Hello, Well here's the new chapter. I was thinking about my story and I decided it's like soup. It takes hours to make, but everything you added makes a difference, you just don't notice it till the end when you eat it. Well… I'm only to 2004, and I still have a few years to go, so…
Enjoy!
Chapter 14
June 2004
I moved my Katanas and blocked as Andrew came down with the double edged sword. "Nice try." I smirked and twisted the blade out of his grasp, in the process sending him spinning to the ground.
"Did you have to throw me that hard." He picked up the blade named Thor and put it back in it's sheath. Just like the other members of Elemental Squad, Andrew had received on of the swords left behind by the old man.
I had taken the Katanas, Andrew the sword from England, now named Thor, and Eva the jade Jian sword form China, nicknamed Zephyr. Terresa had taken the sword from Africa, added a steamer of blue and called it Umi. Phillip took the one form Egypt and named it Gaia. Ironic, but all the names fit their owners.
The swords ended up near their owners at all times, either at their hip, or someplace close by while in public, out of prying eyes.
"Terresa, you and Phillip are up next." I yelled across the yard. "And yes, I did have to throw you that hard, so quit asking like a sissy boy when you're hardly one to begin with." I extended my hand and helped him to his feet.
"Whatever you say m'lady."
"Suck up." I leaned my back against the wall of my house and watched as the two fought, Terresa fighting with a pair of Sai, and Phillip with Neko-te, otherwise known as cat claws.
"You know out of everything, this is the one thing I still don't get." Andrew handed me a thing of water and took a place next to me.
"What don't you get?" I kept my eyes on the fight, watching each step the two made.
"Why train us in different weapons?"
"Simple. Everyone needs, or should, be able to use a long range weapon, like a gun or bow, and then you should know how to use a mêlée type so that they can also do close combat. If you only knew how to use one type, it could end up being your downfall." I took a sip and continued to stare at the fight. "When I first became a ranger I only knew how to use a katana, and it ended with me letting a enemy get away because I couldn't use a long range weapon. Since then I've been making sure I know how to use any weapon in sight, even if it's just a steel fan, I know its advantages and disadvantages, I know when to use or not use it. It takes time but one day, one day, the skills will be needed."
"We should get back to work." Andrew walked into the house.
I followed him inside and down the stairs till we got to the end of the hall. "DNA confirmed, access granted." The two of us walked through the door now before us and into the lab.
I sat down on stairs into the lab, Andrew had been helping me all day hook up computers and equipment, trying to get the lab finished, that is until we decided to spar a hour ago.
"How much more do we have to hook up." Andrew passed me my soda and sat down next to a few feet away.
"We need to get the last 4 screens up, the monitor grid running, and finish the connection of the computer network to the morphing grid, and then… we will be done."
"About time, we've been working on this place for almost 2 years."
"Year and a half, but who's counting." I smirked and got up and went back to work.
8 hours later we finished. Over the next few weeks the team played hide and go seek using the city monitoring system. The rate to find someone, took a max of about 5 minutes, unless you had their DNA which cut the time down to a minute.
With the lab complete, I moved on to the creation of the Zords. Each Zord would act on their own, and everyone's but mine would combine together.
I exited the hanger, went back through the lab and up the stairs into the main part of my house. It was 8 am on the second Thursday of September, and since there had been a online game that had come out recently, it was gonna be a long day at Tri C, which meant, that I would need sugar. I changed clothes and left.
"Moring." I walked into Tri C 20 minutes later, a pair of coffee cups in my hand. I gave the one with the foam to Andrew and started up the stairs to my office.
"I thought you didn't like coffee, or tea for that matter." He said following me up the stairs.
I stopped and turned to look at him. "I don't," I took a sip of my drink, "It's Hot Chocolate." I took another sip and continued up the stairs. "So you're here early." I opened my office door, throwing my bag under my desk.
"Yeah, that game software came in, so I've been installing it."
"Got somethin' for me?" I asked holing out my hand as I took a seat and logged onto my computer.
Andrew handed me a CD "Adobe Web Package, plus." He held up 2 more CD's and one DVD. "The new A.I. coding, the specks for the Zords, and as a special bonus, the footage from last week's news cast on the Reefside Power Rangers." I took it looking at him, a frown on my face.
"Ok, what you want?"
"Nothing." He started out.
"Hold it," He stopped. "Turn around." He slowly turned around, hearing the order in my tone. "What's up?"
The phone rang just as he was about to start. "You'd better answer that, she's been calling for the past 2 hours."
I picked up the phone. "Hello?"
"I need to talk to Erica Claze."
"Speaking."
"My name is Hailey. I work with Tommy Oliver on a rather colorful project."
"What happened?" I looked at Andrew and gave him an evil glare, my look telling him that I'd kick his ass later for not telling me ahead of time.
"How soon can you get to Reefside?"
"I'll be at Tommy's in 5 minutes." I hung up, grabbed my bag, and on the way out I slapped Andrew upside the back of his head. I stepped out of my office and appeared outside next to my bike. I mounted and rode off into a shadow and out onto Tommy's lawn.
"How…" Hailey stood outside of Tommy's house. Tommy had sent me her picture before.
"Tell you later. Fill me in on what's going on." We walked into the house, and down into Tommy's lab.
"Our teacher is the oldest living power ranger."
"Not the oldest, just the best."
"That could be argued." I mumbuled, as I followed Hailey into the lab, 3 teens stood there. "Well it looks like Tommy's been busy." I looked around; it was like a prehistoric version of my lab.
"You know Dr. O?" The girl asked looking at me.
"Yeah, never thought he'd be a doctor. I'm Erica Claze of Angel Grove, I went to High School with Christmas ranger."
"Christmas?"
"Yeah, he was green, then white, then red Zeo, and later red Turbo, so he's charismas, it was either that or he was the Italian flag."
Hailey explained that Tommy had gotten himself rangernapped. "Oh joy, things never change." I noticed a monster on screen. "Yep, things never change. You three get Tommy back, I'll handle this." I looked at the screen then went topside. I did a shadow step from the front door to the battlefield. When I stepped on to the battlefield I was in my Phoenix gear, Hecate's staff in my right hand.
"Who are you?"
"Name's Phoenix, I'm only gonna say this once, leave and don't come back, or I'll destroy you."
The opponent only laughed. "Well, I did warn you." I brought Hecate up and held onto the staff.
-Sonic Mode Engaged-
My normal attire changed into a one piece black suit, ¾ sleaves, and ¾ pants. On top of the suit was a red skirt, knee length and split. My boots became high heels, on the back of them formed a pair of fire wings.
I moved behind the monster and before he could look, I held a katana at this throat. I sent a flame up the blade, making it hit the monster. I saw the monster being engulfed in fire, then faded away.
We met back a Hailey's café and I finally got to see Tommy. "Hey, so it looks like you're black now, does that make you the nightmare before charismas?" I gave him a hug then backed away. Before he got to ask why I was in Reefside I spoke. "I got to get back, I was in the middle of constructing a new toy, and I need to finish it." I turned to Hailey. "If you're ever in Angel Grove, stop by Tri C; and we'll see how it stacks up to this place." I waved and walked out.
End Chapter 14