Both Jake and Amber's mouths were agape as both Ray and Hilary sat across from them in shame.

"Wow," Jake said awkwardly. "You guys really…"

"Yeah," Ray agreed. "We screwed up, big time."

"When we said it was like old times," said Hilary. "I think we'd planned to leave that part out."

"Hey, Once a Ranger, right?" Jake chuckled.

Easy for him to say now. He was sitting on the other end, hearing a recount of how it all worked out. But at same the time, nothing made Ray feel more like an embarrassed little kid than watching Erika storm out of the lab. Feeling that after all he'd been through, all his battles, he'd learned nothing.

That he still had more to learn.

"But it all worked out, right?" Amber asked, leaning closer in complete investment with their tale. "I mean, you made up with your team?"

Done with their wallowing, Ray and Hilary shared a look, ready to tell the better half of the story.

"Well, it wasn't a good look, getting chewed out by two different team members," Hilary admitted. "The rest scattered after that, and both of us needed a chance to process. But once we had, I think it's safe to say we had some amends to make…"

She found her on the roof. A heavy hammering of wind greeted Hilary as she pushed open the door, finding the wedge to prop it open before stepping onto the concrete. Atop the museum's central spire, she could practically see the entire city; the lake, the outskirts, and Scolex's ugly tower that loomed over the other buildings.

The view was similar to what Hilary could already see from the penthouse beneath, but she had to admit that seeing it accompanied by the open air made it seem… fresh. Like she was truly seeing for the first time, directly with her eyes and unshielded by a pane of glass.

Jess was leaning against a wall, staring wistfully at the urban sprawl below. She jolted as Hilary's shoe crunched on the ground beneath, swiftly spinning to face her boss as she suddenly realized her company. Blinking in succession, she looked away to wipe her eyes as Hilary felt a fresh wave of shame wash over her.

"I'm sorry," Jess said nervously. "I was out of line before, I shouldn't have said any of that."

"Jess…"

"I know that what you're doing is super important and that there are real consequences if we don't get it right."

"It's okay…."

"I totally get if you don't think you can trust me, I know I've dropped a few balls over the last few months. I can send my letter by email if you'd prefer electronic, but if you'd rather, I can also-."

"Jess!" Hilary gasped. It came out sharper than intended, and Jess shirked back from the sudden rebuke. Breathing a calming breath, Hilary tried again. "I didn't come up here to chew you out. I came to see if you were okay."

The admission took the woman by surprise, Jessica's face dropping as she struggled to compute what had just been sent. "Oh…"

Slowly, Hilary walked to her side, leaning over the wall to join her in looking over the city.

"I've been doing this a long time," Hilary admitted. "I was finding hack cheats for Oregon Trail before I was halfway through grade school. I built my first computer when I was twelve. And by the time I was done being a Ranger, I was helping Doc run his equipment. I live and breathe this, and thanks to an obscene amount of experience punching robots in the face, I'm pretty good under pressure. And I guess it can be pretty easy for me to forget that not everyone has that."

Jess said nothing, but her face slowly softened as she listened. Hilary had no idea whether her words were helping or making things worse., but she'd started now, and she just had to hope that her sincerity would be enough to patch things over.

"When I moved to Lakeview," she said. "I didn't come here for the museum. I mean, don't get me wrong, I love this place, and everything it does for the city. But first and foremost I had one reason for coming here; to get back the technology that Doc and I had worked so hard to keep out of the hands of evil. And while I don't regret that, I know that's meant a lot more has fallen to you than it should have. And that wasn't fair."

Again, Jess nodded in comprehension but stayed silent.

"Honestly, I'm surprised you've hung around as long as you have" Hilary conceded. "God, I really am the worst boss, aren't I? My name's on the door, but you're the one who's been running the place since day one. I vanish at a moment's notice, and you'd just pick up the slack. And then, after everything you're already doing for me, I drop a whole new responsibility in your lap the second you find out I'm running a secret underground lab beneath your workplace. It's a wonder you didn't take that job Scolex offered you."

"Probably for the best," Jess shrugged, finally breaking into a sweet, amused smile. The first sign of happiness Hilary had seen in a long while. "I mean, he is a megalomaniacal supervillain."

"Sure, but we only knew half of that at the time. At the very least, I hear his company has better dental."

Again, Jess giggled, leaning further onto the wall to join Hilary in gazing over the city. The place they'd all sworn to protect. The place that was counting on them.

"I meant what I said," Jess told her. "When I told you why I turned Scolex down. You care about this city, my home. I knew it then, and it just turned out that I had no idea how much. I just… I wish I was what you needed to keep it safe."

