Chapter 25: Seeing the Truth

Blake walked into Storm Chargers and his eyes widened in shock when he saw Dustin kissing Rose. "No way!" He exclaimed. They quickly pulled away and jumped off the counter.

"Dude, this isn't what it looks like," Dustin insisted.

Blake crossed his arms over his chest. "Really? Looks like my bro's girlfriend is making out with one of his good friends," Blake observed. Dustin rubbed the back of his neck.

"Okay it is what it looked like," Dustin mumbled.

"Rose…how could you do this to Hunter?" Blake asked.

Rose walked from behind the counter and stood in front of Blake. "Blake, please don't tell Hunter. I wanted to wait for the right time to tell him," she insisted. Blake glared at Rose.

"You consider yourself lucky that it was me that walked in on you two and not Hunter," he said angrily.

Dustin let out a sigh. "You guys better know what you're doing," he added. He then turned and left.

"BLAKE!" Rose called.

Blake was already getting onto his motorcycle and took off back to Ninja Ops.

Hunter was talking with Kimberly when Blake came down the stairs. "Hey, bro," Hunter greeted.

"Hey, Hunter. Mom, I'm going to snatch Hunter away for a minute," Blake answered.

Kimberly nodded and watched as Blake led Hunter to the other side of the room. "What's going on?" Hunter asked. Blake let out a sigh.

"Bro, this is going to be hard for you to believe, but I went down to Storm Chargers and I saw Rose there with Dustin," Blake replied.

Hunter stared at him. "Please tell me you're not saying that Rose is cheating on me," Hunter insisted.

"She was bro. I saw it with my own two eyes. She and Dustin were on the counter in the back making out," he answered.

Hunter felt totally betrayed. Sure he wasn't in love, but she betrayed his trust. "Where are they now?" He asked. Just as those words left his mouth, Rose and Dustin came running down to Ninja Ops.

"Hunter, let me explain," Rose told him when she ran over to him.

"So it's true? My brother caught you with Dustin?"

Rose nodded. Hunter looked at Dustin. "How could you do this?" He demanded.

"Dude, we were going to tell you," Dustin insisted.

"Yeah right," Hunter answered.

Hunter looked at Rose. "How could you my own girlfriend do this to me?" He demanded.

"Hunter…if you just let me explain," she answered.

"What have you lie to me some more?" He asked.

Dustin grabbed Hunter's shoulder, but the Crimson Ranger spun around and hit him. "HUNTER!" Rose shouted. She grabbed Hunter's arm. "I'm sorry, it wasn't Dustin that even started it, it was me," she confessed. Dustin got off the floor and wiped the blood from his lip.

"Dude, seriously, we were going to tell you," he insisted.

Hunter stared at them before walking off. "HUNTER!" Rose called. Dustin placed his hand on Rose's shoulder.

"Give him so space," Dustin insisted.

Rose shook her head and pulled his hand off her shoulder. "I have to go talk to him," she insisted. Dustin nodded and watched her leave.

Hunter was sitting on a hill looking out over a quarry. "Hunter," Rose called. Hunter didn't answer her. Rose walked over and stood by him. "Hunter, Dustin and I never would have wanted you to find out this way," she told him. Hunter looked at her.

"Why?" He asked.

Rose bit her lip. "Because I know that you're not even in love with me, Hunter. I want to be loved and I wasn't getting it from you," she replied. Hunter looked at her.

"I would give anything for you," he insisted.

"You would, but none of it came from your heart. I can tell. I see someone else on your mind."

Hunter looked back at the quarry. Rose kneeled in front of him and placed her hands on his knees. "Hunter, you're a great person and you were a good boyfriend, but I think we should go our different ways," she told him sadly. Hunter stared at the field. "Why did you ask me out when you were in love with someone else is all I want to know," she added. Hunter closed his eyes.

"Because I can't have her," was his only answer.

He stared down at her. "But I never ever thought of cheating on you and betraying your trust," he snapped.

"I know and I'm so sorry, Hunter. I never wanted to betray you," she answered.

"You did betray me, Rose. Dustin too. I'm supposed to trust him out in the battlefield. Trust is a big thing when we're fighting. How can I fight with Dustin now that, that trust is broken?" He asked.

