The early morning coffee run was well under way in the Dino Bite cafe, and the team were having a reasonably easy time of it setting up for the day ahead. With the whole team at the museum for once, there was plenty of manpower to go around. Even Brad seemed happy, despite turning up with a face like thunder after Allison had written him up for his lacklustre performance in the cafe lately.
"Just raise that banner a little...now it's uneven, Koda keep your end where it is, Chase raise your end a little." Shelby instructed as they started to put up a banner over a new exhibit. A Brontosaurus had recently been discovered by one of Anton's teams, and while it was going to take a while to figure out where to put the whole thing, so far they only had the skull. Such was the size of it that it would take several trucks to ship it all. "That's just about...perfect."
"Ms Morgan!" Riley called out as he saw her entering the museum. "You're back!"
"You're back already?" Shelby replied, turning to see her. Kendall was walking towards them purposefully, barely breaking her stride. Shelby started looking around, looking to see if anyone was with her. "Wait, where's your Purple...?"
"Shelby, Tyler, Riley, Chase, Koda, Ivan, basement now!" She rushed out making her way past them. Shelby just looked to Chase and Riley.
"I'll get Tyler, you two get Chase and Koda." She told them, heading off. Chase made his way into the cafe, finding Koda and Ivan.
"Guys, Ms Morgan wants us downstairs." Chase told them. Koda and Ivan just nodded in understanding, heading out of the cafe. Brad looked up from the counter.
"Hey...what the hell?" He called out. "You're leaving me alone?"
"The morning run's almost over and Leanne will be here any minute." Chase told him. "I think you're good."
As he left, Brad just muttered under his breath. The team got down into the lab, where Kendall was waiting for them. She had come straight from the farm, and so she had just dumped her bag on the floor as she waited to bring them up to date on their search.
"It's a pleasure to see you return so swiftly milady." Ivan greeted her.
"Yeah, that didn't take long at all." Tyler responded cheerfully. "So, where is he?"
"OR she?" Shelby corrected him, glaring at Tyler, before looking back to Kendall, smiling. "So, where's our new Purple Ranger? I can't wait to meet..."
"I'm afraid that my excursion was unsuccessful." Kendall told them. "I thought I had an ideal candidate but...it turned out the Energem disagreed."
"You had someone in mind?" Riley asked her. "Who?"
"It doesn't matter." Kendall answered. Although she was perfectly sure Matt would call Riley in good time and tell him about her visit to the farm, she really didn't feel like dredging it all up in front of her team right now. She was still a little raw about the whole thing, and she was sure they would have questions she really didn't have the patience for right now. She put the Purple Energem on the table to make the point. "The important point is, now...now we're back to square one. We still need a hero to become the new Purple Ranger."
"Unfortunately opportunities for heroism have been a little thin on the ground lately." Ivan told them, showing them the newspaper. "Thanks to this quiet spell people aren't showing their heroic side so much. Today the most heroic thing anyone's done is rescue a kitten from a tree."
"That's a little cliché." Riley responded, looking to the newspaper. "Wait...that was the front page? Wow, it really must be a slow news day."
"I guess we could try the kitty-rescuer." Shelby said with a shrug. "It's not like we have too much to lose."
"I think we're looking for something a little bigger." Kendall replied honestly.
"Maybe we should re-visit my 'set up an accident' idea." Chase suggested. The whole team just glared at him.
"To re-visit it, we'd have to have considered it in the first place." Tyler told him. "So if anyone knows any heroes..."
"I think I have an idea of someone who would fit the bill." Shelby suggested. "She already knows about us, and she's got something of a personal investment in this. She's got plenty of training..."
"Sounds great, who?" Chase asked.
"Margaret!" Shelby called out. "Come on! She's Special Forces trained, she knows who we are, and we all know she'd just love a chance to get to watch Phillipe's back."
Kendall was about to object, but she thought about it for a moment.
"In her career I'm sure she'd have had plenty of opportunities to prove her courage." Kendall said thoughtfully. "Maybe that isn't such a bad idea."
"We should probably not put all our eggs in one basket though." Chase told them. "Allison's just upstairs doing the stock take. It's not like the Energem will hurt her, we could always try."
"I know someone to try." Koda answered.
"Alright, everyone get thinking of who else we could try." Kendall told them. "Come on, we've got a busy day ahead."
"I'll check Allison now." Chase told them, picking up the Energem. "I'll meet you by the door in five minutes."
Up on Sledge's ship, the prisoner was lying on a surgical table. Wrench had finally finished with the reconstructive surgery that would give her a completely new appearance, allowing her to fool the Rangers when they met up with her again. Poisandra came bounding in with Curio only a short way behind her, carrying a large bunch of grapes and some flowers.
"Oh, did I miss the show?" She asked him, looking a little glum. Wrench wasn't really squeamish, most of his experiments could attest to that, but he did find it a little unsettling that Poisandra would consider watching him perform reconstructive surgery as a form of entertainment. Then again, he knew all too well that she was a sick individual who revelled in pain and destruction. It was one of the reasons she loved Sledge so much. He knew exactly how much she loved watching him work, and he knew a lot better than to go anywhere near their bedroom afterwards.
