If I was the original pink I probably wouldn't be having this much trouble. I shoot an arrow into the black welds holding the creature together and duck behind a tree. His bow skills, his selflessness and understanding of how to use his powers were all so much better than mine are. This would probably be done if I was anything like him.

I unleash another arrow into it and run behind the next tree I can see, unsure if it hits its mark. The tree I was hiding behind is obliterated as the creature runs into it. I'm not the best shot. My current knowledge comes from a school camp where I got separated from Scott and got really into archery for a bit to distract myself. And the power of the suit. Mostly that. I need to just keep going. 

Scott runs distraction. Trying to draw its attention while not getting caught so I can continue to line up shots. He hits the back of an arm and runs away. I could have been that tree-- not the time. My cue to draw my arrow. The tip looks like two hooks, the beak of a galah. It's designed to pierce and then latch onto the foe. Which is cool. It's what our plan relies on. I release another shot into the creature and I run behind the nearest tree.

The monster screams and I peek around the corner of my new tree. Scott rips my arrow from the black substance keeping the monster together and with it, the weld is pulled from the carapace. He couldn't have done that without me, could he? Scott throws the arrow to the side. Its screams become ear-splitting as I approach. The cracks we unsealed show the pulsating flesh underneath. 

"Would you like to do the honours, Fi?"

"I think I'm going to be sick."

"More fun for me then." He shouts as he stabs his blade into its flesh. It's roar is deafening. If it wasn't trying to kill Scott earlier I might feel bad for it. It's back explodes like a firework had been hidden in there. From what I've read this isn't it though. It's probably going to--

"Make my monster grow!" Loch's irritating voice echoes around us. 

Scott jumps away from the monster. It's feet quickly become as tall as him and it keeps growing. Thank the power we are in the park.

"Thorny, come to me!" Scott shouts. Of course he's named it. The ground shakes as a giant mecha thorny devil appears on the ground. It opens its mouth and Scott disappears in a red beam of light.

"Galah, help me!" I thrust my morpher into the air and a squawk rings out. If the monster relied on its hearing, it would be deafened. The pink light envelops me again and I reappear in the cockpit.

I pull the bird higher and start looking for weak points. It tries to swipe me from the air but I'm easily able to dodge out of the way and pull up a little higher.

"You are a natural." Scott says.

"It's just the suit!"

"Well it's doing a good job making you look good."

"Scott!"

"I meant your flying."

"Hey guys, we can hear you in your giant robots." Summers' voice comes through the speakers around me. I change the radio channel. It's more important to focus on the monster. I can't think of how Summer is trying to let us know that we sound like we are flirting. We were flirting weren't we? God. 

"Scott, have you changed the channel?" The monster hadn't seemed to change it's composition when it grew. The weld we'd ripped out had healed and that was about it. The bird and I should be able to rip those veins of tar out of it. Right?

"Yeah. Let's just deal with this thing." His voice is wobbly. He's probably blushing right now. And I can't see it. 

"Same strategy?"

"Yeah. I think so. You're mech has like a humanoid mode right? I'll tear its joints with the galah's beak. You stab it."

"Sounds good."

On the displays, the monster's disgusting features are blown up. Each fleshy crustacean piece looks different from the other pieces around it. The colors are slightly mismatched. The seams where each piece has been glued together bulge out. It's like a Frankenstein's monster of crab bits. The seams on its front seem to be the weakest. That's where I'd hit it first.

The area surrounding the monster is devoid of human life, most animals have also scrammed. If this thing falls back or something no one else should be hurt. I take a deep breath. I grab onto the wheel of the mech and aim it's beak for the first seam on its chest. 

I feel air rushing past my face despite being shielded by the cockpit. It's gonna take getting used to. A second later and we have contact. My body and mech slam into the creature. The force knocks it back and the mech embeds each foot into the black substance. It slaps at the side of my mech with one of its many hands. 

My side hurts, like a bruise has been pushed into. My jaw clenches and the mech bites into the black stuff. This is reckless. 

The Frankencrab hits me again. It's massive claws attempting to remove my bird from its broken chest. My face hurts, my jaws starting to ache from clenching but it's all I can do to not scream. What am I doing?

Scott and his mech approach slowly. 

"Filia, are you alright?"

Another hit to the head. This time the back. If this was actually happening I would think I'm about to die. It hurts. Scott's going to worry. I need to get out of this.

