Chapter 12 'Date Ruined'
"Hey," Ryder was shocked to see Antonio waiting outside of the Cinemas for him.
Ryder didn't want to engage in a conversation with him, but he had to round every single Samurai Ranger to the theater, "I saw your friends all hanging out in the theater."
"Never mind that. I want answers,"
"No. I have to go. Just go inside. Your team is all in there. Even Ji,"
Ryder wanted to get out of there. He needed to go the campsite and make sure the controls and coordinates were set for the trip home. He had to ditch his dad first. Although, some little part of him didn't want to leave without resolving things with his dad. The time spent the past few days made up for 10 years of his life, he could admit that. Doesn't mean I should be so naive. I've got a mission to do. I don't want to worry about my dad now.
"You need to talk to your friends first. Like you said, you wanted answers and you haven't seen them all week. Killing two birds with one stone, per say. Find them and they'll tell you everything,"
"I want you to tell me,"
"Your friends know the full story. I only have the bits and pieces. I'll be here waiting outside and we could talk afterwards,"
Antonio swayed back and forth, trying to make his decision. Curiosity got the better of him. He had to see what his friends his friends know, "Five minutes, kay?" Then the older Gold Ranger sprinted into the theater.
Ryder was both relieved and guilty for tricking Antonio like that. At least I got to lie to him. Let's see how it feels to be lied to. Now if he could do that about a hundred more times, it could equal all the broken promises his father gave him.
Looking both ways on the street to check if anybody was around, Ryder slipped his Samuraizer from the sleeve of his jacket, "Too easy," he recalled how he was able to pickpocket Eve's backpack during the hug he gave her. The "safe place", he figured, had to be with Eve. The only person Eve trusts is Eve herself.
He sketched out the symbol for transport. In a flash of light, he appeared in the center of the campsite. Ryder flung himself at his duffle bag. He packed whatever was laying around. Water bottles, food, jackets, were all stuffed into his bag. Then he packed up everybody's luggage, making sure there was no trace of their visit left behind.
Carrying the entire luggage load, Ryder headed for the tent. He threw the flap open and checked the miniature, metal pod sitting there. He grew worrisome when finding the green numbers of the battery level turned red.
15%
"Have to get inside," Ryder said to himself. He took the time machine out of the tent and pressed a button on the side. Then he placed it on the ground then quickly stepped back. Before his eyes, the tiny pod expanded and grew into the size of a telephone booth.
A whoosh of air blew in his face and the time machine opened its door. Ryder hurried inside with the weight of the bags pushing him to reach the control room soon. Once inside, Ryder was jogging through a white capsule hallway. Futuristic architecture allowed buildings and capsules to look smaller than they appear. The time machine was larger in the inside. It was a labyrinth, many hallways leading to a kitchen, sleeping quarters, and engine rooms. Eve had banned the use of the time machine's utilities for it drains the battery level, much to Ryder's disappointment. There was a game room in the hallway next to the pool.
Ryder found the Storage Room to load the bags in, but not the control room yet. A few turns later he found himself at a junction. He remembered that Eve drew out a map. If only he listened to her, he would know where to go. Ryder chose the one on the right, and what a lucky choice it was.
The hallway led him into an octagon-shaped room. Its high ceiling went on forever, seeming to have no end. Gears took up majority of the ceiling, it was as if Ryder was inside the inner workings of a clock. The walls were constructed out of special cosmic alloys. They were windows peering out into the machine's surroundings, impenetrable windows that is. And most importantly, the controls, which were two seats in front of panels of buttons, levers, and screens.
Ryder learned how to pilot anything ever since he took a crash course in driving a police car. He rerouted the power from the lights to save energy. Sitting down on the pilot's seat, he typed furiously on the keys and pressed important buttons. But the most important task was the easiest task to complete, though one typo could change everything.
He pulled up the program to input the destination. This time machine was the earliest version of its kind, so it had some glitches. For example, once you typed in the destination and time, the time machine would lock in the destination and could not be changed. Ryder, cautious, typed the letters of Panorama City slowly. Then the date. He remembered that they left on July 12, 2031. He punched the numbers then pressed enter.
