#izzy garcia

Everyone moves back into place—Javi and Izzy between the rest of the team and the flag in the barrel. There is practically crackling with the competitive energy his team is giving off. It's not a bad thing per se, but he knows he'll need to keep an eye on it and make sure it doesn't get out of control.

Zayto blows the whistle to signal the start and the team is immediately in motion. It's like watching a dance. The lessons on footwork and movement have definitely taken hold, becoming more muscle memory than thought. It's extremely satisfying to see the fruits of their labor when he can actually enjoy it rather than life or death battle.

It all happens so fast. One minute Javi and Izzy are dancing around, blocking and repelling attempts at their flag. The next, Izzy screams, drops her saber, and the game is very abruptly over. Her hand is clamped on her arm and there is blood flowing liberally between, over, around her fingers.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to," Aiyon exclaims.

Javi goes from concerned big brother to pissed off one in two seconds flat. "What the hell, man?"

"It was an accident!"

"Enough," Zayto barks, cutting through whatever arguement may have been about to start. "Javi, get her to Solon."

Javi wastes one more second glaring at Aiyon before he teleports away with Izzy. The clearing is abruptly silent, those remaining looking around at each other somewhat awkwardly. Zayto shakes his head.

"Aiyon, what happened?"

Aiyon's face goes abruptly mutinous, "I said it was an accident!"

"Chill, we don't think you hurt her on purpose, man," Ollie says soothingly. Zayto shoots him a grateful look.

"Javi does," Aiyon mutters.

"Javi is in big brother mode," Amelia replies.

Aiyon sighs, looks down at the saber in his hand, which draws Zayto's eyes to it as well. He registers the blood on the blade just before he friend drops it like it burned him.

"I'm used to the mosa blade," Aiyon nearly whispers, like he's confessing a sin. "It was only a split second but I forgot I had the extra reach."

Zayto reaches out and squeezes his friend's shoulder. "We've been practicing unmorphed for months now with real blades. We're honestly lucky it hasn't happened sooner."

"We should probably practice with training swords," Ollie agrees. "The odds were always in favor of someone getting hurt this way."

"Besides, the Power will heal a little cut like that," Amelia adds, smiling warmly.

"I wouldn't go back to base just yet, though."

Before they can get on a roll of quips and comebacks, their in-helmet commms chirp. Izzy does stop then and Javi almost stumbles of a root as he moves to her side. He doesn't need to see her face to know she's smirking at him.

"Teams check in," Zayto orders.

Javi lifts his comm to answer. "Team Garcia here, not a sign. The flashlights only help so much."

"Team Ollyon here—"

"Absolutely not," Ollie protests before Aiyon can say anything more. Javi has to stiffle his laughter. Whoever taught their alien friend about portmanteaus is no doubt at the top of their blue ranger's hitlist.

"We got nothin'," Aiyon goes on, the shit eating grin he's no doubt wearing clear in his voice.

"Keep looking," Zayto commands, somehow not reacting to their teammates' antics. "We have to get a sample of that venom for Solon."

It's a sobering reminder of just why they haven't given up the hunt for the night. One of the campers that had called in the report had gotten stung by the sporix beast, which was by the other camper's description some kind twisted scorpion looking thing. The afflicted camper was in dire straits, not to mention agony from whatever the venom was doing to him inside.

Solon is doing what she can for the victim but they're on a ticking clock.

Izzy starts hiking again and Javi follows her with renewed determination. They have to find this sporix beast—failure is absolutely not an option. He's pretty sure his ranger instincts wouldn't even let him sleep no matter how much he wants to, not with a life hanging in the balance.

He'll never know what prompts him to look up. There's no sound, no hint of danger. Maybe it's some brotherly instinct.

Whatever it is, Javi looks up into the trees and spots the dark for just before it drops. There's no time for a warning. He throws himself at his sister's back, hearing her startled shout just before a heavy weight slams down on him.

Zayto had once warned them about the weakness of their suits and the protection the Power provides. He'd stressed that extreme electric current can demorph them. And to avoid piercing attacks at all cost.

Something sharp drills through his suit and buries just under his right shoulder blade. The only reason he doesn't scream at the white-hot agony is because the sporix beast's weight knocked all the breath out of him and is keeping him from drawing any back in. It's worse than when he'd broken his arm falling out of the tree is dad had very specifically told him and Izzy not to climb.

There's fire burning through in his blood, spreading with each pump of his heart. His mind is nothing but oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck. He's only vaguely aware of the weight lifting off of him or of being dragged up, a crushing bearhug the only thing keeping him vertical.

"Let him go!"

Javi's big brother instincts react again to Izzy's fury and he finds the strength to lift his head. He hasn't heard her sound that angry since he accidentally broke her hockey stick.

"Move and I'll ssssting him again," the sporix beast hisses in the most stereotypical movie insect voice.

Everything is agony, but he's pretty sure his sister is vibrating with rage. It's almost palpable, like ionic chaged atmosphere before a lightning strike. Someone is going to suffer and he has just enough state of mind to be glad it's not him this time.

"I said. Let. Him. Go."

Javi's body vibrates with the monster's mocking laughter. "You're in no position to make demands, Green Ranger. If he doesn't get the anti-venom in the next 24 hours your Black Ranger will die the most painful death you can imagine."

Considering the fire burning through Javi's body, he doesn't doubt the sporix beast's words. He's had shots that hurt, that he could swear he felt the vacine going in, but he'll absolutely never complain about them ever again. This, this is what it's like to feel something sear through his blood, his muscle, every inch of his skin.

It's not until the monster shakes him roughly and tells him to "sssshut up or I'll really give you ssssomething to cry about" that he even realizes his been keening and whimpering. His body reacts by succumbing the blackness that's been growing at the corner of his vision.

"—ssssporix chesssst to me," the monster is saying as Javi becomes aware of the world again.

"And if I give you our sporix, you swear you'll give me the anit-venom and let him go?" Izzy questions, sounding rightly dubious.

"Almossst, I can give you a ssssample of my venom."

"You don't have the anti-venom?"

Javi has never heard that low, deadly tone from his sister before. He's heard her scream (at him), shriek (also at him), and other expressions of anger, but this—this gives him chills. It's more terrifying than if she was being loud.

"Why would I?"

Izzy literally growls as if she's channeling the tiger spirit. "If my brother dies because you don't have an anti-venom, I will destory you—and then I'll find a way to destory your sporix form, do you understand me?"

"You—"

"Snooze key, ready!"

"Wh—" the monster starts, its body in the process of twisting towards the new voice.

"Snooze time!"

The sporix beast's bearhug immediately goes loose and Javi wills his legs to hold him, but they give out at the same time the monster tips backwards. Izzy must dive for him because the next thing he knows she's cradling him gently in her arms. She's being as careful as she can, he can tell she is, but she must not know where the stinger got him because she accidentally touches it.

This time Javi does scream and the world goes out.