Chapter 7: Forged Under Fire
"Come on Teddie, you got better moves than that," Spencer said as Teddie stumbled back, a hand to her shoulder.
"Oh, I'll show you better moves," she grinned, not too offended at her brother's words. She ducked under his next punch, using her smaller stature to her advantage. Spencer's eyes narrowed a little as he focused harder to ensure her punch didn't connect with his stomach.
"You and Spencer fight the same, kinda," Shelby commented to Chase as they watched the two sparring. Nearby, Ivan and Riley were practising their sword skills, making sure to avoid the rest of the group with their weapons.
"Yeah, Spencer seems a bit more...forceful?" Olivia guessed as Teddie weaved around another punch from the SPD Ranger.
"That's because of my bull spirit," Spencer explained, hearing their words as he blocked Teddie's strike. She gulped as his much larger hand wrapped around her fist, trapping it. "Whereas I use strength..." Teddie then leapt over his head and twisted, forcing him to let her go. "Teddie and Chase use agility more, hence the bird spirits," he finished. Olivia and Shelby looked to Chase, who winked at them. They rolled their eyes at his action, before looking up as the trapdoor above opened, and Tyler and Mack slid in, with Tyler laughing. It was obvious he was happy to have been reunited with his father.
"Hey guys," Tyler greeted with a smile.
"Welcome back Tyler," Koda greeted, having been painting shirtless nearby. "Mr Hartford," he added politely.
"Call me Mack, people call my dad Mr. Hartford," Mack grinned.
"Huh, I seem to recall him trying to get us to call him Andrew, and it didn't stick," Ari smirked, sitting with Rose, Tyzonn and James, who had been learning what he needed to know about being a Ranger.
"Come on dad, let me show you around," Tyler laughed as Mack shot Ari a weak glare. She just responded with a smile, still not having completely forgiven him.
"Want see my cave painting?" Koda invited, and Mack and Tyler approached him.
"That's beautiful. It looks very authentic," Mack praised. "You must have studied at the university?" he guessed. Koda looked up, baffled.
"Uni...what?" Koda blinked, and Mack frowned, confused at his reaction.
"Dad, there's something I need to tell you about Koda," Tyler laughed. "He's actually a cavem..." he trailed off as Mack approached Ivan and Riley, his eyes wide.
"Here we go," Rose rolled her eyes in amusement.
"Oh sure, like you didn't get excited over half this stuff," Ari smirked at her.
"Your sword..." Ivan handed it over with a proud smile for Mack to examine. "If I'm not mistaken, it's from Zandar," he commented, and Ivan's eyes lit up.
"Yes! That is right!" Ivan nodded.
"Beautiful replica," Mack told him.
"Replica?" Ivan repeated, insulted. The others tried to hide their laughter as Ivan snatched the sword back. "King George himself gave me this sword," the Gold Ranger told him, highly affronted.
"The King George gave it to you?" Mack asked, disbelieving.
"This is amazing," Teddie giggled. She and Spencer had stopped sparring to watch, entertained by Mack's obliviousness.
"Yeah right!" Mack laughed. "Next you'll be telling me that..." he glanced around and his eyes settled on Philip, who was sitting with Arianna, also watching. "That he's the Prince of Zandar!" he laughed.
"Mack?" he glanced to Rose. "He is the Prince of Zandar," Mack paused, his smile fading as he looked at Philip again.
"Prince Philip the Third, pleased to meet you Mr. Hartford," he greeted with an amused smile, standing up as the others couldn't contain their laughter.
"It's true, he is the Prince," James approached with a smile of his own. "Koda's a caveman, that's why his painting looks so authentic. He found the Blue Energem 100,000 years ago," he chuckled as Mack stared at Koda. The Blue Ranger smiled brightly. "And Ivan? He's the Sir Ivan, from the legend. He found the Gold Energem 800 years ago," he chuckled.
"What?" Mack blinked rapidly, turning to Ivan again. The Knight bowed respectfully to him.
"When they bonded to their Energems, they stopped ageing," Kendall spoke up. "Just like James, ten years ago," she glanced to the Aqua Ranger, who pulled the Aqua Energem from his pocket.
"So what have you been working on, Ms. Morgan?" Tyler asked as he turned to the Purple Ranger. She smiled, leading them over to her machine as James studied his Energem curiously.
"Once I'm done, Tyler's T-Rex Super Charger should be able to access weapons from all of our Energems," Kendall explained as she removed the Pink, Green and Forest Energems and handed them back over.
"There's just two left to transmute; the Graphite and Aqua Energems," Spencer said as he walked back over, drying off the sweat around his face. Philip handed his over, and after a moment, James did the same.
