Episode 8: Building a Future

SPD Academy (2025) – Meeting Room

After allowing a few minutes for Bridge to finally recover from seeing his meeting with Jake again, Cruger didn't miss that Bridge was now sitting with the Megaforce Rangers, with Z by his side. Cruger smiled; that is where he belonged, and despite the loss, Cruger could see Bridge's spirit start to shine again.

It was a start.

"Now that you know Bridge was with them all this time, we are ready to see the reparations on the Command Center, the city, and your transportation to this Command Center, where you had been all this time," said Cruger, interested. "To be honest, we have not seen any of these. Bridge did explain some of the process, as did our mentors, but I feel it will be different seeing it."

"It was a lot of fun for me," said Bridge, chuckling. "Not so much for Jake, Conner, and Mike. They had to take over meetings, business, and many other duties."

"We all know how much they liked that," said Jack, making the rest of his team chuckle. Cruger touched the recorder, and then they all looked at the screen, where Jake was in a meeting through video call with Wes' lawyers. He was dressed in some formal clothes, Alpha-5 and Rico managed to get for him. It was clear that a few weeks had passed since what they could see was that the Command Center was already in construction.

-L-

Eltar (2014) – Command Center

Jake took a deep breath as the lawyers looked at the videos and pictures Jake had sent them for the rebuild of the city along with several upgrades of the Command Center. It had taken more than they thought, but they weren't as smart as Noah, Ethan, Billy, or Hayley; they needed time, and Jake was sure that the only reason why they managed to finish it quicker was because Alpha-5 and Rico were right there with them.

He knew it was good and necessary, but it would need a big investment, especially to transport the materials from Earth to Eltar. It gave Jake a headache thinking he also had to do this with KO-35 leaders and Mirinoi's elders, but what was at stake was more important. The lawyers, after what seemed an eternity, finally looked up at Jake.

"Very well, Mr. Scott, we can arrange it with the resources Mr. and Ms. Collins left for you," said the lawyer, giving Jake a smile. "In addition, the Silver Guardians, per your request, will ensure the safety of any civilian related to a Power Ranger, and we will ensure your resources get to Eltar safely."

Jake looked surprised that they were so willing to help, and the senior lawyer noticed because he chuckled, putting down the document and relaxing against his chair.

"Don't ever play poker, young man," said the lawyer. "You thought we were going to deny your request, Mr. Scott?"

"I…" said Jake, noticing he was caught off guard. "I just thought it was going to be harder to convince you to spend that amount of money, even if it had my name."

"Oh, it was hard to convince, but we do not forget the situation you and your friends are in, Mr. Scott. And since Mr. and Ms. Collins are both active Power Rangers and are unable to assist you, we had clear orders to be the ones to help you if you ever needed us," explained the lawyer.

"You had orders?" asked Jake, stunned.

"Of course. We do not forget being a Power Ranger is a complicated duty, Mr. Scott. You have more allies than you imagine," said the lawyer, looking down. "Unfortunately, this chat has to come to an end. This project you had in mind requires all our attention, and we need to get to it. Expect a message from us in a couple of days with your resources."

"Sure, thank you. We will be waiting," said Jake.

The call ended, and Jake took a deep breath. He could feel the headache due to the tension from a meeting that really wasn't as complicated as he thought. Jake closed his eyes for a second when he heard the door opening and looked towards it, watching young Bridge look inside the room until he found him. Bridge smiled and ran into the room.

"Hi, buddy. What are you doing here?" asked Jake, catching the young boy to sit him on the desk. "Did you have breakfast?"

"Yes! I hear you no talking," said Bridge, timidly. "Rico made breakfast and then said meeting over and I could come."

Jake nodded. Rico must have been keeping track of his meeting so Bridge could come as soon as it was over. It was funny, but he had grown attached to the young boy in the past weeks. Bridge was able to light up any room he was in, and it reminded him of Kendall and Chase. Jake smiled, ruffling little Bridge's hair. He wondered if his father, his stepmom, and his family felt this way too when he was around.

"Rico was right. I just finished my meeting," said Jake, adjusting the little green jacket Bridge was wearing that morning. "Tell me, what are you planning to do today?"

"I wanted to come with you," asked Bridge, looking down. "Alpha said you were going to help the city, and Bridge wants to help too!"

Jake looked at him for a few moments. He was sure Bridge could handle himself if he brought him along. After all, Bridge had survived inside the Dark Ranger's ship for some time before Jake found him, but he was still a little worried about his powers, so crossing his arms, he started thinking of a solution for that.

"Bridge, your powers… you have to stay in direct contact with the object or the person, right?" asked Jake, and Bridge nodded. "What if you had gloves?"

"Gloves?" asked Bridge, confused. "What's a glove?"

Jake chuckled and signaled Bridge to wait while he opened the door that connected what was designed as his personal office with his room. A moment later, he came back, this time with a pair of black gloves that he showed Bridge.

"These gloves are the ones I used when I was a kid, when I trained with my dad and my uncle Tommy. There are different types of gloves, some for cleaning, some for the cold, and some like this, for training," said Jake while he put the gloves in Bridge's hands. "My stepmom and my Aunt Tanya bought them for me, and my Aunt Aisha and my Aunt Kimberly added the Saber-Tooth Tiger you see there on the back of the gloves. When I grew up, I kept this gloves with me, and now, you can wear them. It will prevent you from triggering your powers in the ruins, and that way, you can come with me."

