Episode 15

Center Stage

It stared at her, sharp black letters pressed against the pale page to form an enthralling message that both enticed and chilled to her core.

ELECTROHEAD
BANDMATE WANTED
SINGER AND/OR GUITARIST
AUDITIONS AT THE HUB THIS THURSDAY

No matter how long Erika kept telling herself to ignore it, to walk away and put it from her mind, her feet remained glued to the floor. They were locked in place, forcing her to keep staring at the notice in unwilling contemplation. Consideration.

Because as much as her heart thumped in terror at the idea, there was a part that couldn't help but surrender to curiosity. That didn't dare look away, that longed to hear more of the beckoning siren's song to drag the rest of her sensibility with it.

"Hey, stranger!" The friendly giggle snapped Erika from her trance as she seized up in shock. Her eyes snapped elsewhere on the noticeboard, desperate to hide where she'd been looking as Valerie squeezed her arm in a loving greeting.

"Hey," Erika breathed nervously. "I was just waiting for you."

With a smile, Erika's girlfriend pecked on the check before nodding toward the board of cork. "Any interesting ones?"

"Oh yeah," said Erika, reaching to the green in the corner to give its hanging edge a flick. "It seems a tree that needs…saving? In Central Park… six months ago."

"They never clear these things off," Valerie noted. "Maybe if the flyers on here were more recent, people would actually read them."

Erika could only wish; the band's flyer was dated just two ago. She needed to move away, to banish the ridiculous idea from her mind and enjoy her company instead.

"Lunch?" she suggested, offering the elbow for Valerie to gladly accept. The two marched down the corridor, out into the cooling fall toward their table of friends. Abbey was already there, sitting beside Miguel with Zeke opposite and plenty of space for the approaching duo.

"Hey, you two," Abbey smiled as they sat down. "Day going all well?"

"Urgh," Valerie groaned. "That Math quiz this morning was killer. It's like Mr. Stallheader is trying to torture us or something."

Erika was about to nod in agreement before suddenly Abbey stood up, waving over at steps and calling "Lena! We're over here!"

Erika didn't even turn around, easily picturing the awkwardness on the face of their former friend/enemy turned teammate/friend. It had barely been a week, but Erika had to admit that she was starting to get used to Lena's returning presence. It had certainly been strange to go from facing her across the battlefield to sitting with her lunch again. But now, seeing it up close, even Erika couldn't deny the change in their former enemy. Lena had been aloof, almost cold and distant when they'd first met. Then, when she'd her true colors, she'd been snide and meanspirited, almost reveling in the chaos sown in her wake.

Yet now, the girl that sat down with them showed none of that, shrinking away in nervous uncertainty instead. Her eyes seemed to flick between them as she approached, as if waiting for someone to correct her, to rebuke her. To tell her she didn't belong.

That she was unworthy.

Erika was far from one to judge that, she certainly had her own list of mistakes that made her feel undeserving of the friends around her. Hell, all of them were slowly adding to lists of their own. But in saying that, Erika couldn't help but feel a small amount of satisfaction as Lena squirmed from the guilt, knowing full well that their new teammate's misery couldn't last.

Still, maybe it could go a little while longer.

"Anyone heading to the Hub this afternoon?" Zeke asked, although collectively the group shook their heads.

"Sorry," Abbey admitted. "I'm out."

"Yeah, me too," Lena agreed.

"I was thinking about it," Valerie explained. "But I heard Electro-Head aren't playing there anymore."

At the mention of the band's name, Erika felt every nerve jolt to attention, eyes shooting straight ahead and not daring to give anything away.

"Really?" Miguel asked. "That sucks, I really like them. Any idea what happened?"

"They lost their lead guitarist and singer," Valerie said, clearly oblivious to the discomfort of her girlfriend beside her. "I hope they find someone soon though; they brought a great vibe to the place."

"Yeah…" Erika agreed nervously. "Great vibe…"

It wasn't that she wasn't considering it, the idea of playing in a band had thrilled her since the moment she'd first picked up a guitar. Once, when Erika was young, she'd begged and begged her Dad to buy her an acoustic, a beaten-up one she'd seen in a pawnshop window. Her arm span was barely enough to reach from one end to the other, but she didn't care. And despite her father's cool, poker face every time she asked, she'd nonetheless discovered it one Christmas morning, wrapped up and waiting under the tree.

