Power Rangers GPX Supercharged, episode 7

Maria VO: "Last time on Power Rangers GPX Supercharged!"

Ritchie: "He [the Red Ranger] sounded just like you."

Sean: "So?"

Kevin: "How'd he get suspicious?"

Sean: (Pointing at a flute Ritchie's holding)"IT'S A GIRL, ISN'T IT!?"

Ritchie: "I was going to play it for her personally."

Arachne: (To a webbed-up Ritchie) "Don't worry, I'll get to you."

(The Rangers arrive and fight Arachne while rescuing her victims. Ritchie watches but doesn't do anything as the Rangers beat Arachne)

Ritchie: I'm not going to try and find out who the Red Ranger is. After he saved my life, it'd be like stabbing him in the back."

Power Rangers GPX Supercharged, episode 7: Friendly Relations

:-:-:-: We’re the best damn chance you’ve got, Pow-wer Rang-gers G-P-X, let’ GO! :-:-:-:

Given that this story takes place in Wisconsin and our Red Ranger is from Chicago, it's only natural that we include a Bears-Packers game.

It's September 27, 2010. In the halls of Madison West High School, everyone is decked out in green and gold to support their other favorite football team, and that's not the one that plays here in Madison. The familiar oval "G" of the Packers could be seen everywhere, enough to make the occasional Bears fan sick to his or her stomach. Just the sight of all the green and gold is enough to make anyone sick.

But this is Wisconsin; this is the heart of Packer Country. Madison may be the capital of the State of Wisconsin, but it's not the capital of Packer Country. It would be the capital of Packer Country if the Capital wasn't Green Bay. Lambeau Field may be 2 and-a-half hours away by car, but you'd think you were in Green Bay just by the sight of the green and gold in here.

Tonight the Packers are playing in a big Monday Night Football game against… Da Bears. There was the occasional brave soul who walked into the heart of the lion's den wearing the blue and orange of the Chicago Bears. These noble warriors showed no fear as they dealt with the scorn and jeers of their Packer-supporting peers. They knew who their loyalties lie with. And you can probably tell whose loyalties the author lies with... and it's not the Packers.

Of course, this is pretty alien to our resident Japanese immigrant, Hitomi. She had barely any idea of what was going on today. Of course, she wasn't stupid or incredibly naïve. Sean was talking about this game all weekend, so she had a bit of an idea.

Still, she couldn't help but feel more like an outsider as she walked the halls of the school. She had no idea who these Rodgers and Cutler people were although she did hear Sean talking about a guy named Cutler every now and then. It's not that she's blindly naïve. It's just that Sean has consistently failed to tell her these things. She still doesn't know a whole lot about football… although that's because she's simply not interested in American football.

Still again, she felt like she was learning something just looking at everyone in their jerseys. It was a wide-eyed curiosity that's the real reason behind her questions that make her look naïve to someone who doesn't know her. And as she went into homeroom, she met up with a familiar friend.

An 18-year-old girl with dark hair and glasses looked up after Hitomi tapped her shoulder. She smiled, got up and hugged her. "Hitomi, how are you? How was your weekend?"

"It was okay," she said. "I don't have any anime news for you. Sorry, Gina."

"Oh, darn," said Gina. Hitomi sat down next to her and put her book bag next to the chair. Gina looked over at her and examined her old school uniform from Japan. Gina looked at her with a little bit of confusion. "Why do you keep wearing that?" she asked.

"Because I want to," said Hitomi. "What's wrong with that?"

"I'm sorry," said Gina. "We don't wear uniforms in school in America—"

"Well I want to wear it!" said Hitomi. Gina laughed at her friend's insistence. "And if anyone thinks I'm doing it to attract boys, they're full of it."

"I'm glad you have that attitude," said Gina. Now Gina's a smart girl, as you can probably tell by her speech patterns. "By the way, are you watching the game tonight?"

"I don't really follow that sport," said Hitomi. "But I do know someone who does."

"Oh, that's nice! Hey, why don't we find some other kids and we can go over to their house?"

