The city moved quickly, the police perimeter quickly formed to cordon off the area. The mayor made a statement soon after, urging people not to panic, and to stay away from the targeted area, all the while assuring them that all would be fine. All victims of the monster's transformation were going to be okay; his best people were on it.

His best person was Hilary.

Zeke and Miguel had barely retreated from the scene, clutching the transfigured Erika and Abbey to bring to the lab for examination, when Hilary's redirected office intercom began to buzz. It was Jessica, letting her know that the Mayor was on line one. And it was urgent.

Great. She was this close to getting a normal weekend, maybe actually getting a chance to do her day job properly and keep the museum running, and Hilary silently cursed herself for even dreaming that it was possible. She should have known that more than a week between monster attacks was a blessing, and even then it was usually a sign that their enemy was up to even less good than usual. All Hilary needed now was for that top-secret email she was expecting to come through and deny her request. Then she'd be having a grand old time.

Instead, she had the drive between the Museum and Main Street and think of a line for when the inevitable questions started rolling. How to explain that she was already working on a solution, despite having not yet officially examined the scene or the victims? Or that her likely solution involved an experimental piece of technology that was operating in a secret lab underneath the public-funded museum?

Future Hilary's problems.

Right now, she just needed to get her Rangers back to normal. Then she could deal with the fallout from how they ended up in this mess to begin with. Scratch that; that was Ray's department.

Approaching the sawhorses, the patrolman waved Hilary through, over to where the Mayor was trying to back away from the picket line of reporters. Wiry and lean, with a balding head that made him look far older than Hilary suspected he actually was, the public official looked at the collection of microphones and cameras like they were a mob with torches and pitchforks.

"Mayor Fielding? Cassidy Cornell, Channel Three News. What words do you have for the families of the victims of this evening's attacks?"

"Not to worry; the city is doing all it can to restore them to normal."

"The city has been experiencing these attacks for months now. What is the city doing to keep the citizens safe?"

"I have complete faith in Law Enforcement to ensure the safety of Lakeview's citizens."

"Do you consider the impact of tonight's attacks and escalation from previous events?"

"Tonight is an isolated incident. Now if you excuse me, I'm late for a briefing with the authorities."

He caught Hilary's eyes, almost pleading for a rescue as he motioned deeper into the quarantined scene where the reporters couldn't follow.

"Please tell me you can restore them to normal," he begged her.

"I have some theories, I'll know more when I've inspected them," Hilary replied. At least the mayor's paranoia about his image seemed to be stopping him from questioning her too greatly, and Hilary suspected that if she got a result fast enough he'd be too grateful to wonder how. Still, Hilary was all too aware of how much time she wasting with the charade of ignorance. "How many were affected?"

"Twelve," said Fielding. "The police have gathered them up for your inspection."

"Good," Hilary decided. "Have them sent to the museum. My lab should be able to run some tests, then we'll know what we can do."

Their conversation was cut short by the sudden sound of gasping. Both of them spun, watching as the collection of cameras began strobing like a rave, the horde descending on a single point before being forced to part by men in sunglasses and dark suits. Standing between them, like Moses before a journalistic Red Sea, was Davian Scolex.

Hilary's eyes narrowed, wondering what on earth he could be doing there.

"Mr. Mayor, I came as soon as I heard," he explained, stern explain softening into a smile as he noticed Hilary standing beside the mayor. "Good to see you've already called in the experts."

"Davian!" the mayor gasped in greeting. "What're you doing here?"

"I heard the reports on the news and came to offer my support." The comment was directed at the Mayor, only for Scolex's attention to once again turn to Hilary. "Dr. Hawkins, I want you to know that all of Cyberdyne's resources are at your disposal. Whatever you need, it's yours."

"Mr. Scolex," Hilary replied. "That's generous of you. But I do have a lab of my own."

"The best, I'm sure, given what's at your disposal," Scolex replied. "But you and I both know there's a limit to your resources when you're on the public dime. Please, let me help."

Dammit.

Hilary knew he was right, at least as far as the Mayor was concerned. Her publicly available funds were more limited, and even that aside, Scolex had far more manpower to throw at the problem. She was just one woman, and would more than likely have to run through a whole host of solutions until she found a way to change the people back. If Scolex's people were looking at methods that didn't involve the Digitizer, then it meant she could focus on the ones that did. The man may have made Hilary uneasy, but today he was there to help.

It was his city too.

"Take the bulk of them to Cyberdyne and start running diagnostics," she instructed. "I'll take one or two to my lab at the museum and start running tests there."

"Are you sure?' Scolex asked. "Because you can use the equipment at my…"

Hilary cut him off. "Whatever time your tech is going to save me, I'm going to waste finding my way around. These people need help now; if you have something I need, I'll let you know."

For a moment, it looked like Scolex was going to argue further but instead nodded firmly in confirmation. "I'll have them brought there right away," he declared. And then he turned, gesturing and barking orders at his men as they split to gather the victims.

Watching the mayor turn to give the press the good news, Hilary couldn't help but hold her breath in anticipation, hoping she could find the answer they needed.

Not just for the city.

For her team.

They were celebrating as she strode into the chamber, Ender's newest creation having landed their greatest victory yet. As far as Lena was concerned, it was premature revelry at best.

"I wouldn't pat yourselves on the back just yet," she warned snidely as she came up behind them. "Last I counted, there are still two more Rangers."

"Lena, Lena, Lena," Ender tutted, "always with the negativity. We've got two Rangers stuck on the shelf like collector's items. Come on, we can enjoy the moment while we have it."

"Are you going to be so relaxed when Xaviax finds out you've broken all his toys again?" Lena retorted, readying her fingers for some air quotes, "Is this time going to be "totally different"?"

Ender's face dropped, his permanent grin falling to a scowl of annoyance as Lena looked over at Dollface.

"No offense," she added. "I'm sure you're great. But, let's be honest, the Rangers have a bad habit of turning even the most seemingly invincible monster into a pile of ash."

"Why should I be offended?" Dollface replied. "I've only managed to achieve what none of you could. I've taken two Rangers out of the fight, and from what I heard you could barely manage one."

