ZORDON

He was only moderately surprised when Zedd came to the Command Center. He walked in quite nervously and looked around. "It's really very impressive," Zedd told him.

"Thank you... Are you alright, Zedd? You seem nervous," Zordon said.

"Aye-yi-yi! Intruder alert! Intruder alert! Lord Zedd has breached the Command Center! I shall alert the Rangers at once!" Alpha declared.

"Calm yourself, Alpha," Zordon said. "Zedd is no longer evil. He is my friend and he is welcome here."

"But..." Zordon gave him a stern look. "Aye-yi-yi... Yes, Zordon. Of course." Alpha said.

"So, which Alpha are you?" Zedd asked pleasantly.

"I am Alpha Twenty-Six."

"I see. Well, Alpha Twenty-Six, I knew your great-great-and-so-on-grandfather, the very first Alpha. He was a wonderful friend. I do hope you can learn to tolerate me."

"I am an automaton. I do not have grandparents. Or parents."

"Your brother, then."

"I am not technically a living being."

"Hush! Of course you are. Every Alpha I have ever encountered has had their own unique personality. You may be robots, but never doubt that you are your own beings, each with something special you contribute. Many a battle would have been lost without an Alpha being involved."

"Lord Zedd... You are... Being... Kind. Aye-yi-yi! This does not compute! System overload!"

"Alpha, take this," Zordon said urgently.

"Why?" Alpha asked.

"It will calm you. Here, let me help..." Zordon quickly slid a programming chip into Alpha's back. Alpha immediately calmed down. "Better?" Zordon asked.

"Much! Thank you, Zordon," Alpha replied. He left the room.

"Was that the equivalent of telling him to 'Eat a Snickers?'" Zedd asked.

"I do not understand..." Zordon said in confusion.

"It's a commercial... I have recently been forced to watch television often, as there is not much else to do when I'm in the house. People behave angrily or just unlike themselves, someone tells them to eat the candy bar, and then they're instantly better. It's powerful magic... There must be an impressive potion inside of the chocolate bar."

Zordon decided that chocolate did, indeed, act as a magic potion to improve moods and did not correct Zedd. "Why did you seem nervous when you came here?" Zordon asked.

"I have something to tell you... Something difficult," Zedd replied.

"Go on."

"Katherine was not your only sister, Zordon. You had a twin. Your father hid her from everyone outside of the timeline."

Zordon stared at him for several moments. "A twin... You're certain?"

"I am. I began to suspect it was true because of Jason's boy, Luke... He recently found out-"

"I know. Maddie told me about Lucy."

"Your father is going after Luke, Zordon... Brutally. He kept it from his father, but he reached out to Sage for help, and I went with her... When we found the boy, he was acting so much like you used to, it was as if I'd gone back in time. The brutality your father showed requires rage, and the only thing that sets him off more than the Chosen is you. I also began to wonder why Zell went out of his way to kill Jason's wife... That's not like him. He prefers to arrange 'accidents' or have others do his dirty work. The idea of him firing a gun at a defenseless woman's head is hard for me to wrap my head around. People had forgotten him... They didn't know what a monster he is. Why stray from his usual act of being the perfect force of Good? Shooting her destroyed any credibility he might have had."

"You're right. I found that odd as well."

"Becky was your sister's granddaughter. Luke is your great-nephew. And, Zordon, he is exactly like you in a lot of ways, which means he's in terrible danger."

"How have you confirmed this? Did you read his energy?"

"I did more than that. I found your sister."

"You... How?"

"She was a few states away. I felt her energy and approached her. She already knew... She never went to you because she didn't want to upset you."

"She's alive."

"Very much so. And if you want to meet her, she's outside."

Zordon took a deep breath. "The last time I found out I had a sister, she was evil."

"Anise isn't evil. I think you'll like her."

"I liked Katherine, too. I can occasionally be fooled, Zedd."

"You can trust her, Zordon. I am certain of that."

Zordon nodded. "Very well. Bring her inside."

Zedd went to retrieve her. Zordon braced himself for an inevitably awkward conversation, but as soon as she walked in, he knew everything was true. He could feel her.

"Oh, Zordon..." She whispered. Louder, she added, "Hi. I'm Anise. I think I know a lot more about you than you know about me, so feel free to ask questions."

Zordon didn't know where to begin, but soon he found that Anise was extremely easy to talk to. Unexpected as this news was, Zordon knew it was right that they had found each other. With their father back, he had a feeling they were going to need each other.

LUCY

She was miserable. Although her plan to use a puppy to keep Jason from constantly petting her had worked, she was still uncomfortable in that house. She'd met Katie, which had been a disaster, because the bitch had picked a fight with her! To make it worse, Jason had defended Katie. Ollie had brushed off her behavior as just the way she was. Robby had been upset when Lucy called Katie a bitch and had described her as almost a sister. Vinny hadn't weighed in on it, and that was probably better. Lucy didn't want to get mad at him, too. She felt like no one was listening to her. The worst part was that even Luke had said he'd prefer not to get in the middle of her and Katie. He was her twin. If he didn't have her back, who did?

"I should tell the social worker I want to be put in foster care," Lucy said.

Billy looked at her with concern. She liked Billy. He listened and he didn't talk to her like she was dumb. "The foster care system isn't safe, Lucy," he said. "My son spent three years in it and he went through hell."

"It can't be worse than what I went through... Getting electrocuted every time weird stuff happened... Getting tortured..."

"What made you bring this up?"

"Everyone here wants me to be someone I'm not. They keep telling me I look just like my mom, but I don't know her. She's a stranger but they keep shoving her down my throat. Jason wants me to call him Dad, but he's still a stranger, too. I don't fit in here, Billy."

Billy sighed. "Foster care's not an option... I'd take you in myself, but I live with Tommy... I'm looking into houses, but I haven't found one yet."

"I don't want to stay here anymore."

He pulled out his phone and sent a text message. A minute later, he smiled at her. "You like Sellie, right? She's offered to take you in, at least for a while."

Lucy considered this. Sellie was funny and nice, and she always listened to Lucy. She also knew her passion was helping abused kids. "Okay," she said. "I'll try that."

Fifteen minutes later, Sellie came over and took Jason upstairs. When they returned, Jason looked like he might cry.

"Lucy, I'm sorry. I know this has been hard for you, and I realize now I've been too pushy... Sellie advised me it would be much better if I let you go with her today... We'll work on things slowly, at your pace, when you're ready. Until then, you'll stay with Sellie," he said.

Lucy was amazed he didn't try to stop her. "Okay," she said. "Let's go."

"Do you have anything you want to bring? I know Jason got you some clothes. I can buy you more, but-" Sellie said.

"Okay. I'll get my clothes."

"Here's a suitcase." Sellie handed it to her. Lucy could tell it was brand new and she wondered how Sellie had managed to find time to pick that up.

"Lucy..." Ollie said softly.

She looked at him. "Sorry, Ollie. I know you saved me, but-" She began.

"It's okay. I know you need space... Just take this please." He handed her a baby blanket with her name on it. "I've learned a lot about magic and how it works, and I think it will keep you safe. Mom may not have openly used magic, but she poured her energy and love into this, and that's a kind of magic on its own."

Lucy always felt cold anyway, so she shrugged. It was a little small, but it would still be nice to snuggle. "Okay. You can't have too many blankets."

Ollie looked relieved. "Ollie... I still think Katie's a bitch," Lucy said.

"She picked a fight with you. You're not wrong. Katie just has to be right. I'm sorry I didn't want to take sides," Ollie said. "I was wrong."

Lucy nodded at him before heading away to get her things.

JASON

The hardest thing in the world was watching his daughter leave. He'd barely found her, and now she had decided she hated all of them and she was going to live with Sellie. He wasn't even sure how to explain it to his sons.

Ollie tried to reassure him that everything would be fine, but he found that hard to believe. Vinny took the news silently. He'd just started to talk more, attaching to Lucy quickly, and Jason was worried this was too much for him. He could tell Vinny's Depression was coming back full-force when, the next day, he still wouldn't speak or come out of his room.

Robby's reaction had hit him pretty hard. He'd nearly started to cry, convinced he'd somehow done something wrong until Jason patiently explained it wasn't his fault. As tough as Robby might be, he was still a baby. Jason knew his youngest was unable to understand what was going on.

Luke had been devastated. "It's my fault," he said. "I refused to take sides between her and Katie, and she's my twin... I should have just taken her side."

"Luke, no," Jason said. "You shouldn't have been in the middle to begin with. Lucy's new to this world. She's never dealt with people like this, and we overwhelmed her with the whole family thing. She was being told she was supposed to trust us, but she didn't really know us, and I know I screwed up... I should have realized we were upsetting her... But none of this is your fault. At all."

Luke didn't seem to believe him, but he nodded and walked away. Jason sighed. That was when the doorbell rang. Sage stood on the other side.

"I can tell you're upset," she said. "What's wrong?"

"Lucy left... She decided she doesn't want to live with us, and Sellie took her in," Jason explained.

Sage's eyes went wide. "Why would she leave? What happened?"

"Katie happened." He regretted his words immediately. He shouldn't be blaming Katie. He loved that girl like she was his daughter... But Lucy actually was his daughter and now she was gone because Katie had found it appropriate to pick a fight with a traumatized eleven-year-old.

