Chapter 33 - The Real Endgame
The Rangers were quiet as they returned to the base, shaken after watching Fury's defeat. Once again, the Dark Energem had slipped through their fingers, and was now in the possession of Ryan. All of them were somewhat relieved that he had left them after getting it; they were all still recovering from their last fight with him.
A lot had happened in the space of a day. It felt like defeating the Greenzillas all around the world had happened forever ago, when in reality it had only been a couple of hours. Now, both Mab and Fury had been destroyed, leaving them with two less enemies to worry about.
"I'm going to take a wild guess and say you guys couldn't get the Dark Energem back," Ari guessed as she saw their faces when the team walked in.
"You could say that," Teddie muttered.
"What happened?" Arianna asked. She had been helping with her dad to clear up the base, and it was now starting to gain some semblance of order, even if most of the computers were destroyed beyond repair.
"Ryan found Fury first," Chase said as he sat on the only table that hadn't been destroyed. "It was…bad," he summed up, unable to put what they'd seen into words.
"He destroyed Fury and took the Dark Energem. It was almost as if he were toying with him when we got there," Heckyl considered. Arianna stared at him, almost unable to believe that Fury was suddenly defeated, just like that. He had been their foe for too long - the reason why both Koda and Ivan became Rangers in the first place. It almost felt unceremonious.
"Ryan again," Ari sighed. "Kira's going to have a fit," she muttered, more to herself than the team.
"I just don't understand why Ryan is behaving the way he is," Kendall was the one to speak. "His reaction to the Dark Energem is entirely different to everyone else who has touched it," they all looked at Teddie and Jeremy, who exchanged looks. Not only were they the ones closest with Ryan, they were also the ones who knew the Dark Energem best.
"Even Arcanon was different. He was able to draw on its power, but he wasn't any different than he was before he touched it," Heckyl spoke up, as the only one who knew what Arcanon had been like before he'd claimed the Dark Energem for himself.
"He also seems kind of…obsessed with it," Shelby considered aloud. They all turned to her, wondering what she meant. "What he was saying to Fury. He just wanted the Dark Energem. I don't know if he was telling the truth about sparing Fury if he'd just handed it over, but something tells me he would have," she elaborated. It had been on her mind on their return to the museum.
"I think so too," Koda nodded, his brow furrowed. "He only want Dark Energem. He left when he took it," he pointed out.
"He didn't try to fight you?" Ari asked, an eyebrow raised.
"Not right there, no," Tyler answered her. "He told us that 'the end has only just begun', and left," he said.
"'The end has only just begun'?" Ari repeated.
"That doesn't sound ominous at all," she glanced over to Xander as he walked in, accompanied by a handful of others that most of the Rangers didn't recognise. Kendall recognised two of them, and gave a small smile. "Should you be up?" Xander asked as he went to her side.
"I'm fine," Ari soothed him, offering a faint smile. "We have more pressing things to worry about than me getting enough sleep," she said, and Xander frowned, but didn't press it.
"Any word about Ryan?" one of the women who'd come in with Xander asked.
"Nothing good yet, I'm sorry," Ari sighed, apologetic. "Guys, this is Kira, Trent, Hunter and Zoe. Former Rangers and good friends of ours," she introduced the four, and yelped when Zoe was suddenly grabbing her in a bear hug.
"What does Xander mean? What did you do? Are you okay?" Zoe bombarded her with questions, fussing over her as Hunter shook his head.
"Kira and Trent are Ryan's parents," Chase added in a quick explanation to the team. They all winced sympathetically, knowing the two must be struggling with what was going on.
"How's it looking out there?" Ari asked as she didn't bother trying to break free of her friend's grip. She'd never been able to before, and she doubted she'd succeed now.
"There are still some stragglers around, but it's under control. The Overdrive team are still out there, same with some Ninjas. Chip and V are also helping out," Xander said, and all of them relaxed a little, glad to know they weren't alone in trying to protect the city.
"Thanks for all the help," Tyler said, and the others nodded.
"Anytime. You guys need to save your strength anyway. Feels like the endgame is coming up," Trent said, resting a comforting hand on Kira's shoulder. The Rangers exchanged looks, reminded of Ryan's warning.
