a/n: This chapter contains minor nsfw, only the last two paragraphs of the chapter, but I wanted to tell y'all, so feel free to skip it if you want! On a completely unrelated note, I have a playlist for Weight of the World on Spotify, the link being: playlist/2ooOq52vRvkKGMpAcXz76w?si=fNiPg2xaTte4YuNt6f34kw


Training with Emily was… different for Brooke. Not in a bad way at all, as the yellow ranger was always a good person to have around, but just different. While Jayden was usually teaching her, which involved getting hit by a training sword repeatedly and flirting with him until he seemingly short-circuited, Brooke was now teaching Emily. It made her realize that Jayden really did have the patience of a saint because she was starting to get tired. But still, she tried not to show it, because Emily was already apologizing enough for things she didn't even have to apologize for. Brooke also didn't want to be mean to her, as the yellow ranger was figuratively the baby of the group. Not that it was a bad thing, but Emily's life was vastly different from hers, in many ways.

It almost made Brooke jealous- she wished she had that childhood innocence and naïveity. Though, she knew Emily had her own hardships to deal with, that her life wasn't perfect by any means. It was just that she had such a positive outlook, when she wasn't constantly apologizing and doubting her abilities, that is. Training with Emily was a slow process, but Brooke tried to be patient, even though she knew she should've been in bed over an hour ago. She should've been in Jayden's arms over an hour ago, and she, somewhat shamefully, missed the familiar warmth that he radiated. However, Brooke shook those thoughts out of her head, knocking Emily's training sword out of her hand with a simple flick of her wrist.

The training sword clattered onto the wooden floor is the outdoor dojo, the younger blonde staring at the wooden sword in confusion. Her eyes flickered from the training sword to Brooke, whose eyes flashed as she quirked a brow. "Everythin' alright? You look like I just grew a second head." She asked, lazily spinning her own training sword in her hand.

"Yeah, you just caught me off guard. I'm sorry-" Emily started, but was quickly cut off by Brooke holding up a finger.

"Stop apologizing. You don't need to be sorry for making mistakes. Shit happens," Brooke scolded, shaking her head slightly. "Honestly, I'm not cut out for this teaching thing anyways, it's just different for me. I've made accommodations to my fighting style because I'm a shifter, and it would take some serious time and energy to pick apart what I do to fight and why I do it. It's not you at all, it's me." She reassured Emily because that was partially true. Since the yellow ranger was fully human, it would be incredibly difficult for her to have the type of move set that the silver did. It just physically wasn't possible, in multiple aspects. Not unless Emily woke up one day and just was a shifter. Which, there would be more problems than just Brooke's fighting style.

Emily just nodded firmly, picking up her training sword from where it was laying on the ground. "Can we go again?" She requested, already settling into a fighting stance before Brooke could even think of a response.

"Sure, sunshine. Just come at me like you usually do, okay? Don't overthink it," Brooke advised, settling into her fighting stance. Her ankle was starting to throb, mostly from the repeated abuse of being awake and on her feet for most of the day. So, she just shifted her weight to her good ankle, but she knew it was messing up her stance. If it were Jayden who was teaching her, she knew she'd already would be on the ground at this point. But, Brooke didn't voice that aloud, or her genuine pain or exhaustion. She was overdoing it- but it was for Emily. She wanted to see the yellow ranger be proud of herself. "Alright, come at me." Grey eyes flashed, the silver and yellow rangers launching into their umpteenth sparring match of the night.

It was somewhat difficult to figure out Emily's fighting style, but Brooke managed. The younger girl's swings were similar to her element in a way, strong and grounded, focused on defense rather than offense. And Brooke found it difficult to be offensive when a sharp pain flared from her ankle at every movement. She had to grit her teeth to prevent herself from crying out in pain, especially when Emily landed a blow against her weak ankle. Brooke heard a worrying crack and felt herself topple, but she just accepted her fate and let herself fall. She really should've gone in sooner. Hitting the ground with a thud, she tried to act enthusiastic when Emily's face lit up with pride. Though, Brooke found it easier to mask her emotions with the rangers other than her two childhood friends. She had always felt a need to be honest with them- but right now she just focused on the younger girl standing over her.

"See, ya did it," Brooke pointed out, quickly sitting up and drawing her injured ankle closer to her body. She instantly noticed that it was slightly bent in a direction that was not normal, but she hid it by crossing her legs. "Now, may I ask, what's this about?" She questioned, Emily instantly freezing.

"What do you mean?" Emily feigned ignorance, but Brooke silently called bullshit almost instantly- grey eyes flashing as she raised her brows and pursed her lips slightly. The yellow ranger just stared at the silver at the moment, almost sweating under her unwavering stare, before letting out a sigh and a weak laugh. "I… want to be tougher. I feel like I'm not holding my weight, that I'm weaker than you and the others. And you're tough, and I want to be like you." She admitted, Brooke biting back a comment that she knew she shouldn't say.

Honestly, Brooke wanted to laugh. The way that Emily was looking up to her, and comparing herself to her, was almost sickening. She didn't know what to say that would come out as nice, her eyes flashing multiple times and settling on a grey-gold as she thought up a response. No wonder Jayden practically despised being put on a pedestal. "...I'm not the right person to look up to, Em. I appreciate it, but," Sucking in a sharp breath, Brooke tried to focus on coming up with a proper response rather than the pain in her ankle. "I'm going to sound like a real cocky bitch here, but, you physically can't be on my level. I'm not human, and you are. My brain and body are wired completely different from yours, and everyone else's on the team. Don't compare yourself to me- I- it's just not possible, y'know?" A nervous laugh escaped Brooke's lips as the pain in her ankle increased, her squeezing her eyes shut for a moment and curling her clawed hands into fists. "I'm not as tough as you think, either. I'm just a damn good actor because that's what I had to do to survive. Ask Red, he's seen me at my worst so many times. My confidence is almost fake. I'm really not who you think I am." Her claws dug into her skin, drawing blood, but luckily it was dark enough for Emily not to notice.

Who was mostly silent, her voice wavering as she spoke again. "If yours is fake- then what is mine?" Emily muttered, Brooke biting back a scream.

She couldn't deal with this right now. "Emily. It's late, you're overthinking things, really. You're alive. That's the most important thing and don't- just… get some rest. I'll pick up here, okay? We can talk about it tomorrow," Brooke felt like an asshole, but it was the only thing she could say without hurting Emily's feelings even more. She hadn't even been mentally prepared for training- let alone a therapy session with an ankle that was most likely snapped out of place. "Please. Get some rest, and sleep well. You're doing just fine." She tried to shoot the blonde a small smile, but Emily just returned it with a small nod.

"Goodnight, Brooke," Emily mumbled, setting her training sword back on the rack and making her way back into the Shiba House.

When she was gone, Brooke instantly uncrossed her legs, forcing herself to stand up. She didn't stay up for long, however, as her ankle gave out for the second time and she found herself back on the ground. Letting out a whimper, Brooke squeezed her eyes shut, trying to force herself not to think about the pain. She didn't even know why it hurt so bad compared to the other times- and she was worried that it had been broken for a second time. She was fucked then because she couldn't fight with a broken ankle. Even though she needed to fight. It was her job. Forcing herself to sit back up, Brooke knew she was too tired to shift fully- and in too much pain. So, she just tried to bear it, pushing herself back onto her feet.

Luckily, it seemed like Jayden always had a sixth sense for these kinds of things. Or it was Amaris- as the white wolf usually called upon the red ranger when he could provide more help than she could. Now was one of those times, the door leading to the outdoor dojo opening and shutting quickly. Spying Brooke, Jayden quickly made his way over to her, catching her before she could fall and hit the ground again.

