James wasn't a Power Ranger. That much was obvious because he wasn't dead. He had never been a Power Ranger, nor did he ever want to be. He had seen strain that it put on those in the suits. He knew the risks they took.
He was never jealous of the power they had. He never wanted the responsibility that came with it. He was happy being James Smith, regular guy. He didn't want to think about what colour he might be or what team he might find himself on.
He didn't understand why, even years after their responsibilities were over, Rangers let themselves get pulled back in. Serena had a hand in helping every team that had come after her own in some way. James understood she liked to help and she liked to make a difference, but she had a family of her own, and a career that would still help in changing the world for the better. He didn't understand why she sought out the colourful spandex.
But just because he didn't understand it, didn't mean he didn't know it was important, and that didn't mean that when he was needed, he wouldn't help. The Rangers did a lot of good work and while they were able to stop a lot of trouble, sometimes they needed a hand along the way.
He knew that going into the city was dangerous for them, but he knew they needed to find the time machine. Oedius wasn't likely to keep it out in the wastelands, where there was limited supervision, so the odds were good that it was still within city limits. It was suicide for the Rangers to walk in and James didn't know anyone else they could ask.
So, he had to do it. He had to take that risk.
He hadn't been to the city for several months now. He lived there with Terran and Sammie when Oedius first took over. While food rations were small, they were at least guaranteed a meal or two a week. More if they could somehow get their hands on something. And while Oedius' guards were brutal, they did do an effective job of keeping order in the city. James feared for his life and the life of his kids, but when it came to theft, drugs, gun violence or random acts of violence, he knew not to worry. He only feared upsetting Oedius and giving her a reason to lash out at him.
Still, the city was no place to live. Oedius ruled with an iron fist and there was a lot that one could do that would upset her. Walking around the city was almost like walking on eggshells, and if there was just one word of a revolution, or if a guard suspected someone was thinking of hurting them or Oedius, the penalty was death.
James didn't want to raise his kids like that. He didn't want them to grow up believing that one person – monster or not – could ever control them. He didn't want them to think that they could never challenge authority, especially when the authority was wrong. The wastelands didn't have much in the way of food, but it was still possible to live beyond the city walls. At least out there, no one cared what he did, what he said or what he thought. He could raise his children the way he saw fit, and allowed them the opportunity to question how Oedius had taken over the planet.
Not much had changed now that he was back in the city. People were still depressed, begging each other for food. Parents were worried about their sick children and children were crying over their sick parents. James saw guards walking around, keeping the city under control and though he knew they wouldn't hurt him unless provoked, they still made him feel uneasy.
In the distance, he could see the building Oedius had made clear was off limits. It had two guards watching every point of entry all day and night. James knew he needed a way inside, but approaching it wouldn't be the way to go.
So, he turned down the street and knocked six times on the door of a house. There was some shuffling inside, but eventually, Rebecca opened it, then pulled him inside.
"Hungry?" she asked. He shook his head. Still, she pulled out some bread from her cupboards and offered it to him. "For Sammie and Terran. They must be big now."
James took it. At least this way, if he went home, he could give them a treat for being so brave.
He and Rebecca hadn't been friends before Oedius took control. He knew of her through Gia. She was Gia's partner and Troy's younger sister. She had also worked closely with the Rangers, but wasn't a Ranger herself. Unlike him, she had once served, but never bonded to the powers. She was the only person still alive who had once been a Ranger.
After Oedius took over, Rebecca had tried to lead a rebellion against her. Having served temporarily as a Ranger, and now being the highest ranked Silver Guardian, she felt it was her responsibility. James had tried to help, but Oedius wiped everyone out. Rebecca knew how to escape her wrath and James knew he needed to keep his kids safe. While they managed to survive, no one else with a badge, no one else who joined the cause, did.
It pulled James and Rebecca close, at least while he still lived in the city. He knew he could trust her.
"The Rangers are back," he said. Rebecca smiled.
"That's good news."
"They need the time machine."
Her face fell. She shook her head. "They're screwed."
"You don't know where it is?"
"My guess is as good as yours," Rebecca told him. "That's why you're back, right? The building?"
"It's our best shot."
"Unless it's actually in the castle," Rebecca said. "I wouldn't put it past Oedius to keep it exactly where she says it's not."
"The building is much easier to check than the whole castle. It's a better place to start," James reasoned. "But… someone's got to be a distraction."
"No one else is dying on my watch…" Rebecca said. She knew what James was asking. He didn't tell her he needed a distraction. He suggested that one was needed. He would never ask her to do something so dangerous and so was offering to do it himself.
"You're perfect for it," James said. "I've never seen any lights coming from the building and we know there's no power in the city. No one goes inside so it's stupid to think that even if the time machine was there, I could see it."
"So, send the blind chick in?" it did make sense, and Rebecca was happy to help, but she didn't want James serving as a distraction. The risk was too high that he would be caught and killed on the spot.
"Yes?"
"You have kids. I don't."
James shook his head. This was his plan. No way would he let Rebecca die.
"Come on," Rebecca said when James started to argue. "I died last time the Rangers travelled to the future. I'm okay."
"If this goes south…"
"I don't want to live if this goes south," Rebecca told him. "James, I'm only alive because I wanted to be able to help when the Rangers showed up. Now that they're here, I'll do anything I need, even die, to help them get back."
