The Guardians: Dino Thunder: Return of the Eclipse
Summary: With Lothor defeated, the Brewer sisters could get back to normalcy, well as average as ninja sisters could get. When Lucy started her senior year of high school, she never thought that morphers would be involved. With three other teenagers behind her, Lucy was ready to take on Mesogog and his army. Will the Dino Thunder Rangers prevail or fall?
Lucy Brewer had just started her last year of high school and was ready to begin her training to teach at the Eclipse Academy with her sister, the Head Sensei. After the events of the Ninja Storm team, Lucy hung up her helmet, ready for her senior year to go by. But when a new threat arises, Lucy will have to sling her helmet on once more and prepare to fight for her life while dealing with typical teenage feelings.
Cast:
- Maia Mitchell as Lucy Brewer/Lunar Guardian/Silver Dino Thunder Ranger
- Chloe Grace Moretz as Crystal Brewer/Solar Guardian/Gold Dino Thunder Ranger
- James Napier as Conner McKnight/Red Dino Thunder Ranger
- Emma Lahana as Kira Ford/Yellow Dino Thunder Ranger
- Kevin Duhaney as Ethan James/ Blue Dino Thunder Ranger
- Jason David Frank as Dr. Tommy Oliver/ Black Dino Thunder Ranger
- Jeffery Parazzo as Trent Hernandez-Mercer/White Dino Thunder Ranger
- Ismay Johnston as Hayley Ziktor
- Adam Tuominen as Hunter Bradley
Dino Thunder: Return of the Eclipse - Chapter 1: Day of the Dino: Part I
Disclaimer: Saban owns all Power Ranger lines and anything recognizable from the TV shows.
Copyright: All unrecognizable parts and characters are under December's Phoenix's copyright.
Summary: Four teenagers live separate lives until they don't.
Within the months of returning to normalcy, there was a time when I craved the excitement and adrenaline of being a Ranger. The quick thinking and battles. It was an odd feeling, knowing that I might never pick up a blade again and defend the world from psychos who wished her harm, but I can live in peace knowing that I served my time, served my planet, and saved it from evil.
Oh, if anyone had only told me what was to come…
Six months.
Six months since the Ninja Rangers hung up their helmets and joined the ranks of former Power Rangers. Six months of rebuilding their lives, of rebuilding their home. It took nearly six months to readjust to a life that didn't involve morphers and megazords. But the eight former Rangers were living the lives they had dreamed about since before that final battle. That's what Crystal Brewer found herself thinking about, standing in front of the windows in her office.
Her eyes trained on the students at the bottom of the hill, following the orders of the student teachers the two Guardians picked following the return to their Academy. She shifted a fraction when she heard a door open, spotting Lucy standing in front of her office door, the silver moon and constellations dancing in the low lighting of the hallway. "I have school." She mentioned, walking through the double oak doors of Crystal's office, her hand skimming the sun and stars scattering on Crystal's office doors.
The solar ninja pivoted entirely, beaming brightly at her sister. "I know." She nodded once. "Mom and Dad are taking care of the students while I take you to school." She clarified, moving to her enormous, thick oak desk with suns etched around the top of the corners. Miscellaneous desk supplies and papers were scattered about.
Lucy entered the office, her eyes flicking around the bookcases lining three of the four walls. The other wall held floor-to-ceiling windows Crystal had been staring out of. The bookcases were decorated with books and knickknacks Crystal collected over the years. The one closest to her desk contained her Ninja Morpher and photos of the old team. "You dropping me off?"
"Yeah, I have to get the jeep looked at before you can drive it." Crystal collected her phone, keys, and wallet from the clutter on her desk. "Ready?"
"Let me change and grab my backpack." Lucy motioned to the hallway with a thumb over her shoulder. "I'll meet you in the car."
"Are you nervous?"
After the past year, Lucy Brewer never knew how to answer that question. To her, a loaded question, in a way. She dreamed of being an average teenager again, living through her senior year, and being done with everything. Ready to hang up the morphers and megazords for a chance to be a prosaic girl? She would give anything.
But she didn't think everyday life was waiting for her. After graduating, she'll be instructing at the Academy, officially becoming the Master of the Lunar Eclipse to continue the legacy her parents thought was waiting for her. Sighing to herself, Lucy realized right then that she needed friends. Real bad.
She peeked at her older sister, who switched glances between the road and her. Crystal looked completely different than she did a year ago. No longer the graceless teenage girl that spent her days training with her parents and didn't have a balance in her life. Instead, Crystal looked just like a ninja master.
Blonde hair swept up in a bun at her crown, emerald green eyes staring at the road ahead. She was decked out in her master suit, making her look official. It was an all-black suit, the front of the jacket hanging around her hips while the back was at her waist. High-waisted black pants were tucked into knee-high, flat-bottomed boots. The detailing was gold, sparkling in the sparse light through the window. The gilded sun was on the front of the jacket, near her left collarbone. On her shoulders, the merging sun and moon of the Academy sparkled. She sported the typical ninja gauntlets that stopped at her mid-forearm. A thick golden band with a swan was around the top of the gauntlet—the Academy's Solar Guardian symbol.
