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Chapter Text

As much as it was the most happening campus in all of the USA, an often and willingly ignored aspect of Mali-U was its gruelling end-of-semester season, and this time was no exception.

One scorching June afternoon found Clover and Alex standing outside the Physics lecture hall, waiting for Sam.

‘’If I have to give one more presentation, I’m gonna run away to the mountains and never return!’’ said Alex exasperatedly, slumping against the wall.

‘’Ugh, it's been two weeks since we visited any of the on-campus malls! Two weeks! Imagine how many fashion trends we’ve already missed out on! We must look like we’re from the 80’s or something!’’ Clover exclaimed.

‘’Well, if it makes you feel better, the 80’s fashion totally rocked!’’ Alex said, trying to cheer Clover up.

A minute later, Sam emerged from the lecture hall looking exhausted.

‘’Hey you two’’ Sam greeted. ‘’Finally, I’m all done with Physics for the semester. Now all I have to do is give the final with a thirty-percent pass rate!‘’

Clover heaved a heavy sigh, staring blankly into space.

‘’I can't believe this is what our lives have come to. We’re officially just boring, depressed college students. ‘’

‘’Uhm, can you losers like, not hog the hallway?’’

Sam, Clover, and Alex turned around, instinctively flinching at the voice. Mandy was standing behind them, carrying her usual annoyed expression.  

‘’Mandy, what a pleasant surprise’’ Sam said, faking a sweet voice.

Mandy’s eyes darted to the stack of papers in Sam’s hands and she snatched the transparent folder on the very top. ‘’Where’d you get that study guide for Physics-II?’’ she demanded.

Sam snatched her folder back, looking daggers at Mandy. ‘’I made it. With my own brain. Oh sorry, I guess not all of us have it. And I'm not talking about the study guide. ‘’

‘’Ugh, whatever! Out of my way!’’ Mandy shoved Clover aside, pushing her into a crowd of people, and stormed away.

Clover caught herself just in time before she tripped, and stared after Mandy, eyes livid. ‘’That is it. I'll show her his time!’’ 

‘’Clover, calm down!’’ Alex said, as she and Sam struggled to hold her back from running after Mandy. 

‘’Do not tell me to calm down! Finals and Mandy? I can only handle one nightmare at a time!’’

After a couple of minutes and taking deep, steadying breaths, Clover finally managed to pull herself together.

‘’Let's go grab a smoothie at the café to power up. We’ll need the energy to spend the rest of the day studying at the library’’ Sam suggested. 

Sam, Clover, and Alex had just turned a corner into an empty hallway, when they heard a strange noise coming from behind a portrait they had just walked past.

‘’What the – ‘’

Alex had barely touched the portrait to investigate, when suddenly, it swung open like a door, revealing a tunnel that sucked the three girls right in.

‘’There is absolutely no way Jerry is W.O.O.H.Ping us right now!’’ Clover shouted as they slid and tumbled through the tunnel.  

The tunnel took a sharp turn downwards, and the three girls landed on the sofa in Jerry’s office with a loud thud.

‘’Hello there, Spies’’ Jerry greeted with an amused expression.

‘’Jerry’’ said Sam anxiously, extracting herself from beneath Clover and Alex, ‘’We promise you we love our job and take it very seriously, but we literally do not have the time to go on a mission right now!’’

‘’Sam’s right!’’ Alex agreed. ‘’Our finals start in three days! We still have mandatory lectures tomorrow, and I have to make up the time I spent dozing off in Jewellery-Making class! Our prof said she’d fail us if we don’t memorize the exact definitions she taught us, and I don’t even know what jewellery-making is!’’

‘’Well, according to the official dictionary of – ‘’ Sam started, but was cut off by Clover.

‘’Okay, okay! This is so not the time, Sam. Gosh, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but we’ve seriously gotta study right now, Jer. Do you really want us to fail in our last year of college? I think not!’’

‘’Well, think of it this way, the sooner you’re done with the mission, the sooner you can get back to studying. As Spies, you must know how to balance two demanding tasks at once. Look at it as a learning experience. ‘’

‘’Nuh-uh. There is absolutely nothing you can say that will convince us to go on a mission right now’’ Alex said with finality, getting up from the sofa to leave.

Jerry smirked, raising an eyebrow. ‘’Are you sure?’’ He grabbed a remote from his desk and clicked on the screen behind him.

Sam, and Clover's mouths fell open. Alex stopped dead in her tracks.

Displayed on the screen were none other than Rumi, Mira, and Zoey, members of the world-renowned musical band, Huntrix. The three girls squealed so loudly that it activated W.O.O.H.P's security system, and a deafening alarm started blaring through the building. 

‘’WHAT?’’

‘’Are you KIDDING me?’’

‘’WE get to see THE Huntrix?’’

‘’Indeed’’ Jerry said calmly, pressing a button on his desk that deactivated the alarm. 

Clover jumped up from the sofa, positively shaking with excitement. ‘’Is this totally legit? Because we’re like the biggest Huntrix fans ever!’’

‘’Their music heals the soul! I listen to it every time I'm anxious before a test and it completely calms me down!’’

‘’Their concerts are sick! Not to mention their totally rad choreos!’’

‘’Don’t forget their stunning sense of fashion! Did you know their company is working on an official Huntrix-inspired clothing line? I can't wait for it to release!’’

‘’Let's just hope we can get our hands on it before it's sold out in like 0.2 seconds!’’ Alex remarked.

Clover crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. ‘’Don't talk to me about that! I stayed up till 4 am last semester the day they restocked the online merch store! If only you two had been awake and active on the site, then maybe we could have gotten something before everything was sold out!’’

‘’Um, hello, some of us take eight am classes!’’ Sam said crossly.

‘’You could have at least tried to wake us up!’’ Alex complained.

‘’I did! THRICE!’’

‘’Girls, attention!’’ Jerry shouted.

Sam, Clover, and Alex stopped arguing and sat sheepishly back on the sofa. ''Sorry. ''

‘’Ahem. Well then’’ Jerry clicked the TV remote, displaying pictures of several people on the screen.

‘’In the past couple of months, several entertainment companies in South Korea have reported a series of similar, concerning incidents - staff members and bodyguards have gone missing without a trace. This may appear to be a simple missing-person case, but what’s strange is that the ones who went to search for them never returned, either. The news hasn’t reached mainstream media yet, so as not to cause a widespread panic, but W.O.O.H.P, along with other spy agencies, has been approached by the companies affected by this peculiar event. ‘’

There was a moment of silence as Sam, Clover, and Alex tried to wrap their heads around the situation.

‘’What do you mean the ones who went looking for the missing people never returned?’’ Alex asked sombrely. ‘’Could they possibly have – you know….?’’

Jerry heaved a sigh. ‘’Unfortunately, unless we have more information, we can’t say for sure. ‘’

‘’How many people have gone missing so far, Jer?’’ Sam asked.

‘’About twenty. The most recent case was reported to us just this morning – three bodyguards of the girl band Twice went missing. ‘’

‘’This seems like a series of kidnappings to me. Did the companies try reporting it to the police?’’ Clover asked.

Jerry considered. ‘’Papparazzi, stalkers, deranged fans. The companies affected cannot risk this news being leaked to the public. If it does, it will compromise the safety of both the artists and the other staff. ‘’

‘’So where do we fit in Jer?’’ Clover asked.

‘’And where does Huntrix fit in?’’ Alex added eagerly.

‘’Huntrix’s management team reached out to us’’ Jerry explained. ‘’No one from their company has disappeared yet, but they’re highly concerned, and requested backup. That's where you come in. Tomorrow afternoon, Huntrix will perform at the Seoul Summer Music Festival. The three of you will go as undercover journalists from Dress to Confess Magazine, and pretend you’re there to interview Huntrix for their fashion tips. Your real job of course, is to keep an eye on the people and activities happening inside the arena. Keep in mind that only a select few of Huntrix’s management team, so ensure that you remain incognito at all times. You never know who you can trust. ‘’

Jerry stepped behind his desk, opened the desk drawer, and started rummaging through it.

‘’Now, for your gadgets. This is an unpredictable mission since we have no idea who the enemy is. But as I always say, it is not the gadgets that make a spy – it is how the spy uses them that matters. For this mission, you will be receiving the Heat Sensor 6000 Infrared Motion Detector Sunglasses, the Ice Queen Perfume, the Exploding Lipstick, and the Jetpack Backpacks. Oh, and of course, the Extendable Cable Bungee Belts, already built into your Spy suits. ''

Sam, Clover, and Alex eagerly grabbed and pocketed the gadgets.

‘’Any questions? Well then, that seems to be all. Good luck, Spies’’ Jerry said, a second before pressing a button on his desk that yeeted the sofa upwards, sending the girls back into the tunnel.

 ***

Sam tried to convince the other two to study, but the moment they reached the penthouse, Alex crashed and dozed off on the living room couch to ‘power up for the mission’, and Clover spent the next six hours memorizing the lyrics to the songs in Huntrix’s latest album, to sing along at their concert.

Even Sam couldn’t take any more of organic chemistry quizzes after a while, and spent two hours writing individual letters to Rumi, Mira, and Zoey.

To account for the time difference between South Korea and the USA, the girls were all packed and ready to leave at two am. Thanks to the super-fast speed of the W.O.O.H.P jets, they reached South Korea in only a couple of hours.

