Variations Of SPD
Chapter 6: Road Trip Anyone?
By: Pink-Green-White-4ever
Last Revised: October 14, 2005
Summary: It's time for a road trip, but this is one the former Rangers may not like much.
Rating: M, for adult-themed situations.
Disclaimer: I don't own PR, Disney does
AN: For those who've asked, after this story is finished, there will be MA chapters posted on my site.
"A successful team beats with one heart." --Unknown--
The sun was shining through the window and through the light pink curtains, right into her eyes, waking her. She blinked a few times, to clear the sleep from her eyes, and attempted to get up, only to find she couldn't.
The night before rushed back to her, making her smile. He had fallen asleep watching the movie, and then she'd tucked him in before going down to gossip with the girls. And then she'd come back up and laid down for a while before she'd decided she needed a shower. He'd joined her after waking from a nightmare, and when they'd gone back to bed, they'd made slow, sweet, passionate love.
Smiling, Syd tried to snuggle closer to the warmth that was Sky. His arms were banded around her waist, one hand resting on her stomach and the other gripping her hip. His face was buried in her neck, so she could barely move. And his legs were tangled with hers. She could feel the beat of his heart, it was in sync with her own, and she could feel his warm breath tickling the back of her neck.
It was mornings like this that made Sydney so extremely happy to be alive. She felt safe, warm, and loved.
When the need to use the restroom and to get up out of bed started annoying her, she sighed softly and wiggled out of his embrace, disappointment filling her. While she would love to stay in bed with Sky, she knew she had a whole bunch of things to face at work that day.
With one last wistful look at her boyfriend, she moved to grab her uniform and headed into the bathroom.
She hated mornings; hated them with a passion. Mornings usually meant that whatever peace was achieved in Bridge's arms was going to get disrupted, and that made her crankier than anything else could. Sighing, Z attempted to snuggle back into Bridge's arms, against his bare chest, and sink back into the land of dreams.
Not a chance.
Five minutes of lying there, and her body decided to rebel. Her tummy grumbled, her bladder reminded her it needed to be emptied because it was over flowing with one too many glasses of Pepsi from the night before, and she needed to brush her teeth and take a shower.
Not to mention, they all had to be to work at ten thirty for a minor briefing before they could spend the day doing whatever they pleased.
Moaning, Z slid out of the secure embrace of her boyfriend and headed for her room to grab a change of clothes before she went to shower.
"Good morning," Z murmured as she and Syd met up in the hallway, the pair heading down to the kitchen.
"Morning. Bridge not up yet?"
Z smiled. "Nope. He's still sound asleep. I swear, for a guy who can feel what everyone else is feeling, he sure sleeps like a log."
Syd laughed as they both moved about the kitchen, setting the dinning room table and then heading to the refrigerator to decide on breakfast. "Bridge has been like that for as long as I've been teamed up with him. It's gotten better over the years; he's really learned to block people out when he's sleeping. Plus, it's easier with you there because he can focus solely on you when he's sleeping and ignore everything else."
Z nodded and gestured toward the fridge. "What are we making?"
"Ever made pancakes before?"
"Only from the synthesizer."
"Then let's show you the old fashioned way, that way you can make breakfast for Bridge one morning, apple cinnamon pancakes are his favorite!"
"Ok, let's do it."
Allison groaned when she heard the incessant beeping noise that was now a daily part of her routine. Rolling out of Jack's arms, she grabbed her morpher and hit a button. "WHAT?"
"Allison, please wake the others and have them report to the Academy, immediately," Cruger's voice came over the device.
The Pink Ranger sighed. "Of course, Commander." Heaving a huge sigh of defeat, Allison rolled over and back into Jack's arms, which tightened around her. "Jack?"
"I heard. Come on, let's go wake the others," he yawned, and then pecked a kiss the tip of her nose. "Morning."
She grinned and kissed his chin. "Good morning. Come on, the Commander's waiting."
