A/N: I don't own anything, Saban and Disney own the Rangers and characters. Bob Costas belongs to NBC Sports and HBO, as does his show Costas Now, which at this time was called On the Record with Bob Costas. Iron Chef America, I believe, belongs to the Food Network as do Mario Batali and Cat Cora.

A/N 2: What I mentioned about Elsa last chapter, that was actually meant to be Scorpina. In this story Elsa is to be no more, as her alias is to be an ally for the new Ninjas.

Chapter 7-Enter Trey and Storm Blaster

Saturday, July 25, 2004

Approximately 3 p.m.

Hayley's Cyberspace

Reefside, CA

"Maybe he was right," Tommy said. "Maybe Justin was right to go on his little date. He's certainly not missing anything to this point."

"Yeah, yeah! That's right baby!" Conner said. No doubt, Tommy's misery was his gain. "3-0, and gonna be looking for more! Just another part of our drive for World Championship number 27, baby! Let's go A-Rod!"

The Red Sox were down 3-0 in the third inning, and already trailed by 9 and a half games in the American League East race. A loss would make it a 10.5 game deficit for the Sox, and probably send Tommy to the plane on Monday with conflicting feelings on whether Justin was right after all.

Maybe the Sox were cursed. Maybe he'd get his Kimberly back, but the Sox would never win it all.

And then it happened.

"Oh, here we go!" Tommy shouted, as Alex Rodriguez was suddenly plunked and attempted to charge the mound. "Hayley, get the fuck over here!"

"What the hell-" Hayley muttered as she ran in to see what was happening. What she saw was Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek pummeling the Yankee star as he attempted to charge the mound.

"Get em, Tek!" Hayley shouted as she, Conner and Tommy saw both benches clear and a fight ensue. "Conner, your butt buddy A-Rod asked for that!"

"What does it matter, we pissed off those softies from Boston. We're still gonna win anyway, so shut it," Conner said.

"Watch your mouth, young man," Tommy snapped. "Finally, Tek stands up to someone from those bullies from the Bronx. Here we go, Hales, THIS is what we've been waiting to see!"

Approximately 3 hours later...

"Come on, get up ball, get up, get up, go, go, go!" Hayley and Tommy shouted in unison as Trot Nixon's ball headed for Fenway Park's right field bullpen.

"OH MY GOD!" Tommy shouted when it landed in the bullpen, giving the Red Sox an 11-10 victory and sending Conner into a state of shock. "WE BEAT THEIR GOD OF A CLOSER!"

"Text Justin - hurry!" Hayley said. "Tell him his ass is grass when he gets back. Wait, I'll do that, you tell him about the game!"

"On it," Tommy said.

"Oh, don't celebrate for too long, you guys got lucky," Conner stammered.

"Temper, temper," Hayley said. "If anything, it's the Yankees that get ALL the luck. Remember, what goes around comes around!"

6:45 p.m. local time

Somewhere near Reefside, CA

"You know you'e going to get a lot of grief from the guys when you get back, don't you?" Aisha said as Justin continued to roll down the freeway which led from Angel Grove to Reefside.

"And I don't care," Justin said. "Screw what they think. Today was about you. It's never about me, never has been. I wanted to show that I appreciate what you've done since I got here. I'm tired though. Right now I just want to get us to Reefside. I'm tired and I want a good rest. And I want you with me when I get in bed. By the way, what's with your fascination with bears? It's like your entire place is stuffed with teddy bears."

"Ninja spirit animal, sweetie," she said. "When we got our ninja powers, we each had our own specific spirit animal. Kimberly's was the Crane, Tommy's was the Falcon, Billy's was - and now is again - the Wolf, Adam's was the Frog, Rocky's was the Ape and mine was the Bear. That's what I try to be - a mother cub for the others and an example they can live by. The team calls me The Voice, because when there's something important to say, oft times I'm the one to say it. Most of the team leads by example, so they often look to me for stability."

"Have you always been that way?"

"I wasn't always that way. You may think of me as some perfect angel, but back in the day I had a lot to learn too. I held grudges where they didn't need to be held, and I tried way too hard to do things by myself that weren't necessarily under my control. When my best friend Shawna got captured by Goldar back in the day, I freaked. But Tommy was the first to tell me that everything would be OK, and sure enough he got Shawna out of there and kicked Goldie back to the moon."

"Was it fun to anger Zedd by spoiling all of his plans?"

