Eric was setting the table for Thanksgiving dinner, while Louise was tending to the dinner itself. They pretty much were working in silence while the television was playing in the background, bringing updates from the Ranger battle, giving as much detail as they could get from a safe distance...which at this point was several streets away.
Louise opened the oven taking a look at the turkey, checking on the jus that was collecting in the tray, trying to keep herself as distracted as possible. This was the worst part about knowing. Although she was proud of both of the girls, and was happy that they had seen fit to let them know that they were Rangers, it really didn't stop her worrying. She always felt ill to her stomach any time something bad was happening in the city and the girls weren't where she could see them, even before she knew. She always worried where they were, wondered if they were safe, hoped that they would contact her, even just to let her know they were safe. Now that she knew, she knew exactly where they were. It didn't really help her much though, knowing that right now, they were both at ground zero. Instead of just worrying if they were safe, she knew for a fact they were in easily the most dangerous place they could possibly be.
"Here." Eric told her, presenting a glass of wine to her. It was a little earlier than she was used to, but he just smiled. "It's Thanksgiving, you're entitled."
"I guess it could help." She answered as she took it, taking a small sip. They heard another announcement from the television, and both looked to it, just in time to see Malkor growing to massive size, while the dark cloud signalling the arrival of the Warstar ship descended ominously.
"I'll tell you what would make me thankful..."
"Believe me; I feel exactly the same way." Eric told her. Just then, he heard the doorbell. Neither of them were expecting anyone, and unless there was a serious time delay on the news feed, they knew it wasn't likely to be the girls. They had keys anyway, so it wasn't likely they would knock or use the doorbell. Eric went to the door, opening it to find Detective Barnes on the doorstep.
"Hello." He greeted her, trying to figure out who she was. "Um...I don't think anyone's meant to be on the street..."
"Detective Barnes, Harwood Police Department, are you Eric Goodall?" She began, showing him her badge. He inspected it for a second to be sure, satisfying himself it was real.
"It's nothing personal, but you can never be too careful." He told her.
"Well, I guess I should expect that from the owner of the largest security firm in the city." She answered, putting her badge away. "Can I speak to your daughter please?"
"Can I ask what it's regarding?" He asked her.
"I'd just like to ask Emma a few questions about her whereabouts today." She told him. Eric paused for a moment, clearing his mind and listening intently. He had no idea why a Harwood Police Detective would want to speak to his daughter...at least, he couldn't think of any good reasons.
"I'm afraid she isn't in right now." He told her. "She and Gia left earlier this morning."
"During a serious monster attack for which a city-wide curfew has been called?" She asked him.
"It was before the curfew." Eric corrected her. Detective Barnes was about to say something when she saw a picture hanging up in the hall. There were a lot of them to be honest. Even though most of her pictures remained on her computer, Emma's love of photography meant she still had dozens of pictures of her and her friends. She pointed to one picture.
"Who's that she's with?" She asked him. Eric just looked to the picture she was pointing at.
"That's her friends." He answered. "I'm sorry; this really isn't a good..."
"The one in the blue...is that Noah Carver?" She asked him.
"It is...I'm sorry, what is this regarding?" He said, shaking his head.
"I received a phone call from a Mrs Carver asking about her son's location. It appears he's missing too." She informed him. She held up her phone, bringing up the camera function. "May I?"
"If it'll help." He answered, taking the picture off the wall and holding it closer. Detective Barnes took a picture of it, and put her phone away.
"Thanks for your time." She stated, before leaving. Eric just closed the door behind her.
"What was that about?" Louise asked him.
"I don't know." He told her. "But if a detective is looking for Emma, I doubt it's anything good."
In the underwater base, Metal Alice was keeping track of the battle. More importantly, she was keeping track of the Warstar ship. She had been for some time, knowing that her opportunity was brief. As she activated a command, a communications link opened with Vrak.
"The ship is almost through re-entry." He told her. "It's time!"
"Of course it is my Lord." She answered him. He watched as the lights in his control console suddenly turned red. The ship lurched as it started to change direction.
"It's working!" He declared gleefully. "Your Trojan programme worked!"
He had planned for this all along. He could see that the battle between Malkor and the Rangers was nearing a stalemate. He could hear alarms sounding, and insectoids running around in a panic as the ship changed course, adopting a lethal re-entry course. The ship would surely break up within moments on its current course. Although the control console was locked out, he didn't want to take any chances that one of the insectoids would find a way to bring the ship back under control. He summoned up his spear, and drove it through the controls, destroying them utterly.
