Disclaimer: Still don't own it…

Steelix, a Time Force Detective? What does he want with Jen and the others?

Chapter 10 up and done! Enjoy!

The Awakening: Interpretations by the Mind

"My name's Steelix, and I am a Time Force Detective."

Before he could finish his sentence, Jen had her blaster pointed directly between his eyes. "Give me one good reason, Steelix," she said darkly. "Give me a good reason why I shouldn't give you another hole to breathe out of."

Steelix rose his hands in defense. "Captain, please, I am here to do you no harm." His voice was calm, but Jen's eyes remained fixed on him. "Admiral Watson said you wouldn't understand, I can see he's correct."

"Then you better start explaining," she said between her teeth.

"I would appreciate it if you could lower your blaster, Captain," he spoke again, his voice still calm. Jen's eyes remained fixed on him as she hesitated, then slowly lowered her weapon. "Thank you," he said and sat down in a near-by chair.

Katie saw the tension in Jen's shoulder as she stormed out of the room, her finger still fixed upon the blaster. "Jen," she followed her out. "Jen, wait!" But Jen continued to walk away from her, something that greatly annoyed Katie. Finally, she raised her voice. "Jennifer!"

"What?" Jen retaliated and whipped her head around. "What do you want?"

"What was that back there?" Katie asked, but she knew in her heart why Jen acted the way she did.

"That mutant, that… monster," Jen began, small tears could be seen in her eyes. "He killed the one man that I love, he murdered the one man I ever cared about," Jen's lip shook. "He killed Wes, Katie! How can I face him after he killed my fiancé? How can I?"

The Yellow Ranger looked at her friend's tear-stricken face. "You have every right to be angry, Jen. But you're forgetting something."

"And what the hell could that possibly be?" the Captain stated again, anger dripped from her words.

Katie walked towards Jen and lowered her voice. "Remember when Steelix was here, and he killed Wes?" Jen nodded. "He had a vest full of C4 attached to him when he killed himself. When he killed himself, he killed Wes as well. We all saw Steelix take his life, and he died quickly. If Steelix is alive,"

"Then there's a possibility that Wes may be, too." Jen whispered and chewed her lip in thought. Was it truly possible? Since Steelix was alive, was it possible that maybe Wes was too? Jen slowly holstered her blaster. "Alright," she muttered. I'll listen, she if we can find out anything."

Katie smiled and squeezed Jen's shoulder. "That's my girl. Come on, I told him we wouldn't keep him waiting.

Jen hugged her friend. "Thanks, Katie."

The two Rangers turned and made their way back towards Command to hear the story Steelix had to tell.

"Captain Scotts seems… off." Steelix commented.

Lucas sighed at the mutant's statement. "She's been on an emotional roller coaster for months now." The other Blue Ranger looked from his perch across the room and scowled.

'You don't know what she's been going through.'

Steelix grinned, "What do you mean?"

Suddenly, Sky jumped and grabbed the mutant. "It's you, you worthless heap of crap!" he yelled. "The only man in her life that meant something to her, the only person I ever trusted in this world is dead because of you! So tell me, Detective," he spat, "Why did you come back?"

Sky whipped his head around as a hand came to rest upon his shoulder. "Easy, Sky," said Jen, "Let's listen to what he has to say." Her eyes turned towards the mutant. "There's got to be a reason why Admiral Watson would send him back here."

Steelix smiled warmly at Jen as she entered the room with Katie behind her. "Thank you, Captain."

Jen sat down slowly as she nodded. It took her ever ounce of pride and self-control not to break down and lash out at her enemy, once her partner. All Jen could do was sit in her chair and look into his gray eyes, lifeless eyes and sigh. But as much as she wanted to look away and leave, she couldn't. She wanted to hear why Steelix came back, and how he lived after that massive explosion almost ten months ago. Most importantly, she wanted to know about Wes, if Steelix knew anything at all.

Her mind went crazy with thoughts she never thought she could feel again. Fear, curiosity, sadness, they all plagued her. As Steelix began to talk, Jen suddenly felt at ease. Steelix was different; even she could sense it.

