AUTHOR'S NOTE: There are two characters coming into this fic who belong exclusively to the wonderful Aura MacKenzie. She has been kind enough to allow me to borrow Zoey and V for this fic. Go check out her stuff on fanfiction.net. I hope you're all enjoying the story. We're getting very close to the end now.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

ANDROS

He'd spent the night by Kira's side. At about nine in the morning, she'd finally passed out on the couch she was curled up on while making lists. Andros had covered her with a blanket and taken her notes, finishing the last of her project for her so she could rest, but she'd woken up after barely an hour.

"Okay, Everyone," Andros said to the conference room full of Power Rangers at about noon. "Listen up. Kira has something to say."

The room fell silent. "Okay, guys... I have put everyone into groups for training purposes. Now, just because you're in one group, that doesn't mean you're not training in everything. It's just a way to put everyone where I think they can be used the best. Everyone needs physical training, a lot of you can work with some form of magic, and I'd like everyone to get basic first aid training in case, but we'll have a set group of official medics, too. Anyway, here goes...First off, we've got Leadership. I made this list based on people who are already leading everyone here in Angel Grove or who I think will be assets to us as leaders. If you have an issue, these are the people you should see, and in battle, you listen to us above anyone else. So, first, there's obviously me. Zordon is in this group for very obvious reasons, and Alpha Twenty-Six is with him because he's been a leader for the Legacy team since before they got their powers. Andros here was the leader of the Astro Rangers. He's amazing. Doc O trusts him unconditionally and so do I. Jayden is the Red Samurai Ranger. He took it upon himself to train all of the kids here when no one asked him to. He did an amazing job and has proven he's more than worthy of a leadership title. "

"It would be an honor," Jayden said seriously.

"And finally... Dustin is the Yellow Ninja Storm Ranger."

"Wait... I'm leadership?" Dustin asked.

"You took over training when we desperately needed someone. You rose to the occasion and proved you can work with anyone without an issue and get them where they need to be, and I trust you. So yes, you're leadership."

"I'll try to make you proud," he said with a smile.

"Moving on... Andros, please read off Team Badass..."

Andros took her list and said, "This is the team for people who excel at physical combat. Either you're great with Martial Arts or just exceptionally fierce and disciplined. Jason, Trini, Adam, Cassie, TJ, Delphine, Aurico, Corcus, Leo, Ryan, Wes, Jen, Katie Walker, Cole, Alyssa, Tori, Hunter, Conner, Mack, Tyzonn, Casey, Scott, Summer, Mia, Emily, Troy, Orion, Gia, Koda, Sir Ivan, James, Calvin, Hayley Foster, Sarah, Levi, Thorn, Maddie, Ollie, and Tamira, you will all be in this group."

Several of them nodded. Most reacted with a level of pride at being in that group. Kira looked at Dustin. "You read the next one," she said.

"Okay... So here we have Team Goofball. You guys are the ones who make us laugh and are unpredictable... It's Zack, Rocky, Blake, Bridge, Chip, RJ, Antonio, Jake, Chase, and Brian. And then there's the Breakfast Club... Similar to the Goofballs, but going that extra mile... You guys are the people who live in Detention, and are our true wild cards... Zeke, Taylor Campbell, Mike, and when he gets here, Dominic."

"What am I? Chopped liver? Because that sounds like my scene," someone said as she walked in. Andros smiled at Zoey indulgently. The senior at Angel Grove High was Zhane's long-lost daughter, making her family.

"Zoey!" Zeke cried with delight. Andros knew Zoey had been Zeke's closest non-Ranger friend from his first day at Angel Grove.

"Freshman!" Zoey replied cheerfully. "And Freshman's Freshman," she added, looking at Taylor. Zoey had adopted Zeke as her freshman when she realized they were going to be in detention together every day. She refused to stop calling him her freshman even though he was now a junior. When it had become clear that Taylor was a regular in detention, too, Zeke had adopted him, so Zoey had deemed the sophomore Zeke's freshman. When she wasn't terrorizing the high school, Zoey spent her time looking out for both of the younger boys.

"Zoey. Right. Definitely Breakfast Club," Kira said. "I'd have put you with the next group, but I'm not separating you from Zeke and Taylor. You three will work well together... Which brings us to... The Smooth Criminals, " Kira said, singing the group name in her best Michael Jackson impression. "Either you're literal criminals who are great at breaking, entering, and stealing, or you're smooth talkers who can literally talk your way out of anything... Lucas, Tideus, Z, Jack, Xander, Will, Ziggy, and Brody, that's you guys." She passed the list to Jayden.

"Genius League," Jayden said. "These are the tech wizards, the people who are skilled at building things, and the brainiacs. Billy, Justin, Cestro, Trip, Cam, Ethan, Hayley Ziktor, Madison, Rose, Flynn, Gem, Gemma, Doctor K, Noah, Shelby, Riley, Kendall, Preston, Mick, Caius, Josh, Caleb, Alpha Five, and assuming Dominic brings her, Fran." He paused, then said, "Team Magic. This is the spellworking group. Trey, Karone, Vida, Zedd, Sage, Tia, Angie, Liza, and Anise."

"Team Monkey," Andros read, taking the list, "is made up of the very agile and brave. It's Kimberly, Kenny, Zhane, Max, Lily, Dax, and Tyler." He paused. "Team Medic will be those with medical training, healing powers, or a strong empathy for others... Tanya, Dana, Danny, Mentor Ji, Emma, Alpha Prime, and David." He looked at Tommy's brother, who nodded in agreement. He could have been on Team Magic, but David had the skills needed to help heal, and that was more important right now.

"And finally," Kira said, taking the list back, "we have Team Attitude. These are the people who work best alone, either because they dislike people, or they have a reputation for having a bad attitude. Don't be offended. You guys all have a variety of useful skills. It's Eric, Taylor E, Merrick, Shane, Nick, Ronny, Theo, Dillon, Kevin, my boy Phil, Alpha Six because he's all attitude... And Katie. I love you, Kiddo, but you know why you need to be on that team."

Andros studied Katie's reaction. She didn't try to fight Kira, but it was obvious she wasn't happy. Andros was very attached to Katie. He'd known her for her entire life... But he also knew that she had caused a lot of trouble and he'd always looked away.

V squeezed his hand. He hadn't realized she'd joined them. He looked into his wife's eyes and relaxed slightly. Andros refocused on the mission at hand. "Everyone, this is my wife, V," he said. "She'll be working with the Genius League because she's excellent with weapons, but don't assume that means she's not a warrior..."

"Yeah, she can kick everyone's asses," Zhane piped up cheerfully.

"Including yours," Zoey reminded him with a laugh.

"That's what little sisters are for," V said with a smile. Andros tried to cover up a laugh of his own.

"Say, do we get groups?" A voice asked.

"Monster! Get it!" Someone shouted. Andros mentally went down the list of Rangers and recognized her as Ronny from Operation Overdrive. She looked ready to run at Rito Revolto and tackle him. Andros understood the impulse. What was Rito doing there? He had two other monsters with him.

"He's with us," Sage said quickly. "They all are."

"Uh... I wasn't aware they'd be joining our side, but... Sure. Why the hell not, right?" Kira asked. "So... Um... I have no idea. No teams, just do what feels right and don't get in anyone's way."

"We get to help? Yay!" Squatt said cheerfully. Andros was pretty sure he posed no real threat to them.

"Great," Rito said.

"Pardon me? Kira, correct?" Finster asked.

"Yep. What's up?" Kira asked.

"I believe the skill I have that will be most useful at this time is my ability to mend wounds. I have had a lot of practice."

"Awesome. Finster, Team Medic. I think that's everyone. So... Let's do this. Go, Go, Power Rangers!" Kira said.

The sound of something shattering gave away the fact that their meeting wasn't as private as they'd hoped. Andros automatically reached for his weapon before he saw someone he recognized staring at them in shock, a ceramic coffee cup shattered at his feet.

BULK

Living in a hotel wasn't so bad really. It sure as hell beat jail, and Skull and Spike were just down the hall from him. He was getting used to it. The hotel had gotten very crowded overnight, and now Bulk realized the conference room was heavily occupied. He wondered if there was a convention in town. He walked closer to the room and heard someone say, "Go, Go, Power Rangers."

Immediately, Bulk peaked inside. What he saw blew his mind... Tons of people he didn't know, along with Cassie, TJ, Andros, and Zhane, who he knew very well were Power Rangers, were all inside... And to his great shock, Billy, Kimberly, Jason, and the rest of the bunch were with them, along with their kids...

Suddenly, it clicked. "You guys are the Power Rangers! Everything finally makes sense! The way you always acted like you had a huge secret, the way you disappeared during battles... I just... Damn. How did I not figure this out sooner?" Bulk asked.

"Bulk, no... Of course we're not-" Jason began.

"No. He saved my son's life, Jason," Billy said firmly. "Bulk deserves to know the truth. I trust him."

"That's good enough for me," Kira said. "Bulk... You can't tell anyone, okay?"

"Of course not... But wait. You can't tell me all of you were Power Rangers but Tommy wasn't. Where is he?" Bulk asked.

"Tommy's missing," Andros explained. "A bunch of monsters from various generations of the Rangers took him. That's why so many of us are here."

Bulk paused. He took a deep breath. "I want to help," he said. "Just tell me how."

"Can you fight?" Kira asked.

"Definitely," Bulk said.

She shrugged. "Jayden, if I stick him on Team Badass, can you get him up to snuff?"

"Yeah. Bulk's got the heart of a Power Ranger," Jayden said.

"Thanks, but... Do we know each other?" Bulk asked.

That was when someone he recognized stepped forward. "We're the Samurai Rangers," Mia said sweetly. "Me, Jayden, Emily, Mike, Kevin, and Antonio." She motioned to each person as she named them. Bulk recognized Emily and took a nervous step back.

"Holy... Pink, right?" Bulk guessed as he focused back on Mia.

"Yes. How did you guess?" Mia asked.

"Spike's just like his father... He's got a thing for the Pink Rangers... He's going to flip when he realizes-"

"I thought we agreed you weren't telling anyone," Kira reminded him.

"Skull and Spike aren't just anyone. Skull and I have been helping the Power Rangers since before some of you were born, and Spike and I trained as Samurai together... Sort of."

"Hey, if they can survive Emily playing Drill Sergeant, they can survive anything," Mike teased. Emily blushed.

"He's right," said the older man Bulk recognized as the owner of their Dojo... Or so he'd thought... "With help, Bulk and Spike both have the potential to be warriors... I assume Spike's father is the same."

"Fine, but let's not involve anyone else," Kira said.

"Lieutenant Stone," Bulk said. "He can help you guys, too."

"His connections may be helpful," Billy admitted.

"Okay, valid point," Kira agreed. She took a deep breath. "One more thing, for the Rangers only... Zordon can restore some of the powers to former Rangers, but not all. I'll let him discuss that."

Bulk stared in shock at the infamous Zordon and immediately stood at attention. This was major, and maybe a little bit crazy, but he'd just been accepted into the circle of Power Rangers. He'd wanted this for most of his life. He listened intently as Zordon began to speak.

