Scott, Flynn and Dillon bid the survivors of Las Vegas a fond farewell as they finished loading up the APC for their trip back to Corinth. Emma and Frank were muttering about how unfair life was as they performed the somewhat futile task of washing the vehicle before it made its way out into the desert, just a part of their punishment for running off on their own into the city.
Scott was a little lost in his thoughts as he loaded up his kit, awaiting Tommy returning with any information he had on the Macha group. All he knew was that they had an office in Vegas before the attacks, but since it was a multi-national corporation, that wasn't really much of a lead. Flynn came out from under the vehicle.
"Do you really have to check it every time?" Scott asked him. "Flynn, it's an armoured transport. It's designed to take sustained shelling; I doubt anything the desert could throw at it would cause it any real harm."
"What can I say, my dad always taught me to be thorough." Flynn responded with a shrug. "So are we almost ready to go?"
"Almost." Dillon replied as he arrived, carrying some provisions. "Tommy said he was coming with the files you asked for."
Almost on cue, Tommy, Kira, Adam and Chrissie arrived. Jonny was holding his mother's hand tightly, something that was a little unusual for a kid his age, but given the circumstances, they could understand his reluctance to be separated from Chrissie, even a little. Tommy handed over a disk to Scott.
"We found three warehouse packers, two cleaners and a company driver among the survivors who used to work for the Macha Group here." He informed Scott. "We interviewed them, but they didn't have too much to say. They were just low-level workers for the legitimate side of the business. They didn't even seem to know anything about the Alphabet Soup programme."
"Well, nothing that wasn't in the National Enquirer." Adam added as Scott put the disk away in his pocket. "Sorry we couldn't find anything more concrete."
"It's alright, I really appreciate the effort." Scott replied. "So I guess this is it then."
"We'll keep in contact." Tommy assured them as his kids finally finished with their task and returned to his side. Kira held them both wordlessly, still resting her throat to help her regain her voice more quickly. She smiled and shook hands with each of them in turn. "Who knows, maybe once the rebuild's finished and we start building some transport links, we can swing by and see what Corinth is like?"
"We'd really like that." Flynn chipped in. "By then I'll have joined the parent club."
"The world can never have too many Ranger kids." Tommy said, playfully ruffling Frank's hair to his annoyance. "Even if they do cause us more than a few sleepless nights."
"Anyway, we should really be making moves." Dillon told them. "With the way Scott drives, by the time we get home Sam's kid will have graduated." Scott just hit his shoulder at this jibe about his driving. The two got along well, so it was all good-natured, but they were still competitive about who drove the fastest. They climbed into the vehicle, firing up the engine, before starting to pull out of the base. Tommy and the others all watched them go, smiling as they looked forward to the future of their city.
Meanwhile, over at the Animarium, Gem and Gemma had been sitting for some time as Princess Shayla filled them in on everything that had been happening since the attacks. It was an upsetting tale. Ever since their tenure as Rangers, the Wild Force had dispersed and sought their place in the world, believing their Ranger days to be in the past. Merrick had travelled the world, seeking peace and helping where he could. He mentioned something in Russia to do with the original Pink Ranger, but other than that, he had found a measure of peace and quiet up until the Wolf Zord had called to him, telling him that he would soon be needed back in Turtle Cove.
Danny and Max had also travelled the world, together with a woman named Kendall that Danny had met working in a florist. Once they were finished with their world tour, Danny and Kendall married and moved to New Tech, while Max returned to Turtle Cove. It was some time after that Danny had his accident. The tragedy was that in addition to being laid up in a hospital, he had lost his wife and his infant daughter Elizabeth. Since communications had gone down, they could no longer contact New Tech, and so they had no idea if Danny was among those evacuated to the SPD bunker or not.
Max, Alyssa and Taylor had all been in the city when the attacks came, while Cole had opted to remain on the Animarium where he felt most at home... When the Animarium had descended, they had all taken up their morphers again without hesitation. Unfortunately though, by the time they had, the Orgs had already resurfaced. Unable to deal with both Venjix and the Orgs, they had been forced into retreat. By the time the Orgs had taken hold, they were already been too weakened. Alyssa and Max had fallen in battle not long afterwards.
Gem made his way down to the lake, finding Cole sitting by the edge of it, skipping stones. He made his way over.