The warmth he radiated made Brooke want to cry. Latching onto Jayden for support, she made sure not to put any pressure on her bad ankle as she buried her face into the crook of his neck. It was clear that he had just gotten out of the shower and gotten dressed, as his hair was still mostly damp, and he smelt like fucking Old Spice shampoo. And Brooke knew it was the "Pure Sport" one, as the lemon-lime scent reminded her of one of the guys that she had slept with- the quarterback of Greensbrook High's football team. And she did not want to remember him, as all she really remembered that he was a bad kisser and she woke up unsatisfied. So, yeah. Sport themed shampoos and colognes weren't really her thing- but Brooke knew she really couldn't say anything without having to somewhat explain herself.

"Missin' the cologne, Red. Though, I didn't know you were Old Spice's poster boy," Brooke murmured, her voice muffled by the crook of Jayden's neck. She heard him laugh faintly, his hand being buried into her hair. It was all so warm, and for a moment, the pain was gone. "I overdid it." She announced, a clawed hand grabbing a fistful of the back of his shirt to hold onto. It was an anchor so that she hopefully didn't find herself back on the ground.

"You did," Jayden agreed, pulling away from Brooke, much to her displeasure. He let out a quiet sigh, shaking his head faintly. "You shouldn't keep doing this," He muttered, glancing down at Brooke's ankle and wincing slightly. "And you're lucky I know how to set a bone back in place." He added, Brooke just letting him go into his usual lecture as he picked her up. She was zoning out, per usual, just somewhat enjoying the feeling of being carried in his arms.

"You're so warm," Brooke mumbled, hearing Jayden's heartbeat increase slightly at the indirect compliment. "I'd just be better if you didn't smell like a damn football player." She complained, said ranger knitting his brows at the statement, before becoming defensive.

He opened the door to Brooke's room, shutting it behind him and flicking on the light as he spoke again. "I ran out of my usual one, so sorry if this one doesn't meet your standards," Jayden huffed in faux annoyance as he lightly tossed Brooke on the bed, who let out a bark of laughter. "I'm honestly worried, you seem more attached to it and my cologne more than I am. Do you just want them?" He teased, noticing how Brooke seemed to bristle at his words- like a wolf whose territory was threatened, her subconsciously letting out a quiet growl.

"Oh, fuck you. You should've just left me outside to pass out because of the pain," Brooke retorted quickly, lightly kicking Jayden with her good ankle and foot. Who raised his eyebrows, a ghost of a smirk on his lips. "It's not just the cologne… it's you. Don't make me explain myself to you, I've already said it enough times for you to get the picture. Or do you just want me to launch into an analysis on whatever cologne you wear makes me feel? Because I really don't feel like doing that now. Or ever, in fact." She stated, but the playful mood quickly fell when she felt his thumb run over her bottom lip. Two things instantly ran through her head: the first being "where the hell did he learn this?", and the second being "oh shit I want to kiss him".

It took all of her self control not to. Instead of, say, grabbing the collar of Jayden's shirt, Brooke grabbed her comforter, her claws digging into the fabric. All the while, she kept her grey-gold eyes locked on him, noticing the way that his pupils dilated. She needed to stop flirting with him this late at night- all it did was make them both frustrated, the sexual tension between the two rangers being so thick it could be cut with a spin-sword. It was a problem, and they both knew it. It was a battle of impulse control, the two staring at each other longer than necessary. Both of them wanted the other to make the first move- to convey it was okay to cross that line. It was a line they were walking a tightrope on, a line that held unspoken codes and rules. It was a line that they both were too scared to cross, rules that they were too scared to break.

So, Brooke did what she did best. That was messing with Jayden Shiba's emotions a little too much, as she opened her mouth slightly and, in one swift motion, she nipped Jayden's thumb. It snapped him out of his internal conflict rather quickly, as he made a noise of pain, quickly pulling his hand away. "Brooke." He scolded, inspecting his thumb and then shooting his childhood friend a deadpan expression.

She looked rather proud of herself, her traditional grin working itself onto her face. "Sorry, sorry." Brooke snickered, breaking actual laughter when Jayden squinted at her, shaking his head.

He was thankful because the action completely ruined the mood and destroyed the tension between the both of them. If we weren't in this damn war, Jayden thought, letting out a quiet sigh. "Give me your foot, I'll set your ankle back in place." He practically demanded, grabbing Brooke's injured ankle before she could spring another one of her comedy routines on him.

Pain instantly flared from her ankle, Brooke gritting her teeth. "Red, that fucking hurts," She hissed through clenched teeth, Jayden shooting her a sympathetic expression. "Please don't give me that look, it hurts." She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling as he untied her shoe, every touch causing pain to flare.

"It's okay, I'm right here. On three, okay? One, two..." There was an intense pressure placed on her ankle followed by a crack, a sense of relief surfacing for a minute. "Three." Jayden finished, letting go of Brooke's ankle. She let out a whimper, willing herself not to cry.

"I'm sorry- I don't know why it hurts so much. I'm usually tougher than this," Brooke muttered bitterly, Emily's words replaying in her head. If only the yellow ranger could see her now, crying over an injury that's happened countless times before now. "Can you hold me? I- I just wanna be held." She added in a small voice, cracking open an eye.

"Yeah, I'm right here." Jayden agreed, kicking off his converse. Other than his shoes, he was already dressed for bed, his pajamas consisting of black sweatpants and, surprise surprise, a red t-shirt. His hair was damp- and it was drying in a way that made it look much fluffier than it usually did. Brooke found a small sense of enjoyment out of it, reaching up and burying a hand in his hair without a second thought.

It was surprisingly soft, and Jayden didn't seem to object to having Brooke play with his hair. In fact, he welcomed it, because it meant he could hold her closer. The two sat in comfortable silence for god knows how long, sleep starting to overtake them both. Amaris had made herself present as well, the white wolf curled up into a ball and asleep, her ears flicking now and then. Brooke was still focused on Jayden, using her fingers as a way to comb his light brown hair. He seemed rather content with the whole situation, as he was resting the back of his head against the headboard with his eyes closed. It was then when Brooke noticed the dark circles under his eyes- almost identical to her own. Which was worrying, because she knew that he didn't come out to check on her every night she worked on the despair symbol. From what she had gathered, he seemed to go to bed pretty early compared to her, though the bar was on the floor for "going to bed early". Still, it meant that he shouldn't look like he has only slept two or three hours each night. It made Brooke concerned, and her hands dropped from his hair.

Jayden cracked open a blue eye at that, subconsciously tightening his hold on her. "Why'd you stop?" His sentence was interrupted with a yawn, and he closed his eyes again before he got a response. "It felt good." He murmured, Brooke breaking into a small smile, which soon turned into a look of slight worry and concern.

"I need to take a shower," Brooke answered, but Jayden didn't lessen his hold on her. Not that she objected, but she still wanted to be clean, and get pain meds for her ankle. The pain had lessened, as once what felt like her ankle was getting stabbed was now a dull throb, but if she had the option to not feel any pain, she'd take it in a heartbeat. "Plus, you look likeyou haven't been sleeping enough." She added, Jayden letting out a sigh in response.

