The lyrics in this chapter belong to Slander's song "Love is Gone". I do not own it, but I sure do LOVE it.

Retribution Part One

Max groaned as he slowly regained consciousness. He was disoriented, unsure of his surroundings, but the blinding light above was unbearable, disrupting his sleep. His head throbbed painfully, and an incessant beeping sound grated on his nerves. As his eyes fluttered open, he realized he was in a hospital.

Attempting to sit up, he found his body too sore to move. Bandages wrapped around his head, and the annoying beeping was coming from the heart monitor he was hooked up to.

Staring at the ceiling, he tried to piece together what had happened.

We...we were fighting. Some...some kind of beetle. Was it a monster? No...it was Marco!

He kept thinking, but whatever injuries he suffered was making recounting his steps way too difficult. But...he kept thinking.

We were fighting Marco, and he was beating us. Energy...Po needed energy, and Maya-

His eyes shot open as the vivid image of the explosion. Maya? Where was Maya?

His heart rate starting to spike, and the monitor began beeping at an alarming rate, catching the attention of a doctor, who darted into the room along with a nurse.

The doctor, a short grey-haired woman, tried to calm Max as the blond nurse spoke up. "I'll call his parents."

The doctor nodded at the nurse. "Good," she then turned over to Max, who was hyperventilating. "Calm down, hon'."

"Where am I?" Max beckoned.

"You're at Saint Joseph hospital, my name is Doctor Connie Westview."

Max looked around, his heartrate still spiking. "Where is Maya? WHERE IS MAYA?!"

Another doctor, a bigger, burly man came in and pushed Max deeper against the bed, holding him in place. "Doctor Jackson, keep him sedated," Doctor Westview asked him.

"He needs two of ativan," Doctor Jackson suggested, but Max shook his head.

"I do not need medicine! I'm fine! I want to know if Maya is okay!" Max pleaded, his eyes growing damp.

"Who is Maya?" Doctor Jackson asked.

"M-My friend! She-" Max was about to explain, but realized he had to do so without revealing anything relating him to the Power Rangers. He wanted to let them know who he was talking about, but didn't want to compromise his secret identity. "She was near the carnage. The whole fight that was taken place between that monster and the Power Rangers."

Doctor Westview raised an eyebrow. "The Power Rangers?" She puzzlingly questioned.

"Haven't you watched the news," Doctor Jackson remarked. "They are the color-coded heroes that have been battling those strange creatures for months!" He smiled, adding, "My daughter talks about them all the time, saying how much she wants to marry the Blue Ranger."

Max tried to ignore what the doctor said as he begged. "Is Maya okay?"

"I do not know, Max..."

Max groaned, before tilting his head questionably. "Wait, how do you know my name?"

"A couple of your friends burst through the entrance door a few days ago. One of them was carrying you in his arms. He begged us and kept screaming 'help him! help him!' Whatever happened, it was clear your friends were dead set on saving you. One of them kept crying in her brother's arms in the lobby until your parents came in. Your mother comforted the girl...Bonnie, I think her name was, until your father ushered her and her brother to leave, driving them home. But the other kid, DJ, kept pacing day in and day out in the lobby and wouldn't leave, even threatening to call his dad and have his lawyers 'deal with us' if security were to try and throw him out."

Yep, that sounds like DJ alright.

Doctor Westview then stepped in. "Speaking of which, he is currently asleep in the lobby."

Doctor Jackson nodded. "Okay, get Maggie to send him in."

"But Wayne, that's not within protocol unless he is immediate family."

"He is," Max said weakly. "He is."

Doctor Westview looked at Max, a smile crept on her face. "I can see that. He seems to care a lot about you."

Max gulped, a few tears falling down his cheeks. "He-He's my brother."

Doctor Westview sighed. "Very well then. Maggie!" She called out for one of her nurses.

A young, dark-skinned woman jumped in. "Yes, Connie?"

"The guy that carried this boy in, wake him up and call him in."

"Right away, ma'am!"

As the nurse left, Max felt a migraine kicked in. Doctor Westview straightened her jacker as she spoke. "We're going to leave you and your friend be while we contact your parents and let them know you're awake, but we do have some detectives who would like to ask you a few questions about the carnage that took place, since you may be a witness."

Max felt his blood run cold at the thought of his identity being exposed. But he then realized there may not have been enough evidence to prove he had anything to do with the battle. Cameras? His Zord crashed through a building. Whatever surveillance might have been wiped out in the chaos.

Then reality struck him. The very fact that Maya may have been killed in that explosion began to fill Max's mind with so much anxiety and grief, but he tried to hold it in.

He closed his eyes, silently praying once again. He was never a religious person. In fact, despite his parents being Roman Catholics, Max often doubted the existed of God, but at that very moment, he started to pray. "God, I am begging you, if you exist, if you are out there...please have Maya be okay. Please..."

Don't go tonight

Stay here one more time

Remind me what it's like

When the nurse walked in with DJ, it all spilled over.

And let's fall in love

One more time

I need you now

By my side

DJ was an absolute mess. There were bags underneath his eyes, and the normal blue tank top he would wear was now tattered, as if it had not been washed for ages.

DJ sniffled as he walked over and pulled Max in a tight embrace. Max felt his eyes fill up with tears. This hug felt different. It wasn't from relief. He knew what those types of hugs from DJ felt like. No...this felt different.

It tears me up

When you turn me down

I'm begging please

Just stick around

Max pulled away from the embrace, looking into DJ's eyes. They were filled with so much pain and sorrow like never before.

I'm sorry

Don't leave me

I want you here with me

I know that

Your love is gone

"DJ..." Max whispered, "please tell me she is okay. Is she..."

DJ just let the tears flow down his cheeks as he shook his head.