Sam, Clover, and Alex peeped out from one of the windows, spotting Seoul in the distance.

‘’Okay, now remember girls, we’re interviewers from Dress to Confess!’’ Sam said.

‘’Dress to Confess journalists are known for their fashion!’’ Alex pointed.

‘’Exactly!’’ said Clover, pulling out her Compowder and looking through the different outfit options. ‘’Which means we have to look totally chic. Ooh! Check this one out, girls! How about matching plaid sets and berets?’’

‘’Très fab!’’

‘’Me likey!’’

Clover pressed the button on her Compowder, and the girls transformed into their new ingonito looks.

The jet lowered and lowered and finally landed in a secluded area behind the concert arena where the Seoul Summer Music Festival was being held.

‘’Girls, this is it!’’ said Clover excitedly, pulling Sam and Alex in a side hug. ‘’We’re officially going to see Huntrix!’’

Chapter Text

Sam, Clover, and Alex hopped down from the W.O.O.H.P jet and set off from the secluded forest area towards the city. The ground was faintly vibrating from the booming sounds emitting from the concert arena in the distance.

‘’Whoa, do you hear that? Sounds like Stray Kids is performing right now!’’ said Alex.

‘’Right, now for the most important question,’’ said Clover excitedly as they emerged onto a bustling main street, ‘’Where should we go first?’’

Sam flipped open her Compowder and it displayed a virtual map of the area around the concert arena. ‘’The possibilities are endless! We only have a couple of hours before we’re scheduled to head to the concert arena, so let’s decide something quick!’’

‘’I vote the Huntrix merch store! Are you two in?’’ Alex asked.

‘’In!’’

Following the map, they arrived at a seven-floor building towering over the entire row of departmental stores down the sidewalk.

‘’It's even bigger in real life than I imagined! Can you believe Huntrix has their own merch store?’’ said Clover.

‘’A place where you can actually buy merch without worrying it’ll be sold out in the blink of an eye!’’

The store was so vast inside that they could barely see the opposite end of the ground floor. There were hundreds of shopping aisles stacked with clothes, jewellery, lightsticks, electronics, and stationery. A huge glass elevator was situated right in the middle of the store, taking customers up and down the seven floors. There was even a café on the third floor that served Huntrix-themed drinks and snacks.

Almost shaking with exhilaration, the three of them grabbed a shopping cart each and started filling them with anything and everything within an arm’s reach.

Sam was counting the number of different Huntrix shirts displayed on an aisle that stretched to the other end of the store. ‘’...nineneen…twenty…twenty-one. Perfect! The three of us can buy seven shirts each! That way, we’ll collectively have every single one!‘’

Clover clapped in celebration. ‘’oh, how I love that we can share each other’s clothes, which basically means we have three wardrobes each. Just one of the many perks of having two best friends!’’

‘’Thrice the coolness, thrice the awesomeness! Imagine how many outfits we could create with all of – Oh my gosh! I’ve always wanted one of those adorable blue tiger plushies!’’ Alex pointed, running to grab one.

‘’What the – hey, check this out!’’ said Sam, grabbing a shirt from the very back of the aisle and unfolding it to look at the front, which had ‘Rujinu’ printed on it.

‘’I didn’t know they still made these! Does anyone remember the Saja boys?’’

Alex peeped around the corner of the aisle, carrying three Derpy plushies, ‘’Yeah, I wonder what happened to them? They dropped two singles and then totally disappeared off the face of the earth!’’

‘’Well, I knew they wouldn’t last’’ Clover said smugly, trying on a Huntrix tote back. ‘’I mean, who’s got a chance against the Huntrix? Besides, all the fame they received was thanks to Huntrix’s generosity in hyping them up anyway! And the best part about them flopping was watching Mandy break down over the announcement of their alleged disbandment. I can’t fathom why anyone even liked them in the first place, I mean, hello, they were totally mid compared to Huntrix!‘’

‘’You say that, but I heard you humming Soda pop all around the house!’’ Sam smirked. 

‘’Yeah, I heard it blasting out of her headphones that entire week when it was released!’’ Alex chuckled.

Clover rolled her eyes. ‘’Ugh, whatever. I'll admit it, it was annoyingly catchy. ‘’

At four o’clock, their arms loaded with shopping bags, Sam, Clover, and Alex were trotting down the sidewalk, tracing their steps back to the arena.

‘’If you hadn’t spent like thirty minutes at the hair salon for a ‘quick fix’, then we wouldn’t be late!’’ Sam glowered.

‘’Like you didn’t spend ten hours waiting in line for a drink!’’ Clover retorted.

‘’Excuse you, it wasn’t just any drink, it was Rumi’s favorite ginger ale! That might have been my first and last time trying it!’’

‘’You – ‘’ Clover started, but at that moment, Alex smacked the top of their heads with her fists.

‘’Quit fighting you two! You've been bickering for the past twenty minutes! Have you forgotten we’re here on a mission?’’

Sam and Clover hung their heads in shame.

‘’I’m sorry, Clover. I got a little carried away’’ said Sam sheepishly.

Clover sighed. ‘’Hey, I’m sorry too. And I get it, Huntrix means a lot to us, and given how busy our lives our, we may never get to come back here. I just didn’t want to look like a flop in front of Mira!‘’

Sam chuckled. ‘’I totally get it, too. Mira’s the biggest fashion icon ever! I mean, who else can rock a sleeping bag?’’

‘’Since we’re already late, let’s take a couple extra minutes to scan the outside of the arena so that we know what our potential escape routes are – just in case!’’ Alex suggested.

Sam, Clover, and Alex weaved through the crowd of Huntrix fans gathering outside the arena, scanning the place for anything that appeared to be out of the ordinary.

‘’This place is swarming with security’’ Sam noted.

‘’Which is both a good and a bad thing. According to W.O.O.H.P’s report, thirteen out of the twenty missing people were the personal bodyguards of various artists. The more there are, the less noticeable it will be if one of them disappears’’ said Clover.

‘’On the flip side, whoever did manage to get away with all the said kidnappings must have been extremely skilled at their job’’ Alex reckoned.

 After much struggle of navigating their way through the incoming crowd, they managed to walk a full round around the arena.

‘’Looks like there’s nothing to worry about out here. We do, however, still need to scan the backstage area’’ said Sam.

‘’Sam?’’ a voice called.

The girls froze.

‘’Clover? Alex?’’

Slowly, they turned around.

Standing in a corner, next to a door labelled ‘Staff Only’, was a boy in his early twenties, wearing a black cap and blazer.

He stepped closer, realization flashing in his eyes.

‘’Don’t worry’’ he said quickly, lowering his voice. ‘’I know who you are. I was sent here to look for you. My name’s Jae-hyun, I’m on Huntrix’s management team. ‘’

Sam, Clover, and Alex sighed with relief.

‘’Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you’’ Jae-hyun apologized.

‘’No worries! Pleasure to meet you, Jae-hyun!’’ said Alex.

‘’The pleasure’s all mine! I hope you had an excellent trip to Seoul! On behalf of the team, thank you so much for coming!’’

Jae-hyun scanned the Staff Only door with the ID card hanging around his neck, and gestured for the girls to enter inside.

The door opened into the backstage area of the arena, which was a puzzling maze of dressing rooms, makeshift booths for technical supplies, and storage units. Jae-hyun took the girls to an empty dressing room where they kept their shopping bags, and then gave them a tour of the backstage area.

‘’So, Jae-hyun, you’re on Huntrix’s management team?’’ asked Sam.

‘’Yes! I’m Mr. Bobby’s personal assistant. I’m also one of Huntrix’s stylists. ‘’

Clover’s mouth fell open. ‘’Wait, you’re one of their stylists?’’

Jae-hyun laughed shyly. ‘’To be honest, ‘stylist’ is a big title for me. They were kind enough to let me work for them even though I don’t have the qualifications…you see, I kind of got rejected from fashion school back when I used to live in New York…but Rumi, Mira, and Zoey always said they saw my potential. They were the ones who vouched for me to be a part of their stylists’ team, and because of that, I’m forever indebted to them. I must say, I love the outfits you put together! What a neat yet stylish disguise!’’

Sam and Alex exchanged happy yet nervous glances, knowing what impact Jae-hyun’s words would have on Clover.

Sure enough, Clover was red in the face and whispered, ‘’We just got complimented by one of Huntrix’s stylists. I need a place to scream. ‘’

‘’Please try to keep it in, we don’t want to draw any unnecessary attention to ourselves’’ Alex whispered back.

Ten minutes later, they circled back to the dressing room.

‘’Right, that’s about it’’ said Jae-hyun. ‘’Now you know the map of the whole arena. I entrust you with our safety. ‘’

Jae-hyun hesitated, fiddling with the clipboard in his hands. ‘’To be honest, we’ve been really worried about everyone’s safety lately, especially Huntrix. No one knows this, but since you’re spies, I can tell you: they’ve escaped many ambush attempts in the past. I really hope nothing goes wrong this time. ‘’

‘’We won’t let that happen, Jae-Hyun. As long as we’re here, no harm will befall them, or anyone else’’ said Sam determinedly.

Jae-Hyun smiled gratefully.

