FicWad

Episode 13: When Venjix Won

Doctor K tossed and turned as she lay in bed, murmuring in her sleep. She shifted around violently, then awoke with a start.

"NOOOOOOOO!" A blood curling scream unleashed itself from within her, shaking her entire body. Her breathing was shallow and erratic, and it took several moments for her to process her surroundings. Her heart rate climbed back down, evening out into a series of slow, deep breaths as she realized she was awake. The nightmare was over. She was safe.

She sat up in bed, peeled the covers off her body, then ran a hand through her hair. Sweat matted the dark locks to her forehead, and there were large bags under her eyes. Her pale blue eyes were bloodshot, and her irises were dim, almost cold.

She pressed her right hand to her forehead, then lowered it to find it glistening with sweat. She furrowed her eyebrows, then reached her left hand under her pillow and produced a handkerchief. She meticulously cleaned her other hand, finger by finger, only to pause when she got to her ring finger. A simple gold wedding band stared at her, and her mouth twisted into a deep frown.

"Ziggy…" The name escaped her lips as a breathless whisper. She fiddled with the ring, then finished wiping her hand and placed the handkerchief back under her pillow. She slid out of the covers, then hopped out of bed, wincing as her bare feet touched the cold concrete floor. She changed into her lab coat, then left her spartan living quarters and stepped out into the lab.

"Lights," Her voice echoed off the steel walls, and the ceiling-mounted floodlights kicked on, illuminating the chamber. She sauntered over to the far wall, where Cheetor, Apex, and Bugz were powered down, having been put into a "resting" state. She glanced at the system monitoring their status, ensuring that their life signs were nominal before going to her desk. She plopped down in her chair, turned on her main computer terminal, took a deep breath, and began recording a video diary.

"It has been said by several wise men that those who don't know their history are doomed to repeat it," She began. "I am too aware of my own mortality to believe I am guaranteed tomorrow. If I pass, it is my wish that those who come after will be well-equipped enough not to repeat my mistakes. To that end, I am recording this log...a record of my past mistakes and failures. My name is Doctor K...and this is my story."

"When I was a young girl, I was abducted by agents of the shadowy agency known as Alphabet Soup. They took me to their complex, where I was forced to put my intellect to use developing various technologies...some benign, others deadly. Of all the things I wrought, nothing will ever compare to Venjix: a self-replicating sentient computer virus...and a monument to all my sins."

"Disillusioned by years of captivity, I sought a way to escape my captors and soon found it in Venjix. Together with my cohorts Gem and Gemma, I unleashed the beast and overwhelmed Alphabet Soup's security network. However, we were apprehended before I could install a firewall that would prevent Venjix from escaping the complex walls. As a result, the virus was released, free to roam as it pleased. I'd only wanted to go outside...but in attempting to do so, I'd inadvertently signed mankind's death warrant…."

"Within a year, Venjix had seized control of 37% of the world's computer systems. It hijacked our communication, defense, and power systems, then turned them against us. It constructed a robotic army, which it then used to wage a bloody war against humanity. The survivors fled to the domed city of Corinth – a sanctuary from the resulting fallout. I made my way there, bringing with me the one thing that stood between us and total annihilation: the Ranger Operator Series Combat Suits."

"After arriving in Corinth, I recruited three of its citizens to become the first Ranger Operators. Scott Truman, Flynn McAllistair, and Summer Landsdown fought valiantly as the Series Red, Blue, and Yellow Operators. One year after Corinth sealed its gates, two more joined our ranks. A lone wanderer and unwitting Venjix cyborg named Dillon became Ranger Series Black, while a bumbling ex-mobster named Ziggy became our Series Green Operator. Lastly, we were joined by my old friends Gem and Gemma, who I had thought dead but were revealed to be alive. They became our Gold and Silver Operators."

"As time wore on, we fought together, learned together, and laughed together. Our ragtag team of misfits became a tightly knit band of brothers. Despite my best efforts, the Rangers managed to break through my emotional walls and become the one thing I'd always wanted more than anything – my family. Together, we were able to finally defeat Venjix, freeing humanity from the threat of extinction...or so we thought."