"It's good to see you back too, Teddie," Kira spoke, her voice a little hoarse from using her powers so much. Teddie managed a faint smile back.
"Thanks, Kira," she said softly. A more determined look crossed her face. "We'll save Ryan too," she told her, and despite her worry for her son, Kira couldn't help but chuckle.
"She's way too much like you," she told Ari, who grinned back.
"So what was this about the end?" Xander asked as Zoe finally released Ari from her embrace. He and Zoe shot each other glares, and Ari rolled her eyes as she stood in the middle.
"It was what Ryan said, when he escaped with the Dark Energem," James answered, wondering why the two were glowering at one another. He decided not to question it, especially as the others looked just as exasperated as Ari.
"We've no idea what it means," Riley admitted.
"Perhaps…the Greenzilla monsters weren't the end-game?" Philip suggested, speaking up suddenly. The silence that followed almost seemed deafening, and everyone turned to him.
"Whatever do you mean?" Ivan asked. Philip looked thoughtful, trying to word it correctly.
"Well, it could be that the Greenzillas were the start of a plan," he spoke, pressing his fingers together as he spoke. "Yes, at the time that Sledge took them, we struggled against a single Greenzilla, so if we had been wiped out, then it would have been a benefit. The Rangers would be gone and the world devastated by attacks that were so spread out-"
"A cheery image," Hunter muttered, arms folded. Philip cleared his throat.
"Whether the Greenzillas succeeded in defeating us or not, it may be that there is more to Sledge's plan than we initially believed," he continued. There was another moment of quiet as nobody could find an argument against Philip's words. Sledge had already proven himself smarter and more resourceful than they had expected, and if Ryan's words were anything to go by, there was more going on than it seemed.
"What do you think, Teddie?" Olivia asked as she turned to her. Teddie had her arms folded and her eyes closed as she thought about that meeting with Sledge. He'd attacked her at first, but the moment she'd held her own, he had backed off; too injured after his ship had crashed.
"I have no reason to dispute Philip's words," she said, opening her eyes and looking at the team. "I spoke with Sledge briefly, but all I knew about were the Greenzilla eggs, and he only shared because I saw them. Past that…" Teddie shrugged.
"Maybe it was a way to exhaust you guys?" Trent suggested. "This Sledge guy sends in wave after wave of monsters, including the guys around the city, until you're exhausted," he considered.
"But there wasn't any real follow-up after the Greenzillas. Vivix and Spikeballs aren't a real threat; they feel more like a distraction than anything," Heckyl disagreed with Trent's suggestion.
"Mab was sent to find out what happened to the seventh Greenzilla. That's how she found this place," Teddie added. "And Fury was sent to get the Dark Energem when Sledge found out she had stolen it from him. Neither of them were intentionally here as part of a plan," she said.
"Could it be something more to do with the Greenzillas?" James spoke up this time.
"We don't know much about Greenzillas," Kendall admitted, looking thoughtful. "Maybe SPD would have some more information," she considered, going back to the computer.
"Good idea, especially since most of these are toast," Ari commented as Kendall reached out to SPD. A moment passed, before one of the screens slowly flickered to life with Kayden looking up at them.
"Hey guys, how'd it go with Fury?" he asked. With most of their own systems destroyed, Kendall had only been able to repair their communications channel in a short amount of time, and Kayden had done the rest of the work.
"Fury's destroyed, but Ryan got away with the Dark Energem," Tyler answered him. The Blue SPD Ranger winced sympathetically.
"How can I help? Need me to track it again?" he asked.
"Actually, we were hoping you might be able to help us with something else," Kendall told him. Kayden tilted his head, looking curious. "Does SPD have any information on Greenzillas?" she asked hopefully.
"Those monsters we fought earlier? Let's see," Kayden's gaze moved to one of the other screens as he began searching. "Kat did some research for us earlier to help out, but she didn't find anything to help with the actual fight," he said as he searched. "Why do you ask?" he barely looked up from what he was doing.
