01 Beginnings
DISCLAIMER – I do NOT own Power Rangers, S.P.D, or any character other than Austin.
(S.P.D theme plays)
As he rode in the back of his custom, 2010 Ford Shelby Mustang GT500, Austin Oliver sighed inwardly. Despite his excitement over going to Newtech City, and the surprise repainting of his car- it was now white with black stripes- he was thoroughly annoyed. His parents, Tommy driving and Hayley riding beside him, would not stop their romantic talk. While glad that they were dating, Austin was going insane listening to all the lovey-dovey chatter coming from the front seat.
Finally, after two hours of having his nose buried as deep into his 3DS as possible, Austin and his parents arrived in Newtech City. Pulling into a visitor's spot at S.P.D's command center, Delta Base, the small family headed into the building's main lobby. A quick chat with the receptionist sent them many floors up, to the center of operations near the top of the building. As they stepped inside, they were surprised to see what appeared to be a blue, anthro dog talking to a young man.
"Cadet Tate, why do you want to be the Red Ranger?" the dog asked.
"Well, I'm top of B-Squad in every category, and as you know, sir, my father was a Red Ranger," the young man replied, "One of the best ever." The dog noticed the new arrivals.
"Sky, here's a new lesson: always remember there are Rangers that are not S.P.D," he remarked, "For example, this man here. THE best ever." Tommy turned a faint shade of red.
"I'm flattered, Commander Cruger," he replied. Sky stood at attention.
"Tommy Oliver, sir," he remarked, "It's an honor."
"Pleasure to meet you, Cadet," Tommy responded. Sky was then dismissed, allowing Cruger to turn his full attention to Tommy and his family.
"Allow me to introduce myself; Anubis Cruger, head of S.P.D Earth," he remarked.
"It's an honor, sir," Austin replied.
"Pleased to meet you," Hayley added, "I'm sorry about Sirius, your home planet." Cruger backpedaled in shock.
"Who told you about my home planet?" he questioned.
"Oh, I'm all about information; it's my business," Hayley explained, "That little tidbit is courtesy of intergalactic Google."
"Impressive. You must be Hayley Ziktor, the genius who's joining Kat as a lead scientist and taking over our lobby cafe," he deduced. The redhead nodded.
"That's me," she confirmed. Cruger turned his gaze to Austin, making the boy appropriately nervous.
"And you must be Austin," he remarked, "It's an honor to have you join the academy. Especially with your dad joining me at command." Austin gained two shades of red.
"Thank you, sir," he replied. Despite being as busy as he was, Cruger personally showed the three recruits to their new rooms, giving them access cards and their first orders. Within two hours, all three of them had moved the belongings they had brought into their rooms, and were meeting with those they'd be working with for the first time.
While his parents were doing God-knows-what, Austin put the finishing touches on his new room. He used gray bedding for now, which he'd change whenever he was assigned a Ranger color. Already clad in his new, gray and black S.P.D uniform, Austin headed to find the other cadets composing B Squad. It was an easy task, as he found the three young adults sitting idly in a lounge.
"Hey, I'm your newest member, Austin Oliver," he remarked. He received curious looks, but- surprisingly- an overall feeling of acceptance. These three must have been oddballs, too, he surmised.
"Bridge Carson, nice to meet you," the brown-haired male replied. They shook hands.
"Sydney Drew, call me Syd," the blonde female continued. Another handshake.
"Sky Tate. I believe we already met," Sky added matter-of-factly. His arms remained folded across his chest. Suddenly, Bridge realized something and spoke up.
"I'd rather not end up explaining this in the middle of a battle, so while we're free… Sky, Syd and I all have unusual genetic abilities," he remarked, "I, for example, can sense others' aura."
"I can alter my molecular structure to become anything I touch," Syd added.
"I can create force fields," Sky finished with mock enthusiasm.
"That's so cool!" Austin replied, awestruck. "I used to have super strength thanks to my Dino Gem..."
"Did you lose it?" Bridge asked. Austin shook his head.
"It's in my room with my old morpher," he explained, "I don't wear it anymore." Syd's interest was piqued now, too.
"Just how strong were you?" she questioned. Austin put a hand on one of the couches in the common room.
"This sofa probably weighs somewhere from one to two hundred pounds," he demonstrated, "I could grab it with one hand like so, and hoist it onto my shoulder like a pack of sodas." Suddenly, three pairs of bugged-out eyes were staring at him, and he felt a slight weight on his shoulder. "What?"
"You're… isn't it…?" Syd sputtered. Austin looked up to see the couch resting effortlessly on his shoulder. Shocked, he quickly put it back down.
"Well… that was unexpected," he remarked, shocked, "I think I'd better speak with my mom." Excusing himself, he headed to the base's lab area, where Hayley was getting acquainted to working with fellow genius Kat Manx. Kat was a humanoid alien with a few cat-like features, namely her ears and teeth. Austin walked in at a moment when- luckily- both scientists happened to be free.
