Devon and Blaze fought furiously while Zoey, Nate and Steel tried to clear the streets of Tronics.
"I don't think I've ever seen this many Tronics." Zoey cried out as she smashed a couple into oblivion with her Beast X Sabre. "They just keep coming!"
"I think I lost count at about three hundred." Nate agreed. "Whatever's happening, I think it might be happening here. This is way too big to be just a random attack."
"Mr Mayor, you need to come this way." Steel instructed Mayor Daniels as he blasted a couple of Tronics that were about to pounce on him. Mayor Daniels just shook his head.
"No, I can't leave, not yet." He told him. "Some of my constituents are still here. I can't go until I know they're safe!"
As he ran off to try and look for more of the people that had been attending his rally, Steel just watched him go, rubbing his head.
"Wow, that's what I call a dedicated politician." He remarked. "It sucks I can't run for Mayor, but if he is re-elected...maybe things won't be too bad."
Devon, meanwhile, was busy with Blaze, battling back and forth with him as the rest of the field seemed to clear a path for them. Blaze just chuckled as he saw Devon coming for him.
"Dude, how many times do we have to do this dance? You can't beat me!" Blaze taunted him, grabbing him and holding his arm in a painful armlock, before hitting him a couple of times with the hilt of his sword. "The only time you had a chance was with those Fury Cells and we all know how that turned out."
"Yeah, well I know one thing that you don't." Devon stated.
"Yeah, what's that?" Blaze asked him.
"How to...LET GO!"
Devon let go of his sword, which Blaze was using to secure his grip. It caused him to lose balance, stumbling away, before Devon summoned up his Cheetah Claws and came right back at him, swiping at him viciously, getting in a couple of telling hits. Blaze kipped up from the ground, his armour still smoking from the attack as Devon prepared his guard.
"Pretty tricky." Blaze complimented him. "But it won't be enough!"
With that, they both rushed at each other, renewing their battle.
Over in another part of the city, Roxy was running, getting into a clearing a few streets from where the van had been abandoned. She tried to get a glance over her shoulder, but before she could see anything, she was hit from behind by a heavy weight, before tumbling away. As she got up, she saw Ravi standing a little way off.
"Ravi...are you getting off on the rough stuff?" She teased him.
"It's over, Roxy!" He told her. "You're done!"
"Oh please, you could have taken me out long before now. Why haven't you?" She asked him, before morphing. "You can't bring yourself to destroy me, and you know it!"
"That's where you're wrong." Ravi yelled. "I held back because I wanted to find another way, but I know that the only way to get MY Roxy back is to destroy you!"
"Good luck with that!" She responded as she started to open fire with her blasters. Ravi was forced onto his knees, before activating his Gorilla Strength and ripping some concrete from the ground. Using it as a shield, he rushed straight at her, bowling her over, sending her blasters flying, before throwing it aside and swinging wild punches her way.
Meanwhile, the battle was still raging when Meghan pulled up in the van, just out of sight. She smiled as she saw the Rangers were being kept busy.
"Good, just as we planned." She stated, getting out and opening up the side. Some Tronics came to help her. She handed two of them one of the Mega Transporters. "Set it up just over there, by the ice-cream shop, and keep it out of sight."
She handed another one to another two and looked around.
"Over by the book store." She told them. "In the bushes, don't let anyone see you!"
As she got the third Mega Transporter, she checked on the battle one more time, seeing that they were still too busy to see her. She just smiled.
"Keep them busy just a little longer." She stated. "By the time they realise what we're doing, it'll be far too late."
Elsewhere, Ravi and Roxy were still fighting, desperately looking for a way to put the other down. Ravi had summoned up all his Gorilla Strength, hoping to press the advantage. He could feel his body burning up, and smoke was billowing out from him at an alarming rate, like he was about to spontaneously combust. Roxy was barely able to keep out of reach.
