Episode 8

Going Dark- Part III

The Cyberdrones were scrambling, all of them hurrying to either consoles or teleporters in a frantic hurry to comply with Mileena's demands.

"Delta Patrol to downtown, there's a bunch of alleys for him to hide," she barked. "Ender! Why haven't you locked onto his Morpher signal yet?"

"It's down," Ender replied sharply. "The transmitter must have been damaged when his powers shorted out! I knew I should have taken another look before giving it to you. But no! You had a perfect advantage, you needed it right away!"

"Just find him!" Mileena snapped.

The clock was ticking, and they were running out of time. It had already been a whole night since Miguel disappeared, vanished after his fight with the Rangers. All their forces had been diverted in search, but so far to no avail. Which meant it was only a matter of time before Mileena would have to report her failures to Lord Xaviax.

"Maybe if you'd been a little more selective in the candidate and found someone who actually wanted to work for us, we wouldn't be in this situation," Ender noted.

"The candidate was fine," Mileena snapped back. "I just needed to work on him some more. If Lord Xavaix hadn't-!"

"Hadn't what, Mileena?"

His voice, icy like the arctic air, curled along her spine, squeezing Mileena's breath as her back shot ramrod straight. Time's up.

Slowly, Mileena turned from the console to face her master. "Lord Xaviax! I was merely noting that had I known that you had an override protocol in place, I could have acted accordingly."

But Xaviax was in no mood to debate his methods, as his head tilted but a fraction in signal of his disapproval. Even beneath the expressionless mask, Mileena could tell his face was twisting into fury.

"My methods are not what should be questioned, Mileena," he growled. "Not when yours have been problematic of late."

The words were like a knife to her heart, such abject disappointment in her attempts to please him. "My lord?"

"Twice! Twice you have had the Rangers right where you wanted them, and yet your concern for this boy overrode your senses. The Rangers were right there, depowered and helpless, and yet you did not send in the Cyberdrones to finish them off!"

"My Lord, the Dark Ranger was missing," Mileena reasoned. "I would have thought that his importance-."

"The Dark Ranger is a means to an end!" Xaviax hissed. "His role is to bring about the destruction of the Power Rangers. To strip our enemies of their defenses and bring me my prize. No different from you."

"My Lord, I'm sorry, I hadn't realized that…"

"Hadn't realized?" There was no containing his anger now, and Mileena felt like her body shrinking as all the others in the room shied away. The Cyberdrones were avoiding eye contact, and even Ender was suddenly intricately focused on the console in front of him. "Why else did you think I had you created, if not for that purpose? You have valuable experience in fighting both Hawkins and Granger, the two that stand between me and my ultimate goal! And yet you have done nothing to help me achieve it!"

"My Lord, that's not true!" she insisted. "I brought you the Dark Ranger, who twice has brought the Rangers to their knees!"

"And what has that got me?" Xaviax replied. "Have the Rangers been destroyed? Has either Granger or Hawkins been brought before me in chains? Do I have what I need to complete my ultimate goal? No, Mileena, from where I'm standing, what you have done has been of little use to me at all."

No. It couldn't be. She'd worked to destroy their enemies. It was her reason for being. She couldn't fail him, not in this.

"Bring me what I want, Mileena," Xaviax said coldly. "Or I will be forced to reconsider what use I have for you."

And then he turned and left, leaving Lena surrounded by the minions that worked for him, not her, and Ender, whose silence on the matter was deafening.

But she wouldn't fail Xaviax. Not now. She'd failed her last master, failed in her purpose once before. This was her chance to correct that mistake.

"Shift the search parameters," Mileena barked, and the Cyberdrones flinched in terror before hurriedly rushing to comply. Beside her, Ender raised a bemused eyebrow.

"A change in plans?"

"Look for the Rangers," Lena snarled. "They're bound to be out looking for the boy as well. And when they find him, we'll be ready to strike, and then everyone will get what they want…"

"He's got be around here somewhere," Abbey insisted. "He's got to be."

But while Abbey continued her search in optimistic desperation, Erika was less hopeful. Barely upright after fighting Miguel to a standstill, the trio had been forced to retreat to the Lab when Miguel disappeared, too concerned about descending Cyberdrones to be able to give chase. From there the best they could do was let Hilary hit the traffic cameras to try and pick up a trail, or at the very least narrow it down.

