Chapter 6: Hangar Heist
Yawning widely, Ryne walked through the park, only partially paying attention to where she was going. She fidgeted with her hair, trying to tie it back into a ponytail so that her messy curls were out of her face and not being blown in her face by the light wind.
"Ryne!" she looked up as she heard her name being called, and saw Zoey waving her over to a spot in the park that wasn't filled with other visitors. It was still relatively early in the day, so there weren't too many people there yet to take advantage of what was looking to be another nice day.
"Hey Zoey," Ryne smiled, and yawned again.
"Good morning," Zoey laughed, used to how sleepy Ryne usually was until lunchtime. "You looking forward to this?" she asked, and Ryne nodded, smiling.
"Of course. I did help Ravi with building his rocket," she reminded her with a smile. Zoey nodded, having seen the two working hard.
"Hey guys! Sorry I'm late," Ravi called as he jogged over, carrying a large rocket in his arms. It was streaked blue, with a small pink splash by the base as a thanks to Ryne for helping him with the circuitry.
"You're on time," Zoey laughed. "Besides, Devon isn't here yet," she pointed out.
"It's natural to assume you're late since I got here before you," Ryne smiled, and Ravi grinned at her. "Thank Fane. She woke me up telling me about when she was coming to visit," she admitted.
"She's your friend, right?" Zoey remembered Ryne mentioning the name before. Ryne nodded, her smile widening.
"My best friend. I've known her all my life," she explained. "She's coming to visit soon. I can't wait," Ryne told them, showing a little more excitement as she slowly woke up.
"Wow, all your life? I always wished I had a best friend like that," Zoey admitted.
"My mum is best mates - friends-" Ryne corrected herself. She'd already explained that her mum grew up in New Zealand, and Ryne occasionally used words that she was used to hearing from her. "With Fane's mum. So we've just kinda always been around each other. But she lives over in Europe, so we don't get to see each other as much anymore," she explained.
"Where in Europe?" Ravi asked, but before Ryne could answer, Devon's voice reached them.
"Hey!" he greeted, running over with his backpack swinging.
"You're late," Ravi teased him.
"Impressive for a guy with super speed," Zoey teased, and Devon gave a mocking laugh at the pair.
"Well I did have to pick up the last thing we needed for the rockets," he patted his bag. They all looked excited as they set up the platform for the rocket. "I can't get over how sick your rocket looks, Ravi," Devon commented as Ravi set the rocket down carefully and lifted the big red button.
"Let's see how it flies," Zoey grinned.
"Our rocket's good, I think we can do it," they heard Ben and Betty discussing quietly as they approached as well, and the Rangers all backed away.
"Hey guys," Ryne greeted them, smiling at the pair who often talked to her about their latest creations, and she would usually help make them less explosive - something that Commander Shaw very much appreciated.
"Three...two...one...blast off!" Ravi slammed his hand on the button, and there was a rumble as the rocket activated, shooting off into the sky.
"Look at it go!" Zoey exclaimed, laughing excitedly.
"NASADA, here I come!" Ravi exclaimed as the rocket vanished into the clouds.
"Alright Ravi!" Devon cheered as he, Zoey, Ben and Betty clapped for him.
"And Ryne," Zoey put an arm around the Pink Ranger.
"Yeah, no way it'd have worked as well without her," Ravi nudged her, and Ryne grinned back at him.
"Don't sell yourself short. You did great work...for a newbie," she told him, her eyes flashing with mischief, and he shoved her lightly as the others laughed.
"Our turn!" Betty exclaimed, rushing to fetch the rocket that she and her brother had been working on. The Rangers watched as they set it up on the platform. Ben lifted the button, and they backed away. "Check this baby out," she grinned confidently.
"Wow, that's nice," Zoey admired the rocket, which had yellow streaks and was even bigger than the one that Ravi and Ryne had built.
"I wonder where they got it from," Devon murmured.
"Me too. It's well built," Ryne considered, arms folded as part of her itched to take a look inside. Ben slammed his palm against the button, but nothing happened.
"What's wrong, Ben?" Betty asked, impatient as Ben hit the button a few more times.
"Why won't it…?" he muttered.
"Let me try," Betty grabbed the button from him, not seeing the cable pull at the platform. The rocket began to sway dangerously, making the others freeze.
"Uh, Betty?" Ravi called nervously. "Don't!" he shouted, but Betty hit the button. The rocket launched at an angle, straight towards the pair. Before it could hit them, blue lights flickered around it and the rocket angled back up over their heads. Ryne yelped, falling forwards as the momentum of her powers against the rocket yanked at her, before Ravi caught her.
"Never doing that again," she declared, shaking her hands as they tingled.
"We uh...meant to do that!" Betty declared, sounding more confident than she looked as she and her brother turned to see the rocket headed straight into the trees.
"Oh no…" Ben groaned as he watched it flying off.
"Are you guys okay?" Devon asked as the Rangers hurried over to the two.
