There was a tense quiet as the cold air settled on the grounds, a stillness within the darkness as night blanketed prowling Cyberdrones. They moved in small formations, patrolling in routine intervals to keep the ground floor locked down while ready to intercept any who dared to leave the grounds. At the center of the school's courtyard, Radiowave stood proudly, his voice bellowing through the air in a vain declaration for everyone forced to listen.
"And welcome back, folks! DJ Radiowave here, joining you again to take you through the late-night drive," he hooted. "Been a smooth evening for the latest portion, and back from the break, we're moving on to our next section called- 'Bring us the Power Rangers or be Destroyed!'"
The Cyberdrones assigned to keep the monster guarded all took a moment to move in laughter, clearly amused by the monster's overt threat.
"The rules of the segment are simple," Radiowave announced. "Anyone can call in and tell us where in the building the Power Rangers are hiding. And if they guess right, they get to go free! But if they guess wrong…"
From out of the speaker on his head, a flushing toilet followed by a sad trombone sounded out to punctuate his threat, a perverse humor that only furthered his menace.
"But, ladies and gentlemen, that's not all!" he continued. "If the Power Rangers themselves call in and reveal themselves, then everyone wins a prize! Everyone gets to go free! So don't be shy, and come on down! Because playing the game is the only way to win! And don't worry about missing out; we'll be taking callers all through the night until the Power Rangers are found! So don't go away, because you can't! And we'll be right back after this!"
Radiowave had no sooner concluded his indulgent broadcast when ArcKnight appeared in a flash of green light. "You waste time with these petty tirades," the warrior growled. "Our master has entrusted us with enacting his plan, and yet you have found no more Power Rangers in the time we have been gone."
"Hey, don't you worry about a thing," Radiowave insisted in a tone that was far too chipper. "You can tell management that I've got everything under control. I've got my production team combing the building as we speak, they cornered two of the little scamps just a few minutes ago. And now that there's a free entry contest to turn them in, I'm sure we'll have listeners lining up to tell us where they are."
"Your antics do not amuse me," ArcKnight replied. "My only interest is in results."
"Sure, sure, I'll have them to you by the broadcast's end," Radiowave replied. "I've got to be honest; I'd have thought they'd send the other guy down here."
"Ender is dealing with a situation," said ArcKnight. "And if I were you, I would not be on the list of problems to deal with."
With that, ArcKnight turned on his heel, denying the shock-jock his precious last word as he vanished in a second flash of emerald. With the general gone, Radiowave turned to the Cyberdrones, who were watching him with tense curiosity.
"Well, you heard the word from management!" he declared. "Guess we better get this show on the road. So, head on in there and rustle me up some contestants!"
The Cyberdrones snapped to salute in agreement, scurrying off to alert the other henchmen as they flushed into the school halls. Now alone in the courtyard, Radiowave turned his speaker on again to gleefully send his voice out across the airwaves.
"And welcome back again, folks! DJ Radiowave, taking you through the night. And we've got an exciting development for all of you here. During the break, I got the fantastic go-ahead from management to up the stakes of our contest. So now we're going to implement a new rule called- RANDOM! CALLER! ENTRY!"
With his ear pressed against the door, Ray heard the muffled clatter in the distance, the true sign that something had changed. It was the sound of a commotion, of frantic feet pounding against the third-floor laminate before falling into clattering metal. But it was not the change he was hoping for. With a vain hope, Ray had desperately held onto the idea that the cavalry would swoop in, whatever that looked like, conjuring a solution to his nullified morpher and him help take back the school.
But instead, the whirring of joints and slapping footsteps betrayed a drastically shifting situation. As the sounds of the scuffle outside faded, Ray heard the Cyberdrones clambering away, rushing past as all inside stifled their panic in fear of being discovered. What followed was another period of suffocating silence, sitting in the darkness while slowly smothered by a blanket of anxious anticipation.
And then Ray heard Radiowave's announcement bellow out, and his heart sank completely. The Cyberdrones were done being thorough and careful as they combed the building in search of the other Rangers. Their enemy had run out of patience, and the game of hide and seek had become search and destroy. Now they were coming whether the others were ready or not, and that meant every person in the room was in even more danger.
He needed to get out there, to do something to draw the enemy forces away. He had no doubt that Hilary was working tirelessly, almost certainly on something reckless, to get to him and the other Rangers. For all Ray knew, the commotion he'd heard earlier could have been them. He was useless where he was, and he had no way of leaving without revealing his secret.
And even that was becoming the least of his worries.
They were trapped, fish in a barrel, just waiting for something to come along and find them. And when they did, it wouldn't matter how hard Ray fought; the others would be directly in danger. They'd be right in the warpath, and the perfect targets to hold him at bay.
And that meant he needed to get them out.
Beside him, Helen Goodson was doing her best to keep the people inside calm. But her usually stony demeanor was showing signs of fatigue, cracks in the calm appearing as their situation continued. Her fear was coming through, not just for herself but for all other people in the building, of not knowing what was coming.
Slowly, Ray shuffled over in her direction, pulling in close so as not to alert the other people before whispering the plan to his boss.
"We need to move."
Goodson's eyes narrowed. "Absolutely not. This is a lockdown, Ray. We're safest inside, going out into the halls is only going to put more people at risk."
"And normally, I'd agree with you," said Ray. "But this situation isn't normal. They've got the numbers, and they're combing the place. They're going to reach here, and they're going to get inside. We don't know what's going to happen once they do. In here, we're sitting ducks. At least out there, we've got a chance of keeping people safe."
The principal looked away, clearly uncomfortable with the suggestion even as she considered it. Ray didn't blame her. He knew exactly how he'd respond if any of the teens under his care had made the same suggestion. But Ray also knew something else, one thing he'd been forced to hold back as he made his appeal to Goodson. If the Cyberdrones cornered them, he could hold them off while the civilians got away.