But Miguel was moving too fast, bouncing between blocks with the power he could barely control, and eventually, he began avoiding the cameras as well. Eventually, after a whole night of no hits, Abbey had decided that couldn't wait any longer and decided to hit the streets in search of him. She had to do something, she'd told them, although Erika suspected that it was about assuaging her guilt rather than a realistic chance of finding him.

Maybe it was just false hope.

But Erika agreed that it was better than doing nothing and agreed to help, along with a begrudging Zeke and Ray, who also offered to accompany them.

"This is the third area we've checked," Zeke reasoned. "How do we even know he's around here?"

"Miguel once told me about the few times he'd run away from home," Abbey explained. "The things he did to keep going. He knows how to survive on the streets with nothing, but it means there are a few places he's more likely to go than others."

As Abbey said it, Erika couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. As hard as times had been with her and her dad, and the difficulties he had supporting them on his own, she'd never been left with nothing. She'd never been forced to rely on only herself, forced out on the streets and scavenging to survive. She'd always had a roof over her head, even if being cramped and cracked was all her dad could afford.

For all her anger at her mother, for as hard as her dad worked for the little they had, Erika was still privileged compared to others. And if her own circumstances were constantly stoking the raging fires within, Erika could only imagine what was happening inside Miguel. It only made her fist curl tighter as she thought of how Lena had venomously crawled into his ear and poisoned him.

"Miguel's a kid who's been through a lot," Ray agreed. "He needs help and support. Right now, he's probably scared, of both himself and others. We need to be careful when we find him, he'll probably spook easily. We don't want him bolting."

Wise words, and something Erika kept trying to keep in mind as they wandered the streets to check the alleys. When backed into a corner, her instincts always told her to fight. But for Miguel, fleeing was just as much a danger.

"Thanks for coming to help, Mr. Granger," said Abbey.

"Happy to be here," Ray shrugged. "Honestly, it's kind of hard watching from the sidelines. At least Hilary's got her hands full keeping all your equipment running; I just get to spectate. It's nice that there's a job I can still do."

His statement caught Erika off guard, confusing her attempt to decipher it. On the one hand, she knew what he meant; she could only imagine how frustrated she'd feel if she didn't have anything to hit. But there was something about the way he said it that made her feel there was more to it.

"What do you mean?" Erika asked him. "How can you be a Ranger without a Morpher?"

She expected an angry rebuke, a dismissive reprisal that she should already know the answer and that it was insulting to even ask. And yet, Ray simply chuckled, smiling as he turned to her in reply.

"There's more to being a Power Ranger than just fighting," he said. "It's a big part of it, sure, but it's a means to an end. We fight to defend those who can't fight for themselves. But all that is in service to our true purpose as Rangers: to find people in need and help them."

Like he had with her; like they all had every time the Cyberdrones and monsters descended upon the city and put people in danger. And now Abbey wanted them to do the same for Miguel. If only it were that simple.

"What do you do?" Erika asked. "What if they don't want your help?'

"The best you can," Ray admitted with a shrug. "Sometimes, all you can do is offer a hand and hope they've got the courage to take it. Help's never any good to those who can't accept it, and sometimes the first task is helping them see the value, and that they're deserving of it. That they're worth saving."

He made it sound like a battle all on its own, encouraging people to seek help. But then, Erika supposed, had she been any different? Would she have gone to counseling had it not been for the school's insistence, or made friends with Abbey and Zeke had it not been for her mandatory community service? Erika had already realized just how recently she too could have been easy prey for Mileena. Had she really moved away from that place through conscious volition alone?

No, too much. That many 'what ifs' was going to quickly make her brain explode. Not that their lack of progress on the hunt for Miguel was helping either, and the impatience was starting to chew at her with every empty look.

Maybe Ray was good at talking someone down, but Erika needed a problem she could solve. At least when Cyberdrones were in front of her she had something to hit. It was simple and easy. It was certainly a lot easier than the other question that plagued her mind.

Even if they did find Miguel, would he be their friend or a foe?

She was just about to give up, to tell the others she didn't think he was around when a movement caught Erika's eye. It was barely more than the flicker of shadow, a catch in the light down a narrow stretch. Any other time, Erika would have ignored it, but now she knew she needed to check.

For her friend's sake.

