The Falcon & the Frog: Wind on the Mountain

Summary: Set in F&FII-verse, an AU where, after a kick in the butt from Kim, Tommy and Adam enter into a relationship that lasts a lifetime. However, this story is about their "Little Brother."

Disclaimer: I don't own any of it. Just playing in somebody else's sandbox.

Chapter 2: Blue Monday

For the third time, Tori punched Justin in the shoulder as they sat in the jeep, exclaiming, "That was really mean!"

"Ow!" Justin jumped slightly and started rubbing his shoulder. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry! Freaking you out like that wasn't fair, I admit that." He paused for a moment and then added, "It was funny though."

Tori's eyes narrowed and she brought up her fist up again, but relented when Justin made a sign of surrender. She was quiet for a moment, and then said, "Wow. I mean, wow, you're really a Power Ranger."

Justin leaned over the steering wheel and observed, "You thought you were the only ones."

"Kinda," Tori admitted her expression sheepish. "I mean, before we got our powers, Dustin believed Rangers were real. And I eventually came to learn that Cam developed our technology by studying everything he could find on other Ranger teams." She seemed to consider for a moment, "I guess I just never thought that I would actually meet other Rangers."

"How much does Dustin hold believing before you did over your head?"

Tori smiled, "Not very. He's really not that kind of guy. When he is being smug it's about figuring out how to morph before Shane and I could."

"Your Red Ranger couldn't figure out to morph?" Justin looked at her incredulously.

"Hey, we showed up late for ninja training, found the school trashed, that aliens were real, that Cam had a secret bunker under the school, and then were given about a thirty second lecture on how to be a Power Ranger."

"So, wait, you went into your first Ranger battle having never morphed before?"

"Yeah," Tori responded, her tone conveying she thought that was natural.

Justin seemed to consider a moment, and then said, "I guess, given what he had to work with and the situation, that would be the only way to play it." When Tori gave him a questioning look, Justin continued, "Well, the original morphers automatically downloaded the knowledge of at least how to morph once they were given to the first Rangers, with everything else coming after they morphed for the first time. Later designs required a forced first morph to do that. Heck, the Light Speed Rangers got at least a full briefing first."

"That would have been nice," Tori commented, leaning on the dash. She seemed lost in thought for a moment and then asked, "So, wait, how do you know all this about other Rangers?"

"I've met most of them. Although, having met you, I've now got the chance to meet everybody. Of course, I'm closer to the originals and Space Rangers, having served with many of them. We don't get to see the Galaxy team very often. Mirinoi is so far away, and the population is so small, it's hard for them to sneak off for the reunions."

"Reunions?"

"Yeah, every year we have a get together for all of the Rangers. The date varies, depending on whether or not there's been an active team over the last year and when they take out their baddie. This year's is in a few months, near the end of summer, if you guys want to go," Justin offered with a smile.

"Really," Tori asked, and then she smiled, "Oh yeah, I think it's guaranteed Dustin's head will explode." They started laughing. However, the laughter was interrupted as her pendent started beeping.

"Um . . . your breasts are beeping," Justin observed.

Tori blushed and reached inside her tank top, pulling out the Academy pendent. Pressing it between her fingers she said, "Go for Tori."

"Are you okay?" Cam's voice was full of concern.

Tori smacked herself in the head, "Oh Cam, I'm so sorry! I'm fine. And you won't believe what I found out." Suddenly Tori's eyes widened, "And I'm sitting in the car that doesn't show up on the satellite feed. Oops."

"You're sitting in the car?"

"Yeah," Tori was now blushing the shade of Red Ranger armor. "Look Cam, it's really better if I show you rather than try to explain this over the comm. Will you call everybody and meet me by the lake?"

There was a pause, and Tori realized that Cam was thinking about what happened the last time she made that request. She held her breath and hoped that he would also think past that to how all that ultimately turned out. Finally Cam responded, "Thirty minutes?"

Tori let out the breath she was holding, "See you in thirty."


Tori guided Justin back down Oceanview, down Bayside, and up into the bluffs on the opposite side of the bay. The woods were much denser on this side and the quality of the roads quickly moved from paved to gravel. "Doing this in a jeep is much nicer than in my old van," Tori commented.

