Gruumm watched Feige lift two at once with her telekinetic power and saw her nervousness. He could tell by how her eyes focused, that she was trying not to lose control. With his hands behind his back and standing behind her, the tilt of his head said how interested he was in her practice.

There he saw her struggle when her hand reached for a third one, for one hand kept the two in the air and another lifted. "Find your limit-- then push past it," Firmly he stated, to which a nod from her was received, and kept his rubies on her.

That's exactly what she was doing, she was trying her best to lift more and more. When she made five out of the ten that he gave her, float into the air, he watched her gasp and drop them. Seeing her hand hold her head and sway, told him that she was most likely lightheaded from that. "Again," He demanded and saw her head shake to snap herself out of the dizziness.

Once more, she did it again, five were lifted and barely a sixth flew into the air until she tumbled backward against his crossed forearms. "M- My head... The room's spinning," With how low her guard was around him, it made him feel special. When he looked down at her small frame, one hand moved to keep her steady and nodded even though she didn't see it.

"Then sit down and rest. Mirloc should be here shortly, so stay here and train, " As plain and simple as he could be, he let her become stable on her feet again before walking away to leave her alone.

His trek through the halls had him think about Mirloc's potential in doing his task and what he said before he left to find the Rangers. It angered him a bit, he didn't want anyone to touch or so much as think about Feige but it was too late. To have someone else gain interest felt like an indirect challenge and he didn't like that.

Just as he turned into his monitoring room, to the side stood Broodwing with a simple bow to greet him and remained quiet. "Broodwing, why are you here?" The sight of the very batman irked him, he remembered when he stroked Feige's hair away and got a bit too close to her for his liking.

"To offer my services, as usual," Unbeknownst to Gruumm, a glint of deceit reflected in his smaller red hues after he answered and stepped further aside.

"If that is the case... Then stay away from my weapon-- from Feige," The air quickly became tense when he moved closer to the bat and flashed his rubies through the shadows.

"Yes, my Emperor. But by how I'm seeing it. She has become more than just a weapon, hasn't she?" Broodwing was on to something, he knew it, and it made the Emperor grumble dangerously at him.

"That... is none of your concern, now is it?!" Tight fists clenched when he yelled. He was half tempted to strangle the bat and be done with it, but he knew he needed his services more than to let his anger get the better of him.

"Forgive me... It isn't. It doesn't matter. Regardless of what she is to you, I believe King Atsuon plans on making her more than just a weapon for him. I managed to spot the Gazin King when he uncloaked, it looks like he was looking for her again," Broodwing simply stated, as mischief remained in his narrowed gaze, and fiddled with the tie he hand attached to his front.

"As long as she stays on my ship or in the house I provided, she is safe from him! Away from society... No one can find her," Once again, he grew closer to the bat and pointed a finger to intimidate. "If you are planning anything regarding Feige... I'll make sure you will never see the next light of day or night again!" In a fit, he stomped over to the console and pressed a few buttons to try and locate the Gazin King.

It took him little time at all to locate him, for the King stood out in the open with his Trident out and was looking around as if waiting for his approach. He saved the waypoint and added it to the teleporter coordinates from his screen, thankful that he connected the two a long time ago.

As soon as he turned the screen off, the sound of footsteps filled his ears and made him turn around. Before him strode Mirloc, who stood a foot or more away respectfully. "Back so soon, Mirloc?" It was a surprise to see him return so quickly.

"I told you I'd take care of the rangers.~ They'll be trapped in my reflective dimension forever," The moment he opened the mirrors to him, four rangers were seen struggling to move.

"Hold on! There are only four rangers here!" Disappointment laced his rough voice when he pointed that out, just to be followed up by Broodwing's comment.

"Yeah, you forgot the Red Ranger and the Omega Ranger!" The batman's statement was enough to earn himself an 'aww...' from Mirloc, the alien probably pouted at his lack of Rangers.

"I told you, I will deal with Cruger in my own way. But to complete our deal, you have to bring me the last two rangers!" Two fingers were lifted when Gruumm's agitation started to show, only to receive a 'but Emperor' as if to attempt an excuse, so he quickly cut him off. "I said-- Bring them to me," Almost growling at this point, he demanded.

