Chapter 22: Game On!

Riptide Gym was bustling, moreso than usual, as the usual crowds of people who gathered there to work out were outnumbered.

"Now these people look more your kind of people," Blaze told Ryne as they walked inside. She arched an eyebrow at him, managing to look indignant even though she was still sleepy.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked, her tone dangerous, but Blaze just grinned.

"Well…I don't mean this in a bad way, but you're kind of a nerd," he told her, enjoying the look on Ryne's face as her eyebrows rose. "I mean, you spend almost as much time as Nate does in the lab building stuff, and I've seen how you get around new tech," he pointed out.

"I've never been more offended in my life," Ryne said flatly, which only made Blaze's smile widen. He pressed a kiss to the side of her head, and Ryne leaned into him, showing that she wasn't really upset with him. "There's Devon, come on," she spotted the Red Ranger, who was standing to the side where a stand had been set up. The room had been cleared, with the chairs, tables, planters and even the railings having been moved to make room for the competition. "Hey Devon," Ryne let go of Blaze's hand to hug Devon. He was smiling brightly, holding a console in his hand.

"Hey! I'm glad you guys could make it," Devon hugged her back, almost lifting her off her feet, before bumping fists with Blaze.

"Wouldn't miss it," Ryne said, smiling back as his excitement was infectious.

"Devon!" they looked around as the rest of the Rangers walked over with Asher, Lewis, Ben and Betty, all there to cheer Devon on.

"Welcome, everyone!" as Devon smiled at his friends, a man wearing a blue suit and a red polka-dot bow-tie walked by, shouting into a microphone he held. "In a few minutes, we will begin the final round of Coral Harbour's annual e-sport's championship!" he shouted, and the crowd cheered loudly. "The next fight will decide who will be the champion of Backstreet Brawler 3!" the shoutcaster declared.

"Hey son," Mayor Daniels walked over, putting a hand on Devon's shoulder. Immediately Devon's eyes lit up at the sight of his dad being there to support him.

"Congratulations to our finalists: Devon Daniels…" a loud cheer rang out for the Red Ranger, and he raised his hands in a confident pose, before connecting his game cartridge to the console he held.

"Can you believe it? I'm in the finals, dad!" Devon beamed up at his dad.

"…And Kerry Dixon!" another loud cheer rang out for Devon's opponent; a pretty brunette wearing glasses. She smiled to the crowd, just as confident, and connected the cartridge in her own console.

"That trophy's yours, sis," the boy standing beside her, balancing on crutches, told her with a smile full of belief for his sister.

"These consoles use augmented reality," Nate explained to Mayor Daniels. "Each player controls a holographic fighter. They were designed by Sarah Thompson; her work is incredible," he gushed, just as excited about the tech as Ryne could be.

"Players set!" the shoutcaster's voice earned everyone's attention.

'Player One fighter: Sensei Bones,' an automated voice spoke from Devon's console, and in a flash of blue, a hooded figure appeared in front of him. His head was bowed, covered by a black hood, and he carried a sword in his hand. When he lifted his head, he revealed a skeletal face, living up to his name.

'Player Two fighter: Sinister Sasha,' the voice spoke again as Kerry held out her console, creating a holographic form of a blue-skinned woman with pink hair, carrying two sai in her hands. The two fighters then turned to one another, and Devon turned to Kerry.

"Fighters set!" the shoutcaster could barely be heard over the roar of the crowd.

"Good luck," Devon said to Kerry.

"You'll need it," her response caught him off guard, and he double-took before lifting his controller, quickly moving past it to focus on the fight.

"That's some interesting sportsmanship," Asher hummed, having heard the comment. Ryne nodded in agreement.

"And now, the moment you've all been waiting for…" the shoutcaster spoke as the two virtual fighters moved into fighting stances as well. "Ready, set…brawl!" the man shouted, and the cheering seemed to get louder as the fighting immediately broke out.

Devon's smile was long gone as he pressed buttons with well-practised moves, and both Sensei Bones and Sinister Sasha landed blows that made each other's form flicker.

"This is a close match," Ryne murmured as she watched, seeing Kerry giving as good as she got. They all knew that Devon was good at games, but he definitely wasn't the only one.

"I honestly haven't a clue what's going on," Asher admitted, making Ryne smile. They watched as Sensei Bones kicked Sinister Sasha back, and her more lithe figure stumbled backwards off the mat, flickering dangerously as she seemed to make contact with the shoutcaster.

"Warning!" he pushed her back in and pointed to Kerry, who groaned in frustration. Devon grinned, knowing he had the upper hand.

"Did the hologram just bump into the judge?" Mayor Daniels asked, noticing that she'd made physical contact with the man.

"Affirmative," Nate nodded, eager to share the information. "The game uses hard-light technology, capable of physically interacting with real objects," he explained. "Cutting edge stuff. Sarah Thompson really is incredible," he said, barely looking at the Mayor as he watched the fight. "Go Devon!" he shouted as the fighting continued.

