Episode 23
Smells like Team Spirit
It was a Friday afternoon and the Hub was abuzz. The place was packed, not an empty chair in sight as an infectious energy rippled through the crowd. There was not a face without a smile, with Abbey and Valerie practically dancing between the tables to deliver and clear. It was yet another successful end-of-week rush and Dirk had only one group to thank. The girls of Electro-Head, tearing it up on stage for the enjoyment of everyone in the room. Melody was crushing it on the drums, keeping their constant rhythm upbeat as Jasmine carried them with her tight baseline. All in service of Erika, shredding on her guitar as she stepped to the mic to sing the end of their closing number.
"Well, I need to
Pull myself together.
If we're talking about forever,
Then this room just got a little bit smaller.
And it's not like I signed up for this.
I'm sorry, but
I just got to be honest:
You're not my type.
No hard feelings, thank you, and goodnight.
Thank you and goodnight!
Thank you and goodnight…"
She let the last note ring out, allowing it to fade into the cheers of the adoring crowd as she and the girls took their bows to the scream of an encore. It was tempting, but Erika knew that Dirk needed the stage, and if she were to give into the audience she'd be playing all night. Best to keep them waiting and come back next week.
They hurried out back to stash their gear, grinning like idiots as they congratulated each other for another successful set. It was only when they emerged back in the bustling Hub that they parted, Jas and Melody heading home as Erika shot to the counter for much-needed refreshment.
"Hit me up with some water, Dirk?" she pleaded, eagerly taking the bottle before nodding to the full house. "Looks like you're going to have your hands full for a while."
"Just happy to be busy," her old boss smiled back. "You know if you want to jump behind the counter…?"
Erika smiled sheepishly and politely declined the offer. It had been a compromise and one she'd known for a while she needed to make. The band, the team, school, Valerie. Erika had been stretching herself thin, and something had needed to give. As much it had pained her, and the guilt had certainly eaten at her for leaving Dirk in the lurch, Erika conceded that her job at the Hub was what needed to go if she wanted more time for everything else.
It had been Abbey, of all people, to finally convince her.
"You could always try being in two places at once," her chirpy team-mate had jokingly suggested. "But I think I've shown how well that one goes."
Thankfully, joking offers aside, Dirk had taken the news pretty well. The fact that Erika and the band got the place packed every Friday afternoon probably helped.
Knocking back the cool, refreshing water, Erika was just about to go find the table with her friends when suddenly Dirk held her back as if suddenly remembering something.
"Oh yeah," he noted. "Some guy was wanting to talk to you; he asked while you were playing."
Some guy? That was weird. "Who was he?
"He seemed like one of those artsy types, I don't know," Dirk shrugged. "I told him to hang around till the set was done and-."
"There she is!"
Hearing the voice, smooth like silky honey, Erika turned to see a man striding toward her. He wore a lime green shirt, untucked with the top few buttons popped free and the sleeves rolled halfway up his arms. Despite being indoors, he still wore sunglasses, lining the brow beneath his neatly combed blonde hair. His smile made him look like a man who always knew the outcome and was just waiting for everyone else to catch up.
"Erika?" he asked, his tone making it more of a formality than a question as he whipped off his sunglasses to reveal a pair of piercing blue eyes. "Good to finally meet you. The name's Brad Brockman."
"Erika," she offered in nervous instinct before realizing what she'd said. "I mean, I guess you already knew that."
"And do I!" Brockman grinned. "I work for a talent agency, and we're looking to update our roster with up-and-coming young artists. I've got to say, that was quite the impressive set you just played. You really tore it up over there."
Erika could already feel the warmth flushing to her cheeks at the sudden admiration, unprepared for such a direct compliment from someone in his industry. He… he was an agent. And that could only mean…
Someone needed to pinch her! Her breathing quickened, her pulse racing in disbelief at what was happening as Erika shot a look over his shoulder to see both Abbey and Val standing at the counter, watching with eager interest. Because of course they already knew. They were probably talking her up all through her set, buttering Brockman up in readiness. As if to confirm it, Valerie grinned and gave a pair of thumbs up.
"I was hoping that maybe we could discuss some collaboration," Brockman continued. "Maybe talk about the upcoming Battle of the Bands?" He'd still been talking, and Erika had been too taken aback to take any of it in. Now she was just nodding, smiling like an idiot while trying to frantically catch up while keeping an air of confident calmness.
Calm down, Erika. Calm down.
Stop acting like an idiot.
Don't. Screw. This. UP!
Erika nodded again, barely breathing a positive reply as Brockman's winning smile broadened and a card flicked to his hand like a magic trick.
"Excellent, then we'll be in touch," he decided. "Have my people call your people. If you want to see what we're about, just come along to the address tomorrow morning. You can meet the artists we're working with."
"Okay," Erika breathed. "I'll… umm… I'll go tell Jas and Melody, make sure they can make it."
