Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. They belong to, well, not me.
Author's Note: Again, taking a little creative liberty with "Forged Under Fire."
CHAPTER 25:
He could see instantly why Miss Morgan had said the rangers were in trouble.
None of his friends were morphed. He followed the Aqua-clad ranger into the warehouse as James fired at their current foe, knocking them off balance. The Graphite, Aqua and Purple rangers stepped protectively between the rangers and the two monsters.
"Got you covered, guys," James said over his shoulder, his pistol pointing forward.
"We had this," Tyler muttered back.
Philip shot him an incredulous look. You most certainly did not have this! "I think it's time we made our exit," he suggested, and the three morphed Rangers fired their blasters, creating a smokescreen of sparks and flame.
The trip back to the museum was a tense one. James didn't speak, Kendall kept her eyes on the road…and Philip watched Tyler's Jeep in the rearview. His Red Ranger friend did not look happy.
Back at the base, Philip hung back with James while Miss Morgan analyzed Tyler's red Energem. Shelby had a hand on Tyler's arm as their team leader leaned on the console.
"It's some kind of control device," Miss Morgan said after a few minutes. "It appears to interrupt the bond between Ranger and Energem."
"That's why we cannot morph," Ivan confirmed grimly.
Miss Morgan bit her lip. Then, "Maybe I can break the ring," she suggested. Philip watched as she placed it in some sort of machine, and the others stepped back. She flicked a few switches. The lights flickered in the base. That's always a promising sign,, Philip grimaced.
There was a sound, almost like breaking glass. The lights in the base went completely out, but the red emergency backup lighting came on almost instantaneously. "Did it work? Riley asked, squinting in the dim light.
Miss Morgan took the red Energem out and held it up to the light.
"It came off!" Tyler exulted. He gave his father a Look, almost as if to say, See? No problem!
"That's not good," Miss Morgan said suddenly, and Tyler's smile disappeared. She handed it to him.
"What wrong?" Koda asked.
"There's a crack," Tyler said, holding it out to the group. Philip used his mobile's flashlight to illuminate the gem. A jagged crack rippled down one side of it. Tyler's eyes flashed to Miss Morgan. "Can I morph?"
"I-"
"That would be risky," the voice of Keeper echoed in the darkness. Philip had almost forgotten about the alien being who had created this whole thing in the first place. "The crack may continue to grow until it is irreparable."
"Can you fix it?" Chase asked Miss Morgan.
"The Energem is like any other gemstone," she said. "Gems form under certain conditions…temperature, pressure…It would be almost impossible to recreate those exact conditions here."
"Samson Caves," James spoke up quietly from his place next to Philip. "Rusty-my partner-" he reminded them, "and I…that's where we were excavating. There's a spot-"
"The main cavern has a lava pool," Tyler cut in. "Heat and pressure." He twirled the gem in his hands.
"I'm going with you," James said quickly, and his son shot him a glare.
"I can do this on my own," Tyler shot back.
The others stood awkwardly by, watching the exchange.
"Perhaps it is better if someone goes with you," Philip suggested. "Those….things from earlier, they might try to accost you now that you cannot morph." Tyler glared at him, but Philip fixed him with a steely blue gaze. "You have to admit, it's the right approach," he said, injecting just a hint of royalty, turning the suggestion into a command.
"He's got a point," Shelby pointed out.
"Fine." Tyler turned and headed out of the base. "I've got gear in the Jeep. Let's go."
James glanced over his shoulder at Philip, who offered him a sympathetic smile. Then, the Aqua ranger followed his son out into the corridor.
Chase grinned. "You basically just forced them into father-son time," he said. "Nice."
"Will they be okay?" Koda wondered.
Philip put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Yes," he said confidently. "Excuse me a moment." He took off after the two of them, looking around for Nick and Thomas before catching up to Tyler. "Tyler. A moment?"
The Red Ranger looked at him, then shrugged, coming to stand in the loading dock. "Your father means well," Philip said. "Your father just wants to protect you."
