As Max and company pulled into the mall parking lot, Terra and Flare's mouths were agape in awe. "I've seen them in pictures... but these things are humongous!" Terra exclaimed. Max chuckled behind them, fixing his eye patch. "What do we do first?" Flare asked.

"My though was that you and the rest of the girls go look for clothes. You need something to blend in." Max said. "I need to go check on someone." He said putting his hands in his pockets. The crew entered the building together but split apart with Max heading towards the security station while the girls went shopping,

He knocked on the door to find a familiar face answering it. "Hello Sarah, How have you been?" He asked the Harpy Raptor.

"I'm doing just fine even if it's been a bit slow." She answered. "Come in, Jeff is patrolling but he should be back soon. So I heard through the grapevine that you're a new operative for MON. Is that true?"

"Yeah, Just got back from a mission not too long ago. Checking in with some crazy guy in the middle of the ocean." Max explained. "How have you two been?" He said leaning on a desk.

"We've been fine like I said. We've also been a bit more popular since that legal case you had." She said. "We've also started dating." Sarah said blushing.

"Congrats. What kicked it off?" He asked.

"Well, we live together so we spent so much time together. The mandatory trips out to places turned into dates." She explained. The door opened behind them and Jeff walked into room.

"I'm back." He said kissing Sarah on the lips.

"Jeff, we have a visitor." Sarah said pointing to Max.

"Max, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Jeff said shaking his hands.

"A shopping trip with the homestays. Nothing too exciting."

"Am I gonna have to break up another fight?" Jeff asked laughing.

"Hopefully not." Max said joining in.

Flare and Terra walked into the store meant for Liminals with the rest following them.

"Let's find some clothes that'll fit around your spikes Flare." Lilly said moving them towards some racks. The shirts ha little holes on the shoulders and down the sides for her spikes and the pants had a hole for her tail. She settled on a Orange shirt and blue jeans.

Terra's selection was a little on the small side. All she really needed was a shirt for her upper half. So she grabbed a generic yellow tee.

"That's most of what we need. Now we can-" Lilly started to say when she heard glass started shattering.

"Everyone down on the ground now!" A weird masked man said with a bunch of people in the same uniform. "This mall is now under the control of Lord Arume!"

Max, Sarah, and Jeff watched this go down as more soldiers dropped into the mall.

"Jeff! Can't you put the place in lockdown?!" Max said picking up his phone to call Cullings. Jeff started putting in codes, sounds of metal gates shutting were heard. Max hung up and pulled his sword out. "Cullings is getting a squad ready but it'll take awhile. For now, we've gotta get some people to safety." Max said to the two.

"Send them here. We've got space for them, I'll stay and wait for them. Someone's gotta protect them." He said opening some rooms in the station. He handed Max a handgun. "Unfortunely, that's as good as it gets." He said loading his own. "Sarah, go with him and help. It seems there's some Liminals in that group." They both nodded.

Max kicked open the door and headed towards the stairs only to find them blocked off by Arume's soldiers who began to open fire. Max dove between some stands and began firing back. He heard the shots stop as the soldiers to reload. He took his chance and jumped the stands and ran towards the attackers. He swung his sword and cut the guns in half, making them unusable. He stowed his sword and delivered a right hook to the first guy when the man behind them threw a punch. Max ducked down making the man hit his comrade. Max quickly swung his leg making the previous attacker fall to the ground where Max knocked him out. The first man returned and landed a couple hits on Max's face and guts. Max recovered by grabbing his arm and pulling in towards his punch knocking him out as well.

Max caught his breath and examined the bodies and found some zip-ties which he used to tie the goons up. He pocketed the ones he didn't use and pulled of one of the bullet proof vest for him. "Sarah, give me a lift!" He shouted to the harpy who was busy showing hostages the way to the security station. She quickly flew over and grabbed his arms with her talons, lifting him to the second story. Max tucked and rolled and kept moving towards one store. The one where his sister and homestays where being held.

Lilly and the crew sat there, silent and stoic. The man in the mask walked around looking at them. "There's only one group to blame for this. MON. They attacked us, so we're attacking something of theirs." He explained. Flare and Terra hid their faces when the Man in the mask walked near them. He saw them and his eyes went wide. He quickly took a picture. "Interesting, very interesting." He said before pointing to Lily. "Get up, you're coming with me." he said.

