Rated PG-13: language, sexual references in the last section, including slash elements.
A/N: For those not familiar with my 'Year of Time' series, it's a science-fiction AU of Time Force. In it, Trip is a mutant, not an alien; there were no zords or megazords besides the Q-Rex (which was simply a large robot); the mutants didn't grow; and there were only a few of them. Also there are no other Ranger teams, therefore the teamups with Lightspeed and Wild Force and 'Forever Red' never happened.
With apologies to The Fink's much better Tommy - Eric match in Loves Lost Love's Gain.
The spelling of Conner's name is now corrected - my thanks to Etcetera Kit for pointing it out.
Reviews are always appreciated.
Wes realized he must have fallen asleep at some point. It was morning, sunlight filtering through the window shades, the faint sound of birds chirping. Freak thunderstorms and other realities seemed very far away. For a few minutes he contented himself with relaxing, stretching, letting his mind wander without focus, before letting the troubles of the day intrude.
A glance showed Eric's bed empty, with the sheets tucked in and the blankets neatly pulled up. It must be late. Wes sat up and swung his feet to the floor, trying to remember where the bathroom was. He needed a shower... Clothes... he spotted his uniform on a chair, neatly folded, looking and smelling clean. Tommy had been busy.
Twenty minutes later Wes padded into the kitchen in search of his partner and their host. And coffee. A fresh pot was sitting in the small coffeemaker on a countertop, along with a note instructing him that breakfast would be served when he was up, and to help himself to whatever he found in the meantime. After a quick search, Wes was pouring a glass of orange juice. No sign of life as he drained it, though - until he heard voices, and a thud, coming from outside. He took the coffee cup and found a door that opened from the kitchen into a spacious backyard surrounded by forest.
Both Eric and Tommy were there - Eric in his uniform t-shirt and pants, Tommy in sweats - on a practice mat that had been laid on the ground, circling each other cautiously, both in a crouch, eyes fixed on each other. Wes grinned and leaned against the doorframe to watch the sparring match. Tommy must be good, or Eric would have had him flat on his back in seconds.
Eric attacked, snapping a kick at Tommy's knee, pivoting to the side to kick higher when it missed, then smoothly shifting to the other leg with a quick half turn and trying the same moves with the other leg. Tommy dodged the first three, and blocked the last kick with a quick duck and a sweep of his arm. Shifting his weight, he kicked out in return, almost exactly mirroring Eric's movements. Both men paused for a second, grinning.
"Hi, you must be Wes." The voice came from behind him, inside the kitchen. Wes turned his head to see a woman smiling at him, about his age, brown-haired, her eyes lively with curiosity.
"Yeah, that's me. Hi."
"I'm Hayley." She came closer and extended a hand for him to shake.
"Right, Tommy said you'd be coming over."
"Yes..." She looked past him. "Is that Eric?"
"Yep. Early morning warm-up, I guess."
"He must be good, or Tommy would have flattened him by now."
Wes laughed. "Just what I was thinking, in reverse." He turned to watch again.
It still seemed to be a draw. They were closing again as Wes looked, Tommy swinging a punch at Eric's face, which he ducked, then dropping to one hand and knee to sweep a leg at his ankles. Eric not only jumped to avoid the attack, from a standing start he somersaulted over Tommy, whirled, and found the other man already on his feet and facing him. Tommy dodged a high kick, blocked Eric's leg in midair and shoved upwards, trying to throw him onto his back. Eric arched his body and carried the motion through, hit the mat with his hands, and bounced back to his feet and up. Tommy was ready, he was turned to the side, one foot in a kick that he pulled short of hitting the arm Eric threw up to block.
"Nice moves," Tommy said, lowering his leg and stepping back.
"You too." Eric glanced at the doorway, moved back a step himself, and nodded. "Thanks for the workout."
"Anytime." They both started for the house. Tommy raised a hand to wave and called, "Hayley!"
"Good morning!"
"Had breakfast?"
"Not yet." She eyed both Wes and Eric. "Tommy briefed me on your situation. Let's get that breakfast together and then we can go downstairs and I'll try to figure out what I can do for you."