It wasn't directed at her, but rather the fact that she was right. He didn't want to admit it to her- but he had gotten so used to Brooke sharing a bed with him that it felt strange to not have her curled up at his side. It was a mixture of that and the nightmares, which have gotten significantly worse as the days went on. Plus, he had started building a tolerance to melatonin, which was extremely worrying. It was melatonin and ibuprofen that had gotten him through the war this far, and if he lost that, he'd just accept defeat, sleepless nights, and tension headaches. Not that any of that sounded ideal, but he didn't feel like accidentally overdosing on sleeping pills. Jayden knew he had to be a part of this war, or at least until Lauren stepped in. Which he didn't know when the fuck that was, and that was one of the causes of his stress. He didn't know how to even prepare himself for the situation when Lauren showed up, because he doubted "yeah, this is my sister and I've lied to you all since we've met. She's the red ranger now,", and then just leaving the Shiba House would cut it. Still, Jayden shook those thoughts out of his head for the moment. Right now, everything was fine.

Luckily, Brooke took his sigh as an answer and didn't press. Instead, she unwrapped Jayden's arms from around her body, him making a quiet noise of protest. She just laughed faintly, scooting to the edge of her bed and placing her feet on the floor. Gingerly putting pressure on her bad ankle, Brooke stood, warily taking a couple of steps. It hurt, but her ankle didn't give out, and she didn't find herself on the floor. Which was better than nothing, and she turned to face Jayden. Who looked more out of it than anything, the red ranger's eyes half-lidded as he lazily pet Amaris. He soon felt Brooke staring at him, blue eyes meeting grey. She had that look on her face again- like he was the best thing she's ever seen. He didn't know why, but something about it made his heart hurt, in both a good and a bad way.

"You're usually never this quiet." Jayden pointed out, Brooke's eyes flashing as she shot him a deadpan expression. Exhaustion was starting to creep into his tone, and he covered his mouth with his hand to stifle a yawn.

"You're exhausted, don't let me keep you up," Brooke stated, walking back over to her bed and kneeling so that she was at Jayden's height. She cradled his face in her hand, caressing his cheek with her thumb as she wore a gentle smile. "I'm going to take a shower, and I'll be right back. Get some rest, Jayden. You look like you need it," She murmured, Jayden nodding slowly as he processed what she said. When he did so, she leaned forward, sweeping his bangs to the side and pressing a light kiss to his forehead. "Goodnight."

God, I love you, Jayden thought, feeling as his cheeks warmed. "Goodnight, Brooke." He murmured, taking her advice and getting into bed fully as she walked into her bathroom, shooting him one last small smile before shutting the door behind her.

After she got out of the shower, Brooke was surprised to learn that Jayden talked in his sleep. It was mostly incomprehensible, but she swore she heard a "go go samurai" when she stepped out of her bathroom. Her room was dark, sans the glow coming from Amaris. Mixed with her wolf senses, she could make out Jayden's figure in the dark. Making sure not to hit him or Amaris, Brooke quietly got into bed and was pleasantly surprised when she felt Jayden's arms wrap her waist, him pulling her closer. He didn't say anything about the matter, only quickly falling asleep again. It wasn't long until Brooke found herself falling asleep as well, just as her clock struck 11pm.

And it was 4:30am when Brooke woke up to blankets rustling. She felt Jayden nudge her off of his chest, him then sitting upright, causing her to blink the sleep out of her eyes, peering up at him. He looked rather guilty about the turn of events, and in her sleep-filled haze, Brooke could only think of one general statement. "What the fuck, Red." Her voice was filled with disappointment and slight annoyance- but also a hint of worry. Said ranger didn't say anything in response, blue eyes trained on her half-awake figure, the two then falling into an unspoken staring contest.

It was a contest Jayden knew he wouldn't win. Letting out a small sigh, he reached over and placed a hand on the top of Brooke's head, her nuzzling into his touch without a second thought. It made his heart throb- as he just wanted to stay in the safety and comfort of the blankets and having the girl he loved in his arms. He didn't want to speak, to ruin the moment of having Brooke half-asleep beside him, her black hair splayed across the pillow, grey eyes half-lidded as she looked up at him. It was times like these where Jayden knew he was completely whipped, and he was inwardly laughing at himself- a younger version of himself who thought he could go through this war without knowing any of his teammates personally, as it was easier that way. He told himself not to get attached, as he knew he'd eventually leave or meet a fate where a nighlok kills him, or them. He wasn't supposed to get attached, as it would've made the war so much harder to deal with. Yet here he was, sharing a bed with the daughter of the woman who damned them into this war, the girl that had her humanity taken from her due to his family. From what he had learned- the Wolfe clan and Shiba clan had always despised each other. Perhaps that's what the others, people such as Ji and Daisuke, thought that was what would happen.

It couldn't be farther from the truth. For the first time in the eleven years he's been damned as the red ranger, Jayden found someone who somewhat understood him. She was different from the naïve and aloof girl he had met when they were ten, the girl he had developed a crush on solely because she was different, his first friend his age, a sense of excitement and a want to do his best. Not for himself, he had always accepted that he'd always be in the shadow of Lauren Shiba, not that he blamed his sister at all. She was the first female red ranger in eighteen generations- the first female red ranger in its entirety. Jayden loved his big sister as much as he could with a four-year age gap and not seeing her in person in eleven years. He'd always just accepted his role as Lauren's replacement, knowing that, compared to her, he wouldn't be the one people wanted to save the world. He had thought that he was fine with it- until Brooke popped into his life.

She had been taller than him back then but was still hidden behind Nate, as if her father was an impenetrable wall that could protect her from the fear she had felt. But once that fear had lessened, and a sense of trust formed between the two, Jayden was enchanted by Brooke. Not just her- the way she talked about her own life, not that it was perfect, but it seemed so normal. There was no training to worry about, no practicing symbol power until there were everlasting burn scars. There was no competition of who was the best- and maybe that's why Jayden wanted to keep her around for as long as he could. It was the first person in his life who viewed him as Jayden- just Jayden. He was just Jayden, and she was just Brooke. However, he wanted to impress her, to make it look like he was the best at what he did. He still did, stupidly enough, and he was in-tune enough with his emotions to know that's where the irrational jealousy stemmed from. He wanted to, and still partially wants to, be the one that Brooke showed full interest in, whether it be romantically or platonically. However, he also knew that was an incredibly unhealthy and toxic way of viewing his relationship with her, so he tried to ignore that. It wasn't easy, but he tried.

"You've been staring at me for the past five minutes, Red. What's up, are you alright?" Brooke's groggy voice snapped him out of his thoughts, Jayden blinking owlishly at her for a couple of moments as his brain went back into the state where it screamed at him that he had things to do. Which he did.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry, I got lost in thought." Pink rose to his cheeks and the tips of his ears, Jayden wearing his almost typical bashful expression. It was an expression Brooke found cute, extremely so, but she was still somewhat annoyed that he wasn't lying beside her. So, she didn't want to think too positively about him- but she knew she was bullshitting herself at this point, and doing a very poor job at it.

God, she wanted to know what it felt like to kiss him. To make Jayden Shiba hers and hers alone- in more ways than one. A part of him, despite him being an excellent swordsman and a seasoned warrior, carried a childlike innocence. And Brooke's mind was conflicted on what she thought about that because part of her wanted to shelter him, to make sure he didn't see how utterly disgusting the world was outside of his bubble, outside of the world he's grown up with. Another part of her wanted to destroy that innocence herself, but those weren't thoughts she should be having about her leader or childhood friend.

So, she shoved those thoughts to the back of her mind, humming in thought for a moment. "Sure seems like you were thinking hard. Now," Brooke started, sitting up and wrapping her arms around Jayden's torso, readjusting her position so that he couldn't leave. Not that he looked like he wanted to. "Care to explain why you, so rudely, woke me up and are planning to leave me at almost 5 in the morning? Because surely your thoughts aren't that important." She questioned, her tone becoming more and more teasing with every word.

