A Darker Shade of Red (Time Force/Power Rangers, T, Chapter 29: Across Time)
I can honestly say right now, this chapter would not exist if phantom_blue hadn't begged for it and pushed to keep it going so she could see Alex and Sky bickering. It fought me *every* step of the way. >.<
Fandom/: Power Rangers Time Force, slight crossover with S.P.D. (In Bright Skies universe)
Characters/: Alex
Pairings/: Alex/Jen, Lucas/Trip, Katie/OC, Wes/Eric
Rating/: T
Disclaimer/: Saban/Disney/Whoever sure didn't write *this* into the series. The plot comes purely from my own warped little mind, and the characters are merely borrowed from them for my own amusement. Lucky you.
Summary/: The legacy of Wesley Collins and Eric Myers didn't just affect the past - it affected the future. One thousand years after they became Rangers, one person is still struggling against the corruption of Time Force and the heritage he never wanted.
Warnings/: People used for scientific experimentation, corrupted Time Force, character with self-image issues
Author's Notes/: -Kicks Alex and Sky- This chapter did *not* want to be written. >.<
Love to phantom_blue and challon86 for putting up with my whining for help writing it. ♥
He stared at the comm screen for what seemed like hours. He should probably turn on a light at some point, but he still found he worked better in the dark. And he wasn't sure if he wanted anyone to know that he was awake, let alone what he was thinking about doing.
It had eventually made sense to him. Sort of. Wes had called him his son as soon as he knew, so of course he would consider his actual son to be Alex's brother. It was the sort of thing Wes would do.
But why did Eric know? Wes had sworn not to tell him. And ... Sky Tate? Who was Sky Tate?
The history logs showed that Wes had died young, in battle, with no mention of any children. How did he manage to have a son? And according to Trip, Wes had been there when they called, and Eric said he was forty-seven. But that should have been impossible.
S.P.D. Blue? Who was S.P.D. Blue?
He turned on the comm before he could stop himself.
He wasn't sure exactly who he was expecting to answer. If he'd been thinking clearly, he wouldn't have tried to call at this hour, or at least adjusted for a time during the day for who he was dialing. But he wasn't thinking clearly. He was thinking that Wes had a *son*, and he had a brother, and how none of this made any sort of sense.
When the call was finally picked up, the person that answered was definitely *not* someone he recognized.
" ... Hello?" the man in front of him asked uncertainly. "Is this thing on?"
Alex stared at him. "Who are you?" he demanded.
The man on the other side narrowed his eyes. "Sky Tate, S.P.D. Blue. Who are *you*?"
"Alex Collins, Time Force Red."
They stared at one another.
"You're real ... " Sky murmured, looking stunned. Then he winced. "Not to say that you weren't real before. It's just ... "
"Hard to believe?" Alex offered wryly.
Sky smirked slightly. "That's an understatement." He paused. "Uh ... should I get Eric? I'd get Dad, but um - "
"No," he said quickly. He swallowed as Sky looked startled. "I was told that you wanted to talk to me."
Sky blinked, then sighed and shook his head. "Actually, Eric wanted me to talk to you for some reason. He never really said why."
Alex frowned. "Did you have something to ask me?"
There was a long pause. "No," Sky said finally. "Why, was there something that *you* wanted to ask *me*?"
He frowned. "No."
Another pause.
Alex swallowed. "Sorry to have bothered you then." He switched off the comm without waiting for a response.
He leaned back in his chair, frowning to himself. Sky Tate ... He looked a lot like Wes, that was for sure. There was no mistaking they were related.
Kind of rude, though. Go figure.
****
He lasted about a week before he called again.
This time, he was relieved to see Sky answer. Sky on the other hand, scowled at him. "Do you have any idea what time it is?" he hissed. "What do you want?"
"What year were you born?" Alex demanded.
Sky stared at him for a moment before rubbing at his eyes and giving his head a rough shake. "What?"
Belatedly, Alex realized that it *was* the middle of the night. But he couldn't sleep until he got an answer. "When were you born?" he repeated.
