Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. Saban and Nickelodeon own them. I also don't
own any song lyrics used.
AN: Here's chapter 38! Enjoy and let me know what you think! Thanks to all the great reviews too and here's notes to those individuals:
Alex B. Goode" Glad you enjoyed it. :)
RHatch89: Yeah, it took Will and Dax long enough, but they finally get it. Glad you liked it. :)
XoxMountainGirlxoX: Glad you enjoyed it. Yep, Will and Dax finally get it. Lots of action to come. :)
Harry2: Yep, lots of action to come. :)
Lmv16: Yep, they're finally back on the right side. Glad you're enjoying it, lots of action to come. :)
TommyOliverMMPRFan: Yes, things have escalated again and there is a lot of action in this next chapter. I have a few surprises in store, but things will continue to move very quickly in the next few coming chapters. Hope you enjoy. :)
Black Phoenix Ranger: Thanks, glad you like it. :)
MMPRFansince93: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. And yes, some major stuff is going to go down. This chapter is action packed. :)
Pinkrangerfan: Thanks, glad you're enjoying it so much. :)
fallingstar22: Glad you're enjoying the story. Yeah, Will and Dax are finally getting their act together. Took them long enough, I know. ;)
garnetred: Thanks, glad you're enjoying the story. Yeah, it's a sad time for Tori. Lots of action to come though. :)
WideOpenSpacesGirl045: Yep, it was intense and this chapter will be even more intense! It's action packed. Enjoy! :)
Jokermask18: Thanks, so glad you like it. I came up with the beginning concept and it has just been building and building from there. Hard to describe my writing process, but usually I have a concept in my head and when I put it down on the screen, it sometimes is just like what I had in my head and sometimes it's something completely new.
urmamaroxs: I'm glad you like the story, though I think you're exaggerating that Tori gets saved by Hunter all the time. There are plenty of examples where she holds her own or better, kicks butt herself. As for Hunter, he's on a different level than everyone else. Go back to chapter 1 and read my author's notes. I stated that this story was Hunter centric. That means he's going to be the central character. And it's not true that the others can only kill foot soldiers. Conner almost killed one of the Duronians, which is saying something since they are even more powerful than Hunter, and the original five killed one of them in chapter 16 as well. Others have also taken out several of the alien Generals as well. Trust me, the girls get just as much action. It just doesn't seem like it, because there are more boys than girls, always is with PR. I'm a woman myself so I'm going to give them plenty of spotlight. I don't mean to sound harsh, but I'm going to defend my story, especially when I can pinpoint examples that disprove what you're saying. I try to give equal time to most characters, but I am working with a very, very large cast and it can get difficult to balance. I did state in the beginning that Hunter and Tori would get a larger chunk of the focus though. Hope you can still continue to enjoy the story. Thanks for reading.
Crimson Rising
Chapter 38: Monster
I'm only human, I've got a skeleton in me
But I'm not the villain, despite what you're always preaching.
Call me a traitor, I'm just collecting your victims
And they're getting stronger
I hear them calling.
I'll stop the whole world, I'll stop the whole world
From turning into a monster, and eating us alive
Don't you ever wonder how we survive?
Well now that you're gone, the world is ours
Song: Monster
Artist: Paramore
Turtle Cove
Will slammed on the breaks, as government vehicles were now coming at them from all directions, effectively surrounding them. Gorbin's hummer came to a halt and he stepped out.
"Put your hands up and slowly surrender. Our ion blasters are trained on you and any sudden movements will cause my men to fire," Gorbin threatened, as Will and Dax slowly got out of the jeep with Zoe clinging tightly to the blue ranger. Filing out of the large transports were cyborg soldiers, plain and gray looking, but both rangers knew what kind of power they held. They were equivalent, if not stronger, than an elite foot soldier that ranger teams had encountered in variations over the years.
"Hand over the brat and we'll only arrest you," The President said, as he exited his bulletproof SUV.