"Uh, mom… something weird is going on," he remarked.
"Define weird," Hayley replied, confused. Kat listened in curiously.
"My Dino Gem is in my room, but I still have super strength!" Austin explained. Kat raised an eyebrow as Hayley's eyes widened in shock.
"That's not right…" Hayley responded, "Tell me, can you age yourself too?" Austin shrugged.
"I'm not sure. Let me try," he answered. Kat was shocked to see Austin suddenly gain about a decade of age in seconds. Hayley was no less shocked, having previously believed that the ability was tied to his old morpher.
"That's really troubling," she remarked. It was then that Kat stepped in.
"I'm no stranger to special abilities; maybe I can help," she remarked, "What is it that has you troubled?" Hayley turned to her new colleague.
"Until today, those powers were tied to Austin's old morpher," she remarked. Kat asked if any modifications had been made to it during its use, and Hayley explained what she'd done to allow Austin to age himself in order to drive.
"Well that makes sense, then," Kat commented once Hayley finished, "I had a similar experiment go wrong. He clearly has permanent genetic abilities as a result of your work." Hayley let the information soak in for a moment.
"So you think that because I altered Austin's morpher, his abilities became part of his genetics?" she questioned. Kat nodded.
"Exactly. That's why he can use them without any assistance," she concluded. Hayley nodded in agreement.
"Austin, you should go tell your father," she instructed, "He'll want to know about this." Nodding, Austin headed up to Ops, where Tommy would no doubt be working with his new boss. Much to his surprise, Austin arrived in the aforementioned room at the same time as the other three cadets.
"Austin, what were you doing off by yourself?" Cruger questioned.
"I had to speak with mom and Kat," he explained, "Apparently, the abilities my Dino Gem gave me were ingrained in my DNA." Tommy's eyes widened.
"So you can use both of your powers without your gem?" he asked, shocked. Austin nodded.
"Considering the situation, perhaps that was for the best. That aside, I have new orders for you, Cadets." Cruger added. B Squad immediately stood at attention, anticipating a new assignment.
"Bring in the Parkington Market thieves; it must be some kind of code…" Bridge muttered as B Squad trekked through the city. Sky rolled his eyes.
"For 'Bring in the Parkington Market thieves' obviously," he retorted, "You shouldn't expect the #2 squad to get top missions, Bridge." Austin looked up at the fellow second-generation cadet.
"Give him a break, Sky," he responded tersely, "He's not the only one eager to be a Ranger, after all." Sky's cheeks flushed as he was called out by someone he considered inferior. The group was silent until they came upon an empty truck where two humans were handing out stolen clothing to what appeared to be homeless people. One thief was an African-American male with short, black dreadlocks. The other was a caucasian female with short, dark brown hair.
Predictably by Newtech standards, the thieves did not come quietly and thus began an intense fight. The squad split up, Bridge and Syd taking on the woman while Austin and Sky took on her partner. Both criminals were outnumbered, but put up a surprisingly good fight. The woman actually defeated Bridge and Syd by using her own genetic ability and splitting into several copies of herself. Austin and Sky, however, thoroughly outclassed the man and seemed on the cusp of victory.
Unfortunately, they were surprised by a flurry of dirty tactics, including blinding them with clothes and the use of tables. Not only that, but the woman was quick to assist once she'd dealt with Bridge and Syd. The mission was a colossal failure, which was far below Austin's expectations. However, the woman's genetic ability had piqued his interest; where had she acquired such a power? This question and more lingered as the four cadets headed back to Delta base.
Deep in outer space, Emperor Gruumm- leader of the Troobian Empire- stood aboard his ship in a bout of frustration. In order to reach Earth, his next target, he'd have to get through a large wormhole. To do so, however, he required a proton accelerator. Summoning one of his trusty henchmen, a robot with a black and light blue color scheme, he made his instructions clear.
"Go to Earth and get me the proton accelerator at any cost!" Gruumm ordered. Nodding in acceptance, the robot darted off to begin its task.
With the S.P.D. Cadets off their trail, Jack Landors and Elizabeth Delgado doubled back to their truck late that night. As they loaded up the few good items they could salvage from their last operation, a green alien in a suit ran up and thrust a strange, metal object into Jack's hands.
"Help me! Take this; don't let them have it!" the man half instructed, half begged, "The future of the planet depends on it! Hide It!" Glancing worriedly back from whence he'd come, the man screamed and ran onward, jumping down to lower ground before disappearing.
"Why do the nuts of the world always seem to find you?" Elizabeth- who went by Z- questioned, laughing in amusement. Jack shrugged as they brought the object with them into the cab of their truck. Just as their backs were turned, something darted by in the same direction as the strange man. Shrugging it off, Jack and Z headed off to prepare for their next job.
"You not only failed to bring in the thieves, but were soundly defeated in battle," Cruger barked, "This is unacceptable." He turned and eyed each Cadet closely. "What is it going to take for you to start acting like a team?" The four young adults stared at their feet, humiliated.