ZORDON

"This is going to be a bit complicated," Zordon began. "If you are willing to step up to become a full and active Power Ranger again, with the ability to morph and all of your old powers, please accept when I call your name... Every Ranger on the Mighty Morphin' team is already represented by the Legacy Rangers. Because the balance of power is delicate, we cannot have multiple Rangers with the same powers... As it is, Adam and Thorn are both using the Mighty Morphin' Black coins. They cannot be morphed at the same time in the same location, so they will have to be kept apart for this battle. This does not, however, mean that none of the original team members can be restored... Kimberly and Billy, I can make you the Pink and Blue Ninjetti again. Will you accept this?"

Kimberly didn't hesitate. "Absolutely," she said.

Billy was less certain. He considered it for several moments before saying, "Yes. Yes, I accept."

Zordon had known Billy would agree. He couldn't turn his back on this fight. In many ways, he was more invested than any of them. Zordon moved on, uncertain of how the next Ranger he wanted to restore would react. "Trey, you are already actively the Gold Zeo Ranger... I would like to restore two more Zeo Rangers... Rocky... Will you become the Blue Zeo Ranger again?"

Rocky nodded. "I'm in," he said.

"Dad, what about your back?" Zeke asked.

"I walked away from being a Ranger when I got injured, but if there was ever a time to finish what I started, it's now," Rocky said. "I'll be careful."

"Very good," Zordon said, relieved. He'd been half certain Rocky would refuse. "And Tanya-"

"Zeo Ranger Two... Yellow!" She said with a grin. Zordon hadn't even questioned that. Tanya was still every bit a Power Ranger.

"Now... For the Turbo team..."

"No," Justin said firmly.

"I fully respect that decision, Justin," Zordon reassured him. "I can only restore one of you... It's going to be-"

"Cassie." TJ said.

"What?" Cassie asked.

"You deserve it," TJ said. "You're a better Ranger than me anyway."

"That's true," Cassie said with a laugh.

Zordon wasn't trying to read TJ's mind, but his thoughts radiated from him desperately. Keep her safe, he silently begged. Zordon understood now... No matter what happened in the battle, TJ was prepared to fight, but if only one of them could have the added protection of the Ranger powers, he wanted it to be Cassie.

"Cassie... Welcome back to being the Pink Turbo Ranger," Zordon said. He'd intended to restore TJ, because the Red Ranger was the leader, but he knew Cassie would be just as good, if not better. TJ looked at him gratefully and Zordon smiled at him reassuringly.

"Rocking," Cassie said with a grin.

"Astro Rangers, you already have your powers, as do the Rangers of Aquatar," Zordon continued. "Leo and Karone, since you brought your Quasar Sabers with you, you are once again active as the Red and Pink Galaxy Rangers." The Quasar Sabers were the only tools they needed to be Rangers, as their powers had never actually been removed.

"We won't let you down," Leo promised.

"Ryan and I have our morphers," Dana told Zordon. "We're ready to go." Like Leo and Karone, it was only a matter of having these tools for the brother and sister to access their powers.

"Very good," Zordon said. "Timeforce Rangers, you are all still active. Wildforce... Princess Shayla gave Cole and Taylor back their morphers before sending them to us, and she never took Merrick's away. Merrick, you are still the Lunar Wolf Ranger. Cole and Taylor have become active again as the Red and Yellow Rangers."

"We're ready to help!" Cole replied eagerly.

"We've got this," Taylor added confidently. She smiled at Zordon. Merrick nodded at him respectfully, but said nothing.

"For Ninja Storm... You all have active powers from your Ninja training," Zordon began. "Dustin and Tori already have their Ranger powers back. I cannot restore anyone else on the team." Shane looked offended, but he stayed silent. "For Dino Thunder, Kira has her powers already... And I'm going to restore the entire team. Hayley has brought all of your morphers with her."

"Wait... Why do they get their powers back?" Shane demanded, unable to remain quiet any longer.

"Tommy led their team. They are closer to him than almost any of you, and their powers tie them to Tommy. The last time he was a fully active Ranger, it was with that team. I believe that if any team needs to be fully restored, it is this one."

"Or, because Zordon said so, Shane! This is why you're on Team Attitude," Kira said. Shane was wise enough not to say anything else.

"Ahem... Moving on. SPD. You are all active... Z is the Yellow Ranger. However, Bridge and Jack cannot both be Red..."

"Bridge," Jack said.

"Jack-" Z objected.

"No, Z. In this time period, Bridge acts as the Red Ranger. It's his right... And quite frankly, I'm here because the bad guys used me. I don't deserve to be the leader, and I shouldn't be trusted with a morpher. It's okay. I can fight without it." Jack looked at Bridge. "I know you'll make us proud."

"Jack... Thanks, man," Bridge said, his shock clear.

"Bridge, then," Zordon agreed. He was proud of Jack for making the right decision. "Mystic Force... Xander, you are already active, and Vida, I know you have your magic, but not your morphing powers back, because you've recently been made the mentor of a new team. With you being an active team mentor, I cannot restore your Ranger powers, so use your magic wisely to make up for that. I cannot restore anyone else from your team."

"Nick has magic, too," Madison said.

"Yes, yes... I forgot he was born with his magic," Zordon said. "Use it well. Now, for Operation Overdrive... Mack, your father returned your morpher to you, so you are once again the Red Ranger."

"I'm thrilled to be back!" Mack said.

"For Jungle Fury... You all have magic, but it is Casey who will be restored as the Red Ranger."

"Thank you, Zordon," Casey said. He bowed his head respectfully.

"We can fight without morphing," Theo promised. He and Lily had arrived shortly before this meeting began.

"We're happy to help however we can," Lily added, wrapped in his arms and clearly happy about this. It amazed Zordon that they had walked away from their honeymoon just to help with this battle. It spoke highly of them both.

"Very good. Now, the RPM team has new morphers which Venjix cannot infect. The Samurai, Megaforce, Dino Charge, and Ninja Steel teams are all still active. Rangers, rest assured, even without powers, you are the greatest force of good in this world. I believe in you, " Zordon said.

"Alright, guys," Kira said. "Those who are getting their powers restored, see Zordon. The rest of you, get to the locations I texted you. Physical training is at our top secret Dojo and will be led by Jayden and Dustin. Magic training's in a sacred space in the woods that Sage set up this morning. Genius League, all your tech and toys are in the huge suite on the fourth floor, which I've secured exclusively for our use until this is all over. Billy has the key. Go where you're supposed to and we'll meet up and touch base later."

As everyone came toward him, Zordon was incredibly proud of them. Some of them had been out of action for two decades, yet they had agreed to rejoin the fight against evil at great risk to their personal safety. He looked at them and prayed that, against all odds, they'd all somehow make it out of this alive.

MIKE

He noticed Katie standing off by herself looking upset. "Hey..." He said cautiously.

"Come to kick my ass and tell me I'm a bitch for breaking up with Jayden?" Katie asked.

"Nope. I came to ask how you're doing."

"Wait... Really?" Her surprise was clear. "Your whole team shunned me. Even Emily gave me a dirty look."

"Well, you know... You broke his heart, Katie. We don't take that lightly... But that doesn't mean you shouldn't have a friend. I messed up and you helped me. I'm returning the favor. People fuck up sometimes, but that doesn't mean they're bad people. So I'm here for you, Katie."

Katie smiled at him. "Thanks, Mike. That actually means a lot."

"And when you get through this, I'm sure Jay and Kay will be stronger than ever!"

"No one calls me Kay, " she said with a laugh.

"Would you prefer Kayden? Or Jatie?"

"You're such a dork!"

"You love it... And you love him, Katie. No matter what you say."

"I do love him. That's why I had to break up with him... For his sake."

"Katie... Jayden can take care of himself. You don't have to protect him. All this is doing is hurting him."

"Mike, please just... Just try to understand where I'm coming from."

"I am. And I get it. Emily's way too good for me, but she chooses to stay with me anyway. That's how relationships work." He squeezed her hand encouragingly. "Just don't give up on love yet, okay?"

"Right now, all that matters is getting my dad back."

"You're right... So let's work on that."

"Mike... Thanks. Really. I thought all of you would hate me."

"None of us hate you, Katie."

"Kevin does."

"Kev strongly dislikes you, but he strongly dislikes pretty much everyone except Jayden and Mentor Ji... Well, and Emily. It's impossible to dislike Emily. But anyway, you're in good company when it comes to Kevin."

Katie surprised him by hugging him. Mike held her tightly, feeling how much she needed the comfort of basic human contact. "I've got your back, Katie. I promise," he said. She nodded and stayed in his arms for another minute before pulling herself together. Mike hoped she'd be okay. He genuinely liked Katie and he knew Jayden would want someone to check on her, especially while her father was missing. He was happy to help.

JASON

Team Badass had gathered in the training area. Jason studied the others who were present. Most made sense, but one of Kira's choices left him baffled. He watched Emily trip over her own two feet. Jayden automatically steadied her and she smiled at him gratefully. Jason could tell Jayden had a lot of practice catching the girl.

He didn't know Emily too well, but from what he'd seen, the bubbly blonde was a complete sweetheart. He wasn't so sure she belonged with the "badasses," but seeing her with Jayden, Jason understood. Kira had put her in this group because they'd be working the closest with Jayden and the poor boy wasn't letting anyone in to take care of him. It was clear Emily was the one person he wouldn't push away.

"Emily, right?" Jason asked her.

"Yeah," she said cheerfully.

"Would you like to work with me? I run a Dojo and I'm very comfortable adapting to the pace of other people." Jason was concerned that Emily might end up working with someone who went too hard on her and get hurt. She was a sweet girl and he wanted to make sure she stayed safe during all of this.

"Sure!" She replied eagerly.

"Okay. Let's start off slow, Sweetheart. You take the lead and come at me."

"Okay," Emily said sweetly.

"Oh, this'll be good..." Jason heard Bulk mumble. He wasn't sure what that was about.

Suddenly, Emily came at him with way more force than he expected. She knocked him down easily, sweeping his legs out from under him, and pinned him down flawlessly.

The entire Dojo, including Jayden, burst out laughing. "Oh, I'm sorry," Emily said innocently. "Was that too much?" She extended her hand to Jason with an infectious grin on her face and Jason started laughing, too.

"Good form," he said as he took her hand and stood back up.

"Priceless!" TJ declared, putting away the phone he'd clearly just recorded that on.

"Jason, you should know better than to doubt a Yellow Ranger," Trini said with a laugh.

"Emily, you're my new favorite Ranger," Ollie informed her.

Emily blushed before taking a bow. "Never underestimate a Samurai," she said.

"Exactly," Jayden said. "Now that that's out of the way... Let's get started. Everyone, work at the pace you're comfortable with and show me what you can do. Don't worry about showing off. We can build the skills up to where they need to be. I know several of you are out of practice. I need to see what level you're currently at."

As they began training, Jason focused. There was too much at stake. They needed to get in shape and fast.

ONE WEEK LATER.

BILLY

He was in absolute Heaven. Kira had gathered an impressive amount of tech for what she'd dubbed the Genius League. Josh stood by Billy's side and it almost felt like old times... Except everything had changed. Billy tried not to focus on that as he heard Justin declare, "Guys, look at this!" He had the enthusiasm of a child and it made Billy smile.