"Told you we shouldn't have taken dad's model rocket," Ben told Betty, and the four hissed in shock. They'd met their father only a week prior. He was a stern man, but loved his kids, and shared their goofy side. And as a General, he had authority above Commander Shaw.
"That's the General's rocket?" Devon asked, eyes wide.
"Yeah...and we need to get it back!" Ben groaned.
"Dad's gonna go ballistic!" Betty wailed as she and her brother ran off in the direction of the rocket.
"Well...good luck to them," Ryne commented, scratching her head as she wondered if they should help.
"My turn!" Devon declared, clearly not having the same thoughts. He produced a large red rocket, and the other three stared at it, a little unsure of what they were looking at.
"I've never seen a rocket like that before," Zoey admitted, staring at the fins along the body of the rocket, sticking out in different directions.
"Made it myself," Devon smiled proudly.
"Hmm…" Ravi hummed as he examined it. "Have you tested it? I don't think the fins are in the right place," he admitted.
"Come on Ravi," Devon dismissed the Blue Ranger's concerns. "I have one of the highest ranking scores in the world in Rocket Sim 7," he bragged, confident in his rocket. "Just watch," Devon insisted, indicating for them to back away.
"Rocket Sim?" Zoey whispered to Ryne as the Pink Ranger didn't look convinced by the design.
"It's a video game where you build rockets," Ryne whispered back, knowing that Zoey was more into nature and going out than video games. "But this...this doesn't look right," she commented under her breath, worried. Devon didn't hear, too excited to show his rocket in action.
"Three...two...one!" he hit the button, activating his rocket. "We have liftoff!" Devon cheered as his rocket shot into the sky. However, it moved slower than Ravi's had, and as it reached a certain height, it began to sway, barely still climbing.
"Is it supposed to do that?" Zoey asked, worried as Devon's smile fell. The rocket spun, and fell from the sky. Devon yelled out in horror, before his rocket crashed into the dirt with a loud crash.
"My rocket!" Devon cried, running over to it. The rocket smoked, and lay in pieces from the crash. "Oh man...what happened?" he asked, baffled.
"Well, it's like I tried to tell you. You put the stabilising fins in the wrong place," Ravi said as he lifted a piece of the metal. Devon glared at him.
"I think I know how to build a toy rocket," he growled, defensive. "Something must've went wrong with one of the parts I ordered," Devon muttered, more to himself than the others. Ravi went to speak again, but Ryne stopped him, shaking her head. She could see in Devon's expression that he wasn't willing to listen. With a huff, Devon tossed the metal in his hand to the ground and stalked off.
"I was just trying to help," Ravi muttered to the other two as they began clearing up the metal.
"Yeah, but haven't you noticed? Devon likes being right," Ryne pointed out quietly as she looked at the badly damaged rocket. "He works pretty hard when he likes something, and he trusts his instincts first, so he doesn't wanna think that he made a mistake that bad," she pointed out. Zoey nodded, knowing that she was right.
"Come on. Let's get this outta here," she said quietly.
To say that Evox was angry, was putting it lightly.
He was pissed.
Asher stood near the back, avoiding Blaze and Roxy as they knelt in front of the computer virus. She hadn't quite been forgiven for her own failure to acquire even a tiny bit of Morph-X while messing with the Rangers, and both Evox and Scrozzle had accused her of letting her memories get the best of her.
So she decided to keep quiet as Blaze and Roxy tried not to look scared.
"You let the Rangers capture my Gigadrone?!" Evox snarled, having finally heard the news about the mess up. Their latest plan had not only been a failure, but the Rangers had managed to get hold of the Gigadrone still in one piece, meaning the technology was theirs to study.
"Yes, but it is useless to them, Master Evox," Blaze told him, trying to sound confident. Scrozzle tried not to look insulted at the comment.
"The Rangers are smart, and clearly, you are not," Evox hissed, and a blast of energy shot from the machine and hit Blaze. Asher jumped, straightening up as her eyes widened, watching Blaze crumple to the ground. His form flickered violently, but Asher didn't move, not letting herself show any emotion. "Fool! They can break into the Gigadrone and steal my data!" Evox reminded them furiously as Roxy stood, looking scared that she would be next. Scrozzle cowered to the side.
"Don't worry!" Roxy spoke quickly, a hand up to try and placate him. "We'll find Slicerdrone and steal it back. Before they can do that," she insisted, trying to look confident.
"Get to work," Evox ordered. Roxy and Asher pulled Blaze to his feet, pulling him away. "And Scrozzle, you help them!" he added, turning his attention to Scrozzle. The cowering robot bowed.
"Yes!" he agreed quickly, but as soon as he turned away to follow the three Avatars, he muttered under his breath. "Scrozzle, do this. Scrozzle do that," he grumbled, glaring at the three Avatars in front of him as he tried to think of a plan to steal back the Gigadrone.
Back at Grid Battleforce, it was time for Zord practice, and it was as chaotic as usual. Using virtual-reality technology that Nate had designed, the four Rangers were able to practice using their Zords without having to risk levelling half the city in the process.
