Liling-san

Her eyes darkened as she stared down at the dagger that had just almost hit her, but before she could fully process what was happening, another dagger was fast approaching.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she struggled to clear her mind.

Soon her body was moving with the fluid grace of a seasoned warrior. She ducked and dodged each blade with effortless precision, her senses now fully attuned to the danger.

She could hear rustling, the unmistakable shift of fabric against metal, and her eyes darted around, trying -but to no avail- to find the source.

Another dagger flew toward her, and this time she caught it in mid-air, flipping it in her hand and hurling it back in the direction it came from. It disappeared into the darkness, followed by the sound of metal striking metal.

The number of daggers being thrown doubled, and so did the speed of her movements as she dodged and deflected the attacks, her instincts from being an assassin surging to the forefront.

She could feel the presence of at least two attackers, but the pitch darkness made it impossible to pinpoint their locations.

The onslaught continued, the air thick with the sound of blades slicing through the air. Liling's mind raced- she needed to end this, and fast. 

Despite being preoccupied with dodging the barrage of attacks, she had noticed two things.

First, they were probably amateurs, and couldn't use the darkness properly.

They had only been using the darkness as a cover but hadn't completely been using it to their full advantage. They were also only able to locate her using the light coming from the door, meaning if she walked deeper inside, she would be completely out of their line of sight.

Using her observations, she went further inside, and, just as she expected, the amount of daggers finding her decreased.

Grabbing two daggers from the floor, she decided she would end the fight quickly. She threw one in Li Hao's direction, he stood calmly by the door and was caught off guard by her sudden attack.

He managed to dodge it, but as a result, couldn't react fast enough to Liling's next moves. Before he knew it, she grabbed him, twisted his arm behind his back and pressed the second dagger to his throat. She felt his body tense under her grip, but he didn't resist.

The second thing Liling had understood was that they had been completely avoiding him. He had anticipated it and this was most likely something he planned.

Being excluded from the attack, he was caught completely off guard and so she used that in her favour. She had no intention of hurting him, but, the attackers didn't know that.

In their eyes, Liling's unwavering stance was equivalent to a silent declaration;

You either admit defeat, or he was getting hurt.

The barrage of daggers ceased instantly, the silence that followed heavy and tense. Liling's breath was steady, her mind sharp as she held Li Hao close, her senses on high alert for any movement.

She was worried they would call her bluff, but after a half minute of silence, she could see two figures slowly emerging from the shadows, their hands in the air signalling their surrender.

As they got closer, she could finally make out their features, 

They were two girls, both looked to be sixteen. They had black hair, but one had hers tied up in a ponytail with bangs framing her face, while the other had hers let down at shoulder length. She could tell they were twins because they looked identical, save for their expressions. 

The girl sporting the ponytail was the first to speak, and she did so with unconstrained enthusiasm, "Sugoi~, that was amazing, how on earth did you manage to get behind him so fast?"

She stayed silent as she surveyed their expressions. Finally determining they had no hidden agenda, she released Li Hao from his hostage position and glared aggressively at him. 

"Is it true you're joining us?", the girl with the ponytail spoke again, her eyes practically glowing in admiration, "It would be amazing if you could teach us to move like that, you'll teach us right?". Anyway, I'm Ryoko, and this is Rei, we can call you Liling-san right?" 

Before Liling could respond, Li Hao chuckled softly "Easy Ryo, you're asking too many questions"

"But I'm not doing anything wrong" she pouted and turned to her sister for support against her bully.

Liling couldn't help but feel a strange mix of emotions; confusion with a hint of nostalgia, and before she could begin to ask questions, Li Hao started walking deeper into the warehouse, urging them to follow him.

As they reached the far wall of the warehouse, Li Hao stopped in front of what appeared to be a solid metal panel. But Liling, with her keen senses and background from The Organization, noticed a faint outline that suggested it wasn't just an ordinary wall.

Li Hao reached out and pressed his hand against a seemingly random section of the wall. After a brief pause, a small, high-tech number pad emerged from the surface, its sleek, glowing buttons giving off a faint blue light.

She watched as he swiftly typed in the code, his fingers gliding over the pad. There was a soft click, and the metal panel slid aside, revealing a hidden elevator, its interior illuminated with a soft, ambient glow.

They all got in and the doors slid shut with a quiet hiss. The elevator hummed softly as it began its descent, the ride smooth and almost eerily silent.

When the doors finally opened, Liling found herself stepping into a vast underground complex that took her breath away. The space looked enormous, much larger than she had imagined. The walls had a sleek design and the place was bathed in a cool, ambient light that gave the place a futuristic feel.

It looked like something straight out of a Sci-fi movie, and they were only at the entrance. 'what would the rest of the place look like then' she thought. Were they really still at a syndicate's base? 

Li Hao took in the questioning look in her eyes and chuckled inwardly. Then turning to her he said, "Can I interest you in a grand tour?"