FicWad

Episode 10: The Princess and The Power Ranger

"Good evening, Rangers," Doctor K greeted as Griffin and the others entered the lab. "We've been expecting you."

"We?" Kenny furrowed his eyebrows, then scrunched up his nose once he spotted a dark-skinned man in a business suit standing next to his mentor. "Who's we?"

"Allow me to introduce myself," The man replied. "My name is Agent Wright. I'm with the CIA."

"...The Feds," Wendy realized. "Doc blew our cover while we were being chased by the Psi-Borg."

"Crap, that's right…" Griffin rubbed the back of his head, then turned to Agent Wright and asked, "So...that's it then? Show's over?"

"Not at all. My superiors aren't against your work – quite the opposite, actually. We appreciate what you do, and we acknowledge that you're the only ones capable of doing it." He told them. "We can't just turn a blind eye to it, though. We'll need to monitor you to ensure you do things covertly and by the book."

"Agent Wright has been assigned as our handler." Doctor K explained. She then elaborated, "From now on, he'll act as our direct liaison to the US government. We'll report to him, share intel, and consult with him and his superiors on any major decisions that affect the nation or world at large."

"For the most part, though, you'll be free to do your own thing," He assured them. "So long as you're willing to do us a few...favors from time to time."

"What kind of favors?"

"This, for example," He set a manila folder down on a table, then scooted it towards them and continued, "Starview Heights is expecting a special guest. It's come to our attention that they have something Venjix wants."

He opened the folder, then produced a map of an island. "This is Yudonia; it's an island nation off the coast of Europe. Princess Sonia, Heiress to the Yudonian throne, is on her way to the city. She'll be hosting a banquet for city officials. She'll be wearing her famous crystal earrings – earrings made of a mineral only found in Yudonian caves."

"The mineral is similar to an Earth-2 metal used in the construction of Attack Zords," Doctor K revealed. "It's in short supply, so Venjix will undoubtedly be interested in a substitute. Your mission is as follows: Protect the Princess. Do not allow her or the earrings to fall into enemy hands. Understood?"

"You can count on us, Doc." Griffin nodded.

"What's she look like?" Kenny questioned. He gestured to the folder, then asked, "You got a picture?"

"Affirmative," Agent Wright pulled out another photo, then handed it to him. Kenny studied it for a moment, and his jaw dropped. The image depicted a woman in her early twenties. She had pale, almost alabaster skin dusted with brown freckles, diamond blue eyes, and fiery red hair that fell down her shoulders in elegant curls. She almost –

"Dude, she looks just like Wendy!" The Blue Ranger exclaimed. He handed the picture to Griffin, who looked at it, then Wendy, and then the picture again. The Red Ranger opened his mouth to say something but found himself speechless.

"Gimme that!" The Yellow Ranger shouted, ripping the photo from his hands to look at it. She furrowed her eyebrows, then said, "Why do I have a twin?... And why is she dressed like that?!"

"Alright, I'm in position," Griffin whispered into his morpher, having infiltrated the dining hall of a fancy hotel disguised as a waiter. "How about you guys?"

"Green to go out here," Kenny replied from outside the lobby, where he had disguised himself as a bellhop. He took a guest's suitcase, then carried it inside and got on an elevator. "Wendy?"

"I'm all set up, here," Wendy informed, having set up a makeshift sniper's nest on the hotel's roof. As she surveyed the street below with her SpyTech Aperture's Camera Mode, she added, "NOTHING'S getting past me!"

"Alright. So far, so good, then," Griffin remarked. "Let's do a good job and send our new friends at the CIA home happy, yeah?"

"Eyes up!" Wendy said a few moments later. As a white limousine pulled up to the hotel, she added, "This could be her,"

Doors on the side of the limo swung open, and a dozen bodyguards piled out. They formed lines on either end of the vehicle, shielding it from paparazzi as they swarmed the area and tried to breakthrough. A butler stepped out, then turned around and offered his hand to a final passenger – a princess in an elaborate white dress and silver tiara. She took his hand, and he helped her out, then escorted her to the hotel entrance.

"Good afternoon," Kenny greeted, opening the door for the pair.

"To you as well, kind sir," The Princess replied in an ambiguously European accent. She politely bowed her head, and the Blue Ranger returned the favor, watching the two as they headed inside.

