Power Rangers' Command Center, California, Earth

15 minutes earlier…

No matter how many times he saw it, Billy always found himself fascinated by the Command Center. It looked like something out of an old science fiction movie and he spent countless hours looking into the technology. One such example of that technology was now in a literal panic mode, with both synthetic hands on a domed head.

"Aye-yi-yi-yi-yi! Danger! Danger! Something terrible is happening!"

"Alpha Five! Please calm yourself!" The massive visage of a semi-transparent cerulean head spoke calmly, his booming voice and hard-to-miss appearance among a tower of light ensuring all eyes were on him. "Rangers, we have just received rather distressing news. I trust that you are up to the task."

"Always, Zordon," came Jason's ready response. His eagerness was a feature that Billy admired; a feature he hoped he would achieve one day. The others shared the Red Ranger's enthusiasm, their full attention on the imprisoned sage and allowing him to speak further. "The Command Center's systems have picked up an alarming amount of evil magic. This can only lead to one conclusion: I believe Rita Repulsa herself has made planetfall."

"Rita? On Earth?" Billy echoed in disbelief. "That's a risky move, even for her."

"That's bad news," Zack murmured. "Do we know where she is?"

"My scans have detected a massive pulse of magic off the coast of the country you call Germany," beeped Alpha. "I've never seen such a high level of concentrated energy like this! I just know she's up to something wicked!" The machine's concern was relatable: if Rita was on Earth, that had to mean she was planning something big. And that meant she needed to be stopped as soon as possible.

"I advise extreme caution, Rangers," their mentor warned as if he was sensing their emotions. "Rita is sure to be heavily guarded to ensure her diabolical plot succeeds. You must be ready for every possible outcome. I have no doubts that you will prevail, but this battle will not be won easily."

"Trust us, Zordon," Tommy assured the sage. "Six of us, one evil witch, and possibly a dozen bodyguards with her. Or more. Needless to say, I already like our odds."

"Ditto," echoed Trini, smacking a palm with her fist. "So when do we make another rock garden?" Kimberly placed a palm on the other girl's shoulder. "We shouldn't get too cocky, guys. We've beaten her monsters, but we've never faced Rita directly. She's not gonna hold anything back."

"So neither will we," Jason's bold voice silenced everyone as he reached behind his back. "Alpha, lock in the coordinates to Rita's position. Everyone else… IT'S MORPHIN TIME!" One by one, each of the other Rangers readied their morphers and held them out, pressing the red switches in perfect unison and calling out with pure power in their voices.

"DRAGONZORD!"

"MASTODON!"

"PTERODACTYL!"

"TRICERATOPS!"

"SABER-TOOTHED TIGER!"

"TYRANNOSAURUS!"

An astonishing flash of light flooded the Command Center before fading away in an instant, revealing the six transformed teenagers donning colored suits and helmets based on the aforementioned creatures. "GO GO POWER RANGERS!" They announced as one, striking a ready pose before colored energy began to envelop them.

"Good luck, Rangers…" Zordon declared. "...and may the Power protect you all!"

Raising their hands to the sky with a triumphant shout, the defenders of Earth all vanished into colored streaks of light. Those beams shot high into the sky like speeding comets, racing for their destination at incredible speeds…

Now

Billy was first rattled back to consciousness by the feeling of a faint wind. He was lying on something cold and soft, the sensation enough to banish the dizziness from his mind. Billy could barely remember a thing, too. First, he got the call with his friends, and then the briefing at the Command Center… everything after that was a blur. The teen fought to crack open his eyes, a groan escaping his throat.

The first thing he noticed when his vision returned to him was the blanket of white his palms were digging into. The texture and the sight made the young genius curious. Was this snow? Impossible; California barely had such conditions while Germany wasn't in the correct season! Was the teleporter off? There was a probability that Alpha might've made a mistake in his panic… and if that were the case, were the other Rangers sent off-course as well?

