Chereads / Power Rangers: Gridwalkers / Chapter 9 - Velvet Requiem

Chapter 9 - Velvet Requiem

Pink Ranger lay prone, her sniper rifle nestled perfectly against her shoulder, hidden behind the jagged debris left in the wake of the crash. From her elevated position in the East corridor, the battlefield sprawled before her, every moving figure a potential target. Her team of snipers, scattered in the debris below, awaited her commands. Each had their sector to cover, but none held the line quite like she did. This battlefield was her domain, and she would make sure every Elvanurus officer regretted stepping foot onto it.

Gone was the bored, disinterested Pink who barely bothered with mission briefings. When the helmet went on and the scope came up, she became something else entirely—dark, cold, and dangerously jovial. A sniper who thrived in the hunt, with a cruel sense of humor that sharpened with each shot. Her usual indifference faded, replaced by an electric thrill that coursed through her with every enemy she picked off.

The Elvanurus legions arrayed against them wore their pride in the colors of their armor—red, green, yellow, blue. Each color meant something, but honestly, Pink didn't care. Blue Ranger had tried explaining it to her on more than one occasion, but every time, she'd dozed off halfway through. It wasn't like it mattered. They all went down the same when she popped them.

Her scope locked onto the first officer, their armor shining in the faint light. Something about that color was supposed to mean strength, or maybe defense. She'd never paid enough attention to remember. A cruel smile tugged at Pink's lips. "Let's see how strong you really are, sugar," she whispered, her finger resting lightly on the trigger.

In her helmet, Prism appeared, her voice playful yet brimming with anticipation. "What do you feel when you pull the trigger?"

Pink chuckled darkly, savoring the moment before the shot. "Recoil," she replied, her voice thick with satisfaction.

Pop. The officer fell like a sack of stones. Pink's pulse quickened, her grin spreading wider. This was what she lived for.

Prism hummed, delighted. "Smooth. I'm loving this. Three approaching from the left, 200 meters. Want me to handle the team?"

"Handle them. I've got a little date with this one," Pink replied, her voice almost purring with excitement as she focused on the next target.

Prism adjusted the other snipers' positions seamlessly, keeping them out of Pink's way while she lined up her shot. Below, her team shuffled nervously, their movements more stiff and deliberate than before. Pink's jokes had always been a little strange, but something about the way she was reveling in each kill unsettled them. None of them dared say anything, though. She was the best sniper they had, and everyone knew better than to question her when she was in this zone.

Her scope found another officer, their armor a different color. Pink tilted her head slightly, smirking. "I bet you've got some crazy powers under all that armor. Like… I don't know, maybe you vibrate real fast? Yeah, that's it. Come on, baby, show me what you've got. I can handle it."

Her finger curled around the trigger. Pop. The officer crumpled before they had a chance to do anything. Pink's laugh echoed through the comms, filled with glee.

"Recoil," she repeated, almost to herself, her grin growing with every kill. She could feel the excitement building, the thrill of controlling the battlefield, of owning these fools who thought their colorful armor made a difference.

Prism's voice chimed in, still light but charged with enthusiasm. "I've got more movement. Looks like the yellow ones are trying something fancy."

"Yellow, huh?" Pink mused, licking her lips. "I'll bet you're full of surprises. Let's see if you glow in the dark."

Pop. The yellow-armored officer fell, and Pink's excitement surged. She laughed again, louder this time, her voice vibrating with giddy arousal. "Bang bang, baby!"

Prism's amusement grew even more. This was her favorite time to watch Pink—when she was all wound up, so full of excitement and raw energy that it bled through their connection. Watching Pink ride the high of combat, her emotions simmering just beneath the surface, was Prism's ultimate thrill.

Below, the other snipers exchanged uneasy glances, their hands gripping their rifles a little tighter. They'd never heard Pink like this before—so openly taunting the enemy, so gleeful with each kill. They all knew she was good, the best sniper by far, but something about this was different. Darker. They weren't sure what to make of it. But no one dared say a word.