"That Energem stole ten years of my life..." James murmured. "Not just mine," he glanced to Mack, who put a hand on his shoulder.
"Then again, it saved both of our lives," Mack reminded him, and James nodded, but still looked guilty.
"How did it happen?" Chase asked, curious. None of them expected Tyler's missing father to be connected to the Aqua Energem.
"It was a decade ago, but..." James sighed as they moved away from the machine, letting it work on the two remaining Energems. "Still seems like it was just yesterday. Rusty, Mack and I were exploring a vast network of caves, when the place started to collapse. Rusty was in trouble, so I went back for him. He got out, but Mack and I were trapped by falling rocks," James explained. "After the dust cleared, I realised I couldn't move. Mack was breaking his way free, but it was taking time without causing more of a collapse. That's when I saw something in a fossil. I didn't really understand what was happening, but unfortunately, someone else did," James looked down.
"It was a creature we'd seen around the area the day before, stalking us," Mack continued for James. "He demanded the Aqua Energem, and I managed to delay him long enough for James to get free before we ran. Unfortunately, with my strength," Mack glanced down at his hands. "He came to the assumption that I had bonded to an Energem too," he admitted.
"Days later, I found my way out of the cave, but...Fury never stopped chasing us. He was relentless. It was like he could smell my Energem," James continued on, a haunted look in his eyes.
"That's when I knew we couldn't go home," Mack spoke up again. "Risk putting my family in danger? And James' too?" he shook his head, and turned to Tyler and Rose. "Can you ever forgive me?" he asked, guilt obvious in his eyes.
"Of course," Tyler answered without hesitation. "Dad, you didn't have a choice," he pointed out.
"Don't get me wrong, I'm still a little mad that you didn't think you could come to the Overdrive Rangers for help, but," Rose shook her head. "You've never been one to ask for help, especially if it puts us in danger," she pulled him closer. "But you don't even think about running off again, or I will let Ari beat you," the genius warned.
"I like that plan," Ari agreed.
"I won't," Mack chuckled, kissing his wife before pulling her into a hug, unable to believe he was back with his family. "Honestly, I'm still struggling to believe all this. Not only is my son the Red Ranger – told you he'd take after me more," he added to Rose, who rolled her eyes. "But Ari, your kids are involved? And Arianna too? You've all grown up so much," Mack looked to the kids of the former Rangers.
"Ten years does let you grow a little," Spencer grinned.
"And you're still as much of a smart ass as your mum," Mack replied, making Spencer shrug.
"Rude," Ari said, but didn't look offended in the slightest.
"Yeah, because everything was all rainbows and unicorns between you and Will," Mack spoke sarcastically, and Ari shrugged.
"Dude, you think I have a personality like this and I don't clash with people? Besides, Will was a jerk," she defended, and Mack couldn't help but laugh.
"I still can't believe you're the Gold Ranger that Mack told me about. I expected something..." James trailed off, a little red.
"Taller?" Ari asked innocently.
"More mature," Rose, Mack and James answered together.
"Rude!" Ari exclaimed.
"I really am starting to see where Teddie gets her personality from," Philip commented, making the others laugh as Teddie blinked.
"Hey!" she looked offended, which only made them laugh more.
The laughter faded when the computer beeped, making them look around.
"What's that?" James asked curiously.
"Alien bio signs," Kendall frowned as she went to her computer.
"Let's get out there," Tyler told his team, who nodded.
"James, Prince Philip, I'm still transmuting your Energems," Kendall stopped the two from following. "I can't interrupt the process, you both need to stay," she told them apologetically.
"Going in two Rangers down?" Mack asked, concerned as the pair nodded reluctantly. "Maybe I should-" Ari caught his arm, stopping him with a shake of her head.
"Dad, don't worry, we'll be fine," Tyler told him with a smile as Mack looked unhappy. The Rangers hurried off, and Mack turned to Ari.
"It doesn't get easier," she warned him. "You just have to trust them," Ari smiled softly.
"Even if they get hurt?" Mack challenged her. Ari shrugged, tilting her head a little.
"Put it this way Mack. You get to see what your dad went through when you took the Red Morpher from him," she commented.
"That was different, I-" Mack hesitated, giving Philip a side glance, before sighing. "Okay, I'll trust them," he agreed, turning and walking away to wait.
"What was that about?" Spencer asked.
"It's nothing important...anymore," Ari murmured the last part to herself. She knew Mack kept his android origins quiet, with few people outside of the Overdrive Rangers knowing. She then glanced to James, who looked concerned for his friend. She then ran a hand through her hair, hoping Mack would be able to accept it.
Hunter grumbled, kicking up some dead weeds around the industrial building he was pacing in front of, when the Rangers spotted him.
