A/N: We now returned to your regularly scheduled broadcast! Lol. Like I said last time, I really wasn't planning on making this season opener a two-parter, but sometimes you have to choose between having one episode that's like, 15,000 words long, or splitting that one episode into two reasonably sized chunks so you don't overload your readers' brains. With that said, I chose the latter option for obvious reasons.
This second part may be a lot shorter than the previous one by comparison, so I apologize in advance. I would've just waited until I had both parts done so I could split them more evenly, but the only natural stopping point for the first point I could think of was at about 12,000 words, so that's where I decided to split it. I'm not the best at making these decisions, hence why I don't usually like to make season openers two-parters.
So, without further ado, here's the rest of what I would've had in episode one if it hadn't gotten to be too long already. Don't worry, folks, unlike Samurai's two-part season opener, this episode is actually related to the events of the previous one. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers or Super Sentai, or any of the related trademarks. This is a fanmade, non-profit adaptation of the 2012 Sentai series, Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters, and is being made purely for my enjoyment, and the enjoyment of any readers I may have along the way. Please do not get mad and sue me.
Claimer: I do, however, own any OCs that appear. I also own any original plot elements not seen in Go-Busters or any other Sentai or Ranger season. Thank you.
Back in the GPU Command Room...
Graham sat in his seat with his eyes transfixed on the monitor on the opposite wall, completely unable to look away as he watched Colin and Colleen bravely fight their way through a small group of Buglars.
His eyes wide open in total awe of their courage, the boy began to feel that same twinge of guilt play at his stomach, accompanied by an overwhelming feeling that he should've gone out there with them-that if they could do it, so could he.
However, that wasn't the only thing plaguing his mind. Though he had a nagging thought that he should've gone with them, he couldn't deny that fear was still in the driver's seat, for the most part. I mean, sure, he had powers, as he'd just learned earlier, but frankly, he was a little afraid of them due to them being such a recent discovery. (For him, at least. He'd been pretty annoyed to learn that everyone else knew he was a speedster years before he did.)
Could they even be of much use anyway? He had no idea how to use them. Dodging Colin's punch had been nothing more than instinct. Right? It was basic science, wasn't it? Anyone in danger of being punched would, naturally, try and dodge said punch, unless they were, A. an idiot, or B. didn't see it coming.
As the boy sat in continuous inner conflict, a whirring sound could be heard from the doorway. Peeking its head in, a strange humanoid robot themed after a cheetah laid its eyes on Graham, letting out a small sigh.
"As long as that boy lets fear drive him...he'll never accomplish anything." The robot said to himself, shaking his head.
Meanwhile, Enter had escaped to a construction site near the building he'd stolen the Enertron from. Since his arrival, he had knocked all of the construction workers in the area unconscious, thus ensuring he would be uninterrupted in what he was doing.
Setting down the Enertron Storage Tank he was carrying, Enter pulled out a small laptop and set it on top of a waist-high concrete slab. Plugging the Enertron Storage Tank into the laptop via a long, translucent USB cable, he reached into his pocket and procured a small metal card, about the size of a credit card.
"Time to get started..." He said to himself, scanning the card in a scanner on the side of the laptop.
This caused the image on-screen to change, displaying a neon green screen with red text reading, 'Installation in Progress'. Enter smirked as the loading bar filled up all the way, signaling the end of the waiting process.
Reaching down and removing the card from the scanner, Enter held it in his hand, saying, "Virus...Install." before sticking it onto the side of a nearby forklift, causing the card to attach itself to said forklift via tiny little wires. The forklift began to glow with white energy as it absorbed the data from the card, the virus installing itself into the ordinary object and turning it into something new-a humanoid robot with a shovel-arm and a chest formed by the cockpit of the forklift.
This was what Enter had been sent to do-to create a Metaloid and unleash it on the city. He'd now succeeded.
"Salutations, Shovelloid." Enter greeted in his French accent, giving the newly born robot a twisted smile.
"How may I assist you today, Enter?" Shovelloid asked with a slight bow.
"Go into the city and wreak some havoc. I need you to distract the Power Rangers while I prepare for an incoming transfer. Master Psycho demands that we do not fail."
"I understand. It shall be done."
With that, Shovelloid turned and scampered off, seeking to do exactly what he'd been told. Watching him leave, Enter let out an evil laugh before leaving himself, warping away in a spark of light. His master's plans were coming to fruition...
