The street was filled with the wailing of sirens. Astrax stood frozen in the center of the chaos, his eyes locked on the blazing fire and the lifeless body of the man on the pavement. Slowly, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.
He dialed Ignis's number.
"Hello?" Ignis answered.
"Where were you?" Astrax asked, his voice shaking with leftover adrenaline. "Why didn't you have your phone on?"
"I was training with Sophia," Ignis replied, his tone immediately turning cautious. "What happened?"
Astrax swallowed hard. "The Black Ranger came again."
"Did you win?" Ignis asked quickly. "Do you have him?"
"No," Astrax said softly. He closed his eyes, a pained expression crossing his face. "Three people died. And he escaped."
There was a heavy silence on the other end of the line. "Three people died?" Ignis repeated, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"Yes. Three people died. It is that serious."
Ignis frowned deeply. "Do you have any information about him?"
"No."
"So, another Ranger meeting, then."
"He also asked for you," Astrax added, his grip tightening on the phone. "He really wants to see you."
"Me? Why?"
"I don't know," Astrax sighed. "Maybe because you are the leader, or something like that."
"I don't know. Should we meet at my house?"
"Okay," Ignis agreed. "I will inform everyone to meet you there."
"Okay. I will be there now." Astrax hung up the phone and looked back at the fire.
Back in Sophia’s bedroom, Sophia tilted her head and looked at Ignis as he lowered his phone. "Who was that?"
"It was Astrax," Ignis said, his face totally serious. "We are having a meeting at his house."
Sophia grinned, crossing her arms proudly. "But I won our fight, though." She smiled brightly and bumped his shoulder. "You have gotten sloppy, Iggy. You need more training, especially in the—"
"Okay, Sophia," Ignis interrupted. "I will train more and improve myself."
Sophia blinked, her smile fading into a look of guilt. "I know. I talk a lot."
"No, it's not that," Ignis said softly.
"You just cut me off. That was rude. I will try to change." Sophia looked down at her hands.
Ignis’s expression softened. He shook his head and looked her in the eyes. "No, be yourself. I like you exactly the way you are. I even visit you frequently just to talk."
Sophia’s face lit up, a soft blush spreading across her cheeks. "Thank you. That means a lot."
"But Sophia, we need to be more serious right now," Ignis said, his green eyes darkening. "Three people died yesterday."
Sophia gasped, her eyes going wide in shock. "Did Astrax lose?"
"He told me the guy escaped," Ignis said grimly. "But I know Astrax lost. This is serious. He has a gem, and he seems to know a lot of things."
"So he is a real threat," Sophia realized, her voice trembling slightly.
"Maybe a world-level threat." Ignis rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "The worst part is..."
"What?"
"He damaged the image of us Power Rangers." Ignis looked out the window, his brow furrowed. "The silence of the government is astonishing." You are reading on novelping.com, the official source.
Sophia nodded slowly in agreement. "True."
"They just let us handle all the alien threats, and they don't even disturb us," Ignis pointed out.
"Look, you can go on Reddit and TikTok right now. People think the government is planning something," Sophia said, her eyes lighting up with curiosity. "Have you ever wondered... what if we turn evil? What will they do?"
"A contingency plan to keep us in check," Ignis stated firmly.
"Yes, exactly!"
Ignis sighed heavily. "Now they saw what an evil Ranger can do. What comes next? Will our own people become an obstacle later?"
"Yes!" Sophia smiled eagerly. "I love conspiracy theories. Let's investigate."
"No, look, Sophia," Ignis said, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Let's forget all about the government for now. We need to handle this Simon guy and question him."
"Yes," Sophia nodded, instantly getting serious again.
"We need to keep the world safe. We didn't choose the gems; they chose us." Ignis looked down at his wrist. "We were all just normal people until we saw a glowing rock appear from nowhere."
"And it dragged us to it," Sophia whispered.
"That is why we need to question Simon. Some force chose us. It is our duty to protect the Earth, and that is why we were chosen."
"We will," Sophia said, offering a warm, confident smile. She reached out and gently touched his hand. "Should I make you some tea?"
Ignis burst out laughing, the heavy tension instantly leaving his body. "No, I am good!"
He stood up from the bed, still chuckling. "I will just be training."
Sophia laughed out loud, covering her face. "It was a mistake! I don't normally add salt to my tea, obviously!"
"I know, I know," Ignis smiled warmly at her. He took a deep breath, trying to steady his expression. "But this is serious, Sophia. Stop making me laugh."