Erika's mood had not improved by the next morning. Having returned to the warehouse after the battle, there was only one question on everyone's lips.

What the actual hell?

She'd left them behind, letting them get swarmed by the drones, all for the sake of throwing herself at a target that was far more than she could handle. Because she needed to hit something.

She'd wanted to hit something.

But what made it worse, what stoked the fury in Erika's chest even more to escape the sinking of resigning truth, was that they were right.

It was stupid; she had been stupid. Deryck and Whitney had got under her skin, and Erika had been itching to peel them out. So instead of finding a solution with any modicum of rationality, she'd charged off in a crimson haze to deal and left her teammates to deal with the horde themselves. With the actual problem at hand.

Now that stupid ArcKnight was going to be all gloaty the next time Erika faced him. And she just knew already that he was going to grate at her nerves just as badly, and then she'd go through the whole thing all over again. Because she just wouldn't be able to help herself. Like always.

This time she'd been lucky; but Erika knew that if Abbey and Zeke hadn't arrived in time, then things would've been far, far worse. Which of course, only soured her mood even further.

By the time they'd returned to the museum after the battle, Abbey and Zeke must have been able to tell that Erika was already beating herself up, and that lambasting her any further achieve precisely nothing. So instead, they sighed, lied that they believed her when Erika said it wouldn't happen again, and then left without saying another word to her.

Even Hilary didn't say anything, not so much as a dry comment as she'd decided that day had been too long and that her feet were too sore to even begin unpacking what had just happened. More people added to the list of people Erika had let down because she couldn't control herself. Couldn't control her anger.

So much for things being different.

The elevator doors dinged open, and Erika stepped out into the training room. After Zeke and Abbey had taken off, Ray had suggested meeting the next day for some fighting tips. Maybe he could even give her some pointers for the next time ArcKnight reared his ugly helmet. At the time Erika shrugged it off, too full of self-pity to contemplate the reasonable offer. But by the time to next morning rolled around, all she wanted was a distraction. Her dad was out early, gone before she'd even risen, and there was no way in hell she was doing schoolwork. So, throwing on her sweats and tank top, Erika had returned to the museum, curious about what possible suggestions Ray could have.

The room was empty, unnervingly so; a wide-open space with a padded floor, barren save for a few benches and some equipment in each corner. But Erika wasn't alone for long; she'd barely dropped her bag at the seat when the doors dinged behind her, and Ray stepped in to join her.

His face was a blank slate, devoid of the calm, open understanding he'd portrayed the very first time Erika walked into his office. Now Ray was cold and emotionless; unreadable.

"You ready?" Two words, nothing else, barely even than a question.

"Look, Ray, about yesterday…"

"It's in the past," he said flatly. "Nothing anyone can say will change that."

He stepped onto the mat, moving to the center as Erika watched from the side.

"I know, but…"

"They're just words, Erika," Ray told her. "Don't be sorry, be better. Don't say it, show it."

He was right; for things to be different, she couldn't just say they would be. She wanted things to change, so she needed to make it happen. She nearly did, it had taken all her effort to not punch Deryck in his stupid face. But she'd succeeded, she'd held back her fury and stopped a fight from escalating. And then she'd thrown it all to hell by launching herself at ArcKnight.

Then Ray's blank slate looked her dead in the eye. "Now, are you here to fight or what?"

What? He'd said he was just giving her some tips. And he was like, a blackbelt or something. There was no way she could fight Ray.

And yet, the very words send a thrilling jolt of excitement up Erika's spine, like oxygen on the glowing embers. But as she felt the temptation growing, another thought held her back, a sliver of reason that cried out like a faint and feeble plea. Ray was taunting her, and as much as she wanted to throw Mr. High and Mighty on the mat, Erika knew she'd just be playing his game.

"I'm not going to fight you," Erika replied.

Ray smirked, finally giving something that resembled a reaction. It was a grin that mocked her. "You sound like Abbey."

Oh, he did not!

But if that was how he wanted to play it…

Taking the bait, Erika stepped onto the mat as her eyes narrowed. Every step was hard and purposeful, prowling like a tiger toward its prey. Ray simply stood there, stony and unmoving with only his eyes shifting to track her.

"You've got to give me your best," he warned. "I can't help if you don't show me what you've got."

"I thought you said I shouldn't fight," Erika replied, eagerness starting to seep into her voice, coals kicking into flame as they munched on the fuel inside. But Ray wasn't even phased, moving only to take his left hand and hold it behind his back.

"I said you'd be wise not to," he said flatly. "How's that working out?"

Erika took another step, this one cautious as she moved into his blind spot. Ray didn't move. He was barely even acknowledging her presence; like he didn't need to.

Like she wasn't worth the effort.

Erika's eyes shot to the hand behind his back, fingers calmly curled together like they were having a break.

Fine then; if he wasn't going to take her seriously, then she was just going to have to make him.

