Abbey went in early the next in hopes of avoiding any encounters on the steps. With any luck, Zeke and Erika would be training by the lake again, affording her plenty of freedom to collect her things without harassment. A hope that was well and truly misplaced.

Abbey shut her locker door, only to see Zeke leaning behind it.

"Did you seriously just wait until the door was open, just to sneak up on me?" she asked curtly.

The boy almost looked wounded, but instead, his remorse for the transparency of his actions took hold as he tried to play it cool. "…no?"

Rolling her eyes, Abbey turned down the hall. "I missed homeroom yesterday. I need to catch up on notices."

"Awesome, I'll walk with you."

With a heavy, relenting sigh, Abbey began walking up the hall, knowing full well where her best friend was hoping to steer the conversation. "I know what you're going to ask, Zeke. "I haven't changed my mind."

"Come on, Abbey," Zeke pleaded. "How many times did we sit imagining what it would be like to be superheroes?"

"You sat there imagining," Abbey retorted. "I just played along."

"But Hilary said we're the only ones who can use these Morphers. Without you, we're a Ranger down."

"Hilary's a genius who built the morphers in the first place," Abbey replied. "She and Ray have the same bio-digital…whatever, around their bodies that we do. I'm sure Hilary has some sort of override to get around the security measure."

But as the words left her lips, Abbey wasn't sure who she was trying to convince. She knew why Hilary had warned them about the security measure; the programmer had wanted to emphasize the seriousness of what they were accepting. But Abbey had never thought, even for a second, that Hilary wouldn't have a workaround for if she needed it.

But if she thought that Hilary and Ray could so easily replace her, why did she still have that heavy, sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach? Why wasn't she feeling better about it?

But just because she felt uneasy about her choice, that didn't mean she'd made the wrong one.

"Look, I'm glad this is working out for you," Abbey decided. "I'm not saying that you need to stop. You just need to… go on without me."

Now Zeke did look wounded, his face drooping as Abbey's assertions finally hit home. "But…" he said quietly. "But we do everything together."

"Yeah, well…" Abbey replied, before trailing off. The guilt was only sinking deeper, like she was abandoning a sick puppy. But still, she held strong, steeling resolve as she looked her oldest dead in the eye to confirm the disappointing reality. "Everything's got to change eventually, right? It's senior year, we could both be going separate ways at the end of this. Maybe it's time both of us branched out."

At that admittance, Zeke's shoulders only sunk further, a saddened realization that he'd never wanted to consider. But before he could reply, to give a pathetic response that would twinge further at her heartstrings, Abbey turned around to leave her saddened friend behind.

It was for the best, she knew it was. For both of them. They'd have to face the music one day anyway. But Abbey also should have known it would only be the start of things; Ray had found her behind the end of the second period.

"Shouldn't I get a note if I need to see the guidance counselor?" Abbey asked him.

"Think of this more as an informal welfare check," Ray assured. "I know yesterday was pretty full on."

"That's putting it lightly…"

"And I want you to know that I know what you're going through," he added.

Abbey paused, looking back at him. "You do?"

Ray nodded. "There was a time once when I quit the team. Everything felt so overwhelming like I was letting everyone down. It just… it felt like they were better off without me."

Abbey tried to disguise her shock but failed, jaw-dropping at the thought of the very man who had given her Ranger powers also contemplating leaving it all behind himself. "What changed your mind?" she asked.

"I realized that I couldn't walk away," Ray explained. "There were people that needed my help, and that I needed to be part of the solution."

For a moment, a sense of calm hit Abbey like a wave, as something resonated with her frequency and tuning in closer. But just as quickly, she dismissed the thought. This wasn't about what she wanted to do; the way that she helped people matter just as much. And it was easy for the guy who'd been doing martial arts since he was a kid to get back into the fight. He didn't have a problem with them.

"Listen, Mr. Granger," she said politely. "I appreciate what you're trying to do. Really, I do. But this is different. I'm not having some identity crisis, I'm worried about holding people up. I don't want to fight; I don't want to hurt anyone. And that's not going to change. I'm sorry."

And again, she walked away before Granger could think of a reason to call her back. She almost did expect a note to come her way throughout the rest of the day, calling Abbey to Ray's office for a continuance of the conversation. But it never came.

No, Granger wouldn't do that. He may be trying to help, but he'd respect her decision. Which was more than she could say about Erika, whom Abbey found looming in the doorway come lunchtime.

Great, this was going swimmingly.

"What do you want?"

"You know this is a stupid idea, right?" Erika said bluntly. "What are you even trying to prove?"

"I just don't want to solve the world's problems by fighting," Abbey replied. "And if my heart's not in it, then I'm not good to you guys anyway."

She moved to step out onto the lawn, but Erika stepped in front, pushing out her arm to lean against the frame to block Abbey from her path.

"You think you can just avoid fighting?" she scoffed. "The world is fighting. If you don't stick up for what you want, what's right, then everyone else is just going to walk all over you."

