The Rangers were feeling the effects of exhaustion as The Messenger and Vrak began their attack. The storm grew wilder as weapons flashed through the air in a desperate struggle that would ultimately decide the fate of the world.
Gia, Jake and Noah were keeping Vrak at bay while Jordan, Emma and Troy faced The Messenger. The two of them were easily more powerful than Metal Alice, and together they made a formidable force in and of themselves. The Messenger grabbed Troy, pulling him into the line of fire as Jordan lined up a shot with his Vulcan Cannon.
"Damn it, I can't get a shot!" He called out. Emma attacked The Messenger wildly with her Ultra Sword, trying to force him to let Troy go. The Messenger used the distraction to launch missiles, sending Jordan flying into the ocean, allowing him to concentrate on the Rangers.
"It's too late Rangers; your only hope is to surrender to our rule!" He warned them. "The Armada is soon going to be upon us. Once they arrive, you will serve, or be destroyed!"
"We'd rather be destroyed than kneel before you!" Troy answered as he finally managed to break free. The Messenger fired off power blasts point-blank, only to have Troy and Emma's Ultra Armour reflect it straight back with their extending wings. He staggered slightly, and Troy noticed him clutching at his face.
"We must have damaged his vision!" Troy announced. "Now's our chance Emma, focus everything we have on Vrak!"
"The help would be appreciated!" Jake answered as he spun clear, sending a Rock Crush attack flying at Vrak. They could see signs of superficial damage, and realised that Noah, Gia and Jake had been having a lot more luck in their battle.
"Alright guys, before the big guy recovers!" Troy told them. "Just like we practiced!"
"Sea Shower!" Noah called out, preparing his power card.
"Rock Crush!" Gia and Jake added.
"Twistornado!" Troy and Emma concluded. They formed up a triangular power beam, combining all of their elements into a single, unstoppable attack. Vrak stood before the beam, absorbing its destructive power, all the while metal sheared off his frame and sparks flew. He could see from his display that much of his energy was being used simply keeping him from being vaporised. He fell to his knees before them as they started to surround him.
"It's over Vrak, call off your lap dog and we'll let you leave here with your life!" Troy yelled at him. Vrak just started to laugh.
"You ignorant fool, do you really think my life is something that a mere human can offer to take or grant as he sees fit?" He asked. "It's almost as laughable as your belief I can order The Messenger to do anything!"
"Wait...The Messenger is your boss?" Troy asked him. Vrak just shook his head.
"He works for the true power, the one I served since the beginning." He informed Troy. "It is laughable that you offer me my life when soon it is you who will be begging for yours!"
"Guys, I hate to say this, but...the other guy's getting back up." Jake warned them. Troy looked to his friends.
"We finish Vrak, then we're ready to deal with The Messenger." Troy told them as they lined up again. Vrak stared at them, getting to his feet as he prepared for the attack.
"Ultimate Victory Charge!" They called out together, unleashing their attack. Unfortunately, it seemed that Vrak was prepared for this. Using most of the power he had left, he braced for the attack, catching it, before reflecting it back on them. The Rangers all flew to the ground, tumbling to a halt a long way off. As Troy started to shake the cobwebs loose, he noticed his Ultra Mode Armour starting to glow ominously. He watched as it disappeared, and he felt the power leave him, but it felt different somehow than any other time this had happened. He looked to his morpher, seeing that it was charred and useless. Looking to the others, he saw that their morphers were the same.
"He...he reflected our own power back at us." Noah explained.
"Rock Crush!" Jake called out, putting a card into his morpher. Unfortunately, it just sat idle, and did nothing. He couldn't feel any power in it at all. He opened the mouth and slammed it shut again. "Rock Crush!"
"It's not use...he's wrecked the morphers!" Noah told him.
"But we're still morphed!" Gia pointed out.
"Yeah, but without our morphers, we can't morph again." He told them. "We need to finish this with what we have or...or we're all finished."
