RWBY Rangers: Remnants of the Grid

by DareDreamer

The Earth is under attack once again: this time from creatures that almost brought another world to its knees! Just when they thought their fight was over, Ruby and her friends must morph into action against a Grimm invasion that threatens to overwhelm Earth! With many more Power Rangers standing by their side, they must unlock hidden powers to defeat this threat... and another.

11. The First Cracks

(WARNING: This chapter contains themes that might be distressing for some readers. Read at your own risk.)

How had things spiraled into such complexity in such a short span? One moment, Ruby was battling empowered Grimm; the next, she confronted entranced individuals who had turned hostile. And now, she stood at a Ranger milestone, forced to combat one of her own. A friend turned foe, their allegiance shift marking a dent in the wall of their unity, their shared purpose now shattered.

Ruby's body shuddered when her back hit the car door and she rolled to the side as something cut through the air, leaving dark claw marks that had sliced through the metal. The one who almost sliced her head off was someone Ruby had hoped she would never fight outside of sparring sessions. Her silver eyes, usually filled with hope and determination, now glimmered with panic and concern as she stared into the twisted and violet eyes of Blake Belladonna, the ex-Faunus Black Ranger. Blake, with her feline agility and cunning, was now snarling maliciously. At the same time, shadows snaked across her body, giving her a frightening and formidable aura not unlike the unholy thing that had bewitched her.

Ruby dared not look at the entity that had warped Blake's mind, knowing it was watching her every move. She evaded Blake's furious attacks before teleporting behind a car, gasping for breath. She glanced at Blake's glowing eyes fixated on Yang, who was trembling with fear, her pleas falling on deaf ears.

"Blake… please," her sister begged, her voice trembling with fear. "Fight this! I-I know you're in there… and the Blake I know wouldn't-"

"HRRAAAAARH!" A berserk snarl that was very un-Blake tore from her throat and she pounced on Yang with a black blur, tackling Yang to the street. The Yellow Ranger desperately threw Blake off in a monkey flip, but the Black Ranger acrobatically twirled in midair to perfectly land on her feet, claws out and teeth bared. She shot for Yang again, the Yellow Ranger frantically dodging and blocking every swipe and kick Blake lashed out with.

Yang cried out as she leaned back from a swipe that nearly tore her face off, panting amidst Blake's assault. "I! Don't! Want! To! Fight you!" Yang grabbed Blake's wrists and stared desperately into the girl's feral face, worried lilac meeting violent violet. "Blake, please-!"

Blake tumbled backward and kicked Yang skyward, leaving the flailing blonde wide open for Blake to dash across her airborne body three times in black blurs and purple slashes. Sparks showered from Yang's body before Blake came down from above, driving her heels into Yang's spine and smashing her against the pavement. The Black Ranger dove down with claws extended…

…until a white beam struck her from the sky, her claws digging into the asphalt to halt herself. The Black Ranger's wild eyes turned to Weiss, whose palms were emitting a frosty mist and her eyes equally cold.

"That is enough, Blake! Snap out of it right now, or so help me-"

"GRRAARH!" Unlike Yang, Weiss was ready for this and blasted another polar beam from her palm, which hit only a shadow that Blake materialized as she veered to the left. An icy orb took care of it and Weiss swept her hand outward to create a barricade of icy spikes, but Blake shot overhead and grabbed Weiss by the shoulders to slam her into the road. The White Ranger rolled away from a swipe and flipped back to her feet, keeping Blake at a distance with cold winds from a spin before drawing her saber and challengingly pointing it at her friend.

Blake only scowled with indifference before her own pair of black blades materialized into her hands via murky shadows. Lunging at the heiress with reckless abandon, Blake struck with terrifying speed and ruthless efficiency while Weiss parried, deflected, and blocked as many swings as she could. The White and Black Rangers danced around each other with sparks flying from each clash of their blades, with Weiss forced onto the defensive while Blake's ferocity was already whittling her guard.

The irony wasn't lost on her. It was like the Schnees against the Faunus all over again, the hybrid race craving only vengeance against the sins of her family. This wasn't the time for sentiment or distractions, though, as Weiss blocked both of Blake's blades and struggled to hold her ground against her hypnotized friend.

Weiss slammed her boot against the street, spreading a slick sheet of ice from beneath her. The results were almost immediate, with Blake grunting in confusion as her slipping feet struggled to gain proper traction. With the pressure lifted, Weiss slammed a spinning heel into Blake's chest and knocked her to the ground, using her free hand to blast four beams quickly. They struck Blake's wrists and ankles, freezing all four limbs to the ground and leaving the thrashing and struggling Black Ranger immobilized.

"HRRGH?! NRRRH! GRRRAH!" Blake writhed and squirmed aggressively against her icy restraints, roaring and howling with fury as her three teammates stood over with pity, concern, and despair.

"This can't go on," Yang solemnly vowed. "We need to finish what she started and kill that thing. It's the only way to get her and everyone else back to normal."

"Agreed," Weiss replied, raising her voice slightly to be heard over Blake's tantrum that Ruby swore was on the verge of rivaling her sister's fits. "But how can we without looking into its eyes? It's not like we can blindly attack it… literally speaking."

Ruby glanced around at the entranced people surrounding them, trapping the girls in with Blake as they began attacking and savagely beating anyone they could find in what had to be the world's worst riot. She took a deep breath and tried blocking out the chaos, her brain scrambling for an idea. "Um… uh… I…"

A shadow loomed in the background—a tall, dark, and ominous shadow that looked like it could vanish if Ruby did so much as blink. Time crawled as the thing stood silently, almost as if it was uncaring about the entire situation. The thing's jaw hung open, and its human-like head slowly turned toward Ruby… who quietly gasped and averted her eyes in the nick of time.

"Ruby!"

"GAH!" She yelped at Weiss' tone before hurriedly recomposing herself. "S-sorry! It's just that creepy Grimm is right there and-"

"Right where?" asked Yang, her head turning away.

"NO NO NO, DON'T-"

Ruby's panicked cry was cut off when something about her peripheral vision didn't seem right. Instinct took over from common sense and her silver eyes darted back to the crowd… and saw no shadow amidst the raging mob holding their fists and makeshift weapons high.

Ruby's voice caught in her throat. "Wha… but I… it was just…"

Yang snapped into action and primed her gauntlets, lilac eyes shooting everywhere. "Where is it?! Where'd it go?! Do either of you see it?!" Ruby was too nervous to join her sister and Weiss in their search, but something else caught her gaze: wisps of shadow rising from Blake's bound body like flames from tinder.

"NNNNRRRRRAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

The ice shattered like glass in a blast of blackness, the ex-Faunus' scream of uncontainable rage rattling Ruby's eardrums. The silver-eyed Red Ranger was immediately bombarded with powerful punches, quick kicks that sent her mind reeling, and a blast of dark energy that hit her directly in the chest. Ruby's legs trembled as she tried to keep them from giving out and raised her scythe high…

…but noticed a murky black coloring coating her chest, pulsing with purple light. Ruby was seconds away from questioning it when Blake pounded her hands together, causing the dark hue to burst violently and send Ruby rocketing back. With her out of the way, Bla immediately whirled on Yang, blasting shadow orbs from her palms that the Yellow Ranger rolled away or batted aside with her arms. She leaped over one shadow ball and aimed a leg at Blake's head, her teeth grit in regret and determination.

Blake veered backward and a shadow self emerged from her top half, seizing Yang's leg in clawed hands before slamming her into the pavement. Once the shadow merged back into Blake's body, another emerged from the ground to hoist Yang to her feet and a hard punch from Blake made the stunned blonde spin around to face the Black Ranger. Yang raised her arms to defend against Blake's next barrage but was unprepared for what felt like two opponents attacking her at once as a shadow worked in tandem with Blake, mimicking her every strike and doubling her attack power to overwhelm Yang's defenses. Punches and kicks were chained without pause, with Blake and her shadow relentlessly pummeling Yang's body until a hard kick staggered the Yellow Ranger and left her breathless.

"B… Bla-"

A blow to the throat turned Yang's plea into a choking gurgle. Blake sent out her shadow to deliver two strikes to Yang's chest and face before a sweep to her legs tripped her up. The shadow's abyssal arms grabbed Yang's body before she could fall and threw her toward Blake, who seized the blonde's neck in one hand and squeezed tightly. Amethyst eyes stared in horror as they met the twisted and corrupted violet orbs that were once a shining yellow. A feral snarl tore from Blake's throat when she drew her other arm back, purple claws extended. Fear and panic surged through Yang, and she could only watch helplessly as her former friend aimed straight for Yang's heart.

"YAH!" A side kick from Weiss knocked Blake away and Yang dropped to the street with a ragged gasp while the White Ranger stood protectively in front of the blonde. Blake lunged forward with a solid punch, but Weiss quickly braced herself and channeled her energy as she would her Aura…

…and instead of being blown back from the punch, Weiss remained as solid as an iceberg as Blake's fist instantly froze upon contact with her suit.

"HRGH?!" The Black Ranger growled in confusion before a quick blast from Weiss' palms flung her away, the heiress drawing her saber and launching after Blake. Her blade glowed with a white light, and she charged it with everything she had. The Black Ranger snarled as Weiss drew nearer…

A dark hand suddenly shot out from nowhere, snagging Weiss in slender fingers and cutting off her cry. The White Ranger yelped in alarm as the creepy limb suspended her in midair but scowled in irritation and moved to slice the limb off. But the heiress never got the chance, as another hand seized her by the face and made her lose her grip on the weapon.

"MMMPPPHHH!"