"I'm really sorry to hear about what happened to your friends." Gem told him sympathetically. "I used to love all the old stories of the Animarium."
"Alyssa was a great writer." Cole agreed.
"We promise we'll help you guys however we can." Gem assured him. Just then, he heard a couple of mournful cries from the forest as the sun started to set. Cole looked up to see Gem looking confused.
"That's the Wild Zords." He informed him. "They're connected to our spirits; they can feel what we can. They do that every night now."
"They miss their friends." Gem concluded. Cole nodded in response.
"They still come out from time to time, but not as often as they did." He replied sadly. "The Deer Zord doesn't even come out to listen to Shayla sing anymore. Since Alyssa..."
He wiped his eyes with his wrist as he found himself unable to continue. Gem sat with him, putting his hand on The Red Ranger's shoulder.
"Will they fight?" Gem asked. "We're probably going to need all the help we can get."
"Like I said, they're connected to our spirits." Cole reiterated. "The ones belonging to Taylor, Merrick and I are still ready to go, but the others can't be called. They need to find others they trust."
"Well that's still a lot of Zords." Gem assured him. "Gemma and I can bring in the Mach Megazord to help."
"Merrick still has the Predazord." Cole stated with a shrug. "I guess when all's said and done; all we can do is try."
"So what do you know about the Orgs down below?" Gem asked him.
"Master Org is back." Cole explained. "The Orgs found a new host to put him in. He consumed an Org heart not long afterwards."
"Do you know...?"
"We have no idea who he was before." Cole told him. "All I know is that it isn't good news for us. We managed to defeat him once before, but this time I really don't know. He seems so much stronger now."
"Then we'll fight even harder." Merrick told him, arriving behind them and putting a hand on Cole's shoulder. "Princess Shayla wants to see us."
"I guess that means we're about to see what your new Zords are made of." He told him. "Come on Merrick, take us to her."
As they walked away, Gem tugged on Cole's jacket gently, before whispering in his ear.
"They seemed pretty intense before." He whispered. "Are he and Princess Shayla...?"
"No, we're not." Merrick interrupted him, causing Gem to look a little sheepish. He smiled. "We were in a relationship once, but it was a long time ago. A lot has happened since then."
In another part of the Animarium, Taylor found Gemma looking at Hicks' dog tags longingly, stroking them with her thumb as she read his name over and over again. She couldn't help her attention being brought back to the second tag, the one on its own short length of chain in a separate loop on the main chain. It was the one that was meant to be detached and used as a toe tag in the event the soldier wearing them fell in battle.
Until she had heard the story of what had happened to the Wild Force Rangers, she had never really given much thought to her team-mates' mortality. Sure, she had always logically known it was a possibility, but so far they had come through every battle alive. She couldn't imagine what she would do, how she would feel if she ever had to face the fact she would never see any of her team-mates again, or if anything happened to Hicks. Taylor coughed a little to arouse her attention.
"I'm guessing those aren't yours." She surmised. Gemma nodded in response.
"They belong to someone very precious to me." Gemma informed her. "He gave them to me when I left on my first mission. They remind me I have something to fight for."
Taylor sat next to her and reached inside her jacket, pulling out a slightly faded, red beret.
"I had someone like that in my life once." Taylor informed her, taking a deep breath. "He was just as stubborn and pig-headed as me. When I first met him, he bugged the hell out of me. In time we realised the reason we butted heads so much was because we were nuts about each other."
"If you don't mind me asking, what happened?" Gemma asked her.
"We had a stupid fight." She admitted. "He has a job over in New Tech. I was trying to convince him to transfer out here and we both let our tempers get the better of us. The attacks came after he left. I've not seen him since. I don't even know if he's still alive. All I keep thinking about when I think about him is the fact our last words were spoken in anger."
Gemma didn't know what to tell her. She had known the pain of being separated from Hicks, not knowing if she'd ever see him again, to tell him what he meant to her. She wanted to help Taylor, but her words would hold no comfort. She didn't know if he was still alive, or if Taylor would have the same second chance she did with Hicks.
"We're ready for you now." Princess Shayla announced as she arrived. "It's time."
Meanwhile, on the ground, beneath the Animarium, two strangers arrived. One of them hefted his weapon onto his shoulder as he surveyed the city.