"As you wish," A bow was what he saw from Mirloc, and watched him head toward the hall. "Before I go-- there is one thing I'd like to share with you. I think I saw another warship a light-year or so away from yours. I don't know who it belongs to, but they're heading your way," With that, he left the room to carry out the rest of his mission.

"What?!" As fast as he could, he whipped his head around and turned his screen on. "Who dares?!" With a few button taps, he examined the vastness of Space about a light-year away as Mirloc stated, and indeed he saw a warship. "It's a Gazin ship... King Atsuon doesn't know that I have her here right now, so why is there a..." Quietly, he trailed off, before looking at the Batman. "Broodwing! Give our friend a little help," There he pondered the reasons for the Gazin Ship to be there, so with the matters of Mirloc at hand, he decided to have Broodwing lend him a hand.

"Not a problem and it will only cost you--" With his fingers rubbing together, he was going to finish his speech, until, Gruumm overran him.

"I've given you enough! This one... Is on the house," He sure was getting tired of hearing him say that each time, but when he turned around to face the screen again he continued to stare at the Gazin ship.

"Gruumm? Why are yelling at him? It's only right that you pay him," They both froze at a familiar, shy voice. Very slowly Gruumm whirled on his feet and saw Feige staggering and almost falling, if it wasn't for Broodwing surprisingly catching her in time with his forearm.

"T- Thanks... I- I'll... Talk to him about this," Shyly, her violet hues peeked at the batman and saw how taken aback he was. As awkward as it was, when she stood up from his arm, his hesitant feet marched out of the room to leave them alone.

"Feige-- what is the meaning of this?! Were you eavesdropping?" His red rubies followed her sluggish movements and saw her lean against the bars near him, the faint giggle he heard confused him.

"Kinda hard not to... W- When I can hear you yelling from the halls. I saw Mirloc on my way here, too. I didn't hear a whole lot though. Mostly just your yelling," Another giggle escaped when she held her head and slid down the bars so she could sit.

Even when he raised his voice at her, when his rubies glinted red and expressed his anger, it still didn't frighten her. "You said... You would talk to me about it? About paying for that bat's ineffectual weaponry?!" His finger pointed in the direction Broodwing left and stomped a foot toward her.

"Yes. It's wrong to not pay someone... When they've spent a lot of money building something. How would it make you feel, if no one wanted to pay you for something you worked hard on?" Quietly she asked, unafraid to stare at his puffed-up anger and childish antics.

He didn't say anything after that, he kept his gaze on hers and stayed silent.

"Yeah... See? It'd suck-- l- like a mosquito on steroids," Giggling to her analogy, she covered a smile that formed and averted her eyes.

"If someone were to not pay or steal from me, they would see the end of my staff!" Again, he roared and stepped closer to her. But the next words that came from her weren't something he expected.

"W- wouldn't that be the same, for Broodwing then? Revenge? Vengeance... Anger. Betrayal. I'm just saying-- don't go too far, or you'll have to deal with consequences. I'd hate to see my best friend fall into debt," There it was, he saw a cute pout on her lips and, something equivalent to the puppy-dog eyes.

He had to cover himself to hide a blush that wouldn't ever show on his skeletal face, which could be easily mistaken as a facepalm. If he was in his human form, he would end up turning red at her adorable expression. "Are you done for now? Y- You're practice?" Through his hand, his words were muffled, and refused to look at her.

"Yeah. I almost passed out. I managed to lift six at least," She sounded exhausted, and groggy, but relieved nonetheless. "You said a Gazin Ship was coming toward you, right?" curiosity filled her voice and made him grumble.

When he peeked through his fingers, he watched her lay her head on her arms and made them cross over the top of her knees. "Yes. Most likely to challenge me or is passing by. Either way-- I'll make sure they become space dust!" Just when he was about to leave, he felt a tug on one of his fingers and looked down to see her violet hues worriedly gaze at him.

"Are you okay? You're stressed again. Do you need any help?" Her question left the Emperor stunned, to hear her offer and to see the look in her eyes made anger bubble up inside.

"No! I do not need your help. I'm fine, some things are not working out right now. There's going to be a battle soon, so I need you to go to the house I made for you," The moment he said that a bright smile and a nod were received, if anything it caught him off guard.

