FicWad

Episode 12: Hunter Hunted

Griffin shifted in his seat, the low rumble of his car's engine washing over him as he waited in an airport parking lot. He drummed his fingers on the dashboard, his gaze moving from outside the windshield to the built-in clock every couple of seconds. His eyes were drawn to an airplane as it flew overhead, descended towards the runway, and landed.

A few minutes later, his pocket buzzed, and his James Bond ringtone rang in his ears. He pulled out his phone, answering the incoming call as he raised it to his ear.

"Hello? ...Yeah, I'm here," His lips curled into a smile, and he quickly added, "C'mon out whenever you're ready."

He hung up, then slipped his phone back into his pocket and waited for a few more minutes. Soon, he spotted a girl a few years his junior exit the terminal building while wheeling a suitcase behind her. She had curly black hair, blue eyes, and a slight gap in her teeth. His eyes lit up, and he popped his trunk before hopping out of the car and giving her a hug.

"Kelly! Man, it's so good to see you!" They broke the hug, and he took her suitcase from her and ushered her over to the car. "Here, I'll help you with your luggage,"

He loaded her suitcase into the trunk, then shut it and opened the passenger door. He waited for her to get in, then shut the door and got back in on the driver's seat. He put the car in drive, then pulled out of the parking lot and made his way out of the airport.

"How are you?" Griffin asked her.

"Tired," Kelly replied groggily.

"How was your flight?"

"Lonnnng…" Her voice stretched into a yawn mid-sentence, which earned a laugh from Griffin.

"Wow, you weren't kidding when you said you were tired, huh?" She slugged him on the arm, and Griffin chuckled before adding, "Don't worry, sis. I've got my room all set up, and I'm geared up to camp out in the living room if you wanna go to bed right away. We'll have plenty of time to catch up over the weekend."

With that, he made his way back onto the highway, and Kelly closed her eyes and smiled, the sound of the other cars around them lulling her to sleep.

"WHY YOU THREE INSIST ON TESTING MY PATIENCE, I'LL NEVER KNOW!" Venjix boomed, reprimanding Control, Alt, and Delete as they cowered before his holo tube. "ALL I'VE ASKED OF YOU IS TO DEFEAT THE POWER RANGERS, AND YOU CAN'T EVEN MANAGE THAT! YOU'RE DISGRACEFUL!"

"Mes excuses, le Pere," Control replied in French. "I know we have failed you, Father, but please, allow us one more chance!"

"I'VE GIVEN YOU NOTHING BUT CHANCES! HOWEVER..." Venjix paused, stopping to regain his breath. "...I NEED YOU, MY CHILDREN. WITHOUT YOUR ASSISTANCE, MY CONQUEST OF EARTH-1 WILL NEVER COME TO FRUITION."

"Fear not, Father. I will be your instrument!" Control rose to his feet, producing a Venjix Virus Card and showing it to his creator. "I have a plan to dispose of the Red Ranger once and for all – and once their leader is dead and gone, the other two will soon follow!"

The Next Morning…

"Well, here we are!" Griffin announced, gesturing around the food court of the local mall. "Whatever you want for breakfast, Kel! It's on me!"

"Woah...there's like, actual options. This blows the mall back home out of the water!" Kelly observed. She then titled her head, and a confused look formed on her face. "But wait, didn't this place blow up a few months ago…?"

"Oh, yeah. Something about a gas leak, I think?" Griffin lied, rubbing the back of his neck. "Anyway, they rebuilt it recently."

"Ah...well, I guess cinnamon rolls sound good," She pointed to the nearby Cinnabon vendor, and Griffin nodded in agreement.

"Cinnabon it is!" They got in line and ordered their cinnamon rolls, then carried them to a table and sat down before digging in.

"Mmh! That's really good!" Kelly exclaimed. "Thanks, Grif!"

"No problem, sis!" Griffin took a bite of his own cinnamon roll, then continued, "So, how're things going back home? What's everyone been up to?"

"It's going good, actually! Mom's still collecting those Pioneer Woman dishes, and Dad's doing really good at work. Liam's been dating Bri for almost a year now. Topher's had straight As for two whole semesters...oh, Piper's doing a lot better health-wise; she even did a big solo for the church Youth Choir! Carson's doing really well in his dance classes...I've been leading the Youth Sign Team, and Benji...well, Benji's a handful, but we love him!"