"Wow… they are so pretty," said Bridge, amazed, and then he nodded, touching the desk. "Wow! I don't feel anything!"

"See? They will protect you from unwanted feelings or emotions, so unless you need to use your powers, you are sleeping, or you are in the bathroom or the shower, you don't take them off, alright?"

"Alright!"

Jake laughed, bringing the kid to the ground so they could leave. Bridge looked happy, all dressed in green and wearing his new gloves. For a moment, Jake thought this little guy was everything he wanted in a son from him and Gia.

Then he stopped himself and blushed; he knew what Bridge was to him since he got his memories back, but thinking about him and Gia with a son maybe was going to far. They were in love but a kid was a new level and right now, there was no way to talk about this.

And yet, he thought Gia would love Bridge as much as he did.

"Let's go?" asked Bridge.

"Yeah," said Jake, grabbing his jacket. "C'mon, let's see if Conner and Mike are done with their meetings."

Bridge laughed when Jake held his hand, and they walked out of the room. The path would be long, but Jake had the feeling they were ready to face anything as long as they could have these little moments.

-L-

Construction Area – Square 5

Conner smiled at the guy dressed in the Ninja Storm uniform and greeted him, happy to see that one of the most recent students managed to get out of the mess that was this situation. The young man greeted him, also happy to see more Power Rangers.

"Conner McKnight?" asked the man. "I'm Jordan, student at the Ninja Storm academy and right now, the only active Ninja Fire Ranger."

"Yes, thank you for coming. I was surprised to hear you were coordinating with the Megaforce robot, Tensou and RoboKnight," said Conner, walking with Jordan towards the work area. "How is everything on Earth? Is my brother causing any trouble?"

"Not much, he's helping at the Academy and for Earth, it is a little messy, to be honest. The news about the Rangers' disappearances are huge, and people are scared there is not going to be anyone to step up if someone attacks Earth. But so far, there has been peace, and in these moments, that's all we can ask for," said Jordan, looking around. "I see you guys didn't have it easy either."

"No… losing our teammates was hard enough, but the attack here made it more real and desperate," admitted Conner, taking a deep breath. "That's why we need people like you here. What do you think about the academy?"

"Well, before I went to the Ninja academy, I wasn't the best person, but I have to admit that place and the discipline changed me. So for me, that you guys want to do something like that here is the perfect idea. The Ninja Academy and I would like to help in anything you need, from reconstruction to later teaching your students everything we know," said Jordan.

"Thank you. Your help will be invaluable for the future," said Conner, shaking his hand. "Let's go, we are meeting with the masters of Pai Zhua."

Jordan nodded, and he and Conner walked towards the small building where Conner invited the Pai Zhua masters to talk when suddenly, Jordan noticed a young man and a boy walking towards them, and he froze. He knew that guy.

Conner noticed him and then looked to see Jake and Bridge coming towards them. He saw Jake freeze, seeing Jordan, and then chuckled. "You know each other?" asked Conner.

"Yeah," said Jordan. "He was the one that made me realize I was wrong in the past."

Conner didn't say anything; he didn't need to when he saw Jake and Jordan hug. Conner smiled, seeing that Jake seemed happy to see another friendly face. It was good to have some allies here, despite the danger; it reminded them what they are fighting for. Jake had his contacts, and Mike had his samurais.

What did he have? Conner looked down; all his Ranger world was in a crystal, no… all his world was there, waiting for them to free them.

"Conner?"

Conner looked down, where Bridge was looking at him with curious eyes. He chuckled; the kid reminded him a lot of Jake when he was a kid, but a lot more innocent. Conner knelt to be on Bridge's level while Jake, noticing the exchange, indicated Jordan to follow him.

"What's up, little one?" asked Conner.

"You promised to show me the sky," said Bridge, pointing up to the sky.

Conner looked around, noticing Jake was already inside the small building with Jordan, and then he looked back to Bridge with a smile. It wasn't surprised Bridge seemed to know when they were feeling down and he was trying to cheer him up. He was a good kid. "I did, and I have time now. Are you ready?"

"Yes!"

Conner opened his arms to get the boy safely accommodated, and then, he closed his eyes, calling his powers. The wings on his back appeared, creating a warm wave as the noise of fire cracking around him brought Conner back to reality. He got up and slowly, he started to fly up the sky. Bridge closed his eyes at first, clinging to Conner while they went up.

When he was high enough to see the whole city, Conner looked down at the kid. "You're safe, Bridge. Open your eyes."

Bridge did what Conner told him, slowly, and then, he was hit with the beautiful view of the moon and sun blending together in the sky. Below them, the city was still in ruins, but there was so much more they could see from where they were. Bridge looked at Conner with a big smile, and Conner was hit by the nostalgia of another time when he saw a smile like that—it was when Jake scored his first goal.

"So pretty…" said Bridge.

"Yes, and I want you to keep this image in your head, Bridge. When we are on the ground, there is much we are missing, but here, in the sky, we can see everything. This is what we are trying to rebuild, and once it's done, we will have a very beautiful place to protect," said Conner.