"Well? Anything yet?" Eric sounded impatient.
Couldn't blame him, they had been here for hours now, watching Hayley and Tommy wave various instruments at them, then stare at incomprehensible readouts. Wes was tired of it himself, starting to get hungry again, feeling just as impatient as his partner but unwilling to show it. Tommy and Hayley were doing their best, after all, he could see it in their faces. And he could see it wasn't going well.
It certainly was an impressive setup, he had to admit that. Tommy had a surprisingly large laboratory hidden under his house, filled with an odd assortment of electronic equipment, instrumentation, and a collection of dinosaur fossils. This was where he and Hayley worked on the various weapons and vehicles their Ranger team used, some of which were pretty amazing. He stole another glance at the red, blue, and yellow Raptorcycles standing in a row against one wall; so much like the Vectorcycles that he felt a momentary wave of nostalgia.
"Sorry, Eric," Hayley said, turning her chair to face them. "I've been able to detect some strange vibrational energy in your bodies, but I'm not sure what it means."
"It might be because you're from another dimension," Tommy said. "Maybe it's an aftereffect of whatever brought you here."
"Can it help us get home?"
Tommy and Hayley exchanged an unhappy glance. "No," she said after a pause. "I don't know of any way to return you to your own reality. I don't even know where to start. This really isn't my field, and there's no valid research that I've heard of. But I'll keep trying."
"That could take a long time," Wes muttered. Hayley nodded mutely.
"So the thunderstorm is probably the only way out of here for us," Eric said.
"But it might just take us somewhere else again. Maybe somewhere worse."
"Could be. But what's the alternative? Stay here, probably for years? Maybe for the rest of our lives?" Eric shook his head. "I have too many things to get back to."
"You think I don't?" Wes sighed. "Anyway, if the storm comes again, it may not give us a choice."
"You're welcome to stay here as long as you need to," Tommy said.
"Thanks, but I hope it won't be long."
"Tommy..." Hayley interrupted softly. "Looks like we've got trouble."
"Oh, great," he sighed. "Figures. What's up?"
She pointed at a monitor screen, showing a view of a grassy lawn. "It's the park behind the high school again. Zeltrax." As they moved closer to look, they could see the black leather and metal armored man from yesterday, firing an energy blast at a tree for no apparent reason.
Tommy's lips thinned. "I'm the one he's after."
"I'll call the kids."
"Tell them to stand by. I'm going to settle this once and for all." He took a few steps back, away from them, and raised his left arm. In a sparkle of light, a metal band around his wrist transformed into what could only be a morpher. He lifted his other hand, a large key now in it, and with his arms out straight clicked the key into the morpher and shouted, "Dino Thunder, power up!"
"A key now? And what is it with the yelling?" Eric muttered, low enough that only Wes could hear.
A moment later Tommy was in the sleek black and gold suit they had seen the day before. He turned and headed past the Raptorcycles for a black all-terrain vehicle parked behind them, looking almost like a motorcycle with four wheels. In another second he was mounted and starting it up.
"Wait, we'll go with you!" Wes called.
"No." The black and gold helmet seemed to convey a frown, and his voice was curt and angry. "This is my problem, and I'll handle it." Without another word, he wheeled the car around.
"What's wrong with him?" Eric asked as the sound of the engine faded.
"He and Zeltrax have a history," Hayley said with a slight shake of her head. "They used to be friends."
"Tommy used to be friends with that - thing?"
"He wasn't always a thing. He was once human, and a friend of Tommy's. They were both up for the same job. Tommy got it. Terrance Smith - Smitty - took another job, and that's where he was injured in an accident, changed into what he is now. He still blames Tommy."
"And Tommy's taking it pretty hard," Wes added.
"Yes, he is."
"Look!" Eric was staring at the monitor.
Tommy was already at the school. On the screen they could see the confrontation; he and Zeltrax faced each other, both faces hidden by helmets but their body language angry and aggressive. As they all stopped to watch, the two former friends began to circle each other slowly.
