Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Managing the most successful Kpop group of his era isn't all fun and games.

Sometimes it's war, and war has deadly consequences.

It starts when Rumi and Zoey ask him for the key to Mira's snack drawer.

He had just come in to give them an update on some socials, maybe run a post or two by Zoey, make sure Rumi was actually taking a break like it said on her schedule and not secretly writing three new songs.

(“It was one time and it was just two!” She had exclaimed the first time he had checked in on her, “And Free topped the chart for nearly a month.”

“I’m not saying you don’t give it your one hundred percent.” He had explained, “I’m just worried that if you don’t take the time to take a break, it’ll get harder and harder to give that effort. No one said you need to secretly drop another single when you’re supposed to be resting. You can keep the honmoon and the fans happy without using the line between work and burnout like a jump rope.”) 

But Rumi had ambushed him at the door, assuring him that she was not working, per say but that she and Zoey had been doing some light brainstorming the entire afternoon (and if that didn’t set off alarm bells oh boy. Celine had been sharing some stories of Rumi’s more wild side). 

He is given the key to protect against this exact reason.

"Whhyyy?" He asks  – he would die for his girls. He loves his girls. He does not trust Rumi's grin.

(He gives it up in the end, betrays a sacred trust.

He could not stand against Zoey’s eyes.

He hopes Mira will forgive him.)

"Zoey!" Comes Mira's unhinged yell, "I know this was you and I will make you pay!"

Zoey bolts upright from where she was scrolling on Tiktok on the couch and looks to Rumi for assistance as Mira's steps come thudding down the hallway.

(Bobby is here because he’s helping Rumi figure out next month’s scheduling. There is no other reason why he decided to come on a random Tuesday. Certainly not to make sure a member of Huntr/x doesn’t end up on the news for murder.)

"Zoey!" Mira kicks down the door to the living room, brandishing a bag of chips like it insulted her choreography (the last person who did that hasn't been heard from in months. Account offline and everything.)

Zoey yelps, and dives to the other side of the couch, "Rumi help!"

Rumi glances up from her laptop, then back down to her screen, "Schedule isn't going to make itself." She mutters.

"Betrayal! I'm surrounded by traitors!" Zoey clutches her heart.

Mira narrows her eyes at their leader, "Don't think I've forgotten about you. This smells of a conspiracy."

Rumi gulps, "Uh, oh no look at the time. I need to water my honmoon." And vanishes in a poof of pink half-demon mist.

"Teleporting is cheating!" Zoey calls to nowhere but it's too late. Frantically, she looks around for an exit – and spots an open window.

She's almost there — has one leg through and is prepared to jump – but Mira strides across the room and snatched her by the collar.

"I had a limited edition  – limited edition – Ultra Hot Ghost Pepper Kkobuk chips." She dangles the bag in front of Zoey, "Want to take a guess at what this is?"

"Um." Zoey ducks, looking to Bobby for help.

He has his camera out and is filming (either for social media or court he's not sure yet) but he knows he's of no help in this situation.

"It’s, uh, not that?" she squeaks.

"Damn right it's not." Mira snorts, "This is off the shelf, regular spicy Kkobuk. I am not sponsored by,” she squints at the label, “Whoever the fuck this is. I keep the good stuff under lock and key." She whipped her head around to Bobby at the last part.

He gulps.

Keeps filming.

"Uh, Manager-client confidentiality?"

Mira growls, but relents. "Can't argue with that."

“I’m sorry, please don’t kill me.” Zoey wails, “It was Rumi’s idea I swear. I’m just the poor maknae dragged along for sport and a meat shield.”

“This was definitely, partially your fault.” Mira scoffs, but relaxes her grip on Zoey’s shirt.

“Were you really going to jump out of the window?” Bobby asked as Mira released her hold on Zoey and stepped back.

He had to ask. He had to. 

He’s their manager  – he needed to know if that’s a ‘It’s okay we’re demon hunters we can survive a thirty story fall no problem’ or a ‘Zoey panicked and jumped and she’s okay because Mira caught her but not allowed near windows for the next week’ thing.

Zoey leaned out, biting her bottom lip as she considered the question.

“I probably could have made it to the closest rooftop.” She said, “Worst case I hit the wall,” she gestured as Mira came over to observe, “do that weird side bounce thing Celine taught us and hit the deck running.”

“It’s cute you think running would have saved you.” Mira said.

Bobby needs to have a call with Celine soon to discuss why the girls thought throwing themselves out of thirty-story buildings seemed like solutions and not problems.

(“They’ll be fine.” She’d probably say, and pour another shot, “They’re hunters, I taught them how to fall sixty-stories. Rumi was doing thirty stories before she even met them – she was such an adrenaline junkie as a teenager.” The last part would lead to fond reminiscing of Rumi’s childhood again and how easy it is to be a CEO compared to raising a half-demon. At least as a CEO people could be fired.)

"I can't believe Rumi just abandoned me." Zoey lamented, "to face your wrath all on my own."

Mira stepped back, allowing Zoey to move away from the window, "It's the demon side. Self-preservation instincts kicked in when she heard an angry hunter and poof. Gone."

Zoey's eyes sparkled, "Wanna help me get back at her?"