Her shoulders sunk, a deep sigh of self-defeat exhaling as Jessica slumped over the wall. Hilary could only look at her sadly, knowing the part she'd played in Jess' flat-lining self-worth. An evaluation that was far from warranted.

"Do you know why I hired you?" Hilary asked. "Did you ever wonder why I picked you to be my PA?"

Jess shook her head. "I was surprised," she admitted. "I figured there were plenty of other candidates more qualified. I mean, I didn't even go to college."

"True," Hilary replied. "But what I saw on your resume, and confirmed in your interview, was someone who cared deeply about what they did. The others would have just been there for a paycheck. And that's fine, but I wanted to work with someone who would maybe care as much about this museum as I wanted to. Who would give the care that I wanted to give but couldn't. I saw someone who never gave up, and who was willing to take on any challenge. And I'm sorry that I took that for granted."

At last willing to face her contrition, Hilary turned to her assistant, the wind flicking back her hair as at last they met each other eye to eye.

"When I first asked you to help us, I was thinking as a Ranger," Hilary explained. "But I wasn't thinking as your boss, and it wasn't fair of me to put you in that position. So, I want you to know now that you can say no, that if it's all too much then I'll find some other way to manage the mission control. And I don't want you to feel guilty if you step away. I understand, and you're still helping me plenty with how much you run the museum. Helping me focus more attention on the Rangers and beating Xaviax is already help enough and it-."

"Hilary," Jess giggled. "It's okay. Apology accepted."

It was only then that Hilary realized that she'd barely taken a breath, inhaling deeply as before both women burst into laughter. At the sheer absurdity of their situation.

"I'll do it," said Jess. "I'll keep running your mission control. But I have conditions."

"Fire away."

"Number one, you dedicate some time to go through the papers I need you to sign," she stipulated. "I'll line them all up for you, and I'll arrange them in order of urgency. And, you spend at least an hour a day in your office, every morning and afternoon where I can keep you up to speed on museum operations."

"I can already trust you to make decisions without me," Hilary agreed. "So that's more than fair. What's number two?"

"Step me through the com suite you have in the lab?" Jess admitted a bit sheepishly. "I know you've pointed everything out once, but it's…"

"…a lot," Hilary conceded. "More than happy to. And if it's not my station anymore, then I guess I should let you rearrange things into a setup that works for you. When do you want to go over it?"

At that question, a scheming smile crept up Jessica's lips, and Hilary felt a trill of excitement as her assistant at her with an expression previously unseen. A look of determination, like a fire had been lit inside her.

"Now works for me," Jess decided. "Because I've got an idea."

"Awww," Jake smiled. "Look at you, Hil; winning boss of the year."

"I think the first half of that story might disagree with you," Hilary admitted as at last she leaned back in the chair to sip at the fresh glass of wine. With her turn over, the former Green Ranger and his partner shifted their attention back to Ray.

"And what about you, fearless leader?" Jake poked. "How'd you go patching things up with your protégé?"

"That?" Ray chuckled, thinking back to where he'd found her and what had happened immediately after. "That was where things got complicated…"

The park was nearly empty and quiet for a Saturday afternoon. The air was still, with only the softly whistling birds among the rustling leaves to fill the silence as Ray made his way toward the lake.

Erika stood at the foot of the jetty, staring out at the expansive lake in solemn contemplation. For a moment, a fond but distant memory echoed from the recesses of Ray's mind. A teenage boy, lost and uncertain, staring out at a river as he tried to find his place in the world.

Erika must have heard him, her head tilting as his shoe crunched the gravel path. But she didn't turn to face him.

"You know, as far as thinking spots go," said Ray as he approached, "this one's probably got the best view."

"This one's taken," Erika replied. "Going to have to find your own."

Ray chuckled and nodded, thinking back to the time when he'd found Hilary at her "thinking spot". A spot that would soon become his own as well. Stepping beside his protégé, Ray looked out at the shimmering horizon as the two of them stood in contemplative silence. He was just about to start when Erika broke the quiet first.

"I know what you're going to tell me," she said. "I shouldn't have lost it back there. You've taught me how to hold my cool, and I had no reason to snap like that. I'm sorry, I can do better."

"I wasn't going to say that," Ray replied. "Don't need to. You've already told yourself, and I wouldn't have much more to add."

"Then why are you here then?" With pained fury in her voice, Erika spun to face him, at least letting him see her red and teary eyes. The hurt, the confusion, the resignation to her abandonment. At that moment, seeing the look on his pupil's face, Ray finally comprehended just how badly he'd failed. How much he'd let her down.