"If I can't see what's inside the building anyway, it's all for nothing," James said. "Please, Rebecca. I'll distract them, you go in. I promise, when you get out, I'll be right behind you."
"I won't raise your kids if you aren't," Rebecca told him. "And if I see them, I'll tell them what an idiot you were."
"I'm confident it won't come to that," James said. "Will you do it?"
"Fine," Rebecca said. "But you'll need protection. Have you ever shot a gun before?"
"No."
"A Ranger blaster?"
"Serena used a sword."
"Played video games?"
"Back in college."
"Okay, well, you point the gun at the monster and shoot. As long as you hit them, that should slow them down. Don't hit people, and most importantly, don't point the gun at something you don't want to shoot. No matter what."
"Got it."
-Ninja-Steel-
James' home wasn't much better than what Mick had found for himself, but since it was what Terran and Sammie were used to, the Rangers decided it was best to wait there.
Hayley, Brody and Levi kept the kids busy – distracted. Levi was teaching them some of his songs. It had been a while since they had heard music and so the kids were completely enthralled by it. Calvin tried to figure out what he could make with the food James had foraged that would fill everyone's stomachs, while Preston and Kelly worried for Sarah.
The pink Ranger was understandably tired and weak. She had been trapped in a prison for a little under a year. Her only socialization was with Oedius, when the monster decided to brag, or with the guard who brought her food. Those times were few and far between, so for the better part of a year, Sarah was completely alone. Not only that, but though Sarah knew the Rangers would appear in a year, she had no way to tell when that year was up. She didn't know if she was still waiting for the day, or if it had already happened. She had no idea if Oedius had imprisoned her friends, and she would live out the rest of her days in her cell, or if they were still coming for her.
The lack of food made her body weak. She had lost so much weight, she was barely more than skin and bones. She could hardly hold herself up, and couldn't stand for more than a few minutes without needing to catch her breath.
Her body was shutting down. It was slow, and it was agonizing, but it happened. Her friends hated to see her like this. They knew, once they had the time machine and they went home, Sarah would have no memory of what would happen to her. None of this would happen.
But there was the possibility that they failed. Kelly didn't want to imagine it, but she did.
She sat on the ground against a boulder. Sarah lay with her head in her lap – sleeping. Right now, it was all the Rangers could do for Sarah that was better than keeping her in the prison. Being with them meant Sarah could finally sleep soundly. She knew they would protect her. She knew when she woke up, she wouldn't be alone.
Kelly played with Sarah's hair, keeping her hands busy. Though Sarah was sleeping, and though she was no long in immediate danger, Kelly still worried for her. As she brushed her hand through Sarah's thinning hair, she saw pieces of it coming out. Kelly knew hair fell out all the time. She had a brush at home that was proof of that. But with every stroke, Sarah seemed to lose more and more. Eventually, Kelly had to stop.
"What does it say when people living in the wastelands eat better than the prisoner you're trying to keep alive?" Preston asked. Kelly shrugged.
"Clearly Oedius didn't think that through," she said. "If I were in her shoes, and knew that my power depended on Sarah staying alive, she'd be the healthiest of all of us right now."
"I guess she got what she wanted from the pink Star," Preston suggested. "Guess she just kept Sarah alive long enough for insurance."
"We need to get her Star back," Kelly said. "Not now. She's not strong enough to fight. In the present, I mean."
"We can't exactly storm the ship," Preston said. "Until Oedius makes a mistake…"
"There's got to be something we can do," Kelly said and looked down at Sarah. Oedius had cornered her on the street. Sarah couldn't fight back, because she didn't have her Star and that sent everything into motion. While one Ranger wasn't strong enough to stop Oedius, maybe Sarah having a Star could have prevented this. At least, Sarah might have been able to fight for herself long enough for the Rangers to realize she was in trouble and come help.
Suddenly, it occurred to Kelly. They didn't need to get Sarah's Star. They just needed to show up. They just needed to help.
"Preston, when we get the time machine, we can't go back to right after Oedius shoots us."
"But the timeline…"
"We need to go to when she takes Sarah."
"Kelly, we know Oedius has her…"
"So, we can't go after the Star, but we can go for Sarah?" Kelly asked. It was logic she understood. The Rangers still had six Power Stars in their possession and while they understood what Oedius could do with one, it didn't make sense to risk their six for one.
But a Star was a Star. Sarah was a person. A team, even short one, was disadvantaged enough. They would risk anything and everything to stay together.
But that wasn't enough. Kelly needed to stop this from happening at all.
"If we go back to before Oedius shot us, they'll be two of us around. That'll screw everything up."
"If we go back and stop Oedius from kidnapping Sarah, none of this will happen. We're part of the future now. We'll just… waste away. But at least Sarah will be safe."
"You don't know that," Preston shook his head. "Maybe we stop the initial kidnapping but one we change everything…"
"Preston, look at her!" Kelly shouted.
"This won't happen," Preston assured her. "We'll go back, we'll stop Oedius. We'll find Sarah."
"But…"
"Kelly, I promise," he said. Kelly didn't look convinced, but if Preston wasn't having doubts, she knew she wouldn't be able to convince the others. Instead, she looked down at Sarah and hugged her girlfriend close.