Mira grinned, "Did you have to ask?"

Not all wars begin with a ‘shot heard ‘round the world’ or an invasion of a naval base, or the silent military coup of a dictatorship.

Some wars begin with quieter, more subtle things – a guard turning a blind eye, a secretary leaking some information.

A key, entrusted and betrayed.

This war had just begun and it would not be quiet.

Chapter Text

War chugs ever onward.

There are small events, skirmishes as defenses are tested and information is gathered. 

(They try to use some supersoakers and holy water(mild) but Rumi is too fast and their ambush fails.

They had sprinted past the break room, cackling like maniacs as they chased Rumi. 

Celine had merely raised an eyebrow, sipped her coffee, and went back to reading the morning paper and her latest vendetta with the journalist who insisted she dye her hair while Celine had laughed in her face.

They debate switching out the dirt on some of Rumi's er less expensive plants before discarding that - messing with the garden is a step too far. Plus they’re not entirely sure how that would even work.

"And so much work." Zoey groaned, "I am not lugging like fifty pounds of dirt."

"You can lift heavier." Mira pointed out, "I've seen you wrestle an ogre and they're three hundred easy."

"Exactly! I do this as my day job no way am I doing it in my free time!")

He really thought they'd get her when they switched her shampoo for hair dye but apparently demon hair is resistant so back to the drawing board for them.

Somewhere along the way, it occurs to them that Bobby is their secret weapon.

("They tried the hair dye." Bobby said

Celine nodded sagely, "A classic."

"I can't believe you convinced them to rope me into this." He thunks his head on the table, one hand clutching his phone the other nursing some expensive whiskey that Celine got from some CEO or famous prince or something as a gift.

"You're already involved." Celine countered, "without you this never would have started."

"I should've ran," Bobby mused. "Ran and never looked into the eyes of someone who was voted  'cutest makanae’ for three years running."

"It's too late now." Celine raised her glass in a mock toast. "Here's to the fallout.")

Bobby waits nervously for retaliation over the coming days - the master strike, the cue de gra, the tip of the scales.

It comes the day they're recording one of the songs from their upcoming album (a spunky little number named Ride with Me that they're planning on shooting a music video for as well but that's a conversation for future Bobby. Present Bobby needs the song first.)

"Bobby. We need you to order a tank of helium." Mira pulls him aside as he’s heading to the sound booth.

"We?" Bobby raises his eyebrow, tapping away at his phone. The studio was theirs for the next few hours but he didn’t trust the media to not try and snoop for a scoop on the next single, so he was laying a few false trails (Despite being in Sunlight HQ the reporters always seemed to know someone who knows someone and try to sneak in, so he had three different recording rooms booked). "Why?"

Zoey pops up behind him and he does not shriek like a little girl, "For balloons duh."

"Plausible deniability Bobby." Is all Mira says.

"It's like she can smell the lies." Zoey adds.

"Or she just knows you really well." He mutters but he can never resist Zoey’s eyes and before he knows it there’s a tank of helium in Studio C and devil-may-care grins on the two members of Huntr/x.

Twenty minutes later there's a bunch of balloons innocently drifting near the AC.

Rumi raises a brow at the balloons but says nothing, ever the consummate professional.

"I think it's Sungwon's birthday." Zoey comments absently naming one of the sound technicians (another innocent, another casualty of war. His name will be remembered.)

During recording, a balloon mysteriously vanishes.

The matching grins of Mira and Zoey face grows and Bobby feels dread curl in his stomach

The door to the tech room creaks open and Celine silently slips in.

“What are you doing here?” Bobby hisses, “Don’t you have a meeting now?”

“You’re the manager of Huntr/x, Robert, not me.” Celine says as she fixes her gaze to the recording booth. “Now hush you’re disturbing their concentration.”

“They can’t even see me!” He protests, but falls silent as Rumi sings, eyes closed, belting in C5.

“ So Ride with Me, into the new horizon.

Ride with Me we can close our eyes and- ”

The bomb leveled without mercy.

Their voices, pitched and tight thanks to the helium, join with Rumi for the chorus.

“ Beeeee .” Mira and Zoey sing, “ Just keep on drivin’, I’ll be right here with you darlin’ and that’s saying something. ”

“Never thought the road would stop but it's a first time for something.” Mira sings without batting an eye.  

“ I see the dawn break, sunrise in your eyes. ” Zoey chimes in, “ I think the road takes me past goodbyes. ”

Rumi's mouth drops open in shock and she misses her line, drums and guitar blaring behind her. 

Stone-faced Celine presses the intercom, "That was your cue, focus Rumi."

Rumi's eye twitches.

Ah, so they've dragged Celine into this too? Did they give her warning and she decided to show up for the fallout?

“Keep going, Rumi.” Celine says over the intercom, “We have the studio until five.”

Rumi, face betraying nothing, nods and gives a thumbs up.

Mira and Zoey gulp.

Celine had just given them a timer.

Because Rumi is a professional, she’d stay until five on the dot.

But after that?

Free reign. Chaos, carnage, a bloodbath of epic proportions. Whatever havoc Rumi could wreak before Bobby could wrestle her away.

(With dawning horror, Bobby realizes they've all been played. Celine didn’t choose a side, she was the wildcard, the master above it all and they were just puppets on her string.)

