Ray and Zeke leaned against Eve's locker, grinning like they'd just won a championship. Eve stood in front of them, wiping the remnants of her lunch off her hands as the two friends beamed at her.
"Thanks again for helping take down Vagrak," Zeke said, his voice full of admiration.
Ray nodded in agreement. "You were amazing out there, Eve. We couldn't have done it without you."
Eve shrugged, trying to brush off their praise, but a faint smile tugged at her lips. "I was just doing what needed to be done."
Ray and Zeke exchanged a glance. They'd been thinking about this ever since the battle with Vagrak, the dangerous Kaiju who had almost destroyed Amusement Park. They'd seen Eve in action, and she had something special. Something they needed.
"We've been talking," Ray began, stepping forward. "We think you'd be a perfect fit for the STRIKE program."
Eve's eyes narrowed. "I don't know if that's really my thing," she said, shaking her head. "I don't need any of that."
Zeke stepped in, trying a different angle. "We're not just talking about powers and weapons, Eve. It's about making a difference. Helping others."
Eve hesitated, but the walls around her heart were still firmly in place. "I don't need a team," she muttered, avoiding their gazes. "I've got my own life to handle."
Ray and Zeke exchanged disappointed looks but didn't push her any further. They'd tried. Maybe in time she'd come around.
As the bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, Eve hurriedly grabbed her books and darted out the door. Without thinking, Ray and Zeke followed her, determined to know more about this mysterious girl who had already saved their lives once. The walk to her house wasn't long, but it was a far cry from the well-kept streets of their neighborhood. They found themselves in a part of the city Ray wasn't familiar with—run-down buildings, graffiti-covered walls, and the smell of decay in the air.
During the walk, Eve remembered her being taken away by the adoption agency when she was a child. The sight of her mother laying on the floor horrified her as the flashback continues to her life with her foster family who were rich and treated her like the daughter they never had. She remembered her biological father being taken away by the police as he tried to attack her daughter as well. In the present day Zeke and Ray watch from a safe distance.
"This is... rough," Zeke muttered, glancing around nervously.
Ray nodded, keeping a safe distance as they trailed behind Eve. She stopped in front of a small, crumbling house at the end of the street. The paint on the door was chipped, the windows cracked, and there was an unmistakable sense of despair hanging in the air.
Before they could process the scene, Ray's phone buzzed in his pocket. It was a text from Blaze.
"You need to stay with her. Eve's father is out of jail, and he's looking for her."
Ray's heart sank. The message was clear—Eve was in danger, and they needed to protect her.
Ray turned to Zeke, his face serious. "We stay and make sure she's okay."
Zeke nodded, eyes wide with realization. "She doesn't deserve to be living like this... and her dad—he's trouble."
As they hid behind a dumpster nearby, watching Eve walk inside, Blaze sent over a file with Eve's history. Ray's heart raced as he opened it, reading through the tragic details.
Eve's past wasn't one she ever talked about, and the file explained why. Her mother had struggled with addiction, and Eve had been the one left to pick up the pieces. Ray felt a pang of guilt for not understanding sooner.
Just as he closed the file, Eve stormed out the front door, her face twisted in anger.
"What the hell are you two doing?" she demanded. "Spying on me? I don't need your help! I don't need anyone's help!"
Ray opened his mouth to explain, but Zeke cut in, trying to soothe her. "Eve, we're just trying to help. You're not alone, you know."
She glared at them, and for a moment, Ray feared she'd just turn and walk away for good.
"I don't need your pity," she spat. "I don't need anyone poking around in my life."
The words stung, and Ray bit his lip, but before he could say anything else, a crash echoed from inside the house. Eve's eyes widened.
"StrikeForce Armor On!" Ray and Zeke both yelled out rushing towards Eve's house.
"Mom!" she screamed, running toward the door.
Without thinking, Ray and Zeke followed her inside. They found Eve's mother, slumped against the wall, and her father standing over her—his fists raised in fury. Mr. Moon's face was twisted with rage, his eyes bloodshot from years of addiction, and he looked like he was about to finish what he'd started years ago.
"No!" Eve cried, rushing forward. But before she could reach her mother, Ray stepped in front of her, blocking her path, while Zeke engaged in hand to hand combat with Mr. Moon.
Eve then activated her Strikeforce Morpher as they could see the gas line leaking. Using her super speed she carried her mother to safety placing her right in front of the lawn. Eve could hear punches being thrown inside the house. Leaving her mother at the front of her lawn, Eve races back in to rescue the others. Making it back inside, Eve sees Zeke on the floor knocked out.
"Stay back," Ray ordered. His Strikeforce blaster activated with a hum of energy, and before anyone could react, Ray fired. The blast hit Mr. Moon square in the chest, sending him sprawling across the room.
Eve's father let out a guttural scream, clutching his chest. But the fight was over before it began. Ray stepped back, giving Eve the space she needed to run to her mother's side.
Eve knelt beside her, her hands trembling as she held her mother close. "It's okay. It's over now," she whispered, her voice a mixture of relief and sorrow.
Ray and Zeke exchanged a quiet look. There was no need to speak. They had done what they came to do. But Eve... Eve had a lot more to figure out.
As the two boys made their way toward the door, Zeke glanced back at Eve and her mother. "She'll be okay," Zeke said softly.
Ray nodded. "She will."
Later that day, Eve stood at the entrance to the gym, her face determined. "I've thought about it," she said to Ray and Zeke. "And... I'll join your team."
Ray grinned, relief flooding his chest. "You won't regret it, Eve."
But before they could talk further, Ray felt a shiver run down his spine. In a dark corner of the gym a camera is located in the corner of the room as Jovan watches the trio's every move from his office at Zechs Industries, his eyes flickering with a cold resolve. As he studied footage from Greekland, his fingers danced over the screen, analyzing every detail.
"I will find out who they are," Jovan muttered, his voice low. "And when I do, they'll regret crossing me."
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