Jason's POV

Billy and I had just moved into the command room, both of us still processing everything Master Blue had said. I hated that he had been right. I hated that Kali was slipping through our fingers and that we needed to bring in her team to pull her back from the edge. It wasn't what she wanted, but at this point, it didn't matter. She needed them. I was about to say something to Billy when a frantic blur of black and silver shot into the room.

"Jason! Billy!" Howl's voice was sharp with urgency, her ears pinned back and her glowing blue eyes wide with alarm. "Kali's about to go after Drakkon alone!"

Billy and I exchanged a look, our stomachs dropping in unison.

"Damn it, Kali," I muttered under my breath, already moving toward the door. But before I could take another step, a bright flash of energy erupted in the room, and a swirling portal opened right in front of us. My instincts immediately kicked in, my hand reaching for my morpher—but then, figures began stepping through the portal. My breath caught as I recognized them instantly.

Devon, Zoey, Ravi, Nate, and Steel.

Kali's team.

The Grid Battleforce Rangers.

Devon barely had time to take in his surroundings before Howl turned on him. "Kali's in danger," she blurted out. "She's trying to take on Drakkon alone!"

Devon's expression immediately hardened, his eyes narrowing in alarm. "Where is she?"

Howl's tail flicked anxiously. "She was in the training room last I saw, but she could be anywhere by now."

Without hesitation, Devon bolted from the room, pushing past everyone in his urgency to find her. Howl didn't hesitate to follow him. The rest of Kali's team, now fully alert and concerned, turned their attention to Billy and me. "What the hell is going on?" Zoey demanded, her arms crossed tightly over her chest.

Ravi's gaze darted between us, his brows furrowed. "Where's Kali?"

"Why didn't she want us here?" Nate added, his voice laced with both worry and confusion.

Steel, the only one who wasn't rattled, placed his hands on his hips. "I don't know what's happening, but I sense some heavy drama unfolding, and I'm ready for it!"

I exhaled slowly, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Alright, listen," I said, cutting through their questions before they could overwhelm us further. "There's a lot to catch up on, and not a lot of time to do it. But before anything else, you need to know that Kali… she's not the same person you knew back in Coral Harbor."

That immediately got their attention. Zoey's face paled slightly. "What do you mean?"

Billy took a step forward, his voice calm yet serious. "This war has changed her. She's been through things no one should ever have to go through. And she's lost people. Friends." He hesitated before adding, "She didn't want you here because she wanted to keep you safe."

Devon had mentioned before how close they all were, but even if he hadn't, I could see it now in the way their faces tightened at Billy's words. Ravi clenched his jaw. "She thought she could just keep us in the dark?"

"She thought she was protecting you," I corrected, my voice firm but not unkind. "But the truth is, she needs you now more than ever."

Nate shook his head, frustration creeping into his voice. "If she's in that bad of a place, why didn't you call us sooner?"

Billy sighed. "Because she wouldn't let us."

Zoey stepped forward, her eyes searching mine. "Jason… what exactly happened to her?"

I took a deep breath, knowing there was no easy way to say it. "Drakkon tortured her. Physically. Mentally. He's killed people right in front of her. Friends. Rangers she's fought beside." My throat tightened slightly, but I forced myself to keep going. "She's barely had time to breathe before something else happens. And now, after losing Ziggy…" I shook my head, my fists clenching at my sides. "She's not just grieving. She's breaking."

A heavy silence filled the room, the weight of my words settling on all of them. Steel, for once, was completely silent. Nate swallowed hard. Zoey looked away, blinking rapidly. Ravi's fists clenched at his sides, his breathing slow and measured.

Kali's POV

Just as I was about to step through the exit, a voice called out my name. A familiar voice. I froze. My heart stilled for a brief moment before picking up at a rapid pace. That voice—no, it couldn't be. It shouldn't be. Slowly, I turned around. And there he was.

Devon.

My breath hitched as I took in the sight of him standing there, Howl right by his side. His red Grid Battleforce jacket, the same one he always wore, was slightly dusted, but his expression was as steady and warm as I remembered. He was here. My body locked up, torn between a whirlwind of emotions—shock, disbelief, anger that he had come here when I had tried so hard to keep him away, and relief so strong that it nearly sent me to my knees.

Devon didn't hesitate. He ran to me, and before I could react, he wrapped me in a tight embrace. I stiffened, still frozen in place, my arms hanging uselessly at my sides. My mind screamed at me to push him away, to demand why he was here, to tell him he shouldn't be here. But instead, all I could do was stand there.

