Eric, Wes, Jen and all other characters from Power Rangers belong to Disney/Saban. I am using them without permission, however I have not and don't expect to make money from this.
Gaby is mine.

Rated T: mild language, some violence and sexual references.

A/N: This is a sequel to 'Crossroads' and part of my 'Year of Time' series. It can, however, stand alone, with most of the background from the series being mentioned along the way.

Reviews are always appreciated.

Reversals of Fortune

Mirrorverse - Part 3

- - -

"This is only another of their tricks."

"If it is, it's a good one."

"I say we should take advantage of the opportunity. Just dispose of him."

"That's not the way we work, my dear. You know that."

"It's been four years! We have to do whatever it takes to end this!"

"Not if it includes murder. And you know we cannot interfere with this time by removing him from it."

The voices were vague at first, as his mind pulled itself out of unconsciousness, but the meaning of the last few sentences penetrated. Eric tried to crack an eye open, and winced as light seemed to stab straight through his head. The voices stopped, and he heard footsteps approach.

"I know you're awake. Might as well open your eyes." The voice was Ransik's.

Reluctantly, Eric opened them, blinking at the resulting wave of dizziness and nausea. Ransik was staring down at him, the scars partially hidden by his half-mask and the spikes growing from his flesh even more hideous close up. Nadira was next to him, along with another man who seemed vaguely familiar. The golden form of Frax was standing against the wall across the room. "Where am I?" he mumbled, although he wasn't at all sure he wanted to know.

"You're in my headquarters. Our timeship."

Eric tried to shift his arms from their uncomfortable position behind his back and discovered he couldn't. The hard metal of handcuffs bit into his wrists. Also his morpher was gone. And his ankles were tied. He was lying on a couch, in a small, bare room with metal walls, trussed up like a turkey and weak as a kitten. Helpless, one of his least favorite things to be.

"What do you want with me?" he demanded.

"There are many possibilities." Ransik reached to pull a chair up and seat himself comfortably. "We can start with information about what you and your friends are up to now."

"Let me go!"

"That's not going to happen," Nadira said, her voice harsh and eyes burning with hostility. "The only way you're ever walking out of this room is if you start talking. And make it the truth!"

"Now, my dear, give him a chance." Ransik leaned a little closer. "However, what my daughter says is true. One way or another, you're going to tell us what we need to know."

"My name is Eric Myers. I'm commander of the Silver Guardians. And that's all you're going to get." He wasn't sure if that was the wisest thing to say for his own sake, but he wasn't about to tell them everything.

"Yes. But the Eric Myers I know would not have risked his life to protect his teammates." Ransik crossed his arms and smiled. "As a matter of fact, the Wesley Collins I know would not have sacrificed himself for his woman, and none of you would have had the courage to face us in battle in the first place. Something has changed, hasn't it?"

"Sacrificed?" Eric pulled in vain at his bonds. "Where are they? What did you do to them?"

"We did nothing. Your own team, the blue, yellow, and green Rangers, did it. They seemed intent on destroying you along with us, something else that doesn't make sense. We teleported out barely in time. Unfortunately, you were the only one we were able to take with us."

"And - and what about Wes and Jen? Where are they?"

Ransik shrugged. "When we departed, they were alive. It was quite touching, the way they both cried your name as we took you. Again, not what I expected, when none of you care for anyone beyond yourselves."

"Bastard!"

"Perhaps. But we're not the ones who hurt your teammates."

The other man spoke up from his position standing behind Ransik's shoulder. "It seems obvious the others betrayed you three. If you cooperate and tell us why, we will not harm you. If you genuinely care for what happens to Collins and Scotts - it seems they have more to fear from the blue, yellow, and green Rangers than from us."

Eric stared up at them. The Ransik and Nadira he had fought could never have pulled off an act like this - if it was an act. A different dimension. Different personalities. How much more was different - and how was he supposed to know who to trust? The image came to him of Ransik, facing them, holding out his hand with a small silver object glinting in it... "First tell me something. Why did you pull a Time Force badge on us, and try to arrest us?"

"Because that is what we do. What we have been trying to do for four years." Ransik's eyes were curious now, even as Nadira frowned skeptically. "We are Time Force officers, after all, as you must already know."

