Zeke was getting close, he just knew it. The dot on his phone was blinking faster, slowly aligning with his GPS to lock in on the location. He just hoped he wasn't too late.
The second that Gail had departed he'd shot to his phone, sending Lena a desperate warning with an immediate guess at where she was heading. Zeke just had to hope that the android could stall Gail enough for him to crack the location history on the Morpher. Of course, hoping and happening were always two different things, separated by the impossible distance of reality.
There were just so many warehouses to check! Why did Lakeview even have all of these?
No, not the problem now. He needed to focus; Zeke's window to find Abbey was shrinking. By now Gail would be doubling back, no doubt realizing her disguise was blown and the rest of the Rangers were closing in.
He just hoped that he wasn't too late…
Idiot! He should have realized it sooner. He should have known something was up the second Gail approached him with the Morpher. There was just no way that Abbey wouldn't have gone to Hilary with that problem, or that the Morpher would have broken the way she'd described.
But no, he just had to be drawn in, been a sucker for her helpless pouting that made him feel needed. Wanted…
It was everything Zeke had ever wanted, ever dreamed. Abbey, standing before him, saying everything he'd ever hoped she'd say. Hearing her tell him how much she'd realized, how much of a fool she'd been in not seeing him right in front of her this whole time. That he was just a boy, standing in front of a girl, waiting for her to love him.
Every word Gail said had sent Zeke's heart soaring, screaming in exaltation as the moment he'd dared believe could happen was suddenly unfolding before him. Almost loud enough to drown out the doubt that lurked in the back of his mind.
Almost.
And still, he'd allowed himself to be drawn into her siren song, surrendering to his magnetic longing as Gail had suggestively pulled closer and beckoned him to do the same. A vain and desperate hope that his doubts were nothing but fragile insecurity, a self-sabotaging voice that refused to accept him as deserving of what he wanted.
But when Gail kissed him, and at last he'd felt the softness of Abbey's lips on his own as he pulled her into a deep and romantic embrace, Zeke could no longer deny the truth. This wasn't Abbey, because Abbey wouldn't want this.
Abbey wouldn't cast Miguel aside like that, not to throw herself at Zeke so suddenly. Hell, she'd been dancing around Miguel for months, and Zeke knew her well enough to know that her hesitance was not from lack of wanting.
No, when their lips locked in Gail's masterstroke of entrapment, Zeke had finally realized the truth. They'd been friends all this time, he'd been by her side all these years, and she'd never once shown a sign of romantic interest. The reason Abbey's feelings weren't going to suddenly awaken was because they weren't there. She knew what his were, but she couldn't feel them back, and to tell himself anything otherwise was simply delusion. And the only person who would dare let him think otherwise was the evil clone born from the darkness of Abbey's own anxiety.
It took all Zeke's strength to pull himself away, to disguise his sudden shift from desire to revulsion, to look at Gail's duplicitous face as she continued her attempts to enthrall him. But the was façade gone, and with the last of his hope dripping away like ink in the drizzling rain, Zeke's mind had turned to only one thing.
Abbey.
And if Gail was there, brazenly toying with his heart for her own ends, then it could only be because the original was out of the equation. For now, at least, and if Zeke didn't hurry he knew it could well be for good. The second Gail had left he'd shot to his laptop, plugging in the bequeathed Morpher in a desperate hope that he could track its history. Hoping it would lead him to Abbey; that it wouldn't be too late.
And now all he had were a million abandoned warehouses to wind through before Gail did something drastic.
Hold on, Abbey, he silently pleaded as he whipped between the buildings. I'm coming!
"I'm telling you," Miguel said as he followed Erika and Ray into the elevator. "She wasn't acting like herself. It was like I was talking to… someone else."
"It does sound like Gail," Erika admitted. "Maybe she's found a way to slip past Hilary's surveillance?"
Ray scrunched his face in thought as if torn between accepting their deduction or admitting to a flaw in his wife's work. "I guess it's possible, but there's no way that she'd have had the computer knowledge to do it on her-."
His words cut off, jaw-dropping in horror elevator doors dinged open to reveal the mess inside the lab. Over at the first aid table, Ben was sitting on the bench with a bandage wrapped heavily around his chest, looking very sorry for himself as Lena placed a steri-strip over his forehead.
"What happened?" Ray gasped, rushing to the side of his best friend faster than the other two had ever seen him move. "Ben, are you okay?"
"A nasty burn on his chest and bump on the head," said Lena. "Other than that, it's mostly just his pride."
"That part feels worse than the burn," Ben admitted.
"You don't look like you walked out without a scratch either," said Erika, noting the cut on Lena's forehead.
"It's fine, I heal fast," she replied before turning back to Ray. "Gail's back in town."
"We kind of put that together," said Miguel. "What was she even doing here?"
"She took a drive from the computer," said Lena. "I've been too busy tending to this to find out what she copied. I couldn't get it out of her hands before letting her get away."
As she said, all eyes spun to her, voice shrieking in near unison. "YOU WHAT?"
"Caught me by surprise too," Ben admitted. "If I'd known that was the plan, I maybe would've thought twice about the energy claw to the chest."
"Gail got in with Abbey's keycard," Lena explained. "And the only way she'd have had that was if she did something to her original. She knows we're on to her now, so she'll be running, panicked, and desperate. The rest now is up to Zeke."
"Zeke?" Erika was in even greater disbelief than the first revelation. "Abbey's sexy evil clone is back on the scene and the person we're relying on is Zeke?"
"Zeke was the whole reason I got heads up. The second Gail was done trying to twist him around her finger, he was on the phone telling me she was on her way," Lena said before tilting her head at their Red Ranger with an eyebrow raised in curiosity. "Also; sexy?"
"What?" said Erika. "I've got two eyes and pulse, and you saw that dress she was wearing last time."
Miguel couldn't help but straighten up, a pang of guilt stabbing at his chest at the sudden memory. Last time, that had been his first inkling that the person he was talking to wasn't Abbey. There was no way she'd have worn that.
"So, what do we do then?" he asked. "Just wait around for when Zeke needs bailing?"
"We can track Zeke from here," said Ray, already moving to the terminal. "Here's hoping he calls it in when he finds her.
