Chapter 5: Coming Home
Ethan sat up and looked at his sleeping companion. He moved some of the pillows to make it seem as if he were sitting next to his friend as he did sometimes in the dorm room when Conner had a nightmare. While Conner never asked him to, often times Ethan would head over to the bed and sit next to him until he calmed down or woke up. He moved away from the nest, not sure what else to do other than try to find anything technological he could hot-wire into letting them out. He couldn't help but to wonder if Conner knew how bad he got when he was asleep though both he and Kira knew. Before Ethan could move to start to work on getting the door opened, however, it opened itself and Chelone walked in with some Earth food. He set it on the ground and Ethan glanced over. "Thanks."
Chelone nodded. "Where's the other one?"
"Sleeping," Ethan answered, motioning to the nest. "I'll make sure he gets some."
"Good," Chelone answered, starting back out, but Ethan's voice stopped him.
"So, what's your reason?" Ethan asked. At Chelone's slightly confused look, he continued. "You know, to help take over the world, blah, blah, blah."
The older man nodded in understanding. "Our planet was destroyed. We require a new one and yours will suffice. Our lady has a problem with some members of your species anyway so it works out for everyone."
"Except us," Ethan mentioned and the man sighed, though he seemed a little amused.
"Except you," he agreed. "I enjoy your wit. Is the female the same?"
"Yeah and she's Conner's," Ethan said, getting a little defensive. Chelone put up his hands to try to placate him. It wouldn't do to anger the boy and eventually have to harm him, after all. His Lady had explained several times she needed them both in one piece for the moment.
"I never meant it in that way," he assured Ethan. "I was supposed to take all three of you, but considering that she wasn't there, that didn't happen. So, I'm curious about her now."
Ethan thought for a moment and nodded. "Yeah, Kira's similar."
"You seemed reluctant to even mention her," Chelone mentioned.
"Well, you are the bad guy," Ethan reminded him and Chelone shrugged.
"From your point of view, I suppose. However, humans would do the same as us if they needed to. At least our planet was destroyed. I've noticed that humans started looking because they can't stop reproducing. Tell me, if your species ends up taking over a world to satiate their needs, would you not be evil as well?" He asked and Ethan shook his head.
"I wouldn't. You're actively involved," he argued. "Couldn't you find an uninhabited world?"
"There are none that suit us," he answered. "Both in food and in habitat."
"You could try," mumbled Ethan, turning away from the other. Chelone stood behind him.
"And you could try to live underwater, but it wouldn't do you much good," Chelone said, making sure not to get to close. "You should eat and sleep. I will return later for the tray and plates."
Before Ethan could say anything else, Chelone had walked through and relocked the door leaving the former blue Ranger alone with Conner was starting to toss in his sleep. Ethan calmly headed over and shook him. "Come on, Conner. Food's here."
Conner groggily woke up and looked at Ethan. "You 'kay?"
"Yeah. I'll be fine," Ethan answered, helping Conner up. "We need to eat and get out of here. Come on."
"That is the stupidest idea I've ever heard!" Aisha spat out as she listened to Leo's outline. "Seriously, we need a better idea."
"Half of us can't even get there in time," Ashley added. After acquiring several different computer screens, Billy and Hayley had set up the Lair to be able to talk with all of the different teams, plus Aisha, Rocky, and Adam. Kat and Tanya had been visiting the two boys and were able to share while Aisha had one to herself. "Even with the speeds we can go, we'd never get to Mirinoi and back to Earth in time. Billy, can you do another mass transport?"
"I could," the first blue Ranger answered. "But I am trying to make sure we don't short circuit it. If we did and we were in a position to get them out, I am not sure if I would forgive myself."
"Eric, Wes, what do you think?" Kat asked, making sure to stay sensible. Many of the female members of the team had taken up with either trying their best to stay calm like Kat or had given into anger like Aisha. There wasn't a lot of middle ground at the moment.
"The Silver Guardians are ready to help, but without knowing where we're going…" Wes said and gave a half-shrug. He looked at the two mentors sympathetically. "Sorry, Tommy, Kim."
Tommy just nodded, holding on to Kim as they listened. The two were not allowed out of the Lair at the moment, under Elsa and Mercer's orders, so that they didn't run off and turn themselves over like they would have done. Thus, they were sitting and listening to their various colleagues attempt to make plans which consisted of the usual: The Reds wanted to run in and take them back, the Blues wanted to plan it out by the detail so that there was no messing up, the Yellows and Pink were giving their opinions as well as trying to be consoling to the Dino Thunder team, and most of the other colors were giving their opinions here and there and blocking the exit so their Reds didn't just sneak off.
