Miguel dropped to his knees as the power abandoned him, the stolen strength sapping away as the suit receded. Back in the darkness of the tunnels, the Dark Ranger had followed Mileena as the henchmen carried Mr. Granger away. Now in the sanctum, as the Cyberdrones flushed around him, Miguel had wrestled free of the Dark Ranger's control, dismissing the suit before his freedom could be wrenched from him again. All he could do now was kneel there, hunched and exhausted, the hard concrete pressing into his knees as the henchmen watched in waiting for him to make a move.

"What… what did you do to me?"

"Ooooh, that?" Ender snicked. "That was just a little insurance policy to keep you on the right track. We wouldn't want you getting any good intentions now, would we?"

Good intentions? Right track? They'd controlled him! They'd taken his body and steered it into a weapon, used it against his will. But Miguel's heart seized as another entered the room, striding toward him and looking down with cold indifference.

Lena.

"You!" he hissed. "You did this to me! You lied to me!"

"I didn't have a choice," Lena insisted. "The Power Ranger must be destroyed. I gave you a chance, Miguel. I gave you all of this power. I'm doing this for you, why can't you see that?"

"You're not doing this for me," Miguel snarled back. "You're just using me. You were my friend, and you stabbed me in the back! Don't pretend that you had some noble intentions. Because I'm just a tool to be used. Just like you."

He expected Lena to roll her eyes, to snicker and cackle as she had done in the face of the other insults hurled by the Rangers. But as the venomous words unfurled from within him, Lena flinched and staggered back, looking upon him in hurt confusion. Like what he was saying was something that had never occurred to her.

"Miguel," she said, her tone softening from harsh bravado into gentle pleading. "I mean it. I'm doing this for you."

"If you were doing this for me, you'd have let me make a choice," Miguel shot back. "And not just the one you wanted."

Face twisting back into an angry snarl, Lena whipped around and barked an order at the Cyberdrones. "Throw him in the hold! Maybe we'll see if he's more cooperative after some time there."

The drones snatched at Miguel, but the boy didn't struggle. Even if he had strength, he knew it was pointless. To run now would be to alert everyone to his plight, and it would only give him a head start of seconds. They dragged him through the halls, steering him through the twists and turns of the darkness until at last they were met by a large metal door. It groaned as the heavyweight pulled aside, revealing the void-like chamber across the threshold. When they threw him inside, Miguel didn't resist, stumbling to catch his weight as the heavy door slammed and sealed behind him.

Miguel waited a few moments, just a couple of breaths, before reaching inward to command the smoking shadows. He'd started to get good at it, slowly gaining control over the vanishing powers he'd been unwillingly granted. His night on the run had been spent jumping between rooftops, daring greater distances into areas he could see.

Last time Miguel had lucked out, but this time there was nothing that could hold him.

But as he reached within to call the enveloping smoke, nothing happened. Miguel just stood there, staring at the wall, gaping in surprise as suddenly the power he'd been gifted refused to manifest. As if he'd never even had it in the first place.

He was trapped.

With a scream, Miguel slammed his hands against the doors, a vain but desperate attempt to budge them, powerless to free himself as he realized he was completely at Xaviax's mercy. Those powers were his one way out, and if the enemy could keep him contained, then there was nothing to stop them from using the Dark Morpher to control him whenever they wished.

Defeated and out of breath, Miguel sunk to his knees, only for a voice to suddenly speak softly from the corner.

"Rough day, huh?"

Miguel spun around, gasping he realized that he wasn't alone; Mr. Granger was sitting on the bench in the corner of the cell. Suddenly all his bravery vanished, replaced with an overwhelming shame and horror. Their school guidance counselor was now Xaviax's prisoner. And it was all because of him.

"My powers were the first thing I tried, too," Granger comforted. "I guess Xaviax found a way to suppress our civilian superpowers."

"Mr. Granger," Miguel stammered. "I'm so sorry."

He expected some kind of rebuke, a scolding for his stupidity and recklessness. He expected to be told he was irresponsible and immature. That it was no wonder he was always in trouble.

But instead, the man's expression softened further, and his head sank with sadness and regret. "No," he said. "I'm the one who should be sorry. You got swept up in all of this with no idea of what's going on. That's not on you."

"But…" Miguel stammered. "You're in here because of me. If hadn't picked up that Morpher, if I hadn't listened to Lena, I'd…"

"There's a lot going on here, kid," Granger replied. "And right now, it seems like everyone's been trying to keep you in the dark." And then he stopped, shuffling over on the bench, and offering the space beside. "I think it's about time we changed that. Why don't I fill you in? If you want to know, that is."

