I've been looking forward to posting this chapter! This one introduces two new characters, one of whom is already one of my favourites!

I hope you like it!


Chapter 3: End of the Road

When Ryne woke, she was sprawled across the bed in an undignified manner, and the covers had been kicked into the corner during her deep sleep. She groaned, rolling over to continue sleeping, when she realised why she'd woken up. Grabbing her phone quickly, she answered the call without looking.

"Hello?" she mumbled into it.

"Wow, I know there's a time difference, but I didn't think it was that bad," Ryne gave a quiet groan as she tried to wake up enough to figure out why she recognised the voice. "Uh...Ryne? This is a video call," the voice told her, and Ryne quickly moved her phone away from her ear.

"Hey Fane," she smiled as she finally realised who it was calling her. The beautiful blonde on the other end of the call smiled back at her. Her hair curled neatly down to her shoulders, and her pale blue eyes were a giveaway to her half-Mercurian heritage.

"You're the same as ever, Ryne," Fane teased gently, seeing Ryne's sleepy expression as her thick black hair stood on end. "How's Coral Harbour? You're really staying there for a while?" she asked, having been surprised by her best friend's last message.

"Yeah," Ryne nodded, rubbing her eyes.

"It wouldn't have anything to do with a certain band of superheroes that have shown up there, would it?" Fane's knowing smile made Ryne pause. Her mouth opened before she hesitated. She wanted to tell Fane the truth. About how she'd become the Pink Ranger in Asher's place and was now fighting to not only protect the city and the Morph-X from evil, but to free her cousin from the connection to her Avatar that was keeping her unconscious. In the end, she smiled slightly.

"I can't tell you that," she said, and Fane laughed lightly.

"I can't say I'm surprised by that answer," she admitted, and to Ryne's relief she didn't look upset. "Regardless, I hope that you're okay. Are you staying at Asher's?" Fane asked, changing the subject.

"Nah, I got help finding a place," Ryne answered. It didn't feel right to stay in her cousin's apartment while she was in a coma, so Commander Shaw had assisted in setting her up with a place to stay that wasn't far from Grid Battleforce. So far there wasn't much to the place, as she'd only moved in a day ago, and all of her things were in boxes. "How's Zandar? Gotten into trouble again?" she asked with a knowing smile.

"Without you here?" Fane looked a little offended, but it faded quickly. "Only once...or thrice," she waved a dismissive hand, and Ryne laughed. Despite her appearance, Fane was almost always in trouble for sneaking out, using the portal to the magical realm that she and Ryne had discovered when they were little. Ivan, Fane's guardian and rumoured legendary knight, was constantly chasing them away from it, but it hadn't deterred the Princess. "It's not as fun without you," Fane complained.

"I miss you too," Ryne couldn't help but laugh.

"I'll come visit you soon. You can show me around the city that's using energy straight from the Morphin' Grid to function," Fane told her, and Ryne nodded.

"Sounds great," she agreed, already excited for her visit. She then looked down at her Wristcom, and saw the time. "Crap, I have to go. I'll call you later?" Ryne asked, and Fane nodded.

"You better, or next time I get caught going to the markets in the Orava Kingdom, I'll blame you," Fane warned her.

"You blame me regardless," Ryne told her.

"Probably. Talk to you later!" Fane grinned, and Ryne stuck out her tongue before the call ended. Ryne then groaned and fell backwards into the mountain of pillows she had stacked on the bed.

"Guess it's time to get up, huh?" she looked at the stuffed toy lying beside her. The white sheep remained silent, staring blankly back. "Lucky for some," Ryne rolled over and stood, stretching with a loud groan as her joints cracked. "Well...time for training," she murmured, starting her hunt for clothes.


"Hey Devon!" The new Red Ranger looked around, having been walking up to the Grid Battleforce building as he heard Ryne call him, and saw the young woman rolling towards him on a skateboard. "Good morning," the Pink Ranger yawned, still looking sleepy.

"Morning," Devon couldn't help but laugh at how sleepy she was. In the short time they'd known each other, she definitely did not seem like a morning person. "Nice board," he complimented, a little surprised that she was on one.

"Thanks. My uncle gave it to me," Ryne said as she reached him, and the two made their way to the main entrance.

"I didn't know you skated," he said, looking down at the short girl again. Ryne shrugged, perfectly balanced.

"It looked fun," she answered simply. Devon laughed again at how simple the thought process of it was. "Are you ready for combat training?" Ryne asked, glancing up at him, and saw his excited look. While it wasn't as thrilling as the Battle Simulator, Devon was excited to learn some more complicated moves to improve his fighting skills.

"I've been excited. I heard they have a really talented teacher, way better than any karate class," he grinned, and Ryne smiled.

"As long as you don't pick a fight with the teacher, I think it'll be okay," Devon started at her words, looking surprised.