“Alright from the chorus in three, two..” The sound tech counts them down and Rumi stays perfectly on pitch, and doesn't miss a cue no matter how high pitched or insane Zoey and Mira sound.

(They get a proper recording eventually, they don’t have an infinite amount of helium and they do need the single released. Bobby keeps a copy of the helium track though. Celine had specifically requested it also so he knows it’ll be archived somewhere. Maybe he’ll drop it as some kind of reward on Zoey’s next stream? Eh, reward for future Bobby to figure out.)

Zoey was always the fastest of the three of them.

“Okaygreatsessionseeyouallathome.” She says with a rapper’s speed and is out the door before Bobby can even blink, before Rumi’s hand can snatch her collar.

Mira, left to the proverbial wolves, holds up her hands and backs away slowly, “Easy, easy.” she coaxes as Rumi stalks towards her, “Rumi, let’s talk about this. We got the single, didn't we?”

Rumi doesn’t stop.

"You should, uh, should've seen the look on your face?" She tries

Rumi's patterns glow faintly.

“Don’t you want proper revenge?”

Rumi stills.

Encouraged, Mira continues, “Zoey’s a traitor. First she betrayed you, now she betrayed me. She’s two faced, favoring whichever side show’s promise. But it doesn’t have to be this way. What if we join forces against her? Knock her down a peg?”

Rumi looks to Mira’s now outstretched hand.

“This means nothing.” She says as she shakes it, “A temporary truce at best.”

Mira nods, solemn. Borders are redrawn, alliances shattered and reforged.

“We got you pretty good, though.”

“I was trying so hard not to laugh! I was trying to be respectful of everyone’s time!”

Chapter Text

Bobby forgets that war carries with it the fog of confusion that can change the tide of battle.

That alliances can be made and broken, the mighty humbled, and the strong weakened. That you can be assured of victory one moment and find yourself defeated the next 

He forgets that war waits for no man.

A stroke of luck can turn an ambush deadly, a mistimed explosion can ruin a supply route. A moment of hesitation can spell doom.

He knows what Rumi and Mira are planning, weaseled his way into their plan under the guise of ‘PR damage control’ and knows that during Zoey’s next stream, Mira will distract her while Rumi let’s her demonic heritage show and ‘scare the everloving shit out of her’ (to which he responded ‘Language Mira!’ and she rolled her eyes.)

Foolishly, thinking himself secure in this knowledge, he let himself relax. Bookmarked all the interesting social media trends to send to the girls, did one last email check (Celine was still postponing that board meeting it seemed, eh whatever gave her kicks these days) And booked himself another massage before turning in – and turning off his phone – early.

(Which is why he's completely blindsided when he gets a call that Zoey is in the ER for falling off the counter.)

He checks the 'Snack Cam' he put there last week after Mira insisted on a defensive strategy (it was a baby monitor but it got the job done) to get the full picture because he knew he wasn't getting it from Zoey and the girls. They might be at war but the girl code superseded even that. It didn’t give him much, squished between two bags of chips but he got a crack at the kitchen at least.

First there was nothing, the girls going about their morning, Rumi up first, crack of dawn for her morning workout followed by Mira, stumbling her way to the coffee machine head pressed to the keurig like a supplicant in prayer. Zoey shuffled in when the light turned green, still wrapped in her blanket. 

The Truce held for breakfast, mainly because two thirds of Huntr/x couldn’t access a high enough brain function required to plan pranks and Rumi had a remarkable sense of honor about ‘kicking people while they’re down’.

Bobby sped through the footage, girls eating, girls taking care of the dishes, Zoey waving goodbye as she ran through the kitchen to the car he had called downstairs.

The rest he catches in glimpses. The camera is only in the kitchen after all and only a sliver of it. 

Through the slip he sees Rumi and Mira on the kitchen island. Rumi is on her laptop, Mira scrolling through something on her phone. 

He skips ahead again. The sunlight changes as Rumi and Mira go about their day, each leaving and returning at some point but he knows Zoey is gone all day.

Movement stops around dinnertime, with Rumi and Mira practically in the same positions as the morning, the former typing away at her laptop, the latter still scrolling on her phone.

Suddenly, Mira bolts upright, slamming her phone down as if it offended her and turns to Rumi.

He can’t quite make out what they’re saying, they’re too far, but he sees Rumi straighten as well, glancing around.

They take off in the direction of Zoey’s room.

A moment later, with matching ‘gremlin grins’ as Zoey coined them, they emerge, plushies in tow.

What they were planning the world will never know because the elevator dings and Zoey calls, loud enough the mic picks it up, “What is up, party people! Guess who did like six kickflips in a row!”

Mira and Rumi look at each other, to the plushies in their arms, then back at each other.

They panic.

Mira shoves them into Rumi’s hands and dashes out of frame.

Rumi runs around in a circle for a moment before stopping, taking a breath and squeezing her eyes shut.

There is a flash of smoke and Rumi is balanced precariously on top of the fridge, then shoves the plushies on the top of the set of shelves there before teleporting back down. She tried to look natural in the kitchen but acted like anyone being told to ‘act natural’ and was standing with one elbow propped on the counter, head in her hands, the other hand on her hip.

