CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
TAMMY
The last thing Tammy expected to discover upon being teleported to the Command Center was that someone she knew would be waiting for her looking both confused and terrified.

"Uncle Marcel?" She asked as she hurried over to him. Marcel wasn't actually her uncle. He was her father's cousin, but Tammy and her brothers had grown up calling him "uncle" because he and her father were as close as brothers. She hadn't seen him since right after her father's funeral. He lived in Pennsylvania with his wife and kids.

"Tamira! What the heck is going on?" He asked as she hugged him.

"I'm not completely sure," Tammy admitted. "Alphas?"

"Your uncle was facing imminent danger, Tammy," Three replied dramatically. "Had the Celestial Force Rangers not discovered him, the Guild would have murdered him, and Jezzeff would have absorbed his life force so he could access the Chosen powers of the Taylor bloodline."

Tammy was torn between panicking and raging. She chose to embrace her anger. "The Guild did what?!" She demanded. "Uncle Marcel, what exactly happened to you?"

"It was insane, Tammy," Marcel replied. "They were holding some sort of ritual... I've never seen or felt anything like it... And I swear, I heard your father... He just kept telling me to fight, and insisting help would come... And it did."

Tammy blinked back a few stray tears at the mention of her father. "Of course Daddy was with you," she said. "You're going to be okay, Uncle Marcel. I'll protect you."

"I love you, sweetheart, but these nutcases are dangerous. I'm the adult. I'm supposed to protect you. Don't go getting mixed up in all of this."

"I already am," she replied. "I know this is freaking you out, but I promise, it's going to be okay."

Marcel paused, studying her. "Alright, Tammy... Explain this to me," he said.

She sighed. "I know the family passes down the story of our ancestor who could sort of manifest light... They called him a child of Horus because he was like the sun. It's not just a metaphor, Uncle Marcel. His name was Raven, and he was real. That power runs in our bloodline. I'm meant to carry on his legacy, and I actively have the power."

"Tammy, that's just an old story... Magic isn't real."

"Zephyr in the sky at night, I wonder, Do my tears of morning sink beneath the sun?" Tammy sang. Her light began manifesting, pouring out of her more with each lyric. "She's got herself a universe, gone quickly, For the call of thunder threatens everyone...And I feel like I just got home, And I feel... And I feel like I just got home, And I feel... Faster than the speeding light, she's flying, trying to remember where it all began...She's got herself a little piece of heaven, waiting for the time when Earth shall be as one...And I feel like I just got home, And I feel... And I feel like I just got home, And I feel... Quicker than a ray of light... Quicker than a ray of light... Quicker than a ray of light..."

Marcel stared at her in shock. "Alright, Little Madonna," he finally said. "I believe you. Also... Why am I so much calmer?"

"My light comforts people... It can soothe even the deepest pain in someone's heart," Tammy replied.

"That's a beautiful gift to have..."

"It can also make really dark entities explode," Tammy added with a grin.

Marcel laughed. "That's an interesting trick."

"Uncle Marcel, those people who kidnapped you are not from Earth," Tammy said seriously. "They're from a planet called Eltar. They want my power, and since it's in our bloodline, they targeted you. You can't go home until we stop them. You won't be safe."

"Tammy, my family-"

"Can be relocated to a safe house with you. They might target your kids otherwise."

"I don't usually run from a fight."

"You need to run from this one. Trust me..."

Marcel paused. "Tammy, is this how your dad died?" He asked.

She couldn't fight back her tears then. "Daddy saved me and Jason," she said. "This really evil woman named Merkhet tried to kill us, and Daddy dove in front of us and took the attack... Jason tried to help him, but there was nothing he could do, so I just... He asked me to sing, so I sang to him as he died... I held him until after he was gone and just tried to bring him peace..."

"Oh honey..." Marcel looked heartbroken. He hugged her tightly. "I had no idea. Your mom just said it was an accident."

"We didn't know how else to explain it to people who weren't Power Rangers or Chosen."

"Are you saying Zack was...?"

"The original Black Mighty Morphin' Power Ranger. He passed the job on to someone else when he went to the Peace Summit."

Marcel smiled sadly. "My cousin always was a hero... I just didn't know it was official." He paused. "So what's with the robots?"