For Miguel's.

Taking a step toward the alley, careful to keep her treads light and quiet, Erika crept into the gloom to approach the source of the disturbance. There was Miguel, huddling, near fetal, behind a dumpster. As Erika approached, he gasped in fright and looked up with sheer, unadulterated terror.

"Hey," she said nervously, "It's okay, I'm not here to fight."

Still, Miguel backed away, flinching deeper into the corner as she dared another step. "Stay away from me! I don't want to hurt you!"

Dammit! What could she even say? Abbey was the touchy-feely one, the one who always seemed to know how to comfort. All Erika knew how to do was punch things, and that was the last thing she should be doing.

Thankfully, the others managed to catch her eye, Abbey's face lighting up slightly as she began to make her way over with Ray and Zeke. But as they closed in, Miguel only scampered further back.

"We're to help," Erika tried again. "I promise."

"You can't help me," Miguel insisted. "No one can. Just stay away from me!"

"Miguel…"

Now close enough to see him, Abbey sounded off, tenderly reaching out in an attempt to calm him down. Seeing his friend, Miguel's panicked expression softened, his manic breathing slowing as he heard her voice. But only a little.

"A… Abbey…?"

"Awww, isn't this nice?"

Lena!

Her voice was like nails on a chalkboard, shrieking at their nerves as all of them spun. Sure enough, their one-time friend was standing amusedly at the entrance of the alley with a large posse of Cyberdrones at her back.

"How do you do, fellow kids?" she smirked.

Erika's fists snapped up, an eager guarding stance as her feet moved without thought, stepping closer to the grouping enemy to place herself between them and Miguel. Honestly, it suited her just fine. Counseling a scared kid was never going to be her forte. But beating on Cyberdrones? She could do that all day.

Seeing the arriving threat, both Ray and Zeke stepped up beside her, with only Abbey holding back in hesitance. But behind them, Miguel only continued to scamper.

"They found me!" he realized. "They followed you! You led them to me!"

"Miguel," Abbey reassured, "It's okay. We won't let them get you."

"You can't help me!" he yelled, already breaking into a run. "Stay away from me!"

Wait!

But it was too late, and just like that, Miguel vanished in a crack of black smoke.

Dammit!

Lena's eyes narrowed as she watched him disappear, already turning the Cyberdrones to bark a command.

"He can't have gone far; spread out and find him!"

One look was all Erika needed to share an agreement with the others. While they couldn't let Miguel be out on his own, they certainly couldn't let him fall back into Xaviax's hands. Which meant they needed to hold off the Cyberdrones for as long as they could.

Erika moved before even uttering the command, crimson lightning from her palm as Ray too shot a pair of beams from his eyes. The bolts split across the alley and blasted at the Cyberdrone's feet, and the foot soldiers whipped around as the team formed ranks and rose their arms to fight.

"Going so soon, Mileena?" Erika snarled. "It's like you don't want to be friends anymore."

"I wonder what would give you that idea?" Lena laughed. "Get them!"

The Cyberdrones were on them in an instant, Ray and Zeke splitting to hold the sides as Erika lunged for the center to hold the minions in a bottleneck. Behind her, Abbey was about to join them, lunging into the fray to help her teammates. But as she spun out to kick, a robot into its comrades, Erika whipped around and barked an order.

"Go after Miguel, we've got this!"

With Miguel flashing away, it was only a matter of time before they lost him again, and Abbey's ability to run through walls was their best chance to catch him. And Abbey knew it too.

Nodding affirmatively, the redhead spun, vanishing through a concrete barrier as Erika ducked beneath another blow. Now it was just the three of them, the Cyberdrones, and Lena.

And they had unfinished business.

Arms swinging out as she lunged back, Erika clotheslined a pair of drones as she spun into a powerful kick. The robot was hurled backward, clattering into its comrades into a heap as they flailed and they clambered over each other in a vain attempt to rise. With the rest of the Cyberdrones stumbling around their fallen brethren, the gap was opened for a run at Lena.

Perfect.

"Zeke!" she called. "Boost me!"

The boy nodded, shouldering back a nearby drone as he ran toward her. Off on his flank, Ray saw what they were doing.

"Erika, wait!"

But she wasn't holding back, not this time. Lena had made a fool of them, wiped the floor with them, and thrown their lives into disarray. That was even before considering everything she'd done to Miguel. There was no way Erika was letting Lena escape this time. Not this time.

