Episode 8

The Rescue-Part 2

Ray's feet stepped off the stage as the crowd continued to cheer. Another Friday afternoon, another great show. Johnny was right behind him, a smile stretching from ear to ear as he too reveled in the adoring patrons. He really had come into his own among the band, with Gary and Travis wanting to put some more heavy metal into the setlist. It suited Ray just fine; it was a good chance to give the frets on his Stratocaster a workout.

Congratulating their bandmates on another show well played, Ray and Johnny wandered over to their usual to see the other three deep in discussion. While Jake and Ben were calmly laid back, Hilary sat hunched over the table. Scrunched balls of paper littered around her feet, her pencil ground down to a stub from the enormous array of scribbles on the notepad and post-its.

"What are you doing?" Ray asked, leaning and squinting in a vain attempt to make sense of the various notes, diagrams, and doodles.

"We're brainstorming," Jake replied.

"I," Hilary corrected with a glare before looking over her shoulder to make sure no one was listening, "am trying to think of ways to solve our …little problem."

"Got anything yet?" Johnny asked, slumping into a chair beside them.

"So far, our top contenders are…" Ben checked their notes, "hypnosis, electro-shock therapy, and 'blasting all of his armor off' as the only decent ideas."

"For the last time, those aren't suggestions," Hilary sneered. "Suggestions would be things that could actually work."

"Why does this one say 'The power of friendship'?" Johnny asked, raising an eyebrow as he lifted one of the yellow stickies.

"Hilary said there were no bad ideas," Jake insisted.

"A statement I am beginning to regret."

It was then that one of the little notes caught Ray's eye as he reached over to examine it. "What's this one? 'Hard System Reset'?"

"Fancy words for the old IT solution," Ben explained.

Ray shot him a look, letting him know that that did not, in fact, explain everything.

"Turning him off and on again," Hilary clarified. "The problem is I don't exactly know how we would even go about that, let alone whether we could do it without hurting Kyle Mason."

From the corner of his eye, Ray noticed that Bulk was moving towards the table a tray, and hastily signaled to the Rangers to cover up their notes.

"Hey guys," said Bulk as he approached. "Am I okay to clear your empty drinks?"

"Right, sure," replied Jake. The Rangers dutifully helped stack their glasses and balance them on the tray, only for Bulk to notice the mess of flipped-over stickies scattered across the table.

"So, what are you guys doing?" he asked.

Hilary looked over at the others with a nervous look on her face. "Well…" she began. "You see, I'm playing this video game, and in this one bit, your friend is turned into a slave by the bad guy and is forced to fight you. And I'm a bit stuck on it so the guys are helping me figure it out."

Bulk raised an eyebrow as he looked down at the five teens. All Ray could do was hold his breath at Hilary's hasty explanation and a desperate hope that he wouldn't figure it out.

"A video game?"

Hilary nodded with all the confidence her false story could muster. "That's right."

Bulk's eyes narrowed for a moment, only to burst out laughing. "Well, you should have said something earlier!" he said. "You should know I used to be quite the video game player myself, back in the day."

Hilary dared a look at Ray, both shocked that he'd bought it. "Really?"

"Oh yeah, I used to tear up the arcade back in Angel Grove," Bulk said proudly. "One weekend I made it my personal mission to make sure the top score on every machine spelled B-U-L."

The Rangers paused for a moment, uncertain if there was more or if it had just been a mistake.

"Are you sure it wasn't…?" Ben began.

"No, there wasn't room for the K," Bulk insisted. "But your problem sounds like a game I used to play on the old machines. Lost plenty of quarters to that one before I figured it out. 'Sir Gawain and the Curse of the Dark Sword', it was called. Burned my pockets before I finally realized that trick was removing the source of the curse."

All five of them suddenly looked up.

"What do you mean, remove the source?" Johnny asked.

Bulk lowered himself so he was at the same height as the Rangers.

"So, you see, at first I kept trying to fight this green knight, but he kept stomping me and making me spend more quarters," Bulk explained. "Then I figured out what I actually had to do was destroy the sword that the evil witch had used to enchant him. Once the Sword of Darkness was destroyed, the Green Knight could fight by Gawain's side, and you get to spend the rest of the game teaming up with him to destroy the evil witch."

He leaned back as proudly his story.