"Looking for trouble, Hunter?" Ivan called.
"Cause you've found it!" Tyler added as Hunter whirled around to face them. He let out a cry as Shelby leapt at him, narrowly missing kicking his face.
"Let's get him!" she shouted as they all attacked.
"You Rangers are such pests!" Hunter complained. He caught Chase with a hard punch to the stomach, lifting him off his feet. "And I'm the exterminator!" he laughed, tossing the Black Ranger aside before slashing Shelby, Ivan and Teddie. Riley blocked the strike meant for him, only for a drop kick to shove him into Olivia. The two tumbled to the ground, groaning in pain.
"Don't worry, only my pride is hurt," Riley sighed as Koda and Tyler helped them up.
"My butt took most of the damage," Olivia grumbled, shooting him a dirty look.
"Crossbow Laser Storm!" Hunter grabbed his weapon and shot arrows at the Rangers, who dodged them. The arrows exploded when they hit the ground, and the Rangers rolled away.
"Dino Morpher Blast!" Chase fired a retaliating shot, hitting Hunter in the face. The alien shrieked in pain, flipping through the air before landing on his back.
"Magna Beam!" they looked around in shock as Fury suddenly roared. He began to grow, before crying out in pain as green lights surrounded his horns, leaving bands around them. "Singe, what have you done?!" Fury demanded as he fell to his knees. "I feel weak..." he pushed himself up as he grew to a much greater size. "But I'm ready for wreckage!" he declared, raising his sword.
"We got big trouble!" Chase gulped. Fury laughed, and blasted the ground where they stood. Rolling away, the group barely managed to avoid the attacks.
"Whoa, he's playing cat and mouse, and we're the mice!" Shelby groaned.
"I don't like that analogy," Teddie pushed herself up. "So let's even the playing fields!" she grabbed her Charger.
"I'll use T-Rex Super Charge mode and deal with Hunter," Tyler told them.
"Dino Chargers, ready! Summon Zords!" each of the other Rangers summoned their Zords, forming the Ptera Charge Megazord Tri-Stego Formation.
"Dino Charger, ready! Dino Super Drive Sabre!" Ivan activated their powerful Megazord power. "Dino Super Drive, Activate!" he grabbed the sabre that materialised.
"Let's take this dude out!" Teddie called as they flew into the air.
"I'm weakened, but I can still beat you!" Fury warned, throwing a powerful jet of lightning at them.
"Dodge the blast, yes!" Ivan laughed as they easily avoided the attack. As Tyler easily dominated against Hunter, the others continued to push Fury.
"Curse these Zotac Rings! I can feel them sapping my power!" the feline roared angrily.
"Whatever those things are, they've made Fury mad weak," Olivia grinned. "Flamethrower!" she called on the T-Rex's power to spit out a jet of fire at Fury when he swung at them again. The flames cut through Fury's lightning, and scorched him, making Fury scream in pain.
"Dino Super Drive Sabre, activate!" Ivan shouted, raising the sabre to call on the combined power of their Chargers. "Dino Super Drive Sabre; Lighning Charge! Final Strike!" flying at Fury, they cut through him and made him shriek in pain.
Landing at a much smaller size on the ground, Fury groaned, blood trickling from a cut across his chest. Knowing he was lucky to even have survived the last blow, he managed to get to his feet, and roared furiously.
"Singe will pay for making me weak!" he vowed.
"He got away...for now..." Ivan growled, determined to put an end to the one who had held him captive for 800 years.
"Help, guys!" Tyler suddenly contacted them, sounding weak.
"We have to help Tyler," Chase told the others before they could relax, and they leapt from the Megazord. They found Tyler breaking free of a green binding, falling to one knee as his Dino Super Charge mode faded, and Singe and Hunter ran off.
"Tyler, you okay?" Teddie called as they ran to help.
"Be careful, somehow Singe neutralised my T-Rex Super Charge Mode," Tyler warned as he got back to his feet, shaking a little from the loss of power.
"They in warehouse!" Koda spotted the two sneaking off, and they gave chase.
"You won't escape!" Tyler warned as they cornered the two.
"Don't want to," Singe chuckled as they turned to face the Rangers.
"Take them down!" Riley called as they summoned their sabres and ran to fight off the two.
"You ragged Rangers fight like you're asleep," Singe taunted as he caught Tyler's blade and tossed him backwards. Chase, Shelby and Koda fought Hunter, while the rest focused on Singe, knowing he was the greater threat.
"Then it'll be real embarrassing for you when we kick your butt!" Teddie told him as she kicked out, but Singe dodged and punched her across the chest, forcing her backwards.
"We'll see about that!" Singe laughed, his arm starting to glow green.
