> My Little Pony: Equestria Girls - Kaitou Sentai Lupinranger vs. Keisatsu Sentai Patranger
>  by DestinyDecade
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue: Enter the Chief
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

We were supposed to go on Summer Vacation. Senior year has come and gone for us. We graduated, did our speeches, got our diplomas, etc. So what the hell is going on with this situation? Well why don't I explain the whole thing shall we?

Prologue: Enter the Chief

This began after the last day of high school. All of us really look forward to the Summer and after how crazy it got this year, the better. But before we can head our separate ways, this happened. A woman appeared, though she was in the form of a hologram. She was in her late 40s, having black hair that looked like a small afro. Her uniform was something I've never seen before. I'm not kidding. She was dressed in a black suit from shoulders up, all the way down. It consists of a black long-sleeved jacket with a blue shirt inside. She wears gray pants and wears a pair of black high heels. Her face has a stern look. Stern but fair but it also shows that years of doing what she does can have an effect on her soul and sanity. My friends see her appear and their reaction is one of utter bewilderment.

"Is this the right place? Is this Equestria City?" She asks.

The four of them don't respond. In fact, how can they? Something just comes out of nowhere, wondering and asking where she's at. Made no better by the fact that she appears as a hologram coming out of some kind of pen. As for myself, I don't say a word.

"Guys, I hate to ask but do we know her?" wonders Sunset Shimmer.

"I'm just as stumped about this as you are," Snips responds.

"Do forgive the intrusion. I didn't anticipate that I would meet you. Your friend has told me much about you," She explains.

Confused, Snails rebukes, "No disrespect ma'am but how do you know us? We don't even know you."

"Again, forgive me. I was so fixated on finding my bearings that I properly didn't introduce myself. My name is Lynn Thigpen, senior official at ACME, aka Agency to Capture and Monitor Evildoers. But you may refer me as Chief." It was all she needs to say.

"Lynn Thigpen? Wait a second. Do you guys remember seeing someone like her on TV?" Twilight Sparkle asks. The others don't have a clue.

"What about it?" Snails asks, to which Twilight is quick to explain.

"Wasn't she that famous actress from that old game show years ago? I had a feeling I saw her before."

"My guess you saw her from all those YouTube videos you binge-watched," I reply.

"Funny. You can say that I had a hand in what you mentioned," Chief answers, truthfully, "But that was a long time ago... back when things were simpler then."

"Okay. So Chief, we're looking forward to our summer vacation so if you have anything that you need, it will have to wait," I say, not wasting any time whatsoever since something like this just isn't worth it.

"What's up with you Roy? You just seem a bit uppity today. What gives?" Sunset asks me.

I look at the Chief and my gut tells me something's up. Why is she here? What does she want? But as my friends wonder what's up, I notice something appearing out of the blue. It was a portal. That portal isn't like the others. I simply squint and then my face experiences a look of shock.

"Guys, move away!" someone shouts and before I know it, my friends moved aside. The Chief stands there cause hologram.

What emerges is one I never expect or rather... something that HE never expects! What the? Are you stealing my narration? Of course! I'm taking over now faker!

Anyway, I jump out of the portal. With my fist clenched tight as stone, I deliver a punch straight at him. The punch disorients him and he gets propelled back a couple inches. My friends stare at me, surprised of my appearance. But we get faced with an issue: there are two of us. But it would take a genius to figure out who's the real Roy and who isn't.

"Interesting. I take it the portal you jumped in worked as planned," says the Chief.

"It did Chief. It may need some work though," I respond.

"Wait a minute. Two of them?" Sunset wonders.

"This is an impossibility unless one of them is the Roy we know," Twilight responds in an obvious manner.

"Twilight, it's easy to know which one is the real Roy right?" Snips assures them.

"As if it's any obvious. I'm the real Roy. Besides that faker thinks he can mimic me?" I tell them.

"Such foolishness. He's the fake. I'm the real deal. Besides that punch didn't hurt!" "Roy" responds.

"Really? It didn't hurt? Dude. Your hand is holding onto your cheek cause it did hurt," Proving my point, I see his hand holding onto his right cheek, the same cheek that I struck with my fist.

"Yep. We got the real Roy alright," Snails says, proving the obvious.

"Anyway. You are not me and you have no right to be me. So now it's time you tell us who you really are... faker," I pour salt on the wound, literally.

This doppleganger ends his facade, changing his personality from a mirror reflection of myself to one we've never seen before. He smiles but that's the least of our issues.

"Faker? No. I think you are the fake one between us both. You are comparing yourself to me? Ha! You're not even good enough to be my fake!" He responds.

"Really? From Sonic Adventure 2? What the hell is wrong with you man?!" This gets him irate but did it matter? No. Not even close.

Before I can say anything else, he then reveals himself. Everything about him changes. No longer does he wear my current look. It's replaced with a look befitting someone as devious as himself. His outfit consists of a black tuxedo but the jacket also comes with a cape. He also wears white gloves, possibly to avoid leaving anything incriminating. He has a monocle over his left eye but the face is pretty obvious that he's mimicking me. I don't like it. Not one bit.

"Like all things in life, you never know what one thinks or does. Even if you do, you can never figure it out. I am like all things, an Enigma," says Enigma as he deviously shows off his true look.

"Enigma?" wonders Twilight, "Wasn't that the villain from that old game show I saw?"

Sunset wonders, "Now that you mention it, yeah, that guy was on that show! This look proves it!"

"Wait one moment. How do you know me? Are you saying that I was fictional?" Enigma quickly retorts.

"You are," Twilight answers, "And the Chief would always come up with something quirky to let people know what kind of person you are."

"This is making my head spin all over the place. Twilight, what does this have to do with our situation?" Snails says.

"Simply put. Since we know what kind of person he is, we must make sure that someone like him shouldn't get away," Twilight replies, going full nerd, much to my amusement.

I just smile because yep, it's a reason why I have friends that truly are knowledgeable. Even the Chief knows. I can tell because she's smiling.

"I admire your friends. They are as you say, knowledgeable," Chief says.

"That's my friends for you," I reply, "Always there for me and each other."

"How impressive," retorts Enigma, "You may know me but do you know what I am really capable of?"

I notice him take out something. It looked like some kind of gun, however I notice that it's comprised of two trains joined together. How can I tell? One side shows a silver train with the other, a gold train behind it. I can tell.

"See this? This here is my X Changer, my personal weapon of choice. It contains both halves of my ride. One side, X-Train Silver! The other, X-Train Gold! My prized possession and one I will use to put you in your place," explains Enigma.

"Is that right?" replies Roy.

"Yes. I am as I say, an Enigma. Am I friend? Or foe? Well, why don't we find out shall we?" He says before saying the terms, "Kaitou Change!"

He turns his gun 180 degree counter-clockwise, revealing the gold turn that was there. It's then we hear the sound, "X-NIZE!" Before long, he turns it another 180, showing the silver side once again. That's when we hear, "KAITOU X CHANGE!"

He then points the blaster diagonally down and fires. What follows is a strange card that spins before revealing a hat formed in the shape of a "V". It passes through him, revealing a special silver suit. The suit has bits of silver on some parts like the arms and chest but most of it is mixed with a heavy shade of black and bits of golds. The chest also has a shield that helps protect him. If that isn't enough, the helmet shows an "X" in the center with silver on the top, shown as a top hat while the mouth piece is gold.

"LUPIN X!"

With the transformation complete, this silver warrior appears in front of me and everyone else. The Chief simply stays firm, knowing what Enigma is capable of. As for yours truly, I stay firm.

"I am the aloof thief that steals in the night," He presses on the side of his chest, letting out a ping. He then twirls counter-clockwise and then says, "Lupin X!"

"Lupin X?" I mutter.

"That's right. I'm the silver-haired Ranger that is not afraid to get dirty to get a job done. Sadly it means you are in need of a beating, courtesy of this," Enigma replies but he ain't expecting this surprise.

"Oh you mean this?" I then take out something and it's the same device he had. The only difference is that it shows the gold train on front and the silver in the back.

"What the... how did you get that?" Yep. Looks like Enigma can't figure out how he got it but that's when he realizes who that really belongs to, "Noel..."

"Yeah. Noel was nice enough to replicate something like this and it's based off your little toy. The only drawback is if I chose to be like you, you have to switch," And then I add salt on the wound by saying, "No two powers can exist at the same time."

"Fair enough. I will find Noel and demand he explain why he gave you this power. It wasn't meant for you!"

"We'll see. For now... Keisatsu Change!"

I turn my gun 180 degrees counter-clockwise, going from gold to silver. "X-NIZE!" is heard and then after that, I turn it again to show the gold side. Except the tip is aimed vertically up and the words "KEISATSU X CHANGE!" is shouted. I then aimed up and fired my shot.

What follows is with this shot, a large golden police badge with an "S" inside appears and then comes down. Spinning about, it goes through me, revealing a gold suit. The suit is entirely gold with bits of red and black streaking. Most of the suit is like a trenchcoat with the inner bits being silver. The sound of a locomotive train are heard as the sequence finishes with my helmet covering my face. Like Enigma having a silver "X" helmet, mine is a gold "X" helmet.

"PATREN X!"

"Like the glorious morning sun, I strike fear to evil in the name of justice!" My fist clenches tightly before I pull a pose and say, "Patren X!"

"So what do you think?" I tell everyone, "Do I look good in this or what? I mean, I never thought in a million years I would fulfill one of my dreams. Though I have to wonder if it'll affect my body outside."

Perplexed by this sudden surprise, Sunset looks at me, trying to find the right words to express this.

"Roy... do you have any idea what you just did?"

"Be specific," I retort.

Snails interrupts, "What she means is... you just transformed into a Power Ranger."

"Wait a minute, what?" As if this revelation is shocking enough, "A Power Ranger? You mean like those guys on TV that wear those spandex suits?"

"Not exactly," Sunset answers.

My response to this is a no-brainer, "Go figure. Anyway, may as well show you guys what I can do with this. Shall we dance Enigma?"

"Oh we'll dance alright," He takes out some kind of weapon from behind him and turns the lever on the side up, revealing a blade and the sound "Kaitou" comes out.

"Prepare yourself because I shall destroy you and send you to your doom," He rushes in to go on the attack.

I repel his first attack, responding with my own. Before long, the two of us go into battle. We start with close quarters combat, exchanging punches and kicks. Both of us are evenly matched in terms of our strengths. He fights in a rushed manner while I battle with a calm exterior. Not only that but his attacks always give me an opening to counter, but I don't do that. I instead repel his attack with my X-Rod Sword. I stay firm, not letting him get an opening while keeping my ground.

"What are you doing? Why aren't you fighting back?" Enigma shouts, agitated that I'm not trying.

"I don't need to," I tell him, "Why should I? So you can get an opening? Nah. That'd be boring."

I then take out the X-Changer and fire a few blasts. This forces him to jump back a bit, responding with blasts from his own. I swerve to dodge one then move away to dodge the other and then I use the X-Rod Sword to repel the other two.

"Whoa! That's insane!" shouts Snips, amazed by my skill.

"Roy always was the talented one out of us five," Twilight replies.

Snails shakes his head and says, "You wish. I'm the better one. Besides, I am the Duel Monsters World Champion. Yet this guy gets praised to high heaven."

But Snips is quick to interrupt, "Only because Roy felt that he got what he wanted and that was you."

Enigma notices my friends bantering and he simply chuckles before continuing his attack.

"Your friends... they remind me of my own. Albeit a bit dysfunctional."

"Go fig. My friends are the same. Through thick and thin, we've been through a lot and there's only one thing that keeps us together. Our bonds."

"Then answer this. Will your bonds be enough for this?!"

Within a split second, Lupin X rushes in with his X-Rod Sword. Quick to react, I block the strike. I go to blast but he delivers a strong push, This disorients me but he follows with another attack, except I wasn't ready for it. I take a serious hit. Sparks fly out due to the attack. He then follows with three blasts from his X-Changer and that really hurt. I reel in pain, but still firm. For my first time doing this, I actually did decently.

"See what I mean? Your bonds can't save you," He says.

"Think so? I'm still standing," I reply.

"Okay then. Then let's see you stand after this."

He lowers his weapon and then moves the lever midway only to move it back. That's when I knew... I was in trouble.

"X-TIME! Countdown!"

"3!" "You're finished Starfall," proclaims Enigma.

"2!" "Okay then. Want your best? Let's go!" I reply.

"1!" "Roy!" shouts Sunset.

"0!"

I didn't waste a second. Like him, I also shift the lever midway before pulling it back. Then this sound happens, "X-TIME!" Without reacting, I had to do something before I would be done for.

"Going once!" "Ichi-tte!"

Enigma watches as I prep my attack while he preps his, "Going twice!" "Ni-tte!"

My friends watch as we both gear to finish each other off, Chief included, "Going thrice!" "San-tte!"

"Let's Go!" "Jitte! Man with No Match!"

"I said it once. I'll say it again. You are finished Roy Starfall! Superior X!"

"Bring it then scoundrel! Excellent X!"

Enigma gears to unleash his attack. On his side, his blade is sharpened with a silver light. He then slashes twice forming a silver X. "Itadaki X Strike!"

I form a circle and it forms a large yet sharp golden X-sigil. In turn, it's surrounded by a spinning ring of sharp crosses. "Ichigeki X Strike!"

He finishes things by piercing his X while I jab my weapon into the sigil. Chief, being logical, turns to my friends knowing that their survival is priority.

"All of you, move back!"

Our attacks collide, resulting in a massive explosion. My friends thankfully moved away from the blast. They wonder if I'm going to survive it. Chief stays firm. She knows I'm someone that refuses to back down from any challenge. My years of dueling experience is proof of that. When the explosion subsided, both of us still stood. The only thing was that we both reeled in pain. The combined attack let off a kickback that really hit us hard. For me, I still stand but I know all of it is a facade but as for Enigma, well... he wasn't prepared for it. He's on one knee, his hand is holding onto his chest while the other holds onto his X-Rod Sword. Before long, he powers down revealing himself to us.

"What... what are you?" He asks me.

I simply look at him and he asks me the same question. I also power down as well.

"What am I you ask? I'm someone who refuses to back down from any challenge. I fight to ensure that we have a future. I also make sure that people like you walk away in defeat. Just as you are the darkness, I am the light. Fitting because you look exactly like me yet you aren't."

"Says the one who refers me as a scoundrel. A thief suits me best."

"Either way Enigma... by order of ACME, you're under arrest." With VS Changer in hand, I aim it squarely at Enigma.

"This time Enigma," interrupts the Chief, "You will face justice. For more than 20 years, you have soiled and disrespected the name of ACME. Now today, justice will be served."

"Thigpen, in all my years, you never disappoint," He replies. "Wasn't it your own flesh and blood daughter responsible for forming the organization?"

"You mean Tamara?" Chief counters, "She has her reasons and I have mine. I still have authority within ACME and soon you will know it... once you are behind bars."

But Enigma has other plans, "Not today I'm afraid."

Before the Chief can react, Enigma takes out a small capsule and sets it off creating a flash bang. We all get blinded by the effect, albeit temporarily. Enigma uses this as a means to escape. By the time it dissipated, he was gone. This upset me but it angered the Chief even more. I don't know if she was angry or disappointed in my failure to catch Enigma. Considering that I'm back where I belong, it says a lot. I then power down, returning back to my normal self. That's when the pain kicks in and man it hurts. Chief isn't amused by it since I'm not prepared for this sort of thing.

"Chief..." I ask, "Are you disappointed over my failure?"

She turns around in response, "Disappointed? No. You did what you could and normally I would reprimand you for your failure to capture Enigma."

But her hard demeanor is replaced with a calm exterior soon after. "But you have shown me your diligence in doing what is needed. If I wanted, you would make for a fine gumshoe at ACME."

"Thank you," I answer.

I turn to my friends who are not only surprised but also shocked by it all. Let's be fair. You think they would be the least bit surprised over what happened today? Probably not. Within seconds, they start asking me questions. A lot. I can't even process them as my mind is more focused over what I endured over the past few days. Eventually I snap myself out of the daze and look about. God, I missed a lot.

"Alright, enough. Listen, now ain't the time. I'll answer everything later. Right now, I need to figure out how someone from beyond the multiverse got into this world."

"Wait a sec," Snails retorts, "Beyond the multiverse? Is this another thing you cooked up out of your butt?"

"Hell no. You think that I lie to you? Well, how do you explain this!"

I show him the X Changer that I have in my possession. It further proves my theory that there are worlds beyond the ones we've seen. He doesn't know it but during the World Cup Grand Finals, I played the action field spell "Kingdom of Friendship - Equestria". In doing so, we saw the multiverse open up and we saw other worlds, other realities. Alternate versions of people we know, people we don't know and hell, people that I never thought we'd see. This all happened as a result of Zarc, piercing the barriers between worlds and shattering them. In doing so, the multiverse has opened up. The duel has come and gone but it'll take years for the barriers to repair themselves. God what a tale and that there is a story for another time.

"So you're saying that you got pulled out of this world and into a different one altogether?" Snails asks, "And then you had help from the Chief who used some technology to bring you here? I still call it a bunch of crap."

But I counter with this, "Reasoning with you is like reasoning with a yinzer. That salt still rests in your brain right?"

Snails rapidly gets triggered, "You know I hate being called that right?"

I simply look at my friend with a smile on my face.

"At least you are still you. That hasn't changed."

"I apologize if I am intruding but I feel that Enigma's escape may prove the most problematic," intrudes Chief Thigpen.

"How so? Is it because of his arrival and departure Chief?" I reply.

"Possibly. Something like this is out of ACME's concern. However this means that now your world may be threatened."

"I doubt that. Enigma only came and took my place for a while. Once I got back, he felt that he had no need for this world. So he's heading possibly back to his world."

"Then there is no time to waste. ACME must work double duty if we are to recapture this traitor."

As much as Chief wants us to hopefully do something, there's one issue that still has to be addressed.

"Chief, I'm afraid that even if we could help you, we truthfully can't... and for good reason."

Chief is surprised by this. Guess she really doesn't know.

"You see, there are laws in the universe that we all must follow. And you are a visitor from a world that exists beyond the Multiverse. Worlds that are from beyond can not be interfered by anyone living within the four parallel realities. Those who interfere in those worlds are in violation of the directive and can be subject to charges with the worst charge being that of exile," I tell her. My friends literally have their eyes widen in shock upon hearing this.

Chief Thigpen kept that same mannerism she always has, "I see. And this means that you are unable to help us in capturing the traitor isn't it?"

"I didn't say I would refuse. If these rules weren't enforced, me and my friends would be more than happy to help. But sadly we can't and since my day got interrupted thanks to a faker, I would rather take the time to relax. There's a lot about your world I don't understand."

Thigpen seemed understanding over my decision. But it also got my friends curious, especially Twilight.

"Um, Ms. Thigpen, if it isn't much... can you give us a few minutes?" Twilight asks.

Thigpen nods in response, not saying a word. The five of us group up for a huddle, hoping to see if a solution can come out of it.

"I told Thigpen to give us a bit before deciding. Would be better this way," Twilight tells us.

"Nice work Twi. Okay, let's be quick about this. We may have saved the world and all that jazz but... you guys ready for one more romp?" I tell them.

Sunset simply shakes her head, not wanting any part in any shenanigans I create.

"Out of the question. I already had enough of these escapades for one lifetime. I rather get on with my summer vacation before I head to college."

"Are you still bitter over what I did to you? Or is it the other way around?" I reply, knowing that I am gearing to get slapped.

"Don't you bloody dare Roy Starfall. Do you hear me? Don't you even try it," Sunset threatens.

"Forget I even asked then."

"Back to business here. Roy wants us to head to whatever this Chief is and what? What else is there? I mean you said it yourself Roy that stuff like this violates some directive this universe has," says Snails.

"That's right. But like they say, where there's a will, there's a way," I reply.

"Wait. You mean you have something that can let us go into that world Roy," asks Twilight.

I nod, "Yep. I do."

I then notice Snips was still fiddling around with the X Changer I used to fight against Enigma. We all start staring at him and it gets me annoyed.

"What the hell are you doing man?"

"What?" Snips asks, "I just want to see how this works. That's all. I mean, the morpher in the shape of a gun. It wouldn't work nowadays if it was implemented in Power Rangers."

"Give me that," I immediately grab the X Changer from him, "This thing isn't a toy man. This isn't like those DX toys you saw on those online stores. This is the real deal."

"Real deal? You mean to tell me this thing isn't a prop from the show? It's real!?"

As if Snips' curiosity doesn't surprise him enough, Sunset has the gall to intrude to get us out of this.

"Knock it off you two!" she shouts.

"Sorry."

"Anyway, I think we should consider helping the Chief. Besides, if what she says is legit, maybe we have enough for one more adventure," I explain.

"This better not be another excuse for you to fool around because the multiverse gods don't like it when we meddle in others' affairs," Snails retorts.

"Tell that to the Anti-Monitor," My counter response gets him a bit triggered though he won't lie about it.

"You're right," Snails sighs, knowing of what he endured, "Maybe we should help her. After all, we did save our world so why don't we do some more good huh? Think of it as a vacation."

"Uh, when have you been the smart mouth?" Sunset wonders.

"I don't know. I thought that'd be something Roy would say," He replies. Twilight simply giggles at the thought.

"So it's official isn't it?" I ask them. The others nod in agreement.

We then shift our attention to the Chief, who waited with bated breath to see if I plan to accept her request. She isn't going to wait that long for it.

"So, have you all made your decision?" Chief asks.

"We have," Twilight answers.

"After a little time and some discussing, we're in. We want in if it means taking down that doppleganger. If you want us to help your world, you need not ask. Besides, we did what we could to save our world and all we want is a break. But hey, at least it's better than nothing right?"

The Chief smiles in response. "Thank you. I am pleased you decide to consider. But I am concerned over the Directive and how they'll respond."

"You leave that to me. Not only that but we did discuss the terms I've stated before coming here correct?" I reply.

The Chief simply nods. Sunset, noticing is concerned over what I said, "Terms? What are you talking about?"

I turn to Sunset and follow with my answer, "I'll tell you later."

"Anyway. Now that we got all that set up, we need something so that way we can pinpoint your world's whereabouts. Since you are from Beyond this multiverse, we need to find an accurate location of your Earth," I request, insisting that she would give us something to help us.

"I have this pen. You can use it as a means of figuring my whereabouts. Once you arrive on my world, we will work on having you all antiquated. Until then gumshoes, this is Chief signing off," She says before cutting off communication, leaving behind said pen.

I grab said pen and notice it being the colored black with some kind of logo. The logo reads "ACME". It does feel familiar but now a new problem arises, one that I didn't foresee.

"Okay Roy. You want us to get involved in this so now here's a problem: how do we get to that world. All we have is a stupid pen! That isn't going to help us one bit," Sunset exclaims.

"You're right. It's just a pen but you guys know that I always find a way," I reply.

"And just HOW are you going to do that?" Snails follows.

"Simple," I take out something from my pants pocket, "With this."

I show them a small device that has a button in it. They aren't impressed by it.

"What is that?" Snips asks.

"Let's just say it's a little something that's going to help us. But I rather get some R&R today. Ending up in a strange world only to be dragged back and now someone from said world wants us to help them. It's a bit much to take in," I reply.

"Not to mention, transforming into a Power Ranger for the first time. I got giddy after seeing you do it," Snips says. It makes me smile a little.

"That also is a factor. Being a Power Ranger can be really draining so for that, we're postponing our vacation till tomorrow. Rest up and prep up. Because we really don't know what this unknown world will bring," I tell them but I struggle even now to find the right words to even explain.

"Roy..." I hear, turning my attention Snails, "Listen. We all have been through so much. Two years ago, you prevented Abacus Cinch from subjugating this city and now she's no longer in the city. She's in exile."

"You guys heard anything from Sunny Flare?" Sunset wonders.

"I haven't gotten in touch with anyone at Crystal Prep. But what I can say is that Sunny Flare isn't happy that she won't see her mother anymore but by this point, she's moved on," I reply.

"And then last year, Sunset helped Twilight purge the darkness out of her," Snails continues, "Though by that point I was slowly entering my own path into the dark."

"Well I won't lie. Sunset didn't really do all the work. You guys did," Twilight exclaims.

"Let's also not forget that I gave Dean Ramsay a little lesson in humility," Snips interrupts.

"After defeating him three times," Roy interrupts back.

"Third time was the charm."

"Back on topic," Snails continues, once more, "And now this year. It took all of us to defeat Zarc and send him back to the hell he came from where even now he's rotting away."

"And in the end, I end up saving you and you all brought me back. I wasn't going to go away that easily right?" I tell them.

"True. What's one more going to do to us? Nothing. Absolutely nothing."

"You're right," I tell him, smiling, "Let's all rest up. We meet back here tomorrow. Whatever this new world will bring, we'll tackle it... together. Like a family."

We all nod in agreement over it. I then place my hand out and the others do the same. For three years, we've been through hell and back but now, we're ready for one more romp. After we share a moment as good as this, we all head our separate ways. Considering what we'll probably expect the next day, we use this time to prep up. I know for a fact that this unknown world is going to give us something different, something unexpected. I'm ready for it. We're ready for it. And I say let the new day lead us to a place that will give us what's needed.

The following day... Canterlot High, 11:25am

The next day arrives. School ain't in session till the Fall but we will no longer be around to see it. We're outside and the five of us are meeting up. I still have the pen the Chief left behind along with the button I held onto. We all are looking forward to this but Sunset wonders about something.

"As much as I look forward to seeing what this unknown world will bring, how are we going to get there?" Sunset asks.

"Remember what I said about finding a way to get there? Well it's time we put that to work," I reply, taking out the button from my pocket and pressing it.

Though I press it only once, Sunset isn't amused. The others look in curiosity but with this, it takes a while. But that's when one of us notices something off.

"Guys, do you hear something?" Snips asks.

"I don't hear anything," Sunset answers.

"Neither do I," Snails follows.

"That's funny. It's getting louder," Snips says yet again.

Before long, we all start hearing it. Turns out the button I pressed got someone's attention. A large craft appears from out of nowhere. It was colored white and it looked real futuristic. There are also some orange lights spotted in several areas of the ship. My friends look to wonder what it's all about but I'm more concerned over the pilot. We then see it land on the field that we mostly use for dueling. The fact that it covers the entire field really shows. We all went to check what's going on and who is even in there. The ship opens up its entry ramp & someone comes out.

"You..." she says, as if she was expecting me to do something like this.

"I'll be straight. I didn't think I'd expect you," I reply.

"Rarity?" Sunset asks.

"Huh?" She replies, looking bewildered & confused.

"Sunset," I tell her, "That's not the Rarity we know."

"What?"

"He's right," Rarity answers, "I'm not the one you know. I'm from a parallel reality, one where I've lost everything. My friends. My family. Even my own sister. And now I've been brought here thanks to your friend."

Rarity looks at us, especially at me with a lot of scorn. Like she mentioned earlier, she is not the one we know. This one is dressed in white. She looks as white as a sheet, wearing a special white suit that she uses for not only looks but battle as well. At least she isn't packing her bo staff that packs a punch. Her attitude may need some getting used to. Don't look at me. She's not the Rarity we know. At least she is still fabulous, provided she doesn't beat me into the ground.

"To what do I owe the honor of having you here Roy Starfall?" Rarity asks.

I move a bit forward and present her with a pen. Not just any pen, but the pen that the Chief left behind.

"What does this pen have to do with calling me?" She asks once more.

"Simple. We need you to take us to the reality where this pen came from. Would you be willing to help us?" I reply, answering with a request.

"This thing shouldn't even be in this universe. How did you get this?" Rarity asks, once again.

"From someone called the Chief," I answer.

"Chief... that's not enough of an answer. For all I know, this Chief could be anything. Why did it ask you all for your help?"

"Because the Chief was after someone who looked like me. A man named Enigma."

"Enigma?" Rarity wonders.

Before I can answer, Twilight provides it for me, "Yep. Enigma. A former ACME Agent that ended up working for Carmen Sandiego and her organization. However even with that, he has his own motives."

"Seriously Twilight, you're really starting to creep me out with all this," Snails replies.

"Maybe because you are not as well-tutored as I am," Twilight spats.

Rarity looks at it and smiles, impressed with Twilight's intellect.

"If there's one thing I can say about Twilight, it's that she always was the brains of our group. Well, mostly..." she says.

"What do you mean?" I ask her.

"Forget I said anything. You say this person came to this reality and then just returned back to his world?" Rarity asks.

"Pretty much. Though I gave him a bit of a fight, he got away. It's then the Chief asked us to come to her universe. I don't know what for but we hope to find out. So... will you help?" I answer, asking once more.

Rarity doesn't need to wait long to make her decision. However, she still carries a look of disdain towards me. I wonder if it had to be between us. Even I don't know because how would I?

"You do understand you pretty much caused the multiversal barriers to shatter correct?" She tells me.

"That was because of Zarc. He wanted a way out and even though he did, we sent him back where he belongs," I reply.

"Problem with that is that your actions also kind of brought Zarc into this one."

"This Zarc that's in this world is a reincarnation of the original. Is there anything else you want to know or are you just grumpy you couldn't get in a threesome with Sara Lance and Rainbow Dash?"

It takes less than three seconds before Rarity responds in the only and best way possible: a swift kick to the nether regions. The pain was instantaneous. I end up on the floor within the span of seconds.

"Call it karma for cheating on me with Twilight," Sunset spats. Yep. Still bitter over what I did to her but that works both ways.

"Son... son of a bitch!" Roy replies, "You really haven't changed Rarity. Believe me."

"Says the one who decides to betray one heart with another," Rarity responds right back.

I eventually get back up, the pain still numb from that low blow. "She hurt me with her ex and I was hurt hard so what did I do? I flirted with the one person that understood me: Twilight Sparkle."

"You have very poor manners when it comes to women. Very poor. But I'm only doing this for their sake and not yours. Your actions nearly destroyed the multiverse and now you decide to travel to an unknown reality because of the words of someone who clearly is no longer living in this world," Rarity isn't afraid to bring on the pain.

But I respond with my own, taking out my X Changer and aiming it at her. I let my actions speak for me. I didn't play around. I've been through a whole lot of hell. Whether it be saving the world from Zarc, saving someone who I consider a brother, giving up my own existence to ensure that the multiverse can live only for me to return realizing that they need me. My friends may be a bit strange at times but we've been through so much that it isn't a laughing matter. In a way, they are like family. We at least deserve some respite and the only one who can help us reach that world is the one person who decided to kick me down below the belt.

"But from what I am seeing right now, I feel that there's a reason why she chose you all. Fine. All of you get in the ship," Rarity replies.

"So that's it? You aren't going to do anything that'll piss me off or something?" I ask her.

Her answer's good enough, "No. Me kicking you down there is good enough. Never mess with a woman's emotions, ever."

"What... ever. Dammit," Next thing I know, I felt a shove and it was Sunset.

She gives me an angry glare. That's enough to say that she still hasn't forgiven me for what happened. Not that it would matter because I'm still peeved over what she did. It's a "he said, she said" kind of thing. Although I turn to Twilight and I can't say anything to her either. I then follow the others into the ship itself.

"Welcome to the Waverider aka WR-2059. I use this ship to travel through all sorts of places whether it be outer space, through time, other universes or probably all the above. It's also my home since I have none where I'm from," she exclaims.

From the inside, the Waverider is a marvel to look at. I'm not kidding. My friends are I react with awe, especially Twilight who seems a bit more intrigued about this ship than ever. Like a little schoolgirl in a library, seeing everything in the Waverider is a sight to behold. There's the Bridge, where Rarity pilots the ship, a Captain's office and who knows what else this place has. Snips notices the bridge nearby and presses a button. What comes out is a head that spooks him.

"I'm afraid you shouldn't have pressed that," It says.

"What's wrong?" Rarity wonders.

"N-n-nothing. I just wanted to see what was it, that's all," Snips answers.

"Gideon, did he do anything to you?" Rarity asks her.

"No. His curiosity was what got my attention. What's the situation?"

"Simple. We must take them to a world beyond the multiverse. The only clue we have is this pen. Is it possible to find the Earth from it alone?" Rarity shows Gideon the pen.

"The pen in question contains some residue from a faraway Earth. A simple analysis is required to determine its whereabouts," Gideon responds.

Rarity places the pen into some canister and Gideon immediately goes to work. The analysis takes roughly a couple of seconds before it provides us the location of the Earth that Thigpen is from.

"Analysis complete! The Earth in question is located at Earth-1991, a world existing beyond the main multiverse," Gideon details.

"Earth-1991? Why a place like that?" Roy asks Gideon in concern.

"I cannot say the reason. However, because the barriers that separate the worlds have dissipated, it has somehow caused other Earths to spontaneously appear and disappear from view," Gideon replies.

"So you're saying that this Earth is now appearing because of the shattered barriers? This really makes no sense," Roy replies.

"That's what happens when a genocidal teenager decided to escape his prison for revenge and in doing so, destroy the very foundation that preserves every reality in existence," Rarity provides a straightforward answer.

"And it's going to take centuries for the barriers to restore themselves."

"Not really. Give or take a few decades since you pretty much decide to restore the barriers."

"That's reassuring."

Rarity then shifts her attention to everyone else, "We found our destination. Everyone be seated. This will get bumpy."

We do just that. Thankfully there are a few seats nearby that we can sit on. I then decide to push down something that doubles as a makeshift seat belt or air bag.

"What are you doing?" Sunset asks.

"The only logical thing. Push down on that. It serves as a makeshift seat belt since travel of any sort can be really disorienting," Rarity replies.

"DIsorienting?" Sunset wonders again.

Rarity turns to Sunset and answers, "My previous compatriots learned that the hard way especially one with an obsession for burning things."

Sunset doesn't respond afterwards. That's more than enough as she pushes down the thing. The others do the same.

"Are you all ready?" She asks us. We nod in response, "Good because this ride is going to get bumpy. Gideon, is our course plotted?"

"Course plotted for Earth-1991," she replies.

"Let's only hope this ride is a bit pleasant," I tell everyone.

"With me, you really shouldn't say that," Rarity tells us.

She powers the Waverider up and then suddenly, it feels like we're flying. Kicking it to full throttle, we watch as we leave the planet and our home behind. Next thing we know, it's like we're in some sci-fi film where the ship jumps into lightspeed or something. It's nuts. I really didn't think it'd be real.

"Gideon, ETA till our destination?" Rarity asks.

"Due to various complexities, estimated time to reach Earth-1991 is approximately 3 hours. Maybe less," Gideon replies.

"Is Earth-1991 really that far off in the multiverse?" Roy wonders.

"Apparently yes," Rarity struggles to keep the ship stable while on warp drive.

She does so after a few minutes and the ship stopped being wobbly. Once that's done, she lifts up the brace and then heads to where we all are.

"Okay. We are stable for now but we won't be reaching our destination for a few hours. I suggest you take your time to relax since you will probably be here for a while," Rarity explains to us.

But she notices someone not in their seat and already out, "Wait a second. Someone's missing."

"Missing?" Sunset wonders, "Snips is missing."

"Yeah, where is he?"

"Uh..."

"Snips is situated in the ship's restroom," Gideon answers, "Seems that he is currently suffering from some sickness and is vomiting as we speak."

"Figures. I only hope it isn't that serious," Rarity replies.

"Thankfully it's not. He will be fine. He's already received a few laxatives to handle the sickness. He's not the kind of person that can handle such things," Gideon assures us.

"Thank goodness," I say, lifting the handle on my chair. The others do as well.

I then go off to check on Snips, but not before heading to a kitchen in one of the rooms to get something to eat, mostly an apple. Twilight decides to check out the library while Snails simply remains on the bridge. Sunset meanwhile decides to talk with Rarity, who seems real enthusiastic about it. Heading to the bathroom, I notice Snips finishing up his moment of feeling like crap.

"Guess space travel really isn't your thing isn't it?" I ask.

"Do you... even have to ask?" Snips asks me back.

I don't say a word in response. He then takes a laxative and puts it in his mouth, following it with gulping down a glass of water. He's breathing heavily. Do I blame him? No. Hell no.

"Look we'll be arriving in a matter of hours. Use the time to get yourself rested up okay?"

"What about you?" He asks.

"I'm just gonna sit back and enjoy the ride. It's all I can do," I reply to him before departing to another room.

I check on the others. Twilight is in the library, spending her usual time reading books. Her eyes are filled with joy and curiosity. Upon noticing me, she comes close and plants a soft kiss on my cheek. Yeah. We're in a relationship and it's been that way for several months. Mostly because the two of us are kindred spirits. It started off as simple chatter and friendship but it then blossomed into love. It went full on love after finding that Sunset cheated on me with her ex. I was distraught, hurt, betrayed. Guess who ended up comforting me during that? Twilight. It went from comfort, then love and yeah... you get the idea. I did regret some of my actions but at least Twilight was the one who helps me when things get rough. She was there when I was at my lowest point.

"Always the bookworm aren't you my dear Twi?" I tell her.

"Yeah. I had no idea Rarity had all these books. History no less," She replies.

"You always were the bookworm of our group. You excited for what we'll see in this strange, other world?"

"I don't know. What was that other world like when you were there?"

"Not sure. But I can say that it felt a bit different. It felt real but I couldn't find the right words for it. It felt weird," I struggle to find any other words to describe what that world's like.

"Weird?" Twilight asks.

"Yeah. It was. I'm not one to judge for this you know?' I answer.

"Okay then. What are you going to do?" She asks once again.

"Just relax. We should be arriving at Earth-1991 soon. Have you spoken to Rarity?"

She nods and says, "No. She's not like the Rarity I befriended. She seems too... distant."

"That's how it is for someone that lost everything: family, friends, everyone. Just so messed up. I wish we could do something about it but we can't. That would be interfering with the laws of the multiverse. It's something I have to live with since well..."

I didn't want to remind myself of that day, when a simple championship match nearly caused the destruction of various other worlds, other realities. Even my sacrifice did restore many worlds lost but it'll take time for the others to rejuvenate and heal. Twilight notices me going down on my knees. She does the only thing that any person could do: be by my side. She always has been there for me. Always.

"It's okay Roy. It's okay," Twilight tells me.

Next thing I knew, her lips pressed against my cheek. I simply smile. We spend a bit of time together before the sounds of a loudspeaker are heard.

"We'll be arriving in Earth-1991 in exactly one hour. Repeat: Arriving at Earth-1991 in one hour," says Gideon.

I look at Twilight. She says nothing, only responding with a nod. She puts the books away and then we both walk together. Meeting up with the others in the bridge, we all get a look at what's ahead of us.

"Take it you all got Gideon's message right?" says Rarity.

"We did. She said we reach Earth-1991 in less than an hour," I reply.

"An hour? Gideon, you jest."

"I apologize Rarity but I figure if this was the way to get all their attention. I apologize," Gideon replies.

"Not cool Gideon," Snails retorts, "Not cool."

"Yeah," Snips agrees.

"Never mind guys. Are we arriving or what?" I then ask.

"Do you have to ask? We are here," Rarity replies, "I forgot to mention this ship has trans warp technology. It was something I had installed on the Waverider when I visited the 30th century. I figured it would be needed here."

We all got a look at Earth-1991, a world that is different from the one we're from. Looks can be deceiving as Rarity has the ship geared for landing. Once we're all seated, we hung on as the Waverider made the entry through the Earth's atmosphere. It was bumpy, but not as bad as how we left our world and went into hyperspace. She stabilizes the ship, gearing it to land but somewhere where it won't attract any attention. We spot a nearby park but one big enough to let the Waverider land. She succeeds in landing the ship and our ride to this new world reaches its end.

"Alright, we are here. Earth-1991," says Rarity, "If you plan on being here for a while, I recommend you take some steps not to attract any trouble."

"As if trouble's the last thing on our minds Rarity," Snips replies.

"I don't refer to you. I mostly refer to him," She answers, pretty much referring to me. I hate it when she does this.

"Don't you worry Rarity. I have my eye on him and if he does anything dumb, what happened a few weeks ago will pale in comparison to what he'll get now," Sunset assures Rarity.

"Fair enough. It is good to see you again Sunset," Before Rarity says anything else, Sunset has her in an embrace.

Even in the darkness, there is always a light and what we see is no exception. Rarity opens the ship's entrance hatch and we head out. Looking at the place, we find that we are somewhere different. It isn't Equestria City, that's for sure. Rarity steps out as well. She stays firm.

"We are in Seattle, Washington. This world is much different from the one you all are from. I suggest that you take the time to understand your surroundings. The place you are looking for is not far from here," Rarity tells us.

"How far is it?" Sunset asks.

"About a mile from here. Roughly 20 blocks at best. I need to get going. Can't stay too long. Whatever wanted you here is in dire need of you."

My friends walk off, admiring the sights this strange new world has in store. Before I would join them, Rarity calls for me.

"Take this," She says, handing me some kind of card.

"What's this?" I ask.

"A little something that should help you all. This has enough money to last you a long while. Go all out if you need to. Just don't tell anyone where you got this. It wasn't easy trying to get this from someone who was omnipotently rich in the 75th century," Rarity tells me.

"Wow. This should be something," I tell her in response. But I have a feeling that she has one more thing to tell me.

"Oh, one last thing," Yep. I knew it, "You know that this world has been showing in and out of the multiverse yes?"

"What about it?"

"This world is destined to die," Talk about a harsh surprise.

"What?"

"I'm not kidding. Gideon told me this world is going to die. I don't know why you would be so determined to travel here."

"Is there anything I can do?" I ask.

Rarity nods and says, "I'm afraid not. This world only has two years left before the inevitable comes. I wonder if you'll be able to save it before then."

"So... you are challenging me aren't you?" I tell her.

"Yes. You were the one who almost destroyed the multiverse yet you chose to give up your life to save it. I wonder if you'll be able to save this world like you have done your own."

"I'll show you," I assure her. "I will save it."

Rarity doesn't respond to my assurance. She heads back into the Waverider and gears it for launch. I watch as her ship departs from this world and before I know it, she's gone. She mentioned that this world is destined to die huh? Well, I know what has to be done.

"Roy?" Sunset asks, catching my attention.

I turn to her and she's telling me to get going. I follow, not wasting time.

"Did you bring the pen?" She asks. I nod in response.

Without so much as a thought, I press the top of the pen and drop it. Within seconds, we see the Chief but this one is different from the one I know. Very different. She's a woman, African-American. Her hair being a buzz-cut and blond to boot. Compared to Lynn Thigpen, her uniform's different. She wears a gray suit uniform over a blouse navy blue. She also is wearing a pearl necklace, has small silver earrings and like Chief Thigpen, she always carry a pen. She carries her own since I am in possession of her pen.

"Roy Starfall, I was expecting your call a bit sooner than later," She says.

"This isn't the Chief," Sunset tells us.

"Isn't she a bit older?" Snips asks.

"That's right. The woman we saw was much older than Chief Thigpen," Snails answers, "If I didn't know any better, I say she is even older."

"I take offense to your line of words," This woman responds, upset that Snails kind of offended her.

We all get startled by her but she eventually calms down, "I take it you know my mother don't you?"

"We do," Twilight answers, "Your mother is Lynn Thigpen correct? I used to remember her from that old game show of the 1990s."

"Game show?" She smiles in response, "Hmmm, that must have been when my mother was a different person. She was a well respected actress in both broadway and television. To think that you remember her from the good old days says a lot."

"Would it be nice if you can give us a name?" I ask her.

"Certainly. I am Tamara Fraser-Thigpen... but you can call me Chief. I am the current head of ACME. My mother Lynn Thigpen is a senior official but she is also referred to as Chief. Confusing, I know but it makes it all a hassle." She says.

"We were told by your mother to come here as she requires our aid," I tell her.

"She has already made arrangements. Your ride should arrive momentarily," She replies.

Before long, two dark blue vans appear and out came several individuals in suits. Many wear glasses to cover their eyes. I didn't think they would be this secretive.

"Don't mind them. ACME's objective is to prove the existence of an organization known as V.I.L.E," Chief Tamara explains, "Do not worry. Chief Thigpen will provide all the details once we reach back. For now just relax and enjoy the ride."

"Should we go?" Sunset asks us.

"We have no choice. Let's go."

We cooperate with the agents. All of us got in a van while they got on the others. I don't know what we'll expect in this strange world or what we'll encounter. But I do know one thing: Rarity told me that this world is destined to die in two years time. My friends have no idea of this but sooner or later, they will know. They will know of what is to come and knowing them, they'll join my fight to save it. But what about the likes of Enigma? V.I.L.E? Or anything else this world will bring? One thing is for certain: any threat that comes our way, we will take it down. That's a fact. Our journey ended after we graduated from Canterlot High. This is where our new journey begins.

To be continued...

... in My Little Pony: Equestria Girls - Kaitou Sentai Lupinranger VS. Keisatsu Sentai Patranger!
> Episode 1-1: A Thieves Gathering
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

My Little Pony: Equestria Girls - Kaitou Sentai Lupinranger vs. Keisatsu Sentai Patranger

A fanfic written by DestinyDecade

Episode 1 - Arrival / Chapter 1: A Thieves' Gathering

This is Earth-1991, a world where heroes and villains come in many forms, many faces, many loyalties. People in this world enjoy life like anybody else would. They have no idea of the war that would soon transpire. In the late 19th century, a legendary gentleman thief named Arsene Lupin had gathered a collection of relics. Treasures that when gathered can awaken great power. They became known as the Lupin Collection. Before his death, he scattered what he gathered throughout the world in the hopes that they couldn't be misused by others. It has been almost a century since his death but now there are those that are seeking out these relics. This is the story of a world ensnared in a war. A war hidden in the shadows. An organization that wishes to rule the world. An organization that seeks to apprehend evil. And in the middle, there are two groups whose actions may decide this world's fate. Which side will you choose?

One year ago... Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

It all began a year ago. I had gotten a report that V.I.L.E had gotten their hands on some strange tech. I had been tracking them down for days but all I end up getting were dead ends. V.I.L.E. always like to cover their tracks. They never leave anything. No clues, no leads, nothing. Every day I spent trying to figure out their next move. They've been on edge recently. I don't know why but it got me curious. I was at a diner, enjoying some breakfast. I try to get my mind off of it but no dice. It's as if something is motivating me to get this crap over with. I check on my phone, hoping to find anything. Nothing. I put the phone away. As I bite down some pancake covered in syrup, my mind was drifting elsewhere. I then felt something in my pants vibrating. It's my phone. I answer. It was a voice I know well.

"Any luck?" Her voice is feminine as she speaks.

"Nothing. Gotten yet another dead end. What about you?" I reply.

"Lucky for you, I got something," That's what I wish to hear from her.

"What have you got honeybun?"

"Turns out they're meeting near the statue only a few blocks away. What you're looking for will probably be there. Just be wary."

"I should say the same for you. Whatever they have up their sleeve, I will put a stop to it. Right after I have my breakfast."

"Figures as much. You should have eaten before we left," As if I didn't need that right now.

"Yeah yeah. I hear you," After I gulped down what remains of my breakfast, I get up but not before leaving some money behind.

"I'm on the move. If things get rough, you know what to do right?" I ask.

"They don't call me Patty Larceny for nothing," Patty replies.

"Alright. Let's do this," I hang up. I grab my jacket and wear it before departing the restaurant.

As I do so, I spot a few blocks away a young woman. She's a blonde, having baby blue eyes. The lady was dressed mostly in green whether it be her jacket or blouse. She is also wearing an orange shirt underneath along with orange socks. Her shoes are high heel in black and she never leaves her pink bag behind. I look with a smile. The woman in question? Yep. She's someone I've known for years. She goes by the name of Patricia Larceny. People call her Patty. I call her my wife and partner. She told me where the deal was taking place, saying that it was near a statue. Turns out it wasn't just any statue. It was the Rocky Balboa statue. How fitting that it would be near a place of cultural significance. Though I know what to expect, I wasn't the only one on the trail. Unbeknownst of me, someone else is on the hunt for what I'm after. She's in the air, flying in some kind of hang glider. She doesn't know of my plans but I don't know what she has up her sleeve.

"So Red, have you made it to Philly?" says a young boy.

"Already there. What's our mission today Player?" she replies.

"It's no mission. V.I.L.E's doing an exchange somewhere in Philadelphia. Whatever it is, it can't be good.

"Nothing V.I.L.E does is ever good. Do we have a lead on where it's at?" 

"Not yet. It could be anywhere but it's rumored to be near some kind of statue. I'm still trying to find out which one."

"Whatever the case, it's the city of brotherly love. The sixth-most populous city in the United States. It's also seeped in history."

"I'll say. Philadelphia is home to many famous landmarks such as the Liberty Bell and it's also home to where the United States was formed with the Declaration of Independence. It's insane. That's why this city is rich with history and achievements."

"Don't forget that it's also home to various places we see nowadays such as the first library, hospital, medical school, stock exchange and even the US Marine Corps."

"You got that right. Don't forget that it's also home to sports too such as the Phillies, Flyers, 76ers and the Eagles."

"Didn't the Eagles win a Super Bowl last year?" She asks.

"They did. It was a big deal and people celebrated like there was no tomorrow," But before he can continue, he gets something, "I know where the deal is taking place."

"Where is it at?" She asks again.

"It's happening outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art."

"That place? Wasn't that home to the Rocky Steps?"

He agrees and answers, "Yep. It's also where the Rocky Statue is located. They relocated it to the north side a few years ago."

"Whatever V.I.L.E. has up their sleeves, they ain't doing it in a place filled with history. Any word from those two?"

"They're waiting and in position for the extraction. Bear in mind though, you're not the only one who's after it."

"I rather find out for myself once the exchange drops. For now, I gotta move. Keep radio silence until otherwise."

"Got it Red," communication cuts off immediately.

She continues gliding, hoping to reach the desired location. As for me, I went into stakeout mode. I reached the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Turns out the deal is going down. Two black vans were there. One had two guys inside. One was carrying two metallic sliver briefcases. On the other van were two individuals. My guess they are operatives who are doing the exchange. Lo and behold, they're working for the bad guys. However, I notice someone else there. A woman, a brunette dressed in red ranging from her brim hat to her trench coat.

"It can't be... her?" I whisper. But my attention shifted to the deal going down.

The guy gave the briefcases to the operative and in exchange, they give them a black case. My guess it's the money. But just as the deal goes off with a hitch, this happens. The woman in the red makes her move. She comes in and goes after the ones who got the metallic briefcases. She puts up a fight against them but those guys get put down quick. That's not to say that a van shows up out of nowhere. More bad guys show up so that was my cue. I take something out from my jacket, a blaster. The blaster comprised of two trains: one silver, one gold. I consider them to be important plus I use them for something much different. I don't hesitate and fire a few shots. It diverts the idiots attention as my priority is then to get the goods.

"What are you doing?" She says.

"You have something I'm after. Hand it over," I reply.

"To you? Not a chance," So much for the easy way.

"You really don't make this any easier now do you?" I tell her, "Alright then."

Before long, more mooks show up and encircle us. So much for an escape.

"It would be easier if you handed me those briefcases," I say once more.

"I don't know who you are but I ain't giving them to you. Do you work for V.I.L.E?" She replies.

I don't answer her question. I instead shift my focus towards the grunts. I fire a few shots, forcing them to back away. Turning my attention back to the woman in red, I see her running off. I grab something from my inside pocket and throw it at her. It latches onto her jacket and vanishes. Smiling, I then decide to give these morons the slip with the use of a flash grenade. The flash disorients them. Having moved far from them, I get my phone and put Patty on speed dial. She answers right away.

"So did you get them?" She asks.

"Negative. The girl in red beat me to it. She put up a fight but got away. Thankfully I'm tracking where she's going," I answer.

"Darn it. I thought you got this in the bag. This job can't be this difficult?"

"Patty, not helping. I already know where she's heading. Thing is, I don't know what's inside those briefcases. I couldn't get an X-Ray on them."

"Well the good news is that their whereabouts are within Philly. You may as well get moving right now!" She tells me.

"Alright already! I'm on it. By the way, one favor to ask... can you get me a cheese steak sandwich please?" I ask.

Patty refuses and replies, "Save it for after we get what's inside. Got it?"

"Loud and clear."

I don't waste time. I spot a nearby motorcycle with the keys in the ignition. I get in the bike and ride off but not before telling the guy that I would return it. Following the tracker, it took me a few miles away from Franklin Park. Reaching Franklin Park, the woman in red reaches a nearby jeep. On the jeep were two teenagers, preferably her compatriots. Both of them are teenagers, having red hair and a fair complexion. One of them, a boy has blue eyes and the other, a girl has green eyes. The boy is taller than the girl by five inches but his hair is lighter. He's got freckles but his outfit cements his identity: a black and white baseball jersey, dark blue jeans and black sneakers. The other has a black t-shirt with blue sleeves on them, gray-mid-shin pants and red sneakers. Like the boy, she has freckles but on her cheeks. I hid in a bush, watching as the lady in red meet up with those two teens.

"So how did it go Carmen? Did you get them?" says the boy.

"Of course I did. It wasn't that much of an effort anyway," she replies.

"Did you check what was inside Carmen? It got to be something good," The girl asks her.

"Carmen huh? So that's her name," I whisper as I observe.

"Not quite Ivy. I rather not do anything stupid while VILE's trying to find us. They didn't like how I botched the deal. Not to mention someone else is after this," Carmen replies.

"What? Who other than VILE would go after what you're getting," Ivy asks her.

"Not sure but..." she notices something and feels something in her back. To her surprise, it's the tracker I placed on the back of her jacket.

"Whoever it was that put it there really needs to do better. Zack, drive out of here. We're being tailed," orders Carmen.

"Tailed? From whom?" Zack asks.

"The guy that wants this," she answers. Unfortunately their escape attempt gets cut short when the sound of a blaster shot startles Zack.

"Crap!" He shouts.

"Floor it Zack. Now!" Carmen orders again.

"I'm afraid I can't let you leave with what you stole Carmen," Hearing my voice, Carmen notices me arriving and with my weapon in hand, I aim it squarely at them.

"You got guts for putting that tracker on my jacket and even more guts for following me," she responds.

"I did what is needed. Besides, that doesn't belong to you. Now I'll say it again. Give me what you stole and I'll forget ever meeting you small-time punks," I tell them.

"Small time?" Ivy says, feeling insulted.

"We ain't small time buddy. We stole it first," Zack replies.

"Is that so? Basically VILE stole those from an estate who in turn get robbed by you... and in turn, I steal from you. So let me tell you one more time. Hand over those cases or I will have to get down and dirty with you guys. I really don't want it to come to this and I definitely don't want to deal with some beantown arrogance," I add on the insults and the mockery for good measure.

It triggers Zack, as usual, "Hey. Don't you dare make fun of our home buddy. No one calls Boston "Beantown" you hear?"

"Zack, stop it!" Ivy tells him but it falls on deaf ears.

Zack rushes in to try to punch me and I simply move out of the way because he just isn't worth my time. What I'm after is what Carmen holds. Carmen refuses to give up the briefcase.

"You refuse to heed my warning. Fine. I really don't want to do this but," I fire a shot from my blaster.

The shot hits the briefcase Carmen holds. In turn she drops it causing it to open up. Carmen and Ivy get a look at what's inside. They see a white blaster gun on the ground and it has a grip for some reason. Along with that, there's a red toy that looks like a fighter jet. The jet also contains some kind of hat like padlock and it's single-digit too. Right then and there I knew that whatever V.I.L.E got their hands on is not good and yet how come it's in their hands. This gets me mad. Real mad.

"So... looks like VILE has done it haven't they?" I say.

"What? What do you mean?" Carmen replies.

"Do you have any idea what these things are?" I ask her.

"How was I supposed to know they were in the briefcase?" I don't know if she's speaking of the truth or lying. I hold my ground.

"So you really have no idea do you? Perhaps I was wrong but regardless that doesn't belong to you. I'll tell you one more time. Hand them over. Now!" I order once more.

Again, Carmen refuses but that's when she starts feeling strange. It's as if someone was telling her something and I couldn't hear. What can possibly get any worse than this?

"Are you going to let this idiot push you around? What you got your hands on isn't a coincidence. It's fate."

"Who are you?" Carmen says deep within her mind.

"Someone that would rather see you alive than dead and if you don't do as I say, you probably won't live to take part in any heist."

"So you're saying that he'll..." As if I would ever do something like that!

"Yes. If you want to live, do exactly as I tell you. See those two that came out of the briefcase. Use them to fight back."

"And how am I supposed to do that?"

"Just do as I say. Got it?"

"Fine." She notices the two items and runs for them.

So it seems Carmen doesn't get the idea. Fine. I decide to take things up a notch and fire two shots. I hoped that they would stop her but it didn't. She grabs both items yet she has little clue what to do with them. To prove my point, she aims the blaster at me and fires. That's more than enough to say that she's done listening.

"You catch on quick. May as well cut to the chase."

"Who are you and why are you telling me all this?" Carmen responds to the voice.

"I rather not. Now for the next step. Place the red jet you have there and insert it on that blaster you have. Make sure the handle is on the left."

Carmen does so and inserts the red jet onto the blaster. It suddenly yells out "RED" but not before it starts letting out a jingle.

"Now input the combination and then pull the handle so it aims up. 0-1-0."

Carmen does so and uses the padlock to input the combination. What follows next would really scare me straight to hell.

"0-1-0! MASQUERAISE!"

She then pulls the handle on the thing with one hand and then uses the other to turn the side with the jet horizontally up. That's when we hear "KAITOU CHANGE". If she activates that, things are going to go from bad to worse. Oh wait. It's already gotten worse so I then rush in ready to fight. Carmen knows that if I stop her, she's screwed. So she aims straight at me with that thing and fires a shot. What happens next turns this simple attempt into a straight on mess.

"Lupinranger!"

As she shoots, a card magically appeared and in that card comes out some kind of red top hat. The red top hat had a "V" inside and the next thing she notices, her entire body is covered in some kind of spandex suit. The suit was black but bits of red were noticeable on the arms, shins, skirt and shoes. The "V" would end up on the chest and next thing that happens, a cape magically appears behind her. I also notice her helmet being black but the red is easily seen via the hat. I get freaked out by it. Carmen did as well and she literally thought she has seen a ghost. Zack and Ivy on the other hand have expressions of shock and surprise. I can imagine Carmen's partner having the same look as response.

"Carmen..." says Player, "What happened to you?"

"I... I don't know. One minute I was hearing a voice in my head telling me to do this and next thing I know, I turn into this," she replies.

"Wow. This is so cool!" praises Zack, "You just turned into one of those guys I see on TV. What were they called again?"

"Now is not the time to praise Carmen you idiot," Ivy replies, "We should be helping her."

"How are we gonna do that? Carmen just transformed into some kind of Power Ranger or something," Zack follows.

"What? Power Ranger? Player, what is he talking about?" Carmen asks.

"Not sure Red. I got nothing on what you're wearing but I think he mentions that you look like one of those superheroes that were on TV recently," He explains.

"Well, if it means sending this guy packing, I'll take my chances," She assures him.

I press up on my earpiece and say this, "Patty dear, we have a problem.. a big one."

"What? Did you get it?" She asks me.

I stop and tell her, "No. It's much worse. The one I tailed opened the box and now... she transformed. You may have to get your hands dirty."

"I knew it. You had one job and you blew it didn't you?" She insults.

"Sorry. But now I'm done being reasonable. If she wants a butt kicking, she'll get it. You can deal with the other two since they don't know what's on the other briefcase," I tell her.

Patty doesn't respond. She hung up. My guess she knows but right now, I got to take the fight to the one known as Carmen.

"I tried to be easy but it seems you gone and done it now Carmen. You leave me no choice," with my blaster known as the X-Changer in hand, I say these two words, "Kaitou Change!"

I turn it 180 degrees counterclockwise, showing the gold train. It's then the sound "X-NIZE" is heard and then I do it again, showing the silver train. The sound "KAITOU X CHANGE" follows. Aiming it diagonally down, I fire. Like with Carmen, a card emerges followed by a silver "V" hat. The hat covers me, transforming. Unlike Carmen, mine is more pristine. There is some black in the suit but most of it has hints of gold and silver. The gold is seen in the form of lines, the belt, wrist hands, knee shins and the mouth portion of the helmet. As for the silver, it's all over the suit. Easy to recognize and fitting of my thief like nature.

"LUPIN X!"

"I am the thief that strikes evil within the night," I press on my chest armor letting out a clang sound, followed by a twirl and then, "Lupin X!"

"You're a..." Carmen responds, in shock.

"Yes. I am a Power Ranger as well but the correct term is a Lupinranger," I explain.

"You serous? He's also a Power Ranger? What is this?!" shouts Zack, who in turn annoys Ivy.

"Hey Zack. We need to get Carmen out of here," Ivy retorts.

That's when the two hear the same voice that Carmen heard earlier, "You two want to join in on the fight? Get that other briefcase. It has what you need inside."

Ivy doesn't hesitate and grabs the other case. She opens it. The two look inside and they find two more white blaster guns, called VS Changers. Along with the Changers, there is a respective yellow and blue fighter.

"Ivy, take the changer and yellow Dial Fighter. Zack, the blue one is yours. Use them to transform and fight against him before he does harm to your friend."

"Sure. Whatever you say," says Ivy. The two get their respective gear but before they can do the same thing that Carmen did earlier, someone fires a shot preventing them.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," the two turn to see Patty and she has her VS Changer aimed squarely at both Zack and Ivy.

"Another one? Who else needs to drop in and ruin this? You work for V.I.L.E?" asks Zack.

"Do I look like I work for these chumps? You really want to make things difficult do you?" says Patty.

"Do we look like we're making it difficult?" Ivy shouts.

"Let me do what my husband can't do. Hand them over or I'll be knocking you both off your asses," threatens Patty.

"Knock us both out? Try us," Ivy challenges.

"Have it your way then," She takes out something from her purse, revealing it to be a pink dial fighter.

"Ivy, she got one of them too like we do," says Zack.

"Transform Zack before she beats us down," spats Ivy.

"Uh right... I don't really know how," replies Zack, getting Ivy more irate.

"Kaitou Change!" shouts Patty who inserts her pink Dial Fighter into the VS Changer. She then inputs the combination via padlock.

"Pink! 9-1-3! Masqueraise!"

She presses the handle causing the Dial Fighter to be upward. Upon seeing her do it, Zack and Ivy decide to try their luck on it.

With a nod, the two shout out, "Kaitou Change!"

Zack went first inputting his in, "Blue!" and then the combination, "2-6-0! Masqueraise!"

Ivy follows after, "Yellow!" with the combination after, "1-1-6! Masqueraise!"

Both of them press the handle causing their blasters to have their Dial Fighters aimed upward. The three would aim each other, hearing "KAITOU CHANGE" and then fire. Three cards appear from their blasters, revealing three V-shaped hats of different colors. One touches Zack, transforming him into the blue ranger. Another hits Ivy, turning into the yellow ranger & the last hits Patty becoming the pink ranger.

"Lupinranger!"

Like Carmen, their outfits are all the same but the differences are in the color and their respective helmets. Patty and Ivy's are similar since they have a heart shape on the helmet plus skirts while Zack's a bit squared and jaggy. The reactions over the two becoming Rangers is surprising yet it's also to be expected.

"Looks like they also became Rangers too huh? Dammit," Patty mutters.

"Whoa! This is so cool! Ivy look at this! More like look at you? I don't believe it!" Zack exclaims.

"I can say the same for you. I can't believe you just transformed like that," Ivy replies.

"Guess we're skipping formalities huh?" Patty then takes out some kind of weapon: a sword that also had a magic hand at the bottom.

"Uh Ivy," Zack says, seeing Patty move in to attack.

Ivy then takes out the same weapon Patty has with her and blocks it. Zack follows by using the VS Changer to fire a few shots. In response, Patty uses her VS Changer and fires. 

"Been doing this a lot longer than you newbies," She says, firing more blasts forcing Zack and Ivy to go on the defensive.

"What is it with this girl? Calling us newbies? That's wrong!" shouts Zack.

"Maybe because we have never did this before huh bro?" Ivy replies, "I got an idea. Give me cover."

Zack nods and fires straight at Patty, hoping to get her attention. She does so and decides to press a button on her weapon, turning her sword into some kind of whip. Noticing Ivy ready to attack her, she throws her whip. It encircles her, stopping her in the process. Seeing her sister in trouble, Zack blows his cover and goes in to attack. Patty fires to push him back but it didn't work. He jumps and delivers a two-sided kick to push her back. It's enough to let her go and release Ivy. Zack then checks on her sis and releases her from Patti's whip. As he does so, Patti regains her footing and takes her Lupin Sword/Whip and uses it to smack Zack down.

"That was a mistake you brat," Patti shouts, whipping Zack but Ivy blocks the blow with her sword.

"No Larceny. This was your mistake," Zack and Ivy then do a double kick, knocking her back. She starts to underestimate the two siblings and in turn it has her being careless.

"Are you gonna give up now or what?" asks Zack.

"Not a chance," Patty jumps back, firing a few more shots from her blaster. She's had enough dealing with those two.

As this goes on, I go on the offensive against Carmen who starts the fight by firing a few shots from her VS Changer. I dodge the first two and then counter the third with one of my own. I then take out my signature weapon, the X Rod Sword. I pulled the side handle upward, transforming it into its Sword form. Rushing forward, I attack but Carmen takes out her Lupin Sword and repels my strike. She counters with her own.

"Not bad for a first timer," I tell her.

"You think you can do better than me?" She replies, while attacking.

"Lady, I've been doing this crap for years. You're just a newbie. You got nothing against someone more experienced."

"Why don't I show you?"

Carmen uses her blaster to fire a few shots at me. I dodge two, repel two more and duck the fifth. She then uses her Lupin Sword to strike but I block that too. But that's my mistake as Carmen vaults over and hits me from behind, plus fires three shots at me for good measure. It catches me by surprise.

"Not bad. You learn fast," I tell her.

Carmen rushes to strike again but I block her strike with my own, "Guess I'm proving you wrong huh?"

"Don't count on it," I repel the attack and deliver a kick to the back, disorienting her. I follow up with a barrage of strike attacks.

She struggles to repel my attacks. The fact that my offense is fast and furious is enough to ensure that Carmen gets no chance against me. But as my battle with her continues forth, Zack and Ivy head for Carmen's aid. They respond with attacks from their Lupin Swords. I follow by backing off and delivering a slash that strikes them both. It doesn't damage them but it's enough to push them back a bit. At the same time, Patty shows up ready to fight once more.

"Notice the odds here. Not on your favor," Carmen tells us. She isn't kidding with it. Three Rangers against two. Not good odds either. 

"So what? We've dealt with a lot worse. You guys are just a stepping stone compared to V.I.L.E," I reply.

"Really? Have you been sabotaging V.I.L.E operations?"

"Longer than you three have."

Before Carmen can say anything else, something comes out of nowhere and attack us. It was a monster, a large minotaur-like beast that can stand on two feet and having sharp like claws that can tear through anything. It came fast, surprising us but also it meant that this thing means business. What I also notice is that the thing has a silver safe in its chest. Whatever it is, it may be holding his form together. The five of us knew that our fight was nothing but a waste of time.

