A/N This took three days, because, it had to. It's one of the short chapters. edit: . . . turned into a long chapter.
this chapt also took awhile because of I got a chrome book!
Wait until it gets LONG-LONG chapters then you'll be preferring these short-long chapters.
Which will be a pain to write prob with the laptop mode and the Android mode being able to alternate. And still getting used to the new laptop keyboard.
Agent Z has Tim Allen's voice
also it were a pain to write. Used the voice record setting to write and do some editing here and there. Spot which sentence or paragraph was spoken. Half was written previous to Chromebook
The forty-two arrived to the orbit of Planet Z. XR applied the finishing touches to Warp's buzz cut, combing through the dark blue hair, with deliberate care. A large mirror was held out for Warp who admired the new look then rubbed his still hairy chin. He smirked back at himself, admiringly. Handsome was always in style, good, gray, or evil. The Buzz Cut in his culture was notably given to warriors about to head into battle or war where there needed to be short hair.
Warp can imagine the joke that Buzz would have, "Retro look good on you, Warp." with the nature of it being teasing, a smirk, a word of denial as it were a one time thing. He looked toward his side where Buzz should as the mirror was withdrawn. He pressed a button on the suit, setting up the bubble, then stood up from the chair and shifted toward XR.
"XR, make sure to set this ship into autopilot before you leave."
"Yes, sir."
"Oh, one more thing." he pressed a button and the Galactic Alliance sweeper came in, sucked in the fallen pieces of hair, then returned into the wall as he had his hand on his hips. Warp smirked, then shifted his attention toward XR. "We're going to make Planet Z rumble."
"Rumble." XR's head twirled beneath the helmet. "There is known instances of the planet having quakes, yearly, five centimeters per year the tectonic plates move-"
"We're going to make the ground shake by sheer destruction," his mood darkened. "the residents aren't going to get hurt." Warp jabbed his finger against XR's chest. "Only Zurg."
His hand clenched as he walked toward the exit of the bridge, darkly, as XR set the coordinates to the autopilot to Star Command. The experimental ranger blinked, acknowledging the heavily emotional space ranger. XR had to follow the orders given to him by the LGM, tag after him, have his back, and provide necessary tools to the utter defeat of the emperor. XR did a systems check; all weapons were accounted for.
XR departed the bridge then found the captain by the window, looking down, smirking. Warp had a hand on the edge of the doorway then back toward toward XR and nodded. He flung himself out, his wings proceeding to kick on flight, the space ranger used the debris around the planet to glide closer and closer, moving every few minutes, XR was confused. It was as if the Captain knew more about the defense system then anyone did at Star Command. As if knowing him more intimately than Buzz Lightyear could have. This partnership was becoming more interesting by the second.
After two hours of slow movement down, XR and Warp arrived to the surface. They sneaked through the capital making their way to the lair in which Zurg had deemed his place of residence. It was quiet, XR had been ordered to have his laser gun out, stalking quietly underneath the red gloomy sky. It was done quietly, without making his arrival noted, cheating, to get his way, it wasn't sportsmanship but it were the old stealth that Space Rangers had used once in the field in the last war.
His sensitive ears heard the sound of footsteps heading their way so grabbed XR and hid into a cornered street, the machine held against his chest, watching the small humanoids with antenna walk on by. Warp dropped XR then looked at the edge, noting the distance, then back toward XR. With a single movement, the plan was well in place. They quietly stalked through the remainder of the limits until making it to a part of the building that War was keenly familiar to. It was the back door.
They crept through the door then started blasting when the hornets turned toward them. Warp shot at the oncoming hornets coming his way as XR kept his six as the captain ran up ahead in the general path that lead toward Zurg's throne room. XR grew alarmed, the hornets stopped appearing, then followed quietly behind him, the corridors empty, brainpods no where to be seen, not even a minion. XR went through the numerous catalogue in their database on what this best could be defined: a ambush. A set up. A intentional trap.
The door to the throne room kicked open, several drones knocked back to the ground. Warp Darkmatter's Space Ranger suit was decorated in burns, dents, and continued firing at the drones that appeared in the additional doorways decorating the rims of the throne room. Equipment, artistic interpretations of Zurg decorated the environment, as did musical tools set on cushioned chairs. The firing from the drones stopped as Warp crept in, slowly, surveying the room for the emperor. A familiar laugh drew Warp to spinning around in a circle finding the emperor holding XR against his side.