"You were the first person to ever really believe in me," she said. "Everyone else just walked away every time I screwed up. But you didn't, you stood by and helped me grow. Grow stronger. But what was all that for? Was I just holding down the fort until you could get your own Morpher again?

"Erika…" Ray tried to explain, but the teen cut him off.

"Was it really that bad?" she asked him. "Was watching from the lab really so painful that you had to come out and do it yourself? I mean, I know we were never really first your choice for the Morphers, and 'if you want it done right', right?"

Ray opened his mouth to reply but realized that he had no words. There was nothing that he could say to justify the hurt he'd caused, to rationalize his abandonment in the thrill of returning to the field. But before him, Erika's breathing slowed, as if the anger she was trying to summon wasn't worth the effort.

Like she herself wasn't worth fighting for.

Not if he wouldn't.

"I just thought we were doing a really good job, you know?' Erika said sadly. "I know it wasn't always stellar, but I really thought we were getting the hang of the whole Ranger thing. I thought I was getting used to leading the team."

Sighing deeply, Erika returned her gaze to the water's edge. She'd said her piece, and not a single thing was something that Ray could blame her for. She'd apologized when she didn't even need to and for plenty of things she shouldn't have had to. Which meant now it was Ray's turn.

"You don't need to apologize; I do," he said. "It feels weird to say it, but I'm also kind of new at this."

Erika spun toward him in surprise, her expression pure shock as at last he saw her reddened, watery eyes. Contrition was clearly the last thing Erika had expected, even if it was the first thing she deserved.

"What are you talking about?" she asked. "You were Rangers before; you and Hilary used to kick butt all the time."

"As Rangers, sure," Ray agreed. "But back then, I was on the team from the very beginning. I was with friends that I'd always known. I wasn't their leader because of experience, or because I happened to pick up the Red Morpher. I guess, to my friends, I just always was. But it kind of means that it's all I've ever known. I knew my old team, my old friends, like they were the back of my hand. We knew each other better than we knew ourselves. But I don't know you guys like that."

"But… you've got so much experience," Erika tried to justify. "And you've been watching us fight all this time. It can't make that much difference, can it?"

"It makes all the difference," said Ray. "Because I didn't start this team, I just gave you Morphers. But you guys have fought together; you've laughed, and you've cried together. I've just jumped on in."

Now it was his turn to look away, to stare out wistfully at the distant horizon as he tried to form his thoughts. To muster the strength and courage that he needed before turning to the person who'd for so long looked to him for guidance and tell her of his failures.

Perhaps, in a sense, it was the most important lesson of all.

"When you guys got your Morphers," Ray said. "I didn't know what to do with myself. Hilary was busy with mission control, and while there was plenty to do on either side of any fight, I felt pretty helpless being on the sidelines during the action. All I could do was watch and give the occasional advice, but otherwise, I just had to sit and think about what I would be doing instead."

"How it could be better?"

Ray shook his head. "No, just different. And do you want to know how I know that? There's not a single monster that you guys have come across that you haven't taken down. It doesn't matter what I would do when your way is working. And it works great."

"Sure doesn't feel that way," Erika said sullenly. It was less of a dismissal sulk and more admittance of defeat. Of self-doubt. "We'd have been toast a few weeks ago if you hadn't shown up."

"Do you know what I realized, as you guys charged out to the radio tower without any guidance from us?" Ray asked. Erika shook her head. "I realized that you didn't need us anymore. Not as mentors. You didn't need us for guidance because you had each other. It's not that Hilary and I can't help and can't give advice. But you can turn just as easily to your teammates and get just as good an answer. Maybe even better. But what you did need, was reinforcements. We didn't go out there because you were failing, we went out there because you were now our…"

Slowly, Erika looked up at him, realizing the true extent of what he was saying, the final word left unsaid because it didn't need to be spoken. Ray couldn't help but beam as she suddenly lit up at the praise. And then, from almost out of nowhere, Erika leaped forward and hugged him tight, squeezing him with all the gratitude she could muster.

"As a former Red Ranger," Ray said proudly. "I couldn't have asked for a better successor. As a teammate, I couldn't have asked for a better leader."

With a nod that helped blink back her tears, Erika pulled away. Once, in what felt like a different lifetime, Doc had given Ray the truth he'd needed to hear. He wasn't their leader because he was Red, his friends followed him because of their trust. And Erika was exactly the same.

And when the chips were down, there were few others he trusted just as well.

"Now," Ray decided as Erika recomposed herself, "What's say we head back to the lab and figure out the trick to beating the queen bee?"

Erika grinned back at him, glowing in proud elation as she nodded in agreement. Which, of course, was the perfect time for trouble.

