First, thank you to TheAwesomeWriter (who reads my work on A03) for pointing out that I had misspelled Anabel's last name. That's what I get for changing it mid-way through writing the story.
Secondly, to guest reviewer, Zellie. I love reading your reviews, they make me smile and then pause as I try to remember what exactly I wrote (thank you for keeping me on my toes), however, I can see where your confusion on Chris' conviction comes from. Yes, in the Coventry series, Chris was expelled and convicted a year prior to Dino Thunder starting, the Chris you meet in the Hellhound Series, specifically this book, is a civilian, and loosely based on the Chris of the Coventry series, but they are not the same person, and therefore their histories are not the same, either. Kali hears of a Chris Haynes while in Juvie, but she never meets him.
Again, thank you to all that read and reviewed the first chapter. This book is, if I am honest, the one I have the most angst about, but your reviews make my day.
After her interview with Chris had run late, Anabel offered to drive him home. She had just dropped him off at his family's book-store and was heading back towards the school for cheer practice when she her phone started ringing from the passenger seat. Half-glancing at the device, Anabel clocked it sliding towards the edge of the seat and bit her lip, for now it was within reaching distance, but if she left it for a second longer it would become lost down the side.
She assumed that it was Cassidy calling her, probably to see where she was, despite the fact that she had sent a mass text to the other girls' that practice was starting an hour later, given she had to go into town; she wasn't about to tell them that she was taking Christopher Hayes home, seeing as there'd be possible uproar if the other girls' learned she was associating with an unknown criminal.
There was a slight reprieve as the phone stopped ringing. Anabel glanced at it again, it was swaying dangerously on the edge of her seat right now. She considered her options - let the phone slid down the side of the chair and become wedged, risking the chances of it breaking, she really hated a cracked screen, or reaching over quickly and snatching it up. She could rest it against her legs until she reached the school and then return the phone call to whoever had called her first.
Scanning the road ahead, Anabel's eyes widened as an electric green and black swirl opened in the air, depositing a body in mid-air and then disappeared. "What the -?" Anabel murmured, rounding the corner and happening upon the crossroad where she could noticed the familiar jeep wrangler and four participants standing on the side of the road. They looked up as she sped past, but Anabel slammed on the breaks, stopping on the other side of the intersection, and got it of the car.
"What was that?" Anabel called, approaching the jeep as Kira slid from the hood. "I saw - something - green and black - and something dropped from it. What the hell is going on? Was that -? Was it to do with what happened in Blue Bay Harbour? We've been alien free for two years now…."
"Anabel, breathe!" Dr. Oliver said, grasping her shoulders. "It was an invisiportal."
Anabel paused and took a deep breath. "An invisiportal?" she repeated. "What's that?"
"It's basically what its name says it is," said Dr. Oliver. "An invisible portal."
"A portal to where?"
A clash of thunder prevented her from receiving an answer as a second invisiportal opened and deposited a group of menacing looking monsters a little further up the road.
"Holy shit, what are they?" Anabel asked, her gaze scanning the metal man and his pet… dinosaurs? At least, they looked like dinosaurs.
Looking around, Dr. Oliver reached across Anabel and pulled her behind him, using his body to shield hers as he faced the new arrivals.
Glancing at the others, Anabel was surprised to find them ready to fight.
"Mesogog find a new goon to do his dirty work?" Dr. Oliver asked.
"You are not fit to speak my master's name," said the metal man. His voice so deep that it took Anabel by surprise, why she was expecting it to sound robotic was an unclear, maybe because his whole body screamed cyborg. "Come with me peacefully or suffer the consequences."
Half-glancing back at Anabel, Dr. Oliver cocked his head to the side as he returned his attention to the cyborg. "I'm going to have to say no," he said.
Raising his axe, the cyborg swung it at Dr. Oliver but missed as he backed away. Anabel squeaked as Dr. Oliver's hand grasped her wrist and pushed her aside to avoid her being hit. "Go back to your car and get away from here," he told her, grasping the cyborg's arm and shoving him away from the road.