"Cruger, your judgment is sound, " Tommy cut in, "However, I have seen many Ranger teams start out this way. Every time, they worked through their issues and saved the world in the process."
"Captain Oliver is right, and due to the Troobian Empire's approach, it may be best to get you acquainted with your powers sooner rather than later," Cruger admitted, "Follow me."
The four cadets were only mildly surprised when they were led to the S.P.D lab while Tommy watched over Ops. There, Kat was waiting with her assistant, Boom, the latter holding a tray containing four S.P.D morphers. Kat took one, and began explaining its functions.
"S.P.D morphers. They are, without a doubt, your best friend. They are also judgment scanners. They will assess the guilt or innocence of those you take into custody," she began, "Boom, guilty or innocent of eating the last piece of chocolate cake this morning." Kat activated the morpher's judgment scanner, which flashed between an 'X' and a circle as it judged its target. "The scanner reads body temperature, pulse and electrical impulses and then renders a verdict." Kat continued. The morpher then stopped flashing, displaying a red 'X'. "Guilty."
"But-!" Boom started. Kat rolled her eyes.
"And it does not make mistakes," she added. Boom confessed to the 'crime' and then Kat suddenly activated another feature of the morpher. Within seconds, her assistant was confined to a small, metal card. Picking it up off the ground, Kat continued her shpiel. "This makes transportation of the detainee a non-issue." That concluded the explanation, so Cruger took over the speech.
"Despite the decision to upgrade you to active status, there is an issue," he remarked, "Regrettably, academy regulations require all personnel to complete a full written and physical final exam before they can wield a morpher." Austin's shoulders slumped.
"It doesn't involve S.P.D history, does it?" he groaned, knowing he'd flunk.
"I'll waive that part," Cruger replied, "That aside, you are to head down and take the exam immediately. The rest of you, take a morpher and head back to Ops. Oh and Sky, a word?"
"Yes, sir!" the four cadets remarked, doing as they were told. Cruger took the eldest cadet aside in the hallway.
"If Syd was the Red Ranger, would you follow her into battle?" Cruger asked. Sky seemed amused by the question.
"With all due respect, sir, she's a girl," he answered. Cruger tried again.
"What about Bridge?" he questioned.
"He's a good man, sir, but he's not really a leader," Sky answered.
"Thank you for your honesty, Cadet," Cruger responded, "Go rejoin your teammates in Ops; Captain Oliver has your next assignment."
Saluting, Sky turned and hurried towards Ops.
With the last of the food and clothes he and Z had stolen given away, Jack retrieved the strange, metal object from the back of the truck.
"Well, this is all that's left. You can't eat it or wear it, so it has no value," he remarked, shooting it into a trash can like a basketball. Z shook her head, not at all amused by his antics. Suddenly, they were interrupted by a pair of sirens, and were disheartened to see three of the cadets from earlier drive up in a jeep and on a motorcycle. Within moments they were in another face-off.
"Nice to see you two again," Sky remarked sarcastically.
"I told you we should have quit while we were ahead, Jack," Z griped.
"Don't worry, I'll take care of this and we'll be on our way," Jack retorted. He charged Sky, but his foe formed a force field that- upon impact- sent him flying backward to the ground.
"Guess what? You're not the only ones with tricks," Sky remarked, grinning. Z pulled Jack to his feet and turned to flee.
"Jack, we've gotta get out of here!" she remarked. The man shook her off.
"We gotta finish this now or these clowns will be chasing us forever," he countered. Z groaned as another fight began. This time, the cadets changed their strategy to avoid further humiliation, and managed to outwit the thieves. With the tables turned, Jack and Z attempted to flee but were cornered by the cadets. Sky pulled out his morpher and held it up for judgment.
"You are accused of stealing and distributing stolen goods," he remarked.
"Okay, can you prove it?" Jack scoffed.
"Actually, yes we can," Bridge replied, excited. Sky activated the morpher's judgment scan, which quickly came up guilty. Before the Rangers could take any further action, however, a humanoid wearing a black and silver jumpsuit and a blue helmet dropped down in front of them. The mysterious person tossed a silver ball into the air, which released- a horde of other jumpsuit-wearing humanoids? The Rangers reevaluated their conclusion; just what were they dealing with?
As Austin neared S.P.D's dedicated Testing Center, he was surprised to see a guard barring entry to the aforementioned area.
"Halt, youngling. This is a secure area, please return to your class at once," the guard barked. Austin sighed inwardly.
"I'm Austin Oliver, B Squad cadet. I'm here to take the academy final exam," he argued. The guard contacted someone inside through an earpiece, and after a moment his look of disgust faded.
"My apologies, Mr. Oliver," he remarked, unlocking the door, "I mistook you for one of the junior cadets. Head inside and take your exam."