Max felt as if the world had suddenly stopped spinning. His breath hitched as he felt as if an invisible blade pierced through his chest. "No...no...no-o-o-o!"

I can't breathe

I'm so weak

I know this isn't easy

For the first time in his life. Max knew exactly what pure grief felt. He hugged DJ tightly as he screamed in pure agony for Maya.

Don't tell me that your love is gone

That your love is gone.

DJ pulled the boy in for a tight hug as Max cried out in his shoulders. The two boys held on tight to one another as they sobbed together for the first time in ages.

I'M SORRY

DON'T LEAVE ME

I WANT YOU HEAR WITH ME

I KNOW THAT YOUR LOVE IS GOONE

I CAN'T BREATHE

I'M SO WEAK

I KNOW THIS ISN'T EASYYYYYYYY

Don't tell that your love is gone.

That your love is gone...

The city was still feeling the aftermath of the destruction from the Power Rangers' recent battle. When the rangers were first starting to become an internet sensation, they were receiving praise at first, with many people formulating conspiracy theories about who these heroes were and where they came from. However, they have been slowly receiving negative backlash from law enforcement, as well as parents who were concerned with the influence the rangers were implementing on their children.

The recent events were the final straw, and now Ellie and her father was watching in angst and horror at the news broadcasting the destruction of Maya's sacrifice.

A female voice narrated the viewing of the destruction. "With the demolishment of several firms and business, as well as the historic Kaplan Street following the fierce battle involving the heroes known as the Power Rangers, many citizens who have previously shown favoritism toward the color-coded vigilantes are now showing disdain as their businesses and lives have been destroyed by the constant destruction caused by the aforementioned heroes. Federal officials are now calling for a complete investigation on rangers, with top law enforcement officers willing to go to the deep end to find out who these guys are and bring them to justice."

Uni watched with vague disapproval at the report, but deep down, he was grieving. He had probably just lot one of his students, and the Rangers were now short of a member. To make matters worse, it would have seemed that Maya's gem was gone for good.

Or so he thought.

Ellie's cell phone pinged. She picked it up, taking a sip of her tea. She nearly choked on it as she had just discovered something.

"Oh my god," she exclaimed, setting her cup down. She leaned forward and zoomed in to see what appeared to be a modulated signal that emerging from where the destruction of the Cheetah Zord, as well as Maya and Marco, took place.

"Dad, look at this!" Ellie called out. Uni stood behind his daughter and took a glance at the computer screen.

"What is this, darling," he asked. He wasn't up to date with the technology his daughter was designing.

"This is a signal coming from Maya's gem, where she last fought Marco before the Cheetah Zord detonated."

Uni gasped. "That could only mean one thing."

"Max is still at the hospital. DJ just sent me a text that he had woken up. The two are currently going through a lot of grief, Dad."

"But if Maya is still out there-"

Ellie turned her chair around and stood up, giving her dad wide and determined eyes "Dad, let me go! I can go save Maya! I still have that jetpack that was completed a while back."

Uni crossed his arms, giving his daughter and scowl. "I do not believe you understand just how dangerous it is to be walking into what is left of a destruction, especially in between a police investigation."

"Fine, you come with me. You probably need the fresh air anyway. Come on, Dad! Maya could still be alive!"

"I highly doubt-"

"Daaad," Ellie put her hands on her hips, giving her father a warning look.

Uni was skeptical, since now that the rangers' hands were tied, especially with losing one of their own, Po could easily use their vulnerability against them, which can start by wiping out their teacher/mentor. However, he was curious of the possibility that Maya could have survived the explosion. After all, she was morphed.

Increasing the urgency of their investigation, if Maya were to have been killed in the destruction, the police might discover her body and identify her as the Yellow Ranger. This discovery could potentially lead them to uncover the identities of the other rangers. The situation was further complicated by the knowledge Max's father possessed—he was aware of his son's secret role as the Red Ranger. Uni hadn't even considered the potential repercussions Bobby Cruz would face if both he and his son were compromised.

He sighed. "Alright, let's go."

"YES!" Ellie cheered, running past her father and through a portal. Uni rolled his eyes and sighed. He would have a hard time keeping up with his daughter.

"Po, we have some news!" Sky cheered as she and Chasm excitedly approached their brother.

Po shifted on his throne as he stared down his sister. "What is it, Sky? I am NOT in the mood at the moment." He said bitterly. Sure, it should have been a celebratory moment for them, as one of the rangers have seemingly been eliminated, but now their plans on overflowing the Earth with enough dark energy to conquer it was put on hold for the time being, which did not please Po in the slightest.

"Brother, it has come to our knowledge that the Yellow Ranger's gem is still active."

Po's eyes widened, rage filling him up. "Which means what?"

Sky gulped. "She may still be alive or..."

"Or..." Po pressed, speaking through his teeth.

"Her spirit is somehow still active, and we may use that to resurrect her as one of us. Thus, not only do we have an extra soldier part of our army, but she just so happens to be a ranger. And that's not the best part."

Po raised an eyebrow.

"The best part is if her good energy undermined the dark energy needed to break open the Earth, then perhaps if she were to fight the rangers,"

"The effect will be reverse," Po finished, grinning. "But we need a body to resurrect her in... summon Tigericia!"

"Yes, brother!' Sky saluted him before she and Chasm bolted off.

"Excellent! Why haven't I thought of this BEFORE! The twins were easily fooled, but it was also pretty simple for the rangers to convert them to their side. All I needed was a little mind work, and some power granting to turn one of the rangers against them, and the best part is...there will be no way for Max and his feeble team to convince poor Maya to come back to their fold."

He laughed, understanding that the day of triumph may soon come. He just needed to be just a bit patient.

To be continued...