"What -?" Anabel asked, her eyes wide. She looked around at for the others, noticing that they had split off and were each fighting the weird human-dinosaur hybrids.
"Anabel, go!" Dr. Oliver yelled, turning back to the cyborg.
Anabel backed away from the jeep as she watched the chaos unfold. She wasn't a fighter; she was a cheerleader. This was the type of thing she would've investigated as a journalist, not as a civilian. But could she just leave while her classmates and teacher fought for their lives? But Dr. Oliver had been adamant that she was to leave, he wouldn't have done that had he not thought she could handle herself, right? Maybe the others knew something that she didn't, and therefore had an advantage over the situation whereas she was in the dark?
Reaching her car, Anabel was in the process of opening her door when she glanced a hybrid rushing at her in the rear-view mirror. Instinctively she ducked, the broad sword of its arm flying over her head and skimming the top of her car. Her face flushed and she felt flash of anger spread through her body, if there was one thing she was protective of it was her things - a lot of people at school called her materialistic, and in a way she was, but her car was as important to her as her education. It allowed her an independence that she couldn't get through being carted around.
Turning the creature, Anabel grabbed it's shoulders and hoisted herself into the air, flipping over like she did with the other girls' during a practice or meet. She landed with a light bounce and whipped around, kicking the creature forward and into her car. She winced and grabbed him by the collar, dragging him back and throwing him to the ground.
She looked up as another of the creatures growled; she turned, running back to her car. However, she didn't get in, instead she pushed her foot against the side and flipped backwards, landing on the shoulders of the creature and then flipped back again. She landed behind it, grasping its arm as it turned and swung its sword at her head and tugged her over her shoulder.
The creature whined as it slammed into the ground. Its armour splintered with the force.
There was another crash of thunder, the green and black swirling portal returned, and the creatures disappeared. Looking around, Anabel spotted the others gathered around the cyborg and jogged over to join them.
"Make sure you tell your master Dr. Oliver's back.
"I will inform him that this battle is over, but the war has only just begun!" said the cyborg. He tilted his head towards the skies and disappeared through another invisiportal.
Anabel relaxed and looked up at Dr. Oliver as he turned to her and the others. "I thought I told you to get out of here?" he asked, giving her the once over to make sure she wasn't hurt in any way.
"I guess I'm not used to taking orders," said Anabel, shrugging.
"Just used to giving them," Conner muttered.
Anabel half-glanced at him. "I'm a cheer captain," she said. "Giving orders is what I do." She turned back to Dr. Oliver. "What were those things?"
"They're called Tyrannodrones," said Dr. Oliver, his hand on her shoulder. He could feel her shaking, and he wasn't entirely sure whether it was due to adrenaline or fear, or possibly both. "Look, it's late, and I don't want your parents to worry."
"I bet you don't," said Conner. "You might have some explaining to do."
Anabel furrowed her brow. So, the others didn't know what was going on?
"I'll fill you in tomorrow after school," Dr. Oliver promised. He turned his attention back to Anabel. He noticed the shake in her hands and was cautious about letting her drive. The concern must've reflected on his face because she smiled at him.
"I'll be okay," Anabel said. "I'll calm down once I get back behind the wheel."
"Still. I'd prefer if it someone went with you."
"I'll go," Conner offered.
Anabel looked at him sharply. "Thanks, but I'm more likely to make it home safer without you there," she said.
Conner sighed.
Kira and Ethan shared a look.
"Well, I don't mind riding back with you," Kira offered.
Anabel considered her for a moment and then nodded. "Alright. I can drop you home," she said.
"Great. Conner, Ethan, you're with me," said Dr. Oliver.
~X~
The next morning, after Homeroom, Anabel followed the throng of students into first period science. She had just taken her seat when she heard Cassidy's voice and looked up to see her friend interrogating Kira on strange events that had taken place yesterday.
Kira had, of course, filled Anabel in on them during their car ride yesterday evening.
"Look, I have no idea what you're talking about," said Kira, weaselling her arm out of Cassidy's grasp. "But as you can see, I'm just fine. But you — you look kind of, oh, uh, pasty."
