Episode 20

Haywire- Part I

"…and these papers here just need your signature."

Hilary exhaled a flustered sigh as she reached for the pen to chip away at the mountain of papers on her desk. Great, just what she needed; Xaviax sent an evil clone to steal from her lab, and instead of finding ways to counteract the stolen data, she was stuck slowly drowning in bureaucracy.

Of course, that was undoubtedly also Xaviax's plan. Hilary knew, she just knew, that if she dug into the source of all the sudden protocols and policies she suddenly needed to read and sign, she'd find a great big Davian Scolex near the source. The man paid for half the city council election campaigns and practically had Mayor Feilding on speed dial. A few well-worded suggestions about proposals for the museum would be all he needed to send the tidal wave of papers her way.

"Don't suppose we could skip some of these?" Hilary asked hopefully. "Maybe just say we read them?"

"I wish," said Jessica. "It'd save me carrying them all up here. But there are so many that I don't know where to even begin. I've tried to give you what I could figure were the most important while I made my way through the rest."

Hilary's eyes nearly popped out of her head. "There's more?"

"Sorry," Jessica winced as her high heels clicked against the floor in nervous retreat. "I'll try to see if I can stem the flow."

The skittish assistant spun around and hurried out of the room, almost barging into Ray as he tapped on the door.

"So, I'm guessing a weekend coffee date is out of the question?" he asked, noting the forest of papers on his wife's desk.

"Sorry," Hilary apologized, "I'm snowed under. If anyone had ever mentioned that running a museum involved so much paperwork that I'd feel like I was in Brazil, I might have reconsidered it."

"Well, you know what they say," Ray chuckled. "With great power…"

Hilary pettily poked her tongue before pushing her glasses back to the bridge of her nose and returning to the tiny lettering. It wasn't ideal, and far from what she wanted to be doing; a morning stroll by the lake with her husband sounded much, much more appealing.

Stupid adulthood.

"Well, if I can't bring you to coffee," Ray decided, "why don't I bring coffee to you? And I'm guessing you might need a Term Paper Special."

"Awww," said Hilary. "Just like you'd bring me in grad school."

Simpler times, back when she thought the biggest problems were balancing ten-thousand-word papers with a part-time job. Back when her all-nighters weren't because the fate of a city rested on his skills with the keyboard.

"Like I'd ever forget your favorite," Ray grinned, leaning over her desk to kiss her deeply, which Hilary eagerly returned in a willful embrace of distraction.

Hmm, maybe too distracting.

"I'll check on the team while I'm down at the Hub," Ray decided. "They've been going pretty hard recently, I want to make sure they're holding up okay."

"Worried they're losing morale?"

"Worried they're exhausted."

Hilary could see the point and knew all too well how bad things could get when their enemy played the long game to grind them down, fight by fight. It was something that she'd hoped to be ready for, and she knew Ray had been pulling out all stops to prepare for when the inevitable Ranger fatigue began to kick in. Instead, what had caught them both by surprise was how it was hitting the two of them just as hard in the lab.

It seemed ridiculous, that they were getting tired while standing in complete safety while a group of teenagers launched themselves into danger. But what the married couple had found was that it wasn't physical exhaustion grinding them down, it was emotional. Keeping the team together, that they could handle. Ray had been doing that since they were teenagers, and Hilary had to admit that she too was getting the hang of handing out sage wisdom of her own.

No, the true exhaustion was born from another emotion, one of helpless frustration. Xaviax's monster maker was getting better, his threats growing in strength with every fight. The team was holding on, but Hilary had to admit that after months of being stuck on the sidelines, she was surprised she had any fingernails left. Or that Ray hadn't worn a hole in the floor behind her with his pacing.

Truth was, as much as neither regretted for even a moment whom they'd chosen as Rangers, neither Ray nor Hilary could help but feel a pang of envy every time those kids switched on their Morphers.

Of course, her lab wasn't exactly going to run itself if she chose to suddenly charge out in the spandex, even if Hilary had a Morpher she could safely use. Although, at that moment, the idea of facing down a monster seemed far less daunting than all her paperwork.

"They'll pull through," Ray said with a smile. "They always do."

And yet, there was something about his tone, a strange sense of pride that carried a resigned and saddened realization. He was right, they would manage, they were growing stronger every day, and every time they faced a problem they were able to handle independence. They'd always need someone to run their tech, but as Hilary looked at her husband's resigned acceptance, she came to realize that the team may not always need a mentor. Not on the regular.

"They still need you," Hilary assured him.

"Maybe," said Ray. "But it's less and less every day. I mean, it's a good thing, right? They're growing up, it's what needs to happen. You know, 'teach a man to fish', and all that?"

He was right, and Hilary knew it, but that didn't stop her from hoping that her husband wouldn't feel deflated or useless. That he still realized his value to the team. To her.

"We know what they're going through," she said, "but we also know what it's like on the other end. It feels overwhelming when the chips are down, but there's always something we can find to convince us to keep going. And I don't think they're ready to find that without a little bit of encouragement. Not yet."

"That's good, I should remember that." Ray chuckled, as at last he pulled away and moved to the office door. "You're right. Right now, they're probably enjoying their weekend. Being teenagers without a care in the world."

Erika hissed a curse as she ducked beneath a blow, heel shooting out to smash the Cyberdrone's stomach and send it reeling. Clattering to the ground, the metal backplate scraped against the concrete as its comrades clambered past to take its place.

Great. Just great!

She'd finally caught a break, on top of schoolwork, a free afternoon with no shift at the Hub and no practice with the band, and of course that was the exact moment that the footsoldiers wanted a playdate. Again!

