Soft notes rang from Kira's guitar as she stepped to the mic, the crowd erupting with cheers to sing along to her signature opening line.
"And it goes like this…"
The distortion kicked, the band launching into the opening as the cohort buzzed with excitement. They'd heard the announcement and whispered the rumors in the corridors, but until now so many had scarcely dared to believe it. Kira Ford! And she was playing at their school! In their gym!
At their prom!
"I can't tell you why,
but I can't stop
thinking about you baby…"
The Rangers hit the dance floor, grooving to Kira's tunes with pure, innocent delight. They moved and shook, grins wide as the party raged on. Eventually, exhaustion forced its way into the mix. Sides and cheeks aching from endless laughter, Ray and Hilary stumbled hand in hand to the edge of the dancefloor and over to the punch bowl. They braced against each other in a tender embrace while awaiting their strength to return, Hilary's hands pressed to Ray's chest as she stared up into his eyes.
"Hey," he said with a smile.
"Hey, yourself," she smiled back, pulling him closer for a kiss.
Their strength returned quite quickly, although neither was willing to admit it. Wishing their private moment to continue instead, they remained in blissful denial, holding each other tight and swaying to the music.
Of course, the company would eventually have other ideas.
"There are our big heroes!" Bulk announced as he strode over toward them.
With a laugh, Ray and Hilary turned their heads, still holding each other as they saw Bulk and Skull waving excitedly from the drinks table. Kyle was beside them with a look of smug amusement. He totally told Bulk to do that.
"Looks like the school landed a great caterer for the event," said Ray as they approached.
"Well," Bulk agreed proudly. "When they saw an opportunity to merge the great supporters of the school community with our greatest patrons and supporters, well it wouldn't have made sense for us not to."
"That and we fed them our hors d'oeuvres," Skull added smugly, pouring two cool cups of punch for the two of them to cool down. "Bribery gets them every time."
Eagerly taking drinks, Ray turned to Kyle, who too had dressed in a fine suit for the occasion.
"And how about you?" asked he asked with a smirk. "Enjoying being on chaperone duty?"
"Hey, if you can't enjoy a prom night, then what's the point?' Kyle grinned. "One of the perks of the job. And it's a good chance for us to celebrate."
"All excellent points," replied Hilary as she turned to her boyfriend. "And speaking of excellent, I didn't know you could dance. I mean, you really know how to sweep a girl off her feet."
"I think you'll find that I'm full of surprises," Ray grinned coolly, before adding with a laugh. "Unfortunately, I think you've seen most of them."
"And speaking of celebrating," said Bulk. "I hear there are some congratulations in order."
Both teens smiled, sharing a loving gaze as the two café owners looked at them expectantly.
"Yeah, we know," Ray agreed, unable and unwilling to hide the awe in his eyes, "It's about time, right?"
"I mean," Skull reasoned. "You guys gave it a good shot. These things take time, and you had the odds stacked against you plenty."
"Well," Hilary reasoned. "I don't know if I'd say stacked, although it is nice to finally hear someone being supportive of things of us taking our own pace."
"Yeah," Ray agreed. "It's a big step, and it takes time to be sure it's the right decision. For both of us."
"Exactly," nodded Hilary. "And baring your heart like that, it's scary. Takes real guts to be that kind of vulnerable."
And she looked back at him with a warm smile as they both thought back to that moment. The two of them standing there. Their first kiss.
The flaming wreckage of the fortress behind them.
His heart leaped at the mere thought of the memory. It had been scary, but well worth the plunge.
But as the two lovebirds slowly looked away, they noticed Bulk and Skull looking at them with confusion, and beside Kyle appeared barely able to contain his laughter.
"What are you guys talking about?" Bulk asked.
"The fact that Ray and I are dating," Hilary said bluntly. "What are you guys talking about?"
"Well," said Skull, a smug smile growing as he leaned in to be certain they wouldn't be overheard. "Jake mentioned that you guys won't have much reason to be wearing your colorful outfits anymore."
