Okay...this one kind of got away from me...

Hope you like it!


Chapter 35: Golden Opportunity

If Robo-Clones could get headaches, Asher would swear she was getting a migraine.

From the moment they had reawakened after yet another loss to the Rangers, Evox had been screaming and screeching, blaming them for the failures of his Chimera monster that he'd created using advice from Keeper.

"If he wanted to do real damage, he should have been patient and gotten all of the Energems. It's not that difficult to work out," Robo-Asher muttered to herself, flipping the dagger in her hand. She'd been debating reanimating its owner for a while, and the thought was back after Evox's yelling.

"What do you want?" Scrozzle demanded as she walked into the area he called his 'lab'. A pitiful attempt, but she didn't expect much else from the robot who had only survived so long by hiding and cowering.

"The reanimator," Robo-Asher replied shortly, barely even looking at him as she strode over to where the device had been left lying. Evox had dismissed it already, saying that defeated enemies of the past were useless.

"Master Evox already-"

"Don't care," Asher cut him off, tired of lectures. She was bored, and listening to Evox berate her for hours on how useless she and the other Robo-Clones were had her ready to get back out and take out her frustrations on the Rangers.

"And just what are you using it for?" before Asher could reach it, the reanimator was lifted by Blaze and moved out of her grasp. Her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Give it here," she told the other robot, who smirked at her.

"Someone's in a mood," Blaze taunted, watching as her temper rose. "I just want to know what you're planning with this thing," he shrugged, but still didn't hand it over. "Especially since Master Evox already told us not to waste time with fallen losers," he reminded her, and Asher huffed.

"I'm using it to reanimate the owner of this thing," she held up the dagger. Scrozzle gave a curious hum, and Blaze's eyebrow rose.

"And who would that be?" Scrozzle said as he dared to draw closer. He quickly scuttled backwards at the glare directed at him by Asher.

"She's someone who'll want that runty Pink Ranger dead as much as I do," Asher answered simply, using the dagger to pick at the dirt from under her nails. "She has history with her family, and, well," Asher smirked. "My pathetic counterpart too," she added.

"Master Evox won't like that you're going against him for a personal vendetta," Blaze warned, but handed over the reanimator all the same. Asher smirked, taking it from him.

"He will if it gets results," she said simply.


At the quiet buzz of a phone getting a notification, Asher looked up from her work to see Ryne responding to a message with a small smile, before going back to her Chakrams, which she had been working on improving. A moment later, her phone buzzed again.

"Seems things are going well with this young man," Ryne jumped at Asher's grinning words, as if she had forgotten that she wasn't alone in the lab.

"Ashe, you know you're not that old, right?" she raised an eyebrow at her cousin. "You don't have to talk like that," Ryne said, but Asher didn't miss how her hand went to her phone all the same. It just made her smirk widen.

"I know," she said simply. Ryne huffed. "So…?" Asher pressed, enjoying the blush that turned Ryne's cheeks pink.

"Yeah, it is," her words were a mumble as she stared at the weapon in front of her. "We uh…we have a date tonight," she admitted. Asher's cheer was loud, and Ryne quickly shushed her. "Come on, don't alert the whole base to it," she complained as her blush grew darker.

"Sorry," Asher laughed. "But I can't help it. You've been really cute about the whole thing," she teased, earning a glare from her cousin. However, it did little to stop her. "So when do I get to meet him?" she asked. Ryne scoffed.

"A week after never, same time as my parents," she said firmly.

"Oh come on!" Asher laughed. "Fane and Zoey both got to meet him," she pointed out.

"And don't you think it's crazy that he's already been subjected to Fane and he still asked me out?" Ryne challenged, putting her hands on her hips. "Any more of you and he'll run for the hills," she shook her head. Asher laughed again.

"He has to accept the crazy, or he's not right for our family. You know the drill," she pointed out. Ryne grumbled, but found she had no argument against what Asher had said.

"Oh, you're both here," they looked up as Nate walked in.

"Hey Nate, how were things with your parents?" Ryne smiled at him, relieved by the interruption. However, her smile faded when she saw the look on his face. Something was bothering him. "What's wrong?" the Pink Ranger asked, and Nate shifted on his feet.

"I need to talk to you…and the others," he told them. Asher and Ryne exchanged looks.

"This isn't over," Asher warned, and Ryne huffed.


"Wait, let me get this straight," Devon was the first to be able to speak after the bombshell that Nate had just dropped on them. "Your parents want you to come and live with them?" he repeated, hoping that he hadn't heard the Gold Ranger correctly.

"Affirmative," Nate said quietly. "Overseas…just for a couple of years," he said, his gaze drawn to Zoey.

"Meaning…you'd have to leave Grid Battleforce?" even Commander Shaw was unable to hide her shock over Nate's news.

"Which is impossible, right?" Nate asked, almost sounding hopeful that she'd help him give a solid answer on what to do. "I just have to tell them there's no way I can do this…" he breathed, walking past and over to his workbench. "I have way too much to do here," Nate insisted as he walked over to his laptop.

"Not so fast, bro," Steel spoke up, walking over to him and putting his hands on Nate's shoulders. "I need regular maintenance, so I have to stay. But you? You can't pass up this chance, Nate," he encouraged his conflicted brother.

"Steel's right," to Nate's surprise, Zoey was the next to speak up. "Since the day I met you, all you've ever wanted was to be with your parents," she pointed out, trying to hide her own sadness at the idea.

"Yeah, but…" Nate looked over to where the rest of them were standing, looking torn too. "What about the team?" he asked, all too aware of his duties. Ravi turned to Devon, who shrugged, and Ryne shuffled her feet, not sure what to say either. Asher and Lewis looked at each other, but stayed quiet.

"I'm sure we can find a way to survive without you," Devon finally spoke up, walking slowly over to their teammate. "Hey, you've already developed such terrific weapons," he pointed out.

"That's true," Ravi agreed quickly, even as both forced themselves to sound upbeat at the idea. "It's just a matter of time before we destroy Evox…" he couldn't stop himself from sounding half-hearted.

"With everything you've made to help us…" Ryne's fists were clenched by her sides as she forced a supportive smile. "Evox won't stand a chance," she said, hating the words coming out of her mouth.

She didn't want Nate to leave. She didn't want him to jet off across the world for years before they would see him again. Losing a teammate was going to be hard enough, but they were family, and it hurt to have to encourage him.

"You'd have to show us some of the standard procedures around here," Commander Shaw pointed out, seeing what the Rangers were doing and trying her best to support them. "Kind of…hand over the reigns," she pointed out.

"I guess I could do that…" Nate nodded. He still looked conflicted, but a little less so now with the support of his team.

"Asher's been your assistant long enough now that I'm sure she'll be able to cover your work no problem," Lewis cleared his throat and patted Asher on the shoulder. She barely managed a smile, fixing her glasses instead.

"Yeah," she murmured.

"Good idea. And we can help her out where she needs it," Devon nodded. "Even get her an assistant if she needs one," he added.

"Really?" there was more hope in Nate's voice now.

"Absolutely," Zoey nodded, reaching out to take his hand as she saw the tears swimming in his eyes. "You need to do this," she told him, and her words seemed to ease the last of the conflict from him. Nate managed a smile.

"Okay then," he agreed, and turned to Commander Shaw. "I need to organise everything. I should go over the schedules and update the firewalls…" Nate started to list what was needed before he left.

"Alright Nate, sounds good," Commander Shaw nodded, and Asher joined the pair as they left.