Tyler snorted. "Yeah, well, I've spend the last ten years doing just fine without him."
"I'm not saying you should just let him smother you. You should tell him that-but rationally instead of lashing out at him. You're his son. He wants what's best for you." Philip glanced over at James before continuing. "Is what he did any different than what I've done?" he questioned. "I flew halfway across the world to keep my friends safe. I couldn't bring them with me without exposing them to danger. Sometimes, that is what is required to do what is right," he said. "Tyler there's not a moment that goes by that I don't wish I could ask my father for his advice. I never got the chance to learn how to be a king. I've made so many mistakes I've lost count of them all. You have the chance to make up for lost time with your father, and it's a gift you should cherish." He nodded over Tyler's shoulder, and Tyler turned, looking back. "Remember, you're not the only one who lost ten years, Tyler." With that, he turned to go back inside.
"Philip," Tyler called to him, and Philip turned. "Take care of my team," he told the prince seriously.
Philip gave him a short bow. "I shall protect them with my life," he promised.
The moments passed tensely. Philip rested his head on his arms, watching the others pace the room as Miss Morgan ran tests on their Energems. He was thankful his own was unharmed and safely in the holder on the wall. They listened in on the comm system as Tyler and his father descended into the cave system. Every time they would bicker, Philip gripped the chair back tighter and hoped that Tyler would come around, that James would understand…and that father and son would see eye to eye.
The decision for Tyler to burrow deeper into the lava with Dino Armor X was a terrifying prospect, especially after they lost contact with him. The two of them just found each other again, Philip lamented. This cannot be how it ends for them.
"You've got problems," Kendall announced to James over the comm. "Alien biosigns, right outside the cave. You've got to morph, keep them from getting to Tyler." She looked up at Philip. "And we're on our way," she added, cutting off the communication.
"Why aren't we going?" Shelby demanded.
"It's too dangerous for you without your Energems," Miss Morgan told her. "The two of us can still morph. We'll go. You'll be safer here, and you can monitor the comms for Tyler." With that as her last word, she grabbed Philip's arm and pulled him out the door for the second time that day.
Nick and Thomas are going to think this is the longest meeting in history, he thought as they sped away.
"Mr. Navarro!" Philip called, seeing James huddling just outside the cave's entrance. The Aqua ranger waved them over.
"Any word from Tyler?" he asked Kendall. She shook her head.
"I've got a word for you!" The three of them started, turned to see Singe and a handful of the green-haired Vivix cronies. Singe smirked at them. "Defeat!"
Philip fished the Graphite Energem from his pocket and turned to James. "Your show," he said, and stepped back. James's suit appeared in a burst of Aqua light, and Philip and Miss Morgan followed quickly after. James dove into the fight headfirst, attacking the Vivix. Philip joined him, dodging under the arm of one Vivix, grabbing it, and twisting. He shoved it toward James who made short work of it with his Dino Blaster. He heard an explosion and saw Miss Morgan advancing on a second group of them with rapid-fire shots.
"Look out!" He heard James's warning too late. Something hit him square in the chest and he was blown off his feet, head and back slamming into the side of a hill. Philip dropped to his knees, watched James advance on Singe only to get knocked away into Kendall. The Aqua and Purple rangers hit the ground. "Are you all right? Philip crawled over to them, thankful for the suit. He helped pull Kendall to her feet as the three of them faced Singe.
"I'll take those Energems," Singe hissed.
Philip clenched a fist. Over my dead body.
Singe took a step forward, and staggered back as the earth exploded in front of him as something came charging from underneath. Displaced dirt and rock rained down as Tyler Navarro landed on his feet in front of them.
"Tyler! You're okay!" James said in relief.
Tyler looked back, popped his visor up on his helmet. He grinned at his father. "I'm better than okay."
"And so is his Energem, I see," Miss Morgan noted.
Tyler pulled out the T-Rex Supercharge Blaster and fired at Singe, knocking him off his feet. He rolled backwards, laying himself flat out on his stomach.
Singe howled. "The Zotac Ring controller! It's destroyed!"
