If Newtech City had a heartbeat, tonight it was panicking.
Air-traffic alarms blared through the skyline. Holographic ads blinked and died as smoke rolled through the clouds.
A malfunctioning aero-transit platform—basically a floating airport—was breaking apart midair, carrying hundreds of civilians.
Inside the Command Delta Hauler, Leo watched the live feed, jaw tight.
> Delta (AI): "Structural collapse in three minutes. SPD response delayed by atmospheric interference."
Leo: "Translation: they're late."
He stood, grabbing his helmet. The black armor sealed around him like a shadow catching fire.
> "All right, Inverted Squad Alpha, we're clocking in early."
---
The Mission Begins
The Hauler shifted into aerial deployment mode, its engines glowing crimson as it climbed through the fog. Zords roared into formation, streaks of black and red slicing through the storm.
> Leo: "Prowler, stay on scanning duty. Guardian, focus on debris control. Cruiser, you're my evac line. Saber—"
Sky Saber: "Already airborne, Commander. And yes, I look amazing."
Leo: "I'll pretend to agree when we're not on fire duty."
The floating terminal above them was chaos. Shuttles half-torn apart, power coils bursting into blue flame, civilians screaming over the comms.
Leo activated SPD Flight Mode, jetpack flaring as he launched into the sky beside Sky Saber.
The wind hit like a punch, but he grinned under his visor.
> "All right, Flight Mode test number one. Please don't explode, please don't explode…"
---
The Rescue
He cut through falling debris, using his forearm shields to deflect sparks and metal. The Zords worked in perfect sync:
Guardian 7 caught an entire shuttle wing before it could crush evac pods.
Delta Prowler raced along the platform's underside, using magnetic claws to stabilize the base supports.
Shadow Cruiser extended cables to haul civilians into the Hauler's emergency bay.
Sky Saber circled overhead, mapping heat signatures and debris trajectories.
> Delta: "Commander, structural collapse in ninety seconds."
Leo: "Then let's cheat gravity."
He boosted upward, landing hard on a tilting walkway where civilians clung to safety rails.
> Woman: "You're the Inverted Ranger!"
Leo (grinning): "Yeah, but today I'm playing rescue worker. Hold tight!"
He slammed a beacon into the floor, signaling the Hauler to drop an inverted rescue net—a glowing red containment field.
The walkway snapped. The people fell—straight into the waiting net, which glowed around them like a heartbeat before lowering them to safety.
> Leo (exhaling): "And the crowd goes wild…"
---
The Breakdown
Just when he thought it was over, the central reactor burst in the platform's core tower, flames shooting upward like a volcanic roar.
> Delta: "Commander, if the reactor detonates, the entire platform will fall."
Leo: "Then we'll keep it up."
He toggled his wrist controls.
> "Sky Saber, sync with me. Time for co-pilot mode."
> Sky Saber: "You're not certified for—"
Leo: "Never stopped me before."
Their systems linked. Leo's armor integrated Saber's thrusters and wings, forming the Emergency Flight Fighter Mode—sleek, aerodynamic, pulsing with red lines that looked almost alive.
> Leo (grinning): "Now that's an upgrade. Saber, how do I look?"
Sky Saber: "Fast. Possibly suicidal."
Leo: "Perfect."
He dove straight into the reactor chamber.
Inside, flames licked the walls, molten cables falling like whips. He jammed a stabilizer core from his belt into the reactor slot, overriding the meltdown sequence manually. His armor temperature spiked; the HUD screamed warnings.
> Delta: "Commander, your suit's at critical heat threshold!"
Leo: "Yeah, but the view's great."
He slammed his palm onto the console. Energy surged up his arm, burning through his armor—but the reactor stabilized.
The lights dimmed. The platform stopped shaking.
Then, silence.
Leo dropped to one knee, panting.
> Leo (to himself): "Note to future self… never do that again without snacks."
---
Aftermath
By the time he got back to the Hauler, the news feeds were already calling it a miracle.
SPD had arrived late and found the civilians safe—rescued by "an unidentified black-armored Ranger."
Leo stood in the Hauler's command bay, armor scuffed, suit venting steam. His Zords surrounded him.
> Guardian 7: "Structural integrity restored. Mission complete."
Prowler: "And zero fatalities."
Saber: "You were reckless. But impressive."
Cruiser: "He's always reckless. It's in the brand."
> Leo: "You say that like it's a bad thing."
Delta's hologram appeared, glowing faintly blue.
> Delta: "Commander Leo, you saved 312 civilians today. SPD Command has taken credit."
> Leo (smirking): "They can keep the credit. I'll keep the satisfaction."
He sat down on the floor of the hangar, staring out through the viewport at the city lights.
> Leo (softly): "You know… for a guy who's not supposed to exist, I'm doing pretty good."
The Zords hummed quietly around him, a mechanical symphony of loyalty and life.
> Delta: "Would you like me to log this under success?"
Leo: "Nah. Log it under… 'Still standing.'"
Outside, the storm clouds finally broke, sunlight slicing across the skyline. For once, Newtech City was quiet—and somewhere, deep down, Leo almost let himself believe it might stay that way.
Almost.
---
To be continued.