//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 // Story: Galaxy Rangers: The Movie - Shocker Crisis! // by Rixizu //------------------------------// Galaxy Rangers: The Movie - Shocker Crisis! Chapter 5 by Rixizu Twilight stared for several long moments at the computer screen, unable to believe her eyes. Her mouth went dry and her pulse quickened. “No way you’re right!” Trixie peered over Twilight’s shoulder. “Twilight Velvet? What the heck is going on? Is she part of Shocker?” “She was,” Twilight said, “my mother was one of Shocker’s top scientists. She’s the reason I got into science.” And the reason I became a reporter. To finally find her. “Was?” Fluttershy asked, voice concerned. “Did she, uh, fail Shocker?” Twilight laid back into her chair and sighed. “I don’t know. One day, she disappeared without a trace or word. My father grilled Shocker for years about it, but they never told him anything. I was only a filly when it happened.” 15 years. Has it been that long? Why would her mom remove Trixie’s record? Twilight had to know. Trixie’s records stated that they had been redacted by Twilight Velvet five years ago, but didn’t give any reason. Where had her mother been since her disappearance? Did she still live? Her hooves returned to the keyboard and blurred as she typed desperate to find answers. According to her mother’s record, it marked her as still alive, though her location was classified even to a pony of Inquisitor Ditzy’s rank. We’ll see about that. She inserted her hacking program into a disk drive. I would be messy and obvious, but she didn’t care. “You need to hurry, guards are coming this way!” Starlight said peering out the door. “Oh my, oh my, oh my!” Fluttershy flitted about panicking. “No!” Twilight checked the screen, and she wasn’t even close to cracking the security yet. “Yeah, somepony moved the camera as 5547 said!” Somepony said. “Slipped you think? It’s an old one.” “No, I don’t think so.” Another pony said. “Something about this doesn’t smell right. I’m making a quick check of the computer room. Cover me.” A radio crackled. “Yes? What?! Somepony broke into the elevator shaft? I’m on it, Inquisitor Ditzy. I suspect they’re in the computer room like you suggested. They have tampered with the security camera. I’ll stall them while you return. Out.” “Oh no!” Fluttershy said, eyes going wide and fearful. “They found out!” “Well, that complicates things.” Trixie sighed. Starlight grabbed her head with her hooves. “This is a disaster! We’re trapped!” “Sorry Twi, but it’s best we make a break for it,” Trixie said. Twilight let out several curses. So close! After a moment of hesitation, she removed her hacking program. She refused to allow herself to get caught yet. Not when she was so close to finding her mother. They’d find the info another way. “Your right, let’s go.” Twilight tucked her hacking program and data she’d collected so far into a pack on her hip. A stallion burst into the room wearing a confident smirk on his muzzle. “So, you’re that Trixie causing so much hubbub. End on the line, baby.” “Baby?” Trixie glared. “You’re asking for a bruising.” The stallion’s form shifted, his fur turning green and scaly and his eyes growing to cover most of his face. His mouth extended, becoming a dark green beak. “Call me, the Grimreaper Chameleon.” The monster said. “Enjoy these last few breaths; they’ll be your last.” Without warning, a red tongue sprouted from his mouth directly at Trixie. She dodged out of the way, but the tongue changed direction in mid-flight, wrapping Trixie tight. She cried out in pain as the monster swung her into a wall. “Trixie!” Starlight shot several stun bolts, only for the Chameleon to jump onto the ceiling. He clung to it, running as Starlight threw more stun bolts at him. She cried out in surprise as he swung his tongue and Trixie into her and the Ranger’s body impacted with her head. “Are you okay?” Trixie said, voice full of concern. Starlight moaned, unable to answer. Twilight rushed to her side, throwing random objects as a distraction. A chair collided with their opponent’s head, but he shook it off unharmed. “Is this all you got?” The Chameleon laughed in derision. “If I stop you from using your Ranger power, you are nothing!” Trixie winced in pain as she collided with another wall. Oh no, I can’t fight one of Shocker’s monsters! Twilight tried pulling the tongue off Trixie with her telekinesis, but it didn’t even budge. His grip was too powerful. “Not yet,” Trixie grunted, struggling