Because the ones that showed up every day that week hadn't been enough, apparently. Could they at least have picked a day when she didn't have anywhere else to be?

As another Cyberdrone came rushing in, Erika's fist slammed the face plate, kicking up to plant her boot into its chest. The robot stumbled, arms swinging wide as its brethren caught and supported it.

"Come on, guys," Erika warned them. "You know you shouldn't touch metal in a storm."

Before they could so much as tilt their heads, a bolt of crimson lightning burst from her hands, lancing straight through the chest of her target. The robot convulsed as the energy sizzled through its wires, arcing currents spreading throughout its body as it followed the conductive plating and latched onto its supporters. Moments later, all of them were trembling, violently jerking as electricity coursed through their bodies and dropped them to the ground.

"You just don't know what'll strike you," Erika smirked, catching a moment to breathe and admire her handiwork.

Now, if she could just…

But already more of them were coming at her.

"REALLY?"

She saw the movement in the corner of her eye, a weapon held high as it lunged. With a furious gasp, Erika swerved and lunged toward it, arm swinging to catch the neck and send it crashing. But the first Cyberdrone had been a warning, a distraction. And it was exactly what the others had needed to come up and surround her.

"All right," Erika decided angrily. "You guys are really starting to ruin my day."

More were coming in, which meant this fight was going for the long haul. It was time to kick up a gear. With a threatening snarl, Erika smashed back a robot as the Morpher appeared on her wrist, whipping out the keycard as she ran it through the slot.

"Server Force! Login Access!"

The crimson light blazed around her, a blinding inferno of energy that infused her with the power of the grid. The suit materialized, the red exoskin imbuing her with strength, and the saber was already forming in her hand as the helmet appeared to encase her head. As the visor flashed across her vision, Erika lunged from the light, her sword barely more than a blur as it blitzed across the first unfortunate Cyberdrone. As the robot clattered to the ground with a steaming scorch mark on its chest, Erika looked up at the rest of them and growled.

"Who's next?"

In times like those, she really wished robots could feel fear. Maybe it would've imparted them with sense. Instead, the horde lunged at her, a chaotic scampering like there was a prize to reach her first, and the Red Ranger flourished her blade and charged right back.

Sparks burst as Erika carved through them, robots falling left and right as she skidded to a stop and parried. Three heavy swords clanked down on her blade, pushing with all their might to try and hold the Ranger back. A few months ago, that trick might have worked, the mounting pressure would have been enough to hold her still. But after all her time as a Ranger, Erika knew exactly what to do. If any enemy was determined to throw their weight around, let them.

With a smirk of satisfaction, Erika dropped her balance, spinning as she swatted the blade aside to send the Cyberdrones reeling past to crash into their comrades behind.

Now, if the rest would be so easy…

Thankfully, for once her silent prayers seemed to be answered. No sooner has Erika stabilized her footing, than a pair of colored beams shot down from the sky, bolts of yellow and white energy searing down to explode at the Cyberdrones' feet. The henchmen went flying, scattering across the asphalt in all directions as two morphed Rangers somersaulted overhead and landed beside their leader.

"You're certainly popular today," Zeke said as he unfolded his Security Pistol into a saber.

"Not in the way I'd like to be."

"Wait," Lena realized. "Didn't you have a date this afternoon?"

"Yeah," Erika grumbled. "And apparently all these guys are jealous."

As she said it, an angry scowl darkened her brow, extra fury boiling to the surface as her eyes narrowed into a glare beneath her helmet. First day off in weeks; why wouldn't Xaviax take it up without appointment?

Thankfully, Erika had the best teammates in the world.

"We've got this," Zeke informed her, as Lena's helmet nodded. "Go, get out of here!"

Breathing a thank you, Erika launched herself high, soaring above the Cyberdrones as Zeke and Lena surged beneath to occupy them. As her boots hit the ground on the other side, Erika took off into a desperate sprint, hoping her Ranger powers would give her the speed she needed to make it.

This is fine, she told herself, you only used your powers for defense. You just happened to not turn them off afterward.

Hilary would totally see it that way, right?

But deep down, Erika knew it wouldn't matter. Not when she was as late as she already was. All her suit was doing was reducing the amount of time that Val had been left waiting for her. Like she hadn't already waited long enough.

But still, Erika bounded as fast as she could, darting between the buildings until the battle was long behind her, racing to the main square to where her girlfriend was waiting. Hitting the corner, Erika dared a peek around it, the visor of her helmet poking out from behind the concrete as her heart sunk at the look on Valerie's face. It wasn't fury, and it wasn't annoyance. It was tired resignation.

Gulping down and bracing, Erika checked that the coast was clear before powering down, her scarlet Ranger suit vanishing in a flash as she hurried into the street and called out to her girlfriend.

"Hey!" She almost buckled over as she reached her, panting heavily as Val just stood patiently and sighed. Erika's heart sank as she heard the reply, far from the cheerful greeting that she was used to.

"Hey…"

Maybe it wasn't disappointment, maybe she'd just had a bad day? Maybe she just needed some cheering up?

"You know," Erika suggested hopefully, "I think they're serving double-chocolate sundaes over at the stand. Want to split one with me and then regret it later?"

Valerie just shrugged. "Sure…" It was like the wind had been stolen from her breath, a saddened agreement to follow rather than an enthusiastic consent.

"Hey," Erika said hopefully. "I'm sorry I was late, I got held up."

"I know," Valerie shrugged. "I'm getting used to it."