*Cue Opening Theme: "Firing Squad" by Arrows to Athens*
(*As the music of the song begins to play in the background, establishing shots of Starview Heights are shown. A sweeping shot of the city quickly transitions to a shot of Psycho in Hyperspace, with Enter bowing in front of him. Following this, the camera speedily pans upward towards the show's logo as the vocals begin*)
~This is our manifesto, we've given all the best to you,
Like it was the least that we could ever do.~
(*Shots of Graham, Colin, and Colleen flash on-screen, showing them doing everyday activities. Graham is reading a manga, Colin is typing on his laptop, and Colleen is riding a bike. One by one, they turn to the camera and smile, as translucent images of their helmets flash over-top of their faces for a few moments before disappearing.*)
~We're soaked in gasoline, while you watched as everything just burned,
Letting your lighter do the dirty work.~
(*The camera flashes to show Enter watching a recording of the day Psycho went rampant, with younger versions of Graham, Colin, and Colleen standing near their respective mothers' dead bodies, tears streaming down their faces. As a Metaloid points his weapon at the three and fires, Enter laughs, a sadistic smile on his face as he turns around, the hologram playing the video vanishing into thin air.*)
~You'd better hold your ground, the end is starting now,
So load your gun, a war is coming!~
(*A now teenaged Graham runs towards the camera, his morpher on his left wrist, as Colin and Colleen follow closely behind. Looking down at the destruction being caused by the Vaglass, he morphs, the other two quickly following his lead. Now in their Ranger Suits, the three spring into action, using their respective special-abilities to amplify their powers as they engage the Buglars.*)
~We are all against the wall, won't be the ones that time forgot,
(Oh oh, oh oh)~
(*A shot of Graham, Colin, and Colleen each piloting their Zords into battle against a giant robot piloted by a Metaloid is shown. Gripping the controls, the three each perform a series of button-presses, forming their Megazord in time to block an incoming attack from their foe. They immediately retaliate with an attack of their own, knocking the Metaloid's robot onto its back*)
~If it's our fate, we're not afraid, yeah, we can face the firing squad!
(Oh oh, oh oh)~
(*The scene transitions to show Graham, Colin, and Colleen standing side by side, all three of them lined up as Enter fires a blast of energy out of his hand, the energy hurtling towards them like a bullet. Raising their arms, the three instantly morph into their Ranger Suits, deflecting the attack as Enter watches in awe. Gripping their weapons tightly, the three rush towards their opponents, as the logo flashes on-screen once more and the opening ends.*)
*End Opening Theme: "Firing Squad" by Arrows to Athens*
Episode 2: Destinies Fulfilled, Part 2
Slowly but surely, Colin and Colleen made their way towards the construction site, scanning the area for targets with their Spy-Blasters in hand. Colin took point while Colleen watched for any movement behind them.
Looking around, the two didn't see a single trace of Enter, worrying them slightly. Stopping in his tracks, Colin signaled for his sister to stay still for a moment as he pressed a button on his Transpod, contacting Captain Shields.
"Captain Shields, this is Colin. I'm not seeing a single trace of Enter. Can you pinpoint his location?"
Coming back on the radio, Captain Shields replied, "Sorry, Colin, I've got nothing. Enter isn't showing up anywhere on our radar."
All of a sudden, the twins heard the panicked shouts of civilians nearby. Looking up in confusion, Colleen saw Shovelloid in the distance, marching through a local plaza with a small battalion of Buglars in tow.
"Colin, we've got trouble." She told her twin, nodding her head towards the scene.
"You've got that right. Captain Shields, we have confirmation of a Metaloid attack! I repeat, Enter has mobilized a Metaloid and unleashed it downtown!"
"What's a Metaloid?" Graham asked as he stood up from his seat, a look of general unease on his face.
"A Metaloid is an object that has been infected with a Metavirus, malicious software created by Psycho with the intent of creating evil robots to lead the Buglars into battle." Captain Shields explained. "We've had several reports from GPU spooks that they exist, but we've never gotten good visual representation of one. We've also never seen them attack civilians. I read you loud and clear, Colin. Proceed with extreme caution."
"Roger that." Colin said, turning back to his twin. "C'mon, Colleen, we've gotta stop it before it hurts someone!"
"Lead the way, bro." Colleen replied, following her brother as he broke out into a run.
Inside the plaza, Shovelloid had cornered a civilian woman and was now targeting her, lifting up his shovel-arm with every intent to strike her with it. However, before he could, he was cut off by a blast of energy, which sparked off his shoulder with an electric 'zap' sound.
"Who dares interrupt my work?!" Shovelloid demanded, turning around to see where the attack had come from. Seeing that he was distracted, the woman struggled to her feet and scurried away, letting out a scared yell as she did.
"I do," Colin said casually, holding his Spy-Blaster out in his direction. Holstering the weapon, he held out his arms, saying, "The name's Buster Blue. My pal in the yellow's my sister, Buster-you guessed it-Yellow."
"Nice introduction, Colin." Colleen said sarcastically, holding up her Spy-Blaster with both hands.
"Hey, sarcasm's my thing, remember?"
"I see...you must be those Power Punks Enter told me about!"
"Actually, the correct term is 'Power Rangers'." Colleen corrected, her hands on her hips. "Either way, we're taking you down-right here, right now."
"We'll see about that." Shovelloid retorted, raising his arm to signal his minions. "Buglars, attack!"
Following his command, the Buglars rushed forth, their weapons raised as they prepared to strike the two Rangers. Readying their weapons, Colin and Colleen sprung into action, but not without complaints.
"These guys again?" Colin whined, blocking a strike from one Buglar and using his Spy-Saber to hold it back. Shoving it away, the Blue Ranger knelt down to the ground and vaulted up, delivering a round-house kick to the robot's face in order to destroy it.
