The sound of someone walking through water woke Brooke up. It wasn't Jayden- the pattern of footsteps was far too different. She was also being carried, and not by Jayden. He was nearby, as the smell of smoke and his cologne was present, but also was the smell of nighlok. That caused panic to settle in, but Brooke couldn't find the strength to open her eyes, let alone fight. She could just pick a god and pray that this wasn't how she was going to die. Poisoned and afraid, and Brooke just let her body go limp, using all her energy to keep somewhat of a thought process going. She could always summon Amaris if need be, but since the white wolf was connected to the silver ranger's symbol power, she wouldn't be able to stay long. Brooke knew that she was far too weak to do much, so she just let fate throw whatever the fuck this was at her. Frankly, she just wanted a nap- a normal one, without the poison.
Her entire body throbbed, and Brooke remembered her failed fight with Octoroo. She remembered Jayden yelling- but he did that in almost every battle, so Brooke didn't know what to think of it. She just hoped that they were going to be alright, for the most part. Was that a dream that could easily be crushed? Of course. The two rangers with the most bounty on their heads were poisoned and too weak to fight. Brooke knew multiple nighlok would be drooling at the chance to have her head on a stake- and this made it extremely easy to do so. However, she knew she couldn't do anything about it, so she just forced the fear down.
"Heh, rescuing you two has become a bit of a bad habit," It was fuzzy, but Brooke recognized the voice. Deker. That wasn't good in the slightest, but maybe the half-human wouldn't just stab the silver and red rangers and call it a day. "But the one I intend to soon break. Permanently." Deker finished, and Brooke braced herself for whatever pain was about to come.
There wasn't pain, instead, there was a splash, and the water caused Brooke to gather enough energy to force her eyes open. Her and Jayden both resurfaced, coughing, and Brooke felt his hand cover hers under the water as he glared at Deker. Brooke didn't have the strength for that, so she just stared at her reflection in the murky water. She was even too weak to shift properly, and she looked almost human, as her features didn't change despite the stress she felt. Her canines were normal- well, normal for her, sized, and her eyes were their usual grey. But, they were glazed over, and Brooke found her strength leaving her body by the second.
"Stay under," Deker advised, and Brooke wondered if she passed out right now, would she drown. Well- no, because Jayden was here, and the silver ranger could hear the red coughing up a lung. Not good, but he was alive. "The water will purge the poison from both of your systems." The half-human stated, and while Brooke just zoned out, Jayden leveled a glare at Deker.
Oh, he was terrified, but Jayden tried not to show it. The poison was making his head spin, and he was in too much pain and too exhausted to turn his thoughts off. That was aggravating, as Jayden wouldn't let his emotions dictate his actions in times like these. Well, it was his first time getting poisoned, but the red ranger has dealt with enough threats to his life to know what and what not to do. Still, blue eyes fell on the silver ranger, and they sparkled with worry as Jayden took in the way Brooke didn't react to anything around her. She was just staring at her reflection, eyes dull, and Jayden tightened his grip on her hand underwater. It did nothing- Brooke only blinked, and she looked half dead.
It made Jayden feel extremely guilty, as she had to fight the nighlok alone because he wasn't strong enough. This was partially his fault, and the last thing he wanted to see. Brooke looked like a zombie, her chest rising and falling extremely faintly, and it was worrying.
Deker noticed the red ranger's worried look. "Heh, you're letting your concern get to you," He mocked, and Jayden's expression turned from one of worry to one of fresh anger. "Don't be alarmed, Octoroo no doubtedly gave her a stronger dose to combat her gift- her wolf side. Trust me, there's nothing I want more than you two to be in top form. The sooner you two recover, the sooner I'll be able to duel you two, and strike you both down." Deker explained, and Jayden grit his teeth, letting out a hiss of anger and pain.
Meanwhile, Brooke lost consciousness altogether, her eyes rolling to the back of her head and her arms giving out. She landed face-first into the water, and Jayden turned his attention to Brooke again, plunging himself back into the water and making sure she didn't drown.
--
Grey eyes snapped open, and Brooke instantly started choking, coughing up water. She felt bad but better. Her throat was hoarse with all the coughing she was doing, but she eventually got all of the water out of her system. She also threw up, but that was just water anyways, and Brooke eventually found herself breathing. Her breaths were short and ragged, but she was breathing again. Soon, her senses started to kick in again, and she heard quick footsteps coming towards her direction. It was Jayden, and that was good.
"Hey, hey, I've got you," Jayden spoke quickly but reassuringly, and Brooke nearly cried when she felt a pair of warm arms wrap around her body. "Can you stand?" He asked, and Brooke nodded, letting out a groan and pushing herself to her feet. She stumbled some, but Jayden offered himself as support.
Brooke squinted as her vision cleared, taking in the area where she and Jayden were now. In front of them laid a large cave, and Brooke's eyes flashed as she saw the faint glow of firelight coming from the inside of the cave. "Welcome to my MTV cribs house tour." She joked, looking up at Jayden with a weak smile, and he responded with a deadpan expression.
