It had been an hour since Sunset left. And in her absence, Azure was tasked to do one more thing. She had to do it quick. She stood before the base of their rundown hideout, finally cleared of its inhabitants.

The ground floor of the building was packed with the most devious kind of explosives. Some Sunset had assembled herself, most was bought from her many shady dealers.

Azure had never felt more reluctant about what she was about to do. How bad could it be, though? She had done many questionable deeds all her life. Not like she had a choice.

After a while of contemplating Azure ultimately shook all of her distracting thoughts away. It didn't matter anymore.

"Tss. To hell with it." She muttered, walking off the secured area.

Azure eventually arrived at one of her favorite spots in the city; on top of Canterlot's oldest church. It was definitely a better view than being back at Barbatos' Paradise. Also, it was a good distance from the building.

She walked along the ledge, like a precarious rebel she was, unbothered by the possibility of her falling down to her death.

An undeniable sense of dread crept and slithered under her skin, and at this point, she has become accustomed to the sensation. Anticipation has never felt so suspenseful, she thought.

One hour and thirty minutes in, Azure's walkie-talkie buzzed to life and Sunset's voice rang through the speaker.

"Light it up."

Azure took a deep preparatory breath, secretly convincing herself to somehow enjoy the crazy things that were about to happen.

She pressed the detonator, and the building burst into flames. The air shook with a loud boom and its structure crumbled down to its fall.

Azure sighed, relieved that it was over.

But as soon as the dust settled, several distant noises followed. Azure becoming alert, stood up from her spot and scanned the horizon. Beyond the far east, she saw sparks of yellow and orange lights flicker like ferocious supernovas.

There, she witnessed hellfire swallowing the majority of Barbatos' Paradise, and the smoke of its wretched flames rose into the sky, turning the clouds into ashen grey.

Azure was struck with an overwhelming feeling of shock, grief and terror. She thought she wasn't capable of caring at that point, but unfortunately for her, her chest clenched at the sight of her home being engulfed by the flames.

No. Barbatos' Paradise was run by criminals. Azure despised them as much as she despised the fact that she was born in that wretched place, knowing nothing but the life of crime, never given the chance to see the light.

On the other hand, she thought about the families, the children, the frail and innocent ones trapped within. There was no way they could have survived the explosions. It was just not possible.

Azure slumped down by the ledge, incredibly disturbed by the current events. All while trying her best not to cry or feel anything, but the situation proved that both was a hard task to accomplish.

It almost felt like forever just sitting that she hadn't noticed Sunset's presence.

"Thought I'd find you here."

Azure slowly swiveled her head around to see Sunset's form, slouching along with the gargoyles that lined up in a row. Azure was deprived of anything to say upon seeing her there.

And Sunset recognized this. Obviously, she knew fear when she saw one. And it was the first time she saw her like that, without the pretense, the facade, the spiteful demeanor. Azure wasn't just fully cautious now. She was genuinely afraid.

"Don't worry. I heard a lot of your folks survived. The explosions couldn't have killed all of them, could it? Those sons of bitches are as tough as ticks."

Sunset laughed at the girl's pathetic expression before adding, "You should be celebrating."

Sunset walked over and perched on the ledge next to Azure.

"What? Are you really pissed right now?" Sunset teased unapologetically. "Don't be such a fucking hypocrite. I know you hated that place. You hated it with every fiber of your being."

Azure couldn't deny what Sunset had just said, but it was only half the truth. She raised her head a little, barely looking Sunset in the eye, the back of her throat almost ready to argue, but the words died before they could slip out of her tongue.

Defeated, she looked away with slumped shoulders.

"And you know I'm right about it all." Sunset said. "Like I always say, this place is not so much of a paradise as most people like to believe. Tonight, Canterlot is gonna face it's own demons. All I had to do was push the right buttons."

The two perched on the ledge in silence, with Sunset patiently and calmly waiting while Azure was on the verge of a mental breakdown. It was only a matter of time before her walls would fall.

"What's gonna happen?" Azure barely whispered, her voice quivering.

Sunset didn't answer immediately. She just had her eyes locked into space, smiling and baring all the mischief in the world. She made Azure wait until she couldn't take the silence any longer.