It was then that Brockman stopped, his face falling as if realizing a miscommunication. But even as he did, his smile didn't vanish.
"Sorry, I must not have been clear," he said. "I'm not after the other two. I just want you."
Wait... what?
How could he not want the girls? They were incredible! It must be a mistake.
"I don't understand," Erika said. "How can you want Electro-Head without two-thirds of Electro-Head?"
"Here's the thing," Brockman replied. "I'm not looking to sign a band. But am looking for a girl with attitude who can sing and rip it up on guitar. Tell you what, come around tomorrow and see our outfit. If you don't think it's for you, then you're welcome to walk away. No questions asked, no hard feelings."
She guessed she could at least hear him out…
Slowly, Erika nodded in nervous confirmation, Brockman's trademark smile returning in a flash as he threw his sunglasses back on his face.
"Fantastic!" he grinned. "Then I'll see you bright and early."
He didn't even wait for a reply before strutting out of the Hub, leaving Erika in an astounded daze. Abbey and Valerie were at her side almost immediately, eager to learn what Brockman had been offering.
"Sooooo?" Valerie asked excitedly. "How'd it go?"
But her elation lasted only as long as Erika's explanation, her face dropping as she realized what Brockman had wanted.
"Wow," Abbey admitted, leaning back as she struggled to process. "That's a lot."
"I know," Erika agreed. "What do I even do? I mean, this is a chance of a lifetime, but I can't just leave Melody and Jas behind. I mean, it was their band that I joined the first place."
Abbey just shrugged, a guilty look betraying her own uncertainty whilst Val expressed a dissenting opinion.
"But, it doesn't hurt to hear him out either, right?" she suggested. "I mean, see what he's about? Maybe you can even convince him to give Jas and Melody a shot."
She supposed… but the more Erika thought of it, the more the weighty guilt twisted with the building excitement. These things didn't just happen, not to people like her. Those opportunities didn't just come along every day. It was a once-in-a-lifetime chance, something Erika would never see again. And all she'd have to do was leave her friends behind.
Although, Valerie did have a point. Meeting the big-shot agent the next day wasn't exactly committing to anything. And who knew? Maybe there was still a shot for Jasmine and Melody as well.
But even as she conceded the point, letting Valerie squeeze her in an excited embrace in celebration, Erika couldn't help but feel a lingering unease. Uncertainty of the slippery slope that she could well be starting down. And as Abbey walked away, Erika noted a look of disappointment. Noting that she must have been feeling it too.
Lena stared at the maze of red dots on the screen, her brow furrowing as she searched discerningly for an answer. There had to be something, a hint, a pattern, a clue. Anything to hint at what Xaviax was really up to. What his endgame was.
But so far, she was drawing a blank; which was about as far as Hilary had got as well.
"Sorry," Lena admittedly in defeat. "I've got nothing."
Hilary didn't say anything, more concession than disappointment as she shot a final, desperate look at Jess and Zeke. But to their dismay, both shook their heads, neither able to truly explain anything further. They'd been at it for weeks now, searching through every haystack for a needle that could clue them in. And now here they were, spending their Saturday morning staring at a map of dots and getting nowhere.
Thinking that the powerplant was just the beginning, Hilary and Jessica had uncovered every single shell corporation and business purchase that Scolex had made with forensic efficiency. The results were almost alarming; there didn't seem to be a single industry in Lakeview that Scolex didn't have a finger in somewhere. But for all they'd found, they'd still determined nothing of his final intent. And it was driving them crazy.
"There's got to be something," Zeke insisted. "Something we're missing."
"Maybe we've just been looking at it too long," Jessica suggested. "Come back with a fresh set of eyes?"
"That's what Ray suggested last week," said Hilary. "And that led us back here."
Lena stifled a scowl as she returned her attention to the map, determined to not let her frustration cloud her thinking and obscure the answer. There was something, a breadcrumb somewhere that could reveal Xaviax's broader intent. Maybe they were simply looking at it all wrong.
"Jess?" she suggested. "Can you compile the full list of companies that Scolex now owns and group them by industry? Maybe it's not where he's purchased, but why."
"I could," the assistant agreed. "But it's quite a list; it might take me a while to write an algorithm that determines groupings." At the word algorithm, Hilary and Zeke lit up, the first happy word they'd heard all week. But before their enthusiasm could get ahead of them, Jessica stopped them. "Hold up there, Nerd Herd. I've got a job that needs doing first."
Spinning in the chair, she pulled up a screen with a purchase order; a paper receipt that noted the arrival of goods.
"Wait, you found one?" Hilary inquired, suddenly all interest in the seemingly innocuous email. "When did it come in?"
"Just last night," Jessica confirmed. "I came down to tell you, but the map had already captured your attention."
"Anyone want to fill us in?" Zeke asked impatiently.
"Fill you in," said Lena. "I know what it is."
"Fine," he corrected with the roll of his eyes. "Does anyone want to fill in the person that doesn't work or live here?"
