Chapter 21: Residing Resentments
"Morph-X entering the system," a young man standing at the computer consoles spoke to Nate, who was watching the levels rising. Asher stood on Ravi's left, unable to move as the Neural Aligner kept her in place, linking her to the Morphin' Grid.
Excitement raced through Asher as she braced herself. Becoming a Ranger wasn't exactly what she'd wanted in life, but it was exhilarating to have been chosen to become one regardless. She just wanted to help people, and this was a great way to do so.
"Begin Morph-X DNA reconstruction. Subjects locked into neural aligners," Nate spoke as the Morph-X began to fill the containers over their heads. "Phenomenal! It's working," he allowed himself an excited smile, right before an alarm blared.
"Wait!" the other scientist's eyes widened. "The system's detecting a foreign virus," he warned.
"I am Evox!" a talking snake-like avatar appeared on the computer screen, eyes glowing red as it laughed loudly, and even as everything seemed to grow louder around them, Asher's mind went blank, and the world was swallowed up into darkness.
Waking with a gasp, Asher sat up abruptly. For a moment, she thought she was still in that darkness that Evox had put her into, before she realised that there was a faint light coming from her right side. Glancing at it, Asher reached out and took the small light source from her bedside table.
It was small, able to fit in the palm of her hand, and emitted only a small amount of light, but it was comforting, and just looking at it had Asher's tense form relaxing. She took a deep breath, well used to the nightmares of when her Avatar double had been created.
Ryne had given the little light box back to her when she'd woken up, having fixed it. Asher hoped that Ryne never figured out that she'd accidentally spilled a glass of water on it, but something told her that she did. She was grateful that it had been fixed, having treasured it from the moment her cousin had given it to her. She'd been awkward and shy and practically run off the moment she'd thrust it into Asher's hand, but she could tell that Ryne was proud of it.
After Asher had relaxed, the dream fading from her mind, something twisted in her stomach as she looked down at the light, which absorbed solar energy during the day, and used that power to light up when night fell. She set it down, and slumped back down, pulling the blanket over her head before she gave a muffled sigh.
She adored Ryne, truly. They'd been close for as long as Asher could remember, even when Ryne was more of a shadow, watching when Asher and Kiana would play. Yet now, when Asher was reminded of her cousin, even through the little light box, something unpleasant would start to rear its ugly head inside Asher.
"I really am just hopeless," Asher declared to herself, rolling over and burying her face in her pillow in hopes that she could get some more sleep.
Leaning against the wall of a building, Ryne hadn't been standing there for too long. Her headphones were now resting around her neck, as she had her phone to her ear.
"First of all, I have to tell you that I'm very disappointed in you for not telling me there was someone you liked until after they asked you out," Fane was scolding her, and Ryne was trying very hard not to look exasperated as she bumped one of her black boots against the other.
"I just didn't think anything of it. I didn't even think that he liked me," Ryne sighed heavily, wondering why she had to have her 'girl-talk' now, standing out in public.
"How could he not? You're adorable," Fane's matter-of-fact tone made Ryne blush. "And because you didn't tell me, I get to make fun of you for dating a guy whose digital copy was trying to kill you a few months ago," Fane told her, and Ryne groaned again.
"I could just hang up, you know," she warned, but it was a half-hearted threat.
"Oh, please do! That way we can have this talk in person. And I want to meet the young man courting my best friend and future adviser to Zandar," Fane told her.
"I told you I'd never take a job as your adviser. You've never listened to me," Ryne retorted, her tone flat. "In fact, you never listen, and then you blame me," she pointed out. "Also, 'courting'? You sound like my great-grandparents," she said.
"You've gotten mouthy since you became a Ranger. I don't know if I like it," Fane said, her voice light as if she was trying to decide. "But back to the point at hand. You and Blaze, dating! How, when? Give me all the details or I swear I'll fly over there," she ordered in a tone that Ryne had once called her 'Princess voice'.
"Okay, okay," she gave in, smiling. Despite her complaints, Ryne really was glad to have a best friend like Fane. Even when they lived across the world from one another, they were still close and told each other practically everything. "We've been on like, two dates. That's all so far," she said, lowering her voice to hushed tones. The squeal that came from her phone made her wince, and she quickly moved it away. "Don't make me regret this," Ryne warned her.
