Tommy already regretted splitting up. The entrance was not difficult, the space between their starting point behind the storage spot to his chosen point of egress turned out to be less about difficulty and more about simply not being loud as he did it. The guards were not especially vigilant and as he separated from his team to make his way in, he only came across a second of true worry as he accidentally knocked over a box and caused a crash that brought multiple personnel running; as they did he ran for the entryway and swung himself through the doorway and rushed down the dark stairs leading into the underground and into exactly what Billy had assumed: a service tunnel, complete with hanging lightbulbs that flickered and buzzed, connected by heavy wiring that led further forward into the distance.

No it was not the act of getting inside that left the ex-green with a bad taste in his mouth, walking quietly as he could manage down the pathway and finally, after what felt to be an eternity, through a door that brought him directly into the main facility, into what looked to be for the most part an employee lodge of sorts, empty at the moment. It was loneliness that made him stop for a second to take a deep breath and contemplate truthfully whether or not he should call up the others.

He stared at his communicator for a good minute or too, standing there with his finger hovering over the buttons to let him call up the other four members of his team, any of them, all of them. He knew he shouldn't, he knew that whatever it was that had him feeling such, like he was uneasy and unsettled, that it was just some point in his mind screaming out against the logic of not calling up his friends. They had had to split up; they were safer this way, and the communicators were for making sure if they did find anything, or anyone, they could talk to each other. Not because Tommy feeling odd on his own inside the NASADA building without Kira or Billy or Merrick or Tsuki there beside him; he was the original sixth man Power Ranger, he could handle being without a team. Though admittedly he had been a red too...and black...

Hearing footsteps he quickly moved, slipping under a nearby table and made himself as small as he could, listening.

"So you heard about wha' happened in Reefside?" said one voice, a low gruff sort of thing with the weight of years upon it, the tone of an man who had seen much and was waiting for a fight, not to hurt but to calm the flames.

"You mean the Rangers that ran off?" This one was softer, younger, clear with optimism and a scoff to his words akin to one who knew by second hand accounts; this was one who wanted a fight, did not wait.

"Tommy Oliver," said the first voice, a correction, that led on, "As well as one of his students and his girlfrien'."

"I heard another Ranger was with them," said the second, urging more.

A grunt and a sigh. "Heard tha' too; no one knows who though. 'Pparently they were seen running in the forest but the military guys lost track of them."

"Or maybe that Jason guy let them get away." Tommy felt some coldness in his blood. He understood and he knew that sort of thing would make sense; a Ranger would protect other Rangers, should protect other Rangers. But Jason didn't; Jason tried to bring them in. He had chased them, tried to catch them, had helped to bring in the others, had helped the government to capture other Rangers.

Jason had been there when Ethan had died.

He bit back all the words he could say and swallowed them all, along with a breath in hopes of staying unseen. The older voice seemed to scoff and grumbled as he spoke, "Yeah well tha' I know nothin' about but heard they migh' make their way here."

"Well bring it on I say," his comrade said and Tommy could practically hear the excitement in the man's voice, "We never get any action around here anyway, not since the last shipment and that kid..."

The green ranger stopped for a moment and wondered what they meant by that; of course the shipment they mentioned, that had to be the Rangers who were caught and brought here, hopefully including Merrick's sister and other Rangers that his group could rescue tonight. But a kid made him stop for a moment and think what kid.

As his mind tried to filter through all teams he knew of, and if there were any who were young enough to be called a "kid" or had any kids, he missed the older one's response and the subsequent changing of subject to more mundane subjects. The return to the conversation left him with a sense that he might be there for a while and Tommy silently groaned, hoping this wouldn't take too long at least.

Elsewhere Kira was in minor shock. Her entrance had led her straight into the building and despite some quick stops that left her heart pounding in her chest, nearly crossing directly with wandering guards that by miracle or chance ended with her escaping notice, she managed to get to a zone devoid of any guards.

It was not devoid of people though; a large open space, perhaps once holding the large machinery and devices that a space program should have, it was filled now with large crates, in each one wall removed and replaced by what may be glass or perhaps clear plastic and locked doors, letting her see within a few of them bodies. Living, perhaps: breathing, probably: she heard a groan come from one and her head spun around to look at one of the nearest ones in which a familiar form lay upon the floor of their crate, dressed in old clothes that no doubt had been worn since the day she had been thrown in there.

And Kira rushed over to the door, leaning down with her hands against the glass with a frown. "Hayley!"

She did not know if the computer genius could hear her, it occurred to her that possibly she couldn't, but Kira didn't care at that moment; it was Hayley, alive if maybe not so well, one of her friends, one of her allies. Tears welled up in Kira's eyes without her thinking, moreso as Hayley lifted herself and looked at her with a pained look and she heard her old mentor's voice, strained and confused, "Kira?"