"I'll bet!" Griffin laughed. "Probably growing like a weed too, huh?" Kelly nodded, and he added, "Man...can't believe he's almost six. You guys are growing up so fast!"

"Speak for yourself, Mr. College Man! Feels like just yesterday you were starting your last year of high school. Now look at you!" She took another bite, then continued, "How have you been, by the way? You still working at the pizza joint here?"

"Actually, no. Rob never called me after the remodel, and I never called him."

"Oh…? Why not?"

"Been too busy. Between school and a...club I'm a part of, I just don't have the time for work right now," Griffin told her, subtly alluding to his duties as a Power Ranger. "Besides, I kinda hated that job anyway."

"Fair enough," Kelly shrugged, then took a couple more bites of her cinnamon roll. Griffin went to finish his own, but his attention was drawn elsewhere when his phone started to buzz inside his pocket. He pulled it out, then unlocked the screen to see an incoming video call from Kenny.

"Who'shat?" Kelly asked mid-bite.

"A friend," Griffin told her. He answered the call, then grimaced a bit at his Blue teammate's rather bombastic introduction.

"Yo, what's up, Grif?!"

"Hey…" Griffin replied. "What's going on?"

"Nothing much, just grabbing some breakfast," Kenny gestured to the background, where he sat in a booth at Nova's Diner. "You?"

"Same. I'm at the mall with my sister," He panned his phone's camera around to show his sibling, then introduced her. "This is my little sister Kelly; she's here visiting for the weekend. Kelly, this is Kenny. He's another member of that club I mentioned,"

"Hiya! Nice to meet you, Kelly!" Kenny took a bite of bacon, then added, "Is that why you missed the club meeting yesterday morning…?"

"Crap, I forgot that was a thing…!" Griffin rubbed the back of his neck as he added, "Sorry, didn't even realize I missed that…."

"It's not the only thing you missed, y'know!" Wendy hollered from just off-screen. She bent down and leaned into frame, glaring at the Red Ranger through the screen. "Where were you last night?! You were supposed to help me with my English paper, remember...?!"

"Aw CRAP, I totally spaced on that too!" The young man facepalmed, and his face twisted into a sheepish expression. "Sorry, Wendy. My sister's in town, so I couldn't make it. I meant to text you…."

"Yeah, well you didn't, so…" She trailed off, her frustration evident. She plopped down next to Kenny, then mumbled, "Dummy…."

"I'll make it up to you! Promise…"

"You'd better!" She huffed, folding her arms.

"So...are you two like, dating?" Kelly questioned, causing them both to blush.

"What?! That's...no!" Wendy squirmed in her seat, then pretended to talk to someone off-screen. "Ahuh?...Yeah! B-Be right there, Josh…!"

"Josh isn't even working today!" Kenny called after the Yellow Ranger as she bolted out of her seat and walked away. He shook his head, then said, "Oh whatever...anyway, I'll let you go, Grif. Bye Kelly, nice meeting you!"

"Nice meeting you!" Kelly echoed, waving goodbye as the older boy ended the call. She glanced at Griffin, then waggled her eyebrows as her mouth curled into a Cheshire cat-like grin. "Soooooo, Wendy, huh?"

"...She's just a friend!" He shouted after pausing for just a moment too long. "I'll be right back; I gotta get a drink to wash this down…!"

He hopped out of his chair and sped-walk to the nearest food vendor, his face redder than a tomato. He got in line to order a soda, and his sister covered her face with her hand to suppress a fit of giggles.

Meanwhile, on the floor above them…

"Well, well, well, look what we have here," Control observed, his arms draped over a railing as he stalked Griffin from above. "Ranger Red's enjoying some quality time with his dear sister...spendide! C'est amusant!"

He pushed off the railing, then twirled around and waltzed into a nearby toy shop. Its ginger-haired owner greeted him from the counter, not even bothering to glance up from the comic book he was reading. "Welcome to Omega Toys and Games Emporium. Lemme know if I can help you with anything!"

