### **[Scene: HSI Headquarters – Lower Ranks Briefing Room – A New Mission]**

The **Lower Ranks** assembly room hums with nervous energy—fresh recruits, washed-up operatives, and specialists deemed "not elite enough" for S+ Tier ops. Among them, **Mia**, a wiry, sharp-eyed rookie with street-smarts etched into her stance, leans against the wall, arms crossed.

The door slides open. **Leia** strides in, her presence silencing the room. A holographic map flickers to life—a rundown district called **The Grind**, where Brotherhood deserters and local gangs are clashing over scraps of power.

**Leia (firmly, eyes scanning the room):** *"Listen up. While our top tier handles the Brotherhood’s remnants, you’ve got a simpler job. But don’t screw it up."*

A smirk tugs at Mia’s lips. *Simple. Right.*

**Mission Details:**

- **Objective:** Retrieve a data chip from a hacked **Brotherhood courier** hiding in The Grind.

- **Complication:** The courier’s being hunted by **The Razor-Kings**, a local gang who want the chip’s intel for themselves.

- **Team:** Mia (infiltration), **Dax** (ex-cop muscle), **Tally** (tech whiz), and **Jace** (nervous sniper).

**Leia (tossing Mia the mission file):** *"You know the streets. Lead them in, get the chip, get out. No fireworks."*

**Mia (raising an eyebrow):** *"And if the Kings get feisty?"*

**Leia (coolly):** *"Then remind them HSI doesn’t tolerate thievery. But avoid body bags—we’re not cleaning up your mess."*

The team exchanges glances. Dax cracks his knuckles. Tally mutters about firewall protocols. Jace checks his rifle for the fifth time.

Mia pockets the file. *Time to dance.*

### **[Scene: The Grind – Rooftop Recon – Nightfall]**

The district stinks of burnt wiring and sweat. Mia crouches on a rooftop, scanning the neon-lit streets below. The courier’s last ping was in a **ratty arcade** called *Pixel Haven*.

**Tally (whispering over comms):** *"Courier’s chip has Brotherhood desertion records. If the Kings sell it to Alisha’s spies…"*

**Dax (grunting):** *"Then we’re scraping gangsters off the pavement. Lovely."*

Mia spots the courier—a twitchy kid in a patched-up Brotherhood jacket—ducking into the arcade. Four **Razor-Kings** lurk outside, knives glinting.

**Mia (sighing):** *"Alright. Tally, loop the security cams. Jace, keep eyes on the back alley. Dax… try not to punch anyone unless I say so."*

**Dax (smirking):** *"No promises."*

### **[Scene: Pixel Haven – The Retrieval]**

Mia slips inside, the arcade’s flickering screens casting ghosts across her face. The courier’s hunched over a racing game, gripping a **bloodied data chip**.

**Mia (leaning beside him, casual):** *"Hey. Heard you’re looking to ditch some Brotherhood baggage."*

The kid **flinches**, eyes wild. *"You HSI? I-I’m out, I swear—"*

**Razor-Kings (bursting in, leader snarling):** *"Hand over the chip, little rat!"*

Mia **rolls her eyes**, stepping between them. *"Beat it. This one’s ours."*

The gang leader **laughs**, flipping a switchblade. *"Or what? You gonna *negotiate*, cop?"*

**Mia (deadpan):** *"Nah. But he is."*

**Dax** **smashes** through the front window.

### **[Aftermath: The Choice]**

- **Success:** The team extracts the courier and chip, but **Mia hesitates** when a Razor-King lunges at Dax—**she disarms him without killing**.

- **Consequence:** The gang leader escapes, vowing revenge. *"This ain’t over!"*

- **Back at HQ:** Leia’s unimpressed. *"You left a loose end."*

- **Mia’s Retort:** *"You said no body bags."*

**Leia (leaning in, quiet):** *"Start carrying a blade. Next time, you might not have a choice."*

Mia’s fingers twitch. The streets don’t reward mercy.

**[Scene: HSI Headquarters – Debriefing after the following mission Room]**

**Leia:** "Mission report’s filed. You did what you had to do."

**Mia:** "Did I?"

**Leia:** "Take a week. Get your head straight."

**Mia:** "What, like a vacation? Spa day after popping my first kill?"

**Leia:** "No. Like a soldier who needs to remember why she’s holding a gun in the first place." *[Tosses keycard]* "Safehouse in the Green Zone. No comms, no ops. Just you and your thoughts."