Back-flipping to avoid a swing from another Buglar, Colleen landed on her feet and brandished her Spy-Blaster, aiming it at her opponents as they closed in on her.
"They're definitely becoming a bit of a pain..." She echoed, resting on one knee as she took out Buglars left and right.
Letting out a hearty laugh, Shovelloid said, "What, can't handle my Buglars?"
"We never said that, tin can!" Colin hollered, performing a spinning slash that took out all of the Buglars surrounding him.
"They're more of an annoyance than an obstacle, really." Colleen echoed, standing up and gunning down the footsoldiers left and right, taking the remainder of them out.
"Wow! They're unstoppable!" Lieutenant Woods said, watching their fight on the monitor in front of him. "Their fighting prowess...it's unbelieavable!"
"Yeah, it is..." Graham said somberly, getting up and leaving the room quietly.
Turning his head to see him leave, the Lieutenant asked, "Where's he going...?"
Letting out a sad sigh, Graham walked down the empty corridor, trying to clear his thoughts. He was about to go find a room to pout in when he heard a mechanical whirring noise behind him, almost sounding like a robot walking. Turning around, he saw a red, cheetah themed robot standing there, its hands on its hips.
Tilting his head, the robot said, "Graham Patrick Joseph Ulry, where exactly do you think you're going?"
Recognizing the robot almost instantly, Graham asked, "Nick?"
~Flashback Start~
"Why hello there." Cheetah Nick said to a seven year old Graham, who had his head in his lap, bawling his eyes out over the loss of his mother. This had been before the memory-alteration had been performed on the boy. "Is something wrong?"
"What do you mean, 'Is something wrong'?" Graham sniveled, looking up at the robot with grief in his eyes. "My mom's dead now! What do you think?"
"I know...I'm sorry about that." Cheetah Nick said, kneeling down so he could look Graham in the eyes. "It must be really hard for you. I have no idea; I've never lost a loved one..."
Taking a deep breath, Graham said, "It's okay. It's not your fault. I just miss her so much..."
"I know. I know." The robot replied, rubbing Graham's shoulder in an attempt to sooth the boy. "Hey, listen, I know you're sad, but I'm here for you. I'm gonna be your Buddy-Roid from now on, okay?"
"Buddy...Roid?" Graham asked, confused. "What's that?"
"It's quite simple, really. I'm a Buddy-Roid, a robot designed to be your friend. The other Buddy-Roids and I were invented by Sergeant Shields. We're designed to comfort those in mourning, help those who are sick, and be there for people who don't have many friends. I've been assigned to be your Buddyroid."
"That's nice..." Graham said, sniffling a little as he wiped the tears out of his eyes. Holding out his hand for the robot to shake, he said, "My name's Graham. It's nice to meet you."
"It's nice to meet you too, Graham." The robot responded, shaking the boy's hand gently. "I'm Cheetah Nick. And I'll always be there for you."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
Hearing this, Graham jumped out of his seat and dived towards Cheetah Nick, giving him a gigantic hug.
Almost immediately, Cheetah Nick hugged back, patting the boy on the head as he consoled him.
~Flashback End~
"Good. You remember me. That makes things much easier." Cheetah Nick said, walking up to the boy before continuing. "Graham, we may have only met that one time, but I'm programmed to monitor your emotions. I know when something's up with you."
"I'm that transparent, huh...?"
"Transparent? Graham, you were wandering the halls, looking for a place to pout."
"No I wasn't..." Graham denied, crossing his arms out of embarrassment.
Hearing this, Nick let out a chuckle, which caused Graham to join him in laughter despite himself. Once they were done laughing, he looked at the boy, saying, "What's on your mind, Graham? You can tell me."
Walking over to the nearest wall and sliding down into a sitting position on the floor, Graham sighed, saying, "It's...this whole Ranger deal. It changes everything. I mean, first things first, I was lied to."
"I clearly recall that the memory-alteration was done in order to keep you safe. You shouldn't be mad at your Aunt."
"I'm not mad at her, Nick. I'm just disappointed." Graham replied, crossing his arms. "I mean, I'm not a kid, anymore. I haven't been a kid since I was like, fifteen. I just wish she would've told me the truth..."
"I'm sure she regrets not telling you." Nick told him. "That being said, she did what she thought was best. Try and put yourself in her shoes-she lost her younger sister that day. You're her nephew-her younger sister's eldest son. You're all your Aunt has left of your mother, and the bond they shared as sisters. Do you think she'd just let you go off and get killed without a say so?"
"I guess you're right..." Graham mumbled, changing the subject. "But it's not like that's all. I mean, I have this ability, I'm destined to fight and stuff, but I'm not ready. I mean, Colin and Colleen got ten whole years to train to be Rangers. I only got one day ten years ago, and I don't even remember it because as soon as Aunt Tammy found out, she had them mind-wipe me."
"I get it now. You're scared." Cheetah Nick concluded. "Scared of dying."
"I'm not scared of dying, Nick." Graham replied, looking at the robot with a serious look in his eyes. "I'm scared of letting everyone down. You heard Captain Shields in there. He wants me to be the leader. How could I ever be a leader? I can't fight, I have no formal training, I don't know how to use my power properly, and on top of that, I'm too shy to be a leader! I can't just tell people what to do. It feels weird!"
