Jayden couldn't shake the feeling of worry he felt. He and Brooke had settled back into their normal routines quickly, as a sense to regain a semblance of normalcy, but it was all for naught. For Jayden, anyway. He didn't actually know how Brooke was doing- she just seemed to be waking up later and looking more and more tired each passing day. The cut Deker made to her neck had almost healed, but every time Jayden saw it he felt either guilt or anger. Sometimes it was a mix of both, but he tried not to let it show- just shutting away his thoughts. Still, there were times when he couldn't shut them away, such as now.
The words Deker said to him, about knowing his secret- which Jayden didn't even know was true or not, echoed in his head. That damned secret. It caused him more stress, annoyance, and guilt than Jayden would like. He honestly wondered if it was doing more harm than good- as he only got letters from Lauren rarely, and they were just about her training. Of course, it's not like Jayden had other things to write about, sometimes he wrote about the team. Lauren had found it amusing that Mia was a bad cook and wrote back "It's probably better than what I'm eating here" accompanied by a small smiley face that made Jayden happy. He didn't know why, but it just did, and every time he got a letter from Lauren, he realized how much he missed his older sister. He just wished there could somehow be two red rangers or something so that he could have his sister and his team. A happy balance, and an even number of rangers.
Jayden had written about Deker in his most recent letter- which he had written last night when he couldn't sleep. He needed a third-party to look at the situation and to tell him what to do because Jayden was drawing blanks. And while the team was nice, they weren't the best at dealing with things like that. He had also brought up Brooke- for the first time, as he was somewhat nervous about Lauren's reaction to the silver ranger, due to what her mother did. He had written about how she was wrapped up with him in all of this, and nothing more.
The image of the half-human's sword to Brooke's throat, and the fact that it scared him, was something that Jayden kept to himself. Deker was getting to his head too much, and Jayden knew it, but he couldn't stop it. He wanted to talk to Brooke but was making a very poor attempt to avoid talking to her. He didn't want her getting hurt because of him- and that meant keeping Brooke away from him, but Jayden couldn't. Physically, as they lived in the same house and he could only do so much without coming across as a jackass. Mentally, because Jayden couldn't muster up the courage to tell Brooke that he didn't want her around. It was a complete and total lie- and while Jayden was pretty decent at lying, as he's been doing it to the team for months on end, he couldn't.
He also knew if he did something to upset the silver ranger, the five others would pick up on it quickly. Brooke and Jayden were always close, whether it be in their routines or battle, and if that just stopped, it would mean something was wrong. At least, Jayden was trying to convince himself that it was for the team, and it was totally not for a selfish reason. It was easier to live in denial than to face that mess of emotions. It's what he's been doing for months on end, after all. Jayden found out that he was somewhat decent at stuffing down emotions.
Plus, he was a leader. Typically, leaders don't get crushes on teammates. Especially a teammate that had to undergo blood experimentation led by his father. Jayden had figured that out by asking Ji, as he didn't want to make Brooke upset, because she always seemed to shut off somewhat when someone mentioned things regarding her past. Nobody blamed her- Jayden didn't blame her. He would do the same thing if the roles were reversed. He made the mental note to actually talk to Brooke about it, though, because while Jayden knew that she wasn't one to hold grudges, she could easily just be faking her nonchalant attitude.
There I go, Jayden thought, stopping himself from going into a more downward spiral of worrying about Brooke. He just pushed all thoughts of her out of his head for the moment- with a half-assed I don't need her around. The whole thing left him frustrated, and he fought back a tension headache that was starting to form.
"Dude," Mike called, and his voice snapped Jayden out of his thoughts. "You just stopped. It was like you were a million miles away. You okay?" He pointed out, and Jayden let out a quiet sigh.
He had forgotten he was even training. "It's nothing," Jayden replied, his voice more monotone than he meant for it to be. Still, it got the point across.
"I think being kidnapped by Deker has really gotten to you," Kevin concluded, and Jayden just didn't react, trying to will away that series of thoughts.
Of course, it did. He had gotten poisoned, and watched one of the people he cared about most also get poisoned, plus nearly drown due to said poison, and almost get her throat slit. So, Jayden's nightmares were having a field day with that in his mind. He had almost become used to the other ones, and then Deker happened, which gave his subconscious enough to create scenarios that he could only watch. So, yes, it did get to Jayden. More than he would like.
"You can talk to us Jayden. We're here for you." Emily offered, and Jayden knew that.
Would he ever? Probably not, as there was a level of formality Jayden had with the four other original rangers. Brooke and Antonio were a different case, but they were both busy with the cage symbol and the black box respectively. Plus, every time he had tried to go to Brooke after one of his nightmares, Jayden couldn't muster up the courage. So, that just left him stuck with his thoughts. Which was something he's used to, but it's not enjoyable in the slightest.
"Hey, guys!" Mia greeted, walking out of the Shiba House with a cloth shopping bag slung on her shoulder.
"Have you finally decided to join us for practice?" Kevin joked, and Mia shook her head with a somewhat guilty look on her face.
"No, I told Mentor that I was cooking dinner tonight," Mia stated happily, and Jayden set his jaw.
Christ, Jayden thought, taking one of Brooke's usual words. He was not prepared for a second batch of poison, nor did he want to eat it. The three other rangers that were training with him seemed to have the same thought process. They all tensed somewhat, Emily forcing an enthusiastic smile.
"Oh no," Kevin muttered, then forcing an excited attitude. "What's the special occasion?" He asked through clenched teeth, a fake smile on his face.
"Both Antonio and Brooke have been working really hard, and I want to do something special for them!" Mia answered with a warm smile, and when she walked away, the rangers dropped their forced enthusiasm.
Jayden then concluded that training wasn't going to help him clear his head. So, he just placed his training sword back into the rack and walked into the Shiba House. It was surprisingly quiet and had been for a while, and Jayden quirked a brow at Ji. "Is everything alright?" He asked, noticing his mentor had the black box in his hand.
"Goldie, you don't have to give me special treatment," Jayden heard Brooke state, and he furrowed his brows at that out of context statement. Irrational jealousy surfaced, yet again, and Jayden let out a heavy sigh. That was something he needed to work on. "I'm fine," Brooke stated, and Jayden walked into the indoor dojo.
"Brooke, you nearly passed out," Antonio argued, and Brooke's eyes flashed.
"So did you- heya, Red," Brooke cut herself off, and Jayden jumped in surprise slightly. She was still facing Antonio but spun on her heel to face Jayden. "Everything okay? You're radiating stress again." She commented, and Jayden let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose.
While he wanted to confide in Brooke, Jayden knew he shouldn't. Still, he couldn't just ignore her. "Deker," It was a one-word response that caused an unreadable expression to cross Brooke's face. "Anyways, what's this about passing out?" He asked, raising his brows at the silver and gold rangers.
"Symbol power, per usual," Brooke answered, running a clawed hand over her face. "Goldie's in the same boat right now." She added, gesturing to Antonio with her thumb.
He looked somewhat stressed, and Jayden realized that they were all in similar states. The three childhood friends were all tired and stressed, which was vastly different from when they were kids. It was depressing, in a sense. "Also, Mia's making a special dinner for you two," Jayden added, trying to switch the conversation to a lighter topic.
Antonio visibly cringed. "I'll see if I can catch something, but," He started, and Jayden and Brooke shared a confused glance. "You two are coming with me." He declared, pointing at the silver and red rangers, and Brooke had a small smile on her face.
"Sounds enjoyable," Brooke agreed and then turned her attention to Jayden. "C'mon, Red, don't be a buzzkill here. We could all use the break, it's not like we've been slacking off the past couple of days." She urged, and Jayden knew he probably should say no. But, he couldn't.
