The six made their way out of the subway station, and Brooke stood at the top of the stairs for a moment. She let Jayden catch up to her, who wore a small, but genuine, smile. "You're slacking, Red." She teased, and he rolled his eyes, the two jogging up to the other four rangers. Mia and Emily shot Brooke a knowing look, which she responded to by shaking her head.
Other than that, the team was going about their usual after-battle banter, and Brooke wasn't really paying attention to it. Her legs throbbed, and she wanted nothing more to change her shoes, at least. Her doc martens were starting to hurt her feet, and she raised her arms over her head, letting out a yawn as she stretched. Something cracked, and it felt good, Brooke making a quiet noise of relief.
Which Jayden heard, and he nudged her shoulder with his own. "Tired?" He wondered, and Brooke shot him a weary smile.
"That, and sore. My body did not like running up that mountain," Brooke answered, but then she pointed a finger at Jayden, who raised his eyebrows. "But, I beat you on your horse, so take that." She mocked, and Jayden shook his head with a small smile.
"I had a feeling you would bring that up." Jayden retorted, and Brooke nodded, snickering. The words he told Scott rang in his head, and he realized he was happy. He was sore and his arms throbbed, but he was happy. He just hoped Brooke realized that she made him happy.
"Oh, yeah, Brooke destroyed a whole army today!" Mike recalled with a grin, glancing at Brooke. Who looked somewhat surprised at the sudden attention, her eyes a grey-gold.
"That was an incredible use of symbol power. I've read about it in the archives, using two power disks on the same weapon, but I didn't think it was possible. How'd you manage it?" Kevin questioned, but there was something akin to awe in his tone.
Brooke raised her eyebrows, her eyes flashing. "Amaris just told me it," She responded nonchalantly, shrugging. "I technically do have more symbol power than you guys- so it was just that and spite. I didn't feel like watching Red die, so that's that." She added, glancing at Jayden, who wore a fond smile.
With her answer, the team just went back to having a light-hearted conversation. It was something about Scott's team, so Brooke and Jayden didn't really pay attention to it. They didn't talk to each other, just basking in each other's company without hating each other. Brooke took the time to sort her thoughts, because, while she didn't work on the despair symbol today, and she wanted to, she was too low on symbol power to get anywhere. And while the battle they just fought was exhausting, it was a good experience, and the soreness of her muscles meant growth. She knew she had to get stronger- that and the despair symbol were always the main tasks. But, for now, Brooke just let herself be proud of herself.
Compared to when she first joined the team, she had improved exponentially, in a lot of things. First was her training, obviously, as spending months fighting constant battles and training almost every day would lead to improvement. The second thing was herself. More importantly- her mental health. Brooke knew she wasn't mentally stable, but she felt better than she did living at Mary's. She felt like she had a purpose- and she couldn't get drunk anymore, which was a plus. She used to drink to shut off her wolf senses and be human, but now she felt somewhat human. Being able to be herself and not having to constantly worry about giving her wolf features away was great. Having six people to talk to- two of those being her childhood friends, made it even better.
The third was Jayden, which of course it was. Brooke couldn't really work her feelings out with him, or at least not with her jeopardizing the team and her friendship with him. But, even if she was just left pining over him- it was a good feeling, in a way. He was special compared to the guys she dated in the past, and not just because he was a power ranger. It was something else, and Jayden was just... Jayden. Nothing more, nothing less, and Brooke found herself happy with his constant presence. It was like Casper, but more.
A hand snapping fingers in front of her face snapped Brooke out of her thoughts. She got a glare at Mike, pushing his hand away, and he laughed. "Wow, you were really deep in thought. You just stopped walking." He teased, and Emily hit his shoulder.
"Be nice!" Emily chided, and Mike snickered. Shaking her head at him, she turned her attention to Brooke. "Are you alright? You were really quiet." She asked, and Brooke averted her gaze, her cheeks heating up.
Well, shit. She hadn't realized she had just stopped walking, and her eyes flashed multiple times as her canines grew in. "Yeah, yeah. I was just thinking about a lot, my bad. Sorry." Brooke rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly, and the team was rather nonchalant about it.
"Just making sure you're okay," Mia responded, and Brooke flashed her a sheepish smile.
"Yeah, I'm good. Sorry." Brooke apologized, and they started walking again. Everything went back to normal, and the embarrassment subsided rather quickly, but it returned at full force when Jayden spoke.
"You muttered my name. What were you thinking about?" Jayden wondered, partly teasing and partly curious. He was happy Brooke thought of him- and while it was extremely stupid, it was the truth. Seeing her struggle to come up with a response was also amusing to him, and he raised his eyebrows at her.
Fuck, Brooke thought, and she knew her face was going to be the color of Jayden's ranger suit in a matter of seconds. What could she say? That she was thinking about her pretty much unbearable crush that she had on him? No. That would spell disaster, so Brooke just made a random hand motion to answer. She didn't know why she was so embarrassed, usually, she wasn't- she used to be able to maintain her cool around guys she liked. Used to.
She couldn't be more grateful when the six started walking down the gravel path that led to the Shiba House. Brooke could avoid facing Jayden's question by taking a shower and a nap, and that sounded great. Though, he seemed to be fine with her nonverbal answer, just shaking his head with a small smile and not pressing the issue. Which was great.
The seven walked through the gates, Antonio joining the rest of the team, to find Ji picking tomatoes. He raised his head at the sound of footsteps crunching across the gravel, holding a basket of tomatoes. "Hey guys, how'd it go?" He asked, and Jayden shot his mentor a weary smile.
"It was fine," Jayden responded, and he glanced at Brooke, who had her brows knit. Her eyes flashed, landing on a color that was more gold than grey, her upper lip curling around her canines. "Everything okay?" He asked, and she shook her head.
"Someone else is here," Brooke muttered, having a slight lisp due to her canines. The smell of a forest- not Jayden's old cologne, but an actual forest, stuck out against the familiar scents.
It was a trail, and Brooke didn't wait for the others to respond before she was power-walking to the doors. One of them was left open, and she shifted, following the scent trail into the meeting room. She was on guard, the six other rangers trailing the brown wolf, Antonio and Jayden sharing a confused glance at their childhood friend's actions. She rounded the corner to see a boy- probably thirteen, sitting on one of the chairs in the meeting room and resting his feet on the coffee table. He had dirty blonde hair and was wearing a flannel tucked into some jeans with a brown belt, paired with red converse, and wolf-Brooke glanced at Jayden. She flicked her ears, and he walked into the meeting room, furrowing his brows.
"Hello?" Jayden greeted, sounding more skeptical than anything.
The boy instantly stood up, wiping the dirt off the coffee table. He also hurriedly grabbed his satchel, turning to face the rangers and the brown wolf. "You must be the red ranger," He greeted, stretching out a hand and walking towards Jayden. Who took it, the two shaking hands. The boy's eyes then landed on wolf-Brooke, who wagged her tail slowly. "A shifter." He blurted, and in a series of cracking noises, Brooke shifted back.
The boy instantly held out a hand, and Brooke took it, shaking it and breaking into a smile. It wasn't her traditional grin- it was an actual smile that revealed her longer canines. "Nice to meet you. Are you here for something?" She asked, her eyes flashing. Honestly, she barely knew the boy, and she already felt the big sister complex kicking in. He was like Maxx when he was thirteen. It was just Maxx if he had a decent life.
"I brought you this," The boy announced to Jayden, reaching into his satchel and holding out a white disk. "I need you to free the bullzord." He urged, and before Jayden could respond, Ji came over.
"Cody, does your father know you're here?" Ji chided, but his voice was soft.
"No," The boy, Cody, confessed, looking somewhat bashful. "I jumped the fence." He explained, and Mike nudged Brooke, raising his eyebrows at her, who shook her head and shot him a playful glare.
It really was Maxx, in a sense, and that caused a bittersweet feeling to wash over Brooke. She usually didn't like kids, in actuality, but Cody was an outlier of sorts. Perhaps it was just because he reminded her of her little brother. Of course, Maxx now was vastly different, the fifteen-year-old known for his prickly attitude and quick wit. He was in therapy, as he could actually be because he was fully human and not a ranger, but it was clear that James had taken a toll on him. Brooke had protected him to the best of her abilities, enduring some of the abuse so he didn't have to, but their lives weren't exactly easy in the past. It would make sense it would affect his behavior and outlook of the world.
"Cody's family are guardians to the first-ever zord that appeared in our world, the bullzord, who holds immense primal power," Ji stated, and Brooke and Jayden shared a look at that.
"Do you think it was the silver or red ranger that made the zord?" Brooke wondered, her voice barely above a whisper, and Jayden rolled his eyes with a smile.
