Hicks was backstage, having postponed his speech while he took the communication from SPD on a hand-held communicator. Gemma was right beside him, listening in.

"So you're seriously trying to tell us that you've taken the whole of Japan?" He asked in shock. Serendipity just shrugged.

"The country never fell, the Misawa Corporation managed to keep the drones out." She told him. "Someone took out Misawa and all his troops, so we've taken the country back without resistance."

"Are you sure it was Sarah?" Gemma asked her. She and Serendipity hadn't strictly speaking met, but the SPD team in New Tech had been in constant contact with the RPM team in Corinth. They knew each other to an extent.

"It was her private channel that carried the signal." Dippy informed her. "Everyone here's going on and on about an angel smashing up Misawa's office. I think we can safely say that was her."

"So where did she go?" Hicks asked her.

"Only Misawa knew." Scott chipped in, moving into view on the screen. "Unfortunately, he turned himself into a shish kebab before we arrived."

"We've almost finished here sir." A vice came from behind him. A woman in a Red Ranger rig, trimmed in black armour came into view. "The site's clean."

"Thanks." Scott told her.

"Who was that?" Gemma asked him. Scott shook his head.

"Doggie had another Ranger team brought in to help us, they're our SPD B-Squad." Scott informed her. "That was Charlie, and...you know for the life of me I can never remember the others' names."

"Ignore him, he's just not cool with the whole second team thing." Dippy informed them.

"I'm fine with a second team, I just have reservations with a team that was trained off-world." He told her. "I mean, what's wrong with Sky and his friends? He's strong, he's smart..."

"He's 15." Dippy reminded him. "Maybe in a few years he'll be ready for Ranger duty."

"Anyway, we have work to do here. We're still waiting on a security team to take the strain here." Scott informed him. "We'll update you on the progress later."

"Thanks Scott, over an out." Hicks replied, killing the link. "Well we know where she's been at least."

"What do you think they meant with all that 'angel' stuff?" Gemma asked him.

"She has to have gotten there somehow." He replied. "I'm guessing she had a weapon of some kind that she hadn't told us about."

"So what do we tell Scott?" Gemma asked him. "We have to tell him some time."

"Let him secure Angel Grove and come home." Hicks stated. "There's no point burdening him with this until then."

"But..."

"Gemma, I don't like it either, but what good do you really think it's going to do to worry him about this?" He asked her. "Once he's back, we'll tell him everything, I swear, but right now, it's best he doesn't know."

"I just hate lying to my friends." She replied sadly, casting a look over to the curtain. It was parted just enough that she could see her brother and Cassandra in the front row of the audience, awaiting the speech. Gem's arm was around her, and both of them were smiling, holding cotton candy as they waited for the speeches and presentations to begin.

"I know you do, it's one of the toughest things about a leadership role. I've learned that lesson already." He assured her. "Scott will know when it's good time. Until then, we all have to make it look like things are alright."

"It's time for your speech." Chas informed him. "You can't put it off any longer."

"Go ahead." Gemma told him. "I'll be here when you get back."