"Why not." Jayden agreed, and the corners of his lips twitched. A part of his brain yelled at him to back out, to focus on his training, and ignore Brooke and Antonio. However, he didn't have the heart to do that, and Jayden didn't feel jealous when it was the three of them. Plus, they could keep themselves safe, they weren't ten anymore. He realized that he always wanted his childhood friends by his side, no matter what the world threw at him.
"Y'know, Goldie, I never would've expected that someone as energetic as you would enjoy fishing," Brooke stated, looking up from the fishing spool she was messing with, turning her attention Antonio. She was seated on the dock, in between Jayden and Antonio's legs, the two sitting on a bench. It was close enough to the end of the dock so that Antonio could cast his line and fish, and that's what he did.
"Runs in the family," Antonio replied with a small smile, and Brooke felt some of the stress she felt disperse at the smell of the ocean.
She was worried- about a lot of things. Jayden is the first, as Brooke noticed he was acting distant, and it hurt somewhat. It was understandable, but she felt somewhat worried about going to him, as he just radiated somewhat of a weird vibe. It was a vibe saying that he didn't want her around, but he was still around. Jayden wasn't easy to understand, and Brooke wanted to understand him. To figure out why he was acting prickly, other than the fact Deker probably got to his head. She didn't blame him.
Deker's words caused self-doubts to form in Brooke's head, and she let out a heavy sigh as she set down the fishing spool. "I'm not like Deker, am I?" She thought aloud, and both Antonio and Jayden stopped their light conversation.
"Not at all, Brooke. He's just trying to get under your skin." Jayden answered quickly, something akin to guilt in his tone.
"Jay's right," Antonio agreed, nodding. "You're more human than he could ever be." He reassured Brooke, who turned her gaze to the horizon.
"I don't know. I mean- I wish I was human," Brooke blurted, looking down at her clawed hands. "I get that me being a shifter is important, and for the fate of the world, but… I just wish sometimes, y'know? I know it's selfish, but, I just- this is exhausting." She confessed, and her voice cracked, which she didn't want to happen. She had meant to keep her emotions locked away, but it was difficult. And while Amaris did offer reassurance, Brooke wanted it from some of the people she cared about most.
It was all selfishness, and Brooke knew she shouldn't be doing this. She should just be stuffing down her emotions because they didn't involve the cage symbol or the fate of the world. But, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't. It left her talking to herself in the middle of the night, sitting on the bathroom floor, and hyperventilating. It left her weak- which was something Brooke didn't want to be. It was a weakness, and those got you killed in battle. So, she shouldn't have them, but, it's not like she could just stop. She wished she could stop overthinking, go back to the Brooke she was before she tried to uncover all of her family's secrets. Fun Brooke, the Brooke who didn't have so many nightmares. She wanted to feel normal again.
"Hey, what's going through your head?" Antonio questioned, noticing the silent tears that were rolling down Brooke's cheeks. "If you want to talk about it, we're here." He reminded Brooke, who nodded weakly and let out a shaky sigh.
"I'm sorry- I just haven't been right for a while. I haven't felt myself, and it's one fucking thing after another. It seems like every time I try to climb out of this rut, I get flung back into it. Every damn time," Brooke muttered, squeezing her eyes shut and trying to stop her tears with willpower alone. It didn't work, and she just bit back a sob. "I'm sorry, this is stupid. You two shouldn't have to deal with this." She apologized, and Jayden frowned.
"Hey, don't apologize," Jayden chided, his voice gentle. "I don't think any of us here are feeling ourselves at the moment. You didn't have to apologize, nobody blames you." He reassured Brooke, who held out a shaky hand, and he took it, rubbing small circles into the back of her hand with his thumb.
"We're all stressed at the moment," Antonio agreed, leaning back on his hands. "Wanted to go fishing to clear my head, honestly. I could tell you two needed it as well." He added, shooting Jayden a knowing look, who let out a sigh.
Jayden nodded and tightened his grip on Brooke's hand. "Deker knew what to say, and what to do, to get into our heads. He's just nerve-racking." He admitted, and Brooke sniffled.
"Fuck Deker. All my homies hate Deker." Brooke declared, and Jayden raised his eyebrows. She was trying to joke, and he knew that, and it was somewhat comforting.
Antonio laughed faintly. "Well, you're not exactly wrong." He agreed, and Brooke let out a watery laugh.
"Deker hate-club," Brooke murmured, and Jayden rolled his eyes playfully, feeling the corners of his lips twitch. "Anyways, to a lighter topic, I do not want to eat Mia's cooking tonight. I think I just might leave if she makes something." She changed the subject, moving her seat to the bench. She was in between Jayden and Antonio, per usual, and her two childhood friends were just comforting to be around. She felt safe with them.
"Me too," Jayden replied, grimacing slightly. A round two of poison, Brooke's third, was not ideal. "Do you think you can catch enough for dinner?" He asked Antonio, who had a worried look on his face.
"They're not exactly biting at the moment," Antonio answered, and Jayden cringed slightly. That wasn't good at all, and slight worry radiated off of the three rangers.
Brooke leaned her head against Jayden's shoulder, and he let her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "If it comes down to it, I'll take you both out to eat somewhere. You both deserve it, for dealing with me." She stated, and Jayden ran a hand through her hair.
"It's not dealing with you if we want to be here, Brooke." Jayden reminded Brooke, who let out a yawn.
"Still, I've been a mess. It's the least I can do, and we don't have to go somewhere fancy," Brooke argued, and Jayden and Antonio shared a smile. The three hadn't ever done anything together, besides training, fighting nighlok, and now fishing. It would be a nice change of pace. "We stay in Panorama, I'm sure they have something decent here. And, hopefully, the nighlok will show up around, like, midday. So, that means we can actually enjoy ourselves for once." She murmured, closing her eyes. She had been feeling more and more tired recently, and Brooke knew it was from her worsening mental state and lack of sleep. Jayden was warm, and that plus sounds of the water hitting the dock were lulling her to sleep.
"Sounds like fun." Antonio agreed, and Brooke let out a quiet cheer, and Jayden nodded in agreement.
The part of his brain that told him to say no got drowned out by the sheer happiness of actually being normal with his two friends. It wasn't a date- but Jayden felt a certain happiness about it. He had only gotten out to eat when he was younger a handful of times, and he had an almost childish glee. Feeling Brooke fall asleep on his shoulder, which didn't take long, also made him happy. He silently thanked Antonio for offering this idea.
After a couple of minutes of comfortable silence, Jayden spoke again. "Something in my head is telling me to withdraw myself." He confessed, looking down at Brooke sleeping on his shoulder, and then Antonio. The gold ranger had an eyebrow raised, a small grin on his lips.
"Well, you're not doing a very good job," Antonio teased, and Jayden rolled his eyes and shot his friend a playful glare. "Is it because of what Deker did?" Antonio made a motion of cutting his own neck, and Jayden nodded, letting out a sigh and furrowing his brows.
"Deker did that to get a reaction out of me, and I know it. And it worked," Jayden recalled the anger he felt, the way he was ready to attack without thinking. "I feel guilty, even though I know Brooke won't hold it against me. She never holds it against me," He muttered, and it was honestly a blessing and a curse. While he didn't want to see Brooke angry at him, Jayden also wanted a reason to feel guilty. "I don't want anyone getting hurt because of me."
"Getting hurt is a part of the job, Jayden. You know that" Antonio reminded Jayden, who muttered "I know" under his breath. "Still, I understand. I noticed that you've been quieter today around the team." He pointed out, and Jayden let out a weak laugh.
"It seems like I can't hide anything from you two," Besides my obvious feelings for Brooke. "But, you know how the team gets. They get it, but they don't, and while I care about them, it's not on the same level as it is with you and Brooke. You two just understand me better." Jayden stated, turning his gaze to the horizon. He felt Brooke stir some, and then instantly go back to sleep, her fluffy black hair tickling Jayden's neck. Not that he minded, the smell of coffee and cinnamon was comforting. She was comforting.