"Well, I'll keep that in mind next time I need to throw someone into a trash can."

Erika's jaw tightened, fingers gripping against the stone as the limits of her self-control began eroding into the anger bubbling beneath. But Abbey was done.

"Get out of my way," she warned.

Erika's look turned dark, gaze meeting Abbey's in dangerous dare. "Make me."

She didn't have time for this. She'd lost enough time between council commitments and fighting robots the day before. She didn't have the breath to waste arguing with Erika, with someone looking for a fight.

With a huff, Abbey spun on her heel and strode in the opposite direction to leave Erika in the dust. She expected her to follow, to push on, insist on continuing to push Abbey's buttons, and win her side of the argument. But she didn't, and as Abbey dared a look back, she saw the Red Ranger leaning against the pillar, watching her with a look that dared her to turn back and push through.

With a sinking feeling, Abbey realized that maybe Erika did win. Or that for her, there was only losing.

She spent the rest of the school day dodging them. No doubt Zeke would come up with some other way to convince her and Erika… well maybe Erika was right. If she refused to fight, then all Abbey was doing was running.

But there was no way she was admitting that.

Not now.

It was only by the end of the day that she decided to brave outside and risk seeing them again. Granger used to the back parking lot normally, so he was easy to avoid, and Abbey just had to hope Erika and Zeke wouldn't be waiting for her. They weren't, but someone else was there.

"Hey," Miguel smiled from the bottom step.

Her heart jumped as she saw him. Was he waiting for her, or was it just a good chance? Either way, probably the first face Abbey had actually wanted to see all day.

"Hey, yourself," she grinned back.

The two began to walk, wordlessly moving in the same direction at a slow and gentle pace. The Hub was her eventual planned destination, but Abbey had no idea about Miguel. Still, it was nice to talk to someone. Someone who wasn't trying to convince her to go back on her word.

"We missed you at lunch," Miguel said. "Your boyfriend was saving you a seat."

Boyfriend? He thinks you have a boyfriend. Why would he…?

Oh…

Oh no….

"Zeke's not my boyfriend," Abbey corrected, almost too quickly in her sudden bout of nervousness.

Miguel looked away, clearly embarrassed by his assumption. "Sorry, you two just seemed so close. I kind of assumed…"

"We just go way back," Abbey clarified. "I've known him so long he's practically my brother. Dating him would be weird, gross even."

"Oh, right."

Well done, Abbey, way to over-clarify. Now he feels bad for assuming. Or that you wouldn't date friends. Which you would. You totally would. Just maybe not Zeke.

"I'm actually not seeing anyone right now," Abbey said, feeling her cheeks immediately flush scarlet.

Because that was a totally normal thing to drop into a conversation.

"Not that I need to be seeing anyone," she added again. "You know, it's not like I'm tracking how long I've been single or anything, or feel that I need to be with someone the validate my own self-worth…"

Oh my God! SHUT! UP!

But Miguel didn't seem put off by her flustering. His face softened instead. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Abbey said immediately, almost on instinct. "I guess I was just a little surprised that you thought Zeke was my boyfriend…"

"No," Miguel replied. "Not about that. It's just, you seem kind of down about something. Is everything all right?"

She… she didn't even know how to answer that. How could she even begin to explain? Would it even make sense without mentioning all the Ranger stuff?

But still, as Miguel looked at her with his warm, brown eyes, Abbey couldn't help but melt; to want to tell him everything. As best as she could, anyway.

"I got caught up in some stuff," Abbey said, as vaguely as she could. "Nothing bad just… not what I was comfortable with. So needed to step away, before things got too real, you know?"

She expected a million more questions, ways for him to peer through the vagueness. But instead, Miguel simply nodded.

"I get it," he said. "I kind of had something similar going on for a while."

"Really?"

"Yeah, kind of happens when you bounce around homes so much."

Abbey stopped, eyes widening as she realized she may have put her foot in it once again. "Oh. You're in…?"

"Foster care," he finished for her. "Yeah."

"Oh, Miguel, I'm sorry. I didn't…"

But the boy just shook his head with a smile a silent forgiveness. "It's okay. I don't care about hiding it. If you've been in enough homes like I have, you get used to telling people. It's why I just moved here; my new family enrolled me in Lakeview High."

There was a true air of sincerity as Miguel spoke, an openness that shone through his nerves. Like Abbey could ask him anything, and he would answer the best he could.

"How many homes?" Abbey asked. "I mean, if it's okay to ask."

"This would be number five," Miguel admitted. "It's been several reasons; sometimes it was me, sometimes them. But I did figure something out in all those moves."

"What was that?"

"If I only stuck to what I was comfortable with," Miguel explained. "If he held back because I didn't think I gelled, then that number would be a lot higher. I had to give it a chance, even if I wasn't sure. So that's what I'm doing in Lakeview, giving it a chance. Even if it's scary."

His eye caught on something, a light glinting as he said it. As he smiled, Abbey couldn't help but smile back.