"Red, I'm thinking. If I remember correctly." Jayden responded, his voice equally as quiet. Brooke just hummed in response, the two rangers turning their attention back to the conversation at hand.
"Cody's family have been guardians for over three hundred years," Ji started, and Brooke felt Amaris' presence in her mind, the wolf intently listening in on the conversation. "The bullzord came into our world out of symbol power, but it went out of control and ravaged the countryside. But the Grand Shogun sealed it away in a secret location. Only his family know the secret." He finished, and the nine turned their attention to Amaris, who appeared in a flash of silver.
She was almost transparent and flickering like a projection, but her violet eyes were shining bright. "Both Grand Shogun, being the silver and red rangers, were present to seal the bullzord away. I was at the silver ranger's side, meaning I know the location as well," Amaris added, hopping up onto one of the cushioned seats in the meeting room and sitting on her haunches. Cody was staring at Amaris with wide eyes, and her tail wagged slowly. "Hello, Cody. I assume you know about me since your ancestors knew of my existence." She greeted, and he nodded.
"Brooke, are you okay?" Mia asked, and Brooke nodded, furrowing her brows.
"Yeah, I'm fine- oh, you guys mean Amaris," Brooke cut herself off, realization dawning on her face as her eyes flashed. "It's just because I've used a lot of symbol power today. It's relatively normal at this point." She reassured the team, who, sans Jayden, looked slightly worried. She walked over and sat next to Amaris, scratching behind the wolf's ears, who wagged her tail in contentment.
Cody snapped out of his trance, tearing his attention from Amaris. "The bullzord it's bad, he just wants to be free! Once I break the seal-" He started enthusiastically, but was cut off by Kevin, who looked skeptical.
"Hold on, you want to unleash a zord that went on a rampage?" Kevin blurted in disbelief, and Cody's enthusiasm died out, but it was quickly replaced by determination.
"He won't do that now! You can control it with this disk!" Cody argued, holding the white disk up to Jayden, who had gone into his "red ranger complex" mode.
Brooke could tell, by the way any and all emotion left his eyes. And she didn't know how to feel. It might just be the big sister complex, but she felt bad denying Cody of his wish. But, from what she gathered, by the conversation they were currently having, it wasn't a good idea. Still, she could see something in Cody, a longing for a friend. From what she was guessing, the bullzord was his friend, and he just wanted to see it free. Which made her heart hurt, and she buried a clawed hand into Amaris' fur.
"You love Maxx, and those feelings are associating themselves with Cody as well. You miss him, don't you?" Amaris asked, her voice only ringing through Brooke's head, and she resisted the urge to cry. Amaris had hit the nail on the head.
"Yeah." Brooke thought but quickly tried to lock those emotions away. She couldn't feel those things- she was a soldier. Once this was over she could see Maxx again, and it was going to work out. Like it always does.
"We need to check this out," Jayden declared, his voice hard. "We'll take you home." He told Cody, who looked on the verge of tears but obliged.
"I'll always be with you, my dear," Amaris vowed to Brooke, hopping off of the seat. She then bounced in place twice, leaping through the air, returning to Sweetbrier Mountain in a flash of silver.
Rising from her seat, Brooke winced at the pain in her feet. Well, today just got a lot longer, and she quickly shed her leather jacket, taking her samuraizer and zord out of the pockets, throwing it on the seat. That left her in a black t-shirt and grey jeans, and she was pleasantly surprised to see Jayden waiting for her. She flashed him a small smile, which he returned, the pair walking side-by-side out of the Shiba House.
"Everything okay? You looked a little upset." Jayden pointed out, and Brooke nodded, clipping her zord onto her belt loops.
"Cody reminds me of Maxx, especially when he was little. Maxx was the same age when we ran away," Brooke murmured, her eyes flashing as she glanced at Cody before returning her attention to Jayden. "Sorry- I'm just tired, I guess. It's been a long day." She apologized, and Jayden wore a reassuring smile.
"It's alright, you don't have to apologize," Jayden reassured her, his voice soft. He silently offered his hand, which Brooke took, the two rangers intertwining fingers as they followed Cody.
When the rangers, plus Cody, reached Cody's house, Brooke and Jayden dropped hands. It was for appearances to be kept, as who knows how Cody's father would react to that. Brooke was also slightly worried about how Cody's father would react to her. More importantly, her mother, because she knew that what Jane did probably spread around like wildfire. So, Brooke braced herself for that and tuned into a conversation when she heard voices over the sound of wooden logs hitting the ground. It was faint, but one of the voices seemed familiar.
"...I don't know, Nate. How'd you manage it?" A voice, Cody's father asked, and Brooke instantly felt her spirits lighten. Nate was here, and it seemed like he was on good terms with Cody's father. So maybe Brooke didn't have to instantly apologize for her mother's actions.
She still kept in touch with her father- with the occasional phone call here and there, but Brooke hadn't mentioned Serrator yet. She also had wanted to speak to him in person about it, because that was a whole mess she still had to deal with. And, while she didn't know for sure, Nate maybe could help her with it. Brooke hoped, but she also didn't want to put him in harm's way or anything of the sorts. One of her biggest fears at the moment wasn't Serrator targeting her, but rather him targeting the people she cared about. Because it seemed right up his alley to do so, and she prayed that it didn't come to that. However, Brooke knew she had to keep her guard up because there was no telling what Serrator planned to do next. And that scared her.
"Just hold faith. Took five years for Brooke- speak of the devil." Nate mused, him and Cody's father turning their attention to the seven rangers. He was leaning against the side of the house while Cody's father was chopping wood, and looked significantly better now that he had Brooke back in his life. His dark circles were gone, and life had returned to his grey eyes, which met an almost identical grey.
The team knew about Nate but were obviously taken aback by Brooke's sudden cheerful attitude. Well, except Jayden, who just enjoyed the happy smile she had on her face. He couldn't remember the last time he saw her smile that wide, if he'd ever seen her smile like that before. She and Nate were having a silent conversation, as he raised a brow and she discreetly motioned to Cody. Who was hiding behind her and Jayden, obviously not wanting to be in his current situation.
"Excuse me, can we speak to you? We're-" Jayden started, but was cut off by Cody's father chopping a log in half.
"I know who you are, my son went to see you," Cody's father announced, chopping another small log and putting another in its place. "Why are you hiding in the back of them, Cody?" He questioned, not even turning around, Brooke raising her eyebrows at Nate, who shrugged.
Brooke and Jayden stepped to the side somewhat so Cody could take the walk of shame forward. Which his father finally turned around, looking a mixture of worried and annoyed. "You left without telling me." He scolded, and Cody instantly looked apologetic.
"'Cause I was worried about the bullzord, Dad! It doesn't want to be sealed up like that, I can feel it! And the red ranger here can help us set him free!" Cody defended, motioning to Jayden, who instantly wore his look of "don't rope me into this".
"No-one can control that zord, Cody. Not even the red ranger," Cody's father's eyes then slid to Brooke, whose eyes were now a grey-gold, her canines poking out from underneath her upper lip. "Or silver. You danger yourself and the rangers." He added, and Nate, noticing Brooke's inhumane features, motioned to a spot farther away.
Who nodded, Brooke willing her claws away and brushing Jayden's arms with her fingertips. "I'll be back." She murmured, motioning to Nate, and Jayden glanced at him then back to her, nodding. Truthfully, the way Cody's father held a stern tone somewhat caught her off guard. She had flinched, and Jayden had picked up on it.
"Yell if you need anything." Jayden urged, offering Brooke a small smile, which she returned with a nod.
Then she broke off from the six, walking side-by-side with Nate they walked to an area that was a little ways away from Cody, his father, and the rangers. Once out of earshot, Brooke instantly ran a hand over her face, letting out a quiet sigh. "You love to see it. Thought I was over that." She muttered, her eyes flashing, and Nate frowned.
"James?" Nate wondered, and when Brooke nodded, an expression of guilt crossed his features. But only for a moment, and he glanced down at Brooke's platform doc martens. "Christ, you're tall in those. I almost didn't think it was you at first." He joked, trying to change the subject, and it worked, as Brooke let out a small laugh.
"Yeah, they're hurting my feet. We just got done with a battle, actually, it was a whole thing," Brooke sighed again, glancing at the team and then back at Nate. "Serrator made his appearance the other day." She mumbled, and grey eyes instantly widened.
"I thought they got rid of him," Nate blurted, then running his hand over his face. "He said something about your mother, didn't he?" He asked, Brooke's eyes flashing as she nodded again.