"It started back in 2998, after I joined Time Force. Jen and myself were tracking a mutant named Conwing, who was selling Top- Secret documents to Ransik. Conwing was imprisoned for two years, then Lieutenant Drake and Jen captured Ransik. Of course, you all know what happened after that. Jen and her team took a time ship back to capture Ransik, but I was left behind. Turns out that Ransik left a group of cyclobots down below, and they ambushed my team as we headed up to help Jen. But we didn't know and walked straight into a trap. The only thing I remember from that day is watching Jen walk towards me, and vengence shown in her eyes. Everything between that, and these past few weeks are a blur, filled with blank spaces."

"Memory adaptation, definitely," Trip whispered to Lucas and Katie who nodded in agreement.

His eyes traveled to each of the Rangers' as he continued. "Turns out that I had a severe concussion that put me into coma for a few years, which is why I don't remember those years in between so well." He sighed. "But I serve true, and I pray that you will trust me, Jen, to help you guys fight Grumm."

All eyes fell upon Jen as she tried to process everything that he just said. She nodded and sighed. "For now, you are to be held in high security, until we can prove your story. If what you said is true," she paused. "I'll give you a chance. If not, well, use your imagination."

Steelix stood up and held his hands out. "I will do whatever it takes to earn your trust, Jen." Jack and Z looked to Jen, who nodded and Jack placed the cuffs on his wrists.

"Come on, guys. Let's get him going." Jack said and the Rangers brought him out to the cell. "We'll keep an eye on him, Captain."

"You did the right thing, Jen," Lucas said.

Jen nodded in thanks and watched them leave; Steelix's story was still on her mind.

The only light source in his dark room was the computer screen as it sat idoling. Alex sat against the wall near his bed, deep in thought. He kept re-analyzing the data Time Force had sent him, and his worst fear was indeed confirmed. The timeline had changed, drastically. Things that happened months ago here were now changed, and some were still in the process of slowly switching over. He knew something was strange ever since they brought Steelix's mangled body in for an autopsy, only to find out that Steelix wasn't dead at all.

Hearing that Jen's ex-partner was alive after a blow like that sent up the red flag in the back of his mind, and he had to see Steelix for himself. That, however, was a sight he would never forget…

"Where is he?" Alex asked as the nurses lead him to the room. Moments later they passed through a series of heavy metal doors and into the emergency room. Numerous doctors surrounded the mutant in a vigorous attempt to revive the mutant.

"Major Drake," the doctor said. "This is all too strange, we saw him blow to pieces. How can he be alive, more importantly, how did he survive a blow like that?"

Alex didn't answer as they shocked Steelix again, trying to get his heart beating normally again. After two more jolts, the heart monitor finally recognized a normal rhythm and they stopped. Immediately, Steelix was incubated and put on a respirator as the mutant slipped into a light coma.

"I don't know," he answered finally. "But I am going to find out." He thanked the doctors and left.

"Major!" the doctor ran after him. "Shall I alert Captain Scotts of Steelix's," he pondered for the right word, "…survival?"

"No," Alex answered quickly. "Tell no one he is alive, understand me?" the doctor nodded. "All I need to tell Captain Scotts is that the mutant that killed her fia-" he paused. "The Red Ranger is alive. Believe me, Doctor," Alex warned. "If word of this gets to her, she'll kill him, I have do doubt. We're going to need him, Doctor. When he awakes from his coma, let me know the moment he opens his eyes." Again the Doctor nodded and Alex left.

But he sighed, knowing that this was a secret that he couldn't keep from Jen for too long. She'd find out one way or another. He just hoped it wouldn't be soon…

The moment he heard Steelix was alive, he began to run a series of tests, comparing the recorded timeline to the events that changed. There was no denying it, time was changing again, and Steelix's survival was only the beginning. Months passed after Steelix's miraculous recovery, but the mutant still remained in his coma. Things soon took a turn for the worst went a large energy outburst erupted and a rift wave rocked Time Force.