"So, how's that chance going?" she asked him.

"Still early days but, I like it. I like the people here."

Good, it's good you like the people.

Then Abbey realized her grin was far too wide, eyes snapping away before her face permanently turned tomato colored. But even as Abbey pushed down her embarrassment, dragging out her determination to keep it cool, she couldn't help herself.

"So, I never got the chance to show you to the Hub yesterday," she realized. "I mean, if you've got time…"

But then Miguel's face sank, dragging Abbey's hope with it. "I'm really sorry," he said. "It's just that, I missed the first week and I promised my foster mom that I'd stay on top of school. I need to hit the books this afternoon."

"Oh!" Abbey said immediately. "No, that's okay. I get it, it's important to stay on top of me- THINGS! Stay on top of things!"

So, this was what it was like to die of embarrassment. Great, just great.

Fan. Tastic.

But Miguel just chuckled, a kind that didn't feel mocking, but warming. "Another time though?" he asked. "I'd really like you to show it to me."

"It's a date," Abbey grinned before catching herself. "But not like a date, date. Like a purely non-committal, friendly, platonic kind of… appointment."

By now, her heart was pounding, her flight instinct screaming to get away at all costs before Abbey could possibly make it any worse. God, maybe she would go another round with those Cyberdrones. But Miguel just nodded, his safe, warming smile continuing to melt her from within.

"I'd like that," he said softly. "Be seeing you, Abbey."

"Goodbye, Miguel…"

With that, he turned first to leave, moving up the street and away from her.

Great going, Abbey.

Best friend in the whole world? Upset.

New friend? Mad at you.

Adult mentor figure? No doubt disappointed.

And now you've scared away Miguel.

Great work.

Shoulders slumping, Abbey slowly made her way down the street to the Hub. It was a beautiful day, and it was early enough in the year that she could enjoy the afternoon without stressing about schoolwork. She'd even just dropped a commitment, something that everyone was always urging her to do, and she'd done so by staying firm with her beliefs. She should have been feeling proud of herself.

So why was she feeling terrible? Like her own personal raincloud was hovering above and dropping a shower just for her?

Maybe some warm, caffeinated caramel would ease her mood.

Maybe.

The Hub was quiet, pretty normal for mid-week. Over in the corner, a band was setting up on the stage. Dirk had mentioned that he was hoping to get some live music going, and Abbey was pretty sure she recognized the three girls setting up.

Electrohead, or something?

She'd caught them practicing a few times in the school music room, and they seemed pretty good. It was definitely a boon for Dirk. Speaking of, as the chime sounded above her, the community manager's face was as warm and welcoming as always.

"You're not normally in today," he noted.

"Yeah, I'm just after a coffee."

"Usual?"

"You're the best."

But then another voice spoke, a woman who must have entered behind her.

"Why don't you make it a double, Dirk? I'll pay."

Abbey's heart stopped, slowly turning in horror as she realized the one person she had yet to encounter was now standing before her.

"Hey Abbey," Hilary smiled warmly as the door closed behind her. "You got a sec? I think we could do with a talk."

"I can't believe she ditched us."

Zeke sullenly kicked a crushed, discarded can and watched it clatter down the road. Erika walked next to him, saying nothing.

"I mean," he continued. "Usually, she's the first to throw herself into something, she keeps having to be told to take on less. But at the first chance we get to be superheroes, and she bails?"

Erika rolled her eyes. He'd but going on like this ever since they'd left school. But while Zeke was in denial, Erika had seen the look in Abbey's eyes, the determination and resolve. It wasn't that Abbey couldn't put up a fight, Erika had seen plenty in the last week how readily she'd dig her heels in when she needed. It was that when the chips were down, she didn't want to. She wouldn't

"Dude," Erika pointed out, finally breaking her silence. "She flinches when she's the one throwing the punch. That's even before they come her way. When something gets put in front of her, she diverts. If Abbey's not willing to throw down for something that matters to her, then how can we trust her when we're in the thick of it?"

"So what?" Zeke protested. "You're saying we should be happy that she walked away?"

Erika released an exasperated sigh, knowing that there was nothing that was going to lift the boy's mood. If they were talking about anyone other than his 'oh-so super-secret crush', then the conversation would have ended half an hour ago. They probably wouldn't even be having it at all.

"I'm saying that Abbey made a choice," Erika replied, holding back the anger swelling in her chest. "She doesn't think she can commit when things get rough. And when we're going out there, that's exactly what we need. I don't want to be a teammate down either, but at least now we don't have to worry about her while trying to put out every fire Xaviax wants to light underneath us."

"I guess…"

"Look," said Erika sharply. "If she wants out, then we're better off. And so is she. Now we can focus on keeping ourselves going, and she can do the same. I'm not going to begrudge Abbey making the choice to look after herself. If that's what she truly wants, then we're all doing ourselves a disservice by standing in her way."

Zeke looked like he was winding up for another rebuttal, only for their beeping watches to rescue Erika's trying patience. Shooting him a look to can it, Erika opened the com-line.