Just so long as Goodson would let him.
"What are you suggesting?"
"We're not too far from the southeast stairwell," said Ray. "If we can make it there, then we can head straight down to the ground floor. On this side of the school, we're a quick sprint to the back lot and the rear drive. We've just got to hope that word's got out and city officials have formed a perimeter to run to."
Goodson hissed through gritted teeth as she heard his shoestring of a plan. But between almost certainly being caught inside the room, the marginal improvement was preferable.
"I'm only leaving with people who want to take the chance," she warned. Then she nodded to frightened civilians. "But I'll start talking to them, see which way they want to go."
"I'll keep an ear out, try to find out how much time we've got," Ray agreed. "I think I can hear them on the floor below. I'll tell you when we have a window."
Goodson nodded as she crawled to the first group of huddled parents and began to explain the changing situation. Listening carefully at the door to pick up on the Cyberdrones' movements and watching the looks on the parents' faces, Ray could only pray that he was making the right call.
And that he wasn't damning them instead.
Just as before, the light flashed again, and this time, Ender appeared before the newly created ArcKnight.
"What a time to be alive!" he declared. "What a sanctimonious day, a cause for a great celebration and achievement!"
"Master," ArcKnight entreated. "Do we really need this fool? You have built me to enact your wishes, what possible service could an imbecile like this possibly serve?"
"Imbecile?" Ender scoffed. "Barely a few minutes old, and you're managing a whole three syllables. Now, that's got to be glowing praise for our master's work!"
Over on the sidelines, Erika and the others watched in absolute amazement. Hilary had always had her suspicions of Ender and ArcKnight's origins. But in all the ones she'd voiced to the team, this option had never been considered.
"They're copies," Miguel realized. "Scolex made a data scan of himself and used it to create new versions. Just like when Abbey created Gail."
"Only these two are a lot more thought out than Abbey's haphazard clone," said Erika.
But while Erika and Miguel were content to watch from the sidelines, Doc had crept closer and was examining the two henchmen like the exhibits in a museum.
"I'm impressed that they came out looking as good as they have," he said. "Even with a bunch of modifications, the gaps left in the code could have made them really ugly."
"Oh, we know," Miguel replied as Erika thought back to the snake-like monstrosity that Gail had become. "Trust us."
As the two newborn henchmen began bickering, Scolex stood there, slack-jawed in amazement at the beings who he'd brought into existence. As if, somehow, it was even more miraculous the second time. But for Erika, it was fascinating.
Scolex had always been an implacable face of oozing charisma and confidence, to see him now with such uncertainty was mind-blowing. It made more than just some figure on the TV or the face of their enemy with whom she'd trade insults. To see his uncertainty and surprise at this moment brought him into sharper light than Erika had ever thought possible.
It made him human.
"Ender," Scolex said eventually. The two henchmen turned as one, and Scolex flinched in surprise at how swiftly they'd obey his command. "You are here to be my intellect, to allow my creativity to flourish when I can't be there to do it. Both of you are my will, and both are just as important for what I aim to do."
"And what is that, most enigmatic one?" Ender asked.
"We're going to change the world," Scolex said. "Make it a better place for all. I wish there was a better way, but there isn't. I've tried it. But no matter what else I do, someone always comes along to wreck it. But here, with this machine, we have the power to make a real difference, so long as we're prepared to break a few eggs along the way."
"Oooh, I do love an omelet," Ender cackled. "But I guess you already know that. After all, I did come from you."
"We stand ready for your command, master," ArcKnight affirmed. "If there is an enemy that stands in your path, say the word, and I will destroy them."
At first, Scolex's face dropped in horror, as if only just beginning to realize what it was that he'd created. "I don't know if you need to go that far…" He stopped, trailing off as his expression fell into a spiral of contemplation. "But on the other hand, maybe it is… maybe that's the been the problem. I'm what's not good enough."
"Master?"
Ender's inquiry seemed to break the spell of consideration, but Erika, Miguel, and Doc couldn't have been more captivated.
"Every time I've tried to help the world," Scolex realized. "I've failed because I've tried to be a good guy. To do the right thing all the time, no matter what it would cost. But that's not the only problem. It's not that I don't know what I have to do; it's that I don't have the will to do it. And that's what this plan needs, what you need to receive your commands. You need someone ruthless, someone determined to see this through to the end and make this dream a reality."
"Ooh, I do love it when a plan comes together," Ender chuckled.
"My lord," said ArcKnight. "I am the embodiment of your wrath, the force with which all that stand before you will fall."
"But anger isn't always the answer," Scolex replied. "I need to be able to channel it, to know when to strike and when subtlety is needed. The two of you together are not enough; you need someone to direct you."
"Another creation, perhaps?" Ender suggested.
"No," Scolex shook his head. "I can't entrust this to anyone else. It's my plan, my goal, and I have to see this through. No, what I need… is power."
"Something's moving out there."
Deryck was still listening at the door as Whitney stood at the back of the closet, holding herself tightly for comfort. The silence had been maddening, waiting in the dark and cramped confines in the hope of rescue.
A rescue that wasn't coming.
Even as she stood there, Whitney couldn't believe it. She hated the Power Rangers with every fiber of her being, but this was a new low even for them. She'd been right about them all this time. They were no good, troublemakers who just existed to make her life harder. Everyone always sang their praises, but Whitney knew better. And now everyone else did, too.
But she hadn't been right about everything.
The Power Rangers might not have come to her rescue, but someone else had. And stuck inside the janitor's closet with nothing to do, nowhere to go, and without a working phone, all Whitney could do was play the memory over and over in her mind.
Abbey Carmichael, right in the thick of it, throwing down with a horde of robots as she led her mother to safety. Whitney would never in a million years have thought the girl had it in her and wouldn't have believed it unless she'd seen it with her own eyes. Abbey was always so quiet and demure, without an ounce of spunk in her.