"I gave the others an opening when I managed to tangle up the Dark Ranger," Lena replied. "It's just unfortunate that these knuckleheads couldn't take advantage on time. Maybe if they'd struck sooner, their monster plan wouldn't have been undone by an unfortunately timed fire alarm. The Dark Ranger took them by such surprise that ArcKnight didn't even have a chance to get down there… not that it would have mattered."

In the corner, the battered warrior glowered in her direction, posture stiffening as he tried to hide his injuries.

"Do you have a point to all of this posturing, Mileena?" Xaviax's voice curled from the other side of the room, their dark master striding in from the shadows as all others kneeled.

"Master," Lena replied. "You have made your point. My gambit with Dark Ranger failed, and your displeasure has been expressed. If your aim is torture by forcing me to witness such dazzling displays of incompetence, then you have succeeded. But you should know that continuing to do so will only harm your plans more greatly than any pain you wish to inflict upon me."

Again, both Ender and ArcKnight grimaced angrily, clearly displeased by her sudden insult before their benefactor. Beside them, Dollface giggled in amusement at the drama unfolding before her. But Lena's attention was fixed upon Xaviax, his steel mask lowering ever so slightly to betray his internal considerations.

Be her own person. She'd show Granger. Once she had his precious Rangers squirming at her feet, she'd show him just how much of her own person she could be.

"So, what are you suggesting, Mileena?" Xaviax finally.

"It's time we picked up the pressure," Lena decided. "Pawns are good for trading. And Knights, while powerful and with their uses, are limited in their application."

"Are you going to continue boring us with metaphors like we're stuck in one of your high school classes?" Ender snarled. "Or are you going to say something interesting?"

"It's simple," Lena replied. "It's just like Ender's monster here has proven. If you want to take important pieces off the board, you send in your queen…"

Zeke could only stare at the table, Erika and Abbey's tiny, static forms propped upright by wire stands, the expressions on their new, plastic complexions frozen in eerie likeness.

Maybe coming down here was a mistake.

He'd wanted to feel useful, to do something, anything, to try and rectify his mistake. But by the time Zeke had returned to the lab that morning, Hilary already had things well in hand. She nodded toward him as he entered, and only when she saw the coffee tray that he was carrying did Hilary stop what she was doing to more actively acknowledge his presence.

"Any luck?" Zeke asked as Hilary knocked back a few chugs before returning to the strange device she was waving over the dolls like a black light.

"A little," Hilary explained. "I'm trying to get a thorough readout of their current composition. If I can get a good idea of the process that did this to them, then I can use the Digitizer to reverse it."

Zeke's face lit up as she mentioned it. Of course! Xaviax's monsters were created with the Digitizer, so it made sense that their abilities ran on the same principles. And what had once been done could then be undone in the same way. At least, he hoped.

"You sure it'll work?" Zeke asked.

"It's a hunch, based on something that happened to me when I was a Ranger," Hilary said. "One of Gideon's monsters shrunk me down to six inches tall. Once we figured out I'd been compressed, like a ZIP file, we managed to rejig the Digitizer to return me to normal."

Whoa… back up.

"Six inches?" Zeke asked, unable to contain his disbelief.

"I'd say it's a long story," Hilary admitted. "But there isn't much else to it. Not unless you want to listen to stories about awkward teen romance."

At the mention of the topic, Zeke's face dropped. No, that was the last thing he wanted to hear about.

It was…

His heart sunk further, unable to take his eyes off the strange forms his friends were trapped in, looking like they'd be right at home in a frilly pink aisle, on sale for $9.99. The forms that they wouldn't be trapped in if it weren't for him.

"It really screwed up," Zeke said sadly. "This is all my fault."

This would normally have been the part where Abbey would have assured him that it wasn't all on him, or where Ray would be offering some sage advice to shift his perspective. But Hilary simply stood there in silence, head slowly nodded as if she didn't know what else to say.

"Yeah," she agreed. "Not exactly your finest hour."

Yup, that sure made him feel better all right.

"Sorry, kiddo," Hilary added, almost guilty as she watched Zeke's expression sink even further. "I'm not quite as good at the pep talks. You want the blow softened, Ray's your guy."

"Where even is Ray, anyway?" Zeke asked, only for Hilary to nod toward the monitors at the back of the room. Looking closer, Zeke noticed that the team's mentor was on the training floor, bracing against a punching bag, Miguel pounding against it from the other side.

Okay, so Ray was busy. No need to bother him.

Zeke was pretty sure that if he stepped onto that training mat with Miguel anywhere near it, the boy would make it his life's mission to make Zeke hit it as many times as possible. Not that he didn't deserve it.

"I don't think I'm Miguel's favorite person right now, either," he said sullenly.

"He'll cool off," said Hilary, although Zeke could tell from her tone she wasn't entirely convinced. He shot her a look, saying as much, to which she simply shrugged. "Look, I don't know what you want me to tell you. Erika made a plan, and it was a good one. But you were too distracted about whatever it is that's going on with you and Abbey, so it all fell apart. That's it, that's the story."

That just made Zeke sink even deeper into a spiral of shame. And yet, it wasn't Hilary's surgical deconstruction of his mistakes that was making him want to run away and hide in a corner, vanish from the world. No, it was something else. It was Abbey.

"Am I really that obvious?" he asked, desperately hoping he didn't know the answer she was about to give him.

To his surprise, Hilary shrugged, wandering over to join him at the terminals as the screen lit up to load the readings. "I'm the last person that's got any right talking about their not-so-subtle crushes; although in my case, Ray seemed completely oblivious anyway."

His head lifted. He had no idea that Hilary had once been as awkward with her husband as things were between him and Abbey. Maybe…?

"Really?" he asked hopefully.

"Oh, big time," Hillary replied. "In Ray's defense, I was just as oblivious to the apparently obvious signals he was sending me. Drove our team nuts, especially my brother."

Maybe that's what was going on. Maybe Abbey was sending him signals, and he just didn't realize it. Maybe she really did feel that way, but he was missing the obvious. While she canceled plans with him. To hang out with Miguel.

