Chapter 4

Road Trip, Baby!

A few weeks later, a young man in a red soccer kit stepped off the bus and walked across the courtyard at his alma mater, Reefside High School. The young man held a soccer ball under his right arm and on his left bicep he proudly wore a gold armband, signifying that he was the captain of his team. The armband and top bore a personalized crest. This was a personalized kit for the man himself, whose youth soccer camps were picking up popularity; he wanted to give back since he had been given so much in his life. The man's kit bore the number 12 (He never considered himself good enough to be worthy of wearing 9 or 10, though he liked to act like it) as well as his last name: McKnight. As he gazed at his surroundings, Conner couldn't help thinking,it's good to be back.

Conner looked around with a big smile on his face, until he noticed a guy wearing a blue polo shirt and jeans sitting on a bench; eyes glued to the screen of his laptop. Conner's grin grew even wider as he headed right to the bench where the other guy was sitting.

"Hey, geek," Conner said, the grin growing even wider still.

Ethan James looked up from his laptop and, upon seeing who had addressed him, smiled. "Eh, what's up, jock?" he said in his best cartoon voice.

The two embraced, each grinning from ear to ear. "Dude, how've you been?" Ethan asked. "How's it coming getting the camps off the ground?"

"Dude, they've been off the ground. Look it up." Conner grinned and flashed his armband.

"All right. What's your website's address?"

"Umm…"

"You don't have a website?"

Conner sheepishly shook his head, and sighed angrily. "Just Google it."

"Later. I'm working on something else."

"Like what?"

"Have a seat and I'll show you." Ethan scooped up his laptop and sat down again, while Conner sat down alongside him. "I've been cooking up a kind of selective security system. It can recognize certain people by their…hidden qualities, I guess you could call it?"

"Ethan, I get the recognition part, but 'hidden qualities'? There's something you can't tell me, isn't there?"

"Exactly. And, besides, why tell you when it would be more fun to show you?" Ethan activated the program and brought an attached scanner towards Conner.

"Uh, what is that thing?"

Ethan paused. "Not exactly sure how to describe it myself. I guess it's like an aura reader-slash-DNA reader of sorts. Look, just watch the screen. Is anyone within spying distance?"

"Don't think so. Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"Just keep looking at the screen."

Eventually, Ethan and Conner's profiles appeared on the screen, with all pertinent data. Including their Power Ranger profiles.

"What the?" This thing recognizes us! And…that little detail?"

"It can recognize anyone who has ever been attached to the Morphing Grid. And any powers they've ever had."

"That's unbelievable!"

"You got that right. I don't think anyone could have done this alone."

"So who helped you out?"

"Noah Carver. Megaforce Blue. He and his team had access to keys of every Ranger's powers."

"Oh yeah. Megaforce Black-slash-Green was a guest instructor in my camps just last year."

"Jake Holling? He and Noah are best buds."

"Ha-ha. Nice."

"Heh. Figure your friends are always a good thing to draw inspiration from. Speaking of which…"

"Is there something else you're cooking up, E?"

"Take a look, man." Ethan minimized the Ranger Recognition System and brought up another file folder. "I decided since I play so many online games, why not make one? I'm going with a little platformer-slash-side scrolling brawler. Check out the character models."

"Hey… is that one…?"

"Yep. It's based off you."

"That's pretty darn good."

"Well, I'm not Trent when it comes to art, but I think I did pretty well."

"Not bad at all, my friend."

"OK, this next one is based off me."

"Umm, dude… that's way off."

"What? No way, this is near perfect."

"You are nowhere near as buff as me, bro."

"Aw, c'mon man. I'm entitled to a little creative license."

"Well, if it's supposed to be based off reality, I'd say it's just a little bit skewed."

"Skewed? I didn't even know you knew that word, dude."

"You're solid, dude; but you ain't got these guns. Oh yeah, ha-ha." Conner flexed his biceps.

Ethan elbowed Conner in the gut. "What?" Conner asked, acting innocent.

"Whatever. Moving along…"

Conner's eyes bugged out of his head and then he burst out laughing. "Dude, that one's perfect."

