If Johnny thought things were hectic when he'd first arrived at the Tribune, then by the time he'd returned it was in full-blown pandemonium.
"Another attack on the city!"
"Power Rangers late to the scene!"
"Did anyone get an eye-witness account?"
Thankfully Bulk and Skull had been willing to remake the lunches for no charge, but that didn't mean the recipients were pleased about eating so late. Not that Johnny really thought they'd notice; at the pace everyone was working, he'd have been honestly surprised that they even had time to stop and eat at all. The final delivery was for Hank, who by now had loosened his tie, popped his collar, and rolled up his sleeves as he put down the phone and immediately spun back to his computer.
"You're back," he realized as he saw Johnny standing by the cubicle with the last burger in his hands. "What took you so long?"
Johnny paused for a moment, as Hank took the burger from him. Hank seemed nice but he was still a reporter, trained to sniff out a story from a stinking heap. For all Johnny knew, he was angling for one right now, and could well know easily if Johnny was lying.
"Well, you know that monster attack downtown?" he began, choosing his words carefully.
Hank nodded, barely taking his glance from his computer. The sharp huff that escaped his breath warned Johnny that it was the main reason the bullpen had kicked up in intensity.
"Well just my luck it was right where I chose to try and pick up the lunches," Johnny continued. "Everything kind of went crazy down there and held everything up."
Wheeling around, Hank gave Johnny a quizzical look as he unwrapped the burger, a half-cocked eyebrow that betrayed a distrusting acceptance of the story. But instead of pressing, he seemed to shrug it off, taking a bite into his burger as he spun back to the screen.
"Well, I'm glad you're okay," he said. "Wouldn't want you getting hurt while running an office errand. Get a good look at the monster attack while you were there?"
Oh boy, did he.
"No sorry," Johnny lied, thankful that Hank wasn't staring him in the face as he did. "I kind of just kept my head down."
"You've got to be brave, Ford," Hank chuckled as he shook his head. "No way you're going to make it in this biz if you steer clear of the action." Then he reached across his desk and pulled out a large digital camera. "Although sometimes the right tools can help with that. Here, take a look at this."
Johnny dutifully did as he was told and leaned forward, watching as Hank began moving through the various settings.
"This one's got a timer. So depending on how long you set it for, it can take photos at regular intervals. All you've got to do is set it up and back off. Let's you capture all the action while keeping far away from it."
"Wow," said Johnny in amazement. "How do you get it set up if everything goes crazy?"
"A little bit of running, a little bit of sneaking. A lot of holding your bladder," Hank admitted. "It's certainly come in handy a couple of times. And they're surprisingly cheap, which helps given they get broken all the time. I've got a couple of spares just in case something happens to this one."
"That's awesome," Johnny smiled, before looking over at the computer screen, "I guess I should remember that next time I'm caught near a monster attack."
It was only then that he caught a glimpse at Hank's screen. The font was too small to read at the distance, but it was the picture that drew attention. It was monochrome and blurred, looking like a spurious big-foot sighting, but still, the shape was undeniable.
It was Kelgar.
Why was Hank writing a story about Kelgar?
"So…?" Johnny suggested slyly, "what's the big story you're working on?"
Hank frowned as he looked back at his computer.
"Honestly I'm not too sure.," he admitted, "I heard a couple of rumors that this turtle guy that the Power Rangers keep fighting was spotted in Reefside."
Johnny's eyes widened at the mention of his old town. He's only just been there, how could he have missed him?
"That's a bit out of his way," he said coolly, desperately hoping he wasn't letting on more than he wanted. But Hank still wasn't looking at him, instead just pensively nodded while staring at the image.
"I've got a contact on the scene running point, but they haven't been able to land any solid confirmation, even from eyewitness accounts. This photo was the best we've got, and even then I don't think it looks legit enough to publish, which Quesada isn't going to be happy with either."
So, the monster maker was being careful, avoiding attention where he could. That behavior was certainly new. Mileena was attacking and disappearing, Kelgar creeping where no one was watching. Something was definitely up, and Johnny didn't doubt for a second they were connected.
"Any idea what he could be up to?" he asked.
Hank shook his head. "The only connection I can come up with is that Reefside was also hit by a wave of monster attacks a few years ago, and the nearby Blue Bay Harbor the year before that. Whatever this guy's planning, I can't imagine it's anything good."
