The following day, the Rangers decided to do what they could to prepare for the newest threat to return. They had seen Singe's power first hand, and to say it had been a humbling experience would be an understatement. Singe had power to spare, and while he seemed to be far from a marksman, he made up for that with his complete lack of care for collateral damage by the looks of things.
Kendall had insisted that she was working on something that would help them, the magic words that they always loved to hear in times like this, but they also knew that relying on any miracle weapon was also a sure fire way to prepare for failure. The sad fact was that even with prior knowledge and preparation; battles rarely if ever were straightforward. People got hurt, plans went awry, the enemies had a surprise of their own, and sometimes weapons failed. That meant, that no matter how powerful Kendall's new weapon promised to be, it was always best to prepare as much as possible for the eventuality they would have to do without it. As a result, they had opted to go out deep into the woods to be able to train uninterrupted.
With the restaurant still closed for repairs, Alessandra, Allison and Leanne had decided to tag along. Riley had set up one of Kendall's computers on a collapsing table, and was taking some readings, while Ivan kept watch through some binoculars. Shelby was just sitting nearby, reading up a textbook ahead of her first day on her new path at uni on Monday.
"So...what exactly are we doing out here again?" Leanne asked, sitting on the table next to Riley's computer as he checked up on some readings.
"I'm trying a theory on an idea that might help." Riley told her. "Singe is powerful, that much we know. But we also know he has a fondness for the 'fire enough shots the same direction and hope that one of them hits' approach to warfare, right?"
"Yeah, the estimated 12 million dollar repair bill for the business district can attest to that." Leanne agreed.
"Well, Ivan was telling me that in his day, sometimes the armies he served on employed dragoons." Riley told her. "Horse archers. They would ride around the sides and behind armies, whittling away their numbers with bow fire, before riding off again, keeping their distance. They would harry flanks and artillery crews before they had a chance to respond."
"Horse archers?" Leanne asked him. "You're planning on making the guys horse archers?"
"Well, the theory is sound anyway, but with a couple of adaptations." Riley told her. "Instead of one horse, thanks to the Raptor Cycles, we have about five hundred apiece! We just need to work on the accuracy side of things. Maybe if we can hit the mark and keep moving, we can chip away at Singe if he returns without him being able to hit us in return."
"That's pretty smart." Leanne conceded.
"So, I've already set up a course lined with targets for the guys to hit." Riley told her. "The stats I'm gathering on this computer should give us some data and show their progress."
"So how did you guys find this place anyway?" Allison asked him. "I didn't see any foot paths; it must be quite a while since anyone's been out here."
"I don't know, Tyler suggested it." Riley told them. "He just guided us out here. I guess he must have found this place on his travels."
"Hark, here they come!" Ivan declared as he saw them rounding the path. Tyler was in the lead, with Chase only a short way behind. Koda was at the back of the pack. Out of the whole team, he was still the least confident rider, but he had been convinced of the validity of Riley's plan. They fired off shots at targets that had been placed along the sides of the track as they roared past. Riley grabbed the mic on his headset.
"Alright guys, that's the course, come on in and we'll talk numbers." Riley told them, looking to the computer screen.
It was only a couple of minutes later, and the three Rangers were standing before him.
"Alright, pretty good run you guys." Riley told them. "I've got some great data and..."
"Never mind that, just tell us who won!" Chase interrupted him. Riley shifted a little in his stance.
"Well, you know...this is all about battle and if one of us wins we ALL win, so really it's more about the group effort..."
"Come on Riley, just give us the scores!" Chase willed him, bouncing with excitement. Riley just rolled his eyes and pulled up the scores.
"Well, in first place, we have, Chase, with a grand total of 17 Bulls." Riley announced.
"YES! The Hot Shot does it again...wait...17?" Chase asked him. Riley showed him the read-out. There were six targets, and they had done three laps of the course.
"You dropped one on the second lap." Riley told him. "But hey, it was still an outer bull!"
"Aw man, I must be getting rusty!" Chase complained.
"Koda, nice job, you got thirteen bulls." Riley told him. Koda smiled, completely thrilled with his result. He was the least confident rider, having only started to learn how to ride a bike within the last couple of years, and he was wary of trying to ride and shoot at the same time. Alessandra grabbed him in a tight hug, congratulating him. "Two outer bulls and an outside shot too, good work!"
