"That will do for today," Taylor called out as five simulator cockpits slowly powered down and lowered towards the hangar floor, "better than yesterday but still not quite a hundred percent. We'll pick this up again tomorrow."

"Do we still need to run these drills Major," Stevie grumbled whilst struggling to extract herself from her seat, "we know our Zords inside out."

"Doesn't hurt to be prepared," Taylor replied sternly, "a split second could be the difference between success or failure."

"Or getting' our ass kicked by a giant monster," Harley snorted with laughter.

"I wasn't going to put it quite as crudely but you're right," Taylor replied, "for once," she added with a hint of snark, "but I'll admit this was your best performance yet so you can take the rest of the day off." A series of cheers echoed through the hangar, "Go on, get out of here before I change my mind," the Major offered a small grin to her team.

The rangers stowed their flight helmets into their lockers with Rachel joining Stevie in unzipping her flight suit, "Mind if I dash," the white ranger asked the others whilst tying the arms of her suit around her waist, "I've got a delivery coming at the gym, unless anyone wants to help me unload."

"Pass," Stevie snorted dismissively.

"Doesn't take all of us to pack up the simulators," Mark added, "go on, we've got this covered." Rachel smiled warmly and jogged towards the elevator in the corner of the hangar.

Harley watched her cross the hangar, keeping his eyes on the white ranger as she waiting for the elevator, "Actually I'll go with you," the black ranger called, "must be my turn to help unload by now." He trotted off towards the elevator without waiting for approval from the others.

"Since when has he been so concerned about doing his job at the gym," Ricky grumbled once Harley was out of ear shot.

"You idiot," Stevie slapped him on the arm, "he clearly likes Rachel, he hasn't exactly been subtle."

Ricky glanced in the direction of the elevator, "Harley and Rachel?" he sounded a little bemused, "Nah, you must be mistaken."

"I have a keen sense of these things," Stevie shrugged, "doesn't help me with the ladies," she sighed. "Plus he's got a few million reasons to at least shoot his shot, right?" Mark and Ricky shook their head dismissively, "I mean, he's probably conned other rich people outta their money before."

"If he did that to Rachel, I'd make sure he didn't see the light of day for a very long time," Taylor snuck up behind the remaining Rangers, making them jump. Stevie and Ricky quickly got back to work leaving Mark standing next to the Major, "Keep an eye on them," Taylor said to the red ranger, "last thing this team needs is romantic drama."

"Yes Sir," Mark nodded towards the Major, turning his gaze towards the closing elevator doors.

Rachel entered the elevator and waited for the door to close but just as it did, an arm forced it to open, "Room for one more?" Harley asked as he stepped inside.

The white ranger raised an eyebrow, "Eager to get out of here?" she asked, "dare I ask what you've got planned for the rest of the day?"

Harley grasped his chest, "Are you implying that I have a dodgy deal lined up?" Rachel crossed her arms and glared at the black ranger, "I was going to offer my services at the gym but if you going to be like that."

"That's the third time you've volunteered this week," Rachel replied, "I'm beginning to think you enjoy working for me."

"There's definitely some perks," Harley offered a lopsided grin, one which broadened when he spotted a small blush from the white ranger.

Their moment was ruined when the elevator suddenly lurched to a dead stop. The lights went out briefly, soon replaced by ominous red emergency lighting. The sudden stop threw Rachel off balance only to be caught by Harley before she fell. She looked up, her face barely inches away from his. She lingered in his embrace for several seconds before quickly extracting herself, "Thanks," she mumbled.

"Don't mention it," Harley quickly located the control panel in the gloom. He pushed the emergency call button but got no response, "Everything's dead," he stated.

"I swear if you had something to do with this," Rachel snapped, breathing a little heavier.

"Hey this wasn't me," Harley shot back, "I don't want to be trapped hundreds of feet underground in a small metal box."

"Don't say small," Rachel replied frantically, "just, don't point it out to me, please."

Harley sighed, "Not a fan of enclosed spaces," Rachel quickly shook her head, "sit on the floor and try to breathe slowly, trust me it'll help calm you down."

The white ranger nodded and slowly lowered herself to the floor, "I thought an Air Force base would have emergency power system," she said breathlessly.

