//------------------------------//
// Revival (People, can't you hear it?) 
// Story: Equestria Rangers 
// by Shadowmane PX-41 
//------------------------------//

Deep in the laboratories of the Alpha Slayer, there was some unrest growing between some of the lesser scientists. Not due to the fact that the Rangers were trouncing every single one of the Wolfpack soldiers that they had sent out against them, but also with the sudden shift in leadership and drastic paradigm shift. 

Now, they were ones to just put their heads down and get on with their work, but even they knew that the Wolfpack had become more and more sporadic the longer they stayed orbiting this planet. Sooner or later, someone was going to snap. And if not one of the other grunts, then one of them would.

“Hmm…” one of the Wolfpack scientists was busy studying video footage of the Rangers’ combat, taking down notes and comparing it to the fighting styles of the many other creatures that he and his band had encountered in their many pillaging days. “These Power Rangers… Their combat style is unique. Logic would dictate that we find the flaws in their battle strategies and force them into submission with our new tactics. However, that is simply not the case with these new girls.”

“Every single time we try and overpower them or change our strategies, they just keep on adapting,” a second scientist remarked, this one being female with a more cleanly-cut coat of fur. “The way that they fight, the speed at which they notice what we’re doing, it’s quite dangerous. An enemy that cannot be overwhelmed, always changes their plans as we do, and one that we cannot sway. It’s a danger to the Wolfpack. I’m sure of it.”

“But what can we do about it?” A third scientist barked from his table, as he was welding machine parts together. “We’re just the guys they lock up in the labs and ask to make stuff that makes them and the cause better. Everyone else gets to go out there and raid these planets, while we’re the sorry schmucks that don’t even get a single bit of credit.”

“And all the while, those higher up the food chain get everything that they want no matter when they want it.” Another lady wolf spat as she smashed her claws into another table. “And even then, those blowhards up there can’t even keep control of who’s running this outfit. First we lose Siel’Viz—who I will have you know, is a certified war veteran—and now we’ve got those prisoners running this whole outfit? What in the seventy-nine million systems above is happening up there?!”

“Tch. Wolfpack’s falling apart day by day. All because of those Power Rangers.” The first wolf scoffed as he began to compare another video’s footage. “Whatever Mar’Zek saw in those girls, I’ll never know. And yet for some reason, their victories are almost hypnotic in a way. I can’t get them out of my head no matter how hard I try.”

“Have you ever thought to bring this up with Head Scientist Vi’Al, by any chance?” The other male wolf in the room asked, pulling his head away from his assembly job. “That the morale in the Wolfpack is beginning to decline?”

“He’s the head scientist, sure. But he thinks he’s so smart that he gets his own private lab, for god’s sake. Says he never even has any time for neophytes like us.” The first lady wolf just went over towards a machine and examined the ship’s current electronics to see if everything was in working order. A quick sweep of the Alpha Slayer’s blueprint revealed a blinking red light in one of the aft areas. 

“Flow to the engines is beginning to slow down. It’s probably because of how idle this ship is. Why don’t these top dogs as they call themselves just drive the Alpha Slayer down to the planet right now? Give these things an actual workout instead of just leave us drifting here like the slag of a scrapped starship?”

“Why if Mar’Zek was here…” said another wistfully. “He wouldn’t stand for this. Having those lunatics in charge of the Pack goes against everything we believe in! They won’t even leave us with a planet to conquer!”

“Those punks have no right to sit on his throne! They simply stole his mantle by rallying everyone else who got sick and tired of having to wait. And in doing so, they’ve skewered the entire balance of power, leaving everything for themselves!” A further wolf drove his claws into the wall and slashed across them; the grinding sound of metal being torn apart by sharpened alien wolf claws causing the other wolves to instinctively put their hands to their ears to blot out the noise. “The Feral Five might be running this show, but they are no captains in my mind.”

“Then it’s settled,” the female wolf said with a smirk. “We bring our true captain back from the dead.”