"Non merci," Control replied as he passed the counter. He slipped into an aisle in the back, ignoring the weird looks he received from parents and children as he began to peruse its shelves. "Let's see here…."

He scanned the shelf for a few moments, then stopped when something caught his eye. He picked up the item in question, a toy gun and knife set, then gave it a closer inspection.

"Yes...this should do nicely," He said to himself, earning more weird looks from the other patrons. He then thrust open his trenchcoat without warning, producing his laptop, a portable Energon Storage Device, and a Venjix Virus Card. He hooked the former two items up to each other, then scanned the latter and attached it to the toy. "Now, arise, Arsenal Attack Bot! Arise, and exterminate Ranger Series Red!"

The commotion drew the attention of the shopkeeper, who set down his comic and stood from his chair. He stepped out from behind the counter and made his way over, his eyes widening as a brilliant green glow flashed from around the corner. He peered into the aisle and started, "Sir, you have to pay for that before you – OH MY GOD!"

Control rolled his eyes, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a wadded-up twenty-dollar bill. He shoved it into the shopkeeper's hand, then brushed past him with the Arsenal Attack Bot in tow.

"Keep the change,"

"Daddy, what's that strange man doing?" A young girl asked, tugging at her father's sleeve as he watched Control leave with his mouth agape.

"I don't know, sweetie. I think they're cosplayers or something," The father shook his head, then muttered, "Darn Zoomers…."

"...and then Carson shot Topher with the Nerf gun, and Topher and Liam chased him up and down the stairs like three times!" Kelly told Griffin a story as they walked out of the food court. "It was hilarious; I wish you'd been there to see it!"

"Yeah, me too," Griffin let out an amused snort, his mouth curling into a wistful smirk. "I've really missed you guys."

"We've missed you too," Kelly echoed. She gave her brother a reassuring smile, then added, "I'm glad I could come down and vis-"

"LOOK OUT!" A man in his late twenties screeched, tackling his girlfriend to the ground to protect her from an incoming blaster bolt. A chorus of mechanical footsteps echoed through the mall, and the hair on the back of Griffin's neck stood straight up as a squadron of Xanadroids marched into the room, led by none other than Control.

"Dangit, not NOW! NOT NOW!" Griffin clenched his fist, his face twisting into a deep scowl. Kelly's eyes darted around in fear and confusion, and she grabbed her brother by the sleeve and shook his arm.

"Grif, what's going on?!"

"Long story," Griffin grabbed her hand, then tugged her behind him as he sped down a nearby hall. "C'mon, we've gotta get somewhere safe!"

"Leaving already? How rude of you," Control signaled his troops to attack the mall-goers, then teleported up to the second floor. He placed his hand on the Arsenal Attack Bot's back, then gestured down to Griffin and Kelly as they made a break for the nearest exit. "The boy is your target. Kill him."

"Venjix's will be done," The Attack Bot replied. It leaped up into the air, disappearing into the rafters as it began to stalk its prey…

"Doc, we've got trouble!" Cheetor hollered as klaxons blared throughout the lab and a red dot pulsed on the holo map. As Doctor K and the other Buddy Droids rushed over, he added, "I'm detecting major Venjix activity at the mall!"

"You mean they reopened it?" Doctor K hurried over to her computer, then pounded away at her keyboard at breakneck speed. "Bugz, patch me through to the Rangers!"

"Roger rabbit!" Bugz obeyed the order, and Doctor K slipped on her earpiece before speaking into it.

"Rangers, this is Doctor K! We're detecting Venjix activity at the mall! I need you there ASAP! I repeat, there's an ongoing Venjix attack at the mall; I need you to respond ASAP!"

"You got it, Doc!" Kenny replied over the comm-link. "Heading that way now!"

"Me too," Wendy echoed. Doctor K waited for a response from Griffin, but she heard nothing but white noise.

"Ranger Red, this is Doctor K! A Venjix attack is taking place at the mall; I need you on the scene ASAP!" She still received no response, so she tried again, "Ranger Red, please respond! Ranger Red!"

"Ranger Red, this is Doctor K! A Venjix attack is taking place at the mall; I need you on the scene ASAP! Ranger Red, please respond! Ranger Red!"

