On the Warrior Dome, Galvinax watched the footage of Switchblade being destroyed, over and over again he watched as the latest monster sent to get the Gold Ranger had fallen. Wrench in particular was nervously awaiting his outburst. Switchblade had been his pick for the latest monster to hunt for the elusive Gold Ranger. While Cosmo lauded the success of Galvinax as a competitor, Galvinax saw things slightly differently, though that was largely because he almost lost his sight when Sarah's virus fed through the control unit for the holo-clones, burning his eyes. It had been a long couple of weeks for him to regain his full vision. He mashed a finger down on the button to pause the footage as the Gold Ranger tipped the rim of his helmet.
"I...I...I can explain..."
"ENOUGH!" Galvinax roared as he rounded on Wrench. "You're as useless as everyone else on this ship!"
He brought his attention to Odious, glaring at her angrily.
"It's been weeks, and still none of you have been able to bring me the Gold Ranger!" Galvinax yelled at her.
"But with each failure from these two...gentlemen..." She said, emphasising the word to indicate her contempt for them both. "...We learn a little more about the Gold Ranger's strategies, his moves, his weapons and his strengths. Rest assured the next monster I send will be much more powerful!"
"And pigs will fly!" Ripcon interrupted her.
"Well, you WOULD be the authority on pigs now wouldn't you?" She asked. "We've all seen that picture of your mother!"
"No one's seen a picture of YOUR mother because you probably ate her after you were born!" Ripcon snapped back. He was still defensive about his mother, and of his background. He had worked hard to drag himself out of the muck and stench of The Sump, and he did not take kindly to anyone bringing it up. "SHE doesn't have what it takes. Let ME go to Earth and get the Gold Ranger!"
"You?" Wrench asked. "I thought you were after the Red Ranger! A feud I may add you are losing!"
"I NEVER LOST!" Ripcon screamed, pulling out one of his katana. Wrench produced his axe to defend himself, even though he doubted he would be able to do much if Ripcon did come for him. He just hoped that Odious, Galvanax and Cosmo would stop them before it really did come to blows.
"Boys, boys, you all know the rules. If you must fight, sign a contract and do it for the camera." Cosmo said, stepping between the two of them. Galvanax just growled and turned to face Ripcon as he put his katana away.
"Bring the Gold Ranger to me. He's going to tell me who brought him aboard my ship." Galvanax stated. "Then I'm going to rip that traitor apart!"
"I won't let you down champ!" Ripcon assured him.
"I'll be watching." Odious replied with a knowing smirk.
"Enjoy the show!" Ripcon said as he walked out the room. Galvinax pointed to the door.
"Now THAT is a monster that gets things done!" He announced. "No hiding behind lackeys for Ripon, he's the first one of you to offer to do something about this yourselves."
"Indeed. He WAS quick to offer to go." Odious said, casting a glance Wrench's way. "Perhaps a little...too quick."
"What? What's that meant to mean?" Galvinax asked. Odious kept her eyes on Wrench, wordlessly reminding him of her earlier threats. Wrench by now knew, or could at least guess that Odious was the one that had brought the Gold Ranger onto the ship. What she wanted him for was anyone's guess, but the fact that he knew, and that he hadn't told anyone about her secret lab now placed him very firmly in the crosshairs. If Odious was going down, there was no way she would keep quiet and drag Wrench down with her.
"Well, I think Madame Odious was suggesting that if Ripcon was the one who brought him on the ship, what better way to cover his tracks than to be the one to lead the search?"
"That...that is an interesting point." Cosmo stated. "Though I know I for one would like to see a little proof before I start throwing around accusations."
Galvinax didn't say anything, instead just leaving the room. Madame Odious wasn't far behind him. As he was about to leave, Cosmo hooked his shoulder with his cane.
"Wrench, you're doing well here, aren't you?" Cosmo stated. "I've treated you well, haven't I?"
"Well...yes Mr Royale!" Wrench stammered. Cosmo just smiled.