"With our foe allegedly destroyed, myself and the Ranger Operators decided to move on with our lives. We sealed the morphers away and then went our separate ways. Scott rejoined the Air Force, serving under his father with Gem and Gemma as his subordinates in the newly reformed Eagle Squad. Flynn worked with his father to build a new computer network for the newly reborn world. Summer accompanied Dillon and his sister Tenaya as they traveled the wastes. This resulted in the founding of Galatia, a second domed city from which they hoped to return our planet to its former glory. I founded a school for children alongside Ziggy, whom I also married. I was truly happy for the first time in my life, but it was not to last."

"Nearly a decade after our supposed victory, Venjix reappeared, having survived his alleged destruction and stowed away in Scott's morpher. After slowly regenerating himself for several years, he had returned to finally enact his revenge. He built a new robotic army and reignited his genocidal campaign against humanity. Meanwhile, a lab accident fused a Galatian scientist with an artificial intelligence, thus creating the Psi-Borgs – biomechanical psychics with a thirst for violence. The Psi-Borgs declared war on humans and Venjix alike, and a three-way fight for survival began. This war soon became known as 'The War To End All Wars'..."

Doctor K's head drooped, and her gaze shifted to her feet. She took a deep breath, then continued, "The preliminary body count totally eclipsed Venjix's initial rise to power. Death consumed all, and the rivers ran red with blood. The Biblical Book of Revelation could only dream of being this gruesome. It was hopeless. My Ranger Operators resumed active duty to avert the crisis, but they...they weren't enough. Before long, Scott, Gem, Gemma, Summer, and Dillon had fallen in battle, fighting to the last breath to defend Galatia from the Psi-Borgs."

"After the Fall of Galatia, Colonel Truman ordered a total retreat. All surviving humans were to fall back to Corinth and hole up for what would most likely be our last stand. However...that plan died with him in a surprise Venjix ambush. With no one else to lead, I stepped up to the plate and suggested my own plan for salvation. We would make one final run for the Psi-Borg Citadel, where we would clash with both the Psi-Borgs and Venjix's Army. This would be the final battle...and whichever race won would render the other two extinct. It was Armageddon, and humanity came out swinging..."

The barren wasteland that had once been Earth shook and rumbled with conflict. Explosions rocked the desert, smog permeated the air, and the sand was bathed in blood. Debris hurtled in all directions as a three-way battle between Corinth's Military, Venjix's Army, and the Psi-Borgs began. The Psi-Borg Citadel creaked and groaned as it withstood a simultaneous assault from Doctor K's forces and Venjix's horde. All three factions fought with everything they had, defying their fate to the last breath. Doctor K witnessed the carnage from a video screen in the back of a human troop transport. Screams of anguish and inhuman snarls filled her ears, and she remained catatonic as this chaos and mayhem continued to unfold until-

"K!" Ziggy's voice pierced her fog, and she turned to face her husband, who eyed her with concern. "K, are you alright?"

"...I'm fine," She lied, averting his gaze. She glanced at the video screen again, then turned back to him. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Ziggy lowered the left sleeve of his leather jacket, revealing the Rev Morpher strapped to his wrist.

"And you?" Doctor K turned her attention to Flynn, who gripped his Cell Shift Morpher tightly.

"Aye," He nodded, then turned and extended his hand to Ziggy. "For the others!"

"For the others!" Ziggy and Doctor K echoed, the former clasping Flynn's hand and giving it a firm shake. Soon, the troop transport they were in skid to a halt, and a computerized voice echoed through the vehicle.

"Doors opening in five...four...three...two...one,"

The back door slid open, allowing the squadron of Corinthian Marines accompanying them to pile out. Flynn and Ziggy followed closely behind, morphing into their Ranger Operator forms as Doctor K took the rear. She readied her Nitro Blaster, then motioned to the others before gesturing towards the Citadel.

"Listen up! Everything we've fought for, it all ends here!" She told them. "Whether we live or die, one way or another...this war ends today! We either take this Citadel...or die trying! Do you understand?!"

"Yes, ma'am!" The Marines responded in unison. They waited for her signal, then marched forward once Doctor K motioned for them to move. "ATTACK!"

"C'mon!" She ran after them, motioning for Flynn and Ziggy to follow. The pair drew their own Nitro Blasters, then joined the Marines and Doctor K as they opened fire on an incoming swarm of Psi-Borgs.