"WEISS!" Ruby screamed and darted forward with Yang by her side, both girls rushing for their friend. They got a few steps in before they saw a sight that chilled them both to the bone: the hands sharply jerked Weiss' head to the side and the girl went limp instantly. The sisters' hearts stopped beating and they both seized up, their eyes wide and unblinking while their jaws hung open in horror.

The hands retracted, and Weiss dropped to the street. Her chest rose and fell periodically, and Blake crept to her side with a deep growl. The Black Ranger's fists clenched around her blades' handles while Weiss slowly and gracefully retrieved her fallen weapon, the White Ranger rising to a full stand with her back turned to the still-frozen Ruby and Yang. While Blake locked eyes with the blonde and snarled viciously, Weiss casually peered over her shoulder toward Ruby, her mouth closed in a straight line…

…and her icy blue eyes now an abyss of violet.

Speaking of eyes, Ruby's dimmed and her heart sunk further. "Wuh… Weiss…"

Weiss' face was cold and emotionless as she pointed her saber at the Red Ranger before she and Blake lunged at their terrified teammates while the distant Grimm, whose presence Ruby could feel in her bones, watched from the blood-crazed crowd. Ruby barely let out a scream of surprise and fear before she warped away just in time, the White Ranger's blade slashing through solid air. Ruby found Weiss' chilling eyes glaring at her the instant she reappeared, with Yang nothing more than a yellow speck trying to fend off the feral Blake.

"WEISS! NO!" Ruby squealed, ducking under a swipe that cleanly sliced a streetlamp before a white boot caught her in the lungs. Ruby fell on her back, and the only thing that forced her body into scrambling back was the stoic sound of boots against the ground. Weiss sternly marched towards Ruby without a hint of remorse or pity, her eyes radiating pure disgust. At the same time, her pristine white saber looked ready to separate Ruby's head from her shoulders.

"W-Weiss…" the silver-eyed girl pleaded desperately as she crawled back, drawing her sidearm with trembling hands. "Weiss, please! D-Don't make me-! W-we're friends, Weiss! I-I don't wanna… Weiss, PLEASE!"

The heiress gave no reply and her stride never faltered, the saber glinting dangerously to the point where Ruby could see her terrified face on its surface. The girl squeezed her eyes shut and choked back a sob, turning her face away from the White Ranger while her finger wrapped around the trigger…

"I… I… I'M SORRY, WEISS! AAAAAH!" Ruby squealed and pumped the trigger as fast as she could, the blasts magnified in her ears as crimson light flashed from the darkness around her eyes. She could hear the shots connecting, but no sparks seemed to follow, forcing Ruby to peek her eyes open…

…and found Weiss with her saber in front of her face, her expression unchanged.

Ruby fired again and the crimson belt was swiftly deflected with a twitch of Weiss' saber. The Red Ranger mashed the trigger repeatedly with rapid breaths, her panic growing with each swift deflect and sturdy block as Weiss twirled her weapon at speeds greater than any dancer, her impossibly fast swings absorbing Ruby's shots or redirecting them in random directions. The heiress broke into a sprint, flawlessly deflecting each of Ruby's shots before striking the blaster out of the Red Ranger's grip and swinging at her head.

Ruby brought up her scythe just in time and glanced back at Weiss, who only frowned again and remained silent as she slashed, stabbed, and swung at Ruby with all the elegance and grace Ruby knew her for. Ruby danced around Weiss and spun her scythe in a red blur, but the heiress fluidly weaved and leaned away from every swing she could not parry or deflect. Each move Weiss made was calculated, each attack was precise, and her movements were so well-timed Ruby felt that Weiss could predict every swing of her scythe. The White Ranger's emotionless face remained unchanged as if her entire personality had been drained, leaving Weiss as nothing but a cold and heartless machine.

That also meant Weiss never reacted to certain other things… including Ruby landing a lucky hit and smashing her aside with her scythe's flat end. Ruby couldn't stop the hurried apology from rushing out before turning on her heel and hightailing it out of there, looking back to see Weiss slowly standing back up with that same face and holding out a glowing palm.

"GYAH!" Ruby leaped over icy blasts and teleported away from others, the heiress giving chase on a frozen path she projected for herself. Ruby's scythe slashed lance-like icicles in two and the Red Ranger picked up the pace, moving as a red blur in her frantic escape until a massive ice wall rose from the street ahead, leaving her trapped with the hypnotized Weiss. The White Ranger didn't even blink as her trail closed in on Ruby, her pristine form leaping off while sharp icicles grew from her legs...

CRASH! The ice wall shattered, and a telltale roar rang out as someone collided with Weiss. Her body tumbled to the street before a brief palm blast propelled her back to her feet. Ruby's yellow-clad savior rose, her chest heaving, and a pair of lilac eyes alternating between Weiss and Ruby.

"You know…" Yang growled with clenched fists while Weiss' expression remained as frozen as her powers. "I never did hit you for being such a prick. Especially to my sister." The Yellow Ranger pounded her fists together as Weiss silently strode forward, a vertical sweep of her glowing arm immediately encasing the heiress in a glimmering arctic armor resembling something from Ruby's old books. Although slightly impressed by Weiss' fashion choice, the violet eyes were a dark reminder.

"Yang, this isn't worth it!" she begged. "We gotta find-"

"GRRRRRRGH!" A dark figure pounced from the ice wall's hole and landed on all fours, eyes and claws glowing an ominous purple. Ruby immediately spun around so that she and Yang were back-to-back, gauntlets and scythe at the ready as Weiss and Blake slowly closed in like the executioner and predator they were reduced to. The black and white duo circled the sisters, who slowly rotated to keep their former friends in their sight. Weiss' saber glinted dangerously and Blake's stance was low, ready to lunge at a moment's notice. The red and yellow pair fought hard to keep their composure, sweat trickling down their brows from the tense situation.

"Yang…" Ruby whispered as quietly as she could. "We can't fight them."

"I know," Yang muttered back. "I don't want to any more than you do, but there's only one way to end this."

"That Grimm," Ruby hadn't forgotten. "We need to stop wasting time with them and kill that thing. If we work together, the two of us might-"

"No."

Ruby's heart skipped a beat. "Wha- Yang?"

"Ruby, listen to me very carefully," her sister demanded authoritatively as she never broke away from Weiss' unblinking gaze. "You need to find that thing and cut its freaking head off. Use your teleporting schtick; not even its eyes can keep up with you if you do."

"Buh- but what are you gonna do?"

She heard Yang take a deep breath before the blonde gave her stoic reply. "I'm gonna buy you some time, fearless leader."

Ruby had to fight to keep her eyes on Blake as her breath hitched, and the Black Ranger was moments away from pouncing if Ruby looked away for even a split second. "Y-Yang…"

"I'm sorry, Rubes, but there's no better option," She shut down her sister's incoming retort. "I'll keep Blake and Weiss distracted for as long as possible, and as many other people, while I'm at it. The more eyes on me, the better."

"B-But Yang-!"

"This isn't the time to discuss this," Yang sternly continued. "I can already take a lot of punishment back home, so it shouldn't be that difficult here. That's my thing, Ruby, just like your thing is being super fast. Which is why I know you'll end this quickly. I'm trusting you on this, little sis."

Ruby swallowed down the ever-rising fear. "But… but what if-"

"I'll be fine, Ruby," Yang boldly promised. "We'll all be fine. I know you can pull this off. You know you can pull it off and that freak won't even know what hit it. You ready?"

Ruby shakily exhaled, not even daring to blink at the prowling Blake eying her like a piece of meat. "Uh… y-yeah, I guess?"

She heard Yang sigh from over her shoulder. "Me neither. GO!"

Yang burst away and charged at Weiss while Blake lunged for Ruby, who quickly blinked away and made the ex-Faunus botch her landing. Everything slammed into overdrive for Ruby. She took off with a burst of adrenaline, trying to ignore Yang's trademark battle roar as she engaged Blake and Weiss head-on. Even from this distance, she could feel the heat from her sister's flamethrowers and a glance over her shoulder showed Ruby that Yang was waving them wildly in the air.

"COME ON, YOU BASTARDS! I'M RIGHT HERE!"

Ruby blocked out the screams of rage from the distant crowd and teleported to a nearby roof, keeping her out of the mob's path as they charged toward the fierce two-on-one. The silver-eyed girl tried to look everywhere except there as she scanned the ruined city streets for any sign of that demonic humanoid Grimm that had trapped so many people under its thrall.

Focus, Ruby. Find that Grimm, move in fast, and keep it guessing before you finally kill it and set everyone free. But where was the stupid thing?! No matter where Ruby looked, she couldn't see it anywhere, just like last-

Hold on. Ruby couldn't find it last time, either. And it only showed itself when it…

No.

No, no, no, no, no…

Ruby spun around and jumped back down to the street, hurrying back in a panicked sprint as the raging crowd surrounded the source of the many explosions. Stray blasts sent them scattering while others bombarded Weiss and Blake. It was hard for the hyperventilating Ruby to make out her sister's form as Yang wrenched away Weiss' blade, kneed her in the chest and slammed her into the ground. Blake pounced on her and dug her claws into the Yellow Ranger's shoulders, earning a pained roar from Yang - sparks showering out in the process - as she grabbed the ravenette's arms and threw her aside. She moved to follow up until an icy beam struck her leg, freezing her foot to the ground.

A sharp blow bashed Blake away and her other elbow slammed into Weiss' chin, giving Yang breathing room to pour heat through her leg, weakening the ice enough to wrench her limb free. The second she pulled herself out, a shadow ball blasted her in the chest and a crazed man from the crowd came at Yang with a pipe. She quickly threw him aside, but Yang left herself open to a sharp slash to the back from Weiss, the heiress flipping away when the Yellow Ranger threw a spinning kick at her.