"Don't you worry, Zoey," Steel soothed as he put a metal arm around the Yellow Ranger, who had lost her smile the moment Nate had walked out. "Everything will be just fine," he said. Zoey didn't reply, and Lewis gave a quiet sigh as he saw all of their dejected looks.

"This isn't good," he murmured.


"Are you okay?" the question snapped Ryne from her thoughts, and she quickly looked up at the young man who was walking beside her.

"I'm sorry," Ryne sighed, realising that she had gotten distracted again. "I'm pretty lame company tonight, not really what you want," she rubbed the back of her neck.

"Don't worry about it," Ollie shook his head, watching her as they kept walking through the park.

"But I do," Ryne groaned, stopping so he had to turn to her. "This was supposed to be a date, and I'm being all quiet and miserable, I-"

"Hey," Ollie laughed as he reached out and took her hand. The moment he did, Ryne's face started to heat up in a blush, and she looked at his much larger hand around her own. She'd not felt anything as strong when she'd been with Blaze. "Come on," he led her over to a bench and sat her down. "You said your friend is planning on leaving for years without any notice, I'd be more worried if you weren't distracted," he pointed out.

"I guess," Ryne sighed. "But maybe I should have cancelled tonight," she mumbled.

"I'm glad you didn't," Ollie's words were soft, and she looked up as her face grew warmer.

When she'd first met him, Ryne had been curious about Ollie. Too scared after Blaze to think of anything more, she had simply enjoyed talking to him, especially since he loved tech as much as she did, and shared her talent for it. Then when he had come back to town, she realised that she had grown to like him, and thanks to encouragement from Zoey, she'd agreed when Ollie had finally asked her out.

"Me too," she found herself smiling at last, relaxing beside him. "Thanks, Ollie," Ryne leaned against him, and saw a blush spread across his face.

"Y-yeah," he nodded, and Ryne couldn't help but giggle. "Do you want to get something to eat?" Ollie managed to ask as his blush grew at her laughter.

"Always," Ryne's smile grew wider, but as she got to her feet and pulled him up too, a shiver ran down her spine. Instantly her smile faded, and she looked around.

"What's wrong?" Ollie noticed her change in demeanour, wondering what had caught her attention.

"I…I'm not sure," Ryne said softly, looking around the park. The sun was beginning to set, casting a pretty orange hue over the sky of Coral Harbour, and there were no others around. But something still felt off to Ryne, and she couldn't figure out why. "Come on, let's get dinner, yeah?" she asked quickly, forcing a smile back to her face.

"Sure," Ollie nodded, but as they turned to walk towards the park exit, Ryne stopped abruptly again. This time as she saw a woman walking towards them. For just a second, Ryne hoped she was just walking past them, but her pale brown eyes were locked onto Ryne.

"There you are," the woman purred, and something in Ryne's instincts went on high alert. Whoever the woman was, she screamed danger, and even as a Ranger, Ryne felt like she had to get away. Her grip on Ollie's hand tightened. "I've been looking for you, little girl," her pretty face twisted into a sneer.

"You uh…know her?" Ollie murmured, feeling his own sense of survival starting to kick in.

"No…" Ryne frowned, not daring to take her eyes off the woman. "I've never met her before. We should-"

"Never met me before?" the woman cut Ryne off as she took a step back. "Well, that's just not true. We've met, once. When you were small. Well," she studied Ryne's figure, and her sneer twisted more. "Smaller. You were just a tiny thing, so innocent and sweet," what might have been a normal sentence was mocking.

"What are you-" Ryne stopped herself this time, her eyes going wide as she suddenly understood. Understood why her powers were rising to the surface, humming with need to be unleashed on the threat opposite her. "No, that's impossible," Ryne took a step back.

"Ryne?" Ollie's voice was questioning as he didn't understand what was going on. Instantly the woman scoffed.

"Ryne. What a pathetic name," Eidolon spat, her sneer turning angrier. "Did your tragic rat of a father tell you what it means?" she demanded as Ryne glared at her.

"Don't call him that," she warned, and the woman barked out a laugh.

"I'll do far worse, little blessing," she drew her dagger from her side.

"Whoa, okay, maybe we should all just calm down," Ollie spoke a little louder, staring at the dagger in Eidolon's hand.

"Calm down? Oh no, dear boy," Eidolon let out a bark of laughter. "You see, her parents cost me everything. And I will have my revenge one way or another," she vowed.

"Ollie," Ryne spoke as she let go of his hand. "I need you to move back. Someplace safe," she requested softly.

"What? No way, I can't just leave you with this maniac!" Ollie refused, outraged at the very idea. His response made her smile.

"Don't worry. I'll be okay," Ryne told him, her words soft but confident. She held up her arm and pressed down on her wristcom. "Transport!" she called, and Ollie's eyes went wide as a strange device materialised around Ryne's wrist. She then pulled out a strange pink key that gleamed brightly.

"What is that…" Eidolon eyed it warily. Ryne smirked.

"ACTIVATE BEAST POWER!" she shouted, Morphing into her Pink Suit. Eidolon hissed, and Ollie stared in shock.

"You're a…a Power Ranger?" he breathed, and Ryne glanced over her shoulder at him.

"I told you, I'll be okay. Now please, get somewhere safe," she asked again. This time Ollie only hesitated for a moment, before turning and running. "I'm thinking this wasn't Evox, but Robo-Asher who decided to bring you back," Ryne considered as she called on her sabre.

"That girl claimed to be a robotic clone of the brat who tricked me before," Eidolon said as she raised her dagger. "She's lucky she had something more interesting to offer than her own destruction," she added, and Ryne snorted.

"Even if you had destroyed her, she only would have come back. I've lost count of how many times I've taken her out," she said, sounding calmer than she felt. She knew all about Eidolon, the only other person who remained of Sentai-6, who wanted nothing more than to become all powerful by latching onto others. She had to destroy her before she teamed up properly with Evox.

"No matter. Once I finish with you, I can always track down her real self," Eidolon shrugged, and Ryne gripped her sabre tighter.

"Never going to happen," she vowed.

"I'd like to see you stop me!" with that shout, Eidolon threw her hand out, pouring her power into it. Ryne retaliated with her own, flinching as the two jets of blue power slammed into one another. "I wondered if you would inherit the power," Eidolon mused, and Ryne pushed to the side as she charged with her dagger held out. "I imagine it's as pathetic as that wretch," Eidolon sniffed.

"You keep calling my dad names, like he and mum didn't defeat you," Ryne replied, swinging her blade at her. Eidolon blocked it, and kicked Ryne backwards. Her strength was surprising, and Ryne barely managed to stay on her feet.

"Odius was the one who locked me away for eight years. Her demise wasn't painful enough," Eidolon spat. She'd already considered having the strange robot who looked human reanimate Odius too, simply so Eidolon could get her revenge on her. "And your foolish parents only defeated me because they had help. You, little blessing, are alone, and that's how you're going to die!" with that declaration, she threw more energy out.

"You love to hear yourself talk!" Ryne shouted, using her own powers to block it. She grit her teeth at the strength behind it, pouring more into her own to fight Eidolon's bombardment.

Too focused on defending herself from attacks too similar to her own, Ryne wasn't prepared for the dagger that flew at her. It clipped her side, and she bit back a curse as her suit wasn't able to fully absorb the pain for her. Her focus disrupted, Ryne wasn't able to defend against the bolt of energy that slammed into her.

"Ryne!" Ollie yelled as he saw the Pink Ranger lifted off her feet. The force threw her backwards to land on her back as the energy didn't let up, and she thrashed from the pain that stabbed through her.