"Oh no, that weapon again!" Tyler recognised it, stopping the others from approaching Singe. "Look out!" he yelled, but it was too late. Singe spun in a circle, and the green light hit each of the Rangers. They cried out, hitting the ground as they demorphed, finding green rings around their Energems.
"This is bad..." Olivia murmured.
"Dino Charger, ready!" Tyler tried to Morph again, only for the Charger to beep. "These rings...they're keeping us from Morphing," he realised.
"Come on Hunter," Singe smirked. "Their powers have been neutralised. Let's get their Energems," he told the snickering alien with him, only for Teddie's energy-ball to hit him in the face. Hunter shrieked as it exploded, knocking him backwards.
"You're not getting anything!" Chase warned, starting to glow gold and black. His Kiwi spirit burst free as Teddie's followed, flying through the air with their bird songs harmonising. They flew at Singe, throwing him back.
"We need to get out of here, we're way too weak without our Ranger powers," Teddie said as she let vines burst out of the ground and wrap around Hunter. He broke free, only for Tyler's punch to throw him into Singe.
"No kidding," the Red Ranger backed away, and with a frustrated growl, Singe used the power again, letting the green light hit the two spirits. The birds cried out, before vanishing, and Teddie and Chase fell to their knees as bands wrapped around their arms.
"What a waste," Singe scoffed as he got back to his feet. "Let's end this," he told Hunter, only for blue and grey blasts to hit them and shove them back.
"You'll end nothing today!" Philip called as he and James stood in front of the others Morphed.
"Got you covered guys," James told them as Olivia and Koda helped Teddie and Chase back to their feet.
"How dare you interfere!" Singe growled at the pair.
"Time we made our exit," James glanced to Philip, who nodded in agreement.
"Dino Morpher Blast!" they shot Hunter and Singe, and when they burst through the smoke, the Rangers were gone.
"What are these things?" Olivia asked as the Rangers recovered back at base.
"Some kind of alien technology," Kendall explained as she studied Tyler's Energem.
"May I?" she glanced up as Tyzonn approached, and she handed it over. He sighed as he looked it over. "I feared it was this. A Zotac Ring," he said.
"That's what Fury called them," Chase remembered. "What are they? And why do they make me feel so lousy?" he complained, pulling at the one around his arm.
"They're control devices," Arianna spoke up as she stood beside Tyzonn, looking at it with a hint of fear. "I've never seen one before," she admitted.
"I have," Tyzonn's expression was darker. "They're energy neutralisers. With this wrapped around your Energem, you won't be able to harness it's power," he explained as he handed it back to Kendall.
"And us?" Teddie asked, indicating to the band she also wore.
"Your powers will be completely restrained," Tyzonn explained. "When a Mercurian has one on, it stops us from switching forms, or using our powers. You won't be able to use any sort of ability with that on," he told them.
"Oh, so we're..."
"Normal," Spencer finished for the pair.
"At long last," Shelby commented, but no-one could bring themselves to laugh. With Zotac Rings on their Energems, they were down to three Rangers.
"Is there a way to remove the rings?" Kendall asked Tyzonn.
"To be honest, I don't know," he admitted, the haunted expression still in his gaze. "I never saw what happened after they were applied. Our mission to help them failed," he turned away, and Ari put a hand on his arm as Mack put his hand to Tyzonn's shoulder in comfort.
"They're often used for slavers," Arianna explained, her own expression one of fear. "I've been lucky to never see one," she murmured. Philip took her hand, squeezing it gently in reassurance, and she drew closer to him. Neither noticed Tyzonn watching the pair.
"Okay, then I'm going to try to break off the ring," Kendall decided. "The transmuter may have the power to do it...does anyone want to volunteer?" she glanced to the affected Rangers.
"Use mine," Tyler volunteered instantly. Kendall nodded, and turned to the transmuter, placing the Red Energem in a tube. As she adjusted the settings and powered up the machine, the lights began to flicker overhead, plunging them into semi darkness.
"Cross your fingers everyone," Shelby swallowed as Kendall got to work.
"Come on..." Kendall murmured, and the ring began to glow green, before shattering.
"It came off!" Tyler smiled with relief, and Kendall smiled slightly.
"It worked," Philip spoke up in awe as the others breathed a sigh of relief.
"Wait," Spencer stopped her from touching it. "Look," he gestured to the crack that formed in the Energem.
"Oh dear," Kendall swallowed, grabbing a microscope to examine it. "That's not good," she murmured.
"What's wrong?" Olivia peered closer.
"There's a crack," Kendall turned to Tyler nervously.
