I do not own any concept of Power Rangers Dino Thunder...however I do own Amber.

"Now that we have the black Dino Crystal, Mesagog may bring it up a notch. We can't be unprepared...and that includes me." Dr. Tommy Oliver commented as he paced in a straight line in their command base.

Connor McKnight, Kira Ford, and Ethan James stood in front of him, listening intently. Although they had only been Power Rangers for a few weeks, they had quickly come to understand what came with it. From the gifts that came with helping others to the troubles of staying one step ahead of the enemy so the help would continue to mean something.

Hayley sat at the computer console watching them. Even she understood, to a lesser extent, what Tommy was talking about. She had met Tommy in college and he had told her all about his career as a Power Ranger...and had even helped him create the powers that the four of them were now using to fight Mesagog.

"So how do we take a step further than Mesagog?" Ethan asked, looking around at anyone for suggestions.

"Before I started this, even before I was a Power Ranger, I taught martial arts. Pretty much undefeated. I'll start teaching these skills to you so we can start developing our edge. Head on outside, I'll be with you in a moment." Tommy instructed.

Hayley glanced over at him as soon as the three teens had left. "Undefeated? If I remember right, there was one person who could lay you on the mat each and every time." She said.

Tommy nodded. "I know that's why I said pretty much...but that's why you're here. I don't know what Mesagog is planning, but if things get to bad, we're gonna need the one person who stuck with this longer than I have." He replied.

Hayley nodded. "I'll get on it." She promised, and then turned to the computer.

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"With Tommy taking the newest power, we can't afford to waste anymore time. We must destroy the Power Rangers." Mesagog said, turning to face Elsa and Zeltrax.

Zeltrax nodded. "We will retrieve the Dino Gems at once, Master." He promised.

Mesagog shook his head. "No. I will not leave this to chance. This time I will ensure results. It's time for the Rangers to meet Fossil." He proclaimed.

Elsa and Zeltrax exchanged glances. "But...are you sure?" Elsa asked. "Releasing him...?

Mesagog cut her off. "You heard me correctly, Elsa. Release Fossil at once." He turned to face Zeltrax. "You're so eager to face off against the Rangers, then take some Tyrannodrones down and weaken them up for their final confrontation."

Zeltrax nodded again. "As you wish Master." He stated and then walked away.

Mesagog looked to Elsa, who looked uneasy. "I will possess the Dino Gems by the end of the day." He stated.

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"So do you really thing that Dr. O can really teach us that much?" Connor asked as he sat on the hood of his car.

"Well, he was...is the oldest and greatest Ranger in history." Ethan pointed out to him. "There are probably a lot of things that he can teach us."

Kira leaned against a tree and looked over at Connor. "And how many martial arts classes have you taken?" She asked him.

"Well....none." He reluctantly admitted. None of the three teens saw Tommy step onto the porch.

Kira looked at Ethan. "And what about you?" She asked.

"None, though if I knew I was gonna be a Power Ranger I would have." He answered.

"And how many have you taken?" Connor questioned.

"I took one...after all; you can't really be a girl in this day and age without needing to know some ways to defend yourself." She replied.

"One of the truest things I've ever found." Tommy stated as he walked down the stairs and joined his students.

The three of them automatically stood up, nearly at attention. None the less, each of them knew there was a story behind that one.

"Alright, let's try to get as much covered as possible before the three of you have to go home, we can't be sure how long it will be before Mesagog strikes." He said.

"Looks like your time is up, then Doctor." Zeltrax stated as he and over two dozen Tyrannodrones appeared out of nowhere.

"Looks like." Ethan mumbled.

"Not too worried, we can take them...we've done it before." Connor stated.

The four of them brought their morphers up. "Dino Ranger Power!"

If Connor didn't know any better, he could have sworn he saw Zeltrax smile. "Get them!" He ordered.

The three teens met the Tyrannodrones half way, using their weapons to fight them. Tommy hung back and thought This is weird...something is wrong and was just about to contact Hayley when Zeltrax jumped out and attacked Tommy.

"Your luck has run out, Doctor Oliver." Zeltrax promised, then ran forward and swiped his sword at him.

