Warning: Author would just like to reiterate that she does not condone Teacher/Student relationships and that this is a work of fiction.
Last time on Expect the Unexpected
"Right now, it's time to go save a teacher."
Now
"Let's gear up," said Conner, turning away from the computers. "We can take the Raptor Riders. They should get us there and back."
"Remember, you have to reach a speed of 536 miles per hour upon entry," Hayley called. "Otherwise, you'll never make it past the security wall and probably be ripped to pieces."
Anabel ground to a halt and wheeled around.
"Did I forget to mention that?" Hayley asked, looking guilty.
"I don't think the Raptor Riders can reach those speeds," said Kira.
"They can't," said Hayley. "But, never fear, I have something for just such an occasion." She hit a button on the keypad and a wall to the left of the team lifted up, disappearing into the wall above to reveal four coloured assault vehicles.
"Sweet," Ethan grinned.
"Which one's mine?" Conner teased.
Anabel bit back a laugh as Ethan and Kira offered Conner confused looks.
"I'm kidding," Conner defended.
"You so weren't kidding," Ethan said, shaking his head and chuckling.
Hayley smiled proudly as she walked between the Rangers and their new bikes. "These are your new Raptor Cycles," she explained. "They should have you to the portal coordinates in approximately 92.75 seconds."
"Cool," Anabel said.
"And when we get there?" Kira asked.
"Use your gems to activate the hyper-drive," Hayley answered. "Then head straight through the portal to Mesogog's island fortress."
Anabel sucked in a breath and turned to Conner. His face had gone white, and he was staring at Hayley with a fearful expression.
"Did you just say island fortress?" Conner asked.
"I did, why?" Hayley asked.
"Well, Islands are surrounded by water."
"Usually," Hayley said, unable to see the problem.
But Ethan could. "No…" he laughed. "You can't swim!"
"I didn't say that," Conner defended.
"But it's true," said Ethan. "You can't."
"It's no big deal," said Anabel. "We all have things we can't do."
Conner shot Anabel a thankful smile.
"Don't worry," said Hayley, reassuringly. "The portal will take you straight to the island, you'll never have to get wet."
Conner relaxed and Anabel shot Ethan a cold look as he continued to chuckle at Conner's misfortune.
"Let's go," said Anabel. "Before we lose our one-shot of getting Dr. O back."
Ethan cleared his throat and nodded.
"Ready?" Conner asked.
Kira and Ethan nodded.
Turning away from the bikes, the four fell into formation, and raised their arms, calling on their morphers. "Dino Thunder, Power Up!" they called.
~X~
Anabel curved her handlebars to the right as her Raptor cycle curved in the same direction and rolled to a stop. She looked down and then glanced sideways at the others to find that they had also stopped parallel to her.
"Whoa, it just stopped. What's up with that?" Ethan asked.
"This must be where Hayley programmed the coordinates," said Kira, looking around. They were stationed in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by sand dunes and a small lake.
Anabel felt a prickle of unease and looked up. "Hey, check it out!" she called, pointing ahead of them. A green and black portal crashed open, revealing a gaping, swirling hole that did not look inviting.
"I sure hope Dr. O's on the other side," said Kira.
"There's only one way to find out," said Conner. "You guys ready?"
"You know it," said Ethan.
"Ready," Kira confirmed.
"You even have to ask?" Anabel asked.
Conner smiled lightly and revved the engine of his Raptor cycle. "On my count," he said. "One, Two -" he broke off as a second invisiportal opened, depositing Elsa, Zeltrax, and a load of Tyrannodrones onto the path between the Rangers and their target.
"Hey! I don't remember seeing your names on the guest list," said Anabel.
"I'm crashing the party," said Elsa, "and I brought a few friends. Is that rude?"
"Extremely."
"You're not getting through the portal unless you're in chains," said Zeltrax.
Anabel rolled her eyes.
"I may be able to pull that look off. But these guys? No way," said Kira.
"I vote we go for it," said Conner.
The other three nodded and squeezed the break on their bikes. The restriction released behind the wheels, and they sped forward. Anabel swerved around a Tyrannodrone and narrowly avoided Zeltrax as he appeared in her path.
"Whoa," Anabel whispered, her bike wobbling as she leaned sideways, almost slipping off her seat. She managed to straighten herself again and the bike continued on course, turning smoothly as she twisted the controls around and fingered the laser button at the edge of her bars.