It was like a wall of fog had suddenly erected between them, a haze that seemed so soft and yet impenetrable as it separated through obfuscation. Watching as Valerie smiled, a brave face that did nothing but further sell her sadness, Erika breathed in anticipation for what was coming.

For the conversation that she knew that Val was avoiding, but that she could hardly blame her for wanting.

"I guess I've left you waiting around a lot recently," Erika admitted. "I don't mean to; I know I need to manage my time better…"

"Don't!" Valerie snapped. "Don't apologize. Don't make this harder. I know you're trying. I know that you're balancing everything, school, work, the band. But I also know that every time you do, I always seem to come in last."

"That's not fair!" Erika protested. "I don't want to do that to you, and that's the last thing I want you to feel."

"I know that," Valerie agreed, as she breathed a shuddered breath and looked at her with misty eyes. "But it's still happening. And it keeps happening. There's always some reason why you're late, or why you cancel. And I know it's not what you plan, but something always seems to come up to change them anyway. Something more important. And after a while… the pattern starts to become pretty clear."

"You are important," Erika pleaded, but she could already feel Valerie slipping away, the best thing to ever happen to her was slipping through her fingers like smoke fading on the wind. Already her throat was clogging up, a lump choking the words as Erika began to stammer in desperation. "But that doesn't mean… I mean that we don't… we don't have to…"

"I don't know what it means, or what we should do," Valerie admitted. "I just know that we can't keep going on like this. And what I think is that you need some time to figure out what you want. Something got to give somewhere, Erika. You've got to choose what it is before something chooses it for you."

And then, leaving Erika standing there, jaw hanging and speechless, Valerie turned and walked away, and Erika could only watch as her girlfriend slowly vanished into the blurred tears pooling in her eyes.

Ender couldn't help but chuckle as his dark blue fingers danced across the keys of his terminal. He loved this stage, where the bulk of the design was finished and his creative energies could truly flow forth. Where he could take his time, sculpting and perfecting, and he could show off the true extent of his genius.

It wasn't often; usually, his lord Xaviax needed monsters well before Ender could put in his finishing touches, and it gave him all the more reason to enjoy the opportunity given. Because at last the day had arrived, and at last it was time to truly begin bringing his master's plan to fruition.

Of course, every party needed a pooper.

"You know," Ender snickered as ArcKnight loomed behind him, "If you stand there any longer, you'll become part of the furniture."

"Your futile obsession with pedantry grows tiresome," ArcKnight growled. "While you waste time on superficial changes, the Rangers are no doubt preparing to counteract our master's plan."

"Will you relax?" Ender replied. "The Rangers don't know squat."

"They would know less if you sought to destroy them instead of playing games," ArcKnight retorted. "If you had not sought to reprogram Mileena, she would not have been able to divulge our master's identity. Had your scheme with that clone not failed so spectacularly, then perhaps they would not have learned of the information we obtained from their machines."

"And in learning those two scraps of information, what do they have, hm?" Ender retorted. "Puzzle pieces. They've got two while we're building the whole box. And besides, even if they could eventually piece together our master's masterstroke, I've currently got them running circles with the Cyberdrones. By the time they realize what we're up to it'll be far too late."

But for all of Ender's posturing, ArcKnight appeared far from convinced. "We would have no need for all of this trickery if your monsters had simply destroyed the Power Rangers."

"Of course!" Ender proclaimed. "We should just destroy them! Why didn't I think of that? It's so staggeringly brilliant that it's a wonder we never tried it! Are going to also explain, perhaps, why it is that you've never beaten them? Or is there maybe trickery going on in your part as well?"

A seething growl hissed from beneath ArcKnight's helmet, a begrudging acknowledgment of the point as he stepped back from the conflict.

"That's what I supposed," Ender decided. "You know what they say, ArcKnight: you can't rush perfection. If anyone ever wants to know why, they can just take a look at you."

With another growl, ArcKnight's entire body tensed as if preparing to strike a blow. But instead, Ender's smirk flickered wider as the doors hissed open and a tall man in a silver suit strode into the chamber.

"Children, children," Scolex decided as he greeted them. "Can I not ever leave you in each other's company? Do I need to send you to your rooms?"

"Master!" ArcKnight gasped, kneeling immediately as Ender rolled his eyes and resumed his work. "I merely questioned Ender's progress, and whether his dithering would delay our plans."

"Have patience, ArcKnight," Scolex replied. "Timing is everything. Once the last of the modifications have been made, then we will proceed with the next stage. Ender, are the two monsters ready, as agreed?"

"Absolutely!" Ender gleefully decreed. Noting the annoyance in ArcKnight's posture, two projected screens flashed into the room to reveal their intended weapons. "All loaded and ready for the Digitizer when you give the word."

"Then the word is now," said Scolex. "The Rangers have been occupied enough, it's time to really give them something to do. The command is yours, once it is ready you are to begin."

At that, Ender couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, taking note of the absence of his master's robes and mask. "Am I to assume your bequeathing of command has something to do with your current attire."

"Yes," Scolex replied coldly. "When the chaos begins, I will need to be visible and present. It will be essential for what comes afterward. ArcKnight, I want you down there immediately after the code has been released. The Rangers will have hands full, and I want you to make sure they're overflowing."

"It will be done," ArcKnight nodded.

"Good, then I leave this in both your capable hands."

Spinning on his heel, Scolex turned to leave, pausing again at the threshold to address his two loyal followers.

"Mark this day, you two. For today begin our first true steps toward saving humanity from itself. To perfection; to a better world."

Some time and space.

Yeah, that was exactly what Erika needed. An opportunity to stew in how there was absolutely nothing she could do to fix things. Not if she wanted everything else she'd worked so hard on to fall apart instead.

