On the Warrior Dome, Ripcon was pacing impatiently as Wrench worked. He was desperate to find the Gold Ranger, to bring him and drag him before Galvinax and force him to divulge everything he knew. That he got onto the Warrior Dome meant that someone on the ship had Ripcon already had his suspicions who.
It would have taken someone with a high level of clearance to be able to sneak someone on board without alerting every security detail on the ship. That very much limited things to the senior staff. That his escape also revealed an area of the ship that no one even knew existed limited the list of suspects even further.
Ripcon knew that Odious would likely be weaving her tales, trying to stir up trouble, but the fact was to keep an entire room of the ship secret for so long would require a lot of knowledge of the ship, and also a deep cunning. He was sure Wrench wasn't involved, even if he hadn't only been on the senior staff a short time, and so was unlikely to be able to build such a room without anyone knowing, Wrench was a coward, a weakling. He would always hide behind Cosmo, who so far seemed to like him and be grooming him for something. He would never risk crossing someone with the power of Galvanax or Ripcon. That would mean that realistically the only ones smart enough, devious enough to have done it were Cosmo or Odious...and right now his money was on Odious.
While Cosmo played his games, and was loyal only to his viewing figures and his bank balance, meaning that the introduction of a new mystery Ranger would benefit him directly, Odious was always up to something. She was always appearing and disappearing without a trace, and she was always twisting people's words and casting doubt on others, him in particular. He was sure she was up to something, but she was always irritatingly a step ahead of him. There was nothing that tied her to the hidden lab or to the Gold Ranger, she had been careful to leave no evidence of her presence, so the only evidence would be a confession from the Gold Ranger himself.
He was cautious in his optimism, but he could almost see the scene now as he had the Gold Ranger on his knees before him, and forced him to point to Odious and announce that she had brought him on the ship. Even better, perhaps it was her intent to make him her next big-money ticket. He had taken down enough monsters to cause a stir among the casual audience. He almost dared to dream, perhaps her intent was to have him assassinate Glavanax and take his place as Champion! Galvanax was powerful, but like all warriors the day would come when his time would end, and Odious had to already be looking for his replacement. He wondered if perhaps Galvanax would allow him to perform the execution himself. Then there was the small matter that Galvanax would be on the lookout for a new manager!
"What is taking so long?" Ripcon screamed as he grabbed Wrench.
"Hey, the surveillance network in Summer Cove isn't exactly as extensive as the Warrior Dome! The humans don't cover every square inch of the city you know!" Wrench muttered. "Not to mention you and your clodhopping monsters keep wrecking everything. Almost 70 percent of the city's cameras are off-line right now!"
"You said you could find him!" Ripcon hissed as he gripped the handle of his katana. "If you're saying you're not useful to me..."
"Wait...I've got something!" Wrench said as one of his computers stared beeping. He pulled up an image, showing Tom walking through the lobby of the hotel, talking on the phone as he headed out into the street. Ripcon smiled as he saw his prey heading out into the city alone.
"Have you finished work on those new Kudabots yet?" He asked.
"BASHERBOTS!" Wrench corrected him. "I'm testing them in a couple of days..."
"Then I'll have to make do with what I've got." Ripcon answered. "I've got a Ranger to catch!"
Over at the Ranger Base, Sarah, Hayley, Preston and Calvin were passing the time while they waited on the scanners bringing up any signs of trouble in the city. There had already been one attack, and they were sure that they hadn't heard the last of Ripcon for the day. There were plenty of monsters on the Warrior Dome that could be sent to cause some disruption or a little damage; they sincerely doubted Ripcon would bother himself unless there was a bigger prize to be had.
"Man, I hate this soooo much!" Sarah complained. "Stupid Ripcon, he owes me a Levi Weston autograph."
"Hey, I think you're doing pretty good on the celebrity status." Preston chuckled. "You have a champion pro wrestler, two legendary palaeontologists and the Prince of Zandar on your cell phone."
"I still don't have Levi Weston though." She muttered, flopping forward onto her hands. "Come on Ripcon, can you at least send something for us to punch? I owe someone a lot of punching for spoiling my..."
"Uh...Sarah, it looks like you might get your wish." Mick stated as an alarm sounded. "I've got some power signatures in a street near the hotel..."
"I'll take it!" Sarah replied, grabbing her Power Star and heading for the exit.
In the city, a few streets from the hotel, Tom was still on the phone, trying to negotiate a deal with a security firm. He normally was happy enough with their own security, but having been in the city only just short of a full day; Levi had already been attacked once. His security guys were more than enough to handle the run-of-the-mill crazies that would try and get close to Levi, but for a threat like this, he wanted someone used to such things.
He had heard of a firm in Harwood, Cerberus Private Securities. They had a reputation as one of the best security firms in the country, if not the world, regularly hiring people with training from Interpol, the CIA and Special Forces units from around the world. Among their alumni, more than two dozen had ended up going into the Secret Service after their time in the firm, and several even protected the President. However, the main thing that piqued his interest was the fact that they had operated in Harwood during the Warstar invasion. That, as far as he was concerned, meant they had just the kind of experience he wanted watching his brother's back, no matter what they cost.