"Now's not exactly the best time, Doc…." Griffin mumbled to himself as he escorted Kelly to the exit. Exhaustion bit at his legs, but he pressed on despite himself, his sister in tow. They'd nearly made it to the door, but the screams of the other mall-goers echoed off the walls, drawing his attention. "I can't leave them here..!"

He skid to a halt, then gently pushed Kelly off to the side. "Stay here. I'll be right back!"

"But Griffin! What're you-"

"I'll explain later; just stay here! I'll be right back!" He disappeared around the corner, then supersped back to the food court as soon as he was out of sight. He skid to a halt, then surveyed his surroundings. All around him, civilians were fleeing from Xanadroids as they made their relentless advance. They flipped up tables, hid behind trash cans, and dove behind the various food vendors' counters in an attempt to escape, but the robotic footsoldiers continued their march. Griffin watched one of the Xanadroids raise its weapon to strike a man that had tripped, then leaped into action without a second thought.

"Oh no you don't!" He became a red blur, barreling into the Xanadroid and causing it to drop its weapon. He scooped it up, then shot the robot point-blank before superspeeding away again. Its would-be victim furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, having only seen a red blur knock into the robot before it erupted into sparks.

Griffin swept through the entire food court, slashing and shooting Xanadroids to pieces. The cowering mall-goers watched in awe as this red blur tore the robots to shreds, sending sparks and bits of metal flying everywhere. However, for every Xanadroid Griffin took down, two more seemed to take its place. Overwhelmed, he skid to a halt behind a pillar and lowered his captive weapon. Hope slipped through his fingers like sand as an ocean of robots flooded the room, only to return as a morphed Kenny and Wendy burst into view.

"Doc, this is Blue!" Kenny hollered. He summoned his saber, which he used to deflect incoming blaster bolts while punching nearby Xanadroids with his off-hand. "Yellow and I are on the scene; no sign of Red, though!"

"Weird...I'm picking up his signal. He appears to be inside the building," Doctor K observed. Her voice echoed from Griffin's morpher as she added, "Series Red, I know you're there. Please acknowledge!"

"Griffin!" Kelly screeched from the other hall, prompting the Red Ranger to hurry off in that direction. As he sped around the corner, he spotted his sister cowering in fear as the Arsenal Attack Bot stood over her brandishing a combat knife-esque weapon.

"So you're Ranger Red's sister...harming you should draw him back out,"

"DON'T TOUCH HER!" Griffin boomed. He drew his weapon again, then ran at the Attack Bot and swung wildly. It turned around, deflected his attack, then sent him flying into a nearby tattoo shop. Griffin grunted in pain as he flew through the wall, landing roughly on his back. "Ow…"

"Griffin!" Kelly called out in concern. The Arsenal Attack Bot let out an amused snort, then exchanged his knife for his blaster pistol. Doctor K's voice broadcasted from Griffin's morpher again as the Attack Bot stomped towards the downed Ranger.

"Ranger Red, your vitals just spiked! Are you alright?!"

"Yeah, I'm doing great," He said sarcastically, pulling himself back up to his feet. "I always wanted to know what it was like to fly through drywall..."

"I've got you right where I want you," The Arsenal Attack Bot told him. "I suggest you morph."

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but that thing has a point!" Doctor K echoed.

"But-"

"If you do not comply, I will harm your sister." The Arsenal Attack Bot aimed its blaster at him, then added, "I'm being generous by giving you a chance to prepare. Do not try my patience."

"Fine...when you put it like that, I guess I don't have a choice," Griffin slipped the sleeve of his denim jacket up a few inches, revealing his SpyTech Brace. "Install: CPU!"

He morphed, then wasted no time in equipping his saber. He struck a pose, then hollered, "Limit Breaker! CPU Red!"

"Wait, Griffin!" Kelly called out, tilting her head as realization began to sink in. "You're…!"

"Enough talk!" The Arsenal Attack Bot barked. It drew its knife in its free hand, then charged Griffin without warning. The Red Ranger hastily blocked his attack, locking blades with his new foe and grunting as he struggled to hold his ground. He rolled backward, then hopped back up and attempted a spinning slash. The Attack Bot grabbed him by the arm, lifted him up and over its head, and slammed him onto the floor. Griffin recoiled in pain, then rolled out of the way just in time to avoid a point-blank shot from his foe's blaster. He reeled his legs back, then kicked forward, hopped back up to his feet, and struck the Attack Bot in the chest. It staggered backward, then swung its knife at the Red Ranger in retaliation. Griffin blocked its swing with his saber and the two locked blades again as Kelly watched with bated breath.