"We should start moving now," Erika decided. "We can head in his general direction and divert if things change. That way we're ready if things go south."
"Hang on," Miguel stopped her, seeing Lena's cautious surprise at the sudden enthusiasm. "Lena just said we need to give Zeke time."
"Yeah, to find Abbey," Erika agreed, giving Ray a knowing look. "But just because he's got this, doesn't mean he has to do it alone. And neither does Abbey. The greatest enemy we ever face will be the one we make. It will always be born from within. But just because we are the ones who made them, that doesn't mean we have to face it down by ourselves. We can't, and if we could we'd have already done it. Our strength is together, it's when others have our back that we find the strength to face down the monsters we create. So, we're going to find them, and we're going to have their backs. Gail's too much for any one of us, but together, Abbey will never have to face it alone. And neither will Zeke. So, let's go get them."
Over on the med bench, Ben chuckled, wincing at the bandages on his chest as he turned to Ray with a knowing smile. "That was pretty good. Did you teach her all that?"
"Nope, it was all her," Ray said proudly. Then he reached into his pocket and tossed the keys to Lena. "Take the car, it'll keep a lower profile than the Server Cycles."
Nodding, all three teens spun around and dashed to the elevator doors, Ray granting access to the garage as he called behind them.
"I'll call Hilary down here," he confirmed. "We'll be ready to second anything happens."
"Great," Ben groaned beside him, face sinking as he realized it'd be up to him to explain the mess inflicted on his sister's lab. "I can't wait to live this one down."
It was the waiting that was killing Abbey the most. The darkness, the confines, even the stuffy air; all of that she could have managed. But not knowing the true havoc that Gail was unleashing in her name was the true hell that Abbey had been left in.
She could be anywhere, doing anything. And Abbey was here, in an old, abandoned warehouse, completely forgotten. No one even knew she was missing; and even if they did, they'd all be too busy dealing with Gail and any wreckage left in her wake.
Left in Abbey's wake.
Because she was her, in the end. She'd created Gail from herself, there wasn't a single thought that traveled through the monster's head that Abbey hadn't had. No matter how small, no matter how much Abbey had tried to quash it, they'd been there. And now, there was a version of herself that was willing to act on them.
All of them.
Now the self that Abbey had spent so many years trying to cultivate, to be proud of, was sitting chained up in a dusty shed, waiting to be forgotten or blown to bits. And the only memory of her that would remain would be the monster born from her fear of failure.
Of rejection.
The first tear splashed upon the ground, capturing the dust among the shattered droplets as another plummeted to join it. Soon, all Abbey could feel was the stinging of her eyes, the dripping warms down her cheeks as her sobs echoed back off the walls of her prison. Because there was nothing that she could do.
She was alone.
"Abbey?"
The voice was barely more than a whisper, an inquiry that wafted from the shadows. Stifling another sob, Abbey dared feel the hope as she recognized it.
"Zeke?"
Cautious shuffling turned to footsteps, slowly moving as he emerged from the dark. The one person Abbey could always rely on, the person who knew her better than anyone else in the world. Her best friend.
"You found me!" Abbey realized, tears now flowing from despair to joy as she looked at him like a savior.
"Hey," Zeke smiled as kneeled to place a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, we're going to get you out of here."
Without another word, Zeke crawled behind her, beginning to examine the cuffs that bound her to the pipe.
"How did you find me?" Abbey asked him.
"Ran into Gail," Zeke explained. "She couldn't work your Morpher and wanted me to figure out why. I knew immediately she must have done something to you, so I tracked the Morpher's location history to figure out where she'd stashed you. Here."
Still fiddling with the cuffs, Zeke placed something smooth and metal into her hand, her fingers instinctively curling around the weight as she realized what it was. Her Morpher; he'd managed to get her Morpher back!
At first, all Abbey could feel was proud elation, that her best friend in the whole world had seen through the ruse of her darker self. But it was only then the Gail comments came back to her, the sickening memory of her clone's manipulative plan.
Please… no…
"How did you know it was her?" Abbey asked, desperately praying to the Morphing Masters that Gail's plan never reached the end of hurting Zeke. But the boy's reply was non-committal.
"It doesn't matter," Zeke said, his tone sinking with a hint of shame and disappointment. Before Abbey could inquire further, the metal on her wrists suddenly loosened, and the cuff clinked onto the floor. A heartbeat later, Zeke reappeared from behind her with an outstretched hand. "Come on, let's get out of here before…"
"Now, Zeke…" purred a predatory voice from the shadows of the warehouse. "Is that any way to treat the girl of your dreams?"
A chill crawled down Abbey's spine, snapping to her feet and stepping close to Zeke as both of them whipped around to the source. The footsteps clicked louder with every pace, a strange dragging sound as a shape began to grow within the darkness. The voice they recognized, but there was a deeper menace that resonated within it. And as the figure revealed themselves, Abbey and Zeke could only gasp in horror.
She was still human in shape, but the masking layers were beginning to peel, like the torn skin of a rotten orange revealing the putrid fruit beneath. The scales had spread, now stretching across half her face, and as Gail strutted closer, a pair of slitted, sickly yellow eyes narrowed in fury toward them.
"Two-timing me already, Zeke?" Gail snarled as he looked at the two of them. "But I thought you said you loved me?"
"Are you sure it's around here?" Erika asked as they wound between the buildings.
"Zeke's signal was right on this spot when he last checked in," Ray confirmed.
"I checked Abbey's Morpher too," Hilary added. "Hers was around here this morning before it headed toward Zeke. They're there alright."
"I didn't even know this town had so many abandoned warehouses," Miguel admitted as they stared around the maze of steel frames.
"They're all over California," Erika explained. "You'd be surprised how common they are. They sure come in handy if we've got to direct a monster somewhere isolated."
"And the perfect place to trap three hapless Rangers that are out for a stroll!"
The trio spun around, snarling to see Ender standing behind them. A flash of green later, and a horde of Cyberdrones dropped down to surround them.
"We should have figured you'd be skulking around," Lena sneered.
"Now, now, Mileena," Ender tutted. "We're just here for the same reason as you; to greet an old friend and exchange some gifts."