"Another friend of yours?" Carmen asks me.

"Does this thing look like a friend to you? Hell no!" I respond, as I dodge its attack.

"M-M-M-Monster!" Zack yells as he runs for the hills. What a wuss.

"Get back here Zack. We can take this thing down no sweat!' Ivy shouts.

Zack doesn't get far as the monster catches up to him and he gears to deliver a serious hit. Ivy pushes him aside only for her to take the hit. Thankfully it isn't serious but it then forces Patty and I to realize that our job got a lot worse. I fire a shot to get its attention. It does so but then we notice the safe glowing and his powers manifest in the form of a wave attack that hits us all. We all get hit hard by the attack. It then turns its attention towards Carmen. Reeling from the hit, she's unable to defend against that thing.

"You know what... fuck this," I shout as I decide to rush in and attack it. I hit him but that only gets the freak irate.

He then goes on to attack me and despite the fact that my armor can help me withstand most attacks, it isn't enough cause this thing is vicious. I get thrown to the ground but I refuse to give up. I ain't letting that thing go after Carmen or her friends. I don't know why I decide to do this but my gut was telling me... I have to help her. I can feel it. Carmen notices me standing back up after the monster attacked me. It's then she kind of knew that I would never do something like this. Zack and Ivy help her up.

"Wow. He actually saved us," says Zack.

"Yet he decides to be an idiot and try to take himself out," Carmen replies.

"Carmen," Ivy follows, shocked by her response, "If it wasn't for him, who knows what that freak would do to us?"

"She's right Carmen," Zack agrees.

"I have to agree Red," Player agrees as well, "You should be lucky he saved you. Don't you think we should repay the favor?"

"He nearly tried to beat us up," She replies, "Why should I?"

"We don't have a choice," Ivy answers her.

"I got to agree. You ready to help Ivy?" Ivy's nod is enough to convince Zack. Carmen thinks a second before she gives her own response.

"Okay then. If it means getting us out of this mess, we got no choice," Finally. Carmen understands.

"I don't know whether to hate you or praise you," Patty tells me, "But I think what you did is working."

"Good. Didn't expect a Gangler to show up and ruin our fun. Safe's in the chest. All we got to do is take out what's inside and blast that thing," I turn to Patty and ask her, "You ready for this?"

Patty doesn't need to say a word. She nods and gear herself up. Knowing that the source of it's power is the safe on its chest, our priority was now to get whatever is in there out of the safe. Carmen, Zack and Ivy meet up with Patty and I. Together, now the five of us gear up because instead of a battle against each other, we now team up to take this freak down.

"Okay," Carmen asks, "What do we do?"

"Simple. We need to focus on opening the safe on its chest. Whatever is inside is the source of its power and if we remove it, we can take it down," I place my X Rod Sword on the ground, hammering it down.

"What are you gonna do?" Zack asks me.

"I'll distract the thing. Besides, this form isn't the only one I can take," I take out my X Changer and say this, "Keisatsu Change!"

I turn the blaster 180 degrees counterclockwise causing the gold side to be shown. Everyone watches as I gear up to transform.

"KEISATSU X CHANGE!"

I aim up and fire causing a gold police badge to appear above me. The badge has an "S" inside symbolizing the other side of the VS Spectrum. Next thing they see, I go from being a silver armored ranger to a gold one. My entire suit is similar to a trenchcoat. There is no armor but it makes up for it with this snazzy look. There's a red line that goes through that symbolize the midway along with some black as well. Some white is seen in parts of the suit and instead of a top hat in my helmet, it's replaced with a gold police cap. Silver is there in the mouth guard as well.

"PATREN X!"

"Like the daylight sky, I smite evil in the name of justice!" I pull a pose and say, "Patren X!"

Zack reacts to this with awe. Ivy is curious while Carmen simply watches. Patty knows I can do this and then I take my X Rod Sword to the ground and pulled the side lever down, revealing the "S" and turning it from its Sword to a Rod.

"Okay. Let's do this. If we're going to survive, we have to do this now! Let's go!"

Compared to the Lupin X form, my Patren X form makes me more agile and maneuverable. The monster tries to attack me but everything he did is for naught as I dodge his attacks. I use the X Rod to bash it a few times to disorient it. As I do so, Patty uses her Lupin Whip to deal damage along with ensnaring that thing. Zack and Ivy fire a few shots from their blasters. With all of us focusing our efforts on stopping that Gangler-like monster, it's up to Carmen to go for the chest. Though this thing ain't giving up without a fight. Despite Patty, Zack and Ivy holding it down, Carmen goes in.

"Carmen, remove your Dial Fighter from your blaster!" I order, "Place the bottom on the safe!"

"Why?" She asks.

"Don't ask why! It'll decipher the lock on the safe," I answer.

She moves in, takes out her Dial Fighter and places it on the safe itself. Before long, the thing does its work, deciphering the lock on the safe. It's combination is then revealed as a result.

"4-4-1!"

It roars as the safe opens up. Carmen immediately grabs what's inside and backs off. Everyone else does the same. She gets a look and finds that what she got is some kind of small device.

"This... is what's in the safe?" She asks.

"Yep, it is," I reply, "What you see here is but a piece of a collection."

"Collection?"

"Yep. The Lupin Collection, a series of artifacts that when gathered together can grant anyone what their heart desires. It's a reason why I was here to begin with, to recover what you had supposedly took away,"

"Uh, we still got to deal with that freak," Zack interrupts. We notice it gearing up to rip us apart.

"Leave it to me. Time I make a quick change back, Kaitou Change!" I throw my X Rod into the air and using my X Changer, rotate it to the silver side and shoot straight down.

I turn back into the silver Lupin X. Grabbing the X Rod, I then turn the handle up, switching it to the Sword form. I then lower my blade and then turn the handle sideways before shifting it back up.

"X-Time! Countdown!"

"Let's finish this! Superior X!"

"3! 2! 1! 0! Itadaki X-Strike!" I do two slashes forming an X and then pierced the X to strike it right at the monster.

Having suffered so much damage from the attack, the monster can only stagger a bit before it collapses on its face and explodes. With that, we finally took a needed sigh of relief. The fight did take quite a toll on us. I suddenly power down but then enter a state of exhaustion. Yep. Being one of these Power Rangers can be taxing especially on one's body. Everyone else does the same.

"So... you understand now why I need those things?" I ask her, breathing heavily.

"I do. But I ain't giving them up to you, even after you threatened us," She replied.

"I see," Reasoning with her is meaningless, so I decided to do the only logical thing, "Keep them then. Make sure they stay out of V.I.L.E's hands."

"Wait a damn minute," Patty interrupts, "You're going to let these three keep them after all the work we did trying to take them back?"

"They proved themselves. That's more than enough," I reply.

"Aw yeah! This is so cool!" Zack cheers, but Ivy sours his mood.

"What's the catch?" Ivy asks me, "You don't just leave without something in return do you?"

I quickly answer, "There is none... though if I were a bit selfish, I do have a condition."

Patty turns to me dumbfounded, wondering what I'm going to say, "My condition is this. We like to join your little gang."

Exactly as I said it, Patty reacts with the dull surprise I would expect. Zack and Ivy look in shock but Carmen stays firm. I simply hold my ground because I don't want to show any sign of weakness, even after we took down something as big as a Gangler.

"You come in, threaten my crew all cause of what's in these briefcases, forced us to team up with you to take down a monster and you say you want to team up with us?" Carmen tells me.

"That's right. Because if you refuse, you won't last against with what V.I.L.E has in store. That monster we fought is just the least of our worries. Believe me," I reply.

"And how do you know this?" She asks, once again.

"Because Patty and I have been shutting down V.I.L.E operations a lot longer than you have," I provide my answer.

"Longer?" Zack wonders, "Like how long?"

"Ten years buddy," Patty answers him.

"Ten years?" Ivy inquires.

"Yep. Basically we got a lot more experience in dealing with an organization like them. These guys are no laughing matter and they'll do whatever it takes to get what they want," Patty replies, but not before mentioning this, "How do I know this? I used to be part of V.I.L.E but that was a long time ago."

"Wait a minute?" Carmen wonders, "You are Patty Larceny right?"

"What's it to you?" She responds.

"I remember hearing about you from Countess Cleo. How you and her used to be part of a group of delinquents," She says.

"She must mean the V.I.L.E Dropouts, a group of D-list operatives that didn't had a chance at making it in. For one reason or another, they didn't get their memories erased," I explain.

"Lucky for them," She says, "But like I said, I can't accept the offer. How do I know you won't double cross us?"

"Does it look like we could do something like this? Or do you prefer a repeat performance of what happened today?" I tell her, realizing that she's really stubborn, "At least consider the fact that you need all the help you can get."

"So say I do accept your condition. What do you have to give us in exchange?"

"That's a bit difficult but... I would offer you guys training. Training so that you can be able to move better, think better and even fight better. You got the skill but you need someone to guide it into the right direction."

I then bring out something from my jacket, some kind of V.I.L.E data drive, "And I give you this. This data drive contains info on every V.I.L.E operation that is currently underway. But this also contains locations of where pieces of the Lupin Collection can be found... along with pieces that are currently in V.I.L.E's hands."

"What?" says Zack.

"You're kidding," Ivy follows.

"I'm not," I tell them, "There's a reason for it. Regardless, I will give you time to think before you make a decision."

Putting the drive away, I turn to walk off with Patty quickly in tow. Before I could go further, I turn to Carmen and her gang and say this, "A foul wind will soon blow on your journey... we shall meet again, Carmen mi amor."

The two of us walk off. We were disappointed we didn't recover the goods but we did make sure that they are in good hands. Carmen, Zack and Ivy see us leave but Carmen is most likely concerned over what I tell her. Ivy and Zack meanwhile wonder about us and what we are. They don't think of us as bad, but more like somewhere in the middle. Neutral. As the day has come and gone, I return back to my place in the hopes of resting up for another mission. Doing this gig for so long can be quite draining for a lot of us. Patty's already resting while I am checking the security cameras from the battle we had today. It was tough but it wasn't like our other fights that we had. As I continue checking, my screen soon gets replaced with a complete blue screen. For a second, I thought my computer got a BSOD but the blue is a bit dark.

"I'm reporting in. Tell me. Were you able to get what I asked?"

I respond by typing, "No. A series of unfortunate events happened that forced me to leave the goods in the hands of a trio of thieves."

"You're getting sloppy. I give you a job and you get it done but now, you have been lacking in even that."

"Don't be pushing my luck. Those thieves were no laughing matter. That and I had a hunch that you had a hand in it."

"How so?"

"Don't coy with me. You brought someone who has the same name as you involved in a game that she probably will lose. You didn't just helped her. You helped her partners too. Is there something you aren't telling me?"

"Why would I help them? They are not my concern."

"You should know that I hate lies and I despise people who lie to me even more. You have a reason for this?"

"Fine. I'll play your game. You think I had a hand in all this?"

"Yes."

"Alright then answer me this. If you say that I helped them, why would I bother? Why would I help someone like her if I never even met the person?"

It takes a bit before I tried putting two and two together. The fact that this Carmen I met wore red, the fact that how she acts feels familiar to the one I know and the fact that she would move first and asks questions later proves it. The person replies again but I think it's time that I provide my answer.

"That answer is obvious. The girl I met today who transformed into a Power Ranger and that I entrusted what I was meant to take... she's your daughter."

She doesn't respond. My guess is that I probably knew. I keep watching and waiting. But then, I get a response.

"I have no daughter. You should know this by now, Enigma," referring me by that name is enough to get me triggered.

"The name is Lupin. I abandoned that name the instant you disappeared. That woman I met, Carmen Sandiego... IS your daughter. If that isn't a reason why you took it upon yourself to help her, I don't know what is," I typed back.

But I get no response from her so I continue. "Come on. Years ago, you went into hiding just as ACME was closing in on you. I was left to clean up your mess and since then, we've moved on with our lives. But to think that the person I had been loyal to for so long would go and do this?! Have offspring that now is making her own mark in this world?"

"What's your point?"

"My point is this. You just dragged her and her team into a hornet's nest. To make it worse, they have things that shouldn't even exist in this timeline. It already has gotten V.I.L.E's attention. Soon enough, this world will become a battlefield. The prize: the Lupin Collection!"

"The Lupin Collection... founded by the gentlemanly thief, Arsene Lupin? No. You can't be serious."

"I am no fool. I'm trying to prevent the same tragedy that I endured the first time."

"Despite this, fate has already been set in motion. Every thief and organization in the world will be after the Lupin Collection. I may not be in charge anymore, but you still work for me. That also includes your wife as well."

"I see. Let me guess... you want me to team up with her right?"

"Correct. Help my daughter... please."

"Okay. Before i decide, I say this. Why should I do this? What if I choose to refuse?"

"You don't have a choice. I spent years trying to deduce who you really are. I am no fool. I know where your loyalties lie. Should you refuse my request, I promise that you will not escape your destiny. I will return you to where your fate should have ended."

That was enough to startle and get me mad. She knew all along who I really was but to go this far and investigate me? Dammit! That's when I typed this to her, "I won't let it happen. I prevented that fate once. I will do it again!"

"So I ask you once again. Will you help her? Will you teach her that this power she has should be used for what's right?" She asks me.

I give her my answer, "I'll do it. But under one condition."

"Name it."

"If I do this, you promise that you see her. Tell her everything. She has a right to know."

"Very well. I'll do it. I have seen her and she has followed a righteous path, even better than mine."

"Thank you. I know what I must do now... Boss."

"Save your thanks after you do it. Until the next crime... Lupin."

The signal is then cut off. To think that I had a chat with someone with the same name as that woman. I shake my head a bit but realizing this, I decide to stop what I'm doing and work on typing an e-mail. It doesn't take me long and I send it. I only hope that the current Carmen and her gang receive it. I then check up on Patty, who's already asleep. I decide to sleep myself. Tomorrow is another day and with it, another mission. I only hope our mission doesn't have us crossing paths again.

A week later... Paris, France

A week has passed. The message that I sent had been received a day after. But today, I get a response and to my surprise, it was from Carmen, the one I encountered. She tells me that I should meet up with her at a location in France. Paris, to be exact. I'm sitting outside a diner that's real popular there. Waiting is always the worst part that anyone has to endure. I wonder if she'll actually show. That's the problem.

"Waited long?" I then turn to see who say that. It's her. Carmen... the other Carmen.

"No. Why you ask?" I respond, "Did something happen?"

“Nothing that you shouldn't worry,” She tells me, keeping my sight on her. “I take it you want to join my crew.”

“That I am.”

“I'm still not convinced on you, especially after that little mess a week back.”

“Still reeling over that? You really need to learn to let it go you know?”

“Not my point. Did you bring that flash drive?” She asks me.

“That I have. I ain't giving that up unless I'm part of your posse.”

“Knew you play a hard bargain,” Yep. Gotta play hard to make it far.

“Got to do what you can to make a living, especially in this kind of field.”

“What do you do?” She asks.

I reply. “Random things, as long as it has to do with shutting down V.I.L.E operations. That and I get paid for it too.”

“So basically money drives you doesn't it?”

“It's not just me but my wife as well. She also works odd jobs but is not afraid to get her hands dirty. You can think of us as thieves but we never go after innocent people. We only go after those who do harm to others.”

“Honor among thieves you say? I like it,” she says, praising my way of things.

“So are you willing to give me a chance or what?” I ask, once again.

Carmen thinks about it for a bit before making a decision. She doesn't take that long either. 

“If I let you in on my group, know this: My team. My rules. Got it?” She tells me.

“Loud and clear... under one condition,” I reply.

“Condition?” Carmen wonders.

“Yeah. She comes too,” I respond once more.

“She?”

“She means me,” Patty intrudes, appearing with my order of freshly-brewed coffee and cheesecake.

“You. So you're married to this guy?” Carmen asks.

“Something like that. It was either that or I be married to some douchebag named Vic the Slick,” Patty responds.

“Vic the Slick? Was he another one of those dropouts?”

“Yeah. I don't think you were in V.I.L.E when they were around. Only two of us stuck out: myself and Countess Cleo.”

“One day you got to tell me all about it. So yeah, that's your only condition?” She then turns to me.

“Yep,” I reply.

“Alright then. You're in,” I hand Carmen the data drive, as per the agreement, “I'm making sure this is sent to Player right away. Whatever's in this drive is really going to help us out big time.”

“By the way, I should mention V.I.L.E is on the move. Seems they found something and are having a little rendezvous at Poitiers,” I tell her.

“Is it involving the Lupin Collection?” She responds.

“Yes. I need to give you and your friends the lo-down about them once we get this done,” I follow, not wasting time since we got to move.

I leave behind the bill but not before I savored the cheesecake and gave Patty her tip. She does well as a waitress. We head for Poitiers. Carmen's scanning to see if anything's out of the ordinary. So far, nothing but we need to be vigilant.

“Got a plan boss?” I ask.

“Not yet,” she answers. “They haven't made their move. Zack, Ivy and Patty are inside, scouting the building. I haven't visited this place so I need to get a layout of what to expect.”

“Knowing these guys, they have high security. If it were me personally, my focus would be to disable the security while finding a path to the target and then getting out of there.”

“Is that your way of doing things?” Carmen asks me.

I respond, “Something like that. But I can always get my hands dirty if I have to.”

“That's only for a last resort. Remember, we're doing this my way so maybe you can learn something,” She answers, along with providing good advice.

“Okay I guess.”

Before long, Player comes in with an update. Thankfully it's good news, “Update time Red. I checked the place and security's packed especially on the third floor. That must be where they hid the goods.”

“But why the third floor when they plan on having the exchange outside? Something's amiss,” I respond.

“He makes a good point. After that skirmish last week, let's just say they aren't taking any chances.”

But that's when we spot a black armored truck approaching the place. If these guys can't be any more discredit, then I know for sure it's them. Normally I would go on the attack but we have to wait and see what they have up their sleeve. Carmen continues to watch it unfold and she notices a V.I.L.E operative coming out along with two grunts. On the other side were several security guards carrying some kind of briefcase. It isn't like with what happened last week. This is something else altogether.

“We got them. Shall we get to it?” says Carmen. Before she knows it, I'm already on the move and that's not a good sign.

She notices me heading to another building nearby. I wasn't going to engage them. I had a better plan in mind. We see the operative make the exchange. I turn my attention back to Carmen, who responds with a nod. Time to strike and everyone else does the same. I jump, landing on top of the van. It startles them, including the operative.

“Hey! Get off that truck!” shouts the operative Tigress.

“Me? Nah. You have something I want and it's in that briefcase. Hand it over!” I order.

“Forget it! You're the thief who stole from us last week!”

“Last week? I'm being forgetful. Can you be specific?”

“Wasting time with you wasn't part of the plan! After him!” She orders her grunts to go after me.

But they don't get a chance as Zack, Ivy and even Patty take down the grunts. I join in on the fight, firing a few blasts at some of them only to find that they're nothing but robots. This surprises Zack but I never thought that these guys would resort to doing something like this.

“R-robots? This wasn't part of the plan!” Zack shouts.

“It wasn't. Seems V.I.L.E has taken the initiative,” I reply.

“You fools are going to get it now!” Tigress goes to attack us but Carmen comes out of nowhere, delivering a kick to the side, sending her flying to a nearby garbage can.

It also causes her to drop the briefcase, which Carmen quickly recovers. This gets Tigress mad and she knows it.

“Twice in one week? This isn't my day!” says Tigress.

“It never is your day Tigress. Besides, you guys should never get involved in stuff like this. Though I have to wonder. Robots? Has Bellum been on overdrive since the robbery last week?” I ask.

“Robots?” Carmen wonders.

“Thing is, they are too advanced since they look so life-like to us. If anything, I know her brother has something to do with it.”

“Wait a sec, brother?” Carmen asks again.

I turn to her and say, “I'll tell you later. There's a lot I should have told you before we went on ahead with it.”

“Tigress is getting up. She ain't happy,” Patty tells us.

“It should have been a simple job but you had to get yourself involved huh Black Sheep? I look forward to bringing you back to V.I.L.E Island,” She says.

“No way I'm going back. More importantly, I'm making sure you are stopped in your tracks,” she takes out her VS Changer and aims it at Tigress.

She sees the VS Changer and her anger's already at a fever pitch. She now knows that it was us that stole the VS Changers from them during the skirmish last week. The Faculty were anything but pleased over this. In fact, they were angry. Angry that someone other than Carmen has decided to go after them. But the fact that I'm involved already got one of their blood boiling. So they decide to take the initiative and taking us out.

“Guess this day just gets better. Not only will I bag you Black Sheep but also your compatriots too, including you Enigma,” hearing that strikes a chord.

I then take out my X Changer and fire a shot, barely hitting her. “I told you many times. That's a name I abandoned a long time ago. I am Lupin!”

“Whatever! You've been sabotaging us for too long. Now you will pay!”

“This has to be page six in the handbook for cliché villain lines isn't it? You need better words my little Tigress,” Patty intrudes, insulting her.

“Mind your tongue, dropout!” Guess it did strike a chord, “Countess Cleo should have had your memories wiped!”

“I guess I did strike a chord after all. Suits you since you guys are the worst kind of thieves!”

“Yeah. You guys steal for your own ends. The lowest of low!” says Ivy.

“Yet we steal back from those who steal like you!” shouts Zack.

“I was once like you but now I use my strengths to take back what you've taken from them!” shouts Patty. 

“It is what we are. We are thieves. There is honor among thieves but sadly there's none for the likes of your or V.I.L.E. You harm innocents. We help them and that's all that matters!” I shout afterwards.

“You think you five can stop us? Didn't think you would resort to adding them in your fold, Black Sheep!” Tigress shouts back.

“I forgot to mention one thing Tigress. I don't go by Black Sheep. I go by Carmen now. Carmen Sandiego! Make sure you send that to Maelstrom, once you get sacked by us!” She responds, taking out her Red Dial Fighter and gearing up. The others do the same.

“Go ahead and try...” she threatens.

“You guys ready for this?” Carmen asks us. We nod in response, “Let's send them a message.”

All five of us then shout immediately, “Kaitou Change!” and gear up to morph into heroes.

“Red! 0-1-0!”

“Blue! 2-6-0!”

“Yellow! 1-1-6!”

“Pink! 9-1-3!”

“X-Nize!”

“Masqueraise!”

“Kaitou Change!” “Kaitou X Change!”

Four of the five insert their Dial Fighters into their Changers, activated their combinations and then set up to morph. I, on the other hand, turn my blaster a full 360 to prep to morph. Once all that is done, we aim and then shoot, transforming ourselves into Power Rangers.

“Lupinranger!”

Tigress can only look in shock and horror as what we took from them made us into something much stronger, better and hopefully the thing that can help us get leverage on the battlefield for the Lupin Collection.

Carmen snaps her fingers and says, “LupinRed!”

Then follows Zack, “LupinBlue!”

Afterwards is Ivy, “LupinYellow!”

Patty was next, “LupinPink!”

And finally comes me who did a clang instead of a snap, “Lupin X!”

“Kaitou Sentai...”

It ends with us shouting, “Lupinranger!”

“Lupin... ranger?” Tigress stumbles, feeling pissed that she bore witness to a threat that would really put V.I.L.E on the ropes.

“Here's a warning for you Tigress,” says Carmen.

“You stole something from these people of France,” Zack follows.

“We're here to take it back from you,” Ivy tells her.

“And kick your slimy little ass in the process,” Patty threatens.

“Make sure V.I.L.E knows that we're coming for them,” I end it.

“Oh they will know. They will know once I shred you all to pieces!” Tigress threatens us.

“Is that so?” She takes out her Lupin Sword and tells her,” Go ahead and try. Let's do this!”

We all gear up and then go on the attack. It's on this day that the Lupinrangers were born. Two different groups, united together to become a team. Why? Because of V.I.L.E and how they wish nothing more than to get their hands on the Lupin Collection. We're here to prevent that. We have something to fight for and a reason to do that. But thing is, this is only one team of Rangers. You're probably wondering... where's the other team? Well that's going to be a story you all will see soon enough.

To be continued...

On the next EqG LuPat, Roy and his friends reach ACME and after a bit of a tour and what not, they become the other Ranger team, the Patrangers. But their skills will be put to the test when the team investigates a robbery that is connected to V.I.L.E. The seeds of their journey have been planted and will yield a harvest unlike any other. See you in the next chapter: Patrangers Mobilize! Two teams, two objectives. Which side will you all choose?
> Episode 1-2: Patrangers Mobilize
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Episode 1 – Arrival / Chapter 2: Patrangers Mobilize!


This whole mess began yesterday as my friends and I looked forward to not just summer vacation but the rest of our lives. But then we met a woman claiming herself to be the Chief aka Lynne Thigpen. She was after someone named Enigma, a thief that is neither friend or foe. But upon my unexpected arrival, I confront this Enigma. He looked like me. For all I know he is a doppleganger. Despite my efforts as the golden officer Patren X, he got away. The Chief asks for our aid in his capture. One problem: the Chief is from a world existing beyond the main multiverse. Entering said world is a violation of the MPD: multiverse prime directive.

But it didn't matter. We saved our world many times and now we want to do what we can to save another. The next day, I contacted someone known as the White Diamond but they call her Rarity. She wasn't the least bit pleased to see me. Trust me. She gave me a low blow when I decided to go that low. Despite this, she was more than happy to take us to the Earth Chief Thigpen is from: Earth-1991. A three hour travel ride later, we arrive. But Rarity says that this world is destined to die. Seems she issued me a challenge to see if I can save it. Challenge accepted. We use the pen to contact the Chief, only to encounter someone calling herself The Chief. Turns out that she is the daughter of Lynne Thigpen, Tamara Fraser-Thigpen. She expected us to arrive and was more than happy to take us to ACME. And this is where our story begins...

Present day, Earth-1991...

After meeting Chief Tamara, we got on a van that would take us to ACME. The ride itself wasn't long but I never thought that these guys would be so secretive. During the ride, Twilight would mention how ACME was different, a bit more light at best. Not to mention it was a more public organization. It catches the attention of one agent who seems all the more curious.

“So you know about ACME?” She asks us.

Twilight replies, “Yes. Only from what I've seen.”

“My name is Agent Zari miss. I work under ACME for many years. So you say that ACME back then was different? We never hear the Chief talk about it.”

“Well, I mostly remember it from videos of that old game show that used to be on the air in the 1990s.”

“That's more than 30 years ago. I wasn't even born when that came out. Many of us who saw that growing up would eventually be part of it. How fitting. I take it you have received the briefing from the Chief?”

“Wait a sec,” I intrude, “What briefing?”

“Yeah. We were only here to meet with the Chief because Roy insisted that we help her,” Sunset replies.

“I see. I guess I wasn't informed,” follows Agent Zari.

“You guys didn't know?” Snips asks her.

“No. My guess Senior Officer Thigpen made the order.”

“You mean The Chief right? Lynne Thigpen?” I ask her.

“Precisely. It's confusing, having to call two people the Chief. One who was in charge of ACME and the other currently the head. We refer her as Senior Officer. It's messy,” Zari replies.

“So Thigpen's going to detail everything isn't it?” Snails asks.

“Precisely. The good news is that you will not be wearing the uniforms we agents hear. Apparently Senior Chief Thigpen has been working in collaboration with another organization, the GSPO,” she explains.

“You mean the Global Special Police Organization?” I tell her.

“Correct,” answers Zari. “They are a police agency that has had multiple branches around the world. One such branch exists here in the United States... in New York. They are helping us with this since it has to do with our current situation.”

“Current situation, Agent Zari?” Snails wonders.

“You will know the details from the Chief herself. We should be arriving at headquarters shortly,” Zari tells us.

We don't respond to what she says. We simply wait and watch. Before long, the van stops moving. The door then opens, revealing another agent. He orders us to get out. Zari accompanies us inside. We look around and see many agents working, finding information, the usual stuff. If this is how ACME does things, imagine who else would be around in a place like this.

“I really don't like this,” Sunset tells me.

“You're not the only one. I know for sure cause I went through this,” I reply.

“Where is the Chief anyway?” Twilight asks.

“She should be in her quarters. I'm ordered to bring you to her,” answers Zari.

“Hopefully it doesn't become more of a drag than it already is,” I follow.

Zari doesn't respond. The good thing is that we get to meet the Chief, the one that convinced us to come here. Zari opens the door, revealing Chief Lynne Thigpen herself. She smiles, pleased that we made the decision to come to this world and more importantly, join ACME.

“I thank you all for coming, especially you Roy,” She tells us.

“We appreciate this but can you tell us exactly what the hell is going on?” Sunset interrupts.

“Sunset,” Snips asks in shock. She turns to him, immediately shutting him up.

“Anyway, we originally didn't want to do this but you said it yourself that you would tell us what is happening with this world. You said that you want us to hunt down Enigma but I have a feeling that there's a lot more than that... like how ACME is collaborating with the Global Police's United States branch,” Who'd have thought that Sunset would be this knowledgeable.

Chief Thigpen smiles and replies, “Well done Agent Zari. I was planning on telling them myself but it seems you assisted in their knowledge.”

“Your praise is not needed Chief Thigpen. I believe it's time they know of our mission,” says Zari.

She nods and then shifts her focus to us, “Very well. You wish to know why you are here correct?”

Chief Thigpen presses a button, causing a holographic screen to appear in front of her. It then shows us some kind of footage.

“Exactly one year ago today, VILE operatives had robbed a GSPO convoy that was meant for us at ACME. The shipments contained were classified... until this happened,” She tells us.

We then see footage of two individuals intercepting VILE operatives and stealing said shipments. One of them looks like the same guy I crossed paths with, Enigma, but the other was a woman dressed in red.

“That woman,” says Twilight, “Chief, is that her? The one you always mention in that game show?”

“Yes... and no,” replies Chief, “But from investigating the footage, we can safely say that this woman in red is in fact the Carmen Sandiego. But she is not the one you remember. The one I remember was much older and mysterious. This one prefers to get her hands dirty.”

“I figure as much. Only someone like her can be that athletic,” Twilight follows, “But that other person. It's Enigma isn't it?”

“Of course. It is him but why would he be involved in such an attack is beyond me. As I always say, Friend or foe? With him working for Carmen Sandiego, who really knows?”

“So you think Enigma's working for Carmen Sandiego?” Sunset now asks.

“I don't know. But what I do know is that this Carmen has amassed a team of individuals for some unknown purpose,” Chief Thigpen responds.

“And what purpose would that be?” Snips asks.

“I am not certain but considering they were able to steal the shipments from VILE, it's fair to assume that they plan to fight back against them,” Chief answers.

“Okay,” Snails intrudes, “So what does this have to do with us? Why did you have us here in the first place?”

“You seem a bit jumpy. I am getting to that,” Chief retorts.

She then continues, without interruption, “You five have been chosen to become an elite fighting force that will not give us a chance against not only Carmen Sandiego's team but also VILE.”

Thigpen then presses it again, causing the holographic screen to disappear. In it's place is a table containing two metallic briefcases. They are also locked down too. If she's saying what I think she is, let's just say that my friends are going to like this. Agent Zari arrives along with Chief Tamara. They both deactivate the locks on the briefcases, causing them to open. They then turn the briefcases around, revealing four strange white guns.

Chief Thigpen stands as she calls my friends and reveals all, “Snails. Snips. Sunset. Twilight. These are your VS Changers. These weapons will not only help you in defense against your foes but combined with what you'll receive next will allow you to become heroes.”

She then snaps her fingers, revealing something else. We then see three toy-like vehicles. They come in different colors along with looks. All three had bits of black and white shown, not to mention some sort of trigger at the end. In terms of differences, one is Red with the number “01”. Another is colored Green with number “02” and the third is Pink with “03” on it.

“What you see here are your Trigger Machines. They serve a variety of purposes, some you will discover on the journey. Combining these with your VS Changers will allow you to become Power Rangers,” Yep. She said it.

“Wait. W-w-w-wait!” Snips interrupts, “You mean... these let us transform into Power Rangers? Please tell me this is some kind of trick?”

“It's no trick Snips. You saw your friend transform when he fought Enigma. I think that would convince you otherwise,” Chief Thigpen replies, proving her point.

But something's off and Sunset's the first to point it out, “Uh Chief?”

“Yes Sunset?” She asks.

“There are four of us and only three of these things. One's missing,” She says, pointing the obvious.

“What?” Chief notices that one is missing and that's not a good sign.

She goes to her desk and accesses communication, “This is Chief Lynne Thigpen of ACME. I would like to know how come I only received 3 Trigger Machines instead of 4?”

Something then responds, “Forgive us Miss but apparently we need more time to calibrate the fourth machine. Not everything is in order.”

“Not everything is in order my ass!” She shouts, surprising us that she has a bit of colorful language, “Has something occurred within GSPO that says I'm unable to receive the fourth device?”

“We discovered something that my cause a kickback should it be used. We're working to remove this fault,” It responds after.

But Chief Thigpen was in no mood for that crap, “You should have had this taken care of sooner rather than later. I will not tolerate any more excuses. I want that fourth device in right this instant! Is that clear?”

“Yes ma'am. We at GSPO are working as we speak to get it fixed. It should come by today,” the communication cuts off.

Thigpen looks at us and our reactions to her using language we never expect. They truly are genuine. Twilight is the most surprised since she sees Lynne Thigpen as someone who may be stern but cares.

“This is... new,” Twilight stutters, “I never thought Chief Thigpen would be so vulgar.”

Thigpen turns to Twilight and says, “You have no idea. If there is anything I do not tolerate are agents screwing up when they should be doing their jobs. Sadly it means you'll have to wait a little longer since your Trigger Machine is not ready. As for the rest of you, take your respective Machines. You'll need them in order to become Power Rangers.”

Take them they did. I don't know what it is but each of my friends took a different machine. Snails takes the Red Trigger Machine. Snips is next with Green and Sunset goes for Pink.

“Now that you each have what you need, it's time to make this official,” says the Chief.

“Official? For what?” I ask.

“This. Welcome to ACME. Agency to Classify and Monitor Evildoers. For almost 30 years, this organization exists to hunt down those that would threaten this world. We were once a group with a public image as a Detective Agency. We relied on gumshoes to figure out and ensnare criminals who wish to steal artifacts that represent our world's history... and we still do to this day,” she explains.

She turns silent for a bit before continuing. I can tell since the work she goes through and for so long, it's a pain in the ass, “My daughter Tamara Fraser reformed ACME after I had disbanded it years ago. I wasn't pleased with her decision nor her actions that contributed to it. Our objective here is to prove the existence of a secret organization and even now, they strike from the shadows. They are known as VILE, Villains International League of Evil. They do exist as I have first hand knowledge since the previous Carmen Sandiego was their leader.”

“And now VILE's reformed under a new banner and a more sinister purpose,” I tell her.

“Correct. VILE's robbery last year has confirmed that they are after something. Something that would get the current Carmen's attention along with Enigma,” she replies.

“Could it happen to be something called The Lupin Collection?” I ask.

Chief doesn't respond but knows that I may be onto something. The others look at me, wondering on how I know all this. Well maybe because what they have are part of this collection. The VS Changers? The Trigger Machines? Even the X Changer. All of them are part of it.

“You have been doing your homework have you Roy?” Chief Thigpen says.

“I have,” I tell her, “If I may Chief Thigpen, may I provide the briefing?”

She nods and follows, “Yes. You may.”

“Thank you.” I take a steps forward, as Chief reactivates the holographic monitor. The picture then shows various trinkets.

“Roy, what are you doing?” Sunset asks.

“Telling you something important. Those items you got from the Chief, they are part of it. They are part of the Lupin Collection, an accumulation of artifacts that once belong to the legendary gentleman thief, Arsene Lupin. Arsene Lupin is a fictional character created by author Maurice LeBlanc and yet, this Arsene Lupin exists.”

“Arsene Lupin? He exists?” wonders Twilight.

Roy answers before continuing, “Yes, he does. His exploits were known in the late 19th century where yes, he is a thief. But even a thief like Lupin has a shred of honor. A force for good, despite being on the wrong side of the law. In his words, he states that there is no honor, no value in stealing from ordinary people. He only goes after those who are worse than him. During his travels, he founded some strange item. At first he saw it as of little value but as time went on, he began starting to collect these trinkets. He traveled all over the world, sought after them. After many years, he would soon discover that this collection contains great power and that whoever gathers it can have the power to do whatever they desire. And so, he chose to keep this collection until his eventual death. From that point on, these artifacts would then be known as The Lupin Collection.”

Snips raises his hand and says, “How did Lupin die? What happened to him?”

“Very few people ever knew what happened to Lupin. Many said he died after having saved France from an evil villain. Others say he died after having enjoyed a life of adventure. But all of that is proven false. In reality, he died when the Titanic sank in April 1912. He left behind a wife and a son, a son who would make his own mark as a Lupin. Years later, that man would fall in love with a Japanese woman and would have a son that even now makes his own mark,” I answer.

“So the Lupin Collection is tied towards the Lupin line. Then why would VILE be going after it to begin with?” Snails asks.

“That's a tough question. We do know that the Lupin Collection was scattered throughout the world after his death. It would take more than a century before they would be found... until about a year ago today. Whatever VILE wants with the Lupin Collection is not good. That goes double for Carmen Sandiego and her team. We don't know why they are involving themselves in this,” I follow.

“But I do know one thing detectives. Whatever VILE has in store will threaten the entire world. As for Carmen Sandiego and her band of thieves, we know little. That is why you five are here, not only to capture Carmen Sandiego but also to prove the existence of and stop VILE, by any means necessary,” Chief Thigpen responds.

Before Chief Thigpen can say anything else, the alarm goes off. It surprises us but then ACME agents are on the move, trying to find out what's going on.

“Chief?!” shouts Sunset, “What's happening?!”

“The ACME Alarm. Seems that our agents have found something,” Thigpen responds, checking what's going on.

She activates the view screen to find that someone is there, along with several grunts behind him. Whatever they want isn't good.

“So it seems VILE has made their move. Listen up gumshoes!” she shouts, getting our attention as the alarm dims, “This is your first assignment. Find out what they are after and if they prove to be a problem, deal with them. Is that clear?”

“Yes Chief,” I tell her.

“They aren't far from ACME headquarters. Get moving!” She shouts, ordering us to move out... but something still isn't right so she stops us, “Wait one moment!”

All five of us stop moving as she says this. I then ask, “What is it this time?”

“Seems I forgot to give you something else,” she replies.

“Yeah. What's that?” Sunset asks.

“Your uniforms,” she tells us, “And no, you are not wearing the suits our agents are wearing. You'll be wearing different suits, courtesy of the GSPO. Head to our ACME tailors and they will work on having you set. Once you are dressed and ready, head to the Garage. Your rides will be waiting. Twilight?”

“Yes Chief?” she asks her.

“As soon as your are dressed and able, return here. I have an assignment for you and it has to do with why your Trigger Machine isn't ready,” Chief explains, “I think you may prove helpful with this.”

“Understood,” Twilight nods before departing with us.

The five of us head to the ACME tailors in another room. He first tells us all to stand still. He grabs something from his pocket and activates it. It gets a bit blindy but not as serious. Within a few seconds, our uniforms appear but they aren't what they expect. The guy then each gives us a piece of paper with a number inside.

He then says, “Each of you use that number to take your uniform. Suit up and kick butt.”

He then departs, leaving us to get our uniforms. I went first with mine having “00” on it. I grab my uniform and the others do the same, following the numbers. Twilight and Sunset went across from us to change while Snails, Snips and myself head to the other side. We each take off our old clothes and fold them to the side. After that, we change into our new uniforms.

Snails notices that my uniform is different the others. He says, “Why is yours different from ours?”

“Let's just say that it was a personal request. Nothing more,” I reply, “Get dressed already will you?”

After a couple of minutes, we all come out of the changing room, with our new uniforms. Snails is now dressed in something similar to that of a police officer's uniform. Dressed in a suit, it consists of a dark blue jacket and pants, with a pair of black boots. What's interesting is that his uniform has bits of red on both his jacket and pants. The red is spotted in his neck collar, shoulder fringe, chest pocket and back of his pants. A gold police badge with the letter “S” is seen on the mid to top right (his left in his POV) and he's also got a wrist watch on. He also is wearing an earpiece as well for communication. In fact, all of us agents do. Interestingly, the others wear similarly. Snips is similar to Snails except he has green instead of red. Sunset has pink but instead of pants, she wears a short skirt with black linen pants and a pair of black shoes. Twilight is the same as Sunset but she has yellow streaks. As for yours truly, my uniform is similar to Snails but it's a two-piece entirely in white. Even my shoes are white and there is gold situated in my jacket, shoulder fringe and streak down leftward with red lines. My “S” police badge is there but with a blue line. I also wear an earpiece too but I also had with me a white headband, having tied it onto my head. The backs of my friends uniforms have the term “GSPO Tactical Unit” while mine has “GSPO Undercover Officers”. The right side (or left) of our uniforms has the ACME logo, symbolizing the collaboration. There are also holsters for us to put our Changer blasters in. We five meet up with the Chief, who is pleased to see us suited up and ready to rock.

“Well done agents. I see you are suited up and ready. No time to waste. That monster will hurt innocent people unless he is stopped. Now get going!” She orders.

We five salute and say, “Yes ma'am!”

We depart but Twilight opts to stay behind, mostly because of the orders the Chief have given her.

“Aren't you coming with us?” Sunset asks.

“Go on ahead. Chief gave me an assignment relating to my Trigger Machine,” Twilight responds.

“Your Trigger Machines won't be needed for this mission. Now what are you waiting for? Get going! Now!” Chief orders us once more.

The four of us head for the garage. Our rides consist of a black car and two motorcycles: one red, one white.

“Two motorcycles?” Sunset wonders.

“The white one's mine,” I answer as I get on it. Finding the key, I turn it and get it running. Snails does the same with his red cycle while Sunset gets on the black car along with Snips.

“Know how to drive?” Snips asks her.

“You need me to even get there. Now get in!” Sunset orders him.

Snails and I are already off. Sunset doesn't waste time as she starts up the car and drives off. We exit out of the garage. Two police cycles and a police car are on the move. People get a look, seeing us drive off. To them, we're just nothing but police officers, doing what's needed for the greater good. They have no idea that we came out of a warehouse to hunt down a VILE operative.

“Roy, target's a few blocks away. He's not alone,” Sunset tells me.

“Noted. I'm going ahead. You guys help the civilians,” I reply, “You guys know that you don't have your Trigger Machines so you may need to leave the fighting to me.”

“No,” Snails intrudes, “Even without them, we can still hold our own. The VS Changers double as blasters so we can hold our own.”

“Whatever floats your boat I guess.”

I speed off, hoping to find the target. To my surprise, he's right there. He isn't alone. The fellow was at 5'10 and he was dressed like he's ready to send a quake our way. Not only that but he also had several individuals by his side. They had faces that show little to no emotion but if there's one thing they are good at, it's cleaning up if a mission goes real bad.  I stop my ride and confront them. These guys are trouble but I wasn't going to let them slide with going after people.

“Hold it right there buddy. You're coming with me!” I order, aiming my X Changer squarely at him and his grunts.

“Huh? Who are you? You here to stop me pal! Name's Tremor and I make sure anyone gets shaken up!” He says. So Tremor's his name huh? Okay then.

“Let me make this clear buddy. You either come with me or we'll make you. You are a person of interest because you just robbed a jewelry store a few blocks from here. What you stole is of major interest to the GSPO,” I reply.

“Do I care what the cops think? They're nothing!” Tremor exclaims.

“Nothing huh?” Snails says, catching me by surprise, “So you admit you robbed the place did you? That's grounds for robbery charges don't you think?”

He takes out his VS Changer and aims it at Tremor. It gets worse when the police car Sunset is driving appears behind Tremor and his cleaner squad. Sunset along with Snips get out of the car, take out their VS Changers and aim them squarely at the crooks.

“Seems to me we got caught didn't we?” Tremor asks his Cleaner squad.

“You got that right. If I were you, do us a big favor and give us what you stole. We can make your time back in the clink easier if you do,” Snips tells him.

“And if I don't? You guys can't arrest me. I got people who'll make sure I stay out of the clink,” He responds to us.

“It won't matter. Trust me, we're making sure we take you in whether you like it or not. Believe me. We don't take kindly to bribes.”

“Is that right?” I notice him taking out something from his pocket.

“What's that in your hand?” I ask him, pointing my X Changer at him.

“A little something that gives me the power needed to crush you all like the vermin that you are,” He replies, squeezing it with his hand.

What happens next is something we all didn't foresee. In an instant, the person transforms. His human body is replaced by a monstrous one, covered in blue. It looks strange. It has a blue cat-like head, red ears, sharp black teeth and a blue mouth that I really don't want to know. Its body consists of a blue chest, a gray belly, two blue shoulder pads that look like cat paws and its tail can also double as a claw. Not only that but his legs are a mix of black, blue and gray. He has a collar that's black and blue with a red gem inside. If I didn't know any better, I'd say this guy is a bit on the feral side. Feral is an understatement for this freak. I turn to notice my friends really freaking out over the sight of the transformation. Doesn't help that we have to stop this guy.

“What... what was that just now?” Snips asks.

“What you guys saw is what happens to someone who isn't pure of heart use the Lupin Collection,” I reply.

“What? What do you mean?” Snails asks me.

“Those who have evil in their hearts become corrupted by its influence. In turn, they become monsters. Ganglers.”

“Ganglers?” Sunset wonders.

“The code name for people who use the Lupin Collection for evil. Ganglers have been popping up for almost a year now and since VILE have been trying to get their hands on the Lupin Collection, it's easy to see why they got these guys at their beck and call,” I tell them.

“So what do we do?” Snails questions.

Roy points to it and says, “See the safe on its chest? We need to remove the Lupin piece inside. Once it's removed, he won't be much of a threat. Though if we do take him down, we probably won't know if he'll revert. Most times it won't since the evil in them just outright kills them.”

“What?!” Sunset shouts, “You can't be serious!”

“Comes with the job,” I retort, “Let me handle Tremor. You guys deal with the Cleaners.”

“Uh hello?” Snails intrudes, “We have the VS Changers. We can handle them!”

“Dumbass, news flash,” Sunset counters, “We don't have our Trigger Machines. Chief didn't give them to us because Twilight had to go and fix hers.”

“See what I mean? Let me handle this,” I tell them, moving forward and yelling, “Keisatsu Change!”

I turn the X Trigger counter-clockwise, showing the silver side and then again back to the gold train.

“X-NIZE! KEISATSU X CHANGE!”

Aiming up, I shoot up and a wallet comes out, opening and revealing a gold “S” police badge. It covers my body, transforming myself into the gold Patranger, Patren X.

“PATREN X!”

“Like the morning sun that shines through daylight, I smite evil in the name of justice. Patren X!” I shout, taking my role seriously.

“What the? Cops turning into Power Rangers? What is this shit? That wasn't what Coach Brunt told me when I did this! No matter, I'm going to enjoy smattering you into pancakes!” Tremor yells, but in a more corroded monster state.

“Go ahead and try buddy. You won't even lay a scratch. Let's dance,” I rush in, going on the attack.

“Cleaners! Deal with the small fries! I'll handle the jerk in gold!” Tremor roars. His Cleaner mooks go after my friends, while he goes after me.

He starts off by lunging his arm for a claw swipe. I dodge by ducking, sliding forward and then I respond with a spin kick to his back. This gets him riled so he goes in for a repeated attack. I dodge swiftly. As I do so, my friends get worried over how they have to deal with a bunch of Cleaner mooks.

“Uh guys, we got company,” Snips tells them.

“So we got to fight these clowns while Roy handles the big monster. This better not be like in the Power Rangers show,” Snails answers, while wondering if this is like the show.

“Something to note buddy,” Sunset points, “You wear red and in Power Rangers, you have the color of a leader.”

“Wait, leader? Are you kidding me?” Snails asks, again.

“Do any of us have red in our uniforms?” Snips points out. He and Sunset see Snails wearing red and that's enough for him to say that he is the leader.

Snails looks and then has a dejected look on his face and says, “I hate being dragged into Roy's escapades.”

He won't have time to worry about it since the Cleaners start attacking them. The three start dodging attacks left and right. Whether it be Sunset swiftly avoiding them, Snips specializing on using the environment around him or Snails trying to use self-defense to even bother dealing with them, these guys are in for a fight. Even I'm stuck in a battle, against some VILE operative that turned into a Gangler-like monster. Our first day on the job and it's already this. But wait a second... what about Twilight? Don't worry. Let's get to how she's doing.

Global Special Police Organization United States Branch Division Base, New York City
At the same time...

The Global Special Police Organization or GSPO is a police agency that isn't just limited to one place. Oh no, this is a worldwide organization with multiple branches spanning throughout the world. Once such branch exists here in the United States, situated in the Big Apple itself. New York City. It's quite a delight I tell you. Quite a delight. Home to many places like the Freedom Tower, Empire State Building and others, it's incredible. But now isn't the time to think about this. An issue is at hand. Twilight arrives and not a moment sooner.

“We have been expecting you Miss Sparkle. Welcome to our US Branch,” says the guy in charge, Vincent Williams.

“Thank you. I was told from Chief Thigpen that you are having trouble with a Trigger Machine you guys are working on,” Twilight responds.

“Yes. We experienced an issue that I feel you should handle. Come with us. Our lead scientist will explain everything,” He says.

Twilight follows Williams into another room next door, the R&D lab. Inside was a man who is struggling to figure something out in front of him. He was of Indian nationality, his outfit consists of a gray and white lab coat that covered much of him. Not only that but he has black hair but part of it is white and shaped like a mohawk. He also wears googles to boot. Something that is most recognizable is his prosthetic left arm, not to mention he's got a goatee. It's also something that helps him stand out as well.

“Doctor, we brought her as you requested,” says Vincent.

“Excellent. Only someone whose knowledge rivals mine can help me with this,” responds the doctor.

“Uh... who are you?” Twilight asks.

“Apologies. I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Dr. Samuel Bellum but I prefer to be called Dr. Belljar. It suits me more,” Belljar replies, introducing himself to Twilight.

“A pleasure... to meet you, Doctor,” Twilight shakes Belljar's hand.

“I asked you here, thinking that you can help us with this little predicament. Our little gift for you has hit a bit of a snag,” Belljar tells her.

“I already know. Chief Thigpen told me about this before I arrived. I have to hurry because my friends are in trouble.”

“Yes. Against VILE's new toys, the Ganglers.”

“Gangler?”

“Yes. They are monsters created by people whose greed are consumed by the Lupin Collection's influence.”

“Influence?” Twilight asks herself.

“You were briefed about this weren't you?” Belljar asks her, in which, she nods without hesitation.

“Good. Then I take it you can be able to fix this.”

Belljar shows Twilight the Trigger Matchine. It was a yellow Trigger Machine, looking similar to that of an armored police van. But something's up. It isn't activated and it's letting off a lot of static.

“This has been based off the Trigger Machines used by the previous Patrangers. We figure that ACME would need some more firepower so in cooperation with the GSPO and their US branch, we've been reverse engineering the technology.”

“Don't you think that's a bit risky doing something like that? Who knows what else you can screw up by fiddling with something like that?” She asks Belljar but he seems the least bit fazed.

“I'm used to this sort of thing. After all it wasn't the first time I've done something like this,” He tells her.

Shocked by this, Twilight asks, “What? This isn't your first time doing this?”

“Nope and it won't be the last. Now are you going to try to get this thing fixed or what? I don't have all day,” Belljar tells her and that's enough to get her mad.

“Fine. I'll do it but I'm not making promises,” She tells him.

The instant Twilight touches the Trigger Machine 4Gou, the static that was spurting out began to dissipate. Belljar has a look of annoyance on his face. The fact that all it takes is a gentle woman's touch is enough to get him peeved. Twilight notices this and starts letting off a snicker.

“This isn't funny Ms. Sparkle,” says Belljar, “You are fiddling with something you shouldn't even have the right to wield. But I have my orders and it's to ensure that you get this.”

“Whatever,” Twilight replies, before contacting the Chief via her bluetooth, “Chief, it's Twilight. I got the Trigger Machine. I don't know how but for some reason, I got it working.”

“Excellent work, Twilight. But praises will have to wait. Your friends are in trouble. The Gangler's putting up a tougher fight than we thought,” She replies.

“I see. I'm on my way. Send me the other Triggers. I rather have us do this as a team.”

“You read my mind Twilight. ACME is already at work,” Before long, Twilight feels something strange.

Her body starts dematerializing and then she teleports off. Belljar watches, since he knows that the tech ACME is using was in fact his technology. All he can do is smile. Seems that it's only a matter of time.

Meanwhile...

If you wonder about us, things aren't getting better. Turns out the Gangler is a bit more challenging than I thought he would be. Made no better due to his skills as a pyromaniac. On the other hand, my friends are standing no chance against the Cleaners aka the mook grunts. Despite their efforts, these guys don't play around and they are also armed with special rods that stun enemies.

“I expect more from you guys but it seems you newbies have no chance,” Tremor says.

“Okay... now what do we do?” Snails asks me, trying to get up after reeling from a few jolts of those rods.

“Not my call man,” I tell him, reminding him of his responsibility as being a leader.

“What do we do?” Snips asks.

“If we don't do something, we're going to get whooped hard! Do something!” Sunset shouts.

All the frustration starts penting up inside him as he slowly lashes out, “If I could, I would. Or have we forgotten? We don't have our Trigger Machines. We can't morph without them. More imporantly, I'm not cut out to be a leader of this! I really am not!”

“What a shame! Somehow I expected a lot more but now it ends. This will be quick and painless after all,” Tremor starts gathering power from the safe on his chest.

In turn, the energy goes into his arms and then he gathers it into an orb. All we do is watch as he gears a finishing strike. Before he can unleash it, someone comes out of nowhere and delivers an overhead spin kick. The kick disorients Tremor as he fires the ball, striking a nearby building, causing an explosion. This is not only interesting but scary at the same time.

“What the... who did that?” Tremor asks.

“I did buddy!” the sound of Twilight is heard as she then gives Tremor a kick to the chest followed by two shots of her VS Changer.

We all get a look and it's Twilight but she's packing heat and her Trigger Machine. She turns to meet up with the rest of us. Sadly we look none too worse for wear. To be fair, we at least did our best but it isn't enough.

“So Twi, did you do it?” I ask her.

She shows us her Trigger Machine and answers, “Yep. I'm ready to go.” Twilight then gives the others their respective machines.

“That's more like it. Now it's time to step up our game!” says Snails, but before he could, he gets stumped so he turns to us wondering what to do next.

“So uh, how do we do this? How do we transform into Power Rangers like Roy did,” he asks.

We all literally get flabbergasted at the sight of this. Snails, not figuring out how to morph into a Power Ranger like I am, and to make it worse, we expect him as leader of the squad?! Bloody hell!

“And people expect you to be leader of the team huh?” I tell him, “Wow. For a yinzer, you certainly are clueless.”

This triggers him. So he goes to my face and says, “Don't you freaking dare, Roy Starfall. I told Sunset and everyone here that I am not cut out to be a leader!”

“And here we thought that the manic-depressed of you went away forever,” intrudes Sunset. That triggers him even more.

“Don't even start!” He shouts.

“Uh, are you buttheads finished yapping? I rather kill you all now!” shouts Tremor.

But having had enough of the BS that's going on, Snails responds by firing a shot at his direction. It strikes him and he just keeps going. He keeps shooting. He was tired of all the crap that's going on today.

“What was that for?” says the Gangler.

“That's for pissing me off on a good day. Want to make it a double whammy then?” Snails replies. The monster doesn't say a word and he retorts, “Good.”

He then turns his attention towards me. “Okay. Do you know how to do this?”

“Sure. It's pretty simple actually,” I tell him.

I borrow Twilight's VS Changer and Trigger Machine so I can explain it to the others.

“Here's how to do it. Step 1: Hold the VS Changer up via it's grip and make sure the handle is on the right. Step 2: Insert the Trigger Machine into the Changer and then hold onto the back end. Step 3: Push the grip then turn it to the right so that the Machine is underneath. Finally Step 4: Aim up and pull the Trigger on the Machine to transform. Four simple steps that I hope you four can understand. Believe me, it necessary if we are to stand any chance against anything that VILE will throw at us.”

“Four simple steps huh? Okay. I'll give it a try,” Snails says, turning his attention to the Gangler and his mooks.

“One other thing,” I interrupt suddenly, “The code name to morph is two words: Keisatsu Change.”

“Keisatsu Change? That sound ridiculous,” He replies, but I don't respond afterwards.

“Okay, here goes nothing,” He mutters to himself before taking a deep breath and starts following the instructions I tell him.

“Keisatsu Change!”

He made sure to have it exactly as it was in Step 1 and inserts his Red Trigger Machine into the VS Changer. The sound “1Gou” is then heard. Next, as his left hand is on the grip and his right on the back of the Changer, he pulls the grip. “Patirize!” is then heard as he turns the grip 90 degrees causing the handle to be on the bottom. After all that, he passes the VS Changer onto his right hand, aims it up and then fires. We then hear “Keisatsu Change” but as he fires, something happens.

We see a virtualized badge holder go upwards before opening up, revealing an “S” police badge. But the badge is colored red and starts heading downward. Snails watches as his body gets engulfed by the badge, transforming. Within seconds, the transformation completes turning Snails into a Power Ranger. But he isn't just any Power Ranger, he's the opposite of what the Lupinrangers are. He's a Patranger. My friends look in shock seeing this.

“Well what do you know? He did it,” I speak.

“Huh? What the?” Snails looks at a nearby mirror and gets a look at himself now.

Compared to the Lupinrangers with their suits, what Snails wears is an inverse. Instead of black, it's white and there's plenty on the sides of the chest, arms and shoes. His respective color is seen all over him with the chest bit being similar to that of wearing a suit and tie. His helmet is also red but the visor itself is similar to that of a police hat. The “S” police badge is shown as well, on the top of the visor and on the right side in the chest. It symbolizes the other side of the spectrum but seeing all this is the least of his concerns.

“Are you kidding me? Coach Brunt really didn't tell me about this,” says the monster before he decides to order his mooks around, “What are you idiots waiting for! Get them! Don't let the others morph into Power Rangers!”

I soon notice the Cleaners moving in to attack. Knowing this, I decide to be said distraction, “What are you all waiting for? You guys need to morph now! We got to take the Gangler down!”

“What he said,” Snails follows as he joins in.

“Well if we got to fight back against them, we got no other choice,” Sunset replies.

Snips nods in agreement, as is Twilight. The three of them gear themselves up to morph since well, if they don't, we all are going to get whooped. They follow the same steps as Snails did so explaining it will probably not be necessary.

“Keisatsu Change!”

“2Gou!” Snips inserts his first.

“3Gou!” Then Sunset.

“4Gou!” Twilight follows after as the three push on their respective grips.

“Patirize!” Upon turning it, they then grab their handles, aim up and fire! “Keisatsu Change!”

Three badges pop up, opening and revealing three “S” police badges. The differences are of color: green, pink and yellow. All of them go down and within seconds, they transform into the other Power Rangers. The only other noticeable feature the suits have is the helmets, aside from different colors. Green aka 2Gou has his visor bottom like a long W spread out. Pink, 3Gou has the bottom visor shaped like a heart. Surprisingly, 4Gou's visor is the same way. Everyone reacts with shock and amazement seeing that they have transformed... and about time too. If they didn't, we wouldn't even last the day.

“God dammit! Maelstrom will not be happy with this. First those Lupin Thieves and now these guys! Jesus Christ!” shouts Tremor as he gears up to attack by channeling the pyromaniac within him.

He lets out another fireball but in an unexpected act of precognition, Snails takes something out of nowhere and uses it to block and deflect the fire blast. It gets sent upwards, exploding in the process. We all look in awe over it.

“Robbing people of a livelihood is one thing but when you decide to tear this world asunder by abusing a birthright that isn't yours, that crosses the line!” Snails tells it.

“Who are you to judge me huh? You brats are nothing before VILE. We are V.I.L.E, the Villains International League of Evil! We will make the world our oyster and the pearls will truly be lovely,” Wise words Gangler.

“So that's what you clowns are? Thanks for being such a blabbermouth,” Snips tells him.

“What are you fuckers anyway?” He asks.

“We are the opposite. We fight in the name of justice, smiting evil as we go! Everyone! Roll call!” I shout.

“Patren 1Gou!” Snails shouts, assuming a stance with his hand stating the number 1, index finger.

“Patren 2Gou!” Snips follows, assuming said stance with hand at number 2, index and middle.

“Patren 3Gou!” Sunset cries, assuming stance with hand at number 3, thumb, index and middle.

“Patren 4Gou!” Twilight follows up, assuming with hand at number 4, thumb, index, middle and ring.

“Patren X!” I end it with my respective stance, symbolizing a different branch.

All five of us then assume formation, performing a salute in a straight line, “Keisatsu Sentai!”

We then pull off a hell of a group pose as well yell out our true calling, “Patranger!”

“Pat... ranger! Curse you ya stinking Pat Brats!” shouts the Gangler.

“By order of both ACME and the GSPO, we're taking you in by force!” Snails shouts, aiming his weapon at the Gangler in question.

“Want to take me by force eh? Go ahead and try! Cleaners! Deal with them!” The Gangler shouts as he and his Cleaner mooks go in to attack us.

“Guess we're going for the main event huh? Okay then,” says Snails as he takes something out, a megaphone that doubles as a baton.

“Let's do this guys!” We all get our respective main weapons and rush in to take on our foes.

Compared to earlier, we actually do stand a chance against the Gangler and his mooks. I go after the big cheese since what's in the safe is still priority. Though to be frank, the guy is still dangerous since he can channel the power to unleash fire attacks. As for my friends, they are actually managing for once but only because their powers are protecting them from serious harm. Snails is a fortunate one as he ducks and weaves against the Cleaners' attacks. He blocks one with one arm and then counters with the other. Using his blaster, he blasts the Cleaner mook until he's reduced to scrap. It hits him as fast as a brick however.

“The Cleaners are robots?” He wonders.

“Wait a sec, robots? You kidding,” Snips replies.

“Do I look like I'm kidding here? Hell no!” Snails rasps.

“Forget I asked,” grabbing the Patrol Baton (Pat Megabo), he does three slashes at the incoming Cleaner, reducing him to tatters.

“Really now?” Sunset wonders, “Let's go Twilight!”

Twilight nods as the two work together to take out a few mooks themselves. Sunset goes above Twi by jumping and fires a few shots, hitting them. Twilight follows with her Patrol Baton slashing the Cleaner. Another Cleaner goes in to blindside her. Sunset intrudes by shooting it in the leg and follows with a strike from her respective Patrol Baton. Two for one and I call it teamwork right here. Before long, the four take care of the Cleaners and they explode into tatters.

“My Cleaners!” shouts Tremor, “You'll pay for this you brats! Time to burn!”

Tremor channels energy from the safe and then fires a blast of flame attacks. We avoid most of them but some soon repel and hit us. Snails takes it the worst as his blaster hits the ground from the impact. That's when Snips has an idea. He does a baseball slide as a means to dodge Tremor's fire blasts but what he does next shows that a kid like him has some guts. He slides to grab Snails' blaster and with his opposition in front of him, takes aim and fires a double dose of laser blasts. The hits reel the monster back a bit. Snips doesn't stop. He keeps shooting at the thing, hoping to give Snails enough time to strike back. Thankfully he does so, but not before Sunset and Twilight get a piece of that thing. They jump, step on Snips' respective shoulders and deliver a strike attack that hurts. Now it's the leader's turn.

“Snips, give me your Baton!” he shouts as he rushes in to deliver the killing blow. 

Snips does so, throwing his Patrol Baton upwards. Snails grabs it and using two Patrol Batons, unleashes a double slash attack that hits it good and hard. As for me, I don't need to do anything. I have my own plan in mind.

“Nice work guys. Time to deliver the coup de grace,” Taking out my X Changer, I then say, “Kaitou Change!”

Turning the blaster to its silver side, I gear up to transform. “Kaitou X Change!” Aiming my gun diagonally down, I fire, transforming from the golden officer Patren X into the silver-armored thief Lupin X. No, I'm serious. When Sunset notices me transforming, she seems surprised. The others soon follow suit with this.

“What the? Roy can turn into Lupin X too?” Snails wonders.

“It's only temporary,” I tell him, “Besides. You need something to open the safe right?”

Though to be fair, they do realize that unless we open the safe, our mission isn't done. As I walk closer to the hurt Gangler, I take out some kind of device on my waist and place it on its chest. I open the device, revealing a keypad and screen, basically being something I can use to open up safes. The keypad automatically goes to work, unlocking the combination and we hear it too.

“3-7-1!”

“Damn you! Get off me!” The safe opens up and I bag the prize, but not before striking him with my X Rod Sword. It sends him reeling to the ground.

“Got it,” I tell them, “Thanks Tremor. I'll be taking your Lupin Collection piece now.”

“You jerks! You may have taken what I stole but you ain't getting out of this alive!” Guess this monster's running out of tricks.

“You got it?” Sunset asks.

“Yep,” I tell her, “Chief, we got it.”

“I've seen it. Excellent work. Though how come you look like Enigma in that form?” Chief asks me.

“It was needed in order to unlock the safe since the Patren X form doesn't have it,” I tell her.

“No matter. Lucky for you, I have something that will be helpful to you all,” Next thing we see, a silver briefcase appears out of the blue.

Snails is quick to open up and it looks like some kind of toy. It's black but has a bit of white and blue on the top, orange symbolizing a mouth and some kind of spinning lock. Not to mention its wings are folded, showing the “S” badge.

“What is that?” Snails asks.

“This here is GoodStriker,” answers the Chief, “We received it today from the Global Police. All we know is that this individual is a wild card, only allying with whoever he sees worthy. Be lucky he chooses to side with us.”

“That's a relief,” Snips assures.

“So how does it work?” Sunset wonders.

“Well...” Snails decides to figure that out himself, “Only one way to find out.”

Taking the GoodStriker, he inserts it into the VS Changer and turns it, having it downward since it has a Trigger inside. What happens next is something even I wouldn't believe. At that moment, Sunset and Snips start to combine into Snails. His Ranger suit changes showing Green on his left and Pink on his right. They become armor pieces to the suit.

“1Gou! 2Gou! 3Gou! Ichidanketsu! (For the Common Good!)”

When it was over, Twilight and I see the transformation complete and boy, this isn't a pretty sight. Believe me. If you thought having one person in your head is bad, try having two others.

“What? What just happened?” Sunset wonders, not realizing that she is inside Snails via Patren Ugou form.

“I don't know. Ugh, why is this place so cramped?” Snips asks, starting to feel like he's squished. Too bad he's right as the two are inside him, having fused together into some kind of powered up form.

“What the? Hey, are you touching my butt right now?”

“Don't look at me. He activated GoodStriker and we just got sucked in. Ow! This really does feel tight.”

“I swear. If you do anything stupid, I'll slam your head through the pavement.”