"Brooke, you nearly drowned, and you're joking?" Jayden wondered, and when Brooke nodded, he let out a sigh. Still, it was somewhat reassuring, that despite the poison that was leaving their systems and the stress both rangers felt, Brooke could joke around.
"In all seriousness," Brooke muttered, the playful air falling as she let Jayden guide her into the cave. "Where the fuck are we? Can we get in contact with the team?" She questioned, and Jayden shook his head, tightening his grip on Brooke some.
"I don't know, I haven't had time to check," Jayden confessed, sounding exhausted and defeated. "And Deker's here, so…" He trailed, and Brooke nodded.
She understood, Brooke knew that she couldn't piss Deker off, even though she wanted to. He had the upper hand- the ability to kill the silver and red rangers easily. Speaking of, the half-human was sitting by the small fire and motioned to the area across from him. "Have a seat." He urged.
Brooke and Jayden shared a worried look but complied, both of them somewhat struggling to sit down. Brooke fell somewhat, but, eventually, the two rangers were seated. The red was holding onto the silver protectively, him having a hold on her waist. Brooke felt this but didn't say anything, as it would be somewhat awkward, and she knew it was Jayden's way of keeping her safe. It was somewhat endearing, and if the situation wasn't so fucking weird, she would've probably enjoyed it.
"I'm surprised," Deker directed the statement to Brooke, who quirked a brow, her eyes flashing. "You recovered far more quickly than I expected, even with a higher dose. They really did make you into the ideal soldier." He mused, and Brooke felt herself stiffen at the "ideal soldier" comment.
She knew it was true- that's the only reason Brooke was a shifter, but hearing Deker say it was unnerving. "That brings up the question- why me? If you wanted to see me fall, you could've just let me die of the poison and call it a day." Brooke questioned, her eyes flashing and turning gold, them almost glowing in the firelight.
"Why are you doing all of this?" Jayden demanded, narrowing his eyes some. The ideal soldier comment made him more angry than anything, and he didn't know why. Still, he just shoved that into the basement of his mind and made the mental note to ask Brooke about it later. Now obviously wasn't the time.
Deker ignored Brooke's question and turned his attention to Jayden. The half-human was wearing an almost menacing smile that made the two rangers' blood run cold. "I'm searching for the ultimate duel. The duel you two and I will have?" The question was mocking, and Deker motioned at the silver and red rangers and then himself for emphasis.
"I don't fight just to fight," Jayden spat, responding without missing a beat. "I fight to protect people." His voice was lower this time, but still unwavering. He subconsciously tightened his hold on Brooke's waist some, as if to emphasize the "to protect" part.
Deker noticed this but didn't say anything, only grinning inwardly. So, the red ranger has a weakness. "Hmph, we'll see," He then turned his attention towards Brooke. "What about you, silver ranger? I've seen your bloodlust- the beast festering inside of you." He commented, and Brooke stiffened, her claws and canines growing in.
"I'm not a beast," Brooke retorted, but even she sounded unconvinced. Still, her resolve hardened, and so did her expression. "I don't get into useless battles for the hell of it." She tried to sound nonchalant, but there was a slight growl to her words.
"We're patient- my sword Uramasa and I," Deker pointed out, the sheathed sword sitting next to the half-human. "But eventually we will battle, I have quite the incentive to convince you." He stated matter-of-factly, and Jayden did not like the way the half-human glanced at Brooke and then back to him. That wasn't good at all. "After all, I was once fully human, now the silver ranger and I aren't so different." Deker explained, and Brooke dug her clawed hands into the dirt.
There were so many things wrong with that statement, and Brooke could write an essay on how it was. "No," Brooke growled, speaking around her canines. "I'm not like you at all- I still have humanity left in me, you don't. I can see it in your eyes that you're just a damned soul in a human body, you've let your nighlok form consume you." She argued, and when Deker chuckled, it caught her off guard.
"I suppose you're right, all I know now is the constant craving for battle. The nighlok in me gives me no choice." Deker agreed, and Jayden let out what almost sounded like a growl- that was new.
Brooke's never seen him this angry before, and if it wasn't for the hold he had on her waist, she'd be terrified. Seeing the people she cared about angry scared her- and that was definitely due to trauma. However, she pushed those thoughts aside when another figure caught her eye, and she furrowed her brows some. It was Dayu, and the female nighlok just seemed to be watching, so Brooke let her be. No use starting that battle if it wasn't needed. Brooke honestly pitied Dayu some, the female nighlok seemed more human than Deker at times.
"There's always a choice. You don't have to give in to the nighlok's cravings." Jayden argued, and Deker shook his head in disbelief.
"It's easy for you to say, you'd never have to fight against those cravings," Deker retorted, sounding more annoyed than angry. "What about you, silver ranger? The look on your face says you've been down the same path." He pointed out, and Brooke averted her gaze, curling her hands into fists.
"I'm not like you," Brooke mumbled, and she felt her claws dig into her hands. They drew blood, but she didn't care. It helped ground her because she didn't want to prove Deker right. If it was just her and Deker, sure, she'd lose her shit, shift, and then work from there. But, Jayden was in the picture- and the silver ranger didn't want to make the red afraid of her. Plus, she wasn't like Deker. She wasn't, right? Sure, Brooke was half-human like him, but she wasn't a beast like Deker said, right?