In the time Ender had taken to give his snide remark, the Rangers had already snapped together, Morphers flashing to their wrists as Erika nodded an agreeing signal to the others. Their friends were in danger, and they didn't have time for this. If Ender wanted to play, then Erika was sure to make it a real quick game.
"Yeah, we're feeling real friendly," she said before stepping up with her Morpher raised. "You guys ready?"
"Ready!"
"Server Force! Login Access!"
The light flared around them, bursting from their morphers as light of red, black, and white consumed them completely. The overwhelming power of the grid flowed into their bodies as the suits materialized and sealed their bodies inside, imbuing them with superhuman strength as their faces were encased within the helms. As the visors slid before their vision, the three of them were already launching themselves into the horde, weapons primed for the takedown.
The Security Saber flashed to Erika's hand, bringing it down with a mighty roar as she twisted the blade to carve a space into the horde. The robots staggered back, crumbling beneath the weight of their fallen comrades as the Red Rangers mounted up the pressure, slashing back left and right the quell the numbers of the horde.
"Sorry, you're not the friends we came to see."
Her spare hand shot to the blade, folding it back into a pistol as she whipped around the barrel with the trigger squeezed. The rounds seared across the space, slamming into the ground beneath the henchmen and erupting into mighty fireballs that sent them flying.
"Surely you can make an exception!" Ender insisted, lunging at her with his cane swinging wide. She saw the strike coming, but its purpose wasn't to hit. Forced between retreating and getting walloped, Erika picked to former, leaping out of the way as Ender lunged on to put her on the backfoot. "Come on now, Red Ranger; it feels like forever since we've seen each other. Surely, you've got some time for a little catch-up?"
"For you?" Erika replied, blade flashing to catch the cane before throwing him off. "How about I pencil you in for a little past never?"
"Well, I'm sorry you feel that way," Ender snickered without a single hint of hurt or detection. "But, I promised a friend their own little reunion. One without interruptions. And it seems that they've got plenty catching up to do."
Before Erika could move, Ender was on her again, flanked by a fresh batch of Cyberdrones that came at her from all sides.
Hold on, Abbey! Erika begged as she swerved between the strikes, desperate to find an opening and break away. Hold on, Zeke!
Zeke glared at Gail through gritted teeth, instinctively snapping between Abbey and her clone as the monster prowled towards them.
"Now, Zeke," Gail tutted. "Is this really how you want things to play out? Is it really what you want? Think carefully now."
Beside him, Abbey's eyes shot him a nervous look, and he wasn't sure if it was confusion or hopeful denial. "Zeke? What's she talking about?"
"Nothing that matters," he replied, breathing in with the vain hope of conveying strong, macho defiance. But Gail knew him too well; or rather, Abbey did.
"Please," Gail scoffed. "Nothing? I could have given you everything, Zeke. Everything you ever dreamed of. And you throw it away from someone who doesn't give you a second thought?"
He didn't dare look at Abbey, not now. Not when he knew she'd be seeing right through Gail's innuendo. He'd made his choice, and now he had to live with it.
But first, he had to live through the next five minutes.
"Do you really think I'm going to let you walk out of here?" Gail asked. "I'm afraid it won't be that simple. You see, I promised my new friends that I'd deliver them at least one Ranger. And now it looks like I've got a volunteer for the two-for-one special."
Gulping down, Zeke looked over at Abbey, watching her tremble as her darker half backed them in. But it wasn't over not yet. Not while he had a plan.
A look was all it took, a single glance of agreement. And then, with a breath for good luck and complete disbelief at what he was doing, Zeke took a step forward and defiantly stared down the clone.
"You're not going anywhere with us," he said firmly. "With me, or with Abbey."
"I'd say it's gallant," Gail giggled. "That you've finally found your spine. But come on Zeke, we both know you don't have it in you to lay a hand on your dear, dear friend Abb-."
But Zeke never let her finish the sentence, lunging while self-assuredness still blinded her. With a single leap, he crossed the distance, kicking wildly and forcing her to stumble back. With bulging eyes, Gail jolted away, swerving just as Zeke stuck the landing and swung out his arm. This time she stood still, her hand shooting up to catch his arm and glaring back with seething fury.
"Finally found your nerve, huh? Well, I guess that makes you all but useless to me."
Squeezing to keep him in place, Gail raised her hand to strike, emerald talons extending from her fingers as Zeke braced for the incoming cleave. But then another hand struck out. The pale grip lashed from the darkness, squeezing Gail's wrist as the clone twisted and scowled to see Abbey beside her.
"He might not matter to you," Abbey snarled. "But that's because you don't matter at all."
With a single movement, Abbey yanked down the wrist, pulling Gail into a twisting kick that sent her reeling against the floor. She landed in a crouch, claws scraping into the concrete as the two teens stood side-by-side and stared down the monster together.
In the moment of respite, Zeke shot Abbey a glace, but the redhead shook her head.
Not yet.
Which meant they needed to keep going. And Gail had no idea what was about to hit her. The duo moved, striking with perfect unity as they descended on the monstrous clone. Every blow was covered, every pullback making way for the other. As Gail roared in fury, Zeke and Abbey continued their offensive, like partners in a dance determined to display their synchronicity.
"Enough!" Gail roared. "You think your little tag team routine will stop me? Like That makes you better?"
The energy glowed around her hands, talons on her fingers burning with translucent green as she swiped them inwards. Seeing it coming, Zeke threw out a shield, the golden dome bursting to life around them as the two forces of energy clashed. There was a blazing flash, Gail collided with the barrier, all her power pushing into her hands as Zeke kept her at bay.
"Is this all you've got, Zeke?" Gail snarled. "Is this your last hurrah?"
"For someone based on Abbey, you really are stupid," Zeke retorted. "Because otherwise, you'd have seen this coming."
And she did, but far too late. With Gail locked in pressure against Zeke's forcefield, Abbey lunged, phasing through the barrier, and then right on through Gail as well. Landing on the other side, she pirouetted into a kick that smashed into the clone's stomach. The power relented, and Gail gasped as she stumbled back and glared with seething hatred.
"You!" Gail screamed. "I'm done with you!"
