VR Troopers: When Worlds Collide

Leader in Doubt, Part 2

The Troopers shuddered in shock and awe. Over the past hour or so, they went all out in their sanctioned matchup against a highly trained army robot. Even with the amount of effort, they stood no ghost of a chance against Combax.

Devastated by the loss of their powers, anxiety clouded over the minds of Ryan and Kaitlin. It hadn't been long ago they had been gifted with specially enhanced equipment designed to defend themselves from the volatile forces threatening their world. Just the thought of the unthinkable that could happen would unfold right in front of them.

"What in the world just happened? One moment we were on a roll. Next thing you know, he just ate us up like cold turkey," Ryan said.

"That robot wasn't joking when he claimed he was undefeated in his sport," Kaitlin said reflecting back on their battle from earlier. "Part of me thinks I just woke up from a nightmare."

"One thing I don't get is even with all of our weapons in our disposal, how is it we couldn't defeat him? I mean, it's bad enough they confiscated your Virtualizers," J.B said clearly frustrated from the end result.

"You shouldn't give up hope. Thankfully, you still have yours intact," Horatio reassured.

"I'll say," J.B sighed with relief. "To think not only were they going to strip away our powers. They nearly went as far as trying to destroy us at every cost."

The professor spoke up. "Combax demonstrated a sample of what he can bring to the table. There's a saying that goes along the lines that 'when all seems hopeless, we shall live to fight another day'. There was no way I could afford to have them annihilate you three. To transport you guys back from Virtual World was a blessing. Both realities are in a dire need of protection which is why it's important the VR Troopers are here to maintain balance of power."

"Even if we're unable to transform, the only way we can get our powers back is to book him a rematch. J.B is the only one with a Virtualizer who can take on Combax," Kaitlin pointed out.

"She's right. Where we're at now, Grimlord is only one step closer to remove us from the equation. The last thing I want to think about is what he'll do once he has all of our Virtualizers," Ryan said. As tensions rose, the trio has one shot to undo a situation that may impact their duty to protect their world from potential peril.

"I don't get it. When they went all 'Max Headroom' and hijacked the satellite feed, don't you think we could have gotten a say when it came to issuing his challenge? I feel like there is something they aren't telling us," J.B said laying out his grievance on that regard.

"When it comes to the Mutant Empire, they sometimes tend to orchestrate their plans on such short notice," Horatio continued. "Grimlord is a creature who will not tolerate defeat even if it means resorting to dirty tactics. Either he gets his way or condemns those who defy his authority."

"Knowing what happened last time, I wonder if I will be able to defeat Combax. Even in a 3-on-1 contest wasn't enough somehow," J.B added stirring up a range of emotions that concerned his peers.

"Look, it doesn't matter how all of it went down. What does matter is that we have to make sure he doesn't obtain more power than he already has. This is a risk we're going to have to take," Kaitlin said.

"Is it me or are you're starting to sound more like a leader around here?" Ryan wondered.

"Hey watch your mouth would you?" J.B defended Kaitlin.

"Guys cut it out. This isn't like you two to be going at it," Kaitlin tried to reason with her teammates.

"This is Grimlord we're talking about. As far as I'm concern, a leader should encourage their teammates to try their best to do better at their job," Ryan vented.