I took a deep breath, steadying myself before looking at Devon. His brows were furrowed, concern clear in his deep brown eyes as he waited for me to speak. "That was Billy," I said finally, my voice quieter than I intended. Devon nodded, urging me to continue.

I swallowed hard. "Rita's back."

His entire body tensed. "What?"

I shook my head. "Not… exactly her. Billy said that a year ago, he tried to bring Zordon back by finding particles of the Z-Wave and reconstituting them." I hesitated. "But he didn't bring back the good. The evil that was purged from Rita got pulled in too… and it took over Alpha 8."

Devon exhaled sharply, rubbing his face. "Damn."

I nodded, my throat tight. "She's a robot now, and she's been back for a year. And, Devon… she killed Trini."

Devon's head snapped up, his expression darkening. "She what?"

I nodded, pressing my lips together to keep my voice steady. "Zack's been taking care of Trini's daughter, Minh."

Devon swore under his breath. "I can't believe Billy's been dealing with this alone for a year."

"Neither can I," I admitted. "I told him I'm coming over to help."

Devon's jaw tensed. "Kali…"

"I have to, Dev," I said gently but firmly. "Billy's our friend. He's always been there for me, and I won't just sit back and do nothing."

He sighed, running a hand over his hair. "I get that, babe. I do. But… I just don't like the idea of you walking into another fight. You've already been through too much."

I reached for his hand, squeezing it. "I know. And I promise I'm not going in blind. I'll be careful."

His fingers tightened around mine. "You better be."

"I always am," I teased, nudging him lightly.

Devon gave me a look. "That is a lie."

I smirked, but before he could argue further, I continued, "Once this is all over, I was thinking… maybe we invite Billy, Zack, and Minh over for a while. Let them get away from everything and just… be around friends."

Devon tilted his head, considering it. "That's a good idea. Nate would probably love seeing Billy again. We should invite him, Zoey, Ravi, Roxy, Steel… and the kids too."

My heart warmed at the thought. "I like that."

Devon smiled, rubbing his thumb over my hand. "Good. Then it's settled."

After saying goodbye to Nate, I gave him a brief explanation, keeping it vague for now. "I'm heading to Angel Grove for a little while," I told him.

Nate looked up from his console, concern flashing in his eyes. "Is everything okay?"

"Not really," I admitted, "but I'll be fine. I just need to take care of something."

He nodded slowly. "If you need anything, let me know."

I smiled. "Thanks, Nate."

Devon and I left Grid Battleforce and headed home. As soon as we stepped inside, Devon's dad looked up from where he sat with Raine, who was showing off her coloring book. "Everything all right?" he asked, his eyes flicking between me and Devon.

I nodded. "Yeah. Just wanted to let you know I'll be heading to Angel Grove for a little while tomorrow."

His brows lifted slightly, but he didn't pry. "All right. Be careful."

"I will."

He patted my shoulder before standing up. "Well, I should get going." He crouched down to Raine, who pouted. "I'll see you soon, sweetheart."

"Bye, Papa!" she chirped, hugging him tightly. Devon's dad chuckled and ruffled her curls before heading out. As the door closed, I let out a slow breath, feeling the weight of the conversation settle over me. But before I could dwell on it, Raine ran up to me, her little arms wrapping around my leg. "Mommy, you're home!"

I laughed, bending down to scoop her up. "I am home."

She grinned. "I missed you."

I kissed her cheek. "I missed you too, baby."

Devon came up beside me, wrapping an arm around both of us. "Let's get some dinner going."

I nodded, leaning into him, grateful for the warmth of my family. Tonight, I'd focus on them. Tomorrow… tomorrow, I'd face whatever was waiting for me in Angel Grove.

Morning came too quickly. I stood by the door, kneeling to hug Raine as she wrapped her little arms tightly around my neck. "Be good for Daddy, okay?"

"I will," she promised, pressing a tiny kiss to my cheek. "I love you, Mommy."