The energy in her hands kept growing, so bright it was concealing the digits beneath as Gail wound back to throw it. Zeke didn't think, he didn't have time to. He was already moving. With all his might, he launched himself forward, diving between them and summoning a barrier just as Gail unleashed the full might of her fury. The golden dome emerged not a moment too soon.
The forces clashed, the barrier shattering immediately and hurling Zeke backward. Ready for the blast, Abbey braced, breaking his fall only to fall back herself. Then, with the two of them flying, she phased them right through the wall.
Out in the sunshine, the two hit the concrete, tumbling across the hard surface with a painful thud.
"Well, that's one way to get out," Abbey admitted as they helped each other to their feet.
"Yeah," said Zeke. Then, as they dusted themselves off, he added. "Did you get it?"
Smiling brightly, Abbey lifted her hand, her Morphing keycard wedged between her two fingers. "Thanks for the assist."
"Any time."
In the distance, they could hear the sound of fighting. Metal on metal, blasts of lasers, echoing out across the lot of empty warehouses.
"Safe to say the others found us," Zeke reasoned. "And looks like Xaviax did too."
"Xavaix!" Abbey realized suddenly. "Zeke, she's in league with him. She cut some kind of deal. We need to get to them before-!"
And that's when the wall that they'd just escaped through shattered into a booming rain of dusty debris.
Both of them whipped around, leaning as the bricks flew past and watching with horror as Gail staggered toward them. Only she no longer resembled anything of the girl she'd once been based upon.
Where once her figure had been slender and humanoid, now the only remnant of her prior form was the legs protruding from the mass. Her body had engulfed into a writhing horde of snakes, individual tendrils roping around each other into the vague shape of arms as a new head rested at the top. Far larger than what she had before, now it was narrow and serpentine, a wide snout that guided a sharpened maw, and a forked tongue flicking out between the fangs.
"Man, is that what my dark side looks like?" Abbey grimaced. "Looks like I've really got to work on myself."
"It doesn't matter how ugly it is," Zeke affirmed. "Because I've always got your back."
For a moment, just one, their eyes met, and Abbey gasped in shock at his sincerity. At the truth of what he meant. This was her battle, but he would gladly fight it with her if she let him. Then, seeing his message for what it was, Abbey's face hardened in resolve, grasping the Morpher her in hand and slapping her wrist.
"Then are you ready?" she called, spinning to face her monster with the keycard ready.
Zeke complied, stepping forward with his card held in wait. "Ready!"
Then, as Gail could only stare at them with seething hatred, they moved as one, perfect in their unison as they brought the cards to their Morphers and rammed them through the slots.
"Server Force! Login Access!"
Yellow and blue filled the sky, blazing like a wildfire through the alleys of the warehouses as the two teens embraced the power of the grid. Their limbs were strengthened, their stamina returned, and as their helms locked over their faces the two transformed Rangers took their stances in a readied warning to their enemy.
"Urgh!" Gail spat in disgust. "All these years, and you're still matching your Halloween outfits. I'll be happy to be rid of both of you."
"You're criticizing my outfit when dressed like that?" Abbey taunted, nodding in affirmation at Zeke before raising her blade in a challenge. "You're just mad it never came in your size."
With an inhuman scream, Gail launched herself at the dynamic duo. Ready for the strike, the Blue and Yellow Rangers braced themselves for the onslaught. And then they launched themselves right back.
This was getting ridiculous!
Erika ducked beneath another blow, striking a lunging Cyberdrone before opening fire in an attempt to make an opening. The henchmen were blasted in all directions, and Erika seized her chance to launch herself for the gap.
"Wrong again!"
Ever the annoying one, Ender had evaded all Erika's efforts, constantly losing her in the swarming mass of Cyberdrones to annoy Lena and Miguel and repeat his pattern. Seeing Erika make a break for it, he abandoned his current battle, fleeing from the wrath of Miguel's Shadow Saber to launch himself at the Red Ranger.
Only this time she was ready for it.
"Gotcha!"
Flipping around the pistol, Erika opened fire at the flying monster maker, crimson beams lancing him in the chest and exploding. The blasts sent him reeling, whiplashing yanking him away to send him tabling over the chaos, crashing into the side of a dumpster on the far side as Erika landed and dusted her hands with satisfaction.
"Now, that's what I call taking out the trash," she decided.
Ender's head snapped up, snarling at the insulting blow. But then something boomed in the distance, and both turned in surprise to see the source. Smoke was rising in the distance, flashes of blue and yellow strobing as it wafted above the roofs of the warehouses.
Abbey and Zeke. It had to be.
"Well, that looks like it's my cue to leave," Ender decided. "In the immortal words of JT: Bye, Bye, Bye!"
A second later, he vanished in a burst of emerald, leaving the Cyberdrones to keep them busy as Erika spun around and fixed her eyes on the smoke.
"Ray? Hilary?" she checked. "Is that who I think it is?"
"They managed to get free and morph," said Hilary.
"They're a little tied up and could probably do with the backup!" Ray added.
Almost definitely. But what about…?
Miguel had already guessed her question. "We've got these clowns!" he insisted.
"He's right!" Lena agreed as she slammed down another drone. "Go help them!"
Erika didn't need telling twice, leaping high and unloading her pistol as the Cyberdrones blew apart beneath her. As the scorching ball of fire blossomed out bellow, the Red Ranger soared for the opening and took off at top speed.
Another boom in the distance, a remnant shock wave rattling through the buildings as Erika diverted and picked up speed as she closed in on her mark. Another flash of emerald; another wall of Cyberdrones sent to block her path. But Erika barely broke her strike. In one swift movement, her Power Axe flashed her hands, sharp head burning bright as she crashed into the bracing lines and sent them scattering with a single mighty blow.
They'd barely rained down upon the ground behind her when she burst from the narrow gap between the warehouses, skidding to a stop and gasping as she saw the monster that Gail had become.
And Erika thought she'd been ugly before.
"Wow," she noted, landing beside Zeke and Abbey as the pair of Rangers readied for another bout. "And I thought I had issues."
"Turns out I've got more things to work through," Abbey admitted.