To this day, it was still Erika's most prized possession, not because of the music but because of what it meant. He'd known how badly she wanted to learn, her hands barely big enough to fit around the neck and stretch across the frets, and despite how hard things were her father had still found the money to buy it. It didn't get as much play now, not since buying the electric which had taken an entire summer to save for. But that beat-up steel string would forever mean the world to her.

Of course, imagining playing in a band and actually doing it were two different things. One was a dream, a pleasant fantasy to retreat into whenever she wished. The other was a harsh reality, one that filled Erika with electric terror from the moment she'd first seen the notice. And yet, why couldn't she shake it from her head?

All through lunch, Erika kept up her nervous silence, letting Val chatter away with her team as the opportunity lingered in her mind. It stayed well after, loitering in her thoughts as the bell beckoned them back inside, and even later as she sat in the chair in Ray's office.

"Now," asked her counselor and mentor. "How're things going?"

"What?" Erika asked, suddenly shaking from the distracted daze and staring at an amused-looking Ray in the opposite chair.

"Your calming techniques," he prompted. "The ones we walked about last week?"

"Fine," Erika shrugged. "I'm focusing on my breathing, I'm working through things before they build up. I haven't had a blow-up in nearly two weeks. Things are good."

Ray nodded, lazily reaching for the notepad beside him but otherwise keeping his attention focused. "And what about the other thing we talked about? About finding an outlet?"

Here we go.

He'd first mentioned it a few weeks ago, about channeling her feelings that didn't entirely involve throwing her fists at a bag. It's a good way to meet people, Ray said, a way to make friends that weren't just people she'd been forced onto a team with. Erika didn't see what was wrong with her current methods, especially when there never seemed a shortage of Cyberdrones willing to help her blow off some steam.

But Ray had been insistent that she give it some thought, and grateful for all else he'd done for her, Erika agreed to humor him. Of course, that was very different from actually doing anything about it.

And now, it seemed, fate had thrown the perfect opportunity into her lap.

"Well," Erika said reluctantly. "I saw that Electro-Head were looking for new members, but…"

"That's great!" Ray agreed. "Playing in a band is a great way to work with new people and express yourself. I remember when my friend Johnny joined up with my band in High School. It really helped him come out of his shell and meet new people."

"I guess," Erika shrugged. She knew he was right, that it would be a good chance to involve herself with people she didn't fight evil with on a regular basis. As much as Erika enjoyed the time spent with her teammates, there were also times when the whole "protectors of the city" thing felt overwhelming. Having a group of friends to whom she didn't have to be the fearless leader was certainly an appealing idea.

But that wasn't the part that terrified her.

If there was a band, that meant an audition. And that meant having to show what she could do so others could judge her worth. So, they could decide whether she measured up.

Whether she was good enough.

"I don't know," Erika said. "I've kind of built a bit of a rep at the school. Maybe I'm not someone they'd want to be attached to them?"

"Are you kidding?" Ray chuckled. "I think your rep is about as rock n' roll as it gets."

Dammit, he had her there. But as Erika sunk awkwardly into the chair, Ray seemed to see what she was really getting at.

"I get it," he said. "I remember how terrifying it was the first time my band auditioned for our regular set. I mean, we thought we were pretty good, but that didn't mean the owners of the Shak thought the same thing. And I know when Johnny joined, he was really nervous too. He was so worried that everyone would be so focused on his sister being a famous pop star that they'd think he was just copying her vibe."

Hang on…

2009…

Cranston City High…

Johnny…

"Johnny Ford?" Erika gasped in realization. "You played in a band with Johnny Ford? You mean actually played in Johnny Ford's band?"

If Ray had told her that on Day One she'd have suddenly found herself a lot more receptive and attentive. But far from preening or proud, Ray seemed almost offended.

"Okay," he said. "First of all, let's get something straight: Johnny Ford played in my band. And second of all; you know Johnny?"

