All ten Rangers stood together, side by side in their fresh cockpit with their hands hovering around the single stick control each. The control room glowed with a golden hue, shining off the wall as the Lights of Orion imbued themselves within the machine. Having seen it all unfold, Furio stumbled back, gasping.
"Guys," Doc warned. "These readings are off the chart. I don't know how long your Zords can handle it!"
Damon released a painful gasp and sank to his knees as if to agree. Kyle shot to his side, helping Galaxy Green to his feet. "I'm okay," he insisted. "I can feel the Lights, they're struggling too."
"Then we better make this quick," Ray agreed. "Ready guys?"
"Ready!"
The power was only growing inside, swelling from the controls into their bodies. He could feel every twitch, every flicker, connecting him and his team to the machine. The weapons on the arms, both the cannons of the Bison and the blade of the Tail Spinner, shone brightly and ready to blow. Furio had no idea what was coming.
"GRID…FORCE…" they cried together, "BLAST!"
Like a tsunami, the wave burst from the weapons, a shining eruption of multi-colored light. The curtain of energy surged forward, branching wide and leaving neither target anywhere to run. The whole Megazord was shaking, golden light growing to be almost blinding. Inside, Ray could feel the drain, the power flowing from his body to keep the machine going. His legs were shaking, and his body growing weaker. But if they let up now, they would only be more exposed.
Now it was all or nothing.
"Guys!" Doc cried out. "Dial it back! That thing is barely holding on!"
"Almost… there!" Ray roared, forcing the assault to continue. There was no objection from the team, all thrusting their hands on the controls to lend their power to strike.
Furio dived aside, grabbing the Brass Bull and hurling it in front. Just in time. The wave hit, enveloping the two monsters with all the power of the grid. The sides converged, snapping shut to trap the two as the technicolor column seared into the sky. Then, as the light finally faded, both targets exploded.
The Brass Bull vanished completely, the ensuing fireball blasting it apart, destroying every fiber of its being. But the smoke cleared, and the flames subsided, Furio stood there still. His face was twisted, staring at the shining Megazord with seething hatred. He was hunched, hand snapped to his side, tending to his wound.
"Guys, these readings are only getting higher," Doc warned. "It's going to blow any second! You need to eject, now!"
But Ray's eyes narrowed as he stared at Furio across the city. He knew what was coming next, both were sizing the other up, seeing who would retreat first; who would seize the ground.
"Ray!"
But just as Doc's plea hit the coms, Furio howled.
"This isn't over Rangers!" he yelled, raising his sword in defiance.
Then he vanished in a flash of emerald light.
Good, one problem dealt with, now to eject before-
The Megazord exploded.
The form burst apart, Zords soaring in all directions and tossing all ten Rangers into the sky. Free of the cockpit, the Rangers tumbled in the air, plummeting to the ground as they watched their machines vanish in flashes of light.
They hit the ground, rolling along the grass of the park, as they watched the smoke haze over the city. Then above them, they heard the roar of an engine. The Shadow Winger and the Galactabeast had made it out and were now flying back toward the upper atmosphere.
"They going to be all right?" Ray asked Wes as helped the Time Force Ranger to his feet.
"Shadow Winger's returning to the future," he confirmed. "It'll get the repairs it needs."
"And the Condor just needs a rest," Damon added. "She'll be back to full in no time."
Ray nodded before returning his attention to the team. All had climbed to their feet, still in Morph.
"Everyone okay?" he asked.
"I'm going, to be honest," Ziggy replied. "I'll be very happy to never do that again."
"I'm with you," Danny agreed. "Too much for my liking."
It was only then that Damon sunk to his knees with a howl. His hand clutched to his chest, Ranger suit flicking on and off his body.
"Damon!" Ray cried as he dived to the veteran's side.
"Doc!" Hilary called into the Morpher. "What's happening to him?"
"The Lights of Orion are connected to his Ranger powers, through his Quasar Sabre," Doc confirmed. "But it's also connected to his life force! Damon, de-morph now!"
One step ahead, Damon flashed off the suit and collapsed, face staring at the sky. For a moment, a lay still, eyes closed and body not moving.
"Damon!" Ray cried at his side, "Damon!"
This was his fault. He'd pushed the Megazord beyond its limits, ignored the warning, and put Damon's in danger. He had to be okay, he had to!
Then the Ranger's eyes snapped open, mouth widening as he gasped for air and sat up.
"Okay," he panted. "That was too close!"
Ray's whole body released its tension, his joints shaking within the Ranger suit. He was okay.
"What's happening?" Doc demanded. "I'm still not reading him on my end!"
"It's okay, Doc," Ben said into the come. "Everything's A-Okay."
"Don't be so sure!"