My heart clenched. "I love you too, baby."

Devon rested a hand on my shoulder. When I looked up, I saw the concern in his eyes, but he didn't try to stop me. He just pulled me into a hug. "Be careful," he murmured.

"I will."

He sighed, knowing better than to argue. "Just… call me if anything happens."

I gave him a small smile. "I promise."

With one last look at my family, I stepped back, closed my eyes, and focused. The familiar pull of the Grid Traveling ability surged through me, and in a flash of shimmering energy, I was gone.

When I reappeared in Angel Grove, I took a deep breath, centering myself. The city had changed over the years, yet it still felt the same—like stepping into a memory I hadn't visited in too long. I made my way to Cranston Technologies, Billy's company. The glass-paneled skyscraper gleamed under the morning sun, a testament to how far Billy had come since his days as a teenager in the Command Center. Walking into the lobby, I approached the front desk. A young woman with sleek black hair and a professional smile looked up from her computer. "Good morning! How can I help you?"

"Hi," I said, adjusting the strap of my bag. "I'm looking for Billy Cranston. Is he here?"

She nodded. "Yes, he's in. I'll let him know you're here."

I thanked her and stepped aside, my fingers drumming lightly against my thigh as I glanced around the pristine lobby. Minutes later, a familiar figure emerged from a hallway. Billy. The second I saw him, I didn't hesitate. "Billy!" I ran toward him and threw my arms around his shoulders.

He let out a surprised laugh but hugged me back just as tightly. "Kali! It's good to see you."

I pulled back, studying him. He looked tired, but there was warmth in his blue eyes. "You too," I said sincerely. "I just wish it were under better circumstances."

Billy sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah… me too. Come on. Let's talk downstairs."

I nodded, following him to a restricted-access elevator. I had been here before, so I wasn't surprised when the elevator descended lower than any normal floor. As the doors opened, I stepped into the command center hidden beneath his company—a modernized version of the old base we all used to know. The second I walked in, I spotted Zack, standing near one of the consoles. "Zack!"

His head snapped up, and his face broke into a wide grin. "No way! Kali?!"

Before I could respond, he strode over and pulled me into a hug. "Man, it's been too long!" he said, giving me an extra squeeze before stepping back.

I laughed. "Tell me about it. You haven't aged a day."

"Flattery will get you everywhere," he teased, flashing me that signature Zack Taylor charm. Before I could reply, a familiar robotic voice chimed in.

"Ay-yi-yi! Kali! It is good to see you again!"

I turned to see Alpha 9, standing near the control panel, his bright visor blinking with excitement.

I grinned. "Alpha!" Without hesitation, I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around him in a hug.

Alpha 9 beeped happily. "I have missed you, Kali."

I smiled, pulling back. "I missed you too."

Billy chuckled. "Glad to see you still get a warm welcome here."

I smirked. "What can I say? I'm lovable."

Zack snorted. "And humble, too."

I rolled my eyes but smiled. As much as I wished we were all gathering under better circumstances, I couldn't deny the warmth that spread through me at seeing my old friends again. But I knew we had serious things to discuss. And I was ready.

The alarms blared through the command center, the shrill sound sending an instant jolt of adrenaline through my veins. I spun toward the monitors just as Alpha 9's visor flashed red in warning. "Ay-yi-yi! Putties have been sighted attacking civilians across multiple locations in the universe!"

Billy rushed to the console, his fingers flying over the controls. A series of screens popped up, each showing different places—cities, towns, and even remote planets—all under siege by Putties. "This is bad," Billy muttered, his expression tightening.

"No kidding," Zack said, folding his arms. "We've never seen them spread out like this before."

Alpha 9 beeped. "Initiating Bandora Protocol. Contacting all active and former Ranger teams."

