FicWad

Episode 16: Rivalry

Late morning sunlight streamed in through the vast windows of Starview Heights University's game room, bathing the recreational space in its warmth. Inside, the sounds of a plastic ball bouncing against a wooden surface intermingled with eruptions of laughter as Kenny and Quincy engaged in an intense game of foosball. Their laughter spilled out into the rest of the building as Griffin pulled open the room's door and stepped inside.

"Hey, there you are! Been looking for you," He elbowed Kenny, who greeted him with a nod before turning his attention back to the match. A few moments later, Quincy won, eliciting a groan from Kenny. Griffin patted him on the back and said, "Hey, better luck next time, right? Anyway, good news. I finished my History paper a few days early, so I'm free for the movies on Saturday after all!"

"Yeah, about that..." Kenny rubbed the back of his neck. He sheepishly continued, "After you told me you couldn't make it, Quincy and I made plans to go see it instead...but if you want, you could tag along?"

"Oh...nah, that's cool," Griffin forced a smile as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. His gaze shifted to the door, and his face lit up when he saw their yellow teammate strolling inside. "Morning, Carrot Top!"

"Get bent, blockhead," Wendy's reply was somewhat brusque, but carried an affectionate undertone that only Kenny seemed to pick up on. He stifled a laugh as she made her way over to Quincy and said, "Hey, I just wanted to thank you for helping me with my Trig assignment last night. You're a lifesaver!"

"Don't mention it," Quincy said nonchalantly, shrugging. "I'm always up for helping out a friend."

"He helped you with your Trigonometry homework?" Wendy hummed in confirmation, and Griffin mumbled, "But...I'm your tutor."

"Why are you getting jealous? Math is your worst subject," Kenny gently reminded him.

"Whatever…" Griffin turned and made his way to an arcade cabinet in the corner. He fished a quarter out of his pocket, then leaned over to insert it before pausing. "Wait...did somebody beat my Pac-Man score?"

"Oh, that was yours?" Quincy asked, and Griffin turned to face him. "Sorry 'bout that. I noticed it here a few nights ago and decided to give it a whirl. Not bad for someone who's never played before, huh?"

"You mean...that was your first time playing Pac-Man? Ever?" Quincy nodded, and Griffin turned his back to him and shoved his quarter into the machine. He slammed his hand on the start button, then planted a firm grip on the joystick as the familiar notes of the Pac-Man theme spilled from its speakers. He jerked the control device around, losing himself in the game as he led Pac-Man through its ghost-infested maze. "First time ever playing Pac-Man? You gotta be friggin' kidding me. It took me three semesters to get that score, and Mr. Perfect beats it his first time ever playing? I'll show that smug little show-"

"Griffin?… Griffin?… Hey, GRIFFIN!" Wendy smacked him upside the head, jolting him from his thoughts. He turned to face her, and as Pac-Man careened into the waiting jaws of a ghost and died, she added, "What's your damage? I've been trying to get your attention for a solid minute now!"

"Oh...s-sorry," He apologized. "...What's up?"

"Doc wants us at the lab," She told him, gesturing to her SpyTech Brace. "Didn't you hear your morpher go off?"

"No, I guess not…" This earned him an eye roll, and she turned to follow the others as they made for the exit. Griffin shoved his hands in his pockets, crossed the room, and trudged down the hall after them, his lips curving into a deep scowl…

"This is not going well…" Kenny mumbled from the cockpit of his Zord as it grappled with a XanaZord in its Beast Mode.

"I hadn't noticed!" Wendy replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm. She and ALPHA attempted to provide air support in their own Zords but were cut off by a volley of energy blasts fired at them by a larger Attack Zord. This forced them to take evasive maneuvers, and Wendy slammed her fist on her dashboard. "Dammit, that thing's got us pinned!"

"Hold on, I'll take care of it!" Griffin replied from his own cockpit. He delivered a diagonal slash to the XanaZord he was fighting, then transformed his Zord into Vehicle Mode and tore down the street. He weaved through the road, flanking the Attack Zord before putting the pedal to the metal. Once he hit top speed, he transformed the Cheetah Chaser into Beast Mode and pounced on his foe. However, it saw this coming, and it turned and struck its attacker with its fists. Griffin and Cheetor wailed in fright as the Cheetah Chaser was launched backward into a nearby building. The Attack Zord turned its back to them and resumed its assault on Wendy and ALPHA. "Aw crap…!"

"Don't worry, I've got this!" Quincy hollered. The Rhino Loader burst onto the scene, firing a volley of rockets that struck the Attack Zord in its sides. It staggered forward, allowing the Rhino Loader to catch it with a swift uppercut after it transformed into Warrior Mode. It crashed onto its back, and Quincy capitalized on this by plunging his Zord's twin swords into its chest, killing it.