School was finally going well; she hadn't had detention for nearly three months, and she was finally earning sound and consistent grades. Abbey's tutoring had been helping, and Ray's regular counseling was letting her slowly keep her head above water. Finally, her Dad was starting to relax, a spring starting to return his step now that he no longer had to worry about his daughter. There was no way Erika was taking time from any of that.

But where else could she find it? Despite being dragged kicking and screaming into doing it, Erika had felt an electric excitement the moment she'd hopped on stage and the crowd had cheered her name. It was almost frightening, how much she'd loved it, and how quickly the time went by when Erika was practicing in the garage with Melody and Jas. It was as if at that moment, some part of her that she'd never known had come alive, and now that she'd found it, she never wanted to let it go.

That she couldn't.

But of course, hanging over all those commitments was the monster-shaped elephant that took up the entire room: her duties as a Power Ranger. The spanner in the works that could be thrown at any moment, the city's dire need for her to cast aside all else and keep them safe. The one thing Erika could never drop, even when she wanted all else.

And yet, she wouldn't want to either. That strange night in the museum, which now felt like a lifetime ago, was the best thing to ever happen to her. The night she'd met Abbey and Zeke, where she'd taken a stand to fight for something other than herself. That night was the first step to becoming the person Erika wanted to be. She owed all that to the Morpher she carried on her wrist. And none of that was something that she could explain to Valerie.

Urgh! She could just hear Ray quoting Spider-Man at her; great power and responsibility, and all that.

At the very least, maybe her friends had a better idea. That's what Erika hoped, anyway.

"Sorry, I'm not sure I'm the best person to give advice," Abbey said sheepishly as she walked with Erika and Lena that afternoon. "When I got overwhelmed by all of this, I ended up making an evil clone that nearly put Hilary's brother in the hospital. Besides, the time I did have to deal with keeping my secret from a guy I liked, it turned him to the dark side."

Begrudgingly, Erika conceded it was a fair point. With one female friend a bust, Erika decided to ask Lena. She regretted it immediately.

"I'm an artificially created digital construct whose only knowledge of human behavior is about how to manipulate and destroy them," she said bluntly. "I'm not sure I'm anywhere near qualified to give dating advice."

Great, zero for two. Have female friends, they said. They'll help with your relationships, they said. Then again, maybe she was looking at it all wrong.

"You know what?" Erika realized. "Neither of you knows what it's like dating girls. Maybe I should ask the guys?"

But in that, both Abbey and Lena were unanimous, their only response a sharp, stern, and resolute, "NO!"

Okay then, back to square one. Perfect.

Sinking deeper into desperation, she slunk along beside the other two girls as they approached the Hub, where Erika desperately hoped that Val hadn't filled her open day with a shift. As they arrived, they saw Ray stepping out, two coffees in his hand as he made his way back to the museum. Finally, at least, someone with some sense.

"Mr. Granger!" Abbey waved excitedly as their counselor turned to see them. "Doing a supply run?"

"It's a matter of urgency," Ray chuckled. "And I think we can guess what'll happen if I don't return with an offering."

"Paperwork that bad, huh?" Lena winced.

"I think it's safe to say we're eating takeout tonight."

Suddenly, Erika heard a soft but unsubtle "ahem" beside her, Abbey's eyes flicking between Erika and their mentor in an obvious signal. If Erika hadn't said anything, she'd have sworn that Abbey was about to push her forward.

"Ummm, Mr. Granger?" she asked. "Do you have a second? I could use some advice."

Ray paused for a moment, only to notice the appreciative and eagerly encouraging nods from Abbey and Lena, "Sure thing, what's on your mind?"

As if on cue, Abbey and Lena were already moving away.

"Hey look, there are the guys," Abbey realized.

"We'll catch up with you later," Lena agreed.

It was like they couldn't get away fast enough, hustling away as Zeke and Miguel appeared at the end of the street to leave Erika and Ray to talk.

As they wandered toward the museum, Erika slowly explained the conversation she'd had the morning, and all the ways out that seemed to block her off at every turn. Ever dutifully, Ray slowly nodded along and listened.

"That really sucks," he said at last. "I'm sorry."

It was only then that Erika realized that she may have still been out of luck; Ray had married his high school sweetheart, and a fellow Ranger at that. What did he know about breakups and double lives? But as the thought occurred to her, Erika watched Ray let out his almost trademark breath of reflection, as if remembering a time long past.

"This life, being a Ranger," he said softly. "It's not easy. For all the good it brings, there are always times when it feels like more than we can bear. And more often than not, that goes doubly so for Rangers like us, because on top of everything else, there's another weight that only we carry."

For a moment, Erika wasn't sure what he meant, talking about himself as a Ranger like it were the present. But as she ran through the possibilities, it slowly dawned on her that Ray was referring to a unique connection that only they shared, something she didn't even have in common with Hilary. Ray was speaking as one Red Ranger to another. Past to present.

Because he was right. On top of all else, there was another pressure that Erika was always aware of, a need to keep the team together. They'd spoken of it before, many times in fact, of how being the Red Ranger didn't mean that Erika had to lead them. But someone had to, and time after time, fight after fight, it seemed to default to her. She could make decisions, decisions that they listened to. And although it took some getting used to, Erika slowly found herself acting as the balancing factor, keeping the team focused and on track through hard times.

Her, a voice of a reason.

Just one more reason why Erika could neither walk away nor want to; she just had no idea how the team would manage without her.

"It's just so much, you know?" she said. "Something's got to give, but I don't know what. I just know that I don't want it to be Val."