"ARGH!" Yang cried out when two people tackled her at once from both sides, forcing her to grab their heads and shove them away. One fell close to Weiss, who slapped the civilian aside and weaved around Yang's next punch, slicing at the blonde's leg with her saber. Blake leaped over the Yellow Ranger and slammed her head into the ground before delivering a hard slash, sending sparks flying from the blonde's screaming body as she collapsed.

"YANG!" Ruby's cry was drowned out by the mob that couldn't care less about her arrival, even as she frantically tried to force her way through. Several of them moved in to hold the struggling blonde down, with Weiss and Blake brutally beating and lashing out. Yang roared defiantly with blood leaking from her nose, but her thrashing and squirming weakened with every swipe from Blake's claws and every slash from Weiss' saber. Each strike shocked Ruby's system, further warnings dying on her tongue as she squeezed between the walls of flesh and muscle, her mind screaming at her to save her sister…

…and finally, the shadow emerged from the crowd. The enraged mob kept Yang restrained; dozens of them piled on top of the blonde while Blake and Weiss forcefully grabbed at her face. Yang bit down on Blake's finger, earning a yelp from the ex-Faunus before the Black Ranger punched her across the face, blood spilling onto the street. Both girls viciously tightened their hold on Yang's face as the creepy Grimm stared down.

Ruby finally pushed through the front of the crowd… just in time to see Blake and Weiss prying Yang's eyes wide open before the beast.

Ruby's heart shattered instantly, her silver eyes reflecting the sight of her restrained sister freezing up and going dead silent. Yang's lilac eyes twitched and tiny gasps left her throat like squeaks from a blocked instrument. A single tear trickled down her face while her trembling eyes struggled to focus on her sister. A tiny squeak left Ruby as well, her soul falling to bits as she was forced to watch her sister lose her mental battle against the creature.

"R…Ru…by…" Her voice could barely be heard.

"Y-Yang…" Her own was just as pitiful.

Yang's bright lilac eyes darkened as her irises trembled, her voice cracking in a final, desperate effort to speak. Ruby felt equally trapped in her own body, tears spilling from her silver eyes. The world fell silent around her… except for one final sound that threatened to tear apart whatever was left of her heart and soul.

"R…R-R-R-u-u-b-b-b-y-y-y… R-R-R-R-R-R-RRRUUUUUUUNNNN!"

Ruby screamed louder than she ever had in her life, her tears dropping to the ground and mixing with Yang's blood while she turned and scrambled away on shaky legs. The crowd separated around her, dozens of violet eyes glaring at the girl as they also screamed and howled with all the anger and rage inside of them. She tore down the road as fast as she could go, her boots pounding the pavement while everything shook and trembled around her.

Run run run get away get away get away go go go don't stop don't look back

BOOM! Something smashed into the pavement a few feet ahead, forcing Ruby to dig her heels into the pavement as her lungs ached for air. The dust cloud rose skyward around a hunched-over silhouette, its form panting and breathing heavily. The dust settled quickly and the figure slowly arose, filling Ruby even deeper with horror and dread…

…as Yang Xiao Long towered over her with teeth bared in the deepest rage, her fists clenched tightly, and her lilac eyes glowing a dark violet. Ruby staggered back in the middle of an intersection, her silver eyes having completely lost their light. Deep hisses and the stern clicking of boots were the only things that broke her gaze away from the monster that was once her beloved sister.

To her left, the bewitched Black Ranger stalked down the street with claws hungry for blood, shadows swirling off her body like smoke, and sharp fangs bared in a predatory growl. To her right, the White Ranger strode forward with a gleaming blade and an emotionless expression, her pristine icy armor not even suffering from a scratch. Straight ahead, the Yellow Ranger growled deeply while sunny flames flickered off her form. And behind her, the mob marched forward with all manner of improvised weapons and crazed looks on their faces.

"Weiss… Blake… Y-Yang…" Ruby was all alone now, a single girl surrounded by a horde of crazed civilians and her very own family and friends. All of them wanted only one thing: her slow and painful demise that every violet eye would savor greatly.

And Ruby couldn't bring herself to stop them from getting it.

…

"Alright… try it now."

A sigh rang through everyone's ears. "Okay… NINJA STORM! RANGER FORM! HA!"

Silence was the only answer… followed by a cacophony of groans and a Spanish swear from Antonio as he buried his face in his hands. Shane begrudgingly handed his morpher back to Sarah, who re-inserted it into a console to do further tests on it. Brody pinched the bridge of his nose and Tori's eyes turned to the machine. "Maybe there's something wrong with the machine?"

"This is from Cranston Tech, real top-of-the-line," Sarah objected as she made some adjustments. "And Billy's a bona fide genius. No way would he ever make something so faulty."

Not too far away from the small group gathered around Shane, a smirk crossed Jason's face and he gently nudged his friend's shoulder. "She's got you there."

"Indeed," mused the veteran Blue Ranger. "But this is rather curious… why would a morpher suddenly shut down like that? Outside interference? A disruption? A glitch?"

"Whatever it is, it did its job too well," Jason muttered as he watched Sarah shake her head in disappointment. "She's done ten attempts and got nothing out of the Wind Morpher." He didn't need to say anything else, for he knew Billy was thinking the same thing. This was no coincidence and no ordinary malfunction. If the power within the morpher couldn't be restored at this rate…

Jason dreaded even to ponder the thought, but he needed to. If the morpher couldn't be restored, then it was dead. Billy knew it, too, and these Rangers would eventually discover it through their own volition or from being informed. But why, indeed? And why now, during this invasion? Was it possible the Grimm had a connection?

Jason's displeasure of too many questions had returned, and it was just as unpleasant as it was when he was struggling to gather his bearings on Remnant. Even after all these years and all this time away from it, that strange and mysterious other world refused to loosen its grip on him. Questions… it was always questions regarding Remnant and everything in it. Questions about Aura and Semblances when he had first encountered them, questions about the Grimm - especially with that dragon the other veterans were investigating - and one more vital query that had been on his mind for the last three decades: why was there a magical incantation that allowed transport between Earth and Remnant, the enchantment that Rita discovered and was thus responsible for this entire ordeal? Who or what created it? And in what other ways were the two worlds linked?

Jason's thoughts wandered to the girls and their friends. Their uncanny resemblance to myths, legends, and fairy tales that could be found on Earth. Could the same not be said for the Power Rangers, then? Could there be stories and folklore regarding heroes such as them?

Hmm… maybe Billy wasn't the only curious one here after all. Those last few questions were irrelevant to the unfolding situation, but those that remained were still unsettling. If no answers from them came soon, then the Power Rangers would lose their only keys and clues to triumph.

Distant voices and shouting slowly brought the man back to reality, as they did for his friend. Aquabase personnel hurried through distant corridors, some shouting instructions to others. One of them spotted Jason and Billy and pointed at them. "You two! Come quickly!"

"What's the problem?" Billy asked. Before the man could answer, another figure appeared in the hallway in an exhausted heap, her breaths heavy as she tried to compose herself. Her eyes met Jason's, who raised his brow in confusion. "Kim? What's-"

"N…Ninjor…" the elder Pink Ranger gasped with worry and anxiousness in her eyes. It was an expression Jason had come to terms with, and all it took was a brief nod to Billy to get them both up and running. Jason ignored his friend's call to the other Rangers to keep up the tests as the two men hurried after Kim, who led them to the Aquabase's workshop.

Their hearts grew heavy - particularly for Billy - when they saw Lightspeed scientists assisting Danny, Tyler, Ollie, and Gia in gently laying a badly burned, scratched, and scarred Ninjor on one of the tables, one arm completely severed with exposed wiring. One scientist rushed over with a toolbox while both men approached with stunned faces.

"Oh man… Ninjor…" Jason breathed.

"Is he…" Billy began.

"Stable," Ollie finished. "But we don't know for how long." He turned to one of the scientists. "You! Get Miss Rawlings in here, stat!"

"And tell the captain to contact Cestro!" Billy added. "The Aquitar Rangers should've made planetfall by now!"

"W-we have no idea what happened to him," Tyler hurriedly explained to Jason. "He was barely functioning when we found him, and his whole lair was a mess."

"We were lucky to get out while we could," Kim gently sighed. "But there's something you should know, guys. Ninjor tried giving us a clue."

Jason blinked. "What 'clue'?"

"All he told us was 'she took it,'" Gia answered. "And there was this weird black box open on the ground. But that's it. None of us know who found his lair or what they stole, but it ended in complete disaster."

Billy moved closer and gestured to Ollie, who handed him something from the toolbox. "Jace, I'll help him out. It would be best if you let the others know what happened to him. Where's Tommy?"

"Um, still in Panorama City with Rocky, Aisha, and Adam, last I checked."

Billy raised a brow. "Still? What's keeping them?"

Jason shook his head and sighed. "No clue… but whatever they're doing over there, they must wrap it up fast. In the meantime, I'll fill Zack and Minh in." He turned to leave and was steps away from exiting the workshop when a certain tune made the man pause. His attention was drawn to Tyler's Dino Com, the young man detaching it from his belt buckle while everyone else looked on.

"Tyler here."

There was a shaky breath from the other end. "Ty… we need you here now."

He grew stiff. "Shelbs? What happened, is everything-"

"W-we needed to fall back. We're all fine, but… no. No, that's not true."

