The head of the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. organization was irate. Her organization had been broken into and robbed effortlessly. The thieves disappeared without a trace after injuring staff and stealing weapons, as well as an armoured car. That wasn't the worst of it, however. The worst part was that supernatural DNA samples had been stolen. These samples were highly dangerous in the wrong hands. One drop of blood could infect a human, who could infect more humans, who could infect more. The chain was endless, and it would be H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G.'s responsibility to destroy whatever it was that came out if it.

Repairs were made immediately. Security increased. H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. searched for their culprits, narrowing down the perps through surveillance footage. One of them bared a strong resemblance to Preston Omid, an agent whose I.D. card was used to access the base. Another was Docotr Brent Hobbs, who worked in the Research Department on testing supernatural genetic material alongside Doctor Elena Lovejoy, who was thoroughly questioned.

Lovejoy was deemed innocent, but the others were now wanted criminals. Their I.D. numbers were terminated and their cards were no longer functional. They could not be allowed to walk free. They knew too much about H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; and possessed what was essentially biological weapons. Only one possible punishment awaited them upon capture, and that was execution.

But that was not the entire story. Not long after the attack, agent Omid called in to headquarters, unaware that the order had been issued. The reason he called was to be issued a new keycard and have the old one decommissioned, as it turned out that it was somehow "lost". It was not "lost". H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. knew where it went. It was in the hands of the bandits, whatever their organization would be. Regardless, Preston was brought in for interrogation, as he was the prime suspect. After all, the security cameras picked him up both during the attack, and setting items in place beforehand. This impostor knew what they were doing.

They knew the map of the base; they knew where to get what they needed in order to set things up. This person, whoever they may be, was not just any impostor. No, this person was undoubtedly a H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. employee. Since Hobbs was also seen in the footage, however, the question was: "who is it?"

Who is the culprit?! H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. scrambled for an answer as the town was buzzing with the news. The residents of Gehenna were just as surprised as the organization. Neither of them thought that such a thing was possible! The citizens of Gehenna were uneasy as well, given that they were unaware as to whether or not H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. would take it out on all of them as a result. Every time a truck rolled into town, they all scrambled to hide once more.

There was nearly an outright "witchhunt", if you'll pardon the expression, for people who may be in league with these terrorists. If there wasn't already, there certainly was now. Anyone who seemed suspicious—anyone at all, was reported to the police. Upon investigation, many of them were false alarms. Some of them required further looking into, but none of them seemed immediately harmful.

Integra was careful to go about this in a calm manner. The last thing anyone wanted was hysterics, especially when guns were involved. She did not send armed squads into Gehenna, but instead, a few armed investigators, who would not be permitted to shoot without probable cause. If a single bullet is fired, H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. would know who did it and why. Integra was a woman of strong morality and sense of justice, therefore she was not going to cover up any wrong-doing by her staff. Unfortunately, Gehenna did not know this.

People gathered outside the police station regularly, demanding information on the unknown enemy and how H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. was going to retaliate. With each answer, they got angrier. How does the police not know who the terrorists are yet? How do they have no leads? How do they not know anything? Even with definite answers were given, the police were accused of lying. The mob forced the office to close it's doors temporarily, and the phone lines were flooded as fear grew.

"Get out here and tell us what's going on!" shouted one member of the crowd. "You can't, can you?!"

"Quit licking the rook's boots! What about us!?"

"Why haven't' you found anything?! You're just waiting for them to all come in and wipe us out!"

It was a select few who were especially outspoken, but others were riled up by their demands shouting along with them. Some banged on the windows and front door of the station. It was a good thing that it was made out of bulletproof glass, but there was no telling how well that would stand up to a supernatural crowd.

The Police lines were too busy to contact H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G; and the officers had no idea how to calm an angry mob, but despite this, one of the calls seemed to get through, as a paddywagon and a few cars rolled up to the front of the station with the rook's insignia. Unfortinately, the crowd did not take kindly to this, and instead reacted fearfully.