"Lu?" Crystal asked, halting every thought the younger girl had while staring at her sister's new suit. "Earth to Lucy,"
Lucy blinked for a few seconds, shaking her head. "Sorry, a little spaced." She responded, scratching the back of her head. "I'm…sort of ready, I guess."
The car slowed to the final approach in the parking lot of Reefside High School. "Well, it's now or never," Crystal chuckled, leaning back in her seat. She sat a hand on Lucy's shoulder. "It'll be okay."
"I know." Lucy breathed out a sigh. "Just a little hard some days." She told her, unbuckling her seatbelt and clambering out from the jeep. She yanked up the belt loops of her jeans before readjusting her t-shirt and shouldering her backpack. "Hey, am I meeting you at the academy today?"
Crystal tipped her head back and forth. "Depends. Mom and I have meetings, so Dad might meet with you." She grinned. "Have a good day, Lu."
"You too, Rys," The ninja returned her smile, shutting the door and turning to the building. Then, breathing deeply, she set off, aiming for the front office to get her schedule for the year.
The front desk lady—Kristen, from what her desk plate displayed—was smiling. She strolled to the filing cabinet behind her desk, retrieving Lucy's senior schedule. A few other students breezed past her, some Lucy identified and some she didn't, before Kristen handed her the pink paper. "Here you go, Miss. Brewer." She said with a fat grin on her face.
"Thanks." Lucy returned, nodding to her and heading out of the office. She glanced at the paper before diving into the crowd to see the classroom she ran to first. Paleontology was her first-period and homeroom class. Before Lucy could dive deep into the school's choices for her classes, the bell shrilled throughout the hallways, signaling at least five minutes before the start of her final year of high school.
When she strode into the classroom that housed her first class, Lucy instantly wanted to turn around and leave. It was boisterous. Most students in the class were loudly talking over one another, mainly about their summers. A few were talking about the Ninja Rangers and the smackdown of the century with Lothor at the X-Games a few months ago.
Lucy shuttered when she heard that conversation, not wanting to dredge up memories she tried so hard to shove down. That was not a time she wanted to remember. Sighing to herself and breathing a little mantra that she was okay, Lucy's eyes found an open seat next to a girl in yellow with black fishnets over it and a pair of jeans. She was writing something in her journal, her dirty blonde hair around it, and Lucy couldn't make out more than a few letters.
"Hey, anyone sitting here?" Lucy asked, tapping the marble tabletop with her fingernail.
The girl lifted her head, hazel eyes finding Lucy quickly. She shook her head, her bangs shaking with her. "No," She answered, then returned to her journal.
The ninja quietly took her seat, tugging a notebook out and skimming through the pages until she found the one she had worked on the last few weeks between teaching and training. Sensei's birthday approached, and she wanted to draw the Ranger helmets as a gift. Cam and Shane were in the middle. Tori's flanking Cam's, while Dustin's was behind Shane's. Hunter was behind Dustin, and Blake was behind Tori. Crystal and her helmets were at the top, directly behind Shane and Cam. Lucy pulled a pencil out and quietly shaded Tori's helmet.
"Guys, take your seats, please." The teacher's voice echoed. He entered the classroom and set his briefcase on the front desk. "I'm Dr. Oliver, and this is first-period science." He swept over the students in the class. "Before we start, are there any questions?"
A hand, quick as lightning, shot into the air before anyone could utter a word. The girl, wearing a white sweater and bright pink tennis skirt, smoothed the fabric of the skirt while grabbing her microphone right beside her. "Cassidy. Cassidy Cornell." Everyone, including Lucy, lamented. But Cassidy continued to stand, ignoring all their protests. "Dr. Oliver, as you may know, I'm our school TV station's anchor and field reporter." The class groaned again.
This time, Lucy snorted under her breath, catching the attention of the girl next to her. "Can you believe her?" She asked, shaking her head and closing her notebook.
"Seriously." The girl added. "I just want to get out of here." Then, she fully turned to her. "I'm Kira."
"Lucy."
Kira's eyebrows scrunched. "You dated Brian Albright a year ago, right?"
Lucy gave her a discomfiting smile. "One in the same,"
"Did he really break up with you to hang out with Conner McKnight?" Kira questioned, leaning over to her.
"That's the rumor I'm sticking with." Lucy returned with a smirk. She turned around to see Cassidy beginning to grill Dr. Oliver.
Dr. Oliver put a stop to it, effectively shutting Cassidy down. "Please put your camera away." He told her before Cassidy snapped at her cameraman, Devin, while they sat down. "Let's talk about you guys and what you expect of yourselves in this class. Because that's what's important." His eyes glanced over us, spotting an empty seat at the front table. "Is, uh, someone missing?"
