Libra: Vengeance is Mine

Vengeance is Mine is the third episode of the Libra arc, and the twenty-first of Power Rangers: Neo Zeo.

Synopsis
The Scarab Rider sets out to hunt down the Hex Rider, despite the Rangers' best efforts to stop her.

Plot
The four Rangers sat in the middle of Lidian's living room, on whatever furniture they felt like dragging together. The monster attacks had basically killed the party, but all the guests had gone home, and as Casey had pointed out, it would make a pretty good story later on, very Halloweeny.

"Maybe she was one of the aliens Ezra brought in?" Casey suggested. She lay on the sofa, where Violet was helping pry her out of what was left of her costume.

Lidian shook his head. "They all have alibis. Plus they're Pack, they're built like werewolves. We'd have been able to tell if she was one of them."

"Werewolves?" Casey tried to sit up, but Violet shoved her flat. "You have werewolves and you didn't tell us?"

"They're not actually werewolves," Lidian sighed, slumping back against the seat. David, who'd discarded his jacket and rolled up his shirtsleeves, passed him a bowl of M&M's, and he took some. "That's just the closest description I can give you."

"Oh." Casey pouted. "I wanted werewolves."

"But back to the point: what does she want with the Hex Rider?" David asked, looking over at Lidian.

"Yeah, didn't you say he quit being Hex because he did something bad?" Casey asked, turning towards him. "I mean, I figure it's sensitive, but it's kind of important now."

"What's important?"

Everyone jumped at the sound. Into the room walked Sabrina, who stopped and looked around at the chaos. Ezra was right behind her, shutting the door in their wake.

"What happened here?" The Pink Ranger asked, coming forward and joining her teammates on the couch.

The other four exchanged weary looks. Casey began pointing around the group.

"Eenie, meenie, miney, you." She pointed at Violet. "You tell them."

Casting a quick glare at her, Violet turned to the pair. "Have either of you ever heard of the Scarab Rider?"

Ezra's smile vanished. "From what I've heard, the Scarab Rider appeared a little while after we left Edenoi and began helping the freedom fighters there. After the Z-Wave liberated the planet, she started hunting down anyone who'd been involved with the regime."

"She's had contact with the Black Lily; she used our code," David said. "From what she said, I suspect she still believes that you're evil."

Ezra shrugged. "Knowing me at that time, I can't blame her."

"We'll talk to her." David stood up. "I'll have Alpha try to track her down. For now, lie low, just in case her intentions are dangerous. Everyone else, go home."

"Man, what time is it?" Casey groaned, as Violet pulled her upright.

Her sister checked her watch. "Almost midnight."

"We are so grounded."

"But there were monsters," Lidian pointed out.

"That makes it worse. Our parents hate monsters."

"Come on," Violet said, hauling Casey to her feet.

The younger girl gave her puppy eyes. "Carry me?"

"Not on your life."

Casey pouted, and let her sister pull her out of the room. She waved goodbye to Lidian as she left, and he waved back, smiling faintly. The expression didn't reach his eyes, which were thoughtful.

oZo

The Scarab Rider was on a bluff overlooking Angel Grove. The city looked surprisingly peaceful from above; the only sign of its constant monster attacks was the somewhat battered warehouse district. Seated on a boulder, the still-transformed Scarab Rider gazed down at the sight in silence. A red light flashed behind her, but she didn't look around, or even twitch.

"Scarab Rider?" The Zeo Red Ranger asked, taking a step towards her.

"How did you find me?"

"Alpha 5 tracked down your power signature and made an educated guess."

Scarab nodded slowly. "Of course, I should have known. I can already guess what you intend to tell me. That the Hex Rider has changed, that he wants to pay for his mistakes."

"And yet you still want to hunt him down."

"Yes. Some things cannot be forgiven."

"We need him. Without him Emperor Leo would probably have defeated us months ago," the Red Ranger replied. "I know it must be hard to believe, but he—"

"Do you know what he did?" Scarab turned around suddenly, her voice full of venom. At the change the Red Ranger took an involuntary step back. Rising, she advanced on him, and he stopped, holding his ground until the two were barely an inch apart.

"That man you're so sure has changed? He killed my child, in cold blood, before my eyes, for no reason. Did he tell you that?"

David said nothing.

When the Scarab Rider spoke again, it was in a low, controlled voice. "I cannot allow a creature capable of that to live. Regardless of what good you believe he's doing now, he must be punished. Do you understand?"

"Call a spade a spade. You want revenge."

She let out a small, bitter laugh. "Call it that if you want. Justice and vengeance are not mutually exclusive. Now, where is he?"

"I'm sorry, I can't tell you that." David's voice was hard.

