Episode 3: Going Viral
It was dinner time at the Holling household. While Jason had already discovered their secret, they decided to keep the Holling name since it was easier than going through all the paperwork again, and it gave Jake some sense of protection.
The Rangers, new and old, didn't mind the name. This house was full of life and a place where Rangers could reunite, apart from the cave by the beach. It felt good and normal. In fact, it was there that Noah was able to talk to the other Rangers about something that was bothering him.
"You say it's heavy?" asked Billy.
"Not for Jake, but for the rest of us, it's too heavy," said Noah. "Jake says I could take a look at it and see if I can make it lighter, just in case we're in a situation where we have to share our weapons. He doesn't want to throw his axe to one of us if we can't lift it and use it."
"I see… not even Troy can lift it?" asked Billy, examining the weapon.
"He can move it, but he can't lift it. Neither can Gia or Emma," said Noah. "We can use each other's weapons, but not Jake's."
Billy nodded thoughtfully, running a hand over the weapon. It felt heavy, and he was sure it wouldn't be easy to change, but luckily for them, more Rangers were coming. With more heads together, he and Noah might find a way to make it happen.
In the living room, Jake introduced his family to the other Rangers with a big smile on his face. It felt so good to finally make Noah and Gia part of his life, and it even felt good to let Emma and Troy in.
"This is Zack Taylor, the original Black Ranger," said Jake, pointing at Zack. Then he pointed to the other Rangers. "Rocky DeSantos, the second Red Ranger and first Blue Zeo Ranger; Tanya, the second Yellow Ranger, Zeo Yellow Ranger, and first Yellow Turbo Ranger; and TJ Johnson, the Red Turbo Ranger and Blue Space Ranger."
Then, Jake pointed at Adam, who smiled at the Rangers gently.
"And you know Professor Adam Park, the second Black Ranger, Green Zeo Ranger, and first Green Turbo Ranger."
"So you took the mantle from his mom?" asked Gia.
"Yes, Trini believed in me enough to give me her powers," said Tanya, smiling gently. "And looking at you, I know why she trusted you."
"I've heard this before, but I don't quite understand yet," said Gia.
"You will understand, Gia. All you need to know is that you have a usual trait of the Yellow Ranger," said Tanya, taking Gia's hand in hers. "We don't always show our feelings, but they are there, and they are valid. Never forget that."
Gia nodded, not realizing how much she needed this talk. Tanya chuckled and proceeded to take Gia away to have a private Yellow Ranger talk, while TJ and Adam were talking to Troy, the serious Red Megaforce Ranger.
"You need to calm down," said TJ, pulling Troy out of his thoughts.
"Sorry, it's just hard to disconnect from what's happening in the city when you're a Ranger," said Troy. "Jake said you were a Ranger from Space, right? Do you know who is behind the attacks?"
"Andros, the Red Space Ranger, is investigating the situation with Zhane, the Silver Space Ranger," said TJ. "They will contact us if they find out more about the aliens trying to invade our planet. But for now, you need to relax and enjoy these moments of peace."
"How can I do that?" asked Troy. "Being a Red Ranger is… hard."
"I know," said TJ. "But we are surrounded by our teams, and that's our sanity. Look at Andros, for example. He is working now, but he knows his wife Ashley is waiting for him at home, and he will do everything to get back and be with her and their kids."
"Andros is married?" asked Troy.
"Yes, to Ashley Hammond, the second Yellow Turbo Ranger and the Yellow Space Ranger," said Adam, handing TJ a drink. "And Zhane is married to Karone, Andros' sister. We talked about this before, Troy. Let things happen before you get stressed, okay? You are not alone, and not everything has to fall on your shoulders."
Troy nodded, grabbing a water. The three Rangers continued talking about their lives, allowing Troy to learn that TJ was married to the second Pink Turbo Ranger and Pink Space Ranger, Cassie, and that the second Green Turbo Ranger and Black Space Ranger, Carlos, was traveling the world. Troy also learned that Rocky gave his Blue Turbo Powers to a kid who was now an adult.
Troy was impressed by all the information, but the more they talked, the more he relaxed until he was able to smile and enjoy the time with the other Rangers.
In the kitchen, Jake smiled as he saw his friends talking to the other Rangers as if they had always known them. It made him feel like he had made the best choice for his team. He was lost in his thoughts when he felt a hand on his shoulder and saw his dad, Tommy, and Zack looking at him and offering appetizers.
"So, my dear Jake… what is this thing I heard about you having a crush on a girl?" asked Zack.
"Who told you that?" said Jake, blushing.
"We did," said Tommy. "How was it? Did you confess your feelings?"
Jake looked down, and the other three Rangers looked at each other, their smiles fading a little. Jake didn't want to tell, but it was evident that nothing had happened between Gia and him. Jake wasn't as brave as he appeared to be.
