De'jaciia shifted through the remains of memory, it was a dream like state, after having unexpectedly finding themselves lacking a complete set of memories and discovering they had delayed filming for two weeks because of their disappearance. It was, in all means, a two week vacation for the cast that was well deserved. De'jaciia was irritated. They would have loved to have a vacation removing the tension in their muscles, relaxing on a chair enjoying the sun landing on their face.
"Good to see you back to the same old sweet self, De!" Springer smacked De'jaciia's back.
"THESE MEMORY FILES ARE VITAL!" De'jaciia stretched their arms out then clenched their hands. "This is going to pay off in the long run-"
"That's our cranky cyborg." Coil cut them off with a smirk. "All those memories will come back with time."
"Does anyone have any idea of my whereabouts?" De'jaciia asked.
The individual, Mak O Hare portraying Commander Nebula, handed a padd.
"Team Darkmatter dropped you off with this note." Hare set his hands on his hips as De'jaciia read the contents with optics widening. "Shoved you into my trailer."
"Congrats, first member to be taken for something evil." Coil patted on De'jaciia's shoulder.
"A official star by the costume designer was made on short notice." Springer set the star on the cyborg's armor.
"A star!" De'jaciia announced.
"A really big one." Hare noted, folding his arms. "Was going to be used for that episode for the mascot, the visiting the school episode, the anti-crime day." he unfolded a arm then waved his hand before folding his arm again and shrugged. "This will do."
"It's intricate, it's delicate, it's horrible," Then Springer started to reach his hand out but was smacked by De'jaciia's hand with a hiss. "No touch."
"How would you feel about using the volume for catch up?" Coil asked.
"The wall of background? THE WALL of backround?" De'jaciia stood up to their feet with their hands in fists then shook his head. "No," he shook his hands in rapid sucession. "absolutely not," he turned away toward the padd as the three castmates looked at him fondly. "I'm pulling clause 2 of the contract."
"Nothing's wrong with him, apparently." Hare said.
"And that's why we missed them." Coil said.
"Because they like being at the area." Springer commented.
"Old fashioned." Hare was the first to depart the cyborg's cabin.
"More like old soul." Coil said, fondly.
The duo walked walking away from De'jaciia who was hooked up to several cords all connected to the head. Their helmet was set aside on the table as they navigated on the padd a series of messages pulling a series of metaphorical levelers. Being a revered actor who was portraying a very legendary figure came with it's perk, perks that De'jaciia never used. Kind, nice, and good, complete opposite of the individual that they were portraying.
There was one selection of memories that was coming together, bit by bit, with dedication afterwards. It was a memory repair, something solid, memorable, bright, strong, the pieces of the data were easily rebuilt in between filming. Pieces that were tangible to their finger tips. After two weeks focusing on the strongest memories, the memory was coming back to life, it was quite sudden and abrupt, the way that it started out in his mind.
The door swung open revealing Team Darkmatter with Warp in the lead, firing at nearby hornets, as chaos raged behind him while he had one hand on his hip. Booster carried a large box against his side, Mira firing at hornets covering the back of the team as Warp fired at the adjoining hornets. XR was the first to proceed firing in the direction De'jaciia, the sound of laser blasts frightened them, as the Space Rangers proceeded to split apart as Booster tossed the box in the general direction of a brainpod then what was apparent De'jaciia who was flying in the air above the giant firing at him having the time of their life.
Booster's flying fist was the last moment in time that could be put back together and the very last thing recorded.
"This is a trick."
It was settled.
"Evil Emperor Zurg abducting me?"
It all became quite easy not to wonder about any further.
"Brainwashing me?"
The actor put a hand on their chest.
"Using me? A simple theater actor? Preposterous!"
"Sir. . ." the serving robot proceeded to reply, dryly. "This is a Wendy's."
It had been a week, and nana was on a two month long vacation as enforced by the parents who's children were playmates of the great grandchildren. Warp adjusted his morning schedule for the children's inclusion in his life, reading paperwork that nana left on the table, adoption papers, with the great grandchildren's names on the paperwork. It caused him to smile, the thought that she had given careful consideration to giving them to a couple who deserved to have their lives filled with Buzz Lightyear's smile for years to come.
Didn't make his heart ache, not that it mattered. He was numb to the pain. Warp knew he would see their faces at Star Command when they were rookies following the well traveled path that had been paved and hardened by their father before them. Warp left the paperwork on the table, collecting the children, their toys and clothing packed, making sure they were all prepared to leave the house, with Mira's help, double checking, and being in the driver seat alongside him, ready to ghost out, and get what the children had forgotten.
"There's something hanging out of the car, isn't there?" Warp asked at the sound of honking and laughing at his general direction by other drivers.
"I'll check." Mira peeked out then returned into the vehicle. "Yep." She folded her arms. "One of the kids got their toy cowboy stuck."
"Drive." Warp said.
"What?" Mira looked toward him.
"Take over." Warp elaborated with a smirk
"OooooOOooh," Mira nodded, grinning, before glaring. "You're doing the catching thing again!"
"Catching thing?" Warp replied with a raised brow. "It's more of a short lived flight."
"That's going to bite you in the ass one day, Warp, making a habit out of it," Mira acknowledged. "and you won't have the wings."
"Better use the opportunity when I got the advantage anyhow." then he added. "Same trick as we did before."
"Trick?" Hoichi cried.
"TRICK!" Gamma cried.
"Trick, trick, trick!" Oort and Quark and Chari chanted at once.
"Hold on to your seatbelts!" Warp announced.
It was a neat trick, Mira ghosting through them, holding on to the wheel, Warp sliding out. The Space Ranger opened the passenger door turning on his wings then closed the door, Mira turned the vehicle sideways as the great grandchildren giggled clinging to their seatbelts. Warp opened the back seat door then the doll flew over head and he slammed the door then flung after the falling cowboy with the rockets in his wings deactivated.
He caught the hat, first, then fell fast after the toy with his free hand held out falling with style. Each second that passed, he got closer immensely with his fingers reaching for the tips of the small toy's hand. Several feet below them was a pit of old crocodiles leisurely resting at a sanctuary. Each second that they got closer to the pit got very uncomfortable and a hundred times more tense. At the fifty seconds, Warp caught the toy then turned on his wings and flew back toward the distinctive vehicle which is where he tossed Woody in to the back seat.