"How Blake and Tori's kid turned out to be like this is beyond me," Zoe whispered to Hunter, who nodded his agreement.
"We're trying to figure out what Sledge's plan is. Seven Greenzillas around the world just doesn't feel like that impressive a plan for him," Riley answered Kayden as Ari smirked, hearing Zoe's whisper.
"I would have thought massive monster attacks all around the world at the same time was plenty impressive, but if you say so," Kayden hummed. "Okay, so there's not too much information on Greenzillas. They were from a planet that was destroyed a long time ago, they grow to huge sizes as soon as they're hatched, but other than that there's nothing particularly impressive," he shook his head, and the Rangers sighed.
"If not the Greenzillas, then what?" Teddie wondered aloud, irritated at the lack of information they had.
"Huh," they turned back to Kayden as he hummed. "This is interesting," he mused aloud.
"Care to share with the class?" Heckyl asked. Kayden glanced up and grinned.
"Still as impatient as the day you arrived in New Tech, dude," he said. Heckyl went red as Jeremy snorted and the others hid their smiles. "But since you asked nicely - like I said, Greenzillas themselves aren't very impressive, other than their size. However," Kayden stressed when the team all started to ask questions. "When they hatch, that instant transformation from something the size of an ostrich egg to something bigger than a skyscraper gives off a huge amount of energy. Like, enough to power a large city," Kayden told them.
"What would he need that much energy for?" Shelby wondered aloud.
"Surely energy is not a problem for him with the Dark Energem in his possession," Ivan couldn't understand the need for so much energy when the Dark Energem carried the power of all of their Energems combined.
"But he no have Dark Energem," Koda argued.
"Koda's right. Back then, Arcanon had the Dark Energem and wasn't on Earth," Teddie agreed with the Blue Ranger. "He doesn't even have it now; though I imagine he'll be going after it soon enough," she considered. Kira's fists clenched as her protective instinct flared. She would crush Sledge if he tried to hurt her son.
"Uh…well regardless of what Sledge wanted them for, they released a hell of a lot of energy. Like…an Energem's worth," they all inhaled at the idea of so much energy being released into the world.
"So what could Sledge need that much power for? He got his ship back up and running. Would have taken them less time if they hadn't been cloaking it," James ran a hand through his hair as he tried to understand.
"I think I know," Teddie's voice was a whisper, and those closest to her turned when they heard her. Her eyes were wide as she stared at the ground, turning pale with a look of utter dread on her face.
"Teddie?" Heckyl called her name gently as he took her hand, coaxing her back to them. She blinked, but didn't lose the fear as she lifted her head to look at them.
"Wrench's Reanimator," she finally spoke, but all of them looked confused.
"The what?" Koda cocked his head as he didn't understand what she was talking about.
"Wrench built a device back before I got here. It was what allowed him to bring back the monsters you destroyed; as long as there was a fragment of them left, they could be restored," Teddie turned to look at Fury's sword, which they had brought back with them.
"Good way to replenish the ranks after a while," Jeremy said, frowning.
"What about it?" Chase asked, not understanding what Teddie's point was.
"To be able to restore a monster like that, it takes a lot of energy, and I mean a lot. When the ship crashed, it would take days to recover the amount of power it used - there was only enough for the cloaking system," Teddie elaborated as she recalled the occasional time she had Wrench use it. "But with the same amount of power as an Energem, or six Greenzillas…"
"He could restore every monster we've ever fought," Ivan caught onto what Teddie was thinking. Dread crossed his own face as it sank in. "At the same time," he said, and Teddie nodded.
"I said it before; there was so much more to Sledge's plan than you knew. I was right…I just didn't know how right I was," she whispered.
"We better warn the others still out there," Hunter said, turning to Zoe. She nodded, putting a hand on the Morpher strapped to her wrist. He then flashed her a smile. "Miss this?" he asked.
"Not at all," she answered honestly as the two hurried out.
"This is our fight, we can't-" Tyler was shushed instantly by Ari.