"Scream, brat," Eidolon hissed, only to be hit from behind. Her powers vanished too as she screeched in pain, staggering. Ryne slumped, her suit shattering as she let out a quiet moan. Eidolon turned, seeing Ollie brandishing Ryne's fallen sword, and she snarled. "You humans are always interfering!" she grabbed him faster than he could defend, her hand twisting in his shirt, and Ollie cried out as he was flung farther and harder than he'd ever experienced, landing hard on the ground beside Ryne.

"Ollie…" Ryne breathed as he groaned, rolling onto his side. Everything hurt worse than ever, and it took a moment for the young man to remember how to breathe.

"I couldn't…leave you to fight her alone," he groaned as Ryne reached out towards him.

"How sweet," Eidolon rolled her eyes, but her breathing was ragged as the pain from the injury down her back burned. She was furious that he'd managed to sneak up on her. "I suppose you won't die alone after all," she taunted as Ryne glared up at her. "Thank you, for making my revenge so easy," she laughed, but as she lifted her dagger, eyes glimmering with malice, they heard footsteps charging towards them.

At first, Ryne expected her teammates. By now, their fighting was bound to have alerted the team to trouble, even if it wasn't Evox or any robotic problem. But then the hammer came into view, and Eidolon barely turned before it collided with her chest and launched her farther than she had thrown either of the two on the ground.

"Back the hell away from my daughter, Eidolon," Teddie snarled, her hammer over her shoulder as she glared furiously at her old adversary.

"Mum…" Ryne breathed.

"Whoa…" Ollie stared up at the woman standing there. He recognised her, knowing who she was from TV and online, but the expression she had on her face was far from the sweet smile he saw in pictures. And even he could feel the power radiating from the woman, making the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.

"You…" Eidolon hissed as she pushed herself back to her feet, spitting out a glob of blood. "The mighty Green Ranger, back in action even now. How did you find me?" she sneered at Teddie, who lifted her chin higher.

"Because you have the audacity to still be using the kernel of power I shared with you," another voice spoke up, and Eidolon's eyebrows narrowed as a beautiful blonde woman helped Ryne into a sitting position.

"Morgan le Fay…even you gave into the weakness of good? How disappointing," Eidolon snarled at the woman who had freed her from her prison and given her even greater power.

"I have no interest in listening to you prattle on. Teddie is your opponent. Don't underestimate her," with that, Morgan turned and pulled Ryne to her feet. Eidolon let out a soft snarl at the dismissal, but was distracted when Teddie launched her attack on her. "Are you alright, little one?" Morgan asked as Ryne stayed upright. Burns and bruises already covered her, but her eyes were alert.

"I'm fine…Ollie -" she turned to the young man, but Morgan moved instead to help him up as well.

"Not a trace of power in him, yet he leapt to your defence," she said, and Ollie frowned as he looked up at the beautiful woman. Her blonde hair was tied back in a long braid that went the entire way down her back, causing his gaze to be drawn to her pointed ears. "Impressive," Morgan commented, stepping back.

"Are you okay?" Ryne stepped forwards to ask, only to be surprised by him asking at the same time. "You're…you're asking me?" she asked, as if the notion was baffling to her. Ollie went red, and nodded, wincing as even that hurt.

"Of course. Just because you're a…" Ollie inhaled quietly as it sunk in. "A Power Ranger, doesn't mean you don't get hurt," he said, and Ryne stared up at him for a long moment. Then she stepped closer, grabbing him by the shirt to pull him down to her level so she could kiss him. Ollie let out a muffled sound of surprise, but didn't pull away.

Morgan blinked rapidly, taken aback by the sudden display of affection right in front of her, especially when Teddie and Eidolon were fighting nearby. However, it didn't last too long, as Ollie pulled away with a quiet noise of pain.

"S-sorry!" Ryne apologised, going bright red. She didn't know what had gotten into her. Her heart was racing, and she quickly released him. However, he quickly caught her hands, stopping her from moving away.

"No, it's - that was - I-" Ollie stumbled over the words, and Morgan rolled her eyes.

"I see mortals are still as ridiculous as ever," she said, arms folded as she watched Eidolon take a stab at Teddie, who kicked her backwards.

"Morgan…" Ryne groaned as Ollie shot her a baffled look.

"Mortal?" he repeated.

"Morgan's half-Fae, from the Magical Realm," Ryne explained wearily. Ollie blinked rapidly.

"Fae? But they can't be…"

"I assure you, boy," Morgan didn't turn around. "We're very real," she said simply. Ryne rolled her eyes as Ollie put a hand to his head, struggling to process it. But the more he looked at Morgan, the less human she appeared. Her skin had an almost ethereal glow to it, and her pointed ears were like something from a movie.

"I guess there's a lot to talk about," he said to Ryne, offering a small smile. When she returned it, almost seeming relieved, Ollie's smile grew as even now, her smile seemed to make her light up.

"Enough of this!" Eidolon snapped as she staggered back from another strike from Teddie's hammer. Even now, the woman was not to be underestimated when wielding it. "Morgan is correct - I do still have the power she gave me," her smirk returned, with anger burning in her eyes.

Teddie's scowl deepened as she felt the power in the woman opposite her rising. "And I will use it to destroy you, and this pathetic world!" Eidolon declared, and changed forms. Monstrous in form, dark magic poured off her as the blue and red creature Teddie remembered from their battle with Morgan and former foes stood tall, the white tendrils down her back rising in an attack stance.

"And I still have the power my mum gave me," Teddie finally said, and Morgan hissed at the light magic that burst from Teddie, wrapping around her like armour.

"That won't be enough to defeat me!" Eidolon shrieked, lunging forwards and lashing out with sharp talons.

"Earth Rupture!" Teddie slammed her hammer down against the ground, causing it to rumble and shake before exploding up under Eidolon. The monstrous creature shrieked as she was blown off her feet.

"Ryne!" Devon's voice reached Ryne, who turned to see the rest of her team running towards them. "Are you-" he stopped, looking at the commotion going on in front of them.

"Whoa!" Steel exclaimed, staring at Teddie as she fought off Eidolon with ease. "Who are they?" he asked. "And who are you?" he asked, looking from Morgan, who hadn't turned around, to Ollie, who was staring at Steel with a look of utter awe that almost made Ryne laugh.

"Oh come on!" another voice shouted, and their eyes widened as Robo-Asher appeared beside Eidolon. "This is pathetic. We need a plan," she said, grabbing Eidolon's arm.

"Wait!" before Eidolon could stop her, Robo-Asher teleported them both away.

"I almost expected them to leave her," Ryne admitted as quiet fell over them.

"Ryne!" Teddie whirled around, both her armour and her hammer vanishing as she launched herself at her daughter to embrace her tightly. "Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?" she asked, hugging her as Ryne groaned.

"Mum, I'm fine!" she protested, trying to pull out of her grasp. Teddie refused to let her go, fussing over her.

"So uh…anyone want to tell us what's going on here?" Devon asked, looking at the unfamiliar faces with them.

"That's what I'd like to know," Ollie nodded, and Ryne let out an exhausted sigh.


"So that was Eidolon? Seems Robo-Asher has one more play with the reanimiser," Ravi said as he folded his arms, a frown on his face.

"I thought for sure Evox would be done with that thing after we destroyed Goldar Maximus," Devon considered. Their memories of their massive fight was blurry for all of them, and none of them were entirely sure why. However, they knew it had been a resounding win for them, and the past had remained unchanged.

