Pink Ranger Problems

The cockpit of the repaired Galah invites me in. I couldn't be alone on this mission. There is no way everyone could have been captured. I tap my fingers against the control panel anxiously. It won't hurt to do some diagnostics. I’d prefer to know about my machine before we go into the fray again. We made it out last time because she is tough but it’s worth double and triple checking everything to make sure all the repairs were fine. It’s a mech, I imagine the old rangers put a lot of work into their mechs. Stella and Clay both seemed like they would put a lot of effort into making sure everything works.

I haven't had as much time in actual mech combat as the others. Am I even cut out for taking this thing on if it grows? Hypothetically the strategy sounds fine, but it doesn't change that the others aren't here right now. The mechs beak is fully operational, if it’s as weak as it was before I can definitely beat it. If it’s healed though, it might be a completely different monster. The others probably kicked its ass. I only had to finish it off. 

It's been five minutes and no one has told me if they've gotten ahold of any of them. What if they are trapped somewhere and I do fail? I'd finally gotten to a point in my life where people have a reason to care about me, so where are they? Why am I alone right now?

And after I lose them, I'll be letting down everyone else. The boy I'd saved when I'd just been chosen, the girls from the mall, Dad, failure can't be an option. 

Why isn't it back yet? 

“The monster is done Filia, you can leave the cockpit.” Astrus' voice booms through the speakers.

All that only for me to not even be useful. Why did they break the pattern? Why didn't it grow? All I can think of is the worst case scenario. What if it had already accomplished its goal? What if Loch didn't need it to grow because it had already gotten rid of the others and a lone ranger isn't an actual threat.

Kepler paces the dark command centre. The blinking lights and overhead lights aren't nearly bright enough without Astrus lighting up the room. 

“Kepler, where is Astrus?” I ask. 

“He's reaching out to the old team. Filia, can I get anything for you? A drink? Some food?” They stumble over. She is anxious as well. A robot is anxious and that does not bode well.

“Astrus couldn't find the others could he?”

“No, he found them. It's just…”

“Where are they?”

“Around thirty kilometres off the coast.”

I take a breath. She wouldn't tell me this if they were gone. Which means they are probably captured. 

“Are they underwater or on the surface?” 

“Filia, your friends have been captured by the enemy, we need to stay calm and wait for Astrus to come back with reinforcements.”

It’s getting difficult to breathe. How am I meant to stay calm? I was starting to realise I could be a person. I could exist among my friends and now they might get taken away and I'm meant to remain calm? No one would be calm in this situation. Not the old rangers, not Summer, not even Scott.

“Above or under the water.”

“Astrus is getting reinforcements.”

“There isn't enough time for that. They don't even have morphers.” 

“Filia. It's not safe for you to go in there alone.”

“Scott would.”

“And I'd tell him the same thing.”

I take a deep breath. 

“So what do I do?”

“Just sit tight. We’ll figure it out.” 

—

Everything is going according to Loch’s plan. Fins was a fool for doubting him. Four rangers at the mercy of his research. Their morphers confiscated, they pace around their cells waiting for help that won’t arrive.

Unfortunately this didn’t seem to satisfy the brutish scientist. He seems intent on ignoring the rangers Loch has managed to capture with his brilliant plan. Some fish are never happy. Not that it’s Loch’s problem anymore. 

He’s succeeded. Without her team the Pink one couldn’t do much, except hand herself over.

—

There isn’t any reason for Loch to get rid of them yet right? There can’t be. He has to have a plan for them. He wouldn’t just leave that monster alone if he didn’t have a plan. So what is it? He could have caught me as well as a giant robot bird if that trap thing had won. So why not do it?

“What would you like to eat?” Kepler asks.

“How long is Astrus going to be?”

“I don’t know. Filia, did you have breakfast?”

“I did. Dad insisted.”

“It’s ten, are you sure you don’t want morning tea?”

“I can’t eat right now,” I sigh. Kepler nods, and leaves the room, holding a feather duster. Good to know I wasn’t the only one completely unsure what to do.

The buzzing and clicks of blinking lights and weird console units is a lot louder when no ones talking. Maybe I should eat, but my leg won't stop bouncing. Sitting still might not be on the cards.

All that work and time spent trying to become a functioning person and I’m still powerless. What is the point of being a ranger if I can’t keep them safe?

My communicator beeps and for a second I’m hopeful.

“Hello Pink.” The raspy voice that Fins had been talking to…

“Who is this?”

“I’m hurt you would forget my voice. It is I, Loch. I have some instructions for you if you ever want to see your friends again.”

“I’m listening.”

“You will hand yourself and your morpher over to our cause. Then after a brief containment to ensure you don’t go running back to your floating head, we will release you all. Unharmed. If you don’t, well, I can’t guarantee their safety.” His voice has always been grating but it sounds worse when he sounds so smug.

“Where do I meet you?”

“Out the back of your “youth centre”, your mentor might get suspicious otherwise.”

“And if they don’t let me leave?”

“That isn’t my problem, is it? See you soon, Pink.” His cackling is cut off as the communicator goes dead.

I should have asked for a time frame. What kind of hostage taker doesn’t give a time frame? Do I have time to think about it? To wait for Astrus to come back with reinforcements? Probably not. He probably expects me to go there immediately…

I morph and slip into something comfortable. I don’t know how long I can be separated from the morpher before things start to fail but it’s probably at least an hour based on the princess incident.

“You changed?” Kepler asked.

“Just needed something more comfortable.”

“I understand you're anxious, but we do just have to wait. Angie should be here soon, and then we can plan our next move.” 