Elsa and Mercer were taking the job of blocking the three Reds within the Lair with Elsa on one side and Mercer on the other. They were hoping Seth would stay still, but Tommy and Jason were far more likely than even some of the other Reds to rush out the door. Kira leaned back against the wall as she watched her predecessors argue. She wasn't sure what the best way to go about saving Ethan and Conner was, but she knew she wanted to apologize to them at the very least. She'd taken the car, she'd been scared enough to scold Conner when she'd gotten to see him, and she hadn't been there. She wasn't there with them now, helping them to get out. Granted, it had been because of Conner and Ethan that she hadn't been there, but that didn't make her feel better. Part of her wished that she had argued more with them while the other part knew they were right and she was the best choice. Both Kim and Tommy had been willing to do the trade a short while ago. In fact, she was thankful that Elsa and Mercer had already been called since she was pretty sure that she wouldn't have been able to stop them.
"Just… stay here," Kim told Kira gently as Tommy had grabbed their communicators. "We've already called the others. They'll take care of you and you'll take care of the new Rangers."
"I don't think that…" Kira started, but Tommy cut her off.
"No arguments," he told her as they finished and headed toward the door. Red and Black had firmly refused to go anywhere, even if Kim was technically the head of the pack, and were both lying down so that they couldn't be ridden. Tara was watching, biting her lip and unsure as what to say. Seth's arms were folded and he looked annoyed enough to try to save Conner and Ethan himself. Jera and Ben were just standing back, unsure of what to do. Dante and Neen were coloring upstairs and Kira was relieved that she didn't have to worry about them seeing any of this at the least. Still, with Tommy and Kim leaving, Kira was directly in charge, something she wasn't ready for.
"They… they need you. Doctor O, I can't do this alone!" Kira said, trying not to sound as scared as she felt.
"Conner and Ethan will be back soon and Jason will be here to help," he told her. "It'll be fine, Kira."
They rushed toward the door, but both started backpedaling once they reached it. Kira glanced over, surprised at that, and nearly laughed when she saw Elsa and Dr. Mercer heading down the stairs. Elsa was pretty calm, though she was backing her boyfriend up, but Dr. Mercer didn't look very happy. His arms were folded and he had a stern look set on his face. He looked between them. "Ms. Hart, Thomas, where do you two think you're going?"
"They're surrendering," Kira answered for them. "Apparently, that's how we handle things now."
"Kira…" Tommy said in a warning voice.
"Don't scold her," Mercer said coolly. "She's not the one in the wrong here."
"Mercer, they'll kill Ethan and Conner!" Kim argued. Mercer stood there.
"Possibly."
"So, we're going!"
"And tell me, Ms. Hart. How is that going to help?" Mercer asked. "Tell me, how often does the other side tell the truth? How often are they honorable enough to complete their deals? You're both only acting on the parental love you both have for those boys. I would probably try to do the same for Trent, but you're Rangers, mentors, and needed here."
"Even Conner knew that," Kira whispered. "He told you to stay."
"We can't just leave them!" Kim exclaimed and Mercer shook his head.
"We won't. But surrendering isn't an option. They're intelligent, capable, young men who thwarted Mesagog time after time. They are Rangers. There are several dozens of you scattered throughout the world and time. Use those resources. Help them escape, but the truth is, if it's them or the world, you have to choose the world," Mercer reminded them. "Now, let's call Hayley and Billy, hmm?"
She smiled a bit at the thought and promised herself to tell the boys when she saw them. They'd get a kick out of their mentors getting chewed out like they were teenagers again, especially after the lecture they'd gotten for investigating the ship without waiting. Mercer had been extremely patient with her and the new Rangers since then as there was little any of them could do to help at the minute. She'd noticed that about Dr. Mercer though. He often let them into his house for whatever reason since the death of Mesagog. Kira believed it had to do with Trent leaving and empty nest syndrome, but none of the three were willing to call him on it. They enjoyed their time at the mansion and were surprised to find that it hadn't been as difficult as they would have thought to think of both their former enemies as part of the team. It hadn't happened overnight, but time heals wounds and the trio had even tried to keep in contact with Trent which had, ironically, been Conner's idea.
