Emerging into the alleyway, the Rangers were greeted by an unnerving site. Standing between them and the main street was a group of Sen Warriors, the bodies of the three who escaped lying lifeless on the ground before them. The largest warrior stood holding one of the corpses by the neck, and thrusting it aside turned his attention to the Rangers.
Greetings, it told the Rangers. It seems you're the ones who have been causing my people so much trouble.
The Rangers took defensive positions in front of Alan's crew. Alan leaned forward and said, "Who are these guys?"
"They're our problem," stated Jake. "Take your guys and go."
"No way," yelled one of the crew members. "You saved our butts twice, now's our chance to pay your asses back."
My warriors we'll take you all apart if you don't surrender your powers immediately, said the leader.
Nicole looked at him and noticed he bore a striking resemblance to the last leader they fought. She glanced over at his wrist, and noticed with shock that he was wearing a bracelet similar to the one the other two rangers wore, but in the center was a blue jewel. "Jake! Look!"
Jake had seen it too, but had no idea how he was going to get it off this one. They pulled their weapons out and leveled them at the Sen. "You want our powers, come and get them."
The Sen Leader pointed forward, issuing a command to his ranks which charged forward. The Rangers fired several shots but the Sen were faster and managed to dodge them. They closed the gap quickly, and the Rangers moved to engage in close combat. Nicole extended her lance, while Jake held his blaster hoping to use it to pistol whip someone or get in a close range shot.
Jake jumped into the air, trying to kick the first Sen in the face, but the Sen was faster and leaned backwards. He punched Jake in the stomach as he landed, and sent him back. Jake leveled his blaster trying to fire, but the Sen blocked it away, and the shot went wild. He tried to hit Jake again with another punch to the same region, but Jake blocked it, coming in with his blaster hand to the Sen's side. The creature took the blow and fell back. The Red Ranger dropped to the ground and swept his leg forth tripping one of the creatures, just as another leapt above his comrade with a kick. Jake blocked the hit with his arms, and as the creature landed it took a shot to the chest from Jake's blaster.
Nicole stopped the charging Sen in its place as it came at her by using her staff to shove it in the stomach. She lowered one hand and dropped the creature onto its back. A second Sen charged her and she twirled the staff around, forcing the creature to the side, and then stabbing it in the back with the end of her staff. She brought it down upon the Sen's shoulder which caused it to collapse to the ground below.
Alan and his crew charged into combat with little realization of the power they were facing. Honed to combat though, they for the most part put up a good fight, some getting the upper hand in the fight, while others were less than fortunate being knocked aside or unconscious. Alan did quite well against his opponent subduing it in seconds before moving on to assist his comrades.
Jake threw his Sen opponent aside, and headed for the leader. Leveling his blaster, he fired two shots at the leader who blocked both shots with some sort of field that came from his arms. He charged in, kicking the creature in the stomach, but the Sen reached out, and grabbed his foot. Twisting, he spun Jake in the air, and caused him to fall to the ground. Sighing, Jake leapt back to his feet, and stood defensively against the Sen. He threw a punch at Jake's head, and Jake blocked it, coming in with his own which struck the Sen in his chest. He fell back some, and kicked Jake. Missing the block, the Red Ranger fell back, and struck the ground, but Nicole having finished with her opponents came to his side, and helped him up.
"He's a lot tougher than the last one was," Jake told her. He stood, and the two of them raised their arms defensively, side by side.
"Maybe if we take him together," she offered.
The Sen held his hand up, and charged up an energy shot as a ball of energy began to form in his hand.
"Everyone, out of the way," cried Jake, as the ball was released. Nicole and Jake dove in separate directions as the ball streaked past, as did several of Alan's crew. Carl, his brother, was currently locked in combat with a Sen, but had for the most part the upper hand. He did not see the charge shot coming, and as he sent the Sen back with a kick, he turned but could not move fast enough. It struck him dead center in the chest and sent him flying onto the pavement of the alley.
"NO!" cried Alan as he rushed to his brother's side. Jake watched the chaotic scene has Carl was thrown back, and turned to face the Sen leader.
"That's it," he said. He leveled his blaster and kept firing at the leader. He blocked the first two shots, but in his overconfidence failed to notice Nicole, who had retracted her staff into blaster mode. She fired several shots of her own, and while Jake's were deflected hers made contact with the creature's body, causing him to fall to the surface cringing. The two rangers dove at him, trying to pin him down while the other went for the bracelet. He struggled, and the two found each other exchanging roles constantly as he squirmed about.