"You're so insufferable." Jayden retorted in faux annoyance, and could practically see the grin growing on Brooke's lips without actually turning his head to look at her.

"I know, but that doesn't answer my question, does it?"

"Oh my god, how do I put up with you?" This time he did turn his head to shoot his childhood friend a glare and she feigned innocence, grey eyes flashing from where Brooke peered over his shoulder. She didn't respond directly, only humming and proceeding to bury her face into the crook of his neck. Jayden reciprocated by tracing various kanji on one of the arms that held him with his fingertips, letting out another sigh. "I have to have a meeting with Ji. It's a "team evaluation", so I just talk about how I think you and the others are faring, stuff like that." He answered her question, but from Brooke's groan that was muffled by his neck- it was an answer that she didn't want to hear.

"Fuck the meeting, stay here. You look like you need the sleep as much as I do, if not more. Y'know what," Brooke announced, lifting her head from the crook of his neck. "I'll go to the meeting for you- the silver and red rangers always fought over who would-be leader, but you've been leader this whole time. And I've been an absolute angel to fight with, in fact, I believe I should get the best score outta everyone. I'll go to the meeting and tell Ji to pass me with flying colors." She decided, Jayden rolling his eyes with a faint laugh.

I want to stay like this, he thought, not voicing it aloud because he knew Brooke would probably tease him for it. She seemed to be in that kind of mood this morning- the mood that made Jayden want to throttle her and kiss her at the same time. However, he kept his thoughts silent, thinking for a moment before speaking. "It's not a grade, but go on. Tell me how you'd go about this." He suggested, turning his head so he could see the way Brooke's eyes brightened as she rambled on. There was no pattern between her sentences, her quickly jumping from one topic to another so fast it nearly gave Jayden whiplash. But, he still listened, the corners of his lips turned upwards.

However, all good things come to an end. Brooke was talking about a Natural Geographic documentary about wolves, which wasn't a surprise for Jayden. She seemed to know so much bizarre information about wolves, but it made sense since she technically was one. And another one was curled on her bed, still sleeping soundly. Amaris was a surprisingly heavy sleeper for someone who was usually so protective, but it most likely meant she felt safe enough to relax and fall asleep. Jayden could relate in that regard, as any tension he held has left his body, as Brooke's fingers were running through his hair again. It was such a simple action, yet it made him so unbelievably at peace, that was until she said something that caused the reason as to why he was up earlier than usual to resurface.

"And then when another wolf crosses into another wolf's territory, it's an instant fight, pretty much. There's no real reason for it, no meeting to discuss- meeting." Brooke cut herself off, her hands dropping from his hair so she could push him off of her.

Jayden had the same thought process, scrambling out of the bed quickly and accidentally hitting Amaris in the process. She cracked open an eye at that, her ears flicking in what seemed like annoyance as she raised her head, letting out a yawn. She said nothing, her violet eyes flickering between the two rangers, the silver looking somewhat guilty and the red looking somewhat stressed out. However, his stressed expression broke when he read the clock.

"I still have time," Jayden thought aloud, turning his attention back to Brooke. "Don't feel guilty, I stayed because I wanted to. It's all fine," He could just tell Ji he slept through his alarm, which has happened on more than one occasion. Luckily enough, his brain usually screamed at him to get up early anyway, so at least he didn't embarrass himself by showing up late to training. Because he knew that Mike and Antonio would give him shit for it. "Anyways, I have to go, but, I enjoy spending mornings with you. If I could stay for longer, I would." Jayden promised, Brooke's eyes flashing as she tilted her head upwards slightly.

It took a moment for Jayden to register what that action meant, but he could feel the heat creeping onto his cheeks as he walked back over to where she was sitting. Grey eyes were shining with silent victory, and it somehow caused him to get even more flustered. He knew Brooke had him wrapped around her finger, but he didn't care. He's giving and receiving, the affection his body craved, and it felt good. It felt good when he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead- lingering for a bit longer than necessary. He just hoped the action conveyed the words he wanted to say.

"Good morning," Jayden murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. Brooke returned the greeting by grabbing the collar of his shirt, forcing his face to come closer to hers. He didn't object, a warm hand coming up to cradle her cheek, their noses brushing together. It was then Brooke spoke, her voice barely audible even though the two were in complete silence.

"Good morning." I love you.


For the rest of the morning, Brooke was in a good mood. After waiting about an hour or so, she got dressed into her training uniform, but she was in no rush. It was only almost seven, and training usually started at eight, but she preferred eating alone compared to with the others first thing in the morning. Not that she didn't dislike the team, it was just sometimes overwhelming to deal with all of the noise first thing. Still, she enjoyed the times where she ate with them- which was rarely. Kevin was usually out jogging, and Mia had now started joining him, saying she wanted to start being more productive in the mornings. That meant she didn't have time to make breakfast, which the team was immensely thankful for. It was hard to avoid eating Mia's cooking without coming off as rude, but the six other rangers didn't want to make themselves sick before training started. The thought alone made Brooke shake her head with a small sigh, snapping out of her thoughts as she put on her training sneakers, tying the laces quickly.

With that, she scratched behind Amaris' ears, the white wolf fast asleep, leaving her room. Shutting the door behind her, Brooke subconsciously found herself glancing at Jayden's door, her eyes flashing. With the way their rooms were placed, the girls' being on the left side of the hallway and the boys' being on the right, it was set up in the order of when each ranger joined the team. For example, Jayden's room was the one farthest down the hall on the left side, while Antonio's was the one closest to the end, Mike and Kevin's rooms being in the middle. On the right side, Mia's room was the one at the end of the hall, then Emily's, then Brooke's. The seven usually kept their doors shut, but now Brooke was wondering if Jayden was now in his room or still in his meeting with Ji. She almost wanted to check, to see if she could have one more moment alone with him, but decided against it, shaking her head faintly and starting her walk towards the kitchen.

Her sneakers were silent against the wooden floors as she walked, grey eyes flashing as she scanned the area. The scents the others carried had faded, only the usual smell of wood remained. It was a smell that had become strangely comforting- but it didn't carry the same warmth as Jayden's cologne or the smell of cinnamon that always filled Mary's apartment when she opened the café. It was a smell Brooke surprisingly missed, but she knew she couldn't go back, or at least not until she worked up the courage to apologize. Even though she didn't even know she should apologize, as she had figuratively disowned herself from the Wolfe family when she figured out what Mary had done. What Jane had done.

Enough of that, Brooke chided herself, running a hand over her face. She was having a good morning, and she didn't want to ruin it for herself by thinking about things that made her upset. Plus, it was just a generally shitty thing to think about, so she tried blocking those thoughts out as she walked into the kitchen. It was empty- so Jayden was probably still in his meeting with Ji. Which was fine, Brooke just falling into a routine she was familiar with. She was usually the first one up when she lived at Mary's as well, as she used to have to drive herself to Greensbrook to get to school. So she had become accustomed to the silence, it was strangely comforting. Making herself a quick breakfast of toast and jam, Brooke sat down on her usual stool, sorting through her mental checklist of the day. There was a peaceful silence, a moment of tranquility.

That tranquility was broken when Brooke heard the sound of footsteps approaching, the peachy scent Mia carried filling her nostrils. "Morning." The silver ranger greeted the pink, laughing quietly when she was taken aback.

