Chapter 43: Strange Reaction

[Third Person's PoV] 

Wanda continued to look at Stephen, her expression filled with both apology and shame as she massaged her now fully healed hand. The flickering lights in the dim room cast shadows on her face, accentuating her troubled gaze.

"What's with that look?" Stephen asked, raising an eyebrow as they were still sat on the ground. "Didn't I tell you it was alright? I get it—you were just surprised, seeing it for the first time."

Wanda shook her head softly. "That's not all," she murmured. "You went and saved me, risked your life to set me free, and the first thing I did was accuse you of being involved in my imprisonment... when I should have been nothing but grateful."

Before she could say more, Wanda gasped as Stephen flicked her forehead. "Ouch!" she exclaimed, wide-eyed, staring at him in shock. "What was that for?" she muttered, rubbing her forehead.

Stephen shrugged nonchalantly, his eyes glinting with mischief. "Honestly, it just felt like the right thing to do. You were being stupid."

"How was I being stupid?" Wanda asked, still rubbing the sore spot, a slight pout forming on her lips.

"Because you're worrying about something so small, even though I told you it's fine. If I were in your shoes, I probably would have reacted the same way. Hell, I might actually have something to do with whoever imprisoned you—could've been some ancestor of mine. So, technically, you weren't wrong."

A soft smile crept onto Wanda's face as she looked at him. He was trying to reassure her in his own strange way, and it worked. "You still didn't have to flick me on the forehead, though," she said, giving him a playful glare and pouting even more.

Stephen chuckled and stood up from where he'd been sitting on the floor, offering a hand to Wanda. "Well, stop being stupid, and I won't have to do it again."

Wanda let out a small laugh, slipping her hand into his as he helped her to her feet. The warmth of his hand was reassuring.

Stephen sighed as he massaged his own forehead, his expression clouding over.

"What's wrong?" Wanda asked, tilting her head, concern flashing in her eyes.

"I'm just trying to figure out what to tell the others," Stephen admitted. "I can't exactly hide you forever, but I also don't know how they'll react. Maybe I can talk to the captain... get you into the Magic Knight squad. But I'm not sure how it'll go down."

"Captain? Magic Knight squad?" Wanda asked, the terms foreign to her. She tilted her head in confusion, her brow furrowing slightly.

Stephen realized she had no idea about any of this. "Right, sorry. You're in the base of the Black Bulls, in the Clover Kingdom. Magic Knights are... Well, they're protectors of the kingdom. Kind of like soldiers, but with magic. Our squad, the Black Bulls, is a bit different from the rest—more misfits than knights..." Stephen went on a rant and explained about all he could to Wanda about where she was. 

Wanda's eyes gleamed with curiosity as she listened to his explanation. "I see... Well, in that case, I suggest we be honest," she said thoughtfully. "If the Black Bulls are a bunch of misfits, then I'll fit right in. There's no better misfit than me," she added proudly.

Stephen gave her a little shake of the head, smiling at her boldness. "That's not exactly something to brag about."

"It could be!" Wanda exclaimed, a little offended, her lips pursed.

Stephen rolled his eyes but couldn't hide his grin. "Alright, alright. But you do have a point though, Honesty might be the best route. Let's go with that. Follow me."

Without hesitation, Wanda followed closely behind, her hand clutching the back of Stephen's clothing as if afraid to lose him in the unfamiliar surroundings.

…

"AND THEN YUNO SENT THE GUY FLYING BACK WITH HIS WIND MAGIC!" Asta shouted, standing on the table, enthusiastically retelling their recent dungeon adventure. The Black Bulls were all gathered, laughing and listening intently. Even Yami sat nearby, his hand resting on his katana interested in their dungeon exploration.

Suddenly, a strange crackling sound echoed through the room. The space itself seemed to splinter, like glass breaking in mid-air. Conversations halted, and everyone tensed. Yami's hand instinctively tightened on his sword.

The tension eased slightly as Stephen stepped through the strange fracture in space, followed by a girl clutching his clothes, peeking out nervously from behind him. Wanda kept her head down, hiding from the curious eyes of the Black Bulls.

The room fell silent, all eyes on the mysterious duo, until Yami finally spoke up, his deep voice breaking the quiet. "What's with the girl, gramps?"

Stephen scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Funny story, actually. I found her... trapped in a crystal in the dungeon. So, uh, I broke her out and brought her back here."

The room remained dead silent for a moment. Yami sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Gramps... looks like old age is finally catching up to you. You've gone senile."

Stephen opened his mouth to protest, but Wanda spoke up before he could. "He's not lying," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I was trapped in that crystal for over five hundred years... until Stephen freed me."

"OVER 500 YEARS?!" The entire squad erupted in shock, even Vanessa, who had been casually drinking, sobered up at the revelation.

Stephen's expression hardened as he glanced at Wanda. "What's worse... is that she was conscious the entire time."

Yami's face darkened as he locked eyes with Stephen. "Are you an idiot? You broke someone out who was sealed away for centuries without telling anyone first? What if she's dangerous?"

Stephen shook his head confidently, tapping the Eye of Agamotto around his neck. "Don't worry. I could see through all deception. She's not dangerous."

Yami's gaze lingered on the Eye of Agamotto for a moment as ever since Stephen's been a member he always had it on, he then turned to Wanda. "Hey, little lady, are you strong?"

Wanda blinked, unsure how to answer at first. "I'd say I'm fairly strong... yes."

"Good. You're in," Yami said with a grunt, raising a thumb. "Welcome to the Black Bulls."

Wanda blinked in surprise. "Wait... that's it?"

Yami scoffed. "You said you're strong, didn't you? That's good enough for me. You're an honorary Black Bull now!"

Before Wanda could protest further, Vanessa conjured a Black Bulls robe out of thin air and draped it over Wanda's shoulders. Charmy's sheep scooped her up without warning, setting her down at the table with the rest of the squad.

"You poor thing!" Charmy exclaimed, her sheep bringing out plates upon plates of food. "Being trapped in a crystal for that long without eating anything? That's a crime against food! Eat up!"

Wanda hesitated, glancing at Stephen for reassurance. He simply nodded with a smile, encouraging her. Taking a deep breath, she cut into the steak in front of her and took a small bite.

The moment the food touched her tongue, Wanda froze. Tears welled up in her eyes as she tasted real food for the first time in centuries. She took another bite, more tears flowing down her face. "This is... so good," she cried softly. "Thank you... thank you so much."

Charmy and the others watched her with pity as she ate, crying through every bite. One by one, the Black Bulls gathered around her, encouraging her to try different dishes, each member eager to make her feel welcome.

Yami, meanwhile, gestured for Stephen to follow him outside. Stephen nodded, giving Wanda one last glance before heading out with Yami, wondering what the captain would say next.

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