"Hacking into my office from the safe distance of your hideout, I see," Mrs Evergreen said. "Coward."

Kovak's tone darkened as he replied, "Nice to meet you again, Khali Evergreen."

"How did you do it?" she asked with defiance as she stood up.

"I'm the most talented scientist and engineer you have ever hired."

Such a git.

"I beg to disagree," she replied as she walked around her desk with her cane.

"That, and Sky's cooperation to hack the phoenixes," he added casually. "Now that the dome is down thanks to the blue ranger, I can safely hack into your network."

"Using a child to do your bidding," she went on with a scowl. "That wasn't very smart of you."

He sighed and said as if Sky's collaboration meant little to him, "He did the job well."

"Aren't you ashamed of yourself?" she asked with a tense jaw and shoulders.

"The pot calls the kettle now, I see." He smirked.

She chuckled and smiled with naughtiness. "At least I had the decency to tell the poor boy the truth."

"Only when it suited you. Not before," he replied, fast.

She smirked. "I've always loved arguing with you. Did I ever tell you that?"

"No need. Your wicked smile gives it all away." He smirked back at her.

This conversation is so awkward. I bet Aunt Naomi is gobsmacked.

Sky took a glimpse of Naomi's baffled expression. Her eyes were wide open and glued to Kovak's hologram as if she wished he'd stop acting like a fool and talked to her immediately.

I guess she aches to tell him how she feels. Instead, she has to endure all this bullcrap between these two power-hungry monsters.

"Your friends here tried to defy me and failed," Mrs Evergreen told him. "Nothing has changed. Nothing will change. I'm still in charge and the Lifebringer project is alive and well. Thanks for asking, by the way." Her smile grew wider as she took a couple of steps forward to loom over his hologram. "I will soon get a cure for MS, too. That will be the only major change around here―apart from your imminent arrest and conviction, of course."

"We'll see about that." His disapproving whisper was too nonchalant to leave Sky at ease.

This man must have more aces up his sleeve.

"And what are you going to do about it?" she asked. "You've been radio silent all these years, hidden like the coward you are. I doubt you have got any other tricks that can actually pose a threat to me."

"I had to go silent and pretend I was dead," he replied, casting a pitiful glance at Naomi for just a second. "When you fight against a corporate titan like you, one looks for discretion and silence."

Naomi's fists were so tense that they were trembling and turning white. "Kane, you're despicable!" she yelled. "My sister was right. You're a sociopath!"

Both Mrs Evergreen and Kovak turned to look at her with disbelief.

I guess none of them expected her to interrupt their conversation. Well, too bad.

"Now, I wouldn't go that far," Kovak answered.

"You've always lacked empathy for others," she went on with her chest pumping up and down, as if she lacked enough air to speak. "You're generally impulsive. You control others with lies and you use your intelligence to manipulate others, like Sky. You never learn from mistakes because you never admit you can make them!"

"I did make a mistake, my gem," he confessed, his tone becoming sadder for a moment. "I... I might've lost control of Endurance when I shared my knowledge about bioengineering with him, let him have free will, and allowed him to repair himself and self-replicate as the need arose. I thought I needed to make him invincible, so that's what I did. I know it's a horrible mistake, and..." He made a brief pause in which he bit his lower lip. "And I... I loved you and never told you. That's another mistake."

What?! He did what?!

Naomi chuckled loudly and glared at him as she put her hands on either side of her hips.

"The nerve," she whispered with anger. "Don't you dare play with my feelings for you like they're guitar strings! You lie for personal gain. You've always had! You even go the length to commit a serious crime, like creating Endurance and losing control over him... which makes you responsible for the phoenixes that have been murdering thousands of people over all these years. One of your monsters almost killed me!"

This is so twisted. No wonder my aunt's a mess!

She was on the verge of tears. An uncomfortable silence settled in the office. The air grew heavy with tension as everyone present, stunned and taken aback, struggled to find words to fill the void. Eyes darted nervously around the room, avoiding direct contact as if seeking refuge from the charged atmosphere.