There was something unspoken in his words, a warning that Miguel could never go back once he knew the truth. But then, Miguel supposed, there was no going back now, not after everything he'd done. What was a little further after that?

Slowly, Miguel took a hesitant step toward the seat beside the guidance counselor, taking the space while leaning deeper into the corner. Then, with a deep breath that betrayed his uncertainty about where to start, Mr. Granger began his tale.

"My name is Raymond Granger," he began, "and fifteen years ago, I became a Power Ranger…"

Lena stood at the console, alone in the darkness as her eyes fixed upon the screen. Miguel sat in the cell, now beside Granger in deep conversation.

Pathetic.

Already he was running to someone else, eager for validation, to return him to the fairytale where everything was sunshine and rainbows. But Miguel wasn't going to get what he wanted, and Granger would only give him more of the lies that Miguel claimed to despise. But none of that mattered, not anymore.

Miguel may have been weak, but the Dark Ranger was exactly what they needed to turn the tide. Now with Granger in their custody, it wouldn't be long until Hawkins folded and gave Xaviax what he truly desired.

"…I'm just some tool to be used. Just like you."

A soft growl rumbled beneath Lena's breath as the spitting words echoed back to haunt her. The venom with which Miguel had said it had been one thing, but what angered Lena more was that she remembered them. That in the moment they were uttered, they'd cut her deeply when they shouldn't have even scratched her at all.

So what if she was a tool? She was created for a purpose; one she was happy to fulfill. She should care little for whether it served another's benefit. That was all she was there for. The previous Mileena was a weapon too, and she'd proudly played the role right until the very end. Why should she be any different?

Why should she care otherwise?

"Are they saying anything interesting?"

Lena shouldn't have been surprised as she heard Xaviax announce himself, yet somehow his voice curled at her spine, and she spun around in embarrassment as she watched her master enter.

"No," she replied. "Granger's recounting his life story. It's a wonder I haven't fallen asleep."

Xaviax nodded, gliding forward as his robes dusted the floor in his approach. "You needn't bother," he told her. "Granger knows we're listening, he won't divulge anything he doesn't think we already know."

Lena nodded, silently admitting that she too had known that when she'd first turned on the security feed. She hadn't turned it on to spy on her old nemesis, she'd turned it on to watch Miguel. There was something about him, about the look in his eyes, the pained despair in his voice as he disowned her. The true reprisals of her betrayal.

But why did she care?

He was a means to an end and always had been. So what if she needed his trust to achieve her goals? So what if casting that same thing aside was what caused them to be within her reach?

Why did it matter if her only friend wanted nothing more to do with her?

Her only friend…

"You're right," Lena decided, killing the feed. "I supposed I was just hoping for any extra edge we could find in fighting the Rangers."

"You need not worry yourself with that," Xaviax replied. "I have the situation well in hand, and soon we will have all we need to complete my plans. You should be preparing for what will come next. No doubt in their desperation, the Power Rangers will attempt some bold, heroic maneuver. We must be ready for when they attempt any rash action."

"Of course, my lord," Lena bowed. "I will prepare at once."

Xaviax nodded and turned to leave, wisping away with the same ethereal silence with which he'd entered. And yet, as he reached the threshold, he stopped, tilting to head to cast a glance back at her.

"Oh, Mileena?" he said aloofly. "Well done in achieving what I asked. It appears my doubt about your usefulness was premature. Keep it up."

And then left, leaving alone before the console.

Xaviax was right. She was useful, she didn't need anything beyond her master's purpose. She would achieve his plans in full, even if took every fiber of her being to do it.

Erika's fist slammed into the punching bag with a howling scream, the tight sack of sand swinging on its chain before it thudded back into her shoulder. It was all she could do not to fall into it, have her arms wrap around to keep her standing, her breaths heaving as her lungs rung dry.

It was all her fault.

He'd told her to wait, to hang back. But no, she had to dive in, just as she always did. Screw everything up, just as she always did. Who was she kidding? She couldn't control herself. Did she really think a few breathing exercises and talking about her feelings were going to stop her from doing something stupid? Blowing it all up for everyone else?

And now the only person that had ever believed in her was gone. Because of her.

Arms shaking, fresh beads of sweat dripping from her brow, Erika levered herself off the punching bag and readied for another bout, jabbing her fist into the stuffed leather as the elevator opened behind her. Moments later, Abbey wandered over to the side of the matt, her expression sullen as it was downtrodden.