Alex remembered sitting in his office when wave erupted, the alarms blaring, and Jen shouting out commands to trying to stabilize the mishap that could have leveled Time Force…

"Danger: Rift Wave detected. Impact in T minus ten minutes."

"Trip, do whatever you can to control this, I put my entire faith in you." Trip nodded as Jen pushed him off of the platform. "Go!" Jen turned to where Katie stood. "Katie, follow me."

Katie nodded as Jen climbed yet another platform to get a better view. A large screen formed in the middle of the room as a klaxon began to sound.

"Jen, we can't control it!" Trip's voice came over the speaker.

From his perch, Alex watched the chaos unfold before him as he saw Jen frantically working, and Trip typing in codes to neutralize the wave. Alex then ran to his computer and began to search through the past to find the source, before the wave ended.

His eyes rested upon one day in particular. Suddenly, the screen went blurry and the words erased from the screen, and erased from the timeline, leaving new ones in its place.

Outside his office door, he heard the words that spread relief over him.

"Rift wave neutralized."

He sighed reluctantly and saw Jen glance up at him as she smiled. He faked a smile back and watched her turn back to the group. From then on, he knew things were going to be different; the real question was when would they see it?

Strange occurrences had been going on around Time Force the next few days, like when Sky suddenly shown up at Time Force, and the most disturbing news Alex had heard in years. Doomtron was found, and Grumm had plans to revive the robot to take over the world.

But there was a positive. A few hours after Jen, Sky and the Rangers returned to the year 2025, Steelix had awoken from his coma, and after a discussion with him and the Admiral, they agreed to change erase Steelix's memory about his past, up to the time with he and Jen worked as partners, and replaced it with a new one. They hoped Steelix would be able to help the Rangers, since their Red Ranger was out of commission.

The room around Alex was still dark as his mind raced with memories, and the computer screen still glowing brightly. He sighed as he got up and felt the circulation return to his legs. But there was something he needed to know. If the timeline had changed, then Jen should be married with kids; that was his logic.

"Search," he said. "Jennifer Scotts."

After a series of beeps and flashes, "Match found." Alex opened the file and read:

Jennifer Ann Scotts
Born: January 4, 2980
Died: Unknown
Age: Unknown

He pondered and began another search. "Wesley Collins." Once the screen showed a match, he stared at the information. He sighed and slowly walked out of the room as the computer lit up the dark room, and blinked those words and finally went out.

Wesley Collins
Born: September 23, 1978
Died: Unknown
Age: Unknown

"This is it, my friend." Broodwing said as he led Excavious down a rocky cavern. "Doomtron, the most powerful robot of all time is here, every piece we have uncovered. Do you think you can fix it?"

Excavious chuckled. "Broodwing, my friend, has there ever been a robot I have never been able to fix?" Broodwing shook his head. "Exactly. Now, I have a list of supplies I will need. If you would be so kind," he handed Broodwing the list.

The bat took the list and read it over. "Very well, it shall be done."

Excavious turned to the robot and smiled. "Two days from now, history will change."

"Believe it or not, Jen, but his story checks out." Came Trip's voice over the com. "What Steelix said is correct. I have Bridge and Kat working on more information now. What he said about Conwing is all in agreement with the timeline. Conwing gave you Phantom56, Steelix was in coma and went through memory adaptation, and he's here wanting to help is. It all checks out."

Jen sighed as she stood on the balcony overlooking Newtech City. "Very well, have him be released, and tell Jack and his team to bring him to me."

Trip's image disappeared as Jen's eyes turned back to the city. The setting sun painted each building in a cascade of watercolors and shades of red, orange and pink. But her mind kept racing. If Steelix's memory was indeed erased and replaced, then, maybe he'll stay on the good side.

Still, her mind turned to the idea that Wes was alive, considering Steelix killed him. As much as her mind said he was, she knew in her heart she wasn't.

"Jen," came a voice that awoke her from her memory. "You requested to see me?"

"Yes, Steelix." She sighed and turned to face him. "We have a lot to talk about."

Chapter 11 up soon!