gaping hole in the wall, the earlier Ghoul stumbled back up onto her feet as the remnants of her mask crumbled from here face. Blood dripped from her mouth as she clutched at her wounded and mangled side, debris cutting through her body. If it were anyone but a Ghoul, they would have already passed out from blood loss and pain alone. 

"It's over now," The clown spat. "You think you can take us all on? You may win once or twice but there are at least a hundred Ghouls in this building-!" 

The woman's uncovered face froze in shock for a brief second and she let out a small choked sound before her trembling eyes looked down and noticed that a deep blue Kagune had shoved itself through her chest and heart with a squelch. 

"Why-" She whimpered as she attempted to turn her gaze to the side but her eyes rolled up in to the back of her head instead as the weapon was pulled free and her body collapsed forward, first to her knees and then face planting onto the broken and war torn ground with a dull thud.

Dead.

"Yawn~," The Ghoul in white said, dramatically bringing a hand up to her covered face as if to mimic the action itself. She pulled back her whip like Kagune that was now dripping in blood, seemingly careful not to get anything on her clothes. She gave it a quick shake and the remaining blood spattered onto the broken rocks around her in a morbid arch. "I seriously hate when people stand there and talk just to talk."

Jongho froze as he stared at the creature in front of him, his eyes going back and forth between the woman and the blood spatter that was tossed aside as if it were nothing. She had just murdered a fellow Ghoul in cold blood. He knew that they held little regard for human life but did they not hold any loyalty towards their own?

Apparently not.

There was a beat of silence before the Ghoul turned her head and took note of Jongho standing there, Wonho having let him down at this point. She made a bit of a surprised noise.

"Oh!" She exclaimed, sounding excited as if she was seeing an old friend after a long time. She pointed at the stunned agent. "I know you!"

The other agents still standing there turned their heads to look briefly at their youngest in mild surprise. Jongho had an interaction with the Ghoul and had made it out alive? It was news to the rest of the team and was rather impressive considering that the target in front of them appeared to be apart of the Lady Red group that their task force had been designed to take down. The young agent on the other hand pursed his lips as he stared the woman down.

"I remember you ruined my fun." The Ghoul grumbled fiercely, you could almost hear the pout. "Where are broody boy and friend?" She mocked. 

Jongho grit his teeth in anger. Was she toying with him? "You're going to pay for what you've done!"

"Oh?" She tilted her head. "I'm not sure what I'm paying for but I'm always looking for a playmate!"

In the blink of an eye she was in the air and swiped at the ground with her Kagune but Jongho was quick to move out of the way, his training paying off and making him faster than last time. Wonho wasn't as fast, however, as he wasn't expecting the attack and the whip-like appendage managed to scratch at his calf. He stumbled, wincing. 

"Wonho!" Woozi and Hui yelled in concern from their position on the other side of the room.

"I'm fine," The large man grit his teeth to stave off the sting. It wasn't too bad of a cut. He could still function. "I'll stay with Jongho. You two find out where the Madame is."

"Are you sure?" Woozi called out, concerned. The mission was a priority and they most likely knew they would have to split up at one point. They just hadn't anticipated on it happening so soon. 

"We still have a task to complete." Jongho said as he readied his mallet. "Besides, I have a personal agenda with this one."

Woozi frowned at this but accepted it. He knew the other two were tough and it was just one Ghoul. Besides that, Jongho seemed familiar with the enemy and had a bit more of an advantage in that regard. Mission failure was not an option and nothing could happen if they were all preoccupied and allowed the Madame to escape.

"Fine, but you better make it away from here alive." He turned to run back down the hallway.

"Wonho, catch." Hui called out before tossing a small device in the air. The man reached out and snatched it and gave a nod of thanks before the other turned to head after their other teammate. Wonho opened his hand to see what had just been tossed. It was the remote to Hui's sonic devices.

Grateful, the agent pocketed the item and prepared to fight. If this Ghoul used explosives then they would have to be careful. Not to mention there may still be planted spikes around the area. This would not be an easy fight.

