Episode 33

Maximum Force

It had been a week since the attack on the school. The rest of Lakeview had calmed into a sense of returning normalcy, but the Rangers remained on edge. For the last seven days, all had been quiet, but they knew it couldn't last. Even with the streets secured with the patrols of Silver Guardians, it was only a matter of time before Xaviax sent a monster that only the Rangers could handle. After Radiowave's attack at the school, all of them were bracing for what and where it would be.

Only a few remained in the Hub that afternoon, mostly Whitney in the far corner, grumbling to Deryck about some term paper that she'd neglected and "suddenly" had to do. The rest was filled with a spattering of customers, with the biggest group a cluster of five sullen teens.

The Rangers all sat there, staring at their untouched smoothies with little enthusiasm to finish. They should have been happy, elated in the decisive blow they landed on Xaviax. A better cannon, a new Ultrazord, and one of Xaviax's top generals resigned to the trash bin. And yet, a sense of disgruntlement smothered them like a suffocating blanket, inescapable and all-enveloping. They'd learned Xaviax's plan; they'd learned what made him tick. But seeing the true scope of his grand designs only made them feel more powerless than ever.

Even as he sat there, only half listening as he punched away the project on his laptop, Zeke saw how the revelation was hitting all of them. The way that Erika and Miguel looked down with solemn disappointment, wearing shame despite their monumental achievement in escaping Xaviax's prison. They'd broken free of their enemy's digital cage and returned to the team at their moment of need. And yet, their escape had forced them to abandon the one person they'd most desperately wanted to save- Dr Julian Benson. Ray and Hilary's mentor, the man who started it all. It should have been cause for celebration, even simply learning that he was still alive after all this time, but instead, both Red and Black Rangers were brooding in bitter defeat.

Lena was equally quiet, stewing in the discomfort at the ramifications of Scolex's plan. Zeke had no doubt of the guilt that their android teammate was feeling, knowing that once upon a time, she had the chance to learn and stop it before it even began. A time that Zeke knew that Lena would never stop regretting as long as she lived.

But even the wallowing of the others was just a vain distraction from Zeke's own feelings of failure. Of the lingering sense of inadequacy born from near misses. From the danger that the others had been in because he hadn't been fast enough when it counted. The more he realized that the team was relying on him, the further Zeke shrunk in his seat with a sinking sense of inevitability. Their luck would run out, and he would fumble when they needed him most. And Xaviax would be free to create his perfect world.

No. Not again. Next time the team needed him, he would be ready. He'd have exactly what they needed, and no one would have to sacrifice themselves because he wasn't fast enough. Strong enough.

Good enough.

Then, as they sat there wallowing in the hopelessness of their blind stumbling, it was Abbey who at last voiced the thought that was secretly plaguing all of them.

"A perfect world…"

The utterance was a soft restatement, more to convince herself of the reality than any purpose of informing. Slowly, all heads turned towards her, curious as to what she was going to say. And so, Abbey breathed in and admitted the thought that was on everyone's mind.

"Look, I don't want him to be right. But there's so much wrong with this world: hunger, poverty, war. I mean, could any of us really say that we wouldn't change it for the better if we had the power? Would making a better world really be that bad?"

"You haven't seen it," said Erika. "Maybe it's already different from when Xaviax trapped me in there, but I know what his perfect world is like. It offered me my heart's desire, some twisted reality that it thought I wanted. But even as I was staring at it, it felt… empty. Like I knew deep down that it wasn't real. Like something in my head knew that what I wanted and what I needed weren't the same thing. I don't know what Xavaix's "perfect world" looks like for all of Lakeview. But if it's anything like what I experienced, then trust me, you don't want it."

The others nodded solemnly, each of them rejecting the temptation to embrace Xaviax's vision if only because it felt like the right answer. But while it was the right thing, their resolve on the matter did nothing to ease their discomfort.

"Good thing we've got the Silver Guardians to help us now," said Miguel. "Can you imagine how bad it could have been if Scolex managed to get his own security force strolling the streets?"

"Yeah…" Lena said dryly. "Real great…"

This was the other source of Lena's discomfort and dour mood: the Security Ranger elephant in the room that Zeke wasn't touching with a ten-foot pole. And no one else, it seemed.

"Do you think it will make a difference?" Abbey asked. "Now that Lieutenant Mason can back us up with the Guardians?"

"All we can do is hope," said Erika. "But even if all they do is handle Cyberdrone attacks while we deal with the monsters, that's still a boost for us."

A boost that would be short-lived if Scolex had his way. Zeke had no doubt that the enigmatic billionaire was already scheming away, looking for any opportunity to replace the Guardians with his own security forces. And with the mayor's ear, Zeke's hopes weren't high about it being long. Which just made it all the more important that he got his big project up and running as soon as possible. Because soon they were going to need it more than ever.

The tense and somber silence was broken by a beeping alert, the sharp pitching ringing of a message. With a groan, Abbey reached for her phone and rolled her eyes.

"Sorry, just need to send my hourly update to Mom saying I haven't been attacked by killer robots."

"I think it's sweet," Miguel replied. "At least she's not trying to stop you now."