"Maybe I should tell my parents that I can't go with them…" Nate's quiet words made them look quickly to their Gold Ranger. The conflicted look from before had returned.

"Hey," Zoey reached out and took his hand, forcing a smile to her face. "We've got this, remember? And Teddie showed that Eidolon isn't as tough as she looks," she reminded him.

"Eidolon just likes to think she's tough. Especially thanks to a certain someone," they looked up at Teddie as she drawled the last few words, a pointed look aimed at Morgan. The blonde woman frowned back at her.

"How many times do I need to say that I'm sorry?" Morgan complained, her hands going to her hips. "You mortals are so begrudging," she huffed.

"Says the woman who picked a fight with my mum because of your past life," Teddie shot back. Morgan rolled her eyes and shrugged. Teddie grinned, knowing she'd won. "This is Morgan, by the way. She's a friend, even if all she does is complain and call us mortals," she told the team. Morgan bowed her head to the team, and shot another glare at Teddie, who didn't miss it. "And who is that?" Teddie's gaze moved to the side, to where Ryne was filling Ollie in on everything. He looked baffled, constantly interrupting, but so far hadn't run away.

"That's Ollie," Zoey's forced smile turned into a pleased grin as she looked over. "My brother was interning with his mum, and they started talking," she said. Teddie's grin turned devious.

"I see," she murmured.

"He stepped in to help her when he has no power of his own. Very impressive," Morgan said, and Teddie laughed.

"A hero. Heckyl will be thrilled," her words made a faint smirk tug at the corners of Morgan's mouth.

"I'm sorry," Ryne apologised as she finally finished telling Ollie everything. He was quiet at last, but still looked somewhat overwhelmed. "I should have said something. I'm…complicated," she sighed.

"It's a lot to learn on a first date," Ollie's words were oddly calm. "But better now than way down the line, huh?" he asked, and Ryne lowered her head. She berated herself for thinking that she could have something normal. That she could date someone normal when she had one of the most complicated backgrounds imaginable. "I guess the date's kind of ruined though," he considered.

"If…if you don't want to see me again, I get that," he was surprised at the quiet, miserable words that Ryne spoke. "Just please, don't tell anyone what I've told you. About me or my team, or my mum, she already has-"

"Whoa, slow down," Ollie's laugh made Ryne stop, but she didn't dare look up. "It's a lot, yeah, but I figured you weren't exactly normal already," he admitted, resting a hand on her head. "I won't tell anyone. But…maybe we could have a retry on the date?" he asked, and Ryne's head lifted quickly.

"Re…really?" she stared at him.

"Really," he grinned. Ryne smiled, even as her face turned red in a deep blush.

"Okay," she nodded. Ryne then paused, and let out a quiet sigh. "Then I apologise for what you're going to have to endure," she warned, all too aware of the watchful gazes of everyone nearby. She was never going to here the end of it.


"I cannot believe everyone got to meet him except for me!" Asher's complaints hadn't stopped from the moment she heard about the events of the previous night. "I'm at Nate's lab, feeling all sad about how I'm going to have to take over, and everyone else gets to meet this charming young man," she huffed, arms crossed over her chest as she glowered at Ryne.

"It's good to know that Ryne has someone looking after her when I'm not around," Teddie only laughed. She adjusted the hat on her head, obscuring her face enough that nobody else in Riptide recognised her.

"I'd have thought you'd be more focused on, you know, Eidolon coming back?" Ryne said, addressing both of them. Asher's glower hardened.

"I won't say I'm thrilled with the idea. Especially since it seems to be my robotic clone that came up with it," she said, leaning back and sipping her smoothie. "But Aunt Teddie chased her off already, and I know you guys. You'll defeat her, just like the others," Asher told Ryne.

The moment she had heard that Eidolon had returned, she'd frozen up, remembering the nightmares from her early childhood. She had been just old enough to remember that night with Eidolon, when the woman had tried to kidnap Ryne. But she was older now, and she trusted Ryne. Her cousin had already saved her once.

"It'll be fine," Teddie told them both, her confidence obvious.

"And what brings you to Coral Harbour, Aunt Teddie?" Asher asked, curious.

"Visiting my wonderful daughter, of course," Ryne let out a grunt of protest as Teddie hugged her again. "Morgan contacted me yesterday, warning me about the strange dark magic she had detected here that felt like her magic from back then, so we decided to check it out. I'd really hoped it wasn't Eidolon, but that woman is a cockroach," Teddie complained. "So, what's this about Nate?" she asked, looking from Ryne to Asher as a gloom appeared over them both at the mention of the Gold Ranger.

'Hey team,' as if on cue, Nate's voice came from Ryne's wristcom, and they quickly looked down. 'I need backup at our location, stat!' he requested, and Ryne cursed.

"Duty calls," she downed the last of her smoothie.

"Be careful," Teddie warned as Ryne leapt to her feet.

"You're as bad as dad," she complained, and Teddie smirked. "Keep an eye on that, please," she gestured to the skateboard, before running off.

"I rue the day my bro gave her that," Teddie murmured, and Asher only laughed.


Robo-Roxy, determined not to be outdone by Robo-Asher and her play with Eidolon, had waited for the opportune moment to find Nate and Steel separated from the the rest of the team.

"Bro!" Steel shouted as Nate was thrown aside by the powerful robot.

"Yes!" Robo-Roxy cheered, seeing her victory at hand. However, before she could deliver another blow to the pair, she was forced to dodge Devon's flying kick. Stepping back, she moved straight into the path of Ryne's Beast Chakrams, and shrieked when they scraped down her back.

"You guys okay?" Devon asked as they, along with Zoey, moved to help Nate and Steel back to their feet.

"I'm fine," Steel gave a thumbs up before leaping back to his feet.

"Affirmative," Nate confirmed, but was breathing heavily. "Let's do this, together!" he called. Robo-Roxy gave an angry scoff and raised her blaster.

"Come and get me!" she goaded, resuming the fight against the five. The robot was strong, laughing as she held her own against the team.

"Ravi, hurry up!" Devon contacted their errant Blue Ranger as he scrambled back to his feet.

"Beast-X Visor, Linked!" Devon, Zoey and Ryne chorused. "Activate Beast-X Mode!" they called on their more powerful armour to gain a boost of power from their Beast Bots. "Beast-X Mode, ready!" they shouted, rejoining Nate and Steel.

"Cheetah Charge!"

"Jackrabbit Spin Strike!"

"Squirrel Snipe!" they charged in, only for Roxy to shove Nate and Steel away, managing to dodge at the last second. Devon and Zoey sailed past, almost colliding with each other as Ryne's missed follow-up strike had her stumbling.

"Nice try, but you forget that I'm better than you," she mocked them, before noticing Nate's devices lying on the bench where they'd dropped them at her sudden attack. "I see you've been harnessing more beast power…I'll take these," she decided.

"No!"

"Stop her!" they charged in as she lifted them, but Robo-Roxy vanished in a flash of purple, her laugh echoing even as she vanished.

"That was my DNA scanner!" Nate moaned in disbelief.

"Guys!" they turned as Ravi reached them. To their surprise, he was covered in oil.

"Sorry I'm late. I was doing some maintenance on the Wheeler Zord and…kind of got stuck under the engine," he apologised, embarrassed by how long he had been under there before Lewis had found him and helped him. He'd offered to learn how to maintain the Zords after seeing how much work Asher would be taking on, and she had agreed, knowing he had some knowledge of how they worked.

"Ouch," the others winced.

"It's hard work," Ravi admitted.