"What about Tyler?" Shelby asked. Tyler didn't seem to be too interested in his results. Riley looked to the data.
"He did...um...he did good." Riley told her. "Yeah, he did...um..."
"How good?" Tyler asked him, noticing Riley's reluctance to answer. Riley just let out a sigh.
"Eight bulls." Riley told him. Tyler just blinked, before coming over to the computer.
"No, there has to be a mistake." He stated.
"Ms Morgan's programme doesn't make mistakes." Riley assured him, taking a sip from his water bottle and putting it down next to his lap top. "You got all the bulls on your first run, then on the second you dropped four of them..."
"What about the third lap Riley?" Tyler asked. Riley took a deep breath before answering.
"One outer bull." He told him. "You got two glancing shots too, rest missed completely."
Tyler just walked away, shaking his head.
"Come on Tyler, I'm sure you're just having an off-day." Riley assured him. "Wait 'til you see my score when we have our run! You know my marksmanship sucks..."
"Maybe...maybe you're just not concentrating on the task in hand." Shelby suggested. Riley took the Energems from Chase and Koda, before holding out a hand to Tyler.
"I'll just need to take a few readings." Riley said. Tyler handed over his Energem for an analysis. Tyler just glared at Shelby. The Pink Ranger still felt badly about how things were between them, but she wanted to make things right between them. "Tyler...what's going on?"
He pulled out a map and showed it to the others.
"You know how I saw that guy my dad worked with, Rusty?" He asked them. "Well, he told me about the time my dad disappeared. He was the last to see him."
"He told you where he was?" Shelby asked him. Tyler just smiled.
"That's the thing; I think I know what happened! It makes so much sense!" Tyler told them. "He said that dad went missing on an island that they could never find again! They got there through a storm that came out of nowhere, not a cloud in the sky...what does that sound like to you?"
"You think it was...?"
"Gosei's Island!" Tyler said, showing them the maps. "I think they found it by accident! That's why they couldn't find it again to go looking for dad! Rusty said there was a cave-in...we know there's a volcano there, it makes total sense!"
"Where did you get these?" Shelby asked him, looking at the maps.
"I e-mailed Troy; he gave me all the information he has on the island." Tyler continued. "There are tunnels running all the way under the island, some of them created by Gosei, others totally natural. This one's seen the most tectonic activity, so if I start there, there's a section that's collapsed so that'll be hard going, and then this section apparently flooded but I should be able to hold my breath..."
"All that way?" Shelby asked him. "Tyler! That's like...nearly two hundred meters!"
"I know, but I should manage it." Tyler told her. "The island's only a couple of dozen square miles, so if we really search..."
"Tyler, mate, this sounds...um...pretty desperate." Chase stated as he came close to him. "I hate to say it, but even if he was there...what do you think the odds are that he's even still around?"
"We've been there before, you saw it, there's edible plants and animals all over!" Tyler protested.
"That's assuming he was there at all." Chase told him. "Besides, do you really think there'd be anyone on that island that Gosei and the Rangers didn't know about?"
"He only awoke two years ago, my dad disappeared TEN years ago!" Tyler yelled at him. "He could...he could have made a raft and gotten off the island!"
"Tyler, if you really want to go to the island to look, then we'll take you." Shelby told him. "But for your sake, we think it might be best if..."
"If what? If I face the fact that it might be ANOTHER dead end?" Tyler asked Shelby, snatching the map off her. "That when we do get there I might find my dad, but that we'll be finding his body? DON'T YOU THINK I KNOW THAT?"
"Peace Tyler, we are all friends here..." Ivan said as soothingly as possible, trying to get between them.
"My dad survived situations that should have killed him a million times! You don't know my dad!" He snapped at his team mates. "And I'm starting to wonder if any of you know me!"
"Tyler!" Shelby called out as Tyler ran away. She wanted to go after him, but Allison stopped her.
"He probably just wants to be alone." She told her. "He'll come around."
"It is a sad situation indeed to be searching for loved ones." Ivan agreed. "I was sent more than once on a search for comrades knowing I would likely be bringing back their bones for burial."
"He'll be back." Riley Shelby reassuringly. "But there's not much point trying to force it. We can't make him accept our help if he doesn't want it."
"So, do we continue with practice?" Ivan asked Riley. Shelby just shook her head.