Grimly, Zeke couldn't help but agree, grateful that his phone was left on silent while knowing that a similar chain of messages awaited the next time he checked. Miguel was right; they should have been grateful. After their confrontation in the school, where he and Abbey had defied their wishes and ran out into the fray, their parents could easily have been putting their foot down and insisted they hang up their Morphers for good. The messages were annoying, but in their own way, it was their sign of support. Zeke supposed that they'd just have to endure the frequent, anxious texts while their parents adjusted to the new reality.

Slowly, the members of the team departed, first Lena, then Abbey to begin her shift, and then Miguel to join her at the counter. Zeke had expected Erika to leave as well, but instead, she leaned in closer to gain a peek at his laptop.

"Feel like sharing with the class?"

Shocked at the bluntness of her inquiry, Zeke bolted upright, eyes widening as he realized the sudden attention. Because out of all of them, it just had to be her.

"What?' he asked before noticing Erika's soft, quizzical expression. "Uh, it's nothing. Really, just some last-minute adjustments to a school project and-."

"Uh-huh," Erika didn't believe him for even a second. "You're never this absorbed in school. Not when there are better things to talk about. This is something for you, and I bet it's Ranger-related."

Trying and failing to keep his expression blank, Zeke's eyes looked back at the twirling model on the screen. A suit of armor optimized for offensive output. The same armor that Erika had once summoned when trapped in the Dreamworld. Back then, it had been more of a thought, a manifestation of all her rage and fury. But in that moment, the program designed to respond to her very will had created it, and that gave Zeke something to work with. All he had to do was find a way to pull it through the Digitizer and into real life.

But first, it involved admitting to Erika that he'd pried into the data recordings of the Dreamworld, that Zeke had peered into a painful moment that she could well have wanted to keep private. And he highly doubted that Erika would take that confession well.

"I mean, I don't think it's going to help us unravel Xaviax's plans," Zeke said in a final, vain attempt to throw Erika off. He should have known better, and one raised eyebrow told Zeke to stop wasting her time. "It's just something to give us an extra punch the next time one of us gets cornered."

"What have you got?"

"I was thinking some kind of battle armor," Zeke explained. "Something that can take a beating but also dish one out. I know Hilary once designed something like it for Ray back in the day, but they said that the old design was too impractical to implement again. But I think I might have found something, something a little sleeker that could give us the edge we need."

All he could hope for was that the explanation was enough, that Erika would have no interest in the technical specifics and leave it in his capable hands. That she wouldn't want to see the model he was working with. He really should have known better.

"That's a great idea," said Erika. "Got anything I can show the team? Or just me, if you don't think it's there yet?"

Ever terrible at poker, Zeke looked sheepish away before he could stop himself.

"Come on, Zeke," Erika encouraged him. "I know it's probably only rough at this stage, but it'd be great to see what you're working on. Honestly, I'd take anything that makes it feel like we can pull ahead."

"It's not that," said Zeke sheepishly. "It's just that… Okay, promise that you won't get mad?"

"Get mad? Why would I get mad?" Erika scoffed, completely ignoring the fact that getting mad was her key personality trait. "Come on, Zeke, there's no way that anything that you're working on could possibly make me angry."

It was no use, and Zeke knew Erika well enough to realize there was no talking her down. She wanted to see it, and he had no credible reason to withhold it. All he could do was hope that Erika had grown enough to not flip out as she saw what he had done.

Breathing in his baited nerves, Zeke braced as he turned around the laptop screen to show her. For a moment, Erika's eyes flashed as she saw the product of his labors, the creation once manifested from her soul as it bore at her torment and her anguish. But Erika's surprise lasted barely a moment, immediately replaced with elation she looked up at him and beamed.

"Zeke," Erika gasped. "This is amazing!"

"So, you're not mad?"

"Mad? Why would I be mad?"

"I mean, I kinda had to tap into the recordings we gathered from the Dreamworld simulation," Zeke admitted. "I figured you wouldn't want me poking around in something so…"

"Hey, if you think you can make something like this, poke around all you want," Erika replied.

"Really?" Zeke's lit up, any remaining guilt washed away by Erika's enthusiasm and replaced with excitement of his own. "That's awesome! Because I think I've got some ideas for how we can get it up and running. And maybe even a few improvements. And if it works, maybe we can program them for the whole team!"

Just like that, Zeke's excitement grew, feeding off Erika's infectious spirit as the two began to realize the opportunity before them. The first chance to get ahead, to truly put a win on the board that wouldn't come at great cost. Maybe it was a long shot; maybe it was going to go nowhere. But it was something.

And Zeke's spirit lifted, Erika turned him with a devilish glint in her eye. The kind that she only got when she was daring, when she wanted to push on.

"What do you need to do?"

From his vantage above, Scolex scowled as he surveyed the city below. It should have been his by now, buckled and kneeling at his feet, all opposition cowed and his enemies helpless in his grasp. They should have all been ready to embrace the salvation he would bring them. But instead, the Power Rangers were still out there, ready to stand in his way with their spunky attitude. And while they remained, he was in no position to undermine the Silver Guardians as the city's official protectors. In the span of one night, he'd gone from near assurance of victory to stumbling in the wake of all his setbacks.

Arc-Knight's destruction had also been regrettable, a piece he'd have rather traded for a greater gain. It left him with only one general, and Ender had already proven himself unable to take the Rangers on by himself. Whatever monster they sent down next, it needed to be formidable, unstoppable. It needed to put the Rangers in their place. And Ender was taking far too long to create it.

