Early the next morning, Zoey was just getting ready for her day ahead. She had only been held in the infirmary overnight, and the team still had to debrief over the events of the previous day.
She was just getting ready to return to work when Ben came in, carrying a tray of food.
"No thanks, I usually only have a snack when I get up and eat later." She told him.
"This isn't for you." He told her. She just furrowed his brows. "Look, could you do me a big favour and take this to…"
"No!" She interrupted him sharply.
"You didn't…"
"You're asking me to take this to Eli, aren't you?" She asked him. Ben just sighed and nodded.
"Look, I'll admit, he kind of rubs me up the wrong way." Ben told her. "We exchanged some words when I took him his evening meal and well…I'd prefer not to talk to him again."
"If that's how you feel after a few hours, how do you think I feel? I've known him my whole life!" Zoey commented.
"I could always take it to him." Betty volunteered. They both just looked at her. "I'm…just sayin'."
"Look, Ben, I know you probably mean well, but there's a good reason some brothers and sisters don't talk." She told him.
"I'm not doubting that, but you know how to deal with him without wanting to ram this tray down his throat." Ben responded. Zoey just groaned and took the tray off him. Eli did have a talent for causing trouble. Even before he left the city to join the Club, he was regularly getting into trouble. He had a particular talent for pissing off security and police officers that had led to him being brought home in a squad car more than a few times.
"Fine, but you need to find someone else for the next one." Zoey replied as she stormed out.
"Tell him I said hi!" Betty called after her. Ben just glared at her. "What?"
"Are you sure we're related?" He asked sarcastically.
"Well, if we're not then mom managed to pull off one hell of a magic trick." She responded. Ben just shook his head in disbelief and left the room. Betty just lay back and sighed, waiting for the doctor to come and clear her to return to restricted duties.
Zoey headed down towards holding, breezing straight past the security checkpoint. She didn't need to look too hard for her brother, he was currently the only one in the holding area. Grid Battleforce didn't have terribly many disciplinary problems, and normally the few they did have could be resolved without any need for charges. Given the highly classified nature of their work, everyone on base was already very strictly security vetted, and so there weren't too many natural trouble-makers on the base. Most disciplinary matters were simple rules infractions that usually required nothing further than a warning or at most a restriction in duties and privileges.
She used her security pass to open the door, finding him sitting, meditating on the bed. She was about to set the tray down and leave without a word, hoping that he was too focused to notice her, but as she was about to leave, he spoke.
"So, you finally came to see me?" He asked. Zoey just turned towards him.
"How'd you know it was me if your eyes were closed?" She asked him. He just smiled.
"You've worn that same brand of perfume since you were ten." He told her. "You bugged the shit out of me to get it for you."
He disentangled his legs and stood up, looking to his little sister, before gesturing her in.
"What? No hug?" He asked her. She just folded her arms and tapped her foot impatiently. "Well, I guess I'll take that as a no."
"What are you even doing here Eli?" She asked him. "I thought your club was out East."
"It is." He told her. "But I'm on something of a sabbatical. A little personal business if you will."
"Fine, don't tell me." She replied, making to leave.
"Hey." He called out, causing her to stop. "You really work here? You actually signed up?"
"Yeah, I did." She responded. "I've got a few courses I'm looking at. They're pretty good at paying for training and education."
"Yeah, they always were." Eli agreed. "But I got most of my education once I left."
"What's that meant to mean?" She asked him. He just shook his head.
"I just…I guess I hoped you wouldn't make the same mistake I did." He told her. "I thought you'd be smarter than that."
"You gave up the right to give me career guidance when you walked out." She said bitterly. "Look, I don't know what you were doing at that plant and frankly I don't care. I just hope they're done with you quick."
"Look, Zoey, you're pissed, I get it." Eli said regretfully.
"No, you don't!" Zoey snapped at him. "You just left! That was it! We were trying to help and then one day we just find your stuff gone!"
"I wasn't in a good head space!" He explained. "I know I left without warning but...that time…"
"That's just it. We WANTED to help you!" She interrupted him. "But you wouldn't let us."
"I just needed somewhere that people understood, they knew what I felt like." He explained. She just prodded a finger into his kutte.
"You got it with them?" She asked. He just nodded.
"Most of the guys that were at the top of the table when I joined were vets too." He told her. "They understood."
"Well, I'm really glad." She stated. "Maybe if you'd stuck around and actually talked to us, we could have understood too."
She looked to the breakfast tray.
"I stopped by the canteen." She told him. "Ben had gotten ketchup but I know you prefer brown sauce with your bacon."
"Thanks." He replied. With that, she just left the room, locking the door behind her as she went. He picked up the tray and his cutlery and started to eat. He'd barely gotten the first bite into his mouth before he looked up at the figure in the doorway.
"Can I at least eat before we do this?" He asked.