At first, all went according to plan. This human coalition carved a path to the Citadel's front gate, cutting down Psi-Borgs left and right, along with a few stray Grinders that managed to worm their way in.

"Things seemed to be going well," Doctor K told the camera. "But in war, things can go south in an instant. Our fortune was about to change for the worse…."

"Alright, this is it!" Doctor K shouted, ushering the Corinthian Marines over and gesturing towards the front gate. "It's now or never! Set the door charge!"

"You heard the Doctor!" The Marines' Squad Leader hollered. "Move in! C'mon, move like you've got a purpose!"

"Sir, yes sir!" Two Marines barked in unison as they sprinted over to the door. One of them removed a backpack he was wearing and unzipped it to reveal some explosives. He and his partner attached the charges to the Citadel's gate, then armed them and waved the others away, "Charges are armed! Everybody get-"

The gate flew open before they could finish, causing the charges to explode and kill the pair instantly. Shadowy figures emerged from within the Citadel, revealing themselves to be larger and much more heavily armed Psi-Borgs. They opened fire on the remaining Marines, searing their flesh with their laser blasts and boiling their blood with the heat. They didn't even have time to scream as the abominations tore them to shreds in mere moments. Doctor K watched the carnage unfold before her, frozen in place as her ears rang from the explosion. While the Psi-Borgs finished off the Marines and turned their attention to her, Ziggy and Flynn ran up to her and grabbed her by the arms.

"C'mon Doc, we've gotta move!" urged Flynn.

"K! K!" Ziggy shook her arm gently, then let go once she snapped out of her trance. Together, the three raised their Nitro Blasters and took aim, returning fire on the Psi-Borg Enforcers. They pelted the metal beasts with blaster fire, but the lasers pinged off their armor and didn't damage them. Realizing the futility of their current approach, Flynn and Ziggy switched to their Turbo Cannon and Turbo Axe, but this only seemed to make a minimal difference. Despite their efforts, the duo was overpowered. Their Ranger suits disappeared in a flash as the Psi-Borgs forcefully demorphed them. Doctor K looked on in horror as a swarm of the creatures lifted the pair off their feet, dragging them away as they fruitlessly tried to break free.

"Flynn!" She screeched, holding back tears. "ZIGGY!"

"K…!" Ziggy managed to choke out, just as he was dragged away from her view.

"So...your efforts proved to be in vain," A familiar voice cut through her, and her blood ran cold as mechanical footsteps echoed off the sand. As Venjix stomped towards her from the East, his Grinders in tow, he continued. "You put up a good fight, my dear creator, but in the end, you and your race proved unable to stop your own extinction. Part of me almost feels sympathy for you,"

He laughed maniacally, and Doctor K clenched her fist so hard that her knuckles turned white.

"The Rangers had been my world. Ziggy, my great love. Those I had cared about more than anything...gone. Hope for the survival of my race...almost nonexistent. I had nothing left to live for...and nothing left to lose. Still...I would have my revenge."

"This...this isn't over," Doctor K said out of nowhere, causing Venjix to stop laughing. He tilted his head as she reached into her lab coat, producing some sort of technological device. "THIS ISN'T OVER!"

"Wait – SHE'S UP TO SOMETHING!" He roared, realizing what she was about to do. He gestured to his Grinders, then pointed to the Doctor as she tore into the Citadel and began fighting her way through it. "STOP HER!"

Doctor K ran like a bat out of hell, blasting, punching, and kicking into submission any Psi-Borg or Grinder alike that tried to get in her way. She leaped onto a catwalk, then tore up a nearby staircase like a woman possessed. As she ran, Doctor K typed a long string of numbers into a keypad on the device she was carrying. Ominous beeps and boops emitted themselves from its set of internal speakers.

"SUPER EMP: PRIMED~" A cold feminine voice echoed from the bomb. "READY TO INITIATE COUNTDOWN~"

Doctor K fought her way to the Citadel's top level, which was unoccupied. She knelt down on her hands and knees, talking to herself as tears streamed down her face.

"Scott, Flynn, Summer, Dillon, Gem, Gemma...Ziggy!" Her body racked with sobs as she breathed out her husband's name, but she managed to continue, "Please...forgive me…!"

