Tough like Taz
Taz was a badass. There was nothing else to it. She wasn't always that way, however, and Up knew that.
When Up first met Taz, she was just a tiny little girl, with an angry glint in her eyes. She was swinging from a tree, looking like an abused rag-doll, but Up could see that she was filled with so much rage against the robots, that she just didn't know what to do with it. Up could see that, because he felt it so often himself. Up was the toughest SOB the Galactic League had ever seen, and, of course, could not be seen in a moment of weakness, of emotion. So he learned to keep it inside, just as he could see Taz, then just a small girl in a Quinceañera dress, doing. Up, being the one to find her, decided that he would take her under his wing. There was only one was only one way that he ever let his emotions out, and that was to fight. Up would always put aside time for it, but, more often than not, time was put aside for him, in the form of combat. After a good fight, whether it be field combat, keeping his inferior Rangers in line, or just him and a punching bag, he would feel like a clean slate, and ready to take on another day of new recruits pissing him off, or unpleasant orders.
That was what he would pass on to Taz. Then she would be fine, and he would no longer feel obligated to help her.
When Up first presented the idea to Taz, he expected refusal. Taz was so introverted at the beginning, not really talking to anyone. Up was surprised however that, as soon as he presented his idea to her, she responded enthusiastically, and, for once, positively. "I wanna be able to give those robotas what they got comin' for them. I want it to be me who gets them in the end.", Up remembered her saying. From then onward, the fighting lessons began. For Up, it was a gift as well as a curse. Fighting was the only time he was passionate, rather than emotionless, and so he had a very difficult time sharing those moments with another. It was a gift however, because he got to do the one thing he enjoyed more often than usual, and, through sharing something with another, he found joy in the idea of leaving his mark on someone or something. He was a Starship Ranger after all, and could die any day, so leaving something behind was very important to him.
Up came to enjoy teaching Taz; the pros outweighing the cons. She was very passionate in the matches: all of her pent up rage being released, that he only needed to teach her the form, and not motivate her. She reminded him of himself. Taz was very receptive to any pointers he had, since she was fighting, not only for stress relief, or amusement, but for a purpose. And, man. Those robots were going DOWN.
After a few weeks of lessons, Up believed Taz to be ready. Ready to fight him. When he told her as much, she reacted the way she did to any new challenge she way faced with; enthusiastically, and determined to win.
"Bring it on Up!" Taz said, the constant fire in her eyes burning brighter with new found determination. Up chuckled lightly, "Don't you go thinking that it will be easy now! I've still got some tricks that I've been keepin' from ya!". Taz just shrugged, and pulled him onto the practice ring. They stood in the centre facing each other, and Up could see Taz thinking up her strategy. As she thought of a strategy, up made the first move, ducking low, and trying to knock her off her feet. "Stay in the moment Taz, don't plan your movements ahead of time. Trust me. Plans tend to go very wrong, very often." Before she could reply, Up had taken a swipe at her head. Taz moved quickly to dodge it, and succeeded. A small victory. "See, now that's better." Up said, as Taz proceed to take a strike at his stomach. They proceeded in this way, Taz progressively improving, Up giving small pointers, here and there. Finally, Up relented. "Taz, you know what? You're tough. I know fully grown Starship rangers that couldn't have done what you've managed in these past few weeks. Yes, you, my friend, are one tough Sonofabitch.". All Taz said was : "Gracias".
Up, realizing that, with his admission, the lessons were over, suddenly felt a small tugging on his insides. Tough Rangers like him never got that feeling, so, it was a surprise to him. He shouldn't. The whole reason he started giving these lessons was to get rid of that pull that she had on him; that feeling of obligation. Yet, here he was, about to make an offer that he shouldn't even be considering. Oh well. Up was tough. He could live with the consequences. "Taz? I'd like to show you something, maybe we could meet at my room, later tonight?", he blurted out. "Que? What is it? Does it have to do with fighting?", Taz asked in reply. "No. It's a movie I think you'll like, Karate Kid. It reminds me alot of you and I." he said, throwing an arm around Taz, and guiding her out the door of the training room. The rest was history.
Now, Up was a completely different man. The accident had changed him, both physically, and mentally. Of course, one would have difficulty being cut vertically in half, and it would not go without some changes, but he was Up, the toughest ranger in the G.L.E.E. Or at least he used to be.
He was no longer strong. He was half Robot for crying out loud! Whatever emotions he had, he expressed them freely, letting tears flow, and words he would never had said before stream from his mouth. He was filled with self loathing, that he constantly expressed, and no longer hid anything from anyone. He was an open book, and what a wimpy story it had to tell.
He had finally come to terms with the fact that, he was no longer the same Up that he used to be. He was no longer tough. Now, there was no one tougher than the old Up, but there was someone who could help him get back up. In fact, that person owed him, for years ago, he had done something for her, an act of help, that he so desperately needed now. He had helped her to become the best Ranger this side of the Galaxy. He had made Taz tough, and now, he was going to need her help. In order to get back up, he was going to have to become tough, like Taz.