The tension in the medical bay was palpable. The soft glow of monitors outlined Blue's fragile form, but Red's attention was fixed on Pink, who stood awkwardly near the edge of the room. Her arms were wrapped around herself, her eyes darting to Blue before quickly averting, as though looking too long would hurt her.
"Pink," Red said, her voice calm but unyielding, "tell me what happened. How did you find him?"
Pink froze, her lips parting slightly, but no words came out. For a moment, her eyes flickered toward Prism, whose holographic form hovered beside her. The AI's shimmering figure shifted uneasily, her usual energy subdued.
"Pink," Red pressed, more insistent now. "Start from the beginning."
Pink's shoulders slumped, her gaze falling to the floor. "They sent me back to CoralVault, Red," she began, her voice quiet but laced with bitterness. "I hate it there. It's no fun without you guys." Her fingers clenched the fabric of her sleeves, twisting it tightly. "And I got bored. I decided I was going to break Blue out of detention."
Pink's shoulders slumped, her gaze falling to the floor. "They sent me back to CoralVault, Red," she began, her voice quiet but laced with bitterness. "I hate it there. It's no fun without you guys." Her fingers clenched the fabric of her sleeves, twisting it tightly. "And I got bored. I decided I was going to break Blue out of detention."
The room went still at her words. Red's brows furrowed, and Black, standing nearby, shifted his stance, crossing his arms as his expression darkened.
Pink's voice grew a little stronger, defiance creeping into her tone. "Yellow's wrong," she said, her eyes flashing with conviction. "He didn't do what she said he did."
"You decided," Red echoed slowly, her tone dangerously calm, "to break into a secure military facility because you got bored?"
Pink lifted her chin slightly, defiant. "Yes. I did. And I'd do it again."
Red covered her face with her hand, her laughter fading into a sigh. "God help me, Pink. I don't even know why I'm surprised anymore."
Beside her, Black shrugged casually, his arms crossing over his chest. "Sounds about right. She's been like this since Alphabet. You remember the hotwiring incident?"
Red groaned. "Don't remind me."
Pink, emboldened by their reactions, crossed her arms. "Yellow's wrong," she said firmly. "He didn't do what she said he did."
Prism flickered beside her, her holographic form shimmering faintly. "I have the footage. Showing it now."
The largest monitor in the room came to life, displaying a crisp, high-definition video feed from Pink's helmet HUD. The sterile corridors of Ranger Operations in Cincarion filled the screen, dimly lit and eerily quiet. Pink's hurried breaths could be heard over Prism's calm voice providing directions in the recording.
"We got in because the system wasn't updated," Pink began, her voice steady but tinged with defiance. "They expected a Ranger to visit. Black, specifically. But the system couldn't tell the difference between me and him."
The footage showed Pink materializing in a flash of controlled energy, stepping out into a corridor. She moved swiftly, her visor scanning her surroundings as Prism overlaid navigation markers on the HUD.
"The system recognizes one thing," Prism explained in the recording. "Blue or Not-Blue. You're 'Not-Blue.' As long as Black doesn't show up while we're here, the system won't catch the duplication."
In the present, Black raised an eyebrow. "And if I had shown up?"
"You would've tripped the alarms," Pink admitted, shrugging. "But that didn't matter. By the time you got there, the whole place was already lit up."
Red shook her head, muttering under her breath, "Classic Pink."
The playback resumed, showing Pink moving purposefully through the dim corridors of Ranger Operations. Her breathing in the recording was steady but tense, overlaid by Prism's calm guidance.
"They had him listed as being in the interrogation rooms," Pink said aloud, her voice sharper now. "That's where we went first."
The footage shifted to show Pink approaching the hallway outside the interrogation suite. The doors were lined with reinforced glass windows, offering a clear view into the rooms beyond. Pink slowed, her visor scanning each room as she passed.
"They weren't in use," Pink continued, her tone flat. "Every window I looked through was the same—empty. No guards. No Blue. Nothing."
The footage on the monitor shifted to Pink pausing in the sterile corridor, glancing back toward a faint flicker of movement. In the playback, the sound of soft static filled the air as a nearby wall monitor came to life unexpectedly. The screen displayed a crude 8-bit animation of two pixelated figures—one shackled, the other standing guard. Below the figures were the words Sub-Level 27, flashing faintly in neon green.
"That's when the monitor turned on," Pink said, her voice tinged with suspicion as she watched the footage. "It wasn't part of the system. That much was obvious."
The camera in the playback tilted as Pink approached the screen, her visor scanning it for traps. In the recording, she could be heard muttering, "Prism, what the hell is this?"
Prism's voice in the playback replied, calm but skeptical. "It's not logged anywhere. Sub-Level 27 doesn't exist in the official schematics. It's a ghost floor."