"How did you-"

"I was there," Ryne laughed lightly. "Was meeting up with Ashe," she said, her smile a little sad. Devon patted her shoulder lightly. He was a little worried about her - Zoey and Ravi had said the same to him. She was two years younger than them, only 16, and had been flung into it just like he had been. "Morning, Brad," Ryne called to the security guard, who waved them in.

"Good morning, Ryne," the older man smiled back at her. He nodded at Devon as well, and the two continued through the building, talking about what they wanted to learn from combat training.

"Anything that helps me wipe that smirk off those Avatars is good to me," Devon said, making Ryne laugh.

"I know that feeling. Avatar Blaze really seemed like an idiot," she agreed, and Devon nodded.

"Ah, there you are," Commander Shaw looked over at the two as she stood waiting with Ravi and Zoey. Ryne double-checked her watch, sure they weren't late. "You're just on time," the woman said, not missing Ryne's confused motions. "The combat instructor is waiting," she turned and led them along the corridor.

"Who is this person?" Zoey whispered to Ravi as the four followed his mum.

"No idea," Ravi admitted, and received three looks. "Seriously. The last instructor retired right before we got chosen to be Rangers, and I wasn't told anything about who would replace him," he defended, a little embarrassed by his lack of knowledge.

Commander Shaw led them into the main training room, and they all stopped, a little surprised. A young man around their age was dancing to music, singing with an impressive voice. He stopped abruptly, whirling around and standing up straight, as Commander Shaw cleared her throat.

"Excuse me, Commander, I-" he stopped, blue eyes going wide. "Ryne?" he gasped, looking at the Pink Ranger. She grinned widely.

"I see you're just as good a dancer as ever, Lewis," she walked forwards as the young man rushed towards her. He threw his arms around her in a crushing hug, making her groan. "Easy," Ryne pushed him away.

"For the rest of you, this is Lewis James, your new combat instructor," Commander Shaw introduced the young man, whose black hair was messy, falling into his face, except for one part that was clipped out of his face. He had an easy smile, and none of them missed the pure black tattoo on his lower arm.

"Nice to meet you," Lewis smiled at the group.

"I'll leave them in your capable hands," Commander Shaw told him, and he nodded before she left.

"Well, that was embarrassing," Lewis laughed, walking over and turning off his music.

"So, you two know each other?" Devon asked, looking from him, back to Ryne.

"Our families have been good friends since our grandparents were our age, give or take a few years," Lewis explained lightly. "And it seems that one side decided to continue with the tradition," he smirked at Ryne over his shoulder. She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Ah, one of the Ranger friends?" Ravi guessed.

"Got it in one," Lewis gave a thumbs up. "And I'm here to train you newbie Rangers how to be even better fighters," he indicated to himself, jabbing his thumb at his chest.

"Awesome," Devon grinned.


Ravi tried not to look hesitant as he faced Ryne, his fists raised in a fighting stance. She was doing the same, her expression hard to read. Nearby, Zoey and Devon were already sparring, trying to take each other down.

"What are you two waiting for? An invitation?" Lewis called, watching them from the sidelines. He'd taught them some moves, and now wanted to see the group in action.

Ravi took a breath, and rushed his opponent. Ryne dodged his punch, knocking his arm aside, and aimed a kick at his side. Ravi blocked it, and grabbed for her, intending to end it quickly. However, she suddenly dropped down into his blind spot, and before he could stop, she'd tripped him, knocking him flat onto his face on the mat. Before he could get up, her knee was pressing into the small of his back, and she'd twisted one arm behind him.

"Next time, don't hold back," Ryne told him, getting to her feet as Ravi blushed, embarrassed by how easily she'd taken him down.

"That was painful," Lewis' words were blunt as Ryne offered her hand to Ravi, pulling him back to his feet. "Any reason why you held back?" he asked, looking serious. Nearby, Devon and Zoey had stopped, curious. Ravi didn't speak, but couldn't stop himself looking at Ryne, whose head was tilted as she looked just as confused. "Let me guess," Lewis patted Ryne's head, making her hair fall out of the ponytail she'd pulled it into for training. "You're worried about her," he grinned.

"What?" Ryne swatted Lewis away. "Wait," her brow furrowed. "Are you?" she turned to Ravi, and then looked over at the other two, who looked just as awkward.

"It's just...you're a little younger than us," Zoey admitted, shifting uneasily.

"Geez," Ryne rolled her eyes. "You don't have to worry just cause I'm younger, y'know. I've been learning martial arts since I was little," she said.

"Little-er," Lewis said, and winced when she jabbed her elbow into his side.

"Look, I know we've only known each other a little while, but we've gotta trust each other and work as equals, or we'll never beat Evox and free Asher and the others," Ryne ignored Lewis as he doubled over. She wasn't offended by their worry - a little touched that they were concerned, but it wasn't necessary, and she knew it. "Yeah, I'm only 16, but I know how to look after myself. Case in point, I just put Ravi on his face," she smirked, and Ravi blushed.

"Care for a rematch? You might stand a chance if you don't hold back," Lewis suggested to the embarrassed Blue Ranger.

