Volume VI – Outlaws

Chapter 47—Fall From Grace, Part I: What You Want

Matt

"So far, we've destroyed 7-of-9 primary factories, but there are still 22 backups," Corey Brooks, Aaron's younger sister and Aleph White Solaris Mecha Ranger, was saying.

I rolled my eyes. "So, we've basically gotten nowhere?"

"Not exactly," Sanders argued me. "The backup factories can't generate Morphers automatically—they need at least 350 crewmembers each, and Messiah doesn't have the manpower for that."

"You're joking, right?" my girlfriend, Grace Eden, snapped. "You really think SPD doesn't have 7700 cadets lying around?" Sanders remained speechless, trying to do the math in his head. "Trust me when I say—they do."

"Well, what's the problem?" Kevin Gerringer, the Red Mecha Ranger, asked. "I mean, we blow up the factories and we're good."

"We can't just 'blow up' those factories," Jay said, sighing.

"There will be people in there," Amy finished for him.

"Sacrifices have to be made. They made their choice in this war," Kevin replied coldly.

"That's not how we operate," I finally growled. "Just listen to us; we've been doing the superhero thing since way before you even had a Mecha Morpher."

"What a great job you've done," Kevin's girlfriend, Melissa DePew, muttered.

"It would have been a hell of a lot easier if we didn't have you to deal with," Grace spat.

"Enough!" Aaron roared.

So, maybe he didn't have his Orion thingy completely under control, because when he had outbursts like that, he discharged pure light energy in small amounts. Presently, the entire room lost lighting for about 2 seconds.

Definitely got our attention, though.

"We're not killing SPD cadets," Aaron said heatedly to the Mecha Rangers, "and we're not getting anywhere bickering." He took a collective breath, then spoke again. "We're going to have to create a diversion. We'll lure the cadets out into combat, play defense, and then blow up the factory when they're all out."

Beth timidly spoke up. "Not that I don't think it's a great plan—cuz I do!—but won't they catch on after we blow up the first few factories?"

Aaron sighed, realizing her point.

"Wait," Patrick jumped in. "Maybe we're thinking too small."

"What do you mean we're thinking small?" grumbled Sanders. "We're trying to destroy 22 factories. How is that small?"

"Well," Patrick answered, "in comparison to SPD HQ, it's pretty small."

The whole room looked at him as if he were insane. For a second, I couldn't decide if he wasn't.

"If we broke into SPD HQ, we could short out the factories' central control and destroy all 22 at once."

"If I can get in, I can do that no problem," Josh agreed. "Bitches won't know what hit 'em."

I had to grin at Josh's attitude.

"Only problem is that SPD has no doubt upped its security since kidnapping Gabriel," Aaron stated evenly, leaving his bias out. "We'll be walking into a death sentence."

"That's the last thing Messiah will expect, though," Grace offered.

"Not to mention, I don't think he'll destroy us," Patrick backed her up. "He's made it clear that he needs us."

"True," Jay said.

"If everyone's for this plan, we can execute it tomorrow at exactly 00 hours," Patrick continued. "SPD undergoes a shift change and a massive data transfer every night at midnight. It's probably one of their most vulnerable times."

"Pat's right," I said, "they'll have all of their outside guards centralized, or whatever."

"Exactly. It'll be easy to take them all out if they're gathered," Grace said, pointing at the middle schematics of the SPD headquarters.

"Well, guys," Doc Ol sighed, "I'd say you've got a plan."

—47—

"There is absolutely nothing to eat in this God-forsaken place!" Grace ranted, slamming the cherry-red cabinets angrily. "I am so tired of eating ravioli and ramen."

"I'm sure we've got something in the freezer," I said cautiously, opening the steel doors of the long freezer.

"Yeah, good luck there," Grace said bitterly, "Between two Eltarians and 3 jocks with bottomless stomachs and high-protein diets, the only thing close to meat in there are those 'burgerz.'"

"So let's make 'em!"

