The Storybook Dimension

See disclaimer.

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The Weakest Color

Chapter 3: Divide and Conquer Pt. 1

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“What’s going on?” Jack inquired, striding into the Delta Command center with three other rangers trailing close behind him. He was a little disconcerted to note that Sky was already there, a smug half-smile firmly in place. Choosing to temporarily ignore his second-in-command, Jack lined up with his teammates, and waited to be briefed.

“Gruumm is attacking two different targets within the city.” Kat announced. She pressed a button, and the view screen divided itself, showing two forces of krybots, one group led by a strange alien, the other by a familiar bat-like criminal.

“Broodwing!”

“The force on the left are attacking a factory owned by Polaris Optics, a company that produces micro-thin glass.” Kat magnified the image, concentrating on the krybots’ leader. By human standards, this monster was uncommonly large, and was covered from head to toe in armor made of a strange, almost reflective substance. “We know nothing about this alien. However, he should be considered to be very dangerous, especially since he appears to be working for Gruumm.”

“Broodwing’s group is attacking the warehouse district.” She quickly typed instructions into the console, but even as an image appeared on the screen, the picture flickered and faded, interrupted by static. The Rangers caught a glimpse of krybots, metal walls, and much activity before the screen went completely blank.

“Satellite imagery is malfunctioning.” The scientist stated tersely, moving to another station. After several vain attempts to re-align the machine, she shot Doggie an apologetic glance, and returned her attention to the Rangers. “I’m not sure what they’re doing, but they must be stopped.”

“Rangers,” Cruger ordered, “this calls for a defense on two fronts. Jack and Bridge, you will go to the factory. Syd, Z and Sky – the warehouse district.”

“Sir,” Sky interrupted, “I would prefer to go with Bridge.”

The other Rangers shot him incredulous looks, and Jack turned to argue with him.

“No, Cadet Schuyler.” Cruger intervened, forestalling a potential conflict. “Your skills will be more valuable protecting the warehouses. Syd and Z will need your help.”

Sky opened his mouth to protest, only to close it at Kat’s warning glance. ‘I’m going to have to trust her on this one.’ He realized, choosing instead to nod in acquiescence. “Yes, Sir!”

Cruger growled under his breath. What was he missing here? Why did they all seem to know something he didn’t? “Move out, Rangers!”

“Be careful.” Kat added from the corner, even as she pried open another control panel. “It may be a diversion, or a trap.”

“No problem.” Jack stated confidently. “It’s nothing we can’t handle.”

The B-squad saluted in unison.

“We may not know what they’re after, but if Gruumm’s involved it can’t be good! SPD Emergency!”

–

The warehouse district was located next to the docks, by the ruins of a high-speed train system that had once serviced Newtech City in the distant past.

Many powerful corporations stored their goods here, along with the occasional wealthy private investor. The warehouses were often run by unscrupulous companies, who asked little about the contents or their clients. Therefore, it tended to attract the seedier side of life, the thieves and kidnappers, who knew that the chances of the police finding anything among the hundreds of identical buildings was like finding the proverbial needle in a haystack.

SPD was well aware of what went on within the district. Lacking the forces to effectively patrol the area, the best they could do was send the occasional c-squad team, supplemented in times of danger or a substantial threat by any available power rangers.

Thus, Syd and Sky had been there several times, all on SPD business. Z, too, was familiar with the area, but for entirely different reasons.

However, upon their arrival, there seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary – just the distant sound of cars and the acrid scent of the polluted waters of the river.

Sky frowned. Usually they were immediately attacked by some monster – or at least a force of krybots. If they had to actually search the area, he realized, they were going to be faced with a daunting task indeed.

“Syd, Z, we should split up and search the area. Keep in touch with your communicators, and call at the first sign of trouble.”

“Right!”

–

A metallic scraping noise was the first sign of impending danger. Z, however, was not too concerned. After all, there could still be legitimate business and transport occurring in these warehouses, especially at this time of day. But it never hurt to check.

Z tapped her communicator. “I may have found something. I’m going to investigate.”

Quietly sneaking towards the sound, she slid along the wall, only to get a glimpse of what seemed to be the majority of the krybot force lifting and transporting several black boxes from one of the warehouses. While there were several foot-soldiers doing the lifting work, they were guarded by three orange-heads. Broodwing was no-where in sight. The bat always seemed to know when SPD was coming, and managed to make himself scarce during those times.

Z weighed her options, and immediately decided that, even if she replicated herself, she had no chance of defeating such a large group.

‘Time for a tactical retreat,’ she thought, raising her gun and backing up into one of the passageways.

Which, of course, was the moment they saw her.

Maybe they were alerted by the afternoon sun glinting off her weapon, or maybe they heard the low shuffle of her feet as she backed away. Either way, the yellow ranger was immediately subjected to a substantial amount of laser fire, as all the krybots formerly engaged in guarding the stolen goods were now intent on destroying her.