Sky blinked some more, at last settling into an irritable scowl. "September 19, 2011. Why?"
Alex frowned. "Are you sure?"
Sky stared at him incredulously "Am I ... of *course* I'm sure!" he snapped. "Did you seriously call here at two in the morning just to ask me when my birthday is?!" His eyes narrowed. "You'd better be planning some kind of really amazing present, or so help me ... "
Alex gave him a puzzled look. "Why would I give you a present?"
There was a long silence as they stared at each other.
"I'm going back to bed," Sky growled, and the screen went blank.
Alex frowned. What a jerk.
****
The next time he called, Sky just sort of stared at him in annoyed expectation.
Alex frowned. "Why are you the only one who ever answers?" he asked.
"Because Mom usually falls asleep in her lab and can't hear anything, R.J. doesn't get up unless he feels like it, Eric sleeps like the dead, and Dad only gets up when Jen needs out or someone else makes him." Sky answered, scowling. "I, on the hand, am an active Ranger, which means the slightest noise wakes me up because I think it's either an attack or a call about an attack."
He supposed he could understand that. "Eric sleeps like the dead?" he repeated curiously.
Sky sighed. "If he's at home and in a bed, the only thing that wakes him up is Dad. If he's anywhere else, he wakes up when people breathe too loud."
He nodded thoughtfully, then frowned. "R.J.?" The name sounded familiar for some reason.
"R.J. Finn. My mom's boyfriend."
He blinked. "As in the Purple Jungle Fury Ranger?"
Sky frowned. "Yeah. Why?"
Alex stared at him in confusion. Why did Wes and Eric know the Purple Jungle Fury Ranger? And how long had they known him? Wait ... he was dating Sky's mother? Why wasn't there any record of this?
Sky moved to sit, folding his arms what looked like a table in front of him. Distantly, Alex wondered where he was answering from. "Why do you keep calling me, Alex?" he sighed.
There was a long moment as they looked at each other again.
"Because I had no idea that you existed, and I want to know why," Alex answered finally, his voice quiet.
Sky stared at him. "What?"
Alex sighed, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "We discovered recently that Time Force has been hiding historical data from the public. I never heard of Sky Tate or any S.P.D. Rangers until you called us. What I don't know is *why*."
Silence.
"So you're saying ... " Sky shook his head slowly. "What, that we're all going to be destroyed by Grumm?" he demanded.
Alex frowned. "Grumm?" he echoed.
Sky leaned back, shaking his head again. "I don't believe this. So history doesn't even remember us in your time?"
"I'm saying that Time Force has hidden your existence," Alex corrected. "I don't know why. But for some reason, they don't want anyone to know about you or your team. What I want to know is why that is."
Sky stared at him for several minutes. "I'm going to bed," he said abruptly, and ended the call.
Eventually Alex leaned back in his chair with a sigh. "Why?" he asked the empty room, staring up at the ceiling.
He closed his eyes. *Why*?
****
He spent roughly a month doing research, ignoring Ben's questions about when were they going to *leave* already, and the Rangers asking if he was all right. He went through every possible file he could find, inside and outside of Time Force. He interviewed people, and used his status as a Ranger to get into information he shouldn't have had.
He found absolutely *nothing*.
When he finally forced himself to make the call, Sky didn't seem at all surprised to see him. If anything, he was only slightly less annoyed than usual. "What is it?" he asked without preamble.
Alex stared at him for a moment, taking in the shape of his face, his hair, his features. Anyone with eyes could see that Sky was Wes' son. They might even have believed he was Alex's brother if he wanted them to.
"Time Force erased all evidence of your existence," he began slowly. "For some reason, they don't want anyone to know about who you are, or what you've done." He took a deep breath. "And I do."
Sky frowned slightly. "Why? Do you study history for a living or something? Or is it because we're brothers?"
He smiled faintly at the thought that Sky was more like Wes than he'd thought, considering them brothers. Then the first question hit him, and he paused. Study history?
"No, I don't," he said at last. "But I'd like to."
