In the Ranger Base, Hayley and Calvin came in, finding the others hanging around between classes. More and more they had found themselves using the base as more than just a base for Ranger duties. Since, as far as anyone was concerned the paint room was still out of action as a result of Victor blowing up the compressor earlier in the year, no one ever went there. Thanks to Mick's secret entrances, they didn't even need to worry about any students working on extra credit projects in the Shop Class seeing them go in and out, and as such it was just a good place for them to go to get a bit of peace and quiet.
"Hey there." Preston said, seeing them arrive. "What gives? I thought you two were going on a lunch date."
"Well, we were, but then I caught a whiff of Monty's lunch and lost my appetite." Calvin said as he got there, looking rather decidedly ill. "His mom actually paired scrambled eggs, pickled gherkins and coleslaw! Ugh!"
"That boy would no doubt be an intriguing study in genetics." Mick commented. "His mother clearly has no sense of taste or smell, and by the sounds of things he doesn't either."
"So what are you guys up to?" Calvin asked as he saw them working on computers.
"Well, we were just tracking the Gold Ranger's appearances since he showed up after that battle with Hacktrak." Preston told them. "We were trying to figure out if there was some pattern to where he showed up."
"Did you find anything?" Hayley asked them. Brody just shrugged.
"Unless the guy has some kind of predilection for misshapen hedgehogs his appearances have been random." Brody said in response.
"Mind if I ask a question?" Calvin chipped in. "Why are we looking for him again?"
"Calvin..."
"No, I mean seriously, this guy's been running around for weeks now and he's not made one move against us." Calvin told them. "In fact if anything since he's shown up, things have been downright boring for us. About half a dozen monsters have shown up and he's taken them out before we even get there every time. We haven't had to so much as raise one sword since we took down Hacktrack."
"He's kind of got a point." Preston conceded. "Don't get me wrong I'd love to know who he is but if he's doing good, maybe we can cut him a little slack."
"He's running around with a Ninja Power Star." Mick reminded him, looking more than a little concerned. "That's a hell of a lot of power for just anyone to be walking around with."
"Mick's right. This guy might genuinely be a good person, but when he's walking around with that kind of firepower we really need to know who he is and what his intentions are." Brody agreed as he checked over some of the footage and eyewitness accounts of the Gold Ranger's battles. There really wasn't much to go on; the odd clip loaded to YouTube from a cell phone here, a questionable account from some witness of questionable reliability there. In all, it was difficult to separate fact from fiction. "These monsters, they've been sent to the city, but with little or no advanced warning. Cosmo's usually not shy about letting us know when he's on the move. If anything he wants to make sure everyone knows he's making moves."
"Well, that makes sense. How does he get an audience if no one knows when the show is on?" Preston asked. "So why is he so quiet now?"
"I know I stop barking when I'm trying to get close to a squirrel or something." Kody said, causing Hayley to look around at him. "Cats, I just want them to get the hell out my way so I bark like nobody's business, but squirrels, rabbits, things I want to eat...I like to get close to."
"Guys, Kody just gave me an idea." Hayley told them. Thanks to her exposure to the Ninja Steel enhancing her desire to communicate, to bring together those that were separated by difference languages she had been left with an innate ability to learn language. She only needed to hear or see a small amount of communication in any language and her mind started making the connections as to how that language was constructed, giving her an innate ability to understand and even to speak that language, even when she wasn't consciously aware she was doing it. "He was just saying that he barks a lot when chasing cats, but not when chasing rabbits and stuff he wants to hunt."
"That makes a lot of sense." Brody said, getting a thought. "This doesn't seem like Cosmo, this feels a lot more like Ripcon's playbook. I think they're hunting him."
"That's all the more reason we should focus our efforts and try to get to him first." Mick said as he tapped his computer screen. "This guy might have good intentions but whether he knows it or not, he could be in a lot of danger. Each of you have five other people to watch your backs, he doesn't."
"That is an excellent point." Hayley said, noticing that Sarah was unusually quiet as she worked away on her computer. "Which is why I'm sure Sarah's silence means she's found..."
"HEY!" Sarah called out as Hayley pulled her away from the computer, checking her screen. Sarah had indeed found something, but it wasn't anything like what she was expecting. "I...I was just..."
"Oh I can see what you were doing!" Hayley laughed, marvelling at what she was. "You were cyber-stalking Levi Weston!" Preston and Calvin both rushed over to the computer to look, while Brody, Redbot and Mick all just looked at each other, unclear as to what was going on.
"Who?" They all chorused together.
"Is he the one that makes denims?" Redbot asked as a follow-up question.
"Levi Weston is only one of the biggest breakout acts on the planet right now!" Preston said with a bright grin as he looked to Sarah. "I didn't know you were a fan!"
"He's a singer?" Brody asked, his tone indicating that he was not at all certain why Sarah would be looking him up when they were trying to find clues as to the identity of the Gold Ranger. "Do you think he has something to do with this?"
"Um...well..."
"Oh, only in her own personal fanfiction with her as the romantic lead!" Hayley teased her, seeing the distinct shade of pink Sarah was starting to turn.