"No one here this time to protect you, Oliver?" Zeltrax growled. "None of your children, or your two new friends? I'm surprised you have the courage to face me alone."
"And I'm surprised you have the courage to face me one on one, without a mob of Tyrannodrones, or one of your usual monsters."
"I told you I would have my revenge."
"I'm tired of this, Smitty. You have no reason to hate me, but if you want a fight, you've got it!"
"Smitty is dead, as you should know. You killed him!"
"I had nothing to do with your accident! You can't blame me for that!"
"And when you almost destroyed me, only weeks ago?"
"That was self-defense! You were trying to destroy me, and the city with me!"
"I failed then, but not now!"
Zeltrax attacked, leaping through the air with gravity-defying strength and speed, hitting Tommy in the chest with a kick so powerful they could see sparks fly. The black Ranger fell, but was up again almost instantly, summoning a sword. He swung it, forcing Zeltrax back, and then swept it in a circle, leaving a trail of energy in the air which formed a sphere. It spun forward, striking Zeltrax explosively.
"Swords... Why don't you just blast him?" Eric muttered.
But no one answered as a horde of back-suited forms appeared and converged on the combatants, encircling Tommy in clear preparation for attack. They were human-like, but clearly not human, covered in a scaly armor and with large, reptilian heads. Oddly, they reminded Wes of the cyclobots.
"Tyrannodrones!" Hayley exclaimed. "And where they are, there must be..."
"There!" Wes pointed. It was their old friends from the day before again, both the woman and the evil white Ranger, standing a little distance away and watching, Elsa with a sneer on her face.
"I'm alerting the rest of the team," Hayley said. "Tommy needs help. But it may be hard for them to get away and change." Her eyes lifted to them.
"Right... Eric?" Wes caught his partner's gaze, realizing he had no quick way there without the Eagle.
But there was no reluctance this time. In answer Eric simply stepped back, raised his arm, and said, "Quantum Power!"
It was almost exactly like the day before, except for a different setting, and the presence of dozens of reptilian creatures. Wes and Eric flew over, swooping low, jumping together to hit the ground fighting. Again Wes was reminded of countless battles with cyclobots as he found himself in the middle of an attacking mob, inhuman faces surrounding him, inhuman, predatory hands and feet striking him. On an individual basis they were easy to overcome, but there were so many...
Wes ducked a swinging claw-like sword, hit back, glanced to the side and kicked another one in the gut. As it doubled over he took advantage and rolled over its back, landing on his feet to block a kick aimed for his head. Not far away, Eric was also struggling, leaping into the air to drive a pair of opponents back with a double kick, then, as a Tyrannodrone tried to wrap an arm around his neck, grabbing its wrist and flipping it over his shoulder into a few of its comrades.
They were holding their own - but what about the main battle? Wes caught a glimpse of Tommy and Zeltrax locked in combat, a burst of energy swallowing them as Zeltrax fired at close range. And there were Elsa and the clone Ranger to worry about, although so far all they had done was watch.
Shouts announced that help had arrived. The Tyrannodrones backed off, hesitating, and Wes fought his way clear of them, finding Eric at his side as Conner, Kira, Ethan, and Trent ran to meet them. The four teenagers spared them only a quick look, their eyes searching for their mentor, who was struggling back to his feet with Zeltrax already preparing to attack again.
"We'll handle these guys," Conner said grimly. "Ready?" he asked with a glance at his teammates.
"Ready!" They all fell into line, with Conner a step in front.
All four moved together through a quick but complicated-looking maneuver, swinging their arms in front of their bodies to one side and then the other, Trent in the opposite direction of his teammates. In unison Conner, Kira, and Ethan shouted, "Dino Thunder, power up! Hah!" followed an instant later by Trent yelling, "White Ranger, Dino Power!"
"More song and dance?" Eric commented.
"Maybe it's good for their morale," Wes said as the Dino Thunder Rangers transformed and charged forward, red and blue driving the remaining Tyrannodrones before them, yellow facing off with Elsa, and white confronting his own double.