‘’We’ll only have a few minutes to unoccupy the dressing rooms before the next group of artists arrives, so please make sure to return here as soon as Huntrix’s performance is over! I think fifteen minutes should be plenty of time to do the interview. ‘’

Just then, they spotted Bobby dashing down the hallway, carrying three cup noodles in his arms.

‘’Jae-Hyun!’’ he called, but then he saw Sam, Clover, and Alex, and his face lit up.

‘’Oh hello, hello!’’ he greeted warmly, walking up to them.

‘’Pleased to meet you, Mr. Bobby!’’ said Sam enthusiastically.

‘’You know my name? What a pleasant surprise!’’

‘’Why, of course we do! You’re just as popular as Huntrix! Everyone knows the beloved Mr. Bobby!’’ Clover beamed.

Bobby burst out laughing. ‘’Ah, you flatter me! Please make yourselves at home! I trust Jae-hyun told you everything you need to know?’’

‘’He did, thank you!’’ said Alex.

‘’Thank you for understanding our concern and coming!’’

Bobby assumed a serious expression, and lowering his voice, said, ‘’Actually, the girls mentioned they had something important to discuss with you. ‘’

‘’Well, we’re here for whatever it is that they need!’’ Sam reassured.

‘’Thank you so much again! Now I must ask you to excuse me, the girls are up in five, and I must deliver their pre-show ramyeon! It’s the one ritual they cannot afford to miss!’’

With one last wave and a quick bow, Bobby and Jae-Hyun departed.

‘’Well, everything seems fine so far to me. I guess all we can do right now is keep our eyes and ears open’’ Alex said.

‘’The backstage area will be the most vulnerable. The three of us should split up and – ‘’ Clover said, but the rest of her sentence was drowned out in a sudden, thunderous sound that shook the entire arena.

With an electrifying thrill, they realized it was the intro of How It’s Done, and their cheers and screams were barely audible over the song as they hurried off.

‘’We’ll meet back here afterwards!’’ Sam shouted at the top of her voice, dashing to the back entrance of the arena.

Clover quickly headed to the CCTV control room to watch over the footage, while Alex patrolled the hallway where the remaining artists were getting ready.

The girls started a video call on their phones so that they could enjoy the concert together while keeping an eye out for anything or anyone that seemed suspicious. They sang and danced along to the music, waving their Huntrix lightsticks and having the time of their lives. Alex went completely still for a moment before bursting into tears, which seriously alarmed Sam and Clover, but she assured them it was just the shock of hearing Zoey rapping live.  

Sam and Clover laughed, but How It’s Done was followed by What It Sounds Like, and soon, all three of them were a crying mess.

Forty minutes passed by in the blink of an eye, and before they even realized, Huntrix’s performance was over.

Flooding with emotions and adrenaline, Sam, Clover, and Alex rushed back to the dressing room.

‘’That was totally INSANE!’’ Alex gushed.

‘’My heart was beating out of my chest!’’ said Clover, still shaking with excitement. ‘’I’ve never experienced anything like that before! It felt like – ‘’

‘’Magic!’’ said Sam, wiping her tears. ‘’Absolute magic! I’ll always be grateful to Jerry for giving us this chance!’’

‘’Let’s pull ourselves together, they’ll be here any second!’’ Clover said, quickly fixing Sam and Alex’s hair.

Seconds later, they heard hurried footsteps outside the dressing room, followed by a knock.

‘’Come in!’’ said Sam.

The door opened slightly, but no one came inside.

Just then, Sam, Clover, and Alex saw a hand slip through the door gap, flinging a knockout-gas grenade inside the room.

‘’HOLD YOUR BREATH!’’ Sam shouted in a panic.

Clover dashed to open the door, but whoever was outside had locked it, trapping the girls inside.

Before they could even think of an escape, Sam, Clover, and Alex collapsed on the floor, completely unconscious.

Chapter Text

‘’Girls!’’ Clover gasped, waking with a start.

‘’Sam, Alex! I had the weirdest nightmare that we went on a mission to protect Huntrix and were totally ambushed by some random – wait, girls, where are you?’’

‘’Right beside you…I’m afraid that wasn’t a nightmare, Clover’’ Sam said gravely.

For a few seconds, Clover stared in the darkness, her mind buzzing with deliriousness as she tried to make sense of Sam’s words. Then she looked around, and her eyes widened with horror.

The three girls were no longer in the dressing room backstage of the concert arena, but instead in a large, dingy, windowless room that was lit by a single, flickering light bulb. Clover tried to move, but with another wave of shock realized that her, Sam, and Alex’s bodies were tied around a thick metal pole suspended from the ceiling, four metres above a huge barrel.

But they weren’t alone. In the middle of the room, there was a semi-circle of chairs, each occupied by a person, all of whom were blindfolded and tied down with ropes.

Every one of them was covered in bruises. Most of them appeared to be unconscious, and the ones who seemed to be awake were groaning in pain.

Clover squinted her eyes, trying to decipher who the people in the chairs were. ‘’Oh my …could those people possibly be – ‘’

‘’They must be’’ Alex interjected. ‘’That’s what Sam and I were talking about before you woke up – there’s exactly twenty of them. Fifteen men, five women…just like W.O.O.H.P’s report!‘’

‘’They look like they’ve been through horrible things. Those poor people need our help. If only we could move’’ said Sam, struggling to loosen her hand from the rope.

‘’Shh, someone’s coming!’’ Clover warned.

The girls peeped down to see who was approaching them. It was Jae-hyun.

‘’Jae-hyun!’’ the girls said in unison.

Jae-hyun stopped several feet away from the barrel.

‘’You’re here too? Looks like the same person who kidnapped us came after you as well!’’ Alex speculated.

‘’Either way, I’m so glad you’re here! Help us get down and let’s find a way out!’’ said Sam.

But Jae-hyun stood unmoving, staring at them unfazed.

‘’Jae-hyun, hurry up! The kidnapper might return any second!’’ Clover urged.

‘’What are you waiting for? You – unless….’’ Alex trailed off, the blood draining from her face.

There was a ten-second silence, that felt more like ten hours.

‘’Unless you’re the one who kidnapped us’’ Sam said slowly, her voice barely higher than a whisper. ‘’You’re the one who ambushed us with that knockout gas. Aren’t you?’’

Jae-hyun continued to stare at the girls as if he didn’t know them.

‘’You traitor!’’ Clover cried, brimming with emotion. ‘’How could you do this? Aren’t you in Huntrix's inner circle?’’

‘’Leave it, Clover. We should have known it was an inside job’’ Alex said bitterly.

Clover scoffed with disbelief. ‘’Note to self: never trust a fashion school reject!’’

‘’What is all this ruckus about?’’ came a hoarse, piercing voice.

Heavy footsteps echoed through the room, and in the pool of light, emerged a tall, burly man in his late forties, bundled up in a black hoodie. The man approached the barrel and looked up at Sam, Clover, and Alex, carrying a confused, almost annoyed expression. He then turned to Jae-hyun.

‘’You idiot!’’  he snapped. Jae-hyun flinched.

‘’Who the heck are these foreigners? I told you to bring me someone from Stray Kids’ staff team!‘’

‘’What are they talking about?’’ Alex whispered. ‘’Sam, you understand Korean, don’t you?’’

‘’Hmm…looks like Jae-hyun has been working double-time. He was the one behind all those kidnappings!’’ said Sam, carefully listening to Jae-hyun and the man’s conversation.

‘’Oh, Sam, please forgive me for ever doubting your ability to manage all those foreign language classes last semester’’ Clover said sheepishly.  

‘’There was no time, Sir’’ Jae-hyun said feebly. ‘’They’re no ordinary people – they’re International Spies. Sent here to investigate what happened to the missing staff from entertainment companies. We had to get rid of them first. ‘’

The man looked up at them again, frowning as if he didn’t believe Sam, Clover, and Alex could be spies.

‘’So…there’s no news today, either, then’’ he sighed.

The man swaggered to the captives tied to chairs, checking to see who was conscious. At the end of the semi-circle, he grabbed a fistful of one of the captives’ hair and ripped his blindfold off.

‘’Oh, you’re finally awake! Are you ready to tell the truth now?’’

‘’I - I’ve told you everything I know, I swear’’ the captive stammered, his voice suffocated with pain.

The man stood motionless for a few seconds, then violently kicked the captive in the stomach with his knee. The captive bent over in his chair, coughing up blood.

‘’Leave him alone!’’ Alex shouted, horrified, but the man wasn’t listening.

‘’DO YOU THINK I’M STUPID?’’ the man thundered, ‘’You’ve been SPF100’s bodyguard for the past four years and you’re telling me their biggest secret so far is that they faked injuries to skip a performance? Don’t play with me! Jae-hyun, take off everyone’s blindfolds. Let’s show our guests what will happen to them if they don’t spill. ‘’

Following the man’s instructions, Jae-hyun took off the captives’ blindfolds one by one, and then approached the barrel. With a great effort, he pushed off the giant lid covering the barrel, and there emerged a great cloud of green steam.

Inside the barrel was a sickly green, thick liquid, filled to the brim.  

‘’Ew, what is that?’’ Sam grimaced.

‘’I don’t know, and I’m pretty sure I don’t want to!’’ Alex cried.

‘’I so would have preferred a hundred per cent undiluted hydrochloric acid over whatever that is!’’ Clover said, revolted.