Leave her out of this. Jayden nearly spat, because Brooke was visibly upset, even if she tried not to show it. Her shoulders shook underneath her damp leather jacket and hoodie, and strands of wet black hair framed her face, which was somewhat pale.
"Doing the right thing," Jayden started, and Brooke had a feeling that this wasn't going to end well. Still, she let him continue and honestly wanted to see Jayden make Deker angry. "Is always worth the effort, and that's why I don't fight just to fight." He sounded somewhat proud of himself, and Brooke almost found it cute. Well, she did but shoved the thought aside as soon as it formed.
Deker slammed his hand down on the ground, and Brooke barked out a warning, which was new, her bones making the familiar cracking sounds. "You two will give me the ultimate battle, whether you like it or not," Deker spat, and Brooke let out a low growl, Jayden tightening his grip around her waist. That caused the silver ranger to glance at the red, who shook his head faintly. "It's the only way I'll ever be free from this terrible curse." His anger then turned into mild frustration and despair, and Brooke forced herself to relax.
However, that didn't happen, and Brooke just tensed more when Deker picked up his sword. "You should be fully recovered by now." He explained, and Brooke and Jayden nodded at each other, the two rangers standing quickly.
Brooke's fingernails grew longer and sharper, and her upper lip curled around her canines. "Why do you want to fight us? There's plenty of warriors who would gladly want to fight you." She argued, eyes gold.
"You say that but you're ready to start a fight, silver ranger," Deker mocked, motioning to Brooke's inhumane features. She just narrowed her eyes and let out a growl in response. "I've always wanted to fight against another half-human, and now I've got my chance. Especially since we were both forced into the roles of half-human we now play. I'm surprised you don't resent the Shiba Clan for what they did to you." He explained, and Brooke's shoulders shook while Jayden's eyes widened slightly.
"I've made my peace with the situation, it has nothing to do with him." Brooke spat. That, she knew. She hated her mom- well, kind of hated, and Brooke didn't blame Jayden at all. They were just kids at the time, and he had no idea about what was going on at that time.
"Like me, you have a secret festering inside of you," Deker turned his attention to Jayden, who instantly froze. There's no way he knew, right? "We're both warped, twisted." The half-human stated, and Jayden's shock turned into anger.
The red ranger started walking forward, but the silver stopped him. Jayden shot Brooke an exasperated look, and she just mouthed "I get it", but shook her head. He knew she was right- but the urge to cut down Deker was growing stronger by the minute. Still, Jayden resisted that urge and narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?" He spat, blue eyes sparkling with fury.
"You'd sacrificed everything before giving Octoroo the sealing power. You'd sacrifice everything now if it meant making sure the silver ranger was unharmed." Deker stated matter-of-factly, and Brooke didn't even have time to react before Deker's sword was pressed to her throat.
Well, fuck, Brooke thought, her eyes widening and face paling slightly. Well, this is what she didn't expect to happen, and she wasn't enjoying it. She could summon Amaris, but honestly wanted to see how this played out- and the silver ranger knew she couldn't rely on the white wolf for everything. Still, Deker's blade dug into her throat, blood dripping from the cut. Jayden noticed this and his eyes widened before they narrowed again, his shoulders shaking with anger.
"Don't touch her," Jayden growled, and his spin-sword appeared in a flash of red in his hand. He gripped the weapon so hard his knuckles turned white. When he made the move to swing, Deker pressed the blade deeper into Brooke's throat, her letting out a hiss of pain.
Still, Brooke came up with a game plan. In a flash of silver, her katanas appeared, and she drew one of the blades. She was shorter than Deker, even with her platform shoes, but she pointed the silver blade at his throat. The tip centimeters away, meaning if Brooke pushed forward, her sword was going through Deker's throat. And she doubted that a nighlok form could help with a sword impaled in your throat.
"A life for a life," Brooke grinned, and the stress made her brain tap out. It was only a matter of time before she wolfed out, and Brooke really hoped that she didn't. "Or, if I can't kill you, I'm sure Red'll finish the job. Is this the ultimate duel you wish to see?" She challenged, and Deker lowered his sword.
Brooke had never seen Jayden move that fast, the red ranger quickly moving to the silver's side and pushing her back some. He positioned himself so that he was standing in front of her protectively, and his chest heaved. The rage that mixed with fear was immense, and Jayden tightened his grip on his spin-sword so tight it hurt. He wouldn't start a fight- but he was about to. He wasn't thinking straight, and he tried to get some sort of rational thought process before he did something he regretted.
"That's what I wanted to see," Deker chuckled as he glanced at the silver and red rangers. "There are spirits resting inside of you both that I haven't seen in other samurai. Warriors' spirits and that's why you two are the perfect opponents. What just happened proved it." He wrapped his hand around the hilt of his sword, turning into his nighlok form.
