Disclaimer: Power Rangers does not belong to me, nor does Dekarangers. Also shout-outs to those at TV-Nihon.
A/N: A big thing my readers should know: I ADORE Sentai's DekaRangers! (Dekarangers is the Japanese show that Power Rangers SPD was based off of.) That being said for these next couple chapters, I am going to input some of the Dekaranger phrases in place of SPD terminology. It's not a major deal in plot of this story or its relation to the SPD series, but I'm just using them 'cause, well, I like them better! A challenge going out to any Sentai fans who can pick up the parts of this chapter that use Dekaranger phrases.
Chapter 9: SPD Emergency
In the present
"Any luck locating Z?" asked Sky as he apprehensively clasped his hands together.
"Unfortunately Sky, the answer's still no," replied Kat tiredly as she poured over the Command Center computers.
"And you can stop asking us that every five minutes?" added Bridge as he too checked the scanners. "It's not helping us find Z any fasters."
Z had been gone over three hours since being captured by Count Clock-u-lar, and despite outwardly maintaining his cool demeanor, Sky inwardly was on the verge of a breakdown. Each minute that passed in which Bridge and Kat where unable to locate Z caused Sky's emotions to slowly unravel a little more. The thought of anything happening to the girl he cared for so deeply as a friend – and recently as more – almost brought the normally terse Sky to the point of tears.
Looking over at Sam, Sky saw that the young, green ranger was as clearly concerned for Z's safety as he was. Sam was just continuing to be a lot more vocal about it.
"WHY ISN"T Z BACK YET!" bawled the twelve-year-old boy.
"She'll be OK," soothed Syd, cradling Sam in her arms and trying to shush B-Squad's littlest ranger. Sam, however, refused to be pacified and continued wailing loudly.
"I WANT Z BACK NOW!" cried Sam louder than the SPD emergency sirens.
Tightening his jaw at Sam's non-stop three hour tear fest, Sky offered the green ranger another Kleenex to contribute to the ever-growing pile of tissues surrounding the young boy. Sam took the tissue gratefully and looked expectantly at his B-Squad leader.
"Sky, we ARE going to find Z, right?" implored Sam, stiflingly loudly.
"Of course," responded Sky, refusing to the let the young, green ranger fear for the worst like he currently was. Finally appeased at the assurances of his leader, Sam jumped up and threw his arms tightly around Sky.
"We've got a problem though if Sam's original hypothesis is correct," cut in Kat tensely. "We have the technology to allow for time treks to the past, but not to the future. If Z was kidnapped and traveled ahead in time, we have no way of getting her back or even helping her at all."
"She would be on her own," added Bridge nervously. "The only way for Z to return to the present and allow for the normal flow of time to resume would be for her to defeat Count Clock-u-lar and Admiral Alarm."
"Z has to be alright," said Sam still holding fast to Sky. "I love her so much!"
"I know how it is, Sam," thought Sky desperately to himself. "I love Z, too."
Back to 20 years in the future
Hearing the SPD emergency sirens blaring throughout the building, Z rushed toward the Command Center where she found Nova, Omega and B-Squad already awaiting instructions from Commander Doggie Cruger. Even twenty years in the future, the battle briefing scene seemed eerily reminiscent to Z except that Sky, Bridge and Sophie were all in their late thirties while Zack and Alanna – the younger members of B-Squad – were barely old enough to vote. Yet all of B-Squad, plus Nova and Omega, stood at the ready as the soldiers of New Tech City's SPD branch.
"What's the emergency, Sir?" asked Nova in a business-like tone.
"Admiral Alarm and Count Clock-u-lar have returned," answered Cruger. "They've just robbed a bank about a block away from the SPD Academy."
"We'll take care of these criminals, Sir," assured Sky to Cruger. "SPD…"
"Wait a second, B-Squad," cut in Cruger. "Admiral Alarm and Count Clock-u-lar are time force criminals. Technically by SPD code, this case is out of your jurisdiction."
"But," sputtered Bridge in surprise.