"Yeah. Mostly about how I was putting up a better fight than Mom and all that," Brooke recalled the battle with a grimace. Luckily her side had almost healed fully, and the gashes somehow didn't even scar. Which, she was grateful for, and not even for cosmetic purposes, Brooke just didn't want to have a reminder of that failed battle. "He, uh, fucked up my side pretty bad. Would've bled out in my zord if it wasn't for Red," She confessed, and when Nate grew pale, she backpedaled. "It's fine now, though. And that's all he really did, it was just taunts more than anything." Brooke reassured Nate, who looked somewhat relieved.
"Starting off, you're not your mother. I'm sorry that her ghost has to follow you, and that's what the Wolfe name has become. A grim reminder of Jane Wolfe's cowardice," Nate apologized, and when Brooke opened her mouth to speak, he cut her off. "It's partly my fault too, Brooke. I knew something was wrong, but I didn't do anything about it. However, I'm proud of you, and you've grown up so much. It's hard to believe that you've grown, honestly. I still have an image of you being twelve in my mind." He added, and Brooke's grey-gold eyes instantly welled with tears. It was always the "I'm proud of you" that made her cry, and she didn't know why.
"Fuck," Brooke sniffled, wiping away tears before they could fall, but some still fell, rolling down her cheeks. "I would appreciate it if you didn't make me cry while I'm on this little team excursion." She joked and then proceeded to laugh at her own joke slightly, letting out a watery laugh.
Nate chuckled, ruffling her hair somewhat. A grey eye landed on Jayden, and he noticed the way he was carefully watching Brooke. Just to make sure everything's alright, and that caused Nate to shake his head with a small laugh. "Your mother's rolling in her grave right now- I tell you. But he's grown up as well, and you two are still glued to the hip." He remarked, and Brooke smiled genuinely.
"He makes me happy," Brooke murmured, then turning her head when the smell of spice and smoke was growing closer. Jayden was walking over to the pair, Brooke watching in amusement as he nearly tripped over something, but soon regained his balance. "Heya, Red. Everything alright?" She greeted, and Jayden nodded as he stopped so that he was standing next to her.
Truth be told, he was nervous. Jayden didn't even know why, as Nate seemed like a nice man, but his grey eyes seemed to read him like an open book. "Yeah, everything's fine, everyone's just heading inside, and I wanted to let you know," He answered, then turning his attention to Nate. "I'm- well, you already know who I am." Jayden stammered, and he kicked himself for it, wiping his sweaty palms on his jeans and outstretching a hand.
"Jayden Shiba. It's been seven years," Nate greeted, grey eyes sparkling with amusement as he took Jayden's hand. After shaking it, he clapped his hands together, turning his attention back to Brooke. "That means I should probably get going. If Serrator says anything that you don't understand- call me, I can tell you if it's bullshit or not. Also, try not to let him get into your head, he's probably going to use your mother against you, as a way to catch you off guard. Stay sharp." He advised, and Brooke nodded, her expression one of confidence.
"There's no way in hell he's getting both Mom and me. Plus, I've got Red on my side," Brooke mused, glancing at Jayden with a grin, and he nodded, cheeks dusted pink and wearing a flustered smile. "But, yeah, I'll keep it in mind. I'll let you know if he does anything besides the norm of threatening my life," She joked, and neither Jayden nor Nate found it very funny. Grey and blue eyes just watched her in concern, and her eyes flashed as she puffed out her cheeks slightly. "Okay, okay. Bad joke, but, you know what I mean. Bye, Dad, I love you." Brooke wrapped Nate into a hug, which he seemed taken aback by, but quickly returned.
"Bye kiddo, love you too," Nate replied with a happy smile, pulling away from Brooke. He pulled his keys out of the pocket of his blazer, and with a nod to Jayden, who returned it with a knowing smile, he was off.
"Sorry about that, second time I've actually seen him in person, that I remember," Brooke apologized, turning to face Jayden again. Who saw the tear tracks on her cheeks, and his eyes instantly sparkled with concern, which she noticed. "Nate told me he was proud of me. It always makes me cry." She explained with a watery voice, averting her gaze from Jayden.
"It's alright, I can tell he cares about you," Jayden stated, cupping Brooke's face in his hands, and he knew he'd probably be kicking himself tomorrow. He caressed her cheeks with his thumbs, enjoying the way her eyes widened and flashed, her flushing pink and her cheeks growing warmer. "He has every reason to be proud of you." He murmured, stroking her cheek one last time and then stepping away.
"I will cry," Brooke threatened, wishing the heat on her face would subside. It was annoying, and she could tell Jayden found it amusing. Which made it more annoying, and she glanced at Cody's house, her eyes flashing. "Well, let's go see what fate our ancestors damned us into this time." She sighed, starting to walk up the path that led to the front door.
As she walked, Emily's words from after they fought the armadillo nighlok flashed through her mind. It was the fact that Jayden praised her more than the others, and Brooke was sure as hell that he wasn't kissing Emily or Mia on the forehead. She wasn't complaining at all, the praises and forehead kisses were always nice. It made her feel special, and so very loved. Though, she wondered where Jayden got the confidence from- as he usually wasn't the smoothest with deliveries like those. Brooke glanced at him- and there it was.
His cheeks were dusted pink, and so were the tips of his ears. His blue eyes held conflict, and Jayden knew he needed to focus on the mission at hand. So, he locked all emotions pertaining to Brooke in the basement of his mind. He'll touch those later, or not at all, which seemed like the better option. With a quiet sigh, he regained his composure, getting ready to face whatever being a red ranger threw at him.
The two walked into the house, Brooke's gaze instantly landing on a wooden statue. Well, two, and they were obviously ranger suits, just intricate ones, with they looked bulky. Her eyes flashed as she noticed the kanji on both of the statues' helmets- one holding the kanji for fire and the other holding the kanji for wolf. Meaning, that the two suits were made for the silver and red rangers. "So, this is the Grand Shogun, right? Looks... heavy," Brooke concluded and then turned her gaze to Cody's father. "I'm sorry if this is an invasive question, but, how do you know my dad- er, Nate?" She asked, and Cody's father shook his head.
"Nate and I were close when your mother was fighting in the war- and then he helped me raise Cody for a bit." Cody's father answered, and Brooke nodded. He was no-nonsense, getting to the point quickly, which, in some situations, was nice.
"Speaking of, Cody really cares about that zord, doesn't he?" Jayden wondered, and Cody's father nodded.
"He started talking to the bullzord when he was three years old- he thinks it can understand him." Cody's father replied, shaking his head with a small smile- almost in disbelief.
Brooke frowned at that, her eyes flashing and her claws growing in slightly. Cody just wants a friend. She felt bad for the kid- because it must be like Jayden's situation, where it was only him and his father, and Cody didn't even have any childhood friends. However, she pushed those feelings aside, chewing on her bottom lip. "Does it, though?" She thought aloud, and Cody's father's expression hardened.
"Maybe, but it can't be trusted," He stated, walking over to a small wooden safe. Unlocking the safe, Cody's father opened it and pulled out a scroll, untying the leather string that kept it rolled up. "Three-hundred years ago, both Grand Shogun entrusted us with this task, to guard the bullzord with our own lives." He started, laying the scroll on the table and unfurling it.
Drawn on the scroll were two Grand Shogun, the silver and red rangers, as shown by their helmets. A wolf sat by the silver ranger's feet, and Brooke instantly knew it was Amaris. Even three-hundred years ago, she still carried her motherly expression, and Brooke felt the corners of her lips twitch. "You don't age." She thought, and instantly felt Amaris' presence in her mind.
"I do not. As I am a being made from symbol power, I am incapable of aging," Amaris replied, thinking for a moment. She then spoke again, her voice full of pride. "I vividly recall the day the bullzord was sealed away- I am proud to say I was by the silver ranger's side at the time." She announced, and Brooke only shook her head with a small smile. Which Jayden picked up on, and he quirked a brow at her.
"Amaris sounds rather proud of herself right now. It's endearing." Brooke explained, tapping her temple for emphasis, her voice barely above a whisper.
Jayden nodded, a ghost of a smile on his lips, but it soon fell when he turned his attention back to the scroll. He knew he needed to focus, as this was important, so he tried to shut his thoughts off for the time being. Which didn't really work, as Mia quickly opened the door and broke the solemn mood, the seven others in the room snapping their attention to her.
"Cody's gone." Mia blurted, her chest heaving. It was clear to see she made an attempt to find Cody, as her breathing was labored and her face shone with sweat.
"Brooke-" Emily started, but the ranger in question cut her off with a nod.