**Mia:** "And if I don’t come back?"

**Leia:** "Then you weren’t meant to."

---

**[Scene: Green Zone Safehouse – Burner Phone Buzzes]**

**Tally (text):** *"Hey. Dax got stabbed (lol) but he’s fine. Jace won’t stop talking about your ‘smooth trigger pull.’ We’re good. Come back when you’re ready."*

---

**[Scene: Rooftop – Night]**

**Akane:** "Yeah. And the sky should be pink."

**Mia:** *[Whirls]* "I don’t need a babysitter."

**Akane:** "Didn’t say you did." *[Tosses soda]* "First kill’s always crap. Mine was some Gangster lowlife. Died crying about money and bitche . Pathetic."

**Mia:** *[Silence]*

**Akane:** "You wanna know the secret? It doesn’t get easier. You just get better at knowing which ones *deserve* it."

**Mia:** "And if I’m wrong?"

**Akane:** "Then you’ll have a lot worse to worry about than guilt."

---

**[Scene: HSI Headquarters – Briefing Room]**

**Dax:** "Took you long enough."

**Tally:** "Missed you too, sunshine."

**Mia:** *[Holds up keycard]* "Safehouse was shit. Bed squeaked."

**Leia:** "Next time, earn a better one."

**Jace:** *[Whispers]* "You good?"

**Mia:** "Yeah. Let’s work."

---

**[Cut to Black]**

**[Scene: HSI Training Facility – Promotion Matches]**

*The training room hums with energy as recruits spar, sweat dripping, fists flying. A digital scoreboard flickers with names and tiers. Mia stands in the center ring, rolling her shoulders as a **D-Tier Combat Droid** powers up across from her. Its optics gleam cold blue.*

**Announcer (over PA):** *"Next match: Recruit Mia versus D-Tier Standard. Winner advances. Fighters ready?"*

*Mia bounces on her toes, exhales.*

**Mia:** "Let’s get this over with."

**Droid (mechanical, taunting):** *"Compliance: You will lose."*

**DING.**

**[Round 1 – Speed vs. Calculation]**

*The droid lunges—Mia sidesteps, but it anticipates, sweeping her legs. She hits the mat hard.*

**Droid:** *"Error: Adjust stance."*

*Mia grits her teeth, rolls clear of its next strike. The crowd murmurs. Tally leans over the railing.*

**Tally:** "It’s reading your tells, dumbass! Switch it up!"

*Mia feints left, then jabs right—her fist glances off the droid’s armored plating. No damage.*

**Droid:** *"Ineffective."*

**[Round 2 – Adaptation]**

*Mia circles, breathing ragged. The droid’s patterns click: it counters aggression with precision, but hesitates on defense.*

*She fakes a stumble. The droid steps in—*

**Mia (grinning):** "Gotcha."

*She drops low, sweeps its legs, and drives an elbow into its core panel. Sparks fly.*

**Droid (glitching):** *"Wa-rning: Sys-tem—"*

*Mia slams her palm into its chest. **CRACK.** The droid powers down.*

**Announcer:** *"Match concluded. Winner: Mia. Promotion to D-Tier authorized."*

**[Aftermath – The Board Updates]**

*The scoreboard flickers. **MIA – D-TIER** flashes in bold. The room erupts—some cheers, some grumbles.*

**Dax (clapping slowly):** "Congrats. Now you get the *real* bad missions."

**Tally (grinning):** "And worse droids."

*Leia watches from the balcony, arms crossed. She nods once. Mia nods back.*

**Jace (offering a water bottle):** "So… celebration at the mess hall?"

**Mia (cracking her knuckles):** "Nah. I’ve got a C-Tier to hunt."

**[Scene: HSI Briefing Room – Midnight]**

*The holographic map flickers—a rundown apartment complex in the **Redline District**, marked with a single red dot.*

**Leia (tossing a dossier to Mia):** *"Target: Viktor Rask. Ex-Brotherhood enforcer, now selling HSI secrets to the Razor-Kings. Extract the data chip in his skull. No witnesses."*

*Mia picks up the file. The photo shows a scarred man with a cybernetic eye. Her stomach tightens.*

