It was almost twelve in the afternoon when they finally crashed in the common room. Z and Syd took only five minutes before heading off to the showers to wash up, but McKnight stopped them. In the light, McKnight did prove to have some female features; long, black hair that was always in a tight braid, her left ear was peirced in three places and her right was peirced in two places, her eyes were like looking at sharp shards of icy chills, her height reached about the top of Sky's shoulder, she always wore a hat that cast a shadow over her eyes and also gave her a sterner look than the uniform of an A-squad Ranger. At the moment, she had changed into her original uniform, which revealed an hour-glass shaped body and still made her seem threatining and very stern, but where it should have be pink or yellow or anyother ranger color, but silvery grey.

"Look! We did you're mudd run, push-ups, sit-ups, the wind-sprint, the pull-ups, the endurence run! What more do you want!" Syd demanded.

"Here. Takes the mudd out of you're hair." McKnight had handed Z a half-used bottle. "It makes the watter a bit dirty, but get's the mudd out." She turned to the boys. "Go get cleaned up, all of you, then I want you back here, you have half an hour, starting now."

---

McKnight gave them one full hour to rest up after a fifteen-minute lunch before she requested they do meditation, calming their bodies.

That lasted a good two and a half hours. McKnight snapped them out of it and sighed. "You guys are wose than I thought. I guess SWAT training didn't affect you permanantly." She rubbed the back of her kneck. "Welcome, D-level A-squad members to the ending of your first day of training."

"WHAT!" came five suprised, overwhelming, loud, unexplainable yells.

McKnight covered her ears. "Hey!" She glared at them. "Crugger decided it was time to upgrade the new Rangers to active-duty-call. During this time, you will all be awarded the privilages and hard-ships of the A-squad members, weather you like it or not. First, however, you must brush up on you're training and skills. We will home in on the better abilities."

"What?" Syd repeated. "Our 'better abilities' would be...?"

McKnight sighed and shook her head. "Let's start with you, Sydney Drew. Physically, without training, you couldn't even hit a wall, but, you also have the genetic powers to create some element with you're fist, you are crative, fulient, and have a knack for worming out of tough spots. Elizabeth Delgado, you would still be on the streets afraid to make friends with someone new because of tramatizing memories, but now that you have a new set of friends to stand beside you, your inner strength comes from your smile, you are also the most fit of the girls, and you tend to care about this group as a family. Bridge Carson, although you were adopted, you made friends with someone who was ubreakable, but you are still shy when it comes to expressing, but, you have the crativity of an artist who works with what he's got and improvises. Schyler Tate, although adopted as well, you don't forget your place but are still a bit out of place after your mother's suicide, but all in all, you still are the one to keep a clear head in the face of danger, you become the pillar of strength, and you also like to read books, study everything you can on a subject. And you, Jack Landors, aren't always in need of a friend, but you still asked for one, this is why you are red ranger; because you know when it's time to call on a helping hand and it usually comes, weather you like it or not." McKnight continued to rub the back of her neck. "Unfourtunately, the bad angles will be assesed as well. Don't think it's all about greatness and good things. Drew, we'll work on you not being as preppy as you are being, Delgado, we'll work on you and your making friends problem, Carson, we'll help you become a little more braver in expressing yourself, Tate, we'll work on your people skills, Landors, well, we'll keep you from slacking so much."

Bridge raised his hand. "Um, who's the other part of we? Not that it's that bad, but you kept saying we, and we means two or more, but you can't be two or more, unless there is another you somewhere in here and still unseen, but that means that we can't trust you because your not a 'we', are you?"

McKnight shook her head. "We is me and Rain. No, we're not talking the weather rain, I'm talking Cadet Rain. She and I are undercover Rangers from A-squad. We were both special forces. We will be you're mentors until we decide who will be reported to Crugger-"

"-as the next Ranger on A-squad." They turned to see another girl in the same uniform as McKnight, but was coppery-brown instead of silvery grey. She had a beautiful face, slightly tanned skin with soft hazel eyes and lush lips, and her hair was layered sandy brown with a soft, goldish highlights and was currently carrying a small box with her. She looked like she was a little shorter than Z. "Hi!" She waved. Her smile seemed to illuminate everything. "I would like you, all of you, to put your morphers in this box. You won't be needing them for the next week, or until one of you comes to the top and breaks the barracade we've put on your old quarters." She held out the box and, in turn, each placed their morphers in the box. "Now," Rain's smile faded, "I want all of you to listen carefully to me. Each of you has a seperate room in this space. If you can find you're room before we start the introductions of the other Ranger and start discussing schedules, which is at about 1430 hours, then you can keep that room to yourselves. If you want a roommate, then both of you pick a room together. Off you scoot."

Sky and Bridge sat side-by-side while the others zoomed off to find their rooms. Bridge tugged Sky's sleeve and Sky looked down at his hand with a little bit of suprise. "Yes?"

"Can we room together again?" Bridge asked.

Squee and Rain smiled at each other. Rain gave a snort, to which Squee punched her arm. "Hey, don't laugh! We were like that for a while to, remember? We were inseperable, then we became A-squad with connecting rooms. Don't laugh at them! It's just a friendly gesture."

Bridge stood up and dragged Sky off to the first door and stood in front of it. Sky stared at the door. Bridge nudged him. "This one."

