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*Italic indicates thought
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Ranger Drinking Game
A/N: Hola chicos! Who's ready for the update? life is finally starting to settle down, so hopefully I can get back into my old updating schedule. Enjoy the happiness of this chapter...while it lasts...
"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life. It goes on." -Robert Frost
"Where exactly are we going?" Antonio asked Cam for the thousandth time. He'd been suspicious since meeting the man, but after they'd gotten to Angel Grove he'd been even more weary. "Cam?"
"Yes?"
"Where are we going? And why are we waiting on a hilltop?" Antonio asked again.
Cam looked around. The two of them were on a hilltop well outside the city. "Irrigation," he told Antonio.
"What?"
"You heard me. Irrigation. The land around here used to be desert, but they've apparently changed the landscape so much with irrigation that there are more tress now."
"So?"
"So, I'm just having a little bit of trouble fining where we need to be. The I would've picked an easier rendezvous point of I'd known it'd be that hard."
"Wow."
Cam looked at his phone again. "Ok...let's go this way."
Antonio rolled his eyes as he trekked after the former green ranger. "What's this top scenery mission we're going on anyways?"
"Can't tell you."
"Why not?"
"Because there are enemies of the Earth that might be listening. I'll let you know when it's safe to talk."
Antonio sighed as they lapsed back into silence. For once he was happy to just sit back, be quiet, and follow someone else's lead. Quite a shocking turn of events for him really. He kept his mind on trying to figure out what this secret mission could possibly be. He didn't want his mind to wander off to more depressing topics. They walked for what felt like an hour to Antonio before Cam finally stopped. "What?"
"We're here."
Antonio followed him cautiously across an open plain that was covered in grass. He gasped when he saw where they we heading. Sitting up on a hilltop ahead of them, was the ruins of a building. The closer they got, the more Antonio could tell this wasn't an ordinary building. At one point he saw small sticks in the ground, appearing to reach around in a circle. Protection wards? he thought. "What is this place?"
Cam merely smiled as the two of them climbed up the steep hill. "Welcome the the Command Center. Or at least, what's left of it."
"I don't understand."
"This is the place where Zordon gave the Mighty Morhin rangers their powers. It's been destroyed and rebuilt a couple of times but, it was decided that it should remain destroyed this time. Kind of a respect thing."
"Whoa."
"Whoa indeed."
The two of them spun around and saw two more men walking towards them. One was wearing glasses and had a serious look about him. The other had green hair and a gem on his forehead. "What-"
"Billy, Trip, good to see you two," Cam smiled. "I was beginning to wonder if we were the only ones here."
"And miss all the fun?" the first one asked. "No way."
Cam laughed, he then saw the confused look on Antonio's face. "Right, introductions. Antonio, this is Billy former blue ranger. And Trip, technically a current green ranger."
"Just arrived fresh from the year three thousand," Trip smiled.
Antonio blinked. "Ok then. Nice to meet you."
"You too," Billy replied, shaking Antonio's hand. "I've heard a lot about you from Cam."
"All good stuff I hope."
Trip grinned as he shook Antonio's hand next. "I've read all about you."
"Really? Where?"
"At the Time Force Academy. You're-"
"Ahem!" Billy cleared his throat loudly. "Now, now Trip, let's not drastically change the course of the future. Remember the rules."
"Right, right, sorry. I'm just such a big fan. You're actually one of my heroes."
"Thanks." Antonio had to admit it was strange having a man who was much older than him saying that he was his hero.
"Is anyone else coming?" Billy asked Cam.
"Ethan should be. And Bridge said that he and Kat would be meeting us there."
"What about me?" another man asked walking up.
"Ethan," Billy smiled. The two of them shook hands. "How's it going?"
"Pretty good. Just a race of aliens trying to destroy the planet."
"Another ordinary day in the life of a power ranger then?"
The newcomer noticed Antonio. "You must be Antonio. It's nice to finally meet you in person."
"Does everyone know me?"
"Yes," Billy nodded. "I didn't actually believe my friend Tommy when he said he'd found a fourteen year old kid who was building a morpher."
"But I never told-"
"You didn't have to. Tommy keeps an eye on everything in Reefside. You can't beat a veteran kid."
"Cam didn't believe it ether," Ethan smiled. "He thought he was the only samurai ranger capable of that."
"Was not," Cam objected so half-heartedly that Antonio knew it was true.
"Were too," Billy smiled. "I remember very clearly, you told Tommy that there was no way Antonio could be real because no fourteen year old would have the ability to build a morpher from an old cell phone."