Pleased with himself, Ryder leaned back in his chair. From then on, setting up the time machine was a piece of cake. The only thing that gave him some concern was the weather. Telling by the news reports and weather patterns, a storm was coming. Hopefully, Lewis and Eve would come back before then.
The date was running smoothly until about halfway into the movie. That was when Spike began conversing with Mia, this would happen every few minutes or so. Jayden eavesdropped on a few of these chats. It had mostly to do about the movie. Spike knew some fun facts and all of the movie's trivia. Some even made Mia laugh.
Jayden knew he was beat there. He knew nothing about pop culture. He didn't even know the actors in the movie. That was one thing Spike was better than Jayden at and it was fun. Yes, fun in general. Jayden could be easy going and fun if he wanted to, but the constant duties of a Samurai made a bit too uptight and serious. He thought he could be chill at the movies with Mia, though Spike's mere presence had him wound up.
Spike kept on talking to Mia until Mia heard a splash. She turned around and saw that Jayden had subconsciously crushed his soda cup, forcing all of the soda to spill onto the floor.
"Oh, Jayden! I'll go get napkins for that. I'll be right back," She left and it was just Jayden and Spike.
Jayden looked over to Spike. He was happily munching on his popcorn, completely unaware that he was practically stealing someone else's date. At that moment, Jayden realized that he was jealous of this guy. This guy? He wore baggy shorts and a hoodie two sizes too big for his scrawny structure. He was klutzy, spilling some popcorn on himself in the midst of laughing from a joke told in the movie. Not to be rude, but Jayden was having a bit of difficulty trying to understand why he was being jealous of Spike.
Maybe it was a chance with Mia.
"Hey," Spike said to him, "Did you know that the main guy in this film only got paid half of what his co-stars were getting? Unbelievable,"
"Really? I didn't know that," Jayden had no idea who the main actor was in the film, but did agree that his salary was unbelievable. So he carried on the conversation, but on a topic they both know well, "Just wondering, how do you know Mia?"
"Oh," Spike sighed as he remembered the first encounter fondly, "She helped me get a job. She's really nice. I mean it's hard for me to get a job. They just don't give employment to 9 year olds,"
Jayden nearly choked on his popcorn. He didn't see that coming, "Wait, you're 9?" But he already had visible signs of a beard growing and was already tall and lanky like a teenager.
"Yup. But I look older. I fake a few things on my resumes and I could get hired. And I get to sit on the passenger seat of a car. Booyah!" Jayden breathed a sigh of relief. Mia would never go for a guy that was almost half her age.
"Hey guys, I'm back," Mia returned with tissues to wipe up the mess, "Was there any trouble?"
Jayden leaned back in his seat, staring at both Mia and Spike, "Nope. No trouble here at all."
Eve checked her watch and saw that it was time to go, "Lewis, I have to go. I'll meet you back at the campsite," She rushed off without saying anything else.
Lewis, not wanting to spend the rest of the evening alone, chased after her. He was able to catch up to her in a block away from the cinemas.
"Where are you going?"
Eve sighed and whipped around to say, "Anywhere I haven't looked yet,"
Lewis screamed in frustration, "Eve, you're just so puzzling sometimes. You're always hiding something from us and I hate that! We're best friends yet I have no idea why you wanted to come here!"
"To look for somebody important! She has to be here somewhere,"
"She? Is that what you planned to do tonight? Looking for her?" Then Lewis was struck with a thought. How Eve was suddenly attentive when her parents walked into the theater, he put the pieces together, "Oh god. I'm so stupid for thinking that this was a date! When you were actually keeping an eye on your folks on their date!"
"A date? Lewis, did you think this was a date?"
