I don't think it's even been ten minutes. Unless my sleep was one of those where you actually slept through the night, and it only feels like seconds had passed. Those are the worst. But, no. When I glance over at my alarm clock, it still reads 1:15 AM. Which means the alarm is blaring at 1:15 AM.

Can't ever catch a break around here. It almost hurts to drag myself back out of bed, do a terrible job at fixing my hair, then trudge all the way to the conference room. Captain Mitchell is already there, his back to us as he stares at the blank monitor. The cursory glance I snatch of Dana reveals that she has no idea what's going on, but based on her furrowed brow, she probably wants to know. "Dad?"

Without turning around, Captain Mitchell says, "The Titanium morpher has been stolen."

My head whirls. I'm used to running on a few hours of sleep, but not so much on being woken up in the middle of the night and immediately having to attend to an emergency. "How… how does that even work?" Kelsey beats me to the question. "Who else is compatible with a morpher?" She's right. Dana had literally told us not three hours ago that we're it.

Chad shakes his head and glances at Captain Mitchell as he speaks. "Was anything else taken?"

"No."

Carter lets out a deep exhale and scrubs his face with a hand. "Please tell us that you all put some kind of… of tracker on it."

Dana's dad laughs. "Been disabled."

"So, they're good." That's my one and only conclusion.

Captain Mitchell nods, the first motion he's made since we came in here. "Maybe." I swear the room drops a few degrees colder.

Joel crosses his arms. "You said the tracker was disabled. Why'd you call us here?"

It's only now that the Captain turns to face us. "Whoever has that morpher is extremely dangerous, not only to you but to every Mariner Bay civilian." He clicks on the monitor, revealing the most grueling schedule I've ever seen. "This will be your new training regiment."

Can't ever catch a break.

I have never been more sore in my entire life, and that's saying a lot. Every single muscle in my body aches, and even as one of our fight trainers, Colby, pushes us into another set of exercises, my limbs are just about to give out. The announcement of the stolen morpher was two days ago. We were given one day of rest, and then it was into the fire for us.

My head smacks the mat as Kelsey bowls me over, and before I can even think of trying to get up again, she collapses next to me, chest heaving. "This…" she huffs, "is insane."

Dana tosses us each our towels, and I nod to her in thanks, swiping my sweat away. "Not as insane as the Titanium morpher getting stolen." She's right, as she always is. The three of us dissolve into silence, the gym only filled with the guys' footsteps pounding into the treadmills they're each on.

This is all so much to think about. A secret project, my parents' disapproval, my, I guess, attraction to Carter. The treadmills beep in unison, and Joel, Chad and Carter all slow their sprints into slow walks. Just as Dana did for me, I open the towel cabinet and carry three over to the rest of my teammates.

Each of them take it with a nod or murmur of thanks, and strangely, those simple things soothe me. No matter what, this team will be here. Even with my indecision, even with all those who don't believe in me. Carter's hand brushes mine, and I pull away before he can note how tense I get.

The doors shut, and it's then that I realize everyone else has gone back to our dorms to shower and eat. "You looked good."

I scoff and take a quick swig of water. "You mean when Kelsey was throwing me around?"

Carter shrugs. "I mean, it looks like you know what you're doing. Your form's good, you're light on your feet…"

I don't look at him, instead staring out the window into the darkening ocean. A school of fish swim by, followed by a pair of dolphins. "Thanks. Leon taught me all I know, encouraged my parents to sign me up for self-defense classes… all that good stuff."

"You guys are close, huh?"

Nodding, I note his footsteps as he approaches, and now, we're both gazing into the beautiful scenery stretching in front of us. "He practically raised me."

"Must've been hell to leave your family behind to come here."

Irritation spikes in my chest, and before I can shove it down, another scoff escapes. "Y' think?" Carter stills, and I immediately eat my words. "Sorry. I… I've got a lot on my mind." As if he doesn't. He's our leader, someone who chose to take on Project Titanium so his teammates and friends wouldn't have to. Compared to the rest of us, his workload alone is doubled, and not to mention his meetings. "And somehow, I keep digging my own grave here."

Carter chuckles, the sound sending warmth skittering over my arms. "Think our graves have already been dug, what with this training regiment."

I almost don't know what to say. Despite my sass, my attitude, he breezes past it all. "Could say that again. I swear every single cell in my body hates me."

"Think it'll be worth it?" The question's reminiscent of our conversation two weeks ago in our dorm. I'm still surprised he's asking me, though, especially a question of this gravity.

"When the Titanium morpher reappears?" Now, I glance over at him, gauging his response. Carter nods, but his jaw clenches, shoulders tensing, and something deep in my chest wants to reach over and soothe him.

But now, realistically, do I lie and spare his feelings? Or do I be upfront? Abruptly, I'm brought back to the moment in the little boy's hospital room, when he'd asked me not to do the former. "It'll be unpredictable," I murmur, voice just barely above a whisper, "But this team, with you as our leader?" His gray-blue eyes meet mine, and I smile, for once not caring if he knows I'm red as a cherry. "We're unstoppable, Carter."

