Chapter 8: Silver Sacrifice

Riptide gym was as busy as ever, as people came and went for classes, and to use the training equipment there, or just to grab something to eat.

"I gotta say, I wouldn't have ever imagined seeing you in a gym before all this," Lewis told Ryne as he watched an advanced karate class.

"Me neither," Ryne wasn't offended as she drank her smoothie, following his gaze to watch the class practising stances and forms. "But you guys won't let me stay in the lab so I have to go somewhere," she shrugged, and Lewis chuckled. He, and the Rangers, dragged Ryne out frequently, all of them aware by now that she had a tendency to get overly focused on whatever she was making or fixing.

"It's not healthy to be in there all the time. Even Nate gets out now and again," he pointed out, thinking about the newest Ranger on the team. Ryne just stuck her tongue out at him, which made Lewis grin. He knew that Ryne's favourite thing to do was mess with tech, preferring to fix what was broken, or upgrade it. But he'd also noticed that since becoming a Ranger, she'd started coming out of her shell, and he wasn't about to let her stop.

"Hey Lewis?" Ryne started, her focus back on the class nearby. Lewis hummed, watching them as well. "What made you join Grid Battleforce?" she asked, and Lewis blinked, turning his attention back to her. He was thoughtful for a moment, before leaning back.

"Well, I'd just got my stripes," he said, a hand on his arm. His shirt sleeves were rolled up, showing off the Pai Zhuq claws on his arm. "And I was wondering what was next. I didn't expect to get it so fast, y'know? I know dad was younger, but still," Lewis drummed on the table with his fingertips.

"I guess most who get their stripes become teachers, right?" Ryne asked, tilting her head a little. Lewis nodded.

"Yeah, most at the Academy, and some just out in the field like my grandpa and dad," he confirmed. "I definitely didn't wanna just train people at the academy when I'd just finished. Dad suggested doing what some others do and travel, but that didn't seem right either," Lewis shrugged, smiling a little at how lost he'd been right after getting his Master's stripes. "Minos suggested looking into something like SPD instead, and Annie mentioned that the instructor at Grid Battleforce had retired, and offered to put my name forward. Yeah, it was going straight into teaching after all, but it was different to just being in Pai Zhuq," Lewis looked down at his tattoo, running his fingers along it.

"Well for what it's worth, you're a pretty good teacher," Ryne told him, and he looked up, a little surprised. He then chuckled, leaning back in his seat.

"I'll take the praise, but it's not getting you out of training," he told her seriously. Ryne rolled her eyes in response. "Thanks, Ryne," Lewis reached over and ruffled her hair, messing it up until she swatted him away, making him laugh.


To the surprise of Scrozzle and the Avatars, Grid Battleforce hadn't yet cleared out the warehouse with the Cybergate, having believed it broken beyond repair by Nate. Knowing that it was only a matter of time, Scrozzle had everyone working faster.

"Make sure the wiring is bridged, or the connection won't work," he instructed the Tronics who were working frantically to repair the Cybergate.

"How long are these repairs gonna take?" Roxy demanded impatiently. She didn't like having to wait around, and she definitely didn't like Scrozzle barking orders.

"Quiet, missy!" Scrozzle snapped at her. "This isn't my fault. You three fools let Nate outwit you, and now we have two more Rangers to deal with!" he complained.

"Chill out, Scrozz," Blaze rolled his eyes. "We'll recapture the robot Silver Ranger," he said, a little entertained by Scrozzle's temper tantrum.

"Evox will have his body waiting for him before long," Asher nodded.

"Hmm...but how will you find that robot?" Scrozzle asked, doubting their confidence after yet another failure.

"Don't stress, Scrozz. We have a plan," Roxy told him. She went to the laptop that Scrozzle had built, powering up a key with Morph-X and the Evox virus data.

"Here's the antennae," Blaze set a small device down beside her for her to use.

"Great," Roxy smirked, yanking the key from the machine. "This should do the trick," she smirked, jabbing it into the small machine. It started to glow an eerie green, and they backed away, allowing the device to change into a Robotron.

"Antennatron reporting for duty, over!" the large green and grey Robotron declared.

"All we have to do is just listen in to the Grid Battleforce frequency, and soon we'll know exactly where that robot is," Roxy explained as she handed over headphones to Blaze and Asher. "Find the Ranger's transmissions," she ordered the Robotron.

"Scanning all Grid Battleforce frequencies," it announced, and the scanner on top of its head began to spin.


