Chapter Thirty Four
The Dino lab seemed to be getting more crowded by the minute. Cam had been one of the first to arrived and he'd managed to route the controls to his teleportation system through the lab's computer, so now Rangers were arriving from all over the world. And from others.
Billy was at the world-crossing machine, talking with Cam, Hayley and Justin. Kira couldn't even understand half the words they were using, let alone follow the discussion. Kim was a lot more understandable. She'd given up on the science too and was now filling in the Dino Rangers on all the embarrassing things Dr O had got up to when he was their age. They'd better find a way to save him, because Kira really wanted to see Dr O's face when he found out what they now knew about him.
All the original Rangers had come to help, and the Ninja Storm Rangers had heard about things from Cam so now Blake, Hunter and Dustin had arrived. Jason was on the phone to TJ, who'd heard about things from Justin. From the looks of it, Jason was trying to persuade him he didn't need to come.
The flash of red light showed that he'd been unsuccessful.
Kira wondered where they'd find room if anyone else arrived.
Then she found out that they'd find room on her foot. Another load of lights heralded more arrivals and then the Astro Rangers were standing in the lab. Carlos might be cute, but Kira didn't want him on her toes.
"Sorry," he said, "we were struggling with the calculations to make sure we didn't end up teleporting through anyone."
"I didn't need to know that," said Kira.
Disturbing thoughts of having people materialise inside her were prevented by the machine whirring to life. A cheer rose from around the lab.
"That wasn't us!" Hayley yelled over the noise as the portal appeared in the archway.
The crowd of Rangers backed off to make room for whoever came through and Kira once more found her toes beneath someone's foot. Those nearest the front of the group were waiting in preparation for combat just in case it wasn't someone friendly.
Friendly or not, when Hunter stepped from the portal, he looked rather worried by the number of people staring at him and looking ready for a fight.
"Uh, hi. I just came to check that Andros had got the right person."
"He hasn't," the said prince, "but with this portal, he soon will have."
"Then you're..." Hunter didn't finish. He took a step back towards the portal.
"Yes. But if that portal stays open a little longer, I can put things right. I'll just go through, you can take me to Andros and everyone will be back where they should be."
"It might take more than that to get Andros to release Tommy," said the other world's Jason. "The man's been on a vendetta against Tommy for years."
"And you're not just saying that because you want to keep your boyfriend here?" asked Hunter.
"I think someone from this world should go through to help persuade Andros to let your Tommy go. Or to fight him out if necessary."
"Me," said Andros, "There's no one better qualified to change my mind than me."
"I'll come too," said Zhane.
"And me," offered TJ.
"We can't all go."
"Why not?"
The rational discussion quickly dissolved into everyone talking at once, not hearing properly what was said by anyone else and general confusion.
"Hey!" Blake yelled above the noise. "Whoever's going through, could we decide before the portal closes, 'cause I don't want to be stuck with two older brothers."
"Hey," complained both Hunter's simultaneously.
"I don't know. I think it could be kinda fun."
"Dustin!"
"I think we should all go," said Andros. "If seeing an army of Rangers from another universe doesn't convince me... um... him, nothing will."
"I'll go warn everyone my side to make room," said Hunter. "We should hurry. The execution's scheduled for this afternoon."
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The rebels had been given the task of securing the perimeter of the execution location. The Astro Megaship had landed in a wide valley that was now being set up for the show. A transparent force shield had been set up around the whole area and now hoards of people were gathered on the other side, pushing and shoving to get a good view.
Dustin walked round the edge of the shield with Tori and Chip, trying to come up with any way to prevent what was about to take place. It was fairly obvious they weren't going to convince Andros he was making a mistake and any attempt to rescue Tommy Oliver would result in them all being torn to pieces by those who'd turned up to see him die.
"Can't you and your friends to do a magical, summoning thing like they did to get us out of the palace?" Tori asked.
"Maybe. But that took ages to set up and one of us would have to get close enough to touch the not-prince, without touching any of the guards. And any of the guards holding onto him would also be transported."
"Maybe we could get control of the Astro Megaship's teleporters," suggested Dustin.
"OK, even if we could override the controls blocking them teleporting to anywhere but those little cells, there's the force shield to deal with. Nothing can teleport through this... woah!"
Tori jumped backwards as a flash of light proved her wrong. A small group of people were now standing right in front of them. Dustin, shocked though he was by their appearance, was even more surprised by who it was who was now right there.
"Hunter?"
Dustin closed the distance and planted a kiss on the guy's lips. He wouldn't have predicted this reaction from himself, but he'd been worrying like crazy and his body acted without asking his mind for permission.
"Ahem! That's my boyfriend you're kissing," a very familiar said as Hunter pulled away. Dustin looked at himself.
Hunter wiped his mouth, "So it's OK for you to make threesome jokes? It's not like I was cheating on you with... you."
There were more flashes of light, coming all around the edge of the valley. Dustin stared at the figures arriving. Some were too distant to see clearly, but a group a little way away included those who'd been working with Connor. A little further still, Dustin saw Mercer and Trent arriving.
"What's going on?" Tori asked.
"It's a case of mistaken identities," said Hunter.
"We're here to get Tommy out," said the other world's Dustin, "and turn Tommy in." He frowned slightly, "Did that make sense?"
"Enough," laughed Hunter, throwing an arm around his shoulder.
Dustin could see why Kira had been grinning at him and Hunter when they'd been in Mercer's base. Did he really look that gormless when he looked at his Hunter? And just when had he started thinking of Hunter as his?
"So, what happens now?"
"Andros takes your Dr O," said a Connor was presumably from the other world too, "and talks to your Andros. Hopefully, they'll do an exchange."
"If not, we kick butt," said Hunter.
"You might want to tell that to the large group of rebel soldiers with guns coming out of the Astro Megaship," said Chip.
Dustin turned to look. Sure enough, the entire rebel army appeared be coming to deal with those who had just teleported in.
"This is why you people need to let a guinea-pig make your plans," said the other world's Dustin to Connor.
Clearly Dustin was even thicker in the other universe than everyone in this one already thought he was.