"Any progress?" Darkshade asked watching ShadowTracker tinker on the computer in his office.
"I wish," replied the older boy not even looking up at her.
"It's been two months. Maybe we should try again," suggested Darkshade coming in and sitting on one of his chairs facing the desk.
"Or maybe we should take the hint," returned ShadowTracker.
"How about trying plan B?" Darkshade said ignoring his last statement.
"What good would it do?"
Darkshade frowned at the dark haired boy. She hadn't realized how maturely handsome he had become. He kept his brown hair short, unlike Blade's black mane. The beginnings of a goatee were appearing on his face. But his silver eyes had lost their blaze. Even his uniform looked pale and dull.
"You're giving up," Darkshade stated.
ShadowTracker slowly took in a breath and let it out as a sigh as he looked his sister in the eye. "Not yet, but the thought crosses my mind everyday," he told her with weighty words. "Have you talked to Rus recently?"
"No," answered Darkshade. "Last I heard, he and Dy were undercover."
"They are," confirmed ShadowTracker. "But our cousin came out to meet with someone on Earth."
"He wouldn't," Darkshade hissed surprised. "He knows how important their work is."
"Well, apparently not. He called Jant to pass along the message," ShadowTracker said.
"Have you told dad?"
"Are you kidding? I wouldn't wish that kind of wrath on my worst enemy," said ShadowTracker. "I had planned on dealing with it myself."
"But?" promoted Darkshade.
"Rus told me why and now I'm not sure how to handle it," said ShadowTracker.
Darkshade's mind raced. There was no reason for anyone in the family to call Rusty or Dyanna Conners out of their mission. She didn't care how important it was. The part that disturbed her was why Bridge would do it. "When was this?" she asked.
"A little over a week after we sent him home."
"You send him home," corrected Darkshade. "I want no part of it." She waited for him to say more. When he didn't, she added, "Why?"
"I sent him home?"
"No, why did he call Rus?" asked Darkshade getting annoyed.
"Apparently, soon after the Rangers of Earth left for Rikar, their planet was attacked and the remaining Rangers weren't hurt badly. They were sure one of them would make it," said ShadowTracker. "Bridge was so upset about leaving Earth that he's turned his anger on us. He tried to talk Rus into scarring us into leaving him alone."
"You've got to be kidding me."
"There's nothing to joke about here," said ShadowTracker. "And I don't care if he is my brother. No one does that and get away with it."
"Let me deal with it," pleaded Darkshade. "That way there'll be some objectivity."
"Bridge is you baby. How will that make it fair?"
"It cancels out some of the immense anger I'm feeling right now," said Darkshade.
"Rachael, he's growing up to be more than a man. Keep that in mind."
"Trust me," said Darkshade standing. "That's the only thing on my mind."
Bridge starred at the wall just beyond Boom as the little machinist worked on his latest invention. A crash pulled him back. "What happened?" asked Bridge seeing Boom on the floor and a lot of smoke rising toward the ceiling.
"You don't want to know," came the reply as Boom move for the fire extinguisher.
"I think I'm going to get some sleep. I'll help you with this in the morning," said Bridge.
"Ok," agreed Boom suffocating the last of the flames. "Sweet dreams."
Bridge smiled a thanks and went to his room. As he moved to turn on the light, something didn't feel right. "Who's there?" he demanded starring into the blackness.
Before he could even blink, he was on the floor with someone holding his neck. He realized after a second that he wasn't choking, but he also wasn't able to move. "Foolish, Bridge," a female voce said as the hands left his neck. "Very foolish."
He almost asked what was going on, but when the lights came on, he got his answer. "Rachael!"
"Stand up, Bridge," she said as she leaned against a wall watching him with a frown.
"Why are you here?" he asked before brushing himself off.
"I wanted to test the base security system," she said evenly.
"Not important enough," countered Bridge. He wasn't use to the frown. He was Darkshade's favorite, no matter what he did.
"You called Rusty," she stated.
"You're here about that?" asked Bridge.
"You took advantage of you family," said Darkshade. "And put lives in danger. You know not to call Rusty, ever."
"So you're here to punish me," concluded Bridge.
"It was either me or dad."
"You're good," said Bridge said trying not to look scarred.
"You've been chosen for a special mission for the Elite Four because of your powers," said Darkshade. "Don't bother packing. It's already too late."
Bridge didn't have any chance to say anything before a teleport beam took them away.
TBC