"Uh, yeah?" Erika scoffed. "He was the kickass guitarist in Midnight Scream. I learned to play guitar from his YouTube channel."

For a moment, Ray's expression flickered with a hint of amused pride, a pride Erika wasn't certain was for her. Then, the counselor recomposed himself, refocusing on the conversation at hand. "All I'm asking is that you think about it. Music is a great way to express yourself. A way to take all that anger and direct it into something productive. A way to make use of it, instead of just screaming it out into the wind."

Easier said than done, but Erika agreed to consider it. Ray was right, as much as it felt good to wail on a punching bag, there were times when she'd feel her rage bubbling and wished that she'd had more to do with it.

A way to make it help.

Maybe this was the way. All she had to do was play in front of a bunch of people she didn't know and have them decide whether she was good enough.

Yup, not terrifying at all.

She'd arrived early, and Jessica Danvers wasn't sure if that made her look professional, nervous, or desperate.

Maybe it was all of the above.

But as she sat in the up-market restaurant, uncomfortably fidgeting in the chair she'd been guided to as she gave her name and reservation, Jess couldn't quite decide which one she was either. But no one turned down an offer like the one received, not at least without accepting the lunch that came with it.

It didn't mean anything, she told herself, just a testing of the waters and casual business discussion. With a representative of the richest man in the city. Who reached out to you personally?

After your current boss turned down his job offer?

Oh God! What was she doing?

The longer Jess sat there, stewing, the more uncomfortable she felt. It was bad enough that Dr. Hawkins had given her the afternoon off with no questions asked, all so Jess could secretly have lunch to discuss an implied job offer from the competition.

The location certainly didn't help either. Mourir Pour was the most expensive restaurant in the city, with a booking list extending a whole nine months! And yet Scolex's assistant seemed able to book them at the snap of their fingers. Jess had put on her best workwear for the occasion (something she'd desperately hoped Hilary wouldn't' comment on), a firmly pressed black blazer over her purple dress, and still, she felt woefully out of place compared to the finery around her.

Although, if Scolex Industries had chosen here as a place to discuss a job offer, it stood to reason that the accompanying pay would easily cover a suitable wardrobe.

No! Stop it! There's no offer yet, and you're just exploring. You're not accepting anything without thinking it through.

Of course, the thinking was all Jess had time for with the minutes ticking over until the time of her appointment.

God, why did she think arriving early was a good idea?

But nothing could prepare her for what was coming. The clock hit the hour, perfectly on time, but it wasn't a representative of Scolex Industries who arrived to meet her. Instead, Jess' eyes bulged as she was suddenly greeted by Davian Scolex himself.

"Ms. Danvers," he smiled, his face the perfect picture of his eligible bachelor profile. "Thank you so much for meeting me at short notice."

"Mr. Scolex!" Jess stammered, rising so quickly her knees smacked the table's edge to rattle the silverware and crystal. Jess extended her hand to shake his own, only to realize she was too far away as her dainty palm dangled awkwardly above the empty space. "I… I wasn't expecting…"

"But of course, I'd be here," Scolex replied, reaching to gently take her hand before helping her resume her seat. "I couldn't well extend an offer if I wasn't prepared to deliver it personally."

So that was what it was about. Jess hadn't been willing to believe it when the message appeared in her personal email; a lunch invitation to discuss her career projections. It was just networking, she'd told herself. But now it was all too clear exactly what Scolex wanted. Scolex moved behind her, guiding the chair deeper into the table before taking the seat opposite and signaling the waiter.

"This is all very lovely of you, Mr. Scolex," Jess admitted. "But I'm not quite sure what you think I can offer."

No college education, never left Lakeview, and barely any corporate experience. Before working for Dr. Hawkins, Jess' only secretarial role had been as a doctor's receptionist. And yet, here was the CEO himself, wining and dining her for a position.

Barely two months ago Scolex had been pursuing her boss for a job, trying to poach her into one of his private labs, and then again trying to loop the museum into one of his programs. His interest in Jess now could hardly be a coincidence. And yet, as Jess sat there, watching as the serving staff waited on her every need, as she began to grow at ease among Lakeview's social elite, she couldn't help but feel her curiosity grow as Lakeview's enigmatic billionaire bequeathed his sole attention upon her, hanging on her every word in hypnotic captivation.