**Mia:** *"Solo?"*

**Leia:** *"You’re D-Tier now. Act like it."*

**[Scene: Redline District – Rooftop Approach]**

*Rain slicks the rooftops as Mia crouches near Viktor’s apartment. Her earpiece crackles.*

**Tally (over comms):** *"Scanner shows two guards—both ex-Brotherhood. Lethal loadouts. And, uh… he’s got a *dog*. Big one."*

**Mia (muttering):** *"Fantastic."*

*She slips through a vent, dropping silently into a closet. Through the slats, she sees Viktor at his desk, slotting a data chip into his neural port.*

**Viktor (growling to himself):** *"Stupid HSI brats… should’ve burned their HQ when I had the chance."*

**[Scene: The Kill]**

*Mia steps out. The *click* of her safety disengaging is too loud.*

**Viktor (freezing):** *"...The hell?"*

*She fires. The bullet punches through his cybernetic eye—but he lunges anyway, grabbing her wrist. They crash through the desk. The dog *barks*, fangs bared.*

**Mia (grunting, knee to his ribs):** *"Just—*die*—already!"*

*Viktor’s grip falters. She presses the gun under his chin.*

**BANG.**

*Silence. The dog whimpers, backing away.*

**[Scene: Extraction – Bloodied Hands]**

*Mia pries the data chip from Viktor’s skull. Her hands shake. The dog watches her, tail tucked.*

**Tally (over comms):** *"Mia? Status."*

*She hesitates. Looks at the dog. At Viktor’s corpse.*

**Mia:** *"...Mission complete."*

**[Scene: HSI Debrief – Cold Light]**

*Leia examines the chip under a scanner. Doesn’t look up.*

**Leia:** *"Took you twelve minutes longer than projected."*

**Mia (flat):** *"The dog slowed me down."*

*Leia finally meets her eyes. A beat.*

**Leia:** *"Next time, put it down too."*

*Mia says nothing. The door hisses shut behind her.*

**[Scene: HSI Headquarters – Garage Entrance – Dawn]**

*Mia steps out of the shadows, her boots splattered with rain and blood. Behind her, a massive, scarred **Rottweiler** limps on three legs, its fur matted with grime. It growls at the guards.*

**HSI Guard (raising his rifle):** *"What the hell is that?"*

**Mia (exhausted, wiping her face):** *"New recruit."*

**[Scene: Leia’s Office – The Debrief]**

*The dog sits warily in the corner, licking a gash on its paw. Leia stares at it, then at Mia.*

**Leia (flat):** *"You brought a *dog* into a classified facility."*

**Mia (slumping into a chair):** *"He was guarding the target. Good instincts. Figured HSI could use that."*

*Leia’s eye twitches. The dog sneezes on a stack of mission reports.*

**[Scene: Medical Bay – The Checkup]**

*Tally kneels, scanning the dog with a handheld device. It snaps at the light.*

**Tally (grinning):** *"Aw, he’s *adorable*—oh shit, he’s got Brotherhood microchips in his spine. Explains the aggression."*

**Mia (raising an eyebrow):** *"Can you remove them?"*

**Tally (typing furiously):** *"Yeah, but he might just… y’know, *like* biting people after."*

*The dog licks Tally’s face. She freezes.*

**Tally (whispering):** *"...Or maybe he’s just a big softie."*

**[Scene: Mess Hall – The Initiation]**

*The dog—now dubbed **"Rask"** after his dead owner—devours a steak from Dax’s plate.*

**Dax (grumbling):** *"That was *my* lunch."*

**Jace (laughing):** *"Pretty sure you lost lunch privileges when you lost that arm-wrestle to Tally."*

*Rask growls at Dax. Mia smirks.*

**Mia:** *"He’s got a sixth sense for bad manners."*

**[Scene: Leia’s Office – The Verdict]**

*Leia massages her temples. Security footage plays on her screen—Rask dragging an intruding janitor out of the armory by his pant leg.*

**Leia:** *"The *dog* stopped a security breach."*

**Mia (shrugging):** *"Told you he was useful."*

*Leia sighs. Slides a badge across the desk. It reads: **"RASK – K9 SECURITY."***

**Leia (deadpan):** *"He gets *one* incident report a month. And you’re cleaning up after him."*

*Mia grins. Rask barks.*

### **[Scene: HSI Briefing Room – Pre-Mission]**

**Leia (sliding a dossier across the table):** *"Parkway. Shadow Sector. Used to be a trade hub before the Brotherhood turned it into a rat’s nest. Now it’s crawling with deserters, scavengers, and worse."*

