With all her might, Erika rammed the keycard through the slot, inputting it into the Morpher as all her teammates did the same.
"SERVER FORCE! LOGIN ACCESS!"
The devices burned with blazing light, brighter than ever before, as seven columns of color consumed them. With the gateway opened, the Morphing Grid enveloped them, crashing into them like tidal waves of overwhelming force for their bodies to absorb. And each of them took everything they could. The red spectrum flushed through Erika's body, searing with frightening resolve as it reenergized and empowered her. Wrapped within the bindings of her suit, the energy was overwhelming, brimming with maximum potential as the helm encased her head and the visor encased her vision. And then, as the blinding flare of energy subsided, the Power Rangers Server Force lunged into the air, ready to take their enemy down for good.
"Deploying Zords!"
Jess was well ahead of them, already inputting commands as the mighty machines roared to life. Bursting from their digital storage, the vehicles surged out onto the streets, the four on the ground leading the charge as the fliers guarded overhead. The Rangers hit the cockpits and didn't waste a second, strapping in and flipping switches as they prepared for the coming battle.
"Alright, guys, we've only got one shot," Erika warned. "We've got to hit him hard and make every edge count!"
"You guys get the three together!" Miguel suggested. "We'll keep the big guy busy!"
"RIGHT!"
With a cheer of unity, four Zords rocketed forward, the ShadowCycle and Lightspeed Racer taking the lead as they ripped toward their foe. Too consumed with his grand creation, Xaviax paid no heed to anything around him as he busily poured power into the tear. His mistake. With a roar from the engine, the ShadowCycle rammed into their enemy's shins, earning a gasp from Xaviax as the power dissipated from his hands.
"Standing in the middle of the road?" Miguel chuckled as he skidded away. "Gotta pay attention!"
Hissing furiously, Xaviax whipped around to glare at the Zord, dwarfing above as his eyes frantically scanned to track the vehicle. A vehicle that was far from his only problem. With his focus in front, he was blind to all other directions as Lena rammed the accelerator and yanked the wheel. The blades shot out from the hubs, spinning sharply as Lena drifted into a screeching skid and sliced at the giant's ankles. Howling, Xaviax spun around again, seething as he tried to keep track of both Zords.
"Don't forget to look both ways!" Lena giggled.
"Insects!" Xaviax roared. "Your interference is nothing but a nuisance!"
But all his focus on the road kept his eyes off the skies, giving the two soaring fliers the perfect opening to strike.
"Did you order a package?" Ray inquired. "Because I've got a payload with your name on it!"
Forced to abandon his focus on the ground Zords, Xaviax looked up as the Alpha Flier swept past and dropped a rain of gold energy, showering their nemesis with energy that flared against his armor.
"Ground control, this is Silver Flier, Omega," Hilary announced. "Permission to flag the tower?"
"Permission enthusiastically granted!" Jess replied.
Smirking, Hilary gripped the controls and rammed them forward, shooting the Silver Flier into a meteoric descent as Xaviax whipped around and saw her. It was a game of chicken, a bet that Hilary would pull up before Xaviax tried to swat her. Only Hilary had no intention of playing fair. Shooting downwards, she waited until the last possible second before reefing the controls to swoop. Thrusters flaring, the flier barely avoided a crash, skimming Xaviax's demonic face before giving him a face full of flare. Furious and staggered, the demonic giant swatted at the flier, missing entirely as he stumbled from abandoned balance.
It was the perfect opening, and the others were determined to take it. With a determined cheer, the ShadowCycle and Lightspeed Racer raced forward, each of them skidding to sweep the legs as they crossed paths beneath the monster and kept moving. And as Xaviax howled from the strikes at his ankles, Ray steered the flier for another run and dropped a fresh torrent of energy on Xaviax's chest. Their enemy howled as sparks flared all over his body, sting after sting that scorched his armor and fueled his raging annoyance.
"Enough!" he roared. "You cannot stop the inevitable! I will not be denied!"
"Wow," Miguel chuckled. "Talk about a case of road rage!"
"And while we're on the topic of poor form," Hilary added. "Building in a commercial district, Xaviax? Pretty sure you need a permit."
With a primal scream, Xaviax reached out his arms, building power as he swept around with inhuman force. The Zords didn't even touch him; he didn't need them to. As his mighty arms whipped around, the shockwaves rippled through the air, slamming into the comparatively tiny Zords to send them reeling off course. Hit on the ground, both cycle and racer flipped, slamming back onto the road as both controlling Rangers steered frantically to regain control. Up in the skies, however, the overexposed fliers spiraled into the distance, tumbling in uncontrolled flight.
But while the smaller Zords were dealt a blow, they'd also done their job. The other three were good to go.
