Shadowed Wings: The Tale of the Silver Raven

The Phantom's return

Ray opened the letter to find a confidential contract titled "Surrendering The Green Wolf and the Silver Raven." She flipped through the pages quickly and saw Mr. Lenard's signature at the end. Anger surged through her. "That hag sold us out!" she shouted, her voice filled with fury. It all made sense now—the pre-plan, his call for a mission update, his shock when she answered, the lack of backup, and the absence of help after the accident. "The boss must have been in deep financial trouble. Selling his top assets for just 1 billion dollars? That's a low price. I need to ask for my share, too," she thought to herself as she got into the car. She drove back home, knowing it was almost time to say her final goodbyes to the WOLF. The funeral was set to start in an hour. She arrived, dressed in her finest— a crisp white shirt paired with a deep black suit. At the funeral, she saw her comrade being laid to rest. The crowd was sparse, mostly unaware of who they were mourning—just another person from the organization. As the rain began to fall, the crowd thinned out until only two people remained standing in the downpour. Ray approached the grave from behind and noticed a dark figure standing there. It was Fenny. She paid her respects, laying down white lilies, "He loved these," she said softly. Fenny, turning to her, said in a heavy voice, "I know." Ray was struck by his strength and asked, "You're not crying?" With a pained voice, Fenny replied, "He forbade me from crying in front of anyone. He said it makes me seem weak." Ray chuckled and countered, "Nonsense. He was foolish to say that." She bent down and pinned the wolf badge on Fenny. "You're stronger than he ever was, little Wolf." She patted his head and prepared to leave."RAVEN!!" Fenny's voice, choked with tears, called out. Ray turned to see him sobbing uncontrollably. He ran to her and hugged her tightly. "He left me alone again, and this time he won't return." Fenny cried out, struggling for breath. It was in this moment that Ray remembered Wolf's last words to her, "Take care of your little fan." It was clear now—Wolf had entrusted Fenny's future to her, replacing himself with Fenny. Ray comforted Fenny, glanced at the grave, and noticed Terry's silhouette. Terry smiled at them, knowing it was the last time he'd see them. Ray watched him leave, content that his little brother was in good hands. Ray turned back to Fenny and asked, "Hey little Wolf, do you want to go on a mission with the Raven?" Fenny, through his sobs, replied, "I won't be the Wolf." Ray chuckled and suggested, "How about being Little Raven?" He nodded in agreement. "Alright, little fan, from now on, we'll call you Fan-ny," she said with a smile, though Fenny didn't entirely agree with the nickname.She took him with her on their first mission—the Gina Organization headquarters. She instructed him to walk in with confidence. They stormed into the boss's office, and Ray declared, "Sir, Raven and Wolf reporting." The boss looked bewildered. "The Wolf is down. What are you talking about? And who is this child?"Ray smirked and shook her head. "We're on a mission, and that mission is to take down those who sold the Raven and the Wolf for a billion dollars."The boss was stunned. "Who? Name him, and we'll deal with him." Ray's face darkened with anger. "You don't remember? It was you!" She advanced on the boss, her rage palpable. "Selling out your top assets—clearly, you were in deep debt. And only one billion dollars? That's not enough. Maybe that's why your business was collapsing."Ray pulled out a pocket knife and placed it against his face. The boss was paralyzed with fear. "Last wish?" Ray asked mockingly. "Please spare me," he begged, dropping to his knees. "Okay," Ray said with a grin, "That's how you make anyone beg, no matter how powerful." She helped him up, instructing Fanny, "See? This is how you make them beg for their lives. It works on everyone."As the boss tried to change the subject to a new mission, Ray cut him off. "I quit!" she declared, grabbing a box filled with the Wolf's belongings. "And for your information, don't work with or for traitors. I'm taking this. Thank you." Ray turned to Fanny and added, "And I'm taking him, too. Don't even think about getting near him." She exited the office to find everyone gathered around, having heard the commotion. The boss's treachery was exposed.Ray issued a final warning to the crowd, "Get lost or you'll be burned too." Proudly, she and Fanny walked out of the organization, victorious."Hey, want to see how powerful you are?" Ray asked Fanny. He eagerly agreed. "Alright, put on these headphones and give me your best gunshot action, pointing towards the organization. Count to ten before you 'fire.'" Fanny followed the instructions, counting down, and as he 'shot' at the organization, the building exploded in a dramatic boom. His eyes sparkled with joy. "Very good, little fan. You're a fast learner," Ray praised him, patting his shoulder. "Let's go."She settled him in the car and took him home, guiding him through life as a mentor. She enrolled him in the best school, where he developed a passion for computers. Ray was there for him every step of the way—attending his games, teaching him self-defense, and shaping him into the role model he became. When Fanny asked her about Terry's death and why she didn't save him, she would say, "I wish I could have, but we were on different missions." Then, she would add, "I wanted to hold on to him, but he decided to let go."