"You guys have been running your system through hell over the last few months," Jessica explained. "And you desperately need to start upgrading if it's going to keep up with demand."
"I thought you managed to rebuild everything after we shut down the Haywire Code," said Zeke. "And we've been going fine until now. Why the sudden upgrades?"
"Fine, isn't brilliant," Lena replied. "And in case you haven't noticed, we've been running four more rangers since you guys first got your Morphers. That's not even mentioning all the Zords. This was a system built for three, not seven."
"She's right," Hilary agreed. "We need to install some serious upgrades if we have any hope of running three Megazords. And even if we didn't, it's not about what we can do now. We need to future-proof ourselves if we want any hope of keeping up with what Xaviax is throwing at Lakeview."
"Which brings us to this," Jess continued. Her nails clicked on the keys, shifting the screen to bring up a render of a machine part. "A Hydraulic Over-Capacitor. It should give the main transformer the boost it needs to keep up with power demand. It took me a while, but I think I managed to find a company willing to ship it on the sly."
Lena remembered Hilary's frustration all too well, many an evening returning home to find the museum director curled up on the couch, swearing at her laptop as she hit another dead-end.
Apparently, despite the part being absurdly specific and nearly impossible to find on the open market, none of Hilary's existing private enterprise contacts could help her out. Biolabs, Mercer, and Hartford Industries were all busts, and Hilary had all but given up hope. Jessica, however, had clearly found a solution, although the look on her face warned that it still wasn't smooth sailing.
"I could only find one place, one of the subsidiary supply companies that Scolex purchased in the last six months," she said. "I've done all I could; false name, false pick-up before reposting through a courier. I even had it dropped off at a warehouse on the other end of town. It should be safe unless they have some way of knowing what we're looking for. We just need to pick it up."
Lena hissed in a breath as she matched looks with Hilary, who seemed to share the same concern. In the life of being a Ranger, should was a very generous word.
"We'll be careful," Hilary decided as she produced her car keys before nodding to her two Rangers. "Come on, let's go for a drive; get some fresh air."
Zeke briefly made a modicum effort of protest, only for Lena to point out that he actually had little to do with his time anyway. Then, letting Jessica settle into the terminal chair, the three of them moved to the elevator. But as Lena stepped inside and the doors closed behind her, she couldn't help but feel that careful wasn't going to be enough.
Xaviax stood at the edge of the floor, his mask almost touching the glass as he gazed out at his domain.
Soon.
He could almost feel it, the culmination of everything he'd planned brushing against his fingertips, so close to his grasp that he could almost feel it. Things were progressing nicely, and despite both the survival of the Power Rangers and their increase in numbers, the broadcast of the Haywire Code had been a resounding success.
The pieces were falling into place, and while there was still much to do, a picture was beginning to form. All he needed now was to await the full construction and eliminate those who posed a threat to his plans. And then his perfect world could at last be realized.
So long as certain others who were assigned to assist him lifted their game.
As if on cue to his train of thought, a door hissed open, and Ender shuffled into the room. Xaviax had to admit that the monster maker hadn't had his usual bright spark since his humiliation at the Radio Tower and had only recently begun a return to his old self when designing that strange bee monster.
Still, Bee-Antoinette's quick defeat had returned him to his sour state. The creature was so glum and bitter that was turning into another ArcKnight. And lord knew, Xaviax didn't need a second one him bring down the mood.
"Terribly sorry to bother you, most ponderiferous one," Ender bowed. "But I come with some information that you might find interesting."
Without so much as raising an eyebrow, Xaviax turned around, giving the monster maker his full attention. "You have my curiosity, Ender."
"I have uncovered a little bit of shifting shell games from our adversaries," Ender said proudly. "They thought their little switcheroo routine would be enough to distract me, but I saw their ruse like a cat in the dead of night. They've ordered a part for one of your companies, an important one I'd say. Despite their attempts to mislead me, I've figured out where it is. And the best part? They've got to pick it up themselves! All we have to do is lie in wait."
Xaviax nodded but again said nothing. Really? Was this something that required permission? Surely the next step is obvious.
Clearly, Ender sensed his master's discontent, confidence faltering a little as he stammered to reclaim face.
"I'll go get the Cyberdrones, then," he declared. "Have them ready to make a special delivery."
"See that you do," Xaviax agreed, turning back to the window as Ender hurried to make haste on his plan. He'd barely reached the doorway when Xaviax stopped him, calling him back with a slight addendum. "Ender? Inform ArcKnight as well. Some extra muscle will likely go a long way."
"But of course!" Ender agreed with an overly enthusiastic bow. "Whatever it takes to assure success!"
And then he left, leaving his master to return to his thoughts. Alone at last, Davian Scolex smiled beneath his iron mask, amused at the pandering of his minion. It truly was interesting, the truths that a mirror would show. But that was a thought for another day.
For now, Ender was busy and no longer moping. And even if they weren't successful in stopping the Power Rangers, the news of their order would still give insight into their plans.
