I see that a lot of you have added my story to your favorites which is awesome! please review my story as it goes. Let me know about your thoughts and ideas you possible want to see happen. I do not own POWER RANGERS SPD; I only take credit for the character Kiara Manx. ENJOY!
"And despite an all-out search…" Cruger sighed as he shut of the latest footage of A-Squad, who had been under attack. "There's still no word on A-Squad's fate." he announced gravely. "They're now officially listed as Missing in Action."
"Send us. We'll find them, sir." offered Jack as the commander took his seat.
"Much appreciated. But your services are needed here on Earth." said the commander. "Be on the lookout for an intergalactic bank robber." he instructed them.
"That's it?" Z asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No picture of the perp?" Kiara asked.
"Is he white or red? Black or blue? Is he furry or scaly? Three arms or two?" said Syd sarcastically.
"Hey nice Syd, kinda sounds like you took that from my bath book." said Bridge.
"No one knows what he looks like. Bridge, may I speak to you for a moment?" the commander said, motioning to the green ranger. Bridge steps forward and Cruger asks, "You…uh…have a bath book?"
"Yeah, don't you?" he replied. The alarms suddenly went off and they looked up.
"Unknown vandalism in D-Sector." said Kat over the intercom.
"Rangers, go!" Cruger ordered. They nodded, lining up properly. Kiara stood near Cruger knowing she was going to be told to stay.
"S.P.D! EMERGENCY!" they said, morphed and hurried to find out what was going on.
While the rangers were out in the field, Cruger noticed the command center was empty and wanted to talk to Kiara more. "Kiara," she turned around from the screen to look at her dad. "I want to talk to you again about your schooling."
"What about it?" Kiara asked confused.
"If you wanted to be a technician, why did you attend Newtech University online?" Kiara thought about it. She really didn't want to tell him that she first applied to the science academy she was rejected. He only knows about the second application that she sent in after she finished her schooling with Newtech University.
"At the time I thought it be safer to go Newtech University so therefore it wouldn't interfere with my ranger training." She said hoping he would buy it.
"So, when did you decided you wanted to be a technician then?" Cruger asked.
"uhm, just shortly before graduating with my doctor degree."
Cruger was beyond confused on how to react to his daughter. "So, have you talked to Kat?"
"Nope." Cruger looked a her sternly. "The opportunity hasn't presented itself to me." Cruger nodded. "You didn't tell me Sky returned back to Earth Station."
Cruger looked up at her in shock that she remembered him. "So, you remember."
"Yeah. It toke me a little while, but I do remember. When did he return and why didn't you tell me?" Kiara asked with her hands folded in front of her.
"He returned two weeks after you left for HQ. I wanted to tell you, but I figured I was the last person you wanted to hear from."
"Well it doesn't matter anyways." Kiara looked down sad.
Cruger noticed, "Why the long face? Doesn't he recognize you?"
"No, or at least he hasn't said anything to me. After our past I figured he would never forget. You are to not mention our past to him." Cruger nodded in accepts but was confused. He thought they were great friends.
The rangers came back to the base and pulled up the info about the alien they just fought. Kat followed them to the computer system. "Database ID's him as Tirendon…" Z tried to pronounce the alien's name as they looked him up. Kiara looked at the name over her shoulder and was in shock at the spelling. "Let's call him T-Top." Z decided.
"He doesn't have any kind of record…" said Kat, looking closely at what she was reading. "That's odd, considering that he just ran a riot through the city." she murmured, before her gaze was caught by Bridge's legs in the air. "Uh Bridge?" she asked.
"Maybe he isn't the bank robber." said the upside down green ranger.
"You saw the damage he can do." said Syd. "And the MO of the bank robber is slicing into banks."
"Yeah but he didn't slice into that bank." Bridge pointed out.
"Yeah, because we showed up before he had a chance to." Z rolled her eyes.
"The guy is not evil." said Bridge.
"Tell that to the newly made convertible." said Syd and Bridge sighed.
"I read his aura!" admitted Bridge. "he was yellow orange…or maybe like orangey-yellow…but definitely not red, cause the orangey side was too yellow to be red, maybe more like a…like a…burnt amber." he said out loud.
"Bank robber or not, we can't have him tearing up the city." said Cruger. "You must track him down and bring him in." No sooner than he had ordered them, so did the alarm trigger. "A robbery at the colonial national bank. Stop him!" he ordered the rangers. When the rangers quickly left the command center to their vehicles, the commander then said, "I keep my money at that bank."
When the rangers were gone that left, Cruger, Kat, and Kiara in the command center. Cruger noticed Kat had her back towards them and was facing one of the computers. Kiara was watching the screen, watching the rangers. Cruger went up beside her and caught her eye. Then he tilt his head towards Kat's direction. Kiara got the hint that her dad was sending her, but she wasn't ready.
Kiara turned to look at Kat and noticed her back towards them working on things. Kiara wanted to talk to Kat so badly, but she was scared to open the old wounds. Kiara felt the emotions rushing through her and left the command center. Cruger sighed, Kat turned around and noticed Kiara was gone and Cruger was upset. "Doggie, what's wrong?"
