trigger warning: mentions of large amounts of blood/throwing up
The next morning, Jayden woke up before Brooke did. Which was pretty common now, as she was usually dead to the world nine times out of ten. Such as now, where she was resting her head on his chest and deeply asleep. To be fair, it was early in the morning, the clock read 4:56am, and Jayden just enjoyed the time he had with Brooke in his arms. He had to leave before the others woke up- he always had to, as he knew the others wouldn't leave them alone about it. So, that always meant he had to get out of bed far sooner than he would've liked. It was still dark, and the only source of light was the faint silver glow emitting from Amaris, who was curled into a ball. Which she had stopped flickering, so that means Brooke wasn't running out of symbol power anymore, which was something Jayden found reassuring. Symbol power was a fickle thing- and one of the last things he wanted was Brooke burning herself out to the point where she couldn't even harness symbol power anymore.
Jayden let out a quiet yawn, tightening his hold on Brooke. He had nightmares, but she had calmed him down to the best of her abilities, and he thanked her for it. It was much more reassuring to wake up to someone telling him it was just a nightmare than from his own panic. It was the best sleep Jayden's had in a while, even if it was interrupted by his nightmares. Having someone in his arms was a nice feeling.
"Go back to sleep," Brooke's groggy voice snapped Jayden out of his thoughts, and he raised a brow. "It's dark out. Sleep." That was her only explanation, and Jayden felt the corners of his lips twitch.
"And what if I don't?" Jayden retorted, and he felt as Brooke readjusted her position in his arms, the blankets rustling somewhat.
"I'll get Amaris to lay on you," Brooke threatened with a yawn, looking up at him. She could still see him, faintly, and she reached up, tracing his jawline with her fingertips. She also felt Jayden stiffen and then relax, his heart rate increasing. "It's peaceful now. Stay for a bit, please." She pleaded, and Jayden smiled fondly.
"I'm not going anywhere," Jayden vowed, and Brooke made a noise of contentment.
"Good, 'cause I want you here," Brooke stated, getting comfortable and falling back asleep quickly.
Jayden looked down at Brooke in his arms, smiling faintly. "I'm happy to be here." He murmured, closing his eyes. It was almost like they weren't power rangers fighting in a war, and he selfishly wished that he could stay like this. But, he had a job to do, and Jayden knew that. He knew Brooke knew that, but right now, they just basked in the peace of it all. With that thought in his mind, he fell back into a light sleep, a small smile on his face.
The mornings always went by peacefully, Brooke getting slammed into the wall and floor was now just a fact of life. Now she was grateful that her samuraizer was going off- she knew that she shouldn't be, but it was better than hitting the wall. It was something to help get her frustration out as well, because the despair symbol made her pissed off- and Brooke didn't know if it was because of the symbol itself or just the lack of progress. It was probably a mixture of both, and her eyes flashed as she power-walked into the meeting room after changing out of her training uniform.
She stood next to Jayden for a moment, tracing a route with her finger as she flipped open her samuraizer. "Follow me," Brooke commanded, and the five rangers nodded. As she ran, she dialed Antonio's number, bringing up her samuraizer up to her ear.
"Hello?" Antonio greeted, sounding rather depressed. He had been out of the Shiba House all morning- and it made Brooke slightly worried. Still, she pushed that aside.
"There's trouble in the city center, can you meet us there?" Brooke asked, and she knit her brows when Antonio didn't respond, almost stopping in her tracks. "Hey, did you hear me?" She questioned, raising her eyebrows at Jayden, who furrowed his.
"Yeah," Antonio responded, and before Brooke could say anything, the line went dead.
Letting out a heavy sigh, she just activated the brush portion of her samuraizer. Drawing the wolf symbol, Brooke activated it, the silver suit appearing on her body. The rest of the team followed suit, no pun intended, and they quickly reached the city center. The six rangers skidded to a stop, forming their usual line as civilians screamed and ran away from moogers. Just moogers- which was good.
The silver and red rangers shared a discreet nod, sliding their zord disks on their respective weapons. Spinning the disks, the blades lit up silver and red respectively, Brooke and Jayden yelling out the attacks as they slashed and fired them off.
"Lone Wolf!"
"Blazing Strike!"
The two attacks dealt with a large number of moogers, but more just appeared in their places. Which was fine, Brooke knew it wasn't going to be that simple. She was happy to get into a battle where nothing much was at stake, moogers were just blade fodder. Still, she was slightly worried about Antonio, because usually, the gold ranger would be here by now. He was always enthusiastic about battles and being a ranger, so what changed? It was worrying, to say the least, but the team didn't seem to share Brooke's worry.
"More of them?" Kevin blurted, slight annoyance in his tone as he glanced at the small army of moogers.
"Dude, it's no big deal! They're just moogers." Mike stated confidently, pointing his spin sword at the moogers, and Jayden nodded.
"Then let's stop talking and start fighting," Jayden commanded, and Brooke grinned under her helmet as she spun her Wolf Kunai in her hand.
However, that grin fell when Antonio walked up. Brooke's first thought was that he looked hungover, but that probably wasn't the case, so she pushed that thought out of her mind. He was disheveled, his hair messy, and his voice didn't have its usual enthusiasm when he spoke. "Go Go Samurai: Gold Power," Antonio called, his voice dull- and there was a certain level of anxiety to it as if he was scared, and the fear became more present as the gold ranger suit appeared on his body. "Barracuda Blade!" He drew the weapon, and was just still for a couple of moments, staring down at it. Then, he let out a scream, the gold ranger flinging his Barracuda Blade away from himself, and Brooke felt the big sister complex start to kick in.
"Antonio!" Brooke's voice was full of worry, and she sheathed her Wolf Kunai, her eyes flashing underneath her silver helmet. So he was scared of his Barracuda Blade? That made little to no sense, but Brooke didn't invalidate it. She was just confused and worried.
"I- I can't do it," Antonio choked out, sinking to his knees. "I'm sorry guys- I just can't do it!" He repeated himself, his voice cracking, and he shook violently. His ranger suit disappeared in a flash of gold, and Brooke acted.
"Hey, Goldie, it's alright," Brooke walked over and kneeled in front of him. Antonio just looked at her- his face pale, and she saw herself in her bathroom mirror for a moment. He was having some sort of panic attack, and Brooke recalled the times when she had to talk Maxx down. "Focus on your breathing, these things pass, okay? You've got this, count if you need to," She soothed, and Amaris appeared in a flash of silver. "Stay with him, please." Brooke thought, and Amaris instantly went over and nuzzled Antonio's cheek.
Antonio nodded weakly, burying a shaky hand in Amaris' fur. Brooke wanted to comfort him more, but she knew she had to focus on the battle at hand. So, she just took a deep breath, rising from where she was kneeled in front of Antonio and walking back to her usual spot. She said nothing as she stood next to Jayden again, drawing her katanas.
"Thanks," Jayden muttered so only Brooke could hear, and she nodded in response. "We have to deal with this first!" He commanded, and the six rangers launched into battle as the moogers rushed them.
Brooke just switched to her soldier mentality, cutting down moogers with ease. She impaled one in the chest, removing it quickly and spinning the katana in her hand, cutting down another. Performing a backwards handspring, she swept her let out, cutting multiple moogers down and landing by Jayden's side. They settled into the familiar routine, attacking together without saying a word to each other. Moogers fell with high pitched squeals, and soon the six rangers regrouped. Brooke swapped out her katanas for her Wolf Kunai, the six nodding at each other and spinning their zord disk.