"Must be something big," Harley suddenly remembered his communicator, "Hey, anyone out there?" he asked desperately.

"Harley?" Jazz's voice came through the device, "are you alright? Mark said you left the underground hangar but thought you might've reached the surface."

"Nope, the elevator broke down with me and Rachel inside," the black ranger stated, "any chance of a rescue?"

"Just hold on, power is out all over the base. We're trying to reboot the systems but its taking longer than expected," Jazz replied, "I know its not fun but try and stay calm, we'll get to you as soon as we can."

"Hear that," Harley said to Rachel, "they know we're here, bet we'll be out of here within minutes."

Rachel nodded stiffly, "Can you sit with me," she shuffled over to make space for Harley. The black ranger slid down onto the floor, positioning himself next to Rachel. The white ranger leaned slowly toward Harley until their shoulders were touching lightly. Harley briefly glanced towards the blonde before leaning his head back against the cool metal wall.

It wasn't just the Air Base experiencing power difficulties. On the Vyglass ship, sparks were flying wildly whilst Kane struggled to keep control of the systems, "What is going on?" Prince Reise demanded when he entered the main flight deck, "if this is another of Count Trivium's experiments."

"There is a strong electromagnetic presence emerging," Kane replied, "it appears to be focused on the ship."

"That can't be right, you useless bucket of bolts," Reise grumbled, "let me check," he added and pushed the cyborg to one side. His mouth opened when he checked the readings, "I recognise this anywhere," he muttered, "smarten yourself up robot, we're about to have a visitor." Kane clenched his fist but did as instructed and followed after the young Prince.

In the main room, Count Trivium had recovered enough to get himself to his feet. When he heard footsteps approaching, he immediately straightened his robe, "Count," Reise said with a small smile, "I told you she would be coming."

Trivium sneered, "You snivelling brat, what did you do?"

Lightning struck a nearby console and a swirling vortex appeared, forcing Trivium to shield his eyes. A human looking woman stepped through the portal, dressed in a long, elegant white dress and a purple cloak. Sitting in her dark hair was a jewel encrusted tiara that glittered when it caught the light. The largest jewel was a blue sapphire that sat in the middle of her forehead. The jewels held more warmth than her cold, cruel eyes that were firmly focused on the Count, "Mother," Prince Reise greeted stiffly.

The woman held out her hand, a cold smile crossed her face as Count Trivium slowly and reluctantly knelt before her, "Empress Martinet, it has been too long,"

"Count Trivium," the Empress of the Vyglass began haughtily, "I am most displeased." The Count kept his head bowed but grumbled quietly to himself, "In the time since our paths diverged, I have subdued several systems yet you have failed to conquer a single rocky planet." Prince Reise couldn't contain his laughter, earning a sharp glare from the Empress, "You hardly come out of this situation in a positive light either my son," Reise was silenced immediately, "it's not too late for me to find another heir."

The Count smiled to himself but quickly changed his expression when Martinet dragged him to his feet, "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't terminate you immediately for your failure" she growled.

"Forgive me Empress," Trivium thought quickly, "the planet is defended by five humans who used the power of Avian Waves." The Empress turned sharply to the count, "Our forces have found themselves helpless against the Power Rangers," he exaggerated slightly.

"It seems my son has omitted some details from his reports," Martinet glared towards her only child, "how did this civilisation obtain Avian Waves?" she asked, "Our spies reported this planet would offer very little resistance."

"That has yet to be determined," Trivium replied, "we tried to destroy the source of the Waves but we were too late. Ever since we have fought valiantly against the Power Rangers but without your inspired leadership, we have been directionless."

The Empress looked at the Count then glared towards her son, "The journey has weakened my power, I will rest and think about what to do next." She inched towards the Count, towering over the man, "Your smooth talking won't save you forever, consider this your final warning," she said ominously before sweeping out the room.

Prince Reise swaggered slowly towards the Count, "Clock's ticking, by this time tomorrow you'll be gone, I guarantee it," he imitated his mother and swept out the room.

"And what of you," Trivium asked Kane, "where do your loyalties lie?"

Kane slowly turned his head, "Where they always have," he said cryptically. A small smile crossed Trivium's face as he left the room in the direction of his laboratory.

