Episode 36

Meet Your Heroes

The springtime sun was out in force, basking the city in a golden glow. Its timing was perfect, breaking through the gloomy blanket of hovering clouds just as school broke for the weekend. And with such wonderful weather, and academic responsibilities behind them, it was the perfect opportunity for a much-needed break. And a double date.

"To no more math!" Erika cheered.

"You know you still have to go to class, right?" said Valerie. "It's not over just because the test is done."

"Sure. But that's my final Final ever," Erika replied. "So, I'm going to celebrate no matter what."

"It is nice having the pressure ease up," Abbey agreed. "I never realized just how much I had going on until things started vanishing from my calendar."

"Isn't that just the story of your life?" said Erika.

Where once Abbey would have pouted timidly, now her only reply was a poked-out tongue in a similar jest.

"I'm not complaining about you having more time," said Miguel. "It means maybe you'll be able to squeeze in a few other things."

"Hmmm, good point," Abbey agreed. With a suggestive smile, she leaned in, happily meeting her boyfriend halfway for a celebratory kiss.

"Were we ever this nauseating?" Erika asked Val. "I'm pretty sure we'd got through phase after, like, a week?"

"Says you," said Abbey. "Trust us, you were just as bad.'

"Ugh," Valerie chuckled. "Now I feel kinda bad."

"I wouldn't," said Erika. "We all knew these two were coming along behind us."

Their mutual teasing continued, shared laughter hooting between the couples until, at last, the laughter simmered down, and Abbey changed the topic. "I feel like we haven't had a proper chance to celebrate. Miss "Lakeview's Hot Talent of 2024"."

Erika blushed and shied away. It wasn't that she hadn't been enjoying the revelry of victory, but after a week of non-stop congratulations and an ear-shattering cheer from the crowd at their set at the Hub, it was all becoming overwhelming. But Abbey was right, with all the other business, there hadn't been time just to enjoy her victory with her friends.

"I couldn't have done it without you guys," Erika said. "Literally. I have no idea how we'd have got on that stage if you all hadn't pitched in."

"I know," Valerie agreed. "Even Whitney threw her hat in."

And all of a sudden, the smile and laughter stopped as Erika's face dropped to confusion. "What? You never told me that."

Jasmine and Melody hadn't either.

"I guess I just forgot," Valerie admitted. "We were pretty shocked ourselves. But the second she realized we were stalling, she just strode onto the stage, stole a mic, and belted out the worst Hannah-Montana number anyone had ever heard. I don't know how much it helped, but she did it."

Erika didn't even know what to say, and judging by their faces, neither did Abbey and Miguel. Whiney? Queen of all evil, Whitney? No way. There had to be something they were all missing. Maybe she just saw the chance to take the stage and took it? But the more Erika inquired, the more Valerie insisted there was no ulterior motive. Whitney was well aware of her terrible singing when she took to the stage and even apologized to the band when she realized it might not have been enough.

"I don't even know what to do with that," Erika admitted.

"I guess there really is another side to everybody," said Abbey, only to see the collective pointed looks and adding, "Yes, before you say anything, I am aware of the irony."

"I don't think any of us have a leg to stand on there," Miguel admitted. "Could you imagine Lena's take on that?"

"Where are the others, anyway?" Val asked. "Not that I'm objecting to the present company."

"Lena's out of town with Ray and Hilary. Some secret super family mission," said Erika.

"It's not like it's classified," Abbey corrected. "Hilary just didn't want to get our hopes up before checking it out."

"Besides," Miguel added. "We've still got to have some of the team in Lakeview in case Xaviax tried to pull anything. Or ArcKnight."

"Okay, Lena's out,' said Val. "So, where's Zeke?"

"Oh, Zeke?" Erika asked. "He had more pressing engagement. One that was much more important than little old us…"

"Zeke Johnson?"

Zeke eagerly leaped out of the seat, upright like a meerkat as his name was called. He still couldn't believe it; today was the day! He'd applied months ago on a whim, assuming he'd have no chance in hell at getting it. But then, just a week ago, the email had appeared, confirming what Zeke would never have expected in his wildest dreams. An internship at Wayland Robotics.

And now here he was, waiting giddily in the lobby for the chance of a lifetime to begin!

The pretty secretary led him through, out into the open plan office that really was like something out of Zeke's dreams. There were lab tables in one corner, filled with parts and wires that plugged into terminals monitoring calibrations. In the other corner, cubicles stood with standing desks at the ready, workstations primed for further examination of code. And that was before considering the basketball ring and pool table. This place was insane!

Eyes wide and jaw dropped, Zeke was led up the stairs to the overlooking loft, standing before the frost glass door that marked the CEO's office. "Mr. Wayland?" the secretary asked with a knock. "We have the intern here to meet you?"

"Well, don't make him stand on ceremony, let him in!"

