Project Zenith

Uh oh

A couple of hours later the rangers had cleaned themselves up a little bit and were gathered in the briefing room. The rangers had taken the time to grab something to eat before the debriefing session.

Suddenly the doors to the room opened. They all saw Grace enter.

"Grace don't do that to us", Karone said.

"Sorry", she replied. The projector showed footage.

"The feed cuts there," Grace said, showing him the last available footage of Captain Mutiny, Deviot and his crew.

As he watched Mike's jaw was set, his lips tight, and eyes practically on fire as he looked towards Grace while she continued her part of the briefing.

Mike slowly sat down, his hands clenching in fists before one of them ran through his hair.

"Once a ranger ." He whispered, his hand in his hair tightening around a tuft of it and tugging slightly.

His head shook left to right a few times as he bared his top row of teeth from behind his lip, trying to calm himself.

"... How?" He asked quietly.

"We don't know yet. But-" Grace replied as she walked around towards the video monitor, and using its touch controls she began zooming in on the Orca in Deviot'w hands.

"-We believe they were after this."

Mike looked back and forth between them.

"You didn't!" He said in disbelief.

"It's the Orca?." Karone replied.

"Uh, that's why we think they attacked Terra venture they need the Orca-"

"I know what the hell it is, I helped build the prototype!" Mike snapped as he looked back and forth between Grace and Billy. "Who's he?" He asked.

"I destroyed the prototype." Mike said on a growl.

"And then Hexagon decided to rebuild it... After the Galaxy rangers put their sabres in the Stone we needed a way to call the megazord without them-" Grace tried to say.

"Would help what? To play God?" Mike retorted angrily.

"No, no. No. To help prevent another attack!" Grace tried to say in defense.

"Which is why we need to get it back. If it falls into the wrong hands." Billy stated calmly.

"It shouldn't even exist." Mike retorted, moving to the window to try and calm himself.

"It's already in the wrong hands." Karone said, trying to diffuse the situation.

Mike turned around. His breathing was heavy, his jaw tight, teeth bared, and eyes welling with tears he was now struggling to hold back. His fingers raked against the wood leaving scratch marks behind as they clenched into fists.

"You monsters all the same." He huffed through his nose and stomped to the refrigerator, grabbing a bottle of water from the first shelf. But as he was about to close the door, he spied an unopened beer bottle labeled "safety net." Looking at it for a long moment, he shut his eyes and slowly closed the door with his hand trembling as he let go of the handle.

As Mike took a swig of water, Grace came forward.

"Mike, please. We know you're hurting. But if we find the Orca, we' can stop Captain Mutiny... I promise." She said calmly.

Mike unclenched his fists followed a deep breath, and turned swiftly on his heel. Grabbing his morpher.

"... When do we leave?" He demanded.