Tommy rolled out of the way and drew his Brachio staff. "What are you up to, Zeltrax? There's no way your gonna get these gems." He replied.

Zeltrax swiped at him again, and Tommy blocked it. "That's what you think, you're end is almost at hand." He said.

"Dream on." Tommy responded and then kicked Zeltrax away from him.

Kira used her Ptera Daggers to strike down two of the Tyrannodrones, and then turned to notice Connor and Ethan doing just as well as she was. She also noticed that Tommy was at a stale mate with Zeltrax.

"That's actually kind of odd." Kira voiced to herself.

Ethan used his Tricera Shield to strike a Tyrannodrone down and then turned to Kira, having over heard her comment. "What's odd?" He asked her.

If not for the helmet, the surprised look on Kira's face would have been obvious. "Well, Dr. O is at a stand still with Zeltrax, and all we've got are these Tyrannodrones. Where is Elsa? Or one of those monsters that Tommy said guys like these always seem to have?" She pointed out.

"She's got a good point." Connor stated as he joined his two friends and raised his Tyranno Staff. "Let's use the Z-Rex blaster and finish these guys off so we can help Tommy and get some answers from Zeltrax."

Ethan nodded. "Good plan. Let's do it."
The three of them formed the Z-Rex blaster and fired at the Tyrannodrones, destroying them. They separated their weapons and joined Tommy.

Tommy smiled as they approached. "Looks like your plan failed, Zeltrax." He stated.

Zeltrax just stood there, seemingly confident. And, once again Connor could swear he saw him smile.

It was at that moment that a creature appeared. Tommy could swear it a dinosaur, but also knew it wasn't one that ever roamed Earth. The creature itself was a sickly yellow color and stood at almost nine foot. Its tail was as thick as its legs but the hands looked to be the same as a humans.

"On the contrary, Rangers. The plan has just come to fruition." Zeltrax said.

"Wow, what is that thing?" Kira wondered.

"I don't know...but I bet you're sorry you wondered why there was no monster originally." Connor answered.

"Meet Fossil, the last monster you will ever meet." Zeltrax introduced, smiling rather smugly.

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Hayley smiled, thinking she had almost completed her task when the alarms went off. She noticed Zeltrax and the Tyrannodrones and was so sure that Kira and the three guys could handle them that she took no notice.

"Now all I need to do is let Tommy know and he can decide when the time is right." She said to herself. That was when the alarms went off again, and she saw Fossil appear.

"What in the...what is that thing?" She wondered. Hayley looked at the sensors and noticed the monsters power ratings were off the charts. "Then again maybe I should just take the initiative." She pressed a few buttons.

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"This thing doesn't look to tough." Connor observed as Zeltrax came to stand beside the monster he had called Fossil.

"Don't underestimate it; that could lead to an early and permanent career termination." Tommy told him.

It took Connor a moment to catch Tommy's meaning. "Got it." Connor confirmed

"All the same," Ethan raised his shield. "You guys get ready, I'll start this out." He stated.

Ethan leapt out and tried to strike Fossil. The monster brought out its arms and caught Ethan, then lifted him up and threw him hard into a tree. This caused the Blue Ranger to fall to the ground, his entire body aching.

"Okay, seeing your point." Connor told Tommy.

Kira took out her blaster and fired at Fossil. It seemed to reflect off its body, which caused smoke that she thought she could take advantage of. She leapt over to it and tried to strike it with her daggers, but Fossils arm lanced out from the smoke and struck her hard, where she landed beside Ethan.

"Excellent...now destroy those two." Zeltrax ordered.

Fossil gave out a bellow and headed toward the two Rangers.

Connor raised his Tyranno Staff. "Well, if we have to go down we might as well give him everything we've got." He stated.

Tommy wasn't sure he agreed with Connor on that, but without any other option he raised his Brachio Staff and the two rangers leapt out at Fossil, Connor hitting high and Tommy hitting low.

Fossil caught both of their staffs, lifted them off the ground. Heat beams resonated from his eyes and shot Tommy and Connor very roughly into another tree.

"Dr O! Connor!" Kira called out as she and Ethan ran to their side.