Kira and Lucy traded perplexed looks, rotating back to Dr. Oliver.
It was hot.
Unbelievably sweltering by the time Crystal set up for her training session. Her fourth in the four hours since returning to the Academy from dropping her sister off. She stood in the center of the dark wood training platform that took up one of the four quadrants of the inner courtyard gardens of the Eclipse Academy.
Diagonal to the training sat a small patio with white-colored iron-wrung furniture with black and white pillows. An umbrella sat open at the small glass table, Crystal's jacket, gauntlets, and belt hanging limply over one of the four chairs. The patio served as a little oasis from the grounds outside the building. The right and left quadrants of the platform were covered in flowers, the center beds holding sunflowers and moonflowers, respectively. A gravel pathway separated each quadrant, leading to the center of the courtyard, where a large tree, both light and dark bark, swirled up and out, leaves of varying colors decorating the branches. The tree, older than Crystal could remember, was the only remnant of the first Guardians and the Academy's building.
The Academy looked like an old mansion with detailed, grey stonework. The pillars at the front and stones scattered throughout the outside had carvings of mini suns, moons, and stars. The first floor was reserved for students, with two hallways of rooms for each student, the large pale white doors marking the dorm entrance. Classrooms sat on the opposite side, marked with a deep black door, close to the training platform Crystal claimed. At the back of the Academy, an expansive greenhouse full of trees and flowers that Brewer's parents collected over their years of traveling. The front held an elegant grand staircase up to the ever-growing library on the second floor. The rest of the second floor went to the offices of the Guardians and their parents and the rooms for the few teachers that joined the four ninjas in teaching. A smaller staircase, less grand than the first floor's, traveled up to the minor third floor where the Brewer and their parents lived, with bedrooms, a kitchen, a family and dining room, and a small outside garden and balcony overlooking the ground.
Shaking her thoughts away from her head, Crystal sunk into a stance, her white-wrapped fists rising to her face. She sucked in breaths, releasing them while she began her training. Sweat began to trickle down her temples and slip down her back while the sun, burning with the heat of a thousand, beat down on her back. Crystal's mind churned during her training session. She began dancing around with the dummy, punching and dodging imaginary swings, all while her thoughts ran rampant. But, ultimately, her mind focused on the battle.
The last flicker of power she had possessed in those final minutes. It took months after that day to shake the ancient powers that ripped through her. Months to recover from the effects of holding that sun in her hand. But, even with the days filled with training and protecting their students, some days she felt like she was still on that field that day. That day, the humming in her head seemed to amplify whenever she thought of using her powers.
One well-aimed punch sent the dummy crashing to the ground. The silence after that was deafening as Crystal's breathing ran ragged while she tried to compose herself. She was losing it just a little. Although, for the most part, she had her powers under control, the craving to use them and experiment with the ability to manipulate stars burned a pit in her stomach, but she suppressed it whenever that urge seemed to make itself known.
"I'm starting to wonder if you ever stop." Hunter's voice called from the large doors. "Or if you're running on pure spite and maybe a little rage, sunshine." Following her stint as Kyrah and possessing the rare ability to harness a sun's power, Hunter began calling her 'sunshine,' a poke at her power.
Crystal turned around, squinting. She caught sight of his blonde head walking toward her. "Why spite and rage?" She hiccuped, moving to haul the dummy back to its stand.
Hunter made his way to her, stopping at the platform's edge. He chuckled. "You sent that dummy halfway across the yard."
Crystal flexed her hand, shaking it briefly, and turned to him. "Are we in prison?"
"No, but your parents are a little worried, sunshine."
"Stalkers much?" Crystal requested, diverting her eyes to notice her parents standing in her mother's office on the third floor overlooking the courtyard. "I'm fine. I'll be okay." She moved to where her water bottle was. She noticed Hunter's flat look. "Seriously, I'm okay."
Hunter eyed her carefully, striding across the platform to where Crystal sat. He knelt in front of her. "You know you can talk to me, right?"
Crystal nodded, gulping down more water. "I know." She smiled at him. "I think…," she sighed, then squinted at him. "I think I have to work through everything before telling someone." She reached for Hunter's hand, squeezing it gently. "You'll be the first to know when I'm ready, bugboy."
Hunter rolled his eyes, most likely reminiscing when she first called him Bugboy. "Deal." He grinned, then leaned over to kiss her forehead. He reeled back with a slightly sour look. He grumbled, brushing his mouth on his gauntlet.
"Did you forget that I'm sweaty?"
Hunter shot her a crooked smile. "Momentarily." He rose from his spot, brushing the gravel off his knee. "Sensei Omino wants me back for a few days; then I'm yours for the weekend."
"Sounds like a plan,"
If anything were up to Lucy, she would give whoever made her schedule a raise. After her lunch was a free period, implying she could return to the Academy earlier than her students. She would have been on her way today, but with the mountain of assignments she received when she left last year in her backpack, she had to turn them in before getting cleared to graduate.