Antonio turned his attention back to his golden fishing rod, letting out a sigh at the fact fish were refusing to bite. "We all know why that's the case," He joked, and Jayden rolled his eyes, lightly shoving Antonio. "We're always here to listen, Jayden. Don't go into "leader mode" around us, okay?" Antonio urged, and Jayden quirked a brow.
"Leader mode? What does that-" Jayden echoed, but was cut off by Brooke's samuraizer beeping, the silver ranger letting out a groan of frustration.
"I want a nap," Brooke grumbled as she lifted her head from Jayden's shoulder. Digging her samuraizer out of the pocket of her leather jacket- it was grey, she flipped it open. "It's not far from here. Let's go."
The three childhood friends nodded at each other, Jayden removing his arm from around Brooke's shoulders. The red, silver, and gold rangers rose from the bench, sprinting down the dock with looks of determination on their faces.
Brooke, Jayden, and Antonio skidded to a stop when they reached the scene, eyes widening at the sheer amount of people that were asleep. Heads were resting on tables, snores coming out of multiple people's mouths, and the civilians that didn't get hit were screaming and running away.
"Red, Goldie, there's the big baddie of the day," Brooke called, pointing to the nighlok, who was half maroon and half green and black. It looked like a rhinoceros, with some sort of blaster at the end of its arm. "And Dayu." She muttered, noticing the female nighlok, and the blonde man in his grip. The nighlok fired some sort of gas out of its arm, aiming for Dayu, but she was quick, holding the man in front of her. The gas hit him and caused him to fall asleep, and Brooke narrowed her eyes. She wanted a nap, but not like this.
"Let's go," Jayden commanded, and the three morphed into their suits, Brooke also shifting. The red ranger and brown wolf lunged at the nighlok, landing two attacks and regrouping with the rest of the team, which had arrived.
"The samurai rangers?" The rino-nighlok exclaimed, its voice a slight growl. "I'm working here!" And with that, the rangers charged.
Brooke and Jayden settled into their usual routine, the red and silver rangers fighting side by side. Brooke's gold eyes fell on Dayu, who had grabbed the blonde man and flung him over her shoulder, and the silver ranger let out a low growl. Still, she turned her attention back to the nighlok, slashing at an opening Jayden made for her, as Mia seemed to be on top of things in that regard.
"Dayu, stop!" Mia demanded, the pink ranger breaking into a sprint and running after the female nighlok.
"Mia!" Emily yelled, getting distracted by Mia's actions. The nighlok saw its chance and sprayed its sleeping gas, and Brooke cursed under her breath as she sheathed her blades.
She shifted, and wolf-Brooke bounced over to Emily, shoving her out of the way of the sleeping gas. Brooke had planned for that to work well, and it didn't. Instead of the sleeping gas hitting Emily, it hit her, and she felt her brain force her body to shift back into a human. The gas didn't make her choke or anything, which was nice, but that was the only nice thing about it. "Go help Mia." Brooke commanded, trying to make herself sound awake enough, and when Emily nodded and sprinted away, she gave up.
Her ranger suit disappeared in a flash of silver, and Jayden's eyes widened as Brooke stumbled in place. "Brooke!" He called, slashing at the nighlok and running over to her side. However, it was too late, and Brooke's eyes rolled to the back of her head, her hitting the concrete ground. She was asleep, clutching her samuraizer tightly in her hand.
Jayden let out a growl, but it soon turned into a noise of shock as he saw a flash of gold and Antonio hitting the ground as well. Both of his childhood friends were asleep, and the two fastest rangers on the team. That wasn't good at all.
"Hey, buddy, not exactly a good time to take a nap!" Mike chided, nudging Antonio with a booted foot. He didn't respond, and Brooke was the same way, Jayden crouching down and shaking her shoulder. The only good thing about it was that they looked somewhat peaceful.
"They won't wake up until I say so!" The nighlok exclaimed gleefully, and Jayden narrowed his eyes underneath his red helmet and tightened his grip on his spin-sword. "The more they dream, the tastier a snack they'll be!" The monster cackled, sounding rather proud of itself.
"Do you really think we're going to stand here and let that happen?" Jayden challenged through grit teeth, standing in front of Brooke protectively. Mike and Kevin settled into fighting stances in front of Antonio, the three rangers readying their spin-swords.
"Of course not! I gulp down my grub in the dream world, but I'm going to let them marinate a while!" The nighlok replied in a mocking tone. "But first things first, I need to go catch Dayu." It announced, jumping forward.
What could only be called a portal opened above Antonio's chest, and the three remaining rangers could only watch as the nighlok hopped through it. Antonio showed no sign of waking from it, and the three rangers demorphed, Mike and Kevin sharing concerned looks at each other. Jayden flipped open his samuraizer and called Ji, keeping a careful eye on Brooke as he paced subconsciously.
"Jayden, that nighlok is Rhinosnorus. It puts its victims to sleep and enters their dreams," Ji explained, and Jayden furrowed his brows, glancing down at Brooke. She looked so peaceful- and something about it made his heartthrob. "His victims then usually experience vivid fantasies, usually happy ones."
"Brooke!" A bubbly voice called, and Brooke turned her head, breaking into a smile. Her canines were normal size for a human, and grey eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.
"Hey, Hanna! I'm glad you could make it!" Brooke greeted, wrapping her arms around a smaller girl with brown curls and blue eyes. Once scarred arms were smooth, and Brooke placed her hands on Hanna's shoulders.
Hanna beamed, brushing some of Brooke's long black hair out of her face. "Of course! It's your final show before districts, I wouldn't miss it!" She exclaimed happily, and blue eyes scanned the people present in the auditorium. "Is Jayden coming? I thought he's usually stuck by your side." She asked, and Brooke furrowed her brows.
It was the last dance show she would be giving in Panorama, as she qualified for districts, the senior of Greensbrook high priding herself in her talent. Jayden was her long term boyfriend of two years- the two getting together their sophomore year, and silver and moonstone promise ring shone in the florescent lights of the auditorium. The two always stuck by each other's sides, looking happy around each other. They weren't big on PDA, but people still knew that they were together, as the way they talked about each other.
"I'm sure he'll show, he always does," Brooke responded hopefully, grey eyes sparkling with joy. Still, she quirked a brow at Hanna's enthusiastic expression. "What's up?" She wondered, tilting her head to the side slightly.
"I swear, you got lucky having Jayden as your boyfriend. I mean, I've never seen a guy so happy to be at someone's side before. I'm jealous." Hanna confessed, and Brooke flushed somewhat.
"I'm lucky to have him, yeah," Brooke agreed, a happy smile on her lips as she stepped away from Hanna and pulled her phone out of her pocket. "I don't know what's with him, though. He's been quiet all day, even for Red standards." Worry was evident in her tone, and she debated texting him. She didn't, instead just staring at her lockscreen for a moment.
It was her and Jayden- and Brooke recalled the memory of her pulling him to take a picture after their first date. He had been embarrassed but didn't object, and his cheeks were dusted pink in the picture, his arm wrapped around Brooke's waist. He was wearing red- his usual color, but the red scarf was wrapped around Brooke's neck. They both looked happy, blue, and grey eyes sparkling with joy, snow nestled in their hair. It had been snowing, and she remembered teasing Jayden for the snowflake that fell on his nose, him responding by kissing her. It was a good memory, but almost all of the ones she had with him were pleasant.
He was like a dream come true, and Brooke tucked her phone back into her pocket. She turned her head at her dance instructor's call, waving a farewell to Hanna and getting ready for her performance.
The corners of Brooke's lips twitched into a smile, and Antonio let out a quiet laugh, Mike and Kevin sharing a mutual look of "what the fuck is going on". Meanwhile, Jayden's expression hardened, bracing himself for the caveat, knowing something bad was going to happen. "Once devoured, his victims then never wake up in the real world again. You must locate and destroy him, fast." Ji urged, and Jayden's voice was hard as he responded.