"You're so quiet sometimes! Good morning," Mia returned the greeting with her own, falling into her usual morning routine as well. A comfortable silence fell over the two black-haired rangers, the only sound being the sound of a knife hitting a cutting board, Mia's thick ponytail swinging as she made breakfast. She was dressed in her running clothes, a pair of black spandex capris, and a pink polyester long-sleeved shirt. "Oh, I forgot to ask, but how did training with Emily go? It was kind of unlike her to ask." She added, and Brooke cringed slightly, gritting her teeth at the remembrance of last night.

"It… went," Brooke muttered, her eyes flashing as she brought her glass of orange juice up to her mouth to somewhat muffle her voice. When Mia turned around to shoot her a quizzical look, she set down her glass with a sigh. "It was my fault, honestly. She said she wanted to be like me because I was tough- and I kinda came off as a bitch. I feel guilty about it, y'know?" She explained, guilt starting to work its way onto her face as her eyes flashed.

Mia hummed in thought for a moment, setting down the inappropriately large knife she was using to dice an apple. "I wouldn't worry about it, it happens to the best of us. Plus, I bet you both were tired, and that usually never helps when trying to have conversations like that." The pink ranger reassured the silver, brown eyes meeting grey-gold.

"...Yeah, I'm sure it'll work out," Brooke agreed after a couple of moments of silence, the corners of her mouth twitching upward ever-so-slightly. "You're better than the big sister thing than I am, y'know that? But, thanks. I appreciate you listening to me." She added, Mia blinking in surprise as the faintest hint of pink dusted her cheeks.

"There's no need to thank me, I'm happy to be here. I'm happy I can help," Mia replied, her tone soft. However, it didn't last for long, as she instantly brightened up again. "Oh! Also, did you hear about the big sale that's going on today? I wanted you and Em to join me!" She beamed, Brooke laughing faintly.

"Not the annual back-to-school sale," Brooke joked, finishing the last of the orange juice in her glass and sliding off of her stool. "But, in all seriousness, that sounds like fun. Let me know when you're going." She agreed, Mia nodding happily with a small smile on her face.

With that, the morning started like any other. After another hour, training had begun, and Brooke found herself having the outdoor dojo all to herself. Which was good, because while she did have a specific empty room she used to practice the despair symbol, she found herself hitting the wall more than she liked. So, not having to worry about things like that was nice. Though, it was the only nice thing about the whole endeavor, as it didn't get any easier to master the despair symbol. Still, Brooke reminded herself that it was a game of persistence and determination as she picked herself back up off of the ground, picking up her discarded samuraizer. Drawing the symbol again, she stared at it for a moment before letting out a tired sigh.

"Despair." She activated the symbol, bracing herself for the kickback. It was supposedly easier if she braced herself- but it never got much easier. The impact of her back hitting the ground always hurt, and it usually became a dull throb by the end of her "training". Brooke didn't even really know if this counted as training, because it seemed like she was getting nowhere. Which was aggravating as all hell, and she bit back curses as she picked herself back up off of the ground. Spotting her samuraizer, she staggered over to it, only for a second hand to reach out and swipe the device away from her at the last second. That caused Brooke to shoot a look of confusion at Mia, who was now holding Brooke's open samuraizer in her hand.

"You've done enough today. Besides," Mia started, flipping Brooke's samuraizer shut. "You promised to go shopping with me and Em today, remember? We don't want to go have fun without you." She finished, Brooke's eyes flashing as a bittersweet smile worked its way onto her face.

She truly felt guilty for not working on the despair symbol more, but she did want to go out and try to experience something of a regular life. Plus she knew if she stayed, Jayden would just tell her to stop in a little while anyway. So, there was no point in not going. "I did, thanks for reminding me," Brooke agreed, taking her samuraizer back from Mia and flashing her a small smile. "Let me get changed, and I'll meet you at the front door." She added as the two walked back into the Shiba House, Mia setting off to find Emily with a nod.

Brooke was about to walk into her room when she heard the sound of a door opening, turning her attention to the end of the hall. It was Jayden- who was now dressed in his training uniform, subconsciously running a hand through his hair as he shut the door behind him. "Heya, Red," Brooke greeted, leaning against her door and crossing her arms over her chest. "Do meetings usually last that long?" She wondered, Jayden smiling faintly.

"Yeah, they do. Not how I really want to spend my mornings, but I'm obligated to do it." His tone held a twinge of bitterness, Jayden letting out a sigh and rubbing his tired eyes. Truthfully, the meeting almost put him to sleep, they almost always did. It was worse than usual, however, because he knew he should be sleeping better. If it affected his performance in battle, he wouldn't hear the end of it, also feeling guilty about it. Ah, the life of being the red ranger. Still, he shook those thoughts out of his mind and turned his attention back to Brooke. "What're you up to? You usually never stop this early." He pointed out, her waving her hand nonchalantly.

"Mia wanted me to join her and Emily in shopping. Plus, both Casper's and Maxx's birthdays are coming up, so I wanted to get presents for them," Brooke answered, shrugging. She wanted to see both her brother and best friend for their birthdays, as they usually all spent their birthdays together, but she doubted it could happen. Not unless she felt like letting a nighlok run rampantly around Panorama- which is something she never wanted happening. So, she wanted to make up for her absence by getting them both something nice. Not that they would be mad for being flaky, well, at least Casper wouldn't. Maxx, she didn't know, it's not like Brooke has had a meaningful conversation with her little brother in a while. She didn't even know if he knew about Nate and the whole ordeal with Jane, she was too scared to figuratively open Pandora's box and bring it up.

"Gotta be a good sister and friend, y'know? Plus, I miss them both," She admitted, her eyes flashing. "I owe it to them to at least make an effort to be in their lives." Her clawed hand curled around her doorknob as a new feeling of bitterness stabbed her in the heart. She did miss them, she was missing all of the things she planned to do with Casper- graduate together, go to college, and always have his back. And Maxx… she had been a shitty sister while she had been around, so Brooke had wanted to make it up to him. She wanted to be the one who taught him how to drive and just be there for him. But that couldn't happen. At least, not anytime soon.

"I'm sure they'll appreciate it," Jayden murmured, walking forward and gently placing a hand on Brooke's shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. "Have fun with Mia and Emily, you deserve a break." He added, Brooke's eyes flashing as she looked up at him.

"You should take your own advice," She teased, smiling faintly. "But, thank you. Try not to miss me too much." Brooke teased, Jayden rolling his eyes in faux annoyance.

"I'll try. You make it difficult." He retorted, his hand dropping from Brooke's shoulder. She snickered at his words, flashing him a cheeky grin and then making her way into her room, Jayden going back to his usual morning routine.


The stores, as expected, were busy. Still, Brooke stood out like a sore thumb- towering over some of the pedestrians in her platforms, she saw some people glance at her, but shrugged it off, shadowing Mia and Emily. They had been drawn to their respective colors, ironically enough, the clothes that they wanted to try on being a mixture of mainly pink and yellow. There was some grey and black as well, Brooke picking up a pair of high-waisted black and grey plaid pants and a cropped black crew-neck sweatshirt. She had also planned to buy a new leather jacket for Casper, as one of his birthday presents, to make up for the fact that she had practically stolen his. Other than that, Brooke didn't see anything that she wanted, nor anything she couldn't live without. She had always found it hard to shop for herself, as she usually rotated through the same pairs of jeans and shorts, calling it a day. Especially now, due to the fact she wanted to wear clothes that were easier to fight in because sometimes the rangers did fight unmorphed. So, it was difficult branching out from what she was comfortable with.