Sage frowned. "What did my cousin do?" She asked.

Jason explained the situation and Sage looked furious. "I'll talk to her."

"Sage, that's not your job. I'm not sticking you in the middle of this. She's your family."

"Look, I love Katie, okay? But she's out of control. This isn't the first time Katie's done something stupid, but she just chased your kid off. Someone's got to tell her she was wrong, and no one ever does. Everyone just lets her get away with everything."

"Sage-"

"No. Everyone always makes excuses for her. Katie beat someone up? Oh, she must have had a reason! Katie teleported out of jail and left the country? Oh, she's just impulsive! Katie killed someone? Oh, they must have deserved it! Katie doesn't listen to authority? Oh, that's so funny, like when she stole Saba! Katie ran away while the team was in crisis? Oh, she just needs space, but she's such a good leader!" Sage sighed. "I'm sick of everyone always excusing everything she does."

"Sage, Katie's a good person."

"At her core, yeah, she has good intentions, but she's selfish, Jason. She's a brat. Uncle Tommy never disciplined her, and as much of an evil bitch as Aunt Kat was, at least she tried to. Katie refused to listen to her mom way before we knew she was evil and Uncle Tommy just let her get away with it. He'd laugh it off, or say 'that's just Katie.' She ran away to be with her boyfriend no one even knew about while she was supposed to be in jail and Tommy let it go! He didn't punish her."

"Mark deserved to get his ass kicked."

"He did. Just like Zeke's mom deserved to die. I don't deny that, and I know damn well Katie killed her. That's okay, I wanted to do the same thing... But I didn't, because I try not to kill. Ever. Torment psychologically? Sure, that was karma... But Katie's first answer is destroy the problem, and that's not just when it comes to abusive parents... She destroys first and asks questions later."

"I feel bad talking about her like this... She's Katie, you know? She's Tommy's baby girl."

"And she's out of control. No one ever puts her in line. It's got to stop, Jason."

"What are you planning?"

"I'm going to try talking to her, but if that doesn't work, I'm going to make sure Uncle Tommy handles this." She gave him a hug. "I'm sorry about Lucy. Sellie will protect her. She's great with kids... And I'm sure she'll come back eventually."

"I hope you're right," Jason said. He suspected Sage might just be telling him what she knew he needed to hear to keep his sanity. He sighed. "I think I need to call Rocky."

"You want a drink." She said it as a statement, not a question.

"I do... But I'm not going to give in to that. The kids need me... And I'm never screwing up like that again."

"I can have Troy come by and stay with the boys for a bit so you can do whatever you need to do."

"Thanks. I'd appreciate that." He hugged her.

As soon as Sage left, he called Rocky and set up plans to go to a meeting. He would get through this. He had to.

SAGE

She spotted Katie walking home and grabbed her. "What the hell were you thinking?" She demanded.

"Um... Hi, Sage. What did I do?" Katie asked.

"You picked a fight with a little girl and she ran away from the family she's barely been back with."

"Wait, what?"

"Lucy decided she doesn't want to have anything to do with Jason and her brothers because they all either defended you or refused to take sides."

Katie frowned. "Look, it was just a stupid argument-"

"One you shouldn't have had, Katie! She's eleven! She's never been around anyone who wasn't trying to hurt her before and you made her think she's not safe with her family."

"I didn't make her family defend me."

"You created the situation, Katie!"

"Look, Sage, back off, okay? I screwed up. Fine. I'll talk to her."

"No, you won't. You're going to stay away from Jason and the boys, too."

"You can't tell me what to do."

"They don't want to see you."

"Well, that might explain why Ollie had the nerve to text me and curse me out. I was wondering. Can you believe that?"

"You deserved worse. You're lucky Ollie didn't come kick your ass."

"Ollie wouldn't hit a girl. Besides, I can take him."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that. He's gotten a lot stronger recently."

"Either way, cursing me out with no explanation was rude."

"Rude? Gods, Katie, you chased his sister off!"

"You're overreacting. And you're my cousin. How could you not have my back? I always have yours! I'm always here for you, covering your ass, and you couldn't defend me? What the hell, Sage?"

"You're the one who's constantly running off! You teleported out of jail! You run away constantly! You left us when the team was vulnerable and we didn't have all of the Power Coins! You abandoned the team to go throw a tantrum because you were angry at your father!"

"I'm not the only one who's needed the other leader to step up! I covered the team for weeks when you vanished!"

"Katie, I was knocked back in time! That wasn't my fault, and after everything I went through in that time, if you think it was some sort of vacation, you're delusional!"

"I went to Japan because I had to get out of that prison, and I didn't come back because I knew something was wrong with my mother and I refused to deal with her. The other times I left, it was basically to help Andros-"

"Don't even try that! You were in Corinth playing with the Turbo Falconzord because you were mad at your father, and you weren't helping anyone that time! You weren't here when-" Sage stopped herself as her pain hit her. She took a deep breath. "I planned my mother's funeral while you were throwing a tantrum."

"I came back as soon as Aunt Casey told me she was dead."

"For your dad, yeah... And as soon as the funeral was over, you were basically gone again."

"Andros needed me, and I needed to train with a weapon that was too dangerous to use here until I could control it properly."

"And you didn't come back."

"Jayden almost died! Was I just supposed to leave him?"

"And after he was healed?"

"His team needed help."

"His team could have handled their battle themselves. They're extremely good at what they do. You didn't need to be there, Katie. You needed to be here, with your team, who were all broken." Sage shook her head. "You don't act like a leader, Katie. Not unless you can get some glory out of it. I'm done with you." Sage walked away, not letting Katie say anything else, and tracked her uncle down.

"Uncle Tommy... You need to do something about your daughter," Sage said bluntly.

"What do you mean?" Tommy asked.

"I'm locking you and Katie in your house and you're not getting out until Katie gets her head out of her ass." Sage explained things. Tommy had the good grace to look horrified.

"Is she... Is she really that bad?" He asked.

"Yes. And she has been for a while, but chasing away a scared little girl and breaking Jason and the boys? That's where I draw the line. Fix this."

Tommy promised he would, but Sage wasn't sure he could at this point. Katie had been out of control for too long. On top of that, Sage had a sense of something coming... She felt like she was missing something. She hoped she was wrong, but her intuition was screaming at her that the trouble had only just begun.

THE NEXT DAY.

GIA

She was surprised when Sage came toward her. "Hi, Sage," she said. "What's up?"

"Gia, I need a favor," Sage said.

"Sure. Name it."

"My cousin's on lockdown. I magically sealed her and my uncle in his room. My dad's babysitting to make sure they don't find a way to escape and to bring them food every so often. That bedroom has a bathroom, so they don't really need anything else... Anyway, Uncle Tommy's getting nowhere right now, so this may take a while, and I know my cousin... Even if she can't access her morpher or her Power Coin, she's smart. She'll think of the Turbo Falconzord. I need you to keep it busy."

Gia didn't bother asking why Katie had been magically grounded. She assumed Sage had had a good reason, and honestly, she didn't like Katie much. The girl was great in battle, but she was kind of bitchy, and she'd been awful to Emma. Gia didn't take well to people making her best friend upset. "Okay. I can do that, no problem."

"You're the only person who's as bonded with it as Katie is. I know it'll stay with you if you give it something to do."

"I'll go sightseeing," Gia joked. She did have a lot of experience with that Zord. She'd been bonded to it since before Katie had even known it existed. She hated the way Katie acted like it was her own personal Zord and used it for whatever idea popped into her head at any given moment. That Zord wasn't like others. It was completely self-aware and did whatever it felt like doing. It deserved respect.

"Good. I'll let you know when you can stop... And obviously, if Troy calls you because he needs backup, come back."

"Will do." Gia paused. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just furious. Katie's been out of control for a long time. I hate that it's come to this."

When Sage left, Gia called the Zord to her. "Hey, Buddy," she said cheerfully. "Let's go for a ride. You choose the location." The Zord seemed thrilled with her suggestion. As soon as she was safely inside, it sped off and took her to another land. Gia looked around, surprised when she saw a man standing amongst wolves. He stared at the Zord as it landed. The guy was majorly cute, but Gia was happily taken by Jake, so she wouldn't do more than appreciate his looks from a respectful distance. He did seem familiar, but she couldn't quite place him.

"Who are you? Why have you come?" The guy demanded, pulling a sword out. Gia's eyes went wide. This was where the Turbo Falconzord had decided to go?

"Hi," Gia said smoothly. "My name's Gia, and I'm just visiting. Who are you?"

He glared at her. "What are you up to?"

"Sightseeing."

"How did you even find this place?"

Gia frowned, then realized where she was. "Oh wow... Animarium," Gia said aloud.

"How do you know of this land?" The man asked suspiciously.

Gia sighed. "I come in peace," she promised before morphing. The man stared at her.

"You are a Power Ranger?" He asked.

"I am. Do you believe me now?"

"How do I know this isn't some sort of trick?"

"Has anyone ever told you that you're a little bit paranoid?" Gia asked with a laugh as she dropped her morph.

"It's not paranoia. It's too many centuries of experience."

"Centuries?" He didn't look centuries old. "Are you immortal?"

