Phillipe and Margaret arrived back at the Embassy after their run, Phillipe carrying Margaret in a bridal carry as he went through the door. After their short stop at the fair, they had continued on their run, but they hadn't gotten far before Margaret had gone over on her ankle. They were still some way from the Embassy, but they had gone on their run without a detail. Phillipe often felt that he didn't really need a full detail so long as he was with Margaret.
"Hello!" He called out as he carried her inside. "I need some help here!"
"Phillipe, it's alright..."
"Damn it all, where is everyone?" He grumbled as he took her in through the entranceway. "Is anyone here?"
"Phillipe, it's really alright." Margaret told him, feeling a little embarrassed. She was his personal bodyguard, the head of his security detail, and yet here she was, needing to be carried home after twisting her ankle on a curb. Her ankle really did hurt like hell, she had tried to stand on it, but it was much too painful to walk on. It would be humiliating for her to be seen by the rest of her team being carried by the man she was charged with protecting.
That being said, there was a part of her that did feel pretty good about being carried, even if it did feel like her foot was about to fall off. As he carried her through to a lounge, putting her down as gently as he could on a couch, he looked around for someone to help. "Damn it all, where is everyone?"
"I'm sure they're probably around here somewhere." She told him. He placed her ankle on a bunch of pillows, trying to make it as comfortable as possible. "Phillipe, you don't need to fuss, I'm sure I've just twisted it."
"I admire your courage, but humour me would you?" He asked her. "Try to rest up. I'll look for one of the others...and a first aid kit."
He ran off to look for some help, leaving Margaret alone for a second. She could hardly believe this had happened. In her role, she had received a few injuries. The paparazzi could get pretty aggressive at public events. She had even been stabbed once in the line of duty, but of all the things that had happened; she couldn't believe she had been laid low by a four inch curb. She reached to her foot to try and remove her trainer, but as she did, white-hot needles of pain flashed up the length of her leg, forcing her back down. Phillipe arrived back in the room, carrying a bag of ice.
"I found a note; the team went to the youth centre for some reconnaissance." He told her. Margaret closed her eyes as she realised she had forgotten all about that. He was due to open a newly refurbished youth centre shortly, and she had asked the team to go and check out possible escape routes, the local surveillance, possible hiding areas for anyone aiming to harm Phillipe, all so they could form a strategy to reduce the risk of his public appearance as much as possible.
"Damn it." Margaret muttered. "I told them to do that this morning. Alright, so...who's still here?"
"Um...no one actually." Phillipe responded. Margaret's eyebrows shot up.
"ALL of them went?" Margaret called out. "You've got to be kidding me. They left no one behind?"
"Well, I guess that means it's just the two of us then." Phillipe responded. Margaret just gulped as he said this. "So...um...I guess we should have a look at this then."
"J...J...Just the two of us?" She asked as he went to her shoe to try and remove it. "Phillipe, please be careful..."
"Now now Margaret, you forget I've taken the same first aid training you have." Phillipe replied.
"Maybe I'd be a little more confident if you actually had a first aid kit." Margaret said as he went for her shoe. "Phillipe..."
"I couldn't find it!" He told her. "You never told me where your team keep it!"
"It's in the cupboard in the kitch...AAAGHH...STOP, STOP!"
Phillipe backed away as he realised he was hurting her. A look of concern crossed his face seeing exactly how she reacted to him trying to take off her shoe. The fact he could barely touch her without causing such pain was not a good sign.
"Alright, we need to take a look at this." Phillipe told her, looking around. He got a pair of scissors. He quickly cut the laces, and took hold of the shoe and her leg. He pulled it off quickly to try and limit how much he aggravated it. It was still enough that by the time he looked to her, there were tears in her eyes. "Alright, now for the sock..."
"Just cut the damn thing off!" She beckoned him. Phillipe nodded in agreement, carefully cutting the sock off. Margaret was also quickly coming to the conclusion that it was a lot more than just a twisted ankle. She bit her tongue to keep from screaming out and embarrassing herself in front of Phillipe. When the sock was finally off, Phillipe just backed off a little. It was no wonder it was so painful, her ankle had swollen right up, and it was already discoloured.