Rose placed her hands on his face. "Because Dustin wouldn't betray you on the battlefield," she replied. Hunter let out a sigh and stood up.

"This is over," he told her.

Rose nodded her head and stood up too. Hunter let out a sigh and closed his eyes. "I need to be alone, Rose," he informed. Rose nodded again and she kissed his cheek.

"I'm really sorry," she whispered.

Hunter stood there and Rose walked away.

A few minutes later, Hunter's morpher went off. "Hunter, we need your help," Shane called.

"On it," Hunter answered.

He stood up from the rock. "THUNDER STORM, RANGER FORM!" He shouted. He morphed and got onto his motorcycle and drove off to help them.

Hunter arrived and pulled out his staff. He ran over and kicked the monster away and got into a fighting stance. "Now that I have you all here we I can destroy you all at once," the monster laughed.

"Yeah right," Hunter answered.

"I have something for your Crimson Ranger," the monster laughed.

Hunter's eyes widened when he saw that it was Rose. She was dragged over with kelzaks holding her down on her knees. "Found her wondering all over the place," the monster laughed.

"Rose!" Dustin gasped.

Rose tried to shake them off, but they were too strong. "LET HER GO!" Hunter shouted. He put his staff away and pulled out his blaster. "CRIMSON BLASTER!" He shouted. The monster flew back and Hunter went to fight the monster while Dustin went to fight the kelzaks off Rose.

"You okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm okay," she replied.

Dustin looked up to see Hunter fighting as hard as he could. "HUNTER!" He shouted. Hunter looked over to see that Dustin had saved Rose.

"GET HER OUT OF HERE!" Hunter shouted.

"Right," Dustin answered.

The monster laughed. "I don't think so," the monster sneered. The monster used a shield and blocked the rest of the Ninja Rangers, but Dustin was able to move out of the way before the shield could get him too. Rose looked up in horror just as the monster threw Hunter back, but aimed it's blast at him.

"HUNTER!" She screamed.

Dustin looked up just as the blast was fired. "NINJA STREAK!" He shouted. He ninja streaked over to Hunter and stood in front of the blast.

"DUSTIN!" The Rangers shouted.

Dustin de-morphed and nearly hit the ground, but Hunter grabbed him before he fell. Hunter looked at his side to see that the monster's blast went through the Ranger Uniform. His Ninja Uniform was burned. "Banged myself up pretty good didn't I?" Dustin asked with a grin.

"NINJA SWORD!" Shane shouted.

He used his Ninja Sword and broke the shield around him and his friends. Blake and Cam blasted the monster away before going over to their fallen friend. "Dude, that wasn't meant to hit you," Hunter insisted.

"We Rangers have to stick together right?" Dustin asked.

"Right," Hunter answered.

Tori held Dustin's hand. "You going to be okay?" She asked.

"I'll be fine," he replied.

Dustin looked at Hunter. "I've got to apologize to you, bro. Never meant to betray you," Dustin insisted.

"Don't worry about it," Hunter answered.

Hunter looked up at Rose before back at Dustin. "Just take care of her okay?" He asked.

"You know it. Now go beat that thing," Dustin answered.

"Right," the Rangers answered.

Rose looked at Hunter as he walked by her, but she kneeled by Dustin and held him. "Should see me on my better days. I can totally kick butt," he commented. Rose laughed and she hugged him gently while being aware of the injury on his side. Dustin used his free arm and wrapped it around her back to hug her back.

(After the Fight)

The Rangers came down to see Kimberly sitting by the computer. "Where's Dustin?" Tori asked.

"I had Rose take him home. Don't worry, the burn on his side wasn't major, but he's not able to morph for the rest of the day," Kimberly replied.

"The rest of you go and rest as well," Sensei instructed.

The Rangers nodded and went to leave. "Not you, Hunter. I would like to talk to you," Kimberly informed. Hunter walked over to Kimberly and stood in front of her. "What you did was a brave thing," she commented.

"And what's that?" He asked.

Kimberly stood up. "For seeing the truth," she replied. Hunter nodded.

"I still felt something for her, mom. It still hurts," he answered.

Kimberly placed a hand on his face. "I know it does," she assured him. She hugged him. "I know it does," she replied. Hunter hugged her back and let out a sigh.