The three adults walked through the park late at night. They were the pride of Reefside, though in that moment, they felt like they were in high school again. Kira stood between Ethan and Conner, arms around their necks.
"Soooo, we going for drinks or what?" She asked, getting almost lifted off the ground by them. Ethan agreed with her, but Conner made a noncommittal noise in the back of his throat.
"Whoa, whoa, wait, is Conner McKnight saying no…to a drink?" Ethan exclaimed, pressing a hand to his chest and looking shocked.
"Ethan, you can come crying to me when you have three kids! Kids come before beer!" Conner huffed back.
"I know, I know just teasing. We still love ya! You got some great kids though," Ethan let Kira drop down and patted Conner on the back. The former red ranger glowed with pride.
"Damn straight I do!" He puffed out his chest.
"We should do this more often, this walking thing," Kira said, stretching her arms. They all sat down on a park bench. The two boys nodded their agreement. They relaxed in the silence of the late evening and watched a massive lone jogger pass them.
Conner stared after the guy and looked at Kira and Ethan. The jogger's face had been obscured but they did not doubt it was one of the new alien residents.
"He's a big motherfucker," Conner whispered to his companions when the man was out of sight. Kira slapped Conner's arm.
"Don't be mean!" She snapped, rolling her eyes.
The three of them froze suddenly, Conner felt cold metal pressed against the back of his head.
"Alright listen up," a voice hissed, "the three of you are going to give me all you got or one of you gets it!" Slowly the former rangers rose, hands up.
"No one be a hero, don't do anything funny!"
"Okay…okay…"Ethan muttered, he saw Conner tense, his body ready to spring.
"HEY! I said, don't be a hero!" The gun holder snarled. There was a low growl that caught their attention.
"What the…" the would be mugger said. Conner felt the gun move and he whirled around but the new figure was already on the scene. The mugger fired twice as the jogger from before surged forward, claws out. The massive creature collided with the smaller human, knocking the gun away. Kira kicked it away further and the three jumped in to stop the fray.
Police sirens screamed only a few seconds later as the three former rangers had the mugger surrounded. They turned to look at the jogger, his head was down obscured by the hood, his hands in his jacket's pouch, one of the bullets had hit home but the creature still stood. As the police officers took the mugger away, the rangers were surprised to see Commander Cruger striding towards them, quickly. The jogger removed his hands from the pouch and raised them.
"Sir, we did not use our powers at all…" Conner began, Kruger gestured to Conner.
"Its not you Mr. McKnight we're here for. We are here for Mercer," Cruger growled. The three rangers looked again at their savior, at the raised hands…terminating in heavy orange claws.
"Mesogog Mercer…we give you freedom for a week…"
"I was in my limits, the collar did not go off!" The hood fell back as the mutant snapped, revealing his scaled visage. The rangers could be heard gasping but the surprise quickly turned into anger.
"We destroyed him!" Conner snapped surging forwards, the remaining officers holding him back. The others went to move but stopped as well when Cruger growled. "Keep yourselves in check you three…he is no longer a concern of yours."
Ethan glared as the scales on his arm flared to life. Cruger growled again.
"PUT THOSE AWAY!"
"Not a concern of ours?! Cruger we sacrificed just about everything to DESTROY HIM!" Ethan shouted. Kira began to pace, scowling.
"Ethan James, you know the limits we set, you all did now deactivate now!" Cruger barked. The former blue ranger did as he was told. Kira did not cease her pacing.
"Well, if he is no concern of ours…can we at least be concerned he's dripping blood?" She quipped. Cruger finally got a good look at Mesogog, seeing the hole in the side of his clothing.
"Really Cruger, you have leashes on them? Are their collars as fancy as mine?" Mesogog chuckled, tilting his head, revealing a set of flashing lights. Cruger's ears flicked back as Mesogog addressed the rangers directly, "Do not worry, rangers, I am exceptionally well trained," He growled, "It will be a bit of a…shock if I even tried and attacked you. Now please, Cruger…can we remove this slug from my ribs?"
Cruger led the monster away, towards his cruiser.
"Thank you…I guess?!" Ethan called after him. Mesogog looked back at them, a bit surprised and laughed.
The area grew fairly quiet after all statements were taken and the officers left.
"I think…I think we better talk to Dr. O," Conner managed to sputter out. The other two nodded dumbly and walked away with him.
"Alive…" Kira managed to choke out. The others sighed, heads hung a bit. Their sacrifice was for nothing.
Mesogog massaged the area around the bandage, his thick hide had honestly done him some good, and he was a good patient, except around needles. The bullet had grazed his ribs, the would be thief had terrible aim for even such close range but still, Mesogog knew he was lucky. He sat on his cot and looked through the bars at Cruger.
"So, what time am I out tomorrow?"
"You are not going back out into public for a long time yet."
The mutant roared suddenly, standing and slamming the bars, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!" The collar sparked to life, shocking him into submission. Mesogog whined in discomfort.
"Cruger, you know as well as I this is inhumane," He sighed, glaring at the commander.
"It is but, Birdie said it would be necessary," Cruger said, coming close to the bars. Mesogog cocked his head to the side and looked up at him slightly. It was an annoyance to the dinosaur lord that Cruger was just that small bit taller than him.
"Well, if such extremes are the case," Mesogog replied, turning his back and gesturing, "Why keep me here? Why not place me in one of your little…oh so collectable little card prisons."
