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The Moon was as bright as it could be. The wind was cold, and a faint scent of medicine could be perceived in the air. Dawei Hulong, Zancheng Zhou and Jin Lee hid behind the bushes, waiting before the factory, a secret lab of the Blood Lotus Clan. A large fenced compound, with several store houses and buildings. Dawei and his team were geared up in their combat uniforms, waiting for a signal.

"It's been too long." Jin Lee said. The usually calm, red haired teen was worried for his younger sister, Jian. She had gone in ahead of them to give the all clear.

"Sorry Jin, I trust she's ok." the voice of Zancheng Zhou spoke. A simple mannered girl with purple long hair, and an innocent stare, but an expert in the use of bows and staff. The successor of the Zhou family fortune.

"Somethings wrong, let's go in." Jin argued, slowly rising up, an edge to his voice if they refused. Dawei, the leader of the group, a plain character with a low cut and earrings, the symbol of his family crest on his chest, and the drive of this story stared at Jin, who glared back. Dawei noded without a fuss.

"Go." Dawei said. The leaves shuddered at the speed they left the ground. Their shadows passed over the fence. Their feet landing softly behind it. The three stood in the compound to find three guards down, but no sign of Jian, Jin's sister.

"They're down but…" Zancheng paused. Jin was the first to spot her, looking up.

"There!" Jin pointed. Jian was walking on a roof of a ware house, slowly heading for the edge of it.

Jin got into mode, one track mind as he sped to meet her. He knew what happened. It had occurred again. Jian's face was calm and her eyes closed as the wind blew her hair. She was in a trance. The mild mannered girl was sleep-walking to the edge of the roof. Some few steps to her fall, Jin grabbed her from behind, pulling her to the ground. He held her in an embrace.

"Wake up, Jian! Wake up!" he didn't want to, but slapped her till she came through. Her eyes slowly opened, adjusting to the light to see his face.

"Ji..Jin?"

Dawei and Zancheng landed on the roof. Jin had been too fast for him and Zancheng when he rushed after his sister.

"How is she?" Dawei asked.

Jin did not reply. Zancheng approached.

"What happened?" Zancheng asked. Jian sat up, Jin allowing her, still crotched and holding her arm.

"I…blacked out." Jian explained embarrassed. Looking down, holding her head. "It's…"

"It's a condition, but she is ok" Jin interrupted, he looked at Dawei. Dawei placed his hands in his pocket as he awaited more explanation.

"Ok. go on." Dawei demanded. Jin looked down. Dawei waited, then sighed.

"Alright, we'd discuss this later, we need to complete the mission." Dawei said.

"Wait, Dawei, the mission? I don't think Jian's alright…" Zancheng pointed out.

"I'm fine." Jian said, getting up, "I'm ok, please, don't stop the mission, please." Jian stared at Jin. Jin bowed his head then answered.

"Yes please. She'd...She's fine." Jin hesitated to say that last part. Dawei stared them for a while, then to Zancheng. He knew the mission was important to the siblings, although he wasn't sure why, but he hated risking his team if one person was ill. But he knew that the clan wouldn't take the excuse of "Jian was ill," if they didn't complete the mission.

"You took care of all the guards?" Dawei asked, referring to Jian, she nodded.

"Even the ones just outside the lab." Jian added. "I took their keys, all guards would be out till morning." Jian said. Dawei sighed. Still, very impressive for someone like her, but her condition bugged him. He walked away.

"Then we proceed." the group stared at each other and followed after him. They trusted their leader, although he was the oddest of the Desert Bloom Academy.

They hid the bodies of the unconscious before they continued the mission. Dawei figured if any came this way it would be less suspicious seeing no guards than unconscious ones. Though no one was likely to show up this evening. They had chosen the perfect day to infiltrate the lab of the Blood Lotus Clan. It was their clan holiday, the Desert Flower Clan chose to exploit it, sending Dawei and his team. They were planning something against all clans, and Desert flower Clan wanted to know what.

Dawei and his team moved cautiously still, not far from here was the Blood Lotus Barracks. One alarm or spotting, the clan would bring the whole barracks down on them, and they won't stand a chance, not against so many.

Jian turned the key of the central laboratory door, a big house, their target. It opened. They walked in, it seemed larger inside with many stairs and doors, Dawei knew it would take a while finding what they were looking for. Jian handed them other keys. Dawei informed them they had to be fast. So they ran around the facility. There were rooms of blood jars, weird animal parts and unknown substances. The experimenting info on the Blood Lotus was accurate Dawei thought, but noting yet dangerous enough. They split up to cover more grounds, opening doors and checking rooms for anything more deadly. Searching the big place took a while, ten minutes. But Zancheng stumbled on something. She signaled with a low whistle. Dawei was the first to appear behind her. Jin and Jian followed. Dawei stepped forward to study the huge door, way bigger than the others. A sign on it in red said "Keep out! Directors authorization only." and Dawei knew this was it. They couldn't get in the normal way, but Zancheng had found what they were looking for.