There it was. "We're on it, Ji," Jayden vowed, ending the call and flipping his samuraizer shut.
"So, what's the deal?" Mike questioned, giving Antonio one final nudge with his foot. He and Kevin walked over to where Jayden was standing, who was looking down at Brooke with a conflicted expression on his face.
He wondered what Brooke's dreams were- and selfishly, Jayden hoped they involved him, in some way. However, he pushed aside that thought as soon as it came up. Now wasn't the time for that. "We have to enter the dream world," Jayden explained, and Mike knit his brows, looking at Jayden with a skeptical expression.
"So we have to find our way into the dream world?" Mike asked, skepticism in his tone, and Kevin was equally confused.
"How do we do that?" Kevin blurted, and Mike instantly perked up.
"Amaris, right? Shouldn't she- shit!" Mike exclaimed in shock, and all three rangers jumped in surprise when the white wolf appeared in a flash of silver.
"Symbol power can be used," Amaris answered, padding over to Brooke and nuzzling her cheek. "I will help since I am connected to symbol power. Jayden, do you have enough strength to create a portal for Kevin and Mike?" She asked, violet eyes landing on Jayden. "After that, I will create a portal for you." Amaris explained, and Mike raised his eyebrows.
"Has this happened before? How do you know so much?" Mike questioned Amaris, whose ears and tail flicked.
The white wolf padded over to Jayden, and he crouched down, blue eyes meeting violet. "I have been around for fifteen generations of samurai rangers," Amaris explained, nuzzling Jayden's cheek in a comforting sort of manner. He let her, the smell of lavender calming his nerves somewhat, and Jayden then realized why Brooke called on the wolf so much. She was a constant level head. "Xandred gets predictable after, say, five generations. I must say, this is the first time I have seen so many people fall victim." Violet eyes scanned the plaza, noticing the many people asleep on the tables.
"Thank you, Amaris." Kevin thanked, and Amaris' tail flicked as her violet eyes shined with pride.
"No need thanking me, I am a protector," Amaris responded, but the three noticed the joy in her tone and the way her tail wagged somewhat. "Jayden, do what you can. I will lend you my strength if need be." She urged, and Jayden nodded, petting Amaris and then standing.
Flipping open his samuraizer, the red ranger walked over to the sleeping gold. "I'll doubt I'll keep the portal open for very long, so jump in as soon as it materializes," Jayden commanded, and Amaris sat on her haunches next to Brooke.
The white wolf noticed the way that the red ranger didn't have much symbol power compared to red rangers in the past. That was interesting, and Amaris' violet eyes shone with curiosity. There seemed to be something about Jayden that he was hiding- other than his feelings for Brooke. The white wolf had picked up on those from the beginning, but something darker seemed to be within him. It wasn't evil, per se, but Amaris didn't know what it was. It was something she knew she could find out easily if she tried, but she didn't like prying into people's secrets. From what she could tell, Jayden had good intentions, so there was no need to worry.
"Hang on buddy, help's on the way!" Mike called to a sleeping Antonio, and Jayden raised his samuraizer.
Once he remembered the symbol, Jayden quickly drew it. "Symbol Power: Portal!" He yelled, and 門 floated in a brilliant red in the air for a moment. Jayden then activated the symbol, and with enough mental strength, the portal appeared. The kanji turned from red to black and purple, and Jayden grit his teeth at the headache that was forming. "Go! Now!" He barked, and Mike and Kevin nodded, breaking into a sprint and jumping through the portal.
Once the two rangers were through, Jayden ended the symbol and collapsed on his knees, breathing heavily. "Amaris- is this what Brooke feels like daily?" He panted, as his head pounded in tune with the beating of his heart. God, he felt bad, and Jayden realized this was the first time he used that much symbol power in such a short time. It wasn't a fun experience.
"Yes, Brooke experiences the same amount of mental fatigue, and Antonio as well. They are both using excessive amounts of symbol power for long periods," Amaris answered, standing and walking over to Jayden again. "I will transfer some of Brooke's symbol power to you. Since it is one different from your own- it might feel strange at first. Do not worry, it has been done before and is harmless." She reassured Jayden, who nodded weakly, catching his breath.
He honestly felt bad for Brooke and Antonio, and Jayden wondered how they even could still fight feeling like this. Amaris walked over and pressed her forehead to his, closing her eyes, and she started radiating a white light. Soon, Jayden felt his strength return, and then some, as a new type of energy filled his body that he hadn't ever felt before. It was like heightened adrenaline, and he could feel it coursing through his veins. Amaris finished transferring the symbol power and stepped back, the white wolf becoming translucent.
"We need to hurry, Brooke's running out of symbol power to use," Amaris urged, and Jayden nodded and stood, pocketing his samuraizer. He and Amaris walked over to Brooke, the white wolf nuzzling Brooke's cheek once again. "Do not fall for illusions. No matter how true they are made to be." It was a warning for both Brooke and Jayden, and that caused some concern to rise, but Jayden pushed it aside.
"Thanks, Amaris." Jayden thanked, and Amaris' tail only flicked as she started to glow again.
門 appeared again, but in purple and silver, and it took far less time for the white wolf to get the symbol working compared to the red ranger. When the portal opened, Jayden instantly broke into a sprint and jumped through it. When he had fully disappeared, Amaris ended the symbol, the white wolf flickering like a projection. Still, she didn't leave, only curling up next to Brooke and tucking her snout under her fluffy tail.
"Help will come, my dear. Do not fall for lies." Amaris murmured, closing her violet eyes.
Jayden landed in front of the auditorium that Panorama offered, and he furrowed his brows. It was night, but other than that, everything seemed the same as it was in the real world. Blue eyes scanned the area, and Jayden felt his eyes widen as his gaze landed on a poster. Walking over to it, he recognized Brooke's traditional grin but noticed that her canines weren't as long as they usually were. Her hair was longer and curlier, and Jayden noticed that her arms weren't scarred, and the scar she had on her palm from his spin-sword was gone. Oh, this wasn't good.
Still, other than that, it was Brooke, Jayden's fingertips brushing the poster, and he noticed the silver band on his ring finger. That was new, as he never wore rings, and he didn't recognize it. Still, he had the strange sense to leave it on, so Jayden shoved his thoughts aside and turned his attention back to the poster.
It read Brooke Wolfe's Final Act, in bold white letters, and Jayden connected the dots. Well, what he could. So, Brooke was human, and she was dancing, which made sense, as those seemed to be her dreams. It didn't explain the ring, but Jayden knew he would have to talk to Brooke. Glancing at the time on the poster, and then at his wristwatch, a slight panic set in. It was nearly showtime, and Jayden let out a heavy sigh as he started towards the entrance of the auditorium.
Well, he had always wanted to see Brooke dancing, so Jayden now had his chance. He walked into the auditorium, his eyes adjusting to the darkness of the large auditorium, and he took a seat and the end of the row. He was nervous- and he didn't even know why. A spotlight was in the middle of the stage, and blue eyes widened, heat rushing to Jayden's face as he made out the familiar figure of Brooke.
Oh, she's going to kill me, Jayden thought, trying so desperately to shut off his thoughts. Brooke stood in the spotlight, wearing a short high-waisted black pleated skirt and light grey halter top that was pretty much a crop-top. It was paired with fishnet leggings and black heels, and her long hair was piled into a bun, stray curls falling in front of her face as she danced. Jayden also noticed a tattoo that started below her ribs and ended mid-thigh, it being red and white flowers. He didn't know what flowers they were, but he found them pretty and tried so to ignore the way she swung her hips as she danced.
So, Jayden turned his attention to her face, noticing the sparkle in Brooke's eyes and the way she had a happy smile on her face as she sang and danced. It made him feel guilty, but Amaris' words rang in his head. He shouldn't fall for illusions, even if he wanted to.