Sky was quiet for a moment. "First thing's first," he said finally. His eyes narrowed. "If we're going to keep talking like this, we need to set up a schedule. I need more sleep."
Slowly, Alex smiled. "I think that could be arranged."
Fandom/: Power Rangers Time Force, slight crossover with S.P.D. (In Bright Skies universe)
Characters/: Alex
Pairings/: Alex/Jen, Lucas/Trip, Katie/OC, Wes/Eric
Rating/: T
Disclaimer/: Saban/Disney/Whoever sure didn't write *this* into the series. The plot comes purely from my own warped little mind, and the characters are merely borrowed from them for my own amusement. Lucky you.
Summary/: The legacy of Wesley Collins and Eric Myers didn't just affect the past - it affected the future. One thousand years after they became Rangers, one person is still struggling against the corruption of Time Force and the heritage he never wanted.
Warnings/: People used for scientific experimentation, corrupted Time Force, character with self-image issues
Author's Notes/: -Kicks Alex and Sky- This chapter did *not* want to be written. >.<
Love to phantom_blue and challon86 for putting up with my whining for help writing it. ♥
He stared at the comm screen for what seemed like hours. He should probably turn on a light at some point, but he still found he worked better in the dark. And he wasn't sure if he wanted anyone to know that he was awake, let alone what he was thinking about doing.
It had eventually made sense to him. Sort of. Wes had called him his son as soon as he knew, so of course he would consider his actual son to be Alex's brother. It was the sort of thing Wes would do.
But why did Eric know? Wes had sworn not to tell him. And ... Sky Tate? Who was Sky Tate?
The history logs showed that Wes had died young, in battle, with no mention of any children. How did he manage to have a son? And according to Trip, Wes had been there when they called, and Eric said he was forty-seven. But that should have been impossible.
S.P.D. Blue? Who was S.P.D. Blue?
He turned on the comm before he could stop himself.
He wasn't sure exactly who he was expecting to answer. If he'd been thinking clearly, he wouldn't have tried to call at this hour, or at least adjusted for a time during the day for who he was dialing. But he wasn't thinking clearly. He was thinking that Wes had a *son*, and he had a brother, and how none of this made any sort of sense.
When the call was finally picked up, the person that answered was definitely *not* someone he recognized.
" ... Hello?" the man in front of him asked uncertainly. "Is this thing on?"
Alex stared at him. "Who are you?" he demanded.
The man on the other side narrowed his eyes. "Sky Tate, S.P.D. Blue. Who are *you*?"
"Alex Collins, Time Force Red."
They stared at one another.
"You're real ... " Sky murmured, looking stunned. Then he winced. "Not to say that you weren't real before. It's just ... "
"Hard to believe?" Alex offered wryly.
Sky smirked slightly. "That's an understatement." He paused. "Uh ... should I get Eric? I'd get Dad, but um - "
"No," he said quickly. He swallowed as Sky looked startled. "I was told that you wanted to talk to me."
Sky blinked, then sighed and shook his head. "Actually, Eric wanted me to talk to you for some reason. He never really said why."
Alex frowned. "Did you have something to ask me?"
There was a long pause. "No," Sky said finally. "Why, was there something that *you* wanted to ask *me*?"
He frowned. "No."
Another pause.
Alex swallowed. "Sorry to have bothered you then." He switched off the comm without waiting for a response.
He leaned back in his chair, frowning to himself. Sky Tate ... He looked a lot like Wes, that was for sure. There was no mistaking they were related.
Kind of rude, though. Go figure.
****
He lasted about a week before he called again.
This time, he was relieved to see Sky answer. Sky on the other hand, scowled at him. "Do you have any idea what time it is?" he hissed. "What do you want?"
"What year were you born?" Alex demanded.
Sky stared at him for a moment before rubbing at his eyes and giving his head a rough shake. "What?"
Belatedly, Alex realized that it *was* the middle of the night. But he couldn't sleep until he got an answer. "When were you born?" he repeated.
Sky blinked some more, at last settling into an irritable scowl. "September 19, 2011. Why?"
Alex frowned. "Are you sure?"