"You doing okay?' she asked, although even she couldn't hide the half-heartedness. Not that Erika blamed her, Abbey was probably still reeling. She'd been so close to getting Miguel, only for Mileena to sweep him away once more. Still, Erika was in no mood to entertain the distraction for its own sake.

"What do you think?" she growled as her fist snapped again into the bag.

Abbey nodded in agreement but said nothing else, sitting for a long while in silence with only the thumping of Erika's fists to accompany them. After a few long minutes, she finally broke it.

"Does it help?" she asked. "What you're doing?"

"It's better than the alternative," Erika admitted. At least until she found some Cyberdrones to whale on.

Nodding slow in understanding, Abbey stepped forward, looking over to the spare pair of gloves at the side of the room. "Then do you want a partner?"

Despite its phrasing, it wasn't a request, and moments later the two girls began circling the mat, taking turns as they swiped and blocked in the drill that Ray had taught them.

"No one blames you, you know," said Abbey. "What happened wasn't your fault."

"They should blame me," Erika replied, snapping a sharp jab that Abbey blocked with equal force. "They got to Ray because I broke rank."

"You weren't the only one to go off on their own, remember?" Abbey countered, striking back with a flurry of her own. "I was so worried about Miguel that I didn't even think about you guys. And a great lot of good that ended up doing."

"At least you were following the plan. I just took a charge at Lena because I had an axe to grind."

Their blows were getting faster, the gap between turns shrinking as their fists snapped across the distance. Erika's pace was picking up, but Abbey was giving just as good.

"Do you think you're the only one who wanted a run at Lena?" Abbey asked. "Do you think I don't also want a few terse words with her? And do you think I don't know that the only reason we were running those streets in the first place was because I couldn't take a shot?"

Erika's instinct was to refute it, but the words caught in her mouth, a lie she couldn't utter. Because she had thought it, she had considered it, that were it not for Abbey's hesitance they could've taken down the Dark Ranger the day before, and remained in a state to bring in Miguel when he'd demorphed. But Erika's hesitation was costly, a momentary distraction that disrupted her rhythm. And with no arm rising to block, Abbey's blue glove clocked her in the face.

"I'm sorry!" Abbey squeaked as Erika gasped and stumbled back, her padded fist pressing to her numbing cheek and touching the site of the blow.

It actually wasn't a half-bad punch.

"Better be careful the Carmichael," Erika warned, in jest. "With a jab like that, you might lose your nice-girl status."

"A fat load of good it's done me," said Abbey as she lifted her guard to resume to drill. "All it did was introduce a super-villain into our group, put Miguel right in her crosshairs, and when it came time to do what needed to be done, I froze. You know, I told myself that after last time that I could deal with the fighting if it led to a greater good. But I just don't know if that's me. Monsters made by a computer are one thing, but fighting actual people? But I also want to keep people safe. I don't want to just stand on the sidelines while people get hurt."

"Like Miguel?"

Abbey was already pulling back for a jab when Erika said his name, causing a flinch at the reminder. Then she lowered her fists, like her heart was suddenly no longer in it, and just like that, all of Erika's anger flushed away as well. What replaced it was a saddened panging as she watched her friend wallow in despair. Blaming herself for everything that was unfolding.

Just as Erika had been only a few minutes prior.

"It makes you wonder," Abbey admitted sadly. "Who Ray and Hilary would have picked as Rangers if they'd had any other choice?"

A question that Erika asked herself every day. How a kid from detention, so close to getting herself kicked out of another school, could be trusted with the powers of the Grid? But she'd never doubted Abbey for a second.

"It would always have been you," said Erika. "Even today, Ray was reminding me that deep down, being a Power Ranger isn't about fighting, it's just what they have to do to keep people safe. Helping people, that's the goal. And I don't know anyone who goes so far out of their way to help people like you do. You were the first to put up your hand up to show the new kids around, and while I was doing penal service as the Hub, you were helping out for free just because you believed in it. I don't know anyone on this team that's more deserving of this power than you. It's because of you that people like me have a chance."

And then, as she watched Abbey slowly straighten, posture rising to the words, Erika added, "People like Miguel."

The girl's arms dropped completely, all fight gone as Erika's words hit her. But she didn't shy away, instead turning and looking off into the distance, like her thoughts were smoldering embers, gently stoking into rising flickers.

"I wasn't lying yesterday," Erika admitted. "I was headed down a pretty dark path before all of this. And sure, Ray and his counseling helped, but so have you guys. Honestly more than anything. And I know that I don't make it easy sometimes, but the fact that you took a chance to be friends with me made all the difference in the world. So don't you doubt for a second the power that you have, because it's already done wonders."