"Excuse me, but I am not a robot!" Three protested indignantly.

"This is Alpha Three," Tammy explained. "She prefers the term automaton."

"Isn't that just a fancy term for robot?" Marcel asked.

"Hmph!" Three replied in annoyance. She stormed off.

"Yo, yo, yo, you gotta watch what you say to Three!" Six said. "She's a little sensitive."

"And why is this one from the Hood?" Marcel asked with a laugh.

Tammy laughed, too. "Alpha Six is a little special that way," she replied.

"Thank you, Tammy!" Six said.

"You're welcome," Tammy replied. "Anyway, there are several Alphas, and each one has his or her own personality... Six and Three kind of take that to an extreme."

"Tam... This is a lot."

"I know. Don't worry, Uncle Marcel. I'm going to make sure you're taken care of. I'll ask Kira about getting you and your family somewhere safe as soon as possible. For now, let's just focus on getting through tonight." She squeezed his hand and prayed like hell she could keep the Guild from finding them.

SID
His entire body ached. With T'Dania missing in action, the Elite Coalition members were starting to get restless. A few of them were taking it out on Sid. He could handle abuse, but this was getting out of control.

From what he had pieced together, Percival Treygan had left the Coalition. Apparently, the Huntress had cut ties with the Witch and he had chosen to continue working with her. He'd taken Ivy with him, which was no surprise. Ivy was a nice kid, but she was completely devoted to Percival. She reminded Sid of what Felina had been like with Zell, only Ivy didn't have any darkness in her. It was only her blind loyalty to Percival that made her harm others. Sid hoped someone would help the girl before it was too late.

Anzella and Daneena were off doing their own thing, probably slaughtering innocents together to pass the time. Sid hadn't seen either of them much. He also hadn't seen Trixie at all. The dragon girl seemed to have vanished. He wasn't sure if that was good or bad, considering how dangerous she could be.

Kenzee and Kleo were hanging out with their college friends and rarely came home except to sleep, shower, and change their clothes. Their thoughts told Sid they missed Ivy, and it seemed like they both just wanted to pretend to be carefree college girls instead of elite members of a terrorist organization for a little while.

Cadence seemed to be content to focus on music and ignore everyone and everything else. Without orders from T'Dania or the Huntress, she simply kept to herself. Sid found it comforting to focus on the sound of her music during the nights when he was bleeding and broken and thought he might die.

Mella stayed close to the Huntress. The immortal child was usually very close to T'Dania, but with her absence, she had begun working more with the Huntress. Sid didn't know what they were up to, but at least the very creepy child wasn't around him.

Thyme had never harmed him. She checked on him, tended to his injuries, and brought him food sometimes, but she didn't waste time with small talk. She was a warrior, and she acted like his prison guard, there to do her duty and nothing more. At least when Thyme showed up, he knew he wasn't going to be abused.

Zaelah terrified him. He refused to think about the things she put him through. He desperately wished she'd gone with Percival, but her loyalty seemed to be to Mezdan.

Mezdan had begun practicing dark spells on Sid. With Percival gone, he had decided he was in charge of the Elites. Most of them were allowing him to play leader, and that was bad because Mezdan was deadly, cruel, and extremely evil. He was worse than Percival, but Percival's family lineage had kept him higher up in the Coalition than Mezdan. Now, there was no one to keep him in line.

Missy came to him when she was starving sometimes. The succubus was gorgeous but out of control, and Sid wasn't exactly willing to be a snack for her. She fed on him despite his protests and he was too weak to fight her. The only reason she hadn't killed Sid was because Dexter usually interrupted them and took her away before she could.

Dexter didn't live at the base, but he came by daily. He didn't bother with Sid much except to feed him sometimes or to stop Missy from draining him completely. Sid was still trying to figure him out. Dexter was powerful and seemed happy to wreak havoc with the Elites, but he also seemed to just be out to have a good time. He kept his surface thoughts casual, but Sid knew there was something beneath them. Dexter was hiding a secret.

Heather was sadistic, but she only bothered with Sid when she was bored. Malorah came by slightly more, enjoying being able to torture Sid by burning his flesh when she had nothing better to do.

