Sorry for the late update.
Here is the next chapter. Enjoy and don't forget to review.
Chapter Twenty Three
Tori had just entered Storm Charges and spotted Dustin behind the counter with a yellow towel hanging over his left shoulder. He was working on a tool that was in his hands. She sighs, thinking about what happened for the past few days. Her and Marah had traveled to an Alternate Universe, Her and Blake are dating, Marah and Dustin confessed their feelings toward each other which was a little surprised to her because she knew how they felt toward each other. Cam was fine with it when he found out about Dustin and Marah being a couple. Then finally Hunter was upset and depressed that Kaitlyn is missing. He had been searching for her and has no luck finding her.
"I wonder if Dustin knew where Kaitlyn is?" she wondered as she begins to walk toward Dustin when Blake walked passed by her "Hey" she smiles at him.
Blake smiled in return "Hey," he said, without stopping
"Where you going in such a hurry?" she asked him, turning around on the spot
He hesitated "Uh, nowhere..." he stuttered
"You want to go riding after work, maybe?" she suggested
Blake stopped once and turned back to her "Nah, I got loads of work to do and uh...I'll see ya later, alright?" he waved and quickly left, running into Skyla as she was coming in. He smiled and nodded at her before taking off across the parking lot and into a black convertible that had just pulled up.
"Where's he off to?" Skyla asked as she approached Tori
"I have no idea," the blonde murmured, watching the navy ranger for a while longer before she and Skyla walked over to Dustin who looked up at them with a smile.
"Hey girls, what's up? Where is Marah?"
"Cam is running some test on her," Skyla explained "He want to check her to see if she's okay".
"Oh," Dustin nodded.
"Dustin, do you know where Blake is going?" Tori asked, still wondering where Blake went off to in a hurry.
"Don't know," he shrugs "Maybe ninja training with Hunter," he assumed
Tori looked away, blinking her eyes "I have a feeling that Blake is not ninja training with Hunter," she said as Skyla placed a hand on her shoulder, comforting her.
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At Ninja Ops, Marah was sitting down while Cam was holding a clipboard, looking at it.
"Cam, how does it look for me?"
Cam looked up at Marah and sighs "Not good," he sat down next to her as she sadly look down at her hands "Marah, there's something you should know".
She looked at him and sighs "Okay, tell me".
"When the Fake Marah attacked you, she planted a virus inside you".
"A virus?" Marah eyes widen in shock "What kind of virus is it?"
"A virus that can actually destroy and drain the rest of your energy," Cam answered.
Marah closes her eyes "It's too late for me, isn't it" she said and Cam touches her hands
"No, it's not," She looked up at him confused "Marah, there is a way to save you".
"How?"
"Destroy Fake Marah," Cam simply replied, which made Marah more confused than before.
"But, Didn't you said that I would die if Fake me is destroy," she asked him.
"I did say that, but I manage to find a way to destroy Fake Marah without killing you," Cam smiled.
"And that would be..."
"With Kapri help"
"Kapri?"
Cam nodded "Yes Kapri, she has found a way to save you and has secretly contacting me".
"Did she tell you what it is?" Marah asked.
"Not yet," Cam shook his head "But she will contact me again once she make sure that what she found actually work".
"Do you think it would work?"
"Marah," Sensei spokes all of sudden and Cam and Marah turn to look at him on Cam's computer desk "You must have faith in Kapri that she would be able to save you" You are the reason why she returned to Lothor's ship".
"I know, it just that I'm worried about her".
"Me and Cam know how you feel, Marah," Sensei said with understanding "Kapri can handle herself and will be okay," he assured.
"You're right, Sensei," she said with a small smile. Then she turned and looked at Cam "Cam... about Kapri".
"Yeah"
"Well, I want to ask if you..." she hesitates whether she should ask him. Cam notices her hesitation, decides to help her out since he already knew what she was planning to ask.
"If I know Kaitlyn is Kapri and also the cloak figure, am I right?"
Marah looked at him in shock that he knew all along that Kaitlyn is Kapri "You knew?" she found herself asking him.
Cam nodded
"But how did you know?"
"I put the pieces together," the green samurai chuckles "And beside you and Kapri are my cousin so I can easy recognize you and Kapri in civilian forms".
Marah looked down and laugh "I never knew you were that smart".
