It was just like the night before, only this time they were standing with Mr. Granger instead of skulking around behind him. Just like then, the three of them dutifully followed him into the museum, through the same back door they'd used previously, only this time Granger stopped just past the entrance to stare at a blank wall.

"Umm, Mr. Granger, sir?" Abbey asked. "Why are we super interested in the paintwork?"

Granger didn't reply, instead reaching into his jacket to produce a small, plastic keycard. He waved it low, right up against painted brickwork, as suddenly a portion of the wall beeped and flashed green. There was a hissing, and seams appeared in a large rectangle as the wall folded away to reveal a small elevator.

"Oh, that's why we couldn't find you last night," Zeke realized. "You're Batman."

Mr. Granger chuckled. "Sorry kid," he replied. "I think you're about to learn I'm more like Alfred."

"Alfred doesn't kick robot butt like that," Erika retorted.

But Granger just shook his head. "Then you guys clearly don't know much about Alfred."

He motioned for them to enter, all three obediently complying before the elevator doors closed as he stepped in behind. Then they felt the shift of gravity as the vessel began to descend. None of them spoke, all too weirded out by the secret entrance and the close confines as the lift slowly lowered toward the bottom. Mr. Granger just stared ahead, eyes fixed on the door as if trying to decide how best to proceed himself. Like he was taking it one step at a time, stumbling through the dark just as much as they were.

"While we're not at school," he said eventually, breaking the awkward silence with soft resignation while continuing to stare at the doors. "You guys can call me, Ray."

"Is that okay?" Abbey asked.

"You may as well," Ray admitted. "I think we're all about to get to know each other really well."

The tone of his voice sounded neither hopeful nor happy about it.

Erika's head was still spinning. This was too much, way too much. Just one day ago this guy was the annoying new counselor, who had been joining the long list of people who said they wanted the best for her and knew way too many Sun Tzu quotes. And now, he was blasting robots with his laser eyes and mad kung-fu skills before bringing them down into some sort of secret lair.

Way too weird; all of it.

The elevator dinged as it reached the bottom and as the doors parted, Erika watched Zeke's eyes nearly pop out of his head. It was a long chamber, filled with servers and railing. At the center was some sort of cylindrical machine, hooked into a whole new heap of cables and wires. At the far end was a wall covered from corner to corner with monitors.

"Hilary?" Ray called out nervously as he stepped into the room, "I'm home!"

"Thank God!" replied a voice. A head of blonde hair popped out from behind the device; the same woman Erika had seen in the photos. But as she saw them, her face shifted from relief to caution. "And you've brought some guests…"

"You know those kids you told me about?" Ray replied. "The ones who snuck in? Well… I found them."

"That was… fast."

"You can thank your friendly neighborhood robot horde," Erika interjected dryly.

Hilary nodded before looking at the other two.

"We don't mean to intrude," Abbey said quickly, nervous stepping back with arms raised in subservience.

Zeke, meanwhile, was in heaven; a kid in a candy store that didn't even know where to begin. "This place is amazing!" he gasped as his eyes darted from one piece of machinery to another. "Is that an NC71 processor on the unit over there?"

"Good eye," Hilary commended. "I've got a few of them plugged in around the place."

"A…few of them?" Zeke looked like he was about to faint.

But the time for pleasantries had well passed.

"Look, your house is cool and all," Erika said to Ray. "But you promised us answers if we followed you here."

Ray and Hilary shared a look before the man nodded. "Yeah, yeah I did," he agreed. "Come on over."

They led the kids toward the wall of monitors, where Hilary sat back down in her swivel chair while Ray leaned against the desk.

"It feels so weird to be on the other side of this,' Hilary admitted.

"You're telling me," Ray agreed. "Remember when I told Doc to just start at the beginning? Who was I kidding? I don't even know where that would even be."

"How about you start with what those robot things are," Erika suggested impatiently. "You know, the ones that keep trying to kill us?"

"Didn't that knight guy call the 'Cyberdrones'?" Zeke pointed out.

Hilary raised an eyebrow and scoffed. "Cyberdrones, huh? Talking about filing off the serial numbers."

"You talk like you've seen these things before," said Abbey.

This time it was Zeke who butted in. "Cranston City!" he realized. "You guys were there the year all those robots attacked."

The two girls turned to him, recalling what Zeke had told them earlier. But the boy remained fixed on two adults opposite.

"That was your last year of high school, right?" he continued. "They only went away after being defeated by the Power Rangers."

"Yeah," Ray agreed.

Then Hilary corrected, "Us."

All three jaws dropped.

"You guys are Power Rangers?" Abbey gasped.

"We were Power Rangers," Ray replied. "We're not anymore."

"Why not?" Zeke asked.

"It's a long story," said Hilary. "Trust us."

"And one I'm guessing we don't have time for," said Erika impatiently pushing aside the sudden revelation in an attempt to return somewhere she could comprehend. "Look, this whole backstory thing is… a lot. But what has any of this have to do with us?"

Conceding to the point, Hilary nodded and began tapping at the keys, lighting up the right side of the display to show a rendering of the device behind them.

"This is called the Digitizer," she said. "It's a device designed to break down matter and store it as data, in order to be reconfigured later in another location."

"You mean like a 3D printer?" Zeke suggested.

"Kind of," Hilary conceded. "Only this baby makes the output of a poly-filament printer look like a crayon drawing. With the Digitizer, both deconstruction and reconstruction process are near instantaneous and can create incredibly complex structures."

"Fifteen years ago," said Ray. "A psychopath called Gideon used this technology the wreak havoc on Cranston City. Until we stopped him."