"Goddamn waste of time, if you ask me."
Wes decided against mentioning that no one had in fact asked him. "Come on, let's help Tommy!"
But Zeltrax was already weakening, apparently. He fell as Tommy sent another blast at him, and only managed to rise to one knee. Defiant in spite of the pain he seemed to be in, he shouted, "I will destroy you, black Ranger!"
"It doesn't have to be this way!"
"We are enemies! To the death!"
"Mesogog is your enemy, not me! Look at Elsa and Mesogog's white Ranger, watching... they won't help you, they're only waiting to attack the winner! Even if you defeat me, they'll destroy you, or take you back to Mesogog as a prisoner!"
In reply, Zeltrax stood and threw another bolt of energy. It burst around Tommy, staggering him, but he stayed on his feet. As the blaze of light faded, Wes and Eric stepped between them, shielding Tommy, Wes aiming his chronoblaster, Eric armed with the Quantum Defender. The Tyrannodrones had been reduced by now to a few survivors, already fleeing. Elsa and Kira seemed to be evenly matched, as were the two white Rangers, but Conner and Ethan were now joining those fights. As Wes watched, Elsa gestured with an angry shout, and she and her companion vanished.
"Give it up, Zeltrax," Tommy said quietly, his voice more sad than victorious. "You can't win against all of us."
With an odd dignity, the black-armored creature drew himself up, raising his sword in what seemed to be a salute. "I will be back," he said. "And next time... you may not be so lucky." The pillar of light they had seen before surrounded him, seeming to pull him up and dissolve him into nothingness.
"Man," Conner said. "He sure has it in for you, Dr. O."
"Yes, he does." Tommy's voice seemed almost defeated now. "He's so obsessed with revenge, he doesn't care if he destroys himself, too." He sighed. "Well, you guys need to get back inside before you're missed."
Obediently, the four younger Rangers moved back a little and demorphed, and then started back towards the school building. After a few steps Kira turned back. "Will you be okay?" she asked.
"Sure. Don't worry about me."
She seemed to hesitate, and then glanced up, wrapping her arms around herself. "Looks like it's going to rain..."
"Man, those clouds blew up fast," Ethan said.
"Wes..." Eric murmured.
"It's the same storm. Come after us again."
"Go on, get inside!" Tommy shouted at his students, watching them long enough to see them run for shelter, and then turning to Wes and Eric. "The storm that brought you here?" he asked. A rising wind stirred the leaves in the trees behind him.
"Sure looks like it."
"Maybe it's going to take us home this time!" Eric said, raising his voice as lightning snaked through the thick black clouds that had spread overhead, and thunder rumbled after it.
"Hope so."
"I don't know... Maybe you shouldn't risk it!" Tommy said as a gust of wind and rain blew over them.
"What choice do we have?"
Tommy reached to grab them by the arms. "You can get under cover, inside the school. Stay here until Hayley can figure out how to get you home safely."
"No!" Eric exclaimed, pulling away. "That could take years. I'd rather take my chances now."
"So would I," Wes added, moving closer to his partner. "You'd better get back."
"I don't know..." Tommy started to back away, stopping and ducking as a crack of deafening noise and brilliant light flared above. Then it was happening, a patch of fog seemed to spring from nowhere, rolling around them and cutting off the light until they were surrounded by grayness and sudden quiet, as if the world around them had disappeared into nothingness... It only lasted a moment, before the fog broke into wisps of mist and disappeared.
Wes shook his head, momentarily dazed, and felt a hand on his arm. Eric, also still morphed, asked, "You okay?"
"Yeah, fine." Wes took a better look around, realizing that they were - somewhere else, standing in a small clearing surrounded by forest, with no sign of the school or any other building. Obviously they were not in Reefside anymore, and not back in Silver Hills either. He also realized that they weren't alone. Another figure stood a few feet away, just where he had been seconds ago.
"Tommy?" Wes said.
It took the black Ranger a moment to answer, as his head turned to survey their unfamiliar surroundings, but finally he spoke faintly.
"Oh, man..."
TBC...