Sky settled his ship down as quickly as he could.
After they had contained Slate, he returned to see Murlock and, in his mind, stupidly let his emotions get in the way.
'Damn it!' he cursed in his head. He knew everyone would be angry with him over this. He never got overly emotional over anything, but when Murlock had mocked his father's tragic disappearance he lost it.
Ani was in command at the time and gripped her head in pain. Kat walked over to her and placed a hand on her back.
"What is it?" the doctor asked.
"It's… it's Sky," Ani breathed. "Something's happened… he's back."
Sky walked down the hallway, but was stopped suddenly by Boom… what he was told shook him to the core.
Ani again grabbed her head as pain entered her mind.
'Sky? What happened?' she asked him mentally.
'Boom just told me Murlock had something to do with Pop,' he answered back angrily.
Ani's eyes lit up as the other rangers entered Command. Jack instantly saw that there was anger in her eyes and walked over to her.
"What happened?" he asked carefully.
Sky stormed in.
"Why didn't you tell me about Murlock and my father?" he demanded. Ani moved away from Jack and stood next to her twin.
"It was not my intention to keep it from you," Cruger said.
"Just what exactly are you hiding?" Ani demanded.
Cruger sighed. "I'll debrief you both in one hour. The information I've received only came to me a few months ago… just before AJ returned."
Syd touched Sky's arm and he carefully lifted it off. "I think we need to talk," he said to his twin. Ani nodded and they walked down to Ani's room. Sky didn't miss the look Jack gave her as they exited…
Moments later found them in her room, both not really knowing what to say. Sky was pacing while Ani sat on her bed.
"What the hell happened out there Sky?" she asked.
"Murlock collects sad memories… I… I told him about Pop never coming back… and he used it to his advantage," Sky said bitterly.
Ani walked over and grabbed him in a hug. "I'm sorry Sky," she said softly. Sky hugged her back, thankful that she was here.
The past two weeks had been hell for him. They had always been so close…
"I'm the one who should be apologizing," he admitted as they broke away. "Syd talked to me after everything and… well…"
"She made you change your mind about Jack not being a total asshole?"
"No. I still think he's an asshole sometimes, but she made me realize that you're your own person and that I shouldn't make you do anything."
"You know you could never make me do anything anyway."
Sky smirked. "You never did listen to anyone." They sat there for a few more moments before Ani got up the courage to show something she hadn't even viewed yet… the thought to watch it never came to her mind, but if this Murlock character was everything he was cracked up to be, then there was no doubt in her mind…
"What are you doing?" Sky asked as she opened up a secured file on her laptop.
"When… when I was on KO-35 I kind of hacked into DECA's archival sector and looked up something," she said as she opened the file.
Sky walked over with a knowing sense in his gut. "Is it…?"
"The battle against Grumm… I wasn't sure what it was at the time, but Zhane had mentioned that every ranger battle has been taped by DECA on the Megaship… like a constant surveillance."
"Have you watched it?" Ani shook her head, no.
"Are you ready to?" Again, Ani shook her head.
"Are you?" she asked. Sky shook his head as well, but they knew they had to see what really happened to their father.
Ani pushed play on the player software, and they watched as their father appeared on the screen in his civilian clothes.
They watched as Grumm fooled him, and they watched as he morphed and fought with everything he had…
Then, while clutching the dog tags he had gave them, as well as each other, they watched as he jumped in front of their uncle to save him.
Tears were streaming down their faces as they saw the explosion, but something… something out of the ordinary caught Sky's eye.
"Ani… can you… can you rewind it a little," he asked.
Wordlessly, she obeyed and played it again.
"Stop right there," Sky said as the video paused. "Do you see that?" he said pointing to a spot.
The tape was paused just before the full brunt of the explosion filled the screen.
"I do see it," she said as she zoomed in. "There's a bright light right there."
It was true. There was a small explosion just before a larger one. Eric disappeared just after the small explosion… when the light appeared. It was gone as quickly as it got there, but it was definitely there.
"So… that means Pop," Ani began.
"Could still be alive," Sky finished. "It makes sense." He stood and began walking around the room. "Murlock was a well known criminal,"
"And Onyx was a literal breeding ground for the scum of the universe," Ani said softly. "He could have planned it all… with Grumm."
As the reality set in that their father could still be out there, Cruger entered.
"I know I said an hour, but there's been an emergency. Murlock's back. We need you in the field Sky," he said. "And you in Command Ani."
Still in a bit of shock, the twins obeyed their Commander and headed out.
Ani monitored the rangers as they split up. Jack had opted to go alone while Syd and Sky went together and Bridge and Z teamed up.
"Commander!" she shouted when Z and Bridge disappeared from her radar. "Delgado and Carson just left my radar."