"Fifteen years?" Zeke questioned. "How come we've never heard of the technology since then?"

"Those that originally developed it lost interest," Ray explained. "Turns out your tech won't have a good rep when its first public usage is in the hands of a supervillain. They moved on to other ideas, like Morph-X, and so when, eventually, the project was completely abandoned, the patent and its rights were able to be returned to the original creator; a man scientist named Dr Julian Benson. The man who also designed the Data Morphers."

"Benson and I started working together when I got out of grad school," said Hilary, "and we started working on the Digitizer again. We hoped that with the right parameters and oversight, it could be a force for good in the world. Only it turns out our research attracted the wrong kind of interest. Someone managed to get ahold of the technology, and when Benson found out about it, he… disappeared."

Suddenly Hilary looked away, punctuated by a shuddered breath that betrayed the painful memory. Whoever this man was to her, Erika realized, he was more than just a colleague. His absence was more than just concern for her; it was a wound. And, Erika admitted sadly to herself, was a feeling she knew all too well.

"The last communication we got from Benson was a desperate warning," said Ray. "He wanted us to stay away, but we knew we could. I think he knew we wouldn't, either. So, we followed the trail to where they lured him: here in Lakeview. We think whoever it is behind Benson's disappearance, that it's the same people that are making a move now."

"But who are they?" Erika asked. "Who's sending all those freaky robots to come after you?"

Ray and Hilary shared another look.

"All we could get was a single name," Ray said. "Xaviax."

"Sounds friendly," Abbey said as she shrunk back.

"Last night, our systems got hit with a cyber-attack," Hilary continued. "They managed to get into the Digitizer, forcing me to purge all the stored-up digital energy to avert a total overload. The resulting pulse was what you guys got caught up in."

"It created a Bio-Digital field around your bodies," said Ray. "That's what's giving you your powers. And now Xaviax knows about them too."

All three teens looked at each other, nervous as the tone he'd taken. "Um, I know that Xaviax is bad news and all," said Zeke carefully. "But why is knowing about us a problem?"

Erika wasn't sure why he was asking, as if the answer wasn't obvious. But a nervous look Abbey made Erika suspect that it was simply in hope that the obvious answer was wrong. It wasn't.

"Having been hit by the Digitizer, you guys are a threat to him now," said Hilary. "And he doesn't strike me as the kind to leave any loose ends."

"Okay, so we have these powers," Erika decided as she pointed to the machine behind them. "That Digi-thingy gave them to us, so it can take them away, right?"

But Hilary shook her head. "Now that the Bio-Digital field has bonded to your bodies, there's no way to get rid of it. Trust me, I've tried. The only way for Xaviax to truly get rid of your powers is if you're destroyed."

A silence fell through the room, as the three of them reeled at the news. Bonded. Permanent.

Destroyed.

"Not much of a sales pitch," Zeke said, voice shaking.

"Sorry guys," Ray replied. "We didn't want you involved in this. But it looks like we don't have a choice."

"But we beat him, right? Twice," said Erika, desperately grasping for a strain of hope. "Maybe Xaviax will just get the message?"

But Ray just shook his head. "Believe me, they never do."

"They?"

And with that, one of the screens sprang to life. Hilary spun on the chair, tapping to bring up the volume as the others crowded around. It was a news report, the blonde report standing in front of a flashing blockade.

"This is Cassidy Cornell of Channel Three reporting live at City Hall," she announced. "Moments ago, large numbers of robots encircled the building, trapping all staff along with the mayor and city council."

City Hall?

Erika's whole world crashed to a standstill. Her eyes widened, her heart freezing into laborious, purposeful thuds that agonized for an eternity. Because if all the staff in the building were captured, then that also meant…

"Dad!" Erika gasped shooting to the monitor in desperate search for any sign that she was wrong. But there were none. The building was cordoned off, and she could see the robots from before forming a tight perimeter around it. No way in, no way out. Which meant that her father was trapped.

As Erika stared at the screen, Abbey came beside her, placing a frightened hand on Erika's arm in nervous comfort, while Zeke hung behind them in awkward uncertainty. Off to the side, Ray and Hilary stood back, watching in horror as the situation escalated to horrifying extremity.

The woman's hand snapped to her ear. "We're just getting word that some of the hostage takers are emerging from the building."

The camera zoomed in, focusing on three figures that now stood among a large group of Cyberdrones. ArcKnight was the first that they recognized, standing beside another man. His skin was blue, eyes a glowing red, dressed in a long coat of metallic strips and crimson. An enormous top hat with goggles on the band sat atop his head.

But behind them, hulking over the pair, was something that filled the three with terror. Something that seemed impossible even after all the things they'd seen, so monstrous that until then had seemed impossible to comprehend as real. Taller than the others, it was shaped like a gargoyle, with wings spread wide, and an additional set of arms protruding from its body. As it moved, the folds of the skin seemed stiff like shifting stone, and between the cracks was a soft warm glow that reminded Erika of liquid magma.

All three stood definitely in the city square, proudly facing the masses with the army of Cyberdrones at their back.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" the one in the top hat announced. "My name is Ender the Great, speaking on behalf of your future lord and master, Xaviax! We do not want trouble, merely what rightfully belongs to us!"

"Our enemies know who they are," ArcKnight growled. "They know what we want. If they present themselves, those inside will not be harmed."

"But remember," Ender warned with a gleeful smile, "if anyone else gets any bright ideas, then Gargo-Arms here gets to have some fun!"

And with that, the large beast behind them roared.

"You have one hour," Ender concluded. And then he vanished in a flash of green as ArcKnight turned on his heel to stride back into city hall. The monster remained outside.