"Sorry," Fane giggled, her voice giddy. "I'm just excited for you. It's way harder to find interesting guys when you're a Princess," she complained. Ryne laughed a little.
"Your dad did okay," she pointed out, and heard a huff in response.
"My dad was also a Ranger and met mum because of that. I have no intention on following in his footsteps," Fane said, keeping her voice lofty. Ryne' grinned.
"I said exactly the same thing," she reminded Fane. Her smile then widened as Blaze emerged from the building, glancing around before spotting her. "I've gotta go. I'll call you later," Ryne promised.
"You better! I want all the details or I'm gonna have a chat with him myself!" Fane's warning was stern, and Ryne didn't doubt her for a second.
"Bye," she managed to end the call as Blaze reached her.
"Hey. Waiting long?" he asked, and Ryne shook her head.
"Nah. Besides, Fane kept me company," she waved her phone, the silver fox charm swaying with the movement, before she returned it to her pocket.
"Sounds great," Blaze smiled, recognising the name as Ryne's best friend. He then took a step closer, and Ryne's smile grew warmer as he caught her by the waist and pulled her in to kiss her.
A thrill ran through Ryne as she let him pull her into his arms, and raised her own arms to wrap around his neck, ignoring her headphones as they pressed into her collarbone. They'd only shared a handful of kisses, but they were warm and drew her in.
It didn't last long, as the two then pulled away from one another, all too aware that they were in public. Ryne lowered her arms, and Blaze released his grip on her waist to catch one of her hands.
"Where to?" Ryne asked, and the two started to walk.
"I'm starving," Blaze declared, and Ryne went red as her stomach grumbled loudly. "I'll take that as 'same here'," he teased, and both laughed quietly.
"Yeah," Ryne nodded. "The usual place then?" she asked.
"Sounds great," Blaze agreed, veering slightly and pulling Ryne with him as they made their way to Riptide.
"How was it?" Ryne glanced back at the building disappearing from their view.
"Boring," Blaze declared, making her smile. "I just want to get back to the real stuff, you know?" he looked at her, and Ryne nodded, understanding what he meant. She could tell that he was bored with physio and going easy in his training. He wanted to get back to normal.
"You'll get there," Ryne said confidently.
"It's just taking forever," Blaze complained. Ryne squeezed his hand sympathetically. She knew Asher felt exactly the same, especially after pushing herself with the cell that had trapped her, Blaze and Roxy inside. She couldn't imagine what it was like for them.
"Ashe?" Blaze's call made Ryne look up, pulled from her worried thoughts, and saw Asher nearby. For just a moment, Asher looked uncomfortable, as if she hadn't wanted to be seen by the two, before she smiled.
"Hey guys," she greeted as they walked towards her.
"Headed to Riptide too?" Ryne asked her, and Asher nodded.
"Yeah, I have a class to teach," she said, shifting the bag on her back. The thought made her smile widen slightly. She'd been looking forward to getting back to teaching.
"Wanna walk with us?" Blaze offered, taking both Asher and Ryne by surprise. Asher's smile faded, while Ryne's eyebrow rose very slightly.
"Uh…" Asher glanced at Ryne, who tilted her head, her smile still there. Asher then nodded. "Sure," she agreed, unable to find a reason not to. After all, Blaze was her closest friend, and she was aware that she hadn't spent as much time with him recently, since he'd started dating Ryne.
"Great," Blaze smiled, starting to walk again as Asher and Ryne walked on either side of him. "Which of your classes is it?" he asked, addressing Asher.
"Just the beginner class today," Asher replied, fiddling with the strap on her bag, which contained her training gear. "My other class isn't until Friday," she added. "I just hope I don't forget like half of what I'm supposed to teach them," Asher sighed, a little nervous. She hadn't even considered teaching a class martial arts before, until Blaze had suggested it. Ravi and Roxy had agreed, knowing that there were a few extra classes needing a teacher, and they knew she'd be good to handle it.
"You'll be great," Blaze reassured her. "I don't think you can forget anything," he teased her, and Asher raised an eyebrow.
"Like that time you punched a metal bar when you lost your temper?" she retorted. Blaze immediately went red.
"One time," he muttered.