"I'm so glad to see you," Devon whispered against my hair, his voice full of raw emotion. "You have no idea how much I've missed you."

I squeezed my eyes shut, his words breaking through the walls I had been trying so hard to keep up. And then, like a flood, Tommy's words from my dream surfaced in my mind.

"Lean on them, Kali. Let them in."

My breath shuddered, and before I could stop myself, I clutched onto Devon, my fingers gripping his jacket tightly as the dam finally broke. A sob tore from my throat, followed by another, and another.

Devon didn't let go. He just held me, strong and steady, letting me cry without a single word of protest. His arms were warm, grounding, reminding me of what I had been missing—what I had been forcing myself to stay away from. For the first time in months, I felt completely safe. The rage, the pain, the endless torment that had been clawing at my insides was gone.

I didn't know how long I cried, but Devon never let go. He just held me as if he had all the time in the world, as if there was nowhere else he'd rather be. When I finally had no more tears left to shed, I pulled back slightly, looking up at him with red, watery eyes. He smiled softly, brushing a stray tear from my cheek. "It's okay," he murmured. "I got you."

I took a shaky breath, nodding slightly before whispering, "I love you, Devon."

His smile grew, warm and full of reassurance. "I love you too. And I know you didn't want me here, but… I'm really glad I came."

I let out a small, breathy chuckle. "Yeah… me too."

Devon's expression shifted into something more mischievous. "And it's not just me."

He finally stepped back, releasing me from the hug. My gaze flickered to the side, landing on Howl, who had been quietly watching us. Guilt immediately hit me like a punch to the gut. I knelt down, reaching for her, and without hesitation, she nuzzled into me.

"Howl… I'm so sorry," I whispered, my fingers wrapping around her neck. "I shouldn't have snapped at you earlier. And thank you… for not giving up on me."

Howl let out a soft whine, wagging her tail gently. "I'll always look out for you, no matter what," she assured me.

I smiled, pressing my forehead against hers. "Thank you."

After a moment, I stood, taking Devon's hand as he led me back toward the command room, Howl walking closely beside me. The moment we stepped inside, the others turned toward us. Zoey, Ravi, Nate, and Steel all broke into smiles, and in an instant, I was surrounded. "Kali!" Zoey exclaimed, throwing her arms around me in a tight hug.

"I knew we'd find you!" Steel declared proudly, wrapping his metal arms around both Zoey and me.

"Kali, we missed you," Ravi said, his voice full of warmth as he placed a steadying hand on my shoulder.

"You have no idea how worried we've been," Nate added, stepping forward with a relieved smile.

I hugged each of them back, my heart swelling at their familiar presence. "I missed you guys too," I admitted, feeling lighter than I had in so long. Then, after sharing a warm moment with my closest friends—my real family—I turned to Jason and Billy.

I took a deep breath, steadying myself before speaking. "I… I'm sorry," I said, my voice laced with regret. "For how I acted toward you both."

Billy's expression softened, and he shook his head. "We're not mad at you, Kali."

Jason nodded, stepping closer and resting a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "It's not your fault," he said firmly. "We're just glad you're back."

I swallowed against the lump forming in my throat, nodding in silent gratitude. Then I turned back to my team. Taking another deep breath, I hesitated before speaking. "I… I didn't want you here," I admitted, my voice quiet but steady. "Not because I didn't miss you, but because… I didn't want you to see this. To see what this war has done to me."

I exhaled slowly. "I've seen things I can't even put into words. I've watched friends die. I watched Jen die. I watched Ziggy get impaled right in front of me. I tried to save them, and I failed." My voice cracked on the last word, and I looked down, unable to meet their eyes. "I didn't want you to come here and see me like this. To see how much I've changed. And most of all… I didn't want to lose any of you too."

Silence followed my confession, the weight of my words settling over the room. Then, one by one, they stepped forward. Steel was the first. "Well, first of all, I must say, that was extremely emotional," he said dramatically. "But secondly—and most importantly—you don't have to carry this alone, Kali. We're your team! And teams stick together, no matter what dimension we're in."

Nate stepped up next. "Steel's right. You don't have to figure this out alone. We're here now, and we're not going anywhere."

Zoey placed a gentle hand on my arm. "You've always been the one looking out for us. Now it's our turn to look out for you."