"I got it, he couldn't have gotten very far," Brooke answered Emily's question before she asked it, and she heard as her bones cracked and popped. She looked to Cody's father for silent confirmation, and when he nodded, her eyes flashed, her expression settling into one of determination. "I'll call if anything happens." She reassured the team, well, mostly Jayden, and then she was off.
She power-walked out of the house, and Brooke sniffed the air, finding two trails- Cody's scent trail, and a trail in the woods. Set on her destination, she broke off into a sprint, instantly wincing at the pain in her feet. So, she shifted, and that made things easier, the brown wolf bounding down the path. Following the path was pretty straightforward, but Brooke was too caught up in finding Cody that she didn't notice the flash of dark red behind her.
"The guardian and the silver ranger? Two birds with one stone." The nighlok chuckled, trailing the two at a distance so that Brooke couldn't pick up on the scent.
Not that she was very focused on that, anyway, her brain had honed in on the one scent. Brooke wasn't paying attention to what was around her, only following Cody. He, presumably, was going to the bullzord, but she was scared if he was going to set the zord free or not. She shifted back when he walked into a cave in a mountain, and Brooke followed him. Her body throbbed, and she really hoped something bad didn't happen, because she knew she had barely enough symbol power to fight. That scared her, and her fears were confirmed when she walked into a cave.
Her eyes instantly widened and turned gold, Brooke staring at the red kanji in front of Cody for a moment. Fuck, fuck, fuck, She thought, pulling her samuraizer out of the back pocket of her jeans. "Cody!" She yelled, but it was already too late.
"Symbol Power: Release!" Cody called, activating the symbol, and Brooke instantly started drawing one of her own. He noticed her, his expression of pride and joy turning into one of panic. "No! He'll listen to me!" He argued, and Brooke finished drawing the symbol.
"We can't risk it, Cody. I'm sorry," Brooke apologized, talking around her canines, and taking a deep breath. She steeled her nerves, the symbol for domesticate, 飼, floating in front of her. She didn't even bother with calling the symbol's name, but she made a noise of shock when it shattered.
The silver kanji shattered against what was once the control panel of the bullzord, it now being a stone pillar with an arc in a U-shape on the top of it. There was also a triangle indented in the middle of the pillar, which, in the middle of it, had a place where a disk could be attached. The kanji had failed- and Brooke didn't know what to do.
"Amaris-" Brooke started, calling on the white wolf, but the cockpit of the bullzord shook violently, and she got flung backwards. She landed hard on her back, her samuraizer flying out of her hand and skidding a couple feet away from her. Pain flared in her back, and when the back of her head collided with the ground, everything went black.
Meanwhile, Jayden was worried. This time, he had every right to be, as a zord was now on a rampage, and he concluded Brooke was inside of it. He instantly pulled out his samuraizer and dialed her familiar number, holding the device up to his ear. He expected her to pick up on the first ring, but she didn't, and he grew more worried when he got her voicemail.
"This is Brooke Wolfe. I'm most likely busy at the moment, so just leave a name and I'll call back once I get the chance." Her voicemail spoke, and Jayden flipped his samuraizer shut with a sigh.
"She's not answering," Jayden explained, answering the team's silent questions. They all collectively shared a worried look, and he ran a hand through his hair. "Maybe she's just trying to tame it." He muttered, trying to reassure himself more than anything. That wasn't great, but he knew he had to lead- and the gears in his mind turned as he came up with a battle strategy. At least six of the seven rangers were present and active, which made things easier.
"If she's in the bullzord, Cody will be fine. She'll be fine." Antonio stated, reassuring the team, plus Cody's father, and Jayden shot a grateful look at his childhood friend. Who caught sight of it and nodded, clapping him on the shoulder.
It'll work out, like it always does, Jayden thought to himself before shutting off his thoughts. He went into the familiar emotionless state, coming up with a plan. The best he could think of was going into megamode- so, that's what he planned to do. "There's no way we're going to let it rampage! We have to try!" He announced, taking his samuraizer out of his pocket and flipping it open. The team followed his command, morphing into their suits, and that's when the show truly began.
Brooke came to when dirt fell on her face. A lot of it, actually, and she coughed, rolling on her side. What in the everloving fuck is going on? She asked herself, wiping some of the dirt off of her face. Blinking rapidly, she tried to regain her bearings, surveying her surroundings as her senses kicked in. Right, she was in the bullzord, and her attention snapped to the stone pillar. There was now a disk attached to it, and Brooke forced herself to her feet. The cockpit of the bullzord shook, and she nearly fell down again, letting out a groan as the back of her head pounded.
"Cody, what did you do?" Brooke questioned Cody, who looked scared out of his mind. She didn't blame him, but couldn't really feel sympathetic at the moment.
"I- I gave it it's full power back. I thought- I thought it would listen to me!" Cody exclaimed, choking on the words, and Brooke caught sight of his shoeless foot. Spying his red converse lying near the stone pillar, she picked it up, walking over to him.
Which was easier said than done, as Brooke stumbled when the cockpit shook again. Still, she managed to make her way over to Cody, handing him his shoe. "It'll work out. We'll work this out." She responded, trying to sort through her thoughts. She didn't have many, as her brain was filled with radio static, and she was sure she had a concussion. Still, Brooke felt Amaris' presence in her mind, which was relieving. "I need help." She thought, and the white wolf responded without missing a beat.
"You hit your head fairly hard, I am not able to read your thoughts as clearly as normal. However, I will provide you with assistance to the best of my ability," Amaris stated, and Brooke just nodded. She could deal with that, at least her emotional support wolf was present. "Currently, a nighlok- Crustor, is trying to capture the bullzord, you, and Cody, from what it seems." She relayed the information over, and Brooke found herself breaking into a lopsided grin.
Crustor. That's a name and a half, and Brooke knew she shouldn't be finding it funny. But it was all she had, and she heard the faint sounds of moogers squealing, so the bullzord was seemingly winning. At least the zord could hold its own, and she spotted her samuraizer and the missed call notification flashing on the screen. Which was smaller now, thanks to the brush portion being activated, and Brooke unsteadily made her way over to the device. Flipping the brush portion back, she found herself breaking into another smile. It was from Jayden, and she really shouldn't be happy about it, but Brooke concluded she wasn't really all there.
The bullzord suddenly stopped moving, and Brooke glanced at Cody. He looked shaken up- but was relatively unharmed, which was good. Still, she had no idea what was going on regarding the outside world, and Amaris could only do so much because of her concussion and the fact that she was low on symbol power. So they weren't in the best situation, but as long as the bullzord doesn't try to kill her and Cody, it was okay. There always could be worse.
"Your team is in the area." Amaris stated, and Brooke snapped her head up at that.
"Can you go into the cockpit of the megazord?" Brooke spoke aloud, and when Cody gave her a confused look, she sighed. "Amaris, she can read my thoughts and is relaying what's going on currently to me. Apparently, the others are trying to stop the bullzord... I'm guessing." Her head pounded, and when the bullzord started shaking again, rocks and dirt falling from the roof of the cockpit, she lost her balance and fell. This time she didn't hit her head, however, so that was fine.
Hearing the sounds of blasters, Brooke just admitted that this was a bad situation to be in. She couldn't do much, but maybe she could offer support. Unhooking the wolf zord from her belt loops, the parallelogram unfolded, the zord standing on her open palm. "Go with Red, bud." She commanded, and the wolf zord wagged its metal tail, yipping and then flying off.
Then, she shifted, and the aching in her body stopped, but apparently, the concussion transferred over. Which made sense, since her brain didn't really shift, but she didn't like it. Spying her samuraizer, wolf-Brooke picked it up and held the device gingerly in her mouth, padding over to Cody. She set it on the ground, and if on cue, the cockpit started shaking again. She wanted to know what the others were doing because only so much of it could be the bullzord.
Meanwhile, Jayden hated this. The battle was not going as he planned it to- and he had to admit to himself, he underestimated the bullzord's strength. He grit his teeth under his helmet, bracing himself for impact when the zord charged at the samurai megazord. However, instead of the impact, there was a brilliant flash of purple, a translucent purple shield protecting the robot.
"Amaris!" The five shouted in unison, the white wolf barely visible. Still, her eyes didn't show panic or anything of the sort, and she was much calmer compared to the team.
"You have to let it go. While Brooke would usually have the ability to at least calm the bullzord, that is not the case now. Physical and mental fatigue have taken their toll on her- and she had hit her head fairly hard, that is why it is a struggle to keep myself here at the moment," Amaris stated, sitting on her haunches, her ears flicking. She glanced at Jayden, her ears flattening to her head as she turned her gaze to the bullzord. "Your concern... it is appreciated, but Brooke is saying not to worry about her. That she will be fine, and you all should focus on the battle at hand." Her voice, even though it was ringing through all of the rangers' heads, was quiet.