Johnny could only remember all too well…
But before he could continue the thought or conversation, Johnny's Morpher beeped in his pocket. Just as was about to excuse himself, Hank's phone began blaring as well. The journalist snatched it up to his ear, and Johnny whipped around to see the office tv screens had cut to breaking news. Tentakill was back, wreaking havoc at the city plaza.
"Reeve here," Hank said curtly. "Uh huh… Are you sure? Okay, I'm coming down there."
He slammed down the phone and snapped his jacket from his chair.
"I'm guessing that was to do with the creepy jellyfish on the TV screen?" said Johnny.
"Yup," Hank nodded, "Looks like those 'friends' of the Power Rangers are having fun at the plaza. It's my lead, so I've got to check it out."
"I'll come with you."
But Hank raised his hand for Johnny to stop. "Sorry, kid. You're on the bench for this one. It's bad enough you were near one monster attack today and I don't think it's a great idea for you to go rushing straight toward another one. Quesada made me responsible for you and I don't think that your parents would like you running off to something like this. Sit tight, maybe fiddle with the camera. It should keep you busy for quite a while."
Johnny didn't protest. In hindsight, going with Hank would only mean finding an excuse to sneak off and morph they arrived.
"Won't you need it?" he asked about the camera, hoping Hank wouldn't be suspicious of the lack of resistance.
"My main's in my car," Hank explained. "Can't imagine you'll miss much. It'll probably be the same as always; monster shows up, Power Rangers show up, Rangers kill the monster, get big, do it again."
"I certainly hope so…" Johnny muttered at what he thought was a quiet volume.
"What was that?"
Johnny's heart stopped as he realized, he'd been caught and desperately tried to change the subject. "I mean, why even bother going at all?"
Hank smiled. "Someone's still got to report the news kid. I'll run down, take a couple of shots, grab a couple of quotes, and have the story done by the evening edition. Besides, Quesada wants everything Ranger-related covered, so he'll have my head if I don't go. Just sit tight, I'll be back in no time."
With that, he pulled on his jacket and hurried out of the bullpen. Now alone, Johnny quickly peered around the corners to make sure everyone else was busy before shrinking back into the cubicle and finally opening the com line on his communicator.
"Hey, Doc. Johnny here."
"Great, I've finally got you because-"
"Our jelly friend's throwing a party at the plaza?"
There was a pause on the other end of the line. "How did you know that?"
"I'm kind of in a newsroom right now," Johnny chuckled, "And I'm currently watching every single reporter go crazy over it."
"Can you get away?"
"Yeah, no one's watching me."
"Good, the others are already en route."
Johnny nodded, turning to leave before pausing at a thought. His eyes slowly moved to the desk where Hank had left his camera…
"All right, Doc," he confirmed with a smile, "I'll be right there."
The Rangers somersaulted into action, all six arriving to standing before Tentakill and his friends.
"Back for more, huh?" the monster laughed, "I thought you'd be twice shy, once stung?"
"Call that a sting?" Ray taunted back, "Barely more than a tickle."
"We'll see! Byte-bots, get them!"
The Rangers were already in the air as the Byte-Bots rushed to engage. Johnny launched himself deep, Modem Sword swinging wide to carve himself a landing spot. The footsoldiers stumbled back, sparks kicking from the armor as Johnny dropped low and swept out his leg. Tumbling backward, their arms flailed as they hit the ground, only Johnny to see more already piling in.
The first swung in, its weapon searing straight for Johnny's back. The Black Ranger reefed up the sword, weapons colliding as the metal sheered along the opposing surface. Spinning in place, he flipped the Byte-Bot on the spot, twisting it around and kicking it into its friends.
The Modem weapon clicked as Johnny flipped the blade back and into pistol mode, vaulting into the air and unleashing a barrage of laser fire that blasted the bots to bits. He skidded into a landing, the others jumping beside him with their own groups of shattered robots behind them.
"That doesn't impress me!" laughed Tentakill as they stared it down once more, "Because I don't think you're ready for this jelly!"
The attack was instant, forks of lighting erupting from its hands as the Rangers dived from harm. The bolts sliced the air, exploding on impact with the ground as the power weapons flashed to their hands.
