Chapter 12: Sound and Fury
The expression that Ryne had on her face was one that Lewis could only consider to be 'total defeat'.
Ryne was leaning on the counter, head in her hands, as she stared down at the wristcom in front of her. Or at least, what she assumed was Lewis' wristcom.
"I just...how, Lewis?" she asked, finally lifting her head to look up at the tall young man standing opposite her. He had a smile on his face that told her that he was enjoying the state of confusion he'd put her in.
"I dunno," he shrugged, cheerful. "Dropped it," Lewis answered, and Ryne gave a snort of disbelief.
"Off what, the top of a Megazord?" she demanded. "It's in pieces, Lewis!" she exclaimed, gesturing to the pieces of the wristcom scattered in front of her. When Lewis had come to her that morning asking her to fix it for him, she assumed he'd cracked the glass, or snapped off one of the straps. This was far worse.
"Yeah...don't know what to tell you," Lewis chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. Ryne pinched the bridge of her nose.
"I think you're better off just getting a new one, Lewis," she told him honestly. While she had confidence she could fix it for him, it would be a lot faster just to get him a new one.
"No, please!" Lewis lost his smile, grabbing her hands. Ryne immediately pulled away, frowning at him. "This is the third one I've broken. If Commander Shaw finds out, she'll eviscerate me," he pleaded with her.
"Your third?" Ryne repeated, her mouth falling open. "Lewis, how?" she demanded.
"I'm really clumsy," Lewis replied honestly, and Ryne groaned.
"Hey guys," they looked around as the door slid open, and Nate walked in. He spotted the wristcom on the table, and immediately looked at Lewis with an exasperated expression. "Really?" he asked, amusement laced in his voice as Lewis went red.
"I can't help it! I'm a lost cause. You know this," the instructor pointed out. "Please don't tell the Commander," he pleaded with the pair as Nate shook his head, going to lift his tablet from the table where he'd left it.
"Tell the Commander what?" Zoey asked as she walked in.
"She's not here, is she?" Lewis asked her nervously, but the doors slid closed behind the Yellow Ranger, proving she was alone. He gave a sigh of relief.
"Good to know that you fear someone," Ryne muttered, lifting a piece of his wristcom to examine it. Lewis glanced over his shoulder to glare at her. She just raised an eyebrow in response. "Lewis broke his third wristcom," she announced, dropping the piece to clatter on the metal table.
"Your third?" Zoey gasped, stunned. "How?" she asked, and he groaned.
"I'm clumsy," he stressed, going redder as Nate tried to hide his laughter. He'd already helped Lewis with getting the last two replacements. Zoey couldn't help but stare at Lewis, who had, so far, only come across as confident and graceful in everything he did. Even blindfolded, he was a lot more graceful than some people. "What are you doing here? I thought you had the day off," Lewis said to Zoey, surprised that she was at Grid Battleforce instead of out somewhere enjoying a sunny day.
"Oh, I told Nate I'd help him with more interviews to find an assistant," Zoey explained, smiling faintly. Lewis' eyebrow rose very slightly, but he didn't ask why she was the one helping him, considering her experience before being a Ranger was in laundry.
"Okay, okay," Ryne finally smiled, shaking her head. "I'll fix it for you," she told Lewis, who gave a sigh of relief and grinned widely.
"Have I ever told you that you're the best?" Lewis moved around the table to hug Ryne tightly. She just rolled her eyes, letting him hug her.
"You could stand to announce it to the others more often," she said, her expression neutral as she lifted one of the pieces, moving as Lewis kept his arms around her.
"Excuse me?" the doors slid open, and an unfamiliar voice spoke up. They turned to see a tall young woman with dark hair tied in two braids walking in, wearing Grid Battleforce overalls and carrying files in her arms. "I'm here for my interview?" she asked, looking from Nate and Zoey, who were setting up at one of the tables, and over to Ryne and Lewis, who was still hugging her as she looked bored.
"Perfect timing," Nate smiled.
"I'll leave you guys to it," Lewis released Ryne and walked away, tugging his black sleeves down over his wrists in an attempt to hide that he wasn't wearing his wristcom. "Megan, right?" he addressed the young woman, who smiled at him, a blush on her face.
"That's right. And you're Lewis?" she asked, and he nodded.
"That's me. Good luck," Lewis told her, leaving the lab.
"Are you okay with me staying here?" Ryne asked Nate quietly. She was still always unsure of if he was okay with her using his lab so much.
"Of course," Nate smiled back at her. "Are you meeting Fane later?" he asked, aware that her best friend was still in the city. He and the other Rangers had gotten to know the Princess of Zandar, who was bright and friendly, telling them all about the chaos she and Ryne had gotten into growing up. She'd even warmed up to Devon, despite her protective side that meant she'd held a small grudge after the Red Ranger had upset Ryne.
"Yeah," Ryne nodded. "Ivan was meeting some old friends, so Fane went with him," she explained, lifting her headphones from the table. "Good luck," she told the Gold Ranger, who smiled and nodded before rejoining Zoey. Ryne pulled her headphones on, focusing on what she was listening to while she got started on fixing Lewis' wristcom. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ben and Betty walk in, ready to test Devon's new Cheetah Claws at Nate's request, and smiled faintly, before getting to work.