Silence filled the air as the wolves let the idea sink in. The resurrection of Captain Mar’Zek, with the chance for him to take back his rightful place and finally eliminate the Feral Five brewed with each passing moment. For things to be put back to the way they were. Many possibilities filled the minds of the scientist wolves. Praise from Mar’Zek. Scorn from the Feral Five for allowing his reincarnation. Fear from the Rangers knowing that the true Wolfpack leader was back in the saddle again.

“A very interesting proposition, I say.” A male wolf put the tips of his paws together and smirked. “We should move forward with it.”

“And I know exactly how,” the female wolf -Kin’dred- said before opening up a cupboard and pulling out a familiar piece of bloodstained armor.

“...is that?” someone breathed.

“The last recoverable piece of our grand captain’s armor, and with it the last piece of his soul,” Kin’dred smiled. 

“You are aware that by attempting this,” one of the others warned. “That he may not come back as we used to know him.”

“Anything is better than those lunatics,” Kin’dred said. “Began the preparations!”





Over the coming hours, the team of scientists put their plans into action. Now gathered around one large table with the piece of armor resting daintily on it, the wolves were setting themselves to work on machinery. It was almost, in a way, like a space-age operating theatre with how many monitors were set up around it. Other machines were hooked up to the table and to the other gadgets that formed a metallic ring around the armour. Buttons were being pressed and notes were being shared between the wolves. Everyone was hard at work and trying their best to work as hard as possible. It was only a matter of time before their true captain came back.

“How’s the magnetic stability?” One of the scientists asked. “We need to make sure that we hit the right kind of frequency to create a positive enough charge to create a Lazarusian effect that will resurrect our captain.”

“Frequency’s holding. But these machines aren’t designed for really heavy-duty operations. It might be that we need to borrow some stabilizers if the charge gets too strong,” Kin’dred replied. “It’s better to be safe than sorry. And the less attempts we have at this resurrection, the better.”

“Speaking of which, when the captain does come back, how exactly is he going to be able to fight the Feral Five?” One of the scientists brought up. “All of the technology on his person was destroyed at the moment of his ejection into the sun, and the rest of his technology now rests in the hands of the Feral Five. All that he’ll have left is his own strength and his willpower.”

“Exactly,” Kin’dred said. “You forget, before he hoarded technology to himself, Mar’Zek was a champion of the gladiatorial arena. He rose to his position not via what he found by conquest, but by sheer ability.”

“Right. So he does have a dominant strength advantage. But still, the Feral Five are dangerous for a reason. One of them bends minds, another is a constantly-evolving machine, the third is a master of guns, the fourth turns everything she hates into stone, and the leader is in a class of his own,” another wolf piped in. “We’ll need to make the captain even stronger in order to compete.”

“Your underestimate our captain,” Kin’dred said. “He has the ability to adapt to any situation. All of the technology he hoarded over the years? It made him grow fat and proud. His arrogance blinded him from the possibility of being beaten. I love our Captain, but that is the sad truth of the matter.”

“The greatest weakness he ever had. And he didn’t see it right in front of his face. Well, that’s surely something that’ll be stomped out once this resurrection project comes to fruition, won’t it?” He spoke to Kin’dred.

Kin’dred nodded before shouting: “THROW THE SWITCH!”

The switch was thrown, and the machines around the armor came to life. The lights grew brighter, the humming of the devices increased in pitch, and the contraption ready to resurrect Mar’Zek was beginning to spark to life. Electricity coiled around the armour, tiny forks of energy crackling around it, until finally at last, the armor plate was ensnared by a ferocious cage of electricity that lifted it from the ground and filled the room with a violent blue and white light as the sparks began to fly.

“Align the conductors! Prime the trigger for revival!” Kin’dred remarked to two other wolves operating at another end of the room. And as she spoke, they were already typing in commands into their portions of the machine. The lightning that struck the armour from all sides coalesced into multiple, focused beams of pure energy that grew stronger when focused. The armour itself still held underneath the electricity, but was now completely coated in it.

Then, with a blinding flash of light, the Captain of the Wolfpack was reborn. He flexed his muscles, Kin’dred staring starstruck as the massive wolf stepped out of the machinery. 