Yes, Xaviax decided. It was going to be a good day indeed.
The building looked a lot less intimidating when looking at it from the Megazord cockpit. But now that she stood beneath its towering shape, Erika couldn't help but feel dwarfed beneath the structure. Her breath was shuddering, her heart racing. A meeting that could change her life, and all she had to do was step through the door.
That, and hope her penchant for terrible first impressions would find some respite.
This was insane! A man with Brockman's connections, and he was interested in her? Erika had never even considered a music career before. Sure, she'd dreamt about it, and she never felt more alive than when her guitar was in her hands. But the odds were so long, the chances of actually making a living, of getting someone of note to notice her? They were astronomical! Erika had long decided that she had better odds of a veteran Red Ranger suddenly appearing to invite her on a special mission to the moon than she did at ever breaking out in music.
And yet here she was. And all it would cost were the very friends that helped her get there.
But that was why she was there, to widen the door enough for Melody and Jasmine to follow her. At least, that was what Erika was telling herself. Either way, she wasn't going to know until she saw for herself. With a shuddering breath, Erika steeled her courage and stepped across the threshold.
She was surprised at how eagerly she'd been greeted, the receptionist seemingly expecting her as she was directed to the elevator. One quick ride up the building later, and the doors binged open to reveal a wide open space.
Brockman was there, standing by a table with sheets of paper in hand, while at the far end of the room was a full band set-up, complete with musicians. Their instruments were already in hand.
"Here she is!" Brockman greeted with his charming smile. "The girl we're all here to see!"
The band members looked up but said nothing, mostly nodding coolly in recognition as Erika stepped nervously into the room. "You said I should swing by," she said, in part because she couldn't think of anything else.
"And am I glad you did," Brockman replied as he stepped beside her and guided her into the room. "We were just about to work on a new number, we've been looking for the right artist and I think you might be perfect!"
All of a sudden, Erika could feel all eyes upon her, the previously disinterested band now giving her full attention. New song. Perfect number. Her.
"I don't know if I should be trying anything new," Erika said nervously. "I mean, you guys have probably already figured most of it out, and I probably don't even know it, and I'll probably just cramp your style. I really just came to check out what you were talking about and…"
"Nonsense!" Brockman cut her off, continuing to guide her toward the band. "You wanted to see what it was all about? Well, this is it right here! This is where the magic happens. I bet once you've seen the chords and the tune, you'll pick it right up. Come on, give it a whirl. You're not scared, are you?"
Six months ago, Erika would have had a very biting remark to such a taunt. The perfect lure that would convince her to do just about anything. But as much as Erika had grown, seeing the manipulation for what it was, her curiosity still compelled her to follow. He was trying to lure her in, but the reason it was working had nothing to do with Erika's pride. It was because she wanted him to. As if blaming it all on his silver tongue would help her assuage any lingering guilt.
"I just don't understand why you would want me," Erika tried to refute. "I know we draw great crowds at the Hub, but there's got to be plenty of other artists out there doing big elsewhere."
"Do you think those artists need my help? Do they really need an extra leg up if they're already doing so well?" Brockman countered. "I'm not in the business of helping stars, I want to make them. There's so much potential in your future. There's so much you could be, endless possibilities."
"You think?"
Erika's question past her lips before she knew it was there, the curiosity she'd been trying so hard to hide slipping out to play her hand before she wanted. Beneath his sunglasses, Brockman raised an amused eyebrow, smirking as Erika tried to recover her composure and regain some leverage in negotiation.
"You can trust," Brockman said. "I see potential in your future. And we can agree that I've got credentials."
"I just don't understand what's in it for you," Erika said. She wasn't sure what she was trying to achieve, except that maybe a question of Brockman's intentions would cause him to back off. But instead, he didn't seem the least bit offended.
"There's no motive," he said coolly. "I just want to make your dreams come true. One song, that's all I ask. If you don't like the vibe, then you can walk out any time."
She supposed that was a fair deal….
Nodding hesitantly, Erika dropped the bag from her shoulder and tentatively approached the other musicians. "Okay, I guess I can give it a shot."
"Fantastic!" Brockman beamed, handing her a sheet of paper with the sing lyrics. "We'll start with vocals. If you like what it's got going, we can add in guitar. When you're ready, we'll take it from the top."
Gulping down her trepidation, Erika took the sheet and began scanning the lyrics, getting a feel for the pacing and line length as she examined the song. Then she looked up and nodded, signaling that she was ready to hear more.
Whatever would entail.
"Let's get going then!" Brockman declared with a smile that was all too triumphant. "Let's make the music happen!"
In hindsight, Lena should have made a few suggestions about ordering the part. On the way to the depot, Hilary ran Zeke and Lena through the measures Jess had taken to disguise their purchase. By Hilary's reckoning, the only way Scolex could possibly know what the Rangers were up to was if he was actively watching part orders coming in and out of Lakeview.