Leaning against the wall, Asher couldn't help but laugh as she and Roxy listened to Scrozzle's tale of how he narrowly escaped destruction.
"Vargoyle missed me by that much!" Scrozzle gestured with his hands.
"Story time's over," they looked over at Blaze as his voice rang out, and both Avatars gave derisive laughs as they saw the robot with him. "Meet my new Robotron," he gestured.
"Not again," Scrozzle groaned as he recognised it.
"New?" Asher repeated as Evox emerged from the computer to tower over them. "More like old," she commented, but Blaze kept smirking.
"Yeah, that's just another Tubatron," Roxy looked down her nose at the Robotron, which was a replica of one she'd created only a few days prior. It, like the rest, had been a total failure.
"I'm Tubatron 2.0!" the Robotron defended.
"Oh," Roxy drawled, condescending.
"Doesn't that mean he should be better? Not exactly the same?" Asher taunted, walking over to stand beside Roxy.
"Exactly! What's changed?" Scrozzle demanded.
"Nothing," they were all surprised by Blaze's honesty. "Yet," he added, turning his attention to Roxy. "See, your Tubatron was weak, and that's why he failed. I won't," he whispered the last words to her, and Roxy glared hatefully at him. "Because I've found something very interesting," he held up a box that looked old and worn.
"Hey! You stole that!" Scrozzle snarled, recognising it. He lunged at Blaze to snatch it back.
"Back off, cockroach!" Blaze kicked him hard in the gut, and Scrozzle fell to the ground, tumbling backwards.
"What have you found?" Evox finally deemed it worthy of his full attention, his glowing red eyes on the box. Blaze smirked, and opened the box.
"Whatever they are…" he trailed off as they all peered closer. Inside were four glowing red gems, and spiked metal bases intended to hold them. "They're full of crazy energy," Blaze explained as both Asher and Roxy walked closer, both able to feel the energy that radiated from the gems.
"Those are Fury Cells!" Scrozzle exclaimed as he got back to his feet. "They're the last ones in the universe!" he told them as Blaze's smirk only grew. "I'm warning you-"
"Silence!" Scrozzle's threat was interrupted by Evox. "I can feel their immense energy. It would be foolish not to use them. Power up the Robotron, and destroy the Rangers!" Evox ordered Blaze, who nodded.
"That's the plan, Master Evox," he said, voice quiet as he shut over the case, ready to do as the virus asked.
Ryne leaned against a pillar, taking a drink of the smoothie she'd picked up on her way to meet Fane. She looked around as she waited, her mind still on the wristcom she'd been repairing.
"Ryne!" she snapped back to attention just before Fane collided with her in a hug, and she took a step back to stay on her feet, laughing. "I missed you!" she declared.
"We hung out all day yesterday," Ryne reminded her, hugging her best friend back tightly.
"Yeah, but I missed you today," Fane replied as if this should have been obvious. Ryne shook her head, smiling, and waved to Ivan as he walked up to them.
"Ready for another day of babysitting?" Ryne teased him, and he chuckled.
"I have already heard plenty of that today from James and Jeremy," Ivan told him, and Ryne tilted her head. She'd known he was meeting old friends, but she wasn't expecting it to be Lewis' father.
"They're in town? I thought James was off on another dig somewhere...Croatia?" Ryne tried to remember where the adventurer had been this time. Normally the man helped Tyler, who'd inherited his father's love for adventure.
"They just returned home," Ivan answered. "I believe Sir Tyler had to meet with a lady from the…" he trailed off, looking thoughtful.
"Global Association of Archeology," Fane answered for him, looking amused. Ivan had always been baffled by those who pursued Archeology, being from a time where people didn't search for relics.
"Ah yes, that was it," Ivan nodded. "He had a meeting in regards to one of his recent adventures, I believe they collaborated," he considered. "But I digress. James took some time to visit, and Jeremy tagged along. I believe they'll be around later, as Jeremy wants to hear all about how his son is doing as a teacher," Ivan commented as they started walking, making their way through the park, where Fane had wanted to spend some time.
"Urgh...as long as he doesn't ask me," Ryne muttered, suddenly looking exhausted. "He broke his third wristcom, and asked me to fix it so Commander Shaw doesn't find out," she complained.
"Wow, how delicate are they?" Fane laughed, grabbing Ryne's arm to examine the one strapped to her wrist. Ryne let her, continuing to walk.
"They aren't. They were designed with heavy work in mind. Everyone in Grid Battleforce has one, so they need to be durable. Not to mention Rangers need them to survive a battle, considering that's how we get our Morphers," Ryne explained, still baffled as to how Lewis kept breaking them.
"I'm not that surprised," Fane commented, and Ryne gave her a sceptical look. "Come on. He's amazing with fighting and all that stuff, but have you ever seen him outside of those kinds of situations? He's goofy," she summed up, and Ryne couldn't help but giggle at the declaration. Ivan smiled, thinking of Jeremy, who was exactly the same, even now.
"I guess you're right," Ryne accepted. "Hey, when do you have to go back again?" she asked, and Fane pouted, not liking the question.