"We've had our eye on you for quite some time Ms. Danvers," Scolex agreed. "But before you start wondering what it is that you can offer Scolex Industries, I'd like to get to know you some more. I want to know what it is that I can do for you…"

She could do this, she knew she could.

…

She couldn't do this!

Every second the scales tipped, violently swinging like a pendulum as Erika weighed the two options in turmoil. Every positive affirmation propelled her forward, another step toward the Hub where Electro-Head was holding their auditions. And then the counter-point turned her feet to lead, a fresh, a stony heaviness weighing her down as Erika's heart panicked and begged her to turn around.

The strap of her guitar case dug into her shoulder, her hand squeezing so tight was surprised she hadn't snapped it.

This was a terrible idea.

What was she doing?

Why did she ever even think it was a good idea to listen to Ray?

Stupid shrink.

And yet, every shuddered and fearful breath drew Erika closer still, one more step toward her judgment.

Erika didn't even know why she was waiting, it wasn't like there was a line. Jasmine and Melody were just sitting at the table by the stage, politely indulging those who were stepping forward to try out. And from Erika's standpoint at the end of the room, her competition wasn't exactly fierce.

Or maybe it was.

Maybe all those washouts that were banging on, off-key, from the stage were still going to wipe the floor with her.

God! What was she doing?

"Urgh, really?"

Erika's stomach twisted at the disdainful scoff behind her, and she turned to see Whitney rolling her eyes from the nearby table.

Great, just what she needed. "What do you want, Whitney?"

"What I want is for you to stop blocking my light," the blonde girl sneered, her eyes threateningly flicking to the neck of Erika's guitar. "Seriously, you're bringing down the whole mood with your nervous, standing jittering. And for once, I'm not just talking about your personality."

On any other day, Erika would have stepped forward and snarled back a witty remark, commenting on Whitney's own vapid personality while standing her ground and glaring at the girl to move. But this time, the sudden focus on her instrument only caused Erika to shrink away, wanting nothing more than to disappear and remain unnoticed.

Something Whitney picked up on quickly.

"What's this?" she noted slyly. "No witty comeback? No biting remark? Is little Erika Nishimura losing her nerve?"

That should have done something, stoked the simmering rage into more than just some crackling embers. And yet, the fiery breath caught in her throat, nothing more than growl more threatened than threatening. Sensing weakness, Whitney rose from her seat, stepping forward as Erika continued to glower.

"What is that anyway?" she asked with an all-knowing condescension. "Oh, you're not seriously thinking of strutting your stuff on that stage are you? I mean, come on; leather jacket, torn jeans, messy hair tied back in desperate need of a stylist? Could you be more of a cliché with that guitar? Next, you'll tell me all your favorite songs are about 'sticking it to authority' and 'how hard life is'."

Pleased with herself, Whitney chuckled and resumed her seat, leaving a fuming Erika uncharacteristically lost for words.

"Well, go along now," Whitney snickered. "I'm sure it'll be quite the show."

Great, now she was committed. Now she had to go do it, or else she'd look like she was backing out. And she couldn't have that, not in front of Whitney. And yet, for some reason, the new and intently focused audience made Erika want to turn and run even faster.

But she wasn't going to back down.

Not in front of Whitney.

All she had to do was make it to the desk.

Come on, Erika, you can do it!

With a desperate gasp for air, Erika took a heavy step forward, almost praying for something to intervene and change her course.

For a Thursday afternoon, the mall was surprisingly busy, although in hindsight Lena shouldn't have been surprised. Her begrudging time at Lakeview High had taught her that if there were any two places that teenagers loathed to be, it was school and home. Couple that with an overpowering need for social connection and an inability to hold onto money for longer than an impulsive heartbeat, and where else would Lena find most of her cohort in the after-school hours?

They certainly wouldn't be at home studying.

So many people, all of whom she'd so recently plotted to put in danger, and now whom Lena had sworn her life to protect. To have them all around her now was almost overwhelming.