Cam put his arms around Marah's shoulder and smirks "There are things you don't know about me".
"Why didn't you say anything at all?"
"Let just say I like to keep quiet and didn't want to say anything," he told her.
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Kapri was in her room holding a small device in her hand. It was similar to one that Marah had given to Dustin defeat Beevil.
"This should work," she stares at device.
Kapri had created a device using her energy power. With the device that Kapri created, it can defeat Fake Marah. In order for the device to work, it has to be shot at the right time. Deciding that she would be the one to face Fake Marah and destroy her for good, Kapri would have to talk to Cam about the device and let him check it out for any glitch.
Suddenly the door of her room opens and she quickly hid the device in her pocket just as Fake Marah walked in "Kapri, Master Lothor order us to go down and attack the rangers".
Kapri got up "Let's do this," she nodded and then follows Fake Marah.
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All the rangers except for Blake were at Ninja Ops. Dustin and Tori were sparring alongside Skyla and Shane who having fun with each other. Hunter was standing beside Cam who was sitting in his chair typing on the keyboard and looking at screen.
Skyla twists Shane's hand behind his back and smirks "Do you give up?
"Never," Shane answered, before he outsmarted her, freeing himself from her grip. Then he grabs her hand and twists it behind her back with her facing him. He was leaning on her with a smirk on his face "I win," he said before he let her go.
Marah was sitting in the chair that Cam got for her asleep with a blanket over her when the mainframe beeped causing her to wake up and turned in Cam's direction. The others had stopped sparring and also turned in the same direction at the main frame. A balloon type creature appeared on the screen, hiccupping and attacking people with balloons as small puffed explosions appeared when the balloons popped.
"Those are some nasty hiccups," Tori commented, twisting Dustin's hand behind his back
Suddenly Fake Marah and Kapri appeared on the screen and Marah looked at Cam.
"Aw man, not those two," Tori complained.
"I thought those two were on vacation or something," said Hunter who had his arms folded and was also watching the screen.
Shane nodded "We better get out there," he said, before realizing they were a ranger short "Wait where's Blake?"
"I don't know," Hunter said, "Tori?" he asked the blue ranger
"Don't look at me," Tori responded "I can barely get a 'Hello' out of him"
Everyone then looked at Dustin who shrugs his shoulders "Hey, I don't know either," he told them.
"Cam," Shane said, as Marah joined the others "You try to get a hold of him, we'll deal with this guy".
"And I deal with Fake Marah and Kapri," Hunter added.
"I'll contact Blake right away," Cam replied before he types on the keyboard.
Dustin turned to Marah and kissed on her cheek as Shane gave Skyla a hug. Then Tori, Hunter, Dustin, and Shane went over to the middle of the room.
"Ready!" Shane asked.
"Ninja Storm! Ranger Form!"
"Thunder Storm! Ranger Form!"
"HA!"
And they were off, Ninja streaking.
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Hunter arrived where Fake Marah and Kapri were.
"Well, well, look like only one ranger arrives," Fake Marah smirked.
"Hunter!" Kapri was shock to see him.
"You are going to wish that I haven't arrived once I'm through with you two!" Hunter points at both Kapri and Fake Marah.
Fake Marah pulled out her sword "Well, let's get started!" She lunges at the crimson ranger while Kapri watch.
Hunter immediately blocks her attack with his Thunder Staff and slashes her in the chest. Fake Marah tumbles back away and grabbed her chest. She looked at Kapri "Don't just stand there! Attack!" she hollered.
Kapri tightens her fists "Sorry Hunter," she muttered before yanking her sword out and charge at him.
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"Excellent work Inflatron," Shimazu said, as he stood alongside the new balloon monster of Lothor's army
The monster nodded in appreciation "Thank you," he answered, his voice was squeaky like he was full of helium gas. Suddenly, the rangers jumped down from their vantage points of different buildings and landed in front of the two space freaks.
"What's this I see?" Shimazu asked "why, it's the end of the Power Rangers"
"I'm so toxic," Inflatron began "if you burst my bubble, where you stand will turn to rubble!"
The rangers exchanged looks "You think he's telling the truth?" Tori asked, turning to Shane who stood beside her
"I don't know," he answered
"Well, I said we pop him!" Dustin said, and started forward but Shane held him back
"Wait!" the red ranger said with his arm across the yellow ranger's chest "maybe I can neutralize him!" He jumped into the air, as his hand caught his Ninja sword.
