Bright Skies (Multi - Season Crossover/Power Rangers, prompt #36: Missing, T)
I'z is ALIVE!
-Coughs- I'm in Idaho, and I finally have a new net connection for the time being! -Dances- And I've even done massive amounts of writing for Bright Skies while I was gone, too. ^_~
Unfortunately seeing as I have to be in bed in like, half an hour so I can get up early, I'm only posting one chapter at the moment. But it's a good one, I promise. In fact, I think it's actually my favorite of all the newest chapters.
Author/: Tsukino Akume
Fandom/: Power Rangers Time Force moving into S.P.D., multiple Rangers from each seson
Characters/: Wes (Time Force), multiple Rangers from other teams (Literally too many to list)
Pairings/: Post - Wes/Eric, Rocky/Adam, Shane/Dustin, Hunter/Cam, Carter/Dana, Andros/Ashley, Zhane/Karone, Carlos/Ronny, Jason/Taylor, Conner/Ethan, Justin/Rose, Tommy/Kimberly, Tyzonn/Mack, Cassie/OC, Nick/Maddison, Zack/Aisha, Trent/Kira, Post - Billy/Cestria. Future Ryan/Carter and Billy/Hayley. More couples will most likely be mentioned, but not shown.
prompt/: #36: Missing
Rating/: T (For non - graphic mentions of people having babies and being violent with one another)
Disclaimer/: I don't own the Power Rangers, but if Disney's hiring any new writers I volunteer.
Summary/: When Wes' life starts to fall apart, an accident gives him a chance at a fresh start in Newtech City, with Space Patrol Delta. But even a new life has its ups and downs - and weird friends. Meanwhile, Eric tries to move on.
Warnings/: A mentally handicapped person living in a medical facility, angst, male and female slash, non-cemented couples (In otherwords, pairings that will be separated), children created by scientific means, character death
Author's Notes/: Once again, thanks to BlackCrimsonLight for pretty much helping me write this whole prompt. I also think Heart Carson is the result of
phantom_blue’s complaining, so I blame her even though I can‘t remember for sure.
Warning: dark topics ahead!
The atmosphere of the War Room was tense to the point of snapping, and the cafeteria staff had finally refused to serve them any more coffee. In fact, most of S.P.D. had been giving them all a wide berth. Only other Rangers stopped to poke their heads in every once in while, waiting for someone to shake their head that no, there wasn't any news, and would shake their head in return that no, the other kids were all still safe. It was mostly Zack and Andros that they saw, Andros to verify that the remaining children were still secure, and Zack hoping for news about his son as he clutched his daughter, looking exhausted.
But there was nothing to tell.
Sky Tate, Elizabeth Stewart-Ortiz, Bridge Carson, Sydney Drew, and Jaz and Keri Johnson had gone out to the park four days ago with Nerina Cranston and never returned. Three days ago, Hawking Oliver had disappeared from his parents' apartment while Kimberly was making breakfast. And then yesterday, Trent and Kira Fernandez had showed up at S.P.D. with the news that they had been attacked and their twins, Rhythm and Melody, had been kidnapped.
And Kira swore that one of the attackers had said 'Broodwing will pay good money for these brats' after dodging Rhythm's Ptera Scream.
The thought made Wes sick to his stomach. Broodwing, who had been on Aquitar as a member of Grumm's forces. He was the reason they'd adapted to using nicknames, because he'd been disturbingly fascinated by Tori's water techniques and Chip's magic, and had begun to demand to know who they were. They'd done what they could to keep their identities secret from him, but apparently it wasn't enough.
He shuddered without meaning to, and felt Justin squeeze his shoulder. He glanced up at the younger man, and saw Justin shake his head slightly. Wasn't you, he mouthed silently.
Wes just closed his eyes, because no matter what anyone said, he had lead the team on Aquitar, and he was the one who had made the decisions about how to handle Broodwing's obsession. He was the one who had not let them use names, but hadn't hidden that they were S.P.D. And there were only so many S.P.D. bases with the same amount of color-coded officers to chose from as Earth had.
The silence of the room was suddenly shattered by a single soft beeping noise.
Billy, Justin, and Rose were on their feet in seconds, each grabbing a console and frantically typing away. Everyone else had turned to watch them, tensed in anticipation. Distantly, Wes registered the sound of Rocky muttering a faint prayer.
"Got it!" Justin's excited yell was deafening, but the effect was instantaneous. Tommy and Cruger were at his side, demanding answers. Aisha clutched Kimberly, both of them anxious and pale. Adam quietly spoke into his communicator, and Zack burst through the door in moments, Heart still in his arms.
"I'm telling you, this sequence has Nerina's influence all over it," Justin insisted over the sudden noise, glaring at up at Cruger. "I spent months working with that girl, and I *know* what she's capable of. Wes, back me up here."