"Hello, Darkmatter."
"Drop. The. Android."
He aimed the fine line of the laser at Zurg's forehead.
"Is that how you greet a old friend?"
"We are not friends, Zurg. Never have been. Never will be."
"After what we went through that day!" Zurg floated closer to the Space Ranger. "Losing a common thorn then going on denying contact for the last few months-"
He floated far closer.
"-deleting my number from your comn, blocking me-"
And closer.
"Smearing your name in the villain community," Zurg tapped on Warp's chassis. "AND GUESS WHAT!" he loomed over the Space Ranger stretching his arms out with his claws spread out. "The community refuses to partner with the android who killed Buzz Lightyear!"
"That about makes my day easier."
Warp smirked then kicked the emperor away straight at the lower torso causing him to drop XR. The Space Ranger's fingers moved towards his left arm and pressed the button. Warp fired directly toward Zurg that was effectively dodged waving his arms gracefully and ducked hunching over.
The Emperor inwardly scowled then fired back at the Space Ranger sending him back some distance knocking over musical instruments with a loud clash. Warp skated back on to his feet then turned around and resumed firing knocking a thorn off the emperor's shoulder. Zurg fled down one of the corridors.
Warp ignored XR's calls as he fled down the corridor going deeper into the lair. Warp fired after the emperor with all that rage from the night surging through his veins and all that his eyes saw was red. It blinded him from reason. It blinded him from logic. He tripped over a step then proceeded to fall tumbling down the stairs with a scream knocking down the emperor at the base of where the steps ended. Zurg flipped Warp off his figure then twirled back on top and dusted himself off.
Red laser blasts came from across Zurg. The Space Ranger was aggressively determined chasing him down as walls of equipment fell with each bump that the emperor did against the mountains of junk that fell in the way and Warp flew above them with his flight mode on firing at the emperor. Zurg came to a abrupt halt once twirling then fired his weapon at several pillars of prior inventions in the decades long streak against Star Command. Warp flew in to the room then crashed to the ground by the pillars and landed with a thud, immobilized. Zurg applauded with a menacing laugh.
"Now," Zurg proceeded to say. "I will prove to the villain community that it were just a outlier." He lifted his gaze up. "And look what you brought in."
"XR, go!"
Zurg fired at the fleeing android then laughed.
"Excellent proof of my point, Darkmatter." Zurg shifted toward him then gleefully finished. "We're going to be fine."
Zurg knelt down then slipped off the arm armor that had the laser blaster and withdrew it including the other laser blaster as the hornets moved in on Warp. Zurg sang, gleefully, swaying his hips from side to side in a very feminine way clenching the laser blaster against his chest. His plan were coming together, piece by piece, falling together neatly, just as planned.
Warp was tossed into a cell landing to the ground with a thud then bolted up to his feet and charged toward the entrance way that was closed within the moment. He crashed against the series of bars then fell to the ground with a grunt. Agent Z observed from afar the determination that the older man showed in his determination to escape the cell. Did he want Agent Z's help? Somehow, Agent Z was unsure whether that would be a yes or a no. Somehow.
A memory came to, something small, with a antenna, dressed in blue, a word floated to his mind, Uni-mind? And then another memory, a man with a long grayed mustache at a desk forced to sign paperwork, the same beings handing in the paperwork, then withdrawing and going off to work. What was the nature of this fragment? There was not a layer of context to it, only a rather unusual feeling the old man in a gold variation of the suit that Warp was in would react quite angry.
He had to tell Zurg about this memory.
Signs, hopefully, that cooperation with Warp would be nearing soon.
The forty-two arrived to Star Command the following day that eclipsed. Booster relaxed, seeing the ship back, then turned around and exited as Mira remained waiting. Mira was waiting with her arms folded at the entrance of the ship, scowling, tapping her foot before entering the ship for the captain. She called out for Warp, repeatedly, each cry getting concerned with each call. And the bridge was abandoned save for a selfie on the consoles. She withdrew her hand staring down at it then looked up toward the view screen.
