Episode 32:

Meet & Greet- Part III

"Xaviax," Erika sneered as she and Miguel pushed closer together, shielding Doc from the Cyberdrones at every angle. "Fancy seeing you here. Don't mind us; we were just leaving."

Their nemesis tilted his head, catching the ambiance of the screens to bask in a green and sinister glow. "So soon? But you've just met our other guest. Why don't we spend this time to get to know each other?"

"Thanks," Doc said dryly. "But I've been inside too long. I think better get some air."

"Besides," Miguel added. "While we're here, we're missing out on school."

Through his expressionless mask, Erika couldn't help but feel like Xaviax was smiling as he raised his hand to give the order. "No need to worry. If schooling's what you're after, then I've got just the lesson."

Erika dived as the first drone reached her, spinning into a crouch to sweep the leg and send the footman clattering to the ground. Behind her, Miguel shifted around, arm snapping up to cast a bot aside as Doc huddled for cover. But as the boy cracked into smoke, Wisping across the room for a better position and splitting the Cyberdrone's attention, Erika gained a notice she'd have gladly done without. The big man himself.

As she rose to her feet and hurled a Cyberdrone to the ground, Xaviax lunged right at her. He moved with the force of a hurricane, almost flashing across the distance as he closed in. Erika barely saw him in time, spinning on instinct as his fist crashed through the workbench beside her. As it did, she felt the force of the burst impact beside her. It would have been a scary enough blow if she were morphed, but when exposed without the safety of her suit, it made it downright deadly.

Erika had barely felt the cold, hard steel of the table beside her when Xaviax recovered and swung again. This time, she fell back, landing on the table and spinning as the fist smashed against the surface she left behind. With her position elevated, Erika kicked out, her boot smacking into a Cyberdrone that was eager to catch her on the flank. As the robot fell, Erika whipped around to glare at Xaviax, eyes narrowing as she dared him to continue.

"Such spirit," he said coldly. "But undisciplined. Truly, it's a wonder what schools are teaching nowadays."

"My last principal said the same thing," Erika sneered. "And you'll be shocked at how well I took it."

And then she unleashed the lightning at point-blank range.

The door burst open, the last of the time spent as the Cyberdrones rushed inside to see Zeke at the computer.

Just a couple more seconds!

They came at all at once, but the boy didn't move. He barely even looked at them. As the Cyberdrones charged at Zeke, a golden bubble erupted out and clashed with the weapons before bursting with explosive light. It hurled the Cyberdrones backward, crashing one over a lab bench as Zeke watched the loading bar complete.

Loaded and ready, there was no time for a test; Zeke just had to pray it was going to work. He yanked the transmitter from the cables and whipped around, eyeing the door at the end of the room as the intervening Cyberdrones climbed to their feet.

"Late for class?" Zeke asked. "Guess you'll just have to catch up."

He waited just enough to catch the flicker of movement that betrayed their commitment. Then he lunged for the table in front of him. As the Cyberdrones clobbered behind him, Zeke skidded across the elevated surface before breaking into a determined sprint. Reaching the doorway to leave the henchmen in the dust, another Cyberdrone appeared in front of him.

Zeke didn't even break his stride.

As the Cyberdrone swung high, Zeke went low, dropping into a skid and crashing into the minion's shins. The Cyberdrone went soaring over him, smashing into the classroom as Zeke leaped to his feet and grabbed the door.

"That's a real fail, guys," he said coldly. "You should have stayed in class."

Then he slammed the door shut, sealing the Cyberdrones inside as he took off down the hall. He could hear the commotion ahead, the sound of Abbey's battle with the Cyberdrones converging on her location. Zeke had the transmitter now; he just needed to reach her before going in search of Radiowave.

He could only hope it wasn't too late.

Miguel launched himself right at a fresh cluster of henchmen as the light blasted from Erika's hands. They never saw him coming. As soon as the Cyberdrones had turned to face the charging teenager, Miguel vanished into smoke, Wisping behind to launch a powerful spinning kick. The strike smashed the three to the floor, sprawling along the metal tiles as Miguel whipped around and barked an order to Doc.

