Chapter 23: Artist Anonymous
Taking deep breaths in and out, Ryne scaled the climbing wall with ease, her eyes darting ahead as she reacted quickly. Before she knew it, her hand hit the button at the very top, and the timer that had been counting up stopped immediately.
"Nice work," as Ryne let go of the rubber grips, she slowly descended back down towards the ground where the coach was waiting. "You shaved a good couple of seconds off your last time," he told her, looking happy with her progress as her feet touched the soft mat. Ryne smiled, and looked back at the wall.
"I hesitated for a moment halfway up. It was a tricky choice," she admitted. The man nodded, happy that she'd noticed her own mistake. "I'll do better next time," Ryne murmured, determination in her dark eyes as she moved to grab her water.
"You're still new to the whole thing, kid," he told her. He watched as she took a gulp of water, and then dipped her hand into the bag that hung at her side, which coated her hand in chalk. "Don't put too much pressure on yourself," he said. She was a little older than most of the new starts he trained in his classes, but she was a fast learned. Ryne was smart, to the point where he thought she'd suit a library better, but she was well built with an athlete's body, and she'd explained she grew up in a family of people who trained in martial arts. "Ready for one more go?" he asked as Ryne stared at the wall, her gaze slowly going up.
"Yeah," Ryne confirmed in a quiet voice. She approached the wall, and the coach hit the button to start the timer. Immediately Ryne was pushing herself up, remembering the route she took the last time and moving in a way that allowed her to save energy.
The moment she knew her grip was steady, Ryne was pushing up further without waiting. As she climbed higher and higher, she smiled to herself, having fun with what she was doing. Before she'd realised it, she'd reached the top, hitting the button and stopping the timer. Another second shaved off. Trying not to feel too disappointed that it wasn't faster, she let herself slowly fall back down to the ground.
"I knew you were good when I first saw you," the coach told her, making Ryne's smile return as she slowly unhooked the rope from around her waist. "See you again on Saturday for the group class?" he asked as he took back the equipment from the girl.
"Yeah, I'll be there," Ryne nodded, a thrill of excitement running through her at the thought of joining the class. Originally she'd joined a beginner class, but thanks to her already fit build from her Ranger training, she'd excelled quickly, and the coach had asked for her to do a one-on-one session to see if she was fit for the intermediate class. "See you then," she headed off to the locker room to shower and change out of the training gear she wore.
When she got in there, she checked her phone, seeing that she had a message from Blaze. She opened it, having asked if he wanted to get food before she had to go to Grid Battleforce.
'Sorry, I promised Asher I'd help her prepare her classes. Lunch instead? My treat,' Ryne sighed, shaking her head. Without responding, she tossed her phone back into the locker and shut it loudly, before going to get a shower.
Once she'd showered, she returned to get dressed, and strapped her wristcom back on. She looked down at it for a moment, before lifting her phone. She skimmed through her contacts, and hit call. For a moment, it rang and rang.
"My day has been instantly improved," Fane's voice made Ryne smile softly. "What's up? You're more of a DM girl," she said, and Ryne took a breath.
"I need your advice," she said quietly.
Tapping the end of her screwdriver against the metal table, Ryne was staring into space as the doors slid open, and Ravi rushed in. He froze, and for a moment hoped that he could slip back out unnoticed. Unfortunately for him, Ryne snapped back to attention.
"H-hey Ravi," she forced a smile, but it faded when she saw the look on his face. "What's wrong?" Ryne asked, tilting her head. Ravi started to speak, but the lie died on his lips. Instead, he sighed, and held up his hands. They were covered in paint. "Ah," Ryne nodded in understanding.
"If my mum sees this…" Ravi then groaned. "Help me," he pleaded, and Ryne nodded.
"I think I've seen some turpentine around here. Nate stores some weird things," she said, walking over to the shelves to check. "Found it!" she grabbed a bottle of turpentine, and paper towels before walking back over to Ravi. "This isn't your usual paint. I thought you preferred watercolours," Ryne said as she poured the liquid into a bowl and took one of Ravi's hands, starting to clean it gently.
"It was a different kind of painting," Ravi said awkwardly, and Ryne didn't push it. While the Blue Ranger had been more open with the team about his art, he still hadn't entirely shaken the embarrassment of sharing his creativity with them. They lapsed into quiet as Ryne carefully cleaned the paint from his hands, and Ravi watched her for a moment. "You noticed me when I came in. Normally you're kind of…oblivious…when you're working," Ravi pointed out.