Marching through the near-empty hallways of the school, her aged Converse occasionally squeaking on the ground—thanks to that small shower she received at lunch—Lucy happened to pass by the principal's office on her way to another classroom when she caught sight of Kira on a bench with two boys.
She stopped in front of Kira, the toes of her shoes mirroring Kira's combat boots. The girl in yellow lifted her head to see the former Ranger standing before her. "Lucy? What were you doing here?" Kira asked, bringing the attention of her companions to the brunette in front of her.
Before anyone could speak, a voice from the other side of the hall spoke up. "Lucy?" She knew every set of eyeballs turned to him. Brian Albright smiled at his ex-girlfriend. He was in jeans and an old band shirt, with black hair slicked back and blue eyes only on the brunette woman before him. "I thought that was you. You know, I thought you transferred after what happened."
Lucy shook her head. "Can't get rid of me easily, Albright." She turned to match his stance. "Especially now that I know way more about you."
Her stomach sank when Brian flashed her one of his winning smiles. That was the smile that made her want to punch him. "Come on, Lu, we know you're still licking your wounds from last year."
Lucy inclined her head, laughing to keep herself from slapping Brian, faking confusion on her features. "How do you do it?" She blinked, speaking before anyone could answer. "How do you trick girls into dating you? Because now, I don't understand what makes you attractive." It was like a slap in the face for him. He backed up a second, and Lucy smiled. "It's a simple question."
Brian gapped like a fish for a beat. "What happened to you?" He bit back at her.
The question grazed Lucy, missing its mark completely. She smirked. "I grew up, Brian." She responded with a form of lethal calm in her voice. One that she only used when she was a Ranger. "Everything you put me through wasn't worth it." From the rustling of clothing, she knew that the three were listening. She focused on Brian striding forward, then sensed someone behind her.
"Back off, McKnight." Brian practically barked, eyes flicking from Lucy to the boy behind her. "This is between her and me."
"Lay off her, Albright." Conner returned, practically towering over both Brian and Lucy. "You already broke her heart, so what's next?"
Brian narrowed his eyes at the soccer star behind the ninja. "What's it to you?"
"I would leave before I make you." Lucy voiced, breaking up the two boys before they started a fight. "And don't ever call me Lu again; my sister's the only one. You do it again, and I'll break that pretty little face of yours."
Brian practically snarled in her face. "That a threat?"
"Brian," Lucy shot him a quirked eyebrow and a smile. "I don't make threats. I make promises." Brian plowed past Lucy and stalked down the hall, all four teenagers watching him. Lucy spun to Conner. "You didn't have to step in, but thanks."
"Brian's been an ass for a long time," Conner remarked, returning to sit down.
"Yeah, trust me, I know that." Lucy turned to Kira. "To answer your question, I have to turn in a mountain of homework since I wasn't here last year."
"Why?" Kira questioned, then paused. "If you don't mind."
Lucy waved her off. "My aunt that lives in Briarwood was sick," She fibbed. "My sister thought it was better for me to pull out of my junior year and do it differently than being here and in Briarwood. Hence, the mountain of homework." She glimpsed around. "Why were you sitting in front of the principal's office?"
"Told that I couldn't have my guitar on campus," Kira replied, blowing a chuck of hair from her face.
"Ouch." Lucy winced, tucking her arms over her stomach. "Was that why you were following her today?"
"Miss. Brewer." Lucy rotated around to find Principal Randall and Dr. Oliver standing behind her. The woman readjusted her glasses, eyeing Lucy carefully. "I hope you don't need something."
"No, ma'am, turning in some work from last year," Lucy declared, smiling brightly. "Have a nice day." She nodded to the teacher behind her before nodding at Kira and taking off. Rounding the corner and exiting the building, Lucy found four figures moving out of the building to a black jeep in the parking lot.
Kira Ford never wanted anything more than to leave detention.
Especially with her first-period science teacher.
She, Conner McKnight, and Ethan James were shoved into the good doctor's black jeep, tearing down the road to the museum. As they approached, they noticed a Goliath of a gold-colored dinosaur standing before the building. Ethan nearly tumbled out of his seat in the back of the car, Conner giving him an odd look next to him. "Whoa, check out that T-Rex!"
The four exited the car, trekking through the empty lot and to the silver-chained doors between them and the museum. "That's weird." Dr. Oliver lifted the lock, rattling the door, then sighed.
Conner glanced around. "Oh, well, no museum for us."
Kira offered a thumbs up. "Great, let's go home."
Dr. Oliver kept his eyes on the building. "I'll tell you what— why don't you guys have a look around the grounds?" He presented. "If you guys find anything prehistoric, I'll cancel detention for the rest of the week."
"Sweet," Ethan remarked, nodding his head.
Dr. Oliver put one hand on his hip and one in his slack pocket. "I'm gonna see if anyone can tell us when they're opening up."