"I'm sorry, Ryne. You're a Ranger too and I respect that," he apologised to her.

"Yeah. You've proved yourself just as much as the rest of us," Devon agreed, and Ryne immediately blushed at their words.

"Hey, I wasn't asking for praise," she groaned, and shot Lewis a glare when she heard him laugh.

"Well," Lewis clapped his hands together. "Great first session everyone. We'll pick up tomorrow," he told them.

"Great, I need to go see if Nate's done with my bike," Zoey rushed off to get changed, making the others laugh at how eager she was. She'd been talking almost non-stop about her idea to introduce bikes fueled by Morph-X around the city to reduce traffic.

"Thanks Lewis," Ryne bumped the young man's fist, and he winked at her.

"Yeah, thanks for the lesson," Ravi nodded. Lewis' grin widened.

"Trust me, we're just going over the basics right now. Soon you'll be at my real mercy," he warned, which only made Devon more excited. He was always looking for a real challenge when it came to learning martial arts.

The three left, and Lewis chuckled to himself, rubbing his lower arm where his tattoo lay. "They're gonna be fun," he murmured.


"My apologies, your Slithery-ness," Asher rolled her eyes, hearing Scrozzle's simpering words as he addressed their master. "But we simply don't have enough Morph-X to send in any of my Gigadrones," he was explaining as the three Avatars approached, overhearing their conversation. Scrozzle turned as he heard footsteps, and Roxy shot him a bored look. "And it's all the fault of those useless Avatars!" he declared. Roxy feigned shock, but her amusement was obvious.

"Is that so?" Evox growled.

"Hey, if we're throwing blame around, how about upgrading your Tronics?" Asher shrugged as she walked into view as well. "It's embarrassing watching the Rangers destroy them without breaking a sweat," she smirked at Scrozzle, who growled.

"Why you-"

"Don't listen to that robo-geezer," Roxy said before Scrozzle could snap at Asher.

"We've found a way to score a lot more Morph-X," Blaze announced as he walked into the opening of the ruins. He looked up at Evox as Roxy and Asher stood with him, and Roxy brought up a video of Zoey talking to Mayor Daniels.

'The city will fund your X-Bikes for one week,' the Mayor was telling the proud-looking Yellow Ranger.

"The Rangers are building bikes powered with Morph-X, for the entire city. They'll be everywhere," Asher explained.

"The Morph-X will be vulnerable," Blaze added.

"Excellent. Steal enough Morph-X from the bikes to get me out of this wretched dimension!" Evox ordered, hissing as his image continued to flicker erratically.

"Yes, Master Evox," the Avatars rolled their eyes as Scrozzle fell to one knee in a bow.


"Try one of our new Morph-X powered bikes!" Zoey advertised the bikes that were lined up for use. "How about you? Wanna try one? It's a real, clean alternative to-"

"No thanks," the man she'd been addressing barely looked at her, taking the flyer just to put it in the bin before he walked away.

"What's Morph-X got to do with a bike?" a young woman asked Ryne, who looked up quickly.

"Um...it powers the bike and makes it easier to cycle, so you don't have to put as much of your own energy into cycling anywhere," she explained briefly, looking down at the bike she was sitting on.

"You okay?" Ravi cycled over to her, as the woman walked away, not looking too excited by the bikes. "You looked like she was about to bite your head off," he commented to Ryne, who blushed.

"I'm not...great with strangers," she admitted, fiddling with the handlebars. Ravi wasn't too surprised. She was still quite shy with him and the other Rangers at times as they all got to know each other.

"We'll handle the advertising," he offered, but Ryne shook her head and smiled faintly up at him.

"I gotta get used to it eventually," she told him. "But thanks," she nodded, grateful for his offer, even if she didn't want to be treated differently just because she was younger.

"Ta-da!" everyone looked around as they heard Betty's voice. "Check it out; our X-Bike built for two," she announced as she and Ben cycled around on their tandem bike.

"Whoa! Now that is cool!" the young man that Devon had been speaking to walked away, liking the look of the tandem bike. Others filmed the two, much more interested in what the siblings were riding, instead of the regular bikes.

"That thing's great," Zoey laughed as the other three went over to the Yellow Ranger, watching.

"Does this count as good publicity?" Ryne wondered, tilting her head.

"I think you might need to offer some of those as well," Devon chuckled as the two showed off on the bike.

The laughter turned to screams, and civilians leapt from the seats and benches to run off as a monster appeared, roaring loudly.

"Needletron, pump the Morph-X from these bikes!" Blaze ordered the new Robotron, who waved his needle-arms dangerously. "And destroy any Ranger that gets in your way," Blaze told him.

"I like it! Straight to the point!" Needletron laughed, immediately turning and jabbing his needles into the Morph-X canisters on one of the bikes. "Poke and drain, easy!" he laughed as he drained out all of the Morph-X in the bike.

"Keep going, we need more!" Blaze ordered impatiently as the Robotron admired the glowing green liquid.

"Unless you wanna ride one, step away from the bikes," Zoey warned, and the Avatar growled at the interruption.