"She's just a kid, scumbag. You don't need to murder a child to prove how evil you are. We got the memo," Will spat. The human looking villain smirked evilly and suddenly Will was holding his head, screaming in agony.
"Stop it!" Dax pleaded, as he tortured the black ranger from the inside. Will's pain ceased when a crimson thunderbolt struck the concrete beneath his feet, throwing him back several yards. In Ninja form, five stood before Will and Dax. Flanking them were the others, six more Ninjas on one side and eight Dino gem wielders on the other. Laser fire rang out and Hunter stepped forward, sweeping his arm in a slashing motion, creating a crimson thunder shield that protected them all from the laser blasts, absorbing them harmlessly. Once the shield disappeared, the rangers charged the cyborgs, engaging them in hand to hand combat.
Ivan Ooze's spaceship
Ivan Ooze observed the battle below with an amused smirk on his face. So far, that fool Master Vile hadn't interfered with any of his plans yet so he continued to allow him to operate on his own. However, he was never one to be left out of the fun either.
"Toxa…is my newest General ready?" he asked.
"Yes father…he has been revived and is ten times stronger than before. But I still don't understand why we bothered with his revival," Toxa replied.
"Trust me daughter," Ivan answered simply, as he entered the chamber where his new General had yet to be awakened. He mostly looked the same, but parts of his face now gleamed with chrome lining, as did his body, which was now also lined in chrome. Ivan chuckled.
"Oh Zedd…I can't wait to see the look on your face when your own son tries to kill your beloved nephew. What a twisted family tree you have," Ivan mused, as brown eyes snapped open and the monster's limbs began to flail in their bonds.
"Easy my friend, you have been through quite the ordeal. Can you tell me what you remember?" Ivan asked. Thrax's eyes darted around the room, as his last moments flashed through his mind.
"Rangers…" he hissed angrily.
"Yes, and unfortunately, there are about twenty more now that have risen against me. They are quite troublesome," Ivan informed.
"I will crush them…" Thrax vowed.
"Oh, I have no doubt that you will try, but that's not the whole story. In fact, your own father has betrayed all that your grandfather helped him gain by turning and helping those do-gooders," Ivan said.
"My father is a fool," Thrax spat.
"Yes and he abandoned you to the fate the rangers delivered to you. In fact, he was ashamed of you, regretted even creating you. He wishes that he had a natural heir and holds his nephew far above you," Ivan said. Thrax growled.
"My father has no nephew. The child of Zander perished long ago. He told me himself," Thrax hissed.
"He lied to you. His nephew has been on Earth for the last twenty-four years and has become quite powerful, learning how to harness the power of the Phoenix as the days pass by while your father looks on proudly," Ivan said, as Toxa showed Thrax the images on the screen of his human father and his golden cousin.
"Hunter's location was hidden from him during his time as an evil overlord, but had he found him, then he would have had no need for you. Hunter is everything you're not," Ivan goaded. Toxa snorted in amusement.
"Yeah, especially in the looks department," she added snidely. Thrax growled at her and his anger grew, as he watched the images on the screen.
"Phoenix or not…I will crush him and make my father watch…before I kill him for betraying me as well," Thrax hissed. Ivan smirked evilly.
"Your thirst for revenge will serve you well," Ivan said, as he sent Thrax to Earth.
Ranger Ops
As Carly, Blake, and the other inactive rangers monitored the battle on the view screens, her console began beeping.
"What's that?" Blake asked.
"I think the computer has located the blue zeo shard," Carly answered, as she pulled up the search screen.
"It's on a planet called…Onyx," she said.
"Oh, you've got to kidding," Kai groaned.
"Man, do we have bad luck or what?" Damon added.
"Why…is Onyx bad?" Blake asked. Leo sighed.
"The worst," he answered.
"Yeah, it's the place where all the defeated monsters, all the cast off villains, useless foot soldiers, and general scum of the universe gathers," Andros continued.
"Sounds like fun," Blake quipped sarcastically.