Hearing Ray's warning, Zeke hesitated, but Erika was already running at him, lunging into the air with her feet aimed straight at him. Left without a choice, the boy snapped out his hand to summon the golden shield. The dome burst outward, flinging with powerful force as Erika's feed collided, kicking off to let the propulsion of the emerging barrier send her soaring into the air. Now airborne, Erika twisted to ready her landing, her palm crackling with energy to unleash a fresh torrent of crimson lightning.

Mileena saw it, quick enough to dodge, but not fast enough to smirk. She flipped away, lighting flashing as it hit the ground and Erika lunged to follow. Lena was on the back foot now, and Erika was not going to miss this chance.

As Lena landed, Erika was already on her, charging in her with a furious flurry of punches. The girl's arms flashed up, batting away the blows as her footing forced her back.

"Brave of you," Lena smirked. "Coming at me all on your own. Especially after how well last time went."

"Last time we got you in a headlock," Erika growled.

"Really? Is that how it went?'

She slapped away the blow, her fist like iron and strong enough to force Erika to stumble. Then, with her assailant on the recovery, Lena snapped up a kick, cracking through the air as Erika swerved in a desperate dodge. She'd felt it before, and now it was confirming it.

Lena was strong, but that just meant Erika had to kick things up.

But Lena seemed to have other ideas.

"Well, it's been fun," she snicked. "But I've places to be, people to see, and all that. Ta."

The green light consumed her, whisking her away as Erika lunged to catch her. With the girl's arms hitting empty air and unleashing a furious curse, Erika spun around to see a fresh set of problems. Lena's exit had brought down a fresh batch of Cyberdrones. Now she was surrounded and well away from her team.

"Zeke!" she called back to the alley, hand snapping to her jacket to retrieve the crimson keycard. "Let's kick it up!"

"Got it!"

Through the chaos, she watched Zeke step back, producing his card as the Morpher flashed to his wrist. Then Erika sliced it through, bellowing the cry that summoned the power.

"Server Force! Login Access!"

Miguel flashed from the smoke and stumbled into the wall, the hard concrete slamming his arm as it stubbornly pushed back against his weight.

Too much! It was all too much!

The world was spinning; he could barely breathe. And no matter what he did to escape, things only got worse. He couldn't run; they'd find him. He couldn't fight; it would only bring out that dark side of himself, hurting those he cared about. And he couldn't even freeze or refuse to cooperate.

Not when they could make him act against his will.

The first time Miguel had used those powers, it had been like a dream, an exhilarating rush that made him feel like he could do anything. Like the world was at his fingertips, and no consequences could erupt to stop him.

Only then he'd seen Abbey lying on the ground. Because of him.

The second time he'd used them, the unstoppable feeling had returned. In an instant, he'd gone from terrified of ArcKnight to indifferent. The power he felt flowing through his veins, he felt unstoppable.

But the power wasn't his.

It was that… thing's.

That thing that had crawled into his mind, taken his body for its own and used it to hurt his friends. That thing that had used the power for what it was made for.

Destroying the Power Rangers.

No.

If that was what it was for then Miguel wouldn't use it. He'd find a way to get it off of him, to detach it from his wrist and rid himself of its influence. Until then, he just had to stay as far away from everyone else as possible.

He had to run. He'd done it before, and he knew what to do.

He just wished that it wouldn't mean leaving Lakeview behind for good. He liked this new family; they were the best he'd ever had. But there was no way they'd still want him after doing a runner like this.

"Miguel?

No! Not here! How did she…?

He spun around, stumbling back in horror to see Abbey standing in the alleyway. Her expression was a mixture of worry and despair, hands raised in surrender while her knees braced in readiness. Like she didn't know whether he'd fly or fight.

"It's okay," she said, just like she had before. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"But I might hurt you," Miguel gulped as he stepped back. "I don't want to, but I might."

"I'm not going to let that happen." Her voice was calm but assertive, and yet her uncertainty could not be disguised. It was a promise Abbey wasn't sure she could keep. "Come with us, we can help you. Keep you safe."

"No, you can't!" Miguel insisted. "Not from them, not from… me."

"You're not the enemy, Miguel," said Abbey. "You're not the danger. And whatever is, we can deal with it. Together."