Training had changed up for the day, as Lewis took the four more experienced Rangers out to the woods for some training away from the sterile environment that was his training room. Nate and Steel hadn't joined them, as Lewis wanted to get them a little more experienced before putting all six Rangers together.

A gentle wind blew through, rustling the leaves on the trees as the four practiced the moves that Lewis had demonstrated. The teacher stood nearby, arms folded as he leaned back against a tree, watching with a keen gaze.

"Devon, arms up," he called, seeing the Red Ranger's arms starting to drop. Gritting his teeth, Devon pushed himself harder, feeling sweat building up before they'd even started to spar. "Ryne, your feet need to be shoulder-width apart," he told the shortest member of the group, who adjusted her stance.

After a few minutes of this, Lewis finally clapped his hands once, appeased by their efforts. "Nice work. You're getting the moves down. Now let's see how well you can utilise them. Devon, you and Ryne pair up. Ravi, you and Zoey, you guys will go second," he decided. After grabbing a quick drink of water, the Red and Pink Rangers faced each other, both going over the moves they'd learned in their head. "Go!" Lewis' call had both moving immediately. Ryne darted around Devon's punch, using her smaller size and natural speed to her advantage. She shifted her weight and swung her leg up to kick him, but Devon blocked it, shoving her backwards.

"They're both pretty good," Ravi allowed as he watched from the sidelines. Both had learned something in the way of martial arts and hand-to-hand combat, but they hadn't been part of Grid Battleforce until they'd become Rangers, so they had lacked in experience there compared to him, and even to Zoey, who'd learned some small amount before she'd been cut and assigned to laundry.

"They are," Zoey agreed, always amazed when she watched the two sparring. Ryne pushed in close, doing her best to try and move around Devon's moves to strike him before he could recover. However, this time Devon was ready, catching her punch. Ryne cried out, more startled than in pain, as he twisted her arm, forcing her to turn around. Before he could completely hold her in an arm-lock, pain suddenly burst through his shin as she slammed her boot against it, and Devon couldn't stop himself from cursing as Ryne pulled her arm free.

"That was dirty," he commented, but smiled faintly, impressed at her quick reaction.

"Lewis didn't say anything about not playing dirty," Ryne answered simply, but there was a faint smirk on her face. Devon ran at her again, swinging a punch that Ryne leaned back to avoid, before she stepped to the side to dodge the follow-up attack. She then pushed forwards again to attack, not content to just avoid his attacks.

"Um...was that allowed?" Ravi asked Lewis, who was trying to hide his laughter.

"Eh, I'll allow it. You guys can't rely on battles to be clean, especially against those Avatars," he shrugged, still trying to hide his laughter. "They've already proven that they'll fight dirty to get what they want," Lewis reminded, and Ravi's expression darkened as he thought about Roxy manipulating his feelings for her.

"He's right," Zoey nodded, not looking away as Ryne jumped backwards to avoid Devon when he lashed out, trying to grab her. However, as Ryne put distance between them, Devon grinned suddenly, and raced forwards, letting his cheetah speed kick in. Ryne gasped as she couldn't react in time, and the next thing she knew, the world was spinning, and she was on her back in the dirt. "Ouch," Zoey winced sympathetically.

"Nice work," Lewis had given up trying to hide his laughter as Devon helped Ryne to her feet. "Like I said, you can't just rely on what I teach you. You'll need to trust your instincts," he said, giving Devon a nod. The Red Ranger in particular was good for that. "Ryne uses her size to her advantage. You all need to find what gives you an edge in a fight, and push it, just like Devon did with his super speed," Lewis said, and the four nodded. "Okay, Ravi and Zoey, you're up," he told the two, who nodded and stepped out into the clearing to spar.


By the time Lewis was satisfied, all four had built up a good sweat, feeling both worn out and energised from the workout he had put them through.

"You're a really good teacher," Ravi told him as they packed up their things for the day. Lewis tilted his head, looking amused.

"I already told Ryne, I'll accept the praise, but it doesn't mean I'll go easier on you for training," he told Ravi, who couldn't help but laugh at his words.

"Not my intention, but good to know," he said, shrugging as he pulled his backpack onto his shoulder. "I'm just a little surprised. You're not that much older than us," Ravi commented, and Lewis shrugged.

"Age has nothing to do with it. Besides, I've been training since my parents let me and I've had some pretty good teachers myself," he said, honest in his words. "I'm just sharing what they taught me. In my own fun way," he added.

"We're gonna go hang out, you coming?" Devon asked as the other three walked over to them.