"You better back off, puny teenagers!" Needletron warned. "Or else," he growled. Zoey scoffed.

"Or else what?" she challenged. Needletron gave a shout and fired a blast, narrowly missing the Yellow Ranger. However, it hit the tandem bike as Ben and Betty tried to cycle away, and it exploded, splitting their bike in half and tossing them into the water nearby.

"Right on point!" Needletron laughed as Blaze smirked.

"You really shouldn't have messed with our friends," Devon growled, angry.

"Aw, but it's just so much fun," Blaze laughed.

"Let's pump things up," Devon called. "It's Morphin' Time!" the four raised their wrists and used their Wristcoms to summon their Morphers.

"ACTIVATE BEAST POWER!" the four Morphed. "Unleash the beast!" they chanted. Blaze rolled his eyes, summoning his own armour.

"Let's make today their last day!" he told Needletron before attacking. While Devon and Ravi fought Needletron, Zoey and Ryne focused on Blaze.

"You're going down!" Zoey declared, catching his sword with her boot. He grunted as he was forced to the ground, where he released his sword to roll away before Ryne could strike him with her own sword.

"He packs a punch," Devon groaned as he and Ravi struggled against the Robotron.

"Not just punches!" the two were blasted off their feet, and when they landed, they demorphed, groaning.

"You're good," Blaze allowed when Zoey flipped backwards to dodge his attack. "But not good enough!" he swung his sword, but Ryne blocked it, pushing back with a groan.

"Go stop Needletron!" she told the Yellow Ranger, seeing him approaching the two fallen Rangers.

"But…" Zoey hesitated as Ryne pushed Blaze back.

"I told you already. Just go!" Ryne groaned, aware of why the Yellow Ranger didn't want to leave her. "Ravi and Devon need you," she reminded, and Zoey hesitated for just another moment before running off.

"Brave move," Blaze snorted as he raised his sword again. "You really think you can take me alone?" He challenged her. Ryne frowned back at him.

"Maybe," she allowed. "You're strong, but I refuse to lose. Let's see who's more stubborn," she challenged, and Blaze ran at her with a shout. As he raised his sword, it suddenly seemed to freeze in the air, stopping him from swinging down at the Pink Ranger. Blue lights surrounded it, making him frown.

"What?" Blaze growled, tugging at his sword, before it suddenly yanked out of his grasp and flew into Ryne's. "Hey!" he glared at the young woman, who studied it for a moment before letting it drop.

"I was never a big fan of swords," Ryne admitted.

"You little-" Blaze ran in to fight her without weapons, and found that she was fast, blocking most of his moves. However, he was stronger, shoving her backwards.

"Let's see how Nate's Beast-X Cannon works in action," Zoey's words caught their attention.

"Cannon?" Needletron gulped. Blaze frowned as Zoey transformed her blaster.

"What is that?" he asked, kicking Ryne away. Zoey combined her weapons, creating a brand new blaster.

"Beast-X Cannon, ready!" she called, aiming it at Needletron.

"Wait!" the monster pleaded.

"Beast-X Cannon Blast!" Zoey fired a powerful blast of green and orange energy that blew up Needletron in one shot, scattering his parts everywhere. Blaze caught the needle arm, seeing it somewhat intact.

"Guess I'll stick a pin in this for now," Blaze murmured, and glanced over at Ryne. "Don't worry. You'll see me again," he promised, vanishing before she could stop him.

"He got away!" Zoey groaned as she and Ryne demorphed.

"You guys okay?" Ryne called, running over to Devon and Ravi with Zoey. She helped Ravi up as the Blue Ranger groaned, while Devon stood slowly.

"Yeah, we're fine," Devon answered, a hand to his chest as he breathed slowly.

"But Blaze took that Robotron's needle," Ravi pointed out as he stood, leaning on Ryne. "It's full of Morph-X," he reminded.

"And after that attack, will anybody come near my X-Bikes again?" Zoey wondered, looking over at the fallen bikes. None of them spoke, as despite destroying another Robotron, they didn't really feel like they'd won.


Blaze's return to the Cyber Dimension was unceremonious, and Scrozzle was quick to make his opinion on the Avatar's actions clear.

"So, Blaze is back already," he scoffed as they watched Blaze pouring Morph-X from Needletron's arm into a canister.

"That didn't last long," Asher commented, her green eyes seeming luminous as she studied the glowing Morphin' energy. "That's really all you got? Figured those bikes would give a little more, and the Yellow Ranger was so kind, offering them up to us like that," she taunted. Blaze turned his angry stare on her.

"Go. Away," he said shortly, making Asher smirk back.

"What are you waiting for, Scrozzle?" Rozy turned to the robot impatiently. "Make a Gigadrone!" she ordered him. Scrozzle scoffed at her bossing him around.

"Ha!" he barked a mocking laugh. "That's not enough Morph-X for a Giga-flea," he told her, laughing. Roxy glared at him. "Let me guess. That needle is all that's left of your Robotron? I wouldn't want to be you when Evox hears you failed," Scrozzle taunted.