The Streetcar, Dump Truck, and Jet plane had steered into position while the other four engaged Xaviax, moving into perfect formation as they merged. Zeke's truck took the lead, moving out front before falling back to allow Erika's streetcar to dock. The panels hissed open, clamps unfurling as the red car locked in place and Zeke engaged the breaks. Tries screeching, the combined machine lurched forward, shooting upright as it continued to unfold. The legs split apart; arms unfurled from the chest as a head flipped up into position. And then, with the core of the mighty warrior formed, the jet plane descended, breaking apart as it locked to reinforce the chest and slide to helm the head. With the three Zords connected, the piloting Rangers met in the cockpit, and the systems lights flared as they readied to engage.
"Cyber Security Megazord!" They declared. "ONLINE!"
Taking a mighty step forward, the Megazord entered the ring, announcing its presence as Xaviax turned to stare them down. Even with the Zords combined, they barely reached up to Xaviax's hip, their monstrous enemy casting a looming shadow as he dwarfed them. But the Rangers had no time to be intimidated. They had a job to do; they needed to buy time for the others.
"Great work, guys!" Erika told the others. "Hang back if you can, keep it to potshots when it's safe, and wait for Jess' call."
The response over the comms was unanimous, with four voices agreeing loud and clear. "ON IT!"
Hopefully, it wouldn't be for long, but for now, the trio were on their own.
"Hey, Xaviax!" Erika called out. Having handled the smaller Zords, the demonic figure turned to face them properly, sneering as he realized that his annoyances were far from over.
"We've got some feedback on your company's business ventures!" Abbey taunted.
"Along with some concerns about your disappearing building!" Zeke added.
"Consider it reinvestment," Xaviax sneered. "Every business needs to modernize."
He lunged toward them, surging to overpower them with their overwhelming mass. But the Rangers knew all too well that with great size came slower speed, and the Cyber Security Megazord was the perfect swiftness. As the monster charged, the Rangers steered from his path, summoning the mighty sword and slashing at the weakened guard. It carved at Xaviax's side, spurting sparks from the scorch as the monster skidded to a stop and turned around.
"Too slow!" Erika laughed.
"Man, he's got to stop stuffing himself on the Digitizer," Zeke commented.
"I mean, not to fat shame," Abbey decided. "But I kind of agree. You should really take better care of your health."
"And soon you'll learn," Xaviax warned darkly, "continuing your crusade is dangerous for yours!"
He surged again, faster this time but with much less refinement, blinded by his fury as he charged with no defense. Erika gripped the controls, waiting and waiting for the last possible second as Abbey and Zeke did the same. When the opening arrived, none hesitated. With perfect synchronicity, the three steered the Megazord from harm, once again swinging the sword to carve across his face. And as Xaviax howled, the Rangers rammed the controls. The Cyber Security lunged and, driven by its momentum, landed a powerful punch against the wound.
Thrown by the pair of blows, Xaviax crashed into the ground, quaking the ground beneath him as colossal plumes of dust burst from the impact. Against any other monster, the three Rangers would have taken their chance to prepare for the final strike. But Xaviax was no ordinary monster, and they knew it was going to take far more than they were throwing at him. And that was before considering the other problem.
"Careful!" Doc warned. "He's a powder keg of Digital Energy!"
"Trust me, I'm all about not destroying the city," Erika replied. "But have you got any idea on how to blow him up without… blowing him up?"
"I'm working on it!"
Great. So Xaviax was still a ticking time bomb, and the Rangers still had to take it slow and steady to stall for time. Of course, that problem could wait for when they were doing real damage instead of landing minor scrapes. As the Rangers readied the Megazord's defenses for another evasion, Xaviax snapped to his feet, cracking the ground beneath as his clawed feet boomed back down. This time, he didn't say another word, he simply lunged.
"Shield!" Erika commanded.
"On it!" said Zeke.
It was just in time. Faster than before, Xaviax vaulted forward, sound booming behind him as he crashed into the Megazord. It was only then that Erika truly comprehended their foe's might; had the dump tray not flipped around in time to take the bulk, they'd have been goners. With all his colossal might, Xaviax slammed into them, bashing back the shield as the arm swung around and clobbered the Megazord across the center. Caught on the clothesline, the legs swept out from the force of the collision, bursting sparks from the leg controls as the Rangers braced from impact. And then, with all his might, Xaviax slammed them into the ground.
He gave them no mercy or room to move, rupturing the road beneath the Megazord as he stomped down on their chest. The straps on their seats were all that held them still as the strength of blow tremored through the machine, violently throwing the Rangers in their chairs as more bursts flared from the controls.
