Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own them. I'm just playing in somebody else's sandbox.

We are each of us angels with only one wing; we can only fly by embracing one another. -Luciano de Crescengo

The world was silent. Even the wind blowing through the trees didn't make a sound. It was as if Mother Nature herself knew that the end was near, and that there would soon be nothing left to say and that the words that they had would be inadequate.

It was the calm before the storm. Dark clouds gathered on the horizon as the enemy amassed its troops for the final showdown in a desperate battle that Bridge knew they could not win.

As he settled his tired and aching body on his bed for perhaps the last time, he knew that sleep would evade him. Miserable as he was, he knew that his roommate was even more miserable. He didn't have to ask to know, the silent whimpers and hisses of pain as he turned the wrong way in his sleep were more than enough to drive anyone else crazy. But to Bridge, they served to bring him back to the moment, back to the fact that they were still alive, back to the stark reality they faced.

We're bruised and broken, but still breathing, he mused.

Heaving a sigh he turned his attention to the night sky and the thousands of tiny shimmering stars that dotted the pristine canvas of the heavens, chasing the sunset and a dream that was rapidly fading from Bridge's overtaxed mind. He closed his eyes for a moment and was immediately surrounded in sleeps dark embrace, but somewhere in the darkness a voice cried out to him. He struggled to reach the distant voice but he was running in slow motion, no, it was more like running in place. No matter how hard he willed his feet to carry him forward, he stayed glued in one spot. Then as the cold blackness engulfed him and the voice reached ear splintering volumes, he jerked awake. He flailed his limbs wildly in a desperate attempt to throw off the demons from his dream but realized too late that he was only fighting with his dark green comforter as he and it, tumbled over the side of the bed and landed with a dull thud on the hard floor of the dorm he shared with the blue ranger. He scrunched up his face in anticipation of the tirade he knew would emanate from such a rude awakening, but the blue ranger merely turned over and continued to snore softly into his pillow.

Geez, thought Bridge as he gingerly climbed to his knees and leaned back against his bed, Sky could sleep through a tornado.

Pushing all thoughts of his sleeping companion aside, he curled into a tight ball and draped the blanket around his shoulders. The next hour and a half passed in slow motion as Bridge sat stock-still; his mind completely empty of all thought with Sky's light snoring as the only sound to break the monotony of the night.

He was so caught up in staring at the floor that he never noticed when Sky ceased to snore or when he moved from his bed to touch Bridge on the shoulder. The small contact sent a shock through Bridge and he slapped at the hand that settled on his shoulder.

"Whoa," exclaimed Sky, jerking his stinging hand back, "take it easy Bridge, it's just me."

Bridge blinked up at his friend's tall form looking over him like a wraith from the underworld, larger than life.

"I—you—I mean…" he stumbled over a mumbled apology before finally settling on "you look terrible, Sky."

The blue ranger stared at his friend, wondering if it was possible that he had gone completely insane. Maybe people could go wacko from sleep deprivation, or maybe it was from the endless fighting that they had been doing, but something about his friend had changed. And Sky knew that it wasn't for the better.

"Thanks man, I'm glad you approve of my new look," he said in an attempt to lighten the tension that filled the room. He raked a shaky hand through his tousled blonde hair and pulled at his wrinkled uniform.

"Sorry," muttered Bridge. He curled back into his ball and closed his eyes with his chin resting on his knees. "I'm just a little…."

"On edge," supplied Sky. "Yeah, I think we all are. Don't worry about it. "

Bridge cracked a small smile, but Sky noticed that its light didn't reach his eyes.

Eyes that seem so hollow….so…..dead?

He shuddered and looked away, not liking what he saw reflected in the depths of the twin pools of gray. Sighing, he returned to his bed and pulled the covers up to his chest.

"Try to get some sleep Bridge; we have a long day tomorrow."

The green ranger nodded and returned to the safety of his bed. Closing his eyes he pretended to sleep until he was sure he heard Sky snoring again. Then, and only then, did he turn onto his back and stare blankly at the ceiling until the first rays of the rosy dawn crept into the room. He waited until the light chased the shadows from the dorm before getting dressed and leaving his room.

At the door he stopped to look back. He glanced at his desk and the books that were scattered across it. At the shelf with all of his belonging that meant so much to him; pictures of his mother and of happier times.

"Goodbye," he mumbled. Maybe he was wrong, hopefully he was wrong, but leaving felt like goodbye and goodbye was never a good thing. It meant going away and never coming back…

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The ground shook and exploded in waves of rock and sparks. Bridge flew backwards and slammed into the brick wall as the monster advanced. His unprotected head collided hard with the wall and small white lights popped in front of his eyes; for the second time in an hour he felt as if his head would explode. With his weapon in hand and his eyes watering with pain he scrambled back to his feet and fired off three shots in rapid succession. The monster stumbled but was undeterred. Looking around for a quick way out Bridge realized that he was trapped between the monster and the building. Panic flooded his senses.