"Is that a laser?" Josh asked.

"To be technically crude and grossly understated, yes," Doctor K said. "More on point, this seemingly basic laser is actually a fully functional weapon, communicator, teleportation device, and ocular enhancement tool."

"It does all of that?" Josh asked in awe.

"It also has a lighter function," Justin said. "Doctor K is amazing!"

"Did you utilize a reconstructed cellular structure in the energy source? With enhanced cells for longer durability and use?" Billy asked as he really studied it.

Doctor K looked stunned. "I... Yes. How did you know?" She was clearly impressed.

"It's what I would have done," he replied. "Excellent work, Doctor K."

"Your knowledge is as impressive as they say, Mighty Morphin' Blue," she replied respectfully.

"Billy," he said pleasantly. "Josh is the Blue Ranger now. I'm just Billy."

"Not true," Josh said. "Technically, you're the Blue Ninjetti Ranger."

"The Ninjetti stuff is a power, not technically its own team... But yes, I am the Blue Ninjetti." It was odd to admit this. Billy had been behind-the-scenes, making weapons and staying at the Command Center during battles since the team had become the Zeo Rangers. To have an active power again was unexpected and was going to take some getting used to.

"Billy, then," Doctor K said.

"And do you prefer Doctor K?" Billy asked.

"Doctor K is the only name I have," she explained.

"She grew up in a think tank," Josh added. "It was called Alphabet Soup, and they called her K. She's probably the top genius they had. They kept her there at all times and told her she was allergic to the sun, which was a lie. She created Venjix as a teenager because they forced her to, but she wanted to go outside, so she released it as a distraction. She had a firewall, but they stopped her before she could install it, which is how Venjix got as out of control as it did."

"You've done your homework," Doctor K said with respect. "I don't know my real name anymore. I was only five when they started calling me K."

"That's horrible," Billy said. He couldn't imagine what she had been through growing up like that.

"Why would your parents leave you in a place like that?" Justin asked.

"The answer is quite simple, Turbo Ranger Blue... I don't have parents. I had no family. I don't remember anything about why or how, but I know I was living in a group home when they found me," Doctor K said.

Josh stiffened. He looked at her and said softly, "You're probably better off not remembering."

"Josh spent three years in places like that," Billy explained gently. "While I was missing."

Doctor K looked at Josh sympathetically. "From all I have heard about you, you're a very strong person, Mighty Morphin Blue. A difficult past can break us or make us strong. I understand not growing up like other children."

"You can call me Josh," he said awkwardly.

"I apologize... I have a tendency to be a bit cold at times, especially when I know something very bad might happen to the people I care about. Keeping you all at a distance is my way of trying to keep from feeling the loss when some of us inevitably die."

"I get that. I'm not great at letting people in either."

Billy caught a flash of Doctor K's eyes and realized how familiar they looked. Out of nowhere, images began to hit him. He hadn't had a flashback in a while and this was extremely unexpected.

Merkhet was screaming in agony. The baby was coming and she'd lost too much blood to deliver it herself. "Do something! I order you!" She screamed.

Billy sprang into action, delivering the child. As he finally freed her, she looked up at him with big eyes that seemed to read him. The wonder in them was beautiful, and he suddenly remembered Josh's birth...

Merkhet studied him with cruel amusement. "Go ahead and give it a name," she said with a laugh as she began healing herself. "It's yours, after all."

Looking into her tiny face, he wanted to give her a name that meant something... He couldn't remember anything from before, but the letter K called to him... It gave him comfort, though he couldn't recall who the K name that soothed him belonged to. He went with the first name he could coherently think of with his thoughts largely blocked to prevent him from fighting... Kristina.

The next day, when Billy asked Merkhet where Kristina was, she laughed at him. "I killed her and threw her corpse into space to rot," she said with glee. "You've lost another child... Just like you lost Josh... At least you didn't kill this one yourself." Everything had shattered in his mind then. He'd attacked Merkhet in a blind fit of rage until she'd electrocuted him multiple times. After that, he'd simply laid there, defeated, unable to remember why he felt like his heart was breaking.

"Dad..." Josh called gently, snapping Billy back to the present.

"I... I'm sorry," Billy said. "I have to go." He ran off before they could stop him and headed straight to his personal lab. He didn't want to remember this, but he had to. For three years, Merkhet had held him prisoner. She'd forced him to do a lot of things, including creating weapons for her, but what Billy tried the hardest to forget was the fact that on more than one occasion, when Billy couldn't remember his own name, she'd ordered him to have sex with her. Completely under her control, Billy hadn't had the capacity to refuse, and he was fairly certain Kristina's conception had been intentional. With that being the case, why would Merkhet have murdered the baby? Unless, of course... She hadn't.

Time worked differently on Corinth. He knew it was possible that Merkhet had left the baby there, but why would she? If she'd intentionally gotten pregnant, why abandon the child? Billy needed answers. He had samples of everyone's DNA, so he did something a bit unethical and tested Doctor K's against his own.

"Kristina..." He whispered as the results came back positive. He didn't know whether to cry or sigh with relief that his daughter was still alive... He only knew he needed time to process the news before he told anyone, even Josh, the truth.

DORA

She was shoplifting. Okay, so maybe it was wrong, but a girl had to eat, right? Dora didn't have many options. She'd run away from her latest foster parents six weeks earlier and had been living on the street ever since. One thing Dora excelled at was survival. You know, except when visions hit her at inopportune moments.

She tried not to think about what had happened recently... She'd had a vision while crossing the street. She'd vaguely heard a voice shouting, "Stop!" Then she'd seen the car, frozen and up on its front wheels like it had been magically lifted and held back, inches from her.

She'd recognized her savior. Angeline's naturally lavender hair made her stick out in Dora's memory from an endless sea of foster kids. They'd been in the same home for three weeks before Dora had run again. Everyone swore she had freaky powers, but Dora had never seen them for herself until that day.

"Um... That's new," Angie had mumbled.

The boy with her was probably her boyfriend, judging from the way he looked at her. "Angie... It's time to put the nice man down," he'd said gently.

"Oh... Right," Angie had replied, seeing that Dora was safe. She'd released the car and it had sped off. "Um... Dora, I can explain-"

Dora had run off before she could. It wasn't that she was afraid of the magic, but Dora had magic, too, and she couldn't risk drawing that kind of attention to herself.

Now, as Dora ate some of the chicken she'd stolen, she heard a soft "meow" from nearby. The cat who approached her looked too skinny. It rubbed up against her leg as cats usually did when Dora was around, and Dora sighed. "Here, Girl," she said sweetly, offering most of the chicken to the starving animal. Dora figured she could steal more food eventually, but the cat needed help. It purred now as she stroked her behind her ear.

Suddenly, more cats showed up. These had no interest in being fed, but they urgently began meowing and Dora knew something was wrong. Sensing she was in danger, she stood, ready to run. Several of the cats began hissing at something behind her. Dora turned and stared at a strange man.

"Pandora Grant," he said.

She thought about denying it, but she had a feeling this wasn't just another clueless case worker from Children's Services. "Who's asking?" She replied, trying to find an escape route.

"My name is Deker, Pandora."

"It's Dora," she snapped. "I don't know if my Mom named me after a jewelry store, a streaming service, or the chick who unleashed all of the problems upon the world because she had one job and sucked at it, but either way, I hate my name."

He looked at her with confusion. "Dora," he finally agreed. "You are to come with me."

"I don't think so."

"You have no choice."

"I'm not going back to that place, okay? I'll just run again, so why don't you save yourself the paperwork and forget you ever saw me?"

"I am here to bring you to your father, Dora."

She hadn't expected that. "What?" She asked.

"I work for the same people he does. He is very eager to be reunited with you."

"Bullshit. My father has never been in my life. Why now?"

"You'll find out soon."

Dora took off running. With impossible speed, Deker got in front of her. He pulled out a sword. "I don't want to harm you, Dora. There is no honor in attacking a child... But I will if you force my hand."

She ran the other way, not going anywhere with some crazy guy with a sword. Dora kept running until she got dizzy and stumbled. She hadn't eaten enough.

To her shock, Deker steadied her. He studied her for a moment before pulling out a sandwich. Dora stared at him. "Eat," he said. "You haven't eaten a proper meal in days."

"How did you know?" Dora asked, too weak to refuse the food.

"I've been watching you, Dora. Come with me and you'll never have to steal food to survive again."

Dora sighed. Maybe she should see where this went. If it turned ugly, she could always bolt again. "Okay," she said. "Where are we going?"

THE NEXT DAY.

SAGE

She was standing near her father when they both saw TJ fall on his butt. Cassie hooted with laughter as Justin stood over him. Justin shrugged apologetically and helped TJ back up. "I just wanted to see if I could still do that," he said with a laugh.

"A leg sweep? Really? You're lucky I love you, Kid," TJ said with a good-natured chuckle.

"Adam... Sage... Can I talk to you guys for a minute?" Justin asked.

"Sure," Adam replied. Sage and her father followed Justin to a more private area.

Justin sighed before saying, "Adam... I trust you. I need your help."

"Of course," her father replied. "With what?"

"I kept in shape... Practiced my Martial Arts on my own, and even trained my son... But I don't know if I can hold my own in a real fight. I don't deal well with most people getting too close, so I'm out of practice, but I know I am very likely going to end up in the middle of everything... I don't want to, but I'm realistic. And I am not leaving my son an orphan because I was too scared to fight... So... Can you help me train?"

"Of course I can. That's not a problem at all," he promised.

"And as for Sage... Can we speak alone?"

"Sure," Sage said. "Go on, Dad. I'll find you later." He nodded and left. "What's up, Justin?"

"You're a Shaman... I know you help people cope with trauma and mental health issues... I need a lot of help in that department, but right now, I just need to be able to get through this fight... Can you help me with my anxiety?" Justin asked.

"I can help you heal from your trauma, too," Sage replied. "You just need to trust me."

"I'm not very good at the whole trust thing... But you're Adam's daughter... You're Casey's daughter... And she was amazing with me. If I got scared or if I was upset, Casey always knew how to help. I figure with those two for parents, you're definitely trustworthy... So I'll try."

"Okay. That's all I ask," Sage said. She could feel the deep scars on Justin's psyche. He'd been through hell, and a quick read of his energy told her a lot of it had been at the hands of her aunt. She knew then that she had to help Justin. His heart was pure, and he deserved some peace.

"Do I need to be off of my meds for this?"

"Yeah, that would help."

Justin sighed. "I can't sleep without them... But I'll do it."

"I can ease your mind so you don't have nightmares."

He nodded. "Tonight, then?"

"Sure."

"I'll bring you to my place."

Sage knew how much effort it was taking for Justin to let her in. She smiled at him encouragingly. "Great," she said. "I'll see you in a bit." She tried to ignore the odd feeling in the pit of her stomach.

LIZA

She was really getting sick of having a bitch around her neck. Katherine was not happy to be there, and she frequently overwhelmed Liza with her endless rants and pointless bitching. It was giving Liza a headache.

Let. Me. Out! Katherine screamed inside of her head.