"Tell me about it," Nate patted his shoulder, knowing it all too well. He'd almost gotten stuck more than a few times. "Come on, let's get back so we can replace that scanner," he told them, and the team hurried off back to Grid Battleforce.


With Nate having to leave later that day, Ryne had offered to take charge on getting his replacement DNA scanner up and running. It was an older model, but some quick words from Nate had her knowing exactly how to upgrade it without losing it's main function.

"He's really leaving," Lewis sighed as he walked in, scrubbing the oil off his hands with an old rag. "I better not be expected to deal with the Zord maintenance all the time," he warned, tossing the rag onto the table and earning a glare from Asher.

"You offered after you managed to dislodge Ravi," she pointed out, lifting the rag and throwing it back at him. It hit Lewis in the face, and he let out a disgrunted noise as oil streaked his face even more.

"As a one time thing. Machines aren't my thing," Lewis replied.

"I know. Ryne's mentioned how many times you've broken your wristcom," Asher retorted, and he turned a glower on the Pink Ranger, who hadn't looked up from where she was connecting a new circuit board to the DNA scanner. "It's starting to sink in for you too, huh?" Asher's voice was softer as Ryne didn't look up, oblivious as always as she worked.

"It's just so…quick," Lewis ran a hand through his hair, and grimaced as he remembered the oil that covered a large part of his exposed skin. "We only found out yesterday. Not to mention his Ranger status," he added quietly.

"The Dino Charge team had Rangers who weren't around all the time," Asher reminded him gently, but Lewis shrugged.

"Yeah, but they were always able to come back when needed. Nate's not going to have that luxury. It's just…it's unfair," Lewis complained.

"Nobody said being a Ranger was an easy thing," Ryne pointed out softly, lifting her head and pulling off the goggles she'd been wearing. "I don't like the idea of losing Nate, both as a part of the team, and in general. But like Zoey said, all Nate's ever wanted was to be with his parents. If this is what he wants, I think we should let him be happy," she said simply. Lewis and Asher exchanged looks, before Lewis huffed.

"I don't like when you're the wise one," he complained.

"Then you must never like it," Ryne flashed him an innocent smile before going back to her work.

"Geez, look at her. She gets a boyfriend and starts mouthing off. I need to meet him," Lewis complained.

"Never going to happen," Ryne sang, before the doors opened and Nate walked in with Zoey. Both were subdued as they held hands, barely managing to greet the three inside.

"Hey guys. I just wanted to see how things were going before…" Nate trailed off, and Ryne forced the smile back to her face.

"The DNA scanner is going well, but it needs more work. You really neglected it," she scolded him, and Nate's smile grew at her words.

"Sorry, I didn't expect my usual one to be stolen," he defended.

"There's the world traveller," Ravi called as he walked in with Devon and Steel.

"Ready to go?" Devon asked, and the smile vanished from Nate's face.

"Sort of," he shrugged. "Just waiting for my luggage," he said, subdued once again. Lewis huffed, but a warning look from Asher kept his mouth shut.

"The Beast Bots wanted to say goodbye," Commander Shaw announced as she walked in, leading the four Beast Bots.

"Safe travels, Nate," Cruise told him.

"We'll miss you," Smash sniffed.

"A lot," Scramble added. Nate smiled sadly at them.

"Bye, guys," he said, touched that the four wanted to say goodbye to him.

"See ya buddy," Jax said as Nate's parents walked into the lab, taking a quick glance around as they wheeled in a case with them.

"We've got to get moving to the airport," Mr. Silva said to his son, who nodded.

"Okay," he said, but a quick look around had him struggling to take a breath. Zoey squeezed his hand, reassuring him, and Nate exhaled.

"I'll miss you guys," he said softly, and was surprised when his team, as well as Lewis and Asher, suddenly surrounded him in a hug.

"We'll miss you too," Devon said as they let go and stepped away from him. Nate blinked back tears.

"Take care," Ravi told him.

"I'll write to you every day," Steel told him firmly, earning a quiet laugh.

"And we'll make sure things keep running smooth around here," Ryne said. Asher nodded, and Lewis looked mournfully at the oil staining his white shirt.

"We gotta get going," Mr. Silva said, smiling at the interaction between the group, and after another short goodbye, Nate left with his parents.


The power that flooded Eidolon's body wasn't gentle. It burned as it coursed through her, mutating her already monstrous form to have a carapace forming down her back, offering thicker armour than the power from Morgan ever allowed. But it wasn't just that, as robotic implants made her feel stronger and faster than ever.

Finally the transfusion was over, and she staggered out of the machine. Eidolon blinked rapidly as she adjusted to the changes in her sight, making everything around her sharper and brighter.

"Part beetle…part robot…" she murmured, holding out her hand. However, the power that normally flowed just under the surface was silent. "So…the sacrifice to this power is my connection to Sentai-6…" Eidolon realised, and instead pulled on the power that she could still feel within. She threw out a hand, and a burst of glowing blue energy smashed through a wall and exploded with enough force to knock most of them off balance.

"The DNA and robotic infusion works" Evox mused as Asher silently fumed from the sidelines. Evox had already roared at her in anger for not only reanimising someone without permission, but for how pathetic she had been in battle. Robo-Roxy's arrival with the DNA scanner stolen from Nate was the only thing that stopped Evox from destroying them both, and Eidolon had leapt at the chance to get more power.

"This contains DNA the Rangers were gonna use against us," Robo-Roxy smirked.

"And for our next step, the robot-maker will combine this DNA with Roxy, to make her even more powerful!" Scrozzle declared, already figuring out how to utilise it to their advantage.

"What kind of DNA is it?" Blaze strode over to try and snatch it from her. Roxy yanked it away from him.

"I'm…" Roxy stressed as she smirked at him. "About to find out," she declared as she admired the vial. "Maybe a wasp, or even a scorpion," Roxy considered. She handed it over to Scrozzle, and strutted over to the robot-maker.

"Maybe a fly," Asher muttered from where she was sulking.

"Go ahead Scrozzle," Roxy called, not hearing her.

"On it!" Scrozzle agreed, already getting to work.

"Make me awesome," Roxy said as Blaze skulked over to where Asher was standing, both of them looking unimpressed. Scrozzle connected the stolen DNA, and started up the machine.

"You're a lot braver than I am," he mused, before the doors closed. The group watched, and Eidolon cocked her head as power flooded through the robot maker's chamber. "Something's happening!" Scrozzle exclaimed.

The doors opened, and Roxy stepped out in her armoured form. However, it was much more imposing than before, with vicious looking thorns and spikes protruding from it. Roxy let out an eager laugh.

"I can feel my new power! Yes, the Rangers don't stand a chance now!" Roxy laughed as she stood beside Eidolon. However, she stopped as she heard Asher snort and Blaze laugh.

"Oh, really?" Asher sneered as Roxy gave an irritated groan.

"You're a flower. What are you going to do, prick them?" Blaze taunted.

"Set off their allergies?" Asher mocked, the pair goading her.

"I'll show you what I can do," Roxy held up a hand as she prepared to fight the two, only to be interrupted.

"Save it for my enemies, Roxy. I want to see them destroyed!" the virus ordered her impatiently. Eidolon eyed him, staying silent as she found herself reminded of Odius and her tendency to bark orders.

"I'll make sure of it, Master," Roxy simpered. Blaze and Asher rolled their eyes. "Keep up, Eidolon," Roxy barked at the monster beside her, and the two vanished.


Asher could already feel a headache brewing, and Nate had only been gone an hour. Now juggling Nate's work on top of her own maintaining the Rangers' arsenal of weapons, she also had to walk Zoey through everything too, as the Yellow Ranger insisted on trying to help.