Slowly, either through agreement or humoring, Abbey nodded, looking back to Erika with renewed determination.

"It's funny," she realized. "Even though he's not here, I feel like I know what Ray would be telling us."

"Yeah," Erika chuckled. "Life's not a straight line, it zigs and it zags. A setback doesn't make everything that came before it worthless, so long as we keep trying to move forward."

"That," Abbey agreed. "Or something from the 'The Art of War'."

That one cracked a smile in both of them.

"He'd also tell you that you've got a power of your own," Abbey added as their laughter slowly settled. "That you keep us going, keep us fighting, even if it feels like the odds are stacked against us. That you stand strong, even when backed against a wall, and that you help us find it in ourselves to fight as well. This team, we wouldn't have been able to do so much if you didn't hold us up."

Erika wasn't sure how much of that she believed; just a few weeks ago she'd been standing in Abbey's path when she wanted to walk away. She was pretty sure Abbey hadn't appreciated it then. But she took the compliment all the same; it was nice to hear it.

And at last, Erika's rage seemed to have settled. She could still feel it bubbling beneath the surface, but at least now it was a simmer, calm enough to clear her head. To think straight.

She was just about to offer Abbey another round when Hilary's voice sounded over the intercom.

"If you guys are down with your pow-wow," she suggested. "Then you might want to come downstairs. There's something you need to see."

Miguel quietly sat on the bench, calmly waiting as Ray sat beside him in contemplation. He had been patient, slowly telling Miguel his story, of his time as a Power Ranger fifteen years prior. Miguel had so many questions, and every time he interjected Ray would answer them as promised. He even went so far as to explain how he'd met Miguel's friends, the strange turn of events that had led to receiving their own Morphers, of the rules that Ray and his wife had insisted they follow.

Including secrecy.

As Ray explained it, Miguel's guilt swelled, remembering how furious he'd been at Abbey for holding back on him. For keeping a secret that wasn't truly hers to share. A secret he supposed was now his as well. If he ever found a way out of the cell.

But turnabout was fair play, and slowly but surely, Ray steered the conversation toward Miguel. At first, the boy was uncertain, feeling the shame looming like an enveloping tidal wave, like every wrong decision he'd ever made was suddenly remerging all at once. Like they were parading in full display in front of the one person who seemed willing to help him.

But Ray showed no judgment or prejudice, calmly listening as Miguel retold the day Lena had exposed the team's powers to him, of how she'd tricked him into picking up the Dark Morpher.

And then the conversation slowly steered toward why he'd been so hurt in the first place. Of the various homes he'd stayed in, and why he'd left each one. Eventually, he stopped, and Ray didn't urge him to continue, taking it as a sign that he needed the break.

"That's a lot of running," he admitted finally, and again Miguel felt himself shrinking further. Laying it all out, realizing how often his instinct was to retreat, to bail when the going got tough, he felt pathetic. But Ray disagreed. "It sounds exhausting. And I can't imagine you've got much time for anything else when you're always having to look for an exit."

It was. It was exhausting. But if Miguel didn't protect himself, who would? If he didn't trust, he'd push away, and when he did trust, he'd get hurt. He'd become the only one he could ever rely on, all the while being pulled back into the cycle, again and again. Each time telling himself it would be different.

"I don't know how to stop," Miguel said finally. "I keep wanting to try, and I trust the wrong people. And somehow that always ends with the right people walking away from me. I guess, this is the part where your counselor's wisdom tells me how it all gets better, right?"

To his shock, Mr. Granger didn't simply give a clear answer, some sage guidance that would illuminate his path and push his problems away. But instead, he shrugged.

"Honestly?" he said. "I think you've had enough people telling you what to do. It's not about one decision or another, it's about why you make them. It's not wrong to run, running is what keeps us safe. But it also never deals with problems we leave behind, just leaves us hoping that they won't catch up. And the truth is that, sooner or later, one of them will."

"I just don't know what else to do," Miguel admitted. "It feels like if I try to fight it, I just make it worse, and I can't keep things going as they are."

"It's always a tough call to make," Ray agreed. "And it's impossible to know what the right one is without hindsight. But I also know that it's harder to do alone."

"But how I can let anyone help if I keep trusting the wrong people?"

"Because trust isn't all or nothing," Ray said softly. "Trust isn't something that you give without question, something that you just hand over with the assumption someone will do right by you. Trust is something you build, bit by bit; give and take."