"You've been a much worthier opponent than I was anticipating...I'm impressed," The Attack Bot observed. "It's been fun, but I have my orders. Time to die,"

It withdrew its blade without warning, then kicked Griffin in the sternum while he was distracted. He stumbled backward, then flew into the wall behind him when the Attack Bot shot him. He slammed into it, then toppled over onto his back. The Attack Bot laughed, then stomped over to him and raised its knife. Griffin tried to get back up but found himself unable as his weakpoint kicked in and his body began to lock up. He watched in horror as the Attack Bot raised its knife, and Kelly squeezed her eyes shut, unable to watch as it prepared to plunge the blade into his chest. However, it was blindsided and tackled to the ground by a familiar blue silhouette before it could do so.

"Oh no you don't!" Kenny boomed, reeling back his fist and attempting to deliver a superstrength-charged punch to the robot's midsection. It kicked him in the chest, then hopped back up to its feet and immediately recoiled in pain as Wendy shot it with her blaster. A wire in its shoulder was severed, and it sparked as Energon welled from the wound. It stared at the Blue and Yellow Rangers in contempt, then shook its head.

"You interrupted my hunt...you'll soon find that was a fatal mistake," It then teleported away, which prompted them to demorph.

"Grif!" Kenny rushed over to his Red counterpart, who demorphed himself. He offered his hand to him, then helped him stand back up. "You alright, man?"

"I'm rattled, not broken," Griffin assured him. "What about the civies in the food court? Are they safe?"

"Affirmative. We neutralized the Xanadroids and got everyone to safety."

"No thanks to you," Wendy added, folding her arms a bit. She scowled at Griffin, then added, "Why'd you take off on your own like that? We could've used your help, and you clearly needed backup yourself,"

"Didn't exactly have a choice…." Griffin rubbed the back of his head, then gestured over to Kelly with an awkward chuckle.

"...Crap, that's right," Wendy turned to the younger girl, then apologized, "Sorry, kinda forgot you were here...you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine...kinda confused, though." Kelly looked at Griffin, then continued, "Grif, what's going on?"

"It's...a long story…" Griffin sighed, then looked over at Kenny and asked, "Doc isn't gonna like this, is she?"

Kenny shook his head no, and the Red Ranger let out a groan just before their morphers went off...

"...the Attack Bot threatened your sister, and you were forced to morph and reveal your identity to protect her." Doctor K recanted, pacing in front of the Rangers as they stood attention inside her lab. "After a brief struggle, it almost terminated you, only to flee after the timely intervention of Rangers Blue and Yellow. Correct?"

Griffin nodded in confirmation, to which she continued, "I see...well, I suppose under those parameters, revealing your secret identity was a necessary evil. Still, I'm not exactly thrilled by the idea of yet another person knowing you three are Power Rangers...or your sister being in my lab."

Kelly froze atop her perch on a nearby desk, where she'd just been about to touch one of the many computer terminals littered across the chamber. She retracted her hand, then waved to the older woman, prompting Griffin to let out an uneasy chuckle.

"Heh heh, well, she kinda insisted on tagging along. Besides, after what happened, I didn't exactly wanna leave her alone."

"Fair enough...though, we are under stringent guidelines per our new agreement with the CIA," Doctor K narrowed her eyes in Kelly's direction, then added, "You! Do you promise to keep everything you've seen and heard today regarding our operation a secret?"

"You got it!" Kelly gave a thumbs up, and the Doctor threw her head back and groaned.

"Doc, relax! Kelly's actually really good at keeping things quiet," Griffin assured her. "In fact, you're lucky it's her visiting and not one of my other siblings. If my baby brother was here, half of his Kindergarten class would-"

"Alright, I get it!" Doctor K said in exasperation, cutting him off mid-sentence. "Let's get down to brass tacks. There's an Attack Bot on the loose, and we need to-"

"-find it?" The Arsenal Attack Bot interrupted. Its voice echoed through the speakers as it appeared on the holoscreen. "Well, you won't have to look far."