“I'm serious. This is just...”

“Would it help if you two can shut up?” Snails shouts, silencing them both. Even he realizes that the whole thing is a pain.

“Hey. You're the one who put the thing on the blaster,” Sunset replies.

“Can we like take him down? I hate being squished by you two, much less fused together,” Snips follows.

“Alright already! Man I hate it when you beg!” Yep. He's not happy.

He assumes a firing position and as he does so, energy begins to gather around his weapon. It's more like in a circulated way with red, green and pink colors circulating.

“Twilight,” I tell her, throwing something at her, “Take this and insert it into your VS Changer. You can use it for a Boost attack.”

Grabbing it, Twilight nods and inserts a small gold train onto her weapon. She then hears “Thunder!” as she turns the blaster around, causing it to be upwards. I meanwhile turn the handle on my X Rod Sword down, revealing it's Kaitou form, extending out a blade. Then I turn the handle back in the middle and then back down, gearing to finish the job.

“X-Time! Countdown!” “Time to end this little game!”

“3!” “Ichigeki Strike (One-Shot Strike)!” Patren Ugou gets closer to charging up its finishing move.

“2!” “Keisatsu Boost!” Twilight has her sights aimed and true, ready to unleash hell.

“1!” “Superior X!” I twirl my blade twice, forming an X and gearing up for a strike.

“0! Itadaki X-Strike (One-Shot X-Strike)!”

Next thing we know, we unleash our finishing attacks, striking the Gangler down. It suffered way too much and as a result, exploded. Yeah. I'm serious. Monsters like this explode after being hit with too much damage. As for the person who got corrupted by the Lupin Collection piece, well, karma's a bitch. He ends up fading away, paying the price for abusing its power. When it's all over, Snails removes GoodStriker. In turn, it starts to activate on its own. He then notices the five of us and right away, senses something off.

“Huh? Who might you be?” It asks us.

“For your information, we kind of needed you to take down a Gangler who stole a Lupin piece,” Twilight answers. Patren Ugou dissipates, returning the three to normal.

“What? The Lupin Collection has been stolen again? I thought all the pieces were recovered.”

“Wait a sec, recovered? How? Who are you?” I then ask it.

“You should know for your friend decided to use me. I'm GoodStriker and I see that you all are Patrangers aren't you?”

“Yep, that's right,” Twilight quickly answers but GoodStriker becomes annoyed since there is more than just simply four Rangers.

“Wait a second. How come you are a Patranger?” GoodStriker wonders, peering into Twilight, noticing that she also has a Trigger Machine on her VS Changer.

“That's not possible. There were supposed to be six VS Changers, three for each side. Yet I see four on this side. What is going on here?” He seems confused over this.

“If you let us explain, mine was given me by some crazy doctor at GSPO's New York Branch. All I did was touch the thing and it started working. What's wrong with you?” Twilight explains.

“Huh? Crazy doctor? No... this can't be,” This has us even more confused.

“GoodStriker uh... is everything okay?” Sunset then wonders.

“Okay? Does it look okay to you? Do any of you have any idea what you've done?” GoodStriker then asks us.

But Snails, having had enough of all the crap that's been going on, gets in GoodStriker's face and says this, “We don't know and most importantly, we don't care. What are you getting at with this? All we did was recover this Lupin Piece from some jackass who works for VILE.”

“VILE? Ugh, my head hurts. Either way, you guys are fiddling with a power that you can't control. Seeing your friend becoming a Patranger is proof enough that someone's been fiddling with the Lupin Collection's power. I'm getting to the bottom of this!” It shouts, gearing up to fly off to find answers.

Before it does however, it turns back around to us and says, “I do know that you five aren't here by chance. You impress me but it'll take more than that to earn my trust.”

And just like that, GoodStriker flies off. For a wild card, he certainly fits the role well enough. A bit too well if you ask me. But then the Lupin Piece that we find suddenly assumes a form. We all get a look at it.

“Is that a lighter?” Sunset asks.

“I don't know. But whatever it is, we got what we came for. Let's head back and debrief. Maybe the Chief will know something about this,” I answer.

We return to ACME HQ with the Lupin Piece. Handing to the Chief, she seems a bit intrigued by it but it also seems that there's something else going on.

“Well done gumshoes. For your first assignment, you did well. However I notice that there is friction within your team,” Chief tells us. We stay silent.

“Is there something that I should be made aware of? Whatever it is, it's safe for you to tell me. I can tell because one of you doesn't seem fit to handle this responsibility,” Each of us start staring at the one person who throughout all this has been complaining his ass off.

Before long, even he realizes this so he steps forward and what he says afterwards is a perfect representation of his real feelings toward this responsibility.

“Yes Snails. Is there something you like to say?” asks the Chief.

He nods and then says this, “As much as we appreciate you for giving us this opportunity, I feel that I am not worthy of being leader.”

“Excuse me?” The Chief wonders, dumbfounded by this.

“During our skirmish in trying to stop the VILE operative, I was under a lot of pressure. Sure, I want to do good but not in a way that makes me feel like it's for naught. I don't know why I was given this but I'm not ready. I really am not. I've been through hell. I've had my mind shredded, consumed and then poisoned by a black void... only for someone who I consider a brother to save me. He helped me and I am indebted to him. But then he goes to say that I have to become leader of this team. I don't know if I can do this. I really don't.”

I don't blame Snails for being he how is now. To be honest, it's been something that was eating away at him for some time and the more it did, the more cold he became. When he was freed from it all, I hoped that he would never have to go through this garbage again. How do I know this? I helped him. I freed him. But now this. I feel it's enough to push him over the edge. Hearing this is enough for the Chief to let off a sigh. But it seems she has something else on her mind.

“Do you wish to know who it was that gave you this responsibility?” She asks him.

He doesn't give her an answer so she provides him one, “It was him.”

Snails turns to see that it was me. Yep. Me. The look on his face says it all and he would have a million questions for me wondering the same thing. His attention shifts back to the Chief once more. She's got reasons for this.

“Your friend Roy told me about you. In fact, not just you, all of you,” She tells them.

“Roy details how you all are like a tightly-knit group. How you all did what you could to help your world against those who threatened it... and how your friend can be a klutz at times. Sure, he made mistakes and he has to live with them. But he's more than willing to do what is needed for the good of all,” She continues.

“But what does all of this have to do with my responsibility in being leader of this Ranger team? Why did Roy, of all people, choose me?” Snails asks, intruding the Chief.

“I'm getting to that part,” The Chief intrudes back, shutting him up.

“Sorry.”

“Anyway, the reason why Roy chose you... is because he believed in you. Is that enough for you to know that he still cares for you? For all of you?” And there's your answer.

“I... I had no idea,” He turns his attention back to me, and I respond to him with a smile and some assurance.

“The good news is that you have done well on your first assignment. Our team at ACME is working around the clock to see if we can figure out its function. For now, take the time to recuperate. Your real battle will begin soon enough. Dismissed!” The Chief orders us.

We salute and walk off. The five of us are happy we got our first assignment done, in spite of some difficulties. But as we continue to walk, Snails turns his attention at me. I have a pretty good reason why.

“Roy... why? Why have me with this responsibility?” He asks, but then he realizes something.

“Because like I said, I believe in you... just like how you always have,” I tell him.

“Is it because of what happened back home?” I nod at him saying no, “Then what?”

“You should figure it out. Besides I've done enough as it is. Having to deal with a former principal of Crystal Prep who had tried to make things miserable for us three times. It's already bad enough that I'm burned out by doing this save the world bullshit. Even a guy like me needs some rest,” I reply to him.

“I don't blame you. You've done enough for all of us and in turn, we do the same. But it still doesn't excuse all the crap you've done,” Snails reminds me.

“As if I already know. Like the Chief said, I've made bad choices and I have to live with them.”

“Yeah, like cheating on Sunset Shimmer with Twilight,” Snips has to rub it in didn't he?

“She cheated on me with her ex,” I counter, not realizing that I'm within earshot of her.

“I still hate your guts for what you did,” says Sunset.

“The feeling's mutual Little Miss Pendulum,” I counter, as if I want to get hurt by a bacon-haired bitch with issues.

“You are lucky we're inside ACME because if we weren't, the next thing you'll be feeling is my foot up your no-good unfaithful ass! So don't push your luck!” She shouts. I make sure to back off because I ain't dealing with that.

“Can we like focus on something else?” says Twilight, intruding and changing the subject.

We all look at her and realize that yeah, she's got a point. Besides, the only thing that we should worry about now is what else ACME will give us. We also agreed that Snails will have to be the leader of this team. Why? Because if I believe in him, we all should. I mean for our first gig as Patrangers, we did pretty well but who knows what else this world is going to bring in. But my gut feels that something is off. Really off.

Snails notices me thinking of something and asks, “Something on your mind?”

I look at him and answer, “Yeah. I feel like we were being watched.”

“Watched? By who?” Sunset wonders.

“I don't know but whoever it was may be someone that we need to be cautious of,” I tell them.

“Should we let the Chief know?” Twilight asks.

“No,” Snails answers, “Not yet. Unless we have a good idea who we're up against, we don't tell her. But we should be cautious. In a world as unknown as this, you can't always think of things as black and white... but rather a shade of gray.”

We all nod in agreement but I simply smile along with the nod. Looks like this guy is fitting the leader role just fine. Snails looks at me and asks, “What?”

“Nothing,” I tell him, “My faith in you has not been deterred. You'll fit this leader role better than I could.”

I walk ahead of them since I have my own gig to do and the others follow suit. But yeah, my hunch that we were being watched proved to be right. On the roof of a building, someone dressed in silver looked below. He has his fingers on an earpiece he wears. He keeps tabs on the whole situation but that's the least of his worries. He's been trying to get in touch with his group. What for? Let's just say that it isn't good.

“Yeah, I saw everything. Player, where are the others?” He says.

“Carmen is screwing up a VILE operation in Peru. Zack and Ivy are helping her out with recon and assistance,” Player replies.

“And Patty? What about her?”

“Don't worry Lupin. She's got her own work in London... and that's all I will say about it.”

“I rather not question what she does. Believe me. My wife can be a real piece of work.”

“But yeah, why do you need everyone?”

He takes a deep breath and says, “I think we might have a problem.”

To be continued...

Next time on EqG LuPat! The Patrangers learn that the Lupins have made their next move, striking hard in Italy. It's here where the two Ranger teams finally clash! But when things get rough due to a Gangler ambush, who will come out on top? Will it be the thieves? Or will it be ACME's new band of brats? Find out in the next chapter: Rivaled Clash! Two teams, two oblectives! Which side will you all choose?
> Episode 1-3: Rivaled Clash
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Episode 1: Arrival / Chapter 3: Rivaled Clash


Isle of V.I.L.E, Faculty Area - a few minutes after the Patrangers defeated Tremor

“Esteemed faculty, we are faced with a predicament,” says a man in his mid-50s, sitting in the middle chair. His hands are gently touching via his fingerprints.

“A few minutes ago, our scouts have reported that our operative has failed in his mission. Made worse is that we were unable to find him, mostly due to him being corrupted and becoming a monster.”

“Our Cleaners report that no trace of him was left behind. I guess that Tremor has proven to be an inadequate candidate for the Gangler project. But we have obtained sufficient data that will prove useful to any and all future operations,” responds another, a woman wearing a black and white lab coat. She also wears goggles and is currently inputting stuff through her many screens.

“This has been the second incident we have dealt with this month alone. Last week, one of our bases have been ransacked. Security footage confirms that it was those Power Rangers, the Lupinrangers they were called,” says another member, one dressed like she would fit in a fashion show, wearing in green.

“And now today. Tremor couldn't handle a pack of inexperienced brats. And yet they're called Patrangers. For all I know, I rather call them the Pat Brats,” follows another, a woman, muscular and wearing a track suit in the colors of their organization.

“Pat Brats? Pah! They are no different than the Lupinrangers who have been sabotaging our operations left and right,” says the last, a man wearing a formal Wafuku of Japanese culture.

“Yes, I agree with you on the matter Shadowsan but our concern now is that there are two teams to contend with,” says the head in charge.

“Prof. Maelstrom, if I may be so bold, I think there is a way we can use both teams to our advantage.”

“Proceed then, Dr. Bellum,” says Maelstrom.

“As you can see here, our operatives have arrived in Rome. Their job is to prep up our plans and we do so by means of this: these special printing plates. Their alloy ensures that not even the Italian government can tell the difference from their funds. And considering that we need plenty, it'll do us well,” explains Bellum.

“But Bellum, how will this attract both teams? You know they're both after the same goal,” says the woman in the tracksuit.

“You think too small Coach Brunt. Attracting them will no doubt have the two teams cross paths and once they are distracted, we will send our Gangler to destroy them both,” explains Bellum.

“And with their destruction, nothing will stop us from obtaining what we desire: the world's treasures at our fingertips. Don't you agree Countess Cleo?” Maelstrom asks her.

“Most definitely. The Lupins will pay. They will pay dearly,” replies Cleo.

“Let us not forget the Patrangers Countess,” intrudes Shadowsan, “They are just as much of a threat as the Lupins.”

“Agreed. Dr. Bellum, I pray your plan is put in motion,” Cleo tells her.

“It will. For now, I prepare,” Bellum wastes no time in gearing her plan in motion.

Maelstrom smiles and says, “Excellent.”

A.C.M.E HQ – At the same time...

Though we are victorious in our first battle against a V.I.L.E operative who turned into some kind of monster, it wasn't all for naught. Believe me. The five of us are now taking the time to unwind and get our mind off this crap.

“Okay. So I sent the report to the Chief. All we can do now is wait,” I tell them.

“So is that it? I mean all this happened in the span of a few hours. I can't get over the fact that I combined with Snips and Sunset to pull off a move like that. It's insane. I'm not kidding,” Snails tells me.

“You'll get the hang of it man. Besides, Chief did say that we can get some R&R right? That's what we'll do.”

My attention shifts toward to the others. They found their own ways to relax and unwind from the troubles that plague them. Sunset's reading a magazine, hoping to learn more about the world and the people that live there. Twilight, being the bookworm that she is, is spending her time reading history books that ACME has. As for Snips, he's more towards video games. As if it's any obvious. I sit on a nearby chair, hoping to get my mind off what happened. Agent Zari notices us all getting a load off and doesn't say anything. Most of the agents know of what happened today, even the Chief.

As I rest however, my mind soon starts to drift. I soon start to remember a few things, many of them back when we were in our world. How can I forget? All I remember is me being a completely different person than I was right now. I was brash, impulsive, a showoff at times. I also remember how that had to be put aside for the sake of doing what's better for all of us. When Abacus Cinch wanted to put the city under martial law and even when the government abolished the old system, she was determined to do things her way. I had to stop her. I did do that and saved my home but it wasn't the end for her. I remember she sicced Twilight Sparkle onto us and how she nearly messed Sunset up bad. Though if it wasn't for her, who knows what would happen to her now. But eventually we decided that she needed new friends, people who can be the light within the darkness. But then I learned that Sunset broke my heart... by having an affair with her ex. I was hurt and I then turned to the one person who I saw as a kindred spirit: Twilight Sparkle. Like me, she also had to endure hell under Abacus. I don't know why but every time I saw her, it's as if I can relate. It started as simple talk but that talk would be much more. It became love. A lot of it. Sunset would eventually know the truth. Just as she hurt me, I would end up doing the same to her. I know that for sure because she felt my rage during the World Cup Finals.

“How long has Roy been resting?” Snips asks, “It's been almost an hour.”

“Even a guy like him needs R&R... like we all should,” Twilight replies.

As I continue my rest, I continue remembering. Abacus had tasted defeat twice but what she did would make everything she had already done pale in comparison. I already learned the truth about my origins and how I was the last survivor of a dead world. She realized that if she can't get what she wants, then no one can. So she enacted a plan to bring an evil from the past to the present. That evil... was Zarc. Zarc was once a prominent duelist until a little accident awoke the demon within him. He became ruthless, winning every duel until he became the best. Nothing would stop him... except for one. My own father. He stood up against Zarc and he won. He defeated Zarc and that was what caused him to snap. He would use his own monsters and fuse with them, becoming a terror that would bring the old world to its knees. Everyone tried to stop him but all failed. Even my father paid the price. A man would create four cards capable of stopping him. His daughter tried... only to be killed by Zarc. With nothing to oppose him, Zarc brought ruin to the world. How do I know this? Because someone known as the Doctor told me. A woman, who found me when I was younger, brought me here. I was only an infant and I could remember very little. But eventually Abacus Cinch would bring Zarc to the present so that his revenge would be sated. Like in the past, we all united together to stop him but it was for naught. Zarc wanted vengeance against me, since my father was the one who defeated him. I couldn't run away anymore. I faced my past to save the future. I did that. We did that. We defeated Zarc and sent him back to hell. As for Abacus Cinch, her punishment would be fitting for her. Exile. She was never seen again. The nightmare was finally over... or was it?

“Roy... Roy,” says Twilight. She tries to wake me, albeit gently. My eyes open and I see her.

“Huh? What is it?” I tell her, still tired.

“Wake up. The Chief wants us in her office. It's important,” She answers.

I stretch a bit and then met up with the others. Twilight does the same. We enter the Chief's office. Turns out she got something. Whether it be VILE or the Lupins, one thing is for certain. We're back on the beat.

“Enjoyed your R&R gumshoes?” She asks us. We simply nod at her in response, “Good. Because we have a lead.”

“Wait a second. What lead?” Sunset asks.

“Our agents have spotted some unusual activity at Rome,” the Chief tells us. She presses a button, causing the screen to appear with footage showing what's going on in Rome.

“This boat was spotted a few minutes ago at a nearby dock. Police nearby try to obtain identification but nothing. We can only assume that it's VILE. Whatever they have planned must be stopped. Your mission gumshoes... head to Italy, stop whatever VILE has planned and then capture Carmen Sandiego. Is that clear?” She orders us.

We go in a salute and say, “Yes ma'am.”

“Good! Now get going!”

We do just that but one of us seems a bit off by this. It catches the Chief so she decides to ask, “Snips. Is there something that concerns you?”

“Yes,” He answers, “Something just seems off.”

“Go on.”

“Why would VILE decide to put their foot down in a place like Rome? Don't you think this is a bit conspicuous? I mean. What if this is all a trap?”

“I have to agree,” I intrude, “You forget that Carmen Sandiego and her gang of loudmouth lunkheads would probably know about it and try to do something.”

“Fair enough,” The Chief replies, “If you plan to stop VILE's operation, do so with caution. As for Carmen and her gang, do not show any avenue of trust to them. They are just as dangerous.”

“Yes ma'am,” Snips orders, saluting as he meets up with the others.

Snails asks, “What was that about?”

“You ever wonder if all of this could lead to something bad? It's just a hunch,” He explains to us.

“I hate to admit it but he might be right,” Sunset replies.

“Fair enough. Regardless, we have to be ready for anything. We know so little about the Lupinrangers that we're going in this thing blind,” Snails tells us.

“All the more for it! I know that one of them is in that group. Someone named Patty Larceny,” Twilight replies.

“Patty Larceny?” Sunset wonders.

“Yep. A teenage delinquent that looks cute but she's not. I hear she's vicious.”

Having been fed up by Twilight's constant understanding, Snails rasps, “How the hell do you know so much of this crap?”

“Maybe that's what I get for binge-watching the show on YouTube. It's fact,” She has to pour salt on the wound did she? Yes she did.

“Let's just get moving,” But something hits him, mentally, “How are we going to get to Italy?”

“With this,” I take something out and press the button. This in turn activates some kind of portal to appear in front of us. My friends get startled by this.

“Roy, what the hell is that?” Sunset asks.

“This is the C-5 Corridor. ACME uses this to transport their operatives to anywhere on the planet. And the Chief has given us authorization to use it as we see fit... only if through traditional means won't get us there fast enough,” I reply.

“Basically, this serves as a way we can teleport to anywhere right? Like in Power Rangers?” Snips wonders.

“Yes,” I reply, dejectedly, “Like in Power Rangers.”

“Sweet,” His excitement never ceases.

“Okay Chief. We're ready. C-5 us to Italy!”

Before long, we five enter the portal. Everything seems normal, at first. But something goes wrong. We feel something strange within the whole thing. Yes, it is sending us to our destination but since these guys can't get the process right, it feels as if we're being separated. Within the ACME central area of operations, Chief Thigpen watches and feels disappointed that they still can't get the thing to work properly.

She presses a button and says, “Agent Zari. Fire whoever was managing the C-5 Corridor. It seems that we still can't get it to work properly. Also, get me in touch with Global Police's New York office. I may need that scientist of theirs.”

“Yes ma'am,” replies Agent Zari.

Venice, Italy – 4:50 PM

Venice, capital of the Veneto region and a city of Italy. This city has many names but many mostly call it “The Floating City”. Parts of it are best known for its beauty, architecture and artwork. Hell, it's where the Renaissance came about along with the birthplace of composer Antonio Vivaldi. For me personally, it's a romantic city and it makes me wish I would have a date there. We arrive alright but it seems that due to the C-5 Corridor being a bit unstable, we got separated. I arrive unscathed, near a harbor but the others weren't as lucky. Snails also arrives, but a few hundred feet away. Twilight was a mile away from us. Snips landed at a pier but the good news is he didn't get drenched. Sunset landed on the roof of a nearby home. She drops down to find that she isn't far from Snails' position.

“Chief, what the hell's going on?” I ask, “We got separated when the C-5 Corridor brought us to Italy!”

“That's on us unfortunately. It proved to be unstable, hence why this happens. Luckily I fired the one managing it. We'll be working on a new system to get you agents safely next time,” She replies.

“Thank goodness,” I follow.

“Chief, what's our assignment? We got separated,” Snails now asks.

“New plan then. Reunite with your companions then find the VILE ship that was located. Our agents will scour the area for it's location. Get moving!” She orders.

“Understood.”

We waste no time trying to find the others. Good news is that our VS Changers also double as radar points so that if we are to find each other, we'll know. But it seems that we're not the only team here. High above the rooftops, Carmen is watching us using a pair of binoculars. With an ear piece, she contacts her crew.

“This is Carmen, I got visual. Where's everyone?” She says.

“This is Zack. Still looking for that yacht,” Zack replies.

“Ivy here. No sign of it,” Ivy follows.

“Patty here. Enjoying a little dessert before moving out. A lady can't fight on an empty stomach,” Patty intrudes.

“Eating? Now?” Carmen wonders.

“Yeah. You know I'm the kind of lady that prefers something sweet like some Tiramisu,” Patty explains.

“Oh, think you can hook us up with desserts after this?” Zack asks.

“Food later. Mission now. Where's Lupin?” Carmen intrudes.

“Lupin here. Still no sign of the yacht. My guess VILE hasn't arrived yet,” says Lupin.

“But it seems we're not the only people here,” Carmen tells them.

“What do you mean?” Lupin asks.

“Don't know but whoever they are, they don't seem like VILE goons. They are more like police officers,” Carmen tells them.

“Can you be a bit more specific than that? I don't think that's a good accurate description of what we're up against,” Lupin asks, once more.

“All I can say is that I see a bunch of teenagers. Regardless, be ready for anything. Got it?” She orders them.

“Right!” The others shout.

“Player, I need a map of Italy. We need to know where VILE's yacht is at,” Carmen asks.

“On it Red,” Player replies, as he gets to work.

Carmen then moves about, from rooftop to rooftop, hoping to get a better view. Meanwhile, our team was working to find each other. It doesn't take long as we all gather about. The fact that our arrival was bumpy only proves that being an agent is going to have its downsides.

“I swear it. What was ACME thinking in using that?” Sunset complains.

“At least we made it to Italy. This is quite different from Equestria. Very different,” I reply, hoping to change the subject.

“We don't even have these back home,” Sunset interrupts, “Can we focus on the mission already? We don't even know where to start!”

“Have you forgotten that I'm leader of this team?” Snails replies, interrupting Sunset.

“Oh, I totally forgot,” Sunset follows, being real damn sarcastic.

“Quit the sarcasm Sunset. We don't need this,” Snails then gets in touch with the chief via headset, “Chief, everyone's here. Any luck on finding the yacht.”

“Still looking,” Chief replies, “However, I have detected several targets around the vicinity. It seems that Carmen Sandiego and her gang of delinquents are around here.”

“They are here? This is surprising,” I said.

“Not helping Roy,” Snails says, shutting me up, “Anyway. What are our orders?”

“For now, investigate the area. The instant ACME discovers VILE's location, you will be the first to know. Just don't do anything careless,” orders Chief.

“Copy that. Snails out,” He cuts communication before turning his attention to us, “You heard the Chief. Let's investigate.”

“Better yet, we split into two teams. Snips, Sunset, you are with me. Twilight, go with Roy. If you encounter the Lupinrangers, do not engage... unless otherwise,” He orders, fitting the leader role well.

“Loud and clear. Let's move Twilight,” I tell her as I head off with Twilight. Sunset watches with a cautious yet disgusted look on her face. I know why.

Snails notices and says, “Sunset, for the sake of this job can you put your feelings aside?”

“How can I? Seeing Roy with Twilight makes my stomach churn,” Sunset replies.

“Jeezus. Listen to me. I know you're mad over what happened but you need to get over it. You broke his heart when you cheated on him remember? Or are you still reeling over what he did to you?” Snails wonders, trying to get Sunset to focus on the job.

“Don't you dare Snails, I mean it!” She threatens. Yep, she's still sour over this. “I already dealt enough since that bitter break up. I really don't need this now.”

“I'm not. Let's focus already. We got a yacht to find and thieves to catch,” He orders.

Snips looks at him and asks, “I thought she moved on from it all. Sure Roy hurt Sunset but I thought that she would be over it.”

“Nope. Not entirely. She's still bitter but let's focus on the task at hand. Besides, we should get an update from ACME soon so for now, we should just investigate,” He replies.

“Right.”

The three Patranger start exploring Venice and it's many sights. For Sunset, she wants to try to get her mind off seeing Twilight and I head off but she can't. She honestly can't. She's still bitter. Sometimes you just need to learn to move on and let it go. As for Twilight and I, we decide to focus on our job but being a flirt, I couldn't resist trying to butter up to her.

“Enjoying Italy Twilight?” I ask her.

“I'm liking it even though it's very different from reading about it,” She replies.

“You want to know where I want to go?”

“Where?”

“Paris. The city of love, the city of beauty. How I wouldn't give for us to have our date there where we see all the sights especially the Eiffel Tower. How I wouldn't give... wouldn't give to be on my knees and,” as I keep blabbing about, Twilight suddenly comes in, wondering what the hell.

“Roy, I know you have all these plans but can we focus on our job please?” She says.

Realizing that I was blabbing like an idiot, I tell her, “Yeah sure. Why not.”

The two of us explore the area but like the others, it didn't seem right. It's then we notice some people coming out of a building. They look like janitors but it wasn't just that. Something about them seemed off, like they had no emotion. Just a serious, monotone face. I didn't like it. I moved to a corner as I keep watch. Twilight meanwhile hides in a table, hoping not to attract attention. I simply shrug it off. We then notice two people coming in, possibly to meet up with said janitors. One was tall and muscular, the other was tall but thin. Both are meeting up with the janitor-like mooks.

“So, is everything ready?” says one of them, “We're on a schedule.”

The mook responds, “We are ready Le Chevre. Coach Brunt requests your presence.”

“We will report to her momentarily. Right El Topo?” Le Chevre asks his partner.

“Indeed. We are all set,” El Topo answers.

“Good,” says the Cleaner mook.

El Topo and Le Chevre walk off as the Cleaners continue with their work. Seems we found it before the Lupins did. I quickly let the others know.

“Guys, it's Roy. I found them. Lock onto my signal,” I tell them.

“What? You found them,” Snails asks.

“I did. Better hurry up before the Lupins drop by.”

“Okay. We're on our way,” He ends communication, “Guys. Let's go. Roy and Twilight found them.”

“About time,” Sunset says.

“Awesome,” follows Snips.

The three quickly are on the move. As for Twilight and I, we still continue to maintain our position. But we wouldn't wait for much longer. On the building's rooftop, I notice someone watching us. Yep. It's him and I know it. It's Enigma.

“What do you know? We found them,” says Enigma, “Boss, it's me. Found them. Not to mention two operatives are there too. You know them right?”

“I know who they are. Wait right there until we arrive,” responds his boss, “Anything else?”

“As a matter of act, yes. There is. Turns out we're not the only people here.”

“So they are here too huh?”

“Yeah. Exactly as I told you. What are your orders?”

“Stay out of sight until we arrive. Something's not right and I know it. Plus what you told me earlier is starting to bug me for some reason.”

“I know,” Enigma remembers what he told his partners.

An hour earlier...

“So let me get this straight,” says Carmen, taking out her VS Changer and showing it, “You're saying that who you saw also got the same stuff we have? These VS Changers?”

“Correct,” replies Enigma, “But there is a difference what we have and what they have.”

“Like what exactly?”

“I notice that the trinkets they have look like vehicles, plus the suits they were are like police uniforms.”

“Police uniforms? Like actual cops?” wonders Zack.

“Precisely,” Enigma answers, “They also fight differently too, preferring close quarter combat.”

“Close quarters huh? They kind of like getting their hands dirty don't they?” Ivy wonders.

“Except we've been doing this sort of thing for a year now. Thanks to Lupin of course, we're strong enough to even take the fight to V.I.L.E themselves,” Carmen replies, feeling assured.

“Fighting V.I.L.E themselves? Are you mad Carmen,” says Player from her com link.

“I'm just kidding. Besides, why would even try to? Sabotaging their operations is what matters. Plus it lets us find those trinkets he keep telling us,” Carmen replies.

“By the way, I got something from the file Lupin sent us. V.I.L.E's holding up shop somewhere in Rome. Whatever it is, it ain't good,” Player tells them.

“Then it's go time. Zack, Ivy, you guys scour Rome until you find them. Lupin, take the rooftops. If you find them, don't engage. Got it?” She orders.

They nod and then head off but Carmen notices something off. What is it? Simple. Someone of their team isn't here.

“Where's Larceny?” She asks Enigma.

“I don't know. I don't question what she does. For all I know, she went out to get dessert or something,” He replies.

“Seriously? Dessert? At a time like this?” She wonders.

“I don't question it. She's my wife and I love her too much. Plus, she doesn't fight on an empty stomach. She gets pissy,” He answers.

“Fair enough. Let's go.” Their team heads off to do their operation, not realizing that fate has a weird way of playing around.

Back to the present...

Enigma continues watching us, gathering around. Snails and his companions arrive to meet up. We don't see the Cleaner mooks. My guess is that they went inside and haven't come out yet.

“Okay Roy, you spotted them?” Snails asks. I simply give him a nod, “Good. If they're inside, we know that VILE isn't that far behind.”

He takes his VS Changer out and has it ready, in case they try anything. But even if we approach from the front, they may have something up their sleeves. So I have a suggestion in mind.

“Snails, you take Sunset and Snips and head inside. Twilight and I will head around. I have a feeling this all may be a front and what not,” I suggest.

“Good idea,” He answers. Twilight and I don't waste any time. We move around the place to see if VILE had anything else.

“Be on your guard guys. These guys are no laughing matter,” Snails tells them. The three of them head investigate and as they do, they notice nothing out of the ordinary.

“That's weird. No one's here,” Sunset investigates, “I thought someone was inside here. Roy did say he spotted some Cleaners entering.”

“Even so, this could be leading to something. Still, be cautious,” He tells her.

Snips is deep inside and his gut knows something's off. His instincts prove to be right as someone enters, not realizing that they are expecting company. The Cleaner notices Snips and he doesn't waste a second. With one shot, he blasts the Cleaner. It gets the others' attention.

“You hear that?” Sunset asks.

“I did. Come on!” Snails shouts.

Snips then blasts the other Cleaner robot, reducing it to rubble. The others show up and knew that he had been busy.

“You guys missed it. Cleaners were here but it looks like they cleaned the whole place out. Whatever they did, they might have known we were coming,” He says.

“I doubt it. I think they were expecting someone else instead,” Snails replies.

“Like those Lupins?” Sunset points out.

That's when it hits him, “My thoughts exactly. But if they were expecting them, then that means?”

“They are not that far are they?” Snips pinpoints.

“Nope,” Snails turns his attention to see three figures approaching, “They're right in front of us.”

Snails, Snips and Sunset see Carmen along with her two partners arriving outside. They look at each other with bated breath. Excitement is filled but on the other side, Carmen along with Zack and Ivy appear outside. They see Lupin, holding position and waiting.

“This the place?” Zack asks.

“Yeah. But I got a feeling that we're not alone,” Carmen replies.

“Why? We haven't seen those other Power Rangers so what's the worst that can happen?” Ivy follows.

Carmen hesitates before answering. She then says, “I don't know. But we should be ready, regardless.”

The three head for the base the Patrangers are in. Carmen hesitates, because she ends up seeing three individuals come outside. Zack and Ivy see them as well. Fate is now already in motion.

“If you plan on finding anything, sorry but we beat you to it. You must be Carmen Sandiego aren't you?” Snails says, taking his VS Changer out and aiming it at her group.

“And you must be the other Ranger team aren't you?” Carmen responds, taking her VS Changer out and aiming it at them.

“Chief did say that these guys have VS Changers right?” Snips wonders.

“Of course she did,” Sunset replies, having taken out her VS Changer just like the other two have.

“Carmen, these guys got the same trinkets we do,” says Zack.

“So that means we got a fight on our hands huh?” Ivy follows.

“Yeah,” Carmen assures.

“I'll make this simple. We're ordered to take you guys in. If you make it easy and surrender willingly, we'll show you a bit of leniency,” Snails requests.

“Leniency? Don't make me laugh. You think you can stop us from taking down VILE?” Carmen threatens.

“Thing is, we're after VILE too but we have our own reasons for stopping them and that has to do with the Lupin Collection!” Snips interrupts.

“Wait a sec, Lupin Collection? You got to be kidding me!” shouts Zack.

“Snips, not helping!” Snails chides, “Not to mention that this would jeopardize everything.”

“Sorry,” He apologizes.

“I'm not going to ask you again. Put down your arms and we will be lenient towards you. Refuse and you will be taken down,” Snails threatens once more towards Carmen and her team.

“Does it look like we're giving up?” Carmen tells them, “Guys, let's do this.”

“Alright! It's showtime!” Zack shouts.

“Guess you guys should have let us through huh?” Ivy follows.

Carmen and her group got ready, taking out their respective Lupin pieces, the Dial Fighters. They then yelled out, “Kaitou Change!”

Each of them would insert their pieces into their respective changers. First comes Carmen, “Red! 0-1-0!”

Zack was next, “Blue! 2-6-0!”

And then Ivy, “Yellow! 1-1-6!”

“Masqueraise! Kaitou Change!” All three pushed the grip on their Changers and then turned their triggers sideways, causing their Dial Fighters to appear upward. Grabbing them, the three fired, causing three colored Vs to appear in front of them, before moving towards them.

Within seconds, Carmen along with Zack and Ivy transform into the thieving Power Rangers, the Lupinrangers! A jingle is then heard with the phrase “Lupinranger!” is heard.

“Snails, what do we do?” Sunset asks.

“The only thing we can do. Our orders are to take them in and they aren't coming quietly,” He takes out his VS Changer and Trigger Machine, “We have no choice. Let's do this!”

The others take out theirs, gearing to transform. They then yell out, “Keisatsu Change!”

Snails goes first, “1Gou!”

Snips went next, “2Gou!”

Then Sunset, “3Gou!”

The three push on the grip, “Patrize!” then turn them so that their Trigger Machines are underneath. They then grab them with their other hands and fired. Three colored “S” shaped badges appear above them, heading downard. Each of them go down, enveloping them. In seconds, they transform into the justice-seeking Power Rangers, the Patrangers! The sound “Patranger!” is heard. They don't waste time. They aim their blasters, squarely at the Lupins. The Lupins do the same.

“Here's a warning for you guys. We're here to stop VILE, no matter what it takes,” Carmen tells them.

“And here's a warning of our own for you. By order of ACME and the Global Police, we're taking you three in! By force if we have to!” Snails counters.

“Bring it then!” Zack challenges.

Time isn't wasted. To hell with Ranger intros! Both Ranger teams go in and go into battle! Sounds of lasers firing are heard. Not to mention the Lupins being real athletic, forcing the Patrens to actually put some effort in their offense. While the fighting goes on, Enigma notices me and Twilight on the move. Looks like our fight will be happening soon enough.

“Patty, you finished? We're about to have company,” He says.

“I'm ready. Where's Carmen and the others?” She asks.

“They're busy. We need to get moving. Now. Looks like they kind of found VILE before we did.”

“Figures. I'm on my way then.”

Enigma gears to get on the move. Twilight and I on the other hand, spot a yacht not far off. Looks like we reached red hot here.

“That must be it,” says Twilight, “That building was just a front!”

“Exactly!” I reply, “Twilight, we should split. We're being watched!”

“By who?”

“Enigma. He's been watching and I rather not want to deal with that clown!”

“Good idea,” Before Twilight departs, I gently grab her hand.

I went closer to her and planted one soft kiss. If anyone asks, yes, Twilight and I have been dating for more than a year. It's a topic for another day and I don't want this tale to get diverted into more bs.

“For luck,” I tell her.

But Twilight provides a kiss of her own to me. She says, “Yeah. For luck.”

The two of us split up. Twilight doesn't have to move that far because it turns out she finds Patty Larceny. A fight between these two will not be a pretty sight. For me, I head for VILE's big yacht and dear god, these guys certainly know how to spend. Before I can go further, someone tries to attack me from behind but it's a no-go as I dodge the attack.

“So it seems you decide to interfere in our operations isn't it?” says Enigma.

“I can say the same for you and your gang of hooligans,” I reply, taking my X Changer out and aiming it at him.

“What else did Chief Thigpen feed into your heads? Everything she utters is a lie!” He shouts with an angry tone.

“The only lie I see is your loyalty. I have to ask... friend? Or foe? Who really knows if you are working for someone like Carmen Sandiego?” As if I want to piss him off any further and yet I did.

He takes out his X Changer and shouts, “Enough! Our last battle ended in a draw but this time, there will be an outcome. Kaitou Change!”

“X-nize! Kaitou X Change!”

He turns his blaster from silver to gold and then turns it again to show silver. Aiming it, he fires downward causing a silver top hat with a  “V” inside to appear in front of him and then cover him, revealing his silver Lupin X suit.

“Lupin X!”

Transformed into the silver Power Ranger Lupin X, the guy doesn't waste time to attack me. I had little time to react so I had to move, “Keisatsu Change!”

“X-nize! Keisatsu X Change!”

I quickly turn my blaster around: first showing the silver train then rotating it back to gold. I jump over him, using his shoulder as a stepping stone and fired upward, causing a golden “S” police badge to appear and envelop me, transforming into the golden Power Ranger, Patren X!

“Like the morning sun that blankets this glorious sky, I smite evil in the name of justice! Patren X!” I shout.

“And I am the rogue thief that strikes terror through the night! Lupin X!” He shouts right back.

“I will say this. There will be a winner today... and it will be me!” I tell him as I race forward to engage Enigma, not realizing that all of this is part of VILE's little plan.

And just as two fights have been happening, a third battle is on the horizon. Patty, having finished her dessert, is gearing up to meet with the other Lupins. She doesn't realize that someone is out looking for her and it won't be pretty.

“Huh? May I help you?” She tells Twilight.

“Yes. You must be Patty Larceny aren't you?” Twilight responds.

It gets Patty a bit ticked, “Let me guess. You're here to arrest me right?”

“You catch on pretty quick,” Twilight aims her VS Changer at Patty, ready to arrest her but knowing Larceny, she ain't going down without a fight.

“Since when did ACME decide to hire gumshoes again? You kids are so pathetic,” Patty replies, taking out something from her purse, a whip and she uses it to assault Twilight.

Twilight dodges it by moving back. Patty's already standing up, having left her tip for the food. She then takes out her VS Changer and aims it at Twilight.

“Assaulting an officer like me is a serious offense. You really want to go back to jail do you?” Twilight asks.

“You think you can arrest me? I like you to try, provided you can,” Taking out a Pink Dial Fighter, Patty decides to take it up a notch, “Kaitou Change!”

“Pink! 9-1-3! Masqueraise!”

Having inserted her Dial Fighter and activated the code, she gears up to transform into a Lupinranger.

“Kaitou Change!” She then fires, causing a pink hat with a “V” inside to appear. It then touches her, transforming into the Pink Lupinranger. “Lupinranger!”

“Guess the easy way's out the window. Let's do this the hard way then,” Twilight takes out her Trigger Machine and shouts, “Keisatsu Change!”

“4Gou! Patrize!”

Inserting her Trigger Machine, she pulls the grip and turns the Changer to have the Trigger Machine on the bottom.

“Keisatsu Change!” She then aims up and fires. A yellow “S” badge appears above her, going down. She is then covered in it, transforming into the yellow Patranger, Patren 4Gou. “Patranger!”

“Yellow does suit people like you. You ACME gumshoes are little wussies,” taunts Patty as she takes out her LupinSword.

“I'll make you eat those words!” shouts Twilight as she rushes in, blaster blazing and firing.

Patty is nimble. She dodges the attacks and responds by going over and striking Twilight with her blade. She also does a gesture, taunting Twilight and telling her to come after her. Twilight doesn't resist. She wants to take Patty down, even if it kills her. Three brawls are going down between the two teams. As they occur, El Toppo and Le Chevre are in touch with one of VILE's faculty, Coach Brunt. The look on her face tells that everything is going as planned.

“So the Rangers are now battling each other eh? Perfect,” says Brunt.

“And with their distraction, nothing will stop us from completing our goals yes?” replies Le Chevre.

“Don't let your guard down on them. They are very dangerous. Make sure the Gangler is ready,” orders Brunt.

“The Gangler is on standby. Thankfully he will not prove to be an issue unlike other last one,” replies El Toppo.

“See to it that he doesn't. We still haven't worked out everything but we want to ensure that everything goes right. Failure will not be tolerated. Is that clear?” she orders.

“Si Coach Brunt,” answers El Toppo.

“Yes Coach Brunt,” follows Le Chevre.

“Good. Let us know when the Rangers are no more,” Coach Brunt cuts communication. The two go to check on their little pet project, the Gangler.

As they do, the battles continue on. The main three Lupins and Patrangers are still duking things out. The Lupins specialize in evasion and quick shots to get the advantage. The Patrangers prefer to take the fight to them. In a way, they are opposite to each other. Snails continues to shoot as Carmen's quick footwork avoids them while responding with shots of her own. He dodges by means of simple swerves. Snips prefers to get up close and personal with his offense, specializes in punches, kicks and blaster shots. Zack avoids, responding with his own offense. As for the ladies, Sunset has a mix between her blaster and her Patrol Baton. Ivy got her blaster and Lupin Sword. Both teams, giving all they have against one another.

“For a thief, you're very athletic. I won't lie. You're pretty good,” Snails praises, as he constantly does his best to keep up and take her down.

“And for a kid like you, you're not bad. But even that won't be enough,” Carmen replies, going in now for the strike. She dodges one of his swings and responds with a punch, two kicks and a laser blast to his chest.

In turn, he reels from the impact but does it stop him? Hell no. Realizing that his blaster won't cut it, he takes out his Patrol Baton. He then wields it like it's a sword. It gets Carmen skeptical, wondering what he'll do next. Next thing she sees, he runs straight for her. She responds by firing blasts but he quickly deflects them. He goes to strike her only for Carmen to dodge. This fight's getting serious.

Meanwhile, the other Rangers are continuing their battles. I have to deal with a vengeful Lupin X while Twilight deals with his wife. Eventually Twilight's scuffle crosses paths with mine. Patty dodges a few of Twilight's blasts and like a ballet dancer, she nimbly makes it easy. She reaches her husband. Twilight and I meet and notice that something isn't right.

“Didn't fare better against her didn't you?” I ask her.

Twilight chides, “How about you? You fared no better.”

“But something about this just doesn't seem right. Why did we get the same reading that they did on a VILE operation,” Enigma says.

“Either way, we got to shut them down. Who knows what they got planned?” Patty orders.

“Wait a minute,” I wonder, turning my attention to Twilight, “If the Lupins found out about this just like we did, then that means...”

“It's all a trap!” Twilight answers.

Before we can figure everything out, something comes out from a nearby building. A Gangler has appeared. It looked disgusting. It's hump and head looks like a pink slug. It's got pink and yellow tentacles covering much of his body. He also packs some kind of snail shell gun on his left arm. It's right arm has green leaves and a pink hand root. It pretty much looks like a freak experiment or something and it doesn't help that much of his body is still filled with some kind of liquid. It doesn't waste time firing on us. We're forced to evade its shots, some hitting a nearby building and causing parts of it to solidify and next thing we know, it explodes. The explosion pushes Twilight and me back a bit. Yep. We're dealing with trouble.

“Like my work? It's a work of art! I am the Slugster and I plan on making VILE all the more proud,” It says, acting like a complete douchebag.

“Slugster huh? What kind of crap name is that?” insults Enigma, noticing the safe on the top of its head.

“You dare insult me. How about I make you my next work instead!” Slugster shouts, using the safe to channel energy into his shell gun and fires a few shots at Enigma.

Enigma (as Lupin X) takes his X-Rod Sword and uses it to deflect some of the shots. Sadly that doesn't help. The shots start to stick onto the sword. Enigma keeps going, until his X Rod Sword is filled with this gunk. Next thing he knows, he gets sent flying via an explosion. The explosion isn't as serious since his suit lets him withstand it but dear god, the guy is careless.

“Like that? You like that? You like that! That should teach you lupin brat!” It shouts.

But I intrude, responding, “Let me take a crack at it wise guy. Kaitou Change!”

I turn my X Changer 180 degrees, showing the silver X-Train. “X-NIZE! Kaitou X Change!” Like Enigma already has done before, I aim downwards and fire, causing a silver top hat with a “V” inside to appear. It covers me, turning from the gold officer of justice to the silver thief, Lupin X. “Lupin X!”

But as I do so, Enigma starts to feel intense pain. The pain's so great that he couldn't move. Patty notices and tries to do so but doesn't want to get hit by the shocks. What she did do was move his VS Changer so that it shows the gold train. When that happens, the sound “Keisatsu X Change!” is heard. He fires, transforming from the silver Lupin X to the gold Patren X. He's back to normal but he has to wonder why it happened to begin with.

“Since you and I both share this, we can't be two of the same. It screws up the morphing grid,” He says.

“Let me guess, too much pink energy is dangerous right?” I reply, “But I guess this kind of shows you what happens when you decided to be a careless ass.”

“Don't push it,” Enigma threatens.

“Anyway, I'll try my luck,” I shout, but I had another idea in mind so I turn to Twilight,” Remember I told you that there's a yacht nearby?”

“Yeah, so?” Twilight asks.

I don't answer. I simply gave her a nod as I decide to taunt the freak with a few shots from my blaster. That got its attention alright. It runs after me so I decide to lead it to VILE's yacht. Fitting because El Topo and Le Chevre just show up right on cue.

“Huh? Is that,” Le Chevre wonders, before I jump over them causing the three to collide in spectacular fashion.

“You guys make my work way too easy,” I take out something from my waist and place it on the Gangler's safe on his head.

“4-7-9!” The safe opens and I take out what's inside, some kind of gold orb, revealing it to be a small statue that looks similar to the character Auric the Conqueror from Power Rangers Zeo.

“By the way, we Patrangers will be taking your Lupin piece now thank you,” I tell them. But my attention shifts on the yacht itself.

“What are you waiting for? Let's get it!” Patty shouts, already moving to intercept me.

But the Gangler intrudes, pissed that I stole the Lupin Piece from the safe. It takes out some kind of sword and tries to attack her. But Enigma, being Patren X, blocks it with his X Rod Sword.

“You dare lay a hand on my wife you swine?!” He shouts as his attack pushes him back.

Enigma wastes no time. He goes ahead and gears up his finishing strike, pulling the lever to the middle before pulling up then back and repeat. He does this four times.

“X-Time! Ichi-tte! Ni-tte! San-tte! Ji-tte! Ikitosen! (Man With No Match!)”

After the fourth time, he twirls the weapon in a circular manner, causing a large sharp X sigil to appear. In turn, several smaller crosses appear alongside it and they move in a counter-clockwise manner.

“Excellent X!” He then pierces it causing the crosses to fire straight for the Gangler, “One-Shot X Strike! (Ichigeki X-Strike!)”

The Gangler gets blasted by the Ichigeki X-Strike, reducing it to nothing but oblivion. It gets worse when the Gangler is revealed to be yet another VILE flunk job. This only gets his blood boiling. But as for me, I decided to see what's inside the yacht. Twilight follows suit and the two of us explore the place. But we both know what's coming for us.

“What was VILE planning to do with this anyway?” Twilight asks.

“I don't know. But this here's just a front. Notice why the Lupins were here too?” I answer, then ask her.

She doesn't respond so I continue, “The whole thing screams a trap. Snips was right!”

“Your friend seems to get it,” intrudes Enigma, who appears along with his wife.

I aim my X Changer at him, as does Twilight with her VS Changer, “Okay. How do you know this was a trap?”

“Is it obvious? One Ranger team is bad enough for VILE. Two, just really pisses them off!” Enigma replies, aiming his X Changer at us. His wife aims her VS Changer at us as well.

“So all of this was done to get rid of us?” Twilight wonders, trying to piece everything together.

“Precisely,” Patty answers, “How we didn't figure this out sooner is beyond us. But to think we all fell for it is proof. For all I know, our team is going to mop the floor with yours.”

“Wanna bet?” Twilight counters.

“It's not a bet. It's fact,” Patty strikes back, firing a shot from her VS Changer. It's a warning shot, at best.

“Let us prove you wrong then. Chief will be pleased that we get to arrest you Bonnie & Clyde. Keisatsu Change!” I use my X Changer to rotate, revealing the Gold X Train.

“Not if I have any say in it! Kaitou Change!” Enigma shouts, doing the same as I have, rotating his changer to show the Silver X Train.

“Keisatsu X Change!”

“Kaitou X Change!”

Both myself and Enigma aim respectively and fire, changing ourselves back to our other forms. Enigma changes back to Lupin X while I become Patren X. We also change our respective weapon forms. Now it's more than enough for us to make it an even battlefield. He rushes in to attack us but I quickly respond by blocking. Yep. This makes the battle really difficult since I have the Lupin piece I stole from the monstrous Gangler eariler. Twilight assists with two shots that Enigma repels. Patty comes in to attack as well. Yep. The battle continues but what about the rest of the Patrangers? Let's check up on them.

Unfortunately it is not good. The Lupins continue to push the Patrangers into a corner. Despite specializing on his Patrol Baton, Snails struggles against Carmen. Snips hasn't fared any better since Zack decides to go brute force. As for Sunset, Ivy mops the floor with her. Before long the three Patrangers group up, already beat up from the fights they each are going through.

“You guys okay?” Snails asks.

“Yeah. Still able I guess,” Sunset answers.

“Me too... damn,” Snips follows.

“For a bunch of rookies, you really put up a fight but not enough to stop us,” Carmen tells them.

“Yeah. Time we finish this right?” Zack asks.

“Yep. So ready to give up?” Carmen asks them.

Snails gets himself back up. He isn't going to let them push him down. Neither is his comrades. The three Patrangers get themselves up. They each look at one another before gearing up once more to fight. Their second wind slowly starts to kick in. The Lupins can only watch as the three gear up to go in on the attack. But unexpectedly, Snails takes his blaster and throws it to the right. In turn, Snips does the same, throwing his baton left. They each both grab it and before long, they're back in the fight. All three of them.

“Guys... let's show them why we're a team,” He orders. The others nod in approval.

The three then rush in to attack the Lupins. These guys don't see it coming. The three Patrangers jump in and deliver a triple kick sending them back. Each of the Patrangers start going after the Lupins. Snips is the first to go after his target, Lupin Blue. He starts with a barrage of blaster fire. That gets Zack on the defensive. Snips is relentless. He keeps going, not giving his opponent any chances. Zack tries to respond with his own attacks but nothing. In fact the opening is what Snips needs to strike back. He starts by firing a shot that hits the wall. In turn, it strikes Zack in the back. He then follows with a tackle attack, pushing him back. Zack tries fighting back but Snips is quick to avoid the attacks.

“Why can't I hit you?” Zack shouts, struggling to lay even a dent on him.

“You're getting sloppy here!” Snips replies, delivering an elbow at Zack that stops him cold.

He then throws one of the blasters up, delivers a swift uppercut and as he does so, he then grabs the blaster he threw up and fired a full on double charge blast. The blast sends Zack flying to the ground below. Due to him having taken up so much damage, sparks start flying from his suit. He suddenly powers down as a result. Getting back on his feet, Snips twirls both blasters before he assumes a stance.

“One down, two to go!” Snips says.

Ivy notices Zack on the ground, demorphed. “Zack!” She shouts, racing for him.

But Sunset isn't letting that happen so she fires a blast to stop her, “Not so fast Ivy. You still have a date with me!”

“Get in my way and I'll knock you down!” She threatens, but Sunset isn't amused.

So Ivy decides to respond with her Lupin Sword. Sunset dodges both her strikes and then responds with one of her own, courtesy of her Patrol Baton. If that isn't enough. She presses a button on her Patrol Baton, causing the blade part to glow pink. This gets her intrigued but is enough for her to hopefully deliver the strike.

“Your time is up Ivy!” She then unleashes a slash that hits Ivy hard. But considering that she suffers too much, like Zack, she also hits the floor powering down.

“That makes two,” Sunset follows.

Meanwhile Snails is still fighting against Carmen. Despite having two Batons, he gives it all he has but nothing can lay a dent to Carmen aka LupinRed. After a 2-blade attack, he repels Carmen back.

“I won't lie. Even with two of these, you still hold your ground. If only you fought for the side of good, we would be allies,” Snails says.

“Thing is, I do work for good but in order to be good, I got to be bad,” Carmen replies, repelling one of Snails' baton strikes.

“Honor among thieves huh? I like your attitude but it still doesn't excuse your actions!” Snails counters back, ready to strike at her.

Carmen blocks it. “I don't need anyone telling me how I decide my way of life. Not V.I.L.E and definitely not you!”

“Fine by me. A shame that I have to take you out!” Snails, having heard enough, decides to go on the offensive one more time.

He throws one of the Patrol Batons to Carmen, whom she quickly deflects. That provides him the opening needed to deal the final strike. He rushes in, while pressing the button on the handle. It causes his blade to glow red. It's then that Carmen gears up her own finishing strike. But she won't get the chance to use it. Snails unleashes a slash that strikes at her waist but the hit hurts hard, almost like it pierced through Carmen.

“Dame! Zettai Giri! (Refusal to Comply Strike!)”

Carmen then feels a surge of energy exploding around her suit and her body. It gets so bad that she collapses due to all the damage she suffered and powers down. Snails swings the Baton and then puts it back in the same way a samurai sheaths his sword. Turning around, he notices the others and they group up.

“You two okay?” Snails asks.

“We're more than okay,” Sunset replies.

“We kicked butt you know!” Snips shouts in excitement.

“I am pleased to hear. We need to check up on Roy and Twilight. Come on!” He orders. The three quickly move to find us.

They don't need to wait long. We come to them as Twilight and I jump over the three. They notice Lupin and Patty ready to attack them but they find an unexpected sight. Carmen, Zack and Ivy, on the ground, reeling in pain from the Patrangers. Patty can only look in horror seeing her comrades there. Enigma however, has nothing but anger. Anger towards us for harming them.

“What have you done with them?!” He shouts.

Snails respond right back, “Don't worry. They'll be fine. The only thing they'll look forward to is being in a jail cell. Only you two remain!”

“You expect us to surrender? Not a chance!” Patty retorts.

“So much for doing things the easy way. We'll just have to do it the hard way for you both,” responds Twilight.

“Patty, get the Rangers and get out of here! If we don't save them, our works will be for naught. We can't let that happen!” He shouts.

Patty says nothing. She seeks her friends and goes to get them. This catches us off guard as she was quick. She was able to get Carmen, Zack and Ivy to a safe place. This leaves the five of us against one Lupin X.

“You're all that's left! Once we take you out, your friends are next!” Snails shouts.

“Not a chance! I dare you to try your luck!” He responds, turning the lever down and revealing the blade of his X Rod Sword.

Snails says nothing. From out of nowhere, GoodStriker shows up only for him to be snagged. 

“Hey! What are you doing? Are you trying to use me?” He complains, as he is inserted into Snails' VS Changer, activating the Patren Ugou Form.

Snips and Sunset become beings of energy, that then allow Patren 1Gou to become Patren Ugou.

“1Gou! 2Gou! 3Gou! Ichidanketsu! (For the Common Good!)”

“GoodStriker? You choose to side with him? What's wrong with you!?” Enigma shouts.

“Don't look at me!” It replies, “I just came out of nowhere and he grabs it!”

“Damn!” It's all he can say.

Patren Ugou gears up to unleash the Ichigeki Strike on Enigma. In turn, he preps his own signature attack.

“X-Time! Countdown! 3! 2! 1! 0!”

I also do the same activating my own signature move. It's going to be intense to say the least.

“X-Time! Ichi-tte! Ni-tte! San-tte! Ji-tte! Ikitosen! (Man With No Match!)”

Twilight joins in as well, gearing up her weapon for the finishing job. Enigma doesn't care how bad his odds are. He wants to take us all down, no matter what it takes. So do we.

“Excellent X!”

“Ichigeki Strike!”

“Superior X” “Itadaki X Strike!”

Our attacks collide. Three attacks from our side against one from Enigma's. Considering that our strength is stronger than his, they push it aside. It strikes Enigma. Hard. In fact, the blow is so strong that he gets flying back. He hits the ground. He can feel his body weakening. Made no better by the fact that he notices something different. His helmet broke. Pieces of it are on the floor. We see Enigma, struggling to comprehend what happened. He had lost. He sees us and it doesn't help that the look in his eyes is one of pure anger.

“This isn't over,” He tells us, while trying to keep himself composed.

“It will be, once you are taken into custody,” I tell him.

“Tell Thigpen I ain't coming. I got a job to do!” He uses both his X-Rod Sword and X Changer to let off a flash of light.

We shield our eyes as a result. But as the flash dims, he's nowhere to be found. He escaped, as expected. Made no better by the fact that Patty Larceny already got Carmen and her crew out of there. Patren Ugou detaches GoodStriker from his VS Changer, returning 1 back into 3. GoodStriker flies off, but not before turning around to get a look at us.

“Yowza! You five are something else!” It says, “But I'm making sure that next time you don't overdo it. I don't just let you all do as you please!”

GoodStriker flies off, who knows where he'll end up. But as we see it fly, one of us powers down. It's Snails. He then collapses on the ground, drained of energy. This catches us by surprise. I quickly get in touch with ACME before things get worse.

“Chief, send us back! We need a medic!” I shout.

The C-5 corridor homes in on our signal and we teleport out. This time, they got it to work, arriving to ACME HQ within seconds. Chief Thigpen appears along with some of ACME's medic crew.

“Take him to the infirmary!” She orders.

Her attention then turns to us and says, “Report to my quarters for debriefing. I need to know what happened. For now, get some rest.”

They take Snails to an infirmary room while the Chief walks off. We four get to the break room nearby to get some R&R. A lot of us are on the brink of exhaustion. The fights we had took a toll on a lot of us, especially the main three.

“So, were you able to snag the Lupin Piece?” Sunset asks me.

I nod at her and answer, “Nope. Despite opening the safe, Lupin got his hands on it. But knowing that he took the brunt of that attack, I can guess that he dropped it somewhere.”

“You guys couldn't get it? The Chief is going to kill us!” Snips follows.

“It could be worse. We all would have gotten our butts handed to us by them. Bear in mind, the Lupins are no laughing matter!” I tell them, before my attention shifts to someone else, “Besides, I worry more for him.”

“Agreed,” Twilight replies.

We four head for ACME's medic quarters and there he is. Snails, resting up in a bed. We see him also connected to a few cables. His face has some patch ups as a result of first aid use. We don't want to intrude in his sleep but I sense he knows we're watching. Agent Zari arrives a few seconds later.

“Chief Thigpen requires your presence. She needs to know what happened in Italy. Now,” She orders.

The four of us head to Chief Thigpen's quarters. A lot of emotions are flowing through our minds right now. One such emotion is dread. We were given a job and it was to stop VILE's operations. Nobody expected us to cross paths with the Lupinrangers, beat them down and just as we gear to arrest them, they got away. As we arrive, Chief Thigpen looks at us with a cold yet serious tone. If there are any words that sum it up, it would be two: “We're fucked.” We assume a line as Thigpen stands.

“All right. Out with it. What exactly happened?” She asks us.

We look at each other, trying to figure out how to come up with the right words to explain everything. I mean, how can we? This already gets Chief Thigpen upset. Not good.

“The more you four stand around, the less likely you will leave this room. I want an explanation. Now. What happened?” She asks once again.

I step forward, realizing that I may be the one that can get us out of this mess. I have to do it in the best way possible: telling the truth.

“Here's what happened Chief,” I tell her, but not before gulping, since I know that it's going to end pretty badly.

I explained everything to her. How we arrived in Italy to stop VILE's operation, how we would encounter the Lupinrangers. how VILE had this all set up as a trap to lure both teams in and take us out and how we triumphed against the Lupins, only for them to get away. It wasn't easy and the look on Chief's face is not just of shock but unease. After it was done, I let out a sigh. I'm more concerned over Snails. He's resting in the medic ward since well, he overdid it. I mean that literally. What can you say when you outwit Carmen Sandiego and take her down? That counts for something. But anyway, Chief closes her eyes, trying to contemplate everything. It doesn't take long before she opens and responds.

“Upon hearing what you have told me, I can conclude that this entire operation was in fact, a set up. Have you found anything that VILE had inside that yacht of theirs?” She asks.

I nod at her and say, “Yes. There was. We found a collection of printing plates, based off the Euro.”

“Have you recovered them?” She asks again.

“Yes,” I answer.

“Very good. That to me is all that matters,” She tells us, “But I do wish to say this.”

Chief Thigpen gets up, as the four of us stare her down, “You all did well here. Your friend Snails, especially. Despite your failure to capture the Lupinrangers, you drove them into a disadvantage.”

“Um Chief Thigpen?” asks Twilight unexpectedly.

“Yes. What is it Twilight?” Chief wonders.

“I apologize if I am interrupting but, does this mean that you plan to disband this team?” What she asks takes us by surprise.

Thigpen quickly responds in an unexpected way, “Disband the team? I don't have any intention to.”

“Huh?” We all say, at the exact same time. It catches us by surprise.

“You five have risen above expectations and have done what many of our gumshoes have could not. You have taken the fight not only to VILE but the Lupinrangers as well. For that, you have done well. I congratulate you all!”

In just seconds, it went from worry to praise. I thought it was all over. Then everything starts to change suddenly.

“Despite congratulating you all for your efforts, your work here isn't over. We know VILE already got their hands on the Lupin Piece from that monster. There will be another opportunity for you to get your hands on it. For now, I ask that you take this opportunity to rest and recharge. The instant VILE makes their next move, we hope that you will be ready. Is that clear?” She asks us.

“Yes ma'am!” We shout, saluting.

“Very good!” She shouts, “As of today, you five have been assigned as our new ACME Patranger squadron. Your friend, for the time being, will remain in our medic quarters resting until he's fully recovered. I will ensure that he is briefed on everything transpired today. Until then, you are all off-duty unless otherwise. You are dismissed! Now get going! You earned this break.”

“Yes ma'am!” We shout, saluting once again. Afterwards we turn and walk off, now cheerful that our work yielded a positive result. As the door shuts behind us, we cheer that our first assignment ended on a big hit.

“I don't know how you did it but well done,” Sunset praises me.

“It's nothing. I mean. I didn't want to lie to her but we have to realize that VILE ain't playing around now. They just aren't period,”I tell them.

“Yeah. We got lucky we beat the Lupins but not lucky enough to get that piece,” Snips replies.

“I wouldn't worry. Knowing VILE, they'll find some other schmuck to use it on,” Twilight follows.

“And when that happens, we'll get our second chance. This time, we're making sure they don't get away!” Sunset assures us all.

“Think we should check up on him?” I suggest.

“Chief said we can't. Let him rest. Besides, I need to get out for a bit. Being stuffed up in here is the pits,” Sunset replies.

“Same here,” Snips follows in agreement.

“I would rather have a shower,” says Twilight.

To be fair, our hygiene should take priority. Luckily for them, I have just the plan in mind.

“I got you guys covered. Come with me!” I tell them.

The others follow, wondering about what I have planned. Don't worry. It's good because if we're going to stick around, we need a place to crash and I know where to boot.

Meanwhile... V.I.L.E Island, Faculty Area

“How did our plan fail?!” shouts Coach Brunt, upset over what she had seen, “We were supposed to take them both down in one fell swoop!”

“No one anticipated that our Gangler would be defeated so quickly. Our candidate proved to be inadequate for a simple job,” explains Dr. Bellum.

“Inadequate? Or incompetent?” Countess Cleo interrupts, “Regardless. He has failed us and it's no better by the fact those Rangers ransacked what was in our yacht.”

“We can worry about casualties later Countess Cleo,” intrudes Maelstrom, “Our first priority is whether or not the Lupin Piece had been confiscated by them.”

But Shadowsan assures them by saying this, “Considering that both Ranger teams were in conflict, I can say that the Piece is guaranteed in our hands.”

Before Maelstrom can say a thing, a view screen drops down. The screen turns on, revealing El Topo and Le Chevre and their emotions are heightened, mostly since our fight really got them scared.

“El Topo. Le Chevre. State your business,” says Maelstrom.

“Professor, our yacht has been cleaned out by these brats. There were two teams, just like you said,” Le Chevre yelps.

“We are aware of that,” interrupts Maelstrom, “Where is the test subject? Where is the Lupin Piece!?”

El Topo shows the Lupin Piece and responds, “We have it here. Apparently Enigma must have dropped it during their fight.”

“And what about the subject? Is he conscious?” Dr. Bellum asks them.

“Yes. He is conscious. He hasn't disintegrated yet,” Le Chevre answers.

“Perfect,” says Bellum.

“We will send the Cleaners over to recover. Remain there until they arrive,” Maelstrom orders. The feed gets cut and the view screen rises up.

“So it seems that our experiments prove to be successful,” says Dr. Bellum, “But we will need a bit more testing to ensure nothing happens again.”

“Despite this setback, everything is going as planned,” replies Maelstrom.

“Next time those Rangers challenge us, they will get what's coming to 'em. That's a promise!” assures Coach Brunt.

But someone interrupts her, saying this, “Next time? I doubt that there will be a next time should it happen again Coach Brunt!”

“Who said that?!” Coach Brunt asks.

