While Lily, Casey and Theo trained in their respective techniques, RJ began working on the Claw Cannon. He had a theory as to how they could circumvent the power the Spirit Rangers wielded. He had to feel a certain pride in their determination to master their own techniques to bring down the Spirit Rangers before the Masters exhausted their life force, but he had a feeling that they needed a plan B just to be on the safe side.
Of course his new plan was a lot riskier than he was comfortable with. He was recalibrating the Ranger's Claw Cannon to the spirits of the Bat, Elephant and Shark, though not for charging. He tried hard to concentrate as he continued his work. If his theory was right, it would indeed affect the energies of their animal spirits, though he also knew how dangerous that was. Potentially he would also destroy the masters in the process.
"What are you working on?" Fran asked him, sitting beside him and placing down the grilled chicken BLT he'd asked for. "You've been at it almost all night. Even the others managed to get some sleep last night."
RJ looked to the window, realising that sunlight was indeed streaming through the glass.
"I was sure it was dark." He commented, handing her his cup for a re-fill of coffee.
"It was." Fran told him, taking the cup. "You've been working on this for fifteen hours."
"No wonder I'm so wired." He remarked, leaning back in his chair and running his fingers through his hair, pulling it out of his face.
"What's taking so long?" Fran asked him.
"I had to run schematics and second-guess myself every step of the way." He told her, gesturing to his laptop as he took a huge bite out of his sandwich. "I only finished the schematics...some time it was still dark."
"The clock on your document save log says it auto-saved at 4AM." Fran commented. "RJ, that was six hours ago."
"Well I have all the computer work out of the way." He replied through a huge mouthful of sandwich. "The electrics are just taking longer than expected."
"Well maybe lying down for a few hours would help you refresh your brain and get on with it faster." She suggested. "Mind if I check my E-mail?"
"No problem, just don't mess up my files." RJ told her, picking up a tool and getting back to work. Fran looked at him a little dismissively; of course she wouldn't delete any of his work.
"Just get some rest before you mess anything up yourself." She grumbled.
"What makes you say that?" He asked.
"Well you know that soldering iron you're trying to use to attach the wires to the circuit board?" She asked. RJ nodded. "It's actually a screwdriver."
RJ looked at the Philip's head screwdriver in his hand and muttered something under his breath.
"It'll still be here in a couple of hours." She told him, finishing what she was doing. "I promise not to let you sleep too long; there'll be a fresh cup of coffee when you get up."
"Fine, but only let me sleep two hours, I mean it Fran." He replied. "As long as the Spirit Rangers are out there, I doubt any of us are going to have much to smile about."
Fran watched him go, figuring it was best not to waste his sandwich and finished it herself. It was a good sandwich.
Back in Dai Shi's fortress, he summoned Scorch to power up the Spirit rangers again. He had no idea how it was even possible for someone to enter the fortress undetected, never mind steal the eyes. All he knew was that for the time being he had to keep that detail from Dai Shi.
He knew if Dai Shi found out the eyes had been stolen, it would only make him look weak in front of the others, an eventuality that he could not allow to happen. What he needed was a scapegoat, someone else who could carry the responsibility for losing their power, and with it the power of the Rangers. For now all he could hope was that they had already absorbed enough power from the eyes to take down the Rangers. He could worry about other matters later.
"Power up the Spirit Rangers." Dai Shi commanded him. "I hope for your sake they fare better than last time."
"May I suggest sending Unidoom for support?" He suggested. "He possesses the spirit of the unicorn. Between the magical power of his animal spirit and his Rinzin power, he should easily overmatch the Rangers."
"Just tell me when it's done." Dai Shi sneered as he waved the general away.
"May I also suggest that I give him the eyes?" He continued. "With them at his command, the Spirit Ranger's powers will last far longer than they'll ever need to destroy the Rangers."
"Just do it." Dai Shi snapped. "And don't fail."
Scorch made his way in search of Unidoom, already forming the plan. If Unidoom and the Spirit Rangers succeeded, he would have ample time to find all the eyes. Of course he would have to suffer a nasty accident to prevent him from revealing the truth to Dai Shi.
That said if he failed, then Scorch would not have to explain the loss of the eyes. He would be able to pin it all on Unidoom. On the whole, things could be worse. He had ensured his position was safe. Now he had ample time to concentrate on other matters.