"They've taken hostages," Hilary breathed in disbelief of her own.

"You have to do something," Erika pleaded. "Those people are in there-."

"Because of us," Ray agreed. "We know."

"Xaviax is trying to force our hand," Hilary reasoned. "But if we give ourselves up things are only going to get worse for the people of Lakeview."

Her fingers began punching away at the keys as news footage from different outlets began flashing up before converging on a single point. Moments later, a fully digital map of city hall appeared before them, with the Cyberdrones and Gargo-Arms moving in real-time.

"Whoa," Zeke breathed.

"They've sealed them in," said Hilary as she examined the scene. "There's no way anyone's getting close."

"Meaning what?" Erika hissed.

"You heard them!" Abbey replied, eyes widening with every second as more and more panic seeped into her voice. "If anyone tries something, they'll hurt the people inside."

"It would have to be a two-pronged approach," said Ray as he examined the map further. "If we ran a diversion at the front, drew the Cyberdrones in, then someone could slip inside and free the hostages while they're all occupied."

"That's more than a two-man job, and it would have to be one heck of a distraction," Hilary noted. "And if either of us tries to take on the entire horde alone, there's no way Xaviax won't get his hands on us."

Erika stared at the screen, at the footage of the building surrounded by robots wishing nothing but harm. She thought of the people trapped inside. Of her father, trapped inside. He'd wanted things to be different. Wanted her to make a change.

To stay out of trouble.

But she needed him to be alive to see for him to see her do it.

"I'll do it," said Erika. "I've got powers, I can draw them out while one of you slips in."

"That's crazy!" Abbey insisted. "The last few times we faced those things we got lucky, and they didn't have that weird gargoyle thing with them!"

"So, I think I should just sit back while those people are in danger?" Erika hissed.

The comment caught the redhead off guard, opening her mouth as if to reply.

"No. No, I don't," she admitted shamefully. And then, with a deep breath of hardening resolve, Abbey's face narrowed as she lifted her head to look Erika right in the eye. "Which I guess means I'm coming with you."

"Then I'm coming too," Zeke insisted. His voice didn't sound confident, as if he himself barely believed it, and Erika couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in skepticism. But the boy just shrugged. "Better numbers, right?"

As the three teens talked themselves up, Ray and Hilary shared a look, one that was wary and knowing. And then they nodded with soft agreement. Hilary snapped up from her chair and wandered to the other side of the lab as Ray turned to face them.

"If you're going out there," he told them, "Then you're going to need some backup."

"I don't see how we're going to get it," Erika admitted. "You guys already said it's too dangerous to come with us."

"You're right, we can't fight by your side. Not today. Which is why we're giving you these," Hilary agreed.

Returning to them, she lifted a metal briefcase between her hands. As the trio of teenagers acquiesced to their curiosity and gathered closer, Hilary clicked up the latches and eased them open to reveal what was held inside.

"Swipe-Card Morphers."

The three teens gasped as they saw the three devices before them, and it slowly dawned on each of them what they were for. There were three in total, Red, Blue, and Yellow. One for each of them. Each of the devices looked like they'd stretch from the palm to halfway up their arms, with small screens shining invitingly with electric blue and thin crevices running along the side. Beneath them sat a trio of keycards, each one colored to match a different Morpher.

"It's got a two-stage security unlock," said Hilary. "Swipe the card, and then call out the vocal recognition code. When complete, these devices will transform you into Power Rangers."

All three stared at each other, stunned and speechless.

"No way," Erika gasped.

"I need to sit down," said Zeke, stumbling back as Abbey braced against his back.

No; it was impossible. There was just no way. Them? Power Rangers? Abbey shrieked whenever a punch was thrown at her, and Zeke needed help avoiding being thrown into trash cans. And while she could definitely fight, Erika was far from some morally heroic figure. She could barely stay out of detention.

And these two wanted to make them all superheroes?

"I have to warn you," said Hilary. "Once used for the first time, they'll be coded to you. The devices will be locked in, and no one else will be able to use them."

"Which means there's no turning back," Abbey realized.

So, no pressure or anything…

Seeing their uncertainty and discomfort, Ray took a step toward them.

"I've been where you are, we both have," he said softly. "We know what it's like to make this choice. I could give you a whole speech about destiny, about being given your powers for a reason. But I know what it's like to be on the other end of that, and I know that there's nothing that I can say that won't make this any less daunting."

None of the kids shifted their stunned stares from the Morphers in front of them.

"But what I can tell you is this," Ray continued. "This is a choice only you can make, and no one's going to say it's wrong to back away now. This power comes with great responsibility, and if you don't think it's for you, then that's okay."

But it no longer mattered to Erika if the power was her for or not. Not now, not anymore. Not while there were people, her father, out there and in danger, terrorized by some stupid, four-armed gargoyle. Not when the three of them seemed to be the only ones in the city that could stop it.

All of a sudden, Ray's words from the day before echoed in Erika's mind.

"This is the time you were telling me about, isn't it?" she asked him. "About wishing there was another way?"

Ray nodded slowly, sadly, and last Erika truly understood what he meant. He knew from personal experience. That morning he'd told Erika to trust him, and now she needed to. Her father needed her to.

And so, before she could second guess and stop herself, Erika snatched the red Morpher from the case. "I'm in."

"Me too," Abbey agreed.

"Let's do this," Zeke decided.

Strapping the morphers to their wrists, they each picked up the keycards and turned toward the elevator, Ray nodding with an affirming pride as he matched their pace and strode with them.

"All you've got to do is keep them busy," he told them. "Once you've morphed, just play defense until I've got the hostages out."

