The warmth of the afternoon sun was doing nothing for Ray and Hilary's mood, the golden rays passing by to bask their apartment once more in shadow as they sat around the table in impatient anticipation. Having done as much as they could in the lab, they'd decided to move upstairs, to the penthouse built on the top floor of the museum's spire. Now at their kitchen table, while they monitored Hilary's surveillance program through her laptop, the married couple could do nothing but dwell on all they'd learned.
It was Hilary who finally broke the silence, her uncertainty shaking beneath the syllables. "How are you doing?"
"Honestly?" Ray asked. "I've got no idea. I keep telling myself I should have seen it, that I should have recognized her as she passed me in the hall. But how could I even begin to see them make a play like that? Make a clone of our old enemy and send her to high school? It's insane!"
"And putting her in the body of a teenager?" Hilary added, "I'm not even sure who Xaviax is trying to torture with that: us or her."
Her attempt at levity caused her husband to crack a smile, the first lightness she'd seen since Ray had brought the news.
"I'm just worried about the Rangers," he said. "They thought Mileena was their friend, and now it turns out she's been lying to them the whole time. Using them. I can't imagine what they're going through right now."
Hilary could certainly relate. When she and Ben had discovered that Doc was holding out on them and keeping Cyrax's identity a secret, it had sent the whole team reeling. It made them question everything their mentor was telling them. Everything he ever had told them. Even as he came clean and they learned his reasons, the wound inflicted upon the team had taken a long time to heal.
But even that now paled in comparison to the bomb that had just been dropped on Hilary's own young team of Rangers.
"Did we do the right thing?" she asked. "Did we just completely ruin their lives by giving them Morphers?"
At first, Ray didn't answer, his silence betraying his grappling with the question. A silence that didn't fill her with confidence. "Did Doc do the right thing we he gave us ours?"
"That was different," said Hilary. "Unless you're forgetting the whole 'enemy at the gates' thing? And at the time, we were the only people that could use those Morphers."
"Three Morphers," Ray reasoned. "Only two of us."
"You know as well as I do that any of the guys would have been here in a heartbeat if we'd asked."
Especially with Doc missing. Ben, Jake, Johnny, Kyle; all of them had offered, to come and help when they'd learned of what had happened. But Ray and Hilary had decided to keep a low profile. To follow the basic Ranger tenant, to never escalate a fight. But they hadn't expected Xaviax to react so quickly, or that three wayward teens would find themselves in the museum after hours at a critical moment.
"Those kids are out there fighting our battles, Ray," said Hilary. "And now they're not just cleaning up our mess, they're fighting our enemies too. It's not fair."
"No, it's not," he agreed. "But I know that we'll probably spend the rest of our lives wondering if we did the right thing or if there could have been any other way. But what I do know is that in the moment, both of us thought it was right. You pulled out the case, and I didn't think, even for a second, to stop you. It might have been our fight to start with, but it's theirs now too. It's their city, their home, and they have a right to help keep it safe."
Hilary could almost hear it, almost the same speech, word for word, that Ray had given Doc fifteen years ago, standing inside their old warehouse when the programmer hoped to cut and run. It was as true now as it was then. They had given the teens a choice, and they had to respect it. All they could do now was help them through it.
The regret and the guilt could come later.
"Besides," said Ray. "We had to give them something. They wouldn't have been any safer without us, not once Xaviax found out about their civilian powers. And I don't even want to think about what that maniac would have done if he got his hands on them."
A thought too chilling to even consider.
Having Mileena infiltrate the high school was bad enough, but to get hooks into the Rangers?
Thankfully, Hilary was saved from thinking about it any further. The laptop screen flashed; her algorithm had found something.
"I've got her!" she cheered, eyes narrowing as the map zoomed in on the location. "Weird, it looks like she's just hanging around an old parking lot."
"Any connection to other monster battles?" Ray asked.
Hilary was already one step ahead, cross-checking against other clashes with Xaviax's forces in hopes of finding a pattern.
"Nope," Hilary replied. "She's just… in there."
"It's got to be a trap," said Ray. "Lena had a good thing going with the Rangers, she was in the perfect position to learn everything about them without any of them knowing. She wouldn't have given that up if she didn't have something to gain, and when you add in how quickly she retreated…"
"She's definitely up to something," Hilary agreed. "This algorithm's been searching for her for hours. If she was hiding in Xaviax's base, he'd have been shielding her. Which means she wouldn't have popped up until she wanted us to know she was."
Which brought them back to an all-important question, one that both had been hoping to have answered by the time Hilary's program found Lena. What were they going to do? If the Rangers went in, then it could likely be a trap. But if they did nothing, then Lena could likely conduct whatever it was she was planning, unopposed.
"We keep asking ourselves if we did thing right thing by them," said Ray. "Maybe it's not our call to make."