"I can ask them," said Hitomi. "I'm not sure if I'll know what's going on, though. I didn't watch this game in Japan."

"So this will probably be the first football game you've watched," said Gina. Hitomi thought for a moment and then nodded. "Oh, well. I don't like football, either. But, if it's a chance to hang out, let's get some friends to come over to your friend's house?

"Okay!" said Hitomi.

The rest of the day was spent rounding up some friends who were willing to come over to watch the game with her. They found about four other friends who had the time to come over and watch the game. Hitomi felt nice. They weren't really stereotypical anime geeks, although even athletic guys can certainly like anime. It was three boys and a girl who they were able to ask to come to visit Hitomi. They would meet at Sean's house for the game.

:-:-:-: PRGPX :-:-:-:

"So Hitomi, you don't actually live here?" Gina asked, the group walking up to Sean's house.

"No, she stays with us," said Bridget. "We're her Exchange family." Officially, Hitomi is listed as an exchange student.

So accompanying her are her four friends; Gina, Greg Schultz, a blonde football player, Ian Kohler, a dude with an unfortunate Bieber cut and a skater shirt, Pam Green, another girl with glasses and Pablo Jimenez, a Puerto Rican kid. All four of them were wearing Packer green and gold.

"So who is this guy, is he cool?" asked Greg.

"Yeah, he's pretty cool," said Hitomi, not discussing the crush she once had on Sean that she's thrown away since he's with Maria now.

"Sounds pretty crazy in there," said Ian. Indeed it did, and it sounded like there was some arguing between two people. It didn't sound like it was incredibly hostile, though. It was just elevated smack talk.

"Yeah, no duh," said Pam.

They walked up to the front porch and Rob knocked on the door while holding some bison burgers and bison brats—yes, it exists—in his other hand. "COMING!" someone called from the other door.

It was about a second before someone opened the door and—oh, dear. The number 54 plastered on a navy blue football jersey pretty much alerted them to everything that was wrong here. "Hi, I'm—oh, jeez. Hitomi, you didn't say they were Packer fans!"

"And you didn't say he was a Bears fan!" said Greg. Sean glowered at Greg while Rob and Bridget brought their kids inside.

"Whatever, come in, cheeseheads. You're Hitomi's friends, we might as well be polite," said Sean.

"Damn decent of you," Greg said as they came in.

"You do realize I can kick you out of my house, right?" asked Sean.

Inside, it was definitely ready for some football. There were chips, drinks, hor d'oeurves, and another guy wearing a Bears jersey, but also a guy in a Packer jersey, too.

"Alright, let's make this quick," said Sean. "Please say your names for everyone here."

"Hi, I'm Gina Fox."

"What's up? I'm Greg Schultz."

"Ian Kohler."

"My name's Pablo Jimenez."

"And I'm Pam Green."

Everyone else introduced themselves—even Ritchie.

So with the awkwardness over, things settled down as game time approached. "Hitomi, are you gonna watch the game?" Sean asked while helping Rob and Maria prepare the bison on a stovetop grill.

"Probably," she said.

"Where'd you find them?" asked Gina.

"I was a 'supervisor' for them while they interned at our family's company," said Hitomi.

"So you kept these guys in check, huh?" she asked.

"They needed my supervision," said Hitomi. "Otherwise…"

"HAHAHAHA! I can already imagine it!"

"Of course! We run a tight ship at Miyazawa, we can't have them misbehaving!"

"Are you talking about us behind our backs?" asked Maria.

"No," Hitomi said with a coy smile. Maria didn't believe it and turned back to her discussion with Greg and Sean.

"Hitomi, why are you here?" asked Gina. Hitomi glanced at her friend.

"What?"

"Why are you here?" Gina repeated.

"To study," she said bluntly.

"No, really, why?" asked Gina. "Just a couple weeks after you appeared, so did these creatures and the Power Rangers."

