Episode 2: Ninjas Rising Part 2

The air was tense as Koyuki Wakahisa led the new Ranger team into his command center, a room refurbished from a spare bedroom-there were no windows, and the room had a sterile quality to it with its clean walls and desks full of gadgets and a large television screen rigged to be compatible with a computer keyboard and the Rangers looked around with fascination.

While everyone had been able to fit into Ann's jeep, albeit in an extremely cramped way, this room felt more open despite looking to be the epitome of boxed in to claustrophobic levels.

Kit now had the answer to the thing she'd wondered ever since moving in. "This is why you didn't want me to come in here? I thought it was something embarrassing like you had a collection you were ashamed of."

Joe whistled as he looked over the room more thoroughly. "And here all my dad used our spare bedroom for was a home gym."

Lila's arms were crossed, having changed very little from that pose since being in the car, and she only looked more agitated. "We're here for a reason, remember? What's the deal with the gruesomes?"

Wakahisa nodded. "Yes, that is why I brought you here." He cleared his throat. "A few months ago I was on business for the university. I had been invited to check out a recent engineering program we could implement. While I was there, I found a strange creature which looked like a fox wearing a mask. It was trying to hook up a large shuriken which I heard it call the 'Shadow Star' to the super computer.

"Now, while I don't claim to be the most knowledgeable person around, I knew enough from how many threats this world has from outer forces that whatever it was doing wasn't good. And my suspicion was proven correct when a portal opened up from the star and five more monsters showed up." His tone didn't rise, but he was clearly shaken by the experience. "I waited until they went to round up pieces of tech in the room-for what I still can't be sure-and I took the star.

"From there I did my best to study it and found that it was not made from a metal of this world. It was an advanced piece of technology, something I could barely understand at first, but through a few trial and errors I was able to make more discoveries on my own."

As Wakahisa grabbed a simply long brown box, Joe crossed his arms this time. "That monster, was it one of the creatures who came through the portal?"

The man sighed heavily. "No. The other monsters looked like a falcon, a rhino, an ant, a badger, and a bee. If this is a new monster, I fear that somehow they have been able to retrieve more of them."

"Along with those ninja creatures." Lila muttered.

"And this is why I want you to be Power Rangers." Wakahisa stated as he opened the box, revealing four ninjato in the same shape and color as his, with four distinctly shaped shurikens of varying colors lying beside them. "I crafted these after I stabilized the Red Ranger one. These are your Shuratos-they will serve as your weapon and your morphers. Place the shurikens on the handle, and press the red button and you will transform." He handed each of them a color and a shurato.

Ann gazed between her sword and her yellow shuriken with a bored look, but beneath that there was a slowly stoking fire that was burning through her indifference. Zara eagerly examined her shurato and 'oohed' and 'aww-'ed over her white shuriken. Lila kept held the sword at an angle where she didn't have to touch Wakahisa even accidently, and held the blue shuriken between her fingers like it was diseased. Joe received the pink shuriken, and he gave the other women a challenging glare.

Only Lila stepped up to meet it. "I'm sure you'll look very nice in a dress."

"Yes!" Zara added sincerely. "You probably will-you have a very good posture and your 'frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn' look is very cool!"

Joe felt the venom he was going to spit retreat. While it annoyed him that his scruffy appearance was 'cool', it at least went along with what he was trying to establish. "I know I'll look good." He puffed up haughtily. "Better than you probably would." He added with a pointed sneer at Lila, who growled back at him. "And for the record, it's not a dress," he emphasized, "it's a combat skirt."

Kit, who'd been watching and waiting with a sense of foreboding, immediately jumped in at that. She felt her heart flutter. "You watch RWBY too? What season are you on? I just finished catching up on season three."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Joe said as he gave her a very pointed 'shut up' glare. "And weren't you shyer earlier?"

Kit flushed. "I just like RWBY, that's all." She felt self-conscious again, tucking into herself as she realized that even if someone shared her interest they wouldn't want to talk about it with her.