"I've got to get out of here," he breathed, stumbling backwards until his aching back rested against the cool concrete of the wall.

He sidestepped the monsters next blow, but he was not quick enough because the blade from his double edged sword sunk deep into the unprotected flesh of his forearm. Bridge bit back a curse as he flung the monster away and batted at him with his blaster.

"You're in trouble now, little ranger," the monster taunted. "And this time, your friends aren't here to save you!"

Bridge's fear suddenly evaporated, leaving behind a hot, boiling rage. Why did everyone think he needed help defending himself? Why didn't anyone believe in him?

"I'll show you," he growled through clenched teeth.

Taking a steadying breath he rushed the monster, the force of his attack sending them both crashing into a nearby dumpster. He jumped quickly back to his feet and in one fluid motion brought his blaster level with the villains face. He hesitated as the perp's eyes widened slightly in shock.

"Huh?"

Bridge blinked at the monsters reaction, stupefied.

Then, taking advantage of the green ranger's momentary lapse in attention, the monster seized his prime opportunity. An evil grin spread over his face as he grabbed Bridge's outstretched hand and gave it a mighty yank. The blaster clattered uselessly to the ground as the bones in his forearm crunched and shattered. Pain seared through his arm and Bridge dropped to his knees as the monster lashed out with his heavily booted foot and landed a swift kick in his abdomen.

Toppling over, a strangled cry ripped from his lungs, Bridge's vision began to blur.

The monster laughed again. An eerie laugh that echoed off of the surrounding buildings and made the green rangers ears ring.

"Oh look," jeered the monster, "SPD's finest, whimpering like a little baby! Emperor Gruumm will be so pleased. Perhaps he'll even make me a captain." He trailed off, lost in thoughts of glory as Bridge lay bleeding and broken on the cold alleyway stones, his life's blood slowly seeping between the cracks and glaring defeat up at him. He tried to stand but the effort sent him closer to the edge of oblivion. He cursed himself for being foolish enough to think he could take on such a monster by himself. Why hadn't he listened to Cruger's last lecture about teamwork and arrogance? That was Sky's pitfall not his own. But lying underneath the blazing sun with his blood singing cold death in his ears he felt like Icarus – having flown too high, against every cautionary word of those who cared for him, he was ultimately the master of his own destruction.

I should have listened! Why was I suddenly so rebellious?!?

But he didn't have time to worry about anything else because at that precise moment the monster snatched him up by the collar of his uniform. Stars danced in front of his eyes as he fought back a wave of nausea. He nearly choked on the monster's putrid breath as the monster brought its face down to within a few inches of his.

"Earth will be ours, all of its people our slaves" he hissed, "It's just a shame that you will not be alive to see it."

Out of the corner of his eye Bridge saw the monster raise the sword again, but he forced himself to meet the horrible things gaze.

"You'll never win, my friends will stop you," he rasped, his numb mind barely able to form the words.

Another evil laugh, lower this time, issued from the creature's throat. "But I've already won you stupid human!"

In that moment, as the sword arched above his head, the wind whistling close behind it, Bridge looked back into the creature's eyes and saw the triumph written there, and with it, his own death. He closed his eyes but forced them back open. He was not going to die like a coward; he would face his own death like a man…like a ranger.

The blade arched high but twisted away at the last possible moment before clattering innocently to the ground.

"What the--"

The monster let go of Bridge's collar, but the green ranger's legs were unable to support his weight and he crashed to the ground. Sparks flew from the creature's chest and Bridge followed the red streaks back to the source. Relief washed over him as he saw Sky and Z running to his rescue, their deadly accuracy hitting the monster again and again.

He smiled slightly, but found that the world didn't quite look right anymore. Everything was blurred around the edges and turning dark. The tangy taste of blood in his mouth overwhelmed his senses as his world pitched and rolled. The nausea from earlier returned and he rolled onto his side to keep from retching on himself.

"Bridge!"

He heard Z rush to his side, felt her cool hand gently moving his sweaty hair out of his face. Lying on his back once more, he saw her lips moving but couldn't hear any sound issuing from her mouth. She wrapped her arms comfortingly around his shoulders as his head rested in her lap, but with each passing moment her touch was fading until he was sure she was nothing more than a figment of his imagination.

"Z…" he tried to speak but the power of thought had left him as his brain shut down and the darkness that he had feared for so long closed in around him, wrapping him tightly in its cold embrace.

"Bridge………hey!"

Someone was slapping his face. He felt cold liquid running down his front. Slowly, he opened his eyes but quickly shut them tight against the dazzling sun high above in the afternoon sky. Through the hazy red pain he felt a comforting and concerned emotional presence. Maybe Z was really there, holding him tightly as he slipped away, each breath bringing him closer to the threshold of darkness. Or maybe, he really was imaging everything and he was going to die alone, shaking and whimpering on the hard stones of an alleyway…

Either way, he felt himself slipping away, finally losing the battle and surrendering completely to the total darkness that lead far beyond where his friends could ever reach him…

To be continued...