Vrak fell to the ground, just as The Messenger came back into view. He patted his shoulder.
"Don't worry; I'll see to it that you are tended to. You have served My Lord well." The Messenger commended him. "Now, since you were just giving out offers of mercy, how about I extend you the same courtesy?"
"It doesn't matter what you do to us." Jake reminded him. "Gosei..."
"Gosei will soon be nothing but a memory." He told them. "You see, Metal Alice did do one useful thing, she led us straight to your Command Centre. As we speak, my agents are inside tearing it apart."
"Tensou!" Emma shrieked. "Gosei!"
"Soon, they and all your little toys will be completely destroyed, leaving you all alone." He told them. "Look on the bright side though. If you give up now, you may be slaves, but at least you won't be alone. There will be no need to conceal your pathetic families. You will be able to return home. Just think of them. Think of your loved ones and give up now."
"We are thinking of our loved ones." Emma replied, choking back some tears as she thought about seeing her dad one more time. "We're thinking that we'll have to look them in the face."
"As you wish." He replied, gesturing to the Rangers to attack him. Troy and the others all prepared for one more attack.
Back in the Command Centre, Gosei stood among the wreckage of his enemies, surveying his handiwork. The newly refined power ruby hooked up to the power unit in his armour had given his life support unit the power it needed for him to leave his chambers without risk of suffocation. Tensou's work had paid off, but he feared that it was too late. He went over to the wreckage of one of the Rotox units and pulled it aside, throwing it away with one hand, looking down on Tensou.
He felt his heard sinking looking down on his faithful servant. Most of his body had been torn to pieces, and the only indication he was still functioning was a faint light in his one remaining eye. He saw battery fluids spilling across the floor, and looked to him sadly.
"They damaged your primary power cell." He told Tensou. "You are running on auxiliary power, but it will not last long."
"I accomplished what I needed to." Tensou told him. "I am proud to have served the Rangers."
"Rest well my friend." Gosei replied, reaching down to Tensou's head, and removing a component. Tensou's eye faded to darkness. "You have earned it."
He looked to his cloak, seeing that it was badly burned. Pulling it off, he threw it aside as he left the Command Centre.
Back on the battlefield, the Rangers were now facing what seemed to be a pointless, futile battle. Without their Ultra Mode, The Messenger was simply too strong for them. Even their most powerful attacks seemed to barely faze him. He continued to toy with them, amusing himself at their attempts to carry on, even when the fight was clearly already lost.
"Enough of this!" He snarled, sending them all sprawling with a back-handed swipe of his blade. They hit the ground, their power completely spent, and de-morphed. They all looked to themselves, seeing that now, they had no power left. They were now completely defenceless, normal humans standing before The Messenger. He stood before them triumphantly.
"Well, it seems that for all your noble speeches and proud declarations, you finally get to live up to your promises to fight to the end." The Messenger declared. "You are now all finally at my mercy."
He watched as they all got back up, barely able to stand, but still facing him down. The sight was so pathetic, he couldn't believe their audacity.
"This really is too precious." He taunted them. "You have no power, no allies, no hope...and yet here you still stand! Are you really so eager to die?"
"We told you, we'll oppose you every step of the way!" Troy warned him. The Messenger just levelled an arm their way, a missile launcher preparing to fire.
"I gave you plenty of chances to surrender and yet you still refuse." He told them. "Remember, you chose this fate!"
"Hey asshole! Over here!" He heard a voice calling out. The other Rangers turned to see Jordan walking out of the ocean.
"Glad you could join us Robo Knight." The Messenger taunted him. "Is this where you mount some pointless last-minute attack?"
"No, this is where I offer you one last chance to leave before you're destroyed." He answered.
"You dare...?"
"What's the matter, are you afraid?" Jordan asked him. "I'll tell you what; I'll even make it easy for you!"