*Mia flips through the files—grainy surveillance shots of **black-market dealers, armed squatters, and Brotherhood stragglers** holed up in crumbling apartments.*

**Mia (raising an eyebrow):** *"Extermination? That’s a fancy word for *clean-up.*"*

**Leia (coolly):** *"Call it what you want. Just make sure nothing with a Brotherhood tattoo walks out alive."*

---

### **[Scene: Armory – Gearing Up]**

*Mia straps the **Zapravka ZPVKA** to her back, checks the glow sights, and loads 7.62 rounds with practiced ease. Tally tosses her a pouch of grenades.*

**Tally (grinning):** *"Extra spicy. Shock *and* frag in one."*

**Mia (slinging the pack):** *"Where’s Rask?"*

**Tally (pointing to med-bay):** *"Getting his boosters. Doc says he’s got the immune system of a tank, but *protocol*—"*

*A distant, offended **bark** echoes down the hall.*

**Mia (smirking):** *"Tell him I’ll bring back a souvenir."*

---

### **[Scene: Parkway City Limits – Sunset]**

*The city is a **corpse of concrete and rust.** Graffiti-scarred walls, shattered streetlights, and the distant echo of gunfire. Mia crouches on a rooftop, scanning the streets below.*

**Mia (muttering):** *"Home sweet hellhole."*

*Her HUD pings—**heat signatures** in the old **Granit Hotel.** Four hostiles. Brotherhood insignias flicker on her scanner.*

*She shoulders the Zapravka. The glow sights flare green in the dusk.*

---

### **[Scene: Granit Hotel – Room 407]**

*Mia kicks in the door. **Three Brotherhood deserters** whirl—half-drunk, rifles slung over their shoulders.*

**Brotherhood Grunt #1 (slurring):** *"The fuck—?!"*

***CRACK.***

*Mia’s first shot **punctures his throat.** The second man dives for cover, but her follow-up **catches him mid-lunge.** The third tries to flee—*

***BOOM.***

*Tally’s grenade **vaporizes the window.** Shrapnel shreds him against the wall.*

*Silence. Then—*

**Fourth Voice (from the bathroom):** *"…I surrender?"*

*A scrawny teen stumbles out, hands up. No tattoo. Just a **stolen Brotherhood jacket.***

**Mia (sighing):** *"You’re not one of them."*

**Kid (swallowing hard):** *"N-no. Just… cold. Jacket was warm."*

*Mia lowers her rifle. **Leia’s voice echoes in her head:** *"No witnesses."*

---

### **[Scene: Rooftop – Nightfall]**

*The kid—**Jiro**—huddles by a fire barrel Mia lit. She tosses him a protein bar.*

**Jiro (devouring it):** *"You’re not gonna kill me?"*

**Mia (cleaning her rifle):** *"Not unless you give me a reason."*

*He eyes her HSI badge. **Recognition flickers.***

**Jiro:** *"You’re the one with the *dog.*"*

*Mia pauses. **Rask’s rep precedes her.***

**Mia (grunting):** *"Yeah. And if you *ever* wanna meet him, stay out of Brotherhood leftovers."*

---

### **[Scene: Abandoned Police Station – Safehouse]**

*Mia barricades the door, lays out her sleeping bag. Jiro watches from a corner.*

**Jiro:** *"Why’d you spare me?"*

*Mia checks her ammo. Doesn’t look up.*

**Mia:** *"Parkway’s got enough corpses."*

*Outside, **shadows move.** Brotherhood? Scavengers? Doesn’t matter.*

*The Zapravka’s glow sights **pulse once** in the dark.*

---

### **[Scene: Abandoned Police Station – Safehouse – Night]**

*Mia’s comm crackles to life—Leia’s voice, sharp and urgent.*

**Leia (over comms):** *"Listen, kid. Some HSI scavs are coming your way. They’ll knock three times. If they knock more or less than that… waste them."*

*Mia exhales, checks the Zapravka’s chamber, and motions for Jiro to get behind cover.*