"Excuse me," Mayor Daniels spoke suddenly as he started to cough. "I need to make a call," he pulled his phone from his pocket and hurried outside.

The fighting continued, with both landing good hits and keeping the match even. Devon winced as Sensei Bones hit the ground, but didn't waste time, quickly pushing him back up with a jump. He then lunged in, striking Sinister Sasha across the stomach with several hits in succession.

"Whoever made this game really needs to learn how real sword-fighting looks," Asher commented, arms folded. Ryne nodded.

"I agree," Lewis said. "Same for this 'Sinister Sasha'. Camille would mess her up," he said, thinking of the Chameleon who could be ruthless with a set of sai.

"It's a game, it's not meant to be realistic," Blaze laughed, and all three shrugged in response. Their attention was quickly diverted back to the fight, when Sinister Sasha suddenly caught Sensei Bones in the shoulders, and Devon's eyes widened when his fighter lowered his weapon, allowing his opponent to land a powerful strike that flashed pink.

"What in the…? I'm frozen!" Devon gasped as he started to frantically hit every button in an attempt to get his fighter to respond.

"Come on Devon!" Zoey shouted.

"You're history now," Kerry smirked victoriously as Devon hit his console in an attempt to get Sensei Bones to respond past jerking idly.

"No way!" Devon shouted, but before the final blow could land, there was a flash of purple, amber and jade. With a yell, Roxy fired her blasters, hitting the two fighters and causing them to vanish. She laughed as everyone jumped back in horror. The crowd screamed, scattering and making a break for the exit as they recognised the three who had interrupted from the news.

"Great, they're back again," Ryne muttered.

"Hey, that's mine!" they looked up as Kerry, who'd been standing protectively in front of her brother, gave a shout. They saw Blaze in front of her, holding the console he'd snatched from her.

"Not anymore," completely disinterested, Robo-Blaze walked away without a second glance.

"Come on, you need to get to safety," Lewis hurried over to the pair, and Kerry stopped herself from shouting after the robot. She nodded, her hand going to her brother to help him as Lewis guided them out.

"We'll make sure everyone gets out," Asher told the Rangers, and nodded to Blaze. The two hurried after the crowd, making sure there was nobody else around.

"Hey!" Devon shouted after the three robots, who were walking towards the main doors.

"Urgh," Roxy groaned and turned back.

"What now?" Asher asked, already sounding bored.

"You three wanna play games?" Devon challenged as the six Rangers stood in a line. "It's Morphin' Time!" they called on their Morphers, which appeared in a flash.

"ACTIVATE BEAST POWER, HA!" they Morphed into their Ranger suits, ready to fight. "Unleash the beast!"

"Thanks, but we got what we came for," Blaze waved Kerry's console in his hand.

"But we'll leave you with a parting gift. Tronics!" Asher shouted, snapping her fingers. The Tronics appeared in between them and the Rangers. "Entertain them, would you?" she laughed, already turning back around and pushing the door open.

"Get back here!" Ryne shouted as they ran forwards, fighting off the Tronics. While they weren't much of a fight, their larger numbers slowed the Rangers down, allowing Blaze, Asher and Roxy to walk out the doors.


"I think we're safe here," Lewis spoke as she guided Kerry and Louie out of the building.

"Thanks," Kerry managed a faint smile, before they heard a laugh. Turning, they spotted Roxy standing nearby. "Maybe not. Quick! Gotta hide!" the three quickly moved into cover, just as Robo-Asher and Robo-Blaze walked over.

"What do you say we level up?" Blaze asked, holding Kerry's game console in his hand.

"I'd say that you're a nerd, but I'm game," Asher smirked as Roxy giggled. The purple themed robot connected the glowing key to the device, and it began to glow for a moment before vanishing, and a Robotron appeared beside them.

"Oh no," Lewis groaned.

"Ready, Players One, Two and Three!" the Robotron bounced on the spot and gestured to the pair.

"Excellent. You're just what we need," Roxy smirked as she walked towards her.

"Hey, robo-jerks!" they heard Devon's voice echo as they burst from the gym. "Your Tronics are toast!" he shouted as Kerry gasped, staring at the Rangers in awe. "You has-beens are about to be too," Devon declared.

"Ha!" Blaze scoffed loudly. "Don't be so sure, cause we're about to beta-test Gamertron, on you!" he declared.

"You guys take Asher, Blaze and Roxy," Devon turned to Nate, Steel and Ryne, who nodded. "We'll shut down that Robotron," he said to Zoey and Ravi.

"Got it," they echoed together.

"Beast Spinners!" Ryne called on her chakrams as she followed Nate and Steel towards the Robo-clones. While Blaze focused on Nate, and Steel kicked Roxy backwards, Asher tossed a ball of energy at Ryne, who managed to dodge it.

"Dammit…" Lewis cursed under his breath. It wasn't safe where he was with Kerry and her brother, but moving would get them noticed, and he knew that Blaze, Asher and Roxy would target civilians for fun.

