The night was calm and the air was crisp. Only the street lights lit up the inky blackness of the evening. One or two cars lit went up and down the street, but other than that, the town of Belvidere was quiet. Chris was standing on top of a building, looking down over the sleeping city. His vision was not blurred by the visor of his mask OR the brim of his cowboy hat. He ran a finger along the edge of his belt, moving to the holster of his costume. Running up the curve of his weapons handle, he gripped the cool wood of the weapons grip. His eyes narrowed and searched the streets below for any sign of Milano. He didn't know much about what he was getting himself into. But he DID know one thing, and that was Milano was his. He wanted to take her down alone, no help needed or wanted. So, that's what brought him here. Right across from the building he was in was the Belvidere Laboratory. He fixated his eyes on the roof, spotting a hole in the top. Without hesitation, Chris bent his knees and suddenly extended them. Taking a leap off of the building he was on, he soared through the air towards the hole in the laboratory ceiling. When he landed, his fist slammed against the floor, sending a shockwave throughout the facility. The entire second floor of the lab was dark and eerie, the walls scorched with burn marks. His head turned and he stood up from his landing position. His eyes fixed upon a pillar and he walked towards it. Placing a hand on the pillar, he outlined three deep gash marks in the concrete. Milano's Whips… So I was right. He looks around the facility, staring at the machines that were sliced in half by Milano's assault. A mixture of fear, awe and anger swirled around his heart, sending unsettling pulses with each beat.
Suddenly, he heard a sound. It started soft, really soft, but then it got louder. It sounded like a whirring sound cutting through the air. His eyes widen and he does a backflip without a single pause. As he flips backwards, his eyes catch sight of a red whip cracking inches from his facemask. He flips through the air and lands on his feet, skidding backwards. He head shoots up and he sees her. Laughing wickedly and he high-heels clicking against the concrete floor, Milano steps out of the shadows. Twirling her whips in her hands, she says, "Lookie, lookie what i caught. A scared little Ranger who's lost his way." Chris stands up, taking out his Delta Blaster. Spinning it around his finger a few times before aiming it at her, he says, "Enough chit-chat, Milano. What do you need that Isopropyl for?" Milano put her hand on her hip and popped her hip to the side, laughing. "Oh Blue… That's for me to know and you to find out." Chris snarled and said, "Or maybe I'll just beat it out of you!" He aimed his gun and fired one shot. Milano laughed and said, "Oh Blue! You just didn't learn from last time!" She spun a whip around and blocked the shot with ease. But he DID learn from last time. As soon as he fired the shot, he took off, running right at her. Sliding on the ground to get on the right side of her, he aimed his gun and took two shots. Both shots hit the right side of Milano's body, sending her reeling back in pain. Chris kept sliding across the floor before spinning and getting back on his feet. He smirked and said, "Maybe you're just getting too slow, ya old hag!" Milano, recovering from the attack, let out a disgusted sound. "Old! How dare you call someone as radiant as me… OLD! I'll kill you, kid!" She lashed out with both her whips, one going high and the other going low. Chris jumped to the side, rolling out of the way of the two weapons. The whips collided with each other sending a shockwave through the air. Once Chris rolled out of the way, he fired two more shots from his blaster. These two shots were aimed at her whips, trying to damage the weapon in any way possible. However, the weapons just deflected the blasts, sending them shooting off in opposite direction. The two blasts hit two glass canisters, shattering the casing. Once the glass broke, large amounts of smoke came pouring out. The smoke filled the room, clouding Chris's vision. He looked around for Milano, but the villainess was nowhere to be seen. The room was quiet, deathly quiet. His head darted back and forth, not knowing where the whip-wielding Bandit had gone.