With a snarling scowl, Scolex spun on his heel and strode away from the throne room, the lab doors hissing as he stormed in to inspect his minion's progress.

"What's taking so long?" he demanded.

"Oh, Mr. Scolex!" Ender replied. "I didn't realize that you were here."

Scolex paused for a moment, his brow narrowing into a withering glare of disapproval.

"I mean, most noble and righteous Lord Xaviax," Ender corrected.

"Better," Scolex said coldly. "Now, the monster…?"

"Right! Of course!" Ender declared, punching the keys to pull his latest artistry up on the screen. "I know that you wanted something that packs a punch, so I've made sure to bank the energy reserves for maximum output on release. Of course, then I remembered the Rangers' fancy new cannon and needed to up the armor plating to make sure that it could take a hit back. Only that's going to slow it down, and the Rangers will be able to just run rings around it until they manage to pull a solution out of their-."

"Okay, that's enough!" Scolex cut him off impatiently. "Is it ready or not?"

"I'm sorry, my lord," Ender replied. "But with the specifications you gave me, I'm not sure when something so pristine will be ready for public viewing. I think that maybe you've got a little too big of an idea, maybe scale it back a little. I have to say, if you're open to a few critiques…"

"Well, I'm not!" Scolex barked. As he spoke, his register lowered, rasping into an icy tone that caused Ender to shrink away. He may not have been wearing his mask, the menacing blank expression of iron that he so often hid behind, but he wasn't any less Xaviax while standing in a suit. And Ender clearly needed the reminder. "You seem to be getting a bit too confident with the new status quo, Ender. Do you think that because ArcKnight is gone, you are suddenly more valuable to me? That I will suddenly become more forgiving, more lenient toward your mistakes, or more willing to ignore such bold and blatant behavior towards your better?"

"No, master," Ender groveled. "Of course not, master…"

"Then where did you get the idea that because I am not standing before you in billowing robes and an iron mask, that Davian Scolex does not deserve every bit of respect that you give Xaviax? Xaviax may be the face I wear to pursue the dark necessities of my plan but do not forget that it is from Davian Scolex that you were born. Davian Scolex made all this possible, and Davian Scolex…"

Scolex trailed off, thought unfinished as he came to realize something else. All this time, he'd been seething in fury at the Rangers' persistence, but he'd been going about it all wrong. He'd been trying to deal with the problem as Xaviax, lord supreme and nemesis to Hawkins, Granger, and their teenage proteges. What he should have been doing was trying to solve it as Davian Scolex.

"There's something I need to do," Scolex said coldly, stepping away from the simpering minion as he made his bid to leave. "I don't know how long I'll need, so you're in command of the base while I'm away. Try not to disappoint me."

"Yes, master," Ender agreed. "Of course, master. But, if I may ask. What about the Rangers? Or the flashy new Silver Guardians that the mayor has brought over?"

Scolex paused at the door, eyes narrowing menacingly as he coldly gave the order.

"Keep them busy."

"Sector Eight, Cyberdrones on the flank!"

"They've got reinforcements incoming!"

"They're coming from all sides! We're surrounded!"

Lieutenant Kyle Mason had barely heard the calls as he ducked beneath a blow, skidding back as a swarm of Cyberdrones came from all directions.

Just another day at the office, and this was quickly turning into a particularly nasty one.

Sure, Kyle, come to Lakeview; do Ray and Hilary a solid. How bad could it be?

Barely a week on patrol, and Xaviax had already made the Silver Guardians enemy number one. Kyle knew exactly why. Having been foiled in his attempts to install his own security forces, Davian Scolex was doing all he could to make the Silver Guardians appear as useless as possible. And today, that meant descending on a small-sized street patrol with extreme prejudice. The plan was obvious: send enough Cyberdrone numbers to overwhelm them and lure out the Rangers to make Guardians pale by comparison.

What annoyed Kyle the most was that it was probably going to work.

With the numbers rushing them from all angles, the patrol had been split up, backed into separate corners, and surrounded. Step one was holding the ground they had, and then they could look at regrouping.

As the Cyberdrones closed in, Kyle weaved between them, ducking beneath a blow as a sharp blade thrust toward him. With lightning reflexes, Kyle swerved, lashing out his hand to grab the weapon and yank it into the path of another. With the Cyberdrones committed, he reefed them down, jerking forward as Kyle ducked beneath the weapons and kicked an incoming drone. Then, with a smirk on his face, Kyle threw the two stumbling Cyberdrones off him, leaping into a twisting flip as he soared over the parked Guardian jeep. As he flew, he opened fire, and the pistols flared with burning ribbons that unfurled upon the staggered henchmen.

But for all his prowess, they still had him cornered. His men were holding the flanks and pushing in, but that meant plenty of Cyberdrones being funneled to the solitary lieutenant. They needed backup, and they needed it now.

But the nearest patrol was too far out; there was no way they were making it in time.

"Heads up!"

No sooner had Kyle considered the grim reality, white light flashed from the corner of his vision as Lena, the White Server Ranger, soared into the air. She lunged out into the fray, pistol firing wildly as the Cyberdrones dived for cover. The beams burst on the ground, scattering the nearby henchmen to clear the floor.

Reinforcements: just in time.

"Boys, boys!" she tutted as she landed in front of Kyle. "I know he's a big deal, but you've got to wait in line."