The Ghoul landed on an upper balcony and perched on the railing, her Kagune waving behind her like a wicked tail. She reached into her sleeve and pulled out a small ball and tossed it in between the two agents below. 

There was a small bang and the two agents threw up their arms to block any debris that might fly their way but were just met with a bright, nearly blinding light. It was a flash bomb. The Ghoul used the distraction to leap back down while the two  blinked away spots, striking out with her Kagune and knocking them both back harshly.

Jongho flew and hit a marble pillar with a cough and Wonho bounced farther away and sliding until he hit one of the previously disengaged spikes. His movement managed to trigger another spike from the wall and he managed to stay low enough to the ground that it didn't scratch at him. The young agent groaned at the pain in his back but recovered quickly enough. He gripped his Quinque and charged. He made a heavy swipe at the Ghoul but she managed to get her Kagune up in time to block, her feet skidding backwards on the tile from the impact.

"Is this all you've got?" The Ghoul taunted, amused. "You're friends were more fun."

The younger just gritted his teeth against the retort and the two struggled for a moment before the Lady Red jumped back, just in time to dodge a punch in the back from Wonho who had recovered. He growled, frustrated at missing. Jongho swung once more and the two collided for a second time. The Ghoul had the upper hand this go around and, taking one of her Kagune tentacles back, lashed at the young agent's hand. The strike cut deep and caused him to release his weapon as he cried out in pain and cradled the wound close to his chest. The Quinque skittered across the ground further from the two, abandoned.

Jongho clicked his tongue at the loss but didn't allow himself to dwell on it to closely. Not wanting to lose, reached into his jacket pocket and brought out a medium sized compressed cube. Pressing a button on the top, it expanded to about the size of their normal briefcases before the lid popped opened. There was a hissing sound before another, rather familiar, Quinque popped out.

"Recognize this?" Jongho spat angrily, tightening his grip on Xion's Quinque that Yeosang had brought him from the rubble. "This is the weapon of the agent you killed. It was only fitting that I ended up using it to dispose of you."

 "Hmm," The Ghoul hummed. "Can't say I do. Must not have been that remarkable."

The young agent scowled but, once again, didn't rise to the bait. Whether she actually didn't remember or not was no matter. He would use it anyway to honor his friend's memory. 

With a twist of his hand, the green tendrils unwound themselves and shot forward. The Ghoul managed to parry the weapon but Wonho repeated his action a second time and took the opportunity to get closer for a surprise attack. He came at the woman from the opposite side and pulled his arm back to unleash a powerful strike. She managed to side step out of the way but just barely.

Not letting this deter him, Jongho twisted his hand the opposite direction and the unraveled whips came back together in its spiral fashion at a rapid pace. He lunged forward and treated the weapon like a javelin and managed to scratch the Ghoul in the side while she was dodging Wonho's rapid punches with his spiked brass knuckles. Hissing in pain, she retreated before tossing another small explosive at the two agents.

Unlike last time, the ball was an actual miniature bomb and it caused the two to split and scatter to opposite sides of the room. The Ghoul was rather determined to keep the agents at arm's length, knowing she was better with long range fighting. Also, Jongho noted, unlike last time they had fought, she appeared not to have scouted this location before hand to be able to place any of her usual bombs and had to resort to other tactics. Though it was rather atypical for a Ghoul to use weapons in a fight when they had Kagune to rely on. 

Thinking of ways to close this gap, Wonho scanned the wall to see if there was anything that could play into their favor. The scenery was pretty beaten up from the last battle that it almost appeared as if they were in a whole different place. Finally, seeing something that might play to his advantage, the buff male smirked.

"Jongho," He called out across the room to the younger. "Get her to the left side of the room."