Still, she found herself gravitating towards the shoe section, eyeing a pair of platform boots with interest. Brooke knew her platforms were on their last leg- it was only a matter of time before the sole of her boot came off entirely. Still, she resisted the idea of parting with them, as she's had them for four years. Plus, breaking in a new pair of boots was tough, but she did do enough running to break them in quickly, thanks to being a ranger and sprinting around Panorama to fight nighlok. Coming to a quick conclusion, Brooke's eyes flashed as she scanned the self for her shoe size, finding the boots in her size and pulling them off of the self. She sat down at the nearest bench and untied one of her platforms, only to turn her attention back to Mia and Emily when they called her name.

So, Brooke tied her shoe and put the box back on the self, walking back over to the two girls. They both had small mountains of clothes in their arms, her looking at them in amusement. "Ready to try stuff on?" She asked, and when the two nodded, the three set off to find a fitting room.

It wasn't long until they found one, a pseudo fashion show commencing with the three girls. Well, it was mostly Mia and Emily, but Brooke did joke around with the two here and there. The three danced along to the pop music playing through the speakers the fitting room offered until Emily dressed into an ensemble consisting of camo pants, a white t-shirt, combat boots, and aviator sunglasses. The outfit caused Brooke and Mia to share a look because the outfit was completely out of Emily's usual style. Still, she seemed rather impressed with herself, crossing her head over her chest and tilting her head upwards slightly.

"So, is this a tough look, or what?" Emily wondered, the other two rangers struggling to find the right words for a moment.

"Emily, it's interesting, but… Nah." Mia answered, Brooke nodding faintly in agreement as her eyes flashed.

"But what? I'm just trying to be as tough as you and others." Emily argued, her voice soft. She turned her attention to the mirror, settling into a fighting stance, Brooke nodding at Mia to take the lead. She didn't feel like replaying last night's events again, especially not in a dressing room.

Mia walked over, the pink ranger placing a comforting hand on the yellow's shoulder. "Em, you're tough, in your own way." She reassured her, a gentle smile on her face. Brooke quickly chimed in, saving the conversation and switching the topic, trying to make sure the mood of the day was ruined. So, she just started joking, and it had worked, as Emily and Mia were soon laughing along as they tried on different clothes.

Then, after trying on different clothes and deciding on what to buy, the girls paid for their clothes, Brooke settling on buying the new platform boots and a boot cleaning kit, standing near the cashier as she waited for Mia and Emily to pay. Still, she felt her body subconsciously tense as she felt two pairs of eyes on her, grey eyes flashing as she scanned the store, landing on a somewhat familiar face. It was the boy from the factory, the one who wanted to be a samurai, and a person who was presumably his friend. The two ducked behind a shoe rack when they saw Brooke inspecting them, said ranger shaking her head with a faint sigh. She didn't feel like dealing with other people at the moment, as she was starting to reach her limit and the sounds and smells of all of the different people in the stores were starting to get overwhelming. Still, Emily and Mia were having a good time, so Brooke kept her complaints to herself as she left the store. It was a little less overwhelming on the street, so she found that Emily and Mia's happy moods were contagious, joking and laughing along with the two girls as they walked down the street.

Still, the happy mood fell as Brooke's samuraizer beeped, her readjusting the shopping bags in her hand so she could take her samuraizer out of the pocket out of the silver bomber jacket she was wearing. Flipping the device open, she pulled up the map of Panorama, scanning it and coming up with a route. Before she took off, though, she stopped in a nearby alleyway, Amaris appearing when they were out-of-sight of the pedestrians.

"Heya, I'm sorry to make you my servant, but can you take these back to the Shiba House?" Brooke asked, setting her shopping bags on the ground and nodding to Mia and Emily. They seemed to get a general idea, setting their bags on the ground as well, Amaris' ears flicking as she surveyed the number of bags for a moment.

"I am able to, there is no need to apologize," Amaris answered, gently closing her mouth on the handles of the shopping bags.

Brooke smiled faintly, bending down and scratching behind her ears as a silent "thank you", Amaris' tail wagging happily as she disappeared in a flash of silver. "She's the best," She beamed before her expression settled into one of determination and confidence. "You guys ready to fight?" The silver ranger asked the yellow and pink, the three breaking off into a sprint when they nodded.


The three regrouped with the rest of the team on the way, the seven rangers making their way to the city plaza. The seven stood in their usual line, but their confident expressions faltered slightly when they saw what the nighlok was doing to the pedestrians. Or at least that's what Brooke gathered, her eyes not settling on a color as she scanned the area- which had quickly become a clusterfuck. Numerous people seemed almost feral, shoving each other out of the way to hurriedly shove food, and various condiments from a nearby hot dog stand, down their throats, as if their lives depended on it. However, she snapped her attention to the nighlok, pushing those thoughts to the back of her mind. Despite it being one of the weirder nighlok attacks the team has seen in a while, it was still just a nighlok. Just another monster to deal with to make the world a little safer.

"That's enough, nighlok!" Jayden yelled to the nighlok, who was seemingly enjoying the scene it had created.

However, it quickly turned around at the sound of the red ranger's voice, revealing the numerous mouths and eyes that adorned its head. "Look who came to dinner! The samurai rangers," The nighlok greeted, launching into its monologue before the seven could ask what the monster did to the pedestrians. "My black dirt creates an appetite for destruction! Now, these dummies will eat, and eat, and eat!" The monster cackled, the pedestrians too caught up in shoving food down their throats to even notice what in actuality was going on.

The seven nodding at each other, they repeated the familiar action that they had done several times before. Taking their samuraizers out of their pockets, Antonio also doing the same with his morpher, they flipped the devices open, Brooke activating the brush portion of hers. "Go go samurai!" The seven rangers called I'm unison, quickly drawing (or texting) their respective kanji and morphing into their suits. With that, they unsheathed their blades and ran into battle, quickly starting to deal with the moogers that the nighlok had summoned.

Overall, it was a relatively easy fight, but Brooke tried not to underestimate the nighlok. It wasn't clear what exact attack the monster could have planned, but the moogers were just blade fodder. Fighting next to Jayden was always nice as well, as the two usually moved in silent harmony, following up each other's attacks without having to say a word. The two fought in comfortable silence, well, it wasn't necessarily silence, as moogers were falling with loud squeals and they could hear the sound of their teammates firing off witty remarks as they fought. But, the thought was there, Brooke spinning one of her katanas in her hand after cutting down one last mooger, her gaze quickly falling on Emily. The yellow ranger had seemingly gotten overwhelmed, the silver getting ready to sprint over and help her, but decided against it when Mike ran up, quickly cutting down moogers with strong strikes. So, Brooke turned her attention to the nighlok, trying to come up with a battle plan- as she kind of wanted to rush the monster and see how she fared.

"Do not act recklessly." Amaris chided, Brooke jumping in surprise slightly as the white wolf's voice rang through her head.

"That's no fun," Brooke muttered, but her eyes quickly widened when she spotted Emily. The yellow ranger didn't have a wolf telling her to not be reckless, as she was trying to take on the nighlok by herself, and failing somewhat miserably. The flash of yellow that signaled that she had demorphed made Brooke cringe as she sheathed her blades, her bones cracking as she shifted.

It was then when everything started to go downhill. Mia and Kevin went to jump in to cover Emily, only to get hit with black dirt, the pink and blue rangers falling to the ground and demorphing. Antonio and Mike went over to help their fallen teammates on Jayden's command, only for the green and gold rangers to get hit with the same dirt and suffer the same fates as the pink and the blue. That left only a ranger and a wolf standing, Jayden and wolf-Brooke landing in front of Emily and striking fighting stances.