Zoey enters the kitchen, Mira on her heels, chatting obliviously.

“... and the director was really worried about it but I was like, ‘Please, I’ve been doing this since I was twelve and then I did it! Mira I haven’t done a kickflip in ages. You know how worried HR gets about me on a skateboard, but it was like, fate or something. So they let me do my own stunts. Hey Rumi, why are you leaning on the counter like that?”

“What are you talking about? This is totally natural.” Rumi laughed nervously, “You’re back early, why don’t you chill on the couch while Mira and I finish up making dinner?”

Zoey narrowed her eyes. 

The kitchen counter was spotless, courtesy of Rumi’s inability to have a mess within eyesight.

“Whyy do you want me out of the kitchen?” She asked.

“We just want you to relax!” Mira had come up from behind and put her hands on the makane's shoulders, “You’ve been out at a shoot all day, and I know you rushed out before you could listen to your full one hour beach vibe mediation playlist.”

“You know, that does sound like a good idea. Why don’t I grab Snapper and head to the couch.” Zoey agreed slowly, taking a few steps in the direction of her room.

“No!” Rumi made an attempt to grab her arm but Zoey danced out of the way.

“Aha! I knew you were up to something!” She crowed, “What did you do with Snapper?”

Human nature betrayed her, and Rumi’s eyes flicked up to the top cabinet, where a turtle plushie was hanging out.

Zoey turned and gasped in horror.

“Snapper! Don’t worry, I’m coming for you!” She cried.

“You’ll never reach them.” Rumi tried desperately to regain control of a situation she was rapidly losing control over. “It’s too high!”

There was a mad light in Zoey’s eye.

"Zoey, wait no!" Mira called too late.)

“Why did you go after the plushies?” Bobby paced in front of the girls, “I thought you were going to jumpscare her on her stream.”

“You were going to what ?”

“We saw the opportunity and took it.” Mira muttered, slumping down, “When else were we going to get this kind of chance? She would have been too devastated to even fight back.”

"Zoey, why didn’t you just get a step stool?" Bobby pinched his brow

"They were prisoners of war!" Zoey insisted, "I was duty bound to rescue them as soon as I had information on their whereabouts! I couldn't wait to get back up!"

"Why did you hide them on the top shelf?" Bobby turned to the other two members of Huntr/x.

"It was a temporary staging area." Rumi muttered, "until the official site was set up."

"Zoey came back from filming early." Bobby translated, "and you panicked."

“Well at least nothing is broken!” Zoey waves her hand around, “The doctor said I just sprained my ankle, I’ll be fine in like, two days.”

“Sprained ankles usually take one or two weeks to heal.” Bobby says.

“Oh ye of little faith. Not if you’re an extra-special secret superhero.” Zoey winked, “Perks of being a hunter, we get a crazy healing factor.” 

His phone was blowing up. God forbid he try to take his girls to a private ER and suddenly the press was everywhere.

When I told Mira about Zoey’s plushie collection I was just reminiscing about our pre-debut days Celine had messaged him. (He was going to kill her. Cynaide in her coffee. Better yet just switch it to decaf the shock alone would kill her. She knew exactly what she was doing. Of course she’d push off the meeting again, citing concern over her previous mentee. How dare she use him like this?)

"Smile!" Bobby put his arm around Zoey, and snapped a selfie.

Guess who tried to reach the top shelf again he captioned it. Better to be one step ahead of the rumors, the last thing he needed was the label calling in a panic over the supposed death of one of its top money makers.

His feed was flooded instantly with well wishes and good natured ribbing.

Zoeysteponme69

We stan a Short queen with no self preservation instincts 

QueenRumi

Don't let the Talls bully you. Bite their ankles.

Huntrxdontmiss

Resetting the ‘days since Zoey climbed things’ back to 0

Miraslefteyebrow

lol can't wait to hear the full (zoey-sided) story on the next stream

CountdowntoComeback

Day 19 of asking Huntr/x when they’re releasing their next album

“Maybe we'll take a break.” Rumi suggested as they headed out, “Until Zoey’s ankle is healed. We have an unfair advantage.”

“We miiiight have started taking this a little too far.” Mira agreed. “I mean, scaring her during the stream is one thing. But going after her plushies?”

“War crimes.” Zoey agreed, “Against the Geneva conventions. I demand cuddles and a pick of the movie as compensation.”

It seemed for the moment, the truce would last as all sides realized escalation would doom them all.

Chapter Text

During war, leaders are often blinded and desensitized to the cost. Lives become numbers, casualties just reports, and the sunk cost fallacy roams free.

People adjust to the chaos, to rationing food and light, to living from minute to minute because who knows what fresh horror tomorrow will bring? 

It takes an outsider's perspective to look around and say, "Maybe we should stop."

His tipping point came when Zoey asked for his gun and he was so distracted trying to convince Celine that sneaking into the board room and screwing the chairs to lean left would not delay the meeting and that blaming it on the ongoing prank war wouldn’t deflect the blame like she thought, that his hand was halfway to his holster before he realized what was happening.

“Zoey! I am not giving you my gun! You need to be licensed!”

“Pfft, I’m American, that’s practically the same thing.” She waved him off.

