Chapter Text
Dustin had introduced Chip to Galaxy Warriors soon after they started dating and it had quickly become their go-to weekly event. It was actually fun to watch a bunch of evil-doers beating each other up over something they clearly were never going to be worthy of. The two of them would make little bets over who they thought would win each fight, wagers being anything from who bought takeout to sexual favors if they were feeling spicy.
Then Galaxy Warriors came to Earth, Chip's little cousin became the newest Yellow Ranger, and the weekly viewing sessions turned into something a lot more meaningful. They still made bets occasionally about minor things, like which Ranger was going to get the last hit, or whether the crowd was going to gigantify the monster. Sometimes, things were entirely too serious for anything other than holding his breath and telling himself to call Calvin when it's all said and done.
Tonight is a surprise broadcast, one they only find out about because Marah let Dustin know, who of course immediately lets Chip know. He heads home immediately, worry already swirling in his belly, because there's no way that's a good thing—surprise anything from the villains is rarely a good thing. Which is all but confirmed when it's Xander who meets him at the door.
"Babe, maybe you should sit this one out, yeah?" It's said with all the softness in the world and those soulful doe eyes that usually make him melt.
Chip levels one of his rare, entirely too serious glares at him. "If you don't want to feel the power of lightning…"
The threat trails off, but it's enough to have Xander back out of his way with his hands raised in surrender. He brushes past him and heads for the living room, speeding up as a cry of pain reaches his ears and steps into the room just in time to see the morphed form on his cousin take a full slash to the back from one of the many monster's surrounding him. Calvin tries to retaliate by swinging around with his sword, but another monster takes advantage to kick the back of his knee.
It only takes him a second to clock that yellow is the only color ranger on the screen—Calvin is alone, the worst thing for a ranger to be. They're powerful, sure, but they all know (whether they have to learn the lesson or not) that their true strength comes from their unity, their teamwork. A lone ranger is a vulnerable ranger.
"How long has this been going on?" Chip asks, let's Xander maneuver him to sit on the couch beside Dustin because his legs suddenly don't want to work.
"This just started," Dustin tells him as Xander takes a seat so he's sandwiched between his boyfriends. Usually he feels grounded between them, both of them being Earth powered and all, but there's static building under his skin. "Royale did a whole lot of yapping and then Galvanax gave his speech to the Rangers about giving up their Ninja Stars."
"Typical bad guy bullshit," Xander mutters.
Chip can't say anything, can only watch as his cousin, someone as close as a brother to him, hits the ground and rolls to get away from all of the feet trying to stomp him. Except, there's only so far he can go before he runs into another monster and a kick to the ribs that sends him skidding back the other way. Calvin's suit is sparks as another monster kicks him back the other way like he's some kind of soccer ball for them to play with.
"At least he's still morphed," Dustin tries to offer reassurance, but it's a cold one. They all know how quickly that can change, how the Power can only protect them so much before it gives. And how much of that is tied to the will of the ranger in question.
If it gives, Calvin will be even more vulnerable.
If Calvin demorphs, he's dead.
*
Calvin gasps for breath, struggles stubbornly to his feet as the monsters back off for a moment. He has to use his sword to help him up as his already abused body throbs, uses it to keep his balance as he glares defiantly at the ring of enemies around him even if they can't see it. There hasn't been time for him to count, doesn't really matter how many of them there are. They outnumber him by a lot and they're absolutely just playing with him.
"C'mon Ranger, don't you have more fight than that," a snake looking monster taunts. It's supposed to be his current foe, but they're not exactly taking turns. If he gets too close to the edge then whatever monsters he's near will take their own turn to send him back to the middle with some extra punishment for good measure.
Beyond the ring of monsters around him are hundreds more spectators, all of them probably waiting for their own turn. By Galvanx's own words the fight—ha, isn't that a joke—isn't going to end until his teammates meet all the demands and there's just…there's no way they can do that. They can't give the evil bastard what he wants no matter what that means for Calvin.