Antonio felt a little overwhelmed. Where he was, standing one a historic power ranger site, with the smartest rangers in Earth's history; and apparently all of them knew about him and his technology skills. "Are we waiting for anyone else?"
"Yes, one more person- and here she is."
"Even after all these years, you rangers will be the death of me," a woman said walking up the hill. She saw Antonio and smiled. "You must be Antonio. I'm Dr. Fairweather. Billy and Cam have told me a lot about you. And I've observed you myself. Meeting you face-to-face is much better though."
"I'm glad," Antonio replied, shaking her hand.
"Well, looks like we're all here," Cam observed. He nodded to Billy pressed a button his watch.
"We're all ready Andros."
"Alright!" a voice replied. "Give me a minute."
Antonio was about to ask what was happening when suddenly he felt really strange. It was kind of like the feeling he would have when they'd used symbol power to transport themselves. Before he could think to much about it though his vision went strange as everything stretched out the way it did when you went by it too fast? It stopped and he stumbled back, a little dizzy. Can caught his elbow and helped him steady himself.
"You ok?"
Antonio nodded. "Mhm."
Someone behind him laughed. "It's a little disorienting at first, right?" Antonio turned around and saw a man pushing buttons on a control panel. "Hang on a minute, I need to make sure the cloaking device is fully deployed." Antonio looked around and marveled at all the equipment. "Where are we?"
"Um...I don't remember it's name. The Galaxier or something like that," the man replied. There was a whirring sound and the whole room was suddenly moving.
Antonio watched as the blue sky fell away and was replaced by black. "Are we in a spaceship?!"
"Yes," Dr. Fairweather confrimed.
"Where are we going?"
"Why don't we sit down?" Billy suggested.
"Go ahead," the man said. "I've got the controls."
"Come on." Antonio followed the others to what looked like a capule shaped elevator and stepped inside. The door closed the Cam pushed a button. When the doors opened again Antonio discovered they were in a circular room with a big window on the opposite wall. Everyone filed in and sat in the various cushioned chairs around the area.
"Ok, spill. What're we doing here?" Antonio asked as everyone got settled. "What's going on?"
"We need to build a device that can allow us to basically tear a hole in the fabric of the universe," Ethan said.
"What?"
"You know about the situation in Angel Grove, right?" Billy asked. Antonio nodded. "Well, we need to get across dimensions and contact the RPM power rangers in Corinth."
"The RPM rangers? Why?"
"Because the situation is building kid," Cam said. "Instead of getting smaller the aliens' forces are getting worse. They're calling more reinforcements. We need some ourselves."
"So we're going to bring them into this dimension?"
"Correct," Dr. Fairweather nodded. "We can't do it on Earth because of the current alien invaders."
"So where are we going?"
Billy smiled. "We're going to Eltare."
"Eltare?" Antonio asked. "What's that?"
"I'm insulted," Cam said. "Eltare is only the birthplace of the power rangers. The first ones in the entire universe were from there."
"That's why it's called planet of the power rangers," Ethan said. "Earth's rangers pop up when they're needed, but Eltare has entire teams active 24-7 and even an academy."
"Wow. You've all been there before?"
"We have indeed," Billy nodded. "Our group makes frequent visits."
"Group?"
"Yes!" Ethan said brightly. "We're like a club made of the smartest power rangers. Doesn't matter what team you're from, or year. If you're smart, or technologically advanced, you can join."
"So am I in your club?"
"You've been an unofficial member for years," Cam said. "We had to wait until after you finished your active duty to officially let you in."
Antonio nodded. "Ok then." He looked out the large window and couldn't help but be excited.
-Samurai Ranger Life-
It was only after another small explosion and quite a bit of swearing from Cam and Ethan that Billy suggested they let their brains rest and relax. Antonio glad threw down the part he'd been working on for six hours and stood up. Trip gave him a pat on the back. "Good work today."
"If you say so. We've made like no progress."
"You gotta think positive. We're closer to building this portal than we were last week."
"We hadn't even started last week."
"That's his point!" Bridge smiled, putting his arm around the younger gold ranger. He gave Trip a look over Antonio's head and the other green ranger nodded. Everyone filed back down stairs to their quarters and threw themselves down in the lounge area. Trip and Bridge disappeared, but Antonio decided not to ask. He sighed and rubbed his forehead. Even with the smartest power rangers Earth had to offer, there didn't seem to be a lot of hope for their project at the moment.
"Who's ready?" Trip asked as he and Bridge came back in. Antonio sat up in interest as a shot cup was placed before each member of the group on the circular table that separated all of them. "Alright, who's turn is it to start?"
