In Zandar, Hayley was sitting in a cafe along with Sarah and the female members of the Amber Beach crowd. There was still a while to go until the wrestling show, and while the queues to get in had already formed and people were already waiting to get in, there was an advantage to being Royal Guests. Sarah was laughing as Shelby shared some of the stories of the adventures she and Kendall had been on lately for the museum. Shelby was technically still a student, but with the personal mentorship of someone of Kendall's calibre in the field, she definitely got a lot more opportunities than others to take part in digs and studies that really made people sit up and take notice.
Hayley loved seeing Sarah like this. While sometimes she was a little jealous that there was a part of her best friend she didn't know too well, it was nice to see that Sarah hadn't just appeared on Earth a year ago, that she had a life beyond Summer Cove and their adventures. She just finished her text and put her phone away as Shelby was rounding out her story.
"I'm telling you, Cairo might have been great, but it's always nice to get home!" She concluded. Sarah noticed Hayley putting away her phone.
"What is it Hayls?" Sarah asked.
"Just dad letting me know he's home safe." Hayley told her. "His ship docked a little while ago."
"That's good to hear." Sarah stated. "Are you looking forward to staying with him when you get back?"
Hayley just shrugged and started to stir her coffee, which had to be getting pretty close to stone cold by this point. It wasn't hard to see the lack of enthusiasm there.
"What's the matter?" Erin asked. "Is the divorce still rough?"
"Not really, by the time mom and dad split their marriage had been pretty much over for years. It was more of a blessing for both of them than anything." Hayley sighed. "It's just...I don't know."
"I thought you got on with your dad." Sarah commented. Hayley just looked to her.
"Aaron Foster? Are you kidding? No one doesn't get on with him!" Hayley answered. "We get along great when we're together and it's not like he smothers me or anything. He's pretty much always at the university or the aquarium."
"But?" Shelby asked. Hayley could see why Sarah liked this group. Even though they only met her a short time ago it was clear they were concerned for her and just wanted to know if they could help.
"I don't know, I just get a little...sad when I stay with him." Hayley admitted. "Not for me, I mean, we get on great when he's there and I don't have to worry about coming in late or slipping out of the apartment or anything but it's just...it's like nothing ever changes for him."
"Well, that's a good thing right?" Kendall asked. "It means he's happy doesn't it?"
"Well yeah, but he's always happy when he's doing his studies or going to the aquarium or something." Hayley told them. "But it's like; he's in the same apartment he moved into when they divorced. He hasn't redecorated; he hasn't gone on any holidays..."
"Unless you count the middle of the ocean for a couple of months." Sarah chipped in. She noticed Hayley didn't seem amused.
"He's always around the same people; he doesn't go out and meet anyone other than boosters." She continued. "It just kind of feels like he's...not moving forward. I guess I just worry about him."
"I wouldn't worry too much. If your dad is an academic, things can seem like that on the surface." Kendall told her. "Look at me; I'm still working at the museum when I'm not off on a dig. It'd be easy for people to think I was in a rut or not going anywhere, but I've found somewhere I'm happy."
"Yeah, but you've got Matt." Hayley reminded her. "And didn't you say something about adoption?"
"We've begun the paperwork." Kendall admitted.
"Dad's not done any of that. I guess sometimes I worry about what's next for him." Hayley told them.
"I'm sure he'll be fine." Allison said reassuringly. "Hell, if you talked to me three years ago, I was still bouncing around go-nowhere jobs that rarely lasted more than a couple of months and all I wanted to do all day was skate."
Just then, Shelby got a text. She looked to the others.
"That's James, we should get moving." She told them. "It sounded like the party was already under way."
"Yeah, we should." Sarah agreed. "Between Calvin and Chase if we want there to be any refreshments left we need to get there pretty quick!"