"The procedure is complete if that's what you mean." He answered as he cleaned off his hands. "I've reconstructed her face, and I've even altered some of the genetic markers for the pigment in her hair and skin. I've got her on some medication that should assist in her recovery. By this time tomorrow, she should be ready to deploy."
"Can I take a little peek?" She asked, reaching for the bandages covering her face.
"NOT YET!" Wrench warned her, pulling her away. He quickly let her go, seeing her expression. He knew he could expect a world of pain if she told Sledge he had touched her. "Right now the bones haven't set and the incisions haven't healed. Her face looks like a bad patchwork doll."
"HEY!" Curio called out, slightly offended.
"Oh, you know what you are; I made you out of a couch!" He shot back at Curio. "Just...go and find something else to occupy yourself with. She'll be ready soon, and then she'll cause enough carnage to make even you happy."
"Yes, I remember from the first time." She giggled, revelling at the memory. "Get well soon Christie. Amber Beach hasn't been the same without you."
Over in the Embassy, Margaret woke up, finding herself on the couch. She could remember sitting with Phillipe on the couch, watching his favourite cartoons to cheer him up after the meeting with Shelby's dad. She must have fallen asleep while they were watching. Phillipe must have put the blanket there. It was a little embarrassing that she had fallen asleep on him, but she smiled, thinking about the fact he had looked out a blanket for her. Yawning, she got up and headed for the shower, ready to start the day.
Phillipe meanwhile was downstairs, handling some phone calls. He smiled as he heard the voice on the other end.
"No, there's no need." Phillipe assured them. "Believe me; I would be more than happy to dedicate the new community centre. Friday at four? I'll have my people arrange my schedule."
He started to head towards the front door as he heard it.
"I'll see you then Ms. Foster." He told her. "Believe me, the pleasure would be all mine."
As he answered the door, he was a little surprised to find the team standing outside. He put his phone away.
"Well, talking of pleasure, to what do I owe this unexpected visit?" He asked them. "Is it Ranger business?"
"It kind of is." Shelby told him. "Is Margaret here?"
"Margaret?" Phillipe asked, looking a little confused. "Yes, she's here. Why do you ask?"
Kendall showed him the Purple Energem. Phillipe just looked to the team, flicking a thumb over his shoulder.
"You think...?"
"We need someone to bond to this Energem." Shelby told him. "You have to admit that Margaret would be a really good fit."
"You want Margaret to be a Power Ranger?" He asked them, starting to shift a little uneasily as he considered it.
"We're kind of on a tight schedule." Kendall responded. "Where is he?"
"She's...um...she's upstairs somewhere." He answered, letting Kendall and Shelby pass. The others filed in, making themselves at home in his entrance lobby. Phillipe just started pacing.
"Everything alright?" Tyler asked.
"Yes, it's just..." Phillipe's words tailed off as he thought about what they were asking.
"Dude, you don't exactly seem too thrilled about all of this." Chase responded. "You don't think Margaret would be a good Ranger?"
"What? No, nothing could be further from the truth." He told them. "She's strong, brave; she's generous to a fault. Frankly I'm convinced the only reason the Graphite Energem didn't choose her is because she never touched it."
"So what's the issue?" Tyler asked him. Phillipe looked like he was struggling to come up with an answer, before he pulled out his cell phone.
"I have...some important calls I need to make." He replied, making his way out into another room. Ivan just looked to the others.
"That was odd." He commented. "I believe we would be lucky to have Margaret on the team."
"Yeah, I wonder what that was about." Riley added. Chase just shrugged as he took a seat.
"Who knows? He always was kind of odd." Chase said as he took a seat to wait, picking up a newspaper and opening it to the cartoons. "Let's just wait until the girls check if Margaret is our new Purple Ranger or not."
Upstairs, Margaret was in her room, getting changed for the day ahead when she heard a knock on the door. When she answered, she was surprised to find Kendall and Shelby standing outside.
"Shelby? Kendall? What are you doing here?" She asked them. Shelby shoved Margaret back into her room while Kendall closed the door behind them. "Hey, what is this?"
"Margaret, this is your lucky day!" Shelby told her. "Ms Morgan?"
Kendall pulled out the Energem, showing it to Margaret. The bodyguard looked to the Energem and then to her friends in disbelief.
"You...you're not serious right?" She asked.
"Do you know Ms Morgan to joke?" Shelby asked her. Margaret had to concede that part. While she wasn't exactly a robot, nobody would say that she was known for being much of a joker. When it came to Ranger business especially, she was pretty much all business all the time. "Since Albert decided to stay in New Zealand, we really need a new Purple Ranger."
"So you came to me?" Margaret asked. "You want me to be your new Purple Ranger?"