"Alright," Despite her wobbly state, she managed to stand up and give him a warm hug. "Come back victorious. I'll make you some brownies as a reward.~" The warmth from her arms had the opposite effect on him. Most people would return the gesture, yet he remained frozen as before like the last time she did that.

"B- Brown..." Oh, how much he loved the taste of those brownies when they ate at the buffet restaurant. It nearly made his mouth water at the sweet flavor, he was sunk into the memory of how it tasted that he hadn't noticed her run off to the teleporter. He had to sprint after her to catch up, he needed to make sure she wasn't going to set the coordinates wrong.

~~~~

On a high-rise structure stood Broodwing, who looked over the grand fight between his reluctantly given robot and the SPD's. His long finger tapped at the bottom of the jar, for he thought long and hard about a plan that he made. To the side, his red gaze fell on a crouched King, Atsuon who he heard hum curiously at the news he told him. "As I said... Emperor Gruumm has the Cerebral. He's most likely going to send her to Earth and hide her. You should have no problem snatching her while he's busy," With the same hand he reached toward him and held it out, expectation was visible.

"Good. My replicated Warship should be enough of a distraction. Like a beast taunted by an enemy that trespasses its territory... He will be the first to strike," One of his clawed, armored hands lifted a wad of cash and placed it into the bat's palm, without so much as looking his way. "Well done," Deep, clear, the King's voice was, and just barely Broodwing saw his armored head tilt in his direction.

"Thank you. I'm pleased that my services were effective. Unlike Gruumm who chooses to not pay me!" Thankful, delighted to receive money, he ran his fingers along the top of the bound bills and began to count. "It may not be any of my business, but I am quite curious why you would want the Cerebral," his hand returned to his supposed cloak, and moved his attention back to the fighting robots.

"Many of my people demanded that I wed a female among my race. But none of them interested me. I found more interest in a human female. I believe mixing a species, a Cerebral especially will increase my race's power. I knew that she would benefit me. A weapon... A beauty. An endangered race, rare... What I saw before me near the SPD station, was a torrent of her power. Her true potential revealed to me-- that she is a Royal Cerebral," Explained the Gazin King, not once did he adjust his position or shift his feet. His voice carried pure interest but when he mentioned her being a beauty, there was almost a growl behind his words.

"Hmm, interesting. What is a Royal Cerebral? Is she a descendant of a King or Queen?" The batman was curious, to say the least. Very few have opportunities to learn about Cerebrals and how they work, so hearing the word Royal, made him believe she was from a higher-status bloodline.

"No... Royal is a rank. It's to describe how powerful they are. From Tier one to Tier two. Regular, to Royal," From his wrist came a small computer that his clawed armored hand navigated. The holographic screen changed to show Feige's location after the computer used her identity he saved to search for her. "An Island. Far from this city... Secluded. Smart," Few words came from him as he pondered out loud.

Slowly to his feet he stood, to which Broodwing watched and saw the lengthy Trident detach from a magnetic hold on his backside. Skillful twirls to the side, the weapon began to float when he used his mind and placed one foot on the pole.

"Impressive technology. Are you interested in Trades? Or perhaps a Merchant to do business with the Gazins? If so-- I will be happy to provide services," With a tilt of Broodwing's head, he asked in hopes of broadening his business and making more money.

"Hardly. Others will steal our ideas... We will be predictable and many will learn of our weak spots," Plain and simple, the batman heard him answer.

The King's tail flicked a couple of times before his other foot was placed onto the pole of his Trident and crouched low. Higher and higher the weapon was lifted, and while one hand kept a tight grip the other one was used to control his power.

Suddenly, not as fast as Feige, he took off into the sky and left the batman there. "He certainly is different than the Emperor. Gazins are stealthy creatures, so it wasn't a surprise that he declined my offer," Not long did he stay there, for he took to the clouds with several flaps of his wings and frowned at the sight of his robot getting smashed to pieces.

Then and there, he recalled the Cerebral's words. To try and convince him or talk to the Emperor would be an impossible task, so he didn't have much expectation of her. Regardless, he was at least appreciative that she was willing to try.

~~~~

"I could've done it myself," Pouting, quietly, Feige spoke as she was held in Gruumm's arms and didn't care to look at the house right now. "P- Put me down already!" Purely embarrassed with a red face, she thrashed and kicked her feet.