Oooooohhhhh…
All five burst into laughter, Ray and Hilary happy to at last not have a conversation revolving around everyone else's apparent relief.
"Well," Hilary decided, "if you're about to launch into an epic tale of dashing heroism, that seems like a good cue to go to the ladies."
"But how can I explain your dashing heroism without you here?" Ray asked.
"I'm sure your account will be very exciting and gratifying," Hilary giggled. "I'll be back before you know it."
She leaned up on her toes, her foot kicking behind her as she kissed him again before hurrying off to the main hall. From his stationary place at the table, Ray could only watch as she walked away, heart patting softly in part admiration and part lingering disbelief. That she was here with him.
And she'd still be with him after.
Good job, Ray.
And then he turned to see Bulk and Skull staring at him with eager anticipation.
"All right," he finally relented. "Let me tell you how it all went down…"
The first thing that irked her instincts was the silence. Stepping out of the bathroom and into the hall, the corridor was completely empty. Hilary could still hear the booming of the music in the gym, but from the abandoned hall it had muffled into a distant echo.
There should be more people here; so where were they?
No. It was nothing. She was being ridiculous. An old instinct she no longer needed, pranging at her out of habit. She should go back to the dance, find her wonderful boyfriend, and drag him back onto the dancefloor to leave all this behind. It was done, it was over; she shouldn't have to worry about this anymore.
And yet…
Footsteps, off to the side, coming from the east-wing stairwell and rising from the ground floor. There were the people, that made sense. But even as Hilary quelled the nerves, the compulsion to check was too strong. Too many times had Byte-Bots got the drop on her, or Mileena had sneered a sly remark from behind.
But it wasn't needed, right? It was over; Gideon was gone.
Still, better safe than sorry; she could just tell herself it was a final check for old times' sake. That seeing it was safe would close the door on those times for good.
Finally relenting to her cautious curiosity, Hilary crept forward, careful to stop her heels clicking on the laminate as she pressed up against the door. Then, with a reassuring breath that all would be well, she turned the handle and stuck her head into the stairwell.
And then her heart stopped dead.
Byte-Bots. They were marching up the stairs, hands brushing the railing as they rose. And any second one was going to look up and see her. Hilary snapped back around the door, back pressed against it with her heart racing and breathing growing heavier.
No! Not here! Not now!
But... why, even?
She needed to slow down, to think.
But the more she did, the more Hilary's eyes widened in horrified realization. There could only be one reason the Byte-Bots were at the school. They were there for them. And that could only mean someone had ordered them to do it.
Which meant Gideon was still alive.
She had to warn the others!
Hilary bolted from the door, as fast as her heeled sandals would let her in a desperate bid to reach the far door. Every step was shorter than she wished, cursing herself for being drawn to a gown with such a tight profile. She'd have given anything there and then to fully extend her stride beyond her knees. But her hopes were dashed as she took the corner, her heart seizing as she skidded to a halt and eyes bulged in sight of who stood before her.
"Got lost, did we?" Gideon chuckled with a posse of Byte-Bots menacingly glowering behind him.
Hilary stepped back in instinct, gritting her teeth as her feet shifted to defense. The door clicked behind her, more Byte-Bots flushing into the corridor to seal the space behind her.
Trapped.
Her eyes flicked between the gaps and openings, mind spinning as she weighed her options. She needed a plan; to get out, to warn the others. They needed to know that Gideon was still alive. Which meant every move she made needed to be considered and calculated.
Feigning an air of surrender, Hilary lowered her guard and slyly moved her hand behind her back.
"Just making my way back," she said coolly, as the liquid metal coated around her fist. "What are you even doing here? Mad no one asked you to the dance?"
"Sadly, I could not find anyone to accompany me, so I have decided to fly solo," Gideon grinned before offering his hand. "But perhaps, I could ask you for a dance?"
Urgh!
It took all Hilary's effort not to gag as Gideon reached forward, leaning closer with the assumption of all the power. She waited, watching for what felt like an agonizing eternity as he crept towards her, her skin crawling as she allowed him to pull into range.
