Time Force Delta Squad: Trapped (S2 Game)

Kari took the morpher from Aiko's hand and let out a small sigh and slight gasp. "It's not that simp.." She started but broke off. "He lashed out and I went right back to who I was when he first joined the team.." She said shaking her head. "I'm an idiot." She finished moving to sit on the bed, all while trying to catch her breath. "He can't just quit..." She said softly to herself while holding the morpher in front of her.

Kari took Aiko's words in and sat on them for a second before she said anything. "Aiko, I didn't..." She said looking over at the doctor. "You're absolutely right. We are used to this at this point, but he's not." She said shaking her head and looking back to the morpher. "We had each other when he doesn't really have anyone.." She said looking back up to the doctor. "He's the only rookie." She took in a deep breath. "I need to find him." 

"I don't kno...." Kari started but cut off as she was pulled from her room. "Talk to me, what's the plan here?" She asked.

Alluka knows it’s stupid. Beyond stupid, really. But Tanjiro’s words stayed with her, following her into her brain. It's not that she's harsh on him, it's just that... it never occurs to her that Tanjiro is just a rookie throwing a tantrum. Rolo is a child and she sees him throwing tantrums in some occasions but not as extreme as his.

After storming off, the Umekian vents her anger at the training room, throwing energy blasts she doesn't know she has. The more she unleashes, the higher her emotions be in an unstable way. She hates being manipulated. She hates being called the opposite of who she is. But she can’t. Frustration clogs her throat.

“How’s it coming, Beloved?” Cody asks as he strides across the deck past where she’s attacking every target dummy.

“It is not,” Alluka says shortly, trying to wrestle down her temper.

“You’ll get there. What you done is not your fault.” Cody smiles at her, and it’s the last thing she wants to see or hear right now. She knows that he means it, that he really thinks she can do it, and he’s wrong.

“Oh yeah? How would you know?” Alluka snaps, her powers flaring. “You a fixer now?”

Cody frowns at her. “No. I was just—”

“Do not,” Alluka cuts him off. She’s in no mood for an assurance. She’s sick of being told it's not her fault when it is, when she already knows she’ll only fail someone again. The guilt is already weighing on her, and she’s going to let Cody down now, all because he insists on believing in her, because he doesn’t get it.

“Oh, I'm sorry,” Cody says, so sarcastically that her temper boils up more. “The lady wishes silence, I should have known.”

Alluka glares at him. “No, I just do not need you nagging me about this.”

“Nagging? I asked a question.”

“Yeah, that is what nagging is. Are you done yet? Is it working? I mean, how would you like it if I stood over you the whole time—”

“I asked one fucking question,” Cody snaps, the lingering confusion and concern banishes.

This make Alluka feel worse. She can feel tears rising somewhere inside her, her powers leaden weight threatening to crush them out of her. “I cannot do it, okay?” She glares at him, which helps keep the tears at bay, at least. “So do not tell me it is not my fault, because it is, and I do not need—I do not want to hear how the mess is not on me because it is, okay, it is on me.”

“Noted,” Cody grits out. “I shall refrain from trying to help.”

Cody moves past her, and Alluka’s heart sinks to somewhere around her knees, because this isn’t what she wants. This is all wrong. He’s the one person she’s got, the one person who’s on her side in all of this, and she’s being awful, she’s driving him away, and she doesn’t know how to call him back. She opens her mouth, his name stuck somewhere in her throat.

The Blue Ranger’s taken three or four steps when he huffs out a breath, stops, and turns back around. “No,” he says. “That wasn’t fair, was it? I’m sorry.”

Alluka stares at him. “Aye.” The Umekian's voice is gone, and she has to clear her throat. “Me too. Look, I just—I am trying, okay, but it is difficult to handle the situation, and believe me if I knew how to—”

“Luka,” Cody cuts her off. “I know. I wasn’t trying to pressure you.”

Alluka looks at him for another moment, feeling the last of her anger and powers drain away. Only the guilt remains. She really shouldn’t have snapped at him. “Aye. Apologies.”

“I really was just trying to cheer you up,” Cody says tentatively. “I thought it might help, to—I thought that if you’re having trouble believing in yourself, it might help to know that I do.”