to free herself “and your breath is terrible. Do you know what brushing is?” Chameleon snorted and threw Trixie towards a wall again, but Trixie shifted her body so she landed on her hooves instead. Her opponent cried out in surprise when she launched towards him colliding with him. His tongue loosened enough for Trixie to free her a hoof. She pulled out her morpher thrusting it forward. “It’s morphing time, Usra!” In a flash, her armor appeared. With unbelievable strength, she tore herself free. Chameleon hissed in pain, returning his tongue. “You haven’t won yet!” He jumped to the ceiling again and much to Twilight’s shock, he vanished. Trixie seemed more amused than scared and summoned her sword. She stood still, head down waiting for her opponent to strike. “There!” Trixie swung her sword and the Chameleon hissed as Trixie’s sword cut into his chest and sparks flew from the wound. Trixie waved a hoof and tisked. “Invisibility? That’s the worst trick to pull on me. Sorry.” “No! Combatponies to my aid!” Chameleon cried out and ten Combatponies joined his side. Trixie eyed them, keeping her sword close. The monster disappeared again from sight. Twilight used this opportunity to check on Starlight's condition. She was breathing, but unconscious with a minor concussion. “Watch her.” She told Fluttershy, who was hiding behind a chair nearby. The shaking yellow mare nodded and pulled Starlight to safety. Twilight jumped next to the Red Ranger, ready to even the odds. They stood back to back. Twilight exchanged blows with the Combatponies, trying to keep them off Trixie’s back. They’d been artificially enhanced like all Combatponies with speed and strength surpassing normal ponies, but Twilight kept her own. She was a skilled Taekwondo practitioner and she took out a Combatpony with a carefully timed spin kick, hitting him right on the ear dazing him and causing excruciating pain. Their enhanced physical prowess didn’t stop them from having the same weaknesses as a normal pony. She dodged a punch to face and delivered a nasty kick to the sternum. Trixie was doing better, taking out three Combatponies with three well-placed punches. She wasn’t bad, though Twilight could tell she hadn’t been practicing martial arts for very long. The Chameleon disappeared from view as he scurried away. Twilight cried out as his tongue grabbed her as she delivered a swinging high kick into the faces of three Combatponies. It roughly ripped her from the ground. “Not again!” Trixie jumped and grabbed the tongue with a hoof. The Chameleon struggled to pull Twilight under Trixie’s considerable strength. This gave Twilight time to free herself and the Chameleon winced when Trixie left go of his tongue and it smacked him in the face. He growled and swung at Trixie with his hooves. Trixie winced receiving a painful blow to the head and the Chameleon laughed as it jumped into the air dodging Trixie’s counter punch. It stuck to the ceiling and disappeared. “You aren’t leaving here alive!” Grimreaper Chameleon’s ghostly voice seemed to come from every direction and Twilight couldn’t detect its source. “I’m sending you straight to hell.” “Whatever.” Trixie shrugged and summoned her sword and threw towards a spot on the far wall. Chameleon screamed in pain as the sword struck him, forcing him to reappear clutching at his wound. He released his grip on the ceiling, crashing to the floor. Trixie waved a hoof. “You left a shadow, careless.” Before Chameleon could react or even replied, Trixie retrieved her sword and pressed a button on her morpher. “Searing Blade.” Chameleon scream and collapsed as Trixie cut him across the chest and he exploded. “Let’s get out of here.” Trixie ran to Fluttershy’s side. “How’s Starlight?” “Ugh, what happened?” Starlight said in a daze. “Can you stand?” Trixie asked. She nodded stood shakily on her hooves. “Not so fast!” Ten more Combatponies ran into the hallway. “It was going so well.” Trixie ran towards hooves ready and Twilight soon joined her. Combatponies fell as they fought a path through the horde. “Let’s go, I guess.” Starlight sighed and shot stun bolts at any Combatponies Trixie and Twilight missed. Fluttershy followed behind, staying out of the fighting. Which Twilight found strange. Didn’t the pegasus have the strength of three ponies? The poor mare wasn’t cut out for being a Combatpony, was she? They reached the server room with more Combatponies trailing behind, refusing to give up the chase. Twilight levitated a heavy server, blocking