"I wish I had easy answers for you," Ray admitted. "Heck, I wish I had them back when I was in your shoes. But what I do know is that you're a Ranger, and Power Rangers never give up. And that was true of you well before you got your Morpher. I know that things seem like too much now; like there's no solution and all the outcomes are bad. But it's times like these that test us, that show us what we're made of. It's only when things are dark that we truly look for the light."

"But what if the answer is to let her go?" Erika realized, finally voicing the fear she'd been too scared to speak. As if saying it aloud would make it inevitable. "Because I can't see any way to keep all of this up without letting her in on what's actually taking my time."

"That's a choice only you can make," Ray admitted. "Your identity is a secret for a reason. It lets you hold some semblance of a normal life, it stops the people from worrying themselves to death about you. But it does come with a cost, and sometimes that becomes too high."

Hang on…

Ray and Hilary were the ones who told them to keep their identities secret, who pulled out all the stops just to keep them so. But was Ray now saying that she… didn't have to? Stopping dead in her tracks, Erika turned to face Ray directly, wearing the confusion straight on her face. "Are you saying that I should tell her? But what happened to the whole "rules of being a Power Ranger" thing?"

"I'm saying that it's your identity to keep," said Ray. "And that at some point it stops being fair to hold a secret from someone whose trust you want to hold. There are rules, sure, rules that are meant to keep you and all of us safe. But sometimes rules are meant to be bent, and I'm honestly the last person who can really lecture you on the importance of keeping it a secret."

Erika raised an eyebrow, sensing a story behind that particular admission. "Oh yeah, and why's that?"

"Apparently by the end of things, our entire senior class knew who we were," Ray chuckled. "We turned out to be one of the worst-kept secrets at Cranston City High."

Well, didn't that fill her with confidence? Ray looked up and grinned in reminiscence as Erika began contemplating how it would go, only for her mentor to turn back to her in sincerity.

"I can't make that choice for you," he said. "And only you can know if it's the right one. But I couldn't give you advice without in all honesty telling you the other side of it. Once you tell someone your secret, you can't take it back. That Pandora's Box is open and the truth will never go back in. And you'll no longer have complete control of your anonymity."

Well, that was great. Keep the secret from Val and lose her, or tell her and be constantly worried that she'd done the right thing. And, apparently, put in all that effort only for everyone to find out anyway.

Would it even be enough? Would understanding why Erika was always vanishing or running late let Valerie give her another chance? Or would it only scare her off further? Would she still lose her, just as she always seemed to lose everyone eventually?

But Erika never got the chance to enquire further. Just as she was about to ask Ray for more advice, a blood-curdling scream pierced through the air.

"LENA!"

Erika and Ray spun around, recognizing Abbey's voice as their eyes shot to their teammates at the other side of the square. Zeke was staring in side-eyed horror, Abbey and Miguel kneeling with their friend in their arms. Lena was on the ground, curled in a fetal position and squeezing her head as her face contorted in agony.

"What's going on?" Erika asked as the two of them rushed over.

"I don't know," Miguel admitted. "All of a sudden she just screamed and dropped like this."

Lena was almost writhing as Abbey held her, her eyes trembling in fear as she rocked back and forth. "Too much, it's all too much."

"We need to get her to the lab," Ray decided. "Get Hilary to take a look at her before-."

But he never finished that sentence.

People screamed; tires squealed in a panicked halt, and suddenly a loud crash echoed shattered through their air. Whipping around, the Rangers gasped as they saw two cars had collided at the crossing, the traffic lights flickering between colors as the motorists swerved around each other in confusion. The TV screens in the electronic shop burst in sprays of sparks, those that remained nothing but a frantic sea of static as if every connection between them severed. Car alarms were sounding in the distance, the street lights shattering as the bulbs inside overloaded.

As if every piece of electronic hardware in the city was frying all at once.

"We need to get the lab, now!" Erika ordered as Miguel bundled Lena in his arms. But before they could move, the entire square was filled by a flash of emerald light, and an enormous horde of Cyberdrones dropped onto the street around them. The footsoldiers paid no heed to the Rangers, scattering in all directions to torment the fleeing civilians as the teens could only stare in horrified realization.

This was it. Xaviax was making his move.

And the entire city was going to hell.

Hilary raced across the hallway, darting through the corridor in a desperate sprint for the lab. She'd had barely a moment's warning, a strange flickering on her monitor before suddenly all devices in the building burst. Down below she could hear the panicked screaming of the museum's patrons, hundreds of people in complete confusion of the pandemonium unleashed. Phones, TVs, personal laptops. Electrical systems and motor vehicles. Whatever Xaviax had done, it was sending everything in the city with an electric current into absolute haywire.

And Hilary just knew that it was only going to get worse.

She needed to reach the lab and pray that its defense network was enough to withstand whatever was assaulting everything else. At least when she knew the people in the museum were safe, she could worry about everything else.

"Dr Hawkins?" Jessica's head shot out from her office, eyes trembling with fear as Hilary barely broke her stride. "What's happening? What's going on?'

"Stay calm," Hilary urged. "Tell the people to stay inside and they're safest here. I'm going to check the storage systems are intact."

It was the best excuse she could come up with, and at the very least Jessica was too panicked to question it. Gulping down and finding her courage, Jessica followed Hilary as they made for the elevator. The doors were in a state of flux, opening and closing before the empty shaft.

"Stairs," Hilary decided, hoping that the secret elevator to the base was fairing better as Jessica nodded in frightful agreement. Hilary was immediately thankful that heels were never a part of her regular work attire, although she had to admire how well Jessica was running in her thin stilettos like a carnivorous monster was hungrily on her tail.