Justin just smiled as Tori directed him deeper into the woods. They eventually pulled into a small clearing off of anything even resembling a road. "Okay, we walk from here," Tori explained. They got out of the jeep, Tori failing to notice that the engine just shut off without him turning a key.

She lead him through a copse of trees and, as soon they passed through, Justin stopped and said, "We're being watched."

Tori smirked, "I'm impressed you sensed that. It's the Academy guard."

"Been doing the super hero thing for a long time," Justin explained. Tori nodded, and then grabbed the strap of her tank top and pulled away, shifting into a full-body, ornate leather outfit. "Nice trick."

"Had to make sure I did that," Tori explained, "a few more feet without switching to my uniform would have been a sign that I was in trouble."

"Good system."

They approached the edge of a small, waterfall fed lake at the base of a cliff. Tori stopped at the waterline and looked around.

"Weren't your friends supposed to meet us here?"

Tori let out a frustrated sound, "The last time I needed to bring someone here, it didn't go so well . . . at first. And, Cam is prone to paranoia."

"Maybe some proof is needed," Justin offered. "How discrete are the guards?"

"Very. It is a secret ninja academy after all."

"Good." Justin reached into his pocket and pulled out an oblong, silver object. He pressed a stud at the end and a short, serrated shaft of metal that glowed slightly blue popped out, it resembled a key. He then shifted his weight, bringing his left arm across his chest. With a quick flick of his wrist his watch transformed into a block object with five flashing lights on the face. He yelled, "Shift into Turbo!" and went into a series of lighting fast hand moves, reminiscent of steering a car, and the he shoved the key into the top what Tori realized must be his morpher. Giving the key a twist he then shouted, "Mountain Blaster Turbo Power!" There was a burst of blazing blue light and when it cleared, Justin was again standing in his Ranger armor.

A yellow-tinged blur appeared out of the tree line, stopping to reveal the mechanic from Storm Chargers dressed in a yellow-lined version of Toir's uniform. Based on Tori's description and Justin's earlier theory, this had to be Dustin. The wide-eyed way in which he exclaimed, "Oh my god! You're the Blue Turbo Ranger! The real Blue Turbo Ranger!" also helped the identification.

Tori shook her head and grinned bemusedly as green red, dark red streaks appeared. She glanced at Justin and he removed his helmet, she then began introductions. "Well, Mr. Hyper here is our Yellow Ranger and head Earth Master, Dustin."

Justin shook hands with Dustin and was thankful for his Ranger strength as the other man tried to shake his arm from the socket. "He's like a male version of Kelsey," Justin thought. Out loud he said, "Nice to meet the first male Yellow." Dustin's grin got even wider, in clear defiance of the rules of biology.

As Justin extracted his hand, Tori moved on in the introductions by indicating a bespectacled Asian in a green-trimmed Academy uniform, "This is Cam, our Green Ranger, tech, and one of the few Samurai Masters in this part of the world."

This handshake was much more reserved. "I studied everything I could find on your team's tech in building ours," Cam commented. "I assume the jeep I can't pick up on my satellite feeds is Storm Blaster?"

Justin smiled and made a mental note to be certain to introduce Cam to Billy, "Yep."

"I'd love to have a look at it sometime."

"Well, that's up to Blaster."

Cam looked confused, so Justin explained, "Storm Blaster and Lightning Cruiser are sentient mechanical life forms. So, if you want to get under Blaster's hood, you'll have to ask him nicely." The two geniuses smiled with understanding.

Standing next to Cam was a tall blond in a differently styled ninja uniform trimmed in a dark red. Before Tori could continue the introductions, Justin jumped in and offered his hand, "Hunter, right?"

Hunter returned the handshake a bit warily, "Yeah. How'd you know?"

"Well, the different uniform for starters. Tori also gave me a break down on your colors and the whole ninja elemental alignment thing, so the crimson was a giveaway. Even without all of that, you're the only one who matches her blond and broody description."

"Justin!" Tori exclaimed with indignant shock as Hunter glared at her.

Cam smirked, Dustin laughed, and the remaining individual snorted. Moving to him, Justin commented, "Oh, he'll fit in fine with Ryan and Merrick. They can sit together and be distant and aloof." Reaching the last member of the group, Justin again extended his hand and said, "And you must be Shane."