Gold eyes widened when Jayden settled into a fighting stance. Brooke instantly grabbed his arm, making sure not to accidentally rip the grey overcoat he was wearing with her claws. "Red, don't do this. He's trying to get into our heads- you know that." She chided, and Jayden's expression only hardened when drops of blood rolled down her neck from the cut, leaving trails of crimson.
He hurt you, Jayden thought, and the fist that was holding his spin-sword shook slightly. He didn't say anything, just averted his gaze from Brooke.
"Hold on! This isn't going to happen on my watch!" A voice exclaimed, and while Jayden lowered his spin-sword in confusion, Brooke lowered her katana in relief. She never thanked Antonio for his presence more. "Jayden, Brooke, you're both in no shape to fight." The gold ranger stated, and Jayden still kept a tight grip on his spin-sword.
Jayden wanted to end this here and now, especially as he watched Brooke wipe some of the blood away from her throat. But- that wasn't the way of the samurai or something. Jayden just knew he shouldn't, and he silently thanked Antonio for arriving. Still, he didn't trust Deker, and Jayden knew if the half-human made a move to hurt his other childhood friend, he would set the cave ablaze. It was only a matter of impulse control and keeping his emotions in check, which was extremely difficult.
"Out of the way, fisherman!" Deker demanded, and Antonio didn't budge, the gold ranger curling his gloved hands into fists.
"How do you want to duel them when they're like this, nighlok?!" Antonio argued, and Deker let out a growl, lowering his sword. "Me and my friends, we're walking out of here and you're gonna let us. You got it?" He made a walking motion with his fingers, and something about it made Brooke want to cry. God bless Antonio Garcia.
"Go, But know this, red and silver rangers: the next time we meet, we will battle." Deker growled, and if glares could kill, Jayden would've killed him a while ago.
Brooke sheathed her blade, grabbing one of Jayden's hands and one of Antonio's. "Amaris! Get us out of here!" She yelled, and in a flash of silver, the three rangers were gone.
--
The three landed in a field, Brooke stumbling some as her head spun. Both Jayden and Antonio tightened their grips on her hands in response, and Amaris looked up at the silver ranger, fluffy ears flicking. Brooke didn't feel bad, in actuality, but once the adrenaline dump happened, she knew she was going to cry. Deker said too many things that hit home and set on edge, and she just wanted to go home and take a shower and a nap. But, that probably couldn't be done, so Brooke just admitted to the bitter reality. Being a power ranger sucked.
"A wolf?" Antonio made a noise of surprise, eyes wide underneath his gold helmet. "I'm not surprised, but teleporting?" He blurted, and Brooke smiled weakly when Amaris wagged her tail.
"Introductions can come later, ranger of light. Just know that I am on your side." Amaris reassured Antonio, violet eyes shining bright.
"Brooke," Jayden called, and Brooke turned to him, quirking a brow. "Let me see your neck." He urged, and Brooke let Jayden raise her chin slightly, ignoring the fact that her heartbeat just went into overdrive.
Antonio saw the blood and made a noise of concern and shock. "Did Deker do that?" He asked Jayden, who nodded and used his partially damp sleeve to wipe away some of the blood.
Brooke let out a hiss of pain at that, her eyes flashing multiple times. "Red- it'll be okay. It's only a minor setback," She reassured Jayden who dropped her chin, blue eyes sparkling with a mixture of guilt and worry. "Anyways, Goldie, why are you still morphed?" Brooke turned his attention to Antonio, motioning to the gold ranger suit.
"There's another nighlok," Antonio started, and both Brooke and Jayden shared a look of mutual annoyance. "The others are handling it, but they're still weak from what happened at the Tengen Gate. I need your guys' help if you are strong enough to fight." He explained, and without missing a beat, Jayden responded.
"I can, I'll go," Jayden replied, knowing that he had to do something to get rid of his anger before he went back into that cave and fought Deker. A nighlok should be enough, and the battle will get his mind off what had just happened because his thoughts were overwhelming him.
Jayden knew that Deker wanted to fight Brooke for his own reasons. But he also knew the little stunt the half-human pulled back there was to get him to fight. It had worked, as the panic and rage that filled his system blocked out any rational thinking. Now, he didn't know what to do. He fought to protect, and Deker just wanted a useless fight. Right. Jayden spied Brooke out of the corner of her eye. She was crouched down, petting Amaris, and something about the scene made Jayden's heart hurt. He would protect her, but not by fighting Deker.
"Someone's gotta make sure you two don't kill yourselves on accident," Brooke joked, and Jayden and Antonio shared a look. "But, yeah, I'm good to fight. Amaris, can you take us there?" Her muscles throbbed and exhaustion was making her vision blur some, but she ignored it. Jayden wasn't thinking straight, and Brooke felt the need to make sure he didn't do something rash in battle.
"Of course, my dear. You two might want to morph first." Amaris advised, and both Jayden and Brooke nodded at each other, pulling out their samuraizers.
The silver and red rangers flipped the devices open, the silver ranger activating the brush portion on hers. "Samuraizer: Go Go Samurai!" The two rangers yelled in sync, drawing their respective symbols. The silver kanji for wolf hung next to the red kanji for fire for a moment, the two rangers activating the symbols. The silver and red ranger suits appeared on Brooke's and Jayden's bodies respectively, the gold, silver, and red rangers nodding at each other.
