CHAPTER 4 - THUNDER RANGERS

"Seems workable but how am I supposed to sneak anywhere in some bright red getup?" Connor questioned of the gathered Rangers. For privacy the two teams had moved to one of the lower levels to plan the rescue. Nearly an hour later, almost everything was ready.

Tommy smirked. "Simple, you don't. Morph, Con."

Not questioning him, Connor called out, "Red Phoenix." In a flash of flame, the Red Thunder Ranger stood morphed before them all. The armor was similar to the Dino Ranger team but a bit more streamlined, smoother. It wasn't the bright red of Jason's armor but instead a darker shade, the color of dried blood. The weaponry was also different as his holster for his blaster rested for the same draw he was used to with his gun. Two small daggers, not all that different from his fighting knives, were sheathed at his sides and a set of throwing daggers were at the small of his back, all almost invisible against his armor. Connor took this in and said, "No problem with the color then. Let's see the others."

Striker stood up and Zack stopped him. "Before you morph, how much like a basilisk will he be?" he aimed the question at Tommy.

"He won't kill you with a look, Zack. But yes, he will have the Power to kill with a glance. It's controlled, just like your Powers are."

Striker asked, "You're sure of that?"

"The Power accepted you. It won't give more than you can handle."

"Alright. Brown Basilisk." The earth itself seemed to rise up around him in an instant. His earth brown armor was like Connor's except instead of daggers, he had claws coming out of the back of his gloves. He knew when fighting an enemy those claws would be poisonous yet the poison would only be there when facing an enemy. It would not allow itself to harm a friend or bystander anymore than he would want to do so himself.

Rocky stood next. At his call the air swirled around him, clearing to reveal the Grey Griffin Thunder Ranger. His gloves had a talon like claws coming out their backs, his boots were tipped with claws like a lion. The air whirled around him with each motion, his speed greatly enhanced.

When Adam morphed into the Black Wyvern Ranger, another whirl of air responded. His gloves and boots were tipped with talon claws and a slight line under his arms spread down into wing membranes when he concentrated, giving him the ability to fly. He grew aware that if he breathed out just so, a poisonous cloud would fill the room but under his control. It would effect only those he wished effected and leave all others alone. "Cool."

Land magic responded to Justin's morphing call, surrounding him just as it had Striker. His only weapon was his blaster which, like all the Thunder Rangers', was set to the location he normally carried his gun. On his belt was a healing pouch which would supply him with almost any medical supplies he might need. The Sidhe gave him a natural healing touch, though not as strong as Tommy's abilities. He was aware that he could trap enemies within a circle too, whether it was 'natural' like a circle of trees or stones, or a circle he drew on the ground, if they were in the boundaries of the circle he had control. "I like this," Justin commented quietly. He knew how to fight and could hold his own but before he ended up on the streets he'd planned to be a doctor. This seemed even better to him.

"Which just leaves seeing how this Power changed mine," Tommy commented.

"What?" the original team exclaimed. Trini continued, "What do you mean changed yours? You didn't get a new Power."

"Actually I did," Tommy responded. "I was the Green Dragon Storm Ranger. Now I'm master of the Thunder Line, making me the Green Dragon Thunder Storm Ranger. Team's a little unbalanced though. I expected at least one Water Elemental."

His words didn't make sense to the others but they kept their questions to themselves as Tommy morphed. Unlike before, his morph was announced with a mixture of flames, land, and air swirling around him, the combination of the three morphs of the Thunder Team. His armor changed to the smoother lines of the Thunder Rangers, the Green coloring stayed the same but the gold and white portions turned to a midnight green. His dragon dagger remained at his side as did his blaster but in addition he now had a double edged long sword sheathed at his back. "Nice but too noticeably different right now," he breathed to himself. He made a gesture with his hand and the whole assemble wavered for a moment before clearing to show him as they were used to seeing him.

"You changed it back?" Kim asked.

Tommy shook his head no but it was Harry who answered, "It's a glamour. He's real good at them."

Tommy turned to Connor. "Ready?"

"Ready," Connor responded.

As they prepared to teleport out, Jason said, "Watch your back, bro. I hate you going there without me at your back."

"I know bro," Tommy said. "We'll be back before you know it." Without another word, they teleported out.

The original team headed back to the main room. "This is weird," Zack said.

"Yeah," Kim agreed. "This is like the first time we're the ones waiting for someone else to save the day."

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The Green Ranger appeared in the middle of an empty corridor of the ground level of Zedd's newly finished palace, alone. The captives were held three levels below ground but those levels were blocked from teleportation to the Green Dragon Storm Powers as well as the Dino Line. It wouldn't block him now, the Thunder Line changed his Power signature enough the blocks wouldn't know to stop him. But teleporting further in would give away information and that wasn't the plan. Moving silently down the corridor, Tommy allowed just enough Power to slip through his shields that Zedd would read his presence on the level but not enough that anyone should be able to pinpoint his location.

Despite what he'd suggested to the other Rangers, this part was almost completely guesswork. He knew how much Power would be needed for Zedd's people to notice him, he knew Zedd would notice him well before that but he didn't know at what point that would occur. The same lack of knowledge kept him from knowing whether or not Zedd could pinpoint him within the castle. There was no way around it. It was a gamble any way he went. Tommy wouldn't admit to anyone how afraid that made him, not even himself.

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The Thunder Rangers appeared in a shadowed alcove of the third level underground without so much as a flicker to announce their arrival. Connor had been worried about that, after the rather flashy method of morphing. But the Thunder Line truly was a Line made for espionage, a setup the Thunder Rangers were comfortable with as they could never be with the flashy ways of the Dino team.

Without a word spoken, the team moved down the corridor towards the cell holding the three Rangers' parents. Five Rangers to rescue six people, with Tommy running interference. Connor would feel better about the whole thing if he didn't care more about the one running interference than he could ever care about some stupid adults that got themselves in trouble because they refused to listen.

Connor motioned the team to stop, hearing others in the room they needed. He shimmied over to the corner, knelt down and peaked around the doorway. He signaled the others the two dozen guards. Adam signed poison breath and Rocky signed he could remove the air in the room. Connor nodded his agreement then motioned Adam to fly over the doorway and take the ones closest there while Rocky targeted from the other side. Not sure how quickly either one could work their new abilities nor how fast their enemies would react to the attack, Conner, Striker, and Justin prepared to fight. When everyone was ready, Connor motioned the two forward with their attack.

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