Popping the Vault

Pink set the final charge, giving it a playful pat before retreating back into cover behind a sturdy metal crate. She crouched down, the thumping anticipation of what was about to come mixing with the steady hum of adrenaline surging through her veins. As she held the detonator in her hand, her mind couldn't help but wander, seeking humor to mask the dread gnawing at her gut.

"Too bad Black's not here," she remarked, a grin spreading under her helmet. "He could just rip the door off like it was a cheap toy. The guy's basically as strong as an ox."

Prism's laughter purred into her thoughts. "True. And then he'd probably throw it across the room like a frisbee, just to show off."

Pink snickered, leaning her head back against the crate. "And really, this is all Blue's fault, you know. If he were here, he'd have hacked the mainframe, sweet-talked the system, and downloaded the combination with that smug smile of his."

Prism's voice held a playful lilt. "Oh, definitely. He's annoyingly good at that kind of thing. All charm and zero effort."

Pink couldn't help but roll her eyes, even as the humor soothed her frayed nerves. "And Red?" she continued, her voice dripping with exaggerated exasperation. "She could have just ordered the door to open. It would have snapped to attention, saluted, and begged to serve."

Prism's laughter filled her mind, a bright spot in the oppressive atmosphere. "You mean the door would've been so obedient it might've written her a thank-you note."

Pink giggled but then added, "And Yellow? Pfft, she'd probably be off somewhere swimming with the dolphins or breeding sea turtles for the balance of all things in the deep. Typical Yellow."

Prism snorted, clearly enjoying the banter. "Yeah, never change, Yellow."

Pink quickly refocused, clutching the detonator with renewed determination. "Well, I guess it's just me and my party favors," she said, her voice turning wicked. She glanced at the vault door, its ominous presence seeming to mock her defiance.

Prism's voice chimed in, this time with a puzzled edge. "You know, it's weird," she remarked. "The vault doesn't appear to be wired into anything. X-ray's not picking up any failsafes, no network connections, no backup power supplies. Kassens must be getting cheap in his old age."

Pink cocked her head, a smirk forming under her helmet. "Cheap, or overconfident," she mused. "Maybe he figured a vault designed to break Rangers didn't need all the fancy extras. Just cold, merciless isolation."

Pink's finger hovered over the detonator, and for a moment, she savored the raw, heady thrill coursing through her veins. The anticipation crackled in the air, electric and intoxicating, as she made a show of drawing out the moment. Her heart thumped, a sensual rhythm in her chest, and she let the tension build, like teasing a lover just before the final plunge.

"Alright, darlings," she purred, her voice dripping with playful seduction, "it's time for the grand climax. Fire, heat, and an explosion so powerful it'll make even the vault quiver." She twirled the detonator between her fingers, savoring the delicious pause, knowing full well she was putting on a show—even if only for herself and Prism.

Pink laughed, her tone low and sultry, the kind that promised nothing but trouble. "Oh, I never do anything halfway," she whispered. "Let's give this door a reason to scream."

With a wicked grin, she pressed the detonator, the motion deliberate and oh-so-satisfying, like the final stroke that sends everything over the edge. The charges erupted in a violent symphony of light and heat, the explosion roaring to life with a force that made the walls shudder and groan. Flames burst outward, licking greedily at the metal, and shrapnel shot through the air, raw and unforgiving. The blast was a lover's kiss—hot, intense, and leaving marks.

Pink tilted her head back, feeling the vibrations hum through her body, and let out a mockingly pleased sigh. "Now that's what I call an earth-shattering experience," she said, a wicked smile spreading under her helmet. She bowed deeply, her hand sweeping out in a flirtatious flourish. "Thank you, thank you! I do love leaving my audience breathless."

The vault door shuddered, twisted and contorted, the metal groaning under the punishment. Pink's eyes glinted with satisfaction, her pulse still racing. "Come on, baby," she cooed, her voice dark and taunting. "Don't tell me that's all you've got. Open up and let me in."

As Pink stepped into the vault, her jubilance was palpable, a victorious rush that had her nearly skipping over the threshold. Smoke curled around her, and she brushed it aside with a flourish, a wide grin plastered under her helmet. She couldn't contain the excitement bubbling up inside her, the thrill of the successful breach making her voice ring out, bright and triumphant.