"You didn't tell her, did you?" asked Jason. "We are scared of strong women, no matter how brave we are. They can kick our asses and stop talking to us."
"But you love her, don't you?" asked Tommy, looking at the boy with sympathy.
"Yes, I love her," admitted Jake, looking away.
"Oh…"
Zack walked towards Jake and put a hand on his shoulder, giving him a smile to cheer him up. He knew how hard it was to be in love, all of them did. But being in love with a teammate when you were already a Ranger… it was ten times harder.
"Love is always complicated, especially Ranger love," said Zack.
"I was in love with her before I became a Ranger, but now it's worse because I spend all my school time and free time with her," said Jake, defeated.
"It is possible to have a relationship if that's what you're worried about," said Tommy, with a smile. "You are not the first Ranger to fall in love with a teammate. Look at me and Kimberly, your parents, now your dad and Kat, Rocky and Tanya, Andros and Ashley, Zhane and Karone, and the list goes on and on…"
"I'm surprised I'm the one married to someone outside the Rangers business," said Zack with a chuckle before he turned to look at Jake. "Look, kid, if you love her, try it."
"Really?" asked Jake. "I mean, I know the Rangers Epic Love, but…"
"Do you love her?" asked Jason, serious.
Jake didn't need a moment to think.
"I do, Dad," said Jake.
"Then get to know her, respect her as your friend, and when the time comes, if she feels the same way, then love her the way you want to," said Tommy.
Jake nodded, seriously. He took these moments to heart and looked towards Gia as she talked with Tanya. Be her friend and let time do the rest… he could do that.
He would do that to try and win the final prize: her heart.
-Megaforce-
In Space
Far from Earth, Andros and Zhane were investigating the ships with the new aliens trying to invade Earth. Andros wasn't exactly happy to have Zhane here, in potential danger, but his wife was quite persistent, and Andros couldn't refuse, even if he wanted to.
They were looking for other planets where these aliens had been before to gauge their power, but so far, there was nothing.
"I don't like this, Zhane… these aliens seem different from anything we have seen before," said Andros, pacing the control room of the ship.
"All we can do is keep trying and stay a step ahead of them," said Zhane, stopping his best friend. "Andros, relax. The kids are good, and they will defend Earth. Besides, they have us."
Andros nodded and walked towards the screen, tapping a few keys when they got another communication. This time, DECA didn't have to ask as Andros gave the command by pressing a key on the computer.
Communication
"I want those Rangers eliminated! Now!" screamed a monster, identified as Admiral Malkor.
"We are sending one of our best monsters, sir. His virus will infect other humans, turning them into loogies," said a second monster. "The Rangers won't be able to fight them, and we will have our victory."
"Do whatever you want but solve this problem! I don't have time for this idiocy!"
End Communication
Andros looked at Zhane, both Rangers knowing what to do. They had to contact Earth and let the new Rangers know before it was too late.
-Megaforce-
Command Center
The next morning, taking advantage of the fact that there was no school, Noah walked into the Command Center to talk to Billy and the other Blue Rangers to see if they could find a solution to Jake's axe.
When he got there, he saw Rocky touching the axe, feeling its weight before lifting the weapon with both hands, surprising the other Rangers. Rocky moved it around, positioning his legs to hold the weight of the weapon.
"How can you do that!?" asked Noah, leaving his bag on the table near his panel. "We tried to lift it, and it didn't move an inch."
"Well, this thing is heavy as hell, and my back is starting to hurt," said Rocky, looking at the axe. "But it's all a matter of balancing the weapon with your body."
"What do you mean?" asked Billy, curious.
"Uh… I know what he means," said TJ, thinking. "Noah, does Jake move the axe back and forth when he's not fighting?"
"Yes."
"I see… He moves it to balance the weight with his body. Being this heavy, he needs to keep moving it so it doesn't fall from his hands," said TJ. "Rocky, how is it feeling?"
"Heavy," said Rocky, looking at TJ. "I have to use the strength in my legs to keep it steady, but I admit it gets better if I move it around."
"So it's all a matter of movement," said Noah as an idea came to his mind. "The wind he creates by moving the axe is what makes him able to hold it?"
"I see… now I understand," said Billy.
The Blue Rangers turned to see Jake walking into the cave. Noah quickly looked at the axe, and Jake understood, knowing Noah wanted to test his theory. He smiled at Rocky as he handed Jake the axe, and then Jake looked back at Noah.
"So, what's the plan?" asked Jake.
"I want to see if our theory is right. The wind is able to maintain the axe balanced, that's why you move it from one hand to the other," said Noah.
"Yes, when it gets heavy with one hand, I use the other," said Jake.