"Under…stood," said Bridge, trying to spell the word correctly, while Conner laughed. "Close enough, little one."

Conner looked around him, taking a deep breath. Not in a million years did he think he would be in this situation, and yet, every day he woke up remembering his friends weren't here, in an empty bed where Kira was nowhere to be seen, and with a heavy weight in his chest he couldn't lift. He was sure Mike and Jake felt the same with their teams, their girlfriends, and the other Rangers, but right now, he was the oldest Ranger, and it scared him.

"Conner?"

Bridge brought him back to the present, and when he looked down, he noticed the kid had taken off his glove and was touching his cheek. Bridge also had a serious look on his face, as if he understood perfectly what Conner was feeling.

"Being alone is scary, but you are not alone, we are here," said Bridge, putting his glove back on. "Jake says we will save everyone, and we will, right? Because we are Power Rangers, and Jake says Power Rangers always win."

Conner chuckled and looked one more time around the vast city, now in ruins. They were right; Tommy Oliver didn't train him to be a quitter, and he had to fight hard if he wanted to bring everyone back. Then, he looked down at Bridge, leaving a kiss on the side of his head.

"You are right, Bridge. Power Rangers always win," said Conner, making Bridge laugh when he tickled him. "And talking about Power Rangers, we should go see Jake and see if Mike had his meeting yet."

Bridge nodded, and grabbing onto Conner, he saw the Firebird Ranger fly down, touching the ground softly. Together, they walked into the building, where Jake was telling Jordan about his experience as Bastro Ranger and showing him and the Pai Zhua master his new morpher. Jordan was speechless, while the Pai Zhua masters shared a look.

"In all honesty, we did sense some energy coming from you, but we never thought this was the result," said the master, looking at Conner and Bridge arriving. "Master of the Sky."

"Please, you can call me Conner," said Conner while Bridge walked towards Jake, hiding behind him. When he saw that, Jordan looked from Bridge to Jake, confused.

"Who is this little Ranger?" asked Jordan, smiling down.

"This is Bridge," said Jake, looking down and giving the boy a smile. "Bridge, this is Jordan. He is an old friend and member of the Ninja Academy."

"A Ninja?" asked Bridge, surprised.

"In training," said Jordan. "Nice to meet you, Bridge."

Bridge nodded when he felt the three pairs of eyes of the Pai Zhua masters on him. He didn't know who they were, but they were scary, so he kept himself behind Jake as he and Conner shared a look. Both Rangers had learned to switch from gentle to serious quickly and convincingly enough to get the attention they wanted without scaring Bridge. While they were never much of strategic leaders, Jake had the knowledge, Conner had the experience, and Mike had the discipline.

"So, you want us to stay and help train these new cadets, is that correct, young white lion?" asked one of the Pai Zhua masters.

"Yes, the Dark Ranger's army is too big for the three of us, and from what we know from Alpha-5, Rico, and Bridge, they are attacking other planets," explained Jake. "That's why we thought of creating a new force, trained and ready to defend the Universe."

The masters nodded, understanding the urgency. "We are ready to assist you, Jacob, and your friends. We will help with the reparations." Jordan nodded too. "Yeah, you are not alone; we will help in everything we can."

"Thank you," said Jake, feeling relieved, and then he looked at Conner. "Did you see Mike?"

"No, but we should make sure the Samurai are not beating him up," said Conner.

Jake rolled his eyes. "They are not going to kill him."

"That's not what he said."

Jake chuckled and extended his hand towards Bridge. The young boy took it, and together with Jordan, they walked towards the next area, discussing preparations while Conner followed them, talking with the Pai Zhua masters. There was much to plan, but right now, they had more pressing matters, like saving Mike.

-L-

Construction Arena – Square 2

The sound of the slap was loud enough to echo around the area, and yet, Mike didn't move or change his expression when Serena looked at him, anger clear in her eyes. He couldn't blame her or the disappointment in Mia's grandmother's face when she looked at him and his Masamune.

"You were supposed to look out for her, Mike!" screamed Serena, pushing him. "How did you let this happen!?"

"I told you already. I got teleported before the Dark Ranger attacked. I didn't know what happened until Jake told me," said Mike, remaining as calm as he could under this situation. "I know I had to look out for her, but she is a Power Ranger, Serena, all of them are, and all of us knew what we were facing when we went to help Jake and his friends."

"And yet you are the one who comes back?" asked Serena.

Mike knew that was the anger talking and she really didn't feel that way about him, but he had reached his limit with her and with those disappointed looks thrown at him. He needed their help, and that was the only thing he cared about.

"Enough!" said Mike, angry. "I understand you are angry and you wish they were here. I do too, Serena! I would give up my life to have Emily here or to have my team here, but they are protected! All I can do is fight like hell to bring them back and help Jake and Conner to bring down the Dark Ranger, but I can't do it alone!"

That seemed to silence Serena. While angry, she was able to see the desperation Mike was trying so hard to hide. He was not as detached as he could be or as calm as a Samurai should be, but he was human and he was in constant pain.

"And you need us?" asked Mia's grandmother.

