Chapter 82: Most Wanted

Rick wasn't sure how to make out the situation. 

She said she knew what she was doing, she said he shouldn't worried...that he should trust her before his telepathy link was ignored. 

Then how was he to explain the blazing fire burning the whole school. He felt his heart stopped and his lips felt dry and cold, his minds kept denying what he's watching. There were cries of anguish parents, sirens blaring and the officials screaming orders. All of it sounded like muffled noises in the background.

He didn't need to think about it. He dashed to the school, toward the dancing flame crackling around, he didn't need to consider his well being with one of his ability being fireproof. He ignored the lack of oxygen and the toxic cloud of smoke covereing the air. Half way through he was in torn between saving any survivor he might find or just made a damn storm but risk losing time for anyone who needed. His mind was going through all the list of abilities he could remember that could help make the situation better, but the fire has spread too far for him to really do anything. 

Rick cursed repeatedly and decided to just drop being fireproof and used his Detector Ability to track anyone alive around him. 

What he found out next almost made him trip to a fire. 

To his utmost disbelief, there were many signs of life that should have been snuffed by the explosion. Feeling there was something wrong with the ability, he went toward the nearest life, which is a couple of girls in janitor's closet. 

They were teary eyed, and looks like the've just woken up from the explosion. They werr supporting one another admist the enclosed room, too afraid to get out. "It's alright, you're safe, help is here" he gave them his outstreched hand and only then when he was fully calm to eased the two girls that he finally noticed. 

The gym was intact. 

Or rather...all the school buildings were intact. 

With explosion that spread the fire almost throughout the school, the buildings doesn't look like it was going collapse. It's like the fire was sticking on to the building without burning it. To test out his theory he stuck out his hand to the fire, the girls beside him screamed from his action. 

5 seconds, nothing happened. 

10 seconds, his hand still looked normal. 

20 seconds, the fire is barely ticklish. 

"That...not possible?" He couldn't help say out loud. He tried putting it out by blowing out water and it works like reguler fire, yet he couldn't understand what kept the fire alive when it's not burning anything, it's as if it's ma...then he was reminded of one person who could do the impossible. 

Rick turned to the girls and explain that the fire doesn't burn and asked if they coud get out by themselves. He felt bad not accompanying them but there are more children who needed his help. The older of the two seemed reluctant to go alone but the other one, who reminded him of Claudia, nodded and while holding her friend's hand, floated and flew away in record speed. He let out a breath then tried reconnecting with Foax. 

Foax can you hear me. 

Rick waited, but even after a minute, no respond was heard. 

Foax...FOAX...dammit JESSICA FOAX CAN YOU HEAR ME!

I told you never to call me that name!

Good...you're alive, can you explain your situation?

...I'm not sure how to explain...

I know...it's surreal for me too with a not-burning-fire spreading everywhere. Unfortunately it's still not safe here from the lack of oxygen so you better use your ability to get people out as many as possible. 

Oh sure...make hundreds of kids bend to my will to get them out without panicking, say that AFTER you're in my shoe numbskull! How many people do you think woke up from the explosion and now running around like a clueless ducks!

...it's a pandemonium is it?

Ya think?

Anyway...if they want to panic, let them panic outside, I'm sure help will be on their way. By the way, is Claudia with you yet?

No, isn't she with you?

Foax's mine could be heard worried. Rick bit his lips and considered to find Claudia or help out Foax. He didn't know how magic works but he wasn't so naive thinking everything could be done without a price. 

Go... said the voice in his head. Check on Claudia, mine and Jeremy's ability could deal with this one way or another. 

Rick wasn't sure what to say other than thanks. He scuttled away to the opposite end, searching for any life signs around. If it weren't for the weird fire, his other tracking abilities would have help but instead he randomly searched for any signs for the black haired girl. 

Come on Claudia where are you?

He stopped short where he was when he saw something that almost stoped his heart. A body was falling down right toward the Research Building and he didn't need to think when he uses Telekinesis and let himself flew toward her with his mind screaming faster, faster!

His arm outstretched and he almost let her hit head fist to the roof but thankfully he caught her in his arms, he slid down the roof until he wedge his feet to the edge, halting their fall. It was hard holding a grown woman in his arm so he turned her back to her original age and watch her shrink. He held on her hand and felt the steady beating of her blood pumping and diagnose of any serious injuries, which she had none other than her broken arm, and sigh in relieve. 

She groan and slowly opened her eye yet she still looks disoriented. "Feeling allright?" I asked. 