But she couldn't, how could she? How could she help when there was something attached to him, inside of him, that was wanting to rip her throat out at any second? How could he keep her safe from himself, if not by staying away?

"Get back!" he warned again, stepping deeper into the alley.

"Miguel, I…"

"I'd do as he says," warned another voice behind them.

Miguel spun around, flattening against the wall and gasping in horror as he saw Lena standing opposite. Trapped with nowhere to go, each girl on either side wanted him to go with them, and all he wanted to do was run.

He could flash away, vanish into the streets. Disappear again. He'd done it before, he could do it again. But how long could he keep it up?

How long until he was forced to choose a side?

"Get away from him, Lena," Abbey warned.

"And what are you going to do, Blue Ranger?" Lena scoffed. "Or are you just banking on Miguel going back to doing what you say? Lapping up your lies without question?

"I've got plenty to answer for," Abbey replied. "I can justify them all I want, but it won't change the hurt I caused. But everything I've done is still nothing compared to you. All I want is for my friends to be safe; you just want people to use."

…safe?

Miguel looked back at her, meeting Abbey's eyes as if truly seeing her for the first time. When last they'd spoken, truly spoken, his words had been filled with anger at his perception of her lies. His head had been swirling with Lena's whisperings, unwilling to truly listen to anything Abbey said.

But now, as Miguel listened to her, as he looked into her eyes, he heard the pain in Abbey's voice. The regret and the fear. For him.

Whatever they were now, they weren't enemies.

Lena was a different story.

"Go away, Lena," said Miguel. "Get out of here."

The girl scoffed. "Now, Miguel, is that any way to treat someone who's given you so much?"

"All you've ever given me are lies," he growled back. "You tried to make me feel like I needed this to feel wanted, to feel valued. But I don't. I definitely don't need you."

For a moment, he expected Abbey to cheer, to rub it in Lena's face. But she didn't, she just stood there, watching her adversary in wait.

"Miguel," Abbey warned. "Now would be a good time to run. Go to the museum, you'll be safe there."

"No, Miguel," Lena replied. "You should stay. Have some fun."

It took less than a heartbeat for Miguel to realize the thought that had just occurred to her, and suddenly he was filled with a wave of fresh terror.

No! She couldn't. She wouldn't! He needed to get out of there. To run before she-!

A sinister smile snaked its way to Lena's lips. "Dark Server," she said coldly. "Override Access!"

The smoke had barely begun to seep from within as the light burst from the Morpher. All Miguel could do was scream as the power unfurled from the device, the darkness consuming him completely as he felt the bindings wrap around his limbs. He was falling back, just as he had before, weightless and ethereal as his body surrendered to the presence of another. And by the time the crimson visor shunted across his vision, Miguel's movement was no longer his own.

He felt it crawling around him, his lips moving on their own accord into a sneer that mirrored Lena's.

"Welcome back,' she chuckled.

"Good to be back," the Dark Ranger said through its stolen lips, a deep voice reverberating from Miguel's chest with sadistic intent.

Abbey stumbling back in horror as her Morpher flashed to her wrist and she fumbled for the sky-blue key card.

"You're not going to get away with this," she warned. She hadn't morphed but was standing ready for any sudden moves. Ready for when Lena struck. When he struck.

Please, Miguel silently pleaded. Please don't fight, just run. I don't want it to hurt you!

All of them stood there, each side staring the other down, waiting for the other to strike. Then at last Lena broke the silence.

"Well, it has been fun," she decided. "But we left some friends behind and it'd be rude to leave them waiting. Bye for now!"

"Miguel! No!"

Abbey lunged, but it was far too late, the green light swirling around them as Miguel felt his limbs spirited off as he vanished with Lena into the ether.

Erika swirled around, her axe cleaving through a fresh group of charging Cyberdrones as more hurried to take their place. They just didn't end! It was like Xaviax was throwing wave after wave at them; where was even getting them from?

She swiped again, this time dropping low to put more power into the blow, threshing through the fresh ranks as a scarlet streak unleashed from the head. As the break opened, Erika lunged for the gap, running atop a row of parked cars in hopes the vantage would aid her retreat.

No such luck.

In the middle of the swarm, a cluster of Cyberdrones saw her, whipping around their sword blades to unleash a torrent of laser fire. The car exploded as Erika hit the air, leaping for safety and somersaulting back into the fray.