Interestingly, Phoenix had started taking care of Sidd because of Malorah. She seemed to take offense to people being burned, probably because she'd been burned to death before resurrecting for the first time and awakening her powers, or so the legend went. Phoenix was dark, evil, and very angry at the Universe, but seeing Sid struggling to survive the burns, she'd shown him another side of herself. She'd begun healing him after Malorah's attacks, and she seemed determined to help him.

Lenora was the only one Sid knew he could truly count on. She was the loving mother he'd never had. The more time he spent being tortured, the more he clung to her. He knew it was probably just a survival tactic, bonding with the only one of his captors who showed him constant kindness, but he couldn't help it.

They call it Stockholm Syndrome here on Earth, he told himself. You can't really trust her. She's one of them.

Still, as Lenora sat beside him, stroking his hair soothingly, Sid knew if anyone tried to harm her, he'd protect her. She was a good woman who'd lost everything and the Huntress and T'Dania had used her incredible grief to corrupt her. It wasn't her fault she was mixed up in this.

Lenora looked concerned as she changed the bandage on his chest. "It's another infection," she said. "An infection near your heart may kill you. I'm going to need to take care of this immediately..."

"Don't," Sid whimpered.

"Shhh, my sweet boy. You'll be fine. I just need to treat the infection-"

"Lenora... Let me go," he said.

"I can't release you, Sid. You know that."

"No... Don't release me. Let me go." He looked at her with pleading eyes. He'd been tortured for too long. He was weak. His telepathy was barely working anymore. He was a step above dead... He just wanted it to be over.

Lenora looked horrified. "I won't let you die, my sweet boy... You will survive this."

"It hurts..."

"Where is your pain?"

"Everywhere."

"Oh, Sid..." She shook her head. "I'll give you something for the pain, and something to help you sleep." She cast a quick summoning spell and the herbs appeared in her hands. She began treating his chest wound with something he assumed was meant to cure the infection.

Let me die, he begged, projecting the thought into her mind. Please just let me die! Just kill me. I can't deal with this anymore.

He wanted to force her to comply, but he couldn't focus enough. Instead, she mumbled soothing words as she treated him. She made him drink something that numbed the pain, and soon, he drifted into blissful unconsciousness.

TRERRY
He had gone straight to Laby as news began to spread about Hudzon and Danzel. Trerry refused to risk Laby hearing it from anyone else. Trinity, Lia, and Calix had insisted on going with him.

Incredibly, Laby hadn't had a nervous breakdown. He'd started to cry, but he hadn't become hysterical. He sat with his head on Ben's shoulder, trying to cope with his grief as Jeanie sat on Laby's other side and held his hand.

Soon after that, Nigel and Andru had brought their groups over. They'd always been very close to the Circle. Currently, everyone except Laby, Ben, and Jeanie was drunk. Laby was chugging sodas like they were shots, but he didn't touch any liquor. He was determined to stay sober. Ben and Jeanie were under the drinking age in America, although Andru had insisted they each have a couple of drinks anyway. The British twins held their liquor well, so it didn't really effect them.

"I hope Angel Grove doesn't get attacked tonight," Lia joked as Calix hiccoughed and downed another drink. "None of us are in any shape to help."

"Bite yer tongue, Lassy! I'm Scottish! I fight better drunk!" Andru declared.

"You're Eltarian," Ben reminded him with a laugh.

"Andru converted," Laby joked.

"Aye!" Andru replied, toasting Laby's soda with a beer.

"So this is how Eltarians grieve?" Jeanie asked.

Rez still wasn't speaking much, but he offered Jeanie the first smile Trerry had seen on his face in over a century. "If you knew the Circle, you'd know this is the only appropriate response to this situation, Miss Jeanie," he replied softly. He kissed her forehead, making Jeanie smile peacefully.

Let me die! Please just let me die... Sid's voice cried in Trerry's mind. He tensed. So did Trinity, so he knew she'd heard it, too.

Trin... Sid's in trouble, Trerry thought.

I know, she replied. He's in terrible pain.

We need to find him!

We're drunk, Dad, Trinity pointed out.

Crap. You're right... I'm too wasted to track his thoughts... But he needs us, Trin.

We'll look for him in the morning. I think he's unconscious. I can't hear him anymore. I don't sense anyone around him planning to hurt him right now... He'll be okay tonight.

