Chapter Two

Kevin's angry again. Or, more likely, still. He manages to hide it around the girls, mostly, but uselessly chasing whatever's left of Jayden around the city always makes him furious. And though he isn't doing anything threatening, seeing him near kids is straining Kevin's self-control to breaking point.

"He's just laughing at us now," he declares, breaking all the rules by striding up to Jayden. Mike and Antonio exchange glances before following, hanging back a step or two. "What do you think you're doing?"

Jayden turns his head – and only his head – to look at Kevin. "Standing. Looking, breathing – which one is bothering you today?"

He's baiting Kevin, and all three know it. "If you're planning on hurting those kids..."

"Hurting them?" He looks honestly baffled. Mike glances at Antonio, who takes a step forward.

"Kevin, he wasn't going to. Take a step back, ok?" Kevin obeys and Antonio steps forward again. "I know you weren't thinking that," he says, directly to Jayden. "But you're really freaking Kevin and Mike out, and I can't stop both of them. Can you – please – go somewhere else?"

Kevin's vibrating by Mike's side. He doesn't approve of the way Antonio keeps trying to save Jayden, but he won't disagree with him in front of Jayden; they can't afford to give him that kind of weapon to use against them. It isn't that he doesn't want Jayden back, Mike knows; but he's trying to live up to what he thinks Jayden would want. Protect the innocent, no matter what. No matter what the danger is.

Maybe it is what Jayden would want. Mike's mostly just been following along. No one expects him to think too deeply about anything.

"Tell you what," Jayden drawls, and Kevin tenses up all over again. "Stop following me around, and I'll stay away from children."

"No way!" Kevin protests. Mike stomps on his toe.

"All right," Antonio agrees.

"Antonio..."

"It's not like Jayden hides –"

"Jarrell," Jayden interrupts him, and Mike flinches.

Jarrell. It should make it easier; it should mean they can all pretend this isn't really Jayden, just someone who looks like him. He doesn't even act like himself most of the time, and he refuses to answer to Jayden or let them use it, even to the point of attacking them over it. He nearly killed Mentor for it.

"What?" Antonio says blankly. He keeps forgetting, or ignoring, or refusing to hear it.

"Jarrell." There's an edge in his voice. "You know that."

He looks away. "It's not like he hides his attacks. Why do you come up here, Jay – Jarrell?"

"Because you made sure I can't stay on the ship," he snaps, turning on his heel and striding away.

"Wait!" Antonio pleads, but he's gone.

A moment later Kevin goes too, heading back towards the Shiba house, quickening into a run as he goes. Mike stays where he is, waiting patiently.

He's still not sure how most of this works. Jayden's forced back here every day because humans can't survive the Netherworld; he thinks it's the Rangers' fault, that much is clear, but Mike doesn't understand why. Everything in that place is poisonous to Jayden. Has he just not noticed the burns where the river water's splashed him?

Antonio turns, finally, not surprised to see Mike waiting. "Let's go."

"Think that was smart, making that deal?"

"He'll keep it."

"Not what I was asking."

Antonio grimaces, scrubbing a hand over his face. "Mike..."

"I'm not –" Mike sighs. "I'm Switzerland, here, Antonio, I don't have a side, ok? He's obvious when he attacks and he never does anything even a little bit wrong otherwise. I see that. But if Master Xandred figures out what we've just agreed to..."

"We'll deal with it then."

Mike nods. "You ok, man?"

"Me? Sure. Come on, let's get back to the House."

Kevin's angry about this new deal. He spends a lot of time staring at the map, tracking Jayden's movements around the city. True to his word, Jayden avoids preschools, playgrounds, anywhere there might be kids. In fact, he stops coming to the city as much, which means Kevin can't track him at all. That just makes him angrier.

Some days after their confrontation, Mentor comes outside while Mike is desultorily practising. "Mike?"

"What's up, Mentor?"

"Jayden is at the Tengen Gate."

"Fighting?"

"No. The monks say he's only looking at it, and he has no moogers with him, but they know what's happened and they're uneasy."

"Where's Antonio?"

Mentor glances at the house. "In Jayden's room."

"Not healthy, the amount of time he spends in there." He slots his shinai back into the rack. "I'll go. He's not making any trouble?"

"Hasn't spoken or approached anyone," Mentor assures him. "Keep your morpher on you."

"No problem. See you later."

The conversation with Jarrell unsettles him, badly. The mannerisms and tone are all pure Jayden; it's only the words that give him away. Worse, he can tell he means every bit of it. The thought of Jayden calling anyone Master, let alone Xandred...

Emily finds him in the living room late that night, staring sightlessly at his zord roaming the tabletop. "Mike?"

"Hey, Em," he says. "Not sleeping?"

"I was." She settles beside him. "What's wrong?"

"Wrong?" he repeats.

"Yeah, wrong." She turns, tucking up her feet and leaning against him. "Where did you go today?"

He considers for a moment before answering honestly. "The Tengen Gate."

"Why?"

"The monks called Ji. Jayden – Jarrell, I guess – turned up there."

She frowns. "But not attacking, obviously."

"No, I think he just wanted to look. I got his promise he wouldn't attack first, Daisuke promised to keep his guys off, everyone was happy. Well, ish."

"Mike?" Emily says it very softly. "Do you think Jayden's coming back?"

"Yeah." He doesn't think about it. "You ever known a Nighlok who cares about history? Or honour, or keeping promises? Jayden doesn't put people in danger, even when he's attacking, and that's all him, not Master X. Even Deker doesn't care the way he does. We have to find a way to get to that part of him, but once we do, he's coming home. Promise, Em."