CHAPTER 03

One seemingly calm afternoon, when it seemed that A-Squad and the daytime staff could finish their shift without any serious problems to resolve, a gigantic monster with a gelatinous green body appeared in the city's center. Its more than accurate description would be: a disgusting mass of walking snot that advanced through the streets, covering them with its thick, acidic essence.

Despite the unusual and nauseating nature of the situation, combat against the strange creature did not represent a tough challenge. A-Squad mounted its Delta Squad Megazord, and they set off. The biggest mishap was that the Delta Saber got caught and absorbed by the creature's gelatinous body, and right after, it spat out a huge goo that covered almost the entire front of the Megazord and obstructed the Rangers' vision.

In the end, a series of consecutive shots from the Delta Blaster finished the job, causing the creature's body to lose stability and explode like a water balloon; a giant water balloon that poured the same goo all over the street, buildings, vehicles, and any unsuspecting witnesses who had the misfortune of being nearby. And, of course, it covered the Delta Squad Megazord from head to toe as well.

That wasn't pleasant for anyone, especially the engineering team that would be in charge of cleaning up the Megazord.

Back on the platforms of the S.P.D. base, Kat personally supervises the progress of the arduous cleaning they are carrying out. It was a team of more than ten people, scrubbing and washing even the smallest crevice of the enormous robot, to which Kat gave instructions with the help of a megaphone that made her voice resonate throughout the space with force. Everything, and everyone, was by that time covered in water, soap, and the greenish, sticky substance.

Commander Cruger appeared after a little over an hour, and cautiously approached the work area, sensing the tension and haste of everyone present from the moment he set foot on the platform. Among them, of course, was Dr. Manx, who was shouting orders and scoldings alike through her megaphone.

"How's everything going here?" Cruger asked cautiously from behind Kat.

"Perfect," the scientist exclaimed out loud with a very marked sarcasm. "Here we all are, cleaning alien slime off the delicate mechanisms of my Delta Runners. Would you like to grab a sponge and help us out?"

Cruger looked up at the robot, now covered in more soap than slime, but the latter was, of course, still present.

"I appreciate the offer, but I think I'll pass for now," Cruger replied, clearing his throat slightly.

"Smart decision," Kat muttered under her breath. The next instant, she raised her megaphone again and shouted loudly into it. "Don't forget to clean between the joints! If anything gets left behind, it could harm its movement in the long run."

"Do you think that was the intention?" Cruger asked, curious. "Some kind of sabotage?"

"I wouldn't give that much merit to whoever sent that thing. Most likely, they were just stupid, nothing more."

The anger that permeated each of Kat's words made it a little challenging to determine if that was an objective conclusion to the matter, but it was more likely not.

As they watched the technicians work intently, and Kat shouted orders through her megaphone, someone approached them from the side, pushing a heavy cart in front of him, which was currently filled with mechanical parts. It was evident that the combined weight of all of these parts made moving forward a strenuous task for the robust young technician in grey overalls.

"Dr. Manx," he murmured with marked effort in his voice as he pushed the cart. "Where do I put these…? Ah!"

His words were cut short when he stepped onto the dangerous ground in his advance—or, in other words, onto the ground covered in slime and soap. The young technician's two feet slipped on the combination of substances, and he ended up falling face-first into it, splashing in all directions and inevitably staining Kat a little in the process.

"Spare parts..." the guy completed his sentence, raising his stained face, as well as practically his entire body.

"They're fine there for now," Kat whispered raspily, her fingers wiping away some of the goo that had fallen on her face. "Commander, do you remember my assistant, Boom?"

"Of course," Cruger replied, nodding. "I'm glad to see you working so hard, Boom."

The young technician was now trying to stand up, but it was not easy, as his feet kept sliding on the slippery floor. In the end, he was only able to do so by leaning against the spare parts cart and using its weight as an anchor.

"Thank you, sir, boss, sir… Commander." Once standing, he raised his fist and pressed it to his chest to give the usual salute to an officer. The movement, however, caused a little more drool to fall onto Kat's white outfit. Boom's face paled. "Maybe I should wash up a bit…"

"You and everyone," Kat muttered in annoyance, instinctively rubbing her hands against the stains on her outfit but only ending up making them worse.

She had had enough of all that. She raised her megaphone once more to give the last instructions of the night.

"Okay, that's enough for today. I think we've cleared up the hard stuff. Get some rest, and we'll continue this tomorrow at 0600. Come on, get moving."