"Look what you did, idiot!" Lila snapped. In the background, Ann tilted her head as she leaned her sword against her shoulder. She might be starting to care, but it wasn't enough to get involved with their petty squabbles. Zara just looked concerned in general.

"Please, save your fighting for the outside." Wakahisa said coolly. "My equipment is sensitive and I don't want to explain having to go to the school for supplies." He added and took out a red shuriken from his pocket. "Now, due to my exposure with pre-stable technology, it took a toll on my physiology. I was nearly killed early today, and I can admit when it's time to pass along things." Wakahisa put the shuriken in Kit's grasp, his hand squeezing hers. "I know you'll make me proud."

Kit's eyes widened, and though of course she was happy that her father chose her, there was an undeniable fact to it. "It's because I'm your daughter, isn't it?" Wakahisa didn't answer, which was telling by itself. Kit didn't want things to be this way, and she gave all her new teammates a serious once over-even if mainlining eye contact had her cringing inside. "I don't want you to follow me because of this. I'll gladly trade if that's what you all want."

There was a stunned silence, but after a moment Joe snorted. "I don't want your color. Everyone knows that Red Rangers have targets on their backs."

Ann nodded, offering a slight opinion on the matter. "It's only going to bring trouble. Not worth it."

It wasn't something Kit expected, and realized that her worries of nepotism now paled in comparison to the fact they were right. She'd need to brush up on her Ranger history, but Red tended to get the largest lock on them as the leader if nothing else. "Wanna trade?" she offered again, this time more shyly and self-conscious.

Lila shook her head, but Zara reached out to grasp Kit's hands-surprising the younger girl. "You'll do great-or at least I think you will."

It didn't help that much, but it was honest at least. Kit sighed and smiled nervously. "I guess so. But I promise I'll do the best I can as your team leader."

"That's the spirit." Wakahisa said a bit stiltedly, as though he were still getting used to offering platitudes. Kit would take what she could get though, especially as her father immediately turned away to pull open a drawer, and took out five wristbands that looked a lot like digital watches. "Now, these will be your communicators, which I have modified from watches as you can no doubt tell, and it will be able to summon your shuriken if they're not on hand."

Zara blinked as the words sunk in, and she was the first one who got it. "Oh, does this mean we can teleport? Because that would be so cool!"

Joe raised a brow. "And if you can, why haven't you patented it yet-you'd make millions."

Wakahisa glanced away again, his gaze distant before looking at all of them once more, a faintly amused curve tugging at his lips. "The implications of teleportation have not been lost on me, but I wouldn't want it to become mass-produced just yet. While travel could be reduced, it would also be possible to use it for criminal activities that the world doesn't need."

Ann narrowed her eyes. "People can be so awful." It sounded less like a statement and more like a stone cold fact in her bleak tone.

"And I have nothing to say to that." Wakahisa said lightly. "Though I'm sure today has been a rough, so I won't keep you any longer. It is my wish that you do not suddenly decide this is a mistake, but I will understand should you change your mind."

Lila glanced down at her shurato and gave Wakahisa a suspicious glare. "So if we just up and say we don't want this anymore, you won't say boo and just let us go?"

Wakahisa didn't appear to take the suspicion to heart. "If that's what you want."

Lila didn't look convinced, and she left without another word, but tellingly still took the shurato and shuriken with her.

Joe put his shuriken into his pocket and his sword into his jacket. "After today, I really need a smoke." Kit grimaced at his words as he left, but kept quiet.

Zara's eyes widened, and she practically jumped when she checked the time on her cell phone. "Oh no, I'm gonna be late for my shift!" she waved haphazardly in her rush for the door. "Gotta go, nice meeting you!"

Ann lagged behind for a moment, her eyes blank, but she nodded sharply and took her leave without a word as well.