She knew that Trent had been contacted, but she hadn't been around for it. Kira had had the difficult job of making sure Dante and Neen stayed out of the way and keeping an eye on the new Rangers. She felt a slight nudge against her and glanced over to see Yellow pushing her. The raptors had specifically been told to stay there, which they had followed, but none of them were handling it well. Blue was extremely subdued and, along with Red, was watching the back door intently as if they would be able to will their riders home. Black's attitude matched his own rider and he was pacing around the cave, ready for action. Yellow was moving about, but he'd taken to checking on Blue every so often before heading in a different way. He felt lost, much like his own rider, wanting to comfort his pack, but not knowing how to go about it. Kira reached up and pet his head soothingly, as much for herself as for the raptor.
"Can he actually feel that?" Kira glanced up to see Seth looking down at her. His arms were folded and the other three were with him. The others looked more subdued themselves, but Seth had had a problem with the raptors since Red had nearly torn into him.
"Yes, they can," Kira answered, not in the mood to put up with it. Normally, she understood that, but if he was going to come into the lab, he'd have to get over it eventually. They weren't just going to give the raptors away or make them stay outside after all. "They're not stupid. They're actually really smart."
"They're machines," Seth answered. Kira shook her head.
"More like cyborgs, actually. They're made with a mix of electronics and DNA," she tried to explain. "None of their personality was programmed. It's just… there. Doctor O didn't intend for them to be this way, I think, but we've all agreed it's a nice surprise. Blue is definitely female. She's actually on a maternal kick so be careful around Neen if she's in the room. Black is the youngest. He's like a teenager. He doesn't always listen and he tends to leap into trouble, but his heart is in the right place. Red is the leader. He has been since they hatched. He's a warrior, even around Conner who he accepted as a partner a long time ago. Then again, get his around Kim and he's like a big puppy dog."
"What about Yellow?" Ben asked quietly. Kira thought for a minute before answering.
"Yellow is like me. He mediates, follows Red's lead, and knows when to have fun. Yellow and Blue are twins so they tend to argue a lot, but when something happens like now, he gets upset even though it's not his rider. He's upset because I'm upset, the other raptors are upset, and because he does like Ethan and Conner. Seth, look. I know you didn't have the best experience with Red when you first met him, but even Elsa doesn't hate them. She doesn't go near Red, ever, but she doesn't hate them and Red bit off her hand," Kira said. At their look, she sighed and rolled her eyes. "The power Mesagog gave her helped her grow it back."
"He could do that?" Jera asked and Kira shrugged.
"Guess so," she answered, happy to have a new subject change for even a minute. Still, she knew she needed to go back into Mentor mode. "You guys are unusually calm."
"Yeah," Seth said with a shrug. "We're going to get them back. We're the good guys. They good guys don't lose or die or anything like that, right?"
"Oh boy," Kira said with a slight wince. She and the others had gone through this as well, but it wasn't any easier knowing the score the second time around. Nor was it going to be easy to let them know. She looked through the screens carefully and, finding the one she wanted, she nodded to herself. "Leo, can I talk to Kendrix please?"
He nodded and Kendrix came on the screen, looking as sympathetic as the other women. "Kira, I'm sure we'll find them."
"Thanks, Kendrix, but I was wondering if you could talk to my… well, the new Rangers. They had the same opinion the guys and I did about Rangering and death and since you've been there…" Kira said, sounding as awkward as she felt. Kendrix just nodded and looked at the four Rangers with their young assistant mentor. Tara caught on slightly quicker than the others.
"Who died that you knew?" Tara asked and Kendrix sighed.
"I did," she answered.
"You?" Seth asked dubiously and Kendrix gave a shadow of a smile.
"I got better."
"You're going to fry yourself again," Conner warned from the pillows as he took another bite. Ethan didn't even spare him a glare, hoping he was on the right track this time. The two had been coming up with various ideas, but other than Ethan's hotwiring plan that he was on now, most of them were either really bad ideas or just plain stupid. Unfortunately, his friend was right and he'd electrocuted himself several times already. He was starting to be convinced that Scorpina knew what he was up to and was letting him continue for her own twisted amusement. In a way, he was making her life easier. If Doctor O and Kim did show up and looked at them, she could tell them that he injured himself. She didn't have to lay a hand on him.
"You could help, Conner," he growled as he tried again, wincing as he did electrocute himself once again.
"Nope. After my 'you have hard skin and maybe they were lying so trying running at the wall' plan, you decided that whoever thinks up the idea has to do it,"
Conner answered. "And I did not come up with this one. It's all you."
"When I die, you're going to be alone and without a brain because I'm sure as hell not going to haunt you for the rest of existence," Ethan told him, still annoyed and now in pain once again. He didn't hear anything for a minute and winced. "Conner?"