"Officers?" Eric closed his eyes for a moment, feeling sick, not entirely from the aftereffects of being blasted. The badge. Time Force officers. Yes. In this bizarre universe it almost made some kind of bizarre sense. A bitter, ironic laugh bubbled up inside him and burst out, and he looked again to find all three staring at him. "You're Time Force officers?" he said as soon as he had his voice under control again.

"Yes, we are. Are you really surprised?"

"And - and I guess Wes, Jen, and I are criminals?"

Nadira snorted derisively. Ransik frowned but answered as the other man watched, his face as expressionless as Frax's metal one. "Jen Scotts is an escaped criminal from our time in the future, as are Lucas Kendall, Katie Walker, and Trip Regis. You and Wesley Collins have teamed up with them to continue their illegal activities here. Is something wrong with your memory?"

"What did they do in your time?"

"Scotts started as what I believe you call a con artist. She progressed to bigger crimes, including the murder of her fiancé, Alex Drake. Kendall, Walker, and Regis have records too long to recite, featuring murder, assault, theft, extortion. One of their victims was Dr. Louis Fericks, who only survived their vicious attack by transforming himself into the robotic form of our friend Frax. In this time, along with you and Collins, they have used Bio-Lab and the Silver Guardians to sell 'protection' to the businesses of Silver Hills. Those who do not cooperate end up driven out, beaten up, or dead."

"Shit." Eric closed his eyes again, fighting off the urge to throw up.

"Are you all right?"

"Oh sure. I'm just fine. In this dimension I'm a gangster and my friends are thieves and murderers; why shouldn't I be fine?"

"In this dimension? What are you talking about?" It was the man standing behind Ransik.

Eric looked up at him again, the face suddenly clicking into place in his memory. "Conwing," he said dully. "You were Conwing."

"And still am." He brought his hands together, touching some hidden trigger. In an instant the ordinary man was gone, replaced by the white, rubbery-skinned creature Eric remembered.

"Oh, God."

"Try to relax. You're still feeling the effects of that blast. We treated you, but you'll be weak for a little while longer. Maybe you'd feel better like this." Ransik was leaning over him, his expression concerned.

Eric couldn't help flinching as the mutant's big hands helped him sit up, and again as Conwing appeared with a glass of water and held it for him. He felt the urge to laugh again, and restrained it with an effort. "I'm surrounded by Ransik, Conwing, Frax, and Nadira, and I'm probably safer than in Wes's house," he muttered. "I can't freaking believe this."

"I think it's time for you to explain just what's going on." This time it was Nadira again, looking suspicious, but also grudgingly curious.

"Okay." Still wondering if he was doing the right thing, Eric tried to collect his thoughts as they all watched expectantly. "I was telling the truth when I said I'm Eric Myers, but I'm not the same one you know. Wes, Jen, and I are from another dimension. A parallel reality. One that's a lot different from this one. We're alternate versions of the people you know, but we're not like them. Man, are we not like them. They - it looks like they tricked us. Sent us to fight you in their places..." He trailed off uncertainly. They were all staring at him with varying degrees of astonishment and disbelief - at least the ones whose faces could show expression.

"Theory predicts that parallel dimensions exist," Frax said finally. "His story is possible."

"There's no proof. How can we know he's not lying?" Nadira said.

"And the alternative is... what?" Ransik turned his head to look at her. "That this is some sort of elaborate trick? That Myers has risked his life to fool us? I find that even harder to believe."

"Well... I don't know."

"There may be a way to find out," Conwing said. "Contact our operative."

"Risky, but in this case, worth it." Ransik nodded curtly. "Attend to it."

"Operative?" Eric asked as Conwing left the room.

"One of the few humans who has overcome an instinctive distrust of us. You'll understand why I don't wish to reveal that person's identity."

"If you have someone on the inside, why didn't you already know about us?"

"The Rangers are clever, and suspicious of everyone. This person is afraid to contact us, and with good reason." Ransik smiled ruefully. "We must take whatever assistance we can find. It's not easy finding allies here when you look like we do. Nadira appears human enough to pass, and Conwing can disguise himself for short periods of time. But the rest of us have had to remain hidden for the most part."

"Then - why did Time Force send you? Why not a human team?"

