Episode 7.1: Who's Crying Now? (Part 1)
Harwood High School
The big day had come, and Harwood County High School was ready for its Tournament, which the local soccer team had won for the past three years. The main reason was the one person everyone wanted to see today, the star of the team, Jacob Holling.
Jake was happy to be the center of attention for one day, but there was something that worried him, and that was the team they were playing against. Kingsley High School was not only Harwood's rival but also had players that didn't always play by the rules.
Especially the one Jake didn't want to see around a soccer ball. Greg Mason was always rude and not someone you wanted to have around for long. But Jake decided that morning that no one was going to bring his mood down as he walked into the school with his silly smile and his normal carefree attitude, playing his part so the school could get excited for the Tournament and not nervous about the rivals.
Unfortunately, as soon as he opened the door, his smile fell when he saw Troy standing in front of two boys. Behind him, Gia, Noah, and Emma looked annoyed and worried about the tension the boys were creating. If he looked hard enough, Jake could see a small kid, maybe in his first year of high school, behind Troy.
Jake recognized the kid. He was smart, on Noah's and Gia's level, and was taking advanced classes with them. But while normally the kid was focused on his projects or his bugs, today he looked scared and on the verge of crying.
There was also another thing that made Jake worry, and it was that the normally emotionally controlled Troy was angry. It was all on his face, and for the Megaforce Rangers, it was so evident that he understood now why Gia, Emma, and Noah looked worriedly at their leader. Jake made a quick scan of the two boys in front of Troy and wasn't surprised to recognize Greg Mason and one of his friends, the one they called 'Bulldog' on their team because of his way of tackling down rivals.
Jake saw they were holding a crystal container with a bug inside and figured they probably took it from the kid in time for Troy and the rest of the team to see it. Probably Troy got in the middle to get the bug back to the kid, and they had the situation they had now.
Jake sighed. He didn't want to get in trouble today, but there were moments in life where he had to make a choice, and defending that kid was the one Jake was making today. He let go of his soccer ball and kicked it, hitting one of the lockers and then Greg's hand.
The bug fell through the air, directly to Jake's hand, making everyone in the school look at him while the soccer ball rolled back to his feet.
People in the school whispered, but Jake didn't care. His attention was on Greg and his friend. He walked towards the group and smiled at the team before giving the crystal container back to the kid. Finally, Jake turned towards Greg and his friend.
"Holling," said Greg, clearly angry with him.
"Mason," said Jake. "You should be getting ready for the match."
Greg made a face and pushed Jake, trying to make him fall to the ground, but Jake knew how to lock his muscles to stand like a rock, and that's what he did, surprising Greg when he took a few steps back from the force of his push.
Jake decided that was enough; after all, there was no point in fighting someone like Greg Mason.
"I should have known you would be defending those weaklings. You are the king of defending freaks," said Greg, looking at Noah.
"I couldn't care less what you think I am, Mason," said Jake, his tone firm but deadly because no one talked to Noah that way with him around. "I suggest you leave now, or I will have to report this situation to the Principal, and Kingsley would be losing his best man for the match."
Greg looked like he wanted to say more, but he didn't and turned around, leaving the school with his friend while Jake finally relaxed, taking a few seconds to be able to show his silly smile so he didn't scare anyone else with his serious tone.
That was far from his intention. He wasn't like Greg, and he hoped everyone knew that.
Jake turned around, the boy behind him. He was looking at Jake as if he was a hero, but Jake didn't want that. So, to change the subject and make the boy think about what he needed to think, Jake knelt in front of him and looked at the crystal container with the bug inside.
"Is it okay?" asked Jake.
"The bug? Yeah, I think so," said the kid. "Thank you, Holling. That was very nice of you, especially today."
"Today is just a match, kid. There is nothing special or important about it. People just like to make a fuss over it because of the party," said Jake, smiling. "You want to meet someone special? Meet the people behind me."
Then, he looked over his shoulder, pointing at his team.
"Let's see… I bet you already know Noah, the brain of the school, or Gia. She may look intimidating, but she is super smart and strong and also beautiful," said Jake, chuckling while Gia rolled her eyes. "Then there is Emma. You know she fights for nature? And she is so good at it. She also has an angelic voice. Finally, there is Troy. Sometimes he is referred to as the new kid, but I promise you he is way cooler than any other new kid I have ever met."
The kid looked behind Jake and could see the team. Emma and Gia were waving their hands at him, Noah was smiling, and Troy looked calm, but he nodded at the kid and showed him a small smile.
"I see what you meant… you are all different, but you are friends," said the kid. "We can overcome those differences for a better cause?"