He turned around and saw Conner standing there was some of his leftover food in his hand. Conner had eaten a lot slower than Ethan since his metabolism was quicker. He wasn't sure how often they'd get fed and he didn't want to waste it. Ethan pulled away from the wall as Conner held it out. "Here. I'm sorry."
"Ah, Conner. I'm just frustrated," Ethan said, pushing it back gently. "I've been shocking myself, kidnapped, and watching you to make sure you're okay during the nightmares. Yes, I know you've been having them. So does Kira. And when you were sleeping, Chelone talked to me. He said that his planet was destroyed and they need a new one. He brought up Earth's history of conquering and how if it was happening to us, we'd do the same and that we've already started to because of overpopulation."
"And so now you're not so sure they are evil?" Conner asked. Ethan nodded. "I guess we're part of a real war now. There are no good or bad sides, just survival."
"Probably. You've been acting like it's a war since it started anyway," Ethan reminded him and sighed a bit, ready to say what was really on his mind. "Still, I miss the old you sometimes. The optimistic one. The happy one. The one that wore his heart on his sleeve and bragged about Kim to every single Ranger at the 'reunion.' You talk to anyone about that because I'd like him back."
"You and Kira complain and complain that I'm always acting like an idiot and the moment I wise up, you want me dumb again?" Conner asked, a slight bit of humor behind the words. After all, Kira and Ethan hadn't really called him an airhead for months, even before the end of Mesagog.
"Funny, Conner. Seriously, have you?" Ethan asked.
"Yeah, I talked to Kim," he answered honestly.
"She's going through things too, huh?" Ethan asked and Conner looked surprised. "Hey, not necessarily as well as say, Yellows, but Blues are perceptive. How was she dealing?"
"I think it's a secret," Conner answered. "Doctor O doesn't even know."
"Fair enough. As long as you're getting it out," Ethan said. "You know, they're going to try to rescue us."
"Yep," Conner agreed. "Probably get the rest of them in on it too."
"Maybe. But at least the originals, Kira, the new Rangers," Ethan said. "So, I was wondering…"
"Yeah?" Conner asked, not seeing Ethan's growing grin.
"Doesn't Kira still have the keys to your car?" He asked, trying to sound as innocent as possible. Conner blanched.
"She wouldn't…"
"It's Kira."
"She couldn't…"
"Your girlfriend…"
"She…"
"Ki-ra."
"My car!" Conner exclaimed. "We have to save my baby. Quicker Ethan! Here, I'll hold the wires for you."
Ethan snickered as Conner flew back a bit from the shock the wires gave him. Somehow, he didn't feel as bad now.
"So, people have actually died," Jera said slowly. "And Conner and Ethan might not really make it back."
Kira couldn't help but to wonder when the first Rangers had realized that they were playing for keeps. Most likely when Jason had nearly died in the other dimension, realm, thing. She'd only been there last year with the same feelings that they were going through now when they found out and nearly lost Kim afterward. "Yeah, but they will. We'll keep trying until we get them."
"What if they're dead?" Ben asked so quietly that Kira almost didn't hear him over the hustle and bustle of the Lair.
"We bring them back, I'll talk to their parents, and we'll give them two funerals: one for everyone else and one for us," she answered, trying to stay calm about it. The thought terrified her, but someone had to do this. Kim and Doctor O were busy trying with everything else, they were all busy with other things, and as one of the younger Rangers, there was little else she could do right now. "Look, I'll call you guys if something changes. I have tomorrow off from school anyway."
All of them looked at each other, not sure what to say to that. They wanted to claim Conner and Ethan as their friends too, but the truth was, the four new Rangers had barely spent time trying to get to know each other, let alone their slightly older comrades. Kira noticed it and promised herself that when they found Conner and Ethan, they would make sure to spend time with the new Rangers and make sure they started getting to know each other outside of the uniform. Still, Seth did look sincere when his parting statement was "Call us. We want to help."
"I will," Kira promised and sighed once they were gone. Yellow put his head in her lap and she pet him without thinking about it. "When did life get so difficult, Yellow?"
The raptor nudged her face slightly, a trait they'd learned was similar to a dog's lick or a cat head-butting a human's hand. She glanced over to see that Doctor O wasn't bothering to push away Black as the raptor looked over his head as he had before, instead reaching up to pet him. Kira almost laughed as she wondered when the raptors had been so engrained into the Lair that even her mentor didn't seem to mind anymore.