"You know very well why. I intend to keep at least one promise…"
Mesogog stood stiffly his arms behind his back, quieting contemplating the commander's words.
"So, Mesogog, why did you attack that mugger?"
"Was I just supposed to let it all happen? Would you have simply stood by and done nothing? You have been seeing to it I learn my emotions, fully understand right and wrong yet…I potentially saved their lives."
"You were going in for a kill…"
"If I was going in for any form of kill I would have done it fully and not let the rangers intervene."
"Former rangers, Mesogog. Would you have saved them if you knew it was them?"
"Yes, I suspect I would have. My aggression is, rather long standing as you have seen. I have need of proper catharsis just as well as the next sentient being."
"Was their appearance…"
"A shock to me? No, not entirely. Ethan I gathered has been in the area for a long time, based on the technology you have had me test, Conner was devoted to his sport and I have heard his name thrown about by the cadets. Kira was the only surprise; she has become a bigger name than the pair of them, has she not? Considering I have to hear her banshee screaming from the youngest here. Surely she would have moved away."
Cruger did laugh lightly, "No, she definitely did not. Reefside is home to her. She has been here the longest. But now you know they are here, be aware next time, if I can get Birdy to let you back out, avoid confrontation with them."
"Why keep collars on them, Cruger. I understand they are…proverbial ones, but, surely you could trust a set of former rangers with their powers?"
"We are not taking chances, Mesogog." Cruger turned to walk away.
'When will they be done with me, Cruger? When will Birdy let me out? Anton is getting suspicious…Birdy agreed…"
Cruger stopped, listened, then continued onwards, leaving Mesogog alone. The dinosaur sank down onto his bed, yawning. He lay on his stomach and scratched at his collar. He loved the feeling of being alive too much to risk becoming imprisoned. But he desperately wanted some more freedom, and he was uncertain how could achieve it.
"You have a visitor," Cruger announced around a week later. Mesogog picked up his head quickly, he was intrigued. Someone new was coming. The door opened and he stood close to the bars of his cell. The monster did not hide his eagerness.
Cruger entered, escorting the guest. Mesogog looked down at her as she pushed back her hood.
"You remember me, I trust?" Kira asked, approaching the bars. The monster snorted.
"Like I could forget, yellow ranger. What brings you here? Come to observe the exhibit?" He folded his arms behind his back and paced slowly, looking down. The former ranger shrugged her response.
"I felt a meeting was necessary. I guess, yes, I am curious about this whole situation but I guess I wanted to thank you. God this feels weird…we saw you die."
"Well…obviously I did not…"
They fell silent.
"Cozy digs they have set up for you," She said sarcastically.
"Well, I am on as Cruger calls it, 'parole' of sorts. Luxury is not something to waste on a criminal. You do not seem, afraid, ranger. I should think seeing your mortal enemy alive and well, breathing and speaking would be…well, quite a shock." He rumbled, pulling a seat to the bars and sitting down.
"It was at first, but I have other things to worry about. In the grand scheme of things you are not the major concern in my life anymore." Kira said, shrugging.
"I feel, almost flattered," Mesogog said, placing a hand over his heart. It was Kira's turn to smirk.
"Is there anything else I can help you with, yellow ranger?" He asked, leaning back.
"No, nothing else I can think of…I guess its nice to catch up with an old acquaintance every once and awhile."
Mesogog inclined his head to her, "Well, have a good day then, yellow ranger."
Kira nodded back. She watched as he moved back further into his cell, his back to her.
"You too," She whispered and walked away. Cruger watched her walk out on the cameras. He ventured out to talk to her.
"So, your curiosity fulfilled, Ms. Ford?" He asked. Kira shrugged.
"I do not know what I expected, I guess maybe I expected him to be mad? Angry? I expected him maybe to be afraid but I wasn't," She shook her head.
"He has calmed down considerably; this was his first incident, since he was brought here. I doubt he is too much of a threat anymore but, there is always a chance," Cruger sighed.
"So what does he do here? How did he even end up here?"
"Anton will have to explain. I had him keep this quiet but the cat is out of the bag…"
"Why would you force Anton to keep something this important quiet? That is Mesogog in there. Collar or not, he's a force to be reckoned with and I think me and my friends are the most qualified to deal with him.
"You were the most qualified, not anymore, Kira. That role has been passed to us now, have you forgotten you are no longer rangers?"
Kira stopped short. Cruger turned to her. She began shaking her head.
"Every day of my life, Commander. But, you know, just because I am not one anymore, doesn't invalidate what I saw or experienced. You…weren't….there!" She raised her lips in a snarl and gritted her teeth. She stormed past the commander and out of the facility.
Author's Note: Hello everyone, new readers of mine and old alike! It has been a dastardly long time since I updated anything but it's good to be back. This story is currently complete and I am cross posting from AO3. Just to let my beloved longtime readers know, I will for the sake of completion finish my original little Kiragog trilogy since I hate the fact I left it unfinished. Synthesis is the first of a very long body of work I've been working on and cleaning up over the years called Hybrid Theory. Because of a Princess, Angel's Cry, and Valkyrie's Inheritance were the earliest version of it all something I was originally writing as a joke but came to enjoy it. Unfortunately because of that, the writing for them was disjointed and not my best. I was also in eighth grade. But Hybrid Theory is culmination of improving what I liked in those stories with my new writing skills. I won't leave them behind, they will be finished! So welcome back and welcome! Thank you to the many many people who have supported and read my works over the years and followed along, I can't wait to entertain you again!