Suddenly, he felt it. Something coiling around his leg, all the way up to his knee. He looked down to see the length of a red whip spiraling up his leg. He had just enough time to gasp before he was yanked to the floor. He started sliding across the floor of the factory, being pulled by the whip around his leg. His heart raced a mile a minute, his hands trying to rip the whip off of his leg. Through the smoke, he could only see a soft light. He realized what it was, but he realized it too late. As the speed of him being dragged increased, the sound of breaking glass was followed by him being dragged out of a window. Not having any traction, Chris swung downwards by his leg. As he did, he had the chance to look up. Milano was jumping through the air, the whip that was around his leg in her hand. She gracefully and effortlessly landed on a neighboring rooftop, pulling the whip up with her. He hit the side of the building, getting dragged against the rough surface of the bricks. As he got pulled up and over the edge of the building, he was in the air for a few seconds. Taking advantage of this, he aimed his blaster at Milano. Firing two shots, he aimed one at the whip around his leg and the other one at Milano. Once the shot hit the whip, the weapon made a hissing sound. Uncoiling from his leg, it retracted as if it were in pain. Chris, landing on the rooftop rolled just in time to watch his shot hit the villainess in the back of the head. The blast hits Milano and she gets taken off her feet, landing on her front and skidding against the concrete. Chris stands up and spins the revolver around in his hand. Milano groaned and slowly tried to get up, but collapsing in weakness. Chris began walking towards her, the revolver still spinning in his hand. "Well, well, well. Look's like you messed with the wrong ranger! So! Lemme do this the right way!" He gets to the weakened Milano's side, flipping her over with his foot so that she was on her back. He aimed the revolver at her forehead and said, "Milano! Bandit of Exos. You have been found guilty of assaulting a Ranger. You will now be taken to Alistar for questioning and judgement. Do you comply?" Milano snarled up at Chris and he smiled. "I was hoping you would say that. Now I can put you down like the no-good criminal you are. Goodnight, Milano!" Chris cocks his gun when he a voice calls out.
"CHRIS! THAT'S ENOUGH!" the voice said. His gun not moving an inch, he cranes his head both slowly and angrily. Across the gap from the laboratory and the building stood a figure. He was clad all in red and wore dark red cowboy boots and a cowboy hat. At his side was a shaded-red blaster sitting in a dark red holster. Chris felt his heart drop when he saw the Red Ranger jump the gap and land on the same rooftop he was on. Chris felt his blood start to boil, saying, "Why are you here?" The Red Ranger holds out his arms, shaking his head. "I was walking along the street when I hear a commotion coming from the factory. Chris, what were you thinking? Going out alone without you're team?" Chris scoffed and held his head up. "Oh? You mean the same thing you did when you fought Exos alone and we came in to save you?" Seth took a few steps forward and says, "That was different Chris and you know it!" The blue ranger flatly replies, "Do I? Cuz to me, it just sounds like a failed leader trying to dig himself out of a hole!" Seth takes a few more steps forward and bluntly says, "Chris, holster your weapon… now." Chris squints under his mask, saying "I'd like to see you make me." At those words, thunder cracked across the sky. Seth and Chris stared at each other, rain drops slowly starting to fall. Milano, taking her opportunity as Chris was focused on Seth,lifted up a leg and kicked the blue ranger in the chest. Chris, taken by surprise, stumbled and fell into Seth. Scrambling to her feet, Milano ran for the edge of the rooftop. Chris, scrambling to his feet, aimed his blaster at Milano. Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger. However, his empty gun just clicked, out of shots. He tried to reload, but by the time his weapon was armed again, Milano was out of sight.
Chris ran to the edge of the rooftop, looking frantically left and right, trying to find Milano. But, to his dismay… she was gone. He gripped the handle of his gun. Through gritted teeth and seething with anger, Chris says, "She got away…" Seth gets to his feet, saying "Because you let your guard down. You were so focused on being angry at me, you forgot the real mission." Chris slowly turns his head. "you… You actually have the gall… to call this MY fault?" Seth nodded his head and says, "Yes. We'll just call this a lesson learned and head back to base. There, we can formulate a plan to get Milano back into our custody." Chris stood in silence, the only sound between them being the pouring rain. Chris slowly turned around, facing Seth. The only feeling he thought right now was rage. The image of him shooting Seth right now kept replaying in his mind. When he imagined it, it was so easy, so effortless. He could do it without hesitation right now. But he didn't. That would be too easy. "I'm not going anywhere. Not with you." Is all he said, staring the Red Ranger down. Seth turned to face Chris, returning the stare. "De-morph.. Now!" Chris snarls and says, "Once again. I'd like to see you make me." Silence between them once again. They just stared right at each other, each one shooting daggers at each other. The rain pours and lightning cracks across the sky. A boom of thunder reverberates across the town as the two of them silently challenge each other. Seth shakes his head and says, "Chris… Don't do this." Chris squints his piercing eyes, giving his head a small shake. "I'm done taking orders from you."