But Lena knew better. She'd been one of them, she knew how they thought. And she knew that while Scolex likely would have been far too busy running his company, Ender had way too much time on his hands. She probably should have suggested an out-of-town drop-off.
But whatever the method, this was how the part had arrived, and now all they had to do was pick it up. Just a quick jaunt into the creepy warehouse and they could bring it back to the safety of the lab. With any luck, Lena was overreacting. But she also knew that she was going to be wrong, she'd rather it was in being cautious.
"Look sharp," she said as the trio stepped into the warehouse. "There are plenty of corners for Cyberdrones to hide behind."
"You really think they'd jump us here?" Zeke asked. "I mean, attacking someone when collecting their post doesn't exactly scream their usual brand of evil plan."
"A creepy warehouse on the edge of town?" Hilary noted. "Trust me, this the perfect place to get jumped by evil robots. Lena's right, be on your guard."
Now in full agreement, the three of them ventured further, Lena and Zeke sticking close to Hilary's side as she eyed the numbers on the rows to find the item. At last, they reached the center of the depot, a long crate sitting on the ground, marked with their number.
"Because that's not suspicious at all," Zeke noted.
"Let's hurry," Hilary agreed, "Maybe we can get out of here before-."
It was as if waiting for her moment, an emerald flash surged through the room, dropping a cluster of Cyberdrones to surround them. Without missing a beat, all three of them snapped into fighting stances, ready for what came next.
"I just had to say it," Hilary grumbled.
"Good thing you already caught up with Jake," Lena chuckled. "There's no way he'd let you live this one down."
"I'm guessing they're here for our delivery?" said Zeke before looking sternly at the Cyberdrones. "Sorry, but we already signed for it."
But their brief quips of reassurance were the only ones they were getting. The moment they were done deploying, the Cyberdrones lunged from all directions. Faced with a choice, the trio made it with a glance- split up. With the Cyberdrones fanning out, one of them had to get to the crate. And then get it out of there.
Lena leaped to the side, swerving beneath a blow before twisting to crash down her heel. The first Cyberdrone clattered to the ground as the others followed up, piling on to pin her down. But Lena knew them all too well; she'd once led them into battle. Their efforts relied on overwhelming numbers without precision or finesse. Lena had ample of both.
With her first victim down, she hopped on the back foot, kicking out to intercept the next leaping attacker. The Cyberdrone caught her shoe right in the chest, hurling backward as Lena spun to block another strike. She knew the footsoldiers, she knew their tricks, and she knew exactly what she needed to stop them overwhelming. Stay moving and stay ten steps ahead. Make it easy to fight them one at a time.
In constant motion, Lena grabbed the plunging wrist and twisted, flipping the Cyberdrone onto its back as she steered it into the path of its comrade. The next one tripped, clattering over the other as Lena saw her opening and lunged. Diving into a roll, she shot back up as she reached the crate and whipped around. Then Lena rose into a guarding stance and braced for the Cyberdrones coming her way. She'd made it, and now she just had to hold for the others to catch up.
They weren't far behind.
Out on the other side, Zeke went on full defensive, doing all he could to avoid the Cyberdrone's blows. If anyone else had seen him moving, they'd have sworn that he was running away, diving for the shelving in a desperate bid for shelter. But that would have been the Zeke of six months ago, a timid boy more likely to freeze in the path of danger than fight back. But while the Zeke of the present had long found courage, he still had the skills from his years of avoiding bullies. How to run, how to not get hit, and how to steer his pursuers to where he wanted.
Seeing a strike from up high, Zeke launched himself overhead, somersaulting as he twisted around and backed against the industrial racks. The Cyberdrones converged, piling in from all directions in the foolish assumption they had their enemy cornered. But in truth, they were right Zeke wanted. As the first came in, Zeke spun, sneakers skidding the concrete as the Cyberdrone rocketed past and smashed into the industrial shelves behind.
With the first one down, Zeke reached up behind him, grabbing tight and pulling to reef himself high. The closest robot copped a kick to the face, staggering back as its allies surged in. But this one only hit the storage, metal on metal as Zeke flipped around and braced his feet on the shelf above. With his enemies below, Zeke had all the room he needed, launching himself across the room to land beside Lena. Without wasting a second, he skidded to her side and threw out a shield, the golden dome bursting to life as three Cyberdrones clashed against it at once.
With the weapons rebounding, Lena and Zeke took their opening, slamming synchronous kicks into the robots' chests to send them clattering into their comrades. Finally, with room to breathe, the two reassessed the plan.
"Time to move?" Zeke suggested.
"Good idea!"
They jumped off the crate, each taking a side as they heaved it up and bolted. The Cyberdrones behind them took off in pursuit, hoping to chase them toward the ones holding the entrance. But while they'd been eager to pin down the two younger Rangers, the central group had hit a snag.
Hilary.