But as Abbey's shoulders lifted, confidence growing as another teammate joined her side, the monstrous Gail only glared at them with further, seething resentment.
"That really what you're going to do, Erika?" she snarled, hand waving as she gestured across her body. "Stand by the friend that unleashed all this on you?"
But Erika couldn't help but grin, head tilting just enough for Abbey to see the edge of her visor as she replied, "She's seen enough of my monsters that I more than owe her. There's nowhere else I'd rather be."
In a furious rage, Gail unleashed a blast of energy, a searing bolt aimed right at the Red Ranger's chest. But for as fast as the monster was on the draw, Zeke was faster. The shield flashed to his hands, skidding to a stop as the flat barrier swatted the onslaught away. As Gail snarled at the deflection, Abbey took her chance, launching high with her bow in hand to unleash a torrent of her own. The monster cried in pain as the shots rained down, snipping at her writhing serpentine skin as the Ranger regrouped and raised for the finish.
"That's the difference, Gail," Abbey warned. "You think your strength comes from being alone, from pushing everyone away. But I know now that I don't have to do it all myself, and my friends, they only make me stronger!"
But just as Erika was about to make the call, give the order to put them together and level down the De-Frag Blaster, Gail let out a cackle of sinister laughter and whipped out her hand, a small flash drive pressed between her two fingers.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" She warned them. "I think just like you, Abbey. You didn't really expect me to go toe to toe with your colorful friends without some sort of insurance policy, did you?"
Dammit! Lena said she'd taken something from the lab, and they still had no idea what it was.
And that was when Ender struck.
With a blinding flash of green, he appeared beside his new alley, a gloating grin stretched across his cerulean face as his red eyes gleamed with glee.
"I'll take that," he snickered as he snatched it from Gail's grip. "Now, my dear. Why don't show them just how big a problem you can be?"
He vanished just as quickly before even Gail could voice an objection. And then, true to Ender's word, their problems got a whole lot bigger. The green light shot from the sky, a sickly burning consuming Gail's body as her shape began to swell and grow. The three Rangers staggered back, soon diving for cover as Abbey's monstrous half grew and grew, foot a writhing mass of snakes that then eagerly stomped down where they were standing.
"Turns out, Abbey, that your inner demons don't go away when you pretend they aren't there!" Gail howled with delicious excitement. "They just get bigger!"
"They made her huge!" Abbey gasped. "They… how?"
Through gritted teeth, Erika assessed the situation. It wasn't looking good. Gail had been enough of a handful last time, and that was before Xavaix had given her an upgrade. In the distance they could still hear the blasts from Miguel and Lena, keeping the Cyberdrone horde contained to stop them running amok into the city. For now, it was just the three of them. Beside her, Abbey's shoulders slumped, her tone sinking as she realized how things were still spiraling out of control.
"I'm so sorry," she said sadly. "I never thought things would get this bad."
"Hey," Erika said softly, placing her hand on the Ranger's shoulder in comfort. "It's not over until it's over. You guys stood by me after all the messes I made, so it's time to return the favor."
"We'll always be beside you, Abbey," Zeke agreed. "No matter what. You never have to face something like this alone."
Slowly, the Blue Ranger nodded, finding the resolve to keep going as she looked back up at the monster of her own creation.
"Then I guess it's time to face my demon."
"Atta girl," Erika smiled as she opened up the com. "Ray, Hilary? We've got a bit of a blow-up down here."
"Heard it all," Ray confirmed, and Erika could hear his grin of satisfaction even through the tinny crackling of the com. "The Zords are coming your way!"
As the tires screeched and the engines roared in the distance, the three Rangers launched themselves high, ready to take on the monster together. Landing in her streetcar, Erika punched straight into the controls, steering right toward Zeke's truck as Abbey's jet swooped in low. The Zords came together, docking perfectly as the tire brake squealed and the merged vehicles levered upwards into the shape of the newly formed warrior. With the formation complete, the mighty machine took a step forward; the ground quaking beneath its feet as Gail spun around in fury.
"Cyber Security Megazord!" the three declared. "Online!"
"Please," Gail scoffed. "You think that'll be enough to stop me?"
"I think it'll be more than enough," Abbey retorted. "What more could I need?"
"Why don't I show you!"
Before the Megazord could move, Gail threw out her hands, snakelike tendrils bursting from her fingers toward the Megazord. The first blow whipped them across the chest, a blinding flash flaring from the scorched chest piece as sparks burst out from the controls to throw the Rangers from their seats. But Gail wasn't done. Winding back from her whiplike strike, she lashed in again, cracking against the chest as the mecha stumbled backward. Then she struck one final time, and the snakeheads on the edges seemed to take a life of their own, wrapping around the Megazord's limbs and locking them in place.
"Everyone okay?" Erika groaned as she pulled herself upwards.
"I can't move the arms!" Abbey realized. "She's got us all tied up!"
Satisfied with her handiwork, the tendrils began receding into Gail's body, slowly reeling the Megazord closer as her colossal, snake-like face eyed them like prey.
"So pathetic," Gail snarled. "Did you think that just because you had a few of your precious friends you'd be strong enough to stop me? Cute, but pointless. Oh well, I guess I better wrap this up."
Breathing heavily, Erika's eyes darted across the controls, looking for some way out. A weapon? Emergency disengage? Hell, at this stage she'd take giving a knee to the groin. She shot a look at Abbey, half expecting her to be sunken in defeat. But instead, the Blue Ranger was leaning forward, and Erika didn't have to see the girl's face to know the seething, defiant glare she was giving her darker half.
"That's what you keep forgetting, Gail," she warned. "My friends are all I need!"
"Too right!"
Miguel's cheer sounded over the coms as more engines suddenly screeched in the distance. From out of nowhere, a barrage of lasers burst out from the flank, and Gail was too tied up with the Megazord to be anything but the perfect target. The monster howled, releasing the Megazord and staggering away as Erika looked across to see The Shadow-Cycle and Lightspeed Racer Zords coming in hot.
"You didn't think we'd let you do this alone, did you?" Lena chuckled. "Think you can keep her busy while we set up to join you?"
"You know we can!" Zeke agreed, and with an affirming nod, Erika looked back at the seething Gail.