Allison found Bridge by himself in his room, and Z was no where to be found. When she and Bridge met up with Jack in the hallway, only Sky was with him. "Where are Syd and Z?" Allison asked Jack, who shrugged.
"Not a clue, except I smell food, which makes me think they're cooking breakfast," the former Red Ranger grinned and sprinted down the stairs to the kitchen, the others close behind.
When the group entered the kitchen, they found Z standing at the stove in her uniform, flipping pancakes, while Syd was sitting on the counter, also dressed for work, waiting for the next batch of toast to pop up. The kitchen table was set for six and there was a platter of food steaming on it even as the team sat down.
"Whose idea was it to cook breakfast?" Bridge asked, sitting down and grinning. He could feel his mouth starting to water at the scent of apple cinnamon pancakes.
"Syd's. She took it into her head to teach me how to make pancakes," Z smiled at him then glared at Syd. They'd almost gotten into a flour throwing contest, had dropped half a dozen eggs, and had spilt milk everywhere.
Sydney grinned at Bridge, and then turned her attention back to the toaster. Z growled and shut off the stove before moving toward the table, a plate of pancakes in hand.
Quietly, Sky prowled over to where Syd was sitting on the counter. He stood there staring at her until she looked up and smiled at him. Without a word, Sky moved to stand in front of her, her legs coming up to accommodate his hips. Sky's arms moved to wrap around her waist as they leaned closer to one another, sharing soft good morning kisses.
"You'd better eat," Syd told him giggling. "We need to leave in ten minutes."
Nodding, Sky pecked a quick kiss to the tip of her nose before taking the plate of buttered toast to the table where he, Allison, Jack and Bridge at breakfast.
He was sweating profusely and grunting every so often as he lifted the bar of weights up over his head over and over again. This was one of those rare times of day when all of the younger cadets were in class, and the ones who were older than him but on lower level squads were in practice. It was the one time of day he could get a moment of peace and quiet, away from even his new teammates.
They were a unique bunch, he'd give them that. Less than two months on Earth, and already he felt like he'd lived there his entire life, and it was thanks to his teammates, and his sister and her friends.
As he finished the current set of reps, Brian sat up and grabbed the towel he'd brought with him. Slugging down some water, he thought about his teammates.
Aaron Matthews was the leader of the current active A Squad Rangers as the Red Ranger. For the most part, the nineteen year old was pretty quiet around the others, but he was a great leader for the Rangers. He was able to interact with each of them on their own level. To Brian, Aaron seemed to understand that there were bound to be times the team wasn't going to get along because their personalities were bound to clash once in awhile. He also saw the way Aaron was when he was around Alana – he became very loving, and very romantic. But the thing that got to Brian the most about Aaron was that he was loyal, a trait shared by the other 'Red Ranger' of the A Squad, Jack Landors.
Jack was an interesting character, to say the least. He could switch from being sweet, affectionate and happy around the members of his squad to being a stark raving lunatic in about five seconds, something Brian wouldn't wish on his worst enemy. The former Red Ranger was cocky, brash, and sometimes quicker to act than to think first, but somehow, he always managed to get the job done. And like Aaron, Jack was loyal to a fault. If you were on his team, you were his family, and he'd defend you to the end.
The next two who came to mind were the Yellow Rangers of A Squad – Alana Ortiz and Elizabeth Delgado, otherwise known as Lana and Z. You couldn't get to more polar opposites then the Yellow Rangers. Alana was peppy, very goal orientated, and she had a real tendency, even at 17, to act like a mother hen when it came to her team.
Z, on the other hand, was pretty much the opposite of her younger counterpart. The senior Yellow Ranger was sarcastic, abrasive, and tough, but in a good way. Brian knew those were Z's defense mechanisms from years of living on the streets dodging S.P.D. and gangs and what not. However, there was a said to Z that he saw peek through once in a while, a much softer side. Brian noticed he only saw that side of her when she was around Jack, Bridge, Syd, and heaven help him, Sky. The Yellow Rangers, he mused, were also fiercely protective of their teammates, their families, and it showed, a lot.
