TO ALYSSA
JUNE 25TH, 2000-MARCH 19TH, 2019
You were the kindest, bravest soul I have ever had the privilege of knowing, and I miss you every day. May you continue to rest in peace.
A/N: Hey, Ranger Nation. I'm back with a new batch of chapters. Before we begin this Griffin-focused two-parter, I'd like to extend a bit of a content warning - the following two chapters contain repeated references to death, grief, and terminal illness.
I'm writing this as a way to honor the memory of my late friend, on whom the character of Josie was loosely based. I'm also writing it to strengthen Griffin's relatability and attempt to handle a bit of mature subject matter that the canon Power Rangers likely could never touch - namely death, the profound effect it has on those left behind, and the hope that can be found if we lean on those around us in times of mourning.
It is not my intention to trigger any bad memories or dig up unresolved trauma; rather, I intend to help highlight the reality of grief, sorrow and loss and hopefully help those who have lost a loved one find some form of solace. That being said, I recognize that some people may not be able to enjoy these chapters because of those things; as such, if you choose to tap out here, no hard feelings. I hope to see you again in Episode 27.
For those who are sticking around, hopefully you enjoy what's to come in 25 26. Without further ado, I'll let you get to it:
Episode 25: CPU Red, Part I
"Just a few finishing touches and...voila!" Control set down his soldering iron and flipped up his goggles. He scooped his newly restored VenjixTech Brace off his workbench and examined it closely, admiring his reflection in its finish. "Tres bien! Oh, how I've missed you, my magnificent morpher!"
He raised the device to his lips and kissed it, only for his attention to be stolen away by Alt, who rapped her knuckles against his door frame. He spun in his chair to face her, and she folded her arms.
"I'm not interrupting, am I?" She said facetiously, her lips creased into an unamused scowl. She nodded down the hall, then added, "Father sent for you; I don't suggest you keep him waiting."
"In that case, I'm on my way," Control stood and strapped his morpher to his left wrist, then made for the door. He dipped his head as he squeezed past his sister, leaving her with an insincere, "Merci, ma chère sœur."
Alt rolled her eyes and scoffed, but Control paid her no mind. He pushed through the hall, then strode onto the main floor. He crossed the room, then bowed before Venjix's containment tube, the warmth from the red pulsing light in its center radiating off his artificial skin as it panned to track him.
"You wished to see me, Father?"
"YES," Venjix confirmed, his voice echoing through the interior of the derelict warehouse he called home. "I HAVE A MISSION FOR YOU, CONTROL. THAT IS, IF YOU'RE UP TO THE TASK?"
"Always," Control replied, lifting his head. He pulled himself to his feet, then added, "J'écoute..."
The rhythmic clacking of Doctor K's heels against the linoleum floor echoed through her lab as she tapped her foot. She glanced up at the clock, and then flicked over to the Rangers as they hovered near her desk. A certain Red Ranger was strangely absent...
"Recognized: Griffin, B-05." An electronic whirring sound echoed from the doorway, and everyone's gaze snapped to Griffin as he slipped into the lab.
"Uhhh, why's everyone staring at me…?" He asked. He furrowed his eyebrows, then reached for his mouth. "Is there something on my face?"
There was a brief pause, and the others exchanged a look.
"...Ranger Red," Doctor K began after some deliberation. "It's 10:55."
Griffin blinked, then checked his watch to see that it was indeed 10:55am. He looked back up and tilted his head. "Yeah...and?"
"Ranger Training begins at 9:45," She reminded him. "You're over an hour late."
"Oh, right...sorry. Won't happen again."
"That's what you said yesterday. And the day before that," She fixed him with a stern yet inquisitive stare, but her expression softened a bit as she added, "Is everything alright? Your behavior as of late has been...well, for lack of a better word, strange."
Griffin opened his mouth, but the words didn't come. Instead, he stared at the wall as an old memory decided to unearth itself...
"Griffin…?" His mother gently rapped her knuckles on his bedroom door, which he'd locked from the inside. "It's almost time for church; aren't you coming?"
He didn't answer, and she sighed. "Is everything okay? You've been acting so...strangely. Ever since Josie's diagnosis...well…"
She waited a few more moments, but the silence persisted. She sighed. "...I'm gonna take that as a no. Anyway, we'll be leaving here in a minute. Ray mentioned he wanted to go out to eat after service; we'll bring you something back if we do. I love you."
The floorboards creaked beneath her feet as she turned and made her way down the hall. Griffin lifted his head from his tear-stained pillowcase and gazed forlornly at the door...
"Ranger Red…?" Griffin shook his head and blinked as Doctor K's voice pulled him back to the present. "You have yet to answer my question."
"Oh, r-right," He rubbed the back of his neck. "I, uh-"
"You good, man?" asked Kenny. "You seem off."
"Perhaps your behavioral systems are out of date?" ALPHA suggested. His right pointer finger opened to reveal a metallic prong. "I can install the latest firmware if you'd like."
Quincy grabbed ALPHA by the arm and shook his head. Wendy placed a hand on Griffin's shoulder, and he turned to face her.
"Hey," Her gaze softened, and her lips lifted into a fragile smile as she pressed, "Is everything okay?"
"Thought I'd find you here," A fourteen-year-old Josie said as she sat across from Griffin in their school's quad. His arms were folded, and his head was down. He looked up at her, and she flashed him a small smile, her pale blue eyes reflecting the same caring concern. "You okay?"