Back in the Restaurant, RJ woke up, making his way into the main room, finding only Fran sitting there, watching television.
"You said you'd wake me in two hours." RJ reprimanded her softly. "I've been asleep almost three."
"Well it's not like you didn't need it." She replied.
"Where are the others?" He asked.
"Lily, Theo and Casey are downstairs moving furniture." She began. "Dom went into town, and Camille went to get herself some buttermilk."
"Ughhhh. I don't know how she can drink that stuff." RJ remarked. "Why didn't she just ask for some with the groceries?"
"She's the only one that drinks it, so she figured it's only fair she buys it from her own pocket." Fran explained. "I'm in full agreement though, she can keep that stuff."
"Well if you don't mind, I'm off to do some fine tuning on the Claw Cannon." He told her. "Preferably BEFORE Dai Shi attacks again."
"Just let me know if there's anything I can do." Fran told him.
Elsewhere in the city, a mysterious figure took up position out of sight and set up the communications relay to the boss.
"You got the schematics?" The electronically distorted voice asked.
"As I suspected, the design and the ploy requires minor adjustments." The boss replied. "I've sent the beginning of the schematics for the power filter to your helmet visors. You'll need the eight crystal eyes though."
"That'll not be easy to do without attracting attention." The warrior told him.
"You've both been doing well up until now." The boss replied. "It won't be much longer."
"My partner isn't going to like this." The warrior responded. "We'll set up the filter as you designed. I hope this works."
"So do I." The boss replied, cutting off the communications link. The warrior opened communications.
"We need the eyes." The warrior explained to the other.
"I understand." The partner replied. "I'll get them."
Dominic arrived back at JKP with a variety of large drink cups, having returned from his smoothie run to the local health food takeaway. He'd accidentally dropped theirs while helping renovations, so needless to say it was his job to do the drinks run.
"Who's double banana?" He asked holding up the first.
"Mine!" Lily called out, moving over and collecting her drink.
"Vanilla…" He was interrupted as the morphers bleeped, indicating trouble in the city. They left their smoothies and headed into the surveillance area, finding RJ already there.
"They have a unicorn phantom?" Casey asked.
"It looks like it." RJ sighed. "They've got the phantoms with them."
"It looks like we get to try out our theory of using our own styles after all." Casey stated with authority. Guys, let's go."
"I'll be along shortly." RJ told them. "I just need to work the last of the bugs out of the Claw Cannon, it shouldn't take long."
With that, the Rangers headed off to face the enemy. RJ headed into his room, hearing a strange sound as he approached the door. Throwing it open, inside he found what appeared to be a Power Ranger. The mysterious Ranger was wearing a costume much like the others, though its markings were slightly different. The face guard around the nose and mouth area were white, as was a broad stripe running the length of the chest, though the rest of the costume was a bright, burning orange. The skirt on the costume and the build of the Ranger informed him that whoever it was, it was a woman. He looked behind her, seeing his safe lying open, and the canvas sack containing the crystal eyes was hanging across her shoulder.
"I don't know who you are, but you are not going any were with those." He stated bluntly, preparing a guard.
"You'll thank me when we help you save the masters." The Orange Ranger replied in an electronically distorted voice. RJ furrowed his brows as he tried to think if there was anything familiar about her. She had used his name, and she said she was going to help.
"My friends don't break into my property and steal what belongs to me." He responded. Seeing the situation was going south, the Orange Ranger called forth a pair of tonfa, powering them up and smashing him to the ground before sprinting from the restaurant, leaving RJ far behind. He marvelled at her incredible speed, she was barely visible as she left, only an orange streak. He reasoned that she was the one who had helped them earlier.
"Who is she?" He asked himself. "And what did she want with the eyes?"
The others arrived in the middle of town, finding the Spirit Rangers and Unidoom waiting for them.
"Are you ready to b destroyed?" Unidoom asked them. "Only four of you? Well, we can always look for your friend later."
"Master Phant, I'll save you, I promise," Lily roared, surging to the attack with her Jungle Bo, "even if I have to hurt you to do it."
"Are you ready for another lesson in the Jungle Fan?" Swoop sneered, calling forth his own weapon. "I'd have thought you'd be sick of losing."
"I am." He replied, calling out his tonfa. "That's why I'm trying something different."
"One more time Casey?" Finn snarled, rushing him with his sabres. Casey dashed the first strike aside with his Junglechuks.
