Episode 3: Ranger Blues (Part III of III)
"Gahhhhhhhhhhh!"
Isamu, Eddie, and Sasha grunted in frustration as they continued their attempts to break free of the goo they were trapped in, to no avail. No matter how hard they tried, the paint-like substance Pittoraca had left them strung up in didn't seem to budge. It was beginning to seem hopeless.
Eddie's voice seemed to echo this sentiment, as he solemnly mumbled, "This isn't working…"
"Don't give up!" Isamu hollered at him, prompting Eddie to glance over in his direction. "This is...your moment to shine...Suarez!"
"My...moment to shine?" The Green Ranger said to himself, his mind casting itself back to earlier that day…
"Chin up, Cadet. Everyone makes mistakes," Captain Farukon told Eddie, placing a reassuring hand on the young cadet's shoulder. "It's what we do to compensate for them that defines us."
"I...I messed up today, but...I can fix this!" Eddie shouted, his voice swelling with confidence. He then struggled to move his right hand, pushing with all his might until he was able to aim his Delta Defender at the discarded DeltaMax Basher that laid on the floor next to Isamu. "I...can...FIX THIS!"
With that, he pulled the trigger, launching a laser bolt that struck the bottom of the discarded weapon's handle in such a way that it was launched into the air. It arced through the air towards him, then cut through the goop that bound his right arm to a metal pillar.
"I DID IT!" With his right hand now free, Eddie aimed his Delta Defender at the goop restraining his left arm and fired, then scooped up the DeltaMax Basher with his newly-freed left hand and slashed as the goop around his ankles. Having fully freed himself from his binds, Eddie aimed at the puddle of goop gluing Isamu to the floor and fired, freeing his red counterpart as well.
"Suarez!" Isamu said as he struggled up to his knees, prompting Eddie to run over to him and help him back up to his feet. The Red SPD Ranger slapped his green teammate lightly on the back, then said, "Nice work!"
"Thank you for the positive reinforcement, sir!" Eddie replied with a goofy salute. Sasha rolled her eyes slightly inside her helmet, biting back a laugh as the green rookie dashed over to free her as well…
"Wahhhhhhh!" Pittoraca shouted as he was launched backward, landing on the ground and rolling away as Griffin, Niko, and Esther continued to advance.
"Alright, let's wrap this up," Griffin said, tossing his Victory Blaster from his right hand to his left before using his newly-emptied right hand to pull out DeuxStriker.
"Oh boy, that means it's my turn!" DeuxStriker shouted excitedly, shaking in Griffin's hand. Connecting the dots in her head, Esther shook her head violently as she turned and began walking away from the others.
"Un uh, no way! No, no, no! I am not fusing with you two!" She protested, her mind momentarily flashing back to when Isamu had used DeuxStriker to fuse with Eddie and Sasha and become the SPD Fusion Ranger. "Not happening, not in a million years, I'M GOING HOME!"
"Hey, get back here, we're not done!" Griffin grabbed his yellow counterpart by the arm and dragged her back, much to her chagrin. "Besides, don't knock it 'til you try it, I mean, it could be fun!"
"What part of fusing together could possibly be fun?! You are such a dumbass, sometimes!"
"Would you two cut the chatter and focus?!" Niko admonished, prompting the other two to turn their attention back to the task at hand. Griffin acted quickly, swapping his Red Dial Zord out for DeuxStriker and twisting the dial on top of the sentient Collection piece.
"DeuxStriker: 3, 2, 1!" The electronic voice echoed from Griffin's Victory Blaster, as he pulled the lever in the back and twisted the barrel so that DeuxStriker sat on top. "ACTION!"
Shooting out of the Victory Blaster, a red light flew around Griffin and emitted a strange pulse. Suddenly, he expanded like a balloon before shrinking back down in size; before he could even process what was happening, the Red Victory Ranger found himself standing next to two identical copies of himself - one held a Victory Saber while the other held a Victory Claw.
"Victory Ranger TRI!" His morpher announced, as his mind slowly began to process what had just happened.
"Wait...WHAT THE HECK?!" Griffin and his two clones shouted in unison, getting up in eachother's faces. "Why are YOU...ME?!"
"Wait, instead of fusing us, you cloned Griffin?" A somewhat dumbstruck Niko questioned DeuxStriker. "How does that even work?!"
"Beats me!" The sentient Collection piece replied, sounding just as confused as Niko.
"...Great, exactly what we needed. More of you," Esther teased Griffin, prompting all three of the Red Victory Rangers to scoff.