To "study" with Miguel.

No, that didn't make Zeke feel any better at all, and any temporary elation that the idea had given him vanished like smoke in a sudden breeze, the sudden drop only deepening his sulking.

He just didn't get it. What was he missing? What didn't he have? He was always there for her, always by her side. How could they be so close, only for her to not realize that he was right there?

Abbey meant the world to him, she was the most amazing girl on the planet! But to her, he was just… Zeke. Nothing special. He never was, and all he ever seemed to do was to make things harder for her.

Defeated, Zeke plunked down into the empty chair, the very next sentence escaping before he even knew it was coming; a stray thought, voicing itself into the world.

"Hilary?"

"What's up?"

"How do you get a girl to like you?"

It was all he could think to do, to ask the painful question that everyone else just seemed to naturally know. Miguel had been in town all of three months, and Abbey was practically fawning over him. Hell, Erika had barely completed her parole from detention and she didn't seem to have trouble getting a girlfriend. What was it about him that people found so unappealing?

Hearing Zeke's pained query, Hilary spun around her chair and looked at him, eyes filled with sympathy as she reached and gently touched his wrist in comfort.

"Oh, honey," she said. "You don't."

It was like a gut punch; a wrecking ball that had swung in to demolish the final, tiny home that sheltered his hope. Like the Megazord had set its sights on his remaining sliver of optimism and shattered it to atoms with a Cyber Power Strike.

"But," Zeke tried to argue, hearing how pathetic it sounded before he'd even finished. "You and Ray…"

"Were terrified for the longest time that how we felt would ruin our friendship," Hilary finished for him. "For so long, neither of us did anything because, if the other didn't feel the same way, then it could mean the end of everything we had. Sure, we worked out, but there are also a million ways it could have not. Because if one of us felt one way, and the other didn't, there was no changing that. We just got lucky."

Wow, she wasn't kidding; motivational speeches were not Hilary's strong suit. Seeing him sink deeper into disappointment, the programmers changed tack.

"Look at it this way," she said. "Everything you love about Abbey is what makes her who she is. But what makes her who she is, also informs who she's interested in. It doesn't mean that she doesn't value you, it doesn't make your friendship anything less. It just means that she's looking for something different."

"I just wish I knew what that was," Zeke said sadly.

"Why, so you can be it?" Hilary scoffed. "So, you can find a way to become this perfect man that maybe even Abbey doesn't know she wants yet? Okay, let's say you do that. You figure out exactly who Abbey would want to date, and you become that person. And then what? Because I can see one big, glaring flaw with that plan."

Zeke couldn't. Actually, it sounded pretty good.

"It wouldn't be you," Hilary answered for him. "At best, you'd be an imitation; a lie you'd have to live. Abbey still wouldn't be dating you, she'd be dating this fake person who exists only because you think she'd want them to. Whatever she'd have, whatever love or happiness, wouldn't be real either. And I think both of you deserve more than that."

So there really was no hope. No matter what Zeke did, it would never work. Doomed to long for the perfect girl from a distance, like a personally devised hellscape.

"Listen," Hilary said. "I'm not going to tell you that it doesn't suck; I get it, it does. But I also know that if you keep holding on, if you keep looking to Abbey in some desperate hope that things are going to change, then you might just lose her for good."

What?

No…

Zeke's head snapped up, jaw in disbelief as he stammered for some sort of logical counterpoint, "I wouldn't let that happen."

And yet, even as Zeke said it, his eyes wafted back to the bench, where Abbey's miniaturized form stood frozen on display. He didn't think he'd let it happen, but it would. It already was. He was putting her in danger.

Hurting her.

All because he was clinging to a dream that would never be real.

"Holding on to hope that Abbey's interest might one day change," said Hilary, "all it's doing is burdening her with unfair expectations, over something she can't even control. And if you're not careful, that expectation could turn into resentment. You'll be so consumed by not having her as a girlfriend that you lose her friend."

And then Abbey wouldn't even be in his life at all. They'd been inseparable for as long as Zeke could remember, and yet, on the path he was walking down, that could well change forever. Irreparably.

"How do I do it?" Zeke asked dejectedly, feeling the weight of realization grab ahold and begin to drag him. "How do I even begin to just move from someone as amazing as her? How can I look into her in the eyes every day, wishing so badly for things to be different, knowing that they won't?"

But then again, was it really so different from what he was doing already?

"You start by accepting that Abbey's choices are her own," Hilary replied softly. "By accepting that just while she doesn't feel the same, Abbey still cares about you a lot. That just because it may never be anything other than platonic, your friendship isn't anything less. And that you're still worth something, even if you're not who Abbey wants to be with. Not like that."

Slowly, Zeke began to nod, acknowledging the reality that for so long he'd desperately wanted to deny. But even as he did, vowing to not allow his feelings to destroy his most important friendship, another thought hit him, one that sunk him to the lowest he'd ever felt.

Was it too late? Would Abbey even want anything to do with him after being responsible for her condition? First things first, he needed to get her out.

Right on cue, the terminal beeped, signaling the completion of the scan.

"I knew it!" Hilary cheered. "They have been compressed. That means I should be able to use the Digitizer to return them to their normal size."

But the elation was only momentary, her dropping just as quickly upon scrolling through the collected data.

"But, resizing them like this will still leave them wrapped in plastic," she realized. "Fantastic."

Zeke could only watch as Hilary's eyes narrowed, more closely examining the data report as he turned around and stared at the two dolls. There had to be a way. If the size change was caused by data compression, then maybe the rest of the physical transformation was similar.

"Does your data say what's going on internally?" he asked nervously, almost dreading the answer. "I mean, are they plastic all the way through?"

Hilary's gaze snapped to him as if the comment had awakened a further idea before she began frantically typing. "They're not," she realized. "It looks like the plastic is an outer layer around the skin. Even the synthetic hair is just wrapping around the natural strands."

"Like a data skin!" Zeke concluded. "It's a front, or an interface to cover what's ticking underneath. They haven't been transformed; they've been contained."