"Then maybe we can find something lighter to make it better," said Billy, with a smile. "I'm talking to a few friends, but until I have the material, you will have to train with the original one."
"Yeah, I know," said Jake.
Jake walked with his axe towards the training room where he started a simulation, taking off his jacket and grabbing the axe again while Noah watched and used the microphone to speak to him. Jake didn't seem to have a problem, kicking virtual loogies back and forth with the axe, and Noah was surprised.
"How do you know how much wind you need to create with your body to hold the axe?" asked Noah. "And the way you rotate your body…"
"It was you, Noah. You taught me this," said Jake. "Last year, our final science project. We had to replicate the amount of wind an athlete needs to generate to throw heavy equipment. You used me as your model and spent hours whispering to yourself about your results based on me."
"You were paying attention?" asked Noah, surprised.
"I always pay attention to what you say," said Jake as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
Noah smiled, sitting down as he continued to watch his friend train. Jake really paid attention to his thoughts and ideas without judging him or thinking he was a freak.
He was truly his best friend.
"Come on, stop fooling around and join me!" said Jake, looking over his shoulder.
Noah chuckled, and summoning his weapon, ran towards the virtual training room. The other Rangers watched as Jake and Noah teamed up to bring down a legion of virtual loogies, together.
-Megaforce-
Plaza
Emma and Gia met Troy after running their errands. The idea was to train a little and spend some time together, bonding over their newfound friendship. But Troy was still troubled by his Dragon's words and what they could mean.
Who was going to fall? When?
Not far from him, a few steps ahead, Emma grabbed her best friend's arm and looked at her with a big smile. Gia did her best to ignore her, but she already knew there was no use. Emma was on a mission.
"So? You didn't tell me anything about your date with Jake," said Emma, as casually as she could.
"Because it wasn't a date," said Gia, looking away to hide her smile. "We went for ice cream. He was nice, and we are friends, that's it."
"Friends? You're telling me Jake Holling took the chance to be with you, alone, and he did nothing to win your heart?" asked Emma, a little disappointed. "Come on, that's not possible."
Gia chuckled and nodded. He was the perfect gentleman, nervous but always making sure she was comfortable. Gia was extremely grateful for him coming to her this way. It made her think that maybe they could develop a friendship, and from there… well, only time would tell what would happen next.
But Gia was sure of something: Jake was a good guy, and for the first time, she was looking at someone who was more than she thought he was.
"He was nice, Emma, but we are being invaded by monsters, and the last thing I need is someone else to worry about, especially not a teammate," said Gia, looking at Emma. "I worry a lot about you already. I don't need extra stress."
"But it's not a 'no'?" asked Emma, hopefully.
"It's a maybe, with time and after this is over," said Gia, throwing a look at Emma. "Why are you so interested in my love life all of a sudden?"
"I'm always interested, but Jake is… cute and he is nice," said Emma, smiling sincerely. "I know he will be good for you, as a friend or as something else."
Gia was about to say something when she saw something strange from the corner of her eye. She stopped, making Emma stop and Troy raise his head towards the civilians. The civilians were sneezing, and every time one did, they turned into loogies, passing the virus to other people, who transformed as well.
It was like a virus, but this time, it was turning civilians into the enemy.
Troy quickly grabbed his morpher as Emma and Gia grabbed theirs, ready to get into action. The Rangers contacted Gosei and the rest of their team to regroup and think of a solution quickly…
…before the planet was full of loogies.
"We have a problem… civilians are being infected by something and they are turning into loogies," said Troy. "We need everyone at the Plaza, now!"
"On our way!" said Jake.
Troy ended the communication and looked at the girls, confused, as the civilians ran around the city, transformed into loogies and with no control over their actions.
How were the Rangers supposed to fight what they swore to protect?
-Megaforce-
Bridge
Noah and Jake ran to meet their friends as fast as they could when Noah heard something and stopped, grabbing Jake's arm to make him stop too. They looked around and found loogies attacking civilians in a nearby parking lot. Some civilians sneezed, turning into loogies, and going after the rest.
"This is bad..." said Noah.
"Let's morph. We need to rescue the rest of the civilians," said Jake.
Noah nodded, and both of them transformed into Blue and Black Megaforce Rangers. They ran towards the still-human civilians, with Black jumping in to push some loogies away with his axe while Blue ran towards a car where a little girl was crying.
Blue looked through the window and then gently opened the door, extending a hand towards the girl.
"I want mommy!" cried the girl.
Blue looked over his shoulder and saw Black pushing away a loogie that was the girl's mother. The girl seemed to want to run to her, but Blue couldn't let her do that and gently picked her up, putting her to safety.
Was her father here? Could someone take care of her until this was over?
"Mommy!" the girl cried again.
"Blue! Get her to safety!" screamed Black.
"What about you!?" asked Blue.
