Raliya and Kirsi moved slowly; footsteps carefully silent across the hallway with Raliya in front and Kirsi right behind. This part of headquarters was eerily empty, the only sound being their footsteps and a subtle low hum of electricity from electronics behind closed walls. But no sign of any danger…yet.

  Raliya kept her rifle up, scanning the hallway with sharp precision, Dodeka and Trixie following behind. Raliya's ears twitched at every faint noise, her Miracle Eyes flickering as she tried to see anything beyond normal sight that might be lurking in shadows or around corners ahead of them.

  She didn’t trust this sudden silence for a second; it was too convenient after all those bullets had been fired earlier…like someone wanted them out here on purpose?

  Then came another sound, a distant clatter echoing from somewhere deeper within the headquarters building itself, and Raliya froze mid-step before muttering under breath: "...Shit."

  Kirsi’s hand immediately flew to her own weapon, still hidden but ready in an instant. She didn’t need to ask what Raliya had heard; the sudden tension in her body said enough.

  Her voice was a low murmur as she leaned slightly toward Raliya, golden eyes scanning for movement: "They’re trying to draw us out."

  Then after a beat of silence where they both waited for any further sounds, Kirsi added quietly: "So we let them think they succeeded."

  Raliya turned just enough so their faces were inches apart now, her expression unreadable except for sharp intensity behind those swirling Miracle Eyes while listening intently before replying just as quietly back…

  "...How?"

  Kirsi’s lips quirked in a faint smirk; she knew this was a risky plan, and Raliya's sharp intensity only made it even more dangerous, but they didn't have many options here.

  So, after a moment, she leaned in a bit closer until their foreheads were almost touching, a slight tension crackling between them as she met Raliya's gaze head on now; soft, warm breath on the other woman's cheek. "Do you trust me?" Kirsi asked quietly, her eyes holding Raliya's unblinking.

  Raliya was quiet at first, her ears flattening as she searched Kirsi's expression. Then, finally, her eyes flickered away, jaw tense. "I'm not in the habit of trusting anyone." Her voice was gruff; a shield going up.

  But, eventually? She exhaled sharply through her nose...and in spite of everything, Raliya finally nodded once. "...Yes," Raliya said quietly. "I trust you." Despite how stupid that probably makes me.

  That made Kirsi's mouth turn up into a faint smile; there was something almost...relieved in her expression as she replied equally softly: "Good."

  They held each other's gaze for a moment longer, almost like a silent pact between them now that they were working together.

  Then, Kirsi exhaled slowly as she stepped back; putting some much-needed distance between them before motioning for Raliya to follow her again:

  "Let's be bait. Together.”

  A bit of tension eased in Raliya's shoulders as she heard those words, some part of her had expected some protest or hesitation. But Kirsi's easy agreement did put her nerves at ease somewhat.

  Raliya nodded once, ears unfurling and tension mostly going out of her body for the first time since they'd stepped out of that office together. She was still ready to fight at a moment's notice, of course, but there was a certain amount of respect and even...trust...growing between the two now as she followed Kirsi while saying: "Alright…”

  Kirsi's smile widened slightly, she could already see a change in Raliya's body language. The tension wasn't completely gone, but some of that hard edge in those swirling Miracle Eyes was softer now; at least a little.

  It gave Kirsi a small spark of hope as they walked through those eerily silent hallways toward the distant source of that earlier clatter, moving slowly, but quietly, with eyes scanning for enemies or anything that was out of place along the way.

  The silence was maddening; each moment crawling by like an eternity as Raliya and Kirsi crept through those empty hallways. She knew someone had been here recently...but who or where they were now was still a mystery.

  Raliya's eyes kept flickering across every corner or darkened doorway they passed, tail lashing behind her as her Miracle Eyes flickered, ears twisting anxiously like she was expecting another attack any second.

  She hated this, hated not knowing where the threat was coming from. The sooner they found them, the better…

  "Wait," Kirsi blurted out, turning to Raliya with a curious gaze, "You say that Miracle Eyes can see the entire electromagnetic light spectrum, correct?”

  Raliya's head turned in Kirsi's direction when she spoke so suddenly, tail still lashing with irritation. She'd been focused on listening for any sounds...but she did manage a short nod before muttering. "Yes...why?”

  Kirsi hesitated, just for a second, before answering, her golden eyes still scanning the hallways ahead. "Because if you can see everything in the spectrum...then right now..." She tilted her head slightly toward Raliya’s swirling Miracle Eyes meaningfully: "Can't you see through these walls with X-ray vision while seeing heat signatures with infrared?"

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  An almost visible moment of realization came over Raliya's face for a fleeting instant, her head whipping in Kirsi's direction now as she stared at her like a lightbulb had turned on above their heads.

  "...I can," Raliya said at last, her ears perking and eyes wide now. She still didn't sound totally thrilled that she hadn’t immediately thought of that but...excited. "I can see through walls and see heat signatures."

  Kirsi nodded with a smile. "Fantastic. So that means you should be able to detect the enemy from where we are without risking an ambush, right?”

  Raliya exhaled sharply, part frustration, part reluctant agreement. She closed her eyes for a second as if trying to focus on using her Miracle Eyes properly before they flicked open again.

  Then, almost like she was reading off an invisible screen in midair, Raliya’s voice dropped lower: "There's...three hostiles." Her ears twitched slightly while scanning further ahead with precision that bordered obsessive at this point. "One near the left hallway junction…two more closer toward the main exit doors."

  She turned back to Kirsi then with a narrowed gaze, but no hostility behind it anymore, just cold focus: "...Happy?”

  Kirsi exhaled slowly as she listened to Raliya's description, a small rush of relief washing through as she realized they'd found the enemy now. The plan to bait and trap them was working...and Raliya's Miracle Eyes had been the key.