Max was currently pinned down by a minotaur wielding a minigun that was slowly tearing apart his cover. "Come on Cullings. Back up would be nice right about now." He said to himself when he heard another crash.

He looked up to the skylights to see ropes descend into the with people in familiar yellow uniforms drop in. There was about five of them that split off, one heading in his direction. He saw a female minotaur charging the one attacking him and slamming him into a wall. The original minotuar got back up and started charging the girl. She quickly grabbed him by the horns and threw him over the railing. She flashed Max a thumbs up and jumped down after the attacker. "New recruits I guess." Max said running off.

He found the store where the girls we being held. Only one guard was in there watching over them. Max ran in and drop-kicked the guard who fell onto one of the shelves. Max ran over and knocked him out. "Everyone! Head to the security station." He said letting everyone file out. He stopped his homestays and asked "Where's lily?"

"She was taken!" Mono said pointing in the direction of where the man had taken her.

"Alright." He kissed Mono on the forehead. "I'm glad you're safe." He said to her. "Now go. I've gotta stop this."

Max found the man standing in the center of the mall with what remained of the soldiers and on the stage for live events sat Lilly, tied up with tears streaming down her face. Max stepped into the center where they turned to him. The soldiers pointed their guns at him but the masked man held up his hand. "Hello Dead-eye." He said surprising Max. "To think, A MON agent is some kid named Max Port. Grandson to the man who gave Arume trouble years ago. I guess your family is just a thorn in his side."

"Who are you. How do you know who I am?" Max asked.

The man removed the mask to reveal a giant scar across it. "I was the guard you knocked out, the name's Brock. Arume wasn't happy to find me. He gave me this!" He said pointing to the scar. "This is because of you!" He screamed. "Now, I'm going to kill you." He said waving his arm letting the soldiers.

"MAX!" Lilly screamed out watching the bullets move closer to her brother before they were stopped by something with a blue tint. It quickly reformed into a slime girl. "Are you alright commander?" She asked.

"If you're asking me, I'm great thanks to you." Max responded.

"No problem." She said getting into a battle stance.

"Well Max, It's two to five. Do you think you still have a chance?" Brock said, waving his hands to the other people.

"Five to five asshole!" A voice rang out from above. Max looked up to see the minotaur from earlier jump down to where they were, the ground cracking as she landed. "Good to see you're ready to kick some ass commander!" She said waving. A werecat leaped out from some of the decorative bushes and a Oni with a large club walked up behind them.

Sarah descended next to Max. "Everyone is safe and being pulled out by MON. Jeff is helping escort them out." She informed.

"Good, we can get this underway." Max said charging the opposing force. The Liminals started staking on the soldiers while Max headed for the guard. The man pulled out a machete that made Max stop in his tracks. The world stopped. Fear crawled into Max's being. A laugh rang out. Ray stepped out from the shadows and another one. They quickly multiplied filling Max with dread. "You're dead! I saw you shot down!" He said spinning to see them all. They continued to laugh until they all jumped to attack. Before they landed the attack, Max came back to his senses to see Brock try to stab him. Max dodged just in time but his eyepatch was cut in the attempt. Max and Brock traded blows while the others were fighting their own fights. Lily saw a man in the distance waving to her. She got up silently and walked towards him.

Brock noticed this and shouted "Oh no you don't!" He said pulling out a gun.

"No!" Sarah said swooping down and taking the bullet. She falls to the ground, unmoving as Lily rushes off.

Something within Max snapped. Rage, unending rage filled him. Fires of anger lit within his eyes, even in his dead one. He ran at him with break neck speed, unleashing a fury of attacks that the guard barely blocks. Max sped up and started cutting areas on the guards body. Max's final blow knocks the machete out of Brock's hand as Max stabs his sword through him. Everyone stopped fighting to see what had happened.

"Retreat!" Yelled one of the soldiers as they ran off. Unfortunately, they ran right into the swat team waiting to cuff them.

Brock started spitting up blood. "You know he won't stop until he gets what he wants." He said coughing up more blood. Max sliced up and pulled out the blade, letting Brock fall down dead.

Max quickly ran over to Sarah, examining her to where the bullet went. Fortunately, it only clipped her wing but she needed medical attention. "Someone get a medic!" He shouted to the MON agents, keeping pressure on her wound.