"Now the insectoids will burn up in the atmosphere." He stated. "Time to go I think."
As he activated his teleportation device, aiming to go to the Underwater Base though, he was horrified to find that it just sat idle. Mashing down on the control again, he found that it was dead.
"My teleporter doesn't work!" He screamed into his communicator. "Alice, you'll need to...Alice, ALICE!"
However, he didn't get a response. He looked around in a panic realising that with the virus in effect, none of the escape pods would work. He was stuck on board, while the ship was breaking up. He screamed in anguish as he prepared to face his fate.
In the Underwater Base meanwhile, Metal Alice just turned off the communications link. Under her mask, she smiled.
"Now all I need is for this battle to end." She commented. "No matter who wins, everyone loses."
Inside the library, Jordan was inside Gosei's memories, finding himself somewhere in the distant past. The cloaked figure stood in the original Command Centre in Angel Grove, looking at Zordon.
"Gosei, my son, what have you done?" He demanded.
"With all your mystical powers and love of prophesy, I'd have thought you would understand what I did." Gosei answered cryptically. "I did what I could."
"You...you have defied every law of..."
"I did what I had to do because YOU don't have the courage!" He interrupted him.
"He must know, he must be made to understand what you expect of him!" Zordon declared loudly. Gosei just snorted.
"Like you were so upfront with me?" He asked.
"You have sinned and acted against all of my teachings!" Zordon declared. "You have no idea how this has changed things, changed the destiny..."
"I have acted in the best interests of our future." Gosei declared. "History will be my judge when my time comes."
Jordan felt a hand grabbing him roughly, and pulling him out of the memory, sprawling him across the floor. Jordan looked up, seeing Gosei standing over him. Pythia was cowering a fair distance away.
"HOW DARE YOU!" Gosei screamed at him.
"I needed answers!" Jordan told him. "I deserve to know...!"
"You deserve NOTHING!" Gosei boomed as he looked to Pythia in disgust. "And you...he could never have accessed my memories without your involvement!"
"He promised me that he would avenge me!" She told Gosei. He just lowered his cloaked head, looking straight at her.
"Your petty vengeance is none of my concern!" He answered. As he held up a hand, Pythia screamed, as though in agony, before disappearing in a flash of light.
"Why?" Jordan demanded angrily. "I need to know..."
"You will know what I decide you need to know!" Gosei told him. "Your childish and selfish pursuit of knowledge you are not yet ready to possess has placed your friends...your very PLANET at risk!"
"What...what are you talking about?" Jordan demanded.
"As we speak, the Rangers face Malkor, while the Warstar ship brings his army to the planet's surface." He explained. "Yet instead of fighting with them, you are here."
Jordan just looked down in shame. He had turned off his communicator so that no one would figure out where he was, but in doing so, he had left his friends unable to contact him. He looked up to Gosei.
"This isn't over!" Jordan told him.
"The temptation is obviously too great." He answered. As he held out his hand, Jordan watched as all the crystals, every single memory in the Library flew through the air towards him. They formed into one single, red crystal in Gosei's hand. The shelves all disappeared into the floor as the crystal vanished into his hand.
"What have you...?"
"You will know in time." Gosei told him. "However, for now the Library is no more."
Jordan felt his anger flaring up again, but he realised that he had already left his friends too long already. He pointed a finger at Gosei.
"This isn't finished." Jordan told him. "I'm sick of your games!"
As he ran out of the room, Gosei slumped, his energy spent. He reached for his chest, finding the power source there glowing only dimly. He knew that his armour, the very thing keeping him alive out with his chambers had very little power left. His power source had been damaged in battle against the United Alliance of Evil. He made a point of using it sparingly after that, knowing that the time would come that it would run out of power altogether, leaving him in an atmosphere that would eventually kill him. He struggled every step of the way as he made his way back to the hole in the wall, closing the door to The Library for the last time. He climbed through the hole, closing over the statue once more.
Back at the site of the battle, the Megazord crashed to the ground, smoking from numerous scores in its dented, split and twisted armoured plating. Malkor's power was even more incredible now that he had grown.
"Damn, he's tough!" Jake called from the cockpit. He, Noah and Troy were using the main Megazord, while Gia and Emma utilised the Gosei Megaship Megazord. Even with both Megazords at their disposal, the battle was still going badly. The Megaship swung its swords into him, being parried by its axe.