"If you and the other Rangers interfere, the consequences are on your heads. I will not hold back simply because you stand between me and my enemy."

"Fine. Neither will we."

"Then we understand each other." The Scarab Rider walked past David, shoulder bumping his in passing. A motorcycle gleamed in the shadows of the trees, and the Rider mounted it, shoving up the kickstand and starting the engine. Before she drove away, she paused and turned back.

"By the way, thank you for telling me how you detected me. I'll be sure to compensate during the battle; I hate interruptions."

With that she drove away down a trail, heading for the city as the Red Ranger watched.

Once her engine had faded into the wildlife noise, he raised his communicator watch. "Bad news, Alpha."

oZo

Up on the Equinox, Libra had been watching the scene through a monitor. She nodded slowly. "Indeed, justice is on your side, Scarab Rider. I will do what I can to aid you in your quest."

oZo

The Scarab Rider skidded to a halt, and looked down at the device she was holding against a handlebar. It was round, about the size of her palm, and flashing red. She dismounted, striding towards the Byron house. Pocketing the device, she held out her hands.

"Scarab Sabers!"

Two curving, bronze blades appeared in her hands. The gate was closed; one blow from a Scarab Saber shattered the lock, and she shoved them both open.

As she advanced up the walk, Ezra stepped out the front door and leaned against it, arms folded. She halted. The device in her left hand stopped flashing, glowing a steady scarlet.

"Alien detector?" Ezra asked. "You do know this is an alien safehouse, right? And how do you keep it from picking up your signal?"

"It's been programmed to detect the lifesigns of Edenoites not wearing the Scarab Amulet," Scarab replied, deactivating the device and tossing it aside. "Zeral, I presume?"

"Can you not throw junk into my yard? Actually, on that note, can we fight somewhere else? This place costs a fortune to fix up, especially the parts nobody's supposed to know about."

"I have no desire to endanger the aliens sheltering in your home. Choose your battlefield," the Scarab Rider replied.

Ezra headed for the garage. Unmoving, Scarab Rider watched him, until with the vroom of an engine he drove out on a violet motorcycle. He idled as she returned to her own vehicle, and the two drove away. Lidian teleported in a second too late.

"Wait!" He yelled, running down the walk, but the two bikes were already out of hearing range.

"I can't tell where they're heading, but they're moving too quickly to be teleported safely," Alpha 5 reported anxiously.

"Didn't the old Zeo Rangers have motorcycles too?" Lidian asked.

"Yes, but they were destroyed, and I haven't been able to repair or replace them!"

"Great. Okay, as soon as they stop, teleport me to their location."

"The Scarab Rider's cloaked her signal—"

"Alpha, please, we have to try!" Lidian protested.

"I know, I know, I am. Oh no . . ."

"Yes?"

"Libra's Jewel Golems. They're in the warehouse district."

Lidian groaned. "Fine, I'll keep looking, can you send the other Rangers to deal with it?"

"Of course, I'm doing that now."

oZo

The two motorcycles finally halted on a flat, rocky slope, partway up one of the mountains. Both Riders dismounted, and Ezra pulled off his helmet—a normal one, not part of his Hex Rider gear—setting it on the bike.

"Edenoi isn't in captivity anymore," he commented. "You don't have to keep playing vigilante."

"Edenoi is in no state to pursue its enemies, and so long as you hide from justice, someone must 'play vigilante,'" Scarab snapped.

Ezra shrugged. "I'm a coward. I figured starting over would be easier."

"Enough banter. You have lived for too long."

Ezra pulled the Hex Amulet out from under his shirt, unlooping it from around his neck. "I respectfully disagree. Hexaphase, activate!"

He transformed in a violet flash, and drawing his Bane Blade, began to pace. Scarab Rider didn't seem to want to wait for him. Summoning both Scarab Sabers she charged, scissoring them towards him. He caught the crossed blades against his own, but the impact sent him skidding back. In the cloud of dust, he braced against the weapons. Their tips nearly touched his visor.

Breaking the weapons lock, Scarab Rider slashed at her opponent, who ducked and wove out of the way. He moved behind her and stabbed, but she deflected the blow with a twist of the wrist. Spinning, she stabbed at his head, leaving a long white scratch along one side. He staggered back, raising his forearm to shield his head.

"Ill Stars!"

Shuriken shot out of his gauntlet, forcing Scarab to stop and dodge or deflect. In that time the Hex Rider had time to summon his next weapon.

"Evil Eye Shield!"

The six-segmented shield materialized on his arm, purple with white edges and an eye sigil in the center. On it he caught the Scarab Rider's low strike, taking a high one on his Bane Blade. He pushed, forcing her back a step, but she ducked and sidestepped, forcing him to turn a circle to try to keep up with her. Her blows came thick and fast; no observer would have been able to tell whether her right or left hand was dominant, they moved with synchronized, equal force.