"Behind you, Devon!" Zoey warned, and Devon jerked on his controls.
"Whoa, that was close," the Red Ranger gulped. Nate was watching from his own screen, but looked around as Lewis walked in with Commander Shaw. The training instructor raised a hand in greeting, keeping quiet as Nate smiled at them.
"Look out!" Ravi shouted.
"I'm coming in!" Zoey called out her position.
"On your left, Ravi," Ryne spoke up as she moved as well, reacting to something she could see.
"How's the simulation going?" Commander Shaw asked quietly so as not to distract them. Nate moved slightly to show the screen in front of him.
"Quite optimal, Commander," Nate answered with a faint smile. "They're about to combine their Zords into a Megazord for the first time," he explained. "This is what they're seeing," he gestured to the screen.
"Oh, my favourite," Lewis murmured, leaning in to look. On screen, a Gigadrone was ambling towards them, only to be blasted away by Devon.
"Ha!" Devon laughed. "How do you like my moves?" he taunted confidently, dodging the counterattack with a quick movement. "It's Megazord time!" he called.
"Alright, getting in position," Zoey confirmed.
"Rocket Storm!"
"Nice, Devon!" Zoey cheered as Devon blasted the Gigadrone away.
"Starting combination sequence," Ravi announced.
"Disassembly engaged," Zoey spoke up.
"Combination active, coming in," Ryne called as she veered her bike towards them.
"Their Zords are combining now - if they can align correctly," Nate added at the end as they watched the screen.
"And fight a Gigadrone at the same time," Commander Shaw noted, aware of the extra challenge they had. Nate nodded.
"Wouldn't be easy, even in a simulation," Lewis considered as the information started to transfer from one Zord to the other.
"Okay Devon, it's time to-"
"Hold on, the Gigadrone's going to attack again. I say we blast him," Devon cut Ravi off.
"But Devon, we gotta put up the shields before-"
"Ravi!" Devon snapped, his irritation flaring up instantly. "Please stop questioning me. Trust my instincts," he insisted. Commander Shaw's eyebrows furrowed very slightly, and Lewis winced.
"Roger...no shields," Ravi sighed. On screen, the Gigadrone started to charge up an attack.
"And I was right. Here it comes," Devon growled. "Don't worry, I got this. Rocket Storm!" He shot more rockets at the Gigadrone, knocking it back. "Beast-X Megazord, combine!" taking a chance while the Gigadrone was falling back, Devon activated his own combination.
"Devon wait, it's coming right for us!" Ryne shouted a warning, and Devon looked up as his eyes went wide.
"Wait, what?" he gasped, seeing the Gigadrone already recovering and swinging an arm. It hit his Zord, and a bright red light flashed in the virtual cockpit before the words 'Mission Failed' popped up on screen.
'Simulation, fail,' an automated voice announced, and Devon gave an angry shout as he ripped his headset off.
"Well that sucked," Ryne declared as she pulled her headset off.
"Man that was annoying!" Devon shouted as he leapt to his feet and glared at Ravi.
"I'm sorry, Devon. I was just trying to help," Ravi stood too, defensive. "I've done this simulation before with Blaze, Roxy and Asher, and-"
"And you don't think I can handle it," Devon cut him off with his assumption, looking even angrier. Lewis and Nate exchanged worried looks as Commander Shaw watched silently.
"That's not what he was saying," Ryne defended. "We just need to-"
"We need to what?" Devon snapped, making Ryne jump at his raised voice. His anger took her by surprise, and she struggled to find the words. "Whatever," Devon stormed out of the room without another word.
"What's with him?" Ravi scowled as they watched him leave. Commander Shaw glanced at Nate, showing her feelings on the matter, before she walked off without a word after Devon.
"That's not good," Lewis murmured.
"Like you said Ryne, he trusts his instincts…" Zoey turned to the other two, looking worried. "Just not us," she summed up, and they nodded, worried.
Ryne sighed, not entirely focused as she fed the squirrel waiting patiently on the branch just over Ryne's head..
"Hey, careful," Lewis laughed as he took the food pack from Ryne. "I know squirrels are smart, but I don't think that they know how to open their own food," he teased, and Ryne blinked.
"Sorry," she apologised. "I'm just worried about Devon. He was really worked up earlier," she reminded, still thinking of their failed Megazord simulation. It had been a poor performance and she was frustrated by the failure.
"He'll work it out sooner or later," Lewis soothed, unwrapping the food and pouring it into the bowl. Immediately the squirrel dug in, and Lewis led Ryne out of the large enclosure. "He knows he has a great team, and Commander Shaw will remind him of that. Just give him time, not everyone is a born leader," he reminded her gently. Ryne nodded.
"I know I need to be patient, it's just...I can't be," she gave a helpless shrug. "Not when Asher and the others still need our help. I just want to stop their Avatars, but I'm not strong enough," Ryne complained, and Lewis patted her shoulder sympathetically. He understood that she was emotionally invested, just as much as Ravi was. Both had strong ties to at least one of the comatose group of teenagers.