"Thank you," Austin replied. Entering the Testing Center lobby, he was directed to a seating area to wait for the instructor carrying out his exam. As he sat down, he caught a couple of jeers from two teenage cadets manning one of the assistance desks.
"Aww, someone thinks he's a big boy and can be a Ranger," the male taunted, speaking in a babyish voice often used with toddlers.
"Such a cute little guy; I'm almost sorry he's going to flunk," the girl added. A glare from the officer working the main desk shut them up, but already the damage had been done. Heading into his exam, Austin felt both discouraged and defeated. Despite an encouraging instructor and all the training he'd done with his father, he felt he barely managed an average performance in the physical portion of the exam. The written part was largely S.P.D protocol, and he guessed most of the answers using common sense and process of elimination. He was not optimistic about his chances.
In the meantime, Austin's teammates were not faring well against the attack force composed of- according to Sky when he blasted one open- alien robots. The robotic soldiers were able to push back the Rangers, and then the blue-headed one blasted them with its arm laser. After that crushing blow, the three young adults were all but defeated. Suddenly, Jack and Z charged back into the fray, taking out several robots as they turned the tide of the battle.
Accepting the unexpected assistance, the B Squad Rangers led a renewed effort which saw all of the silver-colored footsoldiers defeated. Left alone and with its target nowhere in sight, the blue-headed robot quickly fled the scene. Bridge and Syd moved to celebrate the victory with Jack and Z, but Sky interrupted by seizing Jack's arm mid-high-five. Before he could attempt an arrest, however, Tommy drove up in another S.P.D. Jeep, his expression less than pleasant.
"Lieutenant Tate, stand down!"
Back at Delta Base, Commander Cruger met with the new prisoners in the cell the two shared. Having heard about Z's genetic ability, he opted to give the two a chance to serve most of their time and community service by being Rangers. Jack refused the offer, still not happy about being imprisoned despite assisting B Squad. Z, on the other hand, accepted the position because she'd been wanting to be part of something bigger for a while.
Once Z was outfitted in a uniform and all the formalities were taken care of, Cruger took her out to meet her new squad: the same Rangers that had arrested her. Sky, Bridge and Syd were surprised to see their boss walk up with someone they expected to be in prison.
"Rangers, Elizabeth Delgado-," Cruger was cut off by Z.
"Hey, remember me? Yeah, you can call me Z," she remarked.
"Hey," Bridge responded, waving.
"Hey," Z replied, smiling. Cruger sighed inwardly and resumed speaking.
"Rangers, Ms. Delgado has chosen to join S.P.D; I've assigned her to B Squad," he announced.
"Sir, she's a criminal," Sky protested. Cruger resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
"Duly noted," he replied. Sky wasn't satisfied.
"Sir, we've been here for years, and you put her with us?" he questioned.
"Lieutenant, you may be wise to remember that she was a worthy opponent despite your prior training and greater number," Cruger lectured, "She is your new team member, and I expect you to treat her as such." Sky quickly backed down. As he was about to leave, Cruger stopped and looked over the Rangers once more.
"Where is Lieutenant Oliver?" he questioned, referring to Austin. The Rangers shrugged before Syd finally spoke up.
"Sir, we haven't seen him since the morpher demonstration," she explained. Cruger nodded.
"Thank you, Sydney," he responded, "Z, please make sure to stop by the Testing Center and take the academy final once you've settled in. Now, you'll all have to excuse me." The Rangers saluted as Cruger headed back inside, likely to find his missing Lieutenant.
"So, what do you guys do for fun?" Z asked. Sky smirked.
"Bring in thieves."
Commander Cruger walked into Ops and immediately caught his second-in-command's eye. Tommy stopped what he was doing and approached his boss, wondering what had the Sirian so worried.
"Anubis, is everything alright?" he asked. Cruger shook his head.
"I received Austin's test scores half an hour ago, but he hasn't rejoined his squad," Cruger explained.
"Well, considering the situation, I'd advise you to check with Hayley," Tommy replied, "Austin didn't come to me, so he's probably with her."
"Thank you, Tommy; I'll go check the cafe," Cruger replied. Before leaving, he handed the former Green Ranger an S.P.D morpher. "I'll send Austin up when I find him," the Sirian added, "I feel it's only proper that you give it to him." Nodding, Tommy hurried to finish his prior task while Cruger headed downstairs.
After a quick elevator ride and a stroll through the lobby, Cruger arrived in the S.P.D Cafe. The business, which was likely to become the Newtech location for Hayley's Cyberspace, featured normal tables and a bar that sat roughly ten patrons. Sitting on one of the barstools, quietly sipping a 20-ounce, cookies and creme milkshake, was Austin. Hayley, his mother, was serving a male S.P.D Lieutenant several stools down the bar.
"Austin, are you alright? You've got everyone worried," Cruger questioned, taking a seat beside the boy. Austin remained silent for a few moments.
"...my exam didn't go too well," he finally spoke. Cruger raised an eyebrow.
"Care to give me the details?" he asked. Austin let out an inaudible sigh.