"Coincidence," said Hitomi. Maria looked over at Hitomi. She could already see that Gina was getting into Hitomi's business. Judging by her lips, she was asking about the Power Rangers. The way it looked, she figured she may have to intervene at some point.

"Are you being completely honest with me?" asked Gina.

"Of course I am," said Hitomi. "I don't even know what you're talking about."

"But you were in Tokyo and Orlando when the Power Rangers were fighting those aliens!" said Gina. Maria had enough and walked over to intervene.

"Coincidence," she said bluntly. "My apologies, I'm Maria Aparicio and I've become Hitomi's best friend these past three months."

"Why are you butting in?" asked Gina.

"Gina, that's so rude!" said Hitomi.

"I'm sorry," said Gina. "It's just coincidence?"

"Honestly," said Maria. "And I'm sorry if I'm being too blunt, but since my boyfriend is playing for the hockey team and hockey season starts in a week, I'm already getting stressed out."

"Okay, I'm sorry for being harsh on Hitomi," said Gina. "But I was just—"

"Gina, I'm not even sure why you're asking this," said Hitomi. "What's the point?"

"You're right," said Gina. "I was just curious."

"Hey Maria, are you gonna watch the game or not?" asked Sean.

"Sorry, just wanted to talk to Gina!" she replied.

"Yeah, sure," said Sean. He turned to Greg, who was talking to the resident Green Bay native (in more ways than one), Ritchie. He was talking about some times he went to that cesspool known as Lambeau Field. And Greg was really into the conversation; apparently he'd never been to Lambeau Field.

"Hey Rob, has the game started yet?" he asked.

"Not yet, but they're getting close," said Rob. Sighing, Sean took a sip of his Goose Island wheat beer. There was no way in hell he was drinking a Wisconsin beer tonight. He had too much pride as a Chicagoan.

"Sean, have you ever been to Lambeau?" asked Greg.

"Once," said Sean. "I never want to go there again. It's a den of pure, unadulterated evil that must be wiped off the face of the Earth before any more damage can be caused by its pure and utter malice towards humankind. God, I hate that place."

"Oh come on, it's probably not that bad," said Greg.

"Forget about him, he's a goddamn FIB," said Ritchie. "Born and raised in Chicago."

"The place where resistance to the evils of Lambeau is based," said Sean. "FIGHT THE LAMBEAU POWER!" He raised his fist in the air as if he was a defiant protester. Rob and Marty also raised their fists in solidarity. "Lambeau Field must be cleansed of its evil. A holy man of any religion—even if they are all bullshit—must exorcise the evil spirits that lurk in that accursed place and once that is done, Lambeau will be sucked into the evil dimension where it belongs and the world will be safe once again!"

"All this over a football game," said Kevin. "Reminds me of home."

"A little hyperbolic, don't you think?" asked Ritchie.

"Eh, I was just playin' around," said Sean. "But yeah, I hate that place. I never want to go there again."

"Your friend is interesting," said Gina.

"That's one reason I love him," Maria said with a smile. "He does make me laugh."

"Whatever," said Ian. "Cuz the Pack are gonna run all over you guys tonight!"

"Keep talkin', Bieber," said Sean. "Cuz Da Bearsss are gonna with dis one five hunder'd to nuttin', am I right, Rob?"

"Da Bears!"

"DAAAAAA BEARSSS!"

"Man these guys are full of themselves!" said Ritchie. "Don't worry—uh, Ian, right? Sorry—because the Pack are gonna get the last laugh!"

:-:-:-: Power Rangers GPX :-:-:-:

In the end, it was the Bears fans that got the last laugh. The Bears ended up winning 20-17 thanks to 18 Packer penalties, 221 throwing yards by Jay Cutler and a field goal by Robbie Gould with 4 seconds left in the game. The Bears fans—Maria included. She had been assimilated—celebrated, singing "Bear Down, Chicago Bears" with a passionate volume.

From the perspective of the Packer fans, it was obnoxious.

"Bear Down, Chi-ca-go Bears

Make ev'ry play clear the way to vic-tor-y!

