DISCLAIMER – I do NOT own Power Rangers, Dino Thunder, or any character other than Austin.
(DinoThunder theme plays)
"Trent, I got another order for you!" Hayley remarked. The hard-working waiter quickly walked over to the bar. Hayley had loaded a tray to the brim with drinks, and Trent did his best to balance it as he started walking around delivering them.
"DAMN IT!" Ethan cried suddenly, standing up and sending his chair a few feet backwards. Trent was caught up in the slide and lost his balance, dropping the tray and almost falling over. Ethan looked concernedly at him.
"Sorry, I got a little distracted. By the way, it's just a game; they can't hear you," the waiter remarked as he got up. Ethan just shook his head and returned to his game.
"Everything okay Ethan? Ethan?" Hayley said, trying to get the Green Ranger's attention. Finally she poked him, pulling his mind away from the game.
"Ugh, Wizard Wood," Hayley remarked, seeing the game he was playing.
"The first gamer to conquer the whole wizard world and crack the secret code wins the right to test the next game in the series. How crazy is that?" Ethan explained.
"Yeah, I read about it. If anyone can do it it's you. Just try not to mess up Trent again, okay?" she asked.
"I'll try not to," Ethan answered apologetically. He then returned to his game.
(The woods)
Tommy, Austin, Conner and Kira stood in the woods, preparing for Power Ranger training. The red, blue and yellow raptor cycles sat idly, ready for use if necessary.
"Guys, where's Ethan?" Tommy asked.
"Sorry, we should've grabbed him from the cyber café," Kira answered.
"What's the big deal anyway? It's just practice," Conner remarked. Austin rolled his eyes.
"Training is just as important as the real thing. You never know when you're gonna get attacked," Tommy responded, a little annoyed. As if on cue, Zeltrax appeared and sent Tommy flying into the other Rangers.
"Couldn't have planned that better," he remarked once he'd regained his balance. The Rangers engaged Zeltrax and the drones, and as usual Tommy was singled out. The un-morphed Rangers put up a good fight, but were knocked back to the cycles.
"How do you feel about a ride in the country?" Kira questioned.
"Great day for it, even if Conner's here," Austin responded tauntingly. The Red Ranger rolled his eyes. Regardless of what the Red Ranger thought, the whole conversation was code, and with a permissive nod from Tommy, the four Rangers prepared to morph.
"DinoThunder, power up!" they cried together. Morphing, the red, blue, yellow and black Power Rangers engaged Zeltrax and the drones. Getting beat back now that Tommy was in Ranger form, Zeltrax retreated through an invisiportal. The drones followed soon after, leaving Conner and Kira bewildered.
"That was seriously random," Conner remarked as the Rangers met up.
"Probably a diversion," Austin deduced.
"He's right, you guys go get Ethan and meet me at the lab," Tommy instructed.
"Okay," Conner responded.
"You got it!" Kira responded.
(Hayley's Cyberspace)
"You're sure you know how to lock up?" Hayley questioned.
"Yeah, as soon as I get this dude, I'm outta here," Ethan responded, still playing the same game from earlier. Nodding, Hayley turned to leave the café.
"I know I'm gonna regret this…" she muttered. Once Hayley left, Ethan pulled out a device and began hacking the game to get the code he'd mentioned earlier. A few minutes later, a monster created by Mesogog appeared in the alley way and looked in through a window, spotting Ethan.
"Game on!" it exclaimed, firing some sort of electromagnetic attack through the window at Ethan. The glass didn't shatter, but the attack shorted out Ethan's device. The green ranger looked over his stuff in confusion until a blue cloud started emanating from the computer. Ethan could barely scream before he was sucked inside.
Ethan found himself in some kind of forest, and suddenly he was approached by what appeared to be a wizard in purple. The wizard tried confusingly to identify where Ethan was from, not realizing that the Green Ranger was from another world. Having been unsuccessful, the man gallivanted away, leaving Ethan stunned.
(Back at the Cyberspace)
"Think he's still here?" Conner questioned.
"Probably; he was glued to that Wizard Wood game all morning. Not the best choice if I do say so myself," Austin remarked. Kira rolled her eyes at the nerd-speak. Suddenly, an evil laugh sounded from behind the three Rangers, and they turned to see Mesogog's new monster.
"If you're looking for your friend you're too late; unless you want to join him!" the monster taunted. The three Rangers engaged him, and Austin managed to duck away thanks to his small size.
"Dad, we found one of Mesogog's monsters, but no Ethan," he remarked.
"I'm getting a reading on him; keep looking while I try to pinpoint the signal," Tommy responded.
"You got it dad!" Austin replied. He and the other two Rangers continued fighting the monster, doing the best they could to hold it off.
(Back in the game)
Ethan followed the wizard all the way to his house, but the wizard pointed out a 'No Gamers' sign and shut his door. Ethan was then surrounded by strange creatures somewhat like Tyrannodrones. Ethan began fighting them Ranger-style, and, unbeknownst to him, the wizard watched from his window. The Green Ranger was knocked down eventually, and the wizard retreated inside.