"Woody!" Quark caught the toy.
"Woody!" Hoichi cried.
"Old dramatic." Mira said with a laugh. "No wonder Nebula assigned you to perform in that Macbeth play three years ago."
"Dramatic?" Warp asked with a smirk, lifting his brow, laughing. "That was all Buzz Lightyear." he opened the passenger door, turned off his wings, the rockets on his wings, then entered the vehicle as he were still laughing. "Everything was done for effect."
Manipulating the main frame computer came with some perks, creating a false identity, a false Space Ranger who hardly went out on adventures, stationed on a lone out post that didn't exist. Nebula approved it, without looking at the assignment, Zurg had fashioned the persona, nagged Warp Darkmatter during his academy years to refer to the individual as though they had existed, getting others in on it, as a unofficial Space Ranger that was quite simply the academy's mascot that people added exploits to, as a inspiration, and it worked. A largely uknown captain slipped in the paper to the desk with Ranger Treevo's file being a Space Ranger then walked on. By sheer pure luck, it had been successful.
He stared at the android form that he had designed for the form, the uni-brow, the grayed features, the baggy eyes, the laughter lines, the broad shoulders, notably not muscular figure. The evil emperor copied and tucked his memories of the future into a box, safely put away, hidden, reserved for something else when necessary as his agreement with the brainpods. They didn't know what he went through, it all hinged in them not knowing, having the adventure of getting them all back by force and by help from Matt-hun. The seeds of the future were sown and secured.
"Mister Treevo." Zurg said, gently setting his servo on the slumped android form that had the head lowered. "It's time to be used for many barbecues."
Evil Emperor Zurg laughed, confident, ready to be evil and thwart another evil plot.
Only he would be be allowed to perform such a feat.
Warp had been warned, "Don't forget, Quark has night terrors and Chari wets the bed when Quark does that after screaming for five minutes" by nana before going on the long deserved vacation. For that reason, Warp moved Quark and Oort in the neighboring room while Gamma and Chari shared room while Hoichi had the modified guest room all to herself. Hoichi had cackled while announcing that she were the queen of the world upon being informed.
It was late that second night, when he were off duty, when the children were asleep, that Quark had a night terror. The Space Ranger was there, by the bed side of the small child, cradling him, in his arms. The fear radiated from the child's being.
"I'm here, Quark." Warp said.
"I-I-I dreamed you died with daddy." Quark sobbed.
"Daddy would never let that happen." Warp rubbed the child's shoulder.
"He. . ." Quark said. "tried." he motioned toward his chest. "I hurty."
"Did you dream about that criminal on tradeworld?" Warp asked, concerned, his voice softer.
"Wheel of cheese." Was the reply.
"Cheese?" Warp lifted a brow.
"Y-yes." Quark said.
Warp set his hands on the sides of the boy's shoulder then forced him in his direction..
"Eat it." Warp said, smoothly.
"Eat what?" Quark asked.
"The moon." Warp said.
"The moon!" Quark's eyes became big.
"Before it eats you alive and gets you killed." Warp seated on the bed, wrapping his arm along the boy's back. "Better eat fast before it squeezes you tightly." he closed his hand into a fist for effect. "Or the langoliers will get you!"
"What's a Lah-lah-lah-" Oort struggled. "golier?"
"They eat everything that has happened in the past." Warp only continued what he had started instead of answering. "Cleaning up after the future." he pretended to be sweeping to convey his perception of the creature to the child's horror. "Nothing's left." he spread his hands apart with a grin. "Not even time itself. Not even the universe."
"What's a La-lah-lahgoleer?" Oort repeated frustrated as Quark hid beneath the blanket.
Warp got off the bed with a devious glint in his eyes then rubbed his hands together before elaborating approaching Oort.
"They've got three mandibles! No eyes! No nose! That makes them big balls with teeth!"
Oort's eyes grew big as the Space Ranger approached him.
"Teeth roll down each mandible like parts of a wave as they move at " he paced around the room thinking back to the collection of adaptions about the creatures. "they're covered in fur, no!" he turned toward Oort. "they're covered in feathers, no!"
Oort slipped up the blanket as Warp terrorized him.
"They're covered in scales, no, they don't!" then he smacked his hands together for effect. "Nom, nom, nom, NOM."
Warp turned around then yanked the blanket off Quark and observed that the boy was fast asleep.
"Only a tired Lightyear would sleep during a frightening story." Warp noted.
"Not me!" Oort cried.
Warp shifted toward Oort, devious.
"Wanna watch the most legendary horror film?" Warp asked.
Oort covered himself with his blanket.
"Sleepy!" Oort cried, muffled, beneath the blanket.
Warp chuckled then departed the room, pausing at the doorway then shifting toward them, fondly. The light in the hallway dimmed off then back on drawing the concerned Space Ranger's attention up, curious. He left then returned with a ladder, with a piece of equipment, then scanned the LED lightbulb. It came back with a operational status. Odd. Warp gave it a shake and another scan. The same result.
He put the ladder back then looked up as his shadow was seen reflecting on the wall with a shorter shadow in a Space Ranger suit by his side as he dusted his hands off. He put his hands on his hips turning away from the bedroom. Warp walked back to his bedroom keeping a eye out on the light that was left on long as he went into his room and kept the door slightly ajar letting in the light pour in as a thin strip into his dark bedroom.
"Hey, it's Treevo!"
Two days later, that was the announcement by Booster was enough to draw attention toward the direction of the old man slumped on the ground. It was a unexpected announcement, drawing Warp's attention, shifting in the direction of Booster staring on where the giant's voice cam from then his features fell standing alongside a old man carrying a large weapon, the same one that had been stolen a hour or two ago by Barlos Methane. He recognized the name then stared at the android's direction.
"The legend! The stuff!" Booster was excited and thrilled, honored, squealing. "The guy who used a android form to live on after his bodily form collapsed!"
"Step aside, Ranger Darkmatter." Treevo said.
Darkmatter leaped aside then watched as the hornets fell and shifted his gaze toward the group with a squint.
"Can you believe?" Booster asked, as he carried the bag with a legless version of XR that had two holes just big enough for his arms to be out firing at random. "He was deactivated, hiding, in the supply closet!"