As fast as she could, Erika snapped from the resulting daze, snatching the controls as her teammates did the same. "How're we going? Status report!"
"Core is dented but not ruptured!" Abbey confirmed.
"Shield's still operational, but after a hit like that, I don't know if it'll do any good!" Zeke warned.
A problem that was fast approaching. Pinned beneath Xaviax's heel, the Megazord writhed, slapping its mighty hands against the clawed foot in a desperate attempt to break free. But it was no use; the Megazord didn't have the power to shift a monster of that size. They were trapped.
"Three down," Xaviax said darkly. "Four to go."
He raised his hand, and Erika gripped the controls for a final bid for freedom. It was a long shot, but it could work. All it needed was…
"Special Delivery!"
Ray's voice honed through the coms as the fliers re-engaged, rocketing at maximum speed toward their target. They didn't bother with the guns, soaring instead for Xavaix's face to buzz like flies on honey. The effect was exactly as intended. Snarling in frustration, Xaviax swatted them away, his giant hand clumsily batting them away as both Zords barrel rolled from harm.
But that had been all that Erika needed.
"NOW!"
As the pressure lifted, the port on the leg burst open, shooting the blaster from the storage and into the Megazord's hand. As Erika charged the power, Abbey steered the arm, ramming it up to Xaviax's chest as Zeke pulled the trigger and fired at point-blank range. The light burst from the barrel as the round exploded and scorched the monster's chest. Surprised, Xaviax staggered, just enough for the Cyber Security Megazord to swing around a punch and throw him off.
"That was close," Erika breathed. "Jess, how're we on the other Megazords?"
"I'm so glad you asked," came the eager reply. "Because I have just got the next servers back online. Team, you are go for Megazords Two and Three!"
"THEN LET'S BRING THEM TOGETHER!"
As Xaviax scowled at the defiant Cyber Security, the ShadowCycle and Lightspeed racer shot toward him. Neither slowed in their approach, fully committed to maximum speed as they met and joined together. Both Zords took the air, locking into position as they soared and the limbs unfolded. As the second mechanical warrior formed, it leaned forward, maximizing the momentum as it rocketed into Xaviax with a powerful downward punch. The colossal fist slammed into their enemy's face, bursting with shocking force as their enemy staggered back and snarled.
"Twilight Server Megazord!" the pair declared. "Online!"
"Good timing," Erika said to them through the coms.
"Nothing beats a dynamic entry!" Miguel replied.
"Thought we'd even the odds!" Lena affirmed.
Meanwhile, Abbey was checking the status of the others. "Ray and Hilary are in position!"
"Then let's keep him busy," Zeke decided.
Scowling, Xaviax resumed his full height, once again towering over the twin Megazords as Erika caught Ray and Hilary's position on the radar. It was the perfect vantage, and all they needed was for their target to stay still.
"Alright then," said Erika with a smirking grin. "Rock and sock him!"
With a resounding cheer, the Rangers slammed the controls, and both Megazords thundered forward with tremendous force. While Xaviax was still larger, a second Megazord posed new problems, forcing him to split his attention as the two machines collided. But neither was interested in attacking, each grabbing a limb before Xaviax could strike. Once the arms were in their grip, both Megazords locked their controls and held on.
"Hold on tight!" Miguel advised.
"Because you're in for a ride!" Erika agreed.
"What?" Xaviax hissed as he thrashed against their hold. "Unhand me!"
Even as they held him, they could see from their readouts that their hold was slipping, both cocks pits violently shaking their occupants as Xaviax wrestled to escape their hold. But they didn't need to keep him forever, just long enough for their teammates to engage.
And they were already on their way.
High above, the Gold and Silver fliers dropped into a descent, falling like flaring meteors as they converged. Nearly in freefall, both machines unfurled, clamping together as they shifted into a new and powerful form. And by the time they were near the ground, they'd merged into a mighty humanoid figure, fist raised him. With all the momentum from their landing, Ray and Hilary roared as the falling Megazord slammed in with a powerful downward strike.
"Look out below!" Ray warned cheekily.
Finally finding his footing, Xaviax threw the other two off as the third machine collided, punching him hard in the face with as much force as they could muster. The impact boomed with meteoric force as Xaviax howled and staggered, and as it landed, the Megazord whipped around with its guns primed and ready on its back.
"SigmaDrive Megazord!" Ray and Hilary declared. "SigmaDrive Blasters! Fire!"
The nighttime sky flared with blazing light as the energy erupted from the cannons, unloading everything the two Rangers had into Xaviax's chest. The attack flashed with explosive impact, booming with surging flames as Xaviax howled and staggered back.
"DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME?" Doc scolded into the coms.
