The air was crisp and still as Corcus moved silently through the shadows of the Air Force base. The buildings and warehouses stretched before him like an unfamiliar maze, a stark contrast to the fluid, organic architecture of his home on Aquitar. He had trained for stealth missions, but infiltrating a secure military facility on Earth was different. There were no natural hiding places, no water to blend into—just concrete, metal, and rows of surveillance cameras.

It would have been easier if Cestro were here, Corcus thought as he ducked behind a storage crate. His fellow Ranger was the best at interpreting unfamiliar energy readings. Instead, Corcus was left to puzzle out the strange readings they had detected from Aquitar himself.

He moved carefully, scanning the area. His objective was simple: verify if the American military had acquired Power Ranger technology. If the readings they had detected were real, then they needed to know just how much the humans had recovered—and how they planned to use it.

But something was wrong.

There were no Zords. No Morphin Grid energy signatures. Instead, the storage facility was full of odd-looking weapons—long, slender projectiles that did not match any Ranger technology he had ever seen. The readings here were inconsistent with anything from Zordon's arsenal.

His brow furrowed as he crouched beside a missile rack. The markings read "AIR-2A Genie"—a name that meant nothing to him. Another set of cylindrical weapons had some paperwork that was labeled "B61 Mod 10." There were also things labeled "Paveway III," which looked like they were to be mounted on the bombs.

The faint energy signature from these devices was... disturbing. There was power in them, but it was different—raw, uncontained, and dangerous in a way he couldn't quite identify.

Before he could investigate further, he heard voices approaching.

Corcus pressed himself against the side of a storage crate, barely peeking around the edge. A pair of Air Force Security Forces personnel were walking the perimeter—one older and seasoned, the other younger, still new to this sort of duty.

"Alright, listen up, Jenkins," the senior enlisted man, a Staff Sergeant, said as they walked past. "There's one big rule when it comes to finding a Power Ranger somewhere they're not supposed to be—don't shoot 'em."

The younger airman hesitated. "Wait—what? Even if they're trespassing?"

"Yep," the sergeant confirmed. "If we run into a Ranger, we don't take any hostile action. Just invite 'em to the office, offer 'em a cup of coffee, and wait for the base CO to handle it. That's above our pay grade."

The younger airman frowned. "What about... I dunno, something else? Like a Tenga, or a Putty, or one of those Cog things?"

"In that case? Let 'em have it," the sergeant said gruffly. Then he sighed. "But trust me, the paperwork is a nightmare. Had to deal with that crap myself when I wasted a Tenga about a year ago. Thought the JAG was gonna bury me in forms. Whole week of paperwork. Pain in the ass."

What did that senior security guard mean by "wasted?" Corcus figured he'd need to ask Cestro or Tideus about that.

The younger airman chuckled nervously. "I'll keep that in mind."

Corcus tensed, his mind racing.

So the military had standing orders not to engage Power Rangers? That was interesting. But they had no such hesitations when it came to dealing with monsters. That meant, at least in some capacity, the humans still viewed the Rangers as allies.

I'll need to report this to Delphine.

He waited for the patrol to pass before silently slipping away, keeping to the shadows. He had gathered what information he could—it was time to leave.

Just as he prepared to teleport out, he felt a prickle at the back of his neck.

He was being watched.

Instinct kicked in, and he darted behind a nearby building just as two more security personnel rounded the corner. His black bodysuit blended with the night, but not completely—just before he activated his teleportation sequence, he saw one of them snap his head toward him.

"What's that?!"

"Did you see that?"

Corcus didn't wait to hear more. In a shimmer of blue light, he vanished.

The teleportation was loud, but Corcus didn't care. He had bigger concerns.

Delphine turned toward him as he materialized, noting the urgency in his stance. "Corcus, did you find anything?"

He nodded, composing himself. "Yes, but not what I expected. There were no Ranger components, no Zord technology. Instead, I found something called 'Genie' rockets and 'B61' weapons. Their energy readings do not match anything from the Morphin Grid."

Delphine frowned. "Did you identify their purpose?"

Corcus hesitated. "No… but they felt wrong."