Elsewhere in the city, Scrozzle was overseeing the work as Tronics were relocating the Cyber Gate to another location. The Rangers had left abruptly after the battle, and he'd managed to get some Tronics together to break it down and move it to another location before a team could be assembled to bring the tech to their vaults. They were currently putting it back together while Roxy sat on some rubble and Blaze just looked around their new site.
"There sure are a lot of empty warehouses in this city." He commented. "Businesses come and go, but the one thing that only increases in value is the one thing we can't make more of and that's land."
"My aunt always said the same thing." Roxy said with a shrug. "Guess she'll figure out some reason to sell this dump for a profit eventually."
"If you two are quite finished yammering on!" Scrozzle said impatiently as he looked to the Cyber Gate, while the Tronics were preparing the final few connections. "This can go one of two ways. Massive explosion or…"
There were some sparks, and a few of the Tronics flew around the room. One exploded, completely overloaded by the power within the Cyber Gate. Scrozzle just cackled.
"There, perfect!" He remarked.
"Yeah, it looks it." Blaze said sarcastically. Scrozzle just waved him off.
"That's what Tronics are for." He told him. "Now all we need is to get Master Evox's robotic body back!"
"So that's why you wanted us to stick around." Blaze said. "You want us to go fetch it."
"Well, each tool has a purpose to which its suited." Scrozzle stated. "Sometimes, you need a hammer."
"Don't worry, we'll get the Silver Ranger for you." Roxy said. Blaze just grunted and walked off. She just chuckled. "He'll come around. You know he just loves an opportunity to cause trouble."
"Indeed." Scrozzle replied.
Back at Grid Battleforce Headquarters, the Rangers were all assembled for their debriefing. They had to wait a while, as it seemed that Commander Shaw was running late. It was a little odd, they could never remember her running late for anything before. Eventually, she came into the room.
"Excuse me, another matter required my attention." She told them. "So, who wants to begin?"
"Scrozzle assembled a Cyber Gate. He planned to use it to allow Evox to transfer his data back to this dimension." Devon began. "But he didn't just need that, he also needed a body to upload Evox into."
"Which is why Blaze and Roxy kidnapped Nate." Zoey explained. "They knew he could make a robot that would be able to act as a host for Evox which is where…"
"Which is where I come in!" The Silver Ranger chipped in cheerfully.
"All in good time." Nate told him, trying to rein him in. He was still getting used to the new robot's presence. "So, they kidnapped me while I was collecting some DNA samples in the woods to use to power up my new weapons. However, when I saw that Scrozzle was using the Neural Aligner to download Evox, I made an escape plan. I figured that if I had a Neural Aligner and I had animal DNA, then I had everything I needed to escape."
"Wait, so you were captured, threatened with torture, had no weapons and only had a few tools and parts, and you not only escaped, but you turned yourself into a Power Ranger into the bargain?" Ravi asked.
"Dude, that is pretty badass!" Devon congratulated him, offering up a fist-bump. Nate returned the gesture. Zoey just watched the interaction, and while she was pleased to see Nate safe, and see him so happy to be accepted by the others, she still couldn't help feeling a little saddened. One of the few things she felt like she offered Nate was the fact she was a Ranger. Now, he had those powers for himself.
"So, what about the elephant in the room?" Ravi asked, gesturing to the Silver Ranger.
"I'm not an elephant!" He responded, sounding a little put-out. Nate took a deep breath.
"Well, that was a surprise to me too." Nate admitted. "I didn't have time to move the robot, or decide what DNA sample I wanted to use, so I held onto both samples and stood under the Neural Aligner with him, and then he…came to life!"
"Came to life?" Devon asked. "Like, a Beastbot?"
"I had Praying Mantis DNA, which fused to me, but I also had Scarab Beetle DNA which fused with him." Nate began to explain. "So, yes, I thought that's what had happened too."
"OK, so that's great and all, but…he morphed." Ravi commented. "How is that possible?"
"Well, I was curious about that too, which is why I ran some tests last night." Nate told them. The Silver Ranger leaned in.
"I'll let you tell them the good part." He said, sounding a little excited.
"Well, it turns out…"
"I'm half human!" The Silver Ranger blurted out, barely giving Nate a chance to begin. They all looked a little confused.
"You're what?" Zoey asked him.
"Well, it turns out, since I was in the Neural Aligner too, some of my DNA fused with him along with the Scarab Beetle DNA." He told them.
"Which means I'm the perfect Ranger!" The Silver Ranger bragged, with no modesty in his tone at all. "Not to mention, Nate's brother!"
"Your…brother?" Devon asked. Nate just smiled and nodded.
"In a manner of speaking, yes, he is my brother." Nate responded. "Since his DNA came from me, on a biological level, we're related."
"And there's nothing I won't do to keep my brother safe!" The Silver Ranger said bombastically, grabbing Nate and holding him tightly. "Anyone messes with him; they answer to me!"