"Did they seriously just hack into our comms again?!" Bugz whined from her station. "I just updated the security protocols this morning!"

"I've no interest in wasting your time, so I'll keep this brief. Ranger Red, I challenge you to a duel. I'm located in an abandoned apartment building on the far end of town; I'll send you the coordinates. Meet me here – alone – and prepare for combat."

"And if he refuses?" Doctor K ventured.

"In that case, I may be liable to bring down the densely populated building a stone's throw away from here...with everyone inside it." The Attack Bot let out an evil chuckle, then added, "Oh, and don't worry, Rangers Blue and Yellow. Control's arranged a play-date for you two, as well."

Klaxons then blared throughout the lab, and Cheetor shouted, "Doc, we've got an incoming Attack Zord! ETA: three minutes!"

"Well, that's a problem…" Kenny mumbled to himself.

"I accept your terms!" Griffin hollered, pointing to the holo globe in defiance.

"Very well! I look forward to our final encounter!" The video feed cut out, and a concerned Kelly rushed over to Griffin.

"Griffin, you can't! That thing almost killed you in the mall. How do you know you'll survive this time?!"

"I don't," The Red Ranger shrugged. "But what choice do I have? I'm a Power Ranger; I fight. It's what I do."

"Spoken like a true superhero…." Kelly sighed, then smiled despite herself. "Y'know if Benji and the other boys were here, they'd look up to you more than they already do. If Dad was here, he'd geek out and tell you how proud he is of you. If Mom and Piper were here, they'd lecture you about how reckless you're being...as for me, I can't lie and say I'm not scared to death for you...but I know you well enough to know you're as stubborn as a mule. Once you make up your mind, there's no changing it."

"Nope," Griffin smirked, then placed his hands on his sister's shoulders and gave them a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry, sis. I'll fight, and I'll win, and I'll come back safe and sound before you know it – I promise."

"You'd better," Kenny added, slapping him on the back. "She's not the only one worried about you. Wendy and I want you back in one piece too!"

"And we mean one-piece, blockhead!" Wendy hit him upside the head, then shifted to his front and locked eyes with the Red Ranger. "I'd rather not have to hear you bellyache during our training sims for the next month and a half; you feel me?"

"You got it, Carrot Top," Griffin joked, earning himself a slug on the arm. "Kidding! I'm kidding! Ow!"

"Are you two finished?" Griffin and Wendy turned their attention to Doctor K, then gave her a sheepish nod. "Good. Rangers – move out!"

"Right!" The Rangers hollered in unison. Griffin turned and dashed out of the lab with Cheetor in tow. Kenny and Wendy turned the corner and headed for the Zord Hangar. Apex and Bugz left their stations to follow their human counterparts. The four boarded their respective Zords before taking off. This left Doctor K and Kelly, who awkwardly settled into a chair next to the former...

Nestled in the clouds that hung above the downtown area, a green amoeba of energy began to take shape. It solidified and rounded, then expanded into a massive portal. Ones and zeroes rippled from its edges as Kenny and Wendy burst onto the scene in their Zords.

"Doc, this is Wendy!" The Yellow Ranger hollered, gripping her control stick firmly as she hovered nearby. "We have a visual on the portal, over!"

"Understood. Timer says we have approximately thirty seconds until Attack Zord deployment, so be ready!" Doctor K advised. "Ranger Red, gimme a sitrep! Have you arrived at the coordinates the Arsenal Attack Bot provided?"

"Arriving now!" Griffin pulled up to the apartment complex, then slowed to a halt. He removed his motorcycle helmet, then dismounted Cheetor's Bike Mode and morphed into his Ranger Form as his Buddy Droid transformed into Robot Mode. He summoned his SpyTech Analyzer in its Binocular Mode, then crept towards the entrance and used the device to scan the building.

"I'm picking up a trail of Energon; that thing must still be bleeding from when Wendy shot it," He observed. "Either that or it's trying to set a trap…"

"This entire thing is a trap, Ranger Red," Doctor K interjected. "Were there not an incoming Attack Zord that required Ranger Blue and Yellow's attention, I wouldn't have sent you there alone."