"Wasn't that when Devon was in your class?" Ryne remembered, and Blaze's blush grew as Asher laughed, relaxing without even realising it. "Ashe was real mad," she commented.
"Not as mad as when you then sent that picture to my brother," Asher added, shooting her cousin a glare. "He made fun of me for an hour," she complained as Ryne giggled, unapologetic.
A loud bang nearby made all three jump, and they looked around to try and figure out where it came from.
"Tronics!" Asher gasped, seeing the purple-suited robots dashing by.
"That's not good," Blaze frowned.
"You guys get to safety," Ryne told them as she let go of Blaze's hand. Without waiting for them to reply, she ran after the Tronics, not about to let them wander around freely. The three Tronics saw her running after them, and took off running around a corner. Ryne followed, and saw more Tronics, along with a familiar face.
"Oh, hello again," Roxy smirked as she spotted Ryne. She twirled her hair, wrapping the purple and brown strands around her finger.
"Great, you're back already?" Ryne grumbled. They'd all had a feeling that they would see the Robot versions of their friends, but they'd hoped that it would at least take a little while.
"Aw, I know you've all missed us," Robo-Roxy taunted her. Her dangerous smile grew wider. "And I wasn't going to miss the opportunity to destroy you!" she rushed at Ryne, who ducked under her metal arm and kicked her away. She then moved around the Tronics that swarmed her, and quickly activated a communication link through her wristcom.
"Commander, there are Tronics here, with Robo-Roxy," she alerted the woman in charge.
"I'll send the rest of your team to your coordinates," the Commander responded instantly. Ryne didn't reply, as instead she called on the energy that was almost always humming inside of her. It sparked to life in the palm of her hand, lighting up blue, and Ryne threw out her hand, letting it hit the Tronics. They jerked away from her, falling and disappearing in a flash of lights.
"Ready for me to do the same to you?" Ryne called to Roxy, who was scowling warily as she let the other Tronics run in.
"You won't get the chance," Roxy spat at her. She snapped her fingers, and more Tronics appeared behind her. "Get her!" she ordered, her voice shrill, and they ran at Ryne. The Pink Ranger rolled her eyes, dodging their attacks and jumping over a bench, kicking more away from her.
"Hey!" her eyes then widened at the voice that rang out. A ball of golden light then flew through the air, and hit one of the Tronics. It exploded against the robot, throwing it across the battlefield.
"Ashe, no!" Ryne shouted as the Tronics, and Roxy, turned to Asher. She stood tall, glaring at them as she lit another two orbs in her hands.
"Oh, you really think you can take us?" Roxy looked entertained by the idea.
"I know I can," Asher bit, throwing both. As they flew through the air, Roxy moved to avoid the one hurtling towards her, and was unprepared when Asher's foot collided with her side. Roxy fell backwards, and Asher landed unsteadily. Pain made her foot throb, after kicking the strong metal of Robo-Roxy's body with only a pair of flats on.
"Asher! Get out of here!" Ryne shouted, throwing the Tronics aside to reach her side. "This is too dangerous," she warned, thinking back to when Fane had insisted on fighting alongside her. Her heart raced, scared for Asher.
"It's fine," Asher told her firmly, and Ryne grabbed her arm as she started forwards to fight the Tronics coming for them. Ryne pulled her backwards, and with a spinning kick, knocked the robots aside.
"It's not fine. You need to stay back," she told her, but Asher yanked her arm free.
"I'm not going to stay back, I've trained for this, I know how to-" she stopped when the Tronics lunged at them again. She raised a shield, and as they bounced off it, shots rang out from nearby, hitting them and destroying them. Ryne breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her team running into view.
"I'll deal with you later," Roxy hissed, and vanished in a flash of dark purple.
"Are you guys okay?" Devon asked as he reached them.
"Fine," Asher nodded. However, Ryne turned to her, and they were all surprised to see how angry she looked. Ryne rarely let her anger show, and they'd never seen her look at Asher that way.
"Fine?" she repeated, staring up at her cousin. "You could have gotten yourself killed! I told you to get to safety!" Ryne shouted as Blaze jogged over, having heard the fighting subside.
"I'm not defenceless," Asher bit back coolly, her eyes narrowing at Ryne.