With her two Rangers taking the flanks, Hilary had planted herself in the middle, holding the exit for the others to retreat to. With two-thirds of the horde giving chase, Hilary had retreated, moving between two corridors of shelves to force her attackers into a bottleneck. But once she had the Cyberdrones where she wanted, Hilary doubled back, crashing into their lines in a full-blown offensive.
Picking up speed, Hilary dropped low, avoiding the blow of an eager attacker she skidded to trip another. Soaring overhead, the robot clattered to the ground behind her, rolling into the path of the one she'd dodged as Hilary's arms snapped up the shield. Two arms swung down at once, parried by her forearms as Hilary grabbed hold. Tight in her grip, both robots were helpless as Hilary heaved them over her, flipping them to the ground as she levered off their weight to stand. The one behind her thought it had an opening, but Hilary's heel cracked out behind her, counterbalancing her sudden rise to smash the robot in the face.
With her first attackers rolling on the floor, Hilary smirked as her eyes shot up to the next coming wave. With a flick of her head, she threw back her hair, cold liquid metal coating her body as charged to meet them. Only this time she didn't stop. No flips, no tricks, no cartwheels. Just a juggernaut of steel plowing through their lines like a runaway freight train. And this deep between the racks, the Cyberdrones were bottlenecked, helpless in her path as Hilary stampeded through them. Lena and Zeke hurried toward her as she skidded to a stop, the metal receding into her skin as the three of them hurried down the cleared path.
"So, Jess? You know how we didn't want Xaviax to know about our order?" Hilary huffed into the communicator. "Well, he found out about our order."
"I've got you," came the reply. "Warehouse schematics put you in the northeast wing, not too far from your car. Take a right and keep going. I'll call the others!"
Lena just hoped that the others would get the SOS sooner rather than later.
The trio skidded into the directed turn, seeing the open roller doors ahead and bolting right for it. But they weren't home free yet. It seemed the Cyberdrones had the same idea. As they picked up the pace, more henchmen rushed in from the sides of the warehouse, filing in from the gaps between the stacks.
The three of them barely broke their stride.
Hilary charged ahead, swinging out her arms to clothesline a pair of Cyberdrones before arcing her heel into a spinning kick that caught all within its crescent. As the robots clattered to the ground, Hilary stamped down and swerved, narrowly avoiding a blow as she retreated to the admin desk at the entrance.
The warehouse workers must have fled, bolting at the first sign of danger and leaving the entrance abandoned. And that gave Hilary plenty of room to move. She lunged for the desk, planting her shoulder and rolling over as the Cyberdrones swung at the empty in her wake. Bracing on the surface, she leaned in and kicked, her boot cracking high to smash another in the face. As the Cyberdrone recoiled, Hilary took the chance to reposition, sweeping her leg wide as leaned into a crouch.
"Here for a delivery?" she asked, snatching a clipboard from the desk and swinging. "Just sign here!"
The clipboard shattered against the Cyberdrone's face, flailing as the stumbled into its buddied as at last one found an opening to strike. But Hilary was more than ready, rolling from harm as the weapon crashed into the desk behind her. Now standing with the table between them, Hilary glared at her pursuers as the metal once again began to coat her skin.
"Got to check that papers are in order," she decided. "Here, have a seat!"
With all her might, she slammed her foot into the desk to send it reeling across the warehouse, catching any unsuspecting Cyberdrone in its wake before finally crashing into the racks on the other side of the loading dock.
The opening they needed, and one Lena and Zeke were taking.
Without wasting a second, the pair lunged for the doorway, crate still grasped between them as the straggling Cyberdrones made a feeble attempt to stop them. The two teens didn't even slow, diving beneath the coming blow before sweeping the crate beneath the next one. The Cyberdrone flailed to the ground as his legs gave way, metal head thunking into the concrete as Lena and Zeke caught up to Hilary.
Suddenly, Ray's voice tinned through their communicators. "Hilary? Jess filled me in, how are things going?"
"We've had a bit of a shipping delay!" Hilary admitted, kicking back another Cyberdrone to clear the path.
"I'm on my way!"
"Abbey here!" came a second reply, "I've got Miguel with me, we're coming too!"
With the knowledge that the cavalry was coming, the three of them finally rushed out into the sunlight. And it was just as well that the others had been tipped off. What greeted them was a wall of Cyberdrones, standing in patient waiting as a pair of unwelcome figures stood before them.
"Well, look who we have here!" Ender cackled with glee. "Dr Hawkins! Imagine running into you in a place like this!"
"We have you surrounded, Power Rangers," ArcKnight warned in agreement. "Surrender the item, and you will not be destroyed."
Not believing the armored knight for even an instant, Lena, Zeke, and Hilary shared a look in combined agreement. The briefest of nods was all they needed to confirm the plan, and then Lena and Zeke dropped the crate between them.
"How about… no?" Hilary decided, stepping forward proudly as all three Morphers flashed to their wrists. "Are you guys ready?"
Zeke and Lena didn't' miss a beat. "Ready!"