Mira fled after the direction of the commander, ghosting through the walls, her wings turning on, guiding her through Star Command. She arrived to the training deck, her arrival not felt, not noticed, as the commander oversaw the new rookies that were giving the level a shot.
"Commander." Mira said.
"I don't want to hear about your complaints."
"There is no complaints." Mira said.
"Then WHY are you here?" Nebula shifted toward her then his features eased. "Not him, too." then he sighed, his shoulders lowering, lowering his head as well. "He didn't come back." he lifted his head up toward her. "What about XR?"
"XR wasn't there, either." Mira folded her arms. "Commander, permission to go to Planet Z?"
"Denied." Nebula said as he shifted away from the console. "He got himself in it, he can get himself out of it." he approached the young woman. "It's a active mission."
"He has a experimental ranger," Mira pointed out with her index finger. "That's a very advanced piece of technology that Zurg isn't matched up to."
"Yet." Nebula emphasized. "Mira, he hasn't sent XR back and XR hasn't came back unexpectedly." he set his hand on the side of her shoulder. "Which means, our Space Ranger has a chance of getting out of there."
"His ship is here!" Mira broke. "What chance is there if he gets here and we attack his escape ship?"
"He'll contact us before we start to fire," Nebula assured then fondly smirked. "They did that trick, often."
Nebula walked away rubbing his chin, looking down, nostalgically. They were young men nineteen years ago when that trick was started, they were giggling, chuckling, laughing. They had fooled Zurg's friends to let them go unharmed and came back with technology that could be determined the level that he were at the moment. Most of the tech was at storage, waiting to be backwards engineered for powerful tech, tech that meant for war, tech was Buzz Lightyear's legacy.
"EVIL!" two LGM announced behind the commander.
Nebula scowled then his features fell replaced by terror.
"We're screwed, royally."
"EEEEEvvvviiiiil!"
"Commander?" Mira grew concerned.
"Only Buzz Lightyear knows that."
"Knows what? What are they sensing that I can't?"
"We're going to their home world and make sure they don't make off with a Pluto sized brain!" He turned away then pressed a button on the comn. "Rookies, this training session at level 8 is hereby ended." he watched as they came to a stand still shifting toward him. "Remain on red alert."
Nebula sighed, withdrawing from the comn, his hands spread on the counter then shifted toward the young rookie.
"More urgent than you can believe."
Nebula turned away from the training deck window as his features became grim facing Mira.
"We may need to go into battle tomorrow morning," the words sounded sour to the commander. "and we may come across a old friend resurrected in the worst way possible."
"Can Zurg do that?" Mira asked, softly.
"Don't put it past him." Nebula said, darkly. "Zurg killed his father, Ion Lightyear, in cold blood, slowly, and there was nothing that I could do but watch," the commander grimaced before making adjustments to his comn. "Nebula to Booster, attend to Star Cruiser 1."
A shivery chill came down her skin. As if a ghost had clasped her slim shoulder, gently. It did little to the feeling that brought alarm bells, Buzz gone, Warp captured, a giant brain in danger, and a full on invasion with Space Rangers for war.
"Rookie. . ." Nebula said as he shifted toward Mira. "If a Space Ranger asks you to perform one last righteous act and not go back in for them, would you do it?"
"I would go in for them."
"For Buzz Lightyear."
Mira stiffened at the mere mention of the deceased legend.
"Help him with the mission, sir."
The commander squinted back at her.
"We got a solid chance of making it out of this problem with the entire universe safe."
"What if we don't?" Mira asked.
"Erring to caution," the commander bore a smirk. "we do."
Nebula walked past her then Mira joined him, uncertain, looking up toward him. She turned her attention away, stifling back the fear deep into the underbelly of where laid insecurity, anxiety, and terror. What remained was a deeply unsettling feeling that she was about to walk into what morphans called the chamber of a nightmare and it had that feeling, the one where it were surreal, unable to ghost out of as night overtook the familiar and welcoming day to day events. The next second, they were whisked away.