"You are her only hope now! She depends on you! Don't fail her!"
Blue looked down at the girl and saw she was terrified. He hugged her, knowing she was scared, and stayed silent for a second. Black was right; he had this little girl in his arms, crying for her mother, and he had to protect her until her mother was back. He had to do it.
He could do it. He was the Blue Megaforce Ranger. Blue looked at the girl and gently touched her face.
"Hey, I'm Megaforce Blue," said Blue. "Are you hurt?"
"No... but my mommy has changed," said the girl, crying. "I want her back."
"I know, and I promise we will get her back, but now you need to tell me if there is someone else who can take care of you until we help your mommy," said Blue as gently as he could.
"You will save my mommy?" asked the girl.
"I promise. My friends and I will save her and the others," said Blue.
The girl nodded and looked around, pointing towards a black car. When Blue brought her there, he saw a man desperately looking for his family. Blue handed the girl to the man, who nodded as the girl grabbed his hand.
"Power Rangers never lie, right?" said the girl, still scared.
"Of course not," said the girl's father, looking at Blue. "Thank you."
Blue nodded, watching them leave the scene a moment later but with a warm feeling in his chest. Then, he turned towards the battle, where he saw Black kicking a monster away from him. But as he did that, Blue realized in horror that the monster took the chance to grab Black by the arm, pull him close, and breathe the toxin close to his helmet.
Blue didn't even know if their helmets would protect them from the virus when he saw Black falling to the ground.
"No!"
Blue ran, only thinking about saving his best friend. He called for his weapon and jumped, firing at the monster while he screamed with rage until the monster ran away like the coward he was. Blue fell beside Black, not daring to touch him as he saw green smoke coming from his helmet.
"Black?" asked Blue.
Blue was terrified when Black didn't answer, but he was alive. Blue could see it in the slow but steady rise and fall of Black's chest.
"Hey..." whispered Black. "Did you get the number of that truck? It hit pretty hard..."
"Don't speak... we will take care of you in a second," said Blue, on the verge of crying.
"It's ok..." said Black. "Call Billy... He may know what this toxin does."
Blue nodded, quickly grabbing his morpher to send a message to Gosei when he saw his friends running towards them. Once they got there, he saw Yellow and Red trying to touch Black, and he stopped them, pointing to the green smoke coming out of his helmet.
"We don't know the consequences of the toxin apart from turning civilians into loogies, but that hasn't happened with Black yet," said Blue. "I don't know the effects on him yet... Black, how are you feeling?"
"Dizzy and warm... it's really warm," whispered Black, coughing.
"Warm?" asked Blue.
"I feel my whole body burning up," whispered Black.
Suddenly, he went still, and a few seconds later, he screamed in pain, thrashing around while Blue forced the rest of the Rangers to stay back and not assist Black. He wanted to help, but he couldn't, not until he knew what to do and how to do it.
He had to be sure. Black's life depended on it.
"We have to do something!" screamed Yellow, behind Blue.
"Red... I was calling Billy, but I have to... I have to make sure Black stays alive," said Blue, his voice tense. "Let him know we can't touch Black, and we need assistance."
"But..."
"Do it, now!" screamed Blue.
Red nodded, worried, and called Billy while Yellow and Pink looked at Blue, knowing his mind was overwhelmed with worry and racing to find a cure for Black. But for Blue, it was hell because he had nothing… no ideas… nada.
"Blue... what happened?" asked Pink, touching his shoulder as gently as she could.
"I saw a little girl and went to save her. I was distracted because I didn't see the monster while I brought the girl to her father, and when I came back, I saw Black fighting the monster... I tried, Pink, but I wasn't fast enough... I wasn't..."
"It's not your fault," said Pink, hugging him. "You can't blame yourself for this, Blue; Black needs you more than ever now."
"You're right..." said Blue, nodding. "We have to save him."
On the ground, next to Black, Yellow looked at him, worried, and gripped the grass to calm the urge to touch her partner when she saw Black move his head towards her.
"Hey, that's a pretty color..." whispered Black.
"See what happens when I'm not around?" asked Yellow, doing her best to keep her voice calm. "But don't worry, Blue is here, and Billy is coming. You'll be back on your feet in time for dinner."
"I'm sure of that... we are in good hands," whispered Black and then started coughing harder.
Yellow was glad to be wearing her helmet so no one could see her worried and frustrated face as tears fell from her eyes. Her tiger wanted her to open up, but this was why she didn't. Because she cared so much and so quickly that now, in a situation like this, she could break.
It was bad enough with Emma, and now with Jake too... it was too much for Yellow.
Yellow raised her head when she saw a car arrive, and Billy, completely covered by a radioactive suit that hid his identity, walked towards them. He knelt beside Black, checked his pulse, touched his forehead, and then looked up at the rest of the Rangers.
