Disclaimer: I don't own any of the SPD Rangers. I own this plot, though, so if you decide to try and steal it, I will find you and knock you senseless. Or I'll just report you. So, for those of you who are nice, non-plagiarizers, enjoy.

Bridge silently walked back into the Common Room, confused and still pensive. He decided on doing a headstand to let his thoughts flow.

"Are you still busy thinking about the mechanic, Bridge?" Z teased. "If you asked her out on a date, I'm sure you'd find out more."

"Yeah, and she might decide on wearing a nice outfit too. I think it'd be easier to talk to somebody who's dressed in regular clothes." Syd cut in.

Bridge was too busy thinking to respond. He was putting all his ideas together.

Sky hates her for a reason.

She's an ex-con.

She calls him Schuyler, but she doesn't know anybody else on B Squad's names.

She's obsessive about her toast.

She has a very pretty smile.

She's familiar to us, but we've never seen her before today.

She used to room with Sky a while ago…

Bridge let the ideas roll around for a while, then gave up. He came out of the headstand and sighed.

"I'm upset that I can't figure this out." Bridge exclaimed as he sat down in a chair.

"Oh, don't beat yourself up over it, Bridge. It's something you shouldn't be worried about anyways." Syd said. The picture she was painting was quite the abstract piece. Z was playing a game on the computer, and Jack was watching an old 80's movie on the wide screen plasma. Sky was obviously working on his punishment.

"Oh man…three months without Sky in here…" Jack said as he began to dig into the bowl of popcorn.

"What was his punishment?"

"Three weeks of discipline training with D Squad cadets when he's not on duty. Oh man, I'd hate to be him!" Jack laughed.

"Gee, Jack, thanks for the comment." Bridge started thinking about sleeping on the Common Room's couch for the next three weeks. Sky would not be a happy camper, or a good roommate

"So, I take it you ran into her again?" Z asked.

"Yeah. She was in the cafeteria. She was obsessing over the thickness of the jam on her toast."

"I see. So, are you two gonna be toast buddies now?" Z joked.

"Not really. She's really shy, it seems."

"Well, like I said, maybe you should ask her out on a date." Syd said, looking back at her painting and inspecting it.

"I don't like her like that, Syd."

"Well, it doesn't have to be a romantic date. Take her out to lunch or something. Girls are more willing to talk if you take them out to eat."

"Well, I mean…Sky-"

"We won't tell him a thing. You'll just be out having lunch by yourself, according to us." Syd said with a wink.

Bridge thought it over, but decided against it. "It's okay. I'm just going to drop it. I'm fine." Bridge sat down next to Jack and grabbed a handful of popcorn.

The alarm suddenly went off, causing the foursome to jump up and run for the Command Center.

Sky met them there, a sour look painted on his face.

"We have a monster out on the loose. His name is Mordom, and he is a highly trained assassin who is an associate of Grumm's. He's wanted for the countless murders of the space pirate clan The Marauders. I warn you all, do not let him come into close contact with you. He's infamous for a hypnotic persuasion at close range. He's down in Sector Two at this moment, hypnotizing civilians to fight each other. Proceed with caution, Rangers."

The B Squad Rangers saluted Cruger then ran to confront Mordom.

Fifteen minutes later, the Rangers arrived at the scene, and Mordom was having a fun time watching his victims brawl. Several girls were tearing each other's hair out in the parking lot, and a full-on brawl comprised of at least two dozen people was being conducted in the mall's entrance lobby. A tall, black, faceless alien stood by, laughing sadistically as it watched.

"Ah, how I miss the days of torturing innocent people…" Mordom mused. It was at this time that Mordom noticed the Rangers. "Ah, SPD. Just the crowd I was looking for."

"You're under arrest, Mordom." Sky stated as he took out his Delta Morpher.

"Ah, Officer Tate. How's the family?" Mordom asked.

"You can come in quietly or we can take you down by force." Sky replied, avoiding the question.

"I don't wish to fight you. I want the pirate girl. Grumm's orders. I won't hesitate to fight you all to get to her, either."

"The pirate girl you want is an SPD employee, and you'll have to go through me and everybody else at SPD to have her." Sky replied. Syd, Z, Jack and Bridge stood back, waiting for a fight to break out.