As Hilary hit the button to open the communicator line, she prayed to the Morphing Masters that in being given the choice, the Rangers would make the right one. Because Hilary had no idea what the right choice even was.
The old, blue Prius rolled up to an open-air spot downtown, one block down and just within view of the rising lot before them. The ramps wound around the structure like a snake coveting its prize, coiled tightly on either side of the entrance as the shadows beneath the concrete lurked before them, inviting them within with sinister intent.
"That's the place?" Erika asked from the passenger seat as Abbey killed the ignition.
Abbey nodded, her voice rumbling into a threatening growl. "That's what Hilary said. We've just to go in there and wring her like a sheet."
Both pairs of eyes snapped to her, both shocked and concerned for their sweet and quiet's friend sudden seething of aggression.
"Whoa!" Erika realized. "That's usually coming from me. You doing okay, Abs?"
Realizing her lack of composure, Abbey jolted back in her seat, posture stiffening as her eyes shot dead ahead and her lips purposed together in a clear of discomfort. "It's nothing."
An excuse Erika didn't buy for even a second. Last she knew, Abbey was taking the whole Lena situation pretty calmly. Given Abbey had been the one to first introduce them all in the first place, Erika thought her composure was genuinely impressive. Although, last they'd spoken, Abbey had seemed more preoccupied with going to see…
…oh.
"Every go okay with Miguel?" Erika asked sensitively, before glaring a silent warning at Zeke in the back. The boy mimed his protest at the implication as Abbey slunk further into her seat.
"We had a fight," she said. "He knows I've been holding out on him, giving excuses that don't add up. He called me out on it, and I don't think I handled it… well."
"Oh no," said Zeke, in a tone Erika didn't find at all convincing. "That's too bad…"
Erika meanwhile had another sinking feeling. Ever since her dashing save during 'The Milkshake Incident', she'd exchanged numbers with Valerie, another waitress at the Hub. They'd hit off while on shift together, and they'd been exchanging messages ever since. It was moving slowly, not in the least because of Erika's attempts to subtly suss out whether Valerie was even into girls. But recent messages were starting to make her hopeful.
But in sitting there, watching Abbey wallow in dismay, Erika realized that if she pushed any further, she could well be dealing with the same problem.
"It's not like it's your fault," she said, selfishly looking for a silver lining. "The whole secret identity thing?"
"But Miguel doesn't know that," said Abbey sadly. "It's kind of hard to tell someone that the secret's for their own good when they're not allowed to know what it is."
Ranger Rule Number Three; kind of a bummer on the dating life.
"I'm sorry Abbey," said Erika. "That really sucks."
"Maybe it's a good thing," Abbey shrugged. "He doesn't have to worry about what I'm not telling him, and I don't have to keep coming up with excuses."
"Yeah," Zeke agreed. "And, I mean, if he can't handle how you deal with your privacy, is he really the right guy for you?"
Abbey seemed too deep in her wallowing to notice, but Erika still sent Zeke a pointed glare of warning.
Not. Helping.
But whatever her further feelings on the matter were, Abbey was clearly done.
"Thank guys," she said. "But we didn't come here to talk about my lack of tragic dating life. What's the plan for dealing with Mileena?"
A good question and one Erika still wasn't sure she could answer. Ray and Hilary had warned them to morph at the first sign of Lena, but also that they could well be walking into a trap. They had boots on the ground, and Ray had insisted that whatever strategy they went with, he and Hilary would support.
The weight of it all only added to Erika's unease. Barely a few weeks before, she'd botched any attempts at planning by diving in half-cocked. For all her strengthening resolve, Abbey's hesitance in fights at times still shone through. And Zeke, well…
They weren't exactly SEAL Team Six.
But Lena had schemed to keep them in the dark for long enough; they needed to know what she was up to.
"She's been playing us like a fiddle," Erika decided. "Time to change the tune. We go in quietly and plan for recon. If things get hairy, morph. If they don't, let's try and find out what's going on, then bug out. Ray and Hilary can come up with a plan back at the lab."
After two firm nods of agreement, the Rangers exited the car and began their approach to the parking tower. Their steps were slow, slinking between the buildings and narrow alleys as the shadows loomed before them welcomingly. They realized their first problem as they arrived: the lot was near empty. The number of cars was few, and the gaps between were too large to provide any cover on approach. But still, they relented, crouching below the closest vehicle as they peered at the center of the lot.
Lena was alone.
The air about her was an unnerving patience, playing with her dark hair while sitting on top of a long, metal trunk with one leg elegantly folded over the other. There wasn't a single Cyberdrone to be seen, but Erika knew well and good that could change any moment.
"What's she doing?" Abbey whispered.
"I don't know," Erika hissed back. "She's just sitting there!"