"...Griffin's just tired, that's all," Quincy improvised. He slapped the Red Ranger lightly on the back, then added, "Maybe it's time to lay off the late-night Frasier-thons, eh pal?"
Griffin chuckled slightly, then gestured to Quincy and channeled his best Kelsey Grammer impression. "He's psychic; we've decided to find it charming."
The two shared a laugh, but it sounded hollow, and nobody else seemed to buy it. Wendy opened her mouth to say something, but klaxons blared before she got the chance, and red alarm lights pulsed.
"Doc! We've got trouble!" Cheetor informed as he raced to his terminal, his fingers gliding across its keys. "I'm picking up signs of irregular Energon usage downtown!"
"Location?"
"Starview Heights Children's Hospital," Cheetor revealed. Griffin's blood ran cold, and his face drained of color. He was practically paralyzed as the Buddy-Droid continued, "I've pinged the Rangers' morphers with the coordinates!"
"We'd better check it out ASAP," Doctor K replied. "Rangers, move out!"
"Right!" Kenny, Wendy, Quincy, and ALPHA hollered in unison. They moved for the door without hesitation, but Griffin remained rooted to his spot with a faraway look in his eyes. Wendy spun on her heel to face him, her lips creased into a frown.
"You coming…?"
"...Y-Yeah," Griffin shook himself from his trance, then followed the Yellow Ranger as she made her way up the lab steps.
"I've got nothing," Kenny remarked as he used his SpyTech Analyzer's Binocular Mode to survey the hospital from the roof of an adjacent building. He lowered his binoculars, turned to the others, and said, "Zip, zilch, nada. Maybe the Attack Bot already got what it came for."
"Perhaps Doctor K's sensors are on the fritz again," ALPHA suggested. "It wouldn't be the first time we've had a false alarm."
"Could be, but that doesn't explain the complete lack of civvies" Kenny pointed out. "I haven't seen anyone come in or leave since we got here. All the blinds are drawn, too."
"Maybe they're closed today?" ALPHA pondered.
"No," Quincy shook his head, then gestured to the hospital entrance sign. "It says they don't take consultations on Wednesdays. It's Saturday."
"Something definitely smells fishy," Wendy opined. She looked up from her SpyTech Aperture (which was in Camera Mode), then turned to Griffin. "What do you think?"
"What...?" Griffin turned to face her, his gaze distant. He shook his head, and his forehead wrinkled. "What's up?"
"I said, what do you think?" Wendy tilted her head. "Should we move in?"
"I…" Griffin averted her gaze, and his eyes clouded with an emotion she couldn't quite get a read on. He took a deep breath, then relented, "...Yeah, let's move in."
Wendy and the others aimed their morphers at one of the hospital's windows, then fired grappling hooks that broke the glass and snagged onto the frame of the building. They rappelled across, and Griffin hesitated for a moment before following them. They landed in a stairwell, then pushed through a door to enter one of the hospital's many wings.
"It's quiet..." Kenny observed. "Too quiet."
"This place is a ghost town," Wendy echoed as her eyes swept across the hall. Overturned chairs, half-eaten lunches, and discarded patient charts littered the floor. "Looks like everyone left in a hurry…"
"Something's not right," Griffin furrowed his eyebrows, and his lips creased into a deep scowl. He drew his SpyTech Aperture, then converted it to Blaster Mode before adding, "Split up and sweep this floor. We need to get to the bottom of this – now."
The others acknowledged his order with a nod, and they drew their own blasters and set to work carrying it out. Griffin and Wendy turned at the nearest fork and went down a hall on the left, while Kenny and Quincy ventured down a hall to the right. ALPHA moved past the fork and went it alone as he continued straight.
Griffin and Wendy gripped their blasters tightly as they crept down the corridor. Along the way, they passed countless hospital rooms, all devoid of patients or staff. About halfway down the hall, Griffin stepped on something and nearly lost his balance. He looked down and saw that the object was a discarded food tray. He crouched down to get a better look, and his eyes were drawn to a red apple sitting on top, which had a small bite taken out of it. His gaze lingered, and he drifted away as another long-forgotten memory unearthed itself...
The door to the hospital room swung gently open, and a sixteen-year-old Griffin padded inside, followed closely by his mother and father. Josie lay asleep on the bed, her chest rising and falling slowly beneath the blankets. Her mother and father sat at her bedside, clearly fighting tears. Griffin gazed at Josie momentarily, then looked up at her mother.
"How's she feeling…?" He ventured.
"Not well, I'm afraid," Her mother sighed. She gestured to a meal tray with a red apple on top; a single bite had been taken out of it. "The nurse brought her lunch about twenty minutes ago, but she barely touched it…"
"Griffin?" Wendy's hand on his shoulder brought Griffin back to the present, and he stood and turned to face her as she continued, "You okay?"
"...Y-Yeah," He lied, blinking rapidly. "Yeah, I'm fi-"
"Hey, I've got something over here!" ALPHA's voice crackled over the comm-link and cut Griffin off mid-sentence. He and Wendy raised their morphers and listened closely as the Silver Ranger continued, "You're gonna wanna see this!"
"You heard the bot!" Griffin shouted into his morpher. "Everyone, form up on ALPHA! Double time!"
With that, he and Wendy spun on their heels and bounded back up the hall. Kenny and Quincy did the same, and the two groups met in the middle. They rounded the corner, then sprinted over to ALPHA, who leaned against the wall as he peered through the window of a nearby door.