Not even if hell freezes over. Twice, Liza replied.

I almost killed you, Little Witch Bitch.

Liza wasn't exactly thrilled as Katherine replayed the memory in her mind. As soon as Liza exorcised Katherine from her daughter's body, Katherine took on a physical form, manifesting just strongly enough that she could attack Liza. She'd been prepared for a fight and fought back appropriately. Liza had held her own well, because Katherine might be a bitch, but so was she. With every ounce of power she had, Liza had called upon the power of the entire Campbell Sorcery line. Even her siblings had unknowingly lent her their power. This had worked well, and although Katherine had caused a lot of physical injury to her, Liza had done more damage. Katherine became trapped inside of the necklace that now never left Liza's neck and Liza had collapsed after smugly saying, "I win, Bitch."

She'd woken up on the floor, in Zedd's arms. As she opened her eyes, she found herself staring into his. My God, he's fucking gorgeous, she'd thought. Then, she'd realized that, rather heroically, Zedd had clearly swooped in to save her. She saw relief in his eyes, but also a deep pain. Zedd was clearly carrying a lot of baggage. Why are the damaged ones always so sexy? She wondered.

"Zedd..." She said softly.

He looked away quickly. "You're going to be fine now," he reassured the floor. He stood, not releasing Liza, and she actually swooned. Liza never swooned. She was definitely crushing hard.

Zedd gently set her down on her feet and let her go. "Thanks," she said flirtatiously.

"Of course," he said, still not looking at her. Without another word, Zedd fled, and Liza was left wondering if he'd ever be willing to stay in a room with her for more than ten seconds while she was awake.

She could feel Katherine laughing at her now. Pathetic, she taunted her. He'll never love you, you know. You're nothing to him and he doesn't remember how to love anymore.

"Okay, enough. I do not need romantic advice from a dead chick whose husband kicked her skanky ass out." Liza poked the necklace very hard several times before Katherine's awareness faded back into white noise. "I really need to put a mute button on this thing."

She felt eyes on her and spun around. She smiled when she saw Zedd. "Hey!" She said too eagerly. Stop throwing yourself at him, she scolded herself. You're better than that.

"Liza." He said the word tonelessly with a brief nod of acknowledgment. He looked like he was about to flee.

"Nice weather we're having, right?" Oh my God, could you be any lamer? What's wrong with me? She wondered internally.

"Yes. It's lovely. Excuse me."

"Wait!"

"Yes?"

"I just... Never mind."

"Alright..." He began to walk away.

Suddenly, Liza felt weak. A flash of light nearly blinded her. You have to fight! Galaxia shouted in her head. You are in danger, Liza! Your energy is under attack. He's trying to weaken you to get to Katherine! Fight, Luv. Fight with all you have!

She tried to do as her ancestor commanded, but Liza's head was spinning. The energy drain had come out of nowhere. "Zedd..." She managed to get out before her knees gave out and she fell forward. He was probably already gone, but she had to try.

Strong arms wrapped around her and caught her as she collapsed. "Liza! Liza, can you hear me?" Zedd asked. He'd come back... Liza clung to his energy, trying to make sense of things, but the darkness coming for her was too strong.

"Zell," she whispered. "Cold... He's... He makes me cold..."

She barely registered what was happening as Zedd's lips touched her forehead. The energy began flowing into her and Liza began to feel stronger. Her body warmed up slightly as Zedd kept his lips on her forehead, kissing her there so he could help her get her energy back. She rapidly began warming up as Zedd poured pure light energy into her. When he pulled away from her slowly, she found herself staring into his eyes again.

She was still shivering. Zedd stroked her hair soothingly. When she finally stopped trembling, he helped her get back on her feet. He gave her cheek one gentle stroke before looking at the floor again.

"Are you feeling stable now?" He asked.

"Yes," Liza replied. "Thank you... Again."

"No problem... Be careful. He may try that again." Zedd still wouldn't look at her.

"Next time, I'll be ready for the bastard. He won't be able to handle all of this!" She paused. "Hell, maybe next time, I can save you."

"Save your strength, Liza. You have others who are far more worthy of your help."

She rolled her eyes. "Hush. I decide who I help."

Zedd stared at her suddenly. He looked like she'd slapped him. "I have to go," he said.

"Zedd, wait! I'm sorry... I obviously upset you. Did I do something wrong?" She was thoroughly confused.

"No, Liza... You did nothing wrong." He looked so devastated that Liza desperately wanted to undo whatever she'd done.

"Zedd..." She reached out and gently touched his cheek. Zedd flinched and stepped away from her.

"I must go," he said. He hurried off and Liza stopped trying to stop him.

ZEDD

He was trembling when Sage found him. "What's wrong?" She asked gently.

Zedd looked up at her and didn't bother trying to hide his pain. "Zell attacked Liza's energy, so I assisted her," he said.

"Zedd... What happened?"

"It's hard enough to be near her when she looks and acts exactly like Xia, but... But now, she sounds like her, too. If you slapped a British accent on her, she'd be Xia... I..." He sighed. "She said something today... She told me to 'hush,' and that she decides who she helps... Which was, down to the exact words and tone, something Xia said to me very early into our time together."

"Oh, Zedd..." Sage put a sympathetic hand on his arm.

"She is extraordinary, Sage... And she is also a painful reminder of everything I lost... She is... Confusing for me."

"I know you feel something for her, Zedd. I see it in your eyes."

"I cannot. She is not Xia. It's clearly nostalgia drawing me to her, and to give in to that would be unfair to the girl... I cannot be near her, Sage."

"Did you ever think if you spent time getting to know her that you might find your feelings are more than nostalgia for the woman you loved?"

"Love, Sage. I still love Xia. I always will."

"I know... But Zedd... Liza is pretty great. If you give her a chance, she might prove to have a place of her own in your life."

"I will protect that girl with all that I have, Sage... But I will not condemn her to my extended company. She deserves far better."

"She deserves a chance to be happy... Just like you."

"And she will never be happy with me."

"She's the only one who gets to decide that. You can't lie to a Shaman, Zedd. You have feelings for her, and while they are confusing, they go beyond her reminding you of Xia. You're drawn to her for a reason. Stop punishing yourself and let yourself be happy."

"Happiness comes in many forms. My light is restored. Most of my children are giving me a chance. I have Zordon and Caius back in my life, and even Alpha now. I am happier than I ever dreamed I could be again. I do not need anything else."

"You deserve a chance to have the life you lost. What if Liza is the Universe giving you a second chance?"

"I highly doubt the Universe would show me such kindness."

"You'd be surprised. Just don't rule it out, Zedd. Not yet."

He didn't reply. Instead, he changed the subject. "Are we heading home?"

"Actually, there's something I have to do first. I may not be home tonight. Don't worry, and please tell Koda he can stay with his team for the night. It's good for them to spend time together, and he can't come with me."

Zedd was curious what she might be doing, but he didn't ask. If Sage had wanted to tell him, she would have done it.

He tried not to dwell on his pathetic emotions. They were a mix of teen angst and genuine grief, and he had time for neither. For now, he would continue to keep as much distance from Liza as possible. He ignored the fact that the idea of staying away from her was becoming less and less appealing by the second.

SAGE

She found Justin already waiting for her. They headed to his place. Sage could feel the magic Anise had surrounded the property with. No one would find it unless they knew where it was.

They stepped inside. "Jared's asleep," Justin said. "I came home earlier and put him to bed. The house has magic on it to keep him safe if I'm out, and he's mature enough to be on his own for short periods of time... Plus, Alpha Prime acts as a babysitter in emergencies. Apparently, he's great with kids. He took care of the Chosen's kids for them when they were in battle. That said... I'm clinically paranoid, so just give me a minute to check on him."

Sage smiled at him kindly. "Of course," she said. Five minutes later, Justin came back.

"So... How do we do this?" Justin asked.

Sage was about to reply when the door burst open. The force of it knocked her back. "Sage!" Justin cried.

"I'm okay," Sage said quickly. "Get to safety!" She was about to look at the intruder when something hit her head hard and everything went black.

JUSTIN

He stared at the person before him. The Power Ranger wore a familiar uniform, but it didn't look right. Besides, if it wasn't Sage, only one other living person could be wearing it. "Tommy?" Justin asked, knowing that wasn't possible either, but this person was definitely a Green Ranger.

"Do not call me that!" He snapped. "I am Lord Drakkon, and you are coming with me."

Justin had already pressed the emergency alert button. He knew Alpha Prime was on his way. He also knew the stories of the entity called Lord Drakkon. He was an evil sociopath who existed in several parallel realities, and if Justin tried keeping him there, Sage and Jared would be in extreme danger.

He didn't want to go with Drakkon. He didn't want to know why the psycho was after him or what he had planned. He was terrified... But there were lives at stake. His son's life, and the life of the girl who was only there because she was trying to help him.

That was why, when Drakkon dragged him from the house, Justin didn't try to fight him. Drakkon quickly led him to a dark lair of some sort. "You're going to build me a weapon, Justin," Drakkon said.

"I am?" Justin asked. His mind was going a thousand miles an hour. If he said no, Drakkon might kill or torture him... But if he said yes, he might have a chance to escape.

"Yes. I am told you are quite intelligent." Drakkon attacked so suddenly, Justin didn't see it coming. He slammed Justin against the wall and stabbed him in his side several times. Justin cried out in pain and struggled to defend himself, but Drakkon was freakishly strong.

"No tricks, Justin," Drakkon said, releasing him. "That was a sample of what will come if you try to defy me."

Justin knew his wounds were somewhat shallow. He'd survive if he was treated soon enough. He struggled to keep a clear head and asked, "How did you find me?"

"Our spy followed you and the Shaman to your home."

Justin did not miss Drakkon's use of the plural. Who is he working with? Zell? He wondered. He decided to ask. "So you're with Zell, then?"

"Zell? Oh, no. Definitely not. We are made up of those he didn't invite to his little party... Our faction is far superior to his pathetic alliance." He laughed with an actual mwahaha and Justin had to hold back a sarcastic response. "We are unstoppable. We shall show him who truly rules this world... Soon, I shall rule all worlds, but for now, I shall work with these other villains. For the time being, they are of use to me."

Justin mentally filed Drakkon under the category of Bad Guys who Enjoy Braggy Monologues. That would work in his favor. Those villains tended to make mistakes because they were too arrogant to believe they could fail.

As Drakkon explained what he wanted Justin to build, Justin looked at the supplies around him. A plan began to form in his head. "Give me thirty minutes," he said.

"You have twenty-five," Drakkon said. He left the room and locked the door. Justin began working on the weapon. He was careful with every detail. If this failed, he'd be toast, but if it worked...

Drakkon came back as Justin finished his weapon. "Is it done?" He demanded.

"Yes," Justin said.

Drakkon grabbed the weapon and studied it. "Excellent," he said. Then he turned it toward Justin and pulled the trigger.

Drakkon let out a scream as the weapon misfired, sparking and setting him on fire instead. Justin pushed a button on a second device he'd programmed to work with it and watched as electricity shot through the weapon and straight into Drakkon. The villain wasn't saying mwahaha now.