"Flying red horses"

"Uhm...I'll take that as a no"

"Hey it's Rick, Hai Rick, have I ever told you you have pretty hair?" Before he could ask what he meant, she grabbed a chunk of his hair and pulled, "I mean I always wanted to be ginger, why can't I be ginger, red has always been my favorite color"

"Okay, that's nice even without the pulling" 

"I mean you were ginger back then as well but you were a lot more handsome, maybe because you were middle-age, I even had a crush on you but that was before you had me chase down a bear"

"You chase a what...you know what never mind, you don't even make sense right now"

"Rick, Riiiiiiiiiiick, Rick, Ri Ri Ri Ri Ri Ri Ri Ri Rick"

"WHAT?!" He said more exasperated than ever. 

"I have a favor to ask you"

"What is it?"

She edge closer to his ear and whispered to him, his eyes went round and looked at her in shock. 

"You're serious?"

She giggle, "No, I'm Claudia"

Rick rolled his eyes, "You know what I'm say-" he was cut off when a pinky was thrust to his face that she might have accidentally picked his nose. 

"Pinky swear with me" she said with a childish pout that made Rick gape at her. 

"You have got to be Jo--"

"Pinky sweaaaaaar"

"All right, all right" he locked his own finger with her small slender one, she began to chuckle happily before she passed out on his arm. He sigh when she finally fell silent and can't help but look at her as she was in peace. He carefully slid her hair of her face, her warm breath tickled his arm, she was slightly pale but more importantly alive. "You work hard today, rest well Claudia" he took her within his arm and they went off where a crowd of people were demanding answers. 

#

-Claudia Robertson-

Okay, maybe firing off a big spell more than 30 feet above the ground may have been a bad plan. As soon as I finished my spell, I shrunk my wand back and clutched it tightly before unconsciousness crept to my head and I fall down without a back up if ever such cases happened. 

Hey to be fair, I was in a hurry, don't blame me! I was panicking over the bomb than the after effect. 

By the way, I'm sure you're curious to what I did. Well that was one of my original spells called [Burnlock] as you can see just like that black flame that sometimes appear won't hurt me, the spell would burn off my magic and absorb the heat so it won't burn anything or harm anyone. It also controlled the air to make sure it doesn't blow off anyone from the blast. 

Okay, back to me. What happened after I black out...I dreamed.

A horrible beautiful dream. 

I was there soaking wet at the river, washing out the blood from my clothes, skin and hair. There were scars all over my arm and I stayed afloat on the river, just gazing at the night sky and the brightly lit stars. 

"Why do the sky look pretty when people had died?" I remembered saying. 

"Because while people change, the sky remain the same" my heart jumped in surprise and i rushed standing to be confronted with my former teacher. To say I was surprised was an understatement, I almost thought it was a trick but my heart knew it was him. 

He still had his rugged bearded chin, his nasty looking eye, his untidy ginger hair and the jade ring he always wore. I was on the verge to run across to river and flung myself to him, to cry and burst out my worries like I did when I was child. 

I did neither of that, I stood my ground with unreadable expression, "what do you want?"

"Do I need a reason to see you lad? It's been what? 4 months since we last each other, I thought I should see how you're doing"

"We have no connection whatsoever with each other, why should you care?" My tone was flat of any emotion but I wondered if I was quivering. 

Chester Rolex had the gal to looked confused, "why would you think that?"

That question cut the string that was holding me back of my emotion, "Oh so were you joking when you said you would expelled me, when I had to choose between what I think is right and to be with the one man I regarded as the only family I had, did you not THREATEN TO CUT OFF TIES WITH ME?!" I was breathing hard by the end of it and Rolex only looks at me with silent straight face. I gritted my teeth and suppressed a growl, I refused to look at him. 

"Was it worth it?" He finally asked. 

A stream of flashback flowed in my mind. Hiding within village to salvage any sorcerer before getting caught, watching innocent getting burned at the stake, fighting battles after battles that came out with both parties receiving casualties, seeing my friend dying in my hand wondering when will it end?

"Yes, it's worth it" I said as a matter of fact but I couldn't look him in the eye. Silence overloom and I thought he was gone after confirming if i had regrets or not, then I felt something cold and metal around my neck and I looked down at my newfound necklace. It had a beautiful engraved cross charm with the word Aeternus at the back and a ruby embedded in it. The charm radiated power and mana flowing in it and I knew what it is when I touched it. 

I turned to find myself face to face once more with my former master. "This is..." I only managed to say before he cut me out. 

"I once said to you when a Teacher gives his student her wand, it would mark as the day they stand together as equals. Claudia Oriente, you may not have been my student anymore but just as I have taught you spells and potion, you have taught me far more important things. You taught me how to care, to love, to fight what you believe and I would like to say no matter what you'll do in the future I am proud to have you as my family and you will always be a family to me. May this charm protect you from the flames of fate of our kin; I just hope that time will never come for you"

My eyes began to blur as tears welled up at each passing word, he smiled kindly at me then came as our forehead touch together and his warm hand was reassuringly at the back of my head. "Happy 17th Birthday Claudia" he whispered before a gust of wind took him away toward the dead of night and I fell on my knees as I cried to the moon how i realized I had a family and I lost it before I know I had it. 

