Isla exhaled a small breath. It was an exasperated sigh as if she had seen something extremely disappointing happen in front of her eyes. Something bad enough to make her exhale with a tired look on her face.
Danny was surprised to see that shift in her expression. From sheer anger to complete disappointment. He knew Isla for many years and yet he never expected to be the target of that look. In a moment, he felt his heart sink in.
"Since when did you start looking down on people, Danny?" She asked in a calm tone.
"..." Her question made Danny frown as he pursed his lips.
"Was that what you stood for this entire time? To consider yourself above other people?" She asked again. "Do you think they're beneath you because you were born with a golden spoon in your mouth and they could never reach your level or exceed you?"
"..." Staring into Isla's eyes, all he could see was deep empathy and no emotions at all. He felt his entire body shudder in terror. There was no anger in her voice and there was certainly no threat, yet purely from her presence, Danny felt like he was staring at a looming silhouette.
"I..."
"I assumed you were someone that stood for what is right. Even when we could easily make weaker people's lives hell for our own merit, we never did that. When we were kids, didn't we agree that no matter what happens, we will never follow the footsteps of those people above us?"
Then, Isla pointed at the blood on her face. "We bleed so that we can make a change. If that isn't what you think... If that is the case, then... I don't recognize you anymore."
Emmy gasped in shock when she heard that last sentence. "Is-" As she was about to speak, Herculia grabbed her shoulder secretly, making her look back at him. Then, he shook his head with a serious expression.
"Isla, I..."
"Tell me, what makes you think he couldn't learn how to be a part of the team? He had saved our lives several times and we benefitted a lot from his actions. We became way stronger when he joined us. We would've not been able to even reach this point if Arthur wasn't there. On what basis do you think that his power wouldn't be a huge addition to our collective?"
"I didn't mean that. I..."
"Sigh, I do not know why you're still stuck on what happened a few days ago. Don't let hatred fill your mind. We have had enough of the consequences hatred brought upon us." Isla closed her eyes and opened them again.
Arthur: "..."
Danny: "..."
'Uh, is he ok?' Arthur frowned.
"I... I want to apologize for what I said. I didn't mean that." He said with some difficulty.
"... Uh, it's ok. I have nothing against you." Arthur rubbed the back of his head gently. "I'm here for a fleeting period of time. I don't want to ruin the bond this group has. You guys have inspired me a lot with how strong your friendship is." He added with a smile.
"Arthur..." Herculia and Emmy were touched by his words.
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"I have lived most of my life with no real friends and I honestly was fine with it. I'm not cut out for friendships or long-term relationships. But, it is still very nice to see a group of people that will never break no matter what they face. I respect that."
Saying that, Arthur stared back at Danny before he extended his hand. "So, let's start a new clean slate? No grudges?"
"..." Danny looked at his hand then at Arthur. Pursing his lips, he said. "Your hand is dirty, I don't want to touch it."
"Wha-"
Before Arthur could even react, Danny grabbed his hand in a firm handshake as he looked up and extended his tongue out. "I'm joking."
'This bastard...'
A//N: Don't forget to give the book some golden tickets for good luck! :3