It was early afternoon by the time the Rangers had assembled in the park for training. Although they were used to training in private, away from prying eyes, today they'd all had other stuff to do, meaning no one was in the mood to walk all the way out into the woods for privacy. The benefit of living in California was that there was a large MMA following, which meant that no one really thought the sight of people sparring in a public park was anything to be concerned about. As long as they didn't break out the weapons or the spandex, no one would think it was anything more than a bunch of teenagers training together.
Gia was leaning against a tree, watching as Noah was working with Jordan, and Jake was sparring with Troy. She had a little smile on her face as Cat sat on the grass a little way off, her legs crossed, humming away to herself as she did some sketches of the team in action. Emma saw the look on her face and nudged Gia gently.
"You should be concentrating." Emma reminded her. "We're meant to be training."
"I know, it's just..." Gia started to say, before pulling closer to Emma. "Cat's not going to be coming back to school with us."
"Really?" Emma asked, looking over to Cat. "She's dropping out?"
"No, it's nothing like that." Gia answered as she fumbled with a bottle of water, taking a drink. "She's going to some fancy art school in Los Angeles."
"Oh." Emma stated, hearing what Gia had said. "I'm sorry..."
"No, it's alright, really it is." She insisted. "I was upset when she told me, we even had a huge fight about it, but I just...I got to thinking. This is really good for her."
"Really?" Emma asked. "But...Los Angeles is so far away."
"I know, and I know I'll miss her like crazy." Gia agreed. "But the way I see it, I can either be selfish and only think about how much I'll miss her, or I can be happy for her. This art school could open so many doors for her. Not to mention I won't have to worry about her being attacked by whatever monster is running around."
"So you really don't mind?" Emma asked her.
"Well, not all of us are lucky enough to have the protective spandex." Gia answered. "Even Ernie said that."
"I guess that's the one advantage I have with Tr...wait what?" Emma started to answer, before noticing what Gia had said. "Back up, are you saying Ernie knows?"
"Yeah, he...kind of told me so this morning." Gia admitted. Emma just looked stunned, but Gia held her hands up defensively. "Hey, I never said anything to him; he must have figured it out some other way!"
Just then, there was a yell, and Noah landed on the ground a little way from Gia. She just helped him up, as he started stroking the back of his head.
"It looks like break time is over." Gia told him, before stepping up, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she took on a guard. "Alright Sir Jordan, let's see what you have."
"Don't expect any chivalry." Jordan replied with a smile. "I might be a gentleman, but when I'm fighting, I'm an equal opportunities ass kicker."
"I'll remind you of those words when you get your ass kicked by a girl." Gia replied as she led off with a kick.
Meanwhile, in the depths of the Warstar ship, Vrak was in his lab, working on a project. The screams coming from the lab terrified even the other aliens in the ship. None of them, with the exception of Admiral Malkor ever dared to come near his laboratory. His weaponry, technology and his experiments had won the Warstar many victories, and were responsible for a number of worlds falling under their rule. As a result, Admiral Malkor was loathe to discipline Vrak any time one of his followers who was a little too curious about what went on in Vrak's lab disappeared without explanation. After a few such instances, pretty much all of them now knew better than to go anywhere near that part of the ship.
Vrak had good reason to guard his secrets and his research so jealously. His success and the fact that only he understood it was not only the reason for his privileged position on the ship, but indeed for his continued survival. He wasn't one of the Warstar really; his planet was one that had been enveloped into the Warstar's empire many years ago when they swept across his galaxy like a rampant plague. Vrak's father, the king of that planet, had consistently refused to submit to their rule, opposing them again and again. His kind were an expansionist race in their own right, but as they lost planet after planet to the Warstar, the King still refused to accept that their savagery and dominance was such that in a war of attrition, there would only ever be one winner.
That didn't mean that Vrak didn't have designs on conquest himself. He just knew that direct conflict was not the best way to go about it. Such was the overwhelming strength of the Warstar's empire that a war between both races would only end in the complete annihilation of Vrak's people, even if it did mean that they would in turn be too weak to continue and inevitably end up being destroyed themselves by the next expansionist race they met. It would be a senseless waste...especially when he could easily turn their thirst for conquest to his own ends. The time would come when he was the one on the throne, but for that to happen, he needed to convince them that his planet had submitted peacefully. His father had never suspected a thing when Vrak threw a feast in his honour, and gifted him with a number of new concubines. When morning came, and his father was far from capable of defending himself, the last thing he saw was Vrak kneeling over him with the dagger he then used to remove his heart. He handed it to Admiral Malkor as a tribute while it was still warm.
As he worked on his project, Admiral Malkor came in.
"You've been here for some time Vrak." He began. "You promised me results some time ago."
"You have to understand, any experimentation has its delays." Vrak told him. "You have already asked me to experiment on a Toxic Mutant..."
"Do you really think I will risk my own warriors until your new theory is tested?" He asked in response. "That book you purchased cost a great deal, and we still have no idea if it works."
"I am certain it works." He answered. "I bought it from a trader who excavated Earth's moon. It once belonged to Lord Zedd."
"Yes, I remember Zedd." He growled in recognition at the name. In the early days, before Lord Zedd's empire inexplicably crumbled, the then fledgling Warstar had encountered his forces a few times. "Those Eltarians are hideous enough creatures with their skins. It still boggles my mind how he survived those injuries."