Zurg drifted into the cell block that housed the former spy. Warp sat at the corner of the room gazing on ahead of him, his elbows set on his knees, his back against the wall, head lowered absorbing on the shame of failing. The emperor simulated the sound of a throat being cleared drawing the Space Ranger's attention up. He stood up to his feet then approached the bars.
"Is gloating not enough for you?"
"Not today, Darkmatter." Zurg replied. "unfortunately."
"Are you going to mock me?"
"No." Zurg said then held out a tablet. "only to inform that your friends are heading off to a easily lost battle and good lose grips on the entire universe!"
"Buzz is not going to let that happen, Zurg."
"Who's dead." Zurg reminded.
Zurg used sucker punch! Highly effective! Painful all too painful reminder of what he have lost, what he should have not abandoned, or betrayed - at least tried to betray and failed. He could have continued the way things were; money still being handed out to him, giving Zurg merchandise, and being the richest Space Ranger at Star Command. And keeping secrets from Buzz.
The emperor saw the expression on what face that had once been a friend instead of a foe. There was hurt. Too much hurt. It was too late, he already made the wound and dug into it. That is how just realized he was never coming without damage the next time they crossed paths without a barrier between then. Despite that, the emperor laughed. All would be right again. Soon.
"Once they lose, they will come here, Darkmatter." Zurg said, rubbing his claws together. "Then I will have my way without the interference of the Buzz Lightyear and his sidekick Warp Darkmatter."
" I. Will. kill you."
Warp clenched the bars of the cell, face to face, with the emperor.
"If you ever do." Zurg said, drawing closer toward Warp. "As a '''good'' man." Then he drew closer. "Let's see how fast that lasts in a world full of evil."
His lone hand stretched out grabbing the Android by the throat.
"I will smash you, I will kick you, stomp you, rip your circuits apart, vaporize your glass, recycle your frame, destroy that, then destroy that, then dump the ashes into a landfill where you belong." The Space Ranger dropped the grip on Zurg's throat. "in that very order."
Zurg rubbed his throat as he turned away, gasping for air, terror, all too familiar terror from his weak and humble beginnings etched back to the present. A uncomfortable reminder of how easily a single touch could be used against him, not all powerful, not all immortal. He moved away from the cell block in a moment of discomfort regaining his composure.
The threat was once something of a joke between them, how he would try to kill Zurg in the line of duty, when things didn't go their way. Now it were out of Warp's control and directly in Zurg's claws. A large screen wheeled behind the emperor that came to a halt.
"More than welcome to watch the attack on the little green men homeworld." Zurg stroke his neck as the screen lit up to life. Warp's eyes widened in shock then covered his mouth, shaken, visibly. "We can be friends again."
Zurg held his hand out.
"After this is over."
"No." Softly.
Zurg's laughter became far more sinister as carried himself away.
The star cruiser landed to the ground among the ruins of the world that laid beneath them. Nebula gazed down with a grimace then briefly squeezed his eyes close at the horribly damaged buildings. Booster was the first rookie to exit the ship behind the commander with Mira the second rookie. They flew off after the uni-mind following the commander's lead toward the source
Hornets were shot at, repeatedly, even the large robots, defeated as team. A new member appeared, neutralizing all three of them with a shot to their wings, save for the commander who was knocked out by a blast to the chassis that kept him from suffering the full effects. Booster fired at Agent Z, no action was done, only a muffled laugh then adjusted the large machine that was his arm.
"Next shot is certain death, son."
Agent Z floated before the commander.
"You're good, but I'm better."
The commander got up to his feet as the brain was made off into the giant ship.
"Are you better than Buzz Lightyear?" The commander asked. "Or Warp Darkmatter?"
The figure looked down toward him.
"Because I seem to recall that he wouldn't steal a entire civilization's brain."
Agent Z stared at the commander, almost contemplating that comment, then snickered, bemused. The commander was silent waiting for the response that he hoped would come. Mira looked back and forth between the two, her eyes squinting at the commander, eyes relaxing when laying on the agent.
Agent Z flew off joining the ship leaving them behind.
"Commander, do we have a back up plan?" Booster asked.
"Uh huh." Nebula smirked looking up. " The Last Resort. . should the combined forces of Star Command do not work."