"Yes, the Dark Ranger is threatening everything we know. We need the best to train a new force that would help us to defend the Universe," said Mike, looking at her. "I know you don't believe I can hold Masamune, but I'm sure you know it belongs to me, and I have no intention to discuss that matter with any of you. What I'm willing to discuss is your help. I need the best to train the new students, and without my team here, you are the best to teach the secrets of the Samurai Rangers."

Mike saw them look at each other, deep in thought. He knew it wasn't going to be easy to convince them; the Samurai Rangers were a pretty close-knit team. But if the threat of the Dark Ranger was to all of the Universe, he knew they wouldn't turn their back on it.

Deep down, their duty would always come first.

"Mike!"

Mike turned around, surprised to hear the young voice of Bridge. Soon enough, he saw Jake, Conner, and a group of people he hadn't met yet. He looked at them, curious, and then he looked at the Samurai, but before he could fully turn towards them, Bridge looked at them.

"Who are they?" asked Bridge.

Mike smiled, adjusting Masamune on his side before kneeling in front of Bridge. He had no intention of lying to the kid, and he pointed at them, one by one, before explaining to Bridge who they were. "Look, this lady over here is my friend Mia's grandmother, Mrs. Watanabe. She was like us once and she still has the power to teach others and guide them in their journey."

Bridge nodded, interested, and the woman gave him a soft smile before Bridge looked at the man beside her. "This is my friend Kevin's father. He was a Blue Ranger, like Kevin himself, and he has a lot of discipline," explained Mike, making Bridge look at him and then at the man's serious face. "He is very smart."

"I see…" said Bridge. He waved at the man, and despite the situation, the man waved back at him. Finally, Bridge looked at the woman beside them. He turned to look at Mike with an innocent, confused look on his face. "She's angry?"

"Yeah… it's my fault," said Mike, chuckling softly. "Her name is Serena. She's Emily's sister, and she loves her sister a lot. That's why she's angry because I couldn't keep her safe."

"You love Emily a lot too, and she couldn't protect her either, so why is she angry at you?" asked Bridge innocently, before looking at Serena's surprised expression. "The Dark Ranger destroyed my home, and I don't have a mom or a dad. I couldn't protect them. Does that make them angry with me?"

Mike saw Serena come to the realization that sometimes, we could not control what was happening around us as he focused on Bridge. "No, Bridge. Serena is just worried and scared, all of us are, but we are together in this, right, Serena?"

Serena, who had been silent all the time, nodded when Bridge looked at her. The kid had something special; she could sense his light, and he seemed already attached to Mike and his friends. But what won Serena over was his innocence. She was still confused and angry, but she could not deny anything to that boy. Pleased with Mike's explanation, Bridge smiled at her before looking at Mike again. "Alright, Jake and Conner were talking to Mr. Jordan and the Pai Z…Zhu…"

"Pai Zhua, Bridge," said Mike, chuckling. "Very well, how about we get them all settled and you and I get some training done? Let's see if I can add the bear to the wooden toys you have."

Bridge nodded, his eyes illuminating, and one moment later, he ran back towards Jake, allowing the White Ranger to gather Bridge in his arms and walk with him, Conner, and the rest of their allies, while Mike got up, looking at the Samurai Rangers.

"I know what you all are feeling, but the future depends on that," said Mike, pointing at Bridge. "He's part of that future, and if Jayden, Mia, Kevin, Mentor Ji, Antonio, Lauren, and Emily were here, they would tell you that's worth the try, don't you think?"

The Samurai looked at each other, not knowing very well what to say, but in the end, Mike was right. Their duty was to help in any way they could, and Mike seemed to trust their abilities enough to ask for their assistance. All three people made their choice, taking a step ahead, while Mike smiled. He knew they would not fail the Universe.

"Very well, Mike," said Kevin's father. "We will help you."

"Thank you," said Mike.

Together with new allies, Mike and the other Samurai followed Jake and his new alliance to the Command Center. There, they could talk about classrooms, what they needed, and wait for Wes' lawyers to deliver the rest so they could truly start the reconstruction.

It was a slow start, but a start, nonetheless.

-L-

SPD Academy (2025) – Meeting Room

"You never told us you were so popular," said Kat, chuckling at the Green SPD Ranger. Bridge blushed bright red and looked away.

"I was six years old, and I didn't have a problem with walking around the city because I always knew Mike was around, Conner was watching from the sky, and Jake never left my side," said Bridge. "I mean… you can't be more protected than that."

"And in total honesty, they were like that with the rest of us," said Syd, smiling at the memory. "Despite the battle and the hardships, there was no moment we didn't know how much we meant to them."

Sky nodded, hugging his girlfriend when he heard steps and turned to see Cruger smiling at him. Sky chuckled softly and looked at the door that opened to receive the newcomers.

"Welcome, Samurai Mentors, Jordan, and Pai Zhua Masters," said Sky.

Suddenly, there was movement in the chairs, and two sisters crashed into each other. Emily and Serena hugged tightly, both crying and both happy to see each other alive. Not far from them, Mia walked to her grandmother, and Ms. Watanabe smiled, touching her granddaughter's cheek tenderly as a tear ran down her own cheek. Finally, Kevin's father stood in front of his son, with a smile on his face.

"I can't believe you're here," said Serena, touching Emily's face as if she could not believe Emily was here. "After all this time, you're here!"