"WE WERE IN THE CLOSET?" XR shouted, as Warp ducked the shots from XR and ran around Booster then paused in his tracks motioning the Space Rangers to leave. "Booster, friend, tell me not to waste my charge next time!"
Warp stopped Treevo in his tracks.
"What is your purpose here, pal?" Warp had a hand on the older man's chassis. That question normally nailed Zurg's hornets, his animatronics, and drones.
"Petty chatter when everything counts with hornets!" the older man became animated, his motions reminding the Space Ranger of Zurg with the familiar gestures, leaning forward for emphasis, his arms stretching out and holding his open palm then clenching them in that order. "And having your back, apple brain."
Warp stared, slack jawed, not a Zurg thing then?
"Run!" Treevo shoved Warp forward.
Warp didn't know what to think as he looked back then ran for the forty-two. Treevo charged after the Space Rangers carrying the weapon in his arms. Mira stood at the entrance of the ship then provided cover for the group, Booster climbing aboard with XR in tow, Warp behind them looking down observing the thinner man firing back with the weapon then climbed up and held a hand out for Treevo. Treevo nearly stumbled in if it weren't for the offered hand and the door was closed behind them. Mira flew into the ship behind them then manned her station.
Treevo sat at the corner of the room, balancing himself, as the forty-two flew off from the station leaving it behind.
Distantly, Zurg's laughed, menacingly, a dozen plots to be stirred with Treevo's plausible deniability.
"Curse you, Warp Darkmatter." Zurg said, fondly, yet more amused with a wave of his claw.
And his insurance in ensuing that a plausible assassination at a Saturday barbecue didn't happen.
"What is the progress on the fake death weapon?" Zurg waved his hand as he set his other claw on his hip. "It must be different from the evil Buzz Lightyear's sabotaging the grill."
"It has . . ." one of the brainpods noted. "some glitches."
"Will it get in the middle of my evil scheme?" Zurg loomed tall over them.
"Yes, evil emperor Zurg." another braipod said. "Greatly."
"What kind of glitches?" Zurg asked.
"Press it and it doesn't work, anti-climatic." The leader of the grub testing unit replied. "Victims rate it at a zero."
"How long will it take to fix the error, brainpods?" Zurg said.
The brainpods exchanged a glance with one another then back toward the evil emperor.
"Four months." was the unanimous reply.
"Hmm, do need to look up more torture methods," Zurg thought back, rubbing beneath his audio synthesizer, full of evil. It was a relief that he hadn't exploded. Not quite yet, the wait hadn't gotten on his nerves, made him very impatient, not like he were with Zzub Lightyear. He set his claws on the side of his hip glaring down upon the grubs and the brainpods. "It better be ready next year!"
"It will be." was the assurance.
He folded his arms turning aside.
"Hmm, now to decide who dies."
The smallest grub in the group backed away as Zurg slowly shifted in her direction.
"A volunteer!" he started to laugh, menacingly, at the entire concept. "Generous, noble, too good-you're dead!"
He turned in the direction of the small green grubs.
"If he's going to be stubborn then he's going to suffer long after getting the answer!"
The evil emperor walked away leaving the grubs behind as the brainpods looked toward the space that machine built some time ago once laid. It could be put together back again, it was exactly the kind that was easily assembled and disassembled to make room for other projects. Brainpod 18 looked forward to the project being thoroughly carried out and pleasing the evil emperor.
Star Command had a 'take your kids out to camping on Poh-hun' day, mandatory. Mira, Booster, and XR were unfortunate to play a part in the event, their teamwork had some improvement, visibly in the last two weeks with his guiding hand. It was manipulation at it's finest, without the negative connotations, it was the one where it were guiding pieces of a puzzle that needed to be move. This was the mission in which he stepped back and waited for a report on how they had soared together. A few more years and they were going to be captains. Two more years, and it would be six years since he became partnerless.
They were different, they were more like cadets that he were training instead of partners. He could see their strengths and their weaknesses, how they argued among each other for rookie of the year, how it came with it's headache, trying to be the hero. Buzz Lightyear wouldn't have solved it just as much that he couldn't; they had to solve that problem themselves. They were each other's partners, and one day, they would become their own team, something that Warp found solace in, because they would never lose their first teammates. He would often look at his side when reflecting at the empty space beside him.
All day long, during the event, there was anomalies, as if Zurg had purposely plotted them. The children's attention drawn by a piper, Warp tackling them, only to realize it were a android, looked nothing like a hornet. It was all settled in the Space Ranger's mind that it were the evil emperor's doing even as Nebula and his son, who worked as a plumber, just laughed at Warp's accusation while the children played with the corpse of the machine behind him. And then he had to discover, right at the end, before the day ended, that it had been Zurg's doing to use the children's safety against Star Command. Promptly, Star Command sent the Evil Emperor running with their fists used against his hornets, with large tree branches, the wildlife, and traps.
Warp sat at the edge of the campfire telling stories to the small toddlers clinging to each other over the crackling fire with tales from his missions with the team, that were the most horrifying, terrifying, and frightening, earning screams from the children. Oort and Hoichi clung to each other, in sharp contrast to Gamma and Chari listening with trepidation, Quark just stood from in front of the log keeping his eyes out for the wilderness. It was like the child was being their sentry, keeping watch, careful watch, as though he were more experienced than let on. Their laughter at the end of the stories that were twisted in humor in the most childish way possible overshadowed all that pain in his heart.
The pain didn't hurt as much as it had before nearly four years ago. He was in a off duty two piece green and purple uniform, faded with time, well cared for. One by one, the children were guided into their tents, their tents zipped up, the Space Ranger shifted toward the small figure who's eyes were focused on the wilderness. He crept further, his shoulders hunched, sporting a grin, raising his arms, his fingers parted, as the flames rose from the fire pit. A idea hit him then he quietly, his shoulders lowered, went into the forest. He kept back snickers, ruffling the bushes, starting from afar then proceeded to pick up speed. He leaped out of the forest with a unexpected roar so Quark threw something that was liquid on him then a a blazing stick at him with a unexpected scream.
"Uncle Warp!" Quark announced, surprised, then grew horrified.
Warp screamed in response then ran away from the campsite until crashing into a lake and the fire was put out.