"Exactly," said Jake, getting up. "Now, I have some free time since the match is later today, so I was wondering if you could show me what was so important about that."
"You… you want to learn?" asked the kid, surprised.
"Please, Noah is my best friend," said Jake, rolling his eyes. "I always learn whether I want to or not."
In reality, Jake wanted to make sure Greg and his minions wouldn't bother the kid again. He knew Troy and the others could defend themselves pretty well, but this was a normal kid with a normal life. In a way, every time Jake looked at the kid, he could see a younger version of Noah.
He was determined to protect him from bullies who wanted nothing more than to make fun of him for what he liked.
Jake looked over his shoulder to his friends and turned around while he passed a hand through the boy's shoulders and smiled at them.
"Well, I hope to see you there, cheering for me," said Jake, winking especially at the girls. "Now, if you excuse me, I signed up for a bug lesson, so, see you later!"
Jake and the kid walked away, towards the lab, while the others looked at them. It was a surprise for all of them, except for Noah, who already knew this Jake from when they were kids.
"So… what do you know about this, Noah?" asked Emma, beside him.
"That's the real Jake," said Noah, with a smile. "He has always been like this, you know? He may look like an idiot, but he always stands for what is right. He defended this kid as he did with me in the past."
"You were bullied?" asked Troy.
"Yes, when we were kids, some of the other kids didn't like that I was smarter than them, and they used to prank me and hit me every chance they got until one day, tall and strong Jacob Holling stood up to them. He was no more than ten years old, and the kids were at least twelve, but Jake didn't care," said Noah.
"What happened?" asked Gia, interested.
"He made a deal with them. At the time, Jake was the youngest soccer player on the junior team, and he told the kids if he won the tournament, they would leave him alone. If they won, they could bully him too," explained Noah. "As you can guess, Jake won the tournament with his team, and those kids never bothered me again."
Emma put a hand around Noah, and Gia and Troy were smiling at him while Noah remembered those days.
"He also made the coach and teammates include my name on the trophy because I designed the kick Jake made to score the last goal," said Noah.
He grabbed his phone, showing the picture of the whole team and Noah receiving the trophy. Jake had it in hand while he had the other around Noah's shoulder, both happy for the win. The other Rangers could also see Noah's name on the trophy.
"This feels like I'm getting to know Jake all over again," said Emma. "All this time I thought he was the silly clown of the school with good skills for soccer and a crush on Gia."
"Me too," whispered Gia, looking at Noah. "I wondered for months why you were friends with him, but knowing what I know now, there is no doubt you complement each other very well, Noah."
"A lot of people think Jake is friends with me out of interest, but he doesn't care, and neither do I," said Noah. "Jake was pretty lonely when he came here, and I became his first real best friend, that's what his dad said. So I got to see parts of him only you are starting to see now."
Troy looked at his team and then towards the lab. He wondered how he didn't realize until now that maybe Jake and he looked more alike than he thought. Troy carried the loneliness for a long time, and he was always labeled with names that didn't reflect who he was.
"You all should get to class," said Troy, grabbing his bag. "I have to catch up with Jake and the kid."
"You are going to miss a class?" asked Emma.
"Yes… I need to talk to Jake," said Troy.
He didn't wait for an answer and gave a quick kiss on Emma's forehead before walking towards the lab while his friends looked after him, wondering why he suddenly acted this way before the bell rang and they were forced to go to class.
-Megaforce-
Space
Admiral Malkor looked at the screen as several images of men appeared. He was looking for the Black Ranger personally, thinking that if he was able to find one, he could find the others. And since Black was the one causing the most trouble, he would be honored with being the first one to fall under his blade.
It wasn't until he saw a boy playing soccer with a black and white shirt and black pants that he stopped. His energy felt different, and his movement and strength matched what his people told him about the Black Ranger.
Admiral Malkor looked over his shoulder, where Creepox seemed to have the same feeling he had.
"Creepox, are you feeling it?" asked Admiral Malkor.
"Yes, sir. It's the same energy," said Creepox.
"Then I want you to go and bring him to me," said Admiral Malkor, pointing at the boy. "Don't kill him. Vrak and you can have your fun, but he will die by my hand."
"Yes, sir!" said Creepox.
Creepox quickly ran towards the teleport room while Admiral Malkor looked at the boy, playing and hearing another kid talk about bugs and their environment. He smiled; soon, they would find out if he is the Black Ranger, and if he is… then they all would be destroyed for sure.
-Megaforce-
Park
Jake and the kid decided to go to the park after a brief visit to the lab. The kid was studying bugs and their environment in hopes of, someday, replicating that environment to protect different species from disappearing.