“So, alive again am I?” Mar’Zek said in his deep, slightly raspy voice. “Tell me what has happened. All of it.”

The room was a clamor of noise, all of the scientists talking over each other. Mar’Zek raised his hand, and looked towards one of them. 

“Stop,” he said. “Speak to me, you there. Kor’Zak is it?”

“Yes. Captain.” he obediently knelt before him.

“Tell me. What have those PEONS done to MY Wolfpack?” He snarled, tightening one of his paws into a fist.

“Well, captain. The Wolfpack have now established complete and total dominance over planet earth, yet the Power Rangers also managed to get their seventh ranger, a new giant mech for said seventh ranger, and they are now working to take back the planet that the Feral Five stole from them,” Kor’Zak explained as cohesively and as quickly as he could.

“THEY’VE DONE WHAT?!” Mar’Zek snarled, his fur bristling with rage. “THIS IS WHAT THEY’VE LED MY PACK TO?”

“Yes. And they’ve completely skewed the pack along with it,” Kin’dred added in. “Now, the Wolfpack are divided. And because of it, we are losing more and more crewmembers, along with the hounds that they were dispatched with.”

“But…” Mar’zek said. “I assume this isn’t the worst news you have for me?”

“W-Well, n-no sir,” Kor’Zak stammered out. “Ahl'Mai'Tie. He… He leads the Feral Five, and therefore leads the Wolfpack in your place.”

Mar’zek’s meaty fist slammed into a computer console, utterly destroying it. “...so that’s the way it is. They intend to destroy us all. This cannot stand. You two, Kor’Zak and Kin’dred. You have done well this day. I shall see it you are promoted to my chief scientists as soon as I reclaim my chair.”

Both scientists shared a shocked look before Kor’Zak spoke again. “There… there will be resistance, you know.”

“Let them come,” Mar’Zek said cracking his knuckles. “I welcome the challenge. The day those fools decided to throw their lot in with the Feral Five, they have become… loose ends. They must be cut. But you are quite correct, I cannot hope to take this ship back alone. I believe a… distraction is in order.”

“A distraction?” Kin’dred asked. “What kind of distraction, captain?”

Mar’Zek grinned, and Kin’dred felt a wave of happiness go through her. Their true leader had returned.





One wolf was sent flying into a wall as Mar’Zek smashed his way into the prison block. Whispers rippled through the cells as the leader strode his way into the cellblock.

“Is that…?”

“Can it be…?

“Has he truly returned?”

“No, that’s not possible!”

“Is it a ghost?”

Mar’Zek shot some glances at the people around him who spoke of him. And as his eyes met theirs, shivers ran down their spines as their bodies made noises accompanying that fear.

“Behold, I have returned to save you from this perilous hour. The Feral Five were a mistake, one which I seek to correct. And I have learned. I know what it’s like to lose, to feel desperately you’re at your moment of triumph and yet failure still rushes up to greet you. A glimpse at triumph, however fleeting. It has taught me something. Victory must be fought for. And loss is only for the weak, which I shall never be again. Dread it. Run from it. Destiny still arrives all the same. And the Feral Five’s only destiny… is death.”

There was a clamour of discussion between the inmates as the captain’s words sank in. If he truly was alive, then that meant that the Feral Five had no claim to power. That rallied the prisoners even more, and a resounding wave of cheers burst up from their cells.

“On your orders, captain.” One of the prisoners spoke with a snake-like voice. “Tell us what you want and we will deliver.”

“Chaos,” Mar’Zek said. “Deliver this ship unto chaos, I want the Feral Five to know they are not omnipotent.”

He pried open a cell door, behind it twin skeletal beings with cybernetic enhancements complete with nasty looking arm blades. Tubing erupted from their backs and shoulders driving itself into their skulls. “Brothers Dreadknight. You shall lead the charge.”

“Yes sir!” they saluted, and brought their blades to life. The weapons glowed a sharp orange.

He ripped open another cell door, where a poor unfortunate soul lay dead. “Khaotic. You lived so well, and yet so short. However, your weapon shall serve me in my time of need.” 