Nodding at the request, the agent began his assault again in earnest. He sprinted towards the opposite side of the room and, not pausing in his movements, swept low to pick up his original discarded weapon. Scooping it up without pause, he charged at the Ghoul once more. Not wanting to be caught, she leapt backwards only to find a marble pillar behind her. She looked up in mild fear as the large mallet like Quinche swung at her head rapidly but she managed to duck just in time for the weapon to slam into the marble where her head had been a moment before. The rock cracked under the pressure of the strike and the Quinche became wedged into the pillar.

Weaving underneath Jongho's arm, she ran behind the agent and readied a strike to his back as the man tried to pry his weapon out from where it had wedged itself into the marble. Just as she was about to launch her attach, she cried out in pain as a ringing noise hit her ears. She threw her hands up to try and protect herself from the sound and gritted her teeth as she stumbled, disoriented. 

"It isn't as loud as before since you blew up the wall where most of the signal's were placed," Wonho said while still holding the device Hui had thrown him in his hand. "But it's still rather painful." 

The Ghoul cursed as she attempted to move her body and run away from the deafening sound that was like a dog whistle. Her movements were not nearly as sharp as before and she gritted her teeth hard enough against the pain that they creaked. Her vision swam as the noise distorted her sense of balance. Jongho, taking advantage of the opportunity, gave a twist of his hand and wrapped the appendages of Xion's old Quichque around the Ghoul in a tight grip. Running on adrenaline, the young agent maneuvered his hand and used the momentum to toss the Ghoul into one of the spikes that had come out of the wall from the Clown Ghoul. She grunted at the impact as she was speared through the middle just enough to stop any sudden movements.

"What is your purpose here?" Jongho questioned as he took a few steps forward towards their captive. He drew the Quinque's limbs tighter, squeezing his captive as much as possible. There hadn't been confirmed word that any Lady Red would actually show up at the auction so the probability of not having this encounter was high in the beginning. The young agent was happy for this situation, however, as if someone had answered his hopes. As much as he wanted his revenge, however, he wasn't so far gone that he would squander an opportunity like this. They had virtually no solid information about the Lady Red organization other than theories so this moment was of the upmost importance.

The Ghoul grunted in frustration as she tried to use her Kagune to strike at Jongho but he had managed to stay just out of her reach. Cursing, she wiggled and tried to struggle out of the hold but it just agitated her wound further. "Let me out! This isn't how you're supposed to play!"

"You're going to tell us everything you know about your organization." Wonho added as he stepped forward. "Who do you work for? What is your purpose?"

The Ghoul went still, completely stopping in her struggling as if she had been frozen. For a moment, the two agents thought she might be giving up but then she let out a small sound that Jongho barely recognized as a laugh. The young man was confused. Now was not the time for laughter. The sound only continued to grow in volume until she was out right hysterical, tossing her head back in glee. The two agents grew concerned as the seconds ticked by. As quickly as it had started, it stopped.

"Good luck with that."

It was then that Jongho noticed too late the glowing trigger in her right hand with her thumb poised above the button. She pressed down.

Everything went white.

XxX

Hongjoong coughed from behind his arm as the dust from the most recent explosion clouded the air. Squinting over his elbow he risked a glance to the human in the auditorium with him. Yeosang appeared fine and had his arms thrown up in a similar fashion, his hand never losing the grip on his knife. Assured that the human was ok, Hongjoong moved his gaze and could see someone stepping casually over the debris the wall had made and onto the cracked wooden stage below. 

Out came a man dressed in white with a red half mask. 

The one-eyed Ghoul grit his teeth as he watched the man step out. Was this one of the Lady Red people that Yunho and Wooyoung had told him about making contact with in the club? He was surely dressed similarly to their descriptions but, as far as they knew, the organization was entirely made up of women. Was he the actual ring leader? Hongjoong felt a bead of sweat roll down his temple. He wasn't sure how equipped he was to be able to actually take on a Ghoul for the first time, let alone if this person really was associated with that organization. He had only wanted to help the human escape, not get into a fight.

"Aha~" The man in white whined as he came out of the dust cloud. He brushed at his shoulder to clean off some of the dirt that had settled over him. "I do hate getting dirty." Hongjoong stiffened as the eyes behind the mask moved up and locked onto him. "But I guess it is worth it seeing as I've been reunited with one of my favorite little experiments."