"GO! NOW!"

The programmer didn't wait for information, lunging from his cover to the workbench that held their communicators. But someone else was waiting.

As Doc made a run for the devices, an emerald light flashed before him as Ender teleported right into his path.

"Come on, Doctor," Ender scoffed. "Did you really think you'd get out of here without saying goodbye to little old me?"

Doc skidded to a stop, desperate to avoid colliding with the monster maker as Ender's arm lashed out to grab him. Miguel was already moving. As a Cyberdrone came from the side, his hands snapped up and snatched the weapon free of its owner. With one clean swing, Miguel swiped the henchman's weapon across its body, sparks bursting from the plate as the boy vanished. Still in motion as he appeared at Doc's side, Miguel swung wide and brought the blade down on Ender's wrist.

"Sorry," Miguel growled. "The doctor's too busy to see you right now."

But Ender seemed undeterred. "I'm sure he can squeeze me in."

He plunged the cane plunged forward, and without the assistance of his Ranger suit, it was all Miguel could do to dodge. The flat pommel sheered against the ground as Miguel swerved with all he could muster, staggering in a desperate attempt to mount a defense. But Miguel didn't have to win, he just needed to survive, to distract Ender long enough for Doc to do what he needed. As Miguel raised the Cyberdrone weapon in readiness for Ender's assault, he watched the programmer scurry back to the workbench to grab the prize he was after.

Their Morphers.

Back-to-back, Abbey and Ray held where the two halls merged, each spinning around the other as Cyberdrones continued their assault. Once, Abbey had needed all of Ray's guidance, all of Ray's assurances to stop her hesitating with every blow. Now the two moved seamlessly, perfect trust between student and mentor as Abbey fought with all she had.

Batting back another, Abbey caught movement in her peripheral. A Cyberdrone was lunging to catch Ray off guard just as he turned to see something behind her. Neither hesitated. Abbey lunged, phasing through Ray to intercept his attacker as the man's eyes glowed. Crimson beams burst from his vision, blasting an oncoming Cyberdrone as Abbey phased through the floor. Letting gravity take hold and pull her into the room below, she snatched the ankles of the Cyberdrone as she fell. She dropped just enough to see the classroom beneath, ending her ability to trap the Cyberdrone between floors. Then Abbey heaved, swinging up to phase again and kick another drone through the floor.

As the minions clattered along the ground, Zeke shot into view, skidding to a stop as he called out to his teammates.

"I've got it!"

Abbey whipped around to catch Ray's eye, but the Guidance Counselor was already moving. No explanation was needed, he struck down the Cyberdrone in his path before taking off to join them. Reunited, the three of them raced through the halls, Zeke guiding the way as they made for the far-end stairs.

"We've got a way to get our Morphers back," Zeke said hurriedly.

"We've got to find the monster!" Abbey added. "The transmitter only works when it is close."

All of a sudden, a voice boomed through the school, blaring out across the air from the courtyard. "WELL, WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE, LISTENERS? LOOKS LIKE OUR CALLERS ARE HERE TO TRY THEIR LUCK!"

There was no mistaking what he meant. There was no way any innocent civilians were "trying their luck." It could mean one thing: someone was confronting him directly. And either Erika and Miguel had somehow got free of Xaviax's captivity, or…

"Lena!" Abbey realized.

"Hilary!" Ray's voice was a frightened breath as his eyes widened.

They were down there, in the thick of the Cyberdrone forces, fighting to get to Radiowave. On their own.

Without powers.

"At least we know where he is," said Zeke.

They needed to get down there. Now!

As Abbey and Zeke picked up speed to reach their target, Ray took off ahead of them. He didn't waste a second, nodding in full understanding as he whipped around and skidded past the corner. The main stairwell was brimming with Cyberdrones, ready and eager to block their path, as Ray unleashed a blazing barrage from his eyes. The red beams flared through the darkness of the night, bombarding the Cyberdrones surging to block their path, and the three bolted down the stairs toward their goal.

All they had to keep them going was their resolve. They had to reach him, to get the device to the monster's feet in a desperate bid to retain their powers. And save the people currently at his mercy.