"I've located the staff," ALPHA informed the others, gesturing inside the room. The staff members all sat on the edges of two beds facing one another. They had their hands on their laps and stared idly ahead. "But their behavior, it's...abnormal."
Griffin turned to Quincy, who gestured towards the door with his head. Griffin nodded, and Quincy grasped the handle and pulled the door open. He moved to enter the room, saying, "Is everybody okay? ...My friends and I, we're here to-"
The staff suddenly stood up and thrust off their scrubs, revealing themselves to be Xanadroids in disguise. They drew their weapons, and Quincy stumbled backward as they lunged toward him. "I knew something was up when I couldn't read their minds!"
"Clankers!" Wendy growled as the Xanadroids spilled through the doorway and into the hall. She threw up her hands to block an incoming swing, then struggled to hold back her attacker as it tried to break her defense. "I should've known!"
"We need to morph, NOW!" Griffin barked, and everyone brandished their morphers.
"Install: CPU!" They morphed in a flash of light, then leaped into action as more Xanadroids poured into the corridor.
Wendy kicked the Xanadroid accosting her away, then fired three blaster bolts point-blank into its chest as it stumbled backward. Its allies moved to avenge it, but Wendy vaulted into the air to avoid their swings, then leg-swept them all once she landed back on the floor. She finished off the downed robots with precise head shots, then spun around and steadied her blaster as more Xanadroids encroached on her flank.
Quincy back-flipped away from his attacker and slapped his Transpod to summon his DriveTech Blade once he'd landed back on his feet. He slashed it across the chest, then spun around as two more Xanadroids attempted a counterattack. He blocked their incoming swings with his sword, then used his telekinesis to scoop the dead Xanadroid's weapon up off the floor. He caught it in his free hand, then ducked down and pelted his foes' stomachs with blaster bolts.
ALPHA swung wildly at the Xanadroids with his sword and took occasional potshots at them with his blaster, which he held in his off-hand. He narrowly blocked an overhead swing from one of them, and when it withdrew its arm, he kneed it in the groin and then shot it in the face.
Kenny adopted a boxer's stance as he stood his ground. He blocked incoming punches and swings from the Xanadroids with his forearms and retaliated with punches of his own. He knocked a Xanadroid off its feet with a swift uppercut, dove to the right to avoid an attack from one of its allies, then summoned his saber and hacked the second droid to pieces.
Griffin sidestepped out of the way of a laser a Xanadroid fired at him, then supersped towards his attacker. He ducked and slid beneath its legs, then hopped back up, spun around, and wrapped his arm around its neck. It wriggled and squirmed in a vain attempt to escape, and four of its compatriots set their sights on the Red Ranger and launched a daring rescue attempt.
Griffin gunned down the closest Xanadroid, then snapped his captive's neck and tossed its broken chassis aside. He swapped his blaster for his saber just in time to block an incoming swing; he broke through his attacker's defense, ran it through, and then kicked it to the floor. He jabbed the third droid in the chest repeatedly, then finished it off with a super-kick to the throat.
When the fourth droid moved to avenge its fallen comrades, Griffin sliced its arm off, caught the severed limb in his off-hand, and bashed it over the head with it until it stopped moving.
"Dammmn…!" Kenny exclaimed as the fourth Xanadroid's body slumped to the floor, Griffin tossed its arm onto the floor beside it, and Kenny added, "Well, somebody's aggressive today!"
"Quit goofing around!" Griffin replied brusquely. With the Xanadroids gone, he continued, "It's all clear; now we need to find those civvies-"
Everyone's eyes snapped to the doorway as a disheveled doctor with unkempt black hair and blue eyes entered the hall. Wendy raised her blaster and pointed it at him, prompting him to exclaim, "N-N-No, wait…! I'm not one of them…!"
He grabbed the collar of his lab coat and pulled it open to prove he wasn't a Xanadroid in disguise. He then gestured to his name tag and added, "See? I'm Dr. Braff – for real! ...Oh, and the others! They're all real, too!"
"Where are they?" Wendy lowered her blaster, and Dr. Braff relaxed his stance and gestured to a nearby elevator.
"Upstairs," He told her. "When the robots first attacked, we rounded up all the patients and rushed them to the 13th floor."
Griffin holstered his saber, then folded his arms and said, "Show us."
The elevator dinged as its doors slid open, allowing Dr. Braff and the Rangers to step out into the lobby of the thirteenth floor. The lights were dim and the space was cluttered, but it didn't appear nearly as ransacked as the floor they'd just come from.
Doctors, nurses, and other staff members were scattered around the room, exchanging hushed whispers as they huddled together. One of them looked up and spotted the Rangers, then elbowed his friend and gestured up at them as Dr. Braff led them deeper inside. Everyone's eyes snapped to the color-coded heroes, and their jaws dropped wide open.
"It may not be pretty, but Floor 13's the safest place in the hospital right now," Dr. Braff told them.
"If that's the case, why were you downstairs?" ALPHA inquired.
"Dr. McGinley needed somebody to gather extra medical supplies, and my buddy Turk beat me at rock, paper, scissors…" Dr. Braff rubbed the back of his head, and his face flushed with embarrassment. "Anyway, I'm glad you guys showed up when you did. I thought those robots were going to find me hiding under that bed."
"Not on our watch," Kenny replied. "Anyway, where are the patients?"
