I’ll be the Red Ranger
Chapter 145 – The Children of the Past

- Astrid -

"Not even knowing my name. How sad," the stranger replied mockingly. "We are the Children of the Past, and I've come to show that you and all the Rangers are just mortals—just like us."

As soon as the man finished speaking, the Pink Ranger accompanying Astrid burst through the cloud of dust, launching herself toward the opponent. Her pink armor shimmered amidst the swirling debris, and her movements were swift, almost a blur.

However, even with her augmented speed and strength, the stranger seemed unperturbed. In one fluid motion, the rifle that had been resting casually on his shoulder slid into his hand. With a cold, calculated precision, he pulled the trigger. A brilliant flash erupted from the barrel, and an Energy-infused projectile shot forth.

The blast connected squarely with the Pink Ranger's chest. The front of her armor exploded in a shower of sparks and shattered plating. The force of the impact sent her sprawling backward, skidding across the scorched earth.

Astrid's eyes widened in shock. It was rare—nearly impossible—for a weapon to so effortlessly breach Ranger armor. Panic flickered in her mind as she tried to process what she had just witnessed.

'It can't be just a human weapon,' she thought furiously. Through the haze, she could see it was some kind of sniper rifle as it bore a sophisticated scope mounted atop the barrel. A faint bluish glow emanated from within the weapon's core—unmistakably harnessing Energy.

Out of the corner of her eye, Astrid noticed the White Ranger tense, his posture shifting into a combat stance. He was poised to strike. The Emperor, however, remained eerily calm, his gaze fixed on the assailant with steely defiance. He showed no intention of retreating.

"See? Mere mortals," the opponent taunted, gesturing dismissively toward the fallen Pink Ranger.

Before Astrid could react, the White Ranger sprang into action. His acceleration was instantaneous, a blur of motion that defied the common sense. To Astrid, it was as if he had teleported, covering the distance between himself and the stranger in the blink of an eye.

But just as the White Ranger's outstretched hand reached for the man's shoulder, the stranger vanished. In his place, a compact device hovered in the air for a split second—a grenade with a blinking red light.

"Look out!" Astrid shouted.

The grenade detonated mid-air, a concussive blast erupting with a fiery plume. The shockwave rippled outward, whipping dust and debris into a frenzied whirlwind. The White Ranger instinctively raised his arms to shield himself, but the explosion lacked the force to injure him or push him back significantly.

Astrid shielded her face as the gust of hot air rushed past her. When she looked up, the battlefield was momentarily obscured by the settling dust. Her heart pounded as she scanned the area for signs of the enemy.

"Where did he go?" Astrid exclaimed, spinning around in a desperate attempt to locate the vanished opponent. Her eyes scanned the expanse of the lawn, now cleared of the dust cloud. Despite having an unobstructed view, the attacker was nowhere to be seen. It was as if he had evaporated into thin air.

"I hate teleporters," the Emperor muttered, his voice tight with frustration.

The White Ranger turned sharply toward the Emperor upon hearing the comment. "Are you certain, Your Majesty? It's been a long time since we've encountered a new teleporter."

"Yes," the Emperor confirmed, his gaze sweeping over the chaotic scene. "This one isn't registered in our databases. He has a teleportation limit of ten kilometers and requires physical contact with an object to swap positions."

The White Ranger's eyes narrowed behind his visor. "So he touched that grenade and swapped places with it? Ten kilometers isn't vast, but it gives him ample opportunity to evade capture."

'How does he know the specifics of the enemy's abilities?' Astrid wondered, a flicker of suspicion crossing her mind. 'Doesn't the Meridius House possess the boon of Earth Manipulation? How is he so informed about his teleportation powers?'

As the trio remained vigilant, more Rangers and rescue teams converged on their location. Black Rangers established a perimeter, determined to prevent any further attacks. Pink Rangers moved swiftly among the wounded, providing first aid and directing evacuation efforts to remove civilians from harm's way.

"It's not over yet; stay alert!" a warning crackled through their communicators.

"Sir, we have reports that there are still unidentified individuals on the rooftops," Astrid heard another Ranger relay over the channel.

Two Black Rangers approached the White Ranger at a brisk pace. "Sir, we've received intelligence that there may be additional—"

Their words were abruptly cut off. Before Astrid's eyes, the two Rangers vanished into thin air, leaving not even footprints on the grass. Two grenades materialized in the exact spots where they stood, their activation lights blinking ominously.

"Get back!" Astrid shouted instinctively.