"Spin-Sword: Quintuple Slash!"
"Wolf Kunai: Full Pack!"
The six attacks dealt with the remaining moogers, and Brooke wasted no time. Not bothering to see the moogers explode, she sheathed her kunai and demorphed, running over to Antonio and kneeling in front of him again. He looked like he was going through it, one hand in Amaris' fur, the white wolf sitting close to the gold ranger protectively.
"It's alright buddy!" Mike reassured Antonio as the team demorphed and ran over.
"Antonio, are you okay?" Mia questioned frantically, placing a comforting hand on his back.
"What's wrong?" Kevin wondered, and Brooke willed away her claws, offering Antonio a hand.
Antonio instantly took Brooke's with his shaky one, clutching it like a lifeline. "I'm sorry guys." He forced out, sounding on the verge of tears, and Brooke shared a concerned look with Jayden, who was standing with his arms crossed and worry shining in his eyes.
"Hey, Antonio? You don't have to answer, but," Brooke gingerly reached for the discarded Barracuda Blade, picking it up. "Does it have something to do with this?" She asked softly, and Antonio tightened his grip on her hand. Still, he nodded, a frantic look in his eyes.
"I can't touch my Barracuda Blade," Antonio spoke through clenched teeth, and the weapon in Brooke's hand disappeared in a flash of gold. "It- It reminds me of- of fish." He stammered, panic overtaking his voice yet again.
The rest of the rangers, sans Brooke, made noises of confusion. She just offered Antonio a gentle smile, rising to her feet and pulling him with her. "It's okay, we'll figure it out. Let's just go home, alright? I'm right here if you need me." She soothed, and glancing back at Jayden, mouthing "I've got this". He nodded in response, the silver and gold rangers walking back to the Shiba House, Amaris walking next to Antonio.
"She's like a big sister." Emily pointed out, and the five other rangers started walking as well.
"She always has been, for both of us," Jayden replied, watching Brooke and Antonio with a small frown. He wasn't even jealous- which was good, because his childhood friend was obviously in distress. Still, it caused questions to swirl in his brain. He was scared of fish? It made little to no sense, and Jayden just let out a quiet sigh as he walked back to the Shiba House.
The seven made it back to the Shiba House, and while Jayden gave Ji a rundown on what happened, Brooke got Antonio a glass of water from the kitchen. As she grabbed a glass from the cupboard, she let out a heavy sigh. Not at Antonio- his fears, no matter how strange they are, were valid. But the fact that she knew she would have to be the one to play therapist. Which wasn't bad, it was just kind of stressful. Brooke knew that she was the only mentally ill one in the house, and she knew how to deal with other's fear-induced anxiety. Her guess was the team didn't know what to do, because they were all mostly mentally stable, and didn't really deal with panic or anxiety attacks.
Thanks, James Wolfe, Brooke thought bitterly, filling the glass with water and then shutting off the tap. Truthfully, she saw herself and Maxx in Antonio, as she and her little brother had both been scared so bad that it triggered their anxiety to spike. So, she knew how to deal with it- as she used to calm Maxx down all of the time. Herself was a different story, but Brooke shoved those memories out of her head as she walked back into the meeting room.
Antonio was sitting on the steps that connected the meeting room to the indoor dojo, Amaris curled at his side. Brooke silently walked over and handed him the glass of water, sitting next to him and rubbing small circles into his back comfortingly. She also knew the team was going to probably invalidate his fears without really meaning to, and he was already radiating guilt and stress. Which made Brooke feel bad because she knew what this was like. It was not a fun experience, and she wouldn't wish it on anyone.
"Fish?" Ji blurted in disbelief as Jayden finished explaining what was going on. "But Antonio grew up in a fish shop, and he fishes every day. Now he's afraid of fish? You guys have got to be kidding me." He stated, and Jayden shook his head.
"This is no joke, Ji," Jayden replied, looking at his mentor and then back at Brooke and Antonio. The silver ranger was talking softly with the gold, presumably trying to calm him down. And it worked to a degree, as Antonio started shaking.
"Well, when that nighlok did switch our souls with objects, Antonio did get turned into a fish," Kevin recalled, and Mia piped up, keeping the ball rolling.
"The neighborhood fish was this close to eating him before he switched back. Now he isn't even able to touch fish." Mia added, eyeing Antonio worriedly.
He took a sip out of his glass of water, his free hand holding Brooke's. "I'm through. The golden age of Antonio is officially over." Antonio announced, raising his glass of water like a toast.
"The golden age of Antonio," Kevin echoed, then shaking his head with a small sigh. "Look, you didn't get eaten, so pull yourself together." He stated, and Brooke cringed. Here comes the train wreck.
"He's right, dude. C'mon, you taught yourself how to be a samurai! You can beat this." Mike reassured Antonio, and the guilt radiating off of the gold ranger increased while Brooke started to get mildly annoyed.
She didn't even know why- she knew the team was trying to help, but, in actuality, it was making things worse. Brooke just shot Jayden a frazzled sort of smile, which he responded with a quirked brow. The two launched into a silent conversation, Brooke mouthing "it's not helping", and he seemed to get the general message. He motioned to the exit, and she nodded.
"I'll be back, yell if you need me." Brooke stood, offering Antonio a gentle smile as he let go of her hand. He only responded with a nod, his eyes dull, and her eyes flashed. Still, she walked out of the meeting room, Jayden soon joining her.
The red and silver rangers stood in the hallway, where they could still listen to what was going on but talk in peace. Brooke leaned against the wall, running a clawed hand over her face. "God damn, don't get me wrong, I care about them, but they're going about this the wrong way," She groaned, and Jayden just let her vent. "Since it's technically a trauma-based fear, it's not going to be as easy as "pulling yourself together". It doesn't really work like that- but they don't know that, so they're trying. Which is great, they care about Antonio, but it's making him feel more and more guilty, which is stressing him out even more. It's just- agh," She vented, her claws catching on her jeans, and she cursed under her breath as she yanked them out. "Sorry, I rambled, but, I hope you get the general message."
"It's okay-" Jayden started, but was cut off by Antonio.
"...I almost got eaten- by a cat!" The two rangers heard Antonio exclaim, and Brooke shot an "I told you so" look at Jayden, who frowned.
"You predicted that one," Jayden remarked with raised eyebrows, and Brooke laughed bitterly, a frazzled smile on her face. "Thanks for comforting him. You're our best bet right now." He thanked, and Brooke waved a clawed hand in dismissal.
"It's all good. I've talked Maxx down enough times to know what and what not to do," Brooke responded, shaking her head with a small smile. "I've also been in situations where I've gotten my feelings just brushed aside like that as well, so, yeah. Sorry for dragging you out here, I just- don't know anymore, I guess." She apologized, running a clawed hand over her face with a sigh.
"You're fine, I didn't know what to do, so you're doing better than me," Jayden confessed, and Brooke snorted.
She pushed herself off the wall, then acted on impulse, wrapping Jayden into a tight hug. He made a noise of surprise but instantly returned the hug, burying a hand in Brooke's hair. "Thanks for listening. You're good at that sort of thing." Brooke thanked, her voice soft, and Jayden laughed faintly, brushing a strand of black hair out of Brooke's face.
"I'm glad I can help," Jayden replied, and the corners of Brooke's mouth twitched upward for a moment.
"Alrighty, I'm gonna go play therapist, and presumably undo whatever they ingrained into Antonio's head," Brooke stated, hooking her thumbs on the belt loops of her shorts.