Erika dropped to the ground and rolled as another Cyberdrone came from behind. It was all she could do to keep ahead of Xaviax as he continued his assault, and any hapless minion she could put between her and him was a blessing. The lighting blast had bought her some distance, but it was far from enough. And even now, as her nemesis chased her, Erika was far too aware of the grim reality she was facing.

Xaviax was toying with her.

Another heavy crash sounded in the far corner, searing sparks bursting from a ruined machine as Ender cleaved through it. Miguel was leaping away, stolen Cyberdrone weapon in hand, and desperately fighting to keep the monster maker at bay.

For a moment, just one, Erika's brow furrowed as she questioned why Miguel was bothering to stay so close, keeping the Ender engaged when he could just so easily Wisp away. And she saw it, the flicker of movement that scampered between the menacing Cyberdrones.

Doc was hurrying toward the workbench, frantically ducking and weaving in an anxious bid to reach the Morphers. But even with Ender and Xaviax occupied, there was still the writhing mass of Cyberdrones to contend with.

But Erika had bigger problems.

As she swept beneath another Cyberdrone, Xaviax lunged again, swiping so fast that Erika barely had time to dodge. Even as it missed, she felt the force of the blow pummel past her, a punch of empty air battering past as Erika suddenly felt extra glad that it had missed. No matter what she did, she was stuck on the defensive without powers, and dodging was the best she could do until she found a way to power up.

"It doesn't have to be this way," Xaviax warned her. "There's still time to join my side. In my perfect world, you could have everything you ever wanted."

"Me, work with you?" Erika scoffed. "Now that is a shock!"

As she said it, she pulled all the energy she could summon into her fist. The power crackled, red currents balling in her hand as Erika wound it back. And then, just as Xaviax surged forward for another strike, Erika lunged.

Her fist swung wide, all power and no finesse, while Xaviax had nowhere to go. The blow collided with a thunderous boom as a blazing flash of crimson unleashed. The balled lighting unfurled all at once, shunting Xaviax back with cataclysmic force, and now, with room to move, Erika spun around to where Doc was cornered.

Without wasting a second, she unleashed a second blast, arcs of lighting surging from her hand as they surged through the intervening robots. They convulsed as lightning ruptured their armor, scorching their insides as the lighting coursed through them. As they dropped, Erika buckled, panting from the exertion as she shot a glaring look at Doc and bellowed.

"GO! NOW!"

The programmer didn't waste a second. In a swift, labored movement, Doc dived forward, snatching the Morphers from the tray and clasping them tight as he crashed into the ground. With the precious movement he still had, Doc scrambled to his feet and kept moving, now desperately attempting to reach the computer terminal nearby.

It didn't take a genius for Erika to know his plan or what he needed. He was going for the teleporter.

Unfortunately, she wasn't the only one to figure it out. Having seen Erika's assault on the henchmen, Xaviax's head snapped to Doctor Benson, seeing the programmer claim his prize before scampering to the next. "Going somewhere?"

He lifted his hand, glowing green energy building in his palm before unleashing at his target. Doc barely saw it in time, diving again as the blast soared overhead and boomed against the laboratory wall.

Hissing through gritted teeth, Erika spun again. She'd dropped her attention on Xaviax to bail Doc out, and now he was free to punish them both. He'd got one free shot off, but he was not getting a second.

"I've considered your offer," she taunted. "And I've got a couple of thoughts."

The lightning struck again, bursting from Erika's hands as it forked toward Xaviax's chest. But the man was ready, leaning back as the surging current flashed past him to blast into the far wall. Amused, Xaviax turned back to her, the cold, expressionless mask fixing on her with its glowing green eyes.

"Interesting suggestion," he said. "But I've got a counter."

His hand unleashed another blast of energy as Erika lunged for safety. This time, she didn't race away, soaring forward instead of retreating to her comrades and ducking for cover. Rolling off the ground, she leaped to her feet, bounding into a spinning kick before launching at Xaviax with full fury. She had to keep him back, had to keep him occupied.

It was the only way to keep Doc safe enough to get to the controls and operate the teleporter.

The only way of getting all of them out alive.