"It cracked?" Tyler stared at her, and grabbed the Energem. He studied it, seeing the crack down the length of the gem. "Can I Morph?" he asked Keeper, who had approached.
"It would be very risky," Keeper warned him. "The crack may continue to grow. We must stop it before the damage is irreparable and your powers are compromised forever," he considered. Tyler's look of panic grew at the idea of losing his powers entirely. Mack walked over, worried for his son.
"No worries...Ms. Morgan can fix it," Chase said confidently, but his real concern was obvious. "Can't you?" he asked, sounding a bit more uncertain. Kendall looked away.
"I doubt it..." she admitted, looking down. "We need the right combination of heat and pressure," Kendall explained, knowing she couldn't provide that.
"Samson Caves," Mack spoke suddenly, looking to Tyler. His eyes lit up with an idea.
"In the main cavern, there's a lava pool," the Red Ranger remembered.
"Lava!" Kendall smiled, realising what he was talking about.
"Heat and pressure!" Tyler grinned.
"What were we saying before about Tyler avoiding active volcanoes?" Ari asked Tyzonn with a smile. Rose chuckled, and Mack blushed.
"Guys come on. One time," he defended weakly.
"That might just do it!" Kendall considered.
"We've got to try," Tyler nodded, and Kendall held out his Energem to him.
"Good luck," she said, and he grinned, turning to leave.
"I'm coming with you," Mack decided, making him look around in surprise.
"One time huh?" Rose arched an eyebrow.
Forced to wait to see if Tyler could repair his Energem, the Rangers waited in the base.
"This thing is uncomfortable," Teddie complained, stopping her guitar practice to tug at the band again.
"That won't work Teddie, and we're not going to try and break it off you," Ari called over to her. "The Zotac Ring cracked an Energem, god knows what it'll do to you," she pointed out as Teddie huffed. "Seems like Tyler really did take after Mack, huh?" Ari turned to Rose, who huffed.
"Mack didn't have to go with him, he's not a Ranger any more," she grumbled.
"He's just worried about him," James smiled a little as he sat down with them. "When he found out Tyler was a Ranger, I don't think I've ever seen him so happy," he chuckled. "But then he remembered how dangerous it was when he was a Ranger. And it really got to him," James admitted.
"Hmph. Main reason it was so dangerous for Mack was because he kept running towards the danger," Ari commented, and both Tyzonn and Rose nodded in agreement. James smiled in amusement. "But I get his worry, really. If there's one person who is almost as bad as Mack-"
"Excuse me, almost?" Rose challenged with an arched eyebrow.
"I didn't try to blow myself up to destroy the Fearcats," Ari argued.
"No, you just ran after them to try and rescue Ronny from them," Tyzonn spoke up. "Alone," he added when she glowered at them.
"Plus the time you and Will ran off to take on the Fearcats when they got that armour," Rose added. "We could go on. The list is endless," she told Ari, who was growing redder by the second.
"You guys seriously suck," she grumbled. "Can we not ruin James' image of me?" she gestured to the Aqua Ranger.
"Too late," he told her, and she groaned as Tyzonn and Rose laughed.
"Hey Ari," she glanced to Tyzonn, still looking irritable when he leaned forwards, though his focus was over her shoulder. "Tell me about him," he requested. She glanced over her shoulder, to Philip, who was sparring with Olivia.
"Been waiting for that," she snorted.
"Oh, the protective dad," Rose grinned. "He's acting just like my dad when he met Mack for the first time," she commented, making Tyzonn roll his eyes.
"Well?" he pressed.
"Oh, fine," Ari chuckled, raising her hands. "He's a good guy, Ty, he really cares for her," she told him, and he watched as Olivia knocked the Prince to the ground and said something before offering her hand, making him smile. "Give him a chance. He almost got himself killed protecting her from Singe," she told him.
"That's what I'm worried about," Tyzonn sighed. "I know I sent Arianna here to learn like I did, but at the same time...maybe I shouldn't have put her in that sort of danger," he considered, looking over to Arianna, who was cheering Philip on as Chase cheered on Olivia.
"I think it was a good idea," Rose spoke up. "She's so much more confident now. I think it's been good for her to be here," she told him. Tyzonn had to admit, she was right. Of course, Rose usually was.
"And Arianna's been just as good for Philip," Ari spoke up again. "He had a bit of an attitude problem at first, and when he first became a Ranger he freaked about being outclassed compared to the others, but Arianna settled his fears every time. And she's gained a lot of confidence from spending time with him," she told Tyzonn, who sighed as he watched Philip approach Arianna, looking a little embarrassed about losing.
"Vella's gonna kill me," he muttered, and the others chuckled as Ari patted his shoulder.
'Guys,' they looked around as Mack contacted the base, sounding frantic.