"I think we can safely say that this is the place." The first said as he surveyed the horizon.
"Can you...?"
"I can't smell anything over the stench of this pollution." He interrupted his compatriot. "However, I am confident we will find her."
Just then, they looked up, seeing the Rangers descending from the Animarium in a number of brightly coloured lights, shining through even the thick black smog engulfing the city.
"We don't have much time." He told his comrade. "Come!"
With that, they ran off in the direction of the landing site, eager to do battle.
The Rangers landed deep within the city, looking around the ruins. Because of their suits, they were protected from the toxic air, and could see through the smog far further than they would be able to unaided.
"Where do we go from here?" Gemma asked.
"The main factory is due north of here." Cole informed them, bringing his Lion Claw forth and getting it ready for action. "Stay sharp out here."
"The tox scans are showing the air is life-threatening to humans." Gem added, performing a quick analysis. "How does anyone live down here?"
"The slaves Master Org uses to work the factory are kept indoors." Taylor answered him. "They're too useful to him alive. The fact they can't live for more than a few hours out here just discourages them from trying to escape."
"At least we don't need to worry about innocent bystanders." Merrick responded, drawing his Lunar Cue. "I doubt it'll be too long before we see company."
Just then, dozens of Putrids flooded the streets, surrounding them in all directions. A couple of Orgs stepped into view, confronting them. One looked like it was built from electrical cabling, its chest shaped like a generator. The other was formed out of an old pick-up truck. Both of them had two horns on their heads.
"So those are Orgs." Gem commented. "They don't look so tough."
"Appearances can be deceptive." Taylor told them, bringing out her Eagle Zord. "Come on guys; let's send these things back to the earth!"
The Rangers battled fiercely, driving their way northward. Clearing himself enough space to get a look around, Merrick cast a glance in the direction of his new allies. He had to admit being impressed by the twins. Despite never having faced Orgs before, they seemed to be holding their own well. Gem destroyed a load of Putrids, while Gemma kept the Pick-up Org busy.
"Let me give you a hand!" Merrick called out, swinging his cue, bringing up a field of green energy which held it in place. "Lunar Break!"
Gemma shrieked in excitement as she watched it explode, raining parts all over the street.
"That was awesome!" She yelled. "Let us get one!"
"Cole, Taylor, hold the Putrids off the twins!" Merrick instructed them, getting back to the battle. Gem and Gemma destroyed the other Org with their Sky Shift Blazers.
Just as they were about to finish the last of them though, two more Orgs appeared. They were different though. They were both heavily armoured in a hideous carapace, with sharp talons and powerful forms. One of them had a pointed head, with dark eyes glaring out from it, and massive jaws, filled with jagged, razor sharp fangs. The other was covered in lighter coloured fur, with shining yellow eyes, and yellow, hooked teeth.
"Two more of them!" Gem called out. Cole grabbed his arm as he prepared to attack though.
"Gem, be careful!" He warned him, pointing to the two new arrivals. "They only have one horn. They're Duke Orgs!"
Over in Corinth, Dr. K was working on something when the communications screen burst into life. Turning towards it, she saw Dillon appearing on the screen.
She rushed over, forgetting all about her previous project as she saw him.
"Dr. K, this is Dillon checking in." He began, shifting in his seat a little. Dr. K could tell he was trying to see if Summer was in the background. She rolled her eyes.
"I take it you're calling to tell me you're on your way." Dr. K surmised. Dillon nodded in response.
"We gave Tommy the communications frequency." He informed her. "He should be contacting Chas and Hicks in the near future."
"Dillon, stop fidgeting, Summer isn't here." She chastised him as he tried yet again to look round him. "Tenaya and Ziggy took her out for the day. She said she wanted to enjoy a good meal while her stomach is steady for a change."
"Morning sickness?" Dillon asked her. Dr. K nodded, resisting the urge to correct him on his medical terminology. Summer had indeed been having a lot of trouble with nausea, at the most inconvenient times of the day. "I'm sorry I missed her."
"I'll pass along your greeting." Dr. K assured him. "Thank you for the report."
With that, she cut the communications, aware that Scott was likely driving. She knew he would contact her when he could. It was unfortunate that they had been forced to use the APC instead of a jet, meaning it would be at least a week until they'd be back. It was unfortunate that Summer had been out when he contacted her. She knew she wanted to hear word from Dillon as much as she longed to hear from Scott. In the end though, they all knew that was the sacrifice they had agreed to make. All they could do was get by however they could.