"Yep, that was her," He confirmed, whispering into his morpher as the bodyguards broke off from the limo and followed the Princess and her butler inside. "She seriously looks JUST like you, Wendy! It's SO weird!"

"Shut up and focus on the mission!" Wendy snapped. "I swear, it's like you're more annoying than usual somehow!"

"Well, SOMEBODY woke up on the wrong side of the bed…." Griffin muttered, not realizing that his morpher was still transmitting.

"I heard that!"

"Well, well, well...what do we have here?"

Delete clasped his hands together, having snuck into a pawn shop a few blocks away from the hotel. He did his best to remain quiet as he explored the back room and began to sift through various boxes, almost as if he were searching for something.

"If I can get those earrings, Father will recognize how superior I am to my siblings, and he'll begin to trust me over them! Then I'll be one step closer to usurping him and taking Earth-1 for myself!" He said to himself, laughing maniacally. "I just need the perfect...ah. This'll suffice!"

He pulled an object out of one of the boxes and held it up to the light – it was a silver tiara with green and red gemstones embedded throughout. He admired it for a moment, then placed it on a nearby card table. He pulled out a smartphone, which he hooked up to an Energon Storage Device. He then used it to scan a Venjix Virus Card, which he attached to the tiara before hitting a few buttons on the phone screen.

"Installing virus...now!" Green energy coursed through the card and into the tiara. It transformed into a slender, feminine-looking Attack Bot.

"Tiara Attack Bot at your service, my liege," It greeted with a bow. "How may I serve you?"

"Bring me Princess Sonia's earrings – now!"

"Okay, so we've got a positive ID on the VIP," Kenny observed. "...When's the Attack Bot showing up?"

"Hang on; I might have something," Wendy told him. She zoomed in on a building a few blocks away, then scanned it with her SpyTech Aperture. Glowing green lines ran along the sidewalk and into the road, leaving a trail that led to their current position. "Guys, I'm picking up irregular Energon usage nearby. Be on the lookout!"

"I'm not seeing anything," Kenny replied as he watched over the lobby.

"Yeah, me neither," Griffin echoed, just as the Princess and her entourage entered the dining hall. She smiled and waved at him, and he returned the gesture before subtly raising his morpher back up to his face. "Are you sure you-"

"Your Majesty, look out!" One of the bodyguards shouted, tackling her to protect her from an incoming laser blast. He stood to his feet, then drew a gun and waved his fellow bodyguards over as the Tiara Attack Bot emerged from the kitchen. "All guards, converge on the dining hall! Protect the Princess!"

"Crap, we've got trouble!" Griffin exclaimed. He used the chaos to his advantage, slipping around a corner without being noticed. "VIP is under attack by the Tiara Attack Bot! I repeat: VIP is under attack by Tiara Attack Bot!"

"We're on our way!" Kenny and Wendy replied in unison. Griffin checked to make sure the coast was clear, then brandished his morpher once he was sure he wasn't being watched.

"Install: CPU!" Within an instant, he'd morphed into CPU Red. He drew his SpyTech Analyzer, then spun it into his usual reverse grip and turned the corner. "Not so fast, tin can!"

"Tin can?! I'll have you know that I am made of only the finest metals, peasant!" The Tiara Attack Bot tossed the bodyguards it was fighting aside, then turned its attention to Griffin as he supersped towards it. It produced a tiara, which it then threw at him like a boomerang. "Take this!"

"I'd rather not!" Griffin quipped, swatting the projectile away with his sword. He then skid to a halt in front of the Princess, who he scooped up and carried bridal-style. "C'mon, I'm getting you outta here!"

"Who are you..?!" She demanded, her eyes full of confusion and fear. She looked over her shoulder as a morphed Kenny and Wendy burst into the room, then turned back to her savior and repeated, "I said, who areyou?!"

"Ever hear of the Power Rangers..?" Griffin replied awkwardly. He kicked open the door to a nearby room, then hurried through it. After setting the Princess down, he positioned himself by the door and exchanged his SpyTech Analyzer for his SpyTech Aperture. "Look, I'll explain everything later! For now, I'm more worried about keeping you safe!"

"Safe from what?!"

"I told you, I'll explain later! Now get down!" He fired a few shots at the Tiara Attack Bot, then hollered over to his teammates, "Blue and Yellow, keep it busy while we get clear!"

"Little easier said than done there, Red!" Kenny said through grit teeth as he struggled to hold the Tiara Attack Bot back. "This one's pretty tough!"