Wes moved over to look at the list of information streaming through the computer, along with the flashing light and digital map as if he knew what he was looking at. He nodded solemnly, trying to hold in the growing anticipation at the thought of a lead at last. "That's Nerina," he confirmed.
He didn't have the slightest clue what Justin was doing or what any of it meant. But he knew Justin, and he knew that if Justin said it was Nerina, then it was.
Justin nodded, swiftly bringing up a map over the council table for everyone to see. "This is the projected landing path for the target."
"That's the middle of nowhere," T.J. spoke up, frowning.
"The object appears to be very large," Rose commented, still frowning at her own console. "Looks like they needed the landing space."
"So what's our plan of attack?" Ryan asked bluntly.
"That is not up to any of you," Cruger said firmly. "You are all emotionally involved; I cannot allow any of you on this mission."
Kimberly was on her feet and glaring up at Cruger before anyone else could barely voice a protest. "Don't you *dare*," she hissed, eyes blazing. "That is my only son, and I am *not* going to stay behind and sit here like a good little soldier when my child is in danger!"
"Are you threatening me, Sergeant Hart?" Cruger growled at her.
"If you're trying to keep me from my baby, then you bet I am!" she snapped back.
"You're out of line, Sergeant!"
"I'm a Power Ranger, and this is Ranger business! I don't answer to you anymore!"
Tommy grabbed Kimberly's shoulders as she shouted in Cruger's face, completely ignoring the fact that he was actually snarling at her now. "These are Rangers' children, and that means it *is* Ranger business, Commander," Tommy interjected, managing to sound calm despite the underlying current of anger in his tone. "That means it's my mission, and my decision of who is involved."
Cruger stared down at them both, his scales still bristling. "Very well, Deputy Commander," he snapped. He marched toward out the door without another word, his shoulders tensed in fury.
There was a long moment after he was gone when no one said anything.
At last Kimberly glanced up at Tommy, taking a long, slow breath. "Thanks," she said simply.
"Don't ever make me do that again," he returned, kissing her cheek before turning to the rest of them. "First of all, Justin, you're sure about this information?" he asked, glancing at the man in question.
Justin shrugged. "Mostly. It's definitely a deliberate pattern, and it seems familiar. But we can't afford not to take it seriously anyway."
Tommy nodded, as if this was what he expected.
"It is a pattern," Billy interjected quietly. His eyes were distant for a moment. "It's an Aquitian lullaby."
Adam cleared his throat. "So we need a plan," he reminded them.
"Is there anyone in this room who isn't going?" Tommy asked, glancing over them all. His gaze lingered on Litania for a moment.
Her eyes narrowed in return. "Don't even think about it," she informed him shortly.
T.J. reached over to squeeze her hand, shaking his head. "Lit's gonna use one of my morphers. She won't be going in unprepared." he promised.
Zack sighed, raising his free hand as his daughter nestled against his shoulder, sucking her thumb and watching them all with wide brown eyes. "I'll stay," he volunteered. He forced a smile as Aisha looked at him in surprise. "Someone's gotta take care of Heart," he pointed out, stroking the infant's dark hair. "Just ... bring him back for me."
Trent and Kira exchanged pained glances. "We can't," Kira reminded them miserably.
"I beg to differ."
Everyone looked up in surprise as Ethan literally bounced through the doorway, Conner grinning as he trailed after his husband. "Catch," Ethan continued, tossing something to Trent and Kira.
A blue gem glittered brilliantly on the silver bracelet he wore.
Trent stared down at his own Dino Gem. "Ethan, how .... ?"
"We've been working on energizing different Power Levels for the Morpher Project," Rose spoke up. She smiled faintly for the first time in days. "The Dino Gems were one of the latest test projects. They never lost their connection to the Morphin Grid - we just had to fill up their Power Levels."
Kira looked up, tears sparkling in her eyes. "Then let's go get our babies back," she said fiercely.
****
Red Time Force froze, jerking up a hand in a gesture for everyone behind him to stop. Heart pounding, he waited for the two furry-looking creatures to pass by. At last he dropped his hand, nodding once, and moved forward again.
He wouldn't say it was probably the smartest plan they probably could have come up with. Probably not even the best. But if nothing else, it would be effective.
Checking one last time to make sure the hallway was clear, he pointed at Blue Astro, then down a separate hall. The other Ranger nodded, jerking his head for his own team to follow. Red Turbo, Pink Overdrive, and Titanium Lightspeed slipped off after him. He could see Red Turbo cracking her knuckles in anticipation of their mission - complete and utter sabotage to the ship.
Red Time Force lifted his hand again for his own team, pointing in the opposite direction of where the others had gone. The rest of the group nodded, and they moved out in silence.