She typed in another string of numbers, then stood and raised the Super-EMP Device. Venjix, his Grinders, and a battalion of Psi-Borgs burst onto the upper level, then looked on in shock and awe as she tossed the device onto the side of a nearby tower.

"Wait, what are you-?!"

"Game over," She told Venjix, cutting him off mid-sentence. She fell back to her knees, then closed her eyes and whispered, "Five...four...three...two…."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Venjix roared, raising his arms to shield his face as a massive electromagnetic pulse swept through the Citadel and washed over the surrounding area like a flood. The metallic structure of the Psi-Borgs' home shook and creaked, then rattled like mad as it imploded from within. Alarms blared all over the complex, and explosions rocked the desert as the doomsday device tore everything apart…

"The Super-EMP was a weapon I had designed during The War as a last resort," Doctor K explained. Her tone was even and calm, but her facial expression was anything but. "Neither Colonel Truman nor Scott had approved of it while they were alive...but with nothing left to lose, it didn't matter. And so, I activated the device, rendering the Psi-Borgs extinct and wiping out Venjix's forces...but at the cost of my own species. I had made an unthinkable sacrifice, but it had been worth it to destroy my enemies...or so I thought."

Doctor K's ears rang, and her eyes saw nothing but white. However, her vision eventually cleared, and she came out of her haze. She squeezed her eyes shut, then took shallow, ragged breaths before opening them again. All around her, debris from the Citadel lay in massive heaps. Psi-Borg and Grinder corpses littered the sand, along with countless dead Marines. A fire raged across the ruined base, and a colossal portal hung in the sky above her. Though her body felt like it was on fire, she summoned enough strength to sit up and let out a bloodcurdling scream.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Meanwhile, a golden shape twitched and spasmed several yards away from her. The Doctor tilted her head, then froze as a familiar mechanical whirring echoed through the wastes. The ruined body of Venjix struggled to its feet, fighting to remain standing as electricity crackled through its innards and coolant leaked from its wounds. Venjix staggered and stumbled over himself, then summoned enough strength to break into a run. He made his way towards the portal, then leaped into the air and disappeared inside it as Doctor K stared dead ahead...

"Despite everything I'd done, my mortal enemy had somehow survived...I had no idea where that portal led, but I knew that whoever was on the other side was now at Venjix's mercy," Doctor K explained. She took a deep breath, then continued, "And so, I ignored every instinct that told me to roll over and die and followed my nemesis through the gate. I discovered Earth-1 – this dimension, where humanity is still alive and well. Once here, I vowed to recruit a new team of Rangers...and finish what I had started. Though my guilt renders me a dead woman walking, I cannot rest until humanity is safe from my creation's threat."

"I spent my first few months here scrounging together this hidden lab. I then set to work developing the Second Generation of Ranger Operator Bio-Hardware. I reverse-engineered the technology from the few morphers remaining in my possession, then upgraded the suits, weapons, and Zords to create a new breed of hero. Finally, when Venjix made his move, I made mine. I began moonlighting as a professor at the college I built my lab under, then used my position to draft three unlikely recruits for my neverending war.

"It's Morphin' Time!" Griffin and the others shouted in unison, brandishing their SpyTech Braces as the Keyboard Attack Bot and its Xanadroid underlings surrounded them. "Install: CPU!"

"The second-generation Series Red Bio-Hardware was designed to increase the Operator's speed and reaction times," Doctor K explained. "Griffin Steinmann is our current operator. Like his predecessor Scott, Griffin was selected as team leader, despite displaying obvious signs of introversion and social maladjustment."

"Heyyy, it's Grif!" Griffin fought the urge to groan as Kenny approached him on his skateboard, catching up to him as he strolled into class. "You're alive!"

"Sorry to disappoint...I guess?"

"Mind if I sit here?" Kenny asked Griffin as they walked into Biochemistry.

"I...y'know what, knock yourself out,"

"Sweet!" Kenny plopped down in the chair next to him, then reached into his backpack and tore into a bag of potato chips. "So, when's the profesorr 'ettin here?"

"I don't know; Professor Rourke is late sometimes. Now, if you'd POLITELY refrain from getting crumbs all over me," Griffin brushed crumbs off the sleeve of his denim jacket. Kenny mouthed a sheepish apology as he continued, "I've got some notes from other courses to go over."