"Dude, it's freaking us all out!" Riley's voice cut in. "Something happened to Zenowing! His Energem, it just… it just…"

"It's dead, Tyler," finished a deadpan-sounding Chase. "The Silver Energem, it… it went dark! Zenowing can't use it anymore!"

"Wh-what?!" Tyler gasped. "How-"

"We don't know! None of us know how it happened, not even Keeper! Miss Morgan's running tests on it now, but…" Chase couldn't go on and trailed off into a long sigh.

"Tyler…" Koda pleaded. "Your friends need you."

"O-okay… okay, yeah, I'll be there. Where are you guys?"

"Reefside," Riley answered. "The Dino Lab under Tommy's place."

"Alright… see you all soon." Tyler switched off his Dino Com and shared looks with the other Rangers, Gia nodding in approval. "Go. We can handle this." Tyler solemnly nodded back before vanishing in a bright red light… but the conversation quickly waded into Jason's mind.

First Shane's Wind Morpher and now the Silver Energem? This was no longer a coincidence. He strode out of the workshop with a worried expression and a fast walk. Two morphers or morphing components ceasing to function? That could mean only one thing.

Something was wrong. Disastrously wrong…

…

Ruby Rose was in a nightmare that stretched on forever. There were no monsters or demons, but what remained was the most terrifying sight Ruby thought she would never see. People. People everywhere with all eyes on her.

People that hated her with every fiber in their bodies.

Angry mobs that despised Huntsmen were unheard of in Remnant and Ruby couldn't understand why people would loathe the heroes and saviors whose sworn duty was to protect them. That fear was only overshadowed by a reality that continued to crush her heart and soul.

Yang, Weiss, and Blake all bore that same hatred, their eyes aglow with an ominous violet light and their enraged yells shaking Ruby to her core. Ruby couldn't bear to look them in the eye, let alone fight them. But she needed to fight if she wanted to survive… and if she wanted to escape.

The last few minutes had been filled with unrelenting power and might. Blake kept striking from out of nowhere and took Ruby by surprise. The air around her chilled with Weiss's presence, and Yang rained death from above with a barrage of meteoric fireballs that demolished everything it touched. It was all too much; the trio was starting to become a relentless force she could not even face alone. Any attack she tried throwing at them either missed badly, was interrupted, or sharply deflected before her friends struck back with unmatched ferocity, precision, or might.

A wall of thick, solid ice erupted from the road ahead of her, forcing Ruby to come to a complete stop and whirl around with terror in her eyes. Weiss had a glowing white fist raised high, her expression cold and distant while her other two friends had feral growls and tense bodies. The heiress pointed her saber at Ruby, silently ordering Blake and Yang to charge in roaring. The rage, the fury, the hate on their faces threatened to swallow Ruby in more terror, and the silver-eyed girl flashed away with a yelp. She didn't see Blake crashing into the ice wall headfirst and landing in a stunned heap, but she saw Yang spin in her direction with clenched fists and a furious snarl.

"RRRRAAAAAARRRRGGGHHH!" Ruby screamed and dove away, her heart beating like mad as she dodged and hopped away from all of her sister's swings, whose hatred grew with every missed hit. Memories of sparring sessions that Ruby was hesitant to go through flashed through her mind, but this time was different. Not just because it was no longer a friendly spar…

…but her sister - her own sister - wanted nothing more than to pound Ruby into paste, just like how Weiss wanted to freeze her team leader in a cold tomb or how Blake saw Ruby as prey for her to rip apart. She couldn't… she couldn't…

"GRRRRRHHH!" A pair of strong arms seized Ruby's midsection one moment, and she was sailing through the air. The next, she smashed through the ice wall like a mirror. Shattered pieces fell alongside Ruby's beaten body, and her frightened, tear-stained reflection symbolized the many fragments of her heart. With a weak and pitiful moan, Ruby urged her aching body to roll onto her back…

…where the people she used to call friends and family shot over the wall. Three trails of icy mist, murky shadows, and blazing yellow flames cut through the sky. Weiss' body was poised and ready to strike, her face still cold and frozen while her saber anxiously gleamed in anticipation. Blake's jaw was open in a predatory roar and her purple claws hummed with dark energy, all ten tips ready to sink into Ruby's flesh. Yang was the angriest Ruby had ever seen her, her entire body covered in flames and her mouth wide in a great roar, a fist drawn back and ready to smash down with devastating impact.

One more tear trickled from Ruby's horrified, glinting eye… and she wished it all to stop.

BOOOM! The trio came down on top of the Red Ranger in a blast of yellow, white, and black energies, creating a shockwave stretching for blocks. The colored dust rose and settled within moments, revealing the trio standing tall and dominant in the middle of a small crater. Weiss silently stared dismissively as if the outcome was inevitable. Blake stood with slow, heaving breaths and flexed her claws, an unamused snort leaving her nostrils. And Yang's face rose in a twisted and satisfied grin, a malicious chuckle escaping her. All three eyes turned to what rested beneath their feet…

…where nothing but smashed pavement and crumpled concrete remained.

"HRGH?!" Yang's smile vanished as quickly as it appeared and Blake growled in frustration while Weiss scowled in disappointment. The trio turned their eyes around the surrounding street and block before they took off, their hunt not finished yet. As they departed - with Yang leaping onto roofs via powerful leaps, Blake sprinting down the road at great speeds, and Weiss skating on icy trails - the remnants of a red flash faded in an alley.

Ruby Rose fell to her knees in defeat, unable to stop the tears and the tremors in her body. She couldn't do this. She couldn't win against that monstrous thing that had stolen her friends from her: the thing that could steal anyone from her in a second. She couldn't bring help; that would mean more people for that creature to turn against her.

She needed to run. She needed to hide. Nothing else mattered more than that, not even that her sister and friends were… were…

Ruby choked back a sob as she ran, mindlessly sprinting for a nearby parking garage and hurling herself over a wall. She didn't - no, couldn't stop running and ran past derelict cars, going and going until her legs finally gave out and she collapsed, her tears staining the pavement.

She… she didn't know what to do. If she tried to fight, she'd lose herself, too. She'd be with her friends again, but they wouldn't be themselves. All she wanted was to have them back and all those people back, too. No one deserved to be enslaved, to be held down or used as puppets, or to have their bodies wrenched from their minds. Her quiet sobs and sniffles echoed throughout the parking structure, accompanied only by her ragged breaths…

…until something shifted nearby.

Ruby gasped and shot upward instantly, her helmet and weapon reappearing in crimson light. Were they here already? Was she found out? Or was it the creature itself coming to claim her to its corrupted collection? A tiny whimper left Ruby's throat as she looked everywhere, the shadows ready to reach out for her and the silence just as tense as she was. Her grip on Wolf's Claw tightened, and her breathing became a struggle to control, her focus flickering in and out.

The suspense was killing Ruby, and she grew agitated. Her spine tingled with fear; she mentally begged for whatever was out there to show itself and end this tension already.

Her answer came with a loud cry from above her and her body snapped into motion, rolling backward from the attacker before it came down with a smashing impact. It rounded on her and struck quicker than she anticipated, leaving Ruby's defense shaky and fragile as she attempted to block and parry every blow that came her way. Clangs of metal against metal rang out as her weapon constantly met her attacker's until they finally locked together and Ruby stared at her hunter's helmet…

…which was a star-shaped visor amidst a sea of red.

NO!

"TOMMY!" She couldn't stop the scream of despair and horror, her helmet fading away to reveal her distraught face. She was already chastising herself for lowering her guard, and her mind screamed at her to get ready for the brutal assault to come… but the veteran Ranger instead jolted back from her cry.

"R-Ruby?!"

His own helmet faded… and there was no purple glow in the man's horrified eyes.

"Oh god, Ruby, I'm so sorry; I thought you were-"

Ruby wasn't even thinking anymore and cut the older man off by throwing herself right at him, burying her face in his suit, and squeezing her arms around him in a tight hug. It took a few moments for Tommy to process this and return the gesture, a gentle sigh leaving his mouth until he felt Ruby shuddering and trembling against him.

"Ruby… what's wrong?"

She sniffled. "T-T-Tommy… they-"

"RRRAAAAAARRRRGH!" Ruby jolted in place with a sharp squeal, and the veteran Ranger went on immediate high alert. Both Red Rangers whirled toward the sound of the wrathful, inhuman roar, similar to and different from the voice Ruby had known all her life. Her skin prickled with goosebumps, and she heard Tommy groan.

"Oh, come on… not them, too."

Ruby blinked in confusion, her eyes still moist. "T-too?"

"RRAAAUUUUGH!" The next bellow was followed by crashing metal as Ruby spotted Yang smashing her way inside, fury in her violet eyes while the car she had knocked aside collapsed onto its roof. Weiss strode in by her side, the hard cement freezing under her feet while Blake stuck close to the shadows, her purple eyes glowing in the dark: a patient contrast to Yang's violent and shaking body. Ruby heard footsteps approaching behind her friends, who barely paid heed to their arrival as three more figures marched beside them.

Two men in blue and green and a woman in yellow ninja garb. And all of them had the same glowing violet eyes.

Ruby swallowed nervously and her breath shook again as her brain registered the added odds against her: three of her friends - her team - and three Rangers, all ensnared by the creature and turned into lethal hunters. Rocky, Aisha, and Adam, if she recalled their names correctly. Tommy was stern and silent beside her, but she didn't miss the worn exhale that left his nostrils.

That told Ruby that he was reluctant to fight his friends, just as Ruby was scared to go up against hers. Now that she had a kindred spirit, the pain and fear were beginning to dim… but not disappear entirely. Seeing her sister and her teammates acting like… this still hurt.