"I got mistaken for a junior cadet on the way in, two teenage cadets picked on me in the waiting room, I guessed my way through the written portion of the exam, and finally managed only an average performance in the physical part," he recalled gloomily
"I'm sorry you had to deal with all that; we don't tolerate harassment at the academy," Cruger apologized, "That being said, you must be an excellent guesser because you scored a 90." Austin's eyes widened.
"Really? What about the physical part?" he questioned eagerly. Cruger had to suppress an excited grin.
"Well, you must have high standards on your physical performance, because the instructor felt a 100 didn't do your 'average performance' justice," he answered, "After a manual override, your score was entered as a 120." Austin's jaw dropped.
"That's unbelievable.." he sputtered. Cruger smiled and gave the boy a pat on the back.
"That's also an academy record," he remarked, "You're better than you think, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise." Austin managed a smile whilst also turning a light shade of red.
"Thank you, Commander," he replied. The Sirian took note of the boy's now-empty milkshake.
"If you're feeling up to it, you should rejoin your squad," he suggested, "I should have another assignment for you soon, and they could use your help." Austin nodded, hopping down from his barstool.
"Are you going to pay for that?" Cruger questioned, indicating the empty glass.
"It's on the house," Hayley answered. Austin smirked.
"I should have known…" Cruger remarked, shaking his head. Getting to his feet, the Commander of S.P.D Earth walked with Austin towards the exit.
Just over an hour later, Austin and his fellow B Squad Power Rangers- Z having taken the exam by now- headed for the Ops Center after being called to report for an assignment. As they neared the room, they passed by A Squad as the top Rangers headed out on their own mission. By removing one of his black gloves, Bridge allowed his genetic ability to activate and automatically sensed all five of their auras. However, the readings he got were not quite what he had expected.
"Everything alright, Bridge?" Syd asked. Bridge shook his head.
"It's A Squad," he answered, "Something's off about them." Sky rolled his eyes.
"It's probably nothing," he remarked, "Let's get to Ops."
Arriving in the heart of S.P.D Earth, the B Squad Power Rangers were met by Commander Cruger, who was almost completely alone. He bore a serious expression, which told the Rangers that the ensuing conversation was no place for bickering and nonsense.
"Rangers, I have some serious questions for you," Cruger announced, "Lieutenant Oliver, since you were taking the exam during the mission in question, you are excused from this discussion. Instead, please meet with your father in his quarters."
"Understood, sir," Austin replied, saluting. As their teammate headed down the hall, the rest of B Squad listened intently to Cruger's words.
"Please recap exactly what happened during the engagement which led to Lieutenant Delgado's and her partner's arrests," the Sirian instructed. Sky stepped forward.
"Sir, we engaged them in battle, and eventually cornered them for judgment. We managed to assign a guilty verdict, but were then interrupted by a large group of robots," he remarked.
"Bridge, you're usually observant. What did they look like?" Cruger questioned.
"They were black, with silver, soccer ball heads that went 'bing bing!' Not very intelligent," Bridge recalled. Cruger nodded; his suspicions had been confirmed.
"Krybots; Troobian robotic footsoldiers," he explained. Suddenly, Syd spoke up.
"There was also a blue one, sir-," she started. The blonde was unable to get out another word as Cruger cut her off.
"A blue-head?" he exclaimed, "Those are Gruumm's elite personal guard! This is more serious than I thought!" The four Rangers were now showing signs of worry. "Z, did you and Jack have anything the Troobians would have wanted?" Cruger asked. Z shook her head.
"All we had stolen was food and clothing, which we'd given away by that time," she answered.
"You're sure there wasn't anything else?" Sky questioned. Z glared at him, but did manage to recall something.
"There was this strange metal thing some guy gave Jack," she recalled, "It was worthless, though; we threw it away." Everyone stared incredulously at her.
"Maybe it had value after all, Lieutenant," Cruger remarked, "Rangers, your orders are to investigate this 'strange metal thing'. Return to the scene and see if you can locate it."
"Yes, sir!" the four Rangers responded, saluting. They left Ops quickly, and soon were headed towards the scene in/on their vehicles.
Austin was unsure what to expect when he arrived at the entrance to his dad's room. When the door slid open, he was greeted by the sight of Tommy sitting on his bed, an S.P.D morpher in his hands. The boy walked inside and sat down next to his father, who looked down at him with a smile.
"Almost 14 years," he remarked, "That's how long it's been since a Ranger has suited up a second time." Austin nodded.
"That was when TJ and the Turbo Rangers became Space Rangers, right?" he asked. Tommy nodded.
"Rangers these days are only around for a year or so," he continued, "The fact that you're following in my footsteps and continuing to protect Earth… I am very proud of you." Austin couldn't help but blush.
"Thanks, dad," he replied. Tommy pulled his son into a hug, and was quickly hugged back. The Power Ranger legend then held out the morpher.
