An Unwanted Invitation - Part 2

* Castle in the Sky - DJ Satomi *

AN: to be honest, it's just a weird song that doesn't even match the mood, but it's helping me focus so...

***

PUUFFF!!

A small shockwave could be felt in the air as Mr. Holland caught her foot midair and retreated backwards with raised hands to signal his defeat.

Solidifying her mana under her foot, Raven landed with the grace of an owl and looked the old ranker in the eyes.

Mr. Holland was so impressed by the girl's performance and conduct that he had a wide grin across his face and his professional attitude was long gone.

He had felt when she had changed her tactics at the spur of the moment as not to injure one of the teens behind the rankers or her family behind herself.

"What did I tell you, Bell?" Jaime said with a smirk as he walked over to stand by Camilla's side. "She's a hard but sweet cookie."

"I never said I didn't believe you, Mr. Oliver. I just wanted to see for myself," said Mr. Holland as he dusted and reorganized his suit and retied his red tie.

"Here," he said as he threw a business card towards Raven who caught it between her index and middle finger.

"I can't force you to join us as helping people isn't something that can be done forcefully," Mr. Holland said as he waved his hand goodbye and retreated to the mansion's gate with William Green and Yaski Sorushima, "but after witnessing your potential, I'd be lying if I said it's not a huge loss for the EDA and humanity as a whole, not to have you among our ranks."

Waiting a little bit for them to be farther, Ted started to talk, "May I know why you're against joining the EDA? And forget that I'm a ranker or the one who had saved you before, just give me your answer at face value, please."

Looking at him and releasing a breath she didn't know she she was holding in her lungs, Raven said, "I don't want to be bound by any organisation, EDA or not. I'm not against helping people, but if I'm away who knows where helping some strangers, who's going to protect my family?"

Hearing her words, Ted could tell that she had more to say, but even without the full answer, he could easily tell that it was part of the truth.

"Hm..." he looked up the sky, trying to think for a moment before replying back, "I certainly see your point, how about we make a compromise?"

"Care to elaborate?" Raven asked with open arms and a silly face, making fun of the S ranker in front of her, even though her eyes weren't joking.

"I don't have any authority over the EDA Rankers' Course but I can talk to Mr. Holland and see what he thinks about it.

"I think his main concern is having you with us, as it's not a secret by now that you have the potential to easily become an S ranker. And having a rough S ranker isn't optimal for the EDA as the amount of damage that can be done by one is massive.

"So, we might be able to offer you admissions to the course, and you can go through with it for the sake of learning the rules and increasing your control over your powers, so it's safer for yourself and the people around you.

"And in return, you'd give us your service whenever we're in sever need for personnel. I think that's the best solutions for both sides, especially with your age and the schooling you still have to complete.

"Well, after they fix the schools and such. Anyhow, what do you think?" he finally asked Raven after completing his proposal.

Thinking about it, Raven found it a rather good chance to measure other people's strength and get introduced to different abilities and powerful rankers.

"Give me a while to think about it. Ask that old dude and see what he thinks about it." she finally said.

"Err, sure thing. But please refrain from calling him that. He's a powerful S ranker that got his position by proving himself honourably-"

"Spare me your words please, I'm thankful for you healing me, sure. But the moment you start talking in the EDA's name, you remind me that you were only doing your job.

"Like a medic saving someone's life because the Code of Honour, but after that they're complete strangers.

"You shouldn't expect a special treatment, nor do I owe you anything. If you're done, please show yourself the way out."

"Man... you be staying people left and right, huh?" Jamie's remark didn't go unnoticed as Camilla nudged him a little too hard in the ribs.

"Want your tongue intact? Keep your mouth shut." She simply said.

*sigh*

Giving a deep sigh, Ted looked at the little girl with a smile, "you're right, you owe me nothing, and I've never expected anything in return.

"But heck you are one reckless girl! I was scared I'd have to scrape your remains off of the ground the moment you joined the fight... glad I was mistaken.

"Anyhow, take care, I hope to see you soon... err, in a better condition too." he said lastly with a wave and left to follow Mr. Holland.

It surprised Raven that he could see through her, as she wasn't in the best condition right now, mentally and physically.

"I can stay right?" Jaime asked, pointing to himself with a big pleading smile in his face.

"You're Camilla's problem, not mine." Raven answered bluntly.

"Girl, you're so cruel!" he complained.

"Want my truthful opinion?" Raven raised an eyebrow.

"Err, no... thanks," he said in defeat.

The four teens were astonished by the events of the past minute that their minds seemed to short-circuit.

They knew from the footage, timings, and all of the other evidence that Draven has turned into Raven.

The satellite image captured the moment when the transformation happened. And the EDA had asked for their help in locating her.

Since they knew she spent most of her time in Maria, or Ms. Bawlden's house, rather than her mother the mayor, it wasn't so much of a problem.

But seeing how everything had turned out to be was surprising to say the least.

Especially with how their classmate treated the EDA rankers that so happened to be some of the best S rankers.

Everyone knew Jaime and Ted, but they couldn't believe how they looked like a clueless kid and a teen that has lost his cat in an accident, respectively. And all of that was a result of Raven's actions.

'What happened to my cool angel boy...?' Rachel thought as she looked at the crimson-purple haired girl I'm front of her.

***

"What do you think, sir?" William Green asked Mr. Holland the moment they were out of the gates.

"Call me Mr. Holland haha, no need for extreme formality." Mr. Holland said with a smile as he was in a wonderful mood.

"To be honest, I'm surprised, and needless to say, I'm not easily surprised." He said as he inspected his hand, the one he used to catch the girl's silent super sonic kick.

Seeing how his hand shook uncontrollably as well as the burning marks on it, made him happier.

"It's been a while since someone this powerful had appeared." he said with a big grin as he clenched his injured hand and embraced the pain. "Our unit's position is currently at its worse as we don't have enough powerful rankers.

"Without Mr. Oliver and Mr. Baker taking care of the most urgent things, we'd practically be a bunch of low rankers."

"But sir, Mr. Holland, almost everyone is a rank A or above-"

"Exactly... so weak. However, with her on our side, we might be able to help on a national level. We have to find someone to clear all of these gates or portals that have appeared all over the globe.

"Sooner or later, the main unit will be calling for our rankers." he finished.

"Don't you think she's too dangerous, Mr. Holland?" Yaski Sorushima asked again with a tensed expression, "it's not confirmed yet, but we believe that she has connections to the runes site to the North.

"As myself and Mr. Green were searching her history, I found out that she was kidnapped by Lady Luck, and that she's escaped around that time period when the place had exploded and produced those ruins.

"Many people died in that explosio-"

"Do you have any evidence?" Mr. Holland cut her off, as he was feeling his mood already ruined.

"Not quite... we can't find witnesses as anyone in that area had died. Even Lady Luck and her assistant are nowhere to be found." Yaski replied.

"Well, there you have it, find me evidence and I'll make sure she spends her entire life compensating for what she's done.

"If you ask me though, she can't be the one who did that. If I remember correctly, that other girl, Maya, she was with her too, right?"

"Correct, Mr. Holland."

"Yes, she won't kill everyone and then decide saving her alone. Plus, it was way before her powers had spiked up.

"Something happened specifically when she almost died and got treated by Ted, he mentioned something about her stealing his mana."

"But Mr. Ho-"

"Enough, Ms. Sorushima. Find evidence then come back to me. Understood?"

"Yes, Mr. Holland." Yaski didn't hate the girl, rather was scared of her. 'What if she's not morally bad, just bad at controlling her powers? That would explain it...' she thought but her mouth wouldn't move to argue back to her boss.