"Ahh," he sighed. "The good ol' days."

Ray slowly turned to look at the others. Remove the corruption? Could it be done?

"Thanks," said Hilary nervously, "I'll have to give that a try."

"You're certainly welcome," replied Bulk, lifting the tray. "And don't forget to try out our new arcade machines, we had them installed last month."

And then he strode with the dishes, blissfully unaware of the wet-floor sign that Skull had just placed behind the counter. As the manager disappeared into the kitchen, the Rangers heard a shriek and the shattering of glass, followed by the weak and wheezing, "I'm okay."

With the commotion drawing all attention, Ray looked over at Hilary.

"Do you think that could work?" he asked her. "Removing the source?"

"What would the source even be?" Johnny added.

"Maybe it's worth bringing to Doc," Hilary conceded. "Maybe he'll have an idea of where to start."

And that's when the explosion sounded boomed outside. The bang was deafening, rocking the very walls and rattling the windows as every voice inside snapped to silence. And then they started screaming.

They scattered in all directions, stampeding to exits in wild panic as those that chose to stay dived beneath the tables in terror. Among the chaos, Ray shot a look at his friends, already dreading the cause. Already knowing what it would be. Carefully he crept to the window and took a peek.

Cyrax and an army of Byte-Bots were standing outside, firing their blaster into the air. The flaming wreckage of a car sat crumpled beside them, the cause of the original explosion.

His heart seized.

The warrior didn't need to scream his demands for them what he wanted. He knew they were in there, and they knew what would happen if they didn't emerge.

Ray snapped back to the others, caught in the tide of panicked people. Too busy to morph in here, not without showing everyone who they were. The front door was out too, just as exposed and an easy point for Cyrax to ambush. And the back exit was just clogged by people desperate to flee. Nowhere to go, and no way to morph. They were like fish in a barrel.

Then a voice whispered behind them.

"Use the kitchen door."

Ray spun around to see Skull kneeling beside him.

What?

"Use the kitchen door," he said again. "No one's using it, and you can slip out without anyone seeing."

Ray's eyes widened as he realized what Skull was saying, daring a look at his team who were equally horrified. But they didn't time to dwell on their sudden surprise. Leaping to his feet, Ray dashed for the kitchen, lunging over the wet patch and shattered glass. Bulk was by the door, holding it open and ushering them through.

"Go!" he told him, "Go!"

The others were right behind him, the door slamming shut as they burst into the Shak's rear alley.

"Do you think that those guys…?" asked Ben.

"Right now, we've got bigger problems," Ray decided, pulling out his Morpher. "We need to get Cyrax away from the Shak. You guys ready?"

"Ready!"

"Data Squad, Digitize!"

Their Morphers flared, rainbow light filling the alley as their bodies were imbued with power. As the suits materialized around them, the Rangers rushed out from behind the Shak to face down Cyrax and his goons.

"Hey bucket head, miss us already?" Ray taunted.

"I can assure you," Cyrax growled as he whipped out his twin blasters. "I never miss anything."

The pistols boomed and Rangers lunged to engage. The Byte-Bots rushed to meet them, swarming around as Ray reached for his Power Sword and knocked them back with a powerful swipe. But more were already on the way, double the number rising to replace those Ray cut down. One swung in, cracking him in the shoulder as he stumbled. He bumped into Jake, who too was running out of room to swing.

"They're too many!" Ben cried out as he retreated.

"Form a circle!" Ray ordered, "We hold the line together and they won't get to us."

But Cyrax had other plans. "Don't be so sure."

Ray realized too late what was happening, the real purpose of the Byte-Bot onslaught. It wasn't to take them out, it was the group them together. To make them nice and easy targets.

The bots leaped back as Cyrax's blasters hounded, bolts of energy surging towards the Rangers and catching them in the chest. The rounds exploded, the searing ball of flame hurling them from their feet.

And then the Byte-Bots descended once more. Barely given the chance to rise, the foot soldiers jumped them, slapping and grasping at their limbs before hauling them upright. Five to a Ranger, the team struggled against their captors as Cyrax stood proudly before them.

"Doc," Ray called into the coms, "We're in serious trouble here."

But there was no reply.

"Doc?" Hilary begged. "Doc are you there?"

"I'm going to enjoy this," Cyrax told them. "Goodbye, Power Rangers."