"You were my rock, but sacrifices need to be made sometimes," he whispered.

"How dare you say that to me?!" she exclaimed as a tear ran down her cheek. "Don't you feel remorse for what you've done?!"

"I did what needed to be done," he answered with pride. "Speaking of which, I'm not done yet."

This man is ruthless, even to someone who loves him!

The serene beauty of the bamboo garden and the artificial ponds in Anti-Ageing Inc.'s garden was abruptly shattered as a swarm of phoenixes descended from the night sky. The air filled with a cacophony of screeching cries and the beating of powerful wings. Led by the imposing blue ranger, the phoenixes launched a relentless assault on the drug company's headquarters.

A group of Steelvanes unleashed balls of fire that ignited the surroundings, creating a ring of flames that encircled the building. The fire burnt brightly in the night. The inferno roared with an intense heat, devouring everything in its path. The flames danced and devoured the bamboo stalks as the eerie red flames cast their hungry light upwards.

"No!" Mrs Evergreen cried as she turned around and witnessed the destruction down below. "The swarm was supposed to be free! This... This is your doing, right, Kane Kovak?! Stop this immediately!"

Wait. He made me set them free so that he could re-hack them and control them again?! Sky's fists clenched with anger.

The sound of breaking glass and crumbling structures echoed through the air as they tore through Anti-Ageing Inc.'s headquarters as more and more phoenixes of different kinds kept attacking the building. The smell of smoke filled the atmosphere, mingling with the acrid scent of burnt materials from the lower floors, which gradually came upstairs and started filling Mrs Evergreen's office.

The blue ranger's wings spread wide as it circled in the sky like a vulture, casting its eyes over the devastation below. Then, it made eye contact with the three human beings on the top floor.

Sky gulped while a cold sweat ran down his spine. Not again.

"I'm sorry, my gem," Kovak whispered to her. "Again."

"I knew our relationship was something superficial for you, but I chose to ignore the signs," Naomi whispered back as the blue ranger approached them with fierce determination.

"Endearing as this revelation sounds, Naomi, now it's not the right time for an emotional breakdown," Mrs Evergreen said as she pushed a small red button on her cane. "You need to choose between that treacherous, murdering egomaniac and me."

"Don't call him that!" Naomi cried with pride. "Only I know him well enough to do so." Then, she huffed and glared at Mrs Evergreen when she said, "I will put an end to this insanity right here, right now."

Naomi unsheathed a gun she had hidden behind her back, inside her trousers, and aimed at Mrs Evergreen right when the blue ranger was about to smash the glass wall of her office, witnessing the scene in full detail. It stopped midair and floated as it beat its wings just to remain in a steady position.

"You've always been a curse with a medieval mentality, Khali Evergreen," Kovak said seriously. "If she pledges her loyalty to you, that will change nothing. I'm gonna crush you all the same. But if she challenges you..."

Is he interested in Naomi defying Mrs Evergreen although my aunt hates him? Why are adults so complicated?

As the relentless assault of the phoenixes continued, more havoc ensued. The fiery breath of some Fogthickers intensified, engulfing the building in a sea of flames while Thunderbreakers created strong wind currents that shook the top of the building. The destructive flames licked at the structure, melting metal and reducing walls to charred debris.

This madman will kill the three of us! We have to do something!

Mrs Evergreen's red button had called in reinforcements. A large group of Elite soldiers were fighting the swarm and trying to put out the fires.

Inside the damaged office, Naomi stood frozen, her hands trembling as she struggled with the weight of the decision before her. The chaos unfolding around her mirrored the turmoil within. Her gaze flickered between Mrs Evergreen and the gun in her hand, torn between her duty and her moral compass.

Sensing her hesitation, Kovak saw an opportunity.

"Naomi, do it! Now!" he urged her. "Or else..."

The blue ranger sank its razor-sharp claws into the glass wall, shattering it into a shower of shards. With calculated intent, it tore apart metal beams, further destabilising the structure, and increasing the pressure on Naomi. Through the huge whole it had made, the moon cast its feeble rays, enhancing the beast's ominous silhouette.