Ravi crossed his arms, his expression firm yet full of loyalty. "No matter how bad things get, you can always count on us, Kali."

And finally, Devon. His eyes held nothing but unwavering love and understanding. "We love you," he said simply. "And nothing—nothing—is ever going to change that."

Tears welled in my eyes, but this time, they weren't from grief. They were from the overwhelming love and support of my team. My family. I let out a shaky laugh, wiping my eyes before nodding. "I… I love you guys too."

And for the first time in a long, long time…

I felt whole again. The warmth of my team's embrace still lingered, grounding me even as my mind turned to the inevitable war ahead. The battle that would decide everything. We didn't have the luxury of celebrating reunions—not when Drakkon was still out there, growing stronger by the second. Jason cleared his throat, his voice steady with purpose. "Now that we're all here… it's time we talk about our next move. We need to end this. Once and for all."

A heavy silence settled over us. We all knew what that meant. I took a slow breath and stepped forward, locking eyes with everyone in the room. "Drakkon's forces are getting stronger. If we don't act soon, we'll lose what little ground we have left. But if we go in without a plan, we won't stand a chance."

Billy nodded, tapping at the console in front of him. A holographic projection of Drakkon's stronghold appeared before us, flickering ominously in the dim lighting. "We intercepted a transmission earlier," he explained. "Drakkon has fortified his stronghold, surrounding himself with his strongest warriors and creations. We don't know exactly what we're walking into—or when we'll run into his worst, but we do know one thing…"

Trini exhaled sharply, finishing his sentence. "He's waiting for us."

Devon crossed his arms. "Then we don't give him the advantage. We control the fight—not him."

I studied the projection, my mind running through every possible scenario. We needed to be careful. We needed to be strategic. "We have to be ready for anything," I said. "That means preparing for the Robo-Generals, Venjix… even Drakkon himself."

Billy zoomed in on the structure. "We'll need to divide our forces—"

"No."

The word left my mouth before I even realized it, my body tensing instinctively.

Jason and Billy turned to me, both caught off guard by the force behind my voice. "We stay together," I said firmly, my hands curling into fists at my sides. "I know splitting up might seem like the smart move, but that's exactly what Drakkon wants. He'll pick us off one by one."

Cassie frowned. "Kali, we can cover more ground if—"

"I said no!" I snapped, my voice harsher than I intended. Silence followed.

I exhaled sharply and forced myself to steady my breathing. "I've seen what happens when we split up." My voice was lower now, but no less intense. "I watched Jen die. I watched Ziggy die. I'm not doing that again."

Devon placed a hand on my shoulder, his touch grounding me. "We hear you," he said gently. "And we're not leaving anyone behind. But we also need to be realistic. If we go in one massive group, we make ourselves a bigger target."

I clenched my jaw, my pulse pounding. I knew he was right. I hated that he was right. Billy sighed. "We'll stay as close together as possible. If we have to split, we keep communication open, and no one moves without backup."

Jason nodded. "Agreed." He turned to me. "Will that work?"

I hesitated, my gut twisting. Every part of me wanted to refuse. But I couldn't let my fear cloud my judgment. "…Fine," I said begrudgingly. "But if we get separated, we get back to each other. Immediately."

Cassie stepped forward. "And if we run into the Robo-Generals first?"

My stomach twisted at the thought, but I straightened my shoulders. "Then we end them."

Billy adjusted the hologram. "We don't know when we'll encounter Venjix, either. But when we do, we take him out—for good."

At the mention of Venjix, my body tensed again. The memories flashed through my mind—his voice, his control, the way he had twisted my life into a nightmare.

A cold chill ran down my spine.

Devon must have noticed because his grip on my shoulder tightened. "We'll take him down together," he reassured me. I swallowed, pushing down the fear. I had to focus. I had to be ready. I turned my attention to the final point on the projection: Drakkon's throne room. Everything had led to this. Every fight. Every loss. Every piece of ourselves that this war had taken. I wouldn't let him take any more. I looked up at my team, my family, my friends. Jason. Billy. Trini. Devon. Zoey. Ravi. Nate. Steel. The alternate Rangers. "No more running," I said.

They all nodded, their determination matching mine. Zoey's voice was steady. "Then let's end this."

Ravi clenched his fists. "Once and for all."

My grip tightened on my Wolf Saber, my pulse steady as my resolve hardened. No more hesitation. No more fear. This ends soon. And Drakkon won't see it coming.