Stay Safe, Stay Hidden My Brother.

Chapter Three: What We Have To Do.

Lauren charged down the hill, the dirk kicking up to her feet as she rushed down it.  From where they started running, the Nighlok in the little village was clear, Aracinator. Instinctively, her hand immediately rushed to her pocket, pulling out her samurizer. She hoped the rest of the team was following her lead.

"Samuraizer!" She called out while throwing the device to the front, then pulling it behind her shoulder. "Go-Go Samurai!" The rest of the team echoed her call not long after.

Her bright red armor clothed her after a puff of the fire symbols surrounded her view. The light in front of Lauren dimmed with the addition of her helmet.

The team soon reached the road where the screams were coming from, it was him. Lauren hadn't seen him herself, being away with Decker, but she knew it was the Nighlok her team had spoken of. Though, he did look slightly different than what was described. She didn't remember any orange on him or a more frightening appearance.

No, that didn't matter now. Lauren looked over to Emily. "I know him, that's the one that got away!"

Lauren shook her head. "No matter. We have to beat him now and not let him get away again." She moved her hand to her belt, unlatching her sword. Bringing it up, she pointed it towards the frightening Nighlok. Seeming to see her, he growled into the sky. Her lip curled. 'Keep growling Nighlok.'

"Come! Let's go!"

Lauren hurried up to him, dodging his first hit with ease. It was like he didn't know what he was doing, as if he was being manipulated. He tried to hit again, luckily Kevin and Mike jumped in front to keep him from hitting. Emily and Mia moved to the back, but he shoved them before they could get a clear hit. Lauren passed where Kevin and Mike were standing to try at another hit, he dodged once again.

'What's with this guy?!' She was always so precise and now each hit was being dodged! No Nighlok had done that before..this was so..odd?

Lauren was in such a daze that she didn't realize Aracinator was aiming for her once again. Luckily Mike and Kevin were at her sides, now moving to block his attack. Like her previous blocks, Aracnitor avoided them. He slid over to Mike's side, nudging him with what she assumed to be his elbow. Mike fell down, and Kevin met his side soon after when he tried to charge at the powerful Nighlok. Lauren hurried to her two teammates. "Mike, Kevin!" The others followed her.

"Damn," Mike huffed, "He got away again."

Emily snapped her head back to check. Lauren followed her gaze and looked around. He just..vanished. That fast? "Yeah." Lauren looked back at the two. "We should go back, Antonio isn't here, he might be working on the black box."

"Right."

********

"We got beat." Mike swiftly sat on a chair, claiming one before the rest of the team. Lauren of course got the middle chair as always. Emily sighed deeply from her pursed lips. "Yeah, he's even stronger than when he ran away."

Lauren wasn't exactly sure what they were detailing. She never saw this event, due to being poisoned and taken by Deker.

Then Antonio's miraculous rescue.

At her own thoughts, Lauren tilted her head. "You also said he looked different?" She questioned.

Mia nodded, looking at her. "Yes. He looked less..big. Last time he just looked like this usual Nighlok we've fought before."

'Like usual?' Lauren thought the question, her brain was already feeling tired from the fight. The confusion of this advanced Nighlok wasn't helping her train of thought.

"Hm. This is odd. A stronger Nighlok, I don't think we've ever encountered a Nighlok that got stronger after one time meeting it."

Kevin hummed, his finger was on his chin like he was deep in thought himself. "Well it wouldn't really be a surprise, we've encountered strong Nighloks before."

Lauren shook her head. "Sure, but this is a new level of strength. It must have come from Xandred or..someone nearly as strong as him." She stood before her team, finger on her chin. After a few moments, her thought returned to Antonio. He was working on the black box after all. She glanced to Ji. "Ji, is Antonio still in one of the training rooms? He's working on the black box?"

Ji pressed his stick to the floor before nodding. "Yes. He should be. That was the last time i saw him, though he might have also gone fishing, his focus has been so--all over the place."

Lauren edged past the sitting team, turning only briefly to speak. "I'm going to ask him if he has any ideas. He didn't show up for the fight but still, he may know something."

The team all made nods, and Ji followed, sitting at where she sat previously. She could slightly hear him start to discuss when she went further down the hall to the room where Antonio should be. The door was not even shut completely. Grunts came from the crack.

"Symbol power!"

"Am I interrupting?" Lauren interjected, crossing her arms while resting her back on the doorframe. Antonio didn't wait more than moments to turn, lowering his projected arm and samurizer. The gold sparkles tailed into black box. Antonio made a light smile with his strained head. "Hey...Lauren..."

Lauren stepped off of the doorframe, getting close to the middle of the room. The box was on a pedestal at the end of the decorated walls. It was sitting still, like a powerless still. Antonio sighed. "This is taking forever...I don't know if I'll ever get it done..." His nervous hand ruffled the back of his fluffy hair.

Lauren's gaze shifted from the box to Antonio. Continuously shifting between the two. Antonio's expression caught her eyes, keeping her to look at him. "It's okay Antonio. We may need it, but you cannot overexert yourself." She layered her hand on his shoulder, earning a flinch from her contact.

Antonio frowned, quickly looking at her hand. His eyes soon darted to stay on her own. "Lauren you know he will come back—we can't wait—" his voice was in a panicked whisper.

Lauren reflected his gaze. She raised her eyebrows. "We can. The rest of the team and I will make a plan," her hand went to hold his own. He was shaking, fidgeting even harder on her cold one, "you, need to focus on the box. But not kill yourself while doing so."

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Helllo! Sorry, it's taken so long to update but I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! 

Thanks for reading! 

--MFP--