As if it was second nature to him- as came most things as a Power Ranger- Billy raised his communicator. "Attention all Power Rangers, this is Blue in the blind. Did anyone else make…" His voice trailed off when his eyes landed on his arm. His hand was bare, but that couldn't be! Didn't he just morph a few minutes ago? He brought his other hand to his helmet only to feel locks of brown hair where there should've been materialized protective gear. That was enough proof for him; something definitely went wrong during the teleportation that both de-morphed him and sent him smack-dab in the middle of… of…

Come to think of it, Billy didn't question where he had ended up. There was nothing but snowy tundras all around him, the only clue to his whereabouts. Billy's brain was already swarming with potential locations. The Arctic Circle, Russian tundras if he had overshot the coordinates, or perhaps Antarctica if Alpha had screwed up more than he thought.

"Uh… Alpha?" he spoke into his communicator again. "I've got a problem here! I think you teleported me to the middle of the North Pole! Can I request a recalibration?" He waited for a response in the form of the robot frantically apologizing before trying again, but nothing came. "Alpha? Alpha, you there?" He was met with nothing but silence; presumably atmospheric interference.

Billy switched channels, falling back to Plan B. "Jason, it's Billy. I've got a situation. I…" Something was different about him. Not that he was unmorphed- although that was a problem in its own right- but the Blue Ranger noticed that his attire had mysteriously changed into something very bizarre. Where there was supposed to be a jacket sleeve there was now a blue wrist guard with a small horn on the outside: just one piece of a sky-blue armor set he was now wearing. Billy raised his arms to examine his new look, the two small horns on his wrists piquing his interest. "Another side effect…?" he mumbled to himself.

The teen spied a cobalt vest beneath the sapphire chest plate- the defensive plating held together by various straps like a knight's gear- and cobalt trousers protected by azure knee and shin guards. The armor itself didn't feel very restrictive in terms of movement, as the tests proved Billy was still capable of moving freely. A pair of sapphire shoes rested on his feet, the footwear looking quite durable and sturdy. The only thing that remained unchanged was his glasses, which Billy unconsciously adjusted back into position.

Next up was a belt Billy spied around his waist. It was loaded with a variety of tools and gadgets, some of which Billy easily identified. From the assortment of items, Billy spied what appeared to be a grenade- hopefully the non-lethal sort- triangular devices with unknown (for now, at least) functions, a muzzle- why did he have a muzzle?- and a pouch filled with colored bullets (Another gun accessory? He couldn't find any kind of firearm on him!). His trusty morpher was also safe and sound, so Billy tucked it behind his back to make sure it wasn't easily spotted.

Billy felt something along his back next; something rather hefty in nature despite how small it felt. The Blue Ranger brought that object into full view and got a curious glint in his eye. At first, it appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary blade with an unusual end, but it became much more when Billy flicked a switch to unfold it. It was a lance much like the one he normally wielded in his Ranger form, this one appearing as long as Billy was tall similar to the Power Lance. His hands found the suitable grips in no time, but the Blue Ranger noticed another slight alteration: he couldn't find any means for a split function anywhere among the commendable framework, and the twin ends were the opposite of what he normally expected from his trident-based weapon. Instead of the middle tip being the longest of the three blades, it was dwarfed by the outside blades in a manner that reminded Billy of a Triceratops' horns. Speaking of the frilled dinosaur, he found no emblem of the ceratopsian visible on the weapon.

"Curious…" he muttered, taking one last look at the polearm. The Ranger spotted what appeared to be partial disconnections where the blades connected to the main shaft, something that urged him to experiment upon later. Giving the weapon another flick to fold both ends back together, Billy returned the lance to his back and surveyed the tundra around him. There was snow as far as the eye could see, and he should've felt at least a little numb; a driving force behind seeking shelter.

Strangely, though, Billy barely felt chilled by the cold (though he doubted it would last long). Regardless, he needed to gather his bearings and find out where he was, getting a hold of the other Rangers afterward. The Blue Ranger started walking, taking heed of the sun's current position in the sky above, in the direction he believed to be southward.

Minutes passed as Billy hiked across the snow, his breath occasionally producing a cold mist. Every so often, he would attempt contact with the other Rangers, only to receive no response. Billy couldn't suppress the worry in his heart; if the others went on to fight Rita without him… no, his friends were tough whether they were morphed or otherwise. Nothing could ever take them down. First things first: get out of the tundra, then find the others. Try to reach Zordon and Alpha if he can.

