Finally, around three a.m., Trip awoke to the sound of a gentle voice.
"Trip? Where am I?"
Trip shot straight up. He knew that sweet voice . . .
"Christi!" Trip cried. He hugged her gently, and was careful not to squeeze her.
"How did I get here? I remember Concertacon blasting me, I got up, and then everything went blank."
Trip drew in a deep breath and began. "After Concertacon blasted you, you tried to attack him from the rear. Then at the same time, I blasted him from the front, but he molecularized and the shot hit you. Then, I brought you here."
Christi looked around. "What is this place?" She asked.
"I live here. It's the abandoned clock tower." He said.
"Do you and the other Rangers live here, or is it just you?"
"We're all living here." Trip said. "So, when we were back at the coffee place . . . you were going to tell me that you were the Black Ranger, weren't you?" He asked.
Christi nodded. "In the year 3001, I was the top cadet and first choice for the next Ranger. Then I heard that four other Rangers had been sent to the year 2001, so I searched the time banks for you. According to the time banks, you and the other Rangers were destroyed by Concertacon on July fourth, 2001. When I reported this to Captain Logan, he assigned me to confine Concertacon. He gave me the latest and greatest in Ranger technology, The Black Chrono Morpher. I was supposed to return with Concertacon in hand by July fifth, 2001. And since my time ship only has exactly 1000 years left, I have to return tonight."
Trip took Christi's hand. "We'll defeat Concertacon, Christi. I promise."
Christi smiled, comforted by his assurances.
After that, Trip and Christi spent the rest of the night talking. When morning came, Trip told Christi that he had to go fill the others in on the situation, and that if she needed anything, he'd help her. Christi just nodded, and Trip left.
The other Rangers were waiting for Trip in the kitchen. Jen was making coffee, and Wes, Katie and Lucas were sitting at the table.
"Is Christi all right?" Katie asked.
"Yeah, she's doing really well. She just needs to rest awhile." Trip said.
"How long has she been awake?" Jen asked.
"Since three this morning. I was talking to her until a few minutes ago." Trip said.
Wes smiled. "So, you were 'talking' to Christi for four hours, alone in a dark room with nothing but a chair and a small cot. I wonder what that conversation went like." Wes made his hands into little bunnies and enacted the scene of what he thought Trip and Christi had been doing all that time. Before the eyes of the other Rangers, the virginity of Wes's wrists were forever lost.
They took a moment to gape at Wes's immaturity, then Trip turned back to the others and continued. "Guys, Christi is from the year 3001. She was assigned by Time Force to save us. According to the time banks, Concertacon destroyed us today, and Ransik took over the world. If Concertacon isn't contained by the end of today, the timeline will shift and we may never be able to return to our own Time."
"Let's go then." Jen said urgently. "Right now. It's not like we need to wait for Concertacon to give us and invitation."
Just then, Circuit flew in.
"Rangers! Concertacon's back! He's attacking the city!"
"Let's go!" Jen ordered.
"You guys go. I'm going to tell Christi where we're going." Trip said.
"Okay. Meet us there," Jen said. And with that, they were off. Trip ran into Christi's room.
"Christi!" He told her breathlessly. "There's been a mutant attack. The rest of us are going to handle it. If you need anything, just ask Circuit."
Christi sat straight up. "Trip, wait. I can help. Let me go with you."
Trip shook his head. "No, Christi, it's too dangerous. You almost got killed the last time. You need to recover."
"Trip, please . . ." Christi pleaded.
"I'm sorry, Christi, but the others need me now. I have to go." He kissed her cheek gently, then dashed off.
Trip reached the scene of the attack just in time to see his fellow Rangers get demorphed by Concertacon. Trip ran to them.
"Guys! Are you okay?" He asked worriedly.
"Yeah, we're fine." Katie said.
"Any time today, Rangers!" Concertacon taunted.
Wes said, "Now's just fine for us. Ready?"
"Ready." The Rangers confirmed. "Time for, Time force!"
"Cyclobots, attack!" Concertacon called. The Rangers were once again swarmed by Cyclobots. They fought as long and as hard as they could, but they were vastly outnumbered. The Cyclobots closed in on them.
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Back at the clock tower, Circuit was trying to get Christi to eat. "Come on, Christi." He coaxed. "You need your vitamins."
Christi sighed. "Circuit, give me a visual on the Rangers."