"Rude," Ryne said shortly, but didn't look offended. "I couldn't focus. I've been a little distracted all morning," she answered quietly.
"Are you-"
"Hey Ryne, hey Ravi," they looked up as Nate walked into the lab, followed by Steel. "What have you been painting?" Nate asked, seeing the paint on Ravi's hands.
"Um…nothing," Ravi shrugged. "Just touched a freshly painted wall in our house," he said. Ryne arched an eyebrow at his lie, not looking impressed, but she kept quiet. "Remodelling, you know," Ravi laughed awkwardly as Nate didn't seem to buy it.
"I guess I forgot you guys were doing that," Steel said, seeming to believe the lie. "Cruise must be rubbing off on me," he laughed, making Nate smile. Ravi's phone then rang, and he pulled away from Ryne to answer it.
"Hey," he greeted Devon.
'Dude. Turn to Channel 10,' Devon didn't wait for pleasantries, and Ravi glanced at the other three, confused.
"Uh…okay," he said, walking over to the computer. "It's Devon. Something's on the news," Ravi said, and they gathered around.
"Good news, I hope," Steel said, and Nate nodded. Accessing the Channel 10 website, Ravi brought up the live report. Zoey's mother appeared on screen, standing in front of a wall.
'This building had been marked for demolition, until a new mural appeared today,' Muriel Reeves announced, and the camera cut to the wall, showing a beautiful painting.
"Cool!" Steel exclaimed.
"That's so pretty," Ryne commented as Ravi's eyes lit up.
"No way," he breathed.
'No-one knows who the mystery artist is, but people sure love their work,' Muriel continued.
'I'm sure cameras don't do it justice,' Devon told Ravi, whose smile widened more.
"So, people really like it, huh?" Ravi's question made Ryne look at him, and when she saw his excited expression, realisation dawned on her.
'Of course. Your skills are next level,' Devon's answer made Ravi gulp.
"What do you mean, my skills?" he asked, trying and failing to sound innocent.
'Come on, dude,' Devon didn't sound like he believed his acting, and Ravi saw Ryne giving him a sceptical look that made him blush.
"Okay, I painted it," he caved, confessing. Ryne smirked, while Nate and Steel exchanged confused looks. "How'd you know it was me?" Ravi asked curiously.
'We had a feeling,' Devon laughed. 'Get down here, Michelangelo, and check out all the people enjoying your art,' he told the Blue Ranger, whose smile returned.
"Sure, I'll head over now," Ravi agreed, ending the call.
"Hey, wait a second…" Steel started as Ravi walked past them, going to the doors.
"You guys coming?" Ravi asked the three.
"You painted the mural this morning, didn't you? That's why Ryne was cleaning your hands," Nate accused, looking hurt, and Ravi sighed.
"Yeah, it's true. I did paint it," he confessed.
"We already know you like to paint," Nate reminded him. "Why lie to us about it?" he asked, hurt that Ravi would lie so easily about something.
"I'm sorry, bro. I've been keeping my painting a secret for so long, telling little lies about it is just a reflex now," he explained, feeling guilty.
"There's no such thing as a little lie," Ryne's words were quiet, but all three heard her.
"She's right," Nate agreed. "It's not cool. How would you like it if I did that to you?" he asked, and the guilt grew like a weight in Ravi's stomach.
"I wouldn't like it at all," he admitted, understanding Nate's point. "I won't lie to you again. I promise," Ravi told them, looking at Steel and Ryne as well. Nate smiled softly.
"Okay. Thanks," he said, looking a little happier. "You better go check out your first art exhibit," Nate told him. Ravi nodded, his excitement returning as Nate accepted his apology.
"Ryne, you coming?" Ravi asked, and Ryne hesitated for a moment before nodding.
"Sure," she agreed, following him out.
"You okay, Ryne?" Ravi asked as they made their way down to the car park. He looked at the much shorter girl who had to move faster to keep up with his long strides. "You seem more distracted than usual," he commented. Ryne was quiet for another moment.
"Just some stuff. I'll be okay," she said, which only made Ravi more concerned as they got into the lift. Seeing his expression, Ryne smiled at him. "Really, it's okay," she insisted. As she made to leave the lift as the doors opened again, Ravi put a hand on her shoulder.