"Zoey, really, Ryne can manage that when she gets back," Asher tried again as Zoey decided to take over preparing the replacement DNA scanner.

"Ryne already has enough to worry about," Zoey said firmly as she lifted the soldering iron to continue attaching the wires to the circuit board. "She's training with her mum to help fight Eidolon when she shows up again. She doesn't need to worry about this," her words had Asher hesitating long enough for Zoey to grab the protective glasses.

"Do you know much about this?" Asher hedged.

"Nate taught me a lot since I became a Ranger," Zoey said, confident. Asher resisted a roll of her eyes, knowing that half the reason they spent so much time in the lab together was because they couldn't date, and it was the closest they could be without drawing attention to their feelings.

However, she also knew that Zoey was smart, and laundry duty had only been her first stepping stone in rising up through Grid Battleforce, especially when she failed to make the cut when Commander Shaw was first putting together her Ranger project.

"Fine, but please, be careful. Ryne will have a meltdown if you break it," Asher warned, and Zoey brightened.

"Of course!" she said. With a sigh, Asher moved her work over to the same table so that she could keep an eye on Zoey at the same time. The two worked in quiet as Asher went through the maintenance of their Beast-X Visors, making sure they were powered up and ready for when they were needed.

'How Nate balanced all this on top of being a Ranger, I'll never know,' Asher thought to herself as she finished looking over Devon's Visor, and moved onto Ryne's. 'Hopefully we can get used to this and find a balance for all of us…because otherwise we might be in trouble,' she admitted, but kept that thought to herself.

Satisfied with Ryne's Visor, Asher set it down, but as she reached out for Ravi's, her gaze then moved to Zoey. Her eyebrows furrowed.

"Zoey, I'm not sure that's right," she warned carefully, and Zoey let out a frustrated huff.

"The schematic said 'red to black', so…" Zoey continued as Asher looked at the schematics. According to what she saw, it seemed correct, but it still felt off to the lab assistant.

"Zoey, wait-" before she could stop her, Zoey connected the two wires. Instantly a bright spark shot out and Zoey jerked back, hissing at the burning in her fingers. Asher's attention moved to the computer screen where the DNA Scanner had been connected, watching as it flickered and went black, and the transporters nearby that were also connected to the computer sparked violently.

"Oh no…" Asher groaned as she hurried over to the computer. However, it was completely fried. "I hope the transporter case is okay…" she breathed.

"Uh…yeah, I'm sure it is," Zoey nodded, but sounded far less confident than before. "Just a little…short circuit," she gulped. "The system seems fine…"

"Ryne might not have that meltdown if I kill you first," Asher groaned, pushing her glasses up to pinch the bridge of her nose.

"I followed the schematics, I don't know why it did that," Zoey defended, going red as embarrassment crept in from her failure.

"They're Nate's original schematics. Ryne's been upgrading that to work like the stolen Scanner, so the wiring might be different now," Asher pointed out, and the blush grew darker. She then sighed. "You were only trying to help, I know-"

"I know how to do this. Nate showed me how. I can do this," Zoey bit back, growing even more defensive. Asher held her gaze easily.

"But you don't have to do everything yourself," she said simply, watching as Zoey faltered at her words.

"Guys!" before any more could be said, Ravi's voice rang out, and they saw him run into the lab with Devon.

"A Robotron has been spotted in Sector Uniform-1-6," Devon warned them, and Zoey's eyes went wide. "Ryne and Steel are on their way, we need to meet them there," he told them.

"Let's go!" Zoey nodded, hurrying out. Asher bit her lip and turned around to look at the transporter.

"I really hope you know what you're talking about Zoey," she murmured, resting a hand on her hip as she started trying to fix the computer.


It didn't take much effort to send the citizens of Coral Harbour running, and Eidolon was finding them increasingly pathetic. All she had to do was show up in her new monstrous form, more powerful than ever, and they took off screaming.

"This is the world those fools fight so hard to defend? And others died to rule? Humans remain pathetic, no matter how much time has passed," she murmured.

"Stop right there!" she turned at Devon's shout, and found five Rangers standing together. She sneered. "Today's not your lucky day," he declared.

"Luck?" Eidolon repeated. "I don't need luck. That's always been what's kept you Ranger fools ahead," her words made Ryne go rigid.

"It can't be…" she breathed.

"Once again, you fail to recognise me, little blessing," Eidolon sneered, and Ryne's eyes narrowed.

"So desperate for more power, you'd turn yourself into that thing?" she called.

"I'll do whatever it takes to destroy you brats and rule over everything," Eidolon taunted. "And this time, I've got backup with true strength," at her words, Robo-Roxy landed beside her.

"Who's that overgrown bouquet?" Zoey wondered as they saw the flowers climbing up her back.

"Robo-Roxy…" Ravi breathed, recognising her. She still haunted his nightmares. "That's Robo-Roxy," he hissed.

"Yep, and I'm all amped up by the power of plant DNA," she taunted.

"Hey!" Steel protested. "Nate and I collected that DNA!" he shouted, unimpressed that she'd used it to power herself up.

"We have a little extra power of our own!" Devon reminded them. "It's Morphin' Time!" he shouted, but as they pressed their wristcoms to call on their Morphers, they gave a series of low beeps, and nothing happened.

"Hey…" Steel murmured as they pressed their wristcoms again, only to get an error noise.

"What's wrong with the transporter?" Ryne wondered. "They won't transport our Morphers," she said as she started fiddling with the wristcom in hopes that it would kick start the transport.


Lewis cursed as sparks burst from the transporters lined up along the wall with all the Ranger weapons, trying to respond to the command given.

"The transport system is down!" Asher warned as she sprinted in. There were burns on her face and hands where she'd been showered in the angry sparks of electricity, but she ignored them. "The Rangers can't call on any of their tech, including their Morphers," she warned. Instantly the Commander opened a link.

"Rangers! Come in, Rangers!" she called, before the transporters gave off another round of angry sparks. "Rangers!" Commander Shaw shouted again. "The transport system has malfunctioned, it's completely offline," she warned.

'It must have been the short-circuit when I was working with the new DNA Scanner,' Zoey's realisation came through.

'You what?!" Ryne's demand was laced with annoyance.

'What? But we need our Morphers,' Devon warned, all too aware of the danger in front of them.

"Stay calm, we're working on it," Commander Shaw said, ending the communication as she looked at Asher. "Can you fix it?" she asked her.

"It's going to take me a while, I only started to look at their designs recently," Asher admitted, her heart hammering in her chest.

"Get on it, fast," Commander Shaw ordered, and turned to Lewis. "Help her where you can. We have to get those Morphers to the Rangers," she ordered. He nodded, and the two ran out to get to work.


Fighting had broken out moments after Commander Shaw had ended their communication link, as both Robo-Roxy and Eidolon took great delight in toying with the Rangers now that they were missing their powers.

"This is going to be so easy, it's almost disappointing," Eidolon said as she rounded on Ryne, easily throwing Steel aside. "No Ranger suit to protect your fragile body," she taunted as Ryne's eyes narrowed.

"Like I said last night, you love to hear yourself talk," she said, throwing her hand out to blast Eidolon with her powers. To her surprise, Eidolon didn't counter it, and was forced a step back. However, she didn't question it, and instead pushed herself forwards to deliver a kick that seemed to hurt Ryne more than the monstrous form in front of her.