Cruger faced her, "Every time I feel like I'm making progress with Kiara, I end up taking a couple steps back."
"What do you mean? Have you guys talked?"
"We have. I toke her out to lunch the other day." Kat was shocked to hear that. "Did you know she didn't want to become a doctor?" Kat shook her head. "She also doesn't want to be a power ranger anymore."
"Why?" Kat was very confused. Kiara trained hard to be a ranger. To be everything her father ever wished.
"She actually wants to be like you." Kat almost fell over, "Yeah, she wants to be a technician. Just like you Kat."
"Why didn't she go into the science academy then?"
"She said she got reject. That she didn't meet their requirements." Kat was very confused.
Just before they could continue. The Rangers entered the Command center and stood around the center console.
"So! We have a bank that was sliced into, money taken and a very beautiful eye-witness," said Jack as the rangers were in the command center. "I say we know who the bank robber is." Jack said, looking at the image of T-Top.
"All the pieces fit T-Top." Syd agreed.
"What do you think, Bridge?" asked Sky, glancing at the green ranger who had been quiet and reading a book since they had gotten back.
He didn't answer Sky, his back was facing them. "Bridge?" he called out again, a little louder and he glanced around.
"Oh, sorry guys, I was just reading." he said, turning around with a smile. "See all the cool artwork on the cover? It made me think it was going to be a really good book! But it's not."
"Which is good to know, if we were talking about that book." said Jack as he narrowed his eyes at Bridge. "But we're talking about a crime."
"Yeah! So am I!" Bridge said, straightening up. "Didn't anyone else see anything strange about the witness's dog? Or the water on the ground at the bank?" he asked them but received blank stares. "Sir, I'd like to run down some of my own leads. Think things my own way." he requested the commander.
Cruger turned to Bridge. "Very well." he nodded, then looked at the rest of B-Squad. "Anyone want to go with Cadet Carson?" When none of them answered, Bridge went off to do his investigation.
"Why'd you let him go sir? T-Top is our man." Jack insisted. Before Jack could say anything else, the alarms went off. "Well it seems that your 'man' has been spotted downtown." said Cruger.
Meanwhile, Kiara was sitting in her room thinking about the past. 15 year old Kiara was sitting at her desk about to open a letter from the Science Academy. She was super nervous. If she got it, what would she tell her dad? She didn't want to hurt his feelings about not being a ranger anymore, or that she didn't even want to be a doctor. "Ok, this is it. No backing down now." Kiara picked up the envelope and opened it. She read through the letter.
'Dear Miss Cruger,
We have read and gone through your profile and your transcripts. We think you would be a great student here at the Science Academy. However, with the program we need information about your mother and your father. You only have your father, Anubis Cruger, listed on our files. We need information about your mother. If we do not get information about your mother, then we have to reject your application. Its for the safety of the program that we have great students come through here.
Sincerely,
The Board of Administrations of the Science Academy'
Kiara's heart dropped. She wanted to get into this school so badly, but she doesn't have a legal mom. She has a woman figure in her life that is a motherly figure. Unfortunately, according to the Feline rules of having adopted kids. You have to be married to the person you are adopting with. Well, she knew that this person loves her dad, but she didn't know if its enough for her to marry him. She know for a fact that her dad loves this woman but for some odd reason he won't ask her on a date. That's it, she thought. She just needed to set them up on a blind date with each other.
Kiara came out of her haze, "I was so stupid." Kiara said out loud to herself. Kiara got up and went to the lab to see if Kat was either alone or to see if the rangers were back.
In the lab, Bridge deflates the balloon animal that he brought back, letting the air go inside a device to test it. Kiara walks in to see him sitting at a computer with Kat going up to him.
"Any luck?" asked Kat.
"Not yet." said Bridge as the computer scanned the contents of the balloon.
"Hey Bridge." Kiara said as she walked up to him.
"Hey Kiara, did you know that humans breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide and plants do the opposite?" he asked.
"Well duh." Kiara said sarcastically.
"Yeah, second grade science." said Kat.
Back in the command center, "There's no way," Jack said as Kiara and Bridge were just entering the command center, "T-Top is our guy and we would have had him if you hadn't let Bridge go on some wild goose chase!" he argued.
"Well, for one thing Jack, I wasn't off chasing gooses." said Bridge as he walks into the command center. "Or is it geese's. Anyway, I'm still convinced that T-Top is innocent." explained Bridge.
Jack rolled his eyes. The alarms suddenly blared, and they frowned. "T-Top is towering over the city." Kat announced.
"Or not…" sighed Bridge as the rangers took off.
Kiara stayed behind and watched the rangers from the screen inside the command center.
Cruger left the command center hoping that Kat and Kiara would finally talk to each other. Kat turned around and saw it was just her and Kiara in the Command Center. She watched Kiara as she watched the rangers figure out that the alien, they were originally after was a bounty hunter set after the bank robber.