It was then that Lena split the silence, calling out with an eager, excited grin. "I know you're there, Rangers! Come on out; stop scuttling around like mice in the cracks."
The glee in her voice was like nails on a chalkboard, an icy chill crawling down Erika's back as Abbey and Zeke's eyes widened. Both stared at her, silently asking what to do.
Like she had any idea.
They could stay where they were, hoping that Lena was simply guessing that the Rangers would be there and yelling out at random intervals. But ignoring the challenge could equally end with Cyberdrones grabbing them from behind. And they still had no idea what she was up to.
Erika gave a nod, and then slowly she rose from behind the car, Abbey and Zeke nervously following.
"All three of you?" Lena purred. "Now it is a party."
"We're not here to play," said Erika. "What do you want, Mileena?"
"Me?" she snicked. "Well, if you must know, I heard there's a math quiz on Monday and I wouldn't mind borrowing your notes."
"That's not what she meant and you know it," Abbey retorted. "What are planning?"
"A great many things, princess. And that doesn't mean I'm going to tell you."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" said Erika. "There's there of us, and only one of you."
"And?" Lena shrugged. "What are you going to do about it? Don't you Ranger some rule about never escalating fights?"
"You know me," Erika growled back. "I've never been too good with rules."
But there was more to Lena's tone that gave her pause, the unnatural calmness with which she was speaking. She'd known they were there, known they would come, and she was standing there completely exposed. With the confidence of someone in complete control.
But they were in too deep now to back out.
"Why are you doing all this?" Erika asked. "Why spend all that time being our friend only to throw it all away?"
"Would you believe that it was for funsies?" Lena replied. "God knows I had plenty of that, watching the three of you flail around and play superhero. It was certainly amusing, watching each of you have some weekly crisis while I just got to sit back and watch with Miguel."
"Miguel?" Abbey hissed. "What did you say to him?"
Lena's lips twitched into an alluring, venomous smile. "Nothing that he didn't already know; that you lied to him. That you don't trust him. That you don't want to include him in your super-secret little club."
The redhead almost lunged there and then, with only Erika's twitching hand to block her path as Abbey held herself back. Suddenly the motive behind her earlier comment was crystal clear, as was Lena's plan.
She was trying to get into their heads. And she'd already got into Abbey's.
"Abbey," Erika warned. "Keep cool."
"Oh yes, Abbey," Lena mocked. "Listen to the hothead who tried to fight you two weeks ago. She's the absolute pinnacle of self-control."
"Hey, back off!" Zeke snarled.
"Oh, and what are you going to do, Zeke? Or rather, what are Abbey and Erika going to do when you screw it up?"
Five weeks and Lena knew right where to hit them, exactly where to tighten the screws. Every beat bubbled Erika's blood, every breath steaming between her teeth as her fists curled tighter. But they had a job to do, she could vent the rage later. Right now, she needed to keep her head clear. Lena was throwing the barbs with free reign, and it was time to curb it.
"Enough of this," said Erika. "What're you up to?"
"I'm not up to anything," Lena denied. "Can't a girl just sit in a dark and moody parking lot, all on her own?"
As if on cue, the trunk she was sitting on rattled and a bright blue flash pierced through the lid's seam.
"Well, I guess there is that," Lena admitted playfully. "Awkward."
"What's in the box, Lena?" Erika demanded.
"It's not a secret," Lena admitted, leaping off the metal container to stand between it and three teens. "You're welcome to take a look."
Because that wasn't suspicious at all…
Abbey and Zeke looked to Erika, a shared mix of nervous glances as they awaited direction. Awaiting her call. Great, it was never a good sign if she was the voice of reason. But Abbey's vision was clouded, and she at least still had enough sense to realize it. Zeke meanwhile was more hesitant, uncertain of the benefits of engaging.
Ray said that a Ranger never escalates a fight, but he never said they couldn't force one. If Lena thought she held all the cards, then it was time to make her play.
With a curt nod, the three teens swept forward, Zeke and Abbey prowling to the sides as Erika strode up the middle. Lena did nothing, standing perfectly still, save for the eyes that lined her smile as they tracked the girl's movement. As Abbey and Zeke paused to keep an eye on the situation, Erika reached the trunk, slowly reaching down for the clasp.
Then Lena's hand lashed out, whipping around Erika's like a vice.
"Oh sorry, I'm not going to actually let you," she snickered. "Did I leave that part out?"
"Finally," said Erika. "Thought all you could do was talk."
She flung out her arm, ripping the wrist free and stamping outwards. Lena's palm snapped into a block, swatting the foot away as Erika launched into a flurry of punches, feet peddling back as she was stuck on the back foot. But then Lena's eyes shifted, smile curling further as she caught Erika's gaze.
That stupid grin!