He walked into the cell and frisked the corpse of Khaotic to find what he was looking for. Smiling, he fished the weapon from his body, and ignited it. Twin red axe blades hummed and crackled with energy. His prize in hand, he left the cell behind.

“As for the rest of you…” Mar’Zek addressed the other prisoners and let another set out of their cells. Creatures of all shapes and sizes burst free of their confines. “Go now. Send the Alpha Slayer into chaos! Deliver anarchy! Cull the herd! Do everything you can to break the Feral Five’s hold on MY pack!”

It didn’t take long for the prisoners to carry out their Captain’s orders. Now the Feral Five fought a war on two fronts. As the Rangers reclaimed Earth, their ship was now another battleground with madmen running rampant throughout. 

As the other prisoners were led out of the block by the Brothers Dreadknight, Mar’Zek stayed behind to free any others with his own bare hands. Either by tearing the walls of the cell off of their hinges or by slicing clean through the locks with his axe. Not a single person stayed behind.

“If you intend to throw me from my throne, be prepared for the consequences that follow.” Mar’Zek muttered to himself as he released another prisoner. 

“You were never fit to lead my armies. Only to serve. Nothing else,” He cleaved off another lock and set free another monster. “You grow fat from strength. And that is your weakness. Now, let it be your undoing...”





“Captain. You’re gonna want to see this!” One of the wolves on the bridge of the Alpha Slayer barked as he noticed something on his monitors. He could see video footage of the prisoners that Mar’Zek freed causing chaos among the ship. Brutalising hounds and dismantling everything around them. It was as if they were all behaving like animals down there.

“What is it?” Ahl’Mai’Tie idly flicked his fingers nonchalantly. “Another one of those blockages?”

“It’s the prisoners from the brig. They’ve all been set free!”

Several wolves gasped as they turned their attention from the Hydra Zord tearing through their forces on Earth, and gasped in horror as they saw the leader of the prisoners.

Mar’Zek ripped a piece of the bulkhead straight off the wall and used it as a shield to block laser fire, before tossing it and decapitating several hounds. 

“What?!” Mah’Jehs’Tie recoiled in horror at the sight of Mar’Zek. “But we killed him! We personally killed him! How is he still alive?!”

Deh’Mehn’sha just muttered to himself, twitching around like the psychiatric ward lunatic that he was. 

“The captain… He transcends death?” He said sporadically. “Well, that’s something you don’t see every day. Forget the hurty dolls down there on earth. I wanna meet this immortal Mar’Zek right now! See what he has in that itty-bitty teeny-tiny brain of his that I can play around with!”

“No… Not yet,” Mah’Jehs’Tie said before shouting at two guards. “SEND EVERYTHING WE HAVE AFTER HIM! He must not, will not reach the bridge!”

Onscreen, Mar’zek bellowed: “Mah’Jehs’Tie, I’m coming for you!”

And deep inside, Mah’Jehs’Tie felt something she hadn’t in a very long time. Fear.

“Whatever cubs decided to bring back that waste of space’ll be hearing from me once this is all over.” Uhp’Grahy’Der remarked. “In the meantime, I’ll override the ship’s interior security and rebrand Mar’Zek as a foreign threat. That’ll shut him down.”

He went over towards one of the consoles, pushing the wolves out of the way. Simply by laying his hand on it, Uhp’Grahy’Der’s armour began to glow a shade of green light that trickled down his hand and into the machine. Technological particle effects appeared as he performed an override on the consoles. The screens showed Mar’Zek, changing his status from an ally of the Wolfpack to a threat. And as soon as it did, alarms blared all throughout the ship that alerted the other Wolfpack members.

“You think you’re strong because you can cheat death, old friend?” Ahl’Mai’Tie spoke as Uhp’Grahy’Der returned to his chair. “No. You were never strong. You were simply carried away. You never could lead the Wolfpack like we do. This. Changes. Nothing!”





Mar’Zek was like an unstoppable force of nature, scything through the Loyalists like they were paper. His sheer strength alone was enough to disembowel any grunts with a single strike, and when he tackled others, their bones and other things that held them together were flattened under his strength. Snarling as a true wolf would, he pounced off of his next prey and barreled into a horde of hounds with guns, guns that tried to shoot him down mid-leap but failed to connect with his rampant body as it drove into them.