"And it's likely to be even worse right now with all the unrest in the universe. Ivan Ooze's conquering of many allied planets will mean it is thick with traveling scum, since most have probably eagerly enlisted in Ooze's army and are working for him on various planets," Zhane added.
"It's like a watering hole and favorite pit stop of evildoers," T.J. added.
"But that means that none of them would be able to touch the crystal, right?" Carly asked.
"No, even if any of them are aware of it, they can't touch it without being incinerated. But that won't stop them. They'll use whoever they have to if it means getting their hands on that shard," Andros replied.
"Then we need to get it off Onyx, sooner rather than later," Kendrix surmised, as they continued to monitor the battle in Turtle Cove.
Turtle Cove
Kira and Kimberly back flipped over the two advancing cyborgs, landing together and each kicking their attacker away. Two more advanced and two supersonic screams sounded, as waves of pink and yellow blew back the mechanical creations. With that advantage on their side, they rushed their attackers in another double team attack.
Dustin emerged from the ground and launched an earth beam, effectively knocking one away, but others just swarmed them battlefield. The mass production of these things would possibly overwhelm them if they didn't ranger up soon, but he would wait for Shane or Hunter to make that call. In the meantime, he joined his fellow yellow ninja in the fight. Aisha held her hands out and lifted two of the cyborgs into the air, before hurling them into several of their identical, soulless teammates. They fell into a clumsy heap, sparking violently.
"Not gonna lie, your telekinesis is wicked cool," Dustin complimented. Aisha smiled.
"Old school is nice too, so let's show them," she suggested, as they double teamed their attackers.
Ethan growled, as the cyborg punched at him. His Dino skin flashed and took the blows with more resistance. Another blue blur moved almost quicker than the human eye, as Billy fought his way through the cyborgs at breakneck speed. With super speed and strength combined, the two blue rangers made quick work of their adversaries.
Adam and Cam double teamed their attackers with a flurry of expertly executed kicks and punches. Cam ducked an oncoming cyborg and leapt over another damaged one. He was caught off guard by another that was rushing him. Calling on his powers, he shot an ice beam at the ground. The cyborg slipped and went sailing into a tree. Adam launched into a windmill kick, taking out two more, before joining Cam to take on more.
"Ninja beams!" Shane called, as he shot an air beam at two cyborgs, elevating them into the air and holding the flailing machines there for several seconds.
"What goes up must come down," he quipped, as he cut off his air beam and let them drop into a destroyed heap. Rocky flipped through the air, joining the other red, after disposing of several himself.
"Dude, you've got oil all over you," Shane mentioned. Rocky grinned and ripped the arm off another cyborg with his enhanced strength
"That's what happens when you do that," Rocky replied, as oil squirted all over Shane's shirt.
"Oops…" Rocky said, as he tossed the limb away.
"It's all right, seeing you rip the limbs off these things is fun," Shane replied. Rocky grinned.
"You want fun? Watch this," Rocky said, as he lifted one of the army Hummer's and dropped it on five of the cyborgs.
"Nice…" Shane complimented.
Jason moved invisibly among more cyborgs, taking them out as he did, while Conner sped along through them at top speed. None of the confused machines knew what hit them as the Gold Dino ranger and his successor to the Tyrannosaurs powers made quick work of them.
Tommy launched several spirit orbs that took out several, while Trini levitated a couple garbage cans and pelted several more.
"Don't say it," she warned with a smirk. Tommy smirked back.
"Oh come on, you just hit them with trash cans. I have to," Tommy replied.
"Fine," Trini relented, as she high-kicked one and flew into a flying kick to another.
"We're taking out the trash," Tommy announced, as he kicked and flipped his way through several adversaries. Trini rolled her eyes.
"You're so corny," she teased.
"It made you smile," he teased back, as they launched at their attackers again.
"Man, where are they all coming from?" Trent wondered, as he ducked another punch from the mindless drones.
"I don't know, but it's getting ridiculous. I think I'm going to go give General Jerk a piece of my mind," Tanya growled, as she dispatched another, only to be attacked again.