The big mutant rose to his feet and took a few pacing steps. "It was not by choice. When Kendall, Walker, and Regis broke out of prison, with the help of Jen Scotts, their first move was to use fake credentials to enter Time Force and steal a set of morphers. Armed with the Ranger powers, they were able to take a timeship and escape from our time completely. After they arrived here, a major disruption of the timestream began as a result of their interference with history. We - Nadira, Frax, Conwing, and I, along with two other mutant officers, were the only ones powerful enough to have a fighting chance against them. We made it through, but the disruption has made it too dangerous for anyone else to be sent to help us.

"After a few months went by without success, Time Force managed to send another morpher, with the intention that one of us would use it. However-"

"Don't tell me," Eric interrupted. "The Eric Myers of this reality found it instead, and took it."

"Yes. It just made things worse. We hoped at first that he would turn against the others, and he did appear to be at odds with them for a time, but they apparently found it was to their mutual benefit to team up." His eyes dropped to Eric's face again. "I assume things were different in your universe."

"Very." Eric took a certain satisfaction in their reactions as he told his story, watching their eyes widen, Ransik's in disbelief and Nadira's in indignation. Too bad he couldn't see any reaction in Frax's metallic face, he thought rather bitterly.

"Where you come from, we're the criminals?" Nadira burst out. "That's ridiculous!"

"Believe me, from my point of view this is the ridiculous dimension."

"Well, I don't believe you. What proof do you have? My father a - a killer? The leader of some kind of mutant gang? And me helping him escape? Time Force coming after us, hunting us down?"

"How do you think I feel?" They glared at each other.

"This is a trick, Daddy!" she snarled, taking a step closer, her fingers reaching. To Eric's startled dismay, her fingernails elongated into gleaming and very sharp and dangerous-looking claws, aimed at his face. "I know a way to get the truth out of you! Whatever you're trying to do with this - this lie, it won't work!"

"Nadira!" Ransik shouted. "Control yourself! We're not here to commit worse crimes than the people we're after!"

To Eric's relief, she stopped, hesitated, and with an expression of disgust withdrew her nails, letting them shrink back to normal size as she turned away, arms folded.

"Ransik's right," a calm voice said from the doorway. "Besides, Eric Myers - this version of him - is telling the truth." The thought flashed through Eric's mind that he never would have dreamed he'd be glad to see Conwing as the white mutant stepped inside. "I contacted our operative, and the story is confirmed. Eric Myers, the one we know, is in the Collins house right now, as are two each of Wesley Collins and Jennifer Scotts. These three people are from an alternate reality. Apparently one in which they work for Time Force, and we do not. In which they are the law, and we are the criminals. Difficult as it is to accept, it's true."

There was silence for a few seconds, as they all looked at him again. "But why?" Nadira finally asked. "If you're not criminals, and not even from this timeline, why did you fight us?"

"The Eric, Wes, and Jen of this dimension tricked us. And we fell for it. They told us you were criminals, just like in our home world. They said you had killed Alex, and Mr. Collins. Then they said you were attacking again, and asked us to help." Eric shook his head. "I dunno, maybe they thought we'd beat you, without them having to take any chances. Maybe they wanted to get rid of us without having to fight us themselves. I guess Lucas, Trip, and Katie were in on it."

"Undoubtedly. They seemed quite willing to destroy you along with us."

"Yeah." Eric raised his head as another thought struck. "Wes and Jen. The others have them. They might... I have to get them out of there!" He saw no trace of reassurance in their expressions, and swallowed, finding it almost too difficult to say as he again looked directly in the faces of these people he had always thought of as his sworn enemies. "From what you've told me about those guys, if you don't help me or at least let me go, they'll kill my friends, if they haven't already." They stared without reaction. "Please!" he ground out through gritted teeth.

He had seen uncertainty in Nadira's expression, but apparently it wasn't enough to change her mind. "Don't trust him, Daddy," she said as Ransik hesitated. "This whole thing could be a trap."

"My dear, I fear this ordeal has made you bitter and cynical." The big mutant gave her a surprisingly tender smile. "We must never lose sight of the fact that humanity's capacity for evil is surpassed by its capacity for good. We must always retain the ability to trust, to put our faith in others and hope that it is rewarded. This man is not the Eric Myers of this world; that much seems certain. I am willing to take the chance that he is sincere. Perhaps this is the answer we've been waiting for, the chance to make things right in this time, and to finally go home. But I place my faith in you, too. I won't go ahead without your agreement."