"Blockhead!" Wendy hissed, just loud enough for Griffin to hear as they exited Doctor K's lab.

"Blockhead? You SLASH me with your words!" He retorted sarcastically.

"Griffin is far from what most would consider a natural leader, but I see something in him that I think very few recognize. Beneath his aloof exterior, he's selfless, with natural courage that reveals itself in moments of extreme danger. So far, he's proven to be an effective leader despite his social awkwardness."

"You're never letting this 'Red takes charge' thing go, are you?" A morphed Griffin asked Kenny. He feigned annoyance, then turned his attention to the Shovel Attack Bot and its Xanadroids. "Alright then...let's take 'em down!"

He disappeared in a red blur, slashing the robotic footsoldiers at breakneck speeds with his SpyTech Analyzer.

"We've...got...to get up!" Griffin strained, fighting his paralysis as the Cutter Attack Bot stomped towards him and his downed teammates. He pulled himself over to Kenny, then shook the Blue Ranger awake before crawling over to Wendy. He pulled her helmet off, then produced a piece of candy from a pocket on his suit and gently placed it in her mouth. "C'mon, c'mon…!"

"I trust you two...just like you trusted me!" Griffin keyed a new combination into his cockpit's keypad. The Cheetah Chaser combined with the Gorilla Hauler and Rabbit Chopper to form the SpyTech Megazord.

"The second-generation Series Blue Bio-Hardware was made to amplify the user's strength and physical endurance." Doctor K continued. "Kenshin Okabe serves as the current operator. Kenny is brash, energetic, and impulsive, with a strange obsession with outdated pop-culture references."

"I'm Blue," Kenny guessed, taking the words right out of Doctor K's mouth mid-speech. "...da ba de da ba daa,"

"I love this plan!" exclaimed a morphed Kenny, who had just been told by Wendy that they'd need to scale a building to catch the fleeing Camera Attack Bot. "I'm excited to be a part of it! Let's do it!"

"Woah..." Kenny remarked from the cockpit of his Gorilla Hauler as he stared at the Arsenal Attack Zord. "You are one UGLY mother-"

"RAHHHHHH!" It bellowed, cutting him off mid-sentence.

"Despite what his loud and occasionally obnoxious demeanor might lead you to believe, Kenny is quite intelligent. In addition to this, he also possesses an inner strength like none I've ever seen."

"Xanadroids, ATTACK!" screeched the Dumbbell Attack Bot. As the robotic footsoldiers marched into battle, the Blue Ranger took a fighting stance and clenched his fists.

"It's time for a final round comeback!" He hollered.

Kenny morphed, then stood his ground as the Train Attack Bot burst through the door. He grabbed his foe's arms as it lunged toward him, then held it back with all his might. "If you want the Energon...you'll have...to go...through ME!"

"You say that like it'll be a challenge!" The Attack Bot sneered, shoving him. He staggered backward but managed to retain his balance. He summoned both his weapons, then rushed his foe. Its body sparked as Kenny shot and slashed it, but it remained unfazed.

"Is that the best you can do?!" It kicked him in the sternum, and Kenny yelped in fright as he flew into the wall, only to get back up moments later.

"I'm just getting STARTED!" He roared defiantly, his visor and biceps glowing green.

"...have a nice trip!" Kenny summoned his saber in his free hand, then stabbed the Camera Attack Bot in the chest as it stood on the roof he was dangling from. He yanked on the handle with all his might, pulling the Attack Bot up and over the roof's edge. "See you next fall!"

The Camera Attack Bot shrieked in fright as it fell to its death. Kenny summoned another saber and used it to hoist himself up to safety.

"Lastly, the second generation Series Yellow Bio-Hardware was engineered to boost the user's agility. Wendy Rowan is our current operator, and she has quite possibly the fiercest temper of anyone I've ever encountered."

"What in the HELL is going ON out there?!" Wendy demanded as she emerged from the computer lab's bathroom, unwittingly thrusting herself into danger.

"Look out!" Griffin exclaimed, tackling her out of the way just as the Keyboard Attack Bot launched a massive blast of energy her way.

"Get OFF me!" She growled, kneeing him in the stomach.

"Ow!" Griffin yelped, rolling off of her. He glared at her, then said, "You're WELCOME, Carrot Top!"