Electric green charges shot out of the tip of her bike, each one colliding with a Tyrannodrone that Zeltrax sent her way.
Zeltrax hissed and raised his sword above his head. He set his sights on Anabel and charged forward. He swung his sword as she passed him, causing her to lean back against her seat and the steel blade to sail over the length of her body.
Sitting upright, Anabel swerved around. She spotted Conner coming up fast in her peripheral vision and looked around for Zeltrax. He stood a little ways away, his hand tightening around the hilt of his sword.
"Anabel!" Conner called, grounding a halt beside her. "You okay?"
"Yeah. How about a double team?" Anabel asked.
Conner nodded and the pair rushed at Zeltrax, each one pulling away from the other and gliding past the cyborg as he swung his sword, once again at Anabel.
Bringing her feet up onto her seat, Anabel pushed herself up and flipped over Zeltrax's sword. She landed behind him and raised her Thundermax sabre to block his next attack, but he still managed to kick her in the side, sending her stumbling across the wet sand.
"Hey!" Conner called, dismounting and rushing forward. He ducked under Zeltrax's blade and dragged his own across the cyborg's chest and stomach.
Zeltrax staggered and Conner turned to check on Anabel, only to find her mid-fight with Elsa.
"Conner, behind you!" Anabel called.
Conner turned and ducked as Zeltrax snuck up behind him.
"Why don't you just do as your told?" Elsa asked, breaking away from Anabel and swinging up her sword.
Anabel jumped back and blocked a downward spike. "Why don't you just quit while you're ahead?" she asked. "Don't you know your history? Good guys, always win."
Elsa laughed. "You sound like your teacher," she hissed.
"I guess that means something then, doesn't it?" said Anabel. She kicked off from the ground and flipped backwards, spreading her legs and landing back on the seat of her bike. She revved the engine and fired two beams at Elsa. While she did manage to block them, the force was enough to send her stumbling into a pool of water.
Elsa seethed and glared at Anabel.
"Guys, hurry!" Ethan called from further down the beach. "The portal's still open!"
"See ya!" Anabel said, saluting and speeding off to join the others. She stopped beside Kira, just as Conner gave the order for them to go.
They sped forward, missing Elsa's attempt at stopping them, activated the hyperdrive, per Hayley's instructions, and zipped through the portal. It whirred to life and closed behind them, sealing them off from the outside.
~X~
Anabel gasped and looked around. Green may have been her colour, but Mesogog's lab took it to the extreme. The walls were painted a deep green and black, and the light from barely lit torches bounced off of them, casting eerie shadows across the floor and ceilings.
"This place is enough you nightmares," said Anabel, shivering.
"Hayley, we're in," said Conner.
"Good. I'll recalibrate the bikes for your exit. You should have about five minutes."
Anabel dismounted and powered down, turning to Kira. She was the only person, other than Mesogog and his creepy goons, that knew this place, and therefore was now in the spotlight to get them the rest of the way to Mesogog's lab and, hopefully, Dr. Oliver.
"It's down here," said Kira, powering down and nodding further down the hall. She set off at a fast pace, the others jogging to stay close. They turned left at the end of the hall, right at the end of the second, and left again at the end of the third.
A set of double doors blocked their path.
"I thought you knew were you were going?" Anabel asked.
"I didn't exactly have a map last time I was here," said Kira. "Besides, everything looks the same and there are no -"
"Guys!" Ethan interrupted. He had turned around and facing the opposite direction. The two females followed his line of sight and found a second set of doors behind them fully open and leading to a new hallway.
"We don't know where it leads!" Anabel protested. "We've already wasted two minutes of our five."
"It's the only chance we have" said Conner. "Come on." He led them across the hall and through the doors. They closed, slowly behind them as a freaky-looking creature stepped out of the darkness, blocking their path.
Anabel screamed and jumped backwards, her back hitting the closed doors at her rear.
"Welcome. We have been expecting you," the creature said. He set his sights on Kira. "You remember me, I trust?"
"Like I could forget that face," Kira muttered.
"Um, what part's his face?" Ethan asked. He turned and pressed his hand against the door, trying to find a switch that would reopen it.
