"Yasu? What have you to report?" It was Chief Numa O on the screen in the Dekaroom the next morning. Yasu had contacted him while everyone was still asleep.
"Mize, Braze, and Ratz are deleted, finally, you'll probably get a report from Kruger in a few weeks." Yasu said, "But a new problem has arisen, and I feel I need to stay here a while longer."
"Problem? What has Earth Branch gotten into now?"
"Easy, you remember a promise you promised to Swan and Kruger nearly 20 years ago?"
"Vaguely." Numa said.
"Well, Tang is on Earth and has already had Swan in his grasp once, but we managed to rescue her." Yasu took note of his surprise look when she reported that. "I want to stay to make sure that Swan doesn't become a target again, and try to delete Tang."
"Alright, good luck with that." Numa said, then cut the transmission.
Yasu sighed softly as she looked around the quiet room. They didn't want to bring harm to Swan, but they also had to locate and convict Tang, in hopes they can delete him.
"Oh how I want to return to Planet Lunar." She muttered, looking outside. It was still very early, so the sun hasn't fully risen. Looking out the window, Yasu watches the activity outside increase with each ray of light that comes over the horizon. She turned her head slightly, someone had entered the room. Finding that it was only Jasmine, she turns her attention back outside.
Jasmine, meanwhile, wondered what Yasu was doing up so early. The ESPer could tell that Yasu was more or less a loner who didn't mind given a friendly hug or a helpful hint, but rarely spoke about what was on her mind.
"Tell me, Jasmine, how did you come to being a Dekaranger?" Yasu suddenly asked, breaking the silence.
"Boss saved me." Jasmine said, walking closer so she didn't have to talk too loud, "I was about ready to die when he saved my life, and my sanity." She looked at her gloved hands, then removed them both. "Sometimes I wonder what it's like, to just be free, but with everyone's thoughts often roaming the air, I keep my gloves on." Yasu remained silent, watching her companion. She had placed her gloves on Kruger's desk and walked around the room without them on. "Sometime I do take them off, just to air my hands out." Remembering back when Umeko tried to mimic her, she mimic Umeko later, confusing Doggie.
"I would think, by this point, you would have gained some sort of control with them off now." Yasu said, staring back out the window. "If it helps, you can keep them off for a while, I don't think anyone else will be up for a while."
"Won't I break you privacy?" Jasmine asked, looking at the girl in purple.
"I keep myself to myself." Yasu admitted, "Sometimes I don't even know what I'm thinking of." Jasmine smiled, and took up on the offer and kept her gloves off.
The boys were in the shooting range, practicing their shots. All of them were worried about Swan, but didn't want to bother the medics if they hung around. Umeko was in her bubble bath, but one could see her worries in her eyes. While the boys tried to perfect their scores, Hoji doing it naturally, Umeko tried to drown her worries in her bath. Everyone's thoughts were the same, even when apart and not talking about it.
Out of all of them, Doggie has known Swan the longest, but he too was unconscious. The medics let him rest in his own room, knowing he would wake eventually. With the start of winter coming, they knew he would be up in time for his all-nighter. They knew that Doggie too worries for Swan's safety, since he was issued to be her bodyguard when she was separating from Tang. He didn't know that it was Tang that knocked him out, though.
The Sprit of the Guard Dog sat quietly in a corner of the room. He wanted Doggie to rest without him inside, so that he could fully recover. In the lifetimes he has spent away from the gate of hell he protects, this was the first time he had encountered a time where he had to be separated from his vessel. Of course, this was also the first time he had revealed himself to his vessel, since it was a rule not to reveal oneself to the vessel. He felt that in this lifetime, it would be all right to be known, for it has given Kruger an edge as a Dekaranger, being feared throughout the universe. Getting up, he walks through the walls to the medical wing to where Swan was resting. The Guard Dog knew she was going through a difficult time, she doesn't know what to do, with Tang about on earth. Turning his head, he spots Umeko enter the room and sat down next to Swan. With the start of the morning, was also the start of when the Dekas would watch over Swan. Smiling, he leaves back to Kruger's room.
Doggie opened his eyes to the darkness of his room. His bed supported his weaken body as he tried to gather his senses again. Once again he realized that his guard was not up to speed, having not worked for him lately. Tank had once told him that if those he cares about are threatened, he himself is threaten and his instincts react much to slow. He knew there was a flaw to that theory, having had his reflexes and instincts work together three years ago when he rescued Swan from BenG.