The Cyberdrones didn't wait, launching at the new arrival as the Ranger leaped upwards. The spear lanced down as she reached her peak, jabbing into the closest drone to send it stumbling back into the pack. Building the break she needed, her feet slammed into the shoulders beneath to launch her high again, twisting into a somersault to land by Kyle's side.

"Of course, if you're eager for a beating," Lena laughed. "I can always give you one."

This time, the White Ranger didn't even wait for their reply she whipped the pistol from its holster and opened fire, unleashing a stinging onslaught that blasted the henchmen back. As the minions were consumed by the erupting fireball, Lena shot a look at Mason.

"Nice moves," he congratulated. "I'll admit, they nearly had me cornered there."

"Looks like my team better take over," she replied. Kyle couldn't help but agree. It was times like these that he was most grateful for his time behind the visor, it gave him helpful insight for when it was time to let the heavy hitters intervene.

But as he stood there, hastily coordinating with his masked savior, Kyle couldn't help but feel the strange sense of familiarity that had lingered since meeting the girl at the barricade. He could've sworn that he somehow knew her, even though he'd never met the girl before in his life.

Had he…?

But that didn't matter, not when his team was getting swarmed. He could ask Hilary and Ray about it later.

"We'll hold until they get here," said Kyle. "We've got reinforcements inbound too. I just hope that the rest of your team can reach us fast. With the number of drones they're throwing at us, I didn't think we've got enough Guardians deployed to handle it."

"You hold here, I'll worry about the numbers," Lena replied. She stepped forward to face the charging horde, the raging mass that was rushing toward them like a tidal surge. As she did, Kyle cocked his blasters and readied to run back out in fierce determination to rejoin his team.

But before Lena launched back into the fray, she stopped and turned back to Kyle. And for a moment, just one, he could have sworn she was smiling beneath her opaque visor. And it was a smile that felt disturbingly familiar.

"Don't feel bad about the numbers," she said. "After all, you're only human."

Now way…

Kyle's jaw dropped in confounded shock as Lena leaped away, his brain misfiring at the strange, impossible thought. The impossible explanation for why the White Ranger felt so familiar. But he still didn't have time to figure it out, and Kyle dismissed the thought again as he lunged into the fray with his pistols flaring.

Right now, all they could do was hold out. And hope the reinforcements could come in time.

"A perfect world," Hilary repeated, an idea falling off a breath that was more to convince herself than the benefit of anyone else. "I mean, I knew the Scolex was insane, but I didn't think he was that crazy."

"He's always going on about making the world a better place," said Ray. "I guess we should have just taken him a lot more literally."

It was meant to be a lazy Saturday afternoon, and yet it felt like all Hilary could do was work. Ever since the attack on the school, she had no time for anything but paperwork. She didn't need to guess why, at who was the source of her latest bureaucratic tidal wave. Hilary had no doubt that Davian Scolex was twisting every connection he had to make her life as busy as possible. Media requests, safety inspections, dignitary visits, not to mention the mountain of correspondence from other institutions that wanted to discuss the exchange of exhibits. What made that last one worse was that Hilary knew that some were legitimate, and her only way of determining the truth was to go through each with a fine-toothed comb.

But despite the workload, Hilary couldn't help but think of what they'd learned, of what Scolex's plan entailed. When at last she'd uttered it aloud, simply to confirm the insanity of the idea, she was immediately grateful that Ray had come down to keep her company.

"The worst part is, I can't help but wonder if he's right," Hilary admitted. "I mean, what am I really working on the Digitizer for? If I've got the chance to make it the ultimate force for good, shouldn't I be taking it?"

She felt guilty for even considering it, accepting that the worst person she knew may have made a valid point. But just as quickly as Hilary had said, Ray smiled at her, that warm, comforting smile that never failed to make her feel supported. And then he shook his head.

"It's a noble idea," he said, "and something we should always be striving for. But a perfect world doesn't exist. Not because no one wants it but because everyone has a different idea of what it would be. It wouldn't be some idyllic place wherever everything is as it always should be. No matter how much Scolex argues otherwise, the world he's seeking to create would be only perfect for one person: him. Everyone else would just be his prisoner, slaves to his control."

Hilary didn't know if that explanation made her feel better or worse. Scolex was wrong, but if a perfect world was impossible, then what were any of them ever achieving? Was there anything to be gained at all?

But it seemed like Ray had an answer for that one, too. "You're already making the world a better place, just being in it. By doing what you do. I know my life's always brighter because it has you."

He always knew just what to say. Smiling at the kind words and support, Hilary leaned in close to thank her husband with a kiss. Just like that, in a single moment, it felt like everything would be all right.

A moment ruined by an oozing voice at the door.

"Well, aren't you two just to cutest?"

Both whipped around to the sound of Scolex's voice, stifling gasps of revulsion as they saw him standing confidently in the doorway. His suit was finely pressed, as always, and he was wearing his trademark smile that warned he knew things that no one else did.

"How did you get in here?" Hilary snarled.

"Your secretary wasn't at her desk…"

"Not what I meant. I'm pretty sure I poured fresh salt on the threshold this morning."

Scolex simply chuckled at the jab, stepping into Hilary's office as Ray rose from the chair to defensively stand beside her.

"Shouldn't you be splitting your soul into pieces or something?" Ray asked snidely. "Or are you too worried about your nose falling off if you do it anymore?"