"You're looking a little hot under the collar there, loverboy." She taunted him snidely as she landed a couple of blows. "Maybe you need a little time to cool off?"
"The only one going on ice is YOU!" Ravi bellowed as he brought his hands down, shaking the ground, and sending Roxy flying. She landed a short way from one of her blasters, and looked up to see Ravi coming straight for her. She was barely able to snatch it up in time, getting in some telling shots. Only Ravi's momentum and rage kept him barrelling through, to the point that when he got to her, they kind of collided and sprawled out like the unfortunate victims of a rail crash. Both their suits dematerialised.
Roxy was woozy, uneasy as she tried to gather her composure, but she could see Ravi was just the same. She saw the blaster in her hand and seeing the opportunity, she lunged at him, driving her bayonet into his abdomen.
Ravi looked down at the weapon, the blood seeping from his wound as he felt her holding onto him. He looked up, seeing Roxy with tears in her eyes.
"I'm sorry...but this is the only way." She said to him. "Can't you see? I don't want to hurt you...but if you come with me...it'll only hurt for a moment."
Ravi reached up to her hair, looking into her pleading eyes. He nodded, and pulled her in, kissing her deeply.
There was a flash of energy between them as a blaster went off. As they parted, Ravi looked to Roxy, who could only look down seeing his Beast-X Blaster.
"I love you." He responded, before pulling her in close, holding her tightly and pulling the trigger again, and again. Then with one final blast, Roxy's avatar glitched out and fell to the ground, before disappearing completely. Ravi fell backwards, clutching the wound in his abdomen.
"Ravi? Ravi, where are you?" He heard over his communicator. He just lifted it wearily to his face.
"I...I did it." He responded. "I destroyed Roxy's avatar."
"Ravi, Ben and Betty just called in, they just regained consciousness." Joanne told him. "The van's gone!"
Ravi grimaced as he pulled himself up into a seated position.
"What?" He asked, his heart sinking with the realisation. This was the plan all along. He had no doubt that Roxy was sincere in wanting to turn him into an avatar to be with her. However, in his desperation to save her, in his pursuit of her avatar, he had left the van unprotected.
"Ravi, do you have the van?" She asked.
"No." He replied dejectedly, before changing the frequency. "Guys, I lost the van, where are you?"
"We're still here at the rally!" Zoey answered. "We could really use your help, the Tronics decided to turn up and I don't think they're potential voters!"
Devon meanwhile was struggling with Blaze, keeping in a nice, close assault to keep the pressure on. Blaze blocked each of his Cheetah Claw swipes as he struggled to find an opening to counter.
"Come on, Devon, I've seen this before!" Blaze said, trying to sound more confident than he was. "Show me something I've not seen!"
"How about THIS?" Devon snarled as he brought his Cheetah Claws together, trapping Blaze's sword. He let out a huge cry, before twisting each of them in opposite directions, shattering the blade into pieces. As Blaze staggered back, Devon surged forward with an upward slash, taking him clean off his feet.
"SHO RYU KEN!" He roared as he spun around in the air, before landing on his feet. Blaze demorphed, landing a little way from him. He looked up at Devon, stunned that he had managed to catch him off guard like that. Devon bore down on him, seeing his opportunity to end the threat of Blaze's avatar once and for all. "Looks like its game over for you!"
"Not quite!" Blaze responded, summoning a blaster. Devon watched as in an act of desperation, he pointed it straight at Mayor Daniels, who was helping people flee the area. Devon could see the danger and made the only choice he could.
"DAD!" He screamed as he threw himself in the path of the blast. He took it full-on, being punted several feet, before de-morphing. Mayor Daniels heard the blast and turned in time to watch the Red Ranger fall, and transform into his son.
"Devon?" He asked. "You're a Ranger?"
"Not for long!" Blaze replied as he fired a cable tie at him, binding Devon as he tried to get up. Mayor Daniels went to try and free his son, only to be kicked away by Blaze, who grabbed onto Devon.
