Disclaimer: Power Rangers and all related trademarks are the copyrighted property of Saban. I'm using without permission, and I am not making any profit off of this fanfic. The following creations, Cadbury, Catalina, Maggie and Molly, Heather, Yoshi's Dojo, Lex, the "extra" sentient vehicles, some random concepts, and other stuff belongs to me. Feel free to use them; just lemme know first. Some creations, namely Det. Park, Teddy, Rosa, and Franklin belong to Ellen Brand. Thanks, Rachel Lynn, for letting me play with Angus. 8^) Another character, whose identity I don't want to reveal because it is a surprise, belongs to Chuck Lorre and ABC.
Author's Notes : This fic concludes the Quadruplet Fics. It's best to read this fic last of all of Earth's Crystals' Quadruplet Fics. I rate this fic PG-13, for mature themes. And a word of warning. There is a "mature" discussion of sex later in this fic. It isn't adult, but it is mature. I rate it PG-13. Happy reading, and thanks to literally everyone who is reading this.
By Jeremy Ray Logsdon
"Do not seek death. Death will find you. But seek the road which makes death a fulfillment." – Dag Hammarskj”ld
Early Morning, August 18
Space Base
MasterVile waved his hand before the glass orb. It changed color before disappearing altogether. His companion, the pig-like Mordant, snorted happily as the spell took effect. "You really think that'll work?" Mordant asked.
"Most definitely," MasterVile said. "I'll let Divatox think she knows what she's doing…"
"Like the Psycho Rangers can actually win with just three battles," Mordant snorted.
"As much as I hate to say it," MasterVile said, "and I REALLY do hate to say it, you are correct." Mordant chuckled and nodded like a good henchman is wont to do.
"So, uh… just how exactly will this work?"
"Everyone directly concerned with the Psycho Rangers will find themselves frozen in time every time I send the Psychos into battle," MasterVile explained. "The Psycho Rangers shall not recall any of their service under me. THAT is the key to making my plan work. They'll remember just their training and the three battles Divatox is intent on sending them into…"
MasterVile stood up and waved his black staff in the air. "Psycho Rangers," he ordered.
In eight columns of colored fire, the Psycho Rangers appeared before him. They were all morphed and stood in perfect alignment. "Psycho Silver," MasterVile greeted.
"We will serve you, MasterVile," she said in a distorted voice.
"Very nice," Mordant agreed, laughing happily.
Something is almost always happening at the Cranston household. And the morning of August 18 was proving to be no different. Billy was performing the decidedly difficult task of packing, while Justin was working on a relatively simple project involving the manipulation of matter, space, and energy.
"Billy, I know you're busy, but would you please come check this out?" Justin asked. "It's my own design, and-?"
"I think I can spare a few minutes," Billy told him. He tossed a folded shirt onto the bed and followed Justin to his bedroom.
"I made myself a closet in the basement for my clothes," Justin said. He opened his closet door and revealed a silver chamber, lined with neon blue lights. "This is my teleportation booth. You step in here and it takes you to the receiving pad in the basement. And it is a direct link, so there's no way you could get lost anywhere."
"No blind teleportation alleys. Good thinking. But what if someone comes in here, and-"
"This afternoon, I'm installing a lock on the door," Justin said. "It'll unlock only for a few recognized thumbprints. I'm going to do the same for the door in the basement. Come on in."
"Did you extend the closet, too?" Billy asked as he stepped inside. He never remembered the closet being so deep.
"Physical distortion," Justin told him. "That's part of the mechanism. And it doesn't work on any type of electricity, or even the Power. It's part of the Morphin Grid, and if the Morphin Grid goes…"
"The house being thrown off the foundation is the least of your worries," Billy finished. "How far back?"
"Twelve feet," Justin said. "The same size as the receiving pod Alpha built for me in the basement."
Billy slowly walked to the back of the closet. The walls continued to be lined with silver, and the blue lights gave the entire closet a strangely futuristic look. "Unbelievable," he said. "How do we get to the basement?"
"This console here," Justin said as he pulled the closet door shut. The oak of the door seemed out of place in the high-tech corridor, save for a black and silver knob. "Just turn it to the top for my room, or the bottom for the basement." He turned the knob downward and smiled at his older brother.
"Was that a teleport?" Billy asked. "It didn't feel like a teleport."
"Yep," Justin said as he opened the door. Billy, his mouth open a bit in awe and respect, stepped out into the basement. The tiger cub, Lex, plus the pup and kitten, Monroe and Samantha, were already lounging about in their designated living area. Various pet toys and furniture dotted the room. "Rebecca's favorite is the laser litter box. No need to change it, ever. And we made one for the pup, too. I've got to train him to use it, though."
"Food synthesizer for them?" Billy asked, pointing to a large black console on the wall.
"It's called a Synthetron," Justin said. "Zhane let us use the schematics for it from his MegaShip's Archives." Lex suddenly leapt into Justin's arms, purring happily. "When Lex gets a little bigger, I'm going to teach her to use the teleporter by herself. That way, if company comes over, she can send herself to the basement all by herself."
"This is ingenious, Justin," Billy said. "Good job."
"Justin!" Rebecca suddenly called from upstairs. "Sydney is here to walk to school with you!"
"Sydney's going back to school?" Billy asked.
"Yep," Justin said as he and Billy made their way out of the basement. "Alpha made her an official identity, and she's going to be a freshman this year. I volunteered to walk to her school since she doesn't know where it is."
"No hidden motives?" Billy asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"None that I'll admit to."
"I can't believe how nervous I am," Sydney groaned. "I'm nervous about this grey streak in my hair that suddenly seems incredibly stupid… I'm nervous about being a high school freshman again. I mean, I've already graduated high school! I shouldn't have to be going through this again!"
"Geeze, Sydney, try not to spaz out," Justin muttered as he stepped out of the basement.
"Justin, be nice," Rebecca told him.
"Yeah," Sydney said, reaching out to smack him on the back of the head. "Now let's go. I want to get there early."
"You look great, by the way," Justin stammered.
"This?" Sydney asked, looking down at herself. She was wearing denim shorts and a slightly-too-big yellow t-shirt. "Thanks, I guess. Bye Mrs. Cranston."
"Rebecca."
"No, Sydney," Sydney corrected.
"I meant call ME Rebecca," Rebecca said with a smile.
Grinning embarrassedly, Sydney returned, "Right, Rebecca. Come on, kid."
