Fighting to Love (Power Rangers Samurai)

Room For One More

The next day we awaited Antonio in the early morning.

"He's so fast as the gold ranger, I'm surprised he isn't here yet." Emily said, resting her elbows on her knees as she sat down on one of the green chairs.

Kevin sighed. It sounded like one of those sighs where you're really annoyed with somebody, or something. "Just because Antonio showed off during the fight with the nighlock yesterday, doesn't mean he's fast at everything."

I chuckled. "You think? He's never been punctual. He's one of those people who loves to be fashionably late. Antonio has this thing where he pops up when he wants to." I shook my head. "If I know him, he's almost always late unless it's a fishing cruise."

"It's true. We don't know him, like at all, but at least Jayden and Ashlynn can vouch for Antonio." Mia sighed too, but it was more of an exhausted sigh, not an I'm-totally-annoyed-with-this-person-and-I-want-to-strangle-them-now sigh, the one that Kevin had done dramatically earlier.

"Yeah. We were friends from the moment we met. His father owned the local fish market. The times we'd be with each other were the only times I got to feel... well, normal for a change. But it did drive Mentor overboard because he distracted me from training. That was before he had to move away." Jayden smiled fondly. A memory montage was probably playing in his head.

"And that's when I met him." I picked up the story. "His parents had to give his twin sister, Evelyn to Xavier. Her powers were manifesting, and they were afraid people would run away from their business unless Evelyn wasn't protected. A few years later, I met her and we became best friends. Antonio and his family would come and visit once in a while, and many times they brought gifts, but the fun was playing with him. He never really grew up, and I'm surprised he's here, now."

"But if he moved away, how did he become the gold ranger?" Mia wondered aloud.

"Okay, so he has some skills, obviously. But that doesn't make him a true samurai. It doesn't run in his family, and he hasn't had training... real training, that is." Kevin protested. He stood, turned his back to us and started walking away from us. "plus... we don't know what he's up to."

I glanced inside the hallway. Ji was pacing. And Mike, as usual, was playing video games on his game boy with his arse sitting flat in one of the chairs.

"He's late. I can not say I am surprised. Did he say he was bringing the octozord with him?" Ji asked frantically, yet calmly.

"I dunno. Why?" Mike replied without missing a beat, nor looking up from his game.

"Well, when Jayden was a boy, he gave it to Antonio when I was not watching." Ji said, and my eyes widened.

I guess Emily overheard Ji too, because as she was fixing one of the roses in the vase, she said, "What?". She turned to Jayden. "You gave him a zord?"

A smile played on Jayden's lips. "Look, I was a little kid, I didn't know any better."

"By the time I found out, Antonio was already gone, and I didn't think he'd figure out a way to activate it. Jayden threatened to quit being a samurai if I tried to get it back." Ji didn't smile.

"Wow, such a rebel." Mike had finally gotten off his game and stood next to Ji.

"Sounds like you were great friends." Mia smiled.

Antonio slid in (Like literally, slid in..... Ji would have to wax the floor later) and embarrassed himself with the fishing rod.

I wanted to face palm, so, so badly.

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Jayden and Ji had walked out for a private conversation while Antonio tried to fix his pants, and after only Ji returned, then we started an interrogation.