"Just shut up and do it, Blue!" Wendy hollered. She pelted the Attack Bot with blaster fire, then ran up and delivered a roundhouse kick to her foe. "We've got you covered, Red! Now go!"

"Right then!" Griffin holstered his blaster, then turned to the Princess and offered her his hand. "C'mon, time to leave!"

She took his hand, then asked, "Where are we going?"

"Anywhere but here!" He told her, escorting her down a nearby hallway. Xanadroids began to burst out of doors all along the corridor, so he drew his blaster and began shooting at them as they ran past. "Hang on!"

Back in the dining hall, Kenny and Wendy were working together with the bodyguards to keep the Tiara Attack Bot at bay. The Blue and Yellow Rangers delivered a relentless flurry of punches and kicks to their foe, then back-flipped away and joined the bodyguards in pelting her with projectile fire. Bullets and lasers sparked off its armor, but the robot shrugged off the damage and retaliated with an assault of its own.

"You're really starting to annoy me!" It threw its tiara-boomerang at the pair, then planted its hands on the floor while they were distracted. Waves of energy surged through the tile, and its attackers retreated to avoid it. "I'll just come back later!"

It teleported away, and the Blue and Yellow Rangers holstered their weapons and regrouped.

"You good?" Kenny asked Wendy, who gave him a nod.

"Yeah, I'm fine. You?" He nodded back, and she added, "C'mon, let's go find Red-"

"Rangers, come in!" Bugz hollered, her voice echoing from their morphers. They lifted them up, and as a countdown timer appeared on them, the Yellow Buddy Droid added, "We've got an incoming Attack Zord! ETA: Four hours!"

"Four hours…?" Griffin said to himself, confused. He'd retreated into a conference room down the hall and was now staring at his morpher in disbelief. "That's a LONG time from-"

"Who are you?" The Princess inquired, folding her arms as she stared at him from across the room.

"It's like I said: I'm a Power Ranger," He told her. "I can't really say anything more than that, just know that you're in very real-"

She crossed the room and grabbed his helmet, then removed it before he could react. The color drained from his face, and he lamely finished, "-danger…"

"Red! Red, where are you?" Kenny's voice echoed from the hall, and the door to the conference room swung open to reveal him and Wendy. As they entered the room, he added, "Red, are you good?"

"Hey, what the-?!" Wendy shrieked, realizing that Griffin's helmet was removed. She removed her own, then added, "What the hell, Griffin?! You're blowing our cover so you can make out with the VIP?!"

"W-What?! No, it's not l-like that!" Griffin's face flushed, and he frantically waved his hands in denial. "She took it off; I had nothing to do with it!"

"A likely story!" The Yellow Ranger huffed, folding her arms. Griffin groaned, then turned to Kenny as he removed his helmet.

"Attack Bot got away?" Griffin guessed.

"Yep. We've got an Attack Zord on the way, though,"

"Yeah, I saw. It won't be here until three?" Kenny nodded, and Griffin stroked his chin before adding, "So it'll be here right about when the...banquet starts…"

The Princess' head butler entered the conference room, and Kenny bounded up to him and said, "Yo, Butler Dude! You've gotta call off the banquet!"

"Cancel the banquet? Why that's preposterous!" He replied. "Just who are you, anyway?!"

"We're the Power Rangers, and we've been sent here to protect the Princess," Griffin explained. "The Tiara Attack Bot is after her earrings, and if it gets ahold of 'em, bad things will happen! Our city; no, the entire world is at stake here!"

"We can't…!" The Princess chimed in. Everyone's gaze shifted to her, and she repeated, "We can't cancel it!"

"Do you even hear yourself right now?!" Wendy shouted. "How selfish can you be?!"

"Woah, you're like twins!" The butler exclaimed, having noticed how identical they looked. "That's crazy!"

"'Selfish…?' This is important to me!" The Princess said, glaring at Wendy. "Don't you have any dreams?!"

"Dreams..?"

"Hey, Wendy," Wendy's father Simon said, gaining the attention of a younger Wendy as they sat on a porch swing. "When you grow up...what do you wanna be?"