"Pasty? Are you serious?" Cassidy shrieked. She dropped her recorded back into her bag and searched for her small compact mirror. "I hate fluorescent lighting!"
Anabel chuckled and, as Kira took her seat, Cassidy checked her reflection and Dr. Oliver closed the door as he entered the room, she returned her attention to her notebook.
"Cassidy, unless you plan on giving a lecture on the Mesozoic period, I suggest you take your seat," said Dr. Oliver.
Cassidy forced a smile and sat down, shrugging off her bag as she got comfortable.
"Okay, who can tell me when it all began?" Dr. Oliver asked, looking out at his students.
Anabel raised her hand.
The school rumbled. Glass beakers fell from the tables and smashed against the ground, books fell from shelves, and students screamed as their seats overturned beneath them. Outside the window, the skies darkened, and black clouds rolled in as lightning flashed behind them.
Someone screamed as the lights went out, and when they came back on there was an orange glow to them.
"What's going?" the kid beside Anabel asked.
"Backup generators," said Anabel, absent-mindedly. She glanced over her shoulder at the darkened skies. "That, I don't have an answer for."
"Do you think it's that alien from two years ago - Lothor?"
Anabel shook her head.
"But how can you be sure?" the kid asked.
"I can't. But I do know that we'd have seen him a lot earlier than now if he were still arrive," said Anabel. "Just relax. Everything will be okay."
The kid nodded, although his breath was coming in short gasps.
"Here." Anabel thrust his inhaler into his hand and patted his back, just as Devin rushed into the room, looking frantic.
Devin looked between both Cassidy and Anabel. "You are not going to believe what this," he said.
"Let me guess - the sky just went black in the middle of the day?" Cassidy asked.
"It did?" Devin asked, scratching his head.
Anabel cocked and eyebrow and pointed at the windows. "How could you miss it?" she asked.
"Whoa, that's cool!" Devin breathed.
"Devin, hello, what?" Cassidy asked, snapping her fingers in front of Devin's face.
Devin shook himself. "Oh, yeah, I just heard a report about mechanical dinosaurs attacking downtown," he said.
"What?" Cassidy and Anabel asked.
Over Devin's shoulder, Anabel caught Dr. Oliver's gaze and found her own surprise mirrored in his own.
"Ooh, grab your camera!" Cassidy said, excitedly. She grabbed his hand and headed for the door.
Anabel grabbed her arm and wheeled her around. "I don't think that's a good idea," she said, tightening her hold.
"What are you talking about?" Cassidy asked. "This is the scoop of a lifetime and you wanted to lose it?"
"This is dangerous, Cassidy," Anabel argued. "We don't know what those things are. I don't want either of you getting hurt for the sake of some story."
Cassidy huffed and Anabel released her hold.
"Students, remain clam. The mayor has declared a state of emergency. Please report -"
"Cassidy!" Anabel called as Cassidy caught hold of Devin and dragged him from the classroom. She sighed and made to follow them, stopping only when Dr. Oliver caught her arm. "I have to go after them," she protested.
"There isn't time," said Dr. Oliver, shaking his head.
"Maybe now would be a good time to have that little chat?" Kira asked, joining them along with Ethan and Conner.
"We're out of time," said Dr. Oliver. "If Mesogog revived the Biozords, we got to act fast. Come with me."
He led them from the room and out into school car park.
~X~
Anabel's eyes widened as she followed Dr. Oliver through his home, into the kitchen, and down through a secret doorway in the floor into a stone base that was lined with computers and weird clawed emblems on the walls. "What are you, batman?" she asked.
"Not exactly," said Dr. Oliver.
"So, let me get this straight," said Kira. "These mechanical dinosaurs — they're your friends?"
"Biozords — fusion-powered replicants using actual dinosaur DNA for their neurofunctions," Dr. Oliver explained.
Anabel blinked. "I'm a smart girl, Dr. Oliver, but I didn't understand any of that," she said.
"It doesn't matter. All you have to understand is you part in all this."