"You'll see."

Azure wasn't given a chance to question what that statement just meant when the sound of distant gunshots broke into the streets below them. Loud screeching tires echoed, followed by a violent crash and the sound of collective wails of shock and despair.

Laughter burst from Sunset's throat, adding to the haunting collection of dissonance of chaotic gunshots, screams, and the sudden bursts of flames.

Down below and at the streets of Canterlot was all of the individuals who survived the explosion, angry and vengeful for the deaths of their families. At the front leading the crowd was Tomahawk, with half of his face scorched down to the flesh. He let out a commanding roar and the survivors behind him followed, their yells slowly turning into an ear splittingly visceral cry.

All of them began raising their guns up in the air as an act of protest while a few pulled their triggers and flew bullets into the sky. Blind hatred drove them to madness and not one of them had the decency to spare the innocent civilians, who were unfortunate enough to roam the same pavement as them.

"Fuck your law and order!" Tomahawk yelled furiously. "The CCDP are treacherous cowards! They're not gonna protect your sorry asses tonight!"

Under Tomahawk's command, they began shooting down pedestrians; men, women, and even innocent children. Their screams evaporated as their blood spilled onto the pavement.

Before everyone knew it, chaos and panic blossomed in the city like a biblical plague. Civilians scrambled the streets for shelter, while several cars crashed and piled on top of the other. Buildings began to catch fire, and more bodies tragically.

In the midst of chaos, a group of police cars came rushing into the streets with their familiar sirens and flashing red and blue lights. They gathered at one spot on the road, facing the opposite where Tomahawk and the survivors stood. A great gap littered with dead bodies separating the two parties.

A truck full of SWAT teams joined, forming a line at the front of the cops, guns prepared and pointing straight towards the crowd of angry mobsters.

"CCDP! As the Chief of Police, I order you to drop your weapons to the ground or we will be forced to open fire!" Star Glider ordered through the bullhorn.

Tomahawk took a couple step forward, carelessly waving his rifle in the air.

"So you're the Chief of Police?!" Tomahawk yelled back, his speech distorted due to his missing lips. "What? Thought we were on the same side?!"

"This is your last warning! Put down your weapons!"

Tomahawk spat. "We'll put you down, traitors!"

Back at the top of the church, Sunset's smile grew more sinister upon watching the events down below. While Azure's dread intensified even more, knowing how everything was about to end.

"You blew up that place, didn't you?" Azure asked knowingly, not making any eye contact. "You… you blew it up, and used their anger so you could…"

"Yes. Yes I did." Sunset said proudly. "Who would have thought that their co-called truce would be this easy to destroy? Look at them. They're no different from each other. Just a bunch of savages."

The sight of the total chaos unfolding was both depressing and horrifying. Azure could only sit still, the words evaporated out of her mouth. Even after the abhorrent things she had witnessed in life, this was the pinnacle of insanity and disorder. And she was a part of the orchestration of it all.

Sunset offered Azure a box of cigarettes. A knowing understanding present in the gesture. Azure eyed both her and the box tentatively for about a second before snatching it off her grasp.

"I think you'll need it. You won't be seeing my body until dawn."

With that done, Sunset stood up and left, leaving Azure alone.

"I truly hope I won't."

As the sky turned blood red and yellow took over the streets, Sunset leaped through the steep structures of the church, jumping and running with the quickness of a fox. The madness that occupied the space allowed the adrenaline within Sunset to boil throughout her entire body while her legs propelled her from one ledge to another, howling on top of her lungs, dreaming and hoping of the precious things she deliciously envisioned to partake in.

The Devil entertained her excitement, as he too sang a song; an anthem to announce the doom that was about to fall upon everyone. The two traversed the obstacles of buildings with rapid succession, leaping, climbing, and running until their chests would collapse under pressure.

And finally, they hopped off, slid down a ladder and landed on top of a large truck trailer parked in a dark alley, obscured from the chaos.

"Just like old times." Sunset breathed.

A head popped out of the truck's driver seat. "Hey, boss! You're right on time!"

Without warning, Sunset grabbed her gun and shot the thug right between his eyes. His body slumped against the window frame, his blood dripping down and staining the ground.