Inflatron threw out one of his tentacles and slashed at Shane's wrist, sending the red ranger to the ground clutching his wrist in pain.
"Shane!" Tori yelled, as she run to Shane side. Dustin stood in front of the three protectively, as Tori knelt beside Shane.
"Are you okay?" Tori asked
Shane groaned "My arm!" he complained "It burns!"
"That's nothing!" Inflatron laughed, before sending a wave of balloons at the rangers as they exploded on impact
Shimazu laughed and watched as the rangers roll on the ground, after the balloons attack "Look at them!" he laughed "They're pathetic!"
"Ready for more?" Inflatron asked, and he readied himself for another attacked, before a voice interrupted
"Hey!" Blake yelled as he appears in front of two freak monsters. "I hate to burst your bubble, but you forgot about me!"
Shane looked up as well as the others "About time dude!" he said, holding his Ninja sword in his hand
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Fake Marah and Kapri slash Hunter in the chest. He fall the ground, grabbing his chest in pain as Fake Marah walked up to him.
"Give up and ready to die!" She swings down her sword at Hunter when he outsmarts, pulling out his Crimson Blaster and blast her in the chest.
Fake Marah flew backward and fall the ground in pain as Hunter got up. Kapri looked at Hunter, still holding her sword in her hand knowing that he would attack.
She ran toward him and was about to attack him when he blast her in the chest with his Crimson Blaster, knocking her to the ground in pain. Hunter notices something flew out from Kapri. Curiously, he decides to check it out. To his surprised, it was a small crimson rag "What the?" he pick up the small crimson rag off the ground "How did she has this when I remembered putting it on the cloak figure person," he wondered when he got blast from behind by Fake Marah.
"Hunter," Kapri weakly muttered.
Hunter landed on the ground, still maintaining a firm holds on Crimson small rag.
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As the others made their way back to their feet, Blake turned in half a circle before throwing lasers from his helmet at Inflatron and Shimazu; the two moved back from the blast as the ground beneath his feet erupted in sparks. The other rangers re-grouped around Blake "Alright guys," Shane said "Let's put it together - Storm Canon!"
But before they could fire Blake stepped in front of them, his arms crossed over his chest. "Uh, Blake?" Tori asked "you with us here?"
"Hang on!" Blake told her over his shoulder
Tori frowns "Blake?"
The navy ranger looked back at Inflatron and Shimazu "I know what I'm doing," he said. Dustin, Tori, and Shane frowned as they watched Blake as he removed a large blade with pointed blades on each side. He spun it around above his head before holding it out towards Shimazu and Inflatron.
"Hey," Shimazu said in surprise "What's this?"
"Blake!" Dustin said, moving toward the navy Ranger "What are you doing with that?"
"Be careful!" Shane warned him "We don't know what we are dealing with yet!"
Shimazu leaned into Inflatron and whispered something in his ear before he disappeared behind him, as Blake spoke once more; catching his friends' attention.
"Trust me!" Blake told them, before he jumped forward and started slashing at Inflatron with the staff, causing the alien to shout out in pain. He slashed the staff through the air and hit a balloon, which bounced the blade back. The navy ranger then slashed the staff around as he spun with it and cut straight across the middle of Inflatron as sparks of navy electricity followed.
Inflatron rolled across the ground, as sparks flew. "I'll be back!" he said as he got back on his feet and disappears.
Blake lowered the staff, as they others re-grouped around him
"Whoa," Shane breathed in amazement, as the others stared at Blake waiting for an explanation.
"Where's Hunter?" Blake asked all sudden when he notices his brother wasn't here.
"He's battling with Fake Marah and Kapri," Shane answered "We better go help him.
Then Shane and the other rangers' ninja streak over to Hunter. When they arrive, Hunter was fighting Kapri and Fake Marah at the same time.
Kapri notices the rangers has arrived from her peripheral vision and knew she has to act quickly. She slams her sword against Hunter's thunder staff and pushes him tumbling backward.
Blake immediately lunges over to Hunter and slashes Kapri in the arm. She tumbles backward and grabs her arm in pain. Then Blake kicks Fake Marah in the stomach before he rushes over to Hunter side.
"Hunter, are you okay," he asked as he helps his brother up.