"DEVON!" Zoey yelled as she saw what was going on. She, Nate and Steel all started to come towards Blaze, but he grabbed Devon around the neck, putting him in a dangerous choke hold.
"Stay back or I snap his neck!" He warned them. "He'll be dead before he hits the ground!"
"Take the shot guys." Devon beckoned them as they summoned up their blasters. "Don't worry about me!"
"Devon, you can't ask us to..."
"I'm the Red Ranger, I'm giving you an order!" Devon yelled. Zoey, Nate and Steel all stood, their blasters trained on Blaze for a moment, trying to decide if they had a clear shot, before as one, they all lowered their weapons. "GUYS!"
"Sorry, Devon." Zoey sighed. "You'll have to court martial us."
"Aw, isn't that sweet." Blaze responded. "I think I need a bucket to puke in!"
"You got what you wanted Blaze, let him go!" Nate begged him. "You've won!"
"Oh, you have no idea." Blaze responded. "We won two minutes ago. Isn't that right, Meghan?"
"Meghan?" They all asked, seeing her as she walked out. Meghan pulled out a controller, pressing a button on it. They watched as from three points around them, a deep, icy blue beam came from locations around them, all aimed directly at the nearest Morph-X tower.
"Is that...?"
"The Mega Transporters!" Nate interrupted in panic, as he finally realised what their plan was.
"Now this tower belongs to Evox!" Blaze declared triumphantly as the Rangers could only watch the tower disappear before their very eyes.
"Thank you for those. It would have taken us months, maybe years to steal all that Morph-X, and God knows how many raids." Meghan said as she came up to them, brushing past and bumping Zoey's shoulder as she walked up to Blaze. "But thanks to those Mega Transporters, now we have all we'll ever need."
"Enjoy what little time you have left." Blaze told them as he and Meghan each grabbed Devon. "See you real soon."
With that, they disappeared, taking Devon with them. The Rangers could only watch on in horror as they vanished.
"Rangers, report!" Commander Shaw called over the comms link. "Rangers, someone report!"
"We'll...report to you in person." Nate said sadly. "I really think this is something you need to hear in person."
In the Cyber Dimension, Blaze and Meghan appeared in Evox's chambers, dragging Devon with them. The Red Ranger struggled in his bonds in a futile attempt to get free, but Blaze was only too happy to cuff him back into line.
"Master Evox, our plan worked perfectly." Blaze told him.
"Perfectly?" He hissed ominously. "You allowed Roxy to be destroyed!"
"It was an unfortunate, but ultimately necessary sacrifice." Meghan assured him. "We managed to get the Morph-X tower, just as we planned."
"One Morph-X tower, full to the brim with pure Morphing Grid energy." Blaze declared as he pointed to the tower just beyond the confines of the chamber. "All the energy you'll ever need to break free and finally take over the Morphing Grid as you always planned."
"Roxy was a powerful and devious ally." Evox reminded them.
"Yeah, well I'm powerful and she's devious." Blaze responded in an off-hand way, gesturing to himself and Meghan. "Plus, we got you another prize into the bargain."
He kicked Devon in the back of the knee, forcing him down onto his knees.
"Red Ranger, long time no see." Evox hissed.
"Not long enough." Devon spat. Blaze kicked him in the side of the face.
"Show some respect to the master!" He warned him.
"We thought it would be nice if he got a front-row seat to the final stage of your plan." Meghan suggested. "And, if I may be so bold, be your first victim."
"Yes, that does sound appealing." Evox said thoughtfully. "Take him and secure him somewhere until we are ready for the transfer. Scrozzle, you and Meghan prepare for our special project."
"With pleasure." Scrozzle assured him as they left to prepare. Blaze grabbed Devon, hauling him back to his feet.
"Come on." He told him. "You're about to get the best seat in the house!"