An explosion sounded outside, and there was the sound of shouting from somewhere else inside of the ship. Distraction One, go, Red Time force counted to himself. If anyone could be counted on to make a lot of noise and draw attention to themselves, it was the Dino Thunder Rangers.
Before long he was forced to dive back into hiding as someone raced in the opposite direction of the explosion, shouting angrily. "How many Rangers are there on this planet?!" he heard them snarl.
More than you'll ever be able to stop, he thought fiercely, adding a swift Distraction Two, go. And that's our cue.
If he wasn't so furious at what they'd done, he might have pitied whoever was about to go up against the Mighty Morphin Rangers.
The sound of someone sobbing softly echoed through his speakers, and he froze for a moment. "Shut *up* already!" someone bellowed, and he heard a cry of fear as something crashed against a wall.
"Now!" he shouted, blood boiling.
The two furry women he'd noticed earlier screeched in alarm as they came around the corner. "Get them!" one of them shrieked.
"I don't *think*so!" Blue Wind snapped back. "Sonic Fin!"
A wave of energy knocked the pair back into a wall, pinning them there as they screamed and struggled.
"Turbo Hand Blasters!"
Red Time Force snapped his head to Blue Turbo as the women slumped to the ground unconscious, glaring at him through his helmet. "That wasn't necessary, Turbo."
The other Ranger shrugged coldly as he banished the guns. "It wasn't necessary that they take my daughter, either." he said shortly.
"Daddy ... ?"
He turned, and felt tears of relief well in his eyes. "Sky!"
The two cells were barely big enough to hold the seven children inside of them, and it was obvious they hadn't exactly been well taken care of. All of them were filthy with tear-stained faces, and it looked like Nerina was showing signs of severe dehydration.
He did a double take. Wait a minute. *Seven* children?
"Elizabeth?" Blue Turbo called, looking around anxiously. "Elizabeth?! Elizabeth, where are you?!"
"She's gone ... " Nerina wheezed.
"Star Chargers!" Yellow Turbo shouted, shattering the lock on her cell door. He moved swiftly to the next as Blue Wind rushed to help the teen.
"What do mean? Where is she?" Blue Turbo demanded.
"They told us ... " Nerina coughed, making a strange choking noise, and Blue Wind shushed her, hurriedly demorphing and summoning water to her cupped hands.
"They said you weren't comin'."
Red Time Force turned again at the soft voice, staring at his son as he clutched a shivering Bridge behind a wall of blue light. "What?"
"They said ... " Sky sniffled slightly, and his heart ached at the expression on the boy's face. "They said you tried to rescue us, but you ... that you were ... "
"I want my daddy!" Sydney burst out, starting to cry. "Where is he? Where's my daddy?!"
"He's here," Blue Overdrive assured her, crouching beside her and scooping up Keri in one arm as the two girls sobbed. "He's punishing the bad guys for what they did to you."
"They said no one was comin'," Sky continued, still gazing at his father. "So Bethie an' Jaz went to get help. They got out to find someone to help the rest of us."
"Sky?" Red Time Force said quietly, crouching down in front of the force field. "Sky, it's okay. We're here now. You can let the wall go, okay?" he coaxed.
Sky shook his head, squeezing Bridge as the other boy whimpered. "They said you were dead." he whispered.
"Where's Hawk?" Yellow Turbo asked worriedly, looking around.
"He's right here," Melody spoke up, pointing behind her. "He can't stop it."
As she spoke, there was a flicker of light, and Hawk appeared, wide-eyed and shaking. The little boy shrieked when Yellow Turbo tried to approach, and abruptly disappeared again.
"This is Tori," Blue Wind told her morpher. "Kim, Aisha, we need you here now."
"On our way."
Red Time Force demorphed, keeping his eyes on his son. "I'm right here, Sky," he said softly. "It's me. Let's go home, okay?"
Sky shuddered, shaking his head. "Bridge ... " he muttered. "I gotta protect Bridge."
"Bridge?!"
Wes glanced back as Yellow Mighty Morphin squeezed into the cell behind him, swiftly demorphing. "Bridge, it's Mama," she crooned. "Come on, Baby. Look at me."
Slowly, Bridge's head began to lift as he continued to shiver. "M-mama?" he whispered.
"That's right, Baby." There were tears in Aisha's eyes, but her voice remained steady and loving. "I'm right here."
"I ... want Mama," Bridge muttered. He jerked suddenly, his eyes going wide.
Sky hugged him tighter, petting the other boy's head. "It's okay, Bridge." he said quickly. "I'm not gonna let nobody hurt you again, I promise."
"I promise?" Bridge choked out.
"Promise," Sky agreed. His eyes were desperate as he stared out at them, rocking Bridge back and forth.
"They're trapped."
Wes jerked as Adam crouched down beside him, studying the two boys. He hadn't even seen him arrive. "Bridge can't calm down, so Sky can't put down the wall."