She breathed, waiting a moment longer than she thought necessary in hopes of psyching him out. Then Erika lunged, moving to strike from behind.

Her first hit empty air.

Ray leaned aside, feet shifting as he stepped from harm to let Erika clumsily stumble past.

"Gave you the first easy shot and you still missed," he scoffed. "Maybe you were right, you're not going to fight me. It'd have to be a fight for you to do that."

Oh, she'd give him a fight!

Shifting back, Erika lunged into a kick, powering out in an attempt to knock his balance. Ray shifted but remained undeterred, stepping out of harm Erika pressed on with rising fury. She pirouetted into another kick with a snarling battle cry, spinning into a furious assault. This time Ray didn't dodge, his lone hand flashing up to tap away the strikes like they were nothing but annoying insects.

Fine, then she'd just really have to bring the thunder.

Keeping momentum, Erika rushed right at him, winding back to throw all she could into the punch. But as she reached him, Ray just lashed out his hand, his palm clasping her shoulder to flick her away. Erika's entire body spun the spot, whipping around a full one-eighty to continue her charge and go blundering across the matt.

"Come on," Ray taunted. "Is that really the best you've got? I've seen Byte-Bots that were scarier."

Erika roared, lunging into a flurry of punches in surrender to her rage. The first was slapped away, the second dodged, and finally, Ray's right arm grabbed her wrist to yank her downward. Then he tossed her, his grip barely guiding Erika's steps as she flew across the room and tripped, tumbling down to the padded floor with a heavy thud.

She'd had enough. She had not come all the way down there for Ray to not take her seriously. By now the fire within had surged into a blazing inferno, Erika's jaw clenching as she hissed through her teeth.

She would show him, she would take him down. And no one was going to say it was because she'd had it easy.

"You're holding back!" Erika hissed. "Stop holding back!"

"You want the full thing?" Ray replied curtly. "You can't even handle one hand."

"Don't tell me what I can't take! I can take you!"

Ray's jaw twitched; one eyelid flickered. And at last, his left hand moved out from behind his back.

"Prove it."

Taking the hand as an invitation, Erika surged onto the offensive, booming across the mat with her fist held high. She'd show him; she'd show them all!

But Ray remained undeterred, he didn't even flinch. As Erika crossed the floor, his left foot shifted, easing the balance to let blow glide past. Then his hands snapped up.

The left clamped down on her shoulder, locking Erika in place as the right lashed around her punch to stop it from retracting. She was overstretched, over-committed, and now Erika had nowhere to run.

The foot shifted, snapping in the middle of her stance to kick out her ankle. With the balance dropped from beneath her, the only place to go was down as Ray's grip forced Erika to her knees. Her breathing was tightening, refusing to lose even as her body was locked from movement. Erika's head snapped up with burning eyes, only to see Ray coldly looking down on her.

"Remember," he said. His voice was cold and devoid of any emotion as he raised his hand, thumb tucked back as the digits locked into a hard and flat surface. "You asked for this."

She was trapped, powerless against Ray's hold as he readied to take the final blow. She writhed in his grip, desperate to break free, with unrelenting refusal to lose. To be beaten. But all Erika could do was stare at the hand, refusing to blink as it readied to drop.

And then Ray swung.

And on instinct, Erika winced as her eyes squeezed shut.

And then she felt nothing. Not hit, not so much as a tap. She remained locked in place, but nothing touched her skin.

It felt like an eternity, Erika's body braced and tensed in anticipation that the blow wasn't coming. She thought that time was slowing, that her nerves were shrieking at her in refusal of reality. It was only when Erika's breath finally forced itself to release that peeked through a single eye.

Ray still stood above her, hand still clasped on her shoulder. The chop hovered just above her neck, refusing to go further.

He'd stopped.

And he'd wanted her to see it.

He'd wanted her to see his control.

Now that she'd seen his restraint, Ray let go, tossing Erika to the ground as he walked away. Sinking to her hands and knees, Erika's breath forced itself to return with heaving gasps. And Ray just stood to the side.

"That's it?' Erika demanded. "You're just done?"

"What are you looking for Erika?" Ray questioned. "Going again won't change anything."

"Well maybe if you took things seriously…"

"You think this was the problem?" Ray mused, waving his left before placing it behind his back once more. "This hand was the one doing all the work."

Because it annoyed her; riled her. Because few things pissed her off faster than someone looking down on her. Thinking less of her.

That they were better.

She released a breath of frustration as at last Erika cursed herself and realized what Ray had been doing. He'd made her angry, that had been the entire point. And not only had it worked, she'd let him steer her there without a second's hesitation. She'd seen what he was doing, and not only had she ignored it, she hadn't cared. Because Erika wanted to be angry, she needed to be.

Because what did she even have without it?

"If you don't go into a fight with a clear head," Ray advised. His voice was beginning to soften, but the hint of condescension only riled Erika further. "Then your enemy's already won."