"Sounds good," Ravi agreed, and Lewis nodded.

"We should say to Nate and Steel too," Zoey suggested, lifting her wrist to contact them on her Wristcom.

'Hey guys, what's up?' Nate answered almost immediately.

"We just finished training in the woods. You two wanna hang?" Zoey asked.

'Yeah!' they smiled at Steel's loud enthusiasm.

'Sure,' Nate agreed with a nod. 'Steel and I will meet you at Riptide Gym,' he told them.

"Great! See you there," Zoey nodded, smiling, before they ended the communication.

"Let's get going," Devon led them back to the jeep, ready for some time to relax after training. His stomach growled, and the others laughed as he went red.


'We just finished training in the woods. You two wanna hang?' Zoey's question came through loud and clear in the headphones that the three Avatars wore.

'Yeah!'

'Sure. Steel and I will meet you at Riptide Gym,' Nate's voice followed up, making them smirk. Too easy.

'Great! See you there,' there was a click, followed by static, as the communication ended.

"Jackpot," Blaze smirked as he pulled the headphones off. "Let's go," he said, and caught the key that Asher tossed him, charged with Morph-X. She threw one to Roxy as well, and the three vanished in a flash of light.


The four Rangers and Lewis arrived at Riptide Gym first, waiting outside for Nate and Steel to arrive.

"I wonder how Steel's been getting on," Ravi said as they sat outside, drinking the smoothies they'd grabbed while waiting.

"I'm more concerned about the people he bumps into. He's a bit…" Ryne trailed off.

"Larger than life?" Zoey suggested, and Ryne nodded, both giggling. Steel was loud and boisterous, and eager to learn about everything. Everything was a new experience for him.

"Is he going to be okay here?" Devon asked, glancing over his shoulder at the gym. It wasn't exactly a normal place to see a robot wandering around. Most places were unusual to see a robot wandering around, unless they were in New Tech City, and even then they were more likely to see aliens than robots.

"It's fine. We can claim to be testing something for GB. Or if necessary, pull the SPD card," Lewis shrugged, not too worried about them wandering around with the robot. He was relatively harmless.

"There they are now," Ryne spotted Nate and Steel walking up towards them. Before they could call out a greeting, a guy passing by spoke up.

"Cool robot!" he told Nate, admiring Steel with a fascinated look.

"Who are you calling a robot?" Steel demanded, insulted. "Can't you see I'm half human?" he gestured to himself as the man looked confused. Nate forced a laugh, pulling Steel away.

"Just a joke," Nate told the man, stepping between them. "Very funny. Uh, he's my...science experiment," he said quickly. The man looked baffled, before shaking his head and walking away. "You have to try and blend in, okay?" Nate hissed.

"It's hard to blend in when you were made to stand out," Steel complained as they walked over to the others, who were laughing at the interaction.

"This is it Steel - the most popular hangout spot in town," Ravi announced, gesturing to the building.

"Now that I'm here, it is! Shall we?" Steel asked, and they all walked inside, still laughing at Steel's attitude. While he was as clueless as a child, his ego was impressive. However, as they went to walk inside, a blast hit the ground behind them, making them flinch as the people around them immediately started to run.

"Sorry, my finger slipped!" Roxy laughed as the Rangers and Lewis turned to see Blaze, Asher and Roxy walking towards them.

"Your aim sucks," Ryne bit as Lewis slipped away, making sure everyone got to safety away from the brewing fight.

"What are you creeps after?" Devon growled.

"Only that Steely hunk," Roxy purred, eyes on Steel.

"Why, thank you," Steel said, but there was a little confusion in his voice as Nate narrowed his eyes and took a few steps forward.

"You'll have to go through me," he growled, not about to let them get to his brother. Asher laughed.

"I was hoping you'd say that," she giggled.

"Tronics!" Blaze shouted, calling on the robots as the Rangers moved into fighting stances. There was a moment of hesitation before they raced forwards, fighting the Rangers off.

"I mean really? Can't we just have a little break? I'm hungry," Ryne complained as she ran through the car park, followed by a group of Tronics. She then turned suddenly, planting her feet, and held out her hands to let her powers fly out, zapping the robots around her. They were thrown away from her, and Ryne closed her hands over before turning and punching another that tried to get in close.

"Ravi, Ryne, back me up!" Zoey shouted, leaping off a car as she took out the Tronics around her. She called on her blaster and fired as Ravi and Ryne did the same, and the three shot the three Avatars, hitting them and knocking them off their feet. They landed on their backs, flailing and groaning as their forms flickered.