"OK, I was...trying to find out where and when his personal appearance is." Sarah told them. "Before every concert..."
"He has a free meet-and-greet for fans." Calvin concluded. "Fans that turn up in costume can win a backstage pass."
"So...this is about a concert?" Brody asked. "Not about the Gold Ranger? Sarah, I expected more from you..."
"Brody, we've gone over every supermarket tabloid, YouTube video, blurry Instagram and Facebook photo and every paranoid delusional conspiracy nutcase's website there is with a reference to the Gold Ninja Ranger. If there was something in there of any use we'd have found it by now." Sarah said. "So until we find anything new I was just seeing if there was some way I could...be at that meet-and-greet."
"And is there?" Brody asked her.
"Unfortunately no." She said, looking glum. "It's in the mall tomorrow during the day. I'd have to skip school; I'd never be able to go."
"So this is pointless." Brody commented.
"It looks that way." Sarah answered.
"Alright, so can we get back to work now?" He asked, gesturing back to his own computer. As they all went back to work, Hayley just patted Sarah on the shoulder.
"Hey, I completely understand." The White Ranger said with a smile. "He's my hall pass."
"Wait...what now?" Calvin asked.
"He's a piece of paper that lets you go to the bathroom?" Mick asked her.
"No, silly!" Hayley chuckled. "When Calvin and I got together we were both allowed to name one person that if we ever got the opportunity to...you know...date, then we were allowed and the other wouldn't count it as cheating."
"Yeah, um...I thought we were joking about that!" Calvin said, holding up a hand. Just then, the school announce system kicked in.
"All students and staff please be advised that tomorrow, due to unforeseen essential maintenance of...um...the...uh...fire safety system, the school will be closed." Principal Hastings called over the speakers. The cheer was so loud it could be heard even in the paint room, and it even kept the tool sounds from Mick's forge from being heard outside! "Yes, I know you're all disappointed, but the heating system needs an upgrade, and that means mess and workmen and...this extends to staff as well as students. Good day!"
"So which is it? Is the school closed because of the alarm system or the heating?" Mick asked.
"Something tells me that Principal Hastings might just be a Levi Weston fan too." Preston said with a knowing smile.
"Whatever, can we stop talking about Levi Weston?" Brody blurted out impatiently. "We still have to find the Gold Ranger..."
Just then, the alarms started blaring. Mick pulled up the details.
"It's the parking garage, across the street from the Temple Hotel." Mick informed them.
"Come on." Brody stated. "It's not that far, if we're fast, maybe we can get there in time!"
Meanwhile, in the school parking lot, Ace and his crew were gathered around his car while he bragged about his latest set of upgrades. His girlfriend, Sherrie, was sitting in the passenger seat looking bored out of her mind while the guys all drooled over the car.
"I'm telling you, this thing could dust anything on the road. I could probably take this thing on the drag circuit." He said with pride. "Not that I would of course, why would I want the pink slip to some loser's POS when I have this baby?"
"Dude, I do not want to tell you what I would do to own a car like this!" One of his hangers on stated. "I'm not kidding you, the things I'd let someone do to get something like this are illegal in like all fifty states!"
"Speaking of illegal in fifty states, look who it is." Ace said as he saw Monty walking through the parking lot. "Hey, aren't there watch-lists for people like you?"
Monty just ignored him and started to walk faster.
"Hey, I'm talking to you dweeb!" Ace said as he hopped out his car and started to make his way over. He grabbed Monty, spinning him around. "I said I'm talking to you!"
"Ace, I have some extra credit work for science..."
"I think the LAST thing you need is to be tinkering around with any of that science stuff." Ace said, ripping the books out of his hands and throwing them on the ground. "The school board and the cops might have let you off on some weaksauce technicality..."
"I was a minor!" Monty whined in response. Ace just grabbed him. "I wasn't let off; my record will be expunged when I turn 18!"
"You think I give a shit about that?" Ace asked him. "You tried to kill me you little shit!"
"Oh, there you are Monty!" Mrs Finch, his Science Teacher said as she arrived. Ace realised his opportunity had passed and let Monty go, at which the much smaller students straightened out his shirt. "Have you got those assignments I asked for?"
"Right here." Monty said as he bent down, retrieving his books from the ground.
"Splendid!" She replied as she led him away. Monty didn't listen to the rest of what she had to say, instead only casting a glance behind him at Ace. He hated the way he was treated; he hated it so much that one time he almost did something terrible to make it stop. It was the single biggest regret of his life one that he was still paying for two years later.
Meanwhile, the Rangers arrived outside the Parking Garage, hearing the sounds of battle already raging. The parted as a burning Kudabot was blasted out of the fifth floor of the complex, crashing to the concrete between them.
"Well, I think we can safely say the Gold Ranger beat us here." Calvin surmised.
"Hayley, Sarah, get onto the top and work your way down. Preston, Calvin, you're with me!" Brody instructed them. Hayley and Sarah leapt to the top of the building, while Brody, Calvin and Preston all ran in the main entrance. The whole complex was a large spiral formation, meaning that there was only one direction up or down. If the Gold Ranger came either way, they were bound to run into him.