"I know you're not," Ryne's voice was filled with frustration. She then took a deep breath, willing herself to try and calm down. "Trust me, I know you can handle yourself in a fight," she said, trying to lower her voice.
"What's going on?" Steel whispered to his brother, who looked nervous.
"Then why can't I help you?" Asher demanded, her own frustration bubbling as she practically dared Ryne to say the words she didn't want to hear. Ryne stood her ground, her dark eyes meeting Asher's furious green ones.
"Because it's too dangerous. You're not a Ranger! What if the others hadn't got here? What if Robo-Blaze and Robo-Asher had been here? You don't have the protection that a Ranger does, you-"
"I know I'm not a Ranger," Asher's words were hissed, and Ryne was taken aback by the look Asher was giving her. There was pain and anger behind it. "You don't have to remind me," with that, she turned and stormed off.
"Asher!" Blaze called, but she didn't turn back.
"Ryne!" Zoey gasped, and Blaze turned, half expecting Ryne to start chasing after Asher. Instead, she was running in the opposite direction. Blaze then turned and followed Asher, calling out after her as she didn't stop.
"I'll go after Ryne," Steel volunteered, hurrying after their team-mate.
"Did anyone else think that Blaze would have gone after Ryne?" Zoey couldn't help but wonder aloud. The others exchanged curious looks.
Asher's face was hot from both her anger and embarrassment as she stormed through Coral Harbour, and tears stung at her eyes, making her even more annoyed.
"Asher!" she could hear Blaze shouting after her, but if anything, his voice only made her speed up. "Ashe, stop! Come on!" he was gaining on her, and Asher considered breaking into a run. Blaze was fast, but she was faster.
However, before she could do so, she turned the corner and walked straight into Roxy. The other girl jumped, and smiled as she started to greet Asher. However, when she saw Asher's face, her smile immediately faded.
"Asher!" Blaze finally caught up, and Roxy put her arm around Asher's shoulders.
"I've got this," she told him.
"But-"
"I've got this," Roxy stressed firmly, already leading her away from Blaze as he tried to protest. He just watched them, unsure of what to do now.
"Thanks," Asher muttered, just loud enough for Roxy to hear her. They walked over to a bench nearby, and Roxy pushed her to sit down.
"What happened? Do I need to punch Blaze?" Roxy asked, so seriously, that it had Asher laughing immediately. It shook, and she lifted her glasses to wipe at her tears.
"No, it wasn't him," she said, taking a breath. "I exploded at Ryne," Asher admitted, and Roxy's eyes widened. The two adored one another, and from what she'd heard, they'd never had any kind of fight before. Ryne had admired her cousin, shadowing her from when she was a toddler, and Asher admired Ryne just as much. "There was an attack, near a Morph-X tower. Ryne was handling it, but I…I wanted to help. And she told me to get back to safety. And that just…"
"You still want to be a Ranger, don't you?" Roxy asked when Asher lapsed into a frustrated quiet, replaying the events of the last few minutes over in her head.
"…yes," Asher confirmed. "What we went through was scary, and I still have nightmares. But I want to help people, like they did for us, what they're still doing for the city," she shrugged. Roxy nodded, understanding what she meant. "We were chosen, and now they're the ones doing it. Ryne's in the role that I…" Asher stopped, biting back the words. She then gave a bitter laugh. "I'm horrible. Ryne's only a Ranger because she was trying to help. She saved us. They all saved us. And I'm so grateful, I can't thank them enough. It's just this little part of me that can't help but resent that she's the Ranger and I'm not," Asher lowered her head when tears returned to her green eyes.
"Hey," Roxy squeezed her shoulder gently. "You're not horrible. It was a done thing, we were going to be Rangers. We were right there, and then Evox…" Roxy shook her head, trying not to think about it. "You need time to adjust. When you're recovered, I'm sure you'll find something that you enjoy as much as you think you would have as a Ranger," she said confidently. Asher looked up at her, looking helpless.
"It's not like all I've wanted in life is to be a Ranger. I grew up on so many stories, all I wanted to do was help people. Being a Ranger was like a bonus to that. It still is," Asher then sighed heavily. "What was I thinking, running in like that? I'd have killed Ryne myself if we were swapped," she allowed.