"Kira? Are Conner and Ethan back now?" She glanced up to see Neen and Dante standing in the doorway, both looking like they'd just woken up. They probably had. Coloring was only going to entertain them for so long and it had been a rough day. The only good thing about this whole mess was they hadn't had to call Conner and Ethan's parents like they would have last year. It was a slight blessing.
"Not yet," she said, pushing all of her enthusiasm to the front as she headed to take them back upstairs. "Do you guys want to watch a movie?"
"We want to help Ethan and Conner," Neen answered sounding determined and firmly staying where she was.
"Conner saved me," Dante added with a bit more panic in his voice. Still, he crossed his arms and stood next to Neen. "I need to help him."
Kira nearly sighed, having expected this to happen sooner or later. She still took them upstairs, having to drag them both, as the older Rangers argued, though some more than others. The Ninja Rangers from the Wind and Thunder Academies were actually doing little arguing as they were nearly as young as Kira. Like her, they put in their ideas, but they were letting the older, more experienced Rangers do most of the thinking. In fact, they'd taken to mostly making sure that Kira and the other new Rangers were okay. She glanced over at the female, Tori, and the other girl nodded. She'd let Kira know what was going on later. Kira was able to turn her attention back to the children once they were upstairs. "Guys, look. The person who took them is really mean."
"We know," Neen said seriously. "You led us out of the room, but we could still hear."
"Guys, I took you out so you wouldn't hear it," she groaned. Dante shrugged as Neen nodded.
"Yep," Dante answered. "And we mostly did 'til we hear you say Conner's name. Then we listened."
Both children were nodding and Kira sighed. She'd tried before, but Neen could see through any trick the trio, or even the older Rangers, tried. She was just too clever, like her father. "Look, you can't come with. You're too little. I'm sorry, but you'll get squished. But… I know Kim and Doctor O. Everyone else will be involved, so you guys can keep an eye on things for us in the Lair in case they decide to crush the city while we're not looking."
Neen weighed this silently while Dante looked ready to protest. Still, he waited on Neen before doing since she was smarter than him. After a moment, she nodded. "Dante, she is correct. We will get squished! Besides, it might seem like a baby job but all of the mentors have to do it."
"So, it's important?" Dante asked excitedly.
"Affirmative," Neen answered, using the word her father had used for so many years, though it was almost sing-song the way she put it. Dante nodded to Kira, seemingly placated with the situation as much as Neen was. Kira relaxed as they ran off and she wondered exactly how Jason was going to convince Trini of the same thing. Hopefully carefully, with well-timed words and… hopefully he let Kim do it. She ruffled both of the kids' hair before she raced downstairs as the others called for her. A plan had been formed.
"Sometimes, I even amaze myself," Ethan said gleefully as the door, several hours later, opened. Conner glanced out before looking back in at his friend.
"Sometimes?" He teased. "Come on. There's no one there. Let's get to the control room and go home."
Ethan nodded and the two fled down the hall. They were careful enough not to make too much noise nor did they ignore their surroundings. They stopped when they heard the voices coming from one of the rooms momentarily.
"So, that lobster was the worst we had?" Scorpina asked.
"Yes. We decided to send something weak to get to know their abilities," Chelone answered. "The next won't be so easy…"
They didn't bother sticking around to hear more. With that little knowledge, and the fact that both of their main captors were busy, they were left to get out more easily. They raced into the control room and Ethan watched the door. "You're sure you can get this, right?"
Conner glanced up from the console. "Well, technically I only know how to use the communicator, but there aren't that many buttons. How hard can it be?"
"Conner, you're joking, right? Haha?" Ethan asked in horror. When Conner didn't answer right away, he paled considerably. "So, how are you going to figure it out?"
"Well, I know some of the buttons that won't work. I'll just press the others," Conner answered. "Hayley can make us new communicators, right? We'll just leave ours here…"
"How many more buttons are there?" Ethan asked, starting to panic.
"About five," Conner answered, completely calm.
"And how are you going to figure it out from there?" Ethan demanded.
"I'm going to guess," Conner answered, sounding sure of himself. Ethan's eyes widened.
"What?! Conner!" Ethan exclaimed before Conner pushed the button down.
Kira floored it down the road having "borrowed" her boyfriend's car. As he worried, she wasn't exactly as careful with it as he was and she didn't seem to care about anything at all but getting to the meeting place. It hadn't been a great plan, or as Trini put it, even a good plan, but it was the best that they had: Head toward the downed ship that the trio had found and use the energy, as well as the Tarantuman's body, in order to create a link between where they were and where Conner and Ethan were. Usually, even minions had some sort of lock so that they could be transported after all. It just wasn't the safest thing and there was no guarantee that it would get someone there in one piece. Often, the lock was broken at best. They were heading there now to go. Zack, Jason, and her were going to try this while the others were to supervise.