"Oh, that's great advice," Erika said growled. "'Don't be angry, Erika.' Never had a man tell me that before."

"There's plenty in this world to be mad about," Ray replied. "You're going to get angry. And you should feel angry, it tells you the difference between right and wrong; it compels you to act. But if you walk around with all that rage inside you, all the time, then that doesn't leave room for much else."

But the anger was all Erika had. It got her up in the morning and fueled her through the day. Because if no one was going to help lift her up, then Erika was just going to have to do it herself. She was going to show them what she was capable of; to make them see. The only way people were ever going to stop looking down on her, was if she made them.

Finally, Ray took a step toward her, crouching down beside her as Erika remained sitting on the ground.

"You can only hold so much in at once," he said softly. "If you're already full, always at max capacity, then you're just going to overflow the second something tries to pile itself on."

But where would she even begin? Everywhere she went, it was always the same.

Don't be angry, Erika.

Calm down, Erika.

The problem is your attitude, Erika.

Don't hold in? Well, there hell else was it supposed to go? Or was there really no way she could ever win?

"Then what am I meant to do?" Erika finally asked, feeling it quiver as she surrendered in defeat.

"You give it a voice," said Ray. "You let it out, at a time of your choosing, no one else's. It's the only way to stop it bottling up inside you, waiting for you to burst."

And then he offered her a hand. "I'm in if you are."

There was something in the way moved, the way his palm calmly reached toward her. It was hopeful, but it wasn't expectant. Like Ray truly believed he could help; truly believed that Erika could do it.

At the very least, whatever he had to show her couldn't hurt.

Erika nodded and accepted the grip, allowing Ray to pull her to her feet. Then he walked over to the punching bag in the corner, waiting for her to follow when she was ready. As at last Erika walked to meet him, surrendering to her curiosity and standing opposite, Ray stepped to the other side and braced.

"So how is this meant to work?" she asked.

"You like hitting things?" Ray suggested. "Then hit. And every time you do, tell me something that makes you angry."

She guessed that it was worth a shot; at least it meant she got to hit something. Leveling her balance, Erika raised her fist and tapped the bag.

"That's not a punch," Ray scoffed. "Come on, you can hit better than that."

Thump.

"Better. What makes you mad?"

"Stupid Deryck," Erika said. "And his stupid face."

Thump.

"Good!" Ray urged. "Why?"

"Thinks he's above everyone; like no one in will stand in his way."

Thump!

"And why do you care? Why does that matter?"

"Because that's all everyone does; try to walk all over everyone else. Try to walk all over me."

THUMP!

The bag rocked and Ray braced against it, feet skidding slightly as he repositioned.

"Keep going," he insisted. "What else?"

"People keep looking at me like I'm always about to blow," Erika hissed. "Like they don't expect me to do anything else!'

THUMP!

"They're always telling me to control myself. Like I didn't already know that!"

THUMP!

"Poor Erika! Always on her own because her dad's always working! He works so hard, and she's the best he's got!"

THUMP!

"Why does he do that?" Ray pushed. "Why is he always working?"

…thump.

No, she wasn't going there. It wasn't his fault. He was doing his best; he was around as best he could be.

"You know the answer to that," was all Erika said, sullen and withdrawn as her punches began to falter.

But Ray wasn't letting her off that easy, "I want to hear it from you."

"I don't need to say it."

"Then it'll stay inside of you," Ray warned. "Is that what you want?"

He was trying to rile her again, now not even trying to hide it. And Erika let him. She let him stoke the coals and push oxygen onto the flames as they rose again inside her. Her eyes narrowed on the bag, fist curling tight as she readied for another blow.

"It's not his fault."

Thump!

Her chest shuddered as her eyes quivered.

"Why not?"

"Because he's on his own!"

THUMP!

Every breath drew deeper, vision blurring as her eyes began to string. And yet, she pushed on, feeling every strength as the rage roared like it was ready to burst from within.

"Why?"

"Because I'm all he has!"

"Why?"

"BECAUSE SHE LEFT!"

CRACK!

Her body stopped, frozen in place like the wind had stolen from her lungs. The words rang out like a fading echo, their memory hanging on her lips as a truth she could never take back. A feeling that she'd for so long to deny. Until now.

And just like that, the anger was gone, the fire suffocated but extinguishing revelation. And as Erika's rage vanished like a broken fuse, it took her strength along with it.

As the bag rocked back toward her, Erika slumped into it, arms thrown around as Ray eased back to support it. Her chest rose in heavy, shuddered breaths, pushing her further from the surface before pulling her close again as she let it all out. Her arms squeezed tighter, refusing to let it go. Like the punching bag was all she had left to hold onto, now that she'd finally relinquished her painful admission to the world.

And by now, Erika could no longer hold it back. The tears, at last, broke free from their ducts to stream down her face, the will no longer there to stop them.

"She left…" Erika said quietly, freely with no prompting. "She left him alone to do everything by himself. Left him to pull everything together, and all he got from me was more problems. She left him to deal with me on his own."