Back on Earth, Harley and Rachel were still trapped in the elevator. The black ranger checked his watch impatiently, "What's taking them so long?" he grumbled. Rachel though said nothing, her gaze was fixed firmly on the opposite wall, "Claustrophobia," Harley began, "how's that never come up before?"

"Never been stuck together in a metal box before," the white ranger snapped, "I really don't want to talk about it."

"Sittin' in silence is only gonna keep your mind going to a bad place," Harley replied, "I tell you my phobia if you want."

"A hard day's work?" Rachel teased weakly.

"Little harsh," Harley shook his head, "I won't tell you now."

Rachel moved in a little closer, her head now resting on the black ranger's shoulder, "You're meant to be distracting me," she pleaded with a small smile.

"Fine, its bees," Harley grunted, "got stung by one as a kid and hated the things ever since." Rachel snorted with laughter, "Its not funny, I can't even eat Honey Loops for breakfast."

"I don't believe you but I appreciate you trying," Rachel shook her head.

Harley shrugged, "Made you smile didn't it," the white ranger couldn't deny that, "how long you been claustrophobic for then?"

"Its not an interesting story," Rachel sighed, "when I was a child, I was at an adventure playground. I went down one of those tunnel slides and I got stuck," she paused and pointed at Harley, "and before you say it, the slide was old and rusty, nothing to do with me."

"Sure, whatever helps you," Harley sniggered.

"I'm bearing my soul here," Rachel slapped him on the arm, "the fire department had to cut me out, very traumatising for a six year old."

"Alright I'm sorry," Harley apologized, "just trying to lighten the mood," he paused at the smile on Rachel's face, "feel a little better?"

She twisted her face to look him in the eyes, "Actually yeah," she smiled warmly, "you've been doing that a lot lately."

"Just tryin' to be a good friend," Harley shrugged gently.

"Don't think I haven't noticed," Rachel said quietly, inching towards the black ranger. They paused before their lips slowly began moving towards each other. They were almost touching when the lights came back on and the elevator began to move.

Now in bright light, Rachel suddenly jumped to her feet and began to adjust her hair, "Thank God for that," she stammered, "thought we were going to be stuck here forever."

"Would that be a bad thing?" Harley asked, almost pleading with the white ranger.

Before she could answer, the lift door opened and they were greeted by Jazz and a few technicians, "Ha, got it working," she said into a headset, "once Harley and Rachel are out, I'll send the lift down." She flipped the mic of her headset up, "Told you I'd get you out," she grinned but that smile disappeared, "what's with the grim faces?"

Harley and Rachel looked at each other awkwardly until Rachel scrambled away, "I'm late for work," she mumbled, knocking a technician over in her haste to leave.

Jazz looked at Harley, "Want to tell me what that was all about?" she frowned.

"You couldn't have given me thirty more seconds," Harley shook his head and walked away sullenly, "ten would've done," he shouted dramatically, leaving Jazz and the maintenance team look at each other in confusion.

Later that day, Rachel was sitting in the Manager's office at Swanfield Gym. She twisted idly in her chair gazing out the window, her eyes barely focusing on the brickwork of the across the parking lot. She was so lost in thought that she didn't notice Jazz enter the room, "Ah you're here," the Scot began, "you missed the briefing, thought I'd swing by and catch you up." The white ranger said nothing in acknowledgement, "Earth to Rachel, anyone home?" Jazz added, waived her hands in Rachel's direction.

"Jazz?" Rachel blinked back into focus, "how long you been standing there for?" she rubbed her eyes and rolled her head a couple of times.

"Just got here," Jazz stated, "you were well gone, must've been a good daydream."

"Not really," Rachel sighed, "not been a great day so far," she paused and slumped a little in her chair, "did you need something?"

"Yeah but it can wait," Jazz sat down in the chair opposite, "something on your mind?"

There was a long pause as Rachel leaned forward, her hands resting on her temples, "I nearly kissed Harley, back when we were trapped in the elevator." Jazz frowned slightly but said nothing, allowing Rachel to continue, "I wasn't dealing with being trapped, Harley was there for me and before I knew it, we were this far apart," she squeezed her thumb and forefinger together.

"That explains why you bolted like a scolded dog," Jazz said thoughtfully.

The white ranger tilted her head, "You don't sound surprised by this."