  A smile tugged at the corner of Kirsi's mouth as she turned to face Raliya's still slightly-narrowed gaze with warm eyes. "Very," Kirsi said quietly in reply; golden irises gleaming with something else that was hard to define right now. "You're extraordinary, you know that?”

  That almost caught Raliya off guard; her already-flat ears pinning back slightly as an uncomfortable flush crept up her throat for some inexplicable reason.

  "S, Shut up," Raliya huffed out, trying to sound as gruff and annoyed as usual but...her tail was wagging a bit faster, like a small compliment from Kirsi pleased her. "I'm just doing my job," she added as if that would somehow convince both of them that this wasn't effecting her.

  That small tail wag was not lost on Kirsi; that small sign of vulnerability and genuine reaction warmed her heart. She couldn't quite help the slight chuckle that escaped as Raliya tried (and failed) to play off how much that compliment meant to her.

  "Aww," Kirsi said quietly, unable to keep the teasing note out of her voice. "What's the matter? Not used to compliments, Miss Grumpy?”

  Raliya's entire body froze, ears snapping straight up, tail puffing out like a startled cat’s.

  "You did NOT just call me that." Her voice was dangerously low now; Miracle Eyes swirling with indignation as she turned her full glare on Kirsi. There was no hiding the absolute betrayal in those glowing irises right now: "I will shoot you myself."

  (She wouldn't.)

  Kirsi had to try very hard to bite back her amused chuckle and barely contained mirth. Raliya's face was even more intense now, but there was something almost endearing too about how quickly she could switch from grouchy-grumpy Fennec woman to absolute fury.

  "Oh no," Kirsi managed between deep breaths, trying to keep her voice calm but that teasing tone couldn't be helped: "I'm shaking in my boots now. You should save that energy for the bad guys outside, no?”

  Raliya's mouth opened like she was about to snark back but...then she paused, blinking at Kirsi in confusion.

  "I..." It took her a second to collect her thoughts again after that; as much as it annoyed her and as much as she hated admitting defeat...Kirsi had a point there. She should be saving that energy for the enemy, not bickering over a harmless, albeit very annoying, nickname.

  "You're infuriating, you know that?" Raliya huffed instead; still sounding grumpy.

  That made Kirsi's expression soften into a slight smile; her eyes still gleaming with something that looked a lot like warmth now.

  It was adorable really that, despite how grumpy she could be; Raliya was still just as human and vulnerable as anyone else. She was just...a bit more prickly about it; a bit more afraid to show that.

  "What can I say?" Kirsi said with a light chuckle; golden eyes still holding Raliya's in the silence. "I'm just good at pushing buttons, Grumpy. Now lead the way with those Miracle Eyes of yours and let's show these baddies who's boss, yeah?”

  Raliya hated how easily Kirsi could get under her skin like this, but she also couldn’t deny the slight huff of amusement that escaped her at the nickname being doubled down on.

  She rolled her eyes hard before turning sharply on heel; tail flicking behind as she started moving again toward where those hostiles were waiting: "Fine," Raliya muttered, voice still gruff but lacking any real heat now. "But if you call me that in front of my soldiers? I'm throwing you out a window."

  Kirsi just grinned, unfazed and clearly enjoying every second of this bizarre tension between them, as they finally moved to deal with their ambushers for good.

  Raliya led the way through those empty hallways with every nerve on high alert; tail lashing behind her as she scanned ahead with Miracle Eyes like she was searching for invisible enemies in the darkness. Every muscle in her body was pulled tight like a bowstring, ready for anything.

  Behind her, she was acutely aware of Kirsi's footsteps, light and steady like her own. Raliya wasn't sure if she found that reassuring or unnerving but she kept moving until she reached the main entrance to the building…

  The main entrance was just ahead of them now, those tall metal doors looming like a dark barrier as Raliya’s ears flickered nervously. There was no way they could go out the front doors without running directly into their ambushers.

  Kirsi could tell Raliya was on high-alert by how her whole body seemed stiffer now; every muscle tense as if she thought the doors might jump out and attack them instead. "You sure you're okay? You're even more twitchy than normal."

  "...Look how many of them there are," Raliya replied, temporarily forgetting that Kirsi doesn't possess Miracle Eyes and thus can't see the enemy through the iron doors like she can.

  Kirsi's eyebrows went up when she heard the sharp reply; there wasn't a hint of the grumpy warmth from before. Raliya sounded tense, her voice low, sharp and tense.

  Kirsi didn't take it personally though; there was a lot to worry about here right now. Still, she couldn't see what Raliya could, the only thing that looked in front of her was a pair of big, iron doors that seemed relatively normal for an entrance to the headquarters.

  "I can't see them," Kirsi said softly. "How many?”

  Raliya blinked, as if she'd almost forgotten that Kirsi can't see through walls like she can. After a moment, she remembered her companion couldn't and then sighed heavily; sounding slightly more irritated than usual. "Three. I can see their heat signatures through the front doors."

  There was a beat of silence between them as Raliya turned back to face Kirsi, those swirling Miracle Eyes still sharp and focused as she added, "So be ready. And when I give the signal, follow my lead.”

  Kirsi nodded quickly, her expression turning serious again, no more teasing now. She adjusted the grip on her weapon subtly as she waited for Raliya’s signal.

  "Got it." Her voice was low; steady but ready to move at a second's notice when that moment came.

  Then, after another tense beat of silence where they both listened closely for any sound from beyond those doors? Kirsi tilted head slightly toward Raliya one last time and murmured: "You lead…I'll cover your back."

  There was no hesitation in those words either; just pure confidence behind them despite how dangerous this could be.

  Raliya exhaled sharply through her nose before giving a small nod back: "...Alright."

  And then, the first iron door began creaking open slowly…