At least in her flight, she caught a glimpse of her allies. Zeke was holding the alley, giant yellow shield holding firm as he battered the Cyberdrones back. Ray, despite being unmorphed, was holding his own, his refined martial arts striking with expert precision, frequently supported by quick bursts of energy from his eyes.

But without the benefits of his suit, Erika could see that her mentor was starting to tire, his movements growing sluggish and less polished with every blow. She and Zeke were able to do it all day, but their mentor couldn't. They needed to get out of there, and the Cyberdrones were doing their best to keep them put.

"Guys!" Abbey's voice buzzed the coms, her voice both fearful and panicked. "I found Miguel, but Lena got to him! She… she did something to him!"

"Are you okay?" Zeke asked, his voice tinning in Erika's ear as he continued to battle on the other flank.

"I'm fine," Abbey replied. "They didn't do anything. Miguel just morphed, and then they both just… left."

That wasn't good.

"Abbey's already on her way back!" Hilary cut in. "But you guys need to get out of there, now!"

No need to tell her twice; it was what Erika had been damn well trying to do!

Time to pick things up.

She stowed the axe, switching to the Security Pistol and swinging it around. The muzzle flashed, every trigger squeeze blasting another Cyberdrone with carmine flashes as Erika desperately fought her way back to the group.

Almost there, and at the very least Abbey could back up Ray and Zeke on arrival. With another Ranger, they should surely be able to clear out the Cyberdrones, so long as…

Then a blast burst out from the side, slamming at her feet. Erika had no time to dodge, thrown into the air as the shockwave ripped through the surrounding Cyberdrones, a fireball flaring upward as Erika flailed through the air and slammed into a parked car that crumpled beneath her impact.

Groaning, Erika pulled upright, head whipping around to the source and heart sinking as her dread suspicion was realized.

The Dark Ranger was back.

"Hey there, Red Ranger," he chuckled. "Did you miss me?"

"Like a math quiz," she replied. The Cyberdrones were pulling back, forming a circle to give warriors a wide berth. The two Rangers stared each other down, Erika's pistol unfolding into a blade as she readied for the bout.

Not good.

The last two times they'd fought, Erika had been thrown out of morph, and that was when she had the help of her teammates. But Erika didn't need to win, she just needed to hold out long enough for help to arrive. And then hope to hell that Abbey wouldn't freeze when she had the shot.

"All right, Edgelord," said Erika as she readied the Security Saber, and the Dark Ranger raised his sword. "Come get some."

For a long moment, they stood there, still as statues as they stared each other down, neither so much twitching and giving the other an opening. Around them the battle raged on, Zeke pummeling against the Cyberdrone lines while Ray fought furiously to keep the rest at bay.

But still, the two warriors did nothing.

And then the Dark Ranger moved.

Even while ready, he almost caught Erika off guard, flashing across the distance with barely time for her to react. But she did, and the blade crossed her path and collided with the Dark Saber to the sound of an earth-shattering boom. Erika's feet skidded back, grinding the ground as momentum pushed her, knees bending to take the weight as her enemy bore down on her. The shockwave had rippled out, shattering windows and setting off alarms. But still, Erika held.

And now it was her turn.

She kicked out, throwing off the Dark Ranger before launching into a flurry of blows. The Security Saber sliced again and again, every blow forcing him back as Erika pushed on the offense. What he didn't dodge, he blocked, but she refused to give him an opening, a chance to turn the tables and put her on the back foot. It was a fool's hope, every blow made in admittance that it could well be her last. But still, Erika was unrelenting.

She needed him on the defense, she needed to watch him, to see how he moved and ready a counter. It was the only way she'd hold on when The Dark Ranger regained the upper hand.

And then, as Erika pushed him back to the edge of the street, he did.

With the wall at his back, the Ranger's feet skidded, pirouetting as Erika's sword clattered harmlessly against the brickwork. The ricocheting blade was the only delay he needed, and the Dark Ranger surged to take advantage of the defensive gap.

But Erika was ready.

As her Security Saber bounced, she resummoned her axe, swinging up wildly into the Dark Ranger's assaulting path. He redirected with a snarl, skidding to a stop as Erika spun to regain her footing, flipping the Saber into a pistol and unloading. The rounds danced along the ground, bursting into sparks as the Dark Ranger leaped back angrily, feet dancing between the shots as he tried to find an opening to strike.