"He has a high fever; maybe it was a different toxin, but I wouldn't know until I run a few tests," said Billy, serious. "I need to transport him to the Command Center, but whatever the problem is, you need to defeat the monster."
"We will," said Red, looking down at Black. "I promise you, Black. We will defeat him."
"Counting on you, leader," whispered Black.
"We will be back before you know it," said Yellow. "Don't be a bad patient and do whatever the doctors need you to do, okay?"
"As you wish, my lady," said Black, with a hint of laughter provoked by the authority in her words.
"Don't play around, Black, okay? There are still a lot of things we have to do together, you understand?" said Blue. "You promised."
There was a moment of silence before Black made the big effort to raise his hand and put his thumb up towards his best friend, showing Blue he didn't forget about the promises they made when they were younger.
"Take the axe, brother, and kick his ass with it," whispered Black. "Remember what we talked about before..."
Blue nodded and walked to the side, grabbing the axe, and lifting it, using the wind created by his own body to move it around. They were right; it was easier. He looked back at Black and saw the Ranger had lifted his head just enough to see him.
Blue could almost see Jake smiling behind that helmet, and he nodded as a few tears ran down his eyes.
He was going to defeat that monster and save his best friend, no matter what.
Pink walked closer to Black once the other Rangers stepped away. She was worried too but had faith in them and in Black. Besides, she didn't want to think about the other possibilities. It was too much.
She was starting to feel Black as a good friend.
"Pink?" said Black, almost delirious. "If I don't make it, keep an eye..."
"Don't finish that sentence, Black. You will make it," said Pink, with her voice almost breaking. "I'm just doing your job today, hardhead, but make sure you come back. You are on the right path."
Pink could almost hear Black laugh in delight before losing consciousness, and Billy was finally able to take him away. She reunited with the other Rangers and they ran to find the monster and put an end to this nightmare as soon as possible.
-Megaforce-
Red ran towards the park, seeing the monster infecting more civilians and turning them into loogies. He was furious because that creature had hurt one of his friends, and he wasn't going to let this continue. He was the leader and he was chosen to protect the rest of the team.
His Dragon was roaring in rage, and he could feel himself burning with anger. But the problem was that he was surrounded by loogies, humans turned loogies, and Red was still conscious enough to know he couldn't hurt those loogies.
"We need to keep the loogies away from him," said Red.
"But he is creating more," said Yellow. "We need to defeat him, quickly."
"Those loogies are humans. We can't hurt them," said Pink.
Yellow looked at her friends and, while she knew they were right, her tiger and she wanted nothing more than to push everyone away and defeat the monster so they could save Black in time. Her need to save and protect him was overwhelming. Now she knew what Jake meant with the strength of the tiger.
She saw Blue, silently moving Black's axe from one hand to the other before he looked at them.
"Bring the loogies to quarantine," said Blue, his voice low and dangerous. "I will take that monster down."
"Blue..." started Pink.
"He hurt my best friend," said Blue.
Blue looked at Red. As the leader, it was his choice, but he felt relieved when Red nodded. Red could feel Blue's rage along with the shark, ready to strike. Red knew that when the monster infected Black, it also hurt Blue, turning him into a predator looking for whoever hurt his friend.
"Make sure you use the axe. Black will like that," said Red.
"Red, are you sure?" asked Pink, worried.
"He needs to do this for Black, and we need to bring the loogies to quarantine," said Red, looking at Pink. "You would do this if it were Yellow."
Yellow and Pink looked at each other, knowing he was right. They both nodded, following their leader while Blue faced the monster. He closed his eyes, grasping the axe and letting out a breath, remembering how Black fought with the axe.
I will beat this for you, Jake. I promise.
-Megaforce-
Billy arrived at the Command Center and shouted for Tenshou to help him. The robot, always ready, helped to lay Black in one of the beds and demorphed him, showing Billy and Tenshou the effects of the virus on Jake.
He was pale and had patches of green all over his body. His fever was also getting worse, and he was losing his battle with the virus too quickly.
"Tenshou, we need a scanner," said Billy.
"I am the scanner, step aside," said Tenshou.
Billy moved so Tenshou could raise his head, using his eyes to scan Jake from head to toe. When he finished, he quickly downloaded the scan to Jake's panel and showed the results to Billy.
Billy looked worried. It wasn't as bad as he thought, but still, the toxin had bypassed the suit and ended up in Jake's system, triggering a different reaction from the normal loogie transformation. And there was something else... this infection was different, stronger.
The monster had infected Jake with a different toxin; that's why the reaction was different.
"Billy, the Black Ranger doesn't look good," said Tenshou.