"Don't worry, I'll protect-" Jayden started, directing the comment to Emily, but was quickly cut off by a warning bark. He then felt the force of wolf-Brooke slamming into him, which sent him staggering sideways with a noise of surprise. Regaining his bearings quickly, he watched as the brown wolf bared the attack head-on, blue eyes widening underneath his helmet. That was the last thing he wanted happening, and Jayden quickly had to shove down the usual annoyance that rose when he saw one of his teammates so obviously take a hit for him.

Red, I love you, but FUCK you, Brooke thought, watching as her blatant sacrifice went up in flames. She had slammed herself into Jayden to make sure he didn't get hit- as he could most likely handle the nighlok by himself if need be. Now, as she felt her body forcibly shift back, she watched as the nighlok's dirt made contact with his chest. So now, Brooke was regretting every decision she had made in the battle as her ranger suit disappeared in a flash of silver, but soon her anger got replaced by something much worse. Hunger. Her throat suddenly felt too dry, as if someone or something had sucked all of the moisture out of it, her letting out a growl as she subconsciously scratched at the side of her neck. Her claws broke through the skin, leaving gashes that quickly bled as well, but the pain was secondary, very much so. She didn't even hear the nighlok, barely making out its figure as it dried out and disappeared into a crack in a flash of red.

Instead, she was choking, her heartbeat pounding in her ears as black spots decorated her vision. Brooke knew the feeling, her eyes widening as she forced herself to her feet, stumbling in place as she scanned the area for an escape route. Run. Before you hurt someone, Her mind was screaming at her, her chest heaving as she frantically wiped drool off her chin. She was drooling, but her throat still felt too dry, tears pricking her eyes as she felt like a caged animal, frantically looking around for an exit. She couldn't feel Amaris in her mind, and it was only a matter of time before Brooke jumped Jayden because of the cologne he wore.

"Hey… I don't think she's okay." Mike pointed out as he tried to wet his lips, nodding in Brooke's direction.

"Brooke! Hey, Brooke, it's okay," Antonio called to his childhood friend, forcing himself to his feet, staggering over to her. "It's us, you're- shit." He cut himself off, his face paling as Brooke whipped her head around to look at him.

It wasn't even Brooke anymore, more like a mixture of her and her wolf form. Her nose had turned into a snout, brown and white fur sprouting on her face as her eyes narrowed, lips curling back into a snarl as saliva dripped from her canines, which were fully grown in bared, along with her claws. The growl that came from her throat was fully predatory, Antonio instantly taking cautious steps back as her body tensed. However, he didn't put enough distance between the two as she lunged with a snarl, and he squeezed his eyes shut, preparing himself for the collision and most likely pain as the five others yelled out warnings. However, there was only a flash of silver, and with that, Brooke was gone.


The smell of blood was what woke her up, Brooke letting out a groan as she cracked open her eyes, only to instantly shut them again. A migraine instantly made itself present, a wave of nausea hitting her at full force. Based on the fact that she was laying on a rock, which was digging into her lower back, and the faint sounds of small animals running through the underbrush and the rustling of leaves on trees, she concluded that she was in the woods. The smell of blood also made her conclude that she had wolfed out as well, just the thought alone causing Brooke to grit her teeth. She didn't remember much- only the battle beforehand and pushing Jayden out of the way to take the nighlok's attack head-on. After that, it was all hazy, but she was okay with that. She had a feeling that the memories would be more bad than good, and she had learned her lesson of not tracking down missing memories because of what happened with Mary, anyways.

"Fuck this." Brooke groaned as she forced herself to sit up, swallowing down bile as her head spun. Blinking rapidly to stop her blurry vision, she surveyed the area, trying to figure out where she was. She knew she would have to go back, she needed to go back. If a nighlok showed up while she was in her current state, she knew it wouldn't end well. And dying or getting seriously injured was not on her agenda, so she knew she had to get moving.

Pushing herself to her feet, she tried to ignore the sheer amount of blood that coated her hands. The side of her neck also stung, which was another thing that Brooke couldn't remember happening. It was always a surprise to see how she turned out after wolfing out, and this time was seemingly worse than the others. The fatigue she felt was immense, far greater than she usually felt, her entire body throbbing as she started walking. Brooke tried calling on Amaris, but that was useless as well, as her call was met with silence. Even her emotional support wolf wasn't available, and while the team was always an option, she'd take walking. One of the last things she needed or wanted, was their sympathy. Or fear, because that was an option. Brooke didn't even know if they were hurt. If she had hurt them, she wouldn't forgive herself, the picture of her teammates and friends getting mauled by a wolf increasing her nausea tenfold. It caused her stomach to lurch, Brooke swallowing down bile as she tried not to gag.

Don't think. Don't think, she chided, repeating the mantra as if it were a prayer in her head. Thinking makes things worse, you know that. Taking a deep breath, Brooke turned her attention to her surroundings, rather than her thoughts. By the position that the sky was in, it hanging high in the sky, it was only around midday. Her day was still over, though, because there was no way she could function after this mess. It took all of her willpower and basic survival skills to not just curl up into a ball on the ground and fall asleep.

Those same survival skills kicked in when Brooke heard another pair of footsteps crunching through leaves on the ground. The footsteps were heavy, the person walking a normal pace in strides, but she instantly knew who they belonged to. Only one person smelt like a damp cave with a faint scent of nighlok, and that person was Deker. Her heart rate increased at the thought, and Brooke knew she was too tired to fight. So, she just had to pick a god and pray. Luckily, wolfing out caused her to appear mostly emotionless, so hopefully, the half-human couldn't see the fear that was causing her to internally panic. Brooke was hoping, at least, because Deker saw fear as a weakness. Which it was, in some cases, but sometimes it came in handy. Like now, as she was actively planning an escape route if things went south. She knew she couldn't shift to make running in the woods easier, but she was still stable-footed enough so that she wasn't slowed by any obstacles or tree roots. With that reassuring thought in mind, Brooke took a deep breath, turning her attention to the direction Deker was walking.

The two dark-haired half-humans made eye-contact, sizing each other up for a moment. Brooke was the first one to break the silence, wetting her lips and inwardly cringing at the taste of deer and rabbit blood. "Didn't know I had fans," She greeted, her voice monotone as she shoved her hands into the pockets of the silver bomber jacket she was wearing, the fabric being streaked with blood. "If you're looking for a fight, you're going to be disappointed. So don't waste your breath." Her hand curled around her samuraizer in her pocket, so she could morph quickly if needed. Not that her lack of energy would get her very far in that regard, but it was better than nothing.

"I've heard about your kind, but this proves my point. We're not so different, you and I." Deker ignored Brooke's statement, stopping in his tracks so that there were about eight feet between the two. He had his sword in hand- his substitute sword, as it seemed like Uramasa was still broken. Not that Brooke was upset about that, she hoped it stayed broken. She had hoped that Deker would've stayed dead.

"My kind? Seriously?" Brooke scoffed, tightening her grip on her samuraizer. All the while she was screaming inwardly, hoping that Amaris would read her thoughts soon enough and get her out of here. This was dangerous, incredibly so. It was dangerous when she was in top shape, let alone when she wanted to throw up on Deker's boots. However, she knew that would lead to an instant death wish, so she swallowed down bile before she spoke again. "Didn't know you wanted to watch a wolf go feral. Or did you want to relive some memories? I'm sure you immensely enjoy the pain you've caused." She wasn't even filtering the words that came out of her mouth, and that was another dangerous game. Still, she wanted to piss him off and then make a run for it. Like she did with curfew police when she was younger.