"Every night I would go to sleep, I would think about how great it was to spoil yet another plan of Zedd's that he thought was foolproof. The first night I arrived, in fact, Mystic Mother and I ended up trading good-natured jabs about the good old days when she was Rita, married to Zedd, and we spoiled all their plans. I like her - she's done her best to make up for her wrongdoings."

Justin merely nodded and glanced at the road. He wanted to lean over and kiss Aisha again, but he knew better since he was on a major California freway and knew how California traffic could be.

All the while, his shotgun companion was giggling.

As a car pulled out in front of him without using its blinker, he grunted.

"Freaking use your blinker already!" Justin growled. "God, I do NOT miss California traffic. It's as bad as ever."

"Oh, tell me about it," Aisha grumbled. "I literally growled at five drivers earlier this week for that very same thing. How difficult is it to at least use your freaking blinker?"

"Very difficult, I guess," Justin muttered. "Not to mention there are speed traps all over the place here. Cops are out like crazy for some reason. Thank God our exit is only two miles away so we can get out of this mess."

As Justin moved into the right lane and put his car on cruise control, a noise suddenly emanated from inside the car.

Oh wait, lookee, here's a text from Kim!" Justin exclaimed.

"What does it say?"

"I hope you saw that game, it was awesome. I'm here with my Yankee teammates in Greece and I'm LOVING it! Good job by your Sox," Justin read aloud. "Guess I missed a hell of a game."

"Seems to me that Hayley girl is being a bit hypocritical - she of all people ought to know of the pain Tommy has been through," Aisha said. "So why the hell can't she respect us?"

"I'd have to agree. I'm no expert on love - this is my first real relationship - but you would think she'd understand about other relationships. I mean, I don't mess with Katherine with regards to her relationship with Jason! I saw Tommy's determined look when we went to go rescue Kim from Divatox, and I've never seen someone so in love with another woman!"

"That was NOTHING like when I was around them," Aisha said. "It sucks terribly that you couldn't have seen them in their prime. Neither will admit it, but they can't live without the other one. The sooner they admit it, the better off they'll be."

7:40 p.m.

1492 Valencia Drive

Reefside, CA

Coming home to help Tanya put Matthew to bed, Adam decided, on a whim, to check Tommy's messages - as Tommy had some voice mail coming in earlier that day..

The first two were basically junk. However, the third was quite different.

'Tommy, this is Elise Randall. This is an urgent message. Please give me a call back when you get the chance. Thank you.'

"Might be the same Principal Randall that works for Tommy at that school," muttered Adam. Glancing through a phone directory, he managed to find the number Tommy used to dial Principal Randall.

"Guess I'll dial it and take Tommy's message for him," Adam muttered. He dialed the number, and there was a few seconds' wait before an answer.

"Randall residence, Elise speaking," came the voice.

"This is the Olivers, but this is not Tommy," Adam said. "I'm a friend of his, Adam Park. Tommy's out getting drunk after the Red Sox won today."

"Ah yes, I forgot, he would do that," Randall said, laughing. "Problem is, this is personal business that I need to speak to him about."

Adam wondered for a few moments about what kind of personal business it could be. Then, he put two and two together, with the name, and the rumors that had been going around Reefside, and from what Kira had told him.

"Uh, if it's Ranger business, you can trust me," Adam said. "Tommy was a teammate of mine on thiree separate teams. What's the problem?"

"My spies in Mesogog's base tell me that Zedd, Mesogog and Thrax captured a very powerful being from the planet Phaedos. I know not of who she is, but they seem to think they have the upper hand on your team. If you would pass that along, that would be great."

"Anything else?"

"My spies also tell me that some creature resembling a pink purse is with them. They say it was used against a former Ranger team years ago."

"Oh God, not her again," Adam groaned, as he knew the monster Principal Randall was speaking of - hell, he and his teammates had fought her and gone nowhere!

"What?"

"Never mind. We can handle it. Thanks, ma'am. Your help is greatly appreciated," Adam said.

"As is yours. I can see that the spirit of Tommy is in you too. May God bless you."

As the line clicked dead, Adam grabbed a sheet of paper, wrote a note for Kira, went to her rooma nd simply left it on her door.

"Let's see how good you really are," Adam smirked as he taped the note to the door and left. As he headed for the kitchen to grab a bite to eat, he collided with someone, and both tumbled to the floor in a heap.

"Hey, that's a - oh, sorry Adam," Billy said as he and Adam both picked themselves up off the floor. "You look a little shaken by something, man. What's wrong?"

