Episode 28:

Crash the Mainframe- Part I

Doc stared at the screen, eyes flicking through the data sets rolling before him. Every line, fresh intel that both excited and frightened him. It was illuminating, and it was overwhelming. And yet still it was nothing compared to the jolt that flickered through his veins as he reminded himself of what all of it was for. Of what they were about to do. He clicked across, reducing the feed as he dared another look at the grainy image of a cube-like structure floating between the clouds.

Gideon's Fortress.

"And you're sure these are accurate?" he asked.

Freeman nodded. "As of thirty minutes ago. I've got a bird keeping a safe distance while tracking the trajectory."

Doc inhaled sharply, daring to allow himself a glimmer of hope. An exact location, tracked in real-time. But that very same information led to another obvious question, one with an unlikely happy answer.

"You've got the target, why haven't you engaged?" Doc asked.

"Too risky," Freeman admitted. "We've got no idea what kind of firepower that thing is packing. I send in a squadron unprepared, that thing could blow them out of the sky. We'd lose any element of surprise if we even have it at all."

"You think Gideon knows you've got eyes on him?"

"I'm not ruling it out," he said. "The bird's cloaked, but he knows you've got military backing now. He might not know the plane's exact location, but he probably expects we're looking for him."

"Which means he'll expect a fight."

Again, Freeman nodded in grim admission; that's where Doc's team came in.

He just had to hope his adjustments to the Digitizer were going to cut it. Maybe he should have run the calculations past Hilary; at the very least a second set of eyes might ease his nerves a bit. But deep down he knew it wouldn't help; the calculations could be perfect, the device used without a hitch, and it still wouldn't shift the true source of his anxiety.

"If we do this," said Doc, "there's no turning back. We're all in, and if it goes wrong, we're defenseless."

"I know," Freeman admitted. "But we're running out of options. Gideon might be trying to conserve his power supply, but that also means he's getting desperate. From everything you've told me, his strategy until now has been conquest. Preserve the city for his eventual dominance. But he decides to go all scorched earth, I don't know how long we could last."

Doc gulped down the sinking feeling growing in his stomach. He'd told the Rangers to be ready, that they were gearing up for a big operation on Gideon. He just had to hope they were truly prepared for what was coming.

He was ready.

Or at least as ready as he'd ever be.

He'd thought it through, his mind running through every possibility, from perfect success to absolute catastrophe. He'd thought through every approach, the angles of maximum and safe retreat, running them over and over until he thought he'd go mad. Then, at last, he settled on a plan.

And now, ready or not, the time had come.

All morning Ray had stared at the piece of paper, words spinning in his mind as he agonized over each and every letter. Trying to find the balance between sincerity and confidence, bearing his feelings without being overwhelming.

But he had to do it, he owed himself to try. It was just as Jake had said, all he'd be left with otherwise was the wondering of what could be. And he'd spent long enough stewing in that to know it was a terrible option. He'd tried ignoring his feelings, insisting they were nothing. He'd tried telling himself that they were better off just as friends, that what he wanted wasn't worth the risk to their friendship. That he'd rather things stay as they were than lose her for good.

But if holding his feelings at bay meant keeping her at arms-length, then he was going to lose her all the same. Ever since that night on his roof, when they'd sat together in blissful serenity before the glow of the city below, he'd no longer been able to deny it. There was something there, something between them. That night he'd chosen to back away, frightened that what he'd wanted for so long could be real—scared that the reality wouldn't match the dream.

But he couldn't stay away either, and every time he saw her he wondered what could be. If anything the last few weeks had only shown him the truth. As he'd sat on the bank of the river, reflecting with the team on how much they'd changed, at last, he'd realized how close they'd grown. Of what had always been there.

He hoped.

Maybe it had been the prospect of losing their Morphers for good; maybe it was the looming mission that Doc had warned them ominously over the coms that morning. But he could no longer deny himself the truth, no longer pretend or hide behind the hope that being friends was enough while there was a possibility for something more.

He needed an answer, even if it wasn't the one he wanted.

Hilary deserved the chance to tell him no, rather than him treating it as a given.