Bear Down, Chi-ca-go Bears

Put up a fight with a might so fear-less-ly!

We'll never forget the way you thrilled the naaay-shun

With your T-for-maaayy-shun!

Bear Down, Chi-ca-Bears

And let them know why you're wearing the crown!

You're the pride and joy of Il-li-nois,

Chi-ca-go Bears, Bear Down!"

"I HATE that song!" said Pablo.

"Tough luck, ya damn cheesehead!" said Marty.

"Well, that was fun," said Sean. "We should do this again some time."

"Hellz ya," said Marty. "I'll get back to my place dude." He gave Sean a bro-hug and left. Seeing it was time to go, Rob and Bridget gathered up the high school kids and led them out to their car.

"Your friends are nice Hitomi," said Gina.

"Except they're Bears fans," said Greg.

"Do you want to tell your parents why you had to walk home?" asked Bridget.

"Sorry, sorry," said Greg.

"That's better," said Bridget. "See? It's all about what buttons you push."

"Hitomi, I'm sorry about the Power Ranger thing," said Gina.

"It's okay!" said Hitomi.

"It's just that…" Gina stopped Hitomi and whispered in her ear. "It's just that two times the Power Rangers were in battles you left school."

"It's just coincidence," said Hitomi.

"Hitomi, what are you talking about?" asked Bridget, who by the way is perfectly aware of Hitomi's Ranger duties.

"Nothing!" she said. The sound you just heard was Bridget quietly laughing.

:-:-:-: PRGPX :-:-:-:

The pressure was growing on Arquen… or so you'd think. It was a war of attrition now. They would tire the Rangers out and then go for the kill. God works in mysterious ways, after all.

He looked over his battle plans. He really didn't have any intention to go after any particular sites or anything; just send out a monster, wreak havoc and the Rangers will defeat it… and is incredibly formulaic, repetitive and monotonous! He heard someone say that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. How can anyone fight a battle like that?

… If they were trying to wear down their opponent, that's why.

So there is a method to this madness! Perhaps he might be overthinking this. All he needed to do was make it easy for the Rangers. Then, he'd go in for the kill.

However right now, there were no monsters ready for him to send out. Instead, he decided to summon Ragnar's flunky Floki to his office overlooking the Alfheim Citadel. The madman was nowhere to be seen, but he had a strange habit of turning up in strange places. Arquen kept poring over his plans for a moment and the looked up and—"FLOKI!"

He nearly fell out of his chair when he saw Floki hanging upside down like a bat and giggling like a madman. "Scared you, didn't I?" Floki asked, and then jumped off the ceiling.

"Do not do that again!" said Arquen.

"But it's fun!" said Floki. "Now why'd you call me in, huh?"

"I need you to attack the Rangers; no major destruction, just enough to keep them on edge."

"That's no fun!" said Floki.

"The Red Ranger's 'ice hockey' season starts next week," said Arquen. "In time, he will be exhausted from his activity and weakened. Then, we will be more aggressive."

"That's not very fun," said Floki.

"I wasn't asking for your opinion," said Arquen. "I am in charge of this campaign and Commander Ragnar has ordered that everyone—including you—obey my orders, understand? Now take some Suitroops with you and wreak havoc upon the human city. And that is an order!"

"Fine," said Floki.

"Respond to me correctly," said Arquen, "Or I will inform General Arquen you are disobeying a direct order from him."

Floki gulped. "Yes, sir!" he said.

"Good," said Arquen. "Now leave!"

:-:-:-: Power Rangers GPX :-:-:-:

As the sun was coming down, Hitomi and Gina walked along a sidewalk near the UW campus. The two were in heated discussion about whether Neon Genesis Evangelion is the masterpiece it's reputed to be (in the author's opinion, it fails miserably on so many levels it's not even worth calling it a decent anime). Hitomi took the masses' side while Gina took the side of the author. "... And because of his refusal to actually accept that many of his problems are of his own doing and instead wallows in destructive self-pity and self-loathing, Shinji is more than capable of being one of the worst heroes or protagonists in all of anime!"