‘’Well, the material of the barrel wouldn’t be able to withstand a hundred per cent undiluted acid’’ Sam stated matter-of-factly.

Jae-hyun bent down and lit a burner beneath the barrel, and within seconds, the liquid started bubbling.

‘’You know, if I had a dollar for every time we were air-dropped into some torturous, life-threatening substance, I’d have over ten dollars. Which really means nothing in this economy, but I’m getting tired of these baddies using the same old ways of torment. Like, hello? Uncreative much?’’ said Alex.

‘’Well, from the looks of this place, what are the chances that he had that kind of budget?’’ Clover noted. ‘’The dude’s probably more broke than me after my annual birthday shopping spree!’’

The man pulled a small remote out of his pocket and pointed it towards the three girls. Suddenly, the pole that Sam, Clover, and Alex were tied to slowly started lowering towards the barrel.

‘’Oh, okay. So um, anyone got any ideas?’’ Clover said off-handedly.

‘’Alex’’ Sam whispered urgently. ‘’I have the Ice Queen Perfume in my left pocket. See if you can reach in and grab it!’’

Alex maneuvered her wrist and was able to get a hold of the Ice Queen Perfume in Sam’s pocket. ‘’Got it! But it's useless! I can't aim at the barrel if my hands are tied back!’’

The girls were now three metres away from the barrel, slowly disappearing into the neon green fumes emitting from the liquid.

‘’I think we may want to panic just a smidge now’’ Clover said nervously.

The captives watched, petrified, as the three girls struggled to break free with all their might.

 ‘’Any other ideas?’’  Clover asked desperately, when they were only two metres away from the barrel.

‘’No, it cannot end this way! I refuse to die like this! After all that we’ve been through, we get defeated by a fashion school reject? This is totally ridiculous!’’ Alex fumed.

Just then, something swift, sharp, and shiny came flying out of nowhere, hitting the man’s hand and knocking the remote out of it.

‘’Don’t even think about it. ’’

The man’s head shot up.

The remote skidded across the floor to a dark corner of the room, and someone swooped down to grab it. Two more figures appeared from behind.

Standing in the doorway on the other end of the room, barely visible in the dimness, were Rumi, Mira, and Zoey.

‘’Huntrix!’’ exclaimed Sam, Clover, and Alex.

Zoey quickly pocketed the Shin-kal she was holding up and pointed the remote towards Sam, Clover, and Alex, halting the pole from lowering any further.

‘’What are you girls doing here?’’ said Clover, awestruck.

‘’Yeah, how in the world did you manage to find us?’’ Sam asked.

 ‘’Thanks to this’’ Mira replied with a smile, holding up a small, circular object.

Alex laughed with relief. ‘’Oh thank goodness you found it! I managed to unclip my location tracking pin from my blazer a second before I lost consciousness, hoping someone would find it in the dressing room!’’

‘’Way to go Alex!’’ Sam and Clover cheered.

‘’Jae-hyun!’’ said Rumi, noticing him. ‘’Don’t worry, we’re going to get you and everyone else out of here!’’

At these words, the man let out a high, maniacal, ridiculing laugh.

‘’How touching’’ he sneered at Jae-hyun, who was looking down at his feet. ‘’Look how much they care for you, Jae-hyun, without the knowledge that you’ve betrayed them. ‘’

‘’Just quit blabbering and show yourself!’’ Mira said sharply.

The man slowly stepped back into the pool of light. ‘’Never did I imagine that this is how we would meet. Nice to meet you, Huntrix. I’m Park Dae-beom. ‘’

Rumi, Mira, and Zoey gasped.

‘’It can’t be…Park Dae-beom…the CEO of Scarlet News?’’ Zoey recalled.

‘’What are you doing here?’’ Rumi asked, taking a cautious step forward.  

‘’Yeah, I thought you were supposed to be rotting in jail’’ Mira remarked.

Suddenly, Dae-beom’s expression turned livid. ‘’Jail? Jail, you say? I was wrongfully imprisoned for ten long years. It was a false allegation by Dispatch that ruined my entire career! Scarlet News used to be the number one source of celebrity news in Korea until that damn CEO of Dispatch accused me of kidnapping people to get my way! But now I’m back, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make my company number one again – even if it means proving the accusations right this time. And unless you hand over the remote, I will make sure you go down the same way I did!’’

The man pulled another remote out of his pocket and pointed it towards a corner of the room.

‘’Destroy them!’’

For a moment, Rumi, Mira, and Zoey stared at Dae-beom, confused. But then, two metallic cubes that were kept near a wall unfolded, assuming the shape of two giant robots.

‘’Okay, I take back what I said about him being broke’’ Clover gulped.

The robots charged at Rumi, Mira, and Zoey, shooting red laser beams out of their eyes.  Huntrix quickly jumped out of the way, producing their weapons to fend off the laser beams.

‘’Did - did you just see that? They materialized weapons out of thin air!’’ Alex exclaimed.

‘’You’re telling me that all this time, the weapons they used in their performances were real? said Clover.

‘’You psychopath, you should have just stayed in jail! Make them stop!’’  Mira remarked, swinging her Gok-do to cut through a laser beam.

Dae-beom cackled. ‘’Maybe jail is what you should be worried about yourself, Mira. You see, I know all about your messy past. You often had fights with the other trainees before your debut. In fact,’’ he added, his eyes glinting with malice, ‘’weren’t you the one who bullied Yuna to the point that she committed suicide?’’

‘’What?’’ Mira choked, flabbergasted. ‘’That’s – that’s blasphemy! You’re seriously sick, how could you talk about a dead person like that?’’

She tried to dodge a laser beam, but in the time that it took her to recover, it shot her in the stomach and she fell to her knees in agony.

‘’Mira!’’ Rumi and Zoey yelled.

‘’Don’t you know that no one cares about the truth?’’ Dae-beom smirked. ‘’In the celebrity world, a single allegation is enough to end your career – trust me, I would know. Imagine the headlines it would make if your said bullying were exposed! Not to mention the former trainees you practiced with would be more than happy to back up the allegations! Ah, jealousy is such a convenient weapon…and given your problematic behavior in the past, how would you even defend yourself?’’

‘’So that’s what you’re after?’’ Zoey glowered, ducking just in time to avoid a laser beam. ''Trying to take us down with a bunch of twisted lies?’’

Dae-beom scratched his chin, mocking consideration. ‘’Hmm, let's see…what I simply want, is to take Scarlet News back to its former glory! But if it’s the truth you want, then have your way, Zoey. Someone had once made an anonymous complaint to the child helpline services about your parents because they were concerned about your well-being. They couldn’t stand how your parents fought all the time. ‘’

Dae-beom paused. ‘’It was you, wasn’t it?’’

Zoey went rigid.

‘’You’re the one who made that complaint. You’re the one who called the police on your parents! If only the public knew how pitiful your home life was, they’d mock you to no end!’’ Dae-boem taunted.

 Shocked and conflicted, Zoey couldn’t move in time and was struck by a laser beam on her head, collapsing on the floor next to Mira.

‘’Zoey!’’ Rumi yelled, dashing to see if she was alright.

‘’You’ll pay for that!’’ Rumi glowered at Dae-beom, now single-handedly fighting off both the robots.

‘’Don’t think I’ve forgotten about you, Rumi. I know Celine only adopted you because she felt guilty! She was the one responsible for your mother’s death, wasn’t she?’’ Dae-beom bellowed.

Before she could shield herself with her Saingeom, Rumi was struck by a laser beam, and she too, collapsed on the floor. Mira and Zoey wearily crawled over to her, still bent double in pain.

Dae-beom pointed the remote at the robots, and they folded back into metallic cubes.

‘’You have no idea what you’re talking about!’’ Rumi said through gritted teeth, clutching at her side.  

‘’I may not have all the proof yet, but I’ve gathered enough to know that Celine was the last person your mother saw before she died’’ he said coldly. ‘’That knowledge in itself is enough for the media to go crazy. ‘’

‘’You won't get away with this’’ Zoey snapped.

‘’Count on it. We’ll make sure you’re behind bars again!’’ Mira added.

Dae-beom’s face contorted in a wicked smile. He stepped forward until he was a few feet away from Rumi, Mira, and Zoey.

‘’That will only happen if anyone makes it out of here alive…and as for the three of you, I’m afraid you’re not in a position to decide what will happen to me. If you thought that was all the dirt I had on you, then let me inform you – the fun is just beginning. Now tell me, Huntrix – what exactly is the Honmoon?’’

Rumi, Mira, and Zoey froze.

‘’What’s going on, Sam?’’ Clover whispered.

‘’I - I don’t know…everything happened so fast that I’m confused! All I could gather is that somehow, Dae-beom knows everyone’s secrets’’ said Sam.

‘’Did you really think no one would ever find out?’’ Dae-beom gloated. ‘’The three of you are some kind of shamans, aren’t you?’’

Rumi, Mira, and Zoey stared at each other, their faces alight with horror.

Chapter Text

‘’How did you find out?'' Rumi asked slowly.