Agent Z returned from the trip to the lgm world. He watched as the uni-mind was installed, surrounded by brainpods and other unusual creatures roughly the height of LGM lurking about. Zurg was gidddy, too giddy, rubbing his claws, pacing back and forth. Zurg had a menacing deranged energy that felt different from only a hour or two apart, unraveling, in a way, breaking at the seams.
He went down to the cells, which is how he discovered Warp set between the widened two bars and the suit tossed aside with flames between the two pried apart bars. Desperation and determination, fond aspects of a mortal being. Agent Z checked his pulse then slid Warp's form out of the cell in his arms bridal style. Afterwards, Agent Z slipped him back into the suit, the man took his first breaths, gasping for air, his head resting against the window of the suit.
Agent Z was looming over him.
"You could have asked for help." Agent Z said, incredulously.
"Space Rangers don't ask for help from Zurg's friends." Warp winced. "They don't help at all."
"I would have helped you." Agent Z replied.
"And tried to make yourself a friend," Warp rolled his eyes. "Been there, done that, got hurt by it."
"You had a relationship with a employee of Emperor Zurg?"
"Don't make me laugh."
"This is a very sincere question."
"Who are you?"
"Emperor Z has only given me a cover name until the name comes to me."
"Your current designation."
"Agent Z."
"How corny."
"Space Rangers are allowed to ask for help for the betterment of the mission and of their fellows. Evil is authorized to aid a Space Ranger in the most dire situation possible that threatens to end the status quo of stability in the universe and in the political system when both forces are working together for a common good."
"We're NOT working together." He got up to his feet then smacked Agent Z against the wall. "I work alone!"
"Space Rangers typically work with other members, you came in with a android."
"That isn't a person." Then Warp turned away with a scowl and paused beside a wall. "Yet." he turned his back to it then slid down. "I don't want to be there when it happens."
"That is unbecoming a Space Ranger throwing themselves into certain death in times of peace to defeat a enemy alone and qualifies for permanent suspension, dishonorable discharge, maximum security prison, and banned from taking the weapon of the Space Ranger. Sub-Section Seven Sub-Section Gamma."
Warp had a dry laugh at the comment then looked up toward Agent Z.
"Studying the manual now?" Warp asked, staring up, amused, resting on his back. "Didn't take a goon to be interested in Space Rangers."
"I did not read the manual."
"How do you know that loop hole?"
"I think . . ." Then Agent Z proceeded to say, "I wrote that."
Agent Z took off his helmet. He had but his head that was covered in scars, his words made sense then, curly long blue hair with short and caked with red even a fatal wound still set on his forehead. Calmly, Warp got back up to his feet went into the newest cell, close the door, then he seated at the corner of the room. It was quite between them. All too very silent.
"What was my name?"
"You're not him."
"That can't be a name."
"You got his head, you probably got another part that Zurg lifted off his corpse, or, maybe his brain." He turned his back to Agent Z. "If you were really. . ." to his gaze back toward agent Z. " I challenge you to do something that no one would expect of Buzz Light Year for someone who had been a spy since the academy and tried to trade him on his death day for a lump sum of money."
"Tried."
"I failed."
"You succeeded."
"in a simple mission." Warp emphasized, holding his two fingers together, then set his hands into his lap. "Do you know who got those lgm's." Warp put a hand on his chassis. "I did." his voice became small as his features became regretful. "I made it easy with the emperors help."
Warp held his hands up waving them,
"It has to be big and it has to be public," he stretched his arms out bearing a grin. "It has to pay BIG."
"Big. . ." Agent Z rubbed his chin.
"like say, arrest, for betraying Star Command."
Agent Z shifted in the direction of Warp and stared. Next, the cyborg squinted then took a few small steps closer toward the bars.
"Come here." A long stare then Warp obliged.
"Torture me from the dead?"
Agent Z put his cold metal hand on Warp's mouth.
"That's my challenge." Agent Z withdrew his hand. "If if it turns out that memories are false, you're free to tell," then he stepped back. "on the other hand, if they aren't false, you have a promise to keep."
"I break promises. No good with them. Broke my first promise four minutes after turning four." he held up four fingers. "Not the right person to make a promise,back stabbing, uh, greedy, the whole nine yards." he wiggled his hands through the bars. "Empty gesture."