"I'm... Complicated." He paused, apparently still trying to decide whether or not to trust her. "My name is Merrick," he finally admitted.

"Merrick. The Lunar Wolf Ranger?"

He became suspicious again, aiming his sword at her. "How do you know me?" He demanded.

"I'm from the Megaforce Rangers... You helped my team in our big battle. Please stop aiming that at me. I'm not here to kill you. I'm just keeping the Turbo Falconzord busy so it doesn't get involved in an Oliver Family issue."

"Oliver? As in... Tommy Oliver?"

"Exactly."

Merrick lowered the sword. "You're a friend of Tommy's?"

"I am."

"Then you're a friend of mine." He extended his hand to her. Gia shook it. "Welcome."

"Thanks. Do you mind if I explore a bit? This place is so beautiful, and I didn't get to see enough of it when I was here with my team."

"Of course not. I'll show you around."

"Okay, I don't know why you brought me here, Turbo Falconzord, but have fun. I'll be back. Don't leave me here, alright?" She knew the Zord would listen. She followed Merrick, eager for an adventure.

DILLON

He'd been pretty surprised when a Power Ranger from another realm contacted him, but he knew who she was. His team might live in Corinth, but they had done their homework on the other worlds. The Red Ranger of his team, Scott, had gone to the world that held most of the other teams to help out the Samurai Rangers once, and the rest of the RPM team had helped the Samurai team when they'd ended up in Corinth without their leader. Because of this, Dillon knew perfectly well who Sage Park was.

"I can fix your car so it's faster than Scott's," Sage said cheerfully.

"Okay, no offense, Sage... But we've never met. Why would you want to do that for me?" Dillon asked suspiciously.

"I like cars... Working on them calms me down, and I'm toying with something... I want to make sure my skills are sharp."

"Fair enough. You really think you can do that? Because Scott would hate it." He smirked as he imagined the look on his teammate's face. He liked Scott, but they'd been competing to see who had the faster car ever since he'd met him.

"Yeah, I'm sure. You can bring friends if you want... Summer and Ziggy, maybe? We're short a Ranger, so having extra backup wouldn't be a bad thing... We're expecting our big bads to come back soon."

"Why are you short a Ranger?"

"My co-leader has been put on a time out."

He didn't question that. Instead, he said, "Okay. I'm sure they'll come with me."

"Great. I'll have Zordon bring you guys here soon."

"You know we're not active Rangers anymore, right? Our morphers are locked up."

"That's okay. You can fight. That's all we need... And honestly, I don't plan on putting you guys to work... You can just help out if the need arises and you feel like it."

Dillon walked off to find his girlfriend and his best friend. Summer stood in the kitchen smiling at Doctor K. Dillon hadn't considered that Doctor K might not want them to leave. Although they were technically no longer needed, they still worked as members of Corinth's police force without their Ranger powers.

"Doctor K, if Summer, Ziggy, and I were to take a trip, would you object?" Dillon asked. Summer looked at him questioningly.

"You've certainly earned some time off," Doctor K said. "Where are you going?"

"The same realm Scott went to a while ago."

"Is there a problem?"

"They could use a little bit of backup, but we're mainly going because one of their Rangers wants to work on my car."

"Can't Flynn do it?"

"He can, but she seems like she could use the distraction. It's Tommy Oliver's niece... Adam and Casey's daughter?"

"Alright. Take Flynn and Tenaya with you."

"Why?"

"Tenaya's your sister. She should be with you. And Flynn... Well, if she's such a skilled mechanic, I'm sure they'd get along."

"Okay. Are you good with this, Summer?"

"Sure," Summer said with a smile. "I could use a vacation."

"I should ask Ziggy."

"Ziggy doesn't get a say," Doctor K said. "Just take him."

"Are you sick of your boyfriend already?" Summer teased her.

"He's not my boyfriend!" Doctor K blushed, her cheeks betraying the truth. Doctor K may have been their mentor, but she was younger than all of them and was still very much a teenage girl.

The twins, Gem and Gemma, stuck their heads in. "Doctor K and Ziggy, sitting-" Gem sang.

"In a-!" Gemma added.

"Tree!"

"K-I-S-"

"S-I-N-"

"G!" Gem finished. This was normal for the twins, who always spoke together, interrupting each other and completing each other's sentences.

"Shush, you two!" Doctor K scolded them. She made up a quick excuse and fled the kitchen, leaving the others laughing.

"She's-" Gemma began.

"Adorable," Gem added.

"Totally in love!"

"And he loves-"

"Her, too!'

Summer grinned. "Poor Doctor K," she said sympathetically.

Dillon shook his head. "I'm going to go find Ziggy and my sister," he said. "Can you track Flynn down?"

"Flynn's in his shop," Gemma said with no interruption from Gem. The one thing that seemed to separate Gem and Gemma into two people instead of one entity was the fact that Gemma was dating Flynn. This meant she occasionally knew where Flynn was when her brother did not.

"I'll talk to him," Summer said. She gave Dillon a quick kiss before running off to find their teammate.

A vacation, Dillon told himself. That's what this is. He had a feeling, however, that it wouldn't be that simple.

TWO DAYS LATER.

TOMMY

"Look, Punk, we've got to talk about this," Tommy said again.

"We talked," Katie said with a bored tone. "I get it. You're mad at me."

"Katie, it's more than that. You have to take responsibility for your actions."

"Fine! I'm sorry, okay?"

"That's not good enough this time."

"I can't believe you turned on me, too."

"Katie, it's not about turning on you-"

"Just leave me alone, Dad." Furious, she stormed off into the bathroom, the one place he couldn't follow her.

Tommy sighed. He sat down on his bed and tried to figure out what to do next. Katie was being impossible. He loved her, but she was acting more and more frustrating, and being backed into a corner, she'd started lashing out. He was the same way in that sort of situation, but this intervention was necessary and he knew it.

Something felt off. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but he knew trouble was coming. He grew anxious as he waited for Katie to return.

KATIE

She was looking in the mirror when suddenly, her reflection shifted. It had done that before, when Zell was messing with her, and Katie immediately became nervous. She was suddenly staring at her mother.

"Stop it..." She whispered.

"It's time," her body said. In the mirror, she could see her mother saying the words.

"Mom?"

"Sit back and let me drive, Katie," her mother said. That was when Katie lost control of everything. She suddenly understood... She'd been seeing her mother in the mirror for weeks, but she hadn't understood it... Until now. Katie was possessed. Her mother was back.

KAT

Possessing Katie had been a long process. Her daughter was nothing if not headstrong and stubborn, just like Tommy. Now, however, Kat finally had control. She took a deep breath and opened the bathroom door. Her husband stood on the other side looking concerned.

"Katie? Are you alright?" He asked.

Pure rage filled Kat. She lunged at Tommy, knocking him to the floor. "Katie! Katie, stop!" Tommy screamed. "Stop it!" He obviously didn't want to hurt his baby girl, so he didn't fight the way he should have, but he tried to get Kat off of him.

"Katie isn't home right now," Kat said. She laughed and Tommy's eyes widened with realization.

"Katherine?" He asked in horror.

"I'm back, Tommy," she said with a laugh. "Did you miss me?" She began smashing his head against the floor with supernatural strength. Tommy tried to free himself, but he was too hurt. Without touching him, she flung him across the room and against the wall. His head met the wall with a sickening crack that made Kat laugh more.

"Katie? Tommy? What's going on in there?" Adam demanded from outside of the room. Kat could hear him struggling with the lock. He burst into the room. Kat rushed at him, knocking him down the stairs hard. Adam landed awkwardly. He wasn't dead, but he was definitely seriously hurt. Kat calmly walked down the stairs toward her freedom. She stepped over Adam without so much as checking to see how much damage she'd done.

"Katie?" A voice asked in horror. It was Josh.

Kat laughed wickedly. She walked right up to him and groped him, sending him into an immediate confused panic. She kissed him hard. "Now, go run and hide, Josh," she said sweetly. "I know that's what you want to do." She groped him one last time for good measure. In complete shock, Josh fled to his bedroom and slammed the door shut. She could have killed him, but this was more fun, and Kat had once had a bit of a soft spot for the kid. Josh was as attractive as Billy, even if they both worked so hard to hide it, and she enjoyed being able to manipulate him because he was so traumatized by his life in foster care.

She continued making her way out of the house. It surprised her when she reached the front door and found it blocked. "No way, Katherine," Jayden said firmly. "You'll have to get through me."

Kat smiled. "You figured it out so quickly," she said. "I'm impressed."

"You're not leaving this house."

"Try me. I know Sage's parlor tricks. They're the same as Casey's. And since Adam opened the door to the bedroom, there's nothing sealing me in anymore."

Jayden began to cast a Kanji symbol. Kat felt like she couldn't breathe. She screamed before attacking him, knowing he'd just tried to exorcise her.

"Not so fast, little Samurai," Kat said. "I have a blood tie to Katie, remember? I'm not so easy to get rid of." She had knocked him down, so she ran toward the basement, where she knew there was another way to escape from the house.

Jayden chased after her, apparently tougher than he looked. He had morphed, and Kat was mildly impressed. No one else had thought to try that, and Adam and Josh both actively had the ability to do it. Of course, Adam hadn't had the time to. She'd known she had to knock him out fast or he'd have found a way to strengthen the spells on the house and keep her from escaping. He knew Sage and Casey's magic well enough to make it kick up a notch or two in an emergency.