He recalled his armour inside himself, leaving only himself facing The Messenger.
"You...you're insane!" He called out. Jordan just smiled.
"I've got all I need right here." He told him. "Go ahead! Finish me off if you dare!"
"Jordan, what are you doing?" Gia screamed at him. "Now's no time to..."
"Trust me!" Jordan told her. "I know what I'm doing!"
The Messenger started to power up a huge power beam. Jordan stood, closing his eyes as he waited for the attack. As the blast came towards him, he held up his morpher, and cast a beam from it, locking with The Messenger's.
The Messenger poured on the power, hoping to eliminate Jordan, to burn him out, and seeing him fall to one knee, he felt like he was weakening. He stood, unleashing more and more power, but looking to Jordan, he felt something within him warning him that something wasn't right. Jordan just breathed deeply, not opening his eyes, and held the morpher fast as the energy flared up so intensely that rain was evaporating from the beam.
He tried to cut off the beam, but an unseen force would not allow him, like a new connection was drawing the energy out of him. Too late, he realised what was happening. Jordan had planned for this all along. He was using his morpher to draw off his energy. He struggled to hold on as Jordan stood up, finally severing the connection and allowing him to fall to the ground. The Rangers all gathered around him.
"OK, I do NOT recommend that." He told them, breathing deeply as he held up his morpher. "I set up a Trifusion Portal."
"You set up a...?" Noah started to ask. "Jordan, that...that's insane! How did you know...?"
"I can't explain it; it just...came to me." He told him. "Quick, your morphers."
The Rangers all held up their morphers as he placed his on top of them. Activating a command, they felt energy coursing through them as they started to glow. They all retrieved their morphers which were now completely repaired. Jordan fell backwards to the ground, being caught by Jake and Troy as he fell.
"Jordan..."
"I did my part...but I'm spent." He told them. "You'll need to finish this one."
He pulled out his Vulcan Cannon, handing it to Troy.
"Here, take this." He told him. "The time for mercy's over. Send them to Hell!"
"I will." He assured Jordan, taking the weapon from him. "I'm bringing this back."
As the Rangers all stood before The Messenger, who was only just starting to regain power, they morphed, appearing before him in Ultra Mode. He just looked up to them.
"This is impossible!" He screamed. "How...?"
"It's over!" Troy interrupted him. The Messenger just held up his hands.
"You...you can't do this!" He screamed. "I'm the one jamming communications! If you destroy me, your identities will be broadcast! The very people you're fighting to defend will hound you relentlessly! You'll lose everything! If you surrender, I can guarantee you and your families' clemency! You can go home!"
Troy looked to the others as they looked back to him. He had a point, once communications were back up; it would only be a matter of hours before their identities were public knowledge. They all nodded, before turning back to The Messenger.
"That's just something we have to deal with." He answered. "Knight Dynamic Victory Charge!"
The Messenger screamed as they fired off their blast, the combined might of their power and Jordan's Vulcan Blaster obliterating him. They looked across to where Vrak was hauling his broken body away.
"It's over Vrak!" Troy told him, aiming the Vulcan Cannon his way. Vrak just looked at him and laughed, pointing up.
"Trust me Rangers; I am the least of your problems." He told them. As Troy pulled the trigger, Vrak teleported disappearing just before the shot hit home. Troy and the others all de-morphed, looking around at the scene of destruction all around them.
"He got away." Gia remarked.
"It's not like he's coming back any time soon." Jake answered. "Look around, we've taken out all his cronies, and I have to think it'll take even Vrak a while to repair HIMSELF."
"The Command Centre!" Noah called out, remembering what The Messenger had told them. Troy looked around, seeing that Jordan was gone. He presumed that he must have teleported back for his own safety. They all hit the command on their morphers, teleporting away.
As they arrived in the Command Centre, they found the place littered with the wreckage left behind by the battle. The statue on the wall was open, and all the consoles were destroyed. As they surveyed the wreckage, Gia's eyes caught something that was sickeningly familiar.