"But Sky can't keep it up indefinitely," Wes protested.
"I know," Adam returned, his voice deceptively quiet. His eyes were tortured as he stared at his son.
Wes paused, his mind whirling. They had to get Sky to let them get to Bridge. But they needed Bridge to calm down before Sky would even let them approach.
"What do you mean she's not here?!"
He whirled, his eyes narrowing on Pink Overdrive as she grabbed Blue Turbo by the shoulders, shaking him. "How can she not be here?!" she shouted.
"Overdrive!" Wes snapped. "Get them out of here! Get everyone else out!"
And they waited, while the six children were gathered up and carried out. He could see Kimberly with her arms around Hawk as he flickered between invisibility and back. Nerina had to be supported by Tori and her father, Tori consistently summoning more water for the girl. Keri was sobbing against Red Turbo's chest as her mother tried to demand that someone tell her where her son was.
It seemed like an eternity until only Rocky, Adam, Aisha, and himself were left with the two boys. Wes took several deep breaths, forcing himself to relax. Everything could be dealt with later; right now, Bridge and Sky needed everyone around them to be calm.
"Sky?" he tried again. "You can stop now. It's okay, I promise."
He would never forget the look on his son's face as Sky looked up at him, a tear slipping down his cheek. "It's never gonna be okay again," he whispered. The wall dropped, and both boys fell forward, unconscious.
****
He didn't know for sure if the other man was waiting for him or not when he sat beside him at the top of the bleachers, looking over the training grounds. He didn't know what to say, either. But somehow, he needed to say something.
"So the transfer went through?" he asked finally.
Justin nodded slowly, his eyes distant. "Yeah."
Wes sighed, looking down. He wanted to apologize, say he understood, offer his condolences, and tell him not to leave all in one breath. He'd known Justin for six years now. They'd spent the last seven months as teammates almost by default, but they'd raised their children together. He'd been there the day they learned about Elizabeth's ability. He'd watched her take her first steps, bond with Sky, lectured them when they got into trouble together, and hugged them both when they were upset.
She may not have been his own daughter, but he was grieving, too.
The kidnappers had escaped that day, three months ago. The evidence they'd managed to confiscate proved that they were bounty hunters, hired by Broodwing to kidnap the children of Power Rangers with special abilities. Broodwing was planning to use them for scientific study, in hopes of reproducing their powers.
Elizabeth and Jaz had completely disappeared. All of S.P.D. had been involved in the search, from Rangers to their Squads. No one could find them. There was evidence that they had made it into a nearby town and split up, but after that the trail had gone cold.
The remaining eight children were all being seen regularly by a child psychologist, who was trying to help them work through their traumatic experience. The had learned that the extra abilities the Dino Gems had given their Rangers had been inherited by their children; under the stress of the attacks, Rhythm had produced his mother's Ptera Scream, while Melody had developed Trent's camouflage, and Hawk was still struggling to learn how to control his invisibility. Nerina had suffered a broken arm as well as dehydration; she had apparently been protecting the younger children by making sure their jailers' attention was drawn to her.
Whatever had happened during the four days they were gone had completely shattered whatever shields Bridge had managed to build. He could no longer protect himself from *any* emotions around him. It was like seeing him as a toddler all over again, and it was heartbreaking. Cam had done the best he could, but eventually, his parents had come to the decision that he needed help they couldn't provide. Rocky and Adam were taking him to see Zofren and the Order of Light. Aisha would be going with them temporarily to see Bridge safely there, and then return back to Earth, to Zack and their daughter.
T.J. and Litania had taken Keri and left Earth all together, heading for Litania's home planet Gannos and the Satra Galaxy S.P.D. T.J. had told them rather bleakly that he didn't know if it was temporary or not. Rose meanwhile, had withdrawn completely into herself, and Justin had finally put in a request to have them both transferred to S.P.D. Japan.
"How's Sky?" Justin asked suddenly.
Wes sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Depressed," he said finally. "He thinks everything that happened is his fault. He said that he was the oldest, so it was his job to protect the others. He thinks he failed them."
"Just like you," Justin remarked.
He swallowed. "Justin, I - "
Justin held up a hand, shaking his head. "I don't blame you for anything, Wes," he said quietly. "None of us knew what Broodwing was planning. It's not your fault."
There was a long silence.
"It feels like it is," he whispered finally.
Justin sighed. "I feel like it's mine, too. I feel like I failed her. Sometimes I even think Rose blames me for not getting to her in time." He shook his head again with another sigh. "That's why we've agreed to go into counseling together after we move. I don't want to lose them both over this."
I feel like I'm losing you too, Wes wanted to say, but he didn't. "I'll miss you," he said instead.
Justin glanced at him with a faint, sad smile. "I'll miss you, too."