"I can't let you leave," Jayden said steadily.

"I know." She laughed. "I also know you won't fight my daughter."

"You'd be surprised." With that, he attacked. He was careful not to do too much damage, but he was still attacking fiercely. Kat hadn't expected that. She'd assumed no one would be willing to risk seriously hurting Katie, least of all her boyfriend.

Kat fought back harder. She could hear Katie screaming in her head. Don't hurt him! She shouted. Please, Mom! Please don't do this!

As Kat's attacks grew stronger, Katie's protests turned to desperation. She begged her mother not to harm Jayden, to stop before it was too late. Finally, defeated, Katie simply wept hysterically, unable to stop her.

Kat looked down at Jayden. He was still fighting, even though he was bloody, bruised, and broken. He'd been knocked out of his morph at some point. He had nothing left, but he still fought.

As she brought down a final blow, she watched Jayden cast one last Kanji. It did nothing to her, but as soon as she hit him, he lost consciousness. She was certain he was going to die. As Katie's anguish over this fact hit her, Kat laughed and walked calmly out of the house.

SAGE

She wasn't completely stunned when Katie attacked her. She had expected some sort of retaliation for locking her cousin up, especially since she'd had a talk with everyone, including Zordon, and decided Katie couldn't be a team leader anymore unless she proved she'd earned the right. Sage was currently trying to figure out who could fill in as her co-leader. Thorn could do it, but he hated playing the role of team leader. She knew it wouldn't be fair to ask him.

"You bitch! You turned everyone against me!" Katie screamed, but there was something odd about it.

Sage defended herself. She didn't know how Katie had gotten out of the house, but it didn't matter at that point. She had to stop her. She could worry about how she'd gotten by Tommy and her father later.

Katie nearly got in a cheap shot that would have seriously hurt Sage, but she hesitated. Her face changed. Suddenly, she was crying.

"Sage... Help me," she begged.

"What?" Sage demanded.

"It's my mother, Sage... She's taken over... I can't fight her for long... Please, Sage... Stop me."

Sage realized with horror that her cousin was serious. Katie might be a bitch on her own, but Kat made her downright evil. "I will," Sage promised. With that, she cast a spell to knock Katie unconscious.

"Koda carry?" Koda asked, seeing Katie on the ground. Sage wasn't even vaguely surprised he'd shown up. Koda always seemed to know when she needed him lately.

"Yeah... My spell will keep her knocked out. Just bring her back to my uncle's house... I'm not sure what we'll find there," Sage said. She led the way.

Koda cautiously placed Katie on the couch in the living room as they entered the house. Sage immediately saw her father at the bottom of the stairs. "Dad!" She cried. She rushed to his side. He wasn't conscious, but he was breathing and his pulse was steady. "Thank Gods..." She mumbled.

Kenny walked in the door right after with Kimberly. "Oh my God!" Kimberly said, seeing Sage's father. She immediately knelt beside him.

"What happened?" Kenny asked.

"Katie escaped... And she's possessed by Katherine," Sage said.

"What? Are you serious?"

"Completely. I knocked her out and trapped both Katie and Kat inside of the body, unconscious until I say otherwise. We just got here. Someone needs to check on Uncle Tommy."

Her father began to come around as Sage sent healing energy toward him. He groaned. "Sage?" He asked. Then, he seemed to remember what had happened. "Katie-"

"I know. It's okay. She's unconscious... Possessed, but unconscious."

"Possessed?" He hesitated. "Oh no... Katherine?"

"Bingo." Sage sighed. "Dad, where's Uncle Tommy?"

"He was upstairs... I heard them struggling... I think he's hurt."

Kimberly led the bunch of them as they ran upstairs. "Tommy!" She cried in alarm as she spotted him crumpled against the wall. He was bleeding from his head.

"We need healers," Sage said. "I can only do so much." Sage was learning to admit her limits and not exhaust herself.

"I call Zedd," Koda offered.

"Good. Do that," Sage said. "And stay downstairs with Katie. If she stirs, knock her out. I don't care if you have to take a club to her head."

Koda ran off to do as he was told. "Uncle Tommy... Uncle Tommy, wake up," Sage called. He didn't respond.

"I'll call an ambulance," Kimberly offered.

"No... No, we can't explain what happened. Just let Zedd heal him."

Sure enough, Zedd showed up a minute later. "Koda made it sound urgent," he explained. Then he saw Tommy. "That's a lot of blood... But it's a head injury. They tend to bleed a lot. Don't worry. I can heal him." He knelt beside Tommy and set to work as Sage tried not to have a complete meltdown. Her cousin was possessed and had nearly killed her uncle and her father. She didn't even know how to begin to process that.

KENNY

He realized Josh should have been there. Quickly, Kenny walked down the hall. He knocked on Josh's door. When no one answered, he forced it open. The lock wasn't very strong and he knew that. He found Josh curled up on his bed rocking.

"Josh... Are you okay?" He asked. Josh didn't look at him and Kenny knew he was completely freaking out. He gently tried to touch him, but Josh took a swing at him. "Josh, it's me. It's Kenny. Calm down," he said patiently. Josh was his best friend and Godbrother. He was also going to become his step-brother, a fact Kenny was still trying to wrap his head around. His mother and Billy had only told him that a day before. Regardless, Kenny was desperate to help Josh now.

"She... She touched me..." Josh whispered.

"What? Who did, Josh? Was it Katie?"

Josh started rocking harder. "Josh, that wasn't Katie... She's possessed. It's Kat... Katie would never hurt you. You know that."

"She touched me..." Josh whispered again.

Kenny sighed. He knew he needed help on this one, so he called Taylor. "Hello?" Taylor answered.

"Taylor, it's Kenny. I need you to come over... Josh needs you," Kenny told him.

"I'll be right there," Taylor promised.

Kenny carefully closed Josh's door and went back to the others, but almost immediately, he realized something was wrong. "Adam... Adam, where's Jayden? Was he home?"

Adam paled. "He was downstairs when Katie... I mean when Kat attacked me," he said.

Kenny had a bad feeling. "Stay with Tommy... I'm going to go find Jayden," he said. He hurried downstairs. There was no sign of Jayden, so Kenny kept walking until he saw that the door to the basement was open. Cautiously, he started to walk down the stairs. "Jayden? Jayden, are you down here?" He asked. There was no response.

He kept going until he reached the bottom of the stairs. That was when he spotted Jayden lying in a pool of blood. There was so much of it, he was positive Jayden must be dead. Terror consumed him at that thought, but he knew he had to check if there was any chance that Jayden had survived. He knew if Jayden died, they'd never get Katie back.

He knelt beside him and checked for a pulse. To his great relief, there was one, but it was faint, and he quickly realized that Jayden wasn't breathing.

"Jayden!" He said desperately. Keeping as level a head as he could, Kenny began CPR. He kept that up for over a minute before Jayden finally began breathing again. He still didn't regain consciousness, and his injuries were clearly extremely severe. Kenny knew if he didn't get help soon, he would die for real this time.

"Help!" Kenny shouted as loud as he could. "I need help! Jayden's hurt!"

To his surprise, it was Taylor who stuck his head in. "Kenny?" He called.

"Taylor! Jayden's really hurt... He's barely breathing."

Taylor rushed to his side. "Shit..." He mumbled, seeing all the blood. "What the hell happened?"

"Katie, technically... Her mother possessed her and escaped from the house. Sage knocked her out, but the damage was already done... Taylor, can you help him? Katie will never forgive herself if... If he..."

"He won't die," Taylor promised. "I'll find a way to heal him... What's going on with Josh?"

"I think Kat did something... He just keeps saying she touched him."

"Is he hurt?"

"Not physically."

Taylor nodded. "Then Jayden has to take priority. He's dying... I'll help Josh after."

"Thank you."

"No problem." He focused his energy and began doing whatever it was that he did to heal. Kenny was amazed as Jayden's wounds began to heal. His breathing became stronger and slowly evened out. Soon, the only proof that he'd nearly died was the blood staining the floor and his clothes.

Taylor frowned. "He's healed, but I can't wake him up... He did something... Put himself into some kind of magical coma, I think. It kept him alive, but it's not magic I'm familiar with... I can't break it."

"I'll see if Tommy's awake. If he is, I'll get Mentor Ji's information and call him to come help," Kenny said. "Go take care of Josh... And thank you."

"No problem."

"Tell Koda I need to borrow him. I'm not sure if I can get Jayden upstairs on my own."

Taylor nodded before leaving to do that and go comfort Josh. A minute later, Koda appeared. "Oh..." Koda said as he saw the blood. "Is he... alive?"

"He is," Kenny assured him. "Taylor healed him. I just need help to move him."

Koda nodded and picked Jayden up like he weighed nothing before bringing him upstairs. He carried him to the room he usually slept in, Katie's room.

"Oh Gods..." Sage whispered, seeing this.

"He's alive," Kenny promised. "Seriously hurt, but alive... I got him breathing again, and Taylor healed him."

Tommy groaned as he came around. "Well, that hurt," he mumbled.

"Uncle Tommy!" Sage said with relief. She hugged him.