Jake understood in a different way what Emma was doing on a daily basis, and he admired that a young kid like this one was willing to give his life to save the planet, in a different way than the Rangers did. Yes, his job was as important as theirs was.
Jake was focused on watching the kid and didn't notice someone else was there until a hand touched his shoulder. He turned to see Troy smiling at him.
"Hey, why are you here? Don't you have class?" asked Jake, slightly worried.
"It's fine, I skipped class because I wanted to talk to you," said Troy, looking at the kid. "He looks happy."
"He has a big dream," said Jake, smiling while following Troy's eyes. "He wants to make this world better, as we do."
"The power within…" whispered Troy. "That's what my sensei used to tell me."
"So that's how you learned how to fight, right?" said Jake, nodding to himself. "I noticed you already knew a few movements when we first fought together."
"Yeah… I was bullied at schools like this kid and Noah when I was younger," said Troy, looking down. "My father got so mad with me because I didn't stand up that he brought me to my sensei, in hopes of making me stronger, but I ended up with more discipline than muscles."
"I see… a sensei teaches us how to become a better person without using violence," said Jake, nodding to himself. "You did pretty well, holding off Greg in the school. His family has a lot of money, and he is the kind of person who thinks he can toy around with the rest of humanity just because he was born in a crib made of gold."
"I see…" said Troy.
"Don't get me wrong. He is smart and strong, but his father always pressured him to become a soccer star, and he never got past me. I think he kind of hates me because I am a better player and people tend to love me…"
"… well, we should discuss that last part."
Jake turned, thinking he heard the wrong voice, and Troy did the same but was confused as to who interrupted them when they saw Conner McKnight standing behind them. Jake walked towards him and gave him a big hug, laughing in disbelief when he saw one of his favorite Rangers.
Then he turned to Troy and pointed at Conner.
"Troy, this is my coach when I'm out of school, Conner McKnight," said Jake, bringing him closer and whispering so the kid couldn't hear him. "He is also the Red Dino Thunder Ranger."
"Really? Wow, nice to meet you, Conner," said Troy, shaking Conner's hand.
"So I finally get to meet your friends apart from Noah," said Conner, poking Jake's shoulder. "And to answer your question, my assistant is taking care of the campus while I decided to visit my nephew and see his match against Kingsley."
"Oh, now the pressure is on," said Jake, chuckling. "Troy and I were talking about one of the players, Greg. He is a bully and tried to make fun of that kid over there, but as soon as he saw me, he forgot all about him and focused on his lack of sympathy towards me."
"Ugh… there's one of those in every school," said Conner. "Well, rest assured nothing will happen. My lovely wife is coming too, and she will kick anyone who looks at you in the wrong way."
"Kira is coming?" asked Jake. "I thought she was on tour."
"She was, but she is close enough to catch a few days off and see her favorite nephew on his important day. Ethan, Trent, and Hayley decided to come too, something about a visit and connect the match so everyone can see it, even in Aquitar."
"What!?" exclaimed Jake, looking between Conner and Troy. "Oh god… everybody is going to watch me…"
"Yup, Ethan will make sure of it, so be cool and don't embarrass me, kid," said Conner, smiling playfully.
Jake felt his cheeks burn, and Troy was surprised but in a good way. Seeing his overconfident Ranger nervous was strange to see, but it was a new side he liked. Conner laughed and put a hand around Jake's shoulder and his free hand on Troy's shoulder.
"So, changing the subject. Is the famous Gia Moran there? Because I heard you didn't give her the song you wrote for her, and your Aunts may want to meet her as soon as they get here."
"Oh no, please don't," said Jake, groaning. "They are going to embarrass me."
"Wait a minute, you have a song for her?" asked Troy.
Conner looked first at Jake and then at Troy, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.
"I see my favorite kid never told you he learned to write songs when he was a kid?" asked Conner. "He learned from Kira, and she has three Grammys under her belt and counting."
"Stop…" said Jake.
"He also can use our Ranger weapons. Hayley has tons of videos of him as a kid training with my tyranno staff and my Triassic shield."
"I see Jake has a lot of secrets," said Troy, teasing the Black Ranger.
"Shut up, both of you," said Jake.
The Red Rangers laughed, teasing the Black Ranger when they heard a scream. Quickly, the three ran towards the scene where they saw Creepox with his hand around the kid's throat. The kid Jake wanted to protect from Greg and his friends.
"Where is the other human?" screamed Creepox.
"Let me go!"
Jake, Conner, and Troy didn't think twice and ran to stop Creepox. Even without his powers, Conner still had his gem, using his speed to kick Creepox and free the kid while Jake and Troy transformed and appeared in front of the monster while Conner moved away with the kid.