“Come on!” He barked as more Wolfpack grunts scurried into the room, noticed their dead compatriots, and the captain that had been shredding them apart. 

“COME ON!” Mar’Zek roared as he sprinted into the new wolves, impaled one with his claws, threw that wolf into another wolf, grabbed another grunt by its leg and smashed it into the other hounds around him. “What are you to me?! You are nothing!”

He punched another hound across the room, before striding forwards resting his axe upon his shoulder.

“Is this the best you can throw at me? Is it Mah’Jehs’Tie?” Mar’Zek roared backhanding another hound Loyalist. “Is this the best your army can muster up? I can see why they flocked to you, they’re so weak they’d never be able to make it in my personal troop!”

It was then that he heard the alarms ringing out through the ship and the interior defense mechanisms springing to life. Turrets poked out of the walls and began raining bullets around him; ones that he had to block using the bulkhead piece once more. He ran towards a turret using the shield as cover, then ripped it off of the wall and hurled it into the other one, causing both of them to crumble.

“I OWN this ship, Mah’Jehs’Tie. I know it inside and out,” he said. “You think I don’t know how to beat my own ship? What a waste...” 

He ran down one of the corridors into the next room of his stolen ship.

Grabbing another Loyalist hound, he slammed his face into the bulkhead grinding it alongside the metal walls before tossing the wolf behind him. 

“This. Is. My. Ship!” Mar’Zek declared as the other wolves in the area charged in from all sides, only for him to jump straight up. As he did so, he tossed the bulkhead down on top of the four wolves, squashing all of them at once.

“Correction,” said a voice as Mar’Zek went flying. A massive gargoyle-like creature, arms replaced with piledrivers slammed his weapons into the floor, creating a shockwave. “This was your ship. Now it is only the Feral Five’s. You died once. You can be killed again.”

“Tectonic,” Mar’Zek took a few paces to the left. “You changed hands so easily, did you? Whatever happened to you? You were loyal to me once. Shouldn’t you be happy that I’m back?”

“You were weak, you failed to defeat the Rangers when you had the chance. Multiple chances in fact. You betrayed us Mar’Zek,” Tectonic said dashing forwards and smashing his former leader through several walls. He sounded… sad to fight his former Captain. “I am sorry for this, but you had your time. Now you are nothing but a ghost of the past, and it is my job to lay you to rest.”

“I’m sorry too. Your people were such a brave and mighty species. To stomp out the last of them, well… it’s a loss I’ll have to take.” Mar’Zek got back up and charged towards Tectonic. He saw one of his piledriver hands jabbing towards him, only for him to run on top of it. Mar’Zek rode it back to Tectonic, and drove his foot into the gargoyle’s head. Tectonic staggered, only to soon brush it off and slap Mar’Zek away.

The wolf rolled along the floor, before Tectonic drove his hands into the floor once more and sent him skywards. Tectonic slammed one arm into Mar’Zek, smashing him through another wall.

“I always wanted to spar with you someday. A pity that this has to be the reason I get to fight you.” Tectonic simply ran through the wall and tried to drive his body into Mar’Zek, but the wolf simply rolled away from his next punch and leapt for his chest, driving Tectonic into the ground.

So Tectonic improvised, driving his piledrivers into Mar’Zek’s chest and making him stagger. One mighty slap from the gargoyle’s arms sent Mar’Zek spinning out of control. Tectonic floored him with another punch.

“Nngh…” Mar’Zek realised just how mortal he really was without all of his tech. Outside of the armour, he was nothing more than another wolf with nothing but his muscles to his name. And that meant that he couldn’t go around saying that he was strong and drop his guard. The last thing that he wanted was to leave himself open in the state that he was in.

“I am sorry,” Tectonic said apologetically, raising one of his piledrivers for the final blow.

“As am I.” Mar’Zek grabbed Tectonic’s arm and ripped it straight off, -sparks flying from the mechanical socket- before using the very same arm to strike the other arm clean off. “It didn’t have to end this way. But alas, life is never fair, is it?” 