"I know you have your doubts, but the Captain has his reasons. You wanna hear what he told us?"
His interest now piqued, Graham nodded, prompting Cheetah Nick to continue.
"He said...it's because of your heart." Cheetah Nick told him. "When he first picked you three up from the hospital and took you to this base, he had a one-on-one conversation with each of you to get a feel for your personalities. While talking to Colleen, he discovered that she was strong, brash, and somewhat reckless. Talking to Colin, he discovered he was swift, cunning, and had a bit of a bite behind his bark. When he talked to you, he saw that you had a big heart. A heart filled with one wish: to protect everyone in the world, so that-"
"-No one will ever cry again..." Graham finished, remembering the exact words he had said. "That's what made him choose me?"
"That's right." Nick confirmed with a nod. "And you know what? I think he made the right choice. And as for your fear that you'll let everyone down...you remember the story of the boy who killed a giant in that Bible you read?"
"David and Goliath?"
"That's the one." Nick said, pausing a moment before continuing. "If I recall correctly, he was the youngest one out of all his brothers. His job was to tend to the sheep and bring his brothers food on the sidelines of battle, yes?"
"Yeah, he was a glorified water boy." Graham joked, a small smile on his face.
"Yes, indeed. But when Goliath showed up in the Israelites' camp and demanded that they send a man to face him one-on-one, everyone was too scared, remember? Except for-"
"-Except for David." Graham said, having known the story by heart since he was a little boy.
"That's right. And even though he was the youngest, and the smallest, and the weakest, and the least experienced, David went out to fight Goliath, with little more than a sling and a couple of stones. And even though by all odds, he should have died, because God was on his side, David was able to slay Goliath on that day."
"I remember." Graham told him. "I know every word of that story."
"Well, Graham, let me ask you this, then. If a little boy can slay a giant with a slingshot and rocks, what's to say an inexperienced, bashful seventeen year old boy with a heart of gold and the desire to protect everyone can't go out and lead the Power Rangers?"
"I'm not bashful!" Graham said with a laugh, before getting serious. "And nothing, I guess."
"Exactly!" Nick exclaimed. "You have nothing to fear, Graham. You have two comrades-no, two friends-that are there to support you and will follow you into battle, no matter the odds. You have God, of course. There's Captain Shields, and all the GPU waiting to back you three up. The fear that hinders you is irrational. You can't let fear be the thing that drives you."
"I know." Graham said, conviction in his eyes as his balled his right hand into a fist. "I'm not gonna let fear hold me back anymore!"
"Good. Now let's go back to the Command Room and tell everyone the good news!" Cheetah Nick chirped, standing up and walking towards the Command Room, with Graham following quickly behind.
Meanwhile, back in the City Plaza...
"Wow, you rangers are more pathetic than I thought!" Shovelloid said as he tossed Colin and Colleen around like ragdolls, letting out a demonic laugh as he did so. It really filled his heart with glee to see them desperately try to escape his clutches, only for him to scoop them up and smack them around some more. In that moment, they were truly no more than his playthings-pawns in his sadistic game.
"I'm not doing so hot..." Colin groaned as he laid on the ground, battered and bruised.
"Neither am I..." Colleen replied, struggling back up to her feet and hiding behind a nearby car, holding her Spy-Saber in her right hand. "This isn't looking too good, bro..."
Letting out a laugh, Shovelloid said, "If you think this is bad, you haven't seen anything, yet! Wait until you get a load of the real threat!"
"Real threat...?" Colin asked, confused. "What are you getting at?"
"I mean, there's a present waiting for you back in Hyperspace, and right now, Enter is using the Enertron he stole to teleport it here! I can't wait to see the look on your faces when you finally get to open your gift!"
Hearing this, Lieutenant Rose looked up from her post in the Command Room, saying, "Sir, bad news. We have an incoming transfer from Hyperspace. It's a large energy signature-I'm guessing a giant mech."
"So it's begun..." Captain Shields said to himself. Looking back at her, he continued, saying, "Lieutenant, run a scan of the transfer and calculate the amount of time we have until it's complete. Once that's finished, transmit the timer to Colin and Colleen's Morphin' Braces. Now. That's an order!"
"Yes sir!" Lieutenant Rose replied, typing away at her computer in order to do so.
Back on the battlefield, this caused an image to appear on the dials of Colin and Colleen's Morphin' Braces. Looking down, the two saw a coded timer counting down, set at a little under five minutes
"Colin, Colleen, we've detected an incoming transfer!" Captain Shields yelled via the comms system in their Ranger Suits. "You have five minutes to shut down Shovelloid and focus on the real task at hand-your first Zord battle!"
"Zord battle?" Colleen asked, peeking her head out from behind the car in order to spot Shovelloid. "I thought we couldn't access the Megazord without Graham."
"You're going to have to try." He told her, typing away furiously at his keyboard. "I'm going to authorize the Zord launch. Be ready."
"This doesn't look good..." Cheetah Nick observed, turning to face Graham. "Are you sure about this?"
