In the city of Harwood, at the bus depot, some people were assembling, carrying massive bags. Given all the recent monster activity centred on Harwood, many had come to the conclusion that the time had come to simply quit the city altogether. Like pretty much every Ranger city before them, the majority of the citizens had stayed. Some stayed out of loyalty, or the belief that victory was possible. Others stayed because, financially, they simply didn't have a choice! Once monster attacks started in a city, two things happened. Insurance costs sky-rocketed, and property values went down the toilet. No one wanted to buy a home they couldn't afford to insure in a city where it could get stepped on by a monster or blown up a week later! If they didn't want to just leave everything behind, and take their chances starting over elsewhere from square one, very quickly most didn't have a choice but to stay.
Now though, it wasn't hard to see why some were taking the second option. Dozens of families, possibly hundreds across the day, had turned up at the ferry port and the bus depots, carrying with them all that they were physically able to carry, and taking the first transport they could get a ticket on the hell out of town. Most of them hadn't made arrangements what they would do once they got out...many hadn't even CARED where they were going, simply opting for the first ticket they could get their hands on, taking their chances with finding somewhere to stay once they arrived.
It a horrendous scene, a mass exodus the likes of which most in a Western country would never believe they would see within their lifetime. The platforms were full of people and possessions. The trash cans were already full, and large piles of people's personal belongings were piling up as people went through their luggage, looking for things they could leave behind as the coaches started having to enforce limits on capacity, opting to take people over possessions. People who had already taken only what they could carry were now throwing out toys, photo albums, treasured items, all so they could keep a few more necessities like a few more clothes. A little girl was clutching tightly to her Pink Ranger doll, tears running down her face.
"NO!" She demanded. "I'm not throwing her out!"
"Sweetheart, I know it hurts, but you have to!" Her mother tried to reason with her. "We need all the space in your bag for clothes."
"I don't need clothes! I'm wearing clothes!" She protested. "I'm not letting her go! You can't make me!"
"Please, you have to be a big girl about this." She begged her daughter. "As soon as I can, I'll get you another doll, but right now, we need to leave it behind. We need to get on this bus; it's the last one out of town!"
"But why?" The girl whined. "The Rangers are here! Nowhere else has Rangers! Where will we be any safer than here?"
"Sweetie, nowhere else is being attacked like this." Her mother reminded her. She wiped away some of the little girl's tears. "We're just going to your Auntie Kelly's place in Ocean Bluff for a while. You remember her right? You always have fun at the beach don't you?"
The little girl still didn't seem convinced, but she knew that her mom had spent a lot of money on those tickets, and seemed adamant about leaving the city. She looked longingly to the doll, before handing it over with a sad little pout. Her mother kissed her as she took it.
"That's a big girl." She told her, before putting the doll on the top of a trash can. Just as she was turning back to her daughter, she saw something coming their way. She snatched up the girl, pulling her way just as Wayne and Eric tumbled through the glass partition, rolling around on the ground in their struggle. Eric kept a grip on Wayne's wrist, holding the knife Vrak had given him as far from him as he could. Both men threw blows into each other wherever they could, before eventually Wayne managed to get just enough room to cut Eric painfully across the arm. He rolled away to get some space, looking up at Wayne as he started to wave the knife around, darting in and out, trying to get another hit.
"Hey, where are the cops?" One guy yelled. "Those guys are trying to kill each other!"
"Stay back!" Eric called out to the people gathered around. He knew that the odds were the cops were already busy all over the city, and Wayne was desperate. He waited until he lunged forward, managing to whip off his cardigan, and use it to tangle up the knife. As he grappled with Wayne, he managed to get the leverage to shove him forward, ribs-first into a bench. He managed to whip the knife out of his hand, which then skidded under one of the buses. Wayne just looked to him as he realised he had been disarmed. "Let's see how you do when we're on even terms!"