She doesn't need to know for long. The VILE Faculty members get a look at someone arriving, albeit in a digitized form. Each member of faculty had a look that sum up its arrival. For Coach Brunt, caution. Countess Cleo, disgust. Shadowsan, firm. Dr. Bellum, expected. As for Maelstrom, uncertainty. Uncertainty that he never expected him to show up. The person appearing looks pleased, but deep down, he knows they aren't happy to see him.

“To what do we owe the honor of your visit, doctor?” asks Maelstrom, as he sees Dr. Belljar approach.

“Is this how you greet old friends Gunnar?” He asks him, “You haven't changed.”

“And you are still as sniveling as I remember. Why are you even here?” He asks.

“I'm not here for much. Just wish to see how VILE is doing... since you decide to fiddle with a power you can't comprehend,” Belljar replies.

“The only thing that we comprehend is your tolerance towards you! We know of your loyalty you gray hat son of a bitch!” Coach Brunt shouts, catching Belljar's attention.

“Coach Brunt,” He counters, “You are as stubborn as I remember. Is that a black eye I see right there? I can tell it is.”

“Don't you dare,” She threatens, “You hear me?! Don't you damn dare say it!?”

“I don't need to. Two words sum it all up well,” Belljar finishes by saying two words, “Eartha Brute!”

Triggered by those two words, Brunt stands up and shouts, “You're dead!”

Before she can lay a hand on Belljar, Maelstrom interrupts by yelling, “SIT DOWN!”

Brunt turns to Maelstrom, not saying a thing. The look on Maelstrom's face is one of pure vitriol, seeing one of his own faculty allies get triggered over someone else's words. It's messy.

“You are letting this miscreant get to you! Have you not learned any self-control? You represent an organization that desires the world and yet you try to embarrass yourself like this?! Show some restraint! This instant!” says Maelstrom, ordering Brunt in pure anger.

Coach Brunt turns her sight towards Belljar and then back to Maelstrom. Realizing that she done f'd up, she takes a deep breath and sits back down. Maelstrom then turns his attention towards Belljar. He isn't pleased yet Belljar has a smile on his face, as if he knew he'd get a reaction.

“You really have proven to be a nuisance Belljar!” shouts Maelstrom.

“And you haven't changed. Neither has she, or any of you for that matter,” Belljar replies.

“Are you finished badgering us? We would like it best if we can return to preparation if you please,” counters Countess Cleo.

“Preparation? All you are doing is trying to come up with another plan to defeat the Power Rangers, despite the fact that your little trap went down the rabbit hole. I always thought you were the reasonable one, Contessa,” Belljar strikes back.

Having heard that, Countess Cleo, like Brunt before her, got triggered. She says this, “That's a name I abandoned a long time ago. I am Countess Cleo! Show some respect!”

“Respect? You? Don't make me laugh,” Belljar replies, “Out of all the VILE Dropouts, you and one other stood out amongst them. Didn't think that you would end up going a path that shows your true colors.”

“Are you finished?” Maelstrom asks, annoyed over Belljar's antics.

“Not even close,” He tells him, turning his eyes towards the other Faculty members... but he knows better.

“I'm only here to give you all a bit of a warning. You are fiddling with a power that you can't possibly understand. I speak of The Lupin Collection. A series of trinkets that once belonged to the great Arsene Lupin. To think that VILE would waste their time getting these trinkets, not realizing the consequences,” Belljar explains.

But then he chuckles and follows up with this quip, “Those of malicious intent that find them will become consumed by their power. Becoming Ganglers. Am I right? This really has to be sister's work.”

All of VILE's faculty say nothing, proving Belljar's point. It's as if he knew they would do this, especially Bellum, to which deep inside, she's gritting her teeth in anger. He knows his time is limited so he may as well decide to change the topic outright.

“I can tell you all feel I am not wanted. Figuratively because I was never loyal. I'm here to send you a little warning,” says Belljar as he mentions this, “You are one of many who seek the Lupin Collection. You desire it's power for world domination. There are others, like the Power Rangers for instance.”

“And you think they have their reasons for obtaining them?” Shadowsan asks Belljar.

“Direct and to the point, Shadowsan. I like it,” Belljar answers as he continues, “You all know there are two Ranger teams. One team, the Lupinrangers seek their power to find what matters most. The other, the Patrangers, seek justice. It will be a struggle to say the least. I only pray you all won't be consumed by their power.”

“And we at VILE pray that you never cross paths with us again, Belljar!” shouts Bellum, already having had enough of Belljar's tone, “You of all people should know since you had a hand with tampering the Lupin Collection!”

“Tampering? You have any proof? I'm afraid you don't. I simply do what is needed. But my time grows short. I suggest you all take my advice. The wheels of fate in motion. We shall meet again,” Belljar replies, disappearing once more into data, having fulfilled what needs to be done.

Every member of VILE's faculty have various emotions going through them but all of them share one simple feeling: anger. Maelstrom however is the angriest of all, considering the situation. He then turns towards Bellum, realizing that she may be hiding something.

“Dr. Bellum, explain yourself,” orders Maelstrom.

Caught by surprise, Bellum says, “I have nothing to tell you Prof. Maelstrom. You know as well as I do that Belljar is someone you should ignore. He no longer holds sway within VILE.”

“Holding sway?” Shadowsan intrudes, “I doubt that, considering he knows you most of all.”

“Belljar is nothing to me,” Bellum assures.

But Maelstrom is not convinced, “Yet you refuse to explain. You will not leave here unless you provide me clear proof.”

“As I said Prof. Maelstrom, I have nothing to give and nothing to present. Belljar is nothing but a remnant of VILE's past,” Bellum answers.

“If you say that he is part of VILE's past then why the hell did he mention Eartha Brute!?” says Coach Brunt, accusing Bellum, “I haven't forgotten what she had done to me!”

“Didn't Maelstrom tell you to keep your anger in check. That dropout is nothing to us!” Bellum counters.

“Even so! Next time I see her, she's history. She will learn what it means to cross paths with VILE!” Coach Brunt assures.

“Then our situation is unchanged. Now you will answer once again Bellum,” follows Maelstrom, who waits for an explanation, “Belljar. Do you share any connection with him?”

“I know for certain she does,” Cleo replies, accusing Bellum, “Why do you think that Belljar remembers who I was? Wasn't he a member of the VILE Dropouts?”

“That is an impossibility, and one that Bellum should answer,” Shadowsan follows.

“All of us faculty are waiting for you Dr. Salra Bellum,” says Maelstrom, “Answer us! What is your connection between yourself and that fool Belljar?”

Dr. Bellum realizes that the jig is up. She can't hide it any further. Made worse is that the rest of VILE's faculty are waiting. She's upset over how Belljar made fools out of them. Made no better was of the warnings he gave. Realizing this, she feels that enough's enough. Bellum turns towards Maelstrom and does something nobody expected. She removes her goggles, revealing her violet eyes. Coach Brunt and Countess Cleo are surprised by this.

It is then that she reveals the truth, “He is my brother.”

“What?” Coach Brunt wonders.

“Brother?” Countess Cleo asks as well.

“Yes. That is correct,” Bellum answers, but not before putting her goggles back on.

She then presses a button on her small tablet, causing the large view screen to appear. It's then that Belljar's face is shown on the screen.

“His name is Dr. Samuel Bellum. I know him by his codename: 'Dr. Belljar'. He was once of VILE's professors, specializing in hacking and technology manipulation. But for whatever reason, he simply vanished. No one at VILE knew what happened until a few years ago. He reappeared, having now sided with a rival organization. Since then, he has become nothing but a blight. But as of today, we now know his real loyalty,” explains Bellum.

“Yes. His loyalty is only to himself and no one else,” replies Maelstrom, “If he says we would become corrupted by its power, so be it! Nothing will stop VILE from obtaining what will be ours. Not Belljar & not the Power Rangers!”

Maelstrom's shout assures the rest of VILE's faculty that nothing will stop them. The battle lines have been drawn. Three factions are now on the hunt for the Lupin pieces. VILE, who desires them for world domination. The Lupinrangers, who fight to steal from evil. And the Patrangers, who fight in the name of justice. Who will be the victor of this long war? And I ask you, the reader... which side will you choose?

To be continued...

Next time on Equestria Girls Lupinranger vs. Patranger! Despite their victory, the Patrangers now have a new challenge ahead of them. They encounter their predecessors, who are not impressed by this new team. It's put to the test as VILE unleashes a Gangler on them. It wants payback! Can ACME's Patrangers pull it off and prove they are worthy? Find out in the next exciting episode: To Pass the Torch; The Patranger's First Assignment! Two teams, two objectives! Which side will you choose? 
> Episode 2 - To Pass the Torch; The Patranger's First Assignment
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Episode 2: To Pass the Torch; The Patrangers First Assignment!

Rome, Italy... a few minutes after the battle

Having suffered a defeat so severe, Enigma was forced to retreat. It wasn't just him. His wife Patty Larceny was in tow, carrying their comrades. Carmen. Zack. Ivy. The three Lupinrangers were knocked out cold, courtesy of the Patrangers. Enigma felt their rage and fury. His helmet had broke due to the resulting impact of their attack. Once they are far from anyone, he takes out his X Changer and turns it 180 degrees, showing the gold side and then he does it again showing the silver.

“Zenbo Yoshi! Shingo Yoshi! Hassha Yoshi! (All Clear in Front! Signal Clear! Ready to Roll Out!)” It says. The words Run Down are repeatedly heard as Enigma aims it.

He then fires, causing the X Changer to move forward. It's gun based side lifts up, forming the cannon of the train and before long, it's on the move.

“Shuppatsu Shinkou! (All Aboard!) X-X-X-X!” Enigma gets on with Patty quickly in tow, carrying the others.

Once inside the train, he inserts his X-Rod on the side and just relaxes. On another part of the train, Patty spots several places for the other Rangers to rest. Enigma joins in, not before setting things to auto-pilot, getting the other Rangers on their backs so they can use their time to rest and recuperate. Still reeling from it all, Enigma powers down but the pain he's in is still serious. He then powers down, hoping that his powers can go into self-repair.

“It could have been worse,” Patty tells him, “We got to make sure these three are at 100%, or hell, all of us.”

“I know. I know,” He replies.

“So where are we going? These three don't have a base of operations they can go to. We may as well focus on getting that first.”

“I would do that once those three are up and about. Right now, they aren't. There should be some first aid stuff here on the train. I made sure to include them.”

Patty spots a first aid kit nearby. Grabbing it, she opens up to tend to the three Lupins. But they then hear some communication sound. Enigma presses a button nearby and a screen appears. Player is seen and the look on his face is one of dread and concern.

“Carmen!?” He says, seeing her knocked out the way she is, “How is she? No. What happened?!”

“To be blunt,” replies Enigma, “We got our asses whooped by these brats!”

“I want to know if they'll be okay. I saw everything!” Player complains.

“Relax kid,” Patty assures him, “They'll be alright. Besides their Ranger suits absorbed most of the damage. Had it not been for that, things would have turned our worse than they are.”

“True. So for now, just relax. They'll be okay. They just need some time,” Enigma tells him.

Player lets out a sigh of relief. Out of all the members of this posse, Enigma feels he has to endure the worst. It's horrendous. But now wasn't their time to worry. It was their time to plan. With much of the team out of action, they need some reprieve.

“Player? Is there any property in America that we can buy? Abandoned ones, specifically,” He asks.

“I'll look into it. What for?” Player then asks.

“We need a B.O.O, a base of operations. At least so that way these three can get some R&R,” Enigma replies.

“I'll let you know if anything comes. Just let me know when Carmen and the others wake up. I do worry for them and I don't want them to do anything that reckless,” Player tells them.

“With this gig, sometimes you got to be reckless... but I will let them know. Keep us in touch,” Enigma assures him. The feed then cuts.

His attention then shifts to Patty. It seems that things may get better but not by much.

“So guess we'll have to get them recuperated huh?” She asks.

“Pretty much. Let's get to work. Getting them the help they need is priority one,” Enigma answers.

Patty nods as the two decide to take care of the injured. Being a Power Ranger can be a pain in the ass but there's always the consequences. Such is the life of being a hero, most of the time.

Meanwhile at ACME HQ...

It had been some time since we defeated the Lupinrangers, took down a Gangler set to take us out and stopped VILE's plans. Despite our victory, our leader Snails passed out due to all the stress of everything. He did suffer some injuries but thankfully it's not anything that severe. Normally we should be checking up on him but Chief Thigpen assures us that he would be just fine. We're leaving HQ, since I told the others that I got something planned up my sleeves. Well no excuses now.

“Okay Roy,” Sunset wonders, “You said that you got something planned. So what is it?”

“Patience Sunset. You don't rush things ya know?” I tell her.

Before I can explain things, Agent Zari shows up carrying some kind of briefcase. My guess that Thigpen forgot to give us something yet again. We turn to wonder what's up.

“Are you agents leaving?” She asks us.

We nod and Sunset answers, “Yeah. Why?”

“Chief Thigpen forgot to hand you these,” Agent Zari tells us. We go to a nearby table. Zari opens up a briefcase she had earlier.

The briefcase opens up, revealing to be a set of watches. They don't look like regular watches. It has one of us curious, Snips, wondering what they are.

“What are they?” Snips asks.

“These are your ACME Communicators. Chief Thigpen forgot to provide you these before you left her quarters. They are also untested prototypes that have been developed within ACME,” She answers.

This catches us by surprise. Snips then says, “So basically this is like from Power Rangers except you are giving us untested technology that can probably kill us. Is that it?”

We all had a look of utter shock. Since when did a kid like him become a smart ass? This offends Agent Zari. Considering that they are giving us something that may not work, it's expected.

“If there is anything that should be fixed, it's your attitude,” Zari responds, “These here are your ACME Wrist-Coms. Keep them with you at all times. They not only serve as a 2-way communication link between you and ACME, but they will allow you to access the C-5 corridor from anywhere.”

“Quick question,” Sunset asks, “Are they working this time? I hope I don't get disintegrated when I C-5 my way anywhere.”

“We did extensive testing to ensure that it will not happen and thankfully it has all gone off without any issues. Also, we had to fire the previous individual in charge of the C-5 Corridor. He proved inadequate for his duty,” She answers.

“Oh-kay then,” Sunset responds, being hesitant a bit after learning that the mishap in our mission cost an agent their job.

Each of us take a wrist-com and what's interesting is that each of these come in different colors. I'm not kidding. Snips got a green one, Sunset's pink and Twilight's yellow. Mine's unique since it's a gold wrist-com with silver straps. Fitting because I can assume the identity of both Lupin X and Patren X. This has Sunset a little peeved.

“How come your comm is better than mine?” She asks.

“Hello,” I reply, “I wear the white uniform. I have the X Changer here that lets me become two different Rangers. Hence why the wrist-com has gold and silver on it. Either way, we need to get going.”

Sunset turns to Agent Zari and asks, “Will Snails receive his Wrist-Com?”

“He'll receive his when he wakes. For now, you should let him rest,” Zari answers.

“We'll do that,” I tell her.

“Should ACME ever reach you for anything, you'll know by your wrist-coms,” Zari answers, telling us of this.

We nod at her as we depart. The four of us leave ACME HQ. I then take the others to a hopeful base of operations that we can use to rest and recharge. They seem curious but I assure them not to worry.

“Come on Roy, we've been at this for fifteen minutes now. Where is this thing you're taking us?” Sunset asks, annoying me.

“Relax already will ya?” I tell her.

“You do know that Sunset is not the kind of the person that wants to relax right?” Snips tells me.

“I'm aware,” As if I already know.

Thankfully we don't have to wait long. We arrive at a building, 3-story at best. Now I would normally tell them what's inside but I prefer to save it as a surprise. A surprise always does help and I don't say it as it is. It's just fact.

“Uh Roy, what is this?” Twilight asks.

“Our new base of operations aka our place to stay in this world. I took some liberties in making this place be worth our while,” I reply.

“More like trying to steamroll whatever bank account you got,” Sunset intrudes, leading to an insult.

I don't respond to that. I shrug it off, not letting it worry me, “Regardless, I took it upon myself to make our new base a bit to our liking.”

“Our liking?” Sunset asks me, once again, “Or is it your liking Roy?”

“How long do you continue to get me mad? I want to ask Shimmer,” I then ask her.

“Just take us inside,” She says.

She continues to push my buttons huh? Fair enough. I lead them inside the place. First the lobby and we use that to make sure we check in and all that garbage. We take an elevator up to the first floor. Once we reach it however, they react in the most unexpected of ways. Trust me. The place itself is just phenomenal. I only say this because it feels like home, or rather, a part of it. It's like my penthouse except the place we're living in is 4 stories meaning multiple floors. There was the ground floor that served as a lobby. We're in the first floor, home to pretty much our main base of operations where we can do what we always do best. I mean, I can go on but that wouldn't be right for the story.

“Yo! This is amazing!” Snips praises, “It feels like back home. But is there an arcade here or something? I need to see if there is!”

“Don't worry. I'll show you the arcade/game room. It's in the lower basement actually,” I tell him.

“Wait, why do you have a lower basement?” Sunset wonders.

“So when we play video games, we can be as loud as we want,” I tell her, “Besides, I figure it'd be better in the basement than in the upper floors.”

“Okay then so what are on the upper floors?” Twilight then asks.

“You want to know that much? Follow me then,” I tell her.

I take them upstairs. They immediately notice what's ahead of them. On the left were five doors and on the right were also five doors. Something is amiss with this.

“I see five doors here and five doors here. What's the point of all this?” Twilight asks.

“This floor serves as our living quarters. To the left are our individual rooms and to the right, our bathrooms,” I tell her, much to the surprise of the others.

“So basically we each have our personal bathrooms huh? How sweet,” Sunset replies, “Now I don't have to worry about sharing it with four other people.”

“What is that supposed to mean exactly?” Snips asks.

“Simply put. I can have my own room and bathroom,” Sunset replies.

“We all do. Since when did you decide to have some kind of attitude Sunset?” Twilight wonders.

“Since ever. Besides we're not going to have much time here. Our responsibilities are going to be shifted toward our duties as ACME Gumshoes/Power Rangers.”

“Even so, you don't have to be that brutal you know?”

“If it's about how we barely survived that mission, don't. I rather take my time and enjoy a break when needed.”

“Wow Sunset, how harsh.”

“Are you guys done arguing about all of this? I feel like it was a bad idea trying to show you guys this,” I intrude, catching Sunset off guard and she's not happy with it.

Sunset doesn't respond. She wasn't happy with what I said and it only just serves to get her upset.

“You know I am in no mood for your crap right?” Sunset tells me, as if I already know this.

“Whatever,” I reply, “Besides. I rather unwind today since we're not doing anything.”

But that unwinding would have to wait. Why's that? My com-link starts buzzing. I press on it, activating.

“What's up Chief?” I ask. But then suddenly, it starts to form some kind of hologram, revealing the Chief. But it's not Chief Thigpen, it's her daughter. It catches us by surprise.

“I take it you are adjusting to your new base of operations gumshoes?” She says.

“Yeah. We are, mostly,” I tell her, much to Sunset's dismay.

“Very good. I apologize if I am intruding on your day off but my mother, the Chief, has ordered me to send your an assignment,” She replies.

“Wait. An assignment? I thought we were off today,” Snips wonders.

“I'm afraid your day off will have to be put on hold sadly,” She tells us, “My mother has a message for you.”

“A message?” Twilight asks.

Tamara nods and tells us, “Our collaborators, the Global Secret Police Organization, has requested to meet with all of you in their New York branch. Apparently they wish to ask you all a couple of questions. I know little of the details but my mother had the meeting arranged. She suggests that you meet them right away. Don't worry. Once the meeting ends, you may return to your day off. You all needed it after your victory against Carmen and her Lupinranger team.”

“What about Snails? Is he in on this meeting too?” Snips asks her.

“For now, he isn't. He is still recovering within our ACME medic ward. Should he awake, he will be notified. I suggest that you four get to it and meet up. You don't want to disappoint them,” Tamara replies, cutting off communication.

“So what do we do?” I ask them.

“We can't say no to them. Besides, they're the reason we got our gear. Here's a bigger question: how do we get to New York?” Sunset replies.

“Agent Zari did say that these ACME Wrist-Coms can let us access the C-5 Corridor so we can go anywhere,” follows Twilight, “Let's give it a shot then.”

Twilight touches her com-link for a bit until she has access to the C-5 Corridor. It then starts saying something such as “Enter Destination”. She then tries to figure out if it can be inputted by voice command. The three of us wonder what Twilight is going to do next.

“Voice command online. Enter Destination,” It says. Score! Twilight did it.

She lets out a sigh, relieved that she did it. But now comes the moment of truth.

“Okay. C-5 us to GSPO's New York Branch HQ in Manhattan,” says Twilight.

A few seconds pass. Nothing happens. This worries us because Twilight tried her best to access the voice module for the Wrist-Com. Things go silent but suddenly, we hear some beeping... from Twilight's Wrist-Com. The C-5 corridor responded, having found the location of the GSPO's New York branch of operations. It starts glowing. Twilight starts to get worried.

“Destination found. Preparing C-5 teleportation,” It says.

But things start going from bad to worse. Our Wrist-Coms also receive the same glow, but in different colors. Turns out the C-5 starts to activate on all of our communicators. Twilight is the first to vanish off, in a yellow light.

“Twilight! Where is it taking her?!” I shout. I then teleport in a beam of golden energy.

The others soon follow. Sunset flies off in pink and Snips flies off in green. Seems that the four of us are heading to that same place. Looks like where we'll end up will not be a pretty one.

Meanwhile...

But what about the leader of our group? Well at an ACME medic ward, he has been resting for some time. Yeah. He's been there for some time. The fight we had earlier took a lot out of him. Vitals are stable but suddenly, they start to get erratic. Why? Is it some feeling deep inside? Whatever it is, it's not pleasant. He starts to move gently. His head shows signs of tension. It's enough to make you wince. His vitals start spiking rapidly. His heart rate increases. Muscles tighten, tension peaked. But something's got to give... and it does. He suddenly wakes up, hoping to get out of whatever nightmare he was in.

His eyes move around. He notices he's in a medic room. His breathing is heavy and he can feel something burning inside. He notices that there are several cables connecting him. He doesn't want to take them off, for fear that he would suffer any pain. He can't even remember what happened after he passed out. Suddenly he feels a headache and it's an unbearable one. Lying down on the bed, all he can do is try to get the feeling out of his system. As he turns, he gets an unexpected visitor: Chief Thigpen, or rather her daughter Tamara.

“You are awake, I see,” She says, “I apologize if this is not to your liking.”

“I've had worse,” Snails replies, still suffering from a headache.

“I see you are in pain.”

“No shit. It's just a headache.”

“Judging by your tone, I say it's much more than that. You should be resting right now.”

“How can I when the one thing that's going on are my friends. Where are they?” He asks.

“They received their orders from my mother.”

“Okay, what did she give them?”

“The Global Police has requested a meeting with them. They're ordered to head to the GSPO's US Branch in New York. I don't know what else she has given them.”

Snails looks for something that can help him alleviate the pain. He turns and notices some aspirin and a glass of water. He takes it without delay, ingesting it and then drinking water to follow it up. Once that's done, he then lays back onto the bed.

“What you ingested was one of our ACME Aspirin medicines. The headache should go away within an hour at best. Once you are rested, head for my office. I will provide your assignment,” she says.

But Snails asks, “Wasn't your mom going to do it?”

“She is in a meeting and can't be disturbed. Thankfully you won't have to worry. Rest in the meantime. You at least earned it since you did your job as an ACME gumshoe,” Tamara replies.

He doesn't answer. He simply heads back to sleep. Do we blame this kid for going through it all? No. Of course not. Besides, he should focus on getting himself rested up if he is to survive. And believe me, this job isn't going to be pleasant.

V.I.L.E Island – V.I.L.E Academy, Faculty Office

“Esteemed faculty, are things in motion for our next plan?” says Prof. Maelstrom.

“We are ready Prof. Maelstrom. Our subject is gearing up for a second chance,” replies Dr. Bellum.

“Can we pray the second time won't be the same as the first?” wonders Coach Brunt, who is still peeved over the last time.

“You have forgotten that the Lupinrangers are out of action. Our trap has yielded some fruit,” intrudes Shadowsan.

“But we still have to contend with the other set of rangers, the Patrangers,” Maelstrom replies, “They can not interfere with our plans.”

“Luckily for us, this time, we'll make sure our pet Gangler disposes them,” Countess Cleo assures.

“And should in the event it fails, what then? We can't let defeat happen to us twice. V.I.L.E has poured a lot of our own funds to obtain the technology needed to make it possible. Made no better by the fact that our operatives are still trying to recover the many pieces of Lupin Collection,” Maelstrom replies.

“You do not need to worry Prof. Maelstrom. Should that happen, I have something that will ensure our success,” Bellum responds.

“I only pray it is something to our advantage. Not theirs,” Maelstrom tells her before saying, “Dismissed.”

Bellum gets up and is about to head off. But Maelstrom stops her and says, “One more thing Dr. Bellum.”

“Yes?” She asks.

“See to it your brother is kept on a tight leash. I will not tolerate any of his shenanigans,” He orders.

Bellum says nothing but knows that if she doesn't say something, it will only draw the ire of the other Faculty members. She responds, “As you wish.”

It's all she can say. Maelstrom sees Bellum walk off but knows that there's something more to it than this.

“Do we have any information relating to the VILE Dropouts?” Coach Brunt asks.

“We'll have to ask Bellum, but knowing her, she may not provide the information willingly,” Maelstrom replies.

“She will. She has no choice,” Shadowsan assures him.

Maelstrom doesn't say a word. The others depart from the faculty office. Only Maelstrom remains. Before long, two individuals enter the office to do their usual cleaning of the facility. It was the Cleaners, Boris and Vlad.

“Mass production of the Cleaner units are complete,” says Boris.

“Well done,” replies Maelstrom, “You will see to it that you will receive a cut of any profits that come about through their use.”

“Appreciated,” follows Vlad.

“See that this academy is spotless. You will receive new instructions momentarily,” Melstrom tells the two as he gets up and walks out of the office.

While this goes on, Dr. Bellum reaches her personal quarters. Once the door behind her shuts closed, she reaches a nearby table and places her tablet there. It's then she stands straight. She notices that someone's there, when clearly there isn't.

She then says, “I know you are there, brother.”

Dr. Belljar digitally appears behind her, having a smile that best sums him up. Oh who are we kidding? This is Dr. Belljar we're talking about. This guy is an unpredictable nut.

“My guess is that you aren't happy to see me aren't you?” replies Belljar.

Bellum turns around. Her face is already seething in anger, mostly due to her own brother's actions. Belljar scoffs, knowing it's to be expected.

“Do you have any idea what you've done?! You really threw a wrench in our plans!” Bellum shouts.

“Temper, temper. I didn't come here to cause a ruckus. I came because you need something. Knowing Gunnar, he'll probably force it out of you,” Belljar replies.

“You overheard them didn't you?” She asks.

“Guilty as charged,” Belljar answers, before handing Bellum a small flash drive, “Here. This file contains everything you need to know about the V.I.L.E Dropouts. Besides, Cleo was once a part of that little posse.”

“Cleo has outgrown them. You better state your reasons for being here before I have your memories of you being here expunged,” Bellum threatens.

“Like how you did to Crackle?” Belljar counters. This strikes a chord with his sister.

“Don't push your luck. He failed in his mission by getting captured and interrogated by Interpol. He must pay the price,” Bellum responds.

“How cold,” Belljar counters, “I thought you were better than this... either way. I am only here just to see how you are doing. But it seems you don't like me around. Oh don't worry. I won't bother you any further. What I will say is that your fiddling of the Lupin Collection will only bring disaster. I know you all have been using them for the sake of creating Ganglers.”

“So what? If it means to ensure our dominance, nothing else matters,” Bellum interjects.

“Fair enough. Don't come crying to me when Maelstrom realizes his folly with these trinkets,” Belljar counters.

“Are you done?” She tells him.

“Yes, I am. Pray I get to have a little fun with you again,” He answers, disappearing back into data.

Bellum would normally be angered over her brother but not in this case. He did bring what Maelstrom would force her to obtain. She lets off a smile. Deep down, she cares for her brother in her own way though if there is anything she won't tolerate, it's his behavior. That's a different story altogether and it's one she doesn't want to contend with.

Global Secret Police Organization New York Branch – 5 minutes later

The GSPO, or Global Secret Police Organization, are a police agency that spans the entire Earth. Their goal is world peace, obviously. They also have many branches all over the world. GSPO's most well known branches are Japan and France. America wouldn't get theirs until about a year later. About two or so years ago, they formed a tactical unit comprised of three members, but eventually a fourth one joined their ranks. He was a member of their Undercover Division. Together the four Rangers not only took the fight to a gang of beings from another dimension, the Gangler, but also a rival Ranger team, the Lupinrangers. Since then, the GSPO's tactical unit have been focused on keeping their home in peace.

But until recently, the GSPO started to work in cooperation with ACME. Why? ACME needed a task force to combat against two threats: V.I.L.E, the Villains International League of Evil and the Lupinrangers. So the GSPO entrusted their gear to ACME but realizing that the Lupins have a team of five, they needed to even the odds. That's when Dr. Belljar got involved. He reverse engineered the technology to create an additional VS Changer and Trigger Machine. I wouldn't be surprised if he has something to do with how the Lupins got a fifth member. But let's get back to the tale at hand. The C-5 teleportation has us arriving outside the GSPO's branch in New York. To say that it was a ride is really something else.

“Jeezus,” Snips says, “This C-5 thing really isn't my forte. I'm thankful I didn't barf.”

“Thank god you didn't,” Sunset replies, “Yep. We made it. At least it wasn't like last time.”

“Okay so what now? Are we supposed to meet someone for this?” I ask them.

“Why don't we just head inside Roy and not worry about this,” Sunset answers.

I agree with her. The four of us head inside. The guy up front says that we're expecting them so he wastes no time in taking us to the main quarters. In the office, two people were waiting for us. One was a man, of Nigerian descent. He's easygoing, carefree but is dedicated to his duty. He wears a two piece suit, consisting of a brown jacket, white buttoned shirt with a tie that is in a brown and silver spiral and a pair of brown trousers aka pants. The guy is black haired with a black mustache. I can go on but that would have me be like a racist so let's stop. Anyway, the other was something else: a robot. To put it bluntly, he's an assistant that is around 2 feet 7 inches at best. Most noticeably, his head has two handle like sirens. Weird, I know.

“We've been expecting you. I am Samuel Hilltop, administrator of the GSPO's Japanese Branch. I'm taking over for the commander of the US Branch,” he says.

“Pleasure. Name's Roy. Roy Starfall. I'm known as Patren X,” I reply, shaking Hilltop's hand.

“I'm Jim Carter. Don't let my look fool you. I am a certified robot here to help the Global Police. But I'm stuck here having to monitor the Japan branch,” follows Jim Carter.

“Japan Branch? I thought you got decommissioned or something?” says Snips. His words soon catch the ire of Jim Carter and he isn't pleased.

“Hey! What's your problem huh? You think I'm useless? You think I'm unreliable? For your information, I have helped the Patrangers many times!” replies Jim, feeling insulted due to Snips' response.

“About that, did you even help them?” Snips asks him. Jim gets no response and it's enough for Snips to say, “That's what I thought.”

“I feel insulted... insulted by someone who dares to wear that uniform!” He shouts. Guess the brat hurt his feelings. It didn't fit well with the rest of us.

“Dude, why did you insult the robot? Not cool,” I tell him.

“I agree,” replies Hilltop, “We brought you here because it was our insistence that you meet with your predecessors.”

“Wait a second, predecessors?” Sunset asks.

Before long, we turn around to see three individuals approaching. They wear the same uniforms as we are. Snips notices his other self and his hair is well done, has brown eyes and seems to be a bit more at ease. Sunset sees her counterpart and she's got long brown hair, brown eyes and an attitude to match. Roy gets a look at someone he's known already, the same one who gave him the X Changer to begin with. Twilight looks in confusion, owing to the fact that she doesn't have another 4Gou.

“Commander, are these the ones you mentioned?” says the other 2Gou, Sakuya Hikawa.

“That's right,” Hilltop replies, “Please introduce yourselves to them.”

“Sure. I am Sakuya Hikawa, pleasure to make your acquaintance,” he says, bowing afterwards.

“I am Tsukasa Myoujin. It is a pleasure to meet you,” says the other Patren 3Gou, Tsukaka Myoujin.

“And I can tell your friend knows about me. I am Noel Takao. I currently am head of the Global Police's France branch,” says the original double agent himself, Noel Takao.

“Yep,” I respond, “He was the first person I ever encountered when I got dropped in this reality.”

“Since you guys are doing introductions, I figure we'd do the same. My name is Roy Starfall but I guess Noel already knows,” I follow, introducing myself to the others.

“I'm Snips,” Snips says, “And you can tell I am the current Patren 2Gou.”

“I'm Sunset Shimmer. Currently, Patren 3Gou,” follows Sunset.

“And I'm Twilight Sparkle. Patren 4Gou,” Twilight is next.

But Tsukasa is surprised by this and says, “Patren 4Gou? How is that possible?”

“It's a bit complicated to say,” answers Twilight.

“What has the US Branch been doing with the Lupin Collection?!” Noel wonders.

“Why are you asking me? I was only in there for just a few minutes just to fix an unstable, untested Trigger Machine!” Twilight counters.

“Unstable? Untested?” That's when it hits Noel. “Belljar! He's responsible for this!”

“Dude, calm your ass,” I tell him, “We're here to introduce ourselves to you and you get jumpy because Belljar decided to create his own Lupin Collection pieces? Dude, why so triggered?”

Offended by this, Noel gets in my face and says, “The only thing that triggers me is your attitude. More importantly, you are disrespecting the head of the Global Police's France branch.”

“You? The head of the France branch? Impressive. But you still look the same. You didn't get a new badge or anything fancy right? All I know is that they only gave you the gig because no one in that group would,” I reply, adding insult after insult to him.

But just as I was getting ready to insult this guy with a big one, I felt an unnerving pain. It came from my ear and as I feel it continuously twist, it increases. It isn't coming from Sunset. My ex would ensure I end up on the floor. It's from the one person that stuck out in our group like a sore thumb: Twilight Sparkle.

“Aaah! The pain! Twilight!?” I shout as I wince.

“Your badgering is only going to get us in hot water with the Chief. Now stop this... immediately!” Twilight replies, not letting go of my ear and making sure that I continue to suffer more pain.

“Is this how you keep someone like him in line?” Tsukasa asks.

Twilight nods with an answer, “Yeah. He's my fiancee, and I don't like how he is always such an ass towards other people!”

“I... I see,” Tsukasa says.

Twilight then lets go of my ear and I simply stop. Sunset looks at me and I can tell she wasn't happy with my words. My sight shifts back to Noel. All he can do is let off a sigh. Probably because my own actions cause a lot of messed up stuff. It truly is messed up.

“Anyway, I wish to know what has our US branch been doing with the Lupin Collection. It can explain why your team has another Patranger in the ranks,” wonders Noel.

“How should we know?” Twilight answers, “We only came here under ACME's insistence. Chief was the one who gave us our VS Changers and what not.”

“Yes. Apparently our organization feels that we aren't needed for the task so we were forced to give them up to you. But to think that the US Branch would one up us and do this? It's absurd. Show me your VS Changer and Trigger Machine. Right now,” Noel orders.

Twilight obliges. She presents her VS Changer and Trigger Machine. Noel takes a close examination of the two. He sees the VS Changer and doesn't notice anything out of the blue. The Trigger Machine on the other hand is the better check. Noel looks at it, from all angles. He sees it as different from the other Trigger Machines. Although he feels that Twilight should earn this, he feels that he should have it undergo tests.

“I am not convinced that this thing is an actual piece of Lupin Collection,” says Noel, noticing the number “04” on it when clearly that number belongs to something else.

“Is it cause it's made somewhat unlike the other three?” Twilight wonders.

Noel nods and answers, “Yes. I'm going to run a few tests on this thing. I'm hoping to find any inconsistencies with the other Trigger Machines.”

“Wait a second,” Twilight tells him, “I need that in order to morph.”

“I'm afraid that this is GSPO business. ACME should have never gotten themselves involved. For all I know, they may have been the ones who reverse engineered these to create this!” Noel responds, feeling angry over this.

Before Noel can head off with Twilight's Trigger Machine, I unexpectedly swipe it off him, returning it to Twilight. Noel realizes this a bit too late. Angered by this, he gets in my face with an attitude that clearly shows his authority.

“I'm in no mood for your games right now! Hand that Trigger Machine over this instant!” He shouts.

“Sorry Noel but I'm afraid that I have to override that. This Trigger Machine has been tested and when it first happened, it caused a major short circuit,” I reply.

“What? What do you mean?” He wonders.

“Basically Twilight was brought here to see if she can stabilize it and she has already done so. And this Trigger Machine was in fact, made here within GSPO's United States Branch. Why's that? Because almost a year ago, someone within your organization had acquired data relating to the Lupinranger's Dial Fighters. In doing so, they reverse engineered and designed an experimental device. A Pink Dial Fighter as it were along with a VS Changer,” I answer.

“A Pink Dial Fighter?” Sakuya asks.

“The very same one that is now in the possession of one of the Lupinrangers. A V.I.L.E dropout who goes by the name of Patty Larceny. She isn't alone. She's also with her husband, the elusive operative Enigma along with famed thief Carmen Sandiego and her two compatriots. They currently are in possession of the Dial Fighters and the VS Changers,” I explain.

But I add one more thing just to rattle Noel's insides, “I should also mention that in addition to this Dial Fighter, a Trigger Machine was also created. The same one that Twilight Sparkle is in possession of. We need it in order to stop those Lupins. This ain't the same team you guys worked alongside with more than a year ago. These guys have two individuals that have been doing this gig a lot longer. So yeah, this ain't the same team just like how this team is a different version of what you had.”

Noel completely was taken aback by my words. When we first met, he was a decent guy. Very decent. In fact, he was the one who commissioned a scientist within GSPO's US Branch to replicate the X Changer. I know its effects since if I change to one form, Enigma would have no choice but to use the other. But now, there is no time with having to figure things out. The Lupin Collection are out there once again and V.I.L.E won't rest until they get their hands on them all. The Lupinrangers are a team of individuals who use their strengths to fight against V.I.L.E. We, the Patrangers, are a team that not only more capture the Lupins but also take the fight to the bad guys. Basically it's Lupinranger vs. Patranger all over again.

After being taken aback, Noel composes himself. Sure what I did was a fuck up but still, now ain't the time for stuff like this. He then says, “Fair enough. I only pray that I made the right choice in entrusting my power to you.”

“Fine by me,” I reply, “By the way, where's the other Patranger?”

“Huh?” Sakuya wonders, “You mean Keiichiro?”

“Yeah, him,” Snips answers.

“I had him meet his successor though trying to convince ACME was easier said than done,” explains Hilltop.

“We believe you Commander,” says Sunset.

Hilltop says nothing, though we all are wondering about the leader of this pack. Fortunately we don't have to wait long.

Meanwhile at ACME H.Q.

Snails did get some rest but by then, he felt relieved, refreshed. After a shower, he was good to go. He quickly dresses into his uniform and gears up. But he notices that something's off. He can feel it in his gut. Knowing that it may be a threat, he quickly turns around, aiming his VS Changer. Who he aims at is no threat. It's someone he was warned about.

“Nice reaction time. I admire your skill with the VS Changer,” says the individual staring Snails down.

“You must be my predecessor aren't you?” Snails asks him. His VS Changer still aimed at the individual.

“Correct. I am Keiichiro Asaka, the first Patren 1Gou. I take it you are my successor?” Keiichiro then asks.

Snails nods and answers, “Yep. Unlike you, I make sure I get the job done.”

“You've been a Patranger for only a day and you say like you can take on anyone. You are letting your cockiness get the better of you,” Keiichiro tells him.

“Cockiness? Says the guy who gave up a Trigger Machine just cause you couldn't get yourself out of a predicament you got stuck in!” Snails counters.

Insulted, Keiichiro says, “It wasn't my fault! I didn't have a choice!”

“A choice? You had a choice when that happened and you never did. I know all about you Keiichiro, albeit very little,” He responds.

“I see. Then you should know that I had no choice. But I guess that is how things go as an officer huh?” tells Keiichiro, “Judging by your uniform, I say that the Global Police is collaborating with this ACME.”

“You got that right. Like I said, I just started this gig. Where are my friends?” Snails asks him. He puts his VS Changer down and sets it on his holster.

“They are currently meeting with my other teammates, including Noel Takao,” Keiichiro answers.

“I don't need to get that far then,” Snails gears up to use his com-link to C5 himself to New York but gets interrupted by an unexpected alarm.

Heading off, he tries to find any ACME operative to see what's up. Agent Zari was the first he sees.

“Agent Zari! What's going on?” says Snails.

“We just got an ACME Alert. A Gangler has been spotted within Times Square,” replies Zari.

“Times Square?” Then he realizes, “My friends are in New York. I have to help them.”

“Now? But you haven't fully recovered yet. You need to get some more rest,” Zari tells him. But nothing was going to stop him. Not her and definitely not Keiichiro.

“Hold it! We're not finished yet!” Keiichiro orders.

“Sorry Keiichiro but our chat has to wait. I got to head to New York and stop that thing!” he replies.

He activates the C-5 Corridor and goes in there, teleporting off to New York. Keiichiro runs off, sensing trouble. Back in New York, an alarm is then heard. We check out what's up and it's just as Agent Zari has mentioned. VILE has struck.

“What's going on Commander?” says Sakuya.

“A Gangler has been spotted in Times Square. People are already panicking. I'm putting it on-screen,” replies Hilltop.

We all get a look on the screen. What we see is as expected and a shock. The same Gangler that was taken down last time is back. This time he decides to use his power to turn anything he finds into a work of art. It can range from a nearby mailbox to even a nearby commuter bus. People were running away in fear. They don't want to deal with that. But for us, this is something we got to do.

“Where is the Gangler spotted?” Snips says.

“Not far from here,” replies Hilltop, “Think you can handle this?”

“Trust us,” I assure him, “We can handle anything that comes our way.”

I turn to the others and say, “Let's move! The sooner we get there, the sooner we can stop that thing from doing any damage.”

“But what about Snails? He still hasn't recovered,” Snips wonders.

“Yeah. We can't get this done without him,” Sunset follows.

But Twilight suddenly interrupts with some news, “Agent Zari has reported in. She says that Snails is on his way to meet us.”

“No time to waste then. Let's go!” I tell them.

The four of us leave the office. We use our watches to C-5 ourselves into Times Square. At Times Square however, people are moving about in a panic. The Gangler, Slugster, is already on the move and is finding anything he can so he can spray it and turn it into an explosive work of art. He was enjoying it all and seeing how big New York is, it would give him a lot of fun to do.

“Ah, New York City. This is a perfect place for me to bring my art to a glorious new level!” says Slugster, laughing evilly.

“Alright Cleaners, gather whatever you can and bring it here. I want to make sure the heads get a look of what I've got!”

Before he can do anything, the sounds of a C-5 corridor open up, revealing four individuals. Yep. It's us.

“You ain't having your little art exhibit today Slugster!” I shout, getting his attention.

He turns and replies, “Huh? Oh if it isn't the Pat-brats! Nice of you to show up since now I can get rid of you guys!”

“Thing is, you ain't harming anybody on our watch,” Sunset tells it.

“Is that so?!” He responds but notices something off, “By the way, where's your leader? Not here to witness your destruction?”

Before long, a C-5 Corridor appears above the Gangler. We don't say anything. We watch and see things unfold. Something comes out. It's Snails, jumping in and delivering a well-placed kick. It strikes the Gangler, disorienting him a bit. After he lands, he turns around and delivers another kick. Slugster lands on the ground as a result. Now it's mad.

“Why you! Where'd you come from?!” It asks.

“Simple. From you interrupting my beauty rest. Not that it matters because I'm not letting a freak like you harm this city!” Snails tells it.

“You think you and your little pests can stop me!? Not a chance!” It replies.

“We took you down once pal. We can do it again!” Snips follows.

“Precisely so,” Twilight says.

“You seem excited,” Sunset replies.

“As am I,” I tell them.

Knowing the threat, Snails uses one of his hands to flick his hair up. He then says, “Think so? Why don't we find out.”

He turns to us and says, “Ready for this?”

Everyone gathers and I reply, “Hell to the yeah. Let's make this our first official day at work.”

“Let's not get cocky,” He tells me.

He along with the others (save for me) take out their VS Changers and Trigger Machines. I take my X Changer out as well.

We all then yell out, “Keisatsu Change!”

Snails inserts his Trigger Machine onto the bottom side of his changer and it says, “1Gou!” He then places his hand on the back side of the Changer, holding it.

Snips follows soon after, “2Gou!”

Sunset comes next, “3Gou!”

Twilight is after him, “4Gou!”

As for me, I turn my X-Changer 180 degrees, showing the silver train. It shouts, “X-Nize!”

The four Rangers push on the lever, causing the VS changer to shout, “Patirize!” They then turn the lever vertically, allowing the handle to be on the bottom of the changer. I turn the Changer once more, completing things.

“Keisatsu Change!” “Keisatsu X-Change!”

The four of them grab the changer with the other hand, aiming up while I aim up as well. We fire, activating our transformation. The shot goes up, showing a holographic police ID wallet with an “S” police badge on it. It enlarges, changing to a different color and then goes down. Snails is the first with his red badge. It goes down, covering himself in a white light, save for his head. Once it hits the bottom, his Ranger suit materializes as it goes up all the way to his neck. His face is then covered by his helmet as the “S” badge appears on it, completing the transformation but not before adding a pose for good measure. The others follow suit with their respective transformations. Only differences are their Ranger colors and in the case of Sunset and Twilight, addition of skirts. As for me, my transformation is similar to the others. Only difference is that I'm the obligatory sixth Ranger so I get to make it really fancy. Plus I'm the Blossoming Stardust. Obvious reason.

With our transformation complete into Power Rangers, only one thing remains: roll call.

Snails shouts, forming his pose. “Patren 1Gou!”

Snips is next. “Patren 2Gou!”

Sunset follows. “Patren 3Gou!”

Twilight is after, “Patren 4Gou!”

And last is me, “Patren X!”

All five of us then perform a salute before pulling a group shout and we yell, “Keisatsu Sentai Patranger!” The “S” logo appears behind us as a result. It's so awesome.

“By order of ACME and the Global Police, know this... we're taking you in. By force, if we have to!” Snails shouts, aiming his blaster at Slugster.

“Is that so? You copping Power Rangers are nothing compared to me!” Slugster shouts.

“Is that a challenge I hear from you freak?” asks Snips.

“Yeah! And I'll turn all of you into wax works of art. Cleaners! Take them down!” Slugster yells, bringing out a pair of monotone beings armed with electric rods.

“You had to pressure him didn't you?” Sunset wonders.

“Obviously. I mean, it's not like they can do anything to us,” Snips replies.

“Can we get on with this? We have ass kicking to do and a city to save,” Snails orders.

“What he said,” Twilight follows.

The four Patrangers take out their Patrol Batons while I bring my X Rod Sword that's in Jutte Mode. We rush in, taking on Slugster and his motley crew of Cleaners. They may have monotone looks but they don't play around. They use the Rods as a means of stunning and incapacitating their foes. For if in the event that they can't, they are used as a means of sub-doing their opposition. In the case of us, the Patrangers, they try their best but not enough. We hold our own against the Cleaners. As for Slugster, he goes after our leader Snails. But Snails is not afraid to take the fight to him.

“You're mine brat!” He shouts as he fires several blobs of gunk.

Snails dodges the gunk, noticing that it hits a Cleaner as it solidifies then explodes. It surprises the rest of us.

“Like that? I'll make sure it's all on you!” Slugster goes on the attack.

“Try me buddy,” Snails responds, taking his Patrol Baton and rushes in to attack.

I got to admit. The Patrangers aren't as agile as we should but how this kid does it is truly beyond me. He engages the Slugster, repeatedly striking it with the Baton as if it's a sword. Slugster couldn't do a thing. He starts getting careless. Realizing that he can't stop a powered-up Patren 1Gou, he goes all out, channeling energy from his safe and firing stronger versions of his gunk blasts. He dodges them, not realizing that it's going for his friends. He turns around and that's enough for Slugster to channel energy and gear up for a strong blast. Just as this guy is ready to go in and deliver the shot, he gets blasted from someone. Snails turns to find me. Guess he forgot about me. As for the blasts, the others are quick enough to avoid them. Can't say the same for the Cleaners as they get covered in that gunk.

“Move back!” I shout.

The Cleaners then suddenly explode into robotic bits and pieces. Guess even monsters like them are too clumsy. Realizing that there's no way out for him, he decides that enough's enough.

“You little brats think you're tough?” He asks us.

“It's not that we're tough. It's that we are better prepared at this sort of thing than you. Last we check, you got whooped by Enigma when he was in Patren X form,” I reply, pissing him off in the process.

“Shut up... shut up!!” He yells. Next thing we know, Slugster channels energy from the safe and just attacks. Relentlessly I might add. Blobs of his gunk start spewing all over the place.

It hit anything and everything. The ground, the building behind us, even several vehicles. Next thing we know, they suddenly charge up and explode. We get propelled forward but then Slugster follows up with a few more of his gunk shots. They hit us and we take the full brunt of the blasts. Landing on the ground, we reel in pain but it isn't going to stop us. No way. No how.

“Y-you just had to go there didn't you?” Snails tells me.

“We should worry more about trying to stop it. If not, kiss Manhattan goodbye!” I replied.

“But how? He's gone nuts!” Snips follows.

“One of us will have to distract him and get the thing out of his safe. It has to be you Roy!” Sunset requests.

“Why me?” I ask.

“Because you're the only one who can open the safe!” Twilight answers.

Realizing that it's true, I then tell them, “Guess I'll have to do it myself then.”

Getting up, I throw my X-Rod Sword into the air. Taking out my X Changer, I then say “Kaitou Change.”

Turning the morpher to it's silver side, I then aim diagonally down and fired, bringing out a silver “V” hat logo. Yep. I have no choice. I transform, going from the golden officer of justice into the silver thief that strikes the night, Lupin X. With it complete, I grab the X-Rod Sword and turn the lever down, turning it into its Sword mode. I rush in, as this clown continues to unleash his gunk shots. But due to his continuous carelessness, he doesn't realize that I rush in, delivering a twirling slash that strikes his side. This stops him from continuously attacking. Seeing the safe, I go in, taking out some kind of deciphering pad and placing it on the safe. It does its work, deciphering the combination.

“5-7-2!”

“Stop! Not again!” It shouts, as its safe opens up. I quickly take the item and then follow with a reverse kick, sending it back.

With the Lupin Piece in tow, a strange blue lighter, I tell him, “Hey jackass! Thanks for the Lupin piece!”

“That's mine! Give it back!” It shouts.

“Sorry but we have our orders to recover these,” I reply.

“Let's finish this before he decides to go all out again,” Snails orders. But he notices GoodStriker approaching and grabs it.

“Hey! What are you doing?” It says, before noticing that it's us, “Oh. It's you again. Guess you need me huh? Fine.”

He inserts the GoodStriker into his VS Changer, gearing up to go Patren UGou. 2Gou and 3Gou become orbs of energy that travel into 1Gou, turning into armor for his suit. With the transformation complete, he gears up to attack.

“GoodStriker! 1Gou! 2Gou! 3Gou! Ichidanketsu (For the Common Good)!”

“Twilight!” I ask her, handing her the Lupin Collection piece, “Take this and move back. Got it?”

She doesn't respond but knows. Taking a few steps back, she watches as the four of us gear to finish the job. Assuming a position, Patren UGou unleashes his finishing move, the One-Shot Strike or Ichigeki Strike. I on the other hand, turn the lever and gear up to deliver my finishing blow.

“X-Time! Countdown... 3. 2. 1. 0!”

“Superior X!”

“Ichigeki Strike!”

I twirl my blade twice to summon two beams of light, forming an X while Patren UGou gathers energy to deliver a powerful blast.

“Itadaki X-Strike (One Shot X-Strike)!”

Our attacks were unleashed upon the Gangler. Due to getting hit by both blasts, it couldn't take it and before long, it falls to the ground, letting off a big explosion. All of us let off a sigh of relief. Patren UGou splits back into three once more. Twilight moves closer, still carrying the Lupin Collection piece we got our hands on. But just as we gear to head back to ACME, a voice is heard and it's not a good one.

“So I see that our project has hit a bit of a snag,” the voice catches us by surprise.

We turn, drawing our blasters at who said that. To our surprise, it was Prof. Saira Bellum and yeah, she's not pleased.

“Identify yourself!” Snails orders.

“So you must be the Patrangers. Never thought I would meet you face-to-face,” She replies.

“I'm only going to ask you this once. Identify yourself or you will be taken in by force!” Snails orders once again.

“Fair enough,” She answers, “I am Dr. Saira Bellum. Bio-engineer and professor of VILE Academy.”

“Saira Bellum?” Twilight wonders, “Aren't you Belljar's sister?”

This strikes a chord with Bellum. She asks, “How do you know my brother?” She notices that there are five Patrangers on their squad. One of them seems very out of place & it's Twilight Sparkle aka Patren 4Gou.

“I see. It seems Belljar has decided to play with something he shouldn't be involved in,” She says.

“Huh? What do you mean?” Twilight responds, pointing her blaster straight at her.

“That's a discussion for another day,” Belljar turns to see Slugster, badly damaged, “So you are still alive? Then perhaps it's time we take the next step.”

“What the hell are you doing?” Snails asks, holding his ground.

“Me?” She answers, “I'm simply deciding when to begin the next phase of the project.”

“Project?” Sunset overhears.

“For Power Rangers, you don't seem very knowledgeable. But I guess it's fitting that you prove useful for my first demonstration,” follows Bellum.

“Demonstration?” Snips wonders, “What is she talking about?”

“I speak of this,” Bellum responds, taking out some kind of yellow syringe-like device from her coat pocket.

“Guys, that thing in her hand. The treasure sensor is detecting heavy energy from it,” Twilight tells us.

“Heavy energy? Does this mean it's a Lupin Piece?” I wonder.

“Yes,” Bellum answers, “This is a piece of the Lupin Collection, the Gros calibre. With it, I can make any of our Ganglers more powerful than ever.”

“And how exactly do you plan on doing that? Your little Gangler just bit the dust!” I shout.

“Bit the dust? I think not!” Bellum then aims the Gros calibre and fires on the damaged Gangler.

Energy soon starts covering it. Suddenly what we thought is a minor inconvenience has now turned into a big problem. The Gangler starts getting bigger and bigger until it reaches the right size & when I say that, it's almost kaiju-level size. All the energy dissipates and Slugster has become gigantic, roughly almost the same size as some of the skyscrapers in New York. Seeing it grow successfully is enough for Bellum to crack a smile. But for us, we move back and freak out over this.

“Holy crap!” shouts Snips, “It just grew gigantic! Almost like Godzilla!”

“How are we going to stop THAT thing?” Sunset wonders.

“The truth is, you Rangers can't. I wonder how you will escape from this... I look forward to your struggles as he will tear this city asunder!”

Bellum disappears via a VILE teleporter circuit. Now the five of us are trying to find the right means to figure things out.

“Okay. So we beat the Gangler only for VILE to make it grow giant size. We don't have anything that can beat this thing!” Snails complains.

“Shouldn't we be like the Power Rangers and summon something to fight back against it?” Snips suggests.

Snails retorts, saying, “And just how are we gonna do that?! We're only in this gig for two days and you expect us to do the same thing they did?! You're mad!”

“Actually, it is possible,” I interrupt, catching him off guard.

“Are you serious?” He says, wondering if I'm going nuts but I'm not.

“Chief Thigpen never told us about the secondary use so I guess now's the time,” I answer, but not before I add a little something for good measure, “But it's up to you three to do this.”

Snails, Snips and Sunset are shocked by this, although Twilight is wondering why them. Well, guess I'm going to have to explain this.

“Are you serious? Why us?” Snails asks.

“Why us?” Snips follows.

“Can't Twilight do this too?” Sunset wonders.

“Twilight can't help because her Trigger Machine isn't 100% complete. Basically her machine only has enough energy for her to morph. But you three got what it takes to do it. Would I ever lie to you?” I tell them.

If the three of them didn't have their helmets on, the looks on their faces would be anything but. I'm prone to be lousy when it comes to being truthful. Tell it to my relationship. Twilight also looks at me funny and you can tell I'm lousy when it comes to this.

“Roy, you may be someone who help brought us together but you are also a pathetic liar,” Sunset tells me.

“Okay, I get it. If it's about every other bad thing, you got plenty of time to chew me out,” I reply.

Snails interrupts, “Forget it. Let's just focus here. Tell us Roy, how we do it?”

“It's simple for you three to do. Step 1, pull the handle that's on your VS Changer. Step 2, turn the changer sideways and finally Step 3, pull the handle and turn the changer back with the Trigger Machine down. That's it. Simple. Once you do that, aim the VS Changer and then shoot,” I tell them.

“That's it?” Snails wonders, “Can't be so hard.”

He turns towards Snips and Sunset. A simple nod is all it takes. They all follow the steps: pulling the handle on the VS Changer, turning said changer sideways and then turning it back. That's when the good stuff comes.

“Take Your Positions! Ready! Run, Run, Run! (Ichi ni tsuite! Yoi? Hashire, Hashire, Hashire!)”

The three aim their VS Changers. Suddenly they each see a runway in front of them. Despite their nervous, it isn't going to stop them one bit. They then fired and before long, their Trigger Machines roll out.

“Roll Out! Booming Through (Shutsudo~n!)!”

Reaching downside up, they start to increase in size, becoming big enough for them to jump in. Although for the three, this is a shock. A shock to see something they never thought possible.

“Wow... I'll be damned,” Snails regains his composure and asks, “You ready for this?”

Snips and Sunset nod and the three rush in to their respective vehicles, their Trigger Zords. Each of them hear their Trigger Machine's phrases as they enter their cockpits.

“Thunderous Roar (Gou-On-Baku-So)!”

“100 Shots, 100 Hits (Hyap-Patsu-Hyaku-Chuu)!”

“Raging Blows (Ran-Geki-Ran-Da)!”

“Snails, one other thing,” I tell him.

“Huh? What now?” He replies.

“You got GoodStriker right?”

“Yeah. What for?”

“Insert him into the VS Changer! You'll need him!”

Seeing GoodStriker nearby, he takes Roy's word on it and inserts him into the VS Changer. Goodie says, “Guess you do need me after all huh?”

“Like we have a choice! Let's go!” His cockpit opens up as he aims the VS Changer and fires. Like the Trigger Machine Zords, he also grows in size and becomes a large vehicle.

“Take Your Positions! Ready! Roll Out! Booming Through! One Shot to Victory (Ichi-Geki-Hi-Sho)!”

“Let's do this!” He shouts.

“Keisatsu Gat-time! Time to grab hold of justice!” It says, hitting reverse and then activating it's additional function.

The Trigger on Good Striker is pushed, causing it to open and move up. It's bottom portion opens and splits, forming the legs. It then rotates, revealing its body and silhouettes detailing where the Trigger Zords should be placed. The three Patrangers turn their handles vertically and then they pull back, expanding their cockpits for formation mode. Suddenly their zords' triggers activate, forming their attack modes. Good Striker then rises up as the three are inserted into Good Striker itself. First green, then pink and finally red. Once Red is set, the three reappear in the new megazord's cockpit. Red then completes the combination, forming some kind of giant robot. The robot is skating through the city, hoping to catch up with the giant Slugster. It does so, jumping in and smacking with its baton. Appearing in front of it, it's set to do battle.

“PatKaiser Megazord, complete!” They shout.

Twilight and I reach the roof of a nearby building, seeing everything unfold. We're amazed by this but suddenly we see people seeing it too. Not a good sign.

“They did it!” Twilight exclaims.

“Yes, they did. Now comes the next part... stopping this thing before it does any damage to the city,” I reply.

“Your little toys are no match for me! You're going down!” Slugster shouts, firing shots from its weapon.

“Really think so? Eat this!” Snips shouts as PatKaiser goes on the attack, firing shots right back.

Like a police officer, it goes on the offensive. The Megazord is on the move, dodging attacks while countering with its own. Slugster feels the attacks and they hurt.

“Impressed huh? Goes to show that I'm the best shot. You deserve it!” Snips shouts.

“Like I care! Now die!” It responds, firing back.

“He's firing at us!” Sunset shouts.

“I knew that!” Snails replies, moving the Megazord to a few nearby buildings, using them as cover against the blasts.

“Who'd have thought that would be useful?” Snips wonders, “There's got to be something we can use to stop this thing.”

It reaches a nearby tower where it's top got converted to a statue. This has Slugster hesitating because the Megazord's behind it.

“Would that count?” Sunset asks him.

“Will he shoot it?” Snails asks.

“He won't,” Sunset follows.

“That's all I need to hear,” Snips says as the PatKaiser Megazord opens fire on the Slugster.

Slugster realizes that he has no choice and opens fire upon the Megazord. In the shootout that follows, the statue that he had created earlier is destroyed.

“No! My statue!” it shouts, as it gets blasted, not realizing that VILE has been watching the fight.

The other VILE faculty members turn to Maelstrom who expresses nothing but disappointment.

“This failure is on the Gangler. At least we can assure that the test ran better than expected,” says Maelstrom, disappointingly.

“That got em!” Snips shouts.

“My turn!” Sunset replies, causing the Megatron's baton to extend, striking Slugster in the center. He feels it alright.

“He's on the ropes now! Let's finish this!” Snails orders, taking out his VS Changer. The others do the same, gearing up for the finishing blow.

“Energy Output Max! Ready!” Snips says.

The three aim their VS Changers as energy build up from inside.

“PatKaiser Megazord...” They shout as they each count down.

“3!”

“2!”

“1!”

“Bullet Strike!”

PatKaiser Megazord gathers energy from it's baton and channels it into the blaster, firing a powerful shot as they shoot. The blast hits the Slugster as the excess energy drives him into a panic.

“No! Guess this exhibit bites the dust!” It shouts as it veers back to the ground, letting off a massive explosion.

With the monster defeated, their job is done. The three then say, “Mission Complete!” as they let off a sigh of relief but someone interrupts this. It's GoodStriker, assuming a physical puppet like form. It catches them by utter surprise.

“Well, it seems you have exceeded my expectations,” It says, “Well done Rangers.”

“You. Where have you come from?” Sunset asks.

“Yeah. You can't just pop up out of nowhere like that!” Snips follows.

“You do know I only help when I feel like it right?” It tells them.

“You're too much for your own good... Goodie,” Snails says.

“Goodie? How dare you! You should be thankful for using my power... but unfortunately, your time's up,” Goodie replies.

The three can only watch as Goodie then says, “Bye-bye.”

Next thing they knew, they get ejected off the Megazord. It undoes its transformation and the three end up hitting the pavement. Thankfully their Ranger suits can withstand it.

“Hey! Get back here!” Snails shouts, as Goodie then transforms into a flying vehicle and flies off.

“I swear it. This is not how things should go,” complains Sunset.

“Look at this way guys, you did great,” I tell them, approaching along with Twilight.

“You saw everything?” Snips asks.

I nod and tell him, “Yep. You guys are fast learners. To think that in only a short time, you know how all this works. Not bad.”

“We only got lucky. Trust me,” Snails says to me.

Before I say anything else, we hear the sound of our com-links. It's ACME all right. I activate mine so the others can hear.

“Go ahead!” I tell them.

“Rangers, this is Agent Zari. Have you recovered the Lupin piece?” asks Zari.

“We got it here,” Twilight answers.

“Well done,” Zari replies, “Chief Thigpen wishes to see you. She wants to be updated on what happened... along with one other issue.”

“Wait. What other issue?” Snails asks.

“That's something you will have to see for yourself. Get on over to ACME pronto,” orders Zari.

We don't say a word. We use our watches to C-5 ourselves back to ACME headquarters. Upon arriving, we power down and get a little time to recuperate. Once we do that, we head for the Chief's office. Chief Thigpen awaits us but the question is, what did Zari meant by the other issue. Guess we'll find out.

“Team Patranger, reporting in!” Snails says.

“Well done gumshoes. You don't disappoint in terms of your duties,” Chief replies, “However, I have something that has caught my attention.”

She presses a button and the screen shows up. It turns on and it shows the PatKaiser Megazord. I thought she would be pleased but her tone is going to tell us otherwise.

“I want to ask... what the hell is this?” She asks.

We don't provide an answer so she decides to try again, except much louder.

“I will ask one more time. What in the literal hell is that?!” She shouts.

“You want an explanation? You're getting one,” someone replies and it's Snails. This is bad.

“Dude, what are you?” I reply before he turns to me and nods, saying no.

“Very well. Start talking. Now,” She says.

“Seems you never told us everything about what the Trigger Machines are capable of. Considering we had to learn that they were needed to summon their true strength, as vehicles. And that's not all... we had to use said vehicles to take down the Gangler that went full on kaiju. Hence why GoodStriker also had another use: to be the base for the Megazord,” He explains.

“Wait a minute. The Gangler grew? Is this a joke?” Chief replies.

Snails decides to move the camera footage enough so that the Gangler can be seen. Once the Gangler was shown, the Chief suddenly looks shocked by this. Seeing that a monster grow gigantic is enough to make anyone cry out in panic.

She then asks, “How was it possible?”

“We encountered Dr. Bellum, who had some kind of device. It was a Lupin piece called the Gros Calibre. With it, she can be able to make Ganglers giant size. We had no choice but to fight back if we were to save New York,” Snails replies.

“Which can explain what we saw today,” Chief follows, “I see. So in the end, the Gangler was destroyed. Where is the subject? And more specifically, where's GoodStriker?”

“GoodStriker flew off after we beat the monster. It further proves that it only cares about itself, only teaming up with whoever it feels like. As for the subject that was used for the Gangler experiment, we were unable to find him. Apparently he dissipated due to having been consumed by the Lupin Piece's power,” Snails explains.

Chief Thigpen is silent for a little while. Since he did explain things, she has a good idea of what happened. But all of us wonder what will happen. We did get the job done so what else is there?

“I've heard enough. You all did well today. But I recommend that you keep your guard up at all times. Since VILE now has the capabilities of creating Ganglers and enlarging them, you will need to be at your best if you are to take the fight to them. For now you have succeeded so that is all that matters. I will have our ACME Analyzers work on the Lupin Piece to discover any information. Until then, you are dismissed. You earned this break,” She tells us.

We are relieved so we decide to head off. However, the Chief unexpectedly speaks. It gets Twilight's attention.

“Twilight, I request that you wait a moment,” She says.

“Um sure, what for?” Twilight asks as the rest of us leave the room.

With the door shut, it's just the two of them. It's then the Chief takes something out of a drawer and hands this to hear.

“Twilight, take this,” says Chief.

“Is this a tablet?” Twilight asks.