"We're here."

"Good," Ray's voice came through. "Looks like I'm reading both of you."

Erika shot Zeke a confused look before voicing her question. "Where's Hilary?"

"She's running an errand, so you've got me on the coms for now," Ray explained. "Looks like Xaviax is making a play downtown."

"What's he up to?" Zeke asked.

"It'll be easier if I show you, hang on. I just need to find the- there we go!"

The light burst from the watch screen as a small holographic display lit up in front of them. Yup, Cyberdrones downtown, running left, right, and center as people fled in terror. Then the display turned, revealing a large, gluttonous creature with small white wings protruding from its back.

"I am Pig-Wing!" it roared, "Flee before my power!"

"A flying pig," said Erika. "Now I really have seen everything."

"Here's some friendly Ranger advice," Ray chuckled. "Never make that bet. I know it's only the two of you right now, but people are running scared. Think you can head down there and get them to safety?"

Erika looked to Zeke for confirmation. He was hesitant, but then he nodded. "We're on our way."

She cut the line and the two teens took off, bolting down the hill to where they could see the rising smoke. They whipped out the keycards, barely breaking their stride as the morphers flashed to their wrists and ran the keys through.

"Server Force!" they cried. "Login Access!"

The light consumed them as they were infused with the power of the grid, spiriting them across the city. Seconds later, they arrived at the scene, their suits on and ready with the helms concealing their faces. It was even more chaotic than Ray's surveillance had made it seem.

Cars were flipped, pieces of road blown to chunks, and panicked people rushing past them while the Cyberdrones paraded like a hoodlum gang around their new pig-king.

"All right, Porky," Erika warned. "We're here to chop you up."

But the monster snapped back its head and laughed.

"You're the one telling porkies!" Pig-Wing cackled. "You're not going to land a hand on me."

Beside her, Zeke braced his shield as he looked at the Cyberdrone numbers. Erika didn't blame him; with only two of them dealing with the horde would be a tall order. But that was the job, and it needed to be done.

They could do this.

Just get the people to safety, she told herself, then we can worry about the robots.

"How about it, Zeke?" Erika asked. "Ready to bring home the bacon?"

The Yellow Ranger gripped his shield and nodded. Then, weapons drawn and ready, the two of them charged into the fray.

Abbey could only stare back at Hilary, bracing for another repeat of the conversation she'd been having all day.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Hawkins, but I'm not coming back," she insisted. "I don't care if people think I'm backing down because I don't have the spine for it."

"Hmmm," Hilary noted. "I don't think I heard that one, but based on the last week I'm going to guess that was Erika?"

"… and I'm definitely not just diving at the chance to live up some childish superhero fantasy…"

"Process of elimination tells me that was probably Zeke…"

"I just, I know some people think of it as some great calling, like it's something they were born to do. But that's just not me, okay?"

"Ahh, there's the worldly wisdom of my husband."

"Dr. Hawkins," Abbey concluded as the programmer's flippancy started to grate. "I've made my decision. You're just going to have to find someone else."

"Abbey," Hilary said softly. "I'm not here to convince you to come back."

…what?

Abbey had to catch the next sentence before it came, the next line of argument that she'd assumed she'd have to launch. For a moment, all she could do with pause, letting her brain unscramble as everything suddenly calmed.

"Oh…," Abbey said quietly as if it was suddenly all she could manage.

"I wanted to check that you're okay," said Hilary. "Yesterday it, it was a lot. And you made a big decision. I just wanted to check up on you, see how you were doing."

Again, Abbey just couldn't find the words, but Hilary smiled as she gently looked over Abbey's shoulder.

"I think we'll take those coffees to go, Dirk."

"No problem, Doc," smiled the community organizer. "Say, we had a secretary from that big-wig company down here earlier, asking after you. Cyberdyne? Something about your big reopening next week?"

"I'll look into it," Hilary replied. "Are you still good to cater for that?"

"Tell me how much and I'll make it."

"I'll have my people call your people."

"So, you'll send me an email?"

"Pretty much."

The machine finished hissing, signaling that the milk was finally done as Dirk poured the drinks into the cardboard cups.

"Thanks, Dirk," said Hilary before nodding to Abbey and adding warmly. "Let's go for a walk."

Then, Hilary flicked back her hair and put on her sunglasses, striding outside with the assumption that Abbey would follow. She was right.

The two walked outside, back into the cool afternoon sun. Even this early in the Fall, the chilling breeze was starting to snake its way in. Eventually, Hilary found a bench and sat down, motioning to Abbey to do the same.

"I'm good," Abbey decided, although she wasn't sure if it was just to be contrarian.

If Hilary minded, she didn't show it. "Suit yourself."

Abbey lasted all of thirty seconds, planting herself down beside the programmer almost immediately afterward. "I wanted to sit," she clarified, almost petulantly.

"I know," Hilary mused. "I'm just glad you're comfy. Now, how are you really doing?"