Kit and Wakahisa were all that was left behind, and Kit found the constraint of being in a crowd lessen. It was just the two of them, like it had been for the last little while. She lets her anguish and sadness show on her face. "You didn't trust me enough to tell me, did you?"

Wakahisa's professional demeanor shifted, and he allowed himself to reveal how awkward he found this whole thing by his expression. "I was going to tell you everything, but I didn't know how to word it-just saying it would feel too blunt, and despite my absence in most of your life, you are not a stranger to me and deserve more care than that. I wanted you to be ready to receive the news, given how things have been for you."

It was perhaps the most the most he'd ever come to saying he loved her, which just showed Kit how strange whatever arrangement her parents had was. It didn't do much for her self-esteem, but still gave her some comfort in the little nugget of affirmation he gave. He was all she had left after all.

"I'll go get started on dinner," Kit smiled weakly, "but now if you try to miss supper I know where to find you, right?"

Wakahisa's lips turned up at the corners of his mouth just slightly. "Only make sure to knock." He paused as if remembering something. "And remember, you have your summer school catch-up starting on Monday. So be sure to get lots of rest over the weekend."

Kit nodded and took her leave as well. Inside she faltered though-did he really have to make the moment about school?

Perhaps it was with more surprise that Foxglove should have felt, but when he returned from his report with Waspina to find that his control room was still in one piece, well, it was shocking. Everyone but Fallon certainly behaved like they wanted to lash and thrash about. Antioc stalked around the room, his form bristling. Rhinex stomped his foot on the floor, but in the direction of the wall rather than aimed at the delicate equipment. And Badgerill was growling nondescriptly, which only included a scathing glare when he saw Foxglove entering the room.

Fallon though was leaning against the wall, hands on his knees as he tried to regulate his breathing. Since he was the only one not currently a spewing mess, Foxglove demanded an explanation for what was going on.

For his part, Fallon kept his voice tightly under control and only the barest of his fatigue seeped through. "It started out well enough-people were running away, screaming and I could feel the fear energy coursing through me to the tubes." He faltered then, his expression a mix of loathing and scorn that could have been either directed outwards or inward. "But several foolish humans tried to engage with the foot soldiers. They were paralyzed when Chain Weasel got to them, but then…then a Red Ranger appeared."

Foxglove stared at him. "What?"

"It was a Power Ranger!" Badgerill snarled. He pointed an accusatory finger at Foxglove. "You said Rangers wouldn't be a problem, but this one was and the thief that you let steal the Shadow Star!"

"I did not let him steal it," Foxglove said coldly, "my attention turned away for a moment and he must have snuck in. I have been trying to locate him, but now that we know he's a Ranger it will be just a bit easier to find him."

It occurred to them that this was likely Waspina's mission, to locate the thief and retrieve their home's stolen star-it was a marvelous mix of magic and technology, and it made all of them seethe to know a human of all things was using it against them.

Foxglove brought their attention back to him, his tone turning sterner. "Now, where's the energy you collected?"

Antioc spat on the ground, jerking his head to the tubes lying beside the console. There were three, all filled with a swirling dark liquid. "There's your precious energy. What you failed to mention was just how draining the conduit process was-Fallon practically collapsed when Chain Weasel came back."

Fallon stiffened. "I did not collapse-I was merely taking a moment to gather my wits."

Foxglove hummed, but his posture made it clear he didn't actually care. "And here I was told you four were 'resilient.' I see that your reputation was greatly exaggerated."

Badgerill stepped forward threateningly. "Listen you spoiled-!"

"That's enough." Fallon said firmly, his tone never rising, but it cut through the tension and Badgerill backed off, his anger shifting to concern as he looked at the falcon.

"Sir, you should really rest and recover your strength."

Foxglove watched impassively, but took note of the weakness shown to him and proceeded to twist it. "Yes, Fallon, why don't you go rest up? I'm sure one of the others could take your place by powering Chain Weasel."