"Yeah, my brother hired a bodyguard, but I want more! I want the full package Mr Goodall!" Tom said as he made his way through the streets, looking for the nearest bottle shop to get himself some bourbon for the night. "I want an army of guys, I want an armour plated limo, I want outriders, tanks, helicopters...hell, I want F15's flying overhead if you offer it! I don't care what it costs!"
He listened to the other end of the call.
"Listen, I don't think you realise who you're talkin' to partner, I am speaking for Levi Weston!" He protested. "Wait...hello? Hello? He hung up on me! Damned nerve!"
He bumped into someone, not paying attention to where he was going. He was about to apologise when he saw that it was Ripcon standing in front of him.
"Hello friend, remember me?" He greeted Tom as Kudabots started to flood into the street.
"What do you want with me?" Tom rushed out in a panic. He was about to try and run when he was grabbed on all sides. Ripcon wasn't taking any chances.
"I have you now Gold Ranger." Ripcon told him.
"Gold Ranger!" Tom squeaked out in terror, his eyes wide as he heard this. "But I'm not the..."
He didn't get to finish as he was gagged, and a bag pulled over his head.
"Don't try to lie to me." Ripcon told him. "You and I are going to have a little chat! I want to know what you do before I take you to Galvanax!"
With that, they started to drag him away. Sarah and the others arrived just as they were starting to leave.
"HEY!" Sarah called out. "I owe you...!"
"Send me a bill!" Ripon snorted. "I've got more important things to do. You deal with them!"
"Hey, that was my line!" Calvin complained as a legion of kudabots appeared between the Rangers and Ripcon. The evil alien took just enough kudabots with him to carry his unwilling guest and walked away, leaving the others to keep the Rangers busy.
In another part of town, Brody and Levi were standing by a burger van. Levi had always loved eating at places like this. He hated franchise restaurants; one of the things he loved most about travelling with his career was getting to see the local culture and cuisine. He wasn't even overly bothered about high-class restaurants. He found that even when they began as local, family run places dealing in local recipes, once they got past a certain level of business they needed to broaden their appeal and they tended to lose a lot of the individuality that separated them from restaurants in other cities. Some of his favourite meals were served in motorway diners, dive bars and little vans like this.
They were outside the local botanical gardens, a peaceful place that he liked the look of, and he made a mental note to come back to if he had time after his concert.
He could smell the food from the truck, and it smelled amazing. A combination of fried meats, vegetables, and spices that smelled like they were strong enough to strip paint wafted over to him. He could feel something familiar about it. Perhaps he had been here before, there were parts of the city that made him feel like this, he just wished he could remember why. Some of the places he had been he could attach real memories to. He could remember people he met there, he could remember restaurants he had been to, in this case, it was more of a vague familiarity. It was like the smell of a baby blanket, or a memory someone might describe of seeing their parents from their crib as a baby. It existed more as a feeling than a memory, and it wasn't possible to know if it was even real.
"Keep the change." Brody told the guy in the van. He came over, handing a bag to Levi.
"Double Danger Chilli Burger." Levi said, looking to the bag. "Beef, cheese and chilli, three things that any Texan loves."
He opened the bag and recoiled a little as the smell hit him.
"Whooee! That is some strong chilli!" Levi commented.
"Think it's a little..."
"No way, it smells great!" Levi told him. "I love food so hot you can feel it all the way down if you get my drift!"
"It used to be my brother Aiden's favourite too." Brody chuckled at the recollection. "He loved spicy food. One time, he ate beans and just kept adding chilli powder saying it wasn't hot enough. By the time he was done, we were down half a tub of chilli powder."
"I'll bet that wasn't fun." Levi said, wincing a little at the thought.
"Let's just say that if it hurt on the way in, it was nothing compared to how much it hurt on the way out!" Brody laughed. Levi just smiled. "I really miss him."
"You and your brother were close, weren't you?" Levi asked him. Brody just nodded.
"We lost mom when we were little. My dad moved us out here after she died. In a lot of ways I don't think he really got over it." Brody said, his thoughts drifting back to his childhood. "All we really had was each other."
As they walked, Brody looked to Levi, who just seemed to be listening to his story, not saying anything. He was used to conversations generally being two way, but Levi wasn't saying much in return. He guessed he generally didn't have to say much to people. Most people had read enough in his biography and his magazine interviews to know most of his stories anyway.
"Is this really what a bodyguard's meant to do?" Brody asked him. Levi just shrugged in response.
"I don't rightly know. I've never been one." Levi answered truthfully. He noticed a car a little way off that was parked up on the side of the road. The hood was up, and a woman was staring in at the engine. "Hey, it looks like they could use a hand."
"I really don't think..."
"Hey, I don't know about you, but when I see someone I can help, I like to pitch in. It's the way I was raised." Levi told him. "Helping is never the wrong thing to do."