Jayden had the urge to kiss her but pushed that aside as soon as it formed. "You've got this." He stated, and Brooke laughed weakly, the two walking back towards the meeting room.
"Let's hope, Red," Brooke responded, letting out a quiet sigh. She didn't blame Antonio at all for his fears- she just didn't know how to help with them other than calming him down. So, she did the best she could.
"Antonio, we won't let you quit," Emily stated, and Antonio still had a dull look in his eyes. Still, he nodded faintly. "We all have fears, and we're going to teach you how to beat them. It's called "aversion therapy". Look, Jayden's overcoming his fear of spiders." She pointed out, and Brooke sat on one of the seats next to Jayden, a knee drawn to her chest.
He was trying to mask his fear but was doing a very poor job of it. Brooke just watched, partly in concern and partly in amusement, grey-gold eyes transfixed on Jayden. It was easy to tell that he was stressed- and wanted out, as his blue eyes flickered across the room, landing anywhere but the spider that sat on a small dish in Mia's hand. She set the spider on Jayden's arm, and he flinched, his eyes widening as the spider crawled up his arm. Still, he drew in a shaky breath, trying to shoot Antonio a small smile. It came out looking more pained than anything, and Brooke could feel the stress radiating off of him. It was funny, in a way, as a master of war was scared of spiders. Still, she didn't judge him.
"Ye- yeah. I'm fine with them," Jayden choked out, trying to convince himself that it was fine. Which it wasn't- and Brooke's unwavering gaze made him embarrassed more than anything, and he felt the heat creeping towards the tips of his ears. Wow, he hated this. Antonio, you really owe me one after this, Jayden thought bitterly, turning his attention away from the spider and to one of his childhood friends. "S- See? A samurai can overcome any fear!" His voice cracked, and he shot a glare at Brooke, who stifled quiet laughter with her hand.
"You're making this worse." Jayden hissed through clenched teeth as the spider crawled on his shoulder.
Brooke quirked a brow, grinning as her eyes flashed. "Oh? I can leave, then," She teased, and Jayden made a pained noise and shook his head. "That's what I thought." She muttered, barely audible, and Jayden seemed to be too stressed out to hear her. So, she turned her attention to Kevin, Mike, and Ji.
"Mike here hates enclosed spaces," Kevin announced, clapping Mike on the shoulder, and the green ranger shot the blue a wide-eyed look.
Kevin and Ji led Mike to a small storage closet- Brooke recalling the time when she and Jayden had to hide in there for Emily's surprise party. "Seriously? It looks a little cramped in there." Mike stated, looking at the closet and then Ji and Kevin with wide eyes.
"Come on, Mike." Ji urged, and he and Kevin forced Mike into the small closet.
"I- I don't know guys. I'm thinking this isn't such a good idea." Mike argued, stammering some as he stood in the closet. His face was pale and green eyes wide, and he looked at Kevin with an expression of betrayal.
"It's for Antonio." Ji defended, shutting the door.
Brooke heard Mike's faint cry of "help" and her attention back to Jayden. Who looked like he was going through it, the spider halfway up his neck. So, she decided to help him a little bit. Using her finger, she gently nudged the spider down his neck, the spider changing course. Still, her fingertips brushed his neck, and Jayden surprisingly jumped at that, Brooke's eyes flashing as she chewed on her bottom lip.
"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you." Brooke apologized, and Jayden shook his head, his eyes still trained on the spider.
"N- No, it's fine," Jayden forced out, glancing at Brooke quickly and then the spider. "Thanks." He muttered, and she smiled faintly.
She made eye contact with Antonio and held up a thumbs up, him nodding ever so slightly. Brooke noticed that he had a ghost of a smile on his lips, and that made her happy. Amaris was still standing next to him, but soon the white wolf padded over to Jayden and Brooke. She didn't say anything, only hopping onto the seat that Brooke was sitting at, her petting Amaris with a small smile on her face as she watched her teammates face their fears. It was bizarre, yes- but strangely light-hearted, and it seemed like something you would do at a sleepover for fun.
"Watch this," Emily started, standing up from where she was crouched in front of Antonio. "Mia has her own fears to overcome," She declared, picking up a small silver platter from where it was sitting on the coffee table. She held the platter in front of Mia, taking off the lid. There sat a frog, it ribbiting and just vibing, and Mia's eyes instantly widened. "Frogs make Mia's skin crawl," Emily explained, and Mia tried to force an enthusiastic smile.
"Maybe if I'll kiss it, it'll turn into prince charming!" Mia exclaimed, trying to hype herself up, and Emily nodded, smiling.
"C'mon Mia, you can do it!" Emily cheered Mia on, who nodded hesitantly and pursed her lips.
She ended up kissing the frog, and Mia instantly made a noise of disgust, wiping her lips. Still, she flashed Antonio a forced smile. "See?" She asked, and Brooke's eyes flashed.
"How do you all know each other's fears anyways?" Brooke asked Jayden, and the spider was on the top of his head now, almost blending in with his light brown hair. His face was pale, blue eyes holding panic.
"T- Team bonding. W- we did it when all first started getting to know each other," Jayden answered, so desperately trying to ignore the spider on his head. It was hard, but he just focused on Brooke, whose grey eyes sparkled in amusement at the "team bonding" answer. "What's yours?" He forced out, and Brooke chewed on her bottom lip.
"I mean- James Wolfe," Brooke replied, and Jayden instantly shot her a look of concern mixed with sympathy. "But, for a not trauma based one, I'm scared of horses." She confessed, pink rising to her cheeks.
Both Jayden and Emily instantly perked up at that, and Brooke's eyes flashed multiple times as she glanced at the two. "Looks like you're facing your fears today," Emily stated, taking the spider off Jayden's head.
He instantly let out a sigh of relief, then turned his attention to Brooke. Who had shifted, the brown wolf staring at him with fear in her gold eyes. "C'mon, it'll be only for a little bit," Jayden urged, and wolf-Brooke barked in response, her snout wrinkling back as her ears flattening to her head. "Brooke. Do it for Antonio, and I'll be right there." He pleaded, and the brown wolf glanced at the gold ranger then the red, letting out a whine. Still, after a couple of moments, and one last look at Antonio, wolf-Brooke hopped off of the seat.
Amaris stayed, violet eyes scanning the brown wolf. "I'm right here if you need me, my dear." She vowed, and wolf-Brooke didn't respond, her ears flattened to her head and gold eyes shining with a mix of worry and fear.
Still, the brown wolf followed Jayden to the outdoor dojo. She said nothing, only sitting in her haunches and shooting him a look of betrayal. He responded with raised eyebrows, taking his samuraizer out of his pocket and flipping it open. He started drawing the symbol, and wolf-Brooke eyed it worriedly as it hung in the air. "Symbol Power: Horse," Jayden called, activating the symbol. In a flash of red, a white horse with a red bridle and saddle appeared. Wolf-Brooke looked at the horse, then Jayden worriedly, brown and white ears flattened to her head and fur bristled.
"It's not that bad, he's harmless," Jayden reassured the brown wolf, who somehow glared at him. "Brooke, I mean it. I won't let anything happen to you." He added, walking over and petting the horse's muzzle. Wolf-Brooke stood, and in a series of cracking noises, she shifted back, gold eyes eyeing the horse warily.
"Easy for you to say," Brooke grumbled, having a slight lisp due to her canines. Truth be told, she didn't even know why she was scared of horses, they just freaked her out. To her, their eyes were soulless, and it was unnerving. Even if it was a horse made out of Jayden's symbol power- she didn't trust it.