Her knees could no longer hold her, sinking beneath her weight and dropping her to the floor.

"She left me…"

Slowly, Erika fell back, pulling away from the bag she clutched as her body found a new balance to rest on her folded legs. Every breath was deep and heavy, her vision staring dead ahead into the void as everything around her faded into irrelevance and Erika fell into memory.

She would never forget that day; the day Mom didn't come home. Her dad had passed it off as nothing, 'it's just for tonight' he'd said, before it then became another. And another.

Just one more night, night after night, until eventually, her absence became normal. But still, Erika had waited, hoping that maybe one day she'd return; that she'd walk in like it was nothing. But as the weeks turned into months, into years, that very hope had dissolved into bitterness.

Because it was the hope that killed her.

At first, Erika would catch herself imagining her mother's return, now with a groveling apology to explain the mistake she'd made. Then she imagined her standing in the doorway, asking for even the honor of stepping inside.

Eventually, the daydream changed to Erika herself standing at the threshold, telling her mother how much they needed her. Then Erika imagined shutting the door in her face, not even giving her the dignity of a reply. Then, in time, it shifted again to Erika sitting on the couch, listening to a desperate knock on the door that she would never answer.

And then, one day, there was no knock at all on the door inside her head, just Erika sitting in the apartment as she stared at the barrier.

Alone.

Ray still stood by the punching bag, saying nothing while she knelt there, buckled over in the comfort of her sobbing. He stood patiently through every cough, every cry, every splutter as everything Erika had ever worked so hard to push down, to lock away in the darkness to never be seen or felt, poured from her like a bursting dam.

But every time her chest heaved, it felt lighter, softer. Unburdened. Her whole body shook, skin tingling at the fresh rawness, at the emptiness that remained.

At the calm.

Seeing her slowly recompose, Ray gently stepped towards her and lowered to the flatness of his knees. He knelt before her, still well from arm's reach but now at her level, patiently waiting for Erika to decide she was ready.

However long it took.

And then, eventually, she was.

"What do I do now?" Erika asked with her eyes still fixed upon the ground.

"Now?" Ray said softly, "Now you have room for more. You don't always have to throw yourself at a bag until you collapse; until there's nothing left to give. But you do have to find ways to let it out. Otherwise, you're just going to fill yourself up again until you burst. But if you give yourself space to feel, to find ways to release it when you want, then that will help you handle more as it comes. Then, once you've got the space, when your mind can occupy itself with more than just keeping everything suppressed, you can do something with it. You can take what makes you angry, what fills you with rage, and you can wield it, channel it. Make it work for you, instead of the other way around."

Let it be her fuel without it burning her up from within. To take her anger and put it where it counted, rather than everywhere at once. Slowly, Erika sniffled and wiped her eyes, and then she finally looked up from the floor.

"Okay," she nodded quietly, "I think I can do that."

"Take your time," Ray advised, closing his eyes as his chest began rising to the rhythm of calming breaths. "Just breathe it in. We've got all the time in the world."

And then the communicator beeped from inside her bag.

"Or not."

Erika didn't move, instead remaining stationary to quietly revel in the cool air flushing within her chest. Rising to his feet, Ray offered a hand.

"What do you think?" he asked. "You ready?"

He was hopeful, but not expectant, and Erika knew that if she said that word, told him that she didn't have it, that he'd accept it. All without a single hint of judgment.

But Erika did have it, for now at least. Enough to face what was coming. She just had to face her friends first.

"Yeah," she nodded, as a smile finally grew between her cheeks. "Yeah, I'm good. Let's find out what it is."

"It's a bull," Hilary announced flatly. "They've sent a bull."

The monitor showed Cyberdrones swarming around the mall, marching up the road as they made their way to the central square. A large minotaur stomped in front; his claw gripped around an axe that looked ready to cleave through anything in his path.

"You don't seem surprised," Zeke noted, watching the screen from behind with Abbey.

Hilary just shrugged. "It's not the first. Or the second, actually. What's weird is that it is the first one I've seen with fur."

"Hang on," Ray realized as he and Erika arrived. "Ender had the chance to make a freaky monster, and he chose an ordinary minotaur?"

"Wow, you're right," said Abbey. "These conversations do keep getting weirder."

"We need to head them off, fast," Hilary conceded, pulling up a map that showed the predicted path of the robots. "They're sticking together for now, but if they hit the square and scatter it could a lot be harder to clean up after them."

"Any idea what their goal is?" Ray asked.

"That's just the thing," Hilary conceded. "They're just… there. They're running amuck, causing damage and making people scarred, but I can't tell what they actually want."

"It could be a trap," Erika pointed out. "Draw us out before springing their plan, just like last time."

All four heads slowly turned to her with reactions mixed. Hilary was nodding in agreement; Ray was smiling at the sound wisdom. But her teammates' jaws simply dropped at the logic Erika was suddenly spouting.