"Obviously, you are in need of some discipline," said Mesogog. He raised his hands, pointing them at the four teenagers, and hissed.
Anabel felt a second tingle at the base of her skull and seconds later Elsa, Zeltrax, and the monster appeared before her. The beam of discipline that Mesgog had intended to use on her, and her friends hit them instead, and they doubled up in pain.
"This way!" Kira called, racing around the howling goons and leading the other three down the corridor that Mesogog had been blocking.
The doors at the end of the hall opened and the four students rushed into the lab.
"Hey," Doctor Oliver called. "Ethan, hit the red button on the panel."
Ethan nodded and rushed over the main console, Conner in tow.
Hitting the button on the side of the chair, Anabel released Doctor Oliver's arms from the belts that held him down while Kira did the same to his legs.
The doors closed with a whoosh.
"I should've known you would try to rescue me," said Dr. O, as he and the two girls' joined the others at the console.
"Is that your way of saying thank you?" Ethan asked. "Because if it is, it needs some work."
"I'll thank you for real when we get out of here," said Dr. O. He hit a second button and an invisiportal opened just behind them.
"Whoa," said Anabel. "How did you do that? Better question, how did you know how to do that?"
Dr. Oliver shook his head. "I'll explain later," he said. "Hayley gave you the Raptor Cycles, right? Good."
"It would've been nice to know that there was someone we could've gone to with all this, if you were to, oh, I don't know, disappear without a trace?" Anabel asked.
"I know, and I'm sorry," said Dr. Oliver. "Come on. This way." He tried to walk away, but Ethan caught his arm and hauled him back.
"We need to talk," said Ethan.
"I promise, I'll explain everything later," said Dr. Oliver.
"We already know everything," said Conner.
"We found the video diary," added Kira.
Anabel glanced from the others, to the invisiportal, and then to the door where she could hear Mesogog and the others trying relentlessly to get through.
"We know you're a Power Ranger," said Ethan.
"Was," Dr. Oliver corrected. "Not anymore."
"Maybe now is not the best time to be talking about this?" Anabel asked. "We don't know how long the door is going to hold, and I don't know about you guys, but I don't think we stand a chance against Mesogog, Elsa, Zeltrax, and whatever monster they've cooked up for us."
The doors creaked open, allowing Mesogog and the others to pool inside.
"She's right," said Mesogog, his eyes trained on Anabel. "You don't stand a chance against all of us."
Anabel swallowed and stepped back. The look in Mesogog's eyes as he held her gaze unnerved her a lot.
"I hate it when he gets like this," said Dr. Oliver.
"We can take it from here, Dr. O," said Conner, positioning himself at the helm of his team. He pulled Anabel into line beside him. "Ready?"
"Ready!"
"Dino Thunder, Power Up!"
Anabel felt the surge of power sweep through her whole body and felt slightly better in her odds against the others now. She nor her friends may have been a match for Mesogog at the given moment, but they could easily have taken down Elsa, Zeltrax, and whatever freak they had conjured up to fight them.
"Attack!" Mesogog ordered.
Anabel split off from Conner and rocketed across the lab, blocking an attack from a Tyrannodrone as it crept up on Doctor Oliver from behind. There was a clang, and she glanced around to see Dr. Oliver stumble as Mesogog kicked in the chest. The mutant freak turned, swinging his claws at her, causing her to duck to avoid being hit.
"Not today!" Anabel said, turning and running across the lab towards a table full of potions. She jumped over it, and turned, hoisting herself up on the console behind her. She rested her feet onto the edge of the table and pushed, sliding the table as hard as she could into the mutant dinosaur that had followed her.
Mesogog hissed as the table slammed into his mid-section. He hunched over, knocking several glass jars of liquid onto the floor, and causing them to shatter. The liquid mixing together and hissing, as a foul-smelling smoke filtered into the air.
"Anabel!" Dr. Oliver called, rushing across the lab. He took hold of Mesogog's collar and tried to haul him away from his student. The mutant turned and slammed his arm into Dr. Oliver's stomach, winding him and then tossing him across the lab and into Anabel. The pair stumbled back against the console.
"Are you okay?" Anabel asked her teacher.
Dr. Oliver nodded. "You?" he asked.
"I'll live," Anabel replied. She glanced across the lab, spotting Conner and the others behind Mesogog and nearest the invisiportal. She and Dr. Oliver were the only two that were cut off from the exit.