"Hey, you're getting there. Like I said, you're a great team. And you're getting stronger every day. Your control over those chakrams is seriously impressive," Lewis told her. Ryne gave him a side-glance, looking sceptical.
"You're just saying that to make me feel better," she refused to accept it, her frustrations over her own weakness clear. She was worried about Devon, and she didn't want to be adding to his frustrations by dragging the team down.
Ryne then inhaled sharply, making a surprised noise when Lewis ruffled her hair so roughly it pushed her head down a little. "Hey," she complained, swatting his hand away and glaring at him weakly.
"You know I don't butter people up just to make them feel better," he told her, unapologetic as Ryne pushed her hair from her face, trying to smooth her messy curls somewhat. "I mean it. You're getting stronger. You guys might not be strong enough yet, but you're getting there," Lewis told her honestly. Ryne was quiet, still fidgeting with her hair as they walked out of the area meant for the animals being rehabilitated. "Everyone knows that you guys are doing your best. You should remember it too," he poked her, and Ryne groaned as she stepped away.
"You're so…"
"Smart? Wise? Dashing?" Lewis listed. Ryne rolled her eyes.
"Infuriating," she answered simply, making him laugh.
"I know," Lewis accepted, his voice bright. "But that's why we're such good friends," he told her, and Ryne shook her head, but couldn't stop her smile.
"Right," she said, trying and failing to sound sarcastic. Lewis laughed again, nudging her. "Thanks," Ryne said, her voice quiet as she tried to commit Lewis' words to memory.
She just hoped that Devon knew the same, and learned to trust them soon.
"Come on, we'll get some food before we get back to GB," Lewis suggested after they spoke briefly with the people working at the centre, who were happy to let Ryne care for the squirrel despite not actually working there. Since she seemed to be the only one who the squirrel trusted enough to relax around, it helped to have Ryne around to make sure she was recovering. "I'd say my treat, but I've seen how much you eat," Lewis added, and Ryne shoved him, going red.
"You know I can't help it! I get hungry!" she defended, making him laugh.
"If that's hungry, I don't wanna see starving," Lewis continued to tease her, and Ryne glowered at him. The two then sobered as Ryne's Wristcom beeped loudly, earning their attention.
"I'm here, Commander," Ryne answered as they continued to walk away from the building, making sure that nobody was within range to hear.
'Roxy's Avatar has been spotted at the External Hangar. I've already alerted the rest of your team. Get out there and stop her before she can do any harm,' Commander Shaw instructed as Ryne frowned at the warning.
"On my way," she answered. "She must be after the Gigadrone that Devon captured," Ryne realised as she ended the call and looked up at Lewis.
"Come on," he pulled the keys to the jeep he'd been given as part of his job as an instructor. "I'll get you there," he said, any trace of laughter gone. Ryne nodded, and they hurried to the car.
The drive through the park to the hidden hangar was quiet and tense, as Lewis drove as quickly as he could. Ryne's leg was bouncing with nervous anticipation as she kept quiet as well, worried about what Roxy had planned.
"Perfect timing," Lewis murmured as he saw Ravi and Zoey driving up behind him, and they pulled up as Devon arrived on Cruise's bike form. Ryne climbed out, and spotted Ben and Betty hiding in the foliage with the battered rocket they'd been searching for before spotting Roxy.
"Get in, Lewis will get you outta here," Ryne told the siblings, who nodded and quickly bundled the rocket into the back before jumping into the jeep themselves.
"I swear, that thing better not damage my car," Lewis murmured. "Be careful," he told Ryne, meeting her gaze as he reversed. Ryne nodded, and turned to join her team as he drove away. Devon was removing his helmet, warning Cruise to stay behind.
"Looks like we're too late," Ravi realised when he saw the melted door to the hangar. "Roxy's already inside," he looked at Devon hesitantly.
"Whatever she brought with her to get through this door…" Ryne started as she examined the twisted and melted remains of the metal. "Let's not let it touch us," she suggested.
"Come on," Devon didn't waste time, leading the four into the hangar. They raced down the stairs quickly, listening for any sign of Roxy.
'Refueling sequence engaged,' the announcement echoed over the tannoy.
"There they are!" Devon spotted them as they reached the inside of the hangar. Roxy turned quickly, standing with a Robotron.
"Stop right there!" Ravi shouted as Roxy scowled, cursing at their interruption. "I mean it," Ravi warned.
"Welcome to the party, Ravi," Roxy teased lightly, her smirk obvious beneath her armour. "You didn't have to bring your loser friends though," she added, sounding bored.
"This party's over," Devon warned.
"I disagree," Roxy shrugged, not taking his warning words seriously as she glanced at her companion. "We're just getting started," her words seemed to be the go ahead he was waiting for, and he lashed out with a yell, using the large canister on his arm. It sprayed out a mist, and the four retreated quickly, leaping over a table. Devon flipped it as he moved, and they barely managed to avoid the acidic gas.