Dae-beom sneered. ‘’Getting right to the point without resistance. I like it. I must say, there was nothing quite like this that I’ve come across in my entire career. Not even in my wildest dreams could I have imagined what I discovered three years ago. ‘’

‘’You see, five years ago, a month or so before Huntrix debuted, I was finally released from prison. I quickly learned that I was very behind on celebrity news. Scarlet News had sunk, and I was desperate to revive my company and bring it to the top again. But I knew that taking any rash, hasty decisions out of desperation would only do more harm than good. So instead, I decided to keep a low profile, and gather as much information as I could in silence. I figured the best course of action would be to keep tabs on rookie artists who had never had any public scandals, and who was more qualified than you – Huntrix?’’

‘’The three of you took the world by storm from the moment you debuted, and every celebrity news outlet was curious to know how you did it. For two years, I tried to track your every move. But despite my efforts, I couldn’t find anything newsworthy, other than the fact that you three seemed to disappear for a few hours every now and then, but returned before anyone noticed you were gone. But where exactly you went, was something I could never get my hands on. It was almost extraordinary how the three of you never had any backlash, rumor, or scandal…almost as if you were – protected. As ridiculous as it sounded, I couldn’t shake the thought off. So then, I tested my theory. ‘’

Dae-beom closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as if he was concentrating hard on visualizing something. ‘‘Seulgi, I call upon you. ‘’

 For a few seconds, Rumi, Mira, and Zoey started at Dae-beom in confusion. Suddenly, they raised their weapons and looked around wildly, as if they had sensed something moving about in the darkness.

‘’Don’t be alarmed. They won't do anything’’ came a drawling voice from the shadows.

Standing in the corner, as if she had just appeared out of thin air, was a frail, young woman with long, wispy hair. She was clad in a black Hanbok, which stood in sharp contrast with her ghostly pale skin.

‘’Was she standing there all along?’’ Alex whispered.

‘’No….she just – materialized! Or maybe shapeshifted?’’ Sam conjectured.

Clover heaved an exasperated sigh. ‘’Ugh, I officially have no idea what’s going on. Also, is this a bad time to say that she’s drop-dead gorgeous?’’

‘’You can't see them because they’re under my command. But you sense their presence, don’t you?’’ the woman said.

She took a step forward.

‘’The demons. ‘’

Realization flashed across Rumi, Mira, and Zoey’s faces.

‘’Ever wondered what happened to the ones who came looking for the abductees?'' Dae-beom gloated. ''When I requested Seulgi for her services, there was only one thing she wanted in return – people’s souls. ‘’

‘’That’s right’’ Seulgi said with relish. But then, her expression slowly turned pensive.

‘’Even so, my job became more challenging than ever since the three of you came into the picture – Huntrix, the face of music everywhere. ‘’

Seulgi took a few steps forward, but stopped at a careful distance away from Rumi, Mira, and Zoey.

‘’For centuries, the Honmoon was a myth in the world of witchcraft…but in the last five years, something shifted. Something big. In the days following Huntrix’s debut, many of us could no longer summon the demons we were in contact with. And when Mr. Dae-beom reached out to me three years ago, I quickly realized that none of my spells worked on the three of you. There was a barrier that prevented me from getting through to you.

‘’What I found even stranger was that it was the same for your fans. Which is funny, because fans of music are usually the easiest to catch mental possession of. Music weakens control of the mind, making them ideal targets for our rituals…but your fans, however, always had too much protection around them. ‘’

Seulgi paused, waiting for the weight of her words to sink in.

‘’I won’t stay here long…I don’t trust what these Hunters will do to my demons. But I can confirm – the Honmoon is real. And it appears they’re the ones currently in charge of powering it. ‘’

‘’Thank you for your time, Seulgi. I’ll make sure the payment is worth it’’ Dae-beom stated.

And just as suddenly as she had appeared, Seulgi vanished from sight.

‘’You’re completely insane‘’ Rumi said with disbelief.

‘’Insane, deranged, psychotic…call me whatever you please. All I care about now is bringing Scarlet News back to its former glory. And this time, no one is going to get in my way. ‘’

Dae-beom reached into his pocket and pulled out a phone, holding it up for everyone to see. ‘’In my hand here, is all the information I’ve carefully collected over the past many years about the three of you. Every potential scandal, every fabricated lie you used to save your faces, every proof that you’re using magic to bewitch fans. I don’t think I need to tell you what kind of reaction the public would have to that kind of information….imagine how easy it’ll be to convince people you’re using black magic to rise to fame! But if you hand over the remote and let me eliminate the Spies, I promise I won’t expose you. ‘’

Rumi, Mira, and Zoey looked at each other for a long moment, perplexed and torn.

‘’Oh, come. You seriously cannot be overthinking this!’’ Dae-beom said impatiently.

‘’He’s asking Huntrix to sell us out’’ Sam whispered quickly. ‘’But I trust them. I know they won’t do it. ‘’

‘’Wouldn’t it affect the Honmoon if everyone’s trust in you started faltering?’’ Dae-beom continued, but his tone was suddenly sympathetic. ‘’What are three fans to you over the lives of millions of people? The ones you swore to protect?’’

Rumi closed her eyes and took a deep breath. ‘’Looks like we have no choice. ’’

She got to her feet, took the remote from Zoey, and started walking towards Dae-beom.

‘’Wait…where’s she going?’’ Alex said slowly.

‘’Rumi!’’ Clover called frantically. ‘’What - what are you doing?’’

 But Rumi didn’t pause.

‘’Rumi, I’m begging you, don’t do this!’’ Alex pleaded.

‘’Rumi…I trusted you’’ Sam said in a small, broken voice.

Rumi held the remote towards Dae-beom, and he reached to grab it.

Dae-beom’s lips curved up in a triumphant smirk. ‘’You made the right decision. ‘’

‘’Well, it was nice knowing you both’’ Clover said dejectedly.

Suddenly, Rumi raised the remote out of Dae-beom’s reach. ‘’You’re right. We did make the right decision. ‘’

She swooped down and attacked his ankles with a spinning sweep kick. Dae-beom face-planted on the floor, and the phone in his hand skidded towards Mira and Zoey.

In a flash, Mira and Zoey were on their feet, and dashed to grab the phone.

‘’Did you really think we would sell out our fans?’’ Rumi fumed.

Jae-hyun hurried to help Dae-beom, and he got up, seething and clutching his side in pain. ‘’You’ll pay for that!’’

He pulled out the other remote from his pocket, and activated the robots again.

‘’They’re escaping!’’ Mira pointed, as Dae-beom and Jae-hyun sprinted towards the exit.

‘’We can take care of them later. For now, we need to get everyone to safety!’’ Rumi announced.

‘’Phew! I knew it! I just knew they wouldn’t betray us!’’ Alex cheered.

Mira and Zoey fended off the laser beams from the robots, while Rumi rushed to the barrel. She tried to push it away from beneath Sam, Clover, and Alex with all her might, but it didn’t budge.

‘’Rumi, just press the other button on the remote! That should directly unstrap us from this rope!’’ said Sam.

‘’What?’’ Rumi said, baffled. ‘’But – but if I do that, you’ll fall right into the liquid!’’

‘’Don’t worry, we’ll use one of our spy gadgets! We’ve done this tons of times before!’’ said Alex.

Rumi stepped back uncertainly. ‘’Um, okay then. If you’re certain….‘’

She pointed the remote at Sam, Clover, and Alex, and after a deep breath, pressed the second button.

The second the rope loosened, Alex aimed and sprayed the Ice Queen Perfume in mid-air towards the barrel, and the three girls landed on a solid block of ice.

‘’Finally! I was starting to get real bad cramps hanging up there’’ said Sam, stretching her arms.

‘’Wow, that was amazing! We need to get some of those gadgets for ourselves!’’ Rumi remarked.

‘’Woah, my skin feels so soft’’ said Clover, patting her face. ‘’The stream from that green stuff totally made for a great sauna. Now, time to show these robots what’s up!’’

Sam, Clover, and Alex pulled out their Compowders, transformed into their Spy suits, and spread across the room.

‘’Zoey! It’s such a pleasure to meet you!’’ Alex gushed, using the Ice Queen Perfume on a robot.

‘’The pleasure’s all mine! You have no idea how exciting it is to meet real-life spies!’’ Zoey beamed.

The robot froze solid for a few seconds, but then, a huge crack appeared on the wall of ice and it effortlessly broke free.

‘’Ugh, what a total bust!’’ Alex scowled.

‘’Hey, watch the hair!’’ Clover cried, as the other robot shot a laser beam that grazed her head.

Rumi and Mira charged at the robot and struck it with their weapons, but it didn’t even land so much as a dent on its metal body.

‘’That didn’t even scratch that thing! These robots are indestructible!’’ said Mira.

‘’Which means there’s only one last option…the one that works without fail every single time’’ said Sam, who was examining the robots from a distance.

‘’Of course!’’ Alex realized. ‘’Destroy the source!’’

‘’We’re currently in the basement of an abandoned apartment complex’’ Zoey informed. ‘’While we were searching for you guys, we found a room on the first floor that appeared to Dae-beom’s lair. That must be where the main control centre for the robots is!’’

‘’Everyone, gather round for a sec!’’ Sam called.

Sam, Clover, Alex, Rumi, Mira, and Zoey dashed behind the frozen barrel, which temporarily hid them from the robots.

‘’Okay, listen up. We’ve got a plan to evacuate everyone safely, but you’re gonna have to trust us!’’ Alex explained.