"SIMULATION: COMPLETE," A digitized voice announced as the city fizzled out, revealing itself to be a simulation. "NOW SAVING VIDEO-RECORD AND RESULTS TO DATABASE,"

"Man, that was intense!" Kenny exclaimed as they disembarked their Zords and exited the hangar. As they crossed into the main lab area, he added, "For a second there, I didn't think we'd make it!"

"Yeah, me too," Wendy echoed. "Thanks for the save, Quincy."

"Don't mention it," replied Quincy, who stretched his arms out behind him and casually rested his hands on the back of his head. "Simulation or not, I'll always have your guys' backs."

"Glad to hear it!" Kenny grinned, then turned to Griffin, who brought up the rear. "What'd you think, Grif? Wasn't that awesome?!"

"Oh, yeah, that was just...super," Griffin said, faking a smile. "Mr. Perfect saves the day again, yippee…."

"Congratulations, Rangers! That was a very successful simulation." Doctor K told them from her desk. She stood from her chair, then continued, "You all performed quite well, though I have some caveats. Ranger Blue, your reaction times could still use a bit of work. Ranger Red, you were a bit too reckless with your last attack. You exercised great strategic prowess by flanking the Attack Zord, but transforming into Beast Mode gave you away and gave it the perfect opportunity to counter."

"She's got a point," Quincy agreed, giving his Red teammate a gentle elbow. "If you stayed in Vehicle Mode, you probably would've gotten him."

"...Thanks," Griffin replied through grit teeth. "I appreciate the feedback."

"No problem,"

"Hey, are you alright?" Kenny questioned, eyeing Griffin with a look of slight concern. "You've been kinda off this morning; what's up?"

"Nothing," He lied. "I'm fine."

"He's pissed," Quincy revealed abruptly, which prompted the Red Ranger to whirl around to face him. "He thinks I've been showing him up today."

"Hey, quit doing that!" Griffin shouted. "You being telepathic isn't a license to just read peoples' minds whenever you want!"

"So you admit it, then?" He let out a low growl, and Quincy continued, "Wow, you really are pissed, huh? Calm down, man. I'm just messin' with ya."

"Griffin!" Wendy admonished, slapping his arm.

"Wifey's calling," teased Quincy, who stifled a laugh as the Red Ranger lunged toward him.

"Why I oughta-!"

"STOP IT!" Doctor K shouted, wedging herself between the two to prevent an altercation. "Rangers Red and Gold, must I remind you that you just finished what was supposed to be an exercise in teamwork?! Quit your squabbling!"

"But he started it!" Griffin protested, fixing Quincy with an accusatory stare.

"What are you, a child? I don't care who started it because I'M ending it!" Doctor K closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before exhaling through her nose. She opened her eyes, then continued, "I don't know what your problem with each other is, but I suggest you work past it. You're fighting Venjix. Not each other."

As soon as she said this, a klaxon blared through the lab. Red alarm lights flashed on and off, and Cheetor dashed over to his terminal.

"Doc, I'm picking up signs of irregular Energon usage!" He informed her. "It's coming from a construction site downtown. Rangers, I'm sending the coordinates to your morphers!"

"You heard him," said Doctor K, who gestured to the others. "Move out!"

"Right!" Kenny, Wendy, Quincy, and ALPHA rushed for the door while Griffin hesitated. He clenched his fist so hard that his knuckles turned white, then released it and headed after them. Doctor K watched him leave, then shook her head and let out a sigh as she turned back to her computer.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!" A scream reverberated off the metal beams of a partially-built building, startling its construction crew. They tilted their heads in confusion, shut off their power tools, and peered down at the bottom level. Their foreman tripped over himself as he burst from a back room, then hobbled up to his feet before shouting, "RUN!"

A blue drill-themed robot chortled as it exited the room behind him, and the remaining workers murmured to each other as it tore after their boss. It revved up its drill, and the crew panicked.

"Hey, where's everybody going?!" The Drill Attack Bot asked facetiously, laughing to itself as the workers ran for their lives. Once the final worker had scurried away, it called after him, saying, "Hey, you're not just gonna leave all this Energon behind, are ya? What, you're just gonna let me steal it?!"

"Stop right there!" Griffin hollered as he and the others dashed into the area. "You won't be stealing anything today!"

"Hey, you must be those Power Rangers Control told me about!" It observed. "And here I thought today would be boring!"

"Don't worry, pal, this fight's gonna be as riveting as they come!" Kenny quipped, earning a groan from his teammates.

"I don't know what's scarier – your puns or Griffin's Spotify playlist," Wendy told him.

"What's wrong with my Spotify playlist?"

"Nothing, you've just got so much 80s music on there that it's like you've never heard a song from the 21st cent-"

"Guys, focus!" Quincy interjected. "C'mon!"