Kira nodded and Hayley forced herself to sit up, wincing as she did so. "Oh god...they grabbed you too..."

"No!" Kira exclaimed and shook her head, smiling weakly, "No, I-I came here with Tommy...Dr. O. He and Tsuki found me first, they saved me-"

"That's good to hear," said the other woman and a soft smile crossed her lips, "I'm glad. Though that doesn't explain how you're here."

The ex-yellow bit her lip. "We came here to rescue Andros."

"Andros? Astro Red Andros?" Kira nodded. "Why?"

"I don't really know; it was Dr. O's idea, him and Billy's-"

"Wait, Billy Cranston?" Hayley frowned some, "When did he get back? What is going on out there?"

Hayley's response to this news surprised Kira and she furrowed her brow, uncertain how exactly to answer that question. "Billy arrived a little before I was rescued; I don't know exactly when. He was at the house when they brought me there. As for what's going on in the world outside..." She paused, thinking hard what she wanted to say before shaking her head. "It's weird; it seems so calm when you look at it, then there's the military that attacked the house, Jason Scott was there and he and Tommy nearly got into a screaming match. And we got here to find Billy's lab in tatters and this place is supposed to be some space program base but it looks like a discount Fort Knox..."

Hayley chuckled at that and Kira stared at her for a moment. The redheaded woman smiled. "It's nothing, just nice to hear some humor since I've been stuck here."

A question bubbled up in Kira's mind but she couldn't bring herself to ask it. Hayley looked at her and seemed to read it in her eyes, in that way that Hayley always seemed to read everyone, because her smile turned sad. "It wasn't fun. Though I guess why would it have been considering. But...we never expected them to actually come after us; we never thought..."

She became quiet for a minute and Kira put her hand on the glass again, wishing she could hold her old friend, to be close, to not simply have to sit there with Hayley looking so sad. The woman shook her head though, as if to shake the sadness off and spoke more, "He died helping me. He told me to run, to take the back way out; I tried to argue but he kept telling me he wasn't a kid anymore, that he could handle himself and...I ran." Regret and Kira shook her head.

"It wasn't your fault," she said.

"I remember hearing the front door get kicked in and yelling and screaming and a lot of different voices but there was so much blood pumping through my ears that I couldn't separate them out," Hayley continued and closed her eyes, pulled away; her hands sat in her lap and fingers clenched around the fabric of her jeans as she spoke, tears welling up, "Then I heard the gunshot and I froze; that's probably why they caught me to tell the truth but I couldn't bring myself to move when I heard it. It sounded like thunder and I just froze."

Kira was silent for a moment, not sure what to say or do after hearing that. Her eyes turned to the door and the locks upon it and she stood up, trying to get a better view. It was electronic, of course it was, and she wondered if maybe one of the others could disrupt it. "Hayley, can you tell me what kind of thing I'd have to do to break this lock?"

"You can't," she said with a soft sigh, "Believe me, I've looked it over countless times since I've been here and it's clear it is not going to come undone easily," she turned her face to look at Kira, "You'd need to get into the control room for this section to get it open."

"And where is that?" Kira did not plan on leaving her friend here; the plan was to rescue as many people as possible, if possible. She glanced around the other crates, these makeshift cells, and wondered just how many of them they could get out of them; Andros and Merrick's sister seemed to be givens, and they should try to save as many people as humanly possible. But they couldn't even go in together, so how would they get a bunch of people out safely?

Still, she told herself, biting her lip lightly as Hayley seemed to hesitate and search the ex-yellow's face for something, some understanding perhaps or rather chance to disparage her from this task; still I have to try, we have to try...

Finally after a moment of silence Hayley gave a sigh and smiled. "Once a Ranger always a Ranger huh?" The comment made Kira raise an eyebrow before the woman continued on, "The control room shouldn't be too far from here, just down the hallway past the last of the cells and to the right; there will be quite a few guards around it though. Will you be okay?"

Kira touched the communicator on her wrist and smiled lightly before nodding. "Yeah I should be. Just hold on okay and we'll get you free in no time."

"I can't exactly go anywhere currently," Hayley responded and watched as Kira rushed off down the path, not seeing her fingers play with the buttons on the communicator.

Billy had also managed to get inside only to be surprised by finding his path quickly crossed by Merrick. In all truth the two ex-rangers nearly crashed into each other as they came in from two separate ends of a four-way hallway; it was a combination of Billy's sharp observational skills in seeing Merrick first and Merrick's honed reflexes in stepping back seconds before the possible collision that prevented it.

For a second in time both simply looked at one another, Merrick wondering how exactly from two points of entrance they had managed to meet up here, Billy calculating the possibilities and what sort of turns Merrick theoretically had to have taken to reach this point as well; the second was broken by the former speaking, "So what now, Billy?"