(Back at the Cyberspace)
"See if you can draw his fire; I'll check inside!" Kira cried.
"Make it fast; I don't know how long we can hold him!" Conner responded. Kira nodded and rushed inside as the boys drew the monster's attention.
Inside, Kira walked up to the computer Ethan had been using. For a second she wondered where he'd gone, but then her question was answered when Ethan's device sucked her inside the game. She seemed to fall from the sky, landing hard on the ground next to Ethan.
"Welcome to my world!" Ethan remarked as they got up and began fighting off the strange beings again.
"What are these things?" Kira asked.
"Triptoids; they're kind of like Tyrannodrones, just stronger," Ethan responded.
"Have you tried to morph?" Kira questioned.
"What'll that do?" Ethan responded.
"Keep us alive long enough to find a way out!" Kira explained.
"Good enough for me!" Ethan replied. The two morphed on the spot, gaining momentum in the fight and really beating down the drones.
Back in the real world, Conner and Austin fought off the monster until it overwhelmed them and sent former flying through the door to the café. He smashed into Ethan's device, and seconds later the café was full of strange creatures being fought by Ethan and Kira.
"What's going on here?" Conner questioned.
"Don't ask!" Kira responded.
"Waaah!" Austin screamed outside. A loud thud was heard, and all three Rangers' faces went pale. The Rangers forced the brawl outside, and Conner morphed to help out. As the fight continued, the Triptoids fled. Left outmatched, the monster retreated through an invisiportal.
"Where's Austin?" Kira questioned.
"I don't know; I heard him scream and then there was a loud thud," Conner responded.
"Over there!" Ethan cried, pointing at the opposite alleyway. Running across the front of the café, the three Rangers stopped next to Austin. The un-morphed Blue Ranger was laid out on the ground and clutching his midsection in pain. Kira gently helped him to his feet, and made sure he was steady on his own.
"What happened man?" Conner questioned.
"The monster overwhelmed me. I went for a kick, and it grabbed my foot and flung me against this wall," Austin explained. With the Blue Ranger okay for now, the four Power Rangers powered down and walked inside the café to check Ethan's computer.
"Man, my machine's never gonna come back from this one," the Green Ranger said, looking over his device.
"So what exactly happened in there?" Conner asked.
"Man, I don't know where to begin," Ethan responded.
"The truth is always best told from thine heart," a voice said suddenly. The Rangers turned to see Ethan's wizard friend standing there.
"Oh man…" the Green Ranger remarked dismally.
(DinoThunder HQ)
Hayley and Tommy sat at the main computer, the former working on Ethan's device so she could send the wizard back home. The four younger Rangers sat in chairs facing Tommy, who was rather frustrated with Ethan.
"Let me get this straight; you were so caught up in a video game that you let a monster sneak up behind you?" the Black Ranger remarked.
"It's a pretty tight game Dr. O," Ethan responded.
"Or so you think," Austin muttered, rolling his eyes. Connor chuckled.
"You have to keep your head in this game at all times. I know it can be hard, and even dangerous too-," Tommy started. The wizard, annoyed with Tommy's boring speech, used his magic to get rid of the Black Ranger's mouth. Tommy made muffled noises for a minute, rather annoyed.
"Dude, what the heck?" Austin exclaimed, glaring at the wizard.
"What?" the man responded.
"Dude, just give him his mouth back," Ethan responded.
"Can we wait till after midterms?" Conner questioned.
"Shut up Conner…" Kira responded. Under a lot of pressure, the wizard reluctantly gave Tommy his mouth back.
"Okay, let's not do that again," Tommy remarked. Austin nodded in agreement.
"I'm really sorry Dr. O," Ethan responded.
"I know you are," Tommy replied.
"I've definitely learned my lesson," Ethan remarked. Just then, Hayley cut in and informed the Rangers that there was a good chance she'd be able to send the wizard back into the game.
"Okay, while Hayley works on that we'd better deal with the monster on the loose. Kira, see if you can locate him on the monitors," Tommy remarked. Kira nodded and got to work. About fifteen minutes later, the monster was sighted.
"I found him Dr. O!" Kira remarked.
"Okay," Tommy responded, turning to the wizard, "You stay put until we can figure out how to send you back. Conner, Austin, come with me!" The boys nodded and morphed, going with Dr. O to face the monster. Ethan and Kira stayed behind to help Hayley finish up.
(The city)
"I'm back!" the monster cried as the three Rangers engaged it. The Rangers attacked, but were knocked back. Austin fell to the ground clutching his midsection in pain. Suddenly, a shadow passed over the battle and a loud cry was heard. Ethan and Kira, already morphed, jumped down from the Pterazord and blasted the monster back. With the monster prone, the Rangers began combining their weapons.
"Here!" Austin cried, tossing the others his Stega Sword. Tommy caught it and took his son's place, forming the Z-Rex blaster.