"Huh? Why should I? You fell on your way to the teleporter and you stumbled when you tried to walk to the house!" The rocks crunched under his thick boots but chuckled when the brunette grumbled and buried her face into her hands.

Even if no one was around, it was still embarrassing to be carried, especially like a Princess. There ahead of them, was the same Blue-head, which she saw between her fingers, who opened the front doors and let them in. "T- Thank you um... Mr. Robot," Despite her position, it was a little awkward but she felt the need to show her appreciation to the machine. Her violet hues saw how the robot simply looked at her with little to no reaction.

"My robots do not need your thanks. They are designed to do as they're told and nothing more," Feige heard him speak and listened to the loud thuds from his shoes when he walked in. Regardless, she peeked up to see him. Not once did he glance at her, for he kept with his trek toward the kitchen area.

Through an archway, they went in, and before their eyes were various kitchenware and appliances that she hadn't seen in a very long time. Save for that day when she was looking for a mini fridge. A Microwave, a fancy stove, cupboards above and below, a tall stainless steel fridge, bar stools that aligned the sides of countertops, a small round table with chairs near the Archway, and a Troobian chandelier that hung high above the whole room.

"These are all human appliances. I am... Looking forward to those brownies," He wasn't that great with human kitchenware or even cooking, he always left that sort of thing to his robots. To receive food from her made him feel a kind of excitement that he hadn't felt in a while.

"I'll have to go out though. I need to buy some ingredients for them," Mumbling, she tried to stand but her head spun and forced her to sit back down.

"You can barely walk, what makes you think you can fly in your condition? I'll disguise my blue-head and send it out for you," He stated, Feige didn't have much time to protest when he left the kitchen and dragged his robot away.

Several minutes, to an hour, she waited, Gruumm had already left the house to take care of the enemy ship, so the robot returned by itself. The next thing she knew the blue-head robot walked up to her dressed in human attire.

"I need a list, to do as ordered," its deep voice simply stated. Baggy clothes and a large hoodie to hide its robotic head, she saw its hand gesture for her shopping list.

"O- Oh um... Sorry, I didn't write one. Are you able to memorize what I need?" Blinking, holding her head, she hoped since it was a robot she wouldn't have to write everything down.

"Yes. Tell me what it is that you require," The metallic ringing filled the room when it moved its head about and lowered its hand.

"I need some all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, a carton of eggs, sugar, baking powder, some olive or vegetable oil, some butter, salt, and vanilla extract," Dear lord, she prayed to the heavens above that he could remember all of that and gulped.

"Very well. An easy task. Shall I use the money that I saw sitting in one of your boxes?" Its question made her gasp and giggle.

"Wow, I completely forgot about the money I earned from Piggy's Cafe'. U- Um... Sure. Can you also grab a family-sized bag of potato chips and some Dr. Pepper, please? I'm hoping to have a movie night with Gruumm. I bet he'd love to watch a Slasher film.~" Giggling more, she couldn't stop imagining him acting like a scardy-cat every time a jump-scare scene would show up. Little did she know that he was used to such things and had a Horror Pit on his ship.