It was time to face the music.

"Guys," said Erika. "I'm sorry about yesterday. I lost my cool, and that put us all in danger. It shouldn't have happened."

Abbey and Zeke shared a look, uncertain of what to make of the apology.

"I know saying it's not enough," Erika went on. "I know you guys need to see it. But all I can do right now is promise that if we go out there, I've got your backs. I'll keep it together."

Again, there was silence, the two of them taking their time before replying. The wait was agonizing, watching the shared nervous glance bounce back and forth between them like an anxious tennis match. But Erika couldn't blame them, not when she'd put them in that position to begin with.

And then, at last, Abbey looked back and smiled. "Hey, you took me back after I bailed last week. The least I can do is accept your apology now."

"Yeah," Zeke grinned. "We're good, Erika,"

Seeing the two look back at her so warmly was enough to send a flutter through Erika's chest, along with a fresh, watery weight in her eyes that she desperately tried to blink back.

Huh.

She could feel that.

She did feel that.

Until now it would have just bounced off, hitting a wall of indifference that was keeping all her other feelings at bay. But now… now Erika had room to feel it again.

It was nice.

"Times are going to be hard," Ray acknowledged. "You guys are going to see each other in ways that are not always your best. But if you stand by each other's side, hold strong when things are tough, then you'll always make it through."

All three nodded in reply as Abbey and Zeke stepped to Erika's side.

"So, what do you say guys?" Hilary asked them. "You guys ready?"

Erika looked at her two new friends, lightness in her chest growing as she grinned back. "Yeah," she smiled. "We're ready."

Then they raised their arms, wrists flashing as the Morphers appeared, keycards wedged between their fingers. They moved together, in perfect unison as the cards sliced through the devices.

"Server Force!" they cried. "Login Access!"

The light burst to surround them, flaring with primary-colored light as they gave themselves over to the grid. It flushed through their bodies, and surged through veins, empowering them superhuman might as the technicolor suits formed around them and the helmets formed over their faces. Encased in the full molecular weave of their uniforms, the three felt their forms vanishing into energy, spirited across town as their resolve hardened. They were ready; ready to stand beside each other and face the threat together. Ready for anything.

Moments later, the trio stood fully morphed and united in front of the advancing robot horde. Leading front the front, the large minotaur scoffed as he saw them.

"You guys took long enough."

"We're worth the wait," Erika taunted back. "And what should we call you? Angus?"

"Bull-Rush's the name," the monster declared. "Trampling Rangers is the game!"

"Hilary was right," Abbey admitted. "It's weird that it's starting to be less weird."

"Got a plan, Erika?" Zeke asked. "Or are we going straight on the attack?"

Up ahead, the bull was already scrapping the ground with its hoof, reading the charge with his forces behind him.

"Fan out, keep their forces separated," Erika decided. "Be careful. I want to see what this bull can do. But be ready to back me up."

"Right!"

They'd barely returned to face them as Bull-Rush roared the order. The Cyberdrones surged forward, an engulfing wave of black and chrome that threatened to drown all in its path. Affirming their unity, the Rangers readied their weapons to meet them.

Then they split, diving aside to scatter the forces.

Erika soared through the air, somersaulting right into the middle of a group as her axe cleaved across their chests. Sparks sheared off their armor, the Cyberdrones stumbling backward as she cleared them from her landing. Another dived for her, but her pistol was already in hand, squeezing the trigger as the laser blasted it squarely in the chest.

Snapped from the air, the Cyberdrone clattered to the ground. Another was charging from behind, and Erika whipped around to snap the pistol into a blade. The sword swung up, catching the Cyberdrone's weapon above her head. Then Erika threw it off and spun as her axe connected with the chest to send it soaring into its comrades.

"Sorry buddy," she smiled. "Just not your day."

Something boomed behind her.

Erika's head snapped up, blue flashes streaked downward as Abbey leaped backward, unleashing the power of her bow on the fresh wave of robots. As the footsoldiers blasted apart in all directions, the Blue Ranger flipped and landed beside her.

"You're really raining on their parade, there," said Erika.

"Not my fault they didn't bring umbrellas," Abbey giggled.

"YOU'RE MINE!"

With a mighty roar, Bull-Rush surged forward and burst through the Cyberdrone lines, knocking aside his own comrades for a chance to gore the two Rangers. Abbey and Erika dived from harm as the giant bull thundered past them and his hooves skidded to a halt.

The Rangers had barely landed when he charged again.

"I heard you like to axe a bunch of questions," he yelled. "Well, how do you like mine?"

The giant weapon swung wide, and Erika barely had to time to flip out of the way as the bladed head skidded beneath her.

"Argh!" the beast snarled as the axe hit empty air. "Hold still you little fly! Let me swat you!"

The beast was too big, its movement too erratic to draw a clear shot. With his aggression, there was no way the team was going to have time to assemble the Defrag Blaster before he got to them.