A speck in the distance drew Billy's attention, though he chose to dismiss it. It was either a bird or the sun playing tricks on him. The Blue Ranger kept walking, keeping his eyes trained on the horizon ahead… where more snow awaited him. Perfect. He allowed a disheartened sigh to accompany the next exhalation of chilled air, already missing the warm atmosphere of Angel Grove…

Another noise… but not the wind. If anything, Billy assumed it was more of… an engine? The sound was skyward, prompting the Ranger to return his focus to the speck. The speck was getting surprisingly closer to his position, enough for Billy to make it out. It wasn't a bird, but some kind of aircraft- VTOL, if the engine placement was something to go off- with a protruding cockpit and broad wings that seemed to fuse with the vehicle's tail. A smile crept across Billy's face. Salvation at last… if the pilot had spotted him.

Paying no mind to the craft's unfamiliar design, Billy waved his arms over his head to ensure he stood out. Before long, the aircraft deployed four legs and touched down on the white plains, its right side facing the Ranger. The teen marched up to the vehicle, already preparing welcoming words and spoken tokens of appreciation. Upon further inspection, Billy noticed that the aircraft was armed with missile batteries on the nose; this must be a military craft of some kind. Billy ran his eyes over the vehicle one more time, fascinated by its texture and design, until the side door slid open and a ramp retracted towards him. Hastily making himself presentable and clearing his throat, Billy stood at full attention to the person who awaited him.

He was greeted by the sight of a woman who appeared fairly older than him, a white long-sleeved coat that ran down to her ankles covering her figure. Billy caught a glimpse of a dark blue waistcoat, a red brooch, white trousers, black forearm-length gloves, and gray thigh boots with black detailing around the knees. Her long white hair was tied into a bun and a pair of slate-blue eyes took in the sight of the Ranger.

Billy could tell by the woman's posture that she was expecting something… which wasn't this. The perplexed expression on the woman's face shifted to a stoic look as she stared Billy down. "Do you have a death wish?" Her tone was as cold as the snow he was surrounded by, the message taking Billy aback.

"N-no, ma'am," he quickly replied, feeling as if he was tardy to Miss Appleby's class. "My name is-"

"Silence," she snapped, freezing Billy in place with words alone. "Your Aura would have lasted mere minutes had we not intervened. Consider yourself lucky, for the cold of Solitas can be unrelenting at times. Where is the rest of your team?"

Team? The word sent another chill up Billy's spine, unrelated to the aforementioned cold she had spoken of. Did she know? Impossible, there's no way she could've… wait, was his new look a dead giveaway? Of course, it had to be, how else would she know he was a-

"I asked you a question," she sternly reminded him, forcing Billy to regain his composure. He needed to choose his next words carefully, in the very, very slight chance she didn't know. "Ah, u-unknown, ma'am. We were all separated, last I recall."

"Separated? From what?"

"A deployment error," Billy only felt this nervous whenever bullies were about to jump him. Hardly from teachers, as they would only do so if his grades slipped. Focus, Cranston. He mentally reminded himself. If the craft was a military vessel, then perhaps she didn't know after all. Perhaps she was referring to a squad?

"Unlikely," There was that disciplined manner of speaking again. "Atlas makes no such errors when it comes to missions. Who is your professor at the Academy?" Billy was lost, and he didn't mean that geographically. Atlas… like the Titan from Greek mythology? There were hardly any questions Billy didn't know the answer to, this being one of them… but maybe he could use that to his advantage here.

Billy shook his head in apologetic denial. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but I believe there's been a mistake."

This time, he was ready for the stern glare. "Mistake?"

"I'm not from Atlas," Billy explained, careful not to let the words "wherever that is" slip out with them. "I'm from down south." I hope. The woman raised a brow in what Billy believed was curiosity. "South? Vale, then?"

Again, Billy recalled no such location of that name but decided to stick with it. "Correct. My team was sent to investigate strange energy readings. Unfortunately, my equipment was faulty and I went off-course. I need to regroup with them as soon as possible."