"I'll handle the cameras," Hilary called out to them. "I can trigger a mini-blackout and scramble the cells. It won't be long, but it should be enough for you to get in and trigger the morphing sequence. You'll have about thirty seconds."

Thirty seconds, play defense. Erika could do that.

She hoped.

They reached the elevator and stepped inside.

"Good luck, Rangers!" Hilary said as the doors closed between them. "May the power protect you."

They rushed from the museum to the city square, with soon Ray diverting from them as they approached. By now the crowd was massive, a horde of frightened unable to look away, news vans littering the nearby streets as reporters and cameras swarmed to the site.

Nearby, they spotted the newswoman they'd seen earlier.

"The chief of police has deployed his officers to the scene," she said to the camera. "they currently have formed a perimeter in anticipation of a call. The police chief has refused to comment on whether he intends to breach the robot forces but has assured everyone that he is making every decision with the utmost consideration for safety."

Erika shot a wary look to her two companions; it was much more public than they'd been expecting. But it was far too late to back out now, the people inside needed them.

"Let's get closer," Abbey suggested.

The trio moved into the crowd, pushing their way between onlookers to reach the edge of the barricade. The police line was before them, eyes intently staring at the Cyberdrones.

"Okay, I'm in position," Ray's voice buzzed from the device on their wrists. "I'm ready when you are."

"Good luck, Ray," came Hilary's reply. There was a pause before she nervously added, "I love you."

"I love you too."

It felt impolite, to be listening in, knowing the couple felt it could be their last words together. But Hilary gave them no time to ruminate in the awkwardness.

"You guys in position?"

Erika's eyes shot to Zeke and Abbey, and both of them nodded as she carefully raised the device to her lips.

"Yeah," Erika confirmed. "Yeah, we're here."

"All right then, beginning blackout."

For a moment nothing happened, all eyes intently staring at the square, lit up for all to see. Then one by one the surrounding buildings began to switch off. They dropped to black, growing the shadows around the square as suddenly there was a buzzing in the air. Then the floodlights from the crew vans dropped too, then streetlights, then even the billboards shunted to black. Even the police lights went dark.

All of a sudden, the crowd was awash with confusion as the entire square was plunged into darkness.

"Devin?" the reporter behind them snapped. "Devin, what's going on?"

"I don't know, Cas," came a frightened reply. "It's like the camera just stopped working!"

"Alright guys," Hilary warned. "I've bought you about thirty seconds. Get in there and make it count."

Show time.

Shooting a look at Zeke and Abbey, hoping they could see her, Erika slipped under the barricade to slink past the police line. She was glad she'd got so close; any further away and she'd have had no chance of finding her way in the dark. But Erika heard the steps on either side; Abbey and Zeke had got through as well and were following.

They marched up to the square, eyes beginning to adjust to the shadows as the monster came into view, and a series of green, glowing eyes snapped all around in their direction.

"This?" Gargo-Arms scoffed. "This the best they send?"

"Did that thing just talk?" Zeke gasped.

"That is so wrong," Abbey agreed in disgust.

"Guys, the city's going to get those lights back on any second. You're cleared for morph, if you're going to do it, do it now."

Erika's fist tightened as she looked at her two friends. With them by her side, she could do it. That's what she told herself, anyway. But at the very least, no matter what happened next, she wasn't in it alone.

"I don't know about guys," Erika decided. "But I think we should shut him up for good."

"Don't need to tell me twice," Abbey agreed.

Nodded Zeke. "Let's do it."

All as one, they whipped out their keycards, holding it between their fingers as they readied the Morphers on their wrists. And then, with defiant breath, Erika stepped up, lifting her arm, her Morpher front and center as she called, "You guys ready?"

They stepped up beside her, refusing to miss a single beat their device primed and they joined her side. "Ready!"

And then they moved as one. The swipe cards whipped around, brought to the devices and rammed through the slot as the screen burst to life. And in perfect synch, bellowing into the night like a defiant battle cry, all three called the words that would change their lives for

"Server Force! Login Access!"

The device burst with enormous power, torrents of primary color surging out against the darkness. Their bodies were enveloped with light, so bright it blinded them to everything else, each a different color as all of a sudden, a frightening snatched out through the brightness and transformed them. It was like Erika was in a wind tunnel, feeling the forces swirling around like the eye of a storm. No, not in the eye.

She was the eye. The storm of power was emanating from her, pulsing strengthening heartbeat, each wave more emanant than the last as it sunk into her bones. And it made her strong.

As the blinding light blazed around her, Erika felt a bind tightening around her arms, not restricting but conforming, enclosing her skin and fitting tight like a bolstering layer of protection. As a belt snapped around her waist, something hard formed around her head, a helmet that encased her in perfectly fitted security. Then, as a concealing visor snapped across Erika's eyes, the light vanished, and the three new Rangers stood together in the square, transformed.

The suits were identical save for the color; Erika's was bright red, with Zeke in yellow while Abbey was encased in sky-blue with a skirt around her thighs. The single color wrapped around the body, with a wide, white stripe running up from the belly to reach the matching white chest piece on her torso. At the center was a golden shape, chrome stripes lined along the limbs, and small rivets reinforced the shoulders. Their helmets were the same color as their uniforms, with a wide visor wrapping around to give clear peripheral vision while a silver plate protected the mouth.

They'd done it; they'd actually done it!

They were Power Rangers.

"Whoa!" Erika gasped, staring at the white gloves on her hands.

"This is awesome!" Zeke cheered.

"I could get used to this!" Abbey agreed.

As if on cue, the city lights snapped back on, lighting them up for all to see and causing the surrounding crowd to gasp in surprise.

"I don't believe it!" Cornell cried from the sidelines. "Power Rangers!"