Hitting the ground floor, the two women split, Jessica bravely heading toward the frightened crowd as Hilary made for the lab. Just like the elevator above, the door was opening and closing, the concealed panel on the wall shifting from side to side to reveal the entrance for anyone unaware.

One problem at a time, at least the elevator was still there.

Hilary leaped inside, and the metal box shot down its cable without the doors even closing as she swiped her card. She let out a desperate breath of relief as it hit the floor. The lab was still intact, mercifully spared from the erratic interference unfolding above. It meant her shields were still holding, and Hilary just had to hope they'd stay that way.

Hilary had barely hit the chair of her terminal when there was a sudden, loud CRACK beside her, head titling to see Miguel stepping out of the dissipating black smoke. Lena was in his arms.

"What's happened to her?" Hilary gasped.

"I don't know," Miguel said. "She just started screaming."

"When?"

"Right before all of this started."

Not good. Whatever Xavaix was doing, it had already taken down a Ranger, inflicting agony upon a girl that Ray and Hilary were rapidly considering their family. But Lena's condition gave them an opportunity; it was a clue.

"Lay her on the bench," Hilary ordered, racing to the med cabinet and scrambling through the contents before returning. "Lena, I'm giving you something for a pain. You might feel a little woozy but it'll make you more comfortable, okay?"

The poor girl could barely speak, voice barely more than a stifled whimper and eyes filling with tears as she nodded meekly and Hilary gave the injection. Lena's eyes closed, head slowly falling back onto the table as she passed out. Miguel could only look at her.

"What'd you give her?'

"A sedative," Hilary explained. "I don't know how long it'll last. Her body's likely already filtering it out. I've just got to hope that I can find an answer before she wakes."

Miguel looked at her in fear, dreading the coming answer but asking anyway. "And what if you can't?"

"If I can't," Hilary admitted bleakly. "Then Lakeview's going to have much bigger problems than just being down a Ranger."

This was not how Ray thought this coffee run was going to go.

Vaulting off a park bench, Ray lunged into the horde of Cyberdrones, spinning into a kick that caught one by the head to send it spinning to the ground. Finding his footing, he lashed out and grabbed, whipping the robot around like a shield before kicking it into its comrades and sending them clattering back.

With the way clear, Ray spun around to the elderly couple that the Cyberdrones were harassing.

"Are you guys okay?"

"We are now, young man," the old woman said sweetly.

"Yes," her husband agreed. "We'd have been in hot bother if you had come gallantly rushing to our rescue."

Young man? Ray wasn't sure if that was accurate anymore, but he'd take it. But as the senior citizens began to shuffle away, Ray's eyes shot back to the already recovering enemies.

"I'll hold them off, go on!"

Nodding gratefully, the two civilians scurried away as fast as they could, scampering to the edges of the streets as Ray launched herself back at the henchmen horde. But for every Cyberdrone he knocked back, two more rose to take its place. Try as he could to keep them down, there were just too many spilling out into the Lakeview streets.

Anarchy was unfolding all around him, panicking people screaming as they fled in all directions. Those who hadn't crashed their cars in the initial incident had abandoned them, skidding to a stop wherever there was space and fleeing on foot in the absence of any real guidance. Phones were down, TV screens a hazy mess of static, and all remaining lights were strobing in random patterns.

It was as if every single piece of technology in the city had gone to hell all at once.

Everything but the Cyberdrones. Naturally.

All around him, his three teenage companions were jolting and jabbing among the horde, doing all they could to break apart the numbers and get people to safety. At the far end of the square, Abbey had lunged for a fleeing group of civilians, cornered by a huddling posse of Cyberdrones that were surrounding and sealing them off. The redhead barely broke her stride, and the steel wall of robots was no barrier to her determination.

Abbey's eyes narrowed as she vaulted forward, phasing through the robots to jut out in front and smash her first into the leader's chest. Surprised, the robot stumbled back, caught by its comrades who too were unprepared for Abbey's arrival. But their clambering was the opening she needed, her head whipping around to the group of huddled civilians.

"Get to shelter!" she warned, and all heads frantically nodded as a metal hand clamped onto Abbey's shoulder. The iron grip whipped her around, spinning and throwing off her balance as the Cyberdrone immediately pummeled in a punch.

But Abbey was ready. Adjusting to her faltering balance, the redheaded teen leaned into the spin, heel kicking up to smack the Cyberdrone's face as she pirouetted and landed in a fighting stance. The Cyberdrones wasted no effort, but now rebalanced, Abbey was more than ready as she rushed forward to meet them.

But as their preppy friend held her own against the horde, Zeke found himself cornered. As the others had split off, he'd held in the center, desperately trying to keep the main thoroughfare clear as people ran to safety. Now that it was free of innocent civilians, the Cyberdrones had been more than willing to take their place.

He swerved past a blow, feet skidding against the concrete as the Cyberdrone rocketed past. As Zeke regained his footing, something pressed against his back, a small and round picnic table that until very recently had hosted a happy lunch. Taking the chance, Zeke leaped back, falling flat on his back to jut out his legs and send a pair of incoming Cyberdrones stumbling back.

It bought precious seconds, but they were all Zeke needed to get back on top.

"Come on guys," he suggested. "Haven't you heard of taking it easy on weekends?"

Apparently, they had not.

Two more lunged in from either side, and Zeke's legs snapped to his chest as he spun himself around. He'd moved his legs in time, the first weapon clanging against the table as he rolled away. But as the second came down from above, this time he had nowhere to go. Zeke's hand shot up, a golden bubble of light flashing from his palm as the weapon crashed into a blinding collision. The Cyberdrone stumbled back, the force of its strike rebounding as Zeke saw his opening and took it.