"You can talk to me, you know. If something's wrong," he told her, and Ryne's smile grew.
"Thanks, Ravi. That means a lot," she said quietly. "I'll tell you about it later. Right now, we should go see your mural," Ryne said, and Ravi nodded. The two stepped out and made their way towards where Ravi had parked. "I can't wait to see it in person. It looked amazing on camera," Ryne said, making him blush as he pulled his keys from his pocket.
"It's really not that amazing," he tried to say, and saw Ryne roll her eyes at him. Before she could tell him off, however, they heard a loud, maniacal laugh, and looked around. "Whoa!" Ravi gasped, and both he and Ryne moved away from the car to move towards the Robotron that walked into view. "That's far enough," the Blue Ranger warned.
"How'd you get in here?" Ryne demanded as Keytron turned to them.
"I'm the Master Key!" he replied as if this were obvious.
"Guys," Ravi quickly opened a link over his wristcom. "A Robotron has breached security on parking level one," he warned as Ryne moved into a fighting stance.
"Did someone call the locksmith?" Keytron asked, before starting to run towards the pair. Both Pink and Blue Rangers dove aside as he swung the key-shaped blade on his arm at them, pushing away. "Can't get away from me, kids. I can unlock any door," Keytron taunted.
"Now you just crawled through the wrong keyhole," Ravi bit back as they grabbed their keys.
"ACTIVATE BEAST POWER, HA!" both Morphed as Ravi rolled under Keytron's next attack, and Ryne leapt over his head.
"Take this!" Ryne kicked Keytron from behind, knocking him into Ravi, who slashed at him with his sword. The Robotron jerked, recovering enough to shove Ravi backwards. Narrowing her eyes, Ryne called on her Beast Spinners, throwing one of them at the robot's back. The hit dented his armour, forcing Keytron to release his grip on Ravi.
"Thanks Ryne!" Ravi went to fire his blaster, only for the Robotron to grab the weapon. There was a flash of red light.
"You're on lockdown!" Keytron declared with a laugh, and Ravi stepped back to take a shot.
"Beast Blast!" he shouted, but as he squeezed the trigger, nothing happened. Ravi's eyes widened. "No!" he gasped, trying again. In his distraction, he didn't see Keytron get in close to hit him, and the Blue Ranger fell to the ground.
"Ravi!" Ryne called out to the Blue Ranger, throwing both of her weapons this time. She ran in as they hit Keytron, and she kicked him to the ground as she pulled her Spinners back to her. As Ryne stood defensively in front of Ravi, Keytron got back to his feet with a laugh.
"Your weapons can't stop me!" he taunted, and they heard footsteps as Nate and Steel ran into view.
"But we can!" Steel shouted.
"We've got this, Ravi!" Nate called as they ran over to help Ryne against the Robotron.
"Thanks, guys," Ravi groaned as he slowly got back to his feet. His body protested the movements, and he watched as Steel dropped suddenly, rolling along the ground. His attention diverted by the strange movement, Keytron wasn't able to block Nate's shot.
"You just fell for the ol' roly-poly!" Steel taunted, jumping back to his feet as Ravi rejoined them.
"This lock's gonna bolt!" Keytron declared, turning on his heel and suddenly running off.
"Don't let him escape!" Ryne shouted, and the four gave chase. They followed the Robotron out of the car park and down the steps to the side of the building. "I don't think so!" Ryne leapt down from the top of the steps, landing in front of Keytron. He lashed out to try and get past the Pink Ranger, but she blocked each move, and with a strong kick, knocked him backwards.
The fighting continued as Keytron recovered, swinging at them until Nate kicked him, and the Robotron cried out as he tripped and fell down the rest of the steps, rolling along the ground until he hit a low wall.
"Ouch!" he whined, getting back to his feet. Instead of attacking again, Keytron once again turned to run away. "You can't catch me!" he declared, only for all four to block his path.
"Think again," Ravi growled. Keytron then gasped as Devon and Zoey came into view, Morphed and riding Cruise in his motorcycle form.
"Incoming!" the Red Ranger grinned.
"More Rangers? No thanks!" Keytron declared, and vanished in a whirl of purple before they could stop him. Devon pulled up, allowing Zoey to climb off.
"Hey team," the Yellow Ranger said as she hurried over to the others.