"Well, that's quite a tale." Commander Shaw said, looking like she was in need of some headache tablets. "Well, it was certainly unexpected how this happened, but I suppose, we have increased our strength in the fight against Evox."
"And he and his cronies have learned a valuable lesson, just like the rest of us." Zoey said, forcing a smile as she came over to Nate. "You don't mess with Nate."
"So, Commander, I know it was well-intentioned and everything, but can we really have a Ranger that can't leave the base?" Devon asked Commander Shaw. She thought about it for a moment.
"No, I don't suppose we can." She agreed. "I sent a team to the warehouse to secure Scrozzle's technology. Unfortunately, when we got there it was already gone."
"If they've still got that stuff, then it means all they need is a robot body to try again." Ravi surmised.
"Which is why we must all be on our guard, and ready to utilise all the power at our disposal." Commander Shaw said. "Welcome to the team, Nate and…um…"
She paused awkwardly for a moment as they all stared at him.
"Oh, that's right, he needs a name." Nate commented.
"I've been thinking about that!" The Silver Ranger responded. "How about, Mr Fantastic, Super Handsome, Strong as Steel?"
There was a laugh among the others. None of them could take that name seriously, not even Zoey, who was still wondering now if Nate would even notice her existence now that it was clear there was nothing, she could offer him. He was smarter than her, he was a Ranger, and now it looked like he even had the brother he'd always wanted. Nate looked to his new 'brother', with a smile that did make her heart flutter a little bit. He did have a nice smile.
"How about just 'Steel' for short?" He suggested. The robot stroked his chin thoughtfully for a moment.
"Steel? I like it!" He chirped enthusiastically. "You are smart!"
That was a relief. The suggestion of Steel for short wasn't really a suggestion. After all, Zoey doubted she needed to ask any of the others if any of them would want to continue to use his full name of 'Mr Fantastic, Super Handsome, Strong as Steel'. Maybe in time, it would come to just kind of become his name, the way her own brother's name was actually Elijah, but everyone had called him Eli for so long that he was just Eli.
"Steel." Devon chuckled, knocking on his head with a metallic clang. "Alright, I think that suits you."
"So, we've got two new Rangers for the team." Ravi stated. "What do you say we put them through their paces and see what they're made of?"
"I like the sound of that." Devon agreed. "Commander?"
"I think that would be a good idea. I don't think it'll be long before they're needed again." She agreed. "You're dismissed."
With that, they all left to head for the gym. It was a pretty steep learning curve being a Ranger, and they wanted to make sure that their latest allies were ready for the call.
In another part of the city, Spike Mike and his boys had been shown into an office, waiting for Arthur Winchester to arrive. They weren't particularly accustomed to being summoned anywhere or listening to demands to do anything, but since he'd already paid to have them and their bikes brought to the city, they were happy to afford him a few minutes.
Spike Mike was looking out of the full-length windows over the city, while he helped himself to a large, expensive cigar from the humidor on the desk.
"So, this is how the other half lives, huh?" His Sergeant at Arms asked.
"It has its perks." Spike Mike replied with a shrug. "But give me the open road and a good bike any day."
They all murmured in approval of his assertion. They all turned to the door as Arthur finally arrived.
"So, you're the great Arthur Winchester." Spike Mike greeted him. "Charmed, I'm assured.
"I wasn't expecting you all to be in here…"
"We're a club, where one of us goes, we all go. There's no secrets among us." Spike Mike cut him off. "So, to what do we owe this generosity?"
"I understand you're looking for Eli Reeves." Arthur Winchester stated. "In fact, the way I heard it, you're willing to pay a substantial sum to have him returned to you."
"Forgive me, but…you look like the kind of guy that has the money I'm able to offer in his back pocket." Spike Mike told him. "So, I have to ask, what are we here for?"
"You misunderstand. I don't want your money. I brought you here because I want to offer you your former friend as kind of a…courtesy." Arthur told them. Spike Mike looked around his boys again, who all just kind of nodded.
"Well, you've got me intrigued." Spike Mike replied. "So, again, I ask you, what do you want in return for all this generosity?"
"It seems being troublesome runs in his family." Arthur told him. "There's a reporter, one that's causing me some problems as of late. Normally I can convince the local press to find something more interesting to talk about than me, but she seems determined to be irritating."
"I think I get the picture." Spike Mike said with a nod. "You want her out of the picture."
"Nothing that attracts attention." Arthur told him. "I already have someone working on discrediting her story and her sources, but I think it'd be for the best if she doesn't get any foolish notions of bringing this up again. I want you to get any papers and take care of her computer, then make sure she realises that sometimes, there are consequences for her words."
"I think we can make something work." Spike Mike agreed. "And Eli?"
"You leave him to me." Arthur assured him. "I'll deliver him without a hair out of place. Something tells me you'd rather deal with that business yourself."
"You have no idea." Spike Mike said with a sinister grin, extending a hand, which Arthur shook. "Mr Winchester, you've got yourself a deal."