Wayne didn't want to hurt his friend. He never did, but Vrak had told him it was the price he needed to pay for his son's freedom. He had hoped that at least with the knife, it would be quicker, less painful, but even in his weakened state; Eric was putting up a hell of a fight for his survival. He ran at him again, continuing his attack. Commuters did their best to keep out the way as the fight continued.
On a street, some way away, Troy was still battling with Spider, in his Robo Knight Armour. He was finding the battle nowhere near as simple now that the others had left to deal with the drills. He didn't know how they were doing, but right now, all he could focus on was the Robo Knight.
He managed to stay a step ahead of Mikey for the most part, but with only one opponent to focus on, instead of being able to be distracted by four others, he was able to channel all of his power against Troy. The Red Ranger knew the danger he was in. While he was certainly not a warrior on his level, the raw power of the Robo Knight meant he was in serious danger. If Spider managed to get his hands on him, he was all but done for.
Spider grabbed another car, launching it at Troy, who managed to dodge it. He looked to where it landed, slamming into a jeep in the drive-way of a house. He breathed a sigh of relief as he realised that because of its greater weight, and the fact the parking brake was on, it didn't get driven back far enough to damage the house. The family inside were safe.
"That is your weakness!" The Robo Knight declared. "You care for these people, more than you care for your own safety."
"I'm a defender of the Earth, just like the Robo Knight used to be!" Troy answered. "Just like the man under the armour CLAIMED to be!"
Robo Knight grabbed another car, and threw it, but this time, it was heading straight for a house. It was soaring so high there was no way anything was getting in its way. Troy leapt into the air, turning a Ranger Key in the Power Lock of his sabre, smashing the car into pieces before it could hit home. He saw another heading for the Goodall house, and managed to blow it to pieces with his pistol before it could cause any harm.
Unfortunately, this was all the distraction Robo Knight needed. He felt a strong pair of hands grip him, twisting his hands painfully, forcing him to drop his weapons. He looked straight into the Robo Knight's visor.
"My turn!" Robo Knight declared as he slammed him into the concrete.
Elsewhere, the Rangers were heading towards the third Planet Buster, which had already started to drill into the Earth. They knew that they didn't have long to act.
"Alright, we're close!" Jordan told them, clutching the controls of the Red Galleon. "I'm locking on and..."
His words tailed off as power blasts hit his ship. The Rangers could only watch as an Armada Ship came into view. It was a lot like the others they had seen, but this one was purple, and given the way the ship lurched, under the barrage, it seemed that this one was much more heavily armed.
"Rangers! You've foiled my plans for the last time!" Vrak declared over the intercom. "You may have destroyed two of my Planet Busters, but I only need one!"
"Jordan, assemble the Zords, use their power to back up the Galleon's weapons." Gia told him, beginning to get out of her harness. "We'll go in for a land assault!"
"Sure, make it sound easy." Jordan replied sarcastically as the Zords were recalled into the Red Galleon, boosting its powers. Gia led Noah, Jake and Emma as they ran for the Planet Buster, stopping a little way from it. They just stared up at it.
"It's already up to speed!" Emma stated.
"We need to shut it down, NOW!" Gia stated, summoning the Cannon. Jake just stared at it.
"OK, this is crazy." He commented. "It's already up to speed, how are we meant to hit the weak spot?"
"How are YOU meant to you mean?" Gia asked. They all looked to him as he gulped.
"M...m...me?" He stammered.
"You're the best shot!" Noah pointed out. "We might not get much of a window. We need to do everything we can to maximise our chances!"
"Alright." Jake murmured, taking the weapon in his hands. "But if I mess up and everyone dies, I better not hear any complaints!"
"Just don't mess up then!" Gia told him. Jake took the weapon as the Ranger Keys were loaded into it, and turned, beginning to power it up. He levelled it at the drill as the others assembled behind him, helping him brace. He aimed at the mechanism at the top, which was already spinning rapidly. The target lock blinked in and out as Jake tried to get a bead on it.
