Bright Skies (Multi - Season Crossover/Power Rangers, prompt #90: A New Year, T)
This chapter needed a banner. So, I made one. It's a little busy, but I like it. ^_^
Author/: Tsukino Akume
Fandom/: Power Rangers Time Force moving into S.P.D., multiple Rangers from each season
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/: #90: A New Year
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 New Tech 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/: This is now the longest chapter of Bright Skies. So grab some caffeine before you sit down to read it or something.
Cannon S.P.D. is officially over, but Bright Skies still has a few more chapters to go. Enjoy, everyone!
"With both teams of S.P.D. Rangers gone, that leaves it up to us to defend this base," Kimberly informed them all. "We may have Broodwing, but no one knows what Grumm's up to now, which means we need to be prepared for anything." She looked to the center comm they'd linked up to the command center. "Kat, I need you to gather any of the S.P.D. staff who isn't on a Squad. If we're going to be setting up a base defense, we're going to need everyone willing to fight for S.P.D. Give them the choice to leave while they can, but gather as many willing to stay as you can get. We'll need them."
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Aisha, Ashley, we're going to need a mobile medical center. We won't have time to be sending people to the infirmary," she continued. "And I want Carter in it as soon as you've got everything set up until his ankle's healed."
"I'm - "
She turned a sharp glare on Carter as he started to protest. "We need you at your best, Carter. The faster you let it heal, the sooner you'll be able to help the defense."
Carter sighed, and behind him Wes could see Karone and Hayley exchanging grins. "Yes, Ma'am."
"We need to protect the main entrance, the back, and both sides, as well as the Command Center," Kimberly went on. She frowned. "Can someone give me a map?"
Billy moved to bring it up, glancing at her and shaking his head slightly as he did so. "We also have possibly entryways through the hanger and Zord bays," he reminded her.
She scowled. "Darn," she muttered, looking worried. "Seven places. We'll have to split up Mighty Morphin again." She bit her lip as she thought. After a moment she glanced at Vanessa. "You couldn't get anyone at S.P.D. Japan?" Then she paused, blinking. "When did you get a morpher?"
Wes snorted, wincing as Vanessa elbowed him sharply in the ribs. "I wasn't going to sit around being useless," she returned. "And no. I couldn't get any answer at Japan." She hesitated. "They have an automated comms down message playing."
Kimberly paled. "Which means they're probably under attack, too."
Tommy put a hand on her shoulder. "They're not helpless, Kim," he reminded her softly. "We'll just have to do what we can here."
"I have an incoming transmission," Billy commented suddenly, looking up. "It appears to be coming from an inbound ship."
She nodded. "Put it through."
Wes paused as a sudden wave of *wrong* swept over him, so strong he found himself automatically clutching his stomach.
"This is Commander Birdie of S.P.D. Galaxy Command. Sergeant Oliver." The image on the screen tilted his head politely. "We received word that S.P.D. Earth was under attack. I'm bringing you reinforcements."
"Thank goodness," someone sighed in relief.
"I'll open the hanger," he heard Billy say.
"*No*!"
He rushed forward before he'd even realized he'd been the one shouting. "Don't," he insisted. "Whatever you do, do *not* open those doors!"
Billy looked startled, and Tommy was staring at him in surprise. "Wes, what are you talking about? We need their help."
Frustrated, he turned to Kimberly, grabbing her arms in desperation. "Kim, if you've *ever* believed in me or anything I've told you at all, *don't open those doors*!" he begged.
Her eyes met his, and she nodded sharply. "I'm sorry, Commander," she told the comm as she turned. "But with our current situation, I'm afraid I'm not letting anyone into S.P.D. Newtech without a morpher."
On the screen Birdie looked startled, and most of the room was staring at her like she was crazy. "You can't be serious," Birdie protested. "We came to offer you help and you won't even allow us to land?"
"I'm sorry, Commander, but that's the way it is," she said firmly. Then she paused, her eyes narrowing. "And now that you mention it, we never had time to send out a distress signal. How did you know we needed help?"
"I - "
"And since when do you call me Sergeant?" she demanded.
Something in Birdie's face changed, twisting into a furious, dark expression. "Stupid girl," he hissed. "I knew I should have thrown you out while I had the chance! And that blind imbecile you call an instructor, too. Absolutely *worthless*!"
The base rocked wildly and without warning, sending more than one person scrambling to brace themselves.
"Earth will fall to the magnificence of Emperor Grumm, and I will take *personal* pleasure in watching you crumble at my feet!"
"Just try it, Fowl-up!" Kimberly shouted back, slamming a hand on the console to end the call. She braced herself as the room shook again, looking up at Wes as it steadied. "Thanks, Wes," she breathed.
He nodded, trying to calm his racing his heart. "Thanks for trusting me."
"Okay!" she shouted, raising her voice for everyone to hear. "Aisha, Ashley, get that medical center up and running. Carter, go with them. When they release you, join Lightspeed at the Hanger. Astro, Zeo, split the side entrances between you - I don't care who gets what, you decide. Tommy, Rocky, Adam, I want you guys back with the Zords. Use them as part of your defense if you have to. Newtech Rangers, you've got the main entrance again. Jason, Zack, Billy, and I will take the back entrance. Take any cadets or staff willing to help fight you find on your way, but keep them in the back. I don't want to lose anyone today." She paused to take a breath, her eyes determined. "Keep Fowl-up out of my base. Good luck, everyone."
"Ma'am!" everyone shouted, saluting.
As he ran for the door, helmet in hand, Wes could have sworn he heard Tommy say "Who *are* you? What happened to my wife?!"
****
"Road blocks in place?" Red Time Force asked.
"All set up," Yellow Zeo confirmed.
"Have we got everything in the parking lot in the path of anything that tries to make it into S.P.D.?"
"Every jeep that can be moved, and Sky's going to kill us if something happens to his motorcycle," Quantum Ranger returned.
"He wanted a new one anyway. C Squad is armed?"
"Armed and ready," Yellow Lightspeed assured him.
"And do they know to stay towards the back?"
"They know, but I doubt they'll do it," Blue Overdrive snorted.
Blue Turbo jogged over to join them. "Storm Blaster's all set," he announced.
Red Time Force took a deep breath, looking up with a start at sound of clanking metal. "That was faster than I hoped they'd be," he murmured. "Everyone to your positions!" he shouted. "C Squad! No heroes!"
"What about elemental attacks?" he heard Sora shout back.
He rolled his eyes beneath his helmet. "Attack however you can without leaving your position!" he called back to her.
He could hear her cheer as he grabbed his Chrono Blaster and moved to wait behind one of the S.P.D. standard jeeps for their attackers.
When he saw them, déja vu hit him hard. Yet again, a wave of endless robots marching toward him, a clear blue sky above, and no one standing behind him. I'm not alone, he reminded himself, blinking harshly. I'm not alone. My team is with me. We'll get through this.
"Wes!"
He started, turning to look at the Quantum Ranger as he crouched down behind Sky's motorcycle. "Don't forget!" the other called. He raised his left wrist, displaying his morpher.
Slowly, he smiled to himself. Somehow Eric always knew him better than he thought he did. He raised his own morpher in response, whispering "Partners," to himself.
Because he wasn't alone. His team was all around him.
He ducked the incoming blaster fire instinctively, coming around to fire back. Somewhere through the streaks of return fire, he saw bolts of crimson strike one of the Orangeheads directly in the chest, dropping it like a rock. He fought a smile at Sora's triumphant yell, aiming for a pair of Blueheads.
Storm Blaster charged through their front lines, Blue Turbo leaning out of the driver's seat to fire his Hand Blasters in tandem with the car's lasers. Some of the Krybots scattered, but he still heard the screech of metal of those that didn't. The car spun around, and suddenly they were in the middle of the battle, Krybots trying to climb all over the jeep.
"Get out of my car!" he heard Blue Turbo shout furiously.
He cursed, jumping up from his cover position and running to help, firing rapidly as he went. He holstered his Chrono Blaster as he neared them, shouting for his Chrono Sabers instead. The split second of distraction cost him a blast that knocked him to one side, rolling to his feet and slashing at the offender before moving on. He fought his way to Blue Turbo and Storm Blaster, seizing the Krybot trying to remove his friend from his seat and bodily throwing it.
He turned and ducked as an Orangehead came at him, coming up to exchange a series of sword strikes. A kick caught him in the ribs in exactly the same place as he'd already been shot, and he grunted, dropping to one knee. Throwing himself to one side, he just managed to avoid a downward stroke that could have been his last. He grabbed for his Chrono Blaster again with his free hand, firing rapidly.
It was only when the Orangehead went down and he climbed back to his feet that he realized he'd dropped one of his sabers at some point.
"Time!"
The desperate call made him look up. "Turbo?"
He couldn't see him.
There was nothing but Krybots all around him. He spun, slashing with his saber and aiming his Chrono Blaster at the same time. "Turbo?!" he called frantically.
The call didn't come again.
He swore, trying to get a look at the buildings to figure out how far he'd gotten from S.P.D. But there wasn't time - the Krybots never seemed to stop. He slashed wildly, trying to get some space between them and himself. His heart was starting to pound, and he couldn't tell if it was from adrenaline or fear anymore.
Something tackled him from behind, and he swung a wide kick, frantically struggling to get free. If he didn't get back up now, he knew instinctively he wouldn't get up again.
I refuse to go out like this! he screamed silently.
And then the Krybots on top of him were gone, and he could suddenly breathe again. He shuddered, clutching his Chrono Blaster close and hugging his ribs as he looked up. They'd taken his last saber and thrown it somewhere ... he didn't know where ....
The Red Dino Thunder Ranger was standing over him.
"*Conner*?!" he gasped, unable to believe his eyes. Oh, his ribs hurt.
"I kinda prefer Connie if you don't mind," the Ranger returned, glancing back over their shoulder as they held the Tyranno Staff out to keep the Krybots at bay. "Sounds a little more like a girl's name, y'know?"
It was then that he finally noticed this Ranger was wearing a skirt, and slightly shorter than she should have been. The way she stood was wrong ... The body shape was *definitely* wrong ....
It was Connie McKnight, he realized. Conner's niece, that his brother had named after him. Connie McKnight was the Red Dino Thunder Ranger.
"How ... " he managed.
She shrugged a shoulder. "Hey, Mel calls and tells me we have to get to S.P.D. 'cause Ry needs us, and the next thing I know, Heart's handing me a shiny red rock. I don't know anymore than that." She glanced back. "Can you stand?"
