Miniforce: The Return of the Dark Energy (Fanfiction)

Chapter 18 - Breakdown

Dr. Tao strode by the sanitized walls of the emergency hall, brows furrowed in distress. The automatic doors sensed his approach, slate-white panels parting to reveal a room of colorful figures.

The rangers were clearly on edge, too anxious to drop their transformations. Max restlessly paraded the waiting room, while Sammy stood rigid against the wall, arms folded in a self-assuring embrace. Lucy pressed herself into a corner, fingers intertwined in a silent prayer.

Hawk sat on pins and needles on the bench, one knee bandaged crudely. Volt slouched next to him, a defeated statue aside from the slight tremor of his shoulders.

There came a faint click as the doors slid shut. In seconds, the rangers were crowded over the figure in white.

"Doctor, how is he?" Sammy inquired, his voice tight.

Dr. Tao smiled, yet the smile did not reach his crinkled eyes. "Ray's alright," he assured them, a faint strain in his raucous voice.

"Really?" Lucy pressed, softly. The whiff of disinfectant he carried stung her nose.

The old simian inclined his head. "He's alright," he repeated.

Or so Ray had insisted.

"Brother, he really had us back there." Hawk massaged his chest, dramatically soothing a lump of genuine terror.

Sammy and Lucy breathed. Max went slack from relief, slumping against the nearest bench.

"And the injuries?" Volt's voice sounded off, short and quiet, as if he had replaced the role of cold solemnity.

"The wounds aren't fatal, but he did inhale some of Abophis's venom spray." Dr. Tao spoke low and soft. "He'll need a while to recover, unfortunately. He might not be able to join you in your oncoming battles."

Though this information did not help their situation, the team gave matching nods, relief crushing everything else in their heads.

Dr. Tao cracked another reassuring smile. He sent one more glance to the cold, ashen halls he had came from, and reluctantly turned the other way.

The automatic lights picked up the only movement, and half blinked out, assuming the only living thing had left the room.

The old simian exited the doors, leaving them in the semi-dark.

They say darkness makes you vulnerable to feelings, and as their hearts slowly begin to weigh, the team assumed it was true. The momentary lift in their mood fell lower than ever, as reality found its way back into their weary heads.

Volt's shoulders sank lower despite the relief, the weight of his duties piling over them. 

"Now what." It wasn't a question.

And certainly no one had an answer,

The rangers let the whisper repeat itself, silently haunting their ears, before Volt continued.

"Because I don't know anymore." His tone was brittle, strained, ready to snap at any moment. "I can't—"

He took a shuddering breath and lifted himself, fighting to straighten his bowing back, but all of a sudden crumpled.

"I hate this. I hate everything about this." He let out a broken growl, tears spilling from his voice alone.

His teammates kept themselves stiff as his tone tempted them to break, staring mutely while their leader crumbled away.

"I hate Pascal, I hate the crazy psychopath."

Lucy wasn't sure if her nose still stung from the disinfectant, but her eyes were beginning to burn.