DetectiveRed

Big thanks to all of you that have been checking out this story. Its more a passion project with little mass appeal so im glad some people are enjoying it!

“Why are they running?” I shouted to Clay. 

This wasn't normal. Dysphorus always had a plan, and the anemobots weren't sentient, so why were they running?

“I don’t know! Maybe to wear us down?” they responded. 

I instinctively ducked under a flying table.  If they were trying to lure us into a trap, why were they throwing stuff at us? Wouldn't that discourage the chasing

“Then why don’t they just fight like normal?”

“Again, I don’t know! I’m trying to figure it out.”

A chair came flying towards us. What was with them trying to cause property damage as well? Usually, they were content just fighting us. What was different this time? What were they trying to accomplish?

“Guys, watch out for the civilians!” Blain shouted.

A quick glance showed what he was talking about. His pink suit had been covered in dirt, he'd clearly been knocked off his feet.

"You okay, Pink?"

"I'm fine! But they threw a soil bag at a kid, he could have been seriously hurt." Behind him there was a child, he couldn’t have been any older than eight. The kid looked up at Blain like he was the coolest thing to ever exist. Blain turned to face the youngster. “You should get to your guardian, kiddo.”

“Wow!” The kid responded. He was either trying to calm down, or in awe that he’d just been saved by a real Euphora Ranger. We’d all stopped to make sure the kid was alright, but we couldn’t stop for much longer.

“They’re making us split our attention,” Alex said.

"Then we should focus on protecting people instead of chasing them. They want us to follow so we shouldn't." 

"You have a point, Pink, but we can't let them run amuck." There had to be a way to do both, right?

"Well, Yellow, what would you suggest?" 

"We need to split our attention. I don’t want to say doing what they want is the only option, but it’s all I can come up with. Got any ideas, Black?"

"I'm trying to figure out what they want aside from chaos. Red, you’re team leader: what do we do?"

Of course it fell to me to make the big decisions. It’s not like I was still struggling with the fear of letting people get hurt again or anything. If Gold was here, figuring out what to do would be a lot easier. We could split up and have teams of three, allowing both teams to focus on one thing instead of two, but since Gold wasn’t here for some reason we were left with uneven teams, and we’d need as much manpower on both teams if we were going to pull it off since we were likely walking into a trap. 

“Blue, Black, with me. We'll focus on chasing. Yellow and Pink, focus on keeping the civilians safe and catch up when you can,” I barked. 

Silently, everyone got into formation. Stella, Clay, and I dashed around the debris being thrown by the Anemobots.  Blain and Alex would be able to catch up eventually. Blain's strength and Alex's quick thinking hadn't failed as a team before. 

I ducked under a table, Stella jumped it somehow, and Clay strafed out of the way. Coming up from my duck, I was greeted by our missing teammate. Gold. It would have been far more useful for him to appear earlier when I was dividing the teams, but that would be too convenient. 

“Sorry I’m late.” Hopefully Gold’s appearance would make springing their trap less dangerous. 

“It’s fine, we just need to keep chasing-- Did they just stop?” Stella exclaimed.

“Finally ready for a fight?” I asked, knowing full well these creatures didn’t really have the ability to respond. 

The creatures charged us. A simple fight: this was so much better than chasing. I just had to get into the rhythm of dodging, countering, finding openings and striking. Easier said than done, but it was satisfying. 

"Red, look out!" Clay shouted.

There was a sharp pain in my back and before I knew it I was on the ground, being crushed by an Anemobot.

“Sorry,” Gold said. There was something wrong with his voice. It had taken on a cocky tone to it. Had Stella inspired him to be less emotionless?

“Give a heads up next time!” 

I tried to push the thing off me. Thankfully these things didn't have the strongest grips. Maybe it was overkill to throw it at one of its kind, but I refused to be the only one getting hit with flying 'bots.

What was taking the others so long?

A thud.

"Why did you do that, Goldie?"

I turned to see Gold standing over Clay. What happened this time?

"You were in my way." That monotone voice of his sounded more sinister than usual.

"That doesn't mean you roundhouse kick me in the head."

"I'll do it again."