Abbey had had the entire walk from the Hub to figure that out, and yet somehow, she still had no clue of how to answer.

"Everyone keeps talking to me like I made a massive mistake," she said. "Like I have no idea what I want, or that I'm just being naive. But I don't want to fight, not anyone. I don't want to hurt people. It's just not me."

Hilary nodded softly but said nothing. For a long while they sat in silence as if waiting for the words to come. All the while, a storm was swirling in Abbey's head, an uncertain tempest of not knowing where to even begin. But Hilary truly didn't seem like she was there to change Abbey's mind. So maybe… maybe she could help figure things out?

Maybe?

Eventually, Abbey asked the question that until then she'd been too proud and scared to utter.

"Did I?" she asked meekly before clarifying, "Make a mistake?"

"Only you can know that," Hilary replied. "You've got your reasons, and people can try to understand them, but in the end, it'll be up to you to decide whether they're good enough."

"Mr. Granger said he went through the same thing," said Abbey. "Back when you guys were Rangers. He said he realized that he couldn't let it go. But I don't think that's true for me. I want to help people, I do. But I don't want to use violence to do it."

"My husband is very good at his job," said Hilary. "He's an ever-flowing font of wisdom who has given me much in the way of sage advice over the years. He brings out the best in people, it's his superpower. But I also know that this is something that he doesn't quite get. Not really."

Abbey scrunched her face; surprised Hilary was saying such things about the man she loved. "What do you mean?"

"When Ray quit the team," Hilary explained. "It was because he thought he wasn't good enough; like he was a burden. But it was never his place in the fight that he questioned, only his ability to do it. He's always been willing to put himself between innocent people and the forces of evil. So, this is a bit of a blind spot of his."

"You make it sound like other Power Rangers have had doubts like mine."

Hilary made a consolatory face and nodded. "I know I did."

The words hit Abbey like a ton of collapsing bricks. Hilary, she… made the Morphers! Why would she do that if she was questioning everything just as Abbey had?

"The night we got our Morphers," said Hilary. "We were terrified. Surprise superpowers, entire warehouse surrounded by killer robots. We had no idea if the Morphers were even going to work. Truth is, we ran out there in a desperate bid to save our skins before anything else. But then we won; we destroyed the monster and saved the day. Rode a high like we were invincible. And you want to know what happened next? We got walked all over in our very next battle. I still remember that stupid walking battery and its dumb jokes."

Abbey couldn't help but laugh as the mental image was enough to get her smiling. "Walking battery?"

"Trust me," Hilary insisted. "If you hung around long enough, that sentence would barely even register as weird. You'd definitely have seen weirder. It really drove home to us how out of our depth we were. And it was only going to get harder from there. I was a geeky kid, shocking I know, happily spent my time with my nose glued to the computer screen. I hadn't ever even been in a fight until the night the pulse hit me. What was I doing fighting monsters? The day came pretty quickly when my Morpher started beeping and I was desperately tempted not to answer it."

That same feeling Abbey had had when she got the call the previous day. So scared of what she was running into, and that feeling of what it would lead her to become. When she saw Ender's face, when he'd tricked her, all she could feel was the fear of what the fight would turn her into. She wasn't even sure she was upset that she'd fallen for it, not if it meant that she still was prepared to give her enemy a chance.

But all it had done was put others in danger, innocent people almost harmed because she was too scared to commit.

"Why did you do it?" Abbey asked. "Why did you keep being a Ranger?"

"My stupid brother," Hilary replied. "Born just twenty minutes after me, but boy does it feel like a decade. Drove me crazy back then; still does. But he was with me the night I got my powers, got my Morpher. He was by my side through all of it."

"Did something happen to him?" Abbey asked, but Hilary shook her head.

"Nope, he came out of it fine; because for me. That's what I realized. It was dangerous, and far from what I wanted to be doing, but my brother, my friends… Ray; all of them were out there, putting themselves in danger to protect the innocent. And I wanted them to be okay, I wanted them to be safe. Eventually, I decided that the only way that was going to happen was if I was right up there with them. If I stood by their side, then I could make sure everyone made it home."

Because that's who she was fighting for. What she was fighting for.

To protect them.

"Abbey," Hilary said softly. "If you don't want to do this, I understand. In fact, I'm probably the last person to ever tell you that you should. But what I do want to know, is if you're okay with that choice. And if you're ready for what that means."

If Abbey was ready for them to go out there without her…

But any chance of thinking further was broken as suddenly there was a commotion behind them. People were rushing to the nearby shop window, where the new TVs were displaying the local news. And whatever they were seeing, it wasn't pleasant.

Abbey and Hilary made their way over, pushing through the crowd to see the fuss. All Abbey could do was gasp as she saw the sight, hand snatching to her mouth in horror.

"… live on the scene where the monster is continuing their destruction of downtown," Cornell explained onscreen. "The Power Rangers are holding their own, but the odds are not in their favor. Authorities are warning everyone to stay clear of the area."