Brody was a little surprised to hear him say that. He had dealt with a lot of celebrities in his time on the Warrior Dome. Most of the fighters were well known across huge areas of the universe. They would swagger around the ship, constantly being told how brilliant and amazing they were. They cared little for the people around them, often delighting in their privilege as doors would open and queues would part to let them through. He certainly had never heard of any of them using their influence to help anyone but themselves. He had to quicken his pace to catch up to Levi who was already making his way over.
"The car won't start. What am I meant to do?" The woman said into her cell phone, clearly talking to her breakdown service. There was a kid in the passenger seat who looked like he was thoroughly miserable.
"Mom, I'm hungry!" He moaned. Levi just put his burger through the window, offering it to the kid.
"Here, you look like you need it more than I do." He stated as he approached the woman. "Car trouble?"
"It just won't start; I don't know what's wrong with it." She said as she turned around, but as she laid eyes on Levi, a look of recognition crossed her face. Brody was almost sure that she forgot completely about the car, where she was going, or anything else in that moment. "Wait...are you that singer? Levi Weston?"
Brody was internally groaning, having heard this reaction so many times before. This was normally the point at which the monsters he knew would expect fawning and adulation just for giving someone the time of day.
"No ma'am, that ain't me. I get that all the time." Levi said in response, somewhat surprising Brody. "It must be my smile I think. Mind if I take a look?"
The woman just nodded and stepped aside, letting Levi take a look at the engine. Brody was sure she was staring at Levi, and he wasn't sure Levi's lie worked. She seemed to be trying to decide if this really was the guy whose poster had been plastered on virtually every wall and billboard in the city for days now.
"I don't know too much about these modern cars, but I used to tinker with the tractor back on dad's farm all the time." Levi told her as he looked around. A lot of the parts were different, there were more modern components and suchlike in this car, but the basics of the internal combustion engine were pretty much common across the board. "Hopefully I should have you both on the road again in just a little bit!"
Meanwhile, in a warehouse deep within the city, Tom was sitting, blindfolded and shackled to a chair as Ripcon set up a perimeter around so that he'd know if anyone was coming. Even though he had been ordered to bring the Gold Ranger directly to Galvanax when he found him, he still wanted to take some time to hear what he had to say.
He knew it would likely take a little time to break the Gold Ranger's spirit. He had proven to be a tough warrior up until now, having defeated a number of warriors sent to Earth to search for him. Ripcon didn't expect him to just give up any information easily. So far all he knew was that the Gold Ranger had been on the ship. He still hadn't figured out why, or how he got there.
"Where are we?" Tom asked. "What are you going to do to me?"
"Where are we? Just somewhere I found to make sure we won't be interrupted while we have a little chat." Ripcon told him as he whipped Tom's blindfold off. "As for what I'm going to do to you, that depends largely on how forthcoming you are with answers to my questions!"
Ripcon came around in front of Tom and stood before him.
"Open up his briefcase!" Ripcon snapped at one of the kudabots. It broke the lock on the case, opening it up. Inside was a lot of Tom's paperwork, and also the Gold Power Star.
"There it is! The Gold Power Star!" Ripcon began as he took it out, inspecting it. Tom had no idea why he wanted it; Levi had given it to him earlier in the day to look after. Levi had a habit of picking up souvenirs from his tours. Nothing huge, usually it was cheap, tacky touristy stuff. Nick nacks and worthless junk mainly. He didn't know why Ripcon wanted this, but if he wanted it, he was more than happy to gift-wrap it with a bow and send him on his way! Ripcon though didn't seem to be happy with just this souvenir. "It's time we had a little chat Gold Ranger."
"Gold...Gold Ranger?" Tom stammered. Ripcon held up the Power Star.
"Don't even try to lie to me! You have this; I know you're the Gold Ranger!" Ripcon continued. "Odious is the one that let you on the ship, isn't she?"
"Ship? Odious? What...what are you talking about?" Tom stammered in a panic. Ripcon just shook his head and gestured to the kudabots, who tore off his jacket and his shirt.
"You can't lie to me Gold Ranger! I know it's you because you have this!" Ripcon said, holding up the Power Star again.
Tom could see the Power Star glowing, something he hadn't seen it do before. He doubted the creature would be interested in a novelty item, and he was going to a lot of trouble over Tom...was it possible? Tom didn't want to believe it, but he remembered that Levi did make a lot of fuss over the star. He liked his nick nacks, but Levi had made him swear to keep it safe, almost like his life depended on it. Levi had been off the grid for so long, was it possible this was what he was doing all this time?
He watched as Ripcon went to a table and pulled back a sheet, showing a bunch of evil looking tools, shiny blades of all different sizes and shapes. They looked like some twisted surgeon's tools. Ripcon put down the Power Star and picked up one of the blades and started to approach him.
"I was hoping you were going to make this easy on yourself, but it looks like you want to do things the hard way." Ripcon said menacingly. "Anything you want to tell me?"
Tom looked to the Power Star, and thought of Levi and took a few deep, rapid breaths, before looking to Ripcon defiantly.
"Do your worst!" Tom said bravely.