"If you wanted to use the table," he decided. "You could have just asked."

He jutted out his leg and swept, cracking into the henchman's side as it slammed into its comrade. With the way clear, Zeke leaped onto the table, sidestepping a strike that smashed into the surface as he launched himself high. With a mighty battle cry, he somersaulted overhead, landing firmly behind before spinning in place. Then, carrying the force from his jump still behind him, Zeke smashed into the huddled Cyberdrone with a powerful kick to send it flying. With all of them gathered around the table, the rest of its buddies were too close, and all of them went crashing over it as the flying Cyberdrone collided.

With the footsoldiers dispatched, Zeke looked up to Ray, grinning with satisfaction as his mentor couldn't help but feel a sense of pride. A big mistake.

The momentary distraction was all that the Cyberdrones needed, lunging from a blind spot to take advantage of a momentary gap in his guard. Ray saw it too late, spinning around just as he saw the blade coming down upon him.

A crimson flash split across the sky, a sluggish thunderclap following as the lightning lanced through the Cyberdrone's chest. The blast whiplashed the robot backward, clattering into the pavement with a scorching hole in its chest. Shocked but grateful, Ray spun around to see Erika, hand outstretched smoking.

"Careful there, old timer," she chuckled. "You might need your eyes checked."

"Hang on," Ray snorted. "Let me see."

Spinning around, Ray's eyes narrowed at a group of Cyberdrones, firing lasers from his gaze to shoot with pinpoint precision.

"Looks like they're fine."

But that was all the quips they were getting. Erika fast-footed next to him, spinning behind him as they stood together, back-to-back with guards raised. The Cyberdrones thought they had them cornered. Their mistake.

When using their numbers to single out and isolate them, the footsoldiers still posed a threat to the teens while unmorphed. But pressed together, the former Ranger and his protege were a force to be reckoned with. The Cyberdrones just didn't know it yet.

Ever the aggressor, Erika lunged in first, meeting the Cyberdrones head-on with an offensive defense. Her first kick hit empty air, the Cyberdrones stepping back to avoid it as she steered it into a better position. Landing firmly, Erika's pressure was unrelenting and Cyberdrones were unprepared, a flurry of punches slamming into the robot as more of them began circling and surrounding her.

But Erika knew exactly what she was doing. No longer the girl who flew into a rage, throwing herself in too deep without a plan, now her moves were calculated and considered. Erika wasn't wading through the horde because of overconfidence or zeal; she was bait.

And with all the Cyberdrones desperately swarming to keep her pinned, Ray was free to move and pick them off. Chuckling to himself, Ray's eyes narrowed as a red glow lined his vision, feeling the energy building as they flashed to the surface and unleashed from his eyes. With their backs turned and focus on Erika, the Cyberdrones never saw it coming, a barrage of crimson energy searing into their armor and bursting into showers of sparks as their smoking remnants dropped to the ground.

His eyes flashed again, and again, and just as Ray turned to the last one, the glowing sides of his vision grew brighter, almost blinding his peripheral as the energy surged with fresh intensity. The beams shot outward, only this time they didn't stop. No longer a single burst, a continuous flow met its mark and consumed the top half of a terrified, flailing Cyberdrone as its top half was reduced to ash. Ray could only gasp, eyes snapping shut as the glowing continued behind his eyelids, flickering intermittently before dying and leaving him shocked.

His eye beams had never done that before, and he hadn't meant to do that then. But as much as he wanted to, Ray didn't have time to fret about it now.

"Behind you!"

With a mighty roar, Erika leaped high, vaulting into a flying kick over the scrambling Cyberdrones. Ray spun around, just in time to see another robot coming toward him as Erika's boot smashed it into the concrete. Stepping back, she raised her guard and snapped closer to Ray as Abbey and Zeke lunged across the chaos to stand beside them.

"Nice blasting," Erika congratulated. "I didn't even know you could do that."

Ray didn't have the heart to admit that he didn't either, that for the briefest of seconds, it had felt like there was no control of his power. But he could talk about it later. Lay off the beams for now and talk about it with Hilary when the dust settled. Right now, they had bigger problems.

People were still nearby, the ever-increasing Cyberdrones numbers blocking exits all around the square. They needed to start culling the numbers, and fast. And that meant kicking out a lot more firepower than they had.

"You guys need to, morph," Ray decided.

"There's too many people!" Abbey disagreed. "What if someone sees us?"

"Cameras are fried and everyone's too busy running," Ray reasoned. "Besides, right now they don't need teenagers with attitude. They need hope. They need to know that help is coming."

Abbey clearly had dissenting thoughts but kept them to herself, hissing in a breath that ceded to Ray's reasoning and experience. As Zeke looked at them, Erika caught Ray's eye, a single glance of agreement as she nodded. Then she whipped out her keycard, Morpher flashing to her wrist she raised it before her.

"You guys ready?"

Abbey and Zeke moved in agreement, their own Morphers appearing as they produced their cards and stepped in line with their leader. "Ready!"

"Server Force! Login Access!"

He almost forgot to step back, shielding his eyes as columns of primary-colored light burst out and consumed them. The last time Ray had been so close to them as they morphed, it had just been two of them, and all had been so scattered in the writhing horde of Cyberdrones that he'd only got the outer tremors. But now, right by their side as they were imbued by the powers he'd bequeathed to them, Ray was struck by just how awesome it was. The power of the grid was flaring around them, their silhouettes barely visible as the suits materialized on their bodies. It was breathtaking, radiant even, and for the just slightest of seconds, Ray felt something twinge at his heart along with beaming pride.