The camera moved as a fully morphed Erika flipped over a car, lasers battering behind her. Zeke rushed forward, batting some away with his shield before kneeling to block a blast. But beside her, Abbey noticed Hilary tense. The worst was still to come.

"Quit hogging all the fun!" a craggy voice bellowed at the robots, and the camera spun to show an enormous-winged hog. He cackled, purple lasers blasting from his eyes to explode the car Erika was hiding behind. The Red Ranger lunged to safety, the vehicle disappearing in a plume of flame that rained debris across the street.

Abbey had seen enough. Those were her friends, battling that thing alone. And if someone didn't help them, that battle could well be their last.

She spun to Hilary, no longer caring for the desperation she wore cleanly on her face. "I have to help them!"

Hilary nodded and smiled, her hand diving into her handbag to produce a blue wristwatch and matching card.

Her Morpher.

Abbey stared at the device, having cast it aside barely a day beforehand. But now was not the time for second-guessing; she could do that when she knew her friends were safe. Hilary's gaze gave nothing away. No suggestion, no expectation. Nothing except the choice that only Abbey could make.

Abbey's hand snatched up the watch, strapping it to her wrist as she pushed out of the crowd. She stopped, only for a moment, for the one question that she knew she had to ask. "Did you know I was going to take it back?"

But Hilary smiled and shook her head, "No, but I hoped. Now, go; go help your friends."

Abbey nodded before taking off as fast as she could. Casting a glance back, she saw Hilary hurrying to return to the museum.

"Ray, I'm heading your way," she heard her say into a communicator of her own. "Tell the kids that reinforcements are inbound!"

Abbey's legs didn't stop, carrying her as far as they could with every bound. She could see the smoke rising in the distance, a beacon calling for her. Her friends calling for her.

"Server Force!" she bellowed, swiping the card through the slot as she ran and summoning the blazing blue light around her. "Login Access!"

Don't worry guys, I'm coming.

Erika hit the ground and rolled, another blast skidding past her feet as she scampered for cover.

That damn pig! His body was slow, fat belly a massive target. But she had no chance of connecting with her Power Axe with all those drones swarming the place. An explosion to her left, Zeke leaping into the air as the ground flared behind him. He landed beside her, dropping low to keep himself from view.

"I need you to keep them off me," she ordered.

"I'm trying!" Zeke insisted. "They're coming from all sides!"

"Oh, Rangers!" Pig-Wing called. "Let's play a little game!"

Great, now he wants to play. Then Erika heard a step, one far too close for her liking. He'd found them!

"This little piggy went to market!" he laughed, blasting lasers from his eyes. The Rangers dived aside as the car exploded, shockwave hurling them back and tumbling them across the ground. Both of them groaned as they slowly rose to their feet, only to see Pig-Wing and his buddies were already gathering to swarm them.

"And these little Rangers," he snarled with a sinister smile as his voice darkened, "were never going home."

"We'll just see about that!"

The voice echoed throughout the street, robotic heads snapping up to find where it came from. It was the only warning they got.

A blast of blue energy burst across the sky, searing from out of nowhere and booming at the feet of the drones. The front ranks went flying as the rest of them stumbled backward, Pig-Wing included.

Erika and Zeke whipped their heads around, hearts soaring as they witnessed the source of their salvation.

Abbey.

"Sorry, little piggy," she warned. "Looks like you should have stayed home!"

"Why you-!"

But Abbey was already moving, flipping from her vantage point to dive right into the horde of drones. And they were not ready. She dropped on landing, cracking the limbs of the bow against the legs to bowl the bots over. The Cyberdrones hit the ground, chrome armor clanking against the concrete as Abbey snapped her attention to the monster.

"That's enough out of you!" he roared, lasers bursting from his eyes.

The blasts hit the ground, but Abbey was already flipping in the air to dodge. Now with time to pull back, her hand snapped to her waist, whipping out the Security Blaster and unloading. Her own barrage of lasers burst from the barrel, peppering the Cyberdrones as she landed gracefully beside her comrades.

"Abbey!" Zeke cried.

"Nice moves," Erika agreed.

"Hey guys," said Abbey. "I'm sorry I left you."

But Erika was having none of it, her hand already firmly on her friend's shoulder in solidarity.

"Hey," she insisted. "What matters is that you're here now."

"Not to be one to break up the reunion," Ray suggested in their ear. "But do you think it can wait until after you've blown up the monster?"

"Right!"

Then they turned to face the recovering numbers.

"Heard you guys were having a little Cyberdrone problem," said Abbey. "Want me to take care of them for you?"

Beneath her helmet, Erika shot her friend a daring grin. "By all means."

Then they charged.

Blue light seared through the sky, arrows of energy blasting into the Cyberdrones that tried and failed to meet them. Abbey broke into a run, racing toward a ruined car as she shifted her vantage and drew another shot. Her feet hit the bonnet, bounding her to the roof before leaping to maximum height. Then she released another shot that boomed against the ground and scattered the Cyberdrones in all directions.