"The target lock...it can't lock on!" Jake told them. "It's moving too fast!"
"Then switch to manual!" Gia told him. Jake looked to her.
"You want me to aim manually?" He screamed.
"Believe in yourself Jake!" Emma told him. "We all do!"
Jake just hit the button, at which the targeting screen folded back down. He lifted the Cannon to his shoulder, looking along the length of it, and squinted. He could feel the sweat running down his face as he prepared to take his shot.
"Alright, just a little more." He stated. "I just need...a little..."
Just then, they were all blown off their feet by a massive explosion. The Cannon flew from his grip, skittering across the ground. Jake reached out for it, but a Cyber-Rang hit the weapon, sending it skittering further away. They all followed it as it returned to Cyber-Vrak's* hand!
"Vrak!" Gia roared.
"Rangers, you really have been like an irritating rash for far too long!" Vrak declared. "You have gotten in my way for the last time!"
"But...you were in that ship..."
"My Kingsmen are behind the controls. They will be more than enough to take care of your little Galleon." He sneered. "Meanwhile, my Planet Buster will take out your entire planet, and you with it!"
"But if you're down here, it'll take you out too!" Noah reminded him.
"I am aware of the risk; I just need to delay you." Vrak answered. "After all, in a few minutes, it will be far too late to destroy it. All I need is to delay you until then, and then abandon this worthless ball of rock to the oblivion!"
"Right guys, we know what we need to do." Gia responded as they brought out their weapons. "If we have to go through you, then so be it!"
With that, they rushed into battle, all the time knowing that the clock was ticking for the whole planet.
Back outside the Goodall Place, Troy was smashed from pillar to post as the Robo Knight swung him around like a baseball bat, smashing him through lamp posts, walls, and into the ground. Troy couldn't compete with his strength, something the Robo Knight knew. He kept a hold of him the whole time. Troy struggled to breathe as he finally released him, throwing him into the middle of the street. Troy pulled himself to his feet, only to find himself staring down the barrel of the Robo Knight's Vulcan Cannon. He couldn't dodge in time as he fired it, hitting him with the Knight Dynamic.
He de-morphed as he hit the ground, and his morpher slid away, hitting the kerb. The Robo Knight converted his weapon into blade mode, approaching him slowly.
"It's over Red Ranger!" He declared, levelling the blade his way. "Your time is..."
Troy caught him completely off-guard, shoulder-tackling him to the ground. Robo Knight had expected him to go for his morpher. It was a gamble Troy had made, thinking that with Mikey in the armour, he'd expect him to look for weapons as opposed to trying to take him on without them. Troy rolled back to his feet, the Robo Blade in his hand. As the Robo Knight got up, he threw it away.
"You threw away your weapon?" Robo Knight asked him. Troy just glared at him.
"I AM a weapon!" He declared. "Now, that armour doesn't belong to you! I want it BACK!"
The Robo Knight started to head towards him, at which Troy concentrated on his special training. He had been working on a lot since he had left the team. He started to glow brightly as he brought up the power within himself. As Robo Knight was about to strike, Troy let out a huge roar and punched him hard in the chest. There was a massive flash of energy which lit up the whole street. The Robo Knight's chest plate cracked, and it fell to the ground, lying inert. Troy made his way over, standing over it. He saw the Robo Knight's visor turn from black, back to its familiar red.
"T...T...Troy?" Spider asked. Troy looked down to him. "You...you..."
"Don't try to move." Troy told him as he dragged him to a car, propping him up in a seated position. "That last hit will have taken a lot out of you."
"I...I can't feel Vrak in my mind anymore." Spider told him. "What have I done?"
"Try not to worry about it right now." Troy told him. "Keep the armour for now, after that last hit, your body could use the help. We'll get it back later."
"Wait...where are you going?" Spider asked him.