"Ouch! Not so tight," Tommy said. "I'm still sore." He looked at Zedd and paused. "You saved my life, didn't you?" He asked.

"I did," Zedd confirmed. "You were in bad shape, but you'll be fine now."

"I... Thank you... Zedd," Tommy said awkwardly. Kenny couldn't even imagine how strange it was for Tommy to be thanking him.

Koda went back downstairs to guard Katie, or Kat, or whoever she was currently. Kenny could hear Josh talking to Taylor and knew he was starting to calm down.

"Tommy, where's your Ranger Book?" Kenny asked. He knew Tommy had a notebook with the contact information for pretty much every Power Ranger ever, or at least all of the ones he'd met.

"In the locked drawer on my desk... Key's in the jeans over there... Why do you ask?" Tommy asked.

"Taylor said Jayden used some kind of magic to put himself into a coma, I'm guessing to save himself... He didn't know how to break it. I figured I'd better call Ji."

Tommy nodded. "Go on. I'm sure Jayden needs his family right now anyway."

Kenny took the key and pulled out the book. He was about to leave to make the call when Sage stopped him. "Kenny... The way you acted today... The fact that you remained in a situation where even I started to freak out slightly... I think you'd be the best candidate to help me lead the team," she said.

Kenny stared at her in shock. "But... What about Zeke? He's the Red Ranger," he protested.

"Zeke is amazing, but he's still recovering. He knows he's not up to leading the team. He admitted as much to me. He's just happy to be back on the team at all..."

"Thorn could-"

"Thorn doesn't want to."

"Maddie, then. She screams leader."

"Maddie's still learning to cope with being on two teams, Kenny. She can't handle being the leader. You proved today that you're more than qualified."

"But I'm the Pink Ranger... Pink Rangers are never team leaders."

"Not true. Jen Scotts is the Pink Time Force Ranger and she's the team leader. She's amazing at it. There's no rule that says only specific colors are meant to lead, Kenny... And today, you showed more leadership than anyone else. I'd proud of you and I know you can do it."

"Anyone would have-"

"You want to argue that? Fine. What about at the ropes course? You were the only one who was able to rescue Taylor. You kept a cool head, you assessed the situation, you took a crazy but calculated risk and you brought him back to safety. I don't know anyone who could have done that besides you. There's no one I'd rather have by my side when it comes to taking care of the team, because that's the thing... Pink Rangers care deeply about other people. You were willing to put your own safety aside for someone else. You did it when you saved Angie from Rito. You had no powers and you still saved her. You have the biggest heart of anyone I've ever met and you always put others first. That is a lesson Katie never learned... One that's important in a leader."

He hesitated. "Can I think about it?"

"Of course."

He nodded. Then, he said, "You know what? I'll do it."

"You will?" Sage looked relieved.

"You're right. I handled this. I can handle anything."

She smiled. "I'll tell Zordon and the rest of the team later."

Kenny hadn't expected this, but now he knew it was for the best. If there was one thing he knew was true it was that he'd do anything to protect the people he loved.

JI

He picked up his phone nervously, sensing trouble. "Yes?" He answered.

"Mentor Ji? This is Kenny... I'm one of Katie's teammates?" Kenny began.

"Yes, Kenny, I know who you are. What can I do for you?"

"Mentor, something very serious has happened... Katie's possessed, and she attacked several people... Including..."

"Jayden." Ji sighed. He could tell Jayden was hurt. "How bad is it?"

"Well, Taylor healed him, but he's in some sort of magical coma..."

"There is a Kanji for that. It's only to be used in the most extreme of times, when death is certain... It sends one so deep inside of themselves that they are protected from mortal harm. Although I taught him the symbol, I had hoped he would never need to use it..."

"But he'll wake up, right? You can fix him?"

"I must reach out to him... Only Jayden can wake himself, but I should be able to let him know it is safe to come back." Ji didn't add how difficult that Kanji was to break.

When he hung up, he knew he needed backup. Jayden would need more than just him. "Lauren, something's happened," Ji told her.

"It's Jayden... Isn't it?" Lauren asked.

"Yes. He was mortally wounded, but he survived. He's healed now, but the Kanji he cast is difficult to break."

"I understand. What can we do?" As always, Lauren had flipped off her emotions to do whatever needed to be done. She was extremely disciplined, but Ji knew how much she loved Jayden and how scared she must be.

"I must leave Shiba House to go help him. As you know, we cannot leave it unprotected. I need you to stay here."

"Of course." She nodded.

After he reassured her that Jayden would be fine, he began making phone calls. Emily answered immediately. "Mentor!" She cried happily. "How are you? How's Jayden, and Lauren?"

"Jayden is hurt, Emily," Ji said, hating to upset her.

Her tone immediately changed. "How bad is he?" She asked.

"He nearly died, but he will survive. The problem is, he cast a very powerful Kanji, and he needs help to wake back up."

"We'll come," another voice said.

"You don't need to come, Mike," Ji said.

"It's Jayden," Emily insisted. "We're coming to help."

"Very well. Get to Angel Grove as quickly as you can. Use the teleportation Kanji if you think you can."

"I can," Emily said.

"I can't," Mike said with a laugh, "so I'll ride in with Emily."

Ji called Kevin next. Of course, he immediately insisted on joining them. Mia was no different. Then, Ji made the one call he was truly dreading. "Mentor Ji! What's up, what's up, what's up?" Antonio asked cheerfully.

"Antonio." Ji only said his name, but he put a lot of stress on the word.

"What happened to Jayden?" Antonio asked knowingly.

Ji explained and Antonio also said he'd join them. Ji hadn't planned on reuniting the team, but it seemed he had no choice in the matter. Besides, having all of them around could only help Jayden return to them quicker.

JAYDEN

The Kanji had been unexpectedly powerful. Jayden had known it was his only chance at surviving. While he was willing to attack Katie's body if he had to, he knew she could take it. She'd recover eventually, and she was tough... Killing her was a different story, and he knew he'd never be able to cross that final line. If it came down to killing her or dying, Jayden loved her too much to do what he needed to win the fight. Instead, he'd done the only thing he could and fled so deep into the astral plane, he might never find his way back to his body. The magic kept his body alive, but it wasn't guaranteed to last and if someone didn't find him soon enough, he'd still die. This was a stop gap, the last desperate measure he could take before he died.

Suddenly, he heard a distant sound. "Jayden... Jayden, come back to me..." The voice was saying.

"Mentor?" Jayden asked in confusion. How was Ji with him?

"You must return, Jayden. It is safe now. It's over. Come home."

Jayden wanted to, but he couldn't find his way. He could feel Ji reaching for him, but he couldn't quite grasp his hand.

"Jayden, we are here," Kevin's voice said firmly.

"We're right by your side, Buddy," Antonio added. He sensed him touching his shoulder.

"Please, Jayden... Please come back to us," Mia said softly. He could almost feel her stroking his hair.

"Come on, Jayden... You can't leave us unsupervised. We need you, Man," Mike said.

Jayden tried to reach them, but instead, he seemed to be falling further away. "He's hyperventilating," he could hear Kevin saying. "Something is wrong!"

"His pulse is racing," Mia added.

"Jayden... Jay, come on..." Antonio said, the fear obvious in his voice.

"He's going into distress," Ji said. "We're losing him."

"Jayden!" A final voice cried. "Don't you dare, Jayden! You're not allowed to leave us!" Emily was sobbing. He could almost feel her... Suddenly, he did feel something... Moisture on his hand as her tears fell on it, and then he felt Emily, squeezing his hand. "Come back to us, Jayden!"

Although he'd sensed the others, this was the first time he could physically feel anyone. He squeezed her hand back. "Jayden? He hears me!" Emily cried out. "You can do this, Jayden... You can find your way back."

Slowly, Jayden followed the sound of her voice, not letting go. Finally, he connected fully to his body. He opened his eyes and blinked because the light hurt.

"He's waking up!" Emily told the others.

"Yeah! That's my boy!" Antonio shouted.

"Thank God..." Mia whispered.

"Welcome back, Jayden," Ji said.

"Ji... How...?" Jayden asked.

"Katie is possessed by her mother. She attacked you rather severely. Do you remember?"

"I do... Is she... Is she okay?"

"Sage knocked her out. She's safe, and she's unconscious."

Jayden nodded. He still felt incredibly weak. "Are you okay?" Emily asked him.

"I will be," he promised, although he wasn't sure that was true. Katie was unconscious and possessed, and she'd tried to kill him. He wasn't sure anything would ever be okay again. "Are the others alright?"

"Adam and Tommy will be fine. They've been healed. Josh is a bit traumatized, but he's pretty calm," Ji said. "The others weren't home when she attacked."

Jayden nodded. "How are you all here?" He asked.

"Kenny called me. When I informed the team you were hurt, they all insisted on coming with me. Your sister sends her love. She's quite worried about you."

"I'll call her in a bit... I just need to clear my head first."

"Just rest. I'll call Lauren. You can talk to her when you're feeling better."

