Disclaimer; I do not own Power Rangers or Stargate Atlantis (or any other random mentionings that may have stayed alive through the rewrites.)
A/N: After days of watching the season finale of Stargate Atlantis and rewriting these scenes, I am sad but proud to say that I have finished Wayward Son. Also, I had to bring him back, didn't I?
Justin regarded his notes, then made a final mark on the floor and nodded. "Justin," Akamu said, walking in with a tray, "You haven't eaten yet."
"I'm not going to," Justin replied, "mind the floor."
Akamu glanced down at the markings, "What are you doing?"
Justin sighed and picked up the case he'd placed the morphers in. "We don't have the time it would take for me to input all the codes the morphers need and make sure it's error free. I have to do this another way."
"I don't understand," Akamu said.
"The Eltareans didn't always have technology to help make morphers," Justin replied, "and I don't have the Command Center and Zordon to do things for me. This is faster than coding, but it requires a few rules, like fasting."
"Do you really?" Akamu asked.
Justin snorted, "And let that high minded, arrogant, egotistical colonel assign T.K. to a place where he'll die before I can get the morphers online?"
Akamu lifted his eyebrow and nodded slightly, "High minded, arrogant," Colonel Everett began.
"Just like every Earthian officer I've ever had the displeasure of meeting," Justin replied, turning around. "Colonel Everett."
"Justin Stewart."
"Ranger Stewart," Justin corrected bluntly. "I'm sure acknowledging my title isn't that hard, even for a gun toting grunt."
"Justin," Akamu said sternly. "I'm sorry, Colonel Everett. I am Akamu."
"Yes, I remember from the reports," Colonel Everett replied with a nod.
"I don't know what's gotten into Justin today," Akamu said, "maybe if he'd eat something."
"I can't," Justin replied.
"What are you doing?" Colonel Everett asked.
Justin smirked, "None of your business. Don't worry. As soon as the Tower's cleared, there won't be a way for the Wraith to get in here. I've made sure of it."
"Justin," Akamu said again.
"And Akamu is my second line of defense." Justin added, "Now, you have a city to defend, while you still can."
"Is that a threat?" Colonel Everett demanded.
"Not this time," Justin replied. "Foresight is a family talent, Colonel. I'm not my brother, who can see actual images, I'm stuck with impressions and gut instinct. That instinct tells me that your arrogance is going to land you in a whole heap of trouble with the Wraith. You should go, and please, keep T.K. alive; we're going to need him soon." He turned away from the Colonel and his escort, dropping his indifferently arrogant look, he mentally pleaded with Akamu to get the Colonel out of the room.
Akamu gave him a long look, then stepped around the pattern on the floor, "Tell me Colonel," he said, "I am told that many of the older fights saw combat in jungle climates as opposed to the deserts of the young soldiers. I am curious; did your bullets prove as effective amongst the trees as they appear to in open ground?"
Justin slid a glance over his shoulder, watching as Akamu guided the Colonel and his escort past the door. Then he touched his left wrist and the doors slid shut. Picking up his tablet, Justin watched as Akamu steered the men out of the tower to one with a transporter. Once Akamu was clear of the Tower's radius and out of site, Justin triggered his seals, deliberately blocking out everyone. Finally, he unhooked his radio and put it on the counter beside the box.
Opening the box, Justin regarded the five morphers inside resignedly. "If they break this team," Justin said, speaking to the building Power and the Ghosts of the Grid, "I will never forgive any of you." Then he picked up the five morphers and stepped into the design as the Power broke about him in waves of blue.
/
Justin stood on a grassy hillside, under a crisp blue summer sky. He looked around and then down at himself. "Why do I always look twelve in the Grid?" He muttered.
"Because you still see yourself as twelve," an amused voice replied.
Justin turned, unable to keep the smile off his face, "Zordon," he said and bowed, "It's good to see you."
"And you," replied Zordon of Eltare.
This was no floating visage of an old man, no; this was a young man who looked no older than eighteen, with long, chestnut brown hair and vibrant blue eyes. Dressed in a black shirt and pants with a knee length purple vest and purple, knee high boots, Zordon of Eltare was every inch the Ranger and warrior he'd once been. "It's been a while," Justin commented, "a lot has changed."
"I've seen," Zordon replied. "Justin, you were not brought to Atlantis by the Ghosts of the Grid. Nor did the ones they call the Ancients influence your journey."
"Imp of the perverse," Justin said with a shrug, "I figured as much."
"You are happy there," Zordon said softly.
"Sometimes," Justin replied, "but, do I have to do this?"
"You are needed Justin," Zordon replied. "In another time, events conspired to give Atlantis victory in this battle, but your presence has changed those events. Now, Atlantis cannot possibly hope to escape the attention of the Wraith without you."
Justin nodded reluctantly, "I suspected as much. Will you help me finish these? The Wraith are already here and more are coming." He held out the morphers.
"A bargain," Zordon replied.
"Name your price," Justin said wearily.
"You, Justin, will undertake to develop morphers for Earth, and others that have need." Zordon replied, "You will take a Key to the Grid back with you to create a Ranger force where before there were none."
Justin hesitated, considering the price and what it could cost him. He knew what carrying a Key would lead to in his world, but in this new world, with an untamed Grid, the prices could be beyond imaginable. Then he thought of T.K., Jenna, and Keoni, so far from home and wanting to see their people again, and Akamu, who was literally the last of his kind. "I'll do it," Justin said.
Zordon's smile was sad, "Thank you, Justin." He held out his hand and the rainbow light of pure Power flowed into the morphers. In a matter of moments, the bulky wrist devices Justin had constructed had changed, becoming more of a gauntlet than a wrist device. "It is done."
"Thank you," Justin replied.
Zordon took a silver chain with a skeleton key on it, "Your Key to the Grid," he said and slid it over Justin's head. "With it, you may tap the Grid of your dimension and tame it."
Justin nodded, "I will."
Zordon rested his hands on Justin's shoulders, "It wasn't ever easy for you, amongst my Rangers, Justin. I am sorry I could not have been there longer, to be able to help you deal with what happened."
"It's ok," Justin said, "I learned a lot from all of them. Maybe I'm not always happy about what I learned, but I don't regret learning it."
"Spoken like a true Blue," Zordon replied with a brief laugh. "You need to get back, Justin; you have a world to save after all."
"You know what they say," Justin replied as he stepped back, "Once a Ranger, always a Ranger."
"Take care of yourself, Justin of Atlantis, as much as you take care of your team." Zordon replied as he lifted his hand in a wave, "May the Power protect you in all that you do."
"May good fortune find you, Zordon," Justin replied as the world began to fade.