Time Force Delta Squad: Trapped (S2 Game)

Kari looked over her shoulder and forced a smile at Sojiro. "I promise, I'm going to be okay. I'm back to me and nothing is going to change that again." She said with a nod before continuing path to her room.

Seeing the forced smile, Sojiro narrowed his eyebrows, "More like you're holding it in... it doesn't look healthy at all," he said in a mutter.

Tanjiro sighed to himself as he walked back into the bridge, sitting down nad rubbing at his throat, feeling the knick from the scalpel from earlier. "Circuit."

"Yes, Tanjiro?" the bird asked, floating over. "Is something the matter?"

"Do you think we'll ever mesh? Like they did before?" Tanjiro asked. "Or are we just wasting time?"

Circuit was quiet, the only sounds being the ambient noises of the computer. After a minute, he began to speak. "I am unsure. The rift that seems to be forming between the crew over K'hysh is growing, and everyone wants something different. Add the Commander's lies and secrets, her manipulation of the situation with K'hysh's supposed death, and the way things are going now, I cannot be sure what will happen. All I can offer is the idea that things might get better, but it feels like a long shot."

Tanjiro nodded, sighing as he leaned back in his seat. "Do you still have access to the files from the Nausis war?"

"I do."

"Can I have them? I want to read everything I can on what happened last year, and I want to learn how best to help my team. Because Arianas, not K'hysh, is going after them personally, and I want to make sure I have the knowledge needed to help them. She's already gone after Cody, Sojiro, and now Kari. The only one left is Alluka. I want to find out anything I can just in case she's next on the firing line." Tanjiro looked at Circuit. "Give me the files."

Circuit nodded, a tablet coming from the console. "That is everything from the time they were selected as Rangers by Commander Scotts to the day K'hysh arrived on the Lunar Colonies."

Tanjiro nodded, taking the tablet and getting back to his feet. "Thank you, Circuit." He turned and walked off, heading for his quarters. He walekd in and shut the door, sitting at his desk and opening the tablet, starting to read the files, listening when audio files were available.

With Kari's anger subsided and small hope planted that K'hysh can be saved, even with everyone's feelings on the matter split, the Rangers were left in a broken place at the end of the day. Unfortunately, it was this fracture that the Battalion would be able to use in the coming days...
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(OOC: Time for Alluka's focus! It's two days later and we'll get to the meat of the ep soon. Be doing your own things right now.)

It's been two days since Fumiosa and Kari's angry outburst, as well as K'hysh's reappearance rocking the team. While the team heals from their last battle, tensions are still slightly high. M'yrnn was hopeful that his sister could be rescued, and hopefully without much incident, but when voicing his opinion, another round of yelling had started, leading to the Silver Ranger leaving the Waverunner. Tanjiro, meanwhile, had been reading the old files constantly, taking the tablet with him to the cafe he liked.

Today found Tanjiro sitting outside in the sunlight, and he chuckled when the waitress, Celeste, brought out another cup of coffee and set it down, sitting across from him. "On break, Celeste?" he asked, not looking up from the tablet, his eyes reading each word about the Rangers trip to 1917 Angel Grove during the Spanish Flu outbreak. He tapped the button and shut the tablet, looking at the other woman.

"You know it, sugar. And I want to spend it with my favorite customer," Celeste said with a smile. "What're you readin', darlin'?"

"I guess you could call it history. It's everything my friends did before I joined their team. I guess I'm just....trying to find ways to keep the peace and hope it works..."
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M'yrnn, meanwhile, stood on a rooftop in downtown, looking down at the city. "I wish we could come to a consensus about my sister. I want to save her, Kari does, and Tanjiro is convinced. Sojiro and the others are still skeptical, even after seeing her alive. H'ronmeer, I wish this was easier!" He flung his hand out, hearing the sound of metal crunching. He looked back as an air conditioning unit was crushed into a ball.

"Fuck."

The past two days, Alluka is on bedrest. Her injuries from the previous battle remains on gradual process, and yet she wants to get active. Dramatic as it is, she can't wait around any longer. Not when Arianas's next move is coming up. Currently, she's at the Training Room in Silver Guardians HQ doing light exercises.

It's the most imperative reason to be active right now, she considers saying, but the corner of her eye catches Cody and Rolo approaching. He has his hand on his nephew's back, his head dipped down like he's reassuring him or reminding him of something. She hears Cody tell Rolo to keep his distance.

"Don't you think you reached your limit? The last thing I don't want you to have is an embolism." Cody asks, strolling up next to her.

"Aye. But I have to keep going. Who knows what the Queen has in store for me. I got to be prepared." Alluka frowns, sighing slightly. "To what do I owe the pleasure, Cody?"

"Just checking how you're doing. You weren't there in the morning."

"Oh. I just... need to catch up. I am still angry over everything. Everyone's words has got to me that I just blew it with Flare. It does not help that K'hysh's brief return bring more questions than answers." Alluka swallows thickly.

"Same here." Cody agrees solemnly. "And Rolo saw it."

"How?"