A few seconds crawled by as Nadira met her father's eyes and Eric held his breath. She frowned slightly. Glanced at him. And then, with a soft sigh, nodded. Conwing leaned over Eric and released the handcuffs, then knelt and untied his ankles.

"It will be difficult and dangerous," Ransik was saying. "The Collins house is like a fort. Alarms and monitors everywhere, and it's one of the few things they seem willing to stand and fight for. But... as I said, maybe this is a blessing in disguise. Maybe you can help us as much as we can help you."

- - -

Morning had arrived at some point, maybe while he was unconscious, maybe while they had talked, and later made their plans. In any case, the sun was well up in the sky by the time Eric saw the Collins house again, from the main highway where a private road led towards it. Their car slowed, and pulled over out of sight behind a stand of trees.

"Are you prepared?" Conwing asked from the driver's seat, back in his guise as an ordinary-looking human man.

"As ready as I'll ever be."

"A lot depends on your acting abilities. You must convince them you escaped us on your own, make the attempt to rescue or at least warn your friends, and be prepared to help us if - or rather when - it comes to a fight. It won't be easy."

"I can play my part. Worry about yourselves."

"Our source seemed worried that something unusual is happening. It may already be too late. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I have to try."

"You are very different from the Eric Myers we know, in several ways." Conwing extended a hand. "Good luck."

Again struck by the improbability of it all, Eric shook hands with him. "And to you. See you soon, I hope."

Seconds later, he was alone, watching the trail of dust as the car drove away. It wouldn't go far. Ransik, Nadira, Frax, and a small squad of cyclobots were already in place, in hiding near the house. Not that they would be of much help if anything went wrong. No, once inside that house he would be on his own.

"Better make this good," he muttered, squared his shoulders, and started down the road.

- - -

To his surprise it was his own face at the door, dark eyes narrowing before the hint of suspicion disappeared under the usual easy smile. No sign of Philips or any of the other servants. Eric-two beckoned him in. "What a relief to see you! Are you okay?" he asked.

"Fine. Where are Wes and Jen?"

"Which ones?" Another smile.

"Both. Are my Wes and Jen okay?"

"Last time I looked. How did you get away?"

"They left me unguarded. I managed to slip the ropes they tied me up with, and grab my morpher." He held up an arm, showing the wrist, grateful that it was still reddened and chafed from the handcuffs. "It was close. Had to fight my way out, but here I am."

"And I'm glad to see you. Wes and Jen will be too, all four of them." Eric-two cast another glance at him. "What did they do? Did they talk to you? Question you?"

"No. I was out for a long time. When I woke up, I was alone in the room, and I made my move." Eric smiled grimly. "Wasn't much time for talking after that."

"I guess you were just lucky."

"Yeah, I'll say. Can I see my Wes and Jen? They got hit by the same blast I was."

"Yes. Sorry about that; I guess Lucas, Katie, and Trip got a little carried away in the fight. But Wes and Jen are fine."

"Good. Where are they?"

His double reached to pat his shoulder as Eric tried not to show his disgust at the contact. "They're probably still resting, but I'm sure they'll be glad to see you. Let me just find out if they're up. Why don't you wait in the living room; you look like you could stand to sit down, maybe have a drink."

"Okay."

He walked inside, waited for his counterpart's footsteps to fade, and quietly slipped back out, padding over the marble floor of the foyer and up the wide, curved stairway. The logical place to look would be Wes and Jen's bedroom. He made it upstairs and paused by the door, listening. Nothing. If they were under guard a knock might alert whoever was inside. If they were here, and alone, he'd have to risk walking in on whatever they were doing, and apologize later.

But there would be no need. Eric shoved the door open, flattened behind the doorframe while taking a quick look inside, then entered in a half-crouch, alert for any movement. Nothing, and no one. The bed was rumpled, but looked like it hadn't been slept in. As if Wes and Jen had never come back here last night.

Eric raised his left arm and hesitated. He could use his morpher to call, but again that could alert whoever had Wes and Jen, and at this point he could only assume they were prisoners. Probably better to just locate them with it, and try to get to them.