Her opponent could not keep up. Though he was fit, retirement seemed to have taken the edge off his skill, while the Scarab Rider had been in constant combat for a long time—and of course, she'd been anticipating this battle for years.

Slowly, the Hex Rider began to give ground. Dents and gashes marred his shield, or even his armor as his guard recovered more and more slowly. Seeing this, the Scarab Rider attacked with new fury, using both Scarab Sabers and her feet whenever she saw even the hint of an opening. She took a few severe hits doing this, including one to the mid-back that made her stumble back.

Bracing herself, she lunged, slamming both feet—one after the other—into Hex's chest. His armor sparked, smoking, and he fell back, hitting the ground with a thud. The Scarab Rider landed in a crouched, and stayed there, catching her breath. Hex struggled to rise.

"Before I kill you, I have one question. Why did you kill my son?"

"Huh?" Hex picked himself up.

Dropping the blade, she reached into a side pouch on her belt, and drew out a second amulet, this one a bronze scorpion. Standing, she tossed it and stood, pulling the Scarab Amulet out of its place. Catching the scorpion, she slotted it into place.

"Scorpion," her belt intoned.

Red light enveloped her, transforming her suit. The gold armor on her body and limbs turned bronze, while the white body became a dark wine-red, the blues and greens violet and black. On her raised right arm, the gauntlet thickened into bronze segments, ending with a spiked ball, like the tail of a scorpion. Drawing back the new weapon, she stabbed at the Hex Rider; the tail lashed out towards him. He somersaulted out of the way, and the tail-arm cracked a tree behind him. It fell with a creaking groan.

Hex Rider fought as well as he could, but he was already battered and slow. Finally, the stinger slammed into his leg in the middle of a jump, and he fell flat with a cry of pain. His shin armor had cracked, and blood began to ooze through the gap. Scarab planted a foot on his chest. She shoved him flat, and crouched, undoing the latches of his helmet. Yanking it off, she threw it aside and knelt on his chest, glaring down at him. His nose was bleeding, and he was going to have a black eye soon.

"I am Taiysa of Edenoi. While my family were Count Dregon's prisoners, you killed my son. Tell. Me. Why!"

Ezra looked startled, and then let out a shaky, incredulous little laugh. "I admit . . . I did a lot of terrible stuff then . . . but not that."

The Scarab Rider drew back her arm for the finishing blow. Neither heard or saw someone teleport in behind her. Before she could bring the Scorpion Club down, a pair of gloved hands seized her elbow and yanked her back, swinging her around.

"Scarab Rider!" It was Zeo Ranger IV, Green. "Please, just listen—"

"Let go!" The Scarab Rider tried to force his arms off, but he held on, pulling her away from the Hex Rider. He rolled over, onto his side, and started to get up. Seeing this, the Scarab struggled harder.

"Look, I know, I'm Edenoite too, but he's changed!"

"LET GO OF ME!" The Scarab Rider screamed, and drawing her arm back, slammed the Scorpion Club into the Green Ranger's gut.

"Unh!"

The blow had doubled him over, and his grip on Scarab's arms loosened. She raised her arm again, pulling him upright. The spike on the end of the Scorpion Club had sunk into Lidian's stomach, clean through his Ranger suit. As blood began to ooze out around the spike, he looked down at it.

Scarab Rider spoke, her voice grim. "I'm sorry, Green Ranger, but no one will get in my way."

She ripped the weapon free—he screamed in pain—and threw him aside. He crumpled, demorphing in a green flash. His forehead gem reappeared as he clamped both hands over the wound, sobbing for breath.

"No," Ezra breathed, staring in horror at Lidian. He looked up at the Scarab Rider as she turned back towards him. "Do you realize what you've done!?"

"I will deal with the Rangers later," Scarab replied, advancing on him.

"Wrong," David's voice rang out behind her, "You'll deal with us now."

The Zeo Power Sword swung up behind Scarab as she looked around. She was just in time to catch the blow on her Scorpion Club. With her arms thus raised, her body was exposed, and the Pink Ranger took advantage of it, hurling her Zeo Power Disc like a chakram. The sharp edge sparked against her body armor. She staggered and fell, borne down by the Red Ranger's blow. He hastily planted a foot on her chest, keeping his blade at her throat.

"Lidian? Lidian, look at me," Casey said, shrill and frightened. She'd gathered his head and shoulders into her lap, and was supporting him as Violet tried to stop the bleeding.

Hearing her, the Scarab Rider lifted her head. "What did you say?"

"I'd stay down if I were you," the Red Ranger said coldly.

She didn't seem to notice, sitting up against the blade. "What did you call him?"