"Blue!" she called, her laughter echoing in the confined space. "Guess who's here to bust you out of detention! You're free, big guy! Come on, I want to see that smug smile of yours."

She started toward the form lying on the ground, expecting him to sit up groggily, maybe crack a joke about her making too much noise. But as she moved closer, her grin wavered, the first prickles of doubt creeping in.

Prism's voice cut into her thoughts, suddenly losing all humor. "Pink, hold on. Something's... off. His biorhythms are in total chaos."

Pink's smile vanished, her stomach knotting with dread. The smoke thinned, and she finally got a good look at him. Blue was convulsing, his entire body writhing in a violent seizure. Vomit was splattered across the floor, and sweat drenched his skin, making him look pale and deathly. His body temperature was dangerously high, his heart rate erratic and pounding too fast, his breathing ragged.

Pink's heart dropped like a stone, the terror hitting her so hard she almost choked on it. "Blue!" she screamed, her voice cracking into hysteria. She stumbled forward, nearly tripping over her own feet as she dropped to her knees beside him. "No, no, no, this can't be happening—Blue!" Tears burned at the corners of her eyes, and her hands hovered uselessly over his convulsing form, trembling with shock and helplessness.

Prism's tone snapped into an urgent, commanding presence, cutting through Pink's rising panic like a gunshot. "Pink! Snap the hell out of it! I need you to move your ass, or Blue dies right here. Pull the data cord from your morpher and plug it into his neck—now!"

The words hit Pink like a bucket of ice water, cutting through her shock and tearing away the suffocating grip of terror. Her hands were still trembling, but Prism's brutal, no-nonsense order forced her into action. She fumbled at her morpher, yanking out the data cord, her breath coming in rapid, shuddering gasps.

"Come on," she whispered, voice cracking as she leaned over Blue's seizing form. Her fingers found the port on his neck, slick with sweat, and she shoved the connector in, her movements desperate. "Prism, please, do something."

"Come on," she whispered, voice cracking as she leaned over Blue's seizing form. Her fingers found the port on his neck, slick with sweat, and she shoved the connector in, her movements desperate. "Prism, please, do something." Her heart pounded so hard it felt like it might burst, every beat a cruel reminder of how little time they had.

Prism's voice cut through the chaos, steady and focused, a lifeline amid the storm of Pink's terror. "Blue doesn't have active systems without his morpher, but I can pull his health data through the physical link." Pink's HUD flickered to life, and she watched in horror as Blue's vitals filled the screen, each new status more dire than the last.

Red blood cells: Necrotic. White cells: Critically low, attacking his immune system. Blood oxygen: Plummeting. Massive organ failure: Imminent. Nanite presence: None detected.

Pink's hands trembled, the gravity of what she was seeing crushing her. "No, no, this can't be happening," she whispered, voice breaking into sobs.

Prism didn't let her spiral. "Listen to me, Pink. Your morpher produces nanites directly into your bloodstream. I can feed him your nanites through the data link, but I'll need to use everything we've got to stabilize his organs."

Pink clenched her jaw, the tears streaming down her face, and forced herself to nod. "Take it all," she choked out. "Take everything, Prism. Just save him."

Prism's tone grew urgent, yet somehow still calm, a rock for Pink to cling to in the chaos. "Understood. But I'll need my full computational power. You'll be on your own, and we won't be able to communicate until I'm done."

Pink's heart twisted, but she swallowed her fear, her resolve hardening. "Do it," she whispered. "Just... do it."

Prism's voice became cold, commanding, issuing the final protocol. "Ranger Operator Life is in extreme danger. Friend and foe tags are now disengaged. Deadly force is authorized against all resistance. Mission priority has shifted: Secure Ranger life at all costs."

The words hit Pink like a punch, a brutal reality sinking in. This wasn't just a rescue anymore. They were in the heart of what should have been a sanctuary, and now she had to prepare for war in a place that was meant to be safe.

Prism's final directive echoed, a dark promise: "You must carry Blue to the teleport pad where we entered. Get him to the Command Center's medical bay. Now."

Prism went silent, her presence vanishing, leaving Pink to the suffocating stillness of the vault. For a heartbeat, panic seized her, her body frozen. But then she looked down at Blue, his convulsions growing weaker, his face pale and drenched with sweat, and something inside her snapped.

She had to move. Now.