"Well! Look what the cat dragged in."

Eric jumped at the sound of a voice from the direction of the doorway, and turned to see possibly the last person he expected. Gaby, wearing very tight jeans and a very skimpy top, smiling that same amused and seductive smile. He glanced down at his now wrinkled and dirty suit. "Yeah, being captured by mutants tends to be hard on clothes."

"I heard about that. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine. Just looking for Wes and Jen."

"Very loyal, aren't you?"

"I try." He cautiously watched her come closer, something in her half flirtatious, half mocking manner setting his nerves on edge.

"Mmm. I like loyalty in a man. On the other hand, you have to know when to think about yourself. You've been through such a terrible time, and I could help you, you know... relax... get comfortable..."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean we could get a lot closer... like you and your own Gaby..." She stopped and looked up at him, a wide-eyed pout on her face. "Do you think I'm as pretty as she is?"

Not when you're smirking like that. "I guess. I mean, yeah, you're the same-"

She had stepped closer, running her fingers over the front of his shirt. "Then can't you think of better things to do than go looking for your friends? After all, you'll be leaving soon, and we haven't had a chance to get to know each other."

He took hold of her wrists as her hands began to undo the buttons. "I think we already know each other well enough."

"Oh, no, I had something much better in mind." She stepped around him, hands grasping his belt, and began to tug him towards the bed. "Do you want to guess what?"

"I - uh - can't imagine..."

"Oh, I'm sure you have a better imagination than that. In fact, I'm sure you can think of lots of things..."

"Hey!" Eric exclaimed in protest as she ran her hands around to the back of his waist and down, grabbed, and pulled him against her.

"Ring any bells?" she inquired sweetly.

"Cut it out!" He pulled her groping hands away again, feeling ridiculous, embarrassed, and angry.

"I'm just trying to be friendly. Besides, it could be so much fun with two of you. Both at the same time... that would be a blast, like identical twins..."

"Both! Are you crazy?"

"You should try it. You might like it." She was unbuttoning his shirt again, then trying his belt buckle when he stopped her. "Or maybe you, me, and Wes. Nothing like a threesome with two hot guys, and I should know."

"Christ, no... Stop that!" he exclaimed, trying not to sound panicky as he deflected another grab.

"Oh, come on, don't tell me you never tried it with your Gaby..."

"She's not into that kind of stuff!"

"How boring." She pouted, then smiled again slyly. "I know. Maybe you'd prefer you, me, and Jen...?"

The image her words suggested was distracting enough that he almost missed it: just a subtle flicker of expression in her face, a quick motion reflected in her eye. Eric whirled to find a gun pointed at him, and his own double's face grinning from behind it. With a giggle, Gaby backed away, out of the line of fire. He started to raise his arm.

"Don't try it. I can shoot faster than you can morph." Eric-two's smile was still firmly in place, but there was nothing remotely friendly about it. "And yes, this is an ordinary gun, the kind with bullets. The kind that'll blow a big, messy hole in you."

"You bastard. Where are Wes and Jen?"

"You'll see them soon enough. Now - take off your morpher."

"I don't think so." Eric tensed slightly. If he dived over the bed and behind it, morphing on the way...

"I wouldn't. Unless you want your pretty teammate here to get another one of those big nasty holes blown in her too." It was a new voice. Wes. No, Wes wouldn't be roughly dragging Jen through the doorway, her arms tied behind her back and another gun pressed against her temple. It was Wes-two, with Jen-two helping to control their hostage as she struggled. Lucas was right behind them, stepping to the side to get a good angle of crossfire, his eyes cold and a small blaster in his hand.

"Eric, don't do it," Jen gasped.

"But-" He hesitated.

"That's an order!"

There was no real choice. Fighting would only get them both killed. "Sorry. I don't take orders from you," Eric said as he slowly and reluctantly unfastened his morpher and dropped it to the floor. Gaby stepped in and scooped it up. He resisted a strong urge to kick her.

"That's better. I would have hated to spoil the carpeting," Wes-two said cheerfully. "It really is good to see you. As long as you were missing, we weren't sure whether to go ahead with our plan."

"What plan?"

"Ah, you'll find out soon enough. Now, shall we all go downstairs to the study and rejoin the others? We have so much to talk about."

- - -

TBC...