Before them, Gargo-Arms gasped as he stumbled back. "Impossible!"

"Your weapons are in your belts," said Hilary's voice in her ear. "Why don't you show them what you've got?"

Erika's hand snapped to the button on the buckle, light flashing as her grip tightened around a haft. Then, as a perfectly balanced weight settled in her palm, a large axe materialized from the fading light.

Beside her, the others did the same.

"Nice, I got a shield!" Zeke cried, as a large yellow guard suddenly appeared, strapped to his forearm.

"I can't wait to tie a bow with this!" Abbey laughed, flipping the blue recurve bow into position.

"Hey, ugly!" Erika called out, flourishing her weapon toward the giant gargoyle. "Hope you don't mind; I've got a few questions the axe you."

On the other end of the com, Hilary let out a groan that sounded equal parts pained and proud. "…You guys are naturals."

Armed and ready, the three teens leveled their weapons as Gargo-Arms covered his composure and pointed commandingly at them.

"Let's see if you're worth my time," he snarled. "Cyberdrones, get them!"

And as the robots rushed in, the Rangers lunged to meet them.

When the lights went dark, Ray seized his chance to dart for the edge of the building, dropping in through an open window as the swirling primary colors blazed on the other side. He'd cut it fine, barely finding himself a pathway in by the time the blackout hit. But now Ray was inside, and he could hear from the communicator on his wrist that the Rangers had engaged.

Good luck guys.

He reached into his jacket, retrieving out the wrestling mask he'd got at the burrito stand before pulling it over his face. It wasn't much, and it wasn't elegant, but without a Ranger suit of his own, it was the best he had at keeping anonymous.

Now, where would they be keeping the hostages?'

The Cyberdrones would likely have rounded them up and kept everyone together in one place. But that was a lot of people, and most partitions in city hall were small meeting rooms…

The motor pool!

He slunk through the halls, keeping the edges and shadows to avoid attention. Thankfully, Ray didn't need too much stealth; already he could see the Cyberdrones rushing away, running to the entrance to join the battle with the Rangers.

Which meant the plan was working.

Reaching the main door, Ray pushed it open, peering into the concrete room on the other side. Just as he'd thought, the Cyberdrones had rounded everyone up and brought them together, sitting them down in front of the large roller door.

If he could just get it open, they could make a run for it…

"Going somewhere?"

Ray's body moved before the rest of him registered, diving aside as the large sword clattered down. Rolling to his feet, Ray snapped around to see his attacker, standing smugly between him and the hostages.

ArcKnight.

"Should have known you'd be hanging around," Ray sneered as the warrior leveled his sword.

"You're the one sneaking in the shadows," ArcKnight growled. "But now that you're here, allow me to oblige that Second Round you so confidently requested."

This suit was amazing! Erika was moving in ways she'd never have imagined, her body responding faster than she'd ever thought possible.

She leaped into the air, soaring into a flip and landing right in the middle of a group. The axe swung around, a flashing crescent that carved through the numbers, and sparks burst from Cyberdrones' armor as they fell beneath her might. A punch flew towards her, striking from the back. But Erika's body moved like it was instinct, hands snapped up and catching it before she'd even turned her head.

She threw it off, and the Cyberdrone stumbled back as the Axe carved right across its stomach.

"Don't forget range!" Hilary instructed. "You've got the Security Blaster in your holster!"

"Right!"

Erika's hand snapped to the side, whipping out the pistol and vaulting sky high. In a perfect somersault, her feet landed soundly as she spun and fired. A barrage of lasers burst from the barrel, shots snapping out lance the chests and detonate as they hurled the robots backward.

By the time she landed, the Cyberdrones lay in a writhing, smoking heap behind her.

"Dead center!" Erika laughed.

Then she caught a glimpse of Abbey and Zeke, assuming she'd have to dive in and help.

But they didn't need her at all.

The Yellow Ranger charged forward, pressing his shoulder into the shield as he batted through the Cyberdrone ranks. He'd already gone for the pistol, cracking it out to unfold into a long, thin blade. With a wide swing, Zeke sliced it across the chests, shearing sparks off their armor as he knocked them into their comrades.

Having moved from Zeke, the rest of the horde had descended on Abbey, but they were having no better luck than the others. Spinning and swerving between them, the Blue Ranger swung with her bow, cracking the weapon's limb across their faces like a club, before dropping into a twirl and sweeping it beneath the legs.

"Zeke!" she called out. "Give me a boost!"

"Come right at you!"

The Blue Ranger charged in as Zeke spun around to brace the shield on an angle. Launching herself full pelt at the shield, Abbey planted her feet and took flight, springing off the surface to vault high into the air. And with all the Cyberdrones below her, Abbey pulled back on the bow.

A cracking blue ball of energy began to form at the front, shots soaring downward as she released them. The energy arrows blasted into the ground, striking the robots as they connected, exploding on impact as all fell beneath her deadly rain. Flipping through the air, Abbey landed gracefully as the resulting explosion tossed the Cyberdrones like ragdolls in all directions and the other two regrouped beside her.

Standing tall and together, the three gazed around, looking up at the scene of their handiwork. In the span of mere minutes, the once mighty horde of the Cyberdrones had been reduced to nothing but a pile of scrap and wires.

These powers were amazing!

"I've got to really hand it to you," Gargo-Arms laughed, striding towards them with all four arms extended in an open challenge. "You guys are really life and limb here."

"Ready to try your hand as well?" Erika taunted.

"Careful,' the monster warned. "I'm much better armed than you think."