Trerry sighed. He wanted to protest, but he'd be no good to his son in his current condition.

Just hold on, Sid, he thought. We'll find you. I promise.

ZELL
He was getting entirely too accustomed to having Aiyana around. They had fallen into a routine that included always sharing dinner together even if Zell was busy during the rest of the day. It was almost like he had Daphne back, and it comforted him, but he was also terrified. What if he hurt her? He had to try to keep her at a distance.

It didn't help that she'd kissed him. Now that he'd connected to her like that once it was constantly on his mind. He wanted desperately to kiss her again, but he couldn't. He had to control himself to protect her. Especially now, it seemed like no one was safe.

Zell had received word of Danzel and Hudzon's deaths from Zordon and had immediately gone in search of Maegus. He'd found him at a pub, drinking with most of the other Circle members. Once he was certain Maegus, Branz, Grayzee, and Angel were safe and were handling the situation in the only way that made sense to them, he'd left them despite Branz insisting he should join them for drinks.

"Zell... Something's wrong," Aiyana said suddenly as they were eating a late meal together. Claudine had already eaten and gone to bed for the night, but Aiyana had insisted on waiting for him to eat.

"What is it, my dear one? What do you sense?" Zell asked.

Screams echoed down the stairs. "That," Aiyana replied with a sigh. They both hurried up to the room Claudine had been using during her time with them.

Claudine was tossing and turning violently as she continued screaming. Aiyana immediately touched Claudine's forehead and closed her eyes. Soon, Claudine stopped screaming, and Zell knew Aiyana must have gone into her dream to comfort her.

They opened their eyes in unison. Claudine immediately began frantically signing to Aiyana, who replied and seemed concerned. Although Zell had picked up a little bit of sign language since Claudine had come into their lives, they were going far too quickly for him to keep up with them.

"Aiyana, what's going on?" He finally asked.

"She has to leave us," Aiyana replied.

"It isn't safe. I promised Liza-"

"Zell... This is Claudine's path. We have to let her walk it," Aiyana said in a kind but firm tone.

He sighed. "Very well, my darling. I trust your judgment. Is there anything we can do to assist her?"

"No... She received this message for a reason. We can't interfere."

Zell knew he had to accept that. "Then we shall leave her to it," he said. He wasn't looking forward to dealing with Liza's wrath if anything happened to Claudine, but he knew Aiyana was wise, and he felt the truth in her words.

Aiyana signed to Claudine as she said, "Good luck." Then, she walked out of the room. Zell followed her to head back downstairs.

Aiyana slipped on one of the steps. Before she could tumble down the rest of the way, Zell caught her around her waist and pulled her safely into his arms. He carried her the rest of the way down as she held onto him.

"Sorry," she mumbled in embarrassment. "And thank you."

"There is no need for apologies or thanks, my dear one. I have been catching you for millennia," he replied with a slight smile.

She laughed. "I guess that's why you're so good at it," she said. After a few moments, she added, "Zell... You can put me down now."

He blushed slightly as he realized he hadn't thought to release her. "Of course," he replied a bit awkwardly, gently setting her down in a chair at the dining room table.

Claudine raced out of the house. Zell tried not to worry, but it was difficult. He despised not having all of the information about things, especially when he knew someone might be in danger, but he was slowly learning not to push when people told him no.

They were about to resume their meal when the doorbell rang. "That's odd," Zell mumbled.

Aiyana moved to stand up, but he stopped her. "Allow me, my dear one. Eat. You need your strength," he said before going to the door.

He was startled to see Carissa standing on the other side looking frantic. "Grandfather, we need your help!" She said.

"Grandfather?" Aiyana repeated curiously from the dining room.

Carissa's eyes widened. "Oh no... Pax is going to kill me," she said.

"Your secret is safe with me," Aiyana reassured her. "I'm Aiyana. What should I call you and how can Zell and I help?"

"Aiya, I should handle this myself," Zell said quickly.

"I don't think that's the right path... Call it a hunch," she replied.

Carissa hesitated, looking at him for guidance. "I think Aiyana is right," he said, sensing something in the air. "You may speak freely, Carissa."

"Briar's missing!" Carissa cried.

"Missing? Are you certain? She does have a tendency to run off."