"I'm fine, Scott." My voice strains and for a second I sound like my usual self. What's gonna happen after this fight.

It grabs my wings with four of its claws and starts trying to pry me off. A loud tearing noise echoes from its massive body as it rips out the stitches holding it together. Scott moves closer getting ready to stab it. It holds my bird and I in its giant hands. It drops us, and then uses another arm to slam us into the ground. The pain in my back is excruciating. I let out a grunt as I start falling. If I die, what would my body look like? Would any of the sacrifices I made matter? Would it be Ryan or Filia in the cockpit?

I need to live. I'm not dying as Ryan.

A loud crash and my displays go black. My body hurts all over. The world turns pink and I hear the faint sound of an explosion before falling asleep.

---

"Hey, Dad I'm home." The ground creaks as I walk through the dark house. My dress does nothing to keep the cold out. One of Scott's jumpers keeps my shoulders warm. Another amazing date. Everything is going so well. I thought dating a friend would be awkward but we click so perfectly.

There's a light on upstairs.

"--Ryan."

"Her name is Filia."

Two men argue upstairs. The room around me gets darker and colder, pushing me towards the stairs.

"What are you doing to our son?"

"I haven't done anything." Dad responds to the unknown man's voice.

"I should never have left him with you.."

"Get out of my house, Mark." Dad sounds sterner than he ever has before.

"Gladly." The door at the top of the stairs opens. A faceless man, presumably Mark, comes out and struts down the steps. He's huge, and he seems to get bigger with every step. I move away from the door. He doesn't seem to notice me or care. Until he reaches the door.

"Ryan, look at me."

I do as he says. His face is pitch black and I stare at where his eyes would be.

"Don't let your mother confuse you. You are a man. Act like one."

I nod quietly. He slams the door behind him causing me to jump. The door upstairs opens again and out comes Dad. He looks younger. A lot younger. His full beard that he sports nowadays is just patchy stubble. He comes down the stairs and gives me a hug, waking me up.

–

Scott's arms completely surround me as I sit up from my nightmare. Where did those names come from? 

"Oh thank the Power you're alright." Scott exclaims.

"Of course I am." I reciprocate his embrace. "I'm assuming you finished the Frankencrab?"

He snorts. "You are gonna call the thing that nearly killed you the Frankencrab?"

I need to tell him. Tonight. Then with his help (hopefully) I'll tell Dad.

"What else would we call it?" My body feels better than it should.

"It just seems cheesy."

"You two are cheesy." Leo shouts.

"He's right, you two were in your own world." Ziggy chimes in. I didn't notice them.

"Shut up you two. I was worried."

"Fair enough. Don't want your girlfriend getting hurt-- Oww." Ziggy rubs their arm.

Footsteps come down the corridor. Summer? Hopefully. I need to talk to her. She might be able to help me tell him. 

"Leo, Ziggy, control room now. We have to do a mission debrief." I look at the door and Summer winks at me. Maybe she wants to give me some alone time. That's fine. I'm happy to enjoy the fantasy for a little longer. 

He moves his hand through my hair while holding me with his other arm. I'll come clean soon. The yelling, the confusion, the struggle to keep up with him; it all seems so far away now. I'm just Filia. And I'm getting hugged by my best friend and Scott seems to get that.

"Thank you for saving me out there." He pulls his arm out from around me. Part of me wants to protest, another part of me is too busy looking into his eyes. There's no pity, or worry or confusion. I want him to look at me like this all the time.

"You've done the same for me." Countless times, I want to add. I'll tell him that after I talk to Summer. 

He looks a little nervous. His eyes look away from mine everyone once in a while. His leg bounces. I want him to put his arm around me again. I can't let the guy from that dream hold me back from making a decision.

"We're a team." He smiles weakly. Something is on his mind. "I just haven't seen you fight like that before."

"I don't know what came over me. I just saw you were hurt and then he was screaming."

"Gosh how do you say that in a way that's cute. How can breaking a crab into pieces be cute?"

"I pull it off." I poke my tongue out at him.

"Screw it, I was gonna ask for help from Ryan on how to do this."

"Do what? Maybe I can help."

"Wanna come to the Youth Center reopening with me? As a date."

A million things go through my head at once as I look him in the eye. If this was a dream it would be great. Sweet. Banterful. The guy I like asking me out. But this isn't a dream, is it?

"Scott. I'm sorry. I can't."

I release my morph. Leaving me and him alone.