The teens turned, taking the road down to the woods around the museum. Kira felt a little apprehensive around the woods. There was a Reefside legend that ninjas lived in the woods, training for the day monsters finally attack the world. But to Kira, it was a little more than a legend, considering ninjas took out monsters all of last year in Blue Bay.
"So, lemme get this straight." Conner began, looking at Ethan and jolting Kira from her thoughts. The three entered the woods. "There was a club just for computers?"
It had been an hour since they entered the woods, and Kira felt more creeped out by the moment. The only thing that stopped her from turning around and high-tailing it out of the forest were the two boys before her. Eventually, Ethan shattered the silence that fell on the three. "Hey, did you ever hear about the guy hiking up here and falling into a giant sinkhole?" He asked, turning around to see Kira and Conner behind her.
Kira deadpanned, her eyes flicking around the trees around them. "Must've missed that one."
"Come on." Ethan pivoted around to see the two. "It was all on those urban legend websites."
"Dude, you know this isn't computer club, right?" Conner asked, chuckling at the nerd in front of him.
"Oh, I guess you're too big and bad to surf the web," Ethan told Conner, watching him move up so that he and Conner were shoulder to shoulder. "Well, what do you do in your spare time?"
"Me?" Conner catechized, a smile starting to form. He shoved his hands in his pockets. "I go out with girls. You know, they're the ones at school that smell good with the long hair and makeup."
"Oh, it's like that, was it?" Ethan halted Conner with a hand on his chest.
"Yeah," Conner acknowledged, looking at Ethan for the first time. "It's like that,"
"Whatever." Kira breathed, shoving past them to get in the front of the pack.
The three began to move again. "All I'm trying to do was give you guys the heads-up," Ethan claimed. "Stuff happened out here. Don't come crying to me when you fall into a giant sinkhole." Then, except for his next step, he shouted when the ground gave out beneath him.
The ground gave out from under Conner and Kira, sending them into the same pit as Ethan. Kira coughed the dust out of her lungs while waving her hand. Her eyes skimmed the area, trying to find some way out. She discovered Conner staring at the hole they fell through, squinting at the light.
Then, finally, Conner climbed to his feet. "You guys stay here where it's safe," He ordered. "I'll climb up and come back with help." He placed his hand on a higher-up rock, hoping to climb out. But once he put his weight on the stone, it gave out, sending him colliding to the ground.
"Back already?" Ethan quipped. He and Kira yanked Conner up to his feet.
They had been wandering for a bit; Kira knew that much. It wasn't far, but it was enough that little light shone through the cracks in the grass. She began singing to ease her nerves and scare away her fears. A new song she's been writing. One she was working on when she met Lucy. She felt a hand on her shoulder. Conner started to speak. "Babe, could you keep it down? I'm trying to focus." He pushed past Kira.
Kira stopped, twisting to Ethan, who halted next to her. "Did he just call me babe?" She requested, fury rising like a volcano.
Ethan shrugged. "I don't know; I wasn't listening. I was still grooving to your tune."
Conner pivoted when Kira placed a hand on his shoulder. "What?" He asked. "Just chill out, why don't you?"
"Listen," Kira snapped. "My name was Kira. Maybe you should write it on your hand to remember." She marched away, ready to get out of the tunnel and away from the moron that was Conner McKnight.
God, she wished Lucy was with them.
Kira hesitated. Why did she want Lucy here in this opaque pit? The more she thought, the more she realized that Lucy seemed to fear nothing. That girl walked through the hallways of the school, her head held high, while people spread rumors about her. About where she disappeared for her junior year to show up for her senior year suddenly. About why Brian Albright broke up with her before she left. To Lucy, none of that mattered.
Maybe that's why Kira liked her after only meeting her once.
While she was pondering and walking, the boys finally found something worth them being in the funky, very creepy tunnel. It was a T-rex skeleton. A complete one, embedded in the wall, mouth open. "This screamed 'Jurassic Park' to me," Kira muttered, motioning to the skeleton.
"This will get us out of detention forever," Conner commented, hand flying to the skeleton's jaw.
"Do you think you should…" The girl in yellow trailed off.
The jaw fell open, surprising Conner. "Whoa."
A door to the immediate left of the skeleton rose from the ground to the ceiling. The door revealed a rather large, dark room, lights flickering low but bright enough to illuminate a series of silver, science-looking tables. Technology of various kinds sat scattered around but seemed to be methodically placed.
Kira turned around, her eyes scrambling to take everything in. "I could do a crazy video in here."
"Whoa, this must be, like, the mother ship for you, dude." Conner gestured around to Ethan.
"Normally, I'd be insulted, but where you're right, you're right." Ethan beamed.
All eyes landed on the stone-like podium in the center of the room. The bottom level, wide and bowl-shaped, held three crystal-like stones. Red, yellow, and blue flashed brightly. The top tier was much smaller but mirrored the bowl-like structure. A gold and a silver stone sat close together, twinkling like the celestial stars above. The three stumbled back when the two top stones flared brightly. Forms of animals, a golden swan, and a silver coyote appeared above them.