"R-Right! I was about to say that," Griffin stammered, his face flushing. He brandished his morpher, then stepped forward and shouted, "It's Morphin' Time!"

"Allons y!" added Quincy, who moved to stand slightly ahead of him.

"Install: CPU!" They shouted in unison, instantly morphing into their Ranger forms.

"Xanadroids!" The Drill Attack Bot snapped its fingers, and a squadron of the robotic footsoldiers materialized behind it. "ATTACK!"

"Let's do this!" Kenny charged into battle without hesitation, punching and kicking Xanadroids as they swung their weapons at him. He leapt up onto a ladder, then climbed up onto the mostly-completed third floor. He summoned his saber as more of the footsoldiers followed him up, slashing and beating them back as they made their advance. He grabbed one by the wrist, then lifted it over his head and dumped it over a railing. As it slammed into the ground and shattered into pieces, he hollered, "Laundry, third floor!"

"Man, you rust-buckets never learn, do you?" Wendy remarked as she effortlessly dodged incoming blaster fire. She ran up to a Xanadroid, kicked it in the stomach, and then launched into a back-flip. She grabbed onto a metal beam, then summoned her blaster and pelted the robotic footsoldiers with blaster bolts before sliding back down. Once her feet hit the ground, she twirled her blaster around her finger and said, "Nice try, clankers!"

"Only one robot will survive this battle, and that's me!" ALPHA declared as he bonked Xanadroids over the head with his sword and blocked incoming swings with his arm-gauntlets. One of the foot soldiers dove out of the way and lunged at him from the side, but the Buddy-Droid smacked it with his forearm and slammed it into a nearby wall. "Fool! My victory is a foregone conclusion!"

"Humble as always, ALPHA!" Quincy let out an amused snort, then went back to shooting Xanadroids with his blaster. One tried to hit him over the head from behind, but he spun around and gave it a roundhouse kick. He turned around to blast what he thought was another Xanadroid, only to lower his weapon once he realized it was Griffin, who'd just come to a halt in front of him. "Woah! Didn't realize you were there, bud!"

"What, you mean you don't have Spidey-Sense?" Griffin scoffed a bit, then turned and super-sped towards some more Xanadroids. He resumed slashing them with his saber while thinking, Here I thought you had ALL the superpowers…

"I heard that!" Quincy shouted as another Xanadroid crept up behind him. He glanced over his shoulder, then struck it in the face with the back of his left fist. "Better luck next time, tin can. Better luck next time,"

"So, you think you're hot stuff because you took down my Xanadroids, do ya?" The Drill Attack Bot said as it watched them dispatch the last of the footsoldiers. "Well, think again! It's my turn, now!"

It spun up its drill, then thrust it into the ground in front of it. It chiseled out a massive boulder, then lifted it up and tossed it into the air before striking it with its drill. The boulder was instantly pulverized, creating a shower of sharp stones that it launched at the Rangers like shrapnel.

"Fear not, everyone! For I am here!" ALPHA boomed. He thrust his arms out towards the others, then shouted, "Activating Energy-Shell!"

"Wait, ALPHA, you can't use it on all of us at once! If you do that, it'll-" Quincy watched in horror as ALPHA's suit sparked and his body locked up, making him a sitting duck. "-overload your circuits…"

"Dude, look out!" Kenny dove in front of the Silver Ranger, grunting in pain as he endured the brunt of the attack. Before he even had time to recover, the Attack Bot rushed him. Kenny grabbed ahold of its drill and held it back, his biceps glowing green. Heat began to radiate off his suit in waves, and he grunted in pain as he vainly tried to outmatch his opponent. "I'm...already overheating?! This...this isn't happening!"

"Oh, it's happening, sweetheart!" The Attack Bot taunted. It ripped away from his grip, then revved its drill and thrust it into the Blue Ranger's chest. Kenny's suit erupted in sparks, and he yelped in fright as he was launched backward, landing roughly on his back.

"Ow…!"

"Kenny!" Wendy shouted. She let out a low growl, then vaulted into the air and pelted the Attack Bot with blaster bolts. "Eat this!"

"No thanks! I'm not hungry!" It blocked the projectiles with its drill, thrust out its left hand, and fired a burst of lasers up at her. Wendy shrieked as the shots struck her, and she crashed down to the ground. She pulled herself back up to her feet, but her legs caved beneath her as if they were made of jelly.

"Dammit...not my Weakpoint, too…!"

"Wendy!" Griffin cried out in concern. He turned his attention to the Drill Attack Bot, clenching his fist so hard that his knuckles turned white. "You...you're gonna pay for that!"

He disappeared in a red blur as he supersped towards his target, but the Drill Attack Bot seemed unfazed. It stood its ground, eyeing the Red Ranger with an almost curious stare. Out of nowhere, it revved up its drill; Quincy saw this and immediately tried to warn him.