"Um...Alright, I'm sure this is...um..." He could see the look on her face and realised that she was already worried. "I'll...I'll get the car. We should get that looked at."
As he went to get the car, Margaret just slumped into the sofa and sighed. She couldn't help thinking about the wish she had made.
"When I asked for some time alone with him...this isn't exactly what I meant." She grumbled.
Meanwhile, over at the Dino Bite Cafe, Kendall and the team had arrived back at the museum some time ago, but until Kendall could come up with a new idea of how to find a suitable candidate for the Purple Energem, they really were at a loss. Seeing no real sense in keeping all of them tied to the museum, Kendall had allowed everyone to go their own way. Everyone had other things they needed to do. Kendall was down in the lab with Riley following up on some leads, Shelby and Tyler had gone out into the park, finally taking an opportunity for a long-overdue date, Chase had surprised Allison with the weekend trip he had won after her shift, and Koda had gone to the gym to train with Jack.
Erica and Claire were working in the restaurant, with Ivan as the one drawing the short straw to help. With Allison away, one of them needed to stay, and Ivan was the only one of them that really didn't have anything better to do, and so he had volunteered to stay and help. Erica came into the back, smiling brightly as she arrived.
"Do you have the order for table three?" She asked him.
"One Bronto Burger, medium with extra crispy bacon, one Pterodactyl Tuna Melt grilled to perfection and one Ankylo-Dog just as you requested milady." He responded. Erica took the order, and headed back out to the main floor to take her order to the table. At that moment, Heckyl was heading into the restaurant. He had been told by Sledge that this was where the Rangers worked, and so he had concluded that it would be a good place to start looking for them.
As he headed into the cafe, he took up some chilli pepper from the condiment station, and as he was heading through the room, he slid a stool with his foot directly into Erica's path, causing her to trip and spill her order. While everyone was distracted by the commotion, he "seasoned" a couple of ice-creams while he went to the counter. Claire was just finishing up with a customer when she looked to him, smiling.
"Dino Bite Cafe, how may I help you?" She asked him.
"Oh...it all looks so tempting." Heckyl said looking to the menu. "You would not believe how long it's been since I've had a good hazelnut mocha."
"Well, our coffee is rated among the best in town." She said, beginning to prepare his order. "Say...I don't think I've seen you around here. Are you new in town?"
"You could say that." He responded. "I was actually looking for someone. Have you seen the museum director?"
"Ms Morgan?" She asked. "I haven't seen her all day. I don't think she's in today."
"Well, I suppose I'll have to catch her another time then." Heckyl said with a smile. Just then, another commotion went up from the dining room as some of the customers started to react to their uniquely altered deserts. Erica could see that one of the customers was having difficulty breathing, being in the middle of shock.
"Claire, call an ambulance for this guy!" Erica shrieked. "Ivan, get some water FAST!"
"What the devil happened in here?" Ivan asked as he came into the room, carrying a pitcher of water. By now the whole cafe was in chaos as customers were either reacting in agony to their spicy deserts or angrily demanding action from the staff. As a result, none of them noticed Heckyl walking out with his coffee. He stopped by the door as he saw a plaque, showing Kendall's picture. Underneath the picture was her name.
"Ms Morgan eh?" He commented as he took the plaque off the wall. "Pretty lady."
With that, he tucked it under his arm and walked out, casually sipping his coffee while Ivan, Erica and Claire struggled to calm the scene of chaos he left in his wake.
Meanwhile, at the gym, everyone was working extra hard in order to get noticed. While most of the card had already been finalised, there were still a couple of slots open, and Carl was keeping his eye out for anyone that looked promising to fill them. Alessandra was just staring blankly at Koda as she held the Purple Energem in her hand.
"What you think?" Koda asked her. "You feel any different?"