"Sorry, Doc, but we've got to do something," Hilary replied.
"Hilary's right," Ray agreed. "Let's worry about that once we start doing some damage."
Gulping down, Erika couldn't help but agree. From her vantage in the Cyber Security, she watched as the giant Xaviax recovered. His breastplate was scorched and dented, but so far, all of their attacks had caused more annoyance than harm. All they were doing was keeping him busy, and they were running out of time.
But Doc was working as fast as he could, and now that the three Megazords were all back online, Erika knew that Jess was helping find a solution. All the Rangers could do was hold on and hope that there was still time left to save.
As the smoke dissipated around him, Xavaix glared at his opponents with new, growing hatred, already preparing to lunge. Taking advantage of the small amount of ground they'd gained, the Rangers steered their machines together. With a new, united front, the three Megazords stood tall and ready to take their enemy on again.
Never before had Jess wished she had more hands, and that was with Doc on the other side of the console running half the calculations. The second a server rebooted, she was immediately booting up another, running as few safety checks as she dared on the damaged hardware to prevent overloads and blowouts. She still hadn't done a proper sweep to survey the damage caused by the blackout, and already she could see the warning lights blinking as they warned of imminent danger. With every spare second, she was putting out fires and could only hope that the Rangers could pull ahead before more started than she could manage.
Behind her, Doc was frantically punching at the keys, staring at his only two working monitors as he ran scan after scan, swearing beneath his breath. Any other time, Jess would have pinched herself. Doc, the Doctor Benson, was working by her side. But Jess' overwhelming feelings of adoration toward her mentor's mentor would have to wait. She still had Megazords to run.
The bulk of the calculations were done, and the core three combos were up and running. Jess could already tell that they wouldn't be enough, not with how easily Xaviax was glancing off even their most powerful attacks. The more the Rangers committed to the assault, the more likely they were to run themselves dry or push more servers into overload. Something had to give, and if they didn't find an advantage soon, it was going to be them.
"Any luck?" Jess asked desperately.
"No," Doc said bitterly. "I've got a ticking time bomb of digital energy throwing hands with giant robots and a giant rift in the sky that could spill another universe into ours at any moment. And any answer that I can come up with needs time and resources that we desperately don't have. Not unless Hilary's programmed some secret Megazord combo for this exact situation."
Jess shook her head. "I can do three different five-part combos; the next server should make that possible. If they can stall long enough, we can also form the Ultrazord if we need it. But none of them were built to deal with… that."
Hissing his acceptance of reality, Doc returned to his calculations. "There's got to be something. It's all digital energy; it's all come from the same place."
And as he said it, Jess had a sudden thought. It was a crazy idea, but first, it required an answer that she really didn't want. "If Xaviax blows, what'll happen?"
"With that much digital buildup?" Doc asked. "Chances are we're going to have a second tear in reality to worry about. One that will probably atomize everything in a fifty-mile radius."
"And what if he exploded on the other side of the rift?"
Doc stopped and snapped straight, slowly turning toward Jess with eyes bulging as he realized what she was saying.
"Then it could be exactly what we need to fix both problems." His fingers began dancing along the keys, faster than Jess had ever thought possible as he raced to run fresh algorithms. "If we can get him to the other side. Don't tell the others yet. We need to be sure, or at least as sure as we can before they try anything."
Nodding as she gulped down her nerves, Jess whipped around and immediately doubled the rebooting servers. Whether the plan was possible or not, one thing was for certain. They were going to need a bigger Megazord.
With a resounding battle cry, the three Rangers steered the Cyber Security to charge. The Twilight Server and SigmaDrive took off behind it, all three mechanical colossal quaking the ground as they advanced. They punched the throttles to the max, urging the Megazords to maximum speed as they engaged their foe.
He was bigger, but they were better, and superior numbers were the best advantage they had. They just had to make it count.
Xaviax was ready for them, already preparing his counter-attack as the trio closed in. But while their enemy was still adjusting to his colossal size, the Ranger had plenty of experience inside their cockpits, not to mention fighting as a team. In that department, their enemy was well and truly beaten. As the Cyber Security closed in ahead, Erika lifted the sword, channeling just enough power for the edge to glow and signpost an attack. Thinking them an easy target, Xaviax roared with sinister laughter as he raised a glowing claw to strike. All too easy.
"Now!"
Having been waiting on command, Zeke yanked the controls, heaving up the mighty shield as Abbey steered the machine into a skid. As the Megazord dropped, the fist rebounded off their safeguard and propelled them even further as Erika twisted the wheel.
"Cyber Power Strike!"