Brian chuckled to himself as he thought about the A Squad Green Rangers. Travis Gaines was hilarious, fun loving, and an all around great guy to hang around. If you needed a pick me up, Trav was the guy to go to. The same could be said for Bridge Carson. Brian shook his head. Bridge was really one of a kind. While he was like Travis in a lot of ways, Bridge was definitely unique. The biggest thing, Brian thought, that set Bridge apart, was his weird rambling and the way he was able to solve a crime or mystery via some pretty weird trains of thought. No one could do either better than Bridge.
Brian had learned a lot in his classes, but the biggest lesson he'd learned thus far was that it seemed it was always the girls who ended up being the heart and soul of a team, whether it was a Yellow Ranger or Pink, but more often than not, it was a Pink Ranger.
Throughout history, or at least Earth's Ranger history, the girls in pink spandex had proven to be valuable assets to their teams. Allison Parker and his sister, Sydney, only enforced that theory.
Allison was fun, spirited, sweet, and good hearted. Brian also knew she'd matured a lot in the last six months, since she'd moved up in the ranks to become a ranger, and since she'd begun dating Jack.
Of course, if the word maturity applied to anyone these days apparently it was Sydney. Gone were the days of her being the spoiled princess, now she was set on task, mature, and had learned more lessons than she probably cared to think about in the last year. Of them all, Brian had leaned just how much Syd had changed after she'd become a Ranger. Now, not only did she look grown up, but she acted grown up.
Brian snorted and lay back on the bench to begin another series of reps. The "grown ups" of the A Squad had to be Brett Silvers and the anal, Sky Tate, both of the Blue Rangers. Brett was quiet and shy, which Brian attributed to the fact that three of his teammates were loud most of the time. The active Blue Ranger was pretty nice too, but when he was with Travis, he cut loose and could turn obnoxious at the drop of hat. He also was a stickler for following the rules, exactly like Sky.
The senior Blue Ranger, on the other hand, was the biggest, most detestable jerk alive. Brian still couldn't quite understand what Syd saw in the moody former Blue Ranger. The two of them were complete opposites in more ways than they were alike. It hadn't helped that Brian didn't like Sky on the principal that the Blue Ranger had his sister's undivided attention most of the time. There was just something, other than that, that rubbed Brian the wrong way where Sky was concerned. Of course, it didn't help that Ninjor's words kept coming back to him; he knew, sooner rather than later, he'd have to learn to get along with Sky Tate, for everyone's sake, but none more than Syd's. She loved them both, equally if differently.
"Hello."
Startled, Brian stopped lifting and sat up. His eyes landed on a young boy in a blue S.P.D. cadet jumpsuit with red hair and freckles. "Hello."
"You're Brian, huh?" the boy between ten and twelve asked.
"Yeah. And who are you?"
"I'm Sam."
Brian smiled. Z, Bridge, Jack and Syd had told him all about Sam, and his future self's trips to this time to help out the Rangers.
"Nice to meet you, Sam. Shouldn't you be in class though?"
Sam merely grinned. "I'm special, I don't have the same classes as everyone else."
"Because of your powers?"
"How'd you know? The Commander, Dr. Manx, and the Rangers aren't supposed to talk about it to others."
Brian grinned back at him. "Because I'm special too, watch."
The younger boy's face lit up when Brian disappeared into thin air and the weight bar began moving on its own.
"Cool!" Sam laughed. "How'd you do that?"
Brian reappeared a second later, smiling. "I inherited it from my dad. He was the Black Dino Thunder Ranger, and his Dino Gem gave him invisibility, which he passed on to me."
"You're Sydney's brother, aren't you?"
"Yes."
"Both of your parents were Rangers; Commander Cruger and Z told me about them."
