//------------------------------// // 15: Road to Nowhere // Story: Power Rangers: Sky Strike // by The Bricklayer //------------------------------// The earth shook as giants battled. Another day, another scheme. “Hey, I gotta say…” Vapor remarked as Reversers, now the size of mountains swarmed their mecha. “We’re pretty gay aren’t we? Like, gay as the day as long.” “You mean gay as in gay gay or pretty happy gay?” Robert said even as the massive sword of the Megazord sliced through flesh. “Because, I’m straight and I’m not happy.” “You’re almost never happy.” Sunset deadpanned. “I’m a very hard to please man, I accept that,” Robert conceded, pressing a button and making the megazord slug a Reverser in the face. It toppled over, with a mighty Ka-Crash! as the ground shook. “But Vapor, your point?” “I mean gay gay. Because… really, we fight monsters in spandex. Tight spandex, like super tight. That’s pretty gay right?” Vapor shrugged at her console, the Megazord taking a running jump over a bridge. “Like, have none of you noticed the looks the gay and bisexual ponies of Ponyville give us? I mean… hello, awakenings! I’d like to think we’re responsible for a few of those.” “Pffft yeah, point!” Autumn agreed with a nod and a chuckle. “Like, I’m not blind!” “So us being pretty gay confirmed?” Vapor questioned. “Oh yeah, gay as hell,” Autumn nodded as she tugged at her suit. “Like you’re not kidding about the tight spandex…” “It’s not spandex…” Robert muttered, going apparently unheard. “Oh my Celestia guys!” Sunset babbled grabbing Vapor and Autumn by the shoulders and pointing. “Like hello! Giant monsters!” “Oh right…” the two uttered as they saw Reversers charge at them, their mecha swinging its saber in a finishing move. “Hey, by the way… you guys know what today is?” Vapor asked as the mooks went up in explosions. “I swear I’m forgetting something…” “The 16th, why?” Robert shrugged as he apparently didn’t notice the stricken, horrified look that passed over his teammate’s muzzle. Her helmet retracted to show it. “It’s not one of those weird holidays you get off the internet today is it?” “No…” Vapor said in a tone that he couldn’t quite place. “It’s nothing…” “Met you when I was a lil' nappy head boy and I never put down my alto saxophone, yeah… Buckjumpin' down on the boulevard… I couldn't wait to blow my own horn…” Robert rolled back in his chair, earbuds resting to the side with a faint song playing from them. His phone rang, a distant buzz and almost if by pure instinct his hand shot out to pick it up. “Y’ello?” He was pleasantly surprised by who was on the other end. “Hey Rob, you free? I kinda need your help on a case, need an extra eye or two. If you can, bring your ranger friends. I know one of them has a badge right?” “Well, armor, but same thing I suppose. Alright, I’ll bite, what do you need my help on?” he questioned, before his tone took a teasing light. “...unless you’re just looking for an excuse to see me. You could just come through the portal, we could make it a date!” “Ha, you wish! There’s this mysterious rash of murders lately, I’m stumped. I… yeah, it’s embarrassing to admit that, but you’re the detective not me.” “No, you’re just the shoot first type of gal,” Robert deadpanned, a chuckle on the other end of the line. “But why me? Don’t you have a whole team of assorted colors to back you up?” “They’re working on something over on Andresia, helping a few refugees. I would have gone, but SPD’s been swamped lately and they needed someone to help work a few cases,” Charlie said, and Robert could see the shrug of her shoulders in his mind’s eye. “So guess who got drafted?” “And now you’re drafting me,” the Black Ranger drawled. “Alright, so why do you need Shining?” “Three heads are better than two, right?” “Admit it, you need a substitute Ranger squad and just having me alone doesn’t do that for you. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I’m plenty competent.” “Look, I’ll explain when you get here. Just bring help.” With that, she hung up and with that Robert soon found himself bringing Shining to his side of the globe. With Flash Sentry in tow. “And this is what you gave up?” Shining let out a low whistle as he gazed up at the massive vaulted ceilings of SPD Earth Base, sun shining in through massive glass windows. He was under disguise, as was Flash. Though perhaps they didn’t need to be, given the myriad of species passing them by. “Oh trust me, this kinda thing just simply wasn’t me,” Robert mused. “The space aliens, the weirder than normal cases… Way too stressful. That’s always been Charlie’s thing, not mine.” “Coward.” Shining stuck out his tongue childishly. “I… I dunno, I kinda agree with Robert,” Flash said, eying a many-tendriled being with one too many eyes. “Better to take things slow right?” Shining gave his fellow Ranger an inquiring look, to which Robert mouthed in turn: “Hey, Charlie said she needed an extra hand or two and he volunteered. Wanted to see how I used to live. Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth right? Emphasis on the ‘horse’ bit in this case I suppose.” “Who’s the guy in the armor…?” Flash wondered as a purple-hued knight passed them on by. He gave a gruff little noise as he shoved Flash aside, the pegasus apparently in his way. “Looks pretty sick right? Rude though!” “I dunno, something about him looks a bit familiar though I don’t know why. Mhmm, maybe it’ll come to me later,” Robert shrugged before gesturing to follow. “Come on, Charlie’s waiting for us.” They should have paid more attention, honestly, as residents of Pine Ridge, Utah knew him to be the now infamous warrior Void Knight. “...That sporix beast is around here somewhere, my readings can’t be wrong. Odd however one ending up this far. I should have sent Boomtower, perhaps. Coming personally is a bit of a risk. But then, a leader never sends his minions to do things he can’t do himself and Boomtower’s circuits are fried I think. So, it looks like it’s up to me!” Meanwhile... As it happened, Charlie’s problem went a bit like this. She’d traced the murders to a particular bus line and with a bit of digging found the victims had always gotten on one particular bus. She and Shining would follow in her car, meaning Robert and Flash would be on the bus trip to nowhere. A ride to hell. “Alright, deep breaths. Sure you’ve been basically put right in the firing line, but… well, it’s nothing you can’t handle. As soon as you see the murderer make his move… You rush in and cuff him,” Robert thought before looking around at the crowded bus. “Assuming he makes one, a bit of a crowd right?” “So, you think our guy is going to do something?” Flash whispered to him, surprisingly calm for such a tense situation. “It’s pretty crowded right?” “Yeeeeah, way too many eyes,” Robert mused, sparing a glance out the window where for a moment he spotted Charlie’s old AMC Hornet. He’d given her crap about it for years, calling it a lemon. Her father’s car or no, it was still utter trash. Then again, in some ways it was a bit less conspicuous than any of SPD’s vehicles. Certainly a bit better than a jeep with their logo on it and a lightbar to boot! “Even sticking a knife in someone’s back would draw attention.” “My guess is they’ll wait till the last ride of the evening, which… yeah, we’re going to be on this bus for a while won’t we?” Flash swallowed nervously. “Thank goodness I brought my wallet.” “At least we don’t look like cops,” Robert muttered, thanking Zordon or whatever deity was listening for a good change of clothes. Though for all the good that would do, as they’d probably stick out like a sore thumb the longer they were on this bus. “I think we should get off soon. Probably in a few stops or so...” “Won’t we risk our guy killing someone?” Flash questioned. “Not in this crowd,” Robert reminded Flash, the stallion conceding his point with a nod. “Plus, the thing is, we’ll stick out like sore thumbs if we’re on here all day.” “Yeeeeeeaaaaah…” Flash admitted. They were coming up to a tunnel, and all went black before a scream split the air as light returned. There was a man on the floor, foaming at the mouth and starting to dissolve. “What the bloody hell?” Robert shouted, taking a few steps back in shock. “Did anyone see what happened?” “Who died and put you in charge?” a man in a business suit demanded angrily, though if you looked closely his eyes seemed to be shining with fear. Behind him, other bus goers whispered nervously.  “Detective Robert Williams, NewTech City Police Department,” the Black Ranger flashed his badge. “Now I’ll ask again, did anyone see what happened?” “I… I dunno, one minute we were in that tunnel and the next…” an older woman stammered out nervously before dabbing at her eyes. “Oh, this is horrible!” Robert nodded, texting Charlie. The game was afoot. “It happened when we went into that tunnel right?” the businessman guessed. “Maybe someone slipped this poor bastard something?” “It’d have to be a hell of a poison…” another man muttered, trying not to step in the goo. “Are we sure aliens aren’t involved? Some new-fangled bio-weapon?” Mutters ran up and down the length of the bus, some in agreement and others in uncertainty even as the vehicle turned a corner. “Whoa whoa, okay, let’s not play the alien card until we know what’s going on here okay?” Robert started, his eyes narrowed. “Stow the speciesism.” “I’m just saying, every year the Earth is attacked by aliens,” the businessman agreed with the second man. “Would it surprise you they’re trying something different instead of the giant monsters?” More mutters of agreement. “What’s your name?” Robert asked. “Riley Sterling, of Riley Sterling Incorporated,” the man introduced himself, with a greasy hand and a greasy smile. “Why, what’s it to you?” “Just marking you for potential hate crimes,” Robert drawled. “My ex-partner was an alien, so do me a favor and shut up.” He looked around the bus, daring anyone else to say anything.  “Okay, good. Maybe now clearer heads can prevail,” Flash said. “I’ll ask what my partner asked. Did anyone see anything strange? Anyone strange?” “No, sorry,” said the older woman. “Your accent is interesting though, young man, I don’t think I’ve heard it’s kind anywhere before. It’s a good kind of interesting. Are you from out of town?” “Yeah, I… I guess you could say that?” Flash rubbed his head, running a hand through his ‘hair’ nervously. “I’m from very far out of town.” “Oooooh, are you an alien?” the old woman inquired in a friendly way. Before Flash could answer, Riley echoed her question but in a far more suspicious manner. “Indeed, are you?” Robert swallowed nervously, this going unseen. This could get really ugly really fast if he wasn’t careful. His hands went to his phone, texting another message to Charlie about what was going on. In her car, the message popped up on her phone with Shining handling it. “Things are getting tense on that bus,” the stallion muttered to his fellow Ranger. “Robert’s playing with fire. Attitudes are starting to turn worrisome.” “That’s an understatement, I’m guessing,” Charlie said, keeping a safe distance from the Greyhound even as she tailed it. “You worried he’s going to get lynched?” “I can’t say,” Shining shook his head nervously before noticing her tone. “...you sound like this isn’t the first time.” “Yes, well, people aren’t always accepting of those different from them,” Charlie sighed, running a hand through her hair. “You’d think with aliens on Earth we’d start to get more accepting, but even now gender is such a hot button issue…” “You mean…” Shining swallowed feeling a bit sick. “Oh, Celestia.” “Yeeeeeah, Robert’s never exactly advertised the fact that he’s Trans, never gone to Pride Parades or any of that,” Charlie sighed again. “I think him breaking up one too many riots scared him off that. It’s hard to say, sometimes I don’t know what goes on in that head of his. I’m his partner, I’ve known him for years. Since High School honestly. I still can’t get inside his head at times.” “That really worries me then, as I’d hoped to be able to understand him a bit better,” Shining mused. “But if you can’t all the time, I wonder how that bodes well for me?” “Look, you don’t have to understand him all the time, just some of the time,” Charlie reassured the stallion with a kind look. “Just enough of the time. Don’t worry.” There came a thud, and Charlie’s eyes widened as a massive armored figure landed on her hood. His fearsome blade rested on his shoulder. “But you should be worried… Just not about your partner. But about me!” The Red Ranger slammed hard on the brakes, throwing Void Knight off the car before he implanted his sword in the ground to stop himself. Pulling it out of the earth, he raised it and readied for battle. “Now tell me where the sporix is, and I’ll promise I’ll make this quick for you humans!” “Boy, did you pick the wrong day to deal with me,” Charlie said as red energy began to swarm all around her. “SPD: EMERGENCY!” “Take Off, Wings Rise!” Shining called as he too morphed with his blade ready to meet the Void Knight’s. Their swords met in a flash of sparks, before Shining flipped over the villain as Charlie went for her rifle. Void Knight raised his shield to block the shots, before charging forwards with a roar. Meanwhile... After all guests had left, museums often took upon a different quality. Mysterious, eerie once all lights went out. It was perfect for a thief in the night. Radiguet swiped the geode, smashing through the glass to recover his prize. But he would not go unopposed. “There are plenty of dinosaur bones around me,” the villain said, apparently to himself before revealing he was speaking to someone. “Plenty enough to be feasibly called a graveyard really. I’m sure nobody will mind a few more, or notice them even!” He whirled around, lightning arcing from his fingertips. “Your humor needs work, my old nemesis,” Starswirl said, his horn glowing as a shield enveloped him. “You won’t be winning any awards, I’m certain. There’s a comedy night here in Ponyville, from what I’m told. Perhaps you could visit, learn a thing or two.” Radiguet drew his sword, and advanced on the old wizard with fangs bared.  “And you’re such an expert on humor,” he commented. “I’m sure.” “I like to consider myself enlightened. I know how to share a joke or two,” Starswirl said side-stepping the swing before wrapping Radiguet in his magic. With a wave of his hand, he threw him into a wall as a silvery aura enveloped the madman. “It’s one of my many talents.” “Along with humility, I’m sure,” Radiguet said as more lightning arced from his fingers. “I’ve got a shopping list on me, why don’t you go to some other supermarket? You’re not a Kyle, are you? So entitled to getting what you want?” “I am afraid,” Starswirl said, again his silvery shield surrounding him. “That your terminology confuses me. You’re barely speaking Ponish, what you have to say I’m afraid passes over my head.” “Aaaaagh, never mind. Here’s a word I’m sure you do understand,” Radiguet snarled, adding on more power to his attacks. “DIE!” Starswirl’s shield shattered, and he slid back on the marble floor. “Your language is so eloquent,” Starswirl said, his horn lighting up as gravity around his opponent grew only heavier. “I’m quite sure your particular form of poetry would be enough to fill a book. Perhaps two.” Despite the difficulty, Radiguet still charged forwards calling upon all of his strength. “Your rangers don’t know who I am, do they? You haven’t told them. I thought nothing was supposed to be a secret. No knowledge forbidden!” “They’ll learn when the time is right,” Starswirl replied, his horn still glowing and crackling with energy. “Or perhaps they’ll never need to, perhaps I shall end your threat here and now.” “Oh yes, I’m sure,” Radiguet chuckled, powering through magic blasts. “You couldn’t kill me then, what makes you think you can kill me now?” “Do not be so foolish as to underestimate me, to mistake my age for weakness,” Starswirl replied, the ground around his opponent rippling like liquid and threatening to swallow him up. “I am an Archmage of Equestria, a servant of the Fires of Life. I wield the magicks of old, you shall not pass.” Even as he said this, Radiguet was falling into the earth as it threatened to drown him like a tidal wave. However, a hand shot up and shot lightning bringing pieces of the roof down around Starswirl. He was forced to cut off his spell, dodge the falling stones. Then, the old warlock’s hands lit up as he swayed his arms in a circular motion. That battle of theirs progressed into another room, a blast of fire nearly knocking Radiguet off his feet. Starswirl’s horn glowed as he brought life to the lifeless, with a tyrannosaur skeleton attempting to swallow his archfoe in its jaws. Indeed, Radiguet was nearly bitten in half, had a blast of energy not utterly demolished the skeleton with ancient bones crashing all around the room. “Until the next time, old wizard,” Radiguet laughed, his opponent collapsing to the ground from sheer magic exhaustion. “I thought age was supposed to bring wisdom. Apparently, it brings other things too! Try to keep up with me… hopefully, you won’t break your hip! Take my advice, retire to an old folks home, I hear they play shuffleboard every week. Better use of your time.” Back in NewTech, the battle continued onto a construction site. Shining and Charlie slid down a massive pile of gravel, with a certain knight running after them in pursuit. Blades met again, Shining holding back the warrior’s sword with his own. The blades met again and again, each fighter equally skilled. Shining rolled out of the way to avoid a slash, before meeting the knight’s blade with his own. Charlie raised her rifle, firing on the eerily ranger-like soldier with Shining rolling out of the way. Void Knight had raised his shield to block the blasts, only for a certain blue ranger to kick him in the stomach making him stagger. With a roar, the dark warrior charged after Shining chasing him into a maze of pipes. Charlie peeked out from behind a stack, firing her rifle at him. Again, Void Knight raised his shield to block the attacks before Shining ran him through with his sword slashing from the side in an ambush. With a snarl, Void Knight soon bashed him with his shield, before tossing his sword aside and throwing Shining into Charlie with his now free hand.  “Don’t lie to me Rangers, I know there’s a sporix beast here,” Void Knight said calmly, even as Charlie continued firing upon him with his shield blocking every shot. He had retrieved his sword, gripping it tightly in his calm rage. “Don’t think you can hide it from me. In fact, I doubt you’ll soon be able to. Didn’t you hear, they grow!” “But there isn’t one here. In fact, I think you’ve been hit too many times on the head in that armor. The only thing that might come close to one of those things would be…” Charlie trailed off even as the realization hit her. “Oh no. Robert!” Before she could do anything else, however, Void Knight swung his sword, and an arc of energy slashed through her suit demorphing her and Shining. “Now, onto business…” the dark knight said, barely sparing them a glance. “I have no patience for foolish heroics. Or being lied to.” The bus had passed through another tunnel, and someone else lay dead and dissolving before Flash’s very eyes. “Again, another man dies!” snarled Riley reaching forwards to grab Robert by the collar of his shirt. “Because of your inaction!” “Hey, mate, you think I did this?” Robert said, trying to fight his own temper. “You think I killed him?” “You might as well have stuck the knife in his back for all of the good you did!” Riley snapped. “What kind of detective do you think you are anyways? If you were a competent one, you would have solved this mystery by now!” “Ease up, woah!” Flash tried to pry the man off his fellow royal guard. “This isn’t his fault, it’s the killer’s.” “Back off!” Riley shoved him to the floor. “This is between him and me.” “How about you back off?” Robert asked, reaching into his jacket pocket for some pepper spray. “Or do you want me to spray this into your eyes? Now you will put me down, or I’ll have you arrested for assaulting a police officer. How will your company like that?” He’d noted the fear in the man’s eyes, and felt himself gently lowered to the floor. “Now… now let’s not get ahead of ourselves eh?” Riley stammered out in fear, appropriately cowed for the time being. “Alright, I admit I lost my temper there but something’s going on. Can you feel it? We’ll pass through another tunnel you know, I don’t want to die!” “Neither do I,” Robert said. “I’ll try to work this out before then.” “Yeah, you’d better…” Riley snarled. Robert eyed the driver, he hadn’t gotten up at all during this. He looked around the bus corridor. He was beginning to wonder if someone was really who they said they were. “How many of you are regulars?” Flash suddenly piped up, and at the confused looks he continued with: “This isn’t the first time a murder has happened on this bus, in fact that’s why we’re here. This bus is a regular crime scene apparently. How many of you are regulars?” Nobody raised their hand except for a few and were now eyed warily. “What, do you really think someone will cop to being here for the last murder?” Riley asked. “How do we know you’re not trying to throw suspicion off yourself?” “E-Excuse me?” Flash stammered, Robert moving to protect him sensing the change in mood. “How do we know you’re not a regular yourself?” Riley accused, pointing directly at him. “You ride this bus every time, but in a different shape! You’re both awfully convenient now that I think about it, coming here to solve a murder. It’s like you knew there’d be one today!” Now in a more rational state of mind, people would obviously know this to be bunk. But people had seen death today and they needed an explanation. So obviously fearful eyes began looking at a stranger. “Oh, come off it!” Robert said. “That’s a load of nonsense and you know! We’re just good cops, and we know that this bus route is a regular crime scene as my partner said. It wouldn’t be a stretch of the imagination to guess someone might die today.” “And yet you’ve been here longer than any of us!” Riley pointed out. “I saw you two sitting on this bus the moment I got on! You two could have been waiting for the perfect opportunity!” “To what, kill you?” Flash asked. “For all I know, I could be next!” Riley said. “But shut me up, and you’ll make me a martyr!” “Oh be reasonable, lad,” said the old woman. “They may be just as they said, good cops trying to catch the real killer!” Some seemed to agree with her, but not all. Most of the bus seemed to be on Riley’s side. “Y-Yeah, what she said…” Flash stammered out nervously. “She said you ‘might be as you said’. Emphasis on might…” Riley said as the bus began to enclose in on them. “For all I know, you might be the real killer. Both of you could be working together. You and your partner. Partner in crime that is!” “Oh boy…” Flash swallowed. “Now let’s not point fingers, throw conjecture,” Robert tried to reason. “We’re here to catch a killer.” “Too late…” Riley said as they began to close in. “We already found ours…” To make matters worse, the next time the bus passed through the crowd another person was dead. This time, the older woman. Screams rose up, fearful shouts turning to angry roars. “See!” Riley snarled. “It’s them, it has to be them!” None of the angry mob noticed someone new had joined them. In the front of the bus, behind them was Void Knight. “How humans are quick to turn on their fellows,” the knight observed, the air crackling with the after-effects of teleportation. “Look at you, fighting amongst yourselves while a hidden threat awaits. I fought Rangers to get here, to find my prize.” “You mean your friends?” Riley asked, while Flash took notice of something else. You’d think the driver during all of this commotion would have done something. But no, instead he stayed in his seat eyes on the road.  “What the… I gotta have a look at this,” Flash thought before swallowing nervously. “But between me and the driver is… well, oh boy. In for a penny, in for a pound right?” He ran for it, and then slid under everyone before grabbing the driver even as the man melted like ooze in his hands.  “What the hell?” And then the air was filled with a burst of laughter. The entire bus seemed to shake, creak and groan even as it drove itself. Finally, Flash and everyone else seemed to realize.  “You’re no sporix beast!” Void Knight shouted before demanding its true identity. “Who are you? What are you?” “YoUr DeAtH!” The bus’s wheel turned, heading right for the highway. It sped along the road, picking up an unnatural speed. “I hAd HopEd To KiLl yoU aLL onE aT A tImE bUt All At OnCe wiLL dO!” It wouldn’t make the next turn, both Flash and Robert knew. It intended to smash through the concrete barrier and send them all plunging over the side. “I fEeD!” Then, came probably the most beautiful sight Robert had ever seen. A familiar red ride, smashing into the side of the ‘bus’ in an attempt to force it into a turn. Charlie, at the wheel, was guiding the bus back into place and grinding her vehicle up against the side. Robert raced to a window and threw it open in a flash and let out a thunderous cry: “Charlie, it’s the bus! The bus is a dimensional beast! It’s the real killer, not anyone human! You’ve got to stop this bus!” “Oh, don’t worry, I got an idea,” Charlie said before saying to Shining: “Take the wheel!” “But… but I don’t even know how to drive!” “Figure it out!” Charlie snapped before aiming her rifle. One shot popped one tire, and then another shot popped another. The bus was skidding to a halt, bare axles screeching along the pavement as Void Knight, angry at his attempted murderer shoved his sword through the engine. “Everybody out!” Robert shouted as the ‘bus’ coughed and sputtered to a halt while belching smoke in tall black clouds. Now three rangers and a dark knight stood against its real form, the monstrous machine screeching angrily like a demon out of hell. “Just this once, I shall ally with rangers,” Void Knight declared, gripping his sword tightly. “I do not take creatures trying to kill me lightly. I don’t care about who else was caught up in this, I only care for that thing’s death.” “Trust me, Lady Justice doesn’t take kindly to his kind of work…” Robert said before he and Shining slashed forwards with a cry of: “Winged Double Slash!” Two arcs of energy, one black and one blue impacted the Bus Dimensional Beast. Then, Void Knight launched his attack with the moon seemingly at his back. Two slashes forming a purple ‘X’ shape ripped through the monster. Finally, a blast from Charlie’s rifle busted a hole through the creature and down he went in an explosion. His dimensional bug had been incinerated by Void Knight’s attack. “Do not mistake this for a regular thing rangers, I shall not help you like this again,” Void Knight bowed his head. “There was supposed to be a sporix beast here, I see I have been tricked and mistook that pretender for what I sought. Until the next time…” “Who was he…?” Flash asked as he walked up, Robert demorphing. “And more importantly… what in Celestia and Luna’s name happened here?” “Honestly?” Robert replied, wondering the same thing himself. “I’m not sure.” Far away, Vapor had a trip of her own to make. Stratusburg beckoned, and to be precise so did an old friend. In front of her was only cold stone, and on it a message. Even as she lay flowers on the ground, it still called to her. “Sky Stinger: loving friend and taken from us far too song. May your wings fly on forever.” Vapor kissed the rose she left in front of his grave, once she had been a shy mare. But after her friend’s death from a rare strain of the feather flu she decided to take up his personality. To honor him. It was the only right thing to do. When she returned to Ponyville, Sunset looked at her curiously. “Is something wrong?” “No…” Vapor said in a hollow tone. “Nothing’s wrong. Everything’s just fine.”