Bucky Buckeye's Arc

Chapter 2 of 2

Bucky arrived at the training grounds before sunrise. His breath made small clouds in the cold air. He needed to master the basics before anyone else showed up to practice. His feet shuffled into a fighting stance he'd seen the other Rangers use. Arms up. Knees bent. Weight balanced. He threw a punch at the empty air and nearly lost his footing. This was harder than it looked. He reset his stance and tried again. A loud gong echoed across the grounds. The alarm system rang out three times. Bucky's head snapped toward the sound. That pattern meant the team needed to gather at headquarters right away. He ran across the field, his boots kicking up dust. The fire barrier that circled the base burned brighter than usual. Orange flames climbed higher along the protective ring. Something was wrong. Bucky rushed through the entrance and found himself in a library he'd never seen before. Red and gold decorations covered every wall. Scrolls and books lined the tall shelves from floor to ceiling. Dust floated in the air. This room held answers about Evil Spirits and how to fight them. He pulled a thick book from a nearby shelf and flipped it open. Pages showed drawings of monsters and symbols he couldn't read yet. A leader needed to understand these things. A leader needed to study. He set the book on a table and ran his finger down the page. The drawings showed weak spots on different Evil Spirits. Patterns repeated across multiple creatures. Bucky grabbed a second book and compared the information. His heart beat faster. This was real training. This was what leaders did before they fought. He spent the next hour reading everything he could. When footsteps sounded in the hall, Bucky closed the books and stood tall. He had taken his first step toward understanding his enemy.