"I know, ain't it?" Ethan grinned devilishly.

"And you're sure Trent didn't help you with this?"

"Nope. It's all me, baby."

"It looks just like her. It's freaking awesome."

"Freaking sweet, you mean." The guys pounded fists.

"How 'bout freaking wrong?" A third voice interjected. As soon as this person spoke, Conner and Ethan spun around to see where the voice was coming from, though they were certain they knew who it came from. And they didn't need to R.R.S. (which had just popped up again) to do so.

"That looks absolutely nothing like me." As they suspected, Kira Ford walked right up to them. She was wearing a yellow plaid skirt with black leggings and a black t-shirt which read "The Cause," the name of her band.

"Ooooh. Busted," Conner said with a wicked grin on his face.

"Shut up, Conner," Ethan snarled.

The three old friends exchanged hugs. They'd been through a lot together, though they still kept in touch as much as possible. However, someone was missing.

"Where's Trent?" Conner wondered.

"He's got an exhibit," Kira answered. "He said he'd catch up later."

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go surprise Dr. O." Ethan said with an even bigger grin on his face than before.

It had been an hour, but the three friends still couldn't find their old teacher.

"Where the heck is he?" Conner wondered aloud. "Summer meetings are supposed to be faculty only. He should easy to find."

"Faculty only being the key words, as in not even alumni allowed," an authoritative voice called out. The three friends turned around, seeing a woman in a black suit with long black hair and a rueful smile on her face. "Although, being as it's you three, I suppose I can make an exception. But just this once, all right?"

"Hey, Elsa, how you doing? Kira smiled back. It was tough to believe that the woman in front of them had been a powerful warrior under Mesogog's employ. Thankfully, she was free of that now.

"How are you all? It's been quite a while."

"Hey, do you know where Dr. O. is?" Conner asked. "We came to surprise him."

"Well, he's not here," Elsa replied. "He took a sabbatical, he said he was going to his high school reunion in Angel Grove. He won't be back until the start of the next school year. Why a high school reunion would take a year I don't know… but I suppose it comes with the territory you're all familiar with."

"A year for a high school reunion does raise a ton of red flags," Ethan figured. "Now what do we do?"

"Want to head over to Hayley's to try and figure out a plan?" Conner suggested.

"I'm down with that," Ethan replied. "I'll send Trent a text."

"OK, Hayley's it is," Kira agreed. "Thanks, Elsa. See ya." The three headed out.

Conner leered as he looked back and commented, "By the way, about everything that happened, we've let it go a long time ago."

Elsa glared. "If any of you sing that song around me, I will not hesitate to bring out a little of my old self."

Conner shuddered and walked away. I think you just did.

The three former Rangers had adjourned to Hayley's Cyberspace, the common hangout for folks these days, and somewhere they were quite familiar with.

"If Dr. O was in danger, you think he'd warn us?" Conner grumbled, sipping his milkshake.

"Maybe, but maybe he'll be fine," Ethan said glumly, still working on his game.

"Oh well, it is Dr. O, after all," Kira noted calmly. "A home like that can do things to your mind."

"Yeah, Angel Grove; the birthplace of the Power Rangers," Ethan sighed. "I wish I could see that place for myself someday."

"I'm with ya there, Ethan," Conner agreed. "Dr. O.'s little history video made it look sweet. It would be cool to pay homage to our predecessors.

"And there's been as much that has happened since then as before then." Kira nodded. "Wouldn't mind leaving a little piece of legacy there for those to come."

There was silence for a moment as the reality sunk in. Then, slowly, Conner and Ethan's faces lit up like Christmas trees. For they had just gotten the exact same idea at the exact same time.

"Ethan, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"If I am, it would be the best idea I've ever heard. And since it came out of your head as well, that's really saying something."

"Normally, I'd be offended when you say something like that, but when you're right, you're right." Conner chuckled, quoting something Ethan had said back when they had been perfect strangers from separate worlds brought together by detention… and then by The Power.

"Um, hello? What are you guys talking about?" Kira interjected.

"Elementary, my dear Kira," Conner replied, in a Sherlock Holmes tone of voice. "If Dr. O. can't come to us, we will go to him."