"Let me guess. You helped build them," said Ethan.
Dr. Oliver sighed. "I'm afraid so," he confirmed.
Anabel frowned. "Why do you not sound excited about that?" she asked. "What else did you do?"
"Those Tyrannodrones from yesterday?" Ethan asked. Anabel nodded. "He created those, too."
"Oh," said Anabel, stunned.
"But right now, we — I mean, you have to tame them," Dr. Oliver continued.
Ethan scoffed. "I'll B.B.L. if it's all the same to you," he said, backing away from the others.
"What's that mean?" Dr. Oliver asked.
"Be back later," Ethan answered. He turned away.
"Ethan, wait," Dr. Oliver called, stopping him. "You can do this. But you won't have to do it alone. Ever since I found the Dino gems, I've had these waiting, in case I ever needed to harness their powers."
"Into what?" Kira asked.
Dr. Oliver opened a silver case on a nearby table, revealing four Dino-shaped wrist bands in separate colours - Red, Yellow, Blue, and Green - "Dino Morpher's," he answered. "Use these to become Power Rangers."
Anabel clapped a hand over her mouth as she laughed, loudly. "Wait, Power Rangers? No way!" she said. "I don't even know what the hell is going on here! You brought me here! I didn't sign up for any of this!"
"You did the moment you accepted the Dino Gem," said Dr. Oliver. At her confused stare, he indicated to her pocket. "The green gem you received in the mail. I told you that I had found a cluster of them, the green one is the fourth and it's been missing for a few years."
Anabel took the gem from her pocket and rolled it between her fingers. She had felt different since receiving it, but she couldn't have guessed that it would transform her into a superhero.
"What dinosaur did she get?" Ethan asked.
"Compsognathus."
Anabel blinked and looked up from the gem. "I didn't ask to be a superhero," she said.
"We also don't have the superpowers that make up superheroes," said Kira. "You know, like the abilities to fly or superhuman strength, and all that."
"You have a sonic scream," said Dr. Oliver. "Conner, superspeed and Ethan, super skin." He looked to Anabel.
"I don't have a superpower," said Anabel, shaking her head. "At least, I don't think I do."
"The Compy allows for size manipulation," said Dr. Oliver. "You may not have experienced it yet."
Anabel lowered her gaze back to the gem in her hand.
"Your gems are from the asteroid that crashed into Earth millions of years ago, wiping out the entire dinosaur population," Dr. Oliver explained. "When I found them, I recognised their power and hid them so they wouldn't fall into the wrong hands."
"How do you know these are the right hands?" Conner asked.
"The gems are yours. You didn't choose them. They chose you," Dr. Oliver said, leaving the Dino morpher's and returning to the computers.
"I thought you said you found these with an old friend?" Anabel asked, curiously. "And that they were supposed to go to a museum, which is why your friend couldn't send one to his daughter back home?"
Dr. Oliver nodded. "I said that at the time because I wasn't sure how much you knew," he said. "I have my theories on how you got your gem, but I won't voice them now, seeing as you're not ready to talk."
Anabel offered him a small smile.
"If the gems have already chosen us, how come Mesogog and his creeps are still after them?" Ethan asked.
Dr. Oliver looked grave. "The only way these powers can be taken away is if you're destroyed," he answered.
Anabel swallowed nervously.
"For future reference that's not a good selling point," said Ethan.
"Look, echoing what Anabel said earlier, but we never asked to be superheroes," said Conner.
"The gems wouldn't have chosen you if you didn't already have something inside you that could handle the power," Dr. Oliver explained, bypassing them and returning to the Dino morpher's. He pushed the case towards the four students. "Please."
Hesitantly, they each took the morpher that shared the respective colour with their gems.
"So now what?" Ethan asked, holding the tricera-morpher. "Don't we need some sort of secret password or command?"
"All you have to do is say, 'Dino Thunder, Power Up,' and you'll be transformed," Dr. Oliver answered. "You'll know what to do."
"Dino Thunder?" Conner repeated. He glanced at Ethan. "Did you come up with that?"