"Whatever, you're just jealous!" They responded in unison. They then turned their attention back to Pittoraca and added, "Since there's three of me now, let's finish this together!"
With that, all five Victory Rangers (clones included) readied their weapons, which began to glow with energy in their respective colors. Before Pittoraca even had a chance to react, five beams of energy were hurtling his way.
"Tri + Blue and Yellow STRIKE!" Griffin's Victory Blaster announced as the beams cut through Pittoraca like a hot knife through butter, causing his body to spark with electricity.
"Aw CRAPPPPPPP!" The slug-alien screamed as his body erupted in a massive explosion. This explosion created a massive crater which he then landed in after flying through the air; lying on the ground defeated as his charred body emitted clouds of smoke, Pittoraca groaned in agony.
"Damn! That was incredible, Deuxie!" Esther shouted, turning her attention to DeuxStriker as he sat slotted on the original Griffin's morpher. "What else can you do?!"
"Lots!" The sentient Zord replied with a bit of a chuckle.
"I just remembered, we never asked Mr. Meaux about him," Niko pointed out, prompting DeuxStriker to begin trembling.
"D-D-Did you just say Mr. M-M-Meaux?!" Before anyone could even respond, the Sentient Zord tore itself off of Griffin's Victory Blaster, causing the two clones to vanish as he flew into the air, turned around, and flew in the other direction. "AHHHHHHHHHHH!"
"Wait, Deuxie! Come back!" Esther called after him. A few moments later, the C-Squad Rangers burst onto the scene, and DeuxStriker accidentally slammed directly into the Red SPD Ranger's forehead.
"Ow…!" Isamu groaned in pain as he fell onto his back, then shot up to his feet once he realized who'd just ran into him. Snatching the dazed DeuxStriker out of the air, he said, "Ha! There you are!"
"Aw crap, here she comes…!" DeuxStriker shouted as a portal opened nearby, revealing none other than Gatlor.
"Now, my darling treasure…make Pittoraca feel better!" With that, the oviraptor-alien shot a green orb of energy at the battered and bruised Pittoraca, who was instantly revitalized and grew to massive heights.
"HAHAHAHA!" The now giant Pittoraca boomed, raising his metal paintbrush and bringing it crashing down. As the Victory Rangers clumsily dove out of the way, he added, "Time for some restructuring! This city is MINE!"
"The Fossilli's more dangerous, so we prioritize him!" Isamu ordered Eddie and Sasha. With that, the three rotated the barrels of their Delta Defenders back and forth and aimed them in front of them, pulling the trigger with a hearty, "HA!"
"Siren Runner I, Siren Runner II, Siren Runner III: DEPLOY!" The Siren Runners shot off of their respective Rangers' morphers and grew giant, allowing them to board them as they drove after a rampaging Pittoraca.
"Time to try this out!" Isamu hollered as he slotted an unwilling DeuxStriker onto his morpher. He then stood as his cockpit door swung open, aiming his DeltaDefender out in front of him. "FIRE!"
"Wahhhhhh!" DeuxStriker shouted as his wings and nose-cone folded up, converting him into his Siren Runner mode as he grew giant. "I guess I have no choice...time to combine! Let's reach out and grab justice by the tail!"
With that, DeuxStriker swerved to a halt and began to transform, forming part of a robotic body. The Siren Runners veered around him and also swerved to a halt, as their pilots pulled their DeltaDefenders backward and converted their cockpit seats to their Megazord configuration. Siren Runner II deployed its cannon, Siren Runner III deployed its baton, and Siren Runner I deployed its red wheel. Suddenly, the three Zords shot up into the air; Siren Runner I slotted onto the front of the robot body while Siren Runners II and III connected to the left and right shoulders, respectively. As Isamu, Eddie, and Sasha found themselves being transported to a new, centralized cockpit, Siren Runner I split down the middle to reveal a robot head and face, completing the transformation.
"Siren Squad Megazord: READY~!" The electronic voice from their morphers announced, as the newly formed Megazord stood ready for action. With the transformation complete, the Siren Squad Megazord skated forward and vaulted into the air, slashing Pittoraca over the head with its baton.
"WAHHHHHH!" The giant Fossilli Family member shouted in pain. Landing on the other side of the gigantic alien, the Siren Squad Megazord turned around and posed with its weapons, taking a fighting stance as Griffin, Niko, and Esther looked on from the ground below.