"Finally! I was waiting for you, Black Ranger!" screamed Creepox.
The Red Megaforce Ranger and Conner noticed what Creepox said, but they didn't have time to wonder when Creepox ran to the Black Ranger. Red tried to stand between them and protect Black, but Creepox pushed him away, sending him flying to the ground, close to where Conner and the kid were while Creepox focused on his prey.
"You are coming with me!" screamed Creepox.
"Not in this life, creep!" said Black.
Black managed to kick Creepox away from him, but then, remembering what he saw before on the Black Ranger, Creepox laughed, pointing his sword towards Red, Conner, and the kid and running to attack them.
"Then they will go down first," said Creepox, laughing.
"No!"
Black ran as fast as he could, forcing his whole body to protect his friends and getting there just in time for Creepox's sword to slash him in the chest. Black felt a pain like no other when the sword passed his suit and sliced his chest, forcing him to lose his morph while Conner covered the kid with his body.
Red and Conner could barely act when Creepox finally grabbed an unconscious Jake and, laughing, he disappeared, leaving both Rangers and the kid surrounded by nothing but silence and the blood on the ground from Jake's injury.
-Megaforce-
Command Center (Later)
"What do you mean Creepox took him, Troy!?"
Emma had to restrain her best friend while Gia was close to losing control in front of Troy. He was supposed to help Jake and keep him safe as the leader, but now Creepox had taken Jake somewhere, and what he could be doing to Jake ran through her mind over and over.
"Creepox wanted him. They were fighting, and Jake pushed him away, but Creepox used us, knowing Jake would act to save us," said Troy, looking down. "Jake took the hit of the sword… the blood…"
Gia couldn't hear anything else. Tears were forming in her eyes when she turned around, trying to control herself. She knew Troy was affected by what happened, and she didn't blame him, not completely, but this was Jake, and Jake had to be fine.
But there was another question in her mind. Why Jake? Why did Creepox want him, and what if they did something more than kill him? Like, change him? Or use him against them? She didn't want to think about it, but her fears couldn't leave her alone, and for the first time, Gia could admit to herself she was scared.
She didn't want to lose that silly smile and his complete attention towards her.
"Look for him."
Jason's voice sounded ten times more serious in the silent cave, and Troy wished the ground could swallow him, but Jason walked towards him and put a hand on his shoulder. His eyes met Troy's, and there, he could see the rage, the worry, and the pain.
"Jake thought you were the right choice to protect this planet. He trusted you and shared his past and his family with all of you," said Jason, his voice close to breaking. "Troy, being a Red Ranger is not easy, but my son is out there, and the world can be attacked at any moment. I know he asked you once, but what are you going to do?"
Troy looked at him. His memories of training with Jake, the routine they created, and their talks. The world both swore to protect their friends… Troy nodded to himself. Yes, Jake trusted him, and he couldn't let him down, not again.
"I will save both, Jason," promised Troy. "We all will save Jake and protect Earth."
"Show me why he believes in you all, Rangers," said Jason, a tear running down his cheek. "Bring me back my son."
Troy nodded, and while Emma hugged Gia and kissed her hair, trying to be there for her while the Pink Ranger was worried sick, Jason moved to Noah, hugging the shocked Blue Ranger while Troy walked towards the panels to look for Jake, wherever he was.
Troy was going to find him. He wouldn't fail Jake again.
-Megaforce-
Command Center (Rooms)
Tommy sighed, looking at his Red Dino Ranger completely defeated, sitting on one of the beds of the rooms prepared for the Rangers. In another time, Conner would be looking for Jake at the end of the world, but without his power to transform, he could do nothing but use his Dino Gem power, and that wasn't enough.
He looked at Kira, Conner's wife, and the only thing that was keeping Conner together right now.
It became a complete cause when Conner called him, asking to bring his Rangers as soon as possible because Jake had been kidnapped, and they needed all of them, especially Kira, the only one of the Dino Rangers who could morph.
But so far, even with Ethan, Hayley, and Trent helping Troy, there was nothing, and Tommy was getting as tired as he was sure Conner felt.
On the bed, Conner closed his eyes. The memories of Creepox taking Jake and the blood… It made Conner feel useless. If only he had his powers back…
"It should have been me," whispered Conner.
"Conner, don't say that," whispered Kira, moving his face so he was looking at her. "You risked your life by attacking Creepox first."
"It wasn't enough, Kira. He took Jake," said Conner, looking down. "I made a promise to protect that kid, and the first time I have the chance to do it, I fail. What does that say about me?"