"I take it this is the good part of town?" Sydney asked, looking around at the perfectly manicured lawns and beautiful houses.
"Most of Angel Grove is the good part of town," Justin answered. However, he had no more than said that when something quite large and quite powerful collided with him, forcefully knocking him to the ground. "Augh! Get off me!"
Sydney spun around in shock, seeing a gargantuan yellow dog straddling Justin's body with one large paw on his chest. "Hey boy," Sydney greeted, kneeling beside the dog. It woofed once in reply, smiling and happily wagging his tail.
"Angus, get off me!" Justin cried. "Rocky!"
"Sorry, Justin!" Rocky shouted, running up to them. He wrapped his arms around the dog's chest and pulled it off of Justin.
"This is Angus, I take it," Sydney said, kneeling beside the dog. "Aw, you're just a big ole puppy, aren't you?"
"Yeah, a hundred and twenty-five pounds of puppy," Rocky sighed. "Are you okay, Justin?"
"I'm fine," the young Blue Ranger answered, climbing to his feet.
About that time, a red convertible drove down the street. Behind the driver's seat was a beautiful blonde, her hair flowing in the wind. Rocky stood up taller, flashed a killer grin, and gave a friendly wave.
"She didn't even look at you," Sydney snorted.
"Seven periods," Sydney mused. "Hey, there's no study hall! Or gym!"
"High schoolers don't have to take gym. It's optional once you're past eighth grade," he told her. "And only Juniors and Seniors get to take study hall."
"Dude, I've been gypped!" she cried.
Justin took the index card from her hands and compared their schedules. "Aw man. I was hoping Alpha could give us the same schedule."
"We don't?" Sydney asked, looking over his shoulder. "Just first and seventh periods. I was really hoping for a familiar face."
"Folklore Class, First Period," Justin muttered. "Must be a new elective."
"And Seventh Period English," Sydney sighed. "I hate English."
"Cool, we've got Appleby for that," Justin grinned.
"How many classes does that woman teach?" Sydney asked. "I've got her for Fifth Period Math, too."
"Hey babe," Molly greeted, waving at Hallie Burquette.
"Hey girl," the petite black girl returned, shoving the last of her books into her lockers. "Man, these books get fatter every year."
"How'd your schedule work out?" Maggie asked, plucking it from Hallie's hands.
"Awesome," Hallie said. "This is gonna be the best year ever! But one class… I'm totally clueless about it."
"I feel like that times seven," Molly grumbled. "What the heck is folklore?"
"A study of what people thought, said, and did, and what they think, say, and do now," Marge answered, smiling smugly.
"Smart alec," Maggie grinned.
"I've got it first period," Marge said, flashing her card.
"Us too," Hallie added, turning around to lean against her locker.
"I hope we've got some cute guy teachers this year," Maggie mused, scanning her card. "Appleby, Wilton, blah blah blah. The only name I don't recognize is Montgomery. Please be a babe, puh-LEASE be a babe!"
"Praying to the Class Schedule Gods?" Emily asked as she walked up to them. "Where's 378?"
"Beside mine," Hallie said, moving over to Emily could get to her locker.
"Hey, do any of you have Folklore?" Emily asked, handing Marge her schedule card. "I haven't found a soul who's even heard of it."
"Oh… my… God…," Hallie sighed, turning to watch as an absolutely gargantuan black man walked down the hallway.
"Hallie?" Maggie asked.
"Him," Hallie answered simply, pointing at the man in question. He wasn't dressed out of the ordinary in a pair of denim shorts and a tucked green shirt. However, what drew Hallie's attention was the fact that he was at least six foot six, and underneath his almost-too-tight shirt was muscle on top of muscle. "The man who is going to father my children someday."
"He is fine," Molly agreed.
"And he's not bald or wearing dred-locks!" Hallie cried happily. "How do I look?"
Maggie placed her hands on both sides of Hallie's face and pushed her hair back a bit. "Beautiful," Maggie said. She turned Hallie around and smacked her on the butt. "Now go get the hunk, Champ."
Hallie shoved her notebook into Molly's arms and trotted down the hallway. The teen she was following, or stalking, stopped at his locker, stooped down a bit to do the combination, and began to put his books into it.
"Hi," Hallie said, stepping up behind him. "My name is Hallie. I'm co-captain of the cheerleading squad. Maybe you've seen me? But I guess you're new, huh? I haven't seen you around."
The guy was still putting books in his locker, paying Hallie absolutely no mind. "Uhm… Hello?" Hallie asked.
Again, he said nothing. "Oh? So this is your game? You're just going to completely ignore me?"
Nothing. He gave absolutely no response to her presence. He finally turned around and glanced down at the five foot five cheerleader standing behind him. "Fine, I can play that, too," Hallie spat. "Jerk." She turned on her heel and stormed off, absolutely enraged.
"Chick, what was THAT about?" Maggie asked, staring at the guy wide-eyed.
"I don't know!" Hallie fumed. "He totally ignored me! Oh, this day had better improve, fast." She ripped her notebook from Molly's arms and stomped off to class.
"Dude, that was so not cool," Molly growled, looking up at the guy as he walked past them.
"Joy," Emily said under her breath to the two girls. "A new jackass to replace ALL of the ones that graduated last year."
"I wonder if he's in Folklore," Marge mused.
"He better not be," Maggie decided, closing her locker. "I won't have a single problem kicking that guy's butt if I have to."
"Zhane, it's a locker," Carlos said. "They aren't complicated."
"Where's the sensor pad?" he asked, pressing his palm to various places on the metal surface.
"Combination lock," Ashley said. "These numbers here, put them in order, right, left, right, and it'll open. Watch."
"You can drive a spaceship, but a locker freaks you out, huh?" TJ asked, clapping Zhane on the shoulder.
"I gotta be honest with you; I still haven't figured out how this planet made it this far," Zhane muttered.
"Think you could stop dissin' our planet?" Cassie asked with a grin.
"Sorry," Zhane said, putting his hands up in a gesture of peace. "I like Earth. Really, I do. It's just… quaint."
"Guys, the tardy bell is about to ring," TJ interrupted. "We better get to class."
"What do I have?" Zhane asked, looking at his schedule card. "I hope Alpha signed me up for Quantum Physics as Applicable to Space Travel."
"Big room," Sydney announced, stepping into Room 225. "I wonder if we have assigned seats."
"Sit wherever you like," a very tall, short-haired blonde woman said. "I don't believe in assigned seats. Too… restrictive."