"Ever since Tank died, I've been reminded of all the wisdom he once told me." He muttered in his native language. Getting out of his bed, Doggie puts his uniform on while staring at his father's leather jacket.
A pup and his parents were going fishing one year with their family friend. The dark blue dog, the father of the pup, turned and faced that friend.
"Aleric, take a picture, will ya!" he called, tossing a camera over.
"Sure." Aleric replied. The pup stood between his parents, who bent down next to him. After the picture was taken, Aleric walked over.
"Daddy, do I get to have a copy of the picture?" the pup asked.
"Probably not, Junior, but this way, when I get the copy, I'll always be with you and mommy." The dark blue dog said.
"Money's low, so we'll be lucky to get single shots of this film." The ice blue dog said, picking up the pup.
Shaking his head, Doggie pulls himself back into the present. Doggie never got to see what the picture looked like back then, and figured he never would. With a dishearten sigh, he walks out of his room and heads to the Dekaroom in hopes to be filled in on what has been happening. Upon entering, everyone inside looked happy to see him on his feet.
"Boss." Sen said, passing him some tea. Doggie accepted it.
"What happened? The last thing I remember was getting hit upside the head." Doggie said, sitting down at his desk.
"Tang's what happened." Tetsu said. Doggie's shoulders sagged when he heard that. "He kidnapped you and Swan, we were lucky to find you guys after the fact."
"And Swan?" Doggie asked, fear building up inside him.
"She was stabbed with a poison knife," Yasu said, she saw the fear in his eyes, "Don't worry, she's going to be alright."
"I should've been more alert." Doggie said, "I'm suppose to protect Swan from him."
"Beating yourself over the fact isn't going to help find him and capture him." Jasmine said, "We work as fast as we could to rescue you two, now you can help us locate him."
"It's not that simple." Doggie said, shaking the guilt off his shoulders, "When he knows the Special Police is after him, he avoids them unless he spots his target."
"Who happens to be Swan." Sen said.
"Swan's been his target from the very beginning." Doggie said, "Pretending to love her in order to get close enough to do what he has done to many other women, he messed up when Swan spotted him with another women during their time together, nearly 20 yeas ago now." Doggie went quiet after saying that, unsure of what to do. The team looked at each other, and then went about to locate Tang in hopes of capturing him before any more danger fell on Swan.
A week has passed, and the team has had no luck in capturing Tang. By this point Swan has recovered somewhat and started to hang out in the Dekaroom. Neither she nor Doggie spoke much, but it wasn't out of fear of Tang, it was because they feared each other's safety.
"Found Tang again, Southern Park about 15 miles from here." Hoji reported. "Should we give chase?"
"No." Doggie said, "you'll just lose him again.
"But Boss!" Umeko said, "If we don't catch him, he'll cause havoc."
"I'm aware of that." Kruger said, nearly shouting, "but you can't get anywhere near him."
"I could dress up again." Tetsu said, trying not to flinch from Doggie's outburst.
"He isn't that stupid." Swan suddenly said, surprising everyone but Doggie.
"So what can we do?" Sen asked.
"I'm the only one who can get close to him." Swan said, "I'll go."
"Swan-san, you'd just be playing into his hand!" Jasmine said.
"Don't do it." Umeko pleaded.
Swan just smiles softly, then walks over to Doggie. "Do you have faith in me, Doggie?"
The light blue dog looked down at his desk. The Dekas hoped he was on their side, they didn't want Swan in danger. Doggie looks up and looks into everyone's eyes, then into Swan's.
"There's no changing your mind, is there." Doggie said.
"It's my choice." Swan said, somewhat sadly.
"I'm sure you can do it, then." Doggie said. He then reached into his uniform and pulled out his gun, "Use this."
Swan took the gun with shaky hands. She honestly didn't think Doggie was going to let her go. Holding the gun against her chest, she swallows hard.
"I won't let him play me." Swan said hoarsely, before heading to the door.
"Delete him, then I'll come pick you up." Doggie called, Swan stopped and turned back to him, then nodded. After that she was out of sight. "Hoji, track her license."
"Roger." He said weakly, then hurried over to the computer.
"Boss, you've got to be kidding!" Umeko shrieked. Sen was quick to hold her back from going all out on their chief. Doggie didn't say anything.