"There's just too many," Trent complained. Her eyes lit up.
"I have an idea," she said, as she grabbed his arm and phased a few feet away. Just as she knew they would, the cyborgs gave chase and she began darting around the battlefield, dragging Trent along with her. She landed beneath a crane in a construction area and naturally, their attackers followed. Once they were in place, Tanya phased them into the control station that operated the crane. She kicked the lever and dropped a large beam on the cyborgs, crushing them to bits. Trent smirked.
"Very nice," he said.
Tori's face was set hard in concentration, as she willed her powers forth. Water swirled between her hands and just as Dulcea had been teaching her, she threw her arms out wide, expanding her sphere of water into a massive wall.
"Now Kat…" Tori called. Kat willed her Stego shield to disappear, which was keeping their attackers at bay. As they charged forth, Tori's tidal wave slammed into them. They were built to resist water in some amounts, but the water ninja's onslaught was too much for them and they quickly became a heap of shorted out scrap metal.
"That was amazing," Kat said in awe. Tori smiled.
"Thanks," she replied, as they approached Will and Dax, who were still protecting the child.
"What happened?" Tori asked, hoping they could answer the burning question that was on all their minds.
"You were right…all along. I'm sorry Tori," Dax said, his voice thick with regret.
"What do you mean?" Kat asked.
"He means that we're sorry we couldn't stop them from killing her father," Will stated regrettably. She gasped.
"They…killed my father?" she asked in disbelief. He nodded.
"You were right about everything, but there's a lot more you need to know," Will said, as they were suddenly interrupted by an obnoxious clapping. The man that most knew as the Commander and Chief stepped forward with a gloating smirk.
"Very impressive display of power, especially in your non-ranger forms," he said smugly. At the sight of this man, Zoe began to cry almost uncontrollably. As Tori looked at her, something inside her sparked her to scoop the little girl up and hold her close.
"It's going to be okay," she whispered, as she slowly watched Hunter face him.
"You can drop the act, Mr. President, you're not fooling anyone anymore," Tommy said, glaring at him.
"Oh and here I thought I was being too subtle," Vile replied sarcastically, as he glared at his long dead nemesis' offspring.
"No matter how many of these things you build, it won't be enough," Hunter stated, referring to the burnt cyborgs at his feet. Vile chuckled.
"Oh believe me, son of Zander, I don't need those machines to deal with the likes of you," Vile hissed, as his eyes flashed. The irises in his eyes disappeared, as they became a frightening solid black, shocking them all.
"You have no idea who you're dealing with boy…but I'll be happy to show you," he growled. Hunter felt a tingling in his senses. The tingling suddenly became a sharp pain in his head and he cried out in pain. Holding his head in agony, he dropped to his knees.
"HUNTER!" Tori cried. Tommy willed a spirit orb into his palm and Shane prepared to fire an air beam.
"Don't do it…it's exactly what he wants!" Zedd called, as he arrived, staff in hand.
"He would love to further divide humans by showing the power rangers killing another "human", wouldn't you, Vile?" Zedd spat, as he concentrated and snapped the old wizard's hold on his nephew's mind with his own magic. Hunter felt instant relief and slowly started to regain his bearings. The President chuckled.
"Oh Zedd, I had almost forgotten how amusing you can be," he jabbed.
"But I haven't forgotten what a sick bastard you are," Zedd retorted.
"I see you've taken back your magic. You'll need it and so will your pathetic nephew if he can't even shield his mind from me," Vile goaded, as he glared at Hunter.
"Hunter's potential is off the charts, but you already know that, which is why you want to eliminate him now before he can realize that potential. You on the other hand are a washed up evil wizard that has to rely on bodysnatching humans to survive," Zedd goaded back with a mocking chuckle.
"Oh how the mighty have fallen. I can't wait for those in the M51 galaxy to hear what has become of you. You'll certainly be the butt of many jokes," Zedd continued. Vile growled.