At any other time, if someone had suggested spending the afternoon among the writhing masses of adolescence, basking beneath the fluorescent lights that glowed between the outlets of mass consumerism, Lena countered with a preference for personally investigating the sensations of medieval torture devices. Instead, when it had been Abbey who suggested they make the trip, and have a little "girl time", Lena saw the gesture for what it was.

An olive branch.

After everything that had happened, after all that Lena had done to the team, the last thing she felt she could do was turn down a peace offering. Abbey had more love than anyone to give, and Lena couldn't help but feel grateful for the exceedingly generous second chance.

Either that or, now she'd ingratiated herself back with the Rangers, Abbey had discovered a malicious and sinister way to torment her that couldn't be turned down. But even then, if spending hours trawling through stores as Abbey picked out clothes for Lena to try was meant to be some torturous form of penance, then Lena was going to be the last person to complain.

By the end of it, she couldn't help but feel guilty. An hour later, both girls strode through the mall, arms weighed by paper bags of garments that were all for Lena. Abbey had been delighted in playing dress up, picking outfits, and offering constructive opinions. And yet in that whole time, she'd not selected anything for herself.

"Thank you for this," Lena said nervously, gesturing to the mounting collection of outlet bags.

"Don't worry about it," Abbey smiled back. "You've got a new lease on life, finding yourself again. I figured it was time you found your own style instead of walking around my hand-me-downs. Not that you weren't killing it, by the way."

Lena couldn't help but blush and shy away in overwhelming gratitude. It was true; until now her wardrobe had entirely been the clothes she'd worn to blend in at the high school, and after leaving Xaviax's side she'd be making do with the collection Abbey had dropped off. Lena had hardly been complaining, but she had to admit that she'd enjoyed selecting a style of her own choosing.

But still, Lena was very aware of just how much she was getting by on charity. It was bad enough that Ray and Hilary were putting her up in their guest room, letting her stay in their apartment above the museum. But now Abbey was helping her update her wardrobe too?

"I don't deserve all of this," Lena said. "I've done so much to all of you. To have you all take me in like this; it's too much."

"I told you not to worry about it," Abbey insisted, before adding playfully. "Besides, my best friend since the second grade has been a dorky boy who'd rather play the new WoW expansion than go shopping, and I think the only way I'd get Erika to a mall is in a body bag. Honestly, it's nice to have some girl time, even if it's just for today. It makes a nice change."

Lena had to admit that despite her initial hesitance, she was having a good time. Finally spend a few moments thinking about something other than Power Rangers and Monsters and all of the things that Xaviax seemed to have blocked from her memory. To not be constantly thinking about who and what she was. To just… be.

It was nice; it felt normal. As if, for just a moment, Lena could allow herself to bask in the illusion that she was just like everyone else.

And yet, she wasn't. And until she could make amends for all she'd done, she didn't deserve to see herself otherwise. Even now, Lena would catch a glimpse of the white device strapped to her wrist, the pale-cased communicator Hilary had bequeathed her upon refusing to reclaim the Morpher. At times it would capture Lena's attention, beaming with a strange pride at what it meant. But other times it felt like a weight like it had been strapped to her wrist with the intent of giving her the chance to prove herself unworthy.

A chance to fail.

Lena must have been staring at it because Abbey gently reached forward and took Lena's wrist in her hand.

"Hey," she said quietly. "I know all of this is a lot to take in. Honestly, I don't even know where to begin trying to understand what you're going through. But you need to remember that you're not doing it alone. You're one of us now."

Her words brought a light warmth to Lena's chest that evoked a nervous smile as she looked back at the Blue Ranger.

"Do you mean it?" Lena asked, the words escaping and inviting a more dreaded response. "Do you really trust me?"

Suddenly, Abbey's demeanor shifted, pulling away nervously in silent betrayal of the truth. "No," she admitted. "I don't think I'm there yet. But that doesn't mean I won't ever be. And even if I'm not sure, I know Miguel trusts you, and that's enough for me. Besides, Ray and Hilary would never have let you keep that Morpher if they didn't see something in you, even if you don't. Believe me."

She guessed.