Meanwhile, Swan took a taxi to the location Tang was at. Her arm started to hurt, since it was still recovering from being stabbed, but Swan paid it no heed. She had a mission to do, and she couldn't let anything fog her mind up. Once at the Southern Park, Swan slowly walked in, looking around. Checking on her license real quick, she took note that Tang was still in the area. Walking around some more, she soon spotted him, waiting for her.
"Swan, about time you returned to me." He said as he started to walk forward.
"Stay back Tang." She said boldly, gripping her license. He stopped and looked at her.
"What's wrong? Has being part of the Special Police blinded you of our love?"
"It's true I still have affection for you, but do you really think after stabbing me that you could recover that love?" Swan inquired.
"Yes, I do think that!" he said, taking another step forward, but stopped when Swan held her license up.
"Chiryo Seijin Tang," Swan stated, "for killing those whom you had pleasure with, and stalking me, Judgement!"
"Judgement time!" the little device said, trapping Tang in its judgement field.
"You really think the court can prove anything?" Tang called, but got no response from Swan, who was praying that it would prove him guilty, and approve deletion. It seemed to take forever to make its decision, but Swan felt herself smile internally when it gave the approval. "No…" Tang muttered, not believing what he saw.
"I can settle things with you right now." Swan said, putting her license away, but Tang was already making his move, racing to Swan. When Swan saw this, she quickly reached for Kruger's gun.
"Don't do it Swan, please." He pleaded, gripping her shoulders. "I don't want to harm you."
"So why did you take the lives of the others?" She asked, trying to push Tang away.
"Temptation, I fell for the temptation of it." He said.
"All it takes is Temptation." Swan said, "I saw everything, no matter how much you think that I was tricked, I saw everything you did that day 18 years ago."
"Don't lie to me." This time, Tang was growing closer to her, and Swan's eyes widen.
...A Solar Eclipse...
"Boss! A gunshot came over Swan's license." Hoji suddenly called, turning to Kruger.
"I'm going out there." Doggie said, getting up, "keep me posted if you get anymore information."
"Alright, Boss." Hoji said, watching the big blue dog take his leave. Yasu stares at the door as it closes, wondering what happened out there.
Getting on the Machine Husky, Kruger starts it up. It was the night of winter, and it wasn't smart to drive the motorcycle, but Doggie didn't care. When he got outside, the snow was lightly falling. Driving to the park, he wonders what happened. I'm coming Swan, don't worry. He thought as he watches the road. The traffic seemed to have never existed, as the roads were quiet. It allowed Kruger to move quickly down the road.
Once at the Southern Park, he parks the motorcycle and gets off of it. Walking slowly, he keeps his eyes open. As he got closer to the middle, he spotted two figures lying there, unmoving. Once he was within a few feet, he recognized Swan on the ground. The other man, who Kruger identified to be Tang, had a gunshot wound right through his head. He remains standing there, watching Swan.
After waiting ten minutes, Swan finally moves, realizing that there was someone in the area. Upon seeing Doggie, Swan quickly got on her feet and walked over to him. Doggie could tell she was fighting another wave of tears as she handed him back his gun. Taking it, he puts it away. No sooner then he did that, then did Swan tear into his arms, sobbing hard.
"Hey, it's alright." He whispered to her, wrapping his arms around her. He watched as the body faded away, showing that the spirit had been taken away. "You did what you had to."
"But… will it be enough?" she asked weakly.
"Love is a powerful emotion," Doggie whispered, "you may be hurting now, but you'll find someone else, if you haven't already."
Swan lifted her head up, looking at Doggie. She knew whom he meant, but she also knew she would have to recover emotionally, and he was going to let her do that. Plopping her head back on his chest, she takes in the same comfort he gave her 18 years ago, when she broke up with Tang.
It didn't take long for Doggie to realize she had fallen asleep, and he carefully picks her up and carries her to the motorcycle. After a slow drive, he returns to Dekabase and carries the sleeping Swan to her room, which Umeko had opened for him. After tucking her in, Doggie leaves the room and prepares for his all-nighter.
"I'll see you all in the morning." Doggie says as they leave the Dekaroom. They all nodded and leave.
"I think I'll go home to Lunar." Yasu said, heading for the door after the team left, "I'll stop by sometime, and you and I can spar."
"Sounds like a plan, I'll see you around, Yasu."
"Later Kruger." She said, then waved as she exited the room.
Staring out the window, he watches as her ship leaves Dekabase, ascending into the night sky. With a sad smile, he sits down and starts to think on what he should get everyone for Christmas.