Over in Millport, Dane, Brody and Redbot were making good progress putting the new workshop together. With the building now done, it was the only a matter of setting up the tools and equipment they would need. Dane had a lot of experience with the forge, having been a smith ever since his days back at the Wind Ninja Academy, and so it wasn't beyond his capabilities to set that up himself. It allowed him to make sure it was set up the way he wanted it to be, and with things placed the way he liked them so the tools were where he expected them to be. That said, it was taking a little getting used to seeing all the equipment Brody and Redbot were setting up.
"The mainframe is back up and running smoothly." Brody stated. "I've got the tactical systems back up and the mainframe is back online!"
"The scanners should be up and running shortly." Redbot informed him. "It won't take long for me to set up the satellite tracking system."
"This is a LOT more tech than I had back in the day." Dane chuckled as he saw them with their various screens and computers. "What even is all this stuff?"
"This is all the stuff from our old Command Centre." Brody said proudly. "I don't know where we'd have been without it."
"You really think all of that stuff is necessary?" Dane asked them.
"I can't count the number of times this stuff's helped us win the day." Brody said defensively. "It gives us tactical updates, warnings...hell, Mick and Redbot even used it to help in the design specifications of the Ninja Stars."
"You want to know what I used for my weapons' design?" Dane asked, before tapping the side of his head. "The most powerful super computer ever developed. I didn't need all of this stuff cluttering up the workshop."
"It's not taking up that much room." Brody argued.
"All I'm saying is, a ninja doesn't need all these fancy toys." Dane teased him. "A ninja is a weapon, even without all this. I just hope you don't come to rely on it."
"You know what I remember though?" Brody said with a sly grin. "I seem to remember a wise person once telling me that the ninja were great innovators that were always upgrading and updating their arsenal."
"Oh, using my own words against me?" Dane asked him.
"Welcome to the next generation of The Art of Invisibility." Brody told him. Dane just laughed.
"Touche." He replied. "Anyway, I'm just about done here. I just want to run into town for a few things, maybe repay the locals for their help with this place. I'll be back for dinner."
As he left, Brody and Redbot turned their attention back to what they were doing.
"There we go, that should be the tracking system up and running!" Redbot declared.
"Then what are we waiting for?" Brody asked. "Fire her up Redbot; let's see where that Super Ninja Steel is!"
Over at Summer Cove High, Principal Hastings was doing her rounds of the classes, making sure the staff had everything they needed. Although there were still a couple of positions to fill, and some of the staff would have to pull together to make up for the staffing shortfall, so far it looked like from an equipment standpoint everyone seemed to be doing just fine.
The end of the holidays was always a time that many teachers dreaded, but for the most part Jennifer loved it. She loved having some time to herself as much as the next person, but for her teaching was a genuine love, verging on the point of an addiction. She got so far into a holiday and found herself getting bored if anything and longing to come back. To her, there was nothing more satisfying to see the kids growing and moving through her school, becoming adults that would go out into the world and do good things.
She got to the shop class and felt herself deflating a little. She knew why Mick had left, she understood completely. Well, she understood as completely as anyone could understand such things. She'd loved the fact her career had brought her back to Summer Cove, she did really love it as a home and she loved doing her bit to make the town a better place for the future generations. She had seen her town in ruins at certain times during the past year, and it broke her heart. She could only imagine what it must have been like for Mick, whose home had been at war for longer than he had been alive. He had opted to go back with Princess Viera to fight for his home. She could understand him wanting to put Viera back on the throne, to try and finally see his home as a place of peace where people could live without constant fear. Of course that didn't mean she didn't miss him.
She went into the class, looking around. Little had changed in the Shop Class, but then again little really needed to. Tools would occasionally need replaced and every now and then they'd get a new piece of equipment, but other than that, the only thing the department needed was parts and a deal with the local wreckers' yard sorted that. She came over to the bed lift, and something came to her. She smiled as she started to remember the first time she saw Mick. She'd hesitantly put Victor in charge of the class due to the previous shop teacher resigning and being unable to find a replacement.