Using the two dislodged arms, he smashed Tectonic’s head in half, causing the gargoyle to fall apart in a spectacle of cascading stones and rocks.

Mar’Zek looked upon the remains, oddly silent. Was this what he had been reduced to, killing old friends for the sake of reclaiming his chair? If this was a victory, he’d hate to see what a loss was.

“It sickens me to do this. It really does,” He sighed as he laid his hands on the pile of stones one last time and trudged away from the remnants of Tectonic. “I promise you. When I retake this ship, I will avenge you…”

He continued onwards, cutting down anyone who stood in his way. He passed through the core room, plasma inducers providing super-heated energy to the rest of the ship. Below, a pool of searing hot industrial waste. Even to him, he seemed tiny in comparison to the core of the Alpha Slayer; as did the other wolves who worked deep below to make sure that the waste was taken care of. There was very few security in the room, as a fight in the core of the ship would damage the core and send the ship into a meltdown state. The last thing that the Wolfpack wanted was for their flagship to explode in a spectacle of metal and embers.

Then, from out of the fiery waste leaped a demonic hellbeast, his veins glowing orange as he upper-cutted Mar’Zek into the room above. As Mar’Zek recovered, wiping away the blood from his chin, the monster erupted twin blades of fire from his arms.

“You are not the captain.” The monster hissed as it clambered up into the room, leaving fiery pools where its blades touched. “You are dead…”

“Oooh, such witty banter,” Mar’Zek said retrieving his axe. “And here I was hoping we could exchange such interesting barbs.”

“I have no time to talk with a ghost.” The monster hissed as its hooves brought it into the room. “Your rebirth has not gone unnoticed. The Wolfpack knows that you are alive. And your rebellion will amount to nothing.”

“Yes, well, I was hoping they’d take notice,” Mar’Zek said, leveling his axe at the monster. “They couldn’t live with their own crippling failure, so that brought them back to me. Now, have at thee!”

The satyr-like lava monster snarled, charging towards Mar’Zek with its horns pointing straight towards his former captain. A demonic roar came out of its mouth as it tried to run down the wolf, only for him to smash into a wall.

Mar’Zek grabbed it, pulling the beast out of the wall and slamming it into the floor. 

The beast covered, and tossed an orb of searing green plasma at Mar’Zek. He side-stepped and slashed at the creature, making it bleed magma. He was punched in the face, Mar’Zek staggering from the force of the blow. 

“Always did feel cozy in those lava pools, didn’t you?” Mar’Zek remarked as he looked around the room for something that could work in his advantage. He found a canister of some sort and rushed towards it. 

“But that works against you as it works for you,” Mar’Zek snatched the canister and tossed it towards the Satyr. And as it collided with the magma-body of the beast, it exploded in a frosty burst. The canister was one of the stockpiles of the ship’s coolant; one that was working wonders at freezing the beast’s chest.

Unfortunately, living in the plasma pool did wonders for one’s body heat. The ice melted in a cloud of steam, and as Mar’Zek’s eyes widened, he was sent flying through another wall via plasma ball.

A turret popped down from the ceiling, riddling Mar’Zek with laser fire and keeping him from going on the offensive. Or the defensive actually, and he was punched into the bulkhead by the magma beast.

Sadly, the magma beast was so huge, it had managed to rip the turret from the ceiling when charging. Mar’Zek recovered, and slid under his opponent picking up the gatling gun.

He pulled the trigger, and the gun’s barrels wound themselves up with a whirring sound. Then, they riddled the monster with laser fire. The bullets pierced through the monster’s body, leaving massive holes in their wake. And although the holes were being filled back up with the very magma that held it together, the holes were popping in faster than they were being healed and it ultimately caused the beast to stagger backwards.

But finally, the gatling gun overheated, it’s barrels blazing red-hot. Mar’Zek, with a growl tossed the weapon aside with a loud clatter and reignited his axe. He sliced into the hell satyr several times, magma oozing to the floor. 

