Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers.
Dissension within the Ranks
Chapter 10
The next morning, there was a meeting taking place in the command center between the rangers, Kat, and Cruger.
"I've given it plenty of thought and I have decided that Sky needs to be either confined or destroyed," Cruger stated.
"Commander, are you serious?" Bridge asked in disbelief.
"That's a little much don't you think?" Z added.
"He's no different than any other monster of Grumm's. In fact he's even more dangerous because of all the knowledge he has of S.P.D.," Cruger explained.
"He's one of us though!" Syd exclaimed.
"You're right he is different than any other monster of Grumm's in that they are evil and Sky is not!" Bridge remarked.
"Sir, it's obvious that Grumm has done something to Sky," Jack said.
"Nevertheless he is still a threat to S.P.D.," Cruger replied.
"I can't believe you are saying this! Whatever happened to Sky being like your own son? Would you confine or kill your own son?" Kat snapped.
The rangers exchanged glances with each other like "Did she just say what I thought she said?"
"If it means the city will be safe, if it means S.P.D. will be safe, then yes I would," Cruger answered.
"Sir, Sky saved my life as well as Bridge's life. Now it's time for me to return the favor," Z said.
"The same goes for me," Bridge added.
"I've told you time and time again that letting your emotions get the best of you gives the enemy an added advantage and that is exactly what you are doing now. You may think I'm heartless but I'm approaching this using my head not my heart," Cruger said.
"You've also suggested not abandoning Sky, but isn't that what you're doing now?" Kat snapped.
"Enough! Damn it! Know your role! I am the Commander! I make the decisions around here not all of you! If I order you to confine or destroy Sky, then that is exactly what you will do no questions asked! Do I make myself clear?" Cruger yelled.
"Yes sir," the rangers answered through clenched teeth.
"Alright then, dismissed," Cruger said.
The rangers left the command center.
XXXXXXXXXXX
Back at Grumm's ship, Morgana was searching for Sky.
"Damn it! Where did he go?" Morgana asked out loud.
"What was that? Who are you talking about?" Grumm asked.
Morgana didn't realize that Grumm was behind her and was startled.
"It's nothing," Morgana answered nervously.
"Hey, weren't you supposed to have given Sky his next shot by now?" Grumm asked.
"Funny you should mention that. The thing is when I went to Sky's cell, he was gone," Morgana answered.
"What?" Grumm yelled.
"I've been looking all over for him, but I haven't been able to find him," Morgana said.
"Then I suggest you stop talking and start looking!" Grumm yelled.
Morgana ran off in search of Sky.
XXXXXXXXXX
Sky was at Piggy's café.
"It's S.P.D.! Run!" shouted an alien.
All the aliens that were eating at the café ran for cover.
"How many times do I have to tell you not to come here!" Piggy shouted.
"It's just me Piggy," Sky replied.
"Oh, where's everyone else?" Piggy asked.
"I don't know. Probably looking for me or maybe they don't care and aren't looking for me at all," Sky answered.
"What brings you by?" Piggy asked.
"Nothing much, but if the other rangers come here looking for me, tell them that I'm ok," Sky said before leaving.
XXXXXXXXXX
Back at the Academy, the rangers were in the recreation room.
"Man, I can't believe Cruger!" Z exclaimed.
"Guys, I don't know if I can do it," Bridge commented.
"Do what?" Syd asked.
"I don't know if I can take part in confining or destroying Sky," Bridge replied.
"Yeah he's not a monster, he's a human," Jack added.
"You guys have to do what Cruger asked. He is the commander," Sam said.
"You guys thought I was bad when I took advantage of my position," Jack remarked sarcastically.
"Hello, you were!" Syd responded.
"Yeah well I didn't order a teammate to be destroyed or confined," Jack replied.
"Guys, this is my fault, I should've stopped Giganis in the infirmary!" Syd exclaimed.
"I know how you feel Syd. I still feel responsible for the incident at the warehouse," Bridge commented.
"You don't know how I feel! You have no idea how I feel!" Syd snapped.
"You feel guilty. Just like I felt and just like I still feel," Bridge replied.
"Look Syd, I know this probably isn't the best time, but there's something you should know," Jack said.
"What?" Syd asked.