A soft, and aching envy, born from a time long passed that he couldn't help but miss.

Just as quickly as it summoned, the light vanished, three morphed Rangers standing together with their Power Weapons in hand.

"Focus on the outskirts," Erika decided. "If we can get the exits clear then we can get people out. Once we've got people to safety, then we can blow them to pieces."

Emboldened by their power, both Abbey and Zeke nodded in affirming enthusiasm. "Right!"

Without another word, the Rangers leaped into action, launching themselves back into the fray to begin tearing the horde apart. They split in midair, taking to the sides of the streets and placing themselves between the innocent people and the menacing Cyberdrones. The city's heroic defenders.

For a moment, the only one that he could allow himself before more drones descended, Ray watched with a beaming pride. To compare them to the trio of teens he'd first met all those months ago, they were all unrecognizable.

But that was the only satisfaction he was allowed before a Cyberdrone leaped off the table in an attempt to knock him down, earning a swift strike to the neck as Ray swerved from the blow.

Over on the flank, Zeke had moved to a full defensive, his shield raised high as he battered the Cyberdrones to safety, shifting with all his might to keep himself between the Cyberdrones and the fleeing innocent civilians. With every strike, he grounded himself, becoming the immovable object against the Cyberdrone's very stoppable force.

"The way's clear!" he told the fleeing people. "Go, now!"

They didn't need to be told twice, running toward the empty alley as Zeke unfolded the security saber. Now armed, he charged back into the horde, his shield pressed before him as the desperate shots ricocheted off the surface and his blade glistened in the sunlight as it flashed against their armor.

Opposite, Abbey had taken to a different strategy. Where Zeke was standing like a rock that broke the tide, the Blue Ranger shifted in constant motion, leaping and flipping in a dazzling display of acrobatics. To Ray, her intent was clear, but not so much to the footsoldiers that were chasing in earnest pursuit. Abbey was keeping their attention on her.

"Whoops! Excuse me! Coming through!" the girl who once had shrieked at a punch was now giggling quips as she kept the Cyberdrones distracted. Where once she'd run in fear, now her skittish movements were to her advantage, an artful dodger causing no shortage of frustration as weapons clanged in her wake. "Can't any of you just wait your turn? So rude!"

At last, seeing the final citizens vanish into the protected alley, Abbey raced down the street, eyeing a parked car and bounding off the hood to take flight. Now mid-air, with her pursuers gathered tightly, the Blue Ranger spun to face them, bow leveled the drawstring charged. The flash was almost blinding as a raining barrage of energy unleashed, the periwinkle arrows booming on impact as the Cyberdrones were sent scattering in all directions.

"Now," Abbey scolded as she landed beside them. "Who's next?"

But that was admiration that Ray could afford, stolen glances of appreciation as he weaved between his attackers. The horde was thinning, the Rangers finally making headway as they assisted people's escape, and law enforcement had finally arrived as they hurried in on foot.

But they were far from out of the woods yet.

Their radios were working, but all other electronics were down, and the police were struggling to coordinate as the Cyberdrones swarmed around them. The extra hands were appreciated, but they had no idea where to go.

"Officer!" Ray called to a nearby cop. The man was crouched beside a ruined car, making a battle plan with his squad as Ray raced over and skidded to a matching stance to begin reporting what he'd seen. "There are people still in buildings. Those who can't hide need protection as they evacuate in the side streets. The robots are concentrating here, if you set up a perimeter you can keep them contained."

But as Ray babbled his assessment, the sergeant looked at him skeptically, disbelieving that a high school guidance counselor could have any tactical acumen at all.

"Look, sir," he warned. "You've been through a lot. We'll take it from here."

Lakeview's finest; Ray's tax dollars at work.

Ray was about to launch into a speech about why the officer should listen, but his attention was stolen by the emergence of fresh Cyberdrones that converged to contain the arriving officers. Hissing in a breath, Ray readied to engage, mind running through his options of how best to keep the policemen safe.

But his worries were unfounded as a scarlet streak flashed before them.

Leaping from her end of the square, Erika somersaulted into the thick of it, fists smashing wildly as she pummeled the Cyberdrones into submission. The axe flashed to her hand, cleaving a robot in two before launching back to spin from harm. Landing on the car, the assaulting Cyberdrone got the idea to pursue, foolishly trying to engage Erika from her superior high ground. One hard swing was all she needed, her axe head blazing as the Cyberdrone was sent flying and the Red Ranger stood triumphantly on her perch.

Her head whipped around, helmet visor locking on the officer who'd ignored Ray's advice as she pointed sternly.

"You!" Erika barked, watching the officer jolt in shock as she motioned at Ray. "Do as he says!"

"Y…. yes mam'!"

Now understanding the reality, the policeman leaped up to start barking orders as Erika launched herself back in. No time like the present, Ray decided.

Finally, they were making headway.

They were clearing the streets, reducing the numbers of rampaging Cyberdrones as people were fleeing to safety. Things were turning around, and if the Rangers could just keep things managed then….

Ray shouldn't have even thought it. He knew better than that. All those years ago, they'd have glared at Jake for suggesting that they were anywhere near out of the woods. It should never have even crossed his mind.

As the hobbling numbers of Cyberdrones retreated to the center, the three primary Rangers converging closer and closer, the square was consumed by a blazing flash of green. Ray hissed in a breath, cursing himself as he braced for more of Xaviax's footsoldiers. But this time it was worse, it was much, much worse.

This time he'd sent down a monster.