"Well, this codex holds a lot of the answers." Vrak informed him. "He utilised a unique blend of Eltarian technology and forbidden dark magics. Apparently one of his followers created that armour he wore which preserved his life...if one can call living without skin a life."
"And you believe that this tattered old notebook of his can help us?" He asked, looking to the tome in disgust.
"Well, we'll soon find out." Vrak told him. "If the strength of the Toxic Mutants alone isn't enough, and my technology alone isn't enough...perhaps a little magic to go with it will tip the balance. I present to you...the Shadow Serpent."
"Shadow Serpent?" Admiral Malkor asked him, looking to the creature in the machine Vrak was working on. "So, what exactly can this creature do?"
"Rather than explain it, why don't I show you?" Vrak asked him.
"Are you sure this...thing...is ready?" Admiral Malkor asked him.
"We'll find out soon enough." Vrak replied as he pressed a button, bringing up a digital countdown. "The process will soon be complete."
Back at the park, Emma was sparring with Jake, while Troy was working with Noah, helping him with some of his basics.
Although Noah was by no means a novice anymore, the fact was that he was way behind the others in his training. He hadn't really been much into sports before his Ranger days, and he certainly hadn't been a Martial Artist. It was fortunate that the others, Troy especially, were eager to help him. Troy had more than enough qualifications to take classes. Meanwhile, Gia and Jordan were still battling for supremacy. Jordan staggered backwards as Gia caught him with a back kick to the chest.
"Nice shot." Jordan complimented her. "I guess it's only natural you'll get lucky once in a while."
"You know, the more I practice the luckier I get." Gia told him as they came back together. This time, it was Jordan who got the upper hand, sweeping Gia's legs out from under her, before pinning her down.
"It looks like it." Jordan teased her. Gia brought up her leg, shoving him off and rolling back to her feet.
"For God's sake get a room." Noah teased them. "Maybe if you stop flirting we can get some work done."
"Ew." Both of them said together, backing off.
"You know Noah; it's kind of hard to take you seriously when you can't even ask out a girl when anyone who isn't Ray Charles can see she's into you." Jordan replied.
"Well, it may interest you to know, I actually IM'd her just this morning, and we're going out this weekend." Noah corrected him, sounding rather smug. "Now that would leave those of us without a love life to...um...oh yeah, Jake the Snake and Sir Jordan."
"Hey!" Jake protested.
"You know, he does have a point." Gia said as she joined in the teasing. "I guess you guys just have to try a little harder."
"Alright, let's take a break for a little bit." Troy stated as he finished taking Noah through some drills. "Rest up for ten minutes or so, then we'll swap partners."
As they all headed off to relax. Emma took a seat with Troy.
"So, is it working?" He asked. He knew about the difficulty Emma was having difficulty with the situation at home. Although she hadn't really felt much like it, Troy had told her that often when something was troubling him, a good workout helped him to clear his mind. It would give him something else to concentrate on, and when he was done, sometimes just approaching the issue from the beginning again would let him see things differently.
"It's helping a little I guess." Emma told him with a shrug. "I guess I just don't know how to feel. It's just been me and dad for a long time."
"Things do change." Troy reminded her.
"I know, but this...this just seems so...I don't know, it just doesn't seem right." Emma answered. "I mean, I guess I should have expected he'd want to date again someday, but..."
"It's strange seeing him with someone other than your mom?" Troy asked her. Emma just nodded.
"I know it's silly, but I always took a lot more after my mom than I did after dad." Emma told him. "The singing, my love of nature...I guess in a lot of ways she was my role model. She was my idol."
"Your idol?" He asked in response.
"I know it sounds silly." Emma sighed. "Dad used to talk about her a lot when it happened, said it was important that we didn't forget her. He always makes time any time something happens that reminds me of her..."
"He obviously loved her a lot." Troy assured her.
"He did, he always said she was the love of his life." Emma sighed. "But now, I see him kissing Louise, and it all just doesn't seem right."
"Is it seeing him with Louise? Or just seeing him with anyone?" Troy asked her.
"I guess it's a little of both." Emma replied. "I've known Louise since I was six years old! She's always been a friend of the family."
"So, you know her well." He answered.
"I...I guess." Emma conceded.
"Would you be happy with anyone dating your dad?" He asked her. Emma just shrugged as she considered it. "Well, maybe it's not such a bad thing that when it did happen...it's someone you know you like, and that's got your dad's best interests at heart."
"Am I still allowed to be weirded out by the thought of them...you know...making out and stuff?" She asked him.
"I doubt anyone would expect anything else." Troy told her. "But maybe it's important for you to let your dad and Mrs Moran know how you feel."
"That'll be a fun conversation." Emma grumbled sarcastically.
"I've got no doubt it won't be the most comfortable of conversations." He conceded. "But I think if you're all going to move forward from this, I have a feeling it's going to need to happen."
"I hate it when you're right." She responded.
"No you don't." He said with a little smile as he drew closer, kissing her softly.
Back on the Warstar ship, Vrak was checking the monitor as he tracked his latest experiment. He smiled as the countdown reached zero.
"At last." He said with a satisfied look on his face. He went to another console and started punching the controls, opening up the machine. "Now comes the best part of any experiment. Testing the results in the field."
