"Hey, Hachi?" Kei asked as he carried Kori through one of the underground hallways.
Hachi wormed her way out of Kori's pocket a bit.
"Yeah?"
"Why do you have a funeral home on speed dial?" he asked.
Ana also squirmed free of Kori's pocket.
"It's hot in there! I cannot believe they made me go with you," she spat.
"You didn't want to wait in the car," Kori pointed out.
Hachi sighed.
"I've known Ana for ten years. And everyday of those ten years, she's tried to kill me. Now do you see?" she asked.
"Point taken," Kei said. "Now hush. We're almost there."
"Hey, you asked," Hachi pointed out as she and Ana crawled back into Kori's pocket.
"Kori, play dead," Kei instructed.
He felt her dead weight on his shoulder.
"I hope this works," he muttered.


"Here," Keiko said, handing a paper to Arisa.
Arisa glanced at her.
"Where are your manners?" she teased.
She took the paper anyway, reading it. She smiled.
"Everything's going according to plan."
The door clicked open and Keiichi walked in.
"What can I do for you?" Arisa inquired.
"Ariha is here to see you," Keiichi announced.
He stepped aside and Ariha walked in.
"Arisa, it's been awhile. I never see you anymore," Ariha greeted.
"You could change all that if you moved back home," Arisa remarked.
Ariha smiled, sitting on the edge of Arisa's desk.
"Please, I never belonged there."
Arisa smiled.
"What are you talking about? You don't belong anywhere."
Ariha flinched visibly at the words but managed to hold onto the fake smile.
"Whatever you say."
Her eye fell on the paper in Arisa's hand.
"What is that?" she asked.
Arisa turned the paper around.
"Our mother's death certificate."
Ariha froze as Arisa pushed away from the desk and stood.
"I already framed daddy's," Arisa went on, walking over to the wall.
She glanced back at Ariha.
"I just haven't had time to buy a frame. I mean, I am running a company nowadays. And once I've mourned enough, I'll start trying to win over daddy's political position."
Ariha's nails dug into the desk's surface, leaving indents.
"Well Arisa, you were always a genius," she said through gritted teeth.
She heard Keiko stirring behind her.
"There is just one obstacle. Well two, if you count those mews but I can get rid of them easily," Arisa said.
"And what is this obstacle?" Ariha inquired.
Arisa smiled at her.
"You."


Misha and Ahsim stared across the street at Okami Corporation.
"Is it time?" Ahsim asked.
Misha's gaze went to her DS which Haru had tweaked so that she could keep track of Ariha, Ana, Hachi, Kei and Kori as well as see a full blue printed design of the building.
"Almost. Kori, Ana and Hachi are all detained and Kei is heading to Checkpoint A."
Ahsim nodded.
"Has anyone pressed their panic button?" he asked, referring to the button each one of the people inside wore.
Misha shook her head.
"Good," Ahsim remarked.
"Can I help you?"
The twins froze as hands grabbed their shirt collars, lifting them up. They both stared, terrified, at the blonde man that stood holding them. He carried a sword, like Kei.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"My name is Ahsim. And would you mind putting my sister down. She suffers from terrible cramps and she's on her period," Ahsim answered with a completely straight face.
The man set Misha down in a heartbeat. Her foot shot out, slamming into the man's ankle. He let out a yelp, dropping Ahsim, who landed beside Misha. He spun, delivering a powerful roundhouse kick to the man's face that knocked him out cold. The twins stood over the man's unconscious form, arms crossed triumphantly.
"That's how the pros tag team!" Misha said.


"Wow, it is cold in here!" Hachi cried.
Ana punched her arm.
"Man up!" she ordered.
"I would," Hachi said. "If I was, you know, A GUY!"
"You know, you're only cold because your mew outfit doesn't have pants."
"Neither does yours!" Hachi argued.
"I don't have to take this," Ana declared, climbing from Kori's pocket.
She leapt into the air, landing safely on the floor. Once there, she pulled the shrinking device from her glove, pushing the middle button as Hachi landed gracelessly beside her. Slowly, the two grew, returning to their full form.
"You could have at least waited," Hachi complained.
Ana wasn't paying attention to her. Instead, she was staring around at the many shivering people.
"What's going on?" she asked.
One of the men looked over.
"T-they plan to freeze us," he stammered out.
Then he went back to hugging himself.
"Suddenly your brother's slaughter of those people at the mall seems merciful," Ana remarked.
She ignored both Kori and Hachi's disapproving looks and scanned the room for a vent.
"How are there no vents?" she asked.
"Uh, ceiling fan?" Hachi suggested.
Ana smacked her before cracking her neck and bringing forth her hammer,
"You know what they say. When in Rome and trapped in a seemingly inescapable room and freezing, make your own exit."
"No one says that!" Hachi objected.
"Now they will," Ana replied.


"You."
With that word, Keiko made her move. Her arm wrapped around Ariha. Ariha moved fast, sliding off the edge of the desk and rolling away. She rolled to her feet in time to block Keiko's punch. Ariha ducked low, sweeping Keiko's legs from beneath her. Keiko tumbled to the red carpeted floor, smacking her head, hard, on the edge of the desk. Ariha turned to escape, making it to the door before something hit her in the back. She turned, slowly, to look at her sister. Arisa smiled back at her.
"Dear sister. Every office has an axe."
Ariha reached into her boot, ignoring the pain each move brought her, She pulled one of Kei's daggers out and then threw it. The blade tore through the air, burying itself in Arisa's left eye. Arisa let out screams as if she was being murdered. Ariha opened the door and stumbled out. Keiichi was waiting for her.
"Holy sh-"
"We're not done yet," Ariha gasped.
Keiichi caught her as she fell.
"You're done. There's an axe in your back!" Keiichi objected.
Ariha smiled at him.
"I'll be fine."
"Keiichi!" Kei yelled, storming through the door. "We have to go! Now!"
He stopped, looking at Ariha. She looked back at him.
"Keiichi, call Taykoe. We need to get out of here. Now!" Kei yelled.
"But-"
"I'll take Ariha."
Keiichi handed her over and then ran past the two, leaving them there. Kei hoisted Ariha over his shoulder.
"When you're going to steal one of my daggers, don't give it the bad credit of failing you," he said, ducking into a fire stairway.
"It didn't fail. It did what it was suppose to," Ariha retorted. "Almost."