The power surged from the weapon like a flaring sun, burning as Erika carved it across the back of Xaviax's legs. Their demonic nemesis howled in pain, sinking to one knee as the Megazord escaped from beneath it and skidded into a whiplash turn. Then, having hung back in wait for an opening, the other two Megazords crashed in.
Without weapons to aid them, both machines rocked in with their fists, slamming into Xaviax's face as they rocketed past. With its slimmer frame, the Twilight Server made it in first, punching down and swerving before Xaviax could hammer a counterattack. Then, with their foe off balance, it was Ray and Hilary's turn.
"Hey, Xaviax," Ray taunted. "Would you have guessed my favorite movie's Rocky?"
Punctuating, the SigmaDrive struck within with a jab, smashing into Xaviax's face as he was buckled. They wasted no time in following up, punching again and again as their target howled in fury.
"I've got to agree," Hilary chided. "There's just something about it that makes you want to go all the way!"
Another first jabbed in, finally forcing Xaviax to stagger as the two Ranger pilots took their chance and wound back for a haymaker. With all the might the Megazord could muster, the heavy fist shot in, eager to land a decisive blow against the demonic entity.
But the time they'd taken for the stronger punch was all Xaviax needed to regain control. As the metal fist shot in, Xaviax's palm shot up, catching the rocketing punch in his clawed hand. Squeezing tight, the Megazord's metallic hand crunched within his grip, bursting sparks as warning lights began blaring throughout the cockpit. Slowly, he pulled the arm out, stretching it from the joint as the cables and steel began tearing there as well. As the SigmaDrive sunk to its knees, Xaviax rose above it, standing tall to bask in his shadow.
"And I," Xaviax said darkly. "I must break you."
"Hey!"
With a hiss, Xaviax's head whipped around just in time to see Erika, Abbey, and Zeke rushing in with the Cyber Security. With one of his enemies down, Xaviax thought quickly, releasing the SigmaDrive and kicking in a single, fluid motion to slam the first Megazord through a building as he spun to engage the second. But just like before, the trio's attack was a feint.
Rocketing forward, knowing the precious seconds they had for Xaviax to resume his guard was the only advantage they had. And they needed to steal every second. As they closed the gap, the Megazord rushed in a ferocious assault, swinging with the sword in a bid to keep Xaviax on his toes. Even if it only scratched, the weapon was enough to gain Xavaix's attention. And his attention was exactly what they needed.
With every swing, Xaviax stepped back, his colossal size quaking the ground beneath him as he fell back further and further between the buildings. Finally, the speed of the smaller Megazord won out, closing the gap and carving down Xaviax's thigh. The sword flared as it connected, searing down the armored plating as Xaviax howled. But where the blow would normally have outright destroyed one of their enemy's monsters, Xaviax was still standing with a blackened, scorching gorge glowing along his armor. It had hurt him, but far from enough. And now, with their enemy fuming, the Cyber Security was exposed. Erika just had to hope that the others were in position.
"I grow tired of your petulance," Xaviax snarled. "It is time I dealt with as I would any pest. By exterminating."
"SHIELD!" Erika barked hurriedly, more from panic than need.
Zeke was well ahead of her, yanking the level to swing up the dump tray just as Xaviax's fist fell. The strike boomed as it hit the surface, unleashing a shockwave that almost caused the Megazord to buckle. But, with his fury growing, Xaviax was already raising his fist to strike again. This time, as it landed, the Cyber Security sank to its knees, warning lights flaring across the controls as the legs took the impacting damage.
"I'll admit," Xaviax said mockingly. "I will enjoy this. For too long, your mighty machines have foiled my plans. To tear them apart with my own hands will be most satisfying. Any final requests?"
Slumping over the controls, Erika coughed as she lifted herself, barely able to contain her laughter as she replied. "Just one, actually. Say: cheese!"
"What?"
A movement in his peripheral caught his eye, but by the time he saw it, it was too late. Having used the tall buildings as cover, Miguel and Lena had steered the Twilight Server into the perfect position, and now were charging in with full force and fury.
Seeing them coming, Xaviax released his pressure on the Cyber Security, earning an immediate swipe on his arm as he turned. The flaring cut threw his balance, enough for the next punch to miss its mark. The Twilight Server ducked beneath; its hands outstretched with cannon barrels already protruding.
"Twilight Server…" Lena and Miguel called together. "FLASH!"
The energy unleashed at point-blank range, both hands of the Megazord cupped to further concentrate the blast. With no chance of missing and no energy lost in the transfer, the full power of the Megazord burned into Xavaix's chest, boring against his breastplate as it exploded. The blast was enough to send him stumbling, swinging his arms for support as they crashed through the floors of a nearby building.
"Sorry," Lena chuckled. "We forgot to warn you about the flash."