"You're our teacher?" Justin asked, looking her over.
"Yeah," she said, grinning. "My name is Dharma."
"Front or back?" Justin asked, glancing at Sydney.
"Middle," Sydney decided.
"Is this folklore?" a young, black kid asked, stepping into the room.
"It sure is," Dharma greeted. "Come, welcome, have a sit-down."
"You must be Ms. Montgomery," the guy said.
"Dharma. Yourself?"
"Hunter," he answered, taking a seat near Sydney and Justin. "Hunter Wilson. Me and my bro are new in Angel Grove."
"Who is your brother?" Sydney asked.
"Big ole hulk of a guy," Hunter told her. "He's like… a foot tall than I am."
"That must be him," Sydney remarked, looking up at the gargantuan black man who was suddenly completely filling the doorframe.
"Murray!" Hunter cried. "What are you doing here?" Hunter's older brother replied by flashing his index card. "I hope we don't have any other classes together."
"Ah, brotherly love," Sydney grinned.
As the bell rang, Dharma stepped up to the podium in front of the room. "Was that the tardy bell, or do I only have four students?"
"Tardy bell," Justin told her. "Am I the only one who isn't new?"
"What grade are you in?" Hunter asked.
"I'm a freshman," Justin said. "Name's Justin, by the way."
"Hunter," he answered, shaking Justin's hand. "You look young to be a freshman."
"He's a genius who got bumped up a grade," Sydney answered for him.
"At least I'm not a freak of nature," Justin challenged, reaching out to bat her grey streak of hair.
"Hey!" Sydney protested, smacking at Justin's hands and laughing. "At least I didn't shave my head this summer!"
"Sydney, has anyone told you that you look like a young version of Neve Campbell?" Dharma asked, interrupting their conversation.
"A few times," Sydney answered.
"Hi, everybody," Dharma greeted as the room was filled. "My name is Dharma Freedom Finklestein-Montgomery, and I'm teaching this class because… well, I needed something to do.
"This semester, we'll learn about each other, and about the Folklore of the world and right here in Angel Grove. This is a Round Table class, which means you'll get an A if you'll just participate in class discussions.
"We will discuss topics that some of you may find embarrassing, but nonetheless pertain to teenagers. Sex, violence, Power Rangers, and some other stuff that I don't want to mention right now because it will frighten some of you.
"Questions or comments?"
"I have a question," Zhane said, raising his hand.
"Yeah, your name?"
"Zhane Prescott."
"Go for it, Zhane," Dharma said, jumping up onto her desk to sit in a lotus position.
"Okay, you said sex. Will we be practicing sex with some kind of holographic imaging system, or just talking about it?"
"Zhane," Ashley sighed, grabbing his hand and yanking him down into his seat.
"We don't have a holographic imaging system to practice sex on," Carlos whispered to Zhane.
"Just talking about it," Dharma said, not fazed in the least. "You wanna practice sex, you gotta do that on your own time. But remember, if you do, gotta use a condom." She tossed a small box across the room which Zhane caught and promptly began to inspect.
"Sorry I'm late," David Trueheart panted as he rushed into the room.
"David?!" Marge cried, startled at seeing the 21-year old enter the room.
"S'okay," Dharma told him. "I don't take roll. Oh, here are your complimentary condoms."
"Uh, thanks," David said with a shrug, taking the box from her.
"What are you doing here?" Marge asked as David came to sit beside her.
"I'll explain after class," he promised, taking a notebook out of his backpack.
"All right, everybody," Dharma said, "let's take roll real quick so I can learn your names. Just throw your hand up in the air when I saw your name.
"TJ Andrews, Hallie Burquette, Cassie Chan, Justin Cranston, Ashley Hammond, Maggie Hammond, Molly Hammond, Sydney Kwan, Marge Lubbock, Martin Prince, Zhane Prescott, Emily St. John, David Trueheart, Carlos Vargas, Hunter Wilson, Murray Wilson. Good, everybody's here.
"I'll get the ball rolling," Dharma said. "Who here believes in the Power Rangers?"
Every hand in the room was raised.
"Okay… Another question. Who believes that the Power Rangers may be teenagers right here, in this very school?"
"No way," Zhane said quickly. "The Power Rangers are NOT from Earth."
"I don't get a locker," David frowned.
"You can put some stuff in mine," Marge promised him. "Now what are you doing here?"
"Well it's good to see you, too."
"Now you know that isn't what I mean-"
"I know," he smiled. In a lower voice, he said, "DECA gave me permission to teleport into town everyday. I've got some classes to take for my GED. I've been wanting to go to college, and the school on the reservation just didn't offer enough. I'll be coming here half-a-day all year. That way, I can fulfill the requirements I don't have and go to college."
"And you're like what, thirty?" Maggie asked, grinning.
"Twenty-one, thanks," David shot back. "I'm not THAT much older than you all."
"You'll be twenty-two in a month," Marge said.
"How did you know my birthday?"
"I have my ways," she smiled, patting him on the arm. "So, we got any other classes together?"
Sydney stared at the crowded cafeteria. Her lunch tray was quickly getting heavier, and she had nowhere to sit. She didn't see a single soul that she knew, not that she knew many people, anyhow. She finally spotted an empty table off in the corner, and she realized that she was going to have to eat alone.
"Being a teenager sucks," she grumbled to herself, starting off across the room.
So far, Folklore had been the only highlight of her day. She hadn't even seen a single familiar face in the rest of her classes. While no one had been particularly mean to her, no one had been friendly, either. They had all had their own friends, and they were too excited to see each other again to pay her any mind. She had heard a few people make disparaging comments about the grey streak in her hair, however. Of course, she wasn't supposed to have heard those comments.
Math had been okay, as had Art, but she embarrassed herself mortally in History. She had temporarily forgotten that her home dimension might not have the same history as her new dimension. She had initially impressed Mr. Hall when she referred to what was apparently now known as World War I as the Great War. He had not been so amused when Sydney couldn't produce a single comment about World War II. After all, her dimension had only had the one. She had tried to remedy herself by commenting on the potato famine during Civil War III. She couldn't read Mr. Hall's reaction. He either thought she was an idiot or a show-off. Sydney couldn't decide which was worse. Her follow-up comment on the Civil War between East Russia and West Russia had nearly given her a coronary after she realized that there was no East or West Russia.
"Great, I'm also a geek," she muttered, sitting by herself.
"Has anyone ever said you look like a young Neve Campbell?"