"How will I know to give more?" Miguel demanded. "People keep telling me to trust them. Telling me they can't help me if I don't. How do I know whether I'm right to or not?"

"The right people to trust," Ray explained, "never demand it unconditionally. And when you offer them some, they give a little back. True trust takes time; it's something built between two people. Together."

He'd trusted Abbey, but she hadn't trusted him back. Or had she, just not as much as he'd wanted her to? Or was that just because of how much he'd thrown in her direction without even realizing it?

Maybe Ray was right, maybe he did need to slow it down, to be more careful instead of blinding giving because he didn't know what else to do.

"Fight, flight, and freeze," Ray continued. "The three main human responses to fear. None are wrong, all have their purpose, but most of us have to learn to stop relying on one over the others. To find the balance."

"How will I know?" Miguel asked. "How can I tell when to fight instead of flying?"

"When the cost of leaving everything behind is greater than staying and facing it," Ray replied. "But only you can figure out what that cost is, and what it's worth."

Which meant only Miguel could decide how long he could run for.

He wanted to ask more, only for the door to the cell to suddenly fling open, two looming figures standing at the threshold with a squad of Cyberdrones behind them. Lena, with ArcKnight at her side.

"Come along, Dark Ranger," she said coldly. "It's show time."

Miguel snapped up, pressing against the wall as Lena sauntered into the cell.

"Oh, come on," she scoffed. "Don't be like that. I don't have to pull out the command word just yet, do I?"

The threat only stabbed at him further, his breathing tensing as she shot him a look to follow.

"What's going on?" Miguel demanded.

"The Rangers are about to come out to play," Lena replied. "And you're coming along in case they get any funny ideas."

"They're going to barter me for Hilary," Ray explained curtly. "Or, they're going to claim to, anyway."

Lena's face dropped, her expression more mocking than disappointed. "Spoilers, Granger. You take all the fun out of everything."

Ray's eyes narrowed but he said nothing, did nothing. But what could he even do? The former Red Ranger was caged and helpless.

No, Miguel realized, not helpless, waiting. Ray had said that when choosing between fight, flight, and freeze, it was all about the cost, and right now he must have realized that either of the first two options would get him nowhere. Which meant he was looking for an opening.

Give a little to get a little.

"Come along," Lena ordered, already turning her back and returning to the threshold. But Miguel stayed put, his only movement a defiant step in Ray's direction. As she realized he wasn't following, Lena turned back toward him, her face narrowing in growing annoyance. "Did you not…?"

For Ray, it was the time for freezing, and for Miguel, it was time for a fight.

"I heard you," Miguel said boldly before nodding toward Ray. "And we're taking him with us."

"Oh?" Lena realized, shaking her head immediately. "I don't think so. And you're not in a position to make demands."

"I think I am," Miguel argued. "You've got an override sure, but it doesn't last forever, certainly not when I'm fighting it at every step. And the longer those Ranger powers are active, the more power they lose. So sure, you could override me here, steer my body to where you want it to go. But if you want me to fight the Ranges for you, then you'll have a hard time getting me through that fight. But if I were to come willingly…"

It was a dangerous gamble, one hinging on a lot of guesswork and frantic experiences. Both times the Dark Ranger had taken control, Miguel fought against it, each time feeling it was a losing battle until suddenly he was thrown out of morph. He had no idea how long it would take, or if it would even help the Rangers at all. But Miguel didn't need to know that; he just needed to bet that Lena wouldn't take the gamble.

That the price of fighting him was higher than acquiescing.

Lena shot another look at Ray, scowling as she nodded at the Cyberdrones to enter. "If we take him with us," she confirmed, "then you won't fight against it?"

"I won't," Miguel agreed.

The two locked eyes, and for a moment, beneath her plainly worn contempt, Miguel saw something else flicker in Lena's eyes. Hope, or maybe desperation. She wanted to trust him. And she wanted him to trust her.

For now, it was enough.

"Mileena," ArcKnight began to protest. "You are not authorized to-!"

"Silence!" she snarled before looking back at Miguel. "I don't see what you think it'll accomplish, but I'll play your little game. Look alive, Granger. You get to see the sun one last time, next time you see this cell, you'll be sharing it with your wife."

She snapped her figures, and all occupants vanished from the room in a burst of light. And as they did, Miguel could only hope that he hadn't made an enormous mistake.

"Using the scans from your Morphers gathered from your battles, I was able to get a full picture of the powers Miguel's been using," said Hilary. "It's mostly confirmed what we already knew, but yesterday something changed. Just before you fought him, there was a spike in energy. I managed to intercept a transmission, something actively interfering with the Morpher's operating platform."