Jayden nodded again. He knew he needed rest. The Kanji had taken a lot of strength to cast. He wouldn't be at his full power for a while. He had to admit, it was nice to have the team again, even if he hadn't wanted to interrupt them from what they'd all been doing. They'd all just barely gone back to their old lives, yet they'd dropped everything to help him. He was a very lucky guy. He tried to focus on that and not worry about Katie. What if they never got her back? What if she was too traumatized by what her mother had done to return to who she'd been before? Yes, Katie had needed to be put in line for her behavior. Even Jayden could see that she often did things she shouldn't... But he loved her, and he had to believe that he'd get her back. Any other possibility was unacceptable.

ONE DAY LATER.

GIA

She'd gotten the call from Sage that she didn't need to keep the Turbo Falconzord busy for much longer because Katie had been knocked out and trapped in a sleeping spell. She was planning to return when the Zord had other plans. It took off before she could even register what was happening, and it didn't stop until it landed in Corinth. She knew that's where they were purely because the Zord showed her as much.

Gia carefully stepped out of the Zord. "Okay," she said. "Why did you bring me here?" She got her answer when she saw someone breaking into a safe. "Hey! Stop that!" She cried out.

He spun around and Gia stared at him in confusion. "Jack Landors?" She asked. The former... or future, if you were being technical... Red SPD Ranger looked at her.

"Who the hell are you?" He demanded.

"I'm Gia... The Yellow Megaforce Ranger... You helped my team once... Or, you will... Or... Damn time travel. You're from the future. I don't know what tense to use, but we've met, briefly, and I know all about your team from our files."

Jack scowled at her before lunging. Gia was stunned by the attack, but she reacted quickly, trying to defend herself. She tried to remember Jack's story... He'd been a thief. She knew that much. SPD had taken him onto their team and made him their leader, and he wasn't one of the bad guys. What the hell was going on?

As Gia's head hit the floor, she realized Jack held a Red Morpher in his hand, but it wasn't the SPD morpher. "Wait! Why are you trying to steal Scott's morpher?" She demanded.

"Venjix!" Was all he said. He hit her again, and Gia knew she wasn't going to get any more answers. She fought back hard, even trying to morph, but he prevented that by knocking her morpher away from her. Gia still wasn't a pushover. She could fight with or without her Ranger powers. She did everything in her power to stop him from leaving because she knew whatever the Zord had brought her there for was important. Jack couldn't be allowed to escape. She also knew what Venjix was, and if Jack got away with it in his possession, it would mean nothing but trouble.

She kicked him hard in the shin. He hit the floor and let out a cry of rage before getting up and rushing toward her. His attack was almost animalistic. The lights were on, but nobody was home, and Gia knew she was screwed. He knocked the wind out of her. As she recovered, Jack picked up something that looked awfully heavy and flung it at her head. Gia tried to get out of the way, but it still hit her. She lay on the floor, trying to find a way to fight back, and he came at her again, smashing her head against the floor repeatedly until she blacked out.

DIVATOX

The Red Ranger who appeared before her looked like he was in a trance. "Hello, Jack," she said pleasantly. "I see Zell did a number on you. Thanks for the present." She grinned and sent him on his way. She knew Zell would transport him back to his time where, hopefully, he'd remember nothing.

She knelt beside the robot in front of her. "Well, here goes," she said. She took a deep breath and transferred the pulsing energy from the morpher into the robot. To her shock, he sat up.

"Where am I?" He demanded.

"You live!" Divatox cried with joy. "Thanks to me, that is. I'm Divatox, and you and I are going to be working together, King Mondo."

"Divatox... Yes, I remember you... But... I feel strange."

"You've got a virus in you. Don't be alarmed... He's pure evil and he's going to help us rebuild your empire."

"Yes... The Machine Empire shall rise again!" Mondo declared.

"The virus is called Venjix, and it's self-aware."

"Venjix? As in my General?"

"No, General Venjix got wiped out by an army of Red Rangers a while back. This is something else. It was created in a land called Corinth, and it's very deadly. It's weak right now, but it had enough strength to reanimate you."

"Where is my Queen? And Sprocket?"

"Queen Machina will be revived next... And the brat's in the corner."

"My son is not a brat!"

"Have you met him? Whatever. I didn't plan on reviving him, but-"

"You will do it. Or I will destroy you."

"Try it, Mondo. I'm stronger than you are right now, and you owe me your life. I know how to disable you if you get in my way. I'll restore Sprocket's life if and when I decide he's of use to me."

"He is helpful, Divatox. We need him."

"Prove it."

"Allow me to show you the things he has done... And then, help me restore my Empire. You need us united. We are strongest together."

Divatox relaxed. She knew he was right, and she liked the idea of commanding their entire Empire. "Let's get started..."

SAGE

She knew something was wrong when Troy told her, "Gia hasn't answered my calls... She's missing."

"I'm sure she's okay," Sage said. "Maybe she's just in an area we can't reach?"

"Mom... I know Gia. She wouldn't disappear like this," Troy insisted.

"Okay. Let me try to track her down." She focused until she sensed Gia. "She's in Corinth," she said after a minute. "I guess the Zord went home."

"Mom... She'd have checked in by now. Please. We have to go after her."

"I'll go. You stay here with your team."

She didn't let him argue. Instead, she focused all of her energy on teleporting to Corinth. She'd have had Tia send her through a portal, but she suspected there wasn't time. She was proven correct when she spotted Gia lying on the ground severely wounded.

"Oh Gods..." She whispered. She checked for a pulse. Gia still had one. She started to stir, groaning. "Don't try to talk," Sage advised her.

"Venjix..." Gia got out.

"What?"

"Venjix... He... He has it."

Suddenly, Sage knew they were in trouble. "Who does, Gia? Who has Venjix?"

"Jack."

"Jack?" Sage tried to remember who that was.

"SPD... Red."

Sage knew Jack had once been a thief. She also knew that, if someone found him before SPD did, he might have been influenced. The time of SPD and the realm they existed in had a lot of technology. If Jack had brought Venjix there, there was no time to waste.

Sage got Gia to Colonel Mason Truman, explaining what she'd said since Gia had fallen unconscious again. "We'll get her the treatment she needs... But how could someone have stolen Venjix? It was destroyed," he said.

"I think part of it was in the Red Ranger's morpher. I saw it." Sage had caught the slightest flash of a vision to tell her that much.

"That was my son's morpher."

"I know. Colonel, I need to find out if it's really gone. If SPD is exposed to Venjix, it could wipe them out. They're entirely technology based."

Five minutes later, Sage heard an alarmed voice cry out, "No! No, no, no... This can't be happening."

"Doctor K?" Colonel Truman asked.

"It's gone, Colonel. Someone stole it. I don't know how... My safe is unbreakable." Doctor K frowned at them as she considered this, and Sage thought something about her features was oddly familiar. She couldn't dwell on that for the moment.

"I have to go after Jack. He'll infect the entire future if I don't," Sage said.

"We'll take care of Gia," Colonel Truman promised.

"I'll come back for her soon." Sage paused. "Doctor K... I think this has to do with my world. Several of your Rangers are there, and I have a feeling there's a reason I felt compelled to invite them... Can you come with me? For one, if SPD has been infected, you can help stop it. For another, I'll need you to make sure Venjix is not in my world."

Doctor K looked very much like a scared teenager as she considered this. "I don't leave here," she said cautiously. "Ever."

"I know. I know you were never really allowed outside in general, let alone out of this world... But SPD will be destroyed, and my world might follow suit. Please. I need your help."

Doctor K sighed. "Okay," she agreed. "I'll come with you."

"Thank you."

They headed to SPD, where Anubis "Doggy" Cruger met them with a frown. "I received your message. You believe Jack did this?" he asked.

"Yes," Sage said. "I think someone influenced him... An evil entity named Zell comes to mind. He's the only one I know with enough power to pull this off."

Doggy brought Jack to them. He looked like himself, but Sage suspected that was because he had no memory of what had happened. "He doesn't have the morpher," Doctor K said after a minute. "He is, however, slightly infected with the Venjix virus. It's a small amount. I can remove it."

Jack looked petrified. "What do you think I've done?" He asked.

"You stole a very powerful, very dangerous virus from my home, Corinth. It can infect any and all technology. Jack, I need you to think... Where did you take the morpher?"

"I don't remember any of this," Jack insisted.

Doctor K tested his energy field with some of her technology. "He's been in your world," she said. "He must have given it to someone."

"We have to get to my world," Sage said, suddenly very worried. "We'll get Gia, grab the rest of your team, and go back there."

Doctor K nodded. "There's no time to waste," she agreed.

"Thanks for your help, Doggy," Sage said before taking Doctor K and leaving. She'd have to wait until Gia was healed enough to be safely moved, but she suspected it wouldn't take long. The beating had been bad, but Gia was tough. She would survive. Sage just hoped the same could be said for the rest of their world.

THE NEXT DAY.

CALEB

Training with Caius had been productive that day. Caleb was getting much better with a sword and everyone's skills were getting sharper and sharper. He was walking home with Ollie when strange monsters attacked.

"What are those?" Caleb asked.

"Get behind me," Ollie said protectively, drawing his sword.

"What the... Cogs?" Someone asked as they joined the two of them.

"Rocky! You know these things?" Ollie asked.

"Yeah, sure. They were from the Machine Empire, which we destroyed, like, ages ago..." Rocky said, shaking his head. "Man, I knew I should have gone home another way."

"How do we fight them?" Caleb asked.