Jayden couldn't even really pay attention to the music or what Brooke was singing. Instead, he was just focused on her. She was happy, and it made Jayden's heart swell. Watching her dance and twirl around on stage made him happier than he wanted to admit. It wasn't long until the show ended, and he found himself applauding Brooke. He realized he was in too deep- but Jayden reminded himself that this wasn't real. It couldn't be real.
Rising from his seat, Jayden made his way backstage, and blue eyes met grey, Brooke breaking into a wide smile. "Red! You made it!" She cheered, and Jayden let out a noise of surprise when she tackled him into a tight hug.
"Of course I would," Jayden stated, and that was the truth. "You did great, Brooke." His hands rested on her hips, and he wanted to stay like this. But, it wasn't real.
"I love you," Brooke murmured, and Jayden felt heat rise to his face. Brooke cradled his face in her hands, and Jayden noticed a ring similar to the one he wore on her ring finger, with a moonstone heart. Promise rings? "You make me so happy." She stated, pressing a faint kiss to his lips.
Oh. OH. Jayden didn't know how to react, so he just froze somewhat- his heartbeat pounding in his ears. So, they were together, presumably. Was this Brooke's dream, or his? He didn't really know, but he enjoyed the sparkle in Brooke's eyes and the happy smile on her face. "I love you." He repeated, stammering some. He had his chance- so he took it.
It wasn't real. Jayden reminded himself as he raised Brooke's chin and kissed her. This isn't real. I have a job to do. Feeling Brooke kiss him was better than he imagined, and when they pulled away, Jayden felt a smile growing on his face. This wasn't right- it wasn't. It shouldn't feel good, this shouldn't be what Jayden wanted.
"Hey, let me grab my stuff, and then we can go home." Brooke smiled, and Jayden nodded, feeling as she pressed a kiss to his cheek and walked away. This wasn't good at all.
Jayden thought this was going to be easy- that he could just jump in Brooke's dream and kill the nighlok. Now, he found himself walking hand-in-hand with his girlfriend, down the streets of Panorama as the moon cast everything in a silver glow, and he wasn't complaining. Still, Jayden knew what he had to do. "Brooke." He called, and Brooke stopped in her tracks, tilting her head to the side and quirking a brow.
"Everything okay? You're radiating stress." Brooke replied, tightening his grip on his hand some. Jayden nearly laughed at that- because he recalled Brooke, real Brooke, telling him the same thing this morning.
"Yeah, listen," Jayden let out a heavy sigh, and Brooke's eyes widened slightly, her face paling. That made him feel guilty. "This isn't real." He spoke quickly, and Brooke brushed some of her hair out of her face.
"What do you mean? This feels pretty real," Brooke stated, brows furrowed and skepticism in her tone. "I mean, I'm happy. And I have you." She murmured, and Jayden felt his heartthrob. This was going to be so much harder than he thought.
"This is a dream, Brooke. A nighlok created this." Jayden explained, and confusion sparkled in Brooke's eyes.
"So, we're power rangers?" Brooke asked, guiding him to a bench. They both sat down, and she let go of Jayden's hand, running a hand over her face.
Jayden blinked owlishly at Brooke. "How do you know that?" He wondered, and Brooke mustered a weak smile.
"Our parents were- but they won the war. That's how I know you, we were childhood friends," Brooke started, and the noise of confusion Jayden made caused her lips to twitch upwards. "But, I suppose in this other reality, our parents didn't win the war. And we're picking up the pieces." She speculated, and Jayden cleared his throat and nodded.
"Yeah, you're right. Things are different there- vastly different. You're not human, for starters, and we're, uh, not together." Jayden spoke quietly, and Brooke's eyes instantly widened.
"I'm sorry- I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I get why you didn't say anything but, argh, I'm sorry, Red. I didn't mean to-" Brooke started, but Jayden cut her off by grabbing her hand and shooting her a reassuring smile.
"No, it's all good. It's a long story, but, I have feelings for you," Jayden blurted, feeling heat rise to his face. "I can't act on them, since we're fighting a war, and you're my teammate. This is nice, but I know I shouldn't be enjoying this." He explained, letting out a heavy sigh. He wished Amaris was here- she would know what to do.
Brooke lightly nudged his shoulder with hers. "Hey, I'm sure reality-Brooke understands. You have a valid reason," She reassured Jayden, letting out a light laugh and turning her attention to the night sky. "Reality-Brooke. Not gonna lie, Red, this is bizarre."
"I don't blame you, it's bizarre for me too," Jayden agreed, shaking his head in disbelief. This whole thing fucked with his emotions more than he liked, and he knew that his dad was rolling in his grave. "What's it like here?" He asked Brooke, who chewed on her bottom lip slightly.
"Well, we're childhood friends because of our parents being rangers, but after the war, I moved to Greensbrook. I still live there, but I come to Panorama for dance and stuff, as you can tell. We actually met again because our friend, Mike, dragged you to a football game that I was cheering at, and you were shy. It was really cute, and that winter we went out on our first date, where you kissed me in the snow, and we've been together since. That was our sophomore year, and since we're about to graduate, we've been dating for almost two years. We even got into the same college and everything."
Brooke averted her gaze from Jayden, tightening her hold on his hand somewhat. Jayden sat in silence for a couple of moments, just digesting what Brooke said. So they lived normal lives- but from what he gathered, some aspects were still the same, such as the team being around. Well, they weren't really a team here, just a group of friends. Another thing that caught Jayden off guard was the fact that he and Brooke were together for that long. Not that he was complaining, but it was interesting, to say the least. He always figured Brooke would want a normal life, with someone who wasn't caught up being a ranger. Well, he wasn't a ranger in this life, so it made sense.
"In my reality, we're childhood friends, but you got your memories wiped. You just appeared out of the blue one day, and made the team frustrated because you kept running away," Jayden started, and he saw the grin growing on Brooke's lips. So she was still the same in that regard. "You've been on the team for months now, and it's gotten chaotic, for lack of a better term. Some stuff happened, and I'm now trying to convince myself that I don't need you around. You got hurt, and it makes me feel guilty." He realized he was oversharing, but Brooke didn't seem to mind. In fact, she tightened her grip on his hand.
"You and the Red I know are the same in that way. You both overthink way too much," Brooke commented, and Jayden raised his eyebrows. "I should've figured that something was off, your hands are more scarred than they usually are," She murmured, tracing some of the scars on Jayden's hand with her fingertips. Some of them were burn scars, back from when he was still getting used to his symbol power, but those were faded now. The newest ones were from a run-in with a nighlok, Jayden forgot which one. There were also some cuts on his hands from the run-in with Octoroo and the whole Tengen Gate debacle, and Brooke frowned at them. "The world isn't kind to you, is it?" She thought aloud, and Jayden blinked in surprise.
He wasn't prepared for that question. "Being a ranger isn't harmless," Jayden agreed, blue eyes meeting grey. "I feel bad, you're happy here. I've never seen you with such a wide smile before." He murmured, and Brooke furrowed her brows.
"I'm on meds here, so that has to do with it, and I go to therapy, bi-weekly, actually," Brooke admitted with a weak smile. "I don't know how you stuck around, I was a mess. You always sat through my panic attacks and talked me through my nightmares, even when others didn't. You always stayed up and dealt with me, y'know?" Jayden felt tears land on his palm, and he wiped away Brooke's tears with the pad of his thumb. "Christ, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that to you. Anyways," Brooke drew in a shaky breath. "When my mom was fighting the war, she had to stop taking her meds because it messed with her shifting- if that's still the same. So, most likely, I probably have the same problems I have here and then some. It's hard to be yourself with imbalanced chemicals, but, I can't really get help, y'know?"