Zeke wasn't entirely sure what he'd expected, but it wasn't what met him. Zeke knew almost everything there was to know about the man's bio, from his time at Caltech to his early business ventures. But he'd still barely seen more of the actual person than pictures from the press and conferences.

Instead of a smarmy suit, the mid-forties man greeting him wore jeans and a baggy t-shirt. A basketball was bouncing in his hands, swishing from the wrist into the hoop at the far end of the office just as Zeke was ushered in.

"Hey there, kiddo," smiled Jack Wayland. "Welcome to the family. I can take it from here, Stacey. Come with me, Zack, I'll show you around."

He was already walking to the door, striding with a pace so brisk and confident that it took Zeke a moment to realize what was happening. Soon, he was hurriedly following the entrepreneur, eagerly awaiting to learn what he'd be doing.

"It probably won't be the most exciting work you'll be doing," Wayland explained. "But hopefully, it gives you a chance to meet some people and see how it works on the inside. Networking's everything in this industry; it's not just enough to have good ideas. You've got to know the right people, meet the right people, and know how to pitch your good idea to what they want. You know what I'm saying, Zack?"

"Uh, it's Zeke, actually..."

"Sure. Anyway, we'll bring you around and get a list of coffee orders. It's not glamorous work, but it's a great way to meet everyone. Oh, and Stacy will be around with a few papers to sign. Just a few confidentiality clauses to cover any projects you happen to see. Standard stuff. You get it."

"Uh, sure…"

Were he being honest, Zeke wasn't entirely sure what he was agreeing to. He knew when he'd signed up that he wouldn't actually be doing any of the hands-on work. But the opportunity alone of being behind the scenes of one of Lakeview's most lucrative startups was making him giddy. He could have been doing laundry for all he cared; he was just happy enough to be there.

The tour was over quickly, and Zeke immediately snapped up a pen and pad with the intent to gather orders with maximum efficiency. Ready to do anything he could to impress.

"That's that attitude I want to see," said Wayland. "In the blink of an eye, it'll be like you've always been here. Welcome to the family, Zack."

"Eyes on the asset?"

"This is Guardian 2; I have a clear line of sight."

The only thing stopping Hilary's nervous pacing was the space inside the truck, confined to the cramped interior behind the wall of monitors and keyboards. The speakers were cracking with confirmed positions, operatives taking their places as they lay in wait for their target. Ray was his usual unnerving calm, while Kyle focused intently on the screen at the desk in front of her.

Outside, Lena stood in wait, out in the open, while patiently pretending to read a magazine. The entire plan hinged on her, and that was exactly what Hilary was afraid of. The fact that the mobile command center was parked three blocks away only added to her nervous uncertainty.

"She'll be okay," said Ray. "She's got the element of surprise and enough backup within a city block to take on a small army."

"She can also hear you," Lena added dryly. "It's okay, Hilary. I can handle this."

But in truth, that wasn't what Hilary was concerned with. For all of their planning, all of their intricate examination of the scene and possibilities, there were far too many variables and assumptions. And with the small window that they had, a false move could cost them dearly.

So far, all had been quiet, but the target was yet to appear at his usual spot, a quiet café in Fremont that he visited every afternoon. It was getting close enough to the window's end that Hilary's nerves were screaming at their limit.

"It's not too late to call this off," she said. "We know where he lives; we could just send in a strike team to make the arrest and call it a day."

"And then we'd lose out whatever he knows," Ray replied. "The second he knows that he's going back to prison, he'll shut up tighter than a bank vault in Switzerland. If we're going to have any chance of finding out how he helped Xaviax, then we've got to do it this way."

He was right, as usual. But that didn't mean that Hilary had to like it.

"Can you guys keep it down?" Lena hissed into the com. "Any louder, and he'll hear you down the block."

As Hilary grumbled in begrudging agreement, Kyle leaned toward the mic and replied, "Copy that, Lena, we'll keep radio silence until we see movement."

"That'd be swell," she dryly replied. "And maybe tell your agent on the roof that he's doing a terrible job of acting casual."

Kyle replied with a curt reminder to said Guardian to remain discreet, and a figure on the monitor shifted slightly out of view. It did little to settle the twisting in Hilary's stomach, but she needed to leave it aside. Lena's snide remark betrayed her own uncertainty, but it wasn't from the potential danger. It was from what her part in the plan involved.

But it was too late to back out now, and there was no way either Hilary or Ray could talk Lena down. They were committed, and the two veteran Rangers could only wait on standby, ready to morph and leap in at a moment's notice.

"Target spotted; coming from the south."

On-screen, Lena peered over the page as their target stepped into view. In his early fifties, the sandy brown of his hair was surrendering to encroaching grey, and his belly had certainly seen trimmer days. There was a slight stoop to his back as if his body had become conditioned to it. From the skip in his step, he seemed none the wiser, completely oblivious to all eyes upon him.