They needed a new plan, and they needed it fast.

If he was an unstoppable force, then they needed an immovable object. Or did they…?

"Abbey," Erika ordered. "Go help, Zeke. If we don't get these Cyberdrones under control they're going to run rampant around the city."

"But what about you?" the blue ranger demanded. "You can't possibly be planning on taking this guy down on your own again?"

As Erika shook her head, a sly smile creeping up her lips, and her visor turned to lock eyes with the angry bull. "I'm just going to keep him busy."

"Oh, you are, are you?" Bull-Rush sneered. "Then let's see if you can keep up!"

The hoof stamped the ground as he prepared for another charge. With barely a second to spare, Erika shot another look at her teammate.

"I'll be okay," she insisted. "Just don't take too long with those drones."

Abbey nodded and leaped away, flipping back to engage another group as Bull-Rush surged forward.

"All right, beefcake," Erika growled. "Come get some."

As the minotaur thundered forward, Erika vaulted high. Her body twisted, guiding her to land as the monster rocketed through where she'd been standing. And as Bull-Rush thundered beneath, Erika let out a mighty roar as she swung the axe with all her might. Bull-Rush unleashed a painful howl as the sharp edge carved along his back, spinning to stare Erika down with eyes of burning fury.

"You'll pay for that!"

This time Erika dropped and rolled, the enormous weapon cleaving overhead as the monster swung again. Even as it missed, Erika felt the air beaten from its path, the sheer force of his blow rushing past as Bull-Rush wound back again and readied another swing.

But this time Erika was in control; this time she knew what to do.

"Man, what was that?" she mocked. "I've seen little leaguers hit with more punch than you."

"I'll give you a punch!"

"You'll have to hit me first!"

Bull-Rush screamed as he brought it down, the axe hitting empty air instead of Erika as it cleft into the concrete. The same trick that had worked on her, and Erika was all too familiar with which buttons were best to press.

She dived again, and again, and then again! Each time, Bull-Rush's swings grew more and more wild as his roars grew more ferocious.

"Boy," Erika laughed. "I don't know about you, but all this dodging's sure making me hungry. What could you go for? Rump steak? Prime rib?"

"How about squished Ranger?!"

"Not a fan. And you don't strike me as the 'catch and kill' kind of game. It'd mean could catch something."

She jumped again, bounding back as Bull-Rush bolted in chase, debris cast from his path as he swung to stop the erratic movement.

Fill him up, get him angry. Push him to capacity.

Then give him an offer he couldn't refuse.

"Olé!"

Ducking and rolling, Erika swung the axe again, slicing the head into Bull-Rush's legs as he stumbled past her. She was running out of breath, but the dodging was getting easier. Every swing was growing wider and wider, easier to predict.

"That's it!" the bull roared. "Now I'm angry!"

"Hi Angry, I'm Erika."

"ARGH!"

Then Bull-Rush stumbled forward, snapping around as Erika turned to face him.

"HOLD! STILL!"

"What's the matter?" Erika scoffed. "Can't catch a Ranger?"

"You're the one who keeps running like a coward!"

Erika stopped, her feet skidding against the concrete as she came to a screeching halt. Her back stiffened, her grip on the axe tightening as she slowly turned around to face the bull. "What did you just call me?"

A smile spread between Bull-Rush's chopping lips. "You heard me," he sneered. "You're too scared to try and take a hit from me."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah…"

"Erika…" Hilary warned cautiously in her ear. "Don't get cocky."

Her knees slacked, the weapon's grip loosening as Erika stiffened her posture and lowered her guard.

"Go on then," she taunted. "Take your best shot."

Hot air grunted from the bull, red eyes glowering in her direction.

"Changed your tune quick," Bull-Rush snarled.

"Don't want a free, hit? Fine. It was the only one you were landing anyway."

The monster growled, head lowering for his horns to point right at her.

"Go on," Erika taunted. "I can take it."

The scream was blood-curdling, a roar that ripped the air through the street as Bull-Rush lunged. His hooves thundered the asphalt, every step cracking deeper as the force increased with his speed. The air rippled around him, points of his horns piercing through as they zeroed in on to lance her.

Just as Erika had hoped.

She waited, an eternity despite his ferocity; she waited until the prongs were so close she could see the cracks in the sinew. And then Erika stepped aside.

"Psyche!"

The angle was tight, the wave of air battering past her as Erika glided to new footing.

Her grip tightened, the power flowing from her suit and into the axe as the head glowed with a burning crimson. With all her might flowing into the single blow, Erika swung it in and carved the axe through the Bull-Rushes back as it added to his momentum. Already far too committed, pummeling forward at full velocity, the strike propelled him further, and Bull-Rush screamed as he toppled forward, balance thrown from the blow as he lost control completely.