"Serena! I couldn't believe it when I saw you there," said Emily, also touching her sister's face. Then she stopped and looked at her sister seriously. "I don't like what you did to Mike. It wasn't his fault we ended like that."

"I know. I apologized later," said Serena, also getting serious. "He was a great man, Emily. The three of them were amazing as teachers and Rangers."

Emily nodded, and both sisters hugged again, relishing the moment of being together again. Not far from them, the Pai Zhua Masters reunited with Casey, Theo, Lily, RJ, and Dominic, receiving them with a formal salute.

"It is an honor you are here, Rangers," said one of the Pai Zhua Masters. "We knew they would not give up until you were all back to the land of the living."

"I had to admit, we had our doubts, but we were proven wrong," said another Pai Zhua Master. "You should be proud of the boy you trained, Rangers, as he possessed the spirit of a hero."

"His friends too, of course," said the third Pai Zhua Master. "The Sky King and the Warrior Samurai… nothing could have been possible without the three of them. We have been honored to fight alongside them."

Casey nodded, feeling the proud tone of their words towards Jake and his friends, and felt the same. He had been sensing the same animal he felt before—the white lion inside Jake— all over this room, especially around Jason and the Megaforce Rangers. He knew he wasn't imagining it because Theo, Lily, RJ, and Dominic felt the same.

He wished so much to have been here, fighting alongside his student.

"It is fine to be sad, Casey," whispered the Pai Zhua Master. "But their sacrifice wasn't in vain."

Casey nodded, feeling Lily hugging him while Theo took a deep breath. RJ and Dominic shared a look, wondering if they could sense more, if… if maybe the trace of that presence could remain in them forever as a memory.

Jordan presented himself to the Ninja Rangers with a formality they rarely saw in him. In these eleven years, he had become a Power Ranger and was wearing his Ninja morpher proudly on his wrist. He was wearing the Ninja uniform, and his formality only broke when Bridge looked at him.

"You can relax, Jordan. I don't think they want to test you right now," said Bridge, and Jordan relaxed, showing his first smile.

"You became a Power Ranger, Jordan, congratulations," said Tori, hugging him, and then she looked at her team. "Well, maybe we're a bit late for that."

"A little, but I knew we would get there eventually, which reminds me," said Jordan, taking four pictures from his pockets. "We took this a few years ago, and I got copies for you. I thought we could talk about how good we look here, but… well, that's not a choice anymore."

Jordan looked sadly at the pictures before giving one to Tori, another one to Gia, the next to Kira, and finally, the last one to Emily. He saw them look at the picture of himself with Jake, Conner, and Mike, all of them dressed in the Ninja Uniform at the Ninja Academy on Earth. Jake's suit had a white stripe and the face of a lion on his chest, Conner had a crimson one with a Bennu, and Mike had a light green stripe with a wolf.

"It was an honor to fight alongside them. As a reminder, the Sensei of the Ninja Academy ordered to craft three wooden figures that now stand at the entry of the academy, to remind the new students what it means to have courage, sacrifice, and love," explained Jordan.

"Sensei?" asked Cam. "You mean my father?"

"No, he retired a long time ago, Sensei Cameron, and he wanted me to tell you he wants you to remain here and learn everything you need to learn with the rest of the senseis. He says it's necessary," said Jordan, and then, he looked at the Dino Thunder. "The Sensei is Eric McKnight."

"Conner's brother?" asked Kira, surprised. "He became a sensei?"

"His brother's fight inspired him to be better," said Jordan, smiling at her.

Kira smiled too, happy to know that Eric was fine and he was a Sensei now. She knew Conner would be proud of him, or maybe he learned before leaving them; she wasn't sure. But Eric seemed more serious now, and he ordered wooden statues of Conner, Jake, and Mike. She looked at the picture, touching her husband's face. She had to go and see them someday.

Allowing a moment to catch a breath and enjoy the new company, Cruger knew they had to move forward, so he took a step forward and got everyone's attention.

"I'm sorry to interrupt these moments, but Masters, Mentors, and Jordan, you must go to your classes now, and we must continue," said Cruger. "I promise you will have time to talk later."

"They have to go?" asked Emily, disappointed.

"We will see each other later," said Serena, kissing her sister's forehead. "There's much you need to see and believe, Emily. It is worthy even when you don't believe it."

Emily sighed but nodded and watched her sister leave with the rest of the teachers before sitting down again. This time, Cruger passed his hand over the recorder, and what they saw was another version of an older Jake with another message for them.

"What you saw just now was us being as lost as we felt," said Jake, smiling softly. "I'm not sure if we could have done everything we did without all the help we got. With the Pai Zhua Masters and Jordan, we planned the reconstruction of the city, and then with the Samurai Mentors, we planned the classes, how we would get the word out, how to navigate in this new world."

Jake walked around the room he was in. Bridge recognized it as his room and wondered why his father would be there recording a video, but he decided to stay silent and watch while Jake took one of the figures Mike crafted for him and smiled at it, looking up.

"It had to be confusing for my aunts and uncles from Time Force and Lightspeed, huh? I used all your teachings to create this Academy the best I could. I think you will like it. It even has a game where Lucas and Joel can get into real virtual cars and race, but don't think you will win against Ronny. Nobody can."