But as Xaviax stepped back and dodged her strike, as Erika's tiring body went further on the attack in a desperate bid to occupy him, she just hoped that she could survive long enough for it to happen.

Lena and Hilary lunged with all their might, barreling toward Radiowave with all the fury they could muster. It didn't matter that they were powerless, that they'd lost all element of surprise.

All that mattered was the time they could buy the others.

"Time to go to our next song!" the monster cackled gleefully. "How about we drop some bass?"

The speakers on his shoulders boomed, pulsing soundwaves rupturing the air as the cones of solid force ripped toward them. Neither Hilary nor Lena broke their stride, diving forward, rolling on the ground, and leaping to their feet as they continued on their determined charge toward the monster.

Lena reached him first, launching high with a furious flurry of kicks that battered against the monster's frame. Startled by her determination and ferocity, Radiowave staggered back, turning in surprise as Lena continued her unrelenting assault. But as his footing returned, so did his bravado.

"Man, you really don't let up," Radiowave scoffed. "Can't a guy run his show in peace?"

"I'd rather you were in pieces," Lena replied.

She kicked out again, and this time, Radiowave was waiting for her. His arm shot downward, the square and bulky plating intercepting the kick as Lena's sole slammed against it. But rather than recoil, Lena leaned into it, bounding off the parry to leap away as the monster turned to give his full attention.

Big mistake. Facing Lena had exposed his blind spot, and Hilary was all too ready to exploit it.

The silky metal coated along her skin, glinting in the moonlight as she closed in for the count and slammed in her fist. She hit the monster's frame, the metal buckling beneath her superpowered fist as Radiowave howled and staggered back. Determined to make the most of it, Hilary lunged for a second strike.

"So, you're a metalhead, huh?" Radiowave scoffed. "Sorry; this channel's all about dubstep!"

The speakers quaked with a resonant boom, shockwaves pulsing from the cones as they slammed into Hilary. Too close to dodge the widening waves, Hilary went soaring and tumbling across the concrete as Radiowave cackled in delight.

"Can't take this station down!" he declared. "Out here, we're number one!"

As Hilary groaned to her feet, Lena leaped to her side, supporting her mentor as the two women stared the monster down.

"Looks like bad luck for our last callers!" laughed Radiowave. "But there's still plenty of time for someone else to call on in and win the prize!"

"I'd like to try right now!"

The voice, curt and furious, cut through the night just as a pair of red lasers burst from out of view. The beams splashed against the monster's metal frame, shattering into sprays of sparks above his face as Radiowave flailed in surprise. Just as Ray bolted out into the open, skidding to a stop and standing between the monster and his family.

"I think this show's gone on long enough," he growled.

As he wasn't alone. A second later, Abbey and Zeke rushed to Ray's side to stand in equal defiance.

"As a member of the student council," said Abbey. "You're in serious breach of campus content guidelines."

"Looks like it's time to pull the plug," Zeke agreed.

Glaring in with fresh, renewed defiance, Lena and Hilary stepped up to join their teammates, forming ranks as all five unmorphed Rangers stared the monster down. They all knew what to do; they all knew what was at stake. They needed to pin the monster down and plant the transmitter. It was the only way they were getting everyone out in one piece.

"And look at that, listeners!" Radiowave cheered, "While you were gone, the phones have gone wild! So many callers are dialing in to play. Looks like we're going to need a Lightning Round!"

But despite all his bravado, despite the monstrous size that towered over them, none of them so much as flinched as they glared upon their foe. And as the Radiowave gleefully charged towards his enemies, the five of them charged as one to meet him.

To take his signal down.

Whatever it took.

The cane sheered against the floor as Miguel swung back to parry, battering Ender back as he shifted his weight in readiness. He was running out of breath, his arms were getting shaky, and sooner or later, Ender was going to swing a blow he could neither block nor dodge.

They were running out of time.

They needed their powers back online, and they needed them now.

Doc had managed to get his hands on their Morphers, but they were useless in his hands. While the programmer focused on getting the teleporter working, there was no time to reach Erika and Miguel, and even if the Cyberdrones cleared, more were no doubt on their way.