And then he crashed, colliding headfirst into the wall of bricks that Erika had purposefully stood in front of. The ceramics crumbled on collision, toppling down as Bull-Rush tumbled face-first into the ground. And he lay there, groaning, Erika took a daring step closer, calmly placing her fist into her palm and bowing.

"Namaste."

"Nice moves there, Red," Hilary congratulated. "You had me worried there for a second."

"I took some friendly advice," she admitted. "Figured it worked both ways."

"Glad you're such a fast learner," Ray chuckled through the com.

By now Abbey and Zeke had managed to clear through the Cyberdrone numbers, leaping to her as Bull-Rush pulled himself from the rubble.

"What do you say, guys?" Erika grinned. "Ready to roast this beef?"

"Yeah!"

They moved in swift unison, weapons clicking into place as they took their new position. By the time Bull-Rush had fully risen, the barrel of their cannon was bearing down on him; aimed, armed, and ready.

"Defrag Blaster!" the three Rangers called together. "Fire!"

The energy boomed from the barrel, narrowing as the velocity increased and it soared toward its target. It impacted with a flash, blasting out in all directions, with nothing to protect him, Bull-Rush's form followed suit, exploding into a ball of fire.

The Rangers turned around, pulling apart their weapons with a moment to breathe. When the green light shot down, the three of them were more than ready.

Bull-Rush swelled in size, rejuvenated as he towered above the city.

"And now I'm back!" he laughed. "Don't have a cow about it!"

"Hilary," Erika asked. "You got those Zords handy?"

"Already on their way."

The tires screeched as Erika's red racer skidded into view, Zeke's truck quickly lumbering behind as Abbey's jet soared overhead. Without wasting a second, the Rangers leaped into the cockpits, hitting the controls to bring them together as the three of them steered in formation. Moments later, as Abbey's cockpit slid the helmet into place, the fresh Megazord stepped forward in challenge to the best; ready to rumble.

"Cyber Security Megazord!" they declared. "Online!"

The giant minotaur glared at them, his red eyes narrowing as he saw his target.

"You got lucky last time!" he yelled at them. "But now you're gonna get bull-dozed!"

"Wow," Erika smirked. "And I thought you were the biggest bull I'd encountered today!"

"Why, you!"

The monster barreled forward, but the Megazord did not move. Instead, they steered the arms in readiness for the moment to strike.

Bull-Rush gave it to them. Too incensed to defend, he closed in with all the ferocity he could muster. Just like down below, all the Rangers had to do was wait. As the monster crossed the gap and closed in on them, the Megazord stepped aside.

The first mighty arm shot out, snapping up to block the blow and knock him back. Then, with Bull-Rush off balance and defenseless, Erika snapped her hand to the controls for a punch. Outside, the giant mecha's fist crashed into the jaw, a mighty haymaker that cracked the bull backward. As the Bull-Rush stumbled away, struggling to remain upright, Zeke hit the button that summoned the sword.

"Time to take this guy out to pasture," Erika decided.

"Yeah!"

Then it was their turn to charge, the giant machine thundering forward, closing in on Bull-Rush while he wide open. The weapon glowed as it sliced through the air, the Cyber Security winding back to put all its power into the attack.

"Cyber Power…" they called together, "STRIKE!"

Bull-Rush was helpless, right in their path with nowhere to go. The sword connected with a blind blaze, cleaving through Bull-Rush with one clean blow as the Megazord thundered past. The power surged through the minotaur's body, searing his flesh as the remnant power died and left him a blacked, staggering wreck.

"No!" Bull-Rush screamed as his legs gave way beneath him. "I wasn't ready for that much of a beef-up!"

The Megazord didn't even turn around as the monster fell, standing upright and lowering the blade as Bull-Rush tumbled to the ground. Behind them, Bull-Rush hit the ground, and his body exploded into a soaring column of fire that singed every byte to harmless ash. In the blink of an eye, nothing the monster remained.

Basking the glow, Erika couldn't help but smile as she shot a grateful, knowing look to her friends in celebration. "Now that's what I call well-done."

The Hub was bustling that afternoon, filled with plenty of teens eager to enjoy their Saturday. The new band, Electro-Head, was tearing it up on the stage, buzzing up the vibe to bring grins to the patrons' faces.

Huddled around a table with her two new friends, nothing could spoil Erika's mood. Not even Deryck and Whitney, who had vapidly taken a table just across from them.

"To us," Abbey declared, holding up her chai in a toast, "and tackling inner demons."

"I'll drink to that," Zeke gleefully.

Erika tapped her cup to others in acceptance. But despite her lightened mood, it didn't feel like a cause for celebration.

"Let's not laud over a battle I haven't won yet," she said sheepishly. "Still plenty of demons in there to fight."

"But it's not one battle," Abbey replied. "It's several. And plenty that you'll have to fight over and over. But you can do it, I know you can. Especially now that you've got us to keep you going."