He raised his guns. Held at every limb, and with no response to their calls, Ray braced for what was coming. Light flashed from the barrels of the blasters; the shots seared towards them. Ray squeezed his eyes shut as he readied for the end.

But the blast never came.

"WHAT?"

Ray's eyes snapped open to see the source of Cyrax's surprise. A blue dome of energy, made of interlocking hexagons had been thrown up around the Rangers. Smoke was rising off its surface, the points where the lasers had impacted. At their feet was a strange device, a box with a yellow ball on top, three silver prongs spinning around it with the blue light shining outwards.

"Where did that come from?" Jake gasped.

"Sorry to spoil your fun, Cyrax," a voice called from the alley. "But you're not the only one with toys."

Standing at the edge of the street, out of breath and quivering, was Doc. And yet despite his foiled victory, Cyrax did not seem displeased by the turn of events.

"Doctor Benson," he purred. "How nice of you to finally join us."

"Doc?" Ben cried. "What are you doing?"

"Sorry, for the heart attack guys," Benson told them. "The shield needed a little field test."

Cyrax stepped towards him, calm and effortless. His weapons weren't out, he didn't need them. Not with Doc completely at his mercy. But Benson stood strong, eye narrowed as he stared up at the armored soldier.

"I know you're in there, Kyle," he insisted. "I know you won't let him hurt me."

"Kyle Mason is gone," Cyrax replied. "And he's not coming to save you now."

He'd reached the doctor; they needed to get to him, now.

Beside him, Ray felt the grip of the Byte-Bots loosen, surprised by the turn of events and watching in captivated curiosity. All he needed.

He snapped out his arm, reefing it free of the grip as he cracked his elbow into the Byte-Bot's face. As it faulted, he grabbed back and snatched the other, flinging it over his shoulder and into the blue dome. The robot convulsed and fizzled as it collided with the barrier and Ray spun around to kick off the last of his captors. Beside him, the rest of the Rangers lashed out of the bots, freeing themselves as the box at their feet sparked and fizzled and the dome dropped from in front of them.

Then they vaulted into the air, skidding to a stop to place themselves between Doc and Cyrax.

"We have got to stop meeting like this," Ray insisted.

"You better get out of here, Doc," Hilary suggested. "We can take it from here."

Doc didn't need to be told twice, bolting back to the street as the Ranger's hands snapped to their belts.

"Modem Blasters!" they called, drawing their pistols and snapping out the blade. "Sabre mode!"

"If you want something done right…" Cyrax sneered as his sword hummed to life.

And then Rangers charged him. For five to one odds, Cyrax's speed had no trouble keeping up, gracefully stepping between them as his blade sang through the air. It was all they could do to parry his blows, sneaking in a punch or kick when they saw an opening. Yet every time his wrist came up, blocking their attack and pushing them backward. As Cyrax turned to bear down on Hilary, Jake lunged. Big mistake.

The warrior turned, swinging the sword to slash the Green Ranger in midair. As the sword sliced across his suit, sparks showering in all directions, Jake was sent crashing into a parked car that buckled in around him.

Time for a new plan.

"Ben, Johnny!" Ray commanded. "Triple Finish!"

"Right!"

Switching to their Power Weapons, the three boys lunged, Ben leading with a bounding leap and his mallet held high. "Hammer Time!"

He brought the hammer down, and Cyrax stepped backward to dodge. But Ben wasn't done, changing his swing mid-arc as he landed and following up, amping the pressure to force Cyrax backward.

Then it was Johnny's turn, having swept around the flank to strike with the staff. Cyrax was ready, sword swinging to catch the blow and hold it in place. Just as the Black Ranger had hoped.

"Nice try."

"Made you look," Johnny smirked.

Off balance and arms occupied, there was nowhere for Cyrax to go Ray ran in low with his sword at the ready.

Picking up momentum, he cleaved upward with his sword to put everything he had behind the blow. Cyrax threw the two Rangers off him but it was far too late as the blade sheered across the warrior's chest plate. There was a crimson flash and Cyrax was thrown from his feet, tumbling backward before crashing into the brickwork behind him. With a stumble, he rose, and as he looked around he watched as Rangers regrouped, remnants of the Byte Bots scattered at their feet.

