"Bell, I want you to go outside-" I started but Emma cut me off.

"What? No! You're not doing this without me!"

"I'm not going to. I want you to head outside and call Summer Rose. The PRT too if you get the chance. Then, the pair of you need to find a door or something and then call me. I'll drop down and distract them and you two can catch them off guard."

For a moment, I thought Emma was going to argue, but instead she huffed quietly and started to stand up.

"Fine, but don't you dare do anything until I get back!" she hissed.

I wasn't worried about Emma getting out unseen. She could move like a ghost when she wanted. I was probably in more danger of being found that she was.

Moving slightly to make sure I was hidden, I sat down to wait.

The Empire guys below me didn't talk much and a couple of them would take a lazy walk around the outside of the cages every now and then. I guess they'd been picked for their discipline.

There was a crash below as a door opened and I nearly dived out of my hiding place, thinking Emma had charged in without me.

I hesitated and It turned out to be a couple more Empire guys, they were dragging a young black girl with them. She wasn't making it easy for them, she was fighting like mad and It was taking two people to drag her across the floor.

Opening one of the cages, they threw inside and walked away.

The cages were in the middle of the building, the east wall held a large shutter that I assumed opened out onto the ocean. That was probably how they were getting the girls out.

The bay was blocked to larger ships but smaller boats could possibly still get through, if they were very careful.

I was really starting to worry when the radio in my ear crackled to life, *we're in position by the northern wall. We'll come in through the window.*

Emma's voice was quiet and I could barely hear her.

"Fine, wait for the shooting to start and try to get the girls out." I sent back.

The office had a balcony that overlooked the ground floor. using the full length of the office I charged forward, using a blast of fire to propel me upwards just as I reached the balcony.

There was shouting below me as the Empire started shooting. Most missed but I could feel the occasional bullet slamming into me as I arced overhead.

Hitting the ground heavily, I drove my fist into the nearest guy. A blast of fire sent him careening into another and the both stayed down.

Bringing my arms up to shield my face, I let the rest waste their ammo on me. My back was to the shutters so I hoped there was nothing important on the other side of the thin metal.

I saw movement out the corner of my eye as Emma dropped through a window. She had a collapsible baton in her hands that she brought down on the guy nearest to her.

His scream of of pain drew the attention of his friends, who opened fire. Leaving a clone behind, Emma dashed to the side just as Summer Rose appeared in a flash of rose petals.

Spinning her staff around she dashed from one end of the room to the other. Anyone in her path went down with the crack of broken bones.

"Cinder! South wall!" Emma shouted as she and Rose continued to draw fire.

Charging forwards, I punched the wall unleashing as much energy as I dared. A massive section of the wall exploded outwards.

The girls in the cages had been screaming from the moment the fighting started, with the smarter ones laying as flat as they could get.

Nearly half the Empire forces were already down and the rest were running for cover.

Grabbing a discarded piece of metal, I used it to snap the lock off the chain holding one of the cages closed.

More bullets bounced off me and I used another blast to propel me towards the shooter. He folded as I drove my fist into his guts. The girl I'd seen them drag in kicked the cage door open, grabbing the other two girls by the hand, she sprinted for the hole in the wall.

With the empire focusing their fire on me again, Rose appeared in front of the cages. Using her staff to smash one open, she actually reached in, grabbing one of the girls and vanishing in a flurry of petals.

She returned moments later to grab another girl, and again for the final one.

Grabbing a piece of discarded chain, Emma swung it at a guy who was taking aim at the two remaining cages. It came down across his wrist that made a cracking sound. He fell to the floor with a scream and Emma made sure to knock him out as she passed.

Picking up his discarded gun, she ran over to a cage and used it to shoot out the lock. Pulling the door open, she turned and fired wildly at the Empire an expression of murder on her face. Most of them ducked behind cover, giving the girls a chance to run for the exit.

One cage left. The hole in the wall was probably large enough for me to carry it through if I was quick.

Whatever fear or respect the Empire thugs had for their leaders was apparently being overridden by self preservation, most of the remaining forces were starting to run. A couple tried to take some parting shots but Emma and Rose were near impossible to hit and I was more or less bullet proof.

Smashing the last lock, I swung the cage door open and waved the girls towards the hole.

I didn't know what the Empire was thinking. I'd heard the 'recruiters' at school, how the proclaimed themselves to be better than the ABB, that they didn't do slavery.

So what did they call this then?

The sound of tearing metal drew me out of my thoughts as the steel shutter was torn apart by a giant wolf-like creature made of blades.

His claws carved furrows in the ground as he walked and I was forced to dodge a lazy swing.

Backing up, I found myself flanked by Rose and Emma.

"So, now what?" Emma asked as Hookwolf roared.

AN: Sorry, bit of a short update this time.