"FIRE!" he shouted. The powerful weapon blew the monster to shreds. Unfortunately, the fight wasn't over; with Mesogog's help the monster returned at massive size.
"Hayley, we need back-up!" Conner said into his bracelet.
"On it!" she responded. Seconds later the Brachiozord was there, and the others rushed out of it. The Megazord was formed, but Austin remained on the ground, powering down and backing away from the fight. Meanwhile, Tommy angrily led the fight against the monster. After a few hits, the monster struck back.
"Time to end this!" Tommy cried. He exchanged the Tyranno tail for the Stega Sword attachment and then dealt the monster a powerful blow. Critically damaged, the beast exploded, ending the fight. The Rangers then exited the Megazord before splitting it up and sending the zords back to their hiding places. The four Rangers then rushed over to Austin.
"You guys meet Hayley at the café and get that wizard back in the game. I'm taking Austin to the hospital," Tommy ordered. The three teens nodded and headed off straightaway.
(The café)
Ethan, Kira, and Hayley stood next to the computer Ethan had been using, with the device hooked back up to it. The wizard stood next to the computer, about to be sent home.
"So, I presume you're still looking for that secret code?" the wizard inquired.
"Yeah, but I think I'll work on it the old fashioned way; one key at a time," Ethan responded.
"Ah, a good answer. Tis the right one," the wizard responded. With that, he was whisked away into the game.
"Alright, let's head back," Hayley remarked. Ethan nodded, having learned his lesson.
(Reefside Children's Hospital)
Tommy arrived in the hospital's ER and quickly got Austin some attention. The young boy was taken back to a room and examined so the doctor could figure out what needed to be done.
"So what's wrong with him?" Tommy asked when the doctor finished.
"Well I'm not positive yet, but I think some x-rays are in order," the man answered.
"Alright. I'm gonna grab a water from the vending machine in the waiting room, I'll be right back," Tommy responded. The doctor nodded and then the Black Ranger left the room. Meanwhile, Austin was prepared for his x-rays.
- (Break)
Tommy returned from his irritatingly long excursion to the waiting room to find that the x-rays were already done. Austin lay on the room's bed, clad in only his dinosaur underwear. The doctor was wrapping up his midsection, an obvious sign of an injury.
"So what's wrong with him?" Tommy asked. The doctor looked up, and upon identifying Tommy, began to speak.
"He has three fractured ribs and some bad bruising on his back and chest. I advise against strenuous physical activity for at least a week, preferably two. If he needs a doctor's note I'll gladly write him one," the doctor explained.
"Alright, thanks doc," Tommy responded. The doctor nodded as he finished up with Austin. Now bandaged up, the Blue Ranger was told he could get dressed again. Tommy reasoned that he'd had to wear a hospital gown for the x-rays, hence the lack of clothing. Austin did as he was told, and soon the Olivers were on their way home.
(The Oliver's house)
Tommy pulled his Jeep into the driveway AKA front yard of his house about half an hour later. Austin was lying down in the back seat, his shoes and pants in the floorboard. He'd have been asleep except the road to the house was dirt and the bumpiness had irritated his ribs.
"Dad, I'm tired…" he remarked, sitting up as the Jeep came to a stop. Tommy checked his watch and found that it was just past seven-thirty. The Black Ranger blinked in shock; he must've lost track of time worrying about his son.
"I see that, but we've got to tell the others you're okay and get some food in you first. Then you can go to bed," Tommy responded. Austin nodded tiredly before being picked up by his father. Tommy grabbed his son's shoes and pants in one arm before walking inside the house. Dropping the loose garments on the staircase, Tommy carried his son down into the DinoThunder base. The Oliver's comrades swarmed them immediately.
"Is he okay? What did the doctors say?" Hayley asked.
"He's got three fractured ribs and some bruises," Tommy responded. His 3'7" son was then snatched away by Kira.
"You poor thing," she remarked, looking at Austin as if he were a small child.
"Kira…" Austin moaned, embarrassed. Conner and Ethan laughed.
"Sorry; I'm just glad you're okay," Kira responded.
"It's alright Kira," Austin replied.
"Now, the doctor did say Austin should avoid strenuous activity for a week or two, so he'll have to sit on the sidelines for now," Tommy remarked.
"Let's just hope nothing serious happens before he's healed," Hayley responded. Tommy nodded. Hayley and the teens stayed a little longer, chatting with Tommy and Austin. The younger Oliver seemed to have woken up a bit since the car ride home and actively participated in the conversation. All the while, a faint blush could be seen on his face due to his lack of pants.
Eventually Hayley headed home, and the teens followed soon after. Tommy then cooked a quick meal for he and his son. The two Olivers then ate together before Austin headed up to bed. Stopping at the bottom of the stairs, the underwear-clad Blue Ranger turned to his dad, who was walking towards his own room.
"Good night dad," he remarked. Tommy stopped and gave his son a hug.
"Good night son," he responded.