"Tommy got a call from someone who apparently has spies in Mesogog's base," Adam said. "She said those spies saw Zedd, Thrax and Mesogog capture someone from the planet Phaedos..."

"Stop right there," Billy said as his posture straightened. "Did you say Phaedos?"

"Yeah, that's what she said. What's the significance?"

"On that planet lives a woman warrior who is just as good of a fighter as Zordon," Billy said. "She is Dulcea and she is the Master of the Ninjetti. I shudder to think what Zedd and Mesogog are planning to do to her, if Tommy's friend and her spies are correct."

"Just what can she do?" Adam said.

"Well, she could easily destroy us all, for one thing," Billy said. "Think Tommy, Jason, Kim, Adam and Trini all rolled into one, but with unlimited magical powers. And another thing, if those idiots turn her evil and destroy us, you'll be next on her list. Adam, she has a major crush on you."

"One more thing, Billy, Principal Randall said her spies have told her that Impursonator is back as well."

Billy's face was obviously turning six shades of pale as he hauled his butt to the basement, activated the galaxy-wide scanner and pinpointed it to where Dulcea would have been.

When his scans came up negative, confirming no life forms within the area of Phaedos' Ninjetti temple ruins, Billy's face paled even further.

"Oh, my God," Billy muttered. "We're in big trouble."

Meanwhile...

"Ooooooh, yes, you're so cute!" a man said to Matthew as he helped Tanya change the baby's diaper and get him ready for bed. "Tanya, you are so lucky to have a beautiful husband and a wonderful kid who just does all the right things. I noted the relationship you two had when I was helping out your team, and I wish only the best for you, Adam and your son."

"That means so much to me, Trey," Tanya said to the man. "I'm so glad to see you again. Are you staying?"

"Yes," the man said. "I am always eager to help friends of mine. I was so happy to meet Jason again, as it has been way too long since we last met. My adventures on Earth changed me - I didn't want to go to Earth when I heard the Machine Empire was attacking. I'd heard so many things about the people on Earth - things which could not be more wrong. Every single Ranger who has been under Zordon's tutelage is someone I've learned from - I watched the Costas interview from Triforia a few nights ago, and your Kimberly is an even greater example of Zordon's legacy. I also came to return something which has been long lost - something which will help immensely in the fight against Zedd and his son."

"What is it?" Tanya said.

"Take a look out your window and you'll see what I'm talking about."

Tanya glanced out the window, and her face formed a smile as she saw a blue vehicle right outside the window.

"Is that what I think it is? Is that Storm Blaster?" Tanya said.

"Yes it is. After the attack by Astronema on the universe, I decided to go back to Earth and get Storm Blaster and keep it until it could be returned to your Blue Turbo Ranger. With Zedd, Thrax and Mesogog preparing to launch an attack, I figured I would bring it back to Earth when I came."

"Is Pyramidas here?" Tanya asked.

"As always," Trey said, smiling. "Mystic Mother has a hidden compartment near her palace where she's keeping all the Zords for the new team, and she allowed me to put Pyramidas there. I wanted to leave Storm Blaster for Justin because I know he'd be excited."

"He missed Storm Blaster all those years from what I understand. Unfortunately, he's going to be headed to Greece, so he won't get to see much of it," Tanya said ruefully.

"Excuse me, am I not invited?" came Adam's voice from the doorway.

"Adam," Trey said simply as he got up and shook the young Asian's hand. "Great to see you again too. I'm so happy that your relationship with Tanya has turned out for the best. Jason and Katherine seem to connect well also."

"I'm glad that all of our lives have gone well who have donned the Ranger uniform," Tanya said.

"And with Storm Blaster, Pyramidas and the new team, the Earth now has defenders to protect her while we get Kimberly back," Adam said.

Mesogog's Island Fortress

But despite the fact that they had all these advantages, the bad guys knew they had theirs too.

As Dulcea's eyes flashed crimson, the bad guys knew they had the Rangers where they wanted them. Unaware of what was about to hit them.

They had the Master Warrior of the Ninjetti ready to go, and a purse monster itching for some action for the first time in seven years. A purse monster which had been a very difficult foe to defeat the first time.

Yes, the Rangers were about to never know what hit them. All the bad guys needed was for those geezers to get on the plane.

And that moment was coming very soon. They'd seen Storm Blaster and Trey arrive, and they didn't care.

This time, they would have their revenge.

TBC...