"I knew it!" Yeosang cursed from where he was standing near some of the seats, his angered stare swiveling over to the other, frozen occupant in the room. "Never trust a Ghoul. You were with your kind the whole time weren't you?"

Before Hongjoong could even deny that statement, sharp masked eyes shifted over to the young agent at the sound of his voice. They narrowed. "Ah, I recognize you. One of those CCG brats, huh?" The Ghoul looked down at the knife clutched in Yeosang's hand. "Not so tough without your little toy now, are you?"

At the news that the human he had saved was an agent, Hongjoong's eyes widened. An agent? Did he happen to know Seonghwa? Was the man here? This was bad. He had just shown his face to an agent and an unknown Ghoul had shown up. It was his two worst nightmares come to life. He wasn't sure how he was going to get out of this situation. 

"No matter," The man shrugged. "I'm not here to entertain you agents and your suicidal inclinations disguised as heroics." A red scorpion like tail broke free and slithered into visiblity behind the man's back. In a blink, the figure in white was gone only to reappear in front of the agent's face.

He's fast! Hongjoong didn't even have time to move as Yeosang received a kick in the midsection causing him to fly over some rows of seating before crashing into the back wall where he hit with a thud. He collapsed to the ground. 

"Now that the mosquito is out of the way," The man turned towards Hongjoong who appeared frozen. "Why don't you come with me, hmm? I believe we have some catching up to do."

The Ghoul took one step forward and it was enough to knock the college student out of his stunned stupor. Quickly materializing his Kagune, he thrust them forward in an attempt to keep the man from coming any closer. Each strike was quickly tossed aside, however, with little effort. It was clear this enemy had a lot more experience and strength. 

"Well," The man sighed. "I had hoped you would go quietly but I guess I'm going to have to do this by force!"

The next time the two Kagune's collided, the man in white obviously put a lot more power behind it than before and flung Hongjoong's Kagune back hard enough that it caused the boy to stumble. In seconds the red-masked man was in front of him and gave a well placed strike to the jaw as the college student was still trying to regain his balance. The strike was enough to send him towards the ground with a grunt. 

"Now then," The Ghoul sighed. "That wasn't so hard-" He didn't get to finish the sentence as Hongjoong swept at the man's feet at the same time he pushed forward with his extra appendages with all his might. The force wasn't enough to send him flying but the Ghoul stumbled back enough to let the other get back on his feet. 

Not allowing his opponent to recover, he kept up the onslaught and charged his Rinkaku Kagune forward like spears. The first one managed to catch the other Ghoul in the shoulder by surprise, staining the white robe red in that area, but the rest he had dodged rather effortlessly, his body going back and moving almost like it were a dance. On the next strike, the Ghoul dodged and then went low, quickly ducking around Hongjoong and grabbing at his arm and twisting it behind his back in a pinned hold. The red-head gritted his teeth as he felt the bone creak, on the edge of breaking.

"I admire your spunk," The man in white said with a chuckle. "But you're going to have to be better than that if you are going to take me out-" The statement was cut off with a hiss as something bit the man in the middle of his back. Twisting as best as he could, the Ghoul saw a knife embedded between his shoulder blades. Looking up, the enemy Ghoul spotted Yeosang standing shakily as he held himself up on one of the rows of seats, his arm extended from throwing the knife while blood trickled down his temple.

"Tch," The agent clicked his tongue as he collapsed heavily onto the seats that were holding him up, his only weapon gone now. He hadn't any clue what had possessed him to try and help but it didn't look like the two were working together. He considered it pay back for what the Ghoul tried to do for him. "Missed."

"I see the mosquito wasn't squashed," The man in white clicked his tongue but otherwise seemed unbothered. Hongjoong took advantage of the momentary distraction and slammed his head backwards as he stomped his foot down on top of the other's in a move similar to the one he did when he was in the same position his previous would-be kidnapper. When the Ghoul loosened his grip in surprise, he twisted out of the hold and stumbled back a few steps to put some distance in between them. 

