Summary: Grumm has escaped to another timeline to cause havoc and the Power Rangers have to travel through different timelines to find him and find a surprise in each one.
On with the fic!
Warning: Slightly A/U and there may be a little bit of slash. There will be a warning in the chapter which contains it.
"Rangers, report to the Command Centre immediately!" the order rang out over the alarms. Sky Tate, SPD Blue Ranger, looked up from the SPD handbook and, exchanging a glance with Jack, SPD Red Ranger, raced out of the rec room into the Command Centre. Soon after them, Syd and Z came running in as Cruger began pacing in front of them.
"Cadets, we have a problem . . ." Cruger started out and then noticed the absence of a certain Ranger, "where is Cadet Carson?"
As is on cue, the Rangers turned to the doors of the Command Centre as Bridge skidded past it and fell on his knees, before doubling back and running into the Command Centre, panting.
"Sorry, sir," Bridge said, taking labored breaths, "I was working on a bug in the simulation room and then I got stuck in it and then . . ."
"It's alright Cadet, catch your breath," Cruger sighed as the Green Ranger took his position among his teammates, swiping a hand through his sweat-slicked hair. "Rangers, we have received word that Grumm has traveled to another timeline, most likely to find one where SPD does not exist so that he can take over the world."
Sky stepped up, "Is that even possible?"
Bridge nodded, "It sure is. There are many alternate timelines in which something is always different. You can even find a timeline in which SPD is evil and Grumm is good or one in which we don't have powers and led different lives."
Cruger nodded at him, "Carson is right. We have to leave immediately as we don't know which dimension Grumm has gone to and we have to go through different ones. Jack will stay back here with Sam and me while the rest of you will leave. Kat will also accompany you. Go and pack some clothes and necessities for the mission and we'll meet in the Launch Bay. Dismissed."
sky & bridge's room
"Sky, what if find ourselves in a dimension where you are evil or I'm evil or the Commander's evil or . . ." Bridge rambled on as he wandered about the room, picking up his clothes and various other knick-knacks. Sky kept his things neat and tidy while Bridge scattered his things all over the place. He often wondered how Bridge never lost anything but figured that he probably used his powers to find it.
"We'll worry about that when we're faced with the situation," Sky answered, already done with his packing and was now pacing about the room helping Bridge to find his spare gloves. "No sense in worrying now."
"Sorry. I'm just worried that we might accidentally take the wrong, evil one with us and he or she will wreak havoc once we return."
"That won't happen, so don't worry."
"Right Sky!" Bridge gave a determined nod and zipped up his bag, hoisting it over his shoulder and heading to the door with Sky. They walked in silence for a while and then Sky broke the silence.
"Bridge, don't worry. You can just use your powers to find out which one of us are of this dimension."
Bridge let out a sigh, "But what if I'm wrong?"
"You won't be. I believe that you will make the right choice.
z & syd's room
"Hey, Z! Which nail-polish do you think goes with this shade of lipstick?" Syd asked, thinking about which cosmetics to take with her. Z was taking her disc-man and some CDs and was trying her best to ignore Syd.
"Syd, take the one on the right and hurry up," she said in a tired voice.
Syd rolled her eyes and decided to take both the shades while Z stood waiting by the door.
"Hey Z. Do you think there might be a timeline in which you and Bridge are a couple?" Syd asked slyly. Z blushed furiously, regretting that she had ever told Syd about her crush on the Green Ranger.
"Maybe the same one where you and Sky are a couple," Z responded causing Syd to blush. The two continued to throw insults back and forth playfully until they reached the Launch Bay where Cruger, Kat, Jack, Sky and Bridge were waiting.
"Cadets, are you ready?" Kat asked as she sat in front, ready to pilot the ship they would be using to travel through dimensions. Bridge sat next to her on the right, Sky behind him, Syd next to Sky and Z to the left of Kat.
"Ready!" they chorused.
"Then let's go!" she said as she activated the machine to open the portal to the next dimension. A large amount of colors flashed by, blurred together until they saw sunlight coming from a fast approaching end. The ship flew out of the portal and landed in a forest.
"Honestly, Kat. You could've warned us about that!" Bridge groaned as he and the others staggered out of the ship.
"I had no idea it would be like that! This is my first time too." Kat said as she scanned the area. Sky and Bridge climbed up one of the trees to see their location while Syd and Z checked for any damage to the ship.