Erika lunged, arm swinging wide as she went in for the pummel. Big mistake. Lena sidestepped, planting her foot into Erika's rear before kicking. The force sent her reeling across the lot, stumbling to a halt and regaining her balance as she realized Lena's true goal.
To get her away from the others.
Thinking Lena was distracted, Zeke had dashed the trunk, only for her to dart into his path with sinister glee. And open calm cracked his chest, smacking Zeke backward as Lena launched in a kicking barrage. It was all Zeke could do just to keep up, forearms raised taking the blows from Lena's gleeful assault.
Zeke snapped his arms together and braced to take the blow in hopes of holding. But Lena was ready, snapping up her foot to smash the guard from below before spinning a kick into his stomach. Zeke gasped as the air was expelled from his lungs, flying back to skid along the concrete.
And then Lena spun around to her final target; Abbey.
"Heard you don't like to fight," Lena taunted as the two girls began to circle.
"You got that right," Abbey sneered back.
"More fun for me then."
"I said I don't like to," Abbey corrected. "But you? I don't need to."
She lunged, diving right at her opponent as Lena readied the counter. But as Abbey met her, in a move that would normally leave her far too exposed, she just kept on going. Moving through Mileena.
Lena's eyes widened, shocked at such brazen use of powers as Abbey completed her phasing to make a B-line for the trunk.
But Lena was still faster.
She dropped low, sweeping her leg to catch Abbey by the ankle. Right on the trunk, Abbey dropped, face clanking into the metal container as Lena grabbed and reefed her back. The redhead was sent spinning across the concrete, caught by Zeke as Erika rushed to their side and the three of them formed back up.
"Okay, her cards are good," Erika admitted as they helped Abbey to her feet. "Time to show her ours."
"Please," Lena scoffed. "You should have done that before even walking through the door."
And before the Rangers could reach for the keycards, she launched herself upon them.
I've got something that might help. We should meet.
Staring at the address Lena had given him, Miguel had to admit it was a weird place. He'd said he wanted to see more of the city, but did Lena really think that included an old parking tower? In hindsight, he probably should have been more skeptical. She'd transferred to Lakeview High at the same time he did, there was no way she'd seen much of the city in that time.
Still, weird as it was, maybe it would help him get his mind off things. Get his mind off Abbey.
He still didn't know what to make of it, reeling from learning both what she was and all the lies she'd told him. And Lena had been right; he gave Abbey a chance to come clean and instead, she just tried to lead him further away. All while telling him to steer clear of the only person who'd ever been truly honest with him. The one person who was grappling with it as much as he was.
Maybe he just needed time, to figure out a way to approach it with her. To wait until he'd calmed down and had a clearer head, to be able to listen to Abbey's side of things.
Miguel's thoughts were broken as a clattering broke their air, and the sound of metal on concrete echoed from within the tower. And then he heard a girl's scream.
Lena!
Miguel broke into a run, bolting into the concrete structure in a valiant hope of aid. But nothing could have prepared him for what greeted him inside. Abbey, Zeke, and Erika gathered together with their feet planted firmly on the ground. Lena was in their grasp, writhing desperately to free herself, and all of them looked at her with glares of seething hatred.
"Miguel!" Lena cried. "Help me!"
Erika's was the first gaze to look up, angrily baring it at him in a warning. "Stay out of this!"
"Miguel!" Abbey gasped, far more frightened and pleading. "It's not what you think!"
"They were doing something with that trunk!" Lena gasped. "When I tried to look, they attacked me!"
"Stop lying!" Abbey snarled before looking back at Miguel. "Miguel, please, you have to believe me!"
"They're trying to take it for themselves!" Lena pleaded, still shaking hard in their grip. "You have to stop them! Take it and go!"
It was like Miguel's feet were rooted in place, breath squeezing in his chest, torn as he watched his friends clash. Lena and Abbey stared at him with begging eyes while Erika and Zeke maintained their iron grip with fastidious glares.
"Miguel!" Erika warned. "We can explain later. Get out of here!"
Explain? Explain why they had their friend in a headlock, outnumbering her three to one? Like how Abbey explained earlier, with such a willful refusal of the truth despite every chance he gave?
Like how they explained where they always ran off to, thinking he wouldn't notice?
But… but Abbey would never hurt anyone…
So why was she suddenly so piled onto Lena?
Stay away from Lena. The hissing warning echoed through his mind, a venom with which Miguel had never heard her utter. But had it really come from nowhere? Or did he never really know her at all?
Standing there, staring, a million thoughts raged through his head, Miguel slowly turned to a battered metal trunk on the ground. Whatever was going on, had something to do with that. He bolted right at it.
"Miguel, no!" Abbey cried out. "We don't know what it is!"
"She doesn't want anyone going for it!" Lena hissed, "It must be important!"