I took a sharp breath as the words sank in. Bandora Protocol. I had never heard of it before, but from the way Billy and Zack tensed, I knew it had to be serious. A few seconds later, a communicator chime sounded. Two figures materialized in the room in flashes of red and pink light. I immediately recognized them. Kat Hillard and Rocky DeSantos.

I had heard plenty about them, but I had never met them in person before. Billy had spoken about them fondly, and now here they were, answering the call to action. Kat, still as graceful as ever, offered me a warm smile. "You must be Kali. Billy's told us a lot about you."

Rocky nodded, his tone sincere. "We're sorry for everything you went through with Drakkon. No Ranger should have to go through that."

I hesitated, feeling the weight of their sympathy. Even now, years after the war, it still wasn't easy talking about it. But I managed a small smile. "Thank you. It's still rough sometimes… but I have my family and friends to help me through it."

Kat reached out and gave my arm a reassuring squeeze. "That's what matters."

Billy cleared his throat. "We don't have much time. I've made proxy Power Coins so you two can morph again."

He pulled out two small devices and handed one to Kat and the other to Rocky. Zack sighed, clearly uneasy. "You sure about this, man? Zordon warned us about creating duplicate power coins."

Billy gave him a firm look. "I know but we don't have any other choice."

Kat exchanged a glance with Rocky before gripping the coin tightly. "If it means protecting people, we're in."

Rocky smirked. "Let's kick some Putty butt."

I cracked my knuckles. "Now you're speaking my language."

We stepped back, readying ourselves. Billy took a breath. "It's Morphin Time!"

Zack followed. "Mastodon!"

Rocky grinned. "Tyrannosaurus!"

Kat called out, "Pterodactyl!"

I tightened my grip on my Wolf Morpher and felt the surge of power ripple through me. "It's Morphin Time! Activate Wolf Power!"

In a brilliant flash of black, green, pink, purple and silver my armor formed around me, the familiar weight of my helmet settling over my head. Energy pulsed through my limbs, and for the first time since the war, I felt that old familiar rush again. The fight was on.

We teleported to the first attack site—Angel Grove's industrial district. Putties swarmed the area, their hollow, guttural screeches echoing through the air. "Alright," Rocky said, cracking his knuckles. "Let's show these clay heads they picked the wrong city."

"Even after all these years, they still sound like turkeys," Kat quipped, making me smile. The second we engaged, it was chaos. I leapt forward, flipping over a Putty and slashing downward with my Wolf Saber, sending it crashing into the pavement. Another lunged at me from behind, but I spun, kicking it square in the chest, sending it flying into a stack of metal crates.

Billy and Zack fought side by side, taking down Putties with practiced efficiency. Kat and Rocky were just as quick, their old skills kicking in like they had never left the battlefield. We were holding our own—until the air suddenly crackled with dark energy. A deep, grating laugh filled the area. "Well, well. Looks like the rats have fallen for the trap."

I turned just as two monsters I recognized from Ranger history-Snizzard and Minotaur, emerged from the shadows. Only this time, they had cybernetics.

Okay…I hate the fact that's actually kinda cool.

Billy clenched his fists. "You two again."

Snizzard's tongue flicked out. "Tsk, tsk. You Rangers always fall for the bait."

My stomach twisted. Bait? Minotaur stomped forward, his glowing red eyes narrowing. "You don't get it, do you? The Putties weren't here to conquer anything. They were just the lure."

I took a step forward. "Lure for what?"

Snizzard grinned, baring sharp teeth. "For you."

Before I could react, a massive machine rumbled to life behind them, its energy field pulsing ominously. My eyes widened. Zack cursed. "Damn it! They've been tracking us this whole time!"

Kat's voice was sharp. "We need to fall back. Now."

Billy hesitated for only a second before nodding. "She's right. We can't risk getting captured too."

As much as I hated retreating, I knew they were right. "Alpha, get us out of here!" Billy shouted into his communicator. The last thing I saw before we teleported away was Snizzard's wicked grin.