"Note." Warp dragged himself back to shore with his hair still on fire and his face coated in second degree burns. "Never scare a toddler Lightyear."
Warp heard laughter from other Space Ranger, glaring at them, setting his hands on his hips.
"Don't laugh, one day this could be you!" Warp shot back.
Warp was soaked as the Space Rangers continued laughing as they went back to their campsites.
"Yeah, yeah, and we'll be all dead by then." came out dismissively by a few.
Warp rolled his eyes.
It was tomorrow, and the wounds had healed in large part to the second degree burn treatment pills located in a medical station near the camping area. The camping trip was over leaving only the reluctant signs of having a first degree burn on the Space Ranger's burn as if the wound itself was healing quite slowly in mere stages over the passing hours. The children had been up all night, terrified, clinging to each other, their tent shaking, through the night according to the security cameras.
Warp betted to himself it had to with feeling alone in the wilderness without a weapon. He browsed through the Star Command merchandise official page, scrolling through the page, with a single finger until finding the one that he wanted. It was a junior grade version of Space Ranger uniform, more operative parts of it were restricted by parental controls with a voice tone registration that could unlock it. A tone that children couldn't replicate. They returned to the shuttle after packing their trash leaving Warp behind outside intently focused on the item, intending to give it to them as Christmas presents, to see the glee on their features and sincere happiness.
Once all five orders were done, Warp put away the padd into his pant pocket then got into the vehicle, buckled up, then looked over his shoulder, scanning the children, counting if all five of them had their seatbelts. They were tired, fast asleep, Quark was drooling seated beside him. They had been playing all morning long as the Space Ranger had been packing and they were relaxed. The shuttle flew off from the camping site breaking through the atmosphere and headed off toward the sky. The return to Star Command came the familiar site that brought a smile to his features, a sign of civilization, fondness, nostalgia, then toward the waiting forty-two to be reconnected to the shuttle in the Star Cruiser bay. Warp piloted the shuttle craft in.
"Woody is gone!" Quark awoke, abruptly. "I dropped him! I dropped him!"
"He'll come back." Warp assured the boy.
"No, he won't." Quark said.
"Quark..." Warp looked on in concern.
"He won't." Quark said.
"Something going on here that I don't know?" Warp asked.
"Nana said Woody doesn't like getting lost." Hoichi said.
"AAaah, the age old frustration." then the Space Ranger smirked. "He's a toy. He doesn't care about being lost for a long while."
"Woody is different." Quark said, softly.
"Very different." Hoichi agreed with as solemn nod.
"Compared to most toys?" Warp lifted a brow.
"He's a cranky old toy." Gamma said.
"Quark loses him on Morph twenty-five times a day." Chari added, dryly.
"And he's not coming back for me." Quark cried, upset, his little fists rolled up. "Never!"
"I'm never gonna leave you, Quark." Warp changed the subject as the boy sobbed into his hands.
"Pinky swear?" Quark looked up with big eyes.
"Better." The Space Ranger smirked, looking down upon the boy, who was along his side. "I promise." he held his hand up. "Cross my heart," Warp did as he said then lowered his hand with a smile. "and hope to die." he pointed back at himself as he grew a thin closed smile. "Can't lose me easily."
"I love you, uncle Warp." Quark said with a tearful smile.
It was the precious thing that the Space Ranger had heard as he navigated the shuttle back into the waiting forty-two.
Warp set a series of paperwork on the table after returning from Morph, ordering the group to the rec room, surprising them. It was a unexpected event after the return from the camping planet that drew suspicon from XR as he squinted at the Space Ranger who hated doing paperwork of any kind that required reading or signing for that matter. XL was part of the group including Treevo and a couple LGMs were who were wondering why the Space Ranger had dragged them in here to a event that didn't require their service.
"I need eyewitnesses." Warp said.
"And you chose us?" Booster asked, tears in his eyes, proudly.
"Going to be around a LONG time." Warp noted. "The only ones I got faith in."
"For what?" XR asked, wearily.
"Who will sign this paperwork after I do." Warp looked toward the crew.
The Space Rangers aimed their wrist laser at him, as if on cue, then he sighed rolling his eyes.
"What's my favorite color." Mira requested the answer.
"The bisexual flag!" Warp said, motioning toward the bisexual flag hanging in the rec room above 'We're ALL BIcons!' with legends from before decorating the board and Buzz Lightyear's picture was left in the center of it as a cadet - a series of photos of other Space Rangers between what he were looking at - looking toward Warp chugging down lemonade through a long cord. "And you call it one color because it's a flag when it's really colors."
"Okay," Mira lowered her wrist laser. "it's him."
"Who's the lucky group?" XR asked.
"Buzz's kids." Warp replied, surprising the new crew. "I made the unfortunate promise to be there for Quark and he," he looked aside, rubbing the back of his neck, sheepishly. "by sheer accident," looked toward the crew. "got my heart in the last few weeks."
Warp signed the paperwork then the small group added their signatures with a pen and had some help doing so. Mira was the first to hug the older Space Ranger, XR joined, Booster joined, and so did XL, the LGM hugged around the space Ranger's legs. Treevo tapped on the side of his head, his eyes glowed blue, sending a new file to the evil emperor.
"Why is everyone celebrating!"
Zurg's loud roar only caused the party to cease at Planet Z.
"Warp Darkmatter adopted the Lightyear children, Evil Emperor Zurg." Brainpod 65 announced.
"Hornets, get out the disco ball!" Zurg ordered. "And party hats!" he stretched his arms out, gleefully laughing. "We're having party week!"
The brainpods and the grubs and the hornets proceeded to celebrate with the most evil plots that week. The evil emperor cackled, feeling like his old self, pleased, getting back on the pedestal that he had once stood on close to four years ago. The music blared loudly from the tower, from the planet, through the quadrant, echoing on with evil energy as champagne was popped. The grubs picked up the emperor then tossed him into a room and closed the door behind them. The evil emperor paused, staring at the next best factor in his evil plot, tapping his claws together, pleased.
"Thought you might want this on your better days." Barlos Methane said.
"It's been time since we last spoke." Zurg approached her.
"We talked last week about that endangered cub." Barlos Methane said.