They needed to move, to fall back and regroup. But the moment Miguel stopped occupying Ender, the monster maker would be all over Benson in seconds. But if seconds were all they had, then he had to buy as many as he could.

"You know, we don't have to do this," Ender pointed out, twirling with delicious glee as he readied another strike. "We don't we sit down and talk this out? Maybe take a step back? Maybe we could see if there's a place for you here?"

"With this company's HR?" Miguel scoffed. "Thanks, I'd rather go back to school."

Taking the bait, Ender plunged toward Miguel with his cane, flat pommel thrusting through the air on a deadly track toward the teen. Miguel gulped down, bracing for what felt like an eternity. It was his only window, his tiny chance to draw Ender away before doubling back. But it would only work if Ender committed.

It was the span of a heartbeat, but it was a beat that lasted forever. And then, just as Ender thrust all his strength into the blade, Miguel vanished in a crack of smoke. He roared in fury as his cane swiped through the black wisps, harmless against the empty air, as Miguel reappeared at Doc's side with a crack.

"We need to even the odds," Miguel told him. The programmer nodded, eyes fixed on the multitude of screens in front of him. The hallways around the lab were already filling the Cyberdrones, fresh reinforcements rushing to replace the ones that Erika and Miguel had felled. The other screens were monitoring the school, Xaviax's spying eyes that watched the Rangers' battles from afar. Radiowave was still there, and Miguel's eyes widened in horror as he saw the rest of the team unmorphed and engaging him.

They needed to get down there. Now!

An assessment Doc was in complete agreement with, thrusting the two recovered Morphers into Miguel's hand without even looking up.

"Take these, and get them to your friend!" he ordered. "I'll get the teleporter ready."

"But what about you?

"Get your teammate her Morpher," Doc said sharply. "Then worry about me!"

He was right; there was no time. Any second Miguel spent second-guessing was time Erika had without her powers. And more time for Ender to converge on a defenseless Doc. With a sharp but reluctant nod, Miguel slapped the device to his hand before Wisping away, appearing on the other side of the room in a crack of darkness.

The five of them charged, united in a desperate goal of taking the frequency down. Radiowave didn't' waste any time, cranking the speakers to the max as he unleashed another sonic barrage. It pummeled through the air like a rippling wave, surging toward the charging, powerless Rangers to take them out in a single sweep. But none of them were going down, not now, not to this, and as they wave met their stride, all of them moved to push through.

Ray and Lena dived, dropping low and rolling as the sinister soundwaves washed across their backs. In the middle, Abbey kept on charging, vibrating the molecules of her body through the intangible force, staggering only for a moment before emerging on the other side and pressing on. Zeke and Hilary took the full brunt of it but were more than ready to fight the tide. As the golden dome burst from Zeke's outstretched hand, Hilary encased her body in liquid metal, increasing her mass as she shouldered through like an anchoring rock against the current.

As the sonic blast rushed behind them, it reached its critical velocity as it impacted the ground, bursting in a flaring fireball that basked the night sky in an orange glow. But by then, the Rangers were already on him.

Reaching him first, Abbey picked up speed, charging dead ahead at the monster in her sights. Radiowave let out another laugh, gleefully ready to strike down the teen so brazenly racing to her doom. But as Radiowave swung in to strike her, Abbey kept moving. Instead of pressing the attack, she phased right on through. With the grace of a spring breeze, Abbey moved through the punch like she was made of air, lunging forward as she suddenly emerged out of the monster she'd jumped into. Only then did Abbey pivot, twisting her body into a powerful kick that slammed into Radiowave's back. Still too committed from his strike against her, the monster staggered forward, exposing him to the waiting others.

Ray didn't miss a beat, his eyes burning with crimson beams that burst Arc-Wave's armored frame. They glanced against the metal, leaving searing scars that were otherwise superficial. But Ray didn't care. He didn't need to destroy the monster; he just needed to keep it busy.

As Radiowave staggered from the peppering shots, Ray closed in, swinging wide as Lena caught up with him and joined the assault. Together, the two of them punched in hard, striking at the flanks in a furious bid to occupy their enemy's attention.