Ethan rolled his eyes. "I kind of like it," he defended.
"You would," Conner teased.
Anabel shook her head and looked towards Kira. The blonde shrugged and carefully strapped the morpher to her wrist.
"Look, I know you four are from different worlds — I get it — but you're going to have to work together, or this will never happen. This won't be easy. Nobody knows that better than I do. But you're going to have to believe in yourselves because I believe in you."
"Really?" Conner asked.
Dr. Oliver nodded. "Really," he echoed.
Anabel swallowed and glanced over at Conner. "I know you and I aren't seeing eye-to-eye right now," she said, earning herself, not only Conner's attention, but the others, also. "But I'm willing to put aside what's happening in our personal lives for the sake of - whatever this is. I'm willing to work with you, but you can't bring up what happened or corner me and force me to talk. Deal?"
Conner hesitated, staring at her for longer than intended. He then sighed and nodded. "Deal," he agreed.
Meeting Dr. Oliver's gaze, Anabel licked her lower lip and then looked away. It only seemed fair that she and Conner try and put some stability between them, especially if this was going to be as dangerous as Dr. Oliver made it out to be. The team needed a leader and teammate that could trust one another, not turn on each other at the drop of a hat.
"Then let's go," said Dr. Oliver.
~X~
Downtown was in chaos.
The sky was still black and the Biozords were running amok through the city. People had been herded into the nearest buildings to avoid being trampled, and the streets were deserted. Not even reporters were out trying to catch the scoop of the century.
"That must be them," said Conner, earning stupid looks from his new teammates.
"Wow, good call, Conner," said Kira, sarcastically.
A swirl of red energy appeared in the sky, warping into the body of the cyborg from yesterday afternoon. He fell from the sky and landed a few feet away, safely on his feet.
"You'll have to get past me before you get those Zords," said the cyborg.
"That's the part I'm looking forward to," said Conner.
"You guys ready?" Ethan asked.
"Oh, yeah," Kira grinned.
Anabel shrugged. "Something tells me he's going to attack regardless," she said.
Stepping forward, Conner held up his right arm, crossing it across his chest. "Ready?" he asked.
"Ready!"
"Dino Thunder, Power Up!" the four called, activating their morpher's and allowing a flood of energy to spread through their bodies.
Anabel shivered as the warmth that flooded her system ignited at her fingers and toes. As the warmth dissipated she looked down, her gaze gliding over her body, which was now clad in a shiny green spandex suit. She reached her hands up, running them over the smoothness of her helmet.
"Oh, yeah!" Ethan cheered.
"This totally rocks!" Kira laughed.
"So, you're Power Rangers," said the cyborg, his hand clenching firmly into a fist.
Anabel looked up. Her vision was darkened by the visor of her helmet, but she could see green lines swirling across the surface, analysing the situation and the monster ahead of her. She figured she would learn how to use the equipment that came with donning a Ranger suit, and soon the weird numbers on the side of her visor would make sense.
"Call on your weapons," Dr. Oliver called. "They're in your belt."
"You got it, Dr. O!" Conner replied. He looked down as his belt buckle started to glow, and seconds later a staff appeared in his hand.
Anabel's eyes widened as her own buckled glowed a dim white, and then a weapon appeared in both her hands. They were small, claw-like spears that curved at the end.
Compy-Claws engaged flashed across her visor and Anabel gasp. Whoa, so that's what the weird numbers and letters were? Weapons and, probably statistics like energy levels? She could guess at this point.
"Enough!" the cyborg yelled.
An invisiportal appeared above him and a small army of Tyrannodrones appeared.
Raising her claws, Anabel launched herself at the Tyrannodrones, dancing out of their reach and using her claws to block any direct hits. She felt hands on her hips and glanced back, seeing a Tyrannodrones holding her firmly. Pushing off from the ground, she flipped over him and kicked him in the back as she landed.
"Thanks, but I already have a spotter that throws me," said Anabel, spinning around. She kicked another Tyrannodrones aside and slashed at two more with her claws.
"Freeze!"