"Take this, and go be the best Ranger you can, even if you're still blue," he spoke. Austin nodded.
"I'll do it even if I'm green!" he promised, "After all, that's not too shabby a color either." Tommy couldn't help but smile as his son winked and stood to leave. The former Green Ranger got to his feet as well, walking his son to the elevator before making his way back to Ops.
The other B Squad Rangers arrived at the scene of their prior engagement and were led to a trash can by Z. Reaching inside, she produced a metal object that resembled a tiny atomic bomb.
"Let's take it back to base for examination," Sky remarked, grabbing the item.
"Why can't we investigate it ourselves?" Syd questioned, taking it straight out of Sky's hands. She barely got a hold of it before Bridge snatched it up.
"That'd certainly be easier," he added. Z reclaimed the strange object.
"Actually, we can. The S.P.D handbook states that Rangers on active duty can investigate any leads pertaining to their case." she recited. The others gawked at her in amazement. "What? I'm a quick study." Sky was the first to regain his composure.
"Alright then, I suppose we can investigate," he responded. Z smirked proudly.
"Great; I know just the person to ask."
The B Squad Power Rangers were appalled to find themselves led to a grimy, smelly dumpster. Z knocked on the metal container, and surprisingly- except to her- was greeted by a strange creature who apparently lived inside. The creature was a humanoid alien with a head composed entirely of spikes and covered in tan scales for skin.
"Piggy, I've got something for you to look at," she remarked, holding up the metal item.
"That's nothing but trash, let me dispose of it for you," Piggy remarked, grabbing at the object. Z pulled it away with lightning speed.
"Bridge, the sandwich," she remarked. Bridge handed her a putrid plastic bag that he was glad to be rid of. "Mmm… rotten bologna sandwich… probably been thrown away for at least a week…" The sandwich was too good for Piggy to pass up.
"Alright!" he conceded, "What you have there is just your run-of-the-mill proton accelerator. There's only one on Earth, so that must be it." Z went to hand Piggy the sandwich, but the Rangers were suddenly interrupted by another blue-head Krybot. Snatching the sandwhich Z almost immediately dropped, Piggy retreated into his dumpster. Meanwhile, the blue-head summoned another squadron of normal Krybots, beginning yet another battle for the Rangers.
Without help from Austin or even Jack, the four Rangers were quickly overwhelmed. As the state of the fight deteriorated, Bridge began one of the ramblings that preceded most of his questions.
"Damnit, Bridge, what the hell are you trying to say?" Syd asked, fed up.
"It's another one of his long, drawn-out questions," Sky quickly responded. Bridge stopped instantly.
"Wait, I ask long, drawn-out questions?" he asked. The others rolled their eyes. "Alright! I was just thinking, wouldn't now be a good time to morph?"
"Yes, it would!" Sky replied, pulling out his morpher. The others followed suit.
"S.P.D, emergency!" they cried out together. Their morphers activated, turning each of them into a Power Ranger for the very first time.
"S.P.D Pink!" Syd exclaimed, completing her morphing sequence.
"S.P.D Yellow!" Z continued.
"S.P.D Green!" Bridge added.
"S.P.D Blue!" Sky finished, "Wait, what? I'm supposed to be the Red Ranger!"
"Save it for later, number 2!" Syd, whose Ranger suit bore the number 5, barked. With order restored amongst the team, the Rangers pulled out their weapons- the Deltamax Strikers- and began turning the tide of battle. As the robotic soldiers adapted to the sword-like weapons, the Rangers surprised them again by shifting the strikers into blaster mode. Despite defeating most of the Krybots, the blue-head and his arm laser were still too much for the Rangers to handle.
"We've got company!" Syd cried suddenly, pointing. A silhouette of someone running could be seen far behind the Krybot.
"Friend or foe?" Bridge questioned. As the person grew near, more light began to reach them and their size became quite clear.
"It's Austin!" Z exclaimed. The last B Squad Ranger clutched a morpher in one hand, and skidded to a stop with the blue-head between him and the others.
"You guys need some help?" Austin asked. Sky indicated the blue-head.
"Just with him!" he answered. Austin took a deep breath and activated his morpher.
"S.P.D, emergency!" he cried. His morphing sequence began, and soon he was feeling power the likes of which he had never felt before. Once fully morphed, he struck the usual first-morph pose. "S.P.D Red!" he cried instinctively. Sky backpedaled in shock.
"You've gotta be kidding me; he's the Red Ranger?" he sputtered. Austin was unfazed.
"Let's get this party started!" he taunted. The Blue-head summoned more Krybots to fend off his new opponent.
"Footsoldiers? No problem!" Austin remarked, grinning inside his helmet. The Krybots attacked, but Austin dispatched them with ease using his superior fighting skills. Suddenly, he was blasted back by the Blue-head's now-infamous arm laser. Getting back to his feet, Austin glared at the approaching Krybots.