“I know Kepler. I just… I think I need to get some fresh air.” I try to keep my breathing stable. If this doesn't work. I'm screwed, they're screwed. We're all screwed.

“It could be dangerous to leave here.” The robot's voice was a little rougher today, I doubt it was like stress or crying. I don't even know if they could cry. I'd have to ask if I made it out of this plan. 

“Can I go to the youth centre? I'll call if anything happens.” Kepler can't look me in the eye. 

“Just promise me you'll be safe.” They look at the ground.

“I'll try Kepler.” 

Maybe it's just paranoia that makes me think Kepler knows what I'm doing. Maybe it's wishful thinking. The room fades to a bright pink light, and the eucalyptus trees out the back of the youth centre fade in. 

This is such an awful idea. This is such a dangerous and awful idea, but at least if I fuck up I'll be with the others and that's enough. My morpher burns in my pocket. Does it know? Definitely paranoia.

“I’m here Loch.” I whisper into the communicator. Picking at my face I can feel the lack of bumps and distractions. More superhero than the real me. It's an odd difference. One I hope no one else can notice.

Two figures appear in a flash of light. Fins, my captor from weeks ago and a figure I'd never seen before. They towered over both me and the shark, with a long neck and reptilian face. They smiled, baring their teeth. I’m nothing but prey in front of them. I have no guarantee these things will keep up their end of the bargain.

“Ahh good, good. You've come alone.” The long necked creature's raspy voice is unfortunately familiar. He circles me, sizing me up. Maybe I could beat him in a one to one fight but with Fins here they could just use that as an excuse to kill them and I doubt Fins would take kindly to me making his boss explode. 

“You have my friends hostage!”

“Yes, yes. No need to yell. You've met my subordinate?” Loch gestures to Fin’s who only grunts. “He will escort you to your room for the foreseeable future. Don’t worry about your world. Dysphorus’ empire is quite kind.” He pats me on the back, and then for good measure when I don't move, pushes me towards Fins. “Run along.”

Fins grabs my shoulder firmly. “Your morpher, Pink?” I pull out the chunk of metal from my pocket and Fins grabs it with a gloved hand. The glove smoulders a bit but otherwise gives him no trouble. “It’s the real thing.”

“Then what are you waiting for, take it away!”

“Yeah yeah.” Fins sighs, as Loch walks towards my hometown and I can't stop him. Not without fucking up my entire plan. 

“What is Loch going to do?”

“Plan his no doubt riveting speech to your planet. Now let's move you along before you get spoiled.” Can a shark's eyes roll? Does that even matter? Fins might not even be a real shark. That isn't even what should matter right now. I’m about to enter the base of operation for the aliens that have been attacking us for almost seven years without my armour, or a mask and without any guarantee that my weapons will even appear. 

“Not attack?” 

“Why attack, in his mind he's already won. Alerting everyone before taking over is just stupidity, your species still has weapons.” 

“In his mind?”

A bright flash of light disorients me before my eyes have to adjust to the dim hallways of what looks like an aquarium. The hallway we’ve been moved to is surrounded by water with coral and what looks to be the heads of anemobots. 

“You should close your eyes, Princess.”

“I'm not scared of them anymore,” I squeak.

“You are shaking.”

“Yes, you’ve kidnapped me, anyone would be shaking in a situation like this.” Without their bodys they were just sea life. Harmless. Normal clownfish swim between them. There is a physical barrier between me and them. They could be cute, if I didn't know what they were capable of doing. 

“Get up off the floor.” The monster extends a hand. “This will be quicker if I can just escort you to your team and go about my business.”

I get up on my own. I was not going to let this fish get anything on me. I brush myself off. He's right, even if he doesn't know it. I don't know when this is going to wear off and how long we'll need to actually plan our escape. 

“Okay, take me to them.” I stare at the anemones defiantly. This is fine. I'd be with them soon. 

“In his mind. He's outsmarted you, you've handed yourself over willingly. I have your morpher. I'm going to study it some more and then he'll bring the old boss back and be rewarded handsomely.”

“Is that not what's going to happen?”

“Maybe. I'm not sure what your plan is, Princess, but I assume you have one. You humans are quite ingenious when you need to be, and he’s too proud to see it,” The fish elaborates. He doesn't seem to have actually figured out what that plan is. Thank the power. “No matter what happens, I can go home.”

“I don't have my morpher.”

“Didn't stop you from destroying the crab wizard's hand.”

“I guess it didn't.”

“I'd have to be an idiot to not expect something. Whether it be you or a mystery sixth ranger to save you. It doesn't matter. I just need a little longer with your morphers to figure out how useful they are to me. Then I win.” The shark smiled but oddly I don't feel as scared as I did when Loch was sizing me up.

“Why are you telling me this?”

“I'm just making conversation.”

“You weren't this talkative last time.”

“No, I suppose I wasn't, but then again, you weren't either.” 

It really seems like this hallway is one of the few not filled with water. I guess it protects them from humans, being fully flooded like this, most of us aren't coming in with scuba gear, and scuba gear means less weapons. 

“You kidnapped me.”

“That is also what's happening now, in case you've forgotten. Is your plan already in motion I wonder?” 

“There is no plan.” 

“That is disappointing if true. Maybe you'll concoct something when I dump you in a cell with the others, but not my problem. Just don't be too loud, my lab’s around the corner and I have work to do. Ah. Here we go.” 

He holds a small disk up to a panel on our left, the tank rises, making way for a large hexagonal room with a domed aquarium ceiling, and more fish tanks on each wall. He takes me to the middle take, and opens it. A hard shove, a small clattering sound and the door shuts behind me. My friends look at me, horrified.