Red raised an eyebrow at the footage. "A ghost floor?"
Pink nodded. "That's what Prism called it. She ran a search—there was no elevator access, no logs. Whoever set it up made it invisible."
The playback resumed, showing Pink descending a narrow, dimly lit staircase. The walls were utilitarian, with exposed pipes and an industrial chill that seemed to seep through the air. The faint hum of alien energy dampeners grew louder with each step.
"Sub-Level 27 didn't feel like the rest of the facility," Pink said, her voice quieter now. "It was different. Like it wasn't supposed to exist."
The footage shifted to the bottom of the stairs, where a long, dimly lit hallway stretched out before her. The cold, harsh lighting reflected off the metal plating of the floor, leading to a massive rune-etched blast door. Faint, flickering energy fields surrounded the vault, their dull glow casting eerie shadows.
"This was it," Pink said, her voice steady but tense. "The vault was at the back of a massive room. And there was only one way in and one way out."
Red frowned. "One way?"
Pink nodded sharply. "The entire room was a killbox. Soldiers everywhere, stationed like they were ready for war. It wasn't a matter of sneaking in—they were in my way, and I had to fight through them."
The playback shifted again, this time to a high-angle view from Pink's surveillance drone feeding into her helmet HUD. Soldiers in bioweave suits clustered throughout the room, scattered into groups. Some played cards, others lounged by a massive wall-mounted TV, while a few gripped controllers in the middle of a heated video game match.
"Doesn't look like they were expecting much trouble," Black said, his tone skeptical.
"They weren't relaxed," Pink countered. Her eyes locked on the footage. "Every single one of them had pulse rifles and full combat gear within arm's reach. Their suits? Bioweave—reverse-engineered from Ranger tech. Light, strong, and built for efficiency."
Prism's voice echoed in the playback. "That's... a lot of firepower for containment. Those suits are nearly impossible to regulate without Ranger AIs."
Pink's voice in the footage was taut. "They weren't guarding the vault from outsiders. They were making sure Blue didn't leave."
Red crossed her arms, her frown deepening. "So, what? You took them all on?"
Pink didn't blink. "Yes."
The playback continued, showing Pink stepping into the room. She moved quickly, closing the gap to the nearest group of soldiers before they could react. Her strikes were precise and devastating, disarming one soldier and knocking him out with a swift kick to the chest.
Another soldier turned, his rifle snapping up, but Prism's interference caused his weapon to short-circuit. The feedback gave Pink just enough time to grab him by the arm and flip him into the nearest wall.
"They didn't stand a chance," Pink said simply, watching herself in the footage. "No matter how good their gear was, it wasn't enough."
The recording showed her tossing a pulse grenade into a group of soldiers attempting to regroup. The concussive blast threw them off balance, leaving them vulnerable as Pink pressed forward.
Black raised an eyebrow as he watched the footage. "That's a lot of bodies to handle, even for you."
Pink tilted her chin slightly, unapologetic. "Didn't have a choice."
"It didn't click with me at the time," Pink said, her voice softening slightly as she glanced at the frozen footage on the monitor. "But that was one of the SPD vaults. You know, the ones we used to hold and ransom SPD Rangers with."
Red frowned, her arms crossing. "The isolation vaults? The ones with no health monitors, no communications—just total sensory deprivation?"
Pink nodded. "Yeah. Nothing inside but silence and cold walls. Doggy Krueger hated those things. He'd come growling every time he had to collect one of his lost puppies. But they worked."
Black raised an eyebrow. "I thought those things were scrapped after SPD fell apart."
"They were supposed to be," Pink said with a shrug. "But let's be real—Earth and the Alliance don't throw away something that works. Not when it was one of the only ways to handle Rangers that wouldn't stop pushing our borders."
Red's expression darkened. "SPD didn't just try to push. They wanted control. Total control."
"Exactly," Pink agreed. "They weren't content running their own war against Gruumm. They kept slipping Rangers across our borders, planting evidence, trying to manipulate Earth into joining their side. Like we didn't have enough problems of our own."
"It didn't click with me at the time," Pink said, her voice softening slightly as she glanced at the frozen footage on the monitor. Her arms were crossed tightly, her fingers digging into her sides, and her posture radiated tension. "But that was one of the SPD vaults. You know, the ones we used to hold and ransom SPD Rangers with."
Red tilted her head, her gaze sharp but patient. She caught the tightness in Pink's shoulders, the way her eyes darted between the screen and the floor, never settling. "Hey," Red said gently, her tone calm but steady. "Explain it to me like I'm five."
Pink blinked, startled, her brows furrowing. "What?"
"Explain it like I'm five," Red repeated, leaning back slightly, her voice soft but deliberate. "Start from the beginning. What's an SPD vault, and why'd we use it? It'll help you relax."