"You call that a sting?" Kyle yelled. "Try this!" His pistols boomed as twin shots flashed from the barrels, the jellyfish barely turning in the taunt's direction as the lasers seared across its face.
"My eyes!" it screamed. "My eyes!"
The hands shot to its head as the monster began flailing in all directions. Sparks began kicking off the tentacles, small at first but ever growing in intensity. Then a bolt shot off, soaring wide and wild as it as others quickly followed. Soon the air was filled with a torrent of electricity, bolts surging in random directions.
"Guys, get behind me!" Ray ordered, "Battleizer, Engage!"
The armor flashed in place, empowering the Red Ranger as the others rushed behind. The power shield kicked up just in time, a stray fork sheering across the yellow dome and ricocheting to the sky.
"Mommy!"
Johnny's head snapped around.
Huddled on the ground and screaming with her hands over her head was a small five-year-old girl, screaming with a small stuffed rabbit laying helplessly beside her. She was frozen in place among the swirling chaos, near fetal, and completely exposed.
BANG!
Johnny's eyes widened as a stray bolt of lightning smashed into the building above her. Debris shattered in all directions before hurtling to the ground, right above the child.
Johnny didn't even think, just moved.
He bounded from the shield, rocketing as fast as his suit would let him, arms outstretched and desperate to catch. He made it, scooping up the girl and pulling her close to his chest as his Modem Pistol whipped from its holster. Holding her close, he fired, blasting the rubble to smithereens as he shielded her from the ensuing dusty rain of pebbles.
With the girl safe, Johnny kneeled to the ground and carefully placed her down. She looked at him in awe, mouth agape as he reached down for the toy bunny and handed it to her.
"Thank you, Mr. Black Ranger, sir," she said, pulling the toy so close to squished on each side of her arm.
"My baby!"
Johnny snapped up as he saw a woman running towards them, eyes filled with tears and burying the child in her embrace.
"Thank you!" she sobbed as at last, she looked up at him. "Thank you, thank you!"
"Not a problem, mam'" Johnny replied. "Just make sure you get her to safety." Then he looked back down at the child that was now clutching her mother's hand. "Can you take care of Mommy while I take care of the scary monster?"
The little girl nodded as Johnny heard a crackling behind him. Without a second thought, a snapped the blaster into blade mode and swung, hitting the stray bolt hurling towards them and smashing up into the sky.
"Go," he said without looking back.
Then he leaped back to action. Ahead, the Rangers had re-engaged with Tentakill, now desperate to contain its flaying lighting.
"Better take this bad boy out before he does any more damage," he suggested.
"Good idea," Hilary agreed.
"Then, let's put it together!" Johnny ordered.
Power Weapons moving, each Ranger shifted into position as they each placed their piece of the cannon. Beside them, Ray braced himself for launch.
"Jet Packs activate!"
He took the sky with the familiar trail of exhaust while below the others locked in on their target.
"Data Blaster! Security Mode!"
"Fire!" Johnny ordered.
"Power Cannons!" Ray declared above as the weapons formed on his wrists. "Fire!"
The blasters boomed, energy flashing from the barrels that soared towards Tentakill and converged. The attacks collided, crescendoing in a massive explosion that completely consumed the monster. The shock wave sliced through flames as Ray landed and the other Rangers raised the cannon to observe their impact. As the smoke cleared, all that remained of Tenakill was a million, smoking pieces.
"All right!" Ben cheered.
"Great going, Johnny," congratulated Kyle.
The Black Ranger smiled as he looked back. He could just make out the little girl and her mother in the distance, huddling in the safety of the crowd.
"Thanks," he smiled, "but it's not over yet."
As if waiting for his word, the green light seared upon the remains, drawing them back together before engorging their size.
"If that first sting didn't make you shy," they roared, "then let's give the second a try!"
The Rangers dived from harm as a giant tentacle slapped against the asphalt, all holding their Morphers as they snapped to their feet.
"Zord Powers! Digitize!"
Technicolored light burst from the screens, scrambled data shooting out and materializing into the giant mechanical animals. Wasting no time, they vaulted into the air, entering the cockpits and immediately initiating the combining sequence. Johnny's chair slid backward, snapping into the elevator before spinning around to his place in the cockpit. As the lights of the console lit up before him, his teammate assumed positions, ready to fight.
