The moment the world stopped spinning, Maki's senses snapped into overdrive. From the sound of the engine in the distance, she estimated she had thirty seconds before her team's assailant reached them. Thirty seconds to make the decision that would determine their fate; thirty seconds to boil the situation down to the most basic binary: fight, or flight?
First check: her own battle readiness. Despite the violence of the crash, the damage it inflicted on the Assassin was minimal. She had Shuichi to thank for that: his warning had given her time to grab a nest of wires before the van flipped, allowing her to anchor herself and avoid a worst case scenario. She had still sustained a few bruises, but nothing that would hamper her in a fight.
Second check: her comrades. Paris and Shuichi were still conscious, but the tumble had clearly left them pained and disoriented. Kokichi and Himiko were faring even worse: they lay motionless on a bed of shattered monitors, having suffered the full brunt of the crash.
"Kokichi, Himiko!" Maki shouted. "Can you hear me?"
"Urrrgh," the Supreme Leader moaned. "Five more minutes, mama. I don' wanna go t'school..."
"Kokichi, get up!" the Assassin barked. "Check on Himiko, she's hurt!"
"Huh?" Kokichi blinked, shook the dizziness from his head, and pulled himself to Himiko's side, placing his fingers on her neck. "She's got a pulse, but I think she's out cold. Or taking laziness to a whole new level."
"Can you lift her?"
"I think if I...AGH!" Kokichi yelped, falling on his hands and knees. "Rrrragh, my stupid ankle is twisted!"
This was bad. The roar of the approaching sports car was growing louder. Time was almost up.
Maki swept her gaze around the environment, completing her final check: mission objectives. The hostage was unconscious behind her-chances were, transporting him at this point wasn't an option. The train station that lead to Paris's hideout was still at least a hundred yards away, too far for the Ultimates to safely run to. If their adversary was able to shoot out the tire of a moving van, they'd have no problem picking off a pack of limping teenagers. Especially if the Hacker and the Detective had to carry Himiko the whole way.
That left only one course of action. Maki shoved Odafe's limp body aside, pulling the engraved handgun out from under him. "Shuichi! Paris!" she shouted as she checked the clip. "Grab Himiko and make a break for the hideout. Kokichi, follow close behind. Zig-zag through the bombs so you're not an easy target."
"W-wait," Shiuchi protested, his eyes rapidly coming into focus. "What about you?"
Maki slammed the magazine back into the gun. "I'm gonna buy you time." Before the Detective could protest, she threw open the sliding door overhead, throwing herself outside with her weapon drawn.
Time slowed for Maki as her target swerved into view: a sleek, suped-up sports car, black save for the jagged red slash painted on the side. The Assassin drew a bead on the tinted windshield, squeezing off two rounds before she had even hit the ground. The shots splintered the glass where the driver's head would be, but didn't penetrate. Bullet-proof windows; of course.
Maki completed her dive and rolled into a firing stance, the barrel of her gun erupting as she placed three more bullets into the speeding vehicle, covering the driver's view. The car turned and slid to a screeching halt, blocking any further fire with the passenger side flank. Whoever was at the wheel, they knew how to handle themselves in combat: now they would be able to safely slip out of the car and use it as cover, creating a flexible and stable firing position that Maki would be hard pressed to uproot. This wasn't going to be easy.
With a growl of frustration, The Assassin took cover behind the downed van, checking her ammo count and mentally preparing for a firefight. Behind her, the other Utlimates were weaving through the dormant bombs towards the train station, making good progress despite their injuries. Maki just had to keep their pursuer's head down for a little while longer. Or punch a .45 ACP-sized hole through it. Whichever came first.
Chloe slid out of the driver's seat and crouched behind the bulk of her stalled vehicle, readying the handgun she had nicked from her former lieutenant. Thank god she had decided to risk taking an armored company car rather than commandeering a civilian vehicle; otherwise, the Ultimate Assassin's shots would've surely painted the interior with Chloe's brains. A shame the Psychologist no longer had the element of surprise, but the night was not lost just yet: if she could find an angle on the fleeing Ultimates, she could halt their advance with one well-placed stun shot.
She just needed to peek around the rear bumper and…
Pak. Zing. Chloe jerked back as two shots slammed into metal where her eye just was, one sending a burst of angry sparks as it ricocheted millimeters past her skin. She fell on her butt before cursing and scrambling upright. Of course it wasn't going to be that easy—this was the Ultimate Assassin she was in a firefight with. Even with Chloe's extensive combat training and experience, Maki still had her beat in terms of raw talent and athleticism.
The Psychologist paused, listening for any sounds of Maki re-positioning. Throughout her career as a soldier and security contractor, Chloe had been in her fair share of firefights. But it had been decades since her heart had pounded like this, electrifying her blood and sending sparks of anticipation across her skin. If there wasn't so much at stake, she would be almost thrilled to take this fight.
Alas: though she still had the heart of a warrior, her mind was that of a scientist now. And it was that part of her that was forcing her to focus on her objectives, to see the field before her not as an arena, but as a puzzle. What pieces did she already have in play? What were the facts?
Fact: the gun Maki was wielding had a magazine capacity of twelve bullets.
Fact: the Assassin had already expended seven. The marks on the car confirmed as much.
Fact: if Chloe made herself open enough to return fire, Maki would easily be able to plant a bullet in the Psychologist before she could target the fleeing Ultimates.
Given that information, Chloe had to concede that the running students were probably as good as gone, at least for tonight. There was simply no way she could accurately take down targets that difficult to hit while still avoiding Maki's shots.