All for one purpose, all for the delivery.

Up ahead, Zeke and Erika had covered ground, and Abbey raced to catch up. As the drones closed in, Zeke batted them away, shield plowing through as Erika carved up from behind with her axe. Then a Cyberdrone leaped high, too close and too high for either to see.

But for Abbey, it was the perfect target. She snapped on the string, a blue arrow splitting the sky and striking dead center. The drone tumbled from the air as the arrow of energy sundered its chest, and at last, the two of them made it in.

"What?" Pig-Wing gasped, stumbling as the Rangers descended. "I ain't no piggy in the middle!"

He swung out his fist, but Zeke was ready. The claw collided with the shield, and the Yellow Ranger pushed back as Erika leaped from behind. The axe blazed with crimson light, sheering across his body as the pig stumbled back. With the monster off balance and way finally clear, Abbey hurried to catch up with her friends.

"Thanks for the save back there," said Erika.

"Yeah," Zeke agreed. "It really saved our bacon."

"You guys ready to roast this pig?" Abbey asked.

"Yeah!"

They moved in unison, perfect precision as axe and shield merged with the bow and the three of them braced the canon. By the time they had it aimed and leveled, Pig-Wing had barely climbed to his feet.

"Defrag Blaster!" they called together. "Ready, aim… FIRE!"

The barreled hounded as the twisting light of primary color spun towards the monster. The round connected in an instant, flashing into a dazzling display as the flames of a concussive blast boomed from the impact. Right on target.

Scorched, battered, and bruised, Pig-Wing stumbled for a moment before toppling into a second explosion that rocked out as steaming pieces scattered across the asphalt.

"Yeah!" Zeke cheered.

"All right!" Erika agreed.

"Ah, guys?" came Ray's warning through the coms.

The celebration was cut short as green light burst downward from the sky to snatch up the smoking remains of Pig-Wing. Drawing them together, the mass grew and swelled in size before Pig-Wing rose above them, rejuvenated at his full eighty-story majesty.

"Right," Erika remembered. "That."

"No roast beef for this pig!" he roared in triumph, immediately stamping down his hoof to crush the Rangers. The trio lunged from harm, diving aside as the foot rammed the cracking concrete and left a massive crater in its wake.

"Ah, Ray?" Erika advised. "Now might be a good time to match his size."

"Working on it!" their mentor replied, immediately returning to hurried muttering. "Now where is that command? Here? Nope, how about-"

Then there was a scuffling, the hurried sound of something padding the mic before a different voice spoke to them.

"Don't worry, guys," Hilary assured them, "I'm back in the chair. The Zords coming your way!"

The jet roared overhead, matched by the screeching of tires as the other two giant vehicles skidded into view. The Rangers wasted no time, leaping into the cockpit and beginning the merging sequence. Moments later, the combined mecha-stomped forward, ready to face its foe.

"Cyber Security Megazord!"

"You think that's so tough?" the monster. "I say hogwash!"

"I don't know about you guys," Abbey said to her teammates. "But I'm about done with this guy porking out on puns."

Erika nodded, gripping the controls with renewed vigor. "Then let's really ham things up for him!"

The Megazord thundered forward, footsteps quaking as it closed the gap in seconds. Pig-Wing roared as it threw a punch, fist colliding first to smack the Cyber Security back. The whole machine shook as it stumbled, sparks flying off the giant breastplate.

But Pig-Wing was only getting lucky once.

He swung again, this time the mighty arm snapped bat it away before swinging a haymaker into the jaw.

"That'll do, pig," Abbey warned with a grin. "That'll do."

Then they brought the sword.

Still reeling from the last attack, off balance from its own hulking weight, Pig-Wing was utterly defenseless as the Megazord charged toward him.

"Cyber Power…," the trio called together. "STRIKE!"

Like a skewer at a barbeque, the giant blade lanced through the monster, energy flashing as it seared through the flesh in one big cut.

"NO!" Pig-Wing squealed. "You boared straight through me!"

But the Rangers didn't even bother to turn the Zord. Slowly winding up after finishing their strike, to let Pig-Wing tumble behind them. The column of flame burst behind him, illuminating the mighty mecha as it stood triumphant over the city.

Rangers together once again.

Thump…

The bag rocked as Abbey's fist collided, swinging back just a little before falling back.

Thump…

Thump…

Thump…

The elevator doors dinged, and Abbey looked up to see Ray walking into the room. A wide-open space, most of it was clear with the padded foam laid across a floor. The punching bag hung from a chain in the corner, in perfect view of the entrance.

"Sorry," Abbey apologized. "Hilary told me the room was up here, figured it could do with some use."

"By all means," Ray agreed. "That's what it's here for."

"Your wife, she's… she's a pretty incredible woman."

Ray smiled, a light chuckle escaping his breath as he nodded. "I remind myself every day, trust me."