"Well played Rangers," he snarled. "But this is far from over!" And then he disappeared in his usual flash of green light, leaving the street clear and silent. At last, the Rangers buckled over and allowed themselves a desperate breath of relief.

"That was close," said Jake.

"Too close," Ben agreed.

"Doc?" Hilary called out. "Are you still there?"

Slowly, the small man stepped out from the cover, his face white and body still shaking.

"What were you thinking?" Johnny demanded. "You could have been in serious danger."

"I'm sorry," Doc apologized. "I know it was stupid. But I had to see. I had to see if he was still in here."

"Well, your stupid plan probably saved our butts," Ray admitted. "Come on, we can talk more at the warehouse."

The Data Cycles pulled into the lot with Doc riding shotgun behind Ray. Safe behind the firewall, they powered down and immediately moved to Doc's terminal.

"I only just got the shield working this morning," he explained. "I hadn't had time to test it. When I saw on the monitors that Cyrax was attacking the Shak, I figured it might come in handy."

"It was a big risk," said Johnny. "If we hadn't broken free then things could have been a lot dicier."

"I know, thanks for saving me, guys."

But Ray still had a million other things swirling through his mind. Starting with Cyrax's escalation. "He's stepping things up," he noted. "He's never attacked us at the Shak before."

Doc nodded. "He might be hoping that the added pressure might force you to make a mistake."

"He was nearly right," Jake admitted. "If you hadn't shown up, we'd have been goners."

"You guys need to be careful," said Doc. "If he's escalating like this then there's no telling what he might try and pull next." He buried his face in his hands. "I just wish I had a solution to give you guys."

"Actually," said Hilary, sharing a look with the boys as they harkened back to their earlier, awkward conversation, "we might have something for that."

"What did you have in mind?"

"What if we can destroy, or you know, neutralize his powers?" she suggested. "Even if that doesn't turn him back, it might weaken him enough to capture him. Hold him until we can figure out how to remove Cyrax from him for good."

"Maybe…"

Slowly, Doc began to nod, like a switch had been flicked and now the cogs were beginning to turn. The movement became more erratic, more excitable, he jumped in his chair and wheeled over to the computer, frantically typing the second he reached the keyboard.

"It's a start," he agreed, "but it might not be enough. His powers aren't just the source of the corruption; the two are one and the same. And I'll be honest, I haven't figured out a way to destroy his powers without potentially destroying Kyle in the process."

"Well, what if you don't destroy them?"

The Rangers spun around to where the suggestion had come from. Jake.

"When we're on the football field, and an opposing player is giving us problems," he explained. "We don't try to take them head-on. We block them out, stop them from getting in our way so that we can execute our own game plan."

The team stared at him, Hilary's jaw hanging in disbelief. "Jake, that's brilliant."

"Wait, that's surprising?"

But Hilary had already spun back to Doc. "If we could isolate his powers and then trigger a system reboot..."

"We could then intercept the operating protocol and redirect," Doc agreed. "We could then transfer the system into a separate unit…"

"Just our Ranger powers!"

"Okay, that sounds super technical or whatever," Ben interrupted. "But how would we actually pull this off?

"We'd have to trap him, somehow," Doc conceded. "Hold him in place long enough for the reboot to trigger and take effect."

"You could use that shield," Ray suggested. "Could you reverse it so that it stops things getting out instead of things getting in?"

"It's possible," Doc admitted. "But I don't think the shield could take something like Cyrax thrashing to get out. I'd need a whole lot of juice to handle the load…"

Then he stopped as if kicking himself for not realizing something earlier. Hilary came to the same realization.

"… something big for fifteen seconds," she breathed.

Doc's hand snapped to the draw, reefing it open and procuring the tiny crystal fragments they'd recovered from their battle with Porkchop.

"This… this might actually work," he said. "But it'll take some time for me to reprogram the shield generator and integrate the power source. Not to mention the override program."

"I can help with that," Hilary offered. "Two heads are better than one."

Moments later, the two had become completely absorbed with their mission, tapping away and muttering to each other. Whenever they did speak loud enough to hear, all Ray could make out was computer babble.

It may as well have been an alien language.

"I don't think we're going to be much help to them," Jake decided.

Ray nodded his head in agreement.

"No, no we are not," he conceded, only for his mind to tick back to the next problem in their laps. "But while we're waiting, there are a few people at the Shak that owe us some answers..."