"Naomi, do the right thing and stay on the good side of this conflict―with me," Mrs Evergreen urged her. "You need to protect me and Anti-Ageing Inc., as you've always done. You were the head of the law enforcement around here. Prove to me that you're still worth it, damn it!"

"Don't listen to her, Naomi," Kovak added. "She's a much bigger sociopath than I am, and you know it!"

The blue ranger's claws sank into the metal beams with more brute force. The subsequent metallic cry echoed like a lethal whine all over the Hovering Hive.

The building started to bend to one side, making Mrs Evergreen and Sky fall. Naomi regained her balance, so she didn't fall.

"Otherwise, I'll demote you even further!" Mrs Evergreen yelled, putting more pressure on Naomi. "You won't be a teacher anymore. No one will hire you!"

Which of these two monsters is the lesser evil?!

"Sky, you need to convince your aunt," Mrs Evergreen commanded. "Or I'll demote your mother too and make your life hell!"

Perfect. This is insane!

"Sky, Naomi, I'm sorry," Kovak said. "I won't push you anymore if you don't want to shoot her, Naomi. Just... get out of here! Now!"

"Don't pity me, Kane! I know this look in your eyes! You don't think I can do it!" Naomi complained with tears in her eyes.

"I know you disapprove of everything I've said and done so far," he explained, trying to appease Naomi. "Look, I know it's not a good excuse, but... I had to use you to free the swarm from the Control Tower so that I could regain control over it. They're now following my orders, not Endurance's. I'm gonna use them for good, I swear! Once this monster is put down!"

They both glared at Mrs Evergreen.

"I created a better firewall so that neither Endurance nor the guards in the Control Tower can claim the swarm back," he went on. "I'm making them attack the headquarters to stop her for good. If you can't kill her, it's okay. The blue ranger will do it. But you need to get out of there now!"

"Why didn't you wait until we were out of the headquarters after talking sense into Mrs Evergreen?!" Sky asked in ire. "Are you trying to kill us too?!"

"You were not supposed to be here in the first place, you bloody idiot!" he exclaimed, turning to him. "I told you to stall your arrival as much as possible, didn't I? I wanted to kill her before you even had a chance to talk to her. Don't you see she's never gonna change?!"

Sky's frustration manifested in every fibre of his being, etching lines of tension across his forehead and pulling his brows into a deep furrow. He clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white as the intensity of his emotions surged through him. Restlessness and ire consumed him. With a heavy sigh, he ran a hand through his tousled hair, the gesture betraying his exasperation and a desire for things to be different.

"If you stop the phoenixes right now and join forces with me to kill Kane Kovak," Mrs Evergreen suddenly told Sky and Naomi then as she put both hands on a couch for support, "I'll make it worth your while. For both of you! Prove to me you're not a failure!"

"You've switched from threatening to bribing pretty fast!" Naomi exclaimed with a smirk, still aiming her gun at her.

The blue ranger let go a deafening screech, making them cover their ears. Naomi had to drop her gun to cover hers. Mrs Evergreen had to let go of the couch and leaned on its side with her hands on her ears. Sky had to drop his phone. Kane Kovak had disappeared, probably ending the call before the blue ranger could harm his ears.

Damn, I wish I had my enhanced whistle now. And some good earplugs, too!

"Sky!" Mrs Evergreen yelled when the blue ranger had stopped screeching. She opened the handle of her cane and took something small out of it. "Grab it!"

Something round and familiar soared in the air in his direction.

My whistle?! Sky grabbed it with both hands and a smile on his face. His eyes opened wide with joy and eagerness.

"Save me. Save Anti-Ageing Inc.," Mrs Evergreen yelled with a self-conscious smile. "Save your aunt, Hazel, and your mother. We're all in this together!"

I beg to disagree. What would I give to give her a piece of my mind right now! But I don't have the time. Not when the blue ranger could kill us all with these nasty claws or leave us all deaf and unconscious with its sonic blast. Not when the building is about to collapse.

I can't waste more time.