Jayden felt the need to apologize. About everything- about Brooke being a shifter, which was his father's fault, about having to fight in the war. But he couldn't, especially with this Brooke. She probably would be confused and upset, and that's the last thing he wanted to do. "I love you. I know I'm not the Jayden you know, and you're not the Brooke I know, but, I need to get this out before I blurt it out during training. I love you, Brooke. I have since we were kids." Jayden blurted, and Brooke smiled at the slight stammering of his voice. This Jayden and her Jayden were the same in that way, too. It was cute.
That made Brooke wonder if this counted as cheating. Because it was still Jayden, just a different reality Jayden. Power Ranger Jayden. Still, she pushed those thoughts aside and cradled his face in her hands. "I'm sure other reality Brooke loves you, Red. Just give her time, I'm really dense." She murmured, and then her lips were on his again.
It was like she was kissing Jayden for the first time again. He didn't seem to know what to do, and it was cute. The kisses were slow, barely there, and Brooke could feel the heat radiating off of Jayden's face. Still, he buried his hands in her hair, and Brooke took it as the silent invitation to deepen the kiss, Jayden seemingly getting into the rhythm of what he was supposed to do. It was nice, and both Brooke and Jayden found themselves smiling at each other when they pulled away, Jayden's face as red as his shirt as his chest heaved. His hair was slightly messy, and it was almost like he was in bliss.
"You look-" Brooke started, but she was cut off by a flash of dark red, and Jayden's smile instantly fell. Just his luck for the nighlok to show up at the time he didn't want it to happen.
"Hate to cut your little moment off, but I have my next meal!" Rhinosnorus cackled, pointing a stubby finger at Brooke, who was surprisingly nonchalant about the whole thing. She just blinked in surprise, furrowing her brows.
"Meal?" Brooke echoed, her voice barely above a whisper. That was new, but Jayden seemed to know what he was doing, and Brooke trusted him.
Jayden rose from the bench quickly, pulling his samuraizer out of his pocket and flipping it open. "I'm not going to let that happen! Go Go Samurai!" He called, drawing the familiar symbol and morphing into his ranger suit. "Brooke, run, okay? Don't look back." Jayden urged, and Brooke rose from her seat as he rushed into battle with a yell.
Something was telling her she should fight. That it was her job, and Brooke looked down at her hands. They were suddenly scarred, her fingernails long and jagged, and grey eyes widened at the scars wrapping around her arms like vines. This isn't real. Jayden's words echoed in her head, and she spotted him fighting the nighlok. She had to help him. But how? She wasn't a ranger- not in this reality, anyway. Still, Brooke took two hesitant steps forward, hardening her resolve. If this wasn't real, she just had to convince herself that she was someone else. It was a dream, and dreams could be warped due to cognition.
Brooke turned her attention when she heard two others join the fight, the blue and green rangers. Kevin and Mike. The memories came rushing back, and in a flash of bright silver, Brooke changed back into her regular appearance, with shorter black hair and grey leather jacket. This is who she was.
"Glad you found yourself, my dear." Amaris' voice rang in Brooke's mind, and it caused her to break into a grin.
"It's showtime! Go Go Samurai!" Brooke called, flipping open her samuraizer and activating the brush portion. She quickly drew the symbol, the kanji for wolf hanging in silver for a moment. Then, she activated the symbol, and as the silver ranger suit materialized on her body she rushed into battle.
"I think getting decapitated is the last thing you want to do in battle, might be me though," Brooke teased Jayden as she blocked Rhinosnorus's sword with one katana and slashed with the other. "I don't know what's going on at the moment, but we just gotta kill this thing, right?" She asked, Mike and Kevin noticing that she was back to her normal self.
"Brooke! Glad to have you back!" Mike called, and Brooke grinned underneath her helmet.
Truth be told, Brooke had no idea where she was or how she got here. Well, she was in Panorama, but why was it night? She remembered fighting the nighlok during the day, but she also remembered some sort of sleeping gas. That might be it. "Glad to be back." She replied, and Rhinosnorus let out a growl.
"What a snooze! I'm out of here!" Rhinosnorus announced, disappearing into a crack in a flash of dark red.
"Mike, you and Kevin take care of Rhinosnorus. I'll get Brooke out of here." Jayden commanded. Truth be told, he was happy Brooke was back to her normal self. The familiarity was nice, but the feeling of being kissed by her was nice as well. You win some, you lose some.
Both Mike and Kevin nodded. "You got it! Let's go, Kev!" Mike urged, the blue and green rangers disappearing, and the silver and red demorphing.
"I have a feeling something h- fuck!" Brooke let out a hiss of pain when a burning sensation started around her finger. She cursed under her breath, and Jayden instantly took off his own promise ring and pocketed it, quickly walking up to Brooke.
"Here, I've got it," Jayden murmured, and Brooke grit her teeth as he took the silver ring off of her finger. Blisters instantly formed and popped, blood dripping into Jayden's hand. He didn't seem to care, as blue eyes met grey-gold, his eyes sparkling with concern. "Are you alright?" He asked, and Brooke nodded, smiling weakly.
"Yeah, I dunno what the ring is about," Brooke answered, her eyes flashing as she glanced at the ring. "As I was saying, something happened, didn't it?" She wondered, and Jayden nodded as he pocketed the ring.
"This is your dream world," Jayden stated, and Brooke furrowed her brows, her eyes flashing. "It's a long story, but Rhinosnorus puts his victims to sleep and creates ideal fantasies for them. Then, he eats them." He didn't go into what the dream was, because Jayden was slightly scared about that. He'll keep that to himself for the time being, and pretend like kissing dream-Brooke didn't happen. It's easier to just pretend.
"Hey, I'm bleeding on you- that sounds bad," Brooke cut herself off, quickly moving her finger so it wasn't dripping blood on Jayden's hand anymore. He seemed rather nonchalant, just shaking the excess blood off of his hands and wiping his hand on his jeans. "Sorry about that." Brooke apologized, and Jayden shook his head, shooting her a small and reassuring smile.
"It's alright, Brooke," Jayden reassured Brooke, and she felt him grab her uninjured hand with his clean one. She let him, the two rangers intertwining fingers. "Are you ready to go back?" He asked, and Brooke nodded.
Questions were swirling in her head, some of them involving the ring. Why was she wearing it? It looked like a promise ring- but last time she checked, Brooke didn't wish to date anyone, let alone be in a long-lasting relationship. Sure, she had feelings for Jayden, but those weren't to that degree, right? Letting out a quiet sigh and tightening her grip on Jayden's hand, Brooke shook those thoughts out of her head. "Amaris, I need you." She called softly, and Amaris instantly appeared in a flash of silver.
"You both did well for not falling for illusions," Amaris praised, and Jayden noticed how the white wolf's violet eyes lingered on him for a moment. That caused him to avert his gaze, heat rising to his face. "I will create a portal that allows you two to leave this place." She offered, and Brooke nodded. She noticed Jayden's pink cheeks but didn't question it, summing it up to whatever happened in the dream.
"So, you can travel into people's dreams?" Brooke wondered, and Amaris' tail flicked.
"Wherever the holder of the moon disk is, I am able to go," Amaris answered, bouncing over to Brooke and looking up at her. "It just so happens to be your dreams this time, my dear. I need to use some of your symbol power for the portal to work, is that alright?" She asked, and Brooke's eyes flashed as she nodded.
"Do what you need to do, Amaris," Brooke responded, and Amaris seemed to nod, bouncing away from Brooke. The same symbol as earlier- 門 appeared in a mix of purple and silver. Wind picked up, rustling both ranger's clothes and hair, and the white wolf's fur as the portal opened.
Jayden and Brooke nodded at each other, the two tightening their grip on each other's hands. The silver and red rangers broke into a sprint, leaping into the portal.