"In two days. Stupid delegations and all that important stuff," she complained, and Ryne smiled faintly. Despite her complaints, Fane was great when it came to her duties as a Princess, and pretty much everyone in Zandar loved her. "It means I have to miss your birthday," Fane huffed.
"Hey, you know I don't really care about that stuff," Ryne shrugged. She was sad that Fane was leaving, but she wasn't particularly upset about her birthday.
"I do though," Fane shook her head, always having taken it a lot more seriously than Ryne. "I'll make it up to you when I come visit again," she promised, and Ryne smiled at her.
"Sounds good," she nodded, before her wristcom beeped and they stopped.
"You're kidding," Fane frowned.
"I swear, they wait for the worst time to do this," Ryne complained. "I better go. I'll meet you after?" she asked, and Fane nodded.
"Be careful," Ivan told her, and Ryne smiled, nodding and hurrying off.
Meeting up with Ravi, Steel and Devon on her way to where Commander Shaw had warned her of an attack, Ryne kept up with them as they heard screaming nearby.
"The Commander said the alert came from this plaza," Steel said, and Nate and Zoey joined the group.
"Robotron!" Ravi spotted the brass robot nearby laughing.
"Hey, that looks just like the last one," Devon commented.
"Kudos to them for recycling," Steel mused.
"Either that or they've already run out of ideas," Ryne considered, as Blaze walked over, wearing his armour already and carrying the box he'd stolen from Scrozzle.
"Oh, you won't be making jokes when we trash you losers," he said, lifting one of the red gems that shone brightly. "Meet the power of a Fury Cell," Blaze pressed it to Tubatron's shoulder, and it vanished. Ryne frowned when the red light transferred from the gem, spreading through the Robotron's entire body. He roared, and leaned back with a loud laugh.
"That wasn't good," Ryne warned, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. She'd felt the dark energy from the strange gem as soon as Blaze had opened the box. "Whatever that was, it powered up the Robotron," she said.
"I don't know what you're up to," Devon called over as he walked forwards. "But know this. It's Morphin' time!" he shouted, and the six spread out, calling in their Morphers.
"ACTIVATE BEAST POWER, HA!" as they Morphed, Tubatron ran at them, much faster than the last version had been.
"Whoa!" Ryne gasped as he was in front of her, and she was lifted off her feet and thrown into Ravi. The Blue Ranger gave a cry as he fell backwards, and they hit the ground hard.
"Scared?" Blaze taunted, enjoying the view as Tubatron tossed Zoey and Devon around like ragdolls.
"Never! Get the Fury Cells!" Nate shouted, and he and Steel chased after Blaze, who turned and ran off.
"Transport Beast-X Sabre!"
"Transport Beast Spinners!" The four called on their weapons and attacked, striking Tubatron and making him flinch, before they surrounded him.
"You're nothing special, Tuba," Devon taunted as he pressed his blade to the robot's metal chassis. However, Tubatron just laughed.
"Wanna bet?" he challenged, spinning quickly and kicking them away. He then let out a rumbling sound from the horn that hit Ravi. The Blue Ranger cried out, losing his grip on his sabre, which then shattered.
"Are you okay?" While Devon and Ryne continued to fight off the much stronger Tubatron, Zoey helped Ravi up.
"I'm fine, but I don't think I can say the same about my sabre, though," Ravi muttered, lifting his damaged weapon. While they were then distracted by Tronics, Ryne cried out as Tubatron punched her hard, and she stumbled backwards, barely staying on her feet as the blow ached in her chest. "Whatever that Fury...whatever is, it sucks," she declared as Tubatron laughed.
"Let me play you my solo!" At his shout, Ryne ducked behind a pillar for cover as he blared his horn, and Devon used his superspeed to avoid the soundwaves that pulsed out. He got in close, pressing his blade to the metal armour that the Robotron had, but he grabbed it, stopping Devon from attacking. "And now for the chorus!" Devon was lifted off his feet, his suit sparking dangerously before his Morpher cracked, and his visor shattered.
"My helmet!" Devon gasped.
"That's not the only thing I'll shatter!" Tubatron advanced on the fallen Ranger, laughing. He threw over Devon's sabre, which impaled the ground beside him.
"Devon!" Ryne emerged from behind the pillar and threw out a hand, blasting Tubatron with her powers. He jerked, taking a step back as Ryne kept up the attack. However, Tubatron recovered quickly, laughing and pushing against the oncoming energy and starting to take several steps forwards. Ryne's eyes widened, and she poured more power into the attack, but he kept coming. "Dammit…" she hissed, but didn't stop, determined to buy Devon enough time to recover.
A rumble of an engine earned their attention suddenly, and Cruise raced in, in his motorcycle form, and collided with Tubatron. The combined attacks knocked Tubatron backwards, and Ryne stopped her relentless attack, falling to one knee as she breathed heavily.
"Catch this!" Devon shouted, grabbing his sabre and throwing it. Tubatron cried out, falling to the ground. "Great timing, Cruise," he said to his Beastbot as Ryne pushed herself back up and hurried to the Red Ranger's side. "You guys really saved me there," Devon patted Cruise, and nodded at Ryne.
"Don't worry, I've always got your back," Cruise declared. Nearby, Zoey and Ravi finished off the Tronics, and ran over to them.