Kat didn't have to prod the staff much. They immediately put down their sponges and hoses and began filing toward the showers and locker rooms.

"You too, Boom," she told her assistant without needing to use her megaphone since he was practically beside her. "To the showers and to sleep."

"Thank you, Kat," Boom sighed in relief. "I mean, Dr. Manx, Ma'am… Excuse me."

Boom started to hurry off to follow the others, but his first step was enough to remind him of the dangerous ground and force him to proceed more cautiously. Kat and Cruger watched him silently as he walked away, almost absorbed in his rhythmic penguin-like gait.

"Are you retiring to rest too, Dr. Manx?" Cruger asked, curious.

"I was planning on taking a shower and then going to dinner," Kat explained in a tired voice. "Why? Did you need me for something special?"

"Nothing that can't wait until tomorrow," Cruger said immediately. "Rest well, Doctor."

He turned on his feet at that moment, preparing to leave as well.

"Wait, Commander," Kat stopped him immediately. "Let me guess: you wanted to know how my selection of candidates for B-Squad was going, correct?"

Cruger stopped his advance instantly after hearing those words. He stood still with his back to her for a few seconds, then released a small sigh of resignation and turned back to face her.

"Am I that obvious?"

"Let's just say I know what's bothering you right now, Commander," Kat replied with a hint of sarcasm but not quite impertinent. "Old Birdy's putting pressure on you, isn't he?"

"Something like that," Cruger agreed ruefully.

Kat's face softened as she looked at poor Commander Cruger with a hint of pity. She knew all too well the stresses his position brought, without this Galactic Command ploy adding another weight to his shoulders. At least that was a weight they could share; it wasn't a Megazord covered in alien slime and still needing a good cleaning.

"Have you had dinner yet?" Kat asked suddenly, taking the commander somewhat by surprise.

"No, not really," Cruger replied hesitantly. "In fact, I don't even remember if I ate anything today."

"Skipping meals is terrible, don't you know? Wait five minutes while I get ready, and I'll invite you to dinner. And while we eat, we can talk about that subject. Does that sound okay to you?"

"I don't want to bother your evening with more work."

"If you don't do it, I'll do it myself. So don't worry. Five minutes, okay?"

Before Cruger could respond with any further denial, Kat moved quietly toward the platform door, with considerably more grace than Boom. And with seemingly no other option left, Cruger could only stand there and say:

"I'll wait for you here, I suppose."

Already at the door, Kat looked at him for a second over her shoulder with a mischievous smile, and the next, she disappeared behind the automatic door.

Under other circumstances, Kat would have taken her time in the showers, trying to clean off any traces of slime that might have been left on her skin, hair, and elsewhere. But with Commander Cruger waiting for her to go to dinner, she had to make things a little quicker and limit herself to washing her hair as fast as possible and doing the same with the rest of her body. Perhaps after dinner, she would have to take another shower before returning to her dorm, but she would worry about that later.

After her shower, she immediately headed to the female staff locker room to dry herself, put on a clean spare shirt she had in her locker, and brush her damp hair a bit.

That should have been enough. It wasn't like she was going on a date or anything like that... right?

What are you saying, Kat? You haven't been on a date in… 70 years? The scientist thought, reproaching her reflection in the small mirror built into her locker door. In reality, she didn't know for sure if it had been that long; she would have to check her log to be sure, but she wouldn't because it didn't really matter. This was just a business dinner to discuss a work matter precisely and to relieve some of the weight on the commander's shoulders.

There definitely couldn't be anything less like a date.

She violently shook her head, trying to drive away those strange thoughts. She put her brush inside the locker and closed it with some force. Then she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, and prepared to meet the commander again.

The loud sound of a couple of laughs distracted her from her advance.

"Did you see how it exploded?" a woman's laughing voice exclaimed loudly. "It was the most disgusting thing I've seen in a long time. Don't you think so?"

The laughter and voices came from the other row of lockers. From where she was standing, Kat couldn't see them, but she recognized the person who had said it anyway: it was the voice of Kioko Mikado, the Pink Ranger of A-Squad.

Kat took a few more steps towards the door, inevitably passing close to where the voices came from. She took a quick look and quickly caught a glimpse of Officer Mikado, apparently fresh from the showers, as her straight hair was completely wet, and a white towel was wrapped around her body. She was in front of her open locker, looking at herself in the mirror as she brushed her hair.

She wasn't alone, as Kat also recognized Officer Grayson, the Red Ranger of A-Squad, at her side. Her hair was also loose and wet, but she was already dressed and was currently buttoning a black shirt, a civilian outfit, which could mean she was on her way out.