Badgerill looked about ready to volunteer, but Fallon was proud if nothing else and silenced him with a steen glare. "I will be fine; there is no need to think being a bit winded will stop me. Once my energy is up to par again, I will resume my station."

Foxglove nodded as he hefted the tubes into his arms. "See that you do, or you're 'employment' will be shorter than you expect."

Trying to go about a normal day when you not only battle monsters, but are recruited to be Power Rangers, and yet as Friday passed into Saturday, that's exactly what the new Rangers were trying to do. They'd spent the previous day worrying about another attack, but even now they couldn't let their guard down.

In a one bedroom apartment on the northern side of town, Ann is stalking around her kitchen, pacing her breath as the bills on the table made her feel heavy and weird. It always got this way-Ann could pretend that nothing mattered, that she wasn't still dependent on her parent's money, but then the bills would arrive and make her skin itch irritably.

She wouldn't move back home though, that wouldn't solve anything. It hadn't the first time.

Ann glanced down at the yellow shuriken lying next to the shurato on her kitchen counter. Kit's words echoed in her head, and she could hardly rationalize that she'd actually fallen for it. There was a way out, but then again taking that option would only leave her with a profound sense of guilt already on top of everything else.

Her phone rang out in the silence, and after making no move to answer it, the voice mail picked it up. The younger, more childish tone made Ann flinch. It was her sister Mavis.

"I know you're there, sis." Mavis sighed sadly. "I hope you'll listen though. I love you, don't forget that, and I'm so happy you're trying to get better. Maybe…" her voice reflected a tentative optimism, "maybe soon you'll let me see you. I miss you." The message ended and the beep sounded, leaving the apartment quiet once again.

Ann wished Mavis would stop calling-she always felt a strange churning in her gut, something that Ann hesitated to put a name to. Now she had an excuse though to continue keeping Mavis at arms-length; her gaze landed on the shuriken.

She'd be too busy fighting monsters.

On the eastern side of Cadence, in a room above a mechanics shop, Lila was sitting at her desk and staring down at her sword and shuriken set. She has her head resting on her elbows, her brows furrowed and the thought heavily at the forefront of her mind is whether she should have taken the Ranger job.

No, that wasn't quite right. She didn't regret taking the job, the problem was Wakahisa. Lila didn't know him or Kit, but she'd trust Kit to be her leader first than him.

Lila frowned deeply. Kit… There was something about the girl that irked her though, something uncomfortably familiar and it made Lila angry at herself that she couldn't place-that something in her head refused to place it.

She groaned to herself, sliding her fingers through her hair and rubbed her temples. It was barely ten a.m. and she already had a headache.

While Zara lived on the western end of the city, she worked on a diner near the center of Cadence-in a building that was two blocks from Kit's house in fact, but that is for neither here nor now- which had her taking a bus every weekend for her morning shifts, and today being such a day.

Zara flitted from table to table throughout the morning, always with a cheerful smile and a warm voice. She realized a while ago mornings weren't for everyone and wanted anyone who walked in to leave feeling just a bit better about their day.

A cry rang out, and the sound was like a shot to Zara's heart. She froze, her smile tightening as her hands shook. She slowly looked up at the customers, her eyes zeroing in on a young couple with a baby and a toddler sitting at a booth near the front. The infant was being fussy, kicking and squirming as the father tried to shush it.

The notepad in Zara's hands had all but been ripped in half by the time she remembered where she was. She took several deep breaths and tore her gaze away from the family, disgust and longing filling her heart in an unpleasant cocktail that made her want to throw up.

"Kay, take over my tables." She said as she got a new paper slip pad. "I've got yours."

The other waitress looked in the direction Zara had freaked out in, and sighed quietly. "You can't keep doing this every time-"

"I know." Zara said, her tone much harsher than anything heard before and it had several of the regulars to the diner giving her strange looks.. Immediately though, she smiled and tilted her head. "I mean, I'm taking care of it."