"Why?" Sky stared at his roommate.

"I dunno! It feels safe?"

"Feels safe?" Sky repeated Bridge's words. "All right, if you say so." Sky lifted his hand to unlock the door. The green button fluttered yellow and the doors hissed open.

Two jaws dropped ten feet down.

Green and blue clashed neatly and things were perfectly set the way they liked it. Bridge's books were stacked a little crooked on the floor, his bed was a little screwed and wrinkly, his computer was hooked up to a toster and waffle iron, his bookshelf looked like a make-shift pile of hard and paperback books, and the walls were plastered with pictures of his favorite football team, his friends, and his hobbies hung about. Sky's cloths were neatly folded on his bed, which was neatly made, books lined the shelf above his bed, in alphabetical order, the nightstand held the picture of Sky and his dad, his blue lamp was lit up with a soft glow, his floor was spotless, and his closet was neatly arranged.

"Welcome to your new room, Blue and Green Rangers." Rain smiled. "We didn't think you two'd want to split up, so we put Blue and Green in the same room. You two are inseperable at some point. When you get comfy, come out to the common room and wait for the others."

---

Jack had found his respected room, as had Z and Syd, all three after about seventeen tries on different doors.

Rain and Squee were playing rock-paper-siccors on one of the couches. Rain suddenly made a yelp as Sam smacked her in the back of the head. "Hey!"

"What about me!" he demanded.

Rain looked at Squee who shrugged it off. "Look, Sam. Crugger didn't say you need the training, as you've already got it, so you already passed beyond this and are part of Crugger's elite task force thingy," Squee said, waving her hand dismissivly. "Now stop hurting Rain."

Rain had a fake look of pain on her face for a split second and suddenly got up. "You guys found 'em?"

"Yeah, after about the umpteenth time." Sky and Bridge looked at one another then up at Jack. "What?"

"It took us one try," Bridge said. He smiled. "I guess it took you longer because of guilty consious?"

Syd shook her head. "All right, what time is it?"

Squee heaved a great sigh. "You guys barely missed the deadline. 1429." She climbed to her feet and grabbed a remote off the table. "Now, each of your rooms are equiped with these features. Rain?"

"Right!" Rain smiled. "Each room is equiped with surround sound speakers, specially choosen songs that are choosen for each memeber in that room. Each has one or two custom made bathrooms, one or two custom made beds, sheets, pillows, and other accessories for sleep. Each room also has a communication link to other rooms and to the Command Center. You get digital videos, tv, and you also have custom made uniforms for work, sleep, or just for going under cover. These uniforms were made by your genetic powers, personality, and pereferences." Rain lookes at Squee. "Now, Squee, here, will give you your new uniforms and set the schedule."

"Any questions before we begin?" Squee looked at Bridge's hand. "Yes?"

"Is your name spelled S-k-e-e or S-k-i?" Bridge looked a little confused.

"It's spelled S-q-u-e-e, looks like the sound made from a squeeky toy, sounds like ski, and isn't what I want to be called. I'm adopted. Now, any furthur questions? No? Good. Now, being an A-squad member has it's responsibilities and it's privilages. A privilage is that most of the day is dedicated to bonding or fighting time. You are to be in the common room no later than 1900 hours and to be in bed by 2000 hours. You will rise at 0400 hours, begin your work-out at 0700 hours, from then until 1700 hours is yours to do what you like. If you are caught doing any work from classes or assesing any motivations for Grumm, then you will be sent to your room or expelled. Any questions there?" Squee looked at them and continued when no one raised their hand. "Good. Now, please stand over by Rain and I'll assign you each your personalized wardrobe." She pointed to the far end of the room.

Rain stood beside five doors. Each was as plain as the next. There was a soft click as Squee pressed a button. The doors hissed open and a small platform reeceeded from each. Rain saw the confusion and her smile widened. "Place your morphers on each platform. This will determin the style, type, and size to make the uniforms."

It took about three seconds for Sky's. His was a sharp, crisp uniform. The number two was embeded on the collar of his jacket, which had a blue left sleeve and one blue stripe on the right side of the chest area, the pants were black-ish gray with two blue stripes speeding down the side to his shoes. The shirt was a rich royal blue that had black letters and white dots reading S. P. D.

Syd's was a beautiful uniform with a skirt instead of a set of pants. Her's was a pink skirt that flitted about her knees and had black lining, the top was complete with a pink coat and a black shirt. The shoes looked like black and pink buckle combo for Mary-Jane-like shoes.

Bridge had a plain, long-sleeved, dark green shirt with comfortable leather gloves, the green shirt had the SPD badge imprinted on the left, upper sleeve, his pants were black with one single neon green strip down the right side.

Jack's was a denim jacket with black stitching, the shirt underneath was maroon, the pants were faded, black jeans with red stiching and the back of his denim jacket had the academy initials with Space Patrol Delta printed under each letter.

Z had something similar to Syd's only where pink was replaced by yellow and thick boots that had yellow laces and a yellow heart on the bottom of the boots, and had one silver badge with the dog and POLICE on each wrist.

Rain smiled. "Rangers! Suite-up for a close combat drill in five." She pushed off the wall she'd been leaning on and hooked her arm around Squee's neck and litterally dragged the girl from the room. "See you in five!"