"You there!" She called out, seeing a wild-haired, unfamiliar looking man standing in the classroom. Mick looked around to see who she was addressing as she pointed at him, before realising it was him. She approached him extending a hand. She was sure that the man she had interviewed had turned down the position, but in his overalls and welding goggles, Mick just looked like he belonged there. Although she should have wondered about the fact he didn't seek her out first, something about him put her at ease. "You must be our new shop teacher! I'm Principal Hastings, very nice to meet you!"
"Hi, I'm Mick!" He told her, grabbing her hand and wiggling it back and forward.. She just sighed and looked to her hand, before wiping it off on a rag. Mick only explained to her afterwards that was his first real handshake and he wasn't familiar with the gesture.
"Now, I was very disappointed to hear you had turned us down, but who could blame you? I wouldn't want to spend all day in this grease pit." She stated. She did cringe a little thinking about that. Why did she say that? She was desperate for someone to take the post. Mick though looked like the thought of being here all day was like a kid getting full access to a toy store! "But...I suspect you're right at home!"
"I'm glad you changed your mind. Just drop off your paperwork with the office by the end of the week." She told him. "Welcome aboard! Victor! You're no longer in charge!"
She smiled a little thinking about that moment. She didn't suspect for a minute what would happen in her life after then. It was only a short time after that she had been attacked while out on her evening run. She didn't at the time know why, but when she woke up, she found herself chained up in the basement of her own house. Odious had taken her captive so that she could pose as her and keep tabs on the Rangers. She could still remember the humiliation, the terror, the anguish of being chained up, being tortured, subsisting on a diet of dog food which was all Odious would allow her to eat, and only when she felt she needed to feed her to prevent her perishing so that she could interrogate her, all the better to maintain her ruse.
She recalled hearing footsteps coming down the stairs. It was a little odd that the lights didn't turn on. There was a light switch at the top of the stairs. Odious knew that. The figure got to the bottom of the stairs and turned on the light, and instinctively she scooted into the corner, awaiting whatever fresh torture she had for her.
"Principal Hastings, it's me!" Mick told her. She just looked up to him.
"M...M...Mr K...K...Kanik?" She asked him. Mick nodded his head. She couldn't imagine how he had found her, but she was alarmed at the thought Odious could be back any time! "You need to go, that freak..."
"She's not coming back." Mick assured her as he took his screwdriver and started to work on the locks holding her chains. She looked to him, terrified in case he was wrong. "Don't worry, she's been exposed, we all know about her, she's not coming back."
As the chains fell from her ankles, releasing her feet for the first time in weeks, he began working on the chains securing her wrists. The second he was finished, she threw her arms around him, squeezing him tightly and refusing to let him go. Mick gently put his arms around her.
"It's alright, it's alright, we're getting you out of here." He assured her, sliding a hand under her legs. She clung to him as he picked her up, huddling into him closely. In that moment, despite everything, she felt completely safe for the first time in weeks. It was some time, even after getting to the ambulance, before she would let go.
She was wrenched from her thought as she heard something, and saw a bright flash of light under the door to the paint room. She started to head over, curious as to what it was.
She got to the door, quietly opening it, and peeking inside. There, she found a stranger, wearing a fully-enclosing suit of armour, with a cloak extending down the back. It was shiny, silver, and unlike anything she had seen on Earth. The stranger put down his rifle and started to look around.
Fear started to grip her. It wasn't long ago everyone was certain they'd seen the last of the alien threat in Summer Cove. The stranger headed over to the brand new compressor, beginning to run his hands over it. She wondered if he thought it was something of importance, not just an air pump to drive a spray gun, but the one thing that was important was he wasn't looking at the door. He was completely distracted, and more importantly...his gun was only a couple of feet away!
She opened the door silently and came in, creeping closer to the discarded weapon as the stranger seemed to be enthralled by the compressor. She got her fingers to it, lifting it up quietly, before levelling it at him. It was only as she figured out where the power switch was, turning on the power that the stranger seemed to realise someone else was in the room. He turned around and saw her aiming the weapon straight at him.