"Nice try!" it taunted, and their eyes widened as the metal table collapsed, having melted from the gas.
"That's right, Rangers," Roxy laughed. "It's melting time," she mocked, laughing at her own words.
"No," Devon refused as he leapt to his feet. "It's Morphin' time!" he shouted. The four called on their Morphers, transporting them from their Wristcoms.
"ACTIVATE BEAST POWER!" they Morphed into their Ranger suits, ready to fight. "Unleash the beast!"
With a yell, Roxy and her Robotron ran at the four, starting a fight as the two bounced between the Rangers, not focusing on a particular target.
'Refueling sequence complete,' the automatic voice announced, the machine beeping loudly.
"What have you done?!" Ravi demanded, horrified, and gave a shout as he was shoved backwards by Roxy. He collided with Ryne, and the two fell to the ground.
"You're not gonna like it!" Meltatron sang eagerly, crashing into Zoey. She fell backwards too, unable to stay on her feet.
"Let's see how you handle a Gigadrone without your Zords," Roxy challenged. Above, the Gigadrone started to move, refueled and activated.
"Slicerdrone!" Ravi realised as they looked up. "It's a trap!" he groaned, and Roxy giggled.
"Sure is," she purred. The lights on Slicerdrone's face lit up, and he fully awakened, breaking through the chains that held him in place easily. Immediately he fired a blast at the Rangers, but they leapt to the side to dodge it, and the rocket hit Meltatron instead. "Foolish Robotron!" Roxy growled, barely having avoided the attack herself. Meltatron flailed helplessly on the ground, but she ignored him. "Time to tie things up," aiming her weapon at the Rangers, Roxy shot cables at them, wrapping individually around each Ranger and restraining them. "You're not going anywhere," she told them, pressing more buttons on the computer beside her.
'Closing all exits,' the voice echoed over the tannoys as the Rangers struggled furiously. Roxy's smirk widened, and she punched through the computer, breaking it and preventing a way to stop what she'd done.
"It's been fun, but once Slicerdrone fully reboots, he'll blast this place to rubble. See ya, wouldn't wanna be ya," with one last taunt, Roxy vanished.
"The main hatch, it's closed!" Ravi looked up in hopes of finding an escape. Zoey turned to look the way they came, and saw the door slowly closing.
"And that door's closing too! It's our only way out!" she yelped.
"This isn't good," Devon hissed, pushing himself back to his feet. "I-I need a plan," he stammered.
"I have an idea," using his enhanced strength, Ravi snapped through his restraints. "It's risky," he started, groaning as he snapped the cables keeping Devon restrained. "There's no time to explain!" before the Red Ranger could react, Ravi had him by the arm and was swinging him. Devon gave a yell, thrown by the super strong Blue Ranger, managing to get through the door before it closed. Devon landed with a grunt, dropping his weapon with a clatter.
"Are you crazy?!" he yelled as he looked up.
"Trust me," Ravi insisted, before the doors closed and Devon vanished from sight.
'Trust you? But you just threw me out!' he immediately contacted them through their Morphers. 'I can't help you from out here!' Devon shouted, frustrated.
"Devon, you can't help from in here," Ravi told him, keeping his voice calmer than he felt. "From outside, you can use your Zord to open up the main hatch, and take down Slicerdrone," he pointed out. Devon was quiet, and Ravi took the opportunity to break Zoey and Ryne free. "You've got the speed and the skills. You have to hurry," Ravi told him.
'I can't leave you guys!' Devon protested, not happy with the plan.
"You've got to!" Ravi shouted.
"Watch out!" Ryne's warning rang out, and the three avoided the acidic gas that was sprayed in their direction by Meltatron.
"Trust me. This is the only way. Go!" Ravi pleaded with their leader.
'Roger that,' Devon finally agreed, ending the communication and leaving the three to fight Meltatron.
"Transport Chakrams!" Ryne called on her weapons. "First time to try them out in battle. Let's hope they work," she murmured, throwing them in the moves she'd been practicing. One missed her target, but the other clipped his side, making Meltatron yell as it cut through the metal armour.
"That Gigadrone can't hit us if we keep moving," Zoey suggested as Ryne then used her powers to pull the Chakrams back to her.
"But I can!" Meltatron snarled. "And when I do, you'll be puddles on the floor!" he yelled, recovering from the blow and running at them. The three scattered to avoid his attacks, knocking him around and overwhelming him with their numbers. He continued to yell, growing more frustrated when none of his moves connected.
"Gotta watch your back," Ravi taunted, slamming into the Robotron from behind. As they continued to fight, none of them noticed Scrozzle appear behind some shelves and help himself to the tech lying around.
"Stay still!" Meltatron yelled at Ryne as she moved easily around his attacks, hitting him with sharp jabs.
"But you said you could hit us when we move," she taunted, making him yell.
"Let's wrap this up!" as the Robotron was distracted by Ryne, Ravi was able to get in close with some cables that had been left lying around.