"It was foolish I know!" He was so ashamed and felt water form in his eyes, "It was foolish for me to think that you'd give me a chance like that. I wish I figured that out sooner. I've spent most of childhood trying to get you to notice me. But I guess I screwed that up! I screw everything up!" Lewis never felt more humiliated in his life, "Look, I hope you find who you're searching for. Just leave the serum task to me," Eve hesitantly handed over her backpack to Lewis and she gazed at him, guilty. She tried to apologize, but he wouldn't listen. Crestfallen, Lewis crept back into the theater.
Eve felt terrible, crushing his feelings in an instant. If she had known that Lewis liked her then she wouldn't have invited him to the movies. It gave him the wrong idea and now he was heartbroken. Forget the mission, she thought to herself. There could be another time for her to search, but at the moment, she needed to make things right with Lewis.
She was making her way back to the Cinemas when she felt someone grabbing her arms. It was a swarm of Moogers. They were too strong and their grip was too tight. She could wriggle out, "Lewis!" she shouted before a Mooger put a hand on her mouth. Her screams were muffled. Eve couldn't morph, her Samuraizer was in her backpack that she gave to Lewis. She had no choice but to be taken into captivity.
Emily had excused herself from the date to go to the bathroom. She returned to the theater to find Lewis sitting by himself. Concerned, she sat next to him, "Where's Eve?"
"She ditched me," he kicked an empty popcorn bucket, "She left me for her mission. Some mission I don't know about because that's how she is, Miss-I-Can-Take-Care-Of-Myself,"
"Then why aren't you with her? I know you're not mad at her. If anything, you should be out there helping with this mission. You would do anything for her, right?" Emily said.
"It's not just that. It's my last day in this time. We are all going to leave after the movies,"
"What? Why?"
"The time machine is almost out of power, and that disappearing act today? Well, if we don't fix the timeline, I would cease to exist,"
"You should be doing something about this. I have to help," Emily began fussing over Lewis like a mother.
Lewis debated whether or not he could go after Eve, but he was too embarrassed to show his face around her anymore. And besides, he needed to give the Rangers the serum. Due to his shyness, he couldn't be brave enough to step through the theater doors and look for Eve. Then he thought back to his mother's words last week,
"I know you can because you're a Ranger... Just think, you're brave enough to face monsters every day..."
He was brave. All the things he had done leading up to that day. He had fought a Nighlok, attended a school, and even faced bullies. He even had the courage to reveal the Secret Oak. Tis trip had done wonders for him and made him realize that he was much braver than he ever thought possible.
Lewis stood up, renewed by some strength he never knew he had, and turned to Emily,"Mom, there is something you could do for me. To ensure the future, please, put the memory serum in everybody's drinks. Please. You need to forget about us,"
Emily shakily took the bottle in her hands and nodded, "I understand. I will still see you, in the future. I love you, son," She hugged him. Then, shouldering Eve's backpack, he marched out the door. He made it outside then he whipped out his Samuraizer to call Eve. he waited for her to pick up. He heard the Samuraizer ringtone, a bit faint but still coherent. She must be somewhere nearby, he thought. But with furt. her speculation, he located the source of the ring. It was in Eve's backpack.
"No," Lewis may never be able to track her now. Then he called Ryder, but no answer from him too. He sat on a bench near an alley, worried, "Where could she be?" he said to himself.
Then all of the sudden, a young woman, about early 20's or so, in a wool shawl appeared from the alley and stood behind him, "Is it a girl with brown hair and a pink jacket you seek?" Her proper language fazed Lewis for a second. This woman didn't seem like the kind of person who would be in an alley. Telling by her appearance, it looked as if she stepped out for a stroll.
But he went back to the question being asked, "Yes. Have you seen her?"
"She was taken by Moogers. They were heading in that direction," she pointed to the right, "You must hurry," A roll of thunder rumbled in the sky. Lewis looked up and saw black clouds forming in the direction the woman pointed to, "there is a storm coming. Good luck, young Samurai."
"Moogers? How do you know about them?" The woman pulled the shawl up to her chin, partially shielding her face though Lewis caught a glimpse of blonde hair peeking from inside the shawl. She retreated to the alley and pounding footsteps could be heard, "Who are you?" he shouted after her, but she was too far ahead.