Over at Grid Battleforce Headquarters, the Rangers and Commander Shaw were assembled in the medical bay. Ravi had been sent there as soon as he got back to attend to his injuries. Nate was attending to him as they relayed the events of the day to the Commander.
"How is he?" Commander Shaw asked as Nate dressed the wound.
"It's going to hurt, but the bayonet managed to miss everything vital." Nate assured her. "If I didn't know any better I'd say that Roxy did that intentionally."
"I'm sorry." Ravi whispered. "I...I had to try..."
"Ravi, we understand." Zoey assured him. "What matters is what we do now."
"Evox has all the Morph-X he could ever want. We've seen what he can do with small amounts, that tower was full when he took it!" Steel interjected. "Not to mention they have Devon!"
"Guys, I'm...I'm sorry." Ravi murmured. "This is all my fault."
"Ravi..."
"I had the Mega Transporters, I had them and I left them." Ravi admitted. "Roxy knew that I'd chase her. I went after her and because of that..."
"Ravi, we all understand why you did it." Nate assured him. "But blaming yourself right now isn't going to help anyone, least of all Devon."
"Besides, if I'd been in the same situation, I'd have probably done the same thing." Zoey assured him. "I loved Roxy too."
"Zoey's right, there's time for what ifs later." Commander Shaw told him. "For now, we're missing a friend and if there's one thing I do not believe in, it's leaving one of our own behind."
"Then there's nothing else for it." Ravi stated. "We've been playing defence for far too long. They've got Devon, that means we've only got one way forward. We have to go and get him back."
"Go to the Cyber Dimension?" Zoey asked. "Is that even possible? We don't even know where it is."
"That's where we might just have lucked out." Nate pointed out. "When they took Devon, they took his communicator with him. If I can track that across dimensions, then I can find the interdimensional co-ordinates and..."
Just then, there was an alarm. Nate went to one of the computers, seeing some readings.
"Nate, what's going on?" Zoey asked. He just rushed past her into the other room. They all followed him. "Nate, what's going on?"
"It's Roxy's vitals they're all elevating." Nate told them.
"Nate, that..."
"No, you don't understand, they're elevating but they're within safe ranges!" Nate rushed out. "She's waking up!"
He started punching some controls on the control panel.
"I just need to open the pod and..."
Ravi grabbed the lid and with a huge cry ripped the lid straight off, throwing it across the room. Nate just shrugged.
"Or that's an option." He said sarcastically. They all crowded around as Roxy's body started to move and stir. Ravi positioned himself next to her, beginning to caress the side of her face gently with his hand. Her eyelids started to flutter open, and she winced as for the first time in months she saw light for real.
"Hey." Ravi whispered softly as he started stroking her hair.
"Ravi?" She asked, looking around the room. "Zoey? Nate?"
"Yeah, we're all here." Zoey assured her, taking her friend's hand. "Welcome back, roomie."
"I missed you like..."
"Guys, you're...we're...all in great danger." She told them. "All the time that my avatar was around, I was connected to her."
"It's alright, we know you weren't responsible for any of that..."
"Guys, you need to listen to me." Roxy told them. "I was connected to her, I saw what she saw, heard what she heard...I know what they're planning."
"You know what they're planning?" Nate asked her. She just nodded wearily.
"Evox is having Meghan and Scrozzle construct him a new body, one powerful enough to contain him."
"A new body?" Zoey asked.
"Something like that would take a huge amount of energy." Nate concluded. "That must be what they needed all that Morph-X for."
"He's building his new body as we speak, once it's operational, he's going to invade our world." Roxy informed them.
"And then he'll take over the Morphing Grid." Nate surmised.
"Then there's not a moment to lose." Commander Shaw told them. "We need to strike before they get a chance to get his new body operational."
"Whatever you need, we'll help." Zoey assured him. Nate just nodded.
"Alright, get every technician, lab assistant and mechanic and assemble them in the Zord Bay now!" Nate commanded. "We've not got a moment to lose!"