"Yeah." The Power was surging through him, numbing the pain and clearing his thoughts as he moved to stand. "This isn't your fight, Connie," he said at last as he put a hand on her shoulder, because he felt he had to. "Thank you for the help, but you don't have to stay here."
She gave him a look he could read through her helmet. "What part of 'Mel said Ry needs us' did you not here?" she retorted. "I don't care about S.P.D. I care about my family. And Dad says Uncle Conner always swore that the Fernandezes were family."
He smiled faintly. “Thank you, Connie," he said again. He turned to the Krybots in front of him. "Chrono Sabers!" he shouted, feeling them come back to his hands. He glanced at her. "Do you know how far we are from S.P.D.?"
"Does it *look* like I know Newtech City?" she demanded. "I followed the battle sounds and saw the shiny red thing fall down."
He laughed breathlessly as he glanced around at the building. Teenage Rangers were always refreshing in the middle of a fight. Wow. Third Street? How'd he get that far?
"This way," he told her finally, pointing one of his sabers. "If we can get back about two blocks that way, we'll be at S.P.D."
"That's convenient," she remarked as she swung the Tyranno Staff around. "That's where I left Mel and the others."
"Others?" he asked as he ducked a swing.
"Um ... Mel, Ry, Heart ... I think they said his name was Hawk? I'm not sure I heard right, and it wasn't like I had time to ask."
The Fernandez twins, Heart Carson, and Hawk Oliver were the Dino Thunder Rangers. He probably should have seen most of those coming. Although Heart was a little odd.
"You still have a Thundermax Saber?" he asked, banishing his Chrono Sabers and grabbing for his Blaster again.
"Uh ... yes? That's the thing on my hip, right?"
He tried not to smile. "Put it in laser mode, and shoot at anything that moves and isn't wearing a primary color."
"Got it!"
"Follow me!"
****
The two Red Rangers burst through the final line of Krybots, leaving a wake of sparking metal behind them.
The fight at S.P.D. hadn't improved any. He could see splashes of Blue, Yellow, and White among the Krybots, but not enough to get a clear look at who was still standing. Even as he watched, Omega Ranger was being overwhelmed. He tried not to wonder about what might have happened for Kat to send him away from the Command Center to help.
"Sam!" he shouted as three Orangeheads knocked the younger Ranger flying. He raced forward, trying desperately to get to him in time
And then a giant, swirling circle of light knocked him back.
Red Dino Thunder caught his shoulders, bracing him. "What is that?" she demanded.
"It looks like a time hole," he answered, staring in confusion. Hope surged. "But that would mean - "
And out of the time hole strolled a Ranger.
Dressed in silver with blue accents and gold trimming, a theme that was obviously designed to match Omega Ranger's. Her helmet made him think of a cross between a fighter pilot's helmet and a cobra. And judging by the way she stood, this new Ranger was *definitely* female.
"Time travel," he finished, trying not to show his disappointment. For just a moment ... he'd hoped that there would be more than one Ranger coming through that portal.
"Force from the future!" the new Ranger called defiantly. "S.P.D. Nova Ranger!"
A small group of Krybots charged toward her, but she calmly reached for a morpher that matched Omega's. "Electro Mode!" she shouted. "Hi-yah!" A forward thrust of her fist, and the entire group went down in a brilliant flash of light and explosions.
"Nova!"
Whatever reaction he'd been expecting from Omega at the new arrival, it wasn't for him to surge to his feet, seize her by the shoulders, and demand "What are you *doing* here?! The commander's gonna freak if he finds you gone!"
"Yeah, you're welcome for the save," she sniped back. "I've just been looking all over the *timeline* for you."
Omega sighed, his shoulders sagging. "Thank you," he said more quietly. "I'm glad you found me."
She tilted her head, reaching up to place a hand on top of one of his. "I couldn't let you stay lost, you know," she reminded him.
Red Time Force swallowed. Something about the way they looked at each other made him uncomfortable, and he didn't know why.
And then the ground shook as something large, dark, and ominous landed directly in the middle of Newtech City.
"This planet is mine!" a husky voice rang out through the air. "And none of you, shall be able to stop me!"
"Cue the giant Zord battle," Red Time Force breathed, staring up at it in horror.
"Run little people, run!" the voice laughed, as the staff in the Zord's hand began to power up. "No more Power Rangers to save you now! You will all bow down, to my magnificence!"
"Everyone get clear!" Kat's voice rang out over the loudspeaker. "I'm initiating the Delta Command Megazord!"
"We've got to get out of the way," Red Time Force shouted to Red Dino Thunder as he seized her hand. "Come on!"
She screamed as explosions went off around them, sending cars and more than one person flying through the air. He squeezed her hand tighter, dragging her after him as he ran for the shadow of a building. Once there, he yanked her close, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "It's going to be okay, Connie," he assured her as he could see her shaking. "Just calm down. Everything's going to be all right."
"How can you be sure?" she demanded, audible tears in her voice.
"Because it always has been before." He looked up, silently praying he wasn't wrong. "Because the Power Rangers have always protected Earth, and we always will."
He watched as the Delta Command Megazord fired repeatedly at the giant Zord. The Delta Command Megazord was huge, but this new Zord still towered over it. And one Megazord, with one pilot, would never be enough to take it down.
And then he saw the lasers hitting it from behind and above, as the Delta Squad and S.W.A.T. Flyer Megazords joined in the attack.
"They made it out," he breathed, relief sweeping over him. "Both Squads made it out."
"Look out!" someone shouted.
He whirled, instinctively throwing Red Dino Thunder behind him. He cried out in pain as a blast caught him straight in the chest, knocking him back into her. He heard her scream, and fought weakly to get to his feet.
He looked up to see Fowler Birdie coming towards them, sword in hand. "I'm going to enjoy this," he sneered.
There a long moment of silence as he stared up at the down-swinging sword, the gleeful look in the eyes of someone he had once thought of as his commanding officer. He had fleeting thoughts of Eric, Sky, Vanessa, and even R.J. as he waited, knowing there was no way he could possibly get up in time.
Something in Birdie's face changed. His sword suddenly dropped from his hand, clattering on the ground. And then slowly he slumped forward, falling face-down onto the pavement.
The Pink Turbo Ranger stood behind him, Wind Fire held awkwardly in one hand. "Yeah, that wasn't what I meant to do," the Ranger remarked, glancing down at it.
He stared, resisting the urge to rub his eyes. "H-*Hunter*?" he gasped out, one hand clutching at his chest.
He was leveled with a glare he could see through the visor. "Not one word," Pink Turbo warned, pointing at him. He paused, shifting Wind Fire behind him as he offered his free hand. "Can you stand?"
He tried, and cried out in pain.
"I'll take that as a no," Pink Turbo said wryly. He glanced over his head at Red Dino Thunder. "Can you help me carry him? We've gotta get him to someplace safe before one of the Zords steps on him or something."
"Does that actually happen?" she asked in alarm.
He shrugged, lifting Red Time Force up from under his arms. "I don't know. Never found out. Get his feet, would you?"
"Be nice ... " he wheezed. "Connie's ... new."
"And you should stop talking," Pink Turbo retorted. He glanced around. "If I remember right, there's a café a couple of streets that way. Let's get him over there."
He chuckled weakly at the thought. "Not Piggy's ... "
"Will he be all right?"
"He'll be fine. It's just blaster shock. Once he gets some time to rest, he'll be fine."
He smiled distantly at the sky as he felt himself being carried along. The Power was pulsing weakly through his veins, trying its best to dull the pain. The effect was something like being drunk, and right now, he welcomed it.
The ground shook badly enough that he felt himself slipping, but they caught him before he dropped. "We'd better hurry," Pink Turbo said grimly.
They weren't the only ones to find the café, which seemed to have been set up as an impromptu medical center of its own. Looking around, he found cadets scattered around, some injured, some helping take care of others. Blue Mighty Morphin seemed to be in charge of supervising the arrangements, while one of the Red Might Morphin Rangers was crouched down, dabbing water against someone's head. The rest of the Dino Thunder Rangers were there, White with her helmet removed to reveal a scowling Melody Fernandez, left leg propped up on another chair while she and her brother glared at one another. Rhythm wore the Yellow Dino Thunder uniform, but lacking the skirt, standing with his helmet tucked under one arm.
White Mighty Morphin came to meet them, doing a double-take. "Put him there," he ordered. "Does he need something, or is the Power handling it?"
"Not sure," Pink Turbo returned, shaking his head. "He's still out of it."
Chip looked up as he was placed on the ground beside him. "Time!" he greeted happily. "You're okay!"
"More or less," he told him. He glanced around, frowning to himself. "Where's the rest of the team? What happened?"
"I'm not sure," he admitted guiltily. "Last I saw, Turbo said he was taking Storm Blaster to look for any stragglers, and Lightspeed and Bo went with him," he explained.
He gave him an odd look. "Bo?"
Chip shrugged. "We already have an Overdrive," he said simply. He glanced down at his left arm, which lay limply by his side. "Oh, and I uh, apparently wasn't as well as I thought I was," he confessed. "I mean, my arm's been doing a lot better than it used to be, but the strain finally got to it, I guess."
"What about Eric?"
There was an awkward pause, and Chip wouldn't meet his gaze. "I don't know," he said at last. "I ... the last I saw him, he grabbed Sky's bike and said he was going after you."
Icy fear clutched his heart, and he tried to get up. But his body wasn't ready yet, and the Power couldn't do more to help than a faint surge of energy he couldn't do anything with. He made a pained sort of wheezing noise, and found Chip holding onto him with his good arm.
"Calm down, Time," Chip soothed. "You can't help him like this. Just lie back and wait a little longer, okay? Besides, it's Quantum. He's probably holed up somewhere cursing at the world."
He leaned against the other man, closing his eyes as he tried not to remember Eric slowly slumping to the ground amongst the blaster fire, a stunned look of pain on his face as he fell. "He ... he'll never let you call him that, you know," he managed finally, trying not to cry in frustration and worry.
"He's a Newtech Ranger. He doesn't get a choice," Chip reminded, helping him lie down again.
It was hard to say how long he lay there, staring up at the sky. No one removed his helmet, knowing the Power would heal him faster if he was morphed. Around him he could hear people moving, some in pain, some whispering words of reassurance. After awhile he closed his eyes, resisting the urge to yank his helmet off and press his hands against his face because this was not Aquitar.
They would be fine. B Squad was strong, and now they had A Squad to fight beside them. They weren't going to lose. This wasn't the end of Earth, not by a long shot.
"It's down!" someone shouted at last, and he looked to see what they were talking about. "The Zord is down! The Rangers took it out!"