"Server Force!" they cried together, keycard swiping as the others slammed the activators. "Login Access!"
With a blazing light, the three were engulfed with energy, the power of the grid surging into their bodies as the suit enrapt their limbs. Blinding columns of white, silver, and yellow seared into the sky, joined by three more as Gold, Blue, and Black shot down behind them. Then, as the visors flashed across their vision, the light faded, revealing their newly transformed forms and three more Rangers as they stared down their opposition together.
"Heard you were having mail problems," Ray chuckled as he stepped beside them."
"Thought we'd come to lend a hand," Miguel agreed.
Now six strong, the Rangers turned to face ArcKnight and Ender once more, as Lena smirked beneath her helm.
"We thought a little harder about your offer," she said snidely. "We and have a counter."
Without missing a beat, all six Rangers lunged into the fray, a united assault on the Cyberdrone ranks as the henchmen scrambled to react. They'd clearly come prepared for three Rangers, not six.
Lena knew exactly where she was heading, launching high and overhead with Miguel toward their less-than-welcome company. As the Black and White Rangers somersaulted to their foes, ArcKnight and Ender looked far from happy to see them.
"Here about your order?" Lena taunted. "Because I've got something for you!"
"Sorry, not what I ordered," Ender replied. "Seems I'll have to send it back."
"You are foolish to face us alone," ArcKnight growled. "Your efforts last time proved as such."
"Last time had a few differences," Miguel retorted. "This time, the numbers are on our side."
And how right he was. As Lena and Miguel lunged at their enemies, the remaining four Rangers engaged the Cyberdrone horde with zealous persecution. The Rangers were well-practiced, they knew each other's skill sets and where to fill the gaps. Abbey leaped back, Zeke vaulting her side with his shield to keep back the tide. With Abbey's bow unleashing a powerful onslaught on the horde, Ray and Hilary launched at the flanks, Mainframe Defenders folded into blasters and added to the firepower with their own relentless onslaught. As those that weathered the firepower closed in, Ray and Hilary did the same, unfurling their blasters into the mighty swords to engage the numbers up close.
The drones were too occupied to lend any aid to their generals, and Lena and Miguel quickly steered the battle in their favor. With swift footwork, both Rangers steered their foes in the direction of their choosing, the two teammates quickly standing back-to-back in support while cutting ArcKnight and Ender off from each other.
Moments later, the last of the Cyberdrones retreated behind their generals, battering and limping as the remaining four Rangers raced to their comrades' sides. All of a sudden, Ender and ArcKnight weren't facing with two Rangers, but six.
"Might be a good time to return to sender," Hilary warned as the rest of the Rangers readied their weapons for a second bout.
For a moment, ArcKnight looked ready to charge, already preparing to pounce before Ender shot him a withering glare. Their numbers were well and truly against them now, and with a growl of resignation, Ender scowled as he signaled the retreat.
"Right on time," he decided bitterly, before shooting a warning glare at the Rangers. "But don't think a special delivery of reinforcements will keep you safe forever."
"Your skills might be a match for our soldiers for now," ArcKnight agreed. "Enjoy these victories while they last, because they will not be for long!"
And then they vanished, leaving the six Rangers in the now desolate lot with the crate undisturbed at their feet. But as Ender, ArcKnight and the Cyberdrones spirited away, Lena couldn't help but wonder if he was right. If this was what Xaviax was sending his men to deal with, what scheme was he cooking that remained unseen?
"If you wanna feel alive,
We could set the world alight!
There is so much
you could be,
if only
you'd join me;
We make one hell of a team!"
The band's beats ripped across the room, Erika bellowing into the mic as her heart sang with her. The players struck their notes in perfect harmony, a beautiful symphony with Erika's words in the lead. It had taken only one session for her to feel the rhythm, and now she was tearing it up like she'd been with them from the beginning!
"You are wicked like a torturous dream,
Like a sweet calamity.
There is so much
you could be,
if only
you'd join me;
We make one hell of a team!
We make one hell of a team!
Make one hell of a team!"
Drawing out the final note, Erika at last released it with a gasping breath, stumbling as the exhilaration dropped and left her with the aftershock.
That was incredible!
The beat, the rhythm, the way they were all in sync! Erika wasn't sure she'd ever played that way in her life, let alone gotten into a groove with a group so quickly. It was almost too good to be true.
In the corner, Brockman's charming smile widened as he launched into cacophonous applause, lone claps echoing across the room as Erika blushed at his attention.
"Marvelous! Bravo!" he cheered as he approached her. "So, what do you think?'
"I'll admit," Erika replied. "That was pretty great."
"See? What did I tell you?" Brockman grinned. "I've got to say, with a group like this, we'll be taking the Battle of the Bands by storm!"
"You mentioned that earlier," Erika noted. "What is that, exactly?"
"Only the biggest youth music competition in the entire lake district!" Brockman told her excitedly. "Tough competition, celebrity judges. And a fully paid music scholarship to any college in the state as first prize."
