Retribution Part Five
In the heart of the battlefield, tension crackled like electricity in the air. This was it—the final showdown between friends turned foes. Ellie, now imbued with the formidable powers of the yellow ranger, stood at the forefront. Her mind, a well-oiled machine of genius and strategy, whirred into action as she devised a plan to free Maya from her monstrous form.
With the blue ranger on her left, and the red ranger to her right, Ellie took lead. "Max?"
"Yes?"
"On three, you charge! DJ, stay put until my signal."
DJ tilted his head, looking at the new yellow ranger. "Ellie..."
"I said 'stay put until my signal!'" Ellie reiterated with emphasis in her voice.
DJ was shaken by Ellie's tone before nodding in compliance. "Got it!"
"Max, on one..."
Max readied himself, gripping his blade with both hands.
"Two…three!" With a swift motion, Ellie propelled Max forward. "Go, go, go!"
Without hesitation, Max surged ahead at Ellie's command, charging directly toward Maya.
The tigress monster growled, writhing with rage as the red ranger swung his blade, but was met with a large paw strike across the chest. Maya was quick, repeatedly striking Max across multiple directions, and blasting him away with energy beams emerging from her eyes.
Max was tossed away, and his body skidded across the ground over toward DJ and Ellie, stopping in front of them.
"Max!" DJ called out, bending over to aid to him.
"Okay, DJ! You're up!"
"But-"
"Trust me, Deej! Just go!" Ellie screamed.
DJ nodded, standing up and pulling out the Shark Ax. He stood up, gazing at Maya with fury in his eyes. He charged at her, willing to take her down, even if it would have been the last thing he would EVER want to do. He knew it had to be done.
"You know, this was just starting to get a little boring, if you'd ask me. Perhaps we should crank this up a notch, volume-wise," Maya declared before letting out the ear-piercing screech yet again.
DJ grunted, his head starting to spin as he stopped in his tracks. The sonic soundwaves from the scream were too much for him too bear, but he was trying. Trying so hard to fight through.
"Now you are toast!" Maya said before speeding toward DJ and tossing him aside like a rag doll, sending him toward a stone pillar.
But then Maya was in for a surprise. Up ahead, she watched as Ellie was now geared with what appeared to look like a new weapon. A big one, to say the least. It was LARGE, in the shape of bow gun, but much more advanced than what Maya's weapon was, and much bulkier, with a white trin along its fiery background.
"Say hello to my blade blaster," Ellie introduced, before pulling out her blade from behind and inserting it along the fixed tube barrel. The barrel was then filled with high-pressure air as the gun cocked.
"You are going down!" Maya spat out, her furious voice was wavering, but she kept her eyes locked on Ellie. "I do not care what toy you have!"
"You really should. After all, remember the other weapons? The blades? The guns? The ZORDS? That was me! Remember? This weapon didn't even take that much effort to build, but it sure does pack quite a punch!"
"I'll bet on that!" Maya roared before charging forward.
Ellie engaged her newfound powers with the gun, aiming the blade directly toward Maya's heart.
"Blade blaster, charging!
Her blade that was attached to the bow began to charge up.
"SEISMIC MEGA BLAST!" Ellie pulled the trigger, and the blade blaster roared to life, sending a powerful seismic blast straight at Maya. The energy wave hit Maya square in the chest, causing her to stagger back, her monstrous form flickering as if struggling to maintain its shape.
Maya let out a guttural scream, her body convulsing as the energy from the blast surged through her. The monstrous features began to dissolve, revealing the human form beneath. Ellie watched intently, her heart pounding in her chest. "Come on, Maya, fight it!" she whispered.
The blue and red rangers stood ready, prepared to assist if needed. DJ, despite his injuries, managed to get back on his feet, his eyes fixed on the scene unfolding before him.
Maya's monstrous form continued to disintegrate; the dark energy that had consumed her being purged by the power of the blade blaster. Finally, with one last scream, the monstrous form shattered completely, dissolving like a sheet of paper that have been left at a fireplace.