There were several chuckles while Jake left the figure on the nightstand and got up. Gia noticed Jake was wearing gloves, similar to the ones Bridge had now, and she wondered if they were the same, if maybe Bridge used them now to keep memories of Jake for himself, since he could sense things with his powers.

"Rangers, the real reason why we prepared all this is about to start. Whatever happens, do not stop watching till the end," said Jake, and then he smiled before waving at the camera.

The image disappeared, this time they were back in Eltar but Cruger was looking at the image curious, he didn't remember Jake recording any personal messages, they did it in secret and Cruger was starting to think that maybe, they knew much more about what happened than he thought.

-L-

Eltar (2014) – Days Later - Outside the Command Center

Working hours were tiring, but the three Rangers were doing their best to get everything ready as soon as possible. More and more help from KO-35 and Terra Venture had arrived to assist, and even students from the Ninja Academy and Pai Zhua were helping, making it possible for the Rangers to work faster as they used their skills to construct following their masters' and senseis' orders.

That morning, Jake, Conner, and Mike joined the different teams after breakfast together with little Bridge, and then, they went to the construction area. Conner was the first one to spread his wings and fly over the area, helping the workers situate everything from a good perspective. Mike went to the area where blocks and other materials were cut to help, leaving Jake with Bridge as he approached the workers.

"Hey, Jake," said one of the students. "You are strong, right? Can you grab those blocks of concrete and put them on the other side of the room? There should be an 'X' on the ground indicating where to put it."

"Alright," said Jake, looking at Bridge. "C'mon, Bridge. Let's move some stuff."

Bridge nodded, following Jake and then, watched him effortlessly grab several blocks with one hand and start walking towards the other side of the room. Bridge loved to watch them work. Mike was cutting blocks as if they were made of paper, with total precision, and Conner was able to direct from the sky and help set the foundations. Bridge dreamed of being like them one day, but from all of them, Jake fascinated him the most.

He couldn't imagine someone as strong as he was, and Bridge never forgot the feeling of safety he felt when they first met. Jake had a smile on his face, pleased with the way things were working out right now. This place was looking more and more like an actual place where people could live, and the city was being rebuilt little by little. Besides, the Dark Ranger had not attacked since that first time, and while he knew that wouldn't stay like that forever, he was relieved to catch a break.

The morning went out without a hitch, and by the time Jake moved all the blocks, he noticed it was midday. He looked towards Bridge, who was not far from him, playing with his wooden animals and chuckled when the kid looked up at him.

"I'm starving, buddy. Wanna get something to eat?" asked Jake.

"Yes!" said Bridge, running towards him.

Jake nodded, and together, they walked inside the room. He noticed Bridge was always by his side, holding his hand and looking around with a mix of surprise and a little bit of fear, but he was aware that Bridge didn't panic in the same way he did before. He felt a little bit more confident now.

"So what do you think about this place, Bridge? Do you like living here?" asked Jake as they entered the area designed for the break room, where the food was displayed for everyone.

"I like it a lot. There are many people here, and they are all nice to me. Alpha and Rico make me laugh, and Jordan makes fire tricks!" said Bridge, and Jake chuckled as they both grabbed their food. Jake helped Bridge sit down with the food before he did the same. "The masters scare me a bit, but Ms. Watanabe told me there is nothing to fear because the Samurais are here, and Serena said she would keep me safe. Kevin's papa nodded, and he seems pretty strong."

"Oh yeah, she will. They are strong," said Jake, nodding.

"But I'm not scared when you are with me," said Bridge, so casually that Jake looked at him slightly surprised. "You're not?"

"No, you are super strong, but you are also nice and warm," said Bridge, looking at him with those innocent eyes full of wonder. "You can protect everybody."

For the first time in a long time, Jake felt speechless looking at the kid. Bridge seemed to have blind faith in him, and Jake felt the urge to cry when Bridge smiled because, for the first time, someone who didn't know him or his heritage trusted him with his life, and he felt the need to keep him safe, no matter what.

Jake was too young to think about it, but future Bridge already confirmed many things to him, and Jake could feel this moment as the time he realized he was starting to feel like Bridge's dad. Jake smiled, wondering how the kid would feel if he asked Bridge about it. But before he could get a word out, a Silver Guardian walked up to them.

"Excuse me, Jake, but I've been told that the ship transporting the crystals is about to arrive," said the Silver Guardian. "The room is ready for them, and we will have extra help to position them as soon as they get here."

"Oh… thank you," said Jake, as Bridge looked at them with curiosity and put his food aside, getting up when Jake looked at him. "Bridge, remember when I told you about our friends and family? They are here. Do you want to meet them?"

Bridge nodded, and forgetting all about the food, he extended his gloved hand towards Jake, understanding this was a moment where they would need to be strong for each other. While Jake kept him safe and warm once, now it would be Bridge's turn.

-L-

Eltar (2014) – Landing area

"Jacob. It is a relief to know you are fine."

Delphine hugged Jake and then allowed her Rangers to do the same while she looked at Eltar. She felt a deep sadness in her heart, knowing such a beautiful planet was in this state. But at least Jake was here, and he wasn't alone.