Then the metal fist cracked through his jaw, sending him flying and crashing into the bots behind.
"Thanks," she sneered. "I've already got a date."
Then she turned and ran.
The Byte-Bots were already hurrying to plug the corridor, the metal flushing to cover her skin as she swung to bat them back. The first ranks clattered as she collided, smashing back as their comrades buckled to the strain. Hilary took the chance and leaped, rolling over a hunched back and racing for the door at the end.
With the hallway blocked by robots, she'd be taking the long way around, and again she cursed how her dress was limiting her speed. And how easy it made the Byte-bots to catch her.
She reached the door of the unobstructed stairwell, her shoulder hitting the surface as she bounced back. Locked, dammit. She shouldn't have receded her metal. Before she could summon the liquid coat to smash it back, a hand grabbed her shoulder, spinning her around to expose her face to a punch.
Nope!
Hilary ducked and jabbed, striking hard before swinging out her elbow to crack down at another. But there were just too many, backed against the door she was far too vulnerable. She needed to move, change the setting, and push the terrain to her advantage. Which first meant clearing the bots in front of her.
Her dress had other ideas. She snapped up a kick, hoping to slam the aggressor's back and give her room to move. But her knee bounced off the fabric, seams holding tight as her ankle barely tapped the air.
Dammit!
This was why she normally wore pants.
And then they were on her, piling together to keep her down and trapped. She growled in a fierce rebellion as the weight of the robots kept on coming, snatching at her arms and forcing her lower and lower.
As her breathing tightened, panic banished as she fought to keep her mind clear and rational, her assessment shifted. Escape was no longer an option.
She needed to warn the others!
The metal returned to Hilary's skin, flushing over the exposed flesh as she hurled off her captors with a roar, skidding on the shiny laminate as more surged to replace them.
She had mere moments.
Acting fast, she slipped her hand into her clutch, finger hitting the com-line on her Morpher.
"You want to dance?" she taunted, tossing the purse aside. "Then let's dance!"
She lunged, arms held wide to sweep through their numbers. But this time they were ready, moving in a coordinated push to lash their grasp around her wrists and push back. She threw off the first, then the second, each robot slamming into the surrounding lockers.
But she couldn't hold the metal on her skin forever, and there were far more of them than her. They grabbed at her, hands grasping her arms and squeezing hard on her wrists and shoulders. As the metal coating receded into her skin, she snarled and struggled against their restraint.
Then they carried her back, every step a rebellious battle as they dragged her before Gideon. Seeing the effort taken to retrain her, the villain could only laugh and applaud.
"Well done," Gideon applauded, "quite the remarkable show."
"I give you five minutes," Hilary growled. "And then my friends are going to figure out what's going on and bust right up here."
"Oh, I'm certainly counting on it," Gideon smiled. "You see, I could indeed just destroy you now. Believe me, after all that you've put me through, it's tempting. But you're currently far more valuable to me alive. Do you think I don't want the others to come and find you? With one of their own captured, they'll be far more willing to negotiate. At worst, they'll be too distracted with your safety to think about their own."
"Nice speech," Hilary sneered. "How many times did you practice it before coming here?"
"You may laugh now, Yellow Ranger," Gideon replied. "But tonight marks the end for you all. Now, come along."
In a final, desperate bid of warning, as the Byte-Bots dragged her away, Hilary opened her mouth to scream. But a hand snapped across it, stifling the sound as she raged against her captors. Then dragged her from the hall, ready for the next part of their scheme, Hilary only left to silently beg that the Rangers would hear her call.
Hear her warning of what was coming.
"…say goodbye, I'll be okay.
I will wait for you 'cause
true love will never fade;
if it's real you can feel it…"
Bulk and Skull were glued to every detail, sharing nervous looks when the details went from bad to worse, and outwardly gasping as Ray explained the airship's near capsize. Honestly, it was like they didn't know the Rangers had all made it out safe.