A wild cheer went up.
"We'd better get everyone back to the base," Blue Mighty Morphin spoke up, looking around.
White Mighty Morphin nodded. "Everyone who can stand on their own, grab someone who needs help!" he ordered. "Let's get everyone up and out of here!"
Chip looked at him, squinting for a moment. "I think your eyes are clearer," he declared. "How do you feel?"
He took stock of himself, trying to move arms and legs. The ache in his chest had only dulled, but he determinedly pulled his feet under him. The Power surged again, and he looked up. "I'll be fine," he promised.
"Then you're a fantastic liar," Chip informed him. "'Cause you still look awful."
He grinned faintly, patting his friend's shoulder. "I'll be all right, Chip. Can you morph?"
"I'm a Newtech Ranger, of course I can," he retorted, but his smile was wry. Because Newtech Rangers had a higher pain tolerance - something the first group of them had developed while fighting on Aquitar. Because there were times you didn't have the option to rest for a moment, and this was one of them.
It was harder than he wanted to think about to keep his feet under him when Chip stepped away, but he tried not to make it obvious.
"It's Morphin Time!" Chip called, moving his arms in a bizarre series of movements that made Red Time Force wonder what they were for. "Zeo Ranger II, Yellow!"
His eyes narrowed as his teammate stumbled slightly the moment the yellow lights faded. He didn't call attention to it though, only moving closer to him. "Be careful with that arm," he murmured, too low for anyone to hear.
"Try not to get hit again," Yellow Zeo returned playfully, but there was an undercurrent of pain in his voice.
They moved to the front to keep an eye out for enemies, because while they could move, they both knew neither of them was strong enough to support anyone else. Red Time Force thought he saw White Mighty Morphin staring at him, but the other Ranger didn't say anything.
He pulled his Chrono Blaster and moved slowly through the streets, keeping Yellow Zeo in his line of sight. The sound of fighting reached his ears once again, and he held up a hand for everyone behind them to stop. Glancing at his teammate, he pointed, gesturing for him to investigate.
There were several minutes of waiting, heart pounding as he waited for Yellow Zeo to tell them what was going on. Pink Turbo had moved up to take Yellow Zeo's place, aiming his Turbo Wind Fire with the awkwardness of someone who was still trying to figure out how to use it.
And then Yellow Zeo came running back to them. "The fight's not over yet," he gasped, chest heaving. "We'll have to leave the injured here. There's Krybots everywhere, Kim's going head-to-head with Birdie, and Cruger's fighting Grumm. They need our help!"
"How many Krybots *are* there?!" one of the cadets shouted in frustration. "All we've been doing is blowing up Krybots and they're *still coming*!"
"Someone must have left the cloning machine on again," Red Mighty Morphin quipped, and he knew instantly it was Rocky.
"Cadets, stay here," White Mighty Morphin ordered. "Rangers, with me. Let's go give them a hand."
"Yes, Sir!"
The front of S.P.D. was a mess. Broken cement and fallen pieces of building were everywhere, and more than one overturned car blocked their path. Krybots were still circling a group of Rangers, and the Pink Might Morphin Ranger was fighting with Birdie just as Yellow Zeo had said, using a sword that he had no idea where she'd gotten. In the distance, the Shadow Ranger and Emperor Grumm exchanged furious sword blows of their own.
He fired rapidly, clearing the way, and swiftly changed back to his Chrono Sabers as Yellow Zeo charged ahead of him. He whirled away from a Bluehead, stumbled into a regular Krybot, and ducked just in time for them to destroy each other. Rolling to his feet, he slashed randomly at any Krybot that got in his way, more focused on getting to the Rangers than actually destroying any of them.
The last Krybot in his way stumbled back, and he found himself turning to just in time to see the A Squad Red and B Squad Blue Rangers literally threw a pair of Orangeheads into one another. "Still solving your problems with fighting, you two?" he gasped out, grinning beneath his helmet.
"Very funny, Dad," B Squad Blue retorted.
"Nice to know you haven't lost your sense of humor, Sergeant Collins," A Squad Red added sarcastically.
"Electro Mode!"
He turned in surprise as a crowd of Krybots went down in a heap of bright light and sparking electronics. Behind them, Omega and Nova stood back to back, each with a fist glowing brilliantly. "Another one down," Omega quipped.
"And another thirty to go," Nova said wryly.
"The Lights of Orion!" Red Time Force shouted abruptly, frightening the Krybot he was fighting against into taking several steps back. He pointed one of his Chrono Sabers at the two S.P.D. Rangers in excitement. "*That's* what that reminds me of! That's been driving me nuts for months!"
The Krybot stared, and he slashed it absently across the chest, turning to meet another.
"Good to see you haven't changed much, Sir," A Squad Blue spoke up from his other side.
He glanced at the other Ranger as B Squad Blue swung another Krybot wide, spinning around to end up back to back with his former mentor. "If I didn't know you Sara, I'd almost think that was a compliment," he teased.
"Good thing you know me then, Sir," A Squad Blue returned, nodding to him before dropping to one knee to fire rapidly at another Orange head. B Squad Blue stood behind him, firing a spray of blaster fire around them.
The two S.P.D. Ranger teams seemed to be doing most of the work in finishing off the Krybots. Between the ten Delta Enforcers and Omega and Nova's Electro Mode, there was nothing but pile after pile of robotic parts. The remaining Rangers cleaned up what managed to get through, and before long he realized he was looking around for something to fight and coming up blank.
A loud clang made him spin around just in time to see Grumm on his knees, Shadow Ranger standing over him with sword held ready. The shattered pieces of Grumm's staff lay around him as he stared up at the Ranger.
A deathly still settled over the area.
"Show me no mercy, Cruger," Grumm demanded weakly. "No mercy!"
Shadow Ranger struck, and everyone stared as Grumm's single horn went flying. Grumm howled in fury and pain, clutching at his head.
"Now they match," Shadow informed him flatly, holding out his morpher. "Confinement Mode!"
There was a long silence as Shadow Ranger powered down, kneeling to pick something up off the pavement. Cruger stared at the card for a moment. At last he raised his head, holding the card high. "Justice is served!" he shouted.
A rugged cheer went through them all, everyone too exhausted to summon the energy for much enthusiasm.
"Power down," Red Time Force murmured, trying not to stumble as the Power faded. He reached up to run his fingers through sweat-soaked hair, taking several deep breaths. It was over. Grumm was gone.
Grumm was gone.
Automatically he took stock of everyone around him. Both B Squad and A Squad were accounted for, gathered in pairs of Color in various parts of the area. He smiled as Syd and Ran exchanged hugs, while James said something that made Z laugh and punch him in the shoulder. Bridge was talking eagerly to a rather bemused Michael. Sara and Sky were looking for more intruders as if they couldn't quite believe they were all gone, and Jack and Charlie seemed to be engaged in a heated debate. He watched them warily for a moment, but neither one actually moved to hit the other, so he continued looking around.
Tommy was running to Kimberly, sweeping her up in a hug and spinning her around as she laughed more openly than he'd seen her do in months. The moment he set her down, she was yanking him towards her for a passionate kiss, arms thrown tightly around his neck. In one hand, she clutched a tiny silver card.
Rocky and Billy had their hands clasped as they celebrated, exchanging weary grins before going to greet Tommy and Kimberly as well. C Squad and the Dino Thunder Rangers emerged from up the street, Yellow Dino Thunder carrying White on his back. Much as with everyone else, the teens were tired, but relieved.
He saw Hunter stopping to talk to Tommy, Dana ranting at Chip as he sat on the ground looking sheepish. Justin was leaning against Storm Blaster as Cassie tried to hug the breath out of him and Ko-lin tried fruitlessly to pry her off. Carlos standing beside them, shaking his head and wincing at the overturned car lying a few feet away. Taylor had perched on Storm Blaster's bumper, and was leaning over to talk to Vanessa in the back, who seemed to have something covering her eyes.
But no matter how far he looked, still couldn't find the person he was looking for.
"Let's get everyone inside!" Kimberly called over the din as she came towards them, Tommy's arm around her waist as she held Billy's hand with free one. "I want everybody with an injury in the infirmary, and if you're not injured you should be taking someone else there!" She stepped away from her teammates turned to glare at Cruger as she approached him. "You," she said flatly, poking her finger into his chest, "Scared ten years off my life. Don't do it again."
"My apologies," Cruger returned, looking amused.
She reached up to hug him, forcing him to lean over and nearly engulf her in return. When they separated, she turned with a playful smile tugging at her mouth and hands on her hips. "Did I or did I not just give an order? Let's get moving everyone!"
****
It seemed like hours had passed before he was finally cleared from the infirmary. He told Chip to stay there and relax for awhile, got yelled at by Taylor and Vanessa, the latter of the two immediately hugging him and refusing to let go. He found Sky and the rest of the two Squads, fussed and was fussed over. Then there was cleanup, removing the rubble from the outside of S.P.D. and trying to clean up the mess inside. He ran into Justin outside, who was trying to fix up Storm Blaster, and was yelled at again for disappearing on them.
The work took long enough that by the time the announcement came over the loudspeakers for everyone to meet in the hanger, he'd barely noticed it was getting dark.
The hanger was full of S.P.D. staff and cadets, some bandaged, some not. Everyone had arranged themselves by Squad, department, or Ranger team, and he absently swept his gaze over them all as he took his place among the Newtech Rangers. The hanger was still battered, but intact, much like the rest of S.P.D.
Somehow, he wished he could find the will to care more.
"Today, Earth can celebrate," Cruger began as he stood before them all. Tommy, Kimberly, and Hunter on either side of him, while the rest of the room remained at attention. "We have our greatest enemy in containment, held in a place where he will not be released again. Where that place is, only a select few know, to keep our planet and our galaxies safe.
"This battle has been S.P.D. Earth's finest hour. I cannot say how proud I am of each and every one of you. When things were at their worst, you rose to the occasion most admirably. S.P.D. Newtech still stands today because of your determination and integrity.
"Unfortunately, this battle has not also been without loss. While we have defeated Emperor Grumm at last, we have learned that his reach has stretched farther than we could ever have imagined - even to S.P.D. itself. Fowler Birdie and several members of his staff have been arrested, leaving Galaxy Command without leadership. As a result, I have been offered the position of Supreme Commander of Galaxy Command."
Cries of protest rang out from the crowd.