His half-truth seemed to convince the woman enough, as she stepped aside and motioned for him to board the vehicle. "We'll escort you back to Atlas, student, and sort things out from there." Billy marched up the ramp and gave the woman a thankful nod, taking note of the white-armored soldiers armed with rifles that he theorized were her bodyguards. An important individual, then.

"I appreciate your assistance," he said with a smile before taking the closest seat he could find. "William Cranston, but friends call me Billy." The woman's reaction was different than how he expected it: she seemed confused for a moment but steadied herself as she examined him. "William… unusual, but a fitting name given your preferred tactics of defense. Am I correct?"

"Indeed," Billy replied, feeling the craft lifting from the ground. "I rarely seek violence or aggression. Mostly, I keep the rest of my team standing while providing them with useful intel. I do believe you have had your fair share of deployments, Miss…"

"Winter Schnee," She said no more than that. Perhaps she was a person who believed in business first and pleasantries later. Billy would do well to respect that, so he remained silent. Not even a minute had passed when he noticed her examining him again… was she hoping for a reaction?

"Is there a problem?"

She shook her head. "No… I just thought my reputation would have preceded me." Reputation. Military-wise, probably. If Billy had to guess, Winter looked like a commanding officer; sergeant, maybe. "I'm not the judging type, Miss Schnee. I prefer getting to know somebody first."

"That's… rather comforting," she replied with the slightest hint of a smile. "Most tend to compare me to my father, as if stepping down from the family business and enlisting wasn't enough." Billy gave her a sympathetic nod. "I can relate to breaking free from expectations that too many have judged me for."

"Perhaps…" Winter sighed. "Unfortunately for my father, his next in line has no intentions of following in his footsteps."

"Is that so?" Billy questioned, his curiosity getting the better of him. "What exactly does your father do?" That earned him a quizzical look from Winter, to which he immediately shrank back. "M-my apologies. Was that too personal?"

Winter just cocked a brow at Billy. "Surely you've heard of the Schnee Dust Company?" Billy was taken aback for a moment. A company that sold dust? Absurd! And completely unethical, too, for whoever thought of that idea was just asking to get kicked out of the conference room. Billy struggled to come up with a response for that; a rough upbringing, maybe?

His silence was enough of an answer for Winter. "No?" Billy could hear the disbelief and shock in that word. "How… odd." It didn't take long for her to regain her standard composure. "Regardless, William, I'll have you back with your team eventually. In the meantime… you've piqued my interest. I'd like to request something of you."

"And what may that be?" Billy felt like he could use a break so he could try to remember what happened after the teleport. Perhaps Winter's proposal could be of use to him. "My father is holding yet another of his soirees at our family estate. I'd like to personally include you among the security detail."

Security? Not exactly what Billy had in mind, but at least he'd have time to think and reach the others… or at least try to. He was starting to suspect atmospheric interference wasn't the problem here. And if Winter was right, her family must be quite the essential assortment of characters. First impressions needed to be made, so if that was the way to go…

"I'm in," came his ready response. Winter just gave him a comfortable smile. "Very well, then. I don't suppose you've ever been to Atlas, have you?" Billy simply shrugged. "Can't say that I have."

"Well, short as it may be… I hope you enjoy your stay."

Looking back, "enjoy" was an understatement.

Billy remembered the day he first witnessed the Command Center like it happened only yesterday. All that wondrous technology, alien in origin, that he couldn't wait to study and experimented with daily since then. Winter spoke of Atlas with great pride… and when Billy saw it, it was easy to see why. Needless to say, he didn't enjoy it. He basked in it.

Billy still couldn't believe it. A city. A floating city high above the tundra, unlike anything he had ever seen. He could barely contain his excitement and it took all his willpower not to bombard (or in her case, annoy) Winter with his questions like he was on the mother of all field trips. She had explained something called "Gravity Dust" kept the city afloat, and Billy ached to know more.

So he learned. It was one of his most notable qualities after all; an inquisitive mind craves learning. He felt like he had only scratched the surface of what was going on, but it would be enough… for now. He had theorized that he was no longer on Earth: a theory that was proven correct when he first laid eyes on the glorious city… or kingdom, as Winter had explained. No such technology on Earth could give rise to such a sight, at least not yet.