"Excellent," Justin said, mocking Drakkon's earlier response as Drakkon hit the floor. Justin kicked the electricity up a notch and Drakkon twitched even more violently as it passed through him. When he finally stopped twitching, Justin saw that his eyes were open and unblinking.

He cautiously approached Drakkon before kicking him. There was no response. "That must have been one of his weaker aspects," Justin mumbled aloud. Different realms had different Drakkons, and the strongest one was rumored to be unstoppable. Thankfully, he was blocked from their reality.

Justin took several deep breaths and tried to calm down. He was badly injured, but nothing was fatal. He just needed to get home and he'd survive.

To his surprise, he was teleported back to the house. "You are bleeding!" Alpha said in alarm. Justin realized he must have been the one who teleported him.

"Is Jared okay? Where's Sage?" Justin asked.

"Jared is sleeping peacefully. I stayed with him until Sage woke up and checked on him. She is-"

"Right here," Sage said, forcing a smile. The relief in her eyes was clear. "Are you okay?"

"I will be. It was Drakkon, Sage, and he wasn't working alone," Justin said. "I didn't see his friends, though."

"How did you escape?"

"He wanted me to make him a weapon, so I did... And I intentionally miscalculated the voltage so he'd electrocute himself. He also caught on fire... He's not an issue anymore."

Sage stared at him. "I think we underestimated you, Justin. You really are brilliant," she said.

"I just like science. I'm especially good at chemistry."

"So he's dead?"

"Extremely."

"Good... We'll worry about who he was working with later. Let me heal you." Sage began to do it without waiting for a response. Justin felt better quickly. Sage, however, looked pale. She blacked out.

"Sage!" Justin cried.

"She was too injured to use so much energy," Alpha said. "The head trauma made her lose consciousness. Might I suggest Zedd?"

Justin wasn't thrilled with the idea of letting Zedd anywhere near his house, but he knew Sage needed help. "Okay. I'll go stay with Jared in his room. You can call Zedd, and just get me when he's gone."

"Yes, Justin," Alpha said. "Would you like to take your medication now?"

"No... I need to have a clear head for Sage to help me."

"She won't be doing that tonight and you need rest. Take the medicine tonight. Sage can help you tomorrow, when you are both well."

"Thanks, Alpha," Justin said, knowing he was right. He took his medicine before curling up in the chair in Jared's room and drifting off to sleep.

MERKHET

"Fool!" Merkhet cried in frustration as she looked at Drakkon's corpse. "How disappointing..."

"Mistress, what do we do now?" Virges asked.

"He was the strongest of us," Goldar said with concern.

"I beg your pardon?!" Merkhet snapped. "I am the leader of this Faction, Goldar. Do not forget that. Drakkon was merely a puppet."

The other Faction members came into the room. Merkhet wondered who her new ace in the hole would be. There was Ivan Ooze, a villain from a parallel realm who none of the Rangers here knew. Merkhet despised him, but he had old, powerful magic and she could not deny that much. Psycho Red was a personal favorite of hers because he could target any Red Ranger and was nearly unstoppable. Trakeena was the only other female in the Faction, so Merkhet was partial to her. Lothor was strong but not the brightest. Zeltrax had joined as soon as she mentioned a chance to seek revenge on Tommy Oliver. He had a personal vendetta against Tommy and Kira, who had destroyed him. Since Merkhet had revived him, he was extremely loyal to her. He might be her secret weapon. Emperor Gruumm was furious Mora had been taken by Zell. He was offended to not have gotten the invitation himself. Finally, there was Serrator, who she'd revived specifically to distract the Samurai Rangers.

Merkhet didn't trust Zell, but she needed him. After agreeing to work with him, she'd known she would need an army of her own. Assembling them had taken work, but she was pretty satisfied. It was a shame Drakkon hadn't lasted longer, but she could only get to a weaker aspect of him. The others were busy taking over other realms.

"What is our next step, Merkhet?" Zeltrax asked.

"Plan B... Justin is too dangerous, but I know of another who may be able to help us..." Merkhet paused. Perhaps the little brat had a purpose after all. It was time to find out.

DOCTOR K

She had spent twenty-six straight hours in the lab. It was time to get some rest, but first, she needed some air. K had made more of an effort to at least try to go outside since Venjix had been destroyed, but now that it was back and in a new realm, she had been reluctant to go anywhere outside of the hotel.

"You can do this, K," she told herself. She hesitated. "Maybe I should call Ziggy... Or Dillon or Summer or anyone..." She shook her head. She was being paranoid again. She was right outside of a hotel full of Power Rangers. There was no safer place on the planet.

K stepped outside. She looked up at the sky and took a deep breath. "See? You were clearly overreacting," she told herself.

That was when the tranquilizer dart pierced her skin. Before she could even attempt to scream for help, K collapsed.

THE NEXT DAY.

BILLY

He'd been a nervous wreck all morning. The previous night, he'd told Kimberly the truth about Doctor K. She'd been extremely supportive as he had a nervous breakdown. She'd also convinced him to tell K the truth. She'd gently pointed out that it was better she hear it now from Billy then hear it from Merkhet at a moment when the shock could get K killed. Billy had agreed to do it, but now he was terrified. How was he supposed to tell this near-stranger that she was actually his daughter with a sociopathic demigoddess bent on conquering the world? Then again, K mentored a team of Power Rangers. This might not even phase her.

When Billy arrived at the hotel, he went straight to the lab. Gem and Gemma burst in right behind him.

"She's nowhere-" Gemma began.

"To be-" Gem added.

"Found! We think-"

"Someone-"

"Must have-"

"Taken her!" Billy had a terrible feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Guys, slow down," Flynn said, joining Billy and the twins. "What's going on?"

"We checked-" Gemma began.

"Her room and-" Gem chimed in.

"The kitchen-"

"And the common-"

"Areas, and now-"

"Here, but she's-"

"Nowhere!"

"Gone!"

"Vanished!"

"Poof!" The twins said in unison, complete with hand gestures.

"Guys... Who's missing?" Flynn asked urgently.

"Doctor K!" They said together.

"We found this-" Gem said, holding up Doctor K's bag.

"Outside of the-" Gemma said.

"Hotel! And her-"

"Phone is-"

"Right here!" Gem pulled it out.

"K never goes-"

"Outside the-"

"Hotel so-"

"Someone-"

"Must have-"

"Taken her!"

Billy tried to focus as panic threatened to overwhelm him. "Was there anything else?" He asked.

"Just-" Gem said.

"This," Gemma finished. She pulled out something that made Billy's entire body turn cold.

Billy reached for the object he knew all too well. "Oh no..." He whispered.

"What is it?" Flynn asked.

"This is one of Merkhet's spell bags... She uses them to protect herself and to strengthen certain very dangerous spells of hers. She must have dropped it..." He sighed, his worst fears confirmed. "Merkhet has Doctor K."

"So we'll-" Gemma began.

"Build a new device and-" Gemma added.

"Guys! We cannot just blow up Merkhet," Flynn said, already knowing where their minds were headed.

"But she took-" Gemma objected.

"K, and we-" Gem added.

"Have to-"

"Stop her!"

"But she still has Doctor K, and blowing her up risks blowing up Doctor K, too," Flynn reminded them.

"So-" Gem began.

"No boom?" Gemma added.

"No boom," Flynn confirmed.

"But after we-" Gemma began.

"Get her back-" Gem added.

"Then boom?" Gemma finished.

"Maybe," Flynn said with a laugh.

"Boom!" The twins gleefully cried in unison.

Billy was too busy trembling to find this as amusing as Flynn clearly did. Merkhet had K... He hadn't even told her who she was yet, and now her lunatic of a mother had kidnapped her. K was brilliant, but magic was new territory for her. She didn't stand a chance against Merkhet, and Billy knew all too well what the demigoddess was capable of.

KIRA

She was touching base with Lieutenant Stone when someone cried out, "It's aliens!"

Kira raised an eyebrow at that. She spun around and saw an extremely elderly, quite possibly senile man waving his arms around urgently. "Ugh! Not him..." Lieutenant Stone said with a groan.

"You know him?" Kira asked.

"Kira, meet Professor Phenomenus. Professor, this is Kira Ford," the Lieutenant replied.

"Lovely. Tell me, Girl... Do you know why so many aliens have gathered around here?" Professor Phenomenus asked.

"Lieutenant Stone, what's this guy's deal?" Kira asked.

"He's a... Friend, I guess... Of Bulkmeier and Skullovitch," he replied.

"Ah. That explains it."

"Aliens! There are two aliens with that little girl!" The Professor screamed. He was pointing behind her. This was Angel Grove, so Kira gave him the benefit of the doubt and spun around. Orion and Trip stood nearby with Emma between them.

"Well... He's not wrong," Kira admitted. Neither of the boys were from Earth.

"Little Girl, kindly duck down so I can shoot these aliens!" The Professor said to Emma.

"What?" Emma asked in confusion.

Professor Phenomenus pulled out a weapon that vaguely resembled a gun of some sort. "Okay... No," Kira said. "Put the blaster away, Professor. They're friends."

"But... They're aliens!" He objected.

"Give me that!" Lieutenant Stone grabbed the gun. It fired off a shot near his feet and put a hole in the ground. Emma let out a squeak of shock. Orion automatically jumped in front of her protectively. Trip stared at the hole in confusion.

"Holy shit!" Kira cried in surprise.

"I am definitely confiscating this," Lieutenant Stone said firmly.

"That's fine... It's not good enough anyway," the Professor said with a shrug. "I can do better."

"Professor Phenomenus?" Bulk asked as he, Skull, and Spike came toward them.

"Bulk! I am so glad you're not in jail!" He patted him on his back. "And Skull... You brought the alien clone."

"What are you doing here, Professor?" Skull asked, not bothering to correct him.

"Earth is under attack! There are more aliens gathering than I have ever seen! I came to help. Let's start by taking down those two over there! If your clone helps, I will not kill him."

"Wait, do you mean the guy with the green hair and the one in silver? That's Trip and Orion, Professor," Bulk said patiently.

"They are aliens! We must protect the Little Girl!"

"I'm actually eighteen," Emma said. "And Orion's my boyfriend. I'm not in danger, Sir."

"Eighteen? Ha! Perhaps to the untrained eye! But you can't fool me, Little Girl!"

"Emma." She gave him her warmest smile, clearly trying to pacify the situation.

"Okay, Little Emma. I am Professor Phenomenus. Nice to meet you! Now, let me save you."

"That's very kind of you, Professor, but I'm fine."

"Orion and Trip are on our side, Professor," Bulk said. "They're Power Rangers. You know, like Andros? He isn't from here either, but he's an ally."

"Ah... Ah, yes... Andros. Very well! If we are all friends here, I do not need to kill you! Who wants dinner? I'm starving."

"It's only two in the afternoon-" Skull began.

"Shut up, Skull," Bulk snapped at him. "The Professor is hungry. Let's eat."

"Okay... Say, maybe he can help! He's an alien expert, Kira," Skull said excitedly. "And he builds weapons. He's a genius!"

"He just tried to kill us," Orion pointed out.

"He means well," Skull insisted.

"No way, Skullovitch. He's dangerous," the Lieutenant objected.