Sydney wasn't even able to hide the scowl that time. However, by the time she had lifted her head to give a strained, but polite, answer, a huge smile crossed her face. "Justin!" she cried happily.
"You look like you've had a rough morning," he said, holding his own lunch tray. "Can I sit with you?"
"Please," she sighed. "I have been so lonely all morning long."
"Oh? Has anyone been giving you a hard time or anything?"
"No," she said, opening her Coke. "I haven't been picked on or anything. Well, not to my face. I did hear a few ice princesses comment on my grey hair."
"Who?" Justin asked, his eyes a bit narrowed.
"It doesn't matter," she dismissed with a flip of her hand. "I'm gonna dye it first thing, though. I should be anyhow. It'll make dying the… other colors a heckuva lot simpler."
"No way!" Justin protested. "Don't do that! The grey streak is awesome!"
"Hey guys," a subdued voice asked from behind Justin. "Can I sit with you?"
"Of course, Hunter," Sydney smiled. She kicked the chair beside Justin out for the young black boy to sit down in. "Being the new kid sucks, huh?"
"Tell me about it," he agreed. "Man, if I don't get to see a Power Ranger soon, then this move to Angel Grove is really gonna bite the big one."
"Why'd you move here?" Sydney asked, stabbing at what she thought might be mashed potatoes with a fork.
"We transferred from Silver Falls," he said. "That's like the town on the other side of Stone Canyon. Mom's job moved here, and here we come. It's Murray's Senior year, too. He has such a hard time fitting in as it is."
"How come?" Justin asked.
"He has a slight… problem with making friends, sometimes."
For some students, the three o'clock bell seemed to take eons to ring. For others, it passed all too quickly. Such was the case for Hallie, Maggie, Molly, and Ashley who found themselves standing with the other Tigerettes on the football field. Of course, Ashley wasn't standing with the three Seniors. Maggie and Molly made absolutely certain that their younger sister was kept quarantined with the other Sophomore cheerleaders.
"Hallie," Coach Carey said as she walked up to the three Senior members of the team, "a note was just given to me for you."
"Hi, Coach Carey!" Maggie greeted enthusiastically. "Long time no see, huh?"
"Girls, we had cheerleading practice yesterday," the short-haired blonde sighed.
"It seems like much longer," Molly agreed.
After scanning the note, Hallie shouted after Coach Carey. "Who gave you this note?"
"That big kid over there," Carey answered, pointing to the gargantuan Murray Wilson, leaning against the chainlink fence.
"What does the note say?" Molly asked, looking at the now frowning cheerleading co-captain.
Setting her face, Hallie read, "You seem to be mad at me. Did I do something wrong? I'd like to converse with you. Murray."
"Converse," Maggie announced. "Big word, he's a nerd."
"He actually has the gall to ask me why I'm mad?" Hallie snarled, raising her eyebrows.
"Go kick his butt!" Molly cried, slamming one fist into her open palm.
"I'm definitely gonna give him a piece of my mind," Hallie insisted, jogging off across the football field.
Murray smiled as Hallie approached him. (He has a really nice smile,) Hallie had to admit. (Even if he is a jerk.) "Hi," Hallie said, biting the word off sharply.
He gave her a simple wave. "You actually sent me this note?" she continued, holding it up. "I'm mad at you because I tried to talk to you at your locker this morning, and you totally ignored me! Now you do not have to be interested in me, but I do think I deserve a little respect!"
Murray shook his head slowly as he pulled a small, yellow legal pad, encased in a black leather binder, from his shorts pocket. An ink pen followed, and he wrote quickly. He handed Hallie the note, who suddenly wanted to just shrink into her cheerleading sneakers.
'I'm deaf and mute.'
"Oh God," Hallie sighed, clutching the note tightly. "Oh Lord, I'm sorry, I didn't realize-"
He interrupted her with another note. 'I thought there was someone behind me, but by the time I turned around, you were telling me off. 🙂 If it was good, I'd like to know what you said before I turned around.'
Hallie forced a smile. "So, you can lip-read, huh?"
Murray nodded.
"Well, the gist was this. My name is Hallie Burquette, I'm co-captain of the cheerleading team. We're the Tigerettes. Uhm, you must be new…"
Murray was still looking at her face as he wrote another note. 'If I asked you nicely, would you show me around Angel Grove?'
"How about this Friday?" Hallie asked.
'Dinner and movie?'
"I'd love to," she answered, smiling sweetly. Murray waved goodbye and walked off. Hallie, still smiling, ran back to Maggie and Molly.
"Did you chew him out?" Maggie asked.
"Nope, I asked him out," Hallie grinned.
"I'm not really surprised," Molly announced.
"Hello Sydney," Mai-Ly, her adopted mother, greeted as the newest addition to the Kwan clan entered the house.
"Hi," Sydney groaned.
"Rough day?"
"Do you know history very good?"
"I know history very well," Mai-Ly said.
"Are you aware that the damage caused by the Potato Famine during Civil War III took almost twenty years to fix?" Sydney asked, covering her face with both hands.
"Civil War III?" Mai-Ly asked. "That's… Oh dear."
"There would have been a fourth if my planet hadn't been united under the single monarchy," Sydney sighed. "I completely mortified myself in History class today."
"Civil War III, huh?" Trini asked, stepping into the kitchen. "I bet Mr. Hall was really impressed with you."
Sydney whimpered and lowered her head to the table. "Did you bring your history book home?" Trini asked.
"Yeah, I figure I'll have to study everything BEFORE I can even learn it the first time."
"How about I give you a hand?" Trini offered. "History was always my strong point."
"Oh, would you?" Sydney asked hopefully. "Thank you SO much."
"Coach Carey," Ashley said, walking up to her with Zhane in tow, "this is my friend, Zhane. He watched us practice."
"Why am I not surprised?" Carey asked, removing her sunglasses.
"I want to be a Tigerette," Zhane announced proudly.
"Pwuh?" Carey asked.
"He wants to be a cheerleader," Ashley said. "You'd be a Tiger, Zhane."
"Yeah," Zhane agreed, still grinning.
"You're a boy."
"Thank you for noticing."
"That's not what I meant!" Carey cried. "But… you're a boy! Boys can't be cheerleaders!"
"There are boy cheerleaders in college," Ashley said.
"Why don't you go join the football team?" Carey suggested. "You're a big man; I'm sure Coach Z would love to have you."
"I'd rather play with the girls," Zhane admitted truthfully, pointing to the girls who were still practicing on the field.