"Wasn't that the guy who tried to score with your favorite toy?" Flamepuff grinned, reverting back to his portable form.

"Nah. Just testing out my gun." Sunset responded nonchalantly, blowing off the smoke from the barrel.

She climbed down the trailer and reached for the door to the driver seat. As she opened it, she kicked the dead body off the seat before sliding herself behind the wheel.

Once settled, the dog greeted her with a meek and acknowledging whimper.

"Time to rip some more faces." Sunset said, giving the dog a scratch behind the ear. "You be a good boy tonight, okay?"

"Pfft! Don't worry, bacon strip! I'll guide our pooch through the run. He'll be fine." Flamepuff assured, grabbing a roll of joint from one of the compartments and handed it towards Sunset.

"Just don't let him get shot." Sunset said, taking the joint from Flamepuff and placed it between her lips. The demon lit up the tip, and the next thing Sunset knew was she was on a delightful trip.

The trailer behind them shook and creaked, with several loud voices muffling within the metal walls.

"Is it a bad idea that I'm literally going to drive these lunatics in their halloween costumes across town while everything is currently on fire?" Sunset asked almost absentmindedly, giggling in between words.

Flamepuff made a thoughtful pout. "It's absolutely horrifying!" He exclaimed. "Now, who's idea was that again?"

Sunset eyed the demon with near emptiness and a crooked smile. "Yours truly, baby." She said, before bursting into a loud laugh.

"Honk-fucking-honk motherfuckers! We're going on a field trip!"

Flamepuff howled in frenzy as he stomped onto the wheel's horn, and the noise ignited an almost distorted cheer within the trailer. Sunset pressed her foot against the pedal, and began her venture into the chaotic streets.

At the central part of the city, standing proud and watchful was The Great Columbus, one of the oldest and most significant structures ever built.

Its towering form loomed over nearly everything else in Canterlot. But even with its enormous size and the strength it represented, Sunset challenged its likeness with all her radiating defiance. Her mind may be up in the clouds at the moment, but her entire body was locked and ready to cause havoc upon those she was about to face.

Nimbus, Titania, and Stratos stood before the wall of screens. Their eyes filled with shock and horror as they quietly assimilate the severity of the situation that has currently spread itself like a virus in the city.

"How did this come to be?" Nimbus sputtered before turning towards the woman beside him. "Titania?"

"There have been rumors that a group of cops sabotaged the operation at Barbatos' Paradise." Titania replied urgently.

"A group of cops?" Nimbus repeated in a grimace.

"They've identified them as such but no one could find a trace regarding their location." Titania added.

"Of all the people…" Nimbus groaned as he massaged his temples. "This is exactly the kind of disaster I fear would happen six months ago before things were finally settled for good. Things were settled for good! Now, how did it all come to this?!"

The sudden outburst caused Stratos and Titania to retract their tongues. They were quiet for a moment, and it was good for them.

"Is Cobalt currently involved in the riots?" Nimbus asked Titania again.

"I can't contact him. No one can."

Nimbus darted his frustrated eyes towards Titania. "Since the fall of Quasar, I'm starting to question you and your abilities."

"I understand, sir."

"But in these desperate times, there's no one else I can count on, considering the fact that both Crimson and your little girl are out of commission."

Titania narrowed her eyes at the suggestion. "You're suggesting that I should lead an operation against the riots in the city."

"More or less." Nimbus said. "The CCDP and the people of Barbatos' Paradise are both important to me. But if they can't stop killing themselves, they'd plummet this city into the void with them. And I will not let them."

"I am ready to do as you wish. Canterlot is our most important asset, after all. To dispose of a few men won't be any problem." Titania said, holding her chin up with all the sense of accountability.

"Very good. Clean this city. This madness needs to end before dawn."

With his final command given, Titania immediately walked out of the office, allowing room for Nimbus and Stratos to settle in, praying that the maddening events would come to its end.

"This has gone out of control." Nimbus released in a shaky breath, leaning against his desk for support while his son watched carefully.

"I have a bad feeling about this." Stratos commented, sharing his father's trepidation.

"I know that this can't be their doing. This is…" Nimbus paused thoughtfully. "This is too barbaric."