Eventually, he'd been forced to concede that the perfect work would never be done, that his words would always be shy and awkward no matter how often he rewrote them, and that time was rapidly becoming his enemy. Steeling himself, he'd signed off on the note, found the excuse for an early leave for class, and slipped the invitation into her locker before the halls flooded with students.

From then on, all he could do was wait.

Standing by the corner, hoping desperately to go unnoticed or at least seem nonchalant, he stared at the lonely locker, seconds dragging into minutes of anxious anticipation for Hilary's arrival.

The peanut gallery was far from helpful.

"So, Romeo," Ben chuckled as he saddled up beside him. "What's the plan of action?"

Ray ignored him, turning just enough to appear in conversation should anyone notice him but otherwise refusing to engage.

"All right, keep your secrets," Ben continued. "But seriously you need a game plan because otherwise, you might just find yourself without a prom date."

"You're one to talk," Johnny noted, arriving behind them with Jake and joining in the eager watching. "At this rate, both of you guys will be flying solo on Prom Night."

"Well, Jake might be spoken for," Ben retorted. "But I don't exactly see the dates lining by your locker."

But rather than be miffed, Johnny just gave a cheeky, innocent smile. "Well, actually…"

Way to go Johnny. Of course, it could also have just been his way of messing with Ben.

"Really? You got a date?" Ray asked, already grinning but wanting to be sure. But the Black Ranger was sincere.

"Yeah," he confirmed. "You know Sadie Reilly? We've been lab partners in Bio all year, bonded over a mutual dislike of frog dissections. We're just going as friends."

"That's awesome man," Ray grinned, leaning back to return his attention to the locker at the end of the hall. Johnny had a date, and Jake was spoken for. It was just down to him and Ben, or in a week, they'd both be going alone. Clearly Ben had come to the same conclusion, slowly blinking as the full weight of reality dawned on him.

"Great," he groaned, "So now I don't have a date because I've been helping Casanova over here work up the nerve to ask my sister!"

"Wow…" said Jake, his tone both solemn and mocking. "When you put it that way, your life really does suck."

"Relax, man," said Ray. "I don't need your help on this. If you need to go strut your stuff and find a date, then do what you've got to do."

Ben raised an eyebrow.

"Really?" he asked suspiciously. "You don't need any help at all?"

They really were going to follow him to the end and watch it unfold before them. Ray was honestly shocked that they hadn't brought popcorn. Well, if they were going to be there, then they may as well be in on it.

"Nope, no help needed," Ray confirmed, his voice so confident he almost believed it. "I have a plan."

For all the times they'd turn to him for tactics in battle, Ray thought his friends should have been less surprised. Jake's jaw dropped, and Johnny raised an eyebrow while Ben blinked multiple times in quick succession. It made him wonder what they were actually coming to watch, his glorious triumph or a plane crash.

"You have a plan?" Ben asked.

"I do."

"And are you planning to share that plan with the class?"

But just as he was about to tell them, he caught sight of Hilary walking down the hall, moving towards her locker. His heart started beating faster; it was now or never.

"Well," he said nervously, shrinking further up against the corner in hopes she wouldn't see him. "I figured she wouldn't want to be put on the spot, and she likes a little air of mystery. So, I wrote a letter asking her whether or not she wanted to go to prom, and then I slipped it inside her locker."

All three of them suddenly sucked in their cheeks, refusing to exhale in a vain attempt to contain their laughter.

"That's your plan?" Johnny asked.

"Yeah," said Ray. "I thought it was pretty good."

"Oh, boy," Ben winced. "He's so cute."

"What?"

So much for their love and support.

"Well," said Ben, not even trying to put it delicately. "That has got to be one of the corniest ways you could ever ask someone. Ever. And you know how much Hilary hates clichés."

Oh no! That was a good point! But maybe she'd find it funny; so groan-worthy that it would be endearing? Like his jokes; everyone loved his jokes! Right?

"Also," Jake added, cautiously. "I overheard some guys on the team talking about asking her. Turns out the end of school is making a lot of them throw caution to the wind and act on crushes they've had since Middle School."

Ray's eyes widened. Just a few weeks ago Jake had been pursuing Josie with that same idea, and if anyone on the team had their eye on Hilary, now of all times would be their chance.

"And you're just telling me this now?" he hissed.