To any onlooker, he was completely nondescript and unremarkable. But Hilary knew, plain as day. She'd been staring at his photo for months, ever since she'd first learned of his escape. It was burned into her memory, along with the face that Hilary better remembered him by. Approaching the café across the road, the man taking his seat at an outdoor table was Howard Gates, the man once better known as Kelgar. Gideon's monster maker and right-hand man.

At last, it was confirmed that he really was out and walking free instead of rotting behind bars in a cell. And while they were yet to confirm the specifics of his escape, Hilary had a pretty good idea of who to thank.

"Here we go," she said beneath her breath as Lena folded the magazine and stepped forward. She took a breath, just one, and there was no doubt in Hilary's mind about what she was preparing herself for.

About who she was preparing to be.

"I'm going in."

Before either Ray or Hilary could offer any last words of encouragement, Lena threw the magazine in the trash and strode across the street. As she approached the table, she didn't stop; she didn't politely introduce herself. She sat straight down as if she always belonged and stared at the man with a wicked and playful smile.

"I'm sorry," Gates said in surprise, eyes scrunching with disbelieving realization. "Can I help you?"

"Come on now, do you really not recognize an old friend?" said Lena. "Has it really been too long, Kelgar?"

As she said the words, as the snide and playful tones of Mileena passed Lena's lips, Hilary's heart stopped as her breath refused to release. The moment of truth, to see whether Gates would buy what Lena was selling. To see if surprise was really on their side.

As everyone in the command truck watched with nervous anticipation, Gates' eyes stared at her blankly, shrinkingly in uncertainty about who it really was before him. "I guess it has," he smiled. "I never thought I'd ever see you again, Mileena."

He'd bought it, and Hilary let go of her captive breath in accepted relief. Howard Gates believed that the woman he was speaking with really was his comrade from his villainous days.

Lena was in, and now she just had to leverage for as much as it was worth.

With a heavy but satisfied sigh, Zeke hauled the last of the boxes into the truck. After arranging the workplace coffee run, the startup had put him straight to work, pointing first to a series of boxes that needed packing for a customer order. With all of those in place, it had then been Zeke's job to load them all for transport.

It was grunt work, and anywhere else, Zeke would have been disappointed. But nowhere else did he get to see the latest processors ship straight from floor to seller. Besides, he needed a foot in somewhere, and Zeke had no intention of staring a gift horse in the mouth. It was just like Wayland had said; it was who he knew. And after even a day, Zeke had now had conversations with a whole group of up-and-coming local programmers. So, if the career opportunity of a lifetime meant hauling a few boxes, who was he to say no?

With the last load finished and his time for the day complete, he shut the trucks and turned back to the foreman.

"All done," he announced gleefully.

"Great job," the man replied. "I gotta say, that's impressive work. I can't remember the last time I saw someone pack two hundred units that fast."

"Thanks," Zeke said sheepishly. "But it was two-fifty, actually."

The foreman raised an eyebrow, looking down at his clipboard as he checked the tally.

"Nope, I've got two hundred right here," he said. "Ready for tomorrow's delivery to Isocorp Designs."

But that didn't make sense! The briefing Zeke was given had explicitly told him to put together 250 boxes, and then he was told to load everything into the truck. There was no way he could've packed more than he needed.

"Maybe it's part of another delivery?" Zeke asked.

The foreman shrugged, "If it is, no one told me about it. Don't worry about it, kid, your record still holds."

But something about it wasn't sitting right. Thanking the foreman, Zeke headed back into the office, straight to the workstation where he'd been assembling the packages.

"Hey," he called out to the others. "I left my briefing papers here. Has anyone seen them?"

The next reply was the sound of a paper shredder. Horrified, Zeke bolted around the corner to where one of the software engineers was feeding pages into the machine.

"Wait!" Zeke cried out. "I still need that!"

"First day, huh?" the man replied. "Don't worry, catches us all off guard too. Company policy is to shred any hard document at the end of the day just to make sure nothing's left lying around. Don't worry, everything important's all backed up on the drive. What do you need?"

Zeke very quickly explained, and the kind worker generously logged on to the server to retrieve Zeke's packaging brief. And as Zeke stared at it, he couldn't believe his eyes. 200 units, clear as day.

But he could've sworn…

"Everything alright?"

Jack Wayland was leaning on the edge of the cubicle, giving their intern an amazed but quizzical look.

"I think I made a mistake," Zeke admitted. "I misread the briefing and packed too many units. I'm sorry."

He didn't know what to expect, be it a scalding or a sigh of disappointment. What Zeke certainly did not expect was for Wayland to simply shrug.

"Don't sweat it, kid. You're doing great."