"Let go of my arm!" The robot protested as Ravi wrapped the cable around the arm that had the canister of acidic gas inside.
"Now!" Ravi signaled to the Yellow and Pink Rangers.
"Beast-X Blast!" The two fired their weapons. Ravi let go at the last second, and the two shots ripped through the canister, causing it to burst.
"No! My favourite weapon!" he wailed as he clutched at the destroyed canister. Finally they heard Scrozzle humming to himself, and their eyes widened as he walked over, pushing a trolley of stolen tech.
"Scrozzle!" Ravi growled, recognising the robot. He jumped, realising that he'd been seen.
"Oh! Time to check out!" Scrozzle yelped, pressing a device on his wrist. He grabbed the trolley, vanishing in a spinning purple light and taking the trolley with him.
"No!" Zoey groaned. "What did he just take?!" she asked, upset that he'd so easily stolen from them from right under their noses.
"We can work that out later," Ryne shook her head. "We have to hope that Devon can get through the hatch before Slicerdrone fully boots up," she said, looking up at it.
"Can you do anything to slow it down?" Zoey asked, and Ryne frowned, trying to think about it.
"Nate was trying to crack its coding, right?" she asked, and Zoey nodded, having talked to the genius about it. "Maybe…" Ryne considered, spotting a nearby laptop hooked up to the systems. "I'm not as smart as Nate, and my coding isn't perfect, but maybe," she opened it quickly and began to search for something that would help buy them some time.
Roxy had returned to the Cyber Dimension very pleased with herself, and Asher had chosen to avoid asking her about it, no matter how much Roxy hinted at her to ask. Instead, she was practicing some of her old fighting moves from memory. While she had no emotional attachment to them anymore, she still wanted to keep on top of the knowledge, not wanting to fall behind the Rangers, who were clearly improving with each fight.
Roxy huffed, but eventually got bored at Asher's lack of interest, and grabbed an old manual that she'd found lying around. She flicked through it, waiting for any kind of sign that Slicerdrone had fully awoken and was destroying the Rangers.
"I haven't had a good shopping spree in years," Scrozzle sighed happily as he returned, wheeling the trolley into view and over to the systems he fussed over. Neither Roxy nor Asher acknowledged him. "Hey, did you know there were only three Rangers in that hangar?" Roxy's eyes widened at the question.
"What?" she gasped, shutting over the book with a snap. "I thought I locked them all in," she growled, and glared at Asher when she heard the snort. She jumped to her feet and threw the book down. "If one's out...we can't let them free the others," Roxy hissed to herself, and looked over at Scrozzle. "Make a Gigadrone, stat!" she snapped at him.
"To the rescue, yet again," Scrozzle rolled his glowing yellow eyes, moving over to the computer.
"Hurry up!" Roxy snapped.
"Two Gigadrones, huh?" Asher hummed as she approached, finally showing an interest. "The Rangers won't stand a chance," she considered. The ground rumbled, and in the distance they saw a Gigadrone rise from the ground before starting to vanish in green lights, teleporting.
"Morphing beta model into Meltadrone!" Scrozzle declared, transferring the data from Meltatron into the Gigadrone. It then vanished, and Roxy hissed a curse. She just had to hope it was in time.
Ryne typed quickly, her fingers practically a blur as Ravi and Zoey looked between her and Meltatron, praying that she would be successful. Occasionally the Gigadrone would move slowly, still powering up, while the Yellow and Blue Rangers continued to fight off the Robotron, who was furious at the destruction of his weapon.
"Dammit," Ryne cursed, putting a hand to her helmet. "This is way above my knowledge levels. I could barely navigate Nate's systems when I was trying to help stop Evox. This is a whole other level," she shook her head, frustrated.
"Hey," Ravi put a hand on her shoulder, soothing her as Zoey kicked Meltatron away. "You're doing what you can. I'm sorry to ask something so crazy of you," he apologised, and Ryne shook her head.
"We're all doing our best," she said, echoing what Lewis had told her before. "I'm sorry. I've thrown some junk in, but I don't know if it'll work," Ryne apologised, trying not to let herself get too worked up over her failure. It had been a long shot, and they'd all known it.
"We'll be okay," Zoey said, trying to keep a confident tone as she looked up at the hatch over Slicerdrone's head. "Devon will get through," she said, nodding to herself, and Ravi and Ryne nodded, hoping that she was right. Abandoning the computer, the three turned to continue fighting.
There was suddenly a low rumble, and they looked up as the ceiling shook, causing dirt and rocks to shower down over them, and a moment later a sword started to wedge through the hatch. "Devon's here!" Zoey beamed, but their relief was short-lived as there was another rumble and the sword vanished.
"Something's wrong," Ryne frowned, wondering just what could have stopped Devon.
Lewis bit back his curse as he watched with Commander Shaw. Devon had called on his Zord, forming its battle-mode, only to be interrupted by the arrival of a new Gigadrone that had hit him before he could open the hatch.