The verbal warning had barely sounded as twin blue beams of lightning split the sky. The bolts cracked against the ground, exploding into balls of flame that sent the Rangers flying. Scattered across the lawn, the Rangers struggled to their feet and turned to face their attacker.
Vexacus.
"Look at you all," he chuckled. "So desperate for a victory that you can barely stand. Tell me, which of you will be the first to join your friend over there?"
The others hobbled over, forming a loose formation in defense. But that fight had taken way too much from them, and now they were weakened and exposed.
"Kyle," Ray decided, "grab the ATV and get Damon out of here."
"But Ray-"
"Go! We'll cover you!"
Kyle hissed through his helmet before slowly nodding in relent. As the Rangers formed up, he whipped out his Morpher, the four-wheeled bike materializing in front of him.
"Going somewhere?" Vexcus laughed, leveling his sword at the vehicle as Kyle helped Damon onto the back.
Ray nodded to the other seven as they readied for a fight, waiting for their moment. Then came the screeching of tires, lights flashing in the distance. All heads turned as a large, open-topped jeep braked hard and skidded to a stop. The vehicle had barely halted as Joel and Sky leaped from the front seats to stand defiantly in front of the alien bounty hunter.
Reinforcements
"More suckers for punishment, eh?" Vexacus snarled. "If you insist!"
More lightning seared from his hand, blasting towards two men as both leaped into the air with the morphers ready.
"Lightspeed Rescue!"
"SPD! Emergency!"
The blast exploded behind them as the duo somersaulted into the light, suits of green and blue conforming to their bodies as they hit the ground and continued charging. As Vexacus swung his sword, blocking the Rescue Baton and Delta-Max Striker from impacting, Ray's head snapped to Kyle.
"GO!"
Not a request, an order. Kyle nodded and hit the throttle, wheels churning the grass it took off and the Rangers lunged to engage the warrior.
Vexacus spun and whirled, footwork weaving between them as their numbers forced him on defense. Every strike, he parried, dodging their blows as made no attempt to hit them back. It was only then that Ray realized what was happening. Vexacus hadn't cared one bit about the fleeing Kyle, only about drawing the weakened Rangers in deeper. He wasn't hitting back, because he was waiting.
The shark-headed warrior flipped into the air soaring away from the group as he landed on the park's stairs.
"You brought some friends," he laughed. "I guess it's only fair I do the same!"
Byte-Bots. Brilliant.
"Brace yourselves guys," Ray warned as the others huddled around him.
But Vexacus appeared to have no interest in Byte-Bots; he wanted a show.
"You've been absolute champs with our reunion tour!" he declared. "So, ladies and gentlemen, as the closing act, give a warm welcome to the final member of our company!"
Ray's eyes widened as he realized what Vexacus was saying, heart, seizing as he realized what he meant. It was more than just Byte-Bots coming to his aid.
"For the first time in public, since his unexpected 'retirement' in 1998," Vexacus announced. "I present to you: Ecliptor!"
The resulting flash was blinding, an enveloping blaze of emerald as Vexacus' ally appeared. His was concealed from head to foot in black armor, covered in bright green grid lines. The sword in his hand matched the plating, held in a tight grip that itched for an entanglement. He stared at the Rangers with glowing red eyes, burning with hatred.
"Rangers," Ecliptor snarled, his voice dark and husky. "It's time to end you for good."
"Well, just see about that," Ray retorted. He stood strong, desperate to sound ready, but inside he felt far from it. His limbs were shaking, legs barely holding him up. Almost the entire team was running on fumes, and only two were completely fresh. But Ray had no doubt that Ecliptor and Vexacus had a fresh team of Byte-Bots ready to cut off their escape. Bravado was the only tool they had left.
"If we attack as groups," suggested Wes, "then we might be able to keep them separate and use our numbers to our advantage."
"Good idea," Ray agreed, "Data Rangers, you're with me, we're going to take on Ecliptor, and the rest of you are on Vexacus."
"Data Squad Red, sir," Sky interjected. "Are you sure that's a good idea? If we coordinate our attacks on the pair of them, we might be able to destroy them for good."
Ray paused; he wasn't wrong. If they hit them with a giant strike they could amass the power they needed to take them down. But coordinating all ten, five whom he'd never fought with, could well be too difficult in the heat of the moment.
"We split." He decided. "We haven't got enough time to properly coordinate a plan like that."
Back on the hill, the two warriors looked down upon the Rangers with almost lazy anticipation.
"Well, Rangers," Ecliptor taunted. "We're waiting."
Not to keep them waiting, the Rangers charged.
Jake went straight on the offense, swinging his attack so quickly that Ecliptor barely had a chance to duck. But Ecliptor didn't need to, cracking his wrist into the axe's haft to knock back the blow, seizing the moment of unbalance to strike at Jake's legs. The Green Ranger dropped, desperately rolling as the giant sword dropped down. The weapon was embedded in the earth, plunging deep as Ben took the chance for an aerial attack.