“That makes it worse,” Alluka says, feeling desperation crawl up inside her again. “Because what Sasorias's actions done to me, Tanjiro calling me out. I just- I cannot, I know I cannot, and I am going to let you down now, and I hate it.”

“Oh. That really isn’t what I meant. I don’t expect anything from you, you know." Cody shakes his head. He takes another step towards her a few seconds later. “It’s been hectic lately. We haven’t really had much time to address what happened, but—keeping everyone in line was harder than you let on, wasn’t it?”

Alluka hesitates. She doesn’t really want to talk about it, doesn’t want to admit it—it feels like a weakness, and she hates that. But he apologized. He doesn’t walk away. He’s here, asking, letting her explain. “It feels like I lost control of everything. I let K'hysh down. I was supposed to teach Tanjiro everything there is to know but he threw his words back to my face. I never deal with a rookie who was new to everything."

Cody offers a small smile and rubs his neck. “I know a t-thing or two about that.”

“That is different, though. I taught you everything there was to know. You handle this occupation by stride.”

"Yet I-I push you away when dealing with my life. I didn't want you and the others to be involved because you'd j-judge me for what I'd done. You all c-checked on me regardless. I think this is what Tan is feeling."

Alluka's eyebrows furrow, her teeth bites her lower lip. "Tanjiro has been doing well until today. He pushes to the extreme. He ignores I and Soujiro's attempts of assurance. He questions his place in life..." And suddenly Alluka feels really stupid.

"We haven't properly consider his feelings." Cody adds softly, his scratching pauses. "I g-guess we're caught up with our own lives, we haven't thought about him. He's suddenly thrust into this role as a Power Ranger, trying to live up to K'hysh and us that he suffers the weight and we overlook him."

"I should have been there for him, not lashing out on him like a child. That is on me."

"It's on me too. I have been juggling with my life with Rolo and you, work, friends, and -" Cody pauses, uncertain if he's ready to mention his body wearing down.

"And?"

Cody shakes his head. "Doesn't matter. All I'm saying is after we find him, we allow him to be comfortable in our inner circle at his own pace."

“You have a point. We are all raised differently,” Alluka says. After several minutes of silence, she eventually opens up, “Apologies,” she says. “Lost my temper. I should not have taken it out on you.”

“It’s all right. Like I said, I understand. I didn’t know you’d take my words that way.”

“Yeah, you could not know that. I just hate losing control.”

“Well, then, stop it."

Alluka gives him a look. Cody just shrugs. “Come now, you and I both know you had no way of knowing,” he says, a hint of impatience creeping into his voice. “Sometimes things happen. Everyone has a breaking point sooner or later. In everyone's case, sooner.”

Much as Alluka hates to admit it, he’s got a point. She has been feeling kind of sorry for herself and Tanjiro. She narrows her eyes at him anyway. “Anyone ever tell you that you suck at pep talks?”

Cody smirks. “As I recall, you didn’t want a pep talk.”

“Whatever,” Alluka grumbles. He laughs at her, and after a moment, she has to join in. “Okay. I am done sulking now.”

Cody laughs again. “Excellent.” Then he adds, "Would you like to come with me to look for Tan?"

Alluka considers but shakes her head softly. "Later. After I cool down some more."

Cody smiles, seemingly accepts her answer. "I'll see you back." With that said, he steps out of the training room and heads outside to search for his Red teammate.

"Okay, that's actually super smart." Kari said as the two finally arrived in command.

"On it." Kari said after watching him on the screens before settling where he was. She spun and shot out of command then soon, she shot out of the entire building heading for Tan.

Cody knows finding Tanjiro won't be an easy task. Since the base is out of the option, he'll have to scour him through the streets and the park. With a huff, he keeps walking, making sure to stop every once in a while for his aching body's sake. "If I were Tan, where could I be?"
_________

Alluka takes the time to consider her thoughts after her conversation with her boyfriend. Sometimes she forgets Tanjiro is new to everything to the point it comes crashing down. No matter the encouragements, all Tanjiro needs is a friend to lean on.

As the Umekian steps out of the training room, she turns her head to see Soujiro leaving as well. Having the similar feeling, she opts to follow her Agronite friend in search for Tanjiro.