"Has anyone ever told you how hilarious you are, Granger?" Scolex chuckled. "I have to say those quips of yours are a hoot."

"What do you want?" Hilary asked.

And just as she did, an alert appeared on her monitor, perfectly timed to the flashing of her communicator. Hilary didn't think for a moment it was a coincidence.

"I'm just here to talk," Scolex smiled. "Is now a bad time?"

"Okay!" Zeke announced proudly, theatrically slamming the final key as he leaned away from the laptop. "I think I've got it!"

Erika's heart jolted with a spark of hope, face lighting up as she hurried to Zeke's terminal to inspect the work. It was more to show support than anything; she had no idea what any of the readouts meant.

For all her enthusiasm, Erika had very little to do as she'd followed Zeke to the lab. Other than the occasional recommendation born from her experience with the Red color spectrum, Erika had provided little more than a few body measurements as Zeke presented his idea to Jess.

But still, she was happy to be there, even just as moral support. It meant that maybe she was doing something, achieving something. Making up for where she'd failed when her teammates needed her the most.

No matter how many times Ray and Hilary assured Erika that she'd done the best she could, the guilt remained. Doc had been their mentor, their friend. She'd owed Ray and Hilary so much for all they'd given her, for the steps they'd helped her take that Erika would have never managed on her own. And when the chance had arisen to repay them, she'd failed them. Not to mention that when Xaviax had descended the drones for his most vile plan yet, Erika had been captured immediately, leaving the others to handle the chaos alone.

But now, with Zeke's new upgrade seemingly ready, Erika dared herself to hope. They had plenty of new firepower with the new Ultrazord, but their fights on the ground were still chaotic among the swarming masses of Cyberdrones. In reality, ArcKnight's destruction would only mean more Cyberdrones, quality exchanged for quantity that would no doubt have the Rangers running in circles to keep them contained.

Zeke's new battle armor was quite possibly the exact boost in firepower that they needed.

"You mean it?" Erika asked excitedly. "You think you might have built a working model?

"Only one way to find out," Zeke replied. "I've just uploaded the new specs to the main server, so it should be good to go."

"I've got them here," Jess confirmed as she pulled up the render on the monitor. "All we need to do now is run a quick check for bugs before running a controlled…"

It was like the warning alarm was waiting for her to say it.

"…test."

Because it could never be that simple, could it?

Without wasting a second, Zeke and Erika hurried to the terminal, standing behind their operator as Jess pulled up the source of the disturbance.

"We've got a big party of Cyberdrones downtown," Jess explained. "Lena's down there already with a squad of Guardians, but I think they could do with some extra multi-colored friends."

There were times when Erika really hated being right. Any further tests on the big project were going to have to wait. "Tell Lena to hang tight. We're on our way."

Jess nodded as she checked the status of the other Rangers. Her eyes flashed, face turning stony as she looked at Erika with stern determination.

"Abbey and Miguel are on their way, but Ray and Hilary are tied up," she said.

"Where are-?"

"It doesn't matter, not right now," Jess cut in. "They'll be with you as soon as they can."

There wasn't time to argue, and Erika just had to hope that the five of them would be enough.

"So much for a quiet weekend," Zeke said sadly.

"Right now, it's just Cyberdrones, and we've got backup," Erika decided. "So let's make this quick while we still can. You ready?"

"Ready!"

"Server Force! Login Access!"

The lights burst from the device in synchronous activation as columns of red and yellow light flared to consume them. It spirited them into the stream, the power of the grid pulsing through their bones as they embraced the bequeathing power. As the suits wrapped around them, their heads encased within the helms, and by the time the visors had shunted across their vision, Abbey and Miguel had joined them as all four leaped into the fray.

Jess hadn't been kidding about the party. Footsoldiers were swarming all across the block, flooding the entire intersection like a choppy, chromatic sea. Kyle Masons' Silver Guardians had formed a defensive position around their vehicles, firing wildly to hold the forces back. Before them, Lena's spear twirled as carved through the robot bodies, a flashing blade that felled more of the henchmen with every stroke. But she was only one Ranger, and the Cyberdrones were doing all they could to keep Lena contained.

The Cyberdrones were so spread out that there wasn't even a landing area. Erika supposed that she'd just have to make one. Like great minds, the others thought alike, whipping out their Security Pistols to unleash a torrential rain of laser fire. Reams of colored light seared down upon the henchmen, blasting into balls of fire at their feet to send them scattering. As the smoke cleared, the Rangers hit the ground, launching in all directions to take the horde apart. Batting away a Cyberdrone, Erika skidded up beside Lena, twirling back-to-back as they stared down the writhing masses.

"You're having an exciting weekend."

"The Cyberdrones thought the Silver Guardians weren't welcomed," Lena replied. "Must have decided to throw a party."

"And they didn't invite us."

As Erika got all caught up, she spied Abbey soaring high, flipping through the air to unleash her bow upon the Cyberdrones. Cerulean streaks flashed through the air, blasting on impact to send the henchmen soaring. Finishing her flight, the Blue Ranger landed gracefully on the hood of the Guardian Jeep, taking appraisals from the cornered soldiers as Zeke and Miguel continued their battle against the horde.

It may have been tiring, but with five extra Rangers arriving to reinforce, the tide was turning. There was no way Xaviax would still have much left in the tank to throw at them, not unless…

At this stage, Erika really should have known better.