"Guys!" Conner called.
"Head for the portal!" Dr. Oliver ordered them. "I got to get something!"
The trio hesitated.
"Hurry!"
Anabel met Conner's gaze and nodded as Mesogog turned to them and hissed.
Anabel watched as the portal sucked them in and then turned to Dr. Oliver. "What exactly do you need to get?" she asked.
"When I say, go for the portal," said Dr. Oliver.
"What about you?"
"I'll be right behind you."
Anabel studied his face through her visor and nodded.
"Now!" Dr. Oliver turned and rushed at Mesogog. He shoved him aside as Anabel dashed towards the portal, her hand raised towards the swirling light.
"Anabel!" Conner gasped, catching her as she stumbled forward. "Are you okay?"
Anabel blinked and whirled around, her gaze searching the deserted hallway for her science teacher. He had promised he would be right behind her.
"Where's -" Ethan started.
There was a crash of thunder, and Dr. Oliver appeared before them.
Anabel sighed and then noticed the clear stone under his arm.
"Do we really need a souvenir?" Conner asked, as a second portal opened before them.
"This one we do," said Dr. Oliver. He glanced around as an echo of footsteps came from the hallway parallel to them, and next second Elsa appeared with Zeltrax, their monster, and the Tyrannodrones.
"There they are!" Elsa said, sliding around the corner.
"Go. I'm right behind you," said Dr. Oliver.
Anabel mounted her Raptor Cycle and revved the engine, speeding through the portal along with the others.
~X~
The sun was bright in down town Reefside.
Anabel blinked. Spots appearing before her eyes as they adjusted from the rapid change from dark hallways to bright skies.
"Where is he?" Ethan asked, looking around for any signs that Dr. Oliver had made it through safely.
Anabel dismounted her bike and turned to where the portal had closed. Had Dr. Oliver made it through in time? Had Mesogog closed the portal systems down before Dr. O had got his chance to come through?
Several questions raced through her head. All ranging from worst case scenario to catastrophic case scenarios. Had they gone all that way for nothing?
A clash of thunder echoed, and Dr. Oliver landed a few feet away.
Anabel breathed out and felt her shoulders relax as Dr. Oliver straightened up and turned to face them. Unfortunately, their victory was short lived as a third clash of thunder followed, and Zeltrax appeared with Elsa and their army.
"NO!" the Rangers yelled, as Zeltrax swung his sword, unleashing an electrical current of energy at Dr. Oliver. The beam hit the stone in Dr. Oliver's hands and, with a shattering collision a bright light filled the area.
When it cleared, Dr. Oliver was gone.
"Dr. Oliver!" Ethan exclaimed.
"This can't be happening!" Anabel said, shaking her head.
"Such negativity," Elsa mocked. "Haven't you learned that in our world, anything is possible."
"Even the destruction of the great Doctor Tommy Oliver," said Zeltrax. He sounded pleased.
Anabel felt her breath catch and blood pounded in her ears, making it hard for her to hear anything other than the rapid beating of her own heart. She was shaken from her place of fear and disbelief, as the air before them shimmered, and a familiar voice echoed from the nothingness.
"I heard my name…"
"Huh?" Anabel asked, swallowing. The air shimmered again, and Dr. Oliver appeared right before their eyes.
"You missed me, didn't you, Zeltrax?" Dr. Oliver asked.
Anabel laughed in relief and jogged towards her teacher, stopping beside him. "How did you do that?" she asked, mesmerised by his sudden reappearance.
"That was awesome!" said Ethan.
"Right on!" agreed Kira.
"Hey, Dr. O, what's this?" Conner asked, noticing a shimmering light in Dr. O's left hand.
Dr. Oliver opened his hand to reveal a black gem in his palm.
"A black Dino Gem," Ethan breathed. "Let me guess. The power of invisibility!"
"Looks like it," said Dr. Oliver.
Anabel breathed a laugh as she looked up at Dr. Oliver.
"That Gem belongs to my master!" Elsa called.
"There's two things you need to know about Dino Gems," said Dr. Oliver, turning his attention to Elsa and Zeltrax. "One, you can't choose them, they choose you."
"What's the other?" Elsa asked.