Stratos stepped closer, like a meek little boy trying not to upset his father's authority. "What I'm saying is that I might have an idea who's behind all this shit."

Nimbus at least acknowledged Stratos by slightly raising his head and looked him in the eye. He was stern and proud as always, but there was always room for his gentleness.

With a deep breath, Stratos said, "Dad, it's Sunset Shimmer. She's the one behind all of this."

The mentioning of the damned name brought the sternness back in Nimbus eyes and he barked, "What kind of nonsense are you telling me?"

Stratos sighed and pursued to try again. "The incidents that've been happening for the past few weeks weren't caused by asylum escapees or random thugs like the police reported. From the stolen equipment, to the deaths of our business partners, and the burning of Quasar. Everything seems to be on purpose. It has to be her!"

Stratos could tell that Nimbus wasn't convinced, and he was getting aggravated. "One more word out of that mouth, Stratos. I swear on your mother's grav–"

"Dad. I heard Crimson and Titania talking about it."

Nimbus suddenly stopped. "What?"

"They didn't tell us because there was just no way we could possibly take it, they said." Stratos continued, his voice sounding more apprehensive for even he himself became unsure. "After discovering that Sunset Shimmer is alive, Crimson might have turned a bit… insane… And I think that's why Titania decided to put him to sleep for now."

Every information kept piling up like a pyramid on Nimbus' head. To accumulate them all at once proved too much, but he wasn't going to let it all crush him completely. He remained taciturn and focused, reminding himself to deal with Titania after the deed was done.

"It doesn't matter." Nimbus said. "What does she have against us? Nothing."

Stratos wasn't amused by his father's confidence, and that worried him even more. If Sunset Shimmer really had nothing, what did it take for her to come back from the grave with the desire to drive an entire city mad?

After a short while, he then noticed his father poured himself a glass of his favorite whiskey. One that he identified to be the kind he would take whenever he was distressed.

Stratos was offered a glass with only one look. He accepted and they both drank. In the midst of the chaos and the fire, everything was serene within the walls of the Great Columbus. All seemed fine and comfortably warm, that until Stratos took a short glance at the screens on the office wall.

"Holy shit…" The gasp that escaped from Stratos' mouth urged Nimbus to turn around and face the screens.

The screen that viewed the entrance and the hallway at the ground floor showed a group of raiders armed with guns, donning trench coats and bandaged heads. All of them trying to infiltrate the building's security forces. It was evident by the way they moved about that they were not the smartest invaders, as it was easy for them to get shot down. But Nimbus and Stratos immediately noticed the overwhelming number of raiders that kept swarming in, and they knew that with that firepower they carried with them, they could penetrate into the building even further.

"Who the fuck are these guys?" Stratos sputtered. No one answered him.

As they continued to watch, they saw more raiders fell defeated. Relief seemed to swell within them, when out of nowhere, a large person with a rocket launcher stood at the entrance door.

"Oh, fuck!" Stratos yelled, as fire burst into the hallway and killed many of their security. "Dad, where's Titania?!"

"Titania has left the building."

More screens showed the raiders in their advancement, waving their guns around like mindless children. But before they could get to the elevator, the Great Columbus' security forces commenced into action, and the walls of Nimbus' haven was stained with blood.

Amidst the massacre being shown at the lobby, a lone figure stood still by the entrance, carefully watching the camera.

It took Nimbus and Stratos a while to fully recognize the person, before one of them yelled,

"Fuck! She's here!"

Nimbus pressed the big red button beneath his desk, allowing his office doors to securely lock them inside like a vault. The office was packed with weapons and firearms, providing the convenience of keeping intruders out. But even with such security and promise, Stratos still couldn't get himself to feel completely safe. He knew just by watching through those screens, Sunset Shimmer was going to tear down all of their defenses.

The demon has arrived at their house, and she's come for them all.

Smelling the blood and hearing the anguished screams of the confused guards was an overdose of ecstasy for Sunset and Flamepuff. She let the asylum escapees swarm the entire lobby like unchained zoo animals, wrecking havoc however they pleased, while she stood observant at the back.

"Ahhh, look at these poor fuckers. Obviously, they've been stuck inside the asylum for such a long long time without even seeing the light of day." Sunset giggled, taking a quick sip from her joint.

