Chapter 5: Revelations Reached

SPD Headquarters 2026

Common Room

"Ugh!" Syd huffed angrily as she plopped down on the couch beside Bridge. Z, who was sitting across from them reading a magazine looked up and raised an eyebrow.

"What's got your panties in twist this morning pinky?" Z asked curiously.

Syd fumed sending Z a death glare. "You want to know what's wrong with me? You really want to know?"

"I think that's why she asked Syd," Bridge chirped. "I mean, she obviously couldn't know because you haven't told her and she's not psychic. I mean, I'm psychic and I don't know. But wait a minute, so does that even mean I'm not really psychic? I mean, psychics are supposed to know what people are thinking. But I don't know what Syd is thinking which is a contradiction of me saying that psychics are supposed to know what people are thinking. But I used to be able to read peoples minds sometimes but that could just be because I spend so much time with you guys because you're my team mates and we constantly work together so I could just know what you are thinking because I know you really well. But I'm pretty sure it's not that because I did have that one vision that one time and I can still read people's auras but does that make me psychic? I am I losing my powers? Am I-

"BRIDGE!" Syd and Z yelled in unison silencing their rambling friend.

"I swear Bridge," Z said shaking her head, "one of these days you're going to pull a brain muscle."

Bridge opened his mouth to respond but Syd sent him a withering glare and he immediately shut his mouth.

"So pinky," Z said going back to their original topic, "What's got you in such a bad mood?"

Syd huffed angrily. "Sky!"

Z simply looked at her curiously. "Is this a specific Sky conflict or just a Sky being his annoying stubborn self type of rage?"

"Surprisingly, neither. He was supposed to meet me this morning so we could go over the specs for the new security protocol we were going to be proposing to Cruger this morning. We've been working on it for week but he was the one who said he'd pull together the budget while I worked on the details for implementing it. But go figure, of all the days he chooses to not to be a neurotic clock watcher is the day we have our presentation."

"Wait a minute," Z replied, shocked by Syd's story. "Sky, our Sky, was late to a meeting with Commander Cruger?"

"Worse!" Syd said, throwing her hands up into the air, "He didn't even show up. I looked like a fool in there!"

"Did you try contacting him on his communicator?"

"Obviously, but he wouldn't respond. Stupid neurotic stuck up jerk…" Syd muttered to herself.

"Is he not back from his morning jog yet?" Bridge asked.

Both Z and Syd gave Bridge a questioning look.

"Sky gets up every morning to go jogging for a few hours before breakfast."

"But breakfast is usually at 7:30 or 8:00," Z replied.

"I know," Bridge responded matter of factly.

"You're telling us he gets up at 6:00 every morning to go jogging before he's even had anything to eat?" Syd asked disbelievingly.

"No. He's gets up at 5:00."

Z shook her head. "I swear, that boy is even more of a robot than I thought."

"Naw, he's just a morning person. If you wake him up early enough (and he's had his coffee) he's actually been known to hum cheerful tunes."

Both Syd and Z's chin dropped. "No way," Sky replied shaking her head. "I don't believe that. Sky? Humming?"

"Humming cheerfully?" Z added.

Bridge nodded. "Not that I'm awake half the time when he gets up."

Syd and Z were still baffled. "What does he hum?" Z asked, not completely sure if she even believed Bridge.

"Frank Sinatra songs mostly." Bridge smiled devilishly, "He doesn't know I know this but he's got a major obsession with the rat pack. When I went to borrow his MP3 player once, the one he takes with him jogging, that's all he had on it."

Z paused for a moment thinking this over before she finally nodded. "You know? I can actually picture him listening to stuff like that. I mean, he hates pop and I can't exactly see him as a fan of rap or rock... or country."

"Plus," Syd added, "he's not so stuffy that he would be into classical."

"Now that I think about it," Z said thoughtfully, "It actually kind of suits him."

"Yeah," Syd replied with a nod.

"Um, Syd?" Bridge said, bringing them both back to reality.

"Yeah Bridge?"

"You said Sky never showed up for his meeting this morning?"

"Yeah,"

"When was your meeting?"

"9:30, why do you ask?"

"And you couldn't get a hold of him on his communicator?"

"No, now that you mention it, I haven't seen him at all today."

They all paused, realization suddenly dawning on them. Without a word they each reached for their communicators.

"Cadet Tate, please come in." Silence. "Sky, this is Z, please respond."

The rangers exchanged worried glances. Each in turn tried to reach Sky on his communicator but none received a response.

"What's going on here? Why isn't he responding? This isn't like Sky," said Z, concern growing in her voice, "Think about it. When has Sky even been late?"

"He would have a least called in if something had happened." Syd added.

"I have a bad feeling about this you guys," said Bridge. "It's 10:00 now and he's been gone for 5 hours."

"Has anyone actually seen him at all this morning?" Z asked. They all shook their heads.

"Okay guys, let's not jump to conclusions just yet," said Syd. "He could be back right now and is just in the shower. It would explain why he isn't answering our calls."

Z nodded. "True. Syd's right. We shouldn't panic just yet. Bridge, you go check your room and the lockers rooms to see if he's back yet. Syd, you ask around and see if anyone has seen him. I'll check the security logs to see if he came back to the base since he went jogging this morning."

"On it," Bridge replied and headed off towards his room.

Syd and Z began to head in the direction of the command center as well.

"You don't think anything happened to him this morning, do you?" Syd asked as they headed down the hallway.

Z was silent for a moment. "No," Z replied hesitantly, "We're probably just over reacting. Grum's forces are gone and all that's really left on earth are petty thieves. I mean, when was the last time we even needed to morph to apprehend a criminal? Sky can handle himself. I'm sure he's fine. At worst he probably slipped and bumped his head trying to rescue a cat from a tree and is lying unconscious somewhere in the park. You know what he's like. All brains but no common sense."

Syd chuckled at the prospect. They all knew what an unfailing hero Sky could be. "You're probably right," Syd replied with a smirk, "Although for his sake, he better be hanging over a stream of boiling lava or defending a small village from a mud slide because that is about the only thing that will excuse him for not calling this morning."

"Maybe that's why we haven't found him yet," Z replied with a grin, "I'd be scared to come back too if I had to face you on a bad day."

Syd laughed. "Yeah well, I may be small, and I may be cute, but at the end of the day every guy knows why they should fear a woman's wrath."

"Especially when that woman has a fist of iron."

"No truer words have been spoken my friend."

To be continued…

Yeah! New chap! Sorry it's been so long. I've had a touch of writers block. I got half way through a chap and decided (thanks to the suggestion of one of my lovely reviewers) that I needed to include a future chap! It can't be all sky all the time (as much as I would love that! ;P) ANYways! I'm already half way through the next chap so it shouldn't be too long. I just have to work the bugs out of it!

Spoiler: There will be some red ranger conflict in the chapters to come!

Thanks again and please review!