“No, it’s not. What do you even need it for anyway? Don’t you have a weapon?”

“Yeah, but I know Rumi is fast enough to dodge throwing knives, the question is, is she fast enough to dodge a bullet?”

“You want to shoot her?” Ohhh that’s the sound of his blood pressure spiking.

Zoey pouted, “Just a little. She heals like, super-fast she’d be fine.”

Bobby sighed tiredly. “I’m not giving you my gun, Zoey. Think of some other, less bloody prank. Like shaving cream or something.”

Zoey’s eyes widened in horror, “Shaving cream? On her face? Bobby, how could you even suggest that?”

This was going too far, clearly the girls needed something to draw them together. Their truce had lasted all of two days after Zoey’s ankle healed and they were already back in full swing.

(Poor Park had come out of the break room sobbing, all the sugar had been replaced with salt and he couldn’t find a spoon or stirrer anywhere. He still had the quarterly financial reports to get to – not that they were going to be used if Celine kept delaying the meeting – and he was very close to snapping.

Sungwon nearly had a heart attack when he opened the door to the recording booth Huntr/x was supposed to be in and was attacked by a roomful of balloons.

Lee still wouldn’t talk about what he saw in the broom closet.

This was getting out of hand.)

His eyes fell to his phone, where he was absently scrolling (and wow does he need to get better hobbies if he is scanning social media subconsciously) but something caught his eye.

An idea formed, a new opponent entering the field  – something to draw the girls away from each other?

(It had started off as a social media thing.

The Floor is lava has been trending for a while now. Everyone goes about their business, someone calls out “The floor is lava” and films the reactions. 

Marketing gold. Bobby knew the girls would incorporate it into one of their future videos, he had sent it to Zoey at some point last week, he just didn’t think he’d be the one to do it.

Or they’d do it at Sunlight HQ.

But The Lava Challenge was trending.

Who was he to deny the fans?)

__________________________

“Bobby?” Rumi pushed the door to the darkened room open, “Are you okay? You were being pretty cagey on the phone.”

“If this is about the decaf I’m not apologizing.” Zoey said, “You should’ve seen the look on Mira’s face!”

“I’m still going to get you back for that.” Mira said, “Count your days.”

The lights to the room came on with a bright flash and Huntr/x squinted.

This was not a regular office.

Or well, it had been at one point.

Desks were scattered, pushed against the wall or placed at random, reams of paper like stepping stones scattered between them. The printer had been moved from its place near the water machine and was now near the windows. All the plants had been moved exactly five inches off the wall and to the left.

Bobby sat on a desk, close to the back wall, the door to the rest of the floor on his left.

“Welcome.” He said, “to your doom!”

He pressed a button on his phone and thunder boomed.

“Uhhh, what.” Zoey asked.

“I think we broke Bobby.” Mira commented.

“Here’s what’s going to happen.” Bobby said from across the room. “The floor is lava, and you need to get to me and my phone,” he held it up, “before I post those karaoke videos the fans have been begging for.”

The tension in the room went from ‘oh it’s Bobby’ to ‘RED ALERT ALL HANDS ON DECK THIS IS NOT A DRILL’.

“Bobby,” Rumi held up a hand, “Think about what you’re doing. There’s no coming back from this.”

“Yeah, the fans will be insatiable.” Mira mirrored Rumi, circling to the left. Both were careful not to enter the room, or the lava. “They’ve been asking for this for months, and you’re going to give in? Way to have a spine.”

“Relax girls, I got this.” And Zoey summoned one of her knives and hurled it at Bobby’s phone.

Now here’s the thing. 

Zoey’s an expert with her shin-kal, they are weapons made from the honmoon, the fabric of the universe, bound to her soul. It is an understatement to say she’s accurate.

So really, Mira and Rumi’s cries of alarm were unnecessary. She would have hit Bobby’s phone, not his hand, and it would have gone flying, probably break but he had like twelve backups anyway and the problem would be solved!

What she didn’t know was that Bobby had been picking up extra hours at the range.

The knife had barely left her hand, the cries still half out of the mouths of the other members of Huntr/x when there was a loud bang and the shin-kal was redirected into the nearest wall.

Bobby blew the smoke of his gun and re-holstered it.

“Ah, ah ah.” He said, “No cheating.”

Zoey narrowed her eyes, Bobby mirrored the gesture.

Without looking, Zoey takes out her phone and Western Standoff Music begins to play.

A loose piece of paper blows in the wind.

Faster than a blink, Zoey summons more knives and just as fast, Bobby shoots them out of the air.

After a minute, they both stop.

The members of Huntr/x gaped at him.

“Bobby,” Mira said, “Since when have you gotten so good at shooting a gun?”

He shrugged, “You fight demons with weapons made of starlight and you’re asking me about a gun?”

Rumi grinned and crouched down, “Alright.” she said, “I see how it is.” and with supernatural reflexes sprung from the doorway to the desk he had pushed against the wall.

Zoey whooped, “Let’s do this!” and followed after her, bouncing on the potted plant, to the roller chair, to the other desk.

“Three against one hardly seems fair.” Mira pointed out as she measured the distance, took two steps back then did a running leap, partially on the wall, before landing on the same desk as Rumi.