"Oh yeah?" Blaze whirled around, having had enough. "Well maybe you should-"

"Don't listen to Scrozzle," Roxy warned as she stopped him, blocking the angry Avatar's path. "We still have the needle. It's the only part we need," she pointed out.

"You're right," Blaze nodded, placated. He then looked over her head to glare at Scrozzle. "This is just the beginning," he said quietly.

"Move it," Roxy shoved Scrozzle out of her way, and he huffed, watching as the three walked off.

"Good riddance," he muttered.


Devon held his breath without realising as he carefully nudged a massive centipede into a clear container. One it was safely inside, he breathed out.

"There you go," he murmured, lifting the box to examine it. "You're a creepy little dude, but I'mma save you anyway," he said to the centipede.

"The local wildlife protection group should be here soon," Lewis said as he handed Devon the top of the container so that the centipede didn't escape.

"Thanks Lewis," Zoey said, but couldn't bring herself to smile as Devon put the container in the back of the jeep for safe keeping.

The week had passed quickly, and to Zoey's dismay, the popularity of her X-Bikes had remained underwhelming, which meant that Mayor Daniels would give the go-ahead to build a road straight through the forest. She'd gone to the other Rangers, asking for help to relocate the smaller critters that lived in the forest, until either she convinced the Mayor to cancel the plan, or they found a new place for them. Lewis, overhearing, had offered his help, including contacting the people who would be able to house the creatures in the meantime.

"Good job team!" Jax praised, holding a container for Ravi, who had managed to catch a hedgehog. "We'll make sure these little critters are safe until their homes are too," he said, trying to cheer Zoey up.

"It's gonna be tough catching everything along this route," Lewis admitted as they put the hedgehog with the rest of the creatures. "Anything bigger than a rabbit will be impossible to catch, even with more help," he said, looking at the one rabbit that Devon had managed to catch using his superspeed.

"Don't worry, Zoey," Devon reached out to stop the Yellow Ranger, who looked even more hopeless. "We'll stay out here all night if we have to," he told her. Zoey smiled, but it felt empty as she then turned and walked away.

"Lewis," Ryne grabbed her friend's wrist, and he looked around as she pulled him away.

"What's wrong? Don't tell me you need help climbing a tree," Lewis commented, and Ryne rolled her eyes.

"If I was looking for your help in something like that, it would be navigating caves," she said, and Lewis put his hands to his ears.

"Don't abuse my Animal Spirit," he warned, the cold metal of his rings bumping against the ear cuffs he wore. Ryne shook her head, and grabbed his arm again to pull him along. "Seriously, what's wrong?" Lewis asked. Ryne let him go, and crouched at the base of a tree.

"It's a baby squirrel," she said, and Lewis crouched beside her. Lying in the grass, a small red squirrel was dozing. "Its leg...I think it's hurt," Ryne gestured to the squirrel, and Lewis saw that its leg was bent at an odd angle.

"Oof. That's gonna be a tough one. I wonder if it fell?" Lewis looked up, not seeing any signs of other squirrels.

"Hold this," Ryne dumped a container into his hands, filling it with moss and grass that she got from the ground, and carefully woke the sleeping creature by running a finger along its soft head. It froze as it looked up at the two, allowing Ryne to quickly scoop it up and place it in the container Lewis held.

"You'd almost think you had a Squirrel for an Animal Spirit," Lewis chuckled, and Ryne brushed her hair from her face.

"Instead I get one that sounds more likely to come from your family," Ryne replied, lifting the container and straightening up.

"It suits you," Lewis told her simply. "Come on, better get this little one back. We can get someone to look after it when they get here," he said.

As they walked back to the group, they heard Zoey sounding much more excited than a few minutes ago, talking animatedly with Nate. However, as they all regrouped, their Wristcoms beeped loudly.

"Go ahead," Devon answered as their smiles faded.

'Blaze was spotted near City Hall,' Commander Shaw told them, looking concerned. 'I'm sending you coordinates,' she told them.

"Got it," Devon nodded, ending the link.

"A bunch of my X-Bikes are there," Zoey reminded them. After the first attack, Commander Shaw had boosted the security in areas where the bikes were available, just in case Blaze came back for more.

"I guess he didn't get enough Morph-X earlier," Ryne considered, frowning.

"Go. Lewis, the Beastbots and I will take care of the animals," Nate told them, carefully holding a small green lizard in his hands.

"Thanks Nate," Zoey smiled at the young genius.


Blaze scoffed as he pulled the tubes of Morph-X from the bikes. They came out easily, and he used the Needletron arm to drain the tubes. However, a shot rang out, and the arm was knocked out of his grasp.

"No!" he yelled, furious as it exploded. The Morph-X evaporated, leaving nothing behind.

"Nice aim guys. Talk about a shot in the arm," Devon laughed as Blaze stood. His Avatar form flickered for a moment, before he lifted his key and smirked. However, as he inserted it into the device on his wrist, the light faded, and nothing happened.