"Who creates a monster like that?" Kioko muttered mockingly. "Did they really think that a snot paste would match us?"

"They must have been some stupid fool," Charlie replied. "Just like their creature."

"How long do you think it will take to clean that thing off the streets?"

"I don't know," the Red Ranger stated eloquently, slamming her locker door shut. "I just know that I won't be the one to clean it up, and that's all that matters to me."

Her comment was echoed by a loud laugh from her teammate.

Kat's opinion wasn't too far from what they were saying, and she didn't hide it too much throughout the grueling cleanup process. However, she certainly didn't like the tone the two Rangers used to address the incident.

But right or wrong, they had once again saved the city from an (unpleasant) danger, so she couldn't blame them for behaving a little out of place.

But who was she kidding? No one could ever blame them for anything…

The polite thing might have been to say hello, congratulate the two for their excellent work, and wish them good night. But Kat didn't feel like doing any of those things and instead continued straight to the door.

She was already a few meters from the door when, unfortunately, a loud bang made her stop and turn back to where she had come from.

While Kat wasn't looking, and Charlie and Kioko were still talking, a blonde, braided cadet in a black uniform hurriedly ran from the end of the lockers, heading for the door. In her haste, she didn't notice a wet towel lying on the floor, which her right foot ended up stepping on, making her stumble to the side. Despite her attempts to keep her balance, she fell squarely into Charlie, pushing her forward and practically crashing her into her own locker. And that was the exact crash that Kat heard.

"You idiot!" Charlie exclaimed, furious, standing up and immediately pushing the cadet with both hands. The push was so strong that the girl's thin body was thrown backward until her back collided with the lockers on the opposite side. "Can't you watch where you're going? Huh?" the Red Ranger snapped loudly in a defiant tone.

The young cadet was stunned by the sudden stumble and that strong push. Still, she tried to get back up as quickly as she could, especially when she noticed who the person she had unfortunately bumped into was.

"I'm sorry, ma'am," the cadet stammered, clearly very, very nervous. "I was… I was…"

"You were what?" Charlie cut in, exasperated. "Were you trying to take me down, perhaps? Attack me by surprise?"

"What?" the cadet said out loud, almost horrified by the insinuation. "No, of course not."

Kat stood still in her spot, one foot practically on the way out. But as things seemed to be heating up, she decided to retrace her steps and approach to see exactly what was happening.

"But look at her; she's so tiny and skinny," Mikado commented mockingly, standing next to Charlie and resting an arm on her partner's shoulder. "I don't think she's so naive as to seriously want to mess with the incredible Red Ranger of the S.P.D., do I?"

"No, no, I swear I didn't," the cadet insisted in a low, trembling voice. "It was an accident. I'm really sorry."

"What did you say?" Charlie exclaimed, leaning forward slightly. "Speak louder."

"I'm really sorry!" the cadet blurted out in a loud voice, but immediately backed away, embarrassed. "Ma'am..."

Charlie and Mikado let out a mocking, disdainful laugh in unison, causing the young cadet to shrink further into herself, ashamed.

Kat peeked out from the side of the hallway at that moment, subtly hidden behind the lockers. She hesitated a bit whether to intervene since, technically speaking, she had no authority to reprimand the officers, much less the A-Squad Powers Rangers. And nothing serious seemed to have happened… yet.

"Look at you," Charlie said disdainfully. "You're a wobbly, cowardly bag. And you want to be an S.P.D. officer like that?"

She waited a few seconds, hoping for a response that never came.

"Huh?!" Charlie insisted in a more aggressive tone.

"Yes, ma'am," the cadet replied reflexively. "Or, well, I mean…"

"Come on, try it."

"What?"

"Finish what you started," Officer Grayson ordered, standing up straight, chest high, arms outstretched to the sides. "Come on, attack me. Try to take me down."

The cadet's eyes widened, filled with fear and confusion. How had things gotten to this point?

"No, ma'am, I don't want to..."

"Are you disobeying an order from your superior officer?" Mikado rebuked her sternly. "That's insubordination, Cadet."

That only increased the confusion on the cadet's face. What should she do? Obey the order of a Power Ranger to attack her? What was the correct response to that?

Her seconds of hesitation only made the Red Ranger even angrier.

"What's wrong, you whiny coward?" she snapped, approaching her with a defiant gait. "You think I want people like that on my team? Go on, try to take me down with your best shot. Go on!"