"Y'know, I kinda figured he could form a Megazord with their Zords, too," Griffin said as he casually plopped down on the curb. Niko and Esther simply glared up and snorted in reply, neither one seeming thrilled with the new development.
"Why...you may have a shiny new toy, but it's not gonna be enough to beat me!" Pittoraca dashed forward, using his arm cannon to shoot out globs of his purple paint-like substance at the Megazord.
"We're not falling for that again!" Eddie shouted defiantly. With that, he and his teammates willed the Megazord to roll behind a series of nearby buildings; the Siren Squad Megazord used its own arm cannon to shoot the blobs in mid-air, destroying them before they could ensnare the giant robot.
"Oh COME ON!" Pittoraca exclaimed in frustration. He then grunted in pain as the Siren Squad Megazord focused its fire on him.
"When it comes to shootouts we won't lose!" Eddie declared. As the Megazord slid to a halt, Isamu pressed a button on his console, causing a screen to pop out of it's head.
"Pittoraca, you are hereby charged with theft of a Collection piece, several counts of property damage, and endangering the populace!" Isamu then slammed his fist on another console-button, causing the screen to begin flashing between the red X and the green O. "JUDGMENT MODE!"
"Wait, I didn't do it! I'm innocent, I swear!" Despite his protests, the screen continued to flash between verdicts; eventually it settled on the red X, prompting him to shout, "LEAVE ME ALONE!"
"GUILTY!" As Pittoraca fired a volley of laser bolts at the Megazord, Isamu and the others willed it to take cover behind the nearby statue of Don Tyrannus. Pittoraca and the Megazord continued to trade blows; eventually, this resulted in Pittoraca's body being rocked with small explosions, along with the destruction of the statue.
Watching all of this unfold via the video-screen in their hideout's dining room, Dilophoom and Gatlor both gasped and rose to their feet. Their shoulders then sunk as they turned to Don Tyrannus, who said nothing.
"Well...at least the feet are still there?" Dilophoom offered. Don Tyrannus remained silent, prompting him to turn away from his boss. "Damn it all…"
"Alright, it's time to bring this guy in!" Isamu hollered, drawing his Delta Defender out of its slot on his console as he stood to his feet. As Eddie and Sasha followed his lead, he aimed his morpher and added, "Siren Squad Megazord: Sentencing...Strike! Ready...Aim…"
"FIRE!" All three C-Squad Rangers and DeuxStriker shouted in unison, as the Megazord fired a massive blast of energy out of its arm cannon. The Megazord then swung at the orb of energy with its baton like it a baseball being hit by a baseball bat; the ball of energy hurtled towards Pittoraca at blinding speed, cutting through his body like a hot knife through butter.
"Wahhhhhhhhh!" The slug-alien shouted as his body exploded, then disappeared; his voice grew smaller and more muffled as a Containment Card holding him arced through the air. Isamu flipped a series of switches above his head, causing the cockpit to slide open and allow him to catch the Containment Card mid-flight.
"Gotcha!" He shouted, prompting the alien to continue its muffled shouts of protest. "You're going away for a lonnnnnnng time!"
"And so am I!" Out of nowhere, DeuxStriker forcibly disconnected itself from the Siren Runners, un-forming the Megazord and ejecting Isamu and the others from their Zords. As the C-Squad Rangers landed on the ground and struggled back up to their feet, the sentient Collection piece transformed back to his Dial Zord mode and flew away, leaving them behind.
"Hey, come back…!" Isamu called after him, to no avail.
"Did he just fly away again?!" Niko shouted in frustration as he, Griffin, and Niko watched everything unfold from a couple blocks away...
~A few hours later - Cafe Jurer~
"...I guess he's not coming back," Griffin said, tearing himself from the window in order to walk up to a table that Mr. Meaux and Esther were both sitting at. He watched as the finely-dressed Frenchman stored the newly-acquired Sculptor's Muse inside his old tome, then muttered, "I wonder what his deal is…"
"Is Deuxie not on our side, then…?" Esther questioned, to which Mr. Meaux let out an amused snort.
"DeuxStriker has always been...difficult to handle," He told her cryptically, closing his tome before saying, "If I had to venture a guess, he may even have something to do with SPD getting their hands on Collection pieces…"
"Could be...I mean, SPD had him to begin with," Niko pointed out from where he leaned against the front counter.
"We'll find out soon enough…" With that, Mr. Meaux stuffed his tome inside a large briefcase and turned his attention to the front door, as it opened to reveal three very-familiar looking people…
"Welcome back, officers!" Griffin greeted Isamu, Eddie, and Sasha as they entered the cafe. He, Niko, and Esther then moved behind the front counter, as he added, "What can I get you this afternoon?"