"The ship has minimal damage!" Syd called out and Bridge's voice floated down from above, "Kat, there is an SPD base about a couple miles away. It looks like the one back home!"
"Let's hope it isn't the one back home," Sky mumbled as he and Bridge dropped to the ground. They grabbed their bags and headed to the base, occasionally stopping to scan the area. After an hour of walking they finally reached the base and were standing out the door, planning their next move.
"We can't just walk in there, so what do we do?" sighed Bridge. Kat was about to respond when they heard a familiar voice behind them, "Bridge?"
The group turned to see a Sky, wearing the Red Ranger uniform, staring at them in shock. Bridge swallowed heavily and then called out, "Sky?"
What happened next was a blur as the other Sky ran to them and grabbed Bridge in a bear hug, "BRIDGE! You finally came back!" The others stared in shock as Bridge gave a glance to his timeline's Sky as a plea for help. Kat cleared her throat and the other timeline Sky (A/N we'll call him R-Sky and the original one B-Sky) looked at her, finally noticing the others.
"Dr. Manx, what are you doing out here?" he asked with a confused look as he let go of Bridge.
Kat cleared her throat, "Sorry Sky, but the people in this group are not from your dimension. We are from another dimension."
T-Sky looked at them, "You say you are from another dimension? Why should I believe you?"
"This enough proof?" Sky said blandly as he stepped in front of his doppelganger. T-Sky looked at him, shocked and then opened his morpher, "Commander, we have a code 128 here."
The time-travelers stood in line in front of Commander Cruger as he paced in front of them, "So you have come to this dimension to stop Grumm if he had come here?"
"Yes sir!" they echoed.
"Very well. I believe you. You will be given rooms to stay but one of you will have to share a room with Sky," Commander Cruger gestured at the Red Ranger at his side.
R-Sky showed them to their rooms and then was left only with Bridge and the B-Sky. Bridge raised his hand, "Um, other Sky? How come you're the Red Ranger?"
R-Sky gave him a small smile, "When we were promoted to B-squad and given our morphers, Cruger gave me the Red Ranger morpher, you green and Syd pink."
Bridge nodded, "Like in our timeline, except Sky got Blue and Jack got Red."
R-Sky nodded back and got a far-away look in his eyes, "We made a good team. But I let my position go to my head and started being rougher on you and Syd. This timeline's Syd left a week ago on a trip. She got a couple weeks off. Anyway, I started snapping at everyone and became even stiffer than before. We caught Jack and Z, but they decided to remain in prison. Finally, my timeline's Bridge snapped and he left SPD a couple years back. We haven't received word from him ever since," he sighed. "I wish I knew where he was. I want to apologize. I've changed since then and have become an even better leader. When I saw you, I-" he stopped abruptly, but Bridge understood.
"You thought he had come back," Bridge said sadly and T-Sky nodded.
Suddenly, B-Sky spoke up, "Cruger said one of us will have to room with you."
"Yeah. The only other empty room is just big enough for one person."
B-Sky turned to Bridge, "You can use that one."
Bridge looked down, "Um, Sky, I'd like to room with the other Sky, if he doesn't mind."
R-Sky looked at him with a grin on his face, "I wouldn't mind at all! It'll be great to room with you again!"
B-Sky looked like he wanted to protest but shut his mouth and went into the one-person room while Bridge and R-Sky went into the other.
First thing in the morning, Kat, Syd, Z and Sky went to repair whatever damage had occurred to the ship and Bridge and R-Sky had stayed behind to keep an eye on things in the Command Centre. Bridge was silently pondering on how he could cheer up R-Sky. He could tell from his aura that the other Sky really, really missed the Bridge from this dimension.
"If I was mad at Sky and I didn't want him to find me, ever, where would I go?" Bridge asked himself as he scanned the area of NewTech city. His musing was interrupted when he saw signals of Krybot-activity nearby the ship he had arrived in. Bridge called R-Sky and flipped open his morpher immediately, "Guys, Krybots heading your way!"
Both of them headed down to the garage and hopped into one of the jeeps, driving to the location of the others only to see them morphed and completely surrounded by Krybots.
"Ready Bridge?" R-Sky whipped out his morpher.
"Ready!" Bridge whipped out his own.
"SPD EMERGENCY!!" they called out together and with a quick flip and crouch, R-Sky and Bridge morphed into the Red and Green Rangers. The two of them charged the Krybots and helped the others beat them back.