"Is it really a good idea for you to fight me?" Asher taunted as Ryne caught her punch. "Who knows if those three losers will be able to beat what Gamertron can do," she said, and the Pink Ranger rolled her eyes with an irritated huff. She had long since grown bored of Asher's barbs, and would have preferred fighting one of the others. But with Robo-Asher able to control sun energy, she was the best equipped to handle it.

"I'll worry about them after I destroy you, again," she bit back, and when she saw Asher's hand start to light up with golden energy, Ryne threw her hand out, letting blue energy shoot across and hit Asher, causing the ball of energy to explode before it could even leave her hand.

Nearby, Lewis, Kerry and Louie watched as Gamertron taunted the other three Rangers, before the panel on her chest began to glow. A moment later, there was a flicker of light, and three figures formed from the light. They landed in front of Devon, Ravi and Zoey, and their eyes widened as they found themselves staring at copies of themselves.

"The robot made holo-clones, just like the video game," Kerry whispered in horror.

"Gamertron wants us to fight ourselves," Devon gulped as the three copies stood silently.

"The real backstreet brawl is about to begin!" Gamertron laughed with glee, and the three copied Rangers ran at them.

"Get them!" Devon shouted, and the three ran to fight their copies.

"May the best player win!" Gamertron cheered loudly, watching from the sidelines for a moment before giggling. "I have got to show the others!" she skipped off, leaving them to fight.

"Stay here!" Kerry hissed to her brother, and suddenly broke cover.

"Sis!" Louie cried out in horror.

"Hey, wait!" Lewis shouted after her, following as the boy stayed in cover, unable to keep up. Lewis grabbed the young woman's arm and tugged her back down behind cover, just as Ryne was knocked to the ground nearby.

"Pathetic," Asher laughed, glancing over her shoulder as she approached the Pink Ranger. "I mean look, none of you are good enough," Ryne looked up, seeing the other three fighting their clones. She gulped, seeing the red copy moving with Devon's super-speed, while Zoey and her clone both leapt to greater heights. Ravi, seeing this, didn't dare risk goading his opponent into using his Gorilla strength, but was still flipped over his copy's shoulder.

"Let's even the playing field," Gamertron decided as the three regrouped, breathing heavily. "Everyone gets a weapon!" she declared, and in a flash, the copies had blasters in their hands.

"Uh oh…" Ravi gulped.

"No!" Ryne pushed herself up, but Asher wouldn't let her get close, kicking out to force her away. There was a loud explosion as Devon, Ravi and Zoey were hit, collapsing on the ground.

"Well done, my Ranger clonies!" Gamertron giggled.

"I've had enough of this," Ryne growled, letting her anger and worry over her friends fuel her powers. Blue energy gathered in her hands, and she threw it at Asher, who quickly raised a shield. However, the energy wrapped around the shield like tendrils, shattering it.

"Striker Beast Blast!" as Nate and Steel used their blasters to hit Blaze and Roxy, knocking them down on one knee, Ryne pushed more power into her attack, and Asher cried out as she was thrown into the pair.

"Is everyone okay?" Nate asked as he ran over and helped Zoey up, while Steel went to Ravi and Ryne offered Devon her hand.

"Yeah, but these clones are strong," Zoey whimpered as she managed to get up, despite her limbs protesting.

"We could do with a real plan," Ryne told Devon, who nodded.

"We need to retreat and regroup," Devon said to the others, who nodded in agreement. Ryne's hands lit up again, the energy crackling in the air. Kerry and Lewis felt it from their hiding place; the hairs on the backs of their neck standing on end as Kerry shivered.

"Try this!" Ryne threw the energy out, and there was a loud chorus of shouts as the energy hit the ground in front of their opponents, creating a small explosion. They were engulfed in smoke, blinding them.

"Move out," Devon ordered, and they turned and ran off. By the time the smoke cleared, the Rangers were gone.

"No!" Asher growled.

"Cowards!" Roxy shrieked.

"But the match wasn't over…" Gamertron whimpered unhappily. As the Robotron made to try and give chase, Blaze stopped her.

"You've done well. Let's report back to Evox," he said. "You'll get your chance to crush them soon enough," he said. Gamertron nodded, appeased by his words, and they vanished in a flash of purple light. Lewis relaxed, sinking back down.

"Get back to your brother," he told Kerry, who looked worried. Lewis stood, brushing the dirt from his jeans. "And don't do that again. Getting that close to a fight is a sure way to get yourself killed," Lewis said. Kerry glared at him, anger welling up inside her as she stood as well.

"Excuse me? You didn't have to follow me, you know," she spat, glaring up at him. Lewis sighed, already feeling exhausted.

"If they'd spotted you, you could have been killed. I was making sure that didn't happen," he told her, which only made her angrier.

"What, like you were protecting me? Who do you think you are?" Kerry demanded. Lewis ran a hand through his hair, causing it to fall back into his face.