"They're here!" they shouted.

"Guns! They've got guns!"

"Out of my way!"

"Everyone remain calm!" called the voice of an agent over a megaphone, standing at a decent distance from the crowd. "We are not here to fight. We simply wish for you to peacefully disperse."

"Then why do you have guns?!"

"Fuck you!"

"Peace, my ass! Get the fuck out of here!"

"Please disperse peacefully." Repeated the military man. "H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. is doing the best it can during this time. We do not blame Gehenna. We're not going to act violently unless provoked."

"That's never stopped you before! You'd shoot us for the hell of it!"

"Quit lying, piece of shit monsters! We know what you do best!"

"Murdering war-mongers!"

"If you don't disperse, we will be forced to use the tear gas." The soldier announced. "Please, don't make this more difficult than this needs t—"

The man was abruptly cut off as a bullet flew straight into his temple and exited out the other side of his skull. Blood splattered against the ground and the boots of one of his comrades before his body soon followed. He fell to the earth with a gut-wrenching thud, prompting the townspeople to scream and flee. Other soldiers took to arms, raising their weapons and seeking out the assailant, only to see nothing. It wasn't until another one was shot that the answer dawned on them.

"Snipers!" bellowed one of the agents before she was swiftly silenced with a bullet to the back.

The doors of the police station were opened in order to let in some fleeing protestors. A few of the officers beckoned the H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. agents to come in as well and escape to safety, but the protestors inside were hesitant to welcome them. Two soldiers made it into the station, while others hid in the armoured truck and called for backup. Gehenna officers tried their best to keep the crowd calm as they looked out at the stressful scene outside.

There were still soldiers on the ground, bleeding. They were alive, but still at risk. Once the snipers became aware of their living status, they would surely be shot again. Officers inside tried to cope, but were having trouble containing the citizens, contacting H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. for help, and coming up with a course for action. Some of them watched helplessly as things descended into near chaos.

"Is anyone injured?" called Tegwen as she stood on top of a desk. To everyone's relief, no one had been struck, save for the agents outside. The elf's attention then turned out the windows of the front of the building, over people's heads. Agents laid in agony while trying not to move or whimper. They were playing dead in order to avoid being shot at again.

She couldn't bear watching the scene, yet she did not ignore it. Instead, she took action, jumping down from the desk and dashing to the back of the station. She passed many officers on her way to the storage room, where they kept the various arms that the police were permitted to use.

"Tegwen! Wait!" called Akira as she zoomed by. "Where are you going?!"

"I have to do something!" answered the elf, swinging the door open and stepping inside.

"What are you doing in here? Shouldn't we be out front keeping the crowd calm? Whoa, wait-! What are you doing?! You can't have that! You have to have permission!"

Tegwen swiftly strapped a holster to her hip and placed a pistol inside, making sure that it was loaded, set to safety, and held securely in its place. It was completely against protocol, as guns were never permitted unless under dire circumstances. Still, the elf paid no mind to her friend as she opened up the closet which held the riot gear, grabbing a Kevlar vest and a bulletproof shield. Once she had these items, she turned around to make her exit, passing her friend on the way out.

"Tegwen!"

"There are injured people in the street!" Tegwen answered, her tone grave and her eyes fierce. Akira looked into her heated gaze, knowing that she was completely serious in whatever it is that she was about to do. There was no stopping her. "I have to get them to safety!"

"Are you out of your fucking mind?!" demanded Akira. "That's suicide!"

"What do you want me to do?! Leave them?!"

"I want you to use your brain for like, five seconds! What if you get shot?!"

"What if they get shot?!" asked her friend. "Our job is to protect people! That means everyone! They are our allies, I can't just leave them bleeding in the street!"