It worked, but not for long.

Having recovered his balance, Radiowave grounded his footing as he readied for the two to strike. His arm swung upward as Ray struck in first, the bulky limb colliding with his leg as Lena closed in on the flank. Having batted Ray back, Radiowave turned and parried, his spare arm smacking Lena's shin before striking with a punch of his own. The satellite dish on his hand pummeled Lena back, tossing her aside as Ray and Abbey both lunged to reengage.

This time, Radiowave was ready, gracelessly sidestepping as the two kept up their unrelenting assault. But in his glee to avoid them, he'd missed their true objective. Turning around for the face-off, he'd turned his back on Hilary, racing in from the sides. And now he was in the perfect position.

Fully encased in metal, Hilary launched herself from behind, lashing her beneath Radiowave's shoulders to encase him in an iron grip. Moving fast, Ray, Abbey, and Lena snatched at the monster's limbs, squeezing tight and pulling hard to support Hilary's desperate hold.

"Your little broadcast took something of ours," Lena sneered. "And we want it back."

"Don't blame me that you're off the air!" Radiowave replied. "I'm here to give people what they want!"

"If that were true, you'd have stayed retired," Ray shot back.

"We're taking back the airwaves," Hilary growled. "Zeke, do it now!"

Having hung back just enough to give the others time, Zeke charged in at full pelt, racing from Radiowave's blind spot with the transmitter gripped tight in one hand and the activator in the other. Radiowave squirmed in horror, but while their grip loosened, it wasn't enough to free him. Not in time.

But the monster still had plenty of tricks.

His speakers began vibrating, tremoring with powerful force as the dishes on his hands did the same.

"You think you can just take my spot?" he cried. "You've got to get with the program!"

And that's when an emerald burst pieced through the night sky. It landed behind them like a thunderclap, slamming the ground with a bursting force behind them as ArcKnight suddenly appeared. And with the group struggling to keep ahold of Radiowave, they were ripe for the picking.

"Not this time."

With a mighty roar, the black sword rose, unfurling a blast of thunder into the ground beside them. Pounding the concrete, the shockwaves erupted on impact, sweeping beneath the four that held him still. Hilary held strong, bracing against it as she struggled to maintain her metallic form. But without the same defense, the others copped it in full. Clinging tight and too close to evade, Abbey, Lena, and Ray were hurled by the concussive soundwave, tossed in all directions as they tumbled across the concrete.

And now the monster was back in control.

As she hit the ground, Erika scooped up the weapon of a fallen Cyberdrone and swung to parry Xaviax's blow. Xaviax seemed barely deterred as his fist rebounded against the steel and immediately thrust in again, fully committing with the assumption that Erika was cornered and alone.

His mistake.

As Xaviax struck in, Miguel appeared behind him, swinging wide to slash his own stolen weapon across his back. With a gasp of painful surprise, Xaviax staggered, balance thrown as he tried to recover. An attempt Erika refused to allow. The crimson current sizzled from her hand, racing up the blade as Erika took her chance and swung. The combined might of the Cyberdrone blade and the surging electricity crashed into Xaviax's chest, flashing with exploding light as the monster maker went soaring across the room.

"Good timing," Erika grinned, although Miguel could see her exhaustion. With all the electricity she'd been throwing around, her breathing had slowed to heavy panting, likely matching Miguel's tiredness from all his Wisping. They needed a top-up, and they needed it now.

"Read to kick things up?" Miguel asked as he handed Erika the Morpher and keycard.

With a grin of satisfied anticipation, Erika slapped the Morpher to her wrist, spinning the card between her fingers as her posture straightened with renewed resolve.

Kneeling on the floor, Ender scowled as the two stepped forward, morphers at the ready.

"You shouldn't have taken us out of school, Ender," Erika said. "Here's why you should have stayed in it. Ready?"

Miguel stepped forward, Morpher lifted high in confirmation. "Ready!"

But before either could morph, the machines around the room began whirring, and the two were suddenly basking in a familiar green glow. Ender whipped around, teeth clenching fury as he looked at the console with a seething glare.