"Pax can't track her and neither can I. That's never happened before."

Zell frowned. "Who's Briar?" Aiyana asked.

"My little sister," Carissa replied. "She's thirteen and likes to play in the timeline, but I have a really bad feeling this time."

"You're Zell's granddaughter... Through Zordon?"

"Yes," Carissa admitted.

"Then I should be able to help. I'm an aspect of Daphne, and Briar is her granddaughter, so there's a direct link I can use... I'm a Shaman."

"I know... Um... I mean..."

"It's alright, Carissa. Don't worry about telling me things. I know what shouldn't be pushed and I won't ask. Anyway, even if Briar is being blocked from you because someone has her, she'll still sleep at some point. I can find her in her dreams. They won't be able to block me from reaching her while she's sleeping or unconscious."

"What if it's Jezzeff? She's only thirteen! He might..." Carissa looked like she might cry as she refused to finish the sentence.

"He can't," Zell replied quickly. "I ensured he can never do that again."

"There are still some things he can do," Aiyana said softly. "And even if he doesn't have the ability to do certain things, his minions do. I'll cast a protection charm to try and keep her safe from that much."

"Can I help? I love working magic with-" Carissa froze again. "With people."

Aiyana smiled at her kindly. "Of course you can help, sweetie," she replied, politely ignoring the fact that Carissa had obviously worked magic with her in her own time. "You know your sister's energy. That should help me focus the spell so it attaches to her easier."

"Where is your brother?" Zell asked.

"Searching for Briar with, um... Everyone else," Carissa replied.

"Don't worry, I won't ask," Aiyana promised.

"All of them?" Zell asked.

"Yeah, everyone's worried. Libby realized Pax and I were freaking out and got the truth out of us. Aunt Anise and the other adults who know us are helping, too," Carissa replied.

"Good. We can't involve too many people, but the more resources we have, the better."

"Let's get to work," Aiyana said. Zell watched curiously as she took Carissa's hand and began to cast a protection spell. She paused before looking at him. "If you join us, it will be even stronger," she said.

He was stunned. Aiyana trusted him enough to work magic with him without hesitating? For the most part, only Elgan trusted him that completely.

"I would be honored, my dear one," he replied softly. She offered him her free hand and he took it. His free hand then took Carissa's.

The power flowing between them was exceptionally strong. In the past, Zell would have harnessed some of it for himself, but he wasn't even tempted to do that now. Briar was in danger, and he was determined to protect her no matter what. That was the only thing that currently mattered to him.

BRIAR
She was confused when she first woke up. She remembered sneaking into the Guild's base. Jezzeff and the others were all at a ritual, intending to sacrifice someone, and she should have had plenty of time to snoop around and find a way to help Dale. Somehow, someone had discovered her and knocked her unconscious before she even sensed them.

"Ah... She awakens," a voice said with a dry laugh.

Briar looked up and saw the last person she expected. Percival Treygan should have been with the Coalition. According to her future's historical records, he was almost always with them, not the Guild. He took pride in acting like he ran the Elites. Ultimately, he had died a brutal death at Keilah's hands, but prior to that, his focus was almost never on Jezzeff and the Guild.

Percival Treygan was a villain who liked to act like the hero, she remembered. He liked rescuing Aphell's victims just to stick it to his big brother. I can work with that.

"Please... Don't hurt me," Briar whimpered. "I'm sorry I broke in... I was just so hungry..."

"You are Eltarian," he said. "Do not pretend to be some stray Earth girl."

"I ran away," she replied with a sob. "I don't have a family. I grew up in the orphanages of Eltar. Please don't send me back!"

He paused, studying her with mild interest. "Perhaps you knew my brother... Aphell."

She acted appropriately terrified. "Please, I can't go back to that life... I don't want to do that anymore... Aphell and Mayor Freyst frighten me!"

A dark smile played at Percival's lips. "My brother and his old friend are dead, sweet girl. You needn't fear them anymore. Please, allow me to help you. What is your name?"

What's the most generic Eltarian name ever? Briar thought. "I am Jayna of Eltar," she replied.

"Jayna, do you know your family name?"

"Jonaz," she replied quickly. I basically just told him my name is the Eltarian equivalent of Jane Jones... I hope he falls for this, she thought.