Ezra, being helped by the Pink Ranger, spoke up. "Lidian. That's his name. Lidian of Edenoi."

"Then . . ."

"I told you. I didn't kill him." Ezra pushed himself upright. His glare was accusing. "Though you might have just now."

The Scarab Rider's armor vanished, leaving a forty-some woman lying on the ground. She had dusky skin and a muscled build, a white gem gleaming through her tangle of curling, dark brown hair. There were too many emotions on her face to read.

Without having to be told, Alpha teleported the entire group back to the Power Chamber. Lidian landed on the floor near the biobed, and the Wildmans hastily helped him up onto it. He tried to get his legs beneath him, but they buckled at the slightest weight.

"Let me help," Taiysa said, her gaze darting from Lidian to the Red Ranger and back. "I know Edenoite physiology."

"You just tried to kill him." The Red Ranger's voice was flat.

"I didn't realize—please, let me help! He's . . . he's my son."

That gave the other Rangers pause. Lidian didn't seem to hear; he was breathing raggedly, expression pinched with pain. Catching one of his hands, Casey squeezed it, and managed to get a tiny squeeze in return.

The Red Ranger withdrew his sword, offering Taiysa a hand, which she took at once. She hurried to Lidian, pulled the temporary dressing aside, widened the hole in his shirt and began to examine the wound. Casey quickly turned her attention to his face, brushing his hair out of his eyes.

The Red Ranger turned back towards Alpha. "What's the status on those foot soldiers?"

"There are only a few left, but they've been causing a lot of damage," Alpha 5 reported anxiously.

"Right. Violet, Sabrina? Casey, stay here and help Taiysa if she needs it."

"Coming," the Blue Ranger said, hastening towards him. Casey didn't even seem to hear him.

"I'm fine, just tired," Ezra reassured Sabrina. "Might even join you if you don't finish them off fast enough."

She snorted. "You'd better."

The three teleported away. Alpha 5, with a glance over at Lidian, turned his attention to the controls. Picking himself up, Ezra moved stiffly towards the biobed. Taiysa's hands were shaking, but she moved with careful efficiency.

"The wound looks clean," she said. "No broken bones. I can't tell if any organs or major arteries were punctured yet, but it's not bleeding very heavily. His vitals look good. You," she addressed Casey, who started, "Try to talk to him. If we can keep him awake there's less chance of him going into shock."

"O-okay. Lidian? Hey, wake up, you're missing all the fun."

Lidian's eyes cracked open. "Fun?" He croaked.

"Yeah. So much drama, and all revolving around you. It's wasteful to just snooze through it like this, come on." Her voice was shaky.

Focusing on her, Lidian winced as Taiysa began to clean the wound. "Drama?"

"Oh-ho yeah, so much drama." Casey glanced up at Taiysa. "But hopefully we're done for today."

"Aside from fallout," Ezra put in, leaning against a wall, "I think we're good. Unless you have any dramatic reveals to do."

"Funny you should mention that. In reality, I am . . . I am . . ." Casey's eyes lit up, and she straightened, throwing out her arms in a melodramatic flourish. "I am secretly the long-lost daughter of a Zodiac Emperor! I don't remember which one! Mwahaha!" Taiysa and Lidian gave her the same bemused look. "Wow, I guess you guys really are related."

Lidian frowned, confused, and looked up at Taiysa. "Wait, what—"

He stared. His face, already pale, went white. Pausing, Taiysa gave him a shaky smile.

"Lidian."

His mouth worked silently. Lidian tried to sit up, but Taiysa's hand on his chest and pain from his wound soon forced him back. She'd started bandaging the wound, and with her not moving, Ezra pushed forward and began working on the injury. Taiysa let him.

"But how—I thought—the reports all said—" Lidian stammered.

"And I thought I saw you die." Taiysa's smile faded. Lidian saw it, and glanced down at his injury.

"Don't get sentimental," Ezra put in, "I'm no doctor—we should have Dr. Strauss check on you, he's worked with aliens—but unless this gets infected, I think your chances are good."

Taiysa's relief was palpable, and seeing it, Ezra smiled slightly. As he finished, she caught Lidian's head and shoulders in a hug, which he attempted to return. Casey finally let go, and moved back, looking like she felt pretty out of place.

"I'm so sorry!"

"It's okay," Lidian reassured her, "I-I'd probably have done the same thing."

Taiysa smiled through her tears. "I doubt you would. I've become a bitter old woman, Lidian."

Lidian didn't say anything, just hugged her harder.

Villains

 * Air Empress Libra

Continuity

 * First appearance of Tayisa outside of her Scarab Rider identity.
 * First use of Ezra's Edenoite name, Zeral.