"How are we gonna get in?" Zancheng asked.

"We have to, even if it means breaking the door down." Jin said, anger in his tone again. Jian touched his arm to calm him down, Dawei noticed. He sighed.

"Well, none of the keys would work on this door, it's pretty special." He said

"Then we have to…" Jin started, but Dawei cut in.

"But… I didn't come unprepared." Dawei said, he got into a pose before the door, placing his hands in a prayer form. The rest understood what he was about to do, but they hadn't heard of one that could open doors.

"Dǎogào." (Meaning: Prayer) Dawei said. "Dǎkāi mén bù guān." (Meaning: Open doors and shut not) He chanted. There was a pause, a moment passed. The others stared at each other. Zancheng was about to speak but a blue light illuminated the door, and it shuddered, the electronic locks opened. The door gave way. They were in.

"Well, shall we?" Dawei said looking back with a smile. 

"Don't get cocky all of a sudden." Jin replied. He walked past Dawei. Followed by his sister who looked ashamed for her brother's action. Zancheng placed a hand on Dawei. He sighed and they both walked in.

The room was green lit by giant tanks of green light with bubbles from it's liquid. Dawei walked closer to it. His eyes widened. They all were astonished by what they saw. Zancheng covered her mouth, Jin and Jian stared in horror and confusion.

"What..what are these?" Zancheng asked.

In the tanks were inhuman creatures. Neither were they animals. Big long heads and sharp teeth. Ferocious three fingered hands and toes with sharp claws. There was no creature existing like that on the first plane of existence. Dawei wondered if they had somehow stepped into the second plane, the spirit world. Only demons looked like this.

Dawei walked closer to the tanks of the sleeping monsters. He touched it. The others became alarmed. No… they were in the real world. He could feel it. These creatures were man-made.

"Careful please, step back." Zancheng worried. Dawei did so, he had gotten what he needed, information, but it was not enough. He needed to get documentation of this operation, and it could only be found in one place.

"We're leaving." Dawei announced. This snapped Jin out of his shock.

"No, we have to destroy this place!" Jin argued.

"Shssh Jin, not so loud." Dawei cautioned, "and no, that is not our mission."

"These monsters could be used against the Clan." Jin explained, "they have to be taken care of.."

"No, not the mission, that would jeopardize our counter attack against this operation, once we break one of those tanks. The Barracks would come flooding in, I'm not risking that. We're leaving." Dawei finalized. Jin wanted to counter, Dawei interrupted.

"You have a personal grudge against this place? we must think of the lives of others first, especially as she's not in good shape." Dawei gestured to Jian.

Jin looked like he wanted to throw a fit, but he didn't. He stared at his sister. She nodded. Jin was not happy about it, but Dawei was right. Dawei knew he wouldn't risk his sister for this. Jin looked at Dawei and said nothing, but he was in agreement. Dawei nodded and left, they followed. When they were out of the room. Dawei performed another technique in reverse, "Daogao, Guānbì." (Meaning: Prayer, Close). The door closed.

"Before we leave." Dawei announced "We have to find the director's office. He would have documents on this operation. We get their plans, their files, their processes, and copy it, that way the clan would find a weakness."

"This place still has more rooms." Jian said "it could take a while, that increases the chance of something going wrong."

"Agreed." Zancheng said, "I want to get out of here."

Dawei thought for a moment, but they had no choice.

"Then we split up." Dawei resolved, pointing to pair them "Jin and Jian." Then pointed at Zancheng and him. "Zancheng and me, better to be grouped if something goes wrong, I'm not saying something will. But we have to do this, for the Heavens."

All of them chorused, "For the Heavens." then they split. Dawei and Zancheng took north, Jin and Jian south. They moved in fast but silent paces. A training they had received from the Academy of Desert Bloom. Five minutes passed. They were yet to find that office. Dawei was considering calling off the search when he and Zancheng stumbled on a restricted zone. This time it's a section barred off. The same words on the other door. Dawei smiled, this was it.

"So, how do we get in?" Zancheng asked. Dawei took a moment, he studied the small barred gate. It was wired at the top. Dawei could spot a sensor and alarm wiring. One false move on it and the place would go off with alarm blares.

"Dawei?" Zancheng asked, but he didn't answer. He walked closer to the gate. It was too risky, but at least he knew where the office was. They could come for it later, but security would be tighter when the guards are found unconscious in the morning.