"All right, Zhane," Coach Carey started. "You can be a Tigerette if you can stand two girls on your shoulders."
"Sounds like fun," Zhane said, smiling at Ashley as Carey chirped at Molly and called her over.
"Can you do that?" Ashley asked.
"Totally," Zhane answered. "I spent six months flying across the universe by myself. I didn't have anything to do but work out."
"You chirped, Coach?" Molly asked, jogging up to the trio.
"Zhane wants to be a Tigerette," Carey said. "If he can balance you and Ashley on his shoulders, I'm gonna let him in." Carey snorted as she finished; she was obviously expecting a small-scale disaster.
"Cool," Molly decided.
"Lemme take off my shirt first," Zhane interrupted. "This is silk."
"Ooh," Molly said, perking up. However, as she saw he was wearing a black tank top underneath, she visibly frowned.
"Now, what do I do?" Zhane asked, clapping his hands together.
"Put your hand at the small of your back as a step," Ashley told him. "I'll climb up first on your left shoulder. You'll do the same with Molly, and I'll help her climb up to your right."
"You've done this before, right?" Zhane asked as Ashley placed her foot in his hand.
"Uh, sure," she lied. It took a few tries, but by hopping on her one leg, Ashley managed to get enough inertia to propel herself up into the air. Placing one hand on the top of Zhane's head, she placed her right foot on his left shoulder. He gave her a nudge with the hand serving as a step, and he boosted her up.
"There," he grunted, quivering a bit under the sudden weight of an extra person.
"I'm bigger than Ashley," Molly warned. However, with Ashley's help, Molly was soon standing on Zhane's right shoulder. Molly and Ashley linked hands over his head, and then, as soon as they both felt secure, they thrust their outside arms straight up.
"Ta-da!" Ashley grinned.
"Woo hoo!" Molly cried. "Wow, we are high up."
"Check it out!" Hallie cried from across the field, pointing.
"Well, I'm impressed," Carey relented. "You're a Tigerette, Zhane. I'll order you a costume tomorrow."
Ashley and Molly both jumped down from his shoulders. Though he had tried not to show it, having the two women standing on him was harder than he had anticipated. "Way to go, Zhane," Ashley grinned, slapping his hand.
"Girls, hit the showers!" Carey shouted, blowing her whistle for emphasis.
"Will I get to shower with you all?" Zhane asked, retrieving his silver, silk shirt.
"It's a figure of speech," Ashley said, walking with him toward the gym. "Hit the showers means… go change and get out of here. We don't really shower. Well, we could, but we don't."
"Do all of the Tigerettes change together?"
"You'll have to change out with the football team," Ashley said. "Sorry, Zhane. No nookie for you."
Before Zhane could say anything in reply, the still-frightening-to-a-newbie six-toned beep of their communicator sounded. "Uh oh," Ashley sighed.
"Over here," Zhane said, pulling her off to the side to duck under the bleachers with him.
"I read you, Zordon," Ashley said into her wrist.
"Rangers, please come to the Command Center immediately! We have an emergency!" Alpha cried.
Zhane peeked out from beneath the bleachers. "The field is empty," he said. "We can go."
Two streams of yellow and silvered light shot out from beneath the Rangers and arched high into the sky, heading out into the desert beyond Angel Grove.
Alpha was a bit startled to see the Turbo Rangers arrive so quickly after his page. Then, he remembered that, save for Justin, they were all newbies, and new Rangers had a tendency to literally drop what they were doing and get there immediately. The older Rangers usually had a window of about thirty seconds to arrive. The new guys might have taken three seconds.
"What's the problem, Zordon?" TJ asked, looking up at their mentor.
"Rangers, MasterVile just sent us a message," Zordon answered. "Observe the viewing globe."
All seven turned to the large orb as it sparked to life.
"Greetings, Zordon," MasterVile snarled.
"Yuck," Cassie muttered.
"Yarg," Emily agreed.
"I would like to introduce you to my newest project," he said. The scene immediately changed from the beast known as MasterVile to a team of eight Psycho Rangers.
"Are those Rangers?" Carlos asked in surprise.
"Your chapter in history, Zordon, is about to close," MasterVile said. "MINE is about to begin." The Viewing Globe promptly darkened before turning into a clear, glass orb again.
"Evil Rangers?" Emily asked nervously.
"I'll go to the MegaShip and see if I can find anything on our records," Zhane offered. "Maybe MasterVile tried this in the past when he conquered M-51."
"Excellent suggestion, Zhane," Zordon agreed. The solo Space Ranger disappeared in a flash of silver.
"What about-?" Ashley started, only to be interrupted by Alpha.
"Aye-yi-yi! Tengas in the park!"
"Rangers, you must go stop MasterVile's creatures," Zordon announced.
"We're on it," TJ agreed. "Shift into Turbo!"
"Mountain Blaster Turbo Power!"
"Desert Thunder Turbo Power!"
"Dune Star Turbo Power!"
"Wind Chaser Turbo Power!"
"Midnight Phantom Turbo Power!" Emily cried, triggering her transformation into the Black Turbo Ranger.
"Red Lightning Turbo Power!" TJ finished. The Rangers morphed in a literal flash, and they teleported away just as quickly.
Silver light flashed on the silent bridge of the MegaShip. "Hello Zhane," Michele, the onboard computer, greeted cheerfully. Her voice chip had been damaged after they had passed through a particular vicious radiation belt, and upon arriving on Earth, Zhane had given her the first female voice he had heard. It wasn't the voice of anyone he had met; it was the voice of a young woman named Lisa Kudrow from the first television signal he had picked up.
"Hi Michele," he said. "We need to run a scan." He turned a seat around and sat down at a console.
"Of what?" she asked. Before he could answer, she added, "There are Tengas attacking the Turbo Rangers in the park."
Zhane glanced up as the square display changed from the live view of the mountains outside Angel Grove to that of the park. The Turbo Rangers had done nothing more than arrive before they were caught in an intense melee of Tengas. "Keep one sensor on the park at all times," Zhane ordered.
"Certainly, Master," Michele said in an 'I-dream-of-Jeanie' voice.
"Master?" Zhane asked, looking up.
"I've been watching television," she admitted. A small camera rose from the console before him and blinked a red light at him. "Now what would you like me to search for?"
"Bring up any and all files you have on MasterVile of the Dynasty of the Apocalypse," Zhane ordered. "Cross-referenced with evil Rangers."