There was that time she'd become so angry she'd tipped on Whitney's head, but the girl had been so off that day that Whitney assumed that Abbey had needed her head checked. That day, it was like Abbey was a different person. But today, she'd been her usual, sickly sweet self-mere moments before.
She was the reason that Whitney and Deryck had been able to get away. She was the reason people were safe, not those no-good Power Rangers. And as Whitney stood there, it slowly dawned on her that she didn't really know Abbey at all. Whitney had always seen it as pathetic, the way that Abbey always got so high and mighty about helping people while never doing anything for herself. The way it seemed like Abbey never had any idea of how good her life could be if she just put herself first.
Because they cared, because they all stepped forward for something bigger than themselves. But now, that very trait that Whitney so disdained had probably saved her life. Abbey had dived into the thick of it to save her life and likely many others. And what had Whitney done? She'd run, and she'd hidden. And now they were trapped with no way out.
Alone.
"Deryck?" Whitney asked sadly. "What's wrong with me?"
Slowly, Deryck turned from the door, concerned confusion worn clear as he stared at her across the room. "What're you talking about, Whitney? You're perfect."
"I mean, I know that. But, like… what if I'm not? I mean, look at us. Look at all the things that keep happening to us. We don't ask for it; we don't deserve it. We've got people who don't matter being praised as heroes while we keep being made a mockery. It's like, no matter what we do, people just make fun of us. Meanwhile, Abbey Carmichael and her goody-two-shoes friends get hailed as citizens of the years because they put up some lame posters."
And then they'd saved her. Abbey had saved her even after everything Whitney had said, even when Abbey had every reason to hate her. But she'd done it anyway, and it was the only reason Whitney and Deryck were safe at all.
"I don't know, Whitney," Deryck said with a solemn shrug. "I guess, people just like it when they get a hand. I guess it doesn't matter who it comes from if it helps them."
"I swear if we get out of this, I'll never be mean to anyone ever again," Whitney swore. "Not unless they really deserve it or if I'm having a really bad day. But I don't think I can really be held responsible when it's like that. But you know, otherwise, never."
"That's really big of you, Whitney," Deryck agreed. "You really are such a good person. Maybe this will help people see it."
"I hope so. Maybe it'll even help our luck improve."
With that, there was another bang outside, more hurried footsteps heading down the corridor.
"They're moving again," Deryck agreed. "I don't think anyone's coming to get us."
"Then we've got to go," Whitney decided with renewed resolve. "If no one's coming to help us, then we'll just have to help ourselves."
"Right, I'll keep an ear out for when there's a break, then we can make a run for it."
Breathing in to steel her resolve, Whitney nodded in agreement as Deryck went back to listening at the door. If they were going to receive salvation, they would have to make it for themselves. But as she stood there and waited for Deryck to make the call, Whitney couldn't help but question how much she really deserved it.
The gravel crunched as Lena dropped from the other side of the fence, already peering around as Hilary landed beside her. It felt strange to be on the outskirts of the field so late at night, the grounds now a silent ghost town that stood in the still among the eerie darkness. With their window closing before Guardians on the other side would return, they hurried off into the grounds, slinking past the football field to cut through the bleachers. It was only as they reached the open ground before the main building of Lakeview High that they stopped to revise the plan.
"Okay, we're on your stomping grounds now," said Hilary. "Have you got a plan to go along with all that spunk you've been showing?"
"Zeke and Abbey are building the transmitter, right?" Lena checked. "That means they would have gone to the electronics lab. We should start there, maybe try and regain some safety in numbers."
There was a silent part she didn't add, but one that she knew was at the back of Hilary's mind and being stubbornly ignored. With any luck, it would help them also find Ray. Hilary nodded, and together, the two crept across the open ground toward the school's main building.
"Let's keep quiet," Hilary suggested. "I want to find them just as badly, but the last thing we need is attracting the wrong kind of…" But as she said it, the sound of whirring gears sounded overhead, crunching footsteps moving closer toward the two women out in the open. "…attention."
With her jaw clenching, Lena spun around, eyes glaring as a cluster of Cyberdrones marched into view. Fully alert and on the search for stragglers, their weapons whipped up as they saw them, pointing at them menacingly as they snapped into tight formation.
Damnit! They were so close!
Growling through her teeth, Lena's fist tightened as she shared a look with Hilary. They didn't have time for this, not when the others were still stuck inside. And now that they were on the ground and in range of the broadcast, Lena and Hilary's would be down as well. But Lena didn't have time for regrets, not now. Not when her friends were relying on them to reach and back them up.
These Cyberdrones weren't just infuriating; they were in her way.
All Abbey could do was pace, wandering back and forth throughout the lab as Zeke's rhythmic tapping at the keys grew maddening. Every now and then, a crack would spark from the device he was making as Zeke moved between the computer and the circuit board he was building from scratch. Every time, the crackle jolted Abbey's nerves, every flicker heightening her fears of discovery. But there was nothing she could do. She'd helped them get inside, and it was all down to Zeke to get the transmitter built and ready.
There was nothing left to do but wait, and it was killing her.
"This is going to work, right?" Abbey asked.
"It has to," said Zeke. "This is our best shot at getting our powers back, and even then, it feels like a long one."
"Is that the rest of the bad news?"
Zeke nodded grimly. "It's not going to be enough to turn the transmitter on; Radiowave's signal will just punch right through. We've got to get it as close as possible and jam it at the source."
"How close are we talking about?" Abbey gulped, dreading the more than likely answer. An answer that was dead on.
"Probably at his feet."
Every ounce of color drained from Abbey's face, flushing into the pit of her stomach to twist into a tightening knot. To get their powers back, they'd have to first face the monster without them. And yet, somehow, that wasn't even their most pressing concern.