"Please? If we don't let him help, he'll do it on his own... And that could get him killed. Do you want that on your conscience?" Skull pouted. Spike followed suit.

"Ugh! Fine," Kira said in frustration. She had to admit, the guy was clearly good with tech. "The Nutty Professor can join the Genius League. That should keep him busy."

"Yay! Do you hear that, Professor? You're going to help us help the Power Rangers again!"

"Again?" Kira asked, curious despite herself.

"When the Space Rangers almost lost, and everyone was giving up the fight, the bad guys demanded the Rangers show themselves," Bulk said.

"So Bulky stepped forward and said he was a Power Ranger. Then I did, too," Skull said. "And so did the Professor, and soon everyone stood with us, ready to fight!"

"Dad! You and Uncle Bulk really did that?" Spike asked in awe. "That's amazing!"

"That's brave... And selfless," Kira said, genuinely impressed by this story. "You guys deserve to be here. This is your fight, too."

"We'll stop the aliens later," the Professor said. "Let's go eat. Come, Little Emma. I'll even buy you an ice cream." He patted her head. Emma could have been offended, but her face lit up at the promise of ice cream instead.

Kira struggled not to burst out laughing. Emma really was a nice girl and it was probably mean of her to find this exchange so amusing, but she did. Emma really didn't come across as an eighteen-year-old. She was still innocent in a lot of ways. As much as Kira mocked her "hugs solve everything" attitude, she wished everyone could still have that innocence in them after seeing the world of monsters.

MIKE

He'd been spending a ton of time with Katie. It seemed to help her, and Emily was busy being Jayden's teddy bear, so she didn't mind. Now, Mike sat with Katie in a park not far from the hotel.

They were talking about everything under the sun. Katie rambled about her father and Mike listened supportively. Everything was fine, and he was sure he'd calmed her down when she suddenly leaned over and kissed him.

Mike was too shocked to react, but after a minute, he broke the kiss. "Katie, what the hell?" He demanded.

"I... You're just being so sweet to me, Mike," she replied.

"Yeah, because you're my friend," Mike said firmly. "I'm dating Emily, Katie. I love Emily."

"Do you? I mean, are you sure it's love?"

"Absolutely. Katie, this can't happen. You can't kiss me. I'm your friend, and I care about you, but... But that was so not okay!"

"I'm sorry, Mike... I'm just so freaked out about my dad, and everyone hates me, but you're being so nice to me... I was out of line. It won't happen again."

"Good... I should go."

"Mike... Do you hate me now, too?"

"No. I just need some space today."

"Okay."

Mike hurried off and ran straight for Emily. "Mike!" She greeted him warmly.

"Katie kissed me!" He blurted out.

"What?" Emily looked hurt, and he hated himself more.

"I'm so sorry, Em... I pulled away as soon as the shock wore off. I didn't kiss her back... But... It just... It just happened. Please forgive me!"

Emily hugged him. "You didn't do anything wrong, Mike. You can't control what she does." Emily gave him a sweet, quick kiss on his lips. "There. Order has been restored!"

He pulled her closer. "I love you," he told her.

Emily turned pink. She didn't reply. She hadn't said it back to him yet, but their relationship was still fairly new. He understood she didn't want to rush into things.

"Are we okay?" He asked.

"We are totally okay," Emily promised.

Mike relaxed slightly. He wasn't sure what would happen next, but he knew he'd need to be more careful around Katie for a while.

DOCTOR K

She woke up feeling confused. It took K a minute to figure out where she was. The woman standing before her smiled coldly. "Well... Look who woke up," she said.

"Whatever this is about, you are going to fail," K promised her. "The statistics overwhelmingly support that fact."

"Do you know who I am, Doctor?"

"Merkhet, I presume."

"Very good. And do you know why I have brought you here?"

"I have no idea."

"You were raised in a think tank on Corinth. Do you recall anything prior to that?"

"No."

"I left you there, Doctor K. I am your mother."

K wanted to deny it was possible. Unfortunately, she knew it wasn't. She had to admit, she shared a few physical features with Merkhet, including her pale skin and very dark hair. The shape of her face was similar, too, but their eyes were very different.

"Continue," K said, needing to hear her out.

Merkhet smiled. "I aged you to five to see what magical talents you might possess. Imagine my displeasure at discovering you didn't have a shred of magic in you! You took after your father, making you quite useless to me. I could have killed you, but I sent you away instead... In case I ever needed you for something else. Your father was told you were dead. I left you in the past in a realm he could never search, and that was that."

"Who is my father?" K demanded. She believed Merkhet. She could feel the truth in her words. Suddenly, she had to know the rest.

Merkhet studied her. "Is it not obvious, K? Your father is Billy."

K's jaw dropped. At the same time, an entire shelf of glass jars shattered, spilling their deadly-looking contents to the floor.

Merkhet reacted quickly, pulling K to safety and, K was certain, saving her life. Merkhet stared at the mess and said, "Hmmm... Interesting. Perhaps I was too quick to dismiss you."

"What you're saying is impossible!" K objected, but of course, it wasn't. Billy had been held hostage by this monster for three years. His mind had been tampered with so severely that he'd nearly killed everyone he cared for upon returning home... What she was claiming could absolutely be the truth.

"Do it again," Merkhet said.

"What?" K asked.

"Make something shatter."

"You're insane. That wasn't me."

"Oh? Do you have a better explanation?"

She didn't. "Give me a minute and I'll think of ten," K promised.

"You have Billy's mind, K... But you may just have my magic after all."

"I don't have magic. I am a scientist."

"We shall see..."

With that, Merkhet began to attack her. K was stunned by the sudden outburst. She'd been beaten before. Most of the abuse she'd suffered growing up had been psychological, but occasionally, it was worse than that, if she resisted too much.

It was after Merkhet tore off the necklace K wore that several lights blew. The bulbs shattered. Merkhet smiled. "Excellent," she said.

"Give that back!" K shouted.

"You may have it back when you tell me who gave it to you."

K refused to reply. "You love this boy... Tell me his name," Merkhet demanded.

"Never," K said firmly.

"Very well. I shall simply use this to summon him."

"What? No!"

Merkhet ignored her. Moments later, Ziggy appeared. His eyes went wide at the sight of K. "Oh my God... K, are you alright?" He asked. He tried to run to her.

Merkhet grabbed him by the throat. She lifted him off the ground and tossed him across the room. "Ziggy!" K screamed.

"He'll make a lovely sacrifice to Chaos, don't you agree?" Merkhet asked.

"Don't touch him!" K shouted.

"Work with me, K."

"I will never work with you!"

"Then say goodbye to your precious Ziggy." Merkhet raised a ritual knife.

"Wait!" K screamed. Merkhet paused. "Wait," K said again. "What is it you want me to do?"

"Learn something." Merkhet attacked Ziggy with brutal force. K screamed as Ziggy bled from his injuries. He struggled to defend himself, but he clearly had a head injury and he wasn't doing well.

With every hit Merkhet landed on Ziggy, K counted another possible injury his body had sustained. The more upset she got, the more things moved or exploded. K realized Merkhet was right. She was causing this.

Somehow, I am emitting an electrical impulse at a high enough frequency that it is affecting the matter around me, she realized. If I can find a way to focus that energy and harness it, I can control the effect I have... I can turn this around.

K focused on the feelings stirring inside of her. While her own physical pain was an issue, Ziggy's pain caused her to effect matter. Losing the necklace had triggered a response. The shock of learning who her father was had triggered a response... The electricity responded to her emotions. That was the key...

After three attempts, K was able to move an object intentionally. Pleased with her own success, she focused on Merkhet. She flung her across the room with more force than Merkhet had used on Ziggy. Then, K flung several objects at her head until she actually managed to knock her out.

"Ziggy!" K called as she ran to his side. Kneeling beside him, she realized he was as badly injured as she'd feared.

"K..." He moaned. He reached toward her, the necklace he'd given her in his hand. K took her necklace back, then took his hand in her own and squeezed it. They had to escape, but how? Ziggy was barely conscious.

"I'm going to get us out of this, Ziggy... I promise."

"I believe you," he said.

K dragged Ziggy to a corner on the opposite side of the room. She waited there beside him until someone else came into the room. "Merkhet?" The woman asked in alarm. She rushed to her side as K and Ziggy hid in the shadows.

"Trakeena, what's going on?" A man demanded.

"I don't know! I found her like this, Gruumm. What should we do?" She replied.

"Where is the scientist?" Gruumm demanded.

"Right here," K said before grabbing a weapon she'd made for Ziggy herself and using its taser function to attack Trakeena first.

Trakeena screamed as too much electricity shot straight through her, stopping her heart. "You killed her!" Gruumm shouted.

"That was unexpected," K said. "Fascinating. I apparently amplified the amount of electricity released somehow... I'll need to make a note of that." She shrugged before turning toward Gruumm.

Gruumm managed to get the weapon away from her. He hit her and Ziggy tried to rush to her defense. He collapsed before he could throw more than one punch. K blocked Ziggy with her body, desperately trying to think of a new idea.

The next thing K knew, an army of scorpions entered the room. As Gruumm hit her again, he drew blood. K stumbled back, still trying to shield Ziggy. She fell on top of him. She shifted so she was sitting in front of him.

The scorpions surrounded them. K was positive she and Ziggy were about to die. The blood dripping from her lip landed on one that was beside her. That was when something shocking happened. The scorpion rubbed itself against her arm, almost affectionately like a cat would. It repeated the behavior twice. The other scorpions seemed to be looking at her, as if they were waiting for something...

Merkhet is the daughter of a scorpion Goddess, K remembered.

"They respond to my DNA," she realized aloud. Ziggy moaned in response. "We're going to make it out of here, Ziggy... But you have to stay with me." She stroked his hair affectionately.

"Now, you die, Scientist!" Gruumm shouted. He came toward her again.

"Protect us," K whispered, looking at the scorpions. "Please protect us. Stop him."

Just like that, the scorpions turned toward Gruumm. Before he saw it coming, they attacked. He was stung, over and over again. He screamed at first, but their venom spread quickly, and even monsters were not completely immune to that.

When it was clear he was not going to immediately wake back up, K called the scorpions off. She knew she couldn't kill him. Emperor Gruumm was from the future. Killing him would have consequences she didn't care to risk, but being the daughter of a scorpion Goddess, Merkhet would be able to save him when she woke up. K grabbed Ziggy. "Wake up, Ziggy... I need you with me." she said.

Ziggy managed to open his eyes again. "K?" He asked.

"Ziggy, I need you to morph. I can get you outside, but I don't know how many other villains are around. If we get attacked, I know I can defend us, but I want you to have the extra protection, just in case. Once we're outside, I can have Gem and Gemma teleport us... We have a machine that should be fully functional."

Ziggy was struggling, but he managed to morph. Even morphed, he was still too injured to do much on his own, so K practically carried him out of the room as Merkhet started to stir. K was relieved she didn't immediately chase after them. She was probably still too wounded, or finding one of her minions dead and another severely wounded had distracted her.

"Gem! Gemma!" K called through the communicator.

"K! You're-" Gemma began.