"Griffin, don't!" His plea fell on deaf ears, forcing him to take matters into his own hands. He used his telekinesis to lift a wrench off the ground, then sent it slamming into Griffin's legs. This tripped the Red Ranger, who fell to the ground just in time to avoid the Attack Bot's drill.

"What the...?! Why did you-?!"

"You gotta get outta there!" Quincy shouted as the Attack Bot stomped towards the Red Ranger menacingly. Griffin scrambled up to his feet and attempted to superspeed away, only for his own Weakpoint to kick in. "...Dammit! Hang on, I'm coming!"

Quincy dashed forward, firing a rapid series of blaster bolts at the Drill Attack Bot as he made his way towards Griffin. He scooped the now-frozen Red Ranger up off the ground, then turned and dove out of the way as the Attack Bot launched a massive energy blast that erupted into an explosion behind them. "WOAH!"

The pair landed face-first in the dirt, the force of the impact forcefully demorphing them. The Attack Bot laughed maniacally, then revved its drill and aimed it at the ground below it.

"It's been fun, but I gotta run!" It burrowed into the ground, then dug a tunnel around the spots where Kenny, Wendy, and ALPHA lay, causing them to fall beneath the broken soil. "Control told me to capture you idiots, but I'm tired, so I'll settle for three of ya! Later!"

With that, it continued to burrow its way underground, disappearing with its trio of captives in tow.

"Wait...get back here!" Griffin said weakly as his paralysis wore off. He tried to stand back up, but his legs and feet were so numb that he toppled over the second his feet pressed against the ground. Quincy rushed to help him up, but he shoved him away before shouting, "Get away from me!"

The Gold Ranger opened his mouth to say something, only to close it a few moments later. He pulled out his morpher, then converted it into cellphone mode and tapped into the comm-link.

"Doc, this is Quincy. Grif and I are on our way back to The Lab,"

"So to summarize, almost every one of your Weakpoints was triggered, the Drill Attack Bot escaped, and it captured Rangers Blue, Yellow, and Silver to boot…." Doctor K stopped pacing around the lab to look at Griffin and Quincy, then continued, "Correct?"

"...Yeah, that pretty much sums it up," Quincy shrugged. He then turned to Griffin, to whom he offered an ice pack. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Griffin spat, shoving his hands away. He attempted to stand from his chair, only to nearly fall over again. "Darnit…!"

"Y'know, it wouldn't kill you to admit you need help,"

"Shut up!" Griffin snapped, bracing himself on a nearby table. He spent the next several moments shifting his weight from leg to leg, trying to wake them up enough to the point he could stand on his own. "...This is your fault, y'know,"

"Oh really? You're blaming me," Quincy said, his sentence more of a statement than a question. "Gee, ain't that a surprise,"

"I told you to shut up!"

"Why don't you shut up?!" He challenged, hopping up from his own chair. "You've been nothing but rude to me today! I realize that you don't like me, but I don't care! If you've got an inferiority complex, take it up with your Pastor or something. I'm not the one, you hear me?! God, you're starting to really piss me o-"

"ENOUGH!" Doctor K screamed at the top of her lungs, prompting the two to turn their attention to her. "...Listen, I realize tensions are high right now, but you two screaming at each other like a couple of teenagers isn't going to solve anything. Whatever this little rivalry between you two is, set it aside. Your teammates need you!"

They both opened their mouths to say something, only to close them. Griffin looked at his feet, and Quincy rubbed the back of his neck as he stared at a spot on the wall.

"Now listen to me, alright, because I'm only going to say this once. We have to find that Attack Bot before it harms the others. Cheetor, are you having any luck?"

"No, I can't say I am…" Cheetor lamented, looking up from his terminal. "I don't know where it took them, but there's some kinda interference. I can't lock onto any of their morpher signals."

"Well, that's just fantastic," Doctor K sighed. "Divert all our Energon to the sensors; we have to keep trying."

"I already have Doc. Nothing."

"...Y'know, if you let me take a crack at it, I can probably trace at least one of their signals," Quincy said, speaking up for the first time in several minutes. "I designed the CellTech Blasters, so finding ALPHA's should be a cakewalk. I can track down Kenny and Wendy too, but...I'll need some help. Griffin?"

"Yeah...?" Griffin glanced up, looking at him inquisitively.

"If you lemme borrow your morpher, I can redesign the sensor protocols to pick up their signals from anywhere within the county." Griffin seemed unsure, so Quincy added, "C'mon. Trust me."

"...You've got one chance," Griffin relented, unstrapping his SpyTech Brace from his wrist before handing it over. "Don't make me regret this."

"Gah…! I'm almost...there…!" Wendy strained herself as she writhed against her chains, struggling to break free. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't slip out of the restraints. "Dammit!"