"Did you guys see that?" Steel asked as the four ran over to where Nate and Steel were taking cover. "It's like I'm some sort of Tronic magnet!" he exclaimed.

"What makes you so popular?" Devon wondered.

"Something tells me it's for the same reason they had Nate build Steel to begin with," Ryne considered, looking up at the much taller robot. "Evox still wants his body," she said quietly.

"We gotta get you back to base," Zoey hissed, worried for their Silver Ranger.

"Okay team, let's split," Steel agreed.

"I'll call Lewis and let him know," Ryne said as they hurried away from the Avatars before they could recover. Asher groaned, putting a hand to her head as she started to get up. Looking around, she tried to find the Rangers, but they were nowhere to be seen.

"Where'd they go?" she asked, and Blaze gave an angry shout.

"They got away!" he shouted.

"Patience, Blaze," Roxy soothed the furious Avatar beside her. "They don't know we're listening in. We'll have another opportunity soon enough," she smirked.


The Rangers regrouped at base, with Lewis returning shortly after them. They briefed the Commander, who had been joined by General Burke.

"Why do they want him?" the General asked, confused as they walked into the main Command Room.

"We think they've rebuilt the Cybergate," Devon explained.

"And if we're right…"

"Then Steel is Evox's ticket out of the Cyber Dimension," Ravi finished for Zoey, looking at the Silver Ranger.

"If they were ever to get a hold of this robot...Evox could upload himself into it, and be unleashed on the world," General Burke realised, turning to Steel. "It's too dangerous. He has to be shut down and put into your secure vault immediately," he decided.

"Shut down Steel?" Betty demanded, staring at her father. All of them were horrified at his words.

"We can't do that," Devon argued, seeing that Nate was speechless, looking scared that he was going to lose his brother already. "He's not just a robot," he pushed, unwilling to let it happen without a fight.

"He's my brother!" Nate protested, finally finding his words. General Burke looked at him, and gave a derisive laugh.

"You honestly think that robot is your brother?" he kept laughing as Steel was quiet. "Now I've seen it all," he giggled, looking at Betty as he expected her to laugh too. He was thrown, when she looked disappointed. Betty had never looked at him that way before.

"Well, clearly, you have a lot more to see," Steel's words were quiet as the man sobered.

"Sir, with all due respect, Steel is more human than I am," Ryne spoke up, standing beside Steel with a serious look on her face. He looked mildly alarmed at her words. "And more than that, he's one of us," she said. Ravi and Zoey nodded, and the rest of the team stood with Steel. The man huffed.

"Our job is to protect the city. Your job is to protect the city from Evox, and bringing the robot he wants into the middle of the fight is too dangerous. The best way we can protect this city is by shutting down Steel," General Burke said firmly as he walked past them. When they all stared at him, ready to continue arguing, he scowled. "You have your orders!" he told them, and with that, he turned and left the room.

"But dad!" Betty protested, running after him as Ben followed her. Commander Shaw sighed.

"I'm sorry," she said, looking up at Steel as he didn't move. She walked out as well, leaving them to mull over what they'd been told.

"You've been a good brother to me," Steel said, putting an arm around Nate as he shook. "I wish I could have flown my new Zord," he admitted quietly.

"Hey, no-one's shutting you down," Nate said, determined.

"Nate's right. Rangers protect people that need us. And right now you need us," Devon agreed.

"You're part of our team, but you're more than that. You're our friend. Family," Ryne said, refusing to accept the orders.

"But the General said-"

"On any other day, I'd be the last one to go against a direct order," Ravi stopped Steel before he could protest. "But the truth is, you're only dangerous if that Cybergate exists," he pointed out to the others, thinking about it.

"That's right," Zoey smiled, her eyes lighting up. "If we destroy the Cybergate, Evox has no way to get into this world," she pointed out.

"Then...he won't need my body!" Steel gasped as it sank in for him too. "Guys, I figured it out! I'm a genius!" he exclaimed, making them laugh despite the worrying situation. They looked around at Lewis, who'd been quiet the entire time. His expression was pensive.

"You aren't going to tell the Commander, are you?" Devon asked hesitantly. While he considered Lewis a friend, the young man did still work for Commander Shaw. Lewis blinked, looking up at them.

"Tell her what?" he asked, looking innocent. They relaxed, and he grinned. "Come on, I'm not gonna deny your team a Silver Ranger," Lewis told them, pushing his hair from his face. "But if you're gonna get out of here without notice, I recommend a stealthier option," he indicated to a crate nearby.