From what Billy had gathered, this new world- something he would research further at a later date- contained an energy source the locals referred to as Dust, an unimaginative name if Billy ever heard one. That energy source was processed into crystals, which gave the Blue Ranger the answer behind those crystals he found in his new pouch. Different types of Dust were used, and one corporation was the top distributor of the stuff: the Schnee Dust Company, currently led by entrepreneur Jacques Schnee. Its slogan showed promise: "the finest of them all"... why did Billy find that phrase somewhat familiar? He pushed it aside for later investigation.

The manor was unmistakably massive, making Billy feel like he was losing his way on the first day of classes all over again. The ballroom he was now observing from his post on the second floor looked more like a hockey rink, only with well-suited nobles on the ice-like floor instead of players decked out with protective gear and sticks. Billy had kept his eyes peeled for anything suspicious among the crowd, but- truth be told- he was beginning to get bored. The presence of high-ranking figures of society did nothing to relieve him, as he was frequently reminded of how low Billy himself stood on Angel Grove High's social ladder.

None of his calls to the other Rangers were getting through, leaving Billy to conclude that his communicator was malfunctioning. His frequent thoughts of the others were making him reconsider his decision to agree to this task; who would be stupid enough to try something here? Sighing and briefly stepping away from his post, Billy wrenched his eyes away from the crowd and scanned as much of the mansion as he could. Chandeliers, portraits, the same blue-white color pattern, massive suits of armor that looked a little too much…

Billy would've preferred a tour of the city. He'd never pass up the chance to witness technology unfamiliar to him.

Movement from the outside balcony caught his eye. There was someone out there. Silently praising the chance for possible action, Billy drifted a hand to his folded lance near the small of his back as he crept towards the balcony. He made sure to open the door slowly, trying not to alert whoever stood on the other side…

…but he paused when he spotted the image of a dress, an image that was seared into his brain thanks to how many he saw in the past half-hour. A girl, isolated from the crowd, stared off into the bright blue sky in a pale blue strapless ballgown and elbow-length gloves, white hair tied into a ponytail that draped down her back like a regal cape. A tiara tucked among the stream of white provided Billy with the means to deduce the identity of this girl.

"Needed some fresh air?" Billy announced his presence, careful not to startle her. "I could use a breather myself." The girl glanced over her shoulder and Billy caught a glimpse of an ice-blue orb. She made no move to dismiss him, no verbal command to leave her be. "At least somebody understands the need for personal space."

That sounded like a cue. "Sorry to bother-"

"No, it's fine," the girl turned around, a warm smile on her face that turned quizzical. "Hm. A Huntsman. Father must be desperate to ensure nothing goes wrong."

"Actually, I'm here on Winter's behalf," corrected the Blue Ranger, the words sparking an interest in the girl. "Winter's idea? Wow. You must've made quite an impression."

"Consider it one of my natural talents," the boy in blue chuckled, holding out a hand. "Billy Cranston, at your service." Like Winter, the girl was taken aback by his name, only for a moment before taking his hand and shaking it. "Weiss Schnee."

What was up with that name, anyway? Schnee? Billy could hear his friends already: "Gesundheit!" Fighting the urge to laugh at that thought, Billy decided to get back on topic. "I take it you're not one for family gatherings?"

"If by 'family gatherings', you mean 'forced socialization', then yes," Weiss replied with a sigh. "What about you? There's not really a need for guards outside of the manor's staff."

"It's more of a temporary posting," Billy explained. "I got separated from my team and I'm going out to look for them soon." Weiss was silent for a moment. "This may sound a little crazy, but… sometimes I miss my own."

"You're part of one, too?" Billy echoed. Maybe there was more to this girl than what the eye could see. And "Huntsmen"... if Billy had to guess, they were teams. Just like Power Rangers… if there was more than one Ranger team. A little help or backup would've been nice from time to time. But what exactly did they "hunt"? Monsters? "What made you choose that?"

