"Freeze!"

The command echoed through the parking garage, stopping Chloe in her tracks. She carefully raised her arms, not bothering to turn around. She already knew who that voice belonged to.

"This doesn't concern you, Matsuo," she said calmly. "Tell your squad to stand down, and let me do my job."

The advancing footsteps stopped, though Chloe could still feel the crosshairs trained at her back. "O-our orders are very clear. We can't let you leave c-company grounds, commander. Er, ma'am, er, Ms. Schwarzblum."

Poor Matsuo. The young lieutenant clearly hadn't expected to one day be holding his former boss at gunpoint. As his superior Chloe would have chided him for his hesitance. But as his opponent...she could work with this. "Okay, I'm going to turn around now," she announced, making sure to keep her hands visible as she gradually rotated to face her adversaries.

The movement gave her time to assess the situation: five meters behind her waited her vehicle, a customized company super car that could get her across the city to the Monokuma Hotel in thirty minutes flat. Ten meters in front of her were four members of the Team Danganronpa private security force, compact SMG's aimed at Chloe as they fanned out to surround her. Though their movements betrayed uncertainty, Chloe noted with a spark of satisfaction that they had at least remembered to set their weapons to "stun shots." Things would get messy if they hadn't.

Time to test the waters. Chloe took a cautious step back, making a point to meet Matsuo's eyes. "Something terrible has happened at the hotel, Lieutenant," she said. "You know I can't just sit back and do nothing. My honor as a soldier won't allow it."

Matsuo flinched, allowing Chloe to reach the line of vehicles before he re-sighted her. "N-not another move!" he barked. She froze, allowing the rest of the squad to tighten the circle around her. They didn't even realize the game was already up. The dominoes were in place; all they needed was a push.

"I'm sorry," she said to her former comrades.

The guard to her right tensed. He was the fastest one, and the first to go. Chloe slid past the barrel of his weapon and palm-struck his chin in one fluid movement, grabbing the gun with her other hand and twisting it around his body, pinning his arm with the shoulder strap and bringing him into her grasp at once. Within a second, she now had a firearm and a human shield.

The left-most combatant's aim wavered in surprise. Chloe quickly sighted her and sent three shock rounds into her chest. Whud whud whud. Blue sparks crackled across the target's body, causing her to collapse as the electric charge knocked her unconscious.

Return fire zipped by Chloe's exposed head, one shot skimming her hostage's shoulders. Chloe felt the sudden spasm in his muscles, followed by the weight pulling on her gun arm down as his body went limp. A glancing hit like that wouldn't knock him unconscious, but he wouldn't be able to move for at least twenty seconds. Chloe had to move fast.

With her shield now a hindrance, Chloe threw the hapless grunt forward into the third soldier, tangling him before he could get another burst off. That left Matsuo: he had one clean shot before Chloe was upon him. His aim shook. The shot whizzed harmlessly under her arm. He was hers.

No time for mercy now. Chloe delivered a sharp elbow to his gut, yanked his arm as she kicked out his leg, throwing him off balance and allowing her to pivot his head into the nearby S.U.V. If he and his team had bothered gearing up before chasing her, his helmet would have absorbed the blow. Alas: his skull struck the passenger door with a resounding thunk, leaving a dent and knocking him out instantly. Chloe snatched his sidearm as he fell, flicked the safety to "stun," and shot the last man standing. Blue electricity coursed across his jaw as he fell. Chloe advanced and put an extra shot in the back of her former-shield's head for good measure.

Silence. The battle was over. Four unconscious soldiers lay at Chloe's feet. They would be looking at a hefty demotion and medical treatment when they woke up, but Chloe didn't have time to feel sorry for them. Instead, she stepped over the bodies as she holstered Matsuo's pistol, her car blinking to life as it detected her entering. She pressed the ignition, the engine awakening with a satisfying roar.

The race was on. She had to get to the Monokuma Hotel before Odafe lost control of the situation completely.

The arrogant Programmer had no idea what he was dealing with.