If it worked, the supervisors would meet up with Wes and Eric, along with some of the other Silver Guardians to send them as well. Both Rangers had offered as soon as they could. Those supervising were also able to stay there until the others returned, even if it took days. It might even take days to get them there in the first place which was why Conner's car was loaded with food and blankets, though there was still room for the boys when they rescued them. The four newest Rangers had wanted to go as well, and they were on supervision duty, but if the city was in trouble, they needed to be there.
As it turned out, the entire plan didn't need to happen as she drove down the stretch and glanced out her side window to see Conner and Ethan, tired and dusting themselves off on the side of the road. The caravan immediately stopped and Kira flung herself from the car as Conner waved cheekily at them. She didn't care. She threw herself at him, lucky that he caught her, and kissed him straight on the lips. After a moment, she dove at Ethan and embraced him as well. Conner looked up to see the others coming toward them, staring. He couldn't help himself. "So, where are all of you off to?"
"You idiot," Kira said, halfway affectionately. "We were trying to save you."
Ethan had to join in on this one and the two boys grinned at each other before turning back to her. "Way to show up when we don't need you anymore."
Kira glared at them both. "Why did I want you two back?"
Conner grinned. "You love us."
She threw up her hands and moved out of the way, though a small smile was starting to form from knowing that they were alright. She wasn't surprised to see Kim checking them over next and she tried not to laugh as their female mentor looked panicked. "Are you two okay? I was so worried about you!"
"Kim… crushing… can't breathe," Conner complained and Ethan just nodded in agreement. Kim loosened her grip. "Would 'I'm sorry' work for you?"
She shook her head, tears falling again. "I am so sorry."
"Okay. I meant me. This is new," Conner muttered to Ethan. Ethan sighed.
"Is this like with Kira where I need to go to the other Rangers and see what we're supposed to do next?" Ethan asked and Conner shook his head.
"Nah. I got it this time. You might want to go to Hayley, though," he answered and pulled Kim to him. "Hey, I'm okay. It's all going to be okay. It's over now. Hey, Doctor O. Are you going to hug me too?"
"Eventually. When my fiancé and one of my best friends let go of you and Ethan," he answered. Kim, though still crying, let him go and Tommy pulled the younger man into a quick hug, the same he often did to Jason and the rest of the guys. Once Hayley let Ethan go, he did the same to him. "I'm glad you're both alright."
"Why wouldn't we be?" Conner asked. "I, err, we had everything under control. Right, Ethan?"
"Sure, I'll buy that," Ethan agreed. "Conner?"
"Yeah?"
"If you do that again, I'll kill you," Ethan said, glaring at him.
"I got us here, didn't I?" He asked and Ethan rolled his eyes.
"And there were four other buttons. You got lucky!" He exclaimed and Conner rolled his eyes.
"And if I would have let you do it, you would have thought about it too long," he told the other. "Seriously, how many times did we get fried before you finally got the door open?"
"I got electrocuted fewer times once I reminded you Kira had the car," Ethan teased.
"You were the genius. You could have said 'Oh, I already tried those wires. They're not the right ones. Putting them together will cause you to get shocked across the room'. But no. You let me do and then laughed," Conner said, faking a pout that was similar to his mentor's.
"I got sick of watching you sit there, eating, while I was getting barbequed," he told him. Conner held up his hands.
"You made the rules. You come up with the idea, you're the one who has to go through with it. Hot-wiring was your idea," he answered.
"Only after you got me to run into the wall!" Ethan exclaimed. Kira finally broke in after that.
"You had him run into the wall?! Why do we listen to you?" She asked and Conner looked at her.
"Hey, I wasn't the one who got the 'hardened skin' gift. I got speed. That wouldn't have done anything but flattened me," he answered. "Ethan actually had a shot at it. Besides, I got barbequed too when I didn't have to."
Kim was holding her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing by this point and Tommy was just groaning and holding his head. Both of them looked up as Jason put his hands on their shoulders before turning to the younger three. "We're just glad you're okay. Crazy, but okay. We need to call Eric and Wes to let them know that they don't need to rush to the site and Trini's probably still worried sick. We should get home."