The smoke had barely cleared from the Rangers' most recent barrage when the emerald burst flashed across their vision. Hissing in an angry breath, Erika whipped as the energy faded, and her eyes narrowed as they stared at the newest arrival.

There was something disturbingly familiar about it, less from its whole appearance and more from the eerie resemblance to former foes. The slender body of Electreel, the bulbous fish-like body of fish-lips. It even had a glowing light dangling from the top of the goggled, chitinous face.

"Are you really what they're sending down?" Erika taunted. "Man, Ender must really be running out of ideas."

"You've got quite the mouth on you!" the monster snarled back. "But let's see how you are after a shock to the system. A whole Terror-Volt of it!"

With outstretched hands, it unleashed a barrage of lighting, forks of cracking energy that blaster at two Rangers. Erika and Lena leaped aside as the tongues lashed where they'd been standing, cracking like a thunderous whip that exploded against the ground. With graceful somersaults, the Red and White Rangers landed safely, spinning with weapons ready as they stared the monster down.

"You always have to taunt them, don't you?" said Lena. "You know it just makes them shoot at you, right?"

"Hey, if you're still next to me when I opened my mouth, that's on you."

"Can't argue there."

"Running away already?" Terror-Volt demanded. "One little shock, and you're already fried?"

Once upon a time, Erika would have chomped on the bait with a second thought, eagerly lunging at the sleight on her pride as the anger took control. But instead, the Red Ranger simply stared, gripping the axe as she prepared to lunge again. Now she knew what was at stake, the job she needed to do. The longer the fight drew on, the more people would be in danger. They needed a plan.

But the others were too scattered, stuck corralling the menacing Cyberdrones as the Silver Guardians battled to retake control of the street. Three of the five Rangers were swarmed from all sides, and letting up would mean leaving the minions to descend upon the soldiers in overwhelming numbers.

For whatever reason, Ray and Hilary hadn't arrived, which meant Erika and Lena had to work with what they had. The two girls just had to hope it was enough.

"Now's not a great time," Hilary growled. "If you'd like to make an appointment with my assistant, I should have an opening around about never."

"Don't you worry, doctor, I'm not here with ill intent," Scolex replied. "I actually came here to talk. Sorry that I didn't bring a flag to wave, though I guess I can use this pocket square if you'd like."

"Unless it's a white one, we're not interested," said Ray.

"But you haven't even heard what I have to offer," Scolex replied. "Isn't it polite to at least hear the terms? I thought you Power Rangers were about making peace."

Hilary scowled as she shared a look with Ray, whose feet had protectively shifted in readiness to strike at a moment's notice. All the while, the alert in the corner of the screen kept blinking, impossible to ignore as it strobed in the corner of her vision. She just knew that if she opened the feed, she'd regret it, that seeing firsthand the mess the Rangers had been called to would only heighten her anxiety. But the immediate problem was the supervillain standing in her office. Only when he'd been dealt with would Hilary and Ray be able to help their team.

"What do you want?" Hilary asked coldly.

"I was hoping that we could maybe talk this out," Scolex decided. "I think this whole mess started because we got off on the wrong foot."

"Being attacked by killer robots will do that," Ray replied.

To that, Scolex only chuckled. "Yes, there's certainly a part of me that can be… overzealous. But I was hoping that we could look past all of that, maybe consider that there's a way we can all get what we want."

"What we want is you behind bars," said Hilary. "I think I'll sleep pretty well after that."

"Whatever you're offering, we don't want it," Ray agreed. "And whatever you're planning, you're not gonna get."

If he was angered by their dismissal, Scolex showed no sign of it. Instead, he chuckled, letting loose a soft sigh of resignation that betrayed his anticipation of their response. "Well, even if that's your final answer, let me show you the offer on the table. I want to consider what will happen if you keep walking down this path."

"We kick your butt, and you end up in jail?" Hilary suggested.

"No," Scolex replied. "I meant more what would happen to you precious Rangers, to their families. Perhaps you haven't considered that if they don't already work for me, they're connected to people who do. That I know people, people who can open doors for them. And people that could shut them."

A low rumble growled from deep within Hilary's chest, awakening a fresh protective fury as she caught on to Scolex's implication. He'd ruin their lives, all of them. He'd use every ounce of the power he'd amassed to crush them, and he wouldn't even need a monster to do it.

"Ruining the lives of a bunch of teenagers?" Ray growled as he, too, kept his roiling fury contained. "Pretty low blow for someone who wants to save the world."

"When I'm done, everyone will get what they want," Scolex replied. The oozing charm was gone, and the salesman smile vanished as his voice turned curt and icy. "But until then, you're all just in my way. I don't think you've considered who you're dealing with and what I do to those who try to stop me. I don't think you've considered that precious little assistant you have, at the hopes she has ever holding another job when she's sick of your little charity case. Or what would happen to this museum if something were to happen to its funding? Those teens you've taken under your wing must have so many hopes and dreams. It would be a shame if everything they ever wanted was ripped from beyond their reach. If their families were brought to ruin. All because one little programmer was too arrogant to put their needs before her own."

"You wouldn't," Hilary said sharply, cursing herself a second later as she realized the obvious answer.