Before Delphine could respond, an alarm blared.

Cestro rushed into the room, looking slightly disheveled—he had clearly been resting when the alarm sounded. "What happened?"

Corcus turned to him. "I infiltrated a military facility near Angel Grove, but I did not find what we expected."

Cestro froze. "Wait. You infiltrated which facility?"

Corcus blinked. "One near Angel Grove. It had—"

Cestro grabbed a datapad and pulled up some readings. His face darkened. "You were not in a research facility, Corcus. You infiltrated a nuclear weapons storage facility."

A heavy silence filled the room.

Delphine's expression hardened. "Are you certain?"

"Positive," Cestro said. "The readings Corcus detected are consistent with nuclear armaments, not Morphin Grid technology."

"But why would such weapons be stored so close to Angel Grove?" Delphine wondered. "I do not believe I will like the answer that comes to mind."

Tideus folded his arms. "We need to find out how much the Power Rangers on Earth know about this."

Corcus frowned. "There's more. While I was there, I overheard a conversation between two of their security personnel. They have standing orders not to engage Power Rangers if they find them somewhere they shouldn't be. Instead, they are to invite them to speak with their commanding officer."

Delphine considered this. "So they do not see the Rangers as enemies. That is… reassuring."

"However," Corcus continued, "they do engage monsters freely. One of the guards mentioned a previous encounter where he was forced to 'waste' a Tenga. I have no idea what he meant by that comment."

"It's a… tactless way some humans describe something being killed," Cestro said. "That aligns with other reports we have seen. The humans are becoming more willing to fight back against the Machine Empire."

He then turned to Delphine. "What do we do with this information?"

Delphine exhaled. "We must speak with Zordon. He may already be aware of some of this, but if not, he needs to know. And if he is aware, then we need to understand his stance on it."

The others nodded.

"I cannot think that Zordon of Eltar would sit idly by if the humans…" Delphine stopped.

"They did split the atom, and the United States did have an arsenal of nuclear weapons in the Cold War, an arsenal they still maintain, even though it is smaller," Cestro said, as he pulled out the readings.

"Under the Mirinoi Accords, the use of nuclear weapons is prohibited due to their environmental effects," Aurico said. "I have a hard time thinking humans would be that…"

"Do the humans of Earth know of this treaty?" Cestro asked. Delphine, Aurico, and Corcus shared a very nervous look.

"Did you ever tell any of the Rangers?" Corcus asked Aurico.

"It didn't seem like a need," Aurico said.

"Yeah, we kind of were busy – lots of monsters, much to learn about the culture," Corcus said. "You, Cestro, and Delphine were liaising with Zordon…"

"Then they don't know, do they?" Delphine asked.

Aurico unleashed a scatological epithet.

"So, do we tell them?" Cestro asked.

"Maybe we should tell Zordon," Delphine said.

"Agreed," Aurico said. "But we also must prepare to act ourselves."

"Only as a last resort. Even then, we need to be restrained," Delphine said. "I believe we can expect that they will use them only if the Rangers fall. To them, these weapons would be their only shot against the Machine Empire."

"They may already have," Cestro said, holding up some other readings.

Delphine looked at what she recognized as Russia.

"A force of Machine Empire gear ships… there one moment shortly before the satellites dropped off," Cestro said. "We then get higher radiation readings consistent with a high-yield nuclear detonation."

"Looks like someone already decided they had no other option," Delphine said.

"We did detect a couple of the Power Rangers in Moscow shortly after that," Cestro said. "They were there for about twenty minutes, and then left. Shortly afterwards, Russia's Minister of Defense stepped down. They also visited the White House and 10 Downing Street around that time."

"So, if the governments of Earth know there are other guardians who can step in and help defend Earth…" Corcus said.

"They might be persuaded to hold back on using those weapons again," Cestro said. "I hope."

"That doesn't sound like you think we will succeed," Aurico said.

"Which is why we may need to prepare for other options," Delphine said. "Cestro, I think you need to get some rest. Corcus, you should probably wait in a medical unit for observation – make sure the human weapons didn't cause any harm. Aurico, Tideus, we need to craft a message to Zordon. He's not going to like this."