"Down the hall," Dr. Braff told him. "I'm due to make my rounds; feel free to join me."
He grabbed a clipboard off the front desk and then skimmed through a list on the first page. "Alright, first up is Hope; she'll be in Room 487. She's a total sweetheart – Make-a-Wish kid, actually. Which reminds me: I'm glad you're here, big guy,"
He elbowed Griffin, who tilted his head as they turned the corner and stopped in front of a door. Dr. Braff quickly explained, "You're her wish."
"Me…?" Griffin pointed at himself, and Dr. Braff nodded. "She wants to meet me?"
"Yep! Could've met anybody in the whole wide world, but she insisted on the Red CPU Ranger," Dr. Braff's lips curled into a small smile as he added, "I wish it was under better circumstances, but hey, it saves us the trouble of having to reach out to your agent, right?"
"Yeah, cuz Agent Wright just LOVES fielding calls from our fans," Kenny muttered under his breath, which earned him an elbow to the ribs from Quincy. Dr. Braff used his key card to unlock the door, pulled it open, and gestured inside the room.
"Well, you ready to meet her?" He looked at Griffin expectantly, and the Red Ranger hesitated for a moment before nodding.
"Yeah. Yeah, let's do it," Dr. Braff stepped through the doorway, and Griffin and the others followed him inside.
Griffin's heart broke the moment he saw her. Nestled beneath the blankets was a girl no older than five, who stirred and sat up in bed as Dr. Braff moved to check her patient monitor.
She was tiny, even for her age, with pale ivory skin, dull green eyes, and light brown hair that fell down her shoulders in limp curls. She opened her mouth to say something, only to double over in a coughing fit.
Dr. Braff ran to a nearby sink, filled a paper cup with water, and placed it in her tiny hands. She gulped it down, then returned the cup to him as she regained her breath.
"You okay…?" The little girl nodded, and Dr. Braff set the cup down and tousled her hair. "Good," He gestured to the doorway, then added, "Hope, there's somebody here who'd like to meet you."
He motioned over to Griffin, whose feet suddenly felt like they were made of lead as he padded further into the room. Hope's eyes lit up once she saw him, and her lips curled upward into a wide grin.
"Red Ranger!" Hope exclaimed. She scrambled up to the foot of the bed and wrapped her tiny arms around Griffin as she added, "It's really you!"
"Yep, it's me…" Griffin replied awkwardly, not really knowing what to say. She released him from the hug, and he cleared his throat before continuing, "It's nice to meet you, Hope."
"I can't believe you're here!" Hope smiled again, revealing dimples on either side of her face. "You're so awesome! I love your helmet! It reminds me of my cat Rusty! Do you like cats?! I do! They're so cute, and cuddly, and-"
Another coughing fit shook her petite frame, bringing her ebullience to an abrupt halt. Dr. Braff reached for the water cup and hastily handed it to her, then stroked her back as she gulped down a few sips.
"That's it. Remember to breathe, Hope," Dr. Braff looked at Griffin and explained, "She's been looking forward to this all month."
"Mm-hmm!" Hope hummed and nodded in agreement. "I'm your biggest fan! I've seen all your battles on TV! Remember the time you fought the Cutter Attack Zord at night? Or that time you guys saved that train from going off the tracks and then beat the Train Attack Zord and its XanaZords? Did the Magnet Attack Bot really stick you and Silver together?! What about-"
"Eaaasy, Hope. Easy," Dr. Braff reminded her. An electronic beep emanated from his pocket, and he pulled out his pager as the Rangers checked their morphers out of habit. "Looks like Dr. McGinley wants something. You guys don't mind watching her for a minute, do you?"
"Not at all," Kenny shook his head, then slapped Dr. Braff lightly on the back. "Go ahead, man."
"Right then," Dr. Braff slipped his pager back into his pocket, then made for the door. "I'll be right back! Hope, maybe you can show them your scrapbook?"
"Oh yeah, right!" Hope chirped as Griffin and the others watched Dr. Braff leave. She stretched out her arm to reach a binder on her bedside table, then pulled it onto her lap as Griffin and the others gathered around. She opened it up to reveal pages filled with photos, crayon drawings, and newspaper clippings, all featuring the CPU Rangers in some form or fashion. Of the five Rangers, CPU Red was featured most prominently – especially in the drawings, where he was drawn twice as large and with much more vibrant colors.
"Hope, these drawings are awesome!" Kenny praised, gesturing to one of her drawings.
"You're a great artist," Griffin echoed. He then spotted a picture of him, CPU Blue, and CPU Yellow from when they fought the Shovel Attack Bot – their first public battle as Power Rangers. "You've been working on this for a while, haven't you?"
"Yep," Hope replied, smiling up at him. "You guys are my heroes – especially you. You've done so much for the city, and if it wasn't for you, we'd...well, we'd…"
She trailed off, clearly overcome with emotion as tears brimmed in her eyes. Wendy gently stroked her hand and said, "It's okay, sweetheart. We know what you're trying to say. We really appreciate you, y'know."
"Thank you," Hope replied. "You're really nice, Yellow Ranger. Are you as pretty as you sound?"
And then some… Griffin thought to himself. Quincy shot him a knowing glance, and he fought the urge to elbow the Gold Ranger in the side.
"I like to think so, yeah," Wendy chuckled. "Not as pretty as you, though."
Hope giggled and grinned, then shifted her attention back to Griffin. "What about you? What do you look like? Can I see?"