"Man, this totally blows…" Kenny mumbled, glaring at his own chains in contempt. "Dangling from a filthy coal mine roof...forced to breathe stupid mine air…"

"Release me, you fool!" ALPHA boomed, his voice echoing off the walls of the mine. "These chains cannot hold me forever!"

"Actually, they can," The Drill Attack Bot sneered, stepping out of the darkness. It stroked one of the metal links, which fizzled and glowed bright green. "These are energy chains. They can only be broken by destroying their control unit, and you won't be managing that. Especially since they nullify your Bio-Field Abilities."

"You won't get away with this!" Wendy hollered in defiance, drawing the robot's attention. "Griffin and Quincy'll find us, and when they do, they'll come to rescue us and shut down this pathetic, primitive little operation you've got running down here!"

"I assure you, the Energon Converter is anything but primitive. It transforms coal into Energon in mere hours – and with it in my grasp, Venjix's return is all but guaranteed." It turned to face Control, who had teleported into the room while nobody was looking. "They're starting to annoy me. Let's dispose of 'em already!"

"Imbecile! You'll wait until I tell you!" The Avatar snapped. He opened up his laptop, which displayed detailed schematics of the SpyTech Brace and CellTech Blaster. "I may have had time to examine their morphers, but the Bio-Field has also turned their bodies into weapons! Monsieur Venjix would jump at the chance to study them further, no?"

"I...hadn't really thought of that."

"You're an even bigger imbecile than I thought," He scoffed, stuffing his laptop back into his backpack. He then teleported away, but not before adding, "Just keep them alive and don't touch anything until that converter's done doing its job."

"Just a few more seconds, annnnnnd...I'm in," Quincy said to himself as he stared at his laptop. He'd successfully plugged Griffin's SpyTech Brace into it via a tangled thread of multicolored wires that fed into a modified USB cable. He cracked his knuckles, then added, "Now it's time to code,"

His fingers danced elegantly across the keyboard, striking its keys with pinpoint accuracy at blinding speed.

"Man, you type fast!" observed Griffin.

"I average 110 words per minute," Quincy told him without looking up from his screen. "Don't be jealous. That's only twenty more than your average."

Griffin gave him a weird look, to which he replied, "Telepath, remember? If you think it, I hear it. Speaking of which, I don't like Wendy like that, so you can stop viewing me as competition."

"I have n-no idea what you're talking about..." Griffin stammered, his cheeks turning pink.

"Surrre," Quincy said sarcastically. His typing slowed to a halt, and he took a moment to scan his program line by line for errors. Satisfied, he typed in a 'Run' command and hit enter. A new window opened up on his screen, and his laptop emitted a series of beeps and boops as it began its scan. He carefully disconnected the SpyTech Brace from the computer, then handed it back to Griffin. "Here, you can have this back now."

"Thanks," Griffin took his morpher, strapping it back onto his wrist. "...How long do you think it'll be?"

"It might take a minute. Keep in mind, it's scanning the entire county," Quincy pointed out. "Don't worry, though. Accuracy's more crucial than speed right now, and my code is flawless."

"Humble as always," Griffin joked, the ends of his mouth curling up into a small smile. "I can see where ALPHA gets it from."

"Very funny," replied Quincy. His laptop then emitted an electronic 'ping,' drawing his attention to its screen. "Stop your grinnin' and drop your linen; I found 'em! They're being held in a coal mine just outside the city limits."

"Excellent work, Ranger Gold," Doctor K said, congratulating him. "Now you and Ranger Red just have to rescue the others."

"On our way!" hollered Griffin, who leapt up from his chair and slid back into his denim jacket in one fluid motion. He and Quincy marched out of the lab, and Doctor K watched them leave before turning back to her monitor.

"Good luck, you two."

"Alright," Griffin said as he and Quincy approached the mine. "Looks like this is the pla-"

"Shhhh! Quiet," Quincy gestured to a pair of Xanadroids guarding the entrance, then pulled Griffin behind a boulder. "We can't let 'em spot us; we'll lose the element of surprise."

"There's no way to slip past…" Griffin observed, stroking his chin. "We'll need a diversion."

Quincy's lips curled into a sly grin, and he replied, "I got this."

He closed his eyes and focused his energy, placing his right index and middle fingers on the side of his temple. Green wisps of energy danced through the air and circled a nearby soda bottle, which he used his telekinesis to lift into the air. He then threw the bottle into the mine's wooden arched entryway. It shattered, sending glass shrapnel flying in all directions. The Xanadroids glanced at each other, then padded away from their post and split off in either direction to investigate. Griffin seized this golden opportunity by grabbing Quincy by the wrist and stealthily infiltrating the facility using his superspeed. Once they were far enough inside, he slowed to a halt and released his grip on his gold teammate.