"You've got it!" He replied.
"I guess that leaves us." Dom stated as he switched the Rhino Morpher to blade mode. "I always wanted a unicorn."
RJ finished making the last of the adjustments to the specifications on his computer, and closed up the shell of the Claw Cannon. He had wanted to go after the mystery thief, but he knew the Rangers needed him more. He still had no idea how his plan would work, he only knew that it would help as a last resort. He heard his morpher bleeping, answering the communication.
"RJ, we're taking a pounding." Casey told him. "Is that plan B ready?"
"I'll be right over." He replied, observing the monitor. "Can you hold out till I get there?"
"We'll try." Casey told him. But I don't know how…"
He was cut off as a Ranger clad in a green outfit came seemingly from nowhere, catching their opponents unawares. They watched her fight in wonder.
Her costume was completely green, save for some spines running up the length of her back, though again her skirt and her build gave away that it was a woman in the costume. Powering up a pair of daggers, she blasted Unidoom from his feet.
"Who are you?" Theo asked her.
"A gift horse." The Green Ranger replied in a distorted voice. "Now get up and carry on, I'll help until the Wolf Ranger gets here."
RJ arrived to find them already beginning to fight back. He threw himself into the fray, joining Dominic in tackling the Phantom Beast General as the Rangers continued to battle their respective masters.
"Guys, call the Claw Cannon!" RJ instructed them. "Funnel them into on area and blast them."
"But we might destroy them!" Lily shrieked as she disarmed the Elephant Ranger with her bo.
"We don't have a choice Lily, if we don't stop them, they'll be lost anyway." He replied. "Now call the Claw Cannon."
"We'll hold them in place." Another voice called out, heralding the arrival of the Orange Ranger on the scene. She took her place alongside her partner, battling the three Spirit Rangers. "We can't hold them long, charge it and fire!"
"But…"
"Casey, just do it!" She roared.
"You took your time." The Green Ranger said quietly as they struggled against the combined skills of the masters.
"RJ accelerated our plans." The Orange Ranger replied. "I wasn't able to complete the power filter."
"So we've failed." The Green Ranger replied as she saw the Rangers powering up the Claw Cannon.
"Not quite, I've got an idea." The Orange Ranger replied. "This is going to hurt!"
The Rangers looked to RJ reluctantly as the Claw Cannon finally charged to full power. He nodded morosely, indicating that now was their best chance. Casey fired off the blast with a little regret.
Suddely, the feeling of panic rose as the Orange Ranger threw herself into the path of the beam, holding a strange device to her chest. The energy blast struck the device, and her, filtering through them into a brilliant white beam which smashed the Masters to the ground and out of their Ranger forms. The Orange Ranger though was thrown through the air out of view, de-morphing as she went, landing amid some rubble, out of sight. The Green Ranger rushed off in her direction, leaving the Rangers to it.
"You still have all of US to deal with." Unidoom replied, calling forth dozens of Rinshi warriors. "Spirit Rangers or no, you will fall to my Rinzin power!"
"You can have all the power in the world; you'll still never defeat us!" Casey called out, rushing to the attack.
RJ ran over to where his Dad was beginning to haul himself off the ground.
"Dad, are you alright?" He asked him, a note of concern in his voice. He looked down at the shattered device the Orange Ranger had been carrying, seeing the eight crystal eyes inside. As he picked one up, he didn't feel the same sense of foreboding he had before.
"I'm fine RJ." Finn replied. "In fact, I'm better than fine. I'm free of their control."
"Well leave it to us from here." He replied. "We'll deal with…"
"The odds don't look good." He interrupted, pulling himself to his feet. "Swoop, how are you holding up?"
"Ready for some payback?" He replied. "How about you Phant?"
"Alive and kicking." He responded. Somehow, they all seemed to know what to do, standing in unity. Calling forth the power imbued to them by the eyes, they powered back up into Spirit Ranger form.
"Not again!" Casey groaned, seeing them as he attacked several Rinshi. "We can't…"
"You won't have to." Swoop interrupted. "This time we're in control of the power."
Dai Shi arrived on the scene, watching the last of the battle. As he saw the Spirit Rangers turn on his monster, he sneered in disgust.
"That incompetent fool." He snorted. "Scorch has only succeeded in making the Rangers stronger."