Abbey was right, she may not have the full trust of the team, but it was enough for now, and she just had to hope that he could enough to take it further.

"Well, what do you know?" sneered an all too familiar voice behind them. "Fancy running into the two of you here."

Oh no…

All around them, people started screaming, the corners of their vision filled with flashes of emerald light as the two girls whipped around to source. With a gasp of stolen breath, Lena spun around as her heart stopped dead and her fear was confirmed.

Ender. And he'd brought a whole lot of Cyberdrones. Already, the foot soldiers were spreading out, moving to encircle the two girls as both of them snapped tighter together on instinct.

"Here for the fire sale?" Abbey growled. "Because I don't think your "creep" style's in season."

"I'm just ahead of the times," Ender chuckled back, giving an unconcerned twirl to let his red and silver cloak swish around him before narrowing his eyes at Lena. "But I'm actually here for a chat with my old workmate."

"I don't work with you anymore," Lena snarled. "That means I don't have to pretend to like you. Or talk to you."

"Ah, but you misunderstand, I'm just here to let you know there's been a problem processing your resignation," Ender replied, his sinister grin widening as he signaled to the Cyberdrones to be ready. "Instead, we've decided your employment is going to be… terminated."

The Cyberdrones lunged, diving for the girls from all sides. Lena stepped back, reading to hold her own, only to watch Abbey take the step. She phased through the lunging henchmen, spinning around to kick the robots back before firmly placing herself between Ender and her new teammate.

"As Lena's legal counsel," Abbey warned. "Your negotiations have to go through me."

"Well, if you insist."

Lena's eyes flickered, catching another group closing to corner Abbey.

Not today.

Lena surged forward, launching high as Abbey ducked beneath the blow. Lena rolled over her teammate's back to send the robots clattering with a mighty kick as the ones behind them crumbled. As the fallen Cyberdrones writhed in a sluggish recovery, the two girls reaffirmed their position; now back-to-back, the two girls shot each other a look and nodded.

And then they began.

Lena took the right, crashing her foot into the closest Cyberdrone as she pirouetted to immediately kick a second. With two comrades down, the henchmen tried to rush her, coming in wide to strike at either side. Lena saw them coming; too hard and too fast. She dropped low, letting the robots clobber each other as she shot out her leg and swept.

Man, these guys really were easy. She really should have sent more of them in while playing for the other team. Oh well, lesson learned. It was not a piece of feedback she had any intention of passing on.

With her group handled, Lena spun to check out Abbey, who'd backed into the entrance of the store to use the doorway as a bottleneck. It wasn't working as well as planned. Having used her phasing to avoid blows, a number had managed to get past, and now were coming at her from both sides; in and out of the shop.

"This looks like your size," she warned one of them, ramming her foot into its chest to send it clattering into the clothing rack behind. "You should try it on!"

As the metal stand went rattling to the ground, two more came in at her managing to grab hold and toss her into the rest of the horde.

"Abbey!"

Lena was already moving before her mind caught up, leaping over the unsuspecting henchmen and into the air. With a raging somersault, she flipped over the swarming Cyberdrones, coast-to-coasting into a committed double clothesline. Her arms cracked across their necks, the forceful blow swinging their legs out from beneath as they crashed into the ground.

Seeing the opening, Abbey phased from the grip, letting her captors stumble forward as their balance gave out and she skipped into a tornado kick that knocked the rest of them back.

"You know what?" Lena decided. "I think I'm starting to see the appeal of malls."

"Finally, a shopping buddy."

Their reprieve was short-lived, but by the time the Cyberdrones had recovered, the two girls had taken position, a defensive stance that was ready for what was coming. But even with their defensive bottleneck, the numbers were still against them, and while Ender had been content to amusedly observe from the sidelines, both girls knew that was well about to change. They needed to get out, get some backup, and morph. Ideally all three in that order.

Clearly, Abbey had the same idea.

"You know, this store isn't really my scene," she decided, flicking a look to the floor. "Go somewhere else?"

"Read my mind."