Originally, Joe and his parents may have lived on the northern side of town, but he wanted to put as much distance between him and the university as possible. The south end and the business buildings blocked the eyesore that made him seethe and reach for a smoke even when he didn't have his breaks.

Like the one he was currently having. He blew out a puff, the smell leaving a foul taste in his mouth. It wasn't good for him, but it helped keep his stress levels down. He could have used drugs or alcohol to numb himself into oblivion, to erase that horrible night from his mind.

He didn't want to forget it though. Joe wanted that moment to be imprinted on his mind until the day he got his payback. He blew out another puff just as his dad came jogging up the sidewalk from his morning run around the block.

His dad grimaced when he saw the cigarette, but he didn't say anything. Neither of his parents found trying to get him to open up helped, but he could see the looks of relief on their faces when he agreed to go in for group counselling. Especially his health conscious dad.

Joe took one final puff from his cigarette, and crushed it under his foot with more force than necessary until it was a blackened spot on the pavement.

It was an odd thing to comment on, but Kit realized one of her comics was missing. She'd spent the better half of the morning organizing her school supplies and hemming and hawing over her Ranger tools before she looked through her stack of comics haphazardly lying on her desk.

It was one she hadn't read yet but was next in line. She probably misplaced it, and promised herself she'd try to be as careful as could be when she tore the house apart looking for it. It was just her and her dad-she felt that she knew him enough to imagine he'd sigh in exasperation and ask her to clean up after herself. She could do that.

"Rangers." Kit jumped, almost falling off her bed as she heard her father's voice coming from her communicator. She was about to speak, but then heard the myriad of other voices that had her realizing these devices were on interconnected lines. "I have received confirmation the same monster from yesterday back in Terrace View Park has reappeared, prepare for teleportation."

At once, three of the other Rangers immediately exploded over the communicator.

"You can't be serious, we're just supposed to drop everything-"

"I'm still doing my shift!"

"It's barely eleven-thirty-"

"-teleportation initiated."

Kit felt a tug in her gut, her body freezing as in one moment she was in her room, and now she was with two very pissed Rangers, one who looked faintly ill and Ann just didn't look like she cared at all.

"This is just great, damn monster couldn't wait until after lunch?" Joe gripped as he pulled out the pink shuriken from his jacket but pressed a button on his communicator that summoned his shurato.

Kit patted down her jean pocket, but upon finding no shuriken she pressed the same button. This didn't look good; she was supposed to be setting the example, not following suit. After the other women brought forth their morphers, they all did exactly what she wanted and looked to her for further instruction.

As it turned out, being put on the spot hadn't gotten any better since getting this morpher.

There was laughter ringing out, mixed in with the screams of terrified civilians. Kit hunched her shoulders determinedly. "It's morphing time." As one, all five Rangers place their shurikens onto the handle of their swords, pressing down on the red button as Wakahisa instructed. "Shuriken Force, Ninja Source!"

Every shuriken glowed and in a flash holograms of their outfits appeared over their bodies, and their helmets flashed on last. When it was over, Joe looked down at himself, took notice of the skirt, and didn't make a single comment. He glanced at the other young women, and neither did they.

Well, Lila did, but for another reason.

"Try not to stab one of us by accident." Lila said snidely. Joe glared, but scowled when he realized she couldn't see his expression behind the visor.

"Let's not fight with each; we're all going to be such good friends after all!" Zara said, and for the first time they realized just how hysterical she sounded without the veneer of her expressive face.

It also made each of the other four reluctant to say anything to the negative right now, since they had bigger problems than correcting her.

"Let's get going!" Kit shouted, gripping her shurato and led the others to the side of the park where Chain Weasel was cackling as the foot soldiers were chasing after civilians and taking pot shots at them.

"That's it; Nightlings- give me as much of their fear as you can!"

"Hey!"

Chain Weasel paused, making a surprised sound, but that surprise quickly turned to rage when he saw five brightly colored figures. "There are more of you?" he glared at all of them. "It still won't stop you from feeling my fearamins!"

