What was Becca going to do now? She walked over to Shadoe Fae's unconscious body for a moment, she had won the battle, but it felt bittersweet. Trident followed her protégé, a lot more cheerful than Becca was. To Trident, she just witnessed her partner's first victory. She stared down at the shadow woman and smiled, 'One enemy down' she thought with delight.
"Way to go Becca, you won! Now let finish her off before she comes to!"
Becca turned rapidly toward Trident, her shocked expression shown that she did not believe what Trident just said that. "F-f-finish h-her off?!"
Trident stared at her with confusion, "Y-yeah, sure, I mean we got a job to do!"
"We can't do that to poor Mrs. Crawford! It wasn't her fault, she isn't actin' like herself."
Growing angry now, realizing what the problem was now, "Becca, you know that this 'monster' is no longer who she once was! She said it herself: Mrs. Crawford is dead and gone; shallow up by the shadow she became! So, let it go and put her out of her misery, it is the right thing to do. This way, she won't hurt anyone else."
Becca's eyes began to get teary once again, feeling like she had been back up to a wall with no escape. She just couldn't do that to poor Mrs. Crawford. She was the neighborhood's metaphorical angel; she was someone that anyone could count on. She was someone that would offer her own free-time to give a second chance to people. She paused at that phrase and laughed mentally, knowing very well that Mrs Crawford was the one who once gave her a second chance, when her male persona almost lost his dream of being a college football player to a stupid mistake.
About a Year Ago
"PLEASE, COACH, GIVE ME ANOTHER CHANCE!!!"
Biff and the coach was inside his office, his coach was feeling frustrated and rubbed his forehead with his right hand's fingers. Biff couldn't do anything but pray, hoping that he can get a second chance. He did what he had for the team, something he originally thought when his teammate put it in his head to do so; his couch shouldn't punished him for that. Could he?
"Listen, boy," his couch started in a firm tone, "I put up with you because you are one heck of a Football Player and a good kid, even despite all your bull-craps. However, there is one thing I must put my foot down and that would be one of 'my' boys taking steroid! It is the greatest of my pet peeves and I consider taking it as the ultimate taboo! I'm sorry, boy; but, taking that garbage has just doomed yourself off the team indefinitely."
Biff was breathless; he couldn't believe that all his hard work would be destroy in a moment. "Please sir, give me another chance! Football is my life, it is what I am!"
The couch sighed in pity, but he held his ground, "Sorry, kiddo, I wish I could. But, if anyone found out you took steroid and I still let you continue, they would have my job on a platter. I'm afraid you got yourself into one fine mess and you going to face the consequence of your action for the rest of your life!"
"You sure there couldn't be some way to amend his mistake, Mr. Jefferson," came a gentle voice.
That startled the two witlessly; the coach almost fell out of his chair. "Mrs. Crawford, I do wish you stop doing that!"
"Oh my," she said with her hands covering her mouth, and then let out a small giggle, "I am so sorry, I just can't seem to knock off that terrible habit."
"Anyway, might I ask why you are here," the coach inquired with both politeness and bewilderment, hoping to get an answer to the unexpected visit.
"Silly, have you forgotten that the Elementary Students are here for their field trip."
"Oh, yeah, I remember now; the little rascals are playing their own little game of flag football. Heh, it is nice to know that one day the little rascals might grow up into fine players themselves."
"I was around when I heard some conversation and I accidentally overheard the whole thing, I'm sorry about that. But, can you give the poor sweetheart a second chance? You know how it can be; it is hard for even a strong soul to resist temptation with a lot of peer pressures and high expectation."
"You expected me to let him go scot-free for doing steroid?!"
"Oh dear, nothing of the sort, Mr. Jefferson; but, could you rather instead pulls him out of two or maybe three games? That way, it would teach him a very important lesson, and I can even check up on him from time to time, making sure he is doing all right."
"I can't do that, Emily! You know very well I can't!"
"Pw-w-wetty p-please," pouted Mrs. Crawford, giving her unique puppy-dog eyes.