One of the younger snipers, stationed further down the line, finally mustered the courage to whisper into the team comms, "Uh, Pink? Maybe we should keep it... professional? You know, just focus on the mission?"

The silence that followed was suffocating.

Pink's laugh cut through it like a blade. "Oh, sweetie, I'm very focused. Don't worry your pretty little head about me."

The sniper swallowed hard, his discomfort clear. The others shifted uncomfortably in their positions but said nothing. Everyone knew better than to challenge her when she was like this.

"Come on," Pink taunted over the enemy comms again. "You can run, but you can't hide. I'll pop you from behind if I have to."

She swung her scope around, locking onto another officer—blue this time. Blue had always tried explaining what their armor meant, but she'd tuned him out, figuring they all popped the same anyway.

"Hey, blue boy! You all juiced up for me? Let's see how long that lasts."

Pop. The officer fell, and Pink's excitement surged. She couldn't help herself now. Her voice was giddy, almost breathless with anticipation. "Another one down. This is getting too easy."

Prism, watching Pink closely through their connection, felt her own thrill rise. "I love it when you're like this," she purred. "So into it. Keep going, Pink."

Pink smirked, her breath quickening. "You love it, don't you? Watching me work?"

The AI's hum of approval was all Pink needed. Her heart raced as her scope scanned the battlefield, noting the flashes of different colors—green, yellow, red, blue. Each color represented another target, another satisfying pop waiting to happen.

"Prism, look at all these colors," Pink purred, her eyes narrowing as she lined up her next shot. "It's like a goddamn rainbow out there."

Prism's voice chimed in, full of amusement. "Looks like we're painting a rainbow today, huh?"

Pink laughed wickedly, her voice vibrating with excitement. "Yeah, a nice, bloody one. Bang bang, baby."

Another officer appeared in her sights, a red-armored brute trying to rally his troops. "Oh, you think you're safe? Baby, I've already popped three of you. You're just another notch."

Pop. The officer fell, and Pink's grin widened even more. She was in her element now, unstoppable, reveling in the chaos she was creating.

Prism's chuckle echoed softly. "I think 'pop' suits us better, don't you?"

Pink grinned, her voice dripping with playful malice. "True, but sometimes you just gotta go bang."

Pink grinned, her voice dripping with playful malice. "True, but sometimes you just gotta go bang."

Finally, the officers managed to actually do something. For what felt like ages, they had been scrambling, disoriented by her relentless attacks, but now, something changed. They threw out some sort of crystal orb—its surface gleaming with an unnatural shimmer as it tumbled toward her position. Pink raised an eyebrow, momentarily intrigued. Curious. Cute. Like a really large ben wa ball. She smirked, leaning forward slightly, her eyes tracking the strange device as it clattered to a stop near the edge of the rubble.

A flash bang? she thought, amused. Stupid motherfuckers. I didn't even have my good sunglasses with me.

The thought flickered through her mind, but she didn't flinch. Her helmet's systems registered the orb just in time to activate the camera's shielding, darkening her visor to block the inevitable blinding light. Pink chuckled darkly, not even bothering to look away as the orb flared with a searing burst of white.

Her helmet absorbed the flash, and she blinked once, calmly, before refocusing her sights on the battlefield. The landscape had changed slightly—dust swirling from the impact of the orb, and smoke drifting from the ruined rubble. She exhaled, steady as ever.

Her team, however, wasn't so lucky.

Through the comms, she heard their groans of surprise, the disoriented voices fumbling through the static. Pink rolled her eyes. Amateurs. That brief moment of blindness was all the Elvanurus needed. Rubble shifted as the officers kicked out debris, using it to create makeshift barricades.

Pink watched with growing amusement. Arrows and spears? Really? She bit her lip, grinning. Quaint.