"Something that's much easier to reverse!" Hilary began frantically typing as lines and lines of algorithm unrolling across the screens. With a curt nod, her eyes refusing to budge from their task, she motioned at Zeke.

"Set the two of them up on the floor," she ordered, before opening the com. "Ray, Miguel? You guys are going to want to get down here."

Moving quickly, Zeke shot to the table, carefully picking up Abbey and placing her on an open space of ground.

Please work. Please, please work.

He was right in the middle of doing the same with Erika when the elevator doors signaled Ray and Miguel's arrival.

"We think we've got something," Zeke said, hoping that a positive sign was enough to cut off any withering glare he was about to receive. He was close enough.

"Decompression?" Ray asked his wife.

"Aww, that's so sweet," Hilary smiled. "I know that you have no idea what it means, but I love that you remembered."

Ray winked at her as both Zeke and Miguel looked at her nervously.

"So, this will work right?" Miguel asked. "This will change them back?"

"Zeke figured out the half I was missing," Hilary confirmed, punching a few keys as a whirring sounded from above. A robotic arm moved on its railing, guiding a downward-facing nozzle above the two dolls. "We're going to zap them up in the Digitizer, removing the corrupting influence, and rematerialize them."

Oh, that was more involved than he was expecting. Zeke couldn't help but pull a face, noticing Miguel mirroring him as they both looked at Hilary. "That's… safe, right?"

The look on her face said that he didn't, in fact, want an answer. "If it makes you feel any better, I've had it done to me."

"And what was it like?" Miguel asked.

"Let's just say it's a good thing that I'm on standby," Ray admitted uneasily.

Right.

But what else could they do?

Zeke and Miguel looked at each other, and then, as if sharing the same thought, slowly looked down at Abbey's doll. If they wanted her back, then this was what they had to do.

"Do it," Zeke decided, Miguel also nodding with the all-clear.

"Stand back," Hilary warned. "Here goes…"

She hit the button, and the nozzle flashed with light blue light. It flared down, a glowing, translucent cone that consumed the two upright dolls. Then, as the glowing grew white hot, the tiny toys began to grow, swelling in size as they enlarged to their regular heights. It was all Zeke could do to keep looking, almost squinting as the light threatened to blind him. But he refused to look away, insistent on watching his friends return.

Please, he begged. Please…!

The bodies continued to glow, the light pulsating with fresh intensity as all the machinery's whirring grew louder and louder, more and more power flowing from the Digitizer as the machine rewrote them. And then there was a flash, and all the machinery fell silent at once. Standing in the lab where the dolls had stood, were Abbey and Erika, blinking in disbelief. Both girls slowly turned and stared at each other, taking in their seemingly sudden change in circumstance.

"It worked!" Zeke exclaimed, about to run over only before Miguel beat him to it. He rushed past, throwing his arms around Abbey in desperate relief.

"You're okay!"

Abbey's face melted from confusion to relaxing bliss, mimicking Miguel's embrace as she pulled him into her arms.

"I'm okay," she smiled.

For a moment, Zeke's heart twanged with envy; not too long ago, he'd have been the person that Abbey would have embraced with relief. But Miguel was the person for her now. And as Zeke stood there, watching the two slowly step away with a sudden, nervous self-consciousness, he breathed in and let it happen.

Abbey was safe, and she was secure. He couldn't ask for more.

"I'm fine too, by the way," Erika noted, "I'm good without the hug though."

"Guys, I'm so sorry," Zeke told them. "I didn't think and I blew the plan all to hell. It's my fault that you got hit with that."

Both girls nodded, but at first, they said nothing, and Zeke slunk back in understanding. It was going to take more than words to make up for it.

"You were able to change us back," Abbey realized. "Can you do the same for everyone else that was affected?"

"I can," Hilary admitted. "But it might take a few tweaks. The rest are over at Cyberdyne's labs; our local billionaire wanted to help. The problem with using the Digitizer to help you is that I'll have to find a way to explain my solution without drawing attention to the device."

"Hang on," Zeke realized, "I might have something for that!"

He spun around, shooting back to the terminal and pulling up the scan report.

"Look!" he realized. "There was something else going on here, it might be why you had a hard time pinning down the solution. The data that was keeping them as dolls wasn't just locking them in place, it was transmitting!"

All of them looked back at him, surprised at his conclusion.

"Transmitting," Erika asked. "Transmitting what?"

"He's right," Hilary confirmed, checking the data the Zeke had highlighted. "Of course! Something like his would have taken a whole lot of energy, and it would have to be constantly shifting to account for the victims' attempts to break free. It would need something to direct it, to send updates from the code before the old program degraded. It's responding to an outside signal."

"But where's it going to?" Miguel asked.

This time it wasn't Hilary or Zeke that replied.

"The monster," said Ray. "Dollface is the key."

"So what?" Erika checked. "We blow her up, and everybody changes back?"

"Seems like a safe bet," Hilary agreed. "Good thing we just brought back two Rangers."

Just the nick of time, as the alarm sounded barely a heartbeat later. Dollface was back, and this time she'd picked up some friends. They all gathered around, Ray's face dropping as he saw the full force marching beside the monster.

"Looks like Lena's decided her time on the bench is done," Erika noted.

"ArcKnight must have finished licking his wounds too," Miguel agreed.

"They're trying to put pressure on you," Hilary noted. "Last time they were a handful with just ArcKnight backing them up. They're going to be harder this time."

"We'll manage," Erika replied, nodding to others as they began to move to the elevator.

But Zeke saw something else, looking at the marching formation as a plan began to form.

"Wait," he called back. "Maybe we should slow down."

"Slow down?" Erika scoffed. "You want to hold back when we've just got the team back to full strength?"

Zeke couldn't help it, a sly smile spreading across his lips as he nodded with absolute certainty. "But Dollface doesn't know that…"

People were fleeing, scampering to safety as the menacing parade marched along the street. Dollface cackled with maniacal glee, her transformative blast soaring to transfigure more fleeing victims as terror spread in her wake. Beside her, Lena and ArcKnight marched silently, fully armored and ready as the former smirked at the unfolding chaos.

Ready to reign destruction upon the city.