"Alright, time to liven things up!" he remarked, pulling his dual weapons from their holsters, "Delta Blasters!" Blasting through the first few attackers, Austin used the Delta Blasters as he took out his entire batch of Krybots in an impressive and explosive display. "This rocks!" he announced to no one in particular. Meanwhile, the other Rangers came to a stop, having defeated their Krybots.
"Now he's just showing off," Syd remarked, jealous. Sky nodded in agreement.
"If his dad's anything to go by, we haven't seen anything yet," Bridge countered, watching expectantly. Finally, reaching the blue-head, Austin managed to blast it back along with a few normal Krybots that surrounded it. Left on its own, the blue-head found itself in a dire situation.
"Hey, he's not following academy regulations!" Sky observed angrily. Meanwhile, Austin combined his blasters into one.
"Delta Blaster, combo mode!" he cried, "Fully charged!" The Red Ranger didn't hesitate a moment. "Fire!" he finished, unleashing a blast that destroyed the Blue-head in a spectacular explosion.
"Where'd you get that?" Sky questioned, running up with the others.
"Came with the suit," Austin replied, grinning ear to ear inside his helmet. While the Rangers felt ready to celebrate, more evil lurked in the shadows nearby. Broodwing, one of Gruumm's underlings, summoned a giant robot to attack the city. "Please tell me we have zords!" Austin exclaimed worriedly.
"Commander Cruger, Blue Ranger requesting squad runners! Looks like we're about to battle a giant robot!" Sky spoke into his morpher's microphone.
"B Squad, I've sent A Squad. Your orders are to evacuate your position," Cruger responded. Austin exhaled sadly.
"That's a buzzkill," he groaned. While they watched A Squad defeat the robot with the Megazord, the B Squad Rangers powered down and searched for the proton accelerator. Austin noticed that their uniforms had been emblazoned with their respective Ranger colors, but shrugged it off as it was an expected byproduct of morphing. That aside, they were unable to find the device, and were forced to return to base feeling a mixture of both success and failure.
As B Squad entered the Ops Center, Austin found himself mobbed by his parents. The young Ranger didn't mind at all, though, and happily returned their hugs.
"We are so proud of you, my little Red Ranger," Hayley gushed, sounding a bit unlike herself. Austin turned as red as his uniform.
"Thanks, mom," he replied half-sarcastically. Tommy put a hand on his son's shoulder.
"The first father and son to be Red Ranger; I can hardly believe it," he remarked. Austin smiled up at his father and idol.
"I can't either," he admitted, "But it's really exciting." Tommy chuckled, giving his son a light squeeze.
"It is," he confirmed, "And I couldn't be prouder." With his chest about to burst from pride and excitement, Austin joined his fellow Rangers as they lined up.
"Rangers, I'm not sure if I should congratulate you or reprimand you," Cruger remarked, "On one hand, you lost the proton accelerator and allowed Gruumm to reach Earth." The Rangers hung their heads in shame. "However, you also defeated his Krybots and have given us a new set of defenders. Job well done, I suppose, but I expect better work in the future. Dismissed."
"Yes, sir!" the Rangers replied. While everyone else left, Sky took his boss aside in frustration.
"Sir, it seems there was some kind of mistake," he began, "I was given the Blue Ranger power; I thought we agreed-" The disgruntled Ranger was cut off.
"There was no mistake," Cruger responded sternly, "Austin is your leader, and I expect you to follow him. Understood?" Sky sighed and nodded.
"Yes, sir."
Austin Oliver peeked into the hallway from one of Delta Base's two bathrooms- one for each gender- with showers. It was just past nine o'clock, and he was the only person left inside. Remaining silent, he listened for any sound of movement, breathing or conversation. Much to his relief, it seemed most people had turned in by now, because the hallway was dead silent and devoid of occupants. The young Ranger thanked the heavens as he rushed down the hall and entered his room.
Once inside, Austin turned and locked his door with a numerical pin. Now that he was secure inside his room, the boy let out a relieved sigh and began to relax. Putting his uniform into a compact, alien-made washing machine, he stretched out atop his soft, comfortable bed. As he lay atop his new, red bedding, the young Oliver let the day's events sink in. He was now a Red Ranger, just like his father before him, and was leading an entire squad of S.P.D Power Rangers.
Austin was excited about this new chapter in his life, but still could barely believe it was happening. He looked down between his legs, his gaze falling on the unusual garment he wore. Ever since the infamous Wizard Wood incident, he'd been having increased back issues. Even prior to the injury, he had suffered from occasional back pain due to his slight Scoliosis. Now, not only was it flaring up worse than ever before, but he was having other issues as well. Namely, it seemed he was having an issue with his spinal cord that- embarrassingly- had turned him into a bedwetter.
Austin was now clad in a red, Power Rangers Zeo t-shirt two sizes too large, which was doing a half-decent job of hiding his embarrassing lower garment. The disposable padding was a special design, bearing Power Rangers logos and red tapes. Austin was now forced to wear the custom-ordered diapers when he slept, as most nights would result in wet sheets without them. Letting out a sigh, he rolled over and hid his padding beneath the sheets. Why did his best luck always come after his worst?