Lewis forgot about his petty feelings and troubles. Eve was in danger. Rushing inside the theater, not caring if the ushers were on his tail, bursted through the theater doors. Everyone turned to shush at him, but he kept running. He ran until he reached his parents.
"Mom, they took her! The Moogers took Eve to the mountains."
"Whoa. Hold up. Mom?" Mike looked at Emily questioningly, "Mom? You are his mother? What?" He gestured openly to Lewis, "He's like 10!"
Emily stood up pulled Mike to his feet, "Mike. I'll explain everything. But right now we have to save Eve from the Moogers."
"Eve's in trouble?" Jayden asked, suddenly rising from his seat. Mia followed in suit, "Lewis, where is she?"
"On the cliffside where you guys train," Jayden was about to walk off but Mia grabbed his hand. Mia was tired of the secrets. She wanted answers,
"Jayden, what's going on?"
"Yeah. I'm confused too," Kevin said from his theater seat. He scooted onto the aisle with Mentor Ji.
"Kevin? Mentor?" The Samurai Rangers shouted. Shh's ensued. By this point, Antonio had finally found the theater his friends were at. He pushed the doors open and saw them huddled in the middle of the aisle. They saw him enter, "Antonio?"
By this point, they were to be kicked out of the theater for such disturbances.
"We have to leave right now," The Samurai Rangers and Lewis sprinted out of the theater and into the lobby. Once out the doors, Mia pulled Jayden back while the others were getting filled in by Lewis. Her face was serious and was quick to the point.
"Jayden, tell me the truth. What is going on?"
"Mia, now isn't the time,"
"Yes it is!" Jayden stepped back. Mia had never yelled at him before. She continued firing off her words in an angry tone, "I never know what you're doing. It's like you don't trust me. This relationship cannot work if there's no trust. It's like I don't know who you really are."
"Mia... " He didn't want to keep secrets. It was hard living up to the Samurai Code by not being honest. Jayden had two secrets, his and Eve's. He had been keeping his own secret ever since the team assembled. He knew Mia meant that secret. But the current situation had nothing to do with that.
This was ruining their date and he didn't want Mia to remember their first date to be the one where she had to fight Moogers in the rain. He didn't want her to get hurt and the chance for Mia to be fallen prey to the same trap was far too high. He could handle this on his own, "I can't tell you. You need to go home, right now. The entire team has to go home,"
"Why won't you tell me?" shouted the Pink Ranger.
"I'm doing this for you! I'm protecting you by not telling you," Jayden found himself becoming more angry by the second. Mia didn't know that his secret could make or break the team. It could change everything. The fate of the world is rested on his shoulders, it always has been. She didn't know that he was doing this for her, for the team. It was better that way. He cracked. "You have no idea what I've been through, Mia. It's better if you don't know, if all of you don't know! Just stop asking me! Sometimes I just wish..."
"Wish what?"
Jayden, fueled by his frustration, said something he should have never said, "That Ji would have never summoned you guys. I was doing fine, handling the Moogers and the Nighlok by myself,"
Mia's eyes amplified the hurt Jayden's words caused her. She couldn't believe that this was her leader, someone the entire team respected. She couldn't believe that this was the guy who she fell for, "Fine!" Tears were rolling down her face and she couldn't bring herself to look into Jayden's eyes, "Then wish granted," Mia pushed Jayden and aside and headed for the door, "I'm leaving!"
"Fine!" Jayden shouted after her. The Rangers watched the entire fight unfold and heard every word that had been exchanged.
"Dude, why did you say that stuff?" Mike asked. Jayden brushed past the Green Ranger and approached Lewis, "Did you tell them everything?"
"Yes. I had no choice. Eve's in danger,"
"Why? I could have handled it," That was the entire fight was about, not telling the team. He had it under control.
"Mentor Shiba, with all due respect, you are like Eve in every way, a Lone Wolf,"
Jayden chuckled coldly, "You're saying it like it's a bad thing."