Dr. Oliver raised his arm and shrugged back his sleeve to reveal a black Dino morpher strapped to his wrist. "They go really well with Dino Morphers," he answered, smugly. He smashed the Black Gem into the morpher, causing it to glow.
Elsa scoffed. "Aren't you a little old for this, Tommy?" she mocked.
"I may be old, but I can still pull it off," Dr. Oliver replied. He fished a key from his inside his pocket and raised his morpher arm. "Dino Thunder, Power Up!" he called, placing the key into the slot on the side and twisting it.
Anabel frowned as she felt another tingle, this time a warm one, at the base of her neck, and next thing she knew, she was standing alongside a Black Dino Ranger.
"Dino Thunder, Black Ranger!" Dr. Oliver called.
"Awesome!" Kira grinned.
"Just like riding a bike," said Dr. Oliver.
Zeltrax growled. "One more makes no difference," he said, pointing his sword at the team.
"You'd think one more would make all the difference," said Anabel, rolling her eyes.
"Attack!"
The Tyrannodrones rushed forward, and the team met them halfway before splitting off. Anabel called on her Compy Claws and swung her arms around, tearing the sharp tips against the armour of the Tyrannodrones and sending them packing through an invisiportal. She looked around as the last of her foot soldiers disappeared, and spotted Conner fighting Elsa nearby, while Dr. Oliver fought Zeltrax on the grass.
"We are not intimidated by your teacher," said Elsa, as Conner blocked her attack from behind.
"You've obviously never taken on of his pop quizzes," said Conner, pulling out of the attack. He spun on the spot and ducked as he spotted Anabel running towards him, she jumped and flipped over him, slashing down with her Thundermax sabre.
Elsa raised her blade and cracked it against the blade. "I never did like the colour green," she said, as Anabel pulled back and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Conner.
"I'm not surprised given where you work," said Anabel.
Elsa sneered and raised her sword. She rushed at Anabel, missing her opening to attack as Anabel ducked under her arm and kicked her in the bottom of the back.
Raising his Thundermax Sabre, Conner sliced at Elsa's navel and ducked under her outstretched arm. He straightened up and stood in front of Anabel, as Elsa clutched at her stomach, glaring up at them both.
"This isn't over, Rangers," Elsa swore. "We will meet again."
There was a crash of thunder and Elsa disappeared through an Invisiportal.
"You okay?" Anabel and Conner asked, simultaneously, as they both turned to the other. There was a pause and then they both laughed.
"We better go find the others," said Anabel.
Conner nodded and they took off in search of Kira and Ethan. They found them squaring off against the monster, a few blocks from where they had come through.
"Hey, guys," Conner called.
"You two okay?" Kira asked.
"Better than he is," said Anabel, nodding at the monster.
"Good call," Conner said.
"Z-Rex Blaster!" the four rangers called, aiming their combined weapons at the monster. "Fire!"
A ball of energy exploded from the mouth of the T-rex and zoomed through the air, colliding with the monster.
He wailed as he exploded.
With the monster gone, the four Rangers returned to the city plaza and found Dr. Oliver facing off against Zeltrax. They watched as their teacher knocked the cyborg back into a slate monument before the Cyborg disappeared through an invisiportal.
Seconds later, a dark cloud blanketed the city, and a shower of raindrops fell from the skies.
"Oh, great," Anabel whined, looking up. "What makes them think that they big ones stand anymore of a chance than the little ones?"
"They have to at least try," said Kira.
Anabel rolled eyes. "Elsa should really heed my advice and quit while they're ahead," she said.
Doctor Oliver looked down as his morpher beeped. "Hayley?" he asked.
"Welcome back," Hayley responded. "I've got a little homecoming present for you. I found it on the North side of the forest."
The ground shook as a giant black Brachiosaurus lumbered into view.
"Retrieving the black gem must've awakened him," Hayley continued. "Wait until you see what he has inside, I think you can handle it from here."
The back of the Brachiozord opened and the four Dinozords tumbled out.
"Let's go!"
Anabel raced off, leaping into the air and landing in the cockpit of her zord.
"Let's bring them together," said Conner.
Anabel nodded and initiated the combination order. Her cockpit vibrated beneath her feet, and next second the others appeared around her.
"Thundersaurus Megazord!"