"I see. Just deliver this message to her and Cruger: 'Emperor Grumm awaits the arrival of the pirate girl, and if she will not come of her own accord or by SPD escort, then Emperor Grumm will have no choice but to take her by force.' Now, my job is done here. I hope to see you all quite soon." Mordom snapped his fingers and the people stopped fighting. He then swung his arms, kicked up dust, and escaped before the Rangers could start a battle with it.

"Dammit!" Sky shouted. The Rangers sighed as they went to check on the status of the civilians.

An hour later, the Rangers reported back to SPD Headquarters to give Cruger the bad news.

"I will not turn an SPD employee over to Grumm. The next time any of you see him, you are to attack and contain. That is an order."

"Yes, sir!" They saluted him quickly.

"You are all dismissed," As the Rangers began to leave, Cruger then added, "Officer Carson, I need to talk to you."

Bridge turned around and stood at attention as the Rangers went to their rooms.

"Yes, Commander?"

"I would like you to watch over Miss Tantalus, if you think you are capable of doing it."

"May I ask why you think I'm fit for the job?"

"You would be able to detect who is under Mordom's influence, regardless of their normal behavior. That's why I think you're best for the job. That and your personality is very non-lethal. I think that she will feel the least threatened or bothered if you were to be her guard."

"Well then, if I'm the best qualified, then I'll take the job."

"Good to hear, Carson. You start tomorrow morning."

"Yes, sir." Bridge saluted Cruger and walked to the Common Room. He then realized what he had just agreed to do.

"Oh boy." Bridge said, taking a breath and sitting down in the nearest chair. Z and Jack were in the lounge as well, and they turned around to see what was wrong.

"What's the matter, Bridge?" Jack asked.

"I'm now officially the mechanic's bodyguard." He sat his forehead onto the palms of his hands, then ran his fingers through his hands. "Cruger thinks I'd be the best for the job, so I accepted. This's gonna be so awkward."

"Well, it gives you a chance to figure out why Sky hates her, doesn't it?"

"She's got a point, Bridge." Jack smiled.

Bridge sighed.

"You both have a point." Bridge replied after a moment's pause.

Z gasped as her game suddenly froze, and an old-fashioned DOS window popped up.

Good afternoon. Is Officer Carson there?, the dialogue box read.

"Um, Bridge, could you come over here for a moment?" Z asked.

"What happened?" Bridge said as he got up.

"The computer…is asking for you."

"What?" Bridge walked over and saw the DOS window. "What's it say?" Bridge read the window and took over the keyboard.

This is Officer Carson. Who is this?

Hello. My name is ACTER. I am Miss Corona Tantalus's personal assistant. She is severely busy at the moment, but she has made a request for you to join her for breakfast tomorrow morning if you are not busy.

Bridge looked over at Z and Jack. They both smiled and gave him two thumbs up's.

Tell her that I'll gladly join her wherever she would like to go at whatever time she would like to.

She wasn't sure of your schedule, but she said that eight a.m. at Sonoma's on Main Street sounded like a good idea. She said that she would pay for her part of the bill.

Sounds good to me. Tell her eight a.m. it is.

I will send her the good news. Thank you for your time, Officer Carson.

The box then closed itself out, and Z's game started up again.

"Oh! Move out of my way!" Z shouted, shoving Bridge out of her chair. Syd walked in and smiled.

"Hey guys! You have to watch Sky! He's so cute amongst the D Squad cadets!" She squealed. Jack and Bridge followed Syd out the door. Z, however, found solace in her game.

Back at the lab, a message scrawled across Corona's open DOS window.

Miss Corona, I have a message for you from Mr. Bridge.

Corona looked up for a moment a few minutes later and saw.

"What does he want?" she asked into the microphone attached to her head. The computer automatically responded.

He's inviting you to breakfast at Sonoma's tomoroow morning at eight. Do you accept?

"This isn't something of your doing, is it ACTER?"

Of course not. He seemed nervous, but I assured him that you wouldn't say anything harsh to him if he asked.

"Well then, I should go shouldn't I?"

How often to men offer to meet you for breakfast and offer to pay their way?

Corona smiled and laughed softly. "You've got a point, ACTER. Tell him I accept."

I will do so this very instant.

The DOS window went blank and Corona continued on with her work.