"She thought she could handle the Moogers alone. She thought that she could handle situations by herself. Now she's been captured. Sometimes there are things we could never do alone. If she knew that sooner then this would have never happened,"
Jayden, cooled down gradually, realized he had been thinking things the wrong way. Mia was very close to him. He was only worried that he would lose her like he lost his father. After his father's death, he knew he could never be close with anyone again. So he shut out everybody and forced to keep secrets inside. Deep down, he knew that he could have never defeated any of the Moogers without the team. Basically, he wanted to protect the team. Keeping his secrets kept the team safe. Though now he knew, the team could take care of themselves. He made a mistake letting Mia go.
He was about to go after her, but he remembered that Lewis had told his friends everything.
"Mike," Jayden turned back to the Green Samurai Ranger, "how are you holding up? This might have come as a shock."
Mike just shrugged, "Surprisingly, I'm calm about it," Then he ruffled Lewis' hair, "At least I know I'm a good parent for keeping him alive this long. Look, he made it into his teens!"
The team laughed, "Wait," Everyone look to Kevin, "Does this mean I'll die alone?" he asked, noticing that he didn't have any children. Then the team erupted into 'Aww's and 'No way's.
Mentor put his hand on Jayden's shoulder, "So this is what have you been doing? You could have told us."
But before Jayden could answer, his Samuraizer rang. Checking the screen, it was Mia. He flipped it open and began apologizing, "Mia, I'm so sorry. I never should have-"
"Well, well, Red Ranger. You do know how to treat women, do you?" He recognized the voice as Octoroo's.
"Where is she, Octoroo?" Jayden asked fire in his voice. The pit of his stomach was boiling with anger. First Eve, now Mia.
"Well she's enjoying the view of the ocean. She's having a bit of..."mother and daughter" bonding time,"
"If you do anything to them," Jayden spat with venom in his voice, "you will find a blade through your chest. If I see my wife and daughter harmed in any way, I will end you."
"Let's see about that. If you don't come to retrieve them on the cliffside in one hour, they'll be pushed into the ocean. I suggest you start running. Wouldn't waste your Symbol Powers, am I correct? Tick-Tock, Red Ranger"
Ryder finally got the call 5 minutes after Mia's capture. Answering his Samuraizer, he heard rustling and staggered breathing, "Eve is in trouble. Meet us near the cliff in 20 minutes," Lewis was running up to the cliffside with the other Rangers
"11%, Lew. I have to make sure we have enough power to get home. I'm rerouting everything!" Ryder tapped the screen of the gauge, "Not budging a percent,"
"If you do that, then you're taking yourself back because I'm not leaving until Eve is safe," Lewis hung up on him.
Ryder pounded on the control system and growled, "He chooses now to be heroic!" Now he was faced with a terrible decision. The electricity the time machine runs on was only available in the future. It hadn't been invented yet. He could jump into the time vortex now and leave his friends in a different time. Or he could leave the power to run dry and save Eve. And there's disappearing off the face of the Earth to worry about too.
What should he do?
January 10, 2031
Eve was peacefully asleep in her bedroom. Papers were strung out on her bed and her Xel Pad was left turned on. She had been researching on the whereabouts of this person she yearned to find. There were so many questions she needed answered. The research took her the entire night and she welcomed slumber gratefully at midnight.
She didn't hear her mother enter her bedroom. Mia Shiba was dressed in her winter coat and scarf. Her fur boots carefully tip-toed towards her daughter's bed and used her gloved fingers to gingerly pick up the papers covering the sheets. She placed them on her desk without a second glance. She shut down the Xel Pad and tucked it under Eve's favorite storybook on the bedside table. It warmed her heart to still see Eve reading it even at the age of 12.
Mia sat beside her daughter. She softly caressed Eve's sleeping face, "Sweetie, I'm going to go away for a while," She didn't know how long she would be gone, and being away from her only daughter only worsened the situation, "I will be back when the time is right," she settled on those words as her eyes brimmed with tears, "Goodnight, Lina,"
Eve's mouth twitched at the sound of her parent's nickname for her. Mia took this as the chance to leave. She let the tears run down her face upon closing the door.
