Maria Grace soared through the sky, perched above Eijin, who struggled to restrain Mika. Utilizing the flight capabilities of their battle suits, Maria's team descended from their spaceships and touched down in front of Eijin. Simultaneously, the other squad landed near the fallen Shadow Rippers.
"Secure them all!" Maria Grace commanded. "Alpha, Omega, Beta squad, contain them. Attend to the wounded Shadow Rippers and stop their bleeding."
As Maria Grace approached Eijin, Joyce swiftly intervened, halting her progress. "Ma'am, it's still not safe. We must secure the area first," Joyce advised. "Elite squad, Delta squad, apprehend them!" she ordered.
"Release the girl!" commanded Drex, the leader of the elite squad, as they aimed their weapons at Eijin.
But Maria Grace swiftly intervened, her authoritative voice cutting through the tension. "Put your weapons down!" she ordered, walking slowly towards them.
Eijin, however, had something unexpected to say. "I believe the name of this team member of yours is Mika," he stated calmy. "I can't let go of her just yet. Help me calm her down. She doesn't seem to be in control of her own body. She underwent a transformation a while ago, and you might know how to restrain her."
Maria Grace and her squad were taken aback by Eijin's revelation.
"Wait, when did Mika acquire this ability?" Maria Grace wondered aloud. "Drex, use our R3-M cuffs on Mika," she commanded once again.
Drex turned to Cyrille, the only female member of their squad, who always carried the Magic type cuffs. She cautiously approached Eijin and swiftly applied the cuffs to Mika's back. In an instant, a mechanical tendril-like appendage emerged and enveloped Mika's hands, feet, and neck, completely immobilizing her.
With the restraints in place, Eijin loosened his embrace and gently placed Mika on the ground.
"All squads, gather Mika and the others and meet at Selene's location," Maria Grace instructed the entire team.
"Roger, ma'am," all four squad leaders responded in unison, saluting.
"Joyce, Drex, you two go ahead. I'll follow," Maria Grace declared.
"But ma'am..." Joyce and Drex expressed their confusion. They were concerned about leaving her vulnerable, especially since Joyce had only met Eijin once and didn't fully trust him, and Drex had no prior knowledge of him.
Maria Grace, already aware of their thoughts, calmly reassured them. "I'll be fine. He's the one who saved Kristine and the others."
Joyce remained still, hesitant to leave Maria Grace behind, even though the rest of the squad had already departed.
"Joyce," Maria Grace said, her gaze fixed on her. She understood Joyce's concerns, but she needed to gather information from Eijin. Knowing his vigilante nature, he wouldn't easily reveal any information, especially to others.
Sensing the tension, Eijin spoke up. "Your team was attacked by a powerful group. We don't know their identity, their purpose, or who is behind the attack. I arrived late, and your team was already overwhelmed," he explained.
"But you still managed to defeat them all," Maria Grace interjected. "For that, the entire organization is indebted to you."
Realizing that their director and this mysterious ally had a connection, Joyce decided it was safe to leave, knowing Maria Grace was in good hands.
As Joyce departed, Maria Grace slowly approached Eijin, her eyes scanning the surroundings for any potential threats. She then embraced Eijin, her voice trembling with nervousness. "Forgive me, but I can't get you out of my mind ever since we met," she confessed.
Eijin was taken aback by her words, unable to respond immediately. Instead, he replied, "We haven't made a decision yet about joining your team."
"Eijin, where are you?" Mara's worried thoughts reached out to Eijin telepathically. "They're going to arrest us," she expressed with concern.
"I'll be there right away," Eijin responded, projecting his voice and thoughts simultaneously.
Maria Grace sensed the urgency in Eijin's voice.
"My team needs help. Your squad is holding my friends. I have to go now," Eijin stated.
"Take me with you," Maria Grace pleaded, holding onto him tightly. "I can handle this. It's just a misunderstanding." And in an instant, they teleported to where Mara and the others were.
The group was taken aback as Eijin and Maria Grace suddenly appeared before them. Eijin swiftly separated himself from Maria Grace and made his way towards his friends, who were inside Mara's protective force field. Elise stood behind Mara, holding her clothes, while Rachel maintained a composed stance. Surrounding them were soldiers, some laying injured and others pointing their weapons. While Selene and Michelle seem to be engaged in a heated argument.
Maria Grace wasted no time and addressed Selene directly. "Selene, what is going on?" she inquired, her tone filled with concern and urgency.
"Ma'am, I believe we should take them all to headquarters to gather more information," Selene responded promptly.
"Ma'am Grace, we can simply detain those who attacked us and let those who helped us go," Michelle interjected, her voice filled with frustration.
Maria Grace turned her attention back to Selene. "Have you secured all of the attackers?" she asked, seeking confirmation.
"Yes, ma'am. They are ready for transport," Selene confirmed.
"Very well, listen everyone," Maria Grace began, addressing the entire group. "I understand that we have protocols and guidelines, but I will take full responsibility for this. They saved us not just once, and if it weren't for them, our Shadowstrike squad would have been wiped out by now."
Selene attempted to initiate telepathic communication, but Maria Grace swiftly shut her down.
"Anyone who disagrees, I am willing to be taken in their place," Maria Grace declared with utmost seriousness.
All of them fell silent as Maria Grace made her bold statement.
As tears streamed down Mika's face, her hair and eyes reverted to their original red color. Michelle immediately rushed to Mika's side, removing the R3-M cuffs. They embraced each other tightly, tears flowing uncontrollably.
"Team, take all the attackers into custody. Ensure they are kept alive and well. We need to gather information," Selene suddenly instructed, her voice filled with determination.
"Yes, ma'am!" all the soldiers responded in unison, even those who had previously attempted to arrest Rachel, Mara, and Elise. They stood up, expressing their apologies. "We're sorry, ma'am," they declared.
Rachel managed to force a smile, while Mara playfully made tongue gestures.
Eijin approached Selene, expressing his gratitude. "Thank you," he said sincerely.
The atmosphere was filled with mixed emotions, as the team worked to reconcile their differences and move forward.
As Eijin exposed half of his face to Selene, her cheeks flushed red. "WTF!" she thought to herself, taken aback by the sudden surge of admiration she felt for the young man before her. She couldn't help but be captivated by his presence, even though she could only see his nose, one eye, and mouth.
Eijin then passed by Kristine, whispering softly, "Take care of your team."
Tears welled up in Kristine's eyes as she held Eijin's hands, expressing her gratitude. Her voice barely audible due to her weakened state from the attack, but Eijin could read her lips and feel the gratitude through her touch.
Eijin approached Maria Grace, expressing his gratitude. "Thank you so much for your unwavering trust. I will be in touch," he said before making his way back to his team.
"I'll be in touch," Maria Grace repeated in disbelief, her eyes widening. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. All she had wanted was for Eijin to join their team.