"I work at Grid Battleforce," he told her, which took some of the fight out of her. "Now go," Lewis said, hating the authority in his voice. Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked away, leaving Kerry to go back to her brother.


The bright glow of golden light faded from Ryne's skin, and Ravi groaned as he stretched, no longer aching just by moving.

"Thanks Ryne," he smiled, putting a hand on her head and messing up her hair.

"Hey…" she grumbled, swatting him away and making him laugh.

"Found my spare console!" Devon called as he ran in, holding another console that he'd had at home.

"Great. Taking a look inside it might help us find a way to defeat that Robotron and her clones," Nate took it and went over to the table, moving the magnifying lens as he started to take it apart.

"If anyone can figure it out, it's you," Devon said, confident in Nate's capabilities. The Gold Ranger managed a small smile, getting to work, before Devon's phone rang. "It's the gaming tournament," he frowned, wondering why they were calling him. "Devon Daniels," he answered, and his frown grew as the person on the other end spoke. "Okay, I'll be right there," he said, ending the call. "I gotta get to the Riptide, there's some kind of announcement about the tournament," he said, looking apologetic.

"We'll call you if we need you," Ravi told him. Ryne looked over at the console, which was firmly in Nate's hands, and gave a quiet huff, knowing she wasn't much help.

"I'll come with you," she told him, and Devon nodded. The two left, as Nate got to work examining the console.


To their surprise, when Devon and Ryne arrived at Riptide Gym, they found that the tournament banners were being taken down and the place was being brought back to its normal layout.

"What?!" Kerry's voice echoed through the gym as Devon and Ryne approached. "I was this close to beating him!" she was shouting at the man in charge. He barely looked at her as he lifted the trophy out from a box.

"But the fact is, you did not beat him," he pointed out after setting it on the table.

"This is not fair!" Kerry exclaimed, tears in her eyes from anger.

"I'm sorry I'm late," Devon apologised. "Is it time for the rematch? I brought my console," he gestured to the device in his hand. Kerry glared at the ground, and Ryne tilted her head.

"That may not be necessary. As I've just explained, unless Kerry has a console for the rematch, I'm afraid she's disqualified," the shoutcaster explained. Devon's eyes went wide in shock.

"But hers was stolen," Ryne pointed out. "That's hardly her fault," she argued. While she wanted Devon to win, she couldn't stop herself from speaking up.

"Exactly," Kerry's voice shook as her anger faded. "And I don't have enough money for a new one," she explained.

"Sorry," the man shrugged, not seeming very apologetic. "I don't make the rules. Devon, looks like you're the champion," he told the Red Ranger, walking away. Kerry sighed, walking away, only for Devon to call her back.

"Here, you can use mine," he offered, holding out the console to her. She frowned, confused.

"Really?" she asked, uncertain as she looked at it.

"Sure," Devon nodded. "I don't wanna win because you forfeited. It's fine, I have a spare," he said.

"That's really nice of you. Thanks," she took it slowly, not sure how to react.

"It's the right thing to do," Devon told her, smiling. "And you better watch out, cause I'm not gonna pull my punches in the rematch," he warned, earning a genuine smile from her.

"Neither will I," she told him.

"Great," the man walked over again, having been listening to their conversation. "Be back here at 6 o'clock tonight," he told them, heading off.

"See you then," Devon walked off, and Ryne followed as Kerry stared after them.

"That was really nice of you," Ryne commented as they left. Devon just shrugged. "Just one thing though…you gave Nate the spare one to dismantle," she pointed out, and his steps faltered for just a moment.

"I'm sure it'll be okay," he told her as he kept walking. Ryne watched him carefully, curious about the smile he still had on his face.


Lewis muttered to himself as he checked his phone, deep in thought as he found himself checking on the updates that Dr. Walsh had sent him about the recovering sea creatures that had been brought in following the spill on the beach.

"Dammit," he closed the text and slipped his phone into his pocket, and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was supposed to be planning a training session for the Rangers, now that his training room had been repaired after Ravi and Nate had accidentally destroyed it.

"Miss, I'm sorry, but without a scheduled meeting with the Commander, I can't let you in," Lewis heard the security guard speaking as he walked into the building, pulling his pass from his pocket.

"But I have to! It's urgent!" he paused as he recognised the voice, and turned to see Kerry standing in front of the security guard, looking pleading. "It's about the Robot that attacked earlier. I…I have information that might help," she insisted.

"Miss, if I had a nickel for everyone who said that they had information, I wouldn't need to work here," the man said, and Kerry groaned, frustrated.

"It's okay," her eyes widened and she looked around as Lewis approached. "I'll vouch for her," he offered, and Kerry stared at him as the guard relaxed.

"Better you than me, Lewis," he told him.

"Trust me, I've been on the Commander's bad side plenty of times," Lewis shot him an easy smile. "You get used to it," he said. The guard just laughed, sitting back down.