"But I packed too many!' Zeke protested, following the entrepreneur as he wandered back toward his office. "If I hadn't caught it, then we'd have handed over units that the buyer didn't pay for!"

"Like I said, don't worry about it," said Wayland. "Consider it insurance. Maybe it's for the best. Who knows? Maybe a few of the boxes could have fallen off the back of the truck on the way."

"But that was never going to happen," said Zeke. "The truck's sealed up. The only way something's getting out is if it was… taken…"

The thought hit him just as he said it, and Zeke watched as Wayland shrugged while maintaining his glib smile of amusement.

"You… you want your goods to be stolen?"

"No, no, of course not," said Wayland. "All I'm saying is that if a few boxes accidentally find themselves delivered elsewhere, then the client is still going to get what they ordered."

"But they paid for an exclusive order," Zeke protested. "It said so in the brief. They've paid for exclusive rights to the processor; no one else is meant to have it."

"You're right, they not," Wayland agreed. "So why don't we just leave this conversation here?"

And all of a sudden, Zeke realized exactly what was happening. The brief hadn't been wrong; it had been altered. The company policy of daily paper shredding was a convenient method of discarding the evidence. Wayland was dealing under the table, and he was undercutting his own clients.

"But I don't get it," Zeke stammered. "You're risking a whole contract like this, not to mention a lawsuit. Why can't you try selling it the normal way?"

"Listen, Zack-."

"It's Zeke."

"Whatever. I like you; you've got a spark in your eye that reminds me of me. So let me give you some friendly advice: mentor to protegee. If you want to succeed in business, you've got to know how to make a buck. And that means you've got to know what something is worth. You know what an exclusive deal means?"

"It means they've paid to be the only ones with access."

"Exactly," said Wayland. "But not only does it mean that the product is worth a whole lot to the client, but it's worth a hell of a lot more to someone else. Scarcity drives demand, and there'll always be someone out there willing to pay more for what someone already has."

"But you're lying to your clients," Zeke protested. "It's wrong!"

"It's just business kid," Wayland said coldly. "It's ugly, but it's just what's done. Now, before you get any big ideas, I'd like to remind you that you've signed a bunch of confidentiality forms, and I've definitely got better lawyers than you. But even if I didn't, just think about who people are going to believe. The new and upcoming local tech creator, or the scrawny high school intern who can't even count 200 boxes?"

Whether it was rage, terror, or a putrid cocktail of both, Zeke was unable to stop his body from shaking. All he could do was step back and stare, gobsmacked, as he processed the threat he'd been given.

"You know what, Zack?" Wayland decided. "You did good work today. Why don't you take the afternoon off? If you don't think our startup is right for you, then no hard feelings. But if you want to learn more, then come back tomorrow. If you stick with me, I'll teach you everything you need to know to succeed. The ball's in your court."

And then, before Zeke could say another word, Wayland stepped into the office and shut the door in Zeke's face.

"You seem surprised to see me," said Lena. "Did our mutual acquaintance not inform you that I made a comeback?"

It was a careful probe, an attempt to learn how much Gates already knew. It was recon on the fly, an important step to help Lena know just how much room she had to move. Because one false step could be deadly.

Thankfully, Gates seemed to be none the wiser.

"Are you kidding?" he scoffed. "They don't tell me anything. To be honest, I didn't even know that Gideon had you kicking around that Black Box of his. I would have thought that he'd let you be deleted and get on with his life. The bigger surprise is seeing you like, well, this."

"So, he knew about the Black Box," said Hilary's voice in her ear.

"It doesn't mean he was the one who told Xaviax," Ray pointed out. "Lena, you've got to keep him talking."

Lena rolled her eyes. "I know. Can't exactly account for the new boss's tastes. But when they need a fresh face to keep an eye on the new pesky Rangers that Hawkins and Granger have recruited, how's a girl to say no? At least I can say that the years have treated me kindly, which is more than can be said for you."

Once upon a time, Lena would have expected a rise out of the monster maker. But be it age or the lack of monstrous appearance, Howard Gates simply chuckled.

"I'm not complaining, better than those scales that Gideon had me stuck with," he decided. "So what does our mutual friend want anyway? He's had me holed up in the safehouse for months, and now what? He sends you to check up on me?"

"Hey, don't look at me," Lena replied. "I'm just the messenger. You know what these evil genius types are like. Everything's all "when the time is right" and "you'll soon see." It's like secrecy's the only way they can maintain their façade of superiority."

Again, Gates snorted, recalling the memory of that exact exchange with Gideon.

"No," said Lena. "The Silver Guardians have started sniffing around. I think Xaviax wants to know if you've been talking."

"Not me. Do you really think I'd look that gift horse in the mouth? A tiny apartment in the cheap end of Fremont might not be much, but it's still an upgrade over where it was before. No way, I'm keeping my nose clean and clear of any Ranger business until the big man's ready to bring me in for his scheme."

