Harem Legion: Queens of the Apocalypse-Chapter 23 Give Me a Goddamn Hair Clip

"Turn around! How’s she supposed to change with you staring?"

A woman behind Grace shot Magnus a scornful glance like he was an idiot.

Turn around? Was that still necessary?

In his last life, during the days with the Ice Regiment, people didn’t care for modesty - changing clothes, even bathing, was done side by side, men and women alike.

This wasn’t peacetime. When food became luxury, who had energy for shame?

Still, Magnus didn’t argue. He twisted his body away, lips tight with silent frustration. Behind him, Grace changed quickly and said, "Okay, you can turn."

While adjusting her clothes, she asked, "Aren’t you working for my sister? Didn’t think she’d allow men in her squad..."

"We don’t have time. Move now if you’re coming," Magnus cut her off. His eyes scanned the dozen women behind her. "It’s dangerous. Out there, you survive or die on your own. If you want to stay, now’s the time."

He wasn’t being cruel. An SUV could hold maybe seven, eight at most. Fourteen people? Not happening.

None of them chose to stay. They rushed down to the first-floor lobby. A woman in her thirties shouted, "My car’s on B1!"

"Mine too! In the basement!" another cried out.

Luckily, most white-collar folks had their own cars. Saved some hassle. Magnus led them all to the B1 safety exit. The moment he reached for the door -

Whoosh!

A massive swarm of black darted straight at them. Magnus yanked the door shut, but too late.

Screams erupted.

"Down! Get on the floor!" Magnus bellowed. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Not that he needed to say it. All thirteen women, Grace included, were already hitting the ground, rolling in panic.

Grace wore motorcycle gear, helmet and all. Plus Magnus had sprayed her with insecticide earlier - those bloodsucking beasts weren’t after her. She was just scared.

But the others weren’t so lucky. Dressed in yoga outfits, skin and hair exposed, they were instantly covered in hand-sized, jet-black mosquitoes.

Insecticide and fire - a classic combo. Left hand, Magnus sprayed; right hand, he gripped his torch. He fired flame jets over the women’s bodies.

Some rolled. Hair caught fire. Clothes flared. Screams turned frantic.

This wasn’t working.

Magnus clenched his jaw and stomped on one of the women, pinning her. "Don’t move!" he shouted.

Then he dragged the others, stacking them - three per row, four rows - like sandbags. When it was done, he blasted fire onto the backs of the top ones, scorching the bugs.

By the end, ten women lived - barely. Two didn’t make it. The ones too close to Magnus had rolled their flimsy yoga wraps off first. No rescue was fast enough.

"What... what do we do now?"

Tears mixed with soot. Desperation hung thick in the parking lot air. Grace finally calmed down a bit, her heart filled with gratitude toward Magnus. If it hadn’t been for the biker suit he gave her, she’d probably be either dead or half-dead-looking by now.

Magnus leaned against the stairwell door, bent over and gasping. When he glanced down at the ten weeping office ladies sitting on the floor, anger flared in his chest. "Cut the damn crying!"

He’d just risked himself hauling them out one by one, stacking them into a human barricade to shelter them from those monsters. But none had cooperated - one he’d just managed to pile on would immediately roll off, forcing him to slap them back into place just to keep the damn wall together.

Their sobs halted sharply. Magnus’s eye caught one woman still clutching her handbag like her life depended on it. He was ready to snap at her but stopped as a thought hit him.

"Any of you got a hair clip? The thin kind, the thinner the better."

They froze, then all started digging through their things. No one dared ask why he needed it - they were scared he’d ditch them and run with Grace. He and Grace had full gear and helmets. The rest? Sitting ducks.

"What do you want it for?" Grace asked, helping him search. She didn’t know what he had in mind, but at this point, she trusted him completely.

"This... will it work?" asked the woman with the handbag. She handed him a small bunch of tiny clips - plain, thin, no decorations. Magnus took them, straightened each one, then turned to address the ten women on the ground.

"Stay right here and get ready. Me and Grace are heading out first. Wrap yourselves up tight - every inch covered. If you don’t have enough clothes, tear them off the dead."

He pointed to the two lifeless corpses beside them and barked, "Everyone clear?"

"Where are you going? Are you leaving us?"

"Don’t leave us!"

"Miss Grace, please talk to your man, tell him not to abandon us! Please!"

The panic in their voices surged, hands reaching, tears flowing. Magnus’s patience snapped.

"Shut up and do what I say!" he roared. "If I really wanted to ditch you, would I still be here yelling? I’d already have dragged Grace out that damn door! From now on, save your questions and follow orders!"

He turned to Grace. "Grace! On ’three’, open the door. Stick close with the torch. Don’t hesitate. Burn anything that moves. Got it?"

"Yes!" Grace’s heart raced - this was her first time facing those things, and she was terrified, but she grit her teeth.

"One! Two! Three - "

At "three", Grace yanked the door open. At the same time, fiery bursts shot from Magnus’s bug spray torch. The two of them, torches blazing, charged straight into the chaos.