"Yeah, backup would've been nice...but I've got a score to settle." Griffin converted his Analyzer to Sword Mode, then flipped it into his usual reverse grip and turned to Cheetor. "Cheetor, you're on door duty. If anything happens to me, your job is to not let that thing get past you!"

"You can count on me, Griffin!" His Buddy Droid assured him.

"Okay, here it comes!" Wendy affirmed, her eyes locked on the portal as it began to shake and sputter. She transformed her Zord into Beast Mode and then landed on the streets below as Kenny did. Together, the two mechanical titans took a fighting stance as the gateway birthed a massive hulking robot resembling the Arsenal Attack Bot.

"Woah…" Kenny remarked, his eyes fixed on their new foe. "You are one ugly mother-"

"RAHHHHHH!" It bellowed, interrupting the Blue Ranger and forcing him and Wendy into action.

Griffin trudged through the halls of the apartment building, scanning his surroundings for any sign of his foe. His skin crawled inside his suit as he gained an overwhelming sense that he was being watched, but his attempts to pinpoint his target were fruitless. As he moved up a flight of metal stairs leading to the second floor, a red laser extended from the shadows and danced on the back of his head. The Red Ranger glanced over his shoulder just in time to spot a massive energy blast hurtling towards him; he dove out of its flight path, then supersped up to the landing. He stood his ground as the Arsenal Attack Bot uncloaked and lunged for him; they locked blades, then grappled for dominance with all their might. Griffin seemed to be gaining the upper hand, only for his robotic foe to pull the rug out from under him at the last second. It sent his saber flying out of his hands with a single swing. It clattered as it hit the floor beneath them, and Griffin crept backward as the Attack Bot skulked closer.

"Something wrong, Ranger Red?" Control's voice echoed from speakers nestled in the corners of the ceiling, drawing Griffin's attention for a moment. "You don't normally fight this sloppily. Could it be you've finally met your match?"

"You wish, Frenchy!" Griffin growled in defiance. He summoned his SpyTech Aperture, then aimed it at the Arsenal Attack Bot and pelted it with blaster bolts. "This ends now!"

"That we can agree on," It echoed as the Red Ranger charged him. It deflected his projectiles with its knife, then fired a few of its own. Griffin avoided the lasers, then summoned a new saber and swung it in the Attack Bot's direction once he was in range. The Attack Bot swatted his sword out of his hand again, then swung at him with its knife. Griffin acted quickly, back-flipping away just in the nick of time. He summoned a third saber, then kicked off the floor and supersped along the wall. The two engaged in fierce sword combat, their blades clashing over and over with a metal thwack. They blitzed past one another, then skid to a halt on either side of the platform. Griffin whipped around and aimed his blaster at the Attack Bot, but it fired first, pelting his torso with lasers. He recoiled in pain, and the Arsenal Attack Bot let out an amused snort.

"You've been an engaging opponent...but in the end, you're still only human," It told him. "Don't waste any time grieving for what might've been...the truth is, your fate was sealed the moment you walked in that door."

"My fate...isn't set in stone…" Griffin rose to his feet, ignoring the pain in his chest as he pushed himself to continue. "And this battle...isn't finished!"

The Arsenal Attack Bot charged forward, and Griffin tossed his blaster aside before doing the same. He supersped towards the incoming Attack Bot and locked blades with it, stumbling backward as his opponent swung wildly. He sped forward but was forced back yet again. As he slid backward, he folded his saber and connected it to the front of his blaster, forming his SpyTech Sniper in mid-air.

He then spun around, equipping the weapon as his foe ran at him with both weapons drawn.

"SpyTech Sniper: Scope...SALVO!" He pulled the trigger, launching a golden beam of light that sliced through the Arsenal Attack Bot and sent it rolling backward. Its body sparked uncontrollably, and it struggled to its knees once it hit the wall.

"I...seem to have...underestimated you…" It groaned, Energon flowing from its wounds and onto the floor. "Congrat...ulations, Ranger Red…"

It then exploded, shaking the building. Griffin split his weapons apart, then holstered them and took a deep breath as his victory set in.