"What? What do you mean, 'we will go to him'? What do you… oh no." It dawned on Kira what they were thinking. "You can't possibly mean…?"

"Oh, yes I do." Conner answered with a devilish grin.

Ethan raised his fist and confirmed the idea. "ROAD TRIP, BABY!" He yelled, causing everyone in the place to turn in his direction. "Sorry 'bout that," he said sheepishly. "Sorry. Sorry."

"You've got to be kidding! Have you lost your minds? Are you seriously considering crashing Dr. Oliver's high school reunion?"

"We're not gonna crash nothing, Kira. We'll simply find Dr. O. before the festivities start, make sure everything's all right with him, we pay tribute to those who came before us, and then we are out of there." Ethan had everything planned already.

"I am concerned for Dr. O, but don't you think Dr. O.'s gonna be a little bit mad that we showed up at his high school reunion?" Kira growled, still not believing what she was hearing.

"Ethan already said we're staying out of the way, Kira," Conner answered. "Besides this is Angel Grove we're talking about here. The Mecca of Rangerdom. Haven't you wanted to see Power Rangers history?"

"Um, we are Power Rangers history," Kira hissed. "We don't need to see it. We were there."

"Hey, guys. What's going on?" Trent Fernandez-Mercer had finally arrived.

"It's about time, Trent. How are you, buddy?" Conner greeted Trent as they embraced.

"How was the exhibit, man?" Ethan asked.

"Pretty good. People really liked my pieces. I haven't gotten any offers yet, though."

Kira just scowled.

"What's wrong?" Trent asked, with a look of concern.

"Trent, Conner and Ethan have come up with the worst idea ever," Kira groaned.

"Come on, this idea rocks," Ethan countered. "And besides, you got to come with us. We're a team; we need the whole team to be together for this to happen."

"Yeah, plus you're the only one with a car right now," Conner added. "You're our ride, dude."

"Dude!" Ethan growled, smacking Conner upside the head. "He's not our chauffer."

"I never said he was," Conner backpedaled. "Although that would be cool."

"DUDE!" Ethan growled, smacking Conner again.

"What? We could take turns."

"You can't, bro. You got your license suspended."

"That wasn't my fault, I swear!"

"OK, back up a second," Trent told them. "What's the idea and why do you need my van?"

"We're gonna go see Dr. O.'s hometown while he's there," Conner told him. "Power Rangers history waits for us there. And hopefully, Dr. O will still be there as well."

"See, I told you it was a dumb idea, we could just send Dr. O a text or something." Kira grumbled.

"Hmm, I don't know about that. I get the feeling that if Dr. O didn't want us to find him, we wouldn't. Besides, I wouldn't mind going there myself."

"WHAT?" Kira was shocked. "Are you actually considering this? This is crazy!"

"It is a crazy idea, that's true. But I think it'll be fun."

"So, you're in?" Conner asked.

Trent took a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm in."

"YES!" Conner and Ethan high fived. "Thanks, bro. We owe you one," Conner told Trent.

"Well, Kira, it's three against one. Care to change your vote?" Ethan asked.

"I…ugh. Alright, fine, I'm in. Someone has to keep you guys out of even more trouble. But as soon as we're sure Dr. O is safe, we head home."

"Alright." Trent agreed. "And you guys are all chipping in for gas, got it?"

"Gotcha," Conner agreed.

"Roger that." Ethan confirmed.

"No problem." Kira concurred.

"All right," Ethan said. "Reefside United is going on its first road trip. You mind me using your old club's name, Conner?"

"I'm OK with it. I was one of the captains after all. And I've got the armband to prove it."

"So," Ethan reviewed, "here we are again, on our way to a date with destiny. Four souls who had very little in common so many years ago who have become the best of friends."

"Wonder how many times this has happened?" Trent asked to no one in particular. "It's got to be around twenty now."

"You're going to have the time of your life with this, aren't you, Ethan?" Kira asked, shaking her head and smiling.

"I have a feeling we'll all have the time of our lives," Conner smiled as the Reefside quartet headed off to Dr. Mercer's to trade info with Anton.