Zack grinned. "You two should have seen it. Billy and Hayley rigged the computer and got tons of screens so that we could talk to every Ranger group. It was great. They were arguing and plotting and you could definitely tell colors. People were guarding exits so the Reds didn't fly out the door, Blues were contemplating, everyone was coming up with ideas. Hell, Mercer and Elsa, Mercer especially, made sure that Kim and Tommy didn't run out the door to surrender like their big plan was."
"Thank you, Dr. Mercer," both Ethan and Conner quickly interrupted in chorus. Kira just nodded in agreement since she'd already thanked him.
"You're welcome, Boys," he answered, brushing it off. Still, the trio silently promised themselves that they would do something special for him at some point. As they were thinking that, and Zack was going on about everything else that had happened. The four young Rangers came up beside them and Seth faced Conner. Kira was absentmindedly standing behind Conner as she always had as Ethan as doing the same on the other side. The four weren't as coordinated with it yet, but they still did a good job of it.
"We're, uh, glad you guys are okay," Seth told him, holding out his hand. Conner took it.
"You four doing okay?" He asked seriously and glanced at Kira. "You told them, huh? I recognize that look."
"They needed to know. I let them talk to Kendrix too. I would have waited, but if something would have happened to you guys…" she started and let it trail off. Conner nodded and turned back to Seth.
"We're fine, Seth. And we're going stay that way for a long time, right guys?" He asked Kira and Ethan.
"Right," Kira answered.
"I'll go with that," Ethan added and motioned toward his wrist before looking at Hayley. "By the way, Hayley? We're going to need new communicators. Ours got taken away."
"I think we can manage that," Hayley promised as they got into cars to head back.
"Aunt Trini! They have returned!" Neen called from the bottom of the stairs. Trini had been upstairs working on making a dinner for the three of them, leaving the younger two under the watchful eye of the four raptors. Black had been more playing with them than anything. Blue had, fortunately, also been slightly distracted from her post at watching for Ethan by making sure that Black didn't play too rough. Trini hadn't even noticed that Yellow had followed her out of the lab and into the house, though forbidden for the raptors to do, until she mentioned she needed to set the table and the raptor was carefully getting the plates down. Red had stayed at his post, waiting for Ethan and Conner to return with the others.
Trini called the two up, which both children did immediately, and kept a hand on each of their shoulders. "Now, do you remember what I told you?"
"No tackling, jumping, or diving on Conner and Ethan because they could be exhausted," Neen repeated perfectly.
"And exhausted means tired and worn out," Dante added, having had to look up the word to see what it meant with Neen's help. Trini nodded and smiled at them both, though groaned a second later when she heard the other three raptors climb up the stairs. She gave them a scolding look.
"First of all, you're not supposed to be up here. Secondly, same rules apply to the four of you as they do to the kids," she said, not bothering to try to get them to go back down especially since she'd let Yellow stay up there to help her. Red chirped in a way that sounded solemn to her before giving two chirps to the others who didn't move. Trini sighed, but shrugged it off.
"Hey! We're back! Did you miss us?" Conner asked as he was the first to enter the house. Ethan followed, looking just as happy as his friend. Dante put his hands on his hips.
"You don't look exhausted," he informed them and Neen continued.
"Are you well, Conner and Ethan?" She asked and Conner responded by scooping her up and swinging her around.
"I am doing fine, I think!" He said to her and turned to Ethan. "Hey, I've got a present for you, Man."
He literally tossed her to Ethan who had prepared and was able to catch her without falling over. He just grinned back at Conner. "It's what I've always wanted."
Neen was squealing with glee at this point though Kira put her hands on her hips. "No throwing the kids!"
"Yes, Dear," Conner said, half-way sarcastically and doing his best to try to look consolatory about it. Kira shook her head and sighed as Conner turned to Dante. "So, I suppose you know everything now, huh?"
"Yep! You're still my favorite one though. We helped out. We stayed in the Lair place and watched to make sure that no one attacked while you were gone," he told him, going from excited to solemn in less than three seconds. "Neen says that's important and she's really smart."
"She's right. It was very important," Conner answered, forcing his own solemn attitude to the front. "You were helping to save the city."
"Cool," Dante said, turning his head to the side in amazement. "Can I help again sometime? Please? Or just come over to play more?"
"I could go there," Neen offered and Dante shook his head.
"No, uh, Mom is busy. Sorry," he said half-way quickly. Hayley and Conner both frowned as they remembered his wayward mother. More than likely, she just didn't want to watch him let alone two of him. Neen, on the other hand, just turned to Tommy and Kim.