At words "fully paid", Erika's eyes widened, her heart leaping in both shock and elation as she realized exactly what was being dangled in front of her. Erika had never even dreamed of college, not from lack of wanting but a realistic acceptance of circumstance. From her track record alone, she'd figured that any worthwhile institution wouldn't touch her, let alone consider her an acceptable applicant. And that was even before considering there was no way her dad would ever be able to afford the tuition. But if she were to win a scholarship?
Now, it was like Brockman had lit a fire beneath her, flaring her dreams into a raging bonfire. Already Erika heart was racing, her mind desperate to keep her expectations in check as her imagination ran wild with possibilities. It was more than she ever thought possible.
"What would it involve?" Erika asked, trying to calm herself and come across coolly, to no avail. "This competition?"
"Well, usually there's an audition process," Brockman admitted. "But there's a few direct spots available to people in the industry. If we vouch for them, they get in. All that's left to do is impress the judges on the day. And I'm sure if you play even half as well as you did then, it'll be a walk in the park."
It was an opportunity of a lifetime, and in that moment Erika knew exactly how right he was. As good as she was with Jasmine and Melody, they'd never played that well together. This supergroup that Brockman had assembled would easily give her the best chance at that scholarship.
And all it would cost her was the friends who'd put her on stage in the first place.
It was only then that Erika's eye drifted to her communicator, at last realizing the screen was flashing. Her heart seized, guiltily realizing that she'd been so swept up in the music that she'd paid no notice to the alarm strobing on her wrist. The team! They were in danger!
"Can I think about it?" Erika asked nervously. "Get back to you, I mean? I've kind of got an appointment I'm running late for."
"By all means," Brockman smiled. "Why don't I swing past your usual haunt to discuss it tomorrow? Let you sleep on it?"
"Thank you!" Erika was already out the door, barely having time to nod in gratitude to the other band members as she raced out the corridor. By the time the elevator doors closed, the communicator line was open, calling mission control in a desperate hope that the team was all right.
But Jess was unnervingly calm as she replied mere moments later. There had been an incident, but it had been managed. The reinforcements available had rushed to the scene and handled it with ease. Crisis averted, Erika was in the clear.
She didn't know if that made her feel better or worse.
As the doors reopened, Erika aimlessly wandered back into the foyer, uncertain where to go now that her excuse forbade her from returning. Maybe it was for the best; she needed to process what Brockman had put in front of her.
And what it would mean.
An hour later, Erika found herself at Hub. Abbey and Miguel were there, and Erika didn't buy their excuse of studying for a math quiz for a second. Although they seemed to believe it, at least. The two teammates quickly filled her in on what she'd missed, a scuffle at a warehouse but nothing serious, when a grinning Valerie rushed over to her, having just finished her shift.
"How was it?" she asked excitedly.
With a nervous glance, Erika equally looked to Abbey and Miguel, uncertain whether she was about to face exaltation or judgment. Both of them looked just as eager, and at last, Erika cast her guilt aside and allowed herself to revel in her enjoyment.
"It was incredible!" she squealed. "They had these really cool musicians, we played a killer song! And Brockman thinks we've got a shot at winning the Battle of the Bands, which I didn't know was a thing, but is a huge deal! With the people he's assembled, guys, it's like a supergroup! I really mean it, we could win the whole thing!"
It was only as she ran out of breath that Erika saw the look on her friend's faces, which throughout the tale had slowly dropped from concern to dire warning. Ones that were desperately pleading for Erika to stop and look behind her. Gulping down with her stomach sinking, Erika already knew what it meant as she slowly turned to face the music. Jasmine and Melody were standing behind her, and both were looking spectacularly unimpressed.
"Guys…" Erika tried to stammer, but neither was willing to hear it, stone-faced in their cold fury as they cut her off.
"Hear that, Mel?" Jasmine asked. "Seems like Erika's found a big-shot producer."
"Sounds like it," Melody agreed. "Planning on going solo already, it seems."
"Gee," Jasmine continued. "This sure feels familiar. Why does it feel familiar, Melody?"
"Hang on, didn't our last singer also ditch us to make it big?" said Melody. "Man, if I had a nickel for every time our singer went solo and left us behind, we'd have two whole nickels."
"It's not a lot," Jasmine agreed. "And a lot less than the bank our lead would be making."
On the one hand, Erika could understand their anger. But what was she meant to do?
"You know what?" she said instead, feeling her righteous anger bubbling from within. "You're mad, I get it. But why can't you think about what it means for me? The kind of opportunity this is? This is a massive deal for me and you're acting like it's the end of your world."
"Congratulations," Melody said bitterly.
"Try to not get vertigo with your view from the top," Jasmine snarled in agreement.
And then both girls spun on their heels and stormed out, leaving Erika in a swirling storm of fury and desperation, completely at a loss at what to do. At what the biggest break of her life would truly cost her.