The rangers stared at the viewing globe in awestruck wonder. Finally recovering from the wave of stimulation, Tommy broke the silence, "Unbelievable."
"Bastion's zord is something else," Zach opined.
Feeling considerably relieved, Kimberly shared, "I'm just happy he stopped that guy from killing again."
"At least temporarily anyway," Billy added.
Regaining some confidence, Jason said, "With a zord like that on our side, we can definitely save Angel Grove and the world."
"We need to work together with Bastion to win this one," Trini concurred. She continued, "Zordon, I think we should bring him here."
"Agreed," Zordon responded. "Only by working together can we stop this enemy. Alpha, locate Bastion with the teleporter and bring him here."
"Wait, Zordon!" Trini objected. "We can't drag him here. For this to work, he has to come willingly."
"I'm with Trini," Jason stated. "We should talk to him first. If I'm right about him, he'll want to help us."
"We can probably find him at the Youth Center. I talked to him at the fair; he said he'd be up for some practice," Tommy informed his teammates.
"And that's where we first met him," added Zack.
After a brief pause, Zordon replied, "Very well then. As soon as you can, please bring Bastion and his friend Puck here. We have much to discuss."
"Yike. What a mess," Bastion commented. "Aah!" Bastion shouted, wincing in pain from the damage to his left shoulder, and cringing yet again from the burn wounds on his arms.
"You okay, Bastion?" Puck asked.
"Yeah, just took some scrapes in the fight with Faulkner." Bastion answered. "I should get something for them."
"Maybe that fitness center keeps medical supplies. Want to go back there?" Puck suggested.
"We could. I could use some dinner anyway. But what we should do about Ultragunner? We can't just leave it here," said Bastion.
"Take the Gratia stone out. That'll keep anyone from using it, assuming anyone tries to fix it anyway," Puck advised. "Speaking of which, we will have to fix it somehow. I bet Faulkner is trying to get Zulwarn back together right now."
Bastion wrapped his fingers around the shiny green stone in the command console and removed it from the holder. All of the lights on the control panel turned off except for one flashing red LED. Bastion then placed the Gratia in his belt pouch. Moving towards the elevator, he told Puck, "Looks like we're walking back to town."
Bastion and Puck walked with purpose into the Angel Youth Grove Center. Puck reiterated, "Good thing we caught that bus in the city."
Spotting the benevolent, heavyset owner at the counter, Bastion told Puck, "There's Ernie!" The 2 youths made their way up to the bar area. Ernie and a few customers were intently watching a news broadcast. Curiously catching familiar sights on Ernie's screen, Bastion and Puck accelerated over to the TV to have a closer look. Recognizing the footage he saw at the multi-cultural fair of the zords fighting Zulwarn, he quietly muttered, "Incredilble."
"It's scary out there," Ernie told Bastion. "I sure hope the power rangers stopped that big tank. The footage got cut off, so we've all been a little on edge."
"Power rangers?" Puck asked.
Realizing that Bastion and Puck were new to Angel Grove, Ernie spoke with inflection, "Oh yea," then continued explaining, "For a while now, evil monsters have been invading us. They try to smash our buildings, they hurt and kidnap people, mess with our resources, you name it. The military can't fight them, not without causing bad collateral damage anyway. But the power rangers, with their incredible abilities and their big robots, can and have stopped every monster attack we've had so far. Without them, our whole world would belong to an evil dictator from another planet."
"Wow. I didn't realize things were so dangerous here." Bastion acknowledged.
"Well, the power rangers have kept us safe. Still, that footage was a little unnerving." Ernie shared.
"I can see why. But maybe I…mean...somebody stopped that black ATaa…robot." Bastion offered.
"I hope so," Ernie said. Changing the subject, Ernie asked, "So Bastion, you need something?"
"Yea. Do you have any medical items? I need to treat some burns and wrap my shoulder." Bastion explained.
"Ooh," Ernie winced. "Yeah, I got a few things in my office you could use. How'd it happen?"
"Oh, I.." Bastion stammered. "I must have thrown out my shoulder playing at the fair. And I got too close to a cooking demo and burned forearms."
While skeptical of Bastion's story, Ernie was still willing to help him. The generous proprietor directed Bastion to a door on a wall in the area beyond the counter, then left the bar area through a door behind the counter, meeting Bastion and Puck inside a small office. Handing Puck 2 white and red boxes, he informed Puck, "Everything should be right here."