"It's showtime then," Brooke announced, looking down at Amaris. "I'm sorry to be asking so much of you today." She apologized, and Amaris' tail brushed against Brooke's legs.
"This is my role, Brooke. I am happy to do the job I have been unable to do for ten generations. As long as you have symbol power, I will stay for as long as you need," Amaris reassured Brooke, who nodded and smiled faintly underneath her silver helmet. "Let us go then. Ianuae!" The white wolf called, her and the three rangers disappearing in a flash of silver.
--
In a flash of silver, the three rangers and white wolf appeared in front of their fallen teammates. Antonio threw something at the nighlok that caused the monster to be flown backwards, the creature landing on the ground with a snarl. "Hey guys, now we're all here!" Antonio greeted, and Amaris helped nudge the rangers up with her snout.
"Man, I've never been more grateful for a wolf in my life." Mike groaned as he got to his feet, and Amaris laughed, bouncing back to Brooke's side.
"Jayden! Brooke! You're okay!" Emily exclaimed, her voice full of relief, and Brooke nodded, trying to ignore the feeling of blood dripping down her neck underneath her ranger suit.
That wasn't good, but Amaris was here, and Brooke was grateful for that. "We are!" Not. " And fighting a battle without us, c'mon!" Brooke teased, but it was forced. The team, sans Antonio and Jayden, didn't notice it, the red and gold rangers sharing a look underneath their helmets. The silver ranger's faux playful mood dropped when the nighlok picked itself off the ground. "What the fuck is that?" She blurted, pointing at the nighlok, and Amaris' fur bristled.
"Stay on your toes, I have not seen one this strong in many generations," Amaris advised, looking like a white puffball more than anything. "Xandred must have done something." She mused, and the seven samurai rangers tensed.
Still, Antonio was the first one to break the tense mood. The nighlok summoned moogers with a snarl, and the gold ranger let out a mocking laugh. "Haha, sorry, I don't speak snarl." He mocked, and Brooke laughed faintly.
"He is interesting- I can see why you have an attachment to him, my dear," Amaris called to Brooke, this time so only the silver ranger could hear.
"Sparkly ranger union." Brooke thought back, grinning underneath her silver helmet as she watched Antonio. Amaris only laughed, violet eyes sparkling with amusement.
Antonio was the golden part of this whole ordeal- pun intended. Speaking of, when the moogers started rushing the team, the gold ranger slid a disk onto his barracuda blade. "Allow me to introduce myself! I am," He started as he moved swiftly, cutting down moogers in blurs of gold and blue. "Antonio Garcia, the gold ranger!" He exclaimed proudly as the moogers exploded, sheathing his blade. He then pulled out the pink, yellow, green, and blue power disks, handing them to each respective ranger. "Hey guys I didn't have time to finish the black box, but I promise to try again. Here, have your disks back."
"Are you sure you're well enough to fight?" Jayden asked, his voice laced with worry as he glanced at Brooke underneath his helmet. "Deker did hurt you." That thought alone made his temper flare, and he set his jaw as the four rangers slid their zord disks into their spin-swords.
"It's just a minor setback," Brooke replied, sounding nonchalant as the others fired off a quadruple slash. "Let's just get through this!" She urged as she broke off into a sprint, Amaris beside her. The silver ranger drew her wolf kunai, slashing at the nighlok. She grit her teeth, stumbling back from the knockback of one of the nighlok's pincers blocked the slash.
"Spin-sword: Fire Smasher!" Jayden yelled, swinging the heavy weapon around, and attacking the nighlok. It turned back into his spin-sword in a flash of red when the nighlok blocked it, and Jayden set his jaw. Well, that could be dealt with. "This is gotten a lot tougher, I've got to backpedal!" He stated the obvious, and the silver ranger resisted the urge to laugh as the red flew through the air.
It might be the stress, but Brooke found it funny, and she sheathed her kunai and shifted. The brown wolf bounced alongside the white, Amaris creating a shield in front of Jayden as Brooke shifted back. She drew her katanas, blocking one of the nighlok's pincers with one sword and attacking with another. Still, the nighlok hit her, and Brooke flew backwards some, her head colliding with the inside of her helmet when she hit the ground. Everything went fuzzy for a moment, and soon, Jayden was next to her, Amaris becoming translucent as she put up another shield.
"I have to go, my dear. Save your symbol power." Amaris advised, and Brooke didn't have time to respond before the white wolf disappeared in a flash of silver.
"We're all too exhausted to put up much of a fight." Mia pointed out as Jayden helped Brooke to her feet, the silver ranger stumbling some.
"I- I can go for a bit longer," Brooke regained her composure, sheathing her katanas and drawing her Wolf Kunai. She hadn't gotten the headache that was signaling that she was low on symbol power yet, but by the way the rest of the team was acting, they were. So, Brooke spun the wolf disk on her kunai, the leaf-shaped blade lighting up silver. "Lone Wolf!"