"Who's going to battle those thieves then?" asked Sky angrily. The red ranger followed Cruger's gaze over Nova and Omega, who shifted uncomfortably. Sky glowered at the couple. Whenever SPD's revered investigative team showed up for short stay, it seemed to Sky that Doggie saw Nova and Omega as more qualified to handle any attacks on Earth. As the longtime B-Squad red ranger, Sky was not used to being out-ranked.
"Sir," began Omega to Cruger, "We'd capture Admiral Alarm and Count Clock-u-lar in half the time if B-Squad came with us.
"Besides, even if you ordered Sky to stay behind, he and B-Squad would end up following us out to battle anyway," added Nova, winking at Sky. "At least that's what I would do."
"Thanks you guys," replied Sky gratefully to Nova and Omega as the three exchanged a look of mutual understanding for one another.
"Fine then," relented Cruger. "Go then, rangers!"
"Ready?" asked Nova.
"Ready!" responded Omega and B-Squad.
"SPD Emergency!" the group cried together.
The ranger raced toward the SPD vehicles to make the short, block trip to the crime scene. On instinct, Z ran after the rangers before being halted by a growl from Cruger.
"Where do you think your going, Delgado?" barked the old dog.
"Sir, I've seen what Admiral Alarm and Count Clock-u-lar are capable of," implored Z. "Please let me go help my friends!"
"I'm afraid I can't consent to that," replied Cruger.
"But Nova said my morpher would work in the future!" cried Z.
"Yes, Nova was right," confirmed Cruger. "But in this time, Zack is the B-Squad yellow ranger. To have two, morphed yellow rangers drawing from the same power source would put both your lives in danger."
"But even if I can't morph, I can still help!" begged Z.
"You will stay put, Delgado!" barked Cruger. "That's an order!"
Sulking, Z turned to the screens in the Command Center and could only watch as the battle unfolded.
Meanwhile, the rangers had arrived at the crime scene where they found Admiral Alarm and Count Clock-u-lar carrying bags of stolen money out of the infiltrated bank.
"SPD, even in the future?" groaned Admiral Alarm with annoyance.
"Haven't you kids grown-up from your Power Ranger days?" complained Count Clock-u-lar. "What are you doing here?"
"One," announced Sky, "To hate cruel wickedness."
"Two," stated Bridge, "To give chase to mysterious cases."
"Three," said Sophie, "To investigate with futuristic science."
"Four," began Zack. "Unjust evil in the universe…"
"Five," finished Alanna. "… will immediately be eliminated!"
"SPD Red!" roared Sky, dropping into his traditional, color pose.
"SPD Blue!" belted Bridge, following suit.
"SPD Green!" cried Sophie.
"SPD Yellow!" yellowed Zack.
"SPD Pink!" announced Alanna.
"Power Rangers!" shouted B-Squad all together as the siren lights on the side of the helmets flashed. "Space Patrol Delta!"
As B-Squad began to battle Admiral Alarm, Count Clock-u-lar started over to help his partner in crime. However, two more ranger in blue and gray spandex suits blocked his path.
"Sorry, Count Clock-u-lar," chided Omega. "But you're spending your time with us!"
"You're the two rangers who took my hostage from me earlier today," said Count Clock-u-lar, clearly ticked. "You made off with her so quickly, I didn't have time to catch your names."
"Exposing evil in the light of day," declared Nova. "Detective of Light: SPD Nova Ranger!
"Facing cruel evil and smashing the darkness of fear!" shouted Omega. "Detective of Daybreak: SPD Omega Ranger!"
"This time Count Clock-u-lar, it's become personal since you were the one that kidnapped my younger self!" added Nova.
"Hey Nova," said Omega coyly as he held out his gloved hand. "Wanna dance?"
"I guess this is where all those swing dancing dates you took me on pay off!" laughed Nova as Omega flirtatiously turned his girlfriend inward toward him.
Spinning outward, Nova landed a direct kick in Count Clock-u-lar's stomach that caused the machine to double over in pain. Next Omega lifted his girlfriend up parallel to the ground so that when she swung down her legs, they smashed into Count Clock-u-lar's head. The machine tried to run around to the other side of Omega, but Nova's boyfriend slid her between his spread legs so that Count Clock-u-lar was still met with a hard kick.