And no matter that they promised to keep in touch, Wes couldn't shake the feeling that he had just lost a friend as well as a surrogate daughter.
-Coughs- I'm in Idaho, and I finally have a new net connection for the time being! -Dances- And I've even done massive amounts of writing for Bright Skies while I was gone, too. ^_~
Unfortunately seeing as I have to be in bed in like, half an hour so I can get up early, I'm only posting one chapter at the moment. But it's a good one, I promise. In fact, I think it's actually my favorite of all the newest chapters.
Author/: Tsukino Akume
Fandom/: Power Rangers Time Force moving into S.P.D., multiple Rangers from each seson
Characters/: Wes (Time Force), multiple Rangers from other teams (Literally too many to list)
Pairings/: Post - Wes/Eric, Rocky/Adam, Shane/Dustin, Hunter/Cam, Carter/Dana, Andros/Ashley, Zhane/Karone, Carlos/Ronny, Jason/Taylor, Conner/Ethan, Justin/Rose, Tommy/Kimberly, Tyzonn/Mack, Cassie/OC, Nick/Maddison, Zack/Aisha, Trent/Kira, Post - Billy/Cestria. Future Ryan/Carter and Billy/Hayley. More couples will most likely be mentioned, but not shown.
prompt/: #36: Missing
Rating/: T (For non - graphic mentions of people having babies and being violent with one another)
Disclaimer/: I don't own the Power Rangers, but if Disney's hiring any new writers I volunteer.
Summary/: When Wes' life starts to fall apart, an accident gives him a chance at a fresh start in Newtech City, with Space Patrol Delta. But even a new life has its ups and downs - and weird friends. Meanwhile, Eric tries to move on.
Warnings/: A mentally handicapped person living in a medical facility, angst, male and female slash, non-cemented couples (In otherwords, pairings that will be separated), children created by scientific means, character death
Author's Notes/: Once again, thanks to BlackCrimsonLight for pretty much helping me write this whole prompt. I also think Heart Carson is the result of
phantom_blue’s complaining, so I blame her even though I can‘t remember for sure.
Warning: dark topics ahead!
The atmosphere of the War Room was tense to the point of snapping, and the cafeteria staff had finally refused to serve them any more coffee. In fact, most of S.P.D. had been giving them all a wide berth. Only other Rangers stopped to poke their heads in every once in while, waiting for someone to shake their head that no, there wasn't any news, and would shake their head in return that no, the other kids were all still safe. It was mostly Zack and Andros that they saw, Andros to verify that the remaining children were still secure, and Zack hoping for news about his son as he clutched his daughter, looking exhausted.
But there was nothing to tell.
Sky Tate, Elizabeth Stewart-Ortiz, Bridge Carson, Sydney Drew, and Jaz and Keri Johnson had gone out to the park four days ago with Nerina Cranston and never returned. Three days ago, Hawking Oliver had disappeared from his parents' apartment while Kimberly was making breakfast. And then yesterday, Trent and Kira Fernandez had showed up at S.P.D. with the news that they had been attacked and their twins, Rhythm and Melody, had been kidnapped.
And Kira swore that one of the attackers had said 'Broodwing will pay good money for these brats' after dodging Rhythm's Ptera Scream.
The thought made Wes sick to his stomach. Broodwing, who had been on Aquitar as a member of Grumm's forces. He was the reason they'd adapted to using nicknames, because he'd been disturbingly fascinated by Tori's water techniques and Chip's magic, and had begun to demand to know who they were. They'd done what they could to keep their identities secret from him, but apparently it wasn't enough.
He shuddered without meaning to, and felt Justin squeeze his shoulder. He glanced up at the younger man, and saw Justin shake his head slightly. Wasn't you, he mouthed silently.
Wes just closed his eyes, because no matter what anyone said, he had lead the team on Aquitar, and he was the one who had made the decisions about how to handle Broodwing's obsession. He was the one who had not let them use names, but hadn't hidden that they were S.P.D. And there were only so many S.P.D. bases with the same amount of color-coded officers to chose from as Earth had.
The silence of the room was suddenly shattered by a single soft beeping noise.
Billy, Justin, and Rose were on their feet in seconds, each grabbing a console and frantically typing away. Everyone else had turned to watch them, tensed in anticipation. Distantly, Wes registered the sound of Rocky muttering a faint prayer.
"Got it!" Justin's excited yell was deafening, but the effect was instantaneous. Tommy and Cruger were at his side, demanding answers. Aisha clutched Kimberly, both of them anxious and pale. Adam quietly spoke into his communicator, and Zack burst through the door in moments, Heart still in his arms.
"I'm telling you, this sequence has Nerina's influence all over it," Justin insisted over the sudden noise, glaring at up at Cruger. "I spent months working with that girl, and I *know* what she's capable of. Wes, back me up here."