"You call the Rangers... Or just kick them. They're like the Machine Empire's equivalent of Putties... I have no idea how they're here." He kicked one in the chest and it fell apart. "Shit! My back can't take much of that... Does anyone have a water gun? Water shorts them out."

"Sorry, I left it in my other backpack," Ollie said dryly. He began attacking the Cogs, doing his best to take them out. "Caleb, just stay behind me, okay? I've got this."

"There's too many of them," Caleb pointed out.

"I don't want you to get hurt."

"I appreciate the thought, but-" Suddenly, Caleb stopped speaking as the world faded away.

There was blood everywhere. People stared at him with dead, accusing eyes. He could see them as they were brutally murdered, each in a way more horrifying than the last. His friends were being murdered. Thorn was ripped apart right in front of him. Caleb screamed as Zell laughed.

Caius appeared, looking as broken and lonely as ever. "You will be just like him," Zell said. "Left behind after everyone else is gone. It is your destiny."

"No!" Caleb cried.

"They will all die, my boy... Everyone you love... Your friends... This boy you love so much... Your family... Everyone," Zell taunted him.

"No! Don't hurt them!" Caleb screamed.

"It doesn't have to be this way, Caleb. You can save them. You have a choice to make."

"A... A choice?"

"If you agree to betray your team and work with me, I will spare them... I will spare Thorn. He will live a long, happy life, and he will be safe. All you have to do is agree to work with me. Turn evil, Caleb. If you do that, he will be safe. I will spare him. I will spare them all."

"You're lying."

"My word is binding. The boy will live, and he will be happy." Zell paused. "It is your choice, my boy. Choose wisely. I expect an answer soon. You have two days."

Caleb snapped out of the vision. He saw Caius standing there, having shown up at some point. Tears were streaming down Caleb's face. "Caleb... Tell me what you saw," Caius said gently.

"I... I have to go," Caleb said. He took off running, refusing to allow anyone to comfort him. He knew what he had to do.

ZEDD

He was surprised when he arrived at the place he currently called home and found Caleb standing outside. "Can we talk?" He asked.

Zedd nodded. "Of course," he said. "Come inside."

Caleb followed him. When Zedd closed the door, Caleb blurted out, "Was it worth it?"

Zedd stared at him in confusion. "I'm sorry?"

"The choice you made... Was it worth it? Would you do it again?"

Now, Zedd understood. "No," he said. "No, Caleb, I wouldn't. I'd believe in our love instead. I'd believe that, somehow, Xia and I could have stopped that vision from coming true."

Caleb nodded slowly. "Believe in love..." He mumbled.

"Caleb... Are you alright?"

"I... I should go."

"Caleb, stop. Please, talk to me. Did something happen? Did Zell... Did he offer you something?"

Caleb sighed. "He showed me something, Zedd... Something horrible."

"Tell me."

"He showed me everyone I love dying... And me being stuck behind, unable to stop them from being murdered... Alone forever, just like... Just like..."

"Like Caius?"

"Yes. And he... He showed me Thorn's death, and it was the worst one of all... Then he told me I could stop it... That if I chose to turn evil and work with him, he'd spare Thorn, and he wouldn't kill everyone..."

"Don't believe him, Caleb. There's always a catch with Zell... And I made the wrong choice. I know that now. I did it because I loved Xia more than anything, but it was the final straw that caused the Chosen to fail the first time."

"You're the only one I knew could understand..."

"I do understand. I know how hard this is... But you have to turn him down, Caleb. Don't give up what makes you who you are... You're a good soul, Caleb. Gentle, kind... He will destroy you if you let him, and more importantly, your team will fail."

"Thank you... I needed to know." Caleb turned around to leave.

"You don't have to go yet if you need a little while to calm down."

"No... I need to be with my parents. I need to see them right now."

"Of course. Go on. Good luck. You're doing the right thing."

As Caleb walked away, Zedd tried to shake off his own pain. The memories flooded back and he pushed them out of his mind. He went for a walk, deciding he needed to calm down. That was where he ran into someone.

He could smell him before he spotted him. Rito was sifting through a dumpster, looking for food most likely. He looked cold as he shivered in the rain that began pouring down. Zedd felt sorry for him. Rito had nothing left.

"Rito?" He asked. "Are you okay?"

Rito ignored him, trying to wrap himself in some old newspapers. Zedd walked down the block and purchased a couple of sandwiches and some coffee before returning to the dumpster. He knelt beside his former brother-in-law and offered them to him.

"Zedd?" Rito asked.

"It's Ze-" Zedd automatically began correcting him, but then he paused. "Wait... You called me Zedd."

"That's your name, isn't it?"

"But you..."

"Enjoyed busting your balls." Rito shrugged. "I didn't like how you treated her, so I annoyed you on purpose."

Zedd shook his head. "Wow. Well, anyway, I thought you looked hungry."

"I'm okay."

"Liar."

"I'm not your problem, Zedd."

"You're still family."

"Your marriage ended."

"Rito... She'd want me to look out for you."

Rito nodded after a moment. "Thanks." He began eating.

Zedd arrived at home at the same time as Sage. She had gotten back the day before and was working hard to make sure Venjix wasn't anywhere they needed to worry about. As Doctor K looked over their technology, she also put safeguards on anything that wasn't infected. So far, she hadn't found any traces of Venjix, but they knew it was somewhere.

"You look upset," Sage noticed.

"I saw Rito... He's a mess," Zedd admitted.

"That sucks."

"He's living on the street... He was starving and cold. I feel guilty, like I should be helping him."

Sage sighed. "Tell him if he bathes regularly, he's allowed to stay in the basement with you... If you are okay with that."

"What? You'd do that?"

"He's harmless now. He was loyal to Rita. I believe him when he says he's not a bad guy anymore. And he's important to you."

"I wouldn't go that far."

"I would. You obviously care about him. So take him in until he can get on his feet or whatever."

"Thank you, Sage. That's incredibly kind."

"This world needs kindness once in a while. I mean it, though. He's not allowed to stink up the house."

"Noted." He smiled at her. Together, they went to find Rito.

"Green Ranger? Did you come to finish me off?" Rito asked. He looked at them pitifully.

"No," Sage said. "I'm not here to hurt you."

"You're coming with us," Zedd said.

"What?" Rito asked in confusion.

"You need to get off the streets and Sage said it's alright... But you have to clean yourself up and stay that way."

"I can do that... But are you sure? You hate me, and she's a Power Ranger."

"You deserve a chance," Sage said firmly. "Just prove you've earned it."

Together, the three of them headed home. If someone had told Zedd this would be his life a little while ago, he'd have laughed in their face and possibly destroyed them, yet here he was. He smiled to himself, hoping Rita appreciated that he was taking care of her little brother now.

TWO DAYS LATER.

CALEB

He wasn't surprised when Zell appeared in his dream. "I'm ready for my answer, my boy," he said.

"The answer is no," Caleb said firmly.

"Are you certain? I can do so much for you, Caleb. I can protect the ones you love. I can free Caius of his curse. I can give you incredible power."

"I don't want power, and I believe that we're all strongest together. We can stop you, and we will."

"You have one more chance, my boy. Work for me, or I will destroy everyone you love."

"I'll never work for you, Zell. I'll never be evil. That's not who I am, and I'm not falling for your lies."

"Very well, dear boy. Until we meet again..." With that, he vanished, and Caleb woke up.

He was sweating. He couldn't believe he'd stood up to Zell! He terrified him, but Caleb knew Zedd was right. Working for Zell was the wrong choice, no matter what. He looked at his alarm clock. It was nearly five in the morning. Caleb knew he couldn't fall back asleep, so he got dressed and decided to go for a jog before school, like he always did.

He returned home just before seven. His parents stood outside of the house. "You guys are out early," he said.

"Caleb..." His father said.

"I'm just going to go take a shower and-"

"Don't," his mother said urgently. "Caleb, do not go into the house. Do you hear me?"

"Mom... What's going on?" Caleb asked.

"Sweetheart... Just... Go to Thorn's. Please."

"Dad... Tell me what's wrong."

"Caleb, please listen to us. Just leave. Don't go in there."

His mother reached toward him and Caleb felt a chill. He jumped back before she could touch him. "No... No, that's... No," he said, trying to deny what he suddenly understood.

"I'm sorry, Baby," his mother said softly.

"No! You're... You're fine," he said. "I'm... I'm going in there!" He flung the door open before they could stop him. That was when he saw all of the blood in the living room. "Mom! Dad!" He screamed. What he saw next sickened him.

Body parts were scattered across the living room. They were everywhere. His mother's eyes stared up at him from the floor, her head completely removed from the rest of her body.

Caleb felt like he was going to vomit. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. His father's head lay a few feet away, his mouth open in terror. Caleb felt tears streaming down his cheeks. This couldn't be happening. These dismembered bodies were not his parents. That was impossible.

"You should have accepted my deal," Zell said, suddenly appearing. He lunged at Caleb and Caleb did the only thing he could... He grabbed a chair and smashed it against the ground, breaking it to give himself its leg as a weapon. Caleb wasn't much of a fighter, but today, he had no choice. This bastard had just murdered his parents, and he was next on the list.