"Of course I'm sure." Graham told him, stepping into the Command Room before saying, "Captain Shields!"
"Yes, Graham?" Captain Shields asked, turning around to see Graham walking towards him, stopping a few feet behind his desk.
"I've made up my mind." The boy said, a fiery determination in his eyes. "I'm going out there."
Turning around, Lieutenant Woods said, "Graham, you don't have to do this! Just because you had the weight of the world thrust on your shoulders at seven years old, doesn't mean you have to rush out there blindly! There has to be another way!"
"I'm done letting others decide what my fate should be." Graham replied, clenching his fist. "I won't allow fear to drive me anymore!"
"I see." Captain Shields said, grabbing the last Morphin' Brace as he stood up and walked towards the boy. Holding the device out to him, he said, "Go on, then. Take it."
Nodding, Graham reached out, grasping the Morphin' Brace in his hand.
Pocketing the device, he turned to Cheetah Nick, saying, "C'mon, Nick!", leading him towards the teleporter. Hopping inside, Graham warped away towards the site of the battle, with Cheetah Nick following closely behind.
With his gaze locked on the teleporter, Captain Shields whispered to himself, saying, "Good luck, Graham. You'll need it...to fulfill your destiny!"
Clenching her left fist, Colleen let out a battle cry as she sprinted out from behind the car, swinging her Spy-Saber in Shovelloid's direction. Dodging the attack, the robot slammed his shovel arm into her side, knocking her down onto the ground with a thud.
Seeing his sister tossed around like that caused Colin to become enraged. Growling, the boy tossed his Spy-Saber aside as he charged towards Shovelloid, dive-bombing towards the robot's chest in an attempt to tackle him. However, he wasn't fast enough, as Shovelloid caught on to what he was doing and grabbed him by the arms.
Lifting the Blue Ranger up into the air, he slammed him onto his back. This caused him to groan in pain.
"Sis, I think we're done for..." He managed to say through tired breaths, having lost a lot of steam during the fight.
"Same..."
"There's no 'think' about it!" Shovelloid boomed, letting out a heart laugh. "You've failed your city, Rangers!"
"I beg to differ!"
Turning their heads, Colin and Colleen were shocked to see Graham of all people riding into the area on Cheetah Nick, who had converted into a motorcycle.
Swerving to a halt, Graham flipped up the kickstand on the bike before dismounting, pulling his motorcycle helmet off in one swift motion.
Pointing at Shovelloid, he shouted, "I'm here to put a stop to you!"
Amazed, Colleen said, "You came! You actually came!"
"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Graham said with a smirk.
"But...I thought you were too scared..." Colin chimed in, concerned for his friend.
"It doesn't matter. I'm not letting fear hold me back anymore! It's time I chose my own path!" Graham declared, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his Morphin' Brace. Looking at it, he said, "Finally...I have my future in the palm of my hand..."
Turning his eyes back to Shovelloid, Graham strapped the Morphin' Brace to his left wrist, holding his left arm upward as he turned the dial.
Stretching his arm out in front of his chest, he used his right hand to slam down the button on the side, saying, "Install: Spy-Busters!"
~Graham Morphing Sequence~
Graham is standing in a blank white space, with his left arm still in front of his chest and his right arm stretched outward, pointing behind him.
On his Morphin' Brace's screen, a wall of green binary code can be seen scrolling down, with a certain sequence of numbers highlighted in red. With an electronic clicking noise, the screen zooms in on those numbers and they begin to flash, causing the 1s and 0s of binary code to burst out and attach themselves to Graham's body, forming his suit.
Leaping into the air, Graham looked towards the sky, as an energy incarnation of a cheetah zoomed towards his head, forming his helmet.
The transformation is now complete.
~End Morphing Sequence~
Now morphed, Graham stood proudly, a wave of confidence surging through him after his transformation.
His ranger suit was identical to Colin and Colleen's, only everything that was Blue on Colin's suit and Yellow on Colleen's was now Red on his. On top of that, his helmet was themed after a cheetah, as opposed to a gorilla or rabbit.
"This is unbelievable!" Shovelloid whined, stomping his foot in anger. "There's a third one, now?!"
"That's right!" Graham said, turning his head to look towards the twins. "Guys, I'll be honest with you. I have no idea what I'm doing. I can't fight for crap, I'm a little timid, and I'm not good at being stern or commanding. That being said, if you'll follow me into battle, I promise, I will never allow myself to let you guys down. I promise...I'll lead you guys to victory, no matter the cost! What do you say?"
"I'm game." Colin said as he stood up, hitting himself on the chest lightly with his fist in a sign of approval.
"Count me in!" Colleen chirped as she sprung to her feet, pumping her fist in the air.
"Alright then! Follow my lead!"
With that, the three clenched their fists, not wasting a second in beginning their role call.
"Savannah Hunter!" Graham began, stretching his left arm across his chest with his left hand balled into a fist, his right fist resting against his left forearm. "Buster Red!"
"Jungle Warrior!" Colin hollered, bumping his right fist against his right shoulder before thrusting it outward. "Buster Blue!"