I'll prove to this power-hungry, death-fearing bitch I'm no failure. I know now what I want to achieve in my life―and thanks to her and Kane Kovak I know I've been blind all this time. My worth cannot be measured by becoming an Elite soldier and defending the city from those "evil" phoenixes. I was wrong to glorify the Elite. I was wrong to think becoming one of them would make my mother love me... or to be worth something to my community. I've always wanted something that would doom me to be forever unhappy.

Failure doesn't kill dreams. Self-doubt does.

And my dream is... to save this city and the people I love from these foes: Mrs Evergreen, Kane Kovak, and Endurance. That will show I'm worth something... and possibly earn me my mother's love once and for all.

"I'd rather save my aunt and myself than let you have things your way," Sky yelled to Mrs Evergreen. "For now, I'll have to save you too. But mark my words: this isn't over. I'll force you to step down. And the same goes for that madman, Kane Kovak."

He stood up, putting both hands hard on his ears. When he did so, Naomi and Mrs Evergreen covered their ears too. A shark intake of air filled his lungs as he glared straight at the blue ranger, who was staring at him in disbelief.

Right when the beast was about to emit its trademark sonic blast, Sky blew all the air he had in his lungs into the enhanced whistle.

The subsequent blast hit the blue ranger right in the face, forcing it to bend its neck backwards in pain and unclench its claws which were grabbing the building's beams. It whined loudly as it flew away from the tower as if death was hot on its tail, warning the other phoenixes that something huge was the matter.

But no sooner had it done so, that its cries worsened and its usually graceful flying style was no more. Sky came to stand close to the gap in the glass wall as he kept blowing the enhanced whistle. After a few seconds of erratically beating its wings, the majestic beast fell with an ear-splitting thud, creating an enormous crater on the pavement down below.

Is it dead or unconscious?

Sky's enhanced whistle kept echoing through the air. When the blast reached the other phoenixes' ears, they screeched and flew erratically, too. Some bumped into one another. In the end, all of them fled.

I need to finish my sonic shotgun asap. And get some good earplugs ready, too. This whistle is... Damn, I've got a massive headache right now.

The city was safe once more, but that didn't mean that all the people were safe. Starting with Naomi and Mrs Evergreen, who were wincing still with their hands on their ears.

A mystifying neon-orange and gold glint approached through the night sky, flashing far away in the sea of stars. The glint soon became a long horizontal line which flapped on both sides time and again.

What is that? It's beautiful... and it seems familiar.

He squinted his eyes, but that only made his headache worse. He started to feel dizzy. Then, a panic-stricken screech thundered in the air, coming from the glint.

I know this voice!

"Haywire..." he whispered with joy, the whistle hanging precariously on his lips, but his mouth and tongue weighed too much and it came out as a feeble cry.

The golden Sonic Echo Ranger's body was in full view as it entered the city's airspace at full speed towards his dear human friend with a passion never seen before.

"Isn't that..." Mrs Evergreen said, with panic-stricken wide eyes as she slowly let her ears go, "the other ranger?! Call Halle and the best of the Elite right now!"

He came to help me. That look of worry in his eyes! Somehow he knew I was in danger. But he shouldn't be here!

Naomi stood up as her hands fell on either side of her. Her eyes travelled from Sky to that majestic beast back and forth, and she smiled. She understood.

By the time Haywire reached Anti-Ageing Inc.'s tower, the whistle fell from Sky's mouth with a metallic clang on the tiles on the floor. His eyes rolled back. Next, he was the one to fall unconscious.

"Sky!" Naomi cried as she rushed to him.

But Haywire screamed at her and flapped his wings so hard he forced her body into a somersault a few feet back.

When she could sit up and moved the dishevelled hair away from her eyes, the golden ranger was gone. So was Sky.

Hello, my sugar cubes!

I love having multiple antagonists in my stories. 😉 Their banter while the protagonist hesitates in the middle of their crossfire is something I really enjoy writing. Which aspect do you enjoy the most while writing?

Stay tuned!

XOXO

Mar