Recovering from his momentary shock, Conner reached for the red stone. He yelped in surprise when Ethan smacked the back of his hand. "Don't touch that." Ethan practically chastised him.
"Why not?" Conner asked, lifting his hand away from the boy in blue.
Kira stepped towards the podium, Ethan following. "You were taking this 'dumb jock' thing to a new level," The boy in blue pointed out.
Conner breathed. "Look, I have sat through enough lame science classes to know that thing looked fully prehistoric." He presented. "And if I don't have to miss practice…."
"I hate to agree with him I do, but I already missed one rehearsal." Kira agreed.
The three reached forward, grabbing a stone as if they shared the same thought. Kira was instantly hit with a power surge—a warm tingle disseminated through her body. An image of a pterodactyl erupted in her head, screeching as it towered over her. She blinked, and suddenly, she was back in the creepy lab with the two boys. "Well, what were they?" She questioned, looking at her glowing gem.
Ethan gaped at his. "I can go online later and see if I can find out."
"You in front of a computer," Conner remarked. A burst of energy flew around them, but they all missed it. "Wait, let me put on my surprised face."
"You know, ten years from now, when your hairline's receding and you're playing pickup soccer in the park because your dreams of turning pro never quite worked out, I'll have my own multimillion-dollar software business." Ethan fired back and then grinned. "Yeah." He noticed Conner staring at him and Kira moving to leave. "Where were you going?"
"I don't want to think about what kind of freak lives in a place like this, and I sure don't want to be here when it gets home," Kira responded, walking out of the lab.
Ethan and Conner swapped glances at each other. "Right behind ya." Both boys pocketed their gems, running to catch up with the girl.
"This way!"
Kira wheezed a breath when the three broke out of the tunnel and into the light. She leaned on her knees, glancing at Ethan, who was whipping his head. "A compass," He muttered. "We need a compass. Does anyone have a compass?"
Conner flung his arms out to the side. "I was gonna bring one." He joked and deadpanned at the same time.
A roar cleaved through the forest.
That made all three teenagers freeze. They glanced at each other, noting the fear in their eyes. "What was that?" Ethan asked, wildly glancing around.
"The wind," Kira tried, being as calm as possible. But on the inside, she was freaking out.
Ethan whirled on her. "That's not the wind." He protested. "As much as we'd like it to be the wind, it ain't."
A flash of green fetched their attention across the patch of space from them. Standing in a cluster, growling and snarling like feral animals, were dinosaur-like creatures with weapons or claws in hand. They were drenched in black, from their head to their boots—another gust of wind spread through the woods.
"Don't…" Conner swallowed. "Move."
"Great idea." Kira hissed, keeping her voice low. "Make it easier for them."
"New plan," Ethan announced, fear rising in his voice. "Run."
Kira took off as fast as she could. Being the soccer star, Conner was in the lead, with Ethan not too far behind him. The three aimed for the small valley in the middle of the forest. Conner cleared it quickly. Kira muttered some unladylike things about that as she ran for her life. Ethan had a little trouble, but he cleared most of it. She was the unlucky one.
She jumped, but her legs lurched, and she fell into the ditch. She whipped around, finding a few monsters standing on the other side. She shrieked, but instead of a typical scream, this was…sonic. Yellow blast waves shot back at the monsters, sending them flying back into the grass.
The boys turned around, ears nearly bleeding, when they realized they were missing her. They returned to Kira. "Help her up!" Conner told Ethan, helping him haul her out of the ditch.
Ethan smiled, rubbing his ear. "What was that?" He asked, breathing.
Kira swallowed thickly. "I have no idea." She answered, feeling a warm thumping in her pocket. She pulled her stone out, letting it glow brightly. The image of a pterodactyl flashed in her head again. She shook her head, pocketing her gem.
They turned just in time to see the monsters advancing on them.
Two figures dropped in front of them. Not figures…ninjas, both drenched in black leather suits. The shorter ninja had golden detailing on the edges of her uniform, a sun and moon on her shoulder, and a gold-colored band around the top of her forearm. The other had silver detailing around her suit with a white and silver crescent moon on her shoulders. A nearly identical strip of fabric, this one silver, was wrapped around the top of her forearm. Both wore masks and hoods to hide their faces.
The two fell into fighting stances, challenging the monsters they faced. "Give it your best shot." One of them spoke low enough that Kira thought she imagined it.
The two jumped into the pod, scattering them around the field. The silver ninja sidestepped to avoid a high kick. Then, she rotated around, sweeping one's feet from under them. She caught a fist, throwing him into a few others before turning around and kicking another one. Her eyes, a medium brown—almost toffee-colored—found Kira's as she flipped another monster.
Kira managed to get into her fight, intercepting a few punches. Finally, she threw a punch, hitting the monsters in the chest and shoulders. She backed away, screaming again. The yellow sound waves traversed, blasting them back. She smirked at the downed monster.