"I didn't think it mattered!" Jake replied, hands raised in innocent defense. "It's not like any of them had a chance. I figure you were still in the clear, at least until you told me your plan…"

Ray gulped down, heart sinking as he asked the question with a likely, dread-filled answer. "Why would my plan be a problem?"

"Well…" Jake explained delicately. "Let's just say that I don't think that you're the only person who had that idea."

All color drained from Ray's face as he slowly turned back to the locker, time seeming to slow as Hilary turned the dial to the final number.

"How many people did you say had that idea?"

"Well…"

A tidal wave of paper burst from within Hilary's locker, Ray's eyes bulging as a mass of scattered invites flooded into the corridor, watching as his daring hope drowned among the ocean of paper. Hilary just stood there, her eyes narrowing in dumbfounded frustration at the sheer volume of invites littered at her feet. Ray knew that look; a look usually reserved for Ben when he did something stupid.

"…a lot."

As Hilary exhaled an angry gasp and turned to the nearest trash can, Ray was already moving. By the time he reached her, she was kneeling, pushing the notes into a pile as Ray dropped down on one knee to help her.

"Stupid jocks," she grumbled. "They've been asking me all week. Good thing Jake gave me a heads up or I think I'd be going crazy."

Oh sure, so Jake at least gave some people a warning.

"So…" he asked, desperate to sound innocent and unaware. "It sounds like this isn't the first time they filled your locker, then?"

"Nope," she replied. "It's like they're pulling out every trope they've ever seen. One of them even tried going all 'Ten Things' when I was on the track yesterday."

Again, Ray tried not to react. He'd heard giggling about their quarterback putting on some musical display on the bleachers, but he had no idea it had been for Hilary.

"That really sucks," he said, but Hilary simply shrugged.

"I'm sure I'll laugh about it soon, but honestly, I don't know why they're bothering," she said. "If they're relying on some big spectacle to sweep off my feet, then they don't know me at all. And as for this…?"

She gestured to the pile of notes now crumbled in the trashcan.

"I don't why they'd think I'd go with anyone who didn't respect me enough to ask me to my face."

Yeah… yeah, that made sense.

As she said it, Ray scooped up the final collection of paper. Sitting on top was one that he recognized instantly; his own. It sat there, taunting him, daring him to pick it up and hand it to her directly. He could pass it off as a joke, that now that he was here, he was technically asking her directly. But as the thought crossed his mind, he felt his chest tighten, his hand refusing to move and pick it up.

The last she'd want to talk about right now was Prom.

"…Ray?"

He looked up, realizing she too was kneeling over the pile. She'd inched closer, crawling ever so slightly forward to collect the final batch, leaning her face closer to his. Her eyes stared into his, her soft, sparking blues wide and inviting.

Expecting.

Hoping…

Or was that just what he wanted to see?

Without a second thought, he swept his inviting letter and scrunched with the others. Then he tossed them into the trashcan.

"I hope the onslaught ends soon," he said to her.

Her smile was magical, warming as she beamed back at him and gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. He could've melted then and there, and nearly did; he could just stand there all day with her if she'd allow it.

If that was what she wanted.

"Hey," she giggled. "We're about to lunge into the lion's den. It can't be worse than that right?"

"No, no I guess it can't."

Having, at last, cleared the mess, she reached into the locker, pulled out the book she needed, and closed the locker door. "See you at lunch?"

"Yeah," Ray smiled. "I'll see you at lunch."

And then she turned and walked away, leaving Ray in a daze as he watched go. She was right, they were about to leap into the thick of it. Doc had explained the plan the previous day and had asked them to meet at the warehouse that afternoon to execute it. And somehow this was his most pressing concern.

"Well," said Johnny as the boys wandered over from their vantage point. "That didn't go too well."

"You were so close," Ben groaned. "So… close…"

"Don't worry, man," said Jake. "You'll get there. I know you will."

The words of encouragement lifted him a little but did nothing to make Ray feel any less lost.

"But…," Ben conceded, eyes wandering across the hall as some of the cheerleaders wandered past. "From now on, you're on your own."

As his best friend rushed off to get shot down, Ray sullenly wandered to class. All of sudden, facing every single Byte-Bot that Gideon had at his disposal seemed far less frightening by comparison.