"I'll show you who the joke is!" Vile hissed, as gold energy left his fingertips. It met Zedd's silver energy and the two warred from control. Their magic, nearly equal, cancelled each attack with an explosion ensuing. But before their fight could continue, silver lightning flashed in the sky above them. They all looked, as it struck the ground before them and when the dust from the dirt cleared, a figure could be seen just a few feet from them.
"No way…" Mack said first.
"How?" Kira asked in disbelief.
"It can't be," Tori exclaimed.
"Oh it can, blue wind ranger," the creature hissed.
"No…we killed you!" Adam shouted angrily. Thrax chuckled deviously.
"Think again, black ranger. I'm back," Thrax replied, as he turned his stare to Zedd.
"Hello Father," he spat, as he took in his human appearance, clearly disgusted.
"Thrax…how is this even possible?" Zedd uttered.
"Lord Ooze has made me whole again. I serve him and will have my revenge on all of you," Thrax spat.
"Thrax…Ivan is just using you. He'll destroy you after you carry out his bidding," Zedd told him.
"Save it Father…I know I'm a disgrace to you. You were glad when I was destroyed!" Thrax ranted.
"I always thought that you were disappointed in me after you changed your ways, because I didn't become good like you, that you were ashamed that I was created in Finster's laboratory rather than born naturally. But now I realize that no matter what I could have ever done to earn your approval, it would never be enough to compare to your precious nephew," Thrax hissed, as he glared at his cousin.
"He's everything you ever wanted in a son and I'm your biggest embarrassment," Thrax continued, glaring angrily at his sire.
"That's not true and you know it," Zedd growled.
"When I told you that you should give up your evil ways, you laughed in my face and I became an embarrassment to you. Let's not twist things," Zedd spat in return. Thrax chuckled.
"Lie to yourself if you must, Father, but I will enjoy making you watch me kill my golden cousin," Thrax sneered.
"I'm not your cousin and if you think you can kill me, then bring it on," Hunter spat in return. Thrax chuckled.
"Oh this will be fun," the villain said, as black goo dripped from his fingertips, forming large clumps on the ground that started to form and convulse, before finally rising into slimy black creatures that had the likeness of spiders.
"Meet my Arachnids," Thrax hissed. Tori quickly carried Zoe back to Dax and had him take her, before putting her phone to her ear.
"Carly, can you get a lock on Will and Dax?" she asked.
"Sure, I'm locked onto them and the little girl," Carly replied.
"Thanks, get them out of here," she requested. They were gone in three streaks of light, before she rejoined her team, just as the Arachnids began to scatter.
"Oh great, giant spiders," Cam commented sarcastically.
"Well, we already fight giant birds, ooze thingies, snakes, fish, and robots. Why not spiders too?" Rocky joked.
"So gross," Kim said.
"I think it's time to Ranger up," Trent suggested. The others nodded.
"It's Morphin Time!" Tommy called.
"Dino Thunder, Power up!" Conner and his team called simultaneously.
"White Ranger, Dino power!" Trent called.
"Ninja Storm, Ranger Form!" Shane called.
"Samurai Storm, Ranger Form!" Cam called.
"Phoenix Storm, Ranger Form!" Hunter called.
Hunter wasted no time in charging Thrax and Tori joined him, wanting nothing more than to end his second reign of terror before it could begin. He fired tendrils of black energy at them and the ground exploded beneath them. It threw them back, but they compensated by Ninja streaking to evade more of the lightning-like energy. Joining together again, they summoned their elements and fused water and thunder, creating a deep violent colored sphere of energy. Firing at him, Thrax tried in vain to deflect the energy, but was consumed. There was an explosion and when the smoke cleared, Thrax was singed and clearly injured, but still very much alive. He knew at that moment that defeating the rangers, especially his cousin would be difficult. He heard his Master calling him to return and pulled himself to his feet.
"Don't consider this a victory, cousin," Thrax hissed.
"You're the one that's having trouble standing up," Hunter retorted. The son of Zedd chuckled.