"They have been added to the list I created. I'm off to accomplish my task," Without further ado, it left the kitchen and didn't even say goodbye.

~~~~

On Gruumm's ship, after he received Piggy's loyalty when he underwent the horrors of his Pit of Doom, he navigated and scanned the warship that drew closer by the minute.

"Morgana, stand by and guard the teleporter!" The urgency was in his voice when he saw small ships fly out of the warship in the distance. He didn't have to look to know she did as she was told and ran out of the room.

Drone ships circled his warship and emitted a beam of energy to create a barrier around him. Incredible streaks of blue light hit the shield he put up and it hardly left a dent. With a click of a button, he targeted the enemy ship's fleet that swarmed him and shot out countless zaps of electricity to wipe them out.

Explosions covered the majority of his view, but when the enemy warship flew through the cloud of fire, several of its light beams shot out and focused on one point of his barrier. As it approached with its relentless shots, he pressed another button and made his robots take flight into Space. "Destroy their weaponry!" Angrily he yelled over the com to the robots and watched as their smaller ships flew around the enemy warship to target their weapons. "No one and I mean NO ONE, challenges the Troobian Empire! If they expect a fair fight then they are foolish!" Again, he roared, tapped at more buttons, and made Orange-head robots take control of the defenses outside of his ship.

While the robots were all busy doing what they were tasked with, another button was pressed and red beams shot through the many soldiers to pierce the center of the enemy ship. It was condensed enough to go straight through and out the other side, making the Gazin vehicle erupt in a vast explosion and have its aftermath wipe out everything around it.

"Ahahahahah! Yes! You thought you could win against an Empire?! You are sorely mistaken!" When his finger navigated to scan for the enemy in control of the warship, there were no signs of life, not even remnants of Gazin's body parts or blood.

This stunned him. There were no corpses to be seen or blood of his victims, only broken parts of the ship and pieces of his robots. "What?" Finally, it hit him. It dawned on him, for he stepped back and went into a full sprint out of the monitor room. It was a diversion! I need to see if Feige is still there! Panic filled his mind, for he knew how clever the Gazin King was and paid no mind to Morgana who stood near the teleporter.

~~~~

Humming to herself, Feige mixed the contents of the brownies in the bowl and poured it into a baking glass dish. Aside from her dizziness, she still managed to whip together the mix. Her hand pulled the oven door down so she could put it inside. After she closed it, the temperature knob was twisted and the heat kicked up.

"There! Wow, it's been forever since I made them. I was still a kid when my parents taught me how to make Brownies," With both hands on her hips, the timer could be heard ticking away and when she crouched to watch through the window, a small shimmer in the reflection could be seen.

Cautiously, she peeked over her shoulder, just to see only air and no one there. "Breathe, Feige. It's just the glass on the oven playing tricks on me," Mumbling, she rose back up, sat down at one of the bar stools nearby, and began to hum the tune from Breathe Into Me by Red.

After time passed, the brownies were finished, and she grinned at how beautiful they looked. Quickly she grabbed a tiny bit of cocoa powder and decided to make some milk chocolate. After she stirred it in a smaller bowl, she used a spoon and carefully drew little bats, spiders, and spiderwebs. Spiderwebs framed the brownies, Bats looked like they hung upside down at the top and spiders dangled from the webs.

There we go. A bit messy... I hope he likes the design. He seems to like dark stuff.~ Hehehe, just like me. I love spiders and bats. If I could have a giant pet spider who follows me around like a little pup or likes to ride on my shoulder, I'd totally keep it. Giggling to herself, excitement made her heart flutter at the thought of presenting the brownies to him.

Carefully she cut out rectangular shapes evenly and wrote with white frosting that she made while she waited for them to get done. I love you, Bestie! Is what she drew out and kept her smile present.

"How... Sweet, you are. Just as sweet as the brownies you made," The familiar voice behind her, made her turn more pale than what she already was.

Her smile fell, her eyes were full of disbelief, and her body stiffened. All from the fear of who she knew, was standing behind her. She could feel the netting around her arms move when a sharp claw scraped gently, it was enough to send eerie chills down her spine.

She knew if she so much as moved, he'd grab her in a heartbeat. "W- Why are you after m- me?" Her words were laced with unease, and shaky, but she decided to stop running and face her fear. Thanks to Gruumm's help, a bit of a backbone started to grow.

"Finally... You speak. Finally... You don't run," To her he sounded pleased, there was almost a purr in his voice when she heard it close to her ear and it made her stiffen up more. "My reasons... Are my own. Unlike your friend, I want you as my bride. To marry a powerful Cerebral, who's humanoid. A human wife... That is my goal. A Cerebral is but a bonus," She could feel a finger wrapping a lock of her hair around it, which made her body writhe with devastation.

https://youtu.be/D5yFS9C6xDA

(It's a theme for Atsuon! :D)

She started to shake like a leaf and swallow her spit. I can't use my power on him! Not in my current condition! What do I do?! If I reach for my phone, he'll stop me-- I just know it! How?! How else can I-- It was at that moment, she recalled that day when she closed her eyes and thought about Grimly. Her fists clenched, for she did her best to focus on the image of his face in her mind and used her power. GRUUUUUMMMM! She did her best to reach his mind from the grand distance they had. The vastness of space and Earth, she tried to concentrate on his ship and the Emperor's mind.

