"Get your ass out here, Red!" The others snicker at my comment, but I'm pretty sure we're all getting impatient. A new breakfast place just opened up, and we'd made plans to go today, but then Leo decided to sleep in.
"Sorry! Give me a sec."
"Okay, one," Damon jokes, and we crack up again. Finally, finally, Leo steps out of the bathroom, and I nod towards the door.
"About time. C'mon guys, I'm starving."
"About time," Leo echoes, forcing his voice into a higher pitch to match mine, and I attempt to kick his shin, but he hops away just in time.
"I do not sound like that."
"You kinda do," Kai responds as we walk out of the apartment complex, and I glare at him. If he says one more word… "Especially when you're hungry- Ow!" Maya and Kendrix burst into giggles when I stomp on his foot.
"There it is!" Kendrix points out the hole-in-the-wall storefront, "Oh, it's so cute-"
The universe must have it out for us or something, because at that precise moment, our morphers decide to go off.
"Rangers! Treacheron and Drakeena are at the park, please go there as quickly as you can!" Leo cringes as we level equally frustrated glares at him (we could have gotten our breakfast by now if he had just woken up), but he just shrugs. Ugh, typical Red Ranger behavior.
"Let's go."
Once again, I'm left questioning why in the world we're intervening in a fight between two monsters. I mean, why not just let them finish each other off so we only have to fight one? Regardless of my personal thoughts, we rush into battle, Quasar Sabers at the ready.
"Stop right there, Treacheron!"
"Sharks, get them!" Great, now they've got land-sharks too? My gaze lands on the, yes, sharks, decked out in red and green, and I sigh. Of course they've got land-sharks.
I'll take Treacheron, you lead the others, Leo instructs, and I nod.
Understood.
Turns out the rest of the team doesn't need much leading at all, since Kendrix and Maya are already busy with the green Shark while Damon and Kai are at it with its red twin. I pivot under a strike from the green Shark, successfully planting myself in the middle of the two fights, and swing, my Saber digging into the back of the red Shark. It trips, but uses the movement to raise its weapon towards my brother, and I concentrate, using a telekinetic push to shove the blade away.
"Thanks," Kai mutters, out of breath.
"Don't mention it." A growl from the green Shark alerts me to its presence behind me, and I spin, blocking its attack with another telekinetic blast as Kendrix and Maya slash into its sides. Before I can regain my footing, though, Greenie shoves me back, and I stumble into the red Shark's waiting attacks. These guys are no joke, which I probably should have gathered when I saw that they were literal sharks. In a matter of moments, they've got us down and pinned, and I brace for the final strike…
"Shark Brothers, get Drakeena!" Damn, in-fighting? As expected, though.
"At once!" The two scurry off, and I get to my feet in time to see Leo grab at his head and spin around. Hope flutters down the bond, and I know pretty much immediately who he's thinking about.
Snap out of it, Red. Mike's not here right now, so what you need to focus on is-
Treacheron rushing toward him, sword ready to strike.
"Oh no you don't." I grit my teeth, and my arm flies out… but my ability doesn't respond. Fuck. I try again and again, but I can do nothing except yell a warning of: "Leo, behind you!"
The cut slices through his suit, leaving behind a thickening line of scarlet on the white fabric, and I gasp, rushing towards him. The others join me quickly, and the others take up defensive stances around Leo as I kneel over him.
"Pressure on the wound, Red. And eyes on me. Don't go falling asleep, otherwise we'll have to carry you, and that won't be fun for us or you." Try as I might to keep the bravado in my hushed voice, my tone wobbles, and I hope he didn't hear it. I'd let him get hurt. Once I realized my abilities weren't working, I should have just ran to him. I could've easily blocked the attack.
"M-most of the weight's muscle," Leo murmurs, and I roll my eyes.
"Lucky for you, I have a bigger problem to deal with right now," Treacheron announces as he sheaths his sword and dashes off, and I return my focus to the Red Ranger.
"Can you walk?" Maya asks.
"We'd better get him out of here," Kai suggests, and I nod, speechless. I don't think I've ever seen him in such a state, besides for the explosion when we'd first met the Magna Defender, but this? This could have been easily prevented. "Don't worry Leo, you're gonna be okay."
"He's stabilized for now," Kendrix remarks as she checks over his vitals on the scanner, and I breathe a sigh of relief.
"You took a pretty hard hit," Kai tells Leo, and I can't help the scoff that escapes me.
"One that I could have stopped." Maya sighs, placing a hand on my arm, but the touch sends jolts of irritation through me, and I shrug her off, "Don't tell me it's not my fault. I was right there, and if I'd just stopped trying to use my telekinesis." Nobody says anything to that, and I'm glad that they're not trying to pity me.
"The Shark Brothers have been detected in the Forest Dome," DECA announces, and I frown. I need to fix this.
"Let's go."