"Let's go." He said,

"What?"

"Too risky, we have the basic info we need, we could break in here later." Dawei said walking away, Zancheng didn't argue much, she trusted Dawei the most, they had a past, and what she learnt was Dawei was very capable, but others didn't think so, she understood why. He was down on luck it seemed. Zancheng brought out a sweet packet, she opened it. Dawei turned hearing the sound.

"Ohhhhh, what do we have here." He said jokingly. "Give me, give me."

"Alright alright." She smiled, but Dawei was impatient, he rushed for it playfully, "hey!" She said trying to remove it from his reach, a mistake on both their sides, Dawei's hand smacked it, it flew from her grip, and was heading to touch the bar gate.

"Oh no." She said. Dawei gritted his teeth and jumped to stop it, but it touched the gate, right on the sensor machine, you know, just to make sure it hit right and got them into trouble for sure. Dawei landed seeing he failed to stop it, there was no sound yet. Dawei sighed thinking they were in the clear, then the alarms went off. The flash of red light filled the lab. They were in trouble.

Dawei and Zancheng didn't have time reaching Jin and Jian. They knew the order of things to do when this happens. Get out, get out fast.

Dawei and Zancheng ran, heading down the stairs they were on. But it was too late. The Blood Lotus Clan got there fast, he could see the shadows of the barrack squad closing in on them, but no sign of Jin and Jian. Good, they probably got out Dawei thought.

The door bursts open. The squad in native blood lotus combat uniforms filed in, filling the ground floor with black, and a red lotus pattern on their chest. They had their staffs, swords and guns. A new technology that Dawei hated. He and Zancheng ducked behind the corridor of a stairway.

Someone commanded

"Check all floors and doors, bring intruders, dead or alive!"

Well, they weren't really interested in seeing them alive with that command, Dawei guessed. They were already moving up, Dawei knew they were toast.

"What do we do?" Zancheng asked. Dawei could hear no panic in her voice. Despite her being a good mannered person, Zancheng was not easy to scare. He knew what she'd been through, her past life. Well, at least he didn't have to worry about her freezing in fear if they got into a fight. Dawei closed his eyes for a while, praying to the Shenling for guidance. The soldiers edged closer, but there was nothing else he could do. Then he got it, his eyes opened with resolve.

"Follow me" Dawei said, Zancheng did without question, though she wondered what was in his mind.

"What's the plan?"

"Shssh, just follow."

Dawei led her back through where they came. Up the stairway that led to where they made their mistake.

"Are we…" she wondered

"Yes, it's the only way out." Dawei said

"What?"

"Just follow."

Few moments, they were before the bar gate again. Dawei brought out his hidden short sword. "The Misfit" he called it. Not ideal among sword users but Dawei found it perfect for him.

"What are you.."

Three strikes, and Dawei cut the bars before him. Fastest strikes he ever had done. He wasn't willing to wait and explain. The bar gate had a hole in it now, he kicked it and the cut part fell. He placed the sword back.

"Come on!"

They went through. They found the directors office in no time among other offices. Dawei broke the lock and opened it. All he had done would set off an alarm before, but the alarms were already off.

"They're in the Directors office!" They could hear someone shout. Running steps raging closer.

Dawei was looking for something, pacing around the room, touching the shelves and the table. Zancheng looked confused.

"What are you doing?" She said in an urgent hushed tone. "There's not even a window to get out"

"The Shenling never lies Zancheng." Dawei responded. Then his hand pressed something under the table. Dawei smiled

"Found it."

The door burst open. Two men entered. They gritted their teeth seeing Dawei and Zancheng.

"Come you…" one said, but Zancheng didn't let him finish that sentence, she sprung into action. Her hidden staff extended as she whacked both on the head in a second. They fell unconscious. Luckily, they were the only two that made it this way

"Dawei?." Zancheng worried now.

Dawei pressed a button underneath the table, the table gave way. A hidden escape pod came out from the floor beneath.

"Ohh" Zancheng said surprised seeing it. Dawei stood beside her.

"This Director is paranoid, built himself an escape route" Dawei explained.

"How did you know this?"

There they are! a voiced said

"Explain later, get in!" Dawei said. Zancheng got in first, he sweezed in after her. The pod wasn't originally meant for two, but they mananged. The buttons were simple enough, three big ones. Dawei hit the big green one.

The pod sank underground into a tunnel system. Dawei could see Lotus members arrive in time to aim at them below, but the pod was faster, it sped away. Dawei heaved a small sigh. He and Zancheng were safe, hopefully Jin and Jian too, but he had no idea where the pod was going as it sped through the tunnel into darkness.

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