"What?" he hissed. "No!" Blaze groaned.

"I guess he's out of Morph-X," Ryne smirked. Blaze gave an angry yell, before turning and grabbing one of the bikes. His form flickered as he jumped on and immediately started to cycle away.

"Blaze is on the move!" Ravi frowned, a little surprised that he'd chosen to retreat.

"He's not the only one who knows how to ride. Let's go!" Zoey shouted, running for a bike as well. The others followed, chasing Blaze down and keeping up with the Avatar easily.

"Faster, we can catch him!" Devon called.

"Ryne, can you do that thing with your powers to control his bike?" Ravi called over his shoulder to the Pink Ranger.

"Need a free hand for that," Ryne replied, shaking her head. "Come on, we can catch him without an easy way out," she said, increasing her pace as Blaze leapt over a wall to keep going. He swerved dangerously around some civilians, who barely made it out of the way of the Rangers.

"Sorry!" Ravi shouted as they kept going.

"These roads are dangerous!" Zoey gulped as they reached a more crowded part of the city, where cars were beeping at the group as they cycled around them.

"Roxy, Asher, I'm coming to you," Blaze warned his Avatar partners, and laughed as he veered suddenly, forcing a car to brake suddenly. People watched as the four Rangers used the bikes to leap over the car, using their enhanced strength to clear the obstacle.

"We gotcha now, Blaze," Devon growled as they kept up with him, and Blaze suddenly turned, cycling into a warehouse. "Look out!" he yelled a warning as pink and yellow blasts of energy shot at them, hitting the four and throwing them off their bikes.

"So, we have visitors?" Roxy smirked as she walked towards them.

"Yeah, I couldn't shake them," Blaze said as he abandoned his bike as well.

"Well, at least you brought us five lots of Morph-X," Asher commented, arms folded.

"Roxy?" Ravi gasped.

"Nice to see you too, Ravi," Roxy smirked, her image flickering.

"It's not Roxy," Ryne reached out and put a hand on the Blue Ranger's arm. She didn't look away from Asher, who was meeting her stare with a smirk of her own.

"Ryne's right. It's their evil Avatars. Ignore them," Devon warned, before frowning as he looked past them. "Hey, that's Morph-X!" he realised, seeing the Tronics emptying canisters of Morph-X into barrels.

"We've been stealing it from the X-Bikes, right under your noses. Ever since you destroyed Needletron," Blaze smirked.

"Thanks, laundry girl," Asher finally looked away from Ryne, turning her attention to Zoey. "You basically gift-wrapped the Morph-X for us," she laughed.

"Oh shut up," Ryne told her as Zoey lowered her head, tears stinging at her eyes. Ryne stood up, her powers bubbling under her skin. "Those bikes are exactly what Morph-X is for. To reduce pollution and make the world better. And considering we chased Blaze off the last time, I think we made it abundantly clear they weren't for you," she said. Asher was quiet for a moment, before she snorted.

"You're still just a clueless little brat, aren't you?" Asher taunted. Her smirk widened when Ryne's powers sparked from her hands, and the Pink Ranger cursed, pulling her hands close to her as she willed her powers to calm.

"Why you-"

"Careful," Roxy smirked, pointing over her shoulder with her blaster as Ravi made to attack. Their eyes widened when they saw the warning on the side of the barrel. "One tiny blast and the whole building goes…boom," she warned, and both Blaze and Asher chuckled.

"Time to recharge," Blaze taunted as he held up his key and walked away. Roxy kept her blaster ready to blow up the barrels at a moment's notice.

"Ryne, you okay?" Devon asked quietly as the blue lights finally faded.

"Fine," Ryne muttered, glad her helmet hid her teary eyes.

"We've gotta take them out," Devon muttered to the others as the Tronics began to charge Blaze's key with Morph-X. "Follow my lead," he suddenly rushed forwards with his superspeed, taking the three Avatars by surprise. Roxy cried out as the Red Ranger kicked her into the barrels nearby. Blaze looked up as Zoey leapt at him, flying through the air. She landed beside him and kicked the Avatar right into Ravi's path. Using his gorilla strength, Ravi caught him and threw him into the crates nearby.

"Why you-" as Asher turned to fight Devon, Ryne got in the way and blocked the punch. She then grabbed her arm and swung her, throwing her into the Tronics nearby.

"That's for making fun of Zoey," she warned. However, before she could move, wires wrapped around her, holding her in place as Roxy restrained her, as well as the other Rangers. With a smirk, Roxy swung the tethers, throwing the four into a wall.

"Take as much Morph-X as you can to Scrozzle," Roxy muttered to Blaze as he recovered and stood beside her.

"We'll finish off the Rangers and bring back the rest," Asher told him.

"Got it," Blaze nodded, walking over to grab his key. Before they could try to stop him, Blaze vanished, taking the Tronics and barrels with him. Roxy and Asher smirked, transforming into their armoured forms.