"Not dead!" Gem finished. "What-"

"Great news!"

"Gem. Gemma. I have Ziggy. He's hurt badly. I need you to teleport us back."

She felt it working just as Ziggy's morph failed. The next thing she knew, they were back at the lab.

"Ziggy... Jesus..." Flynn mumbled. Louder, he called, "I need a Medic!"

Tanya came over. Since she was an actual nurse, Tanya was one of their best people in a medical emergency. "My God..." She whispered. She looked at Flynn. "I'll start, but go get a healer... The strongest one you can find. Sage or David... Maybe Liza."

"I'm on it," Flynn promised.

"K... You're bleeding," Tanya said urgently.

"I'm fine. Help Ziggy," K insisted.

"You need help, too," Tanya said gently. "Ziggy will be okay... I promise. You need to let someone stitch you up."

"It can wait." K didn't want to leave Ziggy's side.

"Please, Doctor K... You may be seriously injured."

"Ziggy needs me!"

"K," a new voice said.

K turned around to see Billy. Everything stopped for a split second as she realized she was looking at her father.

Billy gently touched her cheek, wiping something away. K realized she was crying. Judging from her wet blouse, she'd been crying for at least a couple of minutes.

"K, you've been through a severe trauma. Your body is in shock," Billy said gently. "You may be hurt worse than you realize. Let me take care of you."

K nodded numbly. Billy gently led her to a more secluded part of the lab. He began cleaning her face up, careful not to cause her any more pain than necessary. "Billy... There's something I need to tell you," she said. "Merkhet didn't kill your daughter. She's-"

"She's you," Billy said softly.

"You knew?" K asked in shock.

"No. I figured it out right before you went missing. I was going to tell you."

"How did you know?"

"Your eyes... I would know them anywhere, K."

She paused. "Billy... Did I ever have a name other than K?"

He nodded. "Yes. Merkhet made me name you. Would you... Would you like to know what your name is?"

"Very much," K said. Billy had named her, not Merkhet. She could live with that.

"It's Kristina."

"Kristina..." K repeated. It felt odd to say, but she supposed it was a much nicer name than K. She'd wanted to remember her name for so many years... She smiled at him awkwardly. "Thank you for that."

Billy stitched up her lip and a cut above her eye. His touch was so gentle, K felt immediately relaxed. This man might be a near-stranger to her, but she was willing to try to get to know him. There was something soothing about Billy. She looked into his eyes.

"Billy," She began. She paused, then tried again. "Billy, I would... Um... I would very much like to know you... If you... I mean... I know you couldn't have wanted me. My mother is a vile woman who was torturing you... I understand I may just be a constant reminder of that, and I would also understand if you never want to see me again, but-"

He cut her off by pulling her into his arms. The hug was so unexpected, K could hardly process it... Yet it was deeply comforting, like a piece of her she had been searching for had finally been restored.

"You're my daughter, Kristina," Billy said. "I delivered you...I fell in love with you the second I looked into your eyes... The circumstances surrounding your conception were horrible, but I was devastated when she told me you were dead. Realizing you were alive and had become this amazing young woman... I am so relieved you're okay... I'm sorry I couldn't be there before, but I would be honored to get to know you now."

K hadn't expected that to mean so much to her. She was saved from expressing it as Ziggy came toward her. He looked shaky, but he had been almost fully healed.

"Thank God you're okay!" He said as he pulled K into his arms. She let him, needing to hear his heart beating steadily. She clung to him and allowed herself to be vulnerable. It was rare K let her walls down, but currently, she couldn't put them back up. Hiding her face in Ziggy's shoulder ensured no one would know how much she was freaking out other than him, and she knew he'd never tell.

TOMMY

He woke up for brief periods of time, but they always sedated him again fairly quickly. Tommy had no idea how long he'd been there. He was strapped down and hooked up to an IV that he assumed was keeping his body from dehydrating too much or starving to death. Whatever they were up to, they weren't trying to kill him... Yet.

He looked around for clues and saw Divatox. "Tommy! So nice to see you again," she said pleasantly. She was fiddling with some tools along with King Mondo. Tommy wondered if he was hallucinating. How had all of these villains come together? What were they after?

"How long do I get to enjoy the pleasure of your company?" Tommy asked sarcastically. His voice was hoarse.

"We're almost done building our machine, Tommy. It's going to be quite impressive! But no spoilers... Elgar! Put him down for another nap."

Ten seconds later, Tommy blacked out. In his head, he saw his brother. "Where are you, Tommy?" David asked urgently.

"I don't know... I'm drugged," Tommy said.

"We'll find you, Bro... I promise. We're all looking... Kira called in everyone. You just have to hold on for a little bit longer..."

"I don't think I have long."

"Don't give up."

"I never do."

David hugged him. "Stay strong, Tommy... I love you."

It was rare that David said things like that to him. The words gave him strength. "I love you, too, David," he said.

After that, the drugs made his mind too heavy and he faded into the darkness that was becoming far too familiar.

MADDIE

She was walking from Ranger training to Chosen training on her own when someone appeared in front of her. "Hello, Crimson," Zell said pleasantly.

Maddie stiffened. She could morph, but would that really do anything against Zell? She wasn't sure. She was too far from anyone else to get their attention, but she could try to use her communicator to call for backup. The Rangers might not be able to handle Zell, but maybe Zordon could send Zedd and Caius to help?

"I wish to make you an offer, my dear Crimson Chosen," Zell said.

She knew she was in trouble now. The last time Zell had made someone an "offer," Caleb's parents had ended up dead and Caleb had nearly joined them.

"What do you want, Zell?" Maddie asked, desperately trying to think of a plan. She pressed the button on her communicator and felt it spark in response. She let out a cry of shock as it mildly electrocuted her. She knew it wouldn't be functional anytime soon.

"Oh, I'm sorry, my dear. My son isn't invited to this conversation. This is just between us," Zell said.

"What is this about?" She asked, left with no choice but to play his game.

"I want you to work with me, Maddie."

"So, you've learned my name finally. That's a nice change of pace."

"You have a great gift, my dear. You're stronger than any one person has ever been in this world."

"You're wrong about that."

"Perhaps currently, but once all of those powers activate inside of you, you will become unstoppable, my dear."

"I don't want to be unstoppable. If that's your offer, no thanks."

"My offer is this, Maddie... You can fight at my side, and we can become the ultimate power in the universe together, or... I can take your power from you."

Maddie stared at him. She knew Zell could drain people's energy, but could he really take away their powers?

"I can indeed, Maddie," he said.

She felt extremely violated and extremely stupid as she realized he'd read her mind. Then again, although Sage had taught her decent blocks for her thoughts, almost no one could block Zell and Maddie knew that. Still, she started working harder to guard her thoughts from him.

"You were never meant to happen, Maddie. There was never a Crimson Chosen, and there was a reason for that. There were only ever meant to be the seven... Even I never saw you coming," Zell said.

"Well, I exist, so here we are," Maddie said sharply. She could feel the truth in his words. She'd been suspecting it herself for a while. Maddie didn't fit in with the Chosen. They were her friends, and she fought well with them, but she was a Power Ranger, not Chosen. They knew that as well as she did.

"You are merely a placeholder, Maddie. You were created to hold the power until it could be given to those it belonged to. I assume the Universe intended to kill you and give it to the actual Chosen in their hour of need to give them the extra power they required, or perhaps the Universe would have simply allowed you to transfer it willingly and walk away. I would never use you like that, Maddie. I would allow you to fight at my side, where someone as extraordinary as you belongs."

"No," Maddie said firmly. "I'll never stand with you, Zell. That's not happening." Again, she felt the truth in his words. This had probably been the case all along, and it made sense. She could feel in her heart that he was right about why she'd had so many powers in her blood, even if she hadn't activated all of them.

"Then I will simply take them from you." He laughed. "Of course, if they aren't active, the powers are useless to me. Now, I can activate most of them. They're generally magic-based with no real requirements to wake them up... However, there is one power that can only be activated in one way... The Grant family line holds the power I need the most... The one which will make me unstoppable... And it can only be awakened upon death. I, of course, cannot die... But you, my dear, can."

Suddenly, Maddie understood exactly what he intended to do. Zell would kill her to get the powers, and she couldn't allow him to do that. Maddie was more than willing to die to protect the Chosen and their magic, but she sure as hell wasn't going to die just so Zell could steal the powers anyway.

If I die, I die fighting, she vowed. And no matter what, I don't die where he can find me.

She attacked him with the few powers she did have access to, like the one she shared with Quintus and Brian. She'd gotten really good at using fire in battle. When that wasn't enough, she relied on what she knew best... She fought physically, employing every bit of Martial Arts training she'd ever had. It worked for a few minutes, until Zell tired of playing with her and stabbed a sword straight through her heart.

Maddie knew she was going to die. She barely had any strength left, but she knew she couldn't let Zell take the powers from her. Clutching her chest, she whispered, "Help me, Ancestors..." She prayed the original Chosen were listening.

As Zell came closer to her, Maddie dove into the Shadow Realm. She could feel the spirits of the original Chosen with her. "Take them," she whispered. "Take the powers... Give them to the others..."

"We cannot, Maddie," Morgana said softly.

"You have fought bravely," Dimitri added. "With great honor."

"I'm dying. If he finds me... He will get the powers. He can't get the powers... I have to protect the others... Zell can't win," Maddie objected.

"He will not," Quintus promised. "You did well, Maddie. Zell looks quite lovely with his shirt on fire, by the way." He smiled at her, and Maddie managed to offer a small smile in return.

"Rest now, sweetheart," Raven added. He began singing softly, and as his light washed over Maddie, it soothed her deeply. She could barely feel any pain now.

"Xia? Where are you going?" She heard Quintus ask.

"To save her life!" Galaxia shouted from somewhere distant.

Maddie focused on Raven's light, too exhausted to do anything else, as her ancestors surrounded her.

LIZA

The sudden appearance of Galaxia beside her made Liza jump. "Jesus! Don't do that," she objected.

"Maddie's dying!" Galaxia blurted out.

Liza stared at her. "What? Where is she?"

"Zell shoved a sword through her heart. She's bleeding to death. He tried to take the powers from her, but she protected them, and she fled before he could activate the Grant line in her."

"Xia, where is she?" Liza asked more urgently. There was no way she was letting Maddie die.

"Follow me! You must take the powers from her, Liza. Extract them, one at a time, and store them for the proper Chosen."

Liza followed Galaxia to a very secluded area. "She is in the Shadow Realm, Liza," she explained. "You cannot shadow walk, but you can open a portal to get inside."

Liza was already working on that. Galaxia followed her in, but faded from sight. Liza could feel the other original Chosen in the room as well, but she couldn't see any of them. She could, however, see Maddie, lying on the ground in a pool of blood.

"Maddie! Shit... Shit. Maddie, it's Liza. You're going to be okay," she promised, even if she couldn't guarantee that. The girl hadn't bled out yet, purely because the sword was still in her chest, but she was headed that way rapidly.

"Liza... Take the powers... Save them..." Maddie begged her. "Zell can't... He can't get them..." She slipped something into Liza's hand and Liza realized it was her Power Coin. "Get this back to Zordon," Maddie whispered.