The teenager nodded. "Yeah, they were, before they died."
"You're lucky, at least you know who your parents were, and you have a sister. I don't have any family, except for Z, who's like an older sister to me, and I don't remember my parents."
The White Ninja blinked rapidly for a moment, taking in Sam's statement. 'He's right. I'm luckier than I thought.'
"Yeah, I am."
Sam smiled. "So I'll see you around the Academy?"
"Of course."
Waving, Sam turned and trotted out of the gym, leaving Brian to ponder the encounter while he finished his workout.
"ALL A SQUAD RANGERS REPORT TO THE COMMAND CENTER IMMEDIATELY."
Sighing, Brian grabbed his towel and water bottle and headed for the command center.
"Nice outfit," Sky grumbled when Brian walked into the chaotic mess that was the command center.
The teen in white shorts and a white tank top merely glared at the former Blue Ranger. "Excuse me, I was working out and didn't think this could wait until I changed. Generally when we get called down here, it's an emergency," Brian sneered.
"Enough! Both of you!" Cruger commanded, striding forward.
"Sir?" Jack asked, the team looking to Cruger, Kat and Ninjor.
"The senior members of A Squad and Brian are going on a mission with Ninjor."
"Where to?" Z asked in alarm.
"We need help defeating this new foe, and Ninjor has graciously agreed to help you get what you need to defeat him."
"Are you saying the active team can't handle it?" Aaron accused, attempting to defend his team's honor.
"Cadet Matthews, your S.P.D. powers will not affect these new monsters. S.P.D. Headquarters already sent us their reports – they sent their top team out and the couldn't put a dent in the new monsters," Kat informed him.
"Ninjor has faced our foe before, and has already told us the only power to destroy their defenses is the power of the ancient race known as the Ninjetti."
The five non active Rangers looked at each other in worry. "Seeing how Brian, and indirectly Syd, have Ninjetti powers, the rest of you need them."
The team of five nodded in unison. "When do we leave, Sir?" Jack responded.
"Tomorrow morning."
The Rangers saluted before they turned and left the command center.
The five of them were silent as they entered the house. Allison had been asked to stay behind and help prepare their survival kits, though she'd be coming straight over once she was done so she could spend some time with Jack before the mission.
"Oh man," Z mumbled, plopping down on the couch next to Bridge. Jack collapsed into the recliner, while Sky stood in the doorway, arms folded over his chest. Syd had moved to the bay window that over looked the side yard and the corner of the street where they lived. Her arms were wrapped around her waist, and she was rocking back and forth on her feet very slowly.
"What do we wear? What do we need to pack?" Bridge asked.
"Comfortable clothing, and lots of water," Syd responded.
"Syd?"
"Ninjor's from the Desert of Despair. We're going to need cool and comfortable clothing, lots of water, and sunscreen."
"Shorts and T-shirts?" Bridge asked.
Sydney nodded.
"I guess we'd better go back then, huh?" Jack suggested.
"What are you gonna take?" Sky asked upon entering Sydney's room. He saw her sitting on her window seat, staring down at a picture frame in her hands, one he knew was of her parents, both sets of parents.
"I just got off the phone with Aunt Aisha and Uncle Rocky. They're gonna call Uncle Billy and Uncle Adam and call back to talk to us about the trip."
Sky nodded, infinitely glad that Sydney had the foresight to call the former Ninjetti Rangers for advice. "Syd?"
"Hmm?" she softly hummed, not once looking up from the picture in her hands.
"What are you gonna wear? And are you taking anything extra?"
"I don't think we're gonna need extra, just some water and food."
Sky looked startled by her comments. "Why do you say that?"
"Because it only took my parents and the others one day to get their ninja powers, it shouldn't take us longer than that, should it?"
The former Blue Ranger shrugged. "I don't know, we've always been the straight forward team, we've never had to deal with magic and new powers like this before. I don't know what to expect."