"Of course! Why wouldn't we come to you?" Shelby asked. "Here, we're on a tight schedule here. Just grab this and..."
"WHOA!" Margaret said, recoiling away from the Energem like it was diseased. She genuinely didn't know much more about Energems than anyone else, in fact all she knew about them was what she had learned from Phillipe. "If I touch that and it doesn't choose me, it repels right? I don't know about you but I'm kind of attached to my arms!"
"Ordinarily unbonded Energems will repel anyone that is unworthy of their power." Shelby conceded. "But that's one of the issues. Since Albert is still alive, the bond wasn't completely severed. It's just kind of like...in limbo."
"The Energem won't repel anyone it's not bonded to." Kendall told her. "That makes it extremely dangerous. All that power, but it's not secured. If Sledge or one of his monsters gets it..."
"I get the picture." Margaret said, though she still didn't look like she was entirely convinced. Kendall rolled her eyes.
"Good grief." She stated, showing her hands to her. "I was carrying it and look, not so much as a cracked fingernail."
"So, you're sure it won't put me through that wall or anything?" Margaret asked. "So...why me?"
"Are you kidding? You'd be an amazing Ranger!" Shelby responded excitedly. "You have all that training, you're smart, and just between you and me, there are now six guys on this team. Sometimes it feels like a total bro-fest."
"Not to mention you have a personal investment in this." Kendall told her. "After Shearfear, we know that your interest in Phillipe extends beyond being his bodyguard."
"Hey, you said that you'd never say anything about..."
"Margaret, you've looked after Phillipe your whole life. Now, he's taking part in something you can't take part in." Shelby told her. "Allison, Alessandra...I don't know how they do it. I have to tell you, when Tyler is in the field, the only thing that stops me flipping out is knowing that I can be right there with him, watching his back."
"You've dedicated your life to protecting him." Kendall reminded her. "If you bond to this, you won't have to stop as soon as he morphs."
Margaret stopped to think about this for a moment. She had been in Phillipe's house her whole life. She had chosen to enter the military and train as a Royal Guard as soon as she was too old for it to be considered "appropriate" for her to hang around the palace without any real reason all so she could stay close to him. She had always loved the thought of being the one that kept him safe, that protected him. She didn't doubt he could protect himself, he had done a lot of the same training she had, but there was a part of her that took pride in the fact she was specifically assigned as his protector. A part of her identity was a little bit threatened by the fact Phillipe was now a Ranger. After all, it wasn't like she could protect him from the monsters or highly destructive weapons that Sledge possessed.
Having an Energem herself, she could follow him into the field. She would no longer feel helpless to protect him when he ran off to do battle. Taking a deep breath, she reached out her hand.
"I guess I'll have to shop for some more purple clothes." She commented. Kendall handed over the Energem, at which Margaret closed her eyes, still not sure how the energy would feel when it ran through her. As she stood there, she was disappointed when nothing happened.
"Nothing's happening?" Margaret asked, beginning to shake it. "Come on you stupid thing, work!"
"That really isn't going to help..."
"Phillipe's Energem didn't bond to him right away!" Margaret rushed out. "Maybe if I just wait a while?"
"I'm sorry." Kendall responded, taking the Energem back. "I'm sorry we got your hopes up."
"Wait, are you sure...?"
"For what it's worth, it didn't bond to Matt or Allison either." Kendall assured her.
"I was your THIRD CHOICE?" Margaret asked as they left. Shelby wanted to say something, but it did seem a lot like that. She caught up with Kendall as they were leaving.
"So...Matt was your first choice?" She asked. Kendall just glared at her.
"Really? That's what you want to talk about?" She asked. Shelby just got a sly little grin on her face.
"I just think it's interesting it took you three days to ask him." Shelby responded. Kendall's glare soon silenced her teasing though. She knew that Kendall wasn't really into talking about her personal life with the others, but the way Kendall looked at her now seemed to indicate that if she pursued this, there would be consequence she really didn't want to contemplate. As they got downstairs, they found the guys waiting.
"Well?" Tyler asked.
"No go I'm afraid." Kendall answered.
"Oh thank Go..." Phillipe started to say, before looking around, realising that the others were looking at him. "...You! Thank you for thinking of her!"
"So we're still on square one." Riley said, throwing his hands up. "What do we do now?"
"In my day if one wished to recruit a garrison all he had to do was go to the local tavern." Ivan declared. "Though admittedly the quality of applicants did vary somewhat."
"It's not like anyone's standing on street corners with a sign saying 'Heroes for Hire'." Riley agreed. "So what do we do now?"
"God, I can't believe I'm saying this, but we're out of options." Kendall responded. "Screw it; we're going with Chase's plan."
"Seriously?" Chase asked, his face lighting up, delighted at the vindication.
"You're serious about this?" Tyler asked her.
"If anyone has a better idea, trust me I'm all ears." Kendall snapped in frustration. No one said anything. "Fine, then let's go before I change my mind. Chase, this is your idea, you take the lead."