When Brooke's booted feet hit the pavement, she instantly stumbled, a wave of nausea hitting her. Before she could fall, she felt a pair of warm arms wrap around her waist, and Brooke looked up and Jayden as she regained her bearings. "First, I want to apologize for what my dream put you through." She was partly joking and raised an eyebrow when pink dusted Jayden's cheeks.
"It wasn't bad," Jayden mumbled, averting his gaze from Brooke. Okay, so, pretending that the dream was nothing was going to be difficult. But, it could be done, hopefully. "I got to see you dance, you're really good." He stated, regaining his composure, and he enjoyed the way Brooke instantly brightened, a wide smile growing on her lips.
"You did? I'm glad you enjoyed it then," Brooke's tone was full of joy, but her smile fell as she surveyed the plaza. Grey eyes landed on a sleeping Antonio, and Brooke cringed, her eyes turning grey-gold. "I remember this part, but Goldie? Yikes." She muttered, and Jayden removed his arms from around her waist. The red ranger walked over to the sleeping gold, crouching down and frowning.
"What do you think he's dreaming about?" Jayden asked Brooke, who snickered as she took a seat on the ground. She had the familiar headache that she was running low on symbol power, but tried to ignore it.
"Knowing Antonio? Prolly fishing." Brooke answered with a grin, and the corners of Jayden's lips twitched upward.
"I shouldn't have asked," Jayden declared, sitting next to Brooke. "I suppose it's just a waiting game until Mike and Kevin defeat the nighlok." He added, and Brooke nodded, drawing her knees to her chest. Her gaze landed on her blistered and bloody finger, and she cringed somewhat.
"Yeah, it is. I just hope it ends soon, because knowing us, it's hardly over." Brooke muttered, leaning against Jayden's arm as a sort of headrest.
He noticed this and scooted closer somewhat. Dream-Brooke's words echoed in his head, and Jayden looked down, and Brooke with a faint smile. "Do you have a tattoo? The dream version of you did, it was on your side, and red and white flowers." He asked, quickly chalking on the last sentence when he noticed Brooke looking up at him with raised brows.
"Yeah, I do. They're azaleas, I got it on my sixteenth birthday. Azaleas mean "take care of yourself for me", Casper picked it out." Brooke explained, looking up at Jayden with a grin. "What, did you expect I would have a wolf tattoo? Because I feel like I've beat that motif to death. The last name and wolf features are good enough." She joked, and Jayden rolled his eyes playfully.
"They suit you, it's pretty," Jayden commented, and Brooke's eyes flashed as she flushed somewhat. But this time, she didn't try to cover it with a grin, only breaking into a genuine smile.
"Thanks, Red. It means a lot." Brooke thanked, and Jayden shifted his position so that they both were more comfortable. He realized his plans to tell Brooke he didn't want her around went out the window, and Jayden didn't really mind. He could protect her, and he made the silent promise to.
Antonio woke up, and Brooke lifted her head from Jayden's arm, watching in amusement as Antonio looked around, confusion etched on his face. "Where's my trophy?" He muttered, and Brooke and Jayden shared a look, ghost of smiles on their lips and amusement glittering in their eyes. Antonio's eyes fell on the pair, and it caused him to grow even more confused. "Jayden, Brooke, what happened?"
"Antonio, you were trapped in the dream world. Kevin and Mike went in and saved you." Jayden explained, and Brooke nodded.
"Don't want you eaten today, Goldie. Or any day, for that matter." Brooke added, grinning at Antonio, who looked somewhat in shock.
Then, realization dawned on his face. "Yeah, they were there," Antonio remarked, his voice quiet. Then, he turned his attention to Brooke. "What about you? I remember seeing you get hit with the sleeping gas. Well, Jay yelling your name, but still." He questioned, and Brooke quirked a brow at Jayden, who only shrugged, pink dusting his cheeks somewhat.
"I don't remember my dream, but, I'm here now, so, that's that," Brooke answered, waving her hand in dismissal. Antonio caught sight of her injured finger, and she cut him off before he could even start. "It's just due to silver, it's fine. It's happened before, not life-threatening or anything like that." She reassured Antonio, who looked unconvinced and didn't say anything else.
"Well, you got your- uh oh. We've got bad company." Antonio warned, and the three stood, noticing the spitfangs and giant moogers that appeared.
"It's never-ending," Brooke sighed, turning her attention to Jayden and Antonio. "It's the three of us against the world again. Even though we're all exhausted." She stated, taking her samuraizer out of the pocket of her leather jacket and flipping it open and activating the brush portion. She didn't want to be doing this, Brooke just wanted a real nap, but that could never happen. Sleep deprivation was just something she felt constantly now, and Brooke didn't enjoy it, but she accepted it.
Antonio flipped open his morpher as well. "Alright you two, let's do this, just how we were kids! The three of us against the baddies." He stated enthusiastically, and both Brooke and Jayden smiled.
"Go Go Samurai!"
"Gold Power!"
The kanji for wolf, light, and fire appeared in silver, gold, and red, the ranger suits appearing on the respective rangers' body. "Samurai Ranger: Ready!" The three called in unison, then going into megamode power. The wolf zord stood in the middle of the lion zord and clawzord, the silver zord snarling at the giant monsters.
"Alright lion zord, let's prove you're the king of the concrete jungle." Jayden urged his zord, and Brooke rolled her eyes with a grin underneath her silver helmet.
"Watch out for the spitfangs, you two!" Brooke warned through the comms as her wolf zord barely dodged a fireball. The wolf zord retaliated by lunging at one of the spitfangs and battling it, sparks flying wherever its silver claws came in contact with the monster.
"I know, they have some serious bad breath!" Antonio taunted, and both Brooke and Jayden rolled their eyes, shaking their heads.
Brooke was surprised to see that Jayden's lion zord could light on fire, the mechanical lion ablaze, and flying through the air. It knocked down multiple giant moogers, the wolf zord finishing the job by slashing at the monsters with its claws. The clawzord took care of some other moogers, the three rangers taking their megablades out of their control panels and performing finishing moves. It caused all of the remaining monsters to explode, the lion zord and wolf zord roaring and howling at the sky in victory.
"Victory is Ours."
Wolf-Brooke, Jayden, and Antonio stopped at a storage warehouse, the brown wolf hopping onto a rusty part of a crane and sitting on her haunches. "Good job, you two, just like old times," Jayden praised, and wolf-Brooke barked in response, nuzzling Jayden's cheek. He let out a faint laugh, ruffling the brown wolf's fur in-between her ears. "You okay?" He asked Antonio, who let out a groan as he sat down.
"Every muscle hurts," Antonio complained with a groan, and wolf-Brooke nuzzled his cheek as well. It was all playful, and Jayden knew that, so the jealousy he felt wasn't needed. Still, it was there, but Jayden pushed it aside with a smile at his two childhood friends.
They were all exhausted, and both Antonio and Jayden wondered how Brooke had the energy to be in her wolf form. The three rangers'- well, two rangers and wolf's, muscles throbbed and their heads pounded from the lack of symbol power. They had all used a tremendous amount of symbol power today, Antonio with the black box, Jayden and Brooke with the cage and portal symbols. Still, a playful air surrounded the three exhausted childhood friends, but it dropped quickly when wolf-Brooke sniffed the air. Her brown and white fur bristled as she hopped off of the seat, letting out a low growl accompanied by vicious snarls at the metal doors at one of the storage compartments.
"Brooke?" Both Jayden and Antonio called to the brown wolf, voices laced with confusion and concern. Wolf-Brooke had settled into a defensive stance, golden eyes shining with fresh malice and hatred.
"Hey, Brooke, what's wrong?" Jayden asked, standing up from his seat and walking over to wolf-Brooke. He crouched down next to the brown wolf and instantly noticed the way that she stepped forward, protecting him.