They struggled for a while before Zell overpowered him. The beating was so severe, Caleb was convinced he'd never recover. Still, he fought. When Zell delivered a final brutal blow to his chest, Caleb felt his heart stop. He knew he was dying, and he wasn't entirely sure that was a bad thing anymore.

CAIUS

The vision hit him like a truck. He was stuck in it for a short time, but as soon as he gained awareness, he raced to Caleb's house. His son was in horrible danger. He prayed he wasn't too late.

Caleb's adopted parents watched him from outside of the house. Caius sighed, his heart breaking. They'd been good people. They'd loved his son. They'd raised him and kept him happy when he couldn't do it himself, and now, they were dead. He walked into the living room and took in the scene. There were body parts everywhere. The couple who'd raised his son had been dismembered and had probably been alive through the majority of the attack knowing the way Zell operated.

Caleb lay on the ground, bloody and broken. "Caleb... Oh God... Please..." Caius whispered. He checked for a pulse. There wasn't one. Caius refused to give up. He called an ambulance, then set to work, praying he still had time. "Caleb... Don't let go," he begged. "Please... Come back to me, Son... Please..." Caius felt tears streaming down his cheeks as he used some of the charms he owned to try and revive his son. He performed CPR as well, but nothing was working. He refused to let go of his son's hand. "I can't lose you, too," he whispered. "Come back, Caleb... You can do this... You can survive this. Please..."

He stayed like that, willing Caleb to sense his energy and follow it back to his body. If he could do that, he still had a chance...

CALEB
He was dead. Again. This was becoming a really bad habit.

"Oh, my sweet boy..." A familiar voice said sadly.

"Casey?" Caleb asked. He saw her then. She smiled at him with the saddest eyes he'd ever seen.

"Yes, Caleb. I'm here to guide you... Listen to me, Caleb. You can go back. You don't have to die."

"Take me instead!" He blurted out.

"Caleb-"

"Bring my parents back. Take me instead."

"Caleb, that's not the way it works."

"Please, Casey... Please, if you ever cared about me, take me instead of them!"

"I'm so sorry, my sweet boy... Their fate was sealed long ago."

"Sealed? You mean..." A horrible realization hit him. "The minute they agreed to take me in, this became their destiny, didn't it?"

"They loved you, Caleb. Even knowing this, they would do it again."

Caleb began to cry. "No..." He whispered. "Please... There has to be a way to fix them."

"I truly wish that there was... I hate to see you hurting, Caleb. I look at you as a son."

"It isn't fair... They didn't know about any of this! They were innocent!"

"I know..." Casey held him. It was extremely comforting to be in her arms again. "Caleb... You can stay if you choose to. I won't make you go back, but... You have a choice to make."

Caleb thought about it. He could stay there and be with his parents, and with Casey. It would be easier, and he knew that. Or, he could go back home, without his parents, and face the rest of his life. He knew the Chosen needed him, but was that enough? Could he really go back to a world without his mom and dad?

"Thorn..." He whispered. He took a deep breath and looked at Casey. "Thorn needs me. I have to go back... For him."

Casey nodded. "I cannot guide you home, Caleb. That is your journey to take on your own. That is both your gift and your curse... But there are others who can guide you."

"Like the original Chosen?"

"Yes... But not this time. This time, there's someone else you need to find."

Caleb nodded. He hugged her again. "I miss you," he told her. "We all do."

"I miss you all, too." She hugged him tighter before releasing him. "Take care of my son."

"Always." With that, Caleb found himself alone in the darkness. He started to panic. He didn't know what to do now, so he simply began to walk aimlessly, hoping he would find whoever he needed to soon.

"Hello there, Almost Brother," a voice said.

Caleb didn't know who he was, and he was with someone else he didn't know. "We are nearly brothers, it's true," the other man said.

"Come with us, Caleb."

"Where?" Caleb asked.

"To Papa Caius, of course. He's with you, Caleb. He's holding your hand and trying to guide you back."

"Who are you?"

"Quang Bu," the first man said. "Or QB, if you prefer. That's Jason... The original Jason Scott, actually. Middle name's Raven, if you want all of the details. He's Dimitri and Morgana's son. I'm the son of Quintus. Caius raised us both, which makes you pretty much our baby brother."

"Exactly," Jason chimed in. "And we don't leave family behind. Come on, Caleb. We'll bring you home. Besides, he's sending out so much energy trying to bring you back... He loves you, Caleb... And he won't give up on you."

They began moving quickly, and Caleb felt like he had to run for his life, literally. He finally looked back over his shoulder at them when they stopped moving. "Go, Caleb," Jason said.

"Run," Quang Bu added. "There isn't much time."

"Thank you both," Caleb said.

"Anytime, Little Brother," Quang Bu said.

"Good luck," Jason added.

With that, Caleb jumped into the light he saw before him. Moments later, he coughed as he began breathing again, and opened his eyes.

"Caleb!" Caius cried out with relief. He was suddenly hugging him. Their relationship had been awkward before, but being held by his biological father was comforting now. He desperately needed to know that he wasn't alone.

"They're gone..." Caleb whispered, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Yes, Caleb... I am so sorry..." Caius said softly.

"I had to come back... The Chosen need me... And... And Thorn..."

"They do."

"This is my fault, Caius."

"No, Caleb... No, it's not."

"He gave me choice... He offered me a deal..."

"Oh, Caleb..." Caius shook his head.

"I went to Zedd... To ask if he'd do it again... And he told me he'd have chosen to believe in his and Xia's love and the power of that to stop evil... I refused the deal, Caius... And he... He killed them..."

"Caleb... This isn't your fault. You made the right choice."

"I know, but... He did this... He killed them... He..." Caleb became hysterical, which was a bad idea. He was still seriously injured, and he couldn't breathe now. His chest was tight.

"Shhh... Shhh, Caleb... I'm here. You aren't alone."

"I... They were my parents, Caius."

"I know."

"I don't know what to do now."

"You can come stay with me if you want to..." Caius said this awkwardly, like he was certain Caleb would refuse. "Or you can ask Adam if he'd let you stay with him. I'm sure he'd be more than willing to take you in, and being with Thorn may help you."

"Thorn... Can you call him for me?"

"Of course."

Caleb thought about his options as Caius made the call. When he returned, Caleb said, "I'll stay with you... For now..." He knew it was the right choice. Caius was the only one who might understand what he was dealing with right now, and he was his birth father. Caleb had just lost his parents, but he still needed someone to watch out for him. He was still a teenager. Maybe getting to know his biological father wouldn't be such a bad idea.

The police came a short time later, and so did an ambulance. Caleb allowed them to take him to the hospital. Caius stayed by his side, and assured him Thorn would meet them there. Caleb tried to hold on to that. He'd lost his parents, but he still had Thorn, and even if Zell wanted to kill him, Sage would never let that happen. He had to believe that was enough.

THORN

He raced to the hospital at a speed he hadn't known he could. When he finally saw Caleb, he felt relieved at first, and then broken. He wrapped his arms around him, careful not to hurt him. "I love you," he whispered. "I'm so sorry."

"They're dead, Thorn," Caleb whispered back. "Just like that... They were fine this morning. I left to go for a jog because I couldn't sleep, and when I got home, they were just... They were outside."

Thorn understood what he meant. "Oh God..."

"I didn't realize at first... Probably because I didn't want to believe it... But they were ghosts, Thorn... And they were begging me not to go inside."

"I'm so sorry, Caleb... God, I can't believe this is happening..."

"I'm alone, Thorn... They're gone... My parents are gone..."

"You're not alone. You have me. Me and the Power Rangers and the Chosen, and... And Caius."

"I know... He went for the only people in my life who wouldn't see him coming. They didn't know about any of this, Thorn."

"I know."

"I... I saw your mom."

"You did?" Thorn was stunned. The news hurt, but in an odd way, it was also comforting.

"Yeah... She gave me a choice... She said I could stay there if I wanted to." He sighed. "I asked her to take me instead of them. I know that's horrible, but... But I had to try..."

"I'd have done the same thing... I'd have given anything to save my mom. I get it, Caleb. It's okay."

"She said she couldn't bring them back, but she said I could return if I wanted to... And I agreed to do it for one reason."

"Why?"

"You."

"Me?"

"I couldn't do that to you again. You didn't handle losing me the first time. I couldn't leave you."

Thorn kissed him. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Caleb sighed. "I don't know what I'm going to do now... I just know that I have to keep going."

"I'm with you, Caleb. Every step of the way."

"I know."

"Dad agreed I can skip some school until the funeral so you don't have to be alone."

"It may take a while... They... Um... They can't release the... the..." Caleb shook his head, clearly unwilling to say the word bodies. "They can't give my parents back until they go through everything and determine the details of what happened. I told them it was a monster... But they didn't seem to believe me. I think they think the trauma has me confused or something."

"I'll stay with you for as long as I can. I'm doing fine in my classes. Missing some school for this won't be the end of the world. You're my boyfriend. You need me... And your parents were great to me... They're my family, too."

Caleb nodded. "Thank you... For being here."

"Always."

Caleb leaned his head on Thorn's shoulder and tried to take comfort in his presence. Whatever happened next, he needed to face it and move forward. There was no other choice. This was war. Whatever else was to come, Caleb knew one thing for sure. He was going to make Zell pay.