The monster laughed and spun in a circle, hitting the Megazord with his tentacle covered arms, sending them stumbling backward. "Feel the love, Rangers!" he giggled, wrapping the tentacles around the Megazord, and electrocuting them.
"Whoa! We're getting rocked!" said Conner.
"Hayley, you got any more surprises?" Kira asked.
"Sure do," Hayley replied. "Try the Cephala Zord."
Anabel looked up as a high-pitched squeak echoed from the Brachiozord. She watched as the hump of the zord opened, the neck lowering towards the ground, as a purple dinosaur bounced itself way out, punching the air multiple times.
"Oh! It's a Pachycephalosaurs!" Anabel gasped. "It's so cute!"
The Cephala Zord bounced towards the monster and punched him several times, knocking him to the floor.
"And powerful," said Ethan.
"The Cephalo Zord can link up with your Megazord for even more power," said Doctor Oliver.
"Did you guys hear that?" Conner asked.
"What are we waiting for?" Anabel asked. "Let's do it!"
"Yeah!" Kira and Ethan agreed.
Conner nodded and disengaged the Tricera arm from the Megazord, replacing it with the Cephalo. It imitated a gold boxing glove.
The monster laughed and run toward he ranger, waving its arms around wildly like a child who wanted a hug.
"Cephalo Power Punch!" the rangers echoed, swinging back their arm and punching the controls.
The Cephalo side of the Megazord extended and the head connected with the monster's chest, knocking him backwards through the air.
The monster wailed as he exploded for the second time.
"See!" Anabel cried. "Pointless regeneration."
The others laughed.
~X~
"What a day —" Ethan grinned, as he slouched in his seat alongside Conner and Kira, while Anabel and Doctor Oliver sat opposite him. They were relaxing at the Cybercafe, while Hayley cleaned up and made sure everything was back where it belonged. "New bikes, new Zords."
"New Ranger," said Conner, nodding at Doctor Oliver. He paused, and then added, "well, sort of new."
Doctor Oliver chuckled.
"Doctor O, are you going to tell us how you happened to have that morpher ready?" Kira asked.
"Right after you guys became Rangers, I got an energy reading on the tracking system," Doctor Oliver explained. "I had a good idea it was another gem. So, I had Hayley build a morpher just in case."
"How did you know it would be the black Gem?" Anabel asked, curiously.
"I didn't," Doctor Oliver answered.
"That would've been awkward," Anabel said, smiling at Hayley as she joined them. "Black Dino Morpher, different coloured Gem."
The others chuckled.
"It's not rocket science to make a Dino Morpher," said Hayley. "It would've only taken me a couple of hours to make a matching one."
Anabel huffed. "Aw, Hayley, you've dashed my image of you being a rocket scientist now," she pouted.
Hayley chuckled.
"And what happened the day of my gig?" Kira asked.
"I was coming to tell you guys that the energy had moved, and we needed to investigate," Doctor Oliver answered.
"When you were nabbed by the goon patrol. Brutal."" said Conner.
"Yeah, but it all turned out okay," said Doctor Oliver with a satisfied sigh. He set down the glass he had been cradling and stood up. "Well, I better get going?"
Hayley frowned. "Going?" she asked. "Where are you going?"
"Shopping," Doctor Oliver answered, leaning against the back of the sofa that Conner, Ethan, and Kira occupied. "I checked my closet this morning and there's a serious shortage of black in there."
The team laughed.
"You ready?" Doctor Oliver asked, meeting Anabel's gaze.
Anabel nodded and stood.
"Ready?" Conner asked. "Ready for what?"
"I promised Dr. O that I would help him pick out some decent clothes," said Anabel, shooting Doctor Oliver a look, "and in return, he's going to tell me the legend of the Hellhound."
Conner furrowed his brow. "I thought Hayley was going to do that?" he asked.
"She was. And I would love for you to," Anabel said, turning to Hayley. "But, Dr. O actually fought alongside a guardian for more than a year. He's a more reliable source of information."
"And apparently, shopping at Target is enough to tarnish the great Anabel Brookes reputation if she's caught associating with someone who dresses from there," Dr. Oliver teased.
Anabel stuck her tongue out at him. "See you guys later," she called, following Dr. Oliver from the cafe.
I'm a British writer that hates shopping. I had to research for cheap American clothing stores and Torrid and Target was on the list. If you know of a better one, do please let me know.