‘’So, are you three in?’’ Sam asked.

Rumi, Mira, and Zoey didn’t waste a single breath.

‘’Totally!’’

‘’You bet!’’

‘’In!’’

Clover clapped her hands together. ‘’It's official! Right, this is what we’ll do: Sam and Rumi, you two distract the robots, Alex and Zoey, untie the captives and get them to safety. Mira, lead me to Dae-beom’s lair! Does everyone understand their roles?’’

Everyone nodded firmly.

‘’I believe in all of us. Operation SpyTrix, here we come!’’ Zoey said excitedly, and the six girls split up into their respective pairs.

Mira and Clover dashed to the exit and took a flight of stairs leading to the upper floors.

‘’So, Mira, how long have you been an undercover martial artist exactly? You must have been doing this for years if you can look this gorgeous in combat!’’ said Clover

Mira smirked and rolled her eyes. ‘’I’ve been meaning to ask you the same thing! Your Spy suits are totally snazzy!’’

She led Clover over to a small storage room at the end of the first-floor hallway, and they entered inside. The two of them stopped dead in their tracks.

The walls were covered with pictures, news articles, and magazine cut-outs of virtually every famous celebrity in South Korea. Three large monitors on the desk displayed the current whereabouts of many of them.

‘’Gosh….that psycho wasn’t kidding how seriously he takes his job, alright’’ Mira grimaced.

‘’I’ve heard of how crazy paparazzi can be, but this is mega, unthinkably wack!’’ said Clover.

She moved a huge stack of dusty newspapers below the desk and found a control panel of buttons behind it.

‘’MiRomAbby in this day and age? Ugh, come on!’’ Mira glowered, ripping off a poster from the wall.

After careful consideration, Clover pressed a yellow button on the control panel.

Just then, Sam’s voice sounded in her walkie-talkie earpiece. ‘’Good job, Clover. The robots are down!’’

‘’Mission accomplished! Now, what do you say we destroy this lair for good before he returns?’’

‘’You bet! But uh…how exactly are we gonna do that?’’

Clover flipped open her Compowder and pulled out her Exploding Lipstick. ‘’You know what they say, a lipstick is a girl’s best friend! Although, it can cause quite an explosion. We’ll have to make sure no one’s inside the apartment complex before we use it!’’

‘’Got it. We saw a couple of planes outside the complex when we arrived. Let’s use them to escape!’’ said Mira.

Clover informed Sam and Alex of the plan over her walkie-talkie earpiece as she and Mira emerged outside. They found three planes behind the building and boarded one of them.

Shortly after, Sam and Rumi emerged from the building, followed by Alex and Zoey, accompanying the twenty captives. After making sure everyone had safely exited the building, Mira started the plane and hovered it over the apartment complex. Clover opened the plane door and flung the Exploding Lipstick below.

The three planes took flight, and the apartment complex exploded with a great boom in the distance.

Chapter Text

Clover and Mira’s plane

‘’And then, I found out he was totally evil and secretly working for the bad guys! Honestly such a shame, he was pretty cute’’ said Clover.

‘’Yikes, I’m so glad you trusted your instincts and found out he was evil before he could harm you! Speaking from unfortunate experience’’ said Mira.

‘’By the way, when did you learn how to fly a plane, Mira? You’re secretly a pilot too?’’ Clover asked.

Mira chuckled. ‘’Well, the girl and I learned that it would be useful to have aviation skills very early in our career, given how many times we’ve been ambushed on planes. You know, this plane looks exactly like the one that apparently got stolen from the rooftop of our penthouse….but now I realize that Jae-hyun must have taken it! Ugh, I’m gonna smash the life out of him when I catch him! Gosh, I am never trusting another man other than Bobby. ‘’

Clover sighed exasperatedly. ‘’He genuinely seemed so sweet when the girls and I first met him….nothing could have prepared us for what he was about to do to us! First, we got ambushed by knock-out gas, then he abducted us, then we found out he was working for a criminal, and then he threatened to drown us in that horrendous green stuff! Honestly, could this day possibly get any worse?’’

Just then, they heard heavy footsteps hurrying behind them. From the other end of the plane, emerged three tall, monstrous, club-bearing demons.

‘’Ugh, I had to ask‘’ Clover stated.

Immediately, Mira pressed the autopilot button and yielded her gok-do, standing protectively in front of Clover.

‘’What are those things?’’ Clover asked, repulsed.

‘’It’s kind of hard to explain…you’re about to see a lot of things that don’t make sense. I promise I’ll tell you everything later. For now, just imagine you’re dealing with more of those two-faced, good-for-nothing bad guys. ''

‘’Got it!’’ said Clover.

The three demons charged forward.

Alex and Zoey’s plane

‘’And Takedown is basically my relaxing morning meditation song!’’ Alex was saying, listing her favorite Huntrix songs. ‘’It’s super relaxing because it helps me visualize taking the bad guys down on our Spy missions! Honestly the best way to start the day!’’

‘’I know right, I’m so glad you like it!’’ Zoey gushed. ‘’ You know, it’s hard to believe we barely had a couple of days to write it. ‘’

‘’Really? That’s incredible! But I kinda relate, it’s like when I’m not motivated enough to do my assignments until like the night before the deadline. ‘’

Alex glanced back from the pilot’s cabin. The captives were passed out in their seats from exhaustion.

‘’I’m so glad we got everyone out of there. We should immediately take them to a hospital, and then report the incident to the police. ‘’

‘’Ugh, Dae-beom, I can’t believe the nerve of him. What a pathetic excuse for a human being!’’ Zoey said through gritted teeth. ‘’I’m so mad I could write a diss track for him!’’

Zoey pulled out a small journal from her pocket. ‘’My trusty lyric diary! I can never leave home without it!’’

Zoey sat on the co-pilot seat and started scribbling in her journal. ‘’Words to describe Dae-beom….’uhinged’ definitely comes to mind….now for some rhyming words….cringe, fringe…singe…. ’’

‘’Ooh, how about door-hinge?’’ Alex suggested excitedly. ‘’Syringe? Tinge?‘’

‘’Yes! Those are all brilliant!’’

 Just then, heavy turbulence hit the plane, causing it to jerk up and down.

‘’Woah – oops, sorry, I got a bit distracted‘’ said Alex, slipping out of the pilot’s seat, but managing to press the autopilot button just in time.

As she was getting up from the floor, her eye caught something under the pilot’s seat. She reached to grab it, and the blood drained from her face.

It was a time bomb, counting down twenty-six seconds.

‘It’s a bomb!’’ Alex cried, showing it to Zoey.

Zoey nearly fell out of her seat. ‘’What?’’

‘’Twenty-three seconds!’’ Alex read, panicking.

‘’What do we do? We can’t throw it over the city, and we don’t have enough time to find isolated land!’’ Zoey said frantically.

‘’You’re right, there’s no time’’ said Alex, thinking fast. ‘’There’s only one thing we can do. Zoey, take over the wheel, and get the plane as low as you can!‘’

‘’Roger!’’

Without wasting a second, Alex dashed to the plane’s door and lifted it open. She unclutched her Extendable Cable Bungee Belt and started reeling it towards the land, simultaneously pressing her earpiece walkie talkie. 

‘’Sam! Clover! Check your planes for hidden bombs, quick!’’

Sam and Rumi's plane

‘’Sam, I’m so sorry’’ said Rumi.

She had been quietly sitting on the co-pilot since the plane took flight, fidgeting with her braid.

Sam blinked, confused. ‘’For what?’’

‘’For making it seem like I was selling you out when Dae-beom asked for the remote’’ Rumi said sadly. ‘’You must have felt so betrayed. I feel awful. ‘’

Sam pressed the autopilot button and turned to Rumi.

‘’Rumi, I’m not upset’’ she said consolingly. ‘’You did what you had to do…Dae-beom didn’t leave you with any other choice. I don’t blame you at all. ‘’

Rumi gave her a small smile.

‘’You know, I’ve lost count of how many times the bad guys we fought tried to put me, Clover, and Alex against each other…and a lot of times, it worked. We’ve come to accept that it may happen any time. But all that matters is the outcome – in the end, we always end up winning. And for the record, I could never be upset with you. ‘’

Sam’s cheeks reddened. ‘’This may sound kinda cheesy, but you’re the person I look up to the most. I always wish that the work I do as a Spy will make a difference in people’s lives for the better, and give them hope, just the way your beautiful voice does. ‘’

Rumi got up and gave Sam a hug. ‘’Thank you, Sam’’

‘’Don’t trust her. She’ll betray you, just like she betrayed me. ‘’

Sam and Rumi jerked their heads around.

It was Jae-hyun, standing on the other end of the plane.

Before Sam and Rumi could process what was happening, he lunged towards them with a knife.

Rumi quickly pushed Sam out of the way, instinctively yielding her sain-geom.

Jae-hyun doubled-back and pushed Sam into the wall. He pressed a button on the ceiling and two metal straps popped out of the wall, strapping her right arm and leg. Then, he charged at Rumi again.

‘’Jae-hyun, stop!’’ Rumi shouted, dodging his attack. ‘’I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but could you act like the person I’ve known for the past five years for one second? How could you betray us like this?’’ 

‘’Betray you? You’re the one who betrayed me first! How could you make Sora the head of the stylists’ team?