Maya's human form emerged from the dissipating darkness, her eyes wide with confusion and fear. She stumbled forward, her legs weak from the transformation. Max ushed to her side, catching her just before she collapsed.
"Maya, it's okay. You're free now," Max said softly, holding her friend close.
Maya, despite being delirious from having just felt the darkness sucked out of her, looking up at the red ranger with half-lidded eyes. "Max," she whispered, her voice weak.
"I'm here" Max reassured her, brushing a strand of hair from Maya's face. "We're just glad to have you back." He repeated, tears of joy, relief, and weariness dripping down his cheeks. He couldn't believe he almost lost her. But alas, she was okay.
Ellie and DJ joined them, their expressions a mix of relief and concern. "Is she going to be alright?" DJ asked, his voice laced with worry.
"I don't know, but we need to get her to the hospital," Max said.
DJ nodded, stepping forward to help support Maya. "Let's get out of here before anything else happens."
As they made their way back to their base, Maya leaned Max, her energy completely drained, and her overall health battered. The battle had been won, but the scars it left behind would take time to heal. For now, they were just grateful to have their friend back, free from the darkness that had once consumed her.
Or perhaps Maya had not been completely liberated.
"Plan, after plan, after plan," Po recounted, staring off into the dark exterior of his lair.
Sky and Chasm stood behind their brother.
"You know, I am just about to give up," Po said, giggling sarcastically, "perhaps I should retire. Take a trip to the Bahamas after skewer both of your heads with my baton."
Sky cleared her throat. "Brother...this isn't the end."
Po twirled around, giving his sister a death stare that almost send Chasm running off, screaming Bloody Mary.
"Oh really? How so? Please, enlighten me, Mileva Maric, dear bride of Albert Einstein. Enlighten me. How are we going to break the Earth in two?"
"Simple, we just wait."
Chasm looked at his sister and mouthed 'are you stupid' to her.
"Wait," Po snarled. "Do you want me to end you right now, sister?"
"Do you sincerely believe that a strike to the chest would liberate Maya from her tigress personality?"
"And..."
Sky giggled. "Maya would burn both her human energy, plus the energy from her monstrous side, and soon enough, the combined energies would overload Earth's border with our world, and it will crack open like an egg."
Po stared at Sky contently before groaning and collapsing on his throne.
"We need to get to her and destroy her and those pathetic rangers."
"If we were to send a few more monsters, it may ante up our chances. The more power burned, the better."
Back at the hospital, the parents were instructed to remain in the lobby by the police, who had arrived shortly after learning about Max's sudden disappearance and Maya's alarming transformation.
Adana paced the room, her tension palpable as she shot daggers at Mary and Bobby with every turn. Nearby, Monroe sat stiffly, his hands clasped tightly as he muttered silent prayers to keep his temper in check when confronting his son.
"How did we get here? How did it come to this?" Adana mumbled, her voice growing louder with each repetition. "Ever since those kids started attending that strange school, these... things keep happening. Now my daughter... my niña..." She choked on the words, refusing to finish the thought.
"Adana, maybe you should sit down," Monroe interjected. "A cup of coffee might help you calm down."
"Coffee? COFFEE?!" Adana whirled on him, her eyes blazing. Monroe flinched slightly, despite his imposing frame. "You think coffee is the answer? My daughter is lying in that hospital, and my son barely escaped, and you want me to calm down?!"
"Adana—" Bobby began, stepping forward, but she cut him off.
"She turned into a monster! Do you even understand what that means? How will she ever be normal again? How will she face the world?" Adana's voice cracked, her anguish spilling out unchecked.
The tension in the room was interrupted by a nurse calling out, "We've got incoming!"
The adults turned to see Max and DJ entering, Maya limp in their arms. Her face was pale, her breathing shallow. A doctor rushed to meet them, flanked by nurses.
"She needs help!" Max shouted.
The doctor wasted no time. "Get her to Treatment Six!" He took Maya from the boys and placed her onto a gurney as the team wheeled her away.
Adana lunged forward, but a nurse blocked her path. "What's happening to my baby?"