"You're not kidding!" Gia responded as she activated another command. "Sorry Jordan, but if you were here, I could ask you if I could use your toys."
The Sky Lion and Sea Lion flew straight at Malkor, at which he brought his wings around himself. They powered up to full power upon impact, destroying his wings completely, but the backlash of energy sent them spinning away, exploding devastatingly overhead.
"He...He destroyed them!" Emma gasped.
"Meteor Strike!" He called out, sending a wave of energy into orbit. Noah looked up in horror as he saw a meteorite shower raining down on them. Boulders the size of cars slammed into the Megazords, tearing huge pieces off them.
"Our Zords won't be long after them." Troy announced. Malkor laughed as the two Megazords, billowing dark smoke, and barely holding together, faced off against him.
"This is pathetic; you really think those toys were ever going to be enough to stop me?" He stated. "Before long, my people..."
His words tailed off as he heard a loud bang from above their heads. Looking up, the Rangers and Malkor all watched the streaking form of the ship glowing brightly.
"What...what's happening?" Jake asked.
"Its re-entry...it's coming in too sharp!" Noah told them. "The ship's breaking up!"
"What...what have you done?" Malkor demanded of the Rangers angrily.
"Hey, don't look at us!" Gia protested her innocence. "I'd love to take credit, but it's not my fault your guys can't drive!"
Their attention was drawn to the skies as there was a huge explosion. The ship lurched downwards; burning as it went, tumbling on a destructive path towards the ground. Heading over the horizon, Noah looked to Troy.
"It looks like it'll crash in the mountains!" He told him. They all felt a massive tremor and saw a fireball extending into the heavens. As Malkor let out an enraged, mournful cry for his people, Noah just gulped. "Great, now he's pissed!"
"He's also distracted!" Troy pointed out. "Alright, now, combine all the Zords, all the cards into one huge super card!"
"But Troy, the Zords are on their last legs as it is!" Jake protested.
"They won't survive..."
"If Malkor gets a chance to get his head on straight, it won't matter anyway!" Troy reminded them. "Gosei Ultimate!"
The Rangers all slammed the cards into their control consoles, sending forth every single one of the remaining Zords surging into Malkor's back. The Rangers ejected from their Zords at the last minute, tumbling to the Earth just in time to see the Zords and Malkor disintegrating, showering the city with debris. Troy saw a hand, and looked up, seeing Robo Knight standing over him.
"Guys...I'm sorry." He stammered. "I came as soon as I could."
"We can talk about it later." Troy answered as they got up, looking over the destruction.
"I can't believe it." Jake stated. "He's really gone."
"But...the Zords." Emma answered. "They're all gone."
"Let's get back to the Command Centre." Troy replied, kicking a piece of the wreckage aside. "We'll figure out what to do there."
Meanwhile, somewhere in the mountains, the smoking remains of the Warstar ship were strewn throughout the area. Metal Alice strode through the wreckage, surveying her handywork.
"My Lord Vrak, what a horrible fate." She stated sarcastically, having a small laugh. "Isn't it a shame you couldn't find your way off the ship..."
Her words were interrupted as she heard movement in the wreckage. She looked to where a support structure slid off some other wreckage, tumbling to the ground. She saw a hand, and saw that it was still moving. Coming closer, she confirmed her suspicion that something was alive.
"Well well, it seems you've survived." She remarked. "I am impressed."
"Please...help...me!" Vrak begged her in rasping, laboured breaths. She looked down on him and smiled.
"Of course My Lord." She told him, removing her face mask and smiling. "I'll help you exactly as you once helped me."
His vision faded, and he lost consciousness as Metal Alice started to clear away the wreckage.
A/N: Yes, that's right folks...I've totalled the Zords! Try watching the last two episodes of Megaforce, they don't appear at all! Not that I'm complaining, Zord battles are generally my least favourite part of any episode. Just wanted to explain before I get any comments though...yes, I DID have scenes inside the Command Centre while the Megaship was being used in the field. I am aware that it's the mountain, but the way I see it, it's only PART of the mountain. I don't really think the size fits for it to be a WHOLE mountain, so in my fic, the Command Ship and the Command Centre are two different parts of the same structure.
Finally, I just wanted to point out...if you read between the lines, there is a VERY big hint about a major reveal pertaining to Gosei. Hope you enjoyed the chapter, more coming soon!