"My friends need my help!" Troy told him. "I actually have some! You just stay here! I'm coming back for that armour!"
With that, Troy ran off to find his friends. He could see from here that there was only one drill left, and could guess that was where they would be.
Spider sat in the street, clutching his head as he tried to come to terms with what had happened. He was forced to fight, given the Robo Knight Armour to act as a distraction while Vrak deployed his Planet Busters. He had always prided himself on fighting for the planet, standing up for the Environment, but here he was, sitting with one of the most powerful weapons in existence, and yet...he had caused things to descend into chaos. The Rangers were fighting to clean up his mess.
He looked to his hands, and realised that there was something he could do. He might not have the experience or the ability the Rangers did, and he knew he would be more of a hindrance than a help in their battle, but there was one thing he could do to help make things right. Hauling himself painfully to his feet, he launched himself into the air, turning into jet mode and blasting off into the distance.
Back at the site of the battle for the drill, Gia, Noah, Jake and Emma were giving Vrak everything. Vrak staggered as Gia managed to score a glancing hit with her Ptera Grips as the Yellow Dino Thunder Ranger. He had always been vastly stronger than the Rangers, but now, he found that they were not as easy to defeat. Over the year they had built a lot more than just their collection of Ranger Keys. They weren't just more powerful than the last time he had faced them, they were also much stronger as warriors. They were not the same children he had faced at the beginning.
"Drive Geyser!" Emma screamed, transforming into Overdrive Pink and firing her weapon into him, sending him into the side of the cliff.
"You little..." He didn't get to finish his thought though; Noah had transformed into RPM Blue and started to bombard him with his Turbo Cannon, pinning him down.
Jake was just getting up from the most recent attack, and was about to join the battle, when he saw the Cannon nearby. He could see that it was powered up and ready to go. He looked between it and Vrak, making his choice. He sprinted across the cliff face, snatching up the weapon. Vrak had just knocked Noah and Emma back into Corsair Mode with his Cyber-Rangs as he saw Jake. He started to make his way over.
"Jake, do it!" Gia screamed as she launched herself onto his back, struggling to hold him. Vrak fired a Power Blast which narrowly missed Jake as he struggled forward. Noah and Emma also launched themselves onto him, grabbing around his legs.
"Jake, the drill!" Noah screamed at him. "Take the shot!"
Jake knew he didn't have long, so he levelled the Cannon at it, lining up his shot. It was spinning so quickly, he could only catch glimpses of the weak spot. He shook his head clear, lining up his eye. Muttering a quick prayer in Hebrew, he fired off his shot. The recoil sent him flying into the side of the cliff, embedding himself in the rock face.
They all watched as the shot hit home. The Planet Buster exploded devastatingly, laying waste to the cliff face. Gia's ears were ringing as she pulled herself up. Emma and Noah were also getting back to their feet. They all looked around to see Jake starting to dig himself out of the side of the cliff.
"OK, for what it's worth...I SO do not recommend that!" Jake grumbled as they helped dig him out.
"You did an amazing job Jake!" Gia congratulated him.
"You really did." Troy added as he arrived, helping Jake out of the hole in the cliff. "All of you, you did an amazing job!"
"Hey, check it out." Noah stated, pointing over to where a heavily damaged Vrak was just getting up, trying to activate some kind of device on his arm. They all started to approach.
"Teleport." He growled. "Work damn it!"
"It looks like you've run out of people to hide behind and places to run Vrak!" Troy announced. "Something tells me you're not going to beg like your brother though!"
"You have no idea what's coming for you!" Vrak told them. "I almost wish I would be around to see it! Lay on Rangers!"
With that, the Rangers powered up once more, running into battle with Vrak, for what they hoped would be the last time.
A/N: OK, important note here...I do like Vrak's ultimate form, I liked it so much...I've decided to save it, and hold it for something special. Right now, he's still in his Cyber-Vrak form. Hope that clears this up.