"Server Patrol Megazord! Online!"
"Firewall Megazord! Online!"
"Oooh, fancy!" sneered Tentakill, "Hope they don't' overload!"
Lightning burst from their hands, lancing the chests of the mechs and sending it surging through the machiner. In the cockpit, Johnny braced himself against the controls, almost thrown from his seat while shielding his eyes as the switches burst into a shower of sparks.
"Ray," Johnny suggested. "Time to go defense."
"Good idea, Eagle Wing Shield!"
The green wings of Jake's Zord snapped from the back as it swung onto the arm. The Megazord braced, slamming the shield between itself and searing lightning, splitting the bolts as they jolted in all directions.
Beside them, the Firewall rumbled up behind them.
"Ray, we're getting cooked out here," Kyle warned.
Ray nodded turning to the rest of his team.
"Hilary, damage report."
"Most of our circuits are overloaded but nothing's down," she replied.
"Think we could hold out on another hit like that?" Ben asked.
Hilary paused as she punched at the controls. "We could take one, but only if it keeps splitting its fire. We can't handle a full-on blast."
"I'm sitting on about the same," Kyle confirmed. "The Firewall just can't absorb that much power."
"What if we don't absorb it?" Johnny realized.
The other Rangers turned to him for a moment, before Ray caught on to what Johnny was describing.
"Hilary," he decided. "Think you can help Kyle with a Power Reroute?"
"On my way!"
The Yellow Ranger's chair snapped toward the elevator, shooting into the shaft before disappearing behind the hissing doors. On the viewscreen, Johnny watched as she leaped between the Megazords and entered the second cockpit.
"All right, guys," Ray told the others. "Let's see if we can take that hit!'
The Server Patrol charged forward, shield raised and bracing for impact.
"You're back for more?" the jellyfish laughed. "Shocking!"
They unleashed another barrage, electricity arcing out and slamming the two machines. The Firewall stumbled back, locked in place by surging energy as Server Patrol skidded in its hold. Then, with the shield bearing the brunt of the attack, the main Megazord began pushing back with all its power.
"Keep going!" Ray commanded as Johnny refocused his efforts on keeping his section running. The elephant was the chest, the central piece holding the Megazord together. If it went down, the whole team was toast. He snapped at the controls, rerouting the overload to non-essential systems as another console burst into a searing, sparkling shower.
"Shield resistance at forty percent!" Jake warned.
"Keep going!" Ray commanded.
The Megazord pushed closer to the monster, pressing harder and harder, like fighting a river's current as the torrent of lightning grew stronger with every step.
"Twenty percent!" Jake warned.
Johnny could see Jake's screen, the levels depleting as more and more systems were flashing red. His own weren't fare any better.
But they were nearly there. At last, they were in range.
"Ten percent!" Jake cried.
"Now!' Ray roared. "Terabyte Saber!'
The mighty sword flashed into the Megazord's hand as the machine swung around to bring the weapon crashing into Tentakill. The jellyfish screamed as the sword sliced through the gangly limbs and stepped to clear the way. Right where they wanted them.
"Ready, Hilary?" Ben asked through coms.
"Megazord power at four hundred percent capacity!"
As the Server Patrol leaped aside, Tentakill spun to witness the ignored Firewall. There it stood, cracked, and smoking with sparks skittering off its surface. But it was still standing, and now the barrels mounted on its wrists were glowing with burning intensity.
"Well, how about that?" Kyle laughed in reply. "Bison Blasters! Fire!"
Twin columns of searing light erupted from the guns, the air ripping away as the barrage rocketed right for the monster. The monster that now had nowhere to run.
"No, I fell right for it!" Tentakill screamed. "I'm such a sucker!"
The light was all-consuming, tearing apart the virus' form, shredding at its sides as it reduced the shape to a blackened husk. Then, as the light from the blasters finally dissipated, Tentakill flailed and crumbled to the ground, exploding into a mighty ball of flame that vanquished its remains.
The Server Patrol stumbled back to the Firewall, both machines battered and beaten, but triumphant.
"Now that's one shocking end," Ray announced with a laugh. "Ready to call it a day, guys?"