"Field Jumper!" Colleen called out, gripping her shoulder-straps with both hands before letting them go, stretching them like they were elastic. "Buster Yellow!"
"Power Rangers: Spy-Busters!" They shouted in unison, each one taking a fighting stance.
With that, fireworks burst into the air behind them, matching their three different ranger colors. A larger, white firework went out after that, causing an explosion that rocked the ground behind them and caused Shovelloid to grow even angrier.
"You think you're so great?!" He roared. "Get a load of this!"
Summoning a new group of Buglars out of thin air, Shovelloid lifted up his shovel-arm, saying, "Buglars, attack!"
Following his orders, the Buglars all rushed towards the Rangers, who all stood in place, plotting out the best course of action.
"Colin, how long do we have until the transfer is complete?" Graham asked, prompting Colin to glance down at his Morphin' Brace.
"A little under one minute." Colin informed him.
"That's all the time we need," Graham said, clenching his fist. "Objective: Shutdown Shovelloid in time to stop the incoming transfer! Ready...GO!"
Hearing this, Colin and Colleen followed Graham as he sprinted forward, using his Superspeed to weave his way through the Buglars.
Punching and kicking his way through the footsoldiers, Graham blocked an attack from one with his right arm, using it to hold it at bay. Hitting the button on his Transpod with his left hand, he materialized his Spy-Saber.
Gripping the weapon with his left hand, Graham retracted his right arm and delivered a slash to the Buglar's chest, knocking it backward and stunning it, somewhat. Switching hands so that his right hand held the weapon, Graham delivered a back-handed swing to the Buglar's head, destroying it.
Charging towards the enemy, Colin head-butted a Buglar to knock it down before curb-stomping it, pressing his foot deep into the robot with his Superstrength. Using his Transpod to summon his Spy-Blaster, he finished the Buglar off with a point-blank shot, before aiming behind him to fire a round at another Buglar that was sneaking up on him. Standing in place, he fired away at multiple Buglars as they approached him, taking them all out with his pinpoint accuracy. Satisified with his own performance, Colin pretended to blow on the barrel of the gun before holstering it and dusting his hands off.
Hopping into the air, Colleen used her Superagility to stay one step ahead of her foes, gunning them all down from above. Landing gracefully on the ground, the Yellow Ranger swapped her Spy-Blaster for her Spy-Saber, taking a stance as several Buglars rushed towards her. Waiting until they got close enough, Colleen spun around in a whirlwind, slashing all of the footsoldiers at once and destroying them within seconds.
Now, only Shovelloid was left. Checking their morphers to see they only had thirty seconds left, the three teens came together, standing side by side as they prepared to take out Shovelloid.
"This is where it ends, tin can!" Graham hollered, as he, Colin, and Colleen all aimed their Spy-Blasters at the Metaloid.
Charging up an aura of energy around his shovel-arm and aiming it at the rangers, Shovelloid replied, "This is where it ends-for you!"
Following this, he expelled the blast of energy at them, causing it to quickly hurtle towards them.
Aiming their Spy-Blasters at Shovelloid, the three rangers twisted a mechanism on the lenses of their weapons, causing an electronic voice to say, "Buster Time!"
This caused the barrels of their Spy-Blasters to glow a bright gold as they filled with energy, charging up a final attack. Tightening their grip on the weapons, the three shouted in unison, saying, "Spy-Blaster: Snapshot...Strike!"
Pulling the triggers all at once, they sent three rays of golden light sailing through the air towards Shovelloid, piercing his armor and causing him to spark uncontrollably.
"No!" Shovelloid shouted in denial as he exploded, sending debris flying in every direction.
"We did it!" Colleen chirped, pumping her fist in excitement. "That was awesome!"
Turning to Graham, Colin said, "I gotta admit, you did pretty great out there."
"Thanks." Graham replied, before looking at his morpher. "We're not out of this yet, though...transfer incoming!"
Looking to their morphers to see that the transfer was indeed almost complete, Colin and Colleen watched the seconds tick by. 5..4..3...2..1.
As the timer disappeared, a loud electric crackling noise could be heard as a gigantic yellow portal formed in the sky, drawing civilians in out of curiosity and sheer confusion.
A whirring noise filled the air around them, as a giant robot fell from the portal, landing on the ground and causing a crater to form. Confused, the civilians all backed away, looking up at the robot in awe.
Seeing a glint in the corner of her eye, Colleen looked up to see Enter standing on a nearby rooftop.
Gasping, she said, "Guys, you might wanna see this!", prompting them to look up where she was looking.
"It's Enter!" Colin growled, clenching his fist. "What could he be doing here?"
"Surprise, Spy-Busters!" Enter greeted from the rooftop, waving to them from across the way. "I see you've been joined by your little friend in Red...good. You'll need him."
With that, Enter extended his arm, causing dark tendrils of energy to flow out of it and stretch down towards Shovelloid's remains, charging them with dark purple energy as they reassembled the broken Metaloid.
Reviving him fully, Enter retracted the tendrils back into his arm and blew the rangers a kiss, saying, "Bonne chance, Spy-Busters." before vanishing once more.
