Chapter Nine: What's The Plan?

"Who wants to go next?" Dekker asked with a smirk on his face.

There was silence. Mia looked up at Mike from her position kneeling next to Kevin. Mia and Mike looked at each other for a minute before Mike broke the eye contact.

"Might as well get it over with." Mike sighed.

Mike walked over towards Dekker and got into a fighting stance. Mike, not being nearly as patient as Kevin, made the first move soon after the spar started. Dekker blocked it easily.

"You're going to have to do better than that if you ever expect to defeat Master Xandred." Dekker smirked.

Dekker was attempting to get under Mike's skin, and it was working. Mike tried to hit Dekker with his katana again, but again he was blocked.

"What, you only play defense? That's…" Mike asked.

Before Mike could finish his sentence Dekker swung his wooden sword at Mike's legs and caused him to fall backwards.

"Trust me green ranger, I play offense too." Dekker said as he walked away from the green ranger.

"I want a rematch." Mike stated.

Mia looked up from checking over Kevin and looked at Mike with horror and shock written all over her face. Going against Dekker once was bad enough, twice could get him killed.

"Mike, don't." Mia warned the green ranger.

"You want a rematch do you? Alright, give it all you've got." Dekker said, acting extremely cocky in his abilities.

"Let's go." Mike taunted.

Mike and Dekker repositioned themselves in the middle of the grassy field. The two were circling each other, waiting to strike. Mike had learned, from his previous spar with Dekker, that it was better to wait. After what seemed like hours of circling, Mike couldn't take it anymore. He swung at Dekker and, like the first time, was blocked easily.

"Have you learned nothing? This training is for me as much as it is you." Dekker said.

"Why would you want to help train us?" Mike asked confused.

"There's a reason I don't work for Xandred you know." Dekker said mysteriously.

"Huh?" Mike said, his hands now by his side and completely distracted.

Dekker took the opportunity and hit Mike, very forcefully, with his katana. While Mike stumbled backwards ready to fall, Dekker hit him much harder than necessary in his leg. Mike immediately fell to the ground in pain, and landed on several sharp rocks and shards of what he assumed was a mirror or a plate. Mike let out a yelp as the objects lodged themselves into his chest, arms, and legs.

***Taken***

"So Jay, how do we wanna do this?" Antonio asked Jayden for the third time.

"Huh?" Jayden asked as he lifted his head to look at Antonio.

"Okay, what's bothering you?" Antonio asked.

"Why do you think something's bothering me?" Jayden asked.

Antonio shook his head side to side looking disappointed, "Jay, I've known you for years. You're always focused, 150%. Now you aren't hearing a word I say. Call me crazy, but I think something is bothering you." Antonio laughed.

"I'm just worried about how I can talk to Em now without things being awkward." Jayden said sadly.

"Just tell her how you feel, considering she kissed you back, she probably feels the same way." Antonio advised his friend.

"Thanks. Now, let's get started on this plan!" Jayden said.

***Taken***

Emily sat in bed with a happy look on her face. Not only had her crush just kissed her, but she overheard Ji telling them he had found the others. Emily felt more helpful knowing it was her clues that led them to the others. But she was still worried, for all she knew they could be severely injured, or worse. But Emily tried not to focus on the bad but on the good.

"Everything is going to be okay." Emily muttered to herself.

"It will be." Ji said as he walked into Emily's room.

Emily jumped as she heard her Mentor's voice in the room.

"You scared me. I didn't know you were here." Emily said as she tried to catch her breath.

"Sorry about that. I just came to check on your stiches. I want to make sure nothing gets infected and that everything is healing properly." Ji said as he walked up to her bed.

"Oh, thanks. So I heard you found them?" Emily asked happily.

"Yes, I did. Jayden and Antonio are going to rescue them tomorrow." Ji said with a smile on his face.

"I want to go." Emily stated.

"No Emily. You could pull your stiches, or get hurt again." Ji said as he continued checking over her wounds.

"But Ji!" Emily protested.

"But nothing. You are not going tomorrow. You will stay here in your bed, where you will be safe." Ji said.

"Fine." Emily mumbled under her breath.

"Now lay on your stomach. I need to look at your back." Ji said as he helped her to flip over.

"Now tell me if this hurts." Ji said as he began undressing the wound.

Emily yelped in pain as Ji touched her stitched up back.

"Sorry." Ji said.

Antonio raced into the room when he heard Emily's scream. Emily looked up and gave him a thumbs up, to tell her she was okay. Jayden then ran into the room and blushed a deep red when Emily looked into his eyes.

"You okay Em?" Jayden asked, with a concerned look plastered on his face.

"Yeah. Perfectly fine." Emily gave Jayden a reassuring smile.

"Okay then, Antonio and I are just gonna go work on a plan then." Jayden said as he and Antonio left the room.

Ji finished cleaning and checking over her wound and he helped Emily to flip back over.

"I think you're gonna live." Ji joked with his youngest ranger.

"I hope we can say that for the others too." Emily whispered.

"Of course we can. I bet you they are all gonna come home tomorrow and you won't be able to tell Dekker ever touched them." Ji said with a reassuring smile.

"I hope so, Ji. I hope so." Emily said.

"Well is there anything else you need?" Ji asked.

"I'm okay, thanks." Emily said.

"Well I'm gonna go check on the boys, just call if you need anything." Ji said as he walked out of the recovery room.

"Can you tell them to come in here when you're done?" Emily asked.

"Sure." said Ji.

***Taken***

Mentor Ji walked into the common room to see Jayden and Antonio staring intently at the map where the prison was located.

"You boys have a plan yet?" Ji asked.

"Yeah, and I think it might actually work." Jayden said with a smile.

"It better, I thought of it!" Antonio defended himself.

"Before I forget, Emily wanted to see you two." Ji said as he walked into the kitchen.

Jayden and Antonio looked at each other and fear washed over Jayden. When girls 'wanted to talk' it was never a good sign. Jayden and Antonio hesitantly made their way to the recovery room and knocked on the door.

"Come in!" Emily said from inside the room.

Antonio slowly opened the door and stepped inside, soon followed by Jayden.

"You wanted to talk to us?" Antonio asked nervously.

"Yeah. Mentor won't let me help you guys tomorrow. I need you to convince him to let me go." Emily said.

"No Em. You should stay here where you'll be safe." Jayden said.

"That's exactly what Mentor Ji said…" Emily pouted.

Antonio and Jayden exchanged a glance before looking back at Emily. Emily lifted her head and looked at her friends.

"Tell you what, you can help. On one condition." Antonio said.

"What is it?" Emily said excitedly.

"You have to do exactly what we say, and you can't go too far away from the house. Got it?" Jayden said, hesitant to let his crush help on this dangerous mission.

"Got it!" Emily smiled.

"Good." Antonio and Jayden said at the same time.

"So what's the plan?" Emily said with a smile on her face.