When she was close enough, Charlie pushed her again, making her back bounce against the lockers. The blow sounded harder than the last, and the confusion on the cadet's face was seasoned with a hint of anger.

Without a moment's hesitation, the cadet lunged forward with the clear intention of pushing her back. Her intent, however, was little more than that. Charlie anticipated her attack from the start and, with a quick movement, dodged the cadet without the slightest problem. But not only that, because following the same movement, she grabbed the cadet's right wrist tightly, positioned herself behind her, and gave her a strong lock that made the cadet bend her body forward. Charlie held her arm back with both hands in a clearly uncomfortable and painful position for her owner.

"That's all?" Charlie mocked, letting out a small, mocking laugh that Mikado seconded. "That's the best you've got, cadet?"

She applied a little more force at that point, causing the cadet to let out a sharp moan of suffering.

"Please, it hurts," the cadet begged tearfully.

"Does it hurt?" Charlie asked in mock astonishment. "I'm not even using half my strength. Seriously, with that weak body, how do you expect to even graduate from the Academy? Maybe I should just break your arm right now and save you the grief and wasted time."

The cadet's entire face filled with horror upon hearing that. Charlie, for her part, laughed in amusement at her own comment, but this time not even Mikado joined in; in fact, the mocking smile on the Pink Ranger's lips faded a little.

"No, please," the cadet begged, close to tears.

"I think she understood already, Charlie," Mikado said in a calmer voice, but the Red Ranger didn't seem to hear her. Her attention was focused on the cadet she was holding and how she was sobbing like a child.

But Charlie was just playing, wasn't she? She just wanted to scare a cadet a little, like a harmless hazing. She wouldn't really hurt her… right?

Kat wasn't about to just watch and wait to find out.

She immediately stepped towards them, clearing her throat loudly to make her presence known. Charlie, Mikado, and the cadet all turned to look at her simultaneously, each with different emotions reflected on their faces at Dr. Manx's sudden presence.

"Is everything okay here?" the scientist asked in a harsh voice, crossing her arms.

"Dr. Manx, good evening," Charlie greeted her care freely. She let go of the cadet's arm at that moment, and she fell straight to her knees on the floor, as if she had only been able to remain standing because Charlie was holding her. "Yeah, it's all right. I just owe this newbie a little lesson about locker room etiquette. But I think she gets it, right?"

The cadet quickly rubbed her eyes and nose with her trembling hands. She stood up again as soon as she could, trying to adopt a firm and secure position, which was obviously not easy for her.

"Yes, ma'am," she muttered timidly, drawing air through her nose. "Thank you."

"Come on, get out of here," Charlie instructed, nodding toward the exit.

The cadet didn't need to be told twice and immediately left with a hurried step and her head down. She didn't even dare to look at Kat as she passed by.

Charlie, meanwhile, seemed relatively relaxed as she straightened her shirt, which had moved a little in the hustle and bustle. She quickly grabbed her gym bag and slung it over her shoulder.

"I'm getting ahead of myself, Kioko," she informed her companion, who responded with a slight nod. Charlie then advanced with a carefree step towards the exit as well. "What a day, don't you think, Dr. Manx?" she commented cheerfully as she passed Kat. She glanced at Charlie from the corner of her eye but remained silent. "Have a good rest."

As he walked away, Charlie began to hum a happy song, though her voice was hushed once she crossed the door.

"May I help you with something, Dr. Manx?" Kioko asked curiously, drawing Kat's attention. The Pink Ranger was holding her towel in one hand, looking at her, waiting to see if she had anything she wanted to say.

The reality was no. What could she say to the mighty A-Squad, Earth's greatest heroes and protectors? Nothing; certainly nothing. Right or wrong, when you were one of the S.P.D.'s best squads, in the words of Commander Birdy himself, you earned certain privileges.

Especially if your uniform was red.

"See you tomorrow, Ranger," Kat murmured in a low, somewhat cold voice. And without further ado, she turned on her feet and left as well.

Author's Notes:

—Similar to Charlie in the previous chapter, you may have noticed that in this chapter, I took the liberty of giving a name to the Pink Ranger of A-Squad, since officially her, and the rest of the members of that squad, never had one assigned during the series. This is something that will also be done with the others. The same case will occur with their personalities, which we never really see much. In this story, I will try to delve a little deeper into these unseen aspects of these characters, characterizing them as I imagine they could have been in reality: not very good, good, but not entirely bad either. And I will also try to capture what could have motivated them to make the decision they ended up making. We will see more about it in later chapters.