"Employed," Wendy said with a shrug, earning a hearty laugh from her father…

"These are mementos from my mother," Sonia explained as she removed one of her earrings, shaking Wendy from her thoughts. As she fidgeted with it, she continued, "When she was Queen, our nations maintained a harmonious relationship with one another; our people wanted for nothing. When she and my father died, my Uncle rose to power as Regent. It was supposed to be a temporary arrangement until I came of age, but he refuses to relinquish the throne! Our international relations have all soured, and our economy is a wreck – my people suffer every day! That's why this is so important to me! The future of my Kingdom depends on this banquet!"

She then bowed before Wendy, practically groveling at her feet.

"Please, miss...!"

"But…" The Yellow Ranger's voice trailed off, and Kenny slapped her on the back and snapped his fingers to get everyone else's attention.

"I've got an idea!" The Blue Ranger informed them. "The Attack Bot's only after Sonia, right? So what if we pull a little switcheroo?"

"There's no doubt; the Tiara Attack Bot will return alongside its Attack Zord counterpart once the banquet begins," Doctor K opined over the comm-link. As Griffin and Kenny took an elevator to a higher floor, she added, "Agent Wright has approved the plan. You're free to proceed."

"Roger that," Griffin replied. "We won't let you down, Doc."

With that, the pair lowered their morphers just as the elevator came to a halt. The doors slid open, and they stepped through them, then strolled out onto a balcony overlooking the dining hall below.

"Hey Wendy," Griffin greeted, spotting the Yellow Ranger as she leaned over the railing. "What's up? You look kinda down,"

"What..? Oh, it's nothing…" She lied. She took a small breath, then turned to him and added, "Say, Griffin...do you have a dream?"

"Yeah. I uhm, I wanna become a published author," He told her. "Sit home, write stories, and get paid to share them with the world, that sorta thing. Why, what about you?"

"I...don't really know. I mean, I wanna destroy Venjix and end this war once and for all, but...that probably doesn't count, does it?"

"No, it doesn't,"

"Grif, you can't just-!"

"No, Kenny, it's okay," Wendy told him. "Griffin's right. I mean, it's not a dream if it's something you have to do."

"Exactly. But by the time we beat Venjix, you'll have found a dream of your own," Griffin gave her a reassuring smile, one which she mirrored. "I'm sure of it."

"Okay, just gotta touch this up a bit more and...dammit!" Wendy grunted in frustration as she stood in front of a bathroom mirror, attempting to style her hair. She slammed her hairbrush down on the sink, then took a deep breath as the door to the restroom swung open.

"...Wow. You really do look just like me, Wendy!" Princess Sonia exclaimed, studying her doppelganger's reflection.

"Don't worry," Wendy said with a warm smile. "Once we draw the Attack Bot away, you'll be free to trade places with me!"

"I'm not worried about that anymore," Sonia told her, shaking her head. "I feel like I was too hostile earlier, so I came to apologize."

"Hey, don't sweat it. This banquet is important to you; I understand now," Wendy turned to face her before continuing with, "I'd never really thought about having a dream before."

The Yellow Ranger then turned back to the mirror and resumed doing her hair, only to scowl when it refused to cooperate. Sensing her frustration, Sonia gently took the brush from her and began to assist her.

"I don't get it, Wendy...I mean, isn't it hard? Being a Ranger?" Sonia said with a frown. "You're just a normal girl like me!"

"Maybe so, but there are people who depend on me. People I love and care about...their futures rest in my hands." Wendy closed her eyes and took a cleansing breath, then opened them and added, "I may not have a dream, but I can protect dreams!"

"I see...thank you, Wendy."

"Thank you, Sonia. I appreciate the help with my hair,"

A few moments later, a knock at the door drew their attention. "Hey, Wendy?" Griffin's voice echoed from the hall. "It's time; are you good to go?"

"She'll be right out!" Sonia called. She walked over to the door and opened it, allowing Griffin to see inside as Wendy came up behind her.

"Uhhh, w-wow…" Griffin's voice trailed off once his eyes landed on Wendy, and he blushed a bit as he struggled to find something to say. "You look-"

"What..?!" Wendy squawked, folding her arms.

"Well, I was gonna say I like your hair, but apparently it's illegal to look at you, so-!"

"Whatever," She brushed past him and stomped down the hall, but Sonia noticed her cheeks were pink. She watched as Griffin rubbed the back of his head, then let out a sudden fit of giggles.

"Hey, what's so funny..?!" The Red Ranger turned to face the Princess, who placed her hand over her mouth as her laughter slowed to a halt.