"Trust me." Jayden urged, and Brooke shot him an exasperated look.
"I trust you, Red. Not the horse," Brooke argued, and Jayden walked back over to her, grabbing her wrist. Her gold eyes instantly widened, and she shot him a look of betrayal. "Jayden, I swear to god." She threatened as he pulled her in the direction of the horse.
However, hearing his name, he stopped in his tracks. "That's the first time in a while that you've used my real name," Jayden remarked with a small laugh, and Brooke huffed in annoyance, shooting him a glare.
"Well, you're not deserving of Red right now, so- Jayden, if we get any damn closer to this horse, I'm going to leave," Brooke cut herself off, digging her heels in the ground to prevent herself from being pulled by Jayden. He looked at her in amusement, and she quirked a brow at that. "What?" She questioned, and he laughed faintly.
"You're cute." Jayden blurted, and he didn't mean to say that. But, it was out in the open now, so he just tried not to cringe at the words coming out of his mouth. He really hoped he didn't overstep boundaries with that one, and he was slightly worried because Brooke had frozen.
"Oh," Brooke breathed out, her face turning pink. Still, she soon regained her composure, breaking into a small grin. "If this is to get me to go closer to the horse- you gotta do better than that." She joked, and Jayden rolled his eyes playfully, also letting out a sigh of relief.
"It's not bad- I promise," Jayden vowed, and the want to take Brooke for a horseback ride flashed in his mind. Still, he didn't voice it, only offering her a small smile, which she returned with a glare. He responded with a quirked brow, and Brooke let out a sigh after a couple of moments.
"Fine, fine. Just for you." Brooke grumbled, taking a hesitant step towards the horse. She then reached out, her fingertips lightly brushing the horse's muzzle. The horse snorted in response to her actions, and Brooke instantly yelped, stepping back quickly.
Jayden laughed faintly, and Brooke's cheeks grew red at that. She averted her gold eyes from him, her lips curling around her canines as she spoke. "Shut up." Brooke challenged, and Jayden bit back his laughter.
"I'd never thought you would be-"
"Red, I will kick your ass." Brooke threatened, but Jayden knew that they were all empty. It was just false confidence, and he resisted the urge to wrap her in a hug. He wanted to, of course, but he knew Mike wouldn't leave him alone about it. Or the girls, because he saw both Emily and Mia discreetly spying on the two.
Christ, Jayden thought, returning his attention to Brooke. "Whatever you say, Brooke. Let's go back." He replied, the horse disappearing in a flash of red.
Brooke visibly relaxed, her eyes flashing multiple times before they settled on her traditional grey. Her fingernails and canines shrunk back to normal size. However, that only lasted for a small minute, as her samuraizer started beeping. She dug the device out of her pocket, flipping it open as she and Jayden ran back into the Shiba House.
Not long after, the gap sensor went off, Mike bursting out of the closet as the seven regrouped in the meeting room. "Edge of the city, the western woods," Brooke announced, and her eyes flashed as she glanced at Antonio. He could only offer her a weak smile, and that made her somewhat upset. Still, she knew she had to push that aside for right now.
"Let's go," Jayden commanded, and the six rangers sprinted out of the Shiba House, Brooke patting Antonio on the back comfortingly.
When Brooke reached the edge of the city, she shifted back into a human. It wasn't a nighlok, actually, it was two spitfangs. Which was strange, because Brooke figured that they were a "megamode only" sort of thing. But, that obviously wasn't the case, and something, other than the spitfangs, felt off. It activated her fight-or-flight, and she didn't know why, her claws and canines growing in as her eyes flashed. Her senses were reacting to something, but she didn't know what. And that was weird, because she's never had this type of reaction before. It was almost like her body sensed impending dread. The air was almost buzzing with a strange sense of power, and Brooke made the mental note to stay on her toes.
"Spitfangs! It's time to shut your mouths!" Jayden challenged, and the spitfangs turned to the six rangers, who were lined up in their usual line.
The six drew their respective symbols quickly and morphed into their ranger suits, but Brooke didn't draw her katanas. Instead, she pulled her samuraizer out of the pouch on her belt. "Guys, something isn't right!" She called, worry filling her tone, and the five others instantly stopped running forward. The amount of power buzzing in the air increased, and Brooke flipped open her samuraizer and activated the brush portion. The sense of dread worsened, and she quickly started drawing the protection symbol. "Protection!" She yelled, activating the symbol, and it formed a translucent silver bubble around the six.
Just in time, as lightning came rushing down towards the six. Luckily, the shield blocked it, and the lightning ricocheted off of the shield and hit the spitfangs, causing them to explode. The air crackled with electricity, and Brooke let the shield dissolve, but she was still on guard. Her body was tense as she shut her samuraizer and put it in the pouch on her belt, drawing her katanas.
"What was that?" Mia wondered, and the team took a moment to regain their bearings.
"A sneak attack! They even took out their own guys!" Mike replied, and Brooke tightened her grip on her katanas.
Something wasn't right. This wasn't normal, and Brooke's thoughts were confirmed as she heard laughter. It came from the sky, and she snapped her head up to see a nighlok descending through the air. She subconsciously let out a low growl, her eyes a blazing gold and canines full bared underneath her helmet. The power radiating from the nighlok also made Brooke's senses go haywire, and her heart rate increased, her heart pounding in her chest. It wasn't anxiety, it was something else, but she tried to ignore it as the nighlok floated down.
"So, you're the current samurai power rangers. How illuminating," The nighlok greeted, and the six rangers tensed, settling into fighting stances. "Allow me to introduce myself- I am Serrator, the newest passenger on Master Xandred's ship. The last time I walked this pitiful realm, I had the honor of killing the silver ranger, your mother, correct?" Serrator introduced himself, directing the question towards Brooke, who instantly froze.
"Huh?" Brooke squeaked, almost losing her grip on her katanas. She thought the others held dealt with the nighlok that Jane had used to kill herself, as a form of revenge or something. But that wasn't the case, as Serrator was standing in front of Brooke, and she had a feeling that he wasn't lying.
"Brooke?" Mia called worriedly to Brooke, who snapped out of her thoughts and tightened her grip on her swords again.
"The Nighlok King," Brooke muttered, and she didn't know how to feel. It was a mixture of rage, fear, and her senses just going haywire, and it wasn't a good experience. Black spots decorated her vision for a moment- and she realized she was already wolfing out and the battle hadn't even begun. This wasn't going to be fun.
Serrator chuckled, pointing a finger at the silver ranger. "Right you are! I must say, you're already putting up a much better fight than your mother!" He congratulated, but it was so incredibly mocking that Brooke's temper flared.
I'm not her. I'm not going to end up like her, Brooke thought, repeating the mantra in her mind. She clutched her katanas so tightly it hurt, the pain helping ground her. God, she wished she was back trying to face the horse. That was so much easier than this.
Meanwhile, the rest of the team was confused and slightly worried. "Brooke- is he for real?" Mike asked, looking at Serrator, and then the silver ranger.
"Yeah- yeah. The Nighlok King, the one my mom made a deal with to kill her. The one who strengthened the symbol power so I can't get my memories back. He's- he's right." Brooke choked out, and Jayden lightly knocked her shoulder with his own.
"Calm down, I'm right here if you need me. I'll be right by your side." Jayden reassured Brooke, who almost didn't even hear it past her heartbeat pounding in her ears. Still, she tried to calm herself down, releasing some of the tension in her shoulders and loosening her grip on her katanas.