"My father made me choose that," Weiss answered. "But not because he wanted me to. What he did want was for me to inherit his company… a company and name he had tarnished." This gave Billy pause. "Tarnished? How so?" Weiss was all too eager to explain that. "Since my father took over, the Schnee Dust Company has operated in a 'moral gray area' of sorts. Controversial labor, questionable business partners… I didn't want to be known for that. I wanted to fix things, and I thought being a Huntress would change that."

Fix things… that meant showing the world not to judge a book by its cover. If only Billy could do that without hiding his face. "You know… I like the way you think. Where I'm from, people think things about me without getting to know me first. Some people ask me to help out and others are… shall we say, less tolerant."

"I can imagine," Weiss responded. "Perhaps you made the right decision in becoming a Huntsman, too." Maybe she was right about that… in another manner, that is. After becoming a Power Ranger, Billy knew how to fight his own battles. He knew how to stand up for himself and others. To prove he was more than just some random nerd.

"Well… I hope you-"

A scream from inside the manor cut off Billy's words, followed by alarmed chatter and cries of alarm. Without bothering to bid the lady farewell- rather rude, but business is business- Billy charged back inside to see a commotion on the ground floor: a woman was knocked over and a man was making a run for it with pearls in hand.

"Thief! THIEF!"

"Miss Frost, please calm yourself!"

With no time to waste, Billy vaulted the railing and landed among the mass of nobles, breaking into a sprint to chase after the perpetrator. "Stop where you are!" he cried out, already knowing the only response from the man would be more running. The perpetrator made a hasty exit by crashing through one of the ballroom's wall-high windows, fleeing away from the manor as soon as he hit the ground. Billy was quick to follow him out, leaping through the smashed glass and tucking into a roll before resuming his sprint.

It didn't take him long to find the thief near the manor's main entrance, a gathering of other men near a pillar topped with a snowflake insignia. The thief shouted something at them and pointed at Billy, prompting the others to draw weapons and advance on him. The Blue Ranger stopped in his tracks and stared each of the men down, instinctively reaching behind his back.

"It's time for-!" Wait! What was he thinking?! He couldn't morph in front of somebody! "For… for… for me to kick your butts!" Billy kicked himself for getting too ahead of himself and that awful line he had to think of on the spot, putting up his fists and readying for the first attacks.

The first of the attackers came at him with a sword, the blade scraping against Billy's wrist guard as he parried the strike and socked him in the side. A swift kick knocked the man down, but not enough to take him out of the fight. He'd be back, but it'd give Billy time to focus on his friends. He launched into his usual routine that usually turned Putties into pebbles, hoping he gave these guys the message that he was no pushover.

A fast and scrappy quick combo staggered one of the men and a spinning kick knocked him aside. Billy weaved away from a swinging blade before catching it by the hilt, disarming the next attacker of his weapon before kneeing him in the gut and throwing him over his shoulder. The next guy was treated to a special set of karate moves Jason had taught him, a judo kick knocking him down.

He didn't show it on the outside, but Billy was surprised. He never fought this good unmorphed before. Maybe that talk with Weiss pumped him up more than he thought. Regardless, he wouldn't allow himself to get carried away in the heat of the moment. Vaulting fluidly over a charging assailant, Billy swept out his legs and pinned him beneath one foot. A sharp glare and demands to surrender the jewels were about to follow when he detected the approaching sound of engines.

Backup. Of course.

Two cars swerved to a stop with men pouring out of them like a squad deploying from a helicopter. Adding to Billy's comparison was the fact that the reinforcements were armed; several carried short swords while others gripped pistols and rifles. Under normal circumstances, Billy would exercise caution and maintain his distance… but his new armor and weapon needed a trial run, and these guys were the perfect dummies (was that joke intentional or not?) for the job. His lance was drawn and unfolded in a blur, the Blue Ranger sprinting for the group.

Prior experience took over from there and Billy twirled his weapon like a marching band baton, swatting and deflecting every blade that came near him while throwing kicks to the head for good measure. A downward sweep tripped up one man while another quick motion clocked another across the head and sent him sprawling. Another pointed his gun right at Billy's head, but the teen caught the sight from his peripheral vision and jabbed the lance's middle spike down the barrel, rendering the firearm useless. The man's deadpanned expression left him wide open to Billy's counterattack, as a strong kick knocked him against a parked vehicle.