"What is it?" Abbey asked.

"I wasn't sure at first," Hilary admitted. "But then you caught up to him Abbey, and when Lena issued that command phrase, I got a second look. It's an override code. Miguel's being controlled."

The teens stood there, shocked and staring at the wall of monitors as a twirling display of Miguel's Ranger suit zoomed in and Hilary expanded the lines of code.

"This is what you were working on?" Erika realized. "How can you even work right now? They took your husband. How are you okay?"

"Trust me, I'm far from okay," Hilary said, her voice so calm it was icy. "I'm livid. But letting that take the wheel isn't going to help me get Ray back. So, right now it's a burning fuel that's making sure I get this right." And then she nodded over the other chair, where Zeke was sitting by a keyboard and fresh set of monitors. "Having an assistant helps."

"Zeke?" Abbey realized. "You were helping her with this?"

"I didn't do much," the boy said sheepishly. "Just checked some of the background algorithms while Hilary analyzed the data."

"And it was time well spent," Hilary affirmed. "Because I think I have an answer."

"You think you can help Miguel?"

"I think in Xaviax's petty need for control he made his biggest mistake," said Hilary. "Any computer system is only ever as secure as the number of connections with the outside. Your Morphers are synched to my server, but that's the only way in. That means unless Xaviax can break into the link…"

"He'd need to break into your server to get to Morphers," Erika finished.

"Exactly. There's an old adage in security, you can have either convenience or safety, but having one will always compromise the other. In giving himself an override for the Morpher, Xaviax also gave me a back door."

"That's brilliant!' Abbey exclaimed. "So now you can get in and do your hacker thing?"

"Whoa, slow down there," Hilary warned. "It's still not that simple. Yes, in theory, I could hack in and try to undo the override sequence, but I'd still need to piggyback off the scanning waves emitted by your Morphers. That means the Morpher I use will need to be close, and it has to stay that way."

It would mean engaging the Dark Ranger in a prolonged fight, and they couldn't do it as a group. The Dark Ranger could split them too easily and use the chaos to move away from the focusing Morpher. Whoever it was would need to keep the focus on them.

Which meant they'd be facing him alone.

"Abbey," Erika said. "I know how much Miguel means to you, we'll understand if you want to take this one."

But the redhead shook her head. "Believe me, I want to bring Miguel home more than anything. But that's why I need to think tactically. My bow's only good for fighting things at the range, but I don't think I could hold on that well up close. So far, you're the only one that's gone toe to toe with him and stayed standing, not to mention that it was your Power Axe that managed to land a good blow on him last time. If anyone can do it, it's you."

It was as if all eyes in the room slowly turned toward her, intently focusing as if watching for what Erika would do. It seemed so easy; if there was anyone to take up a fight, it was her. And yet as Erika stared at the screen rolling through the analysis, she hesitated. Abbey's eyes were, knowing full well the difficulty of what she was being asked, a guilty fear panged at Erika's heart instead.

"Are you sure?" she asked nervously. "I mean, this is really important. Not just a bunch of Cyberdrones. What if I lose my cool and screw it up?"

"If there's anyone here that's going to give their all and do whatever they can to bring him back, it's you," Abbey affirmed. "You always pull through when it counts. You've got this."

"I'd hold off on assigning roles just yet," Hilary warned. "There's another risk, and I'd argue this one's even bigger. In using a Morpher to hack into the override bypass, I'll also be opening a doorway back. Whomever it is will be exposed."

"…giving Xaviax a chance to do the same thing to them," Zeke finished grimly.

Abbey's eyes shot wide, spinning back to Erika with a fresh look of terror. "I take it back! I'll do it! I can't let you take that risk for me."

And yet, there was something about the risk, the danger that it presented, that flickered at the embers simmering in Erika's heart, kicking up the sparks and stoking them. A new fury that Erika recognized, one that felt different than anything else she'd experienced. A fury couldn't let Abbey take that risk. That it had to be her.

It could only be her.

"No," Erika decided. "I'll do it. You're right, if I'm our best shot at breaking Xaviax's hold on Miguel, then I have to take it. Being a Ranger is about more than just the fight, it's about standing up to the danger that others can't. Right now, Miguel is someone that needs our help, and we're going to bring him home. Because that's what we do."

While still frightened for her friend, Abbey nodded in renewed resolve, Zeke rising from the seat in solidarity. Ready for the fight, the three stood strong together, just as the alert screen beeped in a warning.