“Yes. One of our signature ACME datapad tablets. This model is a 1TB and it will give you access to anything you require. You will need it if you are to find any info in regards to VILE, the Lupin Collection or even the Lupinrangers. I also will give you access to our libraries. Use them as you see fit if you want to learn more about this world and it's history,” Chief explains.

“Thank you. I promise that I won't let you down,” Twilight replies, feeling ecstatic.

“I know you won't. I promise you that. Dismissed,” says Chief.

Twilight then departs the room. As she does, she sees us up ahead. We waited for her and it didn't take long either.

“What is it?” She asks.

“What did the Chief talked to you about?” I wonder.

“For starters, she gave me this tablet, saying that I'll need it if we are to get the rest of the Lupin pieces. And I'm thankful for it since I'll need it to understand this world. Though... I have this feeling that the Chief isn't telling us something,” She tells us.

“Wait. What do you mean?” Sunset asks.

“Well,” Twilight replies, turning on her tablet. She then gets access to some social media feeds. Unfortunately it's buzzing like mad.

“Well what? Come on Twilight, this isn't like you,” Snails asks.

“Maybe you should learn a little patience before I explain it!” Twilight shouts.

We all look at him disappointingly and he says, “I'm sorry. I'm just curious.”

“Anyway, there it is. I got access into ACME's social media feeds and they're buzzing like mad. Especially on Twitter,” She tells us.

“Twitter? What are they saying?” Sunset asks.

“Something's on trending right now and you are not going to like it,” Twilight explains, showing what's on the screen.

We all get a look and what we see is surprising. The most noticeable being a hashtag that is trending at #1. Our expression toward this is of concern and shock.

“#PowerRangersAreReal. No. Did it had to do with the fight we had with the Gangler?” Snips asks Twilight.

Twilight nods and responds, “Yep. Precisely. Someone must have recorded a video of us taking down the Gangler and it spread all over social media. People are now saying that Power Rangers are real. It's getting so nuts that even the actors who play the characters are talking about it.”

“I have to ask. Did you and Roy ever meet anyone while heading for the roof of a building?” Snails then asks.

“Not that I know of,” I answer.

“Nope. Nobody was there,” Twilight follows.

“So how did the footage end up on the internet?” Sunset wonders.

“We can worry about it later. ACME right now is working around the clock to find out who done it. I guess this is the Chief's way of saying, 'Don't let this unexpected fame go to your heads'. Believe me, I rather not deal with it,” replies Twilight.

“Fair enough. Let's head back to our place. I need some R&R after that Gangler fight,” I tell them.

“Good idea. We all do,” Snails replies.

“Wait a sec,” Sunset interrupts, “We need to head back to New York. We still haven't finished up our little meet with the GSPO.”

“Oh right. I forgot,” says Snips.

We don't waste time. All five of us C5 our way back to the GSPO's US Offices in New York. When we do, we meet up with the previous Patrangers. Our little meeting went well and thankfully it didn't get any worse than it did.

“I am pleased that you all did well on your first assignment. Should you ever need our assistance, feel free to contact us,” says Hilltop.

“Thank you. We promise not to let you guys down. I understand that you guys have placed a lot of faith in us. Don't you fret,” says Snails.

“I only pray that you do better than I could but seeing how you did it... I am a little impressed,” replies Keiichiro.

“A little?” Snails says, feeling insulted, “What are you talking about?”

“Huh?” Keiichiro wonders.

“Are you trying to insult me because I know you are really asking for it!” Snails shouts, getting in Keiichiro's face.

“Hey! Don't you dare get in my face!” Keiichiro responds, shouting as a means to counter.

“Says the guy who lost the Splash Trigger to the Lupinrangers,” Snails quips, firing an insult.

Triggered by this, Keiichiro responds, “How dare you! I had no choice!”

“You did had a choice but you chose to give it up to your enemy! Not cool asshat!”

“I will not tolerate you insulting me. You may be wielding my power but remember that I am your superior and you will treat me with respect!”

“Respect? Don't make me laugh! I'm not going to respect someone who is impulsive, stubborn and above all else, an idiot!”

Keiichiro and Snails continue to argue and trade insults toward each other. All of us look in disappointment because I swear, there is a lot in common between the two. Much more. But I then notice Snips leave the room, then return with a snack as he sits down and eats. It's then that Sakuya comes nearby and asks him.

Snips then says, “I got plenty. Help yourself.”

“Thank you,” Sakuya responds.

The argument lasts for a good minute between the two before they then notice Snips and Sakuya eating and watching the arguments. They both share a glare and five seconds later, both yell out a shout that spooks them both. Yep. They are similar but you got to wonder how all of this would end on a somewhat high note. Like Twilight said already, we shouldn't let this fame go to our heads. But... knowing VILE, they got something planned. If they strike, we'll be ready. Same for the Lupinrangers.

To be continued...

On the next EqG Lupinranger vs. Patranger. The Lupins find a new base of operations but there would be no time for rest. VILE makes their move at Indonesia & one of their operatives is dying for some payback. But when they bring the big guns, can they save the island from suffering at the wrath of a counterfeit scheme? Things are going to get good on the next episode, Retribution Comes; Arise, LupinKaiser!

Two teams, two objectives! Which side will you choose?
> Episode 3 - Retribution Comes; Arise, LupinKaiser!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Episode 3 – Retribution Comes; Arise, LupinKaiser!

It has been some time since ACME and their Patranger squad took out the Gangster Slugster and recovered the collection piece. Though they succeed, it has only put VILE under a heightened state of alert. But as for the other ranger team, the Lupinrangers, they still reel from their previous encounter. Enigma was still driving the X-Train as his wife Patty Larceny was tending to the others. But by that point, the three are already awake. Looks from them symbolize many feelings they have: failure, defeat, humiliation and most of all, outmatched. How can a team of thieves be beaten by a team of operatives? Patty lets off a sigh. She can relate. Big time.

“How long have we been on here?” Carmen asks.

“About an hour, maybe more,” Patty replies.

“An hour?!” Zack wonders, “Man... still can't believe we got wrecked by these brats.”

“It wasn't just you Zack. It was all of us!” Ivy shouts, still feeling the bitter sting of defeat.

“I know you guys are as chipper than ever,” Patty interrupts.

“What about you?” Ivy asks.

“Don't worry about me. Besides, our priority now is to find a base of operations,” She replies.

“We don't need one. Right now, we need to find out where the Patrangers are so we can,” Before Carmen can continue, she feels a bit of pain causing her to wince.

“They can wait Carmen. Right now, a base is what we need and that takes priority. We need it so that you guys can rest and recover,” Patty replies, assuring Carmen over this.

“Guys,” interrupts Player, “I think I found a place. It's somewhere in California and it used to belong to a clothing company that went out of business a few years ago.”

“Were you able to get it?” Patty asks.

“I did. Lupin finalized everything so the property is ours,” Player replies.

“Good,” She follows, “Now to make a few phone calls.”

“I'm sorry. What?” Carmen wonders.

“Don't worry. I got a few friends who are more than willing to help out. You always want to know about the VILE Dropouts right?” She tells her.

Carmen doesn't respond. Neither do the others. But then Player has something to tell them, “Guys. Head to the front. You need to see this.”

Patty along with the others approach the front of the train where Lupin aka Enigma is there, still sitting down on the X Train.

“Okay Player, what's going on?” Carmen asks.

“Social media has been buzzing like mad right now and I don't think you guys are going to be happy,” Player replies to them.

“Tell us. How worse can this possibly get?” She wonders.

“You sure about this?” Player presses a button or two and it causes something to appear on the scene.

What they see has them all in complete shock. They see a photo of the PatKaiser Megazord, standing tall over the city of New York. More photos start coming in. They show the Megazord taking on a Gangler and it was the same size to boot. Another photo also shows the Megazord taking it down.

“Player, we've seen enough,” Carmen says, before turning her attention to Lupin, “What was that just now?”

Enigma sums up his response in just one sentence, “GoodStriker... has he decided to help them out now?”

“Wait a sec, what do you mean by that?” Ivy wonders.

“GoodStriker is basically a wild card, only works for whoever it feels like. Today, it decided to side with the Pat Brats but to think that they would actually use him to do this? That's messed up!”

“I mean, I didn't think these guys would do it. I know in Power Rangers that when a threat decides to grow big, it brings out the big guns. Isn't that what happens?” Zack asks.

“Yes, that's exactly how it happened. GoodStriker became the basis for the Pat Brats! What was the name of it?” Enigma follows.

“According to a social media feed, it's called the PatKaiser Megazord. And get this, Twitter is blowing like mad over a hashtag that has got everyone buzzing. Something like “#PowerRangersAreReal”,” Player tells them.

“Looks like what happened today got the whole world buzzing like mad. Knowing them, they're soaking in the fame like no one's business. This just made our work even harder,” Carmen tells them.

“Guys, I think it's better you get your base in working order. We can worry about the other Rangers later. Right now, your priority is to rest up and recuperate,” Player follows.

“I know,” She tells him, “And you Lupin owe us an explanation... or should I say, a lot of explanations.”

“You want to know everything?” Enigma tells her, “You'll get your wish. Next stop: San Diego!”

With the X Train at full throttle, the Lupinrangers head for the next destination. One that will hopefully get them the rest they need. However considering that Patty started making phone calls, it's to ensure that they are up to speed on what's happened. For the Lupins, they need to get back on the battlefield. They aren't going to let a rag-tag team of gumshoes stop them. No way. No how. Time to fight back Lupins! It's payback time!

Meanwhile at VILE Island...

The sight of seeing PatKaiser taking down the Gangler is one that sends disgust down the spines of VILE's faculty. One team of Rangers is bad but two's even worse, especially when the other team has something that can take the fight to these giants.

“How is this possible?” says Coach Brunt, “How is it that these Rangers have caught up to us? It's absurd!”

“More like unnecessary. Our Gangler failed not once, but twice and that is twice too many times,” Countess Cleo replies.

“He has been removed from our program. We'll have to find a new candidate,” follows Dr. Bellum.

“The failure is on you Bellum,” Maelstrom interrupts, “Considering that you were the one who had brought the Gangler and had made him gigantic with that Lupin Piece.”

“I am aware... yet I am fascinated by it's powers,” Bellum follows, “Either way. We must press onward if we are to have any chance against the Power Rangers.”

“Speaking of them brats,” interrupts Coach Brunt, “The Lupinrangers are nowhere to be found. My guess they are still licking their wounds.”

“I would prefer that we don't show any carelessness here, Coach Brunt,” Shadowsan appeals, “They are still just as dangerous even when cornered.”

“I agree. Dr. Bellum, where is our next candidate?” asks Maelstrom.

“He is currently on assignment. He has stated that he will arrive shortly,” replies Bellum.

“Good. Speaking of which, inform Tigress that our candidate will be joining her,” Maelstrom ensures.

“She is currently at my facility at Indonesia. Apparently it seems that my plan will soon be in place. This time, Carmen Sandiego and her compatriots will not interfere,” follows Bellum.

“You forget that foes who are cornered are more dangerous. We should double our efforts,” Shadowsan tells her.

“I am aware. I will not fail,” Bellum counters.

“Well then. Meeting adjourned. Let us see to it that we succeed in our operations this time,” Maelstrom says, ending the meeting.

Dr. Bellum is the first to depart but knowing her recent failure, she vows not to make the same mistake again. There's also the fact that she has to provide info on the VILE Dropouts. Heading to her personal quarters, she senses something amiss. Turning around, she notices nothing. But she knows that something's up. Regardless she gets near a monitor and turns it on. Tigress shows herself.

“Tigress, has our candidate arrived?” She asks.

“He has. He's awaiting instructions,” Tigress replies.

“Very good,” Bellum follows, smiling that things will proceed as scheduled.

San Diego, California – One hour later...

San Diego, California. The second most populated city in California & 8th largest city in the United States. It's known as the birthplace of California and they couldn't be more right. Far from the city was a warehouse. Built brick by brick, covering two floors and not much else. It used to be a factory made for designing clothes. The property was since abandoned ever since the company that had it went out of business... that is, until Enigma and Player were able to buy the property. With the property sold, Enigma had his personal squad were already at work. Once the five Lupins arrive, they notice some people moving in and out of the place. Carmen, Zack and Ivy are curious by it but the other two aren't since they know who they are.

“Uh Lupin?” asks Carmen, “What's going on? I thought the property was empty.”

“It is. We're just setting things up to make it our makeshift base of operations,” He replies.

“Makeshift base?” Zack asks, “Does it mean that we can get a kitchen? Oh, I feel so hungry that I can eat a horse.”

Ivy suddenly grabs Zack by the ear and replies, “Now isn't the time for it! Let's go!”

The five of them went inside. What they find is people working around the clock getting the base operational. Carmen looks around, noticing many individuals there. Some are people that she has never seen before. Enigma smiles seeing the people at work. Two individual delinquents come in, finishing up their work on some kind of central console.

“Boys, is it online yet?” Lupin asks.

“Almost done,” says one of them.

The other follows, “System online in 1 minute.”

Lupin nods. Truth be told, he wishes that he would get it operational sooner rather than later. The others notice the place getting set up nicely, ranging from a huge TV screen to even of all things, a kitchen. Seeing the Kitchen ready is enough for Zack to go nuts over the amount of food they can store. It's enough to get the others peeved.

“Console online,” they hear.

“Good work boys,” Enigma replies, “Help the others get the base operational. We should have had it up sooner.”

“Yeah sure,” says the fellow who appears in front of the five.

“That's one of the guys?” Carmen asks.

“Is this the new Carmen?” He wonders, “She looks young.”

“Darian, Trent! Finish up. We all got our asses kicked by the Pat Brats,” Patty yells in utter anger.

“Sorry then,” says Trent. He look towards his twin before turning to all of them.

“You know we don't like it when others call us by our names. We're Double Trouble,” follows Darian.

“Wait, so you two were actually,” Carmen wonders before the two would interrupt.

“Yes, we were,” They tell her.

“You want an introduction to the Dropouts?” Enigma asks, “You got it. These two are Double Trouble, real names Darian and Trent. Twin juvenile delinquents that prefer to party rather than do their jobs. They are also my eyes and ears so if I get any word in regards to VILE operations, they will be the first to know.”

Double Trouble nods as they walk off in their usual manner. Their outfits reflect themselves as colors of black and white are seen. Darian has white shades, wears a black jacket with a white long-sleeved shirt and black pants, with white hair and brown skin. Trent is the opposite with his outfit the opposite of Darian's: black shades, a white jacket with a black long-sleeved shirt and white pants. He's got white skin and black hair. Their sneakers are also inverted with black and white colors.

“Guess you weren't kidding with that huh?” Carmen tells him.

“Nope,” Enigma replies, “Anyone else you want to ask about?”

“She can always ask about me,” says someone who is across the room, finishing up getting the giant TV latched onto the wall.

They all look to see and yes, she does share similarities to Coach Blunt. The only difference is that Coach Brunt is a smart mouth, this woman is all strength and a lack of brains. Well, used to anyway.

“And you are?” Carmen asks.

“I'm Eartha Brute, one of the VILE Dropouts. And unlike that bull Coach Brunt, I put up more of a fight,” She says.

“Eartha Brute? I don't think I remember you but I do remember Coach Brunt saying not to mention you around her,” Carmen follows.

“Let's just say that I'm the only one that has ever pissed that bull off. Guess she never learned to protect the face,” Eartha tells.

“Wow, who'd have thought this Lupin guy would have all these people helping out,” Zack says.

“He did say they are in some kind of group. The dropouts? Did VILE really hire these people,” Ivy wonders.

“It was a different time compared to now. They were the best times though,” Enigma explains, “But those times are long gone.”

“Yep. Ever since she just up and vanished... how can any of us forget? We had to go on the run because ACME was closing in on us. On her,” Darian (of Double Trouble) says.

“Her?” Carmen wonders.

“Yep. A woman with the same name as you, Carmen Sandiego. She just up and like, vanished man,” Trent (of Double Trouble) answers.

“That was almost like 20 years ago. I rather not want to think about that. Anyway, is everything operational?” Enigma asks.

“Yep. We are online and ready. Time to see what VILE has up their sleeves,” responds Darian.

The system boots up but instead of the usual thing, we end up seeing a strange thing. It looks like some kind of freaky purple alien, like a one-eye, one horn flying purple people eater. It got all of them spooked. Enigma however is a bit peeved by this.

“Is this your way of a prank boys?” Enigma tells them.

Darian answers, “No. It's no prank. Honest.”

Trent follows, “We thought maybe it would help with the new base man. Relax.”

“Relax... relax?! You turned Kneemoi into an AI for this thing. Who... who the hell thought this was a good idea?!” Enigma yells out in rage.

“Take a guess who?” Eartha interrupts, “That cuckoo of a scientst, Belljar did.”

He shakes his head and says, “Figures. Belljar always likes to do crazy crap like this.”

“So you guys are like a dysfunctional family or something?” Zack wonders.

Everyone looks at Zack and the only response came from Enigma, “Pretty much. We are like a family at times.”

Ivy simply scoffs and replies, “Most of the time.”

“What does that mean?” Zack wonders.

But before Ivy can say anything, the game hears the door bell ring. Enigma goes to check who it is and the instant he sees, has a smile on his face.

“Ah delivery,” He says, opening the door.

To his surprise, he sees three individuals, some of which seem strangely familiar.

“Is this the place?” This fellow says.

“Must be,” responds another.

The third then follows, “Who'd have thought that we'd have to make a delivery to a place like this? Shouldn't we charge extra?”

Carmen and the others notice the three arriving. The only thing that she has right now is concern so she confronts Enigma.

“Lupin, who are these guys? Why are they even here?” She asks.

Enigma replies, “I ordered delivery. Because the kitchen isn't going to be ready for a while.”

“You didn't tell us that we'd get this? What's going on here Enigma?” Carmen asks once again.

“I would concern yourself over why we are here. I mean, your friend did ask for delivery didn't he?” He tells her.

Feeling a bit threatened by his remark, Carmen takes out her VS Changer and aims it at the guy.

“You have about 15 seconds before I make sure you end up on the floor face first,” Carmen threatens, “Who are you?”

Upon seeing Carmen with the VS Changer, he lets out a smile. This catches her off guard. He reacts by giving her a gentle push, causing her to let go. He then grabs it and aims it at her. The rest of them respond by aiming their weapons at them. This gets his attention but turns out, he's not alone as the other two people who were with him stand beside.

“The odds are 5-to-3. You want to test us because you ain't going to get the tip if you do,” Enigma tells them.

He doesn't respond or do anything. Before long, he lowers his aim and then hands the VS Changer back to Carmen. She takes it, without hesitation. Then she aims it at the guy.

“Carmen, no need,” says Enigma.

“Shut up,” She quickly responds, “Who are you? And how do you know I have this?!”

“Guess you just want to go straight to the point huh? I like that,” He follows.

“Fine. You do at least deserve the right to know,” He continues, “I am Kairi Yano... LupinRed!”

This catches Carmen and the team by surprise. Hearing the term LupinRed is enough to shock her. This guy? A Lupinranger? It has to be a joke, she thought.

“It seems that this surprises you. Understandable,” says Kairi, “It has been two years since I chose to move on from being a Lupinranger. To think that it would end up in the hands of people like you.”

“What's your point? And who are the others that you have there?” Carmen asks him.

Fortunately they don't take long to introduce themselves. “Touma Yoimachi. LupinBlue.”

And the other, “You can call me Umika Hayami. I was once known as LupinYellow.”

Zack and Ivy are shocked by their introductions. Kairi. Touma. Umika. The three previous Lupinrangers standing in front of them. Looks like the delivery that came in couldn't be a coincidence.

“Wait a second,” Zack says, “So you guys were Power Rangers before us?”

“Power Rangers? That's a pretty obvious way of putting it but yeah,” Kairi replies, “We started this gig back in 2018. We all had our reasons for doing this but it was more personal than anything else.”

“This doesn't excuse the reason for you being here, aside from some delivery service,” Carmen interrupts.

“I wouldn't call it delivery service if it means that we would be seeing our successors,” Umika answers.

“Successors?” says Ivy.

“Huh? What gives?” Zack follows.

“Yeah. Turns out we were here to see how you guys are faring. I didn't think it would be this bad,” Kairi tells them and that gets the three ticked.

“Hey! You take that back! Sure we tried our best but those Patrangers really beat us down hard. Carmen had it worse!” Zack replies.

“What? Patrangers?” Touma wonders.

“So it looks like Mr. Officer must have found some successors huh? How quaint,” Kairi replies.

“Besides that, we need time to recover and we're not ready to go at it again,” Ivy tells the three.

“I know. You got beat by them. We're only here to do delivery and it's been paid for already. Besides, we only want to see if you guys are worthy to carry on the mantle,” says Kairi, “I know all of you from Kogure. You five are a team that's been fighting against some evil organization for quite a while.”

“Is there anything that you do know about us?” Carmen wonders.

“Yes. Your team has an anomaly. Someone who has a Lupin piece that isn't part of the Collection,” Kairi replies, to which the others suspect that it's none other than Patty Larceny aka LupinPink.

“Yeah. So?” Patty interrupts, “The Patrangers also have someone like that too. What of it?”

“Simply put, someone in this world has been tampering with the Lupin Collection. Creating modified Lupin Pieces and tampering with the very nature of their power. There has been two sightings of these tamperings. We know one thing that the Patrangers have a member that is using such power. The other is of this team, staring right at us,” says Kairi, noticing Patty nearby.

The others see that she's ready to lash out. Not a good sign to say the least.

“Want my Lupin piece? Come get it,” She tells the three, ready to go at it. She takes something from her purse and is ready to attack.

Before a fight happens, Kneemoi (the AI) shows up, interrupting the fight between the two different groups. It's constant jumping and loud yelling catches them by surprise.

“Guys! Guys! Listen up! V.I.L.E is on the move!” shouts Kneemoi.

“Dammit Kneemoi!” Patty shouts, lashing out at it, even though it's only an artifical program.

“Jeez. No need to sound so jumpy,” Kneemoi replies.

“No offense Kneemoi but now isn't the time for it,” Enigma tells it, but then changes the topic, “Wait a sec. V.I.L.E's on the move? What's up?”

“We just intercepted some communications and it looks like something big's happening at Indonesia. I don't know what but I think you guys need to find out,” Kneemoi tells them.

“Indonesia huh? Player did you get all that?” Carmen says, asking.

“Loud and clear Red. Looks like Kneemoi's right. V.I.L.E has something big up their sleeves down there,” Player replies.

“Is there a way we can get a flight down there?” Carmen asks.

“Already done. Flight leaves in about an hour so I suggest you get going,” Player tells them.

Taking her VS Changer and Dial Fighter, she says, “Okay guys. We got our new mission so let's get moving.”

But as she heads to the door, she starts to feel pain. Before long, she's on her knees, reeling from her previous battle.

“Carm!” shouts Zack, coming to her aid. The others soon follow.

“I don't think you should be going at your current condition. Are you willing to throw your own life like that or something so small?” Kairi asks her.

“You know nothing about us! We can handle anything that stands in our way!” Ivy shouts.

“Even so, this is not a laughing matter. Are you still going to do this?” Umika tells them.

“Does it look like we're giving in? No way! We're in this together!” Zack replies.

“I commend their efforts. In spite of disappointing odds, they are diligent,” says Touma, “But I feel that you seem to act like an idiot at times.”

“You take it back man!” Zack shouts, feeling offended by his remark.

“Guys, drop it. Right now we need to get on that flight. We can figure out the rest from here,” Patty tells them.

“Does it mean we can get some food on our flight?” Zack asks.

“Do you want that guy to call you an idiot again?” Patty interrupts, “Do us a favor and shut up!”

Zack says nothing in response. Enigma says, “Then it's official. Player, get our flight ready. We're going through with this.”

“Gotcha,” tells Player, “By the way, the ride is an 18-hour flight. I suggest you use that time to rest and eat up. You'll need it if you are going to go at this at full strength.”

“Whatever it takes then,” Enigma tells him.

Before the five Lupinrangers depart, Kairi tells them one more thing, “You better not disappoint us. You carry with it not only our strengths but our dreams.”

They look at him as he continues, “Show us you have what it takes and maybe we'll ensure that our powers are in good hands.”

The five don't say a word. Without a second thought, they depart. Kairi, Touma and Umika look at each other, seeing that they're going to pull it off. But then Eartha Brute comes out of nowhere, spooking them.

“How long are you guys gonna be here? We need to get things fixed up so if you are finished here, please leave,” She tells them.

The three look at one another once more, knowing that they're done being here. As for the five Lupinrangers, they head for the airport and take a nearby plane to their destination. Their ride knowingly is a long one so they used whatever time they have to plan, along with getting back to full strength.

“Okay so we know that VILE has a base in Indonesia. The question is, what for?” Enigma asks.

“Indonesia is an archipelago of many islands, estimating at 17,000. Not to mention they are the 4th largest population in the world after China, India and the Untied States,” Carmen explains.

“That's a lot of people and a lot of mouths to feed you know?” Zack follows.

“They produce 70 million tons of rice per year. I guess that with all of those mouths to feed, you need at least something to keep them satisfied. It's also their staple food to boot,” Player tells them.

“Not only that but their capital city Jakarta is also known as the Big Durian, named after the fruit Durian, just like with New York and the Big Apple,” Carmen continues.

“Aren't Durian sweet fruit?” Enigma asks.

“Yep. They may be sweet on the inside but the outside smells awful... like unwashed gym socks or something,” Player answers.

“Damn. Fruit that's sweet but smells like rancid horse shit. That's something” Enigma follows.

“At least we know what to expect but the question is what is VILE planning to do down there?” Patty wonders.

“We'll find out when we get there. For now, you guys need to rest up. You'll need it if you want to have a chance against them. Didn't you remember what those three said to yo guys?” Player tells them.

“Don't remind me,” interrupts Carmen, “We got to prove we are worthy but aren't we worthy enough as it is? We've been doing this for a year, tops.”

“True Carm,” Ivy replies, “I mean, we've been doing this ever since we found those things last year. Now not only do we have to deal with VILE and their escapades but also trying to find these trinkets, the Lupin Collection.”

“I will say that after a year, you guys are getting the hang of it. Although now that we have to deal with a rival Ranger team, one that whooped our asses,” Enigma says.

“It makes no difference. We'll take them down if we have to. For now, we should take this opportunity for some R&R. We honestly need it,” He follows.

“Good cause I'm starving and I need to eat,” Zack replies, but not before Enigma shows up to stop him.

“Just make sure you don't hog all the food. I had to buy enough for all of us so that way we can be back on your feet,” Enigma tells him and it's enough to get Zack a little nervous.

“You heard him Zack? Don't get all gluttonous. You are after all a Power Ranger,” Patty replies.

“Fine,” He replies, disappointingly.

“So Player, what are we dealing with?” Carmen asks.

“All we know from Kneemoi is that VILE has a facility somewhere in Java. Whatever it is, you guys have to shut it down,” Player tells them.

“Will this mean we may have to cross paths with any Ganglers?” Ivy wonders.

“Knowing VILE, they will likely have one at their disposal. Besides, they are also trying to get their hands on the Lupin Collection pieces,” Player follows.

“Works for us. We have the stuff needed to open those safes. It'll be simple right?” says Zack as he gorges down on some grub.

“Nothing is ever that simple bro. Remember the last time we fought something like that? We got lucky,” Ivy tells him.

“Only because those two were here to help us. If it wasn't for them, we would have gotten into serious trouble,” Carmen follows, “Honestly, I'm thankful for these two... even if they are a bit strange at times.”

Enigma and Patty don't say a word. But they do let off smiles, seeing that since then, they've become part of this squad. The long flight to Indonesia was filled with laughs, food and preparation. Not to mention a time for rest and recovery since honestly, they didn't get one ever since they got their butts kicked by the Patranger aka us.

18 hours later – Java, Indonesia

Java. One of Indonesia's many islands, bordered by the Indian Ocean up north and the Java Sea down south. Having a population of over 145 million, this island represents 56.7% of its population. Plus it's considered to be one of the world's most populous islands. Not only that but rice is considered to be it's staple food. For a population as huge as Indonesia's, truly there are a lot of mouths to feed. But today, the Lupinrangers have a mission in this place and it's to stop whatever VILE has planned. Player was able to pinpoint the location of the base. They rented an off-road vehicle hoping to make it there but the jungles don't make the trek any better.

“Man it's hot,” Zack complains.

“You can thank the jungles for that. Temperatures can reach up to about 80 to 90 degrees,” Player replies, “It's also warmer during certain months. You should be thankful you guys are only going to be there for a while.”

“Yeah well how come Enigma isn't worried about it,” He asks.

“Simple,” Enigma explains, “I have an outfit suitable for this sort of weather. Plus it's lighter material. Sure it costs a bit more but worth it in the long run.”

“I got something like that too. We should be reaching the facility shortly. Be ready for anything,” Carmen tells them.

The others nod in approval. After a few minutes, they arrive at the VILE facility. But knowing that they may encounter trouble, as always, they got to be ready for whatever the situation. Ivy launches a red probe as a means to not only find out more about the facility but find a way to get inside.

“So what's in there?” Ivy asks.

“The place seems empty. I don't like it,” Player wonders, as he sees the footage from the probe.

“Neither do we but remember, we got to be ready for anything,” Enigma tells them.

“Okay. I was able to disable their security system. I'm opening the door,” Player replies as the probe does its work.

With the base's doors open up, the five go inside. Ivy takes the probe after it's work is done. After a minute or two exploring this quiet building, they reach a nearby laboratory. Like the other rooms, it was empty but it seemed that someone was here recently.

“Find anything?” Carmen asks.

“Negative,” Enigma replies, “But I know someone was here. I can tell.”

Upon noticing a nearby petri dish, Carmen takes a look. She takes a whiff before putting it down and it's then she knows what VILE's real plan is.

“That thing isn't rice,” says Enigma.

“I know. Player are you seeing this?” Carmen replies, asking.

“I am. Those things are spores and whatever they are, they are for something really dangerous,” Player tells them.

“I can tell they were here recently. They just left this place not too long ago. Any idea what those spores are?” Patty asks.

“From what I can tell, these things are super spores. Think of them like termites or in this case, they are attracted to grain. Basically with these things, they can wipe our whole crops in hours,” Player tells them.

“And since Indonesia produces 70 millions tons of rice every year, that means this whole island is one big target,” Enigma follows.

“If the crops are wiped out, it's whole population can go hungry in hours. V.I.L.E is really heading into heartless territory,” says Carmen.

“Guess we know what we got to do right Carm? We need to find those spores and take them out right? But where do we start?” Zack asks.

Carmen then heads out of the lab, noticing a pair of tire tracks outside.

“Don't worry. I know where they're going,” She tells them.

“Then let me get a head start,” Enigma replies, taking something out of his project and pressing a button.

He then throws it, turning that simple small object into a motorcycle. Zack and Ivy are shocked by that. Patty runs off to meet with her partner. As the two get on the cycle, they assure Carmen that they'll find what they're seeking.

“Let us go on ahead. Besides, someone needs to make sure you guys are prepped,” says Enigma as he drives off with her wife in tow.

“I have to ask, where does he get all these cool toys?” Zack asks.

“Maybe because these guys have a lot more skill on their belts, compared to us. Come on,” Carmen orders. The three take a nearby car and drive off, Zack driving of course.

“Something bugs me Carm,” wonders Ivy, “What's VILE's plan? Why would they go through the trouble of causing a food shortage?”

“Is it obvious,” Carmen answers, “To force a population like Indonesia's to buy VILE's brand of rice and at inflated prices too. Trust me, I tried that and “vile” doesn't describe how bad they are.”

“So why don't we do something about it? I mean, we're thieves and we have the power to do it too,” Zack responds, realizing the proper option.

“You may be dimwitted at times Zack but you're right,” She answers, “VILE won't be making a quick buck on my watch.”

Taking out her communicator, she contacts Enigma, “Hey Lupin. You found them?”

He replies, “Yep. They're four minutes away from you guys. We'll keep them busy until you catch up.”

“No need,” Carmen tells them, “I'll take a shortcut.”

Carmen gets up from the car and jumps, activating her hang-glider. She reaches the truck below, where Tigress is waiting.

“Something tells me that was no komodo dragon huh?” She says.

“Tigress,” Carmen replies, “Haven't seen you in a while huh?”

“Morocco,” Tigress tells her, “The pit. You broke my glasses.”

“Remember what Brunt always tell us back in VILE Academy? Got to protect the face!”

“You should protect yours once I shred it!” Tigress shouts, but not before she notices something snag her leg and then ends up eating the truck's pavement.

Suddenly someone jumps over her and appears beside Carmen. It's Patty Larceny, ready to deliver a smackdown to Tigress.

“You! Didn't think you'd show your face again Larceny!” Tigress shouts, already mad.

“I'm sorry. Were you expecting a 1-on-1 fight? Too bad. It's now a handicap match. Hope you like getting dominated!” She replies, catching Carmen a little off guard.

“I'll take you both down. You'll pay for what you did to me in Paris!” Tigress yells, already in a blood-fueled rage.

“You are going to tell me what you did when we're done here,” Carmen tells her. Patty says nothing as she gears to engage Tigress.

While the two fight Tigress, Zack and Ivy catch up to the van. Enigma, slows down to reach the two.

“Listen. The two are distracting Tigress. Ivy, open the back and see if the spores are inside,” Enigma tells her.

“Got it. Zack, keep driving and don't be distracted by the cat fight on top,” Ivy tells him.

“Yeah, sure,” Zack answers, paying attention on the road.

Ivy jumps onto the truck's back and works on picking the locket. As it happens, Carmen and Patty continue their fight against Tigress. Being a 2-on-1, it only makes things harder, made no better by her fueled rage.

“Tell me Tigress, what's in the truck?” Carmen asks her.

“Why should I tell you?” She responds, furiously.

“Because maybe we can find a way to stop you, that's why,” Patty intrudes, appearing behind Tigress.

“Keep your nose out of our conversation bitch,” Tigress spats.

Seeing this as an insult, Patty counters, “I'm sorry. What was that? Are you asking to be dominated again? Cause I can oblige!”

“No. Not again! I'll make sure YOU be the one who's dominated!” Tigress yells, going after her again.

During the scuffle between the two, Tigress' claws breaks open a durian. Said fruit ends up splatting onto Zack's windshield.

“Huh? Ha ha, aw yeah! This is some goodness here,” Zack says, taking a taste of the opened Durian but not before sniffing and realizing that it truly smells bad, “That's good.”

Meanwhile, Ivy is able to open the lock. The door swings open but due to the truck being on the move, she's hanging on for dear life. She gets a look inside. She notices several skyrockets but also spots someone inside, a man. His eyes glow and he's ready to strike. Ivy watches as she's about to see it attack.

“Zack!” She yells as she sees him attack.

But all of a sudden help comes in the form of Enigma, “Hang on Ivy!”

He jumps off his bike for a split second, firing a shot from his X Changer hoping to get whoever's inside off her back. He lands on his bike and watches Ivy let go of the truck's back door.

Zack pushes on the accelerator enough for Ivy to land on the car. However, she catches a whiff of something nearby and it gets her grossed out.

“Ugh! Who crawled in here and died? What is that retched smell?” Ivy asks. Zack doesn't say a word.

Patty distracts Tigress enough so that Carmen can find out what's inside the truck. It's just as Ivy saw earlier, skyrockets along with a guest that would rather not be disturbed. As Tigress turns to attack Carmen, Patty uses her whip to stop her. She then jumps over her as the two jump off the van, landing onto Zack and Ivy's car. Tigress gets up, seeing the two escape, harboring nothing but pure anger.

Zack stops the car and the five try to figure out a plan, knowing what they'll possibly do.

“Saw what was inside?” Enigma asks her.

“I did. There are skyrockets inside though I saw someone inside,” Carmen answers.

“My guess it has to be another operative that's part of the Gangler project,” Player theorizes, “Besides that, if Bellum's bioweapon needs a launch mechanism, it can explain why they need the fireworks.”

“Bellum's spores must be packed in the skyrocket pods. Player, where would someone go to see fireworks?”

“If you're talking about Indonesia, there isn't that many,” He answers, “It's not New Year's Eve.”

“Indonesians don't celebrate the 4th of July,” Patty follows.

“However there is a Puppet Festival going on tonight. It's not too far either, just outside of Jakarta,” Player tells them.

“And it's bordering around a swath of interconnected rice paddles. The perfect opportunity for them to launch the spores,” He follows.

“Thing is, VILE ain't playing around,” Enigma replies, “Normally they would have to do it discreetly but not in this case.”

“Yep, the Ganglers. And if they decide to play that move, then we need to be ready to play ours,” Carmen follows, bringing out her VS Changer.

“Aw yeah,” Zack replies, excitedly, “We're getting ready to be Power Rangers today.”

“We haven't done this gig since we got beat by the Patrangers. If we're going to do it, we need to do this quick,” Ivy says.

“True but we need to be ready for anything,” Carmen responds, “Let's do this.”

The rangers head for the Puppet Festival, not far from where they were. A shadow puppet play is going on as kids laugh a bit, enjoying the show. Carmen and the gang are split up, covering much of the festival grounds.

“The fireworks will likely launch after the puppet show. They'll also be behind the main stage to boot,” Player tells them.

“I'll check it out. Zack, Ivy, keep a lookout for enraged kitty cats,” Carmen orders.

“We're your eyes in the sky, Carm,” replies Zack.

But Ivy says, “Unless someone spikes a major face-plant.” The two struggle walking on their stilts.

As for Tigress, she's gearing up her plan, “Dr. Bellum, we're ready. Bioweapons locked, loaded and ready for launch.”

“Well done,” Bellum replies, “You know the rules Tigress. Nothing must seem out of place. The fireworks must launch as planned, once the show is over, and not a moment sooner.”

“There's also the fact that we have to deal with those brats. Those damn Lupinrangers!” Tigress rasps, angrily.

“That is what our candidate is for. Is he ready?” Bellum asks.

“Yes, he is,” She answers.

“Send him out. He will deal with them,” Bellum tells her.

“Right,” Tigress cuts communication but as she's getting things ready, she gets attacked out of nowhere.

“Huh? Who was that?” She wonders.

“That would be me sweetheart,” Tigress turns around to see Patty, ready to go on the offensive.

Tigress doesn't waste any time and goes on the attack. Patty is quick enough to dodge her attacks, made no better due to Tigress' continuous emotional outbursts.

“You know you're cute when you're mad. It makes my work so much easier. You ready to get dominated again?” Patty asks.

Feeling like she's ready to explode, Tigress shouts, “I am NOT going to be done in by you! Not now! Not ever again!”

Patty dodges Tigress' attack only for her to experience the interception of Carmen's kick attack. It has her on the ground but that's already not enough for her isn't it?

“You!” Tigress says.

“Guess the handicap match wasn't enough for you was it?” Carmen replies.

“Looks like today's your lucky day you brats!” Tigress follows.

“What do you mean?” She wonders.

“She's referring to me,” says the sound of an unexpected arrival, a young man, carrying some kind of trinket in his hands.

“Huh?” Carmen says, turning around, “Who are you?”

“I guess Tigress never provided me an introduction. Ironic, she always had to be that bitchy at times,” He replies, offending Tigress.

Feeling insulted, Tigress shouts, “You better know your place! You're here to deal with these brats, not insult me!”

“Whatever. It's not like I take orders from you,” He scoffs, turning his attention back to the two ladies who soon reunite with the others. He then sees Tigress head off to get the fireworks ready.

“Nice. So the gang's all here,” He says.

“This it?” Zack asks.

“That's the guy Ivy and I saw earlier,” Carmen answers.

“Now that I have your attention, it's time I introduce myself. You can call me Snapjaw,” He tells them, “And believe you me, when I'm done. You all will look lovely in my collection.”

Snapjaw then grabs the item in his hand and squeezes it, channeling it's power. It's energy courses into his body, turning what is once a teenager into a monstrosity. He soon turns into a red shark-like monster. He's colored red with several white lines and many shark fins all over his body. He also carries with him some kind of green spear with a blade tip that looks like a sawfish's nose and jaw.

“Like how I look?” Snapjaw says, twirling his spear into a battle position, “Trust me. You are going to enjoy this!”

“Our objective is simple: take out Snapjaw and stop Tigress. We'll need to split up,” Carmen suggests, “Patty, Lupin. Take care of Tigress. Don't let her launch the spores!”

“What about you guys?” Patty asks.

“We'll handle this freak. Besides, we've been waiting to get our hands dirty,” She tells them.

“At least let us do the obligatory group morph sequence,” Enigma suggests.

Carmen hesitates and says, “If you insist then.”

The four of them take out their VS Changers along with their Dial Fighters. Enigma takes his X Changer out, ready to go all in.

“Ready?” She says. The others respond with a nod.

And with that, the five yell out, “Kaitou Change!”

The four insert their Dial Fighters into their Changers, setting their combinations first. Enigma turns his X-Changer counter-clockwise first to the gold side and then back to silver, moving in a pattern that has it aim upwards.

“Red! 0-1-0!”

“Blue! 2-6-0!”

“Yellow! 1-1-6!”

“Pink! 9-1-3!”

“X-Nize!”

Once the combinations were set, the four pull the levers as the term “Masqueraise!” is heard. They then use their other hands to turn their Changers sideways causing the Dial Fighters to appear upwards. All five then aim their respective changers and fire.

“Kaitou Change!” “Kaitou X-Change!”

Five colored circulated hats with Vs inside appear in front of them and then they head towards them, turning the five thieves into the Lupinrangers. Their transformation complete, catching Snapjaw completely off-guard.

“What the? Nobody ever told me they would do this!” He shouts.

The roll call soon follows. First comes Carmen as she snaps her fingers, “LupinRed!”

Zack is next, “LupinBlue!”

Then Ivy, “LupinYellow!”

Patty folows, “LupinPink!”

And finally Enigma as he doesn't need to snap, just let out a clank, “Lupin X!”

“Kaitou Sentai...” All five would go form a group pose and they then shout, “Lupinranger!” The Lupinranger logo appears behind them, symbolizing their arrival.

With that done, the Rangers were ready to go all out but not before Carmen aka LupinRed issues a warning, “Here's a warning Snapjaw. We're here to take your treaasure and shut down VILE's fireworks show.”

“Ha!” Snapjaw retorts, twirling his spear once again, “I like to see you try.”

“We need to do this fast so let's make this count,” Carmen tells them. The others nod in agreement.

Carmen, Zack and Ivy rush in to engage Snapjaw as Patty and Enigma go after Tigress. Tigress already has things set up so now they really are on borrowed time.

“We're not letting you launch the fireworks Tigress! Submit!” LupinPink shouts.

“Never! You think you brats had this thing done huh?” Tigress rasps, “Guess what! You're too late!”

Tigress lit a match and then drops it on the ground where it hits some black line. Sparks start emerging as the light heads to a nearby box of fireworks. Luckily, Enigma is quick on his feet. He rushes in, jumps over Tigress and uses his X Changer to fire a few blasts on the box containing the violet skyrockets. She only watches in horror as the skyrockets go kablooey, literally. But something's amiss.

“No! The fireworks!” Tigress yells, seeing her plan go up in smoke... literally.

“Nice shot!” Patty cheers, before turning her attention towards Tigress, “So much for your fireworks show. Now are you in the mood to get beat again because this time it'll be a double helping.”

“You... you... YOU!!!” Tigress seethes, knowing that her plan has gone up in smoke.

“You what? Are you asking for a piece of me? Come on! You know you want to,” Patty replies, delivering a needed insult that gets this cat fired up.

Already taking the bait, Tigress wastes no time going after Patty Larceny. She's tired of the insults, tired of the fact that she's been made a fool of and tired over the feeling that Patty had somehow done something to her that made her feel this vile. While the cat fight happens, Enigma checks out the fireworks he blasted. They were the same as what they saw earlier but he couldn't find anything resembling the spores they saw.

“Player,” says Enigma, “I need you to take a look at this. These skyrockets. They don't have any of Bellum's spores.”

“I'm looking. Something isn't right,” He replies.

“I know. I mean, I thought we got this gig in the bag but then the Gangler showed up,” Enigma tells him.

“You think VILE might have known we would go after them?” Player asks.

“Possibly,” Enigma replies, “If they didn't put any of the spores on the skyrockets then where?”

That's when it hits both Player and Enigma, “No. They can't have...”

“They did,” Enigma figures.

“Lupin, go help the others. I'll see if I can analyze this and the Gangler,” Player requests.

“Sure. Also, I want you to run a simulation based on what we know. Let's just say that the results we might find are not good,” Enigma follows.

“On it,” says Player.

As this happens, Enigma rushes in to assist the other Lupinrangers. Surprisingly, Carmen and the others did pretty well for themselves. Snapjaw struggles against the three Rangers. There are indeed strength in numbers but strength wouldn't account for the Lupin Collection's power. His safe starts to glow as a result of using it's power. It then channels the energy into its staff, firing a beam of light that the Rangers dodge. It hits a box full of skyrockets, turning it into several shark dolls.

“Tell me I didn't just see that,” says Zack, “He turned those fireworks into toy dolls!”

“Dammit! I wanted to get one of you brats!” replies Snapjaw.

“Whatever you do, don't get hit by it! We need to get that treasure!” says Carmen.

“I'll do it,” replies Ivy, rushing in towards the Gangler.

“Ivy no!” shouts Zack.

Ivy rushes in while Snapjaw fires a few more shots from his staff. She quickly dodges them with ease. Eventually she gets close and removes her Dial Fighter from her VS Changer. Placing it on the monster's chest, it does its magic deciphering the lock.

“1-3-9!”

“Damn you!” shouts Snapjaw, as his safe opens up. Ivy quickly takes the treasure and pushes it aside.

“Did you get it?” Carmen asks.

“I did. Lupin Collection piece obtained,” Ivy replies, showing the treasure to her. It's nothing but a gymnastics ribbon, held by a handle.

“Dammit! Give that back!” Snapjaw rants, going in to fight the Rangers again. But then suddenly he gets struck from behind by two sword strikes.

It damages him but then he sees Enigma aka Lupin X jump over him and unleash his signature move, the One Shot X-Strike aka Itadaki X-Strike! Turning the handle sideways and then down once more, he gears up.

“X-Time! Countdown.”

“Superior X!” Enigma shouts.

As it counts down to 0, Enigma unleashes two slashes forming an X. Once it hit 0, he thrusts  through the X, firing it straight at Snapjaw.

“Itadaki X-Strike!”

Due to getting hit by the attack along with the lack of treasure protecting him, he collapses on the ground. An explosion happens not long after.

“So what just happened?” Zack wonders. They then turn to see Enigma, completely still. In his mind, he wonders if it's enough to stop the spores.

“Hey, you okay in there?” He asks.

“Huh?” Enigma replies, snapping out of his trance, “Yeah, I'm fine. You did get the treasure right?”

“Uh huh, we did,” Ivy answers, showing him, “But what just happened?”

“More like what's going on,” Carmen interrupts, “Did you guys stop Tigress from launching the superspores?”

He struggles to say something but knowing that Carmen would chew him out, he provides her an answer, “We did... but when I checked the fireworks, the spores weren't in there.”

“What?” Carmen wonders, in shock.

“It's as if...” replies Zack.

But the Ivy interrupts by saying, “VILE knew we would go after them.”

“So if the spores aren't on the skyrockets, then where are they?” That's when it hits Carmen, “You don't think they...”

“They did,” Enigma follows, “I didn't think VILE would resort to something like this!”

“It seems that Tigress couldn't handle one Ranger, let alone five,” interrupts someone that catches the Lupinrangers off guard.

They all turn around to see Dr. Salra Bellum, upset that her plans are going up in smoke, literally. Seeing all five Lupinrangers is enough to make her blood churn in disgust.

Turning her attention to Tigress, she tells her, “You and I are going to have a chat when we are done here.”

“Saira Bellum. I take it you're here to stop us right?” Carmen asks her.

“You and your band of misfits are a nuisance,” Bellum responds, “Fortunately I always have a means to complete my objectives.”

She takes out the Gros calibre, a device used to enlarge Ganglers and turn them into giant kaijus. It fires, causing a beam that strikes Snapjaw. The Lupins can only watch as Snapjaw goes from being a regular sized Gangler to a gigantic level kaiju.

Zack's reaction to seeing this is one that catches the whole team by surprise, “Oh holy shit!”

“Zack!” Ivy shouts in response, “Language!”

“Hope you enjoy my little gift as now your chances of stopping us are slim to none. Tigress, we depart!” Bellum orders. Tigress appears behind her as the professor activates a device that teleports the two away.

“So we now have a new problem on our hands don't we?” Carmen tells the team.

“Yep. We're running out of time too,” Enigma replies.

“What do you mean?” She asks.

“Player, tell them,” He follows.

“Guys, Lupin asked me to do something and let's just say the results I have... is not good,” Player tells them.

“Wait. What do you mean Player? Are you saying that VILE injected the superspores into the Gangler? What for?” Carmen wonders.

“Well I ran a bit of a simulation and let's just say that if that thing explodes as it is now, the spores will do more than just damage the rice fields around the island. It'll screw up the island's entire ecosystem,” He explains.

Everyone is taken aback by this. To think that VILE would resort to doing crap like this is just messed up. Now that Snapjaw has grown into a gigantic monster, their chances of saving the island dropped significantly.

“Okay. We can handle small time stuff fine but not this... we were NEVER ready for this. There's no way we can stop this thing!” says Ivy.

“Ivy, don't the Power Rangers bring the big guns for something like this?” Zack asks her.

“Zack, I swear it. I'm in no mood right now for this! If this is another one of your jokes, I'm going to make you eat the pavement!” She threatens.

“I'm serious! Don't the Power Rangers bring out their zords to take down stuff like this? I mean, we ARE Power Rangers right?! Don't we have something that can help stop it!?” Zack counters.

While the three try to figure out a plan, the other two Lupinrangers know that it's inevitable. One way or the other, they have to be the one to do this. They start at each other and then stare back at the other Rangers. With the two giving a nod, they knew it was time.

“There actually is a way,” says Enigma.

“Really?” Carmen asks, “Tell us how because we are running out of time!”

“I know that we have something that can do it. You got to tell us Lupin!” Zack follows, interrupting her.

“First off Zack, relax. Second off, there is a way you guys can stop it but there's a catch,” Enigma answers, “You three are the ones that got to do this.”

“Huh?” Carmen wonders.

“What?” Ivy says next.

“Why us?” Zack asks.

“As if it's any obvious. You three are the ones that got to do it,” Patty explains, “You want to actually take this seriously? Well guess what. This is it. Are you three ready for this?”

It takes Carmen and the others only three seconds for them to make their decision, “Whatever it takes. Tell us what to do.”

“Okay then,” Lupin follows, “Notice the Dial Fighters on your VS Changers? Well they have an additional function. They double as your Zords.”

“Wait a minute, what?” Carmen wonders, “Are you telling us that these jets can turn gigantic like that Gangler?”

“Yes,” He answers, “Want to know how? It takes 3 simple steps.”

“I'm listening,” says Carmen, “What should we do?”

“All it takes is 3 steps. Now listen carefully. Step 1: Grab the side handle on the VS Changer and push it. Step 2: Turn the VS Changer with the Dial Fighter to the left and then turn back. Step 3: Aim and shoot. That's it. Are you sure you three are ready to do this?” Lupin asks them once more.

“Whatever it takes. Zack. Ivy. You two ready?” She asks them.

“I'm more than ready, trust me,” Zack replies.

“You do know if we fail this, Indonesia is doomed,” Ivy tells him.

“I know that!” He shouts.

“Are you two finished? It's time we be heroes,” Carmen tells them.

The three step forward and followed the instructions Enigma provided them. Following the steps, their VS Changers start to act up. They gear up to activate some sort of sequence. Aiming them, they see three runway lines and a sound that is none too familiar.

“Get Set! Ready? Tobe, Tobe, Tobe!” they shout.

They pull their respective triggers and the Red, Blue and Yellow Dial Fighters are on the move. Suddenly the Dial Fighters start to grow in size going from small trinkets to large flying vehicles.

“Go! R-R-R-Red!”

“B-B-B-Blue!”

“Y-Y-Y-Yellow!”

The three Lupinrangers jump into their respective zords, allowing them inside. Each of them have different reactions seeing it all unfold. For Carmen, it's curiosity. For Ivy, optimism. As for Zack, pure excitement, finally being able to fulfill something he always wanted to do.

“Oh man! This is the coolest thing ever!” Zack shouts.

“Hey Zack! We should focus on our job! We need to take down that giant Gangler and fast!” Ivy tells him.

“I know. Besides I'm ready for this. Are you?” Zack assures her.

“Of course I'm ready. I'm more worried about Carmen. How is she reacting to all of this?” Ivy wonders.

“Don't worry about me guys,” Carmen tells them, “Let's take that Gangler down!”

“Right!” Zack and Ivy say in agreement.

Carmen inserts her VS Changer into the right side of her cockpit. Having similarities to an airplane, she wastes no time going in and on the offensive against the giant Snapjaw. Snapjaw sees three objects approaching at high speed: a military based aircraft, an air racer and a futurized copter.

“Guys, I have the perfect plan for this,” says Player.

“What do you have in mind?” Carmen replies.

“Try to lure the giant freak away from the islands. If you all can take him out, the explosion won't affect the island,” Player suggests.

“I can dig it! What do you say Ivy?” Zack asks.

“I'm game! Let's do it!” Ivy agrees.

“Okay you two. Let's rock!” Carmen tells them.

The three flying vehicles go in and attack Snapjaw. The good thing is that they aren't big targets and it's also enough to get the Gangler's attention. Snapjaw notices their attacks and wonders if it's a joke.

“What is this? You think you pests can stop me with your little toys? As if!” Snapjaw shouts, firing blasts from his staff. Thankfully the three Dial Fighters are quick enough to avoid the attacks.

“There's got to be something that we can use to fight back against but what?” Carmen wonders. She then notices a holographic screen saying “Ready”. “What is that?”

Not thinking it through, Carmen flicks it with her hand, causing it to change from “Ready” to “Attack”. This causes her Red Dial Fighter Zord to go into Attack Mode. Part of the Zord opens up revealing it's mid-section.

“Time to reach the danger zone!” Carmen says as her zord fires energy webs from said midsection. They damage Snapjaw but at the same time, it gets the attention of the others.

“Whoa, you seeing this?” Zack asks Ivy but then he also sees the “Ready” screen and decides to do the same thing she did, “You want me to flick it right? Be my guest!”

Zack flicks his screen and his zord's attack mode is ready. It causes the back part to come down, showing it's Gatling gun. Getting a lock on the Gangler, it opens fire blasting it with a volley of gatling fire. This is enough to get Snapjaw peeved.

“Huh?” It says and then it decides to go after Zack. Luckily for him, Ivy approaches with her time to attack.

“No one goes after my little bro,” Ivy says, flicking her Ready screen and then goes into her attack mode.

Like Zack, Ivy's zord causes the back end to drop, deploying some kind of buzzsaw. She then rushes in, striking Snapjaw with said buzzsaw and she does it more than once. In fact, she does it three times. It's enough to get him riled. He responds by unleashing a few blasts from his staff. Ivy provides a response of her own, by using the buzzsaw to damage him even more. Now the bigger issue is to drive the monster away from the islands.

“Guys, I appreciate that you are getting the hang of your zords but we still got to deal with the thing having the super spores inside,” Enigma tells them.

“I know. Is there anything that you haven't told us?” Carmen asks.

“Afraid not. You guys need to get it as far from the island as possible and fast,” Enigma tells them.

“Easier said than done you know,” Ivy responds.

But just as Carmen is about to say something, she notices something approaching from a distance. Surprisingly it's heading straight for her.

“Huh? What is that?” She says as the thing approaches closer. As it does, it begins to cheer out for whatever reason. Eventually Carmen sees it and it turns out to be... GoodStriker!

“I take it you are in need of assistance aren't you?” It asks her.

“Yeah. Who are you?” Carmen asks him.

“You may call me GoodStriker. I'm a sentient piece of the Lupin Collection brought to life by the legendary Arsene Lupin,” He answers, “Today is truly your lucky day.”

“Okay. Why's that?” Carmen wonders.

“Simple. Today, I wish to side with you Lupinrangers. Believe me, you will need to,” replies GoodStriker.

“So if you feel like helping us, what do I do then? We're trying to stop that thing from destroying Indonesia's ecosystem. We may be thieves but at least we wish to fight for the good of the world,” She says.

“That convinces me enough. I admire your selflessness. At least you are better than the other Rangers. Take out your VS Changer and insert me into it,” It responds.

Carmen doesn't say a word. She grabs GoodStriker and inserts it into the VS Changer's top side. She then aims it, causing part of the zord's cockpit to open up.

“Now, fire! And watch me work,” It tells Carmen. She fires without hesitation.

“Get Set! Ready! Go! G-G-G-Good!” The VS Changer shouts as GoodStriker enlarges in size becoming much bigger than normal. Only one difference: it's flying and on the move.

“Time to take things up a notch! Kaitou Gat-time! Time to steal victory!” It shouts.

Suddenly something happens with the three Dial Fighter zords. Carmen, Zack and Ivy notice that their zords are activating some sort of sequence. A large “PULL” sign is spotted. One guess can pretty much sum up what they have to do now.

“Huh? Pull?” Carmen wonders.

“Hey Carm, what is this?” Ivy asks.

“I don't know. Do any of you guys have any ideas?” She follows.

“Hmmm, pull huh? Wait,” That's when Zack has an idea, “Carm, I think I know what it means.”

Zack grabs both ends of the cockpit he's on and pulls, causing it to transform. He is spooked by this but is a bit pleased by the result.

“So that's what it means huh? Guys, pull on your cockpits. I think you'll like what's about to come next,” Zack tells them.

Carmen and Ivy do just that, grabbing both ends and then pulling back. With all three cockpits set, GoodStriker immediately gets to work. It turns it's rotary lock on it's back, causing it to set up its transformation sequence. It pulls a 180 degree counter-clockwise turn as the Red, Blue and Yellow and Dial Fighter Zords fly through. Each of the three zords' rotary dials turn, transforming into their attack modes. Then each of the zords connected with Good Striker. First yellow, then blue and finally red. While all this goes on, Carmen along with Zack and Ivy's cockpits begin moving. They're a bit startled but eventually all three meet in a bridge. They then look to see the Red Dial Fighter Zord's turning via the dial revealing it's face. With the transformation complete, it lands on the ground below, already in attack position.

“What just happened?” Zack asks.

“I don't know but this is going to be interesting,” Carmen replies.

Suddenly GoodStriker shows up with a cheer, catching the three by surprise.

“I have arrived! Surprised? You should be because this is the result of our teamwork,” He tells them.

“Teamwork? I don't think you seem to get the idea of the concept,” Carmen explains.

“Really? Then why don't you show me... if you can,” GoodStriker tells them.

“Fine by us, let's do it,” Carmen replies.

“Music to my ears. Now then, behold the fruits of our teamwork! Complete! LupinKaiser!” It shouts, signaling it's arrival.

“LupinKaiser? That's a pretty cool name. I'll admit,” says Zack.

“Ah, one of culture I see. I do look forward to how you three handle me,” GoodStriker replies.

“Now that we got introductions out of the way, let's do this!” Carmen says. The others nod in agreement.

LupinKaiser rushes in to attack Snapjaw. The monster wastes no time. It goes in to attack as well. But as it does, the megazord dodges the attack and responds by using the Yellow Arm's buzzsaw. Probably it's due to Ivy since the weapon respond to the pilot's behavior and actions.

“Oh cute. You brats think you're tough? Try this!” Snapjaw shouts, firing lasers from it's head.

“Not on your life!” Carmen responds. LupinKaiser dodges the blasts but it gives Zack an idea.

“Hey freak! Eat this!” Zack shouts and his zord arm fires several gatling shots. They hit their mark, damaging Snapjaw.

“Don't forget that we need to push this thing away from the island,” Carmen orders.

“Carmen, I don't think we should worry about that,” Ivy tells her. Snapjaw is rushing in, with weapon in hand ready to go on the offensive to bash LupinKaiser.

“Hang on guys,” Carmen says, while LupinKaiser goes full reverse. This has Snapjaw continuously moving, hoping to sink it's fangs on the giant robot.

Once the thing reaches a good amount, LupinKaiser then moves forward, rushing in and firing blasts from it's blue arm gatling gun. Snapjaw kept going despite getting blasted repeatedly.

Snapjaw goes in to attack but as it does so, LupinKaiser jumps and strikes it from behind with its buzzsaw arm. This strikes Snapjaw but it only gets it irate.

“I think that's far enough. So how do we finish it?” Carmen wonders.

“That is even simpler enough. Take your VS Changers out and then take aim. I will handle the rest,” GoodStriker tells them.

“You really know your stuff don't ya?” Ivy follows.

GoodStriker then says, “Of course. Why do you think I decide to side with you? Anything's better than those other Rangers.”

“Other Rangers?” Zack responds, “You don't mean those Patrangers do you?”

“Yes. Them. Anyway, time to finish the job!” He shouts.

The three Lupins take their VS Changers out and aim at their target, the irate Snapjaw. LupinKaiser then propels up into the air as a large VS Changer appears in front of it.

With all this, GoodStriker shouts, “GoodStriker: Rapid Fire Down-You-Go Shot!”

“Shoot him down!” Carmen shouts as the three Rangers keep firing from their VS Changers.

In turn, the giant VS Changer that was formed starts firing repeatedly. It hits Snapjaw so much that the damage it's taking is a bit excessive.

“Dammit all! Looks like I'm the one that's shark bait!” Snapjaw says as he collapses from all the excess damage and explodes.

LupinKaiser stands victorious against it and the best part is that the spores it was injected with was destroyed along with the monster. Basically it's a victory, althroughout.

“Forevermore, adieu!” GoodStriker says while the three Lupinrangers look on.

“At least the island of Indonesia is safe,” Carmen responds.

GoodStriker turns toward the three and says, “For our first time working together, you three did well. Impressive.”

“Okay. I want to ask you something. You say you would help us right?” Zack asks, “So why are you just... so strange?”

“Strange is an understatement. I was created as a result of a wish made by a legendary individual, Arsene Lupin. The very one who sought and discovered trinkets that carry great power. Those are the Lupin Collection,” He explains.

“We know all about them. What we want to know is why would you help us?” Carmen asks him.

“I have no reason why. I help when I feel like it. Besides, at least you aren't like those Patrangers. Something about them feels off, as if their destiny is unknown even to me,” He answers.

“So what? Are you saying you only want to help because you feel like it? That's... not assuring at all,” Ivy tells him.

“That is how I am. You should be thankful I choose to side with you. If I wanted, I wouldn't help you at all. At least seeing your reasons to fight is more than enough. With that, my time with you comes to an end. Farewell!” It says and then suddenly, like the previous time, disengages with the Dial Fighter zords.

Thankfully the three were able to escape in the nick of time unlike the Patrangers who were ejected out by force. Patty and Enigma reunite with the other Rangers, impressed that they were able to get the job done.

“Words can't describe how impressed we are. You actually took down the Gangler and destroyed the super spores,” Enigma says.

“At least with that, we don't have to worry about VILE screwing up the island. Are any chances happening Player?” asks Carmen.

“Nope,” He answers, “Indonesia has experienced no problems whatsoever. I saw the whole fight. You guys were awesome.”

“You know, I think this whole thing about being Lupinrangers is actually awesome,” says Zack.

“That's only because we didn't have a choice. VILE was ready to spread those spores all over the island. If that isn't petty, I don't know what is honestly,” Ivy interrupts.

“Well what matters is that we stopped them. At least the people of Indonesia don't have to worry about having to deal with something like that,” Carmen assures them.

“At least now we can enjoy the rest of the day. I honestly just want to eat,” Enigma tells them.

“Here here,” Zack agrees, “Man how I wouldn't give to enjoy some rice!”

Carmen wants to say something but Ivy tells her, “Leave them. Besides, we at least deserve this right?”

“Good point,” says Carmen, but not before she turns her attention towards Patty, “By the way, I want to know one thing.”

“Yeah?” She answers, “What is it?”

Carmen then asks, “What did you do to Tigress that got her so pissy?”

The only reaction that she has towards the question is one of utter silence and bemusement. Guess Carmen won't get the answer she wants. Luckily for her, she's going to be getting the answer.

“Remember last year when we first did this Lupinranger gig?” Patty asks her.

“Yeah. What about it?” Carmen asks, wondering.

Patty says nothing. She only gives her a devious smile. Carmen and Ivy's expressions change into moods of dread. Finding out that their own compatriot would do something as sinister as this is just.... messy.

“Let's leave it at that. I just want to eat,” says Patty as she joins the other Lupinrangers for a well deserved break.

Carmen looks at Patty before turning her attention back to Ivy. All she can say from it all is this, “I rather not want to question what it was.”

“Yeah... good idea,” Ivy replies. The two then join the others as they look forward to a well deserved break.

Carmen and her compatriots may have succeeded in stopping VILE from screwing around with Indonesia's rice farms but their work as Lupinrangers is only going to get rough. What they don't know is that two agents in black have been watching, observing, waiting. One gets in touch with whoever's in charge.

“Yeah. We see them. They just finished taking down that monster showing up,” says one of the agents.

It waits a while before speaking once again, “No. That thing flew off after the battle is over. It is as they said, a wild card. Shall I relay the info to them.”

Like the previous instance, the agent waits, receiving info from whoever is contacting them, “Are you sure you're letting her handle things?”

“Fine. As you wish. I will send the information to her momentarily. I will continue monitoring,” He tells.

The communication ends. The agents watch the five Lupinrangers enjoy well needed food. But you have to wonder though. What about the Patrangers? What will they do when they find out. Well, that's a story for another time.

To be continued...

On the next Equestria Girls: Lupinranger vs. Patranger. News of the Lupinrangers' exploits reach the agents and they are none too pleased. However, ACME soon receives new intel from the GSPO. New vehicles! These trinkets soon become the basis of a battlefield between both sides. And in the middle, VILE strikes with their newest weapon. Who will come out on top of this fight?! Find out on the next episode, Chasing Shadows; Hunt for the Lupin Collection!

Two teams, two objectives! Which side will you choose?!
> Episode 4: Chasing Shadows; Hunt for the Lupin Collection
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Episode 4: Chasing Shadows; Hunt for the Lupin Collection

A few minutes later...

Now you are probably wondering, what have we aka the Patrangers have been doing? Well guess you'll find out huh? Anyway, it's been some time since Chief has contacted us. All we've been doing is just chilling out. Snails has been at work writing something on a desk. Snips is busy playing video games downstairs. Sunset Shimmer is looking through some info on her phone while Twilight is reading a book about the world and it's history. As for me, being the unpredictable that I am, I went off to do shopping. Arriving at the nick of time with groceries, I bring the bags to the kitchen. Taking a stretch, I check up on the others. Before I can say a thing, we hear beeping.

“Guys, incoming message from ACME,” says Twilight.

“Patch it through,” Snails replies.

Twilight takes out her ACME pen that she always carries and presses the top of it. She then throws it on the ground, causing it to stand vertically. We then see the Chief but not Chief Thigpen. It's Tamara Fraser. Something's amiss.