Suddenly they were halted; twin beams bursting from the sky and scattering at their feet as the forces stopped in their tracks. With a triumphant cheer, the Yellow and Dark Rangers somersaulted into view, and Lena's face twisted into a snarl as she looked upon the two defiant warriors.

"Back for more playtime?" Dollface giggled. "Or are you done with your new toys already?"

"We saw you brought more friends," Zeke retorted, "thought we'd join the fun."

"Well, you know what they say," the monster replied. "It's always important to share your toys."

"Leave them to us," Lena snarled. "You go on to the city."

As she and ArcKnight stepped forward, Zeke and Miguel braced themselves, reinforcing their stances as they readied for the bout.

Here goes nothing.

"Off we go, boys," Dollface laughed, the Cyberdrones scrambling to follow as she twirled and called back to her allies. "Have fun!"

The monster took off, skipping back down the road she'd come from as Lena and ArcKnight shifted themselves to block the Rangers' path.

"Shall we?" Lena snarled.

ArcKnight nodded. "We shall."

The two lunged, launching hard across the street to engage the pair of Rangers. Zeke braced his shield, holding firm as Miguel spun behind him, the barrier colliding with ArcKnight's weapon in a deafening boom. With barely a moment to react, Zeke hurled the warrior back. The dark knight staggered as the boys split, leaping in two directions as Lena plunged and her blade sliced the abandoned concrete. With the boys now separated, ArcKnight and Lena were back-to-back, turning to face their selected opponents.

A sucker for punishment with an axe to grind, ArcKnight had chosen Miguel, and Lena sauntered forward to look at Zeke like a wolf would its prey. Then she pounced. A sharp jolt across the battlefield, her olive-green armor barely a flash as her glowing blade swiped for the kill. Zeke had barely a second, leaping back with his shield whipping between them, colliding with the blade as his momentum caught the blow and sent him soaring back. He landed firm, knees bending to embrace the impact as his shoulders spun to face her again.

"Poor, Yellow Ranger," Lena chuckled, continuing to her slow walk toward him. "All alone, with nowhere to go. No real weapon to hit with, and no other Rangers to save you."

"Don't be so sure about that!"

Lena's eyes bulged, head whipping around to the voice as Erika launched into view. As his opponent stared in horror at the surprise Red Ranger, Zeke saw his chance and took it. His hand whipped to his belt, ripping free the Security Pistol to open fire. The shot hounded from the barrel, the only warning Lena was getting as she spun and battered the laser away. Exactly what Erika needed.

With a mighty battle cry, she brought down the glowing Axe, the sharp edge flaring as it sheared across the armored plating, sparks burst from the fissure as Lena went rocketing away. She landed in a crouch, skidding the final few feet as her head whipped up and glared with pure hatred.

"You!" Lena snarled. "But you were transformed!"

"I get better," Erika smirked before nodding back at Zeke. "I've got this covered, go show that doll our refund policy!"

"Right!"

Zeke spun around, Erika's red uniform blurring behind she launched to intercept Lena. Beside him, he caught in the corner of his vision the flashes of Miguel's battle with ArcKnight, the robotic warrior consumed by his hubris in a furious attempt to overwhelm the Dark Ranger. History put the odds on Miguel, but until a retreat was forced, ArcKnight was also keeping him out of the fight.

It didn't leave much to deal with Dollface, and Zeke just had to hope that his plan was going to work.

"Alright," he breathed into the com as he took off after the monster, "I'm on my way. Let's let them know we're here!"

He saw them just ahead, Dollface joyfully reveling in the terror of the populace as the Cyberdrones trashed the surrounding street.

Now!

Zeke leaped up, springboarding off a parked car to flip high into the air. Crossing over the enemy forces, he squeezed down on his pistol, unloading a burning rain down upon the Cyberdrones. Yellow bolts crashed into the ground as he soared, blasting the robots to bits as another barrage flung past him. Graceful arrows of blue energy sliced through the air around him to pierce the remaining henchmen and send them clattering to the ground.

Dollface snarled as Zeke landed and spun around to make sure their enemy could see well past him. At Abbey, lowering her bow and delivering a taunting glare.

"You!" Dollface gasped. "How are you back?"

"Sorry," Abbey replied. "Turns out I'm too old for dolls."

Enjoying the monster's moment of confusion, Zeke repositioned his shield and readied. This was the risky part, that all he'd observed and suspected until now were correct. That his shield could withstand her transformative beam; that Abbey was at just the range to support without being in immediate harm. And if push came to shove, Hilary's haphazard modifications to their suits would save them from falling victim to her blast. On the first hit at least.

"All right, Barbie," Zeke taunted, beckoning her from behind the shield. "Let's go party."

The two girls danced the street, a deadly duel between Ranger and android as neither willed to relent. Erika ducked beneath a blow, the glowing sword slicing down and cleaving clean through a postbox as she took the opening to counter. Lena leaped away, twisting midair with a flourish of her blade as she readied to reengage. The sword flashed up as the axe came down, edge meeting pommel as the weapons locked and the snarling teens pushed further.

"You're slowing down," Erika taunted. "Should have put more effort into gym."

"You're getting lazy," Lena snarled back. "Maybe you need more time in detention."

Both tried to throw the other, strength equally matched as they hurled themselves away and their feet skidded on the footpath.

Dammit.

Zeke's plan hinged on Erika dealing with Lena quickly, and it was only now that she realized that none of them had a full picture of her abilities. Every engagement they'd had until now had been cut short, decided more by turning the tide of battle than a clear victor of strength.

Erika was holding her own, but Lena was matching, and the longer the duel went on, the longer Zeke and Abbey were stuck fighting Dollface alone. One of two things needed to happen, either Miguel needed to mop up ArcKnight, or Erika needed a way to turn the tables. Or she would have if there wasn't suddenly another pressing problem.

A tiny scream ripped through the street; Erika spun around to see a tiny girl, barely older than six, stumbling around the ruined street and wailing for her mom. Erika's heart seized, watching as the girl wandered beneath a sparking, neon sign whose bolts were in desperate threat of breaking.

Any second, and the girl would be prey as the sign broke free of its bonds and plummeted to the concrete.