His mouth opens, shuts, and opens again, searching for an answer. "I've rendered the great Red Ranger speechless," I try for a joke, "I'm proud of myself."

Carter shakes his head, and when our gazes meet, there's a new light in his eyes. "You're not the only one who is."

Right now, staring into the mask of the Titanium

Ranger, Carter feels everything but unstoppable. "Hey, man," he tries to reason, "we're not here to fight you."

Their opponent brandishes their blaster with an unnatural ease. "That makes one of us."

The optimistic side of him, the side that almost always prevails, tells Carter that whoever's behind the mask won't shoot. So if it isn't for someone barreling into his side and knocking him over before the laser blast can contact his head, he'd have been knocked out. Or worse.

When the smoke clears, Ally's on the ground, unmorphed. Blood streams from a gash on her forehead, and when she doesn't move, Carter finally, finally snaps into focus. "Is she alright?" Kelsey calls over from where she's dealing with a swarm of Battlings.

"I don't know. Stay fo-" His shoulder burns as a laser blast strikes him, and Carter pivots, putting his back to Ally as the Titanium Ranger approaches. "You'll pay for that."

The stranger tilts their head. "Such vengeful words, coming from a Red Ranger." Carter can't bring himself to care all that much about his tone or choice of words, especially when he looks around and spots his team on the ground. "Although, I'd say they're pretty warranted."

My head hurts. The harsh lights of the medbay only make it worse, and not to mention, someone's snoring. Chad sits in one of the two chairs in the space, and someone's draped a light blue blanket over him that hardly covers him up to his knees. "Chad?"

He jolts awake instantly, and I offer a smile I hope passes as reassuring. "Dude. You remember my name?"

I know I'm the one in the hospital bed, but is he okay? "Uh… yeah?"

Chad sighs, and when he gestures to my forehead, everything comes rushing back. The way I'd known the Titanium Ranger was going to shoot, the way I'd cursed Carter's eternal optimism before pushing him out of the way and taking the shot myself.

If my helmet hadn't protected me… "Is he okay?"

"He's fine." Relief washes over me in a wave so strong, I nearly tear up. "How'd you know?"

How did I know that the man in a suit that looks just like ours would also be so… opposite? "Back home," I start speaking before I even know what I'm saying, "The locals have a specific word for your gut instinct, your na'au. I'm pretty sure it was either that, or I'm extremely jaded."

Chad laughs and swipes at his eyes. I think he's wiping the sleep away, before I see tears gathering on his cheeks. "You've been out for two days. We haven't heard anything from Diabolico, Vypra or the Titanium

Ranger." He drags his chair closer to my bed. "The others and I have been in and out of here. Sometimes for recovery, but most of the time to stay with you."

To be here with me when I woke up. "I… thank you, Chad."

He shakes his head. "What you did was incredible, 'Lys." Why am I sensing a- "And really, really stupid."

Yep. Here it comes. "Like you wouldn't do the same."

"You're not wrong. But against an unknown enemy?" As much as I hate that he is, Chad's right. I very easily could've died, and that would leave my team one member down. My family without their daughter and sister. "You're the best, but only when you're actually thinking."

"I hate you." Speaking of… "Why'd you guys ditch me in the gym the other night?"

Chad cringes, probably not as happy that I remember that. "Um. Because we were sore and sweaty and I'd just remembered I left my mac and cheese in the toaster?" I narrow my eyes.

"You offered me your mac and cheese, and when I said no you showed me the empty bowl."

He lets out a groan. "Okay. Fine." He leans even closer, and I frown. Chad opens his mouth, and I find myself enraptured with what he's going to say- He flicks my forehead, and I yelp.

"Really? Right on top of the…" No bandages surround my head. The gash that I know must've been there is stitched up, though, and thankfully, he'd avoided the scar. "Never mind."

"You've got to be one of the most bizarre people I know," Chad huffs, pointedly ignoring the middle finger I hold up, "Do you seriously not see how bad Carter has it for you?"

Uh… "I thought- We literally just got past the coworker phase, Chad. Guy's emotionless when it comes to me."

Chad raises an eyebrow. "And besides, I'm not looking for anything."

He throws his hands into the air. "C'mon. Whatever happened to fun?"

"My version of fun is riding motorcycles and pulling all nighters to edit. What's yours?"

"Setting my friends up." Please, this dickhead. A yawn escapes me, and Chad stands, stretches. "I'll leave you be. For now."

"I highly dislike you."

He ruffles my hair. "Get rest." With that, he makes for the door.

The door that flings open before he can open it. "Yo. What gives-"

Dana's chest is heaving, and when her wide eyes land on me, I know whatever she's about to say isn't good. "Something's happened."