Yang snarled in frustration and drew her arm back, ready to blast up the entire place before Weiss' steady hand on her chest stopped her. Rocky and Aisha shot warning glares at the blonde while Adam silently turned to Blake, who proceeded to turn her head upward and sniff the air. The hypnotized Rangers spread out and began their search, prompting Tommy to take Ruby's hand and lead her away before either of their friends' glowing violet eyes could spot them. Yang's frustrated growls and Blake's eager hisses echoed through the darkness of the parking garage, as did everyone else's footsteps.

"Tommy…" Ruby whispered nervously as the two Red Rangers ascended higher into the structure. "I can't do this. I can't fight them. I don't want to fight them…"

"We don't have to," the man informed her. "But that freak down there isn't making things easier. There's no running from it and getting within arm's reach of it is a one-way ticket to mind-wipe central. Aisha tried to get away with every ninja trick in the book, but it was always there wherever she went. Whatever that Grimm is, it's the equivalent of the boogeyman."

"So…" Ruby sniffed. "What are we supposed to do?"

"Honestly? I have no idea." That made Ruby's broken heart sink even further. "Unless you have something in mind?"

"I… I…" Ruby's mind trailed back, fighting the painful memories of her friends turning on her and attacking her without second thoughts or hesitation. And words echoed in one such memory. "Yang… before she was…" Ruby rubbed at her eyes for a moment. "Sh-she told me to use my powers. Move fast enough and teleport so frequently that the Grimm would have difficulty keeping track of me."

Tommy paused. "Hmm… not a bad idea."

"But I… I didn't have the chance to do it because… because…" Her sister's final demand - her voice becoming dark and twisted - flashed through her mind again, making Ruby shiver.

"Hey…" Tommy soothed, placing a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder. "The game's not over yet, Ruby. Sure, we're backed into a corner right now, but Rangers have a knack for getting out of tight spots. Let's do your plan; it feels like it'd be easier with the two of us to keep it busy."

Ruby released another breath. "Okay… okay… y-yeah, okay. W-wait, how are you gonna help?" The man replied by readying his morpher. "We have a saying here on Earth: it's never too late to teach an old dog new tricks." Ruby blinked in confusion and was about to ask Tommy what he meant by that…

"RRROOWWWRRR!" She gasped in alarm when Blake leaped from the shadows and tackled Ruby to the ground, her clawed hands digging into Ruby's shoulders. A hard kick from Tommy knocked the Black Ranger down, the girl acrobatically spinning back to her feet and growling at the man with extended claws. Shadow selves split away from the snarling Blake as Tommy got into a ready stance.

Ruby's anxiety grew as she picked up the sound of running footsteps coming their way. "T-Tommy…" The man didn't take his eyes off Blake as he held his morpher tight, staring down the corrupted Black Ranger.

"Not how I thought I'd show it off to you, Blake… but I'll take it! DINO THUNDER, POWER UP!"

A bright purple glow enveloped Tommy briefly before blasting outward, making Ruby and Blake cringe. The light was gone in seconds… and Ruby stared in surprise as Tommy stood between her and Blake in a dark suit with a crested helmet and a symbol resembling a dinosaur's footprint on his chest.

"Okay, kitty cat!" Tommy called out, brandishing a short sword with a black handle modeled after a long-necked dinosaur before pointing it toward Blake. "Ready for a declawing?!" Blake only hissed as she drew her twin blades and pounced at Tommy in a spinning slash, her shadows charging like a pack while Tommy somersaulted away and clashed blades with Blake. Some shadows converged on him while others focused on Ruby, who quickly cut them down with swift scythe slashes. The knowledge that they were extensions of Blake's power and not Blake herself made it somewhat easier, but she still strongly preferred these shadows to be on her side.

She twirled away from quick slashes, bisected several shadows, and kicked one back before bringing her scythe down on one shadow… but instead of dissipating into smoke and nothingness, that shadow was split in two, resulting in two dark copies of Blake.

"WHAT?!" Ruby gasped before being swarmed and overpowered by the shadows in a dark dogpile (catpile?) that crashed on top of her. A quick teleport resolved that issue and gave Ruby some breathing room… which didn't last long as the shadows chased after her again. "GAH! Why did they have to choose now to do that?!"

"GRAH! AH-YAH!" Tommy roared as he alternated between striking down shadows and countering lunges from the real Blake. He grabbed a shadow's leg and hurled it at her, but Blake briefly cut it out of the air without a second thought. Tommy charged at her with another swing, only for a shadow to meet his weapon instead once Blake switched places with it in a dark puff. She lunged at Tommy again, who somersaulted over her shoulders and kicked her in the back. Blake immediately sprung back to her feet and spun around with another feral snarl…

…which was joined by a powerful roar of anger as Yang spun around the corner and charged like a mad bull, leading the pack of possessed Rangers closing in on them. Tommy dodged and deflected the fireballs shot his way while Ruby shielded herself from distant blasts. Silver eyes met raging violet, her sister's lilac eyes sporting an evil and malicious hue that didn't recognize Ruby as a loved one anymore…

"BRACHIO STAFF, EARTH STRIKE!" Tommy smashed his weapon into the ground and ruptured the ground beneath him, destroying a chunk of the floor that the group was moving too fast to avoid. Ruby instinctively reached out for Yang with wide eyes, her sister's flickering with shock before she, Weiss, and the other Rangers dropped out of sight. Blake struggled to hold on, her claws digging into the concrete until a sharp kick from Tommy sent her down, her yowls echoing amidst the mixture of surprised screams and cries.

"They'll be fine, Ruby!" Tommy reassured her when he looked back. "But now's our chance! Meet you outside!" Ruby was about to reply when Tommy's body strangely shimmered… and disappeared into thin air. The sounds of footsteps and a grunt of effort followed, with something shifting on the nearby wall as Ruby was left to comprehend this.

Couldn't Ren do that trick, too…?

Growls from the level below snapped her out of it and Ruby made a break for the wall, vaulting out into the open air and vanishing in a bright red flash. She reappeared on the ground below, her chest heaving from the opportunity to catch her breath. She glanced around the nearby streets for any sign of Tommy.

"NNAAAAAAAARRRHH! GRRRRAAAAAAAUUUUUGGGHHH!" Yang was howling and bellowing in sheer rage from inside the parking garage, lit by yellow blasts as the blonde presumably let loose on everything she saw. All because Ruby had gotten away from her again. All because she didn't…

"Oh gods…" Ruby solemnly whimpered to herself as she listened to her sister's enraged screams that reached higher volumes she normally never heard from Yang. "Oh gods, my… my own sister… wants to kill me… Oh, Y-Yang…"

"We will get her back," a voice promised, breaking Ruby out of her funk before the tears could start flowing again. The air flickered behind Ruby, and the Black Ranger's form rematerialized, with the helmet flashing away. "We'll get all of them back."

"RRRRAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHH!" Yellow flames spewed from the garage's sides and waved in sporadic patterns before fading away. Tommy quickly ushered Ruby aside and led her to a nearby building, sparing her more of Yang's wrath when the crazed Yellow Ranger poked her head out of the garage. After sharp twists of her head yielded no results, the blonde grasped at her skull before unleashing another savage scream, returning to blasting and vaporizing everything in her sight.

It was borderline impossible to calm Yang down once her Semblance broke out in full, so Ruby wished everyone all the luck she could in trying to tame her now. "So what now? We find that Grimm, avoid the people it has under its control… and what, am I supposed to play 'Find the Red Ranger' with it?"

"Sort of," Tommy answered, fishing out his morpher again. "We need speed to confuse, disorient, or distract it long enough for you to take the shot. But with your teleporting, it just needs to look you in the eyes for a single instant… and boom, it's got you. Luckily, it won't get the chance with me."

"Um…" Ruby glanced at the morpher, which looked vaguely different from those she, her friends, and the other Mighty Morphin Rangers wielded. "Wait, but… that thing gives you access to all those other powers you've got since we last saw you! First, you were green, then white, red, and now black!"

Tommy nodded and smiled at her. "Exactly."

"No! Not exactly!" Ruby clarified. "That's it, right? Aren't those all the forms you have?"

Tommy's smile remained as he shook his head. "Nope… there's still one more." Ruby opened her mouth to ask more, but Tommy held his arms outward before moving them into certain positions and finally holding his morpher in front of him.

"SHIFT INTO TURBO! RED LIGHTNING TURBO POWER!"

FWA-SHAM! Crimson light washed over him and Tommy was encased in another red costume. This one had a yellow shape beneath his neck, a belt with two yellow lights and a red holstered blaster, and a visor with headlight designs above it. Ruby couldn't help but gasp and bring her hands to her mouth.

"You… you have TWO Red Ranger forms?! Y-you were a Red Ranger TWICE?!"

"Heh, yeah," he chuckled. "Pretty cool, right? And check this out!" A sudden rush of wind blew through Ruby's hair, leaving her baffled momentarily before a sharp whistle drew her attention. Much to her surprise, Tommy was now halfway down the block and waving at her. And all before Ruby could blink, he zoomed right back to her side in a crimson blur, the sudden force startling Ruby and knocking her onto her back.

"Super speed?! Be still, my beating heart…"

"I'll use it to keep the mob busy," Tommy told her. "And I promise, they're not gonna get within five feet of me, let alone touch me. Just focus on what you gotta do, okay?"

Ruby was already feeling better about this, warmth pouring from her heart as she collected herself and equipped her helmet. "Okay… okay, I—uh, we got this. Easy peasy."