"Are you okay?" Zoey asked as they reached them.
"Yeah, but he's tough," Devon turned back to Tubatron, who was still recovering on the ground.
"You haven't seen tough!" he was back on his feet in an instant, blowing his horn.
"Watch out!" Ryne shouted, but all four were blown off their feet. Tubatron cackled as they demorphed, bruised and beaten.
"We gotta pull out now," Devon warned. "Cruise, take Zoey and Ravi. I'm right behind you," he said, grabbing his blaster to bombard Tubatron with attacks, slowing him down long enough for Cruise to drive off with the Blue and Yellow Rangers. "Get on," Devon pulled Ryne onto his back. "Hold on tight," he told her, and Ryne gulped, praying he wouldn't drop her as he started to run, using his superspeed to escape Tubatron.
The Rangers returned to base, meeting up with Nate and Steel as they did. The two had been much more successful, almost managing to destroy Blaze's Avatar, and while he'd escaped and taken two Fury Cells with him, they'd managed to steal one in the struggle.
"This wasn't like anything we've come across before, Commander," Devon said as Ravi studied his destroyed Sabre. "That powered-up Robotron broke our gear like it was nothing," he explained, looking at his own damaged Morpher.
"I hit him with my full power," Ryne commented, holding her hand with her other. "It didn't even slow him down," she shook her head.
"If we go up against it again, we're toast," Zoey said, knowing they'd been completely overpowered in their fight. "Unless we get an edge," she said.
"Steel and I captured one of Blaze's Fury Cells," Nate pulled the glowing red gem from his pocket. The hairs on the back of Ryne's neck stood on end, and she inched away from him. "If they could get extra power out of this thing, maybe we can too," he suggested. "I could try and power up some armour. It might be enough to stop that Robotron," Nate told the Commander.
"Get all your resources on it. Put that new assistant to work," Commander Shaw replied, understanding the severity of the situation. "Dismissed," she said, and the Rangers left the Command Room.
"Nate, I'm not sure using that thing is a good idea," Ryne warned Nate, catching up with him as they walked back to his lab.
"Why not?" Nate asked, confused. "You saw how strong that Robotron was. If we can get that power for ourselves-"
"It's powerful, yeah, but that power doesn't feel right," Ryne told him, looking wary. In such close proximity, it made her nervous.
"We don't have much choice," Nate pointed out, and Ryne sighed. She knew he was right. They needed a power boost, and fast.
"Just be careful, yeah?" Ryne put a hand on his arm, looking worried, and he smiled back.
"Of course," he nodded, before Zoey caught up to them, and Ryne slowed down, letting the two talk as her worry didn't settle at all.
Ryne's unease didn't settle even as she tried to focus on fixing Lewis' wristcom. Being in the same room as the Fury Cell made her uncomfortable, slowing down her work, which only frustrated her more.
Dropping the metal down on the table, Ryne stepped back and closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose. She was tired, and knowing that the Tubatron was still out there had her unable to relax.
"It'll be fine. Nate's not let us down yet," she murmured, trying to calm herself down. After taking a deep breath, Ryne opened her eyes, and went back to what she was doing, until a shadow fell over her. Looking up, Ryne saw Megan, Nate's new assistant, standing in front of her with a raised eyebrow. She made a gesture to remove her headphones, and Ryne did so, a little confused as she let them slip down around her neck.
"You know it's inappropriate to wear those in here, right?" Megan asked, taking Ryne by surprise. "Nobody else does," she commented, and Ryne looked around the room. There was nobody else there. Nate must have gone to get something.
"Nate said it was fine, and it's just the handbook," Ryne defended herself, a little unsure of what was going on. She'd never spoken to Megan before, except for saying hi when Nate brought her in earlier.
"Right," Megan nodded, her voice dripping with condescension. "And you can't just read the handbook like everyone else?" she asked innocently, and Ryne visibly tensed.
"I-"
"And really, working on personal projects? I assume Nate said that was okay too?" Megan was smiling, but it was cold. Ryne had seen more warmth from the Avatars.
"I'm trying to fix-"
"It just feels very unprofessional," Megan cut her off again, and Ryne's frustration over the harsh words made her temper boil, and tears stung at her eyes, before she realised her powers were starting to bubble up. Her breath caught, and blue sparks flew from her hands. Immediately she rushed away from Megan, who smirked as she watched Ryne run off without a word. "Little brat," she muttered, and moved around the table to examine the pieces of the wristcom.
"Oh, hey," she looked up quickly as Lewis walked in, looking around. "I guess you got the job. Congrats," he smiled at her, and Megan smiled back at him.
"Thank you. It's a huge step up from Zord Maintenance, but I'm excited," she told him, and Lewis chuckled.
"I bet," he nodded. "Have you seen Ryne? I was hoping she'd have my wristcom fixed," he told her, before sighing as he saw it still in pieces on the table in front of Megan.
"She said something about having more important things to do. I haven't seen her since," Megan said, her voice sweet, and Lewis' eyebrow rose.
"More important things?" he repeated, confused. It didn't sound like Ryne at all.
"I could fix it for you? If you want?" Megan offered, keeping her smile a lot warmer for him than she did for Ryne.