"Why go all that way?" giggled a sickening, feminine voice behind them. "You can find me right here?"

Ray and Erika whipped around, the former hissing in her anger as they gazed at their unwelcome company. There she stood, Bee-Antoinette herself, a buzzing horde of Cyberdrones at her call as he stared at them with gleeful menace.

"So cute," she mocked. "All amends made and a life lesson to boot. It's like you're working from a script."

"Some people just like to work on themselves," Erika replied. "You should try it sometime. I can recommend my therapist and see if he can squeeze you in."

"I'll have to check my schedule," said Ray. "I think I might have an opening around about … never."

"That's fine, I'm not really a one-to-one kind of gal," Bee-Antoinette snickered. "I'm more of a fan of groups."

As if waiting for a command, the Cyberdrones lunged, too fast for Ray or Erika to reach their morphers. But Ray and Erika were ready, and all it took to prepare was a single look.

And a smirk that was shared between them.

As the first drone engaged, Ray stepped back, side-stepping and striking to send the robot careening into the water. As his feet shifted, Erika moved in synch, swerving to give room as another robot came at him. It never stood a chance. Lunging at the occupied Ray, Erika lurched between them, arms striking along the neck before slamming it into the ground.

By then the rest were upon them.

Erika's intervention had given him room to move, and Ray was determined not to waste it. With the Cyberdrones converging, he dived forward, leaping up and over to land in the thick of the horde. The Cyberdrones had planned to keep them contained, but Ray was determined to split their attention. To make them fight a battle on two fronts.

His eyes flared red as he descended, blasting some drones away to clear a landing zone before spinning his heel into more. The Cyberdrones clattered, dropping on top of their comrades as others scrambled to turn around and reach him. The tight confines were becoming Ray's ally, condensing the angles of attack as he focused his pressure in one direction. Behind him was his defense, just enough to keep them off his back. Leaving the rest of his attention in clearing out those between him and Erika.

Over on the water's edge, Erika had got the memo, allowing Ray to dive in deep so she could focus on what she did best: offense. With nothing but the water on her back, Erika lunged headfirst at the coming robots, first slamming into the faceplates to send them stumbling into their friends. As the line crumbled back, Erika seized the moment, stepping into a kick that sent the next one soaring as the other braced for the impact.

With the middle becoming too confined, the Cyberdrones fanned out, hoping to grab the young teen on the flank. Just as they'd hoped. Erika slammed in another punch, dropping the robot between her and Ray as the pair shared another knowing smirk.

Like the joke was on the Cyberdrones, and the pair were the only ones who knew it.

Snapping back-to-back, they spun around to unleash crimson bolts of lasers and lightning upon the horde. Sparks flew in all directions, armored chests lanced by the onslaught of energy released from their hands and eyes. Those that remained moved in, desperate to strike from a blind spot. But no such remained when student and teacher had each other's back.

The pair moved in synch, Ray dropping into a roll as Erika flipped above him, both kicking the other's attackers to send them flying back into the remnant horde.

"Thanks for the save," Ray grinned.

"Thanks," Erika smiled back. "I had a good teacher."

But for all the bravado of their comradery, they both knew they were running out of time. Already there were flashes of emerald on the flanks, fresh reinforcements arriving to support their falling comrades. They were holding, but if they could get the window to morph, it wouldn't be big. And if they didn't find a way out or get back up soon, then it was about to get really-."

"Hang on a minute," Jake interrupted, shooting a pointed look at Hilary. "Where were you in all of this? Or are you really going to tell me that your big apology on the roof took all that time?"

"You're one to talk," Amber snorted beside him. With a cheeky smirk, she shot Hilary a wink in support. "From what they were saying earlier, you were the king of late arrivals."

"Okay, point taken," Jake admitted. "But you're not seriously going to tell me that you left Ray down there on his own, just so he could have a back-to-back bonding fight with his protégé."

"No," Hilary conceded. "While Bee-Antoinette was taking her cheap shot, we were back at the lab…"

"They're dancing?" Miguel asked in disbelief.

The five remaining Rangers were gathered around the terminal, staring in amazement as Jessica presented her analysis.

"Without more data, that would be my best guess," she confirmed. As Hilary beamed with pride, the assistant spun in the chair, punching at the keys to bring up the collected data. "When we scanned communications, I couldn't find any short bursts that would indicate transmission of orders. Nothing to indicate tight wave communication that would let them coordinate the way they did. But still, it got me thinking, and when I came back to check, I managed to find this. It was emanating from Bee-Antoinette the whole time."

As Jess hit the key, the display zoomed in on the data, focusing on a single, steady wavelength that was moving at a constant speed.