“I apologize for contacting you but it's a matter of urgency,” says Chief Tamara.

“What is this about Chief?” Snails asks.

“Carmen Sandiego and her team were spotted in Indonesia today. However what brings our attention is something unexpected. Take a look at the photo we sent you,” She explains.

Twilight checks the tablet. What we then see is a shock and she then says, “No way.”

We all get to see the picture. It's LupinKaiser, fighting against the Gangler Snapjaw. How did ACME get this, we probably won't know but this only makes things a bit intense by the second.

“Isn't that GoodStriker?” Snips wonders.

“It is. But don't those three parts look familiar?” Snails asks.

“Yep. They're the same as the Dial Fighters the Lupinrangers have,” He follows.

“This further confirms that GoodStriker is a wild card. It works with whatever team when it feels like it,” Tamara tells us.

“We learned that the hard way after forming the PatKaiser Megazord,” Snails says, “He didn't take us calling him Goody very well.”

“Have you checked the social media feeds?” Sunset asks.

“We have. It's as you would surmise it. People are talking about it to the point where they are using that hashtag,” Tamara replies.

“Yep. That hashtag. Figures,” I follow.

“Remember when we had to beat that Gangler by using PatKaiser? That was the start of it. Now THEY are the ones getting their chance in the limelight... even if they don't have a clue,” Snails tells us.

“It's clear that Carmen and her team are taking the fight to VILE. Bear in mind that sooner or later, you Rangers will have to cross paths with them. You are still on your day off but my mother insists that you head for ACME HQ first thing tomorrow. Apparently she has something she wishes to discuss with you all. Use this time to prepare,” Tamara tells us as communication was cut.

Now our focus at hand is the showing of LupinKaiser and the response that is happening in social media. Twilight is already at work checking it out. People are going nuts. Many are using the hashtag that we first saw earlier, #PowerRangersAreReal. Photos of LupinKaiser are shown. Comparisons between both Lupin and PatKaiser are shown. Not only that but some photos are shown of the Lupinrangers. Having them seen is enough for them to know that this is nuts.

“This is getting ridiculous!” Snails says in disgust.

“Why? Because people know that stuff that was on TV is real?” Snips asks.

“I'm not concerned for that. We know that Power Rangers is a fictional tv show. But separating reality from fiction is a difficult task,” He tells him.

“Dude. We use these powers for good and fighting against evil. You think that's enough?” I speak.

“Uh Roy,” Twilight replies.

“It's not that simple,” Sunset interrupts, “You know kids watch the show and when they find out that Power Rangers are real, they're going to try to imitate what we're doing. People can get hurt.”

“Problem is, ACME isn't going to let us make a statement about this. The only thing that we should focus right now is find out what they want. We'll figure that all out first thing tomorrow.,” Snails tells us.

“Good idea. It's actually the best option anyway. I brought groceries so I got to work rearranging everything,” I reply.

“Smart of ya to do the shopping for a change,” Twilight tells me.

“I am the culinary artist of the group right? Pray we ain't ordering takeout today,” I follow.

I head for the kitchen to work on fixing the groceries. The rest all continue doing their activities. But now we know what is so perfectly clear. Now that the Lupinrangers have been spotted, the battle between both teams have only begun. However there's also the matter that because Power Rangers are real, especially in a world like this, it's going to lead to a lot of scrutiny. It won't matter though. Our job is to stop VILE while contending with the other Ranger team. Pretty fair don't you think?

VILE Island, at the same time...

Things in the Isle of VILE aren't going great. Learning that the Lupinrangers are back in the fight and that their plans went down the crapper is enough to get everyone on edge. Maelstrom is annoyed, upon seeing the Lupinrangers being able to take down the Gangler without much effort. Bellum is more towards disappointment since her plan failed. The others can only look in disgust towards seeing it.

“Those god damn Lupinrangers! Having to foil our plan even after getting whooped by those other brats. Shadowsan was proven right,” says Coach Brunt.

“As I said, a beast is more dangerous when cornered and it's no exception,” Shadowsan replies.

“We were unable to recover the candidate like the previous ones,” Bellum explains, “It seems we will have to find yet another.”

“And then what?” Maelstrom asks her, “They'll fall just like the others. If we are to succeed in our plans, we must have candidates that are capable for the task! So far, this Gangler Project you've created has failed to bear fruit! Made no better by our efforts to obtain the Lupin Collection!”

“Then if we are to ensure that it bears fruit, we must take the initiative,” Bellum suggests, “One where we can turn the situation at hand to our favor.”

“And how exactly do you plan on doing so? Let us not forget that there's one other concern at hand,” tells Countess Cleo.

Bellum already knows what that is, “If you are referring to my brother, he is nothing but a nuisance. He is of no concern to any of us.”

“No concern?” queries Coach Brunt, “Have you forgotten how he has chosen to go against everything VILE stands for?”

“As I said,” Bellum explains, “My brother is of little threat. Whatever he does will not affect us in the long run.”

“You better be right Dr. Bellum... for your sake and ours,” Maelstrom threatens.

Bellum doesn't say a word. She knows.

“Let us all get to the matter at hand and that is how to deal with both the Lupin and Pat Brats,” says Coach Brunt.

“It is as Dr. Bellum has stated before. We must use their animosity toward each other and use it to our advantage. Luckily for us we have found such a way,” explains Maelstrom.

“How do you propose that plan?” asks Shadowsan, “Will we have to rely on the Gangler to deal with them?”

“No. Not for this one. It'll only be done as a last resort. Have our operatives Le Chevre and El Toppo at the ready. We will need them for this,” replies Maelstrom. His smile growing ever so deviously. Whatever he has planned, it won't be pleasant that's for certain.

The next day... ACME HQ

With what Chief Tamara told us yesterday, we needed to find out what her mother has to say. Arriving at HQ, the five of us are about to find out. We appear in front of Chief Thigpen. She's already seated.

“The Patrangers reporting for duty Chief Thigpen,” says Snails.

“Very good,” She replies, “Please, be seated.”

Each of us sat at the table behind us. Chief presses a button on her desk. The lights dim and we then see a screen in front of us. It showed what we already saw yesterday.

“We've seen it yesterday courtesy of Twilight,” says Snails.

“I am aware,” Chief replies, “However this has confirmed that the Lupinranger are back on their feet.”

“Made no better seeing that GoodStriker has decided to side with them,” follows Snips.

“Correct. It is as you confirmed. GoodStriker is a wild card that only works with whoever he feels like,” she explains, “And this may prove to be a disadvantage for us.”

“It already is,” interrupts Sunset.

“How so?” Chief asks.

Sunset explains, “Let's just say that he doesn't seem to like us. Made no better due to Twilight having a Trigger Machine that shouldn't exist.”

“That is of little concern,” follows the Chief, shrugging that off.

Chief Thigpen continues, “As I was saying, with GoodStriker as he is, things will prove challenging for you. Our concern now is for what Carmen Sandiego and her band of thieving troublemakers will do next. Despite reports stating that they had sabotaged a VILE operation, they still are a threat to this organization.”

“What do we do? VILE along with the Lupinrangers will not make this easier especially when the Lupin Collection is on the line,” I respond.

“Which is why we here at ACME are giving you guys a needed edge,” She says.

“An edge?” Twilight wonders, “Like what?”

Chief presses the same button and the screen changes. What we see are several toy-like vehicles similar to the Trigger Machines. In fact, they are Trigger Machines. The first one was a motorcycle that was white but the wheels were black and blue. As for the other, it's a white and yellow vehicle that has some sort of crane. But inside it is a compartment for a small vehicle. Both of them have Triggers on it, symbolizing that they are meant for us.

“These. We recently got in touch with the Global Police and they are providing us these auxiliary Trigger Machines. They are code named Biker and Crane. Using them will give you Rangers the edge you need in the fight against VILE, and the Lupinrangers,” She explains.

“Freaking sweet,” I tell her, “Guess we'll have the advantage we need don't we?”

“Precisely. You will be expecting the Trigger Machines shortly. As for new assignments, there is none as of yet but remember to remain vigilant,” Chief tells us. Before she has us dismissed, we hear someone trying to reach us.

She's quick to answer, however, “This is Chief Thigpen, report.”

“Chief Thigpen, this is ACME agent Louis reporting. We've encountered the Global Police but something intercepted us!” says the Agent.

“Intercepted? Like what?!” Her voice suddenly rises upon learning this.

“I don't know. Some kind of monster... with a safe! We need assistance! Our agents can't handle this thing!”

Chief's expression says it all. It's like she says “Dammit!” under her breath but if an agent's in trouble, we have our work cut out for us don't we. The Chief sees us, knowing that there's a job to do.

“I don't need to tell you this agents but some of our operatives requires assistance,” Chief says, “Your objective is simple: assist the agents, take down the Gangler and then bring the goods back. Is that clear?”

All five of us got up, turn to the Chief and say, “Yes ma'am!”

“Good,” Chief then presses something in her desk, “I've activated the C-5 Corridor, locking onto the agent's signal. Now get going! We're counting on you!”

We shout “Yes ma'am!” once more and then get in the corridor. Hopefully we make it there unlike the last time this happened. Chief already had to fire someone because they screwed up. Meanwhile in another part of the city, a group of agents are struggling against a Gangler. The so-called “monster of the episode” looks like some kind of penguin knight. It has a blue and magenta helmet while it's body is of the same two colors. The arms are dark grey with hot pink skeleton-like arms with gray hands. He has indigo pants and has blue and orange penguin-like feet. He looks like a knight since he packs a light red long sword. He's already tearing much of the city block to shreds courtesy of his blade. The agents are hiding behind a damaged vehicle. It also doesn't help that the monster in question is carrying what appears to be a silver briefcase. But suddenly he notices the C-5 Corridor opening up. He knows that we're coming to take him out but what he doesn't know is that we have a surprise for him.

“Huh? What's that?” It says.

Before he knows it, we strike. A shot is fired striking it in his hand. It causes the briefcase to drop to the ground. Next thing he knows, Snips rushes from behind with a kick that hits him below. It disorients him. This allows Snails to rush in and get the briefcase, heading into the corridor behind the monster.

“No! My prize!” He then growls in anger, “You brats think you're clever huh?”

“Clever no. Strategic yes,” I tell him, “But fortunately we can send you to a jail cell though.”

“Don't think so pal. The name's Knightron and I'm making sure I leave with my prize!” He tells us.

“You'll get your prize alright,” says Snails, aiming his VS Changer at the monster, “Once you end up in custody that is!”

“Fat chance! Know what I'm capable of? Let me show ya!” it shouts as its safe starts glowing and then suddenly he jumps. But it's not just any jump, it's a really long one.

Snails has no idea what he's doing next and even if he did, he wouldn't expect it. Suddenly the monster comes slamming down, letting off a shock wave that disorients him. In turn it causes Snails to drop the briefcase. That's enough for Knightron to jump in (literally) and get it. He turns to see Knightron with briefcase in tow. Pleased with reclaiming it, he jumps off, using some strange power to increase his jumping power and speed.

“Got what I wanted!” shouts Knightron, “He who fights and runs away lives to fight another day!”

The rest of the Rangers appear as Snails begin venting out his frustrations on a nearby damaged car. Yeah. It sucks but man what could he do? Honestly.

“Hey,” I tell him, “Listen!”

No matter what I say, it falls on deaf ears. It gets to the point where he's just pissed off. Eventually he gets my attention but before he decides to lash out on me, Sunset shows up stopping him.

“Calm down Snails,” Sunset tells him, “With rage like that, is it any wonder you get angry this easily?”

“Shut it!” He shouts, “How did we screw this up?!”

“Did you forget that the Gangler in question has a Lupin piece?” Twilight tells him.

This catches Snails by surprise and his utter stupidity shows in this. He calms down a few seconds later. Thank goodness. I swear, he can be a caring person but very impulsive at times. Guess that's what happens when he is truly emotional. Suddenly we hear beeping so I take out my ACME Pen, activate it and throw it on the ground. It rises up and shows the Chief herself. She's not too pleased.

“What exactly happened?!” She says.

“To be a bit blunt, we tried to help the Agents only for the Gangler to outwit us,” Snips replies.

“Where are the agents?” Chief wonders, “Our priority is finding out if they are alright.”

“They're right there, hiding behind a damaged van,” says Sunset.

“I will take care of things. Continue with your mission. Recover the stolen goods and bring them back here is that clear?” She orders.

“Yes Chief,” Snails answers.

Before we head off to find Knightron, Chief has one last thing to tell him, “One more thing. Snails you need to keep your emotions in check. I don't want to find out that your impulses cost you the mission.”

“It could be worse. He could be going on the warpath taking down anything that's in the way,” I tell her.

Having had enough of my constant blathering, Snails strikes my stomach with his elbow. It hit hard and I reeled in pain. Sunset and Twilight look at me and they had chuckles in their faces. They knew I deserved that.

Snails turns to me and replies, “Can you shut up?!”

He then shifts his attention back to the Chief, “I'll keep my feelings in check... provided he can keep his mouth shut.”

“Very well. Now what are you waiting for, get going!” She tells us.

Communication is then ceased. I get up after that hit but their attention turns straight toward me. Yeah. They aren't happy with it but honestly, that doesn't matter.

“You really need to keep yourself in check. I ain't going to tolerate your shenanigans Roy!” Snails tells me.

“Fine,” I reply, “If anyone that needs to keep themselves in check, it's you.”

“Forget it! Right now, we need to get moving. Twilight, can you track the Gangler in your tablet?” Snails asks.

She nods and says, “I can. Since it's on the move, we can pinpoint where it'll likely end up.”

Twilight checks her tablet and accesses a map. She then sees several spots on the map, possibly the Gangler moving about. Perfect.

“He's right now six blocks from where we are now. We need to move fast!” Twilight tells us.

“Then let's do this! The sooner we move it, the better!” Snails replies.

I activate my motorcycle and am on the move. This gets Snails a little irate that I would do this but the mission comes first.

“Listen. Let's just focus on getting that Gangler first,” tells Sunset, “We can worry about Roy after this.”

“Fair enough,” He tells her, without looking at her, “Sunset, can you take the wheel?”

“I'll do that! Twilight, keep that map application on! We'll need it to find that freak!” Sunset follows.

The four head into a nearby ACME vehicle and drive off. I had a head start. Thanks to Twilight, I have a good idea of where it'll end up. Meanwhile, said Gangler named Knightron has met up with its destination. In this case it's Le Chevre and El Toppo.

“You guys are the ones I have to meet? I thought I'd be expecting the Cleaners,” He says.

“Did you bring what we asked?” asks El Toppo.

“I did,” He replies, showing them the briefcase he has in his pillow.

“Wow, he did it,” says Le Chevre, “We were lucky to get our hands on the other briefcase.”

“This is all too easy,” replies El Toppo, “Now we can use them both to spring our plan. Wait... what was the plan?”

“You guys are dumb,” insults Knightron, “Point is. We are to get these and use them to force both teams against each other.”

“Oh right. I forgot,” El Toppo remembers.

“So VILE's letting you two handle this job? I wonder why you were even considered operatives,” says a feminine voice that catches the three's attention. They turn to see Carmen and her team appearing in front of them.

“What the? It's them. The Black Sheep and her band of misfits,” says Le Chevre, already freaked out by their arrival.

“Misfits? No wonder VILE dumped you guys for this gig,” Carmen replies, “Now then, hand over what you have there. I can tell you guys have been busy.”

“Never Black Sheep! Our orders were to hold onto these. We ain't giving them up!” El Toppo replies, holding onto one of the two briefcases tightly.

“Carm, we tried the easy way,” follows Zack, “Can we just do things the hard way.”

“I was insisting that we would do this quickly but why not. We can find out what they stole after we beat them down,” Carmen tells him.

“Beat us down? Surely you guys must be crazy to think you can take on Knightron. Believe you me. I can handle all of you at once!” Knightron shouts, ready to go gung-ho against them.

“So this is the new monster they got?” wonders Ivy, “Looks like a penguin.”

“Hey lady! I'm no penguin. I'm a knight. The name's Knightron and you guys are on my list to get whooped!” shouts Knightron, feeling insulted.

“If it means taking you out to get what's in these, fair game for us,” replies Carmen as her team gets ready to throw down. But just as they did, the Patrangers arrive aka us.

“Speak of the devil,” says Carmen, as the other team arrives.

“Just our luck. So not only did we find the Gangler but the Lupins as well. Two for the price of one I'd say,” shouts Snails, who takes out his VS Changer and aims it at not only the Lupinrangers but also Knightron.

“Yep,” replies Snips but notices something off. He sees two silver briefcases. One in the hands of Knightron and the other being held onto by El Toppo.

“Wait a second. Why are VILE holding onto two briefcases?” Snips asks the team.

“Two?” Snails wonders, “Something isn't right. Either way, we should be cautious.”

“Wait a minute. You guys are after what's in there too?” Ivy wonders.

“We're the ones asking the questions, not you,” replies Sunset, who has her VS Changer aimed like the others.

“Guess we'll just have to take things the hard way won't we?” Carmen tells him.

“Yep. I take it you guys have recovered from our last clash? All the more easier for us to ensure you guys are put in cuffs,” Snails replies.

Carmen nods, then tells him, “Sorry. It won't happen this time. We're here to claim what's in the briefcases.”

“Resisting? Surely you jest,” Snails follows, “Let's make this simple. You have two options. Option A is that you all come quietly without a fuss.”

“And if you guys say no, there's always Option B. We kick your asses and put you in cuffs. How's that?” Snips says, interrupting the team leader.

“Do you always have to interrupt me?” Snails asks him.

“Sorry. Can't help it,” Snips replies.

“Anyway, so what will it be? No matter how you look at it, you all are going in cuffs,” Snails  tells everyone that he's seeing whether it be the Lupins or VILE themselves.

“Sorry but,” replies Carmen as she takes out her Dial Fighter and VS Changer, “We're not going down without a fight.”

“So much for option A,” Snips replies. Snails isn't the least bit amused by this, “By the way, where's Roy?”

“Yeah, where is that guy?” Sunset wonders.

“Uh guys,” follows Twilight as they all see me riding is on a motorcycle.

Their reactions are as expected. As for me, I'm riding straight at the Gangler at full speed. Knightron notices me and wonders what the hell I'm doing. Once I'm at a high enough speed, I do something that is truly stupid. Stupid would be an understatement. Reckless would be the better word. I get on my two feet and using the speed as a means of propulsion jumped and delivered a “Rider Kick” striking Knightron. The hit alone causes him to let go of the briefcase he was holding. I grab it with what little push I have and land on the ground safely. Although my actions did get us the briefcase, I would end up getting scrutiny from my own friends.

“What the hell is wrong with you?!” Snails shouts, angry that I did something so careless.

“I got the briefcase from that clown. What more do you guys want?” I reply.

Snails gets ready to deliver a smack to my face but then the Gangler shouts, “Hey! Give me that back! I stole it first!”

“Sorry pal. That belongs to us. We'll also be taking that other briefcase now,” I reply.

Toppo and Chevre start freaking out while I head to go after them. Knightron ain't letting that crap happen, “You idiots! Get going now! I'll deal with the pests.”

“Uh, y-yeah. Sure. Come on Chevre. Let's go!” says Toppo. The two run off, forcing me to go after them.

“Guys, deal with the monster. I'll go after those losers!” I tell them.

“Roy, wait!” responds Sunset.

“Leave him. He's just doing us a favor,” Snails assures her, before shifting attention to the Lupins, “Guess we'll have to do this the hard way huh?”

“Fine by us!” Carmen tells him before asking her teammates, “Ready?”

“Oh how I'm enjoying this,” Zack replies.

“Let's do this! We take care of them, the Gangler and get the goods. Ready?” Snails asks. The others don't say a word, as they also get ready.

“Lupin, go after Roy. We'll handle things,” orders Carmen.

“No need. I'm already on the move,” Enigma replies, going on ahead, not knowing that Knightron is standing there watching things unfold.

The four Lupins gear themselves up. They then yell out, “Kaitou Change!”

While the four Patrangers gear up and follow with, “Keisatsu Change!”

Each of the Rangers insert their respective pieces into their VS Changers. The Dial Fighters are inserted above while the Trigger Machines inserted below.

“Red! 0-1-0!” “1Gou!”

“Blue! 2-6-0!” “2Gou!”

“Yellow! 1-1-6!” “3Gou!”

“Pink! 9-1-3!” “4Gou!”

“Masqueraise!” “Patirize!”

Once that's done, they pull the levers and turn their respective changers so that they can gear up to morph.

“Kaitou Change!” “Keisatsu Change!”

All eight rangers aim their changers and fire transforming into Power Rangers, respectively. Without wasting time (and skipping the roll call apparently), they all go in and battle each other. It's nuts and in some cases, exactly what VILE was expecting things to occur. Knightron, seeing the battles between them unfold, decides to add their own flair into the mix.

“Just the way the five wanted,” says Knightron, seeing the fight unfold, “Let's add a little shock to the mix eh? Oh Cleaners! Deal with the pests!”

Out of nowhere, several individuals (looking exactly like Boris and Vlad) appear around Knightron, armed with long rods that can jolt anyone or anything that touches it. It catches both Ranger teams off guard.

“Are you serious?” says Carmen.

“Guess VILE knew about all this,” replies Snails, noticing the Cleaners go in to attack the Rangers.

It goes from two teams fighting each other to a full-fledged free for all. Both the Lupinrangers and the Patrangers not only have to contend with the Cleaners but also each other. Luckily for us Pat Brats, we always know how to deal with assholes like them. Snails uses his Patrol Baton to deflect their attacks and like a samurai/fencer, he makes sure to deliver the pain.

“You guys are child's play,” He sees two Cleaner mooks go in to attack. Snails responds with two slash attacks.

Each slash damages the Cleaner robot. They go down without much effort but then more show up to attack, forcing him to respond with a blast to the face courtesy of his VS Trigger. With that distraction out of the way, he goes in to take on Carmen aka LupinRed. As for the others, they're doing what they can against the Cleaners and each other. Zack does what he can against the bots while Snips specializes in brute force to bash the bots. But sometimes brute force doesn't cut it. He takes his VS Changer and blocks an attack by one of the Boris bots. This gives him an idea.

“You will submit power pest,” it says.

“Think so? You wish!” Snips replies as he aims his VS Changer and fires a shot straight at his chest. He then fires one at his head, wiping it out.

He twirls his changer for a bit and his idea is kicking in almost immediately. Turning to Sunset, he asks, “Sunset! Pass me your blaster!”

“Huh?” Sunset wonders, “You mean this?”

“Yeah! I got an idea to take down these junk bots!” Snips says.

“Fine by me,” Sunset then takes her blaster with her VS Changer inside and throws it at him.

He grabs it and says, “Thanks.” He then twirls both guns and gears himself for some serious blasting.

Without wasting a second, he opens fire on a group of Cleaners. They don't even have a second to react before they end up feeling the fury of a ranger's continuous assaults. It catches Zack off guard as he was fighting a few of these bots. Seeing Snips twirling the two blasters and taunting him, it's enough to get him riled.

“Up for a rematch? I can tell Beantown is disappointed with that defeat,” Snips says, taunting Zack and his love for his hometown.

“No one calls Boston 'Beantown'. You hear me?!” Zack replies, already pissed.

“What are you waiting for?” He asks him, “Let's go!”

Zack goes in to attack Snips but he throws his blaster at Sunset. She grabs it, firing off a shot that sends a Cleaner's head off. He then puts his blaster away and decides to use his fists to do battle, assuming a boxing stance. Zack attacks him relentlessly, angered by Snips' insults. To be fair, the insults does make it an advantage but it can lead to major trouble if he doesn't know what he's doing. Zack left himself plenty of openings for Snips to attack and he does so. He delivers three jabs followed by a right hook that has Zack reeling into the ground.

“What's wrong Zachary? Is that it?” Snips asks him, “I thought you would put up more of a fight compared to last time. Guess you got rusty bean boy.”

Having heard enough insults from him, Zack goes in to attack but this time he's expecting Snips to avoid. As he counters his attack, Zack uses the Lupin Sword to strike Snips and he does so hard. It catches him off guard. This is what happens when you insult people man. He shakes it off and then moves his head a bit, letting off a crack or two from his neck.

“Finally,” He mutters, “He actually is giving me a challenge for once. Well, can't disappoint him.”

Snips goes in to fight against Zack and for once, the two are evenly matched. While this goes on, Sunset and Twilight are teaming up to take down the Cleaners. Two heads are always better than one. Or in some cases, better than a bunch of robotic mooks.

“Ready Twi?” Sunset asks.

“I'm born ready,” Twilight replies.

The two go in, with weapons in tow, blast away the Cleaners. As that happens, Ivy along with Patty try their best against the Cleaners. But as they see our team making them look easy, she decides to take matters into her own hands.

“These guys are way too much,” Patty says, turning her Lupin Sword into a whip.

She then goes into a serious whiplash, slicing and dicing the Cleaner robots until they were reduced to fodder. It's insane. It catches Sunset and Twilight off guard but man, this is what happens when you got to deal with a whip-happy dominatrix.

“Now that we got these dumb bots out of the way, let's focus on the big guns,” She says, centering her attention on Knightron.

“If you think you brats are going to get what's in my safe, you're wrong!” He shouts, now going in to attack the Rangers.

Only problem. They got to deal with the Patrangers too. Sunset and Twilight come in with a jump kick, striking Knightron. It disorients him so he takes out his sword and attacks the two ladies. Then the Lupins come in with their own assault. This gets him mad so he uses the power of the Lupin piece to jump high into the air in the hopes of disorienting all sides.  He strikes down, delivering a tremor that affects everyone involved. While this happens, I'm on the move going after the two delinquents Toppo and Chevre.

As I chase them down, I get in touch with the Chief back at ACME. I hope she connects because let's face it. Trying to chase down two thieves while being chased is enough to get anyone stressed out.

“Chief, it's me. I got the briefcase but I'm chasing down Toppo and Chevre while being chased by Enigma,” I tell her.

“This is the Chief. We're locking onto your signal,” Chief replies, “We need you to check what's inside the case you are holding onto.”

“Copy,” I tell her, opening the briefcase while chasing down the thieves. To my surprise, the two Trigger Machines are inside.

“Chief, the case has the Trigger Machines inside. Is there a way you can teleport these away?” I ask.

“We got a look. Those are the items in question. However, we're unable to teleport them away. You'll have to hold onto them until you deal with them. Do NOT let them fall into the hands of the Lupinrangers. Is that clear?” She orders.

“Yes chief,” I tell her, ending communication.

I catch up to the two thieves and then pull a high jump to get in front of them. Catching them by surprise, they stop in their tracks.

“Boys. I recommend you drop that. It doesn't belong to you,” I tell them.

“And it shouldn't belong to you either,” replies Enigma, catching up.

“Took you long enough,” I tell him, “You ready to go another round or what?”

“I'm only here for that briefcase. Hand it over, now!” He orders me.

“Sorry but I ain't giving that up without a fight,” I follow, taking out my X Changer. Enigma does the same.

Since I'm holding one of the two briefcases, I had to improvise in order to morph. Enigma rushes at me, twirling his X Changer to assume his Kaitou Change.

“Keisatsu Change!” I shout. Moving my wrist to assume morphing position so that the X Changer can be set.

“Kaitou Change!” He shouts, after finishing up, aiming it at me.

We both fire, the V and S logo appear in front and strike. I transform into Patren X while Enigma becomes Lupin X. He goes in to attack me but I'm quick enough to dodge. Unfortunately I end up dropping the briefcase. Thankfully I'm quick to grab it before Enigma does. The other issue I have to contend with are Toppo and Chevre. They ain't giving that up without a fight. Lucky for me, I have ways to make them fight each other.

“Hand over the briefcase!” Enigma shouts.

“Are you this fired up over it? You really need to drop it!” I reply, deflecting his assaults from his X-Rod Sword.

“Shouldn't you focus on them? They have what you're looking for,” I tell him.

“I'll go after them once I'm done with you!” He replies.

In his blindness, he rushes in to attack only for me to dodge. I respond by kicking him in the back. He then crashes into Toppo and Chevre. All three hit the ground and it's just a sad sight.

“So determined to go after me that you forget that you underestimate an experienced operative,” I tell him.

“Just cause you have these powers doesn't mean you are experienced. You don't have what it takes to be a ranger!” Enigma shouts.

“How about I prove that to you,” I follow, “I'd like to stay... but I got to get going.”

I throw the briefcase into the air. Using both the X Changer and the X Rod Sword, I use them both to unleash a blinding flare that blinds Enigma and the two thieves. As a means to escape, that's the only option I have. Enigma notices a briefcase nearby and without delay, grabs it from the blinding Chevre. Sure he may not be proud of what he's doing but hey, at least that's something right?

“You got lucky Starfall,” mutters Enigma, “Next time we meet, I'll take you and ACME out.”

As this goes on, the battle between the Gangler and the Rangers intensify. However the fight between the two Red Rangers continue forth. Carmen and Snails are evenly matched. Having learned her lesson from the last fight, Carmen doesn't hesitate in going on the offensive against him. Noticing this, he decided to amp up his own offense. That's pretty fair huh?

“Guess you learned your lesson huh?” says Snails, deflecting some of Carmen's strikes.

“I ain't letting you get this victory!” Carmen replies, putting up more of a fight. She relies a bit more on acrobatics to outwit him.

Snails responds by firing a few shots from his VS Changer. She dodges all the blasts and then responds with her own. He deflects them with his Patrol Baton. He then goes in for an attack just as Carmen does the same. The two strike, sparks flying out from their weapons.

“Not bad,” He says, catching his breath.

“I can say the same for you,” She replies, before going to attack him once more. Lucky for him, he steps back to dodge the attack.

“Not this time!” He shouts, countering with an assault of his own. Carmen dodges and decides to jump over him, using said Patranger as a stepping stone to reach her teammates.

“Huh?” He wonders, turning his attention towards Carmen as she reaches her teammates.

“You guys having any luck?” Carmen asks them.

“Against that penguin? No way!” Zack replies, seeing that the Patrangers aren't doing any better.

“I got an idea,” Ivy suggests, noticing someone rushing forward, “But we got to move quick!”

The three Lupinrangers rush in against Knightron. It attacks as Carmen and Zack jump over the attack while Ivy slides under it. Taking her Dial Fighter out, she slaps it on Knightron's safe. The combination soon blurts out in response.

“5-9-4!”

“What? No!” It shouts.

The safe opens. Ivy's able to grab the Lupin Piece at just the right time. Snails comes in to deliver a powerful attack courtesy of the Refusal to Comply Strike. All three Lupinrangers jump over Knightron. Snails then delivers a series of slash attacks, striking Knightron. But it isn't enough to take it down completely. Snails looks to see that his assault damaged the Gangler and not the Lupinrangers. His reaction is one of shock.

“Thanks for helping us out,” Carmen tells him, “It made it easier for us to get the Lupin Piece.”

“Dammit!” Snails shouts in response. However he feels a bit drained because he used the attack.

“Guess that thing isn't giving up without a fight,” Zack replies, seeing Knightron still standing after the attack.

Angered that the Lupinrangers stole the Lupin Piece, he unleashes his fury on the Patrangers, using a slash attack to strike 1Gou. He blocks it but having been drained of his energy for that Zettai Giri, he's able to barely deflect the blast. He hangs in there. Nothing's going to stop him, although I show up at just the wrong time.

“I take it you guys are having a hard time ain't ya?” I ask in a joking fashion.

In a fit of anger, Snails rasps, “Where the hell have you been?”

Holding onto the briefcase, I tell him, “Trying to keep this away from Enigma... and those VILE idiots.”

“By the way, were you able to find out if they're what we're looking for?” Sunset asks.

I nod at her in response, “Yep.”

“Then how come there were two of these instead of one?” Snips asks.

“I don't know. They're looking into it with the GSPO, wondering what happened,” I explain.

Suddenly we get a communication from ACME. Snails is the first to answer, “Chief, what is it?”

“Have you recovered the briefcase?” Chief asks us.

Looking at me with the briefcase in my possession, he answers, “Yes. We did.”

“Roy has already shown us what's inside. You accomplished your mission. Well done,” Chief tells us.

“But what about the Gangler? The Lupinrangers are there too. We're ordered to capture them!” Snails explains to her.

But the Chief doesn't want to hear any more of it. She replies, “I didn't give you the order to capture the Lupinrangers! Your orders were to take down the Gangler and recover the briefcase.”

“But Chief,” He says.

Chief quickly interrupts, “But nothing! Return to ACME at once. That's an order.”

Feeling bummed about it, he tells her, “As you wish. We're returning to base now. We got what we came for.”

He then looks at me and says, “You and I are going to have a talk.”

I don't say a thing to him. The five of us teleport out of the battlefield, having accomplished our goal. As for the Lupinrangers, they still got to deal with the Gangler. Only thing missing is Lupin X, who shows up unexpectedly. He's carrying a silver briefcase in tow.

“Where have you been?” Carmen asks him.

“Trying to deal with that bastard Starfall, only for him to get away! Dammit!” He shouts.

“Never mind. You did get that briefcase right?” She asks again.

“I have it here. What of it?” Enigma asks.

“I'll explain later. Right now we need to take down that thing,” She orders.

“And how are we gonna do that?” Zack tells her.

“With me of course,” interrupts GoodStriker, coming in flying out of the blue.

“It's GoodStriker,” Patty says.

“What are you doing here?” Ivy wonders.

“I figure you need a bit of help. Carmen isn't it? Insert me into the VS Changer then set the combination as follows: 3-2-1,” He asks her.

Carmen doesn't need a second to figure it out. She takes GoodStriker and inserts it into her VS Changer. She then hears “GoodStriker” and then does the combination as follows.

“3-2-1! Action!”

She pulls the lever and turns it causing something to happen. LupinBlue and LupinYellow enter into LupinRed but something happens. Instead of forming some kind of triple colored form, it causes LupinRed to summon two duplicates of herself.

“Make a game!” shouts GoodStriker as a result.

“Uh Carm? What just happened?” Zack wonders.

“Is it me or am I seeing... triple,” follows Ivy.

“Nope,” GoodStriker replies, “What you are seeing is the true power of our teamwork between myself and you. Why need one you can turn into three! Thieves always do work in pairs don't they?”

“I don't know what you did but if it means to take down VILE, I'm in,” Carmen tells it.

“Can we at least take the thing down?” Zack asks.

“Why not,” Carmen tells him.

The Rangers gear up to deliver a team-up finishing attack. Carmen aims her VS Changer (with GoodStriker) while her illusionary duplicates use Lupin Swords, gathering energy into them. Zack and Ivy aim their VS Changers at Knightron, building up energy. Patty uses her Lupin Sword in whip mode as Enigma gears his sword up for his signature One Shot X-Strike.

“Itadaki Strike!” GoodStriker shouts.

“Superior X!” shouts Enigma.

With everything charged, all five Rangers unleash their attacks on Knightron, combining into a beam of light that pierces the monster. It then collapses on the floor, exploding in a ball of flames. Toppo and Chevre saw the Gangler explode but then realize that wait, they have something that can turn the tide.

“What are you waiting for? Use the thing Bellum gave us!” shouts Toppo.

Chevre takes out the Gros calibre and fires it. Suddenly Knightron comes back up and next thing we see, he starts growing. It grows gigantic and that's only going to make the situation worse.

“I have returned! Knightron Version 2!” It shouts as it then goes on a warpath.

“Just great. Looks like we got a knight to crush,” says Carmen as her, Zack and Ivy gear up to summon their zords.

The three Lupinrangers launch their zords. But as Zack and Ivy board their zords, Enigma comes in with a little present.

“Wait,” Enigma tells her, opening the briefcase revealing two flying like machines. He takes out a green one and throws it to her, “Take this!”

Carmen grabs it and asks, “Wait. What's this?”

“Trust me. You'll need it. See you back at HQ,” Enigma answers.

Carmen jumps into her zord and the three go airborne. GoodStriker appears nearby, flying alongside them.

“Need a bit of help?” It asks.

“You really seem willing to help aren't you?” Carmen wonders.

“Of course. As a Lupin Collection piece, I have to!” replies GoodStriker.

Carmen then grabs GoodStriker, inserts it into the VS Changer, aims it and fires (while opening the zord's cockpit window). It grows almost immediately and it doesn't waste time. It gears up to begin the transformation sequence while the Red, Blue and Yellow Dial Fighter Zords get in position.

“Kaitou Gat-Time! Time to steal victory!” shouts GoodStriker.

GoodStriker's rotary lock turns as it rotates a full 180 degrees counter-clockwise. The three Dial Fighter zords fly through as they assume their positions. Each of the Dial Fighters' rotary locks rotate as they gear to join GoodStriker. First yellow, then blue and finally red. With all three connected, the Megazord was formed.

“Complete! LupinKaiser!”

LupinKaiser flies onto the battlefield, ready to take on the giant Knightron. Knightron doesn't waste time going on the offensive.

“Your little robot is no match for me!” Knightron shouts as he goes in with his sword in hand.

He strikes LupinKaiser with several slash attacks but it doesn't go down. No way, no how. Even though they hold their ground, the opposition continues to hit.

“This thing's gonna wreck us good!” says Carmen.

“Not if I have a say about it!” Ivy shouts.

LupinKaiser uses its yellow arm to counter Knightron's blade. But even with that, Knightron continues his onslaught. It's putting LupinKaiser in a bind. Not a good one to be exact. LupinKaiser then fires a few shots from it's gatling arm. Knightron did get hit a bit but it doesn't stop. He then strikes at the megazord twice and the second time has it crashing into the ground. The Rangers hang in there. Let's face it. These guys really have their work cut out for them.

“Uh Carm, I think we need a new plan and fast!” suggests Zack.

“That thing's gonna wreck us good!” shouts Ivy.

They get the Megazord standing and they suddenly get hit with a pounding. LupinKaiser hangs on but even that is doubtful with how things are coming along. But then Carmen notices that she still has the green machine that Enigma gave her. GoodStriker notices it and gets excited with a bit of glee.

“Well well, looks like you have another Dial Fighter there. Why not insert it in your VS Changer?” It suggests.

“Wait a second. THIS is a Dial Fighter?” asks Carmen.

“Of course. Now if you want to know what it can do, insert that in there,” Knowing that their chances are slim, they don't have a choice right now.

“Whatever you say,” Carmen tells it as she does so.

She then hears the sound “Cyclone!” from the VS Changer. She turns it into position and aims it straight. It causes the Megazord's face to rotate, giving it room and runway.

“Get Set! Ready! Tobe! Tobe! Tobe!” Carmen fires, causing the Cyclone Dial Fighter to start moving. It then grows in response while yelling out “C-C-Cyclone!” The machine in question turns out to be a large green flying copter.

“Now watch and see!” says GoodStriker.

The Yellow Dial Fighter's lock rotary rotates. It detaches itself from LupinKaiser allowing the Cyclone Dial Fighter to enter the megazord's right arm. It's rotary lock rotates as the handle that holds the copter blades split into two. With this new armament, LupinKaiser's ready for round two.

“Complete! LupinKaiser Cyclone!” It shouts.

“LupinKaiser Cyclone?” wonders Ivy.

“That's right. If you find more items like this, I can use their power to make ourselves even stronger,” GoodStriker tells them.

“So this means we can take VILE and their monsters down right?” Zack wonders.

“But of course. However you Rangers have a lot to learn if you are to tap into my full potential,” GoodStriker follows.

“We can worry about it later. Let's take down this penguin knight!” Carmen orders.

The others agree without hesitation. Knightron goes in to attack LupinKaiser but with the Cyclone Dial Fighter, they have a bigger advantage. It dodges Knightron's attacks with ease.

“Gotcha now!” shouts Ivy.

“LupinKaiser! Striking Tornado!”

The megazord's Cyclone arm begins to build energy via it's rotary blades. Suddenly they form green twisters, infusing them with energy. It sends Knightron flying into the air and it careens straight to the ground.

“Okay. That's cool,” says Ivy, “Let's send that freak flying!”

“Indeed,” Carmen replies, as the Lupinrangers gear up to deliver the finishing blow.

As the Rangers aim, GoodStriker speaks as they unleash their finishing attack, “Good Striker! Rapid Fire: Send You Flying Barrage!”

The Cyclone Dial Fighter activates a pair of twisters, sending it flying once more. This time, LupinKaiser fires a volley of gatling shots, targeting Knightron. The blasts hit him hard and good.

“Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!” It shouts as it explodes as a result of suffering so much damage from the assault. Such a bummer. But at least the Lupinrangers got the job done.

“Forevermore Adieu!” says GoodStriker.

“Thank god that's over,” replies Carmen, “We need to get ourselves going.”

“That's fine by me,” GoodStriker tells her, “I need to get going myself. Until we meet again!”

The Lupinrangers eject as GoodStriker detaches itself from the Rangers' zords and flies off to who knows where. Landing on the ground, the Rangers are relieved.

“Guess that job went well didn't it?” Carmen asks.

“Yep. We got what we came for, had fun with the Patrangers and you three took out one of VILE's Ganglers. I can say that was a job well done don't you think?” Enigma replies, asking her.

“Uh guys, what about them?” Zack wonders, pointing our attention to Toppo and Chevre. They're speechless over seeing the plans go up in smoke.

“Should we worry about these clowns?” Enigma asks.

“Nah. They're no threat. They can't even fight us if they want to,” Carmen replies.

“Well they should be thankful I'm not giving them whiplash. Let's get out of here before the Pat Brats show up again,” Patty tells the team.

“Knowing them, they're done for the day,” Ivy responds.

“Alright Double Trouble. Get us out of here,” Enigma says, communicating with his team back home.

The Rangers are teleported out of there. Chevre and Toppo can only watch as their plans went down the drain. What more can you do ya know? You clowns screwed up bad and I can tell VILE ain't going to be happy with it.

Meanwhile at ACME HQ...

as for us, we meet up with the Chief. I bring in the briefcase, since I did a good job trying to keep it out of the way of both VILE and the Lupins. As we sit down, Chief takes a look at the briefcase. She opens it. She sees the two Trigger Machines that she told us earlier. Guess I did a pretty good job huh?

“Well done Roy. Your efforts have ensured that the mission was a success,” praises Chief.

“Thank you. Although I had a minor inconvenience thanks to Enigma,” I reply.

“I wasn't notified that the Lupinrangers would show up. Not only that but I got in touch with the Global Police. They notified us that we were expecting two briefcases,” Chief tells us.

“I knew it,” Snips replies, “Why would there be two of them to begin with?”

“I simply have no clue. But regardless you have completed your mission. Despite this however, I am a bit concerned over your teamwork,” Next thing you know, everyone is staring at me.

“Okay. Why the hell are you guys putting the blame on me?” I ask them.

“For starters, you've being a loudmouth,” Snips replies.

“Then going on and doing something reckless,” follows Sunset.

“And not even telling us that you would do such a thing without my approval,” Snails tells me.

“Plus you almost got yourself killed,” finishes Twilight.

“Alright, I get it. Jeez,” I tell them, “It was either that or risk losing the briefcase and that would have jeopardized the whole thing. The Lupinrangers arriving didn't help matters at all. Hell, we had no idea they were gonna show up.”

“To be fair, we had no idea either. But the mission remained the same. Fortunately our agents will make a full recovery. Their injuries aren't serious. But now that we know the Lupinrangers have gotten their hands on new armaments, we must double our efforts,” says Chief.

“Does it double with VILE?” Twilight asks.

“Yes Twilight. We must double our efforts especially against VILE. Even as we speak, they are seeking out the Lupin Collection as a means to mobilize their forces. We must beat them to it if we are to have any chance of fighting back. Until then, remain alert. You are dismissed,” Chief tells us.

As we gear up to leave the briefing room, Chief has one more thing to say, “Snails can you remain here for a minute or so?”

“Huh? What for?” He asks, as he watches the others leave.

With the door shut behind him, Snails stares the Chief down. A lot of emotions are flowing through his mind, wondering what was going to happen. Chief lets out a sigh before getting the chance to speak.

“Snails, I am a little disappointed over your recent behavior,” Chief tells him, “I can understand your duty as a Power Ranger and as an ACME operative. Not to mention that yes, the Lupinrangers do take priority when it comes to their capture. However I didn't give you the order.”

“Even so, they are just as much of a threat to ACME as VILE,” He explains, “After all, Enigma is with them making this a top-level priority.”

“It's only a top-level priority when I say it is, not when you do. You are letting that victory you had get to your head,” follows Chief, “Stuff like that is something I don't tolerate within ACME. Made no better how you decide to lash out toward your teammates.”

Snails doesn't say a word as she continues, “Roy believed that you would have what it takes to lead this team of Rangers. Don't get me wrong. You have the potential. The problem being your emotions.”

“So are you saying that I am like a yinzer or something because that's what Roy always calls me when I screw up or something. Yoy!” He says, going a little into the Yinzer side of things.

“Just proves my point,” Chief replies, “Regardless, I can't let your emotions complicate things.”

“What do you have in mind Chief?” Snails suggests.

“Use this opportunity to unwind. You don't have to entirely be focused on your mission to capture the Lupinrangers. There's more to life than just your job. Like your friends having found occupations to keep themselves busy. You should do the same,” She answers.

Snails thinks about it for a few seconds but like her suggestion earlier, Chief tells him, “You don't have to give me a reason right away. Take some time. Use that time to think and hopefully you'll be able to find something productive to accomplish.”

“I understand. I will do that,” He tells her.

“Very good. You are dismissed. Just keep yourself in check for next time,” Chief replies. Snails walks out of the briefing room while Chief simply looks on with a curious yet stern expression.

As he walks out, Snails notices the rest of us waiting for him. I mean, come on. It's not like we were going to leave him behind right? Yeah. Figures.

“You guys were waiting for me?” He asks us.

“Well duh? Come on. Let's at least celebrate since we got the job done today,” Sunset replies.

“Yeah, thanks to me,” I tell him. Next thing I knew, I end up getting a punch to the stomach. Thankfully it's not serious.

Snails comes in and says, “Be thankful I'm restraining myself. If I wasn't, you'd be on the floor right now.”

I reply, “Whatever you say yinzer.”

Guess my actions got the better of me as I end up feeling another punch to the stomach. This time, it was hard as hell and I end up on the floor. I can be such an idiot at times you know.

“You never change man,” He tells me, “Come on. Let's go.”

The others went off. I quickly catch up but it seems that I should know better than to not be a complete dunce. Sure we did get our hands on the Trigger Machines but having to deal with VILE and the Lupinrangers is enough to get us on edge. Fortunately we can be able to get some R&R. I worry more for Snails since he's more on edge than the others. Hopefully he'll find something to do just like the others. Besides, our time here on this world has only begun. In fact, it's actually getting interesting.

To be continued...

Next time on Equestria Girls: Lupinranger vs. Patranger! Carmen and her Lupinranger team head for Ecuador in search of some rare artifacts. But things get crazy when VILE unleashes a new plan up their sleeves and a new Gangler to boot. Their clash soon gets the Patrangers' attention and it becomes a three-way fight for the artifacts. Can the Rangers be able to get them out of VILE's hands or will VILE use them for some nefarious purpose? Find out on the next episode, Auction Under Attack; A New Threat Arises.

Two teams, two objectives! Which side will you choose?
> Episode 5: Auction Under Attack; A New Threat Arises
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lupinranger HQ, a couple minutes later...

Some time has passed ever since the Lupinrangers defeated Knightron and foiled another one of VILE's plans. The team is taking some time off from doing their usual stints to unwind. Fortunately, Enigma and his crew of VILE Dropouts have finished their work on the base of operations. This base has it all: a training facility, kitchen, game room, the works. In a way, it's similar to ours but this is mostly an old warehouse. I mean, how can they pull that off in such little time is beyond me.

“There you go,” says Enigma, “Our base of operations is 100% complete. It's perfect.”

“Perfect indeed. Who'd have thought your buddies would be so good?” replies Zack.

“Give them credit where credit's due. At least that's more than enough since now that we have everything operational, we can get to work on finding out what VILE's next move is,” Enigma follows.

Carmen checks the database nearby and that's when Kneemoi suddenly appears. If anything, it only startles Carmen a bit. Do anyone blame her? Nah.

“Did I startle you?” Kneemoi asks.

“You... kind of did,” Carmen replies, “I'm just not used to working with other people. I always work alone.”

“It's fine. I'm surprised that I get to meet all of you. To think that the five of you are fighting against VILE really gives us a sigh of relief,” Kneemoi tells her.

Carmen then asks, “How so? What happened?”

“It's... complicated. Trust me. Many of the VILE Dropouts have moved on with their lives. While some decide to wait for the right time,” It responds.

“By the by, Lupin never told us about the other Dropouts. I already met you, Eartha Brute, Patty and Double Trouble. Are there any others?” She wonders.

“There are a lot,” Kneemoi answers, “May as well let you know who the others are.”

Kneemoi then suddenly starts forming several photos on the holo-screen. Carmen notices many of them with one catching her completely off guard.

“Who are all of these?” She asks.

“Photos of the VILE Dropouts. In case Enigma ever told you, they were a group of operatives that never had what it takes to be part of the group. Thankfully many of the operatives still have their memories intact. This was before Dr. Bellum developed the mind-wiping technology,” Kneemoi explains.

The first individual appears on screen, “This is the first. Vic the Slick. He's the very definition of a sleaze. If anything, he is someone who just loves to cause trouble. Messed up I know. Out of all the dropouts, he only lasted a year before he would leave VILE.”

“So Vic the Slick is a sleazeball huh? Figures. Anything else I need to know?” Carmen wonders.

Kneemoi was ready to respond to it but decides to be silent, for good reason, “I rather not want to talk about it.”

“Understandable. Who's next?” She wonders.

“You already know about Patty, Double Trouble and Eartha Brute so we'll skip them. Next up is the only VILE Dropout that has the record for being one of the shortest time: Top Grunge.” Kneemoi tells.

“I remember Coach Brunt mentioning Top Grunge. Holds the only record for being the fastest member to be kicked out of VILE. About 1 minute,” Carmen replies.

“Most likely due to Top Grunge's lack of common sense regarding personal hygiene. We haven't heard from him in years,” Kneemoi explains, moving to the next one, “Next is Robocrook. He was a VILE operative that was part of a failed project Dr. Bellum worked on.”

“What was it?” Carmen asks.

“Not sure. It was all classified but if there's any clue I can say that Robocrook has been decommissioned. Bellum may still have the disk containing his OS,” replies Kneemoi.

“Bummer. Knowing Dr. Bellum, she might have the disk somewhere in one of her labs. Any other operatives?”

Kneemoi continues with the next one,“This one is someone you probably don't know about.”

“Like who?” Zack asks, coming out of nowhere.

“Zack? Now you want to learn something?” She wonders.

“Of course!” He replies, “So what is it telling ya?”

“Nothing much, aside from info on the other VILE Dropouts,” She explains.

“And I was getting to the good part,” Kneemoi says, showing the next individual and it's one that surprisingly it's not proud of talking about.

“Okay, what... is that?” asks Ivy, appearing behind Zack.

Kneemoi lets off a sigh before explaining, “This... is Wonder Rat.”

“Wait a second, this guy is Wonder Rat?” Carmen wonders, judging by his appearance.

“Seriously. He is. I don't know how VILE allowed THIS guy to be part of their organization but he was a dropout through and through. After VILE saw he wasn't worth their time, the guy actually got success as a celebrity,” Kneemoi tells them, “It's true. The guy became a celebrity, appearing in talk shows, had his own TV show and even his own merchandise. Everyone was baffled by this!”

“I've heard of freak coincidences but this is just too much,” Zack tells it.

“We haven't heard from Wonder Rat. For all we know, he's been busy working on his own podcast and it's not like he wants to go back and do crazy stuff. The other however, she has her own life and is more successful than him,” Kneemoi explains.

It's then they see a picture of a woman, one that Enigma knows way too well.

“And this is Sarah Nade. She was a VILE operative that had a really bad singing voice. It was more ear-grating than anything,” Kneemoi says.

“Guess she wasn't going to be getting anywhere huh?” Ivy tells.

“Actually... that wasn't the case. After she left VILE, she actually underwent a lot of training. She improved and she actually got a solid career as a performer. Currently she's on tour having concerts all over the world. To think that a VILE operative like her would go on to have a successful career.”

Enigma doesn't say a thing. He knows what really happened and it's better than nothing. Zack and the others notice him being silent.

“What's wrong?” Carmen asks.

“It's nothing,” He replies, “Let's just say that I have some good times with Sara Nade.”

“That's mostly since she was your partner,” Patty interrupts.

“Partner?” Carmen wonders.

“Yep. She was once my partner... when I was once a part of ACME. But that's a story for another time,” He answers, “I don't want to talk about it.”

“Fair enough,” Carmen's attention is then shifted to Patty.

“By the way, you never said about what you did to Tigress?” She asks.

Patty's expression is one of doubt because someone like Carmen wouldn't understand the kind of stuff a woman like her does.

So she then asks her, “Do you really want to know? The profession I have currently makes what you do look real childish.”

“Childish? We're thieves! What job do you have that make it better than what we're doing now?!” complains Zack.

Patty says nothing. She takes out her whip from her purse and uses it to snare Zack by his neck. She then pulls him to her, grabbing by his hair. With a sadistic look on her face, she was ready to pounce.

“You know I'm the kind of girl that doesn't screw around. Men nowadays want to be submissive to people like me. They pay a lot of money just to be dominated but there's always one or two guys that just want to go one step further. The only thing they see is my foot up their ass!” She shouts, bringing out a part of her that actually gets Zack scared.

Carmen and Ivy are ready to help him but Enigma comes in. His behavior tells them, no. Don't interfere. Eventually Patty releases her whip's hold on Zack and puts it away.

“So basically, you're a dominatrix!” Ivy says.

“Pretty much but I left that profession years ago out of boredom. Nowadays, I mostly work with him to stop VILE. And lucky for us, Kneemoi is here to give us some good news,” She replies.

“Uh, yeah... thankfully, I was able to intercept some transmissions. They're on the move but they ain't telling them where,” Kneemoi replied.

“My guess after they screwed up the last thing, they ain't taking chances. So what now?” Carmen wonders.

“All we can do is wait. If we strike, that'll get them spooked,” Kneemoi suggests.

“Bummer. Always want to get back at those Patrangers. They always got to come in and screw things up. I'm still reeling over that green ranger of theirs. He really knows how to piss me off!” shouts Zack.

“I can share your frustration. But I rather not have us do anything stupid. Trust me, it wouldn't do anyone any favors,” replies Carmen.

“So for now we wait. Once we get the info, we move... and if the Patrangers decide to show up, we knock them down!” Enigma tells them. He heads outside to catch some air.

The others in the meantime simply wait. It's not like they'll do anything that drastic but considering that they have to contend with not only an evil organization but also rival Power Rangers. As if things are any more tense than they should. Besides the battles have only begun.

Meanwhile... ACME HQ, Training Area

Now it's time to see what we're doing. We may have had our success but for agents like us, there's no such thing as a day off. I lied. We do get days off. We don't even work that hard because not only are we ACME gumshoes but also GSPO operatives. Remember, this whole thing is a collaborate effect between ACME and the Global Secret Police. But anyway, we decide to sharpen our skills in the training area. It was Chief's idea because even though we are Power Rangers, we're still a bit rusty.

Snails is in the middle, in a kneeling meditative position. His eyes are shut. It's as if his senses are sharpened to a T. In his hand was some kind of wooden spar stick. As he sits patiently, he senses four figures approaching. Each of them also carrying spar sticks. They come closer with each step. He then gets up, taking the spar stick and holding it firmly in his hand. 

He opens his eyes and says, “Come at me.”

“Are you sure we should be doing this?” Snips asks.

Sunset looks at him with a response, “Chief did say that we need to improve our skills don't we?”

They notice Twilight going in to attack but being that she isn't that capable in combat, Snails doesn't hesitate. She goes in to try to strike him. He responds by deflecting her strike and counters with a simple hit to her back.

“Ow!” She says.

“Twilight, you are the brains of this group. Even you should know that taking the initiative is never wise,” He replies.

He then feels something amiss and then responds by countering anything that comes his way. First comes Snips and without hesitation, he goes in for several strikes. Snails repels them all, dodges another hit and waits for him to go in.

“You always rush in, not thinking clearly. Too impulsive,” He says, looking at his opponent.

“Says the guy who's more impulsive than me and that says something,” Snips responds.

Insulted, Snails goes in to strike Snips. The two deflect each other's blows until their spar sticks clash. The two stare down for a few seconds until Snails delivers a counter that Snips is unable to repel. It's then he strikes sending his opponent to the ground.

“I may be impulsive but like I said, you jump the gun too quickly,” He tells him. His sight then shifts to another opponent.

Sunset moves in to attack but he's quick enough to avoid. He goes to strike and gets the hit, delivering a non-lethal hit followed by a shove.

“If you're still bitter over Roy breaking your heart, don't. You need to learn to let it go and not let it consume you,” He tells her.

“I don't need you telling me that,” she responds, “Besides, you should be more worried about he'll do.”

Before he says a thing, I come in out of the blue to attack. But the guy is quick enough to repel it.

“Didn't think you were this underhanded Roy?” Snails tells me.

“Somebody needs to get you worn out,” I tell him, “May as well be me!”

Before long, the two of us go at it. It's an evenly matched fight. Both of us strike, hoping to get any possible opening. But because we know each other so well and what we possibly do, it doesn't happen. No way. Ultimately Snails has the advantage with his offense increasing along with his quick evasion. This forces me to move, grabbing a second spar stick. With two sticks, I decide to take the initiative.

“Two sticks are not going to stop me from making sure you end up beat like the others,” says Snails.

“Wanna bet?” I ask him.

That's enough to get him riled so he rushes in to attack. I do the same. Despite having two spar sticks, it's still not enough to beat him down. During the scuffle, Snails disorients me. It forced me to drop one of the spar sticks. He then kicks it aside, making it an even playing field. Fine by me. I run it to attack but as he attacks, I jump over him going for a blind spot. He's quick to repel but not enough to stop my continuous offense. Despite his efforts, I'm able to go in with a clean hit. That gets him mad and it's then I use it to my advantage. I deliver a few hits but all it does is make him angrier. Ultimately a slip up has him landing on the floor back first. I aim my spar stick at him, knowing that it's all it takes to unleash his rage.

“You always tell us to be better and not let our weaknesses consume us but when it comes to you... you fit every single flaw that we each have,” I tell him.

“What's your point?” Snails replies.

“Simple. You're beaten. You may have beaten the others but when it comes to me, not even close. Even back at Canterlot High when between us, it was a riveting rivalry,” I reply.

Snails says nothing as I continue, “You're beaten Snails. It's useless to resist. Don't let yourself be taken down the same way I always do to you.”

His response is obvious. He deflects my spar stick twice and gets back up, ready to strike. Before long, he attacks once more while I repel. I deliver a hit, striking his shoulder. That got him pissed off so he decides to do an unthinkable tactic. He uses the spar stick to hit my wrist. It got me to let go of my stick and he's quick to grab it. Then he uses both of them to send me to the wall and use each stick to place them close to my neck in an X-pattern.

“Who's useless now?!” He shouts, ready to use both sticks to do whatever is necessary to take me down.

Sure I have a habit of riling up my friends but there comes a time when my actions can lead to consequences. How do I know this? Simple. Because I ended one relationship in exchange for another and that still haunts me today. Now in the case of this, I have someone who I consider a brother ready to kill me outright. Before he does so, we hear the voice of someone catching us by surprise.

“That's enough!” someone shouts. The others notice that it's the Chief.

“Chief!” replies Sunset.

She looks at her and says, “I've seen it all. You all did your best however these two prove to be the most problematic.”

“Wait so the whole exercise was just a,” Snips asks.

Chief quickly interrupts him, “Yes. I want to see how you would handle a situation in which you are forced to make tough decisions. But when it comes to these two, that's another matter altogether.”

“Chief I appreciate that you're trying to be positive but why should I stop when I'm this close to putting him out of my misery?” He asks.

Chief pretty much gives Snails an answer, “Because you need him. You & him both need to learn to control your impulses and your emotions. I can't allow distractions of any sort if we are to have any chance against VILE... and the Lupinrangers.”

“Now I ask you... release him. You'll need him if you are to succeed in your mission,” She orders.

Snails looks at Chief for a couple seconds and then back towards me. I don't show any ounce of fear. I know he'll take the chance to do it if given that opportunity. He then lets me go, spinning both spar sticks and having them land straight up on the ground. I let off a sigh of relief but I have this feeling that it's not going to be enough. 

“The rest of you, get rested up and report to my chambers. VILE has been spotted,” Chief tells us. She then disappears.

Everyone else leaves the training room while I continue to stare Snails down. Normally we both would be joining the others but my gut tells me that he has something to tell me. Fortunately I feel it. I feel a punch to the stomach and it came fast. I reel in pain as I see Snails get close to my ear and whisper something.

“Be thankful I choose to restrain myself during it all,” He tells me as his fist plunges further into my lower chest, “The next time you decide to be this stupid, I will do something that will please her even less.”

But even though he is hostile towards me, his emotions change and says this, “But even if I did, I would never hurt someone... who saved me from the darkness.”

We both share a warm embrace. Despite that stone cold exterior, he's still a caring kid. Truly. He is. Once that's done, we rest up and then meet with the Chief. It only takes us a couple of minutes. Arriving at the briefing room, the five of us learn of our next assignment.

“Alright agents, we got word that VILE has been spotted in South America,” Chief tells us.

“And where exactly are they located?” Snails asks.

“In Ecuador,” Chief answers, “How do I know? Because of footage like this.”

We then see footage of several boats. One of them showed two of the Lupinrangers, Zack and Ivy.

“Looks like Carmen and her team are there too. But why in Ecuador?” Twilight asks.

“We don't know the reason. We do know that if VILE are spotted, they aren't that far off,” Chief replies.

“Anyway, Chief... what are our orders?” Snails wonders.

“Your orders are two-fold. First, find out what the Lupinrangers are up to. Second, if VILE are up to anything, do whatever necessary to stop them. Is that clear?” She orders.

“Yes ma'am!” We five shout.

“Any questions?” She asks.

“Just one,” Snips responds, “What are we going to expect once we reach Ecuador?”

“The only advice I can give you is for you to learn about this world. This will also double as a learning opportunity so take full advantage of this. Understand?” Chief answers. Snips nods, as does the rest of us.

“Good. Now get going! Time is of the essence and it's better spent fighting against VILE and those Lupinrangers!” She says.

Activating the C-5 Corridor, we five were on our way. Chief then sits down and then accesses something in her desk.

“Agent, bring in Tamara. It's a matter of importance,” She says.

Quito, Ecuador – 10:45 am

Ecuador. Once home to a smorgasbord of Amerindian groups that gradually integrated into the Imca Empire during the 15th century, it would be then colonized by Spain a century later only to gain its independence by 1820. Ultimately it would become its own sovereign state ten years later. Nowadays, it's home to 17.1 million people providing a diverse culture and flooded with minorities of African, Native American and European descent. Spanish is the main language yet they are a developing country that depend on commodities to thrive.

Quito is the capital city, also known as San Francisco de Quito. One of the largest, least-altered and best-preserved historic centers. Made better is that the capital is 16 miles south of the Equator while the city itself extends to at most 1 kilometer at 0 latitude. This also harbors a monument and a museum, known to people as La mitad del mundo or the middle of the world. Quite a lot of info for a place like this eh? Yeah. So anyway, we arrive at a nearby monument, the La Alameda. But once we stepped foot, hoo boy, things start getting a bit warm.

“Is it me or is it a bit warm?” Sunset asks.

“Not really,” Twilight replies, taking out a small pocket tablet from her pocket, “According to temperatures, it's around 70 degrees.”

“Even so, I swear these clothes are a bit too tight,” She follows.

“Maybe you should have provided your measurements when they gave you uniform,” Twilight follows up.

“Focus everyone. Our job is to find out why VILE would be in a place like this. We can deal with other issues later,” Snails retorts.

“So the gig for us is to split up right?” I reply.

“I don't think that's a good plan. Chief did say that we should learn about this world,” Snails replies.

“Which is why I'm off,” Snips follows.

But the red yinzer is quick to intrude, “Where exactly are you going?”

“Chief said that we can learn more about our world. I'm learning in the best way possible, through my stomach,” He responds.

Snails tries to utter a response but instead, he got nothing. Just nothing. He then shifts his attention towards the rest of us.

“I'm going to see if there are any museums around. Never hurts to learn,” says Twilight.

“And I'm going to look into maybe finding out about the clothing they wear,” Sunset replies.

“What about you?” wonders the yinzer.

“I'm going to find info on what Chief told us. If the Lupins are here, then VILE is not far off,” I reply.

“Smart idea. I'll go with you. Maybe I might learn something from all this,” He responds, without wasting a second thought.

All of us split up to do our thing. Chief did say that this should double as a learning experience so why not. As each of us got to learn about Ecuador and it's many facets of life, far from the city was a boat out in the middle of the ocean. Three passengers were there. They're trying to stave off boredom, waiting for someone to complete their gig. Sadly one of them isn't up to par. Despite trying to do whatever possible to stave off seasickness, it still isn't enough.

“Fish... Oh man. Why did it have to be fish?” says Zack as he begins to gag.

“Wow. Didn't know the boy in blue to be a lightweight?” Patty replies.

“You take that back right,” Zack retorts but upon seeing a fish jump out of the water, he gags again.

“Figures,” She follows.

“Don't mind him. The guy's always been like this,” Ivy replies. She then spots a nearby boat across from them.

“Motor off. Nobody on board. Something's off,” She says.

“Creepy enough for ya Ivy?” Zack asks.

“More creepier enough for us to get a look,” Ivy prefers, turning on the motor of their boat and using it to head to where the other boat is.

While they explore the area above water, down under the water, a scuba diver in red is moving through a nearby sunken ship. Looking around, the fellow enters inside. What they'll find may surprise them.

“Player, I found the ship. I'm heading inside,” says Carmen as she swims inside the area.

“Any luck finding treasure Red?” He asks, via communicator.

“Not yet,” She answers, looking through a nearby chest, “There is a lot here but nothing that would pique V.I.L.E's interests.”

But as she goes through an opened chest, she spots something within: a gold doubloon. Taking it, she uses a device to take a photo of it.

“Player, can you find out anything about this?” She asks.

“Working on it,” He replies, but then notices something very off, “I'm hearing something. What's going on?”

From out of nowhere, El Topo, one of V.I.L.E's many operatives shows up.

“You,” says Carmen.

Topo replies, “You?” But then notices the doubloon in her hand.

Without wasting a second, El Topo charges at her. As a result, she drops the Doubloon. It leads to Topo snagging it and then moving off. 

“Who was that?” Player wonders.

“That's El Topo for ya,” Carmen answers, “And he doesn't work alone.”

She powers on a jetpack on her scuba suit, wasting no time in pursuing the sod.

