Chapter 5: A Wrong Turn

A couple days after defeating Akashi, the rangers were recovered, but still waiting for Serrater to attack again. While the rangers were training, Jayden accidentally dropped his bamboo stick, tripping Alex. He however, Took it as if Jayden did it on purpose. "Sorry about that." Jayden apologized to Alex picking up his sword. "Don't try to pretend it was an accident. We both know it was on purpose." Alex responded. "You can't be serious. Why would I do that on purpose?" "Because you can't stand the fact that I'm better than you." Alex rebutted, "All this time you haven't been able to take Serrater down. In only a couple short battles I've come closer to it than you ever have. I think you're feeling a little heat." "Whatever… One of these days you're ego is going to be your worst enemy." "Are they seriously starting again?" Mike asked Kevin. "I hope not, if we ever want to beat the Nighlock they have to work together." Overhearing this Mentor told them that it was enough training for one day. Antonio said "Maybe he's just tired, let him cool off and he should be good." "It doesn't matter, so far, they haven't been able to work together. I fear it may have been a mistake giving him the tiger disk." Said Mentor. "We need him to help finish off Akashi, then, I'll have to take the disk back… We can only trust him until he can learn to control his emotions." Unknown to the rangers in the room, Alex was listening to them talk. Only hearing Mentor's last sentence, leaving before Mentor said "We can only trust him..." though. "So they're just using me, let's see how far you can get without me then."

The next day the gap sensor went off, once again, it was Akashi, but this time, it appeared that he had some sort of armor. "This is the end of the line, we're finishing you off now, Nighlock." Jayden told Akashi. "You have to get to me first, rangers. Moogers, attack!" After the rangers were fighting Akashi, he began to get the upper hand, as none of their attacks seemed to do any harm. soon it was just Jayden and Alex fighting him. Alex, still angry about Jayden tripping him and what Mentor had said, he shoved Jayden out of the way. "Stay out of my way, I'll handle this." "No, we have to work together." Jayden used the fire sword but it did no harm. Alex was just standing there holding the tiger disk, contemplating whether or not to help the rangers. "Well, what are you waiting for? Use it!" "Why? So you just take it from me? You're on your own now." "Fine, I'll finish you myself." However, when Jayden got back up Akashi took him down with one swift strike. when the rest of the rangers got there, they just saw Jayden. As Alex had already left. "Where did Alex go?" Mike asked. "He left, he overheard Mentor and us last night. He still has the tiger disk. We have to find him." Jayden said as he struggled to get up. "No, we're too hurt right now. We'll have to find him tomorrow."

When the rangers got back to the Shiba house, Mentor asked them "What happened?" "Alex, that's what. He just abandoned us. He took the tiger disk with him though." "Oh no, I feared this would happen. You have to find him tomorrow when you're rested." "I'll go find him, maybe I can talk some sense into him." Antonio told Mentor. "No, he's too dangerous. You all must find him together, and retrieve the disk. Without it, the megazord combinations are limited." Later on the next day the rangers had searched, what seemed to them, the whole city. Without any trace of Alex. "Ugh. This is pointless!" Said a very tired and frustrated Mike. "We can't stop, we have to find the disk." Jayden responded. "Maybe we should split up. Antonio, Emily and Mia search while we look in another area." "I agree with Kev, we'll have a better chance of finding him this way." Mike agreed." Jayden said "Then it's settled. Let's split up." about an hour later Jayden, Mike and Kevin found Alex in the forest area where Jayden and Dekker battled. "What are you three doing here?" Alex questioned. "We came here for the disk. I made a mistake giving it to you. You broke your trust." "I broke it? How about planning to take the disk when I fight your battle for you?" "You don't know the whole story. You need to control your emotions before we can trust you with the disk." "I can control them just fine, and I don't need some lower-grade ranger telling me what to do. I don't need to fight on your side." That's the difference between us, we fight for the greater good y-" "I never said I don't fight for good, but I sure don't fight for you. You gave me the disk, if you want it, you can just try to take it from me." "Jayden, we need to get the disk back before the Nighlock attack again." "I know…" "Well, what's it going to be, rangers?" "I didn't want to have to do this." Then Jayden, Kevin and Mike went after Alex, and began to battle him for the tiger disk. He first beat Kevin, kicking him into a tree and striking him with his sword. Then he beat Mike, which left only Him and Jayden. "If you just give up the disk now you can come back to the Shiba house." "Ha, not a chance. I work alone, and I should've kept it that way." "Then you bring your own defeat." Jayden and Alex battled into the forest until it was dark, Alex knocked Jayden's sword from his hand and struck him with his special weapon. Just before Mike, Kevin and the other rangers found Jayden. Alex disappeared into the forest. "Come on, let's get Jayden back to the Shiba house." Antonio said. "What happened?" "He beat me, we have to figure out how to beat him when he has the disk." The next morning the gap sensor went off, however, Jayden, Kevin and Mike were still too injured to battle. "Antonio, Mia and Emily, you three go fight the Nighlock. I'll take care of them here." "On it." The the three rangers surprise, it was only Moogers they seemed to find. With no Nighlock monster in sight. "Why are there all these Moogers with no nighlock?" said Emily. "I don't know, but I don't Like it" Mia said. While they were busy with the Moogers, Serrater was on another part of town, reeking havoc. "Stop right there, Serrater." "White ranger, what a pleasant surprise. No ranger friends?" "I work alone, and I don't need them to take you down." When the three rangers finished off the Moogers, they eventually found Serrater and Alex battling. "Who's side is this guy on?" cried Antonio. "I don't even know who to attack." said Mia. It didn't matter, Serrater ended up drying out, and went back into the

Netherworld. "Hey, you ready to give us back that disk?" " Not a chance." And before the rangers knew it, he ran away. They decided it was best to go back to the Shiba house. "Any sign of Alex?" Jayden asked. "Yeah, he was fighting Serrater, and when that was done he took off." The next day the gap sensor went off. All of the rangers, including the injured three, went to fight the Nighlock. But Akashi had already begun fighting Alex. However, Akashi managed to hit the tiger disk, and began to beat Alex. the rangers hesitated for a minute, before deciding to go help Alex. Akashi dried out and went back to the Netherworld. "Why did you do that?" Asked Alex. "Because we're samurai, we're not going to just leave you for dead. Do you want to come back to the Shiba house?" "On one condition, I keep the disk." "Fine." Said Jayden. But he and Mentor had a plan.

Chapter 6 will be here soon, I promise!