"You're the best mercenary that has been forced to work for me." Zurg set his claws on the side of her shoulder. "Impressive, impeccable effort, evil-reminds me of a future agent of mine."
"How was it?" Barlos Methane asked. "Heard nothing about how it was."
"My best vacation in years." Came out with certain happiness, it was a big hint how things had gone and she took that hint to mean all had gone unwell for the future. Zurg withdrew his claw then admired the gem on the table. "hmm. . . . " he tapped on his audio synthesizer. "The gem of chaos."
"Easiest thing to get to date." Barlos Methane snickered.
Zurg turned toward Barlos Methane then grabbed her by the hand.
"Join the party, Barlos Methane!" Zurg announced.
Barlos Methane struggled against his grip as he mercilessly dragged her out of the chamber.
Four years had passed since Buzz Lightyear's unexpected demise, and the anniversary passed without a single eventful evil plot by Zurg. Warp felt a little weary, it was unusual, normally on this day the evil emperor would have a evil plot ready to throw out from the winds of his mind. Did he know the evil emperor well as he believed? It was quite concerning. And Christmas was right around the corner, the presents handed out early, with the weather control system keeping the weather nice and sunny, the window aspects saved for early last year as per tradition in various aspects of the planet with sections of the world experiencing winter and the other side experience summer.
Regardless, he opted to enjoy that day and the days after that with a sad heart. Warp was cooking ribs inside of his house, babysitting them, watching as the ribs were baking. Around him were the children mirroring his position. They were all seated on a chair, their elbows on their knees, hands cupping their face, leaning forward until a narrow familiar grayed old man with broad shoulders and a unibrow came in.
"Delicious goody and sugary cookies are waiting outside!" Treevo announced.
"Coookies!" the children cried.
"Thanks, Treevo, you're a life saver." Warp looked toward the older man who winked back as the children bolted away.
"You're very welcome, Ranger Darkmatter." Treevo said with a nod.
"And very evil, there's no cookies out there!" Warp stood up to his feet.
"Then what did I just put on the all you can eat table?" he stretched his arms out, shrugging, his unibrow raising at once.
"That's Nana's brownies!" Warp earned a gasp from the older man. "That belongs to XR's table."
Treevo watched the younger man dart away. Treevo laughed, fondly, his shoulders trembling, with platonic affection. He stopped laughing hearing a knock from the door then approached it picking up the toes then setting them aside on the counter but pausing at the cowboy. The toy wasn't worse for the wear but it were odd, Treevo hadn't seen this toy before. It had to be the children's toys, toys that were being held at nana's house, this toy wasn't alone, there was a red and yellow Buzz Lightyear alongside him, grinning, brow raised.
He looked at the Buzz Lightyear toy with fondness, gently, tracing along the frame, the knocking growing louder. He smacked the toy on the table with a hard thud then approached the door and swung it open.
"This is for Star Command personnel only-" he stopped. "His brother?"
"Twins."
"Oh." Treevo gasped, covering his mouth, then slowly lowered it. "long lost twins."
"That sort of deal." Darkmatter confirmed with a nod, then grimaced. "Different lives, same face."
"Wait one moment, he is cutting up the ribs for Star Command." Treevo held up a finger.
"Why is Star Command holding barbecue in Warp's yard?" Darkmatter asked, tilting his head, then looked on observing Mira taking a child back outside behind the Space Ranger. He turned his attention back on toward him straightening his head. "And did I see Nana Lightyear's horse carriage?" The confusion was easily in his features, he were aware that she were a eccentric individual who attended parties and Buzz had flatly made a regulation about her being there, she would be drunk, having the gall of a time, at Star Command's barbecue. "Why is she here?"
"Because she is Buzz Lightyear's grandmother?" Treevo replied with a question, confused.
"Haven't been around often in the gamma quadrant, been touring the outback quadrant." Darkmatter replied, shaking his hand sideways. "I know nothing."
"Hhhm." he grimaced looking aside, then looked at the sibling in pity, but in envy. "Then you don't know."
"Know nothing at all." Darkmatter shook his head, shrugging, puckering his lips. "Clueless."
"I'll bring him over." Treevo closed the door then walked away feeling a cold chill passing down his shoulder frames. He paused, rubbing his shoulders, shaking his head. He looked up spotting a vent above his head. He huffed then collected the toys, returning to the kitchen, observing the oven light was off, the sweet smell of the ribs lingering in the air. He walked out the back door closing it behind him. "Ranger Darkmatter, you have a special visitor!"
"Special visitor?" Warp asked.
"Family." Treevo repeated as Warp's features fell.
"No, no, no, no, those kids are far too young to meet their 'delay parent'." Warp said. "And tell them to visit my place."
". . . Not that." Treevo grimaced before adding, cupping his hands together, then gestured back. "Family matters."
"My grandparents?" Warp was surprised then grew a broad smile. "They're not Rangers." he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, lowering his head. "I'll handle it."
"I will take over from here, it's too hot!" Nebula insisted.
"Sir, it's almost done." Warp was shoved aside.
"Too hot!" Nebula shot back.
Treevo was grinning as Warp relented turning toward him.
"Probably want to talk about how I'll enter the litter's lives in the right way when or if they become Space Rangers."
"Talk like you anticipate them to follow in your footsteps." Nebula commented with a glance toward him.
"Because they won't," he hung his head with a sigh. "They're going to grow up and become part of the defense force."
"Oh?" Nana asked, drinking alcoholic eggnog. "Isn't that a voluntary thing?"
"It is." Warp said with a grimace. "A long time ago, because of the population problems, we didn't have enough people to defend Ipseadan, lucky, barely, to survive." He lowered his hand then shook his head. "Kinda programmed to fight for something." Then he shrugged. "Anything, really."
Warp picked up the birdy then smirked before tossing it back toward the duo.
"Or it could be a scammer, I'll take care of it." Warp said.
"Take me with you!" Quark cried then Treevo handed him the two toys. "WOODY!"
"Me too!" Hoichi, the little girl, cried out as Quark handed her Buzz Lightyear.
"Treevo, man the door." Warp ordered as he took off the siblings off his legs as he approached the back door and Quark hugged Woody muttering how much he missed him.
"Why can't XR-"
"He is guarding the table." Warp replied.