Jazz scoffed, "You two have been flirting for weeks, amazed its taken you this long."

"I have not been flirting with Harley," Rachel sounded slightly offended.

"He's definitely been flirting with you," Jazz replied, "and you've definitely been giving him signals back."

Rachel paused, recalling as much as she could from her previous encounters with the black ranger. She let out a groan and allowed her head to hit the desk, "God, I have," she sighed, "do you think he's noticed?"

"If he hasn't, he'd be the only one," Rachel glanced up briefly to look at the Scot, "neither of you have been subtle."

Rachel let out another loud groan," Great, just great," she banged her head against the desk another couple of times, "what am I going to do?"

"I'm not the best person to ask for advice," Jazz began, "do you like him, you know, in that way."

Rachel slowly lifted her head from the desk, "I don't know, I thought we were just having a little fun."

"Maybe that's the first step, figure yourself out before anything else," Jazz said, "tell you what helps me thing, a stiff drink or two."

"You're a walking stereotype sometimes Jazz," Rachel chuckled, "it's not even two in the afternoon."

"Five o'clock somewhere," Jazz shrugged.

"Maybe tonight then," Rachel answered, "maybe bring Stevie over for a little girl time," Jazz nodded in agreement, "sorry we've gotten wrapped up in my issues, did you come over for a reason?"

Jazz responded with a small smile, "Nothing important, just wanted to catch you up on what happened after you left."

"Did you figure out what caused the power cut?" Rachel asked.

"Yes and no," Jazz began, "there was a massive EMP burst outside the atmosphere, knocked out pretty much everything this side of the Rocky Mountains. We helped get the city up and running pretty quickly but others areas are still in the dark."

"Outside the atmosphere?" Rachel asked, "is it something Vyglass related?"

"Probably," Jazz sighed, "but so far they haven't made a move," suddenly there was a loud buzz from her laptop bag, "really need to watch what I say," she grumbled. She opened the device and reviewed the screen, "Getting social media reports of trouble near the stadium, could be nothing but might be worth checking as that's just around the corner."

"You're monitoring social media for monster attacks now?" Rachel chuckled.

"Its good for us that people's first thought when confronted with a monster is to take a selfie with it before running away," Jazz sighed, "welcome to the modern age."

Rachel shook her head, stood from her chair and began scanning the gym for Harley. Much to her chagrin, he was getting a little too close to an attractive red head on a rowing machine. She tapped the glass to get his attention, indicating with her head towards the loading bay. The black ranger looked confused until she flashed her morpher and which point, he reluctantly left the red head behind, "Watch the office for me Jazz," she said, to which the Scot gave a playful salute.

The white ranger met up with Harley near the entrance to the store room, "This better be important, I was this close to signing her up for the platinum membership."

"You know your job is maintenance and security," Rachel frowned, pushing the door open.

"I like to go the extra mile," Harley grinned and followed her to the back room, "look, maybe we should talk about what happened earlier."

"Nothing happened," Rachel said firmly and a little too quickly.

"But did you want something to happen?" Harley pushed his luck with his question.

The white ranger paused to open the back door, giving her a welcome distraction, "Jazz said there could be a monster in the stadium which could have something to do with the power outage earlier. Let's focus on that for now before any personal feelings," she didn't wait for Harley's reply and left through the door into the loading bay.

"Yes Ma'am," Harley said quietly with a small grin.

With the coast clear, the pair morphed and flew towards the football stadium on the edge of town. There was a game in the evening but thousands of people had already gathered outside. As the two Rangers swooped towards the parking lot, people were running towards the exits in all directions. Cars and trucks were abandoned as people trampled the remains of a tailgate party in the rush to escape, "Must be bad to leave perfectly good beer lying around," Harley commented.

"Over there," Rachel pointed towards scores of people lying on the tarmac. The pair landed and surveyed the scene, "What the hell is wrong with them?" the white ranger gasped. She crouched down next to a fallen civilian, sticking out of his arm were dozens of small white crystals. A much larger crystalline structure was sticking through the leg of his shorts, the pale coloured material stained red, "I think I'm going to be sick," Rachel heaved slightly and jumped to her feet.