The Rangers tensed, preparing themselves for the same paralysing effect they'd suffered from before. But when nothing happened, they started to get confused while Chain Weasel got angrier.

"What's going on? You should all be cowering before me!"

"It must be the biomolecular particles in the suits." Wakahisa stated. "I used the energies of the 'morphing grid' as it's called to strengthen your weapons and outfits. It must be blocking his paralysing effect."

"What!" Chain Weasel shouted incredulously. Though he could not see Wakahisa, he heard the voice clearly. "Not only are you a thief, but you're a real pain and a coward too!"

Kit felt a rush of protective anger. "Don't you dare call him that!" she surprised herself with her own vehemence, but the suit gave her a confidence boost she hadn't felt in what felt like years. "Rangers, let's get him!"

"Nightlings!" Chain Weasel shouted and the black-suited creatures swarmed around them. "Attack!"

The two forces collided, and Kit found her way to the Hoaxer blocked by a foot soldier and clashing swords to deflect a swing. Chain Weasel cackled and slipped away.

Ann swung half-hearted, only managing to barely put effort into blocking the strikes but never returning them. She didn't see the Nightling behind her until Lila struck it down and shook Ann roughly by the shoulder.

"What's wrong with you? You're a Ranger, so why don't you act like it?" Lila demanded.

Ann stared at her, the visor masking her dull expression. "You should've let it hit, then maybe I would have felt something."

Lila's eyes widened, unnerved and even more frustrated.

Not far away, Zara was hacking at the Nightlings with such enthusiasm and laughter that it was quite disturbing. Perhaps if the helmet didn't obstruct her face, they would have seen her manic grin, but as it were, Joe still found an appropriate enough descriptor for her in that moment, especially in light of her comment as she slashed one of the Nightlings.

"Being a Ranger is so much fun!"

"Hey, Joker," Joe called, "quit treating this like a game and get your head in gear."

For a moment, Zara went still, sword outstretched. A Nightling reared their ninjato back and swung it at her neck, only for Zara to spring back into action and viciously cut it down. "This is not a sport!" she yelled and hacked away at another Nightling, her strikes frenzied and out of control.

Joe was left shaken by the display and wondered what the hell set her off, but he was distracted by blocking another strike.

Back with Kit, she jumped back and let a Nightling's swing miss and slammed the hilt of her sword onto its head. The Hoaxer wasn't far off and she could make it to him in a few sprints. While Kit should call the others, she didn't want them to be distracted and a part of her still found talking to them to be daunting.

"Not another step! I won't let you hurt anyone else." Kit readied her blade, but Chain Weasel only laughed in her face.

"You're so stupid-you think you can really take me on by yourself?" he mocked. "Didn't what happen to that other Red Ranger teach you anything?" he emphasized this with crossing his saws and Kit prepared for the strike, but it was confusion that made her grip slacken when he didn't move.

That was a mistake. An 'X' blast of sharp wind knocked into her, sparks flying as her shurato flew from her grasp and she landed harshly on the ground. She winced, and her eyes widened in terror when Chain Weasel was suddenly there and about to cut her in two.

A blade blocked his strike, and a white boot slammed into Chain Weasel's stomach. He stumbled back and Lila slammed the hilt of her handle into his face, cracking his mask.

"You wretched human!" he snarled.

Lila grabbed Kit and pulled her aside as the monster swung his saw wildly around, one hand holding his mask. "What were you thinking? You can't just go off and fight these monsters by yourself! You're the leader and you shouldn't make such dumb mistakes-ahhhh!"

Kit's heart jumped into her throat when Lila's rant devolved into a horrible scream as one of Chain Weasel's saws finally connected with her back. He cackled as Lila crumpled to the ground, shaking as she began swearing rapidly under her breath.

The sight brought something out, a burning determination that was becoming more and more familiar to Kit again. She held onto that feeling and pulled Lila with her to grasp her shurato once more. "Everyone, regroup now!"