Erika smiled, warming to the positivity. "I'm working on it," she promised. "And Ray says he's going to give me heaps of strategies to keep me on the healthy side of management. I'm just sorry it got to that point, and that you guys had to deal with it."

Beside her, Zeke just shrugged. "Hey, you pulled through. And you showed that stupid bull a thing or two about anger management."

"Those were some seriously smooth moves," Abbey agreed.

Then they heard the chime above the door, and the trio looked over to see Miguel and Lena had arrived.

"Hey!" Abbey called out. "Over here!"

The boy in black grinned as he saw her, pointing for Lena's sake before the two of them wandered over.

"You were able to make it!" Abbey said excitedly.

"Yeah, I mean, you kept talking it up so much," Miguel smiled. "I didn't want to check it out without you."

From her seat, Erika watched Abbey's flush to a light shade of pink, whilst beside her Zeke's face flattened and looked away.

"It's definitely… busy," said Lena as she stared around at the crowd.

"It's just because it's a weekend," Abbey pointed out. "It's usually quieter after school."

"I like it," Miguel decided. "I can see why you wanted me to come here."

"You know what?" Erika decided, "I think I need another coffee. Zeke, don't you need one too?"

"Um… I think I still have some left in my-."

"Thought so, why don't you come help me order? Lena, I'm not sure what you like, but why don't you come see what they have on offer?"

The new girl shrugged as Erika tugged at Zeke's arm and guided him away from the table. Shooting a look back, she shot Abbey a knowing wink, who in return mouthed a quiet "thank you".

Then, making their way through the crowd, Erika caught the eye of the one she'd desperately hoped to avoid. Deryck caught sight of her, and in seeing her desired avoidance, smirked. Whitney too gave a sly smile and waved.

Jerks.

There was a glint in Deryck's eye, the kind that warned that he was up to no good. Erika almost saw it too late; his foot poking out from the table, right into her path. But having seen his ply, Erika sidestepped gracefully, gliding around the trap without so much as acknowledging it was there.

The poor waitress, Valerie, was less fortunate. With a milkshake-filled tray in hand bocking easy view of the floor, she was the perfect prey for Deryck's misplaced prank. Her foot collided with his, and her eyes widened in horror as she fell.

At the table, Whitney snickered at the sight.

Erika was already moving. Her hand lashed out, grabbing Valerie's wrist to break the fall, snapping her back to pull her upright. Tugged a little hard, Valery kept moving, and without thinking Erika's arms swept beneath her to catch.

For a moment, the girl lay there in shock, supported in Erika's grasp as her awareness caught up to what happened. Then, as the girl's breathing slowed, her eyes drifted upwards, catching Erika's gaze.

"Thanks," she smiled.

A light, little flutter leaped from Erika's heart as their eyes locked together, a smile creeping between her warming cheeks. "Don't mention it."

"Nice catch," Lena congratulated as Erika helped Valerie to her feet.

"Yeah," Zeke agreed in a tone almost envious. "Smooth."

"EEEEEEEEWWWWW!"

All heads whipped around to the sudden cry. While Valerie had dropped down, the milkshakes had flown up. And on the downward return, the contents had spilled everywhere, with Deryck and Whitney directly in the center of the splash zone. Creamy, colored milk oozed down their faces, their clothes completely soaked in the beverages. While Deryck just sat there dumbstruck, Whitney seethed beside him. But having watched the entire saga unfold, the Rangers and their friends couldn't help but burst with laughter.

"This sweater is dry-clean only!" Whitney groaned.

"Look on the bright side, Whitney," Abbey laughed from her seat. "At least it was skim milk."

"Hey, don't blame me," Erika grinned. "Deryck really should have watched where he was leaning."

With a huff, Whitney's head slowly turned to her equally drenched companion, despair twisting into a withering scowl as she realized that Erika was right.

"Der-yck!" she screeched with exasperation as the boy dipped his finger into the milk that was oozing down his forehead. Then, in a huff, Whitney bolted upwards and stormed out, and in a daze from the incident, dutifully Deryck followed behind her.

With her sides beginning to hurt and grin as broad as it could be, Erika, at last, continued her journey to the counter. As Lena and Zeke continued chuckling at Whitney and Deryck's embarrassment, she began to think that maybe, just maybe, things were going to turn out all right.

Valerie even gave her their next coffee on the house in gratitude, along with a playful wink to go with it.

NEXT TIME:

While Abbey and Erika grow in confidence, Zeke continues to find himself the target of bullies and Cyberdrones alike. With both his friends stepping in to save him time and again, the Yellow Ranger begins to question whether he can truly hold his own at all. Meanwhile, as Zeke's insecurities about his friendships grow, Xaviax and Ender prepare the next stage of their plan to undermine the Rangers and seek to leverage tensions from within. Just what sinister scheme is Xaviax concocting? Can Zeke overcome his falling in confidence? Or will his insecurity spell doom for the team?

Find out next time on:

POWER RANGERS

SERVER FORCE

Easy Target

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

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