The silver attack barely made a dent, the nighlok letting out a snarl in response, and the rest of the team glanced at the silver ranger worriedly."Brooke, aren't you low on symbol power?" Emily asked worriedly as Brooke spun the wolf disk again.
"This is what I'm made for, Em," The ideal soldier. "Damn it!" Brooke cursed when the second attack barely made a dent as well. She went to go spin the wolf disk for the third time, but Jayden stopped her by placing a hand on her arm. The silver ranger shot the red a glare underneath her helmet, the red ranger just shaking his head.
"I'm not letting you destroy yourself, you're weakened, shifter or not." Jayden chided, and Brooke felt somewhat aggravated by that. But it was also endearing, in a way.
"Combining all of our strength should do the trick!" Kevin offered, his chest heaving.
Mike nodded weakly. "Yeah, but we need something that doesn't use a tone of symbol power!" He commented, and Jayden instantly perked up, glancing at his team.
"Quintuple Slash?" Jayden asked, and they all slid their zord disks onto their spin-swords in silent agreement. The five original rangers, plus Brooke, spun their zord disks, the blades of their weapons lighting up their respective colors.
"Spin-sword: Quintuple Slash!"
"Wolf Kunai: Full Pack!"
The six attacks hit the nighlok, sending the monster hurtling backwards some. But, it still didn't do much, as the monster picked itself off the ground with a snarl. The team made noises of shock mixed with annoyance, but the gold ranger ran up to the six others.
"Do it again!" Antonio commanded as he skidded to a stop in front of the team. "This time, I'll help it on its way!" He explained, and Brooke instantly froze, her eyes widening.
"Goldie, are you dense? We'll hit you!" Brooke argued, her voice laced with exhaustion and concern. Antonio squeezed her shoulder comfortingly in response and ran towards the nighlok. This is not going to be how the sparkly ranger union is ending, Brooke thought, rooting her booted feet to the ground. She was scared- because the nighlok was stronger than any she's fought before, and she didn't want to hit Antonio.
Jayden seemed to hold the same worry. "I hope you know what you're doing!" The red ranger called to the gold, the team raising their weapons and spinning their zord disks again.
"Spin-sword: Quintuple Slash!"
"Wolf Kunai: Full Pack!" Brooke's voice cracked as she yelled out the attack, and she squeezed her eyes shut when she slashed with her kunai.
Luckily, Antonio was unharmed, and he seemed to spin around with the six attacks, powering them up and firing off his own. The seven attacks hit the nighlok and sent it flying backwards, but it still wasn't enough. The nighlok just picked itself off of the ground and started running away. Brooke let out a noise of frustration, switching out the wolf disk for the moon disk.
"Brooke-" Mia's concerned call was cut off by Brooke spinning the moon disk, the blade of the Wolf Kunai lighting up purple.
"Crescent Slash!" Brooke screamed, slashing with her kunai, and it hit the nighlok, but it still wasn't defeated. "I swear to god- I'm going to kill that fuckin' thing!" She growled, and before she could run after it, Jayden and Antonio grabbed her arms.
"You've done enough, Brooke," Jayden advised, and Brooke let out a low growl, feeling the blood drip from her nose down her face. The bleeding on her neck seemed to stop, so that was a good thing at least.
The ideal soldier. Deker's words echoed in Brooke's mind, and she knew she shouldn't be working herself this hard. She just felt like she had something to prove- but she didn't know what, yet. That was the concerning part. However, those thoughts escaped her when the cracks between the buildings started glowing, Brooke just accepting it. Today was never going to end, it seemed like.
"Time to go mega!" Jayden commanded as giant moogers came from the cracks, the red ranger pulling out his lion zord.
The team followed suit, the seven rangers pulling out their zords and going into megamode power. The original five formed the samurai megazord, while the silver and gold rangers formed the wolf armor claw megazord. When Brooke entered the cockpit, she instantly stumbled, holding onto the control panel to keep balance. Antonio also helped her, placing a comforting hand on her back.
"I- I'm not doing too good, Goldie," Brooke confessed with a weak voice, swallowing down bile. She was quiet, making sure the other rangers didn't hear her through the comms because Jayden was already stressed out enough. She didn't want to bother him- so, she turned to her other childhood friend.
"I know. Take it easy, alright? Don't overdo it," Antonio urged, and Brooke nodded, standing up straight again. The silver and gold rangers steeled their resolves, Antonio raising his voice so that it could be heard over the comms. "I have a theory about these guys! A big-bang theory!" He exclaimed, and Brooke rolled her eyes playfully. It was Antonio's way of making her feel better.
"Guys! Incoming!" Mike warned as giant moogers launched volleys of arrows at the two megazords. The giant robots moved out of the way quickly, dodging the arrows.
"You go take care of Arachnotor, Brooke and I will handle these guys without breaking a sweat!" Antonio called through the comms, and Jayden set his jaw. The irrational jealousy resurfaced, and now really wasn't the time.
"Hold up!" Mike blurted, pointing to flying moogers that had just appeared from the cracks between buildings. "Man, they're not kidding around today!" He exclaimed, and Brooke lightly tapped Antonio's helmet, getting his attention.