**Mia (low, to Jiro):** *"Stay quiet. If this goes bad, run out the back."*

*Jiro nods, eyes wide, clutching a rusted pipe like a weapon.*

---

### **[The Knock]**

***Knock.***

*Pause.*

***Knock. Knock.***

*Mia’s finger tenses on the trigger. **Three. Clean.***

*She keeps the rifle trained on the door as she moves to open it.*

**Mia (calling out):** *"Who’s asking?"*

**HSI Scav (gruff, from outside):** *"Leia sent us. Got a package for you."*

*Mia cracks the door, rifle still ready. Two HSI operatives in scav-gear stand there—one holding a **sealed metal case**, the other scanning the shadows behind them.*

**HSI Scav #1 (nodding at Mia):** *"You Mia? Heard you made a mess at the Granit."*

**Mia (not lowering the rifle):** *"What’s in the case?"*

*The scav pops it open—**thermal charges.***

**HSI Scav #2 (grinning):** *"City’s gotta burn. Orders."*

*Jiro pales.*

---

### **[The Choice]**

*Mia stares at the charges. Leia’s voice echoes in her head: **"No witnesses."***

*But Jiro’s just a kid.*

*She exhales, then shuts the case.*

**Mia (cold):** *"Tell Leia I’ll handle it. Get lost."*

*The scavs exchange glances.*

**HSI Scav #1 (frowning):** *"That’s not how this works."*

*Mia’s Zapravka **doesn’t waver.***

**Mia:** *"It is now."**

*Silence. Then—*

**HSI Scav #2 (backing up):** *"Fine. Your funeral."*

*They vanish into the dark.*

---

### **[Aftermath – Jiro’s Plea]**

*Jiro’s breathing is ragged.*

**Jiro:** *"You’re… really gonna burn the whole city?"*

*Mia doesn’t answer. She flips open the case again—**the charges are armed.***

*Leia didn’t just send a delivery. She sent a **countdown.***

**Mia (muttering):** *"Damn it."*

*She grabs her pack, tosses Jiro a spare pistol.*

**Mia:** *"We’ve got two hours. Find everyone you can. Get them out."*

*Jiro hesitates.*

**Jiro:** *"Why?"*

*Mia racks the Zapravka’s bolt.*

**Mia:** *"Because I’m *not* Brotherhood."*

---

### **[Scene: Parkway – Evacuation Chaos – Night]**

**Mia (over comms, barking orders):** *"Jiro! Get the stragglers moving—east tunnel, NOW!"*

*The kid nods, ushering a group of terrified civilians toward the crumbling subway entrance. The city groans around them, the distant hum of **HSI drones** sweeping the skies.*

**Jiro (panting, grabbing Mia’s arm):** *"They’re not all gonna make it!"*

*Mia checks the **detonator timer** on her wrist—*

**00:27:13**

*She grits her teeth.*

**Mia:** *"Then we make sure *some* do."*

---

### **[Scene: Rooftop – The Last Stand]**

*Mia crouches, **Zapravka** trained on a squad of **HSI Enforcers** blocking the escape route. She exhales—*

***CRACK. CRACK. CRACK.***

*Three shots. Three helmets **punctured.***

**HSI Enforcer (radio static):** *"Shit! She’s—"*

***BOOM.***

*Tally’s "spicy" grenade **erases the rest.***

*Jiro gapes at her.*

**Jiro:** *"You just… killed your own people."*

*Mia reloads, jaw clenched.*

**Mia:** *"They stopped being *my people* when they aimed at civilians."*

---

### **[Scene: Subway Tunnel – Final Evac]**

*The last survivors pour into the tunnels, Jiro guiding them. Mia lingers at the entrance, watching the **skyline.***

*Her comm crackles—**Leia.***

**Leia:** *"Ignoring orders to help the innocent, huh?"*

*Mia braces for the reprimand.*

**Leia (grunting, almost amused):** *"Well. I would’ve done the same."*

*Mia blinks.*

**Leia (firm):** *"Get everyone out, purge the place, then get your **C-Tier ass** back here. And your little buddy could prove useful. Bring him too."*

*The line cuts. Mia exhales—half relief, half exhaustion.*

**Jiro (nervous):** *"Are we… good?"*

*Mia slings the rifle, **smirks.***

**Mia:** *"Better than good. You just got **recruited.**"*

---

### **[Scene: Parkway Outskirts – Detonation]**

*The charges **ignite.***

*A firestorm **consumes the Brotherhood’s last holdout**, flames licking the sky. Mia watches from a distance, Jiro beside her, his face lit orange.*