"How do you think I got to where I am today, Dr. Hawkins?" said Scolex. "It wasn't by playing nice. I've tried to be reasonable, tried to show what could happen if you continued to stand in my way. But you insist on interfering every time and give me no choice but to take off the gloves. Those are the two offers: stand down and give me what I want, or watch as I do everything in my power to destroy everything you have ever loved."

Ray flinched beside her, rocking forward as he held back the urge to intervene and protect the woman he loved. But Hilary knew it was no use, and Ray knew it too. Scolex wouldn't have come if he thought he was in danger, and a prolonged battle with a supervillain was the last thing they needed. Not when the team was still out there, battling for their lives.

But Scolex was clearly finished, his picture-perfect smile returning as he resumed the façade of cordiality. "I've taken up enough of your time, and I'm sure you have somewhere to be," he said. "Just think about it. It's a once-in-a-lifetime deal; I'm not going to offer it again."

And with that, he spun on his heels and sauntered back to the elevator. Stunned and furious, Hilary and Ray were already opening the coms to contact Jessica and find out what was happening to their team.

Zeke's shield smashed back a Cyberdrone as he broke through the ranks to form a path for the regrouping guardians. The soldiers hutted quickly behind him, gathering into a firing line and opening up with the blasters. The Cyberdrones crumbled as the hail of laser fire shredded them, shattering them to pieces as Zeke whipped around to survey the rest of the team.

Miguel was in the thick of it, beating the Cyberdrones back to hold the ground and give the Guardians a chance to get away. Abbey, likewise, had planted herself by the parked vehicles, laying down covering fire with Lieutenant Mason to keep the forces at bay. They were holding, but the henchmen were only the beginning of their problems. The bigger one was being tackled by Erika and Lena alone.

Erika descended with a defiant roar as she struck in with all her might, crimson axe-head flaring as it carved across the monster's body. As Terror-Volt let out a wail of fright from the searing blow, Lena's spear struck on, lancing right through the belly as sparks burst from the impact. Flailing from its stumbling balance, Terror-Volt staggered back, eyes seething as the Red and White Rangers as they readied for another bout.

"So you want to play hardball, huh?" he sneered. "Well, for that, I'm going to have to charge!"

The lightning flashed from its hands, right at the ground where the girls were standing, to force them into a leaping retreat. But it was a move that the monster had seen coming; the first blast had been a light show, just strong enough to trigger the instinctive dodge that the girls had trained to instinct. As Erika and Lena landed, Terror-Volt raised his hands again, crackling energy building in the claws as this time, the girls had no time to react.

"Running a little slow?" Terror-Volt laughed. "Maybe you just need a boost!"

The lightning cracked as it split across the street, surging toward the pair like a current in the water.

"Not today!"

While Erika and Lena had no time to react, Zeke had seen Terror-Volt's ploy coming and lunged across the battlefield. As the lightning forked towards them, the Yellow Ranger leaped in front, bracing his shield to take the blast head-on. With a deafening flash, Zeke's boots scraped across the ground, swinging in time with the impact to bounce the lightning away. A second later, the remnant energy crashed into some nearby Cyberdrones, shattering them in a fiery blast.

"Sorry, pal," Zeke said sharply. "This circuit's blocked."

"Thanks for the save," said Erika as she and Lena stepped to his comrade's side.

"Yeah, he really shocked us there for a second," Lena agreed.

But Zeke could already see the problem ahead of them. Erika and Lena had hit as hard as they could, and while the evidence was there, Terror-Volt had plenty of fight left in him. It was going to take more than a few Power Weapon hits to take it down, but their options for cannon were looking grim.

The Cyberdrones were cutting out their work, keeping the Rangers split as they tried to support the Silver Guardians. Miguel was cornered while Abbey held the rear, adding the Guardians' weight of fire with her bow. To destroy the monster, they needed a blaster, at least one of the smaller ones, if not the full combination. Knowing their luck, the X-Reboot was what they needed, but there was no sign of Ray and Hilary charging in to contribute weight to the fire.

If they couldn't regroup, Terror-Volt would run on a rampage. It was only a matter of time before the monster's attention waved, or his stray shots would fly wild and put more people in danger. Even if Lena ran off to relieve Abbey, it would leave Erika and Zeke open to Terror-Volt's reprisals. The only thing keeping them in the fight was amping pressure; if that relented, Terror-Volt would be free to take any advantage they could get.

But on their own, just the three of them, they weren't enough.

Unless…

Zeke dismissed the thought as soon as it hit him. No. It wasn't ready. They hadn't run all the tests, and it could just as easily backfire. Using the armor now could just as easily endanger Erika as help her. But Erika had the same thought, and her opinion differed greatly.

"Jess?" Erika inquired. "Did you know those specs Zeke uploaded this morning?"

"Yes…" came the cautious reply. "But we haven't had the chance to run a proper debug test."

But in hearing the problem, Erika couldn't help but smirk as she stared down the monstrous Terror-Volt. "Well, you know what Hilary always says. Aint no test like road test!"

Beside her, Lena tilted her head in confusion as Zeke voiced his protest. "Erika, wait!" he insisted. "We haven't tested it. We don't know if it-!"

"It'll be fine," Erika replied curtly. "You said it was ready, so it's ready."

But Zeke wasn't the only dissenter.

"Erika; Ray and Hilary are on their way," she said. "Maybe you should wait until-."