"Sorry we're late," Devon apologised.
"Don't worry about it. I have a feeling he'll be back," Ravi said, his voice low. Ryne nodded, wondering just what Evox was planning now.
Ryne's stomach churned in an unpleasant sensation as she sat in Riptide Gym. She tapped her fingers on the glass of her untouched smoothie. So uneasy, she kept shifting, and she didn't look up at Blaze as he sat opposite her. She knew what she'd see if she did.
Blaze was leaning back in his seat, looking stunned and confused as he registered the words she'd just uttered. He stared at the black haired girl, who looked close to tears.
"Ryne…you want to break up? But…why?" he asked, reaching out and putting his hands around hers. He ducked his head, trying to get her to meet his gaze, but she kept her dark eyes firmly on her neglected drink.
"I still like you, Blaze. I do," Ryne said quietly. Her words shook a little.
"Then why?" Blaze asked, not understanding why she'd suddenly decided to end things. Ryne pulled her hands free, putting them on her lap as she finally lifted her head. Despite the tears swimming in them, her eyes were sharp.
"Because I'm not the one you really want," Blaze went still at her simple words. "You like me, yeah, but it's not the same," Ryne said. He had no idea how she managed to make such a statement seem so simple. Of course, that was part of the reason he'd been attracted to her in the first place. She was honest to the point of being blunt. "I'm sorry," his eyes widened as she lowered her head.
"No, don't apologise," Blaze reached out, but hesitated before he touched her as he saw her tense. "Please. Don't," he shook his head quickly. "I'm the one who should be sorry," Blaze ran a hand through his hair. "For what it's worth, I have enjoyed being with you," he told her.
"Me too," Ryne sighed. "But we're not right for each other, and I think if I just kept pretending like I didn't see it, it would only make both of us miserable in the end," she told him. Blaze nodded, knowing that she was right. That didn't exactly mean it didn't hurt, and part of him wanted to argue with her, insist that she was wrong about who he had feelings for.
But as he stared down at the Pink Ranger, he knew he'd hurt her enough already. To straight up lie when she had already figured out the truth wasn't something Blaze could do. Especially to someone who had helped save his life.
For a moment, an awkward quiet fell over the pair, and Blaze had no idea what to say or do to make it end. Then Ryne sniffed, dragging the back of her hand across her eyes to wipe away the tears, and she stood up.
"I should go. I need to get back to Grid Battleforce anyway," she said. Blaze nodded, fighting the urge to hug her. It was the last thing she needed from him. "Just do me one favour?" Ryne asked.
"Anything," Blaze nodded, and Ryne met his gaze with a much more serious look.
"Don't mess around with this. Be true to yourself, or I will really get mad," she warned him, so firmly that Blaze was almost scared. All he could do was nod, and Ryne smiled very faintly. "I'll see you around," with that, she turned and made her way out of Riptide, leaving Blaze to stare down at the drink in front of him.
Ryne didn't have much time to recover, as she and the other Rangers were contacted by the Commander, who had them meet up by the side of Grid Battleforce.
"Hey Ryne," Ravi was, as usual, the first to arrive back at Grid Battleforce, and spotted Ryne when she skated up, kicking her board into her hands. His smile fell when he saw her red eyes. "What happened?" he asked, suddenly protective over her.
"I, uh-"
"Hey guys!" Zoey's call reached them. The two looked around and saw her approaching with the rest of the Rangers, and Ryne took a deep breath.
"Later," Ryne told the Blue Ranger. He frowned.
"But-"
"Please. I don't want to talk about it with everyone yet," Ryne pleaded. Ravi hesitated, before nodding.
"Okay," he nodded, turning to the others as Ryne took another deep breath, trying to will herself to look normal.
"Anyone know what's going on?" Devon asked, and Ravi shrugged.
"No idea. Mum just said to go around the side," he said, leading the way with Ryne beside him, keeping her head down.
"Maybe it's a surprise birthday party for me!" Steel guessed, sounding excited.
"Steel, it's not your birthday," Nate reminded him, exchanging smiles with Zoey.
"Exactly why it would be a surprise?" Steel pointed out, making most of the others laugh. They turned the corner, spotting Commander Shaw with Mayor Daniels as they watched people carrying buckets from a van.
"Ah," Mayor Daniels smiled as he saw them. "There they are," he said as Devon looked surprised.