"But that's why he's a good character!" said Hitomi. "We've grown up with capable characters that have personal issues who act like they're nothing. Eventually, there's going to be a character whose issues are in the forefront, and Shinji is him."

"Except since then, there have been characters who have those issues, but they deal with them in a more constructive manner, like Edward Elric," said Gina.

"But Shinji is meant to deconstruct those heroes," said Hitomi. "He only pilots the Eva for everyone else's approval, not because he wants to. He's a very flawed and complex character, one who cannot be pinned down by that particular criticism."

"Even then, he tends to rub people the wrong way," said Gina. "A character that has those issues should have some likable tendencies. If Shinji perhaps showed more noticeable character development, e.g. coming out of his shell a little more and even asking for help, he'd become a better character."

"What are you girls talking about?" A voice asked from behind. They turned around to see Sean, Ritchie and Marty coming towards them. Just came back from a little get-together at the Memorial Union."

"Oh, hello Sean," said Hitomi. "We were just discussing Evangelion."

"Ugh, I hate that show," said Sean. "You know, Shinji could have been less of a whiny bitch and more likable if he recognized the stakes behind his situation. He didn't have to like it! I would have taken the same approach if I was a Power Ranger."

"Why, are you a Power Ranger?" Ritchie asked with a trollface.

"Drop it Metoxen," Sean muttered.

"He has a point," said Gina. "I don't know if that's good enough for you, though."

"Except it doesn't fit within the deconstruction that is Evangelion," said Hitomi. "If anything Sean, you sound more like Asuka."

"Except I don't have debilitating mommy issues and an incredible ego," said Sean.

"O'Callahan, are you a Power Ranger?" Ritchie asked again.

"I said drop it!" Sean growled.

"I think it'd be pretty cool if he was a Power Ranger," said Marty. Sean growled and groaned, thinking that perhaps he should just keep his mouth shut.

The conversation ended when they heard a "BANG" coming from campus. "Fuck this, I'm outta here!" Ritchie shouted, unwilling to be a victim again. Marty called after him and also ran away.

"I think I should be going, too!" Gina said, also taking off. Sean shrugged and ran towards the source of the explosion with Hitomi not too far behind.

"Everyone, get your ass out here!" he said into his communicator. "Looks like it's Bascom Hill!"

The sense of urgency picked up immediately. The two bolted for the hill while people bolted away. 'Tis the nature of Power Ranger battles.

Being faster, Sean broke away from Hitomi and raced up the slope. With no one around, he jammed the key into his morpher. Hitomi could see the red flash of light at the base of the hill and also morphed.

As Sean ran up the hill, he encountered a Suitroop for the first time in weeks and immediately punched it right in the face. He leapt over the falling Suitroop and then kicked the next one in the solar plexus (if they had one). Summoning his GT Sword and grabbing his Grand Prix Saber, Sean blocked a Nasty Stick and then drove the blade of the GT Sword into his attacker. To finish it off he spun around and took out the host of Suitroops. Then he delivered a powerful reverse roundhouse kick.

He watched Hitomi fly over him and then start to tear into the Suitroops. Her actions were fast and gymnastic, making the Suitroops look like morons. She landed on her hands and started to twirl like a top, kicking the Suitroops that were gathering around. She got back on her feet and then flipped over backwards when a Suitroop rushed in. When she landed, she blocked and punched the Suitroop.

Floki had noticed the two by now and smirked. From his perch atop Abe's head, he could see them making quick work of the Suitroops. Instead of panicking, he reached for his Nasty Stick and pointed it at the Rangers. The gem in the Nasty Stick began to light up. A shot of blue energy flew out of the stick, heading right for Sean.

He could hear the energy coming. He turned around and flipped out of the way. The blast of energy flew past and then landed into the green near the base of the hill, sending debris flying. Students and staff members who'd been walking by suddenly ducked and ran for cover, unwilling to be victims of a Power Ranger battle.