"Matt," she said slowly, "those things aren't made with any beef. They're worse than hotdogs."

"Mmm…hotdogs…"

"Ugh!" she groaned in frustration, slamming the refrigerator and freezer unanimously. "I'm going shopping!"

"What? What if someone sees you?"

"Yeah, cuz someone's going to see the girl who can turn invisible at will."

"And how, exactly, do you plan on paying?" I wondered.

Her face fell.

"I'd say I'd go, but I feel like people would recognize me as your boyfriend."

"Yeah, probably," she sighed. "Maybe we could wear disguises?"

"Incognito!" I could tell she was fighting both the urge to laugh and to slap me. "Sorry."

"Let's just go."

"Wait," I said, realizing something. "I could just go alone. I mean, especially if I'm incog—uh—disguised."

"No," she said firmly. "I have got to get out of this place. We've been stuck here for weeks, and I am about to go insane."

"Oh-kay then," I relented.

She hugged me lightly and wrapped her arm around my waist so that we could walk linked. "See, once you realize there's no sense in arguing with me, things will become a whole lot easier for you, Matty."

I chuckled, "Oh really?"

"Yeah, really," she laughed back. "You can't win with me."

"I guess it would've been a good idea for me to just let you go wandering off Invisible-Woman-style, huh? Without a way to pay for your food, and no one to back you up if Messiah decides he wants his real top-agent back?"

She pinched my side with her hand as she giggled. "Whatever."

We made our way up to her bedroom, seeking out disguises as best we could. Grace had opted for a stylish brunette wig, and I had to admit—it was weird to see Grace as anything but a blond, despite the colors she liked to constantly add to it. Her clothes were light—a blank tank top and a pair of yoga pants. She claimed they wouldn't attract attention, but I knew more than a few guys who would be attracted by her pants. But I said nothing.

I opted for a hoodie and some Reefside Central gym shorts to throw people off even more. I hated wearing my high school alma mater's rival's stuff. That, alone, made my disguise more believable. But just in case, I wore a baseball cap, too. And I really hated hats.

"You should put some sunglasses on," I said to Grace, who still looked easily recognizable, despite the fact that the wig was now in her right hand.

"How do I look?"

I glanced at the bug-eyed glasses she'd opted for. She looked like she had just worked out at the gym and was picking up groceries for dinner. She looked like I imagined she'd look in another five years, when we had 2 kids (1 boy and 1 girl) and a dog—like she was picking up dinner before coming home to me: her husband.

I smiled at her through my daydream.

"Amazing."

She rolled her eyes and reaffixed her ponytail so she could cover it up with her wig.

"And now?"

"Still the hottest girl I know," I said cornily.

"You're ridiculous," she laughed.

I smiled back in response, but my head was reflecting on my life. I had been doing that more recently, I noticed. Patrick and I had a conversation—while Grace, Amy, Jay, and Beth were out kidnapping Gabriel—about where our lives were heading. Being a ranger had all but consumed his life. He knew nothing of a normal life anymore. His boyfriend was an intergalactic walking weapon of mass destruction, his parents were apparently SPD agents that turned rogue for the Aleph Beyt group, and he was trying to lead a double life as some hotshot celebrity on top of everything. If we were to beat SPD and fix everything, Patrick would still be part of it all. He would sacrifice normality for something greater. I, however, would not. I wanted a quiet life with Grace in the suburbs, I wanted to have a regular job from 9-5 without worrying about some old otherworldly enemy ripping my dreams away from me.

I kept trying to shake my fear of the future. As much as I hated the ranger lifestyle, it was like an addiction. I reveled in the fact that I was probably the most powerful human being on the planet—full human being, actually. I enjoyed the thrill of a battle, taking down Gigadroids with ease and eliminating the competition with Sofyetta, if necessary. And I knew that after everything was done and over with, that I could easily be on top of the world alongside Patrick and Grace.

But did I want to?