Opening his computer, Austin signed into his- and the only- user profile and then immediately logged into Skype. As he had hoped, the new star of the Reefside Wave, Conner McKnight, was online. Placing a video call, he waited with bated breath to see if his friend would answer. Much to the young Ranger's delight, Conner picked up after only two rings. It seemed the soccer star had just showered up after his second game as a pro.
"Glad you're still keeping in touch up there, Austin. How'd your first couple days go?" Conner asked. By some twist of fate, Austin and Conner were actually the closest friends from the old Dino Thunder team. Austin enjoyed talking to his old leader, who had grown close to him through their former rivalry. The younger Ranger smiled back at his friend.
"Things went pretty well. You'll never believe what color Ranger I am," Austin answered. Conner observed the decor in his friend's room, as well as the clothes the boy wore.
"Hmm, I'd say pink by the looks of it," he toyed. Austin couldn't help but laugh.
"You always were a kidder," he remarked, "Believe it or not, Conner; I'm red." Conner smiled like a proud father.
"That's great news, kiddo. I'm sure you'll be an amazing leader," he replied. Austin blushed lightly from the praise.
"Not as good as you," he insisted. Conner's expression suddenly became serious.
"You and I both know that you saved my butt more times than I saved yours," he reminded the boy, "You're going to be a great leader, I promise you." Austin turned an even brighter shade of red.
"Thank you, Conner," he replied, "How's soccer going?" The elder Red Ranger paused for a moment in recollection.
"Well, we just started the season, but we've already won 2 games," he finally answered, "Hey, now that I think about it, we've got one in Newtech soon! I'll have to pay you guys a visit." Austin grinned excitedly.
"Awesome! I can't wait to see you!" he responded. Conner chuckled at the boy's enthusiasm.
"Neither can I," he replied, "Now, however, I think it's time you went to bed. It's getting late." Austin frowned.
"Aww…" he moaned. Conner quickly checked himself.
"Don't worry, we can always talk again tomorrow," he added. Austin managed a smile.
"That's true," he admitted, "Well, good night, Conner."
"Good night, Austin," Conner replied, "Make me proud out there." Austin blushed yet again, but nodded anyway.
"I'll do my best," he promised. With that, the two friends ended their call; Austin shutting off his computer for the night. Just as he was about to hit the hay, the young Red Ranger was shocked to hear the words 'access granted' come from his door. The question of who could possibly have guessed his PIN was answered when none other than his mom entered the room. As the door closed behind her, Hayley took a seat at the end of her son's bed.
"Sorry about breaking in," she apologized, "How are you doing?" Austin hesitated for a moment.
"Alright, I suppose. This whole bedwetting thing is still bothering me," he admitted. Hayley gave a look of concern.
"Come here," she remarked. Austin climbed out from under the sheets and into his mother's lap. "Tell me why it's bothering you."
"Well, for starters it's embarrassing. None of the other Rangers have to deal with it," he explained, "Plus, the doctors have said that bedwetting could lead to daytime issues. That's not the worst part, though…" Hayley held her son close and rubbed his back reassuringly.
"First off, Austin, no one else knows about this, and I'll always support you. There's no need to be embarrassed," she assured him, "Secondly, you can work to avoid that. We've discussed it before." Austin shook his head.
"Yeah, but they say if the problem's bad enough-!" Hayley silenced the boy, speaking softly into his ear.
"You're case is minor, though," she reminded him, "You'll be fine." Austin sighed and let his head come to rest on his mom's shoulder.
"There's another reason… I'm embarrassed…" he murmured. Hayley continued to try and cheer him up.
"Sometimes it helps to get things out," she remarked, "Tell me what it is." Austin hesitated for an unusually long amount of time, his cheeks turning red in the process.
"W-Well, I… I kinda like the diapers…" he finally admitted, "They're comfy and I don't have to worry as much." Hayley wasn't fazed at all.
"That's fine, Austin. If anything, it should make this easier on you," Hayley replied. Austin wasn't convinced.
"Yeah, but... if anyone finds out, that'll really ruin me…" he muttered. Hayley looked him straight in the eye.
"You have had this problem for months and you own father doesn't know," Hayley replied, "No one is going to find out." Austin had to admit she was right. His fears were quelled, for now at least. He pulled his mom into a hug.
"As usual, I have to admit you're right," he remarked, "Thanks for supporting me, mom." Hayley smiled and hugged back.
"You're welcome, Austin," she responded, "I love you; always remember that." Austin smiled and nodded.
"Love you too, mom," he assured her. The young boy then climbed back under the sheets and was promptly tucked in by his mother.
"Good night, see you in the morning," Hayley whispered.
"Night, mom," Austin replied, smiling. He then closed his eyes, hearing the door open and close before he drifted off to sleep.