Then a silence fell between them, the unspoken words hanging from their last conversation. Abbey leaned against the bag, uncertain whether she should say anything or resume her drills. Then Ray broke the quiet.

"I just came up here to say thank you," he said, "for helping the others. I know I didn't express it well, but I know what was going through your head, and I know it couldn't have been easy."

This time it was Abbey's turn to smile. "That's the thing; it was. I still don't like fighting, I don't want to fight or hurt anyone. I don't think I ever will. But when I saw my friends in danger, there was nowhere else I wanted to be."

Slowly, Ray nodded, grateful for her change of heart.

"So," Abbey decided. "If going out there is what it's going to take to keep my friends safe, then that's where I'm going to be. Because it's the only way to make sure they come back."

Feeling her resolve begin to steel, Abbey turned back to the punching bag, giving it a few light taps as she prepared to wind back up her rhythm.

"I always like to say that Sun Tzu calls a 'wise warrior one who avoids war'," Ray mused as she worked. "Half of his statements in The Art of War are about how battle should always be a last resort. But in there he also talks about what people fight for, what motivates people to run into danger when it seems all else is lost."

"The ones we love," said Abbey.

Thump…

"Yeah," said Ray. "The ones we love. I'm glad you don't want to fight Abbey. It means there'll always be someone on the team looking to end the fighting for good."

She could only hope that it would be one day soon. But there was something else about what Ray was saying.

Thump…

"Are we?" Abbey asked. "At war?"

Thump.

"I guess that depends on Xaviax," Ray admitted. "We're playing defense right now, he's the one who keeps deciding to send Cyberdrones into the city. And he's welcome to stop at any time."

Thump!

"Well until the day comes when he rides off into the distance," Abbey decided. "I'll be here, helping the others stand in his way."

THUMP!

She hit the bag dead center, fist twisting on impact to snap it back against its chain. The ceiling shook, the chain yanking at its support as the bag dropped downwards and jerked at its holding.

"Nice hit," Ray congratulated.

"Thanks," Abbey smiled. 'Got any pointers?"

The counselor nodded, stepping closer on the mat as Abbey resumed the stance he'd once shown her.

"Key to any good offense," he began, pulling his fists close to his chest, "is a strong defense. Arms together tight, knees bent, feet shoulder-width apart. Balance is your best friend…"

"So, Ender," ArcKnight sneered. "It appears you're racking up quite the string of defeats. You're already up to three by my count."

"Then your count would be wrong," Ender replied lazily. "It's only a defeat if you measure success with blows to the Rangers."

"The desired outcome of our very goal!" ArcKnight hissed. "Surely you do not expect victory when you avoid the very thing we seek!"

"Oh, ArcKnight, you're a good soldier. Such a champ at following orders; hit there, attack that. Blow something up," Ender chuckled. "But you're too focused on the singular battle while I'm trying to win a war."

"And how are you succeeding in that?"

"It's called learning," said Ender. "You should give it a try sometime."

Then the doors hissed open, smoke billowing in as Xaviax followed.

"And you should try to not test my patience," he said coldly. "To do so too often would be most unfortunate."

"I agree!" Ender grinned. "Which is why I have already begun on the next stage of our plan, based upon what we've learned."

Xaviax's head tilted, his mask glinting against the dull light. "Which is?"

"Three Rangers are a formidable force," said Ender. "But take one away, and they're running around like buffoons. Pig-Wing nearly destroyed two of them, just today, and even my own battle with them showed that they're far from a functioning team once one is on their own."

"So, what is it that you're proposing?"

"Why, break their chain, of course!" Ender proclaimed, smile now almost as wide as his hat. "All we have to do is find the weakest link and apply plenty of pressure until it snaps."

"And how do you propose we do that?" ArcKnight asked impatiently.

"That, perhaps, is where our plans intersect," said Xaviax. "An opportunity to destroy the Rangers from within, as we discussed."

"Absolutely!" Ender replied. "I have already begun putting your inspiring piece of brilliance into motion."

At his words, the doors hissed again, and another figure stepped inside the room.

"Speak of the devil!" Ender said excitedly. "Here they come now! Welcome back, how was school? Did you find it educational?"

All three turned to the new figure, a teenage girl in a white jacket, her dark, dead-straight hair resting on her shoulders. As she looked at her fellow partners in evil, a smile, cunning and sinister, flickered to her lips.

"Extremely," replied Mileena. "Some might even call it enlightening. And I know just where we should begin..."

NEXT TIME:

As the Rangers work to improve their teamwork, Erika is once again faced with a challenge of her own creation; demons rising from within to throw her off course. With new rage burning, her anger threatens to take control when the team needs her most, drawing them further into danger. Meanwhile, Lena begins to befriend Miguel as the Rangers are again forced to abandon them for their fight.

Will Erika succeed in quelling her flames before they burn her up from within? Just how is Xaviax plotting to find a break in the chain? And how does Lena plan on using Miguel in her plot to destroy the Rangers?

Find out next time on:

POWER RANGERS

SERVER FORCE

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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.