"That sounds crazy!" Bulk admitted when Ray finally reached the end of the story.
"Yeah," Skull agreed, "wild!"
Well, at least they were a receptive audience; although, perhaps so receptive that Ray wasn't quite sure how he was going to slip away. Kyle had made his exit, insisting his duties as chaperone required him to do a lap of the gym and leaving Ray to entertain the duo alone.
Hilary really should have been back by now…
"So, I guess now that means it's over," Ray admitted. "Gideon's gone; the airship's destroyed. Now all that's left to do is hand back our Morphers."
And yet, as if waiting for him to say it, the Morpher in his pocket beeped. His eyes snapped wide, heart jumping at the sound he never again thought to hear. Certainly not now.
He shot a look around the room, hoping desperately that it was simply something he'd imagined. But his hopes were quickly dashed. Jake and Ben may have been oblivious, eagerly tearing it up on the floor, but Johnny at the other end caught his gaze. And they shared a look that was just as worried and concerned.
He needed to find Hilary. Thanking Bulk and Skull for the punch, he made his way to the door. Johnny had rounded up the two as they made it and the four of them converged.
"You heard it too?" Johnny confirmed, only for Ray to nod.
"Maybe it's nothing?" Jake suggested. "Maybe it's just Doc wanting to tell us when Freeman wants the Morphers back?"
"Then why would he call us now?" Ben asked. "He knows where we are, and this would be the last place where we'd want to hear from him."
Ben was right; there was nothing that Doc would call about that couldn't wait for the next day. Nothing that wasn't urgent.
Which meant it was.
"We need to find Hilary," Ray decided. "She just ducked off to the bathroom."
Although 'just' was starting to be generous, given the time she'd been gone for. Hilary gone, Morphers beeping; it didn't take much for Ray's heart to start racing as every worst possibility went bouncing around his head.
They pushed through the door and out into the central hall, immediately greeted by a line of well-dressed high schoolers queuing for the girl's bathroom.
"Maybe she just got to the front?" Jake suggested.
But Ben was already shaking his head, "Hilary hates lines, she'd have snuck upstairs where it's quiet. Come on."
The Blue Ranger led the way, all four boys checking that no one was watching as they slunk away from the prom. Before slipping through the door toward the stairs, Ray made one last check for Kyle, but the former Security Ranger was nowhere to be seen.
It's nothing, he told himself, it'll be fine.
But as he followed the others, he noticed Johnny pull out his phone, watching over his shoulder as he sent a text to Gary: Something's come up, be back soon. If we're not backstage in 10 minutes, tell Kira to stall. She'll know what it means.
His heart sunk as they moved up their stairs and pulled the Morphers to open the com line.
"It's about time!" Doc hissed back. "I've been trying to get you for ages!"
So probably not something that could wait, then. "We're here now, Doc," Ray replied. "What's going on?"
And then came the answer he'd been dreading. "I just got a ping on Hilary's distressed beacon; it's coming from the school."
Ray hissed in a breath, determined to keep calm while his head wanted to spiral into a spin. No, it was fine. It would be fine.
He'd find her.
"Can you narrow it down?"
"Looks like it's on the second floor, middle of the building."
"We're heading there now."
The final confirmation came as they pushed the door open, stepping onto the second-floor corridor; it was a mess.
Trash cans kicked over, dents in lockers. There'd been a fight here, and whatever had caused it was far stronger than an ordinary teenager. But something with metal hands, however… like someone who could coat it on their skin.
"Where did she go?" Ben demanded, as he too eyed the remnant destruction in worry.
"Over here!"
Jake was kneeling by a gap between the lockers, reaching in as the others gathered around. In his hands was a black and yellow clutch purse.
"That's Hilary's," Ray realized.
"She'd never let that out of her sight," Ben agreed.
Ray took it from Jake, pulling it open for any desperate clue. Her Morpher was the first thing he saw, the screen desperately flashing an electric blue.
"And she definitely wouldn't have let go of that," Johnny agreed.