Bobby held up his phone again, “That’s why it’s on a timer.”

Rumi let out another bark of laughter, half hysterical, half feral as her patterns started to glow.

“Alright, then,” her voice dropped a few octaves. “I guess we’re not playing around.” and with a puff of smoke, vanished and re-appeared by Bobby’s side.

Bobby calmly looked up at her.

“No,” He replied, “I’m not.”

Time to bring out his secret weapon.

"Celine!" He called out.

Rumi's eyes widened as a chain wrapped around her throat and yanked her back,away from Bobby towards the floor.

It is only with the grace of a hunter training all her life she managed to twist midair and crash into a rolling chair, yanking the chain from her neck.

Celine calmly wound the remaining length of chain around her arm, letting her sickle dangle from it. 

“So,” her eyes flicker from Rumi, to Mira to Zoey, before resting on Bobby. “It seems you need my help yet again, Robert.”

“Really didn't think she'd jump to teleporting right away.” Bobby rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

“What deal with the devil did you make?” Zoey cried.

“Bobby managed to locate and steal my flask. It's mine if I can keep you occupied long enough.” Celine smiled. There was nothing friendly about it. “Or maybe I’m just doing this to help my friend. Or for the love of the game.”

“Or to get out of the board meeting you’ve been dodging all month.” Mira muttered then yelped as a sickle flew past her ear.

“For this, you'd betray your own flesh and blood?” Rumi asked as she stood, her sword humming with energy as she summoned it.

“You learn in life,” Celine matches her stance, “that blood only takes you so far.”

With a roar, Rumi used her sword to propel her chair forward, and Celine dug the edge of her sickle into a desk and hurled herself forward to match.

They met in the middle and their weapons – forged of starlight, used to protect humanity against the things that would make lesser mortals weep in fear, made from the souls of all who had come before them – met with a resounding clang and a hum.

Bobby saw Zoey hesitate, weighing whether or not to jump in and help, before Mira tugged at her arm and said, “Let Rumi handle this! We gotta get that phone.”

There is a room of chairs, desks and other assorted office paraphernalia between them and their target.

Also Bobby has a gun.

He fires – he knows full well his girls can dodge bullets, this is just to keep things interesting! – and they weave around him, splitting his focus.

Good! They're working as a team again.

“Just. Hold. Still.” Mira grunts as she tags in to help Rumi, swinging her gok-do with deadly precision and slicing leaves off the nearby plants, corners off desks, but not a single hit on their mentor.

"Kim had an axe." Celine said as she leaned back to avoid Mira's weapon. "This is child's play compared to avoiding that." and grabs Mira’s outstretched arm, pivots, and throws her away.

“Oho careful there!” He called out in warning as Mira landed on a desk, then pinwheeled her arms as the books he had stacked underneath it came tumbling down, causing it to teeter.

“Mira!” Zoey called frantically, hurling her shin-kal at the legs of the desk. With a hum of starlight, the desk is once again even.

“Thanks for the assist.” Mira called.

“Yes, but who's going to save you?” Bobby aimed and shot the base of the plant Zoey was standing on, causing it to spill dirt, and Zoey to slide towards the floor.

Quicker than a blink, Mira summoned her gok-do, and stretched it out like a stick to a drowning sailor, “Grab on!” she called.

Zoey’s eyes lit up, “Fast-ball special!” She responded, grabbing just below the blade.

Mira grinned, “You asked for it.” and with core and upper arm strength Bobby can’t even fathom to envy, Mira bent her knees and whipped Zoey at him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Celine notice this as well, and she ducked under Rumi’s sword, hurled her sickle and chain –

“No!” Rumi jams her sword into one of the links of the chain, causing it to fly off target, “Your fight is with me!”

Without missing a beat, Celine goes in for a leg sweep, which Rumi jumps over, but at that point Celine has her sickle and is swinging again.

Zoey stops, crouched near Bobby, and turns to watch the fight before frantically taking out her phone and typing again. 

“Come on now Rumi, I trained you better than this.” Celine goads Rumi as she blocks a strike.

Battle of Heroes starts blasting from Zoey’s phone as Rumi ducks under another swing.

“Zoey!” Rumi snaps, “Not the time.”

“But totally thematically appropriate.” Mira chimes in.

Bobby can picture it, the lava bubbling around them as they exchange blows, moving faster than the untrained eye can see, neither giving an inch of ground. A fight of good and bad, dark and light - 

On second thought, maybe the music is getting to him.

“I would have gone with Duel of Fates.” He said, “It’s more recognizable.”

“The theme music of Anakin vs Obi-Wan is Battle of Heroes.” Zoey rolled her eyes, “We’re going for accuracy here, not recognizability.”

"If you let us through now I won't tell Yoo-jin where you are when he asks." Rumi grunted, as their blades locked and they struggled against each other.  "I know you have a hiding spot on the twelfth floor."

Celine thinks for a moment, "Acceptable." She says, stepping back. 

Both women are breathing heavily, “Your form has improved greatly.” Celine comments as her sickles vanish into the honmoon.

“I’m surprised you could keep up at your age.” Rumi teases.