Something clattered in the distance, muffled through the walls but unmistakably close. The Cyberdrones had discarded any pretense of subtlety. Another door slammed open, still distant but getting closer. As it did, Abbey braced herself for cries of frightened panic.
She'd been such a fool, so overcome by her nerves that she'd cast away any advantage of stealth they'd had. In her haste to get to safety and her frazzled headspace from her fight with her mother, Abbey had blundered them right into the enemy's sights. They'd got away, sure, and her quick thinking had been part of that, but how long had it bought them?
And now that the Cyberdrones were searching with extreme prejudice, how long until innocent people were dragged from hiding and thrown at the mercy of the world's worst radio host? Whatever solution they had, they needed it now.
Finally, Zeke slammed the final keystroke, punching in the frequency as he confirmed the calculation.
"I've got it," he cheered, only for his face to drop as the loading screen began booting on screen. "Almost."
Another slammed in the distance, even closer this time.
"How long do you need?" Abbey asked, hoping the answer was short. But Zeke's answer was anything but, in fact, it only added to Abbey's sinking sense of dread.
"Five minutes."
The world stopped. The gap between Abbey's heartbeats slowed to an agonizing crawl. There were footsteps now, distantly padding closer against the laminate floors as the Cyberdrones bashed through every room. They were getting closer, and any second now, they were going to reach the one the teens were in.
Face going pale, Abbey looked at Zeke with trembling dread, "We don't have that."
"No!" Doc gasped, a desperate wish against the knowledge of reality. "Tell me you didn't!"
"What's going on?" Erika asked.
"Using the Digitizer to create monsters is one thing, even using yourself as a template," Doc explained. "Using it to empower yourself directly isn't exactly advisable, but it's certainly doable. But if Scolex did what I think he did…"
"I can't cast my life aside," Scolex told his minions. "It's too important, and we need it. The world needs it. Because to make the world anew, we first have to break the old one. Before they thank me, they'll hate me. Davian Scolex is too important to become a figure for everyone to despise. But you two will need guidance, something I won't always be able to do from the shadows, and I can't believe that I'll always have the will to do what I need to. For this to work, before we can remake the world into a better place, I have to remake myself."
With that, he began frantically typing, punching at the keys as the lines of code began shifting once again. Even Ender and ArcKnight looked confused, staring as their master manically made the modifications required to achieve his ultimate plan. As those in Scolex's invisible audience slowly began to realize what was happening, the billionaire spun around from the keys and strode toward the center of the room.
"He made a new monster, just like Ender and ArcKnight," Doc realized. "And then he put it inside himself."
"I need to become the figure that the world needs me to be," Scolex declared.
And then his body vanished within the light. If Erika thought it was blinding before, now it was overpowering, the lilac bleeding into a burning white that flared to all corners of the room. The power bursting forth was overwhelming, rushing in all directions like a hurricane as even Ender and ArcKnight braced against the billowing force. But at the center of it all, Scolex stood strong, holding firm as raw power flowed into his body with no sign of stopping. Trapped within the memory, nothing but observers within the confines of the digital replication, all Erika could do was watch as suddenly Scolex let out an inhuman scream.
"What's happening?" Erika was practically yelling, the howling wind stifling any sound but Scolex's wail.
"He's rewriting himself!" Doc called back. "He's fighting to keep the monster contained, to keep his own body as it should be while taking it all into himself. He's creating a new entity, and he's battling it for control!"
At the center of the tempest, fresh power burst outward, lilac burning into a sickly green as the bright silhouette began to change. Tendrils began flowing from the limbs, stretching like vines to morph into the outline of cloth as the robes draped over the body. Light cracked from within, searing against the roof as the swirling storm raged with growing intensity, and Scolex's screaming grew louder and more ferocious.
And then, finally, as the howling winds reached their peak, the light began to fade, the objects picked up by maelstrom dropping the floor as suddenly, and in a final flash, the power vanished. All in the room, tangible and otherwise, slowly rose from their cover, and Ender carefully approached his master with cautious curiosity.
"Uh, my lord?"
The head snapped up, shirking Ender back with surprise. Erika and Miguel gasped in fright, thankful that none in the memory could hear them as they caught the full view of Scolex's face. He was still human, still unmistakably Davian Scolex, but his eyes were radiating with a pulsating glow of green. He straightened up, posture almost unnaturally rigid as he stood before his two minions.
Be it in reverence, fright, or both, Ender and ArcKnight knelt before their master.
"Good. Well done." Scolex's voice had grown colder, curt with indifference as he looked upon those who yielded fealty. "As long as you know your place, then you will be rewarded in the perfect world we will create."
"He sounds different," said Erika. "What's going on with him?"
But Doc was only staring with a slack-jawed horror. "He did it. He actually did it."
"Arise!" Scolex commanded. Slowly, Ender and ArcKnight did as commanded, returning to their feet as their master glided forward. "Now we can begin."
"With all due respect, my Lord," said Ender. "If this is to be the face for the public to fear, it will need to be a face truly inspiring of terror."
"Indeed."
He raised his hands, and glowing light appeared between them, particles drawing inward as a shape began to form within. When it was complete, he cupped in his grip and pulled beneath the hood, crafting into the face that Erika knew. An expressionless visage of cold steel, with nothing but emerald light glowing through the eye slits.
"When I stand before as the people's enemy, as the face for all of them to fear, you may call me… Xaviax."
"We need to get out of here," Doc said immediately.
Without wasting another second, he rushed to one of the terminals and began punching various buttons as the screens lit up to his touch. The occupants of the room began moving toward the doorway, still oblivious to the intruders' existence. While Erika still wanted to know more, she also agreed with Doc. Out was far better than in."
"What did he do?" Miguel asked. "Isn't that just some kind of power boost?"