"I no feel anything." Alessandra responded as she handed it back. Koda was a little disappointed by this. Alessandra was ideal in his mind. She could already do things that a lot of the team couldn't, and since she now knew about them, she worried about him and his battles. Just like he was worried when she was in a match, he found that he was a lot calmer and was able to relax more when he was wrestling himself. He understood the risks a lot more, and he was able to be a lot more confident in the people she worked with if he also wrestled. He was hoping that if Alessandra was a Ranger too, then she would feel the same way. "I guess I no hero."
"You hero to me." Koda told her with a smile. Unfortunately, his stomach grumbled, and he felt a shooting pain in it. "No know how Energem work. Very...grooh..."
"Hey, Koda are we training or what?" Jack yelled at him from the ring. "I wanted to show you that gut-wrench suplex!"
"Oh...please no say gut." Koda begged him as he went to the ring. He offered Jack the Energem. "You hold...?"
"What the hell is this shit?" He asked, grabbing the Energem and throwing it out of the ring. Alessandra quickly retrieved it and returned it to Koda's bag. "Do I look like I waste time with jewellery? Get your arse over here!"
Koda stood as Jack grabbed him tightly around the waist.
"Now, jump when you feel me pull and flip." Jack told him.
"No feel good, please no hold so...TIIIIGHHHHT!" Koda was flipped over as Jack gripped and wrenched his stomach hard. As he landed on the mat, the impact had an unfortunate effect.
"Aw Jesus!" Jack complained as he held a hand over his face. "Carl!"
"Mother of God!" Carl said as he got into the ring, recoiling. "I'll...I'll get some stuff to clean up."
"I no feel well." Koda groaned, clutching his stomach. "Tropical burger bad idea!"
"Yeah, it looks that way." Jack told him sympathetically. "For what it's worth...you wouldn't be the first guy that shit himself in the ring."
"Right, let's get him to the bathroom to get cleaned up." Carl told them. "And...we'll see if we can find you something to wear on the way home."
On the interstate, well outside the city, Chase was in the passenger seat of Allison's car as they headed for the hotel. Allison still couldn't believe that not only were they finally getting their weekend away, but that Chase had been lucky enough to win a suite in a five star hotel! She had hoped for a while that they would finally get that time together, but she understood that there was a lot of demands on Chase's time.
"So you're sure there's a pool?" She asked him. He just chuckled.
"I checked the web site. There's a pool, sauna, spa...and it's all inclusive." Chase reminded her. "And we can enjoy it all...if I can figure out this map."
"You can't read a map?" She asked him.
"I'm just having a little difficulty with which exit we're meant to take." He responded.
"We'll just follow the signs for San Angeles." She told him. "I can't imagine there are too many 'Oceanview Hotels' in San Angeles."
"Yeah, but I've heard the roads are pretty confusing." He reminded her. "If we get the right turning..."
Suddenly, there was a loud bang from the engine, followed by some laboured engine sounds.
"What the hell was that?" He asked.
"It didn't sound like anything good." Allison gulped. "I know this thing is overdue for a service but..."
Just then, large plumes of smoke started to billow out from under the hood. Allison had no choice but to pull into the hard shoulder and kill the engine. They both got out, and could only stare at the smoke drifting out.
"Son of a bitch!" Allison complained. "We're MILES from San Angeles!"
"We're even further from Amber Beach." Chase reminded her. "Do you have breakdown cover?"
"I do...but...my phone is dead." She told him.
"Your phone's dead?" He responded, looking to her. She just held up her hands defensively.
"My lighter's been broken for months! I was going to charge my phone at the hotel!" She told him. Chase just sighed.
"Just as well someone came prepared." He said with a smug little smile. "I have my phone...in the pocket of my hoodie..."
"Your hoodie?" Allison asked him. "You mean the hoodie you left behind?"
"That would be the one." He sighed, before pulling out his Dino Charger. "I could always call my Raptor Cycle."