"Mrs. Crawford! Act your age for crying out loud!"
She didn't back down, still giving her stare to Mr. Jefferson. His left eyes twitched in irritation, until he had enough. "Grrrr...awrrrr...ALL RIGHT!!! You got a deal: He'll be put out for two games and on the third game, I'll have him take a blood test before and after the game, and he'll be doing odd jobs until he redeems himself in my eyes! Be thankful that I decided to even budged, now if you would leave, I got planning to deal with for the next game."
"Thank you, Coach," Biff said, happy that he was giving a second chance.
"Hmph, don't thank me kiddo, you got Mrs. Crawford to thank! If it wasn't for her, I would have kicked your butt out of here in a split second!"
After leaving the coach, the two walked silently down the hallway to the exit. Biff wanted to thank her, but his shame just kept him quiet. Mrs. Crawford, however, must have read this and decided to break the stillness around them, using her kind-hearted concern voice.
"Listen, Sweetheart, I am not sure why you did what you did, but I figured your heart was in the right place. Still, you must realize that he does have a good reason to be upset! Steroid might seems beneficial for a while, but it can end your career faster than the very chance of being caught taking it. That stuff is known for destroying the body and pretty much isn't worth the short boost of power! So, please promise me that you will never touch the stuff, sweetheart!"
Biff sighed as he was feeling ashamed of himself and nodded, "Y-yes ma'am."
"Hehe good boy! Now, sweetheart, would you help me with the darling children?"
"Sure thing," he started to say in a better mood, but a question seems to pop in his head and that mood took a hard dive, "Mrs. Crawford, would you mind if I ask you a question?"
"Huh," she exclaimed in slight puzzlement, "Well, sure, I don't mind."
"I'm very grateful to you for saving my bacon back there, really I am, but I must ask: why? I mean, I know you are nice and all, but you seems to make a habit of bailing me out of trouble, and I am not even your kid. Don't you get tire of dealing with me?"
She didn't even pause as she smiled, "Oh, you silly. We all make our mistakes; some worse than other and some repeat the same one more than typical, but everyone deserve second chances. The reason why I help you is..."
Back to the Present
"BECCA, DO IT NOW, SHE IS STARTING TO WAKE UP!!!"
Becca was shaking her head at Trident's order, not wanting to do it, "I-I-I don't wanna! You know that this isn't right! She doesn't deserve this!"
"O-o-hhhh, U-urgh...heh, f-face it, t-the b-b-brat i-is too s-stupid to do it," Shadoe Fae barely said, still hurting badly from the blast. She was trying her best to recover, but that light attack seemed to gotten quite the heavy damage to her body.
"Becca, I am really sorry, but she isn't Mrs. Crawford anymore," Trident responded harshly, yet sympathetically, ignoring Shadoe Fae's comment. "She is now a warp shadow siren, who had tried to kill you! And, if you don't finish her, she would kill you and go after the other Magical Girls! Finish her off before it is too late!"
Staring at the weaken Shadoe Fae, Becca shook her head repetitively. This was too much pressure to put on a little girl. Heck, it would still be too much pressure if she was still Biff. She just can't kill the very same person who acted like her guardian angel when she was normal. Everyone deserves second chances.
"BECCA, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR, DO..."
Becca turned her head at Trident, but something was different about her face. Her eyes weren't filled with fear or sadness or even confusion, there was a very strong resolve and determination in her eyes, something that she hadn't display since her transformation. "No, I am not going to do it," she noted, her voice was a bit more mature than it had been.
That reaction startled Trident greatly, she had frequently experience her pupil making a childish fuss before and eventually gave in, but this time was different. There was no doubt and no take-back; she was actually going to disobey her guardian. "Becca, please be reasonable, you have to..."
"I said no, and that's final! Now, can you tell me how to heal Mrs. Crawford?"
"S-SAY WHA-A," Trident announced in complete shock, her thinking process had just shutdown on her. Shadoe Fae, who was listening to the whole thing, was in an equally similar condition. Just what was Number Three thinking?!
