April 22nd, 1988

Bill looked at Ryan's last school picture as he wiped away tears from his eyes. Today, they should have been celebrating Ryan's 8th birthday. For months, all he talked about was having a Fireman themed birthday. He had already picked out a cake in the shape of a fire truck. Bill had asked some of his friends from work to stop by and give Ryan and his party guests a ride in the fire truck and even tour the fire station. But that horrible crash ruined it. If he hadn't turned his head to see how happy the kids were when they were playing with their new toys, Ryan would still be there. He still hadn't found the words to tell Dana that Ryan was rescued by a monster. But he had to agree to let the ugly looking creature keep him until his 20th birthday.

It had been officially 92 days since the car crash and it was still fresh in his mind as if it was only yesterday. A week after the crash, he formed a team which was called "Lightspeed Rescue." And they started to build an Aqua base. He was going to be the Captain and they started calling him "Captain Mitchell." They were currently researching away to create morphers. He had heard 10,000 years ago there was a battle between a superhero team called the "power rangers". They worked with Zordon of Eltar and together they defeated an evil space witch known as Rita Repulsa. Maybe the monster who saved Ryan had some connection to her and would someday attack Mariner Bay. He remembered reading that Rita had space minions who fought battles with her against the power rangers. This monster must have some connection to Rita or have known about her. Whatever the case was, he would have the team ready to face him. And maybe if they were lucky, they could rescue Ryan.

"It's me, dad," Dana announced.

Captain Mitchell looked up from his notebook and saw his daughter and her friend Carter Grayson walk into the room. Dana was carrying a birthday cake which looked like a firetruck.

"Dana, what are you doing?" Captain Mitchell asked when Dana laid the cake on his desk.

"Carter and I were talking a few days ago," Dana explained. "He told me we shouldn't mourn over Ryan today. Instead, we need to remember the years that we had him and celebrate what amount of time we were blessed to have him in our lives."

"It's like a memorial," Carter added.

"I really like the idea," Captain Mitchell confessed as he walked into the kitchen. Dana and Carter followed him into the kitchen and he got out a box of matches from the cabinet. He lit the eight candles. "We'll both blow out the candles and make a wish."

Captain Mitchell and Dana both moved closer to the cake and blew out the candles. "Do you care to tell me what you wished for?" Dana asked.

"No, what did you wish for?" Captain Mitchell asked.

"I wished that car crash never happened and Ryan was still here," Dana confessed as a tear ran down her face. "I really miss him."

"I wished for the same thing," Captain Mitchell confessed as he cut each of them a piece of cake.

Meanwhile, Ryan was walking near the scene of the accident with Diabolico. He was telling Ryan about the new school that he'd be attending. It was a private school and also a school where students were in training to become future villains.

"I can't believe they are celebrating my birthday," Ryan said as they walked over to the bushes. "I looked in the window and my father and sister were laughing. They were having a good time."

"It's because your father got what he wanted," Diabolico lied. "He was only trying to save your sister. You do believe it, don't you?"

"I'm starting to," Ryan admitted as he watched his father and sister come down to the scene. Dana had a wooden cross in her hands and a bosque of flowers. "Every time we spy on them, they are always having an enjoyable time.

"Daddy, I can't believe he's gone," Dana said as she placed the cross and flowers where the damaged car once sat. "We don't even have a grave to visit."

"I know, Dana," Captain Mitchell sighed.

"I can't believe it!" Ryan gasped as tears of anger ran down his face. "He's told Dana that I didn't survive that car crash."

"Isn't that terrible?" Diabolico asked as they watch Captain Mitchell and Dana walk away. "He favored her and didn't care about you. Why else wouldn't he have helped you?"

"I want revenge," Ryan said through clenched teeth. "I want him to pay for what he did to me."

"And that he will," Diabolico promised with a smirk. "That's why I'm sending you to the special school. "You'll get your education and also learn how to fight like a true warrior."

Author's note:

Before we get to the present day in LightSpeed Rescue, we will be seeing a former ranger who will be joining the team. She will be the purple ranger. Any ideas on who it could be?