Marcus ripped Cassandra away from the Hybrid holding her, before smashing him into the wall, only to be thrown backwards by the other three. Cassandra ran into the corner of the room and huddled there, hiding and clutching her head and screaming loudly, between a combination of terror at her predicament, and the painful assault of all the thoughts and emotions wracking her brain. Marcus stood between her and the attackers sizing them up. All four of them were trained soldiers, and also seemed to be easily as powerful as him.
"You can't win D46!" One of them hissed. "We only want the girl."
"You aren't the first person to say something like that to me." Marcus responded as he grabbed a chair. "She's in my care, and I never let anyone in my care come to harm. The only way you get to her is through me."
"That's your choice D46!" He replied, surging forward. Marcus snapped off a leg from the chair, smashing the rest of it into his face, before driving the sharp stake into his neck, taking out the jugular vein. He hated the thought of killing someone who may not be in control of his actions, but with four of them attacking him, he didn't have a choice in the matter. He couldn't hope to defeat all of them unless he started cutting down their numbers. The hybrid fell to the floor, blood spraying win a wide arc from his neck, splattering everywhere. Marcus rushed forward to tackle the next.
In the future, Ziggy was sent flying as his future self hit him with Scott's burst attack. He lay on the floor, clutching his ribs as his blaster slid across the floor.
"Ziggy!" The young Dr. K screeched, seeing him writhing on the floor. Her future self grabbed her arm, pulling her back to the bench.
"He's alive, please, we need to get this!" She reminded her. "We need to finish this!"
"No worries, I'll buy you time!" Flynn called out, pulling the power cell out of his cannon arm. He replaced it with one that was several times larger, and had warning markings on it. He took aim, firing it towards Grover's head.
Grover saw the blast in time, calling forth a helmet just in time to save him, but the shot staggered him. Flynn rushed in, firing a couple more shots, continuing to stagger him until he hit the wall.
As the blaster fired its fifth and final supercharged round, he rushed the stunned Grover, slamming his weapon into him wherever he could. Grover caught it in his right hand and started to laugh.
"Is that the best you've got Flynn?" He taunted him. "I don't know why you've been such a problem for me. I should have let you in here years ago."
"You let us in?" Flynn asked him. Ziggy sneered at him as he crushed it oblivion, tearing it from his arm, leaving only a stump.
"I knew the minute you used that service hatch!" He told them. "How many times will I get the chance to crush the leader of the rebellion personally?"
He swung Flynn into the wall, shattering his spine with a sickening crunch. He then turned him to face the others.
"Now see what awaits anyone who ruins my plans!" He shrieked, clamping his hands either side of Flynn's skill. The former Blue Ranger screamed in agony as he started to squeeze. "Say hello to Callum for me!"
"Noooo!" Ziggy screamed, only able to watch in horror as Grover crushed his skull, killing him instantly. Flynn's body fell to the ground, unmoving. Ziggy got to his feet, lifting up his blaster while still clutching his ribs. "You killed him!"
"Have you finished the device yet Dr. K?" Grover asked his Dr. K. She reluctantly nodded, unable to take her eyes off the corpse of the last remaining Ranger. Grover smiled. "Then I guess it's time for me to go back."
"You can't do that!" The present Dr. K informed him. "We need to be the ones who go back. If we don't take part in the Second Battle of Corinth, none of this will exist!"
Grover recalled his helmet and looked at her suspiciously, locked deep in thought. He realised they were right. They hadn't yet taken part in that battle. If they didn't, everything would change. The world he had created would never be.
"Then we'll all go!" He growled, grabbing the present Dr. K. "I'll go with you and..."
"It's not going to happen you murdering psychopath!" Ziggy yelled, tears streaming down his face. "You are not coming! Shut down your rig, and let us go!"
"Or you'll do what?" Grover sneered at him. "That little peashooter can't do a thing to me in this battle suit!"
"I can't kill you!" Ziggy agreed, trembling in his rage. He turned the blaster, sticking the barrel under his own chin. "But I can ensure you never exist!"
"You can't do that!" Grover screamed. "You don't have the guts! You wouldn't..."
"Well what do I have to live for? Do you really think this is a future I want to see?" He interrupted his future self. "My son is dead! I drove the only woman I've ever loved to suicide! I've killed everyone I've ever cared about! I've become everything I hated!"
He started to walk forward, approaching Grover.
"Do you remember the Gang Wars? I took out all of the Cartels in one night, not for power, not for selfish gain, but so that Alex would have a better world to grow up in than I had!" He reminded him. "Now look at you! You've become everything I hated most in the world!"
"She cost our son his life!" Grover roared, shaking Dr. K violently. "She ruined my life!"
"You ruined it, just like you ruined everything else." Ziggy told him. "The people in this time are fighting and dying for the scraps of a world you destroyed after all that time you spent fighting to save it!"