The others heard her cry and it only took a glance down at Lila for them to finish their fights off quickly. Ann put a bit more strength into her slash before sprinting over, Zara cut through her target on her way to Kit, and Joe hacked down whatever Nightling came into contact with his blade-with every creature dissipating in a black smoke, leaving the park murkier and clouded.

It certainly left them shielded from Chain Weasel's sight, who was still snarling about his mask and Kit took advantage of it.

"I know what I did was dumb," she said quietly, but her voice was firm once again, "but I think if we all hit him then we can destroy him. Dad, is this 'finish' button what I think it means?"

"Do you mean will it channel the morphing grid energy into a concentrated attack? Then yes." Wakahisa explained dryly.

"So glad you bothered to tell us this now." Lila growled as she struggled back to her feet. Zara tried to help her, but Lila brushed it off. "I get first shot-I want to crack that mask all the way." She hissed.

Kit watched Lila regain her footing, and took it at face value that the suits had a minor shielding ability-how else could the old Rangers have survived being hit and at most just get demorphed? "If you're sure, then okay. Spread out around him, and then we'll hit him with our Rainbow Strike." Everyone stared at Kit. "What?"

"What does a damn rainbow have to do with ninjas?" Joe asked incredulously. "None of us have said it, but that's clearly what we are."

Kit hunched down. "I-I just thought we needed a name for our final attack. It was either that or Rainbow Attack."

"They both sound so pretty!" Zara gushed.

"It doesn't matter what you call it, they all sound like Pokemon moves." Ann stated flatly.

Joe gave Ann a sharp look. "Seriously, is everything you say going to sound horrible?"

"Shut it!" Lila shouted and Chain Weasel looked over in their direction. He couldn't see them clearly, and all this talking wasn't going to help them anymore. "I don't care what it's called, just let me at that can opener!"

"Alright." Kit relented. "Into position!"

"Stop hiding you cowards!" Chain Weasel snarled. He slashed at the air, but the Rangers had already split up, taking point at each side of him.

Kit pressed down on the blue button, causing her red shuriken to spin and glow. Through the smoke she could see the others had all pressed their finishers too, lighting up the area. "Now!"

"Rainbow Strike!" Lila's voice rang out before the blue glow flickered over to the monster. He jerked back as sparks flew from the force of Lila's slash before she jumped into the air.

Kit's heart leapt into her throat as a warm jolt of surprise flushed through her. She wanted to say you actually said it! but she couldn't when the others began shooting forward to add in their own strike. First it was Joe that attacked next, then Zara and finally Ann, and now Kit gripped her shurato tightly and followed suit.

Her blade sparked as she caught Chain Weasel in the side, and jumped up to avoid his saw swiping at her. For a single moment she and the other Rangers were posed in the air…and one by one they began to spin and all came down at once. The combined force of their attack was too much for the monster, and in a burst of light the Hoaxer shattered.

Kit landed on the ground in a kneel, and her brow furrowed as she saw the tiny shards that had been the monster. Were these crystal shards? She picked a piece up, only to jerk back as it dissipated just like the Nightlings had done. "What are these things made of?"

No one seemed to have heard her question, as the others were looking around at the rapidly clearing park. People poked their heads out of their hiding places, some hopeful while others were tentative. Zara shook Kit by the shoulder and hauled her effortlessly to her feet.

"You're the leader, say something cool!"

Kit blinked and gazed around. She felt hot under the collar, and if they could see her face they would know just how terrified she was of being put on the spot. They couldn't though, and so it was a bit of a stand off until Joe elbowed Kit in the shoulder.

"Hurry up and say something," he muttered, "I wanna have a smoke."

Lila glared at him, but it fell flat with her helmet in the way. The 'encouragement' did get Kit to shuffle forward just a bit, steeling herself to raise her voice.

"Everything's okay now." she said, her voice painfully soft. She cleared her throat. "Because the Shuriken Rangers are here." She lowered her voice. "Get us out of here."