"I don't know about you, but I'm done with practice for one day." She answered. "Let's pack up and go back to the lab."
"Alright, just help me get this stuff..." Riley started to say, turning back to the computer table and noticing something. "Guys...has anyone seen my water bottle?"
"Is it in your bag?" Allison asked him. He just looked around the table.
"No, I'm sure I left it right here." He told them. Allison rolled her eyes.
"Whatever, I'll get you another drink when we get back." Allison assured him. As they started packing up, Leanne started looking around.
"What is it now?" Allison asked her.
"I don't know...I just get the feeling...someone else has been here." She told them. "There's a strange smell in the air."
"That's probably just Koda." Chase commented. "He had a three bean burger before we came out."
"HEY!" Koda protested angrily, before helping the others pack up.
Meanwhile, close by, Tyler finally stopped running, finding himself completely alone in the woods. He came out here, knowing it was exactly where he needed to be right now. It was where he felt closest to his dad.
He knew his friends only wanted to protect him, to ensure he would be prepared for what he might find if he did look for his dad. Although it was a thought he had pushed from his mind, it was something he'd unfortunately had to face in his nightmares a few times. He already knew that the odds his father was alive were remote at best. Although he had avoided close scrapes in the past, sometimes arriving home a long time after he was meant to, ten years was a stretch for a lot of people.
Any time he got close to the end of a search, there was always a moment of pause for him. In his nightmares, more than once, he had imagined finding what was left of his father. He had seen a skeleton, wearing his father's lucky shirt, with its skull shattered in his most horrendous thoughts. He knew that if he ever did find his dad, it was likely that he would be bringing him home to give him the proper burial that he had been denied for so long.
He suddenly became aware that he wasn't alone. He heard a rustle of leaves behind him and turned in time to see a black streak rushing towards him. He didn't even have time to get up a guard before he was sent spiralling through the air, colliding with a tree. His head snapped back sickeningly as it struck a rock on the ground. Ninja slowed right down, making his way towards Tyler, drawing a ninjato from a scabbard on his back.
"Singe never said this would be so easy." Ninja stated. "I've already completed my mission, imagine how impressed he'll be if I manage to destroy a Ranger into the bargain!"
He levelled the point of the ninjato in Tyler's direction, before drawing it back. Tyler tried to move, but his head was spinning.
"So long Red Ranger!" He stated. Before he could strike though, he was grabbed and thrown back away, flipping through the air, landing on his feet a significant way off.
Tyler saw his saviour running for Ninja, interjecting himself between him and the monster. At first, he saw blue, and he thought that Koda had followed him. His vision was blurring, but in one of his few lucid moments before he finally passed out, he realised that the colour was all wrong. It wasn't blue, it was aquamarine!
James confronted Ninja, taking a quick glance back to satisfy himself that Tyler hadn't been harmed. He could see that he wasn't moving, but he was still breathing. He was sure he'd need attention, but right now, Ninja was still before him. James turned his attention back to Ninja as the creature ran towards him. He was only just able to duck under his first strike, returning with a series of punches that staggered the creature, sending him towards the edge of a cliff.
"What the...Singe didn't say anything about an AQUA Ranger!" Ninja screamed at him. James took advantage of the confusion, running at the creature and kicking him all the way to the edge. Ninja reached for his belt, pulling out some shuriken.
"See how you like THIS!" He yelled, throwing a storm of ninja stars his way. James struggled to dodge them, taking some hits, but he couldn't help thinking of his son lying prone a short way off. He jumped high into the air, before bringing both fists down to the ground, creating a seismic shock that shattered the edge of the cliff. It caved in under his feet, sending both him and Ninja sliding down the cliff face in a landslide that threatened to bury both of them alive. He caught sight of Ninja springing out from the rock face, before streaking away. James managed to grab a ledge a little way down and pull himself into cover, allowing the rest of the debris to tumble past him. Pulling himself up, he cursed his luck to see that the cliff face was now almost completely sheer. Without any climbing supplies, there was no way to get back up. He would have to go down, and then loop around and approach again from the path, something that would take hours. By then, he was sure Tyler would have recovered and gotten himself to safety.
He leapt down the rest of the cliff, before de-morphing. He looked up once more, verifying that he couldn't climb back up this cliff face.
"At least you're safe for now Tyler." He commented, before walking away, heading back towards the city.