"Something tells me that ain't true," he said, and Lewis gestured for Kerry to follow him.

"Th…thanks," Kerry's voice was quieter as she followed, watching as he scanned his card and greeted the man standing there. They walked through, and Kerry looked around. She was both nervous and excited as she followed him, taking in the sights normally off limits to civilians.

"Hey Lewis," one man greeted as he passed, and Lewis smiled at him, greeting him back. Kerry watched him warily, finding his current behaviour very different to when they'd spoken before.

"So what's so urgent that you have to speak with the Commander?" Lewis asked, his tone casual as he led her through the corridors.

"Not the Commander. The Rangers," Kerry said, and Lewis immediately stopped, turning to her.

"Uh…you know the Rangers aren't the kind of people to be spoken to on demand, right?" he asked, and Kerry scowled at him, defensive as he suddenly seemed to be talking down to her again.

"I know that, I'm not stupid," she bit back. "It's about that robot they fought, and the fighters it made. I know how to help," she insisted, and Lewis gave her a long, hard stare. When she met his gaze without flinching, he sighed, and raised his hand to push his hair from his face again. Kerry glanced at the tattoo on his arm that stood out with its black hue.

"Okay, then we need to talk to the Commander," he allowed. "Come on," he kept walking, and Kerry stared after the young man. With multiple piercings, a tattoo, and the leather jacket he wore, he didn't look like most of the people walking by, who were all in uniforms. She wondered just what exactly he did at Grid Battleforce. "You coming or what?" Lewis called over his shoulder without looking back, and Kerry quickly moved to catch up, nerves making her stomach churn as she tried to steel herself for what was to come.


Nate sighed, defeated as he stared down at the pieces of the AR Console that were scattered across the table in front of him.

"I really thought there'd be something, but we've studied every inch of it," he looked up at Devon, who had returned with Ryne in hopes that they'd gotten some kind of answer. "No clues on defeating Gamertron," Nate explained.

"And no sign of her, or Blaze, Asher and Roxy anywhere," Zoey added, having been searching for them while Nate worked.

"We need some kind of strategy," Ravi suggested.

"Ninja basics said not to fight yourself, but I think they didn't account for evil clones," Ryne considered, arms crossed as she tried to think of a way to beat Gamertron.

"Rangers," they turned around as Commander Shaw walked in, looking as serious as ever. "There's a young lady here. She says it's important she meets with you immediately," her words made them frown, wondering just who would be there to speak with them.

"Why?" Devon asked as they all exchanged looks.

"She claims to have information about that Robotron, but she'll only talk to the Rangers," their frowns dropped as surprise appeared on all their faces.

"She must be legit, if you're agreeing to this," Ryne said, tilting her head. She knew that the Commander was very careful about keeping their Ranger identities under lock and key. Even most of Grid Battleforce didn't know who they were.

"Lewis is vouching for her," the surprise kept mounting as Commander Shaw answered Ryne's statement. She hadn't been particularly welcoming to the young woman, especially when she wouldn't elaborate, but when Lewis had backed her up, she'd relented. "You'll need to Morph, since she can't know your identities," she instructed. They all turned to Devon, waiting for his response, and the Red Ranger nodded.


Kerry looked around the Command Room, still looking nervous even after managing to stand up to the stern Commander. Lewis was leaning on one of the tables nearby, a tablet in his hand as he watched the recent fight.

"What exactly do you do here?" Kerry's sudden question made him look up. He raised one pierced eyebrow, all too aware that she didn't like him. She stared back at him, unable to keep the question to herself any longer. He didn't wear a uniform, he was a high enough rank to have access to the Command Centre, and the Commander seemed to respect him.

"I'm the Combat Instructor," he said simply, watching as her eyes went wide in shock. He almost smiled at the reaction.

"O-oh," she stammered, suddenly understanding his attempt to protect her during the attack at the tournament. Without another word, Lewis went back to what he was doing, but was aware that she was staring. After all, he didn't quite look the part.

The doors then slid open, and the Commander walked in, followed by the Rangers.

"Hello," Devon spoke, trying to sound formal. He never liked trying to talk to civilians while keeping his identity a secret.

"Hi, I'm Kerry," he tensed as Kerry turned and introduced herself to him.

"You?!" Devon gasped, eyes going wide.

"Excuse me?" Kerry frowned, tilting her head. Devon immediately cleared his throat, backing away.

"Nothing," he muttered, and Lewis smirked, hearing how thrown the Red Ranger was.

"The Commander said you wanted to talk to us?" Ryne, seeing that Devon was caught off guard, spoke up for him.

"Yes," Kerry nodded, trying to keep serious and not show her excitement at being up close and talking to the Power Rangers. "I was in the Backstreet Brawler Finals when the gym was attacked. My console was stolen and transformed into that Robotron. The one that made the Ranger holo-clones," Kerry started.

"We know," Zoey nodded, wondering where she was going with this.