"No file like that exists, Zhane."
"So MasterVile has never dabbled in evil Rangers… How about mind control?"
"MasterVile is a master at mental manipulation."
"Did you learn about alliteration today, too?" Zhane asked.
"No, but I did learn about sarcasm today," Michele answered quickly. "Bringing up the files, now."
"My first fight!" Emily shouted triumphantly. "Phantom Axe!" Her weapon appeared in a glimmer of black light, and she dispatched the two closest Tengas, one on each side of her. She dropped to the ground and swept her legs beneath a Tenga. As it fell likewise, she raised her leg high in the air and slammed into its torso.
"Oomph!" Carlos blurted out as a rather strong Tenga literally bowled him over. He fell to one knee, and another Tenga foot collided with his ribs. Although temporary, the pain was intense. Ranger powers may have given his mortal body plenty of safety protections, but his mind was still completely his. As such, the rage that bubbled up in him quickly manifested itself in a loud shout. That shout produced his Thunder Cannon, and he literally annihilated the two Tengas, leaving nothing but the smell of charred feathers in the air.
Cassie jumped straight up into the air, sailing high over the battlefield. She withdrew her AutoBlaster and fired on the throng of Tengas beneath her. A cloud of sparks, and a few misplaced feathers, shot out from each impact point, and she landed in the midst of several of the stunned birds.
"Hey!" Justin cried as four Tengas surrounded him. Two grabbed him by the shoulders, and the next thing he knew, he was suspended in the air between four of them. He writhed in their grip, finally managing to get one foot free. As soon as he did, he kicked the Tenga holding his right foot, and threw his weight groundward. His feet touched the ground, and he flipped into a forward roll, losing the two Tengas on his shoulders. Justin spun around into a kneeling position and summoned his Hand Blasters. Two bright balls of blue energy burst forth, striking the closest Tengas and knocking them back.
TJ and Ashley found themselves nearly back to back as they fought the avian beasts. The Red Ranger thrust into the throng of birds before him with his Sword. As he sliced up, feathers flew everywhere and Tengas dove out of the way.
"Star Chargers!" Ashley called, summoning her twin weapons. She clicked the two together, producing a shower of yellow sparks. Then, holding them out before her, she ran into the group of Tengas.
Suddenly, black light swept across the playing field, and every Tenga vanished. However, before the Rangers could relish in their easy-earned victory, eight lightning bolts of different colors shot down from the sky, forming the eight Psycho Rangers.
"Who are you?!" TJ demanded as the Turbo Rangers regrouped.
Silver Psycho stepped forward. The light from the setting sun glinted off of her armor, and she spoke in a robotic voice. "We are MasterVile's Psycho Rangers," she answered.
"And we are here to destroy you," Red Psycho added.
"Rangers," Silver Psycho said calmly, "ATTACK!"
"Evil Rangers fight dirty!" Emily cried as a word of warning before the Psychos descended upon them.
It didn't take the Turbo Rangers more than a few minutes to realize that the Psycho Rangers were extremely dirty fighters. In addition, there were two more Psycho Rangers than there were Turbo, and two Turbo Rangers at any given time were being positively pummeled.
"Fire!" Justin cried, leveling his Hand Blasters at Blue Psycho. Instead of actually doing damage, however, Blue Psycho caught the twin balls of light in his black gloved hands. "Uh oh," Justin rumbled.
Blue Psycho merged the two balls into one giant flaming orb. Then, the orb rocketed toward Justin.
"Justin, watch out!" Cassie cried. Her lapse in concentration gave Black Psycho time to kick her in the midsection.
The orb struck Justin, lifting him into the air and lobbing him backwards. He hit the ground, sending up plumes of dust. Blue energy ran up and down the black lines that traversed his armor before finally dissipating. "Ow," he muttered, still lying flat on his back on the ground.
"Cassie!" Carlos cried. The Pink Turbo Ranger was pummeled fast and furiously by Black Psycho. By the time that Cassie had completely lost her ability to fight back, Black Psycho picked her up by the waist and threw her onto Justin. The two Turbo Rangers lay in a heap on the ground together, both too exhausted to even try and move.
Pink and Green Psychos both teamed up against Carlos at the same time. A black object flashed before Carlos, and a dizzying sensation, mingled with pain, shot through Carlos' body. He was so startled, it took him several seconds to realize that one of the Psycho Rangers had just kicked him in the helmet. He hadn't been a Ranger for long, but so far, his helmet had proved to be off-limits. Apparently, that was no longer true. Carlos suddenly realized with a very literal horror that he had placed both hands on his helmet. As soon as he realized that he had left his entire torso open, both Psychos kicked him with devastating force, knocking him into the slowly growing pile of Turbo Rangers out for the count.
Emily was holding her own quite well against White Psycho. She was wondering where her good luck had come from, when suddenly, a flurry of punches took her off guard. She was forcibly turned with the blow, and Yellow Psycho landed strike after strike on her midsection. She screamed out in pain, unable to stop herself and unbelieving how much those fists actually hurt. She finally managed to wrap her arms around her abdomen. The blows landed a few times more before his foot collided with her chest, taking the Black Turbo Ranger officially out of the fight.
Ashley shouted triumphantly as she pressed her Star Chargers against Red Psycho. Yellow energy crackled across Red Psycho's armor. Her robotic voice was contorted in anger and what sounded like pain. However, before Ashley could feel too victorious, Silver Psycho tackled her to the ground. Red Psycho jumped into the air and brought one foot down on Ashley's chest. Ashley instinctively curled up in a fetal position, clutching at her chest painfully. Silver Psycho picked her up and hurled her over to her teammates.
"Oh God," TJ groaned, standing before his temporarily-fallen teammates protectively. He held his Lightning Sword in his right hand and pulled his left wrist up to his mouth. "Zordon, we've-" He wasn't able to finish his thought with Blue Psycho hurled some remnants of Justin's Hand Blaster energy at him. Though the force was minimal compared to that given to Justin initially, it was still enough to send showers of sparks from TJ's armor and knock him into the pile of his teammates.
He lifted his trembling wrist to his mouth and cried, "We need help!"
"I'll be glad to help you study," Marge said, smiling broadly.
"Good," David said thankfully. "Math has never been my strong point."
"Man, it's beautiful out here," Marge sighed. The sun was setting off in the distance, casting shadows across the entire distance that were a stark contrast to the crimson and orange on the sky.