The Space Ranger went inside the building and Treevo followed, keeping the door closed behind him, standing in the doorway. Warp didn't check the door, he didn't look through the peep hole, he only withdrew the door with a very annoyed sigh then paused in his tracks staring at a distorted mirror that brought back horrible memories from several months ago and shocked him all the same. His gut fell as well.
"You should really have answered Evil Emperor Zurg's question, Warp." Darkmatter said.
Darkmatter fired the stun device knocking down Warp to the ground. He picked his counterpart up by the leg then tossed him into the portal behind him then turned around, his stun mode changing, into a new mode that had been installed by the grubs. Treevo stared in the direction of Darkmatter, at the doorway, slamming the door shut behind him, preventing the children from running in. The button was pressed then the large blast flew in, Treevo tapped on the side of his head, his eyes glowed blue, and then he were destroyed as Darkmatter turned away then ran back into the portal that closed.
Ty caught the children from falling into the hole as they yelped in surprise then withdrew them back. Booster stared at the ruins of the building, nana screamed, Mira caught the falling old woman into her arms, as the Space Rangers ran toward the source of the explosion. News media were all over the scene in short notice as the news echoed through the quadrants over nana's shrieks. Ty looked on in disbelief at the crater that lay before him, the children looking for their adopted dad, nothing could be found.
"Where is papa Darkmatter?" Chari asked.
"I. . . don't know." Ty said, uncertain, looming over the hole, in his wirewolf form.
"He's not dead!" Quark announced, his eyes big, horrified, shaking his head. "No! NO NO!"
There was silence that befell on the set of Buzz Lightyear of Star Command. Springer stared at the poor assistant director who announced it, Coil ran, and the guest stars grew horrified. Coil dialed over and over and over Warp's number, gazing back and forth at the screen, in disbelief, feeling stunned as the entire world that he were gone. He was trembling, feeling sick, his legs felt weak, Wrap Coil sat down into the chair as he started to sink. He was gone. Gone.
All that was left was entries that the Space Ranger had made to the autobiography of Buzz Lightyear that had been started roughly four months ago. Four months since he adopted the love of his life's children, it had been on the news, feel good news, and now, he were gone. Coil cried, sobbing, getting it off his chest, hunched over, feeling all that sorrow.
"Don't grieve. He's not with me, son."
Coil stopped then turned around as he stood up to his feet in his cabin, his eyes red, at the unexpected voice.
"Who's there?" he looked around. "Who's playing tricks on me." He felt sick, scared and sad. "Is it you, Zurg?"
The door to his trailer swung open then he went out and searched for the source, watching a Space Ranger walk away, then sprinted after the figure. He ran and ran and ran until he came to a pause in front of the nearest Buzz Lightyear memorial. He stepped back, shaking his head, grasping his head, the possibility of it, it was impossible. The voice, he knew it, he didn't want to believe it, Warp Darkmatter was gone and he felt dizzy. He knew him well, he could carry on, portraying a dead man.
"Warp will be back." It sounded confident, optimistic, hopeful. Like he were grinning. Unwavering faith.
Then he stopped, raising his head up, observing the same looks that everyone wore around him and were all pale.
"Did you hear that?" Coil asked the nearest civilians staring at a empty space beside him. "What are you looking at?"
"Buzz Lightyear." They replied.
Coil fainted.
After the file had been intercepted, brainpod 65 halted it from getting to the evil emperor Zurg. The brainpod knew and understood, clearly, that this was no time to go mad, not yet. He hadn't lost, not yet, it hadn't gotten to the last resort. The news arrived to the tower and the scream that erupted as the evil emperor awoke was one that summoned a emergency shut down mode. It was the most painful screech that the brainpod had the endeavor to hear. The last time that he heard that, Buzz Lightyear had died, the evil emperor had destroyed his planning room after the death. And then the screaming stopped.
They had been fortunate back then that the evil emperor had broken into sobs, clenching the side of his helmet, and decided this was enough crying. Brainpod 65 slowly came into the evil emperor's chamber, the evil emperor locked, shut down, as part of a emergency program that had been built six months after the tragic loss of the Space Ranger. Zurg personally had a hand in it with the help of the grubs and the brainpods making a second party doorway to turn him on after a certain amount of time had passed. Two months stretched into three and the secret password between them hadn't been sent out. Brainpod 65 turned on a series of commands, gaining control of the evil emperor, turning him on but keeping him in place, his mind concealed from rampaging on a safety net that had a vital connection to the shell.
"Evil Emperor Zurg," Brainpod 65 started to say. "we still have the Lightyear children, Star Command, and Team Darkmatter."
The brainpods glanced toward the programming on the padd as Brainpod 65 spoke.
"We have put you on lockdown until you've calmed down as it will severely harm your mental health and your processor."
The grubs were trembling, gulping, as the brainpod talked,
"Not all is lost."
Brainpod 65 stared at the evil emperor's shell.
"Warp Darkmatter is gone." Brainpod 65 acknowledged. "But Buzz Lightyear isn't." the brainpod approached the evil emperor tapping his claws together. "There are pieces of him still living on the planet Morph, the clones." the tension in the air faded. "Don't you remember making them?"
"Brainpod 65, it's working." was Brainpod 47's remark. "Anger algorithms are lowering, despair is going down by fifty-five percent, anguish lowered by eight-two percent, heartache by forty-eight percent, sorrow by eighty-five percent."
"Waiting for them to grow up, yes, it will be a pain." Brainpod 65 acknowledged. "Oh. . . the pain." the brainpod shuddered before continuing lifting his attention up. "The pain." the brainpod moved around the evil emperor. "In the end, it'll be worth the wait. It's just a tomorrow away."
"Levels are at a satisfactory level." a grub reported.
"Remove the programming then."
"Just thinking about tomorrow it fills me with joy." And Zurg started to sing, happy. "Stuck in a day that's gray, ugly, and dreadful." he departed the throne room. "Tomorrow! Just thinking about tomorrow." he clenched his fist. "It's a appealing stardate."
The brainpods wiped off a bead of sweat off their frames.
"There'll be happiness, bet your bottom uni-buck on it," he looked toward a holographic photograph of Buzz Lightyear being all sorrowful, giving a speech, for a fallen Space Ranger, it used to entertain the evil emperor as the ranger hadn't existed and it had tickled him. "Despite how lonely it is!"