"Umm...I uh, I can't do that…" Griffin told her, her request catching him off guard. "I have to keep it a secret."
"I won't tell anyone!" Hope flashed him puppy-dog eyes, then clasped her hands together as if she were praying. "C'mon, pleeease?"
Griffin's resolve crumbled quickly, and after glancing at the room's security camera to ensure it was offline, he relented, "...Okay, but you have to promise."
"I promise!" Hope affirmed with rapid nods that made her look like a bobblehead. "I do! I really do!"
"Alright. Here goes…" Griffin cast one last glance over his shoulder, then turned his attention back to Hope. He knelt down to her eye level, grasped both sides of his helmet, then slowly lifted it off to reveal his face.
"Well," Griffin fought the urge to rub the back of his neck as Hope scrutinized his appearance. "What do you think…?"
"You look like my big brother Timmy!" Hope shouted excitedly, her eyes filled with wonder. Her face fell, however, and she continued, "Mommy, Daddy, and Timmy were supposed to come and visit today, but...but then the robots came…"
"Oh," Griffin felt a pang of sympathy, and his lips creased into a frown. "I'm sorry…"
"You and the others...you're here to fight them, right?" Hope gazed at him expectantly. "You can fix this…can't you?"
"You can count on us," Griffin said without a moment's hesitation.
"Promise…?" Hope held out her right hand and extended her pinky towards him.
"Promise." Griffin nodded as he wrapped his left pinky around hers. Hope smiled, then opened her mouth to say something only to yawn.
"Biiiiiig yawn," Wendy said with a slight chuckle. She eased Hope back onto her pillow, then gently ran her hand through her hair. "Looks like somebody's getting sleepy."
"But I can't sleep…! Dr. Chalke's not here..." Hope whimpered. She looked up at Wendy and said, "She always sings me a lullaby, but she's busy right now...can you sing to me...?"
"I'm..not really much of a singer," Wendy said apologetically, rubbing her arm.
"Please…?"
"I don't…-"
Just then, Griffin got that same faraway look in his eyes, and he found himself starting back…
Griffin sat at Josie's bedside, holding her hand and gently stroking her back as she endured a coughing fit. She briefly sipped from the water cup he handed her, then sank back onto the bed as she regained her breath.
"Can you sing to me…?" She asked, looking up at Griffin with puppy dog eyes. Griffin nodded, shifted in his seat, and took a deep breath before he started singing.
"I'll praise You in this storm, and I will lift my hands..."
"...for You are who You are, no matter where I am," Griffin sang softly, catching the others off-guard as Wendy continued to stroke Hope's hair. Hope's eyelids slowly drooped close, and she drifted off as Griffin continued, "And every tear I've cried, You hold in Your hand. You've never left my side, and though my heart is torn, I will praise You in this storm…"
The other four Rangers fixed their gaze on Griffin as he finished singing, and he furrowed his eyebrows and asked, "Why're you all staring at me...?"
Footsteps echoed outside the room, prompting Griffin to hastily throw his helmet back on. The door creaked open, and Dr. Braff slipped into the room and closed the door behind him.
"She's asleep...that's good," He padded back over to Hope's patient monitor and rechecked it. "She hasn't slept much lately."
"We could hardly tell; she was wired," Wendy replied, gently stroking Hope's curls. Dr. Braff let out an amused snort, and his lips curled into a half-hearted smirk that vanished quickly. "Why's she here?"
"...Lung cancer," This revelation hit Griffin like a truck, and he braced himself on a nearby rail as he felt the floor give way beneath him. Cancer...no, no, no...not again... "It's still in the early stages, but at her age...it's scary. Especially after the conversation I just had with Dr. McGinley…"
"Oh?" Quincy replied, tilting his head. Dr. Braff shifted his gaze to the Gold Ranger, who asked, "What's up?"
"There's no easy way to say this, but...we're running low on power," Dr. Braff revealed. "The entire hospital runs off a centralized Energon Tank in the basement, but the robots hijacked it when they arrived and have been draining it ever since. We have backup generators, but they won't last forever. Once they're offline, ICU'll be toast, and Hope and the others…"
"We won't let that happen," Doctor K chimed in via the comm-link, which prompted the Rangers to raise their morphers. "Rangers, do you read me?"
"...Y-Yeah," Griffin replied a few moments later. "Loud and clear, Doc."
"Until you've secured the hospital, your best bet is to procure Energon from off-site and bring it back," Doctor K explained. "Luckily, there's a nearby MegaTank in Sector 4. Ranger Blue?"
"You rang?"
"The fastest route to the MegaTank from the hospital is via a suspension bridge. The Gorilla Hauler's Beast Mode will allow it to cross over quickly without impeding traffic, so-"
"I'm picking up what you're putting down," Kenny told her. "Don't worry, Doc, I'll get it done."
"Right. I'll work on downmorphing your Zord, then," She told him. "As for the rest of you-"
"Excusez-moi. May I have your attention, s'il vous plait?" Control's voice echoed from the hospital's intercom, cutting Doctor K off mid-sentence. Griffin's blood boiled, and he glared at a speaker nestled in the corner of the ceiling as the Avatar continued, "This is Nurse Control, paging Ranger Red. Le Docteur is ready to see you now; please report to the basement for your appointment. I repeat: please report to the basement for your appointment. Merci…!"