"Now, shall we test how strong you really are?" Serrator challenged, and Brooke and Jayden shared a discreet nod. It was just a nighlok, no matter how strong, and Brooke reminded herself that. The team always came out victorious in the end.
"This is no ordinary bad guy." Kevin pointed out the obvious, and Jayden nodded.
"Everyone, be at the top of your game!" Jayden advised, readying his spin-sword.
"Test time!" Serrator announced, and his fingers turned into claws. Which was somewhat concerning, but what was even more concerning is when they shot out.
Brooke rolled under them and Jayden leapt over them, the red ranger trying to land a downwards strike on Serrator. The nighlok just caught his spin-sword in between two of his claws. However, before he could slash at Jayden, Brooke blocked the swing with a katana, gritting her teeth as her arms wavered from the kickback. Still, the two tried their best, settling into their usual routine, and it was working. Not well, but it was working, and the red and silver rangers moved in silent harmony. Brooke had even shifted, the brown wolf bouncing at Jayden's side as they both attacked Serrator. And that was going fine until the nighlok started talking.
"I must say, I'm impressed," Serrator congratulated, and wolf-Brooke bared her canines as she and Jayden regrouped. "It's been a long time since I've had a good fight! You're so much different than your mother, silver ranger," He stated as the brown wolf lunged, and Serrator easily dodged it. "But you're still going to fall!" Serrator landed a hard swipe with a clawed hand on wolf-Brooke's side, and the force sent her flying to the ground with a yelp.
"Brooke!" Jayden called, and he didn't even mean to. His brain just went on autopilot as the brown wolf tried to pick herself up off the ground. He could see the blood starting to stain her brown and white fur crimson, and his worry and fear turned into adrenaline.
Brooke shifted back, ignoring the stinging in her side. She unsheathed one of her katanas and stuck it in the topsoil, planning to use it as a crutch to help her to her feet. However, it was all for naught, as Jayden was sent barreling into her thanks to Serrator sending him flying. The silver and red rangers crashed to the ground, their helmets thunking together. That caused the whole world to go fuzzy for a moment, and Brooke let out a groan, blinking rapidly and trying to regain her bearings. Her side felt wet- which wasn't a good sign at all, but she tried to ignore it as she pushed herself to her feet.
"How're holdin' up?" Brooke mumbled as she made her way over to her katana that was embedded in the dirt. She pulled the sword out of the ground, wincing at the feeling of blood dripping down her side. Wow, that really wasn't good.
"Could be better," Jayden confessed, and the two ran into battle again when the four other rangers got flung aside.
Jayden leapt upwards and tried to perform a downwards strike, but Serrator surprisingly teleported. "Missing someone-" He started, but was cut off by Brooke's yell.
"Right fuckin' here!" Her katana made contact with Serrator's shoulder, and a large number of sparks flew from where the blade made contact. Pooling her strength into her legs, Brooke managed to kick Serrator back with a growl.
The four other rangers instantly stood in front of the pair, sliding their zord disks onto their spin-swords. "Everyone! Attack him all at once!" Kevin commanded, and the three others nodded in agreement. They spun their zord disks, the blades of their spin-swords lighting up their respective colors.
"Spin-Sword: Quadruple Slash!"
The four slashed with their spin-swords, sending the four attacks hurtling towards Serrator. Who was rather nonchalant about the whole thing, and, with a swing of his staff, the quadruple slash was deflected. Pointing his staff at the six, he retaliated by shooting lighting at the team. Four of the six rangers got hit, the silver and red rushing forward. Brooke had changed out her katanas for her Wolf Kunai, and Jayden's spin-sword had turned into his Fire Smasher.
Jayden swung at Serrator with his Fire Smasher, which left a trail of fire in its wake, and Brooke dodged that to the best of her abilities. She also dodged Serrator's swings at her and noticed that the nighlok had a main focus on her rather than Jayden. Which made sense- but she didn't like it, as she was starting to feel nauseous, but she didn't tell Jayden that. It would probably just make him stressed, and that's the last thing Brooke wanted to do.
Speaking of, the silver ranger stood next to the red as he swung his Fire Smasher over his head. As the weapon went into its Cannon Blast Mode, Brooke slid the moon disk on her Wolf Kunai. She stuck the wolf disk into the cannon next to the lion disk, then spinning the moon disk. The blade of the kunai lit up purple, and neither Brooke nor Jayden said a word as they fired off their attacks. They planned to at least damage Serrator, but that wasn't the case. The nighlok managed to catch the two attacks, and Brooke felt her eyes widen underneath her helmet.
"No way." Jayden blurted, and even he seemed to be taken aback, his voice having a hint of fear to it.
"Brace yourself," Brooke advised, pulling out her samuraizer once again, flipping it open and activating the brush portion. She felt Amaris' presence in the back of her mind, and she took a deep breath, steeling her nerves. "Can you make a shield without being here? I don't want you getting hurt." She thought, directing the question to Amaris.
"I am able to," Amaris confirmed, and Brooke felt a twinge of relief at that. So they'll have two shields. That's reassuring, at least.
"This is quite an exhilarating workout- just extraordinary!" Serrator commented as the two attacks became a large ball of energy in his hands. The ball of energy turned blue, and Brooke started drawing the protection symbol. "Now, watch a real display of power!" The nighlok announced, sending the blue ball of energy hurtling towards the two rangers.
Brooke wasted no time, activating the protection symbol, and Amaris also summoned a shield. The purple and silver translucent walls intercepted the attack, Brooke gritting her teeth as they both cracked. She turned her attention to Jayden, ignoring the feeling of blood coating her side. "Red, try hitting it. Not back at him, but somewhere else." She choked out, and Jayden nodded.
He ran forward, and with a yell, he swung his Fire Smasher like a baseball bat. The weapon made contact with the ball of energy, and the amount of force Jayden swung with sent it hurtling into the sky. It exploded there, and Brooke let the two shields dissolve, shaking out the tension from her muscles and sticking her samuraizer back in its usual pouch. She drew her Wolf Kunai, walking forward to stand at Jayden's side.
"Thanks for doin' that." Brooke thanked, and Jayden picked up on the way her words slurred together somewhat.
"Stick by me, okay?" Jayden urged, and Brooke just nodded, the silver and red rangers then staring down Serrator.
"How unexpected," Serrator chuckled, and Jayden's Fire Smasher turned back into his spin-sword in a flash of red. He and Brooke tightened their grips on their weapons, settling into fighting stances. "I imagined you to be weaker than this." He directed that statement at Brooke, who narrowed her eyes.
"Don't underestimate me," Brooke growled in response, digging her silver boots into the dirt. Oh, she felt horrible. Her head pounded and her side stung, and the nausea was getting worse by the second, but she pushed that aside to the best of her abilities. Swallowing down her bile, she reminded herself that she had Jayden by her side. And that was good- that was always good. Also, Amaris hadn't appeared yet, so that meant she wasn't in peril. Yet.
Serrator chuckled, clapping his hands together once. "Aha! Let's see how you fare to a bigger challenge!" He announced, a piece of paper appearing in his hand. He started cutting the paper using his clawed hands, pieces of it falling to the ground as the team regrouped and regained their bearings. "In a few moments, we'll see if you're really cut out for this. Papyrox!" Now finished cutting the paper, Serrator threw it in the air, and it turned into a nighlok. It almost looked like a paper snowflake and had a black cape. "My creation obeys my thoughts- follows my every command. He cuts, and he destroys!" Serrator announced, sounding rather proud of himself. "Consider this your new test! You pass, or you fail!"