"You could've joined them." Flamepuff said.

Sunset raised a brow, glancing at her shoulder. "And what does that suppose to mean?"

Flamepuff's mischievous eyes arched evilly. "Oh, ya know. If only a certain someone didn't dig his own grave too soon, he would have granted you a sponsored trip to the loony bin."

Sunset decided to ignore the little demon's words for awhile. There was so much wonderful things she could do, now that she was finally at her enemy's lair. More guards came from the elevator, and she watched as the unguarded loons get massacred, while the lucky few fled and advanced towards the staircase, leading to greater levels where they sought to resume their madness.

When the bloody scene cleared and the last loon fell to the ground, all the lights automatically went out, replaced with more than a dozen red lasers shooting through the void of space, and heavy footsteps skipping over slumped bodies.

Sunset smiled, stretching her neck until she heard the satisfying cracks. She finally let go of the joint, and fished out the mask that's been stored underneath her trench coat. Darkness embraced everyone present, each anticipating the monster who would lurk and creep until it would drag them into oblivion.

Unbeknownst to the guards, who were huddled together tight, Sunset was already circling them, quietly, methodically, granting them the cruel bit of hope to breathe one last time.

A guard stepped out of the huddle, eagle eyes attentively peeled into the darkness, with nothing but the laser pointer on his gun to guide his vision. He turned and looked, until the laser pointer stumbled upon a still and dark figure.

"What the–"

The guard's head was blown to bits, and for a brief second, the area was lit, revealing Sunset in her ominous entirety, her eyes wide and crazy.

When the body fell, the guards scurried around and began firing at every direction they deemed to where Sunset was lurking. But every time they pulled the trigger, every time they saw her just casually dodging and moving about like a wild jester, one of them would fall dead on the ground, either with a slit throat or a gaping head.

Sunset's laughter filled the area, coating their fear and frustration with her absolute madness. They became more desperate and afraid as seconds began eating away their remaining time on Earth.

Sunset lunged behind an oblivious guard and stabbed him below the back, directly hitting his spine. Another guard came and tried to retaliate for his fallen comrade. He showered Sunset, or at least what he deemed to be her silhouette, with his own set of bullets

But Sunset was overwhelmingly fast. Either she was dodging the blows or persevered through them, the guard couldn't prepare to shield himself from Sunset's attack; Four swift cuts onto the kneecaps before she lunged the dagger straight into his jugular.

Sunset watched him choke on his own blood, fearful and wide eyed. Sunset smiled, then twisted the dagger inside his throat until life finally escaped his eyes.

The last standing guard shot Sunset in the back. She turned and stood in fury. The guard shot her again on both knees, causing her to fall onto them. She growled angrily like a feral dog with slobber filling up her mask.

"We got you now, bitch." The guard announced, slamming his enormous gun against Sunset's forehead, making her fall flat on her back.

But the guard's celebration was cut short when Sunset began laughing out of nowhere. Even if it was a weak, wheezing and painful laugh, the impending doom it brought was spine tingling. He froze as he watched her remove her mask.

Then, she let out a whistle.

A large german shepherd dog bolted from the darkness and went for the guard's throat. His screams of anguish filled the area, while Sunset joined him, cackling so hard she began coughing.

When the screams finally died, Sunset heaved herself up, ignoring her shattered kneecaps, and leaned against the pillar to support her wobbling weight. Her eyes searched for the camera in the room, and when she finally found it, she gave a childish yet exhausted wave.

The dog sat up from the guard's dead body, Flamepuff perching on top of its head.

"Told ya!" He blared, sticking a tongue out.

At last, Sunset stood with her kneecaps fully healed. She proceeded to head for the elevator, while the dog followed her steps from behind.

She smiled sadistically as she pressed the button on the elevator, and the doors slid closed.

The chaos continued, and the best thing to do was to stay far away from the crossfire as much as possible. That was the first thing that came into Azure's mind.

Her home was scorched, Sunset's had technically abandoned her at that point, and the city she was once familiar with had become a literal hellhole for all its inhabitants.

This was no place to be, and she wasn't going to let her inhibitions towards Sunset stop her from doing the smart thing this time.