"Good speech," Hilary smiled, "and just in time. Seems our friend Lena's gone out for a stroll, and it looks like she'd brought a few friends."

They all stood together, Lena and the Dark Ranger, down by the rocks on the lakeshore while flanking a handbound Ray on either side. ArcKnight stood beside them, and on the other flank was some sort of large spider, its joints reinforced by bulky, whirring machinery. Its first four limbs stretched out in a humanoid fashion, while the remaining ones curled back like sinister clawed talons.

"Well, I'll admit I haven't seen a spider before,' said Hilary.

"He's done multiple arms before," Zeke noted. "Maybe he's just seeing if going bigger is better?"

"Why are they just standing there?" Abbey asked. "What're they waiting for?"

"Me," Hilary replied. "They made contact not long after they took Ray and made their demands. Just like the night you got your Morphers, they took Ray to get to me."

"But why?" said Zeke. "What does Xaviax want with you?"

"I don't know," she said. "But given everything, it probably has something to do with the Digitizer; it has to be something that Xaviax can't do on his own. They tried before, to take my husband in hopes of leveraging me. Now they've succeeded."

"We can't let them get you," Abbey said firmly. "There's no way Xaviax is getting what he wants."

"Are we missing the other problem here?" Zeke pointed out. "Lena, ArcKnight, Miguel, and the spider-thing? They've got us beat on numbers."

"Not to mention it's probably a double cross," Hilary agreed. "They've got Ray to bargain with me, but there's no way they'll let you take him back."

"Then we split their forces," Erika decided. "I already need to keep the Dark Ranger occupied, which means I need you guys to keep the rest off of me. You don't need to beat them, just hold on long enough for Hilary to work her magic. Abbey, you said you wanted to have a conversation with Lena. Think now's a good time?"

Resolution growing, the girl nodded, steeling back her nerves as her fists tightened in preparation.

"Zeke," Erika decided. "I know it's a big ask, but we need you to deal with the big guy. Your shield is probably the only thing that can be taking a beating from it, long enough for the rest of us to catch up."

"I can do it," Zeke affirmed. "But what about ArcKnight? That still doesn't help us get to Ray."

"I've got a plan for ArcKnight," Erika informed him, hoping her voice was confident enough to mask the lingering uncertainty. "And as for Ray… Hilary, do you have anything that can stop them from getting their hands on you?"

As the programmer caught Erika's eye, a tricky smile crept along her lips.

"As a matter of fact," she replied. "I do…"

The wind snaked along the shore, the soft current of the water's edge lapping against the bank as the four of them approached. There they were, Lena, ArcKnight, that weird spider-thing, and Miguel, already concealed beneath the crimson visor of his black helmet. Ray stood between them, hands tied together, nervously watching his wife and team approach them.

"You actually showed," Lena scoffed. "I thought maybe you'd have had enough."

"We've got plenty more coming," Erika growled. "Let's just get this over with."

"You're not getting me before we get Ray," Hilary warned.

"You are in no position to bargain," ArcKnight growled. "Granger does not leave our custody until we have assurance that you will cooperate."

"Seems like a stalemate," the Dark Ranger chuckled, deep voice rumbling menacingly as he looked at the three unmorphed Rangers.

But beside them, Ray's eye locked with his team, and then with his wife, slowly nodding in understanding before suggesting, "We'll go at the same time."

"You try anything funny, and that'll be the end of you," Mileena scoffed. "Now walk."

Ray and Hilary shared an understanding nod, and the Rangers parted to allow her past as the two slowly walked toward each other. All Erika could do was watch, waiting in bated anticipation as the married couple moved closer to the center, step by agonizing step. Mileena's hand was on her weapon, ArcKnight too was watching for a sudden move.

They had to time things just right.

Then, as they reached the center, Ray crossed the mark, and Hilary bellowed out the signal.

"NOW!"

Erika's hand thrust forward, unleashing a torrent of lightning as Abbey and Zeke lunged at Ray. Mileena snarled as the sparks kicked in her face, stopping just long enough to hesitate, while the other two teens snatched Ray and reeled him in. The Dark Ranger lunged, diving for Hilary before the team could make a break for her.

But as he reached her, his hands never made contact. Instead, they moved right through her.

Her whole from flicked, the Dark Ranger moving helplessly through as Hilary turned around and chuckled.

"Only one thing left to say," Hilary smirked, whole body holographic as Mileena snarled toward her flickering form. "Psyche!"

And then she vanished.

On the other side, Ray spun around, safely beside his. Rangers. They stood tall and together, Morphers flashing to their wrists as they readied their keycards.