"There's more to it than just the Ranger thing, isn't there?" Asher froze at Roxy's words, and when she looked at her friend, she could see the knowing look on her face. "Something like that wouldn't make you blow up at Ryne, not that easily," Roxy said, knowing her friend too well.
"I…I…"
"Asher, I've known you almost two years now. And I've known that you've had feelings for Blaze pretty much as long as that," Roxy's gentle accusation made Asher's already growing blush turn deeper. "Even your Avatars were close," she pointed out, aware that her Avatar had noticed the two were more inclined to be around one another than her.
"It doesn't matter what I feel for Blaze. He's dating Ryne now. I have to accept that," Asher muttered, though it hurt her chest to say that.
"Do you?" Roxy asked, her voice still soft as she kept her eyes on Asher. She could see the same pain and heartbreak that she'd gone through when Ravi had ended things with her. While they'd gotten back together after Evox's initial defeat, she still remembered those feelings. She doubted she'd ever forget.
"I have to. He…he asked me if it was okay to ask her out, and I said yes," Asher's voice broke at the end, and she hunched forwards. "I told him it was okay to date Ryne. What is wrong with me?" she put her hands to her face as Roxy leaned into her, offering a comforting presence.
"Blaze…you idiot," Roxy muttered, already planning on punching their friend several times now.
"I'm sorry," Asher apologised through her tears. Roxy wrapped her arms around her tightly.
"There's nothing to apologise for. We're friends, and I'm here for you," she told Asher firmly, letting the girl beside her cry as she finally admitted the feelings she'd kept bottled up for weeks now.
Ryne kicked a stone hard, watching as it hit a tree nearby. She flexed her hands, opening them and closing them into fists. While her powers weren't threatening to spill free, she could feel them bubbling under the surface as she wanted something to fight.
"Hey, what did that tree do to you?" she turned as Steel caught up to her. She'd known he was following her, hearing his clanking metal footsteps for some distance, but had just wanted to get far away from the brief battlefield, and away from her friends. And Asher.
"Why is it that when I let someone help me fight, I get shouted at. Then when I learn my lesson and try to stop Ashe from fighting, I get shouted at?" Ryne threw her hands in the air, frustrated.
"You were right to try and stop Asher. She's not a Ranger, she could have really been hurt," Steel agreed.
"You wanna tell her that?" Ryne huffed, but the fight was already draining out of her. She rarely stayed angry for long, and having Steel immediately agree with her helped calm her down. "I've never shouted at her like that. And she's never gotten mad at me like that," she considered, walking over to lean against the tree. "Is this really what being a Ranger is like?" she wondered aloud.
"Do you not like being a Ranger?" Steel asked curiously, tilting his head.
"I do," Ryne shook her head quickly. "I love being a Ranger. It's just hard sometimes. I think Asher resents that I took her place," she admitted softly.
"Hey," Steel walked over and put a hand on her shoulder. "Asher appreciates what you've done for her, you know that right? You freed her from her Avatar," he pointed out.
"I know that," Ryne nodded. "And it's not just me. You and the others are just as responsible," she looked up and gave him a lopsided smile. "I'd be lost without you guys," Ryne told him.
"We are pretty amazing. Especially me," he said confidently, making Ryne laugh.
"I'm sorry for running off. I just needed away from all that," she said as she sobered.
"Are your powers acting up?" Steel asked. Ryne shook her head.
"Nah. They're behaving a lot more recently. I guess all that training is paying off," she considered, lifting her hands to look at them. "Come on. We should get back and make sure that Robo-Roxy wasn't able to get anything," she said.
"Sounds good," Steel agreed.
"Is Blaze with the others?" Ryne asked, her mind returning to him. She could faintly recall him joining after the other Rangers had arrived, but she was too heated, too angry at Asher for putting herself in danger.
"I think he went after Asher," Steel's answer made Ryne's step falter for just a moment. He didn't notice, continuing to walk as Ryne had to speed up to keep up with his far longer strides.
"O-oh," she said quietly, her eyebrows furrowing very slightly. "Thanks for coming after me, Steel. You're a good friend," she told him, quickly masking her thoughts.
"I know," Steel's confidence was admirable to the Pink Ranger, who started to laugh again. He never failed to cheer her up.