the door. It wasn’t much, but it would buy them some time. The Combatponies pounded against the door, trying to force it open. “That won’t hold them.” Starlight’s voice was tense and anxious. Her eyes never left the door. “Won’t be a problem.” Trixie ran towards the elevator shaft and entered inside. “Looks clear for now.” “How the hey are we going to climb that far?” Starlight demanded. “That’s like twenty stories.” “Catch the ladder, okay?” Trixie said. “What?” Starlight asked in confusion only to scream in terror as Trixie grabbed her and threw her straight up into the shaft. She flailed into the air before grabbing the ladder holding on for dear life. “You could have warned me first!” Her voice was full of venom and anger. “You next, Fluttershy.” “Um, I’d rather climb if it’s okay with you,” Fluttershy replied, backing away. “It’s fine.” Trixie waved a dismissive hoof. “You have wings.” Fluttershy eeped when Trixie grabbed her and threw her up as well. “That wasn’t fun at all!” Fluttershy yelled down. “You next, Twi.” Trixie turned towards Twilight. They jumped as Combatponies dislodged the server blocking the door and flooded into the room. “Get it over w...” Twilight screamed as Trixie threw her. Thankfully, Fluttershy caught her and placed her on the ladder. She calmed her beating heart. Trixie had almost thrown her to the top of the shaft. “Get me, if you can.” Trixie gave the Combatponies a salute and jumped from wall to wall with mighty leaps until she reached the top of the shaft. She helped pull her friends onto the top floor. “That was fun.” Trixie winced as a loud alarm blared through the building. “I guess they know we’re here.” “Indeed we do, Trixie,” Cadance said with Ditzy following behind her. “Oh no!” Fluttershy trembled under her hooves. “Well, crap.” Starlight said. Cadance… She was just as Twilight remembered her back when she was a foal. It felt like a lifetime ago, and now they stood against each other as enemies. Thankfully, her old foalsitter didn’t recognize her and she intended to keep it that way. “Well, well,” Ditzy said, glaring at Fluttershy, “look who turned traitor.” Her tone made Twilight’s blood turn cold. “Well, um. Hi! Uh. Funny seeing you here!” Fluttershy spluttered. “I’ll just be going!” Cadance’s expression turned to one of great sadness. “And you had such promise too. You know what happens to traitors, 3351.” “You leave her alone!” Trixie stood protectively above Fluttershy’s trembling form. “If you want my friend, you must go through me.” “Gladly.” Cadance pulled out her buckle and attacked it to her waist. “Don’t be too hard on her,” Ditzy said, “we still need Trixie alive. The Great Leader has shown an interest. The rest?” She shrugged. “Just don’t hurt 3351. She’s mine.” Poor Fluttershy almost broke into sobbing. “Understood. Henshin!” They were in a terrible position. Twilight had seen Trixie’s fight with the Kamen Rider and knew the Ranger didn’t stand a chance. If Trixie was scared, she didn’t show it, instead summoning her sword ready to fight. Cadance did the same, summoning her twisted sword from her belt. They exchanged blows with their swords repeatedly clashing. Already, Twilight could tell Cadance was playing with her opponent, testing Trixie’s skill with a sword. Despite her novice level, Trixie showed promise. But they wouldn’t win this way. They needed to focus on escape. As if things couldn’t get worse, Combatponies poured in from the elevator shaft. “Cover me, I have a plan!” Twilight charged her magic and blasted a door to pieces. She knew the walls were too strong and thick to blast through. “What?!” Starlight said, alarmed. “Okay…” She shot stun beams at the Combatponies rushing towards them. “You can’t escape. I won’t let you!” Ditzy’s mechanical eye glowed and a beam shot from it. The blast burned through whatever it touched with ease. Twilight jumped over it as it melted through the building’s wall and turning computer banks and other equipment into metal goo. Twilight didn’t stop and kept running. “My mane!” Starlight said, mortified. The beam had removed a large portion of her hair. She screamed and ducked as a Combatpony sent a punch towards her face. “Come back here!” Ditzy shot another laser and Twilight ducked and spun as it pierced the wall behind her. I need to cut the power! If she accomplished that, Twilight could teleport them away to safety. She just needed to find the generator. “Searing Blade!” Twilight cried out in surprise as Cupido flew through several