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IT HAD BEEN two months since Freya had seen or heard from anyone from the Squad. It quickly became apparent to Freya that this new mission was also a ploy to separate her from the rest. While watching Zoe became less of an assigned mission, and more of something Freya wanted to do, she missed her friends. She knew that Rick had been released from the hospital a week after she began this job, and everyone else bounced back perfectly fine as well.
"Freya, come on!" Zoe shouted, tugging lightly on the older woman's sleeve. "We're gonna be late to my own recital!" Freya laughed, grabbing Zoe's hand.
"Alright, Z. Let's go see you dance your little heart out." Freya let Zoe lead her outside, where a black SUV was waiting for them. The hired driver opened the door for them, and Zoe crawled in. Freya nodded towards the man before stepping inside. The SUV looked brand new, as did all of A.R.G.U.S.'s vehicles, perfectly clean and jet black inside and out. Zoe babbled happily in her seat about her excitement, and her dance recital. Freya listened to every word, nodded when she was supposed to and smiling all the while.
A sudden force made Freya jerk to the side, sending Zoe flying into her. On instinct, Freya wrapped her arms tightly around the small girl to shield her as shattered glass rained down on them. The car tumbled over, flipping over and over before it screeched to a halt upside down. Freya groaned, cuts coating her arms as she looked down at Zoe.
"Freya? What happened?" Zoe whispered quietly, eyes wide in fear.
"It's okay, Zoe. It's just a car accident. We're okay." Freya's eyes landed on the driver, who was regaining consciousness. Her stomach twisted — this wasn't just some random car accident. The windshield was ripped away, and the driver was torn out, throat being ripped out completely. His body dropped to the ground, eyes open but unseeing. Freya covered Zoe's eyes, keeping her from seeing the corpse. The door on the other side of Freya was ripped off of its hinges. Hands grabbed for Zoe, pulling in an attempt to take her away.
"Freya!" Zoe screamed, hands reaching for the woman. Freya grabbed for the little girls hands, but the strength of the other person was too much, and she slipped right through her fingers.
"Zoe!" Freya screamed, a broken sound, a panicked cry for help. Her heart pounded in her chest, eyes glowing bright orange as she frantically crawled after her, shattered glass cutting into her hands. "Zoe!" Freya screamed again, standing from the wreckage of the SUV.
"Such a sweet little girl." Freya spun around abruptly, eyes focusing on the claws at Zoe's neck. Freya's eyes trailed upwards, to the woman's face. Her blood ran cold, as her hand immediately went for her katana, pulling it from around her waist. She didn't know who the woman was, but she had every muscle in Freya's body tensed and ready to move.
"Who are you?" Freya hissed, her eyes glowing fiercer. Orange met yellow, as the other woman snarled animalistically.
"I should've known you wouldn't remember me. We only met once before, very briefly." The woman nearly purred, claws grazing Zoe's neck.
"Let her go, right now." Freya demanded, taking a step closer to the pair. The woman shook her head, an eery smile stretching across her face.
"You aren't even curious about who I am?" She asked, claws moving away from Zoe's neck. Freya felt the slightest bit of relief at that, but refused to show it. "I'm disappointed. I thought you'd be more excited to finally face the person who really killed your beloved Maya." Freya froze momentarily, before she felt anger flood through her veins.
"The man who killed Maya is gone. Don't you ever speak her name again." She snarled, lightning cracking in the sky as she spoke.
"Do you know how easy it is to point evidence towards someone? Especially when they're blindly devoted, and are willing to take the fall for a murder? You killed a pawn, but I'm the queen." The woman said, and harshly shoved Zoe to the side. She hit the ground, and continued to roll away to the side, yelping in surprise.
"You bitch," Freya shouted, lunging towards the woman, slashing at her with her katana. The woman easily dodged the attack, swiping with her claws to hit across Freya's cheek.
"My name's Kana, actually." The woman said, dancing around Freya with ease. She was clearly faster, which meant Freya had to rethink her plan of attack. "I killed Maya and now, finally, I'm going to kill you," Kana taunted, swiping at Freya's back, leaving long claw marks in the skin. Freya hissed in pain, swiftly turning to swing her katana, but Kana had already moved out of the way.
"Freya!" Zoe yelled in fear, making her concentration waver. Freya took a moment to glance at the little girl, but a moment was all Kana needed. Claws dug into Freya's abdomen, dragging themselves upwards through the flesh. Freya cried out in pain, sending out a pulse of electricity, making Kana fly backwards, landing in a storefronts window.
Zoe ran towards Freya, who pressed her hands over the gaping wounds in her stomach. Blood flowed steadily from the wounds, bubbling up through her fingers. Freya cursed herself for getting distracted — you never turned away from an unknown enemy, especially not one that's faster than you.
"Zoe, you need to run." Freya said, trying to keep her voice as steady as possible. "Take this, and run." She held her katana out to Zoe with a bloodied hand. Zoe sniffled, shaking her head furiously in protest.
"I can help you." She sobbed, and Freya wanted to start crying too. She wasn't strong enough to protect Zoe from Kana, so she needed to run. Her katana would keep the girl safe until she found help, hopefully Rick.
"Help me by getting Rick, Z. Can you do that?" Freya asked gently. Zoe froze for a moment, but then nodded, determination in her eyes. Footsteps crunching over shattered glass made Freya acutely aware that Kana was coming. "Go, Zoe, run! Get back to the apartment!" Freya commanded, and Zoe stood, taking off at a dead run, going as fast as she could. Freya smiled, before she saw Kana stop in front of her. She sighed in defeat, staring up at her.
"I will not beg for my life." Freya spat out, and Kana grinned maliciously. Freya watched Kana raise a clawed hand, before it swiftly raked across her throat, cutting it open, tearing through her carotid artery. Freya choked for a moment, the blood pouring out over her body, and bubbling up her throat as she gasped for breath one last time. Her last thoughts were of Zoe, and praying to anyone or anything out there, that she would be okay.
–•–•–
Rick Flag entered the apartment, finding it empty. He walked into the main living area, confusion washing over him. It had been hours, and they should have been back from Zoe's dance rehearsal now. As Rick ran his hand along the kitchen counter, the front door slammed open. Zoe ran in frantically, kicking the door shut behind her and locking it. He immediately recognized Freya's katana in her shaking hands.
"Zoe, what's wrong? Where's Freya?" Rick asked, crouching down in front of her. Zoe sobbed hysterically, dropping the katana onto the floor.
"I tried to help, I'm so sorry." She cried, and Rick felt something akin to panic rise up in him, but he forced it down.
"Slow down, Zoe. What happened?" Rick asked slowly, frowning at her.
"Freya's dead!" She shouted with a sob, before crumpling into the soldier's arms. Rick's blood ran cold as the words sank in — Freya Yukimura was dead.
