Chapter 2:

It was almost sunset, about time for Reese's shift to end on a fine Saturday. She had time to buy groceries before walking back to the inn. By this hour, she isn't sure why there are quite a few people around near the inn. Then she remembered about the event somewhere at the town square, everybody else must have gone there. She didn't have time to spare to visit the place, not like she cared anyway.

Just a few paces along the corner of the street passing by a narrow alley, she felt some sort of a negative vibration like there's someone watching her. She could feel it, though there's nobody there, so she ignored it but kept herself alerted. The yellow street lights started flicking strangely. She cautiously glanced at her back, not realizing that she was about to be assaulted behind her back. Suddenly, she was shoved by the wall in the dim alley, being pinned with force by muscular arms. The man shoved her mouth before she could scream. Reese panicked as she tried to struggle from the man's grip but it was useless, only stopping when the mysterious man took out his knife, pointing its edge on her cheek. "I know you..." The man hissed, making Reese confused since she had no idea who this person is. She could hardly even see his face. "Now where is it?" Reese tried to struggle again, kicking her leg and hitting his stomach. She was able to break free from his tight grip but he managed to clench her arm, considering that he's twice bigger than her. "What do you want!" screamed Reese, trying to resist. "Don't play dumb with me girl, I know who you are!" The strange man growled angrily. She stared at him with wide and fretful eyes. No matter how much she tried to remember, she was sure that she has no idea who this man is. So how come he knows her? Just then, something shoved the man away by some powerful force, finally freeing Reese. She fell on her knees, feeling dazed at a moment, but relieved when she realized that it was an organoid who rammed the man away. "R-Raven…" She whispered, realizing after a second that the other man and the organoid is neither Raven, Shadow nor Specula. "V-Van!" She gasped nervously. "You better get out of here before that guy gets to you again. I don't think that he's the gentleman type." Said Van. As much as she wanted to, Reese felt weak to even stand up. Her limbs kept shaking and her face has turned pale from the surprise she got earlier. The man got back up on his feet despite the attack he received from Zeke, glaring with vicious eyes. "Is this guy made up of steel or what?" Van took out his gun, pointing it at the strange man. "Don't make any move or I'll shoot!"

"I'll get back to you later—" In a sudden, a black organoid hovered from above, slamming its head at the man, toppling a few meters away that could possibly dislocate his limbs.

"How about if I finish you off for good." muttered Raven fiercely. "Who the hell do you think you are anyway?"

Specula supported Reese to stand up. "Raven…" she said in a soft tone.

"Are you alright?" Raven stared at her closely, both hands on her shoulders. His eyes turned unease as he stared at her face, her pale cheeks turning red and water forming in her terrified eyes that she tried to hold in. She broke down from repressing her emotions. Raven embraced his arms around to comfort her. "Come on, let's get inside before Mrs. Grey finds out."

"Uh, hellooo? What am I, chopped liver? I'm the one who came to the rescue here." Van raised his voice when he was left unnoticed. Raven replied at him with a blank stare.

"Very well, thanks for your help."

"I was kind of expecting something else, like an info of some sort about why that guy just assaulted Reese." Said Van with a demanding tone on his voice, but it's not like Raven knew what to say even if he asked.

Before Raven could verbalize what was in his mind, he began to start feeling pain in his chest. Reese had to give extra effort to keep him balanced. "I can't believe I'm saying this but, do you mind if we discussed inside our room?"

Without a second thought in his mind, Van even assisted to help Raven into their room. Shadow doesn't seem to mind, but still probably thinking why an enemy would want to offer help. Moments later, Raven was already resting, leaving Rease to take care of trying to accommodate a guardian force soldier. "It looks like he's in a pretty bad shape. Ever had a doctor to look at him?" asked Van.

"Twice already." Rease replied. "Unfortunately, all the medicine that they prescribed for him doesn't seem to work. The only option I could think of is bringing him to a hospital in the city where everything else is, you know, advance. In a small town like this, it seems like every resource is limited."

"So when are you planning to do that?" asked Van. Reese fell silent for a second, thinking of the words to say that jumbled in her mind. She took a glance at Raven who is unconscious. "The city is miles away from here, I just don't think that he's strong enough to go on a long trip yet."

Van began to ponder to himself as well. He has never expected to see his greatest rival this way. He's a person after all, despite all the trouble he gave in the past. There's just no telling what could happen next to these people. "How's about if I make a proposal."

Reese wondered. "What kind?"

"I'll bring him to a hospital wherein he'll be 100% treated with the finest doctors and medicine that could cure his illness." The ancient zoidian stared at him with shock.

"You would do that… for him?" She murmured. "Why?"

A grin formed on the lieutenant's face. "I don't know, I just felt like saying so!" He snickered, making Reese a little confused. And then, his expression turned calm in a deep thought. "You might be probably sick and tired of people like me who are trying to be a hero all the time, but…" He paused. "…then again, I have a feeling that I might feel bad if I leave you guys like this. Raven did had a fair share with stopping Hiltz and Prozen, right?"

"What will you possibly want in return?" asked Reese, on the verge of accepting Van's offer.

He showed a beaming smile at her, as if he is keeping something sly inside his cunning head. "I'll tell you eventually. So is that a yes?"

Reese almost looked skeptic, hesitating in agreeing to his terms. Although, if it's the only way to help Raven, her only option is to agree with him.

(End of chapter 2)