"We apologize for not being there for you, Jacob," said Aurico, looking away, ashamed. "We promised to fight alongside you, and the moment you needed us the most, we couldn't make it on time."

"There is nothing to apologize for. We know what happened, and to be honest, I'm happy you are safe," said Jake, hugging Aurico. "You managed to bring Rico, and now we feel a little better knowing we are not the only Rangers, which reminds me, I should introduce you to them."

He walked to where Mike and Conner were waiting with little Bridge and smiled. "Aquitar Rangers, let me introduce you to Conner McKnight, Red Dino Ranger and owner of the Triassic Power. He also owns now the power of the Firebird Bennu, and this is Mike, Samurai Green Ranger and the owner of Masamune and its proud Green Wolf."

"It is an honor to meet you, Rangers," said Delphine. Conner and Mike nodded. Then, she looked down at Bridge, smiling, and looked up to Jake with a confused look on her face.

"I had no idea you and the Yellow Ranger were ready to have what humans call an adopted child," said Delphine. "Maybe I should read the book Billy gave me about human's lifestyle again."

Bridge looked at her with curiosity and then saw Jake turn bright red as he looked down. Behind them, he could hear both Conner and Mike laughing softly, and even Jordan was doing a very good job trying to keep his smirk from showing.

"Bridge is one of the survivors we found after our fight," said Jake, a little too quickly. "He's part of the Ranger family."

Delphine nodded but didn't say anything else. Bridge looked between them, confused but not forgetting their words. He didn't know what adopted meant, but he wondered why Jake's face was all red. Maybe he should ask Conner and Mike about it later. Delphine seemed to forget about it quickly, as she heard the Silver Guardians starting to move the crystals down the transport carefully.

"Show us the room where you want to leave them, Jake, and we will take care of the rest," said Delphine, solemnly. "We couldn't be there for you then, but we will be there for all of you now."

Jake nodded, and indicating everyone to follow him, he took Bridge's hand and guided them inside, allowing the Silver Guardians to get his family and friends safely inside the Command Center and into the room where they will stay until he, Conner, and Mike manage to return their energy.

As a reminder of everything that was at stake.

-L-

Eltar (2014) – Crystal Room – A Couple Hours Later

Mike looked at the Crystals where his friends, Mentor Ji, and Emily were trapped. He could see them now, sleeping but without an injury, and yet, seeing them there broke his heart. He took a deep breath as the hold on his sword tightened.

Mike didn't know what to do; he felt tears in his eyes, but this wasn't a moment to cry. Instead, he did what he thought he should do. He untied his sword from his belt and sat in front of his team, presenting the sword to his team. He could feel the Green Wolf sitting beside him and showing respect for the team and the Rangers.

"I will recover your energies and the energies of the other Rangers," whispered Mike, trying to keep his voice from breaking. "No matter what, I won't fail you."

Mike looked at them one by one, giving his last look to Emily as a tear ran down his cheek, and the Green Wolf howled, a sound that came directly from inside his soul and only Mike could hear. A compromise with his master to fight by his side, until victory was theirs.

Conner touched the Crystal where Kira was sleeping and closed his eyes, bringing his forehead closer. He had been ready to fight, pushing away the thoughts of his teammates and Kira being like this, but now that he saw them, he felt empty, and all he wanted to do was stay in this place forever.

But he couldn't. He needed to fight.

"I don't know how to do this, babe, but I'll try," whispered Conner, looking up to her. "Wait for me, please."

With a hand still over her crystal, he looked at the rest of his team. Ethan, Tommy, Trent, and Hayley were also sleeping, protected by the crystal. Kimberly was close to Tommy, also sleeping. He took a deep breath, a new sense of determination growing inside him as he heard Bennu screaming in his soul, releasing the fire that would give him the courage to face this challenge.

"Trust me one more time," said Conner, feeling a new sense of responsibility. "We won't rest until you all come back. I promise."

Conner felt the gems in the wrists of Tommy, Trent, Ethan, and Kira within him and smiled sadly before he sat down beside Kira's crystal. Closing his eyes, he tried to picture her holding him and singing a song, relaxing him.

That brought him peace, even if it was only for a moment.

Jake lifted Bridge in his arms to look at his team and his parents, placed together in the room. He had seen them before; he had seen when Zordon used the Zeo Crystals on them. But seeing them here now made everything real again. This wasn't a dream. He had a responsibility bigger than any other thing he had ever done, and while he had help, he didn't feel the weight until they were all here.

"Your friends?" asked Bridge.

"Yeah, these are my friends, my parents, and my family," said Jake, his voice breaking slightly. "Bridge, I present to you the Power Rangers. They got their energy taken by the Dark Ranger, and we are going to work together to bring it back."

Bridge nodded, looking around to see the new faces inside the crystals. He would do his best to remember them and visit them so they don't feel alone. That's what he decided while Jake brought him close to his parents.

"These are Jason Lee Scott and Katherine Hillard," whispered Jake, looking at his dad with a soft, nostalgic smile. "They are my dad and my stepmom. They raised me and taught me the importance of friendship, love, and the courage to face all the challenges in my life."

Bridge nodded, understanding, and then looked at Kat with big, innocent eyes. "Step…mom? No mom?"