"Time to break a mirror," she decided.
"Let's bring them together!"
With Gail still staggering from the barrage, The Cyber Security Megazord lunged, sword flashing to the hand as they steered into a mighty swipe. Gail's yellow eyes widened, arms flailing as she dived to avoid the blow, the thundering feet of the Megazord booming on the ground as it skidded between the buildings to pursue.
"You know," Abbey giggled. "For all her boasting of knowing how I think, I'd have thought she'd see this coming."
"Maybe she just needs to take a good, hard look at herself," Erika agreed.
"See it coming?" Gail scoffed. "Please. Like there's any plan that Abbey could make that I couldn't see coming."
"Really?" Abbey replied. "Even when we're the distraction?"
"THE WHAT?"
As the Cyber-Security Megazord soared past the avoiding monster, Gail spun around, suddenly realizing what she'd been neglecting. The Twilight-Server Megazord, now fully formed with its blasters primed and ready.
"Twilight Server…!" the Light and Dark Rangers declared together as the barrels locked their target and began to glow. "FLASH!"
A torrent of blinding light erupted from the cannons, the Twilight Server unleashing a devastating barrage that crashed into Gail like a tidal wave. The monster screamed, reduced to nothing but an opaque shadow as the blazing brightness consumed her completely, climaxing in a fiery blast that burst in all directions. As the flames died down, Gail stood wearily with smoke rising off her body.
"H… how?" she demanded. "How could you beat me? I should be better than you!"
"That's what you don't get, Gail," Abbey decided in the end as she looked to Zeke and then to Erika and the three Rangers readied their final attack. "It was never about me."
The Megazord thundered forward. With every stride, the sword glowed bright, the energy curling around the edge of the blade as the trio kicked their mecha into overdrive and reached top speed. Gail was already spent by the time they reached her.
"Cyber Power…STRIKE!"
The mighty sword connected, energy bursting in a blind flash as the blade cleaved her in two. The Megazord barely broke its stride as it passed, all its might cleaving the sword from one side to the other as at last it finished its sprint and skidded to a stop.
Spinning and staggering, all Gail could do was scream, her body, at last, giving out as her arms flailed above in tumbling. And then, with a final wail, her entire body exploded. The flames surge outwards, spiraling into a towering column of fire that burned with righteous intensity. Every inch of Gail vanished in the blaze, every byte of data shredding in deletion as her physical form atomized within the blast. When at last the smoke cleared, there was nothing left of Abbey's monstrous double.
The city was safe again, and Erika smiled as she turned to her friend, knowing full well the tempest of emotions that were welling up inside and at least being permitted to surge to the surface. Their friend, whose back they would always have.
Always.
The door of the blue pick-up slammed shut, a duffle bag resting on the passenger seat as Ben turned around to a tight-squeezing hug from his sister.
"Drive safe!" Hilary ordered. "And thanks for all your help."
"Happy to do it," said Ben. "And it was good to see that not much has changed since we were kids."
"Yeah," Ray agreed proudly. "They do all right."
"I don't know how you guys do it," Ben admitted. "Watching from the sidelines, fight after fight. It had me pacing after just a couple of days. You guys are insane, wanting to get back into all this."
Hilary and her husband shared a knowing look. "Come on, admit it," Ray insisted. "You've missed it."
"Honestly?" Ben replied, "A little. But I think after my little hit to the chest today, I'm better off sitting on the bench. My exciting teen years are definitely behind me."
"Aww, look at you," Hilary giggled. "My irresponsible twin brother is all grown up."
But as he leaned against the car, Ben's face hardened, soft reminiscence fading into sincere concern. "But seriously, if you need anything you call me. And that goes double if you hear anything about Doc. If you get a lead on him, then I want to know. I'll give you whatever you need, do whatever it takes."
"We know," Ray nodded. "You and three other people will be the first to know if we find anything, promise."
With that, Ben looked over at Hilary, seeing her ever-carried weight of concern before smiling in sincerity. "He'd be proud of you," he said. "Of both of you; of all of this."
Like a cold wind has suddenly flushed from within her chest, Hilary let out an involuntary gasp and looked away. The auburn burn of the setting sun glinted against the shimmer in her eyes, her bottom lip quivering as if those very words were a sundering blow to a cracking dam.
Because all this time, she'd only ever seen herself as caretaking, keeping the seat warm until Doc, the true expert, came back to show how it was really done. No matter how much she improved it, how much learned more about what it could do and how it worked, it was Doc who had built the Digitizer, it was his machine. He'd been the one to give her, and Ray, and Ben, and the others their powers way back when. He'd helped her design the current ones too.
She'd been never prepared to fully accept her role behind the desk, not because Hilary couldn't do it, not because she didn't love it. Because in her heart it still belonged to someone else. Someone to whom she owed her life, her marriage. Someone who, so many times, she thought she'd be lost without.
It was one thing to hear it from Ray, the love of her life who she knew would do anything to empower and uplift her. But to hear the words from Ben, her annoying twin brother? The one person in the world who'd be most hesitant to ever give her compliment, and one of the few other people to ever know Doc as well as she did?
It took all Hilary's strength not to let Ben's words shatter her there and then.
"Ben, I…"
"No, I mean it," her brother insisted, placing an affirming hand on her shoulder. "You know that I've got no idea how any of this… stuff works. I'm at my best with an engine, but give me a mouse and keys and I'm lost. But I do know that Doc would never have ever gone back to building the Digitizer if he didn't think you were the best person to build it with. If he didn't trust you to do what was right if he couldn't. And just look at all of this!"
He waved the white crenelated building that rose above them.
"You run a museum, of science! And that's just your day job. And when you're not doing that, you're pushing Doc's technology beyond what he could ever dream in the fight against evil. Because you are, and always have been a geek, and this is just about as big a geek… thing as you can get. And I don't think there's anyone else in the world better suited to keeping that technology safe than my big sister."
"Only by twenty minutes…" Hilary muttered bashfully, catch husband's eyes in the process. Then, blinking her tears, she finally looked back to her brother. "You know, he'd be proud of you too. Look at you, working on jet engines for NASADA."
"Yeah, well, I guess we all did all right."