One thing was certain—things on Earth were becoming more complicated.

The Youth Center was buzzing with activity as Hal walked inside, scanning the room for Kat. It had been years since he'd been here, but nothing had really changed—same punching bags hanging in the corner, same matted floors for karate practice, and of course, Ernie's Juice Bar still serving up the best smoothies and shakes in town.

And then, he saw her.

Kat sat at a table near the window, blonde hair catching the light from the setting sun.

For a second, Hal hesitated. She's way out of your league, Elliot. But hey, fortune favors the bold.

With that thought, he straightened his jacket and walked over.

"Sorry I ran a few minutes late," he said as he approached.

Kat looked up, startled at first, but then she smiled. "You're lucky, I had to straighten out some scheduling for the Youth Center."

Hal grinned as he slid into the seat across from her. "Good. Would've been pretty embarrassing if I showed up and you were already enjoying a shake." He flagged down Ernie and ordered the shakes – chocolate for him, strawberry for Kat.

"So," Kat said, "how's your first week back at Angel Grove High?"

Hal leaned back. "Not too bad. Turns out I can fly a plane at Mach 2, but I still need to take Home Ec and a few other courses to graduate."

Kat smiled. "Yeah, thanks for your help with the

Kat laughed. "I still can't believe you're a test pilot. What exactly do you do?"

Hal hesitated for just a moment. That's classified. Instead, he smirked. "Oh, I take expensive planes up into the sky, try not to break them, and make sure the eggheads in the lab don't send the Air Force pilots up in something that'll explode midair." While making those alien fighters blow up in mid-air or dive into the ground, usually assisted by an AMRAAM or Sidewinder.

Kat raised an eyebrow. "Comforting."

Hal shrugged. "Hey, somebody's gotta do it."

Kat studied him for a moment. She could tell there was more he wasn't saying—but then again, she had secrets too.

"What about you?" Hal asked. "I feel like I got ambushed into talking about myself first."

Kat smiled. "I'm on the Angel Grove High diving team, and I teach ballet here twice a week."

Hal's eyebrows lifted. "Ballet, huh?"

Kat nodded. "Started when I was little, and I've been dancing ever since."

"Impressive," Hal said. "Never took you for a ballerina."

"And what did you take me for?" Kat asked playfully.

Hal smirked. "Well, when we met, I mostly took you for someone about to be buried in flyers."

Kat rolled her eyes, laughing. "Fair enough."

Just then, a loud crash from the other side of the Youth Center made them both turn.

Across the room, Bulk and Skull were untangling themselves from a jump-rope that had somehow gotten wrapped around them. Skull was on the floor, trying to kick free, while Bulk was flailing his arms, knocking over a stool.

Hal chuckled. "Okay, some things really haven't changed."

Kat smiled. "They've actually matured a lot."

Hal looked at her in surprise. "Those two?"

Kat nodded. "Believe it or not, they actually saved the Power Rangers once."

Hal blinked. "What?"

"I wasn't here for it," Kat admitted. "But Billy was. You should ask him—he'd probably love to tell the story."

Hal leaned back, shaking his head. "Well, that's a plot twist I did not see coming. Speaking of plots, what are your favorite movies?"

"Well, I love Grease—the music, the vibe. Princess Bride, a wonderful, funny romance. Sixteen Candles and Breakfast Club for the chaos of being a teen. And When Harry Met Sally—it's sweet, funny, real," Kat said.

Hal's brow arched. "Solid picks. My favorite flicks? Iron Eagle, Star Wars, Star Trek, Rambo III, Fire Birds, Delta Force. High-octane, big stakes. Ever catch Xanadu? It's got roller skates, decent music⸺"

Kat recoiled in mock horror, hand to her chest. "Xanadu? Hal, no! Olivia Newton-John's amazing, but that movie's a train wreck I can't unsee!"

He laughed, raising his hands. "Okay, okay, I'll take the hit. Music-wise, I'm into Chicago, Journey, Debbie Gibson, Bon Jovi—big energy. Movie soundtracks too—Stan Bush's The Touch from Transformers? Instant pump-up. You?"