"Say," David said thoughtfully, "do you suppose sometime-"
Before he could finish his thought, a beep sounded around them and their tattoos glowed brightly. "Uh oh," Marge sighed. She touched the Red Dragon on her hand and said, "What's wrong, DECA?"
"Rangers, please come here immediately," DECA said calmly. "The Turbo Rangers are in need of your assistance."
"On our way," David said. The two Thunder Rangers glanced at each other before disappearing in blue and red silhouettes of light.
As David and Marge reappeared inside DECA, they saw that Maggie and Molly were already looking at the visual display set into the ground. "They're really taking a beating," Maggie said to her teammates.
"New Rangers?" David asked, quirking an eyebrow.
"Oh, I know," Molly sighed. "This has so been done to death."
"What about Heather?" Marge asked.
"Heather is on a live broadcast until 6:30," DECA informed them. "I will refrain from contacting her unless it proves absolutely crucial. I will send her to the fight as soon as she is free."
"Let's go, guys," Marge said. "Thunder Bolt, Now!"
"Stop right there!" David cried as four of the Thunder Rangers appeared before the depleted Turbo Rangers. They had arrived just as the Silver Space Ranger showed up to offer assistance as well. With Red Turbo still standing, there were still only six Rangers against eight.
"There's a whole lot more of us, pal," TJ threatened.
"Right now, there're more of us," Silver Psycho commented. "Rangers, ATTACK!"
"I'm Arnold Kreft."
"And I'm Heather St. John. This has been KBKO with World News Tonight, signing off." She placed two fingers against her right temple and gave a little salute as the closing score was tuned up and the studio lights dimmed.
Heather and Arnold turned to each other and simulated what was actually expected of them : small talk. Heather, frankly, despised her arrogant co-anchor, and were it not for the fact that she had an astounding job that she had no actual rights having, she wouldn't have been anywhere near the arrogant SOB. Heather wasn't even listening to Kreft. She just started talking about her new apartment as soon as he was finished whatever it was he was talking about. She hadn't a clue what he was saying, and she didn't care. She was just doing what Andre had told her to do.
"And we're out!" a stagehand called.
"Ms. St. John, I must admit," Kreft said suddenly, catching her attention. "I am quite impressed."
"Heather, and thank you," she returned as warmly as she could manage.
"I was wondering," he said as he followed her off the set, "would you perhaps be interested in coming to dinner with me sometime?"
"Dinner?" she asked quickly. Suddenly, a single tone sounded. She glanced down at her hand and saw her green lion tattoo glowing brightly. "I can't, but thank you."
"You sure?" he asked, still following her. "I can make it a night you'll never forget."
That stopped Heather dead in her tracks. "Excuse me?" she asked.
Kreft stepped closer to her and placed his index finger on her left shoulder. "I can get you to the top, Heather," he purred. "I've got strings I can pull everywhere."
"You're a married man!" she cried in disbelief. She looked down in shock as his finger trailed down the left side of her chest. Forcefully, she grabbed his hand and pushed it away. "Look, Kreft. We may have to work together, but that's IT. You ever come on to me again, and I will run to your wife so fast your head will spin."
"Shame," he sighed. As Heather turned to walk away, she suddenly felt something that sent waves of red-hot anger coursing their her veins.
He pinched her butt. "You got a nice ass, St. John. And I'm gonna own it. Mark my words."
At that moment, Heather was so infuriated she didn't care if she was fired and had to go back to working at McDonald's. She spun on her heel and punched Arnold Kreft square in the nose, putting all of her weight behind it. He gave a cry of pain and clamped his hands over his nose, shouting an insult about herself and her mother that had Heather ready to give him another.
"Easy, Heather!" Andre Ferguson cried as he ran up to her. He grabbed her by the shoulders and held her back.
"Andre, you have NO idea what he said to me," Heather snarled.
"I heard enough to be appalled," he said simply. "Let's go."
"I just got myself fired, didn't I?" Heather asked as she was led away.
"Not if I have anything to say about it," he assured her.
Heather glanced down at her hand, and she saw that the tattoo was now blinking. "Andre, I have to run," she said hurriedly. "I'll…"
"We'll talk in the morning. Everything'll be fine," he assured her.
By the time Heather had made it to the battlefield, the Psycho Rangers had decided they had had enough. Not enough thrashing, but enough playing. It was obvious to anyone present who could have won such a battle. Of course, the Power Rangers had a trump card in the Morphin and Zeo Rangers scattered hither and yon. But just the same, it could have quickly escalated from a harder-than-usual-but-standard fight to a literal blood bath.
"Your friends," David said, gesturing to the shaken-up Turbo Rangers.
"We'll take care of them," Zhane told him quickly. He hurried to them and helped Ashley and Cassie to their feet. Both Rangers were a bit unresponsive, suggesting to Zhane that the Power had temporarily taken over and made them unresponsive. Such measures often kept a Ranger from mentally reliving pain, which could be even more damaging than actual, physical pain.
"Thank you for your assistance," TJ said, walking up to Marge.
"Glad to oblige," she returned, shaking his hand.
"If you ever need it returned, we'll be there," he promised.
"That's good to know," she agreed, and TJ could tell through her voice that if she had had lips at that point, she would have been smiling. "Rangers, let's go." In five flickers of light, the Thunder Rangers melted away.
"Alpha, bring us in," TJ said into his wrist, just before they all streaked up and away.
In DECA's internal cavity, the Thunder Rangers still stood around, morphed but helmetless. "Evil Rangers," Marge grumbled. "Geeze, one repeat plot after another."
"You'd think they'd learn it never works," David agreed.
"DECA, is there anything you can do to find out who they are?" Heather asked.
"At this time, no," DECA answered. That green line that represented her voice oscillated on one wall. "You may return home, Rangers. I will contact you if you are needed tonight. Marge, would you please stay behind?"
"Sure," she said as she demorphed in a red flash of light.
"Marge, can I call you later tonight?" David asked. He added as an afterthought, "About the tutoring thing?"
"What?" Molly asked, spinning around. Yellow light sparkled around her as she demorphed as well.
"Tutoring, it means studying," Maggie sighed. Before the two girls teleported away, Maggie said, "It isn't sexual."
"You wanted to see me?" Marge asked, looking up at the black screen with the green line across it.
"Though we have not known each other for long, I have been observing you," DECA said. "And it has occurred to me that you possess qualities that may benefit you in a way that most mortals, and even Rangers, never get a chance to explore."