"Get away from it!"
Zeke lunged from his friends, releasing his grip on Lena to throw himself between Miguel and the trunk. Zeke, the guy who'd let him take a blow when he could have handled it himself. The guy doing everything he could to drive a wedge between him and his new friends.
A hand slapped his shoulder and Miguel swung around. The back of his palm cracked at Zeke's wrist, the boy's eyes widening with surprise as Miguel shoved hard. The shoulder slammed into his chest, slamming Zeke to the ground to sending him skidding across the concrete.
But the boy in yellow was already scrambling to his feet, fresh anger rising as he seethed. With barely a moment, Miguel snapped to the clasp and threw it open as Abbey screamed.
"Miguel, NO!"
The next thing he saw was a blinding flash of lilac. The energy surged from the container, sharp whirring screeching at his ears as the light lashed out and engulfed him. It crawled at his skin, tingling as it burrowed deeper and deeper into his flesh. Like it was latching onto his soul. The whirring was growing, rising in pitch like an engine being an engine being pushed to its limit. Like an engine that was about to blow.
And then it did. With a mighty boom, the thunderous force burst from the trunk, sweeping Miguel from his feet and hurling him across the concrete. He soared across the lot, hitting the hardened ground with a painful thud as he skidded the final few feet.
It was like his every limb had fallen asleep and reawoken all at once. The numbness flashed away as the circulation flooded in return, sharp tingling crawling up every inch like being massaged by a thousand needles. With a groan, Miguel tried to rise, steadying himself upwards, mind now racing with too many questions to even consider. In his stagger, he looked up to the others staring at him in shock. Zeke was reeling back, while Abbey and Erika had softened their grips and Lena too had gone limp as her jaw dropped.
All of them watching him, waiting to see what he'd do.
It was like the body Miguel was in suddenly wasn't his; like the wrapping around his bones was somehow disconnected from his mind. Even as he shook, he dared a look at his hands, slowly coming into shape around his blurry vision, wisps of black smoke rising off his palms.
What… what was happening to him?
He needed to get out of there!
And as the very thought crossed Miguel's mind, he moved. The smoke jumped from his hands, engulfing him as it filled his vision. His eyes squeezed in a panic, a flinching reflex of fear as his feet felt like they'd been swept from the ground the air filled with a sharp, decisive CRACK. And then he dropped, sneakers slapping the concrete as he stumbled to remain standing.
Daring a look, Miguel slowly creaked open his eyelid. He was now on the other end of the room.
Using the teen's astoundment to her advantage, Lena swung around, reefing free of Abbey and Erika's hold. The two girls were too in shock to stop her.
"Miguel…!" Abbey tried.
But he was already gone, flashing back to the original corner in a puff of black smoke.
He…
He could…
What…?
Free of her bonds, Lena raced to him, fear filling her eyes as she fled. Abbey was having none of it.
"Get away from him!"
The sudden move; the aggressive lunge. Miguel flinched back as Lena reached him, grabbing hold as Abbey snapped toward them. He didn't think, he just did.
And in a sudden flash of smoke, Miguel and Lena vanished from the lot.
"MORPH! MOPRH NOW!" Hilary bellowed into the com, fingers frantically punching the keys as half her screens flashed to fresh displays.
This was bad, this was very, very bad.
They knew it was a trap, but they'd thought it was only an ambush. Instead, the game Lena played was far, far worse. A deadly double-bluff that made them fall into her hands.
All of them had.
The Rangers had no time to question or argue. Barely a second after Miguel and Lena had vanished, the parking tower flashed in a bathe of green light as it suddenly swarmed with Cyberdrones.
"Server Force! Login Access!"
"What's going on?" Ray gasped behind her as the three teens flashed into their suits to engage the footmen. "What just happened?"
Hilary knew why he was asking, and it wasn't because he didn't know. It was because he was desperately praying that he was wrong, just as she was. But the data didn't lie.
"See that?" Hilary explained, pointing to a monitor with a moving line, finger pressing emphatically to the sharp spike in the middle. "That's the readout from the Digital Energy sensors in the Rangers' Morphers. And that big spike? That was the exact moment that Miguel opened the box!"
It must have been Mileena's plan, right from the beginning. From the moment Hilary had discovered the rogue program's location, every moment had been carefully orchestrated toward the desired outcome. But what scarred Hilary the most wasn't what happened, but the unnerving feeling that Mileena was far from done.
That it was only the beginning.
She needed to find them.
"He copped a full blast?" Ray realized, his voice faltering as he tried to stop the panic from setting in. "Why would she do that to him? What could she possibly get?"
"I'm working on a theory," Hilary admitted. "And it doesn't lead anywhere good."