"Emotional response to my face says otherwise," Agent Z acknowledged. "Putting yourself in there suggests guilt."
"It's called preservation. Dealt with my fair share of drones, clones, androids, cyborgs, not with the person who used to occupy that body, a program, a entirely different person, a machine, mind control."
Agent Z turned away then walked on leaving Warp behind.
"I don't know what Zurg has in store for the uni-mind but I plan on beating him to the punch!"
"We are launching a full scale assault on planet Z."
"Full scale?" Takari asked.
"Yes, rookie, FULL scale."
"What if Warp is being held hostage?" Hikari asked.
"Mira will get him and so will XR, Booster will be part of the Lambda squadron alarming the Galactic Alliance to the assault and to the local news media."
"And once that is done, sir?"
"Get your ass back and be the LAST last resort."
Nebula shifted his attention toward the hologram, with the pointer in one hand, then proceeded to motion toward globe.
"The first one on the planet Z in thirty-nine years. Before your time, there was Zurg and me, our personal fight against one another, it was a dark, dark, dark time, for Space Rangers."
he clenched a hand recalling those dangerous times in a very new world where there wasn't many rules, in many ways, it were the wild west.
"Fighting for our soul," he motioned toward his prosthetic. "I lost a leg over it." he set his prosthetic on the table, a sore reminder, how everything had gone bad. Ovus grimaced, trying to imagine, what this battle could make the commander lose; another leg? A arm? A organ? "Had Zurg won, we wouldn't be the familiar and beloved Space Rangers."
"What did you also lose to Zurg, sir?" Ovus asked.
Nebula looked toward the planet Morph below then back toward the crowd.
"Many friends dear to me," Nebula took out a pointer. "Alpha squadron will take out the satelites leaving Planet Z blind and unable to call for help, Delta squadron will occupy Zurg's fleet, Gamma squadron will attack on planet itself."
He slapped the table with the pointer then shifted his attention toward the crowd.
"This is no cake walk." Nebula said. "This is a high risk mission."
Ovus stood up to his feet.
"We do it for Buzz." Ovus said.
The commander shifted his attention toward Booster.
"And make sure we don't get any Junior Space Rangers, inform them Operation Space Ranger Home Is Where Safety Is."
Booster lifted his head up, perked up, as if he had been relayed new information that he had never heard before.
"They'll know where to put those Rangers," Nebula had no intention of Booster being part of the battle. The last LAST resort, being the resistance, helming Star Command cleaning up after Zurg with new faces around him. "and they'll need your help giving them the strength and resilience to hide."
Then Nebula added with a determined but bold smile.
"Tell them it's what Lightyear would have wanted."
The crowd cheered, loudly, Ty included, and Mira felt charged up to perform the most riskiest mission. She looked over toward the gap across from her that the former captain would otherwise occupy and saw a flicker of what could have been, Buzz proudly nodding, approvingly. Then the image was gone. She shook her head then turned her attention back.
Agent Z found the little droid, it wasn't exactly easy, but it was a challenge well paid off. The droid was set behind a large set of equipment, hiding. Carefully, he set aside the equipment and a large gun was aimed at his head.
"I come in peace."
XR remained fixed where he stood with the grip remaining still and Agent Z held his hands out.
"Do you know who you are?" Agent Z asked.
"XR," XR said. "Experimental ranger authorized by Commander Nebula, constructed by LGM, for the expressed intention of giving Warp Darkmatter a partner."
"How. . . did he die?"
"Rock fell, his suit was punctured by the sharp blow, his knees were smashed, his feet, however, were unharmed but unable to be used."
XR stared back at Agent Z.
"Do you wish to hear in graphic detail?"
Agent Z nodded to the droid's confusion.
"I need answers."
"The killing blow was the explosion that pinned his figure against the wall, his skull was fractured at numerous places, he was dead one second after the explosion, it was quick, painless, but it wasn't painless for his partner. He flew back inside immediately according to the LGM, had a encounter with Zurg in which Lieutenant Darkmatter bravely fought defending his presumably alive dead partner from being killed. He brought the corpse back to the forty-two."