"This is going to be fun," Roxy laughed, grabbing her blaster again.

"Looks like things are just getting started," Devon muttered. The fight with the two Avatars broke out, and as they worked to fight them off, their Morphers beeped.

'Rangers, come in, Rangers,' Commander Shaw called for them.

"Ravi, you take it," Devon called to the Blue Ranger, who nodded. He leapt behind a crate as Roxy kicked Zoey aside, blocking Devon's punch.

"I warned you before. You've never beaten me, and that's not about to change," Asher told Ryne as she grabbed the Pink Ranger's wrist and squeezed tightly. Ryne winced as she felt it even through her suit.

"I've...I've never beaten Asher. You're not Asher," Ryne grabbed her arm and yanked her wrist free, sinking low and ramming into the Avatar.

"Go ahead Commander," as Asher landed on a barrel, crying out, Ravi answered his Wristcom.

'There's a giant hostile headed for Morph-X tower Tango Six,' Commander Shaw warned.

"Ravi, can you handle it?" Devon, hearing the warning, called over to the Blue Ranger. He held onto Roxy's blaster, stopping her from attacking.

"Yep, heading out now," Ravi agreed, running off.

"Three on two, huh?" Roxy commented, looking from Devon, to Zoey, and over to Ryne, who was fighting Asher in a one-on-one. "Too bad you're still going to lose," she taunted, swinging her arm and throwing Devon off. She ran at Zoey, and the Yellow Ranger leapt back using her Jackrabbit DNA.

"Looks like you've been getting some training," Asher sniffed as she stepped back, arm stinging from Ryne's strike. "Did Commander Shaw take pity on you and hire a decent instructor?" she taunted.

"I'm getting really bored," Ryne told her, fed up of Asher's constant mockery. "Do you have anything else to say, or just more comments about how lame we are?" she asked. Asher chuckled.

"Big words for someone who still can't control their powers when they get a little upset," Ryne twitched at the comment, but didn't rise to the bait. Asher chuckled, and raised her hand, summoning a sword. "Come on then. Let's see how strong you think you are," she challenged.

"Urgh, I really don't get her obsession with taking down that scrawny brat," Roxy scoffed as she glanced over at Asher and Ryne's fight.

"How about you focus on us?" Devon called, and Roxy cursed as she blocked his kick, forced back several paces. She ducked under Zoey's follow up attack, and blasted the Yellow Ranger out of the air. "You okay?" Devon helped her up, and Zoey nodded.

"Thanks," she murmured.

'Devon, Zoey, Ryne!' Ravi's voice reached the group through their Morphers. 'The Drone is draining my Morph-X! My Zord's losing power!' the Blue Ranger warned as he struggled to fight the Needletron Gigadrone alone.

"Hold tight Ravi," Devon answered as they backed away, catching their breath. "I'm on my way," he said.

"We'll deal with Roxy and Asher," Zoey told the Red Ranger as he turned to them.

"Great," he nodded, trusting the pair. "Commander, deploy the Racer Zord," Devon requested as he ran off.

"It's just us now," Zoey said as she turned to face Roxy and Asher.

"You don't stand a chance, Laundry Girl," Roxy taunted.

"Eh, this laundry girl is kinda strong," Ryne told her. Zoey blushed at the praise from the Pink Ranger. Roxy scoffed, and fired a blast. It passed by the Yellow Ranger, close enough she could feel the heat from it. She couldn't help but laugh.

"Hah! You missed!" she taunted.

"No," Roxy's smirk was clear. "I didn't," the two Rangers looked around to see one of the fallen X-Bikes sparking dangerously.

"The Morph-X!" Zoey gasped. She ran over to the bike, grabbing the broken Morph-X vial from inside. "Hey Roxy, here's a little gift for ya!" she threw it before it could explode. It landed near the Avatar, only to slide away from her. Roxy laughed.

"Hah! You missed," she mocked the girl.

"No, she didn't," Ryne smirked. The two Avatars quickly whirled around, and saw the Morph-X stop beside one of the barrels.

"No!" The vial then exploded, setting off a reaction with the barrels and canisters around it. The explosion threw everyone off their feet.

"Good thinking," Ryne told Zoey as they got back to their feet.

"You won't get us that easily!" Roxy warned, angry.

"Guess we're all pretty tough, huh?" Zoey asked, disappointed that the explosion hadn't been enough to defeat the two Avatars.

"Yeah," Roxy agreed, begrudging. "Well played," the two grabbed their keys.

"Until next time," Asher warned, and they vanished. Both Ryne and Zoey slumped, exhausted.

"Jax...I really need a carrot," Zoey told her Beastbot with a laugh.

"Devon, how's the fight going?" Ryne contacted their Red Ranger.

'We're here just in time!' Devon announced, saving Ravi from an attack. It didn't take too long for him to finish off the Needletron with a powerful strike, leaving the city safe once again.


Morning came, marking the day that construction was to begin on the road through the forest. Ryne had been woken by a rushed message from Zoey, asking to come to the forest for backup to convince Mayor Daniels.