"I know. We need to analyze this and keep an eye on him," said Billy, looking at Jake. "Tenshou, I need you to call Kim and Kat and tell them to come here as quickly as they can. We need to prepare a cold bath to lower Jake's fever, and call Dana Grayson too. We need real help."
"Understood," said Tenshou.
Tenshou left, running as fast as he could while Billy looked down at Jake and sighed. He had already lost Trini, and he wasn't going to lose her son, not in this life.
"Hold on, Jake. We will save you," promised Billy.
-Megaforce-
"What's wrong, Rangers? Not so brave anymore?" taunted the monster, laughing at them.
Blue was furious. He swung Black's axe, sending the monster flying to the ground, but the monster got up again. Blue felt the frustration taking over his body. He looked at Black's axe, wondering if he could really use his friend's weapon to defeat this monster.
"Look at you, using your fallen friend's weapon," taunted the monster. "Poor guy, did you know I hit him with a special toxin? He will be dead before the sun sets on this planet!"
"Shut up!" screamed Blue.
Blue used all his strength to hit the monster one more time with the axe, but the monster blocked his attack, pushing Blue away. Blue stood his ground, using the movement to balance the axe, and hit the monster again, finally hurting him and sending him to the ground.
The other Rangers returned just in time to see Blue bring down the monster and use the axe to support himself. Red put a hand on his shoulder.
"Are you okay?" asked Red.
"Yeah… just give me a moment," said Blue. "This thing is heavy."
"It doesn't matter what you do. Your friend is already gone," said the monster.
Yellow was about to give the monster a piece of her mind when Pink stopped her, shaking her head. She knew what the monster was doing, especially to Yellow and Blue, and she needed to prevent her friends from doing something rash.
"Calm down. He is playing with us," said Pink. "Black is strong, and he will survive."
"Pink is right. We need to focus on defeating him," said Red.
Red summoned his sword, feeling his Dragon's call for revenge. It seemed their spirits shared a deep bond, reflected in the close friendship they had formed as soon as they became Rangers. He looked at Blue and Yellow, their bond with Black stronger, and he could only imagine what the Shark and the Tiger were feeling.
Even the Phoenix, always calm and elegant, was asking for this monster to burn in the depths of hell.
"We have a job as Rangers," said Red. "Let's do it!"
"Yes!" said the Rangers.
"You won't win, Rangers!" screamed the monster.
Yellow and Pink summoned their weapons first, running to the monster and hitting him in the face with such force that the monster fell. Then, Red struck him with his sword, burning with fire. To finish him, Blue fired his weapon at the monster and then used Black's axe to hit him in the chest, making the monster scream in pain. The monster was finally defeated for a moment until he came back, bigger and stronger. He laughed as he looked down at the Rangers.
"Your time is over, Rangers!" screamed the monster.
"What do we do now?" asked Pink, worried. "Black is not here to manage his Zord."
"Yellow can do it," said Blue, looking at Yellow. "She and Black share the same element, and they are both the legs of the Megazord. She can manage them."
Yellow was unsure. She and Jake had a bond, that was certain, but she still didn't know how deep those feelings ran. Managing two Zords required a lot of energy. Still, looking at Black's best friend, she could see the conviction in his body language.
Then she felt something in her mind, her Tiger.
"Snake will grant you permission to manage him, Gia," said Tiger. "We are good partners and have a strong bond."
"Really?" asked Yellow in her mind.
"Be ready, Ranger. I don't have a lot of time," said another voice in her head.
Yellow winced in pain when she felt another presence, heavy and strong in her mind. She wondered how Black was able to manage him. Then she looked towards Blue and nodded, agreeing with him about managing both Zords at the same time.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, calling for the two Zords that came alive at her command, leaving the rest of the team impressed as she managed to control both Zords. Yellow jumped into her Zord, and they saw the Snake moving close to the Tiger.
"Let's go!" said Blue.
The rest of the Rangers jumped into their Zords, ready to fight as they formed the Megazord to defeat this monster once and for all.
-Megaforce-
Dana Grayson was worried, but she remained calm and focused while Jason looked panicked. She knew what to do, and Billy already had a good idea. She watched as Jason and Billy lowered Jake into the bathtub, only in his underwear. The water had to be almost frozen, but she focused when she saw Jake shaking and looked at Tenshou for the results.
She breathed a sigh of relief. Jake's temperature was getting lower.
"We need to keep him there until his temperature goes back to normal," said Dana. "He can suffer a shock if his temperature keeps fluctuating. Do we know what kind of monster did this?"
"No, but we ran a few blood tests, and this is what we found," said Billy, handing Dana the results.
Dana looked at the results and then at Jake.
"When the monster is defeated, those green patches should be gone, but we need to keep him awake and monitor his temperature," said Dana, kneeling beside Jake. "Hey, big boy..."
