The stand off was inside a large apartment on the sixth floor of the building. Despite the traditional look on the outside, the inside of the house was very much modern. The people inside were split, huddled together in groups of two or three. Some were sniveling, others frowning and most were simply trembling.

The woman at the center of it all had a knife and a gun! A fact that Sienna had learned from Wayo as he led her upstairs. The enforcers on the balcony and windows were the ones who reported this to him, as he had not been inside the house.

"Chair," Sienna said.

Linera marched to the dining table, and dragged back a chair, scraping its feet against the glassy black and silver tiles. Once Sienna plopped down, she went further to carry over a coffee table for her, and Mija unloaded the bag, placing coffee and oat carrot cakes down.

Sienna grinned at the astounded gawkers, "I didn’t have breakfast. I hope you will all be understanding as we resolve this." She picked up the vacuum cup and looked at Mrs. Wit. The woman was thin, tired, with red hair like a nest on fire. "Be a dear and put the weapons away. Nobody is going anywhere until we iron this out. As long as you are the wronged party, I will see to it that the charges don’t stick."

Wayo’s head spun so quickly that his neck almost snapped. Could she make such a promise?

Sienna took a sip of coffee, and for a moment, basked in the warmth of the liquid as it seeped into her body. "Let’s begin by splitting you into two groups. Who belongs to which family and what is your relationship with Mrs. Wit?"

Nobody dared to move.

"What are you doing?" Mrs. Wit asked nervously, waving her weapons.

Mija replied for Sienna, with confidence, "Lady Si wants to save time. Bad guys on one side, wrong place, wrong time one another, good guys on another. Like a courtroom. This way, we know which side to look when accusations are being made."

Mrs. Wit nodded eagerly. She pointed the gun at a man that was holding a vase like a woman. "Durand, you and your nasty family, over there. Move or I shoot. I sense any waves of mental or physical energy in the air, I shoot. This is a a wave gun, so don’t play around."

Wave guns could go around most waves of mental strength. Only beast men above SS rank could deflect the bullet. The weapon was supposed to be only available to soldiers. But every once in a while, one made its way into the hands of a commoner.

The presence of the gun explained why the tribal vanguard had called in the enforcers.

People shuffled around, splitting into two groups.

"That’s his family to the right, and this is mine, to the left." Mrs. Wit informed Sienna, waving the gun around like a pointer.

There were nine people all together, including Mrs. Wit. Five were from her husband’s family, their similar grey fox ears giving that away. Mrs. Wit’s family had three people, a father and daughter with red ears, like Mrs. Wit and a mother with mixed white and black ears.

"So, what happened?" Sienna asked, taking another sip of coffee casually.

Mrs. Wit roared, "You people from the office of women and cubs. You happened. You are supposed to help victims, to stand up for women suffering in the tribe. But do you do that...no! I have been waiting for months for your help. Where have you been?"

"At the sea side, eating strawberries, grilled fish and honey cakes." Sienna replied.

80% of the people in the room, and those outside were flabbergasted. Could she be serious for even one minute?

"What Lady Sienna is saying," Mija said loudly, "is that she was not the one in charge of the office previously. Everyone knows Lady Cadelaria was running it until three days ago. My lady has been dealing with the matters of the plague and other tribal business, she didn’t have time to focus on her work. Now that the fox lord has returned, she can bring focus where it needs to be." She gestured to Mrs. Wit. "Like on you. So, feel free to enlighten us on what led to the stand off."

But before she could talk, her husband, Mr, Durand, cut in. "She doesn’t have anything to say. Lady Sienna, my wife is not well. You can’t listen to her."

Sienna replied quickly, "It’s not your turn to talk. Everyone will get their chance."

"Then let the elders go first." Mr. Durand Wit’s mother shouted. "That damn mad woman is full of lies. She makes up stories all the time. Listening to her is a waste of time."

Mrs. Wit touched the trigger of the gun, but she didn’t pull immediately. "I am not mad," she screamed, "I am not mad. I am not mad."

Sienna looked at her aunt. Linera leaped straight to Mr. Durand and slapped him.

There were some gasps.

"If someone from this side of the family speaks without an invitation, you will be slapped." Sienna declared.

Mr. Wit’s cheeks seemed to sag. "What do you mean? Why am I the one to be slapped?"

"Your family, your problem." Sienna replied with a smile.

Not one person in the room had a straight face after she declared that. They all looked at Sienna like she was insane.

"Are you going to let her do this?" Mr. Wit shouted to Wayo and the enforcers. "A civilian is being abused. Shouldn’t you step in?"

"Sir, calm down, you are making a scene." Wayo replied.

Mr. Wit’s mouth dropped open for a second. He pointed to his chest, "I am making a scene! Are you blind?"

He was slapped again.

Mr. Wit’s mother huffed. She started to shout and wail, "This is not fair, we are the innocent ones here. This mad woman is holding us hostage, and the matriarch has teamed up with law enforcement to bully us. Where is justice? I will make sure I sue you all the way to beast palace."

The next four slaps on her son’s cheek stunned her into immediate silence.

"Four sentences, four slaps." Linera said with satisfaction. "Keep going if you dare."

Mr. Wit looked at his mother with a plea in his eyes. ’Mom, please shut up,’ his eyes eyes seemed to say.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Wit looked at her gun and knife, wondering if everyone had forgotten that she had real weapons.