By the time he did, Erika had regained her footing and was already lunging to renew the onslaught. With the Red Ranger charging in deep, the Dark Ranger braced, this time ready for the full assault, and his saber flashed as it swung to block the blow.

The weapons clashed, hamming into each other and pressing deeper as each Ranger refused to relent. Erika's offense had become her defense, all her strength and weight falling into the axe as it held the sword at bay. It was working, she was holding!

But even then, something wasn't right. She was doing better, Erika knew she was, but something was still off. The Dark Ranger had isolated from her teammates. But if elimination had been the strategy, why hadn't he attacked Abbey when she was equally alone and outnumbered?

"Why are you doing this?" she snarled. "What are you trying to pull?"

As the question left her, Erika's heart stopped as the Dark Ranger gave the reply she was dreading. The one she'd begun to realize and hoped desperately was wrong.

"Lena told me you'd ask that," he chuckled. "She said it would be funny, I don't know why. But she said to tell you I was only the distraction."

And just as he said it, an explosion boomed at the entrance of the alley. The blast rocked them, throwing their balance as each threw off the other and Erika spun to the source. Just in time to watch both Ray and Zeke hurled into the air by the blast as the culprit took responsibility with a witchlike cackle.

Mileena.

Zeke recovered faster, his Ranger suit guiding his balance to twist into a somersault and land with his shield at the ready. But the blast had done its job, throwing the Yellow Ranger deeper into the fray and further surrounding him with Cyberdrones. All the while Ray, defenseless without a suit of his own, flailed in the air as he was tossed into the awaiting arms of the henchmen.

"Ray!" Zeke cried out, lunging to reach his mentor as a grinning Mileena snapped into his path. Likewise, Erika bounded forward desperately, only for the Dark Ranger to intercept. Their swords clashed again, rebounding from the impact as both warriors leaped back.

"No, you don't!"

Their boots hit the ground, Red and Yellow Rangers staring in fury as they watched Ray struggle against the piling Cyberdrones grabbing at his limbs and holding him in place.

"Poor little Rangers," Mileena laughed. "All caught out by the oldest trick in the book."

"Going back to school paid off for you," Ray snarled. "Looks like you finally learned something."

"You know what they say," Mileena shrugged. "What doesn't kill you…"

"Makes you an easy target!"

Abbey!

Morphed and ready, the Blue Ranger lunged from the rooftop, bow drawn and leveled with a glowing arrow aimed at the cluster. At the peak of the jump, the bolt of blue soared from the weapon, shattering as it impacted the ground between Mileena and the Dark Ranger. The arrow boomed into a blast, throwing the warriors from their feet and ripping through the first line of Cyberdrones as Abbey somersaulted and landed beside Erika and Zeke.

"Sorry I'm late," she told the others before turning to their foes. "Lena, don't you know it's rude to ghost people like that?"

"You just can't take a hint, can you?" Mileena snarled as she staggered to her feet, snapping back to the Dark Ranger's side.

But as she did, Erika realized their disadvantage. While her vantage had given her a clear shot, Abbey had been forced to make a choice, and Ray was too deep in the writhing mass of Cyberdrones for the Blue Ranger to fire around safely. They'd landed a hit on their main opponents, but their mentor remained tight in their enemies' clutches.

And Mileena knew it too.

For a moment, the duo stared the three Rangers down, all of them twitching to see who would move first. But then Mileena slackened her stance and dropped her guard completely.

"Well, this has been fun," she decided. "But I got everything that I came for. Tootles."

No!

Erika lunged, desperate to reach them before they could vanish, anything to stop them from making off with Ray. But she was far too late. The air was filled with emerald light, consuming the street and alley like a blinding flare. A heartbeat later, all of them were gone, and Erika's axe harmless swiped through the empty air.

"They're…" Hilary stammered voice shaking and gob-smacked over the coms. "They're gone…"

"No!" Erika screamed as her fury finally unleashed as her head snapped to the sky. "RAY!"

Once again, Mileena had played them, and now they were left with nothing. They'd set out to find Miguel, to stop him from falling back into enemy hands. And instead, Xaviax had whipped up two for the price of one.