"Please, it's Cosmo; we're friends...aren't we?" He asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Um...yes, of course!" Wrench rushed out. Cosmo twirled his cane, tucking it under his arm.
"Good. I would hate to think anything different." Cosmo answered. "I like to know that my boys know which side their bread is buttered on."
With that, Cosmo's phone started ringing. He saw the number on it and answered the phone.
"I was waiting on your call...what do you mean what's the problem?" Cosmo asked as he left. "I asked for a Gold Ranger action figure! Not a BUTTERSCOTCH action figure! Your mock up of the Gold Ranger action figure doesn't even have any gold on it!"
With that, he left the room, leaving Wrench to ponder the conversation he had just had with Cosmo, and to worry about the position he had now found himself in.
The following morning, Al arrived at his office, early as usual. He always liked to get in to get some time to let his computer boot up and to get himself a mocha before his shift started.
He turned on his computer, taking a sip from his coffee as he took off his jacket, hanging it up. He was about to sit down, when he noticed something on his desk. It was a newspaper, but it wasn't a recent one. He didn't even need to read the date, he could remember it explicitly. It was burned into his mind forever. He picked it up, staring at the headline, feeling more than a little ill. He noticed that there was a post-it note attached to it. It simply said, 'My office, first thing'.
Al gripped the newspaper tightly as he went to the elevator, pressing for the top floor. When he got there, the security guards were already gesturing him over, one of them pulling out his metal detector wand.
"Mr Tien's expecting you." He said as he started to run the wand over Al.
"Yeah, I got his invitation." Al said somewhat gruffly as they opened the door following their search and let him in. Al made his way in, finding Mr Tien looking out of his window over the city. "You wanted to see me sir?"
"Mr Thompson, I was hoping you'd come to speak with me again." Mr Tien stated. "So, how is your day?"
"It was going a lot better until I saw this." Al stated, holding up the news paper. Mr Tien smiled as he turned around and greeted him.
"You know, I wondered why you didn't want to get back into investments. I can't believe it took me so long to figure it out." Mr Tien stated. "The pieces should have fit together, but they didn't. Panorama City, four years ago..."
"Almost five!" Mr Thompson corrected him. "I'd very much like to leave that behind me."
"I'll bet you would. Millions of dollars, multiple fraud convictions, many of your friends serving long prison sentences..."
"Not to mention the thousands of people whose life savings and pensions we lost. Or the kid that was shot when some of the people we screwed over went after my boss' kid to get to him!" Al interrupted him. "You can understand why I don't want to be involved with that life again."
He tossed the newspaper into the bin.
"I know you're not used to being told 'no' Mr Tien, but I'm afraid this is one time you're going to have to take that as your final answer." Al stated bluntly. "Please don't bring this up again."
With that, he stormed out of the office.
Over at the Mall, there was already a massive queue going all the way around the block for Levi's meet and greet. It was something he always liked doing for his fans before his gigs. He knew that as much as his fans loved him, there were always some that were going to miss out. The arena gigs could be very expensive and a lot of his fans couldn't afford to go to them. Others would miss out on tickets because they simply couldn't get them on time. A lot of his concerts sold out within minutes of going on sale, and even the large arenas had limits on the number of people they could accommodate. In an ideal world, Levi would be able to perform for all his fans, but he liked to do what he could to make sure that even the ones that couldn't go to the arena got a chance to see him.
Tom wasn't quite as keen on these events though. Levi's fans could get more than a little over-excited. Tom was straightening out his suit as he came to the area Levi was using to get ready. Levi saw his dishevelled appearance and chuckled.
"What happened to you?" He asked. "Did you wrestle a bear?"
"A cougar actually, she managed to get into the back and was looking for you. It took three security guards to drag her away. I swear Levi; your fans get crazier by the day." Tom told him. "This one claimed she was a High School Principal. Can you believe that?"
"It's all part of the package Tom." Levi said with a shrug.
"I guess the best way to calm things down is give the people what they want." Tom said with a smile. "Lead the way."