"You'd better not look around then," Harley commented quietly, a least a dozen others were huddled near a minivan with similar injuries. Everyone was extremely still with a pained expression frozen on their faces, "I hope it was quick," the black ranger sighed.

"Are they, you know," Rachel's voice trailed off, too scared to finish her question.

Harley grimly crouched amongst a group, "These ones are breathing," he indicted towards a small group of three. Otherwise were more extensively wounded, one with a large crystal sticking out his neck, "No way that hasn't hit something major," Harley sighed, "when I get my hands on the monster that did this," he punched the rear fender of a car, leaving a significant dent.

"Ask and you shall receive Power Ranger," the pair were startled by the appearance of Empress Martinet, flanked by a grim faced Count Trivium.

"So who are you then?" Harley barked towards Trivium, "she your latest pet Trivium?"

"You would do well to show due deference to the Empress of the Vyglass," Martinet replied with a cold smile, "are these the humans that have been giving you trouble," she said to Trivium, "they do not look like fearsome warriors," Trivium sneered and grumbled under his breath.

"More than enough to hand your ass to you Lady," Harley drew his Jet Blaster and opened fire. To his surprise, the Empress absorbed the blasts without flinching, "This thing broken?" he grunted, checking his weapon.

The Empress chuckled coldly, "Amusing," she pulled a small pocket watch out from her dress, "as entertaining as this has been, I have more important things to do," and she turned to leave.

"You're not walking away that easily," Rachel summoned her Jet Gauntlet, "not after all the people you've killed today."

"I prefer the term pest control," Martinet grinned coldly, "we will fight another day Rangers."

Empress Martinet turned to leave once again but Harley had other ideas. He called on his Jet Sword and leapt towards the Empress when her back was turned. The swing of his blade was about to remove her head when she suddenly turned around and repelled him with a flick of the wrist. Harley skidded across the tarmac in a heap, "I tried to show you mercy," Martinet lifted Harley up by the neck with ease, "now you will feel my wrath."

Her necklace flashed and Harley let out a deafening cry of pain. His suit disappeared and he collapsed to his knees, wheezing and gasping for air. There was a sound of splitting skin and tearing fabric as a large crystal burst out from his bicep. Tears formed in Harley's eyes as his shaking hand hovered near the crystal, "Harley! Rachel cried and immediately ran to her fallen friend. She tried to support him by Harley shuffled away from the white ranger's touch.

"Interesting, he's still conscious," Martinet shrugged indifferently, "he's lasted much longer than everyone here." Rachel's Jet Gauntlet crackled menacingly and she took aim at the Empress, "Ah, I wouldn't do that," Martinet's necklace pulsed, "you can help your friend or try to follow me and suffer the same fate, your choice." Rachel's arm waivered for a moment before she reluctantly lowered her weapon.

Martinet snorted dismissively and began to walk away with Count Trivium following behind, "I am disappointed," she said to the Count, "that was hardly a battle at all."

"The Rangers are annoyingly resourceful," Trivium began, "they have a habit of finding the smallest flaw in even the best plan."

"Not with them, with you," Martinet growled, "I defeated these so called warriors without breaking a sweat yet, something you have failed to do in weeks."

"All due respect your Highness, you have only incapacitated one Ranger-" Trivium began.

"Silence! Martinet bellowed before suddenly grasping her side, "calm yourself Atropheous, you are not ready."

Trivium was stunned into silence for a moment, "Atropheous the Destroyer?" he asked the Empress, "how did you manage to subdue him?"

The Empress slowly opened a small section of her dress, revealing a small egg shaped lump attached to her abdomen, "By regressing him back to his initial state," she said pridefully, "once I have gathered enough energy, he will be unleashed on this rock."

"No one has ever been able to control Atropheous before," Trivium cautioned, "all those who have tried have been destroyed."

"And yet, here he is," Martinet smirked, "a mere parasite feeding off my mighty presence." She adjusted her dress and walked away from the Count but not before adding, "With Atropheous by my side, perhaps I will have no need for servants. I will have the power to rule and conquer by myself." Trivium froze, glaring at the Empress as she disappeared through a portal.

At the Air Base, Harley had been transported straight to the infirmary but none of the medical staff had any ideas how to reverse his condition. He was on the strongest painkillers available but they did nothing to ease his pain. Rachel watched helplessly from the observation area outside his isolation room with Major Earhardt close by.