Wes moved over to look at the list of information streaming through the computer, along with the flashing light and digital map as if he knew what he was looking at. He nodded solemnly, trying to hold in the growing anticipation at the thought of a lead at last. "That's Nerina," he confirmed.
He didn't have the slightest clue what Justin was doing or what any of it meant. But he knew Justin, and he knew that if Justin said it was Nerina, then it was.
Justin nodded, swiftly bringing up a map over the council table for everyone to see. "This is the projected landing path for the target."
"That's the middle of nowhere," T.J. spoke up, frowning.
"The object appears to be very large," Rose commented, still frowning at her own console. "Looks like they needed the landing space."
"So what's our plan of attack?" Ryan asked bluntly.
"That is not up to any of you," Cruger said firmly. "You are all emotionally involved; I cannot allow any of you on this mission."
Kimberly was on her feet and glaring up at Cruger before anyone else could barely voice a protest. "Don't you *dare*," she hissed, eyes blazing. "That is my only son, and I am *not* going to stay behind and sit here like a good little soldier when my child is in danger!"
"Are you threatening me, Sergeant Hart?" Cruger growled at her.
"If you're trying to keep me from my baby, then you bet I am!" she snapped back.
"You're out of line, Sergeant!"
"I'm a Power Ranger, and this is Ranger business! I don't answer to you anymore!"
Tommy grabbed Kimberly's shoulders as she shouted in Cruger's face, completely ignoring the fact that he was actually snarling at her now. "These are Rangers' children, and that means it *is* Ranger business, Commander," Tommy interjected, managing to sound calm despite the underlying current of anger in his tone. "That means it's my mission, and my decision of who is involved."
Cruger stared down at them both, his scales still bristling. "Very well, Deputy Commander," he snapped. He marched toward out the door without another word, his shoulders tensed in fury.
There was a long moment after he was gone when no one said anything.
At last Kimberly glanced up at Tommy, taking a long, slow breath. "Thanks," she said simply.
"Don't ever make me do that again," he returned, kissing her cheek before turning to the rest of them. "First of all, Justin, you're sure about this information?" he asked, glancing at the man in question.
Justin shrugged. "Mostly. It's definitely a deliberate pattern, and it seems familiar. But we can't afford not to take it seriously anyway."
Tommy nodded, as if this was what he expected.
"It is a pattern," Billy interjected quietly. His eyes were distant for a moment. "It's an Aquitian lullaby."
Adam cleared his throat. "So we need a plan," he reminded them.
"Is there anyone in this room who isn't going?" Tommy asked, glancing over them all. His gaze lingered on Litania for a moment.
Her eyes narrowed in return. "Don't even think about it," she informed him shortly.
T.J. reached over to squeeze her hand, shaking his head. "Lit's gonna use one of my morphers. She won't be going in unprepared." he promised.
Zack sighed, raising his free hand as his daughter nestled against his shoulder, sucking her thumb and watching them all with wide brown eyes. "I'll stay," he volunteered. He forced a smile as Aisha looked at him in surprise. "Someone's gotta take care of Heart," he pointed out, stroking the infant's dark hair. "Just ... bring him back for me."
Trent and Kira exchanged pained glances. "We can't," Kira reminded them miserably.
"I beg to differ."
Everyone looked up in surprise as Ethan literally bounced through the doorway, Conner grinning as he trailed after his husband. "Catch," Ethan continued, tossing something to Trent and Kira.
A blue gem glittered brilliantly on the silver bracelet he wore.
Trent stared down at his own Dino Gem. "Ethan, how .... ?"
"We've been working on energizing different Power Levels for the Morpher Project," Rose spoke up. She smiled faintly for the first time in days. "The Dino Gems were one of the latest test projects. They never lost their connection to the Morphin Grid - we just had to fill up their Power Levels."
Kira looked up, tears sparkling in her eyes. "Then let's go get our babies back," she said fiercely.
****
Red Time Force froze, jerking up a hand in a gesture for everyone behind him to stop. Heart pounding, he waited for the two furry-looking creatures to pass by. At last he dropped his hand, nodding once, and moved forward again.
He wouldn't say it was probably the smartest plan they probably could have come up with. Probably not even the best. But if nothing else, it would be effective.
Checking one last time to make sure the hallway was clear, he pointed at Blue Astro, then down a separate hall. The other Ranger nodded, jerking his head for his own team to follow. Red Turbo, Pink Overdrive, and Titanium Lightspeed slipped off after him. He could see Red Turbo cracking her knuckles in anticipation of their mission - complete and utter sabotage to the ship.
Red Time Force lifted his hand again for his own team, pointing in the opposite direction of where the others had gone. The rest of the group nodded, and they moved out in silence.
An explosion sounded outside, and there was the sound of shouting from somewhere else inside of the ship. Distraction One, go, Red Time force counted to himself. If anyone could be counted on to make a lot of noise and draw attention to themselves, it was the Dino Thunder Rangers.