"Olivia Newton-John's my go-to," Kat said, grinning at the shared taste. "Air Supply for the soft stuff, Celine Dion, jazz when I'm unwinding, and classical ballet scores—keeps me grounded. Books?"

Hal tapped the table. "Tom Clancy, Larry Bond, Dale Brown, David Weber—military thrillers, tech-heavy. Some Star Wars novels too—the Thrawn trilogy would be amazing as sequels to the films. You?"

"Jane Austen," Kat replied, her voice softening. "Pride and Prejudice and Emma—timeless. Danielle Steel and Nora Roberts for romance and heart. I also loved the Sweet Valley High series. Different from your explosions, huh?"

They continued chatting, the conversation flowing easily. Hal found himself enjoying her company more than he expected—she wasn't just pretty, she was smart and had a sharp wit that made him laugh more than once.

Then, as they were finishing up their shakes, Kat let out a sigh.

"Something wrong?" Hal asked.

Kat groaned. "It's my AP Government assignment. It's due Monday, and I still don't understand the Second Amendment."

Hal tilted his head. "You're struggling with the Bill of Rights?"

Kat frowned. "Well, the American system of government is very different from Australia's. I'm still catching up."

Hal grinned. "Well, lucky for you, I happen to be in AP Government myself. I have Mr. Landers, third period."

Kat perked up. "Really? So do I."

Hal nodded. "And I like a challenge. So let's hear it—what's got you stumped?"

Kat pulled out her notebook, flipping to her notes. "Okay, so the Second Amendment. Some sources say it's about militias, others say it's about individual rights, and I can't tell which one is right."

Hal leaned forward after ordering some nachos. "That's because it's one of the most debated parts of the Constitution. The wording is vague—'A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.' Some argue it means only militias have the right to bear arms, others say it means every citizen does."

Kat frowned. "So… which one is it?"

Hal chuckled. "Depends on who you ask. The Supreme Court has touched on it a couple of times, but the debate's been going on for decades and devolves into a screaming match with a lot of name-calling."

Kat sighed. "I just need to write something that makes sense. And I really don't want to fail my first major assignment."

Hal grinned. "Tell you what—I'll order some nachos and help you outline it. Can't have you flunking AP Government on my watch."

Kat smiled. "Thanks, Hal."

They spent the next twenty minutes going over her notes, during which the nachos arrived, with Hal helping her make sense of the different interpretations. Kat found herself genuinely enjoying the conversation—not just because he was helping her, but because he was good at explaining things. He didn't talk down to her or act like he was showing off; he just knew things, and he wanted to help.

Eventually, she glanced at her watch and sighed. "I have to go—I have a meeting for the park clean-up."

Hal leaned back, smirking. "Wow, you're just all about saving the world, huh?"

Kat grinned. "Somebody's gotta do it."

Hal chuckled. "Fair enough. I have a Krav Maga class in thirty minutes, myself."

"Really?" Kat asked as she closed the notebook. "An interesting choice."

"Yeah, it seemed straightforward," Hal said.

As she grabbed her bag, Kat hesitated for a moment. Then, with a playful smile, she said, "So… I suppose I could meet up again. Maybe go over trigonometry before my test next week?"

Hal grinned. "Oh, so now I'm officially your tutor?"

Kat shrugged. "Well, I'd be silly to pass up free help."

Hal smirked. "In that case, I'll take what I can get."

Kat laughed, shaking her head. "Goodnight, Hal."

"Night, Kat."

As she walked away, Hal found himself watching her go. Yeah, he thought. This is gonna be interesting.

Kat stepped into the small meeting room at the Angel Grove Community Center, expecting to dive straight into planning the park clean-up. What she didn't expect was Tanya, already seated and smirking at her like she knew something.

"So," Tanya began, drawing out the word. "How was your shake date?"

Kat sighed, setting her bag down. "It was fine."

Tanya leaned forward, clearly not satisfied. "Uh-uh. I want details, Miss Hillard. Don't try to downplay it."

Kat fought the urge to groan, but smiled at her best friend. "It went well. We talked, laughed, and he even helped me with my AP Government homework."