"And I thought girls were supposed to be soft!" groaned Count Clock-u-lar.
"You think I kick tough?" asked Nova challengingly. "You haven't seen nothing yet!"
"Impulse fist!" shouted Nova and Omega together as rapid-speed, electro punches came pounding out from the rangers' armed gloves.
From back in the SPD Command Center, Z cheered as she saw on the screen Count Clock-u-lar fall to the ground at the brink of defeat thanks to Nova and Omega's skilled efforts. Z glanced over to another monitor where it appeared B-Squad had achieved similar success in their battle against Admiral Alarm.
"D-Bazooka!" declared B-Squad as a large cannon dropped into the five rangers' hands.
"They've got some really cool weapons in the future," thought Z to herself as she watched the B-Squad rangers on the screen. Yet Z thought it was odd that Admiral Alarm would be smiling with such an imposing canon facing him. Z's suspicions were confirmed when she saw Nova and Omega running frantically over toward B-Squad.
"Don't use the D-Bazooka!" cried Nova nervously; a note of distinct panic in her voice.
"Remember, he's a time force criminal," screamed Omega, trying to warn his friends. "The attack will backfire!"
Z saw in horror that Omega was right – literally – as Admiral Alarm used his time-altering abilities to send the D-Bazooka's blast right back at B-Squad. The five rangers screamed in pain as their backfired attack sent them skidding rapidly across the pavement. For Sophie and Zack however, who were in the front holding the D-Bazooka when the initial shot was launched, Admiral Alarm's counterattack hit them the hardest. Z watched helplessly as Zack became de-morphed and landed hard on the ground unconscious.
"SOPHIE!" screamed Bridge with fear as he ran over and knelt by his girlfriend who's mechanical arm had been burned off.
"Why did the D-Bazooka's blast not work when Nova and Omega's Impulse Fists did?" Z questioned desperately to Cruger.
"The light-speed ability of the Impulse Fist attack makes it invincible against time force criminals like Count Clock-u-lar," explained Cruger tightly. "However heavy machinery attacks, like those from a D-Bazooka weapon, take milli-seconds longer to reach an opponent. Now that wouldn't mean anything against a normal criminal, but against a time force thief like Admiral Alarm, those few milli-seconds give him just enough time to turn the attack around back on his foes. I was worried something like this might happen. That's why I didn't want to send B-Squad, who lack Nova and Omega's time force experience, into a battle setting like this."
"Admiral Alarm and Count Clock-u-lar will pay for hurting me and my friends!" thought Z angrily to herself as she turned her attention back toward the Command Center monitors that broadcasted the battle.
"The bells toll for you, rangers!" laughed Admiral Alarm vindictively as he jumped in the air and landed in the cockpit of a giant, vehicular weapon. Swinging the mechanized monster's arms to the side, Admiral Alarm's massive robot sent a skyscraper splintering to the ground.
"That's not all we have for you, SPD scum!" exuded Count Clock-u-lar evilly. "We have friends all over the timeline. Second-hand Soldiers!"
"Those look like the Krybots we used to battle back in the days when we fought against Grumm," cried Bridge from where he still held the injured Sophie in his arms.
"This situation looks bad!" thought Z to herself in a panic, noticing in particular Zack's inability to battle due to his unconscious state. "There's got to be something I can do to help!"
"Bridge, get Sophie and Zack into an ambulance now!" commanded Cruger over the radio as he swung into action. "Omega, call for the Omegamax Megazord now and take care of Admiral Alarm and his massive robot machine. Nova, you'll have to take on Count Clock-u-lar by yourself. Sky and Alanna, you two deal with the Second-hand Soldiers. And Alanna puppy," Cruger added in a gentler tone to his daughter, "Please be careful."
"Daddd," whined Alanna with embarrassment before following Sky to fight off the Second Hand soldiers.
"I hope the rangers will be successful all split up like this," worried Cruger, turning to Z. "Delagado? Delagado?"
Turning to the Command Center monitors, Cruger's worst fears were confirmed as he saw Z racing toward where Nova was readying herself to battle Count Clock-u-lar.