Agent Z stood up then turned away processing the information, as if a series of memories were plaguing him, one after the other, finding out how they all fit. He put on his helmet then set his hands on his hips toying with the facts and separating them from his feelings.
"One question though, what is they/them?"
Agent Z turned in the direction of XR.
"Pronouns." Agent Z approached XR.
"Are there others?" XR asked.
"He/him, xe/xem, she/her, and there are countless others."
"Can someone use... both?"
"Of course, that goes under the genderqueer umbrella."
"How does that work?"
"He/they. Means use you use both pronouns. Or she/they."
"For someone with vague memories, you seem to know a lot about the lgbtqia+ community."
"That's not my memories, that's the memories of the person who used to live."
"Yeah, what was Buzz's pronouns?"
"That's easy because I don't have that answer, yet. If I had to bet, he mostly used he/him pronouns."
"I like he/him and they/them."
"That's good, you're figuring things out, XR some people's journeys take a lifetime, sometimes they announce to the world that they're gay. Some people realize that it's not normal to wish to have a flat chest nor wish to not have reproductive organs, some people realize they were born with the wrong organs as a child, as a teenager, adult, middle aged, old. There are those who travel at a snail's pace and everyone else has their pace."
Agent Z held his hand out.
"How about I help you to a escape pod?"
XR looked toward the offered hand then back toward Agent Z and took the hand.
"Besides, Star Command may really need you."
XR grew a smile.
"Do you know who you are?"
Beneath the helmet supplied by Zurg, he smiled back.
"Agent Z."
The squadrons move through space with little signs that they were there. Zurg's fleet was immbolized within minutes, destruction was inevitable for the emperor's communications leaving the sheet of contact from planet to space to become non-existant. Zurg moved his hand on to the large globe, planting the seed of evil inside with a laugh.
The order was given, calibrations done, slight but quick ones. The defense grid beeped loudly indicating intruders breaking through the system. Star command was the first target, hitting only the LGM and the janitors stationed aboard, then next was Tangea, and a handful of other world's over Zurg's laughter. It was held above the tower darkly glowing and the mood in the air can be felt as pure evil in it's components.
"Hello, Zeb." Zurg said with his back to the commander. "Ready to join my side."
"Not in your dreams." Nebula said, his arm held out aiming the laser for Zurg's forehead. "Taking you in for the murder of Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear."
"I have his partner." Zurg said, calmly, as if Warp provided essential bargaining chip.
"Not anymore, Mira is breaking him out as we speak." Nebula glared back at him. "Your army of drones are being cut down as we speak, it's over, Ion."
Zurg laughed then snapped his fingers and stretched his arms out.
"BEHOLD," the brain was directed towards them, menacingly, then proceeded to fire. "Evil, with style."
Warp had his back against the wall in the cell waiting for the end of the Galactic Alliance and Star Command. There was no appeal to their existence and no existence in his view. He was a neutral member between Good and Evil, too neutral, this way of life was going to be upset and his way of life was already upset. Plans in disarray. People scattered. Lives changed forever.
He heard a series of footsteps coming his way, so he groaned. The emperor was going to make him watch and push the envelope of what someone neutral could do and could not do when it came to fame, money, power. Two strings were pulled and another can be pulled seriously straining his heart in a bleak environment.
" I am not going up there."
"And stop him?"
"The point still stands, rookie." was the reply. "we have lost."
"Not yet we haven't."
"I know what he wants to do."
"What is his plan?"
"Turn the universe evil." He sighed. "Only way to fix evil is by having a very good person."
"Why don't you come out and help us we'll figure out what whose good as one of all."
"Because I don't want to." Warp said. "I'm done. Over it. No more Space Ranger business for me. I have done enough damage as it is."
Mira shook her head then fired that the lock disarming it with a single laser blast. The door was ajar swinging back and forth across from him.
"You don't mean that."
"What's the point; we don't have Buzz Lightyear for a good luck charm." he stared back at her. "I am sure you are a very good person."
"So are you." Mira replied.
Her features were written in sympathy toward him. She walked into the cell then down to aside and put her hand on his shoulder then noticed that he was unarmed. Mira grimaced, disarmed was worse than being without a chassis. Vulnerable to anything. Practically not in uniform.