After seeing the cloud of smoke rise up, Sean looked back at the Honest Abe statue. It seemed like Hitomi had the idea first because a flash of pink sped right past him up the hill towards Floki.

An arrow flew past Floki's face. He could hear the sound of the arrow cutting through the air and it made him jump off Abe's statue. A couple more arrows flew past Floki and he aimed his Nasty Stick at Hitomi. Another blast sent the dirt and grass flying, but it missed Hitomi and she jumped in the air. It's seriously much cooler than most Kalishsplosions.

Propelled by the shockwaves, Hitomi stuck her leg out and kicked Floki right in the chest, which sent him tumbling backwards and colliding with the base of Honest Abe's statue.

Just down the hill, Sean continued his battle with the Suitroops. The only time he fought them was that time near the State Capitol, so this was like fighting the Swabots for the first time. They were, however, faster and better fighters than the Swabots. He blocked the Nasty Sticks from the Suitroops. He thrust his GT Sword to counter and stabbed an opposing Suitroop. Then he turned his GP Saber back into an Octane Blaster and started shooting.

But he did not notice the Suitroops coming up behind him. As he was shooting, her turned around and noticed the blue glow of a Nasty Stick pointed right at him. His eyes widened in realization.

However, in that split second, he noticed the Nasty Stick being smacked out of the Suitroop's hand and over towards South Hall. Then an arm punched the Suitroop in the head, promting him to sigh in relief. "What the hell took you so long, Kevin?"

"I had to get here!" he replied. Then they heard the sound of Aaron smashing several Suitroops. "Rob can't come, he's busy."

"Damn!" said Sean. "Alright, let's—" he was cut off when a Suitroop rushed in. "GET TO WORK!"

In his dazed state Floki was unaware of another pair of boots that were standing over him. "For an elf, you sure are a bad fighter," said the person. Floki recovered and looked up at Maria, who was standing over him and giving Hitomi a triumphant fist bump. Floki recovered quickly and jumped back up. Maria and Hitomi grabbed their Octane Blasters and converted them into their Grand Prix Sabers.

Furiously, but not desperately, Floki went after the girls. His Nasty Stick clashed with their sabers. They had an opening, so they kicked him right in the gut. Again his back collided with the base of Abe's statue. Out of frustration, he grabbed a ball from his jacket.

"What is that?" asked Maria.

Floki didn't answer. He simply tossed the ball over her and Hitomi at the guys, who were still engaged with the Suitroops. The ball landed in one of the craters that had been made by the guys.

Suddenly, more Suitroops teleported onto the slope. They were sleeker than the usual Suitroops, though. They even carried Nasty Sticks. While the Rangers were distracted, Floki snapped his fingers. "Activate!" Red lights in the visors turned on. They looked up, making the guys flinch ever-so-slightly. "Get them!"

Immediately it became clear these Suitroops were fast. This made it much more difficult. The Suitroops sped past the guys and sparks erupted from the guys' suits. They got back up and immediately started to fight back.

Sean started to tear through the upgraded Suitroops, twirling with his swords. He jumped off a wall and stuck his blade through a Suitroop, then pointed his blaster at the Suitroop and pulled the trigger. When he pulled his blade out, he got into a small sword fight with another Suitroop. Sean danced around the advanced robot, his feet flying over the sidewalk and grass, his swords clashing with the Nasty Stick.

At the same time, Kevin had been put to work against the Suitroops. He smashed the helmet of one that came near him and kicked another one. He blocked a punch and then got into a scrum with the same Suitroop. He threw a punch that the Suitroops blocked. The Suitroop punched back, but Kevin spun around and delivered a powerful reverse roundhouse kick that brought the Suitroop down.

Across the quad, Aaron was jumping off of North Hall, confusing the hell out of the Suitroops. The upgraded Suitroops, on the other hand, well… one jumped up in the air and kicked at Aaron. Aaron, however, blocked the kick right as it was getting to him and he kept his foot extended to kick the Suitroop in the chest. When he landed, he kicked a Suitroop in the head, just to make sure it was the same one.