"Ryne!" Zoey looked relieved when she spotted the Pink and Silver Rangers returning to them.
"You okay?" Devon asked. Ryne nodded, looking flustered with all their attention on her.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry for running off like that. And for causing a scene with Asher," she apologised to the team.
"It's okay. We're just glad you're okay," Nate smiled at her, glad that she was okay. Part of him had been a little worried when Steel had gone after her, wondering just what her uncontrolled powers would do to his half-robot brother.
"I'm all good," Ryne confirmed with a smile, feeling better. While part of her was still anxious about Asher, she felt better being with her team.
"And I'm glad you learned your lesson about letting civilians fight with you," Devon said seriously, and Ryne shoved him. He broke into a smile, laughing as the others smiled.
"Fane was right, you are a jerk," she declared, but was smiling too. "Any sign of Morph-X being taken?" Ryne asked, getting back to business.
"None. I think you got here just in time," Ravi said, and Ryne sighed with relief. They'd already lost a lot to Scrozzle, who was proving his cunning time and time again.
"Let's hope that's the last we see from them for a while then," Zoey said, hands on her hips.
"Hey guys," they looked over as Blaze returned.
"Where's Asher?" Ryne asked quickly, immediately worried for her.
"With Roxy," Blaze said, still not entirely sure why Roxy had taken over. Or why Asher hadn't stopped to talk to him. They'd always been close friends, so he didn't understand why she was suddenly refusing. "Everything okay here?" he asked, walking over to stand beside Ryne.
"Yeah. Ryne chased Robo-Roxy off before she could do any harm," Devon said, and Blaze smiled down at Ryne, slipping his hand around her own.
"Something tells me they won't be gone for long," Ryne said, and as she spoke, she grasped at his hand, something uncomfortable stirring in her stomach.
"You're probably right," Nate agreed. "We should get to the base and run a search around town," he suggested, and they all nodded their agreement.
As they expected, it didn't take long for their search to pick up on a new report. Across town from the Morph-X Tower that had been attacked that morning, more Tronics had been spotted, along with Robo-Asher.
"Great," Ryne muttered as she saw the robotic replica of her cousin.
"Oh, you again?" Asher glanced at them lazily. "I heard you got my tragic double in to help you fight off Roxy. Going to bring her in again?" she taunted, her eyes on Ryne. The Pink Ranger's fists clenched as she glared back.
"Can we skip the whole mockery bit, and just get to the fighting?" Ryne asked, in no mood to listen to Robo-Asher's taunts. Just looking at her made Ryne think about their fight. She hadn't even had time to try and find Asher to talk to her.
"If you insist," Robo-Asher threw her hand out, and the group dodged the ball of light that sailed over Nate's head.
"Those things are going to be annoying," Devon muttered, seeing Tronics appear in a flash around Asher as they moved. "It's Morphin' Time!" he shouted, and they called on their Morphers. They appeared in a flash, and the Rangers grabbed their keys.
"ACTIVATE BEAST POWER!" they Morphed in a flash of colours.
"I'll keep Robo-Asher busy until you can take out the Tronics," Ryne volunteered as they all called on their weapons.
"Great," Devon nodded. "Be careful," he told her. Ryne gave a salute that was only partially mocking, before she pushed towards Robo-Asher.
"Perfect," Asher smirked, lifting her key to insert it into her own Morpher strapped to her wrist. She Morphed in a flash of green, and threw a punch at Ryne. However, the shorter girl moved around it, passing Asher. "Running away?" she turned to throw another ball of energy at Ryne, who bent backwards to avoid it.
"You know, I'm kind of glad that you've found a way to keep coming back," Ryne told her as she straightened up. She then threw one of her Chakrams at Asher, and as the robot dodged it, Ryne pushed in close, slashing up her front with the other weapon. Robo-Asher cursed and staggered backwards as a shower of sparks burst from where Ryne had cut through her armour. "This way I can make you shut up as many times as necessary," Ryne then stepped backwards, pulling the first Chakram back to her in a flash of blue.
"Little brat," Asher hissed, a hand to her armour. She then snapped her fingers, and more Tronics appeared around her. "Try fighting all of us at once," she challenged, and Ryne rolled her eyes, sighing.