"You always were his favorite person, Conner," said Kira, smiling at her husband with sympathy. "He adores you, and I'm sure he knows we are working hard to get him back. And you know why?"
"Why?" whispered Conner.
"Because he is like you; stubborn, arrogant, and strong. He will hold on, and we will get him back," said Kira.
Conner said nothing, only hugged his wife close and kissed the top of her head in hopes of finding some peace while they waited for news. But in the back of his mind, Conner could hear it, the distant sound of a tyranno and Triassic, trying to wake up from their long sleep.
-Megaforce-
Space
Jake could barely feel what was going on around him. The pain in his chest was burning, and all he wanted was to fall asleep, but he refused to do that because he didn't want to give those idiots the pleasure of knowing they beat him.
They were looking at him, as he stood there, tied like an animal. They wanted the identities of the other Rangers and the location of the Command Center, but they didn't know they got the wrong person to give them information.
Jake would never give them what they wanted. He would die first.
"Why try and resist, Ranger? Tell me what I want to know, and I will make sure your death is quick," said Admiral Malkor.
"You can keep dreaming… I will never tell you what you want to know," said Jake, trying to sound stronger than he was.
Vrak wanted his head, Creepox too, but Admiral Malkor stopped them and looked at the young boy, wondering why he would put such an effort into protecting others.
"Very brave, Ranger, but even if you don't tell us, it's a matter of time before we do it, and we may destroy your city in the process," said Admiral Malkor.
"You won't… because they won't allow it," said Jake, locking eyes with the Admiral.
Admiral Malkor walked towards Jake and looked at his face. He was surprised when he didn't find fear in the Rangers' eyes. No, there was determination and a profound loyalty towards his teammates. It was impressive in the Admiral's eyes how such a young human could have those feelings he had never experienced before.
But even in the bravest heart, there was fear.
"Tell me, Ranger… what is your worst fear? What makes you wish you were dead?" asked Admiral Malkor.
Jake did his best to remain calm, but his eyes moved to Earth, and Vrak saw it. Of course, Earth was his planet and what his friends were trying to protect.
"His friends and his planet. If we destroy it, he will beg for his end," said Vrak.
"Send Creepox then," said Admiral Malkor. "Let's see how much you can handle before you break, human."
-Megaforce-
Command Center
It didn't take long, but as soon as Andros and his team walked into the Command Center, he knew he should have never abandoned his mission to watch that ship. His family came first, true, but by not looking at it, they got ahead, and now they had Jake.
But Andros had DECA, and they still had a way to get him for as long as Jake held on.
Around him, his team, the Dino Team, a long line of the first Rangers and Zeo Rangers, and, of course, the new generation, the Megaforce Rangers, looked while Andros worked to make contact with DECA, who resumed the position of watching the enemy ship using her invisibility so Andros could have some information.
"DECA, can you interfere in their communications?" asked Andros.
"With Jacob there, I should be able to connect to his morpher, Andros," said DECA. "I won't be able to stay long if we want to keep our cover, but the situation requires the risk."
Andros had known how DECA worked for so long that if she said that, it meant that something already bad was happening, but he kept his focus, forgetting everything except to find a way to see if Jake was still there.
He turned to the Rangers behind him before pressing the key that would allow them to see what DECA was able to decipher.
"The situation can be violent, Rangers. When the Turbo Team became my Rangers, I programmed DECA to identify certain body reactions and report them in case we were in trouble or separated," said Andros, looking back at Jake's panel.
"We can handle it," said Tommy, holding Kimberly close to him. "Do it."
Andros nodded and turned to the panel, giving DECA the order to activate the screen. A moment later, an image on the panel appeared, and Tenshou used his eyes to amplify the image so everyone could see it.
It was horrible. Jake was tied up like an animal, trying to stay conscious. His body was covered in cuts and bruises, and the wound on his chest was red, in the first stages of an infection.
Not far from him, Vrak laughed, preparing his whip before hitting Jake's back, making the Ranger wince in pain but refusing to speak.
Video
"Protecting your friends… what a foolish human," said Vrak. "I bet they already replaced you with someone more capable."
"I will protect them…" said a delirious Jake. "You won't… lay a hand…"
"Protect them… see? That's the problem with people like you. Your feelings overcome your sense of greatness, making you useless and easy to defeat," said Vrak.
He walked towards Jake, grabbing Jake's hair to raise his head and make Jake look at him.
"But ask yourself this, Ranger. Do they have the same level of loyalty? Or did they already forget about you?"
Jake didn't answer, and Vrak let him go, laughing as he prepared his whip again, ready for the next round.