"Not bad," The other Ghoul praised as he brought a hand up to adjust his jaw. There was a click as he tried to set it back in place. "But not good enough."

Again, the Ghoul moved at lightning speed and unleashed a barraged of punches that came one after the other. The student was helpless as the blows continued and caused him to step backwards, unable to regain balance. Finally, using his scorpion like Kagune tail, the man in the red-mask slammed it into Hongjoong's midsection and pinned him against the wall. The red-head grunted from the impact and winced in pain, a small amount of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth where he had bit his lip. Yeosang could do nothing more than watch, breathing heavily through the pain of most likely broken ribs.

"You're coming with me." The Ghoul hissed as he came closer, a hand placed against Hongjoong's throat, squeezing. "I'll carry you there half-dead if I have too." 

The red-head struggled to breath as the hand against his throat tightened. He reached up his own hand and placed it on top of the other's as he tried to pry it off, his feet coming off the ground. He had no idea who exactly this man was, or what he wanted with him, but there was no way he was going to go. 

"Over-my-dead-body!" Hongjoong wheezed as he pulled harder. Fortunately, his Kagune hadn't been pinned completely and he swiped at the man. One managed to clip his arm harshly while the other knocked the Ghoul's mask away and it clattered to the ground as it slid away. 

The man in white hissed as he held at his wounded arm and released Hongjoong. He stepped back and gritted his teeth as the knife still in his back pulled at his muscles there. Reaching behind his shoulder he grabbed ahold of the handle and pulled it out with a groan before tossing it aside with a clack. Hongjoong, now free, slid to the ground and cradled his bleeding midsection as the scorpion's tail was ripped away when the Ghoul had moved back. He panted as he looked into the eyes of the now unmasked Ghoul with a wince. 

From the back of the auditorium, the door's slammed open as someone burst through, their figure momentarily silhouetted by the light from the main lobby before the doors swished close behind them. Their chest heaved as they tried to catch their breath from rushing so quickly and there were small amounts of blood spatter on their clothing that didn't seem to belong to the newcomer. Hongjoong looked over and his eyes scanned the visage of someone who was so familiar to him but also a complete stranger.

Seonghwa.

XxX

"Intruders!"

Wooyoung and Yunho cursed as they were found out and quickly stood up. The barista took a fleeting glance at the stairs but there was no going back. Two more people had come down from the trap door above and had been the ones to call out the warning to everyone else. Thinking quickly, the two unleashed their Kagune, knowing a fight was inevitable. 

"Wooyoung," The blonde spoke to his companion. "Think you can take some of the people below?" He took one glance at the others and nodded. "Good. I'll handle these two."

With that, Yunho launched his Kagune at the two on the stairs, quickly striking one through the heart before they could react and tossing them off of the balcony. Wooyoung, not to be outdone, hopped of the balcony and used his Utakaku Kagune to glide downward as he shot his crystalize like feathers down to the crowd below. There weren't that many but it was enough to scatter the group as he landed right next to the Madame. He quickly got behind her and wrapped his arm around the woman's thick neck in a chokehold.

"Where is it?" He demanded the others in the room as he tightened his grip. No one made a move to answer. "The drug. Where are you hiding it?"

"Get you're hands off me you filthy brat!" The Madame hissed as she squirmed in his grip. 

"Not until I get my answers," The blonde spat. He eyed the two people just standing around, waiting to see who would make the first move.

"What are you three doing?" The Madame hollered. "Don't just stand there! Get this boy off of me!"

"Yes, Madame." The man in the plain suit was the first to respond and he brought out his Kagune. It came forward from his upper back and was reminiscent of a spiked conch shell as it wrapped itself around the man's arm and was bulky at the shoulder. He made to move forward but Wooyoung was faster and he shot some of his spikes forward from the wing and struck the man on his unguarded side. He grunted as the first one hit but managed to bring up his shell like arm as a shield to block the rest.