Riding the high of the success, the Rangers charged, but none were ready for what was coming. The Cyberdrones they knew, the three of them already experienced from their previous narrow victories before the Ranger suits kicked their power to a whole new level. But this monster, he was something else entirely.

Gargo-Arms laughed as he stuck out their chest, and a barrage of lasers burst from his eyes as the charging Rangers were caught right in the path. Zeke and Erika dived and rolled, snapping back to their feet to keep the momentum, but Abbey wasn't so lucky. Having mistimed her jump, the lasers exploded at her feet, booming with an explosive force that sent her tumbling across the concrete.

"Abbey!" Zeke cried out.

"Monster first, then help her!" Erika ordered.

Easier said than done. As the two engaged, the four arms lashed out. The first battered Erika's axe away, snatching in to strike her chest while she followed the weight of her weapon. Zeke had her back, thrusting in his shield to intercept and keep her safe. The fist collided with metal, clanging into the shield as Erika rolled away and Gargo-Arms seethed at Zeke with an angry snarl.

But they'd been so busy watching the first two arms that they'd forgotten about the others. As Erika and Zeke stepped back for another bout, the limbs lashed in, grabbing the Rangers around their waists and pinning their arms before hoisting them into the air. Their legs kicked and flailed, helpless as they writhed against the monster's strength.

"You're like little dollies!" he laughed, shaking them about. Then he swung in, hands opening to slam the two Rangers together. A pair of shockwaves boomed out on impact, rattling through the suit and sending fresh bruises up Erika's body. The strike was so strong that she almost dropped her weapon.

Having had his fun, Gargo-Arms flung away, hurling them into concrete within human strength. As she landed, she tumbled, every turn a painful bound as at last she stopped a painful thud. With a groan, Erika rose to her feet as the other two hurried to her side.

"Okay," said Erika. "Hilary? I think this guy's going to need more firepower than we brought."

"Oh, you brought it all right," came the reply. "Combine your weapons. That'll show him the meaning of 'bearing arms'."

A small light display appeared on the inside of Erika's helmet, lighting up the connectivity and showing her how the interlocked. With an excited grin spreading to her lips, Erika turned to the others.

"Then let's put it together!"

"Right!"

Zeke stepped forward first, kneeling to flatten his shield in preparation for the other two. Stepping beside him to stand between them, Erika flipped around her axe, blades pointed vertically as the haft lay on the surface and Abbey took to the left to click the arc of her bow on top. Easy as pie.

With the weapon now ready, the three Rangers huddled close and whipped it around to aim it at their enemy.

"Defrag Blaster!" they called together, huddling tight as Abbey and Zeke kneeled to brace it.

Gargo-Arms tiny eyes widened as the barrel of the cannon leveled down on him.

"Wait, hang on!" he cried. "Maybe we can just shake hands on this?!"

But the Rangers were well past that stage.

"Aim!" they called together. "FIRE!"

Erika squeezed the trigger, all three holding strong against the mighty recoil as the weapon's barrel erupted. A giant round of golden energy burst from the barrel, searing through the air before colliding with the monster. The round flashed, booming as flames surged on impact before a secondary detonation rocked across the square.

As the dust cleared, Gargo-Arms was already falling, tumbling back as sparks flew from his body. Then, just as the wings hit the ground, his entire body detonated, bursting apart in a giant ball of flames.

The orange glow engorged before them like a beacon of triumph, and the Rangers cheered as retracted their weapons to stand in triumphant. As steaming chunks of monster began raining down upon the now cleared square, Erika couldn't but smile, both in pride and astoundment at all they'd just done.

Ray dived aside as the sword came down again. Idiot! Of course, they'd expect him to try something. It was exactly why ArcKnight didn't wait outside with the monster.

Rolling over some crates, he leaped into a spin kick to force the warrior back. He was at a disadvantage, and both of them knew it; ArcKnight was at full strength and Ray was without the protection of a Ranger suit. But Ray still had one advantage going for him, one ace up his sleeve to use in his favor.

He was playing a completely different game to ArcKnight, and all he had to do was get him into place.

"Big man," Ray taunted, "keeping all these people captive."

"A necessary dishonor," ArcKnight growled. "A successful one to draw you out."

"Your mom must be so proud."

He lunged in, rolling beneath the scything sword and out into the open space. The hostages gasped as they watched Ray dive into the open, ArcKnight thundering after him in hot pursuit. With the warrior on the move, Ray closed in, striking at the side before leaping back.

As ArcKnight shifted, Ray took his chance, narrowing his eyes to unleash a torrent of energy. But red beams went nowhere near his opponent, and ArcKnight scoffed as the lasers seared past him.

"Not even close."

"Wasn't aiming at you."

The warrior spun to see where Ray had been aiming. Now glowing and melted, the chain holding the counterweight was crumbling, its superheated links breaking apart as the remnants inelegantly slinked to the ground. Now with nothing to keep it closed, the roller door sprung open.

"Go!" Ray ordered the hostages. "Run!"

He unleashed another pair of beams, these blasting the two Cyberdrones closest to the group. The prisoners didn't need to do twice, leaping to their feet and rushing to the exit before their captors had even hit the ground.

Watching it all unfold, ArcKnight let out a furious roar, stepping to intercept the people as laser shot splashed the ground and stopped him.

"What's the matter ArcKnight?" Ray smirked. "I thought I was the one you wanted?"

The warrior snarled and raised his shield readiness for another round. But then he paused, head turning as if he were receiving a message. His crimson visor flashed angrily back to Ray.

"You may have one this day," ArcKnight sneered. "But the war is only just beginning."

"Can't wait."

Then ArcKnight vanished in a flash.

The people hurried from the building, and police rushed from the line to meet and guide them to safety.