"This is only the beginning. You have no idea what I have in store for you…and you blue ranger," Thrax sneered, as he glared at Tori.
"Forget it…I'm ending this now…" Hunter snapped, as he drew his blade and it lit with Phoenix flames. Thrax's eyes widened in surprise, as he prepared to meet the attacking ranger. But he couldn't take a Phoenix fire attack since he had been weakened by their fusion attack. Fortunately for him, his cousin was suddenly holding his head in agony.
"You really need to learn to shield your mind, brat," Vile hissed, as he used his dark magic to attack Hunter from the inside.
"All that blasted power and I can kill you without even touching you," Vile boasted. Zedd growled and raised his staff to Vile, but Thrax intercepted by taking on his own father in a fight to prevent him from helping.
"Stop it!" Tori demanded, as she knelt beside her love and touched his shoulder. Vile's hold on him was snapped suddenly and he looked at the pair with scrutiny. He reached out with his powers and attempted to inflict the same agony on this young woman as he had the crimson ranger. But nothing happened and he felt his magic be deflected off an invisible barrier that was around her and now Hunter, one that she herself wasn't even aware of. Zedd reached out with his senses and gasped in surprise, as he felt what Vile was encountering.
"Impossible…" Vile hissed in disbelief.
"What's going on?" Tommy asked, as he himself was recovering from whatever mind attack Vile had used on him and some of the others.
"She's a barrier," Zedd announced in disbelief.
"A barrier?" Shane asked, as his visor opened.
"An untrained one, which makes what she's doing even more incredible, because she doesn't even realize it," Zedd replied.
"You mean Vile's mind attacks don't work on Tori?" Cam asked. Zedd nodded.
"Precisely and right now, she's protecting Hunter's mind without even knowing it. Imagine what she will be able to do once she's trained," he replied.
"That's great and all, but I don't think he's going to stop trying," Aisha mentioned.
"Hiding behind your little girlfriend now, crimson ranger? And I thought you couldn't get more pathetic than you already are," Vile hissed, as he turned to the others and targeted the ninja team. Shane, Cam, and Dustin held their heads in agony and Hunter wasted no time in unleashing a fireball from his palm. It struck the human form of Vile and incinerated him instantly. Black wispy tendrils swirled and formed into a figure that the Ninjetti instantly recognized. It was Master Vile's mutant form in spirit and the old evil wizard laughed maniacally.
"You're not rid of me, stupid child! You've only freed me to find another shell to inhabit and I promise the next one I find won't be some weakling human! Meanwhile, your species has just witnessed you kill the President of the United States. Enjoy the rest of your time as a wanted murderer, for we will meet again!" Vile's spirit hissed, as he disappeared.
"The same goes for me, cousin. We will meet again as well," Thrax added, as he disappeared as well with his foot soldiers in tow.
"Coward," Adam spat, as he felt Tanya's hand on his shoulder.
"Well Mr. Bradley, it looks as though we will be adding murder to the charges of vigilantism that are already stacked against you," Gorbin mentioned.
"Seriously dude? That guy wasn't the President anymore," Dustin snapped.
"He's right General. Even if Vile had chosen to relinquish the body unharmed, he had already consumed the President's soul the moment he invaded. He was dead the moment Vile chose him to inhabit," Zedd explained.
"So you say, but the charges still stand," Gorbin responded.
"There's going to be another murder if you don't stay away from him," Tori growled, as she started at him. But Hunter grabbed her around the waist and held her back.
"As much as I'd love to see you beat the crap out of that fathead, I think I've done enough damage for today," he told her.
"It's not your fault! Your Uncle is right, the President was long gone and you know it. That was just Vile in a human suit," she replied vehemently. He nodded.
"I know…but it's still going to look bad to the rest of the population," he said with a sigh.
"I don't care…I'm not losing you too," she whispered.
"Guys…I've got a lock. I'm teleporting you back," Hayley interrupted through their communicators. Before Gorbin and his men could do anything else, the rangers disappeared.