Before long he was forced to dive back into hiding as someone raced in the opposite direction of the explosion, shouting angrily. "How many Rangers are there on this planet?!" he heard them snarl.
More than you'll ever be able to stop, he thought fiercely, adding a swift Distraction Two, go. And that's our cue.
If he wasn't so furious at what they'd done, he might have pitied whoever was about to go up against the Mighty Morphin Rangers.
The sound of someone sobbing softly echoed through his speakers, and he froze for a moment. "Shut *up* already!" someone bellowed, and he heard a cry of fear as something crashed against a wall.
"Now!" he shouted, blood boiling.
The two furry women he'd noticed earlier screeched in alarm as they came around the corner. "Get them!" one of them shrieked.
"I don't *think*so!" Blue Wind snapped back. "Sonic Fin!"
A wave of energy knocked the pair back into a wall, pinning them there as they screamed and struggled.
"Turbo Hand Blasters!"
Red Time Force snapped his head to Blue Turbo as the women slumped to the ground unconscious, glaring at him through his helmet. "That wasn't necessary, Turbo."
The other Ranger shrugged coldly as he banished the guns. "It wasn't necessary that they take my daughter, either." he said shortly.
"Daddy ... ?"
He turned, and felt tears of relief well in his eyes. "Sky!"
The two cells were barely big enough to hold the seven children inside of them, and it was obvious they hadn't exactly been well taken care of. All of them were filthy with tear-stained faces, and it looked like Nerina was showing signs of severe dehydration.
He did a double take. Wait a minute. *Seven* children?
"Elizabeth?" Blue Turbo called, looking around anxiously. "Elizabeth?! Elizabeth, where are you?!"
"She's gone ... " Nerina wheezed.
"Star Chargers!" Yellow Turbo shouted, shattering the lock on her cell door. He moved swiftly to the next as Blue Wind rushed to help the teen.
"What do mean? Where is she?" Blue Turbo demanded.
"They told us ... " Nerina coughed, making a strange choking noise, and Blue Wind shushed her, hurriedly demorphing and summoning water to her cupped hands.
"They said you weren't comin'."
Red Time Force turned again at the soft voice, staring at his son as he clutched a shivering Bridge behind a wall of blue light. "What?"
"They said ... " Sky sniffled slightly, and his heart ached at the expression on the boy's face. "They said you tried to rescue us, but you ... that you were ... "
"I want my daddy!" Sydney burst out, starting to cry. "Where is he? Where's my daddy?!"
"He's here," Blue Overdrive assured her, crouching beside her and scooping up Keri in one arm as the two girls sobbed. "He's punishing the bad guys for what they did to you."
"They said no one was comin'," Sky continued, still gazing at his father. "So Bethie an' Jaz went to get help. They got out to find someone to help the rest of us."
"Sky?" Red Time Force said quietly, crouching down in front of the force field. "Sky, it's okay. We're here now. You can let the wall go, okay?" he coaxed.
Sky shook his head, squeezing Bridge as the other boy whimpered. "They said you were dead." he whispered.
"Where's Hawk?" Yellow Turbo asked worriedly, looking around.
"He's right here," Melody spoke up, pointing behind her. "He can't stop it."
As she spoke, there was a flicker of light, and Hawk appeared, wide-eyed and shaking. The little boy shrieked when Yellow Turbo tried to approach, and abruptly disappeared again.
"This is Tori," Blue Wind told her morpher. "Kim, Aisha, we need you here now."
"On our way."
Red Time Force demorphed, keeping his eyes on his son. "I'm right here, Sky," he said softly. "It's me. Let's go home, okay?"
Sky shuddered, shaking his head. "Bridge ... " he muttered. "I gotta protect Bridge."
"Bridge?!"
Wes glanced back as Yellow Mighty Morphin squeezed into the cell behind him, swiftly demorphing. "Bridge, it's Mama," she crooned. "Come on, Baby. Look at me."
Slowly, Bridge's head began to lift as he continued to shiver. "M-mama?" he whispered.
"That's right, Baby." There were tears in Aisha's eyes, but her voice remained steady and loving. "I'm right here."
"I ... want Mama," Bridge muttered. He jerked suddenly, his eyes going wide.
Sky hugged him tighter, petting the other boy's head. "It's okay, Bridge." he said quickly. "I'm not gonna let nobody hurt you again, I promise."
"I promise?" Bridge choked out.
"Promise," Sky agreed. His eyes were desperate as he stared out at them, rocking Bridge back and forth.
"They're trapped."
Wes jerked as Adam crouched down beside him, studying the two boys. He hadn't even seen him arrive. "Bridge can't calm down, so Sky can't put down the wall."
"But Sky can't keep it up indefinitely," Wes protested.
