Chapter 13

Step It Up Part 1

"SOMEBODY HELP US!"

The citizens watched on as parts of the burning building collapsed in front of them. The most horrifying fact was that there were citizens inside and they were possibly doomed.

"POWER RANGERS SPORTS ENERGY!"

The Red, Blue, Pink, Yellow and Green Energy Rangers ran up to the burning building showing no signs of fear.

"Let's split up," suggested Callum. "That way we should be able to save more people."

"Right," the other Rangers replied.

With that, they ran into the building in different directions, careful to avoid the flames.

The Red Energy Ranger ran into what seemed to be a pile of fallen pieces of plaster and concrete. In front of him, three adults were stuck between the concrete and the flames which were slowly but surely approaching them. It would surely be too long to walk through all that concrete . . .

"Red Energy Laser Boost!"

Callum zoomed through the concrete and up to the people. "You're going to be alright. Grab onto me."

The Blue Energy Ranger heard screams. She whipped around and saw two children trapped between a wall and fields of flame with no chance of escaping.

"Blue Energy Ice Blast!"

Zoe shot icy air out of her hands, extinguishing the flames. The childrens' faces brightened as the Blue Energy Ranger ran up to them and picked them up. "Let's get you two out of here!"

The Yellow Energy Ranger could hear the sound of somebody pounding against the elevator door next to him. Obviously it was not going to open.

"Hock Hammer!"

Alex smacked his weapon against the doors and they immediately broke open. Inside the elevator there were several citizens trapped inside. A wave of relief washed over them when they saw the Yellow Energy Ranger standing in front of them, willing to protect them at all costs.

The Green Energy Ranger led the last bunch of citizens through the flames, the people clinging onto Jason as tight as they could. All was going well until a woman screamed.

"THE ROOF'S COLLAPSING!"

Jason looked up and realised that he and the people would not be able to dodge the collapsing roof in time . . .

"Racket Blaster!"

The Green Energy Ranger pelted the chunks of roof with bullets, turning the deadly pieces of concrete into harmless little pebbles. The citizens breathed out sighs of relief and Jason shouted "Come on! We're nearly there!"

A few moment later, the Red, Blue, Yellow and Green Energy Rangers along with the rescued citizens were seen running out of the building. The audience cheered for the heroes while firemen pulled out their hoses and started spraying water at the building.

"I think that's everyone," said Callum as he watched the citizens run to safety. "Is everyone alright?"

"Yeah, I'm cool," said Zoe, putting down the two children. She watched as they rushed over to their parents. "Kids these days," she muttered. "Always getting up to mischief."

"Everything's fine over here," grinned Jason.

They watched as the fireman tried to pour water over the building but it was pointless. The fire was spreading across like a blanket and black smoke was pouring out. A woman ran up to Alex and started screaming at him.

"Whoa! Take it easy," the Yellow Energy Ranger murmured, not sure what she was trying to tell him. "What's the problem?"

Tears were pouring down the woman's cheeks. "MY BABY'S STILL IN THERE!"

Alex's eyes widened in horror. He whipped around and realised that the baby wasn't the only person missing.

"Where's Olivia?"

That caught his teammates' attention.

"I thought she was with you?" said Jason, concerned.

Zoe glanced at Alex and then at the building. "She's still in there!"

Alex was already running towards the building, ignoring warnings from the firemen. "LIVVY!"

BOOM!

A huge explosion sent the Yellow Ranger flying backwards. He crash-landed on the ground as pieces of flaming brick scattered around him.

"You okay?" Callum asked as he and the others ran to help him up. But Alex was too stunned to speak or even hear the murmuers coming from the other citizens behind them.

"What happened to the Pink Ranger?"

"I think she just got roasted!"

"Wasn't she like really useless anyway?"

"MY BABY!" The mother burst into tears and Alex had to admit, for a tough guy, he was pretty close to breaking down himself. He couldn't believe that he had just lost his own sister . . .

"Look!"

The citizen, Callum, Zoe, Jason and even Alex looked up to see what had caught the child's attention. To their amazement, it was the Pink Energy Ranger and she was leaping out of a window, carrying a tiny bundle in her arms!

"Energy Vault!"

The Pink Energy Ranger used her pole to land more gently on the ground, just as the building exploded behind her. The crowd began to cheer at the top of their lungs as the baby gurgled and calmly clung onto Olivia's pink Ranger costume.

Alex watched as the baby's mother ran up to Olivia who carefully handed the child to her. The mother took the baby and cuddled him close to her.