"It would seem as if we both successfully infiltrated the facility," Billy responded and continued to think, "Based on the evidence I could then make the educated assumption that our comrades have done the same."

"Which is?"

"The static status of the security around us. Since our intrusion into the compound we have not perceived any sounding of alarm, nor any increase in personnel in the areas; this hallway for one is currently occupied thus far by merely my presence and yours. In addition our communicators have remained muted, which to me appears to be a sign of lack of necessity and thus lack of need of assistance."

This seemed to make sense to Merrick and the wolf warrior nodded, the two continuing down the hallway together now. Billy for his part found his attention all over the walls, and most notedly the lack of visible surveillance; where the cameras so small they were borderline invisible? They seemed to still be in the clear as of now, still no sign of any guards even as they got further and further within, no sound of alarm or noise at all; it was quiet, dangerously so, and Billy wondered what it meant for not only them but their friends.

"They should be fine," Merrick spoke and Billy was startled by the noise, turning his head to look at him; Merrick smiled, "You are concerned about the others; it is clear upon your face."

The scientist rubbed his head awkwardly. "I apologize."

He shook his head. "No, do not be; it is perfectly natural to be concerned for your friends."

"I must admit to being startled when you four fell from the hole to where I was," he continued on and Billy looked to him, watched him as the Animarian spoke, "I did not expect anyone else...to be here."

The connotation was clear and Billy bit his lip. "Was it really so lonely on the way here from Turtle Cove?"

"Yes." His voice was clear. "After what I saw happen to Danny I made my way here as quickly as possible, I wanted to find Ileana and maybe help Danny and anyone else I could. But...there was no one else on the road here; words and rumors, and there were so many that before you four I had started to think maybe there were no more free Rangers."

The thought, voiced aloud by Merrick, made Billy take a deep breath. He had thought it himself honestly, multiple times since the events started, but voicing them, that felt as if it could make it real. Made it true. But Merrick was free and had been, and they had been able to find one another; even with the words out there Billy told himself that if one escaped and survived...

"There must be others still," Billy said and gave a short nod, to which the ancient Ranger responded in kind.

"Indeed," Merrick spoke and put a hand on Billy's shoulder, "We cannot be the only ones left free after all. Perhaps when everything is said and done here we could go and find them, try and come together in some way."

A smile crossed Billy's lips and he chuckled lightly. "Yes, perhaps..."

There was silence between the two for a moment before, just as they reached the ending of the hallways, both of their communicators went off at the same time; a familiar ring to Billy, a six note tune that at that moment both made him smile and his heart to nearly explode, sounded off and both boys stepped back quickly in hopes it went unheard otherwise. At the end of the hall was a large space, open and clear, and Billy was unsure if it was paranoia or reality that convinced him that the twin beeps had rung and amplified within the acoustics of the room.

Merrick looked to Billy for instruction and the ex-blue by instinct clicked the side buttons, causing him to do the same, before speaking, "Billy here."

"Merrick is here as well," Merrick spoke and they both waited.

Some static, light crackles that worried Billy for a second before a voice; it was Kira. "Guys, I think I might have found something."

"Really?" There was a second voice and Billy could tell it was Tommy's, almost a murmur but still clear.

"What is it?" Tsuki's voice chimed in, also soft, like a whisper; Billy wondered what the two were up and where they were that they might have to be quiet. He feared but trusted them both to be smart and safe.

"Well first I found Hayley," Kira said and there was a sigh that Billy had to guess was relief.

"Hayley?" Merrick asked and looked up at Billy.

"A friend of Tommy, Kira and Tsuki's," he answered, "She was a mentor to Kira's team, along with Tommy." An immensely intelligent woman and someone that they were lucky enough to be able to relocate it seemed.

"Yeah, she's in this big space with a bunch of crates," she continued on.

"Let me guess, missing a wall, has some clear glass over the hole with a locked door, basically like makeshift cells?" Tsuki asked.

"Yeah, you found more?"

"Unfortunately. Go on."

"Anyway I found Hayley and she told me about the control room for this area; I assume there's another one near the ones you found Tsuki but anyway, if any of you are nearby..."

"You want assistance with getting into the control room?" Merrick guessed, finishing her request for her; there was no immediate answer, nor for a minute or two.

"Yeah" finally came her response and Billy looked at Merrick for a moment.

"Where are you exactly?" Came Tommy's question.

Kira hesitated for a moment then the sound of movement, though in the connection it was hard to say who it was that was moving. She answered though, "Not sure; there's a sign that says 'East Control Room' but that doesn't really say much about where outside of, you know, the obvious."