"Hmph, useless." The Madame harrumphed. "I guess I'll just have to do this myself!" There was movement from her back and suddenly, her Kagune erupted outward, breaking the chair she was in and causing Wooyoung to jump back to avoid the splinters. Now behind her was a Bikaku type Kagune that was scaled, like a lizard's tail. She snapped it forward and the tip struck right where Wooyoung's feet had been.

"What are you waiting for?" She barked. "Attack!"

All three Ghoul's mobilized and charged at Wooyoung. Jumping in the air, he avoided the ground attacks as their Kagune's weren't long enough to get him from that distance. From above, he launched another barrage of his spikes. Some of them managed to strike the Ghouls but it didn't seem to stop their movements. Swooping in low, he threw out his arm and clotheslined the woman across the neck. She chocked and fell the the ground before Wooyoung dodged a punch coming from the man in the suit. The blonde grabbed the outstretched arm and managed to flip the Ghoul over his own shoulder directly on top of the woman as she tried to get up. 

Wooyoung was about to deliver the finishing blow to them both when a tail slammed into his midsection and knocked him backwards and into a pile of crates. There was a crash as some of them broke apart and fell over from their stacks. The blonde winced as some of the broken wood dug into his back and sides. The boxes must have contained a liquid as the blonde suddenly felt himself get drenched.

"Some hired hands you are! I have to do everything myself!" The Madame screeched, her serpent like tail swishing angrily behind her. "I'm deducting your pay! Both of you!"

"Wooyoung!" Yunho yelled from the balcony as he watched the blonde fly into the crates. He tossed aside the other Ghoul he had been battling over the railing after finishing them off. The barista followed, hopping over the railing and landing on the floor below. He readied himself as he dashed towards the Madame.

The woman didn't hesitate as she swung her Kagune tail at Yunho who managed to block the strike. The two continued in this fashion before the barista managed to get around the tail and get a strike to the Madame's face. She cried out in pain.

"Oh you insolent vermin!" The woman ranted angrily. She brought up her tail and struck at the ground towards Yunho's feet. He managed to step back and avoid the blow but he wasn't watching behind him and managed to trip on the discarded henchmen and fell back. 

"I'll teach you to never hit a woman!" The Madame said, nearly foaming at the mouth. She brought her scaled tale back once more like coiled snake. She was about to release it when a head of blonde slammed into the woman's middle, slamming her into the wall with a nearly shuddering sound.

"Wooyoung?" Yunho said with wide eyed concern as he watched from his position on the floor the other Ghoul unleash vicious attacks. He had never seen his friend so riled up. Normally the blonde was much more level headed when he had to fight, due to his experience and knowing what losing your cool could do. Yunho wondered what had set the other off.

Strange growls and screams met the barista's ears as something small and cool rolled to touch his finger. Looking down, Yunho saw a small vile with dark liquid inside. His eyes trailed back to the decimated crates Wooyoung had crashed into. 

'Oh no.'

XxX

Seonghwa panted as he wiped at his sweating brow and lowered his still smoking gun, the body he had just shot slumping to the ground with a thud. It was the third Ghoul he had encountered already and he still didn't seem any closer to the main stage to try and find Yeosang. The explosions seemed to rock the entire building and he wasn't sure how many more there were to come. 

Had the Ghouls known they were coming? That wasn't possible, though. If so, there would be a more coordinated defense happening instead of scattered chaos. But why else and how else would they have gotten a hold of Yeosang if it wasn't premeditated?

The agent didn't have time to think about it as he darted off back down a different hallway. He wasn't exactly sure where he was going but he didn't have time to waste. Seonghwa was just about to pass another turn when something swiped at him from the shadows. The man barely managed to pull back in time before a Ghoul's Kagune had made him into a skewer. 