Tanya blinked. "Wait—he helped you with homework? On a date?"

Kat smirked. "It wasn't planned, but yeah. He explained the Second Amendment much better than my textbook did."

Tanya let out a low whistle. "A guy who's cute and can help with schoolwork? You might be onto something."

Before Kat could respond, the door opened again, and Trini walked in—her expression a little darker than usual.

Tanya immediately picked up on it. "Whoa. What's with the storm cloud over your head? Someone dump litter outside?"

Trini let out an exasperated sigh. "Someone's circulating a petition to move the Forest Spirit Statue to make room for a new barbecue pit."

Kat tilted her head. "The same statue you saved when you were a freshman?"

"The very one," Trini confirmed, crossing her arms. "And this time, I've got a real fight on my hands. They're not just pushing for the barbecue pit—they're adding in a whole list of 'community benefits' to sweeten the deal."

Tanya frowned. "Like what?"

Trini started ticking them off on her fingers. "A portion of the barbecue pit's profits will go toward building a new Little League complex, refurbishing two of the nature trails, setting up bird feeders, creating a small community garden, and even some upgrades for the Youth Center."

Kat grimaced. "Oof. So they're basically making it harder for you to say no."

"Exactly," Trini muttered.

Tanya hesitated. "I mean… that does sound like some good stuff, Trini."

Trini threw her hands up. "I know! That's what makes this so frustrating. If it were just another 'we want food, so let's pave over nature' situation, I'd have this in the bag. But this time, to save the statue, I have to screw Ernie over. They're making a real case for it."

Kat sighed. "That's rough. Are a lot of people supporting it?"

Trini's expression darkened further. "Oh, you have no idea. Tommy and Rocky both signed the petition."

Tanya nearly choked on her water. "Wait, Tommy? Tommy Oliver? Signed to remove the statue?"

Trini crossed her arms. "Yep."

Kat looked surprised but then nodded. "I mean, Rocky, I get. He does love food."

Trini gave a wry smirk. "Oh, Rocky, I saw coming a mile away. But Tommy? I didn't expect him to be on board with it."

Tanya shook her head. "Ooooh, girl, I didn't, either."

Trini smirked. "Oh, you better believe Kimberly's getting a phone call."

"Oh, boy," Tanya said, after making a horrified look. "Trini's breaking out the big guns!"

Kat laughed before she suddenly realized that Trini was looking right at her.

"What?" Kat asked warily.

Trini's smirk deepened. "You have a look."

Kat blinked. "A… look? What sort of look?"

Trini nodded. "Yep. It's a look I recognize—because I saw it on Kimberly back when she and Tommy first started dating."

Kat felt her face heat up. "I do not have a look."

Before she could say another word, Tanya turned to Trini with a grin. "Oh yeah, Trini—Kat had a date this afternoon."

Kat groaned. "Tanya!"

Trini's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Wait, you had a date? With who?"

"It was just shakes and help with AP Government," Kat said.

Tanya grinned and spoke before Kat could stop her. "From Hal Elliot."

Trini blinked. Then blinked again. "Hal Elliot? He's back in town?"

Kat folded her arms. "Why are you saying his name like that?"

Trini shrugged. "It's just… I never really got along with Hal, and we definitely didn't see eye-to-eye on a lot of things."

Kat tilted her head. "You knew him?"

Trini nodded. "Yeah, back before he moved away. He was in some of my classes. We clashed on everything—he was always arguing in civics, history, and I was convinced he just liked being contrary."

Kat hesitated. "So you're saying I made a bad choice?"

Trini smirked. "Not necessarily." She gestured toward Bulk and Skull, who were still struggling with their jump-rope disaster across the Youth Center. "If those two can grow up and save the Power Rangers, maybe—maybe—it's possible Hal's done some maturing too."

Kat laughed. "Well, he did pay for my strawberry shake. So he's not all bad."

Trini grinned. "Then I guess you'll have see where it goes."

Tanya nudged Kat. "Told you she'd have good advice."

Kat sighed, shaking her head, but she was smiling.

Maybe Hal had changed.

And maybe… just maybe… she liked where this was going.