"Hey Wes!"

Wes turned around at the sound, wiping the sweat off his forehead that had come from working out in the summer sun. The voice belonged him was Eric. It didn't surprise him as much as it should have, because he and Eric were partners now.

Partners. It was a dry, flat, term in Wes's book. He and Eric were partners only in Silver Guardians. But nothing else. The fragile relationship that had sprung up when he and Eric had had to save the city was almost gone. Wes hadn't really had time, or wanted to make time, for friends after they had left.

"Wes? Hello?" Eric's voice sounded again, loudly, cutting across the almost annoyingly cheerful chirping of birds.

"Sorry," Wes mumbled. "What's up?" He smiled inwardly at his choice of words as they reminded him of Trip and Katie and how much they had enjoyed learning the 21st century slang.

"Here," Eric said shortly, shoving a black videotape into Wes' hands. "I was on vacation yesterday, and happened to get this on tape." He didn't say what it was, but his eyes looked angry.

Wes cautiously took the tape, stuffing it into his red duffel bag.

"Listen, Wes." Eric's voice was soft, almost trying to be comforting. When they got outside, Wes began to walk aimlessly and Eric following. "You used to be the Power Rangers, right? But you're not any more. I mean, because your team is all split up, right?" Eric asked cautiously. Wes nodded shortly. He didn't like to think about Power Rangers, and used his morpher only when he had to. Eric went on. "So, its only right that another group of teens should be made Rangers, true?"

Wes stared at him for a second, wondering what he was getting at. "Your point is?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. Eric hardly ever talked this much. He was often alone, and as far as Wes could tell, liked to keep to himself.

Eric shrugged, not answering. "Just watch the tape," he said quietly and walked off to probably do some Guardian business

^*^*^*^*^*^*

Later, at home in his small apartment, Wes sat down to watch the videotape.

What he saw in the next five minutes or so made him angry beyond belief.

"Why?" He half sobbed to himself. "Why do there have to be new rangers? Why couldn't things stay the same?" He angrily threw a lamp to the floor, feeling satisfied at the crash it made.

Wild Force. Cole. Alyssa. Max. Danny. Taylor. He wanted to hate them all.

But found he couldn't. They were strangely alike, Wes to the new Wild Force Rangers, especially Cole, from what he could tell from what they were yelling while fighting what they called an "org."

He was somehow glad there was no pink ranger. He didn't know if he could stand seeing someone else in the color he thought as Jen's.

So he would help them, in any way he could. After all, they were all Power Rangers, no matter the name, Wild Force or Time Force.


AN: I may continue this, cuz there's some stuff I need to wrap up, like where Eric got the tape, etc. Many thanks to Rach for doing a great job betaing this and to Marc for giving me all the Wild Force info. ^_^ Pleas review.
~TRUmbreon