On the other side of the quad, Aaron was putting his acrobatic Parkour skills to good use. Jumping around the trees and North Hall, he made the surprisingly acrobatic Suitroops look like morons. He flipped out of the tree that he was in and landed feet-first into a Suitroop. He kicked at a Suitroop. The Suitroop blocked the attack, but he punched the Suitroop right in the head to finish it off.

When he finished off his troop of Suitroops, he ran back over to Sean and Kevin, who'd teamed up to take down more of the Suitroops. As he rushed in, he kicked a waiting Suitroop over to Kevin, who punched the Suitroop's head clear off. Kevin did the same for Sean but instead, the Red Ranger cut his Suitroop opponent's head off. "Top of the hill, let's go!" said Sean. However, several Suitroops got in their way, preventing them from climbing the slope.

At the top, Hitomi and Maria were still locked in battle with the speedy Floki. One second Floki would be in one spot, then the next he'd be in another. Maria and Hitomi flailed about, trying to stop him. His giggling only added to their irritation. Hitomi kicked at a random spot, but Floki appeared only a second later after she'd retracted her foot. Maria grabbed for his tongue to try and get him to stop sticking it out at them, but before she could react, he was right behind her and kicked her to the ground.

"Heehehe!" he giggled. Just then, a couple of blaster shots flew past him. Distracted, he looked over at Kevin pointing his blaster at him. He raised his Nasty Stick up to shoot, but in that split second, Maria and Hitomi had already landed blows on him that knocked him to the grass. Maria saluted Kevin in thanks for his help. No time for pride, here.

Being an Elf, Floki got back up pretty quickly and started to run circles—literally—around Maria and Hitomi. Sparks erupted from their suits and they groaned in pain while he ran around. Unable to tell where he was, Hitomi kicked at a spot in the air that thanks to excellent timing, landed on Floki.

The nutty elf growled at Hitomi. Suddenly, his eyes widened in fear. Maria and Hitomi looked behind them to see the blast of a Nasty Stick coming right at them. Instinctively, they jumped out of the way, right as it hit Floki, sending him flying.

"What the hell!?" Sean finished twisting the neck of a Suitroop to see a blue-colored explosion coming from the top of Bascom Hill. Then, the Suitroops suddenly disappeared. Recognizing what just happened, the guys sprinted up to the top of the hill, where Maria and Hitomi were point off to the south where the direction of the blast came from.

"What just happened?" asked Aaron.

"I'm not sure!" said Sean.

They followed the girls to a spot in the vicinity of South & Birge Halls and the Law School building, where the blast came from. However, there was nobody around. There was, however, "Over here!" said Hitomi. She pointed to something underneath the trees. Sean picked it up and looked it over.

"One of the enemy's sticks," said Sean. "I'm not sure if SWORD can look over it, though." It was broken in two and the blue gem was smashed.

"How did it get over here?" asked Maria.

"I think it must have come from the battle site," said Sean. "Kevin, didn't you kick a stick to the south?"

"I believe I did," said Kevin.

"Someone must have gotten a hold of it and decided to use it," said Sean. "He must have been a hell of a shot, though!"

"How could anyone besides an elf use it?" asked Maria.

"That button on the shaft doesn't look like it's for sheathing," said Sean. "Apparently, even sufficiently advanced technology is simple to use!"

"We should send it to SWORD, anyway," said Aaron. "We can get something from them."

"Good idea," said Sean. "Nothing wrong with being sure, after all."

They had no idea they were being watched.

:-:-:-: PRGPX :-:-:-:

Hitomi VO: "Next time on Power Rangers GPX Supercharged!"

Maria: "First hockey practice of the year."

Maelstrom: "This should be fun."

Ragnar: "Is your plan in place?"

Aaron: "So are you—"

Sean: "Busy with a bunch of shit?"

Doctor: "I have some bad news."

Hitomi VO: "That's next time on Power Rangers GPX Supercharged!"