"What's up?" Spencer answered.
'The lava didn't work,' Kendall sighed at Mack's announcement. 'Tyler used Dino Armour X to dig underground, but the hole collapsed after he dug in! There's gotta be a way to help him,' he pleaded with them.
"His suit can withstand a lot of heat. If his Energem isn't completely cracked, he should be okay," Kendall tried to soothe him. "There's simply nothing more we can do to help him," she told him apologetically, before a warning popped up on screen. "You've got company, alien bio signs just outside the cave, closing in fast. Get to safety, we're on our way," Kendall told him.
'I can fight!' Mack protested.
"No, you don't have Ranger powers, you'll be at risk and threaten Tyler too," Kendall pointed out, and he scowled, but nodded, ending the link. "Prince Philip, James, let's go," Kendall told them.
"I'll come too Kendall," Spencer told her. "I read up on Singe the moment he headed to Earth, he's bad news," he said, and she nodded with a faint smile.
"Okay, let's go," she agreed, and James jumped up, hurrying over.
"Why aren't we going too?" Shelby questioned when the others stood together.
"It's too dangerous without your Energems," Kendall shook her head, and they looked down. "And Teddie and Chase, you're both particularly at risk with those on you. Philip, James and I can still Morph. We'll go," she said softly as they looked at their Energems on the table, the light barely shining from them.
"Mr. Hartford!" Spencer called as they spotted Mack by the cave entrance. "We told you to hide," he sighed.
"Any word from Tyler?" Mack ignored his words, looking worried.
"Not yet," Kendall shook her head, making him sigh.
"I've got a word for you!" they looked around to see Vivix and Skybolts arrive. "Defeat!" one laughed.
"Urgh, I definitely didn't miss the ones that talked," Spencer grumbled. "Mack, get to safety, we'll handle this. Please," he requested when Mack went to protest. He sighed, but nodded, running off.
"Dino Charger!"
"Ready!"
"ENERGISE, HA! UNLEASH THE POWER!"
"SPD, EMERGENCY!" the four Morphed.
"I gotta ask, why are you helping out?" James asked Spencer, taking in his different suit.
"Commander gave orders, after Heckyl got so close he wants to make sure it doesn't happen again," Spencer shrugged.
"Uh, yeah, we try to avoid talking about that," Kendall shook her head.
"Oh believe me, I know," Spencer's voice darkened.
"Let's go!" James called, and they grabbed their blasters.
"Rapid Blast!" Kendall fired her blaster, taking out multiple Vivix.
"You're a pretty good shot," Spencer complimented as he moved past her, cutting across more as he ran through a group of the footsoldiers.
"Time to crush these cockroaches!" Philip called as he and James joined the fight.
"Don't mind if I do," James grinned, fighting them off.
"That's it, I'm going out there," Shelby decided, walking over to the tray.
"Shelby...we're practically powerless," Riley reminded her as he hesitated, showing his fear. Shelby frowned at him.
"Powers or no powers, we're Rangers," she told him firmly. "I say we go," the Pink Ranger looked to the others.
"Hear hear," Teddie grinned as they lifted their Chargers, before pausing.
"What? You aren't going to stop us?" Olivia asked, aware there were four others still there.
"Nope," Ari looked happier than they expected. "See? You could stand to learn from them," she smirked to Rose and Tyzonn.
"We learned our lesson when you called us babies," Rose argued.
"What are they talking about?" Riley asked, baffled.
"Oh, when they lost their Overdrive powers and the team gave up," Teddie answered brightly. "That's why I went back in time to help them," she explained.
"Wait, what?" Rose demanded, her eyes widening.
"Did I forget to mention that?" Ari asked innocently. "Good luck out there!" she waved off the Rangers, who hurried out to help.
"Surprise!" the seven Rangers found their path by Hunter as they ran through the city. "Trying to get to the cave to help your friends?" he taunted. "You don't have the power to get past me!" Hunter laughed loudly.
"That's what you think!" Chase called, and they ran to fight him unmorphed. However, without their powers, the Rangers were easily outmatched by the powerful alien.
"Six at once!" he laughed, spinning and knocking all but Koda down.
"I get him!" Koda leapt over Chase and landed on Hunter's head. The alien thrashed as Koda pulled at his tentacles, before losing his grip. Ivan caught him as Hunter threw him off, and the two landed on the ground.
"Resist, and you'll cease to exist!" Hunter declared, grabbing his crossbow and blasting the ground in front of the Rangers when they got back up. They cried out, thrown back to the ground.
"This ain't good," Teddie groaned, a hand to her chest.
As Kendall, Philip, James and Spencer continued to fight the Vivix and Skybolts, another entered the battle, chuckling.