"No," said Doc. "It's more than that. I just didn't think that anyone would be stupid enough to actually try it."
"Try what?" Erika demanded. "You said he made a monster. You said he put it inside himself. Why does that matter?"
"Because it means that there're two beings inside that body now," Doc explained. "Scolex, and the monster that he thinks he can control. He brought the monster out of himself, all with the idea of wielding it like a figurehead."
"But that's insane!" Miguel realized. "That is as insane as I think it is, right?"
"So what, it's some kind of Jekyll and Hyde situation?" Erika asked.
"No," Doc shook his head. "It's worse. Because while Scolex thinks he's in control, someone else is pulling his strings. He thinks that it's all him, but by putting that thing inside of himself, he made himself the mask. He gave himself over to the darkness."
Erika could only shudder, thinking back to when Abbey had created Gail. That dark reflection had been bad enough, but Erika shuddered at the thought of that monster controlling Abbey from within. Just like she had once been.
"I think I've got it," Doc said to them. "But we've got to be quick. We've been lucking to remain undetected for now, but the system's security's bound to lock onto us sooner or later."
The moment he said it, something moved in the shadows of the room, and out from the corners of the recreated lab, the figures of Cyberdrones began prowling between the servers.
"Time to go,' Erika agreed. Her hand slapped Miguel's shoulder, yanking him closer as she grabbed ahold of Doc.
"There's no place like home," Doc said for luck, gulping down to betray his uncertainty as he slammed down a button on the console. "I hope."
And then, just as all the robotic heads turned to see the intruders, the three of them vanished in a burst of emerald light.
Every heartbeat echoed against her chest, every breath a laborious inhale that did nothing to calm Abbey's rising nerves.
They were closing in, pounding on the doors, room after room, as they inched their way to where the two were hiding. If the Cyberdrones got inside, there was no guarantee they'd be able to protect the console, that the henchmen wouldn't be able to stop their plan in their tracks.
Shaking, Abbey's eyes moved to the crude device that Zeke had constructed, a maze of transistors soldered to the motherboard. Plugged into the room's main pc, its dull, monochrome screen flashed as the loading bar on the computer crawled with snaillike completion. There was no way Zeke could take it with him; it would have to stay right where it was until the complex frequency had downloaded. And if it didn't download, then it was over for all of them. For good.
But any second, the henchmen would burst inside, catch them in the act, and surge at them in a desperate bid to quash them. And there was nothing they could do.
But she could.
Abbey's pulse thumped faster, a surge of frightened adrenaline flushing through her chest as she slowly realized what she needed to do. The only way Zeke would have time to finish the device was if Abbey went out there and bought it.
"Stay here," Abbey ordered, terror trembling in her voice as she silently begged that Zeke wouldn't argue. "And no matter what happens, do not leave that thing until it's done."
"Okay, the coast is clear," Ray hissed. "Go. Go. Go!"
Ray shielded the doorway with his body as the parents hurried into the empty hallway and followed Goodson to the stairs in a tightly moving pack. Keeping watch, Ray saw Ken Nishimura take the rear, the security guard fully in his element as he coordinated the stealthy evacuation. The agreement had been unanimous: take the chance in the halls instead of resigning to their discovery in the room. Ray could only pray that he'd listened carefully enough to time it correctly.
With the room empty, Ray slunk in pursuit, crouching low as the last of the fleeing adults made it into the stairwell. The building remained his biggest concern, and the Cyberdrones still held the biggest advantage while the people were contained within the walls. At least outside, people could scatter if caught, hopefully fast enough to reach the safety of the perimeter. If the police had formed a guard around it to keep the Cyberdrones contained. If the police could handle the Cyberdrones in the numbers, they'd arrived in. And if Radiowave didn't find them first. Too many ifs to be anywhere near comfortable, but it was the only plan they had. They just had to make it outside.
As the last person made it to the stairs, Ray shared a silent, affirming nod with Nishimura. And then they moved, hitting the stairs and descending as fast as they could behind the mob of terrified people.
It was halfway down that Ray realized the flaw, the enormous oversight that was now staring at him plain as day. He hoped by taking the stairs, they could descend directly to the ground from the third floor, allowing them to avoid the swarming Cyberdrones between them. The corner stairwell was an enclosed corridor, blocked by doors at the entries that would allow the group to hide as they waited for the coast to clear at the bottom. But what Ray hadn't accounted for was the windows.
Hitting the middle landing, his heart nearly stopped as he saw the pane of safety glass, exposing everyone inside to the hall of the middle floor. And just as Ray thought they could manage, that the last of the innocent people could hurry down the stairs before another patrol came into sight, the whole group stopped.
"Someone's coming!"
The whole group shuffled back, desperate to hide from sight down below and locking their position on the stairs. At the bottom, Goodson pressed against the door, peering as much as she would dare through the window to watch and pray for the Cyberdrones to pass.
Just as another patrol emerged on the second floor.
They paused as they turned to the corner, heads tilting as they saw a strange shadow in the stairwell that hadn't been there before, Ray's pulse raced to red alert. They'd seen them, and now the henchmen were approaching with cautious intent toward the fleeing parents trapped like fish in a barrel. Unable to move while the drones downstairs were passing and with no time to retreat without further revealing their locations, everyone inside was caught between two converging forces. There was no way they were getting out, not without being spotted.
Not unless Ray went out there to hold the rear.
"You can't go out there!" Zeke hissed. "Not on your own, that's insane!"
"We don't have a choice," Abbey said harshly. "Those drones are going to be on here any second, and if they stop the frequency from downloading, then it's all over. Someone needs to be here to make sure there are no complications. But the only way to stop those drones from getting inside is by giving them something else to worry about. We both know I'm no good with computers, Zeke; that's why it has to be me. You're the only person who can get the transmitter ready and working."