"What? Oh, no, it's okay, but thank you," Lewis declined, his polite smile returning. "Besides, you're Nate's assistant now. He's definitely going to keep you busy," he laughed. "Guess I'll see Ryne around eventually. Good luck," he called as he left, and as the doors slid shut, Megan's smile vanished, replaced by a scowl.
Sitting outside in a secluded section of Grid Battleforce, Ryne took deep breaths, her tears still lingering in the corners of her eyes as she stared down at her hands. They still sparked, and while they weren't getting any worse, they still hadn't settled.
"Dammit," Ryne mumbled shakily. "Come on, stop," she pleaded with her powers, the tears starting to grow with frustration.
'Can't you just read the handbook like everyone else?' Megan's words kept repeating in her mind, keeping her powers flowing.
'She doesn't know. She doesn't know,' Ryne told herself, frustrated that even with the extra work she'd been putting in, and with help from her team, she still didn't have control over her powers.
"Ryne?" she jumped, looking up as Steel approached. "What are you doing out here?" he asked, and slowed as he saw her powers jumping in her hands like sparks of electricity. While he hadn't seen her lose control of her powers, she'd told him about it. "What happened?" he asked, carefully approaching her before sitting down beside her. Ryne shifted away, scared of what her powers would do to him.
"I...um…" Ryne stopped as her voice shook and the tears threatened to spill over.
"The Avatars haven't been back, have they?" Steel asked, looking around as if he expected to see them standing around. When he didn't see them, he relaxed a little, but returned his attention to Ryne.
"N-no," Ryne shook her head. "It was...Nate's new assistant. She said some stuff and-" she stopped when the sparks grew worse.
"What was it that I was supposed to do again?" Steel wondered aloud to himself, as if he hadn't mastered thinking internally. Ryne couldn't help but smile faintly at how he was. "Oh yeah! Take a deep breath," he told her, and Ryne did as he said. "I'm here. You're okay," Steel soothed, and finally Ryne's powers started to settle as she focused on his quiet voice. Finally they vanished, and Ryne squeezed her hands shut.
"I'm sorry," she mumbled, pulling her legs up against her chest to press her face into her knees.
"Why? You didn't do anything wrong," Steel said, sounding genuinely confused. "It sounds like Nate's new assistant is the one that needs to apologise. What did she do to you?" he asked.
"She, uh…" Ryne's voice was still shaky as she lifted her head. "She was complaining about me using my headphones in the lab. I tried telling her that I was listening to the handbook and…" she trailed off again, scared that repeating it would set her off again.
"Listening to the handbook?" Steel asked her. "I thought we read books, not listen to them," his utter confusion made Ryne laugh, and the weight on her chest lessened.
"Usually yeah. There are audio books that people listen to, usually if they're too busy to sit and read. But I uh…" Ryne took another deep breath. "I struggle with reading. It's like...it's hard for my mind to fully process what I see written down in front of me. So I asked the Commander about being able to make it something I could listen to. I like to listen to it when I'm working sometimes," Ryne was surprised that she was telling him this so easily. Only Nate knew that she was dyslexic - it wasn't something she went about announcing, and the only reason he knew was because he'd figured it out when she was helping him with one of his many projects.
"Wow. That's really smart!" Steel exclaimed, and Ryne smiled, blushing at his words. "Come on. That assistant owes you an apology," he said, getting back to his feet.
"No, it's okay. I don't want to cause trouble. She just got the job," Ryne shook her head, standing as well. "Please, don't tell the others about what I told you. It's not something I like talking about," she pleaded with the much taller Ranger.
"I won't, I promise," he soothed her, and Ryne smiled.
"Thanks, Steel, for listening," she said, and he nodded.
"Thanks for telling me," he said, and the two walked back inside. "Are you going back to the lab?" Steel asked, and Ryne nodded.
"Yeah. I have to try and finish fixing Lewis' wristcom before Commander Shaw finds out he busted it," she smiled faintly, still finding it funny.
"Ryne!" they turned as Lewis called out her name.
"Speaking of…" Steel mused, and Ryne tilted her head as Lewis walked over, looking worried.
"Are you okay?" Ryne asked, wondering what was wrong.
"Why didn't you tell me that you were too busy to work on my wristcom?" he asked, taking her by surprise. "If I'd have known, I'd have sucked it up and just taken the lecture," Lewis told her, and Ryne frowned up at him.
"But...I'm not. I don't have anything else I'm working on. You know I'd tell you if I couldn't do it," Ryne said, and Lewis' worry gave way to confusion. He then looked back in the direction of the lab, and then back at Ryne, his confusion growing.
"But...Megan told me you'd said you had more important work to do," he said slowly, not understanding.
"Megan?" Steel asked, not recognising the name.
"Nate's new assistant," Ryne answered him, folding her arms. "I didn't say anything like that. Trust me, Lewis, I'm happy to help fix your wristcom," she told him, and Lewis relaxed visibly.
"Then why did she lie?" he wondered, confused. Ryne glanced up at Steel as he hummed, and she knew what he wanted to mention her harsh words to Ryne.
"I have no idea, but it was almost like she wanted me out of the lab when I was in there," she considered aloud, thinking about it. "Did she say anything else?" Ryne asked before Lewis could ask what she meant.