"Do you guys mind letting us talk in private?" Jack asked.
"You sure that's such a good…" Bridge started to say before Z elbowed him in the ribs.
Sam, Z, and Bridge left the recreation room.
"What do you want to talk about?" Syd asked.
"I did a horrible thing," Jack answered.
"Go on," Syd said.
"I don't know how to say this to you, but I think I'm the one who should rather than you hearing it from someone else," Jack started to say.
"Quit beating around the bush and just tell me!" Syd snapped.
"Yesterday, I raped you," Jack said.
"You didn't!" Syd replied.
"I'm sorry Syd," Jack said putting his hand on her shoulder.
"You're sorry? You're sorry! What the hell is your problem? You have ruined my life! How could you?" Syd yelled brushing Jack's hand off her shoulder and storming out of the recreation room in tears.
Sam, Z, and Bridge were walking in the hallway when Syd came darting past them in the direction of her room.
"Oh God, Jack told her!" Bridge exclaimed. He ran to check up on Syd.
XXXXXXXXXX
Sky knocked on the door of a two story fairly large house.
An elderly man of about sixty years of age answered the door. He had gray hair and a gray mustache. He was wearing a suit, a tie, black dress pants, and black dress shoes.
"Master Sky? It's so good to see you! Come on in!" the elderly man answered.
"Please William, just call me Sky. The only person you called Master was my…my…" Sky stuttered.
Seeing how Sky was having a hard time saying it, William finished the sentence for him "your father, yes I know."
"Yeah, well he's no longer alive, so you don't have to call anyone Master anymore," Sky said frowning.
"Come on in. We'll talk in the living room," William said.
Sky entered through the door and followed William to the living room.
"Would you like anything to drink?" William asked.
"Some water would be nice thank you," Sky answered.
William left to fetch some water from the kitchen. He returned shortly with two bottles of water.
"So why are you still here?" Sky asked.
"Excuse me," William replied.
"I mean you worked for my dad as a butler yet my dad died a few years ago and you're still here," Sky said.
"Yes well your father wasn't the only one I worked for," William responded.
"Come on William, you don't have to be my butler," Sky said.
"Well I think I owe it to your father to look out for you," William said smiling.
"Hey, you don't mind if I stay here for awhile do you?" Sky asked.
"Of course not, but if you don't mind me asking, what brings you by?" William asked looking at the duffel bag around Sky's shoulder.
"People are looking for me and I need somewhere safe to stay where nobody would suspect me to be," Sky answered.
"Aren't you supposed to be at the Academy?" William asked.
"S.P.D. is part of the people looking for me, and I can't let them find me," Sky replied.
"Why? What happened?" William asked.
"It's a long story," Sky commented.
"I'm a good listener and I have nowhere to be," William responded smiling.
Sky began telling William what had happened over the past few days.
XXXXXXXXXX
Back at the command center, Kat and Cruger were going at it.
"I can't believe you're ordering them to destroy or confine Sky!" Kat yelled.
"If you had stopped Giganis from taking Sky in the first place none of this would've happened!" Cruger shouted back.
"Don't you dare blame this on me Doggie! I tried stopping Giganis. He was too powerful for me! Besides, I'm not a ranger like you are! I can defend myself, but I lack the training!" Kat yelled.
"Damn it Kat! Can't you see I'm doing what's best for S.P.D.?" Cruger asked.
"What's best for S.P.D.? How is this what's best for S.P.D.?" Kat retorted.
"Sky is a threat to the Academy!" Cruger shouted.
"I can't believe this! You're the commander! You are supposed to be an example and a role model to all the other rangers, cadets, and staff here at the Academy! Sound familiar? It should because I practically quoted what you said to Jack!" Kat fired back.
"How dare you!" Cruger yelled.
"You claim you care about Sky, but how is killing him caring about him?" Kat asked.
"Get out of my sight now!" Cruger shouted.
Kat did as she was asked.
XXXXXXXXXX
"Syd, open up!" Bridge shouted knocking on Syd's door.
"Go away! I don't want to talk!" Syd hollered back.
"Come on, it's me Bridge!" Bridge said.
"I know that!" Syd shouted.
"Don't push me away," Bridge said.