"Quiet!" Cruger bellowed. He waited as they begrudgingly complied, and when he spoke again it was gentle. "I am grateful for your loyalty." He paused, his eyes sweeping over the Rangers before moving to the three at his side. "And your friendship. I have learned much from S.P.D. Earth. Galaxy Command needs someone with the knowledge and determination to restore S.P.D. to its former glory and integrity. On that need alone, I have decided to accept the position. But rest assured, I will *always* consider Earth to be my home."
He cleared his throat. "As a result of my new position, I have decided to promote Deputy Commander Thomas Oliver to Commander of S.P.D. Newtech. In addition, I am promoting Sergeant Kimberly Oliver to Deputy Commander, as well as Ranger Commander."
Beside him, Kimberly was glaring with a look that clearly said she wanted to kick him in the shin.
"This is a new day for S.P.D., a new year. We find ourselves surrounded by new friends," He gestured to the Dino Thunder Rangers, "And the return of old ones." His hand moved to include A Squad, and even from where he was standing Wes could see Charlie swallow hard. "We must work hard, all of us together, to keep the organization of S.P.D. at the honorable standards S.P.D. Earth has show us all today."
He looked like he was going to say something else, but Hunter suddenly stepped forward, raising a hand. "S.P.D. may have a new year ahead of us, but some things should never be left in the past," he informed them. "I got word just a little while ago that S.P.D. Japan's rescue team brought home a group of refugees they rescued from one of Grumm's slave ships. I think it's time those refugees got a proper welcome home, don't you?"
There was a murmur of confusion among the staff, and then Hunter pointed.
Standing at the top of the stairs behind them, Rose Ortiz stood beside what could only be a female Syrian. She looked tired and her scales were dull, but she carried herself with a grace that spoke of a woman who had suffered, and survived. And she looked out over them all, and called "Doggie!"
Cruger looked completely stunned. He actually glanced at Hunter for a moment, who reached out to pat his arm reassuringly. Then he looked up, shouting "Isinia!" with a note of joy Wes had never heard him use before, bolting through the crowd and up the stairs to her side.
And then there was Justin was shouting for Rose, running forward to catch her in his arms as she ran down the stairs. They kissed passionately, breaking apart only as Z joined them, allowing mother and daughter to embrace for the first time in years. He could see Cassie crying as she hugged Ran, Ko-lin hovering over them both protectively. Ryan had Dana in a bear hug that lifted her off her feet as she laughed, and Carter was squeezing Syd against his side as she chattered excitedly. Carlos coming to see T.J. and Litania, who stood with *both* of their children, and Jack didn't even protest when his dad wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Hunter being teased by Blake, Shane, and Dustin as he glared at them, Nerina hugging Billy with a complete lack of her usual reservation.
S.P.D. was safe, together, and reunited. It *was* a new day. A day that shouldn't have left Wes fighting tears.
"Okay, *what* did I miss?"
He froze as the voice came from behind him. "Eric?" he whispered, scarcely daring to breathe.
"Eric!" he heard Sky shout, and he turned as his son ran to attack his step-father in a hug, something he rarely did in public. "Where have you *been*?!" the teen demanded sharply.
"Lost," came the retort as Eric scowled at him. "I found Broodwing's hideout and finally got rid of all those darn Krybots. Apparently he left a general in charge of making more when he raided S.P.D. Took forever to destroy all the machinery. And then I had to *walk* back to S.P.D., because I crashed the bike and it's not exactly easy to fly the Eagle with a concussion."
"You have a morpher. You could have called," Vanessa spoke up, pushing in to hug him herself. She glared. "And when Aisha clears you for head injuries, I am *so* beating the crud out of you." Then she groaned. "I *hate* this censoring thing!"
"You're the one who grabbed the morpher," Eric reminded her, smirking.
"Did you just say you crashed my bike?" Sky demanded.
And then he was looking at *him*, and Wes couldn't move, couldn't speak. He'd honestly thought ... Begun to believe ... That Eric ....
He ran, grabbing his husband and seizing him in a hug so tight his arms hurt, and he could hear Eric's pained grunt. He kissed him until he ran out of air, pulling away to stare into his eyes. "You're alive ... " he murmured, tears prickling in his eyes. "You're alive."
And then he stepped back, and socked Eric in the jaw.
"*Ow*!"
He glared at him. "Don't *ever* do that do me again!" he shouted at him. "Do you have any idea what it's like to have to go through this *twice*?! Darn it Eric, stop trying to get yourself destroyed!"
Eric glared right back. "I am *not* trying to - "
"Wow," someone spoke up. "It's kinda creepy that you do that even now."
He turned instinctively to find Nova Ranger watching them, head tilted curiously. "Sorry?" he managed, trying to rein in his temper for the sake of someone who wasn't Eric.
She shrugged. "It's just weird, you know? That even back then - now, I mean, you still acted like this. I always thought it was old age or something."
"Who *are* you?" Eric demanded, looking at her warily.
"Huh? Oh, that's right! We haven't met yet. Power down!" she announced cheerfully.
Nova was about average height, with blond hair trailing past her shoulders, a mischievous smirk, and brown eyes that sparkled. She folded her arms, still smirking, and it was hard not to stare. "You can call me Nova, since I'm technically not supposed to tell you my name," she informed them. The smirk turned into a grin. "The commander would kill me."
She looked like Eric, Wes realized. She had his smirk, his jawline, and his brown eyes. The blond hair was the same shade as ...
"You ... " Sky stared at her. "You look just like Eric."
She giggled. "Yeah, I get that a lot," she admitted, tossing her hair.
"Nova!"
Omega Ranger was suddenly standing behind her, arms thrown up in exasperation. "What are you *doing*?" he demanded. "You're not supposed to tell anyone about their future!"
She shrugged a shoulder. "It doesn't matter anyway. They always said they decided after they defeated Broodwing, and that already happened. So seeing me isn't going to change anything."
"Nova ... " he groaned.
"Oh!" She brightened. "That reminds me. Br - uh, someone told me to give you this." She seized Omega's left arm, did something to his morpher that made it flash brilliantly, and suddenly they found themselves staring at a young man.
Sam definitely looked like his father, and he hadn't lost any of his freckles. Judging by the look of him, he was a couple of years older then the rest of B Squad - maybe early twenties. The only odd thing was his hair, which had gone from red to blond.
"What happened to your hair?" Sky asked, giving him an odd look.
Sam blinked up at him, then for some reason, flushed guiltily. "Um, well ... Would you believe it was a slight magical malfunction?"
"He was trying disguise spells and he permanently bleached it by accident," Nova informed them, snickering.
He glared at her. "Thanks, Nova."
"Anytime!" she returned perkily. She glanced around. "Now, not that I'm enjoying the weirdness of S.P.D. fifteen years ago, but isn't it about time we headed home? I mean, the guys might be a little upset we've been gone for so long."
He stared. "You didn't tell them you were coming after me?"
"And have someone tell me no? Are you kidding me?"
He groaned, rubbing his forehead. "I am so dead when we get back."
"At least you can finally get that shower," Sky told him, smirking.
Wes blinked at his son for a moment. He looked like Nova when he smirked. Or she looked like him. That was kinda creepy.
"I'm holding you to that," Sam muttered. He looked at Nova. "You have the portal key, I take it?"
She held up a device that looked sort of like a TV remote. "Never leave your own time without one!" she answered cheerfully.
Sam glanced at her and shook his head, but something about it was oddly fond. "I missed you, Nova," he chuckled.
"Hang on a second," Sky protested. "Z will kill me if let you leave without telling her." He raised his morpher. "Guys. Sam and Nova are heading home. We're over by landing pad three - hurry."
Within moments Z was running over to them. "Don't you even think of leaving without saying goodbye!" she ordered, flinging her arms around Sam and hugging him tight. There was a pause, and she stepped back with a frown. "Hey, you demorphed. When did that happen?"
Eric and Sky snickered as the rest of B Squad came to join them. "Sam! You're human again!" Bridge remarked in surprise. He paused. "Well, that's not to say that you weren't human before. It's just that - "
"Bridge," Sky interrupted with a sigh.
"Sorry."
For some reason, that made Nova giggle, and Sam elbowed her with a warning look.
"Thank you, Sam," Jack spoke up, stepping forward to shaking his hand. "Thanks for everything."
Sam accepted it with a smile. "You guys make it sound like I didn't have something to gain from this," he teased.
"Goodbye, Sam," Syd said wistfully as she moved to hug him. Automatically she turned to Nova and blinked. "Hi. I don't think I know you."
"Not yet," Nova told her, giggling again. "I'm Nova." She jerked a thumb at Sam. "I'm here to take him home."
"Oh." Syd blinked again, shrugged, and hugged the other girl anyway. "Thanks for your help."
When Bridge went to shake their hands, he stared at Nova for a moment. "Oh, wow. You're - Hi."
She giggled and hugged him. "Hi, Bridge."
And then to everyone's surprise, she turned and hugged Sky. "See you soon," she told him, giving a sweet smile.
He hesitated, then hugged her back carefully. "You ... you really are, aren't you?" he asked finally.
"I'm not supposed to tell you that," she reminded him, but her smile didn't fade as she stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "Later, Sky."
"Bye, Nova," he told her quietly, giving a faint smile back.
She went on hugged a startled Vanessa as Sam and Sky looked at one another. "Thanks for making my life miserable," Sky said abruptly, ignoring the way everyone stared at him for it.
Sam grinned, looking completely unrepentant. "It's not my fault - you told me to."
Sky rolled his eyes, moving to shake his hand. And then he suddenly yanked Sam close, muttering something in his ear. Sam's eyes went wide, and he looked uncomfortable when he stepped back. "Yes, Sir," he mumbled.
"You wouldn't be planning to leave without saying goodbye to *me*, now would you Sam?"
The young man turned, smiling at Cruger. "Of course not, Sir." He saluted. "It's been an honor to work with you, Commander Cruger."
Cruger reached out to put his hand on Sam's shoulder, his free hand still clasped with Isinia's as she stood behind him. "It has been my honor as well, Sam," he said solemnly. "Have a safe journey home, you two."
"Yes, Sir," he and Nova chorused.
"Sam," Kat called, her smile warm as she approached. She gave him a hug, stepping back to look at him. "Thank you," she said simply.
"No problem, Kat."
"Stand back everybody," Nova warned as she lifted her remote, pressing a series of buttons. Another glowing circle of light appeared in front of them.
"That's our ride home," Sam sighed. For some reason, he didn't sound entirely happy about it. But when he glanced back at them all, it was with a smile. "Goodbye, everyone. And thank you, for making our future safe."
"Later!" Nova called cheerfully.
"Goodbye, Sam. See ya in fifteen years," Z said softly, her smile sad.
"I'll be there, Z," he promised. "Let's go, Nova. Goodbye, my friends."