He was lead out of the building, into the street outside. They had set up a banner and a signing table for him, and security were keeping the fans in check. There were hundreds, possibly more, dressed up for the occasion. There were Stetsons, chaps and plaid shirts as far as the eye could see. The mere chance of getting a backstage pass had likely caused every shop in the area that sold clothing that could even remotely be thought of as "western" selling out in no time. Levi took a microphone as he got to the table, fans screaming at the thought of getting to see him up close.
"Hello Summer Cove!" He greeted them warmly. "Alright, I'm going to try to see as many of you as possible, so if y'all could just keep the line in order and be nice and orderly, I'll try to get through all of ya as quick as I can. As usual, my biggest fan will be granted a backstage pass!"
There was a huge eruption from the crowd as he said this.
"Alright, so, let's keep this all nice and we'll get right to it!" He announced, sitting down.
"If I could just take a moment to remind you all of a couple of rules folks, no photography, no personal messages, and no touching Mr Weston, he doesn't need to go getting sick before his concert!"
As Tom put the mic down, Levi just sighed and put his hand over the mic.
"Really Tom?" He asked.
"Hey, I'm just looking out for..."
"Well, you kind of make me sound like a dick when you do." Levi told him. "Alright, first up, what's your name there partner?"
"My name's Mike Barnes and this is my wife Emily and son Hector!" The first customer said as they got to him. "My wife here's a real-life cow-girl, grew up on a farm all her life!"
A few streets away from the signing, Ripcon and a contingent of Kudabots appeared. Ripcon drew his swords and adopted a guard, but as he looked around, he noticed something decidedly odd.
"What?" He asked. "Where is everyone?"
No matter which way he looked, the streets were deserted. There wasn't a soul in sight! He wasn't unaccustomed to seeing empty streets, but usually that was a few minutes after they arrived. However, the streets now were completely empty. It was like everyone had run away in advance of their arrival. He strode around, looking for any sign of anybody.
"Hello?" He called out, but he didn't get a reply. He looked to one of the Buzz-Cams.
"Wrench, what the hell is going on?" He screamed.
"The street's empty." Wrench told him.
"Well I can see that!" Ripcon screamed at him. "I mean why the hell did you send me to an empty street? How am I meant to track the Rangers if there are no people screaming for help?"
"I...didn't know the street would be empty." Wrench admitted. "I'll send the Buzz-Cams out on a wider search!"
"You do that!" Ripcon said as he sat on the hood of a car and waited for Wrench to tell him where everyone had gone. Why would the streets of the city be completely empty in the middle of the day?
Back at the signing, the Rangers were standing in the queue, getting closer and closer to the signing table. They were now only about a dozen or so places removed from the signing table, so close they could actually see Levi in the flesh. Hayley and Sarah were buzzing with excitement, bouncing with unrestrained energy as they clutched to each other.
"I can't believe I'm actually going to meet Levi Weston in person!" Hayley said as she clutched one of his posters in her hand like her life depended on it. Sarah was fanning herself with a very goofy smile on her face as she looked down the line at him, making sounds that Brody wasn't sure even Hayley with her new communication powers could identify as any kind of language.
"He is SOOOO cute!" Hayley exclaimed right to Calvin. The Yellow Ranger looked a little put out, and started pouting as he heard this. He could still remember Hayley's 'hall pass' remark from the previous day. It had been something they had both agreed to as a way to 'make things a little more interesting' in their relationship, but they had picked celebrities based on the fact that they were unlikely to ever even meet them! He had ended up choosing Emily Bett Rickards. Hayley saw the look on his face and found his apparent jealousy quite cute. "Don't worry, you're pretty cute too."
"Let's all try to act natural OK; I don't want to embarrass myself." Preston chipped in as he straightened out his Stetson. Brody just tapped him on the shoulder.
"Preston, if dressing like that doesn't embarrass you, then I don't think anything will." Brody commented.
"Hey, what's wrong with this?" He asked.