Brooke didn't even have time to react before Papyrox fired a blast that sent her and the rest of the team flying. Her ears rang when she made contact with the ground, and she instantly let out a noise of pain as her head slammed into the back of her helmet. Everything went fuzzy, the nausea she felt increasing, and, to her surprise, her ranger suit flickered. For a moment, Brooke was back in her street clothes, but the silver ranger suit appeared back onto her body before anybody could notice. So, she forced herself to her feet and felt the stomach acid burn her throat, but she swallowed it down. This was her job- and she could still fight. She had to fight. Even if she felt horrible and half-dead.
Jayden was at her side, black box in hand. "If this guy wants to give us a bigger challenge, we'll give him one right back. Super Samurai Mode!" The Shiba crest appeared and then turned into the forked cape, but he still sounded like he was choking out the words. "You guys handle Serrator, I'll take on this overgrown snowflake," He commanded, and the team, sans Brooke, responded. Jayden noticed this and grabbed her gloved hand with his own, the white and black gloves contrasting each other. "Please stay safe." He murmured and gave Brooke's hand a comforting squeeze. Which she responded with her own weak one.
"I'm tryin' Red. Don't get your ass kicked too bad." Brooke mumbled, her words slurring together slightly. She just wanted Jayden to hold her hand and not let go- but she knew she had to fight. Her entire body screamed in protest- but Brooke dropped his hand and drew her Wolf Kunai.
"I'll try," Jayden promised, putting the super samurai disk in the black box and shutting it. "Airstrike Combination!" He called, and the Battlewing Megazord formed.
While the megazord fought against Papyrox, the five other rangers readied their blades, settling into fighting stances. Serrator seemed rather overjoyed at that, as he let out a laugh. "What's this? You want to continue playing? How splendid! I don't know about you, but I'm having a ball!" He declared, holding out his hand. A small blue ball of energy formed, but that energy then turned into a ball- Serrator kicking it up in the air. "Time for your penalty kick!" He sent the ball hurtling towards the five, and Brooke heard her bones make the familiar cracking sounds.
It was a ball- and she was a feral dog. Dropping her Wolf Kunai on the ground, Brooke shifted. The brown wolf ran forward and intercepted the ball with a lunge, sending it hurtling in a different direction. It hit the ground and blew up a couple of feet away from the rangers and the wolf, wolf-Brooke landing on all four paws and snarling at Serrator. She struck a defensive stance in front of the four, her fur bristling- and the team saw the crimson staining some of it. Her stained fur was clumping together, and they could see the three slashes made by Serrator's claws.
"Shit- She can't fight like that. You think Jayden knows?" Mike muttered, and Emily shook her head.
"Probably not, because he would be at her side otherwise. It looks bad," Emily replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "Hey, Brooke! Come over here!" She called, and they were all grateful that Serrator was presumably coming up with another plan.
The brown wolf padded over, and Mia crouched down so that she was eye-level with wolf-Brooke. "You can't fight like that- that's a nasty wound." She stated softly, and in a series of cracking noises, Brooke shifted back.
"I have to," Brooke declared, swallowing down more bile as she went to go pick up her Wolf Kunai. She bent down to pick up the weapon and her stomach lurched, and she so badly wanted to throw up. But she couldn't, for two reasons. One, because she was in a battle. Two, because of the helmet. "It's all I can really do at the moment." She muttered and then turned her attention to the samurai megazord.
Jayden had presumably lost the zords, and the samurai megazord's helmet was knocked off. It was laying on the ground, and Papyrox was stomping on it- sparks flying whenever its foot came in contact with the megazord. Noticing this, Brooke let out a heavy sigh- Jayden was getting his ass kicked, per usual. And she had to save him. "Y'know what, good luck. I'm gonna help Red," She declared, pulling her wolf zord out of the pouch on her belt. Brooke threw the parallelogram in the air, drawing the symbol. "Wolf Folding Zord: Megamode Power!" She choked out, her suit changing into her megamode suit.
In all honesty, Brooke was somewhat grateful for this turn of events. She didn't have to worry about Serrator blowing her up, and that caused a sense of relief to wash over her. Folding up her megablade and sticking it into the control panel, she instantly pushed it forward. The wolf zord ran forward and lunged at Papyrox, knocking it off the samurai megazord. "Howl!" Brooke commanded, and let out a groan as the "low on symbol power" headache formed. "You- you owe me for this, Red." She forced out, and to say Jayden was worried was an understatement.
Though this was far less dangerous than fighting Serrator, so Jayden couldn't get too worried. "Let me know if something feels off- okay? Don't work yourself too hard." He urged and heard Brooke's slurred laugh through the comms.
"Red- we've- we've been feelin' off since the battle began. I'm not exactly… doin' great," Brooke retorted and turned her attention to the others on the ground. They were knocked down, but she instantly felt her spirits lighten when she saw Antonio's gold suit reflect in the light. "Goldie!" She cheered.
"Great job, Antonio!" Jayden praised, the samurai megazord picking itself off of the ground. It stood next to the wolf zord- and he made a noise of surprise when it powered off. "Brooke?" He called worriedly, almost screaming when he didn't get a response right away. His nightmares played in his head, and Jayden bit back his concern.
"Sorry!" Brooke tried to act chipper as her megamode suit disappeared in a flash of silver, and the wolf zord powered back on. However, she knew it couldn't go anywhere.
She knew she was fucked when Amaris appeared. The white wolf was flickering and almost transparent, violet eyes shining with fear. Brooke sat on the ground, leaning against the control panel, and she spared a glance at her side. From where Serrator had landed a blow against her in her wolf form there were three large claw marks, spaced a couple of inches apart from each other. They started below her ribs and ended before the waistband on her jeans, and the only thing Brooke was grateful for was that they weren't on the side her tattoo was on. Other than that, it was agony. She knew she needed help, and soon before she lost consciousness and bled out in her zord.
Like mother, like daughter, Brooke thought bitterly, trying to shove her panic aside. The side of the crew neck sweatshirt she was wearing was shredded, starting to get stained with blood, and she peeled it off. It stuck to her skin somewhat, but she pulled it over her head, and the tank-top she wore underneath wasn't in much better shape. The grey fabric was stained crimson, and Brooke gagged when she saw it. The smell of blood was suffocating, but she just balled up her sweatshirt and pressed it against her side, applying pressure to the area and trying to stop the bleeding. Amaris was sitting next to her- and the state Brooke was in didn't give her enough strength to speak, so she just let out a whine.
She didn't know how the battle was going, but she wasn't getting attacked, so that was good. It seemed to be going well because she could hear Jayden talking- and he seemed to be fine. "Red- Jayden!" Brooke choked out, forcing herself to speak loud enough so that he could hear her through the comms.
"Yeah? Everything alright?" Jayden asked, and Brooke nearly cried.
"No. Amaris is here- and I, uh. Just come here." Brooke urged weakly, and Jayden quickly appeared in the cockpit of the wolf zord in a flash of red.
He couldn't even find the words to speak, his voice getting caught in his throat. Jayden felt his eyes widen and his face paled, and he dropped his megablade on the ground, instantly demorphing. Which he didn't even know was possible until now, but shoved that thought aside. Brooke was crying, silent tears falling down her cheeks as she let out a choked noise that sounded something like "help". It caused Jayden to snap out of his panic, instantly rushing over and crouching next to her. His hands were shaking and tried willing them to stop as he placed them on top of Brooke's bloody ones.