Doc was standing there, hands on the controls, punching like made as he inputted fresh commands. As Ender loomed behind Benson, Miguel gasped as he realized what the programmer was doing.

He was sending them back; back to the school to help the others. Without him.

While the others were supporting, Hilary's enhanced strength had been enough to hold him in place. But with her support gone and her straining metal giving out, Radiowave was free to move. His body reefed around, ripping himself from Hilary's grip with a heavy swipe of his arm. And then he spun to glare at Zeke.

"Time crank the volume!"

Out in the open, the boy had nowhere to go, the perfect target as Radiowave unleashed another sonic wave. All Zeke could do was throw out another shield, but the boy was too close and too off-balance from his vain attempt to pull back. The energy shield shattered as the shockwave collided, and without anything else to take it, Zeke was thrown from his feet. He hit the ground with a painful thud, skidding along the cement as he finally stopped beside Abbey.

"Haven't you all learned yet?" Radiowave cackled. "Doesn't matter what you goody-two-shoes do! You can't cancel me!"

"Cease these foolish antics," ArcKnight growled. "They are clearly up to something. Your careless attitude nearly ruined our master's plan!"

"What?" Radiowave scoffed. "No way! There's nothing they can do to take me off the air!"

But as the monster celebrated with sadistic glee, the brow of ArcKnight's helm darkened. And with Radiowave's attention focused too intently on the powerless Rangers, he had no way of seeing his comrade take a malevolent step toward him. By the time he realized that ArcKnight's hand had lifted, glowing with a dark and sinister crimson, it was already far too late.

"Then there has been a change to the scheduled programming," ArcKnight said darkly. "It is time for a new host and direction."

The next thing they heard was an inhuman scream as ArcKnight grabbed ahold, and the pair were consumed by an evil, ominous light. The blinding red glow consumed them, flaring so brightly that the unhelmed Rangers were forced to shield their eyes as the two were reduced to faint silhouettes. Their shapes merged, pulled together by some twisted force as they shifted and changed within it. And as the light faded, only one of them remained, and it was not what they expected.

Radiowave's shape still stood there, the powerful frame emanating its signal across the campus. But in place of his previous mocking face, ArcKnight's helm now glared back at them. They were one now, combined into a far more powerful and threatening entity. Arc-Wave.

"Behold, the face of your doom, Rangers," he chuckled menacingly.

Rising to their feet and panting, the five of them shared a look of determination. The odds had worsened, but their objective was the same. They were not giving up. Not now, not ever. They had been scattered, but they were still united. They were getting their powers back and taking the monster down for good. No matter what.

"I've got to say, Arc-Knight," said Ray. "I didn't think it was possible for you to get any uglier."

And then, as they shared a look of determined resolve, all of them charged at the monster again.

It wasn't a choice at all, not a single doubt in Dr Julian Benson's mind as he aimed the teleporter and activated it. He knew the risks, the costs. He knew how hard Erika and Miguel had fought to get them all out of there. But there wasn't time, and their responsibilities were far greater than him.

A glance at the feed was all Benson had needed, watching the battle against the weird radio monster unfold. Five unmorphed Rangers, battling it out against an overwhelming foe, disregarding all sense and danger in a determined bid to take it down. Ray and Hilary had never changed, and Benson hoped they never would. They'd nearly got there, but ArcKnight's intervention had turned the tide, and his fusion with the monster had only made it worse. Now, the odds looked grim for the five powerless Rangers.

They needed help, and they needed it more than him. Whether Erika and Miguel agreed or not.

As Miguel had appeared beside him, Benson realized his opening: the chance to get the two together and get them out. One suggestion was all he needed, and once the two were reunited, all Benson needed to do was push a button.

Because there was no way they'd leave him behind, not on their own violation. Because he knew in his gut that those two teens would do everything in their power to save everyone they could. Just as Ray and Hilary would have. Which meant Benson had to make the choice for them.

As Erika and Miguel looked at him in horror, Benson watched them realize they were out of time. That someone had to stay behind to push the button. Xaviax was already raising his hand to stop him as Ender closed in from behind. Benson's window was almost closed.