"Brian does," Syd sighed. "I tried to ignore it before, but he's been trying to help me with my powers. It's almost like we can read each other's minds now. He sorta knows what to expect, but not completely."
That was the last thing that the Blue Ranger wanted to hear. He really didn't like the White Ninja to begin with, but this was just pushing it to the limit. The kid shared something with Syd that he couldn't, and as much as he hated to admit it, it hurt him that she should have a link with someone that could go so much deeper than her link with him.
"Don't think like that," she whispered softly, setting the picture down and moving toward him. Sky sighed and wrapped his arms around her when she was within reach. Syd had her head against his chest, her ear right over his heart. If there was one pastime she loved most, it was laying against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of the heart that she knew beat for her, and her alone these days.
"What, are you reading my mind now too?" Sky teased.
"No, but I know that look on your face, and I know how you think. We've been friends for years, Sky, you can't tell me you don't know how I think most of the time either."
The former Blue Ranger looked down at her and smiled. "You think we'll be able to get back here in a day or so?"
"I hope so," she murmured, snuggling back against him, her heart constricting as he held her tightly.
"You summoned me, my Lord?"
The creature speaking was, by Earth, freakish and horrifying. It looked like a cross between a vampire bat and a human being; its skin pale purple, it's eyes a glowing red. In fact, every person within the room looked exactly alike, except for the creature sitting on the large chair.
"Viper, is our plan nearly ready?"
"Yes Sire. The power of the White Dragon and Pink Phoenix, and by extension, the Ninjetti, will be yours. We're ready to start our assault."
"I want the power of the temple, and soon! I'm sick of being stuck in this hideous form!"
The creature called Viper, nodded. "We all are, Sire. We've been stuck like this for centuries, since Ninjor last led his Ninjetti against us. Our time is coming, at last!"
The figure on the large chair barely nodded, its body a mass of stone, save for its head. "Soon, very soon, the power of the Dragon and the Phoenix will be mine."
"So Cruger's sending you to the desert?" Rocky's voice came over the speaker phone. The former SPD Rangers were gathered in the kitchen, talking to Syd's "Aunt" and "Uncles".
"You got it. Ninjor's here," Sydney spoke, staring down at her dinner plate. Her chicken and sautéed veggies still sat there, staring back at her.
There were four gasps of surprise on the other end. "Did you just say Ninjor?" Adam demanded to know.
"Yes. He apparently raised Brian for Mom and Dad," Syd told them, her thoughts on her birth parents. She looked up, startled, when someone grabbed her hand. Jack stared back at her, smiling. Syd couldn't help but to smile back.
"Just be careful, all of you," Aisha finally butted in.
"Aisha's right. The map's gone, so if Ninjor leaves you on your own to find the temple, you'll have to work twice as hard as we did to find it," Billy's voice floated over the line, warning them.
"Call us as soon as you get home," Aisha told them.
"We will, Aunt Aisha," Jack addressed the former Yellow Ninja, who laughed and giggled at the endearment.
"Good luck, guys," Billy told them.
"Stay safe," Rocky laughed. "But don't forget to enjoy the trip."
The five former Rangers smiled until they heard Adam. "May the animal spirits watch over you."
"Thank you," Sky commented before the line went quiet. Bridge leaned forward and shut the phone off, then sat back to pick at his dinner.
"This is ridiculous. We've gone on missions before," Z pointed out.
"Z's got a point," Jack started. "Remember our S.W.A.T. training?"
"We're gonna be ok," Bridge finally grinned. "As long as we're together, we can get through anything."
Both Syd and Sky looked up just then, and the team shared a smile and nodded.
Sky was sound asleep in his bed but Syd hadn't been able to lay next to him. For months now, she'd been trying to ignore it, but now, with this new mission upon them, she couldn't.
The night her birth parents had sacrificed their lives for hers had awoken the power that had lain dormant in her since they'd been taken from her the first time.