"No!"

Erika gasped, but the scream hadn't come from her. It had come from Lena, who was already lunging before Erika could pounce. The Red Ranger took off after, watching in the terrified realization that she wasn't going to reach the child in time!

But Lena was.

The armored warrior landed, springing out with her arms outstretched as Lena swept the tiny girl from her feet, launching further away. Erika was forced to skid to a stop as the sign plummeted. The rigid mass of the metal, plastic card, and electronics crashed to the ground as Erika staggered clear, head whipping around and scanning desperately for any sign of Lena and the child. They were just on the other side of the road. Erika was already moving, lunging at the enemy warrior with renewed fury.

"Hey!" she barked, "Get away from her!"

But the child wasn't harmed, in fact, Lena was already kneeling, gently placing her back on the concrete, far from harm.

"Thank you, nice lady, 'mam," the girl said innocently, looking off to see a teary woman waving her down. Like an instinctive homing beacon, the girl took off, running into her mother's arms to be swept up in a relieved embrace.

Erika staggered to a halt, unable to do anything but stare as Lena slowly rose, face white as a sheet and eyes staring blankly into the distance.

"You… you saved her?" Erika stammered.

"I… I…"

Slowly, Lena turned back to face her, and for a moment the two girls locked eyes through the helmet's visor. Panic, fear, confusion, and a million other emotions visibly flushed through Lena's face at once, a stunned daze that left Erika uncertain sure whether to keep going or break away.

The choice was made for her.

A boom from a stray shot echoed in the distance, snapping Lena to reality as she suddenly realized where she was, who was in front of her, and what she was meant to be doing.

But by now, any fight left in her had all but disappeared.

"I…" she stammered again, clearly uncertain of what to do. Then her face hardened, sternly looking back at Erika as her sneer returned. "You win this round, Red Ranger."

And then she vanished in a flash of green, leaving Erika alone on the curb.

So many questions, and so little time for any of them. Erika whipped around, making an assessment of which to target next. Free up Miguel, or help out Zeke and Abbey. The monster was a problem, but in Erika's mind, she'd rather hit with everything they had to avoid repeating their last encounter. Her teammates would just have to hold out a little longer.

"Guys, Lena's dealt with," she told them through the com. "Abbey, Zeke; get ready. I'm going to help Miguel and then we're coming to you!"

"Sooner rather than later would be great!"

Zeke hit the ground and rolled, a blast of purple light bursting where he'd just been standing.

So far so good, but he was running out of steam. With only one target and nothing to distract or pin him down, Zeke's theory on Dollface's ability was correct. It was powerful, but unwieldy, working best on an exposed and still target, rather than one that was awaiting and ready. Of course, while that read was keeping Zeke in the fight, they couldn't turn the tables if they couldn't land a decent blow.

Which meant it was up to him to get her into position.

"You're no fun at all!" Dollface bemoaned. "You're just a kid that throws their toys from the pram!"

"Never really been into dolls," Zeke admitted. "Now, action figures? They were my jam!"

He saw the opening and took it, lunging to ram the shield into Dollface's body and shunt her backward. Taken by surprise, the monster gasped, stumbling off balance as Zeke snapped back in retreat, hoping it was enough for Abbey to line up the shot.

"She's all yours Abbey," he confirmed. "There's your doll!"

"Rock and roll!"

The blue streak split the air, whistling over his shoulder as Dollface spun and shrieked. With her target lined up perfectly, Abbey's shot hit the bull's eye, bursting on contact with the porcelain mask and exploding. Dollface could only howl in pain, faltering in her stance as she clutched at her face.

But her problems were far from over.

"Come on, Barbie!" Erika declared, launching high with her axe with Miguel at her side.

"Let's go party!" he cheered.

The two weapons slammed down, the sword and the axe crashing with her body and slicing into Dollface's flailing form as they landed. The weapons flashed, sparks flaring on contact as they sent the monster soaring, her legs kicking helplessly beneath mountains of petticoats as she crashed into a nearby wall.

"She was right; what do you know?" Abbey snicked as the four Rangers converged. "Playing with dolls is much more fun with friends."

"Ready to put her back on the shelf?" Erika asked.

"Yeah! Let's put it together!"

Dollface groaned, dazed as she staggered back her feet. In Zeke's mind, he imagined she then wished she'd stayed down as she came face to face with the team's giant canon.

"Defrag Blaster! Dark Mode!" they called. "Fire!"

The mighty blaster boomed, a single shot of burning energy flashing at their target. Dollface could only scream, arms waving helplessly the shot hit dead center and exploded. Flames burst in all directions, steaming monster parts scattering all across the road as the team retracted their weapons and readied for what was to come.

Xaviax was clearly ready too, with the green light descending almost as soon as Dollface had burst, illuminating her scattered form, and reassembling her to a height of eighty stories.

"Hahahaha!" she cackled "Now this is what I call a super-size edition!"

"Hilary?" Erika suggested.

"Already on their way," came the reply. "Deploying Zords!"

The air filled with roaring engines, all four giant vehicles bursting into view as the Ranger vaulted into the cockpits.

"Alright guys, you know the drill," Erika's order sounded through the coms.

"Wait!" Zeke suggested. "Her blaster takes time, she doesn't do well with fast-moving targets. If we can use the smaller Zords to out-maneuver her, then she can't use her beam to transform us."

"But she can't do that, right?" Miguel hoped. "Hilary, she can't possibly use it on a Megazord, can she?"

For a moment there was a pause before Hilary answered nervously, "I don't really want to find out. Go with Zeke's plan."

"Right!"

The four vehicles took off, razor-sharp movements as they skidded and swerved at their enemy. Like she was flicking back her hair, Dollface spun around and glared, looking down upon the individual vehicles as they sped on a collision course toward her.

"Is that the best you have?" she scoffed. "Trying to stop me with your pathetic little matchboxes?"

"Laugh all you want," Erika warned, "but we're a pain to try and step on!"

With a sneer of defiance, Dollface raised her foot to slam, eyes narrowing as she tracked the movement of the crimson street car. Too focused on one target, she was unprepared for the other two, skirting around the buildings to strike unseen.