"Dad, what are you doing here?" he asked curiously as he reached the Mayor, hugging him.
"I'm working on a campaign to promote Morph-X as the energy source of the world," Mayor Daniels explained.
"He's convinced me to allow a mural to be painted here, on the outside of our HQ," Commander Shaw explained, but didn't look overly thrilled by the idea. Ravi frowned, surprised by the idea.
"A mural? But why?" he asked.
"To keep the public excited about the global Morph-X network," Mayor Daniels explained for her. "The more buzz we can get going, the better. And, as we all know, the new mural downtown is extremely popular," he pointed out. Ravi hid his proud smile. "Therefore, we'll use the same artist to paint this one," immediately his smile vanished and his blood ran cold as they all froze.
"But…nobody knows who painted that mural," Ryne spoke up, and was relieved when her voice came out steady. Mayor Daniels smiled at the Pink Ranger.
"He's right here," he gestured, and they all turned in the direction the man pointed. "Guys, meet Pierre," at his words, the doors to the back of the van burst open, and a man stood there with his arms spread out in a grand gesture. He wore a white painting smock and black beret, with a pair of rounded sunglasses hiding his eyes as he held a paintbrush between his teeth.
"Bonjour," Pierre greeted in a thick French accent, stepping out of the van and walking towards them with an overzealous flair.
"Uh…" Ravi stared at the man hard. "You painted it?" he asked suspiciously.
"Mais oui," the man spoke in French. "I am guilty…of creating beauty," he declared as the Rangers stared at him incredulously. "The soul of the city, it speaks to me, and my paintbrush begins to dance," Pierre demonstrated brush strokes in the air as Commander Shaw edged away from the man.
"Whatever that means…" Steel muttered to his brother, who nodded slowly.
"You don't recognise Pierre?" Commander Shaw asked, her eyebrow raising. Ravi froze again as he remembered what he'd told his mother than morning. "You chased him off when he was painting," she pointed out. When Ravi didn't answer straight away, she gave him a hard stare. "Is he the artist or not?" she pressed.
"Well, it's just that he moved so fast when he ran away," Ravi lied, and Ryne glanced at Nate, both looking unhappy at his words. "But yeah, this is the guy. Definitely," he told his mother, and Ryne winced. Pierre clapped his hands together.
"I am ready…to make this building into a work…of art!" he declared loudly.
"Let's get you set up," Commander Shaw tried to hide her displeasure over the eccentric man's behaviour. "The wall you're painting is just over here," she led Pierre and Mayor Daniels away.
"That guy's taking credit for my work!" Ravi hissed as soon as they were far enough away. "Incredible," he growled.
"Well he's a fake," Devon soothed.
"Sure, but can we tell the Commander that?" Zoey sighed. Ravi grimaced, looking around, before shaking his head.
"No, we can't," he refused. "You don't understand. My mother expects me to follow in her footsteps. She's been putting me in uniforms since before I could walk," Ravi gave a helpless shrug. "It means so much to her, and I don't want to let her down," he told them.
"But you're lying to her, Ravi," Ryne spoke softly to the Blue Ranger. "That's a far worse way to let her down," she pointed out.
"I know," Ravi groaned. "But what can I do?" he asked with another shrug.
"You can tell her the truth," Zoey pressed. Ravi looked away, uncertain as Steel nodded.
"I don't know, guys," he shook his head, fear making his chest tight. "My mum would be so mad. I'd be in a world of trouble," Ravi pointed out.
"But how long can you keep lying to her?" Nate asked him gently.
"If you keep lying, you're going to build a gap between the two of you. One that you'll never be able to fix," Ryne warned. "It's better to have her be angry now, than to lose her in the long run," she pointed out. Ravi frowned, mulling her words over, before he nodded.
"You're right," he agreed. They all smiled. "I'll talk to her. Right now," he decided.
"Okay," they all hurried over to where Pierre was talking loudly. As he dipped the paint into the tub that was being held up by a man in a protective suit, Ravi called out.
"Wait! Not so fast!" Ravi told him, and the three looked up. "This man is an impostor," he declared.
"Son!" Commander Shaw stared at him, confused.
"Excusez-moi?" Pierre demanded, sounding insulted.
"He did not paint the mural in the city," Ravi told them, and Pierre scowled at him.