"Here- here. I've got it," Jayden whispered, and the fear he felt seeped into his tone. Forget the spider- this was terrifying. Still, he tried to shove it aside, and he was incredibly grateful that he was somewhat functional under panic. "We need to get out of megamode, and Mia probably knows how to deal with this better than we can." He thought aloud, and Brooke nodded.
She removed her hand from her side, and Amaris disappeared, the moon disk appearing in Brooke's hand in a flurry of silver particles. She said nothing, only forcing it in Jayden's direction, and they both tried to ignore the blood that was now coating part of the purple disk. He instantly took it, the disk disappearing in red particles and Amaris reappearing. She was solid now, her ears flattened to her head.
"Hey, Jayden! Brooke! What's the holdup?" Jayden heard Mike ask, and the red ranger grit his teeth at the green's teasing tone.
Still, Jayden didn't answer, only picking Brooke up bridal style. And, with a nod to Amaris, the two appeared on the ground in a flash of silver, the zords disappearing in flashes of the rangers' respective colors. The five others stood there in shock for a moment, until Mia instantly rushed over, as the pink ranger had some medical expertise.
"Here- can you set her on the ground?" Mia asked, her voice surprisingly calm, and Jayden nodded and obliged. She crouched next to Brooke, pressing on the sweatshirt much harder than Jayden did, and Brooke let out a hiss of pain at that. "Brooke, can you talk?" She questioned, and Brooke nodded.
"I'm about to throw up… or cry. I dunno yet," Brooke answered, trying to keep her body somewhat calm. Because she knew if she panicked, it would make it worse. "It hurts." She confessed, squeezing her eyes shut. Tears rolled down her cheeks, and she felt Jayden's hand rub small circles in her back.
"Do you think Amaris could take us back?" Mia wondered aloud, and Amaris' tail flicked. One of Brooke's hands was buried in her fur- streaking the white floor crimson.
"I am able to- only three of you, however. My apologies." Amaris apologized, and Emily shook her head, her usual cheerful smile on her face. However, they could all see it was forced.
"It's alright- Mia and Jayden can go with Brooke," Emily replied, and Jayden and Mia nodded.
Jayden picked up Brooke again- who was silent for the most part. She only let out a quiet whimper every now and then. Her stomach lurched, and she just resisted the urge to throw up, because she didn't want to throw up on Jayden. So, she just squeezed her eyes shut and prayed, the three disappearing in a flash of silver.
The three appeared in the Shiba House, and once Jayden set her down, Brooke instantly sprinted to her bathroom. She threw up, trying to ignore the feeling of her side gushing blood at her every movement, the stomach acid burning at her throat. Tears were rolling down her cheeks as she finished throwing up, flushing the toilet and letting out a choked sob. Brooke didn't even know why she was crying, as there was a list at this point. The pain was the first one, and it was mixing with the sheer panic, which caused her emotions to spin out of control. This wasn't good by any means, panicking only made things worse in this situation, and her increased heart rate didn't help to stop the bleeding. She was a mess at this point, and she knew it, so Brooke was surprised to make out Jayden in her blurry vision.
"I'm sorry," Brooke choked out as Jayden pushed some of her hair away from her face. "I'm sorry." She repeated herself, basically sobbing at this point, and he frowned.
"It's alright, it's not your fault. C'mere," Jayden reassured Brooke, and she instantly accepted the hug he offered her. They just sat on the bathroom floor for a moment, and Brooke realized that she was getting both blood and tears on Jayden's overcoat, but he didn't seem to care. "We'll get you cleaned up, and everything will be okay." He promised, and it was for himself and Brooke. He tried to not show the fear he felt, but he could only do so much. Still, Jayden held Brooke as she shook, gripping her like a lifeline.
Eventually, Brooke calmed herself down enough so that she could get her thoughts in order. Jayden was still holding her, even after ten minutes, and she could feel him playing with her hair, twirling a piece of hair around his finger. It was nice, but she felt the dizziness and nausea start to kick in- partly from the blood loss and partly from dehydration. She knew she had to do something about that, so Brooke released her hold on Jayden. He instantly perked up at that, blue eyes shining with worry as he scanned Brooke's face.
"I- I'm gonna take a shower. I need to deal with this," Brooke explained, motioning to the three gashes on her side. They had stopped bleeding, luckily, but her tank-top was still sticking uncomfortably to her skin, and the smell of blood caused her to gag slightly. "Thank you, Red. I- I… mean it." She mumbled, and Jayden smiled faintly.
"Of course. Yell for me or Mia if you need anything." Jayden urged, and Brooke nodded weakly, her face pale.
It took some struggle, but they both rose to their feet, Brooke instantly grabbing the bathroom counter for balance. Since her brain had emotionally tapped out, her wolf features didn't even show. So, everything was normal, her fingernails scratching at the tile counter. Still, she offered Jayden a weak smile, which he returned. They were both forced, but they both tried to pretend like everything was fine.
After she heard the door to her bedroom shut, Brooke stumbled over to her dresser. Which caused a new wave of dizziness to surface, and she took a moment to regain her bearings before rummaging through her drawers to find clothes to wear. Settling on a sports bra and running shorts- as she knew any shirt she put on would probably get ruined, she sat on her bed, untying her military boots. Brooke kicked them off with a little too much force, as one shoe hit the wall with a dull thump, but it was all fine. Setting her clothes on the bathroom counter, she mentally prepared for the pain that was going to be water hitting her side.
And she was right. Brooke had to bite into a washcloth to prevent herself from screaming out as water ran down her side, and spots decorated her vision. She prayed that she didn't pass out in the shower, just taking extra caution as she took a shower. The washcloth in her mouth was making her gag, but Brooke suffered through it, watching the blood, water, and soap flow down the drain. Twenty minutes of agony later, she stepped out of the shower, getting dressed quickly and rummaging under her bathroom sink. Finding the first aid kit that she brought with her, Brooke let out a heavy sigh and eyed the gauze and hydrogen peroxide warily. She knew she probably should ask Mia or Jayden for help- but she didn't want to walk to the med bay looking like this, so she didn't.
Meanwhile, Jayden shrugged off his overcoat, glancing down at the blood staining the grey fabric. Flinging the overcoat in his room, he ran a hand through his hair, letting out a heavy sigh as he walked into the meeting room. The others were seated there, Amaris in Brooke's usual spot, and six pairs of eyes snapped towards him.
"Is Brooke okay?" Emily asked hesitantly, voicing the five other's silent questions.
Jayden offered a weak nod as he sat down next to Amaris, the white wolf instantly nuzzling his cheek. Which he was grateful for- and he buried a hand in her fur, ignoring the dried blood that was coating it. "Yeah- she's just shaken up." He answered, and Mia frowned.
"Didn't she say something about her Mom bleeding to death- and it being from Serrator?" Mia wondered aloud, and Jayden just focused on Amaris for the time being.
"It was obvious that Serrator had it out for her," Kevin remarked, and a weak voice piped up.
Brooke leaned against a wall for support, her face pale. Her hair was wet, some of the black strands framing her face, and Jayden's flannel was messily buttoned up- the middle buttons only being buttoned, pretty much. "He's prolly on a power-trip from my mom, as killing a ranger that easily probably fueled his ego to the extremes. Taking that into consideration, he's trying to take me out as the icing on the cake. Jane and Brooke Wolfe, two generations of silver rangers, killed by one nighlok. Xandred probably has the same bloodlust for Red, given ranger history. It's obvious why they both would pick favorites." She explained, and Amaris hopped off of the seat and padded to her side, nuzzling her legs.