As the rubble crumbled in his wake, both teams of Rangers steered their Megazords onto the offense, determined to follow up while they had the chance. But their chance was small and vanished quickly. Whereas the buildings had created the perfect maze for the Megazords to hide and get the drop, they also narrowed their path for a frontal assault. And now Xaviax was the one with an advantage. Side by side, the Megazords closed in, but while Xaviax had stumbled, he hadn't fallen. And he was ready for them.
The Cyber Security was the first target, the extra reach of its sword making it the priority. As the trio closed the distance and their mighty weapon glowed, Xaviax shot out his foot. Any other monster would never have gotten away with it, but Xaviax's towering size gave him an edge. The giant boot tore up the ground as it bore toward the Megazord, rupturing the road as he slammed through the Megazord's legs. Too committed to break from the assault, the Rangers were yanked back in their harnesses as the Megazord toppled forward into Xaviax's arm. A single, powerful swat sent the Megazord crashing into the adjacent building, shattering the adjoining wall as the lower floors collapsed on top of it.
Now alone, the Twilight Sever didn't stand a chance. With no time to charge the canons again, its first was the only weapon it had. And now they were nowhere near enough. Having cleared the Cyber Security from his path, Xaviax shot up his fist, barreling it into the Twilight Server's chest to send it tumbling. And with his enemy off balance, Xaviax reached out, grabbing the Megazord's head to slam it into his knee. The entire front of the cockpit cracked and buckled as Miguel and Lena were nearly thrown, held only by their seatbelt as the room became a torrential downpour of sparks.
But Xaviax wasn't done. Roaring with primal fury, he lashed and grabbed, one hand on the shoulder and the other at the waist as he heaved the Twilight Sever into the sky. And then, with all the power at his disposal. He began to pull.
"What's happening?" Miguel panicked.
"He's tearing us apart!" Lena realized. "I… I don't think we can hold on!"
"You can't!" Jess realized. "Disengage! Disengage!"
Thinking fast, Lena and Miguel shot to the emergency panels on the console, smashing the glass and pulling the levers as the Megazord became a bursting icon of light. Within the blinding flare, the two Zords uncoupled, back to their original halves as Xaviax roared in triumph and hurled them. Both enormous vehicles soared across the sky, crashing through the rooftops and landing streets away.
By the time Erika, Abbey, and Zeke had steered their Megazord from the burying rubble. It was all over.
"Miguel!" Abbey cried as she watched Zords come apart.
"We're okay," the reply came quickly.
"It was a bit of a rough landing, but we're still going," Lena confirmed.
But it was little comfort. Even if the Zords were still running, they were now a Megazord down, and Ray and Hilary were still heaving the damaged SigmaDrive from the distant rubble. The Cyber Security Megazord now had Xaviax's undived attention.
"Engage defensive Protocols!" Erika ordered.
"Forwarding all power to deflectors!" Abbey confirmed.
"Leg clamps engaging!" Zeke relayed.
"Doc?" Erika asked hurriedly. "How's that big plan coming along?"
"Jess had an idea, and I think she's on to something; hold on!"
Easier said than done, but they had little other choice. Watching them step back in defense, Xaviax towered above them once more and chuckled. Up until now, their attack plan had been pure offense. The backstep was a clear sign, and the monster was reading into it perfectly.
"And now, we see your bravado buckle," he chuckled. "No matter how proudly you declare it, your resolve will never be a match for me!"
Before the Cyber Security could so much as move, Xaviax punched down, a meteoric fist that slammed into their rising shield. Without the need to react to another, their enemy poured all his might into the strike, rippling titanic force through the Megazord's systems as it buckled beneath the weight. Already damaged from the last attack, the leg systems screamed with strobing warnings.
"We can't take a hit like that again!" Zeke warned.
"Well, think of something fast," Erika shot back. "Because I don't think we've got a choice!"
Satisfied with the damage, Xaviax cackled as he wound up the first to swing again. Backed into a corner, the Cyber Security team braced for the strike, uncertain if they would hold again. But they never had to find out. As Xaviax readied his blow, Gold and Silver beams burst along the street, splashing against his armor to pull his attention. Standing at the end of the road with gun barrel smoking, was the damaged SigmaDrive.
"Sorry, we're late," came Ray's voice through the coms.
"Had to deal with a demolition project downtown," said Hilary.
By now, Xaviax was far from amused, snarling as the Megazord appeared in his prevue. And he was done playing games. With one mighty swing, he barreled his arm into the Cyber Security, sweeping it from its feet to smash into another building. As he did, his claw began to glow, and he swept around his other arm to unleash a torrent of purple lightning. Unprepared for the sudden ranged attack, the SigmaDrive dived in an evasive maneuver, avoiding the direct current but caught in the shockwave from the resulting blast. As the SigmaDrive tumbled away in a rolling ball of destruction, Xaviax whipped around with his glowing hand raised and ready.