"Tensou!" She shrieked, seeing the remains of the tiny robot lying on the ground. The Rangers all rallied around him surveying the wreckage. Noah just looked to them and shook his head.
"It's...it's too late." He told them. "His power cell's been destroyed. He's gone."
"Tensou." Emma said sadly as she placed her hand on his body, tears starting to form. He had always been there for them, right from the beginning. Seeing him like this broken and destroyed just left them feeling empty.
"There's nothing left." Jake told them. "Vrak's still out there, and there's nothing left."
Troy brought up his morpher, and started to speak.
"Gosei, where are you?" He asked. "Gosei, the Command Centre's destroyed! Tensou's gone, Jordan's gone..."
"Troy." Jake whispered. "I think we have to face facts. If they got in here, the odds are..."
"Rangers, you are victorious." Gosei commended them.
"Yeah, it doesn't really feel too much like a victory." Jake commented.
"Rangers, despite our best efforts, a new threat is almost here. The Armada will soon arrive." He told them. "Time is not on our side. We have much to prepare for."
"Prepare?" Jake asked.
"This threat is much greater than anything we have ever faced. You will need to find allies." Gosei told them. "You have all proven yourselves more often than I could ever have asked for. Now, you must prepare for the invasion."
"Where are you?" Troy asked. "Gosei, we need..."
"I have my own mission I must attend to." Gosei told them. "I could never have imagined being so proud of any team. For now, you must proceed alone. I will return when the time is right."
"When the time is...Gosei...GOSEI!" Troy called into the communicator. However, it was now dead. There was no answer on the other end of the line. Troy just looked to the others. They were battered, weary, far from home, and their Command Centre lay in ruins. They had no Zords, and only their own powers to rely on.
"I think I can repair most of these consoles." Noah suggested. "Between what's here and the uninvited guests Gosei left behind, we should have enough spare parts."
"Then what?" Jake asked.
"Until then, we'll just do what we can." Troy stated, pulling out his wallet. "Communications are back up right?"
"Troy? What are you doing?" Emma asked him.
"You heard what Gosei said." Troy reminded them, pulling out a business card. It carried the seal of the Office of the President of the United States. "We have to call in some friends."
Jordan started to come to, finding himself in a cave. It wasn't somewhere he recognised. He tried to get up, but felt a hand on his chest as he tried to move.
"Don't move, not yet." A voice told him. "Your armour will take some time to restore your strength."
Jordan looked up, his vision finally clearing. He looked up, into a black visor. It took a moment, and he had to think hard, but he finally got a memory of his childhood, seeing this figure.
"Phantom Ranger?" He asked.
"I did go by that name once." He replied. "You know me by a different name."
"Gosei?" He asked. Gosei just nodded, gesturing to the power ruby in his chest.
"Tensou managed to synthesise a power ruby that should keep my armour powered for some time." He told Jordan.
"My friends..."
"For now, your friends will have to make do without you." Gosei told him. Jordan just looked to him.
"Do without me?" He asked. "But...The Armada! I need to..."
"You must remain here Jordan, trust in your friends. They will find all the help they need." Gosei told him.
"So what am I meant to do in the meantime?" Jordan snapped at him. Gosei just held up a red memory crystal.
"I promised you this day would come." Gosei told him. "It is time for me to explain everything."
Fin.
A/N: OK, so this is the end of this story...and the main Megaforce storyline. I'll probably have some minor side works coming to span the time (I've heard the new season debuts February 14th...so my new season will most likely start some time after that!)
I apologise for the cliff-hanger, unfortunately the way the season ended, it was kind of unavoidable. I mean...leaving it hanging like that...for about THREE MONTHS? I know I can't be the only one feeling that sting! Hope you enjoyed it, and don't worry, I will be writing some pieces in the meantime to kill time until the new season starts. Happy New Year!