"Just one sec," said Johnny, with a smile. "I just need to collect something first..."
When Johnny entered the Shak the next day, he saw the team gathered at the usual table. Unable to hide his grin, he sauntered as they saw him and slapped the morning paper down in front of them.
"Breaking news," he said proudly. "I made the front page."
They huddled around, staring at the story. Splashed atop the page in bold were the words RUNNING IN THE BLACK. Beneath was a black and white photo of a morphed Johnny, the young girl clutched to his chest, blaster firing in the air at the shattering rubble.
"BlackRangerrisksalltosaveInnocentGirl," said Hilary, reading the subtitle between the headline and the article, before looking up at him proudly. "I like it."
"Dude, you're a town hero now," applauded Jake, before pausing and realizing what he'd just said., "Well… more than you already were, anyway."
"That's not even the best part," Johnny explained. "Check out the caption beneath the photo."
"PhotographbyJonathanFord." Ray read, before adding, "Jonathan? You hate being called that."
Johnny chuckled as he nodded in agreement. "I think it was Hank's payback for running off when he told me not to."
"Yeah, how'd you even manage to get that pictures?" asked Ben
"Hank lent me his camera and showed me how to set the timer. With the help of a little super-speed, I was able to place it just before I met up with you guys."
"Well then, it looks like we've got ourselves a friendly neighborhood 'Peter Parker'," Kyle congratulated.
"It definitely caught your good side," Hilary mused as she began reading the article more closely. "Nice shot."
Lapping up the agreement, Johnny paused as his mind wandered back to the conversation he'd had with Hank the previous day. Of another photo he'd seen, this one of far lower quality.
"Speaking of photos," he told them, leaning in and growing more serious. "There's something else I found out yesterday. Kelgar's been taking a little vacation. Someone spotted him Reefside…"
Above the city in Gideon's airship, doors to the main chamber hissed open, and Kelgar gleefully marched inside.
"I got them," he laughed. "Both of them! Right where we thought they'd be!"
Mileena barely turned her head as she raised in amusement at her comrade's elation.
"Really?" she asked. "They were just lying around?"
"Well, it took a bit of digging around the quarry," he admitted. "And I needed some Byte-Bots to break into the police locker. But what matters is they now are in our hands."
With a twirl and a flourish, he turned to Gideon's throne and placed down a pair of weapons. One was a large black axe, its curve grand and sinister; the other was a blade, arched with jagged edges like the nose of a swordfish.
With the evidence before her, Mileena's eyes widened as she shot a look up at her master. Their plan, their scheme. They might actually pull it off.
"So we can now add the DNA of Zeltrax and Vexacus to our collection?" she realized.
"Exactly," Kelgar confirmed. "We just need two more samples and then we'll have more than enough to wipe out the Rangers!"
From his throne, Gideon stared at the pair of weapons and smiled, lips stretching from ear to ear and casting a dark shadow across his brow. "Excellent work, Kelgar," he said, fingers pressed together in contemplation. "The upgrades on the equipment are proceeding as planned. Soon, nothing will be able to stand against our might."
"But Master," Mileena pointed out, "Your plan was for five, and we don't know where to get the remaining two."
"On the contrary Mileena," replied Gideon, eyes flashing as he stared greedily out toward the horizon. "I know exactly where our final pieces are held. In fact, both of them are in the same place. Kelgar, I need you to make one last trip for me, to a little city called Angel Grove…"
NEXT TIME:
Tensions rise as Ray's growing friendship with Johnny makes Ben feel left out. And as Mileena's monster attacks grow more and more daring, the team begins struggling with unity at a time when they need it most. Will the two be able to find a way to mend their friendship? Could this division create an even bigger rift in the team, spelling certain doom for our heroes? And what designs does Gideon have for Kelgar in Angel Grove?
Find out Next Time on:
POWER RANGERS
DATA SQUAD
A Friend in Need
A/N: Power Rangers- Data Squad updates on Tuesdays and Thursdays. If you like what you read, you can always drop a comment to let me know, and don't forget to subscribe/ follow to find out the second I update. Power Rangers: Data Squad is a fan-made team of Rangers, and not explicitly based on any other existing Rangers or Sentai property. Until next time, may the Power Protect You.