Anabel looked around as she spotted Ethan nearby. He had blocked off the only exit from the cyborg, resulting in an electrical whip around the stomach which hauled him into the air and smashed him against an electrical fence.
"Ethan!" Anabel yelled running over. She jumped over the blue ranger and stood protectively in front of him as the others joined her.
Laughing, the cyborg fired at them, blowing them off their feet.
Anabel breathed heavily as she lay on her stomach in the dirt.
"Rangers! Combine your weapons," Dr. Oliver called. He had been fighting Tyrannodrones nearby and had finished with them just as his students were attacked.
Forcing themselves to their feet, the four students combined their weapons, with Anabel's forming electrical impulsive generators beneath Conner's tyranno jaw.
"Z-Rex Blaster! Ready! Fire!"
The ball of energy collided with the cyborg, knocking him to one knee. He regained his footing rather quickly, much to the disappointment of the new Rangers.
"You've showed your weapons," said the Cyborg. "Now meet mine!" He took off, disappearing as the Biozords stomped over, followed by red lightening from the ship that roamed the skies.
Anabel covered herself as the ground beneath her exploded, propelling her and the others through the air.
"Are you okay?" Dr. Oliver asked, grasping her arm and helping her stand. The others straightened up around her and Dr. Oliver herded them all over towards his jeep, taking cover behind it.
"How do we fight that?" Conner asked.
"You got to tame the Zords," Dr. Oliver explained. "Concentrate. Your morpher's will communicate your thoughts to them."
Anabel looked down at the device on her wrist. She could both hear and feel her heart beating a mile a minute, and the blood rushed to her ears, blocking out any other sounds. But she followed Conner, Ethan and Kira to the edge of the city, to where the Biozords were waiting.
The compy zord leapt from building to building. In comparison to the other three Zords it was tiny, and Anabel remembered her father telling her that the Compsognathus was only 12 inches tall.
The Triceratops roared as Ethan tried to get closer. "Calm down, boy," Ethan soothed, holding his hands up. "It's all good. That's right. I'm your friend," he added as the Triceratops cooed in response to his voice. He raised his morpher into the air and the eye glinted in the dim light. "Tricera-Zord!"
The Tricera's eyes glinted and reared back onto his hind legs. It's whole body glowed, and the mundane grey changed to vibrant blue.
"Nicely done!" Anabel said.
"Okay, my turn," said Kira. She raised her morpher into the air and looked up at the Ptera-zord. "We can be friends, right?" she asked.
The bird screeched and switched from the drab grey to a shocking yellow.
Kira clapped her hands together in cheer.
The Compy zord chirped as it jumped from the nearest building at landed directly in the path of the Rangers. It may have been small compared to the other Zords, but to the four students it was still a megaton dinosaur that towered over them.
"Careful!" said Kira as the Compy lowered his head and nudged Anabel with the tip of its beak.
"I think she's scared," said Anabel, staring at the zord. She reached out a hand, palm down and flat, towards the Biozord.
The Compy chirped again.
"It's okay," said Anabel, soothingly. "I won't hurt you. You're scared, aren't you? I'm scared, too. But we can figure this out together if you'll let me. I won't let anything happen to you. Compy-Zord!"
The Compy Zord chirped and then surged forward, pressing her head against Anabel's palm. There was a flash of light, and the grey metal was replaced with an electric green armour.
Anabel smiled.
The ground shook as the Tyranno-Zord stomped into view. It swung its tail and collided it with the Tricera-Zord, knocked its head against the Ptera and almost squashed the Compy under its feet.
"Conner, the Tyranno Zords out of control!" Ethan cried.
"Do something!" Kira exclaimed.
Conner waved his arms. "Come on, you've gotta work with me here!" he called. He raised his morpher and called "Tyranno Zord!"
The Tyranno froze, mid-stomp, and then lowered its foot to the floor. Its colour changed to a glorious red and its eyes glinted green in the dark light.
"Go! Yes!" Conner grinned, punching the air.
Joining his students, Dr. Oliver looked around at them all. "There is only one more thing you have to do," he said. "That's bring them together."