But that didn't mean the ex-Head of Security was out of options. If she kept forcing Maki's hand, if she kept making the Assassin take shots and provide covering fire, eventually her remaining ammo would expire. In that case, Chloe may be able to close the distance, capture Maki, and salvage at least a partial victory. Some of the fugitives may escape, but capturing the deadliest Ultimate alive and rescuing Odafe was still an outcome worth playing for.
With a final deep breath for focus, Chloe slid her gun hand over the lip of the car trunk, making sure the flash of silver caught Maki's attention. Sure enough, a perfectly placed shot skimmed across the metal, milliseconds after the Psychologists fingers had retreated to safety. She smirked; this could work.
Chloe repeated the pattern from there, exposing as little of herself as possible while still providing something for the Assassin to shoot. The toe of her boot; a flap of her coat; the barest glimpse of her shoulder. Pak. Pak. Pak pak. Chole let out a shocked gasp and dove back behind the car. That last one had been too close: Maki had actually managed to graze her shoulder just now. Still, the Head of Security's first move had been a success: if she had calculated right, the Assassin's weapon should be dry about now.
Time for phase two. In one smooth motion, Chloe slipped her coat from her shoulders and flung it out into the open, testing the waters. Nothing; no sound of gunfire from the Assassin's side. Either she was truly out of bullets, or she had grown wise to Chloe's game. There was only one way to find out, and the Psychologist had come too far to leave it a mystery.
Tightening her grip on her pistol, Chloe raised it into a firing position and swung out from cover. The Detective, Hacker, Magician, and Overlord were out of sight by now, but there was thankfully no incoming fire from the Assassin. Chloe advanced quickly but carefully, her eyes checking her flanks while her aim remained trained on the van. She didn't hear Maki change positions, and the angle of the shots had seemed consistent. Which mean that the Assassin should be around the hood of the toppled van. Right about…
Here! Chloe whirled around the crumpled bumper, firing a preemptive stun shot as she did. But the round struck dirt; there was no Maki in sight.
Chloe's veins ran cold. A shadow moved in the corner of her vision.
The Psychologist quickly raised her weapon, using it as a shield rather than a firearm. She was just in time: Maki dove from the van's interior in a flash of crimson, striking at Chloe's throat. The Assassin's hand struck the gun instead, knocking it clear from Chloe's grasp, but sparing her life. The Psychologist leaned back to dodge the follow up blow, only for the Assassin to lash a kick towards her stomach. No time to dodge—Chloe tucked her arms into her torso. A dull whud rattled her entire body as the kick impacted, lifting her off her feet. The Psychologist landed in the dirt, then quickly rolled and sprung to safety, popping back to her feet ready for another assault.
But a follow up attack didn't come. The Assassin stood about ten yards away, her deep red eyes glowering with fury. No doubt Maki was surprised Chloe had even withstood that assault, and was now forced to reassess her opponent.
Though Chloe's forearms throbbed with pain, a grim smirk crept up her lips. From a shootout with the Ultimate Assassin to a one-on-one fistfight…the Psychologist was truly out of the frying pan and into the fire.
Still, she thought as she met her opponent's glare, that doesn't mean I'm the one about to get burned.
Maki watched as Danganronpa's former Security Head brought her arms to the ready, emanating a bloodlust not unlike her own. The Assassin had to admit, the enemy was tougher than she looked. Still, there was only one way this was going to end.
Maki circled her prey slowly, gradually shifting her own position toward the flipped van. It was a carefully choreographed bait: most opponents would be drawn in to attack, hoping to force Maki against the cramped wreckage. But it was in such a situation that the Assassin's skills would be at their deadliest. The Holy Salvation fighting style was one that mixed jiu jitsu style grapples with quick and brutal kills. If Maki could draw her opponent in, she could easily turn the tables, pin the Psychologist in the corner, and finish her using the shards of the broken windshield. The trap was set. All that remained was to see how Maki's foe reacted.
Sure enough, the moment Maki's back passed in front of the van, Chloe charged. She threw her first strike with surprising speed, a devastating hook toward Maki's head. The Assassin just managed to block the attack, latching onto the Psychologist's arm to begin the grapple. But Chloe kept her momentum forward, slamming herself into the van and pushing off of it to force Maki into the open. The Assassin's eyes widened. Chloe had read Maki's strategy like a book, and had blown it up with one swift move.
Maki quickly disengaged, releasing the Psychologist before she could turn the mix-up in her favor. Chloe lashed a follow-up punch at the retreating Assassin. Maki's speed was all that saved her: the Psychologist's knuckle grazed her cheek as she leapt out of range, leaving a small scratch on her pale skin.
The Assassin landed and prepared to receive her opponent's counterattack. But the Psychologist didn't pursue. She just stood there, watching Maki with an infuriating smirk.
"You must be shocked." Chloe said. "According to the memories Shirogane implanted in you, that trick normally works, doesn't it?"
Maki's eyes narrowed. Why was Chloe bringing up Tsumugi in a time like this? Was this supposed to be some sort of mind game?
Chloe tsked and shook her head. "Well there's something you should know about the Ultimate Cosplayer: like all great artists, she knew that the best inspiration is what you steal from the real world." She cocked her head. "I don't suppose you can figure out where your fighting techniques came from? Surely you don't think a girl like her invented an entire martial art out of thin air?"
"What difference does it make?" Maki spat. "It'll end your life either way."
"Oh, it matters quite a bit, actually," Chloe smirked. "Here's a hint." The Psychologist gradually lowered her center of gravity, adopting a stance disturbingly familiar to Maki. The Assassin blinked, a shiver running down her spine as she realized what she was looking at.
It was one of the foundational positions of the Holy Salvation style. And Chloe was mirroring it perfectly.
"Well then," the Psychologist quipped. "Shall we check Shirogane's work?"