Kira slid out of bed, rubbing her eyes, grumbling slightly to herself, since SPD had left two months ago there hadn't been any activity at all. It was to the point that Cassidy was wondering if Mesogog had been defeated. Kira didn't think so, they hadn't even fought Mesogog yet. He was laying low, waiting, probably plotting something to restore the Earth to the time of the dinosaur. Even her father was worried about it.
"Kira, Ronny, you're going to be late," Tommy's voice called out, from below.
Kira swung her backpack over her shoulder as she grabbed her guitar case, "I'm coming."
Kira raced downstairs, noting that Ronny was right behind her, the others were already at the table, even Trent who was staying with them since his father was gone to a dig.
"If Mesogog doesn't make a move in the next few days, I'm going to have to go and see if I can't find out what he is up to," Tommy announced, "I don't like this, I've never gone this long between attacks, except after we've defeated the leader, and we haven't fought Mesogog yet, let alone defeat him."
"So what do you think he's up to, Dr. O?" Trent asked.
"I don't know, Trent," Tommy confessed, "I really don't know, I'm hoping to find something on Mesogog's island."
"How are you going to get there," Ronny asked.
"I'll fly, or teleport, I know where the island is, sort of, so I should be able to get there without Mesogog finds out that I'm there."
"Come on," Kim announced, standing up as quickly as she could, "You three are going to miss your bus," she informed the triplets, who jumped up away from the table, scrambling to grab their lunches and backpacks as Kim snapped a leash on Pocco, who immediately headed to the front door, eager for the walk to the bus stop.
"We best be headed too," Tommy said, looking at his three oldest kids and Trent.
...
"So when sulfuric acid is launched into the stratosphere," Tommy explained, drawing a diagram of an erupting volcano on the chalkboard as he talked, "by a volcanic explosion it can alter the entire earth's climate temporarily," he turned to look at his class, which all had blank stares, "I hope that you guys got all of that, it will be on your finals."
There was a bunch of rustling as students quickly made sure that they jot down the information, while others still remained in the oblivious world of zoning out. Tommy shook his head, removing his glasses, he did his best to help the students past, the rest was on them, "A couple of announcements before we leave," he said, causing Trent and Kira to perk their heads up, well aware that they, Nick, and Ronny knew what he was going to talk about, "First off, our very own Ethan James would be competing in the Detonation Man Videogame Competition." Tommy paused to allow everyone to give him a round of applause, before finishing, "At Hayley's Cyber Cafe this week, so I hope you all come down to watch."
Ethan flashed him a grateful smile, as Kira and Connor pounded him on the back and Trent nodded to hi from across the table.
"Also I would like you guys to know that we're having a sub tomorrow," Tommy continued, "Someone who really knows a lot about volcanos. I'm sure that you would find what he has to say really interesting."
...
Tommy doubled checked that he had a lesson plan filled out for the next day, well aware that he probably wasn't going to get far within the thirty-six hours he had laid out for himself. It was just going to have to be enough.
The door to his classroom swung open and Ms. Randall's walked into the room, "I noticed that you requested a substitute, whatever for?" she batted her eyes as she stepped uncomfortably close.
"My Wife," Tommy stressed, taking a step backward, "She has a doctor's appointment, going to find out the gender of the baby, she wants me to come with her, and well, those doctor appointments take forever."
"Do they, I didn't know," Ms. Randall's stated, "Though why you are so eager for this little delinquent when you already have so many is beyond me," she gave him a look that made Tommy wish that he had a good enough reason to leave her on the moon, or mars, "If you ask me you should be paying more attention, and keeping the ones you have out of trouble instead of making more."
"Ms. Randall what my wife and I do is up to us. As for our older children, they are siblings and sometimes siblings fight."
With that Tommy left the room, turning the lights off as he did.
...
Connor glanced at Ethan, who was flipping through a magazine, and then at Kira, who was pouring over a textbook, working on some sort of homework, he was at the wrong angle to see what type of work it was, "Shouldn't he be practicing?" he whispered in her ear, nodding to Ethan, "I mean this is a big competition."
Kira looked up, studying Ethan as well, "Don't you have homework to do?" she asked.
"I got this week's homework extended so that I could participate," Ethan explained, "Don't have to worry about it until next week."
"Shouldn't you practice then," Connor suggested.
"Nah," Ethan said, "I'm fine, I own this game."
Kira and Connor exchanged looks with each other and Trent who happened to walk by with drinks at that moment.
"Hey, Kira," a new voice called out as Ronny arrived, pulling a face when she saw that her younger sister was hanging out with her teammates, "Have you seen Dad I can't find him anywhere."