"Good idea," Nate nodded, leading Steel over to it.

"Good thing I'm magnificent at hiding!" Steel exclaimed as he climbed in.

"I hope so," Ryne murmured, and they covered up the crate, hoping their plan would work.


While the Rangers slipped out, determined to help Steel by destroying the Cybergate, Lewis returned to his training room. It was a large room, with mats covering a large portion of the floors. With Commander Shaw's approval, he'd also brought in different weapons for more advanced training sessions, and they were currently sitting on a rack nearby.

Lewis didn't even look at them, going to the desk he'd set up in the corner. Tossing his leather jacket onto the back of the seat, he then leaned on the table, looking at the notes that were scattered across the desk. The writing was barely legible for most, but he could read it easily enough. They were mainly notes on how to help the Rangers improve with their fighting, with a few recent ones for Nate and Steel.

"I hope they succeed," he murmured, frowning at the papers. He'd only just started to plan training sessions for all six together. But that wasn't even his biggest worry. He liked Steel. They all liked Steel. He was a member of their team, and the General didn't seem to realise that.

With a sigh, Lewis sat down and lifted his phone, sending a message to his friend Milo to complain about his job being more stressful than he'd expected. It wasn't long before his phone buzzed with a message back.

'You're training Rangers. You thought it would be easy?' The message made Lewis chuckle. As the son of the former Aqua Ranger, James, Milo had heard plenty of stories, just like the rest of them.

'Easier than this, at least,' Lewis admitted in his response.

'Then I'd say you've taken too many hits to the head, bat-boy," Milo's response was a taunt that Lewis could almost hear.

'At least call me Batman if you're gonna be like that,' Lewis replied, shaking his head in exasperation at the response. He didn't know what he expected. Milo had made fun of him the moment he'd told him about his new job.

"Lewis," he straightened up, turning around as Commander Shaw walked in. She cast a quick glance around the training room, as if she'd expected to see someone else there. "Have you seen the Rangers?" she asked. Lewis cocked his head slightly, before shaking it.

"No, Commander. We already had training today," he said, keeping his tone light and as innocent as he could without it being suspect. However, her eyebrows narrowed.

"I see. Come with me," Commander Shaw turned on her heel and strode out. Barely able to grab his jacket, Lewis followed her.

"Commander?" he spoke up as he followed her through the corridors.

"I know that you and the Rangers disagreed with the General's decision. I did too," she said softly, not looking back at him. "However, he is still a superior officer, and we all need to follow his instructions," Commander Shaw said, her voice firm as Lewis tried not to look sheepish.

"Yes, Commander," his voice was quiet.

"You! Have you seen that robot Ranger?" they heard the General address someone.

"No, General, I haven't," the nervous cadet stammered as she stood straighter, hands going behind her back. Commander Shaw's frown deepened, and Lewis resisted a groan. So much for getting away with it for a little longer. The cadet quickly went back to work, as Commander Shaw approached the man.

"The Rangers have gone too," she warned him, unimpressed as she passed him.

"Unbelievable!" General Burke exclaimed.

"Commander, with all due respect, you know that the order is ridiculous," Lewis argued as he continued to follow her. "Shutting down Steel is only going to hinder the Rangers, both in battle and mentally. He's Nate's brother, DNA and all," he reminded her.

"I'm aware. But we have to follow the Chain of Command," Commander Shaw replied, firm in her words. She was being honest when she said she didn't agree with the choice to shut Steel down, but she was also determined to follow the instructions given to her. Lewis sighed, knowing that it was going to take a lot more to convince them.


"Incoming transmission, over!" The three Avatars stopped their listless pacing and grabbed their headphones to listen in on the transmission.

'I've got a fix on the Rangers, Sir,' a woman's voice came through, and they listened intently. 'They're in the industrial district, and they have the robot,' she reported.

'I need exact coordinates, now!' General Burke's impatient order was clear.

"Almost too easy," Roxy smirked.

"Shall we go say hi?" Asher asked, cracking her knuckles.


Having parked the car nearby to the warehouse they'd found before, the six Rangers crept along to peek over at the warehouse. As like before, Tronics patrolled, pacing in clear patterns.

"Urgh, Tronics on guard," Zoey grumbled.

"The Cybergate has gotta be just inside," Nate said confidently, remembering it clearly. "It's huge, no way they moved it," he said.