The sound of the door closing woke up Eve. She saw her clean sheets and her Xel Pad placed on the bedside table. It was her mother's doing. Then she heard it. The sound of a car pulling up to the Shiba House. Eve craned her head to see what was happening out her bedroom window. She could see the front of the black SUV with the Shiba family crest plastered discreetly on the back door.
She could see the slender figure of her mother wheeling a suitcase and putting it into the trunk. Mia took one last gaze at the Shiba House before entering the back seat of the SUV. The SUV rolled down the driveway by the time Eve got to the front door.
The next morning, her father announced to her that they were moving. They were to pack everything and relocate to the Zen House earlier than planned. Her father had the Zen House built for the Shiba House was becoming worn down and dangerous to live in. A few weeks later, everything was packed and the two remaining Shibas left the house that had been in the family for many generations. But something was wrong. Jayden was quick to put the boxes in the truck and wanted Eve to be in the car at all times, not allowing her to help.
Jayden got into the driver seat and sped down the driveway. They cleared the gate when a huge boom rumbled the truck. Behind them, a huge explosion occurred right where the Shiba House was.
Eve was in hysterics. What had happened to her home? Where did her mother go?She wanted to ask her father but he was too busy trying to veer the truck into the right direction.
But only one question stuck with her as they drove to the Zen House: Why hadn't my father said goodbye?
She saw that her father wasn't with her mother when she left. The silence after her departure...Eve knew that he couldn't say goodbye. It would have been all too difficult.
Why hadn't my father said goodbye?
Telling by the forlorn expression on Jayden's face, she could tell that he was thinking the same thing.
Eve's eyes fluttered open. Blinking away her drowsiness and a vivid memory from her past, she recognized the predicament she was in. She was near the cliffside same cliffside she and her dad train near. The arrangement of the trees, the smell of the ocean...it used to bring her comfort. But now, it resembled a scene from Salem witch trials. Lit torches encircled the clearing, Moogers looming over her as a warden would on a prison awaiting sentence. Her hands were chained to a wooden post and her Samuraizer was miles away.
Her head pounded.
A Mooger must have knocked me out.
That explained the headache. Eve's senses were on high alert. Moogers were not clever in any way. Their IQ points added together could only equal to half of her own age. So, there must be a flaw in this system. They could have forgotten to secure her chains or have an area unblocked. Swiveling her head, she saw that the Moogers were arranged perfectly in a circle. Only little space in between them. And the number of Moogers...tripled from the usual amount. Shaking the chains, Eve could tell that they have securely locked her in.
Her chain shaking caused a groan. It was a human female groan. But it was not Eve's. She adjusted herself to see another female had been taken prisoner by the Moogers. No regular civilian could ever pose a threat to the Nighlok, so this must have been Ranger. At the sight of the long jet black hair, Eve's worst fears have come true.
Eve could tell that she was fully awake when she felt the chains rustle and move. The chains clinked together as the girl turned head to check her surroundings, "Where am I?"
"Near a cliffside, in the Northern Woods," Eve responded then shakily asked, "Who are you?'
"I'm Mia,"
A/N: Eve and Mia finally meet!
We took a glimpse of Eve's past. It was a last minute decision to add the destruction to the Shiba House, but it would be sure to tie into the events in the sequel.
Don't you wish your time machine had a pool? The whole 'inside bigger than the outside' came from my Whovian ways. Yup, ontop of Power Ranger I'm into Doctor Who. I should be checking out some crossovers any day now.
I saw a clip from Megaforce. They have Ultra Mode now! It's pretty cool. Can't wait for more episodes in October. Why do we have to wait so long?
The ending is coming soon. We are going to find out who Eve is looking for in a couple of chapters. The rest of the story would reveal a bit more of what happens in the future. There will be huge surprises in the end.
I hope you enjoy the double feature! Thanks for stopping by!
*~Phoebee~*