"Ryne, it's almost midday," Nate couldn't help but laugh as they picked her up to drive to the forest. Zoey was cycling there, determined to prove the bikes a good idea. "How are you only just awake?" he asked.

"Was a day off," Ryne mumbled, leaning against the side of the door as Lewis drove.

"Ryne always was a night owl," Lewis explained. "Seems that hasn't changed since we were kids," he said, chuckling.

"I was up late too," Devon admitted, trying and failing to stifle a yawn. "The new game I wanted finally came out," he told them, not even remotely sorry that he'd stayed up so late playing it. "Let me guess, you were up at 6am," he guessed when he saw Ravi shaking his head slightly.

"Of course," Ravi's chest puffed out proudly. "Nate, Lewis, come on, back me up here. It's crazy to sleep so late," he turned to the two.

"Sorry Ravi. I'm a night owl too," Lewis laughed as he turned down the dirt road towards the edge of the forest. "But I am normally awake earlyish," he added in as a way to appease the Blue Ranger.

"I can't sleep past 8am," Nate admitted with a faint smile. Ravi nodded, finally happy, as Devon laughed quietly.

"There's Zoey," all but Lewis looked around, thinking Ryne had fallen asleep, and saw Zoey cycling past them with a determined look.

"Mom! Where's the Mayor?" Zoey didn't wait for them as Lewis parked and they climbed out of the jeep. "I wanna show him this cool new X-Bike design," Zoey pulled a blueprint from her bag that she'd worked on with Nate. "Maybe it'll change his mind," she considered, standing in front of her reporter mother.

"I guess he's running late, sweetie," Mrs. Reeves tried to soothe her.

"I told you, Zoey," Devon said carefully as they approached her. "My dad's stubborn. He's not gonna change his mind just because you 'coolified' the X-Bikes," he pointed out, knowing that his dad was all about results, not potentials.

"Maybe, but I'm not giving up," Zoey said stubbornly. Her mother smiled warmly.

"I'm so proud of you, sweetie," she hugged her, careful not to damage the blueprint. Lewis turned as he heard a quiet bell, and laughed a little.

"Well, here he comes," he said, pushing his long hair from his face as if he didn't believe what he was seeing.

"He's on an X-Bike!" Nate laughed in disbelief as they all turned to see the man in a suit cycling along the dirt road, followed by his secretary.

"Dad, where's your limo?" Devon asked, a little stunned to see the man on a bike.

"Why would I need a limo?" Mayor Daniels asked, looking a little confused as he climbed off the bike. "This is a lot more fun," he chuckled. "Just keeping with the trends, son," he said as Devon looked baffled. "Didn't you see the news last night?" he asked. When he was met with multiple blank looks, his secretary brought up a video on her phone to show them.

"Rangers on new Morph-X powered bikes!" Mrs. Reeve's voice came from the video, as they watched her news report about their chase across town.

"Mom, did you do this?" Zoey gasped. Her mother smiled.

"I guess it went viral," she shrugged.

"Wow, it really has," Lewis commented, having checked his own phone. Ryne looked at her own, seeing messages from not only her cousins, but Fane as well, all of them having seen the footage and wanting to know what Ryne had seen.

"Sure did. And from what I hear, everyone wants an X-Bike now," Mayor Daniels told them with an amused smile. "Yep, just like the Power Rangers," he said. "You did it, Zoey," he smiled at the Yellow Ranger.

"Does that mean…?" Zoey trailed off, almost too scared to ask.

"Sure does," he nodded, and turned to the camera that had been recording the entire thing. "I hereby declare this road project permanently cancelled!" he announced loudly. "And I'm very proud to announce; we're ordering 5000 X-Bikes for the city," Zoey inhaled at the extra announcement. "Let's show the world how clean, green, Morph-X can make a difference," Mayor Daniels smiled at the Yellow Ranger, before putting his helmet on again. "Now, if you'll all excuse me, I'm off to work," he said, making them all laugh as he lifted his bike and cycled off.

"I can't believe it," Zoey turned to the others. "Mom, you're the best," she threw her arms around her mother, shaking a little.

"Oh, hey, don't thank me," Mrs. Reeves waved it off. "The Rangers are the ones who made your bikes look so fantastic," she said, and Zoey laughed weakly.

"Oh, right…" Zoey stepped back. "Thanks Rangers...whoever you are," she called out lightly, embarrassed.

"She could have just said 'thanks'," Lewis murmured, and Ryne elbowed him lightly. "Well then, there's just one more thing left to be done," he said, louder this time, and they all looked at him. "We gotta release all the animals we caught back into the wild," he pointed out, and Zoey beamed.

"So much for a day off, huh?" Devon asked Ryne as he saw her yawn again.

"I guess so," she grinned back at him, and even though they were both tired, they were more than ready to help bring the animals back to their home.


For the people asking, Ryne's pairing won't really be shown until the second story.

Let me know what you think!

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