"Uh oh, look!" Kendall spotted him first. "Singe," she gulped.
"You've Morphed for the last time, Rangers!" the candle-like monster declared, his tail swishing as he raised his blaster. Spencer raised a shield, and the blasts bounced off it harmlessly. "Oh, an SPD Ranger," Singe commented, not showing any surprise. "Any relation to the Black Ranger?" he asked.
"Why, you wondering about our good looks?" Spencer bit back, and Singe fired again, continuous shots that cracked through the shield and threw the four to the ground.
"On your feet guys!" Kendall shouted as she got back up quickly and shoved back the Vivix that swarmed them.
"Finally, the Energems will be mine!" Singe smirked as he powered up the blaster attached to his arm, letting it glow green. However, the ground began to shake, and exploded in front of him.
"Think again Singe!" Tyler called as he landed in front of Singe.
"Tyler!" Kendall smiled with relief.
"He's okay!"
"I'm more than okay, and so is my Energem!" Tyler cheered, fully energised and glowing red with power. "It's time I got super-charged! Dino Charger, ready!" he activated the charger in his hand, and it flashed. "T-Rex Super Charge Morpher, Activate! T-Rex Super Charge, ready!" summoning the battilizer mode, he combined his two blasters. "Super Charge Morpher Blast!" he fired at Singe, who raised his arms to defend himself, forgetting about the weapon attached to his arm.
"That blasted blaster! No!" Singe screamed, thrown through the air as the weapon exploded in a flash of green. "Curse that Ranger...he's destroyed my Zotac Ring controller!" he realised as he pushed himself up.
After being thrown around again by Hunter, the seven Rangers pushed themselves back to their feet, smarting from the blows. Hunter just laughed, almost dancing on the spot with joy at such an easy battle. However, their Energems began to glow green, and the rings exploded off them, as did the ones around Chase and Teddie's arms.
"The rings are gone!" Teddie laughed as she put a hand to her arm.
"What?!" Hunter yelped, and Teddie flung out an arm. Her hand glowed green, and the ground exploded under Hunter as vines burst out around him, grabbing him and tossing him into the air. Chase then followed suit, his hand glowing golden, and golden light slammed into Hunter, forcing him back down and smashing him to the ground.
"Feels so good to do that again," Chase sighed happily.
"You mean to not be normal," Olivia smirked at him. "Let's do this!" she cheered.
"Dino Charger!"
"Ready!"
"ENERGISE, HA! UNLEASH THE POWER!" they Morphed as Hunter pushed himself back to his feet, only for Chase to blast him.
"I liked the snotty teenagers better!" he yelped, and both Ivan and Riley cut across his front.
"How about we try something new?" Riley asked as they stood together.
"A grand idea indeed!" Ivan nodded in agreement. As Ivan powered up his Ptera Sabre, the Rangers leapt onto each other's shoulders, standing in two pillars of three.
"Dino Morpher, Energy Combine!" the Rangers fired their blasters to combine their powers, and Ivan flew through it, combining his power with theirs.
"Ptera Sabre, Final Strike!" Hunter shrieked as Ivan slammed into him, cutting through him and destroying him.
Singe fought with rage as he attacked the other Rangers, furious that they'd destroyed his weapon.
"You trashed my controller, now I'll trash you!" Singe snarled as Philip and Tyler rushed him.
"Save the trash talk," Philip groaned, before being kicked away.
"Yeah, for garbage day!" James agreed as he jumped in, but Singe was too powerful, throwing James against the cliffside nearby. The Aqua Ranger groaned as his back stung from the pain, and Spencer rammed Singe away from him.
"Go back to your Master, Singe," Spencer told him as he ducked under Singe's kick. "Your real Master," he added.
"You've done your homework, haven't you, SPD Ranger?" Singe commented mildly, landing a kick to Spencer's chest and throwing him back. "Not that it matters, I'll destroy you all and take the Energems!" he declared.
"Not gonna happen!" Tyler leapt in. "I'm gonna snuff you out, candle-head!" the Red Ranger swung a punch that Singe blocked.
"Try me, Dino-Boy!" Singe swung his sword, but Tyler blocked it easily and aimed a kick at his head. Singe backed away, firing his blaster, and Tyler was shoved back several feet by the power behind it.
"Tyler!" Kendall called as she fought off the last of the Vivix. "It's time to try your new Super Charge ability!" she shouted to him. "Our Energems are free, you should be able to access all of our weapons now!" Kendall told their leader.
"That's gonna be so awesome!" Tyler laughed.
"Go for it!" Kendall nodded.