The moon became brighter that I had to close my eyes from it, except I didn't feel I was closing my eyes, instead I was opening them. The first image I saw was my two worried parents. The moment they noticed I woke up, my mother threw her arm around me and almost squeezed the air out of me. "I'm just so glad all my baby girls are okay" she said between tears. Hearing both my sisters were fine took most of the strain on my body, i asked what happened that day after the explosion and my parents just looked at each other, not knowing what to say. 

Oh no, please don't tell me the spell didn't...

"I think watching the news should explain enough, you've only been out for a day" he took the remote and turned on the TV. The news channel was the first to pop up and the headline below was ridiculous and gratifying that I almost laugh my head off. 

SCHOOL UNSCATHED FROM EXPLOSION, PRAETOR'S MIRACLE FLAME

So the gist is like this; when the teachers and employee had gotten out some of the SWAT agent who stayed state that a loud explosion was heard and there was a blinding light included and the school was in sea of flames. It was weird that none of the buildings looked like it had crumbled or burn so they decided to sweep in and found that ALL the kids survived from the blast and the flame didn't even do anything. They suspect someone had an ability for that though it's unprecedented, people were saying it might have been the owl-masked girl and was thanking her through interview. However, everything wasn't all happy, there were many casualties most were kids who barely reach 12 and a memorial service for them was planned for next Sunday. They authorities hauled off few of the terrorist but either they don't know anything or they died within custody, they didn't elaborate how. What they did elaborate was how the news caster was casting suspicion of mind-controllig device that risk then endangerment of espers getting out of controlled and attack out of the blue. The feds clearly stated they knew how it happened and weren't telling but they were making something that will counter such attack if ever happened again. 

You know...all this would have been cool if I wasn't involve in this at all. 

After skimming the news for almost an hour, both my parents left me to rest and lay there alone with my thoughts. 

All that was interrupted from a knock. 

A list of people went through in my head who it could be behind the door. You can bet your hair that I was grinning happily more than in weeks when I saw two of my best friend, Eric and Lora. 

"Claudia!" She said when we met eyes and rushed over to hug me, followrd by Eric and his mother. I was glad Lora's mom hadn't been here, considering I had tailed her and witness her mental breakdown I wasn't sure I could keep a straight face. 

I asked why they were here and Eric took the liberty to explained, "Jeez Claudia, the attack it's all over the news, how could we not check up our best friend knowing her school is up in flames and got attacked by terrorist. So I called up Lora and we agreed meeting you together, she was on the verge to cry when she find out you were in the hospital"

"Speak for yourself, you were the crying the whole way here praying she'd be allright"

Did I mention I love my two adorable friends?

"I miss you guys" I finally croaked out. They turn from each other to look at me and they both had that knowing smile. They weren't able to stay too long until Eric's mother had to drive Lora home or her mother will freak. I didn't get to salvage my alone time before another visitor pops in. 

He lean to the half open door and knocks, "hey" he simply said. 

The first thing I felt when I saw him; relief. "Hey yourself" I simply replied. 

Rick walked over from the door and sat on my bed, I tried to sit upright but my body still ache so I just kept my position. I waited for Rick to say anything but he was oddly silent, as if he was lost in his thought. "So...how's it going?" I tried snapping him out and get his attention. 

"Good" he said but he kept looking the empty space. 

"Okay off with it, what's wrong?" I decided to be blunt, using curveball doesn't seem to get any reaction. 

"You're going to erase my memory aren't you?" 

That...well anyone would jumped from a heart attack from that. My hand was left dangling in the air before I could held his sleeve. How did he...?

What? You can't possibly think I let a group of children keeping my secret. Yes they promised to keep it, yes they help saving the school, yes two of them had given up their secret for me. But keeping my magic tuckly secret and safe is the one thing I won't hand over to anyone. So yes, I had planned to erase our adventures from their mind and I found no remorse in that. 

Judging from Rick's action though, I doubt denying it would work. He knew something I don't and I hate not knowing especially when it's about me. "Yes Rick, I know you don't like it but you have to understand, I can't let anyone know about you-know-what"

"Then why can't you trust us with it, your secret I mean?"

He had a good point and I wasn't sure I could answer it but the truth, and the truth was..."because I don't trust any of you" I know it was the harsh blunt truth but I'm selfish like that, I don't want to give away my secret, not to them anyway. 

Rick just stayed quiet but he let out a heavy breath, "All right" he said, "I guess I had no choice" he pulled out a phone and handed it to me then he press the play button on the screen. 

There was me in my mask and I was yelling things about flying red horses. 