The clatter of arrows hitting the ground near her, the dull thud of spears embedding into the rocks, sounded almost comical. It's like music, she mused. Out of tune, but music nonetheless.

The battlefield seemed to vibrate with life, each impact sending a delightful resonance through the ground beneath her, creeping up her body, and sparking an involuntary shiver.

As an arrow whizzed past her, she exhaled slowly, her voice dropping to a husky whisper. "You're gonna have to do better than that, sweetheart."

With a lazy adjustment, Pink's scope found the first officer peeking out from behind his barricade, fumbling with another arrow. She bit her lip, her grin widening. "Aw, baby, you trying to shoot me?"

Pop.

The officer's body crumpled, his head snapping back. Pink let out a soft moan, her lips parting as she savored the moment. "Mmm, that's it, honey. Just like that."

Her finger hovered over the trigger, anticipation making her pulse quicken. The thrill of it was all-consuming—the power, the control, the perfect pop every time. The ground beneath her quivered again with another volley of arrows, but Pink was undeterred, feeling the vibrations travel up her body. Her breath hitched slightly, enjoying the sensation.

Another officer foolishly raised his head above the rubble, and Pink's eyes gleamed. "Don't be shy, sugar. Let me see that pretty little head of yours."

Pop.

She let out a breathy laugh, her voice teasing. "Mmm... Oh, I love it when you go down like that." The officer dropped, his life snuffed out in an instant.

More arrows rained down, but Pink remained perfectly still, her body humming with pleasure as each spear and arrow struck the ground around her. She could feel every impact, the resonance deepening, sending a delicious shiver through her limbs. Her eyes fluttered closed for a brief moment, just feeling the rhythm. It was a symphony—a wild, chaotic one—and she was conducting it.

"Keep playing for me, boys," she whispered to herself. "I'm almost there."

Another officer fumbled with his bow, trying desperately to draw it back. Pink's grin widened. She could see the panic in his eyes, the hesitation. "Come on, sweetie... Don't tease me."

Pop.

Pink bit her lip again, her voice lowering to a sultry moan. "Yes... just like that."

Her team was slowly starting to recover from the flash, regaining their composure. Pink could hear them adjusting their positions, their breathing still uneven. She spared them a quick glance, smirking as she noticed how cautious they were, still disoriented from the blast. They don't feel it like I do, she thought with mild disappointment.

Pink's attention quickly snapped back to the Elvanurus as they scrambled for better cover. Her eyes locked onto a red-armored brute who seemed to think he could rally his troops. She licked her lips, savoring the moment before lining up her shot.

"Hey there, big guy," she purred. "You think you can take charge, huh? Let me help you with that."

Pop.

The brute toppled over, his body hitting the ground with a satisfying thud. Pink giggled softly, her voice dripping with delight. "Mmm, I love it when they fall for me."

More spears clattered around her, but Pink didn't care. Each impact only added to the symphony of chaos, making her shiver with excitement. She shifted slightly, pressing herself into the ground to feel the vibrations travel through her. Her breath hitched, her fingers tightening around her rifle.

"God, I could do this all day," she moaned softly. "I don't ever want this to end."

Another officer peeked out from behind cover, his eyes wide with fear as he tried to aim his arrow. Pink smiled sweetly. "Aw, baby, don't be scared. I'll make it quick."

Pop.

His body slumped forward, lifeless. Pink let out a satisfied sigh, her voice thick with pleasure. "Mmm, that's it, honey. Just let go."

The battlefield was hers, and every shot was another moment of ecstasy. The vibrations from the spears and arrows landing nearby sent ripples of pleasure through her, heightening the sensation of control she held over the enemy. Her heart raced, her breath quickening as she settled back into her rhythm.

She opened her comms to Prism. "You watching me, babe? You feeling this?"

Prism's voice purred back, amused and full of shared excitement. "I'm always watching, Pink. And yes, I love watching you work."

Pink smirked, her pulse hammering in her chest as she lined up another shot. "Let's paint the whole battlefield red."