"Can you handle the megazord by yourself?" Brooke asked worriedly, summoning the tiger disk. The white disk appeared in the silver ranger's hand in a flash of silver. "Worst-case scenario, I'll just give the disk to Red." She added, and Antonio smiled faintly under his helmet.
The gold ranger patted the silver on the shoulder. "It's all good. Don't strain yourself." Antonio advised, and Brooke gave him a thumbs up.
"Airstrike Combination!" Brooke called as she appeared next to Jayden, folding up her megablade and sticking it into the control panel. She felt her nose bleed at the excessive use of symbol power, but it was fine. It could be dealt with. "Samurai Battlewing: Armed for Battle!"
With the help of Antonio, the flying and giant moogers were dealt with, the seven rangers demorphed and on the ground again. Brooke went to go quickly wipe away the blood from her nose, but Emily still caught onto it, the younger girl's eyes widening.
"Brooke! You're hurt!" Emily blurted in worry, and Brooke looked down at the front of her hoodie. The neck was a dark crimson, the grey of the hoodie mixing with the blood.
"Shit, Brooke. That looks bad- what happened?" Mike asked, and Brooke let out a heavy sigh.
"Deker happened," Brooke replied, sounding more exhausted than anything. "It'll be okay- let's just go home." She reassured the team, who all glanced at Jayden. The red ranger was unusually quiet, and they noticed his hands were curled into fists.
--
After taking a shower and getting dressed, Brooke gripped the edge of the sink in her bathroom with a vice-like grip. The words Deker said echoed in her head, and they caused self-doubts and insecurities to rear their ugly heads. Was she like Deker? Is that what others saw her as- just a wolf? She tried to push them aside, but it was the only thing she could think about. She had tried so hard to be human, to fit in, and if the others didn't view her as Brooke, it would all be for naught. That scared her. The fact that the first thing that came to her mind was how she wanted to fight Deker scared her. Brooke wasn't like Jayden- she didn't hold samurai morals like he did, and today made her wonder if she should. She wouldn't go out and kill anyone, but Deker was an annoyance and a threat.
The half-human could easily start moving to civilians, and it would be far worse than a nighlok. Deker was stronger than any nighlok Brooke had fought- and it was terrifying. The lack of power she had in this situation left her scared and frustrated. She knew that she shouldn't be wanting to fight Deker, as that was against the way of the samurai. But it wasn't like Brooke could be a true samurai anyways- she could never be. She wasn't human, and it was more of a curse than a blessing at this point. She wanted to be human. She wanted to be safe. Brooke wanted to live without the constant fear of the ones she cared about dying, she wanted to live where she could feel extreme emotions and not turn into a beast. It was all wants and wishes that could never be fulfilled, no matter how hard Brooke fought.
"They're just weaknesses," Brooke spoke aloud, wiping away the tears that fell. She was a soldier. And soldiers don't have time to make pathetic wishes. She took a deep breath and regained her composure, washing her face to help look like she wasn't on the verge of a mental breakdown.
When she lifted her head, she was surprised to find herself with a sinister grin on her face, gold eyes shining bright. Upon seeing it, Brooke resisted the urge to punch the glass, because that wasn't her. She wasn't like Deker at all. She was human, well, at least as human as she could be. Speaking of humans, the rest of the team, sans Jayden, was out doing something or another, and Brooke knew that the red ranger was probably in the same mental state she was. So, she decided to go find him, to offer support if he wanted it.
Meanwhile, Jayden sat on one of the concrete benches that the outdoor dojo offered. His head pounded with a tension headache mixed with exhaustion, and the ibuprofen didn't help- all they did was make him feel nauseous. So, he wasn't doing great, and he set his jaw and Deker's voice rang through his head. The image of Brooke having Deker's sword pressed to her throat also flashed through Jayden's mind, and he made a quiet noise of frustration. That was one of the last things he wanted to happen- because he saw the fear that flickered across Brooke's face when Deker pulled that move. And Jayden knew it was to get him angry, so he wanted to fight. It had worked- and Jayden knew that it was a bad thing, that having such an obvious weakness was bad.
So, Jayden made up his mind. Or so he thought. "Heya, Red." Brooke greeted softly, and Jayden turned his head so he could see her. He knew he should be telling her to get away from him- that he didn't want her around. But that plan flew out the window when Brooke flashed him a small and gentle smile. She was wearing his hoodie, and Jayden knew that him getting happy off of that one fact alone was worrying. Still, he couldn't stop it- and he didn't necessarily want to stop it.
"Hey, Brooke. Are you doing alright?" Jayden asked, his voice carrying the same tone Brooke's held- soft and gentle. Brooke nodded, motioning to the empty seat next to him.
"You want someone around?" Brooke asked Jayden, who nodded. When he did, she sat next to him, drawing her knees to her chest. "It's gotten kinda fucked, hasn't it?" She thought aloud, and Jayden laughed faintly.
"It's gotten chaotic." Jayden agreed, and Brooke grabbed his hand, smiling genuinely.