"What do you think we'll do when this is all over?" I asked Grace as she eased on the brake at a stoplight.

"What do you mean?"

"Like, once we defeat Messiah and restore 'peace to the universe.' What do you think we'll do after we're not rangers anymore?"

"I wanna stay a ranger," she said slowly. "I…I like where I am in life—well, aside from being a wanted fugitive, but you know what I mean. I love performing and dancing…and as egotistical as it sounds, I like people knowing my name. And I've got so many haters that want to see me give up and fail that I just can't give into them. I have to continue doing what I do."

I made a face unintentionally.

"You disagree?" she asked, easing back in her seat as we waited for the light to turn green.

"I mean…don't you want a normal life?"

"God, no," she laughed. "I've had a normal life for way too long…everything in my life has been controlled and predictable until now. Maybe in another ten years I'll grow out of it, I dunno. But I know that right now, my only passion is my career." When I didn't respond, she reached for my hand. "And you, of course."

I smiled a closed-lip smile—not a full-on smile but enough to let her know that I liked how she'd reassured me.

"Don't worry, Matty," she said, slowly accelerating through the now-green light, "we're not gonna end up like Patrick and Aaron."

"But you're always so busy," I said evenly. "How will we have time for us if you go back to being a full-time celebrity."

"Why don't you come with me, then?"

"What?"

"When Patrick and I resume Adam & Eden, why don't you join us?"

"Um, maybe cuz I can't dance. And my singing voice is alright, but not for the kind of songs you guys do."

"I've heard you sing before and you're not bad at all. We have amazing vocal teachers, and we could totally mix up our sound with you on board. We could do some more acoustic stuff, Patrick's been kind of into that lately."

"And what exactly would this new group be called? Adam & Eden, plus Matt?"

She laughed, "no, you fool; we'd come up with something. Or we'd just stay Adam & Eden. The name is more a play on Adam and the Garden of Eden than it is our last names. You could join up with us and we could dominate the music industry. Plus, you'll get to see me all the time. That should seal the deal right there."

I rolled my eyes. "This is true. I dunno…I doubt it'll happen, but we'll see I guess. I just…I dunno…I don't want to have to deal with the paparazzi. I already had to do it when you and Pat first started your music stuff…it'd be twenty times worse if I joined."

"So what? There will always be paparazzi, even if you're not in the group—especially once they find out we're dating."

"I guess," I admitted.

—47—

Our disguises were holding up for the most part, though we did get a few looks for the way we were dressed. Grace's wig, in the lighting of the superstore we'd opted to go to, was clearly a fake. And for some reason, that tipped off the security guards.

"Can we hurry up? We're getting a lot of odd stares, and I'm pretty sure the security guards are on edge with us," I whispered to Grace, who was busy picking out tomatoes.

"Calm down, Matty, we're fine," she replied nonchalantly.

"I dunno…this is starting to seem like a really bad idea."

Grace pretty much ignored me as she weighed her tomatoes and cucumbers separately, smiling politely at a woman and her baby.

"Hi," the woman said courteously, the sound of a smile heavy in her voice.

"Hi," Grace replied similarly. "And hello little man!" she addressed the clueless baby, his big blue eyes staring at her wonderingly. "What's your name?"

"His name is Matthew," said his mother, inspecting potatoes and looking back and forth between them and her child.

"Aw, that's his name, too," Grace said, nodding to me.

"It's a great name," I added nervously.

Little Matthew was our downfall, though. And I've never wanted to be violent toward a child until he tugged Grace's wig right off her head.

"Uh oh!" Grace panicked, though still trying to keep a playful tone about her. She tried to take it gently from the baby, but he began to shriek as she attempted to pry it from his tiny little fingers.

I felt like the entire store was watching us.

Luckily, it was just the entirety of the produce aisle staring at us. But my super-sonic hearing kicked in as I heard whispers floating in the air.

"Oh, my God, is that Grace Eden?"

"No way!"

"Dude, it's her!"

"So hot…"

"She's taller in person."