"How dare you call me a liar?" he snarled at the Blue Ranger. Commander Shaw looked at Pierre, and back at Ravi, her eyebrows furrowed.
"But you just confirmed it was him," she said, not understanding why he would immediately change his tune. Ravi swallowed as the weight on his chest grew heavier.
"It wasn't him," Ravi's voice was less confrontational this time. "It was me," his confession made Commander Shaw's eyes widen. Her mouth fell open as she stared, not having expected his confession. "I painted the mural," Ravi told her.
"You?" Commander Shaw blinked several times as she tried to process this. "But…you don't know anything about painting," she said slowly, her confusion obvious.
"I didn't think so either," Ravi shrugged. "But I tried it, and, well…" he pulled a folded up piece of paper from his pocket, and held it out to her. "Turns out I'm pretty good," he admitted as she took it. She opened up the paper, and found an exact replica of the mural in town. For a long moment, she was quiet, staring at it. Then she looked up, her expression suddenly unreadable.
"So, you lied to me?" she asked quietly. As Ravi stammered, trying to explain, nobody noticed the look exchanged between the mayor, and Pierre. "So, this morning when I was out jogging, you had not just chased off an artist?" she demanded. Pierre crept over to the people in white gear, who all crouched to lift the paint.
"No, there was no other artist," Ravi confirmed.
"You…are a painter?" Commander Shaw asked, still trying to accept what Ravi had just confessed. Ryne's eyes narrowed as she noticed the people walking up behind them. "I can't believe you hid this from me," as Commander Shaw spoke, the people pulled the buckets of paint back.
"Watch out!" Ryne shouted, shoving the others out of the way. They all dove out of the way of the paint that was tossed at them, right as Pierre pressed a button on the device he carried. An explosion caused them all to be thrown further, and Pierre gave a roar as his body lit up, changing. A moment later, Keytron stood in his place, cackling.
"How's that for my masterpiece?" he taunted as the Tronics pulled the white coats from their bodies.
"You again?" Ryne scowled as the Rangers recovered, getting back up.
"I-I don't believe it!" Mayor Daniels stammered, backing away.
"Come on, Mr. Mayor. Let the Rangers handle this," Commander Shaw led the man away.
"You've really painted yourself into a corner now," Devon growled.
"Really?" Ryne rolled her eyes at the pun.
"It's Morphin' Time!" Devon shouted, ignoring Ryne's mutter. They all called on their Morphers, and lifted their keys.
"ACTIVATE BEAST POWER!" each Morphed, ready to fight as Keytron cackled again.
"Perfect! Now I can put all your weapons safely under lock and key!" he then fired six shots that hit each Ranger, and they cried out as their transporters began to glow.
"Transport, Ultra Blaster!" Devon called, but as he pressed the device, nothing happened. "Huh? It's not working!" he gasped.
"No, he must locked the programming," Nate realised as they all tried to use their transporters. "Which means…"
"We can't teleport anything!" Steel gulped.
"Lucky for us, not all of our weapons need to be teleported," Ryne cracked her neck. "Call to the beast inside! Free the Fox!" she shouted as a pink aura surrounded her. Her fox spirit rose from the aura, yipping before leaping at the robots.
"That never gets old!" Devon grinned as Keytron cried out, knocked aside by the large spirit. "Let's go!" he shouted, and they all ran in to join in on the fight. Ryne leapt up, kicking out at Keytron as her fox spirit stopped him from getting away, batting the robot and knocking him into the side of the building before it vanished. "You've got to show me how to do that," Devon told Ryne as he joined her in fighting the Robotron, while the rest focused on the Tronics.
"Ask Lewis. I'm no Pai Zhuq teacher," Ryne told him, making Devon laugh before he rolled over a crate to avoid Keytron's attacks. He then rammed the Robotron, who landed and rolled along the ground.
"I'm gonna make you pay!" Keytron vowed angrily. Ryne's hands lit up with energy, but before Keytron could get close, he was hit from a blast from the side. The Red and Pink Rangers looked around quickly, and found Commander Shaw carrying their weapons.
"Thought you could use a little firepower," she called over, and threw Devon the Ultra Blaster.
"Thanks Commander," Devon grinned, taking aim. "Beast-X Ultra Blast!" as he fired a shot, Ryne threw out her hands, and their combined attack destroyed the Robotron in a loud explosion. "Nice combo!" Devon high-fived Ryne as the others hurried over. "What's the situation, Commander?" Devon asked the woman as she joined them.