"Aunt Kim, Uncle Tommy, can Dante come over more often please?" She asked and they both nodded. They squealed and started to run off to play, but Conner felt Neen's arms around his waist followed by doing the same to Ethan. Then they headed out of the room. Conner, Kira, and Ethan nodded at each other, happy she had someone her own age to play with.
"Hey, Kim? Doctor O? Since when are the raptors allowed in the house?" Conner asked, pointing to the four still raptors. Kim put her hands on her hips and Tommy frowned.
"And just what do you four think you're doing?" She asked. Red answered by walking over and gently nudging Conner while Blue did the same to Ethan. Though he hadn't lost her, Yellow headed over to Kira, putting his head on her shoulder again. Red chirped a bit and Conner smiled.
"Hey, I miss you too, dude," Conner promised him as he pat his side. Ethan was doing the same to Blue, but she was nearly knocking him over as she made sure he was alright. Conner looked up. "So, I understand that you have dinner for us?"
Trini threw her arms around both boys and looked at them seriously. "Don't you ever scare us like that again," she scolded and then smiled. "And dinner's on the table."
"Can't sleep?" Conner glanced over as Ethan asked and shook his head. "Me either."
"Want to talk about it?" Conner asked. "I mean, we did a little, but…"
"I'm just still confused, I guess," Ethan answered honestly. "I mean, they treated us nicely, you know?"
"Yeah, but whenever I think about it, I can still remember how I felt when I thought Chelone was going to kill you," Conner said. "It freaked me out."
Neither could help it as they mutter-sang a couple bars from Kira's song before turning back to being serious again. Ethan nodded. "It wasn't great for me either, but you handled it pretty well."
"Thanks," Conner said. "This is going to be different, isn't it?"
"Yeah," Ethan answered. "I mean, what happens the next time we see Chelone."
Conner grinned. "Don't worry about that, Ethan. Did you see the look on Kim's face? She'll be watching us like a hawk for months! If she even lets us out of the Lair."
Ethan laughed, but their conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door. Ethan, already sitting up, went to answer it and led in Kira who looked a little embarrassed. They turned on the light and she sighed. "You guys can't sleep either, huh?"
"Nope," her boyfriend answered, moving over so she could sit next to him. He wrapped an arm around her and let her rest her head against his shoulder. "Let's talk about something else, okay?"
"Oh! So my professor thinks that he might be able to get me an interview with a record producer," Kira offered as a change of subject. "With a little luck, I might be able to start fulfilling my dream of being a singer."
"That's great, Kira!" Ethan said and Conner nodded in agreement before kissing her on the side of the mouth. "I think that I'm almost ready for that music and I fixed the fighting on the game. That was a huge help, Conner."
"Glad to help, man," Conner said. "So, when will it be done?"
"Uh… with monster attacks? Sometime before we graduate I hope," Ethan joked. The three started laughing before Ethan turned to Conner. "What about you? How long before we see Conner the star player?"
Conner's smiled died and he looked at the ground. "Probably never," he admitted. "I'm good, but… I think I need to figure out something else to do with my life. I'll never be able to dedicate myself the way I need to."
"Do you know what yet?" Kira asked and Conner shrugged.
"I never gave it much thought, you know?" He said. "I know I want to help people, but that's about it."
Kira pulled him to her this time. "Hey, no matter what you decide to do, we'll support you."
"And help if we can," Ethan added as he headed over and sat on Conner's other side, putting his hand on his friend's shoulder in support. They were quiet for a little bit before changing the subject once again. None of them were able to get much sleep that night anyway.
Author's Note: As I said before, NaNoWriMo is starting up on Thursday and I'm participating. I've worked hard to get the other chapters written up so this shouldn't affect all of you. With luck and a little work, I'll have every chapter up each week. Once December hits, my writing schedule will be back to normal but as I said before, none of this should affect you. I hope.
I enjoyed writing with Ethan and Conner. They were fun. I also had fun with Yellow. It occurred to me when I was writing the chapter that he was the only raptor with no real personality. I mean, Red's developed rather quickly along with Black's and once Blue was found to be female, she was easy to work with to. But I wasn't sure where that left Yellow. So, his creation as a character became much more easy.
Thank you for all of the reviews from last week. As soon as I look it over, there will be a one-shot for Halloween. It will be out before Halloween is over. Thanks again, Guys! I love getting reviews and reading through them. I tend to keep longer ones in my inbox so that I have something to look at if I'm getting frustrated. It helps a lot.