"Ma'am, we need to stabilize her first," said a stern older man, stepping into the room. "I'm David Olsen, the hospital administrator. We'll do everything we can, but given the unusual nature of her condition, she may need to be kept under observation."
"Observation?!" Adana turned on him, her voice rising. "That is my daughter! I won't let you treat her like some lab experiment!"
"We'll do no such thing," Olsen replied sharply. "But until we understand what caused her transformation, we need to ensure everyone's safety, including hers. Now, please, let the medical team do their work."
Adana froze, torn between fear and fury, as Maya was wheeled out of sight.
Turning abruptly, she fixed her gaze on Max. "You left my house in a panic to find my daughter. You knew something was wrong. How?"
Max hesitated, his throat dry. "I-I just..."
"Don't lie to me, Maxwell!" Adana's voice was a blade, cutting through his attempt at composure. "What do you know about what happened to her? Why did she... change?"
"Adana, that's enough!" Mary stepped in, shielding her son. "You don't get to take your anger out on Max!"
Adana sidestepped her, pointing a trembling finger at Max. "Answer me! What happened to my daughter?!"
Max took a deep breath, scrambling for words that wouldn't reveal the truth. "When DJ and I found her... the Power Rangers were already there. They... they fought whatever did this to her. By the time we got to her, she was... back to herself, mostly."
Adana narrowed her eyes. "The Power Rangers? You expect me to believe they just happened to show up?"
Max nodded quickly. "They've been protecting the city from these attacks. They must have sensed something was wrong and got to her first."
Adana's suspicion lingered, but before she could press further, Monroe intervened, grabbing DJ by the shoulders and pinning him with a glare. "And you? What were you thinking, running off like that?"
"Dad, we just wanted to make sure Maya was okay," DJ stammered. "I didn't think—"
"You didn't think at all!" Monroe snapped. "You could've been hurt—or worse!"
"I couldn't just sit here while my friends were in danger!" DJ shot back, his voice rising with defiance.
Monroe released him with a frustrated huff but softened slightly, his concern evident beneath his anger.
Adana turned back to Max, her eyes searching his face. "If the Power Rangers saved her... why couldn't they stop her transformation?"
Max faltered. "I don't know. Maybe whatever caused it was too strong, but they handled it before we even got there. Maya's safe now, and that's what matters."
Adana studied him for a moment, her expression torn between doubt and gratitude. Finally, she let out a shaky sigh and pulled Max into an unexpected hug. "Thank you for bringing her back."
Max blinked in surprise but returned the embrace, relief washing over him.
Monroe shook his head and muttered to DJ, "You and your friends better stay out of trouble from now on."
DJ exchanged a nervous glance with Max, both boys silently praying they could keep their secret a little while longer.
The two sat with the others in the lobby, Ellie sitting next to DJ.
Monroe raised an eyebrow at her. "And who are you?"
"Ellie. I'm just a new friend. You remember me from Max's party, right?"
Monroe widened his eyes in delight. "Ah...you're DJ's new friend, I see," he said, playfully nudging DJ int he shoulders with his elbow.
DJ glared at his father. "Do not start, Dad," he warned.
As the hospital staff whisked Maya's Gatch bed into the trauma room, the buzz of hurried voices filled the air. The charge nurse's words lingered in the background—Detective Parker and a squad of officers would be coming soon to question her, once she was stable. But Maya hardly paid attention. Her mind was a storm of emotions, yet amidst the chaos, a single thought surfaced with startling clarity.
Her father. A cheater. The truth she had just uncovered hit like a wrecking ball, leaving her desperate to confront her mother, to unravel the lies. But that wasn't all. As she lay there, surrounded by the sterile hum of the hospital, a deeper realization settled into her heart.
She loved her friends—every single one of them. They were her family in ways that blood could never be. But what was happening to her, to her mind, to her body… it was too much. Too heavy. Too dangerous. Maya saw a new path for herself as she thought back to Ellie's quiet strength at the base and how she found ways to help without donning a suit or charging into battle.
A path where she didn't have to fight monsters or risk everything to make a difference.
The truth burned in her chest, both liberating and terrifying. She didn't want to be a Ranger anymore.
She was done.
To be continued...