"Shut up! You don't know me!" Wendy stomped towards the door to the lab, shaking her head in frustration. "You don't know the first thing about me, Griffin! Now just leave me alone!"

"Kenny, are you green to go?" Griffin whispered into his morpher as he and Wendy covertly staked out a train from the inside.

"Rog'," The Blue Ranger replied, having stowed away in a suitcase that was now in the luggage car. "My back hurts like hell, though! Wendy should've been the stowaway instead,"

"Was that a crack at my height?!" Wendy hissed. "I oughta kick your ass!"

"Okay, this thing's REALLY starting to get on my nerves!" Wendy hissed as she shot at the diminutive Eraser Attack Bot. The tiny robot laughed maniacally as it skittered across a desk, dodging all of her projectiles. "Alright, that's it! C'mere, you little shit!"

"Still, if you can break through her rough and tumble exterior, you'll find that Wendy is one of the most loyal and determined Rangers – and friends – to ever exist."

"Whaddya say, Yellow?" The Fire Attack Bot taunted Wendy as it held Griffin and Kenny hostage. "Will ya leave yer pardners to die...or die with 'em?!"

"I choose NEITHER!" Wendy hollered defiantly. She twisted the dial on her blaster, charging her final attack. "You're going DOWN!"

"YER the one headed for the scrapheap, missy!" It began conjuring a massive fireball, but the Yellow Ranger stood her ground.

"...DRAW!" They both launched their respective projectiles, which clashed mid-flight. The fireball threatened to devour the energy blast. Still, the latter ultimately won out and pierced through the Fire Attack Bot.

"SpyTech Sniper: Scope SALVO!" Wendy declared, spinning her blaster around her trigger finger before pretending to blow out its barrel.

"There are people who depend on me," Wendy told her doppelganger, Princess Sonia. "People I love and care about...their futures rest in my hands. I may not have a dream...but I can PROTECT dreams."

"In summary, I may have lost everything in the War To End All Wars...but I've found new friends and a new will to fight here on Earth-1," Doctor K concluded. "I'll never be able to atone for my past actions...but I can do everything in my power to equip my new Rangers and assist them in their fight against Venjix. I am proud of all they have accomplished, and I am sure that if their predecessors were still alive, they would also be proud of their successors. I truly believe that they are mankind's best – and only – hope."

She ended the recording, then slumped her shoulders and exhaled. Her eyelids drooped, and she leaned her head against the back of her computer chair as sleep overtook her again. Before long, she was out, and by the time the doors to the lab slid open a few minutes later, she was full-on snoring.

"Hey Doc, we're here for training!" Kenny called out to their mentor as he and the others stepped into the lab. "Doc…?"

"Shh," Wendy shushed him, gesturing to Doctor K. "She's asleep,"

"Must've passed out working on her computer again," Griffin chimed in. He quietly made his way over to her, then waved Kenny over. "Here, let's get her to bed,"

"Right," Kenny crossed the room, then helped Griffin lift Doctor K up and out of her chair and to her bedroom. The two slowly carried her to the bed, then gently laid her down and pulled the covers over her body.

"Sleep tight, Doc," Griffin whispered, pulling the door to her room closed. He turned to the others, then said, "We'll come back later; if anyone needs some sleep, it's her,"

Wendy hummed in agreement, then said, "Let's get some breakfast. Anyone up for pancakes?"

"Sounds delicious," Kenny agreed. "Who's buying?"

"...Not it." Griffin and Wendy said in unison, touching their fingers to their noses.

"Aw, c'mon!" Kenny hollered, prompting the other two to shush him as they walked out of the lab. Meanwhile…

"So these are the CPU Rangers…Griffin, Kenny, and Wendy. Interesting," observed a shadowy figure, who sat in front of a computer in a dark room. "I gotta say, I expected the CIA's Ranger files to be a lot harder to get ahold of."

"Does this mean what I think it means...?" asked a robotic voice, which belonged to a silver and gold robot standing over his shoulder.

"No, not yet...but soon," The first figure replied. He turned around in his chair, revealing himself to be a dark-skinned man with shortly-cropped black hair. He set a golden cell phone-like device down on the desk beside him, then stood from his chair and added, "All the pieces are falling into place...and soon, it'll be our move."

- POWER RANGERS: CPU -