There was a burst of light as they walked through the portal, and they were gone.
Author/: Tsukino Akume
Fandom/: Power Rangers Time Force moving into S.P.D., multiple Rangers from each season
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/: #90: A New Year
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 New Tech 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/: This is now the longest chapter of Bright Skies. So grab some caffeine before you sit down to read it or something.
Cannon S.P.D. is officially over, but Bright Skies still has a few more chapters to go. Enjoy, everyone!
"With both teams of S.P.D. Rangers gone, that leaves it up to us to defend this base," Kimberly informed them all. "We may have Broodwing, but no one knows what Grumm's up to now, which means we need to be prepared for anything." She looked to the center comm they'd linked up to the command center. "Kat, I need you to gather any of the S.P.D. staff who isn't on a Squad. If we're going to be setting up a base defense, we're going to need everyone willing to fight for S.P.D. Give them the choice to leave while they can, but gather as many willing to stay as you can get. We'll need them."
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Aisha, Ashley, we're going to need a mobile medical center. We won't have time to be sending people to the infirmary," she continued. "And I want Carter in it as soon as you've got everything set up until his ankle's healed."
"I'm - "
She turned a sharp glare on Carter as he started to protest. "We need you at your best, Carter. The faster you let it heal, the sooner you'll be able to help the defense."
Carter sighed, and behind him Wes could see Karone and Hayley exchanging grins. "Yes, Ma'am."
"We need to protect the main entrance, the back, and both sides, as well as the Command Center," Kimberly went on. She frowned. "Can someone give me a map?"
Billy moved to bring it up, glancing at her and shaking his head slightly as he did so. "We also have possibly entryways through the hanger and Zord bays," he reminded her.
She scowled. "Darn," she muttered, looking worried. "Seven places. We'll have to split up Mighty Morphin again." She bit her lip as she thought. After a moment she glanced at Vanessa. "You couldn't get anyone at S.P.D. Japan?" Then she paused, blinking. "When did you get a morpher?"
Wes snorted, wincing as Vanessa elbowed him sharply in the ribs. "I wasn't going to sit around being useless," she returned. "And no. I couldn't get any answer at Japan." She hesitated. "They have an automated comms down message playing."
Kimberly paled. "Which means they're probably under attack, too."
Tommy put a hand on her shoulder. "They're not helpless, Kim," he reminded her softly. "We'll just have to do what we can here."
"I have an incoming transmission," Billy commented suddenly, looking up. "It appears to be coming from an inbound ship."
She nodded. "Put it through."
Wes paused as a sudden wave of *wrong* swept over him, so strong he found himself automatically clutching his stomach.
"This is Commander Birdie of S.P.D. Galaxy Command. Sergeant Oliver." The image on the screen tilted his head politely. "We received word that S.P.D. Earth was under attack. I'm bringing you reinforcements."
"Thank goodness," someone sighed in relief.
"I'll open the hanger," he heard Billy say.
"*No*!"
He rushed forward before he'd even realized he'd been the one shouting. "Don't," he insisted. "Whatever you do, do *not* open those doors!"
Billy looked startled, and Tommy was staring at him in surprise. "Wes, what are you talking about? We need their help."
Frustrated, he turned to Kimberly, grabbing her arms in desperation. "Kim, if you've *ever* believed in me or anything I've told you at all, *don't open those doors*!" he begged.
Her eyes met his, and she nodded sharply. "I'm sorry, Commander," she told the comm as she turned. "But with our current situation, I'm afraid I'm not letting anyone into S.P.D. Newtech without a morpher."
On the screen Birdie looked startled, and most of the room was staring at her like she was crazy. "You can't be serious," Birdie protested. "We came to offer you help and you won't even allow us to land?"
"I'm sorry, Commander, but that's the way it is," she said firmly. Then she paused, her eyes narrowing. "And now that you mention it, we never had time to send out a distress signal. How did you know we needed help?"
"I - "
"And since when do you call me Sergeant?" she demanded.
Something in Birdie's face changed, twisting into a furious, dark expression. "Stupid girl," he hissed. "I knew I should have thrown you out while I had the chance! And that blind imbecile you call an instructor, too. Absolutely *worthless*!"
The base rocked wildly and without warning, sending more than one person scrambling to brace themselves.
"Earth will fall to the magnificence of Emperor Grumm, and I will take *personal* pleasure in watching you crumble at my feet!"
"Just try it, Fowl-up!" Kimberly shouted back, slamming a hand on the console to end the call. She braced herself as the room shook again, looking up at Wes as it steadied. "Thanks, Wes," she breathed.
He nodded, trying to calm his racing his heart. "Thanks for trusting me."
"Okay!" she shouted, raising her voice for everyone to hear. "Aisha, Ashley, get that medical center up and running. Carter, go with them. When they release you, join Lightspeed at the Hanger. Astro, Zeo, split the side entrances between you - I don't care who gets what, you decide. Tommy, Rocky, Adam, I want you guys back with the Zords. Use them as part of your defense if you have to. Newtech Rangers, you've got the main entrance again. Jason, Zack, Billy, and I will take the back entrance. Take any cadets or staff willing to help fight you find on your way, but keep them in the back. I don't want to lose anyone today." She paused to take a breath, her eyes determined. "Keep Fowl-up out of my base. Good luck, everyone."
"Ma'am!" everyone shouted, saluting.
As he ran for the door, helmet in hand, Wes could have sworn he heard Tommy say "Who *are* you? What happened to my wife?!"
****
"Road blocks in place?" Red Time Force asked.
"All set up," Yellow Zeo confirmed.
"Have we got everything in the parking lot in the path of anything that tries to make it into S.P.D.?"
"Every jeep that can be moved, and Sky's going to kill us if something happens to his motorcycle," Quantum Ranger returned.
"He wanted a new one anyway. C Squad is armed?"
"Armed and ready," Yellow Lightspeed assured him.
"And do they know to stay towards the back?"
"They know, but I doubt they'll do it," Blue Overdrive snorted.
Blue Turbo jogged over to join them. "Storm Blaster's all set," he announced.
Red Time Force took a deep breath, looking up with a start at sound of clanking metal. "That was faster than I hoped they'd be," he murmured. "Everyone to your positions!" he shouted. "C Squad! No heroes!"
"What about elemental attacks?" he heard Sora shout back.
He rolled his eyes beneath his helmet. "Attack however you can without leaving your position!" he called back to her.
He could hear her cheer as he grabbed his Chrono Blaster and moved to wait behind one of the S.P.D. standard jeeps for their attackers.
When he saw them, déja vu hit him hard. Yet again, a wave of endless robots marching toward him, a clear blue sky above, and no one standing behind him. I'm not alone, he reminded himself, blinking harshly. I'm not alone. My team is with me. We'll get through this.
"Wes!"
He started, turning to look at the Quantum Ranger as he crouched down behind Sky's motorcycle. "Don't forget!" the other called. He raised his left wrist, displaying his morpher.
Slowly, he smiled to himself. Somehow Eric always knew him better than he thought he did. He raised his own morpher in response, whispering "Partners," to himself.
Because he wasn't alone. His team was all around him.
He ducked the incoming blaster fire instinctively, coming around to fire back. Somewhere through the streaks of return fire, he saw bolts of crimson strike one of the Orangeheads directly in the chest, dropping it like a rock. He fought a smile at Sora's triumphant yell, aiming for a pair of Blueheads.
Storm Blaster charged through their front lines, Blue Turbo leaning out of the driver's seat to fire his Hand Blasters in tandem with the car's lasers. Some of the Krybots scattered, but he still heard the screech of metal of those that didn't. The car spun around, and suddenly they were in the middle of the battle, Krybots trying to climb all over the jeep.
"Get out of my car!" he heard Blue Turbo shout furiously.
He cursed, jumping up from his cover position and running to help, firing rapidly as he went. He holstered his Chrono Blaster as he neared them, shouting for his Chrono Sabers instead. The split second of distraction cost him a blast that knocked him to one side, rolling to his feet and slashing at the offender before moving on. He fought his way to Blue Turbo and Storm Blaster, seizing the Krybot trying to remove his friend from his seat and bodily throwing it.
He turned and ducked as an Orangehead came at him, coming up to exchange a series of sword strikes. A kick caught him in the ribs in exactly the same place as he'd already been shot, and he grunted, dropping to one knee. Throwing himself to one side, he just managed to avoid a downward stroke that could have been his last. He grabbed for his Chrono Blaster again with his free hand, firing rapidly.
It was only when the Orangehead went down and he climbed back to his feet that he realized he'd dropped one of his sabers at some point.
"Time!"
The desperate call made him look up. "Turbo?"
He couldn't see him.
There was nothing but Krybots all around him. He spun, slashing with his saber and aiming his Chrono Blaster at the same time. "Turbo?!" he called frantically.
The call didn't come again.
He swore, trying to get a look at the buildings to figure out how far he'd gotten from S.P.D. But there wasn't time - the Krybots never seemed to stop. He slashed wildly, trying to get some space between them and himself. His heart was starting to pound, and he couldn't tell if it was from adrenaline or fear anymore.
Something tackled him from behind, and he swung a wide kick, frantically struggling to get free. If he didn't get back up now, he knew instinctively he wouldn't get up again.
I refuse to go out like this! he screamed silently.
And then the Krybots on top of him were gone, and he could suddenly breathe again. He shuddered, clutching his Chrono Blaster close and hugging his ribs as he looked up. They'd taken his last saber and thrown it somewhere ... he didn't know where ....
The Red Dino Thunder Ranger was standing over him.
"*Conner*?!" he gasped, unable to believe his eyes. Oh, his ribs hurt.
"I kinda prefer Connie if you don't mind," the Ranger returned, glancing back over their shoulder as they held the Tyranno Staff out to keep the Krybots at bay. "Sounds a little more like a girl's name, y'know?"
It was then that he finally noticed this Ranger was wearing a skirt, and slightly shorter than she should have been. The way she stood was wrong ... The body shape was *definitely* wrong ....
It was Connie McKnight, he realized. Conner's niece, that his brother had named after him. Connie McKnight was the Red Dino Thunder Ranger.
"How ... " he managed.
She shrugged a shoulder. "Hey, Mel calls and tells me we have to get to S.P.D. 'cause Ry needs us, and the next thing I know, Heart's handing me a shiny red rock. I don't know anymore than that." She glanced back. "Can you stand?"
"Yeah." The Power was surging through him, numbing the pain and clearing his thoughts as he moved to stand. "This isn't your fight, Connie," he said at last as he put a hand on her shoulder, because he felt he had to. "Thank you for the help, but you don't have to stay here."