End Video
The cave was silent for a few minutes while the Megaforce Rangers took the news slowly. Emma was crying, her fears of one of them being captured becoming real. She was hugging a shocked Yellow Ranger while Gia tried to make sense of seeing Jake being tortured, all battered and bruised. Noah was sitting down, his hands shaking with fear and worry, for the first time unable to process what he was feeling because his mind froze, and Troy looked down, his failure evident on his face.
They looked defeated, and Jason couldn't have any of that. His son was up there, willing to die to protect them, and they couldn't leave him alone.
"Rangers, stand up. We can't let Jake suffer like this," said Jason, holding Kat's hand. "We have to fight and bring him back."
His voice was in a controlled rage because he had to remain calm and guide the Megaforce Rangers. His natural leadership side was screaming for him to make them react and fight. After all, he had seen this before, countless times with Tommy and even with Kimberly. They still had time.
He turned to Andros and knew the Space Ranger was thinking the same.
"Andros… is there a way we can get close to that ship?" asked Jason.
"I can use the Astroship to get us close to them and activate the teleport," explained Andros. "With Jake's morpher there, it should open a path to him."
"We can work with that," said Jason, looking at the other Rangers. "I know I may be asking for a lot, but Jake is up there, being tortured, and we can't waste any time planning. We need to act now. He needs you, Rangers. I need you."
"You got us, Jase," said Tommy. "Jake has us."
The other Rangers nodded, except Andros, who was already preparing DECA for the upcoming infiltration when they heard the warning of someone attacking the city and saw through images a big group of loogies and Creepox attacking the park.
This time, another Red Ranger took a step forward. Conner looked at the situation, his mind already playing the strategy to follow. As a good member of Tommy Oliver's team with the powers of the tyranno, his expression showed where his focus was when he turned to the Rangers. His Red Dino Gem pulsing on his wrist brightly, as if tyranno was as determined as Conner looked.
"We will form groups to fight them all," said Conner. "Andros, your Rangers can take care of the loogies at the Plaza. Those loogies seem to be different, and we can take the risk to send veteran Rangers to fight them."
"We can do it," said TJ, and Andros nodded.
"Ethan, you, Billy, and Hayley will stay here, at the cave, keeping an eye on the city and coordinating with the teams," said Conner, looking at the technicians. "There is no one else we can trust but you three to handle this."
"We will handle this, Conner," said Hayley.
Billy and Ethan nodded too, and Conner felt confident as everyone followed his lead without questions. Tommy was impressed but not surprised. After all, the Red Dino Gem bonded with Conner for a reason, and at this moment, Tommy could see why and couldn't be prouder of his Red Ranger.
"Jason, Kat, Kim, and Zack. You have to stay too and get the cave ready for any situation: medical room, evacuation, whatever; we need to stay a step ahead. Jake will be injured too, or we may need a place to hide for now, and you have the expertise and experience to know what we need and when we need it. It would be good to call Dana Grayson too, but I know she won't be able to come in time, and I doubt authorities will let her pass if this goes out of control," said Conner, nodding to himself as the pieces fell into his mind like a puzzle.
Conner looked at Jason. Tyrannos and Red Rangers, looking at each other with the same fire.
"I know you want to be out there, but Jake is going to need you, Jason, and we need someone with your head to lead the situation here," said Conner.
"I understand, Conner," said Jason, giving him a small smile. "Thank you. I knew tyranno would make a good choice."
"I'm not finished yet," said Conner.
Tommy could see the full focus Conner had was to find a way to protect and save everything, the same thing Jake told Troy when he gave him the powers of the Red Rangers. This is what Jake meant, and Conner was the person who taught it to him.
Finally, Conner turned to his team, minus Ethan, Hayley, and the Megaforce Rangers. Kira walked up to him and hugged him. Conner kissed the top of her head and then looked at her with the same eyes full of love he had been giving her for the past three years.
"Kira, you are the only one who can morph from our team, so I need you out there with the Megaforce Rangers, facing that Creepox," said Conner, touching her cheek gently. "Just don't do anything I would do."
"It will be fine," said Kira, grabbing his hand and kissing it. "We can do it."
"I know, you can do anything," said Conner, smiling. Then, he looked at Trent and Tommy. "Your Dino Gem Powers should be able to allow you to hide from loogies and other monsters, and use them to evacuate civilians."
"We got this, leader," said Trent, proud of his Red Ranger.
"We can do it," said Tommy, nodding. "But what are we going to do about Jake?"
Conner had already thought about that part, but it was the most complicated part, and he was sure people were not going to be happy about it, but there were only a few choices left.
"Troy and I will teleport with Andros to that ship and get Jake," said Conner, calmly.