"I'll go check it out," Ryne volunteered, knowing that she was the best bet for getting close and surveying the area. However, before Devon could say anything, they heard the low rumble of cars approaching. Turning, the six found two black jeeps with Grid Battleforce platings approach.

"Oh...great," Nate groaned. Several people who worked under General Burke emerged with the man himself, and Ben and Betty slipped out as well, having insisted on tagging along. The two rushed off before anyone could stop them, and the Rangers stood with Steel protectively.

"Don't move a muscle, Rangers," General Burke called, looking victorious. "Seize the robot," he ordered.

"Wait," Devon spoke as Ravi and Ryne stood in their way, ready to stop them. "Please. We have a plan. Just listen," he pleaded with the man, who glared at him.

"You disobeyed a direct order. Listening time is over," he denied, and Ryne scoffed.

"At what point did you actually listen to what we had to say?" she asked, meeting the man's glare easily.

"Ryne," Zoey reached out and put a hand on her arm, worried that the Pink Ranger would lose her temper. If she lost control of her powers, they might end up more than one Ranger down. Ryne took a deep breath, seeming to understand what Zoey was trying to convey, but her anger still simmered.

A scream rang out suddenly, making them all jump and look around.

"Dad!" Betty cried out as she and Ben were shoved into view by Blaze, Asher and Roxy. Tied together by cables that Roxy created, the siblings struggled, but couldn't break free. General Burke went pale.

"Betty! Ben!" he cried, running forwards.

"Not another step," Asher's delighted words had the man stop in his tracks. The Rangers and the people who'd accompanied the General stopped with him. Ben and Betty whimpered as Roxy leaned on Betty's shoulder, and Blaze patted Ben's cheek.

"Please...let them go," the General asked, his fear obvious.

"Love to. Just hand over the robot, and they don't get hurt," Roxy proposed. The two stood rigid, terrified and staring at their dad.

"S-sir...what are your orders?" one of the men with the General asked, uncertain.

"I…" he started, but stopped, unsure as he couldn't take his eyes off his children. He was torn, knowing that giving them Steel was the option that would endanger everyone. But at the same time, his children needed him. And he was frozen, torn and unsure.

"Tick-tock, tick-tock," Roxy sang as the three Avatars flickered.

"So, what is it going to be, General? Your kids, or the robot?" Blaze asked, his victorious smirk widening by the second.

"Cause either way...we get to have fun," Asher laughed, flipping a dagger in her hand.

"Let them go," Steel was the one to speak, taking everyone by surprise. "Take me," he volunteered, voice grim as he pushed his way to the front.

"Steel, no!" Nate grabbed his arm, trying to stop him.

"It's okay, brother," Steel soothed him. "You've taught me what family means, and this is the only way," he said as tears sprang to Nate's eyes. He didn't know what to do. Stopping Steel meant the Avatars would kill Ben and Betty, but Steel was his brother. "General, Rangers protect people in need, and right now, your family needs me," Steel turned to the General. "With my body, Evox will be strong, but I know you can destroy him," Steel said to Nate as he walked away.

"Wow, you're full of surprises," Roxy said as Steel approached.

"That was so sweet, it was sickening," Asher rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers. The Tronics standing with them grabbed Steel.

"Actually, I'm full of wires," Steel replied before being forced behind the Avatars. As he was, Blaze cut the wires around Ben and Betty.

"Go," he hissed at them.

"Dad!" they yelled, running towards their father. Asher smirked, and moved to throw the dagger at Ben's back, only for Ryne to blast her with her powers. Asher shrieked and staggered backwards, hitting Steel as she dropped the dagger.

"Little brat," she snarled as Ryne flexed her fingers, ready to fight.

"Leave it," Blaze stopped Asher before she could do anything. "We're out of here," he said, standing straight. Asher rolled her eyes and did the same.

"Thank you…" General Burke said, staring at Steel.

"You're welcome," the robot nodded.

"I don't wanna lose you!" Nate shouted, voice shaking as his tears spilled down his face.

"I'll miss you, brother. More than anything else," Steel said.

"Toodles," Roxy smirked, wiggling her fingers at them in a wave. "Let's get this party started," she declared, leading them away.

"I was so wrong. I didn't see it until now, but...you and Steel really are...family," General Burke said to Nate. The Gold Ranger didn't respond, still staring at the warehouse. "I'm sorry, Nate," he apologised, his voice quieter.

"Sir, I can't let this happen!" Nate finally exclaimed, turning to him. "I have to at least try and save him!" he pleaded.