"Okay, fine." Circuit reluctantly showed Christi the Rangers. They were being swarmed by Cyclobots.
"I have to help the Rangers!" Christi said. She grabbed at her wrist, but felt nothing. Christi panicked. "Where's my morpher?!"
"Trip took it while you were asleep. He didn't want you to roll onto it while you were sleeping and get a kink in your back." Circuit told her.
Christi smiled. "That's so sweet of him . . . " she said dreamily. "That's not the point! Circuit, I NEED MY MORPHER!" She cried.
"No, Christi. You heard Trip. You almost got killed last time. He says it was his fault and that you don't need to be fighting alongside a liability like him."
"He . . . he said that?" Christi asked sadly. She couldn't understand why he would even say something like that. Trip was a great Ranger. "Circuit, it wasn't his fault. Trip needs me, and I'm going to help him."
Circuit caved. "Okay. He put it in a safe, sanitary container that's never used. Wes's hamper."
Christi ran to Wes's room extracted her morpher. "Thanks, Circuit." She said gratefully. "Time for, Time force!"
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Meanwhile, the other Rangers were getting swallowed by the massive horde of Cyclobots.
"We're getting swallowed by this massive horde of Cyclobots!" Wes screamed.
The Cyclobots enveloped Lucas, and overtook him. He fell to the ground and demorphed. Then Katie tried to use her Chrono Blaster, but the Cyclobots were too close. They threw her against the hood of an abandoned tractor. She demorphed before she hit the ground. Jen and Wes fought side by side, until Wes tried to clothesline one of the Cyclobots, which left Jen's right flank exposed. The Cyclobots exploited that weakness as soon as it came. Jen and Wes got blasted, and they demorphed. Only Trip was left standing. Six Cyclobots fired on him from different directions, and though he tried, he couldn't deflect all of the shots. Trip got blasted, and he fell to the ground, his morph holding only by a thread. The Cyclobots stood over him, but just before they were able to blast him, they suddenly shot sparks and fell to the ground. Then Trip saw Christi, her Chrono Blaster aimed at where the Cyclobots had stood.
"Christi!" Trip cried.
"Are you okay?" She asked.
"I'm fine." He said. "Christi, you have to go back. The last time you fought alongside me, I almost destroyed you. I can't let that happen again."
"Trip," she said gently. What happened last time wasn't your fault. You and I are the only ones left. We have to defeat Concertacon together!"
Trip slowly rose to his feet. "All right." He said. "Let's do it!"
Trip and Christi fought the rest of the Cyclobots together. Trip was amazed to see the passion and fire with which Christi fought. With every deadly precise slice Christi delivered, about ten Cyclobots fell. When the Cyclobots were defeated, Christi turned to face Concertacon.
"All right, Concertacon. We're taking you in." She said commandingly.
"Try and make me, Ranger!" Concertcon taunted.
"All right, Trip." Christi said. "I'll attack Concertacon from the rear, and you blast him from the front."
"No way!" Trip protested. "He'll moleclarize and my blast will just hit you!"
"That's what I'm counting on." She said. "Just trust me."
"But if I screw up again, then you might. . ." Trip's voice trailed off. "I couldn't stand to see that happen."
"You can do it, Trip," Christi said. "I have faith in you."
Trip looked at her, and for just a moment, he could feel her emotions as she spoke. He felt sincerity in her words, the concern for him, but most of all, he felt her love. It was that driving force that made her fight the way she did. She was fighting for him.
Finally, he spoke. "Okay," he said. "Let's go."
Trip leapt over Concertacon's head, and landed on the other side of him. Concertacon turned to face Trip.
"It's all over, Concertacon!" Trip declared.
"Take your best shot, Ranger!" Concertacon challenged.
"Chrono Blaster!" Trip called. He desperately hoped that it would work.
"Fire!" Trip cried. His fiery blast hurtled toward Concertacon. Concertacon molecularizied, then as soon as the blast passed, he solidified. Christi blocked the shot with her Chrono sabers, then hurled the blast at Concertacon's solidified form. He never knew what hit him.
"Game over, Concertacon!" Christi called. Concertacon exploded, then fell to the ground as a tiny steaming action figure. Christi contained him, than handed the container to Trip.
"Christi!" He cried. "You did it!"
She shook her head. "We did it," she said. They helped the other Rangers up.
"Are you guys okay?" Trip asked.
"Yeah." Said Katie.
"Good job." Jen said.