“And if this human mole's down here, his buddy, the goat is up above,” she says.

While Carmen goes after El Topo, up above, Ivy and the others reach the ship. It isn't until they see his partner in crime, Le Chevre that something was off.

“Whoa,” says Ivy, reacting in awe.

“Le Chevre? What's he doing here?” Patty wonders.

“Beats me,” Zack replies.

“I have an idea,” She suggests, “You two distract the klutz. I'll find out what he's up to.”

Taking out her whip, she throws it, latching onto a handle in the ship. She then climbs up while Ivy and Zack contend with Le Chevre. Meanwhile, Carmen is chasing after El Topo. She's able to tackle him, causing the sap to drop the doubloon. It lands on the ground. The two then give chase only for the doubloon to be unexpectedly caught... by a large fish. It swallowed it.

“Okay... that just happened,” says Carmen.

Without warning, the two chase the fish. Up above, Chevre notices Zack and Ivy there. He looks to see what's going on.

“Who are you and what are you doing out here?” He asks.

“We're, uh... fishermen,” Zack replies.

“Hello! Fisherwoman,” Ivy retorts.

“Really? You do not sound OR look like you're from around here,” Chevre follows.

“Well... uh.... Boston Harbor was getting really crowded. You see--” Before Zack says anything else, he feels an elbow courtesy of Ivy.

Le Chevre shrugs. But just as he's about to find out, he feels something tugging his leg and then he ends up eating a faceplant. He then gets dragged way back only to encounter a woman who is nasty and ready to deliver some whiplash.

“You!” He says.

“Start talking. Why are you really here?” replies Patty.

“Why should we tell you?!” rasps Chevre.

“Because if you don't, I'll make you eat a face full of whip,” she threatens.

“You think you can scare me?” Chevre says.

Being triggered by this, Patty slams her foot right into Chevre's lower area and the pain he felt is just unbearable. Back underwater, Carmen chases after the fish. Before she catches it, a large net grabs it and takes it away. Seeing that the mission become a bust, Player lets the others know.

“Guys, wrap it up. Mission's a bust and Carmen needs help,” He says.

“Huh? Carmen? Carmen Sandiego?” asks Chevre but the next thing he feels is pain.

Patty doesn't say a word. She then jumps off, landing onto Zack and Ivy's boat. The next thing they see is El Topo struggling to swim, most likely due to some sabotage thanks to Carmen.

“Punch it!” She shouts.

Zack wastes no time. Getting the boat operational, they move to pick up Carmen.

“So how did it go?” Zack asks.

“Didn't Player told you already? It's a bust. The coin's fish food right now,” Carmen replies.

“Any idea where it's heading?” Ivy wonders.

“I do have a possibility. Let's go!” She orders.

The boat's already on the move. As it all goes down, the Patrangers (aka us) are getting an idea of Ecuador. Twilight is busy at the museum learning about Ecuador's history. Sunset is going around, asking questions and learning about clothing and the fabrics. Snips has found a nearby food cart and doesn't waste time trying out the local cuisine. As for myself, I'm with Snails trying to get any information. But what we don't know is that the Lupinrangers aren't that far from here. In fact, they're at the harbor. While the others wait, Carmen gets some info from a nearby fisherman. It seems that their hunt isn't over.

“Gracias,” tells Carmen. She then reports to the others, “Bad news team. He says that his catch's already on the move. It's heading to Quito and to make it worse, our coin swallowing fish is going with it.”

“You know something. For a fish out of water, old yellow-fin really does get around,” replies Ivy.

“By the way, any word from Lupin? Haven't heard from him in a while,” Carmen wonders.

“Don't worry. I put him on a gig that'll help us plan our next move. If anything, we need to at least be two steps ahead of V.I.L.E,” Patty replies.

“Red,” interrupts Player, “I looked up the coin from the image. It's a doubloon alright but it's not Spanish.”

“Then what is it?” She wonders.

“It's actually called the Ecuador eight escudos,” He answers.

“An Ecuadorian doubloon?”

“Looks like it. Most coin hobbyists call it the “Moby Dick doubloon”. I don't know if anyone here reads it.”

“Moby Dick huh? Why would be a coin be named after that famous whale?”

“Simple. Because it's the same coin Captain Ahab nails to the mast of his own ship as a reward to anyone who spots said whale that keeps evading him for so long.”

Carmen lets off a sigh and says, “Sheesh. This doubloon is really starting to feel like a white whale of its own.”

But then Carmen notices Patty reading said book. It catches her by surprise.

Her response to seeing this is obvious, “What. I read when I'm not busy dealing with issues. Figures you mention Moby Dick though.”

“Forget I asked,” She replies.

“Um, I'm sorry. But were you talking about the Ecuador 8 escudos?” asks someone.

Carmen turns and spots someone asking. She replies, “Wait. You've heard of it?”

The person nods in response, “Yes. I'm Dr. Pilar Marquez. I'm an archaeologist that's leading an excavation crew into the shipwreck.”

“I hate to be the bearer of disappointment but if you plan on looking for a shipwreck, you ain't going to find it. Not anymore,” Carmen tells her.

“What?” Marquez wonders, “How do you know this?”

But then Marquez asks her, “Are you... scavengers?”

“No. We're not scavengers. We're coin hobbyists. Amateur,” Carmen responds.

“I see. In that case, you should be aware that the escudos was the first doubloon ever minted here. It happened back in the 1830s, some time after we became our own nation. Made no better that only a mere handful were ever made,” She explains.

“Whoa! Only a mere handful? Must be worth millions!” responds Zack.

Marquez lets off a chuckle, “I don't think so. Despite their rarity, these escudos don't have much monetary value. However they carry incredible cultural value. They are a symbol of Ecuador's independence & remain as one of the strongest connections we have to our past.”

“Wow,” Ivy reacts.

“Bummer. The fish can keep it then,” Zack follows.

But Carmen thinks otherwise, “Don't worry. We'll find it for you.”

“Wait, we will,” Zack and Ivy speak, at the exact same time.

“Listen,” Carmen explains, “V.I.L.E has little idea how much that coin's worth, which means we need to secure it before they do. This also means that they can't figure out where it's going.”

“But what if it means we have to deal with those Gangler monsters?” Ivy asks.

However Carmen retorts it, “Even so, priority one right now is to recover that doubloon. If V.I.L.E decides to bring out their little monsters, then we can get our hands on the Lupin Collection. Two for one, don't you think?”

The others agree with this. Suddenly a tracker on one of the boats began to beep as the four get on the move. As this goes on, Chevre and El Topo get in touch with Maelstrom via a tablet. They have good news to share but know that the worst for them is yet to come.

“This is Le Chevre. We have found the doublooon. If Carmen Sandiego is after the doubloon, it must be worth a fortune,” says Le Chevre.

“Indeed. That doubloon will make you rich beyond your wildest dreams and it would be perfect for VILE,” follows El Topo.

But Maelstrom has other plans, “How delightful gentlemen, because Papa needs a new pair of cuff links.”

“Um, of course Professor Maelstrom. We can have a vault full of cuff links. Cuff links of every color and kind!” responds El Topo. 

“Yeah. This little trinket will let you have anything your heart desires,” Chevre follows.

“I don't think you understand gentleman. I intend to take this doubloon and melt it down,” Maelstrom assures.

“Wait, melt?” wonders Chevre, “But that thing's wortth a--”

Maelstrom quickly interrupted him, “I will be the first on this island. Oh Countess Cleo will be so envious.”

“Uh as much as we are pleased by this, I'm afraid there may be a bit of a snag,” responds Chevre.

This immediately gets Maelstrom out of his delusion, “What do you mean a snag? Explain!”

“Well, while we were trying to get the doubloon, we spotted the other Power Rangers. The Patrangers,” 

“What?!” shouts Maelstrom, “How is it possible? Why are they there?”

“Not sure,” El Topo follows, “Thankfully they do not know we're here.”

“My guess is that they think Carmen Sandiego and her gang are around. The two teams can't stand each other,” Chevre tells him.

Maelstrom hesitates before speaking. Realizing now that both Ranger teams are involved, he decides to accelerate the plan, “We'll have a Gangler at the ready. See to it that you recover that Doubloon and bring it to V.I.L.E. Failure will not be tolerated, do you understand?”

“Y-yes Professor. We will not fail. In fact, we will make sure we get the doubloon before either of them do,” Chevre answers.

“See to it that it is so... or you will suffer the same fate as Crackle,” Maelstrom orders the two before the communication is cut off.

Realizing that the situation has gotten bad, El Topo and Chevre decide to get on the move. While this goes on, Carmen and her crew are on a bus, with Zack at the wheel. Time is not on their side. In fact, it's not on anyone's.

“Pedal to the metal Zack. If that big guppy makes it to the auction floor, we'll lose it for good,” Carmen orders.

“On it!” says Zack.

“Red, a word of caution. Above 9500 feet, the air's pretty thin. If you can't adjust to it, any one of you can suffer from altitude sickness,” Player tells them.

“Don't worry. We can handle it, hopefully,” Carmen replies.

What they don't know is that our team has already made it there. Yep. It's yours truly and the yinzer red ranger. Sadly however, this only is something that we can't stand. Player wasn't kidding. The air was getting thin and thankfully the two of us were being hydrated.

“Any word from the others?” I ask him.

“Yeah. But there's been nothing new regarding VILE or the Lupins. Could this be a dead end?” Snails replies.

“I doubt that,” I then see a bus getting parked and lo and behold, it's them. They don't know we're here.

“Do we wait?” I ask.

“Yeah. Only when we find out what they're after, then we strike. Got it?” He orders.

“Crystal.”

Meanwhile, Carmen and her gang reach an outdoor marketplace. As they look around to find the fish market, they are unaware that we're onto them.

“Ah, smell that fresh mountain air,” says Ivy.

But Zack smells something else that really turns him off, “Yeah. It smells like... oh, P.U.! Fish. Why does it have to be fish?”

“A good sign Zack. Lucky for us since we're trying to find a fish mar—ah,” follows Carmen. However due to the high altitude, she starts getting woozy.

Due to the high altitude and air being thin, Carmen starts to get lightheaded and a bit unstable. Not a good sign.

“Carm,” wonders Zack.

But he won't have long as Carmen lets off a groan. Suddenly she collapses, faintly hearing Zack, Ivy and Patty as they run to her. While they do so, they are being observed by Snails and yours truly. I'm still narrating this so don't judge. Anyway, since the group have to tend to Carmen, we need to get ourselves moving.

“I'll handle things. You get in touch with the others. We may have to intervene,” says Snails.

“Got it. But just know that unless Chief gives us the go ahead, we can't engage them,” I reply.

To which he retorts, “I'm aware of that.”

He heads off, just as Zack and the others try to find a way to help her. Spotting a nearby tent, they take Carmen there. But they have no idea that Snails is observing them. He keeps his distance, watching things unfold. He sees Dr. Pilar Marquez, interacting with Carmen's team. She then tells the three to head for the fish market in the hopes that they can find what they're looking for. With them on the move to find the guppy, this gives Snails the opportunity to move in.

Carmen meanwhile, had passed out and is resting in a makeshift bed. Dr. Pilar Marquez was right now making a damp washcloth hoping to place it on her head. Not only that but it seems that Carmen's coming about. She wakes, but feels weakened due to being woozy. The doc presses a wet cloth to her head as she wakes. Due to being in a daze, she sees someone familiar.

“You,” says Carmen, still woozy.

In her weakened state, Carmen sees Coach Brunt but the voice isn't hers, at all, “Yes. It is me. You should be fortunate I found you when I did.”

Carmen replies, “Yeah, as a baby. By the side of the road in Argentina. Oh... I always knew it was you.”

Unfortunately her wooziness is wearing off and Brunt was revealed to be Dr. Pilar Marquez. It catches her by surprise.

“Please,” the Doctor says, “The air is very thin up here. For your sake, I suggest you get some oxygen.”

Carmen gets knocked out again but a few minutes later, she comes to again. She looks around, hoping to find anyone.

“Zack? Ivy?” She asks.

“If you are looking for your friends, I encouraged them to head for the fish market. They sadly know little about altitude sickness,” Dr. Marquez replies.

Carmen wonders if the doctor followed her. To her surprise, she gets a response, “Yes. I did follow you.”

“But why?” Carmen asks her.

“Did you really think I would really trust a possible scavenger with my coin?” She answers.

“Doctor... listen. If I'm to have any hope of recovering your doubloon, I really need to be... I really need to...”

Carmen starts getting woozy again and that causes her to collapse on the bed. In turn, her bag drops on the floor causing many of her tools to fall out and spill across the room. The doctor picks up one of them.

Dr. Marquez then asks, “Are these the tools of an amateur coin hobbyist?”

Before Carmen can provide an answer, someone else does interrupting them, “More like the tools of an amateur thief.”

The two turn to look who it was. It was Snails aka Patren 1Gou. He has his arms crossed but is firm nonetheless. Carmen seeing him right there is enough to get her triggered. Despite suffering from altitude sickness, she takes out her VS Changer from her bag and aims it at him. Snails is quick enough to take out his VS Changer and aims it at her. In fact, they both do it at the exact same time. The one difference is that Carmen has less of a reaction time than he does. It's a powder keg waiting to erupt into a full on brawl.

“Please. Not here,” pleads Dr. Marquez.

It takes Snails a few seconds to realize that now ain't the time. He puts his VS Changer away on his holster.

“Forgive me. My intentions are not to cause a fight,” tells Snails, “I'm only here for information. Nothing more.”

“And you are?” asks Dr. Marquez.

He takes out a wallet and shows his “S” police badge, answering, “Name's Snails. ACME Gumshoe & leader of the GSPO Tactical Unit. I take it you are talking about some kind of doubloon?”

“Why should you even care about it? That's our business,” Carmen retorts.

“Sadly it has become my business,” Snails counters, turning his attention to Dr. Marquez, “My intentions are to preserve history and as part of ACME, our responsibility is to ensure that it doesn't fall into the wrong hands.”

“I see. Unfortunately, it seems that the doubloon hasn't been found and I had some of her friends head to a nearby fish market,” She tells him.

Having got what he needs to know, Snails lets off a sly smile. To him, that information is more than enough to hopefully find the doubloon.

“Thank you for your cooperation, Doctor. I promise that my team and I will ensure the doubloon will be returned to you,” Snails tells her, heading out.

Carmen struggles to get up hoping to stop him but she's still woozy due to the lack of oxygen. He gently turns to her, still keeping a firm look towards her.

“You are in no condition to fight. It's like she said, you need oxygen and if I were you, I recommend that you do so. Just leave this to us,” Snails tells her.

But he does issue a warning. “If you or your team decide to intervene, we will be forced to take you down. That's the only warning you're going to get.”

Snails then walks off, leaving Carmen struggling to keep herself afoot. Maybe she should take his advice and she does so. She puts her VS Changer in her bag and decides to use whatever time she has to recover. She'll need it. Meanwhile, Snails is walking away. He gets in touch with the Chief, hoping to provide what he discovers.

“Chief, I got a lead on what the Lupins are up to,” He says.

“Really? What have you uncovered?” Chief asks.

“A lot. Turns out they're after some kind of doubloon, possibly connected to the history of Ecuador. I can imagine that VILE is most likely after the same thing but the reasoning for it is unknown at the moment,” Snails explains.

“I see,” Chief follows, trying to digest the info, “Any idea where it can be?”

“A doctor in archaeology provided a possible location as to where the doubloon should be: A nearby fish market. We're heading there now to intercept,” Snails responds.

“Very well. Your objective is simple: recover that Doubloon and see to it that it doesn't fall into V.I.L.E's hands. I'll see to it the others are notified. Is that clear?” She orders.

“Crystal,” He answers, “One request.”

“Name it.”

“Should the Lupinrangers decide to intervene in the operation, permission to use lethal force?” He requests.

“Permission granted. I'm also authorizing it against V.I.L.E as well. Do not hesitate whatsoever,” She tells him.

He lets out a smile and responds, “Consider it done.”

Snails cuts off communication but not before muttering this, “Now if only Snips can be done with his eating. We got a job to do dammit.”

He heads for the nearby fish market. Meanwhile, Carmen's other buddies are now inspecting fish. Well, not quite because Zack is trying to compose himself due to his disdain towards seeing all these fish. It ain't helping matters one bit.

“Come on, find the coin already Sis! I can't breathe in here! All this fish is making me want to gag!” Zack complains.

Having fed up of his bantering, Ivy decides to pour one right through the guy, “We're getting tired of your whining! If you don't put a sock in it, Zack Attack, I swear it, I'm gonna put a fish in it for you. Eyes. Head. Whole enchilada!”

That keeps him quiet but Patty would prefer something sinister, “Why not just take a giant tuna and shove it up Zack's pants. That would be more painful and embarrassing than shoving a fish right up his mouth.”

“You're not helping!” Zack yells, already peeved.

Suddenly they hear a beeping sound, “Nice! We got it! Lucky number 52!”

Just as they're ready to get the guppy, Carmen shows up. She's rejuvenated but also a bit concerned and a bit ticked.

“Well, look who finally decide to drop in,” says Ivy.

“Hey, don't feel bad, Carm,” replies Zack, “Sometimes smelling fish can get me woozy too.”

“Tell me you guys found it,” Carmen wonders.

“We did. We scanned all the tuna carts on deck and found it before it can hit up the auction block. It's that one over there,” Ivy tells her.

“Oh you mean the one that they just wheeled through those doors,” follows Carmen.

Seeing it wheeled through is enough to freak the two siblings out. Patty simply facepalms over it. In another room, an auctioneer was finishing up a bidding.

“300 once. 300 twice. Sold! Lot 51, sold to paddle #7,” He shouts.

“We have a bigger problem though,” She tells the others, “They're here.”

“Wait,” Zack wonders, “You mean?”

“Yep, the Pat Brats.”

“Dammit!” shouts Zack, “As if this is already bad enough.”

“I wouldn't worry, because this time we'll get 'em,” Ivy follows.

Carmen gets a little look as does the others. They see Le Chevre up above in the rafters. As if things aren't bad enough, it's about to get worse.

“Le Chevre. Should have known,” She says.

“Again?” wonders Ivy, “You know this guy really gets me riled.”

“Thing is, he would ID me almost immediately. You two are going to have to reel that guppy in.”

“How?” asks Zack.

“What else,” she answers, “Bid to win.”

“We have Lot #52. This here's a 97 lb yellow-fin tuna,” shouts the Auctioneer.

“There it is,” whispers Ivy, “That's our guppy.”

“Alright. Lot #52, bidding starts at 100 dollars. Do I hear 100? 100 dollars! Do I hear 150?” he shouts.

Zack doesn't waste any time and makes his bid, “$150,000!”

This catches everyone by surprise, even Carmen... and Patty of all things. They both respond by facepalming at this utter stupidity.

As for the Auctioneer, he's at a loss for words. He tries to regain his composure since well, he has a job to do.

“Uh, ahem... $150,000! Going once! Going twice!” He shouts.

But then another shout is heard, “$222,000!”

This catches Zack, Ivy and the others completely off guard. Even the announcer is freaked out by this. Someone out bidding them is outright baffling. The two siblings get a look at who it is and to their surprise, it's someone they dread. Yeah. Us.

“Hey guys,” says Snips, “Missed us?”

Zack was quick to respond to that, “You!” He then takes out his VS Changer and aims it at Snips... and Sunset Shimmer. She's here too.

Fortunately Snips and Sunset aim their VS Changers at them. You know it's a fight just waiting to happen between these two teams.

“As if things just can't get any worse,” says Patty.

“Yep. They're here now,” Carmen replies.

“You got that right,” Snails intrudes, approaching the Lupinrangers since well... he did kind of warn the whole team.

“Don't you guys have anything better than do than go after us?!” shouts Zack, already peeved at being outbid by Snips.

“Not really but since we realize you guys are involved, we figure why not. Plus it's a good excuse for us to kick you Beantown buttheads down a few pegs,” He gloats.

Sunset retorts, “Do you have to gloat like that?”

He turns and says, “Let me have my moment. Besides, you got to do this gig because isn't that what we Power Rangers have to do?”

“That isn't part of the gig,” Sunset reponds, before turning her attention towards Zack and Ivy.

“No one calls my home Beantown and gets away with it!” Zack shouts, all ready to go in and fight.

But while this goes on, the auctioneer was ready to make it official, “Uh... ahem. Sold! Lot 52, sold to paddle number 2 for $222,000!”

“There ya go,” says Snips, being such a gleeful bastard.

Having had enough of all the bad luck, all the negativity and plus, Snips mocking his own hometown (probably the second time no less), Zack has had enough.

“Sorry Carm... but I rather want to kick butt today,” taking out his Blue Dialfighter, he yells out, “Kaitou Change!”

He then inserts it into his VS Changer and it yells out, “Blue! 2-6-0! Masqueraise!”

Zack presses the lever, turns it so it goes up and then fires, transforming into LupinBlue. Ivy and the others can only watch as Zack goes in to attack Snips. But in his blind fury, Snips is able to dodge one of his punches. Seeing this happen, Ivy takes out her Dial Fighter and inserts it into her VS Changer.

“Yellow! 1-1-6! Masqueraise!”

Ivy, like Zack, does the same thing, transforming into LupinYellow. She goes after Sunset and you can tell that it's already way too late for that.

“Nice job doofus. You had to piss 'em off did you?” says Sunset, smacking Snips with her Changer.

“Look at it this way,” replies Snips, “Chief did give us authorization to use lethal force.”

“She did but not in a way that angers them,” she follows.

He shrugs and says, “Whatever. I need some exercise after gorging down four plates of Librillo.”

The two take out their respective Trigger Machines and insert them into their VS Changers.

Snips inserts his first, “2Gou!”

Followed by Sunset, “3Gou!”

“Patrize!” is then heard as the two press on their grips, causing the devices to turn with the Trigger Machines to appear underneath.

The two then yell out, “Keisatsu Change!” as it also shouts, “Keisatsu Change!”

They then fire, transforming the two into Patren 2Gou and 3Gou, respectively. They don't waste any time going up against the Lupinrangers, as predicted. But while this whole battle between the two teams is going on, they don't notice Chevre ready to make his move.

“That's our tuna. Now. Now. NOW!” He shouts.

Suddenly, a light shines through the floor, cutting a hole below the tuna cart. Carmen's attention is almost immediate. But even with that, the sap, El Topo hits his head on a tuna cart. He shrugs it off, trying another tile and runs.

“Oh no you don't,” She says, using her VS changer to fire a shot.

It disorients El Topo, causing him to trip. She's able to get the fish away but then Chevre comes from out of nowhere, snatching it into a net.

“Ha-ha! Got it!” shouts Chevre.

“That doubloon isn't worth the amount you think it should be. Stealing it will deprive this country of a national treasure,” Carmen replies.

But Chevre doesn't give a crap. He tells her, “Tell that to Professor Maelstrom!”

Before he can say anything else, the sound of a shot is heart startles him. He looks to see and it's Snails, VS Changer aimed at him.

“Drop the tuna maggot!” He shouts.

“You think you can threaten me with such a silly trick?” Chevre threatens.

“No... but I can do this,” He rushes in, delivering a jumping side kick. He lands on the ground, dropping the fish.

This gives the go ahead for Carmen to rush in and get it but El Topo out of nowhere tackles her. She gets pushed aside and that's enough for her to go gung ho on the guy.

“The fish?” yelps Chevre, “Where's the fish?”

“I would rather focus on what's ahead of you buddy? The guppy can wait,” Snails replies, as he inserts his Trigger Machine into the VS Changer and the sound “1Gou!” is heard.

“Patirize!” is then heard. He then says, “Keisatsu Change!” but he aims his gun sideways and fires, transforming into Patren 1Gou!

El Topo looks and noticies Patren 1Gou showing up, “As if things can't get worse. Chevre, let's get the thing out of there now!”

“Huh?” wonders Chevre, “Oh right.”

He tries to go after the fish and does so. But out of nowhere, Carmen (who transformed into LupinRed) throws a fish at Chevre. He gets smacked by it and it drops the tuna. In turn,  the doubloon was launched out of its mouth. It ends up rolling on the floor, only for it to land on the ground, rolling about. It then ends up reaching the foot of someone, or in this case, something. It grabs the coin and then places it into his safe, located on his left arm. It then laughs out loud, getting the attention of everyone involved.

“Hello rangers! Mind if I cut in?!” It asks, in a threatening manner.

“What the,” Carmen wonders.

“A Gangler? Here?!” Snails follows.

“That's right brats. I'm Merg Arita and I'm here to make sure you brats get mixed into my next cocktail! After all, I'm hungry for some Rangers!” shouts Merg Artia.

Suddenly it then uses the power of it's safe (housing the Lupin Piece) to devour everything in the auction house. This also included all the fish that were in the area. Fortunately Carmen gives a nod to her teammates as they are able to escape the auction house. The same can't be said for the Patrangers as Merg Arita's devouring reaches astronomic levels.

“Hang on guys!” shouts 1Gou, as he tries to rush in to stop the monster from devouring the team.

Using the momentum, he does a small hop. He takes out his Patrol Mic and in Baton Mode, he delivers a slash that hits its mark. It disorients the monster, forcing it to cut off its appetite. 2Gou and 3Gou are relieved but that's the least of their problems.

“You scumbags ruined my meal!” shouted Merg Arita.

“Trust us, we'll ruin much more than just some lunch pal!” shouts 1Gou.

“Yeah! Who are you clowns anyway?” It asks.

Fortunately, they're more than willing to tell him, “Don't you know? Guess VILE never gave you the lowdown on who we are.”

“Huh?” Suddenly the three decide to pull off the obligatory ranger roll call.

“Patren 1Gou!”

“Patren 2Gou!”

“Patren 3Gou!”

After the roll call, they pull off the finishing touch first with the salute and then their combat stance.

“Keisatsu Sentai... Patranger!” The “S” logo appears behind them as the three gear up to do battle.

“By order of ACME & the GSPO, we're taking you in by force!” shouts 1Gou, ready to make good on his word.

“The Patrangers eh? VILE warned me about you clowns. You are never gonna reach me cause lucky for you, I brought in guests. Cleaners!” shouts Merg Arita as he summons a group of Boris and Vlad look alikes.

“Cleaners, do what you do best! Take them out!” Merg Arita orders. The Cleaners go in to engage the Patrangers, armed with Crackle Rods.

Fortunately my teammates can take on these dumb mooks. Each of them take out their Patrol Batons. Rushing in, they engage the Cleaners. As for Merg Arita however, he still has the coin locked in the safe. He heads out of the place only to encounter another threat: a whip. The whip strikes Merg Arita, disorienting it. Suddenly another strike hits him, then another and then gets sent to the floor. The question's simple: Who's the one striking the poor sap of a monster? Answer: Patty Larceny aka LupinPink.

She jumps in with a jump kick. That already gets Merg Arita peeved and it tries to strike back. But it was for naught. LupinPink wasn't going to let that thing get a chance. She takes out her Lupin Sword, turning it into her whip form. She then goes on a warpath. It's insane. The other Lupinrangers watch as she becomes a vicious force of nature.

“Uh, should we get involved in this?” asks Zack/LupinBlue.

“No,” Carmen/LupinRed replies, “Besides, this can make things a little easier for us. We're only here to recover the Doubloon and nothing else. Getting a Lupin piece is a bonus.”

“What about the Patrangers?” Ivy wonders.

“Let them finish the job. Besides, we got to be one step ahead of them and VILE,” Carmen answers.

As the three watch LupinPink unleash her onslaught, the Gangler Merg Arita tries to fight back. Before it could however, LupinPink takes her Dial Fighter and places it on its safe. It then does its work, deciphering the combination and opening the safe.

“3-7-0!”

“No! Stop!” it shouts. She then opens the safe, grabbing the Lupin Piece in the process, a strange white lamp, along with a certain coin.

With items in hand, she's satisfied but sadly Merg Arita isn't taking that thievery well. He wants payback. 

"Give them back you damn dirty thieves!" Merg Arita shouts.

"You want it back?" Carmen wonders, "Try taking it."

"Fine! I'll beat you out of it then!" Merg Arita rushes towards the Lupinrangers.

Sadly that's the last thing he would ever do. All four Lupins take out their Lupin Swords, gently using their respective fingers to form a line around the blade portion of their weapons. The four blades exhibit four different colors, representing their forms. Each of them pull off a different pose before raising their blades up. As Merg Arita's ready to pound the Rangers, it doesn't get a chance at all. They all swing their blades, forming waves of colored energy. They strike Merg Arita, damaging it and it ends up on the ground back first, letting off a major explosion. Guess the Gangler kind of bit the dust huh? Unfortunately El Toppo and Le Chevre notice it going boom.

"Oh no!" shouts Toppo, "The Gangler!"

"What? They beat it?!" Le Chevre wonders, "Get that thing out!"

"Uh, is it this?" Toppo asks, bringing out the Gros calibre Lupin piece.

Le Chevre takes it and fires a blast at the weakened Gangler. Merg Arita is suddenly revived. But then it starts enlarging itself, growing at kaiju levels. As it stretches itself out, it roars loudly.

"Aw yeah! I'm now ready for a second helping!" Merg Artia shouts, already set to tear the town asunder.

The Lupinrangers step back but realizing that they have what they need, they aren't concerned.

"VILE really doesn't know when to quit do they?" says Carmen.

"Should we take it to the next level then?" asks Zack.

Carmen retorts, "No. We got what we came for. Let's get out of here."

"So you're leaving that to those brats?" Ivy follows.

"What does it look like?" Carmen counters, "Payback for interrupting our plan."

The Lupinrangers head off, as Merg Arita goes on the offensive. Just as things can't get worse, the door that housed the auction opened up. Snails and his squad send a few Cleaners flying with a combined attack. When they get a look outside, they see the gangler already grown and ready to rip the city a new one.

"Look!" says Sunset, "The Gangler's grown!"

"Those mooks of his were a distraction. More importantly, where are the Lupins?" Snails asks.

Just as he hopes to get an answer, they get communication from the Chief. She's not happy. At all.

"Rangers, where are you? What the hell is going on?" shouts Chief.

"Forgive us Chief. VILE sent a distraction and now the Gangler has gone fully grown," Snails explains.

"This can explain your current sloppiness," Chief follows, adding insult to injury, "Summon your zords! If you want to earn my praise, then you must do your part as Rangers."

"Consider it done. Where's Roy?" He asks.

"Right here. Already secured the doubloon. Unfortunately, the Lupinrangers have already ran off," I explain to them.

"Apparently since even they got what they wanted. I'm disappointed but my opinion will change once this matter is dealt with. Get to it at once!" Chief orders.

The communication is cut off. Already let down over this, the team isn't deterred. Far from it.

"So what do we do?" Sunset ask.

"The only thing we can," He replies, pressing the lever tightly and quickly turning his VS Changer back and forth.

"Yep. Zord time now," Snips follows, doing the same as does Sunset.

All three take aim and fire, activating their Trigger Zords. They go form being simple toys to giant vehicles. Each of the Rangers jump inside their respective vehicles.

"Thun-der-ous-Roar! (Go-on-Baku-Sou!)"

"100-Shots-100-Hits! (Hyap-Patsu-Hyaku-Chu!)"

"Rag-ing-Bl-ows! (Ran-Gek-Ran-Da!)"

With each of them inside, the three zords drive off, heading for the Gangler but lo and behold, something else catches their attention. Good Striker comes flying out of the blue, noticing them. Without hesitation, Snails drives close to it, opening his hatch and then grabs GoodStriker.

Already noticing Snails quickly grabbing, it shouts with a yelp, "Hey! Get your hands off me! I don't feel like helping you."

"Sorry but you're needed," He inserts GoodStriker into his VS Changer, flips it, takes aim as the dock opens up and then fires causing it to grow just like the Trigger Zords.

"One Shot to Victory! (Ichi-Geki-Hi-Sho!)"

"Let's do this! Form PatKaiser Megazord!" Snails shouts, much to GoodStriker's dismay.

"Keisatsu Gat-Time! Time to grab hold of justice!"

GoodStriker goes above, turning around and setting up. The Rangers turn the handle on their changers and then pull up, assuming battle mode. Each Trigger Zord enters into their respective attack mode. GoodStriker hits the brakes, moving upward to finish setting up. Each zord attaches into it; first comes 3Gou, then 2Gou and finally 1Gou. For good measure, it finishes up revealing its face, completing the formation into PatKaiser aka PatKaiser Megazord.

"PatKaiser Megazord, formation complete!" the Rangers shout.

"TIme to put this drink back to the drawing board!" shouts Snails. The Rangers gear up as the Megazord heads on the offensive.

"Oh you think you can stop me? Guess again! I'm hungry for leftovers and you're it!" Shouts Merg Arita as it attacks.

PatKaiser dodges, responding by using the Baton arm to damage it. It delivers a few good hits. Merg Arita counters by firing a few blasts from it's arm. PatKaiser takes a few hits but it's nothing it can't handle. Using it's blaster arm, it opens fire turning the whole battle into a shootout. As if that's not enough, PatKaiser goes into a long jump, firing a volley of shots hitting that freak good. The team's getting better but they can't let their guard down.

"You got lucky brats but I don't think you're ready for this!" Merg Arita shouts, deciding instead to try a new trick.

PatKaiser fires a few blasts only for Merg Arita to use it's whip arm to deflect the blasts. He then ensnares the Megazord, using it's whip to give it a tight squeeze. The Rangers feel it. Sparks start flying within the cockpit. Due to that squeeze, neither Sunset or Snips' zords can be able to break free.

"We're trapped. I can't move the arm!" Sunset says.

"Neither can mine," Snips responds.

"Dammit. If this keeps up, this thing will crush us under the pressure!" Snails shouts.

Merg Arita continues to constrict the PatKaiser Megazord more and more. As they do, the Rangers try to figure out a plan. I swear it. These guys should know better by now but come on. Guess they really are under pressure aren't they? Suddenly, one of them has an idea.

"Why not use this?" suggests Snips, showing the Biker Trigger Machine.

Snails quickly grabs it and responds, "Why didn't you say so?"

He inserts the Trigger Machine onto his VS Changer, then turning it right after. It suddenly starts activating the summon sequence. Taking aim, it causes a road to magically appear in front. He then fires, causing the biker to ride off. It then turns 180 degrees, enlarging while it's chant is then heard not long after.

"Ride Fast and Free! (Juu-Ou-Mon-Jin!)"

The Biker Trigger Zord finally enlarges enough so that it appears outside. It rides forward, striking Merg Arita in the face. That's enough to disorient him, releasing his grip on the Pat Kaiser Megazord. With the Megazord free, the team's ready to fight back.

"Now that we're free, let's arm ourselves up!" says Snails, "Arm change!"

Sunset's zord gets removed, replacing it with the Biker Trigger Zord. With a new arm, it gets a new formation in the process. Just like with LupinKaiser, PatKaiser's back and ready for more.

"Replacing left arm!" shouts GoodStriker.

"PatKaiser Megazord, Biker Formation!" the team shouts.

It then goes in, attacking Merg Arita with a fury of hits. Merg Arita tries to counter but nothing. He then tries to use it's whip to constrict PatKaiser but it counters using the Biker arm to launch a whip. It smacks Merg Arita, delivering another disorientation.

"Got him on the ropes now," says Sunset.

"Time we take him down!" Snails replies.

But Snips has a suggestion, "Isn't that thing like a fish?"

"Your point," Snails counters.

"Why don't we reel this guppy and take it down!" Snips suggests.

After thinking about it for a quick few seconds, he accepts the idea, "Okay then. Let's do it!"

Patkaiser uses the Biker Arm to reel in Merg Arita. It gets trapped and suddenly, it lifts the freak up into the air. The Rangers gear up to deliver the finishing blow and about time too. If they didn't, these guys would have been beat.

The three take aim with their VS changers in hand and then shout, "PatKaiser Biker Volley Blast!"

With Merg Arita high into the sky thanks to the Biker Arm, it then uses its gunner arm to fire a repeated volley of blasts. Unable to find a way out of the mess, the Gangler gets repeatedly hit. It ultimately explodes due to taking too much damage. PatKaiser stands over the city, it's job completed. You can pretty much guess that people will be sharing info about this on social media. Inside the Megazord, the Rangers sit back down, relieved that their job is done.

"Mission complete," says Snails.

"So, are you satisfied?" asks GoodStriker, wondering.

He doesn't say a word. Neither of the Rangers did. Knowing that it's enough of an answer, he says, "Fine then. You got your victory. Now I'm off to parts unknown."

The Rangers only had a few seconds to react as GoodStriker ejects the three out. Fortunately, they're quick enough to land on their feet instead of on their backs. They see GoodStriker fly off to who knows where but they're more concerned over their sloppy performance today.

"There he goes. This guy just likes to do what he pleases," says Sunset.

"It doesn't matter," replies Snails, "We took the Gangler down and saved the town. What more do you want?"

"How about the Lupins getting away when we had them dead to rights?" Snips counters.

"They weren't our issue. The objective was to find out what V.I.L.E was after and it was a rare doubloon. One that got away at the hands of those Lupinrangers," Snails retorts.

"One doubloon... or two," I reply, approaching with Twilight behind along with something that may turn this around.

"Two?" He wonders.

"Yep," I open my hand, revealing the same doubloon that V.I.L.E tried to steal and the Lupins snagged.

"But how?!" Snails says, "i thought that doubloon was the only one left!"

"Not exactly," Twilight explains, "Turns out there was more than one and I found that in the only place nobody expected: the museum."

"So all that we did today, whether it be interrupting the auction, stopping V.I.L.E from getting away and taking down a gangler that put the squeeze on us..." Snips wonders, piecing together everything that happened today.

"Was a complete and utter waste of time," Snails finishes up, grabbing the coin from Roy's hand without hesitation.

"No it wasn't," I retort, "You guys did save the town. That's at least good enough. Besides, we did stop V.I.L.E from getting their hands on it. That counts shouldn't it?"

Before Snails can say anything else, we all hear a beeping sound from our communicators. It's the Chief and she's really wanting to know what happened.

"Go ahead," Snails answers.

"Rangers, what exactly happened? I need an update, immediately!" Chief asks, wondering what's going on.

After a few seconds, Snails decided to be out with it, "We took down the Gangler that threatened this town... and recovered the Doubloon. It's in our custody as we speak."

"I see. I have seen your battle and despite some slip-ups, you have completed your mission. Is the coin in your possession?"

"Yes, it is. We're on our way now to return the Doubloon to the archaeologist," He says.

"That will not be necessary," Chief replies, "Return to base with the doubloon. I'll have our analysts work on a full analysis of that relic. It must belong in a place of great importance."

"I understand," Snails feels disappointed by this sudden update, "We're heading back now."

"One other thing," she asks, "I also want a full debriefing of what happened. I need to know what was V.I.L.E's plan in trying to steal this doubloon. Hopefully it can mean that future attempts will be prevented. Is that clear/"

"Yes chief," He says.

"As soon as our agents receive the doubloon, your assignment is finished. Use the time to not only rest but provide us everything that transpired. You are dismissed for today," Chief details, ending the communication.

All five of us let off a sigh. Sure we did stop the Gangler, saved the city and prevented V.I.L.E from stealing the doubloon but all of this could have gone much worse. There was one thing that bugged us and I wanted to know what it is.

"One more thing," I say, going into Snips' pocket and taking the debit card away. "What exactly did you buy that made you run late?"

"Yeah, you did say you were learning about this country with your stomach. What exactly did you ingest?" Snails asks.

"What?" He responds, "I only had four plates of Librillo. I mean, it's not like I just decided to go all in. I also ordered enough for us to eat when we're finished!"

"Do you have the slightest idea what Librillo actually is?" Sunset wonders.

"Uh... no?" He answers.

"Perhaps I can give you an answer," Twilight intrudes, explaining and giving Snips a needed reality check, "Librillo. A soup that's not for the faint of heart, a unique dish prepared with an even more unique type of meat. Want to know what that meat is?"

And it's here where the reality check kicks in, "Tripe... or as this page would say, the stomach lining of a cow."

Reality immediately sinks in for this kid. The fact that he wolfed down something he had no idea what it was only makes it more painful that he begins to feel something strange. Seeing a nearby trash can, he rushes towards it proceeding to vomit out everything he ate. Oh right, he ate four full plates of it. Sure understanding the world through your stomach is one thing but realizing it too late is another. That is what makes this really messed up. We all let off a chuckle for a bit. Man was it funny but that was only for a while because we needed to head back.

"Enough joking around. Let's head back to base. We need to give Chief the debrief... that rhymes," Snails says, accessing his watch and causing a C-5 Corridor to appear.

The Rangers enter in it, hoping to reach ACME HQ. Their job is done but wait... what about the Lupins? Well, they may have gotten away with the Doubloon and the fact that they did took down the Gangler before it grew but with them, their work ain't done. Far from the city, they spot the X Train, approaching before coming full stop. The door opens and out comes Enigma, dressed in his thieving gear.

He looks at the team and says, "So... what did I miss?"

"A lot. Let us in," Carmen replies.

Enigma lets off a smile, allowing the other Lupins to get inside the train. For these guys, it's just another day on the job. But with what's to come, it's going to be really rough. How do I know this? Well you'll just have to watch and see.

To be continued...

On the next Lupinranger vs. Patranger

The Lupinrangers get word of an auction where art is being up for grabs. The most elite of the elite are ready to place their bets but due to a slip-up, Zack has to go in while not blowing his cover. But even as things go as planned, things can and will change. An unexpected guest appears and the battle for these trinkets begins to shift even further. Who is this new player that's entering this fight? Find out on the next episode: Untold Agenda; Enter Lupin the Third!

Two teams, two objectives. Which side will you choose?
> Episode 6: Untold Agenda; Enter Lupin the Third
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Episode 6: Untold Agenda; Enter Lupin the Third

Three minutes later, on the X-Train...

While our team, the Patrangers, teleports back to ACME for a needed debriefing, the Lupinrangers however get a needed ride courtesy of Enigma and his silver X-Train Zord. Now comes the bigger question: What has he been up to? Time, we find out.

"So," Enigma asks, "How did your little job turn out?"

Carmen looks at him & responds, "Do you even have to ask?"

"I see. So, it seems the Pat Brats got involved this time? Sheesh. These guys are becoming more of a hindrance. Not helped by the fact that they're a bunch of disorganized agents," he says.

"Fortunately, we were able to get the Doubloon out of VILE's hands," Carmen counters, "That's what matters."

I did get to see what was going on via social media and the Pat Brats took care of that Gangler. Not only that but they started using one of the auxiliary zords," replies Enigma.

"Hey!" Zack interrupts, "We used one ourselves during that Rice Caper schtick!"

"I'm aware of that," Enigma follows, before turning his attention to the leader, "So Carmen, what's our next move?"

"Plot a course for Amsterdam. I just got word of another caper VILE has up their sleeves," She replies.

"Consider it done boss. All available, please be seated while the Dropouts will serve needed food and refreshments. Besides, a thief can't work or operate on an empty stomach," He tells the team.

Everyone lets off a sign of relief as they all get seated. Zack begins to get irritated while Ivy tries to find a way to snap her brother out of his little funk. Patty has a seat and works on her makeup. As for Carmen, she takes out her device and uses it to get in touch with Player.

"What's up Red?" Player asks, showing up.

"Any word on what I provided ya?" Carmen follows.

"Yep. But I think you may need to do some thieving to do so," Player replies.

"Okay, I'm listening," She follows up.

"I'm checking and it seems that one of VILE's faculties on a collecting spree. Something about paintings and what not," He explains.

"Paintings huh? If I know VILE well enough, it has to be none other than Countess Cleo," She answers.

"Countess Cleo? The Contessa?" Enigma asks, "Why would she be after paintings? There's got to be a reason for it."

"We'll find out when we get there. Conductor, set a course for Amsterdam!" Carmen orders.

"Aye aye, m'lady. Onward to Amsterdam!" Enigma shouts, using the X Train Zord to drive off.

To be fair, both teams had it a little rough. Okay, WE had it rough because we not only had to deal with their interference but also a VILE Gangler. Thankfully we took that down but now we got to contend with a new problem: reporting to the Chief. Speaking of which, let's find out how that's going.

ACME H.Q. - At the same time...

"I want answers, this instant," says Chief, "How can you all be this sloppy? You had a job and despite some screw-ups you succeeded. Unfortunately, you let your rivalry with those Lupinrangers get in the way of your mission."

"But Chief," Snails replies, "We stopped V.I.L.E from getting their hands on that rare Doubloon. Besides, we had no idea they were going to show up for it anyway."

"Regardless, they would have taken full advantage of the situation and steal off with the Doubloon," She counters, "Be thankful that it didn't happen. Unfortunately, we are at an impasse."

"An impasse?" Snails wonders.

"Yes. Upon further examination, our analysts have confirmed that indeed the Doubloon is real. But we now confirm that an archaeologist is in possession of another Doubloon," Chief explains, catching us by surprise.

"So, it seems that what your teammate has told us is true," Chief finishes.

"Okay then. Does it mean that our mission was a success, despite everything that went down?" I wonder.

Chief's response is something none of us foresee, "Yes. You all did well despite all these issues."

"So, why did you decide to say that we were sloppy?" asks Twilight.

Chief hesitates before explaining her answer, "Because your compatriots weren't prepared."

It catches us off guard, more specifically the main three: Snails, Snips and Sunset. I was off finding Twilight, so I had an alibi while Twilight was in the museum.

"Wait a second," Sunset asks, "Why are we to blame for this? What about Roy? Or Twilight?"

"Because you three were there when this whole situation occurred. After all, this is a team effort and if one falls, the rest fall with it," Chief answers, "That is why."

The three are lost for words. Seeing that the Chief blames them instead of all of us is just a real shock. Snails is more a loss than the others. Since he was the one who took the initiative, he probably knew that it all went to crap. Snips, obsessed with eating and making an impression and Sunset, well... I got nothing on her. Regardless, even they can admit that they made mistakes. After that little shock, the Chief composes herself again.

"Be thankful that your other teammates ensured the mission was a success. I recommend that you take this opportunity to reflect upon this. Had it not been for them, the mission would have been a failure," Chief orders the three, "Is that clear you three?"

Twilight and I turn our attention to the three. Deep down, I knew they were gritting their teeth but in all honesty, they kind of had it coming. Don't take my word for it, I only narrate this tale. But anyway, we watch as the three give their response.

"Yes Chief," they said.

"Very good," She replies, "Now then, to the mission at hand."

"What mission you speak of Chief?" I ask her.

She presses a button on her desk and suddenly, we see some footage of a female stealing from an art museum. This already has us curious.

"We received word from one of our operatives in Holland that a thief has stolen a priceless painting. We don't know if it's connected to a recent series of robberies, but we have suspicion that this may be part of some V.I.L.E operation. Unfortunately, we have very little intel regarding the matter," She explains.

"So, what do you want us to do?" Snails asks.

"For the time being, do nothing," She responds. This catches Snails by surprise.

"But why?" He wonders.

"Unless we obtain more information, you're ordered not to engage. We don't want V.I.L.E to react in the same manner that has happened previously. For now, use this time to get yourselves back into gear. Unwind if you have to," she tells us.

"As you wish Chief," Snails replies.

"Don't worry yourselves too much," She tells us, "Although you are adjusting to this role, you will improve with it in time. You are all dismissed."

Each of us leave the room. Disappointing I know but it seems that it's the best option right now. Oh wait, what am I saying? Chief has something to say.

“One moment. Snails, remain here,” says Chief.

He turns in response, stepping forward a few steps. The rest of us watch and wait, wondering what she has to say.

“Although I have given my orders to the rest of your teammates, I have an assignment for you,” she says.

“What is it?” He wonders.

“It's nothing much but it has recently got attention from our agents. You see, a recent convention is in need of additional security. I was asked to have one of you take part in this,” She details.

“And you want me to do it?” Snails asks.

“Correct,” Chief answers. She then hands him an envelope. He takes it without delay.

“You want me to head to this convention for the sake of security?” He asks once more. Chief nods in response, “Alright then. I'll do it. I only hope that this doesn't lead to any issues.”

“Do not worry. Perhaps this can serve as a learning experience for you. You are all dismissed for today,” Chief responds, dismissing all of us.

We leave the room. Snails looks at the envelope but doesn't open it. The rest of us wonder what's inside. I mean, what's so important about it. Guess it won't hurt for any of us to ask right?

“So, mind wanting to find out what's inside?” I ask him.

He then says, “I rather not. Why do you want to know?”

“Maybe because Chief gave you the assignment and it's not like anyone else is going to do this gig,” I retort.

“I have to agree with him,” Sunset tells him, “I mean, you're the one that's going to handle this job while the rest of us get a needed break.”

“Uh huh,” Twilight follows in response, taking her glasses off before putting them on again, “Being in Ecuador really was the pits. Don't get me wrong. I did enjoy it but not being able to do much really bites.”

“You did ensure that the people would be kept safe. That's more than enough,” Snails assures her, before changing the subject, “The fact remains that this here is my business, not yours.”

But I decide to hammer it home to this guy, “Newsflash man. This isn't just about you. We're a team and any business that is yours is shared with us. Believe me. So, tell us already. What's in that envelope?”

Snails takes a deep breath before giving in and deciding to open the envelope. He opens it. Inside turns out to be a security pass but it's for a convention. Not just any convention but one that has to do with what's going on in social media: Power Morphicon.

“Power Morphicon?” Snails wonders, “Isn't that a convention in relation to that TV show, Power Rangers?”

“The very same,” Twilight answers.

“I have to wonder if Chief did this for the sake of teaching ya something,” I wonder.

“I don't know if she did,” He follows, “But whatever it is, I'm going to make sure I proceed with caution.”

“Don't forget that because of the whole Power Rangers Are Real thing, the actors may not like having a real Power Ranger in that convention. So, you're going to have to keep a low profile unless VILE decides to be idiotic and attack,” Sunset suggests.

“I'll do that,” But then he decides to give a bit of a warning, “But if they try anything then I'll make sure they end up on their butts.”

“Why do I feel like that this is not what Chief had in mind,” I tell everyone.

“Don't worry. If anything, this will help me out a lot,” Snails assures us.

He then heads off, accessing the C-5 Corridor and vanishes to his destination. The rest of us wonder if he'll be okay but thing is, he'll be alright. I know the guy. We all do. If anything, this guy will do okay. But thing is, since we got a needed day off from that craziness.

“Okay,” says Twilight, “I'm heading to the library.”

“Fine by me,” Snips follows, “I got the arcade to look forward to.”

“I got shopping to do,” I tell them.

“Wait, shopping?” Sunset asks.

“Yep,” I respond, “Someone has to. Besides, we still haven't gotten everything settled.”

“I... I thought we did,” Twilight wonders.

“We didn't. We may have had a day or two but much of our time is spent towards our responsibilities as both ACME operatives and Power Rangers,” I answer, “So while you guys have your gig to do, I have mine. I'll let you guys know how it goes.”

I head off hoping to make good on my word. I'm pretty serious. Since arriving on Earth-1991, our focus was either dealing with the Lupins or stopping VILE operations. I'm being inconsistent with that. We did get some time to settle down but not completely. Since I'm the guy that has to handle this responsibility, may as well. But what many of us don't know though is that things on the other side of the world are about to be in motion.

Amsterdam, Holland – A few hours later

Amsterdam, a city that's young, vibrant and full of locations that tourists would spend hours to savor and enjoy. However, today isn't a place for something like this. Sirens are blaring throughout the city. Police cars are on the move. A robbery had taken place. A speeding boat was passing through one of the city's rivers. There was a woman there, having gotten her hands on a painting. But that woman isn't who she seems. She then removes a part of the disguise, revealing herself to be none other than Carmen Sandiego. Having completed her mission, she heads to another part of town. She doesn't want to attract attention, especially from incoming law enforcement.

“Red, you should be in the clear,” says Player.

“Right,” Carmen answers.

Spotting the hotel, she heads there. She climbs up to where her room is at. Fortunately, a window is open, allowing her to enter the room. When she arrives, she finds the others waiting.

“You're early,” says Enigma.

“You think that I ran late?” Carmen answers.

“Not exactly. You got here 15 minutes sooner. I thought that security would have given you trouble,” He follows.

Carmen's quick to reply to it, “When you do this as long as I am, it becomes second nature.”

She then takes out the picture that she stole from the museum. Enigma gets a quick glance as does his wife.

“This is the last one?” Patty says.

“Very same,” Carmen answers, “Blue is not really my kind of color. I will admit though... I've never stolen anything so lambent.”

“It's more elegant if anything. Blue kind of suits Zack if you know what I mean?” Patty follows.

“I agree with Miss Larceny,” Player replies, “But we won't get a chance to enjoy it. This thing's needed for today's operation. Carmen, you only have an hour before you have to get back to your gig.”

“Right,” She follows, “Time to get the crew up to speed. Zack, ivy!”

What the three soon find is the two acting like a bunch of children. Zack has an eyepatch while Ivy has a white wig on her head. This alone is going to make this whole operation become a mess.

“Avast, me hearties! Arr!” shouts Zack, behaving like a pirate.

“Hey guys, is this a good look for me?” Ivy asks.

Upset by this, Carmen responds, “These things aren't toys! They're part of my disguise!”

This startles the two. They take off the disguises. Carmen in the meantime gets to work on detailing how this plan will unfold, “Okay, now pay attention. Here's what we know so far: Player had done some decrypting of V.I.L.E's hard drive. Looks like there's some information regarding an operation. V.I.L.E operatives have been stealing paintings by the artist Vermeer from museums throughout the globe, replacing the originals with very accurate fakes.”

“Vermeer?” Enigma interrupts, “You mean the famous artist Johannes Vermeer. An artist that focused on scenes of life within the middle class.”

Carmen catches it by complete surprise, “I see you've done your homework on the guy.”

“Indeed. He was a member of the civic guards, but he wasn't very successful in his craft. Sadly, after his death, his wife and child were left with his debt. I honestly feel bad since they had to sell off his work just to pay the debt,” Enigma explains.

“Ouch,” Zack follows, “Guess being an artist can really suck at times.”

“But why would they bother leaving fakes behind? No point in keeping them there,” Ivy wonders.

“That's the point,” Carmen answers, “The only reason why they would do this is simple: so that museum security won't realize that the original paintings weren't taken to begin with. In turn, this will allow the entirety of Vermeer's works to slowly... and steadily be amassed by V.I.L.E mastermind Countess Cleo.”

“So, what's the big deal about these paintings anyway?” Zack wonders, getting a look at the picture, “No cars, no clowns, not even any dogs playing poker? It's just lame!”

“Yeah, and she's reading. Snore,” Ivy says, getting a look as well.

Fortunately, Player provides a needed explanation as to why, “You aren't the only ones who think that. But I did some research and it's then I finally understand why. The Netherlands isn't mostly known for tulips, windmills or even wooden shows. It's more towards famous painters from the Dutch Golden Age of the 17th century. Vermeer is one of them.”

“But the people within his portraits weren't the stars. It was the way how Vermeer mind-bogglingly caught natural light with his paintbrush. Only 34 paintings were confirmed by this artist. It's not a whole lot for a serious artist but it makes each one a highly rare and valuable treasure.”

“34 paintings huh?” interrupts Enigma, again, “34 out of 66 to be exact.”

“Sixty-six?!” Carmen asks in shock.

“Yep. Johannes Vermeer made 66 paintings in his lifetime and out of 66, only 34 have been found. Its why you guys went after the last Vermeer painting in the Rijksmuseum right?” Enigma follows.

“Well, of course. I had no idea this guy made so many. Imagine if all 66 were accounted for? Those things would cost a massive fortune,” Player tells them.

“It's why I went as the Duchess before if Cleo knew she would be dealing with me, she wouldn't even let me get near them,” Carmen follows, “Its why once Cleo's courier arrives to prove the painting is real, it won't be me who's meeting him. It'll be the Duchess.”

Carmen doesn't have to wait long. Suddenly, the five would hear a door knock. This catches them by surprise but if they think that's bad, just you wait.

“What the,” says Player, “That can't be him right? He shouldn't be here for another hour.”

“Whoa! Room service must be fast in Amsterdam,” Zack replies.

“Wait!” shouts Carmen, “Don't open that--”

She didn't have a second to react. She turns to see the duo and gave them a nod. They waste no time hiding. Carmen and Ivy also hide while Player disconnects the video call. When Zack answers, he sees someone in front of him. A man in his 20s with gray hair, pale blue eyes and a major complexion of white. His outfit isn't what you'd expect for a courier, consisting of a white-collar shirt with a pale blue tie inside a navy-blue sweater that's inside a trench coat that is a very deep shade of navy blue. He also is wearing a dark gray hat with a black stripe and has a pair of black earrings. He takes a good look at Zack and right away, the others are going to realize how bad this will turn out. 

“Oh,” the fellow says, “Still running in Moscow time. Hmmm. Um, you're not a duchess.”

“And you're not my sandwich,” Zack replies, letting his stomach answer for him.

“I see. It must mean I have the wrong room. I...” But then the guy notices the painting behind him and quickly reacts.

“Oh... there she is,” He says, “This is what I'm here for, “The Woman in Blah” ... I was supposed to meet a duchess. Are you her by any chance?”

Zack struggles to respond but considering that he decided to open the door to begin with, yep. Let's see how bad this becomes Zacky-boy.

“Duke. Ah, yes. Ahem,” Zack takes a deep breath before continuing, “I'm the Duke... ahah, of, uh... Vermeer! Vermeer. Yes. Haha.”

“Really?” The guy responds, “That's a pace? You're the Duke?”

“Um, yeah! I-in Boston. B-B-Boston. And you would be, mate?” Zack answers.

“Haber, Dash Haber,” Dash responds, “I'm executive courier to Countess Cleo.”

Haber then takes out some kind of monocle and inserts it into his left eye. It's electronic and after a quick 5-second check, he smiles. That painting is authentic, and he starts to walk off with it.

“Thank you for your contribution. The money will be wired to your account. I'll take this off your hands,” says Dash, as he walks off.

The others watch and see Dash Haber walk away. Carmen then uses some sort of motion to get Zack to stop. This also included a motion of her finger across her neck meaning if he fails, he's screwed. Without wasting a breath, Zack races to meet with Dash. This time, he does the same gesture that Carmen did to him.

“Does, uh, this thing mean anything to you?” Zack asks him.

Dash looks at him funny before delivering an answer, “Heh. I will inform the Countess. Please wait here.”

He walks a few steps before taking something out of his pocket, activating it. He then sees Countess Cleo on the screen. She's not in the best of moods.

“Mr. Haber, report,” says Cleo.

“The painting checks out,” Dash replies, “But I think that the Duke wishes to deal directly with you. Shall I send him the invitation?”

Cleo doesn't want to deal with excuses, “Duke? Who is this, Duke? I promised a complete collection!”

Her shout shocks him a bit but she continues to remain composed, “If I don't have number 34 in my hands by tomorrow night, I will be the laughingstock of the entire criminal underworld!”

“Shall I provide the invitation to him then?” Dash Haber asks, once more.

Cleo provides an immediate response, “Do as you wish. See to it that number 34 is in my hands... or there will be consequences.”

She cuts off the feed. Taking a deep breath, he turns to the “Duke” and says this, “There is some good news. The Countess offers an invitation to a dinner party and auction.”

“Uh, great! That's great!” says Zack, “Feel free to text me the address.”

“Excellent,” Haber responds, “A car will pick you up tomorrow, 5pm sharp. Also, no plus-ones, just the painting. Good day.”

Dash Haber walks off. But it's the least of Zack's worries. Suddenly a wig gets thrown at him. Turns out it was Ivy and she's absolutely not pleased. At all.

“Is your brain made of Swiss cheese?” She asks him. Zack gives him an answer, “Yes, the kind with the holes!”

“I don't know Ivy. How about we find out once his brain suffers from oxygen deprivation!” Patty says, striking Zack and forcing him on his knees.

She then has her whip around his neck and was ready to go full pain on this one, “Permission to strangle?”

Lucky for the others, they all answer in one word, “Denied!”

Disappointed by this, she lets Zack go. He coughs a bit as he tries to get some oxygen back. Patty then says, “Consider yourself lucky Zack. If it weren't for them, you'd be on the floor begging for me to let you go. Hmph.”

“I have a question,” Player asks, “Why would Cleo want to auction off the Vermeers? She went through all that trouble just to complete it.”

“Thing is that stuff like the thrill of the hunt never lasts long for Cleo. Plus, the combined value of all 34 pieces could surpass at minimum one billion dollars,” Carmen answers.

Ivy whistles and says, “Hello, V.I.L.E slush fund.”

But Enigma counters with this, “34 out of 66. Had all 66 be accounted for, that would amount to roughly four billion.”

“F-F-F-Four billion!?” Zack shouts in surprise.

“With money like that, V.I.L.E would have enough to keep themselves afloat for almost a century, maybe more,” Carmen follows up.

“Which means that our work just got a little rougher,” Patty says.

“We'll only have a limited time limit to take back all 34 paintings before they end up getting sold off,” She tells the team, “Fortunately for us, we're invited to a party.”

“And the bad news?” Player wonders.

“We only have 24 hours to transform this guy into a convincing duke,” Carmen answers, with everyone seeing Zack standing next to a mirror.

“This ain't going to be easy, I'll tell ya,” Ivy follows.

“I'm not worried,” says Patty, “Because if Zack screws the whole thing up, then it gives me a good excuse to give him pain.”

Pain would be an understatement for Zack. For him, he has a lot to do but it would mean learning something he has no knowledge about. Regardless, Carmen and her team is determined to pull off this operation. As for Enigma though, he has plans of his own. He takes out something from his jacket and begins making some repairs. He knows he will tell them what it is, but will it help the group? Or hinder their process?

Power Morphicon 2022, Pasadena – 2:00 PM

Power Morphicon. An event that happens once a year, taking place in California. It's here where fans of the hit TV show Power Rangers would gather together, have fun and meet the actors responsible for such a show. That's under normal circumstances. However, with the rise of both Rangers teams, the Lupinrangers & the Patrangers, plus with the whole #PowerRangersAreReal hashtag trending on social media, things are a bit... wild. Security is tight. They're checking to ensure that everything goes smoothly. Snails had arrived not too long ago. After passing through security, providing his credentials, he enters inside. He finds many things, and all this does is pique his curiosity.

“This is Power Morphicon huh?” He mutters to himself, “This will prove interesting.”

“Excuse me?” someone says, catching Snails off guard, “You part of security?”

“That I am,” He answers.

“Come with me. You've been assigned,” The guard tells him. Before long, he takes him to a pair of autograph booths.

They were three autograph booths, each taken by a line filled with fans. Many of which were accompanied by parents, since some of them are kids. Snails arrives and the fellow details things without delay.

“We need a bit more security to handle the booths. We ask that you help ensure everything goes as civil as possible. Think you can handle that?” He asks him.

Snails nods and replies, “Sure. As long as things don't get any hairy.”

He stays where he's at, getting a good look at the three people of interest that are there. The first was a man that looked older than the others. He went by the name of David Fielding. To many fans, he's the one who portrays Zordon. In the middle is a much older man. A bit out of shape but can still hold his own. The name next to him is Austin St. John. Anyone that has watched Power Rangers should know who he is. He portrayed Jason Lee Scott, the Mighty Morphin Red Ranger. The last one wasn't an actor but rather, a producer. This person was unlike the others. He was older and had a lot of experience under his belt. He's wearing glasses as well and his name nearby tells it all: Simon Bennett, current producer of Power Rangers.

Things begin with the guests asking for autographs. They did pay a lot to get this opportunity. Snails simply watched as it all as it went down.

((THIS is my assignment Chief? You got to be kidding me!)) He thinks to himself.

He continues to keep watch. Much time would pass. People were getting their autographs, asking questions and in some cases, getting pictures. Things were going well. But then all of a sudden, one teenage fan shows up asking a question that's out of the blue.

“Um excuse me, can I get your autograph?” says a fan.

ASJ (Austin St. John) replies, “Sure.”

He signs the poster but it's then he hears a question that startles him to a T, “By the way, I've been meaning to ask but... do you feel that Power Rangers are real?”

ASJ provides his answer and not in a way that the fellow wants to hear, “I apologize but I'm afraid that Power Rangers aren't real. I do appreciate that you asked.”

“I understand. It's that my friends have been always wondering if someone like you would win against those Power Rangers that I see in the news.”

Hearing that changes his tune, “Excuse me but which Power Rangers do you speak of?”

I speak of those two Ranger teams that are out there doing stuff like the Lupinrangers and the Patrangers. They're awesome!” replies the fan.

“Awesome?” says Mr. Fielding, “I'm afraid I have to disagree with you. I feel these two teams have no understanding of what it means to be Power Rangers.”

Upon hearing this, Snails begins to grit his teeth a little. He doesn't show it as he has to keep himself composed. All he can do is watch as the fan continued blabbing about how both the Lupins and the Pats are better than the older Rangers.

Simon Bennett, having heard enough, says this, “Excuse me young fellow. Do you feel it's right to favor these individuals? You know very little about them.”

He continues explaining his reasons, “The Lupinrangers are nothing but criminals. I mentioned this in previous interviews that criminals can't be Power Rangers. Would you want to cheer for those that wish to steal from the innocent?”

“The Lupinrangers never steal from the innocent. If they did then they don't deserve to be Rangers!” the fan counters, “You don't know that there's honor among thieves and if there's one thing that thieves never do is harm the innocent! They help them because even thieves know there's no fun in stealing from ordinary people! When you steal from a master criminal, you know you're a master thief!”

“Okay then,” rebuts Simon, “Then you should know that there is unrest in the world. Police officers all over this country have been abusing their power to harm others. Do you think that someone like that would deserve to be a Ranger? I would have to disagree.”

“There may be some horrid people in power but there is also good too. You say that a police officer shouldn't be a Ranger? Didn't stop Disney from doing Power Rangers SPD? How do you explain that?” that fan counters once more. This time it leaves Simon a bit speechless.

Snails watches it all, letting off a bit of a soft smile. Guess the fan really one-upped those guys.

“Are you done here?” says ASJ, “I would like to move onto the next fan. Thank you for giving the opportunity to let me sign your picture. Next please.”

That offends the fan, but he decides to stick one last statement on them for good measure, “If this is how you really are then as a fan of Power Rangers, this hurts. It really does. I hope one day one of those Rangers you guys don't like to come in and kick your sorry old butt!”

That alone struck a chord in ASJ. He had enough of this one fan's constant bantering, “Security. Can you escort this person out?”

A security guard comes in to escort the kid out of the convention. Having seen enough, Snails decides to act. He grabs the guard's arm, catching the fellow off guard.

“Hey!” He shouts, “What are you doing?!”

Snails doesn't respond. He tightens his grip, causing the guard to release his grip on the fellow. He looks at the fan and gives him a nod, giving him a chance to move away. The guard looks at Snails with an angered expression. He decides to go after him instead. But if I know my friend well enough, he knows how to deal with pests like this. Snails ducks the punch and follows it with a shove, sending the guy reeling and onto the floor. The people around him are surprised by this.