He looked over to the fallen body of the Orange Ranger, strewn across some rubble. In her civilian form he recognised her instantly.
"So you have been the ones to bring about this catastrophe." He remarked, seeing the Green Ranger collect her friend's unconscious body and leave the area out of view of the Rangers. Knowing who the Orange Ranger was, he could guess who the Green Ranger was. "If you choose to stand against me, you will learn the consequences."
With that, he disappeared, leaving Unidoom to his fate as the assembled Rangers defeated their foes with relative ease, their combined powers overwhelming them completely.
Later, back in the apartment, The Rangers celebrated their victory, welcoming back the masters.
"Thank you for saving us." Phant said gratefully.
"I had to do it." Lily told him. "I promised Gabby I would."
"So what of the Spirit Rangers?" Theo asked. Why were they able to call on their powers?"
"Well preliminary tests show that somehow the eyes filtered the power of the Claw Cannon." RJ explained. "The Cannon's blast destroyed the evil energies in the eyes and transferred their power into the Masters."
"So they can become the Spirit Rangers at any time." Theo surmised.
"Yes…and no." RJ responded. "The powers are still connected to their life force."
"So it's still dangerous to use their powers." Lily remarked.
"We aren't afraid." Finn announced. "To destroy Dai Shi we'll gladly use those powers."
"Because this time the power was granted by ALL EIGHT eyes instead of three, the powers are no longer life threatening, but they can only be accessed for short periods." He continued to explain. "It's best your powers are only called on sparingly as a last resort."
"Well, you can always count on the Spirit Rangers to have your back." Swoop told them with a smile. "We'll bring down Dai Shi together."
As they continued to celebrate, Theo crossed the room to where Fran was sitting.
"What's with the sweater?" He asked her, gesturing to her long-sleeved garment.
"I think I'm coming down with something." She replied. "I thought I'd burn it out early."
"Do you feel healthy enough to go for a walk?" He asked her. "I'd like to talk to you about something."
"I'd like that." She replied with a bright smile, gathering her coat. "Lead the way."
Theo took her hand in his, feeling the warmth of her touch cause that same tingle it always did when he touched her. He loved her more than anything, and the last few days had shown him how quickly things could change for the worst. He knew he was making the right choice to spend this time with her.
Back in the fortress, Dai Shi called the Generals before him. His expression said all that needed to be said in the circumstances.
"Your incompetence has only given the Rangers more strength." He barked aggressively. "I asked you to prove your loyalty and THIS is what I get?"
"Give us another test." Snapper stated. "We will prove our loyalty."
"I have a special assignment for you Snapper." He responded with an evil grin. "Now, pay attention."
Theo took Fran along the riverside on their walk. They always enjoyed this part of the city at night. As the moon rose, it reflected off the softly rippling waves of the river's lazy tide.
"You said you wanted t talk about something." Fran said, reminding Theo that it had now been several minutes since they'd left, and he hadn't said a word.
"Fran, I wanted to talk about us." He began. "I wanted to talk about where we're going."
"Theo, I already agreed to move into…"
"I want more than that Fran." He interrupted her. Everything that's happened has really shown me what's important in my life. What happened with the Masters showed me how easily things…"
"Theo, what are you saying?" She asked.
"When I was being held prisoner by the Overdrive Rangers, being in there didn't scare me. The thought of being hurt didn't scare me." He took her hand in his own and looked deeply into her eyes. "I wasn't even scared to die. There was only one thing that scared me."
"What was that?" Fran asked him.
"The thought that I might never see you again." He replied, getting down onto one knee. "Fran, I don't have a lot, and I know things have been crazy, but I…"
"Yes Theo!" She forced out through tears of joy, throwing her arms around him. "I want to be with you forever. Yes I'll marry you!"
Unfortunately, the moment war ruined as Snapper arrived, forcing them both to the ground and apart with an energy blast.
"Sorry to break this up, but Dai Shi requested the pleasure of your company." He sneered, approaching Fran. She began to pull something from her jacket, but Snapper was far too quick for her, swatting it out of her hand. He grabbed her wrist, twisting it painfully.
"Say your goodbyes Blue Ranger." He taunted Theo with a laugh. "She's never coming back."
With that, he disappeared. Theo crawled over to the item that had fallen out of Fran's grip, beholding it in disbelief as tears welled up in him.
It was an Orange Solar Morpher.