He leapt backwards to avoid a swipe from one meaty fist, but his opponent slammed its arm blades into the floor. Twin walls of fire rushed towards the former Captain of the Wolfpack.

Mar’Zek just made a snarling noise and ran through the corridors of flame as fast as he could, speeding towards the satyr as fast as he could, walls of fire clapping like hands behind him. He slid underneath the legs of the beast as the final walls of fire smashed into each other. He rebounded off the wall, and kicked the monster in the head making it stagger.

Mar’Zek sliced into the creature several more times, before the monster finally collapsed. Falling forwards, Mar’Zek was forced to side step lest the massive beast fall on top of him and squash him.

Letting out a triumphant howl, Mar’Zek let the whole ship know of his victory. He marched down the nearest corridor, only one destination in his mind. It was time to end this farce once and for all. With a low growl, he uttered: “Mah’Jehs’Tie, I’m coming for you!”





“This is absurd! How is he slaying everything around us?!” Mah’Jehs’Tie demanded as she watched Mar’Zek run off to the next portion of the ship. “At this rate, he’s going to exhaust our crew before the Power Rangers!”

Then, the bridge doors were kicked in and in walked Mar’Zek, a seething cauldron of unbridled rage.

Right behind him was Kin’dred. “REJOICE, FOR THE TRUE CAPTAIN OF THE WOLFPACK HAS COME TO RETAKE HIS RIGHTFUL PLACE!” she proclaimed as the angry wolf strode forwards, his axe blade creating sparks as it was dragged along the ground.

“You’re awfully brave, coming to face us after we slayed you once.” Ahl’Mai’Tie stood up boldly from his chair and walked towards Mar’Zek with his hammer gripped tightly in his hands. “You would think that, after one death, you would learn to stay dead. Or at least learn not to meddle in affairs that are far above you.”

“Yes, well, haven’t you heard? You can’t keep a good dog down. All good dogs go to heaven, guess where I went? It only made me stronger,” Mar’Zek said. “In all my years of conquest, violence, slaughter, it was never personal. But I'll tell you now… I’m going to enjoy this.”

“Why don’t we make this battle more… fitting?” Ahl’Mai’Tie banged the end of his hammer against the ground. It didn’t take long for the bridge to contort and change. The walls and ceiling shifted and all of the crewmembers and their consoles were moved underground. The holes were filled with empty space. Now, the bridge; more befitting of an arena, was bathed in the light of the sun from afar. And as it was, Ahl’Mai’Tie’s hammer glowed an ethereal shade of orange as it bathed in the sun’s light. 

“If I’m going to execute you, I might as well do it properly…”

“You really are an idiot,” Mar’Zek decided. “I made my mark in the gladiatorial pits, back when I was only just a simple miner. Now look at where I am.”

“And look how far you’ve fallen,” Ahl’Mai’Tie said.

“...look who I’ve risen above.” Mar’Zek deadpanned.

“You seem to underestimate me.” Ahl’Mai’Tie raised his hammer high and smashed it into the ground, causing giant, yellow, fiery drakes to spit out of the hammer and dance around his side. “In the light of the sun, my power grows…”

“I’m well aware of your sun powers. That’s the reason why I chose you in the first place. But even the sun is not invincible. It wears out eventually,” Mar’Zek cracked his neck and bore his claws out towards the Feral Five as the rest of them stood up and joined their leader. Slashing through the sun drakes, Mar’Zek welcomed the challenge. “Now, who’s first?”

Uon’Buh’let was the first to meet Mar’Zek’s challenge. He raised his rifle high into the air and locked the crosshairs onto Mar’Zek. A simple pull of the trigger and a sniper shot spat out of the barrel.

Mar’Zek sliced it in half with his axe. Then, he ran towards Uon and ran him into the ground. As he stood on top of the wolf, trying to gnash at his face to rip it off, Uon just reached down his side and pulled out a serrated knife, slicing it across Mar’Zek’s cheek. Once he saw Mar’Zek stagger, he kicked him off and rolled back onto his feet, then pulled out a small sidearm and let some shots ring out.