Their reply came in the form of the gut twisting teleportation they'd arrived in.

Wakahisa gave them a cool stare. "You've survived your first real battle. Shall I expect you back for the next?"

The Rangers all unmorphed and Zara was bouncing on her heels giddily. "Of course!" she chirped.

Joe shrugged, and Ann didn't say anything, but she wasn't giving the morpher back either.

Lila scowled at them. "This doesn't make us a team."

Kit nodded. "We'll need to train together." She smiled shyly. "But I hope we can all get along."

Lila stared at her, a strange glint in her eyes before walking away without a word. Kit slumped over, but Zara patted her on the back.

"Don't worry, she's probably just overwhelmed. I know I am!" she assured her. "But I gotta get going, it was nice working with you!" she called and as she left, both Ann and Joe followed, with the latter giving a lazy wave behind him.

Kit was once more left with her father, who only gave her another cool stare. She fidgeted under it. "Did I make you proud?"

Wakahisa's gaze slid away. "It was adequate, but you could do better." He turned back to the console. "That is all."

Kit bit her lip and sullenly shuffled out of the room. Even when it felt like they were getting somewhere, it always felt like they were taking a step back.

The lair was silent as Foxglove entered the command room. He took in the still forms of his 'generals' standing around and staring at the screen. Crystal shards lied at Fallon's feet as the falcon was nearly doubled over. "What happened here?"

Like a dam just broke, Rhinex began cursing at the screen and Antioc hissed while Badgerill immediately went to Fallon's side. He removed the clamp and was the only one capable of providing the explanation.

"Rangers, they destroyed Chain Weasel." He sneered Foxglove. "So much for your foolproof plan."

Foxglove stared back at him impassively. "And thank you for volunteering." He drawled. Badgerill scowled at him. Foxglove ignored it in favor of gathering up the three tubes of fear liquid and made his way to the transference room.

He placed the three containers on a platform hooked up to a computer. It was difficult to do so without the Shadow Star, but he didn't need it for this once he got the hang of cross-dimensional technology. The real pain was the fact there needed to be a 'receiver' on the other end so things didn't get messed up.

And lo and behold, when he activated the computer, the face which appeared was his father's Chief Retainer, who glanced to the side where the tubes laid.

"I'm surprised, young fox." Hemlock declared. "Such a large batch of fear energy; I hadn't expected you to do so well."

"And why's that? Don't tell me you believed her words..." Foxglove asked in a sly manner, making it more than obvious he was trying to get Hemlock's opinion.

"Hmmph. I believe what I see and expect, and what I see is large amount of fear." Hemlock said with a harrumph. "But tell me, I believe you were going to utilize a Hoaxer for the gathering, did it exceed expectations?"

"About as well as can be expected…" Foxglove looked to the side briefly. "Until a Power Ranger team destroyed him."

"What?" Hemlock jolted in surprise. "That shouldn't be, the reason you were sent to that world was..."

"It was because we failed to take over that dystopian universe and their domed city with its own Rangers." Foxglove huffed. "I am aware, but it seems this dimension has them too...albeit, their fresh and new, and have little experience with their powers."

Hemlock looked pensive, or as pensive as he could with his stiff features.

"This will need to be told to the king, it wouldn't do for his only heir to be destroyed by Rangers." Hemlock said seriously.

"Eh? Heir?" Foxglove's calm demeanour slipped as he jerked in a surprised manner. "My father said that?"

"His lordship did more than 'say it'- he decreed you as his official heir, due in part to a...lacking of a 'legitimate royal heir.'" Hemlock said shaking his head. "Celandine apparently has secluded herself in her private chambers, obviously very distressed by the news. You didn't know?"

"This has been the first I heard of it." Bowing his head, Foxglove spoke lowly. "But I accept this great honor and heavy burden with a determined will and assured dedication."

Oh, this was more than he hoped for. This was perfect.