Chapter Text
Maggie looked around when the atmosphere in the precinct changed. Her computer screen frizzed for a moment before loading up something out of the Matrix movies. She could feel something pressing at the back of her skull, but it wasn't painful. Whatever it was, however, made her feel the urge to morph. Watching her coworkers stare at their screens and start typing with an eerie single mindedness told Maggie all she needed to know at that moment.
Mind control was at work. The Morphing Grid and her Power Coin were protecting her.
She calmly got up and headed to the restroom. Once there, she yanked out her phone and called the ship.
"We are aware of the situation," Zordon told her.
"What the hell is the situation?" Maggie demandedm her voice low.
"The Kryptonians of Fort Rozz have initiated a program they are calling Myriad."
Maggie shivered. She had never been victim to mind control after Lord Zedd, but even ten years later, the feeling haunted her. "How do I stop it?"
"The signal is coming from the prison," Alpha said. "But, Maggie, you know you can't interfere."
"Not with anything connected to the Grid," Maggie recited. The rules of the Ranger Corps were clear: Only threats to a planet's Zeo Crystal were a Ranger's responsibility. "Alpha, can you keep my phone secure?"
"Absolutely. Zack and Trini are headed your way."
"Tell them to take out every power sub station they come across." Her mind raced as she started to map out the city in her head. "They're using the computers for something, and they can't do that without a functioning power grid."
"I'll let them know. Be careful, Maggie."
"Aw, Alpha, don't you trust me?"
"I trust you to protect the planet. I don't trust you not to do something crazy in the process."
Maggie grinned and silenced her phone. She composed herself, stuffed her phone away, and kept an even pace as she left the restroom. The halls were empty as she went to the locker rooms and pulled on her kevlar vest. Her windbreaker was yanked over it before she headed for the riot gear lock up. Anyone who tried to stop her would use deadly force, but she wasn't ready to kill anyone not in their right mind. Still, she had her service weapon on her. She wasn't going to get killed, but she was going to thoroughly maim anyone who attacked her.
The first room she hit held the security camera tapes. She erased everything from the last half an hour to avoid being questioned when everyone regained their brains. Once the cameras were cut, she headed out and around to the power transformer. It took her a moment of regarding the cage before she scaled the fence. The locks on the handle of the circuit breaker were no match for a Power Ranger.
The strength and speed given to her by the Grid was the only thing she could use in this situation. Maggie planned on making the most of it. She yanked the handle off the metal box to keep anyone from turning the power back on. It would be a bit of an issue to fix, but a repair job was a small price to pay in her mind
Maggie didn't stick around to admire her work. She leapt over the fence and let her feet carry her far from the building before anyone emerged from the precinct. Once in a darker alley, Maggie yanked out her phone and checked the messages from Trini and Zack. They were going to work their way in from the outskirts of the city. Maggie would work her way out towards them.
Alpha [I have disabled every camera aimed at the streets. It's all I can do.]
Maggie was quick to tapped out a reply. [I'll take it. Thanks, Alpha.] She raced off down the street, the route to the next sub station already mapped in her mind.
If the Kryptonians were expecting Power Rangers, she knew they weren't expecting Power Rangers who practiced the art of subtlety.
~*~
Maggie was both relieved and surprised when her Captain asked no real questions once the mind control ended. Apparently, returning to the precinct armed and ready for a fight was something no one wanted to know about. Maggie played her part well, feigning confusion and no memory of the event. She was given a few days off since her experience had to be far more traumatizing than those who stared at their screens. Maggie didn't argue; it gave her a few days to catch up with Trini and Zack.
Or, at least, that was the plan before the city was attacked by brain exploding energy waves. Not that Maggie, Trini, or Zack were affected.
"This is the shit I hate," Trini snarled as she leaned against the apartment's window frame. "We could be out there doing something!"
Zack looked between his angry teammate and the one slowly pacing the floor. "Do we know what the Ranger Corps will do to us if we did go out there?" Having their focus on him was still little unnerving, even after ten years and numerous battles. "I mean, can they take our coins? Our Zords?"
"No," Maggie said, "but we don't interfere in everything or it becomes expected of us." The rules didn't exist because the Corps didn't care, but because it -couldn't.- Rangers would never know rest if they tried to stop every problem.
Trini sighed. "So we're just going to watch the city die."
They were silent for a moment. When Trini turned around, Zack was standing and Maggie was reaching for her coat. If they moved quickly enough, if they didn't stop in obvious places, they could go unseen. Once they were out of the city, "borrowing" a vehicle would be easy. Maggie sent out a message as they headed out the door.
[Alpha, tell us where this signal is coming from.]
+A few hours later+
Trini watched the news on her cellphone, tilting the screen so the other two could see it as well. "I don't know how I feel about being unnecessary."
It was a relief to see National City was back to normal, even if they now could add grand theft auto to their resumes.
Zack shrugged and started the creeper van back up again. "Think we can get back in time for dinner?"
"If we go to somewhere other than Krispie Kreme," Maggie said as she replied to incoming messages from the team, her work and domestic partners, and a few others.
Trini gasped. "That's blasphemous."
"It's been a while since I've been to Denny's," Zack said.
Trini gave him a betrayed look, then shrugged. "Whichever is open, I guess." Her screen changed to show Kim was calling and she moved away from the front seats. Maggie and Zack were kind enough to not point out they could overhear the conversation.
Maggie had to admit, it was kind of nice to not need to morph to save the world.