She gave him a look he could read through her helmet. "What part of 'Mel said Ry needs us' did you not here?" she retorted. "I don't care about S.P.D. I care about my family. And Dad says Uncle Conner always swore that the Fernandezes were family."
He smiled faintly. “Thank you, Connie," he said again. He turned to the Krybots in front of him. "Chrono Sabers!" he shouted, feeling them come back to his hands. He glanced at her. "Do you know how far we are from S.P.D.?"
"Does it *look* like I know Newtech City?" she demanded. "I followed the battle sounds and saw the shiny red thing fall down."
He laughed breathlessly as he glanced around at the building. Teenage Rangers were always refreshing in the middle of a fight. Wow. Third Street? How'd he get that far?
"This way," he told her finally, pointing one of his sabers. "If we can get back about two blocks that way, we'll be at S.P.D."
"That's convenient," she remarked as she swung the Tyranno Staff around. "That's where I left Mel and the others."
"Others?" he asked as he ducked a swing.
"Um ... Mel, Ry, Heart ... I think they said his name was Hawk? I'm not sure I heard right, and it wasn't like I had time to ask."
The Fernandez twins, Heart Carson, and Hawk Oliver were the Dino Thunder Rangers. He probably should have seen most of those coming. Although Heart was a little odd.
"You still have a Thundermax Saber?" he asked, banishing his Chrono Sabers and grabbing for his Blaster again.
"Uh ... yes? That's the thing on my hip, right?"
He tried not to smile. "Put it in laser mode, and shoot at anything that moves and isn't wearing a primary color."
"Got it!"
"Follow me!"
****
The two Red Rangers burst through the final line of Krybots, leaving a wake of sparking metal behind them.
The fight at S.P.D. hadn't improved any. He could see splashes of Blue, Yellow, and White among the Krybots, but not enough to get a clear look at who was still standing. Even as he watched, Omega Ranger was being overwhelmed. He tried not to wonder about what might have happened for Kat to send him away from the Command Center to help.
"Sam!" he shouted as three Orangeheads knocked the younger Ranger flying. He raced forward, trying desperately to get to him in time
And then a giant, swirling circle of light knocked him back.
Red Dino Thunder caught his shoulders, bracing him. "What is that?" she demanded.
"It looks like a time hole," he answered, staring in confusion. Hope surged. "But that would mean - "
And out of the time hole strolled a Ranger.
Dressed in silver with blue accents and gold trimming, a theme that was obviously designed to match Omega Ranger's. Her helmet made him think of a cross between a fighter pilot's helmet and a cobra. And judging by the way she stood, this new Ranger was *definitely* female.
"Time travel," he finished, trying not to show his disappointment. For just a moment ... he'd hoped that there would be more than one Ranger coming through that portal.
"Force from the future!" the new Ranger called defiantly. "S.P.D. Nova Ranger!"
A small group of Krybots charged toward her, but she calmly reached for a morpher that matched Omega's. "Electro Mode!" she shouted. "Hi-yah!" A forward thrust of her fist, and the entire group went down in a brilliant flash of light and explosions.
"Nova!"
Whatever reaction he'd been expecting from Omega at the new arrival, it wasn't for him to surge to his feet, seize her by the shoulders, and demand "What are you *doing* here?! The commander's gonna freak if he finds you gone!"
"Yeah, you're welcome for the save," she sniped back. "I've just been looking all over the *timeline* for you."
Omega sighed, his shoulders sagging. "Thank you," he said more quietly. "I'm glad you found me."
She tilted her head, reaching up to place a hand on top of one of his. "I couldn't let you stay lost, you know," she reminded him.
Red Time Force swallowed. Something about the way they looked at each other made him uncomfortable, and he didn't know why.
And then the ground shook as something large, dark, and ominous landed directly in the middle of Newtech City.
"This planet is mine!" a husky voice rang out through the air. "And none of you, shall be able to stop me!"
"Cue the giant Zord battle," Red Time Force breathed, staring up at it in horror.
"Run little people, run!" the voice laughed, as the staff in the Zord's hand began to power up. "No more Power Rangers to save you now! You will all bow down, to my magnificence!"
"Everyone get clear!" Kat's voice rang out over the loudspeaker. "I'm initiating the Delta Command Megazord!"
"We've got to get out of the way," Red Time Force shouted to Red Dino Thunder as he seized her hand. "Come on!"
She screamed as explosions went off around them, sending cars and more than one person flying through the air. He squeezed her hand tighter, dragging her after him as he ran for the shadow of a building. Once there, he yanked her close, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "It's going to be okay, Connie," he assured her as he could see her shaking. "Just calm down. Everything's going to be all right."
"How can you be sure?" she demanded, audible tears in her voice.
"Because it always has been before." He looked up, silently praying he wasn't wrong. "Because the Power Rangers have always protected Earth, and we always will."
He watched as the Delta Command Megazord fired repeatedly at the giant Zord. The Delta Command Megazord was huge, but this new Zord still towered over it. And one Megazord, with one pilot, would never be enough to take it down.
And then he saw the lasers hitting it from behind and above, as the Delta Squad and S.W.A.T. Flyer Megazords joined in the attack.
"They made it out," he breathed, relief sweeping over him. "Both Squads made it out."
"Look out!" someone shouted.
He whirled, instinctively throwing Red Dino Thunder behind him. He cried out in pain as a blast caught him straight in the chest, knocking him back into her. He heard her scream, and fought weakly to get to his feet.
He looked up to see Fowler Birdie coming towards them, sword in hand. "I'm going to enjoy this," he sneered.
There a long moment of silence as he stared up at the down-swinging sword, the gleeful look in the eyes of someone he had once thought of as his commanding officer. He had fleeting thoughts of Eric, Sky, Vanessa, and even R.J. as he waited, knowing there was no way he could possibly get up in time.
Something in Birdie's face changed. His sword suddenly dropped from his hand, clattering on the ground. And then slowly he slumped forward, falling face-down onto the pavement.
The Pink Turbo Ranger stood behind him, Wind Fire held awkwardly in one hand. "Yeah, that wasn't what I meant to do," the Ranger remarked, glancing down at it.
He stared, resisting the urge to rub his eyes. "H-*Hunter*?" he gasped out, one hand clutching at his chest.
He was leveled with a glare he could see through the visor. "Not one word," Pink Turbo warned, pointing at him. He paused, shifting Wind Fire behind him as he offered his free hand. "Can you stand?"
He tried, and cried out in pain.
"I'll take that as a no," Pink Turbo said wryly. He glanced over his head at Red Dino Thunder. "Can you help me carry him? We've gotta get him to someplace safe before one of the Zords steps on him or something."
"Does that actually happen?" she asked in alarm.
He shrugged, lifting Red Time Force up from under his arms. "I don't know. Never found out. Get his feet, would you?"
"Be nice ... " he wheezed. "Connie's ... new."
"And you should stop talking," Pink Turbo retorted. He glanced around. "If I remember right, there's a café a couple of streets that way. Let's get him over there."
He chuckled weakly at the thought. "Not Piggy's ... "
"Will he be all right?"
"He'll be fine. It's just blaster shock. Once he gets some time to rest, he'll be fine."
He smiled distantly at the sky as he felt himself being carried along. The Power was pulsing weakly through his veins, trying its best to dull the pain. The effect was something like being drunk, and right now, he welcomed it.
The ground shook badly enough that he felt himself slipping, but they caught him before he dropped. "We'd better hurry," Pink Turbo said grimly.
They weren't the only ones to find the café, which seemed to have been set up as an impromptu medical center of its own. Looking around, he found cadets scattered around, some injured, some helping take care of others. Blue Mighty Morphin seemed to be in charge of supervising the arrangements, while one of the Red Might Morphin Rangers was crouched down, dabbing water against someone's head. The rest of the Dino Thunder Rangers were there, White with her helmet removed to reveal a scowling Melody Fernandez, left leg propped up on another chair while she and her brother glared at one another. Rhythm wore the Yellow Dino Thunder uniform, but lacking the skirt, standing with his helmet tucked under one arm.
White Mighty Morphin came to meet them, doing a double-take. "Put him there," he ordered. "Does he need something, or is the Power handling it?"
"Not sure," Pink Turbo returned, shaking his head. "He's still out of it."
Chip looked up as he was placed on the ground beside him. "Time!" he greeted happily. "You're okay!"
"More or less," he told him. He glanced around, frowning to himself. "Where's the rest of the team? What happened?"
"I'm not sure," he admitted guiltily. "Last I saw, Turbo said he was taking Storm Blaster to look for any stragglers, and Lightspeed and Bo went with him," he explained.
He gave him an odd look. "Bo?"
Chip shrugged. "We already have an Overdrive," he said simply. He glanced down at his left arm, which lay limply by his side. "Oh, and I uh, apparently wasn't as well as I thought I was," he confessed. "I mean, my arm's been doing a lot better than it used to be, but the strain finally got to it, I guess."
"What about Eric?"
There was an awkward pause, and Chip wouldn't meet his gaze. "I don't know," he said at last. "I ... the last I saw him, he grabbed Sky's bike and said he was going after you."
Icy fear clutched his heart, and he tried to get up. But his body wasn't ready yet, and the Power couldn't do more to help than a faint surge of energy he couldn't do anything with. He made a pained sort of wheezing noise, and found Chip holding onto him with his good arm.
"Calm down, Time," Chip soothed. "You can't help him like this. Just lie back and wait a little longer, okay? Besides, it's Quantum. He's probably holed up somewhere cursing at the world."
He leaned against the other man, closing his eyes as he tried not to remember Eric slowly slumping to the ground amongst the blaster fire, a stunned look of pain on his face as he fell. "He ... he'll never let you call him that, you know," he managed finally, trying not to cry in frustration and worry.
"He's a Newtech Ranger. He doesn't get a choice," Chip reminded, helping him lie down again.
It was hard to say how long he lay there, staring up at the sky. No one removed his helmet, knowing the Power would heal him faster if he was morphed. Around him he could hear people moving, some in pain, some whispering words of reassurance. After awhile he closed his eyes, resisting the urge to yank his helmet off and press his hands against his face because this was not Aquitar.
They would be fine. B Squad was strong, and now they had A Squad to fight beside them. They weren't going to lose. This wasn't the end of Earth, not by a long shot.
"It's down!" someone shouted at last, and he looked to see what they were talking about. "The Zord is down! The Rangers took it out!"
A wild cheer went up.
"We'd better get everyone back to the base," Blue Mighty Morphin spoke up, looking around.