"Dana?" whispered Jake, shaking while the cold water hit his warm body.
"It's me. I came to help you, okay? But you need to do me a favor and stay awake," said Dana sweetly. "Do you remember what happened?"
"A monster hit me… with his toxin," whispered Jake. "Noah and the others will… defeat him…"
"They will, I'm sure," said Dana, smiling at the boy. Then she got up and looked at Jason. "Stay with him and keep him awake, Jason. I need my bag to get some fluids to help his body fight the fever."
"Dana…" whispered Jason.
"Don't let him fall asleep, Jason, and trust the Rangers. They will win," said Dana, putting a hand on his arm.
Jason nodded. She was right. He had to trust them. He knelt by his son's side and looked at the screen Tenshou provided to watch the fight, knowing they would win, for Jake.
"It's okay, buddy," whispered Jason. "They will make it in time."
"I know, Dad… I know," whispered Jake.
Behind them, Tommy hugged Kimberly close while TJ talked with Andros and Adam on the phone, not far from them. Rocky and Tanya helped Dana bring her equipment, and Billy and Tenshou continued analyzing the results in case they missed something important. But so far, they were sure of one thing.
The Rangers needed to defeat that monster.
-Megaforce-
Plaza
At the Plaza, Yellow was not having a good day. Controlling two Zords was a challenge, and all she could do was keep them standing while the others fought the monster.
Yellow felt frustrated; she couldn't do more.
"Don't feel bad, Ranger. We are not easy to control, especially in these forms," said the Snake in her mind.
"We need to keep focused, or Black's life will fall, and with him, yours too, Snake," said the Tiger.
Yellow pushed the controls harder when the monster hit them to prevent them from falling and keep herself from screaming in frustration when she saw Pink hit the monster and then Red use the sword to push the monster away from them.
That's when she felt it—cold, frozen water in her mind that almost paralyzed her. She had to take a minute to understand that it was only a feeling, but it was horrible. She felt uncomfortable and extremely cold.
"My boy is under frozen water to keep the fever from burning him, Yellow," said Snake. "For his sake, you need to win this. I can feel his trust in you."
Yellow closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. The Snake was right. Jake trusted her… all of them, and they couldn't let him down. He gave them the power, and it was time to show why he thought they were the best for this job.
"You are going down!" screamed Yellow, opening her eyes.
Yellow pushed the controls, kicking the monster first with her Zord and then with Black's Zord to put some distance between them and the monster. She then looked at the rest of her team, happy to finally be able to help.
Blue hit the monster right after, taking a deep breath now that Yellow seemed to have some control of the Zords and turned his focus to the fight. He remembered Black, always supporting him and fighting for him.
He couldn't let him down.
Flashback
"Noah!"
Noah looked around, seeing Jake run towards him while Noah tried to find his glasses that had fallen when a few kids pushed him to the ground. A few kids didn't understand him and made fun of him just because Noah was a little smarter than them.
"Jake?"
"Yeah… you lost your glasses again?" asked Jake, looking confused.
"Yes, a few kids pushed me, but it's okay… I'll find them," said Noah, moving his hands over the ground, trying to find the glasses.
He saw a blurry patch of black leave and come back seconds later. Someone touched his face and put something back. By the time Jake was done, Noah realized Jake had found his glasses and put them back on Noah's face.
"Thanks. I couldn't see without them," said Noah.
"I know. Don't worry. If those kids are who I think they are, I'll give them a lesson next time we are training at the soccer field," said Jake, convinced.
"You don't have to do it, Jake. I don't want to get you in trouble with them," said Noah.
"They attacked you, and that means they attacked me too," said Jake, looking at Noah. "We are family, remember? Brothers protect each other."
Noah looked at Jake, not knowing what to say while he smiled, containing the emotion he felt. Jake laughed, and they both walked towards the field, talking about a new strategy for the upcoming match Jake had that same day.
End Flashback
Blue took a deep breath, trying his best not to cry when something started to glow in his card holder. He saw a new card appear there. He grabbed it and looked at it, confused until Gosei spoke to the Rangers through the morpher.
"Your bond with Black is strong, Blue Ranger," said Gosei. "The Sea Brothers are a representation of that bond. Use their power to defeat the monster and bring justice to your best friend."
Blue nodded, feeling Black's presence behind him, as if he was giving the necessary strength to finish this fight. Blue put the card in the morpher and activated it, looking at the monster.
"Activate, Sea Brothers!" screamed Blue. "Sea Megazord, activate!"
Three new Zords appeared, black and blue, and transformed into the Megazord, giving it more power to defeat the monster. The Manta Zord attached to the Megazord's head for defense, the Hammerhead Zord attached itself to Pink's Zord, allowing Pink to help Yellow control the legs of the Zords, and the Sawshark Zord attached itself to Blue's Zord, giving control to Blue while Red controlled the Megazord's new wings.