"That's brilliant," Lena realized. "If the frequency was low enough, we wouldn't pick it up immediately, and even if we did find it, we'd dismiss it as static.'

"Okay, so you found a bandwidth," Zeke shrugged. "But what's this got to do with dancing?"

But Hilary was already ahead of her Rangers, piecing together all the pieces that Jess had already compiled. The answer hit her in an instant, and Hilary gasped in revelation just as Jess said the same in confirmation.

"Bees."

The other four just looked at them blankly, as if her answer did not, in fact, explain everything.

"Bees are communal," Jess explained. "They move about with a collective goal, collecting pollen to bring back to their hive. To their queen. And when they find what they need, they communicate it to the others by dancing. It lets them coordinate together while the queen gives explicit commands."

"That's what the frequency is," Abbey realized. "It's a baseline, a rhythm."

"And if we disrupt it, we can cancel out any advanced coordination," Hilary concluded. "Great going, Jess!"

The assistant blushed modestly. "Thanks," she said quietly. "I learned about it when putting together the insect exhibit last month."

But any chance they had of celebrating was cut short by the alarm that sounded through the lab. Without missing a beat, Jessica switched the screens, pulling up the alert to reveal Ray and Erika surrounded in the park.

"They just couldn't give us a minute, could they?" Lena grumbled.

"Looks like we're going to road-test that theory of yours, Jess," Hilary admitted. "You up for it?"

For a moment, the girl's face went white, gulping in uncertainty as the magnitude of her task became apparent. But then she stiffened up, posture straightening as she nodded in renewed resolve.

"I've got this," she said emphatically.

"Good, then tell Ray we're on our way," said Hilary. Then she spun on her heels, stride forward as the Omega Morpher appeared on her wrist and her proteges did the same. "You guys ready?"

"Ready!"

"Server Force!" they called together. "Login Access!"

While the other Rangers were on their way, Ray and Erika were far too tied up to hear Jess' warning, relying entirely on hope to keep them going. But as they battled for their survival among the swarming mass of Bee-Antoinette's drones, the monster could only gleefully cackle from her perch on the hilltop.

"Poor little Rangers," she laughed. "Such a brave fight, but you're nothing against the whole hive. The numbers are against you, and do I have such good little worker bees!"

Swinging a punch, Ray saw the screen of his communicator flashing. Someone was trying to contact him, someone from the lab. Which meant they knew that he and Erika were in trouble.

And if they knew their predicament, then that could only mean…

All of a sudden, five beams of light descended and blasted down on the hill. Blue and Yellow, Black, White, and Silver. Five flashes for five Rangers, who now were already soaring overhead and opening fire.

Their weapons flared, Security Pistols combined with Hilary's Mainframe Blaster booming down upon the horde. Balls of flame surged everywhere, tossing the robots left and right as the Rangers somersaulted to land beside their teammates.

"I know you've suggested that Erika punch out her problems," Hilary noted. "But I think this is a little ridiculous."

"You guys seem to be getting along better," Abbey noted happily.

Side-by-side, standing before the rest of their fully morphed team, Ray and Erika nodded as they grinned in agreement.

"Yeah," Ray agreed. "We figured it out."

One look was all it took, and Erika knew exactly what to do. Both spun around, Morphers flashing their wrists as Erika stepped forward with her keycard.

"Are you ready?" she asked him.

And then, Ray stepped beside her. "Ready!"

The pair of them moved, student and teacher in perfect synchronicity as Erika's card swiped in time Ray's hand on the activator.

"Server Force! Login Access!"

The light burst from the device, blazing columns of gold and crimson consuming the two completely. The power of the grid flowed out from their Morphers and into their bodies, emboldening them with renewed strength as the suits materialized around them. As the helmets formed and the visors snapped into place, the light faded, both Rangers armed and ready to take on their foe.

Together.

"Hilary?" Erika instructed as the team converged. "These guys are running rings around us, and I don't think they'll fall for the 'protect the queen' play again. Tell me you've got something."

But Hilary shook her head, looking up at the sky as she called out, "Jess?"

"Already on it," came the cheerful reply. "I'm sending the counter-frequency to output through the speakers in your Morphers. I'm synching it to the loudspeakers in the park for extra output. This outa throw off their groove."

Barely a second later, a hard distorted guitar line sounded from the morphers, joined by a second, counteracting guitar riff and finally the vocals screamed:

"I CAN'T STAND IT, I KNOW YOU PLANNED IT!
I'M GONNA SET IT STRAIGHT, THIS WATERGATE!
I CAN'T STAND ROCKING WHEN I'M IN HERE
'CAUSE YOUR CRYSTAL BALL AIN'T SO CRYSTAL CLEAR!"