Sky stared at him incredulously "Am I ... of *course* I'm sure!" he snapped. "Did you seriously call here at two in the morning just to ask me when my birthday is?!" His eyes narrowed. "You'd better be planning some kind of really amazing present, or so help me ... "
Alex gave him a puzzled look. "Why would I give you a present?"
There was a long silence as they stared at each other.
"I'm going back to bed," Sky growled, and the screen went blank.
Alex frowned. What a jerk.
****
The next time he called, Sky just sort of stared at him in annoyed expectation.
Alex frowned. "Why are you the only one who ever answers?" he asked.
"Because Mom usually falls asleep in her lab and can't hear anything, R.J. doesn't get up unless he feels like it, Eric sleeps like the dead, and Dad only gets up when Jen needs out or someone else makes him." Sky answered, scowling. "I, on the hand, am an active Ranger, which means the slightest noise wakes me up because I think it's either an attack or a call about an attack."
He supposed he could understand that. "Eric sleeps like the dead?" he repeated curiously.
Sky sighed. "If he's at home and in a bed, the only thing that wakes him up is Dad. If he's anywhere else, he wakes up when people breathe too loud."
He nodded thoughtfully, then frowned. "R.J.?" The name sounded familiar for some reason.
"R.J. Finn. My mom's boyfriend."
He blinked. "As in the Purple Jungle Fury Ranger?"
Sky frowned. "Yeah. Why?"
Alex stared at him in confusion. Why did Wes and Eric know the Purple Jungle Fury Ranger? And how long had they known him? Wait ... he was dating Sky's mother? Why wasn't there any record of this?
Sky moved to sit, folding his arms what looked like a table in front of him. Distantly, Alex wondered where he was answering from. "Why do you keep calling me, Alex?" he sighed.
There was a long moment as they looked at each other again.
"Because I had no idea that you existed, and I want to know why," Alex answered finally, his voice quiet.
Sky stared at him. "What?"
Alex sighed, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "We discovered recently that Time Force has been hiding historical data from the public. I never heard of Sky Tate or any S.P.D. Rangers until you called us. What I don't know is *why*."
Silence.
"So you're saying ... " Sky shook his head slowly. "What, that we're all going to be destroyed by Grumm?" he demanded.
Alex frowned. "Grumm?" he echoed.
Sky leaned back, shaking his head again. "I don't believe this. So history doesn't even remember us in your time?"
"I'm saying that Time Force has hidden your existence," Alex corrected. "I don't know why. But for some reason, they don't want anyone to know about you or your team. What I want to know is why that is."
Sky stared at him for several minutes. "I'm going to bed," he said abruptly, and ended the call.
Eventually Alex leaned back in his chair with a sigh. "Why?" he asked the empty room, staring up at the ceiling.
He closed his eyes. *Why*?
****
He spent roughly a month doing research, ignoring Ben's questions about when were they going to *leave* already, and the Rangers asking if he was all right. He went through every possible file he could find, inside and outside of Time Force. He interviewed people, and used his status as a Ranger to get into information he shouldn't have had.
He found absolutely *nothing*.
When he finally forced himself to make the call, Sky didn't seem at all surprised to see him. If anything, he was only slightly less annoyed than usual. "What is it?" he asked without preamble.
Alex stared at him for a moment, taking in the shape of his face, his hair, his features. Anyone with eyes could see that Sky was Wes' son. They might even have believed he was Alex's brother if he wanted them to.
"Time Force erased all evidence of your existence," he began slowly. "For some reason, they don't want anyone to know about who you are, or what you've done." He took a deep breath. "And I do."
Sky frowned slightly. "Why? Do you study history for a living or something? Or is it because we're brothers?"
He smiled faintly at the thought that Sky was more like Wes than he'd thought, considering them brothers. Then the first question hit him, and he paused. Study history?
"No, I don't," he said at last. "But I'd like to."
Sky was quiet for a moment. "First thing's first," he said finally. His eyes narrowed. "If we're going to keep talking like this, we need to set up a schedule. I need more sleep."
Slowly, Alex smiled. "I think that could be arranged."