walls, landing right in front of her. The alicorn shook her head and rose back to her hooves. “Dirty trick using an illusion to confuse me.” Cadance’s tone was more annoyed than hurt. Trixie bounded into the room and shrugged. “You win too much. It’s made you fat and careless. Not my fault.” Cupido growled and summoned a polearm from her buckle. Twilight’s blood went cold. This meant her old friend was getting serious. The alicorn was skilled with a sword, but her best talents lied with the polearm. It was twice as long as a pony with pink blades shaped like a heart and almost as large as a pony's head attached to the black staff at each end. Trixie cried out in pain as the blade connected with her chest with such speed the Red Ranger didn’t even have time to dodge. Trixie hissed and her horn lit up, creating five Trixies who circled Cadance at dizzying speed. They leaped at the Rider as one. They were no match as the Rider spun her polearm and sliced through everypony, using both sides of her weapon to make mincemeat of them. Cadance leaped and spun, connecting with the real Trixie’s chest as she attempted to ambush her from the air. She received a kick for her trouble and crashed down next to Twilight. “Are you okay?” Twilight asked. She kicked aside a two Combatponies as they tried attacking her while distracted. The rest circled them, looking for the best moment to strike. “Fine, not a big deal.” Trixie got back unsteadily to her hooves. “Get off me.” Starlight tried shooting a Combatpony off her, but they dodged without difficulty. They forced a hoof behind her back and pushed her to the ground, trapping her in a painful hold. “Oh my!” Fluttershy was free but watched helplessly as her new friends were getting beaten. The Combatponies made room as Cadance approached. “It’d surrender, whoever you are. I promise Shocker wouldn’t have you executed.” She said towards Twilight, still not recognizing her. Oh crap, we are in deep trouble. She started as Trixie gave her a reassuring squeeze with her hoof. “I’ve got this.” Trixie’s voice was strong and confident. “What? How?” Twilight whispered back. “Fluttershy, grab Starlight.” Trixie pressed a button on her morpher and Cadance tilted her head in curiosity. Fire gathered around her blade and it turned white-hot. “Super Searing Blade!” Trixie struck the ground under them and fire erupted, destroying everything in its path. Cadance cried out in alarm as it destroyed the ground under her. She fell, too surprised to think of flying. Twilight watched as Trixie’s attack destroyed at least fifteen floors below them, creating a gigantic melted crater. Twilight screamed as she fell, and Trixie grabbed hold of her. “Can you teleport?” Trixie asked. Twilight absorbed the destruction and devastation around her. She wondered if Trixie destroyed the teleport inhibitor. Her horn glowed with magic, but some force blocked her teleport. “I’m afraid not,” Twilight yelled over the rush of wind. The molten concrete floor was getting frighteningly close. Twilight could feel the heat boiling her alive already. “Shame,” Trixie said without concern. They stopped in midair as Fluttershy used her enhanced strength to grab them inches from the ground. Starlight was crawling over her head, clutching on in terror. “Um, I’m sorry, but I can’t fly us...” Starlight accidentally inserted a hoof into Fluttershy’s mouth interrupting whatever she was about to say. Starlight blushed. “Sorry.” “Damn you, Trixie!” Some pegasus Combatponies said glaring at them from above. They gathered into the sky like a swarm of angry bees. Oh crap. And it wouldn’t take long for Ditzy and Cadance to recover either. “Oh hey, is that the teleport inhibitor?” Trixie pointed and Twilight blinked as she noticed an exposed machine, little more than a grey box with the words “teleport inhibitor” written over it. Trixie’s attack had just missed it and it peeked from a half-destroyed roof of a room. “I guess it is,” Twilight said. She pulled her makeshift bomb out of her pack and started the fuse. It had five seconds until it exploded. With an expertly timed throw, the bomb landed next to the machine, and seconds later it exploded. Cupido emerged from some rubble and let out some colorful words. She threw her weapon and Twilight and her friends, but they were already long gone by the time it reached them. They collapsed in an exhausted pile back at Twilight’s apartment. “That was fun!” Trixie said, beaming. “I can’t wait to read your Lux article about it, Twi!”