"Damn, he got away again..." Colin groaned, as Shovelloid hopped into the air, phasing inside the giant robot's cockpit in order to become its pilot.
Installing himself into the robot's main computer, Shovelloid began to move the robot, causing destruction that sent the civilians fleeing in terror, desperate to escape with their lives intact.
"Hahahaha, I'm gonna tear this city apart! Just try and stop me, rangers!"
Accessing the Rangers' comms, Lieutenant Woods said, "Rangers, I'm launching the Zords! Nick, give them the package!"
"What package?" Colleen asked, turning to see Cheetah Nick running towards them in his robot mode, carrying a small briefcase.
"These are your Buddy-Capsules." Cheetah Nick explained, opening the briefcase to reveal two small metal spheres, which heavily resembled gashapon balls. (Those little capsules with toys inside that you can buy from those machines in Japan.) One was blue and the other was yellow. "They'll help you to pilot your Zords. Go on, take them!"
Nodding, Colin and Colleen reached out, both grabbing the Buddy-Capsule that matched their color. Throwing them on the ground, they caused the Capsules to transform into two robots, the first being a blue gorilla themed robot, and the second being a yellow rabbit themed robot.
Colin and Colleen both gasped upon seeing them-these were their Buddy-Roids, Banana and Lettuce!
"Banana...? Is that really you?" Colin asked, on the verge of crying tears of joy.
"Ahuh." Banana confirmed. "Colin, you've really grown up in the last ten years! Since when have you been this tall?"
"Lettuce, I can't believe it's you!" Colleen shrieked in excitement, kneeling down to hug the Buddy-Roid. "You're even cuter than I remember!"
Sighing, Lettuce replied, "Call me anything you want, princess. Just remember, 'cute' is off-limits."
Coughing to get their attention, Cheetah Nick said, "I hate to ruin your reunion, guys, but we have a job to do. Graham, Colin, Colleen, we three Buddy-Roids have been modified slightly over the course of the last ten years. Now, on top of our original friendship parameters, we're also programmed to act as the control units for your Zords. In order to activate that function, press the dial on your morphers and say, 'Activate: Buddy-Roid, Console Mode'."
Nodding, Graham and the others followed their instructions, pressing the dials on their Morphin' Brace's before speaking into them, saying, "Activate: Buddy-Roid, Console Mode!"
This caused the three Buddy-Roids to transform, converting into three medium-sized control units of sorts. Cheetah Nick's ears formed motorcycle grips, Banana's face formed a steering wheel, and Lettuce's rabbit-ears now served as twin flight-sticks.
Picking the consoles up off of the ground, the three rangers clutched them to their chests as a nearby skyscraper began to shake, opening up to reveal it was actually a secret launch bay for the GPU.
Shooting through the launch bay, three Zords came into view. The first was a red, cheetah themed race-car, the second was a blue, gorilla themed trailer-truck, and the third was a yellow, rabbit themed helicopter.
"I'm guessing those are our Zords," Graham observed, pointing to the three giant vehicles. "It's time we boarded them!"
Jumping into the air, Graham boarded the red Cheetah Zord, entering the cockpit and immediately getting to work installing his Buddy-Console.
"Alright, Nick, time to show this tin can what we're made of!" Graham hollered, taking hold of the controls.
"I concur!" Nick replied, his face lighting up on the console as he spoke.
Following his lead, Colin and Colleen vaulted into the air and boarded the other two vehicles, Colin boarding the Gorilla Zord and Colleen boarding the Rabbit Zord.
"You ready for this, Banana?" Colin asked, as he installed his Buddy-Console into his Zord.
"You bet I am!" Banana replied.
"I'm all fired up!" Colleen shouted as she entered her Zord's cockpit, installing her Buddy-Console. "How about you, Lettuce?"
"I'm game if you are, princess." He replied, using the pet-name he'd had for her ever since she was a little girl. "Let's bust this Metaloid!"
"Let's go!" Graham commanded, stepping on the gas and willing his Zord forward, driving it towards Shovelloid's robot. "Energy Blasters, fire!"
Flipping out from the sides of the Cheetah Zord, two laser-turrets began to spin up before firing at Shovelloid's robot, knocking it back slightly. Retaliating, the robot used it's giant shovel-arm to knock Graham aside, sending him tumbling sideways.
"Graham!" Colleen shouted out of concern for the boy, as Colin let out a low, deep growl.
"You're gonna pay for that!" He hollered, driving the Gorilla Zord right under the giant robot's legs and swerving in order to turn around. "Take this!"
Popping out of the top of the Gorilla Zord, a large missile-launcher charged itself with energy before firing a small missile at the robot, causing it to stumble forward. Turning around, the robot swung at its attacker, prompting the Blue Ranger to put the pedal to the metal in order to dodge the attack.
"Colleen, its up to you!" Graham told the Yellow Ranger, prompting her to fly forward and head towards the robot.
"It's time to finish this!" She declared as she flew her Zord up above the robot, opening a compartment at the bottom of her Zord. "End of the line, Shovelloid!"