The golden ninja evaded a punch, sending one of her own. She whipped around, kicking another monster back. She seized the forearm of one, spinning him around and kicking him back into his pod of friends. She ducked under another swing, sending the last one back into his friends.
Once the monsters vanished, the teens regrouped together. "How much do I love detention?" Ethan grinned, motioning to the gem that now sat in his hand. He glanced over to see the ninjas standing across from them.
"Thank—," Kira tried, stepping toward them.
The golden ninja interrupted, emerald eyes narrowing. "Do not enter this forest again," She spoke in a frozen tone.
The silver ninja stopped behind her, her toffee-colored irises settling on the three. "There are far scarier things in these woods than monsters."
"Hey!" Dr. Oliver called, earning their attention. The three turned to see him jogging toward them. Quickly pocketing the stones, the three smiled innocently at the doctor. "Are you guys all right?"
"Yeah," Ethan answered, shrugging. "Couldn't be better." He glanced over his shoulder, finding that the mysterious ninjas had disappeared.
Dr. Oliver froze. "Nothing out of the ordinary happened?" He probed, looking at the three.
"Nah, just your routine hike in the woods," Ethan told him, waving him off. "Lots of furry creatures."
"And a few scaly ones," Kira added lowly. "Not to mention some scary ones."
Thankfully, Conner switched subjects away from the monsters and the ninja. "So, you get into the Dino Exhibit?"
"Uh, they're still working the kinks out." Dr. Oliver recounted. "We better get you guys back. Come on." He took off before his students.
"Don't you guys think we should tell him?" Kira proposed, glancing between the two boys on either side of her.
"I don't know about you, but I have over a thousand Sci-fi DVDs," Ethan said, shoving his hands into his pockets. "You want to know how often the dude with the superpowers ends up in some freaky government lab, lying on the table with wires in his head?"
They all stopped. "Even I know that," Conner commented.
"Were you guys coming?" Dr. Oliver looked back at the three teenagers. They glanced at each other again, coming to the same conclusion, and headed over to Dr. Oliver.
The day's final bell rang, meaning that the period of detention for the three was over. Conner, Kira, and Ethan followed each other from the school, bags on their backs and gems in their pockets. "So, we all agree that no one talks about this to anyone, no matter what." Conner covered, looking over at the two.
"I can do better than that." Kira whirled around, effectively stopping the three from continuing their walk. She removed her gem, lifting Conner's hand and placing her rock in it. "I'm out of it. Just forget I was here, and I'll do the same."
"Wait, how come he gets it?" Ethan asked, pointing to the gem now resting with Conner's rock.
Kira huffed a breath, placing her gem in Ethan's hand. "Well, here."
"Hey guys," Lucy called, smiling. She walked up to the three. The two boys quickly pocketed their gems. "How was detention?" She asked, stopping right by Kira.
"Ya know, always interesting," Ethan breathed.
On the other side of the parking lot, near the high school building, Cassidy Cornell was walking out with her cameraman, Devin, behind her, hauling all her gear. "I'm telling you, there's something weird about Dr. Oliver," Cassidy told Devin, obvious annoyance in her voice. "I mean, seriously, I called Angel Grove High, and they wouldn't tell me anything. It's like his private records were some big secret." She crossed her arms after handing her purse to Devin.
"Yeah, I thought that was why they call them 'Private' records." Devin trailed off when he noticed Cassidy staring at something. "I mean if they were public…." He didn't have time to finish when Cassidy grabbed his hand and pulled him behind a car. "What?" He asked, trying to keep everything on his shoulders.
"Don't you think that's a little odd?" Cassidy questioned, pointing to the four teenagers standing by each other.
"A bunch of kids standing around talking," Devin spoke uncertainly. "Yeah, freaky, man."
"No, think about it." Cassidy snapped, obviously frustrated with Devin's lack of awareness. "Why would Conner McKnight, king of all jocks, hang around Ethan James?"
"Huh?" Devin inquired, not understanding what Cassidy was putting in front of him.
Cassidy deadpanned. "King of all Geeks."
Devin nodded. "Yeah, right."
"Not to mention the Avril wannabe," She insulted, then glared at Lucy. "And the surfer." She stuck her hand out at Devin. "I mean, seriously, in the three years we've been at Reefside, have you ever seen the four of them look at each other?" Cassidy asked, taking the lip gloss from Devin's hand. "Because I haven't."
"I'm starting to doubt how you made it to senior year, McKnight." Lucy poked, grinning at Conner. Kira and Ethan laughed at the underlying insult she threw the soccer star's way. "How many brain cells did you get in that pretty little head of yours?"
Conner narrowed his eyes at her. "Enough to know that you are a mean one, Brewer." He returned.
Lucy rolled her eyes, then squinted at him. "I have a feeling you're lying."
Kira rolled her eyes, chuckling. "While this is entertaining to watch."
"What is?" Lucy turned to her.