"Get me to City Hall and call every Television station you can. I'm calling a Press Conference," Gorbin ordered to his subordinates, as he got into his Hummer.
Ranger Ops
"Well that sucked," Rocky deadpanned, as they powered down once they arrived back to Ranger Ops.
"Zeddy…" Rita said, as she put her hand on his.
"I'm sorry Rita, but it's him…he's back and evil as ever," Zedd told her sadly.
"How long before you think Vile will be back?" Jason asked seriously. Zedd sighed.
"It's hard to say. He'll be searching for a being with power and far less fragility than a human. Evil minions are coming out of the woodwork in droves though, so I would say that it won't be long," Zedd replied.
"Uncle…what happened out there? One minute my head felt like it was going to explode and then it stopped as soon as Tori touched me," Hunter said.
"It means she's a barrier. She's impervious to certain kinds of magical attacks or will be when she is trained. The fact that she could do what she did without even knowing it is probably something that has only been brought forth by her possession of the Tsunami morpher," Zedd explained.
"It is a very rare power," Ninjor interrupted.
"When trained, she could protect everyone on the battlefield from some magical based attacks," Ninjor continued.
"Me?" Tori asked, looking at them in disbelief. They nodded.
"The last to have such powerful abilities was your predecessor, Dolphia of Aquitar," Zedd explained.
"Fortunately, Dulcea and I will be able to train you. And the Mystic team has plenty of magic to throw at you to strengthen your barrier powers," Ninjor said, gesturing to Udonna and the other Mystic rangers.
"And then there's still the matter of the scattered zeo crystal," Tommy reminded.
"I'll clean up and go see if I can talk some sense into my father. I'm not holding my breath though, so you might want to get what you need to do a little safecracking," Adam told Cam, who nodded.
"We're going with you," Tanya told her boyfriend, indicating herself, Rocky, and Aisha.
"Yeah, fieldtrip to Stone Canyon, woohoo!" Rocky cheered, cutting through the thick tension and getting a laugh from just about everyone.
"You're a goof," Aisha teased, as she elbowed her husband.
"More like an idiot," Adam teased, as Rocky put his arms around them both.
"Don't lie, you'd miss this," Rocky assured them.
"Tomorrow morning, Kat and I'll teleport to New York and break into the Renaldi mansion to get the pink one," Billy decided. Kat nodded and smiled at him gratefully.
"Okay, that just leaves Red on KO-35, Yellow on Triforia, and Blue on…Onyx," Leo said.
"Onyx…isn't that like the place where all evil losers hang out?" Tommy asked. Kendrix nodded.
"The one and only," she replied.
"Guess Astronema is going to have to make another appearance," Karone stated.
"I'm not sure that's going to work this time," Andros argued.
"Do you have a better idea?" she challenged, silencing her twin brother.
"Well…it might work if she proves her loyalty by pretending to take one of us there as her prisoner," Leo said.
"That sounds dangerous," Kai mentioned.
"And crazy…but consider the source," Damon quipped, pointing at Leo.
"Hey…it could work, especially if we have a pilot that can fly out of anything," Leo replied, looking back at Damon.
"Ah what the hell…it might be fun," Damon agreed.
"You guys are insane," Kai complained.
"So you're in?" Leo asked.
"It's a stupid, idiotic plan that's never going to work," Kai stated.
"So is that a yes?" Damon asked. The blue Galaxy ranger rolled his eyes.
"I guess," he agreed reluctantly.
"Great, and me and Andros will go for the one on KO-35, grab it, and try not to get killed," Zhane agreed.
"Okay, now what about Triforia?" Jason asked, wanting to go himself, but he knew that if Ivan suspected that he had left Earth, he would know exactly what they were up to.
"Oh…Marah and I have an idea!" Kapri called.
"Yeah, it's totally killer," Marah added.
"Oh no…no, no, no…" Cam protested.
"Relax cuz, we got this. All we have to do is change into our disguises," Kapri said, as she snapped her fingers. In a flash, she and Marah were garbed in their space alien costumes.