"She offered to help me herself, but I said no, I figured Nate would have her run ragged," Lewis answered, and Ryne immediately snorted, a hand going to her mouth in a late attempt to hide it. "What?" he asked her.
"She was trying to get your attention," Ryne pointed out, and Lewis reared back, alarmed at the idea.
"You mean, she likes Lewis?" Steel asked, also understanding what Ryne meant. "How do you know?" he questioned as Ryne somehow looked both annoyed yet entertained.
"Some people think by doing someone they like a favour, it'll make that person notice them, or like them, some dumb stuff like that. It's...weird," Ryne decided, and Lewis ran a hand through his hair.
"That is weird," Steel agreed, making her smile.
"I need to talk to Nate about this," Ryne decided. "And also finish your wristcom. Come with me?" she asked Lewis, who nodded.
"Sure," he agreed.
"I'll go find Ravi and Devon. I believe they were training to get ready for Round Two with Tubatron," Steel decided.
"Thanks again, Steel," Ryne smiled at him, and he patted her shoulder before walking away.
"What did he do?" Lewis asked as they started walking back to the lab. Ryne was quiet, not sure what to say, and Lewis frowned, knowing her well enough to be aware that something bad had happened. "Ryne," he went to stop her, before there was a loud banging sound, followed up by screams. The two exchanged looks, and rushed into the lab, where the Cheetah Claw that Nate had been working on sprayed sparks everywhere and shot off the table, directly towards Nate, Megan, Ben and Betty.
"Watch out!"
"No!" Ryne threw out her hand as it started to glow blue, and blue lights shimmered around the Cheetah Claw, pulling it straight to her. She winced as the overloading weapon burned her hand, and she dropped it with a clatter.
"Ryne!"
"Are you okay?" Ben and Betty rushed over to her, and gasped as they saw the burns on her hand.
"I'm fine," she insisted as Lewis grabbed her wrist to inspect her hand. "Are you? That thing didn't hit any of you, did it?" Ryne asked, trying to ignore the pain throbbing in her hand.
"We're all okay, thanks to you," Nate nodded, relieved.
"And no thanks to you," Megan spat, whirling around at him. "You had me use too much Morph-X," she accused, and both Ryne and Lewis stared at her, dumbfounded.
"Excuse me?" Nate demanded, insulted by her words. "My math was perfect. It's gotta be something else," he insisted, going to lift the Cheetah Claw.
"That's not what it looks like," Megan scoffed. "We could have all been seriously injured. Ryne was injured," she gestured to the Pink Ranger, who pulled her hand out of Lewis' grasp and close to her chest, narrowing her eyes at the young woman. "The rules say I have to report this to the Commander," Megan decided, turning and storming out of the room.
"I can't believe this," Nate groaned as he put his hands to his head.
"Medkit, or healing?" Lewis asked Ryne, who hesitated.
"I've used my powers a lot today...if Tubatron comes back, I need to keep my energy up," she said, and Lewis nodded, walking over to the shelves to retrieve a first aid kit from where he knew Nate kept it. "Nate, I don't think Megan was the right choice," Ryne told the Gold Ranger. He turned to her, a little surprised. "She lied to Lewis, she chased me out of here earlier, and now she's accusing you of messing up? Something's off," she told him what was on her mind.
"But Zoey said she was the best for the job," Nate said, having asked Zoey to make the final decision on who to hire when he was struggling. Ryne was surprised by his words. She'd considered Zoey to be a good judge of character, so for her to pick someone like Megan was confusing.
"Come on," Lewis guided Ryne over to a table, and she hopped up onto it so he could clean her hand and wrap it.
"I need to figure out what went wrong with the Cheetah Claws," Nate decided, connecting the weapon to his computer to scan it.
"So, what did Megan say to chase you out of here?" Lewis asked Ryne, connecting the dots and figuring out that was what had upset her. Ryne's brow furrowed.
"It was dumb. I'm so worked up over all this stuff with Tubatron and the Fury Cell, so when she said some things, it set me off," she explained, annoyed at herself for being so sensitive. Lewis scowled, but didn't say anything. He was protective over her, and didn't like the idea of anyone being harsh to her. "She was complaining about me using my headphones, and using the lab for stuff that wasn't for Grid Battleforce, calling me unprofessional and stuff," Ryne explained, and Lewis shook his head.
"Nate's the one who runs this lab, and he's given you all the permission you need to run riot in here," he said, so firmly that it made Ryne smile faintly. He finished wrapping her hand, and patted her head. She immediately swatted him away with her good hand. "Brat," Lewis said affectionately.
"Dork," Ryne shot back, making him laugh.
"I knew it!" Nate's exclamation made them look around. "The Claw was massively over-fuelled," he growled. Ryne's eyebrows rose in surprise. Nate never made mistakes like that.
"Like, with an entire tub of Morph-X?" Lewis asked, lifting a tub from the bin, having opened it to throw away the bandage wrapping.
"I told her only to use half," Nate took it from Lewis, and stormed out.
"That's not good," Ryne considered, and she and Lewis followed Nate to the Command Room, where they heard the Commander and Megan talking.
"You? As our Chief Scientist?" Nate's eyes widened, and his anger grew.