White Mighty Morphin nodded. "Everyone who can stand on their own, grab someone who needs help!" he ordered. "Let's get everyone up and out of here!"
Chip looked at him, squinting for a moment. "I think your eyes are clearer," he declared. "How do you feel?"
He took stock of himself, trying to move arms and legs. The ache in his chest had only dulled, but he determinedly pulled his feet under him. The Power surged again, and he looked up. "I'll be fine," he promised.
"Then you're a fantastic liar," Chip informed him. "'Cause you still look awful."
He grinned faintly, patting his friend's shoulder. "I'll be all right, Chip. Can you morph?"
"I'm a Newtech Ranger, of course I can," he retorted, but his smile was wry. Because Newtech Rangers had a higher pain tolerance - something the first group of them had developed while fighting on Aquitar. Because there were times you didn't have the option to rest for a moment, and this was one of them.
It was harder than he wanted to think about to keep his feet under him when Chip stepped away, but he tried not to make it obvious.
"It's Morphin Time!" Chip called, moving his arms in a bizarre series of movements that made Red Time Force wonder what they were for. "Zeo Ranger II, Yellow!"
His eyes narrowed as his teammate stumbled slightly the moment the yellow lights faded. He didn't call attention to it though, only moving closer to him. "Be careful with that arm," he murmured, too low for anyone to hear.
"Try not to get hit again," Yellow Zeo returned playfully, but there was an undercurrent of pain in his voice.
They moved to the front to keep an eye out for enemies, because while they could move, they both knew neither of them was strong enough to support anyone else. Red Time Force thought he saw White Mighty Morphin staring at him, but the other Ranger didn't say anything.
He pulled his Chrono Blaster and moved slowly through the streets, keeping Yellow Zeo in his line of sight. The sound of fighting reached his ears once again, and he held up a hand for everyone behind them to stop. Glancing at his teammate, he pointed, gesturing for him to investigate.
There were several minutes of waiting, heart pounding as he waited for Yellow Zeo to tell them what was going on. Pink Turbo had moved up to take Yellow Zeo's place, aiming his Turbo Wind Fire with the awkwardness of someone who was still trying to figure out how to use it.
And then Yellow Zeo came running back to them. "The fight's not over yet," he gasped, chest heaving. "We'll have to leave the injured here. There's Krybots everywhere, Kim's going head-to-head with Birdie, and Cruger's fighting Grumm. They need our help!"
"How many Krybots *are* there?!" one of the cadets shouted in frustration. "All we've been doing is blowing up Krybots and they're *still coming*!"
"Someone must have left the cloning machine on again," Red Mighty Morphin quipped, and he knew instantly it was Rocky.
"Cadets, stay here," White Mighty Morphin ordered. "Rangers, with me. Let's go give them a hand."
"Yes, Sir!"
The front of S.P.D. was a mess. Broken cement and fallen pieces of building were everywhere, and more than one overturned car blocked their path. Krybots were still circling a group of Rangers, and the Pink Might Morphin Ranger was fighting with Birdie just as Yellow Zeo had said, using a sword that he had no idea where she'd gotten. In the distance, the Shadow Ranger and Emperor Grumm exchanged furious sword blows of their own.
He fired rapidly, clearing the way, and swiftly changed back to his Chrono Sabers as Yellow Zeo charged ahead of him. He whirled away from a Bluehead, stumbled into a regular Krybot, and ducked just in time for them to destroy each other. Rolling to his feet, he slashed randomly at any Krybot that got in his way, more focused on getting to the Rangers than actually destroying any of them.
The last Krybot in his way stumbled back, and he found himself turning to just in time to see the A Squad Red and B Squad Blue Rangers literally threw a pair of Orangeheads into one another. "Still solving your problems with fighting, you two?" he gasped out, grinning beneath his helmet.
"Very funny, Dad," B Squad Blue retorted.
"Nice to know you haven't lost your sense of humor, Sergeant Collins," A Squad Red added sarcastically.
"Electro Mode!"
He turned in surprise as a crowd of Krybots went down in a heap of bright light and sparking electronics. Behind them, Omega and Nova stood back to back, each with a fist glowing brilliantly. "Another one down," Omega quipped.
"And another thirty to go," Nova said wryly.
"The Lights of Orion!" Red Time Force shouted abruptly, frightening the Krybot he was fighting against into taking several steps back. He pointed one of his Chrono Sabers at the two S.P.D. Rangers in excitement. "*That's* what that reminds me of! That's been driving me nuts for months!"
The Krybot stared, and he slashed it absently across the chest, turning to meet another.
"Good to see you haven't changed much, Sir," A Squad Blue spoke up from his other side.
He glanced at the other Ranger as B Squad Blue swung another Krybot wide, spinning around to end up back to back with his former mentor. "If I didn't know you Sara, I'd almost think that was a compliment," he teased.
"Good thing you know me then, Sir," A Squad Blue returned, nodding to him before dropping to one knee to fire rapidly at another Orange head. B Squad Blue stood behind him, firing a spray of blaster fire around them.
The two S.P.D. Ranger teams seemed to be doing most of the work in finishing off the Krybots. Between the ten Delta Enforcers and Omega and Nova's Electro Mode, there was nothing but pile after pile of robotic parts. The remaining Rangers cleaned up what managed to get through, and before long he realized he was looking around for something to fight and coming up blank.
A loud clang made him spin around just in time to see Grumm on his knees, Shadow Ranger standing over him with sword held ready. The shattered pieces of Grumm's staff lay around him as he stared up at the Ranger.
A deathly still settled over the area.
"Show me no mercy, Cruger," Grumm demanded weakly. "No mercy!"
Shadow Ranger struck, and everyone stared as Grumm's single horn went flying. Grumm howled in fury and pain, clutching at his head.
"Now they match," Shadow informed him flatly, holding out his morpher. "Confinement Mode!"
There was a long silence as Shadow Ranger powered down, kneeling to pick something up off the pavement. Cruger stared at the card for a moment. At last he raised his head, holding the card high. "Justice is served!" he shouted.
A rugged cheer went through them all, everyone too exhausted to summon the energy for much enthusiasm.
"Power down," Red Time Force murmured, trying not to stumble as the Power faded. He reached up to run his fingers through sweat-soaked hair, taking several deep breaths. It was over. Grumm was gone.
Grumm was gone.
Automatically he took stock of everyone around him. Both B Squad and A Squad were accounted for, gathered in pairs of Color in various parts of the area. He smiled as Syd and Ran exchanged hugs, while James said something that made Z laugh and punch him in the shoulder. Bridge was talking eagerly to a rather bemused Michael. Sara and Sky were looking for more intruders as if they couldn't quite believe they were all gone, and Jack and Charlie seemed to be engaged in a heated debate. He watched them warily for a moment, but neither one actually moved to hit the other, so he continued looking around.
Tommy was running to Kimberly, sweeping her up in a hug and spinning her around as she laughed more openly than he'd seen her do in months. The moment he set her down, she was yanking him towards her for a passionate kiss, arms thrown tightly around his neck. In one hand, she clutched a tiny silver card.
Rocky and Billy had their hands clasped as they celebrated, exchanging weary grins before going to greet Tommy and Kimberly as well. C Squad and the Dino Thunder Rangers emerged from up the street, Yellow Dino Thunder carrying White on his back. Much as with everyone else, the teens were tired, but relieved.
He saw Hunter stopping to talk to Tommy, Dana ranting at Chip as he sat on the ground looking sheepish. Justin was leaning against Storm Blaster as Cassie tried to hug the breath out of him and Ko-lin tried fruitlessly to pry her off. Carlos standing beside them, shaking his head and wincing at the overturned car lying a few feet away. Taylor had perched on Storm Blaster's bumper, and was leaning over to talk to Vanessa in the back, who seemed to have something covering her eyes.
But no matter how far he looked, still couldn't find the person he was looking for.
"Let's get everyone inside!" Kimberly called over the din as she came towards them, Tommy's arm around her waist as she held Billy's hand with free one. "I want everybody with an injury in the infirmary, and if you're not injured you should be taking someone else there!" She stepped away from her teammates turned to glare at Cruger as she approached him. "You," she said flatly, poking her finger into his chest, "Scared ten years off my life. Don't do it again."
"My apologies," Cruger returned, looking amused.
She reached up to hug him, forcing him to lean over and nearly engulf her in return. When they separated, she turned with a playful smile tugging at her mouth and hands on her hips. "Did I or did I not just give an order? Let's get moving everyone!"
****
It seemed like hours had passed before he was finally cleared from the infirmary. He told Chip to stay there and relax for awhile, got yelled at by Taylor and Vanessa, the latter of the two immediately hugging him and refusing to let go. He found Sky and the rest of the two Squads, fussed and was fussed over. Then there was cleanup, removing the rubble from the outside of S.P.D. and trying to clean up the mess inside. He ran into Justin outside, who was trying to fix up Storm Blaster, and was yelled at again for disappearing on them.
The work took long enough that by the time the announcement came over the loudspeakers for everyone to meet in the hanger, he'd barely noticed it was getting dark.
The hanger was full of S.P.D. staff and cadets, some bandaged, some not. Everyone had arranged themselves by Squad, department, or Ranger team, and he absently swept his gaze over them all as he took his place among the Newtech Rangers. The hanger was still battered, but intact, much like the rest of S.P.D.
Somehow, he wished he could find the will to care more.
"Today, Earth can celebrate," Cruger began as he stood before them all. Tommy, Kimberly, and Hunter on either side of him, while the rest of the room remained at attention. "We have our greatest enemy in containment, held in a place where he will not be released again. Where that place is, only a select few know, to keep our planet and our galaxies safe.
"This battle has been S.P.D. Earth's finest hour. I cannot say how proud I am of each and every one of you. When things were at their worst, you rose to the occasion most admirably. S.P.D. Newtech still stands today because of your determination and integrity.
"Unfortunately, this battle has not also been without loss. While we have defeated Emperor Grumm at last, we have learned that his reach has stretched farther than we could ever have imagined - even to S.P.D. itself. Fowler Birdie and several members of his staff have been arrested, leaving Galaxy Command without leadership. As a result, I have been offered the position of Supreme Commander of Galaxy Command."
Cries of protest rang out from the crowd.
"Quiet!" Cruger bellowed. He waited as they begrudgingly complied, and when he spoke again it was gentle. "I am grateful for your loyalty." He paused, his eyes sweeping over the Rangers before moving to the three at his side. "And your friendship. I have learned much from S.P.D. Earth. Galaxy Command needs someone with the knowledge and determination to restore S.P.D. to its former glory and integrity. On that need alone, I have decided to accept the position. But rest assured, I will *always* consider Earth to be my home."