"Shhh... Don't focus on any of that. Just listen to me, alright? I'm going to do an extraction spell. I can channel the powers into charms, and I'll get the charms where they need to go."

Maddie nodded. "Tell... Tell Mom I'm sorry... And... And Zeke... Tell Zeke I... I love-"

"Shut up. You're not dying today. I won't let you, do you understand me? So quit saying your goodbyes." Liza began focusing on the line she knew the best... The Campbell line. She called the power forth, drawing it out of Maddie and into herself, because she was going to need the power boost to pull the rest of this off. She'd store it later and get it to Tia.

Maddie's breathing calmed down slightly and Liza knew she'd made the right call. With Maddie so close to death, the Campbell line had been trying to activate, and the power could have killed her because she wasn't strong enough. Liza focused on Zedd's line next. If she could activate it, however briefly, Maddie might be able to heal from this fatal wound without Liza having to do all the work. As a succubus, she could survive nearly any wound, but Maddie had never woken that power up.

She felt Galaxia join her in her effort to activate the power that had flowed through her beloved's veins, too. If anyone knew that power well, it was Galaxia. Soon, it woke up, and Maddie's breathing became steady. The bleeding began to slow down. Liza knew it was working. She'd have to extract that power last and hope it had done enough to save Maddie's life by then.

She focused on the others... She removed the Grant power easily because it was still dormant, although if Maddie got much closer to death, that wouldn't be the case. Next, she focused on Morgana's line. The magic was different from the magic of Galaxia's line, but it still made enough sense to Liza that she was able to extract it fairly easily. She pulled the fire powers of the Kwan line next, followed by Raven's light. It still flowed through Maddie, but Liza knew that was because Raven was directly filling her with it to comfort her, and once he stopped, it would be gone. Finally, Liza focused on the Scott line, which was probably the strongest part of Maddie's core. She was able to extract those powers, too, but as she did, Maddie's health took a turn and she started to seize. She was no longer bleeding, but the removal of so much of her energy was too much for her.

"Use Zedd's power!" Galaxia shouted.

Liza called on Zedd's power to replenish some of Maddie's energy before she had to extract that, too. Maddie wasn't in good shape, but as Liza pulled the sword out, she was still alive. Liza used the extra boost of Campbell magic inside of her to heal Maddie fully from her wounds.

Maddie was shaking badly, but conscious. Liza helped her stand and reopened the portal so they could leave the Shadow Realm. The charms that had been formed from the powers sat in her hand, along with Maddie's Yellow Power Coin. Liza was about to give it back when, to her shock, a Zord came running toward them.

"Is that the Saber-toothed Tiger?" She asked.

"Yes," Maddie said.

The Zord was frantic. Liza decided it was just another cat at its core and said, "Shhh, Kitty... Good Kitty... Come on, everything's okay... Maddie's fine... You're fine... Shhhh..."

The Zord, to her surprise, responded. It knelt before her and Maddie. Liza smiled and said, "That's a good kitty..."

Maddie looked at her and sighed. "Liza... Get me to Zordon. Please," she said.

Liza nodded, figuring Maddie wanted to regather her strength and recover in a safe place. Liza intended to open a portal outside of the Command Center, but she found them landing inside instead. "Hmmm..." Liza mumbled. "That's odd. I'm pretty sure I shouldn't be able to just teleport in here on my own."

"Liza." Zordon said. She turned to face him.

"Your father tried to kill Maddie, Zordon," Liza said. "She's okay, but... But I had to remove all of the Chosen's power. Which reminds me..." She pulled the extra Campbell magic out of herself and formed the seventh charm. She knew Tia would take excellent care of it.

"Zordon... I'm sorry," Maddie said softly.

"You have no reason to apologize, Maddie," Zordon promised her. "I assume you already know what has happened."

"I do. I didn't mean for it to happen, but... It feels right."

Zordon nodded. Liza was confused. "What's going on?" She asked.

"Liza, years ago, when your mother and Maddie's mother were children, Aisha chose to switch destinies with Tanya. With none of the other Chosen lines in the Power Rangers after Jason, Zack, and Trini left us, I sought out someone else... Aisha was a Campbell, and I could think of no one better to fill that void. It was always meant to be a Campbell, but Aisha had another path, too, and when she chose to follow that one, Tanya came to us. While Tanya was an amazing Power Ranger, the change was not one that was originally meant to happen. Both Tanya and Maddie have proven to be worthy Yellow Rangers... However, with Maddie choosing to save the powers of the Chosen over saving herself, her body and spirit took a very strong hit. I'm afraid that Maddie can no longer hold the power of the Yellow Power Coin."

"What? No. No, there has to be a way," Liza said.

"Liza... It's okay," Maddie said softly. "I did my time, and I'm proud to have been the Yellow Ranger, but I'm meant to move on to a different role... I can still help, but I can't be an active Power Ranger anymore."

"But... The battle, Maddie! Your team needs you!"

"And I'll be there. I can fight physically, and you healed me enough that a good night's sleep should have me back to normal. I've always been able to fight. Magic or not, I'm a Scott, and I've had a ton of training. That's where I'm most comfortable, and it's where I'm meant to be... But I'm not meant to be the Yellow Ranger anymore."

"Then who is?"

"You."

Liza stared at her. "Me?" She laughed. "Me, a Power Ranger? Yeah, right! That's insane. I didn't grow up here. You guys are all legacies."

"So are you, Liza," Zordon pointed out. "You are Aisha's daughter, and like Aisha, you moved here from another place. You were meant to be here, Liza. You were always meant to become a Power Ranger."

She wanted to keep protesting, but she could feel it in her heart. She might not have officially been given the powers yet, but Liza was already a Power Ranger on the inside. The Zord had responded to her because it was meant to be hers.

"But... But Maddie..." Liza looked at her, feeling guilty. When she'd saved her life, she had never intended for this to be the outcome.

"It's okay," Maddie promised her. "This is the way it's supposed to be."

Liza frowned. "The team will hate it," she argued. "They barely know me, except for Sage and Thorn."

"They'll accept you, Liza. They'll understand," Zordon promised. "If you accept this destiny, it will set things back on track. You will only make them stronger... The choice is yours, of course. If you do not accept, there are others from your family... Tye, perhaps, if she ever heals from her trauma... Or, in a few years, I can pass it along to Tessa or Imani."

"No," Liza said firmly. "Tye just wants to be left in peace. She's finally starting to try to talk to people. I won't let you do that to her... And the little ones... They're too young."

"I agree. I would not give them the power until they were older. I have learned from that mistake." Liza knew he was referencing Justin.

"But then the team would have a hole in it until you made one of them a Ranger... They'd be weaker."

"They would learn to adjust. I could allow Sage to hold the power of the Saber-toothed Tiger for Zord purposes. No one else would be able to do that."

Liza sighed. She could practically feel Galaxia screaming at her to stop stalling and just embrace it. "I won't leave the Rangers in that situation," she said. "I'll do it." She smiled as she added, "Besides, I do look great in yellow."

Zordon smiled, and so did Maddie. She looked sad, but very at peace with this decision. She squeezed Liza's hand encouragingly as Zordon teleported the rest of the Power Rangers into the Command Center.

"Rangers, something has happened," Zordon explained. "Maddie was attacked by Zell."

"What? Are you okay?" Zeke asked, running to her side.

"I'm okay," Maddie promised him.

"What's going on?" Thorn asked, apparently sensing the seriousness of the situation.

"Liza had to extract all of the Chosen powers from Maddie to save both her life and the powers from falling into my father's clutches," Zordon explained. "In the process, I'm afraid that Maddie suffered some major changes to her energy... She can no longer hold the Yellow Power Coin."

"What?!" Zeke demanded.

"But... But what will we do now?" Kenny asked.

"Liza," Sage said. It was obvious that, somehow, she'd already known this was going to happen.

"Liza? No way," Katie objected. "She's a stranger! She doesn't deserve to be one of us!"

"Um... I'm standing right here," Liza said. "Just saying."

"You aren't the leader anymore," Sage reminded Katie coldly. "And Zordon is the one who chooses the Rangers, not us. Liza is Aisha's daughter. She's a Legacy, too. She deserves to be here as much as any of us."

"Agreed," Thorn said firmly.

Kenny looked sad as he said, "Maddie... Are you okay with this?"

Maddie nodded. "It's the right path," she said.

"But... We need you," Zeke said. "I need you."

"I'll still be here, Zeke. I'll still fight. I just can't morph anymore, but you guys are my family. That's never going to change," Maddie promised him.

He hugged her, then to Liza's surprise, he turned toward her. "Welcome to the insanity, I guess."

"Thanks," Liza said.

"Josh? Are you okay?" Maddie asked gently.

Josh looked heartbroken. "Everything's going to change," he whispered.

"Everything's headed exactly where it was meant to all along," Maddie promised. She walked over to him, but didn't touch him. "I'm okay, Josh... And you guys will be, too. Liza saved my life. She's a badass. She'll be great at this."

Josh nodded numbly, then moved closer to Maddie. She read this as an invitation to hug him, and she did. Josh hugged her back, calming down a bit.

"Rangers, if you are all ready... I would like to make this official," Zordon said.

"We're ready," Sage promised. "Are you, Liza?"

Liza shrugged. "I'm always ready. Let's do this," she said.

"Step forward, Liza," Zordon said. She did. "Wait," she said. She took off the necklace Katherine was trapped in and handed it to Sage. "Just until after this is done," she said.

"Good call," Sage agreed.

Liza handed the necklaces containing the power of the Chosen lines to Zordon, knowing he was the only other person who should have possession of them until they were given to the current Chosen. Finally, she stepped forward, still holding Maddie's... No... Her Power Coin.

As Zordon spoke, the energy hit Liza and she knew this was, in fact, the right path. She welcomed her new power. It was a strange sensation. Liza had certainly had powers before, but she'd never felt like she was part of anything. Now, she could feel the entire team as though it was part of her very soul. It was slightly overwhelming, but she liked it.

"Welcome to the Power Rangers, Liza," Sage said warmly.

"We're happy to have you," Kenny added.

"I'm sorry about what I said," Katie said softly. "That was bitchy."

Liza laughed. "Yeah, it was, but I'm bitchy sometimes, too. Most of the time, actually. Don't worry, I don't scare or offend easily."

"I know you'll kick ass at this," Maddie said. She hugged her. "Thank you so much for saving me."

"Thank you for being brave enough to give up everything just to keep the powers safe. Most people would have been tempted to use all that power for themselves."

"I'm not most people." Maddie took a deep breath. "I'll see you at home later, okay?"

"Okay," Liza agreed.

"I'm coming with you," Zeke said. "There are monsters out there, and you can't morph anymore."

"It's okay, Zeke. I'll still kick their asses and protect you," Maddie teased him.

"I'll meet up with you guys later," Zeke promised after he kissed Maddie. They left.

Liza turned to face the rest of the team. "Are we good?" She asked.

"We're good," Sage confirmed.

"Good luck, Liza," Zordon said. "I know you'll do well. May the Power protect you!"

"Come on," Kenny said, looping his arm through hers. "Let's get some dinner and celebrate our newest team member."