"And then pretend we've captured Prince Dex and take him to Triforia. Then the three of us can find the crystal," Marah finished.
"That won't work," Cam argued.
"We don't really have much choice though, Cameron. We need that crystal," Dex replied. The Samurai sighed.
"You've let them talk you into this harebrained scheme?" he questioned. Dex smiled gently.
"As harebrained as it seems, your cousins are quite clever and are good fighters. I feel that this is exactly what we must do," Dex replied.
"Whoa…maybe I should go with you. This sounds way too dangerous," Dustin fretted, as he held Marah's hands in his own.
"You can't or it could blow the whole thing. I'll be fine," she promised him with a gentle kiss. He sighed. He didn't like it, but he wouldn't protest any further.
At that moment, Will and Dax returned from the med bay with the little girl, having all been checked over by Dana.
"Tori…" Dax called, as he carried the little girl over to her and Will followed.
"So…you finally came to your senses?" Hunter asked, eyeing Will mostly.
"More than you know," Will replied.
"Everything you said would happen did," Dax added.
"You said…they killed my father," Tori said, her voice quivering. Hunter's eyes widened.
"What?" he asked, as his arms instantly went around her. She bit her bottom lip and gripped his Ninja uniform with her hands, trying desperately to keep her composure.
"Gorbin…shot him. Somehow Vile knew that he made sure you got free and he was going to kill Zoe to punish him. Gorbin killed him when he got in the way and we bailed with her," Will explained.
"Why would he want to kill this little girl?" Tori asked in disbelief.
"Because…she's your half-sister," he announced. Tori's eyes widened and there were gasps of surprise around the room. Will produced a disc from his internal jacket pocket and handed it to her.
"He asked me to give you this before he passed. The bullet hit him just right and he died quickly," Will explained, hoping that it would at least offer her some comfort that he didn't suffer.
"She's…my sister?" Tori asked, as the blonde haired, blue eyed child looked up at her in wonder.
"You're Tori…aren't you?" Zoe asked softly. Her eyes widened.
"Yes, how do you know that?" she asked.
"Daddy told me stories about my sister who was a hero and a power ranger. He said I would meet you someday," Zoe said, as Tori gently took her from Dax.
"Daddy is gone now…" Zoe continued, as big tears slipped down her cheeks. Tori hugged her tightly and tears finally slipped down her cheeks as well. Hunter wrapped a strong arm around her shoulders and kissed her hair.
"I know sweetie, but we're going to take care of you now," Tori promised. Zoe nodded and looked shyly at Hunter.
"It's okay…this is Hunter. He's my fiancé. Do you know what that means?" she asked.
"Daddy said that means you're going to marry someone," Zoe replied.
"Wow…you're really smart, just like your sister. I don't think I knew what that meant when I was four," Hunter admitted, as he made a goofy face at her and made her giggle, which was his intention.
"Come on, let's get you something to eat," Tori suggested, as they headed upstairs for the night. After Zoe was in bed, Tori would take on the task of watching the disc her father had insisted that Will give to her with Hunter by her side. Tanya turned to Will and Dax
"There's an extra room for the two of you next to Mack's," Tanya told them, as she followed Adam upstairs.
"You look surprised," Jason mentioned.
"It's just…after everything we've done, I thought there would be more yelling," Dax responded.
"No yelling. You guys did a good thing and finally got your heads on straight. And I'm going to keep them that way," Jason promised.
"Thanks man," Dax said.
"Don't thank me yet. You two are training with me in the morning," Jason announced. Dax frowned and Will tried to mask a nervous look.
"I want you both down here tomorrow at six," Jason ordered.
"As in six in the morning?" Will asked.
"Yep, sleep fast," Jason replied, as he patted him on the shoulder, before heading upstairs for the night.
"He's going to hand our asses to us, isn't he?" Dax asked fearfully. Will gulped.
"Probably," he replied, as they followed the rest upstairs to see their new home.