"Yeah!" Zeke cheered.

Abbey was in complete agreement. "All right!"

But Erika couldn't celebrate, not yet, and her eyes were instead darting between the frantic rush of people emerging from city hall. He had to be there, he had to.

Please, please let him be okay!

Then she caught it, the face of her father running outside. He ran to the barricade, sprinting past the officers and out past the safety of the boundary. For a moment, Erika forgot herself, and her body got ready to move toward him before she remembered where she was. What she was wearing. What she was doing.

But at last, Erika's heart began to beat again, allowing itself relief as she joined in the revelry with her new friends. They'd done it. They'd saved them.

Now they could celebrate.

But then they saw Ray, running out of the building, frantically waving and pointing. It wasn't friendly, it was a warning.

"Wha-?"

But Erika never got a chance to finish.

A beam of green light burst from the sky, enveloping the smoking remnants of Gargo-Arms. The pieces began to glow, and to Erika's horror, they began to move, drawn together like magnets as piece by piece they began to reform. And as they did, they grew, swelling in size as the monster reformed.

There was a blinding flash and the then light vanished, revealing a monstrously rejuvenated Gargo-Arms now towering above them; several stories tall! With glee in his eyes, he looked down upon the Rangers and stomped onto the square. The trio dived as the enormous foot thundered where they'd stood, concrete quaking on impact.

"I don't usually like things second-hand!" he cackled above them. "But here I'll take it!"

"Hilary!" said Erika urgently, "We've got a problem."

"A big problem," Abbey added.

But the woman in the chair seemed far from concerned. "Oh yeah, it's the oldest trick in the book."

"Wait," Zeke realized. "You knew about this?"

"Knew about this?" Hilary chuckled. "I was ready for it."

"I don't think our blasters are going to cut it," Erika pointed out. "How are we meant to fight something that big?"

"Don't worry," Hilary replied. I've got you covered."

Again, she tapped at keys before Hilary spoke again, and even though she was just a tinny voice through com, Erika could tell that Hilary was grinning.

"Deploying Zords!"

Light burst through the sky, filling the air with the sound of mighty, encroaching machines as the surrounding crowd looked and gasped. Then, beneath the roaring engines, a light blue fighter jet shot across the sky into view. It was sleek in design but sharp in shape, the perfect attack craft to make a run with at the monster. But sooner had it arrived when the sound of screeching tires joined it. More heads turned, arms reaching out and pointing to the other side of the square as the Rangers' heads spun to see the new source of commotion.

A giant red race car skidded around the corner, smoke burning from the shrieking wheels as it made a B-line for the square. Behind it, an enormous yellow dump truck was thundering along the road like a heavy behemoth, casting a shadow all around it as it too arrived on the scene. These weren't ordinary vehicles; each was as big as a house and looked more armored than a tank! And yet, as Erika stared at the incoming vehicles in past admiration and astoundment, a fresh set of guides appeared on the display of her visor. And just like that, Erika knew exactly what to do.

"Over to you guys," Hilary told them gleefully.

"Right!"

The three of them leaped, vaulting into the driver's seats as they took control of the vehicles. The displays hummed to life as they slid into the seats, feeding input directly into their helmets as seatbelts strapped them. Erika's hands gripped the wheel like it was second nature, and already her hand was shifting to flip the switches and steer the vehicle toward the others. To get ready to finish the job.

"Let's bring them together!"

Moving as one, the mighty vehicles converged, driving in tight formation as the three of them began to unfold. As if hitting an invisible ramp, the truck hoisted upwards, the tray and axles splitting apart to form a waist and pair of legs. With the bottom half in position, it was Erika's turn, and her racer hit the air as it locked into the truck and shifted. The sides of the vehicle opened up, a pair of arms unfolding as Erika felt her driver's seat suddenly elevate with the cab as the combination began to form a head. Then at last was Abbey, and her plane rocketed downwards before splitting into two pieces. The body and wings snapped together, locking into the join the others and forming a chest piece while the cockpit soared towards the head. As it finished unfolding, it slammed downward, forming a helmet as Zeke and Abbey's chairs whisked into the new, wider cockpit to sit on either side of Erika.

"CYBER SECURITY MEGAZORD!"

All three now stood together in their shared control room, consoles lighting up and ready for their commands. The mighty mecha stepped forward, an enormous foot quaking the ground beneath them and standing to easily match a size with Gargo-Arms.

"So, you've rearmed, have you?" he snarled, voice bellowing out at the night sky as he turned to face them. "Normally, I'd have to hand it to you, but you still don't stand a chance!"

But the monster's bravado did nothing to hide its concern, all its bluster quickly vanishing as it was suddenly faced with someone his own size. Back inside the cockpit, Erika smirked behind her helmet as she looked at her two teammates.

"What do you say, guys?" she suggested. "Ready to disarm this guy for good?"

The other two nodded, cheering in unison. "Let's do it!"

The Megazord thundered forward, the road beneath it tremoring with every step. Too stunned at their surprising quickness, Gargo-Arms was too sluggish to respond, four arms barely moving in time as the Megazord reached him. All wound up with the full momentum of its charge, the Rangers steered a mighty fist into the monster's face. Gargo-Arms cried as the heavy metal crashed across his jaw, stumbling back and clutching his mouth as the Megazord readied to strike again.

"Bring it home guys," Hilary encouraged.

"Right!"

Erika slammed her hand on the button as a giant sword flashed into the Megazord's hand. The console lit up, power diverting to the weapon as the mighty machine prepared to strike. And then, with all systems set to go, the three Rangers rammed the throttle as the Cyber Security Megazord rocketed into a charge.