"We didn't get to finish our coffee earlier, but we just apprehended a perp so hopefully we won't be called away this time," Isamu replied. He then turned to Eddie before saying, "Suarez, dessert. It's on me,"
"What-?!" Eddie exclaimed in surprise, the gesture catching him off guard. "But why?"
"You did a good job today. Without you, we would've never gotten out of that art gallery," With that, Isamu gently placed his hand on the younger cadet's shoulder before adding, "C-Squad's lucky to have you."
"I...I...THANK YOU SIR!" Eddie bear-hugged Isamu, catching him off guard completely.
"Suarez, now's not the time for hugs! Pick out a dessert you want or the offer's off the table!" Eddie only tightened his grip, much to Isamu's frustration. "SUAREZ!"
"I'm sorry sir, I'm just really happy to hear you say that!"
"LET GO!" Isamu hollered, eliciting a fit of giggles from Sasha and the others.
"Man those two are idiots…" Niko whispered to himself, just within earshot of Griffin.
"Yeah, seems like it...we can't afford to underestimate them, though." The Red Victory Ranger whispered back. He then added, "...Are we cool?"
"...Yeah, we're cool," Niko assured him. "I mean, you were right. Had I gone into SPD HQ by myself like that, I'd be in a jail cell right now. Besides it's like you said: they're not going anywhere."
"Glad we're on the same page, then," With that, Griffin and Niko turned their attention to making the order that Isamu had just made, Eddie finally having released him from his hug and decided on a dessert.
It appears my business here is done. Mr. Meaux thought to himself as he stood up from his table, briefcase in hand. He then walked out of the cafe and headed for his limo. Until next time, Victory Rangers…
Tune in Next Time for Episode 4: Pink Pursuit!
*Cue Ending Theme: "Stars" by Arrows to Athens*
(*As the ending theme begins, we open on a shot of New Tech City. As the instrumentals begin ramping up, we watch the sun slowly set over the city*)
Here is tomorrow, just past the sunrise,
(*As the vocals begin we see Isamu standing by a window in SPD HQ, gazing longingly at the city he has sworn to protect*)
My fingers reaching out!
(*His fingers reach out and touch the glass, and his mouth twists into a small frown*)
Cuz we are believers; the guards of the skyline,
(*Eddie nervously twiddles his thumbs in the back seat of an SPD patrol car. Sasha gazes out the window from the passenger seat as Isamu speeds down the road; bright yellow street lights form a blur of yellow light as they whiz past*)
The curse can't tie us down!
(*Isamu focuses intently on the road ahead as he speeds towards the scene of a battle*)
We've waited so long…
(*We briefly zoom in on a picture on the dashboard depicting a younger Isamu and Sasha, who are standing next to another cadet who is clearly not Eddie*)
We've waited long enough!
(*We then pan back up to Isamu tightens his grip on the steering wheel, a fire burning in his dark brown eyes*)
This is our right, this is our song,
(*We suddenly smash cut to a battle, where all three members of C-Squad are valiantly fighting off the Fossilli Family. Whipping out their Delta Defenders and Siren Runners, they morph into their Ranger forms*)
This is our moment in history!
(*After performing their rollcall they charge forward, a renewed vigor driving them onward*)
Ten million roads turn into one…
(*Isamu draws his DeltaMax Basher and beats several Cranforos over the head with it, then turns his attention to the Fossilli leading the charge*)
This is our fight, it's where we belong,
(*We cut to later in the battle. Things grow tougher as the Victory Rangers arrive and begin to interfere*)
No one can take away destiny!
(*SPD Red locks blades with the Red Victory Ranger. Cutting to an inside shot of Isamu's helmet, we see him growl in defiance, the same fire still burning in his eyes*)
So let the night cover us all…
(*We cut to a fight between a giant Fossilli and the Siren Squad Megazord. Isamu, Eddie, and Sasha grip their controls tightly and keep pushing on despite the advantage their foe seems to hold*)
The stars will never fall!
(*Against all odds, they manage to pull through. As the giant Fossilli Family member explodes and a Containment Card containing the defeated alien flies through the air, Isamu leaps out of the Megazord and catches it. He and the other two then land on the ground below and demorph; they stand tall as the title screen appears behind them and the ending theme draws to a close.*)
*End Ending Theme: "Stars" by Arrows to Athens*