"You two almost at each other's throats." Kira gestured to the ninja and the soccer star. "I have to go. I've got practice." She moved away from the three, waving while she walked away. A breeze skated by Kira, making her freeze. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me." She mumbled. Green electricity sparked across the ground, and a pod of black creatures landed around her. Kira tried to get free, but one caught her wrist and twisted her around, pinning her other arm against her. "Get away, freaks!"
The three, still standing around each other, mainly talking about Dr. Oliver's class, turned to the girl in yellow. "Kira!" Lucy yelled, taking off to help her friend. Conner and Ethan trailed her. The ninja was about to reach her friend when… another green flash. The three slowed, finding nothing but a backpack on the ground. Conner gathered Kira's yellow bag, sighed, and glanced around.
Lucy glanced around, sighing and running a hand through her hair. "She's gone." She uttered, twisting to see the two boys.
Lucy couldn't believe she was doing this.
She felt awkward sitting in the passenger seat of Conner's red Mustang, with the boy in red taking the wheel and Ethan climbing into the back. She stared out the window, her thoughts swirling until they landed on the creatures. She had no idea how they managed to track them to the school, but they were good. But she couldn't voice that to the boys; that would give her away as one of the ninjas that saved them. So, instead, Lucy ran a hand through her hair and turned to face the boys.
Conner turned his head a fraction at the movement, his brown eyes sliding to Lucy for a moment before they returned to the road. "Okay, so where are we going?"
Ethan shoved his way between the two, his organizer in his hands. "Dr. Oliver's." He stated, not looking up to see the bewildered look Conner and Lucy shot each other before turning to him.
The ninja blinked, her eyebrows knitting together. "What's he going to do?" She asked, one of her hands shooting out to grab Conner's forearm when he took a turn a little too fast. She grunted, smacking his forearm with the back of her hand.
"He's a dinosaur guy," Ethan responded. "These things are dinosaurs, sort of." He began to search, tapping each keystroke with his pen.
"All right, so where does he live?" Conner urged with his eyes barely leaving the road.
"1992 Valencia Road," Ethan answered after quickly searching him up.
Conner and Lucy shared a look, unsure of the location. "Valencia road… that's, like…out in the middle of the woods," Conner told him.
"Why the hell does he live in the middle of nowhere?" Lucy voiced.
After a few minutes, Conner pulled up to a lovely-looking, grey wooden house in the middle of the woods. The taller boy glanced over at his companions, then back at the house. The three clambered out of the Mustang, Conner popping his seat forward for Ethan while Lucy shut the door and jogged around the front of the car. She slowed near them, eyes trained on them. They ran up to the porch, with Conner racing to the window. Ethan reached the door, knocking a few times while Lucy climbed the stairs slowly, scanning the area.
When no one answered, Conner glanced at Ethan and then back into the window. "Knock again." He turned to see Lucy facing the woods around them. She turned over her shoulder, her eyes catching him staring. She scrunched the right side of her face at him before she moved further into the porch.
Ethan reached up again, knocking his fist against the door. No one answered…again. "Now what?" He glanced at Conner and then Lucy.
The only girl walked up to the door, pushing on it gently. It opened, creaking slowly. The three peeked into it, Conner and Ethan over Lucy's shoulders. "Why would he leave it unlocked?" Lucy asked quietly.
"He's got no neighbors." Ethan pointed out, motioning to the open field.
"What, you never heard of the three bears?" Conner retorted, tapping Lucy on the shoulder and moving past her into the house.
"Was that the last book you read?" Ethan retaliated, following Conner in.
Lucy snorted. "I'm sure it was." She trailed the two into the house.
"Dr. Oliver?" Conner called out into the empty house. "Hello?" He caught a replica of a T-Rex on the table. Similar to the one they found in the tunnel." Man, check it out." He grinned, reaching out to touch the jaw.
Ethan slapped his hand away. "Hey, remember what happened last time you did that?"
"What happened last time?" Lucy asked, earning an uncomfortable look from both boys to the back of her head as she looked around. She turned and quirked an eyebrow at their silence. "Okay, never mind then."
"Dude, the guy's a teacher, not…." Conner trailed off. He pulled the jaw. There was a door that opened on the floor to the left of the statue. "Batman." He breathed.
The three trekked down the stairs into the same lab the two boys were in with Kira. "This was the same place," Ethan commented.
"What place?" Lucy questioned, glancing around.
Conner stopped right by her, seeing her attention snagging on the stones left on the tower. The silver one shined brightly, the light transforming from a burst to the form of a howling coyote. Lucy swore lowly, causing Conner to her. "Are you freaking out right now?" He asked, watching Lucy stumble when she heard him next to her.
Ethan turned around and looked at the ceiling. "Yeah, I'd have to say I am."
Lucy rotated around, her senses picking up on a figure just out of the light. Her eyes narrowed, her fists clenched by her side as she stared. "If you're looking for extra credit, you're in the wrong place."
Next Episode: Day of the Dino: Part II