The conversation was over as Tegwen turned to leave. She didn't look back, even when her friend called out to her; even when Akira tried to stop her. The elf's resolve did not shake. She was afraid, of course. Very afraid. In fact, the only time she had been even close to being this fearful was when she met the Watchdog in that alley before she had decided to become a police officer. Tegwen was afraid, but so was everyone else in the station. So were the people laying in the street playing at being dead. Despite this, the girl was compelled to move forward.

Shocked by the sight of her in riot gear, the crowd parted like the Red Sea, giving her room to maneuver with the heavy shield in her grip. As she got to the front door, she looked back at the faces staring at her. They were stunned. They were confused. They were uncertain. They were afraid. Then again, so was she.

Turning to face the outside again, Tegwen released a shaky breath. Tightening the grip on her shield, she glanced over the bodies before her, trying to remember which way the snipers had shot from. She couldn't hear the murmuring of her fellow citizens behind her, as she could only hear the sound of her heart beating rapidly in her ears. Summoning every ounce of courage she had, Tegwen took a step out into the street.

She held the shield over her head, protecting her from any shots from above as she made a mad dash out into the open. The crowd held their breath as they watched her, knowing that she could be struck down at any moment as well. She looked down at the first body. Dead. Then the second. Dead. The third, she leaned down to look at, before grabbing the woman around the middle with one arm, and holding the shield unsteadily with the other. Unfortunately, she couldn't both carry the woman, and her shield, so she was stuck.

Some of the other soldiers, however, saw her, and saw what she was doing. Tegwen dragged the soldier over to the armoured car. There were others hiding on one side of it, so it must have been out of the sniper's range. When she got there, she lowered her shield.

"She's alive." She said, looking up at the soldiers.

"Are you out of your goddamn mind?!" asked one of the soldiers.

"I can't carry her back by myself." Tegwen said. "She'll be safe at the station until backup shows up, but I can't carry her and the shield on my own. Do you have any more shields?"

"Got it." Said another soldier before turning to their team. "You and you; get some riot shields out of the truck."

"But-"

"We can shield her from all sides while she carries Johnson that way!" they said. "We can also get out of here!"

"Fine…" said one of the other soldiers, following instructions. Tegwen handed over her own shield to one of them before hoisting the injured woman on her back.

"There might be a few others." She said.

"Then we'll make two trips!"

Quickly, they made their move, forming a sort of turtle shell around Tegwen and the injured soldier. Multiple times, Tegwen's heart nearly stopped as bullets bounced off the shields. The process of walking to the building took only seconds, but it felt like hours, as the elf was completely on edge. Right foot, left foot, right foot, left… Never before has something so simple seemed so tedious. The poor girl didn't even realise how tense her body had been until she reached the station and fell to her knees on the floor. That was too much, but at least this soldier was safe and is able to have the witches currently there treat her. Now lied the matter of retrieving the rest of the injured.

She need not worry, however, as swift feet pitter-pattered against the concrete. The doors flew open, and a glimpse of pale blonde hair was seen before dashing out into the street again. Two more injured soldiers were brought in and left on the floor next to their comrade before anyone could say a single thing. The man then stood out in the middle of the street in plain sight with his back turned to the crowd. Despite this, they all knew who it was.

"Mister Lion…" breathed Tegwen, relieved to see the man. Her worry soon returned, however, as the sound of gunfire went off.

Her eyes could not keep up as the demon dodged, for the movement was simply too fast. He knew just which direction it came from, from what angle, and had the reflexes to avoid the projectile effortlessly. Regardless, people called out to him, pleading that he come back inside where it's safe, but the demon did not listen. Instead, he simply danced in the street all on his own, without giving a single effort to fight back. Tegwen could barely see him move, but when he stopped, she could see his face as clear as day. Alois Trancy, Mister Lion, was smiling throughout the entire ordeal.

It was baffling. What on earth was he doing? Was he merely taunting the enemy? Another truck pulled up, but he paid it no mind. He danced in the street without a shred of tiredness as if the entire exchange amused him. It did.