"Screw this. Screw all of this." Azure grumbled in frustration, rubbing off the heat from her eyes.

She had already left the church and was now hiding between the narrow dark alleys, where there she saw a few of Canterlot's oblivious scum seeking refuge from the ongoing mayhem on the streets.

Azure felt her heart soften at the sight of them, but her pride battered her to move forward and don't look back. She cursed herself for all the disgrace she has brought upon herself. She was just as nasty as the woman she loathed.

Even though she was spared of the violence, everything else seemed like an endless torture. All those innocents sprawled dead on the pavement because of the riots, Azure never wanted that to happen. She never even thought that things would develop into such severe madness.

But she had long accepted her fate, destined to dwell among the scum and to die on the same dirt.

After a few blind turns into corners that would promise her to safety, Azure bumped into a group of huddled bodies rushing towards the opposite direction.

"Watch it, kid!"

Azure tilted her head as the familiar voice rang into her ears. She turned as quickly as they proceeded to run towards the opposite direction, and called for them.

"Hey you!" Azure yelled.

The group stopped in their tracks, and step forth was a blue haired man with orange highlights. The look on his face was an amalgamation of aggravation and exhaustion. And Azure could see why.

"You're Cobalt, right?"

"What's it to you?" Cobalt sneered.

Azure didn't let that intimidate her. So instead she stepped forward with a strong sense of determination and said,

"If you're planning on doing something in the middle of this craziness, might as well go down the right path."

Cobalt was confused, so was his group. "What?"

There was no time in hesitating things for Azure. Deep down, she never wanted this mess. That was the only thought that mattered. A righteous one at that.

"I know the truth. What really happened at the east weren't the cops' fault."

The second statement brought a little bit of enlightenment on Cobalt's part.

"So you saw it." He said, stepping closer with sheer curiosity and desperation.

Azure bit her cheek. "News always travels fast in this small world. You gotta be quick to catch it. Plus, I know things that you don't."

Cobalt's eyes narrowed with intensity. "Like what?"

Azure tried not to flinch. "The names of the individuals responsible for the explosions. They're not cops. They're arsonists hired by none other than the infamous Sunset Shimmer."

The group perked in interest, it was as they were granted a small glimmer of hope.

"I know where she's headed next." Azure said.

"How did you know?" Cobalt asked suspiciously.

"I just know." Azure said with a straight face. "And it doesn't matter. Look, I don't have the power to pull the switch off this damn mess. But you're from a higher order. You can do something."

"Where's she headed?"

"The Great Columbus."

Upon seeing it all through the screens, the chaos beneath them spread like its own maddening disease. Nimbus remained confident and nearly assured that nothing could ever get to him and his son as long as they stayed within the protective walls of his office. And in addition to his assertiveness, his guards took care of the matter.

One thing that ever bothered him was seeing Stratos slowly fall into a state of psychosis. Obviously, the young man was suffering from PTSD. He paced around the room endlessly, stealing short nervous glances at the monitors, while rambling in pointless whispers about their doom under Sunset's cruelty.

Nimbus genuinely felt irritated all of the sudden.

"Sit down, Stratos!" Nimbus ordered sternly.

Stratos halted in his steps, wide eyed as if he was snatched away from a certain trance. "S-sorry." He said, taking a couple of breaths in.

About a hundred asylum escapees have invaded the first three floors of the building. And even though they were no match against the guards, the fact that Sunset was absent during the encounters made it more uneasy. The last time they saw her was when she entered the elevator, and as she did, she destroyed the surveillance cameras, turning their anticipation into a blind one.

"It's impossible for her to enter here, if that's what she plans to do." Nimbus said assuringly.

Stratos blinked. "She can just blow us up while we're trapped here."

Nimbus exasperatedly sighed at his son's statement. "Stratos."

"Dad, we're talking about a girl who apparently came back from the dead and single-handedly fucked our operation with alarming efficiency in a span of two weeks. The worst thing we ever did was underestimate her."

Nimbus ignored him and immediately responded, "Now let me tell you something. You only get to be truly afraid if you're facing the ones that are sitting above us. Above me. Don't you dare let your knees quiver before a scum that have been crawling beneath our feet."