"Just leave!" Syd yelled.
XXXXXXXXXXX
Back in the recreation room, Z found Jack sitting on the couch.
"Do you want to come with me to look for Sky?" Z asked.
"What do you have in mind?" Jack replied.
"Well, maybe Piggy has talked to Sky or at least knows something," Z answered.
"Ok, let's go," Jack said.
XXXXXXXXXXX
At Piggy's café, Morgana and Giganis were questioning Piggy.
"Have you seen the blue ranger today?" Morgana asked.
"Yes. He stopped by earlier today," Piggy answered.
"Did he say anything to you?" Giganis questioned.
"He told me to tell the other rangers that he's ok if I see them," Piggy replied.
"Did he say where he was going?" Morgana asked.
"No he didn't," Piggy responded.
"Are you sure?" Giganis asked.
"Positive," Piggy said.
"Come on Giganis, let's go," Morgana said.
XXXXXXXXXXX
Back at Sky's old house, Sky had just finished telling his story to William.
"So you see, I can't go back to the Academy," Sky said.
"I think you can but you just don't want to," William commented.
"How can I go back? I'm a wanted criminal now!" Sky exclaimed.
"No, you're a power ranger. You belong with your team," William remarked.
"I told you though they're not a team because of me," Sky said looking down at the ground.
"What happened isn't your fault. The things Syd and Jack did that got them in prison weren't your fault. As for your attacking them, your mind was being controlled," William said.
"I feel bad coming here. I'm probably putting you in danger by staying here," Sky stated.
"Maybe you should talk to your father out back," William suggested.
Sky nodded and then headed out to the backyard. He knelt down beside a tombstone. Sky's father had been buried in the backyard instead of at a cemetery because he had requested that was where he wanted to be laid to rest.
"Dad, what should I do?" Sky asked. "Grumm's after me, S.P.D.'s after me. I can't go back! It'll only cause more problems! Back at the warehouse, I was ready to accept death if it meant finally being able to be with you again. I miss you so much! You're probably disappointed with me that I'm not the red ranger like you were."
"You're wrong Sky," William said walking up to Sky. "I don't think your dad could be any prouder."
XXXXXXXXXXX
Back at Piggy's café, Jack and Z had arrived.
"It's S.P.D. run!" an alien shouted.
Seconds later, the café was customer-less.
"Why do you insist on chasing away my customers?" Piggy remarked.
"We wanted to ask you something," Z said.
"I told you. I'm out of that line of work!" Piggy exclaimed.
"Ok Piggy, what do you want from us? You name it and we'll give it to you if you answer some questions," Jack said.
"For one year, you rangers will stay away from my café," Piggy answered.
"One day," Jack replied.
"Six months," Piggy said.
"One hour," Jack responded.
"One month," Piggy answered.
"One minute," Jack said.
"One day," Piggy replied.
"Deal," Jack stated.
"Deal," Piggy agreed. "Sky came to me earlier today and told me to tell you guys that he was fine."
"That's all? He didn't say where he was going?" Z asked.
"No," Piggy answered.
"Are you sure?" Jack asked.
"Yes," Piggy replied.
"Ok, thanks Piggy," Z said. Z and Jack left.
"Wait a minute! One day?" Piggy shouted realizing he had fallen for the same trick.
XXXXXXXXXX
Kat was walking down the hallways of the Academy, when she saw Bridge standing outside of Syd's door.
"What's going on?" Kat asked.
"Syd won't let me in," Bridge answered.
"What happened?" Kat asked.
"I think Jack told her what had happened between the two of them," Bridge replied.
"I see," Kat responded.
"Hey Kat?" Bridge asked.
"Yeah?" Kat answered.
"Why don't you just track Sky's morpher?" Bridge asked.
"Because there's no tracker on the morpher, so the only way I can pinpoint his location is if he contacts us or he answers when we contact him," Kat explained.
"Have you tried contacting him yet?" Bridge asked.
"Not yet," Kat answered.
"I think we should because I can't follow through with destroying my best friend," Bridge remarked.
"Give him a call," Kat said.
Bridge took out his morpher and contacted Sky.
"Sky, do you copy?"
XXXXXXXXXXX
Back at Sky's old house, his morpher was beeping.