On the red column in the center of the "room," a small leather-bound book appeared. There was no title, but Marge eagerly opened it and flipped through a few pages. As soon as she realized what the book was about, a gargantuan grin spread across her fast.
"Magic," she whispered. "Wow."
"It will require hard work and meditation," DECA said, "and it may take months before you see anything beyond the most basic of results, but I assure you, this is worth doing. And magic is technically not the best term. You will be a Mancer, of whatever trade you wish to specialize in."
Marge slowly turned the pages. Every four pages was dedicated to a particular trade of mancing. There were plenty of elaborate decorations, and the writing in the book was in an elegant, silver script. "Aqua, geo, techno… Geeze, there are hundreds!"
As she flipped through the book, she realized she was getting no closer to the end than she had when she opened the book. The book itself was magical. "If you begin soon," DECA said, "you could be a practicing Mancer, albeit a beginner, by the end of this year."
Marge turned to the first page. Written in that same beautiful script were detailed instructions on how to begin. She flipped forward a few pages, and then a few more, until she realized that suddenly, the entire book was filled with the beginning instructions. This was just short of a living book. It presented her with the information she needed at any given moment.
"I see the book is responding to you," DECA said softly. "This is a good sign. Not everyone can be a Mancer. In fact, few can."
"I'm honored, DECA. Truly."
"You are my first student, Marge," DECA told her. "I was designed for this very purpose, but due to events beyond my control and my creators' control, I never received a student. It is I who am honored to teach you, Marjorie."
"Looks like I've got some reading to do," Marge smiled. "The book is mine to take home?"
"For now," DECA said. "There will eventually be a day when you will no longer need the book. At that time, it will return to me.
"You are about to embark on a journey that few have known. Yet you are not entering an unknown world. You will learn things that are disbelieving to you. You may see things that seem to initially counter your religious beliefs. I understand that you are a woman of science, Marge. But before long, you will be more in tune with the world around you than any mortal alive."
"I'm not going to become immortal, am I?" Marge asked nervously.
"Nothing will happen that you do not wish to happen," DECA assured her. "Go in peace, Marge."
"Thank you," Marge said sincerely. Then, she disappeared in a glimmer of red light, still holding the book securely.
"I slept heavy last night," Cassie commented the next morning at school.
"Those Psycho Rangers took a lot out of us," Justin told her. "Good thing the Thunder Rangers were around."
"It was just so frightening," Ashley sighed. "Just… lying there, unable to even move…"
"The Power is a very complex thing," Justin said. "If we hadn't had back-up, we would've been able to do more. But don't even try to figure it out, or you'll get the existential colly-wobbles."
"Huh?" Cassie asked.
"You'll get real dizzy," Ashley offered.
Down the hall, another Ranger-based conversation was taking place.
"I can't believe they canceled the first dance," Molly grumbled. "Let a few evil Rangers loose and the whole city panics."
"They're instituting a curfew," Marge added, joining the group. "All teens without their parents have to be home by six-thirty p.m. EVERYBODY has to be in by eight."
"Looks like we're gonna get to sneak out of the house if we're called out," Maggie decided.
"Just tell your parents you're studying," Marge suggested.
"Like Mom and Dad will believe that," Molly muttered.
"We'll tell them we're planning what to wear for the rest of the school year," Maggie suggested with a grin.
"We need to do that anyhow," Molly decided.
"Hey M Girls," David called as he approached the trio. "What's the book, Marge?"
"It doesn't have a name," Marge said, handing it to him, "and it never ends."
"Nor does it have any writing in it," David said, flipping through the blank white pages.
"It's a magical book," Marge told him. "Apparently, only I can see it. Denise saw it last night and thought it was a diary. But I read about three hundred pages last night. I got to the last page, and then, it started all over. I've got another three hundred pages to go, and for all I know, there are going to be three hundred more after that."
"Are there Cliff Notes?" Maggie asked.
"Oh David, just reminded me," Marge realized. "You teach at a dojo, right?"
"Yeah," he said. "Yoshi's Dojo, just outside of town. Why?"
"I know nothing about fighting," Marge told him, "and I think given my new line of work, I should know something."
"We have a beginner's class that starts this Friday," David said. "That would be better for you than joining a class in progress. It isn't very expensive, either. Yoshi has the lowest prices in town. He also has the smallest classes, because he lives so far out in the boonies."
"Great," Marge smiled. "Why don't you two come, too?"
"Karate," Maggie mused.
"Doesn't cheerleading count as self-defense?" Molly asked.
"You're thinking of football," Maggie told her.
"Actually, I think I'm thinking of rugby," Molly remarked, crinkling her nose up as she pondered.
"Maybe you're thinking of Karate," Marge suggested.
"Yeah, I guess that is it," Molly agreed. "Okay, I'll be there."
"So, I guess you've all heard about the curfew the mayor imposed," Dharma remarked.
"I think it stinks," Hunter muttered.
"It's necessary," Cassie added quickly. "Take it from someone who's lived in Angel Grove her whole life."
"People have died because of evil Rangers," Emily said. "A lot of people."
"Not a lot," TJ said, "so you new guys won't get the wrong idea about Angel Grove, but enough. Enough that the curfew is understandable."
"Phantom Ranger killed four people," Emily remarked. "Green Ranger killed around twenty. Granted, most of the people killed by Green Ranger were killed by DragonZord. Phantom Ranger didn't even have a Zord."
"The Power Rangers were brand new back then," Justin said. "They had only been around about three months when Green Ranger attacked, but the Rangers who had to face Phantom were more experienced."
"I was still living in San Francisco when Green Ranger attacked in '93," Dharma said. "That, I think, was what really got word about the Power Rangers around. Now, the Power Rangers are definitely known around the planet. So even good things can come from bad events."
"It should also be noted that most people killed by Evil Rangers were in places they had no business being," Emily said. "Ever hear of a Hurricane Party? It's where people go in a building next to a beach during a hurricane, just to see if they can survive it. Of the people killed by Phantom Ranger, one was murdered in a back alley and the other three were holding a Phantom Ranger Party. There were nearly twenty people there; it's a miracle no more people were killed." She paused as she realized all that she had said. "Or so goes the word on the street."
"Some people have speculated that the new Silver Ranger is evil," Dharma said, starting a new line of conversation. "He has no armor-specific teammates… seems to be a loner…"
"That's totally bogus," Zhane muttered. "He's been seen fighting with the good Rangers."
Silence reigned for a few more mom