“That's not how you treat these guests here,” says Snails.

“Hey! What's the big idea?!” shouts ASJ, catching Snails' attention.

“Is this how you treat your fans Austin St. John? Because you are really poor at it,” He responds.

But then ASJ notices the “S” badge on his uniform. It's then he figures out what the fan meant by earlier, “You. You're the one. You're one of those Power Rangers, aren't you?”

Snails walks toward ASJ in response. He gets close to him, never letting go of his sight towards him. Noticing all the people nearby, normally he would beat the snot out of ASJ but he can't. He continues to be restrained. The least he did do is provide an answer.

“You're looking at one of them,” Snails says.

“Then if you're not the security hired for this, who are you then?” asks Simon.

“For someone who feels that a police officer shouldn't be a Power Ranger, it's pretty obvious you know little about me or my squad,” Snails replies, catching Bennett by surprise.

“Your... squadron?” He asks.

Snails nods as he continues, “That's correct. I'm the leader of this squadron. You may know us as the other Ranger team that's fighting against those thieving Lupinrangers.”

“That's right!” shouts the fan, catching Snails off guard, “They're the Patrangers. Keisatsu Sentai Patranger!”

“For a supposed fan of the Power Rangers, you really know all there is about us. Impressive,” He praises.

“Th-thank you,” The fan replies.

“But the fact remains that someone like you shouldn't be wielding a power such as this. You don't even know anything about being a Ranger,” says David Fielding.

“I didn't know Zordon was such a lousy mentor,” Snails chides, “How about I prove it?”

Snails heads to another panel nearby and takes something from a nearby table. It was a Legacy Edition Power Morpher. Funny enough, it had the coin showing a T-Rex on it. He places it on the table, the same one that ASJ is sitting at.

“What are you doing?” He asks him.

“Simple. You think that Power Rangers aren't real and yet, you went after a fan who has proven that they are in fact real. If you think that I'm just for show, let's prove it!” Snails replies, challenging him.

ASJ looks at him with a bit of anger. He doesn't want to do this but realizes that if he is to prove my friend wrong, he has no other option. As for Snails, he wonders if the whole #PowerRangersAreReal thing is just for show. Thing is, it's not and he's about to learn that there's more to it than he thinks. Fans got curious seeing ASJ standing up and heading in front of his table, morpher in hand.

“You want proof? I'll give you proof... IT'S MORPHIN TIME!” ASJ shouts. He even does the pose that the Rangers do on TV. It's something.

What follows is something that not even Snails foresees. Upon completing the morph sequence, AsJ becomes covered in a flash of light. The next thing that follows is something that can't be put into words. Everyone soon hears him shout “TYRANNOSAURUS!”. Afterwards, something emerges from the light. It was the original Mighty Morphin Red Ranger. People were going nuts. Seeing one of the actors that they watch growing up, transforming into a real Power Ranger is insane. For Snails though, he's shocked. Shocked at not only this but also about this world. He can't even process what's going on but he remains firm.

“I'll be damned,” He mutters, “So Power Rangers really are real.”

“Huh? What... what's going on? What is this?” asks ASJ, seeing himself turn into an actual Power Ranger.

“This proves my point,” Snails responds, but not before he lets off a sigh, “Power Rangers are real in this world.”

If the fans freaking out over finding that one of the actors is a real Ranger, I don't know what is. The fans are taking whatever they can out and take pictures. Social media is already in ablaze over this as photos of Jason as the MMPR Red Ranger is being seen. I don't think Power Morphicon can contain it all. However, this only means that Snails has a job to do... not only as a Power Ranger but as an opponent.

“Forgive me Jason but as a Red Ranger, I have something to prove,” he says, taking out his VS Changer and his Trigger Machine 1Gou.

“You want to prove that you have what it takes to wear that color? Let's go!” shouts Jason, accepting the challenge.

“Fine by me,” Snails responds, taking a deep breath once more, “Keisatsu Change!”

He then inserts his Trigger Machine into the VS Changer. The sound “1Gou” is heard as he then presses on the grip causing it to yell out “Patirize!” He rotates it 90 degrees causing to hilt to be at the bottom. He grabs it, pointing it up at the sky with his right hand.

“Keisatsu Change!”

He fires, causing a floating wallet to appear in the sky. Opening up, it reveals a red “S” police badge. It comes down, enveloping Snails in a white light. The white light would soon disappear from bottom to top. His Ranger suit materializes, revealing what has already been suspected. Then his helmet covers his face and then assumes battle position, holding his blaster in hand.

“By order of ACME & the Global Police, I'm taking you in by force!” He shouts.

“By force huh? It's no wonder people seem to favor the likes of you!” replies ASJ, rushing in to attack.

Snails wastes little time. He dodges a few of his attacks. Even though ASJ has been out of it for some time, he still had that fight. It was that drive that motivates him. Snails then counters with a few of his own. Although his Ranger suit slows him down, he doesn't let up. His offense is on equal footing with ASJ. Before long, he responds with a kick to the chest. This pushes ASJ back, but it doesn't stop. No way. The fight has only begun.

“So, it's true,” He says, “You are one of those Patrangers huh?”

“Pretty much but it wasn't my choice to begin with,” Snails replies, “At first, I thought it was absurd but then I realize how important it is to use this power for good. After all, there are those that wish to bring harm to others. That's why my team is assigned with one objective: to protect the innocent while stopping an organization known as V.I.L.E.”

“VILE? Who the hell is VILE?” ASJ asks.

Dumbfounded by that question, Snails answers, “You really are out of touch ain't ya? VILE, also known as the Villains International League of Evil. They are here to take what is yours from you to suit their own ends. That is why I am here. To take the fight to them and to ensure they don't harm anyone else.”

“Good motivation,” ASJ says, “But it won't be enough to stop me!”

ASJ gets up and he takes something from his holster, a Blade Blaster set to gun form. He opens fire, firing a couple shots. Snails dodges, responding with a few shots of his own from his VS Changer. It becomes a shootout and both are evenly matched. Snails then takes out his Patrol Megaphone. Pressing a button at the front activates its Baton mode. ASJ then turns the Blade Blaster into its Blade form. He then rushes in to attack Snails, who quickly deflects it. The fight is fierce and like earlier, they are evenly matched. Snails takes things defensively but it's then that Jason decides to take it up a notch. Clenching his fist tightly, he summons something from out of nowhere: some sort of large blade with a red hilt.

“What the hell is that?!” Snails asks.

“This is the Power Sword! I've used it throughout many of my battles to take down my foes,” ASJ answers.

“But is it enough to handle me? Let's find out,” Snails responds, holding his ground with his Patrol Baton in hand.

ASJ doesn't respond. He then goes in and attacks Snails with his Power Sword. He's quick to deflect but considering that he's having this fight in a crowded space, it means he needs to pick and choose his way to strike. The two assault each other with their weapons. They're evenly matched. Snails tries to find an opening but is unable to because of ASJ's quickness. He then takes a different approach. He takes out his VS Changer and opens fire. Several shots are fired. It gets ASJ off guard and that's enough for Snails to deliver several strikes with his Patrol Baton. They all hit. Sparks come flying out of his suit. Deep down, ASJ feels the pain.

“Not bad. Not bad at all,” he says, reeling from the strikes. Snails says nothing in response.

ASJ gets back up, holding his Power Sword in hand. He realizes that his opponent has had experience. But nothing will stop him from doing what he has to. What he does next will turn the tide of battle. He notices ASJ's fist closing tightly and then energy starts emerging. Suddenly, a shield comes forth, covering his upper body. It was gold in sheen with the front showing a diamond with various fork like arrows. The rest then had the shield cover the upper parts of his body including his chest. Much of the damage that he took was wiped away. It's as if he became stronger.

“What is that?” Snails asks.

“This is the Dragon Shield. This power was given to me by a dear friend,” He answers, “I'm using it now to put you in your place!”

Snails holds his ground. ASJ rushes in to attack him, with not only his Power Sword but also some kind of green dagger. Snails blocks one of the strikes but gets hit by the other. That sends him flying for a bit, but it doesn't stop him. He knows how strong he has become but now he has to press on and keep on fighting. ASJ doesn't relent. He uses both his Power Sword and some sort of Dragon Dagger to strike. Snails tries to find an opening. He's unable to. He pushes some distance away and takes out his VS Changer, opening fire. What follows next is a shock. Using the dagger, he places it near the mouthpiece. Pressing a few buttons, it lets off a tune that causes the shield to glow a green burst of energy.

Snails fires a few shots from his VS Changer. The blasts strike some sort of barrier that causes them to be deflected. Snails doesn't take any damage but notices him continuously using that flute. He puts his blaster away. He then decides to try a more offensive approach.

“Not bad,” says Snails, “It's just like in the fifth part of Green with Evil. Too bad I have my own plans in mind.”

He then goes in. Using his Patrol Baton, he clicks a button, activating it's powered up attack. The sound “Dame! Zettai Giri” is then heard. Holding the Patrol Baton with both his hands, he jumps. ASJ tries using the Dragon Dagger flute to perform a tune and form a shield. By then, it's not enough as Snails' attack strikes said shield. That is enough to push his opponent back but it's then he notices cracks on that shield. Snails delivers a second strike, and it damages that barrier further. All it took was one more hit and he does so. In turn, the barrier that ASJ used to protect himself shatters.

ASJ gets sent flying due to the after effect. He lands on the ground, still morphed. He struggles to get up. Snails meanwhile walks closer, still holding onto his weaponry. On normal circumstances, he would simply rush in to finish the job. But he's not. He's still on guard. He doesn't know what his opponent will do next. He stops.

“So... did I convince you enough?” Snails asks.

ASJ doesn't respond. He struggles to get up, having taken a lot of damage from the fight earlier.

“You... you think that's it?” ASJ then asks, “You think you can convince everyone that you'll be like me? No way!”

“Then it seems I know that you and your team won't get along,” He answers, “That's fine. I got bigger things to worry about right now.”

He then turns around and walks off, leaving ASJ to wallow in defeat. But just as Snails is about to be done with this, he senses trouble. From out of nowhere, a monster shows up. How does he know? The safe. Spotted on its chest. It's a deer-themed monster and with the antlers for arms, that's telling. He shows up, attacking Snails. He's forced to jump back. The public think this is part of the fight, but they have no idea.

“Found ya!” The gangler Brezler says, “Didn't think I find a Pat Brat in a place like this!”

“The hell, are you?” Snails shouts.

“I'm Brezler pal and I'm here to beat you down! You ready?”

“More than ever!” Snails wastes no time.

He goes in to attack. But he's not the only one taking it down. ASJ shows up, still reeling from the previous fight. This stupefies Snails, who knows that he has little clue about the Gangler monsters. He's still armed with the Power Sword & Dragon Dagger and the shield draped around the upper portion of his Ranger suit.

“The hell?” Brezler says, “Who asked you to join this fight?”

“Should it matter?!” ASJ responds, attacking with his weapons.

“It actually does. You aren't in my bucket list!”

Brezler then delivers a flurry of strikes. Despite having the Dragon Shield and more weaponry, the original Red Ranger gets beaten down. He's sent flying, landing on the hard floor below. The monster prepares another attack, but Snails comes in, blocking the strike.

He turns to ASJ and asks, “Are you out of your mind?!”

ASJ doesn't answer. He replies, “You would do the same thing. That's what being a Power Ranger is.”

“I don't need to be told how to do my job by someone who's been out of the game for a long time!” Snails retorts, “You should focus on getting these people to safety. Shouldn't that be what a Power Ranger should do?”

“Isn't a police officer's job to help those that need it?” ASJ counters.

“I'm not a cop. I'm a gumshoe. An ACME operative working in tandem with the Global Police and when people are in danger, I do what I have to in order to help everyone!” Snails counters back.

ASJ doesn't respond. Its then Snails notices the Dragon Shield draped on his suit. He then uses an attack to push Brezler back. Turning towards ASJ, Snails realizes that stopping the Gangler may be a bigger predicament than intended.

“I need something from you,” he says.

It's then Snails heads closer and touches the Dragon Shield with his hand. Almost immediately, he begins to feel an influx of energy. Time suddenly stops and he ends up in a place filled with bright light. He looks around, wondering where he is at.

“Who dares disturb me?” shouts someone. Snails looks up and notices something emerging from up high.

It was a woman, draped in white and gold. She appears before Snails, wondering why. It's then he gets a good look at this individual. She's a woman dressed in a dress that's elegant in white and gold. Interestingly, he seems the Dragon Shield on her but has little idea that it's a part of her dress. The person looks at Snails with a stout yet cautious glare. If there is a reason for his actions, he knew that she would be the one he'd confront.

“Who are you?” He asks.

“I am the sorceress, Lady Fienna. I do not think that we have met child and yet I sense that you are not who you seem,” Fienna answers.

“Listen. Right now, people are in danger and if I don't do something, things will get worse. I ask you, no, I request that you lend me the power that's bathed in the Dragon Shield,” He pleads.

Fienna is surprised by this. She remains firm. As for Snails, he doesn't let his sight of her go. After about a minute or so, Fienna makes her decision.

“Your resolve is admirable. A pointless resolve, nonetheless,” Fienna says.

Insulted, Snails responds in the best way possible, “Pointless?! Lady the only thing that's more pointless is your apparent lack of judgment. Your previous wielder isn't strong enough to deal with what lies ahead. The evil I face makes foes like Rita Repulsa & Lord Zedd seem very tame. I take it you haven't seen the future, have you? You haven't seen that other Rangers have risen up to fight but in a world that I'm in, they don't care for people like me.”

“They see people like me as power-hungry, abusive and corrupt. Not everyone that carries this power are bad at heart. There is good. I know it. I see it. I'm a part of it, a part of this good that wants to bring hope. So, I'll ask you once again... lend me your strength. Strength that I can use to save people that will be in danger if we do nothing. Because doing nothing only shows what kind of person you are Lady Fienna,” Snails asks once more.

“I will not be insulted by someone so young and impulsive,” Fienna retorts, “However, your desire to see good in a world devoid of it impresses me.”

“So... will you?” He wonders.

“Very well,” answers Fienna. She touches the shield portion of her dress, forming a small orb and throws it towards Snails. It touches him.

“I lend you this power. Use it. Show me how you will use it. Use it to bring hope in a world devoid of such,” Fienna tells him.

Snails says nothing, only nods. He hopes to make good on a promise made by someone beyond his time. The light then engulfs him once more. What follows next is something magnificent. Light suddenly dissipates. Its then Snails is revealed to have the Dragon Shield draped on the upper portion of his ranger suit. As for ASJ, he's no longer wearing it. He no longer has the Dragon Dagger either. As for his opponent, he's in shock.

“The hell!? What is that you're wearing?!” It asks.

“Simple. The power needed to beat you down!” Snails replies, “Patren 1Gou Armored Form!”

He then clenches his fist and then flicks, causing a weapon to emerge. To the surprise of everyone here, it's the original Red Ranger's Power Sword. Fitting since he is a Red Ranger too. With the Power Sword in one hand & the Patrol Baton in the other, he goes in. The people that are watching it start cheering him on. Motivation right there. As Patren 1Gou fights in his new Armored form, ASJ gets up finally. Suddenly he feels his ranger energy draining away, reverting back to normal. All he does now is watch as a power he used to smite evil is now in the hands of someone younger. Someone who has a reason to fight in a world devoid of hope.

“Are you alright?” David asks. ASJ says nothing. The three guests of honor watch as Patren 1Gou, Snails fights against the Gangler with this newfound strength. 

The Gangler tries to attack, tries to find an opening. But it's for naught. He doesn't get any chance. Using two blades, he strikes without mercy. His last strike followed with a serious kick. He's ready to deliver the finishing blow. He channels energy into not only the Power Sword but also his Patrol Baton. Both blades glow red. He then goes in. With both blades glowing, he delivers a series of strikes that damage it. His strikes are fierce, powerful and merciless. It only takes a few seconds before this menacing Gangler is struck down. Having suffered too much damage, it went down. But there's no explosion. None of the sort. Its then Snails discovers that the Gangler he fought was a fake. An illusion, probably due to the power of a Lupin Collection piece. He lets off a sigh of relief, happy that it's over. What follows next is the cheers of everyone who he saved.

Fans start cheering for him. He lets off a smile, but he doesn't feel satisfied. It's then he gets communication... from Chief Thigpen.

“Snails, status report,” She asks.

“Gangler tried to attack but was dealt with. Sadly, no Lupin Piece was detected within his body. Possibly a body double somehow,” He explains.

“I'll have our agents look further. And of the convention? Is anyone hurt?”

“Negative... but I'm more exhausted if anything else.”

“What matters is that you have ensured the safety of these people. That should be your priority. When you are ready, return back and provide me the debriefing. Understand?”

“Yes chief,” He answers, cutting communication.

Before long, he would soon end up getting swamped by reporters. Cameramen were nearby too, recording it. This frustrates him. He tries to answer whatever questions, but all this does is swamp him with more questions. Ultimately, he realized that this is too much and simply yells out a simple word: Enough. Everything becomes quiet.

“Sorry I had to do that. I'm ready to take questions but only one at a time,” he tells them.

“Excuse me,” says a reporter, “We're part of Channel 7 News. We like to know about you and your teammates. How are you guys any different from those other Power Rangers?”

Thankfully, that's a question he can easily answer, “That's obvious. The Lupinrangers are thieves... but not in the way you think. If you think that they go after innocent people, that is not their goal. Those who do go after innocents don't deserve to wield such power. They only go after those that do harm to others. Those who have power but use it to bring harm. But in a world where everything isn't as it seems, it's difficult. Then you have people like Simon Bennett over there who feels that people like me and the Lupinrangers don't deserve to be Power Rangers.”

Much of the press turn towards Simon Bennett. He doesn't say a word. Snails continues explaining things.

“But like I said, I understand that the public seems very hesitant in trusting us. I can respect that. But I want to assure everyone that we are here to help the people. It's reason enough why my team and I choose to do this,” he says.

To prove it, he places his hands toward his helmet and removes it, revealing himself. Cameras start flashing as he reveals his identity. Part of him wonders if this is a good idea. He knows Chief will probably wonder why but he'll provide a solid reason. He continues seeing the cameras flashing to the point where even people in the convention are taking photos on their phones. But he lets off a sigh. He stops caring by this point. He then turns his attention to the press and finishes.

“To anyone watching this, know that this world is in good hands. Sure, there are the Lupinrangers who have their own reasons for fighting but we are the ones who fight for the world and its people. If they are the sword, we are the shield. I hope you have it in your hearts to accept us. Thank you.”

Snails puts his helmet back on and gears to head off. Taking out his Trigger Machine from his VS Changer powers him down. He gears up to leave. But then ASJ comes in. He wants something from him.

“Give back the Dragon coin,” he says.

Snails turns to him and answers, “No.”

“Seriously. Someone like you shouldn't even use such a power,” He follows.

“Perhaps maybe you should learn to treat people with a bit more respect,” Snails retorts, “If you want this back then you might want to get in touch with your fellow Red Rangers. If either one of them can beat me in battle, I'll hand it back over. Until then, maybe use this time to think about what it really means to be a Power Ranger.”

“You're one to talk considering you are inexperienced,” ASJ counters.

“Inexperienced yes... but I will learn in time,” Snails finishes, walking off in response.

He's set to leave the convention but then something else interrupts him. It's the same fan who knew about him, his team and the Lupins.

“So that's it? You're going to leave,” The fan asks him.

“I have other matters to attend to,” He answers, “I appreciate that you know a lot about me. Truly.”

“Um, you see... many of us want to get your autograph instead,” The fellow wonders.

“Really? What about those guests of honor that are at Power Morphicon?” Snails asks him.

“They're pretty cool. But seeing you out there, that's way better. I know that Power Rangers are real and I'm looking at one. A Power Ranger who fights for good and many of us want to see you more. So... will you consider?”

Snails thinks about it for a minute. He makes his decision before answering but not before he makes one more call.

“Chief, it's me. I'll be running a little late,” He says, “It seems that my actions seem to attract some positive attention.”

“I see. Be sure to provide your report once you return. Until then, be alert,” Chief answers.

He turns towards the fan and says, “Okay. You got it.”

“Thank you,” the fellow replies. He then hands him a book and a pen, “Can you sign this?”

Snails does so but it's then he asks this guy something, “What's your name by the way?”

“Oh, I apologize. My name is Winston. I've been a fan of Power Rangers for several years. I only knew about them because of my dad. It's an honor to meet a real-life Power Ranger like you,” Winston answers.

“A pleasure Winston,” Snails follows but then notices some people appearing behind Winston. Seems they want his autograph too.

He lets off a smile and says, “Guess I'm going to be here just a little while longer.”

The next day...

Now to find out what the Lupinrangers are up to? Well, if you remember, they had less than 24 hours to turn the bumbling Zack into a duke. The reason for that is simple: Countess Cleo is having an auction involving Vermeer paintings. Their job is to get those paintings out of there before they get sold off. Besides, if it goes down the drain then one of their own can inflict pain, dominatrix style. It wasn't easy for things to go but fortunately, things have improved. The next day has come. The others get a look at Zack, who seems fit for the job. He's even dressed properly, has his hair gelled back too.

“Not bad for having him ready in such a short time,” says Carmen.

“But are you sure this is going to work?” wonders Ivy.

“If it doesn't work,” Patty intrudes, “I break him like a sliced fish at a sushi joint.”

The sound of fish already gets Zack startled, breaking his focus. Considering that he has a disdain for fish, you can tell that it may not go well.

“Patty, save the breaking for when Zack blows the whole mess. Besides, we need to make sure we get in there, get the paintings and get out. That's it,” Carmen says. But then notices Enigma working on something.

“What are you doing?” She asks.

He answers, “A little device. Let's just say that Zack's not the only one who's going on the field.”

“You?” She wonders.

“Exactly. Let me demonstrate,” He explains, placing said device on his silver jacket.

He presses a button, causing him to transform into one of the Cleaners, Boris. He's even dressed like a butler for good measure.

“Whoa,” Carmen reacts, “That's impressive.”

Returning back to normal, Enigma explains, “A little something from Belljar. Holographic camouflage. With this, I can disguise myself as anyone.”

“That thing only helped us out in a few instances. I don't think it's going to work here,” Patty tells him.

“You never know. Besides, you need someone to keep Zack in check. Plus, I got this feeling that something's going to go very wrong. I just know it,” Enigma explains.

“Regardless, we got to move. The car is here,” Carmen tells the team.

Zack composes himself once more, heading off. The rest of the team follow suit, keeping their distance. They see Zack heading to meet up with his ride, a limousine. Two people appear, dressed in butler attire. It's the Cleaners, Boris and Vlad.

“Arms?” says Boris. He takes out a wand to check for anything out of the ordinary. Fortunately, Zack is clean.

“He's clean,” He follows.

“We go,” says Vlad who puts a bag over Zack's head. Probably a precaution.

He gets in the limo. The cleaners drive off, not knowing that Carmen and her team are following. Fortunately, they know not to attract any unwanted attention.

“Well done, Ivy. Just keep things at a distance. We don't want them to think we're following,” Carmen says.

“Thankfully no one's on our tail. Guess Devineaux realizes not to get involved huh?” Enigma replies.

“Don't doubt him. He'll show,” Carmen follows, “It's not a matter of if, it's when.”

Things go smoothly. The fact that Devineaux isn't there to ruin it says a lot. But even with this, these guys have little idea of what's to come. They pass through a drawbridge. Ivy keeps her distance while the others keep watch. The limo reaches some sort of building. Fortunately, Carmen and her crew are far enough so they can see. The Cleaners take Zack inside the building, still with a bag over his head. One of the Cleaners removes the bag. He then sees Countess Cleo, as elegant as ever.

“I present to you, Countess Cleo!” shouts Dash, “The Queen of Mean. The Empress of Distress. The Hostess--”

“Zip it,” intrudes Cleo.

“Buona sera, mia bella contessa,” says Zack in a rather impressive manner.

Cleo sadly cuts to the chase, “The work of art if you please.”

“Course!” Zack hands her the painting, “Quite luminous, wouldn't you say?”

Seeing the picture in its entirety, she's nothing short of pleased, “Wunderbar. Wire the funds.”

Dash Haber doesn't waste time. The funds are wired without delay. Players notices and decided to do some work, transferring the funds to something better.

“Funds received, Red,” says Player, “V.I.L.E just feed a whole load of orphans in your favorite charity.”

“That's good... and we just fed security,” Carmen replies.

Carmen throws another steak at one of the guard dogs. Ivy meanwhile is playing with one as the others eat. Patty is more cautious, regarding the building. As for Enigma, he's ready to go on his own mission. But not before he takes out a pair of binoculars. He looks to see for anything out of the ordinary. He finds something but can't make it out.

“I need to get going,” says Enigma.

“What?” Carmen asks.

“Let's just say that if we're going to get those paintings out of there, I need to move now. I have the holo camouflage ready. I just need to make sure I get one of the Cleaners out of the way,” He explains.

“Get going then,” She follows, “You need to make sure Zack is in check until the whole auction is done.”

Enigma nods. He then heads off, spotting a pipe and using it to climb up to reach an open window. As this goes on, Zack continues his time meeting Countess Cleo.

“Shall we dine, Countess?” asks Haber.

“Aren't you forgetting something, Monsieur Haber?” Cleo tells him.

She then hands him the briefcase with the painting inside. Zack then takes Cleo by the hand to the dining table, with some chatter along the way. All the while Duke Haber seethes in disgust.

“Ugh. Duke, schmuke. I'll show him,” he says, still seething.

He then heads to another room, inputting a code in the process. Inside were all the paintings that Contessa had taken. What he doesn't know is that there's a camera inside the suitcase. Player is getting a very good look.

“I'm seeing some kind of disarm code,” says Player, “And I'm also hearing a speech come on.”

Meanwhile, Enigma spots the Cleaners and decides to use something to distract them. Taking a coin, he drops it. The sound gets the attention of them while Enigma moves away to hide.

“What was that?” says Vlad.

“I will head and check,” answers Boris.

Boris goes into the corner. Vlad waits. What Vlad doesn't know is that Boris is about to eat a face full of fist. Boris spots the coin, grabbing it. Suddenly he feels something heavy hitting him. He gets knocked out. Enigma then appears, activating his holographic camouflage to become Boris. He's even able to disguise his outfit as well.

“This should knock you out for a while,” He says, “Now to commence operation.”

The disguised Enigma meets up with Vlad who asks, “What happened?”

He responds in Boris' voice, “It's nothing. Just a coin.”

“A coin?” Vlad asks.

“Nothing significant. We must go,” Boris follows.

“Vilest art enthusiasts,” says Cleo, “My deepest gratitude for attending this once-in-a-lifetime event. As you know, our art auction will start shortly. But first, dinner. Dinner shall be served. Allow me to at best fill your bellies before emptying your bank accounts.”

One of the guests laugh. The Cleaners arrive, serving up dinner to all the guests. Enigma, disguised as Boris, gets a look at all the guests. Many of them were rich snobs that all want a piece of the Vermeer paintings. They were thieves. All of them were but one of them stuck out. A woman, beautiful and elegant. She's a brunette. Her hair goes down to her shoulders. Brown eyes. Crimson red lipstick. White earrings. She wore a red dress with a short blouse. Black slippers. If there's a word to sum up someone so amazing as her, it'd be this: heavenly. It seems that this woman is part of some date with some rich pompous ass.

“When the Countess asked me to replicate all of Vermeer's paintings, I welcomed it. I pulled it off without even a second thought,” says the snob.

“Well now,” replies Dash, “It seems the challenge from Monsieur Duke here is remembering what hand to use to drink huh?”

“S-S-sticky fingers,” says Duke, “Yeah. Uh... once a thief, always a thief, right?”

Cleo chuckles a bit, “My my, aren't you a naughty one? We shall all have to be careful with this one.”

The other guests laugh. It gets the Duke nervous but Dash Haber isn't one to give in that easily. Meanwhile, Carmen and the gang arrive at where the paintings should be. She already used the code to open the door. What they find are all 34 paintings of Vermeer. Each one housed in its own shelf.

“So, this is it. The big cheese,” Patty says.

“34 paintings. All accounted for. Player, how much time do we have?” Carmen asks.

“Not a lot. They just finished dinner and it was poached pheasant. They're heading into dessert,” Player explains.

“Dessert? Already?” Ivy wonders.

“They aren't wasting any time. If we're going to do this, we need to do it now,” Player tells them.

“Okay then, let's go,” Carmen tells them.

As they prep to take the paintings, they soon hear a voice. It's Enigma and it's one of concern.

“Guys don't take the paintings yet!” says Enigma.

“Huh? Lupin?” Carmen wonders, “What's the deal?”

“Listen to me. I got a look at their security and there's something very wrong about this,” He explains, “This security system is linked to something real nasty.”

“Like, how nasty can it be?” Ivy asks.

“How about Gangler-level?” He tells them.

“Wait,” Carmen wonders, “You don't mean?”

“Yep. You trigger the alarm, the whole plan goes to hell and to make it worse, a Gangler will pop in and take you guys out,” he says.

“He's not kidding,” Patty replies, taking out some device, “I sense a Lupin piece here.”

“A Lupin Piece?” Carmen follows.

“Yep. It's over there, behind whatever that wall is,” she says.

“So, it seems V.I.L.E had a little precaution in place,” Carmen replies, “So what now?”

“If V.I.L.E has a Gangler in there and that alarm kicks in, we're in trouble. Coupled with all the guests there can make It a big liability. Hold off on the paintings. Head out until we know what we're dealing with,” answers Player.

“And I thought we had it too,” Carmen follows. She then mutters something under her breath. The three ladies leave the room, exiting the same way they came in.

Back at the auction, the Cleaners start serving out something. It's something that Zack outright dreads.

“I know you are looking forward to dessert, but we wish to surprise you with a little palate cleanser,” says Cleo, “Dredged up from the Russian sea, just this morning.”

One of the Cleaners present a bowl to the table. He takes the lid off and it's revealed to be caviar. Not just any caviar though and that's enough to make the Duke gulp in shock. Zack hates fish and the fact he sees it is already enough to drive him mad.

“I bring you, fresh beluga caviar,” Cleo follows.

All the Duke can respond is this, “Uh... th-this wouldn't happen to be... f-f-fish?”

“This is bad,” Player says.

“Of course not,” Contessa replies, “It's fish eggs.”

Dash simply goads him, “What's the matter Duke? Not a fan of fish?”

He then starts eating, chewing the fish with his mouth open. Disgusting. Zack, realizing that if he doesn't do it, his cover is blown.

“Funny,” Dash taunts, “I never realized that duke rhymes with puke.”

He laughs afterwards. That's enough to make the Duke eat his own words. He takes a spoon and puts some caviar on it. Just as he's about to wolf it down, something happens. A knock on the door is then heard. Cleo notices and gets up.

“One moment everyone,” She says, “We have ourselves a last-minute guest.”

As she heads to open the door, everyone wonders who it is. Once Cleo opens up, it's where things in this auction go from bad to worse. A middle-aged man appears. Average height with dark hair. He wears a khaki colored trench coat over a brown suit with a blue tie. He also has brown shoes and wears a brown fedora on his head.

“Ma'am, I apologize for intruding at this time. There's an emergency,” He says.

“Emergency?” Cleo asks, “I never heard of any emergency. Who are you?”

“Funny you should ask,” He introduces himself without delay, “I am Inspector Koichi Zenigata. I currently am working for INTERPOL. I received word that a dangerous thief has been spotted around this property.”

“A thief?” She follows, “i don't know what you are talking about good sir.”

She then wonders if it relates to Carmen Sandiego and that alone has her concerned. The good inspector continues, “Lucky for you, I made it just in time.”

He then hands Cleo some photographs showing said thief, “Last night, this individual was spotted outside this property. No one knows why but my guess is that he was trying to find any vulnerabilities in your company's security.”

“I was never told of this,” She says, raising her voice in the process as she sees the pictures, “Who is this person you speak of Inspector?”

What follows next is going to throw this whole thing on it's head, “That's simple. That man... is Lupin the Third!”

The instant his name is mentioned, the entire room falls dead silent. Everyone within the room start having these weird feelings, save for one. They all know who he is and many respond with vitriol. It's like a powder keg ready to erupt in a moment's notice. The Contessa, however, has a look of shock on her face. She knows him and that shock starts filling with dread. Anger. Malice. All it takes is one person to break this and it's of a rather unfortunate sort.

“Excuse me. Inspector Zenigata yes?” says Haber, “Did you just say Lupin the Third?”

“Yes,” He answers, approaching Zenigata.

“Dash Haber,” Haber shakes Zenigata's hand, “I work for miss Cleo. Did you say that Lupin the Third was spotted here?”

“Correct. I've been hunting him down for some time,” He explains, “We have reason to believe that Lupin plans to steal something at this auction. I don't know what it is but I do know that he won't be taking anything on my watch!”

Just as Dash is about to explain further, he gets grabbed by someone. It's Cleo and she's not in a very good mood. Dash starts to get scared. She then changes her emotions once she sees Zenigata.

“Excuse us Inspector,” She says, trying to stay composed, “But I am in need of mister Haber. We will be with you shortly.”

Zenigata has one more question to ask, “Would it be fine if I interview your guests? Any information will lead to his arrest and prosecution.”

Cleo thinks on it for a moment. She knows that if this Lupin sabotages the auction, it would ruin her. But she knows that Zenigata is after him. She provides an acceptable answer.

“I will allow it. See to it that you leave these premises when you're finished,” She says. She then drags Dash Haber to another room, shutting the door.

The Duke meanwhile lets off a sigh of relief. He didn't expect someone like Zenigata to show up. Enigma meanwhile, looks about. He sees the woman again and blinks, causing a camera to click. He then walks to another room and presses a button on his wrist.

“Player, it's me,” says Enigma, “I'm sending a photo to you now.”

“Just received it. What do you need?” He asks.

“I need an ID on that woman please. If my hunch is legit, then it means we're in trouble. Can you do it?” He asks.

“Already on it. What's happening out there?”

“It's not looking good. I'm going to see if I can get a frequency in. Let Carmen and the ladies know that things are about to get worse,” He says, cutting off communication.

He returns to his Boris persona and exits the door. Noticing the door across, he heads there and places something on it. Pressing another button, it causes the others, save for Zack to hear what's going on. It's not pleasant. Made no better by the fact that she has him grabbed by his outfit.

“Explain yourself Dash Haber!” shouts Cleo, “Why was I not told that Lupin the Third was spotted here yesterday?!”

“I... I had no idea he was here. We had this entire place checked from top to bottom and Lupin wasn't even spotted. We even checked security and he was never seen!” Dash explains. But no matter what he does, Cleo doesn't buy it.

“I don't care about your excuses Haber. Find him!” She orders, “Or would you rather have me throw you to our guests. It seems they share a disdain for Lupin!”

“Yes... yes Countess Cleo,” Dash answers.

He wastes no time. He leaves the room, passing through Zenigata who has been interviewing many of the auctioneer guests. He says nothing, knowing that Cleo would have his head should he fail to find Lupin. Cleo then appears. She composes herself before confronting Zenigata. Boris and Vlad follow suit, not realizing that Enigma is still in disguise but for how long.

“Inspector, have you finished with our fair guests?” She asks.

Zenigata turns to her and answers, “Yes. I just finished. Lucky for me, I have all the information I need. With it, Lupin's on borrowed time.”

“I see,” She says, “I am in need of your cooperation. Come with me.”

Zenigata follows Cleo along with the Cleaners. She then inputs the same code Dash Haber used. The door opens up. All 34 Vermeer paintings are spotted. She then reaches a console and presses it, causing security in the area to disappear.

“Inspector, if you say that Lupin the Third was spotted in this property, I am taking no chances with this,” says Cleo.

“That's the gist of it. I've known Lupin for a long time and stuff like this is what he's after,” Zenigata responds.

“I ask that you please assist the Cleaners in getting these paintings to a safe location. As one of V.I.L.E's executives, it would be a huge detriment to our business. I assure you that you will be compensated for your cooperation,” She requests.

“You can count on me ma'am,” Zenigata tells her. If it relates to Lupin the Third, he won't hesitate.

He assists the Cleaners in gathering all the Vermeer paintings and taking them to a van that had been recently parked. Cleo maintains her composure. Having learned of Lupin the Third and his intentions, she's taking no chances. She knows how dangerous he can be. But what she doesn't know is that Carmen and the other ladies have been watching them.

“Whatever Cleo is doing has only made this mission very difficult,” Carmen says, “Made worse is that Lupin told us not to take the paintings. We could have had them!”

“I know my husband. If he has a reason for it, then you know the plan has changed,” Patty replies.

“Lucky for you,” Player intrudes, “I think I have a theory as to why.”

“You do?” Carmen wonders.

“Yeah Player, what gives?” asks Ivy.

“Lupin asks me to identify one of the guests at the auction and I just finished running an ID. I know who she is,” Player explains.

“You do?” Ivy wonders.

“I ID'd the woman that was in the auction,” He says.

“Who is she?” Carmen asks.

And here's where the shoe drops, “Fujiko Mine.”

Carmen and Ivy literally have no clue who she is. But someone does and the look on her face is like Countess Cleo, vitriol. True vitriol. It doesn't take long before they let out a screech so massive, it would have VILE be wanting to know who else is there.

“Mine... Fujiko Mine?!” says Patty, trying to keep her anger in check, “What the hell is that bitch doing there?!”

Carmen, Ivy and even Player are shocked by this. Yeah. Language but the thing is, the writer of the story wouldn't care honestly.

“Hey. Language,” says Carmen.

“Sorry,” Patty replies, “Anyway, what the hell is she doing there? And why is she with some thieving snob?”

“How should I know?” Player answers, “Your husband told me to ID her. He wouldn't ask me unless there's a reason.”

“Well from what I've seen, he already gave me a reason. If she's here then that means he is not far off,” Patty tells them.

“What do you mean he?” Carmen wonders.

Patty lets out a sigh and replies, “If I tell you then you better be ready for what lies ahead.”

As she does so, Countess Cleo waits. It doesn't take long before someone comes in to ruin the mood. In this case, it's Dash Haber.

“Haber!” shouts Cleo, “Have you found Lupin the Third?”

Caught by surprise, he answers, “N-no madam. I have checked from top to bottom. Lupin has not been sighted.”

“Is that right?” says Cleo, “Then double your search! You know how unpredictable he can be. Do it! Or I will send the Gangler upon you!”

Cleo means business. Dash Haber wastes no time and ventures off to find him. But she senses something off. She's not alone. What she's looking for is already in her sights.

“You spent all this time trying to find me, not realizing that you guys should have checked a little harder,” the voice catches Cleo by surprise.

She looks around, hoping to find him. To her surprise, he doesn't need to hide. Cleo sees what she's after. A man who needs no introduction. Oh, who am I kidding? The author has to do this regardless. It's everything that Zenigata had told her, a man who has his own motivations. He's a snappy dresser. His wardrobe is not much to go by. A brightly colored jacket & tie. Typical dark-colored shirt along with sleek-looking pants and brown shoes. The most notable feature of this individual is depending on his mood, he wears a different colored jacket and tie. Currently he's wearing a green jacket and has a yellow tie. He also has hlack hair that is plastered flat with a v-shaped bang on the forehead. One look at the guy tells trouble. For Cleo, it's big trouble.

“You,” says Countess Cleo.

“Never thought I'd see you again,” He replies, “Long time no see... Contessa.”

“Uncultured swine! I am Countess Cleo!” She shouts in anger.

“And I'm mayor of Paris. What more do you want?” He responds, insulting her.

“I should send you to the wolves for your ungrateful behavior, Lupin the Third!”

“Now that's not very nice. I mean, the last time we had this song and dance, all you did is scream like a raving lunatic. Not even your Cleaners stood no chance.”

“A shame because this time I am more than prepared to deal with the likes of you. Cleaners!” shouts Cleo as Boris and Vlad show up, ready to deal with Lupin.

But they weren't the only one ready to put him in his place, “Freeze!”

Zenigata is there too. His pistol out, ready to arrest Lupin at a moment's notice. Lupin simply turns to stare. He's not amused.

“Fancy seeing you here pops. Always predictable,” says Lupin.

“Predictable huh? You always were one sly fox. This time you're not getting away!” shouts Zenigata.

“I leave things in your capable hands, Inspector. You will be compensated for your cooperation,” says Cleo. She's ready to leave.

But Lupin isn't letting her off, “You sure you want to miss out on this? It's going to be a steal!”

“Get him!” shouts Zenigata. He and the Cleaners go in to get Lupin.

But he had a surprise for them, “Show them, Goemon!”

From out of nowhere, someone appears behind Lupin. He strikes, without warning and without mercy. His outfit resembles that of a samurai. It consists of a traditional light blue kimono along with a dark brown andon hakama. His hair is long. Unevenly cut as well. He's armed with a simple weapon: a blade. Once known as the Ryusei, it has an appropriate name: Zantetsuken or iron-cutting sword. Cleo can only watch as Goemon was on a warpath. It only takes a few seconds before Goemon strikes. He does so. Unleashing simply a few slashes. One slash strikes Zenigata, cutting his pistol in half. Another strikes Vlad, who was slow to even react. All that got for him was a rip on his clothes. But for Boris, he dodges it quick. Goemon notices this but doesn't respond. Lupin smiles. Cleo is flabbergasted. Zenigata is appalled. All this does is only bring out the chase.

“Catch ya later pops!” says Lupin as he jumps over Zenigata, running off.

“After him!” shouts Zenigata, who gives chase.

But things go from bad to worse as Boris suddenly attacks Vlad, sending him to the floor. This catches Cleo by surprise. Same for Zenigata.

“What is the meaning of this!?” Cleo shouts.

“You should know the most basic rule of all my dear Contessa,” answers Boris, “Keep your friends close,” And then his voice changes, “But keep your enemies closer.”

In just a second, Boris removes something from his jacket and the disguise is wiped away. Enigma is then revealed in front of everyone. Contessa is shocked. Made worse is that with him in there meaning that the Lupinrangers are not far off.

“You!” She says.

“Missed me, Contessa? Because I have,” Enigma replies, “Guess your auction was a bust after all. Didn't expect Lupin the Third to come in.”

“Don't just stand there! Get him!” Cleo shouts. Vlad and Zenigata try to go after him. It doesn't go well.

“If you're the best Interpol has to offer, my disappointment is immeasurable. Too bad my day ain't exactly ruined,” He says.

“I am surrounded by fools!” shouts Cleo. She's already reeling in defeat due to everything that's happened.

“We only came here to take back what you stole but since Zenigata's timing came about, yes, it looks like we'll have to find another means. Adieu, mi bella contessa,” Enigma replies.

He then takes out something and slashes his X-Changer with it, causing a flash to occur. The light dissipates and he's nowhere to be found. All this does is get Cleo more riled up.

“After him! Do not let him escape!” shouts Cleo. Zenigata and Vlad waste no time. They head off. She can't let Zenigata know of what she's really planning.

Once the coast is clear, she reaches the nearby wall. She presses a button. She's done being nice. Now she's playing naughty.

“Haber!” shouts Cleo, “Have you found Lupin yet?!”

“N-N-No. Lupin has not been found since he ran off. We've been doubling our search,” answers Haber. This is news she didn't want to hear.

“Double your search then!” She rasps, “You will be held accountable should you fail me!”

She cuts off communication. She didn't want to waste any time. She decides to take matters into her own words. She opens up a hidden compartment revealing it to be a Gangler. This monster is a mix between human and shark but there is more shark-based characteristics. He has a safe, a two-sided one that can store two items. This can mean he'll be able to use two different powers. Not a good sign. 

“Is it time?” It asks.

Cleo answers, without hesitation, “Yes. Feed however you see fit.”

The Gangler smiles, wasting no time. Catching a simple whiff, he's on the hunt. You can pretty much guess who's it after. Cleo simply grits her teeth. Her whole plan went down the drain. An auction gone bad, not only due to the unexpected arrival of Lupin the Third but also the Lupins, who had their own reason for being here. As for Enigma, he's moved far enough. Having rid his disguise, his first priority is to find Zack. He prays that he don't get beaten down by the other auction guests.

“Zack!” He says, heading towards him.

“Lupin!” Zack replies, “So what happened?”

“Plan's a bust. It gets worse too,” He tells him, “VILE just sent out a Gangler!”

“Oh god,” Zack follows.

“Had enough being the Duke?” Enigma asks.

“This thing just ain't for me. I quit!” Zack replies, pretty much realizing how much he hates the gig.

“Guess being a Duke just didn't work for you huh?” Enigma follows, “How about what we should usually be doing?”

He hands Zack his VS Changer and Blue Dialfighter. Just as he gears up to morph, he notices Dash Haber coming in. This was his chance for payback. He wastes no time. Zack heads back to the dining room, takes out that small bowl containing the caviar. With that in hand, he finds him. Enigma can only watch though. Once Haber heads closer, he comes in for a big surprise.

“Hey Haber!” Zack shouts.

Haber can only look as Zack whacks the poor sap. He gets sent to the floor as a result. Zack then takes a spoon full of caviar, puts it in his mouth and then spits it at him. It may be disgusting but honestly this is something I would normally expect the guy to do.

“Satisfied?” Enigma asks.

“Yeah,” Zack replies.

“Now let's get to the good stuff,” Enigma takes his X Changer out, getting it ready to morph.

He then decides to make one more message, “Ladies, if you get this. Morph. Now. Let's just say that the real fight's about to start.”

He cuts it off. Just in time as he and Zack spot the Shark-based Gangler approach. Seeing them is enough to get on a high. Why? Because in addition to hunting down Lupin, he's also focused on taking the Lupinrangers. Looks like a fight's about to ensue.

“Is that?” Zack wonders.

“It is,” Enigma replies, “Ready?”

Zack nods. He wastes no time. He inserts his Dialfighter into the VS Changer, letting off the “Blue” sound and then inputs the combination “2-6-0!” Enigma follows, twisting his X-Changer into the Gold side and then back to Silver.

“Intruders! Perfect for me! I'm hungry!” it shouts.

“On three Zack. One...” Enigma replies.

The Gangler rushes in, ready to attack. Enigma and Zack aim their gear toward the rushing Gangler.

“Two...”

It roars out and that's all they need to go in and, on the offensive, to boot.

“Three!”

Both of them fired causing two V's to emerge: one silver, one blue. They both run into the V's transforming into rangers. They waste no time. They attack Sharkbait. Sharkbait struggles to block their assault but to no avail. Seeing the two safes is enough for them both to come up with a plan to recover the goods. Enigma rushes to attack. He fires a few shots from his X Changer. They don't do much damage but are enough to distract. It gives time for Zack to approach from behind. He then takes out his Dial Fighter, placing it on the safe on its back.

“5-3-0!”

“What the?” It shouts.

The safe opens. Zack wastes no time grabbing the item inside, another piece of the Lupin Collection. This time, some sort of cube. He quickly dodges Sharkbait's swipe. Lupin X responds with a slash to its face. There was still one safe left and he wasn't going to let them have it.

“Zack, I got an idea. Follow me!” He shouts.

Zack jumps over Sharkbait. The two rangers run without delay. It forces Sharkbait to follow. As the chase occurs, Enigma gets in touch with the others. He knows this will require a team effort to stop this menace.

“Carmen, you there?” He asks.

“Yeah,” She replies, “What exactly is going on up there?”

“Have you morphed?”

“We did.”

“Good. Because the Gangler is coming for you guys!”

“What?”

It's all Carmen can say as suddenly they see a laser blast fired. It causes glass to shatter. Suddenly, Zack and Enigma, in their morphed forms, jump out. The Gangler follows suit, shocking the others. All five members unite. The Gangler arrives not long after, but he's ready to bring the pain to the entire team. Sadly though, they won't take long to deal with the menace.

“What's that?” Ivy asks.

“That's the Gangler V.I.L.E had within that room. Cleo just decided to bring it out... and have it cross paths with us,” Enigma explains.

“And did you get it?” Carmen wonders.

Enigma takes out one of them, replying, “Got one. The other's in the front safe.”

“So, he has two?” Carmen asks. Enigma nods, “Better for us.”

The other three Rangers, Red, Yellow and Pink now get their chance to fight against it. Zack and Enigma watch as the three use teamwork to open the second safe. Pink starts off with a ferocity of her whip. Yellow and Red specialize with blaster fire. Combining their attacks is enough to get Sharkbait disoriented. Although the other two are having their breather, it doesn't last long. They then join in, attacking with their weapons. It's enough for Carmen to go in, taking her Dialfighter out and places it on the safe.

“1-5-1!”

The other safe opens. Carmen grabs the other Lupin piece, a small case that could hold a jewel inside. Sharkbait, angered that both its pieces were taken, gears to take the Rangers out. But Enigma, Lupin X, goes in front of Carmen. He then turns the handle on his X-Rod Sword to the middle and then pull it back down activating its signature attack. He twirls the blade, glowing and forming an X to appear. The time ticks down. Sharkbait rushes forward more and more.

“3... 2... 1... 0!”

“Superior X!” He shouts, going in and delivering a powerful slash. It strikes the monster hard.

“Itadaki (One Shot) X-Strike!”

He then jumps back to where the others are. Sharkbait goes down, exploding in a ball of flame. The Gangler's no more. Two Lupin Pieces are recovered. But it's not a job well done. Due to Lupin the Third and his actions, the paintings are still under VILE's custody. But just as they are ready to get those paintings, something happens. Energy starts emerging from the ground. Sharkbait goes full on kaiju, growing and ready to devour anything that it can find.

“All right! I'm ready for seconds!” It shouts, startling the Rangers.

“Was THIS part of the plan?” Carmen asks.

“Nope,” Enigma replies, “By this point, the plan is thrown out the window.”

“What?” She asks once again.

“I'll explain later. You three need to take that thing down before it devours Amsterdam for dessert,” Enigma tells them, “We can worry about the paintings later.”

Carmen then says, “You better be right.”

But then Enigma hands her something: another Dial Fighter. He doesn't say anything else, knowing they'll need it to take the monster down. Carmen along with Zack and Ivy rotate their VS Changers, allowing their Dial Fighters to morph into their vehicles. They fire, allowing them to fly. Without wasting so much as a breath, the Rangers fly off to take on the giant Sharkbait Gangler. As for the other two, seems that there's something they have to take care of.

“Now it's our turn. Come on,” says Patty.

“But wait,” Enigma replies, “What about the others?”

She then turns to him and says, “What ABOUT the others?! They'll be fine. Come on!”

She then drags him along. It seems that there is a loose end that these two need to tie up. But Enigma notices something from a distance. He says nothing, as he walks with her. Countess Cleo meanwhile is fuming. Fuming that everything that she had is going downhill to a serious extreme. Lupin the Third's arrival is the start and having learned that the Lupinrangers are there as well. It's already enough to get her fuming. She wonders what else can get wrong. Her Cleaners proved unreliable. Dash Haber is no better and she knows Zenigata can't get the job done either. What else can possibly go wrong? But Zenigata arrives, hoping to give Cleo some good news.

“Mistress Cleo. All the paintings have been accounted for and are ready for transport,” says Zenigata.

Cleo simply looks at Zenigata, responding in a cold tone, “Well done. See to it that it is delivered without delay. You will be compensated for your efforts.”

As Zenigata gets ready to leave, he notices something out of place. A red dot. That's enough for him to ask something that may make the situation go from bad to worse.

“Um Countess Cleo?” He asks.

“Yes, may I help you inspector?” She replies, coldly.

“What's that on your head?” He asks again, “It looks like some kind of red dot or something.”

She notices the red dot on her head. All it takes is three seconds for her to mutter something very vulgar, “Motherfucker!”

Her shout catches Zenigata off guard but he then turns to where the red dot came from. It came from someone who was perched high above, armed with a weapon that's even more dangerous. The guy using it is a bit of a minimalist. He wears a black suit with a white dress shirt inside. He also has a black tie but his most unique feature is his black banded fedora. His facial structure says a lot as he has a beard but no mustache. A cigarette is seen in his mouth as he takes aim with some sort of sniper rifle. He wastes no time, having seen his target.

He gears up and takes the shot. Zenigata quickly moves Cleo out of the way, dodging the shot. To the fellow, he's peeved. But for Countess Cleo, she's fuming. Fuming that someone wants her head. Zenigata looks to see, and he has a pretty good idea who it is.

“I know that shot from anywhere!” says Zenigata.

“What? Who?” asks Cleo.

“Jigen! Who else can shoot from that far?” As if his answer doesn't hit Cleo like a bigger sack of bricks.

“Jigen. Daisuke Jigen!?” She shouts.

“Yep. Lupin's partner in crime. And Goemon as well,” Zenigata replies.

But then something else hits her like a sack of bricks, “Then that woman I saw at the auction was...”

“Woman?” wonders Zenigata but then he says, “That's Fujiko!”

Lupin. Fujiko. Goemon. Jigen. In one night, Countess Cleo has met all four of Lupin's gang. Had Zenigata not told her about them, she wouldn't have known better. But the fact remains that her entire plan has gone completely down the drain. It's then that she realizes that this can be used to her advantage.

“Inspector, you must leave these premises immediately. I fear that our company will cross paths with Lupin again,” says Cleo.

“What about the auction? We just finished loading up the artwork on a transport,” replies Zenigata. Hearing this has Cleo let off a smile.

“I see,” She tells him, “We at VILE thank you for your cooperation. Know that if Lupin dares interfere with our operations, we will ensure you are notified immediately.”

“Lupin and his gang are a menace to this world. You have my words Countess Cleo that we at INTERPOL will hunt him down and lock him up,” answers Zenigata.

He offers to shake her hand in response. She does so as Zenigata departs. The Cleaners follow alongside him. Cleo's expression changes immediately. She's pissed. Not helped by the fact that she has learned that the Lupinrangers are here and out dealing with the kaiju sized Gangler. She turns away, hoping to get her mind off this. Sadly, she isn't getting a chance to relax.

“What a shame. Guess your auction kind of blew up in your face huh?” says Patty.

Cleo hears this, turning around without delay. To her shock, she sees the Bonnie & Clyde duo, unmorphed. Enigma waves at her. That's enough to get her mad.

“Why are you both here?!” asks Cleo.

“Don't bother asking Cleo. You know why we're both here!” Patty replies.

Cleo doesn't respond. Deep down, she knows as these two were part of the old VILE, eventually being known as the Dropouts.

“You were once part of our little posse,” says Enigma, “How can anyone forget? It was a different time.”

“A time that was better than this,” Patty intrudes, “To think that Lupin the Third would show up to screw with your plan... not that there ever was one to begin with.”

“What is your point Larceny? I have no interest in reminiscing of better times,” Cleo retorts.

“Shame,” Enigma interrupts, “You always were the outspoken sort Contessa. Back then... and even now.”

“I am NOT the Contessa!” shouts Cleo, “I am Countess Cleo! Never refer me by that word again!”

“No thanks,” Enigma responds afterwards, “That goes against how we Dropouts do things. We go by our original code names. You abandoned it.”

“That's right. Out of all the dropouts, you and I were the best and yet they chose you,” follows Patty.

“VILE had no need for failures like you. Things were changing and those who refuse to change would be swept aside,” Cleo follows.

“Too bad you changed. In turn I lost a good friend,” Patty says, “I guess you're still bitter over how your caper to get the Fountain of Youth failed.”

Cleo becomes silent. For some reason, she knows of what happened and yet knows that their efforts ended in complete failure. Seeing the two, as young as they are, is enough to say who really ended up with it. It takes a bit before she says something about this.

“How can I forget,” she says, “You fools sabotaged an operation that would ensure VILE's long lasting stability!”

“What we did was ensure that something like that should never fall into your hands,” Enigma replies.

“And yet you took the spoils!” Cleo shouts.

“We did,” Enigma responds, again, “We made sure that you never got it and look at us now. It's been over 20 years since the Dropouts, save you, drank from the Fountain of Youth.”

“We look younger than ever because of it but we are as old as any other person. It won't stop us from stopping you,” Patty follows, assuring Cleo of a threat.

Cleo doesn't respond but knows that the Lupins will stop VILE, whatever it takes.

“Word of advice Cleo. Be wary of those that you work with. You think they may be trustworthy when they're not. We Dropouts are always there for each other. That's the difference between us and you,” Patty warns.

“Exactamundo... save for one. One who is no longer among our group,” Enigma follows.

The others say nothing, but they have a good idea who that can be. But the two no longer have any time to spend with an old friend turned foe.

“Take our advice to consideration Contessa. You're lucky Lupin and his gang decided to meddle in our plan. We didn't expect them to show up and throw it off the rails,” says Enigma, “Either way, you've been warned. Lupin ain't screwing around. Sooner or later, he'll be coming for his birthright... and it won't be pretty.”

The two depart, leaving Cleo to reflect on their words. Lupin the 3rd's arrival threw a monkey wrench on their plan. And the fact that the Vermeer paintings are still out there is enough to say that their work is far from done. As the two walk away, Patty turns her attention to her husband. Something is bugging her.

“By the way,” She asks, “What did you mean that the plan was thrown off the rails?”

“Simply put, that was step three,” He replies, “We're in step four. Throw away the plan.”

“And make a new one so it doesn't,” She follows.

“Good plan. Thankfully since I was disguised as a Cleaner, I got access to the license plate. Player has the info. All we need to do is track it down.”

“And get the goods,” She intrudes, “Let's go. We can tell the others about it when they're done.”

“Speaking of which,” He asks, “How are they doing?”

That's not a thing she wants to know. As they walk off, the Lupinrangers aren't doing so well. They've already formed LupinKaiser and are now having a hard time trying to find Sharkbait. Zack's already on edge. Ivy and Carmen meanwhile try to find a way to get him under control, before something bad happens.

“Come on, come on!” Zack shouts, trying to use LupinKaiser and its left arm to even try to do something to it.

“Zack, you're not getting anywhere doing this,” Ivy replies.

“I know, I know!” Zack shouts, again.

LupinKaiser is moving about, trying to find the Gangler. But like how sharks behave, they don't strike until their prey least expects it. Sadly, for them, they're going to learn the hard way. Sharkbait moves like a shark. It's like in the movie Jaws when the shark moves about. The music kicks in. The anticipation builds. It's enough to get you on edge, or the team in this case. Suddenly, Sharkbait appears. It jumps up.

“There it is!” Zack shouts.

Zack then causes his side to fire it's gatling gun. It fires and despite getting several hits in, Sharkbait makes his mark biting down on LupinKaiser. The Rangers feel a serious kickback with that hit. Made worse is that Sharkbait refuses to let go. 

“Darn! Get off!” Zack shouts, as LupinKaiser struggles to break free.

“I got an idea,” Ivy replies, using her side to strike Sharkbait. It caused it to break free but is on the move once again.

Zack reels from the attack. That's the least of their worries since now the Rangers are in a handicap.

“No! The Gatling Gun's not working!” Zack shouts.

“Maybe that's what happens when you decide to act before you think,” Carmen replies.

“Got a better idea because I'd love to hear it!” He complains.

Lucky for them, Ivy has an idea, “I do have one but only if Zack can just shut his trap.”

She hands Carmen a black Dialfighter. It's actually two Dialfighters in one.

“You think that will help us?!” Zack wonders.

“Maybe unless you want us to really be food for this thing,” Carmen answers, inserting the Black Dialfighter, the Scissors Dialfighter into her VS Changer.

“Scissors!”

She turns it up and aims it, causing a runway to appear and the front of their Megazord to rotate, showing outside.

“Get Set! Ready! Fly fly fly! (Tobe tobe tobe!)”

She fires, causing it to fly in the process and enlarge with it shouting, “Sci-sci-sci-scissors!”

It flies but then suddenly, one of its pieces separate after rotating its rotary lock, forming something else. The Dialfighter she summoned wasn't just one, but they were a pair. One was a blade, the other formed some kind of scissor. It's enough to get GoodStriker excited as it activates a new combination.

“Blade!” “Scissors!”

“Left arm detaching! Commencing new formation!”

Ivy's zord detaches from LupinKaiser allowing the Scissors portion to take it's place. The Blade bit connects to Zack's zord. With it, a new combination is formed.

“Complete! LupinKaiser Knight!”

“LupinKaiser Knight? What kind of name is that?” Zack asks.

“Ha!” GoodStriker replies, “You wouldn't understand beauty if it slapped you in the face.”

“Ah,” He follows, “Blade and Scissors! I never thought I would get to experience them again.”

“Hey,” Carmen interrupts, “Can we focus for once? We've had too much of a bad day and we don't want it to get worse.”

“Uh... sorry. I guess I got a little too excited,” It follows.

“Uh question,” Zack asks, “How do we use this to take down this thing.”

“Then maybe we should think like how a shark does Zack?!” Ivy intrudes, “Oh wait, you're allergic to fish.”

“Don't you dare,” Zack retorts.

“Enough!” Carmen interrupts, “Here it comes!”

She takes her VS Changer out. The others do the same as well.

LupinKaiser Knight rushes in to deliver the finishing blow, just as Sharkbait is ready to sink his fangs onto the machine. It's a high-speed battle with no end in sight. Something has to give.

“GoodStriker! Cut You Down Slash!”

LupinKaiser Knight goes in, delivering a slash that strikes Sharkbait through the middle. As if that isn't enough, the Lupinrangers deliver a slash of their own. GoodStriker ducks quickly to avoid it. As for Sharkbait, he sadly ain't as lucky.

“No! Looks like I'll be missing dessert!”

It explodes as a result of the attack. A job well done, all things considered. Oh wait, their work isn't finished. There's still a loose end to tie up. That's right. The paintings. The Lupins deliver their victory catchphrase, “Forevermore adieu!”

“Impressive,” says GoodStriker, “Hopefully you three will get the hang of things. I don't want any infighting while we deal with menaces like these.”

“I truthfully wish we don't have to,” Zack retorts.

“Tough but you have to,” GoodStriker follows.

“I want to know one thing,” Carmen asks, “What are you?”

“That's a topic for another time. If you want to know, you have to earn that right. Until we meet again!” GoodStriker answers.

It then detaches itself from the Rangers' zords and flies off. The Rangers thankfully land on their feet, watching GoodStriker fly off. They still can't understand why it does this. The others arrive, just in time.

“Nice work,” says Enigma.

“What about the paintings?” Carmen asks.

“Don't worry. Player got the license plate of the vehicle. The sooner we get it,” Patty replies as Carmen soon follows.

“The sooner we can get those paintings out of VILE's hands, the better. Let's move,” Carmen replies.

The five Lupins are on the move once more but not before they make a pit stop. They notice an area that provided a good view of the building. Right away, it seems that someone was here. If the mess is of any indication whether it be cigarette butts, hollow bullet shells and even an uneaten meal.

“Whoever was there had a good view of the building,” says Ivy.

“I wonder if whoever was there was working alongside that woman Player mentioned,” Carmen wonders.

Enigma answers, “He was.”

“He?” She inquires.

“Yep. He wasn't alone... and neither was her. It was a part of a team effort and I saw him make his mark,” Enigma replies.

“I want to ask,” She says, “Who is he and why did he decide to just interrupt our operation?”

“I can tell you this,” Enigma answers, “He is no Chase Devineaux. This individual is like you, a thief. But his motivations are quite different than ours.”

“How so? Who is he?” Carmen asks once again.

Enigma turns to her and says this, “I think it's time that you know... that we're not the only ones that have a beef with VILE.”

His words has Carmen and the others concerned but they know that if there's competition, they have a right to know who it is and why. But what about the last piece of the puzzle, Lupin the Third. Let's find out huh?

Far from where the Lupinrangers are, Lupin and his gang are driving off. Seeing that they were unable to secure any of the paintings, they know there's always another opportunity. They reach some sort of shack, coming to a stop. Several people leave the car and head inside. One such person put away the large sniper rifle so that it wouldn't take up space. Were they disappointed? Were they satisfied? Who knows.

“Hate to say it Lupin but it was a bust. Pops must have warned these guys that we would be coming,” says Jigen.

“Pops always was the gullible sort,” replies Lupin, “Too bad he has no idea he's being played like a fiddle.”

“But what makes you think he'll warn them again? You know how he is,” Jigen follows.

“I feel I have cut down yet another worthless trinket,” interrupts Goemon. He's checking his blade Zantetsuken to see if there were anything out of the ordinary.

“I know Pops will be warning these guys and that makes things fun. Plus, we have our resident geek that can help us find out what they'll do next,” says Lupin.

“Who? That Ami kid?” Jigen wonders.

“Nope,” He answers.

“You mean her? You can't be serious,” Jigen follows, “That kid claims to be your daughter and you decide to bring her in. She's only going to be a burden for us, I swear it.”

“Lighten up, Jigen. She doesn't need to do anything dangerous. Besides, with her around, hunting down these guys will get them really riled,” assures Lupin.

But just as Jigen hopes to reply, someone unexpectedly intrudes.

“Looks like you guys were unlucky today,” says the girl, “VILE is reeling in hard cause of that. Not only that but the paintings are still out there.”

“I'm not worried,” Lupin assures her, “Besides, it seems that they're not taking chances with it huh?”

“Not really,” She tells him, “All you just did was rattle the hornet's nest. These guys got bigger problems than us.”

“Really?” Lupin wonders, “Like who?”

“Two teams of costumed teenagers. One of them are thieves. The other are cops and they're not like Pops,” She answers.

“Pops is just dumb. If you say they're better than him then maybe it won't be as bad after all,” Lupin replies.

The girl responds, walking forward and slowly revealing herself, “I'm saying that we need to be careful.”

As she walks forward, she shows herself to Lupin and his crew. She's a young girl, standing at 4'10”. She has hair that's long, blonde and falls below her waist. Her hair is also styled with twin tails on the side of her head as well. Her bust though is larger but not by much. As for her outfit, she wears a uniform that is quite strange. A uniform belonging to some kind of mercenary school but modified in a style that is described as “gothic lolita”. With colors of red and white for good measure. She also has red eyes as well.

“We don't want to bite off more than we can chew. We ruffled VILE's feathers and now they'll go after us. But with all these different people in this world, I can say with certainty... that this game has only just begun. They've yet to see what I have up my sleeves... heh,” She tells them.

With a smile on her face, this girl knows that she has something special up her sleeves. But what is it? Whatever it is, VILE is probably not looking forward to it. However, it'll mean that with another group involved, it could make things problematic for both the Lupinrangers and the Patrangers. This world is full of surprises but enough to get anyone and everyone on the edge of their seats. Destiny is never left to chance. It never has and never will.

To be continued...

On the next Lupinranger vs. Patranger

Lupin the Third's sudden appearance has put VILE on high alert along with ACME. While ACME's agents are trying to find his motives, the Patrangers are assigned to head for a factory in Rhode Island. What for you may ask? Seems VILE wants to get their hands on the same metal that gave life to a prestigious trophy. Coach Brunt wants it but she's going to have to go through the Patrangers and something more sinister. Can the team put this brunt in her place? Find out in the next episode: Lombardi Trap; Clash of the Yinzers.

Two teams. Two Objectives. Which side will you choose?