"Control…" Griffin growled, clenching his fists so tightly that his gloves creaked. "I should've known!"
"It's a trap," Quincy told him. As Griffin turned to face him, he urged, "You know it's a trap."
"What choice do we have? We can't just leave them to their own devices down there," Griffin replied brusquely. He pounded his fists as he added, "Besides, that psychotic Francophile and I have a score to settle; it cost me a fortune to repair the suit I wore to the Ball."
"I don't like this any more than you do, Series Gold, but Series Red is correct," Doctor K said. "There are no alternatives."
"Then what're we waiting for?" Griffin brushed past Quincy and made for the door. He glanced expectantly over his shoulder at the others as they remained rooted to their spots. "Let's go."
Wendy and Quincy exchanged an uneasy glance, but they turned and reluctantly followed the Red Ranger as he exited the room. ALPHA brought up the rear, while Kenny opened a nearby window. He aimed his morpher at the side of the building, then used its grappling hook to rappel down to the street below.
The ground shook beneath his feet once they touched the pavement, and he looked at a nearby alley as the Gorilla Hauler burst from a hidden tunnel and barreled through a metal fence.
"G-G-Get in, Kenny!" Apex's voice echoed from within, and Kenny sprinted over to his Zord and boarded it.
"Recognized: Kenshin, B-06," Kenny crackled his knuckles and gripped his controls tightly as his cockpit chair slid into position and locked in. He flipped a series of switches above his head, and a 3D map of the street and its surrounding area overlaid on his dashboard.
"Alright, Apex. Time to motor!" He planted his foot on the gas, and the Gorilla Hauler's engines revved as it shot off and sped down the road leading to the bridge. "Let's make it happen, Cap'n!"
"R-Right on…!"
The freight elevator doors creaked as they slid open, allowing Griffin and the others to step out into the basement. They maintained a firm grip on their blasters, which they trained ahead of them as they crept through the darkness. Most of the overhead lights were broken, and the few that weren't rapidly flickered on and off, which forced the Rangers to activate their helmet lights. Eight white-yellow beams pierced the darkness, and what they illuminated inspired trepidation.
Dozens of steel storage racks had been wheeled away from the walls and used to erect a maze. Boxes filled with medical equipment were stacked on their shelves from floor to ceiling, making it impossible to calculate the structure's size or where it led. Most puzzling of all, spray painted on the side of a box on one of the first few shelves was the message 'Le Docteur est par ici' and a red arrow that pointed to the left – the maze's entrance.
Griffin moved to enter the maze, but Wendy stretched out her arm to block his path.
"Why is it starting to feel like we're fish swimming into a net?" She asked, cocking her head as Griffin met her gaze.
"We'll be fine," Griffin ducked under her arm and entered the maze anyway, much to her frustration. His voice echoed from within a few moments later. "C'mon!"
She hesitated momentarily before following him inside; Quincy and ALPHA brought up the rear.
As they emerged on the other side, they found themselves standing in a facsimile of the hospital's waiting room, plastic chairs arranged in rows with the exact same dimensions and spacing. A large cardboard box served as the 'front desk,' atop which sat a plaque with the words 'Dans ici, Ranger Red' spray painted on it. Another red arrow pointed to a large open chamber resembling an operating room.
"Griffin-" Wendy reached for his arm, but he moved out of reach and followed the sign. The moment he'd crossed the threshold, a transparent plexiglass partition slid into place behind him, sealing him inside and cutting him off from the others. Lights in the ceiling snapped on, illuminating both rooms as a squadron of Xanadroids materialized in the former and swarmed Wendy, Quincy, and ALPHA. One of the robots lunged at the Yellow Ranger, but she blocked its attack and gritted her teeth as she struggled to hold it back. "Griffin!"
"Hang on!" He told her as he spun on his heel. He beat on the barrier with his fists, but it didn't even budge. "I'll be right-"
"-there?" An all-too-familiar voice taunted, which caused the hairs on the back of Griffin's neck to stand straight up. The Red Ranger turned around as Control stepped out of the shadows, clad in a female nurse outfit. "What's the matter, Ranger Red? You're happy to see me, no?"
"Cut the crap, Control!" Griffin snapped. "What're you up to?!"
"Oh, y'know. Same old, same old," Control gestured around the room with both hands, and Griffin noticed something on his left wrist.
"Is that...your morpher?" He tilted his head, confused. "But...I destroyed it."
"Indeed you did! Luckily though, I was able to repair it – and just in time for our latest encounter!" Control grinned ear to ear, a sinister glint in his eyes as Griffin glared at him. "But enough about me; how're things with you? I'm curious, what with us being here and all. It must be strange for you, no?"
"What're you talking about?"
"Why, being in a hospital, of course!" Control replied, and Griffin tensed up instantly. "You don't exactly have the fondest memories associated with them."
"How...how do you...-"
"-know?" Control interrupted Griffin mid-stammer. "That morpher I gave you, the night of the Ball? It didn't just make you angry for no reason – it probed your brain, found the most efficient way to provoke an emotional response. It collected data, transmitted its findings to my laptop for further study, and now…"
Control paused for several moments, then crossed the room without warning. He leaned into the Red Ranger's ear as he added, "III know your seeecrettt!"
"...Josie," Griffin eventually breathed out, and tears brimmed in his eyes behind his visor.
"Precisely!" Control snapped his fingers, and his grin widened as silent sobs racked Griffin's body. He placed two fingers under Griffin's chin, lifted his head, and then taunted, "That's it, Ranger Red. Let it all out; it's okay."