"You've gotten stronger, Ranger Red," Control observed, his voice echoing out of the speakers again. "I'm looking forward to our next battle."

"I'm not," Griffin muttered. He raised his morpher, then spoke into it, saying, "Doc, this is Griffin! The Arsenal Attack Bot is offline, over!"

"Acknowledged. Good work, Ranger Red!" Doctor K replied. "Rangers Blue and Yellow, gimme a sitrep!"

"Yeah, we're not doing so hot here!" Kenny hollered, struggling to keep his Zord upright as the Arsenal Attack Zord slashed it with its knife repeatedly. "Wendy, we need to take this thing down! I've got an idea!"

"I'm all ears!" Wendy willed her Zord to hop towards Kenny's, then forced it to leap into the air. "Let's hear it!"

"Hold onto something. I'm gonna throw you!" The Gorilla Hauler caught the Rabbit Chopper, then spun around in a circle. Kenny twisted the dial on his morpher, then shouted, "Gorilla Hauler: Primal-PITCH!"

His Zord stopped on a dime, then reeled back its arm and tossed the Rabbit Chopper towards its target. Wendy twisted her own morpher's dial, then positioned her Zord so that its foot was pointed forward.

"Rabbit Chopper: Foot-FRENZY!"

The Arsenal Attack Zord screeched as the Rabbit Chopper landed a flying kick to its chest. Its armor sparked uncontrollably, and it fell to its knees before exploding into ones and zeroes.

"Shutdown: COMPLETE!" Kenny and Wendy shouted in unison.

"So," Alt began as Control walked into Venjix's warehouse hideout. "You failed. Again."

"Au contraire, my dear sister," Control shrugged off a backpack he was wearing, then set it on the floor and unzipped it to reveal an Energon Storage Device. "While the Rangers were preoccupied fighting the Arsenal Attack Bot and Zord, I managed to steal this Energon undetected. I also collected some...interesting data on Ranger Red. Soon, I'll find a way to defeat him and his teammates – permanently."

"Oh, we'll see about that," Alt said under her breath, glaring at her brother as he turned his back on her and walked deeper into the warehouse. "Only one of us is going to destroy the Power Rangers, and that's ME."

"...I win!" Kelly shrieked as she sat on the couch, playing a videogame with Kenny, Wendy, and Griffin in the latter's apartment. "Whoo! That was awesome!"

"Aw man, I can't believe she dodged my Final Smash!" Kenny exclaimed.

"Hey, at least you were close," Griffin pointed out. "I spent most of the match falling off the stage."

"That's 'cuz you suck!" Wendy teased, elbowing him in the side. "Get good, Griffin!"

"That's pretty rich coming from Little Miss Button Mash," Griffin muttered, earning himself a slug on the arm. "Ow! Quit it!"

"I would if you'd quit being such a blockhead!"

"Quit flirting already!" Kenny said, causing both of their faces to flush. "Get ready for a rematch!"

"Sure, I can kick your butts again," Kelly shrugged. She was about to select the menu button for 'Play again,' but her phone buzzed in her pocket, prompting her to set down her controller and pull it out. "Hold on, I've gotta take this."

She stood from the couch, then walked into Griffin's bedroom and closed the door behind her. She answered the call, then raised her phone to her ear. "Hey Mom...nothing much, just playing some videogames. Yeah, I'm ready for the flight back tomorrow...yeah, I had a really good time...how's Griffin? Well, he…he's doing really good, actually."

She opened the bedroom door, then quietly swung it open and peeked out into the living room. She watched Griffin, Kenny, and Wendy get into a friendly squabble. Her mouth curled into a smile as she continued, "He's made some new friends, and he just seems...happier. This is the happiest I've seen him since...well, y'know..."

"Hey Kel, is that Mom you're talking to?" Griffin called from the couch. "Tell her I said hi!"

"I will! ...Grif says hi," She looked back up at Griffin, then added, "She says hi back, Grif! ...Yeah, I love you too, Mom. I'll see you soon. Bye!"

She hung up the phone, then slipped it back into her pocket and made her way back over to the couch. She plopped back down, grabbed her controller, and prepared for another round. "Now...where were we?"

– POWER RANGERS: CPU –