He cleared his throat. "As a result of my new position, I have decided to promote Deputy Commander Thomas Oliver to Commander of S.P.D. Newtech. In addition, I am promoting Sergeant Kimberly Oliver to Deputy Commander, as well as Ranger Commander."
Beside him, Kimberly was glaring with a look that clearly said she wanted to kick him in the shin.
"This is a new day for S.P.D., a new year. We find ourselves surrounded by new friends," He gestured to the Dino Thunder Rangers, "And the return of old ones." His hand moved to include A Squad, and even from where he was standing Wes could see Charlie swallow hard. "We must work hard, all of us together, to keep the organization of S.P.D. at the honorable standards S.P.D. Earth has show us all today."
He looked like he was going to say something else, but Hunter suddenly stepped forward, raising a hand. "S.P.D. may have a new year ahead of us, but some things should never be left in the past," he informed them. "I got word just a little while ago that S.P.D. Japan's rescue team brought home a group of refugees they rescued from one of Grumm's slave ships. I think it's time those refugees got a proper welcome home, don't you?"
There was a murmur of confusion among the staff, and then Hunter pointed.
Standing at the top of the stairs behind them, Rose Ortiz stood beside what could only be a female Syrian. She looked tired and her scales were dull, but she carried herself with a grace that spoke of a woman who had suffered, and survived. And she looked out over them all, and called "Doggie!"
Cruger looked completely stunned. He actually glanced at Hunter for a moment, who reached out to pat his arm reassuringly. Then he looked up, shouting "Isinia!" with a note of joy Wes had never heard him use before, bolting through the crowd and up the stairs to her side.
And then there was Justin was shouting for Rose, running forward to catch her in his arms as she ran down the stairs. They kissed passionately, breaking apart only as Z joined them, allowing mother and daughter to embrace for the first time in years. He could see Cassie crying as she hugged Ran, Ko-lin hovering over them both protectively. Ryan had Dana in a bear hug that lifted her off her feet as she laughed, and Carter was squeezing Syd against his side as she chattered excitedly. Carlos coming to see T.J. and Litania, who stood with *both* of their children, and Jack didn't even protest when his dad wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Hunter being teased by Blake, Shane, and Dustin as he glared at them, Nerina hugging Billy with a complete lack of her usual reservation.
S.P.D. was safe, together, and reunited. It *was* a new day. A day that shouldn't have left Wes fighting tears.
"Okay, *what* did I miss?"
He froze as the voice came from behind him. "Eric?" he whispered, scarcely daring to breathe.
"Eric!" he heard Sky shout, and he turned as his son ran to attack his step-father in a hug, something he rarely did in public. "Where have you *been*?!" the teen demanded sharply.
"Lost," came the retort as Eric scowled at him. "I found Broodwing's hideout and finally got rid of all those darn Krybots. Apparently he left a general in charge of making more when he raided S.P.D. Took forever to destroy all the machinery. And then I had to *walk* back to S.P.D., because I crashed the bike and it's not exactly easy to fly the Eagle with a concussion."
"You have a morpher. You could have called," Vanessa spoke up, pushing in to hug him herself. She glared. "And when Aisha clears you for head injuries, I am *so* beating the crud out of you." Then she groaned. "I *hate* this censoring thing!"
"You're the one who grabbed the morpher," Eric reminded her, smirking.
"Did you just say you crashed my bike?" Sky demanded.
And then he was looking at *him*, and Wes couldn't move, couldn't speak. He'd honestly thought ... Begun to believe ... That Eric ....
He ran, grabbing his husband and seizing him in a hug so tight his arms hurt, and he could hear Eric's pained grunt. He kissed him until he ran out of air, pulling away to stare into his eyes. "You're alive ... " he murmured, tears prickling in his eyes. "You're alive."
And then he stepped back, and socked Eric in the jaw.
"*Ow*!"
He glared at him. "Don't *ever* do that do me again!" he shouted at him. "Do you have any idea what it's like to have to go through this *twice*?! Darn it Eric, stop trying to get yourself destroyed!"
Eric glared right back. "I am *not* trying to - "
"Wow," someone spoke up. "It's kinda creepy that you do that even now."
He turned instinctively to find Nova Ranger watching them, head tilted curiously. "Sorry?" he managed, trying to rein in his temper for the sake of someone who wasn't Eric.
She shrugged. "It's just weird, you know? That even back then - now, I mean, you still acted like this. I always thought it was old age or something."
"Who *are* you?" Eric demanded, looking at her warily.
"Huh? Oh, that's right! We haven't met yet. Power down!" she announced cheerfully.
Nova was about average height, with blond hair trailing past her shoulders, a mischievous smirk, and brown eyes that sparkled. She folded her arms, still smirking, and it was hard not to stare. "You can call me Nova, since I'm technically not supposed to tell you my name," she informed them. The smirk turned into a grin. "The commander would kill me."
She looked like Eric, Wes realized. She had his smirk, his jawline, and his brown eyes. The blond hair was the same shade as ...
"You ... " Sky stared at her. "You look just like Eric."
She giggled. "Yeah, I get that a lot," she admitted, tossing her hair.
"Nova!"
Omega Ranger was suddenly standing behind her, arms thrown up in exasperation. "What are you *doing*?" he demanded. "You're not supposed to tell anyone about their future!"
She shrugged a shoulder. "It doesn't matter anyway. They always said they decided after they defeated Broodwing, and that already happened. So seeing me isn't going to change anything."
"Nova ... " he groaned.
"Oh!" She brightened. "That reminds me. Br - uh, someone told me to give you this." She seized Omega's left arm, did something to his morpher that made it flash brilliantly, and suddenly they found themselves staring at a young man.
Sam definitely looked like his father, and he hadn't lost any of his freckles. Judging by the look of him, he was a couple of years older then the rest of B Squad - maybe early twenties. The only odd thing was his hair, which had gone from red to blond.
"What happened to your hair?" Sky asked, giving him an odd look.
Sam blinked up at him, then for some reason, flushed guiltily. "Um, well ... Would you believe it was a slight magical malfunction?"
"He was trying disguise spells and he permanently bleached it by accident," Nova informed them, snickering.
He glared at her. "Thanks, Nova."
"Anytime!" she returned perkily. She glanced around. "Now, not that I'm enjoying the weirdness of S.P.D. fifteen years ago, but isn't it about time we headed home? I mean, the guys might be a little upset we've been gone for so long."
He stared. "You didn't tell them you were coming after me?"
"And have someone tell me no? Are you kidding me?"
He groaned, rubbing his forehead. "I am so dead when we get back."
"At least you can finally get that shower," Sky told him, smirking.
Wes blinked at his son for a moment. He looked like Nova when he smirked. Or she looked like him. That was kinda creepy.
"I'm holding you to that," Sam muttered. He looked at Nova. "You have the portal key, I take it?"
She held up a device that looked sort of like a TV remote. "Never leave your own time without one!" she answered cheerfully.
Sam glanced at her and shook his head, but something about it was oddly fond. "I missed you, Nova," he chuckled.
"Hang on a second," Sky protested. "Z will kill me if let you leave without telling her." He raised his morpher. "Guys. Sam and Nova are heading home. We're over by landing pad three - hurry."
Within moments Z was running over to them. "Don't you even think of leaving without saying goodbye!" she ordered, flinging her arms around Sam and hugging him tight. There was a pause, and she stepped back with a frown. "Hey, you demorphed. When did that happen?"
Eric and Sky snickered as the rest of B Squad came to join them. "Sam! You're human again!" Bridge remarked in surprise. He paused. "Well, that's not to say that you weren't human before. It's just that - "
"Bridge," Sky interrupted with a sigh.
"Sorry."
For some reason, that made Nova giggle, and Sam elbowed her with a warning look.
"Thank you, Sam," Jack spoke up, stepping forward to shaking his hand. "Thanks for everything."
Sam accepted it with a smile. "You guys make it sound like I didn't have something to gain from this," he teased.
"Goodbye, Sam," Syd said wistfully as she moved to hug him. Automatically she turned to Nova and blinked. "Hi. I don't think I know you."
"Not yet," Nova told her, giggling again. "I'm Nova." She jerked a thumb at Sam. "I'm here to take him home."
"Oh." Syd blinked again, shrugged, and hugged the other girl anyway. "Thanks for your help."
When Bridge went to shake their hands, he stared at Nova for a moment. "Oh, wow. You're - Hi."
She giggled and hugged him. "Hi, Bridge."
And then to everyone's surprise, she turned and hugged Sky. "See you soon," she told him, giving a sweet smile.
He hesitated, then hugged her back carefully. "You ... you really are, aren't you?" he asked finally.
"I'm not supposed to tell you that," she reminded him, but her smile didn't fade as she stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "Later, Sky."
"Bye, Nova," he told her quietly, giving a faint smile back.
She went on hugged a startled Vanessa as Sam and Sky looked at one another. "Thanks for making my life miserable," Sky said abruptly, ignoring the way everyone stared at him for it.
Sam grinned, looking completely unrepentant. "It's not my fault - you told me to."
Sky rolled his eyes, moving to shake his hand. And then he suddenly yanked Sam close, muttering something in his ear. Sam's eyes went wide, and he looked uncomfortable when he stepped back. "Yes, Sir," he mumbled.
"You wouldn't be planning to leave without saying goodbye to *me*, now would you Sam?"
The young man turned, smiling at Cruger. "Of course not, Sir." He saluted. "It's been an honor to work with you, Commander Cruger."
Cruger reached out to put his hand on Sam's shoulder, his free hand still clasped with Isinia's as she stood behind him. "It has been my honor as well, Sam," he said solemnly. "Have a safe journey home, you two."
"Yes, Sir," he and Nova chorused.
"Sam," Kat called, her smile warm as she approached. She gave him a hug, stepping back to look at him. "Thank you," she said simply.
"No problem, Kat."
"Stand back everybody," Nova warned as she lifted her remote, pressing a series of buttons. Another glowing circle of light appeared in front of them.
"That's our ride home," Sam sighed. For some reason, he didn't sound entirely happy about it. But when he glanced back at them all, it was with a smile. "Goodbye, everyone. And thank you, for making our future safe."
"Later!" Nova called cheerfully.
"Goodbye, Sam. See ya in fifteen years," Z said softly, her smile sad.
"I'll be there, Z," he promised. "Let's go, Nova. Goodbye, my friends."
There was a burst of light as they walked through the portal, and they were gone.