As the foot slammed down, Erika swerved around, tires shrieking as she sharply turned in avoidance as Zeke put the pedal to the metal. The yellow dump truck rocketed forward, slamming into Dollface's shins, just as her weight threw forward. With her momentum already carrying her, she was thrown to the ground, the entire street quaking as the enormous monster toppled.

"Get ready!" Abbey warned, "Because this one's coming from up top!"

Dollface had barely scrambled to her feet as the jet plane roared in, blasters flaring in a barrage of tiny, blue pellets, bursting into puffs of smoke that caused Dollface to flail and stumble in annoyance.

"Guys," Miguel decided. "We've got her on the ropes. I'll get her attention, you get the Megazord!"

"Right!"

The two ground vehicles split, winding around the buildings as the Shadow Cycle-Zord screamed forward. The headlights clicked downwards, two small canons protruding out that unloaded a stream of black-light blasts in her direction. The shots were tiny, machine-gunning with low output as they puffed her skin. But they were enough, enough to draw Dollface's attention as the three other Zords converged from behind.

"Alright guys, our timing's got to be tough," Erika warned them. "Let's bring them together!"

Zeke yanked the break and whipped around the truck in a full one-eighty turn before releasing and shooting off again. The bottom half split into legs, pulling into position as Erika's street racer connected and the clamps locked in place. Neither stopped moving, wheels churning to send the flat, half-figured Megazord surging toward their foe. Then, as the two hit top speed, the pair hit breaks once more.

As the Megazord flung into an upright position, Zeke's chair jolted back, pulling him into the elevator that whisked him into the main cockpit. The Megazord's battle mode unfurled its arms as the plane shot into the head and torso. With all three converged, Erika almost leaped from her seat to slam the throttle to the max as the combined mecha kept its momentum and broke into a thundering run.

"Cyber Security Megazord!" they called, "Online!"

"She's all yours, guys," Miguel laughed the Shadow Cycle-Zord suddenly ripped away from the monster.

Surprised, Dollface spun around. But by then, it was far too late. The Megazord already had its blade in its hand, white hot, and glowing as they closed the final distance.

"Cyber Power…" they announced as one. "STRIKE!"

With a swift swing, the mighty sword flashed as it cleaved cleanly through Dollface's screaming form, the Megazord skidding to a stop as it carved through its target.

"That's not how playtime's meant to end!" Dollface shrieked, toppling one final time as stray energy began arcing from her body in a desperate escape.

Safe on the other side, the Megazord slowly rose, not even turning to observe their handiwork as the colossal doll hit the ground, exploding into a blazing ball as she shattered. The column of fire spiraled into the air, and every atom of Dollface's body was seared down to ashes. In its wake, with Shadow Cycle-Zord skidding to a stop beside it, the Cyber Security Megazord stood tall; Lakeview was safe for another day.

"More tea, Mrs. Petunia? Yes! Of course, Mrs. Nesbit, I would love some!"

"Penny, time for lunch!"

"Okay, Mom!"

The room softly echoed with the sound of padding footsteps, leaving it quiet and empty, the play scene of dolls drinking tea left abandoned and unfinished. Suddenly there was a flash of purple light, a blinding burst that filled the tiny room, and the tea party scattered across the floor.

Sitting on the carpet, sitting with her legs outstretched in a dizzy daze, Whitney gasped for what felt like the first time in forever.

What… happened?

The last thing she remembered, Whitney was telling that cow that her dress was last season. Then there was a light and weird feeling of stiffness. And then…

Hang on, how did she get here?

Whitney's jaw dropped in confusion, staring at the bright pink walls and child furniture. This room might have once been hers… when she was nine…

Suddenly there was a gasp behind her, and as Whitney turned her still groggy head, she saw Deryck standing in the doorway.

"Whitney!" he exclaimed, darting into the room to help her up.

"Deryck?" she realized, "What're you… How did…?"

But then, finally finding some stable footing, she took a look down. Never mind where she was…

"What am wearing?" she shrieked, eyes bulging at the hot pink ensemble that looked like it had wandered out of the eighties. The ugly half of the eighties.

"I've been looking all over for you," Deryck admitted guilty. "After the monster hit you, I didn't know what to do, so I brought you home. Only, once I put you down, you weren't there anymore when I turned around. My sister must have found you! That's where you've been this whole time."

What? Sister? Why would his sister…

It was only as the relief began to fade that Deryck's face started to fall, clenching his teeth an awkward wince as he started to truly see what had been done in the intervening time.

"I guess Penny doesn't take great care of her dolls…"

Still unable to make sense of anything he was saying, Whitney rolled her eyes and stormed away, only to catch a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her hair was a mess, teased and stretched with an inch of its life, pulled at the sides into high, bushy pigtails, all hair at the top squeezed into a frizzy ponytail. And that wasn't the worst part. Her entire face was covered in Sharpie.

She… she couldn't be seen like this!

Deryck was already running to the bathroom in fear of Whitney's wrath, her eyes turning near white as she finally comprehended the true extent of what had been done to her. To those outside, it had seemed to be a peaceful Saturday, only for the serenity to be absolutely shattered by a shrill and furious screeching that could be heard across the entire block.

"DER-YCK!"

It was quiet that afternoon, as Zeke sat in the Hub and completed his weekend homework. Following their victory, he'd decided to give the others some space. While Hilary had been able to spike some fake text messages to their families to explain their absences the night before, he had no doubt that both Erika and Abbey were keen to let their parents know that they were safe.

Besides, even after restoring them and working together to destroy Dollface, Zeke still didn't feel quite up to facing them. Certainly not Abbey; not while he was still trying to figure out what to do. Or more to point, how to do it.

Hilary was right, and he knew that. He couldn't hold on to an impossible fantasy forever. But they'd also been friends for as long as Zeke could remember, and he'd been enamored with her for almost as long. Where to even begin stepping away from all of that, Zeke had no idea.

And even then, the possibility of accepting the idea of moving on meant facing another daunting prospect.