With his forearm still pressing against them, the Cyber Security Megazord was pinned, pushed up against the crumbling rubble with no room to move.
"All power to arms!" Erika ordered.
"I've already done it! It's not enough!" Zeke realized.
"And at last," Xavaix said snidely. "I will bring about an end to the thorns that have too long been in my side. Goodbye, Power Rangers!"
"Oh no, you don't!"
Miguel's voice had barely sounded through the coms when two more blasts split the sky, black and white, hammering Xaviax from both sides as he hissed with incensing fury. From either side, the Shadow-Cycle and Lightspeed Racer were roaring toward them at maximum speed. Without loosening his hold on the Cyber Security, he fired another blast of lightning, flaring it into the road in hopes of hitting the incoming Zords. But the small vehicles were far too nimble, easily swerving to evade without losing speed as the blast boomed behind them.
"Heads up!" Lena told them. "We're tagging back in!"
Before Xaviax could stop them, both Zords hit the air, leaping toward the Cyber Security as the Megazord glowed. As they impacted, they unfolded, molding around the existing Zords as the giant mecha embraced them into its form. Bursting with light, it grew in size, swelling from the new additions as it surged with freshly granted power. As the light faded, the machine had changed, integrating the extra Zords as two more Rangers sat inside the cockpit.
"Cyber Crash Megazord!" the five declared. "Online!"
Seething with fury, Xaviax heaved back his fist in a desperate attempt to land the blow. But the Rangers were already ahead of him, and the cannons were already unfurled from the shoulders.
"Crypto-Shred Hyper Cannon!" they roared. "FIRE!"
Having held the Megazords at arm's length, Xaviax was at the perfect distance, the barrels pressed up against his chest as the Rangers unloaded with everything they had. The energy erupted with a titanic boom, unleashing a torrential blast of light that consumed Xaviax's entire upper half. Caught in the center of the current, the demonic figure howled in agony as he released his grip and staggered backward. With every step, he flailed against the flowing beam, battering it back as it seared against his armor, and the Rangers steered the Cyber-Crash forward. At last, the tanks ran empty, the energy fading from the barrels as the last of it slammed into Xaviax and detonated with a fiery blast.
"Did we get him?" Zeke asked hopefully.
Erika knew better than to answer, gripping the controls in anticipation of what was left. They'd given it everything they had, and she already knew it wasn't enough. But it turned out that it was still harder than they thought, and that was actually much, much worse.
As the smoke dissipated, Xaviax was still standing, buckling forward as he recovered from the blast. No longer simply blackened and scorched, chucks of his armor were missing, with the remaining gouges running deep beneath the plating. But instead of the monster's body, all they saw was glowing light, the sizzling digital energy that maintained his shape. And on the edges, it was starting to wisp out.
Erika didn't need an explanation, although she was about to get one. Xaviax was leaking.
"Oops."
"What did you do?" Doc demanded. "The sensors are off the charts, that much digital energy is far too dangerous, and he's already unstable!"
Erika could only look sheepishly at the others in the cockpit before replying. "We hit him really hard."
"Doc?" Hilary sounded through the coms. "Just how bad is it?"
"That brilliant strategy just ruptured all the digital energy he was containing! He was already nearing critical, and now he's about to blow!"
Okay. So, not great, then.
In front of them, Xaviax was seething, staggering forward with one arm hanging limp. But as he glared at the larger Megazord, he slowly turned, eyes lighting with renewed excitement as he stared down the road at the museum.
"All this time, I've been trying to destroy these machines," he realized. "When I should have been trying to destroy the source."
"Guys?" Lena asked nervously asked. "You've got the firewall up, right?"
"Literally, all our servers are dedicated to running the Zords!" Jess replied. "We haven't got time!"
Great. Bad guy about to blow, no way of hitting him harder, and Zords about to go down. They needed a plan ASAP.
"Doc?" Erika asked into the coms. "You said you had an idea? Now would be a great time to share!"
"Get him in the air!"
"Ray, Hilary!" said Jess. "The last server just came online! Join the others, now!"
"ON IT!"
Nearby, the SigmaDrive began moving, its damaged state struggling through the rubble as it picked up speed and thundered toward the others. But the Cyber-Crash couldn't wait.
"We'll do it on the move!" Erika decided as she grabbed the controls and bellow into the mic at their opponent. "Hey! We're not done here yet!"