"That's what being a Space Ranger means." She set her hand on his chest. "Being good people in the heart and you can't be one without having some good in there."
She took off a piece of her armor leaving it beside him. She left him alone in the jail cell as he lowered his head in shame. It was quiet in the corridor leaving him behind when it shouldn't be. It should be filled by Buzz's voice rallying him up to his feet with words that ended such doubt. Mira couldn't blame him for what he was feeling in regards and how it all came down to this set of circumstance.
She ghosted through the halls going up until reaching the ceiling through the roof joining the commander as robots were being taken down. Space Rangers were flying in the background and the sky was full of dread and the commander stood below the giant planet sized brain. The emperor's laughter echoed in the air. She looked over spotting the rangers were standing unnaturally still flying in place. XR was being shielded by Agent Z by evil Space Rangers.
"I am sure you are a very good person." His comment gave her courage, with that, Mira clenched her hand then looked up toward the brain and back toward the emperor. The emperor's defeat hinged on her, and her alone. And then she started to fly up toward the brain with hope and optimism on her side. She heard laser firing around her squeezing her eyes shut falling into ghost mode. She opened her eyes hearing the firing sounded distant then saw Warp's figure and a trail of lasers in his wake attacking the giant robots and former friends alike.
"You can do this, Rookie!" Warp called through comns channel.
And the emperor's laughter continue spine-tingling as ever but it did not go down her spine lunch date as it had a few moments ago. He fled from the scene in his escape ship s Agent Z came into the air space leaving it all behind with only a live stream displaying what was transpiring on his world. Mira ghosted into the very brain itself a Space Rangers continued the offensive moves.
Warp laughed and laughed giving them a chase. Suddenly his jetpack bailed on him all the fuel was gone. He was falling toward the ground so Agent Z let go of XR and the Android continued the fight against the evil Space Rangers. It was not a short fall but a long one in slow motion. The Emperor saw this then covered his optics as lasers were flying after him. Warp stared in shock, blindsided.
"To infinity and beyond!"
"Noooo! Not him, too!"
Agent Z caught him but he didn't stop falling. He was out of fuel too.
"Catch him, Lightyear! Catch him! Fly, Lightyear, fly!"
The emperor screamed assuming the worst outcomes turning his back to the screen shaking his fists.
"NoooooOOoooo!"
"Movement!" One of his minions cried out.
"What-how-"
Warp groaned, aching all over, watching a surge of green ring fly overhead. He surveyed for physical injuries, puzzled, then his head bobbed up, his eyes widening, looking over toward the broken form beside him. He reached a trembling hand out for the fallen figure half afraid to touch.
Gears, circuits, long tubes, the only thing that was of human nature was a disconnected arm and what appeared to be the head that seemed to be still connected to the torso. Instead of Warp landing, it had been Agent Z. He shook his head, no, no, no-
He grasped Agent Z by the shoulder.
"Don't go," Warp plead. "stay, please."
There was only a smile.
"Please, I love you." Warp said, watching the mechanical eyes close as life ceased to be supported behind them. "p-p-p-please c-c-come back."
He sat there waiting in his hands beside the broken form. Space Rangers parted of the area one by one leaving in the sky leaving in their star cruisers. All that was left behind was behind damaged buildings, uncomfortable memories, a legends debris, and abandoned giant robots displaying visible signs of attack on their figure. A hand was set on his shoulder as he sobbed.
"Zurg will put him back in his grave." Nebula guided the young Captain up to his feet. "Once he snaps out of it."
"He won't snap out of it, commander." Warp rubbed his aching shoulder.
"The LGM are in the mist of transporting the brain back home and we'll leave this planet to the locals and see what they want, wonder why they still bother working for him." the commander looked around spotting hornets inside buildings watching him and the younger man leave, almost as if they were considering judgement, eying at them. "Long as he doesn't repeat this, everything is going right back to normal. . ." the commander winced before adding. "almost."
"I won't go on this stunt again."
"who's your partner?"
"I need personal time before answering that, like beach time."
Nebula grew a big grin as he slapped Warp's back.
"About time you said that. BEEN OFF hearing nothing about your gambling."
XR trailed behind them.
"This sounds important enough to be told beforehand, sir! Sir!" XR called.