"This is more trouble than it's worth," she complained under her breath, and threw both Chakrams into the air. As the Tronics stopped, looking up at them, Ryne thrust both hands out, letting the crackle of energy fill the air. The robots jerked, vanishing in purple sparks as the powerful energy fried their circuits and destroyed them from the inside out. However, a ball of golden energy collided with her powers, and Ryne was thrown back from the resulting explosion.
"Ryne!" she heard Nate's shout as the Gold Ranger was the one to see her hit the ground, but Ryne didn't respond, a groan escaping her as she slowly pushed herself back to her feet. Her suit had borne the brunt of the explosion, but the force still hurt, and she knew there'd be bruises afterwards.
"Dammit," Ryne pushed herself back to her feet, and raised her arms to cross them in front of her as Asher's leg came down. She managed to block the kick, but more pain jolted down her arms as Asher laughed and spun, catching her in the side with another powerful kick. It lifted Ryne off her feet and threw her to the side, making her cry out as she landed heavily on her arm.
"All that crap about being better than me; how you've improved yourself while I've stayed the same, it's all talk," Robo-Asher spat as she advanced on Ryne, accompanied by the Tronics. "You're weak, and you'll always be weak," Asher told her coldly. Ryne just scoffed, getting back to her feet. She swayed a little, catching herself as she glared back at the robotic impersonation of her cousin.
"You had to summon your little minions to get the jump on me," she pointed out, and pulled her Beast Spinners back to her hands. "I don't see how that makes you stronger," she pointed out, and threw both weapons out. Asher reared back, thinking they were aimed for her, but Ryne flicked her hands, and the weapons started to glow blue for just a moment, their course altering so they cut through the Tronics instead.
"Beast-X Blast!" Devon's voice echoed, and Robo-Asher gave a cry as she was hit from behind by the Red Ranger. "Now!" he shouted to his side.
"Beast-X Blast!" she was then hit by the rest of the team. The force lifted her off her feet, and she crashed in a heap nearby.
"You okay?" Steel asked as they reached Ryne.
"Just bruised," she nodded, turning back to Asher as she got to her feet. "Let's turn her to scrap," Ryne said, swapping her Beast Spinners for her own Blaster.
"I'd like to see you try," Asher growled, raising a hand. The air shimmered in front of her as a barrier formed, made of sun energy.
"Uh oh…" Zoey gulped. "How do we get past her shield?" she asked, not wanting to have their attacks turned against them.
"We just have to break it," Ryne said simply.
"Isn't that shield supposed to be really strong?" Ravi asked, a little wary of how easy Ryne made it sound.
"Yeah, but we have strength too. We just have to get Devon close," she grinned.
"Well? I'm getting bored here waiting for you to actually do something! Don't tell me you're too afraid to actually try and get to me?" Asher taunted the group, growing impatient as she waited for them to try something. Her eyes were on Ryne, knowing that the Pink Ranger would hesitate when it came to the powers that she'd copied from the real Asher.
"Beast-X Blast!" she was surprised, when energy collided with the shield and bounced off, narrowly missing Zoey and Ravi as they dodged their own attacks. Steel and Nate followed up with their own attacks, and the shield cracked, making Asher hiss.
"You'll destroy yourselves before you destroy this shield!" she warned them despite her attention being drawn to the shield.
"Oh yeah?" Ravi grinned from the ground, having dove out of the way of their repelled attacks. There was a gust of wind that blew by, with Asher protected only by her cracked shield, but as she tried to pour more power into it to repair it, she found herself looking up at Devon.
"How-" she then realised that Ryne was hanging off his back.
"Super-super speed," Ryne smirked, jumping off as she stopped charging up Devon's beast power.
"Cheetah Claws!" Devon swung down with the powerful claws, and the shield shattered.
"No!" Asher screamed in horror, stumbling backwards.
"Let's go!" the other four leapt back to their feet, charging up their weapons again. They all fired, right as Ryne threw out a hand, all of their attacks cutting through the robot's body.
"Transport Beast-X Ultra Blaster!" Devon grabbed the blaster that he'd called, and took aim. "Fire!" he squeezed the trigger, and the shot caused a small explosion that destroyed the robot.