"No, Leo. You're hurt," I argue. Because of me, I want to add, "We'll be fine, and I need to make this right."
"But I-"
"I second that," Damon agrees, "You're sitting this one out."
"We'll take care of it," Kai adds, and with that, I nod towards the door.
"C'mon guys. Alpha, keep an eye on him."
"I will."
"Stay focused, guys," I instruct as we approach the edge of the forest, "Those two were tough, and now we're down a Ranger-" Something slashes into my back before I can even finish speaking, and I'm knocked to the ground, pain welling up from where the weapon pierced my skin.
"Fancy meeting you here!" The red Shark teases, laughing maniacally (and creeply, might I add), "But there seems to be one missing. Poor Red Ranger."
"You won't be laughing once we're done with you," I reply, bringing my right arm up in front of me, "Lights of Orion, activate!" No warm, fuzzy feelings wash over me like the first time we'd used the Lights. Instead, I just feel… normal. "Okay. That's not good."
"What's going on?" Kendrix asks, panic quickly filling her tone.
"They're not working," Damon replies, and I don't have time to think of a courageous response, since Treacheron stalks up to us, cackling evilly.
"We're not afraid of you, Treacheron. We can still take you down," A fib, almost one-hundred percent. But if I can fake him out, maybe it'll give us the edge we need.
"I wouldn't be too sure about that if I were you, Aqua Ranger. The Lights will only work when all six of you activate together. But the Red Ranger is nowhere in sight." That's another tactic: keep us distracted with big words while he goes for his sword.
"Here they come," I murmur as Treacheron and the Shark Brothers rush towards us, "Let's finish this!"
When I'd said to finish it, I hadn't meant for us to end up on the losing side. Treacheron cuts into me again and again, and I end up on my hands and knees in the dirt. Tears well up in my eyes as blood starts to seep from my wounds. I was supposed to make this right, to take down Treacheron for hurting Leo.
Damon and Kai hit the ground on both sides of me, and I struggle to get up, to protect them from getting hurt, too. Across the clearing, Kendrix and Maya are stomped to the ground by the sharks, and we rush to help them.
"They're way too strong for us," Maya observes.
"What are we gonna do?"
"There's nothing you can do," Treacheron cackles, "This is the end of the Power Rangers!"
"I wouldn't bet on it." I'd know that voice anywhere, even if it wasn't in my head, "You'll never destroy us, as long as we're together."
"Looks like someone's feeling better," I tease as the others cheer. Just my way to show my affection.
"Go ahead, give it your best shot," Leo taunts, and Treacheron sends the sharks after him. They really don't know what's coming. He launches kicks right into their chests, sending them reeling back, and we rush over to meet him.
"Are you sure you're alright?" Kendrix asks worriedly.
"Never been better," Leo reassures, and the warm glow of determination that he sends down the bond tells me that he means it.
"I thought we were only going to destroy the five of them," the red Shark comments, and if I didn't know any better, it sounds like he's complaining.
"You take on one Ranger, you take on all of us," Leo retorts, standing up to his full height, and honestly, he looks pretty damn heroic.
"Absolutely," Damon agrees.
"That's right," Kai adds.
"Now we're gonna show you how strong we are together," Maya finishes, and my hand instinctively drops to my Quasar Saber as energy flows between each of us.
"Alright guys, let's do it!" Leo shouts.
"Light of Orion, activate!"
"Power Rangers, power up mode!" An orb of yellow lightning bursts out of Leo's weapons, contacting the sharks and sending smoke from their armor.
"Damn those Lights of Orion," the green Shark mutters (oh, definitely complaining now. If you told me I'd live to hear a shark complain, I'd call you crazy, but here I am).
"They're just too strong for us," the red Shark concedes, and I smirk. Oh, how the turns have tabled.
"Maybe for you two." Oh, shit. "But not for me. Worry not, brave soldiers. For this is my battle, and I shall be the one to finish it!" Treacheron declares, and a chill sweeps down my spine. He thinks he's all that, nearly royalty, and a mindset like that is dangerous. Especially in the hands of a trained warrior. "Starting with you, Red Ranger." His hand drops to his katana, and Leo braces for the first attack.
Keep the others safe.
Can you handle him?
I have to. This is my fight, K. Please trust me.
Weeks ago, we'd come to the conclusion that out of everyone in the team, we understand each other the most. The losses we've both faced have honed us into better people, and better Rangers. He trusts me enough to lead as his second, and so I have to follow through on that trust.
I trust you, L. With that, I turn to the others.
"This is Leo's fight, guys. If things get bad, we'll jump in, but for now, we need to trust him." The others nod, and we back away from the fight. My hand still lingers by my Quasar Saber, though, just in case.
"And this time, we fight to the death," Treacheron finishes, tossing his sheath to the side, and my chest tightens. This is really it.
"Treacheron, no!" The green Shark pleads.
