On Fire (Power Rangers Samurai)

62 - Alliance / Bride

"Why have you summoned me? To fight?" Serrator laughed. If Velos was looking for a fight, Serrator felt that he would win unquestionably.

Though Serrator mocked him, Velos wasn't going to lose his cool like last time. He made that promise to himself, and he was a nighlok of his word.

So as Serrator demeaned him by prancing around his cave, aka his new home, he was rather calm.

But even as Serrator gloated, Velos noticed that he kept his guard up and never turned his back for too long. A conversation couldn't work if the other party was too tense.

"Ease yourself... I'm not a fool. I can accept it when a foe is stronger than I am." Velos encouraged Serrator to sit but was declined. "It's established, we are obstacles to each other."

"Don't flatter yourself." Serrator's singing cut Velos off. He seemed to have maintained an irritatingly positive attitude since he was promoted by Master Xandred.

"You may not realize it, but we are two halves of a whole. You have assets in combat and status that I do not. But I have the knowledge you're missing and leeway of course." Velos spoke surely and confidently, giving Serrator little reason to believe that he was lying.

"With that said, there is a way for us to become each other's greatest weapon." Velos piqued Serrator's interest. "But that is only if your ideals align with my assumption."

"Go on." Serrator finally sat across from Velos.

"I assume you don't care to overflow the Sansu River. Rather, you'd like to rule the Sansu as a king." Velos knew he hit the nail on the head by Serrator's reaction.

"But that's where you are lost." Velos continued. "You can't get rid of Master Xandred. Especially as he is recovering more and more. And if the rangers were to seal him to the other world somehow, you'd be stuck with him forever."

"Get to the point." Serrator's patience diminished.

"Ever so kindly, I am willing to lower myself to the position of your right hand nighlok. As I've said earlier, I know something you do not and for that, I have a plan." Velos extended his hand for a handshake.

"Why should I trust you?" Serrator scoffed.

"That is the question I should be asking." Velos laughed. "I've gotten to where I am without any underhanded tactics and sticking to my word. While you've taken my position through outright manipulation and deceit. I'm the one taking a chance here."

"Well, Serrator? We can overthrow that buffoon together."

~~~

The last place Mike would've thought to be wary of nighlok was at a wedding.

It was an intimate gathering at a chapel, with only the front rows filled by those who lived at the Watanabe house.

The chapel looked rustic with its wood-paneled flooring and ceiling, but the romanesque decor made it a beautiful venue for a wedding.

Sitting in the left second row was Mike, Emily, and Kevin, who were all well dressed.

Mike had never worn a suit and tie before, and found more discomfort than appeal in it.

But if he was uncomfortable, he couldn't imagine how uncomfortable Mia must've felt in a wedding dress.

Yet everyone's jaws dropped to the floor as she walked down the aisle.

"She looks beautiful." Emily whispered to Mike in awe. It was a shame that she and Mia haven't been on good terms since their argument.

On the grooms' end, Jayden froze and failed to blink as she approached him. He could feel his heart pang.

When Mia made it to the alter, she stood by his side in front of the fake priest.

The couple literally shined as sunlight burst through the stained glass windows and put a rainbow spotlight on them.

"My granddaughter..." Daisuke cried and blew his nose.

"Hey Kev. Check out Daisuke with the waterworks- You're crying too?" Mike couldn't believe that Kevin was tearing up, given that it was out of character.

"I can't help it." Kevin patted his eyes with a handkerchief.

Before Jayden could begin to read the vow he found off the Internet, Mike got a call from Antonio.

"They've hit a different wedding! I couldn't stop them!" Antonio sounded out of breath through the samuraizer. "Another bride was taken."

"Dammit, they saw through our plan!" Mike called out.

Everyone felt disappointed. They put a lot of energy into making their fake wedding as real as possible.

~~~

"What can we do if they didn't fall for our fake wedding..." Emily worried.

"They've only targeted weddings in this area over here." Jayden pointed to the map. "I think our only option is to have all weddings in this area canceled except for one. One wedding that we will crash."

"There's another problem." Antonio frowned. "They recognize us. The nighlok and moogers have seen our faces dozens of times. I couldn't save the bride today because they recognized me and singled me out."

"Ah, that's probably why they didn't come to our fake wedding too." Kevin snapped his fingers. "I agree with canceling all weddings except for one. We could disguise ourselves and jump on the moogers."

"We can't." Lauren disagreed with the plan. "We can spy on a wedding and win a battle, but we will never know where they are taking the brides unless we get them to take one of us there."

She knew it was risky, but it seemed like there was no other option than to put herself out there.