"I saw your fight, and those clones seem to be using the game's programming," Kerry continued, glancing quickly at the Yellow Ranger, before turning back to Devon. "But I think I know how we could beat them," she said, looking a little reluctant.

"You do? How?" Ravi asked. Kerry closed her eyes, and took a breath before speaking again.

"I figured out a secret move. One that can beat any fighter," she confessed, and Devon leaned closer. "I think it can beat the Holo-Clones too," Kerry told them.

"How can a move in a game, help in a real battle?" Steel asked, not understanding.

"If the fight is based on the same game, then it stands to reason that it may have the same weaknesses," Nate considered.

"Exactly," Kerry nodded, glad that he had caught on. "It's a certain combination of fight moves. When you do it, your opponent will freeze up," she explained. "You hit your opponent fast, twice on the left shoulder, twice on the right shoulder," Devon jolted when she demonstrated on him. "Then one slash down the chest. When you've done that, your opponent should freeze in place," she told them as Devon looked down at his chest, his mind whirling.

"You're talking about glitching the game," Ryne spoke as Devon recognised the movements from his own fight against her.

"Ye..yes…" Kerry nodded. "It's a bug in the game. I found it by accident. I haven't told anyone…except you," she confessed, guilt making her stomach churn.

"If you're using that glitch to beat your opponent, then you're not winning by fighting," Ryne said, crossing her arms as she realised what had gone wrong in Devon's fight earlier that day.

"You're winning by cheating," Devon's quiet voice was accusing as he pointed at her. Kerry sighed, turning to him.

"I didn't want to cheat. It's just…my little brother Louie. He loves soccer, and he was badly injured. If we can't pay for his surgery, he'll never play again," her voice shook. "My parents are both working so hard to pay for it, but it's not enough. This tournament…"

"So the winner's prize money would pay for the surgery?" Zoey realised as Kerry's voice shook the tears breaking free and running down her face.

"Yeah," she nodded.

"Listen, Kerry," Devon put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure you've worked hard to become a great gamer. With your skills, you've got a chance of winning the final. But if you cheat…then you're no winner at all," he told her, trying to sound gentle as she wiped the tears from her face.

They all jumped as the alarm suddenly blared, and turned quickly. "What's wrong?" Devon asked.

"Gamertron's back and is attacking a truck of game consoles," Lewis warned as he held out the tablet to the Commander.

"Sector Zulu 7-5," she told them.

"If they get those consoles, they'll be able to build an army of Gamertrons," Ryne realised, horror setting in. With an army of Gamertrons, they'd have an army of Ranger clones.

"Kerry, you gotta show us those moves one more time," Devon asked her, getting serious. Kerry swallowed, looking nervous as she realised just how dire things were, before she nodded.

"Okay," she agreed.


"Help!" the man pleaded from the ground, barely able to move as pain worse than he'd experienced before stopped him from being able to run away. Unfortunately for him, he'd been driving down one of the back roads that was less busy, and there was nobody else around.

"Quiet over there!" Gamertron snapped as she smashed open the back of the truck that he'd been driving. "Oh! Goody, goody!" she exclaimed as she looked up at the boxes stacked high, containing AR consoles. "Plenty of consoles to make an army of me!" she cheered as she reached out to grab them.

"No chance!" Devon's voice echoed through the quiet area, and Gamertron whirled around just in time for an explosion to burst up from her feet, throwing her away from the van. She screamed, landing heavily nearby.

"The jig is up, Gamertron!" Zoey declared as the Rangers stopped a short distance from the Robotron.

"So you've returned for a rematch," Gamertron pushed herself up, sounding entertained.

"Yeah, to end you," Devon vowed, and turned to Ryne. "Can you help him?" he asked as he gestured to the man barely conscious in the grass nearby.

"Of course," she nodded, running over to the man. Whispering a spell under her breath, Ryne waved her hand over his face as it glowed with faint blue magic. The man's eyes then shut, and his breathing evened out as he fell asleep. Ryne then demorphed, and her skin began to glow golden with sun energy she harnessed.

"Will he be okay?" Steel asked as he and Nate ran over, having been directed by Devon to get the truck back to base.

"Of course," Ryne tried to sound confident as she placed her hands on the man's arm. His cuts and bruises began to fade, and his uneasy expression softened. Once he was healed, the glowing faded, and Ryne stretched.

"I never get used to that," Nate admitted as Ryne then cast the counter spell to her sleeping spell. Ryne smiled, standing as the man stirred.

"Nobody ever does," she admitted, pressing her Morpher. "ACTIVATE BEAST POWER, HA!" she Morphed as Nate and Steel helped the drowsy man to his feet.

"Come on, we'll get you back to base," Nate told him, and he nodded, a little confused, especially since he suddenly felt a lot better. Ryne turned back to the fight nearby, seeing the rest of the Rangers fighting their clones, and ran back to help.

"Here comes a new challenger!" Gamertron noticed, and turned to Ryne as the panel on her chest began to glow. Ryne stopped, raising her Beast Spinners as she watched her own clone appear, flipping through the air before landing in front of her. For a moment, she watched her clone, who stood confidently.