“Oh my poor back. Whatever shall I do.” Celine deadpans, then nods to Rumi and with a move that would make women half her age jealous, gracefully backflips to the other door.

"Ha!" Mira had a wicked grin. He had seen that grin, usually directed at trash magazine journalists and demons. "We’ve got you now!"

Bobby glanced at Celine.

Bobby sees his hope wither before his eyes.

"Celine! Are you really going to leave me stranded here?" He calls desperately, “Your confidant, your drinking buddy, your, and I’m quoting here, ‘only voice of reason and bit of fun left in this god-forsaken company’?” 

Celine raises an eyebrow and sips from her flask – had she had that the whole time? What was he bribing her with?

"You know Robert. You’ve been telling me for weeks that I need to be more responsible.” She said, “I’ve decided to take your words to heart. I have a board meeting to get to." She says and leaves him to his fate.

With a shout of triumph, Zoey leaps at his desk, snatches his phone and presses stop on the timer.

“Wow dude, that was cold.” Mira comments.

Rumi pats his back consolingly, “It’s not your fault. She would have found another way to avoid it.”

Bobby turns to the girls, “She needs to be taken down.” He says. “How do you feel about one last prank?”

War makes strange bedfellows indeed.

Chapter Text

There comes a time when the end is in sight. When victory is within reach, all that's left is the final push.

It is here where the most mistakes are made, where generals, eager to get home and see the war through, miscalculate. Perhaps they push too far too fast, or underestimate the locals, or have supply chain issues.

The last push is often the bloodiest.

Lines are drawn and alliances set as a final enemy emerges, looms over the horizon.

The question emerges  –  can they do this?

Celine is like no foe they have ever faced before. She is a retired Hunter, a former Idol, a CEO, she has seen it all, knows all the tricks of the trade, can predict their every move before they make it.

_______________

They set Zoey on her  – after all, what better way to outthink someone then someone who acts on their first impulse?

It doesn’t work.

"Celine, think fast!" Zoey calls gleefully as Celine passes by.

Without missing a beat, the former idol catches the fake mouse Zoey throws at her, opens the door to one of the sound studios, and tosses it inside.

Her coffee didn't even spill.

The sounds of screams fill the studio and a very sheepish Zoey spends the next hour apologizing to the mixing editors.

___________________

Next up is Mira – she is the most familiar with the corporate world and the best way to get revenge on someone there

(Celine's been doing this for longer than Mira's been alive. She stands no chance.)

“Celine!” Mira calls from across the office, “can I talk to you for a second?” 

A rumor, once planted, is very hard to shake. The only hope one has is to come up with something bigger, juicer, that will shake off all previous traces of the former rumor.

“Mira,” Celine greets her cordially, which immediately sets off alarm bells in her mind. “To what do I owe the honor?”

Mira raises her voice, loud enough to be overheard. “It’s about the upcoming contract renewal, the clause about bonuses?”

There – everyone and their brother would love to sink their teeth into a possible bonus, people will be bothering Celine all day about it.

Celine just smiles, “I’d be happy to discuss, but I can see you’re going to be busy for a little while, why don’t you come find me after?”

Mira frowns, “After what?”

“Children!” Celine brushes past Mira, “So nice to see you back from your lunch break.” She walks to a group of schoolchildren, “Now as you can see, making music isn’t just stepping into a booth and recording a song – there’s a whole process and team behind it.”

“It’s so wonderful Ms. Celine was able to take time out of her day to speak to the kids.” One of the chaperones mutters to the other, “I’m sure most CEO’s are ‘too busy’ for this kind of thing.”

“... and of course we can’t have a song without a dance. I’m sure you all recognize who I was just speaking to,” Celine waves in Mira’s direction and she spots the exact moment most kids clock her (it’s the way their eyes widen and their mouths fall open, the way their little hands come up in shock, or awe, or wonder.)

“Mira-nim works very hard to make sure all of Huntr/x’s dance moves are the best they can possibly be, in fact, I’m sure she has a few she is working on she would love to show you, won’t you, Mira?” 

Mira stares at Celine, she can’t glare because there are children present, but her eyes say I will get you for this. One day, maybe not today, but one day. Sleep with one eye open and always check over your shoulder.

Celine crouches down near the smallest, cutest, child Mira has ever laid eyes on (seriously this kid should meet Zoey – they could have a contest.), and looks up to Mira.

“You don’t want to disappoint this school group, do you Mira?”

 Give me your best shot, her eyes say back.

Human shields. 

Not even Mira is heartless enough to say no, and she always had a soft spot for kids.

“Follow me to the dance studio!” She says to the resounding cheers of children who got off school time to be able to see their favorite celebrity.

________________

They send in Rumi as a last resort – yes she knows Celine best but that weapon is a two edged sword and makes her easiest to predict. They don’t expect much to come from the encounter, what they definitely don’t expect is Rumi to send them a selfie of her and Celine’s lunch out together with the caption, got ‘em.

“But what’s the prank?” Zoey puzzles, examining the photo from every angle.

Mira, having long since given up, shrugs.

How? Bobby, ever practical, messages back.

Rumi circles the pastry in the photo

Her blood sugar won’t thank me when she crashes in two hours

Zoey facepalms, “Now she’ll just have another excuse to miss the meeting!”