Gideon stood before the screen, a full diagnostic of numbers rolling before him as Mileena strode into the room. He barely lifted his gaze from the screen as she snapped to attention, eager to present her report.

"Master," she said. "The last of the pods are being loaded, as you commanded."

"Good," Gideon said aloofly. "The one that I specifically requested; is it being overseen by personally Kelgar?"

Mileena held back a growl through gritted teeth. When he'd summoned their pair of them the day before, he'd ordered Kelgar's further company in private. All Mileena had been told was that there was one pod to be prepared by him and him alone. Her only instruction was to ensure he wasn't disturbed. A special assignment, one she wasn't worthy enough to be privy to.

"It is, my master," she said.

Gideon nodded but still refused to take his eyes off the displays. "Good. Is there anything else?"

"No, my master."

"Then go assist with the preparation of the remaining pods."

Mileena nodded but did not move, her feet instead rooted to the floor.

"Is there anything else, Mileena?" Gideon asked again.

"It's just…" she hesitated. In her uncertainty, she played a dangerous game, one that toed the line on insubordination. But she needed to know. "Master, forgive me, but why are we doing all of this?"

His brown narrowed, the first shift in his expression she'd seen in hours. Slowly he turned, rising to loom down on her and looking far from impressed. "Are you questioning your orders?"

"No, my lord, of course not," she said quickly. "I merely wish to understand. Please, tell me what scheme you're concocting, so I can better help you fulfill it."

"Help me?" Gideon scoffed. "Like how you helped secure the power station? Or how you helped destroy the Power Rangers when their numbers were reduced and vulnerable? I think you've helped quite enough Mileena."

It took all her effort to stifle the snarl, listening with dutiful restraint as her lord threw her failures in her face. He was the reason for her creation, for being. She'd devoted everything to him. To hear his abject disappointment was to cut deep into her soul, panging with a desperate need to absolve it.

"My master," she said sullenly, "I know that my successes against the Power Rangers have been disappointing, but surely there must be some use you still have for me. Something more than the menial labor that should be left to Byte-Bots?"

It was only then that Gideon turned, stony expression breaking into a smile. He tapped on the keys, the data on the screen flicking away to an image in the clouds. A large black jet hovered on the viewscreen.

"They've found us," Mileena gasped. "We must prepare!"

"We are," Gideon told her dryly. "The jet has wisely chosen to not engage, keeping its distance for observation."

"But surely we should shoot it down," Mileena insisted. "Blind their eyes and reposition."

"All that would do is alert them to our knowledge," Gideon replied. "Should we shoot it down, they would merely send another, armed now with the certainty that we know they're watching. Right now, they would at best be uncertain, but in doing so that tells us something."

"And what is that, my lord?"

"That they're planning something. It appears our fortunate days of the Rangers remaining defensive are over, and we must be ready."

The Rangers were acting? They'd already secured the Power Plant with the help of the military, and now they were being proactive? And all Gideon was having her do was load pods?

"Master," Mileena insisted. "Please, there must be something I can do."

"There is, Mileena," said Gideon. "Be ready. And when next the Rangers cross your path, stop at nothing to destroy them. And I mean nothing."

He needed her for this, he was relying on her. Whatever scheme her master was concocting, it relied on her tenacity; and her obedience. It relied on her unwavering resolve to see it through, no matter the cost. This, she would do.

Until the very end.

"Of course, my master," she bowed. "I will ensure those pods are loaded."

Then she swept from the viewing deck without another word. She would end the Rangers, prove her worth to Gideon, and show herself far more valuable than that sniveling Kelgar. She would vanquish their enemies and render them to dust.

Even if it was the last thing she ever did.

The first thing Ray noticed on arriving at the warehouse was how empty the area was. No trucks, jeeps, guards; nothing. He supposed he shouldn't have been surprised. Since the battle the previous week, most of the personnel had moved to the Power Plant to secure it, with Doc rationalizing that the firewall around the warehouse would keep the facility safe from Gideon.

With every step, he felt his heart beat faster. It just didn't seem real; what they were going to do, what they were planning. When Doc had first explained it, he'd have assumed that it was impossible, a move they never thought themselves daring enough to make. And yet here they were.

All week he'd thought of it, their plan feeling like a distant theory, a strange dream that drifted as an idea from the distance. But the day had finally come.