Much to the astonishment of the spectators, the bullets began to fade. It wasn't clear as to why, at first, but it was soon clear as the shattering of a window broke the eerie silence. A body hit the ground along with the gun that person was carrying. Clad in black, wearing a mask, they laid against the concrete in a daze as they struggled to collect themselves. Pain coursed through them as the world seemed unsteady for a few moments, but they had the sense to observe that they were being watched.

They had been thrown to the lion, and once they had been presented to him, the lion ceased to dance. Alois towered over them, gazing upon them with a haughty grin. When he took a calm step forward, they flinched; their eyes wide and bright through the holes in their mask. Quickly, they scrambled for their weapon and sat up. Taking shaky, unsteady aim, they pulled the trigger in the direction of the menace, but this time, he did not dodge. He didn't need to.

Click! The sniper gasped loudly and looked down at their rifle before pulling the trigger again. They were out of bullets. All of them were. That's why it was quiet.

Sweat soaked through the mask of the sniper as they looked up at the demon that now stood right in front of them, looking down at them. To their surprise, the man looked away, and instead turned his attention to the armoured truck off to the side. Alois then held out his hand, holding up three fingers. Silently, he then pointed with his index finger up toward the windows on some of the nearby buildings. One, two, three… He pointed to three windows, and the sniper on the ground next to him gasped in horror.

Alois wasn't dancing needlessly. He was finding out which directions the shots were coming from while causing his inexperienced foes to fun out of bullets. They were defenseless as the doors to the truck opened. Soldiers quickly filtered into the buildings that Alois had pointed out. Soldiers from the first truck apprehended the sniper that sat next to Alois. All four in total were taken alive.

The menace paid no mind to this, however. Instead, he looked up to the broken window that the unfortunate assailant had fallen from—or rather, was thrown from. He continued to smile as a familiar outline watched him in return. It was then that another body fell toward the earth, only landing on its feet this time.

"You're slow, Pooch." Alois teased. "They ran out before you could get more than one."

"I was blocking off their possible escape exits." The Watchdog replied, dusting off his jacket before walking toward his beau. "I'm sorry I kept you waiting. From the looks of you, however, it doesn't appear that you're too upset."

"I just think it's funny." Answered the lion. "There was no way that they could win, and now we have more leads. These people aren't professionals. There's no way that they won't confess in interrogation. Also, did you really have to throw 'im out the window?"

"I had a grip on him, but he wouldn't stay still." Stated Ciel, placing his hands behind his back. "I didn't push him that hard… That glass must be cheap."

"Sure it is, dear." Snorted Alois, snickering at the grumble that his lover produced in response. "So, I assume that we should address the public?"

"Indeed. It would appear that we have captured ourselves a few terrorists. They're organised, but inexperienced. What concerns me, however, is who on earth taught them how to use those guns?"

"Their 'inside man'?"

"Precisely. H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G. has a mole, and they're both collaborating and training these extremists."

"Extremists?" asked Alois.

"Yes. Notice that they didn't strike a single supernatural, other than when they tried to fire at you." Ciel pointed out. "Even officer Sybil, who was clearly in their firing range although she had a shield. From that, we can confirm that they aren't against Gehenna, as a reformed town. They're against H.E.L.L.S.I.N.G."

"So they want us out?" questioned the menace.

"Too early to tell. One thing's for certain, however, is that we have a mole problem…"


A/N: Hello, hello. Did you miss me?

Summer classes started, so I'm kinda focusing on physics. I hate physics. Fuck that shit.

So that's why this is so late!

Also, I accidentally posted the wrong chapter last time, yes. I got LOTS of messages about that. The problem's fixed now, though. I just uploaded the wrong document when I was uploading the chapter to the Doc Manager!

Hopefully, I can update tomorrow, too~!

Until the next chapter, my duckies~!