"Unless," Ray realized, face turning white in realization, "she wanted us to find it. If it was the only way to keep it safe."
There was a shuffling up-ahead, movement. Three teens, laughing as they braced against each other, stumbled into the hall.
"I'll ask them," Jake decided. "Maybe they saw something."
"Don't know if I'd count on it," Ben grumbled.
But something wasn't sitting right with Ray. Hilary would have come up here for convenience, specifically because no one else would be. And if anyone were, if they had been present to witness Byte-Bots stalking the high-school halls, then surely the first thing they'd have done was run screaming to warn everyone. Or else quiver in a corner, hiding until they knew it was safe.
They wouldn't be stumbling around in a fit of giggles.
Far away from the party.
"Jake…" he warned. But the Green Ranger had already approached them, waving for their attention.
"Hey, excuse me?" Jake asked. "Yeah, hi. We're just looking for our friend, Hilary. About this tall? Blonde hair, gold dress? Maybe made a sarcastic remar-"
But words were cut off as one of them swung and struck him in the chest. The blow hit Jake dead-on, sending him flying backward and into the other three boys. His heels skidded the laminate as they caught him, all heads snapping up as they eyed the three newcomers.
And then they began to change.
Their forms flicked, like grain holograms that twitched to waves of light. Then they dropped altogether, and the boy's worst fears were realized as standing before them were three whole Byte-Bots.
"Looks like Gideon gave them a few upgrades," Johnny growled as all four snapped into fighting stances.
But the three bots weren't alone. The hall was filled with sounds of marching, boots hitting the floor in rhythmic unison, stamping up and down as it grew closer and closer. And the shadows grew, rising behind the three that had lured them. From the adjacent hall, and stairways on either side, more numbers stomped into the hall. Ready to attack.
"We can admire them once we've taken them apart," Ray decided. "Let's move!"
They lunged before the robots could do the same.
Ray surged forward, snapping up his leg to crash into the charging Byte-Bots. The first stumbled from the blow, the perfect opening for him to leap across and roll on its back. As he landed, he dropped, legs sweeping beneath before backing his sole into the rear of another. Having fought through the havoc, two came from behind, but Ray was already waiting. With an easy grace, his shoulders moved onto their own elegantly leaning from the attacks that glided past. They struck again, but by now they had his full attention.
"Here we go boys," he growled. "This slow one's for you."
He grabbed the first punch, yanking hard across his body as the second struck to do the same. Reefing hard, he slammed the two together, heads colliding faces first as they dropped and gave Ray the perfect opening. Another batch was closing in, but they were too far away, the perfect targets as Ray unleashed a barrage of lasers from his eyes. The red beams flashed against their chests, searing their armor as they dropped.
But Ray was already moving, forcing deep into the ranks to clear a path to the stairs.
To Hilary.
Jake meanwhile had been caught by a bigger group, Byte-Bots swarming around to keep him pinned. But it wasn't all a numbers game; the more that piled in the tighter the confines became. Suited Jake just fine. He ducked and weaved, shooting between them to take advantage of their lacking agility and leading them to strike each other.
It was a good plan until he was surrounded.
Oops.
There was clicking over his shoulder. A Byte-Bot was pulling out its blaster and aiming. Bad move! But while tight the confines would prove a danger to the henchmen, it would be no help to him if he were caught in the crossfire.
Time to move.
He blocked a blow, kicking a bot as he raised his hand and got ready to slam. The muzzle flashed; his only warning. With all his might he hurled downwards, concussive force bursting across the floor and pulsing out like a wave. The surrounding goons toppled like sand in a stream as Jake was thrown to the ceiling as the blaster round boomed below.
At least he'd been smart enough to angle himself.
He somersaulted, landing as lasers exploded in halls, scattering the remaining Byte-Bots as Jake spun and readied another blast. Then, as the riflemen leveled again, he unleashed it. The Byte-Bots, standing or otherwise, were scattered into the air, clattering across the floor as they collided with their upright comrades.
"The way's clear!" he called to tother. "Let's go!"