They were doing it.

With bated breath, Ray opened the door and stepped inside the warehouse. He'd have expected to see chaos, Doc madly punching at the computer, or deep in discussion with Freeman; Kyle checking equipment or making other preparations for the mission. But instead, there was no one. Only Hilary.

She sat at the desk, eyes focused intently on the screen as lines of code rolled in front of her. There was something about the way she sat, the quizzical expression on her face as she examined the intricate data that made Ray stop, simply stop, and stare.

She was so beautiful, all of her.

The way her eyes scrunched when she hit a problem she didn't expect, the way she looked off to the side, lips parting for the slightest of gasps as she thought of a solution before trying it. The tenacity with which she'd repeat that process, over and over, until she found an answer to her liking. And it felt like he could watch that on repeat all day without any other care in the world.

All he wanted was to have the honor of existing by her side as she did.

It was then that Ray's heart jolted as he realized they were alone. No lockers, no flooding tide of invitations, no friends in the peanut gallery offering 'helpful' advice and commentary. Just the two of them.

And once again, the prospect of what they were planning seemed far less daunting by comparison. His chest froze into shallow breaths, feet growing heavy as they rooted him to the floor. A fear seizing him that seemed far more overpowering than if he was facing an army of Byte-Bots alone.

But he knew if he didn't take the chance, he'd regret it. Breathing deeply, feeling the cool air attempt to calm as it filled and stuck to the walls of his lungs, he crossed the warehouse threshold and walked toward the desk.

Hearing his footsteps, Hilary looked up and gave him a smile that nearly melted him all over again.

"Hey," he said, "I didn't realize you were here already."

"Yeah," she admitted. "Doc wanted to me to check some calculations, and now that's done I'm just reviewing the logs."

"Looking for anything in particular?"

"More checking for any info that could identify us," Hilary conceded "We figured if the military is getting involved, then I should probably make sure that none of our identities are compromised."

"Doc's idea?"

"Freeman's, actually."

Her reply caught him off guard. Barely a week ago that same man had adamantly tried to retire them. It felt a little strange for him to now suggest methods of keeping their identities concealed, even from those above him.

Focus, Ray. Focus!

He looked around, eyes flicking to the loft where Doc and Kyle had their quarters. No sign of movement, no other sign. No chance of them being rudely interrupted.

"Where are the others?" he asked, hoping to maintain an air of coolness.

"Doc, Kyle, and Freeman are out getting some sort of part for the Digitizing Beam," Hilary replied, now having returned her attention to the data logs. "I guess the others must still be on their way."

Which meant his window was rapidly shrinking.

Now or never.

Ray moved closer to the desk, sitting on the edge as he leaned closer.

"Hey, umm, Hilary?"

Looking up from the screen, Hilary raised an eyebrow in confused amusement, eyes flicking up and down as she examined his posture and proximity. "Yeah?"

He could do this. He could do this. He could do this. "Well, uh," he stammered. "We've been friends for a while, right?"

"As long as I can remember."

"Cool. Well… umm…Prom's coming up, and… I… couldn't help but notice all those notes that were in your locker. And it's also totally okay if you're already going with someone else, umm..."

"Ray, where are you going with this?"

"That's a good question…"

His heart was racing, his mind spinning too many thoughts at a thousand miles a second. Every time he tried to speak the words caught in his throat, freezing as the fear snatched them from his tongue and held them back. The confusion on Hilary's face only grew as watched him blubber about in a stammering mess. And yet, she also giggled, in that same way that lightened his heart whenever he told her a truly, terrible joke. She turned on the swivel of the cheer, smiling shyly as she moved a stray golden strand behind her ear.

And then she leaned in closer.

This was his moment, the leap of faith before the precipice.

The point of no return.

"Ray?" Hilary asked invitingly, her voice a siren whisper that called him closer still. "Is there something you're hoping to ask me?"

With a final, daring breath, Ray willed the words free from uncertainty to at last cross the event horizon.

"Well, I was wondering…"

And then the door burst open.

"Guess who has two thumbs and has a date for the prom!" Ben cheered from the doorway.