"I'm fine." Tommy assured her as she helped him up.

Connor stood up too and looked from Ethan to Kira and Tommy. "I think it's time we formed the Z-Rex blaster and take this thing out before it takes us out." He said.

"Good idea...but if I need physical therapy Mesagog is paying for it." Kira stated, raising her Ptera Daggers.

The four rangers formed the Z-Rex Blaster and fired it right at Fossil. It in turn caught the blast and reflected it right back at the Rangers, which struck them and sent them flying all over. They landed roughly in a heap.

"It's time...destroy the Rangers and bring me the Dino Gems." Zeltrax ordered. Fossil growled and headed straight toward them, moving faster than any of the Rangers would have expected. It raised the claws on its human like hand and aimed them directly down at Tommy.

Lightning bolts lanced out and struck Fossil, which sent him flying back towards Zeltrax.

"What?" Ethan wondered.

Kira was the first to notice the figure emerging from the woods. "Who is that?" She asked, looking to the guys.

Tommy smiled. "To the rescue once more." He stated, which drew confusion from his students faces.

"What's this?" Zeltrax asked.

The figure emerged from the woods, clad in a Purple Ranger suit, which the three teens recognized as a Space Ranger suit. "I don't know who you are or what you're doing, but no one attacks my friends and gets away with it." The figure stated in a distinctively feminine voice.

"I don't remember a Purple Ranger in any of those files." Ethan stated.

"Neither did I." Connor said.

Kira looked at Tommy. "Dr. O, what's going on?" She asked.

"I'll explain later." Tommy promised his students as he stood up and crossed his arms over his chest.. "In the meantime, sit back and enjoy the show."

Zeltrax turned and faced the newest arrival. "I'm not sure who you are, girl. But I will let no one stop me from bringing Master Mesagog the Dino Gems, least of all an out of date Power Ranger." He stated.

"If you're so confident, then bring it on!" The ranger stated, taking a fighting stance.

"You can do it Amber, I know you can." Tommy called out.

The Purple Ranger, Amber, pulled out a pair of daggers.

"Fossil, crush her." Zeltrax ordered.

Fossil raced toward her and swiped its humongous claws out, aiming directly at her head. She flipped back, leaped up and kicked Fossil in the chest. He stumbled back but did not waver.
"Obviously tougher than I give you credit for." Amber commented.

Fossil swiped again at her and she dodged it, and then used her daggers to try to strike him. It did nothing, and even bent the daggers nearly in half.

"I don't believe it." Tommy commented. His students now shared the same look of confusion, and worry, on their faces but didn't ask.

Fossil swiped at her again, and Amber managed to avoid it. Then she drew her Astroblaster and shot at Fossil, but didn't cause a scratch. Fossil swiped at her again but she dodged him.

"Looks like a stand still." She said to the creature that had been unaffected by all of her attacks and hadn't said a single word. She glanced at Tommy and the three new Rangers and knew she had only one way to send this thing packing.

"You can run, but you can't win. This game will end sooner or later." Zeltrax promised her.

"I beg to differ." She said. Purple streams began forming around her arms and fists and leapt out at Fossil, striking him multiple times. The blasts sent him flying and he exploded.

"Impossible." Zeltrax growled, raising his sword and swinging at Amber. She rolled out of the way and was about to draw her Astroblaster when a purple light flashed and she powered down.

"Oh, no!" Tommy exclaimed.

"Well, that's a first." Amber commented.

"And a last." Zeltrax replied and ran his sword straight to her chest.

She used her left hand to grab his arm, bent it so he dropped his sword, and then kicked him the chest. He stumbled back. Amber didn't wait. She kicked him twice in the chest and then punched him the face, sending him flying.

Zeltrax recovered his sword, glared at Amber but spoke to Tommy. "This isn't over Doctor. Mesagog will have those Dino Gems." He threatened and then vanished.

The four rangers stood and turned to face Amber. Tommy smiled at her and said, "Nice to see you again." He then glanced at his three students. "Looks like I owe you three an explanation."

Next time Tommy will explain Amber's presence...and the reasoning for her power down.