"Was that your best shot?" Eidolon laughed, grabbing for her. Quickly calling on her Squirrel Reflexes, Ryne was able to dodge her attacks easily, backing away. "Stubborn little brat!" she shouted.

"Ravi!" Ryne shouted instead, and the Blue Ranger charged in. He was already wincing from the blows that Robo-Roxy had landed, but refused to give up. Instead, he charged up his Gorilla Strength, and Ryne's hand on his back had them even stronger as he threw a punch. Not expecting it, Eidolon went staggering backwards.

"Thanks for the boost," Ravi nodded to Ryne, who managed a grim smile back.

"Glad to help, but I don't think we can risk overdoing it," she said, and Ravi couldn't help but agree. Their Beast Powers would help, but only in the short term. They couldn't risk the side-effects at such a dire moment.

"Impressive hit," they looked up at Eidolon, who had already recovered. Ravi bit back a frustrated shout. They needed their Ranger powers. "But if that's the best you've got, then you have no hope," she taunted.

"I thought I told you already," they looked up, and Eidolon visibly soured as Teddie walked towards them, standing between Eidolon and the Rangers. "Stay away from my daughter," she said firmly. Teddie then glanced over her shoulder. "I know that I said you could handle it, but it looks like you're having some Morpher trouble," she commented, and Ryne gave a bitter smile.

"Unfortunately so," she confirmed.

"We're glad for the help," Ravi added in, and Teddie chuckled.

"I'm sure you've heard that old phrase by now," Teddie started, taking a step forwards. Her hammer materialised beside it, and as she caught it, the green and white armour they'd seen her in the previous night formed around her. "Once a Ranger, always a Ranger," she declared.

"I'm going to enjoy this," Eidolon growled, launching herself at Teddie. The woman blocked her talons, wincing at the strength behind them.

"You really are desperate for power," Teddie hissed, but as she shoved her backwards, Eidolon let out a cackle, and threw out her hand. A burst of power shot out, hitting Teddie in the chest.

"Mum!" Ryne gave a shout of horror as Teddie went crashing backwards. "Let's get back in there," she told Ravi, who nodded. The two charged in, ready to help, and Eidolon let out a laugh.

"If she can't stand up to me, then what hope do you have?" she asked, and turned her back as Ryne fired a blast of energy. It slammed against the large, deep blue carapace that covered Eidolon's back, which protected her from harm, even as Ravi delivered another enhanced punch. "Pathetic!" Eidolon then whirled around and kicked Ryne in the chest before catching Ravi and hurling him into Teddie as she pushed herself up.

"Okay, this new strength of hers is a little worrying," Teddie admitted as she managed to get to her feet again. The pain in her chest was one that she hadn't felt in years, and she hadn't missed the aches of battle.

"What's the matter, Rangers?" Robo-Roxy crooned as Devon, Zoey and Steel were thrown aside as well, unable to stand up to her enhanced form. "Not so mighty without your Morphers, I see," she laughed. "Even with a washed up hero on your side, you're pathetic," she taunted.

"'Washed up'?" Teddie repeated, offended. "Alright, now I'm mad," she growled.

"Here we go," Ryne sighed.


Asher swore loudly as yet another backlash from the damaged teleporters burned her hand, yet refused to work past that. Even Lewis couldn't bring himself to comment on it as he did his best to help her repair the damage.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," Asher admitted, a little breathless. "I'm working with half the knowledge here. At this rate…" she stopped herself, and Lewis put a hand on her shoulder.

"Deep breaths," he soothed, and Asher nodded, closing her eyes to do so. "We'll get these Morphers to the Rangers, one way or-" Lewis stopped as the doors opened and Nate raced in. "Nate? What are you doing here?" he demanded, and Asher looked up at him with wide eyes. Cruise followed in with a bag filled with the Ranger's arsenal.

"Getting the team what they need," Nate said firmly. "This is the last of it," he said, and Lewis chuckled.

"All our hard work, and you charge in to save the day," he commented. "We'd be-" he stopped himself before he could finish the sentence. "Good luck," Lewis said instead. Nate nodded, smiling faintly before pulling the bag onto his back.

"Come on Cruise, I need another ride," he told the Beast Bot, already running for the door again.

"You're right," Asher's soft words made Lewis turn to her. "We'd be lost without him," she said. Lewis didn't reply.


Once again the Rangers found themselves on the ground, moaning in pain as without their Ranger suits, they were taking the full brunt of Robo-Roxy and Eidolon's attacks. Even Teddie was struggling to stand up to them both, as Eidolon's enhanced powers, mixed with the defensive capabilities of her new beetle DNA made it difficult to land a decisive hit.

"Oh Rangers, my power has blossomed," Robo-Roxy taunted the fallen group. "And just in time to finally destroy you!" she declared. Before she could fire a blast that risked doing just that, a shot came from nearby that exploded against her armour, knocking her off balance. A second shot followed, hitting Eidolon and making her snarl.

"Nate?!" Zoey gasped as the Gold Ranger leapt from Cruise's bike form and pulled off his helmet. "What are you doing here?" she demanded as he knelt beside them, pulling the bag from his back.

"I heard the transport system was down, so we brought everything you need," he handed over their Morphers, to their relief.

"Perfect timing," Teddie chuckled as she pushed herself up, leaning on her hammer.

"Urgh, golden boy…" Roxy snarled as she got back to her feet.

"Looks like it's one last fight for me," Nate said quietly, before turning to Cruise as the Beast Bot returned to his normal form. "Cruise, stay with the weapons just in case we need some," he instructed, tossing the bag to him.

"Roger that!" Cruise caught it and hurried off to a safe distance.

"Thanks Cruise!" Devon called after his best friend. "Now, we've got work to do. It's Morphin' Time!" he shouted. This time, their Morphers were ready.

"ACTIVATE BEAST POWER, HA!" the team Morphed, ready for the next round.

"Unleash the beast!"

As soon as they made to fight, another transmission came through from Commander Shaw.

'Gigadrone detected in your Sector,' she warned, making them frown.

"Like this wasn't annoying enough," Ryne muttered.

"Leave it to me," Steel volunteered, knowing they needed as much power in the current fight as possible.

"Steel's on it, Commander," Devon reported to her, and looked up as he ended the communication. "Right, let's nip this in the bud," he declared.

"Preferably before the flower puns get even more unbearable," Ryne muttered, and Teddie coughed to hide her laughter.

The fighting resumed, with Teddie and Ryne focused on Eidolon while the others fought off the enhanced Robo-Roxy.

"A fancy suit isn't enough to take me down, you should know that by now!" Eidolon shouted, slashing her talons at Ryne. The Pink Ranger dodged them, jumping back and flinging out her Chakrams. They sliced through the thick armour, and Teddie's follow-up strike with her hammer made Eidolon shriek.

"You had so many chances, Eidolon," Teddie said softly. "You didn't have to go down this path," her words forced a snarl from Eidolon.

"I don't need your pity!" she shouted. "All I wanted was to prove how strong we were. But my people were pathetic. Undeserving of all those artifacts they hoarded. I will become stronger than anyone, and prove that I was right," Eidolon vowed.

"You sure she wasn't the one who touched the Dark Energem?" Ryne's question was so bland that Teddie couldn't stop her laugh. "Let's finish this already," she pressed.

"Sounds good to me," her mother nodded, swinging her hammer. Eidolon gave a yell, charging at them again, but found herself on the defensive against the pair as they backed each other up perfectly.

"No…no I won't lose against the likes of you," Eidolon promised, drawing more power to the surface so it crackled around her, causing her to glow with a faint blue hue. "I'll wipe you off the face of this miserable planet!" she shrieked.