Bobby bolts upright, “Wait that’s it! The meeting!”

Celine still had not gone to the meeting

She had toyed with Rumi – with them all – until it was postponed for that day.

But no matter, they'd get her there by hook or by crook as the saying goes.

(At last they come up with a plan.)

_________________

All day, employees had been giving Celine a wide berth. She doesn’t know why, as far as she can tell, there is nothing on her face (the girls may be good but they’re not that good yet.) and her glare hasn’t been set to murder anyone within five feet since the Zoey foolishly thought she could switch out the coffee for decaf. 

But still, they glanced fearfully, whispering to each other, then breaking up when she gets close.

Yes, the meeting is today, yes she’s avoided it all week, but she will be going this time – why do they react like she’s going to jump out the window with a moment’s notice.

Try as she might, she puts all her hunter training to use, she cannot pick up on any of the rumors of the day.

She smells Bobby’s handiwork on all of this, and her suspicion is only confirmed when she sees him loitering around Conference room F.

Celine is stalking towards him, her face an iron mask and Bobby pushes down every prey instinct that is screaming at him to run.

"What’s through the door, Bobby." Her voice is flat, betraying no emotion but he can see the panic in the twitch of her fingers. 

"Oh, just the shareholders." He says, "they're ready for you."

Celine narrows her eyes, “They’re always ready for me.”

“Ah Celine, so nice of you to invite Kim for the day.” Yoo-jin nods to her as he stepsides the strange stand off between her and Bobby. “It’s been forever since she’s visited the office, it’ll be nice to see her when she gets here.” He walks inside, unaware of the bomb he had just dropped.

Celine's eyes widen.

"Robert." She says, "what have you done?"

"I made a few calls." He says, "I figured I'd fight fire with fire. There's only ever been one person able to best you.”

"I see, well played Robert. But you leave me no choice." She replies.

(It’s Escalation. The worst mistake one can make at war – will they fold when presented with another enemy or call the bluff and burn all their resources?

Celine triggers the Nuclear option.)

She pulls out her phone, taps on an app, and raises it to her lips. 

"Attention employees of Sunlight Entertainment." She announces over the company speakers, "It appears there is a game of 'Floor is Lava' occurring on the 6th floor. This game has now extended to the entire building. The winner will receive two extra weeks of PTO. If you can send video proof of a member of Huntr/x demise – manager included – you will receive two extra days per member. You have sixty seconds."

Pandemonium.

Bobby heard yells, inhuman shrieks as brother betrayed brother as the watering hole of the water machine became a coveted sanctuary. 

"You're a monster." He whispered to Celine.

"You have thirty seconds." She grinned back, in full villain mode. "You should have known better than to try and prank me. You should have known better then to get her involved. It’s ironic really, I actually was going to go to the meeting, but now something far more important came up."

And with that she’s gone.

Bobby takes a deep breath. Panic later, find his girls now.

They’re recording on the fifth floor today, but he knows Zoey takes a snack break and likes the vending machines on this floor. He breaks out into a sprint.

Sure enough his girls have heard the announcement and he pulls them into a nearby supply closet.

"Girls, listen." He put on his manager's voice as the chaos erupts around them. They have time, precious few moments until they are found, but time nonetheless. "We need to split up."

Cries of "What" and "why" and "how could we." and “Bobby, no!” erupt and he silences them all.

"Listen!" He says again. "We're faster if we split up. I know no one likes this plan and it's not a good one, but we're outnumbered and they will know where we are pretty fast." He takes a deep breath. "We split up, they have the numbers advantage but that means they'll be careless. They're uncoordinated and clumsy, we can use that. Split up, force them to cover more ground, maybe eliminate a few of them. Meet up back at my office." He pauses. "Do you know where my office is?"

"You have an office here?" Zoey asks.

"I kinda thought you just wandered the building looking for an empty desk." Mira added.

Bobby pinched his brow. Not the time.

"My office is on the eleventh floor." He said, "Down the hall from yours."

"We have offices?!" Zoey yells. "I had an office this whole time?"

"It's not like you needed to use it." Bobby says, "It's more for show. We shoot merch promos there sometimes."

"Right." Rumi nods, switching to leader mode. "Split up, get out, get to Bobby's office and plan out next steps."

Bobby closes his eyes.

"I just- I want you all to know." He starts but is interrupted by Zoey slapping a hand over his mouth.

"No!" She hisses, "no heroic red flag speeches. We will see you at your office, Bobby. Don't you dare disappoint us or you're going to be on snack duty for a month!"

He lets out a chuckle, "Alright girls. Huntr/x on three."

They let out a small cheer before splitting up. 

Zoey dives for the vents cackling "They’ll never take me alive!" while Mira and Rumi head for the door.

Mira holds it open, "After you." She says with exaggerated politeness

Rumi gives a low bow, "I'm honored." And they too are gone.

It's just Bobby, alone in a closet with hundreds of Starlight employees heading his way.

Bobby has often asked himself what it would look like after the war. Would they come out better, united? Would the strain of it tear them apart?

He had his answer now.

The world after the war was chaos and anarchy – an apocalypse of his own making.

He cracks his neck and stands.

"Alright big guy." He says, "Let's do this."