He turned in the other direction as the door to his station opened.
"Tomorrow! I adore you, cherish you, you're just a stardate away!" he clenched his claws together. "Then why does it frighten me so? Of losing those to the chaos around me, caused by myself, of losing hallmarks that are deeply cherished?"
Zurg arrived to his planning room.
"Stuck in a day that's ugly, gray, and dreadful!"
Zurg had a nasty plot, the far most devious, to terrorize Team Nova, that came to see the light of day.
"Stuck in the worst day of my life!"
"Evil emperor Zurg-"
"It's evil! Terrifying! Risky! What if it doesn't go my way?"
"Tomorrow, I am afraid." He stared at the next set of ideas. "Come what may, tomorrow!"
"Evil Emperor Zurg, there's something you need to know." Brainpod 21 started.
"Tomorrow! Tomorrow!" Zurg sang.
"Don't tell him." Brainpod 65 hissed.
"It's a day that's gray and lonely and frightening!" Zurg began drawing pictures on his perch with a pen.
"You'll rip open his grief, he's too far into it, that he won't properly grieve!" brainpod 65 warned.
"He hasn't lost the children yet." Brainpod 97 agreed.
"Don't!" Brainpod 65 warned.
"He's going to go mad!" Brainpod 100 announced, flailing their arms, then synthesized the sound of a gulp. "And it's going to be awful for the entire galaxy!"
"But, the stars will always be there!" Zurg sang as he stapled the pictures on to the planing board. "The stars that makes life shine brilliantly!"
"He literally has to know." was the reply. "Evil Buzz Lightyear is trying to get to him!"
"And our front is working well keeping him from getting here!" Brainpod 65 shot back. "He is our patient, our friend, our employer, we must do everything in our power to get him to a emotional and mental level where Evil Emperor Zurg CAN FACE HIM." the brainpod's voice rose in emphasis. "He was ready! NOW, he's not!" Brainpod 65 shook brainpod 41. "DO YOU HEAR ME, BUBBLE HEADED NEANDERTHAL!"
"It's a valid alarm!" Brainpod 41 shot back.
Brainpod 65 rolled away with his arms folded.
"We don't need a mad Evil Emperor Zurg!" Brainpod 65 announced.
"Hidden by the blue sky! By the orange sky!" Zurg strolled through a sea of destruction, firing back at Nova, with his plasma blaster, clenching his other claw. "By the cloudy sky!" His rocket base activated then he flew off. "By a colorful sky!" Mira had to remain to save a group of children from a abandoned building that was falling. "By a building!"
"That is why I must lift my chin up," Mira caught the children with a grin on her features. "and grin!"
"He doesn't need to know!" Brainpod 65 sang, throwing his hands up then lowering them, shoving Brainpod 41 forward.
"He needs to know, brainpod 65!" Brainpod 21 insisted.
"He has to know!" Brainpod 41 agreed. "This could make things worse when he breaks."
"We don't need him to know!" Brainpod 65 grabbed brainpod 41 by the shoulders.
"Why not?" Brainpod 41 asked.
"It's the day that we lose Evil Emperor Zurg," he jabbed at his colleague's chassis with a claw then at Brainpod 20's chassis. "back up or not," he gestured toward the doorway. "nothing is ever going to be the same!"
"It's a day that's gray and lonely and frightening. . . " Mira sang, softly, her arms folded, walking down the corridor of Star Command.
"Tomoooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrooooooooow!" Zurg sang.
"I adore you," Mira sang, looking out the window of Star Command, holding a tabby in her arms. "cherish you," she snuggled the cat against her face as the cat meowed. "You're just a stardate away!"
Zurg looked out the front window of the dreadnought, his hands linked behind his back, afraid.
"Then why is it frightening?" Zurg drew out the last word.
A lone grub looked toward the evil emperor as the brainpods argued over the line whether the grub should tell.
"Tomorrow," Quark sang, outside, crying, his eyes red. "I hate you!"
Zurg picked up a large emerald on the counter that was glowing with electricity surrounding it.
"Come what maaaaaaaaaaaay," Nana approached the weeping boy, seating down beside him, grasping him into a hug. "tomorrow!"
The emerald was slipped into a machine and set on tornado setting. The evil emperor laughed, menacingly, at the prospect of the machine causing chaos then walked on past it as the scene behind him came to life and a tornado formed around the machine full of dark clouds and colorful lights. Mira flew on toward the machine then aimed the wrist laser at it, not singing, and pressed on it.
"Tomorrow!" Then Mira sang. "Tomorrow!" She pressed her wrist laser repeatedly. "Tomorrow!"
"When I'm stuck with dread," Booster joined her side, the machine becoming damaged, singing, bearing a smile glancing toward Mira. "terror, and uncertai-"
"I look to the next mission saving my teammates!" XR appeared through the portal, carrying Zurg's plasma gun, then the duo split apart. "Full of certainty, happiness, joy, and content to the victims!"
In a loud blast, the machine was destroyed knocking back team Nova. Booster caught Mira in his arms from the shockwave of the blast. XR landed to his feet, on Star Command, testing out new treads, alongside his older brother, their arms were together, XR had extended his legs to be at his height as they performed a dance routine.
"TOMORRROW!" XR and XL sang, twirling, much to the amusement of Star Command, Booster carried Hoichi and Chari in his arms as the two brothers were then ice skating, laughing, the grand children wearing winter gear. "Tomorrow!" XL twirled away then crashed through the barrier landing into the stage. "Tomorrow!"
"Stuck in a day that's gray, ugly, and dreadful. . . ." Zurg sang with his arms folded, glancing toward the evil plans, schemes that were devious. "Just thinking about the day, that is set to arrive." he leaned forward admiring the plans that were at best rough drafts. He looked aside. "It fills me with fear."
"It's evil." Brainpod 65 intoned as he looked toward the evil emperor. "Terrifying. Risky. Telling him."
"What if it doesn't go my way?" Zurg sang, concerned.
"Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow!" Booster and XR sang, performing a song, on stage with bamboo sticks as part of Show Off Your Talent Day as Mira looked toward her side.
"They're doing good, aren't they-" Mira cut herself off once seeing who was beside her.