Grover let go of Dr. K and looked down at his hands, seeing them still covered in Flynn's blood. Dr. K ran over to Ziggy's side.
"I'll take you back and..."
"Even if you stop me doing this, I'll just throw myself off the first building the second you turn your back!" Ziggy interrupted him. "I'd rather not live than become a blood-soaked maniac like you. Alex deserved better, and so did Tenaya."
Grover fell to his knees, clutching his head in his anguish, beginning to weep hysterically as he realised his position. It was all over. Now that he was facing having everything he had done being destroyed, he looked at it with new eyes.
"What have I done?" He wailed as he looked up at them. "I destroyed everything!"
"We have a chance to make it right." Dr. K told him. "We can go back, but now we know more about Venjix's plans, we can stop this from ever happening."
"You...you can..."
"I can try my best." Dr. K interrupted him. Grover smiled weakly before getting to his feet.
"Promise me you'll save Alex." He begged her. "I don't care what happens to me, please, promise me you'll protect him and I'll do it. I'll shut down the rig."
"I promise." She told him. Grover reached to his wrist, de-activating his battle suit. Ziggy looked to his morpher, seeing that it was now active.
"Thanks you." Dr. K said to him, taking her place by Ziggy's side. Ziggy morphed, before holding onto her arm. The future Dr. K levelled the device at them.
"This has to be timed exactly right." She reminded them. "Ziggy, teleport...now!"
With that, she fired.
In the past, the Rangers were still in the Garage, trying to open Dr. K's files. Flynn stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"She likes those Mr. Marshmallow things." He remarked. "Try that."
Gem typed it in, only to be denied access once more. He threw his hands up in the air.
"We have three attempts left." He told them. "What could it be?"
"Maybe it's something that she thought we wouldn't think of." Gemma suggested. "Maybe it's something less obvious."
"How about Venjix?" Summer suggested. "It's the last thing I'd imagine her wanting to think about."
Gem tried it, again he was denied access.
"Right we've only got two more tries left." Gemma reminded them. She tried something else, only to be denied access. "Well it isn't Alex."
Scott looked around, trying to think of what could possibly have been going through his girlfriend's mind when she changed her password. As he looked around the lab, he noticed one thing that was out-of-place and smiled as he got an idea.
"Move over Gem." He instructed the Gold Ranger, beginning to type. The computer sprang into life as the password was accepted. Scott just laughed a little, shaking his head.
"What was it?" Summer asked him.
"That would kind of defeat the point in having a password now wouldn't it?" He teased her, enjoying the thought of knowing something she didn't. Just then, as Gem started to search through her files for any search programmed that might be designed to scan for hybrids, when there was a bright flash. Ziggy and Dr. K appeared in the room, stumbling to the floor. Ziggy de-morphed as they landed.
"You really have to work on your landings." Dr. K told him. Ziggy didn't pay any attention though. He snapped to his feet, ignoring the pain of his injuries and immediately rushed over to Tenaya, grabbing her in a deep, tight hug. She felt a little surprised by the desperation in his hug, but having been worried herself, she was glad to have him back.
"Where's Alex?" He asked her. "I have to see Alex where is he?"
"He's in our room, I just put him down." Tenaya told him. Ziggy ran out of the room, with Tenaya a little way behind him. "Ziggy, I just got him to sleep!"
"We were so worried about you!" Gem and Gemma chorused together, hugging Dr. K excitedly.
"So tell us, what's the future like?" Flynn asked her. "Do I grow up to be fat? Please don't tell me I go bald!"
"It's best I don't tell you. The future isn't set in stone, there are still things that could change it, I only saw one possible conclusion." She informed them. They could tell from her tone that whatever she had seen had obviously troubled her. She looked to her computer, noticing it was unlocked. "What are you doing with my computer?"
"Father Larry's dead. He was murdered." Summer explained. "The evidence points to it being a hybrid. We were just looking to see if you have a search programme that can detect hybrids. It seems like there are more in the city."
"There is a programme, but I've not finished it yet." Dr. K informed them, making her way to her computer. "After that hybrid framed Gem, I thought it prudent to be prepared in case more had entered the city."
"I thought you might have." Scott replied, with a slightly cocky smile. Dr. K just sat by her computer, staring at him. "Could you guys give us a minute?"
The others left the room, leaving them alone. Dr. K looked up at Scott nervously.
"So you figured out my password I presume." She began. "How?"
Scott pointed to a bouquet of flowers in a vase, sitting on one of her work benches.
"When we were trying to guess, I saw the bouquet from the wedding and remembered that you caught it." He reminded her with a little smirk putting his arm around her. "Dr. Truman?"
She started to turn a little pink and shrunk into her chair. Scott just chuckled at her discomfort.
"Don't worry about it; I'm flattered you think about that kind of stuff." He assured her, kidding her on the cheek.
"I do think about it. I never thought I would, but since I met you...I've never considered anyone else in that way." She told him.