"Not going to happen," Teddie said as she began to glow with an aura of gold, green and white. Her Earth magic filled the air around them, enough that even Robo-Roxy couldn't help but hesitate as it resonated with the flower DNA within her. "Gaia Earth Rupture!" Teddie charged forwards, and Eidolon let out a shriek.

Teddie's hammer, glowing with the same energy that she was, collided with the power that exploded from Eidolon, and the two warred with one another for a moment, before Teddie took a decisive step forward and smashed through the power. Her hammer collided hard with Eidolon, who was thrown back from the force.

Instantly the power in the air vanished, and Teddie demorphed as she fell to one knee, breathing heavily. Her power exhausted, she couldn't help but wince as the effects of the battle caught up with her.

"I'm so out of practice," she complained, and looked up as Eidolon staggered back to her feet. Badly injured, Eidolon was staggering back towards them, but still had the energy to laugh.

"All that, and you're the one on the ground, little Ranger. Even now, you're no match for me," she taunted.

"You're forgetting someone," Teddie smirked up at her, not moving as her chest heaved from exertion. Eidolon paused, cocking her head.

"What's your little blessing going to do? She's more pathetic than you are," she mocked her hated adversary. Teddie just grinned that confident grin that only ever riled Eidolon up, even now.

"But I've got the one thing you've always spurned," Ryne's call made Eidolon look over at her at last, and found her in her Beast-X Mode. "Help," she finished.

'Ready to go, Ryne!" Scramble called eagerly. 'Let's finish this creep,' the Beast Bot said as Ryne raced towards Eidolon.

"Squirrel Snipe!" with a powerful punch, she struck perfectly in the centre of where Teddie had hit before, making Eidolon scream.

"No…" the monstrous creature groaned as she staggered, unable to stay standing. "How could I lose, even now?" she wondered, before falling forwards and exploding.

"Good riddance," Teddie breathed, and Ryne ran over to help her. "Nice hit," she praised.

"I couldn't have done it without your help. Thanks," she nodded, and Teddie laughed, patting her on the head. They then looked over to Robo-Roxy, who had found the fight turning against her as Devon and Nate delivered a powerful strike, while above, Steel was finishing off the Gigadrone.

"Nice work!" Ryne called as she ran over to her team.

"Yeah, Roxy's looking a little wilted now," Ravi grinned, and it only widened at the groan their Pink Ranger let out at his comment.

"Let's finish this," Devon called as Steel returned from his own fight. They turned back to Robo-Roxy, ready to finish her off.

"This isn't the end, Rangers!" before they could do anything, Robo-Roxy vanished. They moaned in irritation, before demorphing.

"You have her on the ropes," Teddie soothed as she walked over, seeing their frustration at letting her escape. "You'll be prepared for her next attack," she said, and paused. "When did I turn into mum?" she wondered, shuddering.

"Nate, Roxy used the DNA we collected to power herself up," Steel warned his brother.

"And they used the beetle DNA to power up Eidolon," Ryne added.

"They have a Scanner now, which means they could do this again," Nate considered, knowing that the loss of their DNA Scanner meant a huge boost to Evox's power.

"It's not your worry anymore, Nate," Devon reminded him, trying to soothe the Gold Ranger so he didn't panic right before leaving. "We've got it covered, no problem," he gave the rest of the team a pointed look.

"Right, you uh…" Ravi hesitated. "You didn't really need to bring us the weapons, we could have just fought with…" he swallowed, looking around for help. He floundered even more when he saw the amused grin on Teddie's face.

"We can't," Ryne sighed, finally giving in. "We're completely lost without you, Nate," she told him honestly, making his eyes widen in surprise. "Ashe doesn't have time to do your work on top of her own - I don't know how you do all that work. We were left in charge one day and the transporter is broken," the words that she'd been trying to hold back spilled free.

"She's right," Devon nodded. "If you hadn't come, I hate to think what Roxy might have done," he admitted as Nate stared at them.

"Nate…please don't leave us," Zoey pleaded, giving into the selfish need.

"Guys…I…" Nate started, only for his watch to beep. "Oh no, our flight!" he gasped, realising his parents were waiting at the airport for them. "I've got to go!" he groaned.

"I'll get you there in time," Teddie said, holding out her hand. "Everyone hold on," she said, and they looked at her curiously before slowly reaching out. She grinned deviously. "I hope nobody has a weak stomach," she warned, before they vanished in a burst of green and white sparks.


Reappearing in a quiet spot not too far from the airport, Teddie straightened up and took a look around as the Rangers recovered from the sudden use of teleportation magic. Ravi groaned, his stomach lurching.

"Go on, Nate," Teddie nodded to the Gold Ranger, who nodded and took off towards the airport.

"Nate!" Mr. Silva spotted him, and his parents ran over. "Our flight's about to leave!" he warned.

"Mum, dad…" Nate's words shook as the rest of the Rangers hurried over. "I love you so much, and I really want to go with you, honestly, I do," he said, earnest in his words as his parents frowned in confusion. "But…" he turned and looked at his team. "I just can't," Nate sighed. The relief was obvious in all of the Rangers.

"Why? What is it, honey?" Mrs. Silva asked, not understanding why he suddenly refused to go.

"Grid Battleforce needs me to help protect the city from Evox," Nate told them the truth, even as he fought tears. "A lot of people are counting on me," he said. There was a quiet moment, before his parents exchanged looks.

"We totally understand," to his surprise, his dad smiled softly at him. "Life's full of tough choices, son," he reminded him gently.

"Like the choice you make every time you have to leave me," Nate nodded, knowing what he meant. They looked at one another, guilt in their eyes. "I used to think maybe you didn't love me," Nate admitted sheepishly. For a moment, they looked alarmed, but he continued. "But now I understand. You left me to go and help the world, the same way I have to stay now. To help keep the city safe," he told them as they stared, stunned.

Nate took a deep breath, trying to calm himself before he smiled at his parents. "I should never have been mad at you. Can you forgive me?" he asked hopefully.

"There's nothing to forgive," Mrs. Silva told him tearfully. "We're so proud of you," she said, and they pulled their son into a warm embrace.

"We'll see you at Christmas then?" Mr. Silva asked, and Nate's smile widened. "You and Steel both," his words had Steel gasp loudly.

"I hope we see Santa!" he exclaimed excitedly. The others tried to hide their laughter.

"Bye, boys. We couldn't love you more," Mrs. Silva hugged Nate again.

"I love you, mum," Nate breathed as he hugged her back. She then moved to hug Steel, and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"Wow! Our mum is awesome!" Steel exclaimed, delighted. Mr. Silva called out a goodbye, the two waving as they ran to catch their flight, aware how late they were running.

"Have a safe trip!" the rest of the Rangers called out, unable to hide how relieved they were that Nate was staying. The Gold Ranger turned back, and grinned at them.

"In the meantime, we have an amazing Ranger family right here," he said, putting an arm around Zoey.

"We are amazing. Especially me," Steel nodded, earning more laughter.

"Glad to see you get it now," Teddie chuckled. "Now that Eidolon is gone again, I leave the city in your capable hands," she said, and they grinned confidently at her. "But if you need me," she pulled Ryne into her arms, and the Pink Ranger groaned. "You can always call. Especially to talk about-"

"Please just go already!" Ryne let out an embarrassed moan as the laughter grew.


I just love writing Teddie, please understand my need to be self-indulgent. And I was very excited to bring Morgan back, even for just a scene.

Let me know what you think!

Please!