"Got him," Hilary chuckled.

"Line and sinker," Ray agreed.

"We've got what we need, Lena," Kyle instructed. "Confession of Scolex's involvement with Gates' escape. You give us the word, and we'll move in."

But Lena had a different idea, and with no way to communicate it, she just had to trust her gut. She could get more out of him, she knew it. And she knew exactly which buttons to press.

"Oh, you're in on it?" Lena scoffed. "Wow, must be super important if they're keeping the big genius in reserve."

"Because you were always the brains of the operation?" Gates sneered. "Certainly weren't the brawn, I'm surprised you it took as long as it did for you to be blown up, given how many times you'd come back to the fortress with your tail between your legs."

"Says the man stuck on the sidelines, cowering in his apartment in fear of his old teenage nemesis," said Lena. "Because, unlike you, I actually have value to Xaviax."

"You're an attack dog, and he'll forget you just as soon as you're gone," Gate replied. "But me? I'm irreplaceable. He'd never have even found the Black Box if it wasn't for me, and he definitely wouldn't have figured out how to use any of it. I'm pretty sure he still has no idea how most of it works."

"And you do?"

Gates stopped and scowled at Lena's snorting question, the clear inference of his ignorance stinging like a piercing barb.

"I know enough," he said coldly. "Honestly, I don't think even Gideon knew how it worked. Maybe that goody-goody Benson didn't either. From everything Gideon did tell us, it sounded like they just stumbled into it and started playing around blindly."

"You're not getting any more out of him, Lena," Hilary warned. "Pull out, give us the code word."

"Hang on a sec," Ray cautioned. "Maybe there is something she can get."

"He obviously knows enough to make improvements," Lena decided. "I mean, look at me, obviously. But it seems like he's got it working better than ever."

"It's an engine," Gatea replied. "Give someone enough time, and anyone can make it run more efficiently. But as for how it really ticks? There's no way he's got that figured out. At least, not unless he got his hands on Benson. And if he did, man, do I really want to go in and say hi. That goodie two shoes got me landed in a cell for fourteen years."

Lena paused, careful to maintain her icy and disdainful demeanor as she processed what Gates was saying. He didn't know that Xaviax had Doc, which meant he really had been left in the dark since his release. She wasn't surprised that Xaviax had been radio silent upon beginning his operations, but it seemed like Gates had been left in the cold long before then.

But that came with its own risks. Gates was an asset to Xaviax, so it made sense to keep him on hand. The longer he remained on his own, the likelier it was that he'd be discovered, or worse, that he'd try to cut a deal and backstab his generous rescuers. There was no way Scolex would have taken a risk on that, not without insurance. And the only way he'd know to use it was by keeping Gate under constant surveillance.

Without another thought, Lena was on her feet, snapping upright as she got ready to move.

"Well, hasn't this been fun?" she said hurriedly. "I guess I really can report back to say that all is well. How about we do this again sometime? Maybe when you're brought in the final stage. After all, it's always good to see old friends."

"Code Word!" Kyle called into the mic. "Move! Move!"

Gate's face furrowed, surprised by her sudden shift in demeanor.

"I guess it is," he said. "You got somewhere else to be?"

"Plenty actually, certainly more important. I basically dropped by as a favor to Xaviax; he just had to know how his precious little pet was doing on his own."

And then a voice that chilled Lena to her veins spoke behind her.

"Now, now," said Ender. "Let's not be so hasty. After all, you're right. We are all old friends here."

Eye widening, Lena spun around. Ender stood next to her, dressed in a long-buttoned coat with a broad-brimmed hat casting a shadow over his cerulean skin. Not enough to conceal him up close, but more than enough to help blend into a crowd and make his approach unnoticed.

As Lena scowled, Ender flicked his eyes toward Gates with a sinister smile.

"Kelgar, haven't you been a naughty boy," he tutted. "You're meant to stay indoors and out of sight. Wouldn't want a little doppelganger posing as your old ally to come and pump you for information."

Gates' eyes flashed with a series of emotions, first with surprise, then embarrassment, before finally raging in the breadth of a heartbeat. Meanwhile, Lena's mind was racing as fast as her processors would allow, scanning the environment in a frantic attempt to assess.

Ender had got the drop on her, close enough to hit if she tried anything. The Silver Guardians were moving, but she had no doubt that Ender planned to intercept them. And if she let Gates get away, then one way or another, they were never seeing him again.

Which meant she needed to act. Now.

"Did I forget to mention, Kelgar?" said Lena. "I'm batting for the other team now."

Her first struck out, but Ender was ready, arms snapping up to block the flashing blow. Three steps ahead, Lena had seen that coming. So worried about her hands, Ender hadn't been watching her feet. Her foot snapped beneath the chair, kicking up to smash it into the monster-maker and send him stumbling. Growling with growing fury, Ender scowled as Lena raised her arms in readiness.