"Get some rest, my dear. This conversation can happen later." Amaris advised, and Brooke nodded, bending down to pet the wolf. However, she instantly regretted that action, grimacing as she stood upright again.
"I dealt with it, don't worry. I have wound care stuff from when I lived with James," Brooke responded to the team's silent questioning, then turning her attention to Mia. "That leads the question- painkillers. Can I have any? I don't know if I can have those, though." She questioned, and Mia stood, walking over to Brooke.
"Have you eaten?" Mia questioned, and Brooke nodded, the pink and silver rangers walking out of the meeting room.
"Yeah- I did. I'm not bullshitting you, I have a stash of stuff," Brooke answered, and when Mia raised her eyebrows, she smiled weakly. "I usually have a bag of necessities, food, water, clothes, and like, bus fare, always packed. It was from when I lived with James, so I could get out tough situations fast with all the stuff I needed. I don't need it now, but I still have it to stop some sort of weird sort of paranoia that I feel when I don't have it." She explained, and Mia nodded as they walked into the med bay.
Mia pulled out a bottle of pills from a cabinet, reading the label and then handing it to Brooke, who took it gingerly. "I know being a shifter messes with your body, so you know better than me. Just don't overdo it," Mia urged, and Brooke nodded. "Get some rest, you deserve it." She added, and the silver ranger smiled weakly at the pink.
"Will do. Thanks." Brooke thanked, and the two then went their separate ways.
Making her way back to her room, Brooke stifled a yawn with her hand, her mind on autopilot. She just wanted to sleep, and she was pleasantly surprised to see Jayden walking down the hallway, Amaris padding next to him. "Heya, Red. Good timing," She greeted, stopping in front of him, and he quirked a brow. "I was just about to head to bed, and I wanted you to stay with me if that was alright? You don't have to stay for long, or at all if you don't want to, so don't think I'm forcing you to." Brooke added, and Jayden's faint smile answered that question before he spoke.
"Yeah, I'll stay with you." Jayden agreed, and Brooke let out a quiet cheer as she pushed open her door and flicked on the light, Amaris the first one in the room. He shut the door behind them both, untying his shoes while she kicked off her vans. Jayden then realized he was going to have to take a nap in jeans, which, at this point, he was too tired to care. The exhaustion was starting to kick in, and seeing Brooke walking around, mostly fine, caused an adrenaline dump.
Still, Brooke noticed his jeans and raised an eyebrow, popping two painkillers in her mouth and downing them with water. "Don't tell me you're planning on wearing those to sleep." She remarked, and Jayden shrugged in response. Rolling her eyes, Brooke opened her dresser, wordlessly pulling out a pair of black sweatpants and flinging them at him. He caught them and quirked a brow.
"Brooke, I don't know if you're that out of it- but if these are yours, they most definitely won't fit," Jayden commented, and Brooke laughed faintly as she shut her dresser.
"They're Casper's, and he's taller than you," Brooke retorted, setting the painkillers on her nightstand and sitting on the bed. "Red- don't give me that look. I accidentally ended up with some of his clothes when I was moving from James' to his place, and then his place to Mary's. I didn't mean for it to happen," She added, waving her hand nonchalantly at Jayden's conflicted expression. "He'd probably find it funny that you're wearing his stuff- so, it's fine. It's not like Casper needs to know anyways. He hasn't really noticed it was missing."
The irrational jealousy did not like the fact that Brooke wore some other person's clothes other than his, but Jayden realized that was a petty thing and let out a quiet sigh. It was better than jeans, and he nodded. "Thanks." He muttered, and Brooke flashes him a thumbs-up as she fell backwards on the bed.
"I'm not cuddling you if you wear jeans in my bed, sorry," Brooke teased, and Jayden rolled his eyes, walking over and looking at her. She had unbuttoned his flannel fully, revealing her gauze wrapped torso, and most of her tattoo was covered by the bandaging. Brooke also noticed the way that Jayden was somewhat staring at her. "What? Is something wrong?" She questioned, her cheeks heating up and her voice rising in pitch ever so slightly.
"Your tattoo is pretty," Jayden murmured, reaching out and tracing the outline of the top of one of the azaleas. His fingertips barely ghosted her skin, but he still felt as Brooke broke out in goosebumps. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." He apologized quickly, dropping his hand, and Brooke shook her head.
"No, no. It's all good, I'm touch-starved- so physical affection is nice," Brooke mumbled the last part, her cheeks dusted pink as she averted her gaze from Jayden. "Just… get changed and come lay down with me. Please." She murmured, and Jayden nodded, breaking into a small grin.
The pair laid in Brooke's bed, Amaris curled at their feet. Jayden's fingertips brushed Brooke's skin, and she enjoyed the way that it felt. It was warm, and Brooke realized she was trying to steal his body heat, pressed close to his side, and her face buried into the crook of his neck. Not that Jayden minded, it was reassuring having her this close. It almost made him forget that today ever happened, and he felt some of the tension leave his body.
"You're cold." Jayden pointed out, and Brooke raised her head, squinting at him.
"Blood loss, my dear Red. Trust me, you're like a heater right now," Brooke replied groggily, setting her head down. "That's what makes you even better- 'cause I'm not cold. And you like, actually, hold me instead of just laying there. I swear- you treat me better than some of the guys I've dated and we're not even together. Like, get you someone who's a leader of a team of power rangers and an overall good guy- and boom, maybe life isn't so bad. I may be fighting a war and had to undergo blood experimentation to be a soldier in said war, but I got you holding me."
She was rambling, and Jayden didn't even know if Brooke knew what she was talking about. Her voice was muffled by the crook of his neck, and he didn't mind it. It made him flustered, yes, and Jayden knew that his face was the color of his ranger suit at this point, but hearing Brooke talk about him with adoration made him happy. His heartbeat was pounding in his ears, but he felt the stupid giddy smile that was growing on his face. He realized that there was no going back now- he was in far too deep. Not that Jayden wanted to get out of it anytime soon. It was probably the pain meds, because he had never heard Brooke be so openly gushy about someone before, and he just let her keep talking. It boosted his ego, to an extent.
"Brooke?" Jayden called quietly, and Brooke hummed in response. "How're you feeling?" He asked, and Brooke raised her head again, wearing a lopsided and tired smile.
"Good, for the most part. Not in pain anymore and I have you here. So, all is well." Brooke declared, her words slurring together as she reached out and cradling Jayden's face in his hand. She seemed to lose all train of thought for a moment, then leaned forward. Her lips brushed his for a moment, and Jayden froze as Brooke kissed him quickly, barely there.
Taking the way her grey eyes were glossed over and unfocused, Jayden concluded that she was not thinking straight. So, he shoved aside all of those feelings, wearing a gentle smile and ignoring the pounding of his heart and the way his face burned. "Get some rest, Brooke. I'll be right here when you wake up." He promised, the stutter in his voice evident, but Brooke didn't seem to mind. She just buried her face into the crook of his neck again, her hand dropping from his face onto his chest.
Jayden just stared at the ceiling for a moment, cycling through his thoughts. Did that count as consent? Probably not, and he didn't want to push his luck, so he just pretended like that never happened. It was like the dream world all over again, and he smiled weakly as Brooke fell asleep quickly. She worried him- more than Jayden would like to admit. But it was times like these where he was generally happy with his life like he finally caught his lucky break that usually lasted seven hours at most. Should he be this happy about a kiss that happened because his childhood crush is on pain meds? Probably not, but he realized that there was no going back now. And he didn't want to go back.