Pink opened her mouth to argue, but the tension in her shoulders eased just slightly. She exhaled a sharp breath, her arms dropping to her sides as she gave Red a wary look. "Fine. You want simple? Here it is."
Her voice was sharper now, but steadier. "SPD started running ops throughout the Alliance and on Earth. Covert shit—planting evidence, sabotaging supply chains, anything to make it look like Gruumm was targeting us. They wanted Earth and the Alliance scared enough to join SPD, to hand over our resources and manpower. It wasn't about making us look weak—it was about convincing us we couldn't survive without them. One day, I got tired of it. Took my rifle, lined up a shot, and blew their Red's head off. Three clicks out."
Red tilted her head slightly, her voice calm but focused. "You made a point."
Pink smirked faintly, though there was no humor in her eyes. "You should've heard the pop, Red. It wasn't just a point—it was a message. After that, they stopped sending Reds. Couldn't afford to lose another one. But they didn't stop entirely. They kept sending Rangers, trying to push us into action."
"And every time they did, they lost," Black added quietly, stepping closer to the monitor. "Those Rangers either ended up dead or captured."
Pink nodded. "Exactly. When we captured them, we ransomed them back. Supplies, intel, anything we could use to hold the line. Krueger hated it. He'd show up every time, growling and snapping, calling us barbarians."
Red raised an eyebrow. "But their morphers...?"
Pink's smirk widened, colder now. "Couldn't use 'em. Their morphers weren't keyed for Alliance species. All their tech—impressive as it looked—was useless to us. They wanted us in their organization so badly, but their systems weren't even compatible. Joke's on them."
Black leaned back slightly, folding his arms. "And the vaults?"
Pink's smirk faded, her voice turning flat. "The vaults were the only thing that worked. You couldn't throw SPD Rangers in a regular cell—they'd be out in hours. The vaults cut them off completely. No comms, no Grid, no sensory input. Just them and the silence."
"And when we let them out?" Red prompted, her voice softer now, watching the way Pink's posture tightened again.
Pink's lips twitched into a bitter smile. "They reminded me of puppies. Desperate for attention, latching onto anyone who'd talk to them. Anything to break the silence. Those vaults didn't just hold them—they broke them."
Red's expression darkened, her tone hardening. "And they put Blue in one."
Pink's fists clenched, her voice low and dangerous. "They didn't just put him in there, Red. They wanted to erase him. No contact, no rescue, no trace. Total sensory deprivation. They weren't trying to contain him—they were trying to bury him."
Red's jaw tightened, her expression darkening as she studied Pink. "So, you fought your way out."
Pink's posture shifted, her frame taut and deliberate, like a predator sizing up its next move. Her smirk disappeared, replaced by a cold, calculating expression. "I didn't just fight my way out," she said, her voice dropping into a quiet, deadly tone. "Prism evaluated Blue's vitals on the fly. Said he was critical. After that... all laws are rescinded."
Her hands flexed at her sides, a faint tremor betraying the iron control she held over herself. Her next words came softer, but no less sharp. "It was... quiet," Pink said, almost to herself. "Prism was focused entirely on Blue. She wasn't there. My mind was empty, like everything inside had just... vanished. It's never like that. Prism's always there, always running her mouth about something." Her lips twitched into a bitter smirk. "But this time, just me. Just me, Blue, and the silence."
She straightened slightly, her smirk hardening into something colder. "But that was enough. The quiet didn't matter. I didn't need anything else to get us out of there."
Black raised an eyebrow, his arms crossing. "Rescinded?"
Pink nodded, her expression sharpening further. "Alliance law is clear: perpetuity of Ranger life is the top priority. Prism deactivated all friendly tags and assumed enemy insurgency. Everyone who tried to stop me?" She shrugged, the motion precise and measured. "DOA."
"Messy," Red said softly, though her voice held a slight edge.
"Messy," Pink echoed, her tone flat. "But it's all legal. When a Ranger's life is in danger, everything else stops mattering since there's no telling if we'll ever find someone that use the morpher again. Everyone in that facility became a target the second Prism made the call."
Black's gaze didn't waver, his voice steady but edged with disbelief. "And when you walked out, how many were still breathing?"
Pink tilted her head slightly, her eyes glinting with a dangerous light. "Enough to tell the story," she said simply.
The room fell silent. Red studied Pink carefully, catching the tension in her frame, the dangerous glint in her eyes, and the way her hands flexed as if she were still holding her weapon. But slowly, Pink exhaled, the predatory sharpness easing from her stance. Her smirk returned, warmer now, though still laced with the faintest edge of defiance.
"You really should've heard the pop, Red," Pink added, her voice lighter, almost playful.