"So...I get to explain why the Black Ranger is giving me a lift miles from his home city?" Allison reminded him. Chase had to admit she had a point. It wasn't going to be easy to explain that. He went to the trunk of the car and lifted out their bags.
"Then I guess we're walking." He responded. Allison took her bag. "San Angeles is ten miles this way...Amber Beach is 89 miles the opposite way."
"Then I guess we're still going to the hotel." Allison responded as she hooked her arm in Chase's as they headed in the direction of the city. "Well, we should look on the bright side. At least it can't get any worse."
As soon as she heard that, there was a rumble of thunder, and the heavens opened up. She could already feel Chase looking at her.
"Don't say it Chase, just...don't say it." She warned him.
Back in Amber Beach, Tyler and Shelby had opted for a quiet picnic in the park. It was something they had planned to do for a while. Tyler had a large bucket of bubble mixture, and he was in the process of making a huge bubble. He smiled as he walked it out, creating a large, shimmering bubble.
"Hey, I knew I remembered how to do this! My dad taught me! What do you think Shelby?" Tyler asked her. He looked to the picnic mat to see that Shelby was busy with a bunch of forms. "Shelby? You're not even looking!"
"Hmm?" She responded. Tyler gestured to the huge bubble. "Oh...that's great!"
"Shelby, what are you doing? This picnic was your idea remember?" He asked her. She just sighed.
"I know, and I'm sorry but...this is important." She told him. Tyler sat with her and took one of the forms, reading it. "Terrence Thatcher Memorial Grant?"
"Dad's made it pretty clear he's never going to bank-roll my palaeontology course at college." Shelby told him. "And while those online courses have been great, I figured if I really wanted to get serious I needed something a little more...impressive."
"So you're applying for grants?" He asked her. "How did you...?"
"I found some online." Shelby told him. "I mean, Ms Morgan's been great but...I can't keep asking her for favours. I suppose I just...have to hope one of these turns up."
"No way." Tyler gasped. Shelby just looked hurt as she heard this.
"Thanks for the support!" She shrieked.
"Dad?" He asked. Shelby just looked completely confused.
"What does any of this have to do with...?"
"Dad?" Tyler asked again, getting up and walking past her. Shelby turned around, and she could hardly believe what she was seeing. Sitting on a bench, perhaps only thirty feet away was a man she recognised from the dust jacket of many of her books. Dressed in an Aquamarine flannel shirt, and khaki trousers, reading a book like he didn't have a care in the world was none other than the legend himself, Dr Neil Nevarro!
"DR NEVARRO?" She yelled, getting to her feet. It seemed that this caught his attention, he definitely heard her. He hurriedly put his book away in his backpack, but then he did something neither of them expected. He clearly heard them, he even seemed to recognise Tyler but instead of moving to embrace him...he took off running as fast as he could!
"DAD!" Tyler called out as he and Shelby made off in hot pursuit. They ran through the park, trying to catch up with him, but before they could get to him, both of them were thrown to the ground in a massive explosion.
"DAD!" Tyler called out, reaching out from the ground as he saw his father disappearing from view. Anger overtook him as they got up, and looked to see what had attacked them. What they saw was all too familiar.
She was a tall, slender creature, with a shapely musculature, clad in a kind of red leather armour, fitted with silver plates. Her long, blonde hair was tied into a tight plait which extended from the back of her head down to her waist, while her face...it was a simple, faceless mask, smooth, unmarked, with the dark, black pits of eye holes being the only feature. She was carrying a long, curved sword in each hand.
"Hello Rangers!" Christie greeted them. "Remember me?"
"How could I forget?" Shelby responded, remembering what had been one of her most disturbing memories as a Ranger. Christie had posed as a human, a waitress in the restaurant and had even befriended Shelby. Unfortunately as a result of that ruse, she had been able to cause a lot of pain and chaos for the team. "I guess we should have seen this coming. Sledge has been recycling a lot of his losers lately."
"Oh, you don't even know the half of what I've done!" Christie screamed as she ran towards them. Tyler and Shelby morphed as they dodged her first attack.