He held the hammer high, hoping to force the warrior to choose between his weapon and safety. Ecliptor merely waved his hand before his face before pointing at the soaring Blue Ranger, unleashing a torrent of lasers from his eyes that blasted him from the sky.
"Two down," Ecliptor laughed.
"No one beats on my brother but me!" Hilary snarled; her sais held low as she closed in for the strike.
"By all means," the warrior replied. "Make me pay."
The other team wasn't faring any better. Wes, Danny, and Joel lunged in first for a coordinated strike. But while they were familiar with each other, none of them knew Vexacus, and he more than saw them coming. He vaulted upwards as the weapons came down, blasting lightning at the ground as they landed. The explosion rocked the backward, scattering them across the park as he lunged in to isolate them.
Starting with Wes.
"Experience tells me to start with Red," he chuckled.
"Oh no, you don't!"
Sky flipped into action, Deltamax Striker catching the weapon before pushing him back.
"Brave little Blue," said the bounty hunter. "Shame guile won't be enough."
"More than enough to handle you!" Sky growled back.
Then Vexacus stepped back, arms held aside in invitation. "Then by all means."
Sky took the bait, lunging at the warrior as behind him Wes cried out, "No! Wait!"
But Sky was too blinded, tunnel vision too fixed on his opponent to see the trap. Too focused to see the other Ranger already closing in for the sneak attack.
The supposed sneak attack.
Ziggy lunged, axe held back for a mighty swing as Sky closed in from the front to do the same. All Vexacus had to do was step back. The giant Turbo Axe slashed across Sky's body, sparks flying as the blue Ranger was hurled backward.
"NO!" Ziggy cried. "I mean, I'm sorry!"
But Vexacus was already on him, spinning the flailing Ranger around to slash across the chest. The blow sent him flying, tumbling along the ground as the others huddled around.
Then Vexacus closed in for the finish.
As the team tangled with the bounty hunter, Hilary had set her focus on defending her brother. She held her sais wide, body low as she rushed in to go on the offense. His guard was down, a proudly provided opening, but Hilary saw through the ploy.
She flung her sai, sharp point spinning to the defense gap. His feet shifted, sword battering the weapon aside as Hilary lunged, flipping over him and hurling the other. As Ecliptor turned and parried, Hilary landed with Modem Blade in hand. She struck in, sword flashing as she aimed for the break she'd created; but still not fast enough.
He caught the sword on his wrist, metal on metal as he punched the blade away and re-shifted. The blow was strong, throwing Hilary's balance as he brought his blade across her chest. She cried out as it seared against her suit, tumbling her to the ground as Ray and Johnny made it in.
But by then they were too late, and Ecliptor way too fast.
Johnny swung in first, staff haft striking wide, but the warrior snapped up his hand and caught it mid-blow. He pulled it around, swinging Johnny with it before yanking inwards and cracking the end into Ray. Then he stepped past, catching both Rangers in the blow and batting them back into a barely recovered Ben and Jake. As the five Data Rangers groaned on the ground, suits vanishing from their bodies, Ray desperately looked to the veterans for hope.
He found none.
Vexacus was well and truly between them, knocking them to the ground as they tried to stand. Every time he placed himself between two, always providing new targets as he wove past their strikes. No coordination; no teamwork. All that was left was desperation.
"Well, it's been fun," Vexacus laughed. "But time to finish things."
He unleashed a blast of energy from his palm as the gathered and battered Rangers. They dived, but not in time, the force of the explosion caught them mid-air and cast them aside like ragdolls. The five landed by their teen allies, their own suits de-morphing as they hit the ground.
The Data Squad Rangers hobbled over; their hands pressed to their sides to ease the pain from the bruises. Steadily, they helped the veterans to their feet as their enemies looked down upon them.
"Anyone got any good plans?" Ray asked, "I'm taking any suggestions."
"I thought that would be your department." Sky snarled. "Some Red Ranger."
"This is the best that the mighty Power Rangers can do?" Laughed Ecliptor. "Standards really have slipped since my day."
"It's a shame we can't savor this moment for a little longer." Agreed Vexacus. "But all good things come to an end."
The duo laughed, raising to press their swords together as energy began to spark from the metal. The air filled with crackling, like a thousand mosquitos hurling themselves at the zapper, as more and more lightning coalesced around them. From where they stood, battered and unmorphed, the Rangers were sitting ducks and all ten of them braced themselves for the end.
Then a laser bolt cut through, slamming where the blades met and knocking the two warriors backward. The lightning burst into the sky, Vexacus and Ecliptor flailing in shock as the Ranger's heads whipped around to see the original veteran team running towards them.
The six fresh Rangers flipped into action, landing before their felled comrades and glaring at the warriors.