Back in Turtle Cove, the battle had taken a hard turn for the worse. Since the Duke Orgs had shown up, Putrids were attracted to their location in greater numbers than before. Now, there appeared to be no way out. They were completely surrounded.
"Cole!" Merrick yelled loudly as he watched Cole slump to the ground unconscious, de-morphing as he did so under the assault of the furred Duke Org. He tried to help him, but there were too many Putrids in the way.
Taylor brought out her wings, soaring toward her fallen team-mate only for the other Duke Org to leap onto her, dragging her to the ground with its jaws. She too de-morphed and succumbed to the attack.
"Guys, we have to get out of here!" Gem roared as he smashed his way through some more Putrids. "There are too many of them!"
Gem, Gemma and Merrick all circled around, standing back-to-back as their opponents surrounded them. Just then, a power blast carved them an escape route. They turned in time to see a brightly-coloured, single-horned Org slicing a path for them with a pair of knives.
"Another one?" Gem Yelled. "That's all we need!"
"We're here to help!" Jindrax told them. "Follow me!"
Looking up a nearby staircase, he saw the unmistakable form of Zen-aku, slicing down Putrids and smiled.
"Trust me guys, they're friends!" Merrick assured them. "Let's go!"
"What about Taylor and Cole?" Gemma asked him.
"We can't help them now." Merrick told them. "Come on! We have to regroup!"
With that, Gem and Gemma fled, calling forth their Zords as they did so. The small party reluctantly took off, leaving their comrades behind.
A little while later, Taylor came to, finding herself chained to a wall. The room was in complete darkness, save for a small spotlight, centred over Cole, who was standing, stripped to the waist, with his wrists chained together. His body was covered in injuries, informing her that he had been mistreated since their capture.
"Cole!" She screamed, struggling in vain to get free. "Cole!"
"I'm glad you're finally awake." She heard a deep voice. Just then, the lights came up. She saw that she was in the main control room of the factory. The two Duke Orgs from before were standing either side of a throne, while a prone, female prisoner was lying in chains at his feet. Sitting on the throne was the latest incarnation of Master Org.
He was wearing long, flowing white robes in a sick parody of a righteous saviour. He had a single huge horn growing from the top of his head, and a staff resting in his hands. His face was almost human, though pale, and covered in light blue veins. Taylor strained her eyes to see the prisoner at his feet.
"Toxica?" She asked softly. Master Org just laughed.
"She may have been once. Now she's a pale reflection of her former self." He told her. "She's even more pathetic than a human. She's an Org who tries to be a human."
He opened his hand, presenting some seeds to her. The furred Org took them in a clawed hand, and stepped into the light, followed closely by the other. Seeing them in more detail, she could see that the furred Org was female, and had white fur. The other had dark blue, almost black skin, and had gills on the sides of its head. The male Org grabbed Cole, turning him to face Taylor and forcing him to his knees.
"Do you have any last words for each other?" Master Org asked them. Taylor looked into Cole's eyes, seeing the same courage and defiance she always had.
"Taylor, whatever happens, stay strong!" He beckoned her. "Don't let them see you weak."
With that, the female Org took the seeds, forcing his mouth open and forced them inside, clamping its hand across his nose and mouth as he tried to spit them out. Cole struggled in vain to break free, but they were too strong. Eventually he was forced to swallow the seeds. As they released him, he fell to the ground, clutching his stomach in agony.
"What have you done to him?" Taylor screamed. Master Org just pointed to the Red Ranger.
"I just wanted you to see what fate awaits you." He told her. Taylor watched as he thrashed and convulsed on the floor. Cole stared at his hands as they shifted into claws. His skin darkened and started to form into an armoured carapace, while pale yellow fur erupted from his face as it transformed into a muzzle. His eyes became bright yellow and feline, and his hair grew into a wild main. Finally, she watched as a single horn grew from his forehead.
"Max?" She asked, looking to the Shark-like Org. She turned to look to the other. "Alyssa?"
"You spent a lot of your time and energy fighting Orgs Soaring Eagle." He taunted her as the three creatures approached her. She turned her face from them and forced her lips together as she realised what was coming next. "Now you get to become one."