"Ah, what a lovely name," Percival replied pleasantly. "All is well, Jayna. I can help you." He approached her gently. Briar spotted the sword on his back. She continued acting frightened and submissive as Percival put a hand on her shoulder. "You are safe here, Jayna. My friends and I will protect you. Tell me, do you have any special skills?"

"I do have a bit of an affinity for fire magic," she replied in a nervous tone.

"Show me," Percival coaxed her.

Briar easily manifested a flame in her left hand. She made it flicker nervously as if she was struggling with it before steadying it. Percival smiled as he watched the flame dance. He was so focused on that, he did not notice when Briar used her right hand to grab his sword. As soon as he felt it shift, she tossed the fire at his shoes and held his sword to his throat.

Percival managed to put the fire on his shoes out, but Briar had him trapped between the wall and the sword. He stared at her in shock.

"Who are you?" He demanded.

"I told you, I'm Jayna Jonaz," Briar replied sweetly. "Now back off or I'll slit your throat." She was only partially bluffing. Briar had never killed anyone before, but she was skilled with a sword. The problem was, she couldn't kill anyone in the past without risking changing the future... But Percival didn't know that.

She slowly backed away, still holding Percival's sword. She nearly made it out of the room when a tranquilizer pierced the back of her neck. Briar immediately collapsed into unconsciousness.

Briar... A voice called. Briar, listen to me...

Briar was dreaming, but she recognized the voice. She didn't question how the person knew about her in that time. That didn't matter at the moment.

"Aiya! Please help!" She cried. "I messed up... I messed up so bad..."

"Where are you, Briar?"

"At the Guild's base. I almost got away from Percival... But someone tranquilized me. I can't wake up. And even when I do finally wake up, the drugs might knock my magic out for a bit."

"We will find you, Briar... Carissa, Zell, and I cast a protection spell on you that will prevent some attacks, but not all. I'm afraid a tranquilizer can still effect you. We're looking for you, and so are Pax and your mysterious friends I know better than to ask about. People are searching. Just hold on a little longer."

"I will..." Briar was a little scared, but she wouldn't admit it.

Aiyana's arms wrapped around her as her astral form appeared. It was extremely comforting. After all, in the future, Briar knew her very well.

"You will be alright, Briar. We're not going to stop until we rescue you," she said soothingly.

"Thanks, Aiya," Briar replied, careful to address her only by that name and not by what she usually called her. She might be facing a crisis, but that didn't mean she'd risk messing up the timeline further.

"I have a question," Briar said suddenly. "Why was Percival with the Guild? He's usually with the Coalition."

"From what I understand, the Huntress turned on the Guild and cut her ties with the Witch. She gave Keilah Percival's location. He is only safe at the Guild's base now," Aiyana replied.

The Huntress betrayed the Witch? That didn't happen in my future! Briar thought. She was their ally until Keilah severed her from Grayzee's immortality and then executed her... What the heck is going on? Did I mess this up or was this the right path all along? Briar started to panic.

"All is well, sweet girl," Aiyana said soothingly. "The Huntress chose a new destiny against all odds, and it's the one she deserves. She was very much the Witch's victim. Now, she is free."

"How did you...?" Briar shook her head. "Never mind. You always know."

"Try to rest, Briar. You will need your strength. Keep your identity a secret for as long as you can. The Witch may not be fooled, but she also won't out you to the others unless it suits her."

"Thank you, Aiya." Briar sighed. "You have to leave me now, don't you?"

"I do, but if you reach out, I'll hear you and find you again. I'm here if you need me, Briar."

The connection broke, and Briar's awareness faded away.

CASSIE
Someone was watching them. "Lucas..." She said nervously as they walked to their house in the darkness.

"I know," he replied. "I feel it, too."

"Should we call in backup?"

"Not yet."

"How sweet," a voice said. Lucas tensed as Cassie looked up.

"Alex..." Lucas began. He automatically moved protectively in front of Cassie.

"I was hoping to run into you two lovebirds," Alex said.

"Funny, we were hoping for the exact opposite," Cassie replied dryly.

"Cassie... Get out of here," Lucas said.

She rolled her eyes. "You know that's not going to happen."

"It's okay, Lucas. Cassie's welcome to stay," Alex said as he smirked. "After all, I brought company, too."