Antonio and Jayden shared a confused look, as wolf-Brooke wouldn't answer, just growling at the storage compartment door. Her growls became louder as the door squeaked open, her snout wrinkling to reveal her canines. When Deker strolled in, Antonio and Jayden realized that was who Brooke was reacting to, her ears now flattened to her head. She looked like a brown and white puffball with golden eyes and teeth and claws, and her hatred was evident.
"Keep watch, she is relying on the energy that being a wolf gives her. It is likely that Brooke does not have much of a rational thought process left." Amaris advised, her voice holding slight worry as it rang through Jayden and Antonio's heads. The two rangers nodded, knowing they might have to tackle a wolf to the ground, and that was something new.
"Not him again," Antonio muttered darkly, annoyance in his tone, and wolf-Brooke seemed to agree. She kept a trained eye on Deker, and she had stopped growling, but the hatred was still evident.
Jayden set his jaw and said nothing, blue eyes sparkling with fresh anger as he rose out of his crouch. Brooke not thinking straight worried him, but he pushed that worry aside and focused on his hatred for Deker. He just wanted to go home, it really was never-ending. He was tired and his thoughts were too overwhelming to deal with this, and he somewhat wished that Brooke's dream was real. That their parents had won the war and that was that. But, here he was, and Jayden knew he had to play with the cards he was dealt.
"Why do you want to fight them now? Why?" Antonio questioned Deker, who said nothing.
Wolf-Brooke's growls returned and were accompanied by snarls as the half-human uncovered and unsheathed his blade. She tensed, claws scratching at the concrete ground, and nothing good was going through her mind. All she knew was that she had to protect Jayden and Antonio, and if that meant ripping Deker's throat, so be it. It couldn't be much different than a deer. She was ready to when Deker pointed his blade at her and Jayden, golden eyes narrowing. Her one rational brain cell was telling her to not do that, however, so Brooke didn't. For now. It was only a matter of time.
"Why now? They're too exhausted!" Antonio argued, and Jayden tried to keep his mind awake enough for this bullshit. He knew Antonio was really the only level headed one here, and you know? He never gave his childhood friend enough credit. Jayden silently thanked Antonio for being so calm, and getting him out of a battle, for the second time now.
Moogers swarmed behind Deker, and wolf-Brooke let out a bone-chilling warning bark, saliva dripping from her canines. Deker seemed to be unaffected, and with a flick of his wrist, the moogers settled somewhat. "Master Xandred and his noodle faced crony Octoroo have seen to it that we are interrupted yet again." He stated, and when he turned into his nighlok form, Jayden crouched down next to wolf-Brooke, burying his hand in her fur and stopping her before she could lunge.
"Brooke, it's okay, try to relax. It's Jayden and Antonio, alright? Try to ignore Deker." Jayden soothed, his voice barely audible, and wolf-Brooke let out a whine, which turned into a growl as the moogers started rushing forward.
"No-one touch the red and silver rangers. They're mine!" Deker commanded, and wolf-Brooke stopped growling, her tail drooping somewhat.
It was an expression of fear, and Jayden didn't blame her. Deker's fighting style was feral, the half-human putting full strength behind each swing. He wasn't even waiting for the moogers to fall before attacking the next one, and in a matter of seconds, all of the moogers were defeated. Brooke's fear was replaced by anger yet again, and she was sure that Deker didn't know how to fight a wolf. And she knew the ways to kill a human, with teeth and claws. So, she had a chance. However, she would let him make the first move- quiet growls serving as a warning.
"Alright red and silver rangers, our time to duel has come." Deker declared, and Jayden tensed, getting ready to act in case Brooke decided to lunge. Which was a possibility, given the current situation. Not that Jayden blamed her, but he didn't want her doing something she'll regret in the long run.
"No!" Antonio blurted, running so he was standing in front of Jayden and wolf-Brooke some. "Not now, we just finished a battle! And Brooke's not thinking straight! Besides, we rangers don't just fight for the sake of fighting." He argued, and Deker raised his sheathed sword.
"Red and silver rangers, I'll give you twenty-four hours," Deker offered, and wolf-Brooke's fur bristled, even more, her growls becoming much louder. "There will be no further delay, tomorrow metal will meet metal." He challenged, and Jayden set his jaw, glaring at Deker from where he was crouched next to the brown wolf.
"Didn't you hear Antonio? We won't fight just for fighting's sake, I only fight to protect the innocent," Jayden spat, narrowing his eyes when Deker's gaze flickered to Brooke. "And leave Brooke out of this, you're purposely making her upset. You're trying to get a reaction out of her." He demanded, and the brown wolf only snarled.
Deker didn't confirm or deny that accusation. "Well then, if you don't show, I doubt I'll be able to control myself." He threatened, and Jayden let out a growl of his own. It was drowned out by wolf-Brooke's warning bark, her bark reverberating off of the metal walls of the storage compartment.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Jayden spat, narrowing his eyes. He and Antonio both kept a careful eye on the brown wolf, however, because she looked about ready to snap.
"You two disappoint me, and I might not be able to hold back my nighlok side much longer. I could possibly attack whoever is near," Deker explained, and his gaze slid to wolf-Brooke. "Besides, silver ranger, you have a brother, don't you? If you fail to challenge me, maybe I'll pick him as an opponent instead. And he won't be able to refuse." He threatened, and the brown wolf let out a warning bark.
She lunged with a snarl, and Jayden wrapped his arms around wolf-Brooke's torso. He had to somewhat tackle the wolf to the ground, Antonio doing the same thing. She struggled against them, scratching at the concrete and snarling at Deker, and both Jayden and Antonio had to strain themselves to keep her from attacking. Wolf-Brooke thrashed against their grip, her ears flattened to her head, and she was straining herself to break free of Jayden and Antonio's hold.
"You see, she's not so different than me. Her anger, her bloodlust, is fully present. Tell me, do you really care for a beast that much?" Deker asked Jayden, who grit his teeth, sweat breaking out along his hairline. Wolf-Brooke was much stronger than he thought she would be, and both Jayden and Antonio were somewhat impressed, but wishing that wasn't the case. The muscles rippled underneath her brown fur, and it was clear that the two rangers were somewhat struggling to hold her back.
"I do. She's still more human than you'll ever be. You're doing this on purpose," Jayden hissed through clenched teeth, tightening his grip on the brown wolf. "Don't compare her to you. I know her. There's no way in hell I'm letting you hurt her." He spat, and wolf-Brooke seemed to grow tired, her growls growing quieter as she stopped straining herself.
"Say what you will, but no-one will be safe. My victim's pain, her brother's pain, we'll be both of your faults, not mine." Deker threatened, and Antonio and Jayden released their hold on Brooke as she shifted back.
Brooke was panting, clutching the front of the t-shirt that she wore underneath her leather jacket in a clawed fist. Her knuckles were white, and her body shook with a mix of fear and rage. "I won't let you lay a finger on Maxx. If you want to fight me- so be it. I'll strike you down." She threatened, her voice almost incomprehensible as it came out as a growl. Her heart was beating in overtime, and so fast it hurt, angry tears rolling down her face.
"Noon, tomorrow by the sea." Deker replied, smirking, and then turning on his heel and walking away.
"I'm sorry," Brooke choked out, resisting the urge to scream. She wanted to rush after Deker and just skewer him in the heart, but that wasn't possible, for a multitude of reasons. "I'm so so sorry." She mumbled as she stared at the concrete, her eyes dull. Her entire body hurt, and Brooke was scared to see Antonio and Jayden's expressions.
"You didn't act, Brooke, it's okay. It's okay." Antonio reassured Brooke, who only let out a sob in response.
Jayden nodded, pulling her into his lap. "We'll strike him down. Together, and we'll end this." He vowed, and Brooke's consciousness gave up altogether, her going limp in Jayden's arms. He looked down at her, wondering how he got here. About an hour ago he was getting kissed by a dream version of Brooke and now she was unconscious in his arms.
It was a sudden turn of events, and it was one Jayden didn't enjoy.