He stared at her, eyes shaking in frightened panic, like his worst nightmare was unfolding before him. As if Abbey had found the perfect words to shatter him completely, to paralyze him with a dread he'd never hoped to face. But his silence betrayed the truth, a truth Abbey knew he desperately wanted to deny. That she was right, and there was no argument he could conjure otherwise. Splitting up was the best chance for both of them. For their friends.
That for Zeke to get the transmitter finished, Abbey needed to hold back the tide.
Alone.
"Zeke," Abbey pleaded. "We both know there's only one way we're getting out of this. The only way to help our friends, our family, and everyone we love is to take the signal off the air and get our powers back. I know you don't want me to go, but this is the only way."
His bottom lip quivered; his eyes were shaking in horror. But slowly, Zeke nodded, tearing his eyes away as if continuing to look at her would change his mind. "The second this thing is done. I'm coming for you."
"I know," Abbey agreed.
And then she spun and made for the corner of the room before her growing trepidation could change her mind. Then, as she reached the barrier, Abbey placed her palm on the plaster and pulled her ear close to listen.
"Ken," Ray hissed. "Got to Goodson, tell her to run the second she gets the chance. And under no circumstances is she to turn around."
For a moment, the off-duty guard looked at Ray with perplexion, only for his face to fall as he realized the counselor's plan. There was no time to argue or further explain, and every passing second was a waste of critical time.
"You better know what you're doing," Nishimura warned quietly. "Because Erika will kill me if I let something happen to her favorite counselor."
And then he pushed through the crowd to relay the order as Ray stepped closer to the awaiting door.
Another bang, this one closer, just further slightly down the hall, and Abbey's heart jumped as the next door was broken open. One more room, and then they'd be on them. And all she was left with was anxious waiting. If she were to have any chance of drawing their attention, of pulling them away from the lab, then she needed to get the drop on them. She needed them to chase her.
It was barely any time at all, but to Abbey, it could have an eternity. And yet, it would never feel like enough. Enough for her to be sure she was doing the right thing. Enough to be ready.
And the door to the room beside them crashed open, and Abbey's time was up.
Lena's eyes flicked to Hilary, seeing the look of resolving agreement as both of them raised their guards in readiness.
They were going to get inside, no matter what. Now, they were just doing it the hard way.
All her life, Abbey had sworn to do what was right, to do the best she could by all, to hold herself to a standard she hoped the world could one day meet with her. To be as helpful as she could, a daughter her late father could be proud of. To help others and protect the helpless. To strive for peace, to do no harm.
And now here she was, lurking in the dark corner of the school in blatant disobedience of her mother's wishes, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Long ago, Abbey had sworn to never seek a fight, to seek another whenever possible. To show her wisdom in avoiding battle. But that was before she'd seen the horror that Xaviax could unleash, before he came after her friends, her family. Now, she had to seek the fight. It was the only way to protect the ones she loved.
And that was who she was.
The people bunched together, compressing tightly in a vain attempt to hide from the windows on both floors, as Ray stepped closer to the doorway. He pressed against the wall, breathing in slowly to calm his racing nerves. His eyes fixed on the handle, and he waited for it to turn.
She heard the step, the sound of the lurking Cyberdrone depart the room beside them as they continued their stride up the corridor. At last, Abbey's moment had come.
Gulping down, Abbey took one final look across the room at Zeke and his frightened acceptance. Her best friend in the whole world, who'd always stuck by her no matter what. And it was time to return the favor.
"I love you," she said to him, nothing held back as she affirmed their friendship with full sincerity.
And looking back at her, Zeke nodded in complete understanding, with no confusion to her meaning. "I know."
And then Abbey phased through the wall to shoot out into the darkened hall. She had no idea how they didn't hear her, how the squeak of her Mary Janes on the laminate didn't alert the lurking henchman to her abrupt arrival in the hall. But be it luck or incompetence, they didn't realize that she was there.
They'd reached the door, gathering around like a pack of hoodlums, ready to bash it down and see who was inside. Over her dead body. They were about to know she was there, whether they were ready or not. As her chest rose with a final breath of courage, she stepped forward. And for the first time in her life, Abbey started the fight.
"Hey!" All heads whipped around, the glow of green eyes fixed upon her with curiosity and menace. And as they slowly turned to her, Abbey's eyes narrowed into a glare of daring defiance. "Looking for me?"
The door flew open, and Ray chopped down, smashing into the Cyberdrone's wrist as he kicked the door closed. Halfway through the threshold, the Cyberdrone slammed into the frame, staggering back and clutching as people screamed and Ray surged forward. Swerving into view, his foot planted into the robot's chest, sending it soaring into the waiting comrades behind as the Guidance Counsellor followed up into the hallway and slammed the door behind him.
"Sorry, fellas," he said coldly. "If you want to see the principal, you're gonna need an appointment."
The Cyberdrone promptly swarmed around to make one.
They pounced from the door as Abbey charged. They moved wide, and Abbey dropped low, arms snapping up to bat the blow away before twisting into a tenacious kick. They staggered, balance thrown by the deftness of the strike, and Abbey seized her chance to grab the closest henchman and hurl it over her shoulder.
As the Cyberdrone skidded along the floor, the girl kicked back, ramming her heel into the armored chest to send it fumbling backward. And as the henchmen reeled, Abbey dove. Dropping her shoulder, she phased through the minion, rolling on impact with the ground before spinning to her feet and glaring at the flabbergasted Cyberdrones.
She certainly had their attention; now, she just had to keep it.
"Okay, here's our chance, let's go!"
Refusing to second guess her or Deryck, Whitney took Deryck's cue as he threw the door open and leaped out into the hallway. They skidded out across the darkened laminated, shoes squeaking on the surface as the closet door slammed behind them.