Ben didn't need a warning, but he did need an opening. He'd just going to have to work for it. Having backed him into a corner, a bot reached out, snatching for his velvet lapel as Ben slapped the hand away.
"Watch it!" he snarled. "It's a rental!"
The bots didn't seem to care, pushing him deeper and deeper into the corner as he worked harder and harder to keep up the defense. Time to even the odds.
"You're looking a little woozy," he told one-off, gliding past the strike before grabbing the back plate of its armor. "Let me help with that."
He heaved it around, snatching behind the head and slamming it down into the trash can. As it toppled, legs kicking helplessly in the air, Ben jutted out its foot and slapped the metal canister. With the rolling on the ground and the weight of the byte-bots, it crashed into the comrades and knocked them to the ground.
Ben took his chance. He lunged, leaping to the side to stick his feet to the wall to run over to rolling henchmen and jump back into the main hallway. But he should have looked before he stepped. Jake and Ray were behind him, but the remnants of the Bots were right beside him. And he was right in the way of any trick the two boys could pull to bail him out.
Those two at least.
As Ben grimaced at his predicament, a black steak zoomed past him. The flashing blur barreled into the Byte-Bots, bounding from side to side as it pummeled them in all directions. Then, as the Byte-Bots flailed and stumbled into a pile of useless parts, the streak skidded to a stop. Standing in front of him now, jacket slinging over his shoulder to reveal his rolled-up sleeves, was Johnny.
"Took you long enough," Ben chided as the two took off, hurrying to join Jake and Ray as they burst into the stairwell.
"Doc," Ray warned into his Morpher, taking the steps four at a time. "We've got Byte-Bots."
"If they knabbed Hilary they couldn't have got far," Doc warned them. "She could still be on school grounds."
"Head outside!" Ray ordered.
They needed to move the fight. If Gideon was here, he'd come for them. The further they could get the Byte-Bots from the unsuspecting high-schoolers, the better. They burst through the doors, racing down the stairs as they bolted out into the evening air.
"Fan out and move in," Ray told them. "We'll try to box them. You run into trouble, you call for backup."
"Going somewhere?"
The voice yelled out from behind and above them, booming across the night sky as the rangers spun around.
He was on the roof!
Standing high for all to see, Gideon stood proudly as if surveying his domain with a horde of Byte-Bots standing as his menacing entourage. But Ray didn't care at all for the villain's grandeur, instead, his eyes snapped to who stood beside him, wriggling in his grasp while eying the perilous fall below.
Hilary!
On instinct the boys snapped forward, only to freeze as Gideon shook his hostage and Hilary released an involuntary, fearful gasp.
"Uh- ah, ahhhhh," he grinned. "That's far enough."
Beside him, Ben clenched his jaw, helpless in the face of Gideon's newfound advantage. There was no move they could make that wouldn't cause Hilary to drop.
"Let her go, Gideon!" Ray commanded.
"Poor choice of words," the villain laughed. His hand snapped to her neck, snatching behind her head as he reefed Hilary from her feet and swung around. Her heeled feet helplessly kicked empty air as he held her aloft, her hands snapping to his grasp to support and clinging as she dangled over the precipice. But she didn't scream, and even from his distance vantage Ray could see her eyes were brimming with fury.
"Now as long as you just standing there," Gideon laughed as Hilary continued to wriggle in his grip, "you might as well pay attention. Your time is over, Rangers; this is your only chance to surrender to me. Or else you will suffer more than you can possibly imagine!"
But then there was a flash. Twin lasers burst across the roof, slamming into the Bots guarding Gideon, and sending them flying. Gideon's head angrily whipped around as from below the Rangers watched another figure step out into view on the roof's edge.
Kyle.
Fully morphed, his pistols were drawn and smoking, now both trained on Gideon.
"You all right there, Hilary?"
Were she not so focused on staying in Gideon's grip, Ray could have sworn she'd rolled her eyes. "Been better."
"All right Gideon," Kyle warned, retraining his focus on the villain. "I'm only going to say this once; I'll slow it down so you don't misunderstand. Put. The lady. Down."