"I thought I'd lost him! How can I thank you enough?" she cried as the baby laughed, glad to be back with his mother.

"No need. I'm just doing my job," smiled Olivia pleasantly.

She watched as the mother cradled the baby who was now clinging onto her jacket. Slowly, the Pink Energy Ranger's smile disappeared as she wondered if her real mother had ever cuddled her like that.

Alex and Olivia did not have their real mother.

They had Rachel.

Rachel was okay for a step mom. But she could be a little pushy sometimes. She also babied them WAY too much! And they had no family resemblence whatsoever. Olivia's long chestnut coloured locks and Alex's scruffy red hair was nothing compared to Rachel's white-blonde hair that she always insisted on scraping back into a tight bun. While Olivia and Alex both had soft delicate faces, Rachel's was as if somebody had sucked all the blood away so it was as bony and as white as a skeleton. The tight lips, the steely blue eyes- Olivia remembered Alex saying that he could've filled a whole page on how she was nothing like them.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt her brother place a hand on her shoulder.

"You okay, Livvy?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just thinking," she replied.

"About what?" her brother asked.

The Pink Energy shrugged. "Nothing much. Just . . . family stuff."

"Ohhhh." Alex nodded. "I get it."

As if on queue, the Rangers heard their Energy Morphers bleeping, signalling that Dr. Sparks wanted them in the lab. Using the energy power from their morphers, they were able to transport from the building site to the lab in no time."

"Power Down," the Rangers chanted, demorphing back to their normal selves before heading over to Dr. Sparks to see what he wanted to talk to them about.

"So what's going on?" asked Zoe, her Blue Energy Morpher out in case they needed to make a speedy change again.

For some reason, Dr. Sparks had a funny grin on his face.

"It's a message. For Alex and Olivia. From your mother."

"STEP-mother," Alex corrected him.

"Mother or stepmother, she has a message for you which I think you might like to see," said Dr. Sparks who was trying not to snort.

Alex and Olivia exchanged confused glances but nevertheless, followed him up to the computer, closely followed by Callum, Zoe and Jason who were curious to know what was up with the scientist.

As soon as they had reached the computer, Dr. Sparks pressed a button and Alex and Olivia prepared themselves for the barbecue . . .

"Hello? Is this thing on? Ah, here we go! HIIIIIII, children, it's your darling mother Rachel here. I was just thinking that we haven't really had some proper mother and child get-together time, haven't we? Seeing that you've been "hanging out" together all the time. So I decided that at half three, we should all go out to town! Just the three of us! We can go look at sports gear . . . and clothes . . . and books too, it'll be so much fun! Alex, Olivia, you had better be there or there will be trouble. And Olivia, I was thinking about you today so guess what! I know how much you love pink so I brought a sweet little pink dress to wear in town! I even bothered to buy a cute hair clip to go with it! You're going to look adorable! And Alex, I expect you to be all tidied up, not like a beggar's dog! I just can't understand why you two have to wear those ugly old tracksuits . . . Anyway, I have to go. BYE BYE, SWEETIE PIES!"

Dr. Sparks burst out laughing as Alex blushed scarlet and Olivia hid her face in her hands.

"Wow . . . that's embarrassing," muttered Zoe, trying to be heard above Dr. Sparks' laughter.

"I can't believe her," Olivia murmured. "This is way too far!"

"Why, what else has she done?" asked Callum.

"Hm. Let me think," said Alex sarcastically. "She buys us baby clothes, she always makes us babyish cakes for our birthdays, she does ALL our chores for us, she won't let us walk home from hockey or gymnastics . . ."

"She won't stop talking to me about girl stuff!" Olivia joined in.

"You get the drill," said Alex.

"That is pretty lame," said Jason.

Callum thought for a moment before saying "I think you should go and enjoy yourselves. Ignore that you have to wear that dress, Olivia. The last thing you want to do is make yourselves look stupid. She'll eventually realise that you're growing up."

Alex gave Callum a look. "We've been living together for nearly seventeen years and she still hasn't copped on."

"Well then you're going have to tell her that you're not babies when the time is right," said Callum. "There's no point in going along with it. It's only gonna make you miserable."

"I'm guessing your dad told you that too," said Zoe.

Callum nodded.

"I guess he's right," sighed Alex.

"Yeah," murmured Olivia. She was still hiding her face in her hands. "UGH! I can't believe she's making me wear a DRESS! This is going to be so humiliating!"