"Didn't your mommy ever tell you to play nice?" taunted Tommy as he pointed Saba at them.
"What's the matter Ecliptor?" called Carlos. "Didn't learn your lesson the first time?"
As both enemies scowled, Justin shot a look back to the others.
"Don't worry guys, the rest are on their way!"
"So how about it, boys?" Kimberly called to them, leveling her Power Bow directly at them. "Still got some gas in the tank?"
The two shared a look as six defiantly stared them down. Standing behind them, Ray, at last, caught more than a fleeting look at their enemies. For all their fast foot and hard strikes, both had taken some hits, battered nicks scattered across their armor.
They'd taken on ten Rangers, but would their luck repeat with another twelve? Evidently, the answer was no.
"Consider yourselves lucky this time," Ecliptor snarled. "The next you find us far less merciful."
They snapped their hands, vanishing as the emerald light consumed them. The veterans waited for the coast to be clear, ensuring it wasn't a ploy from Gideon to lull their security, before turning to their comrades and powering down themselves.
"We came as quick as we heard," Tommy explained as his white suit flashed away. "Are you guys all right?"
"Thanks to you," Ray admitted. "We'd have been toast."
Sky shot Ray a withering look.
"We were toast because you didn't formulate a proper strategy!" he sneered, pushing past the others to get in Ray's face. "I told you that we need to attack together if we were going to stand a chance!"
Ray didn't budge, he didn't even blink. Instead, he met the future Ranger's gaze with a clenching jaw. "Yeah, because your teamwork back there was stellar," he retorted. "So eager to prove yourself that you charged right into a trap. Wes even gave a warning that you completely ignored."
"We've known you guys all of two hours," Johnny butted in. "How was he meant to make an attack plan without knowing the slightest thing about how any of you fight?"
"A real leader would have known about previous Rangers' strengths and weaknesses," Sky insisted. "You would have known that Wes has fought with Danny and Joel, you could have turned to him. Ziggy and I would be the only ones whom you would know nothing about!"
"Now, wait just a second there," Ziggy butted in. "Ray and I actually go way back, fighting side by side to take down Tenaya so, you know he's got a good idea of how much a punch I wallop…"
He trailed off as a saw the narrowed looks he was receiving from the Data Squad.
"Right," he winced. "Not helping."
"He should have ordered a tactical retreat," Sky pushed. "You already lost one Ranger after that stunt with the Megazord, and none of you were in great shape to fight. A real leader wouldn't have put his team in danger like that."
That last one stung. Ben shot his arm out to hold back Johnny, while beside him Hilary also looked ready to pounce. But Ray felt his fist unclench, a sinking taking over as Sky's words him deep. Because he was right.
Doc had warned him about combining the Zords like that, but Ray had pushed on. He could've waited for reinforcements, and looked for a defensive option while coming up with another plan. But instead, he'd badly injured one team member and left the rest grossly exposed. Because he didn't just want to defend the city; he wanted to win.
"Guys," said Tommy softly, putting himself between two. "This isn't the place for this. And it's what Gideon wants. We need to get back to the warehouse and figure out what's going on. If Gideon is pulling attacks like this, then we all need to be ready."
Wise words from a better leader.
The others nodded to Tommy's words and followed, not even looking at Ray as they slowly made their way to the various vehicles.
"I hope you have a better plan for getting out of this, Red Ranger," Sky said snidely, "Because from what I'm seeing, I'm not feeling hopeful"
All Ray could do was look at his feet, feeling his stomach sink deeper and deeper as he shuffled to the car. Sitting in the back, all other sounds around were muffled, drowned by the spinning in his head as he realized exactly what they'd just gone up against.
Ecliptor and Vexacus had flattened two teams of Rangers, right after Furio had trashed the Zords. He didn't even want to think of what could have happened if Goldar and Zeltrax had shown up as well.
The mixed teams were too different, unable to coordinate, and with their numbers stretched, Ray knew it would only get worse. With so many Rangers, all with different styles and power sets, coming up with a combined strategy was all but impossible.
But they had to, he had to, or else it would be lights out for good. As the black jeep drove through the city and pulled into the warehouse, Ray had no idea how they were ever going to pull it off.
To be Concluded…
NEXT TIME: Reeling from their defeat, the divisions between the Rangers are only growing. And after an ambush from Mileena, Ray's confidence in guiding the full force only dwindles further. Meanwhile, Gideon readies his warriors and army for a full-scale invasion of Cranston City, feeling his victory draw near. Will the collective Rangers find a way to coordinate their efforts? Can Ray pull together such different personalities from across the generations? Or will this truly be the end of the Power Rangers, once and for all?
Find out next time on:
POWER RANGERS
DATA SQUAD
Ranger Wars- Part IV: Always a Ranger
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.