‘’What?’’ Rumi frowned. 

‘’You had promised to make me the head! You lied to me!’’ Jae-hyun thundered.

‘’We said we’d try!’’ Rumi corrected. ‘’It wasn’t up to us! We tried our best to convince our management team to let you stay!’’

Jae-hyun scoffed. ‘’It doesn’t matter…it’s too late now. Sora’s already dead. I’m only here to ask you one thing – your patterns, how did you get them?’’

‘’What?’’ said Rumi, befuddled. 

‘’Your patterns. How did you get them? Jae-hyun glowered.

After some cautious consideration, Rumi answered, ‘’I was born with them. ’’

Jae-hyun shook with fury. ‘’I’m so not in the mood for jokes, Rumi. ‘’

He charged forward and caught Rumi in a chokehold. ‘’How did you get the those patterns? Tell me right now or I swear I’ll kill you…just like I killed Sora. ’’

Rumi gasped.

‘’That’s right’’ Jae-hyun sneered. ‘’She didn’t die in an accident. I was the one who killed her. ‘’

With much effort, Rumi managed to grab Jae-hyun’s arm and throw him over her shoulder. But in the struggle, Jae-hyun’s blazer got caught in Rumi’s grip and slipped off his left arm, revealing his skin.

Sam and Rumi gasped.

Jae-hyun's arm was covered in demon patterns.

Clover and Mira's plane

Mira attacked one of the demons with her gok-do, but he dodged and lifted up a whole passenger seat, violently flinging it towards her and Clover.

Mira and Clover ducked, barely missing it.

‘’‘’Sam! Clover! Check your planes for hidden bombs, quick!’’ came Alex’s voice in Clover’s earpiece walkie-talkie.

‘’A little occupied over her, Al’’ said Clover, jumping to avoid getting thrashed by one of the demon’s clubs.

‘’I just need a way to get all these freaks together, then I can finish them all off with one swing!’’ said Mira.

‘’Leave it to me!’’ said Clover.

She unclutched her Extendable Cable Bungee Belt, and swung it like a rope around the demons, tying their legs together.

Mira swung her gok-do, and the three demons poofed into pink dust.

‘’Now that’s how its done!’’ said Mira, high-fiving Clover.

Clover pulled her Heat Sensor 6000 Infrared Motion Detector Sunglasses from her Compowder, put them on, and started scanning the plane.

She found a time bomb under one of the passenger seats and knelt down to grab it.

‘’Gosh, this was hidden in here?’’ said Mira.

‘’Yup’’ said Clover. ‘’We’ve got five whole minutes until it goes off, that’s enough to take a nap! Now, let’s find the others, they might need our help!’’

Alex and Zoey’s Plane

The plane hovered thirty metres above the road.

‘’This is the closest we can get to the ground. We won't have enough time to fly far enough from the city before the bomb explodes!’’ said Zoey.

After the last captive climbed safely to the ground, Alex hastily reeled her Extendable Cable Bungee Belt back in.

‘’Up, Zoey!’’ she shouted, checking the time bomb to see only thirteen seconds remaining.

The plane zoomed upwards at maximum speed.

‘’WE’RE GOING UP, UP, UP, IT’S A LIFE-THREATENING MOMENT!’’ Zoey screamed at the top of her lungs.

With just seven seconds remaining, Clover and Mira’s jet swooped by. Mira held the door open and stood aside, and Alex and Zoey leapt inside.

Clover sharply swooped the plane away, just as Alex and Zoey’s plane exploded into smithereens in mid-air.

‘’Welcome aboard, ladies’’ Clover greeted.

‘’Good job, you two!’’ said Mira.

‘’That was so thrilling! You’re awesome Alex!’’ Zoey grinned, pulling Alex in a bone-crushing hug.

‘’You too! We make a totally amazing team!’’ said Alex.

‘’Now, let’s go help Sam and Rumi!’’ said Clover.

Sam and Rumi’s plane

‘’Jae-hyun….how do you have patterns?’’ Rumi asked slowly.

Jae-hyun had gone quiet.

‘’They appeared a few days after I killed her’’ he finally said, his voice quivering.

‘’Ever since then….there’s this voice in my head that never leaves me alone. It appears in random outbursts. I’ve everything to make it go away. ‘’

‘’I thought I’d finally have my way after I killed Sora, but a year ago, Dae-beom reached out to me. He said he knew what I’d done. He threatened to expose me if I didn’t do as he said. ‘’

‘’Then that day at the idol awards….when you, Mira, and Zoey were fighting on stage and they ripped your jacket off, I saw you had patterns too. I felt so relieved that I wasn’t alone. But then I realized that somehow, you don’t seem affected by them. It’s as if you don’t hear those voices. ‘’

Jae-hyun looked up again.

‘’How do you do it? How do you keep the voices out?’’ he asked desperately.

‘’Sam! Clover! Check your planes for hidden bombs, quick!’’ came Alex's voice in Sam's earpiece walkie talkie. Sam looked wildly around the plane for any place where a bomb could be hidden. 

Rumi opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn’t. She was shaking with shock and rage.

‘’I can’t believe that all this time, I let you stay so close to me.…to us. That I ever trusted and confided in you. You want to know why I don’t hear those voices? Because I would never stoop as low as you!’’

Wrath flashed in Jae-hyun’s eyes. He lunged at Rumi again, attempting to stab her with his knife.

‘’Heads up, Rumi!’’ Sam shouted.

She quickly unclutched her Extendable Cable Bungee Belt with her left hand and flung the buckle at the autopilot button. Rumi clung to a passenger seat as the plane shook violently and plummeted steeply towards the ground, while Jae-hyun slid downwards into pilot’s cabin, slamming his head into the windshield, which knocked him out.

In the disturbance, the metal straps around Sam’s arm and leg came loose, and she slid forward into the pilot’s cabin, getting a hold of the autopilot button and stabilizing the plane again. Jae-hyun stirred, starting to regain consciousness. 

But before he could get a hold of them, Clover and Mira’s plane swooped by, and Sam and Rumi leapt inside.

‘’You made it just in time’’ Clover. ‘’We’ve got about twelve seconds until this plane explodes!‘’

‘’The three of us have jetpack backpacks’’ said Alex. ‘’If Rumi, Mira, and Zoey hold onto one of us each, we can safely jump off!’’

‘’Oh, don’t worry’’ said Rumi, smiling and casually waving her hand. ‘’We know a little something about jumping off planes ourselves!’’

 With ten seconds remaining on the time bomb, the six girls jumped off, hearing a great explosion behind them.

They landed in an isolated grass field.

‘’Good job, everybody’’ said Rumi.

‘’Unfortunately, we couldn’t get a hold of Dae-beom or Jae-hyun. But if we look around, I’m sure we’ll find them. They couldn’t have gone far’’ said Sam.

‘’Everything’s under control’’ came a voice from somewhere above.

The girls looked up to see several W.O.O.H.P. jets swooping down and landing around them.

‘’Jerry!’’ Sam, Clover, and Alex exclaimed. 

Jerry hopped down from a W.O.O.H.P. jet and approached the girls. ‘’Excellent work, Spies. Fortunately, we were able to catch these two just in time. Just to be sure, it’s the two of them, aren’t they?’’

Two W.O.O.H.P. bodyguards came assisting Dae-beom and Jae-hyun, their hands in handcuffs and their heads hung in shame.

‘’Yes, it’s them’’ Sam confirmed.

‘’ Very well, then, we’ll report the incident to the local police, then take them off to W.O.O.H.P’s containment facility. ‘’

Mira and Zoey gasped.

‘’Wh-what? Jae-hyun has patterns?’’ Mira said with disbelief.

‘’Yes’’ Rumi sighed. ‘’He was the one responsible for Sora’s death….he killed her. Ever since then, Gwi-ma has held him mentally hostage. ‘’

‘’But….why did he never turn into a full demon?’’ Zoey asked slowly, still recovering from shock.

‘’There’s only one thing I can think of. His shame started to consume him, but because he was always so close to us, the Hunters, Gwi-ma could never gain full control of him’’ said Rumi.

‘’What will happen to him now? Do you think Gwi-ma will ever succeed in taking full control of his body?’’ Mira asked.

‘’What will happen to him now is the consequences of his own actions’’ Rumi said firmly. ‘’If Gwi-ma takes full control of his body and he’s condemned to the underworld, then that is the fate that awaits him. ‘’

Just then, another W.O.O.H.P. jet stopped by, and Celine hopped down from it.

‘’Celine!’’ Rumi, Mira, and Zoey exclaimed.

Celine rushed towards the three of them, distraught.

‘’Girls…I’ve been worried sick! Why weren’t you picking up your phones? I should never have let you go!’’

‘’Don’t worry, Celine, we’re fine’’ Zoey assured.

‘’We made it just in time to save everyone. If we hadn’t, something horrible could have happened to them’’ said Mira.

Celine’s eyes widened. ‘’Rumi….you’re bleeding. We need to get you to a hospital’’ she said, pointing a shaky finger at Rumi’s cheek.

‘’It’s just a small cut, I promise I’m okay’’ Rumi said consolingly. ‘’You should go back and rest Celine, we’ll be right behind you. ‘’

Rumi turned to Sam, Clover, and Alex.