It had caught Devon off-guard, hitting him as he'd turned around, before striking him again. Devon's yell came through the communication link.
'Commander, I think I'm gonna need some backup here,' he requested.
"You'll have it," Commander Shaw answered, turning to the Beastbots waiting for their partners to be freed. "Smash, Jax, Scramble. Power up your Zords and help Devon," she instructed as she looked at the three.
"Anything to help," Smash nodded eagerly.
"We'll do our best," Scramble agreed.
"You can count on us, Commander," Jax turned on his wheels and followed the pink and blue Beastbots out.
"To the rescue!" Smash declared, hurrying towards the Zord Bay.
Meltatron cried out as he was thrown to the ground, rolling away from the Rangers.
"Quick! Now's our chance!" Zoey called, and she, Ravi and Ryne formed their Beast-X Cannons. They whirred as they charged up.
"Beast-X Cannon, ready," the three took aim as Meltatron pushed himself up, groaning. "Beast-X Cannon...blast!" the moment their weapons were fully charged, the Rangers fired, and the combined attacks ripped through the Robotron.
"I'm having a meltdown!" he wailed, collapsing and exploding.
"Nicely done," Zoey smiled, relieved that at least one threat was handled.
"That's the end of that," Ravi nodded. "Now we just have to hope Devon can get us out before -" he was interrupted by the loud roar of Slicerdrone. "Oh no!" he gasped as they looked up quickly.
"Move!" Ryne shouted, throwing up her hands. Blue energy sparked and twisted through the air, hitting the missile fired from Slicerdrone's hand. It exploded, and the three were thrown off their feet. "Come on Devon...we need you…" Ryne groaned.
Her prayer was answered as natural light started to fill the hangar, and the three looked up to see the rooftop door being melted away by more acid. "He did it!" Ryne smiled with relief.
"Hang on!" Zoey shouted, grabbing hold of both Ravi and Ryne. She then leapt into the air, putting as much power as she dared into her super-jumps. They soared up, landing on the arm of Slicerdrone, before she jumped again. Slicerdrone attacked from below, causing an explosion in the hangar that caused Zoey to lose her grip, and the three fell, splitting up.
"Gotcha!" all three suddenly landed in their Zords, caught by their Beastbot companions.
"Whew! Are you guys okay?" Devon called, relieved that his plan to use the Meltadrone's acid had worked.
"It was close, but we're fine. Thanks to you, team leader," Ravi answered, settling into his seat and taking over the controls for Smash.
"I never wanna be underground like that again," Ryne declared, making them laugh.
"Let's show these drones who they're messing with," Zoey called from the sky. "Rapid Blast!" she started to shoot at Meltadrone, forcing him to let go of Devon.
'Rangers, stay alert. Slicerdrone is out of the hangar and fully operational,' Commander Shaw's warning came through on their Wristcoms. Devon gave a shout, managing to avoid the attack from Slicerdrone as it stood with the newer Gigadrone.
"We've never faced two Gigadrones. We're going to need more firepower," Ravi warned.
"You're right. It's time to form our Megazord," Devon decided.
"We can take these creeps down, together," Ryne grinned.
"We're with you, Devon," Zoey answered, confident in their leader.
"Thanks," Devon nodded, smiling faintly despite his nerves. He couldn't help but think about their failed simulation. "Let's start the combination sequence," knowing he couldn't hesitate, he continued on.
"Got it!"
"Starting combination sequence," Ravi spoke as he entered the code on the machine beside him.
"Disassembly engaged," Zoey did the same.
"Combination active, coming in," Ryne activated hers, driving up beside Ravi.
"Devon, your turn. Don't fire, just activate shields," Ravi said carefully, thinking about the simulation as well.
"Got it," he was a little surprised when Devon agreed easily. "Activating shields," his Zord stood ready as the other three disassembled, swirling around him. Both Meltadrone and Slicerdrone attacked, but their attacks were deflected by the shield that came up around their Zords to protect them. One bounced back, hitting the ground in front of them, and exploded, throwing the two Gigadrones backwards. "Thanks Ravi, you were right," Devon admitted, sounding sheepish. "Now...here goes. Beast-X Megazord, combine!" the four Zords then came together, forming their Megazord with Devon's Zord standing as the main structure. Ravi's Zord formed the legs and chest, while Ryne's formed the arms, and Zoey's Zord came around the back as extra levels of armour. A new sword appeared in the Megazord's hand, swinging out. "Beast-X Megazord, unleashed!"
"We did it!" after just a moment of stunned quiet, Ryne cheered.
"We formed the Megazord!" Devon laughed, unable to entirely believe it. Both Gigadrones roared, and Slicerdrone fired more rockets at them.
"Energy shield!" Ryne reacted quickly, raising one hand to create a shield.
"Time to fight back. Let's activate the weapons and see what this Megazord can do," Devon looked down at his screen.
"Powering Beast-X Blade!" Zoey started to charge their weapon, filling it with Morph-X.
