Miniforce: The Return of the Dark Energy (Fanfiction)

Chapter 6 - The rescue

The orbs exploded into clouds of thick, frothing gray smoke.

Volt, Sammy, and Max barely had time to recognize the familiar smoke bombs before finding themselves suffocating within the moist substance. Despite clamping their hands over their airways, the strong scent was still sharp and pungent in their lungs.

All around, the army was a turbulent sea of muffled yells and gasps as they too suffered the same fate. Smoke continuously sprayed densely from the bombs balls, almost entirely blocking the two groups from view of each other. It was nearly impossible to make out anything through the dense murkiness.

And that would be if their eyes weren't already blinded by tears provoked by the stinging smoke.

Volt yelped in shock as a strong hand suddenly gripped his wrist. The smoke seized its chance and gushed into his mouth, choking him and fomenting a series of gasping coughs as he struggled to cover his airways with his free hand.

"Quiet!" Hissed a harsh, masculine voice.

Despite his panic, Volt quickly recognized the voice. Relief flooding through him as his rescuer adjusted his hold on Volt's arm and hooked it around his own neck, supporting him as he rose with surprising strength.

Even through the gray fumes, Volt recognized the agile black figure. The rescuer stood taller than him about ten inches, with a build of lean muscles. If the giant pair of iron wings affixed to his back was any indication, the jet-black battle suit was a dead give-away, with designs symbolically similar to his own team.

"Ray..." Volt wheezed.

The said black ranger slammed a handkerchief over Volt's mouth and nose. Volt wasn't sure if the purpose was to help him breathe or shut him up. Either ways, he was grateful as he sucked a breath through the soft fabric.

Finally able to get some air, Volt felt Ray bend down again, his vision recovering as he watched the special agent clench his free hand into a fist and wrapped his arm around Lucy's waist, scooping the unconscious pink ranger from the ground and effortlessly slinging her across his other shoulder.

"Max and Sammy..." Volt muffled through the handkerchief.

"Hawk?" As if on cue, Sammy coughed from behind them.

"Hush." The green ranger clamped a pair of handkerchiefs over Sammy and Max's mouths and pulled their arms around his own shoulders.

"What are you going to do?" Sammy reprimanded furiously through the handkerchief covering his airways, his tone was incredulous. "What are you guys even doing here?"

"Saving your skins, of course." Hawk whispered back.

Ray shot a deadly look in their direction that clearly communicated 'silent!', but he couldn't take back the words already out of their mouths.

"Catch them!" Pascal's hoarse yell was accompanied by his own endless coughing. "Find them! Don't let them escape!"

The army began frantically searching amongst themselves, smothering one another as they did, unable to tell their directions or surroundings through the smoke, which was gradually thinning.

Noticing the threat, Ray tightened his grip on Volt and Lucy. His wings rose high into the air behind him, and before Volt knew it, he was soaring through the smoky air, propelled entirely by Ray's arm at his side and his elbow around Ray's neck.

The last thing he heard before his hearing was cut out by the gushing wind was Hawk's voice hastily instructing Sammy and Max. "I need you two to jump with me to support your weight. Sammy, try using your good leg-"