Erika looked like she was ready to pounce, to desperately leap and stop him from sending them away. Miguel, too was preparing to Wisp back to the console and grab him, despite his growing exhaustion. Both of them stared at him with pleading eyes, silently begging him not to send them away without him.

It was now or never.

The five were unrelenting, descending on Arc-Wave in a coordinated attack of desperate determination. Having failed to hold him still, Ray, Lena, and Abbey were the most determined, converging to focus on a single and force the monster to defend. Lena led, her android body packing the greatest punch as Abbey and Ray supported from both sides.

"Surrender!" Arc-Wave laughed. "You're nothing without your Ranger Powers."

"We might not be Rangers," Abbey sneered.

"But we still have power!" Lena agreed.

With the monster focused on blocking all three attackers, he was rooted in place and the perfected target. Ray's eyes flared with burning fury, unleashing a torrent of red lasers at point-blank range. Arc-Wave gasped as the full brunt of the energy seared into his metal frame, hurling the three of them off in instinctive panic. He struck out, slamming them with his armored forearm in a desperate sweep that sent them flying. Just as Hilary closed in.

With the metal flushing across her skin, she resumed her earlier assault with furious intensity, batting her super-powered fists into Arc-Wave's frame while he was still distracted. Hilary's assault was unrelenting, bashing strike after strike as Zeke closed in for another run. But Hilary was already tired, struggling to sustain her metallic form after so much use.

"Strong as steel!" Arc-Wave laughed. "But not strong enough!"

He kicked down, a hulking, bulky leg slamming Hilary back as her skin began emerging from beneath her chrome-like coating. By then, Zeke had reached them, but it was far too late. Too close to redirect, the boy was again defenseless as Arc-Wave spun to meet him. This time, the monster smashed the satellite dish hand into Zeke's path, and while the forcefield took the brunt, the boy went flying. As Hilary lunged in with a final, fraught blow to occupy him, Arc-Wave shrugged her off and booted back, sending her stumbling toward the others.

"Not today!"

The speakers on his shoulders rumbled as it boomed with another sonic blast. Clustered together, Zeke, Lena, Ray, and Hilary had nowhere to go. The four of them dived, leaping for dear life as the blast soared above them. But it was far too late and far too close. As the soundwave blasted behind them, the explosion's shockwave rippled from the epicenter, catching all four to send them flying. They hit the concrete at Arc-Wave's feet and tumbled in the dust.

"There is nothing you can do, Rangers!" Arc-Wave declared. "Your powers are gone! No matter what you do!"

But for all his preening, Arc-Wave hadn't won yet. Four were done, but the team wasn't out. As the blast had unleashed to cast the Rangers aside, Abbey had taken her chance and dived. Now, behind the monster, she bolted with all her might.

It was a tenuous plan, one made in a single glance, confirmed with the others in a heartbeat. Arc-Wave was occupied, crowing from his seeming victory. He'd thought he'd won, and that made him vulnerable. Too focused on the others, he wouldn't be ready for.

Her teammates were just the distraction, and with the transmitter gripped in her hand, Abbey needed to make it count. As fast as she could, she rocketed toward the living radio tower, ready to lunge at the perfect moment and plant the device. That was the idea, at least.

"Now, where is the fifth member," Arc-Wave growled as the remaining four groaned at his feet. Then he whipped around, alerted to the sound of Abbey's pounding footsteps as his face contorted into an eager, hungry smile. "There you are!"

The speakers rumbled, a sharp pitch-whirring as the energy prepared to assault her with an onslaught of sound. But Abbey didn't relent. It was now or never; she just had to hope that she could phase through it all. Through his blast, through whatever blow he'd throw right after, and still have enough steam to emerge on the other side and plant the device.

She had to.

It was their only chance to kill the frequency.

Whatever it took.

There was nothing she could do, no matter how badly Erika wanted to. It was like the world was moving slowly, and she was frozen in it.

"They did have a choice!" Doc called to them. "Ray and Hilary, they chose you!"

"Wait-!"

"May the power protect you!"

And then, before Erika could so much scream a pleading cry, Doc slammed the activator and banished the two teens in a flash of green.