"So is this...a proposal?" He asked her, raising an eyebrow. Dr. K just shook her head.
"I was trying it out...it's just a fantasy." She told him. "I'm sorry Scott, there's so much to do. I need to completely re-think my strategy for the final assault; I need to finish this search programme..."
"It's alright, I understand." He said, smiling at her brightly. He kissed her once more. "What we have is enough for now. I can wait."
"Scott, it's the phone." Gem told him, interrupting the moment somewhat. "It's your brother."
"Marcus?" Scott answered, taking the phone. It was a little late for him to be calling. "What's going on?"
"There are more hybrids in the city." He told him. "Four of them just attacked the asylum, they were soldiers."
"Are you alright?" Scott asked him.
"Winner and still champion." He sighed, looking down to his blood-stained clothing. The corpses of the four assailants still lay broken all around him. He had given Cassandra something to help her sleep and locked her back in her room for her own safety, uncertain if more would come. "They were after Cassandra."
"They wanted Cassandra?" He asked him, slightly puzzled. "What would...?"
His face fell as he suddenly made the connection. Father Larry had been murdered by a hybrid with seemingly no motivation, and now they had gone after Cassandra.
"Did Cassandra feel anything before they attacked?" He asked him. Marcus recalled the incident in vivid detail.
"They were soldiers. They said they were there to take her to Father Larry on Vasquez's orders." Marcus informed him. "She suddenly got really ill and started freaking out. She was screaming her head off. When I tried to stop them they attacked me."
"Marcus, put the place on full lockdown and call dad. Tell him to bring the Go-Onger. I'll send Flynn and Dillon to pick up a couple of transports. Round up the patients and have dad take them to a safe location. Trust him and no one else!" Scott told him. He hung up the phone and turned to Dr. K. "Four hybrids just attacked the asylum, they were after Cassandra."
"They were after Cassandra?" Dr. K asked him. "Then that means..."
"Father Larry was murdered because he was empathic." Scott confirmed. "They're worried they can identify hybrids, and it seems like they were right. Marcus only knew something was wrong because she started freaking out when they came too close."
"This also presents us with another problem." Dr. K continued. "It shows there are more hybrids, a lot more than we thought."
"They could be anyone in any place!" Scott agreed. "We really need to get that scanner up and running."
At that point, Gemma was making her way to Hicks' apartment, knocking on the door. He was just watching some TV after a long day at the crime scene. He opened the door and let her in.
"Hicks, you never called." She reminded him. "I was worried about you."
"I'm a big boy Gemma; I don't have to be looked after all that time." He told her. "I was working. Colonel Truman needed me at the crime scene."
"I called you the night before that." She reminded him. "I really wanted to talk to you. I'm sorry I haven't been able to come around like I usually do."
He didn't know how to answer her on this count. He had found out from his answering machine that she had called, but he had no idea what he had done that night. All he knew was waking up, having lost almost a full day with no memory of where he had been or what he had done. It was a little worrying to him, but given his history of mental problems, he was reluctant to tell anyone about it in case he ended up in the asylum.
"Gemma, I'm sorry, I must have bumped the answering machine and erased the message by accident." He lied to her, putting his hands on her shoulders and rubbing them gently. "I promise, I just forgot to call."
"I guess I was worrying a little too much. Things are getting a little crazy." She said gently as she looked into his eyes, drawing closer to him. "I guess I just missed you."
"I missed you too." He said softly, kissing her passionately. Gemma smiled as they parted. "I'll tell you what? How about I get us a couple of drinks to make up for it?"
"Do you have cherry cola?" She asked him. Hicks just laughed.
"We may have to make do with Sauvignon Blanc, but I'll see what I can do." He replied.
With that, he went into the kitchen as she sat on the couch. He flicked on the light and opened the fridge, grabbing the bottle and a couple of glasses, but as he turned back, something caught his attention. He looked down to his laundry basket, seeing a shirt at the top. Pulling it out, his heart froze in fear as he realised it was covered in blood. It was one of his shirts, but he had no idea how it could have ended up that way.
"Damien, do you need a hand?" Gemma cooed, teasing him a little with the first name no one ever used for him. Hicks quickly stuffed the shirt into the laundry basket, shoving it to the bottom out of sight.
"I was just checking on the cherry cola situation." He told her as he arrived. "I'm sorry; it looks like we'll have to make do with this."
"I guess it'll do." Gemma replied, accepting a glass. He sat on the couch with her, putting his arm around her. Gemma laid her head on his chest as she curled up on the couch.
"It's been a really crazy couple of days." She told him sadly.
Hicks just stroked her hair, taking comfort in having her there with him as he took a long gulp of wine, but he couldn't stop thinking about the shirt. He couldn't remember where the blood had come from. He didn't know where he'd been or what he'd done that night. The thought kept playing over and over in his mind. "What have I done?"