"Start what?" Antonio asked.
"The game of course!" Bridge smiled. He gently shook the bottle he was holding. "Eltarian liquor. It's amazing stuff. Made of fruits and stuff."
Antonio shook his head. "I'm only 19, I'm not old enough to drink."
"On Earth in the United States, no," Cam agreed. "But, on Eltare anyone who has served as an active power ranger is considered a full adult with full adult rights and privileges."
"Including drinking," Billy said. "And it's my turn to start. Seeing as how I'm the most senior ranger here."
Bridge handed him the bottle and sat down. "The rules are simple. It's basically a never have I ever game. The person with the bottle has to ask a question. If you're answer is yes, then you drink. If not, then the bottle gets passed to you and you ask the question."
Antonio watched as the bottle was passed around the table and everyone filled their shot cup. The former gold ranger was a little hesitant as he filled his. He put the bottle down quickly and passed it onto Trip. Once the bottle got back to Billy, the blue ranger smiled. "Ok, let's see...hm...drink if you've...ever...built a working computer from scratch. And not one for power ranger use."
Cam smiled and tossed his head back as he downed his shot. "When I was 11."
Kat smiled too and drank hers. "I was 12."
Billy joined in and drank his. "I was 15."
Antonio looked at the red colored drink, then shrugged and drank it. It was surprisingly fruity and tasty. "When I was 10."
"Oh, looks like he got you beat Cam," Trip smiled as he drank his. "16."
"Anyone else?" Billy asked. Dr. Fairweather and Bridge both shook their heads. "Ok then, Dr. Fairweather, as the most senior person not to drink, the next question is yours."
"Alright then...hm...let's see...drink if you've...had a nightmare in the last week."
"I could use two drinks for that," Cam muttered, downing his drink once more.
Antonio drank his and noticed how everyone else at the table did as well. "We all took a drink, so who goes next?"
"Cam, since he took his first," Dr. Fairweather replied, sliding the bottle to the green ranger.
They all re-filled their glasses and Cam thought about it. "Ok, drink if you've found the love of your life."
"Figures the guy who just got married would say that," Billy said as he drank.
Dr. Fairweather followed suit and looked around. "Anyone else?"
Antonio begrudgingly picked up the glass and drank it. "Oo!" Bridge smiled. "Young love. Who is she? Or he! I'm not judging."
"Her name's Lauren," Antonio muttered. "She's the love of my life and she broke my heart."
"Ouch."
"Wait, Lauren? Is in, Jayden's sister Lauren?" Cam asked.
Antonio nodded glumly. "I love her with all my heart, but she doesn't love me."
"How do you know?" Trip asked.
"She told me so when she broke up with me. She said that she didn't really love me and that we were kidding ourselves if we thought that it could've worked out between us."
"That's rough buddy," Billy acknowledged.
Cam grabbed the bottle and re-filled his glass. "I think we all need to drink cause of that one."
"Mhm," Kat agreed.
"Don't worry Antonio," Trip said. "There's plenty of fish in the sea."
"Only thing is Lauren is my sea. My life feels empty without her. Guess she's right though. I'm just a fisherman and she's the head of the Shiba Clan. I could never give her the life she deserves."
Trip and Bridge one owns their mouths simultaneously and Kat gave them a look. She shook her head sternly. She knew exactly what they were going to do. They were about to break the only rule they had as time travelers. Not to mess with the past. She knew they wanted to tell Antonio about what the future had in store for him, but that would've jeopardized the future. She cleared her throat. "Let's get back to the game, shall we?"
"Once we're good and drunk I say we play truth or dare," Bridge suggested.
Billy shook his head. "Last time we did that you and Trip streaked naked across the Academy's court yard and traumatized a few first year students."
"I'm sure they're fine now," Trip assured his friend.
Billy shook his head. "How about we just drink until the bottle's empty and go to bed?"
"Or we could do that."
"I like that," Cam agreed. He sighed and looked around. "Who's next?"
"I am!" Trip cheered. He smiled as the bottle was slid to him. He looked around as everyone re-filled their glasses then grinned. "Drink if you've streaked naked while you were drunk and your friends took pictures to capture the event."
Antonio shook his head as Bridge and Trip drank theirs. His new friends were definitely an interesting group. Trip winked and slid the bottle to Antonio. The gold ranger handed it off to re-fill to two, now empty glasses. "Ok, drink if you've ever been afraid of fish."
Billy burst out laughing. "Oh boy do I have a story for you."
Antonio drank his shot. "You gotta hear mine first."