"Amaris, and Brooke, are right. We have to let it go." Jayden spoke after a couple of moments of silence. While he didn't want to, he knew he had to. So, he had to shove aside his worry and lead the team. That's all he could do at the moment.
Cody's father was in no better shape than Jayden felt internally, the fear and worry written clearly on his face. Jayden, however, just settled into his emotionless state, shutting off his thoughts. Worrying would get him nowhere, and he knew that. So, he just shut it all off, and it became much easier to function. The sense of disconnect returned- and it was something he hadn't done in a while, actually. Once Deker was gone he usually allowed himself to work through the emotions that he was feeling, because that was much healthier than bottling them. This time, however, he didn't want to work through them. At least in front of the team, so he just shut it all off.
Amaris was still at the rangers' side, but she was almost clear at this point, her violet eyes being the only solid thing. Still, they were all thankful for her presence, and she took charge, hopping onto one of the seats at the wooden table and sitting on her haunches. "The bullzord is not able to be retrieved at the moment. Its strength is far greater than that of what I remember from three hundred years ago." She explained, and Cody's father let out a weak laugh.
"It's been years, Amaris, and you're telling me my son is on a rampaging zord that escaped. Nice to see you too," Cody's father greeted, and Amaris flattened her ears to her head, guilt shining in her eyes. "He should've listened to me, I'm so worried about him now." He muttered, clutching the cup of tea in his hands like a lifeline.
"Do not worry, Brooke will keep him safe," Amaris reassured Cody's father, who looked somewhat skeptical. "Something in her mind... Cody is a reminder of her little brother for her. From what I understand, she endured a lot for him, and I believe that is the same for Cody. He is going to be alright, Brooke is one to sacrifice herself for others. She always has been." She added, and Jayden hoped it didn't come down to that- no. He wouldn't let it come down to that.
"His bond with the bullzord, even our zords- is so strong. We'll send the zords out to find Cody's location, and we'll try again tomorrow." Jayden offered, and that's what they did.
After they sent out their zords, the walk home was quiet. Jayden half-expected for Brooke to just appear and make fun of him for being worried, and he wanted her to. Still, he tried to mask his worries to the best of his abilities, and he was glad Amaris was sticking around. Her body was still barely visible, and when she tried to hit his legs with her tail in a comforting sort of manner, it phased through them. She instantly let out a whine of confusion at that, flattening her ears to her head again.
"Huh? Amaris, are you okay?" Emily asked, her voice full of concern.
"I have not been in such a state before," Amaris muttered, her tail drooping. Even she looked somewhat worried, but, in a moment, it was gone. The way her silver and white fur bristled gave it away though, and the six rangers shared a look of concern. "Usually, my form remains solid, even when holders of the moon disk die. Though, this is most likely happening due to the blunt force trauma Brooke endured. I am easily able to tell that she is not thinking clearly." She concluded, but the team seemed shocked at her other statement.
"Hold on, "even when holders of the moon disk die"? You've seen rangers die, Amaris?" Kevin questioned, a mix of confusion and concern on his face, his brows knit.
"I appear when holders of the moon disk are in peril, but sadly, I am able to do only so much. The teleportation is reliant on the holder's symbol power, and by the time that I appear, they do not have enough to get anywhere. I also do not hold healing capabilities, and I have been asked to put some silver rangers out of their misery." Amaris responded, her ears flattened to her head and her fur bristled. It was clear to see that she was recalling memories of those times, and was upset about it. Her voice was quiet, her violet eyes fixated on the path in front of her.
Mia instantly looked sympathetic, shooting the white wolf a comforting look. "Are you okay, Amaris? I can't imagine what it was like for you." She asked, and Amaris snapped out of her memories.
"Sadly, it is a factor of life and is part of my role. I am fine." She responded, bounding down the gravel path that led to the Shiba House. The six watched Amaris for a moment, then starting to walk down the path themselves.
"Who knew a wolf could have war trauma," Mike blurted, and Emily instantly slapped his chest. "But, seriously, that's probably why she's around Brooke all the time. Amaris doesn't want to see anything happen to her." He concluded, and Jayden let himself think for a moment.
He wouldn't let it come to that. If it came to the point where Brooke was asking Amaris to kill her... Jayden didn't even want to think about it, so he just shut his thoughts off again. It was easier that way, and the six made their way into the Shiba House to find Amaris pulling Brooke's leather jacket off of one of the seats. She had a sleeve of it in her mouth, and when the rangers all shot her a collective confused look, she dropped it.
"Brooke asked me to bring it to her. It is the least I can do." Amaris explained, taking the sleeve of the jacket in her mouth again and pulling it off of the seat.
Brooke's phone fell out of the pocket and slid on the floor, stopping at Jayden's feet. He picked it up, and the screen instantly lit up, revealing her lockscreen. It was her, with slightly longer hair, and a person he didn't recognize- who had stylishly messy curly brown hair, brown eyes, and an eyebrow piercing. He had a wide smile on his face, and Brooke was on his back, wearing a similar smile. Her arms were loosely wrapped around his neck, and his arms were holding her legs, revealing a tattoo of a mountain range on his upper arm. Whoever he was- he and Brooke looked happy. They were hiking, presumably, guessing by the hiking boots on Brooke's feat, and the sun was setting behind them both, the sky a mixture of oranges and pinks.
"Who's that? A boyfriend?" Mike was the first one to speak, and Jayden shook his head.
"Well, he's definitely a pretty boy- I mean, he looks like someone who'd be Brooke's type." Mia pointed out, and Jayden really didn't like the way this conversation was going. The irrational jealousy surfaced and almost broke through his emotionless state, but he shoved it down. Now wasn't the time.
Antonio, who noticed Jayden's familiar faint scowl and the crease above his eyebrow, nudged his shoulder. "Jealousy's a common look on you nowadays, huh?" He joked, only so Jayden could hear.
Who resisted the urge to use his symbol power and slam a rod into his childhood friend's neck. Not even an hour in and he missed Brooke, just for the fact that her being around meant the team couldn't tease him as easily. "I don't think so, she never mentioned having one. I think it's just a friend." Jayden concluded, shutting off Brooke's phone and sticking it back into the pocket of her leather jacket. Which Amaris still had in her mouth, and her tail wagged slowly.
"I will return to Brooke now, to make sure everything is alright on her end. Take care." Amaris stated, bouncing in place twice and leaping through the air, she and the leather jacket disappearing in a flash of silver.
"You mean, you want it to be just a friend." Mike teased, and Jayden let out a sigh, biting back his annoyance. Of course, this was going to start, of course.
He should've expected it, in all honesty. Because now Brooke wasn't around Jayden, the others, specifically Mike, could tease him about her. Which isn't what he wanted at all, as he was just tired at this point. "No, it's not like that. She'd probably tell us if she had a boyfriend." He defended himself, trying to ignore the fact that Mike was somewhat correct.
He was really hoping that the mystery guy wasn't a boyfriend, but Jayden figured that she wouldn't flirt with him if that was the case. She didn't seem like the type to do that. But, he also couldn't say anything without revealing the fact that Brooke flirts with him, so Jayden just stopped himself from saying something stupid. He ignored Mike's cheeky smile, and couldn't be happier when Ji walked into the room.
"How'd it go?" Ji asked, then counting the number of rangers in the room. "Where's Brooke?" He thought aloud, noticing that the silver ranger was missing, and he shot a glance at the red.
"Stuck in the bullzord with Cody. Who broke the seal and activated it," Jayden replied, running his hand through his hair and letting out a heavy sigh. "We tried to stop it, but the bullzord escaped, so we just sent out our zords to find their location and planned to try again tomorrow." He summarized, and with that, he left the room.
"Wow, it's almost like he's back to when we all first started fighting as a team," Emily remarked, watching Jayden's retreating figure as he walked out of the meeting room.
Ji glanced in the direction Jayden left and then back at the team, letting out a sigh. "He's always been that way around her, Antonio can tell you more than anyone." He stated, motioning to the gold ranger with a nod, who grinned.
"Brooke gave Jay a personality, almost. Well, so did I, we just taught him how to have fun." Antonio added, deflecting Ji's glare with a cheeky smile.
"Symbol Power: Domesticate!" Brooke yelled, her voice cracking as she activated the symbol. It hit the stone pillar again, and shattered, much to her annoyance. Nothing was really working, and she tried taking the disk out of the pillar, but it wouldn't budge. Her nose had started bleeding a little while ago, and she wiped the blood and some of the dirt off of her face with the back of her hand. She knew she probably looked like a mess- and she felt disgusting.