"That's what I like to hear," Tommy said as he patted her on the back. "Now let's get to work." Both Red Rangers hurried off in a blur, Ruby shooting into the rooftops and taking off while Tommy zoomed down the street as a crimson comet. The pain of her hypnotized friends remained, but Ruby had no problem keeping them all down thanks to this new certainty. They weren't enemies but obstacles she needed to bypass to reach her real enemy.

And once that Grimm was no longer a problem, they wouldn't be problems.

The mob's roars became louder than thunder, a wave of bodies swarming after a red blur that zigzagged down the roads, shooting away from anybody who tried lunging and swinging at him. "That's right, you bunch of bulls! Come and get me! Follow the red dot!" Tommy dug his heels into the asphalt once he reached a t-intersection, where a volley of red and blue laser bolts met him. The incoming fire from Adam and Rocky and the street rapidly shifting and warping as something tunneled underneath made Tommy take off again, but not before throwing his friends a taunting wave. He even dashed around Aisha as she erupted from the pavement, her fist smashing solid concrete before Tommy kicked her to the ground and shot away before the Yellow Ranger could stand.

With the streets now clear, Ruby easily spotted her target silently staring at the charging human horde. It was an easy shot… but the girl made no move. The demon was occupied when Blake tried ambushing it, but it still hypnotized her. That meant going straight for it wasn't an option. And the way Ruby observed its docile state, she noted how vulnerable and open it presented itself, seemingly unaware of anything around it.

Or so it appeared. Harnessing Grid energy made these things smarter, too, right?

Then Ruby couldn't take any chances. The others were right: these weren't the Grimm she knew anymore. Ruby's body tensed up before she launched off the roof, her scythe held high and ready to swing. Her world seemed to slow down, and her heartbeat echoed in her ears. Her sights locked on the thing that slowly turned around with an open maw.

Ruby concentrated deeply, envisioning where she wanted to go until she vanished in a crimson flash just before the monster's violet eyes could meet her. The girl instantly reappeared behind the beast, her gaze locked on its midsection while her weapon charged with crimson energy.

Ruby was this close to contacting the monster's black flesh when something rammed into her harder than a missile. Her back hit the hard pavement and her head rocked within her helmet as an intense pressure kept her pinned to the road. Ruby groaned and fought through the daze…

…and her breath hitched when she saw the murderous visage of her sister glaring down at her. A fist was drawn back, ready to smash her visor until a white-clad arm snagged it, its cold and emotionless owner glaring at the still-furious Yang. Something sharp dug into Ruby's shoulder and the girl resisted the urge to cry out while Yang and Weiss forcefully grabbed a hold of Ruby, a telltale snarl telling her that Blake also had a tight grip on her. All of Ruby's former friends wrestled with her as Ruby writhed and squirmed in their grasp, her earlier fear coming back with a vengeance. Her body was squeezed by Yang's strong grip, shivered from Weiss' icy touch, and threatened to break and bleed from Blake's claws, the three of them quickly overpowering the Red Ranger. Ruby desperately tried to teleport away, but there was so much pain and pressure to make her properly focus on a location. Any destination she had in mind was instantly lost when Yang's fist cracked Ruby in the face, snapping her from her thoughts.

A shiver suddenly ran up her spine when a shadow loomed over her… and the shadow appeared before her, making Ruby's panic spike.

"No! NO!" she cried, squeezing her eyes as tightly as she could and averting her gaze, her head jerking away from the creature. This resistance was swiftly punished when Blake unleashed a savage slice that knocked Ruby's helmet clean off, revealing her straining and struggling face. Yang grabbed Ruby's head in a firm hold, her grip so tight and restrictive that Ruby thought her sister could crush her skull in a matter of seconds. She instinctively squeezed her eyes tighter, fighting with what little power she could muster. This power was drained by the second as she felt Weiss and Blake's hands grabbing at her face, their fingers going for her eyes.

It was there. It was right there, in front of her face. The plan had fallen apart like a collapsed tower from a single removed brick. This wasn't how Ruby was supposed to see her friends again, but it was happening. It was real. She had failed. She had failed Team RWBY, Team JNPR, the Power Rangers, and Earth, and there was nothing more she could do now. Weiss and Blake's fingers were slowly pulling open her eyes now, and Ruby braced herself for the darkness that would follow the sight of those ghastly violet eyes. The only comfort she felt at that moment was the comfort that all of this would be over very so-

AAAAAAIIIIIIEEEEEEEE!

A soul-shredding shriek derailed Ruby's train of thought as the humanoid Grimm suddenly recoiled violently, its clawed hands covering its eyes like a man who had taken a direct glimpse at the sun. The creature's screams and wails of agony turned Ruby's fear into befuddlement, the confused girl staring blankly at the black beast twitching and convulsing before her.

"GGYYAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Yang, Weiss, and Blake all cried out in intense pain, their hands flying to their heads and making Ruby drop to the road. Their screams were filled with pain and panic as Yang violently shook her head to dispel whatever was afflicting her, Weiss dropped to her knees in a stupor, and Blake was reduced to a writhing, squirming mess on the street. Seeing her friends in such a torturous state made Ruby's heart leap to her throat. "Guys?! Are you-"

An evil hiss from behind Ruby made her spin around in shock, where the creature approached with outstretched hands before it jolted back once more with another suffering screech, its shrieks threatening to burst Ruby's eardrums as she watched it twitch and shudder. Its very body appeared unstable and desperately clawing at its face as if trying to rid itself of a sight already burnt into its mind.

She barely heard her communicator go off over the Grimm's haunting wails and her friends' tortured screams. "Ruby! Everybody's going crazy over here! Whatever it is you're doing over there, keep it up!"

"B-but I'm not doing anything!" Ruby shouted back, hoping to make herself heard over the sheer pain and torture she heard all around her. None of this made any sense… what was happening here? This Grimm was hypnotizing people via eye contact, but when it tried to hypnotize her, it acted like Ruby had the most hideous face it had ever seen!

The Grimm was peeking at her through clawed fingers right now, its violet orb locked with silver eyes…

RRRREEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!

"NYYYYAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHH!" Her sister and teammates screamed louder this time and collapsed, losing whatever struggle was happening within them. The Grimm was frantically scratching and clawing at its shrieking face, its claws drawing gashes onto its black skin. Ruby visibly cringed as those elongated fingers got dangerously close to gouging out its own eyes, but her disgust was overshadowed by something else bubbling from inside her.

Blake, Weiss, Yang—all of them had their minds twisted and corrupted by this creature that had enslaved an entire city and three Rangers. The fear and pain Ruby had felt earlier were molding into a vengeful fury that propelled her to march toward the creature callously. The thing was pitifully scrambling to get away, agonizing screeches leaving its open maw as it tried crawling away like a terrified child fleeing from the monster emerging from beneath their bed.

The tables had turned now. Ruby's hands balled into fists, and she gritted her teeth as her chest heaved in anger, thoughts of her possessed friends and family driving her onward. Her scythe flashed into her hand and the creature frantically threw a clawed arm at the Red Ranger, who coldly sliced the limb off and earned another pained shriek from the thing that was suffering just as she had suffered.

The crunch from her boot landing on its leg was satisfying, as was the following screech of pain and panic. Her hand grabbed the Grimm by the neck and she hoisted the monster to her face, her silver eyes burning with all of Ruby's anger and hatred for what this demon had done to the mass of civilians, three veteran Rangers, and her very own friends and family. The creature's eyes were tightly shut, but Ruby fixed that by giving the beast a taste of its own medicine: prying one open with her fingers to make it shriek in tortuous pain once more.

The Grimm, Blake, Weiss, and Yang's combined screams tore through the city, as did the shrieks of the many civilians the devil had bewitched. Ruby welcomed the pain it brought her, channeling their suffering herself as her heart rammed against her ribs and her blood boiled… until her own scream of pain-induced vengeance joined them.

And in one swift motion, her scythe separated the demon's head from its body.

It. Felt. Good.

Ruby firmly stared into the devil's dimming violet eyes with silent apathy, her face locked in a grim expression of fury and wrath reminiscent of a relentless hunter whose prey could never escape it. She coldly watched its body dissolve and vanish into dust, leaving no trace remaining as the Red Ranger's rage evaporated with it. Her breaths slowed, diminishing from anger to exhaustion. As her posture slumped, she closed her eyes, a relieved exhale leaving her lips.

"Tommy…" she spoke into her wrist. "It's done."

She switched it off before he could respond, her eyes burning holes at where the Grimm's head once rested. Ruby almost regretted decapitating the Grimm, for it deserved far worse than that. And the fear it showed - fear towards her - made Ruby swell with power. They all needed to fear her, every single Grimm across this planet and every Grimm back on Remnant. She wouldn't allow any of them to get to her friends again, and if something like this or something worse happened to them, Ruby swore to herself that she would make all of them-

"Nnnngghhh…"

It was all forgotten in that instant. Ruby spun on her heel and darted back to three bodies sprawled out on the street, kneeling beside the yellow figure and gently straddling her in her lap. Her eyes flickered with worry and concern as she stared at the stirring face. "Y… Yang…?"

A pair of eyelids slowly creaked open… and Ruby was met by gentle lilacs instead of dark violet. The corners of her sister's mouth lifted in a cocky smile, though it quivered as she tried to keep it that way.

"T… told you… you could… pull it off…"

"Oh, Yang-!" Ruby wrapped her arms around her sister in a grateful sob, a tear of joy running down her face. She paid no mind to Yang returning the gesture, the blonde's breath shaky as she held Ruby tightly.

"Ruby…" Yang's muttered into her shoulder. "There was… so much anger… I-I couldn't… I'm sorry… for hurting you… and letting you… see me like that…"

"No, no, don't- don't say that," Ruby whispered. "Y-you weren't… you."