"Yeah, one of me is enough for this planet," Ryne then ran at her, swinging her Beast Spinners, but her clone dodged and retaliated with an attack of her own. For a long moment, they were locked in a stalemate, before the clone landed a kick that knocked Ryne back.

"They fight like us," Zoey complained as they regrouped, all breathing heavily.

"Then it's time we tried Kerry's move," Devon decided.

"Lead the way," Ravi nodded. The four reengaged with their clones, who ran at them in return. Moving quickly, they gave a shout as they hit their clone with identical attacks, just like Kerry had shown them in the base. They jumped back as their clones then jerked, and stopped moving.

"It worked!" Devon grinned.

"Amazing," Ryne laughed.

"Huh, what's this?" Gamertron, who had until then been cheering on her clones, gasped in horror. "My clonies are all frozies!" she wailed.

"Beast-X Blast!" the Rangers fired their weapons together, destroying the clones in a powerful explosion.

"No!" Gamertron screeched as she saw her clones vanish. "Critical hit!" she whined.

"Guess we beat your high score," Devon smirked.

"Urgh, I've had it with the gamer references," Ryne sighed. Gamertron gulped, backing away as Devon altered his blaster.

"Beast-X Cannon, ready! Thanks for the run, Gamertron," Devon smirked as he took aim. "Beast-X Cannon, blast!" he fired, and the shot slammed into the Robotron, causing her to explode. "Gamertron, over," he declared.

"Got it! Nice job!" Zoey cheered for the Red Ranger.

"Yeah!" Ravi nodded.

"Well played, team," Devon said, high-fiving the other three. His Morpher then beeped, and he answered quickly. "What's up, Commander?" he asked.

'Gigadrone incoming, in Sector Foxtrot 0-5,' Commander Shaw warned.

"Roger that. We're on our way," Devon glanced to his team-mates, who nodded.

"Let's go," Ryne said, and the four ran to meet their Zords.


The sound of static filled the air for a moment before the Gigadrone appeared in the sky, falling and landing heavily enough to send a rumble through the city. It then straightened up, towering above as it aimed up, firing a beam of dark red energy that began to arc over part of the city.

"What is that dome?" Nate wondered as the Rangers arrived in their UltraZord.

"Whatever it is, it's bad energy," Ryne murmured.

"We're about to find out," Devon spoke low as they swung their sword down and cut through the dome of red energy, stepping inside.

"Whoa," Ryne gasped as she took a look around. In the middle, the Robotron was waiting for them, and fired multiple blasts that they barely managed to block. It forced the UltraZord backwards slightly, and they groaned as they pushed to recover.

"It's powerful!" Steel gasped.

"Our Morph-X levels are dropping," Zoey realised as she checked her systems.

"It's this dome," Ryne warned as she peered out. "It's turning the Morph-X that powers this area into digital energy to store," she said as she saw the flickering green data covering everything in sight.

"Including our Ultrazord!" Nate realised.

"Then let's take out that Gigadrone," Ravi growled, determined. They pushed the Ultrazord forwards, and landed a blow with their sword that made the Gigadrone stagger backwards.

"Ready? Now!" Devon shouted, and they grabbed hold of the robot, holding it in place.

"Ultra Blast!" Ryne, Ravi and Zoey shouted as they pulled back on their levers. The front of the Ultrazord began to glow, before firing a powerful beam of energy that broke through the armour of the Gigazord.

"Yes, got him!" Zoey grinned.

"Now, Devon! Finish it before it can take all our Morph-X!" Ryne called to their leader, who nodded.

"Transport, Cheetah Beast Blaster!" Devon called in the large red blaster, and the visor lowered over his helmet. "Beast-X Ultra Strike!" he fired, and the explosion shook their surroundings as the Gigadrone was destroyed. Light returned to normal as the dome faded, and the green lights on everything around them faded as Ryne breathed a sigh of relief. "Virus eliminated," Devon declared.


Finally 6 o'clock arrived, and the Rangers returned to Riptide Gym, where the tournament setup had been restored in preparation for the final match.

"Okay folks," the shoutcaster earned the attention of the crowd as they arrived just in time. "The final round of the Backstreet Brawler championship is about to begin!" he declared.

"Here you go," Ryne handed Devon his console back. "It should be all as it was before," she told him, having put it back together after Nate had dismantled it.

"Thanks," he nodded, connecting his game to it.

"Good luck," Ryne smiled, and he nodded, walked over to stand beside Kerry.

"You really put it back together that quick?" Blaze asked as he put his arms around the Pink Ranger. She leaned back against him as he rested his chin on her head.

"I've had to reassemble more difficult things. The tech is incredible, as you'd expect from Sarah. But the actual composition? Pretty simple," Ryne shrugged.

"Don't let her hear that," Asher warned, standing nearby and purposefully not looking at the pair.