Then he turned to Ray, after all these years still his best friend in the world.
"Looks like you've got those kids pretty well in hand too," Ben admitted.
"Had plenty of practice in my teen years," Ray chuckled. "Although you didn't do too badly dishing out advice yourself, yesterday."
"I guess some of your wisdom had to rub off on me eventually, right?"
"I guess it did."
For a long time, the three adults stood there in soft and tender silence, smiling in shared understanding of the ways they'd grown together, of the people they'd been when they'd first met long ago. Then at last, after one big group hug, Ben pulled away and moved to the driver's side door.
"I better hit the road," he decided. "Angel Grove's a bit of a hike."
"See you at Thanksgiving," Hilary insisted as she gave her brother one final hug goodbye before stepping back.
Ben nodded in agreement before Ray stepped towards him, the two men embracing as they said their last goodbyes.
"Thanks for taking care of her, man," Ben said quietly.
"More often than not," Ray replied, "She's the one taking care of me."
"Somehow, I doubt that."
Then at last, the two men parted, and Ben climbed to his car as Ray rejoined his wife on the curb. The engine started, and the once Blue Ranger waved from the window slowly before pulling out on the street. Hilary watched him go, resting her head on her husband's shoulder, letting herself rest into the strong, warm embrace of his arm around her waist, as at last her stupid, twin brother disappeared past the crossing.
Then, Ray too looked at her, his own eyes watering, and he smiled softly in the final agreement of what his best friend and brother-in-law had told them.
"You know?' he said. "I think he's right; Doc would be proud. Of both of us. Of you."
Later that night, Zeke sat crouched over the laptop on his desk as he dived down a fresh programming rabbit hole. The alluring draw of hyper-focus continued reeling him deeper, only for a knock on the door to snap him back.
"Mom," he grumbled. "I already told you I took out the trash this-."
But Zeke's eyes widened and words vanished as he spun on the chair to suddenly see who had really knocked at the threshold.
"Abbey!"
Years of learned instinct caused his hand to slap the laptop shut without a thought, causing Abbey to giggle from the doorframe.
"Your mom let me in," she said, before adding awkwardly. "Can I come in?"
Gulping down, Zeke nervously did all he could to survey the state of his room, all the while desperate to not draw attention to his panic as a million thoughts raced through his mind at once. Abbey? In here? Now? Oh god, it was such a mess! His mom was always telling him to tidy it up in case of a company, but he never expected it to actually happen! Abbey hadn't been in here in years!
"Ummm, sure."
Breathing deeply, Abbey accepted his permission and stepped across the threshold, sitting down on the bed as she gazed around his bedroom.
"It feels like forever since I was last here," she said. "When was it? The sleepovers we had in grade school, maybe?"
"Uhh… yeah, I think so." Zeke nodded. "It's changed quite a bit since then, though."
Abbey nodded, sad and wistfully as she too began to think on times long past. "We both have."
For a long while, both sat there in a tense and nervous silence, neither knowing whose turn it was to break it, or what to say if they did. Too much to cover, with no idea where to start. And neither sure if they wanted to.
"How's your family?" Zeke asked at last. "Did Gail do anything to ruin your life there?"
"No, thank God," said Abbey. "I guess she was more interested in messing everything up with you guys. I should probably be grateful that she didn't do any more damage."
"She didn't do anything that can't fixed," Zeke assured. "Ben was okay, and I'm sure that Hilary's already figured out what Gail took from the computer and is taking precautions."
"Oh, yeah," Abbey agreed with a nervous exhale. "Hilary's already on top of that. I've got no idea what any of it meant but you're right, she's working on it. I guess it's a good thing that Lena showed up and stopped Gail when she did."
There was an extra weight carried in her tone, an implicit acceptance of what had allowed Lena to intercept Gail before she could damage.
Because Zeke warned her.
"It was nothing," he said modestly. "I knew I couldn't her head off at the lab and also find you, so Lena was the obvious choice."
But Abbey turned her shoulders and fully tilted her head to make sure he caught her eye. To see all that she was feeling, the gratitude and relief. The guilt.
"Because you figured her out," she insisted. "You saw through her."
"Miguel was just caught off guard," Zeke insisted. "He'd have figured it out."
"But not like you did," Abbey pushed. "You saw the monster wearing my skin and knew exactly what she was. Because no one knows me better than you."
Because how could he not? How could have known each other for as long as they had, grown as close as they had without them knowing each so well? They knew everything about each other.
Everything…
"I mean, it goes both ways, right?" he suggested. "No one knows me better than you, either."
"Yeah…"
He regretted the words almost immediately, the implication of reality that he had desperately avoided for so long. A sharp whistle of air sucked through Zeke's throat as suddenly both looked away, his heart thumping heavily as his mind flashed back to when Gail had seen him that morning. To her hand brushing his cheek, the look on Abbey's face staring back at him with longing eyes. To the feeling of her lips on his.
"Zeke," Abbey said softly. "You never told me how you knew it wasn't Gail. What she did that tipped you off."
He knew he needed to confess, that Abbey had a right to know what Gail had down while parading in mimicry of her body. And yet, there was part of him, one that pleaded in melancholic desperation, that knew where that conversation would lead. That wasn't ready to let go of the hopeless dream.
"We don't have to talk about that," he said, shrinking further toward his desk as Abbey outstretched a pleading hand a gently touched his shoulder. Slowly, Zeke looked up again, his eyes meeting Abbey's once more to see the sad resignation in her gaze. An acceptance of a conversation that neither wanted to have, but was long overdue.
"But we do," she replied as a soft quiver trembled in her voice. "Because I need you to know that I would never want to hurt you."
"Gail wasn't you," Zeke said. "You might have made her, but you're not responsible for her choices."
But by now, Abbey's eyes were shimmering, stinging into redness as she gulped back a sob and nonetheless pressed in perseverance.
"But she came from me," she said. "She was every part of myself that I hate; that I wish didn't exist. Everything that I wanted to disappear, to ignore until it went away. Because you're right, no one knows you better than I do. And that meant Gail did too. It meant that everything she did, everything she knew, all of it came from me."