She remembered clearly, the little pink bird who'd sat on her window seal, night after night, from her earliest memory until she'd turned six. It had spoken only to her, had been seen only by her, and had comforted her. When it had stopped coming, she remembered now, she'd begun forgetting about Tommy and Kim, and had accepted Jason and Katherine as her parents.
She knew now, thanks to Brian and Ninjor, that the little pink bird had been the Phoenix, and her Ninjetti animal spirit. Tommy and Kim's deaths, coupled with the punch of power from the Rangers who'd gathered in the academy that night had reawakened the Phoenix, and her powers along with it.
Brian's arrival had only reinforced the fact that she had powers she needed to learn to control. So, she had been doing just that. With Brian's help, she had worked on improving her control these last few weeks. She was able to, no, telepathically speak with Brian and she could mildly read Sky, Z, Jack, and Bridge's thoughts. Bridge was the hardest to read, as being a psychic had given him not only extra defenses against someone reading his thoughts, but would tell him when someone was doing it. Very few times, had she actually read Bridge's thoughts, not wanting to push her luck.
Syd smiled and closed her eyes, leaning back against the wall of Sky's window seat. She didn't read their thoughts all the time, she mused, and if the thoughts she tried to were too personal, she'd back off. She'd gotten good at detecting when a good time to poke into their heads was. She never did it when they were sleeping, or when they were with the significant others. As for Sky, usually the only times she intruded on his thoughts were when he was raging and angry about something, when he was asleep so that she could keep him from dreaming about their horrible encounter with Visvajita, and when they were making love because she loved to know what he was feeling in that most intimate time they shared.
Syd had a feeling Bridge probably knew about her new abilities, but the former Green Ranger hadn't said anything yet, which she was grateful for. Syd felt she wasn't quite ready to share this new, and slightly weird, aspect of her life.
"Sydney?" Turning, Syd saw Sky reaching for her side of his bed, which was empty. Quietly, she moved toward him, all the while letting her love and reassurance seep into him as she linked their minds.
"I'm here, Sky," she whispered, linking their fingers together as she slid into bed with him.
"Where'd you go?" he sleepily asked, laying his head in her lap and hugging her legs while she stroked his cheek and ran her fingers through his hair.
"I was sitting by the window. I kept tossing and turning; I didn't want to wake you."
"Love you, Syd," Sky murmured, drifting back off, with a little help from Syd's soothing.
"I love you too," Syd smiled, continuing her vigil.
"Are you ready?" Ninjor asked as the six walked into Kat's lab. Kat and Commander Cruger stood by her desk, watching them tensely.
The team moved to stand around Ninjor, looking nervous and anxious. Sky and Jack stood on either side of him – Sky dressed in jean shorts, a white t-shirt and a blue and white flannel over shirt and Jack dressed in khaki cargo shorts, a white tank top and red flannel. To Sky's right was Syd, dressed in a tiny pair of jean shorts and a pink, long sleeved cotton shirt. To Jack's left was Z, dressed in blue jean shorts, a yellow t-shirt, and a black hat. Between Z and Syd were Brian and Bridge. Bridge wore a pair of black jean shorts and a green t-shirt while Brian was dressed in white jean shorts and a white tank top.
Ninjor nodded and they lifted their arms up above their heads in a v. "You're creating a link between yourself and your teammates. This link will help you on your journey. Good luck, Rangers."
Cruger and Kat gasped as each of the six around the Master Ninja began to glow with their color, and then disappeared.
"I thought I told you not to call me?" she hissed into the small communicator.
"I do as his highness bids. What do you have to report, Miss Maxwell?"
"Viper, they've gone to the Desert Of Despair, in search of the Ninjetti."
"I see. Stay alert for a call from his highness on your next move."
"Understood. And Viper, I want him once his highness has the Dragon and Phoenix. I want him."
"The Blue Ranger is yours, when and only when the Dragon and the Phoenix are delivered to Lord Vampra."