"I said we've got this!" Erika snapped back. And then, ignoring Zeke and Jess' pleas, she took a defiant step forward. In a flash of red, a bulky device appeared on her wrist in place of her regular morpher, reminiscent of Ray and Hilary's alpha devices with Red and Black for the trim. "Time to kick up the voltage! Battlizer, Engage!"

The lightning split the sky, crashing down upon her with a deafening clap of thunder as Erika vanished in the light. Zeke could only watch as the blinding white engulfed her, crackling as a continuous bolt rained from above and poured her full of raw, unadulterated power.

Gasping at the sight, Terror-Volt staggered back, gasping at the sheer force of emanating energy, radiating with ever-growing intensity as all other heads turned to gaze at the sight. They knew what it meant, knew the power that Erika was calling upon. And it frightened them.

But something was wrong. As he squinted through the pulsing light, Zeke could just make out Erika's silhouette. She was struggling to stand, knees buckling as she strained against the power like she was fighting a bursting damn. The power hadn't stopped. While the lightning had subsided, the bright glow around Erika's body was only growing, every pulse increasing with intensity as crackling began sounding from the hulking armor surrounding her body.

The power was still building, feeding on itself into a feedback loop too powerful to control. And it was going to blow.

"Shut it down!" Zeke ordered into the com. "Do it NOW!"

"I'm trying!" Jess replied. "There's no override in here, and any attempt to cut the grid connection is refueling from the battlizer!"

Which meant there was no way to stop it. The suit was powering up into overdrive, reaching critical capacity, which meant soon…!

Zeke had barely had the thought as bolts of crimson lightning crackled from the armor, flashing out in all directions as Erika let out a pained and struggling scream. The energy surged in random flashes, nearby Cyberdrones as more and more forks shocked to anything in reach. All around them, the drones and Silver Guardians were diving for cover, ducking beneath debris as the suit lashed out in increasing haywire. The power was out of control, and it was only going to get worse. Moving fast, Zeke dived, bracing against his shield as an arc ricocheted off the surface and shunted him back.

"What's happening to her?" Lena demanded as she leaped to his side. Her tone was stern, but the quiver in her voice betrayed fearful concern. Fearful for Erika and what she'd unleashed.

"It wasn't ready," Zeke said woefully. "And now it's going to-."

"Zeke!" Lena snapped. "Problem now, pity later! We need to get her out of that thing!"

She was right. They didn't have time; Erika didn't have time. He'd got her into this mess; he'd failed to get it ready in time again. He needed to be the one to get out of it.

"I've got an idea," he said quickly. "It's not pretty, but it'll have to do."

He was going to take a leaf out of Erika's book.

Before Lena could so much as ask, the Yellow Ranger lunged forward, shield braced against his shoulder as he raced directly toward the out-of-control armor. More tendrils sizzled on the surface, a surging current that fought his every step. But Zeke refused to relent. Every second mattered, and he had to make them count.

With a mighty roar, he lunged, winding back the shield as he reached his peak and plunged the slab of metal into the armor. The shield rammed into it, crashing into the chest piece as the oscillating power battered against it, and Zeke pushed in with all his superpowered might.

It wasn't much, but it was enough to break the flow, rebounding the power back for just a moment, back in on itself. And a second later, the armor detonated with a blinding flash. The boom alone was enough to send Zeke flying, the sheer force of sound slamming into his body as Erika was thrown with him. The force of the explosion was something else. At the epicenter of the blast, Erika was ejected from shattered armor with titanic force, smashed into Zeke as the two Rangers went soaring from the blazing blast. Had they not been morphed, Zeke didn't dare think of what could have happened.

But moments later, they crashed into the ground, every inch of their bodies aching with deep and well bruises as their suits flashed away. Demorphed and in a daze, Zeke heard Erika groan, the only sign she was okay that calmed his panicking heart.

But they were far from out of the woods.

Freed from the rampaging lightning, Terror-Volt was sauntering toward them.

"Man, that was quite the light show!" he laughed. "You really know how to crank up the voltage.

Body aching, Zeke struggled to stand, heaving himself in front of Erika as she just lay there, staring in a barely conscious daze. And then Terror-Volt's voice fell from amused to sinister.

"But how about I give you a real shock to the system?"

"How about this one first?"

A forceful burst erupted from behind, a rocketing blast of silver light that smashed into Terror-Volt's chest to send him reeling. Moments later, an engine roared, and the Sever Battle Cruiser ripped out onto the scene. The vehicle skidded to a stop, Ray holding his Mainframe Blaster from the driver's seat as Hilary leveled the main gun at the monster.

"Looks like you need a jump start," she growled.

Terror-Volt scowled, clearly considering taking the fight. But moments later, the three other Rangers announced themselves with a fresh cry of defiance, somersaulting to their comrade's side, their weapons leveled and ready.

"If you're all wanting some juice, then I'll need a recharge!" the monster decided. "Later!"

He vanished with the signature flash of green, and all Ranger let out a nervous exhale of relief.

"Sorry we're late," Hilary told them. "Had a drop-in appointment."

But Zeke was already ignoring them, shooting to Erika's side to see she was barely holding consciousness. Her face was bruised, black soot caked onto her skin as she lay on the ground and stared at him with lucid eyes.

"Looks like… we gotta… work on the kinks…" Then she lapsed into unconsciousness, and the rest of the team could only stare as Zeke cradled her in her arms and sobbed his guilty apologies.