"Yeah," Hunter look over at Kapri and saw her clutching her arm, wincing in pain "Wait a minute, her arm that..." he muttered.
"Huh?" Blake confusedly looked at his brother "What are you talking about, Hunter?"
The other rangers rush over to Hunter and Blake as Fake Marah got up and went over to Kapri who was still clutching her arm in pain.
"This isn't over yet, rangers," Fake Marah sneered before she disappears along with Kapri.
"Hunter, are you alright," Shane turned to the crimson ranger who staring at spot where Kapri was standing before she vanished "Uh, earth to Hunter!"
"Huh? What?" Hunter turned and looked at Shane.
"Dude, is everything alright with you?"
"Yeah," Hunter nods "I'm okay," he said, tightening his grip on the crimson rag in his hand.
Dustin stares at Hunter and knew something was definitely bothering the crimson ranger. He has a hunch that it's probably has something to do with Kapri (Kaitlyn). "Did Hunter figure out something about Kapri?" he wondered.
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"The analysis is almost done," Cam said
The others had returned from battle and were crowded around him at the mainframe as he ran a tox screen on Inflatron to get the complete low down on him, before the Rangers faced him once more. As the scan run, Marah suddenly felt weak and dizzy. It like her energy had been drained. So, she pretends that she was okay and act normal like nothing was wrong with her. She didn't want Dustin, Cam and the others to worry about her especially when they have to deal Inflatron.
"There," Cam said, suddenly "see for yourself"
The others frowned, and Cam smiled sheepishly "Sorry," he said, "in simple terms; it seems Blake was right..."
"Sweet!" Blake said, high-fiving his brother
"Inflatron is a carbon based life form," Cam went on "comprised of inhered gasses, binded in nature"
"So what are we talking about?" Tori asked
"According to his results," Cam explained "we can destroy Inflatron without risking the surrounding area"
"So the thing was full of hot air, after all" Dustin sighed in relief, as Tori pat him on his shoulder when she notices Marah's face was a little bit pale.
"Are you alright?" she asked and Dustin turned to Marah with a concern look.
Marah looked at Tori and Dustin and gave them a small smile "Yeah, I'm just tired and sleepy," she fake a yawn.
"Okay, but I think you should get some rest," Tori touches Marah's shoulder.
"I will in a minute," Marah replied.
Dustin was about to say something to Marah, but Shane interrupts him.
"So," Shane started "how do we get rid of Inflatron? I mean...it doesn't seem like he wants to go down to easily..." he trailed off as movement caught his eye, glancing over his shoulder he saw Blake twirling the staff from the battle around in circular movements. Cutting of his train of thought and speech, he moved towards the navy ranger with the others in tow. "Hey, uh, Blake..." he started hesitantly "You want to talk about that thing now?"
Blake looked down at the staff, "Sensei Omino left this to me" he explained "the night before the ThunderAcademy was taken. He told me to take good care of it, and that I would know when the time was right to use it." and he spun it around in a circle in front of them.
"Didn't he say you were also supposed to train with it?" Hunter asked.
The navy ranger spun the staff around, before looping it under his arm and behind his back "Who says I haven't been?" he asked, smirking at his brother. Before he turned and walked out of Ninja Ops, The others were either preoccupied with Blake's skills, or with the tox scan of Inflatron, that they missed the look on Tori's face as she followed Blake out of Ops.
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Blake stopped in the middle of the woods near the entrance of the ruins of the ThunderAcademy. Unaware, Tori was following him behind, but out of view. It wasn't long when Blake arrives at his destination.
He looked around when he came back out into the sunlit grounds, expecting to see his usual sparring partner. There was a yell from behind him and he spun around to see the masked Ninja. She jumped down off of the cliff she had been standing on, over-looking him and the sparring lesson began. Blake flipped backwards further into the grounds, before he spun around and blocked the attacks from the second ninja, he blocked the attack from the second Ninja's staff with his own, as he kicked the Ninja back away from him.
He spun around and slashed over the masked Ninja with his staff, but they rolled across the ground under the attack and then back onto their feet before him. Blake raised his staff to protect himself as the masked Ninja pulled her staff under his feet and flipped him in the air as he landed on his stomach, before rolling onto his back and raising his staff to protect himself once more.