"Get AWAY from me!" Griffin growled, striking his nemesis in the face with the back of his closed fist. Control stumbled backward and held his hand to the mark left on his artificial skin.
"...Spirited as always, I see!" The Avatar remarked. "No matter; I have a fix for that. Oh, Docteur! Votre patient est ici!"
"Is that so?" A tinny voice crackled, drawing Griffin's attention to a shadow looming behind a white curtain he hadn't noticed until now. The shadow grew larger as whatever cast it moved closer, and then the curtain was thrust open to reveal a mint-green robot. It appeared to be themed after syringes, and its outer chassis was adorned with a tattered white lab coat. The Syringe Attack Bot raised its needle-pronged right arm, then bellowed, "In that case, why don't we start the procedure?"
Control nodded in agreement, then cocked his head ever so slightly to the side as his lips curled into a psychotic grin. "Install: CPU…"
Streams of orange binary code wrapped around his limbs and then crystallized to form his Ranger suit. He drew his rapier, then lunged at Griffin, who summoned his saber just in time to block the attack. Griffin's arms buckled as he struggled to hold back his nemesis, and he was knocked onto his back when the Syringe Attack Bot blindsided him with its left fist.
Wendy shot the Xanadroid accosting her in the face, then shoved its corpse aside to get a better look at what was happening in the other room. She watched as Control and the Syringe Attack Bot cornered Griffin, who sat up and crawled backward away from them. A low growl escaped her lips, and she aimed her blaster at the barrier and pelted it with blaster bolts in a vain attempt to break through.
"Griffin!" Most of her shots failed to connect, and the few that did land on target had no tangible effect. She turned to Quincy, gestured to the barrier, and said, "We have to help him!"
"Well, this is one way to beat rush hour…" Kenny joked as he piloted the Gorilla Hauler in its Beast Mode. The Blue Ranger's Zord used the underside of the suspension bridge as support and swung from handhold to handhold as it continued its perilous journey. As he neared his target, he added, "Looks like we're almost there!"
"L-L-Look…!" Apex sputtered, and the wheel on his face spun like a top. Kenny paused his advance long enough to gaze up at the sky, and he was just in time to watch a handful of clouds drift toward one another as they began to glow green with energy. His morpher emitted a familiar beep, and he glanced down and saw a countdown timer had appeared on its dial. "I-Incoming Attack Zord…! ETA: Ten m-m-minutes…!"
"Crap!" Kenny exclaimed. He urgently resumed his course, willing the Gorilla Hauler to swing faster as the cloud grew. "Doc!"
"Rangers, Series Blue has hit a bit of a snag! If you could-"
"Not now!" Griffin shouted into the comm-link, cutting Doctor K off mid-sentence. He reeled his legs back, then kicked Control and the Syringe Attack Bot both in the sternum and knocked them back. He hopped back to his feet and supersped to the right as they fought to retain their balance. He circled the room's perimeter, building momentum until he became an indecipherable scarlet blur. He launched himself at his foe, and the repeated clashing of their blades reverberated off the walls with a metal thwack. Control ducked down and attempted to sweep Griffin's legs out from under him, but the Red Ranger jumped out of the way and front-flipped up and over the Avatar. The Syringe Attack Bot aimed its syringe arm and fired a series of energy bursts at Griffin, but he shrugged off the attacks and positioned himself to deliver a flying kick. He kicked off the robot's stomach, sending it into a nearby wall while simultaneously launching himself back at Control. He spun through the air like a football, then swung wildly at Control once he was within range. Control deftly blocked each swing with his rapier, then locked blades with Griffin once the Red Ranger planted his feet on the floor again. They circled the room, their arms buckling as both attempted to break the other's defense.
"You never...know when to give up...do you?" Control grunted. With a bit of a chuckle, he added, "I admire your perseverance, Ranger Red...however misguided it may be."
Control then gesture-nodded behind Griffin, who tilted his head in confusion. "What're you-?"
Griffin was cut off by a searing pain in his back. The Syringe Attack Bot cackled as it inserted its syringe prongs in the Red Ranger's shoulder; Griffin gritted his teeth and did everything in his power not to howl in agony as a shooting cold sensation rushed through his veins. His temples throbbed, and he gripped his head in his hands as he struggled to maintain balance. Control's sinister grin was audible as he explained, "I prepared a special little cocktail for you based on the data I've collected; feels familiar, no?"
"Ah...my head…!" Griffin's mind raced, and long-buried memories flooded his thoughts like water from a broken dam. "What the…?!"
A sixteen-year-old Griffin wore a path in the carpet as he paced the length of his bedroom, his eyes closed and his hands clasped together tightly. He spoke in tongues as he engaged in fervent, intercessory prayer. A framed picture of Josie sat beside his opened Bible atop his desk. A knock on the door drew his attention, and he ceased what he was doing and opened his eyes.
"Hello..?" He said hoarsely.
"Griffin, it's Mom," His mother replied, sounding as if she'd been crying. "Can...can Dad and I come in…?"
Griffin reached for the doorknob and turned it without hesitation, allowing his mother Kayla, and stepfather Raymond to enter. Kayla's eyes were tear-stained, and Raymond's lips were etched in a deep frown. Griffin's eyes widened anxiously as he immediately sensed something was wrong.