"I know," Adam returned, his voice deceptively quiet. His eyes were tortured as he stared at his son.
Wes paused, his mind whirling. They had to get Sky to let them get to Bridge. But they needed Bridge to calm down before Sky would even let them approach.
"What do you mean she's not here?!"
He whirled, his eyes narrowing on Pink Overdrive as she grabbed Blue Turbo by the shoulders, shaking him. "How can she not be here?!" she shouted.
"Overdrive!" Wes snapped. "Get them out of here! Get everyone else out!"
And they waited, while the six children were gathered up and carried out. He could see Kimberly with her arms around Hawk as he flickered between invisibility and back. Nerina had to be supported by Tori and her father, Tori consistently summoning more water for the girl. Keri was sobbing against Red Turbo's chest as her mother tried to demand that someone tell her where her son was.
It seemed like an eternity until only Rocky, Adam, Aisha, and himself were left with the two boys. Wes took several deep breaths, forcing himself to relax. Everything could be dealt with later; right now, Bridge and Sky needed everyone around them to be calm.
"Sky?" he tried again. "You can stop now. It's okay, I promise."
He would never forget the look on his son's face as Sky looked up at him, a tear slipping down his cheek. "It's never gonna be okay again," he whispered. The wall dropped, and both boys fell forward, unconscious.
****
He didn't know for sure if the other man was waiting for him or not when he sat beside him at the top of the bleachers, looking over the training grounds. He didn't know what to say, either. But somehow, he needed to say something.
"So the transfer went through?" he asked finally.
Justin nodded slowly, his eyes distant. "Yeah."
Wes sighed, looking down. He wanted to apologize, say he understood, offer his condolences, and tell him not to leave all in one breath. He'd known Justin for six years now. They'd spent the last seven months as teammates almost by default, but they'd raised their children together. He'd been there the day they learned about Elizabeth's ability. He'd watched her take her first steps, bond with Sky, lectured them when they got into trouble together, and hugged them both when they were upset.
She may not have been his own daughter, but he was grieving, too.
The kidnappers had escaped that day, three months ago. The evidence they'd managed to confiscate proved that they were bounty hunters, hired by Broodwing to kidnap the children of Power Rangers with special abilities. Broodwing was planning to use them for scientific study, in hopes of reproducing their powers.
Elizabeth and Jaz had completely disappeared. All of S.P.D. had been involved in the search, from Rangers to their Squads. No one could find them. There was evidence that they had made it into a nearby town and split up, but after that the trail had gone cold.
The remaining eight children were all being seen regularly by a child psychologist, who was trying to help them work through their traumatic experience. The had learned that the extra abilities the Dino Gems had given their Rangers had been inherited by their children; under the stress of the attacks, Rhythm had produced his mother's Ptera Scream, while Melody had developed Trent's camouflage, and Hawk was still struggling to learn how to control his invisibility. Nerina had suffered a broken arm as well as dehydration; she had apparently been protecting the younger children by making sure their jailers' attention was drawn to her.
Whatever had happened during the four days they were gone had completely shattered whatever shields Bridge had managed to build. He could no longer protect himself from *any* emotions around him. It was like seeing him as a toddler all over again, and it was heartbreaking. Cam had done the best he could, but eventually, his parents had come to the decision that he needed help they couldn't provide. Rocky and Adam were taking him to see Zofren and the Order of Light. Aisha would be going with them temporarily to see Bridge safely there, and then return back to Earth, to Zack and their daughter.
T.J. and Litania had taken Keri and left Earth all together, heading for Litania's home planet Gannos and the Satra Galaxy S.P.D. T.J. had told them rather bleakly that he didn't know if it was temporary or not. Rose meanwhile, had withdrawn completely into herself, and Justin had finally put in a request to have them both transferred to S.P.D. Japan.
"How's Sky?" Justin asked suddenly.
Wes sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Depressed," he said finally. "He thinks everything that happened is his fault. He said that he was the oldest, so it was his job to protect the others. He thinks he failed them."
"Just like you," Justin remarked.
He swallowed. "Justin, I - "
Justin held up a hand, shaking his head. "I don't blame you for anything, Wes," he said quietly. "None of us knew what Broodwing was planning. It's not your fault."
There was a long silence.
"It feels like it is," he whispered finally.
Justin sighed. "I feel like it's mine, too. I feel like I failed her. Sometimes I even think Rose blames me for not getting to her in time." He shook his head again with another sigh. "That's why we've agreed to go into counseling together after we move. I don't want to lose them both over this."
I feel like I'm losing you too, Wes wanted to say, but he didn't. "I'll miss you," he said instead.
Justin glanced at him with a faint, sad smile. "I'll miss you, too."
And no matter that they promised to keep in touch, Wes couldn't shake the feeling that he had just lost a friend as well as a surrogate daughter.