The rest of the armed men opened fire on Billy, filling the air with tiny blasts of gunfire that the Ranger somersaulted past. A few of the rounds connected with his sky-blue armor in a shower of sparks, but didn't come close to staggering the Ranger. A quick flick of a switch retracted the lance's middle spikes, the larger two prongs jutting forward. Billy utilized this feature flawlessly as he snagged one attacker by the wrist and threw him to the driveway. Another was caught around the neck and he spun with the lance before crashing atop his partner. Engaging an enemy with a sword next, Billy trapped the blade between the prongs and promptly twisted the lance's end, the sudden ninety-degree rotation snapping the blade in two. An upward strike with the weapon's flat end was enough to knock the man out cold.

With his defeated adversaries all scattered along the asphalt, Billy took a moment to congratulate himself for a successful test run while looking over his weapon in pride. He didn't know where the improvements over the Power Lance came from- he'd need to work that out later- but there were still some unknowns over his new armament. For example, there was this trigger-like switch along the grip that he never noticed during prior examinations. Seeing as to how he was no longer in any imminent danger, Billy asked himself what the harm was in pulling that…

The second he did, the entire lance reconfigured itself before his eyes. The prongs retracted and a barrel unfolded from the main shaft, the far end shaping into a barrel. The opposite end of the length reformed into a stock while several parts angled outward to become a trigger and an ammo clip. In the blink of an eye, Billy found himself holding a sapphire sniper rifle instead of a lapis lazuli lance. He should've felt confused as to how this was possible… but in its place was enlightenment.

"Whoa… incredible!" Billy closed one eye and brought the other to the rifle's scope, a blue laser sighting marking whatever the weapon was pointed at. Amazing… though he'd need to switch it off to avoid the attention of his target. Come to think of it, who- or what- was his target? And were the rounds nonlethal? They better be nonlethal, because Billy would be sick to his stomach if he had to-

A sound off to his right broke the Ranger from his thoughts and he spun to see a rocket flying at him at high speed. It was coming at him too fast, where was the shooter, don't think just move, too late, brace-!

BOOM!

Billy cracked open an eye he didn't realize he had closed and peeked through his arms, the limbs dangling in a frantic attempt to shield his body from the blast. His arms did a poor job at the task not because the Blue Ranger was blown to pieces… but because something else had blocked the projectile from touching him. The assailant, who Billy found perched atop one of the cars with an RPG in hand, looked just as aghast as Billy when the teen took in what had saved his life:

A circular white snowflake symbol straight out of a work of art, with six symmetrical ends as sharp as icicles. The symbol was… radiant, but the mere sight of it sent everything Billy knew about physics into question. It appeared to be made of pure light, and light couldn't stop an object in motion… could it? Billy was about to inspect it further when he noticed someone standing in front of the symbol, her back turned to the Blue Ranger. That very same snowflake- albeit with more ends and in greater detail than the one in the symbol- laid on the figure's snow-white bolero… who turned to glance over Billy with icy eyes.

The stunned Blue Ranger blinked once. "Weiss…?" The seemingly harmless girl he had seen earlier now looked the complete opposite of harmless, as she had traded her formal attire for something that suited a warrior princess. She wore a thigh-high strapless dress and white wedge-heeled boots, traces of red along the edges of her collar. The hem of her dress was stitched and scalloped to resemble snowflakes, and Billy also spied a pendant around her neck that resembled an apple along with silver earrings and a white sash around her waist.

But what caught the Ranger's eye was the silver-gray fencing rapier she held in her left hand, a colored cartridge spinning to a stop. The weapon's tip dangled inches from the ground as the girl turned to the attackers, some of the ones Billy had previously beaten up getting back to her feet. "Look who we have here…" one of them sneered while wiping his face. "Time for the princess to get pampered, boys!" At the man's signal, the group charged at the girl, who simply struck a ready stance before pointing her rapier at the attackers.