"My birth mom passed away when I was very young, and my dad raised me alone. Then, Kat appeared in our lives, and she brought back the gentle, loving way of handling two hardheads like me and dad," explained Jake, looking at her. "I am very proud to be their son, as I am to be the son of Trini."

Bridge understood. He was young now, and he lost his mom and dad too, but with Jake, he almost felt as if he had a dad now, and it didn't make his real dad less important. Bridge would always carry his mom and dad in his heart, but now he had someone else to look up to, Jake.

Jake softly touched the crystals of his parents, closing his eyes in a silent promise. Then, he walked with Bridge to present him to the team—the Megaforce Rangers. He had to stop, take a deep breath, and recover from the impact of seeing them again while Bridge hugged him tight, trying to give him the support he needed in that moment.

"Look, Bridge," said Jake, and this time, his voice broke enough for Bridge to notice. "This is my team. Here's Emma. She's very kind and gentle. She loves nature and is a great photographer. I know you will love her, and she is the Pink Ranger. Here, we have Orion. He is our friend from Andresia. He came when his planet was attacked and helped us to save Earth. He's super cool, a Silver Ranger, and a close friend of ours. You will learn the world with him as he too, has many things from Earth he still has to learn."

Bridge nodded, his full attention on the two Rangers as he memorized their faces. Then, Jake looked at another crystal. "This is Troy. He's the Red Ranger. A true leader, he doubted himself sometimes, but his courage carried us to victory. He looks at fear in the eyes, and if you ever need someone to protect you, Troy is your guy."

Bridge looked surprised at the Megaforce Red Ranger and nodded. Jake thought very highly of Troy, and it made Bridge look forward to meeting someone Jake considered so strong. Then, Jake pointed to another guy with glasses.

"This is Noah. He's my best friend. I consider him a brother. He's been with me through everything, and he is one of the smartest people I know. You can always count on him to help you, especially with science. I wouldn't be who I am today without him. He's the Blue Ranger," said Jake, using his free hand to hide a stubborn tear before he reached the last crystal. "And this is Gia. Bridge, Gia is everything. She is strong, smart, and a little cold when you first meet her, but once she lets you in, she is the warmest person you can ever meet. She is very protective of the team and the woman who had my heart even before we officially became Rangers."

"She had your heart!?" said Bridge, a little worried, and Jake chuckled, ruffling his hair gently. "I love her, Bridge, and I'm proud to say I'm her boyfriend. Gia is the Yellow Ranger, and once you meet her, you will see how worthy of your trust she is."

Bridge saw Jake's eyes soften as he looked at Gia. He put a hand on her crystal, and soon his expression turned into one of sadness. He was trying really hard not to break down, so Bridge, trying to help, took his gloves off and touched Jake's face and Gia's crystal. Suddenly, he felt many things, but the most important was a warm feeling that made him feel dizzy. Bridge didn't know if that was love, but if it was, he hoped to feel it someday too.

"She loves you too," whispered Bridge, looking from Gia to Jake. "It's in her memories."

Jake chuckled and saw Bridge putting back his gloves before he hugged the kid. He didn't say it, but Bridge reminded him that he had many things to fight for with a few words, and in a world where it was too easy to get lost, it was an important reminder.

"Thank you, buddy," whispered Jake, and Bridge smiled, hugging him back, happy to have helped heal a little the wound in Jake's heart that would stay open until his friends came back.

Bridge took one last look around the room. Their mission was now his too, as he promised to do everything he could to help them come back. They will fight, win, and get a happy ending because they were Power Rangers, and this is going to end with a happy ending.

He could feel it.

-L-

SPD Academy (2025) – Meeting Room

Bridge felt Gia's hug before he actually saw her. She didn't say much, but he knew what she meant anyway. Just like he did with his dad, he waited for her to look at him with a serious expression, as if what he was about to say was the most important thing in the world.

"He loved you. I knew that then and I know that now," said Bridge. Then he smiled softly and looked at the rest of the Rangers. "There was not a day we didn't have that feeling from Jake, Conner, and Mike. There were good moments and bad ones, but there was this common goal to bring you all back that everyone understood."

"You made it happen," said Jason.

"And it was all worth it," whispered Bridge, looking down.

The SPD Rangers looked down, remembering those words being said in another time and another place, and that will always remain with them, along with every moment and every memory, forever. Meanwhile, Anubis Cruger took a deep breath, walking to the side of the room. His hands were shaking, and he didn't know if he could really pull this off until he felt Kat Manx's hand over his and he looked at her.

"Anubis… it is time," whispered Kat.

He knew that, but that doesn't mean he was ready for it, not one bit. And yet, he made a promise, and he was a man of honor. He couldn't fail them, so he nodded, gathered his courage, and walked back towards the meeting, where the Rangers were waiting for him.

"Are you alright, Anubis?" asked Kimberly.

"Yes," said Anubis, giving her a soft smile before looking at the recorder. "I needed a moment because I believe the next memory will show you a part of me you don't know yet and how Kat Manx and I met Jake, Conner, and Mike."

The Rangers looked at him, now curious and slightly tense, as Cruger set up the next video, looking at it with deep sadness. These memories would remind him of what he lost that day and the old scars in his heart, right beside the ones he recently got.