"Thanks, Ernie!" Puck said in gratitude. "Also, could I order a grilled swordfish dinner?"
"Oh yeah, I could go for the southern fried chicken myself." Bastion added.
"I'll put 'em in for ya!" Ernie said with a smile as he returned to the counter.
Wrapping Bastion's shoulder, Puck quietly shared, "I hope he doesn't suspect anything."
Bastion replied, "I realized partway in that we probably shouldn't let anyone know that we were driving the Ultragunner. If anyone finds out, someone like Faulkner could try to blackmail us into misusing it."
"You're right," Puck concurred. "Speaking of which, it sounds like it was those Power Rangers who were fighting Faulkner before we got there."
"They might've saved us too. Faulkner's right about one thing: Ultragunner can't beat Zulwarn alone," Bastion shared.
Finishing Bastion's shoulder brace, Puck said, "That should do it."
Bulk and Skull strutted into the Youth Center, looking for trouble. Marching up to the counter, Bulk demanded, "Get me something to eat, Ernie!"
"You'll have to order it first and wait, boys," Ernie asserted. Turning his attention elsewhere, Ernie reached for 2 newly deployed meals, passed them to Bastion on Puck, and said, "Here ya go, fellas." Bastion and Puck thanked Ernie and took their plates to an empty table near the counter
Getting annoyed, the ever impatient bully Bulk loomed over Puck and declared, "OK then, I'll just have some of this kid's fish. Looks a little big for him anyway."
"Ha Ha! Good call, Bulky!" Skull laughed.
Puck looked up at the much larger Bulk, feeling intimidated. Ernie grabbed a small container of hot chili from the shelves under the counter and started walking out to Bastion and Puck. Angered at the threats, Bastion stood up, glared at Bulk and told him, "Back off, bonehead..!" Bastion's words cut off as he winced in pain and grabbed his injured shoulder with his good hand.
"Haha! He can't stop ya Bulky he's hurt!" Skull taunted.
Ernie walked in the space between 2 rows of tables. When arriving at Bastion and Puck's table, he handed the cup of chili to Puck and whispered, "Give 'im a whiff of this," with a wink.
"Now then, little twerp. Let's have that fish," Bulk ordered while leaning in and deeply inhaling to smell the delicious swordfish. Puck held the chili cup up to Bulk's inhaling nose. Bulk suddenly stopped inhaling and coughed a few times as his face started to take a red tint. Puck chuckled lightly. Bulk then screamed in fright as he grabbed Skull by the jacket collar and shouted at him, "It's the chili from the fair, Skull! Let's get out of here!" Bastion and Puck laughed a little as they watched the 2 punks flee in terror.
"Thanks, Ernie!" Bastion shouted back to the counter. Ernie smiled and nodded back.
The 6 power rangers seriously but happily entered the Angel Grove Youth Center. First to notice Bastion, Trini pointed over to the tables near the counter and observed, "They're right over there."
Jason spoke to his friends, "Trini, Billy, Zack: You guys know them best, so you should greet them first."
"Sounds good, Jase!" Zack agreed. Zack proceeded to lead Billy and Trini over to the counter area. Bastion and Puck were very engrossed in the meal, and did not notice they had company until Trini sat down beside Puck.
"Hey guys! Mind if we join?" Trini greeted.
"Trini!" Puck shouted excitedly. "Not at all!" Trini lightly and briefly hugged Puck around his shoulders. Puck blushed in shy happiness.
Zack now sat beside Bastion, prompting Bastion to greet him with a pull-out handshake. "Hey Zack. Good to see you again," he said.
"Likewise, bro," Zack returned. Seeing Bastion's shoulder wrappings, Zack asked, "Ooh. You okay man?"
"Yeah, just took a few bumps earlier," Bastion vaguely explained.
Billy, seated at the end of the table between Trini and Zack, asked Bastion and Puck, "Did you have a satisfying experience at the festival?"
"I sure did!" Puck answered. "Uncle Howard even showed me how to work on the ships in bottles. And there were some cool showings of new emerging technology."
Bastion continued eating his meal as Trini spoke to him, "Hey Bastion, I heard you played some sports with my other friends; they're here if you want to say hi to them again."