The two of them snapped away, Ray almost sliding off the desk as Hilary spun like a propellor to the computer and sat ramrod straight before the screen. Ben stopped, only for a moment to realize what he may have interrupted as Jake and Johnny arrived behind him.

Great; what perfect timing.

"So, you got a date then?" Ray asked half-heartedly.

"That I did," Ben confirmed. "All we've got to do now is kick Gideon's butt for good and then this day will be near perfect."

"Are you always going to be this juvenile?" Hilary sighed, "Or is it only on the parts of the week that end in the word "day"?"

Ben chuckled, daring a winking look at Ray.

Please don't say anything, please don't say anything, please don't say anything.

"Well, little sis," Ben decided. "I don't see you with any date. Unless, of course, someone has already asked you…?"

But the jab was completely ignored as Hilary's eyes narrowed in a sharp warning that Ben was unlikely long for the world. "I'm sorry, little sis?" she scoffed. "I'm older than you."

"Sure, by like, twenty minutes," Ben insisted. "But in terms of maturity, I feel like the true eldest child is-"

"Still me," Hilary cut in with a smirk. "Sorry, little brother. There's no metric you're winning this by."

Were she not already sitting, Ray almost would have expected her to do the victory dance. But as Hilary amusedly returned her attention to logs, Ray realized the trap her brother had set. With her moral victory affording a false sense of security, Hilary was now completely unprepared for Ben to pounce.

"So, seriously," he asked. "Who are you going with?"

Annoyed at the constant interruption, Hilary spun back in the chair. "Right now, I'm a little more focused on the oncoming mission. Or have you forgotten what we're all about to do?"

"So, no one, then?" Ben clarified with a cheeky grin. Then he shot a look between his best friend and his sister, a look that stopped Ray's heart dead. "Saaaaayyy… I have an idea. Seeing as you don't have a date, and unless something has changed between last period and now, Ray also doesn't have a date. Why don't you two go together?"

Both teens snapped upright, each looking desperately away as their faces flushed scarlet.

"I mean" Hilary stammered, nervously stroking at the hair draped over her shoulder. "I'm sure Ray's already got a good idea of who he wants to ask."

"Maybe…" Jake conceded, saddling up beside the Blue Ranger and looking equally mischievous. "But knowing him, he probably hasn't plucked up the courage to ask her yet."

"That's our leader," Johnny agreed. "Fearless in the face of an army of Byte-Bots and monsters, but weak at the knees when it comes to asking out a girl."

He was going to kill them! Each of them!

Slowly….

"All right," Ben decided. "So, we all know Ray's still working up the nerve to ask whichever girl it is he's eying; what stopping you from getting a date? From what I saw earlier it's not a lack of options."

As Ben asked, Ray felt the whole room slow, his heart tapping at his chest with pauses between beats that seemed to grow agonizingly larger as his eyes wandered toward Hilary. Her gaze was well and truly averted now, refusing to meet Ben's own.

"I guess…" she hesitantly. "I guess I'm just waiting for the right person to ask me."

And then, for just a moment, barely between the heartbeats and so quick he almost missed, he swore her eyes flicked nervously toward him.

Did she…?

But the moment was cut short as the side door of the warehouse opened, and all the teens turned around to see Doc, Kyle, and Freeman striding in.

"Rangers," Freeman nodded. There was something in the way he stood, and expectation in his greeting. Like he expected them to stand straight and salute. When the Rangers had returned, the five teens had taken pains to make one thing abundantly clear to him. They were happy to work with him, but they didn't work for him. But old habits would die hard.

As Freeman slowly relaxed, Doc walked to over the Digitizer and began checking the connecting wires and cables. One last check before they started.

A deep breath before the plunge.

It was time.

Finishing the check-up, Doc walked back over to the desk as Hilary relinquished the seat.

"It all looks up to scratch," she confirmed for him. "Best I can tell anyway."

"Given we've never done this before," Doc conceded nervously. "It's the best anyone can tell."

"Then let's get started," Freeman decided.

With a nod, Doc punched at the keys, pulling up a fresh display over the Crandon City skyline. Hovering in the center, looming like a solid cloud that threatened to drop its rain at the worst possible moment, was a large, black cube.

Gideon's fortress.

"At Eighteen Hundred Hours yesterday," Freeman began, "one of our scouting planes caught sight of a large, unidentified object floating above the city. Cloaked from radar, we've had a rotation of birds keep a distant eye on it ever since."