"Nice work!" they whirled around to see Blaze sitting on barrels of Morph-X. "She distracted you enough for me to do exactly what I wanted," he taunted them.
"No!" they ran at him, but Blaze vanished in a flash of amber, taking the barrels with him. "Not again," Devon groaned.
"We'll get them next time," Zoey said, trying to sound confident. The others nodded, not letting the loss of more Morph-X get to them too much.
"Let's get back and brief the Commander," Devon sighed, knowing they couldn't wallow, especially after once again claiming a victory against Robo-Asher and the Tronics.
"Yeah," Ryne murmured as she followed, steeling herself. She had to talk to Asher. The thought had been on her mind the entire time she was fighting her robotic clone. She wouldn't let her relationship with her cousin sour.
"You okay?" Zoey asked, smiling at Ryne, who nodded. Zoey put an arm around her, squeezing her gently, and Ryne smiled back, comforted by her friend.
Asher had been tempted to try and avoid Ryne. The more she thought about how she'd exploded at her, the more embarrassed she was. But she knew she couldn't avoid her forever, and despite that embarrassment, she didn't want to.
Nerves made her stomach churn, when she found Ryne in Nate's lab, fiddling with one of the many projects that Nate had been working on.
"What's that?" she asked, and Ryne looked up in surprise, which made the corner of her mouth tug up. Ryne had sharp senses, even though she'd only spent a year at the Wind Ninja Academy, but when she was distracted by a project, it was easy to sneak up on her.
"Oh, it's the Ultra Blaster," Ryne set it down. "Devon said that the trigger was a little too stiff and that the recoil was rough, so I'm looking into it while Nate…" she paused, looking thoughtful. "I have no idea what he's doing," she admitted.
"Helping Zoey with another project?" Asher suggested, and Ryne snorted.
"You know, you might be right," she agreed, before sobering as Asher stood on the opposite side of the table from her.
"I'm sorry. About earlier," Asher apologised, avoiding Ryne's dark eyes. "I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. I'd have done the same thing if our roles were swapped," she admitted, and Ryne offered a small smile.
"I'm sorry for getting mad too. I got…scared," she told Asher, who lifted her gaze in surprise. "I don't want you getting hurt, not after everything with the Avatars. And I know you can handle yourself in a fight, but…"
"I'm not a Ranger," Asher finished for her quietly, and gave a quiet sigh when Ryne didn't speak. "I've been…a little jealous. Since I've started recovering, and getting to see you in action, there's a part of me that feels like it should be me out there," she confessed to the Pink Ranger, who just watched her silently. "I owe you so much, and I'd never think that you took the role to spite me or anything. I know that it wasn't anything that any of us expected. I just have this…this stupid, horrible feeling and it won't go away," Asher mumbled, tears starting to well up in her eyes.
"Hey," Ryne was suddenly beside her, reaching out and taking her hands. "You don't owe me anything. And when you're fully recovered, then you'll be able to find something that's perfect for you," she smiled gently, squeezing her hands. Asher pulled her hands free, and pulled Ryne into a tight hug.
"Thanks," she mumbled. Ryne wrapped her arms around her, hugging her back. After a moment, the two parted. "I, uh-" Asher started, but as Ryne tilted her head, an innocent look on her face, the words died on her lips. "Hungry?" she asked, and Ryne nodded.
"Always," she answered, making Asher laugh.
"Come on. I think it's about time for dinner," she told her, and the two left the lab. Despite feeling better for telling the truth to Ryne, there was still a lingering guilt in her stomach. She'd wanted to tell her about her feelings for Blaze; that she'd only told Blaze to go for it because she didn't think that he felt the same for her. But she'd only just gotten Ryne back after months of her Avatar trying to kill her. She didn't want to risk creating a rift between them, especially over a guy.
Ryne peered up at Asher from the corner of her eye, suspicious but keeping quiet as Asher talked to her about the martial arts classes that she had been teaching. She knew that Asher was going to say something else, before changing the subject completely.
And at that moment, Ryne really didn't want to know what exactly that was.
Camp Nano started yesterday, and I decided what better way to get back into the flow of this story than by working on it for Camp. I'm a sucker for trying to hit targets. So hopefully that means I'll be able to resume posting more frequently.
Hope you liked it!
Please review!