"The deal was Steel for Ben and Betty. They didn't say anything about us saving Steel afterwards," Ryne spoke up, her eyes on the warehouse. "We still have time before they free Evox," she pointed out, unwilling to back down without a fight.

"Sir?" Devon arched an eyebrow at General Burke. The man was quiet for a moment, before nodding.

"Get your brother back, before it's too late," he told Nate, who nodded, trying to stop crying.

"We do this together," Zoey smiled as the other four Rangers walked over to him.

"We're with you Nate," Ravi agreed.

"We'll help Steel, as a team," Ryne smiled at Nate, who took a deep breath and nodded. The five then walked forwards, standing in a line together. In front of them, a line of Tronics blocked their way in.

"It's Morphin' time!" Devon shouted, and they transported their Morphers.

"ACTIVATE BEAST POWER, HA!" Morphing into their Ranger suits, they ran forwards to fight their way past the Tronics and save Steel.


Scrozzle cackled gleefully as he activated his machine, which had been fully repaired, and it began to power up as Steel stood under the Neural Aligner, his head bowed.

"The body's in position, and the portal's cranking up!" Scrozzle declared. Purple lights filled the room as the Cybergate lit up, and the portal appeared at the back. "Yes! Here he comes!" he shouted as Evox emerged from the portal, his snake-like body flickering as data flew from him into the gate he passed through.

"Finally, the robot body will be mine!" Evox declared.

"And soon, the Morphin' Grid!" Scrozzle cheered as the three Avatars watched with excitement. Steel groaned as his visor that was originally a pale yellow turned deep red.

"Hey! Stop right there!" Devon's voice echoed through the warehouse.

"You're too late," Blaze smirked as they turned to the Rangers.

"Steel!" Nate shouted out to his brother, and an alarm suddenly blared. They all looked at Steel, who shuddered as sparks flew from his body.

"What?! Something isn't right!" Scrozzle exclaimed.

"No kidding," Ryne clamped her eyes shut, and shook her head. "Something weird is happening to Steel," she told the others, able to see the purple haze that was trying to encompass Steel's body. It flickered, as if unstable. A moment later, there was a pulse of energy, and Steel was flung out of the Cybergate. He landed on his back, not making a sound.

"Steel!" Nate ran over to his brother as his visor shimmered red.

"No!" Evox screamed.

"It's okay, we've got you," Nate soothed his brother. Steel's visor suddenly changed colours, lighting up the usual yellow.

"What happened, Master?" Scrozzle yelped as he ran over to Evox.

"My virus is incompatible with that body, because that is not just a robot! There's human DNA in it!" Evox shrieked, repulsed.

"What?!" Asher's eyes widened.

"Yeah, my DNA!" Nate shouted, unable to stop his smile. "He's my brother!" he declared.

"Impossible!" Evox hissed furiously, turning his eerie red gaze on them.

"You haven't seen power, until you've seen the power of family," Steel declared.

"You can't hurt me," Evox shouted. Ryne smirked, and blue lights sparked through her gloves.

"Maybe not, but I can send you home!" She threw out a hand, and her energy slammed into the console, causing it to explode.

"No!" Evox's shriek echoed as the Cybergate malfunctioned again, dragging him back through the portal. It then closed with a violent flaming explosion, throwing the Avatars, Scrozzle, and Steel off their feet as the Rangers stumbled backwards.

"He's gone!" Nate gasped as the flames cleared to reveal the portal was gone.

"Get up!" Roxy snarled as she yanked Scrozzle to his feet. "We still have time to crush the Rangers with a Gigadrone," she told him.

"Tronics!" Blaze's voice lacked its usual power as he pulled Asher up. The robots appeared in a flash of purple, along with Antennatron, and the Rangers quickly moved into fighting stances. "Destroy them," he growled.

"Copy that!" Antennatron nodded, raising his weapon. "I'll take it from here!" as he gave a yell, the Avatars and Scrozzle vanished, returning to the Cyber Dimension. The Rangers started to fight, splitting up and leading the fight outside.

"Get better moves," Ryne taunted as she jumped over the back of a Tronic and kicked it away, turning and grabbing another to throw it aside. Ryne then threw a punch, catching the Tronic rearing at her, before the ground rumbled and they looked up to see the new Gigadrone towering over them.

"Look!"

"It's already here!" Ravi groaned.

"We're sitting ducks!" Zoey cried as she forced a Tronic away from her.

"Move!" Ryne shouted, pushing the others away as the much larger Antennatron swung its antenna-like spear down at them. They managed to avoid the attacks, leaving only the Tronics to get hit by the massive weapon.