"Ray, the car's just behind us. Get into it and go," Erika ordered. "Hilary's waiting for you at the lab. You guys ready?"

She stepped forward, and without missing a beat, the others did the same, all of them in lock-step.

"Ready!"

Ray didn't waste a second, taking off as the Rangers brought the cards to the devices, grinding them through the slot as they bellowed the command to unleash the power of the grid.

"Server Force! Login Access!"

The light surrounded them, full power flushing from the Morphers to consume their bodies and imbue them as willful hosts. The suits materialized within the light, wrapping around their limbs as superhuman strength settled in. Then helms encased them, visors flashing across their vision as the light faded and the three stood strong together, morphed and ready.

Beside them, Mileena growled, snarling as she stared at her three colored foes, and all three Rangers locked onto their targets.

"What's the matter, Mileena?" Erika taunted. "Bad case of butterfingers?"

"You can laugh all you want, Red Ranger," Mileena snarled back, "but I'll still get the last one."

Then their enemies lunged, and the Ranger moved to meet them.

Abbey's bow whipped high, a fresh volley of arrows unfurling from the knocking, blasting Mileena from the air as she lunged to follow up. As ArcKnight and Dark Ranger continued, Zeke surged forward, dropping and skidding between them as his shield flashed to his forearm to pummel the giant spider to hold it at bay. As the two warriors vaulted for their prey, Erika leaped backward, soaring with a graceful backflip that lured her enemies further away.

Their stage had been set, their positions taken. Now Erika just had to hope that she could hold them.

Continuing her retreat, every step leaped deeper into the rocks as ArcKnight and the Dark Ranger pursued. Two against one, not good odds, but Erika had a plan. It wasn't the time for fighting, not them. Not when they would do it for her.

Her foot hit a rock, knees bracing to move again as Erika's attackers lunged forward. Both were formidable, but they weren't a team, and both were determined to be the ones to take her down. Which meant they weren't minding each other, and that would only work to her benefit.

As ArcKnight and the Dark Ranger charged, Erika ducked and rolled, their blades soaring above her, too close for either Erika's comfort or to dodge each other. And while the Dark Ranger glid beneath ArcKnight's blow, the other was far too slow. The Dark Saber sheared against his armor, sparks bursting from the impact as ArcKnight growled and stumbled back, head whipping around to his begrudging ally.

"Watch where you're swinging!"

"Watch where you're stepping," the Dark Ranger replied. "Or better yet, just stay out of my way!"

"I thought this was meant to be a rematch," Erika scoffed. "What's the matter? Scarred you can't beat me with your friend?"

This was her big gamble, that the Dark Ranger program was proud enough to face her alone, or at least in failing that, ArcKnight would be unwilling to share the glory. Either way, playing them off each other was the best hope Erika had. She just prayed that there was enough animosity to work with.

"You have had your opportunity to defeat the Red Ranger," ArcKnight snarled. "And you failed dismally. Stand back and allow a real warrior to take command."

"Tough talk from someone who was groveling yesterday," the Dark Ranger replied. "Or do I need to remind you of what happened?"

"You know, this really is between us," Erika told the Dark Ranger as she nodded to ArcKnight. "He's just getting in the way."

"I couldn't agree more."

"WHAT?"

The Dark Ranger turned, Saber already glowing as Erika's axe readied to strike. She waited to let the Dark Ranger lunge first before following in behind, ArcKnight too shocked by the betrayal to prepare in time. The weapons struck, one after the other, sending the warrior careening to the rock, booming the energy from the strikes exploded.

Completing their movement, both Rangers turned, and ArcKnight gasped as he struggled to his feet.

"This betrayal will not be forgotten," he snarled. "You best pray to succeed in the Ranger's destruction, or else our Master's wrath will be furious indeed!"

Clutching his side, ArcKnight snapped up his hand, retreating in a vanishing flash of green to leave the two Rangers alone. With their adversary gone, both turned, staring each other down as they readied their weapons.

"All right, Hilary," Erika said quietly into the com. "I've got him alone. Let's do this."

"Engaging the link now," Hilary confirmed. "Good luck, Red."

Because she was going to need it.

Her grip tightened, wringing out her fear through her fist as Erika watched the Dark Ranger stare coldly back. This time, he didn't move; he'd learned from last time. He knew that she'd come to him.

Breathe.

Anger's a fuel, not a driver.

She could do this.

"Hold on Miguel," Erika breathed. "We're coming."

And then she lunged for the Dark Ranger and swung with all the fury she could muster.