Big mistake. The robots were running down the hall toward some kind of disturbance. But Whitney and Deryck's arrival had drawn their attention, and those at the rear whipped around to see the two frightened teens standing out in the open.
"Deryck!" Whitney shrieked. "Do something!"
"Uhhh…." The boy nobly stood in front of Whitney, shielding her from the robots creeping toward them with sinister intent. With his body shaking, Deryck raised his fists to meekly stand in front of the encroaching attackers as Whitney braced herself for what was coming.
The hallways filled with the sound of clattering steel. The robots whipped around, surprised at the sudden interference from the source barreling toward them. And then Whitney saw it too and gasped.
Abbey Carmichael was charging toward them, hurling off a robot grappling her shoulder as she shot straight for the line between her and Whitney. She skidded to a stop, almost daring them to get closer. And they did. And it was a mistake.
The first one lunged as Abbey sidestepped, lashing at the wrist to pull its stomach into a kick. As the first went down, the second came in, and Abbey was already three steps ahead. She ducked beneath the blow, leaping into a spinning kick to crack the heel of her Mary-Jane into the robot's face. The robots went clattering to the floor, crunching as Abbey twirled among the horde, and those surrounding her flailed to keep up. At the peak of her momentum, she dropped, sweeping out her leg to trip the intervening attackers as she skidded beneath their feet.
Now standing in front of Witney and Deryck, Abbey rose, glaring at the recovering monsters with fierce and protective determination. With a moment to spare, she cast back a look, locking eyes with the pair to send a message that was loud and clear.
Run!
For a moment, the briefest of heartbeats that pounded through the silence, the three were in perfect understanding. Of what was happening, of what it meant. And of needed to happen next.
"Go kick their butts, Carmichael," Whitney warned.
And then she and Deryck turned and ran for dear life, bolting for the main staircase and racing down before any more robots could catch them. Back in the hall, Abbey straightened her stance as Cyberdrones began closing in.
"You want me?" Abbey taunted. "Then come and get me!"
And then she turned and bolted, racing down the hall as the Cyberdrones took after her in eager pursuit.
Lena didn't waste a second, determined to make every second count as she surged ahead to take back to school, inch by inch. She dived ahead with fierce determination, soaring over a bench as the Cyberdrones scrambled to catch her. But in their efforts to catch up, Lena had turned the tables.
Scrambling around the bolted seat, the Cyberdrones were met by a foot in the chest, pushing them back as they began scrambling around each other to come around the flank. Just as planned. Lena stepped back, swatting away the first incoming strike as she grabbed the arm and heaved. The Cyberdrone was yanked forward, shielding Lena from an incoming blow before crumbling over the bench. And with her next target off balance, Lena's position was perfect.
She hopped up, bounding off the edge of the bench to introduce her shoe to a Cyberdrone's head, swinging out a punch as she landed to smash back another.
"What's the matter? Getting tired?" Lena taunted. "Here, have a seat."
With the unnatural swiftness of her android body, Lena sidestepped and jammed her foot in the path of a charging Cyberdrone. Too committed, the robot's ankle collided with Lena's limb, toppling as it crashed into the bench beside them. With one down and the others scrambling, Lena took her chance to move.
Skipping in place, her heel jutted out, slamming the next bot back as she fell back into a cartwheel and flipped over the seat. The Cyberdrones were far too slow to grab her. By the time their hands snatched at the empty air, Lena had landed on the other side with her leg raised for a downward kick. It met its mark with perfect precision.
The Cyberdrone was already recovering, but it was far too late as Lena's heel crashed into the back of its head. Its face rammed into the seat as the entire wooden bench smashed in two. And then, with a final pirouette, Lena followed up with a kick to the chest that sent the henchman reeling into its comrades.
But as good as it felt to hit back, they needed to move, gain some ground, and get into the school.
"Hilary!" Lena warned. "We need an opening!"
The programmer was way ahead of her.
They were on her tail in seconds, iron feet pounding the floor as Abbey turned the corner and whipped around. She could play cat and mouse all day, but Zeke would never find her if she kept up the chase. She'd lured them away, and the time for running was over.
It was time to stand her ground.
They came at Abbey all at once. Skidding around the bend, the Cyberdrones didn't hesitate, charging in a determined bid to surround her. And Abbey let them. The first one reached her, striking high as her forearm collided and smashed it back. It's carried forward, momentum propelling it forward in a desperate bid to overwhelm. Dropping her shoulder, Abbey grabbed hold and lifted, flipping the drone overhead to send it crashing into the ground behind her. But throwing it off had turned her back toward them, and already the next drone was rushing toward her, thinking Abbey's guard was down.
It wasn't.
With a graceful step, Abbey's whole body twisted her foot into the Cyberdrone's stomach, sending it skidding across the floor as the next two raced to come around her flank. Not fast enough. As the two closed in, the molecules in Abbey's body shifted, phasing through their strikes and causing the two to collide. One dropped hard, reeling on the floor as Abbey stepped away, and the other turned in pursuit.
It lunged as Abbey's hand reached back and phased into the locker beside her. As her fingers found the mechanism, she forced the latch and reefed it open, swinging the metal panel right into the Cyberdrone's faceplate. The two collided with a dull clang, and Cyberdrone dropped to the ground to give Abbey a moment to breathe.
Only one.
Taking stock of her chances, Abbey dived for the gap between the rising Cyberdrones. Her hands planted on the laminate, launching her into a cartwheel that propelled her further down the corridor. Turning to watch her pursuers huddling together in readiness for another assault, another sound clattered behind her. Her head tilted on instinct, flicking to the corner where two halls met just in time for a flash of red light to burst from the darkness. Seconds later, a motionless Cyberdrones was sent skidding along the floor with two smoking holes in its chest.
Chasing right after it, with another group of henchmen hot on his tail, was Ray.
