The Rangers were helping the military to pacify the streets. It was the turning point they needed; the arrival of Power Rangers had a remarkable effect on the gangs on the streets. They were willing to fight the military, they had an outside chance with them, but they found that the very sight of a Ranger tended to send them scattering for the hills. Those that didn't run very quickly surrendered themselves for arrest.
Summer and Emily had helped a unit cut off the escape of a large contingent of The Blue Crew. One of the soldiers, a Sergeant, grabbed one of them, inspecting his face and smiled.
"Well well well, looks like this time you got your hands dirty Ronan." He mocked the gang leader. It was an all too rare opportunity, generally the higher up members of the gangs were protected, doing everything they could to obfuscate their own involvement in illegal activities. To find Ronan out in the middle of the warzone was a miraculous opportunity to get him off the streets for a long time. He was caught red-handed with enough evidence even his lawyers couldn't explain away that he was bound to serve some time inside. "If it's any consolation, one of our other patrols picked up Spike Mike a little while ago. It looks like Christmas came a little early."
"Why don't you go...?"
The Sergeant slammed the butt of a rifle into his gut, before gesturing to the others to load him into the back of a truck. Summer just came over, looking at him in disbelief.
"Christmas?" She asked him. "People died out here!"
"In one night, we've managed to round up more of the cartels than any other time since the dome went up!" He told her with a shrug. "Come on guys; let's get these guys back to HQ and processed."
Emily just turned to Summer, shaking her head.
"I can't believe him!" She shrieked. "How could anyone be happy about this?"
"He's a jerk." Summer sighed. "Sadly, our military is full of them."
Just then, the other Rangers ran into view, converging on the street.
"It looks like the riot's starting to split up." Jayden commented. "We've managed to secure most of the streets. The military should be able to handle it from here."
"So where's Scott?" Flynn asked them. He was the only one that was not with them.
"None of you found him?" Summer asked. They all shook their heads in response. Just then, Hicks and Vasquez arrived, having escaped from the fire on the roof of the race track.
"Guys, Scott needs your help." Hicks rushed out. "He's trapped in a battle with the killer."
"Wait, what?" Flynn asked. "He's fighting Fresno Bob?"
"No, that's just it, it wasn't Bob." Vasquez added. "Someone else did it and made it look like it was him to start all this. He wanted to draw Scott out into the open."
"He's on the roof of the racetrack." Hicks told them. "We tried to get through, but the flames were too intense."
"Alright, we'll get over there to help." Jayden replied. "Come on."
On the roof of the race track, Scott was sent spiralling to the ground as the Nighlock Jayden sliced him across the chest with Urumasa. He struggled on the floor, looking up at the creature before him. He had already met and sparred against Jayden back at the Shiba House in his own dimension. He knew that Jayden was a tough opponent in his own right, but with the power of Urumasa together with his own skill and the power of his symbol power, he was finding the battle tougher than any he had faced before.
"So, this is the great Scott Truman, the legendary Ranger Red!" Jayden sneered dismissively. "I thought you were meant to be the best."
"I'm good enough to take you!" He called back, pushing himself to his feet and summoning his Street Sabre. "You're going to pay for what you did!"
"Ah, your dad." Jayden taunted him. "You know, if it makes a difference, according to my assassin, he went down fighting to the end. Even when he knew he was finished, he refused to give in. All I wonder is will you satisfy Urumasa by going the same way? Or will you beg for mercy before the end?"
"Street Sabre Strike!" Scott called out as he activated the attack, rushing towards him. Jayden just stood, awaiting the attack, parrying it with his blade. The two slid some distance, before coming to a halt. Jayden swept the Street Sabre out of his hands, before bringing Urumasa across him, sending him flying into the wreckage of the helicopter, denting it badly.
"Well, this has been fun, but perhaps I chose the wrong Ranger for the ultimate duel." Jayden sighed, beginning to approach him. "Maybe the Yellow Ranger will be a better match."
Just as he approached, bringing the sword up to strike, Scott saw something happening behind him. The flames parted, and a figure started to approach. Just as his vision dimmed and he lost his battle to retain consciousness, he heard a large impact.
He woke up again later, finding himself lying on the bench in Dr. K's lab. All of the Rangers were standing around him, watching on in concern.
"How are you feeling?" Summer asked him.
"I have a headache." He told them.
"That's hardly surprising." Dr. K informed him. "You have a hairline fracture of the skull and a concussion."
"You've been out for a couple of hours." Flynn informed him. "We brought you back here to get looked at."
"What about Jayden?" He asked, before looking to the Red Samurai Ranger. "No, not you, the other one."
"We...um...we don't know." Jayden informed him. "He was gone by the time we arrived."
"The fire was too." Emily interjected. "All we found up there was you and Bob."
"No, that can't be right." Scott told them. "I saw it before I blacked out. The flames parted. I saw you walking through."
"Scott, I assure you, I wasn't there." Jayden reiterated.
"Then, someone else saved Scott?" Gemma asked.
"Who else could it be?" Gem quizzed them.
"There's one way to find out." Dr. K told them, accessing a computer. "As you all know, your Ranger suits are fitted with recording equipment so that I can analyse details of the battles you're involved in. It will only take a moment to play back the footage."
She called up an image, showing the final moments of the battle. Scott was lying prone, and the readouts showed his power levels to be sinking to dangerous levels. It was then that they saw the flames parting, and a figure walking through.
"I can hardly see." Mike commented.
"The flames make it hard; I'll try to enhance it." Dr. K told him. As they enhanced it. Seeing the figure coming forward, they could see the unmistakable shape of the Fire Smasher being carried across the stranger's shoulders. Jayden's mouth hung open as the stranger stepped forward. It was the Red Samurai Ranger, but not as they had ever seen before.
"That's your helmet." Mike commented. "But...that sure isn't you."
"Yeah, that Red Ranger's smaller for a start." Kevin stated. Mia just looked to him in disbelief.
"That's all you noticed?" She asked him. "She's wearing a skirt, and she has...well..."
"It's a girl!" Emily shrieked. "The Red Ranger's a girl!"
"But...I thought only members of the Shiba Clan could use Fire Symbol Power." Mike added. "But Jayden's the only member of the Shiba Clan."
"Isn't it obvious? Things are different here." Kevin reminded them. "Maybe in this dimension Jayden's dad had more than one kid."
"Yeah, that's obviously it." Jayden stated, turning off the monitor. "All I know is that if this dimension's me has Urumasa, then I doubt he's going down easily. It'll take more than one Ranger to finish him."
"Well, you can count me in." Scott replied, trying to get up, only to be held back down by Dillon.
"You're not going anywhere." Dillon told him flatly.
"He killed..."
"He almost killed you once because you ran off half-cocked." Summer reminded him. "Maybe if you'd waited for the rest of us, you wouldn't have ended up here."
"Well, we already know one thing." Antonio stated, putting an arm around Jayden. "You already took out one owner of Urumasa and smashed it. If it can be done once, it can be done again."
"I hope so." Jayden stated. "I really do."