Cody, who was in much better shape than she was, was somehow asleep. How, Brooke wasn't sure, as the cockpit of the bullzord was still shaking, but more power to him. He was using her, well, Casper's leather jacket, as a pillow, and she let him. Her wolf form made it pretty comfortable to sleep anywhere, but she didn't even know if she could shift, given the pain in her head and the fatigue she felt.
However, Brooke knew she had to keep pushing through it. She wasn't trying to tame the zord- more like calm it for the time being. At least until the others figured out a way to tame the bullzord, and she hoped that they figured out something soon. Because she would kill for a shower and a meal, even if it was a cold shower and some protein bars. The sweat from the battles before, with Scott and General Gut, was making her body uncomfortably sticky, and the dirt caking her body didn't help either.
Still, she ignored it to the best of her abilities. Flipping through the symbols she knew, Brooke tried to calm her breathing and preserve the small amount of symbol power she still had. She knew she couldn't overdo it, but she didn't want to give the bullzord the option to rampage across the countryside overnight. That was what she was trying to avoid, and she steeled her nerves as she drew one last symbol. 静か hung in the air, and Brooke chewed on her bottom lip, gold eyes inspecting the symbol for a moment. It seemed like it could work, but she could only hope. "Symbol Power: Peaceful." She called wearily, activating the symbol and collapsing on her knees.
To her surprise- the symbol actually worked, and Brooke nearly cried in relief when the bullzord powered off. She knew it couldn't last, but hopefully, it stayed active long enough so she could get some sleep and regain some of her symbol power. Oh, what she wouldn't give to be in Jayden's arms right now as well, she knew that he was probably worried out of his mind. Which was the norm for the red ranger, but still. Brooke felt bad for making him worry.
However, that all became secondary when Cody stirred, and Brooke flipped back the brush portion and shut her samuraizer. "Hey, you okay?" She asked, making her way over to the younger boy and sitting beside him.
"Did... did you tame it?" Cody mumbled, regaining his bearings and sitting up.
Brooke shook her head, wearing a smile laced with exhaustion. "Not yet, but it's powered off for the time being, so we can get some sleep," She answered, setting her samuraizer beside her and leaning back in her hands. She never would've imagined that she would be stuck in the cockpit of a zord with a thirteen-year-old that she barely knew, but being a ranger came with surprises. "Which, you should do. It's probably going to be a tiring day tomorrow because this bad boy's gonna be up and running again." She told Cody, patting the floor of the cockpit for emphasis.
"Why aren't you mad? I mean, I caused all of this." Cody blurted, and Brooke's eyes turned gold as she blinked in surprise. She then let out a faint laugh,, her claws scratching at the ground and her upper lip curling around her canines.
"First of all, I'm exhausted, so that's caused my emotions to tap out, but, I get it. You wanted a friend, and the bullzord was your friend. You wanted it to be happy, right?" Brooke speculated, and Cody nodded, a certain type of sadness taking over his features. Which made her heart throb, but she pushed it aside. "I didn't have many friends, either. Only one, until I joined the team- and I would've, and still would, do anything to see him happy. And that's... that's alright. People make choices in the heat of the moment that they think are right, and you just wanted to see your friend happy, and you thought your actions were right. There was no malicious intent, so, there's not a reason to get mad." She decided, adjusting her position so that her knees were drawn to her chest. Her canines gave her a slight lisp, and she couldn't really organize her thoughts, but Cody seemed to get the message.
"Thank you," Cody thanked, and Brooke hummed in response, her eyes flashing and settling on grey, her features returning to normal. "Do you... do you want to be friends?" His voice was barely audible, and Brooke nearly cried.
Her eyes flashed multiple times, and she broke into a happy smile. "Of course, Cody. I'm Brooke, I don't know if you knew that," Brooke introduced herself, joy seeping into her tone. It was just like Maxx- it was Maxx. It was just mentally stable Maxx, and she saw his light brown hair and green eyes for a moment, and she remembered the first time she saw him break into a genuine smile. It was when they left James' and Mary offered them a place to stay, and Brooke remembered being so happy. That her brother was safe and he was happy.
"I'm Brooke, and I'd love to be your friend." She sniffled, and Brooke felt the tears rolling down her cheeks. They washed away some of the dirt and sweat, so it was fine, and she found herself choking back a sob as Cody wrapped her in a tight hug.
"You're the best sister, even if you're annoying," Maxx's voice echoed in her head, and Brooke returned the hug. "I'm only gonna say this once, but, I love you, Brooke. I'm happy you're my sister."
Jayden was getting ready for bed when he heard something collide with his window. It made a loud thud, followed by a series of barks, and he felt his spirits lighten when he saw the wolf zord. It hit his window again, letting out more barks, its golden eyes shining bright and metal tail wagging. Jayden opened the window, and the wolf zord instantly zipped inside, pawing at his nose as a greeting. That action caused him to break into a smile, the first one he's worn all night, and he felt some of his worries leave his body.
Shutting the window, Jayden held out his palm, but the mechanical wolf didn't listen to him. Instead, it sat on his shoulder, seemingly proud of itself for completing its task. Which caused him to let out a quiet laugh, reaching for his samuraizer, which was on his bedside table, and grabbing it, flipping it open. "You're just like Brooke, huh?" He asked the zord, who let out happy barks at the mention of its owner, and Jayden called Brooke, a small smile on his face.
To his relief and delight, Brooke picked up on the first ring. "Heya... Red," She greeted with a yawn, her voice groggy. The wolf zord instantly let out a series of barks upon hearing it's owner's voice, and that caused her to laugh. "I see he made it to you. I'm glad." She stated, and Jayden found himself smiling. Just hearing her voice- even though it was groggy and some of her words were slurring together, made him happy.
"He's a lot like you," Jayden remarked, sitting on his bed. "I can't explain it, but he is. I'm glad to see you're okay, though. You didn't pick up the first time." He added, holding out his open palm again, and this time the wolf zord listened. It flew over and landed in his palm, curling up into its parallelogram, which Jayden set on his bedside table.
"Yeah, I'm all good for right now. Sorry 'bout that, the bullzord lurched and I hit my head. Knocked me out for a bit, and then I was worried about Cody, so the thought escaped my mind," Brooke responded, letting out a sigh, which turned into a yawn. "I tried using a little bit of symbol power, and I managed to calm the bullzord down enough so it stopped moving. My head hurts now, and Amaris is mad at me because she can't go anywhere because of me being low on symbol power. But, besides that, and the concussion I think I have, everything's good. Cody's asleep, and I was falling asleep when you called. But, I'm happy to hear your voice." She recalled the events of the rest of the day, and Jayden was only really paying attention to one thing. She was happy hearing his voice, and that made him extremely happy.
"I'm happy to hear your voice, too, Brooke. I'm happy you're okay." Jayden murmured, his face heating up. He didn't know why he was getting flustered over this, and for once, he was glad Brooke couldn't see him.
"You worry too much. I'm fine, I promise you," Brooke laughed, but it wasn't her usual teasing laugh. It was softer and sounded genuine. "Take care of yourself, okay? I mean it, or imma get Amaris to lay on you until you fall asleep. Cuddle her until I get back because you owe me." She playfully threatened, and Jayden choked on his own saliva.
Well, that was unexpected, but he was happy about it. It made his already warm face heat up more, his cheeks burning as he wore a happy smile. "So, the cuddling thing is just happening whenever, now?" Not that I'm complaining. Jaydenwondered, and Brooke hummed, seemingly in thought for a couple of moments.
"Mm, let's see... While I have this concussion, yeah, and you still owe me. You're lucky I'm not charging interest or any of that." Brooke joked and then proceeded to laugh at her own joke, and that's when Jayden knew she was out of it. She probably wasn't even processing what she was saying, and the exhaustion was starting to creep into her voice.
"Brooke, you need to get some sleep, alright? I'll see you tomorrow." Jayden advised, and while he, selfishly, didn't want to hang up, he knew he had to.
"I know, and I'll probably have to fight tomorrow," Brooke complained, but it was all in good humor. "Be my knight in shining red, okay? I'm counting on you. 'Gnight, Red." She murmured, her voice barely audible.
"I'm planning to be, and call me if you need anything. Goodnight Brooke, sleep well." Jayden then ended the call, flipping his samuraizer shut and placing it next to the wolf zord on his nightstand. He then got into bed fully and noticed he felt significantly less stressed than he thought he would be, and that was nice. He knew everything was going to work out tomorrow, and he wore a small smile as he turned off his lamp. It worked out. Like it always does.