"Let us be off," Just when she felt his clawed, armored fingers grasp her forearm, she reached for the metal mixing bowl and swung it fast enough to hit his head. A loud clang filled the kitchen, but she didn't waste any time to run out.

She wasn't aware that Atsuon had uncloaked and calmly walked after her. The second she ran around the corner and headed toward the front door, the robot who guarded her saw her panicked features and sprinted past.

Please, Mr. Robot, stall him! As soon as she touched the knob to one of the double doors, she heard metal pierce metal and looked behind her. The robot was being hauled into the air by the King's Trident, the sharp points through its chest as it cried out from the damage.

She couldn't waste her time, she had to get out and fast. Whether she can fly or not, she knew she had to try. Through the double doors, fear fueled her legs to sprint, despite the world around her still spinning a bit.

Her fingers barely grazed the metal fence, she planned to try and climb over them to put an obstacle between them but she failed. A pair of hands grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into their hold, Atsuon, had placed her under his armpit. "Let go of me!" Kicking, flailing, she screamed out, however, there was a momentary halt in his steps.

When he did, she looked over and saw Gruumm. Heavy breaths, his staff in his hand, and a shield were noticeable.

"Ah... Emperor Gruumm," The King's words carried venom, and distaste, when he mentioned his name, and when his armored head lowered, a reptilian hiss echoed.

"Gazin King, unhand her this instant!" To what she saw, Gruumm lifted his staff and charged it, making the red orb flair to life. Fury radiated off of him like a heater in a cold room, he wanted to tear the King apart for touching her but knew he couldn't with her in the way.

"Are you perhaps... Her friend? Did you possess a human form?" Quietly the King asked and let silence befall them for a few seconds. "If so... Yes. It would explain a lot," Slow, calculative, Atsuon hummed to himself.

"Yes. I was the one in human form. How kind of you to notice!" Feige heard from the Emperor and saw his jaw clench. The last bit of his sentence sounded sarcastic to her, nonetheless, she continued to try and wiggle free from the King's grasp.

"Troobian Emperor... A War Lord. Ruthless, heartless, cold, evil, with an endless army that has conquered Universes and Star Systems. I am fully aware... Of my sworn enemy," This time it was Atsuon's turn to spit. Just like Gruumm, the King's anger made the grip on Feige tighten and caused her to wince.

She felt the claws on his armored glove dig into her skin and most likely drew blood, for she cried out in pain in an attempt to pry his hand off. It was difficult for the woman to look up and see the King's head, but she did manage to keep her eyes on a pair of red rubies that never stopped glowing.

"Sworn enemy? The only sworn enemy I have is Cruger from SPD. You, are nothing and will be-- NOTHING!" She could see it, she could tell he wanted to attack straight away but knew he couldn't with her in the King's hold.

"Nothing... Can become something. I have conquered planets with my own strength and skills, whereas you've done so with an army under your thumb. I wonder how you would fare... Against someone who can eliminate an army all on his own?" His slow speech earned him more silence and a calculative stare from the Emperor. "You-- disgust me. Hiding behind minions and underlings. Using others to cover their hands in blood, while you sit back and watch. You are no Emperor... You are a coward. Because... Not once-- did you try to find me, or accept my Challenge," His words were like a calm venom seeping into the Emperor's veins.

Not only did Gruumm grow quiet, but Feige did too, for she froze in her thrashes upon what he said about him. G- Gruumm... Gruumm! She did her best to speak to him through his mind and saw his attention move to her for a moment. Don't fight him! Not right now! He might have tricks up his sleeve! Don't jump into a fight if you don't know what he can do! Screaming in her mind, she spoke to the Emperor and did her best to ignore the King's statement.

He wasn't listening this time, she knew he was ignoring her telepathic cries. However, from the rolling thunder they all heard from the sky, Feige freaked out and Gruumm roared furiously. She saw him fully sprint after the King with a lung of his staff, but her scream erupted from her throat when Atsuon zapped up into the clouds from a lightning bolt.

Gruumm had just missed Atsuon's head before they teleported, and a piercing roar from his skeletal mouth made seagulls squawk in fear.