Surging at top speed, Gargo-Arms was helpless in its path. The sword began to glow, a burning white that shone brightly through the city. The Megazord wound back, all its strength flowing into the blade. Empowering for the final finish.

"Cyber Power…" the team cried out. "STRIKE!"

Reaching its target, the blazing weapon seared across the air to slice through Gargo-Arm's body. There was a flash as it impacted, and the Megazord thundered past as the weapon cleaved cleanly through. As the Rangers looked again, they saw a smoldering scorch mark carved deep into the gargoyle's body. The monster stumbled, just for a moment, woozy as it staggered from the blow.

And then he toppled.

"Those defeats went hand in hand!" he cried, tumbling back as sparks began bursting from the body. Then, as the Cyber Security turned to look down upon the adoring crowd, Gargo-Arms hit the ground and exploded.

The flames soared to the sky, a column of light that illuminated the mecha from behind. Spiraling high, the inferno scorched the final remnants of the monster to ash, vanishing into smoke as at last the fire dissipated. Below them, the people cheered, roaring with excitement as the new Megazord stood tall as the city's newest defender. And as the citizens of Lakeview gazed up, the Rangers stood above them, triumphant.

Ender howled in fury as he watched Gargo-Arms' destruction, light flashing behind him as ArcKnight hit the ground behind him.

"Damn those Rangers!" the warrior growled, fist-punching at the ground.

"They… they managed to deal with the big guy!" Ender gasped. "They… they shouldn't have been ready…"

"But they were," Xaviax pointed out as he stood behind them. "Hawkins and Granger moved quickly, arming those students with the equipment they needed."

"They must have had them ready," Ender reasoned. "Maybe they planned to use them themselves?"

"Whatever their previous plan," said Xaviax. "They now have Power Rangers protecting them. We must prepare for this conflict to draw out."

He wandered to the window, staring out at the city below. Over at the square, the Megazord was already glowing, splitting into its individual vehicles as the Rangers departed the scene. Things were more complicated, yes, but not beyond the realms of possibility.

"If we are to combat Hawkins and Granger's new team of Rangers," he mused to the two behind him. "We're simply going to have to be more creative."

Then a smile split across the lips beneath his mask as the perfect, most sinister idea dawned on him. Something that neither Hawkins, Granger, nor the Rangers would ever see coming.

Yes, Xaviax decided. That would do nicely.

The doors dinged open as Erika stepped out into the lab, smiling as she put her phone in her pocket. Good talk.

"How's your dad?" Abbey asked as she walked over to the console.

"He's safe," Erika replied. "Everyone's a bit rattled, but no one got hurt. They're letting people go back inside now so he's going to finish his shift."

"What'd you tell him you were doing all that time?" Zeke queried.

"The library," Erika admitted. As grateful as her dad would be, she was willing to bet that joining a Power Ranger team and charging headfirst at the monster trapping him would be the opposite of his 'stay out of trouble' request.

One more hurdle to handle, in time.

Spinning around in her chair, Hilary held a tray in her hands and pushed it forward, all three Morphers laid upon it. Before their eyes, the devices flashed and shrunk, shifting into the appearance of small wristwatches.

"These sleep modes should help your Morphers go unnoticed," she explained. "They'll also let you communicate with me, and with each other. The keycards for your Morphers will also grant you access to the lab whenever you need it."

"Think Xaviax will take the hint this time?" Erika asked hopefully.

But Ray just shook his head with a sigh of resignation. "Not likely."

"Speaking from experience?" Abbey asked.

To that, both Ray and Hilary nodded sadly, and with solemn recognition, the three teens slowly realized the gravity of the situation. That this fight was just the first of many.

"You guys did great tonight," Ray assured them. "You stopped innocent people from getting hurt and stopped a monster from rampaging through the city."

"We don't know why Xaviax is after me," Hilary admitted. "But we know until we figure that out, until we find a way to stop him for good, the three of you are the city's best defense."

"I get that it's a lot," said Ray. "And your lives have just changed in ways that you can't possibly imagine. But if you work together, hold each other up, then nothing will ever be able to take you down."

Erika slowly turned to her two new friends. Barely a day ago, she hardly knew them; she'd always stuck out on her own and been happy that way. But now… now they had her back, were by her side as they stood against this newfound evil.

And she had theirs.

The three locked eyes, all of them nodding in solidarity. Then Erika looked up at Ray and Hilary, eyes ablaze with the confidence of newfound commitment.

"Let's do it."

"Yeah," Zeke agreed.

"I'm in too," said Abbey.

Erika put her fist forward, the four others adding theirs to the circle before breaking away in a unified cheer. Whatever happened next, they would handle it together.

As friends, as a team.

As Power Rangers.

NEXT TIME:

As the team prepares for battle, Abbey begins to have second thoughts. If fighting the forces of evil means that people could get hurt, then how does that conflict with her pacifistic ways? Meanwhile, Xaviax connives a new scheme with which to destroy the Rangers and begins conniving a way to destroy them from within.

Will Xaviax's new scheme catch the Rangers unaware?

Can Abbey find the middle ground in her resolve and come to the Ranger's aid?

Or will the team fall apart before it's even truly formed?

Find out Next Time on:

POWER RANGERS

SERVER FORCE

Episode 3: For Those We Love

A/N- Power Rangers: Server Force is a fan-made team of Rangers, and not explicitly based on any other existing Rangers or Sentai property, with artwork character models created through Hero Forge.

Power Rangers- Sever Force updates on Tuesdays and Fridays. If you like what you read, you can always drop a comment to let me know, and don't forget to follow to find out the second I update. Until next time, may the Power Protect You.