**Jiro (quiet):** *"What happens now?"*

*Mia turns toward the **HSI transport** idling in the shadows.*

**Mia:** *"Now? You learn to shoot *properly.*"*

*Somewhere in the smoke, a **familiar cybernetic *whirr*** approaches.*

**Rask (barreling into Mia, knocking her over):** *"*BARK!*"* *(Translation: "YOU LEFT ME!")*

**Mia (grunting, ruffling his ears):** *"Yeah, yeah. Missed you too, mutt."*

---

### **[Scene: HSI HQ – Leia’s Office – Post-Mission Debrief]**

*Mia stands in front of Leia’s desk, still covered in Parkway’s ash. Rask pants at her feet, tail thumping. Jiro hovers near the door, wide-eyed, clutching a stolen HSI energy bar.*

**Leia (leaning back, smirk sharp as a knife):** *"Right. So you took down some of our enforcers. But I don’t see a problem."*

*Mia’s brow furrows.*

**Mia:** *"They were blocking the evacuation—"*

**Leia (interrupting, chuckling):** *"Oh, I know. The only *real* problem was that those bastards were notorious for killing civilians. Damn corrupt pricks."*

*Mia freezes. Pieces click.*

**Mia (slowly):** *"Wait a sec… this was all part of your *plan*?"*

*Leia’s grin widens. She slides a file across the desk—**Operation CLEAN HOUSE.***

**Leia:** *"You’re goddamn right, baby."*

---

### **[The Reveal – Leia’s Game]**

*Security footage plays on the wall screen—the same enforcers Mia shot **executing a surrendering family** in a back alley weeks prior.*

**Leia (tapping the screen):** *"They were Brotherhood plants. We *let* them think they had power. Then we sent *you*—the loose cannon who wouldn’t hesitate."*

*Jiro’s energy bar crinkles in his grip.*

**Jiro (whispering):** *"So we were… bait?"*

**Leia (shrugging):** *"More like *ignition.* You lit the fuse. We got rid of the rot *and* saved a city. Win-win."*

*Mia stares at her. Then—*

**Mia (snorting):** *"You manipulative *bitch.*"*

**Leia (raising her coffee):** *"Thanks. Drink?"*

---

### **[Scene: Mess Hall – Aftermath]**

*Mia slumps into a chair, tossing Rask a chunk of synth-meat. Jiro pokes at his food, shell-shocked.*

**Tally (plopping down, grinning):** *"Heard you got played like a fiddle. Welcome to the big leagues!"*

**Dax (grunting):** *"Leia did the same to me last year. Had me ‘accidentally’ punch out a weapons dealer who was skimming profits."*

**Jiro (blinking):** *"Is *everything* here a mind game?"*

**Mia (raising her drink):** *"Only the fun parts."*

*Rask **barks**, his cyber-leg sparking. Tally yelps.*

**Tally:** *"Okay, *that* wasn’t me!"*

---

### **[Scene: HSI Training Facility – Rooftop]**

*Mia leans against the railing, watching the city below. The wind carries the distant hum of hover traffic. Footsteps approach—light, deliberate. She doesn’t turn.*

**Himari (calm, cold):** *"So. You cleaned up Parkway."*

*Mia glances over. **Himari** stands there, arms crossed, her sharp eyes assessing. A veteran infiltrator, known for ghosting through enemy lines without a trace.*

**Mia (grunting):** *"Yeah. And?"*

**Himari (stepping closer):** *"Nice job. Leia told me to take you under my wing."*

*Mia raises an eyebrow.*

**Himari (continuing):** *"She sees potential in you. As an infiltrator."*

*Mia scoffs, turning fully now.*

**Mia:** *"I’m a shooter. Not a spy."*

**Himari (smirking, just barely):** *"You think infiltrators don’t pull triggers? You’ve got the instincts. But instincts alone won’t keep you alive in the shadows."*

*She tosses Mia a small device—a **chameleon cloak emitter.***

**Himari:** *"Starting tomorrow, you’re mine. Until you hit S-Tier."*

*Mia turns the emitter over in her hand. It hums faintly, adapting to her grip.*

**Mia (grinning):** *"Fine. But I’m not calling you ‘sensei.’"*

**Himari (already walking away):** *"Good. Because I’d shoot you if you did."*

---