They couldn't have gotten far. Miguel had only just got his powers, barely in control of the teleporting on his own, let alone with someone else. Hilary just needed to figure out how far could go, make a radius, and…
Idiot!
She was focusing on tracking Miguel when she could already find Mileena. A few keystrokes later, she'd locked it in.
"Rangers, I've found them!" Hilary barked into the coms. "Forget those Cyberdrones, they don't matter. Get up to the roof, now!"
He could barely breathe, his feet stumbling as they hit the hardened concrete of the open air up top. The sun, it was too bright. Too high up. Too dizzy. Too…
"Miguel…" Lena put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?"
But all he could do was turn and look at her in horror. "What… what did that thing do to me?"
"I don't know," Lena admitted. "It looks like it gave you some sort of superpowers. The others, downstairs, they tried to stop…"
But they didn't say anything. They just attacked. They'd pounced on Lena when she'd inquired, Zeke had lunged at Miguel when he tried to do the same. They just kept them in the dark. Again.
"They must have wanted it for themselves," Lena realized with trembling fear in her eyes. "And you took it instead. Miguel, they're coming for us!"
No, that couldn't be right. Abbey wouldn't just…
But did he really know what Abbey was capable of? Did anything he'd seen line up with what he thought he knew?
"They've got powers of their own," Lena warned him. "And you saw yesterday what their Ranger powers can do. Now that we have what they want, they won't stop at anything to get it back."
That wouldn't matter. Miguel had been able to flash right up to the top. He hadn't meant to, but he'd done it. And if he could just figure out how to do it again, he could get them far from danger.
"We can run," Miguel said. "I can get us out of here."
"That won't matter," Lena pleaded. "They'll find us. And they'll take the power from you, by any means they can."
He wanted to dismiss it, to tell her that it was crazy. But so was everything else he'd seen over the last twenty-four hours. Miguel hadn't been attacked by them, Lena had. And she was the only person who'd been honest with him over this entire time.
"Then if we can't run, what do you do?"
"After that… thing went off, I managed to look inside," said Lena. "I found this."
Gulping down, Lena reached into the pocket of her white jacket and pulled out a strange device. It was almost like a wristwatch, but longer, angular, and large enough to cover a sizable chunk of his forearm. The casing was slick black, trimmed with a matte grey around a red, rectangular screen.
Miguel's heart raced faster as he stared at the item in her hand, knowing exactly what it was without any other explanation. A Morpher.
"It must be connected to what gave you those powers," Lena said. "Maybe, maybe this is what will keep us safe."
"That's… that's…"
"MIGUEL!"
Both spun around as Abbey's voice echoed through the open air and three figures leaped up the parking ramp and in front of them. The three teens had morphed, just as Lena said they would.
"Miguel," Abbey pleaded, behind the concealment blue helmet. "You have to listen to me. You need to get away from that girl, she's dangerous!"
"Dangerous?" Lena replied. "She's not the chasing a pair of teenagers in a super suit!"
"Get away from him!"
"ENOUGH!"
The command bellowed from his lungs, echoing across the rooftops as all heads whipped around and stared.
He'd had enough. Enough of everyone telling him what to do. Of everyone keeping him in the dark, acting like he didn't deserve to know. He needed everyone to back off, to calm down. Maybe then they could find a resolution.
But if the only way to do was to match them…
"Give it to me," he told Lena, "Give me the Morpher."
"Don't Miguel!" Abbey pleaded. "You don't know what she's capable of!"
But as he took the device from Lena's hand, strapping it to his wrist, he looked back at her and snarled. "No, Abbey. You're the one I don't know anything about."
All three tensed as he said her name, shocked at the sudden revelation of his knowledge. With the Morpher now on Mogiel's wrist, the screen flashed to life, a deep red display with the code phrase ready for use.
"Miguel… please!" Abbey begged one last time. "Don't do this!"
But as Lena shifted behind him, Miguel stepped forward in defiance of the three Rangers. And then, as the anger finally boiled to the surface, he lifted the device to his lips and uttered the words on the screen.
"Dark Server. Login Access."
The power burst from the device, surging through as it engulfed him in a strange black light. It rippled through his veins, flaring every fiber of his being as the suit began to form around him, wrapping his limbs as the helm materialized to encase his head. As the visor flashed before his vision, he didn't just feel good.
He felt strong.
He felt… powerful.
The transformation complete, he stood before them, flexing his fingers as the newfound energy pulsed through his tendons. The three staggered back, shocked at what they were witnessing, as behind him Lena began to laugh.
"Yes!" she cackled. "Yes! Arise, my new Dark Ranger!"
The three Rangers could only stare, watching in horror as Miguel activated the Morpher and energy burst around him. They could feel it, even standing where they were, the power radiating from his new form as the black vortex receded and the new Ranger stepped forward.