"If you want to avoid these kinds of dangerous mistakes," Megan sounded earnest and sweet as she spoke to the Commander.
"Not so fast, Megan," they looked around as Nate stormed in. Zoey stood with the two, looking like she was going to be sick. "I checked the Morph-X levels, and this Claw was massively over-fuelled," he announced, holding up the Claw as he looked furious. "I told you to use half. But Lewis found this in the trash," he held up the empty tub. "You used the whole bottle on purpose," Nate accused. Megan looked worried, as if she hadn't counted on Nate figuring it out. Commander Shaw was staring at the young woman, eyebrows furrowed.
"O-on purpose? I resent that!" she stammered, trying to come up with an excuse. "You told me-"
"I wouldn't recommend trying to lie about this," Lewis spoke up, arms folded. "Not after you lied to me about Ryne saying she had more important things to do than help me out," Megan turned even paler as Commander Shaw's eyebrow twitched.
"The only thing I don't understand is why you chose her," Nate turned to Zoey, who'd been silent the entire time. She sighed.
"I'm sorry, Nate…" she apologised. "Commander, this is all my fault," Zoey told the woman who was staying quiet, listening to everything. "I did recommend her, but...only because she was blackmailing me to get the job," Zoey confessed, tears in her eyes.
"That's absurd!" Megan gasped as even the Commander couldn't maintain her stoic behaviour. "She's covering for him because I saw her and Nate on a date at the movies, and she knows it's against the rules," Ryne put a hand to her head, baffled by everything being said. Even Commander Shaw, who had been glaring at her, turned to Nate and Zoey, shocked by her words.
"Zoey and me...on a date?" Nate looked absolutely baffled by the accusation.
"Oh, don't deny it," Megan rolled her eyes. "I recorded them on video-"
"That's enough!" Commander Shaw finally snapped as Megan pulled her phone from her pocket. "You recorded them, and threatened to make it public? Just to get a job?" she demanded, and Megan stared at her, looking terrified.
"Well, that makes it sound terrible," she mumbled.
"It's beyond terrible," Commander Shaw growled at her. "What kind of a-" she cut herself off, trying to maintain her professional behaviour. "Security!" she raised her voice, and the doors slid open for a man who was stationed outside to walk in. "Pack up, and get out. Now," Commander Shaw growled. Megan stared, stunned into silence, before she turned and walked out.
"Commander," as soon as Megan left, Nate whirled back around. "It was a coincidence that we were both at the movie. It wasn't a date. Right. Zoey?" he asked Zoey for backup.
"Um…" Zoey tried to find the words, and Ryne watched her curiously.
"I believe you, Nate," Commander Shaw said gently, and Nate visibly relaxed. However, it didn't last long, as the alarm started to blare.
"Robotron contact in Sector Alpha 1-4," one of the people who monitored the systems for any sign of the Evox's minions spoke up. "It's the new Tubatron again," she warned.
"Copy," Commander Shaw nodded, before Devon, Ravi and Steel hurried in.
"It's crunch time. Nate, you have anything?" Deveon asked the Gold Ranger hopefully.
"The armor should be programmed correctly. We're calling it Red Fury Mode," Nate explained, his voice quiet.
"Red Fury Mode? That's great," Devon smiled.
"Maybe," Nate shrugged. "But thanks to Megan, it hasn't been tested at all," he admitted.
"We don't have time," Zoey groaned.
"It will work, Nate. I can feel it in my CPU," Steel assured his brother, giving him a thumbs up.
"I don't entirely trust the Fury Cells, but I do trust your work, Nate," Ryne spoke up. "It'll work," she said, trying to sound confident for her friend. Nate nodded, but didn't look entirely reassured.
"Good luck, Rangers," Commander Shaw said, unable to completely hide her concern for the team.
"Thanks. We may just need it," Devon said, turning and leading the team out. Lewis watched them leave, before looking at the Commander, unable to hide his worry as well as she did.
"Lots of screaming civilians," Tubatron laughed as he chased away the workers around the area. "Which should mean that any second now…" he trailed off, and a shout echoed through the air.
"ACTIVATE BEAST POWER!" the Rangers Morphed as they leapt through the air, flipping and landing in front of the Robotron.
"Did we keep you waiting?" Devon called.
"So, you're back for another taste of my Fury power!" Tubatron challenged.
"No thanks," Devon shook his head. "We've got our own. Transport!" he hit the button on his chest, calling on a new Key. "Check out our Fury Cell!" Devon held up his arm, showing the gemstone attached to a band around his wrist.
"Impossible!" Tubatron lost his cocky attitude as he saw the Fury Cell on Devon's wrist.
"Really?" Devon grinned. "Watch this! Activate Red Fury Mode!" he shouted, connecting the key. His suit started to glow with a red light. "Uh, Nate? Is that it?" Devon asked when nothing else happened, and the glow remained around him.
"There's more, give it a sec," Nate soothed him, and Tubatron laughed as it didn't seem like the threat was real.
"Time's up!" he shouted at the Rangers.
"He's gonna blast!" Zoey warned the team.
"We'll cover you," Nate said, and the other five Rangers ran forwards as Devon's suit charged up.