And Ray saw it, the silent plan that Kyle and Hilary had communicated in the brief instant. Gideon's attention had shifted, no longer able to focus on the Rangers below. Which gave them room to move if he dropped Hilary.
When he dropped Hilary.
"Jake," Ray whispered to his friend, "When you see the sign, push me."
"What?"
"Just do it!"
"What's the sign then?"
"You'll know!"
"You're really going to threaten me?" Gideon laughed, "While I hold your precious Yellow Ranger in peril?"
But this time it was Hilary who grinned, shooting a knowing look down to the ground at Ray. A look they'd shared hundreds of times, a silent understanding, said within an instant.
I trust you.
"Oh, Gideon," she chuckled. "You haven't got me. I was just waiting for my date."
And then she swung her a metal-coated hand to reef herself free.
Gideon's grip couldn't hold, loosening in shock as Hilary sacrificed safety for a hammer to his chest. The blow crashed into the ribs, slamming him from the edge of the roof as he tossed her in vain desperation.
Plummeting her into freefall.
"Now!"
Jake slammed the force into Ray, the Red Ranger already lunging forward as his ally's power hurled him into the air. The blast threw him from his feet, boosting him into the air on a direct path to Hilary.
Now she was falling, her hands and feet kicking helplessly as she plunged with deadly speed. But she saw Ray coming, desperately turning in the air as the velocity dragged her down. Their hands reached, palms grasping as Ray pulled her into his embrace and spun. And then he kicked, bounding off the wall in hopes of doing anything to slow their descent.
Having slowed enough, they soared to the ground, weight increasing as Hilary covered her legs with metal. Now strong and sturdy, her knees buckled as she braced for both of them, landing with a thunk that cracked the concrete.
With their feet now firmly on the ground, neither Ray nor Hilary let go, instead looking tenderly at each other in the softness of the moment.
"Nice catch," Hilary smiled.
"Thanks," Ray grinned. "I know you like it when I sweep you off your feet."
"Ah, guys?" Johnny interjected, pointing to the rooftop. "Bad guy?"
With a final squeeze that each affirmed the other was fine, Ray and Hilary snapped back to the other, Ben holding the small purse in front.
"You dropped this."
"Thanks."
Without a moment to spare, Hilary's hand dived inside the clutch and produced her Morpher, casting the bag aside as the boys pulled out their own.
"You guys ready?" Ray called.
"Hang on." Hilary's hands snapped to the seam of her dress and ripped, stripping the joining fabric to expose her leg to the open air. "Much better; now I'm ready."
They stood tall and strong, a line of united teens with their Morphers hoisted high.
"Data Squad! Digitize!"
The light burst into the evening sky, five colors stretching upwards and converging on the transforming rangers. The suits flashed around them, visors locked in place, and weapons forming in their hands as they stood defiant to Gideon's will.
Up above, Kyle had already engaged, sword spinning overhead as the two became locked in a swirling melee. But Gideon was far more formidable than Mileena. Kyle chopped above, blade whistling as it sliced where Gideon's head had been, and the villain took his chance. Lightning flared from his hand to boom at Kyle's feet.
The Security Ranger had two choices, jump or be thrown. He took the former.
As the flames exploded on the roof, Kyle soared, somersaulting to safety as he landed by the full-morphed rangers.
"It's over Gideon," Ray yelled. "When we're together, nothing can stop us!"
"You think dressing for the occasion will be enough to stop me?" Gideon scoffed. "Do you really think this was all that I prepared?"
Then, as if awaiting his very words, the ground trembled. It started as a distant boom, a faint impact that sent tremors in its wake. And then it thumped again, and then again.
Each one grew loud, heavier than the last, and the Rangers spun around in horror as their fears were realized. A large shape emerged from between the city buildings, a hulking behemoth that roared with laughter and delight as he stomped into full view of the Rangers.
Only it wasn't any old monster that had been enlarged.
It was Kelgar.