Still eating, Bastion nodded enthusiastically. Finally finishing his dinner followed by his drink, Bastion finally told her, "Definitely! Just let me settle this." Bastion and Puck returned their dishes to Ernie as Bastion produced several bills from his side pack and handed them to Ernie. "That was great, Ernie!" Bastion complimented before he joined Puck and the undercover power rangers to the opposite side of the Youth Center.
"Bastion! Good to see you again, man!" Jason greeted.
Bastion extended a hand to Jason, who shook it accordingly. "Jason, was it?" he asked. "Nice to see you too." Noticing his strong opponent from the jousting contest, Bastion declared, "And Tommy! Here at the youth center just like we said we would."
"Didn't even take a whole day," Tommy joked. "But it looks like that sparring session will have to wait. You OK?" Tommy asked, noticing Bastion's shoulder and arms.
"Yea, I should be up for some more training another day. It's not broken or separated." Bastion verified.
"Tommy didn't do that to do, did he?" Kimberly asked, with a slight tease.
"Oh no," Bastion said with a light laugh. "That happened after."
Attempting to take attention off of Bastion's wounds, Puck asked the other teens, "So does the multi-cultural fair go on all weekend?"
"Yep!" Zack affirmed. "And there's gonna be a kickin' dance party here tomorrow night!"
"Sounds like fun!" Puck opined.
Taking lead of the conversation Jason turned to Bastion and told him, "Hey Bastion, I want to ask you about something."
"Sure, what is it?" Bastion said, turning his attention.
"Who exactly is Faulkner?" Jason asked.
Bastion started to answer, "He's a…" Bastion and Puck looked at each surprised at Jason's question. Bastion, now more serious, asked in return, "Wait, how do you know about Faulkner?"
Looking around to make sure civilians were not close enough to hear him, Jason told Bastion, "We fought against him. Then we saw you fighting him in that white zord."
"Zord?" Bastion said, mildly puzzled at the new word. "Oh you mean Ultragunner. But how did you connect me to it?"
"Same way we learned Faulkner's name," Tommy answered.
"Yea, sorry if it was a little rude, but we listened in on your conversation. I recognized your voice," Trini explained.
Bastion replied, "Incredible. But how could you fight him? You'd need an..(ATAC)"
Puck quietly shouted, "Bastion! From the news!"
Connecting the broadcast and what he heard from Ernie and from Eliot and Jane at the fair, Bastion excitedly asked, "Are you guys," switching to a whisper he finished, "the power rangers?"
The 6 rangers smiled and nodded. Bastion and Puck stood in impressed silence. Breaking the silence, Kimberly said, "Bastion, Puck: We need your help to stop Faulkner. Our only chance to stop him from killing is to work together."
"Faulkner may very well be here because of me. I really didn't want to drag anyone else into this." Bastion told the power rangers.
"Bastion you don't have to do this alone." Trini offered.
"Hey, man," Tommy started, "I've been a loner most of my life: I get why you want to fight your own battles, but lives are at stake here, and even I learned how important a good team is. Didn't I, Jase?"
"Y'sure did," Jason agreed.
Zack chimed in with, "Besides, we've been fighting giant monsters for awhile now. We were dragged in as soon as Faulkner attacked."
"Faulkner's crimes affect of all us, Bastion. We're in this together," Kimberly persuaded.
Bastion took in everything he heard from the 6 Angel Grove teens. After briefly pondering their input, Bastion admitted, "You're right. I had a great team behind me when we fought Faulkner in Eptina. And while my Ultragunner was the strongest of us, even I couldn't fight Faulkner 1 on 1; I needed help. I miss my old team, but my instincts tell me you guys would make a great new team."
Jason proudly smiled and praised, "Glad to hear it, bro. Listen, we'd like to talk about this at our base; will you come with us?"
"We will," Bastion confirmed.
"Yup!" Puck agreed.
Jason motioned the team towards an out of the way area in the halls connecting the main section of the Youth Center to peripheral areas. As the team filed into the obscure area, Billy looked back into the main section of the center, then turned back towards his friends to tell them, "We're clear."
Jason pressed a button on his wrist communicator. "Zordon! They've agreed to come with us." Jason informed.
"Alpha is teleporting all of you now," Zordon responded.
The rangers vanished in pillars of colorful lights. Bastion and Puck vanished in columns of white light.