As the Cyberdrones lunged in, Abbey slapped her hand to Lena's shoulder, a sudden rapid sinking yanking at her feet as both girls suddenly dropped through the floor. The Cyberdrones all collided with each other as Abbey phased them downward, shifting through the layer of hardened concrete as their enemies suddenly vanished above them. As their feet hit the ground in the sport's store beneath them, Abbey's communicator was already at her wrist.

"Hilary," she warned. "We've got some unwanted company at the mall."

"Already sent the signal, the others are on their way."

As Abbey sent out the call, Lena's eyes scanned the store, desperate for some privacy to hide and morph. No such luck, the store was filled with people, some of them huddling to avoid the Cyberdrones that had appeared on the floor above. The conundrum was clear; if the girls ran to hide and morph, they'd be giving the Cyberdrones a chance to catch up and put the civilians in danger. Right now, Ender's focus seemed to be fixed on them.

And they needed to keep it that way.

"Come on!" Lena decided, as motioned to the store's entrance. On the same page, Abbey nodded affirmatively and the two of them hurried to the exit. As they rushed out, the Cyberdrones were already dropping, leaping over the higher floor's railing to try and catch them. The two girls took off without wasting a second, racing to a new defensible area to hold against the tide.

Hold in the desperate hope that reinforcements were coming.

"…okay," said Jasmine Michaels, the band's bass player, cutting off the student on the stage. Perched with a ventriloquist dummy, they'd launched into a "harmonized" acapella rendition of Wonderwall, much to the dismay of Electro-Head members. "Thank you for that… inspired audition. We'll be in touch."

The two girls conferred their notes, although Erika suspected it was more a charade for the auditioning singer than an actual consideration. And yet, despite how low the bar was being set, Erika's heart only pounded faster. Because any second, from the moment the aspiring ventriloquist was out off the stage, the girls would lift their heads and call her name.

And then she'd nowhere to run.

Just her, on the stage, in front of everyone. With no one else to draw attention.

Inviting them to judge her.

She dared a look behind her, as subtly as she could, noticing Whitney still sitting in her seat, watching intently with a look of sadistic satisfaction. All to make Erika squirm. And it was working.

The two heads emerged from their discussion, and the twist in Erika's stomach churned tighter.

Here goes…

And then her communicator beeped loudly.

"Erika?" Jasmine called out, just as Erika's eyes snapped down to the blinking screen.

Saved by the bell.

"Uh, I'm really sorry," Erika said awkwardly, pointing to her wrist like it was a smartwatch. "I've got to take this."

She ran away before hearing their response, her heart pounding with a confusing mixture of relief and disappointment. But ambition aside, never had Erika been so thankful for a mess of Cyberdrones. She made for the back door, stashing her guitar by the Staff lockers before heading outside into the empty rear lot and opening the line.

"I'm here, Hilary. What's up?"

"Ender's jumped Abbey and Lena with a bunch of Cyberdrones" came the response. "They're running rampant and attacking innocent civilians."

It took all of Erika's mental efforts to not gasp in audible gratitude. And even then, a strange sensation panged within her chest. Guilt for the thought but also regret. For walking away from the opportunity. For never giving it a chance. But Erika didn't have time to dwell on it. Not when her friends needed her.

And Lena too.

Suddenly Miguel crackled through the line. "I'm on my way!"

"Me too!" Zeke's added a moment later.

For a second, Erika paused, realizing her teammates had it covered. Hilary hadn't mentioned a monster, and two Rangers were more than enough to help Abbey and Lena with some Cyberdrones. It wasn't as if they explicitly needed her…

No, they were her team. Erika needed to be leading them to victory.

"Hold on tight," Erika decided. She cut the line, pulling out her keycard as the Morpher flashed to her wrist. Then, with a final check to make sure no one was watching, she wound back in readiness before slamming through the card.

"Server Force! Login Access!"

The crimson light consumed her, blazing out from her Morpher as the power of the grid flowed forth. Already she could feel her body moving, vanishing as the Morphing sequence transported her across town, the suit wrapping around her body as the visored helm appeared to conceal her face. As the light vanished and dropped her right into the midst of battle, flashes of black and yellow light beamed on either side of her as a morphed Miguel and Zeke appeared to support her.