Tori appeared at that moment; all she could see was Blake on his back with someone towering over him pressing a sharp staff down at her friend "Blake!" she yelled, causing the navy ranger and the Mask Ninja to look up towards her in surprise.
"Tori?" Blake said, as he made his way back to his feet "No!" he tried to stop her but she run past him at the Mask Ninja. The blonde caught the masked ninja, who spun her around and the staff into the back of Tori's shoulders sending the blonde to the ground.
When she came to, Tori became aware of Blake and the masked Ninja standing over her.
"Are you okay, Tor?" Blake asked; as he reached down to help her up "What are you doing here?"
"I followed you," Tori answered him, before turning to the masked ninja "and it's a good thing I did!" and she fell back into a defensive position.
"You don't understand," Blake said stopping the blue ranger before she had a chance to attack "Tori, I want you to meet someone. This is Leanne" he motioned to the ninja beside him, who removed the mask covering their face, to reveal a red headed female. "Thunder Ninja class of 2000"
Leanne, bowed in respect as Tori spoke "Thunder ninja?" she questioned
"Blake's told me a lot about you," Leanne said, reaching out a hand to shake Tori's hand "I'm glad we can finally meet"
"Leanne was a Thunder blade champion," Blake went on to explain "she graduated before the school was taken by Lothor"
"So your –" Tori started,
"Helping Blake train," Leanne finished for her "Yes"
Tori nodded "I'm such an idiot" she said, brushing her hair out of her face
"I actually think it's kind of cool, how you came at me to defend your friend" Leanne pointed out with a smile in Blake's direction
"Yeah," Blake said "me too"
Tori bit her lower lip as she fought the blush that was trying to rise in her face.
Suddenly there was a flash and Kelzaks appeared on a cliff overhead of the three beneath them. Tori, Blake and Leanne immediately fell back into defensive positions.
"Kelzaks here?" Leanne questioned in surprise
Tori looked over her shoulder at the red head "They don't exactly wait for invitation"
The Kelzaks jumped off the cliff and rushed forward to three of them and the fight begins.
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Meanwhile, Hunter was sitting on a boulder rock on the hill near the dirt track. He was staring at the crimson rag in his hands.
"How did Kapri get her hands on this?" he confusedly asked out loud. "Unless..."
~Hunter's Flashback~
His sword collided with Kapri's sword.
"Give up?" she asked
"Never!" Hunter retorted as he shoved her away and slashed her right arm.
"Ah!" she shrieked and grabbed her right arm. He noticed that her right arm was bleeding.
XXXXXX
Hunter appeared in front of the person dressed in the black cloak and blocked the Fake Marah's attack with his sword.
"This is not over rangers, I'll be back!" Fake Marah growled before she vanished.
"I'll be ready when you returned," Hunter replied.
He demorph and turned around, looking at the person dressed in the black cloak "You okay?" he asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine," she answered and winced in pain.
He saw her clasped her hand on her right arm that was bleeding "You're hurt," he quickly grabbed a crimson small rag from his pocket and wrapped it on the person dressed in the black cloak's arm.
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Hunter notices something flew out from Kapri when he blast her in the chest with his crimson blaster. Curiously, he decided to check it out. To his surprised, it was a small crimson rag
"What the?" he picked up the small crimson rag off the ground "How did she has this when I remembered putting it on the cloak figure person," he wondered
XXXXXX
Kapri slammed her sword against Hunter's thunder staff and pushed him tumbling backward.
"Hunter!" Blake immediately lunges over to Hunter and slashes Kapri in the arm. She tumbles backward and grabs her right arm in pain. She looked up at him with a painful expression.
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~End of Hunter's Flashback~
"Unless, Kapri is the black cloak person," Hunter assumed, tightens his grips on the crimson rag in his hand.
Suddenly his morpher beeps "What is it, Cam? He quickly said into his morpher.
"Hunter, we need you at Ninja Ops right away!" Cam's voice answered.
"I'm on my way," Hunter got off the boulder rock and ninja streak over to Ninja Ops.
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In the middle of the woods somewhere on the outskirts of BlueBayHarbor, Shimazu, Zurgane and Motodrone appears and looked around.
"Well," Motodrone growled from beneath his cloak "what are we doing here?"
"We are waiting!" Zurgane hissed turning to him "the rangers will be here shortly" he crossed his blades "After that, it will be the beginning their demise"