'Rangers, looks like you've got big trouble,' Commander Shaw contacted them, alarms blaring in the background as she watched the fight. 'Devon, Cruise is almost to your location,' she told the Red Ranger. 'I'm sending your Zord,' she warned.

"Go, Devon! We'll handle these losers," Ryne said confidently.

"Thanks!" he hurried to meet Cruise, leaving the others to continue fighting. While Devon tried to fight off the Gigadrone alone, the other five Rangers kept fighting, slowly taking out the large amount of Tronics while Nate and Steel focused on Antennatron.

"Okay, time for some practice," Ryne decided, calling on her Beast Spinners. The spikes jutted out from the metal, and she threw one, before angling her body to throw the other. The chakrams sliced through the Tronics easily, causing them to fall, and Ryne let a small portion of her powers flow. The weapons glowed blue, and flew back to her, allowing Ryne to catch them.

With a grin, she leapt over another Tronic and swung back, cutting up its back before she kicked it forwards. It crashed into another of the robots, and Ryne continued to throw her weapons out, focusing on controlling her powers just enough to manipulate the spinning disks as she moved around to dodge more attacks. The Chakrams ripped through their circuitry, destroying the robots beyond repair.

'Nate, Steel, head's up,' Commander Shaw contacted them. 'We're fueling your Zords for teleport,' she announced.

"Thanks, Commander," Nate smiled.

"This is going to be fun!" Steel exclaimed, excited. Ravi, Ryne and Zoey nodded, turning their attention to the Antennatron as they finished off the Tronics.

"Transport Zord!" The two called on their Gold and Silver Zords, which appeared close enough for the two to leap in. While they joined Devon to help the struggling Red Ranger, the remaining three fought hard. Zoey dodged his attacks while landing her own, making the Robotron flinch and miss even more attacks.

"Incoming!" Ryne called, darting in and cutting through its weapon. It snapped clean in half, and her follow-up kick forced him to drop the pieces.

"No!" Antennatron wailed as Ravi kicked him to the ground.

"Let's finish him!" Zoey said to the other two.

"Transport Beast-X Blaster!" combining their blasters with their swords, the three took aim. Their blasters whirred loudly as they charged up. The Robotron shrieked as he got back to his feet, seeing the oncoming attack. "Cannon Blast!" they fired three powerful shots that ripped through Antennatron's chest, and he fell to his knees.

"Antennatron...over and out!" he wailed, before falling over and exploding.

"Nice work!" the three cheered, bumping fists. They looked up, seeing the three Zords easily overpower the Gigadrone, and destroy it with a Cheetah Strike.

"Virus, eliminated," Devon declared.


"Well, this is everything left of the Cybergate," Nate announced as they carried heavy crates filled with pieces of the machine into the vault.

"And don't worry, General Burke, Evox and his minions can't make another without all the tech," Steel said as he set down the crate next to the rest. The others cast a look around at the large vault, which was filled with technology that had belonged to former Ranger teams. It had been suggested by the ones in charge at SPD, as a way to protect technology that had belonged to teams that were no longer in action, and couldn't store them themselves.

"And they stole the tech from Nate the last time, so I think we're okay," Ryne considered as she reached out to poke the Overdrive Morpher sitting with the others.

"Ryne," Ravi cleared his throat, and she quickly straightened up, flashing an innocent smile. He gave her a look that told her that he didn't believe it, and the two walked out.

"There's no way he can get to it if it's in our vault," Commander Shaw assured the General, who was watching them.

"Very good work," he nodded, impressed. He then took a breath, and walked over to Steel. "I owe you an apology," he told him with a faint smile. "If I'd had my way, that vault would have been your permanent home," Steel was quiet, but the small movement of his head showed he was looking at it. "But now I know, you're truly a crucial member of the Ranger team," General Burke told him.

"Indeed, I am the complete package," Steel shrugged, making the Rangers giggle as the General looked a little confused.

"Thank you, Sir," Nate spoke up for Steel. The General nodded, still looking confused.

"Good to know that when the city's in trouble, we have two new Rangers to give us a hand," he said, walking around them so he could stand behind them and put a hand on their shoulders.

"Well of course, General Burke. I'm happy to lend a hand," Steel held out his hand that he'd just removed. Confused, the man took it. "But I'll need it back later, okay?" he asked, and the man burst out laughing. "Huh?" Now Steel was the confused one as the Rangers laughed too. "I don't get it. What's so funny?" Steel asked, which only made the laughter grow louder.


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