"The what?" Philip frowned.
"That must be what he was using to create those rings on the Energems," Miss Morgan suggested.
"Now I'll destroy you!" Singe growled, getting on his feet and throwing himself at the rangers.
"Save the trash talk," Philip said, throwing a hard punch into Singe's back. James attacked right after him, leaping into the air and aiming a boot for Singe's face. Singe grabbed his ankle and tossed him aside.
"Guess I'm a little out of practice," James wheezed as he landed on the ground, his suit disappearing from the force. Philip went into a diving roll and blocked a Vivix from getting to him.
"Hey! Don't mess with my dad!" Tyler burst forward, catching Singe's arm between his hands and shoving it away. "Hey Miss Morgan! He said the controller is destroyed. Does that mean-"
"Yes! You should be able to access all our weapons now! Do it!" She ducked under a Vivix and knocked it away with a well-placed kick.
Philip helped James to his feet and the two of them watched as new armaments appeared at the ends of Tyler's fists. He could hear the grin in Tyler's voice as he looked back at his father. "Tri-Ankylo Formation! It's time for a triple play!" His left arm had a pink drill. His right held a bright blue sledgehammer. He used the drill to break up the rocks around him, swirling them into the air. Then, "This is for my dad. Ankylo Hammer Punch!" He swung the massive sledgehammer, batting the rock back at Singe and the Vivix like a major league hitter in the home run derby.
But he wasn't done. "And for the guy who helped me get my head on straight. Ankylo-Pacha Formation!"
Philip grinned under his helmet. The sledgehammer stayed, but the drill was replaced with a mace not unlike the one on Philip's own Zord. Tyler swung it, batting Singe back. Three hits later, and Singe disappeared in a ball of flame, smoke, and rock.
Tyler demorphed and ran over to Philip and James. "Dad! Are you okay?"
"Just fine, son," James said with a smile. Tyler threw his arms around him. "Just fine."
Philip glanced over at Kendall. Yes. Things are going to be just fine.
A few hours later, Philip, Nick, and Thomas returned to the house. "It's going to take a few months but fortunately, most of what needs to be done can be done by phone," Philip was saying as they exited the car. "I'll just have to make sure to stay away from the museum while the treasures are there. Someone might put two and two together."
His phone rang. "Excuse me, gentlemen," he said, walking around the side of the house to the backyard. "Philip speaking."
"It's Tyler."
"Didn't I just see you?" Philip grinned, walking out to the fence.
Tyler laughed on the other end of the phone. "Yeah, you did. Look, I just wanted to tell you thanks. For the talk. And for running interference between me and my dad. After you guys left, we had a talk, and I think we're both on the same page now."
"That's good to hear, Tyler," Philip told him honestly. "I'm glad you two will be able to spend some time together without arguing."
"Yeah well….that's the thing," Tyler said. "My dad…he's leaving again."
"What?" Philip sat down in the grass. "What do you mean?"
"He and Keeper thought that maybe he should use his geology background to help look for the Silver Energem. It's the only one we haven't found yet," Tyler explained. "He said that he knows I'm not eight years old anymore, and that I can take care of myself. And that the world is counting on us finding that gem."
"Tyler…I'm sorry. Are you okay?" Philip asked him, rubbing a hand down his face.
"I will be. Need time to process. At least this time, I've got a phone number for him," Tyler sounded hopeful. "And I'll see him around. I know he'll be safe with the Aqua Energem. It's better than nothing."
"True enough. Please, call if you need anything," Philip told him. "Ranger-related…or otherwise."
"I will. Thanks again." Tyler hung up. Philip leaned on the fence overlooking Amber Beach, deep in thought.
He almost missed his phone ringing again. He picked it up on the last ring. "Yes?" he asked.
"Your Highness, it's Martin."
Philip smiled. "Martin! It's good to hear from you, sir."
"Nice to hear your voice as well, Philip. We have news regarding our assassin here at home."
Philip straightened, his mouth set in a firm line. "Tell me everything."