"Supersonic Blast!" Tubatron shouted, blaring the horn on his body. Ravi reached him first, blocking the attack as best he could.
"Ravi! Your super-strength!" Ryne suggested, and Ravi used his Beast Power to stand his ground. He groaned as the powerful soundwaves pushed against him, forcing him back, before Ryne reached Ravi and put a hand on his arm. Instantly he felt his strength rise, and he pushed back against the painfully loud soundwaves that battered them. However, Tubatron just blew harder, and Ryne was forced to let go, crying out as she was thrown backwards. Instantly Ravi's strength faded, and he landed in the dirt beside her.
"It's working!" Devon gasped as the armour slowly started to materialise around him, while Steel was knocked aside as well. Nate and Zoey groaned as they took the main force of the blow to shield Devon, only to be tossed off their feet too. "Guys!" Devon shouted, before giving a yell. A shockwave exploded out from him, forcing Tubatron to stop, and Devon stepped back, now wearing brand new armour.
"That's it! I feel great!" Devon declared with a smile.
"Bro, it worked!" Steel exclaimed from the ground beside Nate, looking up at Devon.
"Now you're not the only one who's all powered up," Devon warned Tubatron. "Unleash the Fury!" he shouted, leaping over Tubatron's head. The Robotron gasped, turning to him, only to be bombarded by several punches so strong they lifted him off his feet. Devon then leapt up into the air, kicking him back down.
"Did you see that?" Nate gasped as the others watched from the ground, in awe of Devon's massive power boost.
"That's awesome," Ryne breathed. Tubatron gave a frustrated yell and blew his horn again, but all it did was push Devon back a step.
"Didn't you get the memo? That doesn't work on me," Devon taunted him. "Transport Cheetah Claws!" he shouted, holding up his hands. The Cheetah Claws appeared over them; the sharp metal claws shining in the light. "Time to give you a slashing," Devon ran back in, battering Tubatron with attack after attack. "Cheetah Slash!" with one final blow, Devon finished off the Robotron.
"He did it!" the others cheered as Tubatron collapsed, exploding.
"You know what? Enough Tuba. I'm more of a trumpet guy, myself," Devon declared. He then turned to help his team to their feet.
"Nice work Devon," Nate praised the Red Ranger as he stood up, already knowing that he was covered in bruises.
"You too, Nate," Devon grinned. "Red Fury Mode's out of this world!" he laughed, pulling the gem from his wrist to hand over to Nate.
"Thanks," Nate took it as their Wristcoms beeped loudly.
"What's up, Commander?" Devon answered.
'Gigadrone detected. Devon, Cruise is almost to your location. We're scrambling the Racer Zord,' Commander Shaw told him.
"Commander, the sonic blasts hit our gear pretty hard," Zoey warned, barely able to stay standing.
'Then get back to base. We need to check your equipment for damage,' she instructed them, and the others nodded, knowing they'd taken hard hits too.
"Don't worry, guys. No damage here," Devon assured, patting his chest. "Cruise, we're up buddy," he called on his Beastbot.
"Good luck!" Nate called after him.
"We better get back," Ryne said, and the others nodded. They hurried off, returning to base as Devon took on the Gigadrone.
Yawning widely as she walked into Riptide Gym, Ryne leaned against Fane, who just laughed and supported her as they walked towards where the other Rangers were sitting.
"Do you ever get enough sleep?" Ravi asked, amused as Ryne slumped down into a seat. "You went home right after debriefing yesterday," he said, and Ryne shrugged.
"I slept...but then someone woke me up," she shot Fane a glare, but the blonde shrugged, unapologetic.
"I have to go home tomorrow. I'm spending as much time with you as possible," she said firmly. "And it was almost noon when I woke you up," she added. Ryne just stuck her tongue out in response. Zoey stood and made her way over to the counter to grab a drink, while the others chatted amongst themselves.
To their relief, the Gigadrone that had followed up Tubatron's defeat hadn't been powered up, and Devon had easily defeated it single-handed, leaving the Rangers to return home to get some much needed rest after how battered they'd been in the two fights against the empowered Tubatron.
"You'll never guess what happened when I was on my way here!" Steel launched into a story as he sat down with them. Nate greeted the group, and went up to the counter to get a drink as well. Ravi looked a little confused, while Devon, Ryne and Fane couldn't help but grin at how outraged he was over being called a robot again. "And I said 'What robot? You must have me confused with some other specimen'!" he exclaimed, making Fane laugh. Ryne was smiling, before she noticed Nate and Zoey talking quietly. For a moment, both smiled, but it quickly faded, and she tilted her head.
"Hey, what do you think they're talking about?" Steel asked, glancing over at the pair as well.
"Megan said they went on a date," Ravi said, watching the pair suspiciously.
"My brother?" Steel turned back again, staring at the Gold and Yellow Rangers.
"Do you think…?" Devon started.
"Nah," all three male Rangers chorused together, not believing it for a second. Ryne just looked at Fane, who had a similar expression.
"Boys really are blind," Fane whispered to Ryne, who couldn't help but giggle in response. She watched Nate and Zoey for a moment longer, before looking away, wondering just what was going to happen.
Alerts are finally back! It took them long enough.
Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter. It was an...interesting one to write.
Let me know what you think!
