Gunner looked at the Guardian as he told him not to lose his cool. He nodded, all he wanted to do right now was to get to Anna. If that meant having to remain as calm as he could, then he was going to do just that. He took a deep breath and glanced at Serena. She reached up and pulled her hair back into a ponytail, smart it gave the Strigoi less to grab. She seemed ready although a little scared, he guessed that was how he would feel in this situation, if he wasn't so pissed. 

Then Guardian Belikov ran forward and the battle began. Both of the Novices took out their stakes and charged. 

Serena met her first and ducked under his arm as he swung it. He was a Moroi, which was good for Serena, it meant that he didn't really know how to fight. She spun under his arms and grabbed the one he had swung at her. She pulled him forward over her hip and managed to toss him to the ground. She made quick work of staking him. She didn't have a moment to recover before she was being tossed aside like a rag doll by her second Strigoi. She rolled as she hit the ground and quickly got to her feet. Her stake was still in the heart of the first Strigoi... Which was an issue. The Strigoi stalked toward her, with a sickening grin. Serena turned and jumped onto the wall before spinning around and kicking the Strigoi in the face. As it was stunned, she raced over to her stake and slid on her knees to it. She placed her knee on the shoulder of the dead Strigoi and pulled the stake out as the Strigoi raced over to her. She gasped getting ready to be thrown or punched or kicked, only to see the Strigoi's clothes go up in flames. Serena didn't miss a beat, getting to her feet and sending the stake into its heart. 

Once she had it back out, she ran over to Sebastian. Her head was bleeding, along with her lip but she could have been worse for wear.
~
Gunner ran up to the Strigoi and immediately picked his two. He swung his stake, scratching the chest of the first. The Strigoi retaliated and punched him in the face, causing him to stagger a little. He turned around and stabbed his stake into the Strigoi's neck, who stared at him with wide eyes. He removed it quickly and stabbed it into the heart of the undead bastard. He turned to the next and dispatched of it quickly before running his shoulder into the door that Sebastian said Anna was through, not bothering with door handles. He spotted her immediately and ran over to her, gathering her into his arms, "I'm sorry, Anna," He whispered before looking to Anya wide eyed.