Syd flipped over the head of one Krybot and kicked it in the back, knocking it into several others. She kicked another in the head and then swept down into a sweeping ankle kick to knock over another.
Z also spun around, kicking one Krybot in front of her and then elbowing one behind her. She took out her Delta Max Striker and fired at a few more before finally jump-kicking two more.
Kat was also fighting along side them as she flipped backwards and then ducked as one Krybot swung at her and hit the one behind her. She slashed at it with her claws and then threw it into the others behind her.
B-Sky ducked a couple punches from a Krybot and then swung around to punch a Krybot behind him before kicking back at the one sneaking up at him. He took out his own Delta Max Striker and began shooting every Krybot he could see.
Bridge was back-flipping away from all the Krybots and he kicked a couple away from him before running up one Krybot and flipping over, kicking it away as he landed on the shoulders of another and kicked down hard, tearing off one of it's arms.
R-Sky was using his Delta blasters to destroy any Krybots near him and then, he finally pulled out his morpher, "Send in RIC!"
The Robotic Interactive Canine bounded to R-Sky and the others and turned into the K-9 Cannon, which they fired at the remaining Krybots and destroyed them.
"Whew!" Syd let out a breath as they all de-morphed, "What a workout!"
B-Sky also let out a breath as he tried to steady his breathing, "Those Krybots were dressed like civilians. We didn't even expect that attack!"
Bridge gave him a tiny grin, "No kidding. They were right under your nose and they just changed a small detail to hide from you." He suddenly froze as he got an idea and then promptly ran back to the base.
"What's with him?" R-Sky asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, Grumm isn't in this world and so we have to leave for our next destination," Z said with a small smile as she shook hands with R-Sky.
"It was nice to meet all of you, especially Bridge," he said with a smile, "where is he anyway?"
B-Sky shrugged, "No idea. He said he had something to do first."
At this, Bridge came running in and bent over, trying to catch his breath, "Other Sky," he gasped, "I've got a surprise for you."
R-Sky raised an eyebrow, "What is it?"
Bridge turned to the door, "You can come in now!"
R-Sky turned to the door and his eyes widened when he took in the familiar mussed brown hair and the pale blue eyes which always sparkled with mirth. He hadn't changed much except for the fact that he was wearing blue and red instead of the green he was so familiar with and his hair had grown by a couple of inches, making him look even younger than before.
"Bridge?" R-Sky breathed out, staring at his old roommate who he hadn't seen for two years.
"Hey Sky! Didja miss me?" he asked with a smile.
Sky didn't bother answering but simply rushed at him and grabbed him in a tight hug, lifting him a couple inches of the ground, "You idiot! Do you have any idea how much I missed you!"
R-Bridge smiled at his friend, "It's nice to see you too!" he laughed.
The others looked at the Bridge who was not being hugged and he shrugged, "It wasn't easy to find him."
R-Sky set down his friend and turned to him as well, "How did you find him?! I've been looking for years."
Bridge smiled, "It was that comment I made after the fight with the Krybots. I said that they were right under our noses and had only made a small change to themselves. The same thing applied to other me. He knew that the last place Sky would look for him would be at NewTech City in my mother's - or rather his mother's - house. The only change he made was change his name to Jason Corbett. When Sky checked there, he probably saw the name and assumed that he wasn't there."
R-Sky turned to R-Bridge, "Is he right? Did you really do that?"
He nodded, "Yup. You always miss what is right in front of you, Sky."
"Don't blame yourself. After all I am him in a way," Bridge spoke up.
R-Sky turned to him, "Thank you."
"No problem."
R-Bridge suddenly seemed to remember something, "Oh yeah, Sky? I talked to Cruger and he made me your 2IC. I'm your new Blue Ranger!"
"That's great!"
Kat smiled at her timeline's Bridge and turned to the others, "Okay, now we really have to go! Goodbye and thank you for your help!"
R-Sky and R-Bridge waved to them, "Thanks for helping us!" they called.
As they entered the ship, Sky turned to Bridge, "You did a good thing, buddy."
"Thanks, Sky."
"Come one, guys! Let's go!" Kat called out as they settled into their seats. The ship rose into the sky and the two united Rangers kept waving, even after the portal opened and the ship disappeared from sight.
To be continued
In the next chapter, the Rangers find themselves finding out new possibilities and well-kept secrets are revealed.