"What are you doing?" The red Shark asks.
"I have been dishonored. This can go on no longer. I will destroy him, or be destroyed trying." Please be the latter, please be the latter- "To the finish, Red Ranger."
"If there's no other way," Leo responds firmly, strongly. He's quite literally staring death right in the face, and he's physically, emotionally, and mentally ready. There could be no one better to lead this team. Then, they charge at each other. Sparks fly as their blades meet, but neither can land a direct hit.
"You fight well. It will almost be a shame to defeat you." With that, the two dive off the edge of the cliff, and the others and I follow, too scared to look away from the fight.
"Power Up Claw!" Leo commands, and the weapon on his left arm lengthens, allowing him to parry one of Treacheron's strikes and land three of his own. Just when I think it's over, though, his foe's blade glows with a blue light, and he sends his weapon down-
With a single blow, Leo cleaves Treacheron's sword in two, the upper half clanging against the ground. No words are uttered as fire erupts from Leo's Quasar Saber, and in the blink of an eye, Treacheron is reduced to his hands and knees.
"Red Ranger, you stand for everything I hate. Goodness, honesty, decency…" Treacheron stumbles towards him, broken sword outstretched, "And I will destroy you if it's the last thing I do."
"Don't force me to end your life, Treacheron." A show of mercy. Something like admiration glows in my chest. His opponent doesn't accept. Instead, he raises his katana one last time, leaving Leo a wide opening to slash downwards with his Saber. And finally, finally, Treacheron disappears.
"C'mon," I urge the others, and we join Leo again. "We've still got those stupid Sharks to deal with."
"For Treacheron, we will have revenge!" They declare, before growing to their giant sizes.
"Alright, let's do it," Leo directs. How he has the stamina for all of this, I've got no clue. "Galactabeasts, arise! Zords, transform now!" Being in the cockpit of my Snake Zord always feels so refreshing after a battle, but now, it's even sweeter, knowing that we've finally defeated Treacheron. "Galaxy Megazord, initiate! Alright, let's-" Leo lets out a noise of confusion, and I have to turn away from the windows in the eyes of my Snake, due to the brilliant golden light we're emitting. Oh. "Amazing," Leo breathes.
"You can say that again, Red." The entire Megazord is decked out in armor that matches our Lights of Orion suits, and I can't help but grin.
"The Power Up Mode's been activated on the entire Megazord!" Damon explains.
"Awesome," Kai cheers. Now even two against one won't be an unfair fight.
"Galaxy Megazord, Power Up Mode!" Leo orders, and with three diagonal slashes, the Sharks fall.
It's late, especially after a long day, but I still find myself in front of the guys' room. The doors slide open, and I spot Leo gazing out the window.
"Someone's unusually thoughtful," I joke and he scoffs.
"I can always count on you to make me feel good about myself, huh?" Hm. Hit the nail on the head, actually.
"Well, uh. That's why I'm here." Now Leo glances up at me, one eyebrow raised. "I'm not kidding when I say that you were amazing today. I couldn't be more proud of you, L. Even though you did hear voices," He glares at me, and I hold up a hand, "You were willing to sacrifice yourself for us." His glare melts away as he smiles, ruffles my hair.
"I could only make that decision because I knew that if anything were to happen to me, there'd be an amazing second-in-command to take the lead."
"Please don't put that image in my head," I say, almost unaware that I've said it until the words have left my mouth, "The idea of losing you, any of you," I shake my head. "I don't even want to think about it." It's the truth. I've already lost one team, and if I were to lose these friends I've made...
"You won't lose me, okay?" His tone is tender, gentle, and I meet his eyes, tears quickly filling my own, "And I won't lose you, alright?" A tear slips down my face, and before I can wipe it away, he brushes it away with his thumb.
"I'll be right here."
"So will I."
And in that moment, I can't care less that Zayne might have cut off the last link we had to each other. I've found a new family, and a new reason to keep fighting.
The door slides open again, and we leap apart. Maya's hella observant, though, and it doesn't help that my reddening cheeks are a dead giveaway.
"Um. Am I interrupting something?"
"N-no. Come in," Leo stammers.
"Feeling better?" She asks, and he pauses. Trying to get his wits about him? Or-
"Look, Maya. If you're here to tell me I was just hearing things, save your breath." Of course, an argumentative comment. "I know what I heard." He's so sure of it, I almost feel bad for joking about him hearing Mike earlier. Almost.
"At first, I thought you were hearing things," Maya admits, and I glance over from where I'm rummaging through the guys' fridge, "But I think- I think I can sense something." When the Yellow Ranger gets these hunches, you can't help but listen, no matter how far-fetched it may seem. "I can't explain it, but I think Mike's alive." The most brilliant golden flash of hope zooms down our bond, and I step over to the two. Together, we gaze out into the stars, searching for the one we once lost.