"Why do you say that like you know her?" Blaze asked, a little confused as he let go of Ryne, turning a little more to Asher. Ryne's eyebrow quirked up as she looked up at him.

"Because we do," Asher answered, arms folded.

"She's my predecessor," Blaze looked down at Ryne quickly, eyes going wide.

"You mean she's-"

"Okay, players!" they looked around as the man in charge of the tournament spoke loudly. Devon glanced to Kerry, who looked back, both flashing confident smiles at one another.

"Good luck," he told her.

"You too," he was surprised when she returned the pleasant words.

"Ready, set…brawl!" the shoutcaster shouted, and the fighting immediately broke out. The crowd cheered loudly for the player they wanted to win, as once again they were evenly matched.

"She's pretty good," Ryne said.

"So's Devon," Lewis said as he appeared at her side. "Sorry I'm late. Was at the Marine Centre," he explained as she looked up at him.

"How are they doing?" Ryne asked, though her gaze was already back on the fight as Sinister Sasha landed two powerful hits with her sai.

"Great. They're going to release some of the animals that were less injured," Lewis' words made Ryne smile. She knew he'd been visiting a lot lately, and she was glad that it was going well.

The crowd then cheered even louder as Sinister Sasha landed on her back after taking several hard blows. Sensei Bones taunted, gesturing for her to attack, and Kerry pushed her fighter back to her feet.

"Kerry," she barely glanced at her brother as she frantically hit the button combos to have Sinister Sasha fighting back. "Use your move," he whispered. Her eyebrows furrowed, before she shook her head.

"No," she refused. "I'm not going to cheat," she decided as the Red Ranger's words echoed in her head. She fought back hard, landing more hits that made Devon's fighter flicker dangerously, before he flipped and kicked her hard. Sinister Sasha landed heavily as everyone gasped, and she didn't get back up.

'K.O!' the consoles both declared together as the letters appeared over the fallen fighter in bright red. 'Sensei Bones wins!' Devon cheered with excitement, raising his hands over his head.

"She didn't cheat," Ryne whispered to Lewis, who nodded, looking impressed as they clapped for the winner. Devon then turned to Kerry, still smiling.

"You won, fair and square," Kerry tried to look gracious, even as her disappointment ate at her.

"Yeah, but you didn't make it easy," Devon shook her hand, and Kerry managed a weak smile before turning to guide her brother away.

"Congratulations, Devon," the shoutcaster addressed him as he carried over the novelty check and trophy. "You're the Backstreet Brawler 3 grand champ!" he shouted more to the crowd, than to Devon, and handed over the two to him. The crowd cheered, clapping as Devon smiled, raising the trophy high. His smile faded quickly, however, even as the crowd chanted his name. His eyes were on Kerry, who was trying not to look disappointed in front of her brother.

"Kerry!" he called as she went to leave. After handing Ryne the trophy, Devon hurried over to the girl. "This prize money's for you," he held out the check, and she frowned, not understanding.

"For me? I just lost," she pointed out.

"There's more to gaming than just winning," Devon told her. "And you're a great player," he said as she stared at him, unsure. "Honestly, I'm happy with the trophy. Besides…" Devon glanced around before lowering his voice. "Somebody told me that you need the money more than I do," he pointed out. Kerry didn't speak, unable to find the words.

"I really appreciate this, Devon," her brother spoke instead, a little stunned.

"No problem, bro," he smiled down at the boy.

"Thank you," Kerry took the check, tears in her eyes, and threw her arm around Devon to hug him tightly. He jolted, taken aback, before hugging her.

"So, see you at next year's champs?" he asked, clearing his throat. Kerry smiled at him, her confidence returning.

"I'll be taking home that trophy," she said. Devon laughed, watching as she watched away. He then turned, talking quietly with his dad.

"That was real sweet of Devon," Ryne commented, having been watching with the others. They nodded, and as Mayor Daniels walked away, they all approached their friend as he smiled. They cheered for him, congratulating him for his win, and Ryne handed back the trophy.

"So, who wants to take a pic with my trophy?" Devon asked, pulling his phone from his pocket. They all laughed, getting in close for a picture, and as Ravi put his arm around Ryne to get her in close enough, she noticed Blaze's arm go around Asher to do the same, but she smiled brightly for the camera, deciding that now wasn't the best time to address it.

"What did you say to Kerry?" as they all split apart, Ryne turned to Devon. "To explain how you knew that her brother needed the money for his surgery?" she asked him, and he shrugged.

"Just that someone told me," he said, having kept it vague. After all, she'd told him as the Red Ranger, not as himself. "Why?" Devon asked as he saw Ryne's thoughtful look.

"Well, there's one person who was there when she told us, who is here now," she glanced at Lewis, whose eyes widened briefly. He then turned to Devon, suddenly unimpressed.

"If she shouts at me again, Devon, I swear. I'm going to triple your training," he warned, which only made the others laugh as Lewis hoped that he wouldn't have to see her again.


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