The suit was almost monochrome, a dark reflection of their own with black in place of primary colors, and grey replacing the white trim. Where the stripes on their helms were white, his were streak streaks of deep, metallic crimson, matching the shade of the opaque visor that looked at them with burning indifference.
"Miguel…" Abbey gasped in horror.
"Get out!" Hilary blared through the coms. "Get out now!"
But where could they go to? And would they be leaving behind? As Lena stood smirking beside this new Dark Ranger, all three team members looked at each other with unease. If they left now, Lena would be free to complete whatever plan she was up to.
Light flashed around Miguel's hand, a sword materializing in his grip. A long, curved blade of muted, dark metal, almost shimmering as it hummed with the power radiating from its wielder. A Dark Saber.
"Now," Miguel growled, in a voice that was heavier, deeper. More sinister. Like it was no longer his own. "You said something about backing off?"
His tone was daring, a threatening challenge to any who dared. Whatever Miguel had been thinking when he picked up that Morpher, now his allegiance was all too clear. The only question that remained was whether it was still Miguel inside at all.
But right now, Erika knew she couldn't worry about that. She still had a job to do, and Mileena needed to be handled. Nodding to her team, she stepped forward to meet the Dark Ranger.
"We don't want you," she warned. "She's the one we've got business with."
"If you've got business with her," Miguel replied, "then you've got business with me."
"Is that so?
"Yeah, it is."
The two Rangers, Red and Dark, stared each other down, each daring the other to make the first move. Behind Miguel, Lena began to prowl, armor flashing to her form as Erika's teammates equally encircled the flank. But the two Rangers in the middle continued to stare each other down. If Miguel wasn't thinking sense, then Erika supposed she'd just have to have to beat it into him.
"Well?" Miguel taunted, knees bending as he readied to a strike. "I'm waiting."
And then Erika lunged.
She surged with maximum ferocity, launching right at him with her axe poised for a furious assault. The weapon came down, almost streaking as the edge cleaved the air and the Dark Ranger stepped back before Erika twirled to follow. But in pressing her assault, Erika realized her mistake. She'd been keen to push him on the back foot, but Miguel had been just as willing to let her.
He was toying with her. With his new speed and strength, Miguel's shoulders swerved to avoid her, feet planting perfectly as he repositioned. Need to change the tempo, The Red Ranger went for the feint, skidding in a spin to strike low.
It was then that Miguel made his move. The Dark Saber flashed down, Miguel barely moving as the blade snapped between them and blocked the axe's pommel. Erika pushed back, all her strength leaving into the obstruction as she growled back. But beneath his mirrored visor, she could have sworn that he was smirking.
"Is that it?" he asked, tone almost chuckling in amusement. "Not impressed."
With the axe locked against his sword, Miguel released the pressure and spun, gravity relinquishing to Erika's as she toppled forward. Her feet stamped out, every step a desperate attempt to rebalance as she thundered past Miguel. With her back turned, she was too easy a target.
The Dark Saber flashed across her back, sparks bursting from Erika's suit as the blade cleaved through. She gasped in fury as pain seared up her body, the heat of the weapon surging through her protection to send her hurling across the lot.
She'd barely hit the ground before Miguel pounced after her. As Erika rolled along the concrete, the Dark Ranger pounced, his saber streaking through the air to come right down on her. She skidded to a stop, flattened on her back to see the dark shape soaring towards her. An easy target from above and no time to react, Erika braced for what was coming.
The blow never came. As Miguel plunged downwards, a large shape snapped before, taking the force of the blow as Zeke braced against it. The saber bounced off the shield, Miguel flipping backward as the Yellow Ranger helped Erika to her feet.
"Thanks for the save," Erika acknowledged.
"Don't thank me just yet," Zeke admitted. "We've still got to beat this guy."
Miguel barely said a word, returning to a fighting stance and awaiting the Ranger's volley. But this time they had numbers. Two Rangers surely had to be better than one.
"Keep him off me," Erika suggested. "If you can handle the sword, then I can hit him where it hurts."
"Got it!"
Without wasting another second, the two Rangers charged, launching themselves at the Dark Ranger who seemed more than ready for their onslaught. On the sidelines, Abbey leaped to join them, vaulting high into the air to enter the fray. But as reaching the top of her arc, something moved in the corner of her vision. Moments later, another figure had catapulted into the air, crashing a devastating kick into the Blue Ranger to send her flying.
"Oh no," Lena laughed as Abbey hit the ground. "Not your turn. Not yet."
Abbey snapped to her feet, Security Saber already out and ready. "What do want?"
"Believe me, princess," Lena replied. "We haven't even begun to get to what I want."
With the warrior between Abbey and her teammates, the Blue Ranger was left with no other path. As she lunged at the armored warrior, her wide swing was immediately parried.