"Alright, let's do this! T-Rex Super Charge, Tri-Stego Formation!" Tyler called on Shelby and Koda's powers as well as his own, and activated it. His suit was altered, gaining a blue boot and a pink boot.
"What?!" Singe demanded as Tyler gained a Stego Sheild and Tricera Drill.
"He did it!" James grinned as Philip helped him back to his feet.
"Stego Zord block!" Tyler deflected Singe's attack. "Whoa! These new Dino powers are dynamite!" he laughed, leaping through the air as he felt power flood through him. "Tricera Zord, Power Drill!" he hit Singe and threw the alien back. "Now for the triple play! T-Rex Super Charge, Compy-Ankylo Formation!" he swapped for Teddie and James' weapons, gaining a sword and hammer. His suit changed again, taking on an Aqua and White colour as well as his red.
"Destroy him!" Singe ordered. The Skybolts and Vivix turned away from the other Rangers, and focused on Tyler.
"This power is crazy strong," Spencer commented as they watched Tyler.
"Ankylo Zord, Hammer Punch!" Tyler hit the monsters hard, tossing them into the air. "And for part two of this super-combo, Compy Zord, Swift Strike!" he then raced along the ground with much greater speed, cutting through each of the monsters as they fell and destroyed them. "Yeah! Compy-Ankylo Formation is morphenomenal!" Tyler laughed.
"Try another one!" Kendall suggested, eager to see what other combinations would be like.
"T-Rex Super Charge, Scelido-Pachy Formation! Activate!" he called on Olivia and Philip's powers next, changing his suit to a dark green and grey one. "Scelido Zord!" he raised the shield as the Vivix attacked, deflecting their shots and hitting them, before he spun through the air. "Just call me a one-man wrecking crew!" Tyler laughed, throwing out the mace. "Pachy-Zord Wrecking Ball!" the Vivix were destroyed as the mace slammed into them. "Time to finish this! T-Rex Super Charge, Para-Raptor Formation! Activate!" he called on Chase and Riley's weapons to finish off the battle.
"You cannot win, so stop trying!" Singe roared, fed up. He launched at Tyler, who faced him and shot at him, matching Singe's shots. "Is that all you got, you walking carnival?" Singe snapped at him.
"You're gonna wish you didn't ask for that!" Tyler smirked as he then called on the Tri-Stego formation again. "T-Rex Super Charge Blast, Final Strike!" he fired the shot, and Singe screamed as it hit him dead on. "Now that's what I call fighting fire with fire," Tyler laughed. Singe hit the ground, rolling away, smoking from the hit. He pushed himself up and staggered, falling back to one knee, and growled.
"His flames can't stop me for good. Just...for now..." he murmured, vanishing in a jet of fire.
"Nice work dude, that was awesome," Spencer laughed as they ran over to Tyler, who grinned back.
"And then, just as the earth started to rumble, I dipped my Energem into the lava, and boom!" Tyler told the group, grinning with excitement. "All fixed," he held up his Energem, which shone brightly, as if the crack had never existed.
"Ohh," Koda breathed.
"Hark, tell me more, please," Ivan pleaded, always eager for a good story. "What did it look like down there?" he asked eagerly. Tyler grinned.
"Oooh, Sir Ivan, I'm glad you asked," he pulled his phone from his pocket and unlocked it. "A picture...is worth a thousand words," he winked as Ivan and Koda gasped in awe.
"Is that...lava?" Ivan breathed.
"Yep! Sure is," Tyler smiled proudly as the others gathered to look too.
"You took a selfie?" Shelby rolled her eyes at the picture of Tyler lying on the ground beside the lava.
"I don't understand how you survived the heat," Riley frowned at him. "That's im-" he stopped, looking at Chase, who was smirking at him. "Oh shut up," he turned away as both Teddie and Chase laughed.
"Tyler," Mack approached him, and Tyler looked around with a smile. "I'm sorry, I was way too protective," he apologised. "I should have trusted you to be okay, and from what I heard, you handled Singe all by yourself out there," Mack smiled proudly at his son. Tyler shrugged, trying to look modest. "I'm proud of you Tyler, you're a great Ranger," he praised, and Tyler's face lit up. "I think I'll always be worried about you being out there, but I know you'll be okay. You've got a great team too," he glanced to the others.
"So true," Chase grinned, and the others couldn't help but laugh.
"I do think we should discuss the digging underground towards the Earth's mantle, though?" Rose arched an eyebrow as she approached, and Tyler's smile faded a little. He gulped, looking a little nervous as the others continued to laugh.
I gotta admit, a monster called Hunter really threw me when writing this chapter.
James will be sticking around for another chapter, which I'll hopefully post soon enough! I just need to focus on writing for once...
Anyways, I hope you liked it!
Please review!