"Hey, at least we're not alone. It might be fucked, but we have each other." Brooke stated, her cheeks dusting pink, and Jayden smiled fondly.
We have each other. The words rang through Jayden's head, even as he spied the gold and black bracelet on Brooke's wrist. "Is that Antonio's?" He motioned to the bracelet, and the irrational jealousy resurfaced as Brooke nodded.
"Yeah, I'm surprised you just noticed it now," Brooke teased, noticing Jayden's change in demeanor. He was jealous, and it was cute. "I have your hoodie and Goldie's bracelet. It's just an "emotional attachment to the things my childhood friends give me" kinda day." She joked, and Jayden rolled his eyes playfully.
"You're really something." Jayden murmured, squeezing Brooke's hand lightly. She returned it and hummed in response, and the pair sat in comfortable silence for a couple of minutes.
That was until Brooke dropped Jayden's hand, and before he could ask why, he heard the footsteps of the team growing closer. The silver and red rangers turned some so they were facing the five other rangers."Uh, this a bad time?" Emily wondered, and both Brooke and Jayden shook their heads.
"Oh, uh, no. What's up?" Jayden replied, knowing damn well that he just wanted to stay with Brooke. Still, five others were living with him- and at times like these, Jayden found it somewhat as a curse. He noticed that anytime he was starting to feel at peace with Brooke around, something happened. And he didn't know if his father was trying to stop his son's feelings for the daughter of the woman who he hated, or just bad luck. Jayden was sure that it was just bad luck, but you never know.
"First, we wanted to make sure you both are okay, after all that you've been through." Mia started, and Mike closed the pizza box he was peeking into, breaking the somewhat quiet atmosphere.
"And we're going to chow down on some pizza," Mike stated, the green ranger breaking the tension. "And think of some new battle strategies on how to deal with these new powerful nighlok." He added quickly, noticing the unwavering stare from Jayden.
Brooke laughed faintly, rising from her seat. "Sounds like a nice war council," She joked, and the rest of the team noticed the way the red hoodie was a little too big for her. "What's with you guys?" She questioned, her eyes flashing as she noticed the small smiles of Emily and Mia's faces.
"It's nothing," Emily replied with her usual cheerful smile, and Brooke furrowed her brows but didn't press. "Jayden?" The yellow ranger asked the red, who shook his head.
"Thanks, guys, but I'm doing fine. But, why don't you go ahead without me." Jayden answered, and he noticed the faint disappointment flickering across Brooke's expression. It was barely noticeable, but still there.
Still, it was replaced with a grin and a playful punch to Jayden's shoulder. "Alrighty, Red. Your choice, just don't stay out here brooding to death." Brooke teased and wondered if staying with him would be too much. It probably would be, and she just walked beside Antonio, keeping the happy façade up. She heard Jayden muttering to himself, and after a couple of moments, he seemed to come to a conclusion.
"You guys," Jayden rose from his seat quickly, and Brooke and Antonio shared a look and raised their eyebrows at their childhood friend. He had a small smile on his face, and it seemed to be genuine. "I changed my mind, I will join you." He explained as he jogged over to the six other rangers.
While the others headed inside, Antonio stopped on the steps, looking down at his two childhood friends. The stairs gave him a noticeable height difference, Brooke looking even shorter, as Jayden's hoodie smothered her somewhat and she didn't have her platform shoes on. "It's good to have you two back," Antonio stated happily, and both Brooke and Jayden smiled.
"Thanks, we might not have been back at all if it wasn't for you." Jayden thanked, and he and Brooke walked up the steps, the silver ranger just having a happy smile on her face. She wanted things to stay like this.
"Well, I do have my golden moments," Antonio responded with a glimmer in his eyes and a grin, and Brooke rolled her eyes. Jayden and she had the same idea, the red and silver rangers lightly pushing the gold through the doorway.
"You two are horrible," Brooke commented with a grin. "But seriously, thanks, Goldie- agh, I take that back." She huffed, puffing out her cheeks some as Antonio ruffled her hair.
Jayden noticed the leather cuff on Antonio's wrist but didn't ask, only shoving down the jealousy. It was all fine- it could be dealt with, at some other time. It was still the three of them, and the three rangers walked into the meeting room.
Mike instantly pointed the pizza crust he was trying to put in Kevin's drink at Brooke, who stopped in her tracks and raised an eyebrow. "Didn't know you liked the color red, Brooke." He commented, planning to make Brooke flustered, but she just shrugged her shoulders with a grin. Mike seemed to be caught off guard, him blinking owlishly at Brooke's nonchalant response.
"It's a good color," Brooke responded, taking her usual seat, Antonio and Jayden sitting on either side of her. While she wasn't flustered, Jayden was, and he could feel the heat coating the tips of his ears.
God, Brooke Wolfe was going to be the death of him- figuratively, of course. Jayden nudged Brooke, who just winked and him as she bit into a piece of pizza, and he rolled his eyes playfully, cheeks aflame. The rest of the "meeting" went on, and he found himself watching Brooke out of the corner of his eye, her smiling and laughing. She looked happy, and it was an expression Jayden made a vow to protect.