In front of them, blazing columns of blue and light had consumed the two cornered girls, Ranger suits appearing around their bodies with the area at last clear of civilians. As the team gathered, Erika took a step forward, glaring as Ender stood before his gathered Cyberdrones to glower back.

"Nice of you to finally join us," Ender growled sarcastically. "I sure hope we weren't interrupting anything."

"Oh sure," Abbey scoffed. "Now he cares."

"Trust me," Lena's white helmet bobbled. "The last thing he cares about is consideration."

"Believe me, Ender," Erika said the sneering monster maker. "As far as you're concerned, I always have better things to do."

"Well now, that's just insulting!"

Be it for the insult or the desire for injury, the blue-skinned man barked a command, the regathered Cyberdrones charging in as the Rangers did the same.

You know what? Erika decided as her Security Saber flashed to her hands. Maybe this was a good thing. She needed to blow off some steam, clear her head, and deal with the lingering nerves. A walking metal punching bag was just what she needed.

With a fiery fury, she thundered forward, blade raised high and swinging wide as it carved through the Cyberdrone ranks. As the sparks burst from the armor and her sword cleaved through, Erika whipped around, leaping into a spin to dive between a pair of swinging weapons, landing gracefully and countering with minimal effort.

Yeah, this was what she needed. Nothing like the thrill of a fight to get her mind off things. A horde of Cyberdrones was much more preferable to nervously waiting for her name to be called. So, what if that was her only chance to get on stage? It's not like it mattered; she was only doing it to get Ray off her back, right?

It's not like she actually…wanted to give it a try.

Right?

"Erika!"

Abbey's voice snapped her from her daze, and Erika whipped around to duck beneath another blow as a Cyberdrone took the opening for a sneak attack. Still too slow for Erika, it stumbled forward as the blade hit empty air and her sword sliced up its chest.

Okay, now they were just getting annoying. Time to clean this up.

And she knew just who to talk to.

Having engaged at last, Ender had danced into the fray, deadly cane swung wide as he closed in on Lena. The White Ranger twisted beneath the blow, her own Security Saber flashed up to meet it, the weapons rebounding in a thunderous parry as both of them stumbled back.

"Hey, Ender!" Erika yelled from across the food court. With a mighty battle cry, she launched herself high, flipping over the intervening Cyberdrones as across the other side, Abbey saw them too and lunged to do the same. Meeting in the middle, the two girls descended on their foe, their sabers flaring as they slashed across the monster maker's chest, sparks booming from the impact as they landed and stood beside their new teammate.

"Sorry, Ender," Lena taunted. "Turns out you never specified a "non-compete"."

"She's already given you her answer," Abbey added. "Now it's just creepy."

"Not to mention sad," Erika agreed finally. "Talk about being hung up."

Before them, Ender staggered his feet and snarled as the remnant Cyberdrones hurried back to support him. With their own groups cleared, Zeke and Miguel hurried back to the Ranger's side, and all five now stood strong together to stare down the remnants of their foe.

"Well then," Ender decided, voice growling in frustration as his eyes narrowly flicked to his limited, remaining options. "It seems there wasn't anything I wanted here anyway. Be seeing you around, Rangers!"

And with that, he vanished with a flash of emerald, spiriting away the remnant Cyberdrones and leaving the Rangers alone in the ruined food court.

"Good going, guys," Hilary congratulated. "Hopefully that'll make him think twice about jumping you randomly."

They readied to depart, only for Abbey to turn and tilt her helmeted head in Erika's direction. "Hey, how'd the audition go?"

And just like that, any high from their victory vanished, dropping in sinking weight that pulled her chest as shame and disappointment hit her all at once. These were Cyberdrones, Zeke, and Miguel would have been all the backup they'd have needed. They could have handled this without her, and Erika knew it.

"I…uh…. I missed my chance," she admitted awkwardly.

The implication hung between the words, Abbey's helm turning away in disappointment as she realized what Erika meant.

"Oh," she said. "That's too bad."

But at the Rangers parted, Erika couldn't help but shake her own strange sense of disappointment. At that opportunity for being missed, at herself for letting it go by.

Too bad?

Yeah… yeah, it was.

Great going.