"Charging main weapons," Ravi added to it, helping charge it faster. "Systems green," Ravi reported.
"Begin Attack Sequence!" Zoey shouted.
"Forcefield!" Ryne activated the first stage. The Megazord raised its sword, and pulses fired from its legs, trapping the two Gigadrones within a forcefield.
"Transport! Cheetah Beast Blaster!" Devon raised his hands, calling on the powerful blaster. It appeared in his hands, and a new visor materialised over his helmet to help him aim. "Beast-X Hyperstrike!" He pulled the trigger, finishing the power-up for the sword, and they raced forwards, slashing through the forcefield containing the two Gigadrones. They stopped behind them, and the two collapsed, exploding. "Virus eliminated," Devon declared.
Standing in her usual spot, leaning against the remains of the brick wall behind her, Asher watched Roxy on one knee before Evox, who was still as angry as before.
"You dare to call this mission a success?!" he snarled.
"The Slicerdrone is scrap metal now. Grid Battleforce won't be able to learn anything from it," Roxy defended her actions.
"But you wasted precious Morph-X to accomplish so little," Scrozzle sniffed at her weak defence. Roxy glared at him.
"And what did you accomplish, Scrozzle?" Evox asked, turning his attention to the robot. His tone suggested he wasn't expecting much.
"Me? My plan went off without a hitch," Scrozzle bragged. "I'm all tooled up and ready to build that thing we talked about," he lowered his voice for the last part of his sentence. Asher's eyebrow rose, and Blaze, who'd been keeping quiet after his earlier error, couldn't stop himself.
"And what thing is that?" he asked, suspicious.
"Scrozzle doesn't speak to failures like the three of you," Scrozzle spat, and Blaze growled, summoning his armour and raised his sword. He jabbed it forwards, and Scrozzle threw himself backwards to prevent himself being impaled.
"How about you never speak again?" Blaze snarled at him. However, Evox hissed, and Blaze stumbled backwards as Roxy quickly did the same. Asher straightened as the two stood beside her, all three clearly scared of what the virus would do to them.
"Thanks to you, the Rangers now have a Megazord. Find a way to defeat it, or I'll have Scrozzle turn you all into Tronics," he growled.
"Yes, Master," the three quickly hurried off, and Scrozzle laughed quietly to himself.
Ben walked carefully, nervous as Zoey led him by the hand. Betty on the other hand was walking confidently, despite both being blindfolded and unable to see.
"I don't know what you're up to, Zoey, but Betty and I are quite busy," Ben gulped, having reluctantly accepted when Zoey insisted he and his sister come with her back to the park. He was still working up the nerve to tell his dad that they'd broken his rocket and hadn't been able to repair it.
"Here?" Devon asked, glancing at Ryne. She nodded, and Devon finished screwing in the circuit board.
"Nice work," Ravi smiled. "Looks real good," he praised as Devon grinned.
"Here they come," Devon spotted the three approaching.
"We trust you, but we're really busy," Ben said, nervous. Zoey stopped the two, letting go of their hands.
"Yeah...we gotta tell our dad about his…" Betty trailed off as Zoey pulled her blindfold off. She blinked rapidly as she adjusted to the light, unsure she was really seeing what was in front of her. "Wow! His rocket!" Betty exclaimed, in awe. Ben quickly yanked his blindfold off too. "It's beautiful," Betty smiled as Ben stared at it.
"You fixed it?" Ben turned to the three standing beside the rocket.
"We did," Ravi nodded. "It's all ready to go," he held out the button for them.
"Thank you so much," Betty smiled, emotional and relieved that they weren't going to have to break the bad news to their dad.
"Don't sweat it. Ravi had some great pointers, and Ryne's kind of a genius. I learned a lot," both Ravi and Ryne looked at their leader, surprised. "And...speaking of learning a lot…" Devon turned to Ravi, looking serious. "I'm sorry I didn't listen to your advice in the Sim Room. I was out of line," he apologised. "From now on, when you have something to say, I promise, I'll always listen," Devon vowed.
"All's forgiven," Ravi accepted with a smile, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Except that part where you called Ryne the genius and not me," he said, making Devon laugh. Ryne stuck out her tongue.
"I was the one who fixed the circuit board," she protested.
"You can cheat! You can see stuff we can't!" Ravi argued.
"I can't help what I can see!" Ryne shot back, the two playfully bickering as the others laughed at them.
"Let's test this baby out, huh?" Ben asked, and took his sister's hand to press the button. There was a quiet rumble, before the yellow and silver rocket took off, flying high up into the sky.
"It's flying perfectly!" Betty exclaimed as the rocket headed towards the clouds. They cheered, and Ravi stopped arguing with Ryne to bump Devon's fist.
"Great teamwork, guys," Zoey smiled, and the group watched the rocket vanish into the clouds, their spirits high after another victory.
Ryne's kinda becoming the little sister of the group and I love it.
Next up is Nate and the arrival of Steel!
Hope you liked it!
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