The two didn't share a word as Abbey snapped up her guard as the two pursuing groups converged. As Ray met her, he whipped around, pressing back to hers as the two of them got ready for what was coming.
Just as the Cyberdrones descended from all directions.
As the metal flushed over Hilary's skin, Lena cartwheeled across the lot to fall in behind her. The Cyberdrones never knew what hit them. Taking off at top speed, the chrome-covered woman barreled into them, smashing them away like leaves in a gale. As Hilary bulldozed through the lines, Lena took off after her, determined to stick close as they brute forced their way inside.
Hilary reached the entrance just as the metal began receding, sinking back into her skin as a fresh wall of Cyberdrones rushed out to block them.
"These guys just don't get the hint, do they?"
"All we want is to go to school," Lena agreed. "Is that too much to ask?'
As the Cyberdrones rushed to pin them down, both Lena and Hilary moved, spinning between the henchmen with perfect synchronicity. As Lena grabbed a Cyberdrone, Hilary lashed out to smash it, spinning around to mirror the pattern as Lena then returned the favor. As one struck, the other blocked, each covering the other as they inched their way into the school building.
"Behind you!" Lena warned.
Hilary didn't even look, leaning as the blow soared overhead, and Lena raced to counter. With Hilary hunched, Lena jumped, rolling over her teammate's back to bring her heel down on the overeager henchman. It clattered to the ground, and Lena kept moving, racing to the entrance as Hilary took off behind her.
The Cyberdrones were in hot pursuit, but to Lena and Hilary, they no longer mattered. They'd made it inside, and all they cared about now was finding their friends. And from the sounds of commotion coming from the floor above, they suspected they wouldn't have far to look.
But in reaching their courtyard, a fresh barrier between them and their teammates blocked their path.
It was Radiowave.
"Welcome, Ladies and Gentlemen!" his voice boomed into the night, "Looks like we've got some lucky callers here to try their hand at tonight's contest!"
He stood there cackling, practically buckling backward as Lena and Hilary glared with gritted teeth and the Cyberdrones flushed around them. This wasn't how they'd wanted it to go. The others were still inside, guarding their only ace in the hole, without which all of them would be stuck without powers. They needed to reconvene and form a united front if they wanted any hope of taking Radiowave down.
But as Lena hissed a silent curse and Hilary did the same, she realized something else: a shift in the environment that they needed to consider. That while the Rangers were cornered, it was giving the innocent civilians a window to escape.
With their targets discovered, the Cyberdrones were flooding from the buildings, flushing out into the central courtyard to seal the outer exits as others hurried to converge on the East Wing's second floor. The school was emptying, the guard dropping as the Cyberdrones converged on their quarry and freed the halls for the sheltering civilians.
Just as they did, Lena spied movement, people hurrying out of their shelter to run for dear life, bolting as far from the Cyberdrones as they could. Their counterattack was drawing attention, giving the civilians leave to flee. And if drawing the footsoldiers' attention meant opening a window for Mason's reinforcements, then Lena knew they had to give it as good as they got.
And that meant heading the problem off at the source.
Hilary was in complete agreement, and the two of them tensed to take fresh fighting stances.
"Is there anyone here from management?" Hilary asked.
"We've got some complaints about your content," Lena growled.
They may not have had powers, but they were all that was standing between the civilians and their safety. It wouldn't have stopped Erika, and it wouldn't have stopped Miguel. If it meant getting innocent people to safety, both were willing to do whatever it took.
Even if it meant facing down the monster without their powers.
Without their team.
With a burst of green light, they landed on the hard, steel floor of Ender's lab.
"Did we do it?" Erika asked. "Is this it?"
But even as she asked, Erika could tell that it was. There was something about the air around them, the coldness that pressed to their skins, a weight to the oxygen they inhaled that felt different from the digital world they'd been thrown into. They'd done it; they were free.
"Looks like it," Doc confirmed. "But let's not hang around in case Scolex has any surprises on the way. If this is where the magic happens, then the teleporter should be nearby."
The room was empty, computer screens all blank as they waited on standby, and even the digitizing chamber remained silent and alert. Off to the side, the computer terminal awaited invitingly, while over on a workbench, Erika spied two wristwatches and a keycard lying on a tray.
Their Morphers.
Through a strike of luck, they'd manage to arrive while the lab was deserted.
"Looks like we're alone," Erika decided, letting Miguel slowly stand as she turned to her companions. "Doc, you focus on getting that teleporter working. We'll just grab our Morphers and-."
She shouldn't have said it. She just knew the second the thought crossed her mind that she should never have thrown it into the universe. Instead, Erika had barely issued her order when the room was consumed with a vibrant flash of green. Just as suddenly, an entire horde of Cyberdrones dropped down into the space, fully encircling the three of them as the door shunted closed.
And standing before them, looming in his dark robes and glaring through his iron mask, was Xaviax.
"Well, look who it is," he said coldly. "Our unappreciative houseguests. We were wondering when you'd be dropping in."
To Be Concluded…
NEXT TIME
With the Cyberdrone forces converging, the Rangers in the school fight for their very lives as they buy time for the civilians to escape. As Abbey and Ray continue holding off the Cyberdrones to give Zeke the time he needs, Lena and Hilary engage Radiowave in a deadly duel without their powers. Meanwhile, trapped and cornered in the depths of their enemy's lair, Erika and Miguel battle to escape the confines of Xaviax's stronghold, determined to rescue their mentor's mentor from his captors.
Can Erika and Miguel find a way to get all three of them out alive?
Will Zeke be able to complete the transmitter in time?
And with ArcKnight stepping into the ring to lend Radiowave his aid, will the Rangers be able to hold long enough to get their powers back? Or will this defiant stand become their last?
Find out the answers to these questions and more in the mid-season finale of:
POWER RANGERS
SERVER FORCE
Meet & Greet: Part 3
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.