The next morning, the six walked back to Cody's house, and the wolf zord was sitting on Jayden's shoulder. The team noticed he was in a much brighter mood, and the mechanical wolf seemed to lift his spirits, to a degree. Amaris had also returned, but this time she was almost solid, her tail wagging happily as she greeted the team. Her violet eyes were shining bright, giving the notion that everything was turning around for the better. That everything was going to be fine.
The wolf zord let out a series of barks when the team reached Cody's house, the mechanical wolf flying off of Jayden's shoulder and intercepting the lion zord. The red and silver robots playfully fought for a moment, then turning their attention to Jayden, letting out a roar and a bark respectively. Which caused him to break into a small smile, and he turned his attention to the team. "Let's roll." He commanded, and the team made a move to follow the zords but were stopped by Cody's father.
"Wait!" He called, jogging up to Jayden, holding a white disk in his hand. "Take this, it's the original power disk my ancestors used to create the bullzord three hundred years ago. It's the only possible way to tame it." Cody's father urged, and Jayden took the bull disk, nodding.
"Amaris," Jayden turned his attention to the white wolf, the black box appeared in his hand in a flash of red, and she flicked her ears, her tail wagging. "Take these to Brooke. It'll be easier for her to use them since she's already in the bullzord." He stated, holding out the two objects.
"With pleasure," Amaris replied, gently holding the black box and bull disk in her mouth. She then bounced in place twice, leaping through the air and disappearing in a flash of silver.
Meanwhile, Brooke was awake, and she felt significantly better than she did last night. Most of the peaceful symbol had worn off, so the bullzord was active again, but it was much calmer. Which was a positive turn of events, and Cody was trying to communicate with the zord to calm it down, she turned her attention to the flash of silver. Amaris appeared, and Brooke instantly broke into a happy smile, kneeling to the wolf's height. "Heya, Amaris. I was wondering where you were." She greeted, and Amaris set the bull disk and the black box on the ground.
"Jayden wanted you to have them, the bull disk is the only way to tame the bullzord." Amaris explained, and Brooke picked up the disk and the black box, her eyes flashing.
"Well, could've gotten these yesterday, but better late than never- shit," Brooke cut herself off, slowly rising to her feet at the smell of nighlok. "Cody! Here, it's for the bullzord. I know you can do it." She threw the white disk in Cody's direction, who caught it. He looked skeptical and opened his mouth to speak, but was stopped by Crustor entering the cockpit.
"Your times are up, guardian and silver ranger. Get out of the way, I'm taking the bullzord!" Crustor demanded, pointing its sword at Brooke, who narrowed her, now gold, eyes and flipped open her samuraizer. "And I'll use it to destroy your world!" The nighlok threatened, and Brooke scoffed.
Holding her open samuraizer in one hand and the black box in another, she threw her samuraizer in the air and caught it, pointing it at Crustor. "That's a lofty threat, let's see if you can see it through! It's showtime!" Brooke challenged, activating the brush portion of samuraizer and morphing into her suit quickly. "Amaris, make sure Cody's safe, I'm going to make this bastard go through hell and back! Super Samurai Mode!" She thrust the black box forward, pressing a small button on top of the talisman.
The Wolfe family crest appeared in silver, and then dissolved, forming the forked cape that the rangers usually wore in Super Samurai Mode. However, instead of being white with gold trim, it was black with silver trim, and the Wolfe family crest replaced the Shiba Clan's crest on the left and back of the cape. The silver ranger instantly felt a burst of power shoot through her body, and it seemed like adrenaline was in her bloodstream. She grinned underneath her helmet, drawing her Wolf Kunai and taking the super samurai disk out of the black box, sliding it on the weapon. Attaching the black box to the hilt of the Wolf Kunai, she rushed forward, and the battle began.
Any fatigue she felt was gone, and Brooke now understood why Jayden went on power-trips when he used new disks. It was fun, and the nighlok was already on the weaker side anyway, so it was easy to land a couple of strikes and kick Crustor back. "I believe in you, Cody! So you gotta believe in yourself, okay? You can do this!" She called to Cody, dodging a nighlok's swing and returning with her own attack. "Use your symbol power and save your friend!"
Brooke didn't even have to think, and she enjoyed that immensely. Her head was still pounding thanks to the concussion, but other than that, she felt fine. She glanced over at Cody, who drew a symbol with his samuraizer- well, it was just a brush, and activated it. However, the red symbol just shattered on impact with the stone pillar, where the bull disk was now attached. "You can do it, it's alright! Symbol power is just annoying like that, you've got this!" Brooke reassured Cody, pushing Crustor back.
The blade of the Wolf Kunai lit up silver, and Brooke spun the weapon in her hand, rushing towards Crustor again. The black forked cape flew behind her as she did so, and she jumped upwards, landing a strong downwards strike on the nighlok. That, ironically, was the finishing move, as it was usually how Jayden started battles, and she saw a bright flash of red, the bull disk turning red.
"You did it, Cody! Great job!" Brooke praised, the silver ranger running over and stopping in front of him.
"No, we did it. We're friends." Cody corrected, holding out the red bull disk, and Brooke laughed, taking the disk in her gloved hand.
"That we are. Let's see what ancestor wants to talk to me today." Brooke joked, opening the black box from where it was attached to her Wolf Kunai. Placing the bull disk into the black box, she shut it, spinning the super samurai disk.
A projection of what was the silver ranger Grand Shogun appeared, looking identical to the wooden statue in Cody's house. Cody made a noise of awe, and Amaris instantly perked up, her tail wagging happily and her violet eyes shining with joy. Brooke smiled underneath her helmet at that, a certain feeling of pride filling her chest. She felt accomplished, like she had fulfilled part of her destiny. That this was what she was meant to do from the start, she was the silver ranger. She was a soldier, but that was alright because that was who she was meant to be.
"Congratulations, silver ranger. You have summoned the power of your ancestors, now and forever, our power is your power. Let the wolves run with you." The Grand Shogun spoke, her voice full of pride and ringing through the cockpit of the bullzord. The projection of the Grand Shogun disappeared, and so did Cody's adrenaline.
"Cody!" Brooke exclaimed, dropping her Wolf Kunai and catching him before he could fall. She set Cody on the ground, and Amaris was at his side, nuzzling his cheek. "It's time for you to go home, you've done great. I just want you safe." She advised, and Cody nodded, burying a hand in Amaris' fur.
"I understand and thank you. For believing in me and the bullzord, and being my friend." Cody thanked, and Brooke kneeled in front of him, picking up her Wolf Kunai and wearing a wide smile underneath her helmet.
"Of course, I'm happy to be your friend," Brooke beamed, then turning her attention to Amaris. "You know what to do, thanks for everything." She thanked, scratching behind the white wolf's ears.
"You are very welcome, my dear," Amaris replied, her voice full of joy. With that, she and Cody disappeared in a flash of silver, leaving the silver ranger alone in the cockpit.
Hearing a loud thud outside, Brooke concluded that Crustor was now in its second form. The dirt and stone crumbled away, revealing the traditional cockpit of a zord, and her eyes flashed when they landed on the Shiba Clan's crest. "Well, we're changing history today, it seems. Megamode Power: Bullzord Transformation!" She called and changed into her megamode suit in a flash of silver. The black from the cape mixed in with her silver megamode suit, giving it black shoulder pads.
Her silver boots were silent against the floor of the cockpit, and she walked up to the control panel, folding up her megablade. Brooke stuck it into the slot, raising her chin slightly as she grinned underneath her helmet. "Bull Megazord: Armed for Battle!" She called, pointing forward triumphantly. "Looks like your threats were just empty after all, nighlok!" She mocked, glancing down at the ground for a moment, and broke into a smile when she saw the rest of the team.
"Be that as it may, but not even a bull can stand up to my Blazing Fire Storm!" Crustor threatened, shooting out fire that lit some of the forest ablaze.
The bull megazord just ran through the flames and socked Crustor in the face, which felt strangely satisfying. It let out yells of protest, but Brooke just chose to ignore them. "Shoulder Blasters!" She called, and the bull megazord shot blasts out of its shoulders, which hit the nighlok and caused it to fall. However, it got onto its feet again quickly, laughing, and Brooke narrowed her eyes.
"This'll shut you up quickly! Shogun Mode!" Brooke challenged, and her suit changed. Her megamode suit turned into the suit the silver Grand Shogun was wearing, and she was right. The shogun suit was heavier than her normal one, but Brooke figured it was a "megamode only" sort of thing. "Power of the Ancestors!" She finished, taking her megablade out of the control panel. She unfolded it as the bull disk powered up, attaching the black box to the end of it, and Brooke spun her megablade in her hand once. "Revolving Laser Blaster: Final Strike!" Thrusting her megablade forward, the silver ranger grinned under her (rather heavy) helmet as Crustor went up in an explosion with a yell.