"This feed is in real-time," Doc confirmed.

"Having the exact location of the airship gives us a unique opportunity," Freeman continued. "Our plane is also cloaked from radar, but Gideon may still be aware of it. At the very least, he probably suspects we're watching him. If we wished to make a move, we believe that he would expect it and be prepared for a full-air squadron attack. What we don't think he's ready for, is a strike from within."

"Gideon's entire defense network is about keeping forces out," Kyle explained. "But once inside, almost the entire system is automated, run by Byte-Bots. The system assumes that no one could get inside without going through an external entrance, giving the forces within plenty of warning to mount a defense."

The Rangers shared a look. They knew they were planning an assault on the fortress, Freeman had made that clear since they'd rejoined with him. But this part of the plan was new.

"Hang on…" Jake clarified. "How can get inside without using any of the doors?"

Beside him, Ray noticed Hilary share a nervous glance with Doc before their mentor leaned forward to explain. "We use the Digitizer."

"He's going to convert us into data," Hilary explained. "Have us rematerialize inside the airship without Gideon being any wiser."

Ray couldn't help but gulp. Only Hilary had gone through the process when she and Doc had managed to unshrink her, but she had not been willing to describe the experience. That didn't bode well for what they were about to endure.

Freeman nodded to Doc, who punched on the keys to bring up a full-sized display; a digital rendering of the fortress.

"Thanks to Corporal Mason's recollections," Freeman began, "We've been able to reasonably estimate the layout of the ship."

"It has three levels," Kyle explained. "The bridge and Gideon's observation deck are up top, Kelgar's lab and maintenance in the middle. The engine room is on the bottom, keeping the whole thing running."

"Once you get inside, you'll split into two groups," Freeman told them. "Granger and the Hawkins siblings will move to the airship's bridge and find a way to take control; failing that, crash it."

"That's a lot to do under pressure," Hilary noted nervously.

"It has a computer and an engine," Freeman replied. "I've been told you two are the best there is when handling those."

"If you can't figure out the controls," Doc interjected, "or if things have gone south and you're too busy fighting, just blast it; that usually seems to work."

"Meanwhile," Freeman continued. "Mason, take Cheng and Ford to Kelgar's lab. I want his equipment destroyed. I don't want anything surviving the wreckage, and if the equipment is already trashed before that hunk of metal hits the ground, then we can be doubly sure it's dealt with."

"I'm not sure about splitting up," Jake admitted. "We're strongest when we're together."

"This mission requires stealth, but we're under no allusions of what will happen when you engage the enemy," Freeman told them. "Once inside, you'll be running on limited time until discovered, and six of you in tight confines could be easily cornered. More teams will mean more coordination on Gideon's part to trap you, and the higher likelihood of success for at least one of your objectives.

"And what happens when we do run into any trouble?" asked Johnny.

Freeman was about to reply when Doc chuckled. "Then I'd say that any extra damage you can do is a bonus."

Ray nodded and looked at his team. The plan was made, and the equipment was set. This was it, the moment they'd been planning for. The moment they'd been fighting for since the day they'd picked up their Morphers. Each one of them looked back at him, their faces stern as they nodded in confirmation.

They were ready.

"There's one more thing," Doc added. "The teleporter can get you onto the ship, but it can't get you out. Your escape is on you."

"I'm scared to ask this, but," Jake admitted, "any particular reason?"

"Two actually," Doc replied. "Firstly, I won't be able to pinpoint your location once you're on the inside, and I don't want to rely on hacking into Gideon's system to access his own teleport network."

"Especially when we're meant to be crashing it down," Hilary agreed.

"Exactly," Doc nodded. "But there's another reason, and arguably more important. The amount of energy that it'll require to teleport you from A to B is going to be immense, causing an enormous build-up in the Digitizer. I don't know if it could handle trying to pull it off twice. It still hasn't even finished discharging everything that built up when we recharged the Veteran Ranger Morphers. I just can't risk it overloading."

"What would happen then?" Ray asked.

"It would pulse," said Doc.

"Just like the night we got our powers?" Johnny realized.