"Unlike you, I can control myself," Deker corrected matter-of-factly, a small self-satisfied smirk growing on his lips. Still, it fell rather quickly as he lazily raised his blade and pointed in at Brooke, who tensed, settling into a defensive stance without a second thought. "As for a battle, I'm not looking for that at the moment. Not until my sword, Uramasa is fixed," His arm and sword dropped to his side, Deker raising his chin slightly to shoot Brooke a curious look. "I've heard a great deal about you from Serrator, it's clear he shows an interest in you. It seemed he both damned us into these fates, directly or indirectly," He stated, only to be met with silence. Brooke was just staring at him with a deadpan expression, grey eyes narrowed slightly. "We wish for the same things. Humanity- lives to live." He added, and that was when her deadpan expression faltered.

He wasn't wrong, and that pissed Brooke off. She hated the fact that she seemingly had more in common with Deker than her little brother. "I won't deny that. However, I don't go challenging random people to battles because I want my humanity back. You do," She pointed out, racking her mind for something that she could use as a retort. However, it was all only radio static, and she was now struggling to keep her eyes open. She needed to keep moving, to keep herself awake enough to at least reach the outside of the Shiba House, so she could be in the safety of the protection symbols that covered the property. "Look, I'm sure you have better things to do than debate in the woods. So, what's your story? Why'd you decide to show up here? More importantly, why do you want to talk to me? If you're looking to rile me up or whatever, I'm too tired to give a shit." Brooke spat, removing her hands from her pockets and starting to walk in the direction opposite of Deker. She didn't even know if it was the right way or not, but she quickly stopped in her tracks when her samuraizer started beeping. Pulling the device out of her pocket, she flipped it open, bringing up the map of Panorama. The nighlok was apparently in some remote location, and Brooke just hoped the team could handle it without her. She'd just be a dead weight anyway.

"Why do you still associate yourself with them?" Deker questioned, Brooke turning around to find him inspecting the device in her hand with curiosity. "They're part of the reason you turned out the way you did." He pointed out, Brooke flipping her samuraizer shut and putting it back into her pocket.

It's all I really have, Brooke thought, running a blood-covered hand over her face. "You said it yourself. We're damned into these fates, might as well play my part," She answered, waving her hand in dismissal with a shrug. "I could say the same for you, y'know that, right? You're working with Serrator, even if it's temporary, and he's the one who made you who you are." She argued, and for once, Deker was quiet. Which was rather satisfying in its own right.

"...We're both pawns to the creatures that made us," Deker agreed after a couple of moments of silence, and he cut Brooke off quickly when she opened her mouth to argue. "You're lying to yourself if you say they're not using you. They're going to feel fear when you return, for their safeties, not for yours. They're going to see the beast their ally truly is." He stated, an expression of hurt crossing Brooke's face, but her expression quickly hardened.

"That's not true," Brooke spat, but her wavering voice gave her fear away. She hoped that wasn't the case when she walked back, because she wouldn't know what to do then. Should she even go back? "They've accepted me before, this time will be no different." It was for herself rather than Deker, and he seemed to know that, as he just simply shrugged.

"See for yourself." With that, he disappeared with a flash of heatless purple flames, leaving Brooke alone, who was trying her best not to spiral. Her feet were rooted in the same spot, and she wasn't surprised to feel tears pricking her eyes as she stared at the area where Deker had just stood. He was probably right.


Brooke reached the Shiba House around the same time the team had returned, but she didn't stay around for long. She didn't want to, as she saw the fear in the six's expressions when she walked through the front door. Even Jayden and Antonio, who looked even more scared than the others. The gold ranger had very obviously put distance between himself and the blood-covered silver ranger, who acknowledged in and quickly left the room. Not even Amaris could help Brooke when she started spiraling, the white wolf just watching in worry as she quickly shut herself in her bathroom without a word.

Deker was right, that was the alone thing that Brooke's mind could focus on as she scrubbed the blood off of her body. Even when her skin was clean, she still felt disgusting, the water temperature burning at her skin as she tried to scrub her skin raw. Everything she had done didn't help- Deker was right. She hated the fact that he was right, and hated the fact that it hurt so much. She didn't talk to the others, as it was easier to avoid the situation rather than deal with the potential heartbreak. She couldn't cry, she didn't allow herself to cry. Somewhere in her mind, Brooke knew that it would happen eventually. She'd scare the people she cared about, as that did happen before, and history had a funny way of repeating itself. And she found herself dealing with the same heartbreak the only way that she knew how. By turning to old habits, and old acquaintances that let her indulge in these habits.

If Casper could see her now, Brooke knew he'd be pissed. She knew she was making so many people disappointed in her, sitting on what was her supplier of alcohol's couch, drinking far too much for someone who was a soldier in a war. A part of her mind was screaming at her for that, but it soon got drowned out by the familiar fuzziness that she had found comforting. All the while, dark eyes watched her with mild curiosity and amusement.

"Thought you went sober." The owner of the eyes stated, who was a man in his early twenties. He pushed some of his dyed black hair out of his face with one hand, his lip ring clinking against the beer bottle that he held in the other as he brought it to his lips. His name was Alex Hawthorne, he and Brooke met at an ABC store when she almost got caught using a fake I.D. to buy alcohol. By then she was already addicted, and Alex had found a sense of amusement watching Brooke get drunk. Plus, he always enjoyed how… affectionate she would usually get.

Such as now, as she was practically draped across him, a hand running through his dyed hair. "Thought you didn't care," Brooke fired back with a giggle that was extremely out-of-character, gently tugging at Alex's hair in a teasing manner. She had started losing count of how much she drank, and she didn't care, setting the current almost empty bottle of straight vodka- the only thing that was truly strong enough to get her shitfaced, on the coffee table that was a couple of feet away from the couch that the two sat. "Don't be a buzzkill now." She cooed, feeling as Alex pulled her into his lap, lazily wrapping her arms around his neck with a lopsided smile.

"I don't," Alex responded, setting down his beer. Brooke's hands ended up back in his hair, grey eyes shining with an almost childlike amusement when a groan reverberated in the back of his throat. Deep in their minds, they knew this was both wrong. They knew, but at that moment, they didn't care.

His hands were colder than Jayden's, but Brooke soon found her mind going blank as a feeling of euphoria washed over her. She had forgotten what it was like to feel like this- feeling hands grabbing her waist and buried in her hair. Alex's mouth draws a hot path from her lips to her neck, a rough hand pushing the fabric of the sleeveless turtleneck she wore away from her neck, finding a place to settle and mark. Impatient hands tug at the shirt he's wearing, the black t-shirt soon being pulled off and thrown somewhere haphazardly in the room, hitting an empty bottle and sending it toppling on its side. Brooke faintly hears beeping from her leather jacket that was discarded along with her platforms the moment she walked in, but it was soon forgotten when she felt a hand tug at her shirt, it soon receiving the same fate as Alex's. She then found herself in another room entirely, bouncing and giggling when she found herself laying on his bed.

In her hazy vision, she sees Alex towering over her, the tattoos covering his left arm and bicep turning into shapeless blobs of color. She had forgotten what this felt like, closing her eyes as hands caress her skin. Eventually, most of her clothes end up discarded and the hands that were holding her and working her apart from the inside became much warmer. Feeling as lips and teeth left bruises and bite marks, Brooke cracked open her eyes, grey eyes meeting dark eyes that soon became a brilliant blue. The same blue she fell in love with- and that was her breaking point.