"What!?"
"Conner, no. You can't do that," said Kira, looking at her husband. "You can't morph, and after what happened to Jake, you can't possibly think that I…"
"I can do this. I still have my Dino Gem, and Troy will be there with me, Andros too," said Conner. "We can do this."
"But…"
"Kira, please, love. I need to do this," said Conner, looking into her eyes.
There was a moment between the two Rangers where all they did was look at each other until finally; Kira gave up, hugging her husband close to her. Conner smiled, putting his arms around her tightly. Then, he looked at Troy, who took a step forward after kissing Emma's hand one more time and then looking at Gia.
"Gia… you are in charge of the team until we come back with Jake," said Troy, looking at the Yellow Ranger.
"Get him back, Troy," said Gia, not liking the idea of staying behind but understanding this was the best way to proceed.
"I will. I promise."
Emma gave him one last kiss on the cheek, and then Troy reunited with Andros after the Red Space Ranger kissed his wife and daughter and said goodbye to his team. Conner, who gave one more passionate kiss to his wife and said goodbye to his team, raised his hand. The three Red Rangers looked at each other, nodded, and then disappeared towards the AstroShip while the others got ready for their battles.
They were winning this and bringing Jake back. That is what they needed to believe now.
-Megaforce-
Plaza
The Plaza was in complete chaos when the Rangers got there. The Space Rangers quickly ran, starting a fight with the loogies to keep them away from civilians while Tommy and Trent moved in the shadows, helping to evacuate the people left behind.
In the main fight, the Megaforce Rangers and the Yellow Dino Thunder Ranger appeared, all of them ready to take on Creepox and more loogies and stop his madness.
"Rangers! Finally, you came!" screamed Creepox, laughing. "We are having fun with you and your friend, and soon we will have all of you to add as our trophies!"
"You are going to pay for what you have done!" roared the Yellow Megaforce Ranger.
She felt her claws weren't big enough or sharp enough for what she wanted to do to that monster who dared to hurt Jake. But when she tried to go after him, the Yellow Dino Ranger stopped her, grabbing her arm and forcing the Megaforce Rangers to stop her attack.
"I know what you are feeling, but if we get too carried away, we will lose this fight, and then Jake and the others will come back to find us defeated," said the Yellow Dino Ranger. "You are the leader now, Yellow. Keep your focus because we need your skills more than ever, for Jake."
The Megaforce Yellow Ranger took a moment to calm down and nodded. The Yellow Dino Ranger was right; she needed to keep a clear head. Red and Conner will bring Jake back, and this idiot will have what's coming to him in time, but the city was a priority now, and she had to save it.
That's what Jake wanted them to do; that's why he wanted them to be Rangers.
"You are right," said the Yellow Megaforce Ranger. "Rangers! Ready!"
"Ready!" screamed Pink and Blue.
"Let's do this!" screamed Yellow Dino Ranger.
This time, both Yellow Rangers and their friends ran towards the battle with determination. They had to save the city so the ones saving Jake could come back to a safe place, and no matter what, they would get it for them.
They will win, together.
-Megaforce-
Space
Using the invisible cover, Conner, Troy, and Andros managed to get close enough to teleport to the alien ship. But there was a small problem: one of them had to stay back to maintain the portal open and be careful so the aliens didn't get transported by mistake to the AstroShip.
After some discussion, it was decided Andros would be the one staying since he knew his ship better than anyone. Now, Troy and Conner were waiting for the right moment to infiltrate the alien ship. While they waited, Troy noticed Conner playing with a small red and white soccer ball and smiled.
"You were the one to teach him to do that?" asked Troy.
"Huh?" asked Conner, grabbing the ball and looking up at Troy.
"The trick… Jake does it with his soccer ball when he is under pressure at the Command Center," explained Troy. "He failed miserably trying to teach me and Noah how to do it."
"I see…" said Conner, looking down to hide his emotions. "How much do you know about Jake?"
"Not a lot. I was a new student right before we became Rangers, but we know a little about this Ranger family," said Troy. "Before that, all we knew about each other was that Noah and Jake were best friends, Gia and Emma were best friends, and I was the new kid in town."
"So you don't know about Jake not knowing about soccer or he is so serious that some people called him Jacob?" said Conner, chuckling. "I gave him the nickname, Jake, and taught him about soccer when Tommy brought him to spend the summer with us."
"What? That's impossible," said Troy, surprised. "I could never picture him like that."