"You know," Lena admitted as their weapons clashed. "I'll miss our little chats. You know, the ones where you try to fix all the problems of the world, and I pretend to care."
"The first fix can be dealing with you!"
Over at the other end, Erika and Zeke's tag team was not having the success they'd hoped. Seeing Zeke take point with the shield, Miguel had made that his priority. As Zeke skidded to block a strike, Miguel sidestepped, swerving as Erika's axe hit empty air to force Zeke between them. With both off balance, Miguel kicked out, boot slamming into the guard, smacking the edge to smash it into the Red Ranger. Then he completed his arc, cracking his heel into Zeke's shoulder to send bother Rangers barreling into each other. With both reeling, Miguel sliced with his sword, dark energy unleashing and blasting into the pair, culminating in a massive explosion that sent both of them hurling across the lot.
Their suits were scorched, a red warning flashing on Erika's helmet display that screamed of all their critical damage. As she struggled to stand, bracing her hand against the throbbing arm, her glare narrowed at Miguel.
He'd barely had these powers for a few minutes, and they were barely standing a chance. If it were the three of them, then maybe, but Lena was doing all she could to keep Abbey from the fight. And now Miguel seemed hellbent on pummeling them into dust. Or at least, whatever it was that was in there, because the voice coming from the helmet sure wasn't his.
Slowly circling, Miguel raised his sword to trace the gloved finger along its edge, and the blade began to glow as he braced for a lunging charge. Huddled together, Erika and Zeke had nowhere to run.
"Light's out," Miguel said coldly. He surged directly toward them, and this time no rescue was coming. Miguel almost vanished into the blur, the shape rocketing forward with alarming speed. But while Erika and Zeke were hapless targets, there was another with even grander plans for the attack.
Having run rings around Abbey in their melee, Lena shifted behind her and kicked outward.
"In you go!"
Cackling with glee, she punted the Blue Ranger right into the path, skidding her beside her teammates as Miguel's attack closed in. With one mighty blow, the Dark Ranger sliced right through them. The blade cut through their suits, sparks splitting from the severance as the energy surged and exploded out of them. All three were tossed into the air, flailing helplessly as Miguel's boots skidded to a stop like the tires of a successful racer.
The Rangers thudded to the ground, painfully sprawling across the concrete as their bodies ached and throbbed. Rolling from their backs, all three struggled to stand, their arms shaking to support their weight as they looked up at the duo that felled them.
"Now," Lena cackled to Miguel, "Finish them. Show them why they should never have left you behind."
The Dark Ranger stepped forward, now silent as he loomed toward them with his saber poised to strike. On the ground, bodies aching and barely willing to stand, the three Rangers were helpless and at his mercy.
"Miguel…" Abbey pleaded. "Don't…"
At their limit, their suits vanished in a flash, finally relenting to the damage and receding into their Morphers to leave the Rangers completely exposed. As Erika and Zeke shut their eyes in readiness for the blow, Abbey looked up at her former friend in desperation.
And the Dark Ranger staggered back.
"A…Abbey?"
The power of his posture vanished, shoulder hunching forward as one hand slapped to his helmet and cried out in desperation. Every step was random, almost woozy Miguel moved away, crying in pain as he turned his back on the fallen Rangers. From where she stood, Mileena's eyes widened.
Whatever was going on, Lena didn't know what it meant. But she clearly wasn't going to take her chances with them.
"We're going to need a pickup down here!" Lena bellowed, out into the air and at no one in particular.
The Dark Ranger sunk to his knees, screaming as the black energy flared around him before the suit vanished completely. With a groan, Miguel looked back at the hobbling Rangers, his eyes now a mix of panic, confusion, and abject horror.
"Consider this warning, Rangers!" Lena snarled, racing to Miguel's side before he could stand. "The next time we cross paths, it will be your last!"
Then, grabbing Miguel the shoulders, the duo vanished in a flash of emerald light. Bracing against each other, the three Rangers could do little more than gawk up at the sky, wondering how they possibly handle the force that just flattened them.
Reconciling that their defeat had come at the hands of their friend.
To be continued…
NEXT TIME
As the Rangers wallow in their defeat, Ray and Hilary race to combat the Dark Ranger's destructive power, and Miguel comes to terms with his decision to use the Dark Morpher. But while still hurt by the Rangers' treatment of him, Miguel begins to realize that Lena is not all that she seems…
Will Ray and Hilary find a way to defeat the Dark Ranger? Will the team be able to reconcile the path their friend has chosen? And what dark schemes does Xaviax have in store for Miguel now that he has a Power Ranger of his own?
Find out Next Time on
POWER RANGERS
SERVER FORCE
Going Dark- Part II
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 subscribe/ follow to find out the second I update. Until next time, may the Power Protect You.