Weiss was sitting up with a hand plastered to her forehead. "Aargh… this… this has got to be the worst headache in the history of- nnngh…"

"Rrrgh…" Blake hissed from her fetal position as her fingers dug into her scalp. "M-Make… make it… stop…"

"You're back…" Ruby sniffled with a bright smile as she and Yang separated from each other, the Red and Yellow Rangers moving to comfort their teammates. "You're all back…"

"R…Ruby…?" Blake moaned through ragged breaths. "I-I-It… hurts to… think…"

Weiss' breath hitched and her eyes widened, the blue orbs shaking as they gazed into silver. "Ruby, I… I-I didn't mean… d-did either of us…"

Ruby cut the shivering heiress off with a warm hug while Yang moved to help Blake gather her bearings. "The only thing that hurt me, Weiss… was seeing you all like that. But Tommy helped me pull through."

Blake went stiff. "Oh g-gods, I… I-I remember… that thing, it… made me like an animal…" She wrapped her arms around Yang and sobbed into her shoulder as the blonde gently caressed her back, neither of them saying anything else.

"The people…" Weiss whispered. "Are they…"

Ruby nodded. "Yeah… they should be-" Deet deet deet-deet deet-deet!

The four girls turned to Ruby's communicator as a voice came through. "Ruby… thank you. It's finally over. Everybody over here is either wondering how they got here, why they're holding stuff like weapons, or why they woke up with severe bruises or cuts. How are your friends?"

"They're okay, Tommy," she told him. "Still a little shaky, but… they're okay. They… they remember everything that Grimm did to them."

A sigh. "Yeah, same here. Rocky and Adam have already apologized three times each and Aisha can barely stand. I need to get them back to base; you coming?"

"We'll catch up, Tommy," Ruby answered. "You go ahead and we'll see you soon."

"Copy that? Oh, and Blake?" The raven-haired girl focused on the device. "I wish you could've seen Dino Thunder Black under better circumstances."

"Y-yeah… it looks nice, though." Blake softly smiled. Ruby could tell it was mostly a facade, but she knew Blake wanted to be helpful.

"Glad to know it still does," Tommy concluded before he cut the call. Not too long afterward, four red, blue, green, and yellow beams shot skyward, leaving the girls alone in the battered city streets. They could hear the civilians in the distance, some moaning from aching pains, others helping some to their feet, and some who knew others dearly embracing them in relief. Makeshift weapons clattered against the asphalt and exhausted breaths rang out as everyone tried to get their bearings.

"How… how's everyone holding up?" Yang wearily asked, the blonde shaking her head to dispel any aftereffects. "A-Aside from… from the obvious…"

"At least I can tell Mother…" Weiss moaned. "That I can finally sympathize with her hangovers…"

"Our powers…" Blake breathed. "Weiss' armor… my shadow blasts… we couldn't do those before, could we?"

"That Grimm brought out our full power," Yang muttered. "Probably took a chunk out of it, too. The good news is we're still in fighting condition… but Ruby's right. We should head back and recharge. And I mean both us and our coins."

"Yeah, I'm no expert…" Ruby agreed. "But there's gotta be some drawbacks to staying morphed too long, right? You think Billy or Alpha would know something about that?"

"We're in no hurry to find out," Blake exhaled. "Let's just get back, take a quick break…"

"And get right back to it," Weiss finished… until her face scrunched up. "Hold on… is it just me, or have we-"

"We've…" Ruby murmured, a similar realization dawning on her. "We've just been fighting and fighting ever since we started." It was a familiar pattern: driving Grimm back, eradicating their numbers, and clearing cities of their presence… but they would always return so the Rangers could beat them back again. So Ruby and her friends could defeat them again. All while the epicenter for this entire invasion still roamed wild.

The dragon.

The veterans said they would investigate and find answers about its origin. Have they found anything? If they had… why wasn't she informed? Why was Ruby waiting for something that could end this once and for all, something she should have already obtained?

Yes, it was growing stronger—constantly so. Sooner or later, it would become too strong, and it needed to be destroyed before that happened.

So why were they waiting? Why were Ruby and her friends sent into the field repeatedly against Grimm attacks that seemed endless? Why weren't the Rangers focusing on the bigger threat? What was taking them so long? Ruby needed to know; she craved to know why the Power Rangers weren't doing their job. If their way of saving the world was fighting monsters over and over until none of them remained…

Ruby's fists tightened. She scowled at her next thought. Then maybe they're not the heroes they say they-

BAWOOOM! The ground shook and the air split, jolting Ruby from her thoughts. She and her friends snapped ahead of themselves, where smoke poured from the road ahead and civilians staggered back from the newly-made crater. Yang primed her gauntlets, Weiss readied her saber, and Blake held out her blades while Ruby stepped forward, her eyes squinting at the fading smoke…

"What… what was that?" somebody stammered. "A-Another of those monsters?"

A man looked down into the crater, his face lighting up in amazement. "No! It's a Ranger! Another Ranger!" His words made the girls lower their guards with relief while Ruby waited for the new arrival to show themselves. Once this Ranger returned them to the Aquabase, Ruby would have words with them. She could already see hints of red through the smoke as the Ranger strode from the crater, emerging out of the smoke to reveal fire-like designs, talon-tipped fingers…

…and a phoenix-styled helmet.

Ruby's heart stopped beating, and her body seized up in horror. Her silver eyes could not look away as a tiny gasp of fear left her throat. Her friends also snapped back into action and glared at the Red Ranger, determination and anger in their eyes, while the stranger stopped several meters away.

"We- we all appreciate your arrival, but the monster was already dealt with," the man said as he walked toward the Ranger. "I'm glad you're here, though, a lot of people need-"

"NO! STOP! GET AWAY FROM-"

WHAM! A fist shot out and cracked the man right in the face, ending Ruby's desperate screams with a shuddering gasp. The following gasps from the crowd fell on deaf ears before the Red Phoenix Ranger shot forward at terrifying speeds, a deadly hand grabbing Ruby by the throat and lifting her off her feet. She barely caught her friends screaming her name and a terrified Yang reaching out for her before the trio vanished from her sight. Barely five seconds passed before the stranger gained altitude and hurled Ruby down to the street, making her bounce along the pavement and tumble to a stop in the middle of a central plaza packed with startled civilians.

Their surprised eyes met Ruby's terrified orbs, but screw the stupid "secret identity" rule for something more important.

"Run! RUN!" She screamed at them with terror in her voice while she scrambled to her feet and balled her fists, staring down the unknown enemy with all the vigor she could muster. The Rogue Red Ranger stared silently at Ruby before raising an arm with a clenched fist…

BRAKOOM! The road behind Ruby erupted into a wall of flame, trapping most of the panicked people inside while others spun in horror at those who had failed to escape in time. The fire roared and howled with such ferocity that the people were forced to back away, shouting and screaming names over the bellowing heat. Ruby tore her gaze away from the literal firewall and back to the Red Ranger, who flicked their arm behind her.

BOOOM! Another firewall exploded into existence like an erupting volcano, breaking apart the road and corralling more civilians in the plaza. The Red Ranger wasted no time gesturing their arms at various roads and doors, blocking them all off in barriers of raging flame. Ruby spotted Yang, Weiss, and Blake hurrying down a road as fast as they could, desperation in her sister's eyes as she led the charge. Ruby instinctively bolted after her, darting past the motionless Red Ranger…

…who snapped their fingers.

FA-WOOM! The last thing Yang saw was Ruby throwing up her arms before a massive wall of destructive orange flames sealed her off from her sister.

"RUBY!" She screamed in horror and ignited her body in yellow flame, charging for the wall headfirst with a reckless and protective scream… that soon turned into one of pain as the heat blasted her smoldering body away. Blake hurried to Yang's side - yelping and retracting her hand after touching Yang's burnt body - while the blonde turned her terrified eyes to their White Ranger. "Weiss, please-!"

"I'm on it!" she called, summoning forth as much power as she could until unleashing it at the flames. A freezing beam of sub-zero energy clashed with the raging flames, forcing Weiss to push harder to break through the blaze. But the flames were more resilient and stood fast against the cold with insanely high temperatures enough to short out the beam completely, leaving Weiss' efforts as useful as somebody trying to break through a brick wall with a hose.

"I-I can't!" Weiss stammered with a trembling voice as she ceased her efforts. "It's too strong!" A dark shadow rushed past her and leaped for the flames… only to disintegrate into ash as worry flashed through Blake's golden eyes. "N-no… wh-what are we supposed to do? She needs our help!"

"HEY!" Yang screamed with all her might as she got as close to the flames as she could, tears leaking from her eyes. "YOU STAY AWAY FROM HER, FREAK! RUBY, GET OUT OF THERE! RUBY!"

But try as she might, all the silver-eyed girl could hear was the torrential roars of the flames that painted Panorama City's plaza in an apocalyptic hellscape ruled by the Red Phoenix Ranger that ominously strode for her. Ruby's mind screamed at her to run, but she knew she couldn't. Not only was she trapped here, but all of these people were trapped, too. Their panicked shouts and frantic cries echoed in her ears, matched only by her frantic, heaving breaths as her posture shook before the mysterious enemy before her.

Adrenaline took over and Ruby threw a desperate punch, one the other Red Ranger caught in a clawed hand before they mockingly shook their head. They then grabbed Ruby's face with their other hand and tossed her aside, leaving Ruby on all fours when she clumsily recovered. The girl yelped and rolled away from a stomp that cracked the concrete and staggered back with her blaster in hand, firing desperately at the other Red Ranger as they stalked towards her.