"Oh, nothing," She removed her hand, revealing a sly grin that had formed on her face. "Griffin lemme ask you something. Do you like Wendy?"

"W-What?!" Griffin's face turned redder than his Ranger helmet, and his eyes darted all over to avoid her gaze. "W-What p-possibly gave you t-that idea…?!"

"Call it...women's intuition," Sonia laughed, then glanced at a clock on the wall. "Well, would you look at that? It's showtime."

"Allllllright ladies and gentlemen, it's the moment you've all been waiting for!" Sonia's butler announced, speaking into a microphone as he addressed a large crowd of socialites in the dining hall. "Introducing the woman of the hour, the hostess of this very banquet, Princess Sonia Shields of Yudonia!"

A set of double doors swung open, and a large group of bodyguards escorted Wendy into the room and onto the makeshift stage that had been erected. Her hair was done up in elegant curls, her usual attire was replaced with a regal white dress and shiny heels, and the famous Yudonian crystal earrings hung from her ears. She looked just like Sonia – so much so that no one there could tell the difference. As she smiled and waved to the banquet's patrons, Griffin, Kenny, and the real Sonia kept watch from the balcony above her.

Wendy strolled behind a table that had been placed on the stage, then took a seat. The Yellow Ranger fought to keep her eyes open as a sea of photographers snapped pictures of her, nearly blinding her with their flashes. She grabbed a glass of wine in front of her, then took a sip as the crowd cheered.

"...You're not gonna tell her your butler swapped that wine out for grape juice, are you?" Kenny asked Sonia.

"Are you kidding? Of COURSE she's not telling her, Wendy would go ballistic!" Griffin hissed.

"I'd appreciate it if you would focus, Rangers Red and Blue," Doctor K chided, her voice echoing out of their morphers.

"Sorry, Doc," Griffin returned to the task at hand, scanning the area below them with his SpyTech Analyzer's binocular mode. "Hang on, I think I've got something!"

"Woah, what the-?!" A man in the back of the crowd exclaimed, gesturing to a bulging crack that had just appeared on the floor. The crack grew bigger and bigger, then exploded and sent debris flying everywhere. The Tiara Attack Bot erupted from the opening, then wasted no time as it forced its way through the crowd. "RUN!"

Everyone in the crowd scattered, running around like chickens with their heads cut off. The Princess' bodyguards rushed off the stage. They leaped into action, rounding up the panicked socialites and corralling them out of the room to safety. Wendy bolted from her chair and jumped into the air, using her superagility to deliver a flying kick to her foe.

"You! You're not the Princess!" The Tiara Attack Bot stood its ground, shrugging off Wendy's attacks before retaliating with its own. It punched her repeatedly in the torso, then grabbed her arm and spun her around. One of Sonia's earrings fell off of Wendy's ears and hurtled through the air, and the Attack Bot snatched it up as she scrambled to recover it. "Hahahaha!"

"That belongs to Sonia!" Wendy growled. She ripped away from the Attack Bot's grip, then attempted to deliver a roundhouse kick. "Give it back!"

"No thanks!" The Tiara Attack Bot taunted. It grabbed Wendy's ankle mid-kick, then shoved her backward. As the Yellow Ranger toppled over backward and landed on the floor, it turned around. It threw its tiara-boomerang at a nearby window, smashing it and providing it with an escape route. "So long, Ranger Yellow!"

"Get your ass back here!" Wendy hollered. She pulled herself to her feet, then dashed outside to pursue her target. Griffin and Kenny climbed over the balcony's railing. They leaped down to follow their teammate, morphing in midair to soften their landing.

"Delete! Delete, I got one of the earrings!" The Tiara Attack Bot skid to a halt in a nearby plaza, where Delete was waiting for it. It tossed the earring to him, and he caught it in his palm. "The Rangers are on their way with the other one; I'll get it no problem!"

"Good work! Keep it up," Delete teleported away, leaving the Tiara Attack Bot alone as Wendy and the others dashed into the area.

"Not so fast, glitter bitch!" Wendy shouted, aiming her SpyTech Aperture at it. "I may be wearing heels, but I'll still kick your ass!"

"We'll see about that, Ranger Yellow!" The Tiara Attack Bot turned to face the Rangers, then summoned a squadron of Xanadroids. "Xanadroids, attack!"