"Circuit." Cody mutters in disappointment. He turns his head to see his nephew's back hunched forward, probably playing a game or texting his friends on his phone. "He's trying to prove a point to Rolo that K'hysh is fighting back but he made it worse. I think Rolo is walking on eggshells, not sure who he can trust."

Alluka gazes at Rolo, her heart aches for the boy. "While Circuit has understandable reasons, he should not have done that. Living through trauma is a tricky situation especially for a child like Rolo who deals this greatly. Thinking of this make me realized none of us cannot figure out who we can trust including each other. Perhaps we are stuck with our own trauma that we do not see the big picture."

"Ah." Cody answers solemnly, allowing the time to pass by with her.

"Do you have any plans for today?"

Alluka shakes her head. "Not really. I was going to hide in our bed to sleep the day away because everything is hopeless. I am not accustomed to do things outside of work."

"So no hobbies." It's a statement, not a question from Cody's end. He and Alluka begins to walk towards the exit, "Girth once told me that I should find some kind of outlet, you know like uh writing, or biking, or whatever.”

Alluka nods. She’s often heard those terms; it was one of the reasons she avoids therapy.

Cody adds. “I tried, but they weren’t-weren’t really my thing. So I went outside and -”

"Found solace with the equestrian farm. You took me there twice." Alluka smiles softly. "Are you saying I should go outside and feel the breeze on the farm?"

"No." Cody's eyebrows furrowed. "More like-"

"Hangout with me.” Rolo’s voice chirps from the bench.

Alluka whips her head around to meet the boy. "You sure? I do not want to impose your time with your uncle. Unless you two set me up on purpose."

Rolo shakes his head slightly as he stares up at her. "Not really. You and me haven't hung out much lately."

"Perhaps you two could spend the day together. Have some fun. Maybe you'll learn something.” Cody chimes in with an offer. "I'm going to catch up on things I've been missed. It's long overdue."

Alluka isn’t sure how she feels about this. She hasn't been in the best of moods lately. She can't remember the last time she have fun. Well, she can, it is just the memory is tainted in a way she doesn't want to know. "I guess it will not be too bad. It is better than hiding under the cocoon of our blanket."

"Then it's settled." While keeping his hand in Alluka’s, Cody looks over towards Rolo, his smile soft as ever. “Love you Kid. Have fun with your hero today.”

Rolo rolls his eyes but smiles anyway. “Love you Uncle Corduroy.” Rolo replies, putting his phone away and drags his backpack with him so he can scavenge.

Cody turns his attention on Alluka once more. Keeping one hand linked with hers, he brings his other up to cup her face. Alluka leans into the touch, letting her eyes fall closed for a moment.

“Have fun today. Send me lots of pictures, okay?”

Alluka lets a faint smile spread across her face. “Okay.”

Cody looks her over a moment. “I’ll come pick him up later, and we can do dinner or something.” As if reading her thoughts, Cody leans up close, first pressing a kiss over her forehead, and over her lips, sealing them together. “I’ll see you later, Love.”

Alluka deepens their kiss, tugging Cody to her a moment, wanting, no, needing, to have him close. “Go be a badass Beloved.”

Cody huffs out a laugh for it and Alluka plastering a smile on her face. As soon as Cody leaves, she lets it fade. It doesn’t come back until she turns toward Rolo. “Alright Bat, What are we doing first?”

While Alluka and Rolo are having their time, Cody goes on his route, seeking one person he wants to reach out. With the promise he keeps with K'hysh, he has to start somewhere so he can at least be on respective terms with the team. Once he arrives at the lab, he peeks from the corner and spots Kari working on her studies. Out of all his friends, he knows Kari is going great lengths to save her girlfriend and despite the rocky terms she and him are having, they must share common ground in order to move forward.

Stepping inside, Cody walks over to stand next to Kari. "Hey, um, Kari, can we talk?" He asks softly.

As Sojiro made his way back to the Silver Guardians HQ, he stopped by at Alluka's room to see if she has recovered, "Knock. Knock," he called out.

"I would say how are you feeling, but you and I both know it's not like that." Cody replies, rubbing his neck with his fingers. "I will say this, I never- I never intend to hurt you by my actions. Even though I say my stance, it does affect everyone. You most importantly. You don't deserve it." He exhales. "With K'hysh reappearing, well... it's a lot. It's all very confusing. Yet, comforting." He explains. "You don't have to forgive me right away. I just want to be accountable for this. I may not agree with everything, what's important is I respect your stance and support you. I'm - I'm willing to help you save K'hysh from Arianas."

Kari listened and took a breath while trying to figure out how she wanted to respond. She smiled softly and looked at the young man. "Cody, thank you. But if anyone is needing to start the apology train, it's me." She said giving him and slight shrug. "I let K'hysh disappearing absolutely run my life. It consumed me and I let it come between my relationships with my team. We're family at the end of the day, we are going to fight and disagree and have differing opinions. It's part of what makes us human and individuals." She said with a smile. "That means, you've already been forgiven and with how things went with me, I don't really know where to start." She finished.