Kiara could feel that someone was watching her. She turned her head ever so slightly and saw that Kat was somewhat beside her looking at her. Kiara felt the rush of emotions take over her again. The love she has for Kat, but also the pain she caused between them. A tear rolled down her cheek and Kat saw it. She wanted to hug and console Kiara and tell her she was sorry. Before she even had the chance.
"I'm sorry." Kiara said and then ran out of the command center. Kat wanted to run after her but she knew it was best to take things slow. Kat sat down and thought back to the day that day she wish went right.
"Hey Kat, what are you doing tonight?" 15 year old Kiara asked.
Kat was looking at charts and doing some research on the computer. "Other then working like normal, nothing. What's up?" Kat redirected her attention to Kiara.
"I was wondering if maybe you wanted to dinner tonight together?" Kiara had a plan in motion, but she just needed to get it going.
"I don't see why not." Kat loved spending time with Kiara and Cruger, specially away from work. "Is your father joining us?"
"You know what, I didn't even think about him. I'll ask him. I'm pretty sure he will be joining us."
Kat blushed. "Then sure, why not. How does 7 o'clock sound?"
"Perfect." Kiara hugged Kat; Kat embraced the child close. "See you at 7 Kat."
Kat came out of her thoughts, "I was so stupid." Cruger walked into the command center.
"The great Katherine Manx, Stupid? Please. If anything, you make everyone else feel stupid." He chuckled. Kat smiled, she enjoyed seeing him happy. "Did you talk to Kiara?"
"No. She ran off before we could."
"Maybe next time. Can you call all of the rangers here. We have to talk about a certain someone."
"Yes, sir." Kat walks over to the console and pushes a button, "Rangers, report to the command center."
The rangers and Kiara entered the command center and gathered around the main controls. Cruger pulled up a hologram of a bat looking creature. Kiara knew exactly who it was, for Headquarters has been after him for years.
"Broodwing…" Cruger scowled at the mention of the name. "A very evil creature that sells weapons, soldiers and robots to anyone who could afford it." he growled.
"Sounds like a bad guy." said Z.
"He only cares about the money he makes and nothing about the destruction that follows." said Cruger, shaking his head.
"I just had a bad thought…what happens if he hooks up with Gruumm?" asked Sky.
"My guess…" he growled, "he already has." After being debriefed the rangers exited the command center. All the rangers but Kiara headed towards the rec room. As they were walking down the hall, Sky flung his arm over Syd's shoulders and she wrapped an arm around his waist. Kiara walked down the other way with tears creeping up on her. Kat saw what happened and walked in the direction towards Kiara.
Kiara ran into her bedroom and ran onto her bed and started crying. When Kat finally reach her door she could hear Kiara crying. Every fiber of her being wanted to run into her room and comfort her, but her mind kept telling her to walk away. Kat walked away and towards her lab. She didn't know where her and Kiara stood.
Kiara finally whipped away her tears and thought about how she would be cradled in Kat's arms right about now. She started thinking about that day she ended up setting her dad and Kat up on a date.
"Dad, you look nice. Now can we go? It's almost 7." Kiara said to her nicely dressed father.
"OK, fine I'm coming. Why do we have to be there at 7 anyway?" Cruger questioned his daughter.
"Just because." Kiara grabbed her father's hand and they head out towards the town.
They arrived in front of a restaurant in which Kiara stopped her father. "What? Isn't this the place you said we were going?" Cruger asked.
"It is. However," Kiara was cut off.
"Kiara are you ready to go see the movie?" Some Cadets from the base came from behind her. Kiara looked up at her father.
"You're going to see a movie?" Cruger asked with confusing.
"I am. You are going inside and you're going to have dinner with someone else." Kiara smiled.
Cruger stood up and looked through the windows of the restaurant, was trying to figure out what she meant. "With who?"
Kiara looked behind him, "with her." Kiara pointed behind him. Cruger turned around and saw Kat walking towards them.
'Wow.' Cruger thought to himself.
"Well, are you two ready for dinner?" Kat asked them.
"Well, it seems like it's not a dinner for three." Cruger said to her. Kat gave him a confused looked. "Kiara is off to the movies with the other cadets it seems."
Kat's eyebrows lifted up. "Yep, I got to go. Don't want to miss out on the movie. Bye guys." Kiara ran off with the other cadets. Leaving Cruger speechless and Kat blushing.
"Well, I guess then, a dinner for two?" Kat questioned.
Cruger looked up at her. Then thought about it. "Miss Manx, care to join me for dinner?" Cruger asked while offering his arm.
"I would love to." She smiled and accepted his arm. Kiara watched as they walked into the restaurant together. She prayed for minute hoping that her dad would confess his feelings to her.
Kiara was interrupted by her thoughts by a knock on the door. She whipped the rest of her tears and cleared her throat. "Who is it?"
"It's Z." Kiara got up from her bed and opened her door. Z looked at Kiara and noticed her eyes were red and she very sad. "Oh Kiara." Z walked up to her and embraced her into a hug. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"Not today." Kiara said has Z directed her to her bed and sat down. "I am glad you're here though." Kiara hugged her even tighter.
"I'm not going anywhere tonight, sis." Z and Kiara lay down in Kiara's bed and sooner or later fell asleep.