Alan held his brother in his arms, and could feel the life slowly seep from the body. It twitched, its eyes closed shut, and Alan could feel the burn spot, and knew that it had done some serious damage to his brother. "It's going to be alright man." His voice betrayed his worry, and several of his crew members came over to place their hands on his shoulder. Slowly, Carl stopped breathing, his life ending. Alan watched his brother take his last breath, tears filling his eyes, and he buried his face in his brother chest. After all this time, and the gangs they had faced to protect his community from, his brother had been taken down by some alien bastard. He looked up as the Rangers had pin the creature to the ground, and carefully laid his brother on the ground. He stood up to face the creature. The anger that Alan had felt when he had taken down Gomez, was nothing compared to the rage he felt now.
As Jake held the Sen's shoulders to the ground, Nicole managed to unfasten the bracelet. She held it, admiring the bracelet, but suddenly Jake lost his grip on the Sen, and both of them were sent flying off him. He stood up, and charged a shot which he aimed at Jake. You'll regret that fool.
Jake struggled to stand, but knew he was not going to be fast enough. He looked over to Nicole and could tell she was watching in horror. The Sen released the shot at him, and Jake watched, opened eye as time slowed down and it crossed the distance between him. It seemed all he could hear was the pounding of his heart in his ears as he knew this was probably going to be the end. Just as the shot reached him, he saw an arm stick out, an armored one and the shot collided with it, or what appeared to be a shield of energy that formed in a circle around it. The energy ball dissipated, and quickly time returned to normal.
Jake turned his gaze up, and he found standing over him a figure clad in armor that looked just like his, except for the fact that it was all blue. On his back was what appeared to be a sword. He stood over Jake, and then stuck his arm out in a hand offering.
"Who?" asked Jake, still a little bit stunned.
"Let's just say, I think we're even now," replied Alan behind the helmet of the Blue Ranger. When the Rangers had been sent flying, the bracelet flew across the alleyway and had landed in front of Alan. Looking down, he knew instantly what it was, remembering the first time had had met the Rangers, and wasting no time, he fastened it on his wrist. Copying what Jake had done earlier, he had summoned forth the power of Blue Lens. The energy surrounded him when it was released from the jewel, and when it faded he had stood there as the Blue Ranger. Seeing the creature target Jake he had to make a quick choice between revenge, and honor, and as the creature fired, his choice was decided for him. He reached forward with his arm to block the blow, and as he did a shield of energy had materialized around it, almost like a buckler.
Jake nodded at the new Blue Ranger. Nicole came over and stood on the other side of Alan.
"Oh my gosh," she said.
"The first one said there were three," Jake told them. "I guess this means we're a complete team then."
The Sen roared with anger. It makes no difference; I'll rip the three of you apart.
"Don't count on it," said Alan, drawing his sword from behind. The blade was metallic, but as he held it, it started to glow with blue energy. He charged forward with the sword, and brought to bear on the Sen's armor, which had come up to block. He managed to slice through several of the Sen's spikes, which caused the Sen to cry in pain, and fall back a few steps, clutching his arm. Alan charged forward with his sword at his side, as the Sen stood there recovering, the Blue Ranger slashed it across its midsection. There was a gurgle from the creature, and then suddenly it split apart at the waist, falling to the ground. Alan stood there watching his brother's killer in its two separate parts, and part of him felt fulfilled. There was another part though that felt like it was still empty, for the pain of loss was still there. Nicole and Jake came up behind the new Ranger and stood at his side.
After several moments, the Red Ranger finally broke the silence. "We're sorry for your loss," Jake told Alan.
"It wasn't your fault," he said calmly, though part of him felt it was. These two were the reason these aliens were here, but if it was not for him charging in head first to the strip club with guns blazing, none of them would have been here in the first place. "The important thing is its dead."
Alan's crew up behind them, slapping their leader on his back, and shoulders, saluting the new power he wielded. He barely felt them though as he was still in deep though about his brother. "How do I get out of this thing?"
"Release," said Jake, his and Nicole's armor fading from them.
"Release," echoed Alan, and his armor faded from his body, his bracelet on his wrist as it did.
"Thanks for the help," said Jake, offering his hand. Alan looked at him for a second without feeling, but slowly he reached out his own hand and shook Jake's.
"Come back with us," Alan told him, then looked at Nicole too. "There's a few questions I think I'd like to have answered."
"Sure thing," said Nicole standing there in her uniform from work. As the armor faded, from the first two Rangers, part of the fantasy did as well. They had become three, but the cost had already begun to be too high.