They can't choose his life over the world, the universe maybe if Galvanax absorbs everything like he wants to.
"Easy for you to say," he starts, breathless from the ache in his ribs, has to take several gasping breaths before he can go on, "you all have to gang up on me."
"I'll take you one on one," a monster that looks like an alien version of a knight booms.
It honestly seems to be nothing but tarnished copper armor and chain mail with only a black void where a head should be. The only indication of life are the glowing yellow eyes that are watching him with nothing but malice. It's armed with a polearm of some kind with a wicked blade on one end and a short, thick spike on the other.
The fact that his enemy has a reach advantage isn't lost on Calvin for a second. His only option—
His newly declared enemy lungs at him blade first and Calvin swipes it to the side, but isn't ready for the way the knight spins with the movement and cracks the other end against his head. The helmet takes the brunt of the strike, but some of that energy still goes into making him stumble back, making his thoughts ring like a bell.
"Pathetic," the knight taunts.
Calvin catches his balance just in time to side step another thrust of the polearm, only for the damn thing to swing around and smack him in the head again. Sparks erupt across his vision, either from the Power trying to protect him or possibly behind his eyes, at this point it doesn't matter. His head is ringing and he has to give it a little shake to try and clear the it, which is mostly ineffectual.
If he's going to have any chance then he's going to have to get that weapon away from the monster. It's doubtful he can force it out of the bastard's hands, so his only chance is to get the knight to willingly give it up. There's always one tried and true tactic to attempt for that.
"I dare you to fight me without your weapon."
*
"Only if you drop yours."
"Don't do it," Chip says as if his cousin can hear him
It doesn't work, because of course it doesn't, and Calvin buries his sword into the floor. All three veteran rangers groan, they know there's every chance the Yellow Ranger won't get it back—they have the experience that the new rangers don't to be very aware of how untrustworthy their enemies can be. Which turns out to be accurate when a monster immediately snatches it up when his cousin turns his back to it.
"He'll be okay," Dustin tries to reassure him, but it falls flat. "He's a tough kid, right?"
"Surely his team is working on how to save him," Xander adds.
It's a small consolation when the monster immediately arms itself again. He doesn't need to see Calvin's face to read the realization that his sword is gone. The terrible anticipation of just how badly things can go coils ever tighter in his belly, a cold fire that burns and spreads a chill through him at the same time.
"Foolish ranger, did you really think I'd play fair?" the knight taunts.
"Just kick his ass already!" one of the other monster's shouts.
"The Network is trying to work with his team to figure out a plan," Xander speaks up, holding his phone where Chip can see the frantic messages being sent in the ohshit911 channel.
He can't bring himself too read any of the messages, can't tear his eyes away from what's going on. Maybe in some small way he hopes Calvin can feel the support he's trying to send him through the ether.
*
Stupid! Calvin berates himself. How could he be so stupid as to give up his sword? He should have known they'd take it as soon as it was out of his grasp. Why did he think they'd play by the rules, by any rules?
The knight lunges blade point first and he does the only thing he can think of and dives into a tuck and roll, coming up with his Ninja Battle Morpher in claw mode straight into the monster's gut. It bellows and then catches him with a backhand that sends him skidding away. He lands at the feet of another monster that immediately hauls him up, punches him in the gut, then shoves him back in the direction of the knight.
He stumbles, would trip and fall, except something sharp punches into his back right below his shoulder blade, a bright, excruciating pain following close behind. It keeps him upright at the cost of his blood pouring down his back under the armor. His cry is drowned out by the laughter of all the monsters and the roar of the crowd.
"Shish kebab ranger anyone?" Cosmo Royale calls out over the mic to another exuberant pop from the crowd.
Calvin is flung off the spike and straight into a kick to the gut by yet another of the monster's that composes the ring. The force of the blow knocks him right back the way he came but instead of a spike he's met with what feels like the pole of said polearm as if the knight is swinging it like a bat. The crack of it across his back momentarily sends a shock up and down his spine and for one horrifying second his legs give out like they're not working.