Somewhere on the fourth floor, the monster Wrench had sent to find the Gold Ranger, Switchblade, was finding that his task was a lot more difficult than he had first thought. Wrench had assured him that there would only be one Ranger to battle, and that if he brought in one Ranger, then he would be able to name his price. Unfortunately he found that the Rangers were much tougher than the debtors he normally tracked down for the bookmakers on the Warrior Dome.
He still didn't know how things had turned so quickly, but after he arrived and started searching, his Kudabot comrades started disappearing. Over half of them were gone before he even realised that someone else was there. The Gold Ranger got the drop on them, taking down Kudabots one by one without so much as a sound until they finally spotted him. He had a feeling that even this was part of some plan. The Gold Ranger had been hunting THEM!
"Gold Ranger, I've found you!" He called out, trying to sound confident as two blades sprung out from his forearms and he rushed towards him. "You're coming with me!"
"Think again!" Levi answered as he rushed for him, swinging his weapon. Switchblade didn't stand a chance, being outmanoeuvred at every turn. Every time he took a swing, he caught nothing but air, and the Gold Ranger struck without warning from so many directions and so many times, he'd almost have swore there were more than one of him.
Switchblade fell to his knees, sparking as he felt his life leaving him. He looked to the Gold Ranger, who wasn't even looking in his direction.
"We were hunting you!" He gasped. "How did you...?"
With that, he exploded. Levi pressed a finger to the rim surrounding his helmet, looking a little like the rim of a Stetson, like he was tipping his hat to the monster as he fell. He placed his weapon across his shoulders.
"Honestly, I wish I knew." Levi responded honestly. His fighting, his techniques, everything came second-nature to him. His dad, The General, and Tom had taken him hunting many times back in Texas, so he had a few ideas of how to stalk big game, but what he was doing seemed a lot more like guerrilla warfare. There were still huge gaps in his memory, so he didn't know...was it possible he was trained in these things? Had he been a commando or some kind of Special Forces trooper? Or was it the Power Star that gave him this knowledge? He couldn't be certain. There was only one thing he was certain about, he heard footsteps coming towards him, and if someone was running towards the sound of a battle, then that could mean trouble for him. He quickly got his bearings, figuring out which direction his hotel was in and ran, leaping from the Parking Garage, ending up on his balcony. He de-morphed as he got there.
Moments after he left, Sarah and Hayley came from the upper level, while Brody, Preston and Calvin arrived from the lower level.
"Stop right..." Brody started to say, before seeing an all too familiar sight. There were pieces of Kudabots lying all around, and scorch marks from errant blaster fire, but there was no sign of the Gold Ranger. Once again, they were too late. "...there. Aw man, gone again!"
"Every time the monsters send someone down to catch the Gold Ranger, he takes them out!" Hayley complained.
"Yeah, and we miss him by a second!" Sarah added, kicking a Kudabot's disembodied head aside.
"Well, the good news is we can be pretty sure the bad guys didn't get him." Calvin stated.
"But it still brings us no closer to figuring out who the Gold Ranger is." Brody reminded them as he noticed Sarah going to the wall. He hadn't gone up the ramp, if he had Sarah or Hayley would have seen him, and if he'd gone down he'd have run straight into Brody, Preston and Calvin. It seemed only logical to think that meant he had to have leapt out of the side of the building. Given his Ranger Powers, he would have been able to make the jump.
"See anything?" Brody asked her.
"No, he's gone." She said, before looking up. "Oh...my...Hayley, get over here!"
"What?"
"Do you see him?" Brody asked, joining her.
"Get over here!" Sarah rushed out. "NOWNOWNOWNOWNOWNOW!" Hayley came to the side of the building, at which Sarah grabbed her helmet, tilting her head up to see the balcony of the hotel across the street.
"What?" Brody asked.
"Oh my God!" Hayley squealed. "Is that...?"
"LEVI WESTON!" Both the girls screamed together. Levi was resting his elbows on the balcony, overlooking the street. He could see them looking up at him and smiled. He tipped his hat to them, before disappearing inside.
"Oh my God, he's even cuter in real life!" Sarah started to hyperventilate. "Breathe Sarah, breathe, breathe, breathing is good..."
"Seriously, that's what all the fuss is about?" Brody asked. "Come on guys, this has been a waste of time. Let's go home. Maybe we'll have more luck tomorrow."
Meanwhile, across the street in his hotel, Levi went back into his room, smiling. When he got there, Tom was returning to the room.
"Levi, the masseuse in this place has the fingers of an angel!" He told him. "You ought to book yourself a session. I swear..."
"No thanks." Levi said with a smile. "When I want a girl to put her hands on me, I don't want to have to pay to make her want to."
"Hey, you're Levi Weston." Tom reminded him. "You snap your fingers in a room and half the girls and probably a lot of the guys would happily do it for free!"
"OK, that's not what I meant either." Levi chuckled. Tom looked around.
"I thought you were ordering room service." He commented.
"Well how could I order without my brother here?" Levi answered. "I've got my eye on the cheeseburger."
"Of course you do." Tom said as he picked up the phone. "Put me through to room service please."