"Yeah. The same fucking scum that killed Zoomer."

There was a great pause, and Stratos was again given that heavy and familiar look from his father. He never dared to talk back before. Maybe the fear made him a little mad and took away his common sense.

Still, Stratos instantly regretted mentioning that name in vein when Nimbus rushed towards him and gave him a swift swing to the jaw.

Nimbus just huffed and didn't utter a word afterwards.

While Stratos struggled to gather himself on the floor.

"Shit…"

Sunset had no idea what was waiting for her at the peak, but whatever peril she was about to face, she was certain she would get a hell of enjoyment out of it.

While waiting for the elevator to stop, she took the time to dig out the pellets stuck underneath her healing wounds.

"That's just nasty." Flamepuff commented, still perched on top of the patient sitting dog.

"Shut up." Sunset grumbled, while digging the last pellet from her arm. When she finally got it, she let it fall on the floor where a collection of bloody pellet scattered. "Ahh, fuck. This is just getting old."

"I bet." Flamepuff shrugged. "Oh, well. I can smell about twenty armed guards waiting for you at the top floor. So, if you're not feeling productive enough, I think you can pick off pellets more than you already have. That is, if your body can still handle the beating."

"Thank you for the heads up." Sunset replied monotonously. "The guards are the least of my worries, if I have any."

"Yes. That's the spirit, bacon strip."

At last, the elevator came to a halt, followed by a loud ding. Sunset held onto her gun, preparing for the absolute worse. When the doors slid open, a fairly large and long hallway welcomed her, occupied by dozens of guards standing at their posts.

"Let's party, gentlemen!"

Before the guards could act fast, Sunset sprinted out of the elevator shaft and shot the first guard at the head. As she was about to shift to another target, one guard shot the gun out of her grip and left her weaponless.

Sunset cursed as quick as she brought out her daggers from her trench coat. With speed and ferocity, she threw herself forward to stab the next two guards multiple times, failing their attempt to shoot her in defense of themselves.

But with the guards' numbers, Sunset was never sheltered from their stinging hot bullets. They shot her limbs and her chest. All while Sunset tried her best to shield her head from the bullets using her victim's corpse.

With her newfound defense, Sunset made the move to charge towards her attackers, not caring about the bullets that had now shattered both her kneecaps again into crumbling pieces. The only thing the pain did to her was fuel her immensely.

Sunset grabbed the fallen guard's gun and began shooting back, while she hid behind a body shield. Once she got close, she rammed the body against the guards, temporarily disorienting them. She then took the opportunity to plunge her dagger on every piece of flesh she could find.

One guard got impaled from under the jaw, the next one who attempted to tackle Sunset received a quick cut across the mouth and three brutal plunges deep into his left ear. As the dagger was permanently stuck, Sunset scurried to grab two guns off the floor and began firing at the remaining guards charging at her.

At last, they all fell, while Sunset struggled to stay on her feet, both exhausted and exhilarated, her whole body dripping with blood. She shivered then fell to her two broken knees, desperately catching her breath.

She whistled, signaling the dog to come out of the elevator shaft. Then came to start licking her wounds.

"We're almost there, boy." Sunset gently whispered to the dog, who responded with an unknowing whimper.

Sunset chuckled through the pain still.

"I'm almost there. I'm almost there."

Sunset took her time to breathe, but she didn't wait any longer for her wounds to completely heal. Finally, she stood up, and walked along the hallway of blood and dead bodies.

There, at the end of the hallway, Sunset found the entrance to Nimbus' office. She recognized it was heavily guarded like a vault, but she had one more trick up her sleeve.

Sunset reached for the small sticky bomb from her trenchcoat and placed at the center of the guarded door. She activated the device, and a ten second countdown appeared.

"Take cover!" Flamepuff announced, and the dog fled for protection.

Ten… nine… eight… seven…

Sunset felt it. The swelling inside of her. Her excitement reaching its peak. She waited, never letting that sickly smile leave her face as her mind wandered mischievously.

Six… five… four… three… two… one…

Author's Notes:

Well, this one took a lot longer than I thought. Had a lot of stuff to take care of for the past weeks. Sorry for the delays!