Running off, Anabel pushed off from the ground and landed inside her zord. She stepped up to the green ball and podium and pressed her fingertips against the side. There was a surge of energy and the whole room lit up.
"Logging in," Anabel said as the room purred around her. She smiled, feeling at ease with the compy zord.
"Got it!" said Kira.
"Same here," Ethan followed.
"Me too," Conner added.
"Combine Powers!"
With another surge of energy, Anabel closed her eyes as the cockpit pulsed with a white light, and then she felt a presence. Opening her eyes, she looked around and found herself between Conner and Ethan, inside a much larger cockpit as their four Biozords combined to form one massive Megazord.
"Your robot is no match for me!" the cyborg called from his ship. "Fire!" he fired the red lightening at them, knocking them back a few steps.
"Now I'm mad!" Conner growled.
Thick, black, electrical cords lowered from the ship and wrapped themselves around the Megazord, allowing a fast-running current of electricity to pass through them.
"Time to head for the back of the net!" said Conner.
Anabel urged the Megazord forward and kicked off from the ground, grasping the black cable tightly and swinging up behind the spaceship.
"There!" said Conner, pointing at the back of the ship. "That's the heart."
Raising the Megazord's tyranno-tail, the Rangers cut the black cable they were holding and directed the drill at the spaceship. They surged forward, forcing the spinning tail through the heart and straight out underneath.
As they landed back in the city, the ship exploded like a firework.
~X~
With their first battle won, the Rangers and Dr. Oliver returned to his home and their new base. While the students gushed over how awesome it was to be a Power Ranger, and everything that had just happened, and confirming their own uncertainties about being a superhero, Dr. Oliver worked on the morpher's.
As the others talked around her, Anabel watched her science teacher from afar and then crossed the room, taking a seat alongside him. "You said you had a theory on how I got my gem," she said. "Care to share?"
Dr. Oliver glanced back at the others. He could see Conner watching Anabel, while the other two continued their excited conversation about the day's events. "You said you received it from someone from your past," he said, giving her his full attention again. "I think that someone is your father, and your father is my friend."
"Anton Mercer," Anabel answered.
"It's why you were surprised upon reading his name at the museum yesterday," said Dr. Oliver.
Anabel nodded. "I haven't seen my dad since I was five years old," she explained. "He left to go on a dig, and he never came home. He used to write to me, but I was so angry at him that I never wrote back, then one day all correspondences stopped."
"I'm sorry."
"Why? It's not your fault."
"He spoke about you often," said Dr. Oliver. "How smart you were. How he knew you would do great things when you were older, and how proud he was and would be. I'm just disappointed for you that he's not going to know all that."
"I'm not," said Anabel. "Disappointed, that is. My dad abandoned me thirteen years ago, why should I care what he has to say now?"
Dr. Oliver considered her for a few minutes, before looking away as the others approached.
"We should think about heading home soon," said Ethan. "So, our parents don't start wondering where we are."
The others nodded.
"I'm done here," said Dr. Oliver, putting the last morpher back into the case. He then stood and presented it to the team. This time they took the morpher's without hesitation, each of them transforming into white bracelets with their coloured gems in the very centre.
"Keep these bracelets with you at all times," said Dr. Oliver. "They'll access your morpher's when you need them. And you can use these to communicate with me and with each other."
Anabel slid the bracelet onto her wrist, adjusting it so that it fit snugly beneath her sleeve.
"Dr. O, I know you're real smart and a science teacher and everything, but this is… well, I mean, how did you —?" Kira trailed off, unable to find the words to finish her questions.
"I'll fill you in in time," said Dr. Oliver.
"Speaking of time, you think Mesogog's going to stick around for a while?" Ethan asked.
"Unfortunately, they always go," Dr. Oliver sighed.
"They?" Conner asked.
Dr. Oliver hesitated. "I know this is a lot to take in," he said.
"That's for sure," Ethan sighed.
"Your lives have just changed in ways you probably couldn't have imagined, but as long as you work together, and remember you're a team. No one can defeat you. No one."