"Not bad for a android." Nebula said as Mira turned on her wings.
"What if it all hits the cosmic dumpster?" Mira wondered as she flew away from the event turning on her helmet, "And I lose?" She fought back tears, even as they stung her eyes, pained, by the loss of two role models. "What if the chaos proves to be the undoing of those around me?"
"Tomorrow!" Booster sang, rescuing cadets with Mira and XR from Zurg's hornets. "I lift my chin up, and grin!"
At night, beside a window, Nana looked at the photograph of Warp and Buzz with their arms linked on their shoulders, sporting a grin and a smirk with Warp winking back at Ty who was taking the photograph.
"I couldn't save him. . ." Quark sobbed, his heart ached, holding on to his toy cowboy.
"You're always a stardate. . ." Nana sang, gently.
Zurg proceeded to finish the last words, softly, sadly, his shoulders lowering looking up toward the memorial for Warp Darkmatter and Buzz Lightyear, at what had once been the uncharted moon, disguised, cloaked, setting his hands on the wall. He knew what he had left behind here five years ago, it was his soul. His entire being ached in ways that it couldn't for people.
"Aaaaaahhhh. . . . . waaaaaaay."
A bulletin popped up on the television behind him with a ticker below reading 'Wrap Coil insists in another interview that Ranger Darkmatter is alive, revealing he is part of the movement in which Warp Darkmatter was abducted and death was faked'.
"Star Command has been destroyed by Evil Buzz Lightyear, Ranger Ty Parsec has been unable to be located after the great effort in evacuating all the personnel."
Zurg turned in the direction of the screen then stared.
"Ah. That's what he did while searching for me." Zurg folded his arms as his shoulders lowered then started to rush out of the chamber. "MOVE, I'M EVIL!"
It was the first anniversary since Warp had been unceremoniously yanked out of their lives. Nana Lightyear stared at the crater, sorrowfully, the children waiting in the car as the old woman set a pile of roses. There was a official Star Command memorial in front of the hole, authorized as a landmark, and Buzz Lightyear's death day was a official holiday in the Galactic Alliance. She sobbed as a blue portal opened up behind the vehicle that held the children as Booster stood by her side.
And it had been five years since Buzz Lightyear had left her world. Booster turned around then paused in his tracks, observing Darkmatter, alive and well, directing the children into a portal. He stopped and stared, the blue light from the portal highlighting his large unusual arm, his armor purple, and the rest of his uniform was red. XR was by the old woman's side as he patted on her back then slowly turned around facing the direction that Booster was in.
"Warp!" Booster cried. "You're alive!"
Darkmatter turned on the stun mode and the giant collapsed as the mercenary fled.
"What was that?" Nana asked, as she turned around.
"Uh oh." Then he squinted at where the once blue portal had been. "We got a amber alert."
"Giant child!" Nana cried, then grew concerned. "Are you okay?"
"XR to Star Command. . ." XR said. "Zurg has cloned Warp Darkmatter."
Zurg broke, the news blaring, the scene of Warp Darkmatter running in the portal. He had to fix this, he had to make the clone, to make things right. The cloning machine started up then the other added pieces hummed to life aging the figure as the cloning went along, smoothly. He waited, and waited, and waited, as the hours ticked by, paying no attention. He had spent the better part of the day in getting androids to be the children's body guards and it had all failed. Someone stole them. But who would steal them on a day like this?
The tube opened, Zurg stepped forward, patiently waiting, the clone stepped forward, smiled, then collapsed. Brainpod 65 exchanged a glance with the other brainpods then slowly keyed in a command as the emperor started to scream in frustration and rage. The rage built up and up and up-then the memory file dropped. He froze, the memory pouring in, the voice from the counterpart, it had all happened because his counterpart wanted a question answered. It was his doing. It was all his doing.
"Let's go steal a Buzz Lightyear!"
The most diabolic plot.
"Preferable not from that fiend!" Zurg said, dismissively. "That Lightyear is not THE Buzz Lightyear!"
the evil emperor pointed at where it had once been.
"GET THE GATE BACK TOGETHER!" It was a loud order and a large portion of the grubs fled.
"Sir, it wouldn't operate after another use after the extraction with the heavy advancements that was recently made!" one of the grubs pointed out. "It will take a few days to put it back together anyway, it's more complicated than before." Zurg picked up the grub that didn't stop speaking. "Even after we use it, it would take ages to fix!"
"We sent Evil Buzz Lightyear to the future by tricking him with De'jaciia's help and revealing they were not me then yanking them out before turning the portal on-we're not going to use it afterwards." He dropped the grub to the ground. "You can do this!" The evil emperor laughed, menacing. "Someone, get Nos-4-A2 out of their grave, they're draining that wrist laser, and tell them to wait at the hole afterwards."
"The hole!" the grubs repeated, shocked, surprised, stunned, while the brainpods were not.
Zurg walked on past the alarmed grubs.
"Evil Emperor Zurg, that was sewn up!" anther grub spoke up.
Zurg's optics glowed a bright red under the darkness as most of the lights above him burst at random.
"Not anymore after today." and it were said in a evil tone. "Get me Barlos Methane, Nos-4-A2 will need a transport here."
"But, sir-"
"Whoever has their hands on Warp Darkmatter- it won't be a Evil Emperor Zurg by the time that my army arrives," Zurg held his hand up then clenched it, he was dead certain, positive, of such a even. He knew how evil always failed in the range of a Space Ranger. "The civilization that has him will pay dearly for keeping him over time! He is sneaky, he is defiant-Ranger Darkmatter is a fighter!"
The evil emperor walked down the corridor with a series of cackles descending into madness, gleefully, carving out a hell filled of terror, shrieks, screaming, fire and flames surrounding the destruction. Disaster reeked off his very being. Lights broke above the helm of the evil emperor filled by evil that wasn't normal, not typical, his evil level rose up further by each passing moment as he were slowly joined by hornets, typing on padds, signing off on requests for a large fleet, a general path to join him.
"The things you can accomplish being a villain." Zurg sang the familiar verse to himself, menacingly, "In the short span of time upon being thwarted by a Space Ranger."
A/N De'jaciia's name was partially inspired off Deforest Kelley, a actor who first portrayed Leonard McCoy.
was tomorrow reprise necessary? yes.