"STOP RIGHT THERE!" She yelled, trying to sound a lot more confident than she really was. She was never someone who was overly familiar with guns. Her dad had been a hunter, but she had no love of it. She definitely didn't know about alien tech, and wasn't even sure if she was able to fire the gun. The only thing she seemed KIND of sure of was she was pointing it the right direction given the position of the trigger and the barrel. "Slowly!"
The stranger held up his hands in submission. Either he thought she did know how to operate the weapon or he saw something she didn't and realised it was. Jennifer took a deep breath.
"Alright, step away from the...uh...weapon." She said, trying to bluff her way out of the situation. "That's not yours, but it is powerful and I will use it if I need to!"
"That's not a weapon." The stranger replied. "It's only dangerous when Victor and Monty get their hands on it."
"I'm sorry?" She asked. The stranger reached to his helmet, releasing the catches and lifting it off. Jennifer carefully put the gun aside as she saw his face. Her eyes lit up.
"Glad to see it finally got replaced though." Mick answered. Jennifer rushed over, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him passionately. Mick wrapped his arms around her and returned the kiss, losing himself in the moment. Jennifer parted from him a little way and looked to him in disbelief.
"Mick...you're back!" She stated. "But...the war..."
"The war's over." He told her. "The rebellion won. Viera's finally back on the throne!"
"But...how?" She asked.
"It turned out there were a lot more Viera supporters than we thought. Once some Rangers got involved and tipped the scales a little, the ranks swelled." Mick told her. "We took the palace a few days ago."
"So you won? It's really over?" She asked.
"Well, there are still some people that aren't too happy but their forces are dwindling. It turns out a lot of people like the idea of their kids not being sent out to pointless wars all the time." Mick assured her. "They can get by without me."
"But if the war's over, why are you back?" She asked him. "I thought...?"
"There's a whole other story there, something I need to do here." Mick answered. "But for now...I think it can wait."
Jennifer went to the door, locking it, before looking back to him.
"I think it can too." She replied as she walked over to him, drawing in and kissing him deeply.
Back in Zandar, the show was going well. Carl had assembled all the wrestlers on the stage to read out a dedication to Jack, and to tell the audience that the gate was being donated to a head injuries charity. Every single wrestler on the card had agreed to donate their appearance fee in his honour, and after ringing the bell ten times, a common mark of respect for a wrestler who had passed in the business, the show got underway.
The wrestlers were not taking the fact they were essentially working for free that night as a reason to slack off. Every single one of them was doing their utmost to put on the best show possible in his honour. A few would pay their own tribute. More than one wore a black armband, and several of them even replicated some of Jack's most famous moves and spots to huge approval from the audience. By the time the final bout was about to begin, the atmosphere was more a celebration of Jack's life than mourning his death.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your main event of the evening. This match is scheduled for one fall and it is for the World Heavyweight Championship!" The announcer declared to huge applause. "Introducing first, the challenger, from Mexico City, Mexico, weighing in at 199 pounds, Cuahocelot!"
Alessandra came out, decked out in her signature face paint and brightly coloured attire, much as everyone expected, though she had her own little adaptations to mark Jack's passing. For one, she wore one of his old t-shirts over her entrance attire, and she also wore a black armband. As she got to the ring, she knelt in the centre and pointed upwards, her own way of saying that this performance was for him.
"And your champion, weighing in at 245 pounds. He is your reigning and defending World Heavyweight Champion. He...is...KODA!"
The crowd applauded as Koda stepped onto the ramp, taking up his position. They exploded as they saw his tribute. Like Alessandra he was wearing one of Jack's t-shirts, but more importantly than that, he was wearing a pair of white tights, covered in red splashes as though splattered in blood. He had chosen to wear Jack's old tights in tribute to him. The audience definitely seemed to approve, and as well as cheering on Koda, there were a lot of chants of "Thank you Jack."
Koda rolled under the bottom rope and pulled off his t-shirt, tossing it into the crowd. The referee got them both into the middle of the ring for the run-down, before sending them to their corners. The bell rang, and they both came out to the middle, beginning to circle each other, before launching forward and locking up.