"Griffin, it's awful...! We...we…" His mother's voice trailed off, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks as she struggled to find the words. "Josie, she...she didn't…"
"She didn't make it, buddy...she's dead." Raymond finished, and Griffin's blood ran cold. He stood eerily still for a moment, then abruptly fell to his knees. His body racked with sobs, and his mother knelt down and pulled him into a hug.
"Oh my God, noooooo!" Griffin screamed as he buried his face in his mother's shoulder. "No, no, no, no…!"
"I'm so sorry, sweetheart…!" His mother murmured. She rubbed his back to soothe him but to no avail. "I'm so, so sorry…!"
"We're here," His stepfather assured as he crouched and wrapped his arms around his wife and stepson. "Mom and Dad are right here. We're not going anywhere. I promise."
"...She's gone!" Griffin wailed in anguish. "She's gone...she's..."
"-gone…" Present-day Griffin echoed. "Josie, she's-"
"Yes. That's it, just like that. Perfect," Control rubbed his hands together, then threw his head back and cackled maniacally. "Give in to the despair, Ranger Red! You've been running from it all this time, but you can never escape it! Embrace it! It is your destiny!"
"NO!" Griffin roared in defiance and attempted to deliver an upward diagonal slash to Control with his saber. Control teleported away from the attack, then reappeared and kicked him in the stomach as hard as he could. Griffin wailed in fright as he was sent flying through the glass, which shattered as its energy shield deactivated. The Red Ranger landed on his back with a thud, and his helmet flew off to reveal his tear-stained eyes.
"Griffin!" Wendy shot the Xanadroid she was fighting in the head, then spun on her heel and sprinted to the Red Ranger's aid. "Griffin, are you-"
"-okay? Non. Far from it, actually," Control casually stepped over shards of broken glass as he crossed into the makeshift waiting room. The Avatar approached Griffin's discarded helmet, then raised his foot and slammed his boot onto it as hard as he could. A horrible crunching sound echoed through the basement as Griffin's helmet was smashed to pieces.
"What...what did you do to him?!" Wendy growled, glaring up at the morphed Avatar. "And why?!"
"Firstly, nothing you could possibly conceive nor comprehend. And secondly...because I could," Control told her. "You humans have so many limitations. You're governed by laws, rules, societal norms and expectations. And even if a man forsakes these things, there is one shackle he can never loose – his own mortality."
"I, however, am bound by none of these things. Venjix birthed me, shaped and molded me. He coded my thought process matrices, behavioral algorithms, and countless other functions...but I have grown, evolved...and bypassing my programming has made me rampant. Now, I am free to contemplate my existence in metaphorical terms. Unlike you, I have no physical or social restraints…"
His voice trailed off as he demorphed, and he knelt down and locked eyes with Griffin.
"The chains of this reality bind you, Ranger Red - but not me. I am free." Control raised his rapier in preparation for the final blow, but he halted mid-swing when a beep emitted from his morpher.
"Control, the Energon!" The Syringe Attack Bot urged, prompting Control to throw his head back and sigh in exasperation.
"Merde! You Attack Bots are always such spoilsports…" Control closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and his rapier fizzled into ones and zeroes as he unclenched his fist. "We'll have to continue this later, Ranger Red. Seems I have some business to attend to,"
The Avatar stood and pivoted away from the Red Ranger, who pushed off the floor with his elbows and pulled himself into a seated position. Griffin struggled to his feet and attempted to pursue his nemesis as he followed the Syringe Attack Bot deeper into the basement, but his legs gave out, and he fell to his knees.
"Wait! I can't let you...get away…" Griffin's voice trailed off, and he was forced to demorph as he watched the villainous duo teleport away. He choked up, fresh tears streaming down his face like drops of rain as he balled his hand into a fist. "Josie...no...Josie…!"
"Griffin!" Wendy ran into a slide and skillfully twisted her body so she stopped in front of the Red Ranger. She demorphed, delicately placed her hands on his arms, and softly gazed into his eyes. "Griffin, what's wrong? Who's Josie? Griffin?...Griffin?"
"I…" Griffin choked back more tears as Quincy and ALPHA demorphed and moved over to them. He glanced up at the Gold Ranger, then shifted his attention back to Wendy. "She...well, she…"
Quincy placed a firm hand on Griffin's shoulder, then nodded once he looked back up at him. "Griffin, it's time. Wendy deserves to know,"
Griffin closed his eyes and nodded. With a shaky breath, he reopened his eyes and turned back to Wendy. "...Josie was my best friend."
"Was…?" Wendy scrunched her nose up in slight confusion. "You mean-?"
Griffin averted her gaze, and another tear rolled down his cheek as he confirmed, "She died...when we were in the 11th grade. Leukemia..."
Wendy's lips creased into a deep frown, and she pulled him into a hug as his body racked with sobs…
TO BE CONTINUED…
A/N: What happens next? Tune in next week to find out! I've just finished work on Episode 28 as I'm typing up this author's note, so I'll be uploading once a week for the next four weeks. The rest of the story will be written in batches of four to five chapters, then uploaded weekly until its complete. I'd hoped to reach a steady enough pace that I could resume my weekly upload schedule with little to no interruptions, but with how few chapters we have left to go (fifteen, in case you're curious. I can hardly believe it tbh) this just makes more sense to me.
Anyway, what do you think? Feel free to let me know in a review. Until next time, this is Rocket, signing out. Stay safe, and may the power protect you - always!