Ray and Hilary burst out laughing as the Cyberdrones began to jolt and jerk around. The music was clearly working, disrupting their communication as Bee-Antoinette stared at them in horror.

"OH MY GOD, IT'S A MIRAGE
I'M TELLIN' Y'ALL, IT'S A SABOTAGE!"

"Jess!" Hilary cheered. "That's brilliant!"

"Thanks," came the reply. "Thought you'd appreciate some 'Millennial Humor'."

"Millennial Humor?" Jake groaned in shock. "Man, now I do feel old."

"It gets worse," Hilary admitted. "She told me later that she had no idea that it was a generational classic. Apparently, she got the idea from a Star Trek movie. A new one."

"I can literally feel my body crumbling to dust as we speak."

But while Jake went deep into the existential spiral of age, Amber was enthralled as ever, leaning across the table and staring at Ray and Hilary in complete captivation.

"So, it worked?" she asked them. "You really took down the Cyberdrones with the Beastie Boys?"

At that question, Ray and Hilary shared a proud and knowing look.

"Yup," Hilary confirmed. "Like a treat."

"All seven of us scattered," Ray continued. "The Cyberdrones never knew what hit them. Without their Queen's frequency to coordinate them, we mowed through them like a lawn at the start of spring. And then, there was only one thing left to do…"

"To me, my Rangers!" Erika cheered as she somersaulted over the crumpled horde. Smiling from ear to ear and chuckling, Ray launched to follow, the rest of the team following suit as all seven landed together and stared down their enemy.

"What even is this?" Bee-Antionette demanded in fury. "How could my worker's beautiful performances be ruined by this… this filth?"

"Man, she just has no respect for the classics," Hilary decided.

"Ready to take this Queen off the board?" Erika asked. The response from the whole team was an emphatic yes. "Then let's put it together!"

Their movement was swift and precise, by now the central five were well practiced as Ray and Hilary primed their main weapons and leveled them. Beside them, the five power weapons had combined in an instant, aimed ready at their target.

"Defrag Cannon!" the five of them declared. "Hardwired!"

"Mainframe Blasters!" Ray and Hilary confirmed.

"FIRE!"

The barrels boomed, twin shots of gold and silver surging beside the twisting helix of the canon's energy as all soared toward Bee-Antoinette. The monster could only scream, sharp and ear-piercing as the round exploded on impact. She vanished in a searing ball of orange flame, the shockwave rippling outward as her steaming remains were tossed in all directions.

With a cheer, the Rangers dismantled the weapon, standing proudly before their handiwork as they prepared for what came next. Or what they thought would.

Sure enough, an emerald beam split the sky, rejuvenating the queen bee and growing her to a tremendous height. Only now she wasn't alone. More beams descended, shooting in a seemingly random pattern, falling across the skyline and landing all over the city.

"You think that's all it takes?" she cackled, her voice echoing across the entire city as the Rangers stared in confusion. "What can I say? A Queen always needs her loyal subjects!"

"Guys?" Jessica warned them. "It looks like they just deployed huge numbers of Cyberdrones over the city. They're everywhere, and I don't think I can counteract the frequency when she's that size!"

Ray gritted his teeth. A monster that size would need direct attention, but with the Cyberdrones running rampant, their renewed coordination would make them better than ever. They could stop the monster, but at what cost?

But Erika was one step ahead.

"We'll use one of the smaller Megazords while the rest of us take the Server Cycles," she decided. "With their speed, we should be able to stop the Cyberdrones from causing too much damage. "

"But if we take the Twilight Server," Miguel reasoned, "That's only three bikes. Unless Hilary's programmed a ride for her and Ray in the last four weeks."

The two shared a sinking thought. She hadn't, but only because Hilary's had been more focused on other equipment for their new powers. But that also meant...

"Actually," Jessica interrupted. "I think I've got just the thing. Hilary, remember what you were saying about a road test?"

"That there's no test like it," Hilary agreed.

Erika caught on just as fast. "Do you two think you can handle our tragic monarch while we clean up?"

While directed at both of them, she'd looked at Ray as she'd said it, Red and Gold helmets locking visors in a shared moment of understanding. It was his time to shine, and she had his back.

"Let's do it!"

Spinning around, Ray and Hilary raced to the top of the hill, the rest of the team summoning their motorcycles as Jessica inputted the commands.

"Deploying Gold and Silver Server Flyers!"

In the distance, in the general vicinity of the museum, a bright light flickered between the city buildings. Moments later, the sound of jet engines ripped through the sky, and two heavy-loaded airplanes soared overhead with lightning speed. Their new Zords.