The robotic footsoldiers followed its order without question, charging the Rangers with their weapons drawn. Wendy stood her ground, holstering her blaster before brandishing her morpher.

"It's Morphin' Time!" She boomed. "Install: CPU!"

Within moments, she'd donned her Ranger suit. She drew her blaster again, then leaped into the fray with Griffin and Kenny following close behind her.

"Climax Jumper!" She yelled, pelting the Xanadroids with blaster bolts as they closed in on her. "CPU Yellow!"

"Limit Breaker!" Griffin added, super-speeding to avoid incoming projectiles and slashing Xanadroids as he ran past. "CPU Red!"

"Shield Buster!" Kenny declared, swinging wild punches that knocked Xanadroids off their feet left and right. "CPU Blue!"

"Covertly protecting the universe from evil!" The trio regrouped, then struck their usual pose with Wendy as the centerpiece. "Power Rangers: CPU!"

"Good show! Do you do birthday parties and bar mitzvahs as well?" The Tiara Attack Bot taunted. It gestured to the surviving Xanadroids, then barked, "Finish them off already!"

The Xanadroids united as a group, forming a large phalanx stretching across the entire width of the plaza. They aimed their blasters at the Rangers, then fired, sending a wall of laser blasts hurtling towards the trio.

"Rangers, look out!" Doctor K warned via the comm-link. "Defense Maneuver Alpha: GO!"

"Right!" Griffin and the others shouted in unison. Kenny grabbed a nearby car, then lifted it in front of him like a makeshift shield. Griffin and Wendy took cover on either side of him. Together, they waited as the flurry of lasers pelted the vehicle.

"Attack Plan Beta: ENGAGE!" Griffin ordered. Kenny and Wendy gave him a wordless nod, then leaped into action. The Blue Ranger tossed the car at their attackers, then moved to stand shoulder to shoulder with his Red counterpart. Together, the two male Rangers waited for their Yellow teammate to run up behind them and leap into the air. They hoisted her up, boosting the height of her subsequent superagility-powered jump.

"SpyTech Aperture: Snapshot STRIKE!" Wendy fired her finishing attack at the car once it struck the Xanadroids. The vehicle then exploded, killing off the remaining footsoldiers before they even had time to react.

"That's what you get for skimping on insurance!" Kenny joked, earning a slight groan from his teammates.

"Why, you...this isn't over!" The Tiara Attack Bot charged its tiara-boomerang with energy, then flung it forward. It disappeared in a golden blur, and sparks flew off the Rangers' suits as it struck them.

"Woah…!" The trio flew through the air, landing back on the ground with a slight thud. They coughed a bit, then groaned in pain as they struggled back to their feet.

"Hahahaha! You put on quite the show, but in the end, you're no different than the rest of your pathetic race!" The Attack Bot taunted. "A planet overrun by weaklings and peasants, just begging to be wiped clean!"

"That's what you think!" Wendy defied. She looked to the others, then added, "What's say we end this?!"

"Let's do it!" Griffin summoned his blaster, then combined it with his saber. Kenny and Wendy did the same. They twisted the dials on the barrels of their SpyTech Sniper before aiming them at their opponent. "SpyTech Sniper: Scope SALVO!"

They each pulled the trigger, launching three golden beams of light that soared towards the Tiara Attack Bot. It attempted to counter with a final attack of its own, but its boomerang disintegrated once it touched their projectiles. The beams of light cut through its armor like it was made of tissue paper, and it fell to its knees while sparking uncontrollably. "No! I...I am royalty! Such an uncouth and barbaric death... it's unfitting!"

"Too bad," Wendy taunted, moments before the Attack Bot exploded. She spun her blaster around her trigger finger, then stopped it mid-spin and pretended to blow out the barrel. She holstered the weapon, then added, "That's another one headed for the scrapheap!"

"This isn't over just yet," Kenny reminded her, gesturing to the countdown timer on his morpher. "Requesting Zords, Doc!"

"Request granted; I'm downmorphing them as we speak," Doctor K told him. "Agent Wright has agreed to lend us some Energon, so you're clear to form the Megazord!"

"Right on!" Griffin watched as an Attack Zord resembling the Tiara Attack Bot teleported into the area, then turned his attention to their own Zords as they flew out of a hidden skyscraper tunnel. "Let's go!"

They leaped into the air, boarding their Zords without a moment's hesitation. They each flipped a series of switches in their cockpits, performing the steps necessary to combine their giant vehicles and form their Megazord.