Cruger walked over to her monitor, and they watched as Syd and Sky's signal disappeared as well.
"Damn it!" Ani cursed. She punched in a code and connected to Jack's morpher. "Jack, the others have disappeared off the radar."
"All of them?" he asked back nervously.
"All of them… just be careful," she said. Cruger walked out of the room, and Kat knew the Shadow ranger would be making an appearance…
"I will," Jack's voice cut out as a robot appeared in the city. "I think we have a bigger problem down here!"
Ani looked over the monitors as Kat was furiously typing in codes. "Ani," she said. "Jack can't pilot the Delta Megazord alone…"
"But he can pilot the Omega Zord," Ani said softly. Se pulled up a file and sighed as she punched in the access codes.
"Are you sure it's ready?" Kat questioned.
"We'll see," she said as she contacted Jack. "Jack, I'm sending you the Omega Zord. You should be able to pilot it yourself, but I'm going to warn you… it's faster than anything you're used to."
"Got it," Jack said.
Ani sent the zord and they watched as it descended on the city and transformed. Kat saw the look in Ani's eyes as her master project was sent out. Her eyes were misting over with small tears, but she wouldn't let them fall.
Kat knew now was the time to give Ani what she had always wanted. She opened the case to the Omega Morpher.
Ani watched as Murlock appeared on the screen, capturing the Omega zord and Jack.
"Kat! He's taken the zord!" she said. "We have to do something!"
"My thoughts exactly," the feline said as she handed her the morpher. Ani's eyes widened in shock.
"Me?" she questioned.
"It was always meant for you. Doggie was going to wait a little longer, but we don't have a choice… go. Help your team."
Ani nodded and took her creation in her hands. "SPD EMERGENCY!" she cried.
Moments later, Ani was speeding down the streets of New Tech City on her bike, adrenaline pumping through every part of her body.
She reached her destination and found Commander Cruger fighting with Murlock. She dismounted and fired at the criminal.
Murlock cried out in pain as Cruger ran over to Ani.
"It's good to see you Lieutenant," he said. Ani nodded in response.
"Where are the others?" she questioned.
"You're little friends are safe with me," Murlock said. "And you're going to join them soon!"
He fired a blast at them and the rolled off to the side. Ani watched as Murlock appeared in the glass reflection of the building next to them. The rangers all appeared in the reflection and Murlock reemerged.
Sky's eyes lit up as he watched the new ranger and Cruger fight Murlock. He knew her fighting style and smiled a little when he realized that it was his twin…
Cruger was thrown into a barrier and laid on the ground, leaving Ani to fight. The others watched as she was thrown against the building, struggling to get up.
"Come on Ani! You can do this!" Sky said to her. His voice was faint, but she heard it.
Murlock opened his chest panel, showing the mirrors, and Ani realized that the never-ending reflection was the source of his containment abilities.
Just as he was about to capture her, she sprung up off the ground and hit him with everything she had.
The mirrors shattered and the others landed around her, gasping for breath, struggling to stand.
Cruger ran over to them and they all regrouped.
"Nice suit," Sky commented. Ani grinned under her visor and demorphed.
"You will never defeat me!" Murlock cried as he looked at the rangers; his eyes resting on Sky and Ani. "You're weak! Just like your father!"
Jack saw the hurt and anger in both sets of blue eyes and knew what he was about to do was right.
"Here," he said as he handed his morpher to Sky. "Do it for him."
Ani placed her hand on Jack shoulder and gave him a small smile.
'Do it Schuyler,' Ani said to him in her head. Sky took the morpher and turned to Murlock.
"SPD EMERGENCY!" he cried out. Ani's eyes misted over as she watched her brother in red, fighting the villain. Using the new battlizer, Sky made quick work of Murlock, capturing him in a containment card.
"Power down," Sky said. Syd ran to him and grabbed him in a tight hug,
Cruger walked over to them as everyone congregated around Sky. "I'll take Murlock in. I still need to speak to the two of you," he said to the twins. "But when you're ready."
Ani and Sky nodded in response and Cruger took off.
Sky turned to his sister and hugged her tight.
Jack felt Z's hand on his shoulder and turned to his partner in crime.
"Looks like she'll be sticking around for a while," Z said.
"Looks that way to me," Jack replied with a smile on his face.
Sky turned to Jack and handed him his morpher back. "Thank you," he said. Jack nodded and shook Sky's hand.
Syd stood next to Ani. "Maybe there's hope for the two of them getting along after all," the Pink ranger commented.
"I hope so Syd… I really do," Ani replied. She and Sky still had a lot of things to figure out, but this was defiantly a start to finally getting their lives together.