Shift Steel: Rise of the Machines (S2)

As Jun finished his time at the cafe, he began walking his way to the Stadium to meet up with the others. Since he was walking there, it was going to take a few minutes to get there.

Cole shook his head and sighed. "I shouldn't have let him push my buttons like that," he said. He looked at the clock and gave a small smile. "We need to get going if we're gonna meet up with the others at the boxing match. And Kida's being stubborn and won't let me pay back the money for our tickets. I told her I was going to and she said if I did, she'd burn the money right in front of me."
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At SPD, Ken shook his head as he watched the fight footage from the battles with Nanomite. "It isn't good enough. I'm not good enough. I have to get better if I'm going to lead," he said.

"Even though you aren't the leader?" Zara asked, walking into her nephews office and folding her arms. "Ken, you aren't hte one in charge out there. You don't have to "get better". you're find the way you are."

"No!" Ken snapped. "If I don't get better, someone else is going to die and I won't let that happen a third time!"

Zara sighed softly, knowing where Ken's head was at. "Even after all this time, you still blame yourself for Moze?" she asked. "You didn't kill her--"

"But I stood there watching while she took teh final blow!" Ken threw his coffee mug against the wall, watching it shatter. "I stood there like an idiot after Dad killed himself because Dhazan wouldn't go down, and then Moze took the last strike for herself. It shouldnt' have been her."

"But it was. She knew what she was doing," Zara said. "I'm just sorry I didn't get to meet her. She seemed like a good person."

"She was," Ken said. He looked at the time an sighed, picking his Ranger Key up and tucking it into his pocket against the Morpher. "I have to go....being forced to this fucking boxing match. Would rather stay here and keep scanning for the Machines."

"And get thrown around by Kida again? Yeah, no," Zara said, hugging Ken. "I'll keep an eye on things here. If we get alerts, I'll let you know."

Ken nodded, walking out and heading for the garage, getting on his Royal Steed before taking off for hte stadium.
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Jax teleported out of the base, bringing his tablet with him just in case. He walked out of the alley, seeing Kida making her way down the street. "Hey!"

"Hey," Kida said with a small smile. "Everything secure at the base?"

"Yep. brought this just in case," Jax said, patting the tablet at his side. "We the first ones?"

"Looks like," Kida said. "We'll just hang out here while we wait for the others."

Amara smiled, thankful Boss accepted. "I couldn't think of anyone better," she said. She looked down at the other two bags of food, snickering. "I'm gonna go wait in his office. We're gonna eat and then meet up with the others at the Stadium for the boxing match."

"Okay. Have fun and be careful." Boss said. As Amara was leaving her office, the sounds of loud yelling and laughing could be heard down the hallway, approaching Derek's office. The culprit was none other than Derek himself, doubled over like he just went a few rounds with Khatok.

"Probably won't be back in the office today, Boss. I...." Derek stood straight up, feeling heavier than usual. He rubbed his stomach. "No, haven't gained weight. I wonder why I feel so heavy." Derek said, followed by the faint sound of giggling. Playing along, Derek scratched his chin. "Guess it must be my ears playing tricks on me since just about everyone is downstairs in the lounge playing a game. I'd hate for someone to miss the new game.."

Suddenly, a kid jumped off of Derek's back, giggling after she hung on to his back while he escaped the other kids. After she darted towards the elevator, Derek could only smile before finally turning his attention to Boss and Amara. "Oh hey girls. What I miss?"

"Outside of you just happening to get up here when the food arrives? Nothing at all." Boss admitted, knowing Derek would be more concerned with the bag of food.

"Oooooh." Derek looked down at the bag.

Cole nodded and smiled softly. "Yeah," he said. "I'll have Wendy field any calls and just take notes, and we'll deal with it tomorrow or the next day. I want to see this match. My money's actually on the Tifa girl."

"I'm definitely cheering for her. I heard she's on the Cinderella run. Beating the best fighters during her match streak." Olivier says, walking with her husband to the parking lot. Once she enters his Mustang, she looks at him sitting beside her. "This is going to be awesome!"

"I'm definitely cheering for her. I heard she's on the Cinderella run. Beating the best fighters during her match streak." Olivier says, walking with her husband to the parking lot. Once she enters his Mustang, she looks at him sitting beside her. "This is going to be awesome!"

"She's already taken out Aloy McGrath, Kestra Cole-Fenix, Lena "Tracer" Hargrave, and a couple others. And now she's facing Kaitlynn Harper. That girl has sent several opponents to the hospital with her uppercuts and body blows," Cole said, starting the car up. "I've done my research. Thorston's going to have to do a hell of a job in the first three rounds if she wants to gain any sort of advantage." The Green Ranger took off, heading for the Stadium.
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"We can eat on the way. I know I got side tracked thanks to that little army downstairs." Derek began walking into his office, looking at his clothes that were hanging in his small closet.

"And you love that little army and you know it," Amara said with a smile, leaning against the door and watching Derek. She bit her lip, knowing she should talk to him about the conversation she had with Boss, but she didn't know if it was the right time, so she decided to fudge a little.

"Oh, I've got my usual "all encompassing lady things" appointment in a few weeks. I'll probably take the day off and have Kida leave me out of any fighting that day just in case things take forever," she said. "I'll call you when I get home, though."

"She's already taken out Aloy McGrath, Kestra Cole-Fenix, Lena "Tracer" Hargrave, and a couple others. And now she's facing Kaitlynn Harper. That girl has sent several opponents to the hospital with her uppercuts and body blows," Cole said, starting the car up. "I've done my research. Thorston's going to have to do a hell of a job in the first three rounds if she wants to gain any sort of advantage." The Green Ranger took off, heading for the Stadium.

"That's true. Harper is the best of the best. It's going to take more than her usual methods for Tifa to beat her. She has to prove her detractors wrong." Olivier says, leaning against the passenger seat. "Like the rest of us on daily battles against our foes."

"Out we go then. It'll be nice to see a fight that doesn't involve me getting punched in the face." Derek smiled as he left his office with Amara, quickly making their way to the fight.

When Derek and Amara passed her office, Boss put on a smile, but was extremely concerned. She really wanted Amara to figure out for sure sooner rather than later for the possible baby's sake or at least stay out of the field until she knows for sure.