CHAPTER 33 - ASSIGNMENTS

Connor and Striker met Trigger and his boys in an alley that connected their territories. "Everyone here?" Connor asked after greetings. Receiving an affirmative, he motioned for them to follow. "Dragon said to apologize for the delay."

Trigger waved it off, though he would have been beyond pissed if it'd been anyone besides his personal hero that had put him off like that. The Green Ranger could get by with almost anything after how he'd saved Trigger's little brother. "Can you say what was up? Nothing made the news."

"Dragon's gone off to learn magic. Apparently, the trail and error method is dangerous. We spent the month setting up contact procedures and training schedules and all."

They stopped beside a newly renovated warehouse building, Connor and Striker stared intently at the ground until they saw the faint hint on the line marking the edge of the wards. They stepped one foot over the line, one outside the ward, then motioned for Trigger and his boys to walk between them.

"Once you're inside, we can add you to the wards and you can enter like there's nothing there," Connor assured.

Trigger gave him a look but didn't say anything as he walked in. It had been months since Connor met Dragon, perhaps after awhile such things started to seem ordinary.

Connor pointed out the rooms set aside for Trigger's boys as they passed but didn't slow down until he met up with one of the younger boys from his set who was waiting in front of a closed door. At Connor's nod, the boy opened the door and made a chopping motion through the doorway before stepping aside to let them in. He made another motion once everyone was inside then moved to sit at the table at the side of the room.

"The central control room, therefore the extra security," Connor said. "Not everyone allowed in the building is allowed in here by themselves."

Trigger shook his head and repeated, "Extra security. Of a kid waving his hands through the air?"

Connor just smirked in response as he turned to the one currently running the room. "Trini. I'd thought it was Kim's shift."

"We switched. There's a big sale at the mall and she convinced Dragon's girls to go shopping with her."

"You didn't want to go too?" he questioned, knowing Trini enjoyed shopping. "One of the boys could cover."

Trini laughed. "I may love shopping, but Kim at a mall sale with basically unlimited funds is worse than anything Rita or Zedd has ever sent against us. No, I'll stick to nice safe interplanetary battles instead. - I take it this is Trigger?" She bowed her head slightly at his affirmative. "Trini Kwan, Yellow Sabre-toothed Tiger Dino Ranger of the Power Rangers of Earth."

Trigger gaped at her until Connor gave his shoulder a slight push to bring him back to himself. He bowed to her, copying her move, his boys copied him. "It's an honor to meet you. I can't believe I'm meeting a Power Ranger."

Trini grinned. "We tend to hang around here, this being Power Ranger Central and all."

Trigger felt himself blush. "Yeah. 'Course."

Trini glanced at the clock. "Well, I've gotta meet my parents for dinner. I'll leave it to you, Phoenix."

Trigger watched her leave then turned back to Connor. "Where'd Phoenix come from?"

"That gets into the major secrets," Connor responded. "All Ranger info is secret, of course, but Lord Zedd-"

Striker explained at the many confused looks, "That's the ruler of the empire behind all the attacks."

Connor gave Striker a look but continued, "Lord Zedd knows who Dragon's Rangers are, as do a small number of teachers, friends and family. You could stand in the middle of the park or a crowded restaurant and talk about Trini being the Yellow Ranger. Cause of a magical ward that Dragon set up, no human that's not already in the know would take notice. The aliens might be able to see through that ward though so the info they don't already know can't be talked about outside this building. The roof of the building does count as outside," Connor added with a pointed look to Justin who just shrugged.

"I just did that once and Dragon cut me off. I'd thought the wards covered the whole building," Justin responded.

"That's a hell of a lot of words, Connor," Trigger commented. "What does any of that have to do with her calling you Phoenix?"

"We're Power Rangers."

"What?! - You're shitting me."

"Thunder Rangers, specifically, a Power that specializes in espionage. I'm the Red Phoenix Thunder Ranger."

Trigger and his boys gaped at him, shocked silent. Connor gave them a moment to take that in then started talking, briefly describing the Ranger teams and going into detail on what Trigger and his boys needed to do.

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Scorpina entered the throne room and knelt before her lord.

"Rise," Lord Zedd said as he waved his hand, magically sealing the room.

She did so, a mixture of curiosity and excitement filling her. The only others present were two Wraiths, as all the most important missions she'd been assigned began.

"I have a special assignment for you," Zedd began. "You are to go to Earth in the form of a human teenager - glamoured and shielded so as to not be recognizable. You will start in a town a distance from Angel Grove. With my Wraiths acting the part of your parents, you are to take the next two months to learn everything you can about human teenagers. At the end of that two months, your 'family' is to move to Angel Grove by human means. You will then to work your way into the group my Tomi is building around himself."

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Continued - Let me know what you think. Review