Eventually the lead doctor emerged from the room and removed the hood of his hazmat suit, "Well good news is that whatever Mr Harley has, it isn't contagious," he paused before continuing, "but this is like nothing we've ever seen before."

"Anything useful you can tell us?" Taylor asked.

"His body is practically overflowing with adrenaline and cortisol," the doctor answered, "I've never seen anything like it."

"He's in a heightened state of fear," Taylor summarised.

"Wouldn't you be if you had those growing from you?" Rachel snorted.

Taylor sighed and nodded in agreement, "Is there anything you can do doctor?"

"We can make him comfortable but his body is slowly crystalising," the doctor replied, "we have no way of slowing it down, let alone reversing it."

"Can I see him?" Rachel asked, the doctor glanced at Taylor and the Major nodded in confirmation.

As the Major and doctor continued their conversation, Rachel slowly entered Harley's room, "I'd recognise that perfume anywhere," the black ranger managed to croak, "give it to me straight Rachel, how do I look?"

"I won't lie, you've looked better," Rachel replied, as she got closer it was obvious that more crystals were growing from his face, "you could've walked away you know, the Empress would've let us leave."

"I'll have her next time," he blinked stiffly, "sorry, for makin' you worried."

"Well, I'm not going to hire another Janitor slash Security Guard just yet because we will find a way to reverse this," Rachel said firmly.

Harley chuckled but immediately grimaced in pain, "Maybe but something tells me this is the end," he slowly began to wheeze, "funny, never thought this is how I'd go out."

"I think we'd better let him rest," the doctor said, "any kind of excitement could increase his rate of deterioration." Rachel reluctantly nodded and obeyed the doctors instructions, numbly making her way out the room.

Walking on auto-pilot, she eventually entered the Ranger's command room, "How is he?" Stevie asked quietly.

"Still alive," Rachel sighed, "I think that's the best I can say right now." She flopped down into a chair next to Ricky, "The Empress is way above anything we've ever fought before, she swatted us away without blinking an eye."

"I wish we'd been there to help," Mark said to the white ranger.

"For once I'm glad you weren't," Rachel said to the surprise of everyone, "chances are she would've beaten us all down. Harley who never admit it but he'd rather suffer himself than any of us." All the Rangers nodded in agreement. The doors to the room opened as Taylor and Jazz walked in, "Please tell me you have some good news," the white ranger begged.

"Sadly no," Taylor sighed and sat behind her desk, "no sign of the Empress or any Vyglass activity. I've reached out to a few Ranger contacts, hopefully they'll come back to me soon."

"The latest medical reports from the surviving injured civilians show similar heightened levels of fear hormones as Harley," Jazz added, "they do appear to be deteriorating quicker than Harley though."

"Any reason for that?" Mark asked.

"Only reason I can think of is his Avian power," Jazz answered, "it could be slowing down the crystallisation rate."

Mark frowned "Dare I ask by how much?"

"Put it this way, others who arrived in a similar condition have," she paused and shook her head, "you know, they've-"

"Died," Stevie snapped, "you can say it you know, Harley could be dead in hours and we have no clue how to help him," she cried angrily. The teen banged a table and flopped in a chair with her head in her hands, "We can't lose the big guy," she snuffled, "he might be a dick sometimes but he's one of us."

"There must be something we can do," Ricky said to the room, "everything has a weakness. Yeah the Empress is strong but we can't give up on Harley."

"Never give up," Taylor muttered quietly to herself.

"A good motto but it doesn't help Harley," Rachel said glumly.

"It's not like an answer is going to appear from out of nowhere," Taylor shot back,

"I wouldn't be so sure," the Ranger jumped to their feet, to their horror Count Trivium had appeared in their command room, "is no one going to ask how my journey was?"

"How did you get in here?" Mark asked angrily

"Please, your human defences couldn't stop a cockroach," Trivium snorted, "I haven't come here to fight," he made a show of dropping his sword to the ground, "in fact, I've come to offer my assistance with our mutual goal."

"Oh yeah, and what would that be?" Stevie snorted.

Trivium grinned coldly, "Why, the defeat of Empress Martinet," he said with a gleeful tone, leaving the assembled Rangers to look at each other in confusion.