Kira looked around, she couldn't tell who was in earshot so she decided to be careful anyway, "You know how Dad was going to go help Uncle..." she paused for a second, "Zack with something."
"Oh," Ronny said, "he left already."
"Sorry," Kira offered a shrug, "He left right after school, he's pretty worried about Uncle Zack. Why?"
"Anton Mercer's back from his dig, he wanted to thank Dad for keeping an eye on Trent for him," Ronny leaned over, her voice dropping, "He asked to know if Trent could stay with us a little bit longer. He said he wasn't feeling good and he was sure that Trent was getting all the care and attention he needed with us. I don't know about you but that sounds a bit strange."
"That's how I ended up an Oliver," Kira pointed out.
"Precisely, why would Dr. Mercer adopt Trent just to push him off on someone else?"
"He felt responsible, Trent's parents were working for him when they died. Besides, he probably thought it would make him look good, like why your parents kept you for so long before letting Mom and Dad have you."
"It's not a good excuse," Ronny insisted, pursing her lips, as she stood up, "Well I guess that I'll see you at home." she glanced at Ethan, "Good luck on your competition," she said as if it pained her to actually say it, "I guess."
...The Next Day...
Kira opened the passenger door of Ronny's car, slipping out into the parking lot, "Thanks for the ride, Ronny," she said, making a note to save up to buy her own car this summer so she didn't have to ride with Ronny anymore.
"No problem," Ronny said, climbing out of the car as well, "At least Trent isn't as annoying as Connor and Ethan."
"You really need to take the time to get to know them, they're actually really cool."
"You have to admit that Connor can be a little..." Trent frowned, trying to think about what he wanted to say, "difficult at times."
"So can you," Kira insisted, "Come on, the first bell is going to ring in a couple of seconds and I need to grab stuff from my locker.
Connor and Ethan met up with them at Kira's locker, "So do you know who Dr. O arranged to be our substitute teacher?"
Kira shook her head, "Some Volcano Expert," she admitted, "A Professor Mortson or something like that, he's a friend of Dana's."
"Dana Mitchell?" Connor asked, "How does your dad know her?"
Kira, Trent, and Ethan all gave Connor a look, "Think Ethan, what does Dana Mitchell and Dr. O have in common?"
Connor opened his mouth as if to say something only for it to turn into a small o as he realized what it was that they had in common, "Oh, I see it now."
"Dana works closely with Mom," Kira added, "Seeing as Mom's a shrink and Dana's a doctor, and they have the same clients."
Just then the bell rung, singaling the start of the day, "We best head to class before Ms. Randall's finds us and gives us detention."
Kira and her friends filed into their science classroom, wondering what the day will bring.
... Later that day...
"Is Dad back yet?" Kira asked, racing down the stairs to the lab to find Hayley working on the computer, "Not yet, but he called earlier to inform us that he arrived safetly on the island and he thinks he might have found something."
"He called?" Kira asked surprised.
"He contacted your mother and she called," Hayley admended.
Kira nodded, as more footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs as angry voices floated down, "Why do I have to stay behind," Nick snarled, "You're the oldest, you should watch the kids."
"But I watched them last night," Ronny pointed out, "Remember when Mom went to pick Kira up."
"Why can't KIra watch the kids?"
"Because, her royal highness is a power ranger and too busy saving the world to watch her younger siblings."
Kira felt her eyes twitch, and she wondered if she somehow inherited her father's flashing eyes, "I can hear you," she called up the stairs, "And I'm sorry, but you know that I need at least one of you here with me at all times so that if there is a monster..." a loud siren interrupted her, "attack, see I have to go so you two will just have to flip a coin or something."
...
Ethan groaned as he met up with his teammates, "We have to make this quick," he insisted, "I have to be at Hayley's in the next five minutes or a forfiet, baring a natural disaster, and I don't think there's anything natural about a monster attack."
The ground shook beneath them as the volcano that had laid dormant for over a million years now suddenly exploded, "That will do it," Ethan admitted.
"First you cause Kira to fall from the sky, then you caused that spaceship to appear, and now you caused a volcanic erruption," Connor exclaimed, "That is just to weird."
"I think I heard Aunt Star talk about having the voice of command, or foresight or something like that."
"Let's not worry about that now," Ethan insisted, "We need to worry about the monster, stop it and we stop the erruption, right?"
"Most likely yes, it does make sense."
...Evening...
"I lost," Ethan muttered to himself, obviously in shock, "I can't believe that I lost."
"We tried to get you to practice," Connor muttered.
"Yeah," Kira agreed as they entered the lab by the secret door, smiling as she noticed who was at the computer, "Mom, Dad you're back."
"Yep," Tommy said, "You guys make sure that you get a good night's sleep, I need you here an hour before school. I have information on Mesogog's next move."