Merrick frowned and looked to Billy for the moment. The ex-blue was silent for a moment, contemplating; he then nodded before speaking, "I am currently with Merrick; we can likely arrive near you within a short amount of time, if that is agreeable."

"You guys got this then?" Tommy asked.

"Affirmative," said Billy.

A crackling like laughter then shouts through the communicator and a soft cursing before Tsuki spoke, "I trust you guys. Got to go."

Her line went dead and Billy furrowed his brow in concern. There was a noise over the communicator and Tommy seemed to go quiet as well; Kira spoke once more, "I'll see you guys soon."

Then she too was gone and the two looked at one another. Merrick nodded, "If you would prefer we could go look for Tsuki."

"No," Billy said and sighed, fiddling with his communicator for a moment, "I am certain that wherever her current location within the facility Tsuki can tend to her safety needs and respond to any difficulty as necessary and appropriate."

The ancient warrior's expression did not say he believed Billy, and Billy would admit he did not fully believe it himself but he wanted to. He started off again, followed closely by his fellow wolf. "Come; Kira still requires our assistance. Let us locate the eastern control room."

Tsuki took a deep breath and quickly teleported, reappearing on the top of one of the crates in the room; leaning over the edge she saw the forms of the two guards who had been following her run by. It seemed Jason hadn't yet informed anyone of her abilities yet, a good sign she supposed, and a sense of relief came over her. One good thing she supposed.

Her entry had not been easy; she had been as careful as possible but all the luck, unbeknownst to her, had gone to her friends. Coincidence and fate had conspired against her and before she knew it she was being chased by two burly men; speed, luck and her power were ultimately what saved her and kept her a step ahead, or two. The communicator conversation had happened at an unfortunate time, right as she had previously escaped but instead gotten her almost caught again; it wasn't her friends' faults, she didn't blame them, but it had made narrow her escape from her pursuers. If they had seen her teleport, she'd have been in more trouble.

She stopped for a moment and waited, continuing to watch and to listen. The girl did not plan on leaving her perch, not until this time she was sure, unless she could know she was safe this time. The sound of footsteps, the grumbly voices of the guards as they searched the room for her; they stopped right in front of the crate she was on top of and she peered over the edge as she witnessed one, the larger one, bang on the glass wall of the makeshift cell. The guard sneered and spoke, "Hey wake up!"

No response; he slammed his fat fist against the glass, harder this time. "Get up, you lazy little-"

"Give it up," grumbled his partner, "Kid's been out like a light since yesterday."

"Lazy bums," said the first but withdrew his hand, the look on his face seeming to Tsuki to be a mix of disgust and resignation.

She tilted her head but stayed quiet, did her best to stay hidden unseen and unheard; watching the men, she felt anxious but she bit that back, refusing to let it come out in any way it might push her to make herself know, and wishing, hoping that they would disappear soon. By now her friends were probably already on the way to the control room; if there was an eastern control room it seemed to make sense that there would be other ones. Tsuki wondered if one was perhaps near here and what she might need to do to get inside. Likely guarded, something relatively speaking she would have an easier time in dealing with compared to her friends. A glance around the room she was in gave her no clue to exactly where it theoretically would be but the room was large and the crates were all about, blocking portions of the lower view of the room. A map could help, a map would certainly help but she wasn't too sure how to get one; one look downwards, where Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dummer were standing below still, looking for any sign of her. Pickpocketing was not her forte, and she couldn't easily see where they might have maps if they did have them on her. It occurred to her maybe there was on one the wall somewhere, places usually had that sort of thing right? They didn't honestly expect to be broken into, not by one person and not by five, so it seemed possible at the very least that they would have layouts somewhere on the walls to help people find their way around the large building.

"Come on." One of the guards gestured and started off, his partner hesitating for a second before following suit. Tsuki blinked and watched as they walked off, down the path between the crates and turned past one, out of sight, not quite out of mind but certainly out of her hair. For now at the very least.

Tsuki did not move, not for a minute or so; paranoid or cautious, it didn't matter which but she was not about to jump down and end up being seen for a third time because she was too impatient. The minute passed, then another, and no sign of return. She was careful, and as quiet as she could be, but she finally got down off the crate. The red eyed woman stopped to look over at the resident of the cage she had been hiding above and who the guard had been attempting to accost.

It was a boy, and a young one at that. He was probably no older than a senior in high school, and he was no one she knew. One of the Rangers she knew little or nothing of maybe? There didn't seem to be such; no, something felt off about him, strange. Her fingers tingled and she became aware that the sensation that started to come over her in that moment was familiar; it was the same as when she teleported, when she accessed her powers and transferred her body and all connected to another spot, the buzzing of air and the weightlessness of space before returning to the gravity of a place.

She examined him harder. Asian,