‘’Right. Sam, Clover, Alex….there’s something we need to tell you….‘’

***

Sam, Clover, and Alex sat in awkward silence on the couch in Huntrix’s living room. Rumi, Mira, and Zoey said that they wanted to talk to them somewhere private, and before they knew it, they had arrived at Huntrix’s penthouse.

Rumi, Mira, and Zoey sat right across from them on bean bags, whispering.

‘’You start’’ Mira muttered, nudging Zoey.

‘’No, you start!’’

Rumi sighed loudly. ‘’I’ll do it. ‘’

‘’Sam, Clover, Alex…during the mission, there was a lot that you saw and heard. We understand how confusing it all must have been. ‘’

‘’Yes’’ said Zoey. ‘’And we want to clarify what it all means. ‘’

She looked expectantly at Mira.

‘’Right’’ said Mira. ‘’Because the three of you deserve answers. ‘’

‘’So uh…basically, what we mean is....’’

‘’What we’re trying to say is….’’

‘’The three of us are demon Hunters’’ Rumi said unequivocally.

Mira and Zoey looked at her in surprise.

‘’Ever since we came together, we have been granted the duty of protecting our world from demons. I know this is hard to understand, but it’s the truth. ‘’

Sam, Clover, and Alex stared, astounded, barely processing her words.

‘’This sounds like fairytale stuff, but demons have always existed alongside humans. Lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to steal people’s souls’’ Mira explained. ‘’That is why we’re in charge of protecting the barrier that prevents demons from escaping from the underworld – the Honmoon. Our music is what powers it. The more people we can reach, the stronger the Honmoon. ‘’

‘’That’s right’’ said Zoey. ‘’For centuries, many different generations of Hunters have dedicated themselves to powering the Honmoon. Once the Honmoon turns golden, it will permanently seal off the underworld, and we will be free from demons forever. ‘’

The three of them waited to let their words sink in.

‘’The Honmoon….is that what that witch was talking about in the basement?’’ Sam asked, finally breaking the silence.

‘’Yes’’ Rumi answered. ‘’This isn’t the first time someone tried to cast black magic on us and failed. Celine once told us how the Sunlight Sisters went through the same thing. ''

‘’Wait a sec, so those nasty creatures we fought in the plane….they were demons?’’ Clover asked.

‘’Mhm’’ Mira nodded. ‘’You know, for your first time fighting demons, you actually did an amazing job!’’

‘’But…but how can this be real?’’ Alex said incredulously.  ‘’After all, demons aren’t supposed exist!’’

‘’This sounds nuts, Alex, but trust me, I saw them myself!’’ said Clover.

‘’But have you seen the so-called underworld? How do you know it exists? For all we know, it could be people in costumes! We’re Spies! We deal with objective facts!’’ Alex reasoned.

‘’We do, Alex. But I think this time, we’re gonna have to believe. My mind has been buzzing with questions ever since we escaped from the apartment complex, and as incredulous as it sounds, Rumi, Mira, and Zoey’s story makes the most logical sense!’’

‘’You’re telling me that demons are real? That’s totally bonkers!’’ said Alex, rising from the couch. ‘’C’mon, guys, please don’t look at me like I’m crazy! This is like saying that the blue tiger from Huntrix’s music videos is a real-life creature!’’

At that moment, as if on cue, a spot in the floor beside Alex lit up, and from under the floor, emerged Derpy.

‘’Derpy!’’ Rumi said frantically, rising from her bean bag. ‘’I promise I'll play with you later, but now’s not the right time!’’

But Derpy’s eyes lit up at the word ‘play’, and he seemed to not understand anything else.

Rumi looked at Sam, Clover and Alex, perplexed.

For a second, the three of them stood frozen in shock, but then, Alex squealed in delight.

‘’Oh my goodness! What a cutie!’’ she exclaimed, dashing to pet Derpy.

‘’Alex, get back! It could bite you!’’ Clover warned.

Alex laughed. ‘’It’s not gonna bite me! You’re not gonna bite me, are you, you little marshmallow?’’

Rumi sighed with relief.

‘’Don’t worry, Derpy is a good spirit. He can cross the Honmoon’’ said Rumi, patting Derpy’s head. ‘’You can give him scratches – see? He’s very loving!’’

Reluctantly, Sam and Clover approached Derpy, softly petting his head. Derpy blissfully closed his eyes, enjoying the pets.

‘’So I guess….it's true, then?’’ Alex said, trying to wrap her mind around the situation.

‘’I know this is a lot to take in, but the three of you have done so much for us, and you deserve to know the truth’’ said Rumi.

Sam took a deep breath. ‘’Wow, I guess whatever we had expected you were going to tell us, it definitely wasn’t…this. But even though it’s difficult for us to accept it, we’re truly honored that you chose to tell us the truth. You know, when we think about it, it’s not the first time that you three helped us embrace something out of our reach. ‘’

‘’Sam’s right’’ said Clover. ‘’For a long time, Alex, Sam, and I kept it hidden from our parents that we were spies. They finally found out one day by complete accident, and they were totally furious! For a little while, the three of us had to give up our jobs. The time that we spent away from W.O.O.H.P. made us realize how much we love being spies. How much it means to us that we can make a difference in the world, even though we know how risky our job is. And though we hesitate to think about it, we know there's a small chance that we may go on a mission and never return. But even then, being spies ignites something within us. It's what truly makes us feel alive. ‘’

‘’Exactly’’ said Alex. ‘’Looking back, I regret we didn’t tell our parents about being spies sooner. Why we hid who we truly were, why we hid the colors in our heads. You three, Huntrix, are the ones who helped us not to be afraid of who we really are. And we realize now that whatever it may be, you’re only fighting to make this world a safer place, just like we are. ‘’

At their words, Rumi, Mira, and Zoey started tearing up, and pulled Sam, Clover, and Alex in a group hug.

***

At six in the evening, Sam, Clover, and Alex stood on the rooftop of Huntrix’s penthouse, waiting for a W.O.O.H.P jet to arrive and take them back home.

‘’I can’t believe we already have to go. Even though so many unexpected things happened, this was still like the best day ever!’’ Clover said, sniffling.

‘’It was amazing meeting you girls. You three have inspired us in a way that we will never forget’’ Rumi said earnestly.

‘’Are you sure you can’t stay for just a couple more hours?’’ Zoey asked hopefully. ‘’We’re invited to Jackson Wang’s party this evening, and we thought you’d love to come along!’’

‘’Yup, his parties are totally rad!’’ Mira added.

‘’I so wish we could’’ Sam sighed. ‘’Unfortunately, our finals start in two days, and if we don’t get back to studying the moment we get home, we’ll be in a lot of trouble. ‘’

After many group photos, tears, and good-bye hugs, Sam, Clover, and Alex boarded the W.O.O.H.P. jet, waving to Rumi, Mira, and Zoey out of the window. The jet soared high into the sunset, blasting Golden by Huntrix.

***

One boiling Tuesday afternoon, Sam, Clover, and Alex were sprawled out on the carpet of their living room, exhausted after giving their second-last final examination.

‘’Finally, only one more exam left, and then we’re free as birds soaring the sky’’ said Alex, fanning herself with a book.

‘’We should start planning our post-finals trip’’ said Clover. ‘’I wanna go somewhere that will make me forget we live in a world where homework exists. ‘’

Just then, Sam’s Compowder beeped. She flipped it open to see Jerry’s hologram.

‘’Hey, Jerry!’’

‘’Afternoon Spies. I won’t take much of your time. I was just wondering if you knew why W.O.O.H.P.’s platinum credit card is maxxed out? Only, I need to make an urgent payment for a set of new gadgets, and when I attempted to pay with the card, I discovered I couldn’t use it!’’

Sam, Clover, and Alex sat bolt upright, ashen-faced.

‘’The Huntrix merch…we paid for it using W.O.O.H.P’s platinum credit card!’’ Sam recalled.

‘’We seriously didn’t realize how much stuff we had bought!’’ said Alex.

‘’What?’’ Jerry exclaimed. ‘’How much could you possibly have spent on it?’’

‘’Well, we did buy like one of every single item in the store’’ Clover mumbled guiltily.

‘’Hold on, I’ve got an email on my computer’’ said Jerry. ‘’Wait, that can’t be right…oh my….’’

‘’What happened, Jer?’’ Alex asked.

‘’Someone just credited ten million dollars to W.O.O.H.P.’s bank account!’’ said Jerry.

‘’Ten what?’’ Clover cried.

‘’But who would do that?’’ Sam wondered.

‘’Thank you for your services. Looking forward to working with you again. Best regards,  Huntrix’s management team’’ Jerry read.

Just then, Sam, Clover, and Alex’s phones buzzed.

‘’Did we just receive the same email?’’ said Clover, checking her phone. ‘’Ticket confirmation – congratulations, your ticket to Huntrix’s concert on July 7^th, 2025 has been confirmed. Wait what?’’

‘’Postscript….we wanted to make up for you not being able to enjoy our concert last time.  XOXO, Huntrix’’ Sam read.

‘’No way!’’ Alex cried.

‘’Well, I guess we know what we’re doing after our finals!’’ said Clover. 

‘’Yup, we’re officially going to a Huntrix concert!’’ said Alex. ‘’And this time, it’s totally legit!’’