Starting Line || Carter Grayson

(22) Lightspeed

"At least I'm trying to do something that could get us out of here." Was she implying that I wasn't doing anything? My team was running around the room and running medical checks on every single person that entered the room.

I stood up, placing my hands on her shoulders, "Keep doing that and you'll dislocate your shoulder again."

"It's really not that bad," she sighed, "Plus we're stuck here. No food, no water, and no way out."

Another blast went through the Aquabase shaking the walls violently.

I looked over the sea of scared people, "Everythings gonna be okay. The Rangers will come and get us out of here. They always do."

"If they can find us." Nova mumbled.

We had to keep it together. We were the team leads here - we had to lead by example.

I hit her shoulder causing me to groan in pain, "Sorry. But 'not that bad' huh?"

It was dark in the room except for the flashlights and dim emergency lights that lit the floor. Everyone sat silently, trying to remain calm as another tremor shook the building.

"God, what is that?" I asked.

"Probably just part of the attack." Nova said, sliding to the floor.

I plopped down beside her, "Did you see the boys? On the way here?"

I was worried when I hadn't seen Carter nor Ryan anywhere.

"I haven't seen them for maybe two... three days? We've been so busy we've barely seen each other." Nova shook her head.

I looked down at the ground nervously, "Are you scared?"

She shrugged, "Yeah, a little. Are you?"

"Out of my mind." I knew the guys would come and rescue us just like they always do, but we hadn't seen them yet and that made me worry.

Nova nudged me, "At least we're scared together."

I smiled and wrapped her arms around her. I don't think I would have been this calm if she had not been here with me.

A loud clang came from the door. Nova stood up quickly, tossing me a blaster before taking my spot beside the door frame. I knew how to use it, I just didn't like to.

"Just like we talked about," Nova whispered, reminding hme of the attack plan we had made earlier if the Battlings came back.

I nodded and turned the safety off on the blaster.

The door slid open with a final clang.

Nova jumped out, blaster high and ready to fire-

"Wait wait wait miss girl," Joel said, putting his hands up, "It's just the evac crew."

Nova sighed in relief and holstered her blaster.

"Yeah here to save you guys!" Kelsey said, other crew members rushed in and started escorting the staff out of the med bay. Nova grabbed my hand and ran down the hall towards communications.

"Captain!" Nova shouted. When we turned the corner, I spotted Chad and Dana.

"Where's-" I started, but as we looked out over the Aquabase we saw the Lifeforce Megazord attacking each sector of the base.

"Oh god," Nova said, "We have to-"

Joel stopped me, "They've already been evacked."

"Where's Ryan?" she said.

My father sighed, a look on his face that read pure regret,  "I sent him out on a private mission to try and gather more information from the tomb the demons were released from."

We stared in shock.

"When he sent a com saying he had been attacked in the Queen's Skull Cavern, we sent Carter out as an emergency rescue mission." he added.

Has my father lost his mind? Why would he have sent two of our best people out there like that? On a fools mission!

Nova grabbed my hand. How did we not know? My heart was racing but I didn't let the room know the worry that waved over me.

"Everything I've worked so hard for, it's gone," my father muttered, watching the Megazord continue its attack.

I let go of Nova's hand to comfort my father, "That's not true dad. You still have us." I pulled my sister closer, "And Ryan."

"And Miss Fairweather, Nova, and the other Rangers count on you," Dana finished.

"You're right," he said, "Let's get out of here. Get to the sub shuttles."

Everyone sprinted down the halls to transport. The sub shuttle was normally used for getting civilians and vehicles to the aquabase, but the emergency shuttles were thankfully used in the first evacuation of the base.

Everyone loaded on and sealed the doors as Battlings flooded into the hanger. Everyone had split up to maneuver the sub into the water. As we were being lowered down by Miss Fairweather an explosion echoed through the room as we were thrown by the force.

"We're stopped!" Dana said.

We all stood up, the lights had gone out leaving only the red emergency lights.

Joel began rushing around frantically, "I'm not just gonna sit here. We gotta do something!"

"It's no use Joel," father sighed, "This isn't an airplane it's a sub, it only works underwater."

Nova approached the control panel as an idea formed in her head, "Then let's add a little water."

Kelsey nodded, getting what Nova meant, "Yeah... power coming on!"

Chad pulled Dana over to a panel, "Go Nova!"

She clicked 'FIRE' and watched on the screens as the torpedoes fired out of the sub, hitting the wall and crumbling it. Water flooded into the hanger and we all cheered as the Sub was upright again.

"Now we're underwater," Chad said proudly.

The Lifeforce Megazord must have heard the commotion as it peered into the hole the torpedoes made.

"Locked on target," Dana said.

With another bang the torpedoes deployed. The Megazord toppled over, massive pieces of metal floated up from the damage the torpedoes did.

"All that work for it to go down like that," Nova sighed.

My father took the steering controls, "Full speed ahead!"

"Aye aye Captain," Nova laughed, earning a strict glare from him, "Sorry, had to."

The sub emerged on the shore of Mariner Bay. Evacuations had already started and the on shore LIghtspeed base was the center for operations. We ran quickly to the Rescue Rover, "You guys need to get to Carter and Ryan. We'll handle things from here."

The Rangers nodded, running off to lord knows where. Father and Miss Fairweather joined us in the Rescue Rover and Nova rushed off. We dodged civilians and rubble before finally making it to the tents that damage control had been set up in.

"Captain," A guard saluted as we exited the rover.

"Let's get to work." We rushed into the tent.

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May the power always protect you.

If you would like to see Nova's reaction to Lightspeed going into lockdown, then head on over to @carnationcreation's page and check out (22) Attacked of Final Phase! Don't forget to add this to your reading list to get the latest updates!