"Aren't you going to answer that?" William asked.
"I don't know if I want to," Sky replied.
"I think you should," William commented.
Sky reluctantly opened his morpher.
"Sky here," he said.
"Sky? Is that really you?" Bridge asked.
"Yes it's me," Sky replied.
"So you're ok?" Bridge asked.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Sky asked.
"Well you attacked us yesterday," Bridge remarked.
"My mind was being controlled, but I'm fine now. Grumm is searching for me though," Sky replied.
"Where are you?" Bridge asked.
Sky hesitated. "I'm on my way to the Academy," Sky answered. He saw William smiling at him like Sky was doing the right thing.
"Ok, well I guess I'll see you when you get here," Bridge said.
"Ok, see you then," Sky said before hanging up.
"So, I guess you won't be staying here after all?" William asked.
"I guess not," Sky replied. "Take care William," Sky said hugging the butler.
"You too Sky. If you ever want to come back, don't hesitate dropping by. I could sure use the company," William said.
"I will," Sky said.
"Oh and Sky?" William asked.
"Yeah?" Sky replied.
"You can take the car in the driveway. You'll get there faster," William said.
"Thanks," Sky said.
Sky walked to the driveway and he saw Morgana and Giganis.
"So, did you really think you could hide from us?" Morgana asked.
"How did you find me?" Sky asked.
"Oh please. It was obvious to me. This is the only place you'd go!" Giganis commented.
"Now ranger, it's time you return to Grumm. He's very angry at you," Morgana said.
"You want me? Come and get me! S.P.D. emergency!" Sky shouted.
Sky took out his Patrol Baton and headed in the direction of Morgana and Giganis when he found he couldn't move.
"To think you were this close to actually escaping me!" Grumm said standing behind Sky. Grumm had his hand up in the air and was using his telekinesis to stop Sky in his tracks. Grumm then threw Sky through a window.
"Sky, are you alright?" William asked.
"William, get out of here now!" Sky yelled.
"I'm not leaving you," William said.
Grumm lifted Sky in the air with his telekinesis and then threw him into the traffic on the street. Sky's body hit an oncoming semi truck and there was a sickening thud. Sky fell to the ground demorphed, bloodied, and his eyes had rolled to the back of his head.
The truck driver hit the brakes, got out of his truck, and ran when he saw Grumm, Morgana, and Giganis.
"Sky!" William shouted. He ran over to check on him, but was blasted in the back by Grumm's staff. William fell the ground dead.
"I told you ranger, Grumm was not happy!" Morgana said to the battered and bloodied blue ranger.
"Now that I've taught you a lesson, you're coming back with us!" Grumm said. He forcefully jabbed a second shot into Sky's neck. He draped Sky over his shoulders and he, Morgana, and Giganis teleported back to their ship.
XXXXXXXXXXX
Bridge was pacing back and forth in his room.
"Come on Sky, where are you? You said you were on your way back and that was fifteen minutes ago!" Bridge thought to himself.
Kat was passing by Bridge's room when she saw Bridge pacing back and forth.
"Were you able to contact Sky?" Kat asked.
"Yeah and he said he was on his way to the Academy, but that was fifteen minutes ago, so he should've been here by now. Something's not right," Bridge commented.
To Be Continued…
Note: Wow! Last chapter I received six reviews. That's amazing! That's the best turnout for a chapter thus far. Thank you so, so much. I'm glad you guys support me after I told you about the review I had received. After I received that review, honestly it was so hard for me to continue with this fanfic, but then I thought of all of the wonderful people who have read, reviewed, and supported this fanfic, and I realized they were counting on me to update. Thank you for rekindling my motivation. I finally touched on the Syd issue after I had received some comments asking when I would. KendrixAimeeOliver, NinjaStorm4Life, Beautiful-Me89, sky's girl forever, Crimson Mystery, sye04, and monkay-pooh thank you for having reviewed my fanfic. I kind of have a writer's block at the moment after getting the ideas I had in mind incorporated into my chapters, so I'll try to de-block myself soon. Thanks again. Oh, and I'm so excited for the two new S.P.D. episodes coming up this Saturday (for me at least since I don't have stupid Toon Disney). I can't wait for that!