This time Brooke didn't even have to mouth along to the final line, and she found herself smiling as she said the words. "Samurai Rangers: Victory is Ours." She stated, and with that, the battle was over.
"Aw man, why does Brooke get to have the fancy Super Samurai Mode?" Mike complained as Brooke appeared on the ground in a flash of silver, in front of the demorphed team. The black cape fluttered behind her, and honestly, she just wanted to show off for a minute.
Laughing at Mike's complaints, she performed a bow, demorphing, and tossing the black box to Jayden. "I'm glad to see you guys." Brooke greeted, wearing a lopsided grin, and the six noticed how unkempt she actually was. The only thing that was partially clean was the leather jacket she wore, remnants of a bloody nose and dirt caked on her face.
"We're happy to have you back!" Emily cheered, and Brooke smiled at the younger girl's enthusiasm.
"Nice job of taking care of the nighlok." Antonio praised, patting Brooke on the back, who snickered.
"Yeah, well, I like doing Red's job for him. Really fun, got a sock a nighlok in a face with a zord and camp out in said zord. Good times," Brooke joked, holding the red bull disk between two of her fingers. When Jayden moved to take it, she snatched it away, laughing as he rolled his eyes. "Happy to see you, Red. Thanks for the black box." She thanked, motioning to the black box in his hand with a nod. She held out the bull disk again, and this time, she let him take it.
"Happy to have you back," Jayden replied, the black box and bull disk disappearing in a flurry of red particles. The team started walking back to Cody's house, the silver and red rangers trailing behind, how they usually did. "I missed you." He mumbled, barely audible, but Brooke still picked up on it due to her wolf hearing.
"I was gone for like, a night. But," Brooke teased, reaching out and grabbing his hand with her own. She and Jayden intertwined fingers, and she felt his thumb rub small circles on the back of her hand. "I missed you too." She finished, and she really wanted to give him a hug. But, she smelt like dirt and sweat, so that was out of the question. Jayden hummed in response, and the two walked in comfortable silence for a moment.
Mia then turned around, noticing their intertwined hands. She said nothing on the topic, only wearing a small smile. "Brooke," She called, and Brooke quirked a brow at her, grey eyes flashing. "Amaris said something about blunt force trauma, I can do a concussion test when we get home." She offered, and Brooke nodded.
"Sounds good, thanks. Brain's kinda fuzzy at the moment," Brooke thanked, then turning her attention to Antonio. "Hey, Goldie? Can you make uh..." Pulling her phone out of her pocket, she glanced at the time. It was still kind of early, actually, only being around eleven. "Lunch when we get home?" She asked, and Antonio nodded with a smile.
"Yeah, I can." Antonio agreed, and Brooke let out a quiet cheer, flashing him a thankful smile.
"Can't wait for a shower and a nap," Brooke muttered, letting out a yawn, and Jayden laughed faintly, ruffling her hair. Dirt fell out of it, and they both collectively cringed, Brooke's eyes flashing. "My point stands." She joked, and Jayden rolled his eyes with a smile.
"I can stay with you tonight, if you want." Jayden offered, his voice barely above a whisper. He knew if the others heard him, he wouldn't be able to live it down, and last night was bad enough. He didn't want to spend the rest of the war being teased about his childhood crush. He didn't want to spend the rest of the war with Brooke just being his crush, either.
Speaking of, she nodded in response to his offer, tightening her grip on his hand. That caused Jayden to break into a happy smile- because he always enjoyed having Brooke in his arms. It was a nice feeling, being able to hold someone, even if Amaris crushed his legs. He concluded that the white wolf was slowly trying to get her half of the bed back, and crushing him in the process to do so. The beds in the Shiba House weren't exactly made for two people and a wolf, but they made do with the situation. It was still domestic, in a sense, even if their "dog" was a wolf made out of symbol power. It was nice.
However, the fear of Ji finding out was also a possibility, and Jayden didn't know what would happen in that regard. They weren't doing anything bad, because that would spell disaster, not that he's thought about it or anything like that. That totally wasn't the case. Still, he knew his mentor was getting more strict about the "keep personal feelings out of the mission" rule, and if Jayden got caught, it probably wouldn't end well. He was scared of breaking rules, that was pretty much the only thing holding him back from kissing Brooke, so he knew he had to be careful. However, it was a risk he was happy to take if it meant holding her in his arms.
"Hope we're not interrupting," Jayden called to Cody and his father, who were having a quiet conversation on their porch. He and Brooke had dropped hands, and now she just stood next to him, offering Cody a smile, which he returned.
Amaris was laying a couple of feet away from them, asleep, but her violet eyes instantly opened at the sound of Jayden's voice. She spotted Brooke, getting up quickly and bounding over to her, who crouched down and started petting her. Her silver and white tail wagged happily, and she licked Brooke's cheek in a greeting, regret instantly overcoming her features. She wrinkled her snout back in disgust, and Brooke laughed.
"That one's on you- and she's gone," Brooke muttered, watching Amaris disappear in a flash of silver. She shook her head with a smile at that, rising from her crouch as Cody and his father made their way over.
"We wanted to say goodbye before we took off," Mike explained, fist-bumping Cody.
"Thanks to you, we now have a new weapon go fight the nighlok with." Kevin thanked, and Mia nodded, wearing a gentle smile.
"And now you can return to your normal life," Mia added, and Cody looked almost offended.
Still, he had an enthusiastic smile on his face as he spoke. "As if!" Cody blurted, walking towards the team. "I want to help you guys a lot more, and I have some epic new ideas! First of all-" He started, but Brooke cut him off by placing a hand on his shoulder. She saw light brown hair and green eyes, and the smile Maxx used to wear when he was thirteen. She saw her little brother.
"Listen, Maxx- Cody. Cody," Brooke corrected herself quickly, her eyes flashing. Her vision cleared, and she saw Cody standing in front of her again, him wearing a confused look. "My little brother, you remind me of him a lot, my bad," She apologized, letting out a nervous laugh. "As I was saying, you've done enough for a while, and you did great. Get some rest, you deserve it," She then made a noise of surprise when Cody wrapped her in a tight hug. Still, she returned it, blinking away tears that formed. He stepped away, and Brooke drew in a shaky breath. "We'll probably need your expertise soon, so you need your strength for that. We could always use help from a friend." She stated, and Cody beamed, nodding. With that, the team said their goodbyes, starting their walk back to the Shiba House.
Once they reached the main gates that led into the Shiba House, Jayden grabbed Brooke's wrist. She stopped on her tracks, quirking a brow at him, and he wore a small smile as he spoke. "First of all, the big sister complex." He teased, and Brooke huffed, averting her gaze. Her eyes flashed, settling on grey-gold, and he watched as her claws and canines grew in slightly, peeking out from under her upper lip.
"Shut up," Brooke grumbled, but her voice became much softer as she spoke again. "My brain's not working right, and I- I saw Maxx for a moment. When we got to Mary's, he had this smile on his face- I haven't seen him wear it since. Cody has the same sorta smile, it's full of energy and happy." She mumbled, her voice cracking, and she still didn't make eye contact with Jayden. She knew she would cry if she did that.
She almost cried when he wrapped her into a hug. The smell of spice and smoke soon became all Brooke smelt, and she wasn't complaining. She felt as Jayden buried a hand in her hair, his other arm wrapped around her waist. "I'm disgusting, Red. I'm not sure you wanna hug me right now." She joked, but she still wrapped her arms around him.
"I'm proud of you," Jayden announced, and Brooke tightened her hold on him. "I mean it. I'm proud of you- as both the red ranger and Jayden. I'm so happy you're in my life." He praised, feeling as she started shaking, and he felt her claws prick at his skin through his shirt.
"Shut- shut up," Brooke choked back a sob, feeling as tears started rolling down her cheeks. "I'm not- I... I don't know. Just... just don't let go." She sobbed, and Jayden spotted Ji.
He was walking towards the gates, presumably getting ready to catch the two doing something. However he stopped in his tracks when he heard Brooke crying, and Ji shot Jayden a look of worry. He shook his head in response, mouthing "ten minutes, please". To his surprise, his mentor nodded, walking away from the pair.
Jayden tightened his grip on Brooke, who was still sobbing. She was shaking, the hold she had on him almost restricting his breathing, but he didn't mind much. "I'll be here, for as long as you want me," He vowed, and she didn't respond directly, only crying harder. "I'm not going anywhere. I'll fight by your side as long as you want me to." I love you, Brooke.