Doc shook his head, face growing more worried. "Bigger. If the Digitizer overloads with this much buildup, it would be more than just a wave of Digital Energy. It would be electromagnetic, frying every device in the vicinity."

"And that would be bad," Ben realized with a grimace.

Doc nodded. "Yeah, really bad."

He guessed that explained why Doc had never tried teleporting before. The fact that he was willing to try now only further stressed the importance of their mission, and their need to make it count.

With the briefing done, Freeman motioned for them to move to the projector and the Digitizer, but Ray stopped them. "Hang on guys. There's something I've got to say."

Words he'd had swirling around his head since the moment he'd first got his powers back. Words he knew he needed to say for when the day would finally come.

"Nine months feels like forever ago," he admitted. "That night we were lost, we were scared. We were in over our heads. But we got through it with each other, together. By having each other's backs. This last year has been constant battles and constant struggles. But we also found parts of ourselves that we never knew were there.

"Gideon started this fight; he's pressed on while we gave him every chance to walk away. Today's the day when we bring it to him. You know your teams; you know your missions. Get inside; wreak havoc. We might have Kyle's intel, but we don't know what to expect. So be careful and look out for each other. This is the battle we've been fighting toward, so let's make sure we come out on top."

Then he put out his hand into the middle, all others snapping in to join him. Hilary, Ben, Jake, Johnny, Kyle, and even Doc; hands in the circle in united certainty.

This was the day.

They were going to end Gideon's threat for good.

"May the power protect you," Ray said, grinning proudly as his team beamed back. "Now let's go crash this base."

"YEAH!"

They broke, six Rangers striding to the marked point before as Doc moved back to the keyboard and began loading the sequence.

"Alright," he announced. "Hilary, you've been digitized before, so you know what it feels like; but the rest of you, this going to feel a bit weird. Are ready to go?"

Ray shot a final look at the others, each one nodding in confirmation. They were ready.

"Do it."

"Engaging Digitizer," Doc announced.

The barrel of the projector began to glow, light blue and blinding as it grew and grew. Breathing deep for courage, his hand slowly reached out, and a soft touch brushed at his fingers in unconscious reply. Daring a look, he saw Hilary standing beside him, eyes focused deadhead. Strengthening his own resolve, his hand reached further and took her own, both breathing deeply as their fingers interlaced.

Then the light burst from the digitizer.

It was all-consuming, flooding his vision and blocking out all else. A strange tingling was rushing up his limbs like they'd fallen numb and reawakened all at once. Even his body was consumed, and now there was a bizarre sensation that he could see the light but his head was unable to turn. His body still felt like it was there, but not responding. Then suddenly they felt a drop, like gravity had snatched them tight and yanked them into freefall. And then, like a sudden surge in a river current, his whole body was violently pulled back, the light vanishing in a blinding flash.

And then suddenly they were standing in a long, metal corridor, only light from dim bulbs that glowed at distant intervals.

He stumbled back, the others doing the same as their feet hit the ground and their balance awkwardly adjusted. Jake and Ben fell against the wall, Johnny and Kyle taking some woozy steps beside them. Still holding his hand, Hilary stumbled with him, lightly falling into his chest as he rebalanced and caught her.

She'd resumed her balance just as quickly, but not before she'd shyly shot him a grateful look for his catch.

"Oh, thank God!" they heard Doc cry through the Morphers.

"Landed safe, Doc," Ray confirmed with a grin. "We're okay."

"Great job guys," Doc told them. "I programmed the Morphers to hack into the nearest camera and send an image here. It should let me give you some visual support. But the rest of Gideon's system is heavily firewalled, and I don't know how long I'll have this camera access. From here on in, you're on your own."

"Right."

With the team secure, Ray turned to the Rangers and prepared to move out.

"All right," he declared. "We don't know how long we've got until Gideon figures out we're here, so we've got to move fast. Kyle, where are we?"

"Middle deck," the Security Ranger replied before nodding to the hall behind them. "Stairs to the bridge are that way."

Then it was time.

"All right, guys." Ray ordered, "You know what you each have to do. Remember, do not Morph unless you have to, the closest we can get to our objective without being detected, the better."

"See you on the other side," Johnny grinned.

Then with a last affirming nod for good luck, each team turned around and ventured deeper into the dragon's den.