Their open palm absorbed every shot until their fists ignited with devastating flame, forcing a panicked Ruby to evade every punch until one caught her in the gut and another smashed her into the ground. The Red Ranger drew one of their crimson-orange feather-styled blades and held it high, but Ruby rolled away at the last second and called forth Wolf's Claw, aiming its curved blade at the Rogue Ranger's neck… but their second blade caught the weapon and swiftly disarmed her. A spinning kick knocked Ruby back and the blades vanished from their hands.

Ruby gasped for breath as she scrambled back in terror. Her body spiked with sheer panic, and her heart pounded fast. "Wh-wh-what… what… what do you want?!"

The other Red Ranger stilled for a brief moment. The silence was just as suspenseful and agonizing as it was when they had first met, and Ruby expected no response other than this stranger to keep trying to kill her.

"To teach you."

Ruby was now the still one as she took in the stranger's voice. She couldn't make out much over the crackling flames, but the voice had a commanding tone and a ruthless edge. It was dominating… and it was working. Ruby felt smaller after hearing those three words alone and swallowed before forcing her reply.

"T-t-teach… me…?"

A tiny flame lit up the Red Phoenix Ranger's fingertips like a lighter, this one small and controlled in contrast to the raging blazes around them. A small flick sent the ember outward, where it immediately grew to Ruby's height and swallowed the young Red Ranger, coating her in a fiery aura that had a warm glow to it. Her fear dimmed into confusion, words unable to emerge as Ruby stared between the flaming aura to the stranger, who took a few steps back while the still-frightened civilians looked on.

The other Red Ranger tucked in their arms and bowed their head low, their body glowing with heat while crimson energies wafted from their form. The air grew hotter around them, and the asphalt slowly melted under their feet. Nearby trees burst into flame, and the people broke out into sweat. Ruby felt no such heat building up inside her and couldn't look away from the other Red Ranger charging up in front of her… or the people around her.

Teenagers around her age, perhaps a few years older, fell to their knees and struggled to breathe as sweat stained their clothes. Grown men and women slowly collapsed and slumped against walls, their will to continue evaporating like water. A small group bashing at a window was slowly losing their strength, their strikes weakening until they dropped everything they held. Civilians by the flame walls grew weaker, arms reaching out to friends and loved ones trapped behind the fires who could only watch in fear and horror.

And the Red Ranger grew brighter and hotter until their body surged with heat and red light.

It hit Ruby instantly.

"NOOOO!"

The other Red Ranger exploded into a massive firestorm that swept over Ruby. Her fiery aura absorbed the blast wave and the ensuing heat as she was blown back, the girl flying through the air as if struck by a large Grimm. The only thing she could hear over the loud eruption were screams, lots of them.

She saw it all in just those few seconds. The heatwave washed over everyone it could find, swallowing them up in fire and setting them all alight. They braced, ducked for cover, or tried to run, but none were spared from the inferno. The fire consumed everything and swallowed Ruby's entire vision…

…and she landed in something that swirled all around. The burning aura coughed out as pain wracked her body. Ruby's ears rang and her vision blurred, feeling nothing but the flames around her. It was quiet now, dead quiet. The people… where were all the civilians?

It took longer than she would have liked to pull herself up, but Ruby's feet slipped out from underneath her and she fell forward with a grunt, getting a faceful of something that smelled and tasted horrible to its core.

The girl coughed and sputtered before weakly crawling forward, her eyes stinging from dust. She wiped her face, her eyes blinking at the grey dust now covering her body…

Wait.

Dust didn't smell like this.

The explosion just now, the fires all around, the dead silence…

Something in Ruby broke when she realized the answer to her question.

Her body began to tremble and her breathing shook just as hard. Her dull silver eyes took in the scene around her. The plaza was completely unrecognizable; the street was entirely destroyed, and the trees were nothing but charred husks. Nearby buildings were nothing but rubble and the people…

What was left of the people… was all around her.

Tears welled in Ruby's eyes and she began to whimper uncontrollably. She saw burned clothes… an open wallet with a blackened ID… charred bones accompanying a dark skull… and ash. Ash all over. Ash in the air, gathered on the ground, and covering Ruby's quivering body from head to toe. The plaza was devoid of life and color, save for Ruby's weakened and quivering body…

…and a taller figure striding through the scorched scene like an angel of death.

Ruby hiccuped and choked on the hot air that wreaked havoc on her throat, stinging tears leaking down her face. At the same time, she meekly stared up at the Red Phoenix Ranger that glanced down at her with insignificance in their stance, observing just how broken and dejected Ruby had become.

It hurt to do anything, even speak. But… but she needed to know…

"...why…" It was nothing more than a weak, pathetic whimper lost in the ashes that filled the air. The stranger loomed over her motionlessly, almost as if they failed to hear her. Ruby hung her head low in a deep sob, unable to stop the tears from flowing as she gazed at her shaking ash-stained hands in horror. Her chest ached and her throat burned, the devastation around her too much for the girl to bear.

The people she had sworn to protect… gone in seconds.

She took a deep breath and forced her head upward, staring into the Red Ranger's visor.

"WHY?!" Her desperate scream came out as a choke.

Silence fell upon the plaza once again. No sound. The plaza was dead in more ways than one. One second felt like five as Ruby took in the murderous Red Ranger that had just snuffed out so many lives in an instant. They remained still and silent for a painful moment… until their arms slowly drew upward.

Through her moist, tear-stained vision, Ruby watched as those talon-tipped fingers reached for the Red Ranger's helmet and gently grasped it. A familiar click, a sharp hiss… and the helmet was pulled away before it was gently tucked under their arm.

Ruby could finally make out the Red Ranger's face, even through her teary silver eyes. This new Red Ranger was a woman significantly older than Ruby, somewhere in her twenties. Fair skin, ashen black hair draped over the left side of her face… and orange-amber eyes glowed in the surrounding heat. The corner of her lip was raised in a proud and satisfied smirk, like a mother who eagerly planned a punishment for a misbehaving child.

There was… something about her. Ruby struggled to support herself on her elbows as she slowly crawled onto her knees, her eyes locked on the woman's face. That face… was it just her, or…

Ruby hurriedly rushed out of her dorm, promising a swift return to her friends. She ran into somebody and collapsed onto the floor. Three people were in the hallway: one was a mint-haired girl with dark skin who helped her up. The other was a young man with gray hair and a weird, intimidating vibe. And the third-

Ruby's breath hitched and her widening eyes trembled. The woman's smirk grew wider in response before a lowly whisper left her lips.

"I told you I'd see you around…"

…

"First, it was Shane's Wind Morpher. And now, it's the Silver Energem. I'm telling you, Billy… something's not right."

There was a quiet sigh from the man standing by the computers. "You'll hear no argument from me, Jason. Two Rangers having lost their powers so soon from each other… any ideas?"

"Well, that's what I was hoping you would find out," came his reply. "But word from the others is that the Grimm have changed targets: instead of going after civilians, they're going after us. You think this is related?"

Billy drummed his fingers against the console in thought. "It's… a possibility. Preston told me a scream from that dark rider Grimm… Yang called it a Nuckelavee, right? Anyway, Preston said that its scream caused morphs to glitch and short out."

"Which would leave us open," Jason muttered. "And remind me what Hunter and Blake relayed again?"

Billy smirked as he glanced over his shoulder. "Which one?"

Jason sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Billy, come on…"

"Apologies, I saw an opportunity there," his friend chuckled. "But to answer your question, the Thunder Rangers reported that a few Grimm were drawn to Blake Belladonna's morpher - to her Power Coin - rather than Blake herself."

"Just like how one of them used Weiss' Coin as a chew toy back in Briarwood," Jason recalled. The Grimm attacking Rangers, going for their morphers, harnessing the Grid's energies as a result. They had gotten faster, stronger, smarter, and more ferocious than before, a single Grimm now able to match - or even surpass, Jason shuddered to think - a Ranger's strength. And they would only keep hunting more of that precious power and feasting on it, growing and evolving from it continuously…

"Hang on…" Billy murmured quietly, his fingers flipping some switches and pressing a few buttons. "Lemme run a quick… huh…"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing…" Jason heard a slight unease in his old friend's voice. "Probably a little system lag. Odd… the Aquabase's systems are fully operational." He pressed a few more buttons, but nothing happened… which made Billy scowl in annoyance before he pounded a fist against the console.

Jason smirked as the monitors hummed to life. "The old percussive maintenance move. It never fails." He said nothing else and allowed Billy to do his techno-wizardry, the veteran Blue Ranger muttering things to himself until he inputted a final command. "It doesn't make sense… the Grid should be replenishing the stolen energies, so why-"

That was when Billy stopped. Ten seconds passed until something ominous settled in Jason's gut. "Um… Billy?"

"...oh my god…"

Jason froze as well. That was genuine fear in his friend's voice, which made him hurry to Billy's side. That fear consumed him once he saw what the screen displayed. Jason and Billy's wide, horrified eyes settled on the Morphin Grid in all its splendor: a vast energy field as infinite as the cosmos and glimmering with color…

…and along the far edges of the Grid lay a darkness. Ominous purple glows and creeping shadow crept over the colors, swallowing and consuming all it touched. It was not still but leaked outward at a snail's pace, like a liquid oozing over a sidewalk that drowned anything within reach into its void-like expanse. Lights dwindled, colors faded, and starry patterns collapsed upon its touch, the darkness draining it all inch by inch like a starved beast engorging itself. Everything beyond the growing border was blank blackness devoid of existence.

"We need to get Tommy…" Jason shuddered, his breath quaking with panic and dread. "Jen, Alpha, everyone… NOW."