But there was no time. The grenades detonated almost simultaneously, twin explosions ripping through the air. The shockwaves collided, creating a force that threw Astrid backward despite her armor. She hit the ground hard, the impact rattling her bones. A high-pitched ringing filled her ears, her eardrums protesting the sudden assault.

'What's happening?' Panic welled up inside her as she struggled to process the rapid turn of events.

"Everyone, move away from the Emperor!" the White Ranger's voice commanded urgently over the communicator. "There's no way to know who among us has been compromised by the enemy's touch."

A palpable tension gripped the field. Rangers exchanged uneasy glances, uncertainty etched into their stances. The realization that the enemy could be among them—or could manipulate them—froze many in place.

"I will escort the Emperor back to the White House. We'll use the teleportation device. In the meantime, the rest of you continue the search for the terrorist!" the White Ranger commanded, his voice cutting through the chaos with authority.

As the White Ranger and the Emperor began to retreat toward the house, Astrid heard the voice again—a chilling echo that seemed to resonate from everywhere and nowhere.

"You don't need to look for me."

Her head snapped toward the center of the lawn. Rising from the scorched earth was an enormous holographic projection. The same man who had confronted them earlier now towered above them, his translucent figure shimmering like a phantom, at least six meters tall.

"Now that I have your attention," he announced, his amplified voice cascading over the stunned crowd, "allow me to introduce myself. Our esteemed Emperor already knows who we are, but perhaps many of you are unfamiliar with my accomplishments."

Astrid glanced at the Emperor. He stood rigid, his silver armor glinting with an otherworldly sheen. "Cut that hologram," he ordered quietly, his voice a low growl meant only for those nearest to him.

A few Rangers exchanged uncertain glances. Astrid thought frantically, ‘How do we interrupt a hologram of this scale?’ It wasn't a simple matter of jamming a signal; the projection was likely shielded and broadcasted through multiple channels to prevent tampering.

The holographic man continued, unfazed. His gaze swept over the assemblage of soldiers, officials, and citizens, a sardonic smile playing on his lips. "I am the leader of the Children of the Past. For too long, this Emperor and his predecessors have treated those scarred by war as burdens—weights to be cast aside in pursuit of their grand designs. Even now, they call us the Nameless."

A ripple of murmurs spread through the crowd.

"When we finally sought the right to establish a new House, a haven for our people, we were silenced by the Senate," the leader declared, bitterness lacing his words. "Our pleas ignored, our sacrifices forgotten."

Astrid's heart pounded in her chest. She could feel the tension escalating, and the weight of his words stirred unease among the crowd.

"If you will not heed us in the halls of power," he continued, his voice growing colder, "then we will bring the consequences of your decisions into the real world. I will make your Emperor bleed, just as hundreds of us Nameless have bled for the Empire."

As his speech concluded, the holographic image flickered and dissolved. In its place, a colossal hourglass suspended mid-air materialized, with grains of shimmering sand cascading slowly from the upper chamber to the lower—a silent countdown.

"Evacuate! Now!" the White Ranger barked, urgency sharpening his tone.

Astrid didn't wait for a second command. Scanning the area, she spotted two officers sprawled on the ground, casualties of the initial explosion. One had two prosthetic legs that were malfunctioning, sparks arcing from the damaged prosthetics.

She sprinted toward the officers, kneeling beside them. "Hold still," she instructed. The officer with the mechanical legs grimaced, his face pale.

"My legs... they won't respond," he gasped.

"We're getting you out of here," Astrid assured him. She hefted him onto her back with a grunt, then reached out to the second officer, who was clutching a bleeding wound on his side. "Lean on me!"

Together, burdened but resolute, she moved as swiftly as possible away from the looming hourglass. Around her, Rangers and medics hurried to guide civilians to safety, sirens wailed, and the acrid scent of smoke hung heavy in the air.

"Time is running out!" someone shouted over the comms.

Astrid glanced back. The sand in the hourglass was nearly gone.

Adrenaline surging, she pushed herself harder. Her muscles screamed in protest, but she ignored them. Ahead, a team of medics waved her over, their evac shuttle idling with doors open.

She all but shoved the injured officers into the waiting arms of the medics. "Go! Get them clear!"

As the shuttle sped away, Astrid felt a tremor beneath her feet. The last grain of sand fell, and the hourglass vanished.

An instant later, a deafening explosion ripped through the air.

The destruction that day made it impossible for the empire not to add The Children of the Past to their most wanted list.