A bunch of Tengu Warriors suddenly surrounded them as Ivan Ooze showed himself. "Well, lookey here! More Power Rangers!" He said. "You throw a rock in this place and you'll hit one!"

"Shift into Turbo!" Cassie cried.

"Time for Time Force!" Lucas shouted at the same time.

They morphed and began battling against the Tengus. Ivan Ooze stood with Alex calmly watching the battle unfold. "Alpha Six, Lucas and I just got ambushed," Cassie said into her communicator. "We need to even these odds."

"Yo, yo, yo, I got you, Cassie!" Six replied.

About thirty seconds later, the Wildcats were teleported in. Six had somehow known Cassie was thinking of them, not the Time Force Rangers or Justin. Sure, Time Force knew Alex better than anyone else, but that meant he could mess with their heads easier because he knew them, too. As for Justin, Cassie knew he was home with Jared and didn't want to drag him away from his son.

"Hey, y'all," Austin greeted them cheerfully. "Who's in the mood for fried chicken?"

"Make mine extra crispy!" Lee replied.

"Bye, Bye, Birdie!" Hannah added as she kicked a Tengu in the chest so hard it flew into the air and fled.

Kaylen started beating the Tengus with her baseball bat. They began to panic and squawk as they tried to escape from her. "How's that for tenderizing your meat?" She asked as she laughed and continued beating them.

"Birds are poultry, not meat," Serena replied as she kicked a Tengu in the chest.

Cassie could practically see Kaylen rolling her eyes, but she didn't bother arguing.

Serena's focus shifted elsewhere. Cassie saw her go straight to Lucas as he battled Ivan Ooze. He certainly seemed to need the help, as Ooze wasn't going easy on him, and Cassie was stuck between a crowd of Tengus. Serena started fighting with Lucas against Ooze.

"Guys!" Cassie shouted as too many Tengus surrounded her. "A little help?"

"I'm coming, Miss Cassie!" Austin replied as he came running over.

"Lee, duck!" Kaylen shouted. Through the circle of Tengus around her, Cassie just barely saw Kaylen slam her baseball bat into the head of a Tengu who had nearly managed to attack Lee. The Tengu flew through the air into a tree and fell to the ground dead.

"I think that's a home run," Lee said with a grin.

Austin started working his way through the Tengus toward Cassie. Kaylen and Lee were right behind him. Soon enough, they reached Cassie, and the four of them battled together until they made it through the circle of Tengus.

What came next happened too fast for Cassie to react. Alex pulled out a gun and fired it. The bullet was headed straight for Serena and Lucas.

"Lucas! Serena! Watch out!" Cassie shouted, but she knew it was too late.

Lucas dove in front of Serena, taking the bullet. It didn't pierce his suit, but it knocked him out of his morph. That was when Alex fired another shot.

Someone suddenly ran toward Lucas and Serena from out of nowhere. She looked young, but Cassie had never seen her before. There was something familiar about her. Cassie couldn't stop to worry about what it was as the girl knocked Lucas and Serena out of the path of the second bullet.

Serena let out a startled cry as she suddenly found herself on the ground. "Are you okay?" Lucas asked.

"I... I appear to be," Serena replied.

"Lucas..." Cassie said in horror. He had a slight cut on his head from hitting the ground but otherwise looked alright.

"I'm fine," Lucas replied quickly. Cassie wanted to wrap her arms around him and never let him go, but they were still in danger.

"You brought a gun to a street fight!" Kaylen suddenly shouted. She took a swing at Alex's head before he could react. The bat hit his head with a loud crack and Alex began bleeding as he fell to the floor. Kaylen turned toward Ooze. "You want a piece of this, Purple People Eater?" She demanded.

Ooze frowned, then said, "Tengus, retreat!" He vanished through a portal as the remaining Tengus flew away.

"Bunch of bitches..." Kaylen mumbled.

Lucas quickly pulled out one of the Time Force containment units. He used it to capture the still-unconscious Alex.

"He needs medical attention," Serena pointed out.

"Right now, I don't care," Lucas replied. "Besides, this device kind of puts him into stasis. He'll survive and won't get any worse while he's trapped. He can be treated later, when we get him to a facility he can't just escape from."