While not as sleek as Abbey's blue jet, the two shining vehicles moved with surprising speed. Bulky in size, both Zords were heavily armed, their gold and silver armor glinting in the sun as the two Rangers launched themselves into the cockpits.

"Alpha Gold Flyer!" Ray called in. "Flying steady!"

"Omega Silver Flyer!" Hilary confirmed. "Permission to buzz the tower?"

Both Rangers grinned, feeling the full force of the engines as the twin vehicles ripped across the skies. They rocketed at top speed, looping around for a run on the enormous Bee Antoinette. From up this high, Ray took a moment to take it all in. Zord controls he was familiar with, but never at this height. He could see the entire city, feeling the intensity of Zord's speed as even gravity couldn't hold it back.

The feel was incredible!

Later that evening, when he'd relay to exhilaration to Jake, the former Green Ranger would be grinning with excited recollection, recalling the days when he too commanded the sky in his old Eagle Zord.

Moving in synch, the two flying Zords pulled into a dive, swooping low to unload a barrage of lasers into their colossal foe. Bee-Antoinette sneered as her hands flailed, her arms shielding from the peppering as she spun to see them.

The heavy load of the Flyer Zords made swerving harder, more difficult than Ray anticipated, and he barely yanked the controls in time to avoid it.

"Buzz off!" she sneered at them. "I'm the only one who should have busy bees buzzing around!"

"She seems angry," Hilary laughed. "Want to really ruin her day?"

"Yeah!" Ray agreed. "I say we really show her what these things can do!"

"You guys are having way too much fun," Jessica noted through their coms. "Ready when you are."

"Then let's bring them together!"

Both Rangers punched in the codes as the screens lit up, synching the two soaring vehicles as they began to move together. Ray had to admit, despite all his joy of being back in the spandex, this was the part that he'd been waiting for.

Soaring well above where Bee-Antoinette could reach, the two planes moved in tandem, matching speed and altitude as their bodies began to change. The entire central body of the Gold Flyer expanded, the cockpit shifting further from the rear jets as Omega Silver split apart. Before either half could fall, the Gold Zord shifted between the parts, the Silver pieces shunting in place as the top half split again. Then, with the two Zords connected, the machine began to unfold.

Ray's chair shifted backward, entering a central shaft as on the outside, the Megazord's limbs unfolded from their central cavities. The Silver Flyer's components locked in as armored plating, arming the shoulders, reinforcing the wrists, and clunking in as solid feet as a head emerged from within. With its full body complete, the last of Hilary's Zord locked in place as a cylindrical helmet, both Gold and Silver Rangers now beside each other as the Megazord landed on the street with a heavy rumble.

"SigmaDrive Megazord!" the two declared.

The Megazord took another step, heavy fists rising into a fighting stance as Bee-Antoinette looked at them with disdain.

"Really?" she scoffed. "Is that bucket of bolts the best you can throw at me?"

"Laugh all you want," Ray replied. "There's one thing that you've forgotten."

Bee-Antoinette seemed far from concerned, pressing her spined claw to her face in a mocking display of false concern. "Oh really? And what's that?"

"A Queen's nothing without her pawns," Hilary smirked. "And yours are looking a little tied up!"

All across their displays, they could the blips on the radar where the Rangers were engaging the Cyberdrones. Plumes of smoke and flame rose in the air, pinpointing where their team where keeping the drones entangled. Leaving nothing for the queen bee to defend her.

"Looks like you've got nothing to block with," Hilary decided.

Ray agreed wholeheartedly, "And it's time to take you off the board!"

The Megazord charged, thundering forward before Queen-Bee could react. Down on the ground, she'd had the horde to protect her. But at a magnified size, there was no one to stand in the path. With Erika's coordination on the ground, the plan to threaten the city was neutralized. All that was left was the clean-up.

The SigmaDrive's fist slammed into her, pummeling her face to send the monster stumbling back. And as the Bee-Antoinette trembled in realization, the Gold and Silver Rangers were already prepping their final strike. Ready to finish her for good.

"SigmaDrive Blasters!" they declared, as two enormous cannons emerged from the Megazord's back and rested on the shoulders. The giant barrels began to glow, the entire body of the Megazord rumbling with the enormous gathering of energy. "Aim… FIRE!"

Twin beams of light erupted from the barrels with a thunderous boom, surging toward their foe like a tidal wave with pinpoint precision. In the wake of such tremendous force, Bee-Antoinette could only scream, arms flailing in horror as the energy enveloped her. The burst of energy barely broke its stream, torrenting through her before soaring off into the distant sky, fading as its remnants dissipated and leaving a scorched and battered Bee-Antoinette behind.