"What is wrong with you?" Clay was moving back slowly. The anemobots were watching, likely wondering what was going on as much as I was.

"Nothing." 

A kick to the side. This wasn't right. I needed to check in with Astrus. Maybe he could get this loose cannon out of here. 

I tapped on my communicator.

"Astrus, can you teleport Goldie back to the command center? He's attacking Clay," I whispered. I couldn't let Gold hear me.

"Gold's morpher is with me. They quit after what happened at the food court.

"Then who's that?"

"An imposter. I'll talk to Justin and see if I can convince him to help.”

Stella was cautiously approaching the fake. I had to warn her. 

"What's wrong, Gold?" Of course she would try and calm it down. What else would she try and do? 

"Nothing is wrong. I'm better than ever." 

I needed to do something. Get between them before she figures it out and it attacks.

"You were crying earlier."

I concentrated on summoning the Thorn Sabre while the creature was completely focused on her.

"So? Something was in my eye."

Clay had scooched far enough from the thing to no longer be in any real danger. Unfortunately, Stella was getting closer. 

"We both know that's not true."

There was a rustling in the trees and a light out of the corner of my eye. That had to be the others, right?

"You don't know anything, Blue."

The real Gold had appeared behind Stella. 

"I know you are lonely, Gold."

"How can I be lonely with all these friends?" it shouted. Was it just normal for non-humans to be dramatic assholes?

With his announcement a new wave of Anemobots appeared. They cut off my route to her as fake Gold lunged for her. 

"Stella!" Gold jumped at the fake and grabbed a hold of Stella's arm, pulling her out of the creature's grip.

"Sorry, Stella, the Gold you were trying to talk down is a fake." Everyone needed to know what was going on. 

"I kind of got that."

"I'm sorry!" Was that emotion in Goldie's voice? He sounded genuine. I almost wanted to forgive him for ditching us.

"It's okay," Stella said. Her voice was soothing even when she wasn’t talking to you. There was no way he wouldn't feel better.

------------

Why did she have to be nice? First, I hurt them. Next I left without telling them, and last I was making them feel bad for me. Why was that allowed?

"It's not, I keep making the worst decisions," I needed her to stop caring.

"Gold, I'm glad you're here, but we need to focus on the fake you right now," Joanne said. I don't have a clue how she stayed so level headed.

"Sorry."

"No more apologising. We need to deal with this thing."

‘Thing’ was a perfect way to describe me. An annoying thing that got in the way. Maybe this would be cathartic. 

"Got it."

I zigzagged through the anemobots. I didn't want to deal with them. They were between me and finally doing something right. Maybe it was time to use the power I'd been given.

"Roo Gauntlets activate."

There was a warm tingling sensation in my hands as they were surrounded by the magical weapons. Perfect. 

I dashed once more to get face to face with the disgusting creature in front of me. Its body looked broken, wrong. I wondered if behind its helmet it had my face as well. I wanted to find out.

The first swing launched it into a nearby lamp post. These gloves somehow made my pathetic punches powerful. 

As I walked over to where it landed I noticed the others had arrived. They were keeping the anemobots busy. No one would stop me from dealing with myself.

"You didn't even hesitate, kid," the creature said, in that awful monotone I could never get rid of. "For someone so full of himself you certainly have no problems beating yourself up." Even the monsters thought I was a piece of shit. I couldn't blame it. I did already hurt the others with my stupidity. 

The creature swung back at me, knocking me off my feet. It hurt but I deserved it. I know I deserved it. 

----------

The anemobots were down. That only left the fake Gold to deal with, and from the looks of it he either had it handled, or he needed to be teleported back to the command centre immediately for medical attention. 

"Which one of you is the real you, Goldie?" Stella asked, her Wombatzooka ready to launch. 

"Help me," the one on the ground gasped. 

"Is there a difference? Shoot us both." God he was a drama queen. Or it was a drama queen. I couldn't tell. 

"Justin, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," the one on top said.

"Alex, Blain grab the one on top."

The two guys pulled the exhausted looking culprit off of his broken doppelganger.

"Thank you," the one on the ground gasped. And Stella launched her rocket and blew the broken creature away.