Together, the two navigated the dimly lit tunnel, spiraling deep into the earth. They crept silently along, stopping and slipping into the shadows intermittently to evade detection by Xanadroid patrols. Eventually, the tunnel branched off into several different paths. Quincy studied a readout on his CellTech Blaster, then gestured toward the left-most tunnel.

"This way," Griffin wordlessly followed his teammate, and the two continued their trek through the mine. This new tunnel carved straight ahead into empty darkness for approximately fifty yards then gave way to what appeared to be a large storage area. They tiptoed through the funnel-like entrance, hiding behind some crates.

They peeked over them and spotted a small office on the far side of the cavern. Kenny, Wendy, and ALPHA were inside, bound by Energon-infused chains but otherwise unguarded. Quincy used his morpher to trace the current, which ran to a computer terminal in the corner of the room.

"If I hack that terminal, I'll bet I can deactivate those," He started to stand up, but Griffin grabbed him by the arm before he could leave.

"How do we know this isn't a trap?"

"Tell you what. If it is, I'll buy you a beer later," Quincy said. Griffin frowned, and he added, "On second thought, make that a Coke. Almost forgot you don't drink,"

With that, he strolled into the office. Griffin hesitated for a moment but ultimately followed him inside. Kenny and Wendy's faces lit up, but Griffin pressed his finger to his lips to shush them before they could make any noise. Quincy did the same to ALPHA, then turned his attention to the computer, which he began to hack. The sound of keyboard keys clacking echoed off the walls, as did the strange beeps and boops the computer made. With a final metallic 'click,' the green aura surrounding the chains vanished. Griffin tentatively poked one with his finger, then set to work breaking Wendy out of hers once he was sure they weren't electrified anymore.

"Wendy!" He cut her out, then grabbed her by the hips and gently hoisted her down. Pure relief flashed in his sapphire orbs as he added, "You're okay!"

He felt Kenny and ALPHA burning a hole in the back of his head, so he turned to face them and sheepishly rubbed his neck. "Uh, I was gonna get you guys n-next, honest…"

"Riiiiiiiiiiiight," Kenny quipped as Griffin set to work freeing him as well. Quincy did the same for ALPHA, then used his telekinesis to scoop the freed captives' morphers up off a nearby table and give them back to their respective users. As the Blue Ranger strapped his SpyTech Brace back onto his wrist, he said, "Thanks."

"Don't mention it,"

"So like...you two snuck in here to rescue us...together?" Wendy questioned, to which Griffin and Quincy nodded. "You mean you didn't like, verbally eviscerate eachother after we got captured?"

"Actually we did, but that's not important right now," Quincy told her. "C'mon, let's get outta here,"

"Wait, so the Attack Bot left you guys totally unguarded?" Wendy nodded, to which Griffin replied, "Something about this seems a little too easy…."

"Half of everything is luck, Griffin," Quincy assured him as they stepped out of the office. Out of nowhere, a klaxon blared throughout the mine, and a massive squadron of Xanadroids stormed into the room.

"And the other half?"

"Fate," Quincy drooped into a fighting stance, then added, "Looks like we'll have to fight our way out,"

"What're we waiting for, then?" Wendy vaulted into the air using her superagility, then delivered a flying kick to a Xanadroid's chest. "Let's kick some clanker ass! Take that! And that!" She delivered a rapid series of kicks to its abdomen, then capped off the assault with a swift uppercut. "And somma this!"

It spasmed and sparked as it landed on its back, defeated. Over on her left and right, Griffin and Kenny used their own Bio-Field abilities to cut through the other troops. Quincy used quick wit and his telekinesis to take them down. At the same time, ALPHA relied on acrobatics to mop up the last of the footsoldiers.

"Alright, that takes care of them," Quincy remarked. "Now we just gotta get outta here."

"We can't leave yet! The Drill Attack Bot's got some kind of converter box thing; it's using it to turn coal into Energon," Kenny explained.

"Right then," Griffin replied. "We'll go dismantle that, then-"

"I don't think so!" A familiar voice boomed as the Drill Attack Bot burrowed up through the floor, blindsiding the Red Ranger and knocking him on his butt. It leapt up through the hole it created, then launched an energy blast that sent him crashing through wooden boards and falling down a bottomless chasm.

"Ahhhhhhhh…!"

"GRIFFIN!" Quincy dashed across the room and dove through the debris, landing on his stomach with a thud. He converted his morpher into Blaster Mode, then aimed it down at the Red Ranger and shot out a grappling hook that latched onto his shirt, saving him from certain death. It began to retract with another button press, slowly lifting him up out of the pit. "Gahhh…!"

He grabbed him once he was within reach, then grunted as he hoisted him up and onto the ground. He then rolled onto his back, taking shallow, ragged breaths as Griffin stared at him in disbelief.

"You...saved me?" He questioned, prompting Quincy to sit up and look at him. "But...why?"