Pressing a button, she caused her Zord to drop a few bombs on top of the robot's head, destroying it in a small explosion. Launching into the air from the force of the impact, Shovelloid screamed as he plummeted to the ground, falling to his death before fading away into a stream of data, which soon dissipated, completely erasing his existence. It was over.
Watching this on the monitor in the Command Room, Lieutenant Woods stood up and applauded the rangers, saying, "Alright! They did it!"
Smiling as he watched the Lieutenant celebrating the victory, Captain Shields accessed the Rangers' comms and said, "Nice work, Rangers. You stopped Shovelloid and saved the city. Congratulations."
"What about the other robberies?" Lieutenant Rose whispered, so that the Rangers wouldn't hear. "Shouldn't we tell them?"
Taking off his earpiece, Captain Shields looked to the Lieutenant and said, "Let them have their victory, Lieutenant. They'll need moments like these in order for their morale to stay up."
Turning back to the monitor, Captain Shields zoomed in on the inside of Graham's cockpit and watched as the boy crossed his arms and said, "Mission: Complete!"
"Here goes nothing..." Graham muttered as he stood in front of his house, having promised to hang out with Colin and Colleen some other day. Carrying a bouquet of flowers for his Aunt as a gift to welcome her back from the hospital, Graham gave a nervous sigh and turned to Cheetah Nick, saying, "Are you sure I have to do this?"
"It's for the best, Graham." Cheetah Nick told the boy. "Your family has to know what you're doing, now."
Sighing, Graham said, "You're right...", opening the door to the house and stepping inside, quietly.
"There you are!" His Aunt Tammy chirped from the kitchen, walking down the hall and into the foyer to greet her nephew. Smiling, she said, "I was starting to think you'd be late for dinner."
"Yeah, well, I got held up at school. Sorry, Aunt Tammy..." Graham began, gulping before pulling his left arm out from behind his back, presenting the bouquet of flowers to her. "Here, these are for you."
"Aw, that's so sweet!" Aunt Tammy replied, taking the flowers from the boy. "Thank you so much, Graham!"
However, a few seconds later, she noticed the Morphin' Brace strapped to his left wrist. Pointing to it, she asked, "Is that...what I think it is...?"
Looking away from her, Graham nodded, saying, "I...I'm sorry, Aunt Tammy...I know the truth, now. I've...I've become a Power Ranger..."
Hearing this caused a single tear rolled down her cheek, as she managed to say, "V-Very well. If that's what you want, I'll let you risk your safety for the sake of the city. I wish you good luck..."
Upon seeing this, Graham slumped his shoulders, mad at himself for ruining his Aunt's return from the hospital. Turning towards the door, he opened it and went back outside, where Cheetah Nick was waiting for him.
"Well...how did it go?" He asked.
"I...I made her cry, Nick..." Graham told him, as tears began to flow from his eyes. "I can't believe I made her cry..."
"It'll be okay." Nick assured him, giving the boy a hug. "I'm sure in time she'll understand."
Meanwhile, watching from a nearby rooftop, Enter spoke to himself, saying, "Well, well, well, it seems that all three rangers have assembled. An unfortunate turn of events, yes, but I'm sure monsieur Psycho will ultimately be pleased. After all...the more the merrier."
With that, he turned and snapped his fingers, fading away into data as he warped back to Hyperspace, intending to tell his master about all that had transpired.
~Epilogue~
A morphed Graham whipped his head around the large, black room illuminated by floodlights, scanning his surroundings for any sign of danger. Sensing a presence behind him, he turned around while brandishing his Spy-Blaster, only to realize he was pointing his weapon at none other than Super Megaforce Red.
"Woah, woah, woah, watch where you're pointing that thing," Troy joked.
This prompted Graham to holster the weapon while nervously chuckling, before offering the fellow Red a, "Sorry."
"Don't be, I was kidding." Troy told him, letting out a laugh. "You did good today, rookie. You'll make a great ranger, I know it."
"You really think so?"
"Of course!" Troy exclaimed, as if it were obvious. "Because you have the heart of a ranger. Now, go out there, and do me proud, okay?"
"You got it!" Graham hollered, as a wave of confidence surged through him. "I'll always remember you, Troy Burrows!"
Smiling underneath his helmet, Troy replied, "Good luck in your adventure, Graham Ulry!"
With that, Super Megaforce Red left, leaving only Graham behind. Turning towards the camera, Graham gave the viewers a thumbs up, as the episode ended.
A/N: So, there you have it! Part two of the pilot to "Spy-Busters (Redux)"! I hope you enjoyed it! I know I enjoyed writing it. Especially that last bit with the former Red Ranger passing the torch to Graham-it's a bit of a tradition in the final episode of each Super Sentai series for the previous Red to hand-off the responsibilities of being a Ranger to the next team's Red, and I figured I'd work it into this episode as a nice little nod to Megaforce.
Well, that's all for now! Please review, and make sure to follow/favorite so you don't miss the next episode! See ya!
Next Time, on Power Rangers Spy-Busters: Graham struggles to maintain his confidence, as he and the others continue to fail to form their Megazord during a simulation. Can the Red Ranger get over his self-esteem issues in time to stop a rampaging Metaloid? Find out, in Episode 3: Valued!