"Preston, you have a cactus on your ass." Brody pointed out. It was a soft toy that Preston had sewn there the night before. They all knew about the costume contest, and had all dressed up, with the exception of Brody who really didn't care at all and was only there to be with his friends.
"It's a gimmick, you know? Something to make me stand out!" Preston told him. "Virtually everyone here is dressed up in cowboy clothes; he'll have seen it thousands of times. I wanted something to make me stand out."
"Damn, why didn't I think of that?" Hayley cursed herself. "I mean, there's a horse over there and...that girl is LITERALLY dressed as a big fan! Oh man, I hope I didn't blow it!"
"The point is, that cactus is going to win me a backstage pass!" Preston said proudly, although he cast a glance back at the fan girl, wondering if perhaps she had thought of something he hadn't.
"It's not just about the costume!" Sarah said, finally being able to speak in something that resembled a human language. "Levi's going to be giving a backstage pass to his biggest fan!"
She pointed to herself to emphasise the point. Brody just snorted.
"I don't see what's so great about Levi Weston anyway." Brody replied dismissively. "He's just a guy like everyone else. You only like him because he sings. For all you know he could drown puppies in his spare time."
"I would give anything to get that backstage pass!" Hayley remarked, completely ignoring what Brody had said.
"Anything!" Sarah added, beginning to shift nervously, shuffling her feet and playing with her hair.
"Um...can we clarify what you mean by 'anything'?" Calvin asked.
Up at the signing table, Levi was smiling brightly. He had to admit it was always a boost to his ego every time someone told him that his music had changed their life, or that he had inspired them to do something like go back to school or to take up music. He'd even heard one or two people tell him very personal stories of how his music got them through dark times in their lives, some going so far as to say he had saved their lives. While he loved to hear it, he wasn't sure he could take credit for it, but he was always happy to know that he had affected people's lives.
"Thanks for coming out." Levi said as he handed a signed picture back to one of his fans. Tom put a hand on his shoulder.
"Do you want to take a break Mr Weston?" He asked him. "Is your pen hand getting too tired?"
"My hand's just fine Tom." Levi responded. "And why do you call me Mr Weston?"
"In public..."
"Tom, we're brothers. You've seen me bare-ass naked when we swam at the creek back home. I don't think you need to be callin' me Mr Weston." Levi reminded him. "And I'm fine, these nice people have been standin' out here for a couple a' hours now, least I can do is keep signin'."
Tom went to the front of the queue just as the girl in front of Sarah went to the signing table, meaning she was now next in line. He held up his hands.
"Remember the rules when you talk to Levi folks, no photos, no screaming, and no shakin' his hand or touchin' him. He don't need to be getting fan germs before his big concert."
"Fan germs." Brody laughed, hearing this. "Seriously."
"Well I see you didn't get dressed up." Tom said with a note of disgust in his tone. Brody realised he was looking right at him.
"Well I'm not really a fan." Brody replied. All of his friends turned and looked at him in disbelief. He turned around, and was suddenly aware of hundreds of people all staring right at him. It was like he had uttered some dreadful insult, said some disgusting thing that had turned him into public enemy number one.
"Its fine Tom, leave him be!" Levi said with a smile. He had heard what Brody had said, and there was something a little refreshing about it. He was used to being surrounded by people that always told him how wonderful he was. Everywhere he went people would always go out of their way to tell him he was the greatest thing that ever happened to them. It wasn't often someone would openly say in his presence they didn't like him.
"Whatever you say, Mr Weston." Tom answered, before approaching Brody. "Mind what you say to him or you and I are gonna have problems boy."
Brody just scoffed and shook his head as Tom left. He doubted that he would have much to worry about there. He didn't even want anything from Levi, much less to talk to him. He was only there for his friends.
Just then, there was an explosion and people started screaming. The Rangers turned as people started running for their lives.
"Aw man, couldn't these guys have waited like five more minutes?" Sarah muttered as the Rangers rushed into battle.