Maybe he was just destined to be alone…

Zeke's wallowing daze was broken as he caught movement coming toward him and turned to see Erika and Miguel approaching.

"Alone on a Saturday night?" Erika noted jovially.

"I know; pathetic, right?" Zeke admitted. "Wasn't sure if guys wanted to be around me. I did really screw up back there."

The Dark and Red Rangers shared a look, knowing and accepting before both of them shrugged.

"So, you screwed up?" Erika admitted. "Join the club."

"We've got jackets," Miguel agreed before turning to Erika. "You know, if we're growing in numbers like this, we should probably elect a president or something."

"I'd be me," Erika decided. "I've screwed up the most."

Miguel raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't sound like a great qualification…"

"And yet, that's exactly why I'd be perfect."

The two teens chuckled, and Zeke couldn't help but feel some of the weight begin to lighten as his two friends returned their attention to him.

"So, anyway," Miguel decided. "Abbey's getting ready for the Youth festival tomorrow."

"And Val's working late as well," Erika added. "We were kind of bumming around, trying to figure out what to do, and then we realized that the new Steel Silva movie just came out."

"Wait," Zeke realized. "Time Left to Kill is already out?"

He'd been so hyper-focused on the sci-fi marathon, that he'd completely blanked that it was opening weekend. He'd been dying to see this movie ever since the trailer had him in stitches.

"It's got a late showing," said Miguel. "Want to join us?"

Saturday night with a dumb movie? Sounded great. But Zeke's grin broadened dumbly, it faded just as fast as it sank into melancholic memory. It was the kind of thing he did with Abbey.

Or at least, he used to.

But as Zeke sat there with his two teammates waiting for an answer, he slowly began to see the chance before him for what it was. He was always bemoaning that he'd never get over Abbey, that it was impossible when they did everything together.

A few months back, in the depth of Abbey's own uncertainty, she'd suggested that it was time that changed. Maybe she was right. And the first step was making the most of the time spent with the rest of his friends. Even if one of them was Miguel.

"You know what?" Zeke decided, clicking his laptop closed. "That sounds great."

He scooped up his bag and wandered out with them, pausing only for Erika to swing past Valerie and accept a goodbye kiss. Neither Zeke nor Miguel could resist, making kissy faces at their friend as she returned, and they remained completely unfazed by the withering scowl on her bright red face.

"So, I actually missed the last one," Miguel admitted as wandered toward the cinema. "Is that going to matter?"

"Dude," Zeke scoffed. "It's a Steel Silva movie, not some multi-part epic."

"Which one was that? All You Need is Kill?" Erika checked with a chuckle, "Let's see; there was a bad guy, and he did bad things. His plan nearly worked; Steel stopped it at the last possible second. There, you're all caught up."

The three of them laughed, and for the first time in what felt like forever, Zeke was grinning from ear to ear. Just enjoying himself, free from the longing that usually came with his company.

Taking his very first steps to letting go…

"Wait here," a guard instructed, marching to another room and leaving Ray and Hilary under the watchful eyes of the other.

The buzzer droned as the door unsealed, two armed guards gesturing to them before guiding them through. What awaited them was a boxy corridor, darkly lit by the dim bulbs caged along the walls. Another door awaited them on the other side.

"Quite the warm welcome," Ray said dryly, and Hilary had to concede he was right. Not that they really had much choice. She was out of leads, out of options, and even Freeman had run out of ideas. This was their last chance.

Which was exactly what filled her with dread. It wasn't the hoops they had to jump through or even the long car ride she'd spent with her husband with black bags over their heads. It was the desperation and worry that the man they were meeting be able to sniff it out. And that just made it all worse.

"Jessica and I did some digging," said Hilary, desperate for anything to fill the silence and distract her from the looming meeting. "Tried to see if we could find out anything about the Power Plant."

"Did you tell her why you were looking?"

Hilary shook her head. "She thinks that I'm digging into Scolex's proposal, which I guess isn't entirely untrue. Want to know what I found?"

Of course, he did, he was probably just about to ask before Hilary breathed in deeply with the admittance that prompting a question was almost always a sign of her building nerves. But her husband also knew her far too well, always sensing when to probe and when to listen, and instead dutifully played his part, "What'd you dig up?"

"It's still publicly owned," Hilary explained. "But about ten years ago, the city handed the operation over to a private company: Emegren Tech."

"So, is that our next lead?" Ray inquired. "Finding out who's running that?"

"In a sense," Hilary admitted. "About eighteen months ago, the company got bought out, with all existing contracts defaulting to the new owner."

"Who bought them?"

"Some LLC called Weyland Holdings."

At that Ray raised an eyebrow, starting to catch her drift. "Does their building in the Cayman Islands have a neon sign saying "Hi, we're a shell company"?"

"Pretty much," Hilary agreed. "Now it's just a case of following the paper trail. If there's a digital footprint, then I can find it. It'll just take time."

Something she'd much rather be doing than sitting in the boxy corridor of some military black site with agonizing anticipation. How long had even they been waiting?

Five minutes?

Really? Was that that?

Eventually, the door at the end clicked open, the first solider returning to nod at his colleague.

"You're cleared to enter," he informed. "Now, remember. Do not accept anything from the prisoner, do not step beyond the yellow line. You have fifteen minutes."

Nodding in confirmation, Ray and Hilary followed without question. Bracing themselves for the meeting, the door opened, and the duo stepped across the threshold as the figure inside turned to greet them.

"Power Rangers, Red, and Yellow," Gideon chuckled with a sinister, snakelike smile. "It really has been too long."

NEXT TIME

Abbey has always given back to the community, doing all she can to do as much good as possible. But when her commitments start to stretch, those with lesser needs begin to fall through the cracks, making her question who she's really helping. Meanwhile, following her involuntary act of good, Lena begins to question herself further, wondering where from within her the urge could have possibly come.

Can Abbey find the balance between the needs of the many and the needs of the few?

What will Lena do now that she's acted against her nature?

And what secrets about their new enemy can Ray and Hilary uncover from their old nemesis, Gideon?

Find out Next Time on:

POWER RANGER

SERVER FORCE

For The Greater Good