"Finish him, Blue!" screamed Red.
"This is for you, Black!" screamed Blue. "Sea Strike!"
The Sea Megazord flew through the air, with Pink and Yellow controlling the stability of the Megazord while Red kept them in the air and Blue prepared the Megazord to strike the monster. The Megazord flew towards the monster, attacking him with one final strike and defeating the toxin monster, putting an end to this nightmare.
The Rangers breathed in relief when the monster finally disappeared. Their morphers activated again.
"Come back to the Command Center, Rangers," said Gosei.
"Jake…" said Red. "Come on, we have to go!"
They broke the formation of the Megazord and, using the Zord, they went back to the Command Center, hoping their friend would be fine.
-Megaforce-
Command Center
The Rangers made it back home in record time, with Troy running a second before the others. He wanted to know first, in case something went wrong. But when he got there, all he saw was a bathtub and ice all over the ground. TJ and Tommy were there too, cleaning the mess.
As soon as they noticed Troy, and then the others, they stopped and looked at each other.
"Tommy… what is all this?" asked Troy, fearing the worst.
"He had a high fever," explained Tommy. "We had to put him into a frozen bathtub to lower the temperature."
"But we took care of the monster," said Emma, looking around. "Where is Jake?"
Emma was grabbing Gia's hand to support her best friend while they waited for an answer. Noah, beside Troy, was paralyzed with fear that they got there too late and Jake didn't survive the toxin. After all, the monster seemed sure the Black Ranger was going to die.
That's when they saw a boy and a woman. She was dressed like a doctor, while the boy was putting on a black muscle shirt. His hair was messy and wet, and Emma chuckled when she saw her best friend look away, blushing.
"Jake!"
Noah ran to his best friend and hugged him, surprising Jake for a moment until the Black Ranger smiled down at his best friend.
"I saw what you did there, Noah. That was awesome!" said Jake.
"You idiot! You almost died!" said Noah. "Don't ever do that again!"
Jake laughed, hugging his best friend one more time. Then, he moved to hug Troy and Emma, both of them happy to have their teammate and friend back. Finally, he stopped in front of Gia. She put her arms around him, and they hugged for a few minutes. No words were needed as all they wanted was to enjoy the warmth of the other.
Then, Gia broke the hug and looked at his smiling face.
"I saw you there controlling two Zords. You were amazing," said Jake, sincerely.
"It had to be done, but next time, I would like my partner there with me," said Gia, giving him a small smile.
"You will have it. I promise," said Jake.
Gia nodded when Jake finally let her go but stood by her side. Then, he looked over his shoulder and turned to grab the hand of the woman who had come into the main room with him. The woman smiled, looking at the new generation of Rangers.
"Please, let me introduce you to Dana Grayson, Pink Lightspeed Rescue Ranger, and our doctor," said Jake. "Aunt Dana, these are my friends and new Rangers. Troy is the Red Ranger. Gia is the Yellow Ranger. Noah is the Blue Ranger. And Emma is the Pink Ranger."
"It's a pleasure to meet you all," said Dana, nodding at the Rangers. "You did an amazing job out there. My husband and my brother are taking care of the evacuation and making sure everyone is back to normal, but they will come back later."
"The pleasure is ours, Dana," said Troy, smiling at her.
"Wait… Lightspeed? I know you…" said Emma.
"Probably. My husband is Carter Grayson, Lightspeed Red Ranger and the Captain of the Fire Department in Mariner Bay. My brother is Ryan Mitchell, Titanium Ranger, and Commander of our Command Center," said Dana. "We don't morph as often as we used to, but we are still active in our jobs. And you know, once a Ranger…"
"… always a Ranger," said Jason, appearing behind them. "Thank you, Dana, for everything."
"No need to thank me. Your stubborn son is also my nephew," said Dana, smiling at Jake and squeezing his shoulder. "But you know, since I'm here and I have to wait for Carter and Ryan, I wouldn't mind if someone showed me around this city. It seems nice when a monster isn't attacking the Plaza."
"It's a wonderful city," said Emma, grabbing Gia's arm in excitement. "Gia and I can show you around and call the other Rangers to have a girl's day out, right?"
"That would be perfect," said Gia, looking at Jake. "And you are paying. That's your punishment for worrying us."
Jake was about to say something, but the girls were already leaving, ignoring his expression. He turned towards the others and found they were gone too, leaving only Noah there, who was laughing at him.
"Help me?" asked Jake.
"Not this time, brother," said Noah. "This time you are on your own."
Noah walked out, laughing as Jake groaned. Noah smiled, breathing the beach air, happy. Jake might never change, but Noah didn't want him to. They were perfect the way they were, and no one could change that, ever.