Clicking his tongue, Seonghwa pulled out his gun and aimed only for the Ghoul he had turned to face suddenly freeze as a piercing sound filled the hall. The enemy chocked out a cough of blood before they collapsed onto the ground. Behind the Ghoul was a man holding a bloodied metal, collapsable spike. Seonghwa frowned.

"Eden," The agent acknowledged tersely, standing up just a little taller now that the threat was dead. "Didn't expect to run into you here."

"I would say the feeling is mutual, Seonghwa," Eden said cooly as he flicked the metal spike in his hand, attempting to clean away some of the blood that was on it. "But I had a feeling this would happen."

"So, if you're here, then where is the rest of your team?" The younger asked as he leaned a little to look behind his ex-leader as if looking for someone.

"If you are trying to find Jongho, he's in a different part of the building." Eden answered the unasked question. "We happen to have a rather high profile target we are tracking."

Seonghwa straightened up and frowned at the answer but nodded in understanding. It made sense why the other man's team had a separate mission from the overall agenda. He didn't bother questioning further as he turned his back towards Eden and continued making his way down the empty hallway.

The distinctive clicking of shoes on the tile that weren't his own made him pause. He didn't even have too look and see who it was. "Why follow me if you have your own task?" Seonghwa asked bitterly from over his shoulder.

"I figure following you might lead to something interesting," Eden shrugged with a smirk as he put one hand in his pocket. "Unless, you don't want me too?"

Seonghwa clicked his tongue in agitation but didn't say anything else. There was no way he would be able to shake a leech like Eden and it would do not good standing here arguing. 

A small, much closer explosion caused the agent to snap out of his thoughts, however, and the tension in his shoulders drew as tight as a bow about too snap. "Yeosang..."

Like a shot Seonghwa took off in the direction where he heard the small explosion happening with Eden right on his heels. They weaved through the hallway until the came across large mahogany doors that seemed to lead somewhere important. Not even pausing to think of what might be on the other side, the agent burst through.

Chaos. That was the first word that came to mind as he took in the scene. Lingering smoke and dust from the explosion fogged the air and there were broken seats with some of the bottoms missing. A small smattering of blood littered the aisle and stage. None of that could take Seonghwa's attention from the man standing in the middle of the room dressed in white.

"Maddox?"

Note: 

Hi, 'tis me. Finally finished this chapter but guess there will be a part 4...sigh... I am so done with the auction lol. It is such a pain to write and I feel like I don't do well enough with the action scenes and they're boring but gotta do them. I'm just so ready for the next parttttt.

I will be going over the story and editing over these next few weeks as I feel my writing as gotten quite sloppy, especially on the action chapters, so an update probably won't come any time soon. But if you want, the second chapter of my other story is up if you care to read that :)

If confused about anything or my reasonging for anything in this story, my DMs are always open. I don't usually reply to comments or things because I want y'all to figure things out on your own. Everything is there in the story, you just have to read between the lines or pay attention to minuscule details. If you don't know a word or what something is, Google is also free.

IMPORTANTE:

Ok, as a writer, I absolutely L O V E comments. It lets me know where readers are at and how they feel about the story. What I DON'T like getting is ignorant/obnoxious/annoying/unfunny/thirsty comments that have been getting a TON of lately. I get you want to have fun and make jokes but I can't tell you how dissapointing it is when I get so excited to see a comment and then I open the notification to read it and it has nothing to do with the story. Some of you need to get your hormones in check too because you're salivating over NOTHING smh. 

As such, these comments really make me concerned for the age of my audience. This was NOT a story intended for teenie boppers. I know that it is not as dark as some other stories and each generation gets more and more desensitized to violence and sex but just think before you comment as a lot of the ones I'm seeing show a severe lack of maturity. Then again, I can't control what you do and you have freedom to express yourself but also know I have the freedom to delete comments too. :)

If this continues, I may end up rating this story higher or just unpublishing it and posting on AO3 exclusively. As I write about sensitive content, I do not want to accidentally trigger someone because they did not take the time to read the summary or tags properly.

(Sorry if all this sounds SUPER mean, I'm just so frustrated.)