"That kid took her wig!"

"I want her wig! It touched her head!"

Before I could warn Grace, we were being rushed by a mob of people.

"Time to run!" I said tersely through gritted teeth. "Now!"

"My wig!" she half-cried.

"Forget the wig!" I yelled at her as I grabbed her arm and began to beeline for the doors, our groceries left behind.

But the security guards were already coming toward us.

"Cloak us!" I ordered Grace.

"Hey, you two!" a bulky security guard shouted at us, reaching for his stun-gun.

I lifted my hand and a harsh wind swept the gun from his hand easily. "We're out of here," I said as I lifted Grace and myself off the ground.

Now the entire store was watching.

"Can we teleport yet?" I mumbled to Grace, realizing we were trapped—even if I went over them, they could stun us.

"No, two of us would create too much of an energy trail and SPD would lock onto our destination. They'd find my dad's house."

"Awesome," I moaned.

"Put your hands above your head, now!" another guard demanded, leveling his gun with my face.

"We can take these guys," I said to Grace.

"Not so fast, Blue Ranger," I heard someone shout.

How did they know? I mean, aside from the whole flying thing.

Then I saw the speaker.

It was an SPD officer, backed up by 5 more. Each one was wearing a different color. And I realized this was one of the Ranger Squads. Six SPD Rangers and only two of us.

"Hold on to me," Grace whispered.

"Either you come in peacefully, or you come in by force—either way, you're coming in," the lead guy said to us, an arrogant smirk pulling at his lips.

"Yeah, right," Grace retorted just as cockily.

"Open fire!" he commanded his troops.

Even the security guards listened as they let loose with a barrage of laser bolts and stun blasts.

Every single one went through us. Grace had used her intangibility!

"Wanna get us out of here, fly boy?" she asked, the strain in her voice evident.

I immediately flew forward, out the double automatic doors, into the parking lot…

I felt a searing pain shoot up my back and another burning tingle in my right calf. My mind went into overload, unable to process anything, and Grace and I dropped from the air like dead flies.

We'd been hit.

"Get them!" the SPD Red Ranger barked.

I continued to seize in pain, unable to move. They must have hit me with at least two stun blasts, because I couldn't feel any of my muscles.

"Matt…" Grace groaned, several holes in her black tank top obvious to me—even through my blurry vision.

She'd been shot. But not by stun blasts.

"G-Gra…" I tried to call her name, but my tongue felt heavier than a boulder. My mouth was dry and my lips were numb.

She reached her hand out to me, just barely touching me hand and wrist.

This was it.

At least I had Grace. At least we'd be facing our sentence together. At least.

But then she was gone.

And I was in The Basement of Doc Ol's house.

But how?

"Guh-race," I groaned. "Graaaace!"

Doc Ol was down the stairs immediately.

"Matt, what the hell happened to you?" he half-shouted concernedly.

Beth was by his side. "It looks like he's been hit with several stun blasts," she said urgently, helping Doc to get me on a med bed.

"Grace," I kept saying.

"What about Grace?" Doc Ol asked me urgently. "Where is she, Matt?"

"S," I groaned. "S.P…"

Doctor Thomas Oliver's skin paled, giving him a deathly and ghostly appearance. I could see the color drain from his cheeks, his eyes going unfocused in shock. He had realized the same horrible reality I had realized when I wound up in the basement.

Grace had clearly said teleporting two of us would create too large of an energy trail. So she teleported me. She let me go and let herself be captured.

I convulsed again, feeling some weird substance filling my mouth and pouring out. I heard Beth shout something to Doc Ol about foam, but our mentor was too stricken by worry.

Beth said something into her communicator and I heard footsteps rushing down the stairs. I could hear voices, but they were so garbled that I couldn't recognize any of them. It was like they were speaking gibberish. Or maybe there was just something wrong with my ears.

None of it mattered, though. Through all the confusion in my head, I could only grasp one nauseating thought.

Grace was captured.