Replicating herself several times, she dividing their attention between the several identical yellow rangers, and ducked into a back alleyway.

Z looked around speculatively, looking for some means of escape. There were no doors, or possible hand-holds, just metal walls surrounding her. ‘Just my luck.’ She thought. ‘I’ve picked a dead end.’

She peeked around the corner, trying to see how her replicants were faring. There was only one left, the others having been defeated by the krybots. The copy fought desperately, completely surrounding. Jumping on top of one of the stolen crates, it launched itself towards the roof, intending to make its escape. The replicant never made it. The orange-head’s lightning blast hit it square in the back, and it slumped to the ground before dissolving.

The krybots, seemingly cognizant that this one was also a copy, paused for a moment, and then began to divide into search parties.

“Guys!” Z murmured into her communicator, “I could use a little help here!” The reply immediately crackled from her communicator.

“I’m busy,” Syd panted, the sound of battle filtering in from the background.

“I’m on my way, Z.” Sky replied, calmly as ever. “Hang in there, Syd.”

“Hurry!” Z hissed. Because judging by the footsteps of the approaching krybots, Gruumm’s forces were advancing, and would soon be upon her.

–

‘Busy,’ Syd said under her breath, ‘is an understatement.’

A soon as Z had called for help, Syd had found herself ambushed by a couple dozen krybots. They circled her, predatorily searching for some weakness. As always, they said nothing. She assumed that they were not programmed to speak, only to fight.

That was fine. Syd wasn’t one for chatting with her enemies much, either. She just wanted to go home and have a bubble bath.

“Let’s finish this quickly,” she said, as much to herself as to them.

‘I hope Z’s alright.’ Syd added charitably, sparing a moment of thought for her teammate/rival. Z annoyed her immensely, but one some level Syd actually liked the ex-thief. And even at her worst, Syd would never wish Z harm. She just wasn’t that kind of girl.

Swinging around the metal railing, she threw a punch at one krybot, simultaneously causing another to fly backwards with a devastating kick. It hit the wall, and slid to the ground incapacitated, twitching uncontrollably as its circuitry short-circuited.

One down, she thought. Twenty to go.

Syd gracefully dodged a laser beam, and flipped over the krybots’ heads. They reacted slowly, allowing her to destroy several more before being forced to duck away from their blows.

And then, something strange happened.

The krybots, programmed to never surrender, started to retreat. They simultaneously turned and fled, as if privy to some hidden signal. Syd tensed, expecting some kind of trap. But nothing happened.

She frowned, and tapped her communicator, running to catch up the the fast-disappearing krybots. “Sky, Z? Come in. Something weird is going on.”

–

Now cornered, Z was forced to use all of her formidable skills to prevent herself from being overwhelmed by the flood of krybots.

Using walls to her advantage, she dodged one strike by leaping up and balancing between the narrow walls of the passageway. Unable to stop its forward momentum, the krybot went flying beneath her legs, and she heard a hollow thunk as it hit the back wall.

Apparently catching on to her trick, the next krybot aimed a flying kick at her midsection. Jumping down from her perch, she ducked under the krybot and drew her sword, dispatching several attackers in a series of fast strikes.

Ignoring their fallen comrade, the rest of the krybot army continued the attack, fighting with a mindless, mechanical intensity. And yet even as Z began to tire, Sky and Syd both appeared, approaching her from different directions.

Temporarily confused by the presence of the newcomers, the krybots milled around for a moment before returning to the boxes and taking a defensive formation.

“Nice to see you guys!” Z said, more relieved than she cared to admit.

“So this is where they all went.” Syd commented, looking at the now even larger group of krybots in front of them. The ones she had been fighting had joined up with the ones that had been guarding the boxes, forming a single cohesive force.

The three rangers lined up in fighting positions.

“Stop right there. SPD!”

They had just defeated the last of the krybots when they spotted Broodwing, perched above them on the roof of one of the warehouses. The rangers turned to face him as a group, made both confident and reckless by their earlier victory.

“You’re going down!”

“It’s all over for you!”

Broodwing laughed. “No, Rangers. This is only the beginning!” And with that he leaped into the air, and, before the rangers could detain him, disappeared into the distance.

Sky sighed. Were they never going to catch that guy? The bat was a slippery character, and Sky would like nothing more than to see him trapped inside a government-issued containment card.

‘Another day,’ He though, turning his attention back to the new abandoned stack of boxes. At least that had prevented the forces of evil from getting …whatever was in these things.

“Now, let’s see what’s in these babies.” Z said, echoing Sky’s thoughts. She knelt beside the box, and after a moment of fiddling with the lock managed to get it open, only to gasp in shock. “I knew this was too easy!”

Syd turned to face her. “What? What is it?”

“It’s empty!”

—

To Be Continued

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