Roaring in agreement, the five Rangers rammed the throttles as the thrusters flared and the Cyber-Crash lunged forward. They didn't even wait for Xaviax to turn around as the Megazord leaped forward, arms outstretched to grab ahold and tackle him into the road, tearing the asphalt as the colossal beings crashed down. Having grabbed the Xaviax by the waist, the Rangers steered to shift, but Xaviax was already moving. His elbow shot up, ramming into the Megazord's head and rupturing the cockpit's windshield. The whole Megazord fell backward, violently shaking the Rangers in their seats as Xaviax whipped around and slammed them. Then, with superior positioning, he climbed on top.
"If this will be your end, then so be it!"
With a mighty roar, Xaviax lifted his arms, fists glowing as he readied to slam them down into the Megazord's chest. Scrambling for emergency action, Erika's hand snapped for the coms. "A little help!"
"Hold on!"
Just as Xaviax readied to strike, bursts of gold and silver light flashed against his face. The villain howled as he swatted away the stings, shifting his balance just enough for the Cyber-Crash to move. Abbey wasted no time at the movement controls, wheeling the button behind the emergency glass and punching it. The whole Megazord moved at once, responding to preprogrammed sequencing as it shoved Xaviax back and brought up the knee. It was all they needed, slamming the villain off as the Megazord returned to its feet, and the Rangers turned their attention to their rescuers.
Having abandoned the sluggish SigmaDrive combination, Ray and Hilary had performed an attacking flyby before steering around to rejoin the others. The lights lit up on the controls, and Erika slammed to confirm, no time for vocal confirmation as the two Zords collided and burst into flaring light. Just as before, the entire Megazord glowed, responding and shifting to accommodate the new additions as all seven Zords combined. Moments later, the sequence had completed, and the new machine stood tall with all Rangers at the helm.
"Mainframe Override Ultrazord!" they called together.
Furious, Xaviax looked at them and seethed, more monstrous than ever with his disintegrating body. All around them, the ruined buildings lay broken and shattered, a sea of rubble and ruptured walls as the two titans faced off.
"Looks like we're getting too big for this place," Erika realized. "Jess, where do we have to drop him off? Bottom of the Pacific Rim?"
"See that big hole in the sky?"
"That's the plan?" Miguel asked. "Send the bomb into the dimensional gap and hope?"
"If, IF, our theory's correct," Doc explained. "Then the exploding digital energy coming from Xaviax should be enough to cause a double rupture, provided it's on the other side of the rift when he blows."
"Sealing the rift!" Zeke realized.
It was Abbey who voiced the other concern. "You said it's a theory. What else could happen?"
The only response was a silence that spoke for itself.
"Then it won't really matter," Hilary replied.
"Timing's tight," Lena noted. "If we can even get him into the rift, we might not be able to escape the blast in time.'
It was a sobering thought, the potential of a one-way trip as their only way of saving the world from oblivion. But the alternative meant a shared fate for everyone, and that was not an option. They could deal with getting back once they'd reached their destination.
"Erika," Ray said to her. "It's your call."
Slowly, the Red Ranger turned around the cockpit, staring at her helmeted teammates, who each gave their consenting nod, one by one. Whatever they did, they would do it together, right until the very end. It wasn't a choice at all.
"Divert all powers to thrusters!" Erika commanded. Then, she gripped the throttle and slammed it forward with all her might.
"RIGHT!"
The Ultra-Zord surged forward, slamming into Xaviax again as the boys engaged the clamps and gripped him tight. Landing briefly, the legs hit the ground as the thrusters repositioned.
"Alright, Xaviax," Erika decided. "Time to show you the world!"
And then they launched into the air with maximum thrust. The propulsors burned with fresh intensity, rocketing the duo into the sky with meteoric force. They gripped the enemy their enemy tightly, locking their arms in place as every pound of the thrust was dedicated to their desperate climb. Up, up, and away towards the glowing wound above the city.
They were climbing, and now all Jess could do was watch in anxious anticipation as the Ultrazord heavied its monstrous foe into the sky. The systems were max capacity, some already under threat of breaking from all the damage they'd sustained. On her end, Jess had done everything she could, disabled any unnecessary system drawing power to channel everything into the flight.
Hope was now all that they had left.
Behind her, Doc was still frantically running calculations, analyzing Xaviax's growing energy output as it burned with the brightness of a star. What he found was far from the news they were hoping for.
"It's too late!" he realized. "Xaviax's energy build-up has already reached a critical state. He's about to blow!"
"He just has to hold out until the Rangers reach the rift!" Jess replied. "Can he not just wait just that little…?"
But as she saw Doc's face, white as a sheet with petrified resignation, she also saw the timer on the screen behind him. And then Jess' heart stopped.
Doc was right; it was too late.
The Rangers weren't going to make it.