At that moment, I sat upright, ignoring the aching pain. I saw myself pulling Rick's hair and murmuring about being ginger, and for the love of god I did not just say I had crush on his past life! Then when the embarrassing scene switched with me fighting the kids in school then afterward meeting up with Rick and took off my mask.

...he's not thinking what I think he's doing isn't he?

"You know, one of my favorite abilities I have is that I could download any of my memories and watch them whenever I want. Quite useful especially when you want to blackmail someone" he took a piece a pear from the fruit basket beside my bed and ate it. 

"You...you...YOU..."

"Yes me, and by the way, I erased the rest of the Class S's memory about you so the only one who knows about you is me and Dale"

I became even more speechless than before, "bu...bu...but why?"

"It's in the video really, you asked me if I could erase their memory for you and even made me pinky swear" he snorted at the last word. "Anyway, I have the hard drive save elsewhere so erase my memory if you can but one look at that video then everyone will know about magic"

"You...wouldn't...dare" I growled, I was now wholeheartedly mad at him. 

He step closer until our noses are inches apart and he took his phone away as he smirk, "Try me" then he whistled away as if he made a job well done. Throwing my pillow at him did not satisfy me.

#

The phone rang with silent buzzing, Dr. Ars decrease the volume of his televison and picked up his phone. He smirked when he knew who is it from despite being block. "Hello, I see you've done a great job today"

"Save your breath Doctor, I lost half of my men there and too many witness saw our face. Don't be counting on us for a while"

"Oh I'm sure you could find new recruits, it's not like your mercenary group is small enough for such thing to get you in setback"

"No, doesn't mean I wasn't satisfy with our end result, I don't know how but that witch must have done something with the bomb"

"Witch?"

"Oh right I like to ask what was the point of all that anyway? Not like we ever question what we were ask to do, just curious"

The old man chuckled at his opponent's curiosity, he had never let it out before which he finds fascinating, "Oh other than extracting data for my new mind control device? Well as you can see the uproar you made has gone through worldwide television it would sell at a high price if I sold it at the black market don't you think?"

"Cut the crap Doc, you've never cared about the money"

"Ah, guess doing business together has made you know me well" the Doctor got up and stride to his window, "to answer your question I would say..." he pulled away the curtain and what greeted him was the sight of a woman in black dress and black boots, her black hair waved back and fort from the wind, her face covered from the elaborate mask of an owl, her green eyes was bright and in her right hand was a silver sword. "I want to know what I want as well" he disconnected his phone and unlock the balcony window. Dr. Ars did not find it a surprise to see her, he had even expected her. He began to chuckle at the name people were giving her, "to what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you Wonder Owl?"

Claudia did not hesitate aiming her sword at hos throat, "I would cut you down right here, right now if I didn't have questions for you"

"Now why would you want to cut down a harmless old man like me"

"Do you think I'm stupid? You were the head of your group that design the newest Limiter that cause that day events, the only way for anyone capable to make a mind controller that no one capable to make is if they have the money and resource to do it and for anyone to actually embedded it inside the Limiter without anyone noticing would have to be an inside job, I say you're a great candidate for that position"

Dr. Ars began to clap his hands, as if the sword aiming at his throat was nothing but a toy, 

"Marvelous deduction" he finally said. 

"Don't kid with me, anyone could have thought of that, but unlike the feds I don't need prove to know it's you"

He raised an eyebrow at that, "Is that why you're so afraid of me at school, because you saw something in me?" He noticed her muscle had gone tensed and begin to smile more openly. 

"It would seem you've noticed but I have long but watch over you child, no I don't think you're really child, perhaps you're even pretending to be someone's child but I couldn't care less about that. I do care however, how you could have a wide set of abilities with you that in all I know with science is not possible and yet here you are...a living breathing contradiction. You create such a marvelous display with 'Killer Mole' it was enough for me to watch it over and over again"

"You knew Killer Mo...did you assign him to kidnap those children?" Her grip with her sword tighten. 

"Yes and right now I can say what I want Claudia, and I want nothing more but your body"

A shudder broke through her back and she begin to swing her sword up, "well that's not happening"

Instead of panicking or begging or even running away, he stayed at his spot and tsk at her.

"You don't get it my dear but I always get what I want, and usually I do it by any means" the sound of a door being forced open and Claudia look up to find the FBI crawling in to the room, armed, and ready to shoot at her. The one man who Claudia knew as someone from her past life came forward and she couldn't help but flinch at how familiar the situation with her past.

"...I repeat you are surrounded so put your weapon down" the man said with his gun pointed at her. She looked contempt at the insane man who knew everything about her and yet there wasn't a damn thing she could do. 

She lost this round but she knew there'll be another one. 

Hod, take me home. 

By your will. 

Her black dress began to enveloped her and her surrounding in shadows. The feds began to shoot at her but she was long gone before then. 

That day, the girl in the owl masked became one of America's Most Wanted.