"SpyTech Megazord: ONLINE!" They shouted in unison once the transformation was complete. Their Megazord drew its sword, then stomped towards the Tiara Attack Zord as it broke out into a run.

"Incoming!" Kenny yelped as the Attack Zord flung a giant version of the tiara-boomerang at them. He reacted quickly, willing the Megazord to deflect the projectile with its arm blades. The Tiara Attack Zord fired a volley of missiles at them while they were distracted, and their Megazord staggered backward and almost toppled over. "Woah…!"

"Rangers, you got lucky that time, but you won't withstand an attack like that if it lands!" Doctor K informed them. "I highly suggest you wrap things up!"

"Roger that, Doc! Charging sword!" Wendy flipped another series of switches, then turned to watch a graphic of their sword filling with Energon.

"Boosting output!" Kenny raised a lever on his control console, speeding up the process. "50%...60...70...80...90...100%!"

"SpyTech Megazord: Dimension CRASH!" The Megazord raised its swords, and sound waves shot out of its knees and shins. The Tiara Attack Zord found itself trapped in a giant bubble. The Megazord delivered a diagonal slash to its torso, and it stumbled backward and fell onto its back before exploding.

"Shutdown: COMPLETE!" Griffin shouted as the Megazord struck a triumphant pose.

"You did an excellent job here, Rangers." Agent Wright remarked, addressing Griffin and the others as they stood at attention in Doctor K's lab. "Delete may have gotten ahold of one of the earrings, but you stopped him from acquiring both, and the Princess remains unharmed. The powers that be will be very pleased when they read my report."

He then made for the door, but not before adding, "It was very nice meeting all of you. We'll be in touch."

With that, he exited the lab, and Doctor K clasped her hands together.

"I too am quite pleased with the results of today's mission," She told them. "You satisfied our new friends in the CIA, but more importantly, you kept the city and her people safe. Good work."

"Thanks," The Rangers saluted their mentor, then relaxed their stances. Wendy felt her pocket buzz, so she pulled out her phone and unlocked her screen to find an email notification.

"Hey, I've got an email from Sonia!" Wendy opened the message, then read it aloud. "'Dear Wendy, thank you and your teammates for protecting myself and the other banquet attendees. I know we got off to a rough start, but I'm very grateful for the help, and I admire all that you and your friends do. I'm sure being a Ranger entails quite a bit of personal sacrifice. Still, I sincerely hope you find fulfillment in it wherever you can. I also hope that one day you may find a dream of your own, much like mine. Your new friend, Princess Sonia. PS: Don't sweat losing one of the earrings. In fact, I'd like for you to keep the other one. Consider it a small token of my friendship and respect.'"

"Sweet! Souvenir!" Kenny scooped up the earring, then tossed it up into the air and caught it.

"Hey, be careful with that thing; it's Wendy's!" Griffin snatched it out of his hand, then handed it back to their Yellow teammate. She took it from him, and he added, "You uh...you made a good Princess, y'know. Pulled it off pretty well, actually. Better than I was expecting,"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Wendy gave him the stink-eye, planting her hands on her hips.

"Oh, uh, n-nothing, I just meant...well, you uh, you're not exactly the Princess type. You're much, uh, angr-no, f-feistier! No, that doesn't sound good either; I mean...don't hit me!" He tore away from the others, then hid behind Cheetor. "Cheetor, help me out here!"

"Why should I? You're the one who put your foot in your mouth," Cheetor grabbed his human counterpart by the sleeve and pulled him out from behind him, then gently shoved him towards Wendy.

"Oh c'mon, don't l-look at me like that! I was trying to compliment you, really!" Wendy pounded her fists and then lunged towards Griffin, who took off and ran away. As she chased him around the room, Doctor K tried in vain to calm them down, and Kenny let out a hearty laugh.

"Could he BE any more awkward around women?" Kenny shook his head as his lips curled into a smirk, then joined in the fun, chasing Griffin alongside Wendy. "Hey Grif, you owe whoever catches you first dinner!"

"What?! Since when?!" Griffin tore away from the other two, then ran out the exit and sped up the stairs. "I can't afford that right now; I'm broke…!"

"Rangers…" Doctor K plopped down in her chair, then let out an exhausted sigh. "Rangers, Rangers, Rangers…"

- POWER RANGERS: CPU -