It had been almost a week since the battle in the Mystic Realm. The chaos, the dark magic, the explosion that shook mountains and parted seas—all of it had faded into a distant memory for the people of that realm. But for Zayne, it was simply another line in the growing list of events that kept the world from collapsing into madness.
Right now, he wasn't fighting monsters or clashing with corrupted knights. He was sitting in his living room, surrounded by floating holographic screens, data projections, and morphic schematics hovering in the air.
The faint hum of the core system echoed softly through the house.
Rows upon rows of information scrolled past his eyes—names, faces, energy readings, mutation patterns, even small probability charts estimating potential ranger compatibility.
Captain America — Strength, leadership, and a strong moral compass.
Peter Parker — Unique genetic resonance with the Morphin Grid. (A/N: Just the normal grid guys, not the one Zayne uses)
Tony Stark — Technological genius, adaptable mind.
Logan — Mutant physiology incompatible but possible with synthetic morph adaptation.
Carol Danvers — Potential unstable fusion candidate.
The list went on endlessly, both of heroes known and those yet to be discovered. Zayne's eyes reflected the streams of light as he swiped one hologram away and brought another into focus.
"Hmm," he muttered, tapping the air, "so far, only a few have the necessary resonance… I might need to start creating custom uniforms soon."
His tone was calm, methodical. He looked more like a scientist calculating the odds of reality than a warrior.
Another set of holograms appeared—each one showing possible recruits scattered across the world, including data from Africa (Wakanda, mostly, but he would also choose from other countries), Asia (Mostly Japan), New York, and even the remains of Sokovia.
He leaned forward slightly, his eyes sharp. "Heroes, soldiers, vigilantes, mutants… this world has it all," he mumbled with faint amusement. "This is exactly what makes it fun and worth protecting."
Hours went by in silence. Occasionally, the holograms shifted as Zayne adjusted or recalculated, sometimes pulling up energy readings from other dimensions just to compare resonance patterns. (A/N: He is not using the Omniversal grid guys. He is using the base operational systems for it)
Eventually, even someone like him grew weary.
He leaned back in his chair, letting out a long, drawn-out sigh. His muscles tensed slightly as he stretched his arms upward, his joints cracking faintly.
"I should go out and touch some grass," he muttered with a small smirk.
Of course, it was a pun. Only he and the readers would laugh at it.
He stood up, the holograms slowly fading into nothingness as the room returned to its natural state. He walked toward his room, changed into casual clothes—a plain black shirt, jeans, and a jacket—and stepped outside.
The moment he left the house, the warmth of the sun brushed against his face. The faint sound of cars, birds, and distant chatter reached his ears. For someone who had spent too long fighting gods and monsters, the simplicity of a quiet weekend in the city was… strangely refreshing.
His steps were slow, unhurried. The streets weren't too crowded, just the occasional couple walking by or a group of kids playing near the sidewalk.
As he walked, his thoughts began to drift—plans, calculations, the lingering question of how strong the enemies to come were. But the breeze that brushed his face slowly calmed his mind. The chaos in his head subsided.
It took him about fifteen minutes to reach the park. It was a small but beautiful place—a stretch of green framed by trees and a calm pond shimmering in the light.
He exhaled softly, smiling faintly. "Not bad."
As his eyes scanned the park, he noticed someone sitting on a bench under a tree. Her head was bowed slightly, her golden-brown hair reflecting the sunlight. She looked lost in thought, staring blankly at the pond in front of her.
Zayne's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Kira?" he muttered.
He recognized her immediately—Kira Ford, his classmate, and if memory served, the Yellow Dino Ranger. They'd spoken a few times after school, mostly small talk, nothing deep. Although they also exchanged numbers, he has never texted. He had been too busy with ranger stuff to even care. But even in those brief moments, he could tell she was someone who carried more weight than she showed.
Seeing her like this, though—quiet, distant, and clearly troubled—made him frown slightly.
He had a guess what was wrong.
Still, he started walking toward her.
When he got close, he said softly, "Hello."
Kira, who had been completely lost in thought, flinched slightly. Her head snapped up, her amber eyes wide in surprise. But when she saw who it was, her surprise softened into something warmer.
"Oh—Zayne," she said, her lips curving into a small smile. "Hi."
"May I?" he asked, motioning to the spot beside her.
"Sure," she replied, scooting slightly to the side.
He sat down beside her. The wind rustled softly between them, carrying the faint scent of freshly cut grass. For a while, neither of them said anything. The silence wasn't awkward—just calm.
Zayne leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on his knees. "So," he said casually, breaking the silence, "what's wrong?"
Kira hesitated. She looked away, her fingers tracing idle lines on the bench. For a few seconds, she didn't answer.
"It's… nothing big," she said eventually. "Just… band stuff."
Zayne's eyebrow twitched slightly. "Band stuff?"
"Yeah," she continued with a faint smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "You know, the usual—conflicts, imbalance, one person kind of doing their own thing, and everyone else having to deal with the fallout. It's… frustrating."
Her words were casual, but Zayne's sharp mind picked up the tone behind them—the kind that carried more weight than it appeared.
He tilted his head slightly. Band stuff, huh?
He could already guess the truth. It wasn't about music.
The "one person" she mentioned—too strong, uncontrollable, unpredictable—he could almost see the figure in his mind.
"So, their evil ranger problem has begun".
But outwardly, he just smiled. "Well, sounds like your band's dealing with a pretty arrogant guitarist," he said teasingly.
That earned a small laugh from her, just faint but genuine. "Yeah… something like that."
He smiled faintly. "Let me guess—you're wondering if you can fix it."
Kira turned her head toward him, a bit surprised by his directness. "Yeah. Kind of. I mean, when someone's that… different, what do you even do? I don't want to just give up on them, but at the same time, I don't want everyone else to get hurt."
Zayne hummed softly, pretending to think about it for a moment before replying.
"Sometimes," he said calmly, "you can't fix people. You can only understand what broke them and make sure they don't break others in the process."
Kira blinked. "That's… heavy."
He shrugged lightly. "Sometimes the truth is."
She looked away, thinking. "So, what do I do?"
Zayne looked at her, his tone softer now. "You be smart about it. Don't rush in trying to save someone who's already trying to destroy themselves. Stay with your team. Learn from the fear you're feeling right now. It's what'll make you strong enough to face what's coming."
Kira stared at him quietly. His words hit the spot of her worries. He had spoken like someone who'd already lived through what she was feeling.
For a brief moment, she felt something in her chest loosen—like a weight had been lifted.
She stood up suddenly, her eyes bright. "You're right… I think I know what to do!"
Without even realizing it, she was already halfway turning to run back toward the direction of the Dino Lab before she froze, blinking in embarrassment.
Zayne, still sitting, raised an eyebrow, amusement flickering in his gaze.
She turned back, blushing faintly. "I… uh… sorry about that. Got a little carried away."
He chuckled lightly. "Go. Solve your problem. I'm glad I could help."
Kira smiled again, her confidence returning. "Thanks, Zayne. Really. Next time, lunch is on me."
She waved before running off, her figure soon disappearing down the path.
Zayne watched her leave, a faint smile on his face. But as soon as she was gone, that smile slowly faded.
He leaned back slightly, staring up at the blue sky above him. The sunlight reflected faintly off his eyes as his expression hardened.
"…So," he murmured, voice low and thoughtful, "the white menace is here."
He folded his arms slightly. "Should I help?"
The question hung in the air as the wind rustled through the park once more.
--- ✦ ---
So, should he intervene, guys?
Power stones guys!!!