"Oh no... She's bleeding," Hannah said as she knelt beside the girl who'd saved Lucas and Serena.

Cassie and Lucas hurried closer to the girl. "She's just a kid," Lucas mumbled.

"Who are you?" Cassie asked as the girl looked at Hannah.

Instead of answering, the girl flinched away from Hannah's touch. "I won't hurt you, honey," Hannah said soothingly.

The girl looked terrified as she started moving her hands frantically. Cassie suddenly realized what was happening. She knelt on her other side.

"It's okay," Cassie said as she signed the words. "Hannah won't hurt you. Thank you for saving our friends. What's your name?"

C-L-A-U-D-I-N-E, the girl spelled out.

"Claudine, I'm Cassie. It's safe now. We won't hurt you," Cassie replied.

"You know sign language?" Lee asked in surprise.

"I picked up ASL in junior high," Cassie replied casually. She turned back toward Claudine. "You're very brave. How did you find us?" She asked as she continued signing. Claudine allowed Hannah to stitch up her wound. The bullet had grazed her arm, but it wasn't a critical injury. She should be fine.

I had a dream, Claudine signed back. My birth father's spirit appeared to me and asked me to save your boyfriend and your friend. He showed me what was coming.

Cassie was confused then. "Who is your birth father?" She asked.

T-J, Claudine replied.

Cassie froze and stared at her. "Cassie? What's wrong?" Lucas asked. He hadn't been watching them too closely because Austin was cleaning up his head, but he was watching them now.

TJ was your father? Cassie signed, not speaking aloud. She realized she could see him in Claudine's features. That must have been why she seemed familiar.

Yes, Claudine replied. He didn't know. My mom never told him. She was a bad woman. Evil. Friends with Liza's parents. This is the first time I ever saw my dad. He told me he was sorry he never got to meet me... We talked for a while. It was nice... I could tell something had him worried, so I asked what it was, and he showed me what was coming. He asked me if I could warn you, but by the time I finally found you, it was too late, so I did this instead.

Cassie felt tears in her eyes. Your dad was very special to me, she told Claudine. I loved him with my entire heart... And I can't believe he's still trying to save me from getting hurt... Because losing Lucas and Serena would have broken me.

He loves you. He's around you. I sense him. He wants you to be happy.

Thank you for coming... And for telling me that. Do you have any living family that isn't awful?

No. My mom raised me alone, in the cult. She sacrificed me, but when the Guild brought Trevor back, they brought me back too. Our energy was too connected by the way we died.

Died? Cassie's heart broke for the little girl TJ had never even known about. I'm so sorry. You won't go back there. I'll fight to keep you safe.

I'm never safe... I was safe with Zell and Aiyana, but I can't stay there. I'm not meant to.

Lucas suddenly stood beside Cassie. Thanks for saving me, he signed, making Cassie's eyes widen in shock.

"You know ASL..." Cassie said.

"It's part of our training at Time Force. You never know when you'll need to help someone who only communicates through ASL," Lucas replied.

"Lucas-"

"It's okay, Cassie." He smiled at her reassuringly, then turned to Claudine and started signing as he spoke. "You're TJ's daughter. That makes you Cassie's family, which makes you mine. You can stay with us. I will make sure the legal side is covered and you don't have to go back to the people who hurt you."

"You'd do that?" Cassie asked.

"It's not like it would be the first time you and I took in a kid who was stuck in a bad situation," he replied, offering a warm smile to Hannah. "And this is TJ's little girl. I know you won't be able to live with yourself if you don't know she's safe."

"I love you, Lucas," Cassie said softly.

"I know," he replied. He kissed the top of her head affectionately. "Claudine, I promise you'll be safe with us."

"Thank you," Claudine said aloud as she signed the words.

"She speaks!" Lee cried in surprise.

"When she wants to," Claudine replied with a smirk, obviously having read his lips.

Cassie laughed. "I think we're going to get along just fine, Claudine," she said.

TJ has a kid, she thought. Part of him lived on after all... She almost started to cry. Instead, as she and Claudine stood up, she hugged her.

"I'm very glad to meet you," Cassie told her.

Claudine smiled at her warmly. Same here, she signed.

Cassie had no idea what was coming next, but no matter what, she was determined to protect this girl with her life.