He didn't have to tell Abbey what Gail had done, she already knew. Because there was no other way that Gail could have known how to twist Zeke's heart to her own ends.
His heart sunk deep into his chest, an invisible weight tied to his stomach dropping into a bottomless pit. A pit that he'd have loved nothing more than to vanish into. Abbey looked away, her eyes drooping in shame as beat by beat, Zeke's heart began to accept what he'd realized long ago. A naked reality that he'd led him to Gail's truth, that he'd nevertheless hoped to remain in denial. That what he felt for Abbey, she didn't feel back.
And she never would.
"How long have you known?" he asked.
"I think deep down, I've always known," said Abbey as she blinked back the welling tears. "Back when we were kids, everything just seemed so simple. The dynamic duo, two peas in a pod. BFFs for life. And then we grew up, and one day I realized that the way you looked at me had changed. Changed into something I couldn't give back. And… it terrified me."
"Abbey, I'm sorry," Zeke said sincerely. "I didn't ever mean to make you feel scared."
"I wasn't scared of you," Abbey replied. "I was scared of what it meant. Of things changing, for both of us. That one way or another, we were approaching a point of no return. For a while I tried to tell myself it would go away; that it was just because I was the only girl you knew; that eventually, you'd notice someone else, and then your feelings would change. That they'd go back to the way things were. For a while, I wondered if maybe I could feel what you did, that I was just lying to myself, and my feelings could change. But they didn't. And I was too scared to do anything about it. I was too scared of losing you."
Zeke could only sit, blinking and slack-jawed in stunned silence as Abbey recounted her half of their friendship, of the looming dread that held an indecision he'd until now thought impossible.
"Losing me?" Zeke asked. "You were scared of losing me?"
"Of course, I was scared of losing you!" Abbey cried as at last the dam walls broke and tears flooded down her cheeks. "You're my best friend Zeke! And I was terrified that if I broke your heart, you'd never want to see me again. That expecting you to hang around me after that would be just too painful. So, I picked a path that was even more selfish, that would hurt you even more, and I did nothing. I'm so sorry, Zeke!"
Through squinted eyes she began to sob, her chest shuddering as if trying to retain her final semblance of composure. But by then, Zeke had already moved in closer, tears streaming from his eyes as well as his body moving on its own and he outstretched his arms to her into a warm embrace. To give comfort to his best friend.
"It's not your fault," he said, unable to disguise the sadness in his voice as at last he spoke the truth. "You can't control how I feel, and you're not responsible for it either. You never did anything wrong. Abbey, I don't know if how I feel about you will ever change. I know why feel what I do, it's because you're amazing. Because you're warm, and kind, and driven. Because when I look at you, I see a girl who's determined to make everyone's lives better, even if she sometimes neglects herself. And as long as that's a part of who you are, then I'll never stop loving you."
Sniffing back, Abbey slowly looked up at him, her shimming eyes still fearful of the torment Zeke appeared willing to embrace. Of the anguish her friend was inflicting upon himself. But as their gaze met, eyes flowing like bucketing rainstorms, she began to see what he was really telling her. And then, as at last, they connected in honest understanding, Zeke finally let her go.
"That's why having you in my life is so important," he said. "Because being your best friend is the greatest honor I'll have. It's not a consolation prize, it's not something to settle for. Abbey, your friendship is the most important thing I have, and I don't want to ever lose that. Because whatever the rest of my feelings are, nothing else will ever be better than being your friend."
Her arms shot out, wrapping around him and squeezing him tight as last Abbey buried her head in his shoulder in gratitude. As she did, Zeke lowered his head, his forehead pressing against hers as he finally unleashed all he'd been bottling up. Neither knew how long they sat in each other's arms, crying until their tears were dry, but eventually, they pulled away, smiling in a way they hadn't even a very long time.
"One of these days, you're going to find a girl, Zeke," Abbey decided as she wiped her eyes. "And she's going to make you the happiest guy in the world. I'm just sorry that it can't be me."
"I know," Zeke smiled. "And I know Miguel will for you."
At the mention of his name, Abbey let out a long exhale before falling back onto the bed. Shifting slightly, Zeke lay down beside her as they stared up at the ceiling.
"I don't even know what's going on with me and Miguel," she said. "He says he wants space, to take things slow."
"Is that what you want?".
"Honestly?" Abbey replied. "Maybe dating is the last thing I need to be thinking about right now. If there's anything this whole Gail thing has told me is that maybe I need to work on myself for a while."
"You'll figure it out," Zeke assured. "You always do."
"I hope so."
They lay there for a long time, enjoying the silence of each other's company, feeling the absence of weighted tension that they'd grown accustomed to carrying and the lightness in their chests from the truth that set them free. Slowly, Abbey turned around, and Zeke turned to mimic and lock eyes with his best friend.
"I love you, Zeke," she said, a warm, platonic gratitude radiating from her smile.
A smile that Zeke couldn't help but match. "I love you too."
And then a thought hit him, and his grin turned mischievous as he sat upright on the bed.
"Speaking of our old sleepovers," he decided. "Do you know what we should totally do?"
Abbey's jaw dropped as she too shot up in gleeful realization. "Scary movie marathon?"
"Oh yeah," Zeke grinned. "And now we're old enough for really gory stuff."
"Lawn Sheers: The Reconning Three?" Abbey suggested.
"Oh yeah!"
The movie played well into the night. They screamed, they cried, and they laughed together, at last in affirmation of something both had been scared of and had become long forgotten. An enjoyment of something could not be superseded, something far stronger than anything that could ever get between it.
Their friendship.
NEXT TIME:
After months of careful strikes and armed Hilary's codes, Xaviax at last makes his move on the city of Lakeview. Unleashing a powerful signal that cripples the city, the Rangers soon learn that it is capable of disabling more than just the power grid. But as the Rangers desperately try to keep the civilians from danger and the streets flood with Cyberdrones, they're torn between the needs of the people and their loved one's fears for their safety.
Can the Rangers put a stop to Xaviax's master stroke?
Can they hold back the tide without the ones they love learning who they are?
And what is Xavaix's endgame now that he's made such a bold and decisive move?
Find out next time on
POWER RANGERS
SERVER FORCE
Haywire- Part 1