“A marksman isn’t all sniper tricks, you know.” Uon declared as he switched from his sidearm to his sniper again. As soon as he pulled the barrel up, he fired, not even bothering to look down the sights. One shot and he was back to his sidearm in case Mar’Zek tried to charge in.

Mar’Zek slashed forwards, sending an arc of red energy towards the sniper. “Oh please. You forget, I know everything about my prisoners. That includes what their weapons can do.” he remarked.

“Do you know everything about me?” Uon made himself invisible; cloaking himself as a true sniper would. “Do you really know everything about me, Mar’Zek? I think not.”

Mar’Zek turned and slashed him down. “...I know you talk too much.”

“Ugh…” Uon glared at Mar’Zek. It would take more than a single slice to take him out, though. And he pointed the barrel of his sidearm at the captain’s knees and opened fire. The shots did cause the captain to stagger, but not cause any major harm. Still, it gave Uon the moment he needed to roll away and get to a safe distance so he could shoot some more.

Mar’Zek just ran towards Uon and, as he did, he watched the beast raise his rifle again. Another shot was fired out, but he swerved out of the way in time. Another shot was fired, and he evaded that. It was as if he knew Uon’s movements inside and out. Even when he went invisible, he had been anticipating it and swung both of his claws out low to stop him from getting away.

Mar’Zek grabbed him and tossed the insane sniper behind him. Ripping off a device from his armor, he crushed it in his paw. “No Feral Fury for you.”

Mar’Zek brought the axe down.

The remaining Feral Four’s eyes widened.

“You…” Uhp’Grahy’Der twitched as he watched the dead body of his comrade. “You…” He seethed with rage as his Infinitox Armor glowed as red as the blood that trickled across the floor. “YOU ANIMAL!” 

He roared, and as he did, machine-like particle effects spawned turrets on his shoulders, as well as wrist-mounted guns on his arms and jets on his feet, legs, and back.

“Well, I am a wolf…” Mar’Zek drawled running forwards before taking a leap and slamming into Uhp’Grahy’Der with a diving kick. 

“You think that by killing one of us you’ve won this? No!” Uhp seethed and smashed his hands together. He materialised a metallic sword. 

“Upgrade!” He declared as he drove his paw into the centre of the sword, causing the sword to become cocooned in the same energy that had created it. Once the cocoon burst, the sword had become a laser-bladed sword that thrummed with energy as he swung it. “I upgrade anything I touch, you fool.”

“Nice to know,” Mar’Zek said, wrenching Uhp’Grahy’Der’s paw forwards onto his axe blade. It crackled and hummed with energy, more powerful than ever. One single slash ripped through Uhp’Grahy’Der’s armor. 

Another slash sent twin wolves of energy at Uhp’Grahy’Der, ripping off more armor parts. Again, no Feral Fury for this one. Mar’Zek raised his axe blade above his head, and then brought it down.

“...wow, Feral Three. Can’t even have that funky alliteration anymore,” he deadpanned. “Damn shame.”

“Enjoy your moment, ‘Captain’. It won’t last,” Ahl’Mai’Tie folded his arms and turned his back away from him. “You’ve caused far too much damage here as it is. And I’ve got no time to entertain your prattle. I’d advise you step down and learn your place, ‘Captain’. Before things get ugly for all of us.” 

He slammed his empowered hammer into the ground; the resounding noise echoing throughout the entire bridge. 

“You took my pack, my pack and turned it into a joke,” Mar’Zek replied. “I think not.”

“Nor do I if you think you can wrest MY pack from me. Plus, you’ve been spending far too much time on this ship.” Ahl’Mai’Tie simply returned to his chair. “You need to take some time off. See the world. Or whatever’s left of it.”

And the next thing Mar’Zek knew, his whole world became a flash of blue light.

He found himself in a forest, Kin’dred and Kor’zak at his side. Mar’Zek sighed, and looked skywards. “Ah well, the damage is done,” he muttered. “It’ll be at least a week before they manage to sort this out.”

And then came the cocking of energy pistols.

“Put your hands where I can see…” a familiar southern accent said as the Rangers stepped out of the gloom. Applejack’s helmet retracted, and her eyes widened. “Mar’Zek?”