"Don't even start that, dude," she told him as Xander pressed a kiss to the side of her head and made for the exit with his Mystic Morpher in hand. Ari smiled as she watched him head out, before turning back to the team. "Once a Ranger, Always a Ranger. You should know this by now. You have the Dark Energem, Ryan and Sledge to worry about. Let us help with the rest," Ari said as she took her own Mystic Morpher from her pocket.
"She's right," Kira nodded in agreement. "Your final battle is coming up, and you can't be worrying about everything. Even if your team is huge," she said, and Trent nodded.
"Yeah, what's the deal? You have twice the amount of Rangers we did," he said. Chase shrugged.
"Take it up with whoever made them," he told them.
Teddie's prediction proved to be entirely correct.
Kira and Trent had also left to help out around the city, where they would keep an eye out for any monsters making a return. There was a constant connection with SPD as well, as Kayden monitored for anything that they currently weren't able to, so they wouldn't be caught entirely unawares if Teddie's thoughts were wrong.
Unable to sit around and do nothing, the group were continuing to clear up the base and repair what they could. It had only taken a little bit of magic from Teddie to restore the crystal beds - Keeper was very thankful for it - and most of the rubble had been cleared away.
"You'd almost think this place didn't just go through two invasions," Ari commented as she saw how much they'd done. "Just don't wear yourselves out. It's already been a long day, and it's far from over," she warned them. The team nodded.
"We won't," Tyler promised as he and Koda carried the larger rocks to the corner. Ari laughed at the sight.
"Good. Can't slack off just because you've got some helping hands out there," she teased.
"You're going to lord it over us forever, aren't you?" James groaned as he and Philip righted the last of the shelves and made sure it would stay standing. Ari shrugged.
"Me? Maybe. The others? Definitely," she said confidently. "They did back when they saved our tails in Ocean Bluff when Dai Shi opened a gateway to the Spirit Realm and called back old enemies," Ari warned.
"Great," Riley huffed at the idea.
"Don't worry," Chase soothed as he helped Riley dismantle what was left of a chair. "We'll do the same for future teams, and we can hold it over them," he said with a grin. The Green Ranger rolled his eyes.
"I don't know about you, but I hope not. I could use a break," he admitted.
"You and
"I think we all could," Olivia chimed in.
"Get through today, and you can plan out exactly what you'll do once Sledge is defeated," Ari told them, hearing their conversation.
"If we even beat Sledge today. He might just throw something else at us," Heckyl commented.
"I don't think so," Shelby said. "This feels like an endgame, you know? With everything that's happened, I think this is it," she admitted. Nobody else spoke, but they had to agree. The atmosphere was tense and heavy.
The ground suddenly shook, and more debris rained down on them. Everyone backed away from where the hole in the ceiling suddenly seemed more precarious as another tremor went through the ground. Teddie shuddered at the sensation.
"I have a feeling that Shelby is right," she said.
"Yup, something's definitely up," Jeremy agreed as he brushed the dirt and dust from his messy hair.
"That's putting it lightly," Kayden spoke up with a mouth full of the sandwich he'd been eating. "Energy readings are popping up all over Amber Beach. Looks like Teddie was right," he commented, and Teddie's stomach squirmed as she suddenly felt ill.
"Let's get out there," Tyler turned to the team, a look of determination shining through as he held onto his Energem. "Shelby's right. This is the endgame, and we can't fall now. Right guys?" he called.
"Right!" everyone shouted. Another tremor caused the base to shudder, and they heard crumbling rocks overhead. Instantly vines emerged and held the loose ceiling in place, while covering up the hole that Mab had created when she'd found them.
"I'm with you," Teddie smiled at the team as the glow faded from her hands. They grinned back, glad to have her.
"Good luck guys," Ari told them. "I'll be joining the others soon enough. Be careful," she said, unable to fully hide her worry for the team.
"We'll be back soon enough," Tyler nodded. "Come on," he turned and led them out of the base, and Ari let out a shaky breath as Arianna clasped her hands together, believing in her friends.
Regardless of the outcome, they were coming up on their final battle.
Not too much left to go now!
I also find it typical that as soon as I get motivated to write some more for Ryne, my shoulder pain returns and makes it impossible to write much. But we'll get there.
Hope you liked this chapter!
Please review!