"He was like that," said Conner with a smile. "When we got the news of Jake becoming a Ranger someday, his dad decided to train him to be able to defend himself the best he could. That's how Jake met all of us. But when I met him, the kid was nothing but serious, focused on his training, and my job was to teach him some of the McKnight famous charms. I wasn't alone. With us, Jake learned to write songs with Kira, managed different computers with Ethan, and technology with Hayley. He learned how to draw with Trent and, of course, he learned about Ranger history and paleontology with Tommy. By the time he went back home, Jacob was still Jacob, but he had a touch of Jake."
"I… that's impressive, and it still makes me wonder why, with all he knows and what you all teach him… why he wants me to be the Red Ranger?"
"Because he can see the compromise in you," said Conner. "Look, when I became a Red Ranger, I was still an idiot, an airhead, and the Golden Boy of Reefside High. It took time for me to trust my team, and even then, I had trouble dealing with leadership and the choices I had to make."
"But…"
"Troy, Jake is the person who knows more about the generations of Rangers, more than Gosei," said Conner, putting a hand on his shoulder. "He also has Tommy's natural way of seeing something inside people, as if they had a special radar. If he trusted you to lead the team that includes his best friend, the girl he likes, and the best friend of the girl he likes, it's because he can see you are worthy of this color."
The words, coming from Conner, made Troy look at his morpher. Jake thought that he was worthy of being a Red Ranger, and for him, he had to step up now and show him he made the right choice.
"Guys? We have arrived," said Andros, walking into the waiting room.
Conner and Troy looked at each other and got up. Troy morphed into his Red Megaforce suit, and both of them followed Andros towards the control room as the Space Ranger finished the preparations for their incursion.
"I will keep the portal open and make sure no one except you three come through it, but remember you need to be careful. I won't be able to help you while I'm here, and all Ethan, Hayley, and Billy will be able to do is control your vitals and see what is going on, okay? Please, don't worry about your teams or your girls."
"Understood, Andros," said Conner, looking at Troy. "The last thing I want is to worry, Kira. She would kick my ass."
Andros nodded, said goodbye to the Rangers, and opened the portal, allowing them to finally infiltrate the enemy ship to look for Jake while Andros looked at them, worried. He moved to his screen to keep an eye on the portal and to prepare the ship to leave as soon as they come back with Jake.
-Megaforce-
Plaza
The Space Rangers were still fighting the loogies that seemed to keep appearing out of nowhere. This was a trick to keep them there and not allow them to go and save Jake, but the Rangers knew better, and they continued the fight. On the other side of the plaza, the Yellow Dino Ranger unleashed her sonic scream, throwing several loogies and Creepox to the ground.
"Wow…" said the Blue Megaforce Ranger.
"It's the power of our Dino Gems," said the Yellow Dino Ranger, landing beside him. "Red has speed, Blue steel skin, White can blend with his surroundings, and Black has the power of invisibility."
"That's interesting," said Pink.
Pink and Blue Megaforce, along with the Yellow Dino Ranger, jumped in the air, calling their weapons, and hitting loogies, defeating them. Not far from them, the Yellow Megaforce Ranger hit Creepox with her claw, sending him flying to the ground.
Creepox could see the Yellow Megaforce Ranger was furious, and that fury created new energy inside her. She walked towards him slowly, with her claw raised, ready to attack him.
"How!? How do you have this power!?" screamed Creepox.
The Yellow Megaforce Ranger didn't answer. She used her free hand to get her laser and pointed it at Creepox. Her aura was brighter, and Creepox could see a big yellow tiger walking beside the Ranger, looking at him as if he was the prey they had to take down.
"You took him away and hurt him," whispered the Yellow Megaforce Ranger with a low, deadly voice. "I will never forgive you for that."
"You mean the Black Ranger? Why do you care!? He must be dead at this point!" screamed Creepox.
The Yellow Megaforce Ranger ignored him. She couldn't think of that possibility now, and she kept walking while Creepox tried to stand and attack her. The Yellow Megaforce Ranger blocked his attack with her claw and lowered him to his knees, looking down at him.
"Abusers will never win," whispered the Yellow Megaforce Ranger.
She hit Creepox with her laser and pushed him away so she could use her claw and hit him one more time. Creepox screamed in pain, falling to his knees and breathing heavily, realizing he needed to leave if he wanted to survive.
He needed to retreat and think about his next move.
"Yellow!"
When the Yellow Megaforce Ranger turned to the Pink Megaforce Ranger's voice, Creepox saw his chance and ran, disappearing from the battlefield while the other Rangers appeared to assist Yellow. She was fine, but Creepox was already gone.
Creepox hid and sighed, looking at the sky, towards his ship.
"I won't fail you, Admiral Malkor," said Creepox.
He had to defeat these Rangers, but first… he needed to recover and think.