"'Cuz it's like Doc said...we're teammates, and...we need eachother," Quincy told him. His lips curled into a smirk as he added, "Even if you really piss me off sometimes."

"...Alright then," He hopped up to his feet, then offered his gold counterpart a hand. Quincy took it, and the Red Ranger helped him to his feet. As they made their way over to the others, Griffin said, "You guys ready?!"

"Ready!" Kenny, Wendy, and ALPHA hollered in unison, brandishing their morphers.

"Me too," Quincy told him, readying his own morpher. "Allons y!"

"It's Morphin' Time!" Griffin declared, and the five shouted, "Install: CPU!"

With a flash of light, they instantly morphed into their Ranger suits. Griffin and Quincy stepped in front of the others as the team began their roll call.

"Limit Breaker! CPU Red!"

"Mind Flayer! CPU Gold!"

"Shield Buster! CPU Blue!"

"Climax Jumper! CPU Yellow!"

"Circuit Smasher! CPU Silver!"

"Covertly protecting the universe from evil!" Griffin and Quincy posed together, and the others fell in on either side and joined in as they concluded, "Power Rangers: CPU!"

"How cute! So you've finally learned to work together?" The Drill Attack Bot broke into a run, revving up his drill as he boomed, "SHAME THAT YOU'RE STILL GONNA DIE!"

"That's what you think!" Griffin shouted in defiance. "Everybody, Attack Plan Lambda!"

"On it!" Kenny lifted a metal crate above his head, then threw it at the Attack Bot. As it hurtled towards its target, ALPHA slashed it with his sword, causing it to shatter into a million pieces. The shrapnel tore into their foe, leaving it reeling as Wendy vaulted into the air. She began pelting it with blaster fire, causing it to spasm and recoil in pain as Griffin and Quincy readied their finishers.

"SpyTech Analyzer!"

"DriveTech Blade!"

"Stakeout/Swerving SLASH!" They dashed towards the Attack Bot and ran it through. It gasped in shock, glancing down as they removed their blades and Energon spilled from its wounds.

"I...I can't believe it…!" It sputtered, clenching its abdomen. As it fell to its knees and exploded, it let out a final, "How'd you beat me so easily?!"

"'Cuz we're just that good!" Quincy lowered his sword, then gestured over to the others. "C'mon, we've gotta take out that converter!"

The five dashed out of the room, navigating the tunnels until they found the staging area. As they burst inside, they were just in time to watch as a group of Xanadroids loaded Energon canisters into minecarts and sent them rolling along a track and into a portal. As four Xanadroids scooped up the converter and began to gingerly carry it to safety, Wendy combined her saber and blaster and leaped into action.

"Scope SALVO!" She fired a golden energy beam at the device, causing it to explode and shatter into pieces. Bits of shrapnel embedded themselves in the Xanadroids, stunning them long enough for Wendy to gun them down.

"C-C-Come in, Rangers!" Apex's voice echoed from their morphers, prompting them to raise them as countdown timers appeared. "We're detecting an incoming A-Attack Zord, and it's not alone! I'm seeing what l-looks like two, maybe even t-three XanaZords coming in w-with it!"

"We read you loud and clear, Apex!" Griffin told him. "We're on our way out of the mine, so have Doc send the Zords!"

A few minutes later, Griffin and the others burst out of the mouth of the mine just in time to witness a massive portal rip open in the sky above them. The Antenna Attack Zord burst through the opening, accompanied by a trio of XanaZords. As the four enemy Zords touched down and set out for an Energon MegaTank off in the distance, Doctor K's voice echoed through the Rangers' comm-link.

"Downmorphing Zords now!" The ground rumbled beneath the Rangers' feet as their Zords were birthed from underground. As they boarded them, she continued, "Rangers Gold and Silver, there's still quite a bit of Energon left over from your stockpile, and I'm going to put it to good use. Get ready to combine your Zords!"

"The BeetleBlast Megazord? How'd you get ahold of my blueprints?" Quincy questioned. "And how'd you get it to work?"

"I have my ways," She told him. "I'm authorizing the combination sequence!"

"Alright then!" Quincy slotted his DriveTech Blade into his console as he slid into his cockpit. He flipped a series of switches over his head. "Allons y, ALPHA!"

"As you wish!" ALPHA flipped a series of switches in his own cockpit, and together the two hollered, "BeetleBlast Megazord Formation: ACTIVATE!"

The Rhino Loader transformed into Warrior Mode and struck a pose as the Stag Jet circled it. ALPHA's Zord split apart, with the thrusters forming a breastpiece that slotted onto the Rhino Loader's chest and the wings creating a stag beetle-like gauntlet that attached to its left arm. Finally, the cockpit section unfolded and formed a blaster rifle that the Rhino Loader gripped in its right hand.

Meanwhile, Griffin, Kenny, and Wendy performed the necessary steps to combine their own Zords, forming the SpyTech Megazord.