"One of our detectors just triggered. A Gigadrone is about to land in Charlie 3-7," Commander Shaw warned them.
"Alright, let's go," Devon told his team, and the six hurried off to get to their Zords.
As the Gigadrone landed exactly where Commander Shaw had warned them, the Ultrazord rose from the underground hangar.
"Okay team, we've got this!" Devon called as they moved towards the Gigadrone. As they did, a beam of red light burst from the massive robot, creating a new dome over its head.
"Oh man, it's another one of those dome things!" Zoey gulped.
"This again," Ryne scowled. "They're digitising the Morph-X and draining it. We need to be careful, or it'll steal ours too," she called.
"Right. Let's be careful," Devon said. The Ultrazord cut a hole through the dome, stepping inside as it sealed up behind them, casting everything in a red light. Ryne winced as she saw everything flashing with green light, and closed her eyes to shake her head momentarily. "Okay Commander, the Ultrazord is inside the dome. We're gonna do this quick," Devon reported, and they stabbed out at the Gigadrone with their spear. It staggered backwards, before firing a red light at the Ultrazord. Immedately the front began to glow, and the Gigadrone stabbed the light, turning the key-like blade of its arm.
"Oh no, my controls are locked!" Steel realised as he struggled to try and control the Ultrazord.
"Not again!" Nate groaned, and they all cried out as the Ultrazord jerked violently, hit by a blow to their legs.
"We're losing Morph-X!" Zoey cried out as their cockpits sparked dangerously.
"Cruise, what can you do?" Devon asked his Beast Bot as they all tried to find something that wasn't locked.
'I've done a scan, and our jet boots are not locked,' Cruise reported, and an idea came to Devon as he grinned.
"That's genius! Use them now!" the Ultrazord shot into the air, avoiding the next attack from the Gigadrone. "Cutting engines…now!" they then stopped midair, plummeting down and landing on the Gigadrone with such power that it cracked its armour and smashed its key.
"The key's broken!" Zoey gasped.
"Our systems are back online," Ryne reported as her console lit up again.
"Then let's wrap this up," Devon hit his transporter. "Transport, Cheetah Beast Blaster!" he held his hands up, grabbing the blaster as it materialised in front of him. "Beast-X Ultra Strike!" with their finishing move, they destroyed the Gigadrone, and the dome faded once more.
"Virus, eliminated!"
Ryne sat back in her chair, sipping at the strawberry smoothie that she was holding in both hands. She avoided the looks that the rest of her team gave, knowing how they were.
"Are you going to be okay?" Devon asked as Zoey put her arms around the Pink Ranger, hugging her tightly.
"I'll be fine," Ryne couldn't help but laugh as she set her drink down. She looked up at the rest of the group, who she'd just told about ending things with Blaze. "Yeah, the whole thing sucks and I feel lame, but it's better in the long run," she shrugged.
"Why did you break up with him?" Steel asked, not entirely understanding. Ryne was quiet, before shrugging.
"It was something different and I was curious, but I realised that was all it really was. A crush, but nothing deeper than that," she said, and took another drink.
"I'm sorry Ryne. That sucks," Ravi reached over and squeezed her shoulder. Ryne just managed a small smile.
"Okay guys," Zoey spoke up, not letting Ryne go. "Everyone back at mine tonight. We're gonna play games and watch movies," she told the group, who nodded in agreement.
"Oh! Games!" Steel sounded excited.
"We aren't going to let you go off alone," Zoey told Ryne simply, and the Pink Ranger managed a proper smile at the Yellow Ranger. "So we're gonna have fun tonight, and help you feel better," she said.
"Sounds great. I'll bring the snacks," Ravi volunteered.
"Uh, I'll bring the snacks," Devon shot him a look. "The last thing we need is your healthy food," he said, and Ravi blushed as the others laughed.
"Just don't forget the carrot sticks," Zoey told them.
"Thanks, guys," Ryne looked up at the team, and Devon reached out to ruffle her hair.
"Nothing to thank us for," he told her.
"He's right," Nate agreed with a smile. "We're more than a team, and we're here for you," he said so firmly that tears began to form in her eyes again. She nodded.
"Right," she managed to mumble, leaning against Zoey. Not for the first time, she found herself grateful for her new family.
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