*
Chip is halfway to his feet, heart in his throat beating fit to burst, before he catches himself and sits again. There's nothing he can do but watch, watch as Calvin gets ganged up on, as a fight that's supposedly one-on-one keeps getting twisted into cheap shots and sneak attacks. Any time it seems like he might start to get his bearings back they do something to throw him back off again.
"Babe, you're getting kinda zappy."
Xander's comment brings Chip back to himself and he realizes that in his growing rage he's been pulling magic into himself, building it like static electricity until it's crackling across his skin. Both Xander and Dustin are carefully not touching him while looking for all the world like they want to comfort him. But what can they do? What can any of them do when his cousin is all alone and being all but beaten to death for the entertainment of viewers of Galaxy Warriors.
His stomach rolls at the thought the he ever enjoyed this show.
"Remember Rangers, you can make this all stop by turning over all your Ninja Stars and Steel," Royale says like he really needs to remind Calvin's teammates what's at stake.
They can't do it. They all know, every ranger that may be watching (and there's quite a few who have wanted to keep an eye on the new kids) knows that there's no way in hell the Ninja Steel Rangers can give the villains what they want. No matter what it may cost them.
No matter what it may cost Calvin.
*
No allies. No help. All that's around him are enemies mocking him every time he goes down. Dragging him back up and throwing him back into the grinder. They're tagging in, taking turns getting their licks in. It's a game for them and he's the toy.
Ninja Rangers fear no danger.
That's been easy enough to say with his team by his side. It's a hell of a lot harder to hold to now, here, injured and alone.
He's not giving up though, has just barely maintained his grasp on his remaining weapon (his blaster got knocked out of his grasp after he got a point blank shot into the knight's face). He's still got the claw though, is still giving them something to worry about when they move in close. He doesn't have the strength to do much damage, especially having to use the weapon with his off hand, but he gets a few slashes in.
Then the snake monster tags in and it's fast, too fast. Even if Calvin hadn't already taken so many hits to the head he might have still had trouble keeping up with the slithering speed. He has taken too many knocks though, enough that everything feels too slow—like he's moving through the thickest molasses ever—except for the snake.
He knows the monster is coming at him and he wants to meet it wit a thrust of the claw but for all the world it seems like he just blinks and he's wrapped in the powerful coils. They ripple and squeeze tight, so impossibly tight and suddenly he can't breath in and his ribs feel like they might snap one by one. He can't draw in a breath, but when he breathes out the coils clench that much tighter.
"I could break every bone in your body," the snake taunts, "but it may be more fun to just let you suffocate."
Lungs burning. Black encroaching on the edge of his vision. Enemies all around, the laughter at his suffering blending into a weird cacophony.
He's going to die here.
"No, don't kill him yet! We need him as a hostage!"
He struggles for a breath that the coils refuse him and the black pools in.
*
Calvin goes still and demorphs and Chip is going to blast a hole through the roof of this house and storm the Warrior Dome on his own if he has to. Terror and fury for his cousin's life crackle like a storm waiting to break with every ragged breath he sucks in. He's impossibly still and yet every inch of him is vibrating with the need to do something, anything.
Outside, thunder rolls even though there's no storms in the forecast.
It's a small mercy that the other monsters make the snake release Calvin, apparently taking the warning that they need him alive to heart. That relief is washed away as a badger looking one holds his cousin up by the scruff of his neck, shakes his limp body in a way that just illustrates how helpless the yellow ranger is. They could kill him right this instant and there's nothing anybody can do.
"Don't go anywhere dear viewers, we'll be back after these messages from our sponsors!"
The broadcast changes to some galactic weapons dealer called Squid Ink Inc, and suddenly Chip can't take it anymore, can't contain the raw, roiling maelstrom that's been building in him since the second Dustin told him about Calvin's situation. Without a word to either of his lovers, he bolts for the door, outside into the cool night air and let's it all out in a bolt that sears his rage across the dark sky.