Black symbols reminiscent of the one that had saved Billy materialized beneath their feet, instantly freezing the men in place. Without missing a beat, Weiss flicked her rapier skyward and the men all followed, catapulted into the air by an unseen force before they hit the ground moaning. Those who avoided the trap took a wary step back in shock: an emotion the Blue Ranger shared.

"How did you… that's not… what…"

Weiss ignored the boy's words (or his struggling to find words, if he was being precise) and rushed for the remainder of the ruffians at a steady pace. Several more of the symbols provided her with a burst of acceleration until she dove in between the men. What Billy witnessed next, he could describe only as practiced choreography: Weiss effortlessly skated through the gathering of thieves with the assistance of those symbols that appeared beneath her feet as if she wished them into place, her rapier tripping up the first of those unfortunate enough to stay in her path. For the brief moments where she was still, she danced through her enemies and smoothly disarmed them, smooth swings of her sword knocking them down.

The confusion Billy should have felt earlier was now on full display as she witnessed this young woman take the book of physics and shred it to pieces. Those symbols- which she was seemingly summoning- turned the tide in Weiss' favor, giving her something to leap from, something to dash across, something to catch her before she botched a landing… The girl was an ice skater who ignored all obstacles present during her routine.

Even her finish had a dramatic flourish to it, as a single stab ruptured a man's pistol before she spin-kicked him away and dropped to a graceful pose. Weiss hadn't even taken a scratch from the whole ordeal and Billy had to keep his jaw in place. He had half a mind to be impressed at her skill… but the other half was trying to regather the marbles he had lost.

"Impressive work, Billy," Weiss said with a smile. "For a student. I may be one myself, but I can tell when room for improvement is needed. Improvement in, say, battlefield awareness. If you had kept your focus, you would have seen that rocket coming in time for you to react."

"I… I don't… how did you do that?" he finally managed to release, half of Weiss' words lost on him thanks to his confusion. "You can't… It's impossible to use pure light to manipulate a physical force! You can't even touch it, it-"

"I'll admit, my Semblance can come across as surreal," Weiss replied. "It's hereditary. Everyone in my family has it, but there are some aspects I'm still learning." Just like before with her sister, Billy had no clue as to what she was saying. But this time he couldn't work around it. "Your… what?"

Weiss gave him a perplexed look. "My Semblance," she repeated. "You know, a development of my Aura. It's what gives a person an ability unique to them. Not everybody can unlock them, though, but…" The girl trailed off as she took in Billy's lost and befuddled expression. Billy suspected she wouldn't take long to discover what was wrong; a theory that was proven true when shock crossed her face.

"Hold on… You don't know what a Semblance is?" Weiss gasped. "Or an Aura? How- how can anyone not know? You'd have to be-"

"L-Listen, Weiss…" Billy spoke up. "I don't… I don't have the time to deal with this. I should get going and find my friends." And maybe lie down. He added. All this talk of Aura and Semblances and how- if Weiss' words had some truth to them- everyone in this world had them (literally everybody having superpowers was too overwhelming to think about). If he didn't find the other Rangers soon, Billy swore he'd go crazy.

"Your friends…" Weiss echoed. "You said you were part of a team like me earlier. You know what, I think I can help you with that."

"Help me?" Billy asked. "But… What about your dad? Won't he be-"

"Let him," the white-haired girl dismissed. "Billy, I told you I didn't want anything to do with the family company he's soiled. I may be on break, but at least you are an excuse for me to return to Beacon. And once we're there, we're finding out what's wrong with you, mister."

Wrong with him? This whole world was bizarre enough!

"I can get us a ride to Beacon once the authorities clean up this mess," she gestured at the defeated thugs that littered the driveway and their parked getaway vehicles. "With any luck, some friends of mine will be willing to help us out." Tucking her blade away, Weiss motioned for Billy to follow her lead. "Get comfortable, Billy Cranston… you're in for quite a ride."

Billy gave no verbal response as he figured out how to turn the sniper rifle back into its lance form and followed the heiress. He had a nagging feeling she wasn't talking about the upcoming trip. The sooner he figured this world out, the better. While he followed Weiss away from the looming, splendorous estate, one thought filled his mind.

He could only hope the other Rangers weren't as confused as he was.