"SpyTech/BeetleBlast Megazord: ONLINE!"

Together, the two Megazords ran towards the enemy as they continued their advance on the MegaTank. The BeetleBlast Megazord pelted the XanaZords with blaster bolts, while the SpyTech Megazord ran up and delivered a surprise attack to the Drill Attack Zord with its sword. The four enemy Zords turned to face their attackers, then launched their own counterattack.

"WOAH!" Kenny shouted as the Drill Attack Zord rammed its arm-drill into the SpyTech Megazord and revved it up, causing their chassis to spark. As it stumbled backward, the XanaZords took aim and unloaded on it with their blasters. Alarms blared throughout their cockpits, and Kenny said, "These dials are spinning like a top! I don't think we can take much more of this!"

"Hang on, we're coming!" Quincy told him. He and ALPHA willed the BeetleBlast Megazord to move forward, dashing to their friends' aid. It beat the Drill Attack Zord back with its gauntlet. As the XanaZords targetted it and shifted their attack, it moved to shield the SpyTech Megazord before returning fire on them. "Eat this!"

The XanaZords spasmed and stumbled back as the blaster fire hit them. Meanwhile, the Drill Attack Zord dug in its heels and began charging an energy attack in its drill.

"Rangers, I'm detecting a large concentration of Energon in that drill!" Doctor K warned. "Don't let that attack hit you!"

"We won't," Griffin replied. He twisted his morpher's dial, then pressed its button before saying, "Let's finish 'em off!"

"Right!" Wendy flicked a series of switches, then watched her screen as their sword began to glow green. "Charging sword!"

"Boosting output!" Kenny boomed, cranking a lever to speed up the process. "50%...60...70..."

While they busied themselves with that, Quincy and ALPHA prepared their own finisher. They drew their CellTech Blasters, then held down the triggers and raised them.

"Check!" They shouted into them, and the BeetleBlast Megazord's breastpiece, arm-gauntlet, and blaster rifle all began to glow bright gold. "Beetle Barrage: CHARGING!"

"80%...90...100%!" Kenny hollered as the SpyTech Megazord's sword finished filling with Energon. "Let's go!"

Griffin slammed his fist down on a button in his cockpit, causing soundwaves to shoot out of their Megazord's knees. The Drill Attack Zord and its XanaZord underlings were caught by the waves and soon trapped in two large bubbles. With their foes immobilized, the SpyTech Megazord raised its sword while the BeetleBlast Megazord aimed its weapons.

"SpyTech Megazord: Dimension CRASH!"

"BeetleBlast Megazord: Beetle BARRAGE!"

Together, the Megazords executed their finishing moves. The SpyTech Megazord lunged towards the Drill Attack Zord and delivered a diagonal slash, rocking it with explosions. Meanwhile, the BeetleBlast Megazord opened fire with its three weapons, bombarding the trio of XanaZords with explosive ordinance that tore their armor to shreds.

The four enemy Zords toppled over and exploded in sync, leaving the Rangers' Megazords victorious. The two Megazords struck triumphant poses, and the Rangers leapt up inside their cockpits and let out a cheer.

"Alright, we did it!" Kenny chirped. "I knew we could!"

"We are the victors!" ALPHA declared. He then added, "Thanks mostly to me, of course!"

"Oh, get bent! We're the ones who did all the work," Wendy scoffed.

"We got off to a rocky start today, but I'm glad we pulled it together when it mattered," Quincy told Griffin. "Friends?"

"Friends," Griffin echoed. He removed his helmet before pumping his fist and shouting, "Shutdown: COMPLETE!"

Meanwhile, inside Venjix's Hideout…

"Forgive me, my liege," Control bowed before Venjix's containment tube, dipping his head in humility. "The Energon Converter we deployed was destroyed by the Rangers. We also failed to secure Rangers Blue, Yellow, and Silver for study. However, I managed to yield a sizable harvest of Energon…"

"YOU HAVE DONE WELL, MY SON," Venjix told him. As Control stood to his feet and his lips curled into a prideful smirk, he added, "ALT, DELETE, YOU WOULD DO WELL TO FOLLOW YOUR BROTHER'S EXAMPLE."

"What, are you kidding?!" Delete squelched, whispering in Alt's ear. "He's only saying that because Control conveniently forgot to tell him that I'm the one who helped him set up his little operation in the mines!"

"Taking credit for our successes and making us look as bad as possible, as per usual," Alt spat. "Must be nice, being the favorite."

"You were saying?" Alt turned to face Control, who let out an amused snort. She turned her back to him, and he grinned as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. He strolled out of the room, subtly pulling a USB stick out of his trenchcoat. "Now I can get to work studying that data I collected on their morphers. Soon enough, I may just have a trump carp to play against those pesky Rangers…"

- POWER RANGERS: CPU -