"Rook takes Queen," Hilary chuckled.

"Game over!" Ray agreed.

For a moment, Bee-Antoinette stood there, stunned and woozy from the sheer magnitude of force. And then she fell.

"Is it too late to eat some cake?" she bemoaned, body giving out as gravity took hold and sent her crashing to the ground. A deafening blast boomed out as she impacted, flames blooming from inside her as every fiber of her being came apart. The flames converged, fusing into a blazing spiral that incinerated its source completely, down to her very atoms.

"Great work, guys!" Erika cheered. "The Cyberdrones are in retreat!"

"All clear on my end too," Jess confirmed. "I'd say it's safe to call this test run a success!"

Sitting beside each other, staring out at the stunning city landscape before them, Ray and Hilary couldn't help but share a look. Neither needed to see the other's faces, knowing full well they were beaming back with joy, excitement, and pride.

They were back in business. Back where they belonged.

Back in the action.

"BRAVO!" Amber cheered, clapping enthusiastically as Ray and Hilary finished their tale. Both of them sheepishly looked away, unprepared for the excited praise as Jake looked across the table and smiled.

"Got the team back together and saved the day," he smiled, eye glinting with soft hinting of recollection. "It really is like old times."

"Never too old to learn, right?" Hilary admitted.

"And we needed to," Ray agreed. "Not just for us, but them. They needed to know that adults make mistakes, and the only way to work past them is to admit it."

"Do you miss it?" Amber asked Jake, taking his hand in encouraging and fond affection. "Getting out there in the tights?"

"I mean, I'm sure I'd look as good as ever," Jake grinned before his face softened, smile fading into one of reflective concession. "But honestly? Those times are well and truly done for me. You guys are nuts going back in."

"Maybe," Hilary conceded.

"But there's nowhere else we'd rather be," Ray concluded.

"Thought you might say that," said Jake, his smile returning as he lifted his glass. "Well then, to friendship. Old and New."

"To Rangers!" Amber cheered as well.

The four of them laughed as they clinked their glasses, reveling in the toast as the evening continued to unfold. They stayed at their table right up until close, laughing in gleeful reminiscence. Then at last it was time to go, to part ways again as Jake and Amber returned to their hotel while Ray and Hilary began their walk back to the museum. They bid their fond farewells, and after many hugs and goodbyes, the old friends parted ways once more.

"It was, you know," said Ray as Hilary walked beneath the comfort of his arm. "The right choice."

The confession took Hilary off guard, and she looked up at her husband as her face scrunched in confusion. "Huh?"

"A few months ago, you asked me if I thought giving them the Morphers was the right choice," Ray explained. "It was."

"They make a hell of a team," Hilary admitted. "Won't be long until they're putting us to shame."

"They already are," Ray chuckled. "And honestly, I don't know how I could be prouder."

By now they'd reached the steps of the museum, their apartment atop the central calling them to the end of a long but enjoyable evening. Lena would probably still be up and would be no doubt curious as to how her old enemy/acquaintance was doing. And then it would be time for bed, ready to rise the next day and get back to the grind.

Back to the fight; their loyal team by their side.

It seemed so strange, after fifteen years to be back where they started. After everything they'd been through, as teens and now adults, that they were still standing side-by-side, ready to fight again. And yet, as they'd said to Jake earlier, it was exactly where they were meant to be.

"Yeah," Hilary agreed, with a wistful smile at her husband. "We did good."

NEXT TIME:

Erika's time in Electro-Head has done wonders for her confidence, tearing up the stage, and drawing ever-growing crowds, and has earned her the attention of a big-time talent scout. But his interest comes with an important caveat; he's preparing for an upcoming music competition, but he only wants her, not her band. Meanwhile, Hilary and Jess' investigation into Scolex's long-term plans lands them in hot water, and what was meant to be a routine delivery becomes a fight for their very survival.

Can they escape Xaviax's devious clutches? Will Erika be able to choose between her newfound friends and the fame on offer? And can she come through for her team when they need her most?

Find out next time on
POWER RANGERS
SERVER FORCE
Smells Like Team Spirit

Power Rangers: Server Force is a fan-made team of Rangers, and not explicitly based on any other existing Rangers or Sentai property, with artwork character models created through Hero Forge.

Power Rangers- Sever Force updates on Tuesdays and Fridays. If you like what you read, you can always drop a comment to let me know, and don't forget to subscribe/ follow to find out the second I update.

Sabotage (1994)
Written by: Michael Diamond, Adam Horovtiz & Adam Yauch
Performed by: The Beastie Boys
Courtesy of: Capitol Records