It was a rock and a hard place; the more time she spent on Ender, the better opportunity Gates had to run. But turning her back on her enemy wasn't an option either.

Where the hell were those reinforcements?

Lena's thought was answered by a boom nearby, flames pillaring into the air as people nearby screamed and dived for cover.

"What?" Ender asked. "Did you think you were the only one to bring friends?"

A series of hands snatched out and grabbed her from out of nowhere. Using the chaos of the surging crowd, the Cyberdrones that had been lying in wait had rushed Lena while attention was drawn. The metal hands clamped down hard, and Lena writhed in their grip to glare at her chuckling enemy.

"It looks like we were just too many steps ahead," he said.

"Fat chance, otherwise, I'd never have had a chance to sit down," Lena replied. "And also, then maybe you'd have seen this coming."

The Cyberdrones had her, but their grip wasn't great and just loose enough for what Lena needed. Her right arm snapped up, reefing free of the hold as she snatched the captor and yanked. With the heavy weight on her side, Lena twisted free of the other before kicking the pair into a collision. The other Cyberdrones clambered to grab her, but Lena was already moving. There was someone she wasn't done with.

"Ray? Hilary?" she hissed into the come. "Any time now!"

"We're working on it!"

With the chaos as his cover, Gates had turned to flee. But he hadn't got far, and if there was any trait Lena had retained from her former life, it was persistence. As hard as she could, Lena bounded upward, skidding across the table as the Cyberdrones swiped the empty air behind her. Hitting the ground and hitting her stride, Lena launched forward to skid in front of him.

"Leaving me the cheque?" she asked. "So rude."

"I've got someone else picking up the tab," Gates replied. "And you've earned their attention."

Lena saw Ender coming just in time, diving aside as the cane cracked the ground beside her.

"YOU!" he barked at Gates. "Why are you still here? But as for you, Mileena, why don't you hang around? Keep me company while I take down the scenery?"

"I should have listened when they said this place was a tourist trap," Lena decided. Enough was enough; if backup was held at bay, then she needed any edge she could get. Before Ender could close the window, Lena's morpher flashed to her wrist, and she slammed the activator as fast as she could. "Server Force! Login Access!"

It was as if the power itself propelled her forward, flushing through her body in a blazing flash of white as Lena lunged toward her target. The suit conformed to her body in an instant, the helm concealing her beneath the light blue visor as she made past Ender to get to Gates. She reached him, but not in time. Ender was already on the attack.

The sharp edge thrust toward her, forcing Lena back as Howard Gates scrambled in desperate flee. In a flash, the Security Saber was in Lena's hands and striking back. The weapons collided as each struck in again and again in a deadly duel, locked in ferocious combat with only purpose. To keep Lena tied up while Ender made his escape with Gates.

Only that didn't seem to be Ender's plan at all. As Gate staggered back, Ender twirled to his side, flourishing a strange device in his hand.

"Why are we still here?" Gates demanded. "Use your teleporter and get us out of here!"

"Little under-resourced on that front, I'm afraid," Ender replied. And then he looked at Lena with a sick and sinister grin. "But seeing as reunions are in the air; I did bring something to level the odds!"

Lena realized what it was. But it was far too late to stop it. Gates realized it, too.

"No, no, no, no, NO! Wait!"

But Ender paid no heed as he activated the device and hurled it. Gates vanished in a blazing flash, disappearing beneath a swirling maelstrom of energy. It grew outwards, emanating with raw power as Gates screamed from within. And then, just as quickly, the energy vanished, and the man who'd been standing there was gone.

In his place was a monster, and one that Lena was bitterly familiar with. Gate's wiry frame had been replaced with a portly shape, shielded with cream and green scales that stretched across his body. His hands and feet had been transformed into talons, his face a draconian snout with razor teeth. His blazing red hair burst out from behind his neck to brush the spiked turtle shell on his back to complete the monstrous defenses. And with bulging, red eyes, he stared back at Lena with a fresh, burning hatred.

"Looks like they're pulling me back in," Kelgar cackled before turning to Ender. "Didn't miss the scales, but this power is incredible!"

"Just wanted a chance to meet the greats," Ender replied. And then, the duo of monster makers turned with sinister synchronicity toward the lone Ranger standing against them.

"Now," Kelgar chuckled. "How about we continue catching up?"

She should have been ready for it, but Lena was too dumbfounded by what was unfolding to brace for what was to come. Still the faster of the two, Ender reached her first, fully on the offense as his cane plunged toward her. Thinking fast, Lena swatted it back, deflecting the incoming blow as Ender took the opening to kick her. It was barely more than a shove, a forceful boot to the chest, to send her stumbling. But wounding wasn't the aim of Ender's game. He was just giving Kelgar time to catch up.

Kelgar was never the fastest or the strongest; what he lacked in ability, he made up for with cunning and wit. But his punches still packed. With Lena distracted by Ender, the reptilian man barreled into her, slicing a claw across her suit with the force of a speeding truck. It made Ender's kick feel like a gentle tap, and the blow sent Lena flying with a burst of sparks. As the White Ranger tumbled along the ground, Kelgar was cackling merrily beside his newfound ally.

"That felt great!" he laughed. "I've been wanting to do that for decades!"

"There's plenty more where that came from," Ender replied. "Would you like to do the honors?"

"Oh, I really would."

The two turned again as Lena staggered to her feet, stepping back defensively with her sword raised and ready.

"Okay, guys!" Lena pleaded into the com. "If you want to make a dramatic entry, now would be great!"

"Nearly there!"

Another explosion sounded down the block, peppered with screeches of laser fire from the ensuing battle between the Rangers, the Guardians, and Ender's forces. Then she saw them, rising from the smoke, suited warriors of Gold and Silver soaring high before plummeting down. With graceful somersaults, Ray and Hilary arrived on the scene, Mainframe Defenders fully primed and as they faced down their former enemy.

"Hey there, Kelgar," Ray chuckled.

"It's been a while," Hilary added. "Man, there's a face I'd have happily never seen again."

"Rangers!" the reptile snarled. "Believe me, the feeling's mutual!'

It wasn't the full cavalry, but it was the big guns that Lena needed. Free of distraction, she threw Ender off before lunging in a ferocious follow-up, now determined to keep him occupied while Ray and Hilary detained the target.

"I don't think so!"

With the swing of his cane, Ender sent a streak of energy searing into the ground, unleashing a blast of sparks and concussive force. It wasn't enough to send her flying, but it was enough to throw Lena off, flinching back on instinct as Ender took the opening to dive.

Just as he did, the air filled with the sound of screeching tires, and a large white van came careening around the corner. It rocked to a stop right before Kelgar, unloading more Cyberdrones as the monstrous program ran straight for the vehicle.

Ray and Hilary were already moving, but Ender was quick to take their path.

"Sorry! Looks like we've got a bus to catch!"

The blast of energy unfurled from the cane, booming as it detonated at the Gold and Silver Rangers' feet to send them flying. From there, it was all down to the Cyberdrones. The henchmen were on them in seconds, swarming all around them to clog any room to move. They did the same to Lena, and while their weapons cleaved through the robot bodies, none of the three Rangers were fast enough.

"So long, Rangers!" Kelgar waved from the back. "See you again, never!"

Ender leaped into the cab as the door rolled shut, and the van took off at high speed. Moments later, it had vanished down around the block, well and truly in the clear as the Ranger dismantled the last of the intervening drones.

With a frustrated hiss, Lena could only stare down the empty road where Kelgar had fled.

They'd been so close! And now he was in the wind.

By the time Zeke stepped into the lab, his mood was still sullen and defeated. Following his conversation with Wayland, he'd spent a good hour wandering aimlessly without a clue of what to do. He knew what Abbey would be telling him, that Wayland's schemes were wrong and Zeke should be doing everything he could to expose him.

But it was easy for her to say. Abbey was going to college no matter what. But while Zeke's options weren't bad, they wouldn't open the kind of doors that his internship was offering. Wayland knew people, people he could introduce to Zeke. And even if Zeke didn't get crushed beneath the entrepreneur's mountain of lawyers, he could easily have his name dragged through the mud before his career even started.

But could Zeke really begin his career in software and robotics by supporting such unethical practices? Was that really what he needed to do to get ahead? Undercut the competition and sell secrets to the highest bidder? For the last few years, he'd looked up to Wayland, admiring the way he'd persevered as a little startup against the big corporate brands. He'd been a hero, an object of idolization. And now, whenever Zeke thought of the man's name, all he felt was the bitter sting of disappointment.

And no one around him could even begin to understand.

But Zeke had to start somewhere, so maybe it was the team's central source of hard truths and pragmatic wisdom. But as he wandered the lab and called out Hilary, there was no reply. Moments later, Jess appeared from behind a server, hanging up the phone as she looked with perplexed bewilderment.

"Hey, Zeke. What're you doing down here? Isn't this your big internship day?"

"I was kinda looking for Hilary, is she around?" and then Zeke kicked himself, suddenly remembering the obvious fact that he'd completely forgotten in his gloom. "Right! Her trip out of town! I guess that means Ray's out, too, huh?"

"Afraid so," Jessica said. For a moment, the two stood there in awkward silence, with neither really knowing how to proceed. Then, just as Zeke was about to excuse himself and continue his aimless wallowing, Jess broke the quiet. "I guess… is there anything that I can help with?"

Zeke wasn't how to respond, or if he even should. Ray and Hilary's wisdom was tried and true. Sure, it wasn't always what he wanted to hear, but it had never steered him wrong. But Jess wasn't the same, most of their conversations as teammates were over the coms, and she was usually too busy running Hilary's professional life to have time to spend with the Rangers.

But at the same time, there wasn't exactly anyone lining up to offer sage advice. Jess was clearly just as hesitant, but Zeke supposed that hearing her out couldn't hurt. And so, after taking a seat and a deep breath, Zeke unloaded everything that had happened that afternoon. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

Jess just sat there nodding with uncertain sympathy, her expression slowly falling further and further as Zeke gave the details. When he was finally done, they returned to the silence, with neither entirely sure where to proceed.

"Is it always like this?" Zeke asked. "Scolex, Brockman, now Wayland too? Is there any successful person out there who isn't just a colossal jerk? Is there no other way to get ahead without pushing other people down?"

"I know it certainly feels that way," Jess admitted. Then she saw Zeke's face after her response and backpedaled hurriedly. "But it doesn't have to be! I mean, look at Hilary. She's one of the most of the most moral people I know."

"She's running a public museum that's struggling for funding while an evil billionaire tries to abuse her life's work," Zeke said cynically. "She's amazing, but she's not exactly the poster girl for ethical fame and fortune."

"You think that's all there is to it?" Jess asked. "You think it doesn't count unless a bunch of strangers are adoring you from a distance? Like nothing you do matters if it doesn't let you live a life of luxury?"

Zeke's mouth opened to respond, but no words came to him, any justifiable answer vanishing like a blown candle as he realized that he had no real response. He wanted to think that it wasn't true, but had he thought that? Was he measuring his idea of success purely based on how others measured it?

Seeing his confusion, Jess pressed him further. "Did you know that I got offered a job by Scolex? It was months ago, and in hindsight, he was definitely using me to get to Hilary. But even though I didn't know all that I know now, I still turned it down. Do you know why?"

Zeke shook his head.

"Because I want what I do to matter," said Jess. "Because this museum? It means something to the people of Lakeview; it enriches our city in ways that a fancy skyscraper simply can't. A corporation looks nice, sure, but a museum brings substance, it grants knowledge and lets people grow. I could've taken the fancy corporate job, and I won't pretend that I wouldn't have loved the bigger pay packet. But I'd have just been filing papers and organizing lunch meetings that would have done nothing but make rich people more money. I wanted a job I could be proud of and to be a part of something that makes the world a better place for everyone, not just me. And I had no idea at the time just how true that was going to be. You think Hilary's here because she has to be? She could be making bank over in Silicon Valley, working for Google or Meta or some other giant corporation. But she came to Lakeview because she cares about people. Because she saw a need and wanted to help. Is it glamorous? No. But her impact is felt far beyond these walls and will leave a legacy that goes far beyond her name. The people who only do things if it's got their face attached to it? They're only in it for themselves. They only want the world to be a better place if they still get to be the ones on top."

Zeke didn't even know what to say, staring dumbfounded as Jessica so firmly stood her ground and made her impassioned plea in her boss's defense. When she'd first come down to the lab, she'd been nervous, jumpy, and timid. Hilary's steely resolve had certainly rubbed off in the last few months.

But for all Jess' fire and newfound determination, Zeke remained unconvinced. He didn't know if it was because he thought that Jess was wrong or if he just wanted her to be. But no matter how righteous their mission operator was, it did nothing to dull the sting of the bitter opportunity.

"There's really no way to do both?" he asked sadly. "Live your dream and help the world."

"I'm sure there is," Jess comforted. "You're just talking to the wrong girl about finding it, sorry."

Not the words Zeke wanted to hear, but the truth nonetheless.

"I just wish there was a way I could at least help Isocorp Designs," he said sadly. "It's not their fault that they overpaid for an exclusive that was getting sold from underneath them."

"What did you just say?" In an instant, Jess' entire demeanor changed, snapping from soft and comforting to a cautious concern.

"The company that Wayland's ripping off, I just wish-."

"Yeah, I got that part," Jess cut in. "Which company did you say it was?"

"Isocorp Designs, why?"

Jess no longer seemed to be listening, hurriedly returning to the giant wall of monitors as her nails began frantically clicking on the keys. Moments later, a list of companies appeared, and a quick search pulled the